I love this Baby Blues cartoon that I saw in the paper a few weeks ago. Just in case you can't see it well enough there, here is the link for it.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
A real mommy
I love this Baby Blues cartoon that I saw in the paper a few weeks ago. Just in case you can't see it well enough there, here is the link for it.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
The twin thing
Last weekend we had a get-together with Matt's family (extended family). We usually only see them at Christmas and a few at Thanksgiving. It was nice to get together in the summer. The kids went swimming in a little kiddie pool. I let Zachariah get in, but I held onto him the whole time. The minute I let go, he slipped and went straight under (luckily I was still sitting right there, I knew better than leave him). He sputtered and whined a bit, but then he wanted right back in. He just splashed around and played with the toys the other kids had brought in. He's so much younger than the others, so he just watched them mostly. Some of the older boys and adults went fishing in the pond. And the rest of us tried to stay in the shade (95 degrees that day) while catching up with our family. It was so nice to visit with everyone again.
When I was getting food for Zachariah, I heard my name being mentioned. Matt's cousin was talking to Matt's mom. She waited until I could come sit down before telling me what she was thinking. Cheryl (the cousin) is pregnant. It's the first for her. Her husband has 3 children from a previous marriage - 16 & 12 year old boys who live with their mom and a 7 year old girl who they have custody of. Anyway, she found out right away that she's having twins. (Twins run in Matt's family. This is the 3rd cousin who is pregnant with multiples.) She was telling Bev (Matt's mom) that she has been thinking about who will care for the twins when she has to go back to work (probably after the winter holidays). She said God told her that Matt will find a good job near them, and then I will be able to care for her kids. She laughed and said even if it wasn't God telling her, she'd like that a lot. We have been looking for a job closer to home. She is pretty close to where we'd like to be. Matt's had 2 interviews and one job offer up that way. Nothing has worked out so far, so we figured we'd probably stay here for a while.
The more I thought about it, the more I like the idea Cheryl had. I never thought I'd want to babysit, unless maybe it was my sister's kids. But I could see watching Cheryl's, especially since I'd be starting with them as infants. Cheryl has the same values, beliefs, and similar views to us. I like that. And she's family, so it wouldn't be like babysitting for a stranger. I think I would love having her little babies around. So, whether it's from God or not, I don't know yet. I told Cheryl that she should definitely pray about it if she feels that strongly. It was also quite an honor for her to tell me how much she would love to leave her children in my care. I can only imagine the joy and headaches double trouble will bring my house.
When I was getting food for Zachariah, I heard my name being mentioned. Matt's cousin was talking to Matt's mom. She waited until I could come sit down before telling me what she was thinking. Cheryl (the cousin) is pregnant. It's the first for her. Her husband has 3 children from a previous marriage - 16 & 12 year old boys who live with their mom and a 7 year old girl who they have custody of. Anyway, she found out right away that she's having twins. (Twins run in Matt's family. This is the 3rd cousin who is pregnant with multiples.) She was telling Bev (Matt's mom) that she has been thinking about who will care for the twins when she has to go back to work (probably after the winter holidays). She said God told her that Matt will find a good job near them, and then I will be able to care for her kids. She laughed and said even if it wasn't God telling her, she'd like that a lot. We have been looking for a job closer to home. She is pretty close to where we'd like to be. Matt's had 2 interviews and one job offer up that way. Nothing has worked out so far, so we figured we'd probably stay here for a while.
The more I thought about it, the more I like the idea Cheryl had. I never thought I'd want to babysit, unless maybe it was my sister's kids. But I could see watching Cheryl's, especially since I'd be starting with them as infants. Cheryl has the same values, beliefs, and similar views to us. I like that. And she's family, so it wouldn't be like babysitting for a stranger. I think I would love having her little babies around. So, whether it's from God or not, I don't know yet. I told Cheryl that she should definitely pray about it if she feels that strongly. It was also quite an honor for her to tell me how much she would love to leave her children in my care. I can only imagine the joy and headaches double trouble will bring my house.
Friday, July 13, 2007
It's back
Oh my aching back. I am having back pains again. I need to see the chiropractor. The problem is that I don't have anyone to watch Zachariah while I go. And taking him along with me would be more painful than the pain I'm in now. So, I'll bear it for a bit longer.
Matt has offered to take a little time off work to get me in next week. Which is great, but it's 3 days until next week. 3 whole days of not being able to move if I lay on my back. That completely immobilizes me. So, I'm better off sitting in a chair. And to sleep at night, I crawl into bed and go straight to my side. I can sleep like that, but apparently I'm wiggling a lot. Matt said it's bad when it's starting to affect his sleep.
For now I'm being lazy. I have sat in my comfy chair with a book and my laptop most of the day so far. Luckily Zachariah has been a good kid today, and he's wanted to nap a lot. For the most part he has played quietly with his toys. I feel guilty when he is sleeping that I'm not getting anything done.
While talking to Matt today, he told me I should be lazy today and do the least amount of things I have to. He said he would do anything I needed done when he got home from work tonight. Guess I don't have to mess with dragging that basket of laundry across the house and back. Although I'm not sure I can go all day without doing it. And I'd much rather do most things myself. But it's nice of him to offer, so I may just put him to work because I can.
My weekend plans consist of laying around doing as little as possible. Oh, and of course, ordering my husband around to do all my usual chores. ;) Luckily I went to the library before my back started hurting, so I have books to read besides the blogs and Internet surfing and Sudoku puzzling I like to do too. How about you? Tell me your plans, so I can live vicariously through you.
Matt has offered to take a little time off work to get me in next week. Which is great, but it's 3 days until next week. 3 whole days of not being able to move if I lay on my back. That completely immobilizes me. So, I'm better off sitting in a chair. And to sleep at night, I crawl into bed and go straight to my side. I can sleep like that, but apparently I'm wiggling a lot. Matt said it's bad when it's starting to affect his sleep.
For now I'm being lazy. I have sat in my comfy chair with a book and my laptop most of the day so far. Luckily Zachariah has been a good kid today, and he's wanted to nap a lot. For the most part he has played quietly with his toys. I feel guilty when he is sleeping that I'm not getting anything done.
While talking to Matt today, he told me I should be lazy today and do the least amount of things I have to. He said he would do anything I needed done when he got home from work tonight. Guess I don't have to mess with dragging that basket of laundry across the house and back. Although I'm not sure I can go all day without doing it. And I'd much rather do most things myself. But it's nice of him to offer, so I may just put him to work because I can.
My weekend plans consist of laying around doing as little as possible. Oh, and of course, ordering my husband around to do all my usual chores. ;) Luckily I went to the library before my back started hurting, so I have books to read besides the blogs and Internet surfing and Sudoku puzzling I like to do too. How about you? Tell me your plans, so I can live vicariously through you.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Tacky
So, Swistle asked us to tell about tacky weddings. I have lots of stories of things I find tacky. Also behavior at the weddings (not necessarily the bride or groom) that was tacky. So, here is my list of tacky things, and a few good stories for your enjoyment.
****
Most recently my sister Rachel got married last summer. It was a beautiful wedding. Our other sister, Mary, was a bridesmaid. At the rehearsal Mary was there. But when we all got ready to head to the rehearsal dinner Mary broke down sobbing. Several of us went to her right away to see what was wrong. She gave us this big sob story about how her little nephew (her husband's brother's son) was sick and they didn't know what was wrong and she was sooo worried about him. Mary is a bit of a drama queen anyway...always has been. So she says that she doesn't think she and her husband will make it to the dinner, because they'd like to get home and see how baby Kaden was doing. Now, mind you, this was a really nice rehearsal dinner (complete with a privately hired magician for entertainment) that my sister's in-laws paid for in advance. And they'd paid for Mary and her husband, because they had previously said they were coming.
Then (oh, that's not all) Mary's husband did not make it to the wedding. We all stayed at my parents' house the night before, so there was no reason for him not to get up. Us girls left early to get our hair done, but Matt was the last to leave the house and he peeked in the bedroom and told Tony he was leaving for the wedding. Tony had PLENTY of time to make it. So after the ceremony, Mary is going crazy calling everyone she knows trying to find out why Tony wasn't there. (Because he's a stupid jerk you silly girl.) At this point she's worried and in tears. I was trying to keep her calm and helping organize pictures and other things. Finally someone called us (as we were on the way to the reception) and said Tony showed up there. He was there when we got there. He refused to go into the building, because he wasn't wearing something nice. He claims he didn't have anything nice to wear. Uhh, what were you thinking you were going to wear to the wedding that you promised your sister-in-law, the bride, that you'd be at?! He waited outside for Mary to go in with the wedding party. She stayed for about 5 minutes, then left because Tony didn't want to stay (this is typical behavior from them, but that's for another post). I thought Mary and Tony's behavior the whole weekend was TACKY!
