Messy Bessy.....keepin' it real.

Well, the fat clothes weren't cutting it anymore. 

I am popping out.

I was begging D to grab my maternity clothing out of the garage rafters.  Of course, the bin(s) were buried.

Way buried.

(Remember:  we never thought we'd need to grab them back out for our own use!)

Way, way buried.

D was actually holding them hostage until I got out in the garage and helped him organize our bins to see which ones could go up and which ones stay out.

I'm thinking he just wanted to spend some extra time with me.  :)

(Love you, baby!)

Since I'm taking it easy, I sat on a (horribly dusty) stool, and he did all the heavy lifting.

I just enjoyed my view.  :)

Anyway...I got what I wanted:

clothing that fits.

Even though I had given much of my maternity wardrobe away, I had a total of four bins- 3 large, 1 small.

One bin I realized that I never even opened with C's pregnancy.

It had all sorts of professional clothing, and some hand-me-downs from my sister-in-law.

I'm not sure why I hung onto some of those....tapered leg overalls?

Whoa.

(sorry, Marianne!)

Anyway, since this is my last (!!!) pregnancy, I'm feeling comfortable getting rid of most of it.

At least, what I know I won't wear.

So....yesterday afternoon, this is what our room looked like:

  I'd love to say that everything is totally picked up....

...but on National Honesty Day, I feel it's smart not to lie.

There's been improvement, though! 

I'm just doing some finishing touches here and there.

So, anyone need any professional pregnancy clothing?

How about some early 90's throw back overalls?

5QF

FRIDAY, FRIDAY!

Hooray!  We have survived another week!

And what a week it was....

I have no other witty repartee to write...so I'm just going to go straight to the questions today:




1. Do you make your kids finish all the food on their plates?


No, but I do make them at least try everything that's on there.  And I make them do age bites of veggies (If you're 4, you need 4 bites, etc.).  If they leave the table without eating a sufficient amount of protein and veggies, they know that there's no snack for the evening.

2. Do you give an allowance?

No.  The boys are on a commission based system.  (Thank you, Dave Ramsey!)  They each have jobs that they can do throughout the week, and a few jobs to do once a week.  Each of them has the ability to make about $3.50/ week with their commissions.  Most of the time, they're lucky to scrape out $1.00. 

This always comes in handy at the store when they ask for something, and I say "Where's your money?"  They usually say, "I only made $1 last week!"  And then I run down the list of things on their sheet that could earn them more money next week.

It gives them the power to earn money, and I'm not the bad guy for "always" saying no at the store.  They have the ability to say "yes" to purchasing it if they'd work for it.


3. Do you actually park your car in the garage?

BWHAHAHA!!!!  I'm married to a contractor.  The garage is his workshop.

Actually, wait...I've parked in the garage twice.  The first time was when we were moving out of our old house.  The tools were all out of the garage, so I parked in there.

The second time was here at the Love Shack.  We were under a brutal ice storm warning, so D moved everything and put both of our cars in the garage.  Nice, huh?


4. What is one food you will NEVER cook?

Aspic.  I watched the movie "Julie & Julia" and she was talking about an Aspic- which is literally meat-fat jelly.  Totally grossed me out.

Also, I won't fry fish.  My dad used to fry it at their house when I lived there, and the fumes bothered my eyes so badly, I'd have to lay in my room with a wet washcloth over my eyes the rest of the night.  Not to mention the nasty smell that seemed to permeate from our clothing for the next week...ugh.

So, I will NOT fry fish in my house.  Gross.

5. Do you have anything exciting planned for the summer?

We have a few weekend jaunts planned, but nothing far away at all.  With the baby and the addition, we're sticking close to home just in case something happens and to watch the budget.  We'll find fun stuff to do, though.  At least, I'm hoping so!
 

Random Thursday Thoughts

It seems as though Thursdays are only good for Random Lists.  At least for me.  My brain is partially on shut down before the weekend.  I need a mental unload.  I promise this will not be 100% about pregnancy.  :)

-  Since our Monday night scare, I've been taking it easy.  D has been super helpful.  I'm assuming this will last another 4-5 days before he starts getting cranky.  Our friends (who JUST had a baby!) have been trying to ease my load by picking A up from school this week.  He'll text with "excuses" like "Hey...I have to go to Meijer anyway after school, why don't I grab A for you."  I'm grateful for the reprieve, and grateful for their friendship....but I'm supposed to be supporting them right now!  How funny God is.  :)

-  I went grocery shopping this morning, and purchased a single serve entree of gluten free Macaroni & Cheese for $4.99.  Darn pregnancy craving!  I came home and promptly ate it for lunch.  It.was.sooooo.good.

