I found this over at Musings of a housewife

Things I've done are in boldtype.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree- now i'm going to have to just to cross it off the list!
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars (In a tent – does that count?)
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs (they didn't stay that way)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day (too many times, i'm afraid)
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business - if direct sales/party plan business count
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music- almost forgot this one from the ensemble days!
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently-conversationally, yes... not quite fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children/currently raising child
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach (killed one in the chs teacher's lounge)
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating- rainbow trout
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident. the truck i hit didn't feel it. it drove away seemingly unscathed.
150. Saved someone’s life

Let me know if you decide to play!

p.s. no, i'm not done tackling the laundry piles.

p.p.s. 8:50 p.m.-minimal progress made on the laundry piles. bathed baby bear. If you're surprised you really don't know me, do you?

Ok, folks. I've been online for almost a full hour. It's time to get OFF my bum.

1. Baby Bear's diaper and bath. She stinks. 'Nuff Said.
2. The neverending laundry piles. Notice the plural. I think I'll start with this one:

and then tackle this one...

It's been a while since I sorted Baby Bear's clothes (ya think?),
and we just learned of a 7 month old little one who is in need of a few things.
Good thing I've been hoarding boxes.
I am sure we have some cute clothes to spare around here.

These are not the only piles, by the way. But I'll start here.

Achievable goals are always good.
See you when I'm done.... next week, maybe?

i had a dream...

now i can't sleep. we were on our vacation. for some reason, upon arrival at our destination we stopped in the touristy area before going to our rental house. it was frighteningly crowded, and the boats were all way too close to shore, leaving no room for swimmers. it did not seem to bother anyone. hubby went on ahead to the house without me, so i had to walk the couple of miles. when questioned, he simply stated "i knew you'd catch up."

our room appeared ok, but in addition to the view of the lagoon,it held several aquariums and terrariums. with tops open. crt said she didn't think the girls would actually sleep if given that room (the creatures woud make it too much fun) . it was humid and smelly, and hubby was sure the extra oscillating fan wuld be useless.

downstairs, the furniture was upholstered in classic brown and orange floral velour with wood trim. i was the first to find our private pool.... unlevel, so one end did not seem full, filled with pine needles, sand, and pebbles. audit guy/tech dad was irate when he saw this. the cover was useless.

baby bear was perfectly content playing in her exersaucer and watching the creatures in the aquarium and terrarium. she wanted to pick up the horseshoe crab.

it was at this point my strange dream ended, as i awoke to use the bathroom. i share this dream hoping none of you have made a habit out of dream interpretation. oh, and you can scroll to the bottom of the blog to see the countdown to when this fabulous family trip should occur.

huubby's alarm has sounded, but he is not yet up. perhaps i'll go try to get back to sleep.

Baby Bear naps, I prop my feet up...

the WAH gathering went great! You know, it is a miracle that hubby let me have a bunch of women I had mostly only met online over to our house. I mean, with all the talk of scary people on myspace, etc...

well, I've been a part of the Women at Home message board for a few months now, after discovering it through Steph, who I actually did know in real life. So when Dana mentioned she would be in town to visit, and we realized her parents live less than 3 miles away, I figured it made more sense for me to host than to ask someone who had spent the week on an indian reservation with her youth group or another someone who is a very expectant mom to host. Of course, the introvert on me kicked in. but everyone pitched in and brought something, which I REALLY appreciated. Part of me did not want to ask anyone to bring something, but the reality was that I could not have provided on my own. And while the thought of meeting at a restaurant crossed our minds, with the # of kids involved (see the pic), I knew that our playroom would be much more kid friendly.

Anyway, the came, stayed a few hours, and left. My freshly mopped kitchen floor needs another mopping, because that is what happens when kids invade. I thought Purple Princess and Monarch have energy. They do, but so did all these kids. And there were more of them, so theor presence was slightly overwhelming. I'll let the other ladies share the quotes and quips of the day, pick on my tablecloth (if you've been to one of my jewelry shows you've seen it), or share more pictures on the women at home board.

Most importantly, we have faces and voices to match with names. Now, as we read eachother's posts, we will be able to visualize mannerisms and laugh at individual quirks, like I do when I picture my other online friends that I know in real life. Tears shed for prayer requests will be even more meaningful, as the personal connection will be stronger.

On Wednesday, I get to meet Grace!!!! Woo hoo!!! (But I don't have her sister's number, so hopefully she'll call me so we can make the arrangements!)

i accept orgjunkie's challenge.

here's the text of a comment i posted on her blog. you see, although i posted about her 30-day organizational challenge, i had not thoroughly read it. i was too scared. of what? i dunno. after all, this is the blog of the self-proclaimed queen of procrastination. could it be that i am afraid of change, even if it is for the better?

i procrastinated 90% of the weekend. consequently, the main living area and kitchen are acceptable for company. the guest bathroom is acceptable for company. our master bedroom just might be locked when 11:00 a.m. comes and my lunch guests begin to arrive. i mean, just because i am able to be honest with these women in our message board doesn't mean i am ready to reveal just how unkempt i am, does it? nope. unless there's an emergency and the bathroom is taken, then i might unlock the master suite so someone can use the master bath.

oh, to have been born with just a little bit of that type "A" personality that my younger sister apparently got in her genes. and hubby's younger sister.

anyway, the kitchen floor is mopped, and the house smells like murphy's oil soap. the toys are picked up, the living room has been dusted. a quick run of the vacuum.

and now, it's time to get into "editor" mode and read something hubby has been working on all weekend. so, i leave you for tonight, with the text of that comment that i said i'd post (for those of you who don't feel like clicking over to orgjunkie's blog and reading it there):

"As I lay here in my bed and look around my unkempt bedroom, I need look no further for the project to tackle. I could enter both categories, if it were allowed... the dresser or the whole room. (ok, so the dresser is part of the whole room.. i get it now.) Anyway, I remember once upon a time, a not-so very long time ago, when dh and I moved into our first apartment. I actually kept our bedroom fairly clean, the dresser top organized enough so lighting candles would not be a fire hazard. Yes, it's time for me to accept your challenge."

9:33 PM

Come April, my pet project (along with scrapbooking) will be to do something about the chaotic mess in our bedroom. Good thing I don't scrap in here.

i really should go to bed now... but first, a word from our sponsor...

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attn: breastfeeding moms

is dad feeling left out by your extra bonding with the baby? check out these funny t-shirt designs.
they made me laugh.

scrap-planning

i am determined to move past page 3 of baby bear's scrapbook. so, while hubby used this laptop tonight, i got on the "old" one... the one with the non-functional screen (thanks to the melodrama of a spider scurrying across the floor toward my baby girl a few months back). it's the one that is connected to an old-style monitor 2 feet above it on the top of my roll top desk. it's also the one that houses my treasured photographs. the last 2 years of our life are summarized on that computer. anyway, i grabbed a blank sheet of printer paper and made a list. will those of you who are experienced scrappers tell me if this looks like a reasonable start? For a refresher look, this is what I have already put together. (minus page 3: click HERE.)

• 2 pages per month
• 4-8 pictures per month up to 6 months, plus Holidays, birth pages (2), 1st 2 weeks pages (2)- I know, this doesn't leave much space for journaling. I may have to crop creatively or something.
  

Potential smaller album:

• pregnancy: belly shots, ultrasounds, me and bec at showers

I have a 12 X 12 album that came with 20 pages (10 sleeves) and white paper in them. It looks like it has considerable expansion room. How many pages is generally too thick?

The problem I'm running into is that our daughter is so beautiful and I took SO many pictures of her in the early months. And of course I'm biased, but SO many are good. And then there are a bunch of pictures from other family members, like Caslon and Camera Guy. Those could be a separate scrapbook by themselves! I'm thinking what I originally wanted to be her 1st year scrapbook will be her 1st 6 months scrapbook. I do need to dig out the baby book I bought and be intentional about not duplicating too much of what will go in there, KWIM?

