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Get 4 Free Children's Songs from Kenny Loggins

Published by dee on September 18, 2009

A couple of weeks ago I was sent a copy of the new Kenny Loggins cd, All Join In, from the One2One network. I’m not a huge Kenny Loggins fan myself, but since my kids both love listening to music, I thought I’d give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised when I turned it on. There are some great songs on All Join In, including old favorites like “You’ve Got A Friend In Me”, and some new material from Kenny as well. The kids really enjoyed the album and I have to say it was pretty good from an adult perspective as well.

Want to hear it yourself? Walt Disney Records and Kenny Loggins are offering up four free MP3s from the album in exchange for answering a short survey. To get your four free downloads, follow these simple instructions:

1) Go to http://wdig.vo.llnwd.net/d1/walt_disney_records/Kenny_Loggins/Microsite%202/
and listen to the 4 songs on the music player. (I couldn’t get the player to open in Firefox, so you may need to try a different browser if it doesn’t show up. It seems to work fine in IE)
2) Answer the survey questions listed on the site.
3) Make sure to leave a valid e-mail address and you will be sent a link to download your 4 free MP3s.

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Sugar and Spice

Published by dee on September 17, 2009

While I’m in surgery today, I thought I would just share a photo. I have these grand dreams of one day being able to say I’m a photographer, but I have a lot to learn and a long road of practicing ahead of me before I ever get to that level (not to mention the fact that I can’t afford the equipment). Some days I wonder if it is worth all the time and effort or if I’ll ever even get there. Then I take a shot like this – one that just happens without even trying – and I think that maybe someday that dream will come true.

My niece Caitlin walked right into this shot and I clicked at just the right moment. Sure she has food on her lips. And I’m sure some Photoshop gurus could probably touch it up a bit, but I think it is perfect as it is, straight out of the camera. This photo is the very essence of who Caitlin is – sugar, spice, and a little mess to round it out. I’ll always remember where we were and what we were doing in that moment. That is what makes photography so much fun.

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Say Good-Bye To My Little Friend

Published by dee on September 15, 2009

Thursday morning I’m going under the knife. I mentioned a few posts ago that I had been talking to my doctor about some abdominal pain I was having. Well, last Friday I finally got in to have an ultrasound done to see if they could find anything. I got a lovely surprise right away when the technician told me that she needed to do a vaginal ultrasound. Uh…I wasn’t exactly prepared for that. I just thought she was going to rub some gel across my stomach and look around on top like all of the other ultrasounds I’ve ever had.

She had me go to the restroom and empty my bladder before hand. Then I positioned myself on the table and she got started. She took the first glance at the screen and asked me if I had emptied my bladder all the way. Yes, I had. She had a funny look on her face and said it looked very full, which had me a little worried.

Then all of a sudden she said, “Oh, that might be a cyst!”

And yes, it was most definitely an ovarian cyst. According to the measurements on the ultrasound, it was about 9 centimeters. Um, yeah, that might just explain the pains that I’ve been having. 9 cm is nothing compared to the cysts I had removed when I was 19, but my doctor and I both decided right away that the best course of action was to get that thing out of me as soon as possible.

It wasn’t exactly the news I was hoping to hear on a Friday afternoon, but I am glad that there was a definite answer as to what was causing the problem.

So, I’m scheduled for surgery at 8:30 Thursday morning to have my little friend removed. (I’ve been trying to come up with a name for it, but so far I’m drawing a blank.) The surgery will be outpatient as long as they don’t discover any other abnormal things hiding out in there and I’ll be back home with my family that night.

My in-laws were planning a trip up here anyway, so they came up a little bit earlier so they could be here to help out with the kids and things around the house while I’m not able to. They’re just awesome like that.

The good news is I get an unexpected vacation from work and will hopefully be pain-free after a couple of weeks. The bad news is I’ll be hopped up on pain pills and will probably sleep through most of that time off. Wait…why is that bad? I’m going to need some time to come up with an answer for that one.

Even though I expect this to be a very simple surgery with no complications (*fingers crossed*) I’d be very appreciative of any prayers, happy thoughts, or positive vibes sent my way Thursday morning.

So, anyone want to name my cyst???

If you want to know how I’m doing, your best bet is to follow me on Twitter as I’m more likely to update there than here.

If you have toddlers at home you really need to go enter my latest giveaway on my Reviews page. You can enter to win one of 5 pairs of Stride Rite’s new SRT shoes and I assure you they are awesome!