****
Then there was their wedding (Mary & Tony's) the year before. Their behavior was tacky the entire time. Talk about wedding drama. First of all they got engaged the day the rest of the family was traveling to North Carolina on vacation. So, she had to call all of us and tell us about it...which is fine. But, Rachel's (now married) poor (then) boyfriend had planned to propose to her while we were on vacation. He felt bad that her younger sister got engaged before her, so he proposed the next day on the beach right after we arrived. It was sweet.
As soon as we got back from vacation, Mary informed us all that they want to get married right away...how's July for you? It was about 4 weeks away. None of us understood their rush (still don't, other than she didn't want Rachel getting married before her perhaps). My mom talked them into have a church wedding and nice reception (what was she thinking). My mom did a great job planning it. Unfortunately Mary never really appreciate everything that my mom and everyone else did for her. She could have really cared less, and sometimes that showed.
OK, on to the truly tacky...the morning of the wedding the 3 of us girls had hair appointments. Mary had the first appointment, and Rachel's and mine were 1/2 hour later. So we were just going to see her at the beauty shop. Mary called us 10 minutes before her appointment saying she'd just woken up and could one of us go take her appointment. OK, sure, since I just got out of bed too, and it's 10 minutes to the hair salon. I hurriedly got around and went in just in the nick of time. When Mary got there she started arguing with Rachel. Before we left Mary got a little *ahem* mean spirited (sorry, I don't cuss). So bad that the poor girl doing her hair was giving us these uh-oh-what-is-she-thinking looks behind Mary's back. Rachel, being tired of the attitude from Mary, finally said her piece and we left. Exhausting! Our dad had to keep telling us to let it go, and let's just get through the day. What a way to feel at a wedding where we're supposed to be celebrating Mary, and she's the one causing all the drama.
The wedding went on...not to badly. Mary was very mean whenever I offered ideas for pictures. So, she didn't get that many pictures (and was rude to my father-in-law who was the photographer). At the reception they just kept to themselves. Aren't you supposed to mingle with your guests at the reception? Isn't that the point? To go around and thank people for coming? Not at theirs. They stayed at the reception long enough to eat, cut the cake, dance once, and then load up their friends' cars with the gifts and leave. That was the shortest reception I have ever been at. They were entirely selfish and rude. And from what I hear they then went back to their place for a beer bash/bonfire with their other "friends". Rachel was invited, I was not. I didn't even care. She knows I would not have gone, and I probably would have given her a lecture about it.
I almost forgot. Up until the day of the wedding, we did not know if Tony's (the groom) parents were even coming to the wedding. So, my parents graciously offered to host the rehearsal dinner. They invited everyone out to a nice Mexican restaurant. Mary and Tony ignored almost everyone but Tony's two buddies. (BTW, this was on my birthday. I was a little upset that I was being forgotten. Thank you Matt for at least taking me out for lunch.) After everyone ate Mary and Tony were ready to leave. Everyone else was having fun relaxing and talking. Dad mentioned something to them about dessert they'd ordered for everyone. So, they begrudgingly stayed put for a little longer. Come to find out, my sweet father had ordered a special birthday dessert for me and something for everyone else too. He wanted to celebrate my birthday. Before everyone was done with dessert, Mary and Tony left. Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me, HA.
I'm sure I could tell you about the other horrible things that happened there, but I'll stop there. The wedding/reception itself was not too bad, only because my mother would not allow that. She always puts on a beautiful wedding. ;) As you can see, I had some serious issues with this wedding even happening in the first place. I had a bad attitude the whole time. A week later, I found out I was pregnant. Maybe that's why the horrible attitude. I suppose not entirely, because everyone else had it too.
****
Last summer my sister-in-law, Carol had quite a wedding. To start with it was outdoors with the mayor of a small town who married them. The reason for this: they couldn't agree on a church or person to do the ceremony. Matt's dad is a Methodist pastor, but Luke's family is Catholic. Matt's family wanted her to get married in a church, even if her dad didn't do the ceremony (we had him do a small part of ours). Luke's family wanted him to have a big Catholic wedding. Carol was completely against a big Catholic wedding, because she is not Catholic. I'm not against an outdoor wedding, but it was done in this case only because they couldn't agree on anything so they settled for nothing.
The rehearsal was horrible. The mayor could not be there. Carol and Luke did not know the order or service or what they even wanted. I ended up coordinating the whole wedding that night.
Carol was strange at the wedding. After the ceremony she was acting really different. She was outgoing and talkative and completely not herself. She's usually very quiet and shy. She was outgoing and friendly to the point of annoyance. She was either high on something or drunk. I'm guessing high. She kept gushing over and over how great it was that everyone was there. And she kept oogling over my baby. (I just kept thinking stay away from him.)
On to the reception. Matt's/Carol's parents refused to buy alcohol for the reception, but Luke's family insisted on it being there. So his parents bought all the alcohol...and plenty of it. I'm not opposed to drinking, I just don't like to be around a bunch of drunks. And that's exactly what the bride and groom were half-way through the reception. Carol was so bad that she kept falling on her butt. I mean feet out in front of her and flat on her bottom. Again and again. She did it during the bouquet toss right on the dance floor. Then did it several other times. Well, the DJ starting poking fun at her. Then about 10 minutes later she was at the bridal party table crying, because the DJ was embarrassing her. Her mom came over and told her she'd had more than enough to drink and should back off. Oh boy, it was interesting.
Drunk bride/groom TOTALLY TACKY! Why ruin your wedding night like that? I don't get it.
****
My cousin and her new husband held up the reception because they were "smooching" in a room somewhere. (Just an FYI, they were virgins before they got married, so I don't know what was happening but I suspect just kissing because they were probably saving the rest for that night. I could be wrong though.)
****
When the pastor asked my cousin's bride if she'd take this man..., she shouted "You betcha".
****
The dollar dance at almost every wedding I've been at. And once I saw them do an "auction" dance. Almost the same as dollar dance, except only 2 people actually got to dance. You purchased a ticket for the chance.
****
Pregnant brides. Especially once they are showing.
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Flower girls/ring bears that are too young to be forced to stand in the front for the whole ceremony. (At least have someone near the front who can come get them.)
****
Fake flowers that aren't done well.
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Long, gross, make-out kissing.
****
Cake smashing in the face. Rude, mean, and tacky.
****
I was once at a wedding where the bride (who was pregnant and showing) smashed cake in the groom's face and ran. When they did the garter toss, he took a can of silly string up in her dress with him and paid her back that way. Eww.
****
Oh, I almost forgot...not sending thank you cards! That's the worst one to me. These people care about you enough to come and spend this special day with you AND shower you with gifts, at least send a thank you note. Doesn't have to be fancy. A quick personal note will do.
****
I'm sure there are many more things that I find tacky at weddings, but I think I've told enough stories for one day.
****
Most recently my sister Rachel got married last summer. It was a beautiful wedding. Our other sister, Mary, was a bridesmaid. At the rehearsal Mary was there. But when we all got ready to head to the rehearsal dinner Mary broke down sobbing. Several of us went to her right away to see what was wrong. She gave us this big sob story about how her little nephew (her husband's brother's son) was sick and they didn't know what was wrong and she was sooo worried about him. Mary is a bit of a drama queen anyway...always has been. So she says that she doesn't think she and her husband will make it to the dinner, because they'd like to get home and see how baby Kaden was doing. Now, mind you, this was a really nice rehearsal dinner (complete with a privately hired magician for entertainment) that my sister's in-laws paid for in advance. And they'd paid for Mary and her husband, because they had previously said they were coming.