Maybe if CRT and I start a contest, I'll get going on this and she'll finish Maddie's scrapbook.
Anyway, I narrowed down some pics to choose from, and now I just have to have them printed. my goal is to print enough to have pictures for at least 4 or 5 pages. i have some fun charms, brads, and pastel colored safety pins to add as embellishments.

i'm also re-thinking my color scheme and wanting to do some cutesy "traditional" baby pages... i have the feeling i'll end up just mixing and matching a lot. and stamping on the white pages.
anyway, here goes...

i should be cleaning

baby bear is napping, and i should be taking advantage of the opportunity to clean. I did get the bathrooms cleaned on Wednesday. laundry is going... straight to the bed in the guest room after it finishes drying.

i get to meet some of my online friends next week! on monday, some of the gals from women @ home will be coming to my house for lunch. i'm a little nervous. not about my house; i've forwarned them of my lack of martha-ness. i'll get it together enough. but i get that way about meeting people for the first time. i think part of it stems from the fact that hubby was 30 minutes late to our first official date. mostly, it's because i am more of an introvert by nature, in spite of what my blog may imply. anyway, it's going to be fun, and i felt it would be better to meet at my house than have the kids getting stir-crazy in a restaurant. we have pack-and-plays for naps, toys a plenty, and a play room.

on wednesday, baby bear and i get to meet grace and bee for the first time. i feel like i know them already, and can't wait! for some reason i am not as nervous about this meeting. pray for safety as they drive down; anyone who has read her blog knows how nervous interstate driving makes her because of the accident they were involved in.

ok... time to get off my bum and do something productive around here. when baby bear wakes up from her nap, i'm sure she'll want to go outside. oh, and there is dinner to think about.

baby fever strikes again

no, this isn't any grand announcement. we've just been in the presence of an adorable little four month old all afternoon. steph and caroline came over to our house this afternoon. they return home tomorrow, where army chaplain is sure to be waiting with open arms. (a motorcycle can only fill certain voids, you know.) i can't believe how quickly i forgot what it's like to hold a little one... and 13 lbs is not that tiny.

steph, wbt, baby bear, caroline and i walked to the grocery store and back. the 80 degree weather was perfect. both little ones seemed to think it was a grand adventure. 3 miles round trip is a decent little walk across the neighborhood and back. dinner was nostalgic. when we were roommates, and even before we shared an apartment, wbt, steph and i would make spaghetti dinners together. i'd make a salad, steph would chop the onion, someone would make garlic toast. so tonight, we made spaghetti. thankfully, i had the foresight to remove baby bear's clothing (except her diaper). she loved the spaghetti with meat sauce. and she even ate some of the salad. she also enjoyed munching on our sliced apples and white cheddar cheese "appetizer". (that reminded me of the old saying... "apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze.") she grabbed an apple slice right out of steph's hand.

it's such a blessing to have friends that have been there through thick and thin. you know, the ones that know your faults and quirks and love you anyway. the ones that were around before your spouse... and in our case, the ones who witnessed the crazy "love at first sight" when we first met. baby bear and caroline were so curious about eachother. oh, baby bear was slightly possessive when i held the little one, but overall she played very nicely with her. she also kept trying to crawl into caroline's carseat. she would sign and say "baby", give her kisses, help her work the kick and play gym... yes, she could be a great big sister some day. it's a shame that hubby doesn't get to hold caroline for a couple of more days. if he were to hold her, maybe he would get baby fever, too.

ramblings of an insomniac

i've been awake for over an hour. it's senseless, really. i should be sleeping soundly, but not, i've been tossing and turning. so i decided to grab the laptop and spare hubby the earthquake that is my restlessness. he had a long, busy day yesterday. he had to dress up for a meeting at work, and then we went to a wedding last night. so he spent almost 12 hours dressed up. no, wait, almost 14 hours. i didn't complain when he took off his tie and sport coat for the reception. nope, not one bit. he looks great without being all formal.

we decided to see how baby bear would handle a wedding. considering she did not have an afternoon nap (she awoke late yesterday morning, which resulted in a later morning nap, which ultimately resulted in no afternoon nap), she behaved fabulously. however, hubby ended up spending all but the opening prayer and closing prayer of the ceremony with her outide in front of the church. she loved climbing up and down the concrete steps. the bride gave her a tulip from her bouquet which disappeared at some point.

my friend's mom is married. she is one of those women you can't help but admire. she is full of life and joy. her life has not always been easy, but she has 4 grown children who love her and now she has someone with whom to share the rest of her life. her groom is younger than he looks at first glance. as he breathed a deep sigh of relief when the ceremony finally started (traffic held up several of the guests, and the bride chose to wait for their arrival), we could not help but laugh. the small church was nearly packed with friends and family, including several babies and toddlers. for some reason, i did not take many photos. my parents were there, and my dad took a few, so perhaps i will get them and post them.

observations from the reception: when asked to get something for baby bear to munch on, daddy brings back a couple of crackers, a bit of cheese, and one piece of pineapple. mommy goes to the appetizer table and sees canteloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, etc... guess what baby bear wanted to eat- crackers. main course? baby bear literally scoffed at the cold ham sandwich after being given bits of steak from the steak kabobs. as soon as the ham touched her mouth, she set it back down and reached for steak. hubby as well as another hubby took their daughters for diaper changes. i dare say that this is a good sign of parenting skills.

hubby humored me and about halfway through unchained melody, we joined others on the dance floor. i can't say we danced well, we sort of move to the music somewhat together. that's what happens when you get two people who were raised in environments that practically forbade dancing or lacked opportunity. my mom couldn't get my dad to dance with her, so she grabbed baby bear for the fox trot. i vow for us to take dance lessons someday. hubby says he stepped on my shoes, but he missed my toes. i loved watching the bride and groom enjoy dancing together. she in her gold suit with long flowing skirt, he in his ivory tux. they looked spectacular.

as a friend fed her daughter, which led to the standard, "how long did you breastfeed?" exchange, i felt proud of the attempts i made with baby bear. this friend made it 6 weeks, then she had to return to work and had no desire to pump. i don't blame her. our other friend retreated to the bathroom to nurse. i don't blame her either. her dress wasn't very nursing friendly. but i think after all baby bear and i went through in the nursing fiasco, if baby bear 2 and i do succeed, i will be all for nursing wherever we are, with a covering of course. i will feel entitled to the freedom to feed my child however, wherever, whenever needed. i will probably get a sling, too.

after we returned home and changed baby bear into her pj's, i rocked her back to sleep in the rocking chair that tech mom and dad brought over. it was wonderful.

oh, baby bear tried to eat dirt yesterday. it resulted in her getting a 2nd bath. i was pulling weeds out of our big earth pots, in hopes of attempting to plant something yet again in the near future. cherry tomatoes seem to do ok, as does okra. peppers... not so much. which is a shame, because i love them. anyway, she thought it was grand fun and proceeded to try to empty the dirty out of the pots one fist at a time.

there's a fine line between what goes on her blog and what goes on mine. this is my place to ramble, i try to be a little more concise on her blog. and i post more pictures there.

i got to hold another 4 month old little girl. it's scary how foreign a feeling it is to hold such a fragile newborn. baby bear is definitely a toddler. oh, she's not crawling out of her crib like her younger cousin did yesterday, but she loves doing somersaults (with assistance), climbing and flipping on whoever is holding her, playing chase. it's amazing how fast 17 months have disappeared. she can eat more than her father and i combined at a meal (you think i'm kidding), and the next she will eat barely a fistful of food.

as hubby and i "danced", it was nice to know baby bear was in safe hands. her grandaddy walked her around the reception area, up to view some artwork, peer in store windows, etc. (the reception was inside a factory that has been converted to a shopping mall/muli-function building. it's so cool. it even has a pet adoption place in it. and a church meets there.) it was nearly 9 p.m. by that point, well past her bedtime. and she rose to the occasion and cuddled with whomever happened to hold her at the moment. (mommy and daddy were first choice, grandparents a close 2nd.)

yes, it was a good night. a good day, too. we went from sleeping in to playing in the dirt to dressing up... i in my black dress that i found for $10 and couldn't fit in at the time, baby bear in her pink satin and white lacey dress. i think it may be her easter dress, it's so pretty... she looks like a doll in it.

maybe i can fall asleep, 2 hours after waking up. and if i'm lucky, maybe baby bear will not wake up for at least another 3 hours.

