An Easier Search Time

Remember a time when information was not as available or accessible? When the Internet first became popular, the concept behind the term “Information Highway” was not as apparent as it is now. Nowadays, practically everything is there for you to partake in. The sharing of information is remarkable. According to reports, these download search engines are some of the most visited websites on the planet. Search and download time on these sites can be tedious though, so it is often recommended to go for a Powerful Search Engine. It meets users’ needs when it comes to functionality, a pleasant yet uncomplicated layout, and great work capacity.

Hitting Milestones

As you can see, I am now doing Entrecard and I love it. It is definitely an awesome way to connect with other bloggers. I'll post a weekly list of droppers here to say thanks and I'll also feature the top dropper of the previous month for the entire month on my sidebar. :)

Marguerite is now somewhere between 33-34 months. We missed her mid-year checkup because we're just delinquent like that. We missed it last year too, so basically her last well-child checkup was her 24 months' (her last visit was in Feb for the chicken pox thing) and we'll definitely show up for her 36th. In the meantime, I'm checking milestone charts and using our own growth chart and weighing scale at home to monitor her development. As per BabyCenter's milestone chart, Marguerite has hit all of mastered skills, all of the emerging skills, and all of the advanced skills except for drawing stick figures for her age group, as well as all the mastered skills for the following age group.

As for her teeth, we're supposed to go back to her pedodontist sometime soon. We're still waiting for some of her molars to come out. The last time she was feverish, she was cutting a molar. It turned out to be just one molar. Now I'm wondering if we'll go through a fever as each one of the remaining molars pops out. One at a time might actually be better. From my own experience, two or more at a time could be horrible. I was even hospitalized when it happened to me.

So yeah, so far, so good.

I Need a More Hardcore Sort of Relaxation Now

I never used to care for hot baths or massages or even simple back rubs. I thought soaking in a tub was a waste of time while I complained that massages either tickled or were painful. That was all before I became a mother. Or older. Or both. Now, I actually ask my husband for a backrub. Where I would say before that staying home with a good book is enough relaxation for me, now I would welcome an opportunity to spend the day at a spa. I also have daydreams of having a hot tub at home. There’s nothing like being able to just slide back hot tub covers and then submerging yourself in the soothing water.

Let's Jam!

Hi. The month of July is almost over and I've got quite a collection of pics from my photoblog now. It covers quite a range of happenings from the normal day at home to an episode of illness to the fun day out. Each day has an entry, even if it just shows black. Click on it and you'll see that day's pic.

Anyway, my husband bought a new acoustic guitar over the weekend and it's jam time over here.

Steer Where You May

Being married to a car nut, one of the things I have learned about cars is that a car might have impeccable qualities and driving it might be a dream, yet owning it might not be such a hot idea. One of Husband’s business ventures is to buy and sell cars. I sometimes wonder why he’s not going for really great deals on those elite marques and he says their parts are hard to find here so they might end up being hard to resell. Obtaining parts is always a consideration. At least when it comes to the steering portion, there is always Steering.com. Their inventory is extensive, offering everything from a bmw steering rack to a Kia gearbox. They also provide dealer quality at really low wholesale prices.

Passing Fireworks

My parents were here yesterday. My mom finally got to visit us and kept on threatening not to go back home. Anyway, it was really nice to finally have her over. She's itching to clean up the place and fix Marguerite's room up. Yeah, the place is kind of grungy, lol. I keep on saying that I don't want to have a helper, but the thing is, I'm so used to having one that I always think somebody's going to take care of the mess and dirt for me when I don't actually have anybody. It is always with a jolt that I realize that the person to do any proper cleaning around here is me. Oh man, I'm constitutionally not up to the task. I sneeze my brains out just changing sheets. I need me some hardcore training and breaking in.

Btw, Marguerite has picked up something from an unknown source. She sometimes tells me, "Thank you, Mother." She definitely didn't get it from me.

Also, that girl can spend the day just messing with art materials. Sometimes, she goes up to me and say-cum-signs "I need a box of crayons." Yay, Signing Time.

Oh, btw, Marguerite has a euphemism for "fart". She audibly passed gas the other night, so I asked her, "Did you fart?" She turned an innocent face to me and said, "It's fireworks."

