BPA in Canned Food

FYI--I knew that BPA was also found in the lining of canned food and bags like the kind dog food comes in, but I was surprised at the amounts when compared with baby bottles and water bottles...Luckily we don't use much in the line of canned food and have even more reason to avoid it now. It's about time that people are figuring out the negative effects of "denaturizing" food. Check out this quick video:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/video/vs?id=RTGAM.20080529.wvcans0529&ids=RTGAM.20080529.wvcans0529

And this website has some good information if you follow the BPA links on the left:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/bpa-danger-from-cans.php

It mentions that Eden Foods and Trader Joe's do not have BPA in their cans... good to know...I'm sure there's other brands too...

Warning: Complaint Ahead

So get to school this morning, check my school email to find that I'm getting "robbed" of a week's pay next year...The one freakin' year that I've already got every penny accounted for as I've been budgeting for taking the rest of the year off following our big October guest-for-life debut. So yeah, I know recession, budget cuts, across the board financial troubles, but, but when I've already seen the proposed salary scale, when I've already lost the opportunity to pick up a few weeks of working summer school (and booked/paid for vacations that will now keep me from taking a job even if I wanted one), I feel like the ridiculous company I'm working for is just reaching into my pocket and helping themselves to 1500 bucks...grrrr....For the last 8 years I have returned back to school 2 weeks ahead of all of the other teachers in the state of CT, being okay with it though because I knew I'd be getting paid. And yes, I also know that upon looking for another job in the future, I would be willing to work for less pay in a district that has a shorter school day and year...but for goodness sake, the one freakin' year I am truly depending on that cash....ugh! The worst part is that this all came about after ongoing budget negotiations between the 'sending districts' who send kids to my school...and so somehow, it is as if digging into the teachers' pockets is how these budget/tuition troubles have been balanced...so my week of no pay is paying for little Billy from such and such a town's education...I hate businesses...I hate that schools are businesses. Now the teacher talk at a meeting I was at today was all about how we can really make our school look good in the media after all the bad press it's been getting throughout the budget wars...Media Schmedia is what I say. I have no interest in trying to Sell my school...that's not my job and I am not one for playing games or for doing something because it 'looks good'...All this crap has really helped me even more distance myself from that working environment. While it will be some other drama in another district, at least I'll be starting fresh somewhere else and I won't have a grudge to begin with.

Now I think I might look into walking neighborhood dogs this summer to pick up some extra cash...Hmmm...anyone going away or know anyone going away that needs some dog/pet/plant care? Might as well...We'll see if I actually make that happen; it will have to be a rather stringent interview process between me and the dog.

In the grand scheme of things none of this actually matters...it's just the principle of the whole situation. Done complaining. Have a nice day!

Memorial Weekend

This past weekend, me and Trav joined my family up in Vermont as a Mom's Birthday Present Weekend. We stayed at the same house we went to in the fall which has plenty of room for all to spread out. It was a nice coming and going place during the day when everyone tended to go their separate ways. Jill and Lenny took Chase to the farm with Grandma and Grandpa, which was apparently a big hit. He learned how to hee-haw and got to feed the baby sheep with a 'baba'. It's so neat to see how much talking he's doing and all of the connections he's making. He's a regular farm animal name and sound expert! Cute kid. And no, Travis and I did NOT teach him how to throw rocks into the water and make them splash and kerplunk...must have been someone else...

Let's see. Me and Trav's excursions were to the flea market with Abby and Shan. They are looking for unique glassware to use at their outdoor wedding (rather than buying or renting from the caterer)...said glasses will also be part of the favor...They found some nice crystal glasses there. I spent a good portion of the time there sitting at a picnic table. Then we were supposed to go for a hike but Trav and I preferred being dropped off back at the house to take a much needed nap. After weekend after weekend of events and whatnot, this one was devoted to relaxation and not feeling like we had to do anything...

We did family movie night on Saturday and watched the movie Traffic...not great but whatever. It's becoming a tradition to do movies and dessert up there, so Travis was in charge of heating the fresh apple pie and topping it with ice cream. Yummy!

Sunday was a pancake breakfast and Trav and I decided to hit downtown Wilmington for the annual Rubber Duck Race, which is a fundraiser for the Make A Wish Foundation. People pay $4 for a rubber duck number and 1500 ducks are dumped in the river to 'race' their way to the finish line. We had a bad view from where we were, but it was cute to be part of.

After the race, we had a light lunch at a bakery and poked in and out of a couple shops. We drove through the Mount Snow parking lot with fleeting thoughts of going for a hike, but again, found ourselves headed back to the empty house, took turns sunning ourselves on the deck and cooling off inside, and reading. It was really nice to be able to just hang out, not turn on a computer, not feel like I 'should' be doing something productive. So nice. We had a BBQ on Sunday night along with Trav's homemade brownies a la mode. This time we watched the Will Smith movie, Hitched...mildly entertaining but quality family time. Abby and Shan refused to watch the movie with us because she apparently doesn't like to watch movies in groups. She also can't watch movies before it's dark, nor does she believe in putting her PJs on at 7pm. Hey, I'm a big fan of PJs (particularly when I still haven't gone shopping for my own maternity clothes...it's definitely time though. It's one thing to hang around family with the button and fly undone, but probably shouldn't venture out into public in that manner.