Do I dare?????

I mean, my little Finding Focus Project
hasn't exactly led to a catharsis in my organizational habits.

I noticed Kimberley is daring and had to go see what the picture was about.

We'll see... (don't hold your breath, but feel free to go check out OrgJunkie's blog.)

obviously not much to post about here... i guess it's called blogger's block? anyway, hop on over to hannah bear's cave if you want to see what our cutie has been up to and have not been there in a while...

Baby Bear just handed me the "Prince and the Pauper"... Mickey Mouse version. She wants to watch it. Little does she know, it's the SPANISH version. I wonder how long she'll put up with it....

Have you read John 17 lately?

This passage reveals the prayer that Jesus prayed just before Judas betrayed him. In the past, I have been drawn to his prayer for unity of those who believe in Him. He refers to the disciples as gifts from the Father to Himself, and prays for those who will believe on Him through their word.
Does that mean He considers us gifts from the Father, too?

All my life I have been taught that Jesus was God's gift to us. (John 3:16 makes that perfectly clear.) Until yesterday, I have never thought that perhaps Jesus considered those who believe in Him to be gifts, too. Wow.

Hubby's jealous

Army Chaplain bought a motorcycle this weekend. You know what they say... "when the cat's away, the mice will play." In this case, it's "when the wife's away, the man will play." (Chaplain's wife is here in TN visiting family but he had to stay home for work.)

What happened to Spring? Brr.. it's cool out again. It rained a little yesterday, but was partly cloudy all day today. We drove up to Aldi to see if it was worth the drive for the savings. We decided it's not. It's not that far, but the savings didn't seem as good as they used to be. I was very disappointed because they didn't have any of the cream soda flavors that they used to have.

On the way home, we stopped by a playground. Baby bear loved the slides, but honestly, she had just as much fun picking up rocks.

Homemade chicken pot-pie is in the oven for supper, hubby mowed the lawn for the first time this year, then he went for his run. Baby bear is down for a nap, soon to awaken to the heavenly scent wafting from the oven.

I've kept laundry going today, but otherwise taken it very easy. I slept SO soundly last night. I should try working hard more often, because it sure seemed to help me sleep better.

Not much new. No deep thoughts or ponderings wandering through my mind, just plain old me dropping in to say hi to whoever is there. I hope your weekend is as restful as mine.

Oh, I forgot to mention... a couple of days ago a lady at the park said I look 18 or 19, not my age. You know you are growing up when you consider being told you look young a compliment.

If you haven't heard Janice's good news, be sure to stop by her blog and check it out! Keep her and her little one in your prayers as the baby develops.

hubby takes a turn being SAHD

Yup, it was hubby's turn to be a Stay-at-home-Dad. He works long days so he can have every-other Friday off work. We love it. Well, about 6 months ago, tech mom suggested I look into cleaning houses. At the time I think I laughed in her face, or called crt and asked her if she wanted to hear the nonsense that my mother-in-law had suggested. That wasn't her only suggestion, and she was trying to brainstorm to help me come with a constructive solution to receipt-nazi-induced frustration. Yes, I love him. Yes, I am very grateful for his financial discipline, and no, that does not change the fact that he is a receipt nazi. Anyway, I really don't want him to have to pick up an extra job when he works so hard already. And I really love those Fridays off. But I have begun to look into finding something part time (perhaps around 10 hours a week). Something that will be flexible enough for me to only work partial weekends, so hubby and baby bear can have bonding time. Preferrably something close to home. I haven't applied at the grocery stores yet (there are now 2 less than 2 miles away from my house.) I am also going to consider tutoring in the Subject that I taught, but my books are all packed away in boxes and finding them is a somewhat daunting task.

Anyway, we have friends from church who own their own cleaning business. It is small, but has grown enough to where they have thought about hiring additional help. However, they aren't quite ready to take on that commitment. Anyway, after a conversation I had with Mrs. Clean, as I will call her here, I began to think about possibly helping them out. I could potentially help clean if they really need someone else on the Friday mornings hubby has off, providing we aren't galavanting around the globe or across the state to visit family. Today, Mr. Clean and I embarked on my first "job". Well, not first job ever, but first job cleaning someone else's house. The last time I did any type of house cleaning and got paid for it was when I was about 9 years old, and "Grandma Hock" from our church in MI hired me to help clean out her kitchen cabinets. It hurt her back too much to hunch over, and I thought it was fun. Anyway, though I had initially scoffed at my mil for suggesting such a thing, there I was today, trying on my oldest jeans. Unfortunately, the size 7 and 8's were still too small (in spite of the fact that I've lost 5 more pounds since January), so I had to choose the pair of good jeans that I would least mind ruining with bleach or other household cleaners. I threw on a "Blood Battle" (UT-Martin and Murray State Blood Drive)T-shirt, and off I went to meet Mr. Clean. I'd forgotten that normal people are actually awake and out and about at 7:00 a.m., and it took me 20 minutes to drive 6 miles. Nothin' like being late to your first day of a new job. Oh, well. The afternoon cleaning actually turned out to be in a neighborhood I will not be going to by myself, not far from where hubby used to patrol the streets. It doesn't look as scary during the day, and the apartment was actually slightly cleaner than my house's current state... the inside of the fridge was cleaner than my own fridge's current state. But I have been reminded that other people's grime is much scarier than your own personal grime for some reason. Thankfully, I will get to decide whether or not I want to accept a cleaning job in the future.

So, as we approach the weekend, I now have my feet kicked up on the ottoman. We went out for pizza, and apparently something in the salad bar hit my stomach wrong, so I had a rough hour or so after we got home. Baby Bear went straight to sleep after brushing her teeth.

OH, I almost forgot to share the best part of my day. And no, I'm not talking about the fact that the husband at morning cleaning appt. has the same name as my hubby IRL (no, not receipt nazi), his wife's name is 2 letters different than mine, and their last name has the same first 3 letters. Their sons' names are nothing like Baby Bear's, but they are almost as cute as she is. Nor am I referring to the fact that hubby swept the kitchen floor, folded laundry, and wiped down the counters while I was gone. (Have I mentioned that he is a WONDERFUL hubby? No? Well, he is! Tech Mom, you raised him well!!!)

No, the BEST part of my day was getting to experience the joy of seeing my little girl's beautiful grin and feel her hug me as hard as she can because I am home. I never realized that I take her sweet smiles and hugs for granted until I was away from her for a full work day.

Maybe I will actually clean my own house while baby bear and daddy play this weekend. I haven't quite gotten into the swing of things with my routine.

Pray for Janice at 5minutesformom. She has 2 lumps in her breast, polyps in her cervix, and is pregnant. Her ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow.

We have a play date this morning! The thought of being around other Moms and their kids is making me a little nervous. Will Baby Bear be in a good mood? Will she play nicely with the other kids?

Part of me wants to chicken out and stay home in my comfort zone of plaid purple pj pants, a t-shirt, and my glasses. I guess there is still an introvert left inside me after all.

i found my dream home

When we can afford it, we can afford a housekeeper.
Or we'll have enough kids who are old enough to do the chores.

hubby's new favorite (honda) commercial:

"for some of us, there's therapy.
for the rest of us, there's motorcycles."

his are in his dreams and at his dad and brother's homes, but hey, whatever works. maybe some day...

works for me wednesday: project "get hubby to eat green veggies"

With asparagus in season and on sale, I took it upon myself to buy some for ou family. I like it, Baby-bear likes it... hubby tolerates it. I LOVE green veggies with pasta. They provide balance. And since I had decided to make chicken-bowtie pasta tonight, I decided asparagus would be a perfect side. Hubby eats green bean casserole. I use that term cautiously. I don't mean that he thoroughly enjoys to eat it. But as those of you who've been around here a while know, he's not that easy to cook for. And the fact that somehow in the last couple of years, he has decided green bean casserole is tolerable, is nothing short of a miracle. He hates creamy casseroles. Anything with mayo makes him gag. But the combo of cream of mushroom soup, French's fried onions, and green beans is edible to him.