One other thing. I've been tripping and watching Bon Jovi on YouTube. Now I've never been a fan of Bon Jovi although I do enjoy listening to some of their songs (and I also had a borderline crush on Richie Sambora, hehe) and that's why I was watching Livin' on a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name (1995 London concert). Anyway, Marguerite might be turning into a fan. Oh noes!!! She tells me, "Let's Watch Bon Jovi on YouTube" and she gets her mic and sings along or she gets ribbons and dances to it. Sigh. It's okay. If you think about it, Bon Jovi kind of sounds like Mozart. Yeah, no they don't. Oh well.

Swapping Fun

To all my fellow frugal fiends out there, I'm letting you know about Swaptree.com in case you haven't heard of it still.

"Swaptree.com is site where you can trade your video games, books, DVDs and CDs, with other users, for free. The service is completely free, and users only pay for shipping. Swaptree even simplifies the mailing process, by providing you with a perfect postage label that can be printed right from your computer, so you never have to go to the post office. So essentially Swaptree lets you get all your media for around $2.50 in postage."

Another thing you'll be very interested to know is that Swaptree is running a contest wherein they're giving away 10 iPhones and 10 Wiis. It is very easy to join. You can check out the rest of the contest details here.

As Though Sleeping in Europe

If you will check my list of interests in my profile page, you will find Europe to be one of the things that fascinate me. The thing is I have many and various interests so when and if I finally get around to furnishing our home, it will definitely be an eclectic mix of flavors. One of the influences would certainly be European. I would love a European bedroom with an antique dresser, a terrific bed boasting of superb European craftsmanship, lamps and other accents that will give something like a Provençal atmosphere. I don’t really want things too heavy or dark, so a bedroom that has the feel of a lazy summer afternoon along the Mediterranean would be nice.

Liquid, Solid, Gas, Plasma...

I learned about the concept of "liquid powder" way before it became popular because my SIL lives near one of the companies that pioneered it. There were billboards promoting it surrounding the plant and upon seeing them, my first reaction was kind of adverse. It was pure nitpicking. How can powder be liquid? My problem with the product was purely semantic in nature. A powder is a substance in the form of tiny loose particles. Perhaps liquid talcum may have been better although talcum is also known to be a solid substance. Anyway, my mom got Marguerite one of the liquid powder products that came out just to try it out. I think it's okay, but that got me thinking again. Is cream considered liquid? The product turned out to be more cream than actual liquid, so maybe it should be called talcum cream or something more accurate. I don't have any real point here. I was just thinking.

You're right. I should be thinking about more important things. :)

The Weekend in Words of One Syllable

I haven't been in the mood to blog lately. Not that there's really much to blog about. I got sick and I think my momentum was broken somehow. I've also been having revertigos, lol. Chip and I got together over the weekend and, yea, long live the '90s. Because of the revertigo, I've sunk back to the couch potato ways of my youth. I've been watching too much TV. Basically, I watch a lot of Fox News (did I ever tell you how I obsessively watched Fox and the crime and suspense channel while I was pregnant with Marguerite? I have since been banned from watching Law & Order SVU, lol) with occasional visits to CNN, just to see how differently they're describing the same events.
Going back to the weekend, we went to Christine's bazaar both Sat and Sun. I'm very gratified to learn that other people also think what I already know: that I married a "hunk", lol. Thus was the very word, Christine's associate Anne used to describe Husband, lol.
We also got together with our friends Trec and Marc. Marguerite played with their daughters Spring and Danie. Well, Marguerite mostly played with their toys since she's not yet big on associative play, unless it's playing with the big kids. She just doesn't seem to be interested in kids her own age. She's the same with our neighbors. She'll start playing and then will get freaked out by the way they behave (which is their age). I'm not sure, but I think I was the same. I'm going to have to read up on this some more.