Next weekend we have a Birthday party (we'll be there, Vick), a rehearsal dinner, and a wedding to go to. Hopefully it will be nice weather as all will be outdoors. And then it's June! Wow! I better start working on my report cards! (maybe if I pretend I'm supposed to have started them already, then when time comes to really do them I'll be ready...) We're also waiting to hear back about our Cape Cod cottage rental again...we've asked to bring Bo...we'll see what the owner says.

Cheers to it already being Mid-Week! I love short work-weeks!

All's Well

We had our ultrasound this morning and all looks to be right on target, which was really nice to hear. I'd post the pictures, but I can't seem to get them to not look like they're on an 8 by 11 piece of paper...I so have no patience for "troubleshooting" computer-related issues. But anyway, he/she is about 11 ounces at the moment and is already a thumb-sucker! It was really neat to see him/her swallowing and moving all around. We've been feeling movements now for about a week, which is also just an amazing reminder of what's going on inside. We may have to go back though for another ultrasound because the little peanut was not entirely cooperative so the ultrasound tech was unable to get a good look at the heart. She confirmed four chambers and a strong heartbeat, but would have liked to have had a better view...we'll see what the official word on that is.



While we've been busy all over the place over the past few weekends, I'm looking forward to this upcoming weekend when we are heading up to VT with my whole family as a birthday present for my mom. I plan to do practically nothing but relax, maybe get a hike in, and just hang out with the fam. No dogs allowed so unfortunately, Bo will be staying home with my parents' dog Buddy along with a friend who will be "dog-sitting." Yay for a weekend of no crazy dog, wait, I meant to say I'm going to miss him so much while we're gone...poor doggy for having such a selfish mommy.

Cat's Out of the Bag...Officially!

Alright, alright, I've finally done the belly shot I've felt necessary for my official coming-out post! Yes, I'm baking a bun and it's already 18 weeks done! The belly shot is actually a 17 weeks shot and I'd say in the course of the past week I've definitely begun to pop out a little more noticeably, which is fun:) I finally told my immediate teaching team last week and all were surprised, which means that my creative hiding-the-gut skills had been working. Now I can relax more and start just "letting it all hang out" which is what I do on weekends and when I'm home...much easier! I feel great now, though I went through a rough nauseous/exhausted spell in February...sooooo tired, and fairly constant, low-grade nausea, hungry but not hungry, but needing to eat to ease the nausea...luckily that passed. I'm now eating what I please, although I fill up rather quickly and then feel uncomfortably bloated....hey, if that's the worst of it for now, so be it. Perhaps I should even just listen to my body and not eat so much...Over the past 2 weeks, I think I doubled my total pregnancy pounds already...uh-oh, but I'm still on track as far as I know...I just want to make sure to exercise as much as I can because I know soon enough I'll be feeling up to doing none at all...but for good cause, of course!

Our 20 week ultrasound is next Monday, so fingers crossed that all measures as it should. I have a Doppler/handheld ultrasound thingy that my friend Vanessa lent me so about once a week I give a listen to the little peanut's heart...makes me smile to imagine all that's going on in there! And what peace of mind hearing that steady fast beating of a new life (about 5 and a half inches long at the moment...) Simply amazing!

As of now, we don't know the sex and I'm not planning on finding out...although Travis seems curious. I really thought I would be the "need to know" kind of person, but I'm liking the idea of a big surprise and a healthy one at that (and preferably not THAT big)! I'm actually a little sad that everyone at school knows because it's been such a fun secret to be keeping from everyone. Now the big secret will be boy or girl.

So the estimated date of arrival is October 11. I've got 7 busy weeks left of this school year, 6 weeks of summer vacation and prepping the house for the little one and then just under 2 months of school to go back to next year before life as we know it changes forever! Yikes! I can't wait!

The Dog

Bo loves tennis balls. They keep him occupied for hours on end. He especially loves 2 balls at a time...one in his mouth while he chase the other around the house. He manages to fit both balls in his mouth at once, too. Pretty impressive. He's got the quick, agile soccer feet of his mother:)

Unfortunately, along with this wonderful amusement and self-entertainment, there's a fairly consistent downfall with his tennis-ball chasing. This downfall is the word...UNDER...


Under this cabinet, under that cabinet, under the ottoman, the loveseat, the couch. I never realized how many UNDERS we have in this tiny little house of ours.


At first, when the ball would disappear into never-never-underland, Trav and I would find a handsome dog, sitting tall beside us, waiting patiently for us to help him out and get the ball out from UNDER whatever the furniture of choice happened to be. We, the loving parents we are, would oblige thinking, poor doggy, how cute. Well, unfortunately, that attitude was replaced after having to stop what we were doing to get the ball out only to have it go right back UNDER. Eventually, we began to ignore him, tell him his game was broken, or whatever excuse we could come up with. And so he began to take matters into his own "paws."




















As of late, Bo has become of the best couch divers I've known, which is rather impressive for a dog of his magnitude. He began with just the head underneath, which proved to be only somewhat successful, but alas, did manage to save the game now and then.




















Then one day, he finally gave in to his frustration. He took a risk. He decided to ease his way under, head, and shoulders...


















Once that far, he figured, Heck, I might as well just do the whole thing. Trav and I sat amusedly on the couch amidst the frantic scratching and swimming to get under the couch. That was actually the easy part for him. The hard part was the turning around and getting back out...




























Note the claws digging desparately into the rug...the neck muscles straining...



















Man is this exhausting...




Are you guys really going to just stand there, watch, and take pictures of me?

Poor, poor me...