-  I'm waiting (impatiently!) for the first trimester nausea to lift.  Grrrrr.

-  Baseball and soccer season started this week for A and C (respectively).  It's going to be a busy spring.  But fun.

-  The footings for our addition's addition have been approved.  C. keeps calling them "footies."  I'm begging D not to correct him.  It melts my heart.  Bring on the concrete!

-  I'm considering cutting my hair short.  I'm blaming the baby for this thought.

-  C and I have colds.  I'm itching to get my hands on my friend's new baby (Amelia), but will be prudent and wait until the snot vacates.  So hard.

-  I'm trying to schedule some fun stuff for the boys this summer.  (Read:  I'm trying to keep myself sane this summer).  All this on a TIGHT budget.    It's like a crazy juggling act.

-  I think my personality of "calling it like it is" has created some ripples here and there.  I'm actually not worried about it, because I know I was speaking out of love and what I believe God would want.  And I know that old habits are hard to break, and sometimes the truth is hard to hear.  I'm praying that God will open her ears to hear Him.

-  I felt the baby move last night.  I was all curled up laying in bed, and the baby CLEARLY was letting me know that more space was needed down there.  So, I stretched out.  I remember this is exactly how I felt the boys move for the first time.  Words cannot express how much I love that feeling.

-  I'm 15 weeks today.  This is the view from here:

I do believe that this could be considered a bump.



-  I'm planning on making my gf crackers this afternoon.  It's either that or a nap.  As of right now, I am thinking a nap may win out.  :)  Sometime (soon!) I promise to blog the cracker recipe.  They're just to good not to share.

-  I'm on my second shellac manicure.  The first one lasted 20 days.  It actually started to chip at 16, but it was just one chip, so I let it go.  Then my nails grew out until I just couldn't put it off any longer.  These things are AWESOME.  Virtually indestructible.  I love it.  My local grocery store has the whole kit for about $30 to do by myself at home.  I'm thinking I need to save my money for that one!

-  I have 5 weeks left until my 20 week ultrasound.  D is completely impartial about going or not going.  (My mom and friend came with me for C's).  A overheard that conversation and has let me know that he's interested in going with me.  I think it may get him more excited about the baby, but I'm a little afraid of a reaction if the tech finds something wrong.  Any thoughts on this?  (He's 8).

Pregnancy Q & A

Since our announcement, I've had a lot of the same conversations with different people.  I've heard the same questions phrased about 10 different ways.  So, I thought I'd do a Pregnancy Q&A post.

1.  When are you due?

Mid-October.

Although I'd have no problem going a little early.  A. was 4 days early, C. was 9 days early.  (I'm understanding that by saying this, I'm probably jinxing myself into having a Halloween baby, but willing to take my chances....).  I will turn 36 on Oct 6 this year, so perhaps I can get them all out before I leave my 35th year....here's hoping!

2.  Was this a surprise?

Uhhhhh, yeah.  We were actually doing our best to prevent pregnancy.  We've done a pretty good job for all our years between A and C, and again until now. 

Even though I choose not to be on artificial birth control (I really believe it's bad for your body!), we count, and test, and use....ahem, protection.  When I brought my calendar, temperatures and LH surge information to my Dr (to see where I messed up so it doesn't happen again!), she could NOT figure it out.  Unless I had two eggs this month.  For someone who didn't ovulate AT ALL three years ago due to health, I'd say dropping two eggs in one month is a great testimony to being gluten free!  (And MSG free, and aspartame free, and HFCS free....)


3.  How are you handling the surprise?

Pretty well.  We were both SHOCKED at first.  It took about 2 weeks for us to stop shaking our heads.  But, since we were pretty diligent about prevention, we just decided that this is God's child, and He's really the one in charge here....so we're letting Him be in charge.


