I WISH you ENOUGH...

> > Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the > airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they > hugged and the mother said, "I love you and I wish you enough". > > The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your > love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom". > > > They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I > was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not > to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say > good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?". > > "Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever > good-bye?". > > "I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is > - the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said. > > "When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough'. May I ask > what that means? ". > > She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other > generations. My parents used to say it to everyone". She paused a moment and > looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled! even more. "When > we said , 'I wish you enough', we were wanting the other person to have a life > filled with just enough good things to sustain them". Then turning toward me, > she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory. > > I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day > may appear. > > I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. > > I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting. > > I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear > bigger. > > I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. > > I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess . > > I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye. > > She then began to cry and walked away. > > They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, > a day to love them but then an entire life to forget them. > > > TAKE TIME TO LIVE..... > > To all my friends and loved ones , > I WISH YOU ENOUGH

An Old Fashioned Reminder...

I needed this...

...my friend took this picture of my little girl getting a Bible at church on Sunday morning...it was a special presentation for all the first graders who were just learning how to read...when I saw this picture (after my weeks of mental run-a-round panicking about "red-shirting", tutoring, and how to cram in reading into my little girl's life)...this picture was a still shot that made me stop and notice her for a second, just where she's at......sincere, peaceful, kind, innocent, loving....she's perfect just the way she is, and most of all, she is His, not mine and nothing I do is gonna change what He has for her---I don't know, that just comforted me and thought I'd share...do you remember being this age? Sometimes I need a big reminder that I don't control it all....so simple. Thank God.

Smart Kid Left Behind...

The biggest trend in education today is holding "smart" kids back. It's called "red-shirting", after the practice of keeping college athletes out a year while they grow bigger. A 2005 government report suggested that nearly 10% of American students in kindergarten were eligible to have enrolled the year before. The typical red-shirt is a boy with white, well-educated parents who know how good it feels to be at the top of the class. It's particularly a problem in private schools; an analysis showed that wealthy districts in Connecticut red-shirt at rates of up to 20%, while low-income district rates are 2 to 3%. Ironically, of course, the more families who do it, the less advantage there is. Perhaps more ironically, it doesn't seem to work. Most studies conclude that red shirts do no better than younger kids in the long term.

So, this is an article that I read last night in U.S.News and World Report. I know more and more people doing this. What do you all think about this? Does anyone have any advice here? My little girl has just turned 6 years old in late July and now I am push, push, pushing her in school with her reading and writing when many times she doesn't seem to really be eager to do it. I am always wondering is it her age and developmental stage? Should I hold her back as most of the kids in her class seem to be possibly a year plus older than her, which at this age makes a big difference. I am frustrated. She is reading just not at first grade level. I have heard many angles of this debate....there are the schools of thought suggesting that children shouldn't start school til they are 8 b/c their senses are not developmentally ready and then there are majority of people who start kids in preschool as babies b/c they are "sponges" and think they are getting them "ahead" of the curve. Is it wise? Do they all really even out eventually? Would she be bored if she were retained this year? I am constantly thinking,"should school be stress for a new 6 yr. old?" and thinking how she could be smartest kid in the class if i held her now and then reminding myself to constantly praise her and keep her home as a "soft place to fall". This whole subject has me consumed. I gotta get past this. aaaaagghhh! It's hard though - if everyone is doing it will my kid be at a disadvantage if I don't. .. that is my question?

Beginning of the school year Blues...

I have a desperate need lately for prioritize and perspective......Hang with me here....my thoughts are kinda random and confused as I juggle through another new school year trying to "fit in" everything that comes along and I keep finding myself crawling into bed at the end of the day and thinking (after all I've done) "I didn't do enough"....Do you all do that? I didn't hold Brooks enough, didn't play with Benjamin enough, and didn't read with Kayden enough, or clean my house enough, or make a good enough dinner.... and the list goes on...so, I just got this essay from a friend and teared up at the "GREATNESS" of what we do everyday---it's big...every tiny unseen detail. This email nailed it for me and I tied it all together with yet another great quote that always sticks with me from Andy Stanley's book Visioneering "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down" (Neh.6:3)......please read...

I'm invisible.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walkinto the room while I'm on the phone and ask to betaken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't yousee I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one cansee if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping thefloor, or even standing on my head in the corner,because no one can see me at all.
I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more:Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you openthis? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm noteven a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What timeis it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "Whatnumber is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order,"Right around 5:30 , please."
I was certain that these were the hands that onceheld books and the eyes that studied history andthe mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now theyha d disappeared into the peanut butter, never to beseen again. She's going .. she's going... she'sgone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner,celebrating the return of a friend from England .Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip,and she was going on and on about the hotel shestayed in. I was sitting there, looking around atthe others all put together so well. It was hardnot to compare and feel sorry for myself as I lookeddown at my out-of-style dress; it was the onlything I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair waspulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I couldactually smell peanut butter in it.
I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turnedtome with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "Ibrought you this." It was a book on the greatcathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure whyshe'd given it to me until I read her inscription:"To Charlotte , with admiration f or the greatnessof what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - thebook. And I would discover what would become forme, four life-changing truths, after which I couldpattern my work:
No one can say who built the great cathedrals - wehave no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a workthey would never see finished.
They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
The passion of their building was fueled by theirfaith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich manwho came to visit the cathedral while it was beingbuilt, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird onthe inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked theman, "Why are you spending so much time carvingthat bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof?No one will ever see it."And the workman replied, "Because God sees ."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fallinto place. It was almost as if I heard Godwhispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see thesacrifices you make every day, even when no onearound you does. No act of kindness you've done, nosequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, istoo small for me to notice and smile over. You arebuilding a great cathedral, but you can't see rightnow what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction.But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. Itis the cure for the disease of my ownself-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong,stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when Isee myself as a great builder. As one of the peoplewho show up at a job that they will never seefinished, to work on something that their name willnever be on.
The writer of the book went so far as to say thatno cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetimebecause there are so few people willing tosacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my sonto tell the friend he's bringing home from college forThanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morningand bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes aturkey for three hours and presses all the linensfor the table." That would mean I'd built a shrineor a monument to myself. I just want him to want tocome home. And then, if there is anything more tosay to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love itthere."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. Wecannot be seen if we're doing it right. And oneday, it is very possible that the world will marvel, notonly at what we have built, but at the beauty thathas been added to the world by the sacrifices ofinvisible women.

an excerpt........

... talking about vision using both the book of Nehemiah and Andy Stanley's excellent book on vision, Visioneering.
Stanley writes his book based on his own reflections from Nehemiah. In the introduction he says, "Visioneering is the engineering of vision. If I were to boil it down to a formula, it would look something like this:
VISIONEERING = INSPIRATION + CONVICTION + ACTION + DETERMINATION + COMPLETION"
As I read through the book and considered the places where vision in my own life fell apart, I realized it was the place of "determined action." I start off with clear vision, but don't stick with it as the every-day-ness of life sinks in. Bill Hybles says that "vision sinks."
So it really hit me how Stanley highlights how Nehemiah deals with one particular opportunity for distraction. There are a couple of evil dudes in the book of Nehemiah who are trying to stop Nehemiah's effort to re-build the wall of Jerusalem. They send word to Nehemiah as he is working on the wall, asking for a meeting where they intend to kill him.
Nehemiah's response: "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down."
Here's how Stanley applies this to family vision:
"Don't allow 'good' opportunities to rob you of your family vision. When you tuck your children in at night, just whisper to yourself, 'I am doing a great work and cannot come down.' Men, when you are tempted to pick up the phone and to tell your wife that you will be home late from work (again), just look over at her picture on your credenza and whisper, "I am doing a great work, I cannot come down." Then stand up, grab your keys, and head for the car."
I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.
Family. School. Work. Ministry. Vision sinks apart from determined action to see it through to the end. And so I need this little phrase from Nehemiah: I am doing a great work and cannot come down.

