I got IT!!!!!!!!!

IT happens to be the vintage--brand new---discontinued--Blues Clues STeve's Handy Dandy Notebook!!!!! whoo hoo for me---good mom award! This is all my little guy would even care about this Christmas--He hangs on everywhere he goes to this old, beat-up one handed down from his nephew to nephew for ~14 yrs now---it is all scratched up and he likes it better than the new ones (b/c they come apart and this one doesn't). This vintage notebook was recalled b/c the coil could break--whatever! It was made much better than the one out now. So we are in for Christmas! and i got a decent price b/c the listing wasn't under "notebook"--yeah--i love when you get a find! We also got him Magneatos which seem to be really great--we'll see--magnetic block building. I will try to post a pic later! Happy Christmas!

Christmas Program

OK, just have to vent, I am really stressed out as somehow I was asked to be "costume-coordinator" for our church's Christmas program this year! I know that you, who know me, are laughing--as you should be. Why they asked me? I have no idea--i have never even seen their program and didn't even know where the costume closet was, not to mention this program is on Dec 15th and i was contacted Nov 28 (not enough time)... you may ask why did you accept? well, i didn't--i said i would help but did not want any kind of leadership responsibility--when i showed up for the first meeting, i realized that the other two helpers skipped and my name was in charge--aagh! I believe in church service but "the need is not the call" and you should have a bit of background or gift and now i am sucked in. Please Pray for a Christmas miracle.

Alan Jackson concert

"Remember When the sound of little feet was the music we danced to week to week..."

So, we went to the Alan Jackson concert last night--outdoors on the grass with a nice balmy 68 degree breeze--gotta love Florida! Wreckers and Little Big Town opened and when LBT did "Boondocks" the crowd went nuts--i love it when a big (probably football player) guy with jeans,a flannel with the arms cut off showing his cut arms, and a curled-up straw hillbilly cowboy hat got in the aisle and did a slow-grungelike dance to this song--it was awesome--and sure enough, he had a few hottie girls dancin' with him in no time. It was perfect...AJ did Cornbread and Chicken "where i come from" with a whole video presentation of West Palm Beach--loved it, "Itty Bitty" which my husband and i love b/c we can totally relate, "livin' on love","it's 5:00 somewhere"--which everyone went nuts as he filmed that video right here in my hometown at my favorite beach bar The Square Grouper (squaregrouper.net). He has a house here in Jupiter and lucky people occasionally see him around. and more.."right on the money" but he did not do "tall,tall trees" which i love. Best part,of course, was a memory i will always have now of my Edward holding me close to "Remember When"--that was worth it all---I am such a sucker for history as it is the one thing you can never take back so you better do it right in the present--it's sacred and we have a love and respect that hopefully,God-willing will be there til the day we die. I can never get through the line about dancin' to little feet w/o crying--i love those little feet and it's the hardest thing i've ever done. I am very loyal and that song just sums it all up for me. There are good and bad times and you just got to ride it out. My husband whispered "i'd do it all again"--wow! I love that man! The whole concert was worth that.

Boone Hall Plantation

This is Boone Hall Plantation; also where they filmed Allie's home in the movie The Notebook! It was such a great tour as it is still a working plantation producing pecans (back in the day it was mainly cotton). The scenery with the forever long oak lined road to enter is just breathtaking and the 9 slave cabins which are still in their original state were great reminders of a gone era. It still awes me that this happened here in the USA--wow! We visited here while on our trip to Charleston,SC for Thanksgiving. I love Southern history b/c my dad grew up on a Southern cotton farm (which we also had a family reunion there while in SC). I took lots of pics of my kids pickin' cotton and pig pikn' at the family reunion and of course, didn't forget pics of our confederate relatives graves! To which my dad and Ed's dad will be very proud. Ed's dad bought me a huge confederate flag to hang out front for 4th of July and keeps asking me why it isn't out. He always says "the South will rise again!" and he means it! Same family that made me dance to Hank's "It's a FAmily Tradition" at the last family wedding--seriously--they are such a trip! His other favorite question is "why haven't you registered with the DAughters of the Confederacy" yet? LOL!!! They gave us roots and wings! I will post these pics and blog more later.