Then (oh, that's not all) Mary's husband did not make it to the wedding. We all stayed at my parents' house the night before, so there was no reason for him not to get up. Us girls left early to get our hair done, but Matt was the last to leave the house and he peeked in the bedroom and told Tony he was leaving for the wedding. Tony had PLENTY of time to make it. So after the ceremony, Mary is going crazy calling everyone she knows trying to find out why Tony wasn't there. (Because he's a stupid jerk you silly girl.) At this point she's worried and in tears. I was trying to keep her calm and helping organize pictures and other things. Finally someone called us (as we were on the way to the reception) and said Tony showed up there. He was there when we got there. He refused to go into the building, because he wasn't wearing something nice. He claims he didn't have anything nice to wear. Uhh, what were you thinking you were going to wear to the wedding that you promised your sister-in-law, the bride, that you'd be at?! He waited outside for Mary to go in with the wedding party. She stayed for about 5 minutes, then left because Tony didn't want to stay (this is typical behavior from them, but that's for another post). I thought Mary and Tony's behavior the whole weekend was TACKY!
****
Then there was their wedding (Mary & Tony's) the year before. Their behavior was tacky the entire time. Talk about wedding drama. First of all they got engaged the day the rest of the family was traveling to North Carolina on vacation. So, she had to call all of us and tell us about it...which is fine. But, Rachel's (now married) poor (then) boyfriend had planned to propose to her while we were on vacation. He felt bad that her younger sister got engaged before her, so he proposed the next day on the beach right after we arrived. It was sweet.
As soon as we got back from vacation, Mary informed us all that they want to get married right away...how's July for you? It was about 4 weeks away. None of us understood their rush (still don't, other than she didn't want Rachel getting married before her perhaps). My mom talked them into have a church wedding and nice reception (what was she thinking). My mom did a great job planning it. Unfortunately Mary never really appreciate everything that my mom and everyone else did for her. She could have really cared less, and sometimes that showed.
OK, on to the truly tacky...the morning of the wedding the 3 of us girls had hair appointments. Mary had the first appointment, and Rachel's and mine were 1/2 hour later. So we were just going to see her at the beauty shop. Mary called us 10 minutes before her appointment saying she'd just woken up and could one of us go take her appointment. OK, sure, since I just got out of bed too, and it's 10 minutes to the hair salon. I hurriedly got around and went in just in the nick of time. When Mary got there she started arguing with Rachel. Before we left Mary got a little *ahem* mean spirited (sorry, I don't cuss). So bad that the poor girl doing her hair was giving us these uh-oh-what-is-she-thinking looks behind Mary's back. Rachel, being tired of the attitude from Mary, finally said her piece and we left. Exhausting! Our dad had to keep telling us to let it go, and let's just get through the day. What a way to feel at a wedding where we're supposed to be celebrating Mary, and she's the one causing all the drama.
The wedding went on...not to badly. Mary was very mean whenever I offered ideas for pictures. So, she didn't get that many pictures (and was rude to my father-in-law who was the photographer). At the reception they just kept to themselves. Aren't you supposed to mingle with your guests at the reception? Isn't that the point? To go around and thank people for coming? Not at theirs. They stayed at the reception long enough to eat, cut the cake, dance once, and then load up their friends' cars with the gifts and leave. That was the shortest reception I have ever been at. They were entirely selfish and rude. And from what I hear they then went back to their place for a beer bash/bonfire with their other "friends". Rachel was invited, I was not. I didn't even care. She knows I would not have gone, and I probably would have given her a lecture about it.
I almost forgot. Up until the day of the wedding, we did not know if Tony's (the groom) parents were even coming to the wedding. So, my parents graciously offered to host the rehearsal dinner. They invited everyone out to a nice Mexican restaurant. Mary and Tony ignored almost everyone but Tony's two buddies. (BTW, this was on my birthday. I was a little upset that I was being forgotten. Thank you Matt for at least taking me out for lunch.) After everyone ate Mary and Tony were ready to leave. Everyone else was having fun relaxing and talking. Dad mentioned something to them about dessert they'd ordered for everyone. So, they begrudgingly stayed put for a little longer. Come to find out, my sweet father had ordered a special birthday dessert for me and something for everyone else too. He wanted to celebrate my birthday. Before everyone was done with dessert, Mary and Tony left. Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me, HA.
I'm sure I could tell you about the other horrible things that happened there, but I'll stop there. The wedding/reception itself was not too bad, only because my mother would not allow that. She always puts on a beautiful wedding. ;) As you can see, I had some serious issues with this wedding even happening in the first place. I had a bad attitude the whole time. A week later, I found out I was pregnant. Maybe that's why the horrible attitude. I suppose not entirely, because everyone else had it too.
****
Last summer my sister-in-law, Carol had quite a wedding. To start with it was outdoors with the mayor of a small town who married them. The reason for this: they couldn't agree on a church or person to do the ceremony. Matt's dad is a Methodist pastor, but Luke's family is Catholic. Matt's family wanted her to get married in a church, even if her dad didn't do the ceremony (we had him do a small part of ours). Luke's family wanted him to have a big Catholic wedding. Carol was completely against a big Catholic wedding, because she is not Catholic. I'm not against an outdoor wedding, but it was done in this case only because they couldn't agree on anything so they settled for nothing.
The rehearsal was horrible. The mayor could not be there. Carol and Luke did not know the order or service or what they even wanted. I ended up coordinating the whole wedding that night.
Carol was strange at the wedding. After the ceremony she was acting really different. She was outgoing and talkative and completely not herself. She's usually very quiet and shy. She was outgoing and friendly to the point of annoyance. She was either high on something or drunk. I'm guessing high. She kept gushing over and over how great it was that everyone was there. And she kept oogling over my baby. (I just kept thinking stay away from him.)
On to the reception. Matt's/Carol's parents refused to buy alcohol for the reception, but Luke's family insisted on it being there. So his parents bought all the alcohol...and plenty of it. I'm not opposed to drinking, I just don't like to be around a bunch of drunks. And that's exactly what the bride and groom were half-way through the reception. Carol was so bad that she kept falling on her butt. I mean feet out in front of her and flat on her bottom. Again and again. She did it during the bouquet toss right on the dance floor. Then did it several other times. Well, the DJ starting poking fun at her. Then about 10 minutes later she was at the bridal party table crying, because the DJ was embarrassing her. Her mom came over and told her she'd had more than enough to drink and should back off. Oh boy, it was interesting.
Drunk bride/groom TOTALLY TACKY! Why ruin your wedding night like that? I don't get it.
****
My cousin and her new husband held up the reception because they were "smooching" in a room somewhere. (Just an FYI, they were virgins before they got married, so I don't know what was happening but I suspect just kissing because they were probably saving the rest for that night. I could be wrong though.)
****
When the pastor asked my cousin's bride if she'd take this man..., she shouted "You betcha".
****
The dollar dance at almost every wedding I've been at. And once I saw them do an "auction" dance. Almost the same as dollar dance, except only 2 people actually got to dance. You purchased a ticket for the chance.
****
Pregnant brides. Especially once they are showing.
****
Flower girls/ring bears that are too young to be forced to stand in the front for the whole ceremony. (At least have someone near the front who can come get them.)
****
Fake flowers that aren't done well.
****
Long, gross, make-out kissing.
****
Cake smashing in the face. Rude, mean, and tacky.
****
I was once at a wedding where the bride (who was pregnant and showing) smashed cake in the groom's face and ran. When they did the garter toss, he took a can of silly string up in her dress with him and paid her back that way. Eww.
****
Oh, I almost forgot...not sending thank you cards! That's the worst one to me. These people care about you enough to come and spend this special day with you AND shower you with gifts, at least send a thank you note. Doesn't have to be fancy. A quick personal note will do.
****
I'm sure there are many more things that I find tacky at weddings, but I think I've told enough stories for one day.
Back to the zoo
On Saturday we took Zachariah to the Toledo Zoo along with Matt's parents. It was a hot, Hot, HOT day, so a lot of the animals were resting and trying to stay cool. However, we did get a few neat pictures. Zachariah had a blast. This zoo is bigger than the last one we went to, and they had some animals the he didn't get to see before. He liked the polar bears, elephants, and of course petting (and hugging) all the goats he could get his hands on. In fact he tried to climb up on the poor goats who were trying to lay down. I'm not sure why my son is such an animal lover, but he is. It's neat to see him developing an interest in something like that already. We took several rides too. We all went on the train ride through the African safari, and then Grandpa Chuck bought Zachariah a ticket for the carousel so I could go with him. It took him a while to really have fun with that. He liked it, but about half-way through he really started enjoying it and waved at everyone all the way around and around. Then there was a duck who tried to bite Zachariah's hand off for a cookie. Zac is used to sharing with the dog, and he reached down towards the duck with the cookie still in his hand. I think he was trying to pet it, but we quickly shooed the duck away and bribed it with a cracker.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Don't know
I know I haven't posted in a few days. We were away for the weekend, and now I just don't feel much like blogging. I don't know why. Probably has something to do with it being my time of the month. And maybe a little sadness, because nothing happened last month and I was thinking surprise pregnancy. It was not to bed. I think that elevated my baby fever though. I'd like to write a post about that soon. I'd also like to tell you about our weekend fun. But I feel like it's a struggle to just post this. So, I suppose I'll wait. Maybe I'll feel a bit more chatty tomorrow or later this week. Maybe it will help when it's not 95 degrees outside too. Ha! I hope that the rest of you are having a cooler, nicer week.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Warning
If you watch my blog through a feed or reader, I just wanted you to know I changed things. I set it to only view part of the blog message instead of the whole thing. I hope that won't be an inconvenience to you. Thanks.
