Am I a terrible person to think, "I want my kid to stop coughing so I can finally fall asleep?"  Of course I would like him to stop coughing for his own benefit too, but seeing as how I am one crabby mother without sleep, I think we both benefit from a bit of silent shut-eye.

Last night in a last ditch effort to avoid two consecutive nights of coughing/seal barking, I scavenged the internet for ways to relieve Axel's hacking without the use of drugs.

After a brief Google search, it seemed that I uncovered something major when every hit had the word "Vicks" somewhere in the title.

I clicked on the one that included "toddler."

So maybe this is new to only me, but the research was claiming that if you apply Vicks Vapor Rub to the bottom of your kids feet and then put their socks back on, the coughing will cease within minutes.

One site promises this method to be a 100% cure, one site said it works for both kids and adults, and nearly all of them used the magic time-frame of 5 minutes to get results.  They sold me at 5 minutes.

I broke into his room, roused him from his coughy-sleep and lathered his feet.  He didn't seem to mind, in fact I think that part was a bit soothing.  One more kiss and I was off to my own bed...again.  I watched the clock for 5 minutes to pass and got caught up in my book.  Looking at the clock again, I realized it had been about 15 minutes and I couldn't remember the last time he coughed.  He had been coughing almost continuously, if not every few seconds before the Vicks.

Whether it's voodoo magic or simply science, we woke up this morning at 7am.  A full 10 hours with very occasional coughing.

Try it...buy it...you decide.  I'm sold, and will happily rate it's success, not at the 100% (claimed by internet), but at a very peaceful 85%.

Is it only mothers that feel a bit of relief following Christmas?  With the hype, build-up and child-prep necessary, it seems post-holiday-war I have nothing left to do and am absolutely fine with the silent and mundane once again.

Spending Monday entirely on the couch and the rest of the week tearing down decorations I find myself with a pre-Christmas-clean house and now what?

Surprisingly, although I thought Etsy business would crash after Christmas, it has kept up at a steady clip.  I'm once again about a dozen orders behind and beginning to think that's the way I like it.  Always something to occupy my mind and perpetuate the "career" I have created for myself.

As for New Years, we are planless.  Jahred works the weekend and Axel and I will undoubtedly be playing one continuous round of "cars."  With so much accomplished for my family in the last 12 months, we'll be grateful to be within our own four walls, in our own warm beds as the ball drops over Times Square.

Maybe the best thing about closing out one productive calendar year is the glittering hope that the next one could, just maybe, be even better!

It takes a stalker to find great thrifty deals.  I've been hitting up Savers, Goodwill and Once Upon a Child every day for the past week, waiting for them to put out the kids winter gear!

Seriously, have you priced kids winter coats?  A Columbia can run you upwards of $150, other brands coming in at slightly less.  Honestly, for the few times these jackets receive rough and tumble snow action, it is hardly worth parting with a pay check for a one-season-wonder.  Kids grow so rapidly you simply cannot count on a coat that fits for multiple seasons.

I hit it big at Once Upon a Child today as I saw this NEW Woolrich coat hanging in the "size 7" section.  I knew it looked to be just the right size and TA-DA...it was a 5!  I love when things are hung in the wrong spot!

It's seriously adorable.  Chocolate corduroy on the outside and completely waterproofed on the inside.  The hood has a HUGE closure with cinching mechanisms on the sides, it features lots of pockets for Lightening McQueen and friends, a bottom waistband with rubber/ adjustable snaps to keep it pulled over his hinder, and best of all are the Ninja Sleeves!  As Axel put his arms in, his little hands threaded into thumb and finger compartments.  What a lovely invention to keep the sleeves in place and prevent snow from biting that precious skin around his wrists.

"It's like a ninja mom!"  He came up with that on his own...I'm going with it.

The Ninja was less than thrilled about his modeling gig, but I had to brag a bit about my $16 find.  Bring it on Minnesota.

When you have a child who lives by his own traditions, little things like "first day of school" don't mean much to him.  When lining Axel up to take his photo, backpack on, in the driveway, like generations have done before him, his only request was, "I'll take my own picture."

Straightening up, grinning enormously, he stretched his little arms out in front of him and with a very adult camera, snapped the perfectly centered self-portrait.

Making one hilarious moment into a "pee your pants moment," Axel subsequently took a picture of both Jahred and I...on his first day of school.  Fair is fair.  So here we are. 

"Oh that turned out good," Axel says about each of the photos.

When we arrived at his classroom, Axel dropped his bag at the door and ran inside.  First, wanting to see if that fish had been flushed (see previous blog post) and second to break-in a fresh batch of playdoh.

A beautiful Minnesota wedding.  One flawless bride, one happy groom, one sweet ring bearer and lots of love.  The sun shared it's rays with us in between puffy clouds.  The bride was glowing in pink . . . lipstick that is . . . the only accessory that matters on a day full of kisses.

Just so we're clear, I always look like I do in the above photo.  Throughout the summer I was able to effortlessly get rid of the sports-bra tan lines and the extra baby weight (three years later).  No, truthfully, the only thing that came without struggle for my "wedding look" was my hair, which is hopelessly straight and I have finally reached a place of acceptance with that.

This weekend, Axel and I were witness to a pair of "I Do's."  While most of us don't fall in love on the average day, if you are Axel, you fall in love EVERY DAY!  At this beautiful outdoor wedding, Axel fell hard for his shadow.  Then he roared at it.