Well, I decided to try asparagus casserole on him tonight. I substituted cream of chicken for cream of mushroom soup, as that's what was in the pantry. I boiled some water, then boiled 1 lb. of crispy, fresh asparagus til tender but not floppy (about 5 minutes). Then I followed the directions for green bean casserole as they are on the can. I used garlic salt, sea salt, pepper, and italian seasonings to add extra flavor.

Verdict? Works for me. Hubby ate his whole portion. Sure, it was only about 1/4 cup, and no more. But he cleaned his plate. Baby bear probably ate twice as much asparagus as her Daddy.

I'm breaking him down, one veggie at a time.

Toddler time...

I've been reading some other mom's posts today, and after this post I WILL get offline. Baby-bear naps, and I must say the laptop is like a Siren beckoning to me... I did begin reading through Proverbs a little earlier, and think that is a very good place to get back into the Word.

Anyway, I just wanted to share something I found, and perhaps open up some conversation based on a blog I just read. The author of the blog "So Many Joys" shares some TV-Free Toddler Activities for her Works-for-Me Wednesday entry.

Baby Bear loves following me while I work on laundry, putting pop cans in the fridge, and today she put her new baby wipes into the cabinet of her dresser for storage. She would rather tear blocks down than stack them up, but at least she has fun doing it.

What are some of your favorite TV-Free activities? I've found myself getting into a TV-rut with Baby Bear's new videos (she loves Blue's Room). She is starting to enjoy coloring, but she has yet to learn that she can't color everything she wants. If you don't have toddlers (i.e. they are grown or you aren't "there" yet), what are some things you used to do with your kids or you have seen others do that you plan to implement with your kids?

Finding Focus... still

As you have most likely figured out, I keep reverting to my procrastinatory ways. Well, tonight I spent 2 hours, yes you read that correctly, working on my life management "Finding Focus Project" spreadsheet. There's a verse that says: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." In my life, that translates to: "where there is no plan, little gets done." I'm becoming increasingly aware of the fact that I need to be intentional in how I live my life. Not just to do chores, because while they are important, I am blessed with two far more important things: my hubby and my daughter. I've focused on my weaknesses and struggles for far too long, and made excuses for them. I always struggled with unit plans as a teacher... to be honest, I usually made them up after the fact, to look good for my evaluations. I realized they could be very helpful, but I was overwhelmed with the day to day struggles and just didn't quite get "there". My kids managed to learn, but oh, how much more all of us could have learned had I been a little more efficient in my planning. Anyway, bygones are bygones, and I'm starting fresh...

So far, my spreadsheet for my personal FFP has 3 worksheets.
1)Brainstorming/Master List-
Divided into 5 categories: Personal, Spiritual, family, household, hobbies
2)Chore Chart-
Divided into room/area and frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, occasionally, projects)
3) Weekly Plan Template- days of the week across top, 5 categories along the side

largefamilylogistics suggests assigning a specific room or area to each day. That may be common sense to some of you, but this organizationally challenged lass trembled at the thought of that type of commitment. (It really is amazing I ever got married. At least I don't have a fear of committing to my hubby!!!)

These are the daily "focus areas" I have come up with so far:
Monday- Kitchen/Meal Planning Day
Tuesday-Laundry Day (That's what I've been working on today, though it's not going to be limited to Tuesday)
Wednesday- Bathroom Day
Thursday- Cleaning Day
Friday- Shopping Day
Saturday- Miscellany Day
Sunday- Church/Family Day


So there you have it... I am developing a "Unit Plan" for my day-to-day life. I suppose it's not really anyone else's business, and I risk showing those of you who don't really know me just how undisciplined I am, but so be it. Perhaps someone who reads this will be encouraged by something in this post. Maybe someone will jump on board and refocus alongside me. Or maybe you'll just pray for me, that the step that just took me 2 1/4 hours to take will lead to action. If I post less frequently, hopefully it means I am accomplishing something apart from the blogosphere.

Good night, friends. Hope all is well in your page of the blogosphere!

Praying about a part-time, flexible job opportunity. Out of my comfort zone, but every little bit could help right now. And one in particular could also help the business owners... they would not have to feel pressure to give me work, but I would be available to fill in.

(This is the decision I forgot to post about on Sunday, if anyone paid attention to the label.)

worthwhile causes...

FREE BOOKS FOR KIDS!
I think I mentioned that I had enrolled Baby-bear in the "Books from Birth" program a while back. Well, every month since then, she has received a FREE book in the mail. These books are hardcover, some are board books, all of them have been high-quality and age-appropriate. My neighbor Gina has 2 girls enrolled in the program, and says they don't duplicate titles, except for the "kick-off" story. Dolly Parton founded her Imagination Library in rural East Tennessee, and since then the program has spread. "Books from Birth" is the name it goes by in Tennessee, and thanks to this program, my daughter will have a pretty full library by the time she is 5 years old (unless we move somewhere where this isn't available).

If your children (under age 5) are not enrolled, visit the Imagination Library website to see if it's available in your area.


"Tampontification"
FREE TAMPONS FOR WOMEN IN NEED
Ok, tampons are not really a popular topic. But Caslon's best friend in WI sent me an e-mail to this link, and I thought I would share. The whole website is quite interesting... some may find it a little "crunchy", but it's worth perusing. And with the click of a button, you can show your support for having feminine hygiene products donated to women's shelters.

is the weekend already over?

Friday morning, Baby Bear and I met some friends at the zoo. I'll be posting pictures on her blog soon. My parents babysat her while I went to an appointment in peace. The doctor laughed when she came in and I was laying back on the exam table already. She has a 3-year old, and understands the lack of opportunities Moms of toddlers have to rest. Anyway, so nobody makes any assumptions, no I am not pregnant again. I just had a check-up that had to be rescheduled for my annual exam after the whole situation a 6 weeks ago. When I arrived home, Baby Bear was still content with GranWendy and GranDaddy, and the neighbor girls had arrived home from school and begged to see their little doll. I'll definitely have to take advantage of my parents' proximity to us more often. It was nice to go out by myself for a change. And of course, they love spending time with Baby Bear. I felt kind of bad because the house was a WRECK when they arrived, as I had opted to play outdoors and go to the zoo instead of do housework

TechMom and Dad arrived Friday evening, after taking a detour off the interstate when they saw all the semi's exiting. They made a wise choice, as there had been a big wreck involving 6 semi's... one of the drivers was killed, diesel fuel was all over the road. Anyway, Baby Bear woke up just after they went to bed, so we snuck her in to see her other grandparents. She was in grandparent heaven, seeing all 4 of them in one day!

Saturday brought a trip to Costco for us girls, Baby Bear's first experience playing in the rain, and the boys' completion of taxes. Woo hoo! Tech M&D treated us to dinner at Chili's, where we shared an awesome blossom appetizer.. I hadn't had one of them in a long time. It was almost too much for 4 1/2 people. (Unfortunately I learned that Baby Bear's tummy can't quite handle that yet... sigh...)

This morning... Sunday School with our new teacher, and miraculously we had a good group in spite of the time change. That's pretty impressive for parents of small kids who don't always adapt well to changes is routine! Hubby and his parents went to the worship service, while I arrived at Baby bear's class to find that the 13-year old son of my co-volunteer had joined us today! He proved to be a huge help, as he had the energy that I lacked and then some. The 7 kids LOVED him. Oh, and I found out from my co-volunteer that I CD I will most likely want should be released on my birthday!! Woo hoo! He works in retail marketing for a record label, and the son of a musician is in Baby Bear's class.