4.  Were you trying for a girl?  (Are you hoping for a girl? or any question related to wanting a girl)

I have issues with this question.  ISHHHHH-YEWZ. 

First of all, we weren't trying.  For anything....boy or girl.

Second, in my opinion, this question implies that D and I just can't be content (and thankful) for the gifts He's bestowed upon us.  That somehow our lives are incomplete because we only have two boys.

That could not be further from the truth.

I'm very content.  I'm very thankful.  Really, I'm good either way.

Nine years ago, I was so jacked up on clomid and desperation, I annoyed myself...and I hated everyone else.  I didn't know if I could get pregnant again (after a previous miscarriage), nor did I know if I could carry a child safely to term.  So, yeah....I'm going to be thankful for my two boys, I'm going to carry my MOB*  card proudly, and I'm going to love every minute of it.

I'm going to be thankful and content with whatever God chooses this baby to be. 

Again, He's in charge.  It's His child.

*Mother of Boys

I'm also part of this awesome MOB club...which isn't a formal "club" per-say, but it's amazing that I connect instantly with other mothers of all boys.  We get each other, and its so easy to be instant friends!  If I'm in a new crowd where I don't know many people, I can usually pick out other MOB members within minutes just by the way they talk/ their demeanor.  I love being a part of this club.


5.  Will you find out the sex?

I don't know.  We didn't find out with the boys.  I loved that.  Loved it!  There's that moment- at the very end of my pain where the baby is out, the pain is over(ish), my husband is a tad (wee-little bit) choked up, and he announces to me "It's a boy!"  I loved those moments with him.  Love it.  I'm not sure I'd like to take that moment away.

No one knew with A. what he was.  With C, I had the tech write it on a card, and my friend Gina read it and wrote it on a few other cards.  We mailed those cards to a select group of people, and everyone else stayed in the dark with D and I.  It was pretty cool.

I figure, I'll see which way the wind is blowing when I walk into the 20 week ultrasound.  :)

6.  How have you been feeling?

Good and bad.  There's good days when I just feel a tad tired, and other days when I can't stop dry-heaving.  The nice thing about keeping it a secret for so long is that I've just had to put on my big-girl smiley face and power through.  Mind over matter, right?  Well, sometimes.  :)  Other times, Mother Nature's Mind took over my matter.

7.  Did you tell anyone earlier?

Oh yeah.  I have a core group of prayer warriors that I told pretty early on.  A few knew right away, and a few others knew after my first ultrasound at 7 1/2 weeks.  I figured, if I did loose the baby, they'd be the ones I called on for help and prayer.  D calls them my "support staff."  I thought that was a cute way to word it.

There were other friends I would have LOVED to have told earlier, but I really wanted a "shock-value" announcement.  And so far, no one's disappointed us with the shocked looks on their faces!  I've loved the reactions!  My friend, Stephanie, actually had a microphone in front of her face when I announced at MOPS.  I LOVED her, "WHAT?!?!"  It.was.awesome.  :)

8.  Has everything with the pregnancy been going ok? (note: this answer may contain tmi for some of you...feel free to skip to #9)

Not really.  After my first ultrasound (7 weeks-ish) revealed everything was a-ok, a week later I started spotting and was diagnosed with a sub-chorionic hemmorage and that ultrasound also revealed that the baby's heartrate was measuring in the high 190's.

The hemmorage was the first obstacle to worry about, and if that worked its way out, we'd watch the heart rate.  After spotting for the next 10 days, the Dr's were somewhat assured that the hemmorage had worked its way out.  That day the baby's heart rate measured in the mid 170's- which is still high, but not scary.  One other time it's measured in the low 190's...but according to the Dr, the baby is really active.  When we're active, our heart rates rise....well, so does a baby's.  To quote my Dr. directly:

"Babies are people too."

(eat your heart out, Nancy Pelosi!)

Thanks to my awesome neighbor who is a Dr. and has had a few VERY high risk pregnancies of her own, she purchased a doppler for herself to use.  Now that her babies are born, she's letting me use the doppler here at home.  I love it!  D loves hearing it too!  All our measurements have shown the heartrate in the low 170's/ high 160's.