More Reminiscing the '90s

Lately, HBO has been showing "Sleepless in Seattle" and sigh, I love watching it. Loved it the first time I saw it and continue to love it. The story itself is simple enough, just my kind of love story (I don't really like a lot of gut wrenching, teeth gnashing drama), but what I really love about it is the atmosphere, the general feeling. That it brings me back to the '90s is another plus. I think I first saw it with Sheila, my best friend from high school. I think we were over at her house and had a movie marathon, starting with the Home Alones and ending with that. Needless to say, I also absolutely love "You've Got Mail". Also that atmosphere. sigh. I'd also love to see "While You Were Sleeping" again (a movie we saw over and over because my mom had a crush on Bill Pullman). Anyway, going back to "Sleepless" (my sister has a friend who kept on saying "Speechless in Seattle" - just blathering - I think "Speechless" came out around that time too, never saw it), as much as I love Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (then. Somebody should tell her to go back to her old lips), I always wait for Victor Garber's scene. Victor Garber is hot in all tenses. I'm sure he'll be hot at 90. Speaking of hot and the '90s. Remember Ed Kowalczyk(sp?), I was wasting time on YouTube (hahaha, watching The Office clips, esp the pranks Jim pulled on Dwight) and decided to watch Live. Anyway, when did Ed K get all sexy? Remember when he had long hair and he chopped it all off save for this long piece of rattail? Then he shaved everything off and to date he's still bald? Did he ever go back to having hair? sigh. You have to forgive all the juvenile talk. My brain's taken a journey back to the '90s and I'm having a hard time getting out of teenage mode.

Getting the Best Satellite TV Deal

Whether we like it or not, we tend to spend a lot of time in front of the TV. TV, after all, is one of the easiest forms of entertainment we can avail of. You only need to sit there and you are immediately offered a variety of programs. For really great TV, you have to subscribe to the best entertainment service provider you can find. It has to be one that guarantees excellent picture and sound quality. You have to do some research to zero in on the best satellite TV provider deal in your area. Fortunately, Kaptain Satellite has saved you all the work and features comparisons of the best Directv and Dish Network retailers in your city. For example, for Arkansas Satellite TV Deals, the website details promotions, packages, equipment, and anything else you might need to know to make your decision.

Cold-laden Days

Still nursing a cold. Marguerite's fever is gone, but she caught my cold, so all day we carry a cotton cloth each to swipe at dripping noses. I still need me a day off, so far it hasn't materialized although we did miss church yesterday. Marguerite's coughing has been giving her rough nights. Saturday night I tried the Vicks-on-soles-covered-with socks remedy, accompanied by a prayer. The coughing stopped almost immediately. Gratified, I reported to Husband that the Vicks-on... thing really worked. However, tried it last night again with disappointing results. However, I belatedly remembered to pray (what a thing to forget during times of illness) and again, the coughing abated. So, yeah, I'm pretty clear now on what actually works.

I'm guzzling tea as usual. I'm trying this herbal one made of malunggay leaves. A friend from church gave me a bag a couple of Sundays ago, saying it converted her into a tea drinker. It's pretty nice, has a little zing to it.

For a Turbocharged Ride

I’m married to a car nut. Even if I had never really been interested in cars other than a mode of transportation, I can’t help but catch some of the fascination. One thing is for sure though, there is a ton of testosterone involved in the car world. I know for a fact that our car alone has been tweaked some to improve speed and fuel efficiency. A car marque that always seems to turn my husband’s head though is VW. He loves those vintage models and in his youth had always been working on an old Beetle of theirs. I know he would love to get hold of a VW and restore or upgrade it. Even if it’s already a good car, Husband would be the type to think there’s always room for upgrade. He’d probably get a vw turbocharger to improve hp, torque, etc. If you want your car to be turbocharged, you can go to turbochargerpros.com for a large inventory of good quality products as well as great service and affordable rates.

The Immune Systems Around Here Need Some Work

Not to be outdone, I also went down with my own illness and to avoid talk that I'm a mere copycat (or that Marguerite is catching), mine is a fine mix of asthma, allergies, and body pain. Marguerite's was plain fever with a colossal side order of crankiness and appetite loss. Thus far, we've both gone drug-free. What can I say, water therapy is effective, not riddled with all sorts of side effects, friendly to the liver, and its price is just right (when I say "right" connected to price, I mean "free"). I need rest and Husband was kind enough to stay home from work Thursday (Friday is a horrible time to be away from the office, so even if I wasn't well yet, we had no choice) and while I applaud the efforts, the possibility we sometimes ponder on, the one of us switching places (me going to work and him staying home) went to absolute nil in my head. He might be coming down with something too, in fact. Faced with the responsibility of being in charge of child and home, he developed aches and some muscle weakness almost approaching feebleness that only watching Discovery Turbo uninterrupted by toddler care could dispel. I need me some good ol' rest, but I'm beginning to be convinced that "resting/relaxing mother" is an oxymoron. Marguerite is actually better (thanks to those who've prayed for her and wished her well) and some of her appetite is back. However, the crankiness is still in full force. Everything makes her flip out. Yesterday, she was watching Word World and it was the episode where they were making a castle for Shark. The first time the castle washed away, she threw a fit, screaming for the castle to be restored. To the creators of Word World, please think of children who are looking for reasons to go ballistic when creating your storyline. Castles washing away? Not such a hot idea.
Btw, right after I posted my previous entry, my mom called all agitated. "What's wrong? What happened to Midge?" I asked how she found out that Marguerite was sick. "I read it on Spinning Days (sic)." But never mind my questions, she had only Marguerite in mind. I said Marguerite seemed to be cutting molars and, reminded that I was hospitalized myself when I went through it, she changed her tone from the accusing, waiting-to-chew-me-out "What have you been doing or not doing or just being that got my granddaughter sick?" to "My poor Midgy, my baby girl, my gibberish-gibberish-gibberish"... All very exag, but that's a grandmother for you. I think.