Today is a milestone birthday for my Mom.  Hint...she's turned the NEW 40!  Nana is throwing her a pool party on Sunday, but Axel and I got a jump start on the cake!  We've decided to go ultra-trendy (as per a suggestion by my friend Amanda) and make cake-pops.

Amanda, seriously, these things are a PAIN!  Thanks for putting this adorable idea in my head.

I apologize for the blurry pictures, they were taken with my hands full of frosting and an inability to turn on any lights.

Mix up a regular store cake and bake it following the directions on the box.

Crumble the entire cake and mix with 3/4 can of store frosting.  It will have the consistency of very fresh, home-made playdoh.

Let them chill in the fridge for a bit and then mold them into your desired "pop" shape.  I made mine into cupcakes.

While your shapes are chilling (2-3 hours in the fridge), prepare a piece of foam with holes for lollipop sticks.

Melt your desired color of candy coating into a bowl and take a few "pops" out of the fridge.  First dip the stick, then shove it into the pop.  Next, dip the whole pop trying not to drop it off the stick and into the bowl.  Next dip the top in sprinkles (notice what Axel is dipping into the sprinkles).  HURRY and put the pop in the fridge to harden the candy shell.

We used Teddy Grahams and Gummy Life Savers to make little "tubers" in our swimming pool pops.  You may have far more creative ways of decorating.

We arranged them all together on the foam with some curly ribbons underneath.  Now, if only they can make it the 2 days and 100 miles to the party we'll be in great shape!

Do you know what rhymes with third?  Turd!  Of course if you've spent any time with my three-year-old, you'd know that he affectionately refers to any animal droppings (including his own) by the T word.  While I used to be completely grossed out by his early use of the thesaurus, I've gotten over it.  This morning, not even seconds after opening his eyes, Axel asked me a brilliant question, "Mom, how do snakes go turds?"

Because I completely missed my own third blogiversary I decided to mark the occasion today with a round of thrift-store shopping and lunch with my favorite date, Axel.  We successfully raided a brand new thrift store leaving with a bean-bag chair, lamp, pair of pants for me and as luck would have it, a snake!

Following our exhausting scavenger hunt for bargains, we hit a 50's diner for a few refreshments.

***

Now, to mark the occasion of three years worth of self publishing I'd like to make my first ever political statement.

I cannot stand politics!  For the forth week in a row, my column has been bumped from the local paper due to several  loud-mouths who feel the need to voice their extremely right-wing opinions on various political subjects.  What is it about people that just can't keep their mouths shut?

Don't we as Americans get our say when it comes to the poles?  We do our job by voting people into office to do their job.  If everyone was supposed to be represented individually, don't you think Barack Obama would invite us all to D.C. to participate in congressional votes and serve cupcakes afterwards?  Why do people feel the need to take up valuable media time and priceless space in the local paper trying to tell elected officials how to do their job?  If someone shouted at me from the curb in front of my house everyday how to run my home, be a mother and scrub my toilet I would be thoroughly pissed.

Seriously, when you vote in an election you agree to the following: first of all, you agree by voting that it won't necessarily come out your way, but you are simply imputing your opinion into who is elected.  It's the pact you make by showing up to vote.  Secondly, when you vote, you are signing over responsibility to the elected party for the term that is pre-determined.  Whether two years or four, your vote gives them the authority for the duration of the term, NOT until "you feel you no longer agree with them."

For my final word on the subject I'd like to challenge the media to say NOTHING about the economy or anything political for six months.  If it were so terrible to live here why would people still be flocking in from around the world?  To the general population, this sensationalized state of affairs in Washington and at the stock exchange isn't such a "dooms day" situation.  If everyone would choose to live the lives they dream of, and stay within their means, we'd all be just fine.

There you have it, my soap box opinion on politics, three years into my public life.  Maybe we should all be a little more curious about where turds come from and other whimsical subjects, while being less bombarded about radical opinions on age-old debates.

To celebrate the end of summer camps, the parks and rec department threw a carnival this afternoon.

Axel was truly ready to celebrate the end of sports sampler/bane of his existence, until this week when reading camp arrived.

Since I was checked out for the beginning of the week at Sundara Spa (sorry no pics because cameras weren't allowed), Jahred was sending rave reviews of Axel's fourth attempt at camp.

Returning to civilization just in time for the "Three Little Pigs," put on by the avid readers, I was thrilled that he truly enjoyed being with other kids for perhaps the first time in his pre-school life.

Axel and I savored the carnival, and I caught the first glimpse of him being excited about school.

Hooray!

Oh man!  And I thought we'd get a solid, rainy-night sleep last night.

As Jahred was putting Axel to bed, un-witnessed by me, there must have been some fooling around.  Something about spinning, twisting and a pull?

Minutes later we were bringing our writhing in pain little man to the ER with ice, his blanket and a whole lot of thanks for having "connections" at the local hospital.

Jahred's RN status, although great on it's own, gave us a "to the top of the list" pass above a full ER waiting room.  I felt a little guilty, but hey, he puts in his hours in that building.

Seriously, a great act by Axel.  He fooled four members of the medical staff into a believing his wrist was shattered.

While putting up a HUGE fit about having an x-ray taken, it seems that the broken joint was simply out of place and he managed to fling it back in, all on his own.  The result is a perfectly beautiful little image of one ready to grow arm.

I'm completely relieved that our first run to the ER ended in nothing but an exciting adventure for Axel, a little lost sleep for us and a few souvenirs for the road.