I BLEW my Husband!

OK, so I thought i'd share a funny little story with you all....this will be much funnier for those of you who know me. Here goes, Ed and I went in yesterday for our "new found freedom", the only freedom you can buy when you have 3 little kids under 6, you guessed it---a VASECTOMY---ahh, what sweet relief. So my poor husband, who thank God he's a willing man, got all ready shaved his balls, did all his heavy work ahead of the weekend, and took his Valium pill, and off we went. Now, for me, this is a change and I always romanticize change, I had already thought long and hard about this permanent end in my life but in the final moments I did feel a bit like i did on my wedding day, when you sign off on that paper that says FOREVER and you know you better be right.....so,I got a little nervous.....no more sweet little newborn baby faces and toes etc, then self preservation threw me into more practical thought....like no more hours of pushing your kids through school, the neverending homework, the potty training, the sick drama, the worry.....and I quickly signed my paper. The real clencher for me is how much of yourself it takes to give them what they need, I personally am full and a little scared of what's still left on my plate--get it---I was ready.

So, I knew my husband was nervous about his "goods" being on display and cut :) (but I didn't really feel bad for long as we all know what I have been through w/ my "contributions" to this world).....the nurse calls him back and I get to go too (just to watch) :).....this doctor says, "did he get to see you have all your babies?" I reply,"yep, all 3" and he says,"then come on down!"....love my doc :)
So, Poor Ed, there he lay, staring at the ceiling trying to escape his reality---I knew how he felt, really I did, but again it was a nice flip-flop for me (therapeutically speaking, i think every couple should do this).....then the clamping and cutting and poking begins and he goes gray in the face....the procedure finishes and my "funny guy doctor" (AKA "the Pecker Wrecker") puts some gel antiseptic on the last of his sutures and smoothly says to me "just blow on this for a second cuz it kinda stings..." and me....here's where I wish I could have said s/thing clever here girls, like, "no, i'm off duty, that's your nurses job" or s/thing.......anything..........but you know where I'm going girls, mommy brain had kicked in and if you know me, you really know what happened next........

Yep, I blew on my husbands balls in front of the nurse and the doctor and my sedated husband!!!
and not once but like 3 times b/c stupid me thought his balls were stinging!!! Did you picture that b/c I get more embarrassed as time goes by........ARe you laughing or crying by now......this will go down in my LONG list of most embarrassing moments........my doctor was laughing his butt off......and I suddenly oddly felt what it must feel like when you've done a cheap porn movie or something or like you feel in that dream where you are naked in front of a room full of people....I was dying!
Well, hope that made you laugh.......i gotta go help him ice his big ol' balls! :) (I'm bad, i know)
later~

Summer Portraits

My MIL made them all matching outfits--(nothing like pressure to get a picture done :)
The bright colors came out really nice!

I DID IT!!!!! So glad that's over! and I thought one child was hard! :) Enjoy!

3 Generations of Friends...

My mom and her mom were best friends
JeanneAnn and I were best friends
(literally meeting at birth--cradle to grave) She is the kind of friend, like a sister, that moves hell or high water at a moment's notice to just "be there" in the midst of a crisis, or you don't talk for awhile (just b/c that's life getting busy) but then there are times when you talk every day (just b/c life slows down a bit), the kind of friends that "know" your whole story so you aren't constantly trying to explain all the background information....just "salt of the earth" good friends. I love my old friends and I hang on to them b/c you can't duplicate history, either you have it or you don't.

Thanks for coming,JeanneAnn, it was so much fun, saved in my heart forever! :)

and now, her little girl and mine, Kayden and Kynzi are keeping the generation of friendships alive...

PRICELESS...@12wks!

Now, seriously, nothing else matters...just when you think you can't take another minute of all the insanity in your home and he gives you one of these...and "I melt, every time you look at me that way......." :) Hope he gave you a smile!

GirlFriends...How True!

Sisters > > > > > > > > A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, > > > > drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As > > > > they talked about life, about marriage, about the > > > > responsibilities of life and the obligations of > > > > adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her > > > > glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance > > > > upon her daughter. > > > > > > > > > > > > 'Don't forget your Sisters,' she advised, swirling > > > > the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll > > > > be more important as you get older. No matter how > > > > much you love your husband, no matter how much you > > > > love the children you may have, you are still going > > > > to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now> > > > > > and then; do things with them.' > > > > > > > > > > 'Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... > > > > your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other> > > > > > women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women> > > > > > always do.' > > > > > > > > > > What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman > > > > thought. Haven't I just gotten married? > > > > Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a > > > > married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely > > .> > my husband and the family we may start will be all I> > > > > > need to make my life worthwhile!' > > > > > > > > > > > > > > But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact > > > > with her Sisters and made more women friends each > > > > year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, > > > > she gradually came to understand that her Mom really> > > > > > knew what she was talking about. As time and nature > > > > work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman,> > > > > > Sisters are the mainstays of her life. > > > > > > > > > > > > After more than 50 years of living in this world, > > > > here is what I've learned: > > > > > > > > > > > > THIS SAYS IT ALL: > > > > > > Time passes. > > > > > > Life happens. > > > > > > Distance separates. > > > > > > Children grow up. > > > > Jobs come and go. > > > > > > Love waxes and wanes. > > > > > > Men don't do what they're supposed to do. > > > > Hearts break. > > > > > > Parents die. > > > > > > Colleagues forget favors. > > > > Careers end. > > > > > > > > > > > > BUT......... > > > > > > Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how > > > > many miles are between you. A girl friend is never> > farther away > > > > than needing her can reach. > > > > > > > > > > When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you > > > > have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life > > > > will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, > > > > praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on > > > > your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the > > > > valley's end. > > > > > > > > > > Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk > > > > beside you...Or come in and carry you out. > > > > > > > > > > > > Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, > > > > daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, > > > > Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended> > > > > > family, all bless our life! > > > > > > > > > > > > The world wouldn't be the same without women, and > > > > neither would I.> > > > > > When we began this adventure called > > > > womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or > > > > > > sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we > > > > > > would need each other. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on > > > > to all the women who help make your life meaningful.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > I just did. Short and very sweet: > > > >

10% OFF at my ONLINE PARTY...

You all are invited! I am hostessing a online party for http://www.atouchofwhimsy.com/ . I have told you all before how much i love this website...now i need to support my habit. Email me at kimedkayden@juno.com if you want my code to get 10% off your entire order. It's that easy!

(or comment here w/ your email and I will send you the 10% off code)

Hurry Up b/c it only runs for 2 weeks July 9- July 23 (til 9pm) Go see, you'll love her stuff and contact me to get your 10% off code!