And on Monday, we had more drama.  Some cramping at the boy's bedtime turned into a lot of bleeding at 10pm...and lots of cramping (about 12-17 minutes apart).  So, the Dr. on-call asked me to head to the ER for a check up.  I was seen by 1am.  An ultrasound revealed that the baby was still alive and crazy active, but (since my regular Dr. on call was in an emergency c-section) the attending ER Dr. said to follow up with my OB on Tuesday.  I got home around 3am.  So, yesterday I went to the office and the Dr. discovered I have 3 polyps on my cervix that looked "angry."  The Dr. said they're not big enough to cut off yet, so home I went.  The good news is that the baby looks great and active, and I'm not dialated at all.  So...we press on.

I'm sure hoping that this "dramatic" pregnancy doesn't translate into a dramatic baby!

9.  Are you craving anything?

Yeah.  As in all my pregnancies, I'm craving peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.  I have no idea why.

With the boys, I craved meat.  Lots of meat.  This time, I'm not into meat at all!  I'm looking at any citrus fruit, dairy items or fruits in general with hungry eyes.    I'm wondering if my body is letting me know that I need extra Vitamin C and Calcium?!?!?

10.  Anything else?

Yeah....don't touch my belly.

Guess WHAT?!?!?

There's been more progress on the Love Shack!

We figured, we have to for a few reasons:

a) the love shack is literally crumbling, and will not stand through another winter

 and

b) we need more room.  :)  (at least one more bedroom)

So, during our early summer, C. helped Uncle Matt and Sparky load up some gravel.

This will go in front and on the side of the house under the drain tile.

Oh, all the stuff I've learned about water seepage and flow over the course of the past few years.

Anyway, C. LOVES to help out around here....especially the big-boy stuff.

I just think he wants an excuse to wear his boots with shorts.

The Love Shack is currently in the shape of an "L."

We're filling in the "L" and making it a square.

In order to do this, we need to dig a trench for the foundation- about 48" deep.

D decided it would be a good "manual job."

"Manual" = not me.

(not me...ever...present condition excluded)

The boys LOVED it.  Seriously....they were obsessed with digging.

One morning, D. had already left early (6:30) and at 6:40, I heard both boys getting dressed and heading outside with boots on.  I got up (I'm not normally up until 7), ran outside (in my pajamas) to find both of them quietly digging in the trench.  Getting along like peas and carrots.  It was amazing.

I'm thinking we need to trench our entire yard this summer.

Just to ensure harmonious living.

Then we noticed that Ally decided to join her pack.

By the time she was done digging, the hole was up past her shoulder blades. 

She was not about to be out-done by the boys!

That is, until I was a buzz-kill and brought her in for a bath.

Homegirl was dirty.  Blissfully dirty.

Then, last Friday...guess what we got?!?!?!?

Our building permit!!!

Demolition to commence SOON

(well, sooner or later....)

5QF

First of all, I want to say thank you to everybody for the happy wishes and congratulations on my facebook page, twitter and comments on blogger.  Y'all know how to make a pregnant woman feel l.o.v.e.d!  I almost shed a tear....and for a non-cryer, that's a big deal.  This would have nothing whatsoever to do with hormones, would it?!?!?  :)




1. Groceries are high right now what is easiest way you have found to cut back?

When purchasing gluten-free items, there's really no way to cut back other than purchase less of it and stretch the food out.  Eat less, I guess.

For the boys, I'm all about Aldi.  Aldi, Aldi, Aldi.  I have a love/hate relationship with that store, BUT I can walk out of there with 8 bags full of groceries for under $130.  I appreciate that.


2. What are the top 3 things on your "bucket list"?

Travel (anywhere with new and fun culture.  Europe would be fun to return to- I'd hit the northern edge this time- or somewhere like Australia), finish the house (I'd LOVE to not live in a construction zone!!!), figure out what I want to be when I grow up (I want to do something that I love and don't mind doing- rather than just working a job)

3. Would you rather give up AC or heat?

This past summer was the first summer of.my.life that I lived in a home with central air.  It was blissful, but I could give it up.  I'm a wimp without heat.
4. What's your favorite cocktail??

Oh gosh, it's been a while since I had a beverage....I had a blackberry martini last December- and that was delish!

I cannot remember any others...so they were either REALLY that good that I don't remember, or totally forgettable.