Fever, Schmever

Marguerite has fever. It started yesterday around noon time (or at least that's when I first noticed and took her temp) and has been around since then. It's pretty stable, not going up or down, temperature-wise. I normally try not fret when Marguerite gets a fever since that's an indication that her body is doing what it's supposed to in fighting an infection. However, she's normally so healthy and hardly ever gets sick that I can't help but... well, fret. I think the last time she had fever like this was when she was just over a year old and cutting a few teeth all at once (remember the feverless chicken pox episode?). Which brings us to the reason why she has this fever. She is cutting molars, if you want to know (we've been waiting for the final four actually). However, she has also been playing with other kids, so we can't rule a viral infection out. Either way, I'm dealing with the fever by giving her lots of fluids (she has no appetite anyway) and lots of cuddles. I know I'm a bit obsessive about monitoring her temp so I've made a little game out of it (left or right armpit? how many Benjamin Bunnys - or Peter Rabbits or Tom Kittens - until the beep beep beep? then I let her read the numbers). I also used the Kool Fever gel tape on her forehead last night because it did seem to give her some cooling relief. She complained whenever it got dislodged. I also dab at her forehead, neck, wrists, etc. with a damp washcloth as I read somewhere that this is preferable to the gel strip because of the water evaporation factor. I'm sticking to these methods and perhaps escalating to herbs if it doesn't go away soon. I'll probably bring her to the pedi first before I give her drugs, and only if she prescribes them.
Btw, these are my photoblog entries for today and yesterday.

Moving To or From Dallas

I know several people who live in Texas. Some of them are in Austin, some in Houston, some in Tyler, and some in Dallas. The last time my Dad was in the States (or was that the second to the last?) he got to stay with friends in Dallas. He really enjoyed his stay there. Not one to stay inside the house while his hosts went to work, he would roam the Dallas streets until he became more familiar with them than his hosts were. Driving around, he was the one to tell them where to turn and which shortcuts to take. Should he ever want to start a church there, he already knows the lay of the land, so to speak. He’ll know which places to consider for building a church. It would be interesting to move to Dallas, anyhow. Texas is without a doubt a fascinating state. For moving, we already know of the best Dallas movers. They have great testimonials from previous clients on their site. You can rest assured that they are fully licensed, insured, and bonded. They provide free wardrobe boxes, carpet shield, padding, and shrink wrap. They also offer 30 days of free storage. That’s great service, if you ask me.

Bazaar and Late Grocery Hours

My SIL had a bazaar this past weekend and Marguerite, as usual, literally got into her merchandise. At one point she had a ring on almost all her fingers and still she also had to grab a fistful of pencils for extra fun. Not much of a fan of moderation, that kid. Stranger anxiety also disappears faced with so many fascinating trinkets. You'll find some pictures of Marguerite ransacking Christine's display here.
Yesterday, because of this and that, we ended up doing our weekly groceries really late. We were actually like the third to the last customers to check out. The good thing about it is that Marguerite had the play area to herself. I wish they wouldn't play Tom and Jerry (which Husband loves) on the TV though since it's so violent. Anyway, Marguerite's pictures at the playground over here. Remember, you have to click on "Go to Album" to see the rest of the pics.