Gotta Get This...Tiny Tea Party

My Aunt got this little book for my daughter as a "big sister" present and I just have to tell everyone about this website http://www.klutz.com/ b/c my kids have been playing w/ this tiny tea set ever since (giving me lots of alone time). At first, I admit, i thought "so what's so great about a tiny tea set?" but then when you look inside--WoW! Who really has the time to make cute little stuff to eat at a tea party--not me--but w/ this they turn all your cereals into little donuts and mini-pastry platter, then a tiny cheese round into a cheese platter, and four blueberries, a few strawberry slices, and 3 mandarin orange slices into a fruit platter---my kids both think this is so much fun! If you go to the website there is so much cute stuff for birthday gifts for boys and girls! Go check it out! The book is by ChickenSocks as you see in the pic......

My Crying Baby Brx...

This is a picture of Brooks crying posted in response to Jennifer at Playgroups are no Place for Children... http://playgroupsarenoplaceforchildren.blogspot.com/2007/07/better.html...here's to all us mom's listening to this...you can almost hear it, can't you? He just started smiling and an occasional "coo" over the past two weeks...which is soooooo fun! So I will post a smile pic if i can catch him--he's not very giving yet w/ the smiles...and they are priceless! :)
What is it about trying to get a baby to smile that becomes an obsession? I spend tons of time trying to bribe a smile out of him, and so does my whole family, and we all sound like crazies talking hi-pitch and cooing at him, but then when he gives it up--well, we melt! Nothin' like those first smiles!

TAG: I am tagging anyone who reads this to post your best SMILING baby pics (even if you don't have a baby now--post an older pic)--you'll get a warm fuzzy feeling, promise!

Brx meets the family...

Happy 4th of July!

They had so much fun waving Sparklers and burning those black snakes--you know all the old-school boring stuff. Then we drove 5 minutes and parked outside the baseball stadium and watched the fireworks show--I should have taken their pic watching w/their heads popped out the top of the minivan's sunroof--they thought that was the best part---so "wonder years",huh? Hope your's was nice!

love, Benjamin,Kayden, and Brooks!

"EVENING" at the Movies!

Went to see EVENING w/ Meryl STreep,Claire Danes,and Vanessa Redgrave.
It was so good.....I rate good movies as to whether or not i feel them...
this one lingered w/ me...i found myself continuing to wonder about certain
aspects of this film later...lots of hmmm? and what if and why's kept going
through my head. Go see it! Definitely a chick flick and you could even go see
it by yourself. Tell me what you thought?

plot: A drama exploring the romantic past and emotional present of Ann Grant and her daughters, Constance and Nina. As Ann lays dying, she remembers, and is moved to convey to her daughters, the defining moments in her life 50 years prior, when she was a young woman. Harris is the man Ann loves in the 1950s and never forgets.

Brooks, "You're Everything"...

Well, you all will be happy to hear that I've made it through "the Blues"--i get 'em w/ each baby for about 5 days and then i miraculously come out of it---those hormones scare me....BUT,

you all will be really happy to hear this...I have more love to give...I am totally taken w/ my newest little man! :)

So, while i was crying away the first week of little Brooks life, I sobbed through this song by Michael Buble "Everything" (playing now)---no reason why, just those hormones and my overwhelming "crazy life", anyway this song has become our song to little Brooks---we sing it to him all the time. You should hear us (all 4) singing this to Brooks as we cruise along---it will capture a memory of this time in our lives forever.

Each of my children have a song and now they both keep asking me to sing their songs that i sang to them since birth. Kayden's is "I Hope YOu Dance" by LeeAnn Womack and Benjamin's is "Close to You" by Karen Carpenter (which he still calms every time i sing it to him)....

So anyway, turn it up for little Brooks!!! Here's to you, Baby! MaMom loves you! :)

Wise Words...

I just got this fwd email and thought some of these were very true...

Read Each One Carefully and Think About It a Second or Two
1. I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you..
2. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won't make you cry.
3. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
4. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
5. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.
6. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.
7. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
8. Don't waste your time on a man/woman, who isn't willing to waste their time on you.
9. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful...so true!
10. Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened.
11. There's always going to be people that hurt you so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.
12. Make yourself a better person and k now who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.
13. Don't try so hard, the best things come when you least expect them to.
REMEMBER: WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS FOR A REASON.

Brooks Passed!!!!

BROOKS PASSED HIS HEARING TEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was holding my breath as my little guy got hooked up to the hearing machine
for his third time--he failed in his right ear twice---so today we were anxious to
see him pass and he did--Thank you, Jesus! He is completely hearing us in both
ears---Ohhhh the drama continues... :0)

A Woman Should Have......by Maya Angelou

MAYA ANGELOU'S" BEST POEM EVER A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...enough money within her control to move outand rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..a youth she's content to leave behind....A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a feeling of control over her destiny...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to fall in love without losing herself..EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to quit a job,break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that she can't change the length of her calves,the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .whom she can trust,whom she can't,and why she shouldn't take it personally...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table...or a charming inn in the woods...when her soul needs soothing...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year...

BROOKS EDWARD

HE'S HERE!!!!
Brooks Edward was born at 2:31pm on Wednesday,May 9,2007
He has blond hair and olive skin (yeah!!)---He is just perfect!! Thank the Lord--we had a few scares w/ Downs soft markers...but he is fine and his heart sounds perfect!! My husband was sobbing b/c he was anxious to see all was allright.
The delivery went well but harder than my second---had a great epidural but felt lots more at the pushing part--it was still amazing though!
Brooks didn't pass his hearing test twice (which had me an emotional mess) and then he passed w/ his left ear, but not the right (we go back on 5/21 for another check on the right) They say very often vernix or fluids will clear and all will be fine w/i a week or so--pray for it please! I think it's just another "let's scare the crap out of a new mom" tactic, right?
My little girl broke her arm (same arm, second break in 6 mo.) she had to have a closed reduction surgery on Tuesday!! she was very upset about this and it happened the day i was coming home from hospital--fun! She is so sweet though and picked a blue cast in honor of her new baby brother (she always picks pink, of course) (that seemed to make her happy) and had me write "i'm the big sister" on the front of the cast---all her idea! :)
Then the MinMan started a stomach bug and has had diarrhea/rash and all for 4 days now!!! He is pooping as much as the newborn!!! AHHHHH!!! No more drama for the mama, please! I hope i survive all this ??
I am quickly posting, as i have no time--seriously--anymore!....you know, up all night, two other kids--i am barely treading water---but it gets better every day! Keep checking back w/ me--I will post pics of the new family ASAP---i haven't even downloaded any yet!
Thank you all so much for all your prayers and pick me up notes---i need 'em and it's fun to touch base here.

"I can't want that,MaMom"

I love him so much some times, it overcomes me.
My MinMan started saying,"i can't want that,MaMom" for everything BUT icecream...how can you refuse that?
That statement just makes so much sense to me...i think that we should all start saying it as for me there are daily "i can't want that" things that pop up....like yet another OB/Gyn visit--"I can't want that, doctor"

...and if the MinMan follows it w/,"Snuggle me up, MaMom"--then we are really in a puddle of love....oh, who would have thought he would "have had me at HELLO"
I keep wondering what kind of mixed up emotions i will feel about this third little person that i get to meet tomorrow---how he will grow and weave himself into my life til there will be a day that I actually can't remember my life w/o him. Right now, today, we are still a family of 4--for us, that was never meant to be all--we are soon to be a family of 5! It's weird to think that I will never again be this person I know today and somehow I will be another mother to another life--WOW!