All the time in the world
Today while eating lunch with Zachariah, I realized (not for the first time) that he is on his own time. My son loves to eat, and usually he takes his sweet time doing it. For instance he usually is in his high chair for 45 minutes to an hour eating breakfast in the morning. That's why when he started liking cereal and milk, I was happy he could feed himself. While he's eating, I can eat my own breakfast, clean the kitchen, do dishes, vacuum the floors, exercise, or catch up on e-mail and blog posts. I'm not complaining. It's good having a few quiet moments to do things while he's content. For lunch and dinner, however, I like to eat with him so it can get annoying when he wants to take him time.
When he was eating his lunch today, he was watching everyone around us. And being the outgoing baby he is, he was trying to wave, point, "talk" to everyone around us. Then he'd turn back to me and flash me his aren't-I-just-the-most-adorable-baby-on-earth smile. So, what I thought was going to be a quick lunch today was not. Normally, by myself, I could have been in and out in 20 minutes. With Zachariah it took us almost an hour.
It's funny how much longer things take with a baby/toddler. A quick errand is no longer quick. By the time you get everything around to take that the kid could possibly need, then you have to talk him into coming outside with you, then you have to get him away from the plants and sticks that he wants to touch on the way to the car every time. And even after that you have to wrangle him into his car seat, and off we go. Getting him out of his car seat takes time once you get there. Even if you only needed a few things, you still need to put the child into a cart, because otherwise you will not get through the store. Then half-way through the store, the kid is tired of sitting in the cart, so you get him out and carry him. He squirms so much that you have to put him back in even though he is crying and screaming. So, if you finally manage to gather all the items you need in the store, you have to get them back to the car. Once back to the car, you fight the kid into his seat again. Then when you get home, you get him back out, try to keep him out of the plants again and into the house. Then, it never fails that you forget something off your list, which means you must make another errand sometime later in the week.
I actually think it was easier when he was an infant. I could leave him in his carrier/car seat and take him in and out quickly. He was normally content to site there and check everything out. When I got home, I just carried him back in and went about my day. And he slept in his seat easily, so that made my trips not so bad.
I'm sure with each kid the problems in this situation multiply by the number of kids. I can't say that's something I look forward to when thinking of having more children. I think I'll let my husband run more errands for me, or I will wait to go out after the kids are in bed.
When he was eating his lunch today, he was watching everyone around us. And being the outgoing baby he is, he was trying to wave, point, "talk" to everyone around us. Then he'd turn back to me and flash me his aren't-I-just-the-most-adorable-baby-on-earth smile. So, what I thought was going to be a quick lunch today was not. Normally, by myself, I could have been in and out in 20 minutes. With Zachariah it took us almost an hour.
It's funny how much longer things take with a baby/toddler. A quick errand is no longer quick. By the time you get everything around to take that the kid could possibly need, then you have to talk him into coming outside with you, then you have to get him away from the plants and sticks that he wants to touch on the way to the car every time. And even after that you have to wrangle him into his car seat, and off we go. Getting him out of his car seat takes time once you get there. Even if you only needed a few things, you still need to put the child into a cart, because otherwise you will not get through the store. Then half-way through the store, the kid is tired of sitting in the cart, so you get him out and carry him. He squirms so much that you have to put him back in even though he is crying and screaming. So, if you finally manage to gather all the items you need in the store, you have to get them back to the car. Once back to the car, you fight the kid into his seat again. Then when you get home, you get him back out, try to keep him out of the plants again and into the house. Then, it never fails that you forget something off your list, which means you must make another errand sometime later in the week.
I actually think it was easier when he was an infant. I could leave him in his carrier/car seat and take him in and out quickly. He was normally content to site there and check everything out. When I got home, I just carried him back in and went about my day. And he slept in his seat easily, so that made my trips not so bad.
I'm sure with each kid the problems in this situation multiply by the number of kids. I can't say that's something I look forward to when thinking of having more children. I think I'll let my husband run more errands for me, or I will wait to go out after the kids are in bed.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Dangers of being a mother
I wanted to talk about something I heard on the news the other day. It broke my heart, but I think that story could have been about me. Read the story, then I'll tell you my thoughts on it.
I have always been shocked when I hear about a young child or baby dying in a house fire or other similar situations when the parents got out safely. I just don't understand how you could leave your child in the house. I said this way before I even had a child of my own. Now that I am a parent, I tell my husband if my son died in that fire I probably would be there with him. I cannot picture any scenario where I wouldn't go after him.
So, Matt, playing the devil's advocate, says what if the fire is in the hallway right outside Zachariah's window. Then what? I say, I try going through first. If that's not looking possible, I go out my window (our room is right next to his) and come in Zachariah's room. I'm tell you, I'd get him out or die trying.
If my car was heading into the water with my baby inside, I would have gone after it. I would have drown trying too. I honestly am not sure how someone could NOT do that.
Here is part of a story about a young mother and her family. I know this family. They live 2 houses down from my friends. Our church rebuilt their home, and I helped host a party to stock her new kitchen when it was finished.
The part that the story doesn't tell is that this mom almost stopped fighting for a way out. The first thing she did was gather all her children together. She didn't think there was a way out. She said later that she sat there trying not to cry in front of her children and praying for their
lives. Then she did the hardest thing that any mother would ever be asked to do, she prayed that if they were to die in that fire there, that God would take her children first. You see, she didn't want them to see their mother die. Just thinking that brings tears to my eyes. What a horrible thing they went through. But as you saw they made it out miraculously, and everyone was completely safe. Thank God.
I think situations like these give us a little insight to what being a mother is really all about. It's sacrificing your own life for your kids. It's protecting your children from all the bad things in life. I just thank God that he has blessed my life with this precious little one to care for an protect.
3 Die After Van Rolls Into Pond
Police: Van Rolls Downhill, Killing Woman, 2 Children
POSTED: 11:01 pm EDT July 4, 2007
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. --
Connecticut authorities say a woman chased her minivan as it rolled down a steep hill and jumped in before it sank into a pond, killing her and two children. A third child was in critical condition.
The woman, who was the mother of at least one of the children, had gotten out of the van, then noticed it was rolling away and jumped back in before it went into the water.
Police said the van rolled about 60 or 70 yards into a pond at a park where many people had gathered to celebrate the holiday.
People nearby tried unsuccessfully to stop the van.
The victims were trapped inside in 15 to 20 feet of water for 20 to 25 minutes before members of the Bridgeport police scuba team were able to pull them out.
All three children were younger than 7 years old.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
I have always been shocked when I hear about a young child or baby dying in a house fire or other similar situations when the parents got out safely. I just don't understand how you could leave your child in the house. I said this way before I even had a child of my own. Now that I am a parent, I tell my husband if my son died in that fire I probably would be there with him. I cannot picture any scenario where I wouldn't go after him.
So, Matt, playing the devil's advocate, says what if the fire is in the hallway right outside Zachariah's window. Then what? I say, I try going through first. If that's not looking possible, I go out my window (our room is right next to his) and come in Zachariah's room. I'm tell you, I'd get him out or die trying.
If my car was heading into the water with my baby inside, I would have gone after it. I would have drown trying too. I honestly am not sure how someone could NOT do that.
Here is part of a story about a young mother and her family. I know this family. They live 2 houses down from my friends. Our church rebuilt their home, and I helped host a party to stock her new kitchen when it was finished.
