Knee Deep Blog

The Tooth Fairy Shows Up After Two Missed Attempts

The tooth fairy was no were to be seen the past couple nights and created quite a ruckus at our home.

The first night I simply forgot, after all it had been 24 days since the darn snaggle tooth came out.  It's been sitting in a bowl in the dining room waiting for Eli to decide to put it under the pillow.  He said he wanted to look at it some more, but then took no action and we all forgot about it.

When he told me he was putting in his tooth pillow I thought I hope I have cash and promptly between reading a late night magazine with a glass of wine it slipped out of my mind.  In the morning Eli was quite upset that the tooth fairy didn't come.

Boxer or Briefs?

I never thought it would be my just turned seven year old's actions that would have me pondering that question of boxers or briefs, how do boys and men decide?

For the past couple weeks we've been having underwear and sock emergencies in the morning because there is not enough that fit or can be found aka they are still in the laundry.  Apparently his sock and underwear are suddenly too small, stretched, worn out or in the case of socks don't match anything.  It basically seems to happen overnight.  One day you're good and the next week you're not.

I am perfectly ok with Eli wearing a blue and gray sock.  I mean if he doesn't mind, either do I.  But, when it comes to underwear that's another story because it slows us down when he puts on and takes them off two to four times because they aren't "comfy" are too "tight" or "are giving me a wed-gee MOM" which all means he can't and won't get dressed.

My Child is A Cucumber Eating Fiend

Eli is a cucumber eating fiend.  In fact it is one of his top three choices when it comes to veggies or should I say eating things that are green: cucumbers, broccoli, avocado (I know that's not really a veggie, but it's green and healthy).

Although I never searched (hard for anyone that knows me) to see if there were any health benefits.  I figured at least a cucumber has water, maybe a little fiber and wasn't a grain.

My girlfriend sent me this article.  I haven't' checked to see if it's fact or fiction and it reminds me of other articles on the benefits / uses of things like vinegar, baking soda, etc, but it does give me hope that possibly Eli's mighty cucumber eating ability may be good for him as well.

The Amazing Cucumber
This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of
their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful
ways to solve common problems.
    Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one
cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5,Vitamin
B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus,Potassium
and Zinc.
    Feeling tired in the afternoon? Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up
a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates
that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
    Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging upafter a shower? Try rubbing a
cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a
soothing, spa-like fragrance.
    Are grubs and slugs ruining your plantingbeds? Place a few slices in a
small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The
chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent
undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the
area.
    Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or
to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem
area for a few minutes, the phyto chemicals in the cucumber cause the
collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing
the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
    Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices
before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers
contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential
nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoidingboth a
hangover and headache!!
    Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers
have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers,traders
and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
    Have an important meeting or job interviewand you realize that you don't
have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber overthe
shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only
looks great but also repels water.
    Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and
rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
    Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the
spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water,the
chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water
and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has
been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during
final exams.
    Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?
Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your
tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phyto chemicials will kill
the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
    Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless
steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to
clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back thes hine,
but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while
you clean.
    Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and
slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and
markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

It's Early Morning - I Smell Something Good

When I got up this morning, I definitely did smell something good.  I kept thinking what is that?  Where is it coming from?  Did Eli do it?  My brain was in a bit of a morning haze and at the same time that warm cinnamon smell was fantastic and I was wishing it was ours.

I even stood by the stairs to see if I could hear Eli moving around, but nothing.  Once I jumped into the shower I thought, it must be the neighbors - boy it smells good. 

In the middle of washing my hair it hit me - that smell, it's from our house.  That's right, it's the cinnamon, apricot, pecan bread in our bread maker.  Yum I can hardly wait.

Meanwhile, Tim said, did you smell that smell?  I thought Eli was making cinnamon toast but I didn't hear him.  Then I thought it was the neighbors and that smell was coming in to the fresh air return. Yes we live in parallel worlds.

So he went upstairs to investigate and saw the bread maker.

Last night I had decided I was going to figure out how the timer works on the bread-maker and have some warm bread when we got up.  Since it was the first time I've done that I couldn't figure out what was going on and could only focus in on the great smell.

Eli of course didn't think our story was as amusing as we did, maybe that's why we're married. 

Mom, I can't even make cinnamon toast.  I don't know how to use the toaster (we have a toaster oven). 

So darn practical that kid.  Of course he knows how to use the stove, but not the toaster since we keep it under the counter except when I make toast - guess we hadn't thought of that.  And I'll be taking care of that little problem.

Anyway  the warm bread for breakfast was fabulous and I look forward to it again.

TMI But I Have To Share - Dog Butts

Ok, Tim is always saying TMI (too much information) close the sharing window, butt, I mean but I just can't help myself.

My girlfriend told me a story about a conversation she had with Eli and Carly's butt hole and I was going to leave it alone, until I found Eli with a mirror in the bathroom and I could hardly keep a straight face.

Story 1. Lori's Butt Adventure with Eli

What did you say? Barking the Duck?

Last night as we were coming home from Eli's school Expedition night Tim and I laughed as we saw a woman trying to cross the street with her dog and child.  It had firmly planted it's paws half way across the street and was not moving.  A car was waiting to turn onto the street.

She kept pulling, looking at the child, and the car and finally picked it up and ran the rest of the way. 

We laughed. Eli asked why.  Tim said, Eli did you see that woman dragging the dog?

Immediately Curran our four year old neighbor who was with us said, what does the barking the duck mean?

It Finally Happened - The Snaggle Tooth is Out

Yahoo, it finally happened, Eli's coveted snaggle tooth came out this morning when he bit into a gummy vitamin.

In case you don't know what a snaggle tooth is, it's when your child's front tooth should have fallen out long ago, but is hanging on at a bizarre angle and has moved either to the right or left of where it should have been.  Eli's was in the middle of his mouth at a 35 degree angle leaning into the other new front tooth that was just coming through.  Some how one side had the root exposed but the side tucked into the new tooth was firmly planted. 

When you do strange things - being absent minded

Yesterday I was in a hurry prior to leaving for a client and wanted to brush my teeth.  As I raised the toothbrush I notice there was a lot of toothpaste and it was clear...kind of weird I thought.  And truth be told it was weird as it was facial cleanser on my toothbrush.

Thankfully my brained noticed it wasn't white and had me hesitate for a moment just long enough to stop the action.

I posted this on my FB, twitter and other social networking sites and had a good laugh at the responses.

The names are left out to protect the innocent - outside of my personal facebook world, but I couldn't help but share a few comments.

• LOL! Maybe there's something in the air! Today I got all packed for my trip, kissed B & the kids goodbye, arrived at work and realized my trip is actually tomorrow afternoon, not today.
• Maybe I can better that: I sprayed deodorant on my hair. I, also, absent-mindedly put the shampoo in the fridge
• Ugh. I brushed my teeth with shaving cream that used to be sold in a tube - after a grimy 12 road trip. Then I ran into the kitchen to eat some food out of the fridge and get the horrid taste out of my mouth. Pulled a peach out of a can (not my house or fridge) and it had been in for a long time and had that evil can taste.
• Yuck- better than Preparation H

So it seems we can all be a bit absent minded and still bring a smile to our face and now I feel like yes, we are all part of that same absent minded club which reminds me I have lots of stories but for now I'll just keep them to myself.

Have a good one.