My MinMan has been a little clingy lately as we await his new baby brother and bring more and more baby stuff into his room that he will share--i know it's hard for him as he wonders why he can't sit in the baby swing and keeps getting yelled at...so we brought out a baby doll and put it in the swing and have been practicing being gentle etc....today he has sat on the doll, piled all his blocks on her head, and put his blanket over her head--(all his way of saying "I can't want this baby brother, MaMom")--this should be a fun adjustment,huh?

(and maybe i have been a little clingy too)and it makes me feel really bad--b/c i know he doesn't get it--so he has been getting a little more icecream from "MaMom" lately (makes sense,right?) (and MaMom gets a little more ice cream too!--no harm, it just adds more to my voluptuous boobs fluid-filled-feet) I think somehow i am comforting both of us...i admit i am nervous about adding another little person to give more of "what" to? (this was my biggest adjustment from one to two kids--dividing myself)--how do you find more to give? i don't know--we find that along the way--i feel spent (as the rest of us do) but somehow i know i will manage to find a way to give yet "another little piece of my heart" away, and I know this new person on his way will steal me just like his brother and sister already have...that's the fun part...the wonder...wondering what they will look like, how they will be,and what personality they will bring to our table of 5. They are a gift. I am still wondering about them all-- their futures, where will the ride takes us as one big happy family. I have learned so much already and i know there is so much more to learn on this new kind of love...a love for my child...wow, who would have thought, I would have s/thing to do with bringing 3 of my favorite people into this world.
Anyway......
I can't believe I am having my last baby tomorrow--it is truly amazing! i don't even know what to do w/ myself although i have already started the nervous tears flowing on a whim.

Think of me on Wed. 5/9/07, girls, and be thankful it's not you, right? :0)

I will post pictures, of course, and let you all know as soon as i can! YIPPEE!

10 Things Tag

10 Random Things about me
tagged by Jennifer at Playgroups are no place for children (click my sidebar)

1--My biggest pet-peeve is people who have an agenda or ulterior motives (like they call you up w/ a secret favor to ask or s/thing and lay it on you after they ask if you have any plans and you say no--kind of agenda) I don't play that game--what you see is what you get

2--I graduated Salutatorian from Nursing school (which shocked even me, but i am proud of it b/c it was much harder than 4 yrs.of college and I worked really hard b/c I am passionate about nursing)

3--I have been on a Spring Break vacation to Saudi-Arabia (before 9/11)--it was an amazing trip!

4--I keep my shoes on at the OB/Gyn office during the "check-up" (and i always wonder if i should take them off or not?)--will they think bare feet in their face is rude---what is the etiquette here, anyone,anyone? and i always pretend i am not really there...seriously...i'm too cool for all that...as far as i'm concerned it just isn't happening

5--I had major jaw surgery at 20 yrs. old b/c my left condile bone never grew? They surgically broke my jaw in 6 places and wired me shut for two months--i got skinny--and actually sucked a brownie thru a straw (out of sheer desperation) (FYI: this was a medical necessity not cosmetic, the surgery not the brownie)

6--My pinky finger is dwarfed for some reason (very short and chubby but the others aren't?)--i think s/thing went wrong in my fetal development the week of fingers and jaw? (come to think of it so is my little toe)

7--My husband's wedding band is engraved inside w/ "Grow old along with me..." and mine is engraved with "...the best is yet to be" (my friend Beth sang this at our wedding) (got the rings in Saudi Arabia)

8--I met my husband at Winn-Dixie---he was the produce boy, I was a cashier---(fyi: i must clarify here that we are not losers--LOL--he has his masters now and i am a college grad :0) I am blessed to love him more today than I did when I fell in love with him!

9--I have to sleep w/ one foot out of the covers to keep my temp stable, no matter how cold it is

10--If I could change only one thing about my physical appearance it would be to have naturally tan skin--i think this would hide lots of flaws somehow

bonus: I am having my third baby tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (i hope he weighs 60#) :)

******I tag all my "go to" girls on my sidebar---let me know when you post!******

Autism speaks...5 for Fighting

What kind of world do you want?
My great friend Katie's little boy,Will,has autism and she is one of many who would love your help! Please see this video done by Five for Fighting (click post title to link)
We all need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves...

This may be the easiest fund raiser you are ever asked to participate in.
All you have to do is watch a music video. You do not have to send money.
If you are inspired to act, please forward this e-mail along to anyone you
know who might be interested - it will help raise some much needed funds.


Five for Fighting & Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks created a music video of the Five for Fighting song, "World,"
which features images of children with autism and their families. It is a
truly moving video and was the work of Bill Shea. The band is generously
donating $0.49 to Autism Speaks for *each time* the video is viewed. The
funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a
moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to
your friends and family. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can
help them to surpass this goal.

http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/213154

i'd like to thank...anonymity

First you have to go read my friend's post on this at (click on title post) and then (copy/paste this link> http://beethovenavenue.blogspot.com/2007/05/anonymity.html
then continue w/mine below...

ANONYMITY...
...this is why i hand select who i will tell that i am a secret blogger. sometimes i think, it would be fun if a bunch of my friends and other family members could connect w/me here, but then i quickly pull back into my shell. I like the fact that so few know me here b/c I can really put it all out there (so far)
--i was irritated at my sister one night b/c she told a mutual friend to go check out my blog--(i didn't tell her my link)--i don't know why,but it must be this reason that i'd rather keep it small...i don't like giving people the upper hand to form opinions about me when they are hiding their hand, so to speak...same as in weird friendships i have run into in life--like when you feel you put alot out and the other person is always soaking it up but not opening up on the other end...have you ever had a one-sided friendship that eventually dissolved or never became anything more? --blogger would be an easy place to start that-lurking, but never actually coming out of hiding.
I did think, you could set up two accounts... and s/times i do wonder what image i am putting out there,but most of you know me well enough to "read b/tw the lines"..."keep what is worth keeping and w/ a breath of understanding blow the rest away"--right?--we all have other circumstances happening in our lives that can "color" our days or our reaction at any given moment. If s/o "knows" you then they know what state of mind you are in at most junctures of your life. All in all, it is nice to be able to vent....somewhere...and if you can't here I sure hope you can someplace. Last night i heard a quote by Andy STanley re: choosing people you connect w/ in life wisely especially when you are seeking counsel in some area of your life...
"choose s/o who has nothing to lose by telling you the truth and if it be a friend, make sure they are more interested in YOU than your FRIENDSHIP"
---wow, are we ready for that? We all know who our "yes man" is, but is that what you really want in a friend? Can you handle the kick-in-the-butt or do you always want a pat-on-the-back reply? I would like to think I embrace constructive criticism and I have a handful of friends that I consider my "truth tellers" and i value that. So, I would like to think that I could get honest responses off a blog entry...from even those that don't know me--hey,why not,you have nothing to lose?

p.s.thanks for the "thinking blogger" nomination--lately i don't think my thoughts make sense d/t all my hormones, so we'll see what i can come up with :) in fact, i may just post this as my "thinking blogger" post? :) why not?
I have no one to tag w/ this meme since I am a lone blogger--haha LOL! you have all been tagged already.
oh, and on your last note about returning to paper journal blogging--my Grandpap always said,"you can think it, you can say it, but don't ever write it"---you know i've been busted here before...i am sure i will be busted again, but it is a good life lesson...b/c there is nothing worse than s/o stumbling onto a word you didn't want them to read. Am i right?