Kelly and the three youngest Coby children were sleeping in the bedrooms on the second floor when the fire started. Rich was at work, though usually he didn't work Fridays, and their oldest son, Tyler, was at school. By the time 4-year-old Kaeley tried to wake her mom, smoke was rolling through the hallway and rooms of the second floor. Three times Kaeley shook her mom and tried to tell her about the smoke. At last, groggy from smoke she'd already breathed while sleeping, Kelly opened her eyes and saw dark curls of smoke crawling across the ceiling.
Out in the hall, the smoke was so thick Kelly could hardly see enough to gather her other two children. Once she had them, she looked for a way out. A small ray of sunlight broke through the smoke to lead Kelly to a window at the end of the hall. The three children and their mother climbed through the window, and walked across a burning porch roof in bare feet to escape the inferno behind them.
The part that the story doesn't tell is that this mom almost stopped fighting for a way out. The first thing she did was gather all her children together. She didn't think there was a way out. She said later that she sat there trying not to cry in front of her children and praying for their
lives. Then she did the hardest thing that any mother would ever be asked to do, she prayed that if they were to die in that fire there, that God would take her children first. You see, she didn't want them to see their mother die. Just thinking that brings tears to my eyes. What a horrible thing they went through. But as you saw they made it out miraculously, and everyone was completely safe. Thank God.
I think situations like these give us a little insight to what being a mother is really all about. It's sacrificing your own life for your kids. It's protecting your children from all the bad things in life. I just thank God that he has blessed my life with this precious little one to care for an protect.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Mooching
I have been enjoying reading blogs lately. Here are a few things for your reading pleasure.
Every mom's dictionary here.
Then if you know what it's like to be overwhelmed and feel like a single parent, Jen said it all. I won't bore you with what I think, but you can read what I wrote in her comments.
And let me say, I'm happy that my day didn't go as bad as this or this. And that was just this morning.
But go wish Erica some congratulations at becoming a new SAHM. She'll love it. Every minute....or maybe not.
Every mom's dictionary here.
Then if you know what it's like to be overwhelmed and feel like a single parent, Jen said it all. I won't bore you with what I think, but you can read what I wrote in her comments.
And let me say, I'm happy that my day didn't go as bad as this or this. And that was just this morning.
But go wish Erica some congratulations at becoming a new SAHM. She'll love it. Every minute....or maybe not.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Breaking baby news
No, not from me. I'm wondering how you broke your pregnancy news to others. Was your husband with you when you found out? If not, how did you tell him? Did you just shout it out or try to hint at it? I suppose what also plays into this is whether or not you were trying to get pregnant. Then how long did you wait to break the news to family and friends? How did you tell them? What were their reactions?
I guess I'm just completely curious on how other people handled this matter. Also if you had to do this more than once, how was it different each time?
Let me tell you what I did. We had been trying to get pregnant for 1 1/2 years or so. This was almost exactly 2 years ago to the date. At the beginning of June Matt and I finally started talking about whether or not we should go see a specialist for testing. We had not done anything yet. I charted my body temperature off and on for a year, and then that got old. We were mostly of the mindset that God was in control and there wasn't much we could do to change it for now. Anyway, in early June we had considered buying a home ovulation predictor kit and trying that for a few months before going in for testing. We looked at several different brands, but I didn't want to buy one until after I had my period again. I told Matt that I'd been late. A few weeks went by, and I still didn't have it. It was probably mid-June when I took a home pregnancy test. It was negative, so I thought oh well. I would wait until my period started then use the ovulation tests. During this time we were busy helping my sister plan her wedding in a month. After her wedding on July 2, 2005, I figured I should probably see about another test. I called my family doctor's office to see about going for a blood test. She asked me how long since I last tested. It had been 2 weeks, so she recommended taking a home test again. Well, that Friday (was July 7) I took a home pregnancy test while Matt was at work. I made my friend chat with my online while I was waiting for the results, because I was so nervous. When I finally went a looked at the little stick, I couldn't see much. I thought I saw a faint line, but it was REALLY faint. I read the box again, and it said even a faint line is probably positive. I turned on my web cam, and I was having my friend look at the pregnancy test to see what she thought. I was so excited at the possibility at that point. She thought it was positive. I didn't want to get my hopes up and be wrong. So, I ran off to the store right away and bought 2 more pregnancy tests and a pack of baby bibs while I was there, because I was pretty sure I was finally pregnant. As soon as I got home I took the test. This one was for sure positive. And by then the first test was showing stronger.
I took both tests and put them in a plastic sandwich bag. I wanted Matt to see, but I knew he'd gross out if he had to touch them. I put the plastic bag and a bib that said I LOVE DADDY on it on top of his dresser in the bedroom. This was the first place he went when he got home from work. I wanted to see his reaction when he figured it all out. It was torture waiting for hours for him to come home from work. When he got home I greeted him at the door with a hug and a smile like usual. I was trying not to smile too much, or I'd give it away. I was sooo excited. He went to the bedroom and dresser to change his clothes. I didn't want to look too suspicious when he went in, so I quietly waited outside the door. He was quiet, but when he came out he took one look at me and the biggest smile spread across his face. He came and hugged and kissed me and said he couldn't believe it. He was thrilled. He said he was going to try to pretend like he didn't see the things on his dresser, but he took one look at me and knew he couldn't pretend. He took me out to dinner that night, and we talked about our future and all the fun things we would experience soon.
Now our parents knew that we wanted children and were trying to get pregnant. Matt wanted to tell them right away. My instinct was to wait at least until we knew my due date. The problem was that we were going to see my parents the next day. They were getting ready to sell their house, so we'd promised to come help with some things around there. Matt didn't think he could keep a secret being around them. Our agreement was to tell both sets of parents and my one sister and ask them to keep it quiet until I had my first doctor appointment. So, I took a bib for my parents and put it in a bag. It was easy to trick them, because they had just bought a new house. So, I handed my mom the bag when we got there and told her I found something she might like for her new house and I hoped she'd have room for it. She was so excited when she saw the teeny little bib. She knew right away and hugged us. Matt's mom on the other hand would not assume anything, even after seeing the bib, until we came out and told her we were pregnant. And of course my sister was thrilled when I broke the news to her.
Within a week my mom was begging to tell people, and we decided to let her. We didn't have a chance to break it to many of our friends, ,but they found out really soon. But, I think that's a story for another time. I look forward to seeing what you have to say. If you'd rather, just write a post about it and link it in the comments here. Or leave a comment. Thanks for participating.
I guess I'm just completely curious on how other people handled this matter. Also if you had to do this more than once, how was it different each time?
Let me tell you what I did. We had been trying to get pregnant for 1 1/2 years or so. This was almost exactly 2 years ago to the date. At the beginning of June Matt and I finally started talking about whether or not we should go see a specialist for testing. We had not done anything yet. I charted my body temperature off and on for a year, and then that got old. We were mostly of the mindset that God was in control and there wasn't much we could do to change it for now. Anyway, in early June we had considered buying a home ovulation predictor kit and trying that for a few months before going in for testing. We looked at several different brands, but I didn't want to buy one until after I had my period again. I told Matt that I'd been late. A few weeks went by, and I still didn't have it. It was probably mid-June when I took a home pregnancy test. It was negative, so I thought oh well. I would wait until my period started then use the ovulation tests. During this time we were busy helping my sister plan her wedding in a month. After her wedding on July 2, 2005, I figured I should probably see about another test. I called my family doctor's office to see about going for a blood test. She asked me how long since I last tested. It had been 2 weeks, so she recommended taking a home test again. Well, that Friday (was July 7) I took a home pregnancy test while Matt was at work. I made my friend chat with my online while I was waiting for the results, because I was so nervous. When I finally went a looked at the little stick, I couldn't see much. I thought I saw a faint line, but it was REALLY faint. I read the box again, and it said even a faint line is probably positive. I turned on my web cam, and I was having my friend look at the pregnancy test to see what she thought. I was so excited at the possibility at that point. She thought it was positive. I didn't want to get my hopes up and be wrong. So, I ran off to the store right away and bought 2 more pregnancy tests and a pack of baby bibs while I was there, because I was pretty sure I was finally pregnant. As soon as I got home I took the test. This one was for sure positive. And by then the first test was showing stronger.