It was a good weekend. I learned that I can't do everything I want to... I missed a friend's birthday party this afternoon, but it was worth it to be able to relax more with Tech M&D after church. Otherwise, we would have had to really rush. Plus, BAby Bear was tired and not very cooperative, so it was good that we went home for dinner. After dinner and the boys' naps, we walked a mile and found unlocked doors in nearby Centex homes that have not been sold yet. Looking at floor plans has always been fun, and cheap, entertainment for us. (The front doors were locked, but 2 of the back doors were unlocked. It's not breaking and entering if the sign out front says "available" and the doors are left unlocked.)

No deep thoughts right now, that's the summary of what we've been up to. Baby Bear thinks Grandpa's snore is funny. Oh, and we have Caslon's old microwave to buy us some time on getting a new one. Our old microwave is being used by my brother and his wife in L-ville, and our current microwave no longer cooks, though the clock and timer work just fine.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I hope to post some pics from this weekend on Baby Bear's blog in the near future.

It's not over yet! Over 900 people have signed the list, and I'm sure there are lurkers out there who prefer to keep their anonymity!

I've just made a fresh batch of fruit tea, in honor of the warm weather that has come our way here in Tennessee. For those of you who are still stuck in winter-land, there's some hot chocolate with marshmallows... the microwave's broken, though, so let me know if I need to heat up some more water the old-fashioned way. Or hot tea. If you want coffee, Tech Mom will be here tomorrow night, and she'll be glad to grind and brew enough for all of us. Or, if you like, you can go crash her blog. She hasn't officially joined THE party yet, so we could just skip over there for a quick blog-crashing event.

I attempted to make cookies for the occasion, but said microwave being broken made it hard to soften the butter, so the dough is actually in the fridge. I'm doing a little experiment to see if it can still be salvaged. Things like this tend to happen when I attempt to make anything from scratch. It's the thought that counts, right? I have not wasted the white or milk chocolate chips yet, so if the dough looks/tastes unsalvageable, the most important part can still be used another time. I had to take a break from solving that mystery to vacuum the fruity cheerios that baby bear had pulled out of the cabinet and emptied onto the carpet.

Oh, please pardon the blocks, stuffed animals, and board books all over the living room.Would you believe I vacuumed the whole downstairs yesterday? Baby bear (my 16 month old daughter) and I have been playing outside. She discovered mud today, when I added some soil and water to the aloe plant that I have managed not to kill yet. (I think I've had it for at least a year. My Mom is always giving me indoor plants to ruin with my brown thumb.) The roots were almost exposed. I guess that happens when dirt settles. She also discovered rocks are fun to play with, as is the dirt on the curb. She also helped me put the holly-bush clippings that hubby had left scattered about into a trash bag. Who needs fancy toys when dirt, rocks and shrub clippings are abundant? I have managed to keep the laundry going... there's a mountain of it on the guest bed. I suppose I need to fold that tonight, because tomorrow promises to be a busy day, and the in-laws are driving over to visit their youngest grandbaby.

Sweet dreams, friends. Hubby made it home safely, so we should rest well tonight.

my chocolate and caramel sundae in which i decided to indulge myself melted into a cold, thick soup while hubby and i talked. it's still yummy.

travel update

the happy mcfamily has arrived in michigan safely. please continue to pray for the family as they mourn the death of their loved one (comic guy's great-grandma, who was 101.) juliana handled the long ride very well.

wow...

the fact that it's been over a year and a half since that 1st belly shot in the previous post was taken. just a little over two years ago, i swore my dentist to secrecy that i could not have x-rays taken because i pregnant, based on the home tests. (my parents go to that dentist, too.) after 6 years of marriage, we were finally going to be parents.

fast forward 2 years... my baby isn't so little anymore. she kisses the pictures of herself on the 3 finished scrapbook pages, and doesn't seem to have a clue that she is actually giving herself kisses.

in 2 more years, i will look back at pictures of baby bear that i took today, and remember that she used to be so small? she seems huge to me now, but i am very well aware that my baby has a long way to grow.... i wonder if she'll have a sibling to play with by then, or perhaps even more cousins?

i hope all of you are having a terrific week so far. hubby is away for work, so it's just me and the little one tonight (she's napping at the moment).

breezes and bellies...

(not at the same time)

ok, okay... here you go! i finally got up the nerve to start up the old laptop... the one with the fractured screen that is connected to an old monitor that tech mom gave me... and the monitor is at least 2 feet above the keyboard. so now the laptop is a desktop. however, i didn't like linking to baby bear's blog via the word belly in the last belly-tag post, and i'm sure most of you didn't either... so i decided to suck it up and use the less convenient of the computers. (i know, i should just be grateful to have one, never mind two working computers! and i am!)

anyway, baby bear and i went out to the park today. days like today make me glad to be living in the south. while my sister and her family are driving north to where it's still winter, it was windy and warm here. no jackets necessary! the daffodils are in bloom (mine should begin opening tomorrow... if a pesky rodent hadn't eaten most of the bulbs, i would have a lot more in our flower bed). anyway, days like today also remind me of why we have chosen to stretch ourselves financially so i can stay home with our daughter. i would not want to be in my old indow-less classroom next to the ISS room, dilbertish office cubes or even the welcoming learning center with the foosball table for "success time" tutoring others' kids while my daughter was playing outside with someone else.

As promised, here are those belly shots....

"hiking" in the smokies at 26 weeks...

not sure when we took this, but I had to be farther along...

bec and me at her shower on 10/15/05- 10 days before babybear's birth

p.s. thanks for the blouses, crt!

I went ahead and included the states I've simply passed through... because I can honestly say I've been there. (Places I've been are in RED.)


(Right click on picture to see whole map)

create your own visited states map


Just when I think I'm well travelled,
I get a reality check...


create your own visited countries map

tag...

adventures in baby wearing is sponsoring a belly-shot tag... i'm cheating and linking to a post of my belly on baby-bear's blog. because i'm lazy....

farm wife and steph, isn't it about time for your belly updates? zann, based on your dream, you might be playing tag with us soon! ;-> crt... i don't think i've ever seen any of your belly shot photos. ang, grace, bec, tech mom...? i know you girls can join the fun. well, some of you might have to scan in old pics.

i was going to post a pic of me and bec at her baby shower, just 10 days before i had Hannah... i still might, but i don't feel like getting on the other computer right now, and that's where the pics are.

sesame street

Baby Bear and I are upstairs in front of the TV. She is actually about to take all the DVD's off the shelf, so she is obviously not all that caught up in the show this morning. She just kissed the cover of "Kate & Leopold". She has also been walking around with her older cousins' first Christmas picture and kissing it for the last couple of days.

Anyway, I like Sesame Street because it's a neighborhood. Though fictional, it's a community where people get to know eachother. Yes, I like the ABC's, 123's, etc. for Baby Bear. Yes, I find some of the characters' voices annoying. And today, the "plot" is about adoption. As hubby and I discussed last night, the pictures painted of adoption in mainstream TV often portray it as the worst option for the kids, not so subtly implying that the mothers are foolish for choosing life. It's refreshing to see adoption persented the way it should be, even if it is simplified for the sake of young ones.

In these days of urban sprawl, I feel blessed that as the weather grows warmer, our neighborhood will feel a little more like Sesame Street. (Why is it that there are no CARS zooming passed the kids in the street, though? I haven't seen a pedestrian only sign.) Neighbors will be out for walks with their kids, washing cars, pretending to garden, etc. When we lived in another city, we knew very few of our neighbors by name, never mind knowing them well enough to go out to eat or grill out together. (Which reminds me we need to refill the tank for the grill). Oh, our neighborhood is far from Sesame Street in many ways, but it's also better. It's our home.

As of this morning, over 660 people have joined the Ultimate Blog Party, sponsored by 5 minutes for Mom. I've enjoyed browsing some new cyber-hoods, and have also enjoyed having visitors around here.

The Cure for Anxiety...

That's the subtitle in my Bible, just above Matthew 6:25...