What is your Birth Order?

Is there any truth to the school of thought re:birth order as it colors how you relate in life? i just read yet another article on this as i am getting ready to parent a "eldest,middle,baby" (Sarah's peeps)and they offered a quiz to take (click on post title to see for yourself) to test your parenting style in r/t your birth order. I must say I have always wanted a youngest as I am the baby of 3 and now i will soon have my relative--the baby--we'll see how fun that is, right?
I, being the baby (last of 3)/with a first-born lean (coming 6 and 7 yrs after both my sisters) have always felt like everything i did big in life was "been there done that" like my graduations/wedding etc. and I have always resented that pics of me are few and far between although my sister's have lovely professional cutie pics as little girls---i am lucky to find a blurry snapshot---i have sworn inwardly to myself that this will not happen to my 3rd child (to which my mom says "we'll see..")
So, where do you all fall in your birth order and how has it shaped you?

Be where they're always glad you came...

(click on post title to connect)

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

Gosh, i love this song---it takes me back to the rerun days when i'd come home from hi-school and catch these old CHEERS episodes. It's the same feeling i still get when I take a nap on Sundays and there is a golf tournament on in the background--a familiar home sound--my dad has always had golf on Sundays--i don't watch it at all, it's just a nice comfort noise to me. Anyway...
My sister stopped by the other day and sighed,plopping down on the couch, and said "i don't want anymore friends"--which i totally understand...don't you ever feel like the more people you meet, the more effort they expect from you---the old faithful friends are just easier--they know your stuff and you don't have to explain or drag out old stories and remember whens, they just know and get you---it's so nice. I call these few friends "pajama friends" b/c you could hang out in your PJ's and just BE. That's what's nice about blogging, we all can connect w/o any expectations on each other---you can relax---and do it all w/o having to get your makeup on,huh? :)
Where is your favorite place to relax? Your Cheers?

HELP! Mother's Day's coming...

just venting...I have to confess, I think I would like to do away w/ Mother's Day.Why? you ask? I got"reprimanded" two yrs. ago for sending my husband to his mom's w/ the kids for Mother's Day while i went and hung out all day w/ my sisters and my mom---i thought i was doing MIL a favor (hello--her son, he's there w/her)(and i sent a very nice gift)?? and then got the "disappointed you weren't there" line??? Which was followed w/ a polite discussion about how I feel Mother's Day is about ME and my mom? is that weird? Every year I deal w/ a mother-in-law and my mom (locally)and the fact that I, in fact am a mother also to (soon to be 3) small children. (+plus my two grandmoms that are still alive)---ugh! it is such a headache day. So, this year,I have already been approached for a "tea" at 1pm reserved at a tea room 25 minutes away for me,my daughter,SisnLaw x 2 w/niece,and my MIL....you all, this is 4days after my new baby arrives...do you see what i mean (and why would the guys not be involved in their mother's day?) AHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGG! i told my SIL that I could not commit just yet (she who is graduating college and never had a baby)...I will probably be not wanting to even get up, much less dress up and take a newborn anywhere when he's 4 days old...this could start my postpartum early, i swear---could somebody tell me i'm not crazy?
Everyone seems to have a different idea about how MD should be spent?
I am one who believes that once you become a mother, then it should be whatever you really want to do that day,like spa/movie/shopping w/o your kids honoring your mom at some point in the day---is this a crazy thought? Notice, i said "your" mom, not necessarily your husbands mom---not that she's not great, but I have major conflict every mother's day and i end up not enjoying it myself--which just doesn't seem fair?Others seem to think you should spend the day w/ your kids?
I wanna know what your expectations of Mother's Day are? Please do tell?

also, HELP!!!
Does anyone have any ideas for Mother's Day presents
and a sister-n-law graduating college gift?
I have been looking everywhere for the perfect gifts and need to "check these things off my mental list" before i deliver this baby.

...and if you could come clean my house that would be great too! ;0)
Oh, i can't believe i am doing this AGAIN---i swear my face is swelling now too along w/ my Flintstone Feet! and i am not glowing--what's the deal?

Yankee or Dixie Quiz?

click on blog title to take test

I am 70% (Dixie). A definitive Southern score! My friend 'shell in the city' just did this quiz link on her blog and it was fun. I've always wondered about this kind of thing as my dad is a true Southerner (SC born/raised)--he says "light bub" (not bulb) and many other coloquialisms, but my mom is a true Northerner (Pittsburgh grown)....and living in FL there seems to be lots of North effect here.
Check it out...
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/yankee_dixie_quiz.html

Do you ever wish Days like These?

(click on post title to connect to youtube link)

a song can transform me into s/o else...even if just for a moment. I think that's why people love music so much--it has the power to take you away.
I was drivin' down the road the other day (in my minivan--picture me--so cool) and put this song on LOUD to drown out my kids whining,crying and for a 3minute time span--I was ME again--i lose her every once in awhile and it's nice to reconnect,you know.
I miss my girlfriends! Those days are a dream,huh?
So, "girl,put your records on, tell me your favorite song, you go ahead let your hair down...you're gonna find yourself somewhere"

Today We are all HOKIES

We just got this email from VT Alumni...

PRAY FOR ALL RELATED TO CAMPUS MASSACRE.......Virginia Tech.

>Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007
>
>Words can't express our sorrow and grief for our Virginia Tech family and
>community.
>Friday April 20 has been declared a national "Orange & Maroon Effect" day,
>a day to demonstrate support for the families of those who were lost, the
>community and the university.
>
>I invite you to wear these colors on Friday, even if you're not a Hokie.
>
>Please remember the families and friends of these precious people in your
>prayers. They will need the peace and strength of God in the difficult days
>ahead.
>
>Paige Jones - VT Class of '83 - College of Education
>Steve Jones - VT Class of '84 - College of Engineering

No Stinkin' Thinkin'...

My sister always quotes a friend of her's who says "No Stinkin'Thinkin'" and "Check up from the neck up?"---good thoughts!
I got this email from a friend and thought it was good...especially seeing how i posted earlier this week about 'what you put in;is what comes out' (Phil.4:8,9)

> Subject: What you say!
>
>
> THE TONGUE CAN BE OUR WORST ENEMY
>
> Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions
> in your life. What you speak about, you can bring about.
> If you keep saying you can't stand your job, you might lose your job.
> If you keep saying you can't stand your body, your body can become sick.
> If you keep saying you can't stand your car, your car could be stolen or
> just stop operating.
> If you keep saying you're broke, guess what? You'll always be broke.
> If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman, you will always
> find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.
> If you keep saying you can't find a job, you will remain unemployed.
> If you keep saying you can't find someone to love you or believe in you,
> your very thought will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.
> If you keep talking about a divorce or break up in a relationship, then you
> might end up with it.
> Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power
> packed with faith, hope, love and action.
> Don't be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.
> Watch your Thoughts, they become words.
> Watch your words, they become actions.
> Watch your actions, they become habits.
> Watch your Habits, they become character.
> Watch your Character, for it becomes your Destiny.
> The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you
> settle for.
> Thought I would share this with you.
> "In the search for me, I discovered truth.
> In the search for truth, I discovered love.
> In the search for love, I discovered GOD.
> And in God, I have found Everything."
>
> Be Blessed
>
> Watch how your circumstances and situations begin to change when you change
> the way you speak. Pass this on to as many people as you can so they can
> change their lives, too.
>
>
> "Life is like melted butter. . .once things cool down, it can be reshaped!"

www.atouchofwhimsy.com

OK, I must share my favorite gift shop...i have used this girl for the past couple of years and she is my best kept secret...i just went to her old ebay site where i originally stumbled on her and found that she has a shopping blog (see my "go to" girls list on sidebar)...she does great quality stuff! I get her notecards, teacher gifts, friends presents, baby shower, you name it---i love how easy she is to work with and she isn't very pricey. I also use her "bag tags" for my diaper bags and get tons of "where'd you get that?"
So go check her store out and get on her blogsite as she gives away lots of freebies too!
I loved my round address labels from her that i used on my Christmas cards too--they were just like the ones in my sidebar pic but w/ lights strung in the palm trees! Too cute!
You'll love her, promise!