5. What was your first job & how old were you?
 
My first real FICA-contributing job was at Little Caesar's Pizza.  Back before it was a fast and ready pizza joint, and we made each and every one to order.  The classmates I worked with were awesome, but the owners were big jerks.  I worked there for most of my junior school year, and was almost fired for telling them I couldn't work on my brother's graduation day.  Sorry, jerkys....family comes first.  After a "stern talking to", I was able to work there throughout the summer, but ended up quitting because I had a better offer (TCBY....really, who WOULDN'T want to work there!) and I never got over the fact that they were jerks.
 
 



Happy Weekend friends!

I've been keeping a secret....

Well, it's time to let my secret out!

D and I are pleased (and still a little surprised!) to announce that we are expecting #3. 



Happy second trimester to me!

Finding spots

I have to say that even though puppies are hard work,

and sometimes annoying,

I have never had one thought of regret over getting Ally.

I actually think we were so fortunate to get a dog that has such a good temperament.

I've heard her bark about a handful of times now.

She barks at weird things- like C. throwing a plastic lawnmower down the slide.

And the UPS man.

That's about it.

D and I love that she's a funky mix of dog (dalmatian and boxer).

She literally looks like a boxer in dalmatian clothing!

And now that we've had her for 6 weeks, we're learning her personality.

She's feeling more at home-

(sha, right....she was at home the minute we opened the door).

So, here's a few new pics of my Ally-girl.

The basement couch is the place all clean/unfolded-laundry goes as a reminder to fold it.

It's exactly 21" from the back of my computer chair.

She lays on the end closest to me.  :)

See the spots on her paw pads? 

I think that's just too darn cute!

She watches me closely.  :)

She has spots around her eye lids.  :)

And her nose is marked with spots.

Her lips are also spotted, which in the front makes her look like she's wearing some strange

goth-style lipstick.  :)

This is the point in the photo session where she lets me know that I'm kinda freaking her out,

and she's done taking pictures for the moment.

There's a paw print shaped cluster of spots on her side that I adore. 

I'm hopeful they won't grow into each other as she matures.

There's even spots in the roof of her mouth!!!

(Look beyond the paw and you'll see some- hey, YOU try to get a picture of a dog's mouth!)

First thing in the morning after D. lets her out, she RUNS downstairs to cuddle with me in bed.

Then she'll remain there until I boot her out.

I think she'd sleep all day in there if I let her.

And just so you don't think my puppy is perfect....

Here's something I found in the living room the other day.

That poor poor plant!



Phoning in the weekend

I have a riveting post for y'all today.

Riv-et-ing.

Our weekend actually was busy, but we ended up cancelling some things

because

a) the van continues to occasionally smoke- even though D "fixed" it with plumbing materials

b) I wasn't feeling the greatest

c)  We were all whooped after a crazy busy week

d)  All of the above.

So anyway.......

I started documenting the weekend (starting on Saturday) just because it's so riveting.

I woke up to the sound of my puppy chewing on something.  On my bed.  This means she had to go get her chew toy upstairs, bring it up on our bed, and chew.  Guess what she brought?

My favorite pair of summer sandals- that essentially goes with EVERY sundress I own!

To ease the saddness of my sandal loss, I stopped at the Starbucks drive-thru

while errand running.

(Thank you to our accountant for the FREE Starbucks gift card for our referral)

Filled up with gas. 

It's a sad sad day when $30 doesn't even get you up past 1/2 tank.

Anyone know what the price per gallon was before Obama took office?

I dare ya to google it.

I took the boys to see a matinee.

Once a week, they show an (older) movie for free (for the kiddos) and parents are only $4.

(too bad they don't discount the TEN DOLLAR POPCORN COMBO!!!)

But the boys LOVED Spy Kids 4, and I got a nice little snooze in.  :)

We came home to a nice surprise....

D was done early with his morning job and decided to start tearing out the electrical wiring in the old house!

The "helper"

Saturday night was our biggest school fundraiser of the year.

It's a fun fun night, but a lot of work.

Here's everyone getting ready for the live auction portion of the evening.

Sobriety was varied between stone cold sober and d-r-u-n-k (only a select few).

(We're Lutheran's, it's ok)

It's funny....and it increases bids.  :)

My hottie bidder-spotter stayed close to my "number recording" station.  :)

He loves me.  :)

Sunday ended the weekend in a very low-key day.

