Trish's Blog

My New Pad

2008-06-11T14:32:00.001-05:00

I am moving my blog. HERE. It's still under construction. The blog roll and meta thingies on the right haven't been used yet, so they're just place holders. Anyway... whatcha think of my new pad? Update your subscriptions. If you want.

Gun Slinging Haleys

2008-06-02T12:39:00.008-05:00

Zack attended Camp Skeeter which is something his school does for all third graders at the end of every school year. The kids fabric paint a shirt with the logo of a bug and the camp title, make things to buy in the "depot" with bucks they earn during the year for being good, and this year they also made marshmallow guns. Zack came home with the prototype, Seth wanted one, and Daddy came through with a trip to Lowe's.

In fact, we all got one! We used a pipe cutter clamp thingy to cut the long piece of pvc pipe which Josh had already purchased for a previous manly project with our neighbor John. We cut our own (except Seth... he asked for help) pipe and then put our own gun together with fittings, following Zack's model. And then Josh got out the electrical tape to decorate his and the kids followed suit. I got out the scrapbook stickers to decorate mine and Seth followed my inspiration. Any project is made better with stickers, right? Unless you're going for the military-I'll-woop-you-don't-mess-with-me look.

Here are the measurements to ours and the pics (all except Zack's... maybe he took his back to school today) so you can go make your own. Make sure all the fittings are slip style and not threaded. Also, we bought all the fittings in bags of 10... it's cheaper... and we just need another pvc pipe to make one for Zoe when she gets bigger.

1 straight piece at 7.25 inches, pvc pipe 1/2 inch
6 straight pieces at 3.25 inches, pvc pipe 1/2 inch (or you can make one longer for your forward grip like I did... mine was the last one to be cut, so I just left the extra inch or so that was leftover)
2 caps, 1/2 inch slip
2 elbows, 1/2 inch slip
2 tees, 1/2 inch slip

If you live in my area, Kroger is having a sale on mini marshmallows which are needed for ammo. Marshmallows as ammo... talk about an oxymoron, but those soft and seemingly harmless pellets hurt when they're blown hard by these weapons. Oh, I forgot to say how to load ammo... put a mini marshmallow in the mouth piece and then blow. Simple, yeah? You would think that you need to plug the hole going back to the back grip, but you don't need to worry. The capped end provides the pressure needed to blow the ammo out the tube that doesn't have a cap.

Another tip... push the marshmallow in a little bit so that it doesn't touch your tongue before you blow. It keeps the marshmallows from getting sticky so you can use them again and it keeps you from inhaling them accidentally so you don't choke and die.

One more tip...play outside. I'm paranoid that we have forgotten mini marshmallows in our living room. When they're wet and somebody steps on them, they are hard to get out of the carpet.

On second thought... marshmallows are nasty little buggers.

My Favorite Drink

2008-05-28T21:08:00.003-05:00

I poured my favorite drink today and then I thought I'd take a picture of it. So in case you want to try it, here's the recipe:

1 glass (or plastic cup impersonating a glass)
lots of ice
ibc cream soda (it's caffeine-free unlike A&W)
heavy cream (yup. that's right. not half and half)

Fill glass with ice, pour cream soda over that, then float heavy cream over that. The cream sits at the top, but will get mixed in with the soda eventually (but I try to prolong the separation for as long as I can by taking slow sips). When you take a sip there's the crispy sweet of the soda mixed with the mild, fattening goodness of cream.

What a great combination... you'll have a heart attack and a diabetic coma all at once. You're welcome.

More Onesies, Burp Cloths, Etc.

2008-05-27T16:26:00.011-05:00

First, Zoe is all better. Thanks to all you well-wishers. And I scored some chocolate at the dollar store the other day, so I'm good. I mean, Zoe thanks you for helping her get better! Actually, I got sick too, and slept most of Memorial Day while Josh and the kids slaved away in the yard. Josh calls one of the sago palms "Cousin It" and they gave him a big time hair cut. He'll probably blog about it. Anyway, I'm all better, too. By the way, did you know that Twix Java is out? As if that candy bar needed any more incentive to eat it.

Second, Sarah and I are totally addicted to the Ting Tings lately (their song "Shut Up and Let Me Go" is in an ipod commercial). We did Gwen for a while, and we still go back to her in the car, but now when I walk by Sarah's room I can hear "Imagine all the girls... ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah" blaring. Josh knows what we like and turned us on to them. But it's a good thing Sarah has him to also expose her to a variety of really great music. She eats everything up that he teaches her. She has a drum pad that she practices on, she learned a song on the ukulele, and yesterday I heard her playing the electric bass. I gotta figure out how to do the hyper text (and be cool like Juli and Angry Asian and Homemade by Jill and Josh) to link to the video he posted. **I know how to use the link button now!! Check out my girl playing her grandpa's Kamaka. (Thanks papa'!)

Now for the crafty pics...

First set has really soft yellow felt with bunnies that a friend (M) gave me in a big bag of fabric scraps she didn't want anymore. I only had a little left and I really wanted to make something the baby could touch, so I made a soft toy. B is for baby, burp, bunny or Bailey (name of the baby that is coming in October... yeah, they already got her name). Then when you flip the burp cloth or the soft toy it's a D for Daddy. (Or a q or a p... you get the idea.) The socks will probably fall apart... I didn't stitch around the hearts because the fabric is stretchy and I'm just not savvy enough on the sewing machine to do stretchy. So it's just for looks.

The next set is more of the same with some extra touches. I sewed ribbon on one edge of the fabric on the burp cloth. I made a hair bow clip with the same ribbon. And then I got an original thought for the socks. I crocheted pieces of fabric to the edge. It's really easy to crochet the edge of socks and I've seen people do it with chain stitches and beads for little girls, but beads and babies don't mix (as if pieces of fabric can't get caught in a baby's airway). I have no idea if these fabric pieces are secure enough. Who knows what will happen when they get washed. So it seems that these socks are for looks, too. I predict that the baby I made this for will have an outfit for each day of every month and year and so will only need to wear the socks once anyway... heh heh. This set has one other piece coming so I'll post it when I'm done.

And that's all the pics I have for you today.

I want to thank Josh's Grandma for buying me this sewing machine years ago... without it I would not be able to escape into a craft world. And thanks to Josh's mom for taking the time to teach me how to sew... one thing I remember is that "spit" is one of the tools of the trade. And then the German lady I took a class from when I was pregnant with my first baby... she deserves my thanks, too. She helped me learn how to make stuff from a pattern... kind of.

Now that the kids are older, I am able to help them make little sewing projects, too. Sarah made a soft bookmark out of the fabric scraps after cutting out a pattern for a shirt we're making for her. (She said, "Now I just need a book to put it in.") Who knows if we'll be able to make it through this pattern and still be related to each other. We've already had little spats just cutting out the pieces. Uh, Mom... What? I don't know if this is the right line. Did you cut it already? Just a little. Why didn't you ask me before you cut it if you weren't sure?

Baby Onesie & Matching Burp Cloths

2008-05-23T22:52:00.004-05:00

Before Zoe monopolized my day and night by being sick, I managed to make these less-than-perfect-but-still-cute baby gifts.

I used Wonder Under to get the fabric squares ironed to the front and back of the onesie. Then I zigzag stitched around the edges.

I like the banana-butt... inspired by the onesie I bought in a store for my nephew. (Front said "I heart Mommy" and back bottom said "Mommy hearts Me".) I got the onesies from Target, they are Circo brand... much nicer than the Gerber ones. I got the cloth diapers at Target, too, and these pics were taken before I ironed/stitched some squares to the opposite end of the fabric encased end. So... they got cuter, but you'll have to use your imagination.

I'm Sick, Send Gifts

2008-05-23T21:18:00.003-05:00

Look at this sad picture of Zoe. Her first experience of a fever and she's only four months old. Makes you want to send chocolates, huh? Anything to ease the pain... well, she'll get some eventually! It'll just be processed through the mommy milk factory first. Purely for her benefit.

My first video post on youtube!

2008-05-21T12:15:00.002-05:00

Zoe has been eyeballing her feet for weeks. Today she managed to reach them on her own. Here's proof!

Random Events of the Day

2008-05-19T17:09:00.004-05:00

I am recovering from the craziness of last week. I got some work done in 15 minute intervals with Zoe awake and in 30 minute intervals with her sleeping. Can't complain because she sleeps through the night... and I have stayed up in the wee hours to get work done without interruptions. Luckily, I'm past the need for that this week.

Seth is also home with us today because he had a fever yesterday, stayed home from church, and then threw up in the evening. (Thanks a lot, Nancy! We caught your flu bug.) He has been parked on the couch ever since. He slept there and woke up with a tummy ache this morning. I gave him Motrin and water and then he threw up again (in the toilet, thank the gods... the toilet gods). So... I 86'd the water. I've been giving him cups of ice and that seems to be working. I threw in a few Saltines a couple of hours ago because the poor boy hasn't eaten anything for two days. He kept it down, so I just now gave him a few more. He has had a huge dose of TV today. I'll probably keep him home one more day.

I had already offered to pick up the Kindergartners (my Seth and Susie's little boy) for this week, but had to call Susie to let her know that I couldn't today. I left messages, but wasn't able to get her, so I decided that if I didn't get a call, I would still go and get her boy rather than leave him stranded there, the last boy standing.

Right before it was time to leave, I was holding Zoe on the recliner. She was in my lap, but really on the seat and I was holding her there. All of a sudden she turned to the right and puked down the side of my arm into the corner of the seat. Eww. I cleaned that mess up and then sat her again on the recliner thinking nothing of it. The next thing I know, there is a huge fart and I'm covered in poop. She got my shirt, my shorts, the string tie on my shorts, down the front of the recliner which channeled a nice poop waterfall onto the floor ending in a yellow pool on the carpet. With two minutes to departure, I had to change and bathe the child in hyper speed mode. I finally got out the door and was relieved to find out that Susie's husband came to the rescue. Whew.

Back at home, I realized that I should take Seth and Zoe (now very sleepy) in the car to run errands. I needed to turn in Zack's Twilight Camp forms before the deadline. It's a 3-day Day Camp for Cub Scouts and they needed dates of immunizations on the medical form. While I was looking for his immunization card, I found a birthday card for my niece that I was supposed to have sent two months ago. OOoops. Karmen's birthday was in February. I was sending it late back when I put it in this particular bag... and so today I was doubly aware of needing to run errands (even with a sick boy in tow). I decided I would get my Auntie of the Year trophy out later to polish it.

Did you know that Sonic has the best Fresh Fruit Strawberry Slush? You can get them for half price during "Happy Hour" from 2-4pm. I got one today (Route 44 oz. size, of course) since I was in the car and the baby was sleeping soundly in her car seat and the timing was right in the middle of Happy Hour. I think this is the third one I've had in the last week and a half. (Timing has been good all these times!) If I was Diabetic, I would have to give these up. No amount of protein can make up for the sugar and carbs in this icy beverage that is perfect for combating the oncoming Texas heat of summer.

I'm almost done with my crocheted edge blanket. I did two burp cloths and got the first line around the blanket. It's bigger and takes longer, but once the first line is done, it goes quickly. I'm going to give it away to a friend who just had a baby girl. I could keep it for Zoe, but she's too big for it now... plus I'm really not a burp cloth kind of gal. I only use them when I remember to. Same with bibs. Zoe is a slobber monster and I noticed that I keep taking pictures of her with wet clothes. If I were to put a bib on her it wouldn't look so bad.

This picture was taken last night when I was grilling dinner. The kids were playing Sequence and were in charge of keeping her happy since I was covered in bug spray. What a happy scene I came across with them all hanging out not killing each other. The Bumbo seat was given to us by the Pyrcz Family along with a bunch of other life-saving baby things... the swing, the bouncy seat, the bungee door jamb thingy that we're too scared to use but she's still too young for anyway. We love the Pyrcz's.

I bought another huge bag of Deer Corn on the way back from Port A. My plan was to buy it on the way down (but we left too late going down) so that I could share it with Josh's mom and grandmas. Once this big bag is opened, you gotta use it or lose it... lots of critters show up in a half used bag. They don't sell it in smaller bags, but you can't go wrong with $5 bucks for a 50 pound bag. I made a bunch of Corny Bags to give as Christmas gifts last year, but you can always use more than one. I might post the instructions and poem later. I should probably get permission from Brooke since I stole the idea from her. Anyway, the bag is sitting on our dining room table waiting for me to have some time to give it some attention. Any of you locals want some? Send me a 100-page essay telling me why I should share with you. JUST KIDDING.

Gotta go. Kids need to eat.

Sunday Dress

2008-05-19T16:56:00.004-05:00

This post goes out to Auntie Sig. She sent the dress and the shoes (one of three pairs--holy moly!) and Zoe wore them to church yesterday. This picture was taken after church since it was such a nice day. By the time I remembered to take the pictures, Zack was the only one still dressed in his church clothes, so he held her for the little shoot in our front yard.

Thank you Auntie Sig!

Getting Her Feet Wet

2008-05-18T01:25:00.009-05:00

Here are pictures of Zoe's first time at the beach.

Grandma Niki lowered her down to the sand to stand her up, but she hiked her feet up like she didn't want to be put down. It took a few seconds to finally get her standing in it.

Josh said that the close up picture of her feet was a microcosm of her getting her feet wet in life.

p.s. don'tcha love the strawberry outfit?? it was a bday present for me from susie.

Light by Josh

2008-05-17T00:51:00.003-05:00

My girl reprise

2008-05-17T00:39:00.005-05:00

We did it! We introduced Zoe to her grandparents and great-grandparents on Mother's Day weekend. Here's the picture I wanted to take.

For Moms with Pre-teens

2008-05-16T23:00:00.005-05:00

Sometimes I pick books off the shelf in the kids section of the library (I'm not a snob about what books I read) and I love going to the Book Fair at my kids' school. It's very easy to justify that you're supporting the school when you buy books there. There's also the guilt trip you give yourself about helping your kids read more and how can they do that if you don't buy them books? We do hit the library quite often, so I'm avoiding the truth that the big puppy dog eyes work on me--or more like cat eyes if you're Puss in Boots in the Shrek movies. My point is, I usually spend more than I should, but all on books--we don't do the posters and trinkets and pencils and really awesome impulse items that have no place being at a book fair.

Well, I found The Sea of Monsters at the school's book fair a couple of years ago. It looked cool and I thought Sarah would read it. She didn't. So when I decided that I would read it, I was bummed that it was Book Two of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I had to wait and get the first book from the library.

When I did get it and read it, it was pretty dang good. It had lots of action, was heavy on the sarcasm (Sarah loves reading these parts back to me and then laughing), and is an introduction to mythology. (I like Homer's books and my 9th grade English teacher, Mr. Peebles had a lot to do with that. He was such a great teacher.) After reading the first book, I moved on through the series, getting books three and four from the library also. Still, Sarah didn't read them.

And then a couple of months ago, I banned her from reading the Harry Potter and Eragon books. I think she has read all seven of the HP books at least 5 times each. She has read Eldest nine times. She lives in these books and I wanted her to expand her horizons. And I think it is working.

Desperate for something to read, Sarah finally borrowed The Lightning Thief. She then raced through the other three books, borrowing them from the library like I did. The second she read the last page of the fourth book and closed it, she began counting down the days for when the next book would be out. She acted like she was in pain because she couldn't stand to wait even another minute.

The fifth book of Rick Riordan's series came out two weeks ago (the same week as The Host--and I noticed that in my previous blog I put that it came out last week... I've been so busy that I lost a week in my internal clock... I'm jet-lagged without even leaving my own time zone) and I bought it for her along with book one, three, and four to complete her collection. Aren't I an awesome mom? Now she's reading them over and over again...

I foresee another ban in the future. If you have a kid around 11 years old who needs something to read, I highly recommend this series.

Incidentally, when I was surfing through Rick Riordan's website, I picked up on another series by Erin Hunter since he claimed that she was his son's favorite author. I also found the Inkheart series which I checked out, read and found it really creative. I couldn't get to the first of the Warrior books by Erin Hunter, so I offered to let Sarah read it first. She surprised me by reading Into the Wild even though I suggested she read it.

We went online and requested the next two books through our library and she can't wait. Again.

I Read The Host

2008-05-16T22:48:00.003-05:00

I really enjoyed this book by Stephenie Meyer. I'm not going to really review it because I don't want to give anything away. I just wanted you to know that I read it... nah nuh nah nuh nah naaah! The book came out last week, I got it a couple of days later and didn't put it down until I finished it the next morning.

This did feel different from the Twilight series, so go get it! Unless you already did... tell me what you thought!

Creative Juices

2008-05-07T01:36:00.006-05:00

I'm back on deadline with my day job and all I want to do is make stuff. Several of my friends are expecting, and in my internet wave riding adventures, I found Jill. She posts her creative projects a la Martha Stewart on her blog and I just love her style. I want to make dolls (even though I don't particularly care for dolls and cut the hair off all my Barbies when I was a little girl), burp cloths, and cloth baby shoes. (All of these are on Jill's blog... I've added her to my faves, so check her out.)

In addition to the projects of my new virtual BFF (whether she likes it or not) I'm crocheting the edges of blankets and burp cloths. The proper way to get the holes around the edges is made by a hemstitching machine—a very rare and very expensive machine. You can send your fabric off to someone who owns one of these machines and they'll send it back with perfect holes perfect for crocheting. I paid just over three bucks for a winged needle and have developed my own process of zigzag stitching and crocheting in the holes made by the winged needle. It requires a little more umph to get the needle through the hole, but I think I like the results. I'd rather pay in sweat than dollars. I'll add a picture so you can steal the idea from me and get your own creative juices flowing. Then we can neglect our day jobs together...
Oh snap! I probably should watch what I write because I got a call from my boss today and she announced that she had read my blog. Well, maybe that was just a one time thing since it was a post dedicated to her... anyway, I'm getting off right. now. to. go. get. some. work. done. yeah. that's right.

Feliz Cinco De Mayo

2008-05-05T21:13:00.002-05:00

I actually made enchiladas for dinner tonight. I didn't do it on purpose... we just happened to have all the ingredients for it and then while I was making them Sarah said, "Cinco de mayo food?" and I was like, "Yeaaahhhh."

We also thought about "Auntie Lana" (who I like to call Lana Lang) since it's her birthday. Happy Birthday Lana!!

Hasta.

Free Hugs

2008-05-04T23:52:00.002-05:00

If you have been to josh's blog lately you will have noticed his infatuation with the Sick Puppies (it's not just all about Emma Anzai and how she rocks the bass and goes off on stage and how she really is a very accomplished bass player). He drove to Austin with his buddy to see them in concert (and not just take a picture with the band and then cut everybody out except for him and EA and then write Josh hearts Emma all over the dang place) and came back with a t-shirt for me sporting the "Free Hugs" sign on the front. If you're confused... I'll post a link to the video. Long story short... Sick Puppies recorded a song for a dude holding a "Free Hugs" sign. It's actually very cool.

So I went to the mall on Saturday wearing my "Free Hugs" t-shirt in public for the first time.

Hang on, first let me give you a little background. The first time I put on this shirt, Zoe splashed me with spit-up. The second time I put it on, I splashed oil on it and immediately had to take it off and hand wash it so it wouldn't stain. And the third time I put it on was Saturday. Josh said, "Be careful, you might get hugged wearing that shirt."

Lo and behold, I'm walking through the mall pushing a stroller with the three older kids in tow, and I glance up and the most unusually dressed person steps in front of me with arms spread wide. It took me a split second to realize what was happening and with a big smile I said, "Do you want a hug?" So I did! I hugged the guy with spiked hair that I wasn't sure was a guy or girl. This wasn't just a lean forward-barely-touch-and-then-lightly-tap-his-back kind of hug. I hugged him the way I would a good friend, and we held it long enough for it to be heartfelt and before it got too creepy. And then I simply continued walking without looking back. I was laughing and incredulous that someone actually got my shirt. My kids must have thought I was nuts.

Later, Zack reflected my own thoughts by saying, "Was that a guy or a girl?" Sarah said, "It was a guy! Of course it was a guy!" and Seth said, "With spikey hair." So that's all I remember about the encounter. Sarah said that he worked there because of the logo he had on the front and back of his shirt. I'll have to ask my friend Julie if the description fits anyone she knows since she works there, too.

Well, here's my picture wearing the shirt on the same day I got my first hug (because there may just be many more encounters in my future, who knows?), laugh it up, watch the vid and tell me what you think!

My girl, my girl... talkin' 'bout my girl...

2008-04-27T01:14:00.014-05:00

Eleven years ago I was pretty much doing the same thing I am right now... taking care of a squishy, yummy girl who has my nose. Get a load of this picture which was taken on Mother's Day 1997 by my mother-in-law on the lanai at her house on the island of O'ahu in Hawaii Kai, Hawaii. (~Conjunction junction, what's your function?~) Note the dress Sarah is wearing. I still have it and am going to put it on Zoe on Mother's Day this year. Hopefully, we'll be on another island, this time in the Gulf of Mexico, introducing Zoe to her grandparents and great-grandparents. This blog post, however is dedicated to my Sarah. I realize that she deserves some praise (and because I am usually only posting stuff about Zoe) in light of recent events.

Sarah came home yesterday and casually told us that she scored 100% on the Math TAKS test. Josh praised her saying she should have been yelling that the moment she walked in the door. She has gotten that score before on a TAKS test, but not in Math. It must have been in Language Arts. She also came in the top 5 out of about 20 kids in the Math Olympiad program at her school which enabled her to be on the Math Olympiad Team representing her school in a competition between 11 schools which took place yesterday. They came in 3rd place. Woo hoo!

So we took the family to Cold Stone for some ice cream in her honor. More importantly, when Sarah wanted a chocolate-dipped waffle bowl, we let her get it. And then she shared pieces of it with her brothers. She is usually pretty generous with them (unless they're touching her stuff). I was really proud of her.

I think we'll keep her.

P.S. This is a late post... was 'sposed to go on Friday, April 25 so these events actually took place on Thursday, April 24.

Hanging with the Boss

2008-04-24T01:26:00.002-05:00

My boss took me to lunch today. She came all the way out from California! Well, not just to see me... she's actually in the Houston area on vacation with her husband and another couple. Still, it made me feel good that she made the time to come and see me and Zoe. There were added benefits, too, because my house hasn't been this clean in weeks! I turn into a clean freak when company is coming.

As part of my need to make my boss welcome, I finally took the newspapers to the school to put in their recycling bins (with Sarah's help). The school gets credit, we feel good about saving the Earth, and everybody's happy. Only the newspapers have to take over a good portion of my kitchen before I get to that point. I'm almost de-sensitized to their presence because I hardly recognize the new space I'm living in now that they're gone and I wonder how I could have ever let it go on and on like that. Anyway, Happy Belated Earth Day.

Back to the subject of my boss... she is one of the most generous people I know. She treats her employees like family (in which case, I could have left the house alone because when you're family, you're not company, therefore, my clean-freak switch is not flipped to full capacity). The bonuses at Christmas and birthdays and sometimes just because have always seemed to me to come at just the right time. I love that she has been an instrument in the hands of God and an answer to my prayers countless times--whether she knows it or not. I appreciate her as a woman in the world today who owns her own company, but family has always come first. She is also very laid back. Her company keeps growing, but she never stresses anybody out with demands or expectations. She leaves people to their work and it all gets done. And if it's less than perfect? Well, there's always next month to do better. Once, I asked for a raise--it took me ten minutes to get the words out and a split second for her to say yes. My boss is everyone's fantasy boss.

Oh, and I know she doesn't read my blog, so this isn't a kiss up... she never read any of my reviews that I wrote for her company, so why start? She said she knew I was doing a good job because when I was writing the reviews she didn't hear any complaints about the reviews which was not the case before I got the job. October will be my 10 year anniversary with them. It has been the best temporal job ever.

(The best job ever is motherhood.)

Zack the Photographer

2008-04-18T10:55:00.006-05:00

On Saturday, April 12, Zack and I went to a baptism together. I let him be in charge of the camera and he took a lot of shots of everything, but I wanted to post my favorites he took of Zoe. She is everybody's muse.

Stress Management

2008-04-18T10:40:00.002-05:00

Got this in an email from a friend. I thought it would make a good post. If you don't want to read all of this, just look at the picture of Zoe. She takes stress away very nicely... just by looking at her.

This was excellent description of stress, and then wisdom to cope with it.
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked ‘How heavy is this glass of water?’

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

The lecturer replied, ‘The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.’

He continued, ‘And that’s the way it is with stress management. ‘If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work/life down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you’ve rested.’

Life is short. Enjoy!

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
1. Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4. Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5. If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8. Never buy a car you can’t push.
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
10. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
11. Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12. The second mouse gets the cheese.
13. When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
16. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
17. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp,some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they al l have to live in the same box.
18. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Jumping Jumperoo

2008-04-07T23:46:00.003-05:00

Zoe inherited a Jumperoo from Susie! Life is made a little bit easier with this dealy. You can pop baby in there for a break from holding her and that gives you about 10-15 minutes before she starts to squawk. It has come in handy a lot in the few days that we've had it. In the mornings, when she's extra happy, she smiles at the toys like they're her long lost friends. She can't actually grab them yet, but she goes cross-eyed trying to.

She is really concentrating hard on her hands lately. She's at the age when she's starting to realize that their hers and she controls them. She hasn't mastered them yet and she will not untuck the thumb. The kids crack up watching her suck on her wrist, arms, and untucked thumb (with the other four fingers covering her nose and poking her eyes). I have started to put a bib on her because of all the slobber she produces. If she weren't a baby it'd be really gross.

I'm patiently waiting for the day when she finds her thumb because she will not take a pacifier. She gets this look like, "Oh, no, you didn't." She tries to push it out and if you persist, she gets really mad. I've given up because the little rubber things do not live up to their name in Zoe's case.

She is a really good baby and I don't have much to complain about. During the day her feedings can be at 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-hour intervals, but at night, once she goes down... she's pretty much zonked until morning. Sometimes she throws me for a loop and wakes up at 4am, but I just nurse her in the bed and she goes back to sleep. It does make daytime work on my computer a challenge, especially since my desk is right in the room with her, but so far, I've had miracles happen each month... I don't know how it all gets done, but it does.

Speaking of work... I should go get some done. One relief of the to-do list that I have to mention in parting is that Josh and I finished our taxes this past weekend. Oh, yeah! It was the first time doing it together and we nearly failed before we began, but we did it -- all pau, done, finished -- and we are still married.

'Sup Peeps!

2008-04-06T07:50:00.003-05:00

Wow... sorry to make you wait a whole month for another post. People were starting to get on me about it--you know who you are--but now I have lots to write about!

First off, Josh tapped a gas line. Not in the way you would think (for those of you who know Josh) but an actual gas line to our house. He had help and motivation from his friend John Kendrick. John lives down the street and is always outside in his garage making something. (His latest: a canoe. Seriously.) They dug a trench, accidentally cut the internet cable (which Josh totally fixed, upping his sexy geek image in my eyes), and even welded copper pipe. I'm sure Josh will blog about it, but just so you know, it's good to have a John... he wants to tackle changing the joints on Josh's truck next. It's like over $1000 to get it done at our local automotive place, but John thinks all you need is a manual, tools, and some parts for a few hundred bucks. Go for it, John!

Now we have a natural gas grill in our backyard. We bought it for way cheap, already assembled from Lowe's without knowing that it was a natural gas grill. It was funny when we brought it home, dropped our jaws when we realized this, did some reasearch and discovered that our really great deal was going to cost another $800 in order to get used. I'm really glad that it never came to that since we have a John... and now we are able to grill dinner at least once a week. Woo hoo! I like carcinogens.

Next on my list of things to tell you, the boys finally got haircuts. I took them to Walmart after Sarah insisted that there was a salon there. Sometimes our brains can be so selective in what they remember, and I just couldn't picture it. So we went... and there it was, at the front entrance like always and the boys were stoked. It's not Snip-Its, but it will work. Zack is particularly vain about his hair and he really liked the short back and sides when he was done. Seth liked it, too, and kept getting called baby. The funny thing about getting their hair done there was listening to the hairstylists--all black ladies--tell their stories. I felt like we were in an Eddie Murphy movie. When we first got there they were yelling back and forth to each other, "What's the baby's name?" "Seth!" "What's the baby's name?" "SETH!" I had written my name with a two on the waiting list and they were trying to write in the boys' actual names. And when they started to cut hair, one lady would stop cutting to put her two cents into the conversation. Man, it took us a while to get out of there!

So the boys looked good on my birthday week. I got new nursing bras on my birthday. I went to the mall because JC Penney's has the best selection and I was happy to see that there was a bra sale going on. All of my kids (except sleeping Zoe in her stroller) were beside themselves when they found that I had dragged them to the lingerie department. The groans were felt before they erupted from their mouths, but I had a helpful girl that helped me get what I wanted and checked out in record timing. We were out of there quickly and headed for Bath and Body Works for some anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, and there was a sale there, too! Lucky me! I was born on St. Patrick's Day, afterall. I got Coconut Lime Verbena and Tropical Passionfruit--both are green! Josh met up with us and we hit Target before making it home for him to make dinner for me... what else? Corned beef and cabbage. It was a nice way to end my actual birthday, but my birthday week didn't stop there. I also got surprised with a rootbeer/cream soda float dessert night, time shopping for clothes by myself (and sleeping Zoe in her stroller), and a virus on my computer.

The virus on my computer was a blessing in disguise. Josh helped me kill it by reformatting my c drive. Then he painstakingly reinstalled all the programs that I need for work. It's so nice to have a geek husband. I highly recommend them.

Speaking of marriage... Josh gave a great talk last Sunday. He quoted his mom, he got choked up several times, and he talked about when he first resonated with me. All good stuff. I love my husband.

Last Sunday we also said goodbye to Nana 'Nita and Auntie Chole (pronounced cole-ee, short for Nichole). Nana 'Nita was able to come from Wednesday to Sunday. She brought her famous empanadas for Josh, made Chamorro Corn Soup (made with chicken and coconut milk and, of course, corn), Beef Cudo (included swiss chard that Sarah brought home from the fifth grade garden at school), and was constantly doing the dishes. She even swept and mopped the bathroom floors and cleaned the toilets. I kept telling her to stop, but she was determined to help me since she says that I do too much. I even got a massage sitting at my computer trying to finish my work. This all in addition to taking care of baby. Zoe is the main reason she came in the first place. She did spend time getting to know the bigger kids, too. We love Nana 'Nita!

My single, jet-setter sister, Nichole, didn't come until late Friday night from New York City. We took the kids to pick her up from the airport and take her to the car rental place. Then we had a short panic drive through the woods around Bush Airport before finally making it to her hotel. She insisted on staying in a hotel and getting a car since it came in a package. Nana 'Nita stayed with her. And while we normally would have loved to go in to jump on the beds in their room, the kids were all crashed out.

We met up the next day for a reconnaissance* trip to the Galleria (an underground mall near downtown Houston complete with ice skating rink). There are lots of upscale shops at the Galleria and walking into Neiman-Marcus from the parking lot was like going through an incredible shrinking machine. I felt really intimidated by my surroundings at first, and then I remembered who I was and that the place was a living example of Lehi's dream of the great and spacious building with no foundation. Then it became comical... walking through the make-up and fragrance department to get out and into the mall... there were more employees than customers dressed up in striking suits and flawless make-up... I even saw a GUY with about a pound of make up on. He wore a black suit with a black shirt and black tie. It all worked in that setting, but taken out of context to say, the real world, it was just funny.

*Before I ramble on and forget to tell you why we were there... let me explain my sister's job. She works for J. Crew's art department as an assistant to a fashion designer. Everything in the store now she has seen a year before it came out. Her boss, an ex-model, circles stuff out of high fashion magazines and tells Nichole to go buy them. Thousands of dollars later and having visited all the top fashion stores in New York City, my sis completes the mission. This is my wide-eyed view of what she does, and if I'm wrong, please correct me in a comment! Lately, however, she has been entrusted with choosing the music for the J. Crew stores. This is HUGE. So we were there to listen to what stores were playing what and visit the J. Crew store at the Galleria. Josh bought a J. Crew bracelet for Sarah while we were there. Zoe decided she wasn't interested in sleeping in the stroller and wanted to nurse (and she usually gets what she wants). Seth heely-ed all over the place and Zack did back rolls over a cushioned bench.

And then we were done. It went so fast... we hardly ever go to the Galleria unless we have out-of-town visitors, and there really isn't much point in hanging out there when the thought of spending $8000 on a hand bag makes you want to cough up a lung. So we did the one thing Nichole wanted to do while in Texas... we went out for Texas BBQ. Completely satiated, we went home with leftovers and spent the rest of the day playing Wii. We discovered that Nana 'Nita really likes to bowl, Auntie Chole digs Guitar Hero, and that we are not the only ones that think the racing cow game on Wii Play is hilarious. We also nailed Nana 'Nita's Mii. It looks just like her.

We were sad to see them go, but it was a really great visit. Thanks for coming Nana 'Nita and Auntie Chole! We'll have to see if we can make it to California to see Tata and Uncle Rob's new baby, Devon. I like to call him Little Devo... like the band.

That leaves this last week for me to catch you up on... let's see... my allergies have really brought me down. I am coughing so much that I was unable to go on Seth's field trip on Friday. It would have been nice to go with him to the Children's Museum of Houston, but I prefer to hack away in private. When I'm up on my meds it's not so bad except for the occasional episode, and it only takes one of those in public to make you wish you had stayed home. So I did. Seth was mostly bummed that Zoe wouldn't be there. He got over it, though.

Yesterday we watched General Conference. It's the first one since President Hinckley died, so we tried to instill in the children the excitement of having a whole new prophet and presidency of the Church. Thomas S. Monson is the new president of the Church and prophet. His counselors are favorites with me already. I saw Henry B. Eyering at a stake meeting in CA back when we lived there. He is an especially tender hearted man when he speaks and very powerful with words. Dieter F. Uchtdorf is new to the Quorum of the Twelve, but memorable and very charismatic. How I am able to love these three men can only be explained by the way the Spirit touches my heart when I hear them speak. I will probably blog more on my impressions of Conference later after hearing the rest of the sessions today.

Before I close, I have to make mention of Subway. We've recently moved from Whataburger to Subway in our Saturday outings/slam tournaments. Right now any footlong sub is $5. We were there for a couple of hours last night drinking unlimited soda and playing slam. Sarah ended Daddy's winning streak--go Sarah, go Sarah, it's your birthday!

And Zoe slept in her stroller.

Strawberry Shortcake

2008-03-05T09:13:00.005-06:00

Here's Zoe in the strawberry outfit that Auntie Kristen sent. I LOVE it! You know me and strawberries. It's hard to find cute strawberry stuff. I didn't think this outfit would be as cute as it is on her... comes with butt ruffle and strawberries all over. Why do I like it so much? It must be her personality. Nah, that can't be it!

For the last couple of days all I've done is hold her. She won't let me put her down for more than an hour, but usually only a half hour. The night before last I brought her to bed with me because I was so tired. She slept like a champ, and then I couldn't put her in her own bed last night either. I've started the trend that all my babies ended up taking. You know, the trend when you start wondering why in the world you spent money on a baby bed when they don't sleep in it?

This morning I was really desperate for a shower, so I popped her in front of the TV. Yes! I'm corrupting my child at 7.5 weeks old! The evil mommy habits are starting already. She was vibrating away watching Elmo's World so I left her there and got cleaned up. When I came back she was asleep. Woo hoo!! That lasted about 10 minutes.

So I picked her up and she had a poop that was a 6.3 on the richter scale. I had to change her clothes and everything. Then I held her some more, but I needed to type an email response so I put her on my bed for a minute. She voiced her disapproval of that arrangement, but when I was about to get up and get her again, I turned around and saw that she was asleep. This is how I'm able to blog... we'll see how long this lasts.

Woops, not long... there she goes again. By the way, the pumpkin hat is something Seth has been dying to put on her and I finally gave in.

Knight Rider

2008-02-28T13:23:00.003-06:00

OK, so I've been mentally gathering material for blogs and now it's all coming out since I've finished my last calendar for the month... doesn't mean I don't have other things to do, it's just that none of it is due today. Oh, and baby happens to be asleep. I don't think I've ever posted more than two times in one day. Just consider your coupon tripled.

Josh and I watched the pilot for the new Knight Rider series last week sometime. I used to watch this every week back when David Hasselhoff was hot. Only we didn't say he was hot. We probably said he was "bitchen" or something totally 80's. I was 12 when it came out and could recognize the predictability of it... I was mature enough to know that a talking car that always wins would get old someday. My brother, Robert, was 8 (my Zack's age) and he loved Knight Rider more than air. I bet him $5 that by the time he was 16 he wouldn't love Knight Rider anymore, but he ruffled with indignation at the thought that such a thing could ever occur and declared "I will always love Knight Rider!" Of course, he turned 16, lost interest in KITT and Michael Knight, conveniently forgot the bet and I never got my $5.

So naturally, when I heard the theme music start on the new and improved Knight Rider, I thought of my brother. I liked that they didn't change the theme music, but only updated it a little. I also like that it's a continuation of the original show with lots of references to "25 years ago". And it really was 25 years ago when this show first aired... and I never thought I would reach a point where 25 years would fit in my life span. I can actually say, "I was there 25 years ago!" It doesn't make me feel old, it makes me feel accomplished! I've reached a milestone.

The new driver, Justin Bruening, is kinda hot... I could watch this show to see him in action--even though the predictability is still there. I really like the voice of KITT. And I like the new mustang diggs they've made KITT into. Mustangs rule Trans Ams any day. I thought the love interest was kind of eyeliddy... you know what I mean? She's like Clay Aiken with the slow blinking in her acting. It's kind of irritating.

Are there any Knight Rider fans out there? Anybody see the new Knight Rider and want to comment?

Zoe in Action

2008-02-28T12:50:00.002-06:00

Here's footage of Zoe (at 6 weeks - meant to do this last Saturday) hanging out with Medo (Croatian for "bear" and named by Auntie Maria who is from Zagreb). She sneezes, she kicks, she punches, she makes baby sounds, she fusses. I tried to get her to do the sky diving pose she does when she's on her tummy, but it didn't get off the ground.

Blessing Baby

2008-02-28T07:41:00.003-06:00

We are blessing baby Zoe on Sunday, March 2. (At 2:30pm, come if you can!)

Monday was Family Home Evening and I gave a lesson about the importance of names. We read the accounts of how John the Baptist and Jesus received their names (Luke 1:5-14, 26-33). Names are important to Heavenly Father. I asked who should bless the baby and why is it like Jesus blessing the children in Mark 10:16. Zack said that Daddy was going to bless Zoe. Sarah said it was because he has the Melchizedek Priesthood. So I pointed out that this was the same authority that Jesus used when he blessed the children. Priesthood holders still need to keep their lives clean and pure to be able to use this authority... they have to be worthy, and I said how grateful I was that their Daddy blessed each one of them. I told how I cried at each of their blessings because it was such a sacred and important event. I told them to pay attention to the feelings they have when Zoe is blessed next week.

We talked about their names and how they received them and why, and then we let them look at some baby pictures of themselves. They really liked seeing themselves as the baby--totally different perspective with Zoe in our lives now. Seth especially was carrying the pictures around with him until it was time to eat dinner. Zack's pictures were of him just weeks old on the day he was blessed. He was blessed the youngest since we had so much family and friends in town, we decided to do it while everyone was there. What a great day that was.

Then, I let them help decide what Zoe should wear. I showed them Sarah's blessing dress that Grandma Niki bought 11 years ago which looks like a traditional Catholic christening dress, a cute pink dress with tiny black polka dots that the Bowens gave us because it was so cute Brooke couldn't resist it, and later (after I dug it out of a box in the attic) I showed them a white cotton dress of Sarah's that I bought for her blessing day.

Even though babies don't have to wear white for their blessing day, a lot of people still do it. There's like a cultural pressure to do it. The rebel in me wants to put Zoe in the pink dress, and as cute as it is, Josh thinks the dots might make the dress irreverent/too casual for this big event. I could go the sentimental route and use the same dress Sarah was blessed in, but it's a big fancy white dress and not rebellious at all. Then there's the simple white cotton dress with emboidered flowers. It's kind of a mix because there are colored flowers and a pink scalloped edge on the collar, but it's still white to appease the cultural demand. It happens to be everybody's favorite, but this is not a democracy... Josh says I get final say no matter what everybody wants... so what do you think I should do? Let's hear your words of advice and opinions on the matter.

Girls' Night Out -- Oh Yeah!

2008-02-16T16:55:00.002-06:00

All my California friends went out to see 27 Dresses for a girls' night out weeks ago. I was so bummed that I couldn't go with them, but I kept my "Debbie Downer" negative comments to myself. I think I even wished them a happy day. I didn't want to ruin the perfect happiness of my girlfriends by throwing out a guilt trip for my being in Texas. It's not like their lives have to be morose or stop completely just because I'm not there. And now I can happily report that I've seen 27 Dresses with a couple of girlfriends! No one need pity me! (Read: I no longer feel sorry for myself!)

Susie's sister Nancy came from Utah for a visit, and last night we went to see the movie--just us girls (and my Zoe). It was fun to meet Nancy in person--she's way cool, but I already knew that from reading her blog. Anyone who can have six kids (which include an adorable Downs Syndrome boy and a set of twins) and still have their sanity intact is way up there on my list of cool people to know.

We all enjoyed the movie... it was the perfect chick flick. No matter what the critics say about the lack of originality in the script, it was way fun to watch. Girls just wanna have fun! We're not thinking about how smart the script is. I loved the bar scene (when Jane goes "outside" to unleash obscenities in one big breath), the yoga scene (where sidekick homegirl gets to show her true colors and make us laugh), and when homeboy admits that he cried at a wedding. Benny and the Jets was hilarious, too--talk about the perfect song to muck up the lyrics to. Who even knows what the heck Elton John is singing about in that song anyway? Be honest... if you know without googling it, do tell.

Zoe slept through the whole movie. She's a big one-month-old and I was a little worried about how she would do, but she slept in my arms through the loud movie, bouncing up and down when I laughed, and merely fluttering her eyelids during the baby crying sounds in the commercial where they politely tell you to keep quiet during the movie. I was very happy that I didn't have to bust it out during the movie. She waited until we got home before making me pay the full price of going out (read on).

After the movie, we went out for appetizers and dessert. I got fried mushrooms, fried cheese, and fried twinkies. I think I'm good on the fried food for a while. Susie and Nancy got "Death by Chocolate" which reminded me of the Mud Pie from a Kaneohe, Hawaii restaurant... (the Chart House? I can't remember the name.) The Mud Pie had an Oreo cookie crust, a layer of Kona Coffee Ice Cream, a layer of Chocolate Mac Nut Ice Cream, then a thick layer of hot fudge over the top. The slice ended up being five inches tall... it was glorious. Well, I think Nancy was trying to hit all her old haunts and the dessert wasn't like she remembered it. It had an Oreo cookie crust, one giant layer of Rocky Road Ice Cream, and a thick layer of Magic Shell chocolate over the top. Susie agreed that they had changed something and it wasn't as good.

Before we left, I took Zoe to the bathroom for a diaper change and she got to use the Koala changing table thingy for the first time. She looked like she was digging it. It was fun being "out on the town". I even carried her in her car seat. Technically, I'm supposed to wait one more week, but I didn't feel any pain at the time. Today, however, is a different story. I'm so sore! Zoe's amazing adventures last night didn't help, either.

We got home around 10:20pm. Guess what time Zoe went to sleep? 3:40 in the frickin morning! She was so exhausted that she slept for 8 hours... hallelujah, right? Wrong. Sleeping 8 hours is great when it's like from midnight to 8am. That would have me singing with the choirs of angels, but getting up at noon is not something to get excited about. Plus, my boobs were like rocks. I had to wake her up to save me... and it hurt when she finally did wake up and get latched on. I had to purposefully tell myself to relax my arms when I was feeding her... my arms were clenched so tight. Normally, these days, nursing doesn't hurt much at all. We just have to stay on a regular schedule and I will make it through OK.

So I hit the Tylenol today to cope. Zoe is sleeping soundly at the moment. She slept earlier so that I could clean the fridge, and now I have to go finish the job. There's nothing like splashed soda all over the inside of your fridge to motivate you to clean out the entire thing with soapy warm water.

Man! It's dinner time and I haven't had lunch yet.

Daddies Make the Best Beds

2008-02-10T21:54:00.000-06:00

I'm not talking about a male person with progeny putting sheets and blankets on a bed in a pleasing manner. I'm talking about the progeny sleeping peacefully for hours on said male person in a blissfully comatose state. The picture says it all...

Zoe is doing very well and having lots of firsts this weekend.

Friday night she had her first viewing of Avatar The Last Air Bender... well, we watched and she did what babies do... eat, burp, poop, sleep, repeat... but we noted her presence and congratulated her on being in our family for Avatar night. We are in the final book of the series, so she is coming in late, but we'll happily watch it again with her from the pilot... we love this show!

On Saturday, she experienced her first trip to our neighborhood Whataburger (Texas fast food chain that started in Corpus Christi)... she slept in her carseat while we mourned the loss of our regular table which is now too small because we have added a Zoe to our family. So we ate our burgers and fries at a new table on the other side of the restaurant. Nobody remembered to bring the cards, so we learned a new game from Sarah and Zack (the two have wildly different versions of the same game) called Chopsticks. You use just your fingers, so you can always have this game "handy" wherever you go. It has been our family tradition for the last year or so to go to Whataburger to play cards, eat and drink copious amounts of free refill soda... Josh started it. We have begun to see the fruits of our labor because there was a lady eating by herself who struck up a conversation with us. She first asked how old the baby was, then if all the children were mine, and then she said that our children were so well behaved. Way cool... and very successful night out. Of course, right after she left is when the beatings began.

And today, Zoe went to church for the first time. It was my first time in five weeks, but a whole new ball of stimulation for Zoe. She ate before we left, but stayed awake when we got there. She noticed the ceilings, made grunting noises during the opening prayer, cried during the sacrament talks, and was quiet when I took her to the foyer. It makes me think she's 4 weeks going on 13 years of age. I voluntarily held her for most of the time and ultimately had to feed her again, but she still did not sleep. Josh wanted to keep her with him while I went to Primary, and I thought he was very brave because Zoe was fussing a little and still wide awake. I later found them parked in the foyer... Daddy being his best tempurpedic self.

My Nephew Is Here!

2008-02-08T14:31:00.000-06:00

My oldest younger brother, Robert, had a baby today! My little nephew was actually pretty big at 10 pounds 0 ounces and 21 inches long. He came into the world at 3:41 this morning. His name is Devon which is the name Rob and Dalena chose from the beginning even after I gave them the spectacular suggestion of Bryden. I wanted to call him Bry which would be cool because it's not short for Brian--way too common a name. Dalena named her first son Aslan, so you know Bryden wouldn't be too weird for them. Oh, well. I guess I can just call him Dev or Vonny. They'll probably just call him Little Robert.

Proto - Zoe

2008-02-02T22:38:00.000-06:00

She's three weeks old and finally had her first bath! That's not to say that we didn't clean her up with sponge baths--we're not like that psycho German family that Susie used to nanny for who didn't plan to bathe their baby until it turned one--but her umbilical cord fell off this past week giving us the freedom to stick her all the way in the water. She wasn't a huge fan, but did smile when I dribbled that first bit of water on to her body. So I yelled for Sarah to get Daddy to bring the camera and once he had the camera on, she cried through most of the recording. Not going to post it... got her modesty to protect, you know, but I do love the way newborn hair sticks up all over the place when it's clean. So I had to post this picture. I love the way she's crossing her legs, too.

Bridge Fest

2008-02-02T21:35:00.000-06:00

A new family tradition was created today when we participated for the second year in a row in the YMCA Bridge Fest. It's a 5K Run/Walk that was started (16 years ago) to commemorate the building of the Lake Houston Parkway Bridge which connects Atascocita and Kingwood. They close one side of the bridge, make the other side a two-way road, and then we can run over the bridge and back to the YMCA in relative safety. I didn't run, however, but walked at my snail's pace... dead last... until I saw the water and then decided that it was enough strain on my stitches and turned around. I let the kids run to actually get on the bridge and then come back. Seth was more interested in playing in the brush on the side of the road that eventually led to the lake's waters. They were happy to be outside, but probably felt kind of cheated this morning and the 5K race didn't really mean much to them.

There are little kid races (much shorter distances) starting at 8:00am, and my three older children would have run in their own age division at different times. BUT we didn't get there until about 9:00am when the 5K started. So... they were all kind of bummed, but had fun running up ahead of me and then back to me, over and over again. While I don't have any cool pictures that I anticipated taking of them on the starting line of each of their races, I was glad that I still took them to participate in the 5K because they seemed to enjoy being outside anyway. The free balloons, bananas, water, bagels, and juices back at the YMCA after the race was a big hit, too.

So why were we late? We even scored a parking pass to park at the YMCA (highly coveted item only given to the first 100 sign ups), but weren't able to use it because you have to get there by 7:30am. I was looking forward to eating free Wendy's chili (they're one of the sponsors) before the race, too. Who is to blame? Why, the controller of the universe, Zoe, of course.

When a new baby comes into your life, it's all about the new baby. If she's hungry, you stop everything and feed her. If she cries, you adjust your schedule. If she wakes up, you stop what you're doing to take care of her. If she poops or spits up, you clean it up. If she wakes up every 15 minutes from 2am to 5am... you deal with it... and cry like a baby yourself when she won't go to sleep. The postpartum depression doesn't help to keep you far from tears, either, and how can you not have postpartum depression with all the hormones receding from your system?

So I had my 3 hours of sleep eventually, but we were late getting to the Bridge Fest. And then, once we got to the Bridge Fest, I had to feed baby in the car before we could actually cross the street and join the crowd. Once we did cross the street, we heard the gun shot and saw the runners taking off in front of us... so we waited for the hard core runners to pass us, and then joined the rest of the strollers near the back of the line. We didn't even start at the starting line, us cheaters... and holy cow, I just realized that I was in such a hurry that I didn't even brush my teeth before we left. Gross!

Count your blessings... if you didn't have to talk to me this morning. We did see a few friends. Some were in the race and some were just out running (crazy people!!). Everyone enjoyed seeing Zoe being the perfect angel... all snug and cozy in her stroller, ASLEEP at last.

So next year, Zoe will be a year old and hopefully will not ruin the perfect day at Bridge Fest where I get to eat goodies before and after the race, get to take pictures of my kids running in the little kid races, and actually get to walk on the bridge at a faster pace without wincing.

You should come, too. It would be fun to walk with other families. Let me know if you want in on this tradition.

Flying Solo

2008-01-24T16:52:00.001-06:00

My mom left today. She's headed for beautiful Hawaii to hang out with her sister for the weekend and then she'll be back on a plane for Guam. She has come out like this for every one of my children when they were born, but this time she didn't stay for a whole month, just a couple of weeks. It was noticeably different, but I'm just glad that she came at all.

So today is my first day flying solo during the day while my husband is at work. It's not totally solo because he still takes the kids to school every morning and gets the mail and does the grocery shopping and leaves the kids with the fear of fire and brimstone if they don't do their chores or bug me in any way while he is gone. And also all the kids are home sick with some kind of congestion or cough, but they're still good for running to get me things around the house.

Even Zoe is a bit snorty, but she's still able to nurse, thank goodness. I've never had a breastfed baby get sick so soon, but then again, I've never had so many kids going to school when I've had a baby. Clearly, the antibodies in breast milk are not a flawless protection from illness, but I still think that she would be way worse if she were not breastfed.

I'm happy to say that I haven't cried out in frustration once. Zoe has remained true to her current routine of waking up every four hours to eat. She has stayed asleep every time I have put her down, and I am still able to take care of my other kids. AND I'm off my heavy medication... last night I was four hours late taking my pill and didn't notice, so I think I'm OK to stop taking them until I feel like I need one. So far. so good.

My visiting teachers came by and brought dinner and cookies and a gift. I'm lucky that one of them is a nurse who actually takes care of newborns in the hospital where she works. She is the one that informed me that the reason why Zoe got formula for her first meal in the nursery is because she was a big baby... when babies are 8 pounds 9 ounces or bigger their blood sugar can drop dramatically after they come out of the mommy, so the nurses just give them a little bit of formula to keep their blood sugar up. She used some fancy word for this, but I don't remember what it was.

For those of you who don't know, visiting teachers are a couple of ladies who are members of the Relief Society (largest and oldest women's organization) who come to your house each month to visit you. They prepare a short gospel lesson, ask how they can serve you, and report back to the Relief Society on how you're doing. It's a way to watch and care for each member of the Relief Society, and it's fun to get visits or phone calls and little reminders that you are loved and cared for.

I love visiting teaching because when I am given certain sisters to visit it gives me the opportunity to be friends with women I may not normally be friends with. I once visited a lady 50 years older than me and we became emailing buddies. She would give me advice from her vast experience of living, and I would astound her with my great listening abilities. Seriously, have you ever noticed how listening gets you the highest praise? You become the best person in the world because you listen and care. I'm glad for the opportunity to make friends in this way and it's fun to serve!

Susie isn't my visiting teacher, but already a good friend who happens to be a really good cook. She has brought us dinner twice already and plans to do it again tomorrow night. There's no stopping her. She's amazing. The first night she made a yummy Monterey Chicken and Rice Casserole and the second night she brought Stuffed Shells. And don't forget kolache rolls and Banana Split Cake. YUM! Susie also brought a teddy bear and candy to me in the hospital.

All the grandparents in Port A/Corpus sent yellow roses to us in the hospital--yellow roses are extra special in Texas. Josh's work sent mini roses in the mail... that was really cool. They are so pretty, too. My other visiting teacher brought homemade bread and a big bouquet of flowers shortly after we got home from the hospital.

My friend Ruth Ann brought dinner last night... very simple... spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, salad, green beans, and snickerdoodles. Seth ate two plates worth. I'm not sure if it's because it was right up his alley or if he's feeling better from being sick... probably both. The thing that gets me is that Ruth Ann has six kids... and she still brought dinner to us in the storming rain... that just humbles me.

Our old friends, the Bowens, brought dinner on Saturday... Spinach and Cheese Manicotti was a hit... funny how we are getting lots of pasta dishes. They are my favorite and I haven't been doing a lot of pasta for dinner lately because Josh isn't as fond of pasta as I am... but he has enjoyed the different variations we've received in the past week or so, we may yet convert him. Brooke and Justin also brought Christmas gifts and more baby gifts. They also drove over an hour to get to our house. Talk about devotion! We love you, man!

And finally, the Relief Society president in our ward brought dinner, too, on short notice. Not only that, but she made Chicken Enchiladas, salad, lemony poppy muffins, and brownies all on the same day that she was leaving to go out of town. How's that for dedication?

All of these examples of service leave me grateful for people who live their religion... they do it out of love for their God... that's the bottom line. I mean, I know I'm a likeable person, but it's the love of the Savior Jesus Christ that motivates them. And again, it's fun! Doing a service for others is good for your heart and makes you feel good. And I really needed this.

At first, I gave everyone the impression that we could handle everything and we didn't need anything, but I was surprised by my need to depend on someone to give just a little bit of relief when we first got home. If I had not had the weird experience I had on my first night of coming home, I don't think I would have asked for help. I'm glad that I did, and I'm glad that people responded.

THANK YOU!!

Yeah, I'm not really flying solo at all, am I?

1 Week Anniversary

2008-01-19T16:32:00.000-06:00

I am not ashamed to say that today I slept through the anniversary hour of our baby's arrival into this world one week ago today. That's the perfect way to celebrate, I think. Especially since I have not slept this many hours at once in my own bed for the entire week (three whole hours!!).

At 12:57 PM last Saturday I was alert and viewing everything happening around me with awe. The first thing that was different about this whole experience was that I walked to the OR. Who does that? For my past three c-sections, I have been drugged and prepped and wheeled to the OR for surgery. I have had psychedelic dreams (seriously, light show and all) while under the influence and barely able to keep my eyes open for when the baby makes it to the outside of my body. In this instance, the scary thing was not being unaware of what people were doing to take care of me, but being all too aware of what they were doing to me. I didn't know if I wanted to be able to take in so much information. What if I couldn't take it? The room I walked into was large with windows on one end, equipment in the center of the room, and just about everything was white. I kept fighting the feeling to slow down... we were really going to just go for it.

The nurse who had admitted us was there to help me keep me still when I got the epidural. She had been carrying around what I had thought was her purse, but she laughed and informed me that it was my "purse" which contained Demerol and would be my epidural pump. I learned that I would keep my epidural in until my last day in the hospital. That was also a new thing for me. I didn't know you could do that. I even had a "clicker" for when I felt I needed extra medication. I could click the button once per hour and get an extra dose of Margaritaville. Erroneously, I thought that I was supposed to click the button every hour or else I would get nothing... so the first couple of days, until it was reiterated to me that medicine was constantly being fed through my epidural, I was pretty loopy. I stopped clicking altogether because within minutes, I would be asleep or be dozing in the middle of a conversation with Josh. The nurse said that it would not make me as drowsy since the meds wouldn't be going into my blood stream, and my doc said it wouldn't make me drowsy, but the clicker and my own experience taught me that lah lah land was not too far away once I clicked the clicker.

So I'll spare you the details of the epidural... suffice it to say that my husband could not be in the room and the nurse said I had a pretty good grip on her arm. I think I probably should have said sorry at that point, but I don't think I did. I was too busy being tilted on my head by the anesthesiologist (going to shorten it to anes from here on out) who was trying to speed things up. They just kind of lie you on the table, flip up your gown over the wire that keeps you from seeing past your chest, and then everybody gets down to business. It's a weird thing to be so exposed and not have anybody react as they would in a different setting. I think I was being shaved when the doctor walked in and said hello... it was strange, strange, strange! He then said hello to everybody, introduced me to his assistant, did a little pep talk to the group, and then they all continued about their business. The anes was the main communicator and he was very high spirited... like a motivational speaker... and he was constantly reassuring me about how things would happen and they wouldn't do anything without informing me first. The nurse stepped out to get my husband and he was equally impressed with the room and then they really did just go for it.

Josh was very excited to be able to get most of everything that happened on video. He even got her being pulled out of my belly and taking her first breath. That kind of stuff just thrills him. I don't think he got that on any other child and I don't think he actually saw them come out of me except for maybe Zack. He was very excited throughout the whole thing. I remember everything clearly. I even remember the way it smelled when they started to cut me open with a kind of hot knife. Josh was really impressed. I would rather not talk about it. Give me a few more months.

On my first c-section, my mom reminds me that no one could come near me. I didn't remember that. I wouldn't let anyone touch me and to talk about it brought tears to my eyes and I had to leave the room. It was a very traumatic experience. So different from this last one. Talk about progress, both in medicine and in my own attitude and experience.

In previous deliveries, I was mostly in lah lah land and would wake up in another part of the hospital not knowing how or when I got there. The one thing I always remember, however, is the first sounds my babies make when they come out. That first cry invokes deep feelings of love and wonder and it's the only time a cry does that to me. This part was the same this time, but I was able to see and hear clearly without the fog. And then they take the baby away and keep them for four hours. I didn't know that... and this time I was anxious to see her again. I kept asking Josh how much longer for the four hours to be up. Plus, we were just in recover waiting for a room to open up. We didn't know how long it would be. Josh even joked about going to find a lowly stable because we knew even before we went back to the operating room that there was no room at the inn.

We finally did get our private room, and Josh loaded me up with juices and water and ice chips from the patient fridge by the nurses station. He took really good care of me the first night. Oh, yeah, and another thing that was different was that they put these shin guard things on your legs, plug them in, and they squeeze like a blood pressure thingy. Back and forth, over and over again... it's to help with your circulation. It was getting really annoying after the first day, and then when they took them off, Josh gave me the best scratch. Oh! Just remembering it makes the endorphins flow! My husband really stepped up this time, and I draw a lot of strength knowing he's thinking about me and my welfare. I sometimes forget that he is going through a lot along with me... I don't know if I could handle seeing him go in for surgery every time to grow our family, but he handles it very well.

My mom is a big help also. She's like a soldier, standing ready and willing to burp baby, change diapers, and hold baby until she sleeps. She's will wake up no matter the hour and do this over and over again. Just today, when Zoe decides that she's a big seven days old and no one can tell her to sleep if she doesn't want to but she really wants to sleep and if mommy could just keep nursing her every hour all will be well... my mom took her and told me to go shower. Man, that was the best shower ever! If I were by myself, I probably would have broken down and cried at that point. (The baby crying thing only invokes wonder on the first minute of the first day of delivery and then the honeymoon is over. You moms know what I'm talkin' 'bout.)

So I'm feeling good today... rested... clean... blogged... and looking forward to getting another week under my belt. My tummy will go down more, the nursing thing is already getting easier, and the true test of new parenthood will ensue with my mom returning home in five days' time. In one more week I'll be able to see that I can do this. That Heavenly Father designed incredible bodies. That time does heal.

Thanks to all who said a prayer, had a thought, spoke out loud, or brought gifts (food and otherwise) for us during this time. It is really nice to have family and friends to share this experience with!

And Joyeux Anniversaire au Zoe! We're happy you're finally here!

Zoe-Zo

2008-01-18T11:49:00.000-06:00

Seth already has a nickname for Zoe. When he came home from school the first day after we got home, Nana Koko opened the door and he said, "How's Zoe?" It tickles me how all the kids come home and just look for her. They want to touch her and hold her and play with her (which doesn't always bode well for a Guamanian grandmother who takes her job seriously). They jump at the chance to help change her or watch her, and I imagine that Zoe will grow up always having a crowd around her watching her every new move.

And then just the other day Seth was talking to Zoe and calling her Zoe-Zo. I think it was when it was bedtime and he said, "Goodnight Zoe-Zo." The name has stuck in my head. Now when I try to wake her up to eat (because breastfeeding is the only self-inflicted pain I am motivated to engage in) I sing silly songs to her and that's what I call her.

Come to think of it... I use other Sethisms with her. Seth used to come into my room to wake me up and say, "Mommy, wake up. It's gebbup time." I tell Zoe the same thing now when it's time for her to get up. "Wake up, Zoe-Zo! It's gebbup time!" And then I follow that with pleas to help Mommy and deep breathing exercises just before she latches on.

She comes through for me most of the time. We've almost got the boobs trained... and hope that they get a clue to calm down because they're only feeding Zoe and not an army. Zoe has got the latch on thing down pat and it doesn't hurt so much when we do the football hold on one side and then regular hold on the other. Still, if I were a cartoon, you'd see me hitting myself over the head with a giant wooden hammer at the start of each nursing session. And then I do it all over again every 2-3 hours. That's true love, people.

Now a minute for my commercial sponsor... (not really, but it's going to sound like one). My Mom found a bracelet in the stash of things that she brought from Guam from my Auntie Bobbie Bobo. She's the auntie that has brainwashed all my kids to answer her name when they are asked, "Who's your favorite auntie?" Anyway, she's delighted to add another victim to sing her praises... and lucky for me, she has had two grandbaby girls in the last year... so Zoe scored a lot of stuff... Thanks Auntie Bobbie! (And cousins Nicole and Corine.)

OK, so back to the bracelet. It's called a milk band and it's made of rubber. There are two sets of holes running down it and one side is labeled from 1 to 12 and the other 5 to 60 (by fives). There are two pegs to place into the holes which look like little barbels. You have to pull and stretch the bracelet to get the pegs in. One side of the bracelet says "RIGHT" and the other says "LEFT". It helps you keep track of when you last fed baby and what side you ended on. I LOVE this thing!

Pre-bracelet, at practically every feeding I had to ask my mom what side I was on. Both boobs are equally engorged, but if given the wrong one first and Zoe decides to sleep, then I'm doomed. It's an important thing to alternate them accurately. Now I just look at the bracelet like it's a watch (and it's probably the only time I really care about at this stage of the game) and I can see how long it has been since I last fed baby. So when I work up the courage to feed baby again, I just flip the bracelet after one side, move the pegs and then I don't have to think about it anymore. It's great! The less things I have to think about under the influence of pain medication is a load off my back.

I checked out the website: www.milkbands.com and if you go there you'll see that they have improved on their design and they now use sliders. I guess it got to be a pain replacing pegs... so they got something that just stays on the bracelet. But half the challenge for me is making sure I don't drop the peg. It's like having a built-in game... and so far I'm winning. Anything to help improve post partum morale is a bonus. So my bracelet is vintage. I think mine is more decorative, too, with the pegs sticking out like cloves in a ham, only prettier.

Psyche!

2008-01-11T21:11:00.000-06:00

She is still on the inside.

Remember the 80's? And the movie Sixteen Candles? The part where they are all getting in the car to go to the wedding and it's chaos with everyone changing places and getting in and out of the car until they are finally all in makes me a little stressed out just watching them. And then they pull out of the driveway only to discover Long Duck Dong on the grass and they all get back out of the car again. It makes me laugh because you know it's going to take them forever to all get back in the car.

We resembled that part of the movie today... a little. Mom and I went out to install the carseat, the kids followed, then my brother and then Josh. We had the base of the carseat in with locking clip finally installed (those things are tough to get on). And then we put the stroller in the back with the carseat on top because we discovered that the carseat was too big to fit behind the driver's seat. So we had to take the base out. And then we tried to decide if we should take two cars or not. Josh won because he's always about having options and having two cars would allow him the option of leaving if he had to go and get something for me later. His decision saved us today, but I'll get to that.

So we decided that it was worth the parking fees to have both cars. And then we decided who would ride with him, and it ended up being Sarah (after she had just gotten in a little fight with Seth over who would get to sit where). Then there was the question of whether or not I should drive, and I won that one by just getting in the driver's side. Then Josh had to document everything with the camcorder. He said he would follow me, so at last I put the key in the ignition and backed out. I drove down the street and then stopped because he wasn't following. In my rear view mirror I watched him finally put the camcorder away, then get in the car, and then then get out of the car and go inside the house. Finally, when he was ready and back in the truck, we were able to get a move on.

The drive down was uneventful and traffic was good. I made sure that my brother was paying attention so that he would know how to get there. We were able to get parking spots right near each other (which isn't important since we were going to stay and they weren't, but it was still nice). We wandered around the first floor of the hospital looking for admitting... never having been told to go straight to the third floor to Labor and Delivery. We took the elevators farthest from where we ended up, but once we got there we were greeted by a nice nurse. She said that I could take one person with me and that I had to kiss everyone else good-bye right then and there. So I started hugging and kissing my kids and doing exactly as I was told.

Josh and I went our way, and they went their's (but my brother did come back later because I forgot to give him the keys to the van and the house). The first thing I did was get undressed and into the wonderful hospital gown that opens at the back. The nurse gave me a nice new pair of ugly brown socks to put on, too. Then I sat in a warm cozy chair and she hooked me up to the monitor. Baby's heartbeat was the background noise while I signed papers and she asked me questions and input everything into a computer. She even brought in an IV and was going to stick me with it eventually. But she asked the fated question instead... "Did you eat anything today?" I sure did... I ate the One-Eyed Egyptian that my husband lovingly made for me. "What time was that?" Just before we came, around 11am. She stopped and said that she would need to check with Anaesthesia before we could continue. She said that they had sent a lady home because she had had a glass of milk within 8 hours of surgery.

Josh and I were like, "Doh!" We thought we were old pros at this, but forgot that one detail about not eating before surgery. To be fair, the doctor's office failed to remind me and that's probably why the doc wasn't mad at us... he shared the blame. We braced ourselves for the news, and I was a little disappointed at first. And then I was relieved because I had originally wanted to schedule the surgery for Saturday, but they wouldn't let me. And I was a little worried about an afternoon c-section and would rather do it in the morning. Well, that's exactly what I'll be getting. I'll be going in tomorrow at 10am and this time I am not supposed to eat or drink anything after midnight.

Honestly, I wasn't ready today. I was tired. I had wanted to get a good night's rest, but had stayed up playing Rummikub with my mom and brother. We were having fun and I told myself that I would get rest when I was drugged up, but maybe I had put myself at a disadvantage for a better recovery.

Now I can get the rest I need and for Zoe's last day inside we went shopping at Fry's. It's a good thing that we had the truck because we met everybody at the Whataburger outside Fry's, ate lunch, and then went shopping. Nana bought the kids a new Wii game, Raymond Raving Rabbids 2. We got a new router, a DVD drive/recorder for my computer, and another guitar for Guitar Hero III... (Sarah and Josh are getting ready to battle for the first time as I type). Josh was trying to get a second guitar for a long time, but couldn't find them anywhere. He was shocked to see one sitting on the shelf and guarded it with his life or put it in Sarah's care to guard with her life for the rest of the time we were there. We thought it was the last one, but we saw a few others later on in a different area. Josh is very happy (and they're having fun now). Today was a great day.

I'm especially glad because now I have less to visualize... today was like a trial run. Now we don't have to do the Chinese fire drill to get into the car. Josh and I can leave everyone at home, and everyone can come when it's time to see baby later. My bro now knows the way. The kids can hang out with Nana and Uncle Doo in comfort.

So all of you that were expecting a call and didn't get one... we apologize! We will call you tomorrow!

17-hours Til Baby

2008-01-10T22:17:00.000-06:00

It's almost time! Life is about to change... in just hours. And what am I doing with my last night of a good night's sleep? Right now I'm waiting for dinner. Yep... I know it's late... we had a slow start tonight... half the adults are jet lagged. Doo is making spam, onions, cut green beans in tomato sauce, Mom made a salad with mangoes sliced in it, and I made the rice. Sarah, Zack and Josh are playing Guitar Hero III and Seth fell asleep on the couch. All the while we are chatting, telling stories, making each other laugh.

Today I got a bunch of calls from different friends/family wishing me good luck and to say they are there if I need anything and that I'm in their prayers. It's so nice to be thought of. I'll have to remember to keep this happy thought in my head when I'm getting wheeled to the OR... and I get a little anxious.

This will be our first experience delivering a baby in Texas. Being our fourth child, you would think we have lots of experience under our belts, but it's still kind of weird not knowing what to expect exactly. Going to the hospital is still an unknown. I know we have to show up two hours early and fill out paperwork, but I've never done it at this hospital, so it's all pretty vague. I am used to visualizing how my day will go... probably leftovers from being taught to visualize yourself hitting the ball in sports... and I can't think past 3:00 pm.

Susie helps me out by pointing out that it's only hours away that I'll be holding a baby. She said, "It's not even a day anymore, Trish, it's like hours.." And then I get excited and try to picture it, but I still have so much to do!

Dinner is ready, though, and I need to eat! Maybe I'll blog some more tomorrow. Or not. You'll get a call from us when baby is on the outside.

You Know Your Feet Are Swollen When Your Crocs Are Tight

2008-01-09T02:07:00.000-06:00

Awww man! I messed up my blog-a-day streak! It's all Susie's fault. We tried to make 240 little Sizzix die cut people for our latest Primary venture. By the time we called it quits... at around 1:30am, we still had 106 left to do. I'll continue with the cutting and gluing later... for now, she has enough to get by this month.

So now It's way after midnight and I'm checking out my new and improved (tripled RAM memory and new "fatty" 500Gb Hard Drive) computer that Josh installed tonight... like without even breaking a sweat. I revere his geek gene that he has nurtured since the day we were married. (Seriously, he used our loot from the money dance at our wedding reception to buy our first computer.) Believe it or not, there was once a time when I knew more about computers than he did. Laughable, I know! Unbelievable, I know! In human growth terms, he went from zygote to teen wonder in less than a year. I served my time (hanging out at computer stores, going to sleep with him still surfing the net--with dial up no less, and watching him spend $20 on one CD to burn and dying inside when it didn't take because he would have to buy another one), and now I am reaping the benefits. We got great deals at Fry's today and my boss agreed to pay for it... woo hoo! And I am marveling at the speed at my fingertips. I feel like Flash Gordon... I'm singing the Queen song in my head.... Flash... Ah-aahhhHH! Savior of the Universe!

Now I have no excuse... I have to get those other calendars done. I did three today, so that leaves five more. I can do it. I think I can, I think I can.

I'm so ready to pop! I had three contractions in a 20-minute period today at the doctor's office. They put me on a monitor and I had to click the clicker every time I felt baby move. I was clicking away and the nurse commented about how the baby was moving around like a "jumping jelly bean." (It doesn't look so good in print, but she was a black lady and she quipped it with conviction and flare, so I decided to write it anyway.) And then the doctor said that the baby "is looking really good." He was a little bugged that I have been skipping testing my blood a lot, but only three more days of this and hopefully I can eat whatever I want!!

OK, who am I kidding? I've already been eating whatever I want lately... within reason... most of the time. But I think mostly, I haven't been eating. I get busy doing something and pretty soon it's noon and I haven't eaten breakfast. So then I go down whatever is quick... protein or not. And I can't seem to keep drinking water. That's why my crocs are tight. Especially on my left foot. My entire left leg looks 15% bigger than my right. I wonder why. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that it hurts in the "hmm hmm" to stand on that leg by itself. It has been like that for months, but the swelling only started in the last three weeks. And if I wore anything on my nose, it would be tight, too... my nose is totally swollen.

I took pictures of all this, but I don't want to gross you out. Some family members have already been "treated" to a picture of my naked belly with stretch marks and darkened belly button. I think I've said enough here.

Can She Do It?

2008-01-07T22:21:00.000-06:00

Josh and I are meeting up in the living room to watch a show in a bit, but in the meantime I am supposed to be working and getting lots done! Guess what I've been doing? Emailing, looking at google maps so that I can map my shopping route after my doctor appointment tomorrow, checking out the links Josh emailed me on what to buy for my computer.... I've been doing everything except work.

And what can I possibly have to do for work on my last week with the big belly? Let's see... I've finished all the write up for the Grapevine. Luckily, Josh rescued a bunch of files from my "sleeps with the fishes" hard drive and I didn't have to do them all over again. Amen and amen... work has agreed to buy me a new hard drive--yahoo! It pays to live with the geek squad. So now all I gotta do is make a calendar for Vacaville, Fairfield, Dixon, Benicia, San Ramon, Pleasanton, Livermore, and Rocklin... yep, ladies and gents... that's 8 calendars by Wednesday (my original lofty goal... but it will probably be more like Thursday). Can she do it, folks? Cast your votes or say a prayer for her! And I'll be sure to keep you posted.

But that's not all! There's a little bit of write up for Rocklin to do, but not much. I'll probably do stuff for that book post baby. Oh, and don't forget that I'm still trying to get approval from a client on embroidery for my big order of the year... hopefully we can begin production this week. And I have to remember to pay sales taxes before the month is up.

Other than that, I'm good. Oh, but I do have a presidency meeting tomorrow night... more like a passing of the torch to the capable ladies that serve with me in the Primary presidency. And then I also agreed to watch a squishy baby boy and his sister (a new sunbeam!) tomorrow night at the same time. My kids adore them, so I figure I can get in a quick hug or two and then let them play while we have a meeting.

My kids cleaned their bathroom today, so I think we're looking good on that end for my mom and bro to come, but I still have to go in and inspect just to be sure. Then I have to tackle my bathroom... Let's see... laundry is done... dishes could use some attention... house is in order... desk area is still clean (can you believe it?!)... and so I think I'm doing OK. Oh! And I have to get over this cold... getting cut open and coughing just doesn't go well together, you know?

And allelujah, the kids go back to school tomorrow! Oh Happy Day! They are so ready to get a life, too. Seth said on the first day of break, "I want to go to school and learn." It was funny because he said it in a weird high pitched voice with a serious, raised eyebrow look. Kids need purpose in their lives, too. We have to get them out of the house and enough of the chocolates and treats already! The holidays are over!

But Susie did bring me some yummy bon bons tonight. She made oreo truffles and was kind enough to share. The note said that they were the last family night treat as a family of five. Awww! She's so amazing. We didn't even do family night tonight... us slackers, but we sure enjoyed the treat!

Hormones / Steve-O / Sunbeams

2008-01-06T21:12:00.000-06:00

I don't know what to blog about, but I have a list of different things to choose from. So I guess I'll just talk about all of them.

Today was fast and testimony meeting at church which is usually every first Sunday. Members of the ward are encouraged to stand and express their knowledge of the divinity of Jesus Christ, that he lives and guides our church, and having tested a principle of the gospel they have expanded their knowledge of the truthfulness of the doctrine. Lots of times, people cry. Sharing the deepest feelings of your heart will invite the Holy Spirit to the meeting, touching hearts, and being made manifest in tears. People may talk about being prompted by the Spirit to get up and share their testimony, but today that feeling did not come to me. I was happy to be sitting with my family listening to even the littlest of Primary children get up and say that the gospel is true and that they love their families. This in turn, creates an upward spiral of testimony bearing since even the youngest testimony has weight with the Spirit.

Like I said, I was sitting and listening when a wealth of hormones was released and I was practically bawling. One of the Primary teachers was the last to go up, and almost before she reached the podium, I could feel the tears behind my eyes. I knew that she had just lost her father on Christmas Day and I was feeling the emotion I knew she would feel when she spoke the words. Because I have a cold and decided not to take medication before church (by choice to avoid the yucky feeling I knew I would have), the tears caused my sinuses to open the floodgates so that when I inhaled, it was audible and several people looked over at me. I could not contain the swelling in my heart for this dear sister. My father dying is a familiar childhood nightmare that I cannot remember without feelings of terror and devastation. And yet, this sister said her tears were those of happiness knowing that she will see her father, her best friend, again someday.

I was almost too exhausted emotionally to continue with the rest of our church meetings (for me, that means Primary for two hours). But I was able to teach Sharing Time about how we are created in our Heavenly Father's image. I just want to mention that our Music Leader is inspired and wonderful. She sings like an angel and loves to sing and teaches the children by example how tangible the Spirit can be after singing. She made my lesson go the extra mile and it was one of the most spiritual moments in Primary for me. I'm speaking mainly of the Senior Primary Sharing Time.

The Junior Primary Sharing Time was the exact same lesson, but having brand new Sunbeams (3 year olds) in Primary for the first time was like trying to contain a bunch of monkeys in a box. One in particular was outspoken and uninhibited and interrupted every chance she got. It made me smile and laugh a few times and remember why Primary is the best place to be in the church. You cannot get this level of entertainment in Relief Society. There are twins in the Sunbeam class, too, and they sang their hearts out today... I Am a Child of God was heard throughout the building. And I am happy that it is the theme for this year because it reminds me of when I first met the Sister Missionaries and was sent on this spiritual journey that has brought so much happiness into my life.

So today was a good day. I waddled around, got lots of well wishes for a safe delivery, lots of offers of babysitting and service. And I was glad that I went to church today. It never fails that if you do what is right, you'll always feel good that you did it.

And finally, I want to wish my brother Steve a Happy Belated Birthday. He turned 26 on Friday. He's the middle of the trio of children that were each born one year apart, all in the month of January. So my youngest brother Shawn is turning 25 on Thursday and then my sister will be 27 on the 26th. I am happy to be adding Zoe's birthday to their birthday month (we usually stack things up in December... tax breaks, you know) and I could have chosen Shawn's birthday for Zoe, but decided that everyone should have their own day.

What's funny about my youngest three siblings is that my three children resemble their personalities so much. They are 2 1/2 years apart, but they follow the same gender order. My daughter is smart and slobby like my sister (sorry Chole, it's just a side effect of your genius, I'm sure). Zack is the risk taker, therefore the most talented (and busted up), just like his Uncle Steve. Seth is the independent one who walks to the drum of his own beat and doesn't really care to perform to anyone's desires... and Shawn is just as easy going and carefree.

Now I will throw a Zoe into the midst, but being six years from Seth and eleven years from Sarah, there's no predicting what she'll be like or if she will resemble anyone in my family. I'm sure we'll draw our own conclusions and Josh's side will definitely come into play. I'm not really thinking that far ahead... I'm still grasping with the idea that come Friday I will exchange an awkward waddle to the bathroom in the middle of the night for a slow, standing, stomach-with-incision, drug induced walk every three hours of the day and night.

Speaking of which.... I gotta go. No really, when you gotta go, you gotta go.

I Need a New Hard Drive

2008-01-05T23:48:00.000-06:00

Josh has been working tirelessly on recovering the pictures, but it seems that my entire hard drive has decided to show its age. He is now trying to recover everything on it - - including work files, church files, and basically my whole life for the past year. Please let all his skills make it work!!

Other than that bit of unpleasantness, today was a rather rewarding day. I was able to wake up on time and be at the church to set up for our first Primary Quarterly Activity of the year -- Meet Your Teacher Breakfast. The newest members of the Primary presidency were there as promised and ready to rock. I just love these women already. Josh set up 9 round tables practically on his own, and we put tablecloths and chairs out. Sarah and Zack were helpful putting up table tents and Articles of Faith cards at each setting. Susie came a little later after having baked from scratch 80 sausage and cheese kolaches. She also brought orange wedges, pineapple rings, and grapes. We were fortunate enough to get leftover orange rolls that our former Nursery leader made because of a youth planning meeting that took place at the same time.

We had a pretty big turn out with 31 children showing up in pajamas. Our music leader did an excellent job introducing the theme for the year, and the teachers seemed to enjoy getting to know their new classes. I am especially grateful for dedicated teachers that come every Sunday prepared to teach and love the children.

We had plenty of help cleaning up, and then after the closing prayer, the children went home and the teachers stayed for a Teacher Improvement meeting. I thought it went very well. I feel like we will all mesh well this year and have success in our goals for Primary. Of course, I'm leaving everything in the capable hands of Susie and the new counselor and new secretary for this month, but I am feeling really excited about what the coming year has in store. I am passed being completely paralyzed with fear of being the president, and I feel like I'll do better and make less mistakes.

There are still some issues to take care of, but I know that all the challenges I face are no surprise to Heavenly Father, and he would not have put me here if he didn't think I could do some good and learn a lot along the way. He trusts me with the teaching of his little ones, so I have to trust that he knows what he's doing and try not to mess up!

I took a good long nap when I got home and after Susie brought by some cinnamon rolls that she made from scratch. They were so good! And she was so good to think of us. I can't say enough about how much she rocks. I'm so happy that she's past her morning sickness and back to her normal self.

After my nap, I went through the coupons I bought. I haven't bought newspapers since mid-December. There were a lot this week. So then I dragged Sarah to Kroger with me (since Susie wasn't answering... must have hit the sack early after all her baking). I got $211 worth of stuff for $122. Not quite 50% off, but a good run all the same. I'm especially happy about getting a package of diapers for $5 and a thing of wipes for $1.

We start church at 2:30pm tomorrow. It will be weird, but nice that I have all day to prepare my Sharing Time lesson.

Now I have to go do some breathing exercises or get in a better position... Zoe is starting her aerobics/yoga session now.

Computer Gods -- Where art thou?

2008-01-04T23:42:00.000-06:00

I'm blogging from the laptop while my desktop computer gets an overhaul. My geek squad husband is rescuing some files that have mysteriously disappeared. Or have they? They're playing hide and seek. We'll see what we can recover.

My mom doesn't read my blog, I don't think. So I'll tell you a secret... I'm going to see how she feels about giving me her super duper really nice laptop. She bought it last Christmas when she was here and I'm taking lessons from Josh.... I talk her into giving me the "obsolete" year-old computer and then she can get a "nice, new shiny one" when she gets here next week.

I'm on the phone with her right now feeling her out. She's currently laughing in my face. And now she's telling me that she wants a camcorder. OK... I'll have to try another route... tears? crying? nah, that never works with parents. Maybe the trick will be just getting her to bring it... and then we take a trip to Fry's and see what's out there and maybe she'll see something she likes. And I'll be in the right place at the right time... yeah, baby.

Shameless! I wasn't going to blog about this. I was actually trying to post pictures of the boys' haircuts... that Josh did! I helped, but it was pretty much mostly Josh. They look good.

Gotta go. More later.

The Heat is ON!

2008-01-03T23:30:00.001-06:00

Josh finally turned the heat on last night. And yet, the smell of deer corn pervades the household because the kids are really into taking a corn bag to bed with them. Even Josh succumbed and took one to bed last night. I was shocked because he really doesn't like the way they smell. I think they smell like warm milk and Seth thinks they smell like popcorn. I like how you can take one to bed and keep it under the covers and it's still warm in the morning. That's some serious heat retention.

We got our first deer corn bag last Christmas from our friends, the Bowens. At the time, I did a google search and found a good site where the lady had researched different materials to make into a heatable bag for the nursing home where she worked. Deer corn was ideal because it didn't rot and has a natural hole in the kernels so that they don't pop, and her research led to the use of uniform sized bags that could be heated in one minute and given out to residents. I can't find the site now, which is too bad, but now I see that there are a lot of people making and selling these bags online now. I had to really dig last year, and now they're everywhere.

Next time we go to Port A, we'll stop at a place that sells a 50 pound bag for $5 and get another bag. The only downfall to that great deal is using up the bag before the weevils move into the bag.

And that's my post for January 3, 2008... I'm doing well, huh? Keeping up with my resolution... only we'll see what the time stamp turns out to be because the computer says it's after midnight... It would be nice if blogspot is late. So here goes nothing....

Sick Anyway

2008-01-02T19:11:00.001-06:00

Well, I got sick anyway... Last night my nose would not stop and today my throat hurts. Just a cold, but so annoying! I called in sick to my pregnancy check up doc appointment... was not looking forward to driving downtown with three kids. Josh stayed home and took care of me.

Now just because I feel useless... doesn't mean I was completely useless today. I got some things done for JNT Productions (my almost extinct business which is slowly coming back to life) organized emails from the office (my day job), and did some stuff for Primary (my church calling). The biggest thing I did was clean up my desk. Everything was migrating to different piles on the floor and taking over my room. So I'm posting my before and after shots of my desk area.

Before Picture: I took a picture of Seth (who is badly in need of a haircut) sitting in my chair and you can see the madness all over behind him. He's wrapped in his new fleece blanket and holding the stuffed Panda Express bear that Zack picked out for me for Christmas. I suppose he thought I needed one because they all have one. And it's funny because they come into my room to get it and play with it and then bring it back when they're done, so maybe they just wanted another panda bear...?

Story of the Panda Bears: When we went to Sig's wedding, her mom gave each of my children a stuffed panda bear that coincided with their ages. It was kind of a thank you for being in the wedding (Sarah was a flower girl and Zack was ring bearer). Seth's is like a roley poley baby bear which he named Cheerio Cereal Haley. Zack's is a little older and he named it Zinny Eyeball Haley. Sarah's is biggest and oldest and she named it Cherry Berry Haley.

After Picture: Clean desk! Still crazy with the wires hanging down the back, but lots of leg room and we're able to walk near the desk without threat of avalanche.

It feels good to be able to sit at my desk now. Getting things cleaned up is a good way to relieve stress and also a good effort towards making this year a less stressful one. We'll see how long I can keep my desk like this. I'll post a picture of it when it gets crazy again (it's inevitable) and we'll document how many days I kept up with my New Year's resolution.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T17:32:00.001-06:00

For New Year's Eve we had planned to go over to our friends' house to light fireworks. They live on the cul de sac to covet where all the neighbors hang out and BBQ and do block parties and all the kids play together. They love their neighbors over there, and we were happy to be invited, but at the last minute, they warned us that they had been sick and we decided not to go. Plus, me being pregnant and it being cold outside... I was actually just looking forward to staying close to home--I'm such an old lady, I know. (Here's me and my big belly.)

It ended up being a fun time for us. Seth is at the age where Christmas and fireworks are wondrous events, so it's mostly fun to watch his reaction to everything. We had gone to a fireworks stand earlier in the day (for the first time in Texas) and bought a tall cylinder box filled with kid-friendly fireworks. Before we went outside to light them, Josh was careful to explain to them the rules of safety and how to light the fuse and then run away and not to light anything without permission and to take turns and not to ask too many questions to drive us nuts and to be patient and what to do if a car comes... he's an Eagle Scout and takes his responsibility of protecting the family very seriously. Sometimes I roll my eyes because all of this takes time and I want to go, go, go, already! But in the end, I'm always glad that he takes the time to prepare them.

I was excited to go outside and take pictures with my new camera. Josh's gift to me was letting me get a Canon SD900 Power Shot Camera (refurbished from the Canon employee website--thanks to Sig, so we got it at a great price) along with a 4Gig SDHC Card (geek speak for super fast and lots of memory) on sale at Office Depot. It takes stills and video and fits in the palm of my hand. It's so cool! I have been wanting a camera like this since last Christmas because of its size and convenience. I figure I ought to get a camera that I'm willing to carry around. My big SLR and our medium-sized digital were just too big for me to "remember" to bring along. Now I can just have this camera in my bag and be ready to shoot over a 1000 pics before needing to download the card. Yeah, I hear ya... now I have to post more pics. Maybe I will--GOSH!

When we got outside, it was cold and windy. The first thing we did was play with snappers... the little white things packed in sawdust that when thrown on the ground they explode in little snaps and sparks. Those are very kid-friendly. Sarah said, "Make me dance!" and the boys were throwing them at her feet so that she could dance around like in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Seth went so far as to throw one at a passing car. I had to yell "No!" and "Absolutely Not!" and he smiled his wide and happy smile while saying "Yes, Mommy." The little punk. He was having so much fun.

Then we lit sparklers. Seth ran around like a crazy person yelling threats and curses like it was a wand (thanks Harry Potter). I got a picture of them holding their lit sparklers high. When we started to get into the bigger stuff, the fireworks were mostly comical. Not anything close to the level of spectacular that we would have seen had we gone to our friends' house. But we didn't spend very much money--it feels too much like lighting dollar bills one by one to me--so we got what we paid for. Some of the flowers were duds, but we had bought extras of those and the individual ones are fresher than the stuff packed in combo boxes. My favorites were the little sunflower ones that when lit fly gently up into the air, change different colors, and last all of two seconds. We had lots of those. Bottle rockets are always fun, and the kids each got to light more than one. There was a little red car that burst into flame and then 10 seconds later let out a little scream like a siren. We laughed the hardest at the tanks that are supposed to go forward and shoot a few rounds. The last one flipped over and shot towards us. So it was mostly a comedy fireworks night where we were concerned.

The other streets in our neighborhood had a little more action going on. When midnight hit, the sky lit up (but my camera battery had died by then--we had played with the camera all day). It was nice that we could see and enjoy someone else's hard-earned dollars go up in flames. We finished off our supply of firecrackers, and then cleaned up the street.

Going inside was like walking into a warm oven. I had made chicken pot pie for dinner, so we warmed the house by baking and then Josh lit the fireplace (go Josh!). We still haven't turned on the heat. I hate turning on the heat in Texas. It's so not right when you spend the majority of the year sweating. In the mornings the thermostat reads somewhere between 63 and 71 degrees fahrenheit. The kids heat up a deer corn bag or bring their blankets out and then the day warms up and it's not so bad. It's not neglectful parenting... we're building character here!

The kids spent a little more time on the Wii before heading to bed. Another late night for them on vacation... we have to get them back on track in the coming days before school starts up again. They haven't been up before 9:30am in the last few days. Josh had fun waking them up this morning... his idea of a great way to start the new year is blasting Van Halen's 5150 album, specifically a song that yells "Get UP!" over and over again. Zack was up first, then Sarah wandered out with Toph hair, and then Josh had to actually go and get Seth and carry him out. We enjoyed our living room and listened to Van Halen, but actually we were having fun watching Daddy sing Van Halen and play air drums and air guitar.

Breakfast was cereal and milk--my favorite! We cracked open a fresh box of Lucky Charms, and went for it. Josh just had his usual... ice cold Diet Coke. After that we opened a new Wii game that we got from Santa, Zelda Twilight Princess. Josh played and we all yelled instructions to him and gave ideas on how to solve different problems. It's a family game, for sure. I fell asleep after the first hour and half, though. When I woke up, Josh was cutting troll-looking monsters down.

We took a break for crackers, summer sausage and cheese that Josh's parents had sent. Apparently, Hickory Farms is the taste of the holidays for Josh. We added our own stuff, like pepperoni bites, cream cheese with raspberry chipotle sauce, ritz crackers, wheat thins, colby-jack cheese, and snowflake rolls with butter. We then dug into the Danish shortbread cookies and other goodies from the box that Josh's parents had sent. So much for watching my blood sugar, eh? (Not for too much longer, I hope!)

We decided that we should get outside for a bit. I took pictures of Zack riding his new razor scooter

and Seth trying to push his bike out which he doesn't know how to ride yet.

Sarah changed clothes about three times during the time we were out there. What is that about?

Then it was too cold for me, so I went in and shot video of Josh playing his Christmas gift, an electronic drum kit.

Now here I am blogging about our New Year adventures and figuring out how to post pics and vids for you. It's always a resolution for me to journal daily, but it usually doesn't last longer than a week, if that. Maybe this blog will change things... even if I just post a picture a day that I take with my new camera... that might work.

Or not... once baby comes, she will control my universe. I'll be nothing but a dairy cow and a walking zombie for lack of sleep. My mom and big bro are coming for the big event. They are really great at helping with babies and keeping the other kiddos entertained. It will be fun to have them after all the holiday stuff is over... I'm really loving my no-stress holiday season. I wonder what it would take to keep things this way for the entire year. That's a resolution worth keeping up with, and that's what I wish for all of you! A no-stress, happy new year!

Christmas Again

2007-12-26T17:46:00.001-06:00

So I got my post in last night, and the time stamp was 20 minutes before actual time. I could have kept right on going... so I will... right here... right now...

Did I mention that we had a fire going for most of the day? I was glad that it was cold enough for it, and I am stoked that my husband is so into fireplaces now. He's like a new and improved model husband... the kind that likes lighting fires and no longer complains about "wasted" wall space where the fireplace is. I'm loving this.

He is a way cool daddy, too. Seth had been waiting for the last few days for "egg time". He won a "Cook with Daddy" reward with a token (frog program) grab, and Josh said that he planned to make loco mocos for dinner on Christmas Day. He told Seth he could help fry the eggs. So up until the minute, Seth kept asking "Is it egg time yet, Daddy?" When it was finally time, I was sitting at the kitchen table doing my own thing and listening to Josh teach Seth how to crack and open the egg into the pan. I smiled a little when I heard him tell Seth that he should get closer to the pan next time so that it doesn't splash all over and break the yolk. Seth cracked, flipped with a spatula, and cooked three eggs of which he ate two and I ate one. He was really proud.

The other two kids couldn't take it... they had to cook their own eggs, too. So even though they didn't win it, Josh taught each of them how to cook eggs. Sarah got the upgraded version where she flips the eggs in the pan without the spatula, and it was fun to hear Josh yelling his approval when she did it. Zack ended his cooking session with a little burn to his finger--it wasn't bad at all--and he made a smooth recovery complete with a built-in safety lesson about turning off the stove the minute something happens. He ran his finger under the tap and then a soak in ice water, and he was all good.

So even though dinner wasn't exactly like going out to kill it and drag it home for dinner, the kids were sure proud of having cooked their own eggs as if they did. It's nice that something so simple has the potential to turn into a top-ten Christmas memory. I hope this one stands out for them because it sure did for me.

I like doing crafty things on Christmas Day. So the kids got klutz books from us... a glider one for each of the boys and a pom pom animal one for Sarah. The boys did theirs, but Sarah played with theirs and not hers. The other thing we did was put together a fleece throw for each of them. We had been to JoAnn Fabrics the day before and got them for half price. I did the cutting of the fringe and Sarah and Zack did the tying. Seth refrained from helping because he said it was too hard. It's nice to see them using their blankets now and they all match Zoe... she got a fleece blanket from one of the ladies at the office. And now that they have their own, they don't mess with my fleece snowman one that I got from Kristen a few Christmases ago.

We went to bed a little late, but probably would not have done that even if I had not been scheduled for a doctor appointment today. Seth and Zack were just as cozy in their new sheets and comforters as Sarah (who got hers some time ago when she outgrew her favorite blanket and the boys have followed in her footsteps outgrowing theirs), so it was hard to wake them up this morning, but we got to the doc on time. I got put on the monitor (FAD) like last week and then went to see my doctor. No contractions this time, but it's probably because I'm taking medicine. I'm still not in labor and the doctor said I need to stay that way for at least ten more days. Gotta keep baking that bun in the oven. I have another appointment next week, and then it's c-section time the following week.

Time is beginning to speed up for me as I realize this. I'm not ready! The baby bed (co-sleeper) is ordered and on its way. We have diapers and wipes and a new diaper bag (thanks to a couple of ladies at the office who got me a Target gift card). We also have clothes, blankets and other things that the other ladies at the office sent (they did a baby shower in a box for me complete with color picture of all of them at the office which is nice because I only ever see them when we go on a company cruise). We also bought the car seat and stroller last Saturday because I couldn't wait until after Christmas. We had spent the day moving our room around to accommodate baby and it just seemed like the natural thing to do... I was in baby mode. There's still lots to do, but we're making progress.

I meant to blog about my baby shower that Brooke and Susie threw for me on the 15th. Or did I? Maybe I didn't. Man, I'm losing it. We didn't take any pictures, but I did get a picture of the big baby shower cake that Brooke made out of a case of diapers. I'll have to post that. It was dang huge.

Gotta go finish up with the Christmas packing for mailing. I'm so lame. I got gifts done sometime around Thanksgiving, but am only now sending them after the big day. So, when you get your gift from me, just be thankful that it's not March... when last year's Christmas card got to you. Christmas is the same time every year, and I still manage to be late. Sorry!

Hope your Christmas was a memorable one! Let's see those posts, now!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T23:39:00.001-06:00

Let's see if I can get this in before midnight... when everything Christmas suddenly vanishes (XM radio holiday stations are already shut down which is really OK...once you hit the 20th version of Let It Snow, it's time to kill it).

This has been one of the best Christmases yet. I think it has something to do with not having the stress of visiting or traveling or needing to be anywhere for anything. This is the way to go, folks. Although it is always great to see family and friends and be festive together, Christmas at home is definitely my favorite way to spend Christmas. It may or may not have anything to do with my huge belly and being able to let it all hang out.

We started with Christmas dinner of steak, baked potatoes and green bean casserole on Christmas Eve (Josh rocked... slaving over the hot stove--which is welcomed in this cold Houston weather--while I cleaned up as we went along which I don't mind doing when we're in the kitchen together being a team). Afterwards, we read Luke 2 as a family -- 52 verses, so we each took turns reading 5 at a time and going around the table. Zack got to read the last two extra verses which he was so concerned about (he's Mister Gotta Be Fair Boy). Then the kids built a Gingerbread House while Josh read his Mom's Port A version of Night Before Christmas. Then we let the kids open gifts from their great-grandparents. I don't remember what happened next, but we were in the middle of something and Zack saw that it was almost midnight and ran to bed. He wanted to get to sleep so that Santa could come.

So while everyone slumbered, Santa got busy. I'll spare you the gory details because time is short. Suffice it to say that the next morning was a success. We prolonged the children's agony by making them eat breakfast first, and then we opened presents with the kids taking turns being an "elf" delivering a gift to someone. After everything was opened, which took an agonizingly long time because I was beginning to fall asleep, I noted that the thing the kids played with first was the little Nerf-like gun that Zack got Seth from the dollar store. After all Santa's efforts... it really only takes one dollar to make Christmas exciting. But the following seven hours were devoted to the new Wii games... so I guess we broke even.

One of my favorite things about this Christmas was watching Seth go to the little table next to the tree and play with the nativity set that Grandma Niki got them when we were living in Port A. She wanted the kids to be able to touch it and play with it, and that's what Seth did on Christmas Eve and the night before. So sweet.

Toffe Butter Crunch Recipe

2007-12-19T18:10:00.001-06:00

This recipe (aka homemade Almond Roca) is for Nancy Fancy Pants... one of Susie's sisters. She was kind enough to request it.

1 c coarsely chopped toasted almonds
2 c butter (real stuff only!)
2 c sugar
2 T light corn syrup
6 T water
1 1/2 c milk chocolate pieces
1 c finely chopped toasted almonds

I use a non-stick jelly roll pan for this. You can also use a 13x9x2 inch baking pan lined with foil. Sprinkle coarsely chopped nuts in pan. Butter sides of heavy 2-quart saucepan. Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook and stir over medium-high heat to boiling. Clip candy thermometer to pan. Cook and stir over medium heat to 290 degrees F, soft crack stage (about 15 minutes). Watch carefully after 280 degrees to prevent scorching. Remove saucepan from heat and remove thermometer. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Let stand for five minutes or until firm; sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 1-2 minutes and then spread chocolate over mixture. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts. Chill till firm. Lift candy out of pan; break into pieces. Store tightly covered. Makes about 3 pounds.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Seth!

2007-12-14T23:36:00.001-06:00

Seth is six! He had a fun day... He ate McDonald's for lunch (yours truly had to actually get out of the car and go into Walmart to get it since they tore down the stand alone building and are building another one... we never go to McD's so he was stoked); had Ninja Turtles and Backyardigans cupcakes to share with his classmates, got to wear his pj's to school since it was Polar Express Day for the kindergarteners (they got a ticket and "rode" a train to the North Pole to see Santa who gave them a jingle bell necklace); got to open presents in the morning, afternoon and night; ate a special dinner of his choice (corn dogs and french fries); had a double chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (which he carved his name into before cutting and serving); spent lots of time taking pictures with his new digital camera that he got from Gma Niki and Gpa Randy; then put himself to bed around 10:30pm. What a day!

I'm exhausted... had a late night last night with the girls watching an old black and white movie - The Ghost and Mrs. Muir - and loved it! Except for the part where she kisses a creep (gross!) and never kisses the dashing Captain. Well, they did leave some for the imagination back in the old days, I'll give them that. I used to watch a TV series by the same name that was most likely made after this movie. I digress. The point is, I slept three hours last night.

So I've been running on fumes all day. Didn't exactly hit all my deadlines today with work, but I got the most urgent things done. The rest of the day was dedicated to Seth's birthday, primary preparations (baptism tomorrow and teaching the senior primary ST), getting together a gift basket for the missionaries, and baking like crazy.

I have to put this down even though I'm about to fall over... it was a Christmas miracle, I tell ya. I began the evening by making Seth's cake, followed by brownies to put in the gift basket, then got a wild idea to make rolls for the gift basket (and Josh--or I wouldn't live to see another day), then decided to also do Ginger Snaps since the oven was already on, and then decided to make Toffee Butter Crunch (gotta send to Tony since he liked it the last time I made it for Christmas). I also got Sarah to get down the deep fryer to fry the french fries, stuck the corn dogs in the oven, and slapped the ketchup on the table for one of the easiest meals ever made. I forgot that I had bought broccoli to go with it so that Seth could get some kind of vitamin in him today. Oops!

Now I'm working on baptism stuff. I'm thinking I should just go to bed and then get up early tomorrow, but I don't want the laughter to build up inside me and short circuit the one cable I'm running on right now. I want to at least make it to the bed before I tip over.

Buffalo Chip Cookies

2007-12-12T11:35:00.000-06:00

I have an email that I sent to Josh's parents during the first month of living here (which was 2 years ago) and have decided to share it with y'all. I read it to the kids last year in December and they were rolling with laughter. So it inspired me to read it to them every year. Now you're included...

12/30/05

Hi Mom and Dad,

I've been holding on to the recipe you developed for Buffalo Chips and waiting for the chance to bake a batch. Today was that day. I decided that the kids were going to help and we were going to make some memories and some good grinds for tomorrow night. I thought you might like a record of our first attempt. This might be a long one, so print it out and read it the next time you're on the pot -- you'll see that it's a fitting story for that.

Zack and Sarah are both anxious to help me in the kitchen. I'm struck by the joy they feel in doing it even if it's just a little bit. Just the other day, Sarah turned to me and said, "I love helping you cook pancakes, Mom! Or anything, really!" I almost resolve to involve the kids more in everyday cooking. Read on.

Sarah is the first to jump when I announce that we're going to make cookies. Zack reminds her that she needs to wash her hands. He's not done with dessert yet, so he's trying to stall for time in order to get an equal share of the helping. He scarfs down the rest of his ice cream, runs to wash his hands, and then reappears and announces in a loud voice, "I washed my hands!" I begin with melting the buttery Crisco and let them take turns putting the seconds on the microwave, opening and closing the door, and then pouring the melted yummy smelling stuff into the bowl.

Next comes the sugars. Before I can answer Zack's question to scoop, Sarah tells him that he's not going to touch the scoop, but count them as I measure them out. I can't find my one cup measure, so I'm using the 1/4 cup measure and it's more fun that way anyway. They count and watch the Kitchenaide mixer blend everything together, laughing at the way it all comes together. At this point, I realize that Seth is no where to be found. They tell me that he's in the bedroom, so I figure he's found Sarah's Game Boy and he's secretly playing it without permission.

The eggs are next, and Zack asks how to open them. A little lesson ensues where cracking the eggs on a flat surface creates the perfect line crack down the center. I say, "then you just pull the egg shell apart with your fingers. You don't push your fingers into it." Sarah says, "Yeah, like I do sometimes." Then she explains to Zack that the outside of an egg is really yucky, "because, well, it did come out of a chicken's butt."

After her mini-lesson, Sarah soon realizes what I've suspected and runs to the bedroom to retrieve the Game Boy and hide it from her little sticky-fingers brother. Seth retires to the living room to watch. I see his face and it looks like he wants to help, but he's content to watch this time around.

We begin to mix up the dry stuff: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sarah holds the bowl while Zack stirs it up with a whisk. I put a cup of cornflakes in a bag and hand it to Sarah to crush. When I see her squeezing it with her fingers, I show her how to put it on the table and crush with a flat palm in order to keep the bag from getting holes. She starts to do it and I turn to gradually integrating the flour mixture and wet mixture. Sarah tells Zack that he can have a turn at crushing the cornflakes since he gave her a turn stirring the flour mixture. I scold her for sitting on the bag and tell her not to do that. She laughs out a, "Yes, Mommy."

Then I catch a glimpse of Seth standing in the living room watching. His eyes are watering and he's very still. I say, "What are you doing? Are you making poo-poo?" He nods and says, "Pee-pee, too." I let out a roar of frustration then leave the mixer mixing, the two helpers crushing and grab Seth and tell him to get to the bathroom. I inspect the living room and it seems OK. Nothing got on the carpet except for a little spot of urine. I get an old rag and clean it up. Meanwhile, Seth is in the bathroom yelling incoherently. Sarah reports that he has dropped his underwear in the toilet and is waiting in the bathtub. Zack runs out of the bathroom yelling "Terrible smell! Terrible smell!" More puffs of frustration escape me as I tell Zack to bring the Febreeze. Once I've soaked up the mess and sprayed it, I go to the bathroom to clean up the culprit.

Hands washed really well, I return to the baking session. The oven is preheating and we need to get a move on. I dump more of the flour into the mixer and leave the bowl and whisk sitting on the counter. I finally tell the kids that the cornflakes are thoroughly crushed and they can stop now. They practically made corn flour out of it. I begin to empty the pantry of the other ingredients that put the buffalo in chips. A loud crash sounds behind me. When I turn, I see the bowl of flour emptied onto the floor and Zack's guilty face and a quiet, "Sorry." Everyone has frozen with baited breath for my reaction. I calmly say, "Well, how much flour do you think that is? We have to measure some more out and we won't know how much of the other stuff actually got into the mix." Realizing that they're not going to get a beating, Sarah drops to the floor and begins brushing the flour together with her hands, "Let's put it all together and then we can see how much flour it is." Zack says, "Let's get the dusting pan and then put it into the bowl." I say we can't do that and he asks the one hundred thousand dollar question, "Why?" I tell him that it's dirty. He jumps to join Sarah and they fight about who should get the dusting pan and broom to clean it up. I decide to mix in the baking soda, powder and salt all over again just in case. When I look at the two on the floor, they are covered in flour. I tell them to clean it up which they do, but the floor is still powdery with it and I can feel it getting all over the bottom of my feet as I walk around.

Flour mixture integrated, I begin measuring the chips, coconut and pecans. My helpers have disappeared, but I'm more intent on finishing the task with or without them. By the time Sarah returns, I've loaded up the first sheet with cookie dough. I put it into the oven and let Sarah do the scooping for the next cookie sheet. Zack appears and asks if he can help. I tell him that he can scoop next. I begin clearing up the counters and putting stuff away. Sarah has finished and is running around with her brothers and pretending to be Shadow Mario from one of their Game Cube games (Super Mario Sunshine, to be exact).

By the time I've switched out cookie sheets, I realize that it's past bedtime and instruct everyone to brush their teeth and get their pajamas on. Once they are all in bed, it is very quiet. I am looking at the remaining dough thinking that it sure is greasy looking. I'm sure that Grandma and Grandpa didn't mean for it to be like that, but maybe it can't be helped--they are cookies afterall. I decide to give the cookies out to neighbors and VT sisters for New Year's and begin loading them up on mini plates and putting them in ziploc bags. I'm thinking that they look a little different from when we had them at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and decide to try one just to make sure they're sharable. They taste great and they are a little crispy on the edges... I might have left them in one minute too long, but they're still chewy in the middle. When I'm brainstorming about how to label them, I look back at the recipe name and it says "Buffalo Chips (or Grandpa Randy's Oatmeal Cookies)."

Only then do I realize that we forgot the oatmeal.

You don't know whether to laugh or cry or be grossed out, do you?? These cookies are priceless and can never be duplicated as we'll never know how much flour and baking powder, baking soda and salt went into the mix. Only from writing this out have I identified the reason why we forgot the oatmeal--we were rudely interrupted by the four-year-old.

For the record, Seth is potty trained. He just has accidents every now and then. He was on the pot more than once today and he's so cute the way he yells from the toilet, "Mom! C'mere! Can you wipe my butt?" He just had a little diarhea and probably didn't know it was coming when he stood in my new living room and didn't lie about pooping and peeing in it.

Thanks for reading. I realize that I don't have to make this stuff up. I just have to record it.

Love you miss you,
Trish

Seth's Schoolwork

2007-12-10T17:39:00.000-06:00

Seth is learning a lot in kindergarten. He is reading and writing more and more everyday. He loves to draw pictures and spend time at the homework table on his own when inspiration hits. He always wants a new spiral notebook when we go to the store. And he always likes getting new drawing tools (pencils, pens, markers, crayons, paints). So for his upcoming 6th birthday, we got him a marker and watercolor pad of paper, a spiral sketchbook, new watercolors, and a set of Crayola markers called "over writers" which allows the color to show when you write over another color (I can't wait to see how well these work).

Here is a sample of some of his latest work in school. He got nice star stickers for his effort. I like that the sentences he came up with both have to do with his Daddy and he has drawn himself in the picture with him. Notice the squinty eyes he has given himself in the "hat" picture to show that he's laughing at the silly hat on his Dad's head. He still draws boy hair like mountains in up and down zig zag (with girls he makes circular spirals like spaghetti piled up on the head). I like his unique spelling of the word treasure in the "map" one. Notice the treasure map in his Dad's hand and the train... he says that these are "details." And to hear that word come out of his mouth is dang cute and I know that he has been paying attention to what his teacher says.

Seeing how much he loves to draw reminds me of when I was little and announced that I was going to be a "drawer" when I grew up. Not a drawer like in a chest of drawers, but as in a person who draws... an artist.

Black Preggie Dress Today

2007-12-08T12:33:00.000-06:00

Here's what I looked like today in the black dress. Notice the significant enlarging of the abdomen. I'm with Zack on my right and Seth on my left with characteristic Badtz-Maru face (Sarah's favorite Hello Kitty character).

The Black Preggie Dress

2007-12-06T13:09:00.001-06:00

OK, here's a picture of me in the dress back in August... belly isn't as huge as it is now, but it's showing. This is at the University of Hawaii just after the graduation ceremony where Josh received his BA Degree in Music.

Will post more preggie pictures after I schedule a photo shoot... or maybe Josh puts something up from last night when we video taped for Sarah's birthday. You'll see.

Yay! It's December!

2007-12-04T08:26:00.000-06:00

Just felt like blogging today... been a while. Thanksgiving was great. Got to go to Plano, Texas (Dallas) and get an early taste of winter, hang out with some friends, eat junk all day long, get hooked on GNC's 100% Whey Protein Powder Drink MIx (20g protein in each scoop), let Josh live his dream of watching the Cowboys live at Texas Stadium (for free in the freezing cold), watch McDreamy in the movie Enchanted along with kids and husbands (and they liked it!), bought a 50# bag of short grain rice from the Asia World Market for $24 (believe me, that is a highlight worth mentioning in Texas), played a card game called Blitz (really fun, ask me to teach you if you don't know it), and then Josh drove us all home in the still of the night (just before a massive rain storm hit) and we made it home safely in record time without traffic. Now that we're all caught up... let's talk about what's happening in my world now.

I am proud to say that it's December and we have our tree up (this is a major feat... our tree usually doesn't go up until a week before Christmas). Something about being 6 weeks out from delivering a baby that gets the motor running. I'm nesting, big time. Or maybe it was the all too tempting promise of a $20 Noble Fir from Ikea that started the ball rolling.

It was last Thursday when I put on the most flattering dress I own (at this stage) and went out into the world. This dress gets major attention that focuses straight to the belly. My belly becomes the highlight of my existence, but instead of looks of sympathy, I get compliments and surprised exclamations of "Wow, you look great!" or "You look ready to pop!" (said in a good way, I think). This dress showcased my belly so well that it got an Ikea worker to break the rules and put a Christmas tree on top of my van and then tie it down for me (they're not 'sposed to for liability issues). And then when I got home, I just waited for my overprotective husband, who has banned me from the attic where all the holiday stuff is stored, to come home, take it down, and bring it in. All I had to do was put on that dress.

Now $20 for a noble fir at Lowe's will get you a wreath or a swag or a garland, but not a tree... unless it's like 2 feet tall. The tree we got was over 8 feet tall and Josh had to cut off the sides of the trunk just to get it to fit in the tree stand. My bargain was probably not worth the trouble, but it sure made some nice memories for the family. Sarah helped do some of the cutting, Sarah and Zack helped move the tree into position, Sarah and Zack helped vacuum up the needles, and they both seemed happy to be spending time with Daddy doing something meaningful. They later went up into the attic (which I never let them do when I'm not pregnant) to get the Christmas decorations and loved being able to do it. Seth was mysteriously absent during all the hard work... and then I found him comfortably nestled in the crook of one of the recliners asleep. He's the smart, cunning one of the family.

I took some pictures today now that we've got it all decorated. You have to see this massive thing to belive it. Josh wants to do artificial next year... guess he's had enough of memory making with real trees. But maybe it's just too soon for him to talk about it now... kind of like having a baby... you forget the delivery part and focus on the yummy little darling and WHAMMO, you're pregnant again. We'll broach the subject later... much later next year to see how he really feels because it sure does smell good.

Happy Turkey Week!

2007-11-19T08:33:00.000-06:00

I should probably not be posting at this time... I've got a few more work deadlines to meet today and I should probably get cracking, but there's so much to write about! Lots to be thankful for--especially on this holiday week.

First, a little update... I went to my 3-hour GDM class (see, I'm all educated now, I know the acronym for gestational diabetes) last Thursday and learned a ton. The first part of the class was learning what GDM was and what happens to you and the baby if not treated, etc. etc. The second part of class was taught by a nutritionist. She had all kinds of fake foods in one serving portions (read: portions so small you hardly think it worth your time) that she used throughout the class to show different combinations of food to eat together.

The coolest thing I learned in the first half of class was that getting poked is no big deal. I had brought my glucose meter, lancets, and test strips with me. They were prescribed by my doc, and I have to mention that I got my glucose meter for free because I had a coupon! Woo hoo! Anyway, the meter came with a case and a pretty sophisticated gadget designed to poke you at different strengths of your choosing. (A little dial on the top end goes from not-so-hard to very hard.) They taught me how to open bottom end of the gadget in order to insert the lancet, twist off the nob hiding the needle, then replace the twist-on cap to the gadget. Then you're supposed to put the end of that gadget right on your finger and press the button that sends the needle into your finger. And I hesitated... and I said, "I don't know if I can do this." And the two teachers chimed in that it's not that big of a deal because they teach a lot of ladies and find that this is a common revelation among them. So I just did it! And I couldn't even see where it hit me until I squeezed my finger to get the blood out, and sure enough... a little droplet formed on my finger. And that was enough for the test strip to absorb and for the meter to analyze how much glucose is in my blood.

Being that I failed my previous glucose tests at the lab, and I'm never good at failing tests of any kind, I am happy to report that my numbers have been within range for the last five days except for one. We had Taco Bell on Saturday and my glucose was 121 mg/dL which is one point out of range. I can be between 70-90 in the morning and 70-120 in the afternoons and evenings. I was starting to doubt if I had GDM at all. Maybe the diet is working.

My meal plan is laid out in servings. First, they teach you that a serving is not necessarily what is on the nutritional info on the box, but in grams of carbs or protein. A serving of carbs is between 15-20 grams and a serving of protein is 7 grams. Second, they teach you what that amount of grams looks like (hence the table laden with plastic food). The biggest thing is to eat protein with carbs in order to stabilize your blood sugar. So breakfast for me is 1 starch, 1 meat, 1 milk, and 2 added fat. I get a snack between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner which is 1 starch or 1 fruit and 1 meat. Then lunch and dinner is 2 starch, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 2 nonstarchy vegetables, 3 meat and 2 added fat. Oh, and then a bedtime snack is 1 starch and 1 meat and my starch can be a half cup of ice cream as long as I eat the meat/protein, too.

My favorite meal so far involves chicken wings. It started at the hospital after my class. I ate 5 chicken wings, 1 dinner roll, a cup of cukes and carrots, and water to drink. Technically, it was a snack, but I found that when it was time to eat lunch, I wasn't hungry. And since then, I'm finding that if I eat every single item in each category, it's actually a lot of food. Or maybe the baby taking up valuable tummy space is helping me feel full. It's hard work remembering to eat and test your blood on a schedule. I find that in my regular routine, I skip a lot and wait hours before eating and then just grab whatever is handy that most likely consists of high carbos and no protein. I'm supposed to eat every 2 hours and not more than 5 hours between meals. At any rate, I'm doing OK on this meal plan. She said before Thanksgiving came.

The kids have two days of school this week and then they're off. We're going to drive up to the Dallas area to see Josh's ex-boss. This ex-boss is responsible for hiring Josh at his first Houston job, recommending him to his second and current job, and moving us up to the Atascocita area to buy a house. Then they up and left us for New York City, but now they're back in Plano, TX about four hours away. Josh's ex-boss is with a company that gets season tickets to the Cowboys games and he invited Josh to go watch the one on Thanksgiving. Talk about a historical family moment in the life of a family dedicated and loyal to the Dallas Cowboys football team and to no other. Needless to say, Josh is very excited. (They won against the Redskins yesterday -- Go Cowboys! See, I'm a fan by marriage... I have no choice in the matter.)

The kids and I are going to hang out with Lana and Riley (wife and son of said ex-boss). We won't be gone the entire rest of the week, but it should be a nice break. I hope that I can handle the drive in my condition. I'm uncomfortable a lot of the time. It's hard to find a position that works, but when it does, I try not to move. Last night I found myself reclined in the recliner, with my legs hanging over the sides and my big belly blubbering around with baby's moments. I sat there for as long as it was comfortable and asked Sarah to get me this or that. She's an excellent helper. All the kids are. They help me out a lot -- or maybe they do it for Zoe, I dunno, but it sure is nice to have my own brood of minions.

I'm not a tyrant... just a little reluctant to move... my older brother used to do the same thing to me when we were in grade school, but since he wasn't pregnant, I just called it lazy. He turned 38 yesterday. I got to talk to him on the phone and hear what Nana 'Nita made for his birthday dinner. He got Guamanian Corn Soup (my favorite, the bum) and Short Ribs Adobo. I think I was missing the food more than him, and I would probably continue to fail my blood tests if we lived anywhere near Nana 'Nita's cooking... I'll eat whatever she puts out without restraint. So I guess it's a good thing that there are two states separating us. Sigh.

Josh's parents are almost ready to move into their new house. It's like a twin of his grandparents' house, so very big and very nice, and right next door -- so our kids have grandparents and great-grandparents they can visit within walking distance... like ten steps, eleven tops. Josh's parents are putting in the yards and waiting for the plumbers and electricians to finish up on the inside. They'll be moved in by Christmas probably. That will be nice for them to have that project done. The kids can't wait to go for a visit which will probably be more likely to happen during Spring Break.

Seth is at home with me today. He had a cough all weekend that started on Friday. He didn't get to go to the temple with us on Saturday for a Primary activity and he stayed home from church with Daddy yesterday. Now he's not coughing, but he slept in until 9:30am, so I just let him. He could technically go in before 10am and not be counted absent, but he doesn't want to go. I think he just wants a chance to play the new game we got on Saturday.

Super Mario Galaxy came out sometime last week. It's the next game after Super Mario Sunshine, so it's my game! The kids sacrificed a few Game Cube Games so that we could get this game. At GameStop they will give you an extra 20% towards store credit. So no more Godzilla or Brain Academy for Wii... that last one was actually a game I won from Wendy's back before we had a Wii. We already have it for the Nintendo DS, and it's fun, but no one really plays it on the Wii. And Galaxy is so worth it!

I've already opened up the first two galaxies with the kids all watching, of course. It's a family affair. I get to hold the controller and do it, but they give input on where to go and what to do. (Zack comes up with some genius ideas on how to get through some obstacles.) And then they all get a chance to play if I die doing a puzzle or something. Whenever it's Josh's turn to do a puzzle, he gets it on the first try. He is good at the action, but hasn't much patience for the reading of the story and the slower pace of progression. He acknowledges that I rule the Mario games, though. And I give him props for being the Guitar Hero III master and the god of all Super Monkey Ball games. Luckily, the kids like to watch both of us in our respective elements. When the novelty dies down, they'll get to have their own saved games, but it will be the Mommy who actually finishes all the levels and saves Princess Peach (and the world).

So there's plenty to be thankful for this week! Everyone is healthy (or on the mend). There are family and friends to be thankful for and to visit. There's the Cowboys, the thought of turkey and stuffing come Thursday, and all I have to do is make Betty's rolls for Tony and Lana. I made it during Hurricane Rita at their house and they never forgot it. What else? There's good blood sugar levels for me, and I don't have to give up ice cream altogether. There's a big order that I have to fill with the promise of it becoming an annual thing. There's the new chore chart that the kids are doing in order to keep the house clean and help the sanity of my "reluctant to move" self... it includes them doing laundry and dishes. I'm thankful for peaceful, holy places like the Houston Texas Temple that reminds me of what is important in life. There's the missionaries who came by on Saturday to challenge us to read Preach My Gospel and prepare the first lesson for them. That's a nice approach and should be good for the family. There's a new baby on the way that will change the definition of a Haley six-pack (which has always meant a family of 5). There's other friends and family who have made additions to or will soon make additions to their families. There's stickers and paper and a brand new set of markers or paints to be thankful for. There's computers and blogs and the blessing of getting jobs done over the internet (while wearing pajamas and eating one serving each of starch, meat and milk--I exchange the milk out for chocolate sometimes... just kidding, Susie, gosh!). And of course, there's coupons. What was life like before them?

There's more, but I really gotta get to work. Hope you all enjoy this reading and my sacrifice (Kristen) and forgive me for not posting preggie pictures yet... I haven't downloaded the temple pics yet, but I'll get to it! Lots of love and hugs go out to all of you whom I count as blessings on this week and every week.

No Solicitors, Please

2007-11-07T23:55:00.000-06:00

Do you ever get a telemarketing call where they ask to speak to your mom or dad? I love these kind of calls because then I can just say no and hang up. I don't feel bad doing this when they think I'm just some young punk. I guess my voice makes me sound young... or maybe it's the way I say my s's (or should that be spelled ses or s-es or s-ez?).

Anyway, it's even more fun when you answer the door and they ask if your mom or dad is home. They can see me and they still think I'm some young punk. I just say no and close the door. They must not see upon first glance my graying hair or the three munchkins calling me mom or even the huge belly I'm sporting these days. It's usually kind of funny.

But I kind of scared myself last night when someone rang the door bell at almost 8 pm and Josh wasn't home yet. Who solicits at 8pm?! I thought it might be a neighbor or something even though I didn't recognize him through the peephole. Maybe it was because our windows were all wide open and he could hear that we were home that I decided to open the door. Once I opened the door, I really wished that I hadn't. A strong feeling came over me and I just wanted to shut the door. He asked if my mom or dad was home and I said, "No," and started to shut the door. He caught on... maybe it was the belly... and said, "Oh, are you the homeowner?" I said, "No," again and then shut the door fast.

I felt like I was being rude, but I didn't care that much. Except for the fact that he might kick the door down or spy on us through the windows... waiting for the right moment to jump through with the chainsaw and Halloween all of us. OK, I don't really watch horror movies, but I know there was one with a chainsaw and one called Halloween--probably not the same flick. My point is that I was really freaking myself out.

I gathered the kids in my room and we sat on the bed and had a little talk about how we should not open the door to strangers. I told them again about our rule to NOT go running to open the door without knowing who is on the other side. They always need our permission before opening the door.

I'm considering getting a NO SOLICITORS sign (even though it's already supposed to be illegal in our neighborhood) and I'm almost convinced that I should not open the door to strangers at all. Crazy stuff happens these days, and it's sad that it's like that now, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Right?

Third Grade Social Life

2007-11-06T15:42:00.000-06:00

I was busy scolding my third grade son, Zack, for not having his cub scout uniform hung up because that's how you keep it from getting wrinkled. He was trying to tell me that he didn't know that it had been washed and that's why he didn't hang it up... what a lame excuse! He just doesn't remember the 500 times I asked him to put his clothes away. So I jumped into my "be responsible" lecture, but he stopped me in my tracks. He said, "Three girls at school like me."

I barely noticed the change in subject, and I tried to be nonchalant when I said, "Oh, are they in your class?" He said, "No, but they're all in the same class." I said, "Do they chase you at recess?" And he smiled and said, "Yes. And one time they played basketball with us." One of the girls also likes his friend Anthony. I asked if they liked Steven (his other friend), too. He rambled on about the color of everyone's skin and that he didn't think so, but that it was possible because my skin and Daddy's skin are different, so it's possible. I said that it didn't matter what the color of everyone's skin was and he said he knew. So then I said, "And is there a girl that you like? I know that Julia moved away." (I blogged about Julia last year... he claimed she was his girlfriend to one of his friends, and when I told him that he couldn't have a girlfriend until he was 16, he said, "I know, Mom, she's my future girlfriend.") He said shyly, "I like all the girls that like me."

Wow. What I really like about all this is that he didn't mind talking to me about it. He even climbed into my lap (what's left of it) and was very comfortable telling me about his social life. Sarah would die before she admitted to anything. I really like how Zack can talk about things. I hope that it doesn't change when he hits puberty and starts perfecting the art of rebellious teenager.

I already know that Sarah is going to make all my hair turn gray or even fall out when she hits puberty, but by then, it will be Daddy's turn to run point on child raising. My job won't be over, but it will take more of a father's touch when the teen years hit. Josh knows this... he's looking forward to it! Kind of. Not really.

My Dad Rocks

2007-11-01T11:16:00.001-05:00

I just got off the phone with my dad and hearing his voice is like a balm to my soul. He does that without even knowing it probably. He just is. I like that I can count on him for just being my dad. He doesn't have to be perfect or make lots of money or have lots of toys. Just being there is good enough for me.

He doesn't need to send me anything, either, but it's nice that he'll send me some of his smoked salmon the next time he smokes some. He's also famous for sending the kids a box of chocolates. Sarah has a collection of Whitman's boxes in her room. It's just nice that we can attribute some great thing that he does to him and him only, but just knowing he loves us is enough.

It has a way of reminding me that we all have a Father in Heaven who loves us. I never question my dad's love for me and I think that's how Heavenly Father wants us to feel... he planned it that way. It's how he wants us to feel about our relationship with him. My dad said that the Lord is taking care of me, and even though I know that I sometimes forget. It's nice to be reminded by a person who knows by experience, a father's love.

My dad rocks because he said that I should eat candy. He said if I eat lots of sugar then my body will stop making it and I'll be fine. He thinks the medical profession is backwards and conspires to keep us all sick. When he goes off about it I have to laugh. He's my dad and I can count on him to be who he is.

Now excuse me while I go eat a bowl of Trix.... I've been dying for it since I got up and now that I have permission—my dad said so!—I'm all over it.

Health Reports on Halloween

2007-10-31T20:55:00.001-05:00

Today was a bummer day in the health report department. Lots going on, but I'm not at liberty to spill about anyone else's report besides my own. I found out today that I failed my 3-hour glucose test. So I officially have gestational diabetes. I tried to call Betty to get some info (she had GD with all her pregnancies, I think) but she wasn't answering. I'll cut her some slack, though, she just had her baby on Saturday.

I did a little reading up on it to find out that no one really knows why GD occurs. There was some jibber jabber about how the placenta makes hormones that blocks the mommy's ability to create insulin or the insulin's ability to absorb glucose thus increasing the glucose level in the blood. Then the scary news about the risks for both mommy and baby of getting diabetes later on in life or becoming obese. All good things to know, I guess, but here I am obsessing about whether or not I'll have to prick my finger four times a day to monitor my blood sugar. Ugh. Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps and I have to shudder.

It's always the small paper cuts that give the most pain, right? So I'm not entirely crazy to wonder about it. Of course I have never had a severed arm or anything that traumatic, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. I do know that I won't be able to do the dishes... because I haven't done them since the day I got skewered. Well, that's one way to psyche myself up. Maybe this won't be so bad.

I should count my blessings... the pain in my hand is not as acute anymore. I can close my fist without wincing. There is a one inch bruise there to match the one below my elbow which is a slightly darker purple. My two elbows are OK, too, where the bruises are not as large.

So I will survive. I can do this.

Woaow! I feel good!

2007-10-30T18:11:00.000-05:00

I'm really feeling good right now! Maybe because I haven't actually done what I really want to do yet today, but because I'm done doing all the stuff that I have to do today. My slate is cleared! I just finished my last deadline for the week/month... technically, I could keep going, but I don't have to! Sweet relief!

One of the really great things about having a job in California and living in Texas is that I could be reading a book instead of working and they'd never know it! That sounds really bad, but it's actually a win-win situation because they don't stress about whether or not I'll make the deadline (haven't missed one yet) and I don't feel anybody breathing down my neck. It's a zen thing. I try not to work on Saturdays, but I like having the choice in case I've taken too many liberties with my weekdays. But just in case my obscure blog makes it back to the ladies at work... I really was sick this weekend.

Really. I was. I went to bed early on Friday, stayed in bed most of Saturday, and spent a little time in the living room with the family on Sunday, but mostly kept to the bed. And when I was awake I printed and read all 249 pages of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. (Thanks to Josh's mom for sending me the link to download the book in pdf format. If I could have sat at the computer and read it, I would have, but see, I was sick.) That was a good read. Not sure if I liked how it ended, but I'm looking forward to watching the movie to see how that ends. I'm told that it's different.

I'm still trying to find the words to describe the feeling I get when I'm reading perfectly polite Jane Austen-ish English when the guy is in the room and the girl is, too, and they don't know that they like each other yet, but they're making observations and discovering it. (This usually takes five to ten pages.) What is that feeling in your heart when it just kind of builds and builds, but it's stronger than butterflies and higher, not in your tummy. It's that feeling in high school that makes you want to call your BFF and retell the story of the hottie that deigned to speak to you at school that day. Sometimes the feeling makes you cry. It's like you have to in order to get some release. I know Josh could probably explain this musically. Anyway, I cried a few times while reading the book, but it wasn't at the end.

This feeling could also be attributed to the time when you started dating and falling in love with your husband. It's the feeling that gets you when you have no expectations, the phone rings, you answer it and it's him. It takes you by surprise. It's new and once it happens, you can't replicate it or make it happen again. Not really. I guess that's why falling in love for the first time is so memorable.

Hmmmm... this is not what I intended to blog about. So excuse the lack of transitional sentence, but let's change the subject. By the way, I had such a hard time with transitional sentences in 11th grade and didn't actually get it until my first year at a community college, so that's why you've probably heard me apologize for my not using them in the past. It's a way for me to brag because I'm letting you know that I know what they are, but choosing not to use them right now. :)

How many of you use gmail? Like you actually have a gmail account and go online and get your mail from there? Do you ever use the built-in chat? If you type a semi colon and parenthesis like I just did up there it will slowly turn and become a happy face. Totally cool. Use gmail! Go get an account and then send me an email and then we can chat. It'll be fun!

OK, back to something else that I'm feeling good about today... blog comments.

Juli - can I just say that I have a lot of respect for the way you spell your name? It's elegant and not silly like if it had an e on there. No offense to the Julies out there, but Juli is unique. It's especially cool as a shortened version of your real name. Girl, you can snoop on my blog anytime. Shoot, you can subscribe and send me comments any day and on any subject. I officially welcome you to my blog. Besides, I have snooped on your blog before, too, so we're even. And I totally dig that you and your husband are into Halloween. It's probably my favorite holiday because of the candy. I probably shouldn't--at least until I hear back about my glucose test-- but I'm eating Brach's Milk Maid Carmel Candy Corn right now, and these things are so good! I'm making the kids trade stuff from their Trunk or Treat stashes in order to have any.

So anyway, if anyone out there reading feels like leaving a comment, please do. Although I do understand the weird spying thing if you choose not to. I also understand the not wanting to crash the family party of comments by relatives. That's the main reason why I wouldn't want to comment. I didn't comment on Susie's blog for a long time because she has like a million comments already from her gajillions of siblings. She had to force me to leave comments on her blog and now I'm friends with her sibs that I've never met in person. It's fun to get to know people by what they write... misspellings and all!

But I have met you in person, Juli! You're my surrogate BFF. I love your family. You guys all dig each other. I love that Kristen loves her sisters and now has sisters-in-law to love, too. Your mom is dang cool. We went to her house once to swim in the pool and after we were done swimming, the sun was going down and she busted out the graham crackers, marshmallows and giant Hershey bar to roast in the pit. That was a neat experience. So simple, and FUN!

So welcome. And let me just steal a line from the Olive Garden... When you're here, you're family!

3-Hour Glucose Test

2007-10-29T13:44:00.000-05:00

Ugh! I got stuck with a needle six times today.

I had to pee in a cup and get my blood taken right when I got to the lab. No problems. Then I had to drink the yucky glucose drink and wait an hour before peeing in a cup and giving more blood. The second time to give blood, I offered my other arm.

There's nothing quite like the horror of getting a needle pushed into your arm and no blood comes out. The nurse began pushing the needle around this way and that to find the vein. I was trying to remain calm. I really do get a little panicky at the last second before the sting of the needle pierces my skin, so it was hard going.

She took out the needle and decided to try a spot on my arm just below my elbow and a little inside (the more sensitive side). My consolation prize was that she was going to use a smaller needle. It was the kind attached to a long hose that she had to screw into the plastic thing at the end that the vials get pushed into. She gets it in and the blood begins to flow on down the hose and then stops before it reaches the plastic thing at the end. Again, she pushes the needle this way and that. Only now, one of my feet is in the air and the other is stomping. And she watches a little bewildered then says "Are you OK?"

She takes the second needle out and I say, "OW!" So, no, lady, I'm not OK, but I'm still being patient and I'm still wearing the understanding face that says, "It's OK, these things sometimes happen." So then she eyes the back of my hand tells me make a fist, and gets another little needle with the hose. She sticks me again, and again has to push the needle back and forth and in this spot, it REALLY hurts. My feet are doing their thing again, and I'm saying out loud, "Oh, please, go! C'mon!" As if my blood needs verbal coaxing to come out. And then Eureka! The hose starts to fill up, and we're watching the red line make its way on and on and we're barely breathing as we watch it, silently coaxing, "Go! Go! Go!" This time the blood makes it to the end, but stops after only an inch of blood is in the vial. She shakes her head and says that it might not be enough, but my blood very specifically needs to be taken within five minutes after the hour mark. She checks with someone and, whew, it will have to do. She tells me that in the next hour, she'll have to use the same arm she did the first time.

Oh, man, I was not wanting to come back again. Did she mean in the same exact spot as the first time? Something about that doesn't seem right. Like kicking someone when they're down. I still had two more times to get stuck (at minimum) and I really needed someone to vent to. I made a friend with a lady also doing the three-hour test. She was the one to hear me complaining about the bruises I had just received--whether she wanted to or not--but I like to think that we were rooting each other on for the next two hours.

The third and fourth times I got stuck in the same spot on my first arm. It kind of sucked to first get the stinging alcohol swab over the little owie I was already sporting and then the needle goes in the same spot. Eww! I was so relieved to see my blood flowing without any problems.

Driving home, I could barely grip the steering wheel for the bruise on the back of my right hand. I'm worn out! I feel like I survived a great ordeal. Kind of like a child who just got immunization shots. I think I'll go lie down now and dream that I passed this test or plead with God to make it so.

Nothing Sugary

2007-10-19T01:26:00.000-05:00

I did so well today... When I volunteered at my kids' school this morning, I resisted Shipley's Donuts. And then I ate a sensible lunch... pretzels and a chicken salad sandwich. No dessert. No cookies. Nothing sugary. I drank water all day. No IBC cream soda or Sprite or hot chocolate. No candy or chocolate.

I did great until about an hour ago when I busted out the sour gummy worms while watching Grey's Anatomy with my honey. I popped two in my mouth and was like, "Doh!" He told me not to swallow it, so I spit it in the trash. What a waste. Then I decided to hit the hay and my throat was kind of scratchy, so I popped in a Ricola and did another, "Doh!" I spit that in the trash, too.

Here's the thing... if I had messed up and eaten that donut, it would have been a whole 24 hours before my glucose test. I probably could have gotten away with it. But no... I wait until 8 hours before the test to blow it. All my effort today in staying away from sugar has left me with a sticky, sweet smelling trash.

What's the moral of the story? Eat the donut!! I should have quoted Homer's other line, "Must. Eat. Donut."

Dave Ramsey

2007-10-18T12:23:00.001-05:00

I blogged about the ride to go see Dave Ramsey, but I never did get around to saying how I liked his Live Event. If you have read his books and listen to his radio show, then you can get away with not going to his Live Event. BUT it is dang cool to see him in person and to laugh at his antics. He's a really great presenter. And hopefully, it will motivate you to that "gazelle intense" state that he's always talking about.

A couple of things that I thought were cool: 1. All of his materials were on sale for $10 each, and 2. He gave away t-shirts to the crowd that say "I See Debt People" on 'em.

One thing I think all parents should teach their kids is shown in this video clip I found on youtube... no one under 21 should be allowed to go out into the world until they understand this concept.

Super Mario Bros.

2007-10-17T18:47:00.000-05:00

OK, I finally finished getting together all the elements of the boys' costumes. Here's Seth as Mario and Zack as Luigi. Their sizes are perfect, but in "real life" Luigi is Mario's little brother.

I found the overalls at a thrift shop for $4.31. I found the gloves at the 99¢ store. I got the hats for $1 each I think from my normal apparel supplier and the green t-shirt. Seth already had the red shirt. I cut out the mustaches from brown fabric scraps. Same with the white circles with M and L. So for less than 10 bucks we got two costumes that the boys really, really like.

Now we just have to figure out what to make Sarah for Halloween. She's against being Princess Peach, as I would be... we're not really Peach material.

What are your kids going to be for Halloween?

Josh and the Piggies

2007-10-13T23:13:00.000-05:00

Josh made dinner tonight. I love it when he does! He got really creative making piggies with spam, rice and nori, and it sparked everyone's imagination. We were free expressing ourselves while we ate.

Seth made one with arms. Zack dumped his snout in egg yolk pretending it to be mud. Sarah rolled up pieces of the piggy in nori and ate it like little sushis or musbubis.

The little piggies were almost too cute to eat, but after a couple of grocery runs... I was ready to stuff myself -- and I did.

BTW, I have bought $930.11 worth of groceries in the last 6 weeks for $443.47 (saving $486.64 minus $13 in newspapers). Woo hoo! Go me!

There was a mistake on the list for a couple of things at Kroger, so I didn't buy them. And then I hit Randall's really quick and was able to find a good sale over there on candy. I'll have stuff to hand out at Trunk or Treat now. (Whew!) Oh, yeah, and I went to three different thrift shops today and found a couple of pairs of overalls for the boys for $4.31 (for both!). Way cool. Now I just have to sew some white gloves for them and they'll be styling as the Mario Bros. for Halloween.

What smells like a**?

2007-10-11T23:50:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have a few issues. I'm only bringing myself into this because I know I'm not perfect, BUT this blog is really about him and how he can't just say, "What stinks?" or "What is that awful smell?" or pick up a mop/broom/sponge and scour the entire house until he finds the offending smell and be done. No... my husband comes home from work almost everyday and says, "It smells like ass." (There I said it... in case you couldn't figure it out with the asterisks in place, but now that there's no question... I'm putting 'em back in because one of my issues is not being able to say that word without feeling like I'm cussing.)

It's usually the trash that stinks and then he just takes it out, but if the smell lingers, then I'm left to hear about the different ways we can eliminate the smell. The current strategy is to take advantage of the cold front that's supposed to hit this week by turning off the a/c and opening up all the windows to air out the house.

Now if you think I'm exaggerating or having a wife-vent moment, I'll give you a case in point...I got permission to tell this story, so no one need worry for the state of my marriage after this blog... it happened on my husband's birthday.

Sarah decided that it would be really cool if we could surprise Daddy by turning off all the lights and yelling surprise when he got home, but I said that he would know we were home if the van was in the driveway. So I called Josh to see where he was to gauge how much time I had to park my van down the street. When I knew I had enough time, I pretended like we were out and about and that we would try to beat him home. I could already hear the resentment in his voice that we weren't already home on his birthday, so I knew I had him.

We had all the lights turned off. Everyone had their hiding places picked out. The plan was to jump out and yell surprise as soon as Daddy turned on the lights. Sarah and Zack were all cloak and dagger peeking through the blinds and saying, "Here comes a car... oh, that's not him," and then a few minutes later, "Two cars are coming... oh, one turned. No, that's not him." And we're sitting in the dark all tense and giggling at the anticipation of it all. Finally, Sarah jumps up quietly yelling, "He's here! He's here! Hide!"

Now, once again, I must point out that I cannot hear. I have hearing aids, but I must not have had them on, or I was too far away to hear properly. What it sounded like to me was that Josh opened the door and started talking to Seth and I thought it was curious because he still hadn't turned on a light. What really happened was that he walked in and said, "It still smells like a** in here." At which point, Seth ran out joyously yelling, "Daddy!"

From Josh's point of view, he about jumped out of his skin realizing that he wasn't alone on his birthday after all. When I got the story from him later that night, I laughed and laughed. It still makes me laugh. We were laughing about it today after I presented him with my latest coupon find...

I bought a $12 Lysol Neutra Air FreshMatic Starter Kit with a $5 coupon. Not the best deal, but worth it for me to help my husband with his issues. One being that he shouldn't cuss even when he's by himself, and the other being -- dude, you talk to yourself? I haven't done that since I was 5 years old trying to keep the boogie man away when I had to go all the way upstairs by myself to shower before bed. I'd pretend to talk to my mom so that the boogie man would know that I wasn't alone and it would keep him from attacking. I digress... what I meant was that I it was worth it to me to show him how proactive I can be about the smell in our house. And the smile on his face when I gave it to him was worth all $7 bucks and then some.

This air freshener dealy can be set to spray automatically at different intervals. Every 9, 18, or 36 minutes the air will be filled with a fresh scent that "neutralizes odors in the air from odor-causing bacteria." There's an a X Press Boost Button which you can push whenever you need it to "deliver an extra boost of freshness" which sounds suspiciously like "whenever someone passes gas" to me. This little wonder comes with batteries and a can of fresh scent that goes inside. It's completely portable or you can mount it on the wall. Josh put it on the wall high above the kitchen trash.

I was a little worried about the smell. I am very sensitive to smells and not just because I'm pregnant. There are some smells that will just plain give me a headache (that once popular perfume Poison being one of them), and some smells that are OK at first and then I can't take it anymore. Well, this one smells very nice. It's a happy smell. I can always tell when the spray has gone off (we set it to every 36 minutes) because I turn into one of those dorks in the Febreeze commercials smiling sweetly with my eyes closed. It smells great!

I'm a little confused about why I wasn't the one constantly, I mean, frequently complaining about the smell. I could tell when I had cooked with oil and that smell isn't a nice one when it lingers, but I just couldn't justify Josh's use of the word a** to describe how our house smelled. Today I was sitting on the little trampoline that is right by the front door and the shoe rack. And I smelled it! It was like someone's dirty underwear! (See, I don't have to use the a-word.) Ugh! So nice to have the mystery solved. It's the shoes!

We're going to have to rethink the whole shoe storage thing. Josh is supposed to build a bench that houses all shoes. Maybe we can enclose it with air holes and then stick one of those automatic air fresheners in it. Maybe we can patent the idea and make tons of money. Definitely a market for it in Hawaii where people take their shoes off at the front door. Would you buy it?

Riding the Metro

2007-09-28T08:29:00.000-05:00

I rode the bus into town yesterday! It was scary/exciting and really fun all at the same time. I had to pick up the babysitter, drop her off with all the kids, and drive to the park and ride by 4:46pm in order to ride the bus to arrive downtown at 5:18pm to catch the train to the Reliant Center. I was a little late in getting there, and that was nerve-wracking not knowing if I missed it or how soon the next one would come.

I didn't wait very long, maybe three minutes, and then the bus came. I was all jazzed to get on board and grabbed my bag and pulled out my money... but buses are like elevators--you gotta politely stand to the side and let everyone get out so that you can go in afterwards. With everyone coming home from work, that meant another three minutes of waiting for them all to get out.

Finally, I was able to board. I had three dollars out, ready to pay. My first dollar wouldn't go in the machine, and the bus driver informed me that it was only a dollar. So I picked the crispest dollar and attempted to get that in the machine. She looked at me with her tired eyes, waved her hand and said, "Just sit down." I looked up to find that I was the only passenger on the bus. Cool! I said, "Oh, thank you!" and sat right in the front, gripped the rail in front of me, and leaned forward for the ride. I was two years old all over again with a big smile on my face.

It was fun to be up high -- I could look the semi-truck drivers in the face. One of them got too close and the bus driver was telling him how to drive (kind of like how I do, but in a much smaller vehicle). I chatted with her because she was chatty and Josh had told me to use my big belly to see if the driver would have pity and get me closer to the train stop because I was facing a four-block walk after getting off the bus.

So I mentioned that I had to catch the train to the Reliant Center and she immediately pushed a button and a pass came out of the machine behind her. She pulled it out and handed it to me. "This is a transfer so you don't have to pay to ride the train." I was not believing my luck! "Thank you! So do I have to put this into something?" She said I just needed to show it if someone asked to see it. She asked what was happening at the Reliant Center and I told her about Dave Ramsey and how he teaches people to stay out of debt. She said she probably needed to come with me, and I laughed. Then she asked how long I was going to be there and I told her and then she reached for the ticket she had just given me and I gave it to her. She put it in the machine to the side of her (the one I couldn't get my dollar into) and pushed the button behind her and another ticket came out. She handed it to me and said, "This will get you down and back. It's good until this time tomorrow." Shoot! This lady either loved chatting, felt sorry for me and my big belly, or was just dang cool like that. "Wow! Thank you!"

We were making good time because the driver said she wanted to stop at the store and get some water. I offered her my unopened, chilled water bottle, but she wouldn't take it. (Maybe taking water from a pregnant lady is a sin in her eyes.) Then she told me about her three kids; boy, girl, boy; 9, 6, and 2. I listened to her stories, she asked me about my kids, and then we moved on to her job and what kind of license and drivers' tests she had to take and how much it costs ($60 for her license!) and how long she had been driving a bus and did she have to do the same route everyday (no) and if cops ever pulled buses over for speeding (they do!). See, a good friend (or about-to-be-moochy friend) listens and asks question--and I was working it. I learned a lot in the process, too.

We got close to town fairly quickly and there were tons more buses and we were going slower. I asked if she knew all the people driving. She said, "Not her!" referring to the bus that signaled to come into our lane, but took forever to do it, "She can't drive. I don't know what she's waiting for. When I change lanes and they don't want to let me in, I'm coming anyway!" I laughed and said that I had never heard a bus driver bash another one and she replied, "You saw that with yo' own eyes," and then "Girl..." and then she switched lanes to get out from behind the other bus. I was having a blast! A free ride on a bus all to myself with a driver with an attitude.

She did a very complicated exit, changing from 59 to 10 to the 45 and I got all turned around. By the time we were on Jefferson Street, I had lost my sense of direction (it's not a very strong sense anyway so it didn't take much for me to lose it). Luckily, she practically drove me to the train stop. I only had to cross one street and there I was. With another "Thank you!" and "Have a nice night!" I grabbed my bag and joined the masses on the streets of downtown Houston.

The whole time, I was keeping in contact with Josh. He was catching the train a couple of stops ahead of me, so we needed to time it just right for me to catch the same train. And it went over without a hitch. Standing on the platform, it's really not as scary as you think. There is a clock, there are signs showing the stops along the route, and there is a nice recording that tells you that the next bus is arriving in one minute and to stand behind the white safety line so you don't get whacked. I took the opportunity to eat a snack and take a swig of my water bottle.

When I jumped on the train, Josh was sitting facing two filipino ladies, and I sat next to him. This is a very strange lesson in train riding etiquette which is cousin to elevator etiquette--you just instinctively get this within seconds of being thrown in this position. You have to sit facing two other people, try not to touch knees, and not make eye contact. In other words, you have to pretend like they're not there. And to be polite, they pretend like you're not there either. They spoke in Tagalog the whole time and did a very good job of ignoring us--even when I did happen to make eye contact accidentally.

The worst part was trying to contain my excitement about riding the train for the first time to keep from looking like a freak and embarrassing my appropriately-dressed husband. Just about everyone was in business attire or some kind of uniform. I was sporting comfy pregnancy attire--a t-shirt dress and Crocs. Everyone had the "been there done that" bored look of someone who rode the train all the time. I really had to tone it down and focus on pretending to be a mature individual who was just as bored and experienced with life on the train.

I never did show my ticket to anyone. No one asked. No one asked to see Josh's either. He scored an all day pass from someone at his train stop. Instead of putting the dollar into the machine for a one way ride, he gave it to some dude in exchange for a normally $2 all day pass. So we both scored on the transportation costs, but what would keep people from just hopping on the train without having paid? It's way too easy. I wonder what happens if you get caught. Do they just kick you off? Or do they make you pay a fine? Well, I'll include a picture of my pass for fun.

When we got to our destination, we walked all over Reliant Park before we were able to get in to the right place. After the event, it was an easier walk to get back to the train stop. When we were on the train Josh turned to me and said, "So are you going to be OK taking the bus back? Do you want me to take the bag?" And we both laughed. Hey, I liked riding the train and the bus today, but not that much. Besides, I don't want to get too experienced and bored with life riding the train.

Happy Birthday Susie

2007-09-27T10:02:00.000-05:00

Gotta love photoshop...

Title: sista from anotha mista

Aloha Friends

2007-09-26T13:05:00.000-05:00

Last week I went to lunch with a bunch of ladies from Church. One of the ladies had helped out in Primary for several weeks as Primary Chorister even while she also served as a Den Mother in Cub Scouts... and had to give a 5th Sunday lesson to the combined RS and EQ... and played the piano at my son's baptism. She did everything without complaint and with smiles. (Maybe she yelled at her husband when she got home, I don't know, but I really doubt it -- she doesn't seem the type.) Anyway, we appreciated all of her hard work and decided to treat her to lunch. We invited her daughter-in-law to come since she is a teacher in the Primary and celebrated a birthday this month. I also invited my friend Brooke so that I could buy her lunch for her birthday and wouldn't it be festive to have all of us ladies together? I chose a new restaurant called Aloha Hawaiian BBQ and it was decided that we would meet there.

I caught a ride with Arwen since Susie had a headache and had to run an errand. I saw Susie at the school that morning because we were "helping" with picture day. We were really just standing out in the hallway talking and being bad examples to the kids waiting quietly in the hallway for their turn to go into the Multi-Purpose room to flash their pearly whites. We decided to leave early since we weren't really helping and Susie really didn't look that good, but we parted ways expecting to see each other at Aloha BBQ.

Arwen and I found Brooke (and cutie pie Kyra) waiting in the parking lot and we all went in together. Tobi showed up next with baby Emily in tow. Next, our guest of honor, Becky, came in with Ola and little Olivier. We decided what we were going to order and still Susie had not shown up. I half expected her not to come, but just as we ordered, she came in. She looked worse, but was determined to stay for lunch. After a little drug dispensing by parties that will remain anonymous, Susie started to look a little better.

Our lunch came and we were able to chat and eat and even Susie ate. She really liked the gingery teriyaki sauce. Everyone liked the food and we had lots leftover for everyone to take some home. I was relieved to know that the place I picked was a hit.

And then disaster struck. Or at least, I like to call it a blessing in disguise (sorry Susie). Susie went to the bathroom feeling very nauseated... and then she asked me to drive her home. Her husband was working about an hour and a half away, so calling him was out, and I was glad for the chance to do my BFF duty. Driving a friend home is not a big deal to me. Jumping off a cliff is, and I was pretty sure that if Susie needed me to jump off a cliff, I'd do it. And besides, it was nice to get the chance to "put your money where your mouth is," you know?

So... my friend was sick and really not looking too good, but I was just so excited to drive her big black Chevy Tahoe. (Woo hoo!) And when we were in the car and I was behind the wheel of the "batmobile" she asked me to help her pick up her kids from school--as if that would be too much to ask--but I was just excited to pick up Brooklyn from Mother's Day Out! And what a reaction I got from little Brookie! When she first saw me, there were loud, surprised, happy exclamations coming out of her and then she immediately burst into tears. It was almost like I had rescued her from the darkest dungeon. The little princess thrust herself into my arms when the teacher brought her to me -- all the while trying to keep her contained because it was nap time for all the other little kids.

(This is Brooklyn. Ain't she the cutest dang thing?)

I didn't get the same reaction when picking up the older kids, but pretty close. I got hugs and smiles. These are the best kids, man. They are loving and respectful and kind, and they all helped their Mom in the smallest way when they knew she was sick. I dropped them all off at home and walked down the street to my house. I could tell Susie was grateful, but still really sick and needing to sleep it off. That was enough for me, but she didn't leave it at that.

The next day she brought me the best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in a cute box along with a plate of sugar cookies and a card. It was the equivalent of a dude on the Budweiser commercial saying, "I love you, man!" and she actually did write that in the card. Isn't she the best?

Now her birthday is tomorrow and she stopped by my house today. The doorbell rang, and when I opened the door, there was Brooklyn standing there with a bag she stretched out to me. I was happy to see her in her cute outfit and matching hair tie. The girl is always bedecked with matching bows of some kind. So in the bag is the first outfit we have received for our baby girl (the one that kicked the crap out of me last night while watching House, MD) and a cute little album for holding--what else??--COUPONS!

I was so excited because I've been trying to come up with a good way to tote my coupons with me in case of a shopping emergency. That's when your husband drags you out the door on a Saturday and you end up at HEB shopping for groceries and you didn't bring a shred of clipped newspaper money. So now I can't wait to get organized.

Isn't Susie great? She gives presents on her birthday. Now that's some swell friend! I love that we live down the street from each other, our kids go to the same school, we both serve in the Primary at church, and when my little Zoe comes out we'll have the same order gender of kids as she does (girll, boy, boy, girl). Which is way cool because I want to be just like Susie. I already stole her frog program (see Josh's youtube video... maybe I can figure out how to post it here).

OK, lest my other BFF's in CA get jealous... I love you guys, too! Kristen's birthday is on Sunday and Betty is also hapai and having a girl just like me. They're just so far away. They ought to be happy that I'm no longer all by myself out here in the Great Lone Star State. It's nice to have someone's back and for them to have mine.

BTW, it's kind of funny that after helping Susie out, I fell asleep and didn't pick up Seth on time. In fact, I was 40 minutes late. Josh was already on his way home from work worried about what happened to me. I was so zonked I didn't hear the phone ringing off the hook. He forgave me for the big scare because he was able to eat the leftovers from Aloha BBQ. Mac salad is the way to a man's heart and forgiveness.

OH! I forgot to tell you about the shave ice dessert at Aloha BBQ! It's to die for... a bowl of shaved ice topped with chopped strawberries, chopped mango, chopped honeydew--each in its own quadrant, topped in the middle with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and then drizzled with some kind of yummy tropical sauce. No one else makes this... not even the other Aloha BBQ in Katy. It's a $5 dessert, but well worth it... especially on a hot day... it's very refreshing. Go get some. The website is www.aloha-bbq.com.

Why Kroger?

2007-09-19T22:42:00.000-05:00

Kroger is back in my good graces with the grocery game, and inquiring minds want to know how I left them in the first place. I will oblige, but first, you must know that my life is about other stuff, too, not just grocery stores. Judging from the majority of my blogs so far, you would think it's all I ever think about. I'm just excited, OK? I'll move on to other subjects as life goes along. No worry beef curry.

So... here we go.

When we first moved to Texas, I thought Kroger was the best grocery store available. Josh's parents really like their Colby Jack Cheese. They buy blocks of it and freeze them, and each one is savored. They don't have a Kroger where they live so they stock up on it when they come visit us. So maybe this behavior spurred me on. I went to Kroger all the time when we lived in League City.

When we moved up here, I started doing mystery shops at HEB and I noticed that they really push the friendly staff factor. They get graded on it -- even the guys gathering carts in the parking lot were expected to say hello to you if you happened to walk by them on the way in or out of the store. Pretty soon, our HEB stopped getting mystery shopped because they basically kicked butt on everything they were expected to do. They were nice and helpful and I liked their dry bulk section where you can get dried mango that looks the right color (can't stand the neon orange ones - you know they added something to make them that unearthly color) and oatmeal that hasn't been crushed to powder (takes longer to cook, but the texture is worth it).

So HEB started to look good and they are right across the street from Kroger, so it would not have taken much for me to switch, but I didn't switch until one fateful night...

I went shopping at Kroger around 10pm and had filled my cart to overflowing. When it came time to check out, the only stands open were the do-it-yourself ones. There were a couple of employees standing around and they did not acknowledge me standing there until I asked them, "Do I have to check out here?" And then one of them said, "Uh, yeah." I was flabbergasted. Did he notice how much crap I had in my cart? Keep in mind that the DIY stands were not as cool as the ones at Wal-Mart with the conveyor belt to put stuff up on or the multiple bag holders that turn and let you keep bagging until there are six bags full. I began to scan my items and realized that I didn't have anywhere to put them. I was getting a burning in my face and it was starting to spread out to my ears. I was getting worked up at the ridiculousness of the situation.

I had not done more than a few scans when, with a toss of a ramen noodle package, I turned to the two slackers and said, "You know what, if you can't open a regular stand and check me out, then I'm just going to leave my cart here and go home. This is so stupid." They had been standing there joking around with each other not caring that I was about to buy enough groceries to pay for both of their wages for the night and then some. I was so mad and then they had the audacity to be perturbed by my behavior? Uh-uh. So they fumbled around a bit, scanned everything for me, I paid, left and never went back.

Until now. Money changes everything. I still think the service at HEB is better and the produce is better, but Kroger has better sales and is fueling my weekly excitement and latest addiction. What can I say? Maybe those two jokers got fired or maybe they changed the policy. I noticed that when Susie and I went to check out these last two times, they automatically opened up a real checkout stand without being asked. That's right. That's how it should be.

You know what's funny? When I did mystery shops I didn't get paid very much. You were expected to spend at least $10 and then they paid you $12. So I figured it was like getting a $12 coupon. Looking back at it now makes me laugh because getting $77-$100 off is so much better!

More Grocery Fun

2007-09-18T11:39:00.000-05:00

In the interest of time and due to Betty's observation of how I "like to write long things," I'm just going to write a quick blog to let you know how much I saved when I did another grocery run last night.

Because I'm doing the free trial with the website where I get my lists, I decided to shop at Randall's last night (AKA Safeway) and I found that the list had errors. Some items weren't on sale or they were different brands than what was stated on coupons. I almost didn't stay to get the other stuff on my list, but I forged ahead with my daughter's help. She liked having a mission and she likes food, so we combined the two interests for a family night of fun at the grocery store.

Imagine all three of my kids wearing Heely's and flying around me, the cart, and other people. I spoke sternly to them in the beginning, but as always, they half listen and then get going with their Indy 500 race around the frozen coolers. Finally, I decided to give my boys missions, too. It takes them longer, but it channeled their energy productively. I usually have two of the same coupon, so they had fun being the first to find the item. Zack practices his reading skills and Seth looks for the picture. It kept them close to me and we got done quickly.

Another bonus to getting the kids' help was getting them to understand the value of a dime. When we got to the check out, I told Sarah to watch the "fireworks" with me. We started at a total of $194.29 and watched the deductions go down to $71.21. Woo hoo! Sarah was impressed. The boys just wanted to buy gum.

When we got home and got everything put away, it was bedtime for the kiddies. I wanted to head back out to Kroger for another grocery run. Different things were on sale there, plus, I wanted to see if they restocked items from last week's sale that I still had coupons for.

Before I could head out, there was s a knock at the door and it was Susie. She was holding a couple of bags of groceries and wanted Josh to do a Price is Right game. She set everything out and asked Josh to give a total of how much he thought all of the stuff is worth. Josh guessed about $50 worth and she was impressed that he came so close to the right amount. Then she asked Josh to guess how much he thought she saved. He said 50%, so $25 spent. Then she blew us down with her $5 and change total spent. She loves flooring us. The woman is a legend.

After that, she went home to drop off her stuff and came back to go shopping with me on my Round 2. We left kind of late and got back kind of late, but it was fun (and safer) having someone to shop with at that hour. She did not plan on shopping, but she found coupons in the aisles and saved a bunch on whatever she did buy... I can't remember her totals, but it was like $70 down to $37 or something crazy. My total went from $156 to $78. Not as good as Susie, but I bought some items that were not on sale or I didn't have a coupon for.

All in all, it was another successful week of shopping. I can't wait until Saturday! I look forward to going to buy my Early Edition Sunday papers, and when I have a month's worth of coupons, I'll save even more money because so far, I'm set on toothpaste, soups, kids' snacks and cleaning supplies for the rest of the year. What will I stock up on next month??

Since I'll have to soon start paying full price for the lists, I will most likely stick with Kroger and drop Randall's. I was irritated with the amount of errors on the list (same goes for HEB which doesn't have as many good sales anyway). I did like the way the Randall's receipt printed out in categories, though. That was kind of cool. Still, it seems like less problems crop up at Kroger.

And I am done here! I realize that I am incapable of just giving you totals, and while this is shorter than my first blog, I really do like to write. Sorry Betty!

The Daddy Rocks

2007-09-14T22:13:00.001-05:00

Sometimes Moms can let things go with their kids... Daddies hardly ever do that.

Well, the good daddies don't anyway.

I was listening to Dave Ramsey while working and a caller asked him what the title was of a book that he had recommended. He went on and on about one of the best books he has ever read called "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" by Meg Meeker, M.D. So I Googled the book title and the first link through Google Book Search had excerpts from the book. I strayed from my work long enough to read the beginnings of many chapters. I wanted to get the gist of it to see if maybe Josh could benefit from it in his relationship with Sarah and his other daughter soon to come into the world.

Chapter One is "You Are the Most Important Man in Her Life". It's funny how that title strikes me... there's power in those words. We may all assume it to be true, but having it flat out stated makes me look at the idea in a new light. I went on to read how daughters need a hero and someone who will protect them by saying what needs to be said and doing what needs to be done. Dr. Meeker talked about how embarrassed she was when her father called the restaurant where she was out on a date when she did not come home on time. She later recognized it as a way of protecting her.

Sarah isn't of dating age, but lately she has been displaying some weird speech habits. I noticed it mostly when she was with her friends, and it's weird to see them all act exactly the same and sound exactly the same. So I kind of let it go, thinking that it's just a phase. Plus, I don't always trust my ears even with my hearing aids in. Well, Josh has been bringing it up lately because he's the sound guy and everything and anything that is dissonant grates on his ears. Tonight it got pretty heated because he was trying to tell her not to talk that way and she was being disrespectful by talking back and acting like he didn't know what he was talking about. At one point he told her that she had developed a bad habit and he would not let it go.

And then she got all blubbery and upset because she feels like her parents don't understand her. So I'm watching my child cry and my husband not letting it go, and while it's hard to see her cry because of the words coming out of his mouth, I could not help but support him. He is doing her a favor by pointing out to her a bad habit and giving her good advice about how to fix it. This is a form of caring and protecting and using words that she may not appreciate right now, but if Dr. Meeker's book is right, he will help mold her into her best self. I really admired him for doing what he did tonight. He wants to raise her right and I appreciate his role in her life and how he is taking responsibility for it. I would not want to be the daddy, so we make a good team.

It all ended well with hugs and I love you's and that's really what Sarah will take away from this. So when I read "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" (got it requested at the library), I think I might just find that Josh is already doing what he should to raise a strong daughter.

Fun & Games at the Grocery Store

2007-09-13T23:29:00.000-05:00

So I've been dying to blog about my first official coupon grocery shopping excursion since last Tuesday when I went with my friend Susie. She's the coupon queen and was telling me about how much money she saves and how much stuff she gets for free. I kinda thought she was exaggerating... I mean, c'mon... she said she paid something like $76 for $296 worth of groceries just by using coupons from the Sunday paper. That's insane, right? Couldn't possibly be true... but call me the crazy one. Not only was she telling the truth (honestly, she doesn't have it in her to be so deceptive) but she showed me how much fun it was. You could seriously get high watching the cash register cha-ching backwards. I'm so giggly about it that my friends in Cali think I'm nuts.

OK, so here's the deal. You watch the sales at the grocery stores or their ads that come in the mail, and then match the coupons that come out in the Sunday paper with the same items. Now if you're lucky enough to have a grocery store that will double and triple coupons, you are the envy of all those in LOND (Land of the No Doubles). It's like having a strawberry the size of a small child. We're talking crack - a major high at an affordable price.

If you want the high to sustain itself, you buy Sunday papers in multiples. Susie buys between 3 and 6 newspapers every Saturday morning, I guess it's the early edition of the Sunday paper for people like us who don't spend money on Sundays. They're normally $1.75 each, but if you get them at Walmart or the Dollar Store, then they're a buck. And you have to get there early enough... sometime just after 10am before they're all gone. How many papers you buy is determined by the size of your family and how much it takes to keep them satiated. Susie immediately recycles the newspapers at the school while keeping the plastic insert containing the coupons. She's got this thing down, I tell ya, even to the point of saving the Earth.

Instead of cutting out the coupons and creating a filing nightmare for yourself, you keep them intact until you need them. Most importantly, each booklet has a name and a date in tiny print on the outside going up the spine. You might get a couple of SmartSource ones, Valassis or a P&G Saver all on the same date, so you throw these together in a file (or in my case, a pile). Coupons run about 3 months before they expire, so you keep them because you don't know when that item will go on sale.

OK, so far, if you're anything like the lady who checked us out on Tuesday night, you're thinking, "I just don't have the patience for this," and "blah, blah, blah." Am I right? I'm right. I know I'm right because I used to clip coupons and then get to the store and spend like 20 minutes trying to find the dang thing and then finally giving up with the realization that convenience has a price and it's the 32¢ I would have saved if I had found it. So it's not really worth the 32¢ but is it worth saving 50% off your entire bill? Uh, yeah... so stick with me, I'm almost to the good part.

Now, imagine that someone already looked up the ads and cross referenced the coupons and all you have to do is look at a list and pick which ones you want to take advantage of. Easy peasie, right? And because all the items are already on sale, then you're going to find the item quickly because grocery stores put up little flags of some sort to draw your attention to the bargain sitting on the shelf. You could probably have the patience for coupons if someone already did the paper work and because, admit it, cutting the coupon out is really fun -- it's the best part. Ask my kindergartner.

Now imagine that someone did that for all the grocery stores in your area. Now you get to see which stores have the better deals or the stuff that you want or need that week, and all you have to do is compare the lists someone already put together for you. The list shows original price, sale price, the coupon to use from what booklet and what date (see the date helps in finding the right coupon), additional specific grocery store sales (like getting $5 back for every 15 participating items that you buy), the price you will actually pay, and then the percentage that you save.

Here's a real life example from Tuesday night... Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rollls have an original price of $1.39 and they went on sale for 99¢. There was a coupon in SmartSource for 50¢ off on 9/9. Now, if the coupon is doubled, then the item is free. Maybe you don't even buy this item normally, but if it's free... and you have little kids that could wrap little sausages up and eat pigs in a blanket for dinner... then all of a sudden you want 10. So buy 10 papers and get 10 coupons and get 10 for free. Technically, I don't think Kroger will let you get away with getting a free item of one kind more than once. At least, that's what the crabby lady on Tuesday said. So if you're bent on getting those 10, you might have to make 10 different transactions - ie. take stuff to your car and come right back in to do it again. And before you balk at that idea, what if you had 10 other kinds of free items that needed separate transactions? You'd do it... maybe not 10 times, but at least three. Or come back the next day and do it again... seriously, you'll get addicted to the feeling you get when your cart is full of stuff and your receipt goes from 3 digits to 2.

OK, now for the catch -- there really isn't one, but you're all waiting for it, so here... So far, you've spent $1 per newspaper and the fee it costs to join the website that did all the paper work for you. I'm doing a $1 trial for 4 weeks right now. If I decide to stay on, I will pay $10 for one store every 8 weeks with each additional store being $5. So if I want to do three stores, I'll pay $20 every 2 months or $10 per month just to get the lists. I'm thinking of doing 2 newspapers per week, so that's another $10 per month. That's $20 per month spent total.

On Tuesday, my bill rang up to $132 and change. I let the cashier scan everything in and then gave her my Kroger card and watched the show. And then I gave her my coupons and the show got even better. (This is the high I was telling you about... you almost need popcorn with butter and furikake and mochi crunch -- especially for Susie's stuff -- she bought $339 for $162) When the cashier finished, my total came to $65 and change. So in my very first week, I covered the $20 per month for three months. I think it will be worth it to stay with the website. Who wants to get cross-eyed doing all that work themselves?

One thing that my friend Betty brought up is "Do you have to go to more than one store?" This is assuming that I am trying to get every category of product in each trip. I'm not. This is a totally different way to shop. Let's say that toothbrushes are on sale with coupons and extra incentives, the works... so much so that you get them -- brand name toothbrushes -- for 23¢ each. You're going to buy more than one. You could buy enough to stockpile and have on hand for the entire year at that price, and then you don't buy toothbrushes again for a long time. Or maybe it's free, and this particular thing happens once every quarter... this is how Susie built up her emergency kits with medicines and her bathrooms are full of shampoos and deodorants that she got for free. And they are all brand name items. So to answer the question, "Yes." You might go to more than one store, but maybe not all in the same day. You might collapse with giddiness and get taken to the funny farm because it really is so much fun! And besides, if you save lots of money and keep getting that high, then you'll need another fix and going to another store gives you a change of scenery. You'll go willingly.

OK, I can't think of anything else to say at this point, other than the fact that I owe Susie an unlimited number of invites to come over and play Wii Bowling and a major Thank YOU! It's nice that I can be apprenticed like this because she tells me all her little tips in person... like making sure you grab a few of those free coupons that come out of the electronic machines in the aisles of the grocery store. You know, the ones that you always have to yell at your kids to keep them from playing with because they keep making the little slips of paper come out like magic (sensor activated). Now they can play with them and I get free coupons. Bonus!

Ask me anything