Our "McGramma"

I feel the need for s/thing lighter than VT drama...so I thought I'd share about my favorite McDonald's employee (yes,i am proud to have one)--our "McGramma"--(yes,inspired by Grey's Anatomy)... I crave egg mcmuffins at least once a week and everytime i go over early in the morning w/ my kids in the car, this same little old lady is working the register...i love her. She has the cutest little voice--i wish i could play it for you--somehow she makes my day. So, the other Saturday morning my husband was with me and her voice comes over the speaker "hello,may i take your order" and my kids say "it's, McGramma!" as I have called her in the past. Ed,once again completely confused,doesn't understand what our smiles are all about and second that we have a "person" at McDonald's--he just doesn't get it---until, that is, we pull around and he sees her and she says "two,two,two" not "$2.22" (and she sounds like a little morning bird) and my kids both are chiming in "222" over and over, and then He gets it and we all can't stop smiling! I really need to write the management and tell them how sweet she is. I seriously think if she died I would go to her funeral.
Anyways, hope that little story made you smile.

The Question Mark Kid?

AKA,VT Killer,what a freak!

I had just heard about the 8-pg "invective-filled note" he left behind and wondered if anyone else had to look up some of those words? :) I did---wow,Cho,was a smarty! What a sad waste of intelligence. I bet the Lit.teacher that had referred him to counseling and police is glad she did, much to no avail, but at least she feels she did react to her own intuitions.

So, back to my new words, learned from "the Question Mark Kid" :
an "invective-filled note"--noun;
abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will
"debauchery"--noun;
a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity [syn: orgy]
"deceitful charlatans"--noun;
A person who makes elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or fraud.

I know you were all wondering as well, right?

People are wondering why these school shootings are happening and I just want to say, in a society where so much violence is accepted mainstream in these kids games and movies, on TV etc. coupled w/ parents who are blissfully unaware of what their kids are doing--what do they expect? What you put in; is what comes out.
It's a scary world that our kids are growing up in. I haven't caught any interviews w/ this kids parents and i am interested in that background (i am not saying it is always a parents fault, by any means, but i just wonder how they couldn't have a clue he was so messed up or maybe they did?) gotta go, later.

oo, another new word...
brandishing--
To wave or flourish (a weapon, for example) menacingly

VT Massacre

My heart and prayers go out to all of these families w/casualties involved in this school shooting. I can't imagine all the heartbreak ahead for so many today. What sick kind of evil would posess s/o to do s/thing like this? My husband is a graduate of Virginia Tech and is in complete shock. Something like this could happen anywhere and it makes me hold my kids a little closer once again. God bless the people who are closest to this tragedy...so sad.

Once a Boston Marathon runner!

BOSTON MARATHON is today! I posted on this recently...so i thought i'd tag a pic of my Edward running the Boston Marathon yrs. ago, but of course he is obsessed w/ it today. He said he was so glad he didn't qualify this year as a Noreaster blew in? Sarah? are you havin' fun up there? :)
His best time in the two Boston Marathons he ran were 2h36min!!
I am still proud of you,babe! You are still a runner to me :)

p.s.i didn't realize he was trying to qualify last yr by running the PBMarathon--now i know--he knows better--we have rules, like when i am hugely pregnant; he's not allowed to train--hehee! (and you all know why)

My Bluebird Baby Shower

We had my baby shower for #3 and I must say--"three times is a charm"--they did this one right---by that, i mean, no phoof, I have never liked any of the cheezy games and honored guest pressure etc. just the basic essentials--cool place,small group w/best of friends (plus the very ladylike big sister,Kayden--who was so happy to be there),great food, and just what you need, and the cake finally, was a great one (a mocha chocolate creme cake--yum)! I have to laugh at this b/c I have been cursed in the baby shower cake dpt--if i could find pics i'd post b/c you'd never believe how goofy they have been, but all in all they have made for great funny memories...and this shower happened to be no different as the private cake maker cancelled as of Friday night for a Sunday shower (flu in the house)---it was a miracle that the cake got replaced but it did and was awesome! The leftovers in my fridge will be my next 5# I'm sure :)
In keeping w/ the Spring Bluebird invite etc., my sister did adorable little blue bird nests w/ chocolate blue speckled eggs inside as favors--they were so cute! It was a wonderful day! Wish you all could have come.
ThankYOu so much for all the effort and great gifts!

One Fine Day...

So, everyone (up North,i guess) is jealous that i just got back from the beach...(right below this lighthouse) and we were the only ones there--so nice--i must say there are 6 reasons we Floridians love it here; they are December,January,February,March,April,and May. The rest of the year I would prefer to be where some of you are now--trust me--but at least i live on the East coast so we have a nice breeze all year.
Anyway, this has been one fine day b/c to start, I have had two relatively good nights sleep (the two nights prior I had a bed-wetter and a nightmare scare) so, I love when everyone goes to bed and stays there. So, I started this day awake and happy to snuggle w/ my 5yr.old at 630am this morning. We got to all see a big opossum walking our fence in the backyard this morning. Then a smooth out-the-door to school w/ no kinks. Then I got ready for a playdate at the beach w/ my good friend and her two yr old little guy, loaded up my new minivan (so cool),caught all the green light wave to the beach (love when that happens) and let the little men play themselves out! They fed the pelicans,watched the fish jump,picked shells,made sandcastles and I (as big as i am now) caught a crab for them to stand in awe over! We were right by the lighthouse and the drawbridge so the boys had so much fun watching the cars cross the bridge and the bridge go up and count the boats as they came through--they really had so much fun! (and all this just 5 minutes away). Then I stopped at the Burger King and got my favorite beach treat---the Cherry Limeade Slurpee---they are my favorite summer treat especially when it's hot out and the best part is it's drivethru convenience factor---if they would let me do everything thru a drivethru i think i would--wouldn't that be great! Now my little guy is wiped out and he is sound asleep and I have given myself a pat on the back b/c I have been a good mom for today anyway :0)
disclaimer: in retrospect,this all seemed to have no reflection on how my afternoon turned out :|

Are you a GOOD wife?