I stayed home and rested while D and the boys attended church.

We chilled out after they returned home.

I watched the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox.

(WOOHOO!)

Then, I continued in my resolution and decided to clean out the pantry of old food.

I had 1/2 package of marshmallows and a HUGE bag of rice krispies.

I thought about making rice krispie treats...but needed more marshmallows.

Enter:  Easter Peeps.

Doesn't it look like a Peep Jacuzzi? 

Happy Monday!

Aren't you glad you read this riveting post?~?~?

5QF

Friday!!!  I made it to FRIDAY!

The boys are back in school.

We're back on a regular (ish) routine.

I'm happy.

This weekend promises to be one of the busiest ones yet this spring.  But, after that, I think we're relaxing just a tad bit more.  And even though its busy (packed...jam packed), it's going to be a lot of fun too....so there's the silver lining.


1. Who mows your grass?

I used to.  When we first moved here, I used to walk behind the push mower once a week while A. took a nap inside.  It took me 2 hours to mow our lawns...then along came C, and D took over that job.  I've never looked back.  :) 

We actually now have a riding mower that was "gifted" to us.  I use " " only because it takes him just as long to get the mower running as it does for him to cut the lawn once it's started!


Ahhhh, yes.  You can take us out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of us.  :)


2. Do you have a picture wall or picture gallery in your house (show us! )?

I actually have two!

The first one is in our basement living room.  The whole color theme down there is tan and white with light blue and red accents.  So, I wanted a picture wall above my (free/ recovered in fabric w/ red, blue, tan and white circles) couch.  I started finding different frames from old pictures, at the Target One Spot (see square frames), and I painted them and purchased coordinating mats.  There are some professional beach pics, a wedding pic or two, and a whole lotta candids.  The pictures on this wall are some of my favorites.  (Pardon the crooked picture frames....I'm in a hurry, and the boys were playing down here this morning!)

The second one is in our bedroom.

These are all black and white- except for the stained glass silhouette from our wedding day.

Our wedding invitation is also framed, but that was white and silver...so the color doesn't really count, right?

3. What book has influenced your thinking the most? Or, what blog? (I want to read what gets people thinking!)

I need to preface this by saying "Besides the Bible?"  Cause, you know...that's #1.

There's a lot of books I keep in the corners of my mind and draw from every so often.  Some are devotionals, some are biographies, some are total fiction but inspirational nonetheless.

I read Pioneer Woman's blog with great regularity and a few friends as often as they post...

So, how's that for an answer without really being an answer?  Geez, you'd think I was running for a political office.

4. Do you have allergies? If so, how do you handle it this time of year?

Whoa nelly, do I ever!  Spring is actually my worst season for allergies- followed by fall in a close second.  Then, you factor in all the everyday allergies....and wallah....you have me.

I do a nasal rinse (similar to the neti pot) every day.  Sometimes twice a day if I'm really struggling.  I also take Zyrtec and dose up on Omega 3 Fish Oils.  (they're anti-inflammatory)

Otherwise, I try to stay inside on windy days, and dust the house as little as possible.  :)

5. What's your go to meal to cook in an hurry?
 
 
Tacos, spaghetti, hamburgers, any kind of hodge-podge concoction that I can throw together in a pinch.  The easier, the better!
 
 

The Easter Well-Head pic

Easter week was full, crazy and tiring. 

Because Holy Week also fell on spring break for us.

It was long.

So, so long.

I take it as a warning-shot that I need to beef up my patience level before summer.

Anyway.....

We had a special Easter egg hunt in our house on Thursday.

(more on that later)

Then, we had D's parent's over to enjoy an Easter dessert the boys and I made that day.

Saturday

we stayed close to home and made another fun easter bunny cake for my parent's house the next day.

Sunday

And, as in true PMD tradition, every Easter Sunday morning, we take some pictures on the front porch.

The boys.

Yes, they are in coordinating shirts.

 And the whole family:

Pardon my hair- because we took a total of 9 pictures....and I was the one running back and forth.

Pardon my pose- see above statement.

Pardon C's smile.  We're working on it.

After church, we ventured out to my parent's house to celebrate, eat, and take a (rediculously long) nap.