I took both tests and put them in a plastic sandwich bag. I wanted Matt to see, but I knew he'd gross out if he had to touch them. I put the plastic bag and a bib that said I LOVE DADDY on it on top of his dresser in the bedroom. This was the first place he went when he got home from work. I wanted to see his reaction when he figured it all out. It was torture waiting for hours for him to come home from work. When he got home I greeted him at the door with a hug and a smile like usual. I was trying not to smile too much, or I'd give it away. I was sooo excited. He went to the bedroom and dresser to change his clothes. I didn't want to look too suspicious when he went in, so I quietly waited outside the door. He was quiet, but when he came out he took one look at me and the biggest smile spread across his face. He came and hugged and kissed me and said he couldn't believe it. He was thrilled. He said he was going to try to pretend like he didn't see the things on his dresser, but he took one look at me and knew he couldn't pretend. He took me out to dinner that night, and we talked about our future and all the fun things we would experience soon.
Now our parents knew that we wanted children and were trying to get pregnant. Matt wanted to tell them right away. My instinct was to wait at least until we knew my due date. The problem was that we were going to see my parents the next day. They were getting ready to sell their house, so we'd promised to come help with some things around there. Matt didn't think he could keep a secret being around them. Our agreement was to tell both sets of parents and my one sister and ask them to keep it quiet until I had my first doctor appointment. So, I took a bib for my parents and put it in a bag. It was easy to trick them, because they had just bought a new house. So, I handed my mom the bag when we got there and told her I found something she might like for her new house and I hoped she'd have room for it. She was so excited when she saw the teeny little bib. She knew right away and hugged us. Matt's mom on the other hand would not assume anything, even after seeing the bib, until we came out and told her we were pregnant. And of course my sister was thrilled when I broke the news to her.
Within a week my mom was begging to tell people, and we decided to let her. We didn't have a chance to break it to many of our friends, ,but they found out really soon. But, I think that's a story for another time. I look forward to seeing what you have to say. If you'd rather, just write a post about it and link it in the comments here. Or leave a comment. Thanks for participating.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Relaxation and satisfaction
This has been a good weekend. Today is my birthday. I feel old. I guess that's what life is all about...getting old. (Well, part of what life's about.)
Yesterday morning I got out of the house...ALONE...for about 1/2 hour. Not too long, but still it's nice to run a few errands without toting a toddler in and out of the car. Then Matt went to get my birthday present. I didn't have any idea what he was up to. He went to buy some products, so he could "detail clean" my car. It was sweet and thoughtful...not sure it was the best gift, but I appreciate it anyway. My car was a mess, not with lots of things in it, but just dusty and dirty floors etc. I don't like clutter in my car, but I haven't had time to vacuum it in a while or dust or shine it. He did all of that. It was nice. It looks great. Oh, I should add that he also got me some snack foods. :)
Last night we went to a parade. A friend of ours lives right along the parade route in her town. Zachariah loved it. He liked all the cars, firetrucks, bands, dancers, candy and especially the antique tractors. He would drop whatever he had every time one went by. He's getting into this loving cars, trucks, tractors phase. It was really funny to see him do that. My grandfather (who has been gone for 4 years now) had 2 antique tractors that he took great care of and rode in several parades, so I think that was special to me to see my son enjoy that. After the parade there was a cookout with lots of food and several kids for Zachariah to play with his age. Then when it got dark we watched the fireworks which get shot off right behind her house. I have never seen Zachariah so mesmerized by something. He just stared quietly for the first 5 minutes. Then the rest of the time (about 20 minutes) he pointed and ooh'd and ahh'd. To say he LOVED it is probably a gross understatement. I could not believe that he stayed awake that long. The other two kids his age sitting near us fell asleep during the fireworks. Zachariah doesn't usually sleep unless it's in his bed or in the car. And he did fall asleep before we left town. We took him straight from the car to bed. That's the first time he's been that tired. He even slept in! Did you read that? HE SLEPT IN! We loved it. It was such a fun day.
Today, we went to church, then my parents came over. They took us out for a yummy lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. And I had a delicious dessert of Chocolate Tallcake. You guys, it was so huge that I took almost all of it home, plus I took home half of my meal. We went shopping for a little while after that. I bought myself new sunglasses with the birthday money they gave me. We got Zachariah an umbrella stroller. Guess I was just lucky that we hadn't brought our stroller along. Then I happened to find this one that I loved, so it worked out nicely. I think after almost 16 months of being a 1 stroller household, it was time for a new one. Also, my parents got Zachariah a few things from Old Navy. My dad found a cute top that will go great with Zachariah's camo shorts that he previously have nothing to match. I may even go back sometime and buy the camo pants that were so cute. I'll try to remember to post a picture.
It was a nice weekend. And I still have money left over. It's hard to think about spending it just on me. I don't know what I'll do with it for sure. I'm tempted to buy things for Zachariah, but I know I should do something fun for myself.
Yesterday morning I got out of the house...ALONE...for about 1/2 hour. Not too long, but still it's nice to run a few errands without toting a toddler in and out of the car. Then Matt went to get my birthday present. I didn't have any idea what he was up to. He went to buy some products, so he could "detail clean" my car. It was sweet and thoughtful...not sure it was the best gift, but I appreciate it anyway. My car was a mess, not with lots of things in it, but just dusty and dirty floors etc. I don't like clutter in my car, but I haven't had time to vacuum it in a while or dust or shine it. He did all of that. It was nice. It looks great. Oh, I should add that he also got me some snack foods. :)
Last night we went to a parade. A friend of ours lives right along the parade route in her town. Zachariah loved it. He liked all the cars, firetrucks, bands, dancers, candy and especially the antique tractors. He would drop whatever he had every time one went by. He's getting into this loving cars, trucks, tractors phase. It was really funny to see him do that. My grandfather (who has been gone for 4 years now) had 2 antique tractors that he took great care of and rode in several parades, so I think that was special to me to see my son enjoy that. After the parade there was a cookout with lots of food and several kids for Zachariah to play with his age. Then when it got dark we watched the fireworks which get shot off right behind her house. I have never seen Zachariah so mesmerized by something. He just stared quietly for the first 5 minutes. Then the rest of the time (about 20 minutes) he pointed and ooh'd and ahh'd. To say he LOVED it is probably a gross understatement. I could not believe that he stayed awake that long. The other two kids his age sitting near us fell asleep during the fireworks. Zachariah doesn't usually sleep unless it's in his bed or in the car. And he did fall asleep before we left town. We took him straight from the car to bed. That's the first time he's been that tired. He even slept in! Did you read that? HE SLEPT IN! We loved it. It was such a fun day.
Today, we went to church, then my parents came over. They took us out for a yummy lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. And I had a delicious dessert of Chocolate Tallcake. You guys, it was so huge that I took almost all of it home, plus I took home half of my meal. We went shopping for a little while after that. I bought myself new sunglasses with the birthday money they gave me. We got Zachariah an umbrella stroller. Guess I was just lucky that we hadn't brought our stroller along. Then I happened to find this one that I loved, so it worked out nicely. I think after almost 16 months of being a 1 stroller household, it was time for a new one. Also, my parents got Zachariah a few things from Old Navy. My dad found a cute top that will go great with Zachariah's camo shorts that he previously have nothing to match. I may even go back sometime and buy the camo pants that were so cute. I'll try to remember to post a picture.
It was a nice weekend. And I still have money left over. It's hard to think about spending it just on me. I don't know what I'll do with it for sure. I'm tempted to buy things for Zachariah, but I know I should do something fun for myself.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Sisterly Love
My sister gave me a poem and letter she wrote for my birthday, instead of a card.
And then I realized after reading that: This is what sisters are for. It's great to be reminded that someone notices the things I do. It makes doing the little things and being the best I can be worth it. Thanks, Rachel! I love you too! You're the best sister anyone could ask for!
A POEM FOR YOU
To a sister who has always been there for me.
To a sister who never judged and always loved.
To a daughter who does her best.
To a daughter who loves and respects.
To a wife who is faithful and true.
To a wife who loves her husband and God and who always endures.
To a mother with so much care.
To a mother that will always be there.
Sister,
You are so amazing in so many ways. I know
I've told you before how much I love and admire you, but with each new phase of
life, I look to your example to lead my life. I am so thankful that I have
not only a great Mom to look up to be a big sister whom I adore and respect and
strive to be like. I thank God each day for you and your beautiful family
and I hope some day I can be as happy and amazing as you are. Thank you
for all that you do, the big things and especially the little ones that mean so
much to me.
I love you sis! Happy Birthday!
Love,
Rachel
And then I realized after reading that: This is what sisters are for. It's great to be reminded that someone notices the things I do. It makes doing the little things and being the best I can be worth it. Thanks, Rachel! I love you too! You're the best sister anyone could ask for!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Simple recipe
I'm not feeling great today. Bleh. Anyway, I really haven't felt like posting, but I wanted to put something on here. I have enjoyed catching up on reading posts today, though.