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Stride Rite First Steps Giveaway

Published by dee on September 14, 2009

There’s nothing like seeing your baby’s first few wobbly steps. They work so hard to get across such a short distance, only to end up falling to the floor.

With my son, I remember spending hours trying to get him to walk between his daddy and me. To him, it was just a fun game, but to me, it was watching my baby turn into a toddler.

My daughter preferred to do it on her own. She took her first steps at day care holding onto a rolling toy. By the time we got home that night, she was practically running across the room holding onto her toy.

When my kids were learning to walk, everything I read said not to put them in shoes, and if you must then to make sure they were soft soled shoes. Regardless of what the “experts” said, I felt like my kids needed to be in shoes. I only wish they could have had a pair of Stride Rite’s new Sensory Response Technology™ (SRT) shoes! Not only do the SRT shoes allow babies to feel and grip the surface beneath them, they also help to distribute their weight properly to keep their balance.

The best part of the Stride Rite SRT collection is all of the adorable styles! The fall collection has four great styles for boys and seven for girls in sizes 3-8, with various widths for the perfect fit. Additional styles will be released in the Spring, but I’m already having trouble choosing which ones I like the best! You can take a look at all of the available styles on Stride Rite’s Facebook page.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Because you have a chance to win one of five pairs of SRT shoes courtesy of Stride Rite and the Momfluence network!

5 winners will be chosen to receive one pair of SRT shoes, available in sizes 3 to 8 infant/toddler (including medium and wide). Each pair is a retail value of $50. In order to enter, readers must fill out the following form: http://bit.ly/zb2Qb

This contest is open to legal U.S. residents 18 years or older. The giveaway begins at 12:00 a.m. ET September 14th and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET September 28th. Five winners will be chosen to receive a pair of SRT shoes – toddler size only ($50 RV per pair).

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Summer Ends Too Fast

Published by dee on September 10, 2009

The temperatures have cooled down, schools are starting up, and just as we’re finally starting to really enjoy it, summer has to end. Over Labor Day weekend we took one last trip to my dad’s lake house. We had an amazing time riding around on the pontoon boat, fishing with the kids, sharing meals, and just spending time together (me winning the game of Scrabble was just a little bonus!). There’s really not much more to say, so I’ll share some of my favorite photos from the weekend instead.

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School Days

Published by dee on September 9, 2009

This is the first year that I’ve had to deal with the whole “Back to School” craze. Though he’s not officially in school yet, we did decide to put Zach in preschool this year. Since he’s been at a home daycare for the last year or so, he needed a few supplies. He already had a backpack, but we bought a brand new cars lunch box and thermos, some new tubs for his cubby spaces, a few new shirts, underwear and socks. You know, all of the essentials.

Yesterday was Zach’s first day at his new preschool. I had a really hard time deciding where to take him. I wanted a balance of convenience (because he and Evie now have two separate drop-offs/pick-ups), cleanliness, friendly teachers, and a good curriculum. It doesn’t help that my sister is an amazing preschool teacher, but is too far away to enroll Zach where she teaches. I ended up enrolling him in a church preschool/day care just down the street from the home day care that Evie attends. He’ll stay there all day, Monday through Friday so I don’t have to worry about any half-day transportation issues.

Zach has been ready for preschool for a long time. I’m the one that has been dragging my feet on it. He really should have been in last year but I liked having both kids at the same place. Over the last six months or so he has been begging me to let him go to school. When we went and visited, he jumped right in with the other kids. He is going to LOVE it, at least until that honeymoon period wears off.

I am just hoping that I picked the right place. There are things I love about this school and a few that I don’t like about it. It will take some time to adjust for both of us. It will take time to make sure that he fits in, that he likes it. It will take time to see if the concessions I made on curriculum are made up for by the friendly teachers and convenience. It will take time to get used to the new morning/evening routine, packing lunches, and getting out of bed earlier.

The scary part is knowing that I have to start this process all over again in a few short months to figure out where the kid is going to go for kindergarten. Unless we are able to move before then, we may be looking at private school which is a whole other world of scary!

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deeperrin.com Posts

Get 4 Free Children's Songs from Kenny Loggins

Sugar and Spice

Say Good-Bye To My Little Friend

Stride Rite First Steps Giveaway

Summer Ends Too Fast

School Days