To see our past Easter Pics, click here.

Happy Easter!

Today I am

1.  Watching a spider crawl across the wall in front of me.  It's too high for me to kill.  So, I'll wait until it either a) falls upon which time it will meet an untimely death or b) disappears which will catapult me into a "where the heck did that spider go!?!?!?" questioning in my head for the next 2 years upon which time I'll be totally paranoid that it has grown into the size of my hand and is lurking under my desk waiting to strike me with deadly venom.

2.  Trying to catch up with work.  I'd love to be totally caught up.  Where I can sit and enjoy my kids and not feel like "I should be working."  I always feel like I should be working.  I hate that.

3.  Making leftovers for dinner.  Mmmmm...Easter leftovers.

4.  Freaking out!  Holy crap...the spider is gone.  It was in the middle of the wall, and now its disappeared.  I'm freaking out.  There one minute and gone the next.....where the heck did it go?!?!?!?

5.  Thinking that my boys are coming down with the mysterious illness that had plagued their friend over spring break.  We had a play date and saw them again on Sunday- without knowing that they were infested with fevers and feeling awful all week.  Fan-flippin'-tastic!

6.  Wishing my puppy was house trained.  Hopefully any day now.  She's smart enough.  She's also stubborn.  She's ruining my carpet.  I'm not a happy dog owner at times.  I'm also going broke on carpet cleaner.

7.  Hoping my van makes it another 100,000 miles.  It's at 204, 282.  It's a Dodge.  It's rusting.  It's smoking every so often.  I understand this means odds are not in my favor.

8.  I am also wishing I didn't stay up to the wee hours in the morning stuffing envelopes for a fundraiser.  I'm horribly tired.  I need a nap.  I need 1000 naps.

9.  Thinking of the prime rib I'll be reheating for dinner.  mmmmm, beef.

10.  Thinking again of that spider.  I am afraid I only have two years to live before I die of a gigantic spider bite.  Why oh why can't I have go-go-gadget arms to kill spiders that are 7 feet up on a wall?  Sigh.

Still in the trenches

We're still in the midst of spring break.

C's preschool actually has 2 1/2 weeks off.  A. has been off since last Thursday. 

A goes back tomorrow.

C goes back Wednesday.

I'm still in the midst of a busy (CRAZY busy) season at work.

We're staring down the gauntlet of our largest fundraiser this weekend.

I need to launch the first phase of the next fundraiser tomorrow.

I have meetings every night this week.

My boys are fighting like cats and dogs.

I'm still in the trenches.

I need a nap.

5QF

At the breakfast table this morning:

Me:  "C, do you know what today is?  It's Good Friday."

c:  "Is that when Jesus dies?"

Me: "Yes, today is the day that Jesus is crucified on the cross to save us from our sins."

C: " Well, that means that Easter is comin' in a coupla days, and Jesus is alive again, and it's all good!"

Me:  "Yes, C....it's all good."

C:  "That was nice of Him, huh, mommy?"

Me:  "Yes, C.  God is awesome like that."

The faith of a 4 year old can bring tears to his mama's eyes!

1. Would you prefer having people over for dinner or going to their house?

Ummmm.....not sure how to answer this one.  I guess this depends. 

I prefer to have them to our house just because I can control the menu.  When you have issues with any food allergy, menu control means safety.  It also means you're not going to be sitting there sucking on a grapefruit while everyone else eats (awkwardly looking at you because you can't eat a damn thing on the table.  Yes, this has happened).


On the other hand, we stopped hosting people for dinner a while ago because we had a few sets of friends over here and there, and they made some snarky comments about the Love Shack feeling "dirty" "old" and "claustrophobic."  So....we just stopped having people over.

We've hosted more people after the addition went up.  It's nice to feel hospitable again.  :)

2. Favorite Bible verse and why?

I have three:

The first one I remind myself when I'm feeling "judgy" against myself and others are feeling "judgy" toward me.  I also remind this verse to my friends who are struggling in dark seasons.