Marguerite's Original Hair

For today, I'm posting a pic featuring Marguerite's hair over at my photoblog. It has yet to be cut and is now down to her waist. You should know though that she was born with a full head of hair (we never went through the bald baby phase, but that's okay). Old wives' tales say that pregnant women carrying babies with hair (don't want to say hairy babies - doesn't sound right) have itchier stretch marks on their tummies. Whatever. I'm totally using that to justify all that scratching I did. Anyway, as much as I'd hate to cut Marguerite's original hair (I'm making it sound as though she's going to be a collectible someday), we'll probably have to do it sometime soon. Like I said, I'm just waiting for ten inches to cut off (we're making donating hair a tradition in our family).

Marguerite l'Artiste

Remind self to make a painting smock for Marguerite. The child just loves to make art (I say it's art!). Anyway, if you'll go to this page (3 pics in the album), you'll see her posing with a couple of her paintings. Both are non-toxic watercolor on back of old calendar page. The one on the left is called "Potty Training Season" and the one on the right is called "Deconstruction of the Toddler Mind". In the pics, Marguerite is wearing a black top to reinforce the image of a Fine Arts major, lol. She's holding a piece of pink synthetic material (Barbie's wraparound skirt), which she used in a ballet/gymnastics number right before she calmed down long enough to have her pic taken (yes, effectively turning the entire thing into a performance art). As you can see culture thrives well within these ugly faux wood paneled walls.
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Also, have you been to Kitchen Newbie lately? I've been updating it, if anybody cares.
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Also, Husband is still selling the Nissan Exalta STA 2000. Care to buy it?

Synonyms of Cyclone

Is living with children really supposed to be like living in the aftermath of a cyclone? If you have tips on how to train children to pick up after their own selves, please drop me a comment. I'm getting bored by constantly putting toys away (honestly, I don't put them back in her room in their proper places anymore and just pile them in one corner so there's something resembling a clear path in the living area). I've tried demonstrating, initiating, telling her I'll help her do it... she doesn't do it. Sometimes she starts and then just ends up playing with the stuff she's supposed to be putting away. Yeah, sometimes she even gets mad at me for putting her toys away, like "Why on earth are you doing that, lady? I'm going to play with them again later, like three hours from now." I know the trick is to persevere. Look at potty-training. At one point, I was afraid we'd be using diapers indefinitely.
Anyway, if you want to see pictures of Marguerite taken yesterday, go to this page.

Remodeling Raleigh (Pronounced RAH-LEE) Homes

I have never been to North Carolina, but just from reading about it and seeing pieces of it on TV (Dawson’s Creek - not that I followed it avidly or anything. Honest.) and on film (A Walk to Remember, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood), I have been left with the impression that it is a lovely place. I remember discussing its capital Raleigh with a couple of people in an American geography course I was taking. I knew it was pronounced rah-lee. I have heard people who should know pronounce it that way. The others, however, felt that it should be pronounced ra-lay. Oh well, it is always nice to be vindicated, even with little things, lol. Speaking of Raleigh, that beautiful City of Oaks, if you live there and are looking for an excellent Raleigh Remodeling contractor, Allure Kitchen and Bath is the company for you. You can even call them for a free estimate, no commitment. As per their name, they specialize in remodeling kitchens and bathrooms, but their expertise is not limited to just those two areas. Their services include specialty ceramic, stone, and porcelain installations, renovations of basements and attics, integration of custom closets, home offices, and custom garages, as well as any other addition you might want to include, etc.

Seriously Photoblogging at MomCenter

I'm photoblogging over at MomCenter and I think it's going to be loads of fun. I'm going to do it in earnest this month because there's a contest going on, lol. Anyway, for today I'm posting something I've labeled "Woohoo! I'm Gonna RocknRoll!!!". There are two pictures of Marguerite playing her toy guitar. Now, you have to remember that her parents are products of the grunge/garage band era, so we get a kick out of Marguerite being all rockstar-in-the-making. Anyway, go over to my photoblog calendar and behold a future musician during her early days as a guitar-totin', underwear-wearin', YouTube-watchin', rocker stance-posin' (feet wide apart, guitar riding low) toddler. By the way, this is what happens when you mix Paul McCartney style guitar playing (check out the leftiness of it all! gotta switch the strings around!) with potty-training (Marguerite is trained, but I still don't rule out accidents so we're sticking to just underpants at home for now). For the record, Marguerite is still ambidextrous and we'd love for her to continue being so. Anyway, we're not meddling with her preference. I think she holds the guitar this way because that's how she sees others holding theirs.