This is a Good Housekeeping magazine clip from 1955....could you even imagine seeing this in a magazine today?
My mom sent this to me and my sisters this morning--LOL! Did they really do this,"seriously"?(as they say in Grey's Anatomy)..The scary thing is my mom is pretty good at this list. Just wondering what happened through the years to my sisters and I? I must be a modern women.
*note-you may have to click the picture to read it all if it's too small>

OK, when you girls stop laughing long enough to pick yourself off the floor, forward this to all the women you know so they can have a good laugh too.
Well,I am off to the beach (or maybe i should start vacuuming awaiting my husbands return from his long day--HA! :0) I think s/o should try this list out---and let me know how it goes---i wonder if Ed would want me back or trade me for a STepford wife? Hmmm?
p.s.did anyone watch Notes from the Underbelly last night? I thought it was cute--I don't really know if it can last,but it was fun to watch especially since i am pregnant? Oh,how naive we are before that first baby,huh?

Sipahhs--heard of em?

This is my newest,greatest find!!!! at my favorite store WalGreens!
My daughter gave up on white milk at around age 3 since all her big cousins were only drinking chocolate milk by that point, so we started using Ovaltine and now these straws seem to have done the trick w/ her and they only have 0.5 t.sugar per each 8 oz.

The straws are unique in its use of tiny flavoured beads entrapped within the straw. A special filter at each end of the straw keeps the beads in but allows milk to be sucked through. The beads, which are made of tapioca starch, gradually dissolve and flavour each mouthful of milk.

Of course we had to test them out!

The straws can be used from either end and although they are designed for use with 300ml of dairy milk, one suspects you could easily use rice or soy milk with little problem.

The flavouring worked surprisingly well. There was a bit of refining of sucking action (suck too fast and you don't get much flavour) and then the whole thing descended into concentration of flavour via backwash (that wasn't me!).

There's no doubt it brings out the kid in everyone. As much as it is being pitched at encouraging kids to drink more milk (and each straw only has about 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar), I suspect a few more straws will disappear from the kitchen cupboard when the kids aren't looking.

go to www.sipahh.com

Puff Mommy

I debated calling this one Puff Mommy as done or "Cafankles" (i'll explain). My cyber-friend over at Playgroups are no Place for Children (see sidebar) posted once about a bad case of blog topics haunting her at night and now this is me. Maybe it's b/c we are both pregnant? but it is now 330ish am and i am writing to you all---is that weird? or maybe it's b/c I can't sleep b/c I can't breathe anymore and woke up to pee (again) w/ another knifelike CharlieHorse (maybe that's a sign to name the baby?) or the sciatica down my leg...but all in all, what really is bugging me AGAIN is my weight gain (which this time i have no idea how much i weigh, seriously, i have not looked at the scale for my last 3 visits b/c it upsets me so). I named this blog "puff mommy" b/c "theyr'e back" ("they" being the "cafankles" as my OB calls them--LOL!) My friends and I call him "DR.FatFingers" b/c my favorite part about him is that first, he's bigger than me :), and second his personality/smarts--i really love this man. Anyway, to define the cafankles--they are when you're calf and ankle has no more definition. That is so sad...Yep, that's me, again. They came two days ago, at the car dealership when i pressed my finger on my ankle and made a dent--hmmph! I am now no longer a real person, I am "puff mommy". My friends seem to love laughing at how big I get when i am pregnant--i have been referred to as "Shallow Hal"--isn't that nice? I can't wait til i get to the part after baby where i am the "Incredible Shrinking Woman"! My whole body has really no defining bone structure anymore, just all kinda blends into the big bump in the middle. Girls, I don't know how much longer I can take of this. They scheduled my induction on May 10, unless i go sooner.
On a inspirational note, has anyone seen that reality series they are doing on the Gosselin family that had fertility twins and desperately wanted a third baby then ended up w/ SEXTUPLETS! Very inspiring family--you watch thinking--"if she can do it, I can!" (not have 6 but one--EZ!) I have so much respect for that lady! It was so scary watching a day in her life--OMGosh--how could you sanely survive that? and they had the nerve to take all 8 of those kids out to dinner one night--I'm embarrassed--i don't even enjoy taking my two out to dinner. It was such a great reality show though---i like the way her husband and her react to each other--very realistic for reality TV. You gotta check it out...
oh, and the saddest part was when she gave us a peek of her belly after having the 6 baby litter!!!! Somebody needs to give her a tummy tuck---i have never seen anything like that---Ed almost died and appreciated my body that much more--Thanks, Mrs.Gosselin for takin' one for the team!:)
Alright,now that i got this off my chest, I gotta waddle back to bed...and "blame it on the balls" (as Jennifer would say---HA!)
I just googled that family and they have a web where you can see pics (not of her belly--bummer--but of the family)...www.sixgosselins.com and it tells you when their series is on the Discovery Channel called Jon and Kate Plus 8! and this was said about her belly issue:

Never a dull moment for this family of 10, now that the twins are in kindergarten and the sextuplets are terribly two, life just keeps getting more exciting. Kate's stretched out post-pregnancy belly is going to get a tummy tuck, courtesy of a viewer.

I was hoping some rich person helped her out--poor girl--Good for Her!

She's My Little Runner Girl!

My husband is so proud!!! Our little girl was one of four chosen to run a relay for her Kindergarten class and she was the anchor (fastest)! She must get this from her dad--my husband has run the Boston Marathon twice (which you have to have a qualifying time in previous marathons to even enter--i think that's a big deal as I have never been able to run more than a 10k w/o dying), so if you run, you know a speed marathon must be a killer. He ran it best at 2h 36minutes!!! That's pretty fast! I know i am bragging on him but we were so excited watching our little girl run that race and i saw him reflecting glory off his face. I'm sure one of my kids will take after me and be much less motivated and driven than my Ed! and i will love 'em just the same :)

NEW CAR!!!!!

Yeah!!!!!! My first brand new car---i got it last night after 6 months of shopping--i am now officially the proud mommy of a minivan! and i never thought i would be so happy about that, but i am! This car is so great--the Honda Odyssey. I picked the color dark cherry pearl (think maroon)w/ tan leather interior (which i am still a bit nervous about it getting dirty w/ kids but I liked it best) Ed still can't believe he actually bought a minivan--he was still trying to talk me into the Pilot at the dealer (which would be great in 5 yrs) but w/ 3 babies under 5yrs old--that sliding door feature (just push a button at parent pickup and in/out they hop--yippee!) and second row w/ captain seats and seating 8 people was just too much fun for me to pass up...amazing how kids can change everything,right? Now all we need to do is take a trip! Still happy Spring Breaking--we have been outside gettin our tans on for the year all week (so we look cool in our new minivan--LOL!)and so glad we have had perfect weather!!!

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter! This picture makes me laugh b/c my little girl, who is 5 half yrs old, says to me after sitting w/ a weird smile on the bunny's lap--"Mama,I don't think that bunny is real" I say "what?why?" she replies "because,i looked at him and he had little tiny holes in his eyes and i could see something inside him"---i fought hard not to laugh b/c she was so sincere and i told her she would have to ask her dad about that! :0) You want their childhood imaginations to last forever. So sweet!
Well, have a wonderful Spring Break!