Matt requested that I made Bourbon Dogs a week or so ago. I had never had them. He explained that it's just a cocktail weenie with a sauce that has bourbon in it. He'd had them at a potluck before, and they sounded really good. So being a good wife, I hunted down a recipe for it (read: I googled bourbon dogs and found one I liked), bought the ingredients and made it for supper a few nights ago. These are so good. The alcohol cooks out of them, and they have a yummy taste. I didn't think I'd like them while I was making them. The alcohol was too strong to be, but once I tasted the sauce I changed my mind. I will definitely keep this recipe and use it a lot. Matt said when I made them "If you cooked like this every night, I'd be a very happy man". Gotta keep him happy.
Here's the recipe if you would like a happy husband.
Bourbon Dogs
Serves/Makes: 12
Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup bourbon (whiskey)
2 pounds cocktail hot dogs/weenies (or use regular hot dogs cut into quarters)
Directions: Combine all ingredients. Cook on the stove for 20-30 minutes until hot. Or put everything into a crock pot for about 2 hours on low.
Matt requested that I made Bourbon Dogs a week or so ago. I had never had them. He explained that it's just a cocktail weenie with a sauce that has bourbon in it. He'd had them at a potluck before, and they sounded really good. So being a good wife, I hunted down a recipe for it (read: I googled bourbon dogs and found one I liked), bought the ingredients and made it for supper a few nights ago. These are so good. The alcohol cooks out of them, and they have a yummy taste. I didn't think I'd like them while I was making them. The alcohol was too strong to be, but once I tasted the sauce I changed my mind. I will definitely keep this recipe and use it a lot. Matt said when I made them "If you cooked like this every night, I'd be a very happy man". Gotta keep him happy.
Here's the recipe if you would like a happy husband.
Bourbon Dogs
Serves/Makes: 12
Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup bourbon (whiskey)
2 pounds cocktail hot dogs/weenies (or use regular hot dogs cut into quarters)
Directions: Combine all ingredients. Cook on the stove for 20-30 minutes until hot. Or put everything into a crock pot for about 2 hours on low.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Thing 3
Another meme I received from Devan @ All D's.
Instructions: Remove the blog from the top, move all blogs up one, add yourself to the bottom.
Smiling Mom
Playgroups are No Place for Children
Scenic Overlook
All D's
Mommy Daisy
What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was in high school 10 years ago. On my summer break that year I worked at my mom’s insurance office a few days a week. I spent one week at Buckeye Girls’ State sponsored but the American Legion (didn’t want to go, but one of the best experiences). I spent one week being a counselor at church camp. I spent a week at band camp. And I went with my family to North Carolina for a week. I was dating Matt then already for 2 ½ years.
Five Snacks You Enjoy
1. Chocolate
2. Crackers
3. Fruit
4. Carrot sticks
5. Popcorn
Five Songs That You Know All The Lyrics To:
1. “Never Alone” by Barlow Girl
2. “Barlow Girl” by Superchic[k]
3. Rock-a-bye Baby
4. Lots of praise & worship songs
5. Lots of hymns
Five Things You Would Do If You Were a Millionaire:
1. Pay off our student loans
2. Sell our house and buy or build a much nicer one.
3. Invest for our future.
4. Buy a new car.
5. Tithe 10% to the church.
Five bad habits:
1. Cracking my knuckles.
2. Procrastinating.
3. Not returning phone calls when I should (I don’t like talking on the phone much).
4. Picking at my fingernails.
5. Giving my son extra snacks, so I can have a few more minutes of peace and quiet.
Five Things You Would Never Wear Again:
1. Mini skirts
2. Jelly shoes
3. Scrunchy socks
4. Bike shorts (especially under a long t-shirt)
5. A wedding dress
Five Favorite Toys:
1. My laptop
2. My stationery collection
3. Zachariah (what, he’s fun to play with)
4. Digital camera
5. Chip (my dog)
Five People to Tag:
1. Mother Bunny
2. Julia @ Double Trouble and one...
3. Kristi @ Living Life in Tx
4. Ashley @ Splendid Sustenance
5. You!
Instructions: Remove the blog from the top, move all blogs up one, add yourself to the bottom.
Smiling Mom
Playgroups are No Place for Children
Scenic Overlook
All D's
Mommy Daisy
What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was in high school 10 years ago. On my summer break that year I worked at my mom’s insurance office a few days a week. I spent one week at Buckeye Girls’ State sponsored but the American Legion (didn’t want to go, but one of the best experiences). I spent one week being a counselor at church camp. I spent a week at band camp. And I went with my family to North Carolina for a week. I was dating Matt then already for 2 ½ years.
Five Snacks You Enjoy
1. Chocolate
2. Crackers
3. Fruit
4. Carrot sticks
5. Popcorn
Five Songs That You Know All The Lyrics To:
1. “Never Alone” by Barlow Girl
2. “Barlow Girl” by Superchic[k]
3. Rock-a-bye Baby
4. Lots of praise & worship songs
5. Lots of hymns
Five Things You Would Do If You Were a Millionaire:
1. Pay off our student loans
2. Sell our house and buy or build a much nicer one.
3. Invest for our future.
4. Buy a new car.
5. Tithe 10% to the church.
Five bad habits:
1. Cracking my knuckles.
2. Procrastinating.
3. Not returning phone calls when I should (I don’t like talking on the phone much).
4. Picking at my fingernails.
5. Giving my son extra snacks, so I can have a few more minutes of peace and quiet.
Five Things You Would Never Wear Again:
1. Mini skirts
2. Jelly shoes
3. Scrunchy socks
4. Bike shorts (especially under a long t-shirt)
5. A wedding dress
Five Favorite Toys:
1. My laptop
2. My stationery collection
3. Zachariah (what, he’s fun to play with)
4. Digital camera
5. Chip (my dog)
Five People to Tag:
1. Mother Bunny
2. Julia @ Double Trouble and one...
3. Kristi @ Living Life in Tx
4. Ashley @ Splendid Sustenance
5. You!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Links
Jana from Dress-Up and Diaper Changes has a good question for all of us. First of all, thanks for de-lurking Jana. I checked out your blog and I'll be stopping back. OK, here's what she asked.
Maybe you or your other readers can answer a "blog etiquette" question for me. I read a lot of blogs (like 50 of them) and comment regularly on about a dozen of them. Which ones should I add to my "Favorite's List"? Just the ones that I comment on or all of my absolute favorites (about two dozen total)?
Well, I list the blogs that I comment on regularly, really enjoy reading, and I also will list blogs of people who read mine. I have twice as many that I actually read. I don't usually post at the other ones, so I haven't listed them here. I'm not sure why not. I guess I didn't know how it would look if I had such a huge list of blogs I read.
But to be honest, I do read a lot. I have them all on an RSS reader, so I check that throughout the day. Yes, I'm at home a lot, and I get bored. I have a laptop, so it's easy to leave it on all day, then my reader updates when there is a new blog posted. I don't always read them all right away, but it does give me something to do when I'm bored.
I hope that answered the question you had (and more). Maybe someone else will have some advice for you. Also, anyone have advice about how many listings is too many to have in one spot? Should I list all the blogs I read, or just leave it like I'm doing it? Let's hear what you have to say.
Maybe you or your other readers can answer a "blog etiquette" question for me. I read a lot of blogs (like 50 of them) and comment regularly on about a dozen of them. Which ones should I add to my "Favorite's List"? Just the ones that I comment on or all of my absolute favorites (about two dozen total)?
Well, I list the blogs that I comment on regularly, really enjoy reading, and I also will list blogs of people who read mine. I have twice as many that I actually read. I don't usually post at the other ones, so I haven't listed them here. I'm not sure why not. I guess I didn't know how it would look if I had such a huge list of blogs I read.
But to be honest, I do read a lot. I have them all on an RSS reader, so I check that throughout the day. Yes, I'm at home a lot, and I get bored. I have a laptop, so it's easy to leave it on all day, then my reader updates when there is a new blog posted. I don't always read them all right away, but it does give me something to do when I'm bored.
I hope that answered the question you had (and more). Maybe someone else will have some advice for you. Also, anyone have advice about how many listings is too many to have in one spot? Should I list all the blogs I read, or just leave it like I'm doing it? Let's hear what you have to say.