Love My New Shoes

OK so I finally got my new shoes that i had to shop the entire mall before i found THE pair i wanted. J.Crew had these expensive cheetah flats that i really wanted but didn't want to spend the money---so I found these at Nordstrom's and after a month of backorder they finally arrived and i love them--they are so comfortable for my preggo feet (the only fashion statement i can make now) =0)

Thanks BETH

How Fun!!! My friend just did a crash course with me to straighten up my blog---Yeah! This is my little boy at the beach...
Thanks,Beth!!! =0)
This is my little girl at Hilton Head (remember the blog on Home Free--that trip)

Tooth Fairy

So my little girl had to have her front tooth pulled the other day and she was soooo excited b/c she has 6yr.old friends who have lost theirs! Anyway~it was nerve racking for me as somehow i get sad when my kids change and i knew this was gonna be a big change in her beautiful smile.
So we got the tooth in a little white tooth-shaped case and put it in her "tooth fairy pillow" and made a big deal out of the tooth fairy and she drew pictures of it and a thank you note etc....in the morning she was sooo excited that she got $2.50 from the fairy and her little face (tooth missing) was beaming---that's the fun stuff of being a parent--to see them believe like they do--WOW!
Then, of course, i had told her she could take it to school's show n tell the next day---what was i gonna do now---brilliant idea---we had to write the tooth fairy again and ask her if we could borrow the tooth again and promise to return it the next night (this worked very well--in case you are ever in this situation) Her note is precious and i will keep it forever! Then we returned the tooth again that night! =0)

Neighborhood Kids...

Does anyone's neighbor kids drive them crazy? I try to be such a nice mom but some of these kids expect you to feed them all day and give 'em drinks and pea in your BR--to which i always say "go home". Kids stink the second they go outside (mine included) (that musty/sweat smell)and once they are out i just want them to stay out til they can bathe again. I always just thought it was little boys only but it's not my sweet little girl stinks too---or maybe it's just how freakin' hot Florida is so they are always sweating like little pigs.
Anyway, some days like now, these kids are knocking at my door (which is always in the middle of my 15minute--so pregnant tired gonna die nap)---and i don't answer b/c i just don't wanto and then they peak in the front window and yell for my kids b/c they know we are home as they see the car out front--this makes me crazy b/c then i want to give them a lecture on manners bUT my little girl gets the lecture instead like you don't ask other mommies for food, drink, or toilet---you come home---and you never bang on people's doors---just ring no more than once--and you never take toys out of s/o else's garage w/o them knowing (they do that too!)
and oh yeah, "love your neighbor as yourself" (just like mommy does =0)>

Bump N Rump

Well, is it just me or does baby #3 hit your body faster than the other two? i am only 10wks into this pregnancy and the "bump and rump" are here already!!! I am so over being pregnant--not to mention that you forget how the hunger pains are....i showed up for a movie with my sisters and mom the other nite and had a McD's snack/wrap on the way (which is always a shriveled up piece of overcooked chicken which i actually like now--gross) and a whole stash of food in my tote bag just to get me through the movie---i seriously fear the hunger pains--my (all of sz 0/2) sister almost died laughing when i cracked open my mini coke (i love these b/c i don't feel they count) in the middle of the movie and ate my bag of chex mix--to which i did not laugh b/c i literally MUST EAT every 1.5hours or i am queasy and that is the worst feeling.......so this is why i gain 60# w/ every child and hate myself for 10 months. There is honestly no way around it though b/c as this is my 3rd time i feel the same as i did the other times where if i don't "feed this beast" it will sicken me....and it can't be healthy food (as my wonderful husband already suggested--ASS--who said that?)...it must be what I want at that moment which is usually a whopper Jr. or other such junk. So this is the cure to morning sickness---EAT all you skinny ass pregnant people---you will feel good for about half an hour and then you must eat again and so it goes.........ahhhhggggggggg!

Home Free

We just got back from a 4 day trip to Hilton Head Island where i thought i was going to make beautiful beach memories with my family and sip pina coladas (virgin, of course, remember my last blog) while my kids played and my husband and i fell in love all over again---NOT! Girls, why do we do this to ourselves--i have learned to set my expectations low even though i am always trying to dream big which is a hard paradox to keep up!
Our trip went more like this...husband was in business meetings every day from 7-5pm (gone all day and wanted to sleep on his lunch), so i ended up entertaining my 2 and 5 yr.old every day and it was too cold for the beach thing (that should give you an idea right there about my trip). I started looking fwd to dinner plans every nite, so the first nite i arranged to eat at The Salty Dog--famous place--sorry SaltyDog the food sucked! and me pregnant, thought crab cakes would be great from a coastal restaurant--not--so i discretely picked at my plate--which my husband picked up on it and started a whole "you are so picky" bit, then my 5 yr. old had to potty right then so i had to take her to the not so nice public restroom and my 2yr. old broke a picture hanging at our table---so when i came back my husband says "we're leaving"--Great---so i (pregnant, remember) tear up and walk out of the restaurant b/c my lofty idea of a fun vacation is shattered (to which my husband would argue--it was a conference--not a vacation---(unlesss you are a stay-at-home mom and you don't get to go anywhere, ever!) Then i sat in the car, pondering my life (all of it) and i have hit the point where I have realized...