"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  2 Corinthians 12:9


The following verse I remind myself when I feel overwhelmed and over committed to things at church/school.  I'm tempted to "validate" my turning down new opportunities by giving a list of all the thing I'm already doing, but then I remember this verse, and just say a simple, "no, but thank you for thinking of me.""For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is now of yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so no one can boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9




One that I recite when I'm afraid or challenged:

"I can do all things, through Christ, who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13
That last one is probably my most favorite, but the other two pop into my head with awesome regularity.  So, picking just one favorite verse isn't possible for this girl!

3. What was the first concert you ever attended, and the most recent one?

I believe my first real concert was the Cranberries.  Back in 1995?  I went with my manager from work.  We made a deal- he bought my ticket if I drove.  Some friends from school were there, so it was great to meet up with them!

The most recent one?  Hmmmm...I need to jog my memory for that.  It was either Red Hot Chili Peppers or Josh Groban.  I can't remember which was most recent. 

What an eclectic music follower I am, right?!?!?


4. The year is 2025. What are you doing, and what have you done?

Geez....that's 13 years from now!  A will be out of the house, and C will be a recent graduate from high school. 

Ok, I need to stop a second and wipe tears away....

and deep breath.....

in.....

out.....

I hope that I'll have a career that I enjoy, not just a convenient job.  I HOPE the house will be completed...and D and I will be looking at land further out of town....and combing through plans of smaller ranch-style houses to build.

I hope that there will be some great memories from travels and family vacations.  I hope to be surrounded by awesome supportive friends, and very content with who I am.


5. What's your favorite Easter treat?

I have to go with the Reese's Egg.  There's just something about form-pressed gluten free peanut butter. Covered in milk chocolate.

And Cadbury Mini-Eggs.  I can't eat one and leave them alone.  Which is why I purchased ONE bag the day before I entertained some friends.  I ate 6.  Yes, that was an accomplishment.  :)






  A very somber Good Friday greeting to you today....   ....but Sunday's comin'.  

2 Days, No kids.

It's spring break.  I do love spring break.  However, it started early this year (last Friday)

and ends late this year (Tuesday).

Where were these long spring breaks when I was a kid?

Oh yeah...they were NON EXISTENT!

Apparently, they valued mommy-sanity back in the 80's.

Please don't get me wrong...I do love my boys.  I love spending time with my boys.

But lately,  I've been running on empty.

And it seems the emptier I run, the more things get piled on me.

And the grumpier I get.

So, when I was "awarded" a double work load for this week, I wasn't surprised...other people go on vacations.....God was pushing me....so I knew it was time to ask for help.

Help in the form of grandparents.

Awesome grandparents who are willing to take my boys overnight (TIMES TWO!) so I can get some work done.  And (if there is any down time) recharge my batteries.

So, besides work- which I'll be doing about 98% of today and tomorrow....

here's what I plan to do with my extra kid-free time:

1.  Sleep in.  Oh joyous morning sleep!    I am NOT a morning person.  NOT at all!  If it were my choice, I would talk to anyone until 10am. Because I have so much work, I had to start at 9am....but from wake up until 9....no speaking.

2.  Stay in jammies.  I don't plan on going anywhere today and tomorrow.  I don't plan on having anyone here today and tomorrow.  If you're planning on dropping by to surprise me, don't be surprised when you find me blissfully disheveled, unshowered, adorning some purple fleece cloud pajamas.  If I do choose to shower (because I will probably revolt myself sometime over the next 24 hours), you'll find me in sweats.

3.  Iron.  I have a large pile.  It needs to get done.  I have khaki's to find before Easter Sunday.

4.  Fundraiser stuff.  I have envelopes to stuff and fill out for a fundraiser coming up on May.  This one falls on my shoulders alone.  It's already behind the scheduled dates to get out.  I gotta get it done.

5.  Organize.  Closets.  Ugh.  (Stephenie?  You busy?)

6.  Watch a chick flick.  Probably in segments.  Because I have work to do.  But when I'm taking a mental break, I plan to watch a chick flick or a chick program.  Unanimated.  Not for children.  Chick flick.

7.  Blog.  Because I'm self-diagnosed ADD and need mental breaks.

8.  Work on training my new puppy.  She needs work.  And she's been spoiled by my laziness as of late.

9.  Pack up what's left in the Love Shack.  There's not much left....HOME STRETCH!

10.  Take a nap.  A blissful quiet nap.  Curled up with my puppy.  Quiet.  Sleep.  Ahhhhh.