Hubby and I attend a fairly large church. I wouldn't call it a mega-church, it certainly isn't anywhere near as big as the one with the outrageously huge crosses that you pass on I-40 as you head into Memphis. But it's big enough that a lot of people get lost in the shuffle, don't get plugged into the community, and move on to find fellowship elsewhere. I have a feeling that's fairly common in large churches. Anyway, our class is trying to be intentional about building relationships, and today was one of those days where it showed. It truly was a God thing. In addition to our scripture study, several of us shared how the Lord is teaching us to trust Him in our daily lives. We were able to share because instead of being in just another Sunday School class in the buckle of the Bible Belt, over time we have begun to build friendships and trust.

As we shared, a memory from my childhood came back to me. My parents had invited a family over for dinner. The wife was blind, and I remember being a little frightened by her eyes. She seemed nice, but I think the part where she actually was able to pop her glass eye out to show us really made me cringe. When she sat down at the piano to sing a song called "Consider the Lilies", any fear I had of her vanished. I was probably a pre-teen, I don't really remember. But I do remember thinking that if that woman could sing such a pure-hearted song with all she had been through, I had no reason not to have confidence in God's love.

It's getting late, hubby is going to bed, and I would like to snuggle with him, but if you find yourself struggling with anxiety, fear, or discontentment, I want to encourage you to read and ponder Matthew 6:25-34.

icebreaker

This is for all of us... since there are a few new faces around here, I thought I would try to come up with a little get-to-know you survey. I could go to blogthings and find something, but let's just see what crosses my wandering mind today...

1) Is your blog identity a pseudonym or part of your real name?
My name. at first i went by a wandering heart, that was too long. ren reminds me too much of ren and stimpy, which i never really got into. I couldn't come up with anything more creative, so I decided to just use my real name.
2) How many states have you lived in? 3 Countries? 1, but I spent a summer in Mexico as a summer missionary.
3) How long have you been blogging?
If old-fashioned bulletin board systems counted, I suppose I could say I did it in high school. But since BBS's were before the internet, I would have to say my sister in law introduced me to her blog last summer. An old friend from high school then told me about her blog, and I have met most of my "blogily" (blog family) through her. I initially started Baby Bear's blog, and then decided to make a personal one for myself, too.
4) If the internet completely disappeared, would you have to go through a blogger recovery program such as blogoholics anonymous (BA)?
I already founded a chapter a couple of months ago. Care to join me? Actually, I think I need to call it procrastiblogoholics anonymous.
5) When you aren't blogging, what are some of your hobbies?
Playing with my daughter, learning new signs to teach her, napping, reading (currently reading The Mommy Manual by Barbara Curtis- still), listening to music, spending time with hubby, talking to friends on the phone or online. I'd like to say scrapbooking, but I only have 3 pages done... and I've been working on the book for at least 3 months.
6) How many languages do you speak? 1 1/2: English & some Spanish. I don't speak toddler, but I am currently enrolled in a course called "Interpretation of Toddler Sounds".
7) Favorite vacation spot? hmmm. anywhere relaxing, preferrably with either a beach and.or mountains nearby. I am really looking forward to Gulf Shores this summer!
8) What is your life verse, quote, or theme?
Ideally: Phil 4:13- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Honestly: It can be done, it should be done, it shall be done... tomorrow.
9) What is the hardest job you have ever had? Teaching high school Spanish, I'm sure parenting will take over that title in a few years.
10) What is the most rewarding role you have had in life? Being married to hubby, being a stay at home mommy.

Feel free to pick and choose... answer just 1 or all, whatever suits you.
I look forward to getting to know all of you better!!!

good news about ice cream!!!

well, depending how you take it, i guess!

this is for inkling

I wasn't going to post again tonight. Really. Then I just could not deny the request of my friend who reminds me so much of a childhood heroine (Anne Shirley).

Oh, shoot, I just realized I was going to post about family, and that has the potential of making my red-headed friend miss hers even more. That certainly is not my intention. I just thought I would post about my day.

Actually, my blissful Friday started last night. Thursday nights are often our Friday nights, at least twice a month when hubby is off work. We went out for fajitas, where baby bear charmed our waitresses. We went to the restaurant where a "stranger" (i.e. non-family member or close friend) had first recognized my pregnancy without me saying something to clue them in when I was expecting Baby Bear. (Morning sickness made me lose weight before I started gaining.) Then we went to pick up some groceries for the weekend, specifically chicken for tonight's dinner.

My Mom and Brother-in-law have birthdays in January, and it's often difficult for us to get everyone together. It turned out that older brother and his wife didn't make it. Well, we had postponed their joint family birthday dinner once, and we figured if we didn't have it 2 months after the fact, it was not going to happen. My Mom is a wonderful hostess. She goes above and beyond, cooks too much food, and stuffs us silly when we meet at her house. She makes the best oven-roast beef and mashed potatoes, the best stuffing (as opposed to cornbread dressing that never soaks up the juices of the turkey), and does it with all her heart and strength. Unfortunately, this also means that she works too hard and doesn't relax enough when she has us over. So the birthday meal was at my house. I suppose one of these times we could go out for dinner together as a family. But with 2 toddlers between my sis and me, that could be challenging. You never know what mood evening will bring to toddlers. Instead of stressing one person (me) out over food, I chose to delegate. (And they volunteered to help.)
We had a birthday potluck, of sorts. My Dad made one of his salads. His salads are not your boring mixtures of iceberg, pre-shredded carrot, tomatoes, and maybe cheese on top. No, his dad was Italian, and their side of the family has a "family" salad. (Though I must mention that all of the siblings who make it, do it differently. Go figure.) Anyway, the salad my Dad brought tonight was complete with real lettuce and spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lemon juice, oil, seasonings, and probably feta cheese, though for some reason I can't remember if that was in it this time. It's very soggy, but very good... No additional dressing needed. Sis brought green bean casserole and the cake she baked, I supplied italian crock-pot chicken, rice, Breyer's French vanilla ice cream and drinks.

The toddlers played near eachother, and try as we might, teaching them to share is like teaching a true southerner to pronounce "pen" correctly. (hint: the short "e" sound is not the same is the short "i" sound). They really did pretty well, and no major fights broke out over any particular toy or sippy cup. Baby Bear kept trying to kiss her cousin, which resulted in her kissing her cousin's rear a couple of times. Oh, well.

Every time we have company, whether it be family or friends, I realize something about myself. I am a lot like my Mom. If left unchecked, I might have the urge to "get things done" and not sit down with company until the table is cleared. (She is getting better at this, and we do try to help out when we're at her house.) Tonight, I rinsed off the plates because I didn't want the food to eat away at the platinum trim on my china. (I think this is about the 7th time I've actually used any of my china since our wedding. Maybe. I don't have a china cabinet, so it's a small ordeal to take out of storage.) My family helped clear the table, too, and we sat and watched the girls play and chatted for a few minutes. Anyway, whenever I have company, I have to make myself relax, and I have no idea why. I mean, my family has known me... my whole life. (Well, my side.) They know my weaknesses, my strengths, my oddities (like the fact that all my white socks seem to be worn through and we have not replaced the not-darned things yet). Hubby helped me get the house ready enough, Baby Bear was glad to try to help him "bah-oom" the carpet, and we even got a 3 hour nap in. There was no reason for me to not relax... oh, well. Tonight I found myself with not a whole lot to say, just glad to have them there, to have my daughter and her younger cousin be able to spend time with one another (and the rest of us). I wonder when they will start truly remembering family gatherings.

I'll let my sister share the cake story on her blog, if she feels so led. It was yummy, that's what counts. Dad showed us some of the notecards he's made with prints of his paintings and photos, and now I'm pondering how to help him market his "little" retirement hobby.

Anyway, as I've said before... I feel blessed to have my family. Both sides. There may be a day when the distance is greater than 30 minutes to a few hours by car, so even if it takes 2 months to find a date that works, we will get together. And though today felt like a Saturday, it was really a Friday and two days of the weekend remain. It was a great way to start our weekend.

ultimate blog party!