April Fool's Birthday!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER KERYN!!!!!!!!!!!
She is our "family fool"--i say that b/c she was born on April 1st and she spends lots of time thinking up great jokes to play on all of us on her birthday every yr!! You'd think we would learn but somehow she is that good at it--she gets us where it counts too!! She must have been born w/ this gift. I remember her best prank on me was 4 yrs ago when i had just moved down to Florida from N.C. and ,while in transit driving behind my husband, I was hit by a "hit and run"! on the interstate w/ my 8mo. old baby in the backseat! I lost control of my car and literally saw my life flash before me. (that's another story but..) keeping that in mind--when we made it to Florida, we had just had all our furniture moved into a rental home on my sister's street; we were sleeping at my mom and dad's until all the rooms,flooring etc was redone and my mom and i had just put a load of laundry in at the rental and left the machine running all night when we left (this was April Fool's Eve, you follow)..my sister called me at my mom's in the morning (April 1st) and was hysterical saying "the fire dpt and cops are on her street and the new house is up in flames!!!"---i swear, I almost beat my heart through my chest and started sobbing---it had just been too much happening in my life at the time and this was believable since we had left the washing machine running...then she says "April Fools!!!"---it didn't even matter at that point--i was so shaken up that i kept crying---we laugh hard about it today, but that day--she got me good! i think my nerve's were shot! Can you imagine!?
ANyway, this ONE's for you, Keryn, you fool you! :0)
She is the most generous person i know--she would give anyone the shirt off her back, she has been through so much in her life (loss of a husband in a car accident and left w/ a broken back and several surgeries and months in the hospital w/ chronic pain and she never complains--it really amazes me!) She is an optimistic person who can always seem to find the silver lining in any situation--that's a true gift! She is such a blessing to me and always seems to be thinking of others. It makes me tear up to think we almost lost her in that accident and we are soooo thankful to God that she is still here with us laughing on April Fools Day and I have learned to never take that for granted again.
I love you,"Kerynyn"! Happy Birthday!
p.s. Keryn, hope you're having fun on Spring Break in Pennsylvania! We miss you! I almost posted on "the red bucket" memory at Corrie's for Grandpap's funeral--LOL!! Good times,huh? "Cradle to Grave"~love you! :)

How Smart are You?

Picture This...

This past Saturday went like this...
Started w/ dull backache (you know the usual pregnant stuff) so I ask/beg husband to rub back--i end up getting a whah,whah,whah rub (you know--short and sweet--still wanting more kind) so, i start my day (a lil grumpy, but i'll get over it)
Then i start peeing straight blood! (ok.something is wrong),Call the doctor--they say some women pee blood through their entire pregnancy! (what?i'm a nurse and never knew this?and i still don't think i buy it) so, they say if it gets worse or comes w/ pain while flooding yourself w/ fluids then call back...so i flood my small preggo bladder all morning. Then my husband decides since today is the only day we can both go see Honda Odyssey's that we better go (such a man,right?)(p.s.we have been looking at these mini-vans for the past 6 months i swear--this is my husband)
So, i figure i have pain meds if i need them (history of kidney stones)so I go. Half-hour into our car trip, the pain starts up and up, so i take my percocet and look at cars while a little high--that's fun right? Then, the pain starts getting worse, so i take another pain pill and tell my husband to get me home. (he still stopped at one more dealership where the guy who had been helping us was busy, so his colleague says he can't open two cars for me to see b/c they will have to split the commission!) I almost punched him (remember pregnant,kidneystone,on 2 pain meds, dragging two kids around car shopping,peeing non-stop---get the picture). I had to deliberately control myself, so we left w/o seeing the car interiors!
We get home and i was feeling alright, then all of a sudden doubled-over pain that had me curled up crying on the floor kind-of pain hit me! It lasted 20minutes, and my husband who just doesn't understand pain, just shuts the door on me to our bedroom while i'm dying?!@#%
When this episode passed i knew we had to go straight to the hospital which we did after Granny showed up to watch the kids (p.s. w/ two kids, this is considered a date-night)...we get to the hospital and they stick me 4 times digging for my veins to start the IV drip (i'm about to throw-up at this point) and Ed has his head buried in my pillow i brought saying HE thinks HE might pass-out!!! From watching! Can you believe this? Him who has never even had an IV stick!!! Whatever! Once i get to my room (jail-cell) they give me phenergan for the nausea (like a 10-beer buzz--whoa--pregnant remember) then hook me up to fetal monitors and flood me w/ IV fluids (p.s.no catheter),Ed says his little bed is actually pretty comfortable so he crashes for the night---me,i spend the rest of my night (drunk remember) unplugging my IV pole (conveniently behind a huge monitor) and unhooking all my fetal bands to go pee through a strainer while aiming for a measuring hat in the toilet (remember my big belly in the way)---Picture IT!!! I swear every 30 minutes all night! It's exhausting me just remembering it---and the worst part,i didn't even get to enjoy my buzz!---i have never been so happy to get home!! Where is my medal? Don't i get something? (he-hum,ED?)

Help Baby Names?

I still haven't completely decided on my baby boy name so I thought I would ask you all what you think? Our top 3 running names now are: Carter,Charles,and Brooks...as in:

Carter Vann
Charles Vann (after both our grandfathers that passed away in this pregnancy)
Brooks Edward
Brooks Vann (or possibly Brooks Edward Vann)--this would make a 4-name moniker? How do we feel about that?hmmm

Vann is not our last name. My whole family has different votes in every direction...i think Brooks appeals to me b/c his brother is Benjamin ("the MinMan") and i just think two little boys named Brooks and Benjamin sounds cute? (but husband doesn't care for this)(but i still think i could sway him :0>)
I don't know why naming boys seems so much more difficult to me?@# but it does!
My little girl (Kayden) was set in stone and i never waivered on it once or even looked in a name book. Even when Ben(named after my dad)was born it was down to the final minutes w/ the Name Natzi at our door in the hospital before we finally picked off our narrowed list of 17 names! I swear it took me a while to recognize him as his name--isn't that sad?
Please Help or make other suggestions (if you wish) I know everyone tries to keep their names sacredly tucked away (but some of you readers I may never know)(or if you have some local great names that you can't use to offer?)
Thanks!

Funny for the Day!

DISCONTINUED (low of my week)...

Two of my favorite things have been discontinued--ugh! :| Why does it always seem like if i LOVE s/thing they do away w/ it? My very favorite baby scent is the Burt's BEES BABY BEE SOLID PERFUME that now i have searched store after store and all over online only to find it is just gone! This really bugs me--have you ever smelled this stuff? You just put it on the top of their heads and behind their ears--I love it! Unless you like the "fresh from the womb" smell (as my husbands boss referred to my last baby) to which i responded "GROSS!"
He seriously, leaned in on my one week old's head, took a deep inhale and says "i love that fresh from the womb smell" (he was sincere) I didn't even know what to say? I was totally stumped--Isn't that a weird comment!? I felt oddly violated and kept smelling my baby's head to see what he was referring to??#@$* anyway...

**IF SOMEONE FINDS THIS I WILL PAY YOU TO SEND ME IT AND GIVE YOU BIG BLOG KISSES!**

My next favorite item is STILA LIP Contour Pencil no.4!!! I have two of these pencils left at one inch long--i am desperate! why would they even think of d/c this color? I can't even muster up the energy to find a substitute color. Whyyyyyyyyyy?
I have been (w/2kids mind you) to Sephora in our mall 3x in the past two months waiting for it to turn up only to find out today that they apparently have d/c it!!! Now i am possibly gonna buy it on a back alley ebay site.
Am i the only person that has this happen?

p.s. i will post later about my trip to the Easter Bunny w/ my two sick kids today! so fun!