Thing 2
I was tagged by Jennifer @ Playgroups are no Place for Children. She did a double meme, but I only choice one. The other one was very similar to what I did the other day, and I didn’t feel like thinking of new things.
Here are 10 things that make me happy…
1. Blogging - the reading and writing of them (at least when I have something to say, most of the time I think my blog is rather boring)
2. Matt - my wonderful husband of almost 7 years (our anniversary is a month away)
3. Zachariah - just being himself, his wonderful laughter and the latest thing is him trying to repeat what we say, i.e. “Amen” comes out “ma men”, but it’s adorable.
4. Free stuff - like jewelry (I’m hosting a party on Thursday and hope I get lots free.)
5. Friends - I don’t think I have enough. I love the ones I do have; they are precious gems to me.
6. Doing things or making things (like baked goods) for other people.
7. Chocolate - need a little every day
8. Baking - I love to create yummy things. (I just don’t do it often, because we won’t eat much or sometimes shouldn’t eat much. Hence #6 above.)
9. Naptime - needs no explanation to any mom.
10. Baby clothes - or baby clothes shopping (all kinds)
Jennifer tagged 5 people, so I’m going to follow her lead. Post in the comments if you participate, so we can come read it. Don’t feel obligated to participate if I tag you. It won’t hurt my feelings.
Kelli @ Holding the Mirror Up to My Soul
Sara @ Suburban Oblivion
Swistle
Taryn @ The Sun is Always Smiling for Samantha
Shauna @ Pass the Chocolate
Here are 10 things that make me happy…
1. Blogging - the reading and writing of them (at least when I have something to say, most of the time I think my blog is rather boring)
2. Matt - my wonderful husband of almost 7 years (our anniversary is a month away)
3. Zachariah - just being himself, his wonderful laughter and the latest thing is him trying to repeat what we say, i.e. “Amen” comes out “ma men”, but it’s adorable.
4. Free stuff - like jewelry (I’m hosting a party on Thursday and hope I get lots free.)
5. Friends - I don’t think I have enough. I love the ones I do have; they are precious gems to me.
6. Doing things or making things (like baked goods) for other people.
7. Chocolate - need a little every day
8. Baking - I love to create yummy things. (I just don’t do it often, because we won’t eat much or sometimes shouldn’t eat much. Hence #6 above.)
9. Naptime - needs no explanation to any mom.
10. Baby clothes - or baby clothes shopping (all kinds)
Jennifer tagged 5 people, so I’m going to follow her lead. Post in the comments if you participate, so we can come read it. Don’t feel obligated to participate if I tag you. It won’t hurt my feelings.
Kelli @ Holding the Mirror Up to My Soul
Sara @ Suburban Oblivion
Swistle
Taryn @ The Sun is Always Smiling for Samantha
Shauna @ Pass the Chocolate
Monday, June 25, 2007
Looking for something new
Most of you who read my blog are fellow bloggers. And sorry if you don't like the term, but I think most are "mommy bloggers". I don't think that's a bad thing, unless you're going for something else. These are the kind of blogs I like to read. I think I've linked most of the blogs I like in my sidebar. Please go check some of those out if you need something new.
But what I want to know is who do you read? How do you find them? And what keeps you coming back for more? I need some new blogs to check out, so I'm asking you for suggestions. I know some of you have blogs linked in your blog (like I do here). Are those your favorites? All that you read? Let me know if they are, and I'll go look through them via your blog. Help me out here fellow bloggers, I have too much free time and need more blogs to read.
But what I want to know is who do you read? How do you find them? And what keeps you coming back for more? I need some new blogs to check out, so I'm asking you for suggestions. I know some of you have blogs linked in your blog (like I do here). Are those your favorites? All that you read? Let me know if they are, and I'll go look through them via your blog. Help me out here fellow bloggers, I have too much free time and need more blogs to read.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Thing 1
Kelli @ Holding the Mirror Up to My Soul tagged me for a meme in which you list seven things about yourself. I tried to post this once right after she tagged me, but it never posted. I guess I didn’t feel like tackling it then, so I’ll do it now.
Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!
1. My birthday is exactly 1 week away. I get excited about my birthday every year, but for the last few years, it’s been very boring. 2 years ago my sister got married the day after my wedding. Her wedding was very rushed - being planned in less than a month. So, almost everyone forgot my birthday that year. I had been very moody and found out a week later I was pregnant. That works for a birthday surprise! Then last year my son was an infant, so it was difficult to do anything for my birthday. Plus my other sister had a wedding coming up in a week. She & I went shopping and to lunch together as a sort of “bachelorette party” for her. This year will probably be nothing special either, but I’m OK with that. The older I get the more I realize that birthdays don’t have to be something special. It’s just a milestone to see each birthday.
2. OK, here’s a funny habit. I check for lint between my toes before I get into bed each night, especially when I’ve worn socks all day. (It drives Matt nuts, but I have having stuff between my toes like that.)
3. If Matt & I ever had twin girls we think Layla and Anya would be nice names for them. (I am not wishing for twins though.)
4. If I have a drink with ice in it, I swish it before each drink. Matt thinks this is strange, but I do it so I won’t get a huge watery taste from it.
5. I have never lived alone in my entire life. Sometimes I wish I would have for at least a short while before I got married.
6. When I was young I had a cat (a stray neighborhood cat) that I named Squeaker, because she could never meow. Even as she grew up all you ever heard from her was a squeak. Then she had a kitten (only one & we didn’t even know she was pregnant) and I named the kitten Sweet Pea (for no particular reason, just thought I’d add that).
7. I tried the Atkins Diet once when it was really popular. I hated every day of it. I did lose weight, but I practically stopped eating because I was sick of the things I could have. I decided that was a bad way to diet, so I stopped.
I will tag the following people if you’d like to give it a try and if you haven‘t done this already. Please post in the comments if you are participating, so we can go see your meme. Also, I have 2 more memes I will be working on soon. If you tagged me for something, and I haven’t done it yet please let me know. Thanks.
Semi-desperate Housewife
Kara @ Baa Baa Black Sheep **who just got married-Congrats!
Erica @ All Dressed Up
Devan @ All D's
I’ve Got Mommy Brain
Kelsey @ Midwest Mom
Jen @ Never Melts
Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!
1. My birthday is exactly 1 week away. I get excited about my birthday every year, but for the last few years, it’s been very boring. 2 years ago my sister got married the day after my wedding. Her wedding was very rushed - being planned in less than a month. So, almost everyone forgot my birthday that year. I had been very moody and found out a week later I was pregnant. That works for a birthday surprise! Then last year my son was an infant, so it was difficult to do anything for my birthday. Plus my other sister had a wedding coming up in a week. She & I went shopping and to lunch together as a sort of “bachelorette party” for her. This year will probably be nothing special either, but I’m OK with that. The older I get the more I realize that birthdays don’t have to be something special. It’s just a milestone to see each birthday.
2. OK, here’s a funny habit. I check for lint between my toes before I get into bed each night, especially when I’ve worn socks all day. (It drives Matt nuts, but I have having stuff between my toes like that.)
3. If Matt & I ever had twin girls we think Layla and Anya would be nice names for them. (I am not wishing for twins though.)
4. If I have a drink with ice in it, I swish it before each drink. Matt thinks this is strange, but I do it so I won’t get a huge watery taste from it.
5. I have never lived alone in my entire life. Sometimes I wish I would have for at least a short while before I got married.
6. When I was young I had a cat (a stray neighborhood cat) that I named Squeaker, because she could never meow. Even as she grew up all you ever heard from her was a squeak. Then she had a kitten (only one & we didn’t even know she was pregnant) and I named the kitten Sweet Pea (for no particular reason, just thought I’d add that).
7. I tried the Atkins Diet once when it was really popular. I hated every day of it. I did lose weight, but I practically stopped eating because I was sick of the things I could have. I decided that was a bad way to diet, so I stopped.
I will tag the following people if you’d like to give it a try and if you haven‘t done this already. Please post in the comments if you are participating, so we can go see your meme. Also, I have 2 more memes I will be working on soon. If you tagged me for something, and I haven’t done it yet please let me know. Thanks.
Semi-desperate Housewife
Kara @ Baa Baa Black Sheep **who just got married-Congrats!
Erica @ All Dressed Up
Devan @ All D's
I’ve Got Mommy Brain
Kelsey @ Midwest Mom
Jen @ Never Melts
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