that everything takes a lot of effort (does anyone else feel this way?) My kids, my marriage, my body, my attitude, my image, my church, my relatives, and now my vacations (conferences--same thing), and the list goes on....

...do you remember when life didn't seem to take much effort? I do and that's what i want to create for my kids, at least while it can last b/c those were some good memories.
Allright, so on a happy note, the trip ended better than the first night (after lots of prayer =0) seriously). Second day, we did the Outlet Malls--fun for me--and my kids got lots of candy! Then we did dinner at STicky Fingers (ribs) which was AWESOme! that was a first for me and my kids were perfect and so was my husband then we came hotel-home and watched "Father-of-the-Bride I and II" while again i cried through the whole set b/c i know I will one day look back on these days with little kids as hard as they can be and remember the good stuff with my same old husband "remembering when" with me.
So I am glad to be Home Free as i have titled this b/c it is nice to miss your home (the same home that can make me feel boxed in at times, is so great to crawl into after a long drive) "to know how sweet your home can be; just go away and keep the key"--so true!

3 Months Later...

I knew it would take me this long to blog again--3 months!---and guess what????? Yep, I went for #3 and it worked---due May 19th---and the best part is this is my baby--my common birthorder buddy on the way =0) and the final addition to our family (which means no more pregnant me--yippee!) Unless, you are one of those people who like being pregnant and if so, i can't be friends with you--JK! We are very excited at the idea of our family being "complete". See, I told you i'd have s/thing to say when i post again.........more later....i promise, but only if my friend Beth gets a myspace =0)

To Be 3 or NottoBe?

Hello! My first blog.......here goes....this may be very therapeutic for me......my husband is ready for #3 and i am obsessing about whether or not to add a third child to my family---which makes me seem like i have any control over the matter? i know, but I am not totally convinced that i should tread on this subject lightly--ugh. Should i just throw caution to the wind and just see if God blesses us here or should i continue to knit pick my life and self apart as to all the what if's that a new child could bring? Any of the moms out there know that we all checked our control and picked up our bag of vulnerability the moment we held that first little (big) miracle in our arms...and we are never the same. Never. Sometimes, the loss that I feel when looking in my shadow of the person i once was can become overwhelming and i long for some sense of weight in my life....not that i don't know how important mothering is BUT (as in any job) you need to see some productivity every once in awhile, you know.......validation that what it is you are doing matters. These little people just take and take and can leave you feeling a little empty until they crawl up in your arms to "snuggle mama" or repeat every word you say as they are trying to learn new vocabulary, or the way they seem to run everywhere even if what they want is only two feet away---they are life----a ball of it.
The truth is, the most rewarding days i have are when it's just me and them barefoot in our little fenced in backyard swinging on the swings and playing in the blow up pool....watching the birds at the feeder and trying to catch the butterflies and making mud birthday cakes or cutting paper dolls........i can't put my finger on IT but......isn't that what IT's all about.......................I am truly in love with my husband (which is rare anymore, i know) and I have been very blessed with a little girl who will be 5 next week and a little man almost 2. They are beautiful, healthy children, and are lucky to have a very hands on daddy who would love to bring one more into our home (his words, "i feel like there is one more that we haven't welcomed into our home yet") Awww, i know, but why am i hesitating....no real reason........except that i am which is reason in itself---ugh---maybe it's the two year sentence of fat prego and nursing that is bugging me or the terrible twos or potty training or the awesome responsibility that comes with each little person you are praying turn into civil human beings? who knows but i have it---hesitation....
So what's one more? =0) we'll see..............................maybe it's the idea of a full house with more laughter, more tears, and more support that only comes in the form of family? Somebody has to give them the gift of each other? Mom?
Ohhhh---what to do, what to do? I'll keep you posted.