I initially posted a link in my sidebar last week after reading my friend Stephanie's blog. Steph is someone I've met in real life, but have started getting to know online. Then I got to thinking, "Do I REALLY want a bunch of strangers reading some of the personal things I've written here?" I don't even go by a psuedonym. So I removed the link.

Well, tonight I was reading Kimberly's blog, and she had also added a link about the
UBP. And I reconsidered. Plus, I just like to meet people, especially online. I can come across as an introvert in public, and I don't know how many people wrote "you're quiet, but you seem like a nice girl" in my high school yearbook because they never really got to know me and didn't know what to say. Anyway, I'm not really that quiet anymore. College, teaching, getting married, and becoming a mommy have changed me. Now I type, if not talk, too much. If you scroll to the very bottom, I have a counter because I am a little bit vain. Of course, it also includes the umpteen times a day that I read comments or post a wandering thought or two... or fifty. I added the counter at the beginning of this year, just for fun.

My "blog purpose statement" says, "this is my little bleep of cyberspace where i hope to strengthen old friendships & forge new ones. or maybe it's just another excuse for me to procrastinate." I am please to say that since I set stake in this little plot of the blogosphere, I have been blessed to keep in touch with family, re-kindle old friendships, and meet lots of wonderful people. Unfortunately, I procrastinate far too often... one of these days I'll work on that. Many entries are day-by-day snapshots of my life, whether it is boring, exciting, or somewhere in between. Some may be words that have captured my heart for a moment. Every so often, I may share a recipe (one that will most-likely be simple because I consider myself "domestically challenged".) And sometimes, as a Believer in Jesus who doesn't know all the answers, but knows the One who does, I share my faith-related ponderings. By joining in this little adventure, I do hope to meet more of you, especially some who may have been lurking unannounced behind the scenes.

If you've been around a while, thank you for keeping my party going. If you're stopping by because of the "ultimate blog party", welcome. Introduce yourself, kick up your feet and procrastinate with me and my fellowsojourners. If you haven't joined the party, yet, click on the link in my sidebar before March 9th to check it out for yourself! There are even lots of cool prizes!

word study:

dictionary.com definitions:
slothful–adjective sluggardly; indolent; lazy.

lazy – adjective

1.	averse or disinclined to work, activity, or exertion; indolent.

2.	causing idleness or indolence: a hot, lazy afternoon.

3.	slow-moving; sluggish: a lazy stream.

4.	(of a livestock brand) placed on its side instead of upright.

–verb (used without object)

5.

to laze.

diligent- –adjective

1.	constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything: a diligent student.

2.	done or pursued with persevering attention; painstaking: a diligent search of the files.

An online search of the Bible found:
* 29 verses containing the word diligent
* 5 verses containing the word slothful
* 1 verse with the term lazy.

More thoughts on this to come, but I'd better get off my bum and do something...
****

Isn't it interesting that the positive word of the 3 has far more references than the other 2? I still need to read and study all the verses, but that stood out at me when I viewed the search results.

Good night, everyone!

Getting back to normal...

I guess I am thankful that my body is exhibiting signs of returning to normal cycles in just 1 month. The nausea and other symptoms are no fun, but it's nice to not have to wonder. Those symptoms can mean cycle or pregnancy, which drives me crazy when I end up waiting... especially after what happened last month. I really need to read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility... I wonder if the library has it. I am not quite ready to get back on the pill or other chemical bc. But right now the idea of getting pregnant again is a little scary. I have friends who I like to think God has given me partially to show how He provides and blesses with kids when we don't think we can afford them, but I have to admit that our faith is so weak in that area. However, since we do want more children, I would rather leave it up to God and take another pregnancy as a sign that He will take care of us and provide for all our needs. Not to mention the physical side effects. Really, while we may say that we are just being "responsible" by not having more kids if we aren't "prepared", what does it say about our faith in a sovereign God to provide? I'm just thinking in print here. This is something that is a personal decision for every couple, and reasons for or against avoiding pregnancy can be debated. But that's not my intention. I'm just thinking...

I think I'll go shower before baby bear wakes up from her nap. She'll be hungry and angry, as she's been down for quite a while now. 2 hours. Growth spurt or fighting something? Hopeful the growth spurt.

tornado watch....

give me snow over this any day.

i really am going to quit procrastinating...





























starting first thing tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

keeping you wondering...

on the way home from our meeting tonight, our neighbor's jack russell was taking her for a walk. we pulled over to chat for a second... and i found out that one of the contestants on a talent/"reality" show that people either love or just don't care about lives in my neighborhood. i might have to start watching this season just for that reason... and to vote for her just for that reason. we watched last week, until hubby's show came on. i must admit that i liked his show better, but i usually start enjoying it after the worst singers are weeded out... not that they all get weeded out, but i think you know what i mean. and i do like changing the genre of shows that get airtime in our home.

the cat might be out of the bag...

no secrets, really. i just felt like calling this post that. at our sunday school class leadership meeting tonight, some friends mentioned finding my blog. i asked "which one", and they meant baby-bear's. so then, of course, i told them about this one. now, the husband in the couple has a blog, too... but i get the feeling it's a little bit different than mine. i got to thinking, and his wife really needs to get to know farm wife. these friends have 3 boys under 7. she and farmwife could really empathize with one anothers struggles of having littles all around. it sounds like he's more of the blogger of the two, but maybe, just maybe we'll lure his wife into our little estrogen filled blog family. not that our hubbies aren't welcome, or male friends/acquaintances that join into the random theological discussions that might pop up when my heart wanders that way. or any other discuissions or just plain old posts. but i'm not sure they WANT to be here that much, or understand why we're on here as much as we are.

so, if you friends from church are lurking out there, welcome to another part of my life. :-) if you still want to link to my blog from yours after reading it, welcome to everyone else who might wander this way...

wish me luck...

i'm baking chicken in cream of mushroom soup with french's onions.... green bean casserole but replace the green beans with chicken. hubby's not typically a big casserole fan, but he likes chicken and he'll eat gb casserole. i have leftover asparagus to cook up, so i thought i would sautee it as usual, and then put some of the sauce from the chicken over it. i didn't want to torture hubby with the taste of asparagus baked into the chicken, when I was already taking a risk.

baby bear has apparently decided that she is too big for 2 naps a day. i feel sorry for the nursery workers at church tonight already. hubby and i are going to a meeting, and she'll be in nursery. she is jabbering away in her crib, sometimes fake crying, sometimes talking, sometimes quiet... it's been that way for 30 minutes now, and at the moment she is quiet. maybe she fell asleep after all. if i'm lucky. we played outside today... it is warm, sunny and breezy here. she chased her ball around the yard and wanted to jump off the cliff into the woods, but i stopped her. she also wanted to go make herself comfy on the neighbor's lounger on their patio. i didn't let her get that far either. she dug her fingers into the earth pot... nothing like recycled wisconsin dirt! as she did so, i realized they will need weeding and more soil if i am going to give potted veggies another shot. so far my luck has not been very good with potted tomatoes or peppers. it's a shame, because i LOVE both. the thyme in the herb pot is green, and we'll see if the oregano and basil come back. they did last year. i love fresh herbs. they make my limited cooking skills seem fancy. nothing like a little fresh herb sprinkled across the top to say "homemade". that's what my mom taught me. anyone else grow up with parsley sprigs and cayenne pepper sprinkled across their mashed potatoes just to be pretty? (besides bec, of course). or a dad who grew nastirtiums because they were edible (they taste like radishes, if you want to know)?

it sounds like bear actuallly went to sleep. Calm. QUIET. Aahhh... that's what they mean by the phrase sleeping like a baby.

sunny day. everything's A-okay......

the meeting with my friend was not so bad. it's nice to see her excited about what she's doing to try to help with her family. we had a good chat, and baby-bear woke up from her nap just as friend was leaving... perfect timing.

i received an e-mail that the signing time video #2 came in at the library, so baby bear and i went on a little outing to retrieve it. (we haven't seen #1 yet, but no biggie.) our library has a great new play structure behind it, so it is perfect! i foresee the playground becoming a reward for good behavior while inside as she gets older. she met lots of other toddlers, most of whom were older than her. i met some mommies. i think everyone was just relieved to get some fresh air and not have to wear a coat, or jacket. there were mommies with their 4 & 8 week old boys, one had an infantino sling... that thing looked like it did it's job while she chased her 23 month old around! I was very impressed. i might try to make it to a story time with bear in the near future. these outings are good for us. and free of charge fun makes everybody happy.

when we got home, we went for a short walk down the street and back... she rode her tricycle while i steered. she actually kept her feet on the pedals, though the connection between movement and pushing the pedals with her feet has yet to be made. the cup holder on the parent steering post is really not a good idea for sugary drinks like coke, especially when the toddler on the trike has minimal stability. she almost had a hissy fit when i decided it was time to come in, but got over it soon enough.

one of these times i'll remember to bring my camera downstairs (and ti the playground) and get some new pics on her blog.

yes, it's been a good day. bear is napping, i have the guest bed ready for the next guests, laundry is almost caught up... and costco's coupon flier actually has things i'll use in it, so we may just make a costco trip next month. $4 off a big tub of laundry detergent... can't beat that! clorox wipes, kirkland diapers and wipes.... yes i do believe we will make a costco trip at some point...probly the last day the coupons are good. maybe i'll even get my photos picked out for baby bear's scrapbook, so they can be printed while i shop. ok, that would be a real miracle.

i think i'll see if i can catch some zzzz's before hubby gets home and bear wakes up...

tuesday's (wandering) thoughts:

*tonight's dinner- leftovers- salmon for one of us, chicken and potatoes for the other, cooked *spinach for me and baby bear (hubby may eat his token amount)
*i feel like we're in a construction zone, between the blasting that shakes the neighborhood from a mile away and the bulldozing going on down the hill behind/next to our house. please tell me THAT part means it won't be long before we get a retaining wall... pretty puh-lease???
*gotta call the doc and make sure the insurance company BCBS is actually paying our claims now that they heard from hubby, who verified that we indeed are not covered under another plan. beginning to wonder if saving money was worth the switch.
*friend coming in 30 minutes to pick up her mlm business catalog and try to talk me into signing up. Want to say, "what part of i'm burnt out on ALLdirect sales/mlm/networking don't you uderstand?" I will try to be more tactful. Spending more and recruiting other people to save but still spend more than they normally would in order to make money just isn't worth it. Even if the products are organic, healthful, non-carcinogenic, etc....

today's methods of procrastination...

blogging & checking e-mail, of course
going grocery shopping (for food that hubby will most likely deem unnecessary, since it includes spinach and asparagus and strawberries) prediction was correct... not quite WWIII, but not a good experience. we managed to call a truce before we fell asleep, following the advice we received in pre-marital counseling: NEVER go to bed angry at one another. (We weren't really angry at eachother, just mutually frustrated about mars/venus/money issues.) We tried, neither of us could sleep, so we talked it out and then slept soundly until 6-ish.
taking baby bear to the playground
taking baby bear outside to play with her new trike that was handed down to her (with handle for me to steer her with--- she can't quite ride it herself yet. she can ring the bell on it, though)

what i've accomplished so far today...
switched laundry loads
took a shower-
played with baby bear- read a few books, watched some of her signing video, etc...
changed a bunch of diapers.... i've been feeding her more fruit this week.
helped baby bear put away the groceries (she put away the pop cans; i put away the rest... btw, anyone with publix- coke product 6 packs are 99 cents. includes diet dr pepper, caffeine free stuff, you name it.)


still to do...
put away clean dishes, re-load dishwasher: a never ending cycle
sweep kitchen-done!
cook dinner (Salmon, asparagus, rice)- would have cost $30+ tip for both of us in a restaurant, tasted just as good, if not better than many places
fold laundry pile on guest bedroom- done and put away!
vacuum everywhere- clear floor required to do this!
change sheets on all beds- done in guest room
Re-focus on my Finding Focus Project... make a list of things to do this week and do them...
play with baby bear some more

i'll stop there for now....


Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!
Color updates- current as of 9:13 am CST Tuesday.

As we walked into church this morning, I noticed the Mom of a little boy I had in my nursery class last year. She didn't seem to recognize me, but I remembered her son. The only child with a wheat allergy who brings his own snack sort of sticks out. He was a sweet boy, too. Anyway, she was by herself, and mentioned that her little guy was home with Daddy... he just doesn't handle the whole morning (SS & Service back to back) very well. At our church that can be 4 1/2 hours, so it is understandable. Many of Baby Bear's classmates only come to one service, as they live close enough that Mom and Dad can swap duty Sundays for sunday school and then bring the child to nursery during service, or many have given up Sunday School altogether for a while. Living 25 minutes away, we sort of make Baby Bear "suck it up", to quote someone who refuses to do that (siu) with a certain kids' act that she finds annoying. We drop her off at 9:15 a.m., or shortly therafter, and then pick her up after the service ends... around 12:30 ish. Except on the weeks I work in her class. I remember how shocked I was at the beginning of this year when she was assigned to my toddler room. She was not yet 1 year old! My Baby was not old enough to be in that room!

Then it dawned on me that the kids I worked with had been younger when they entered the class, but I did not get to see them grow up that whole year, since I did not start volunteering until January. I thought Baby Bear (and (, for that matter) might do well with a break from Mommy, but the age group really was best for her. Now I'm glad we are in there together. Just when she is beginning to tire of being in nursery, Mommy shows up. And while she is generally a happy camper, playing with her friends, fighting over toys, and patting the Bible (or lifting it at the end of the B-I-B-L-E song), during those edgy moments when one tired toddler overreacts to another, Mommy is there. Plus, it dawned on me recently that it is good for her to see Mommy holding and plaing with other children. While she is curently the "center of our world" at home, when God does allow us to have another one, she will need to learn to share her Mommy,Daddy, and toys.

p.s. While all the kids seem to like the toy piano in our nursery, I've noticed that Baby Bear and the son of a drummer in a Christian band seem to like it the most. I guess having a piano around for her to bang on does peak that natural curiosity... even if Mommy isn't quite a professional musician.
p.p.s As I sit and watch the wiggles with bear, it doesn't grate me quite as badly as Friday night... but I can see why certain people choose to steer their kids minds away from such randim silliness. I'm not sure that most kids need this much help being silly.

Further proof that horoscopes are worthless...

You Should Be A Cancer

What's good about you: you're incredibly kind, caring, and generous What's bad about you: you can be too moody and impossible to understand In love: you enjoy wining and dining the object of your affection In friendship, you're: likely to depend on other friends for emotional support Your ideal job: historian, marine biologist, or religious figure Your sense of fashion: you dress to match your mood You like to pig out on: classic home cooked meals, like mac and cheese

What Sign Should You Be?

Does this mean I should read the horoscope for Cancer, if I read it at all? Because according to this, I shouldn't be what I am.

Just for fun, any non-family members want to guess my actual sign without scrolling back in my blog for clues?

it's time for "i told you so" from crt...

hubby and i made the mistake of thinking that because crt doesn't tolerate sesame street, and we do without a problem, she was being a little melodramatic in her opinion of the wiggles.

she wasn't. baby bear seems to love them, but i suspect the only time we'll let baby bear actually watch the darn dvd is when she's upstairs in her pack and play while i'm showering. it's not that there's anything morally wrong with the dvd... it's just the most random collection of songs. annoyingly random collection of songs. seriously, what kind of drugs are these grown men taking? the educational value is.... debatable, to be generous. i need to go check out the reviews on amazon to see what the general public thought. God help us all if it was a hit.

we should have gone with little einsteins, dora, or even blue's clues which bores baby bear half to death.... oh, well. at least baby bear likes it. or should that worry me?

Stephanie at Olive Tree posted about the upcoming
ULTIMATE BLOG PARTY...

thought I'd go ahead and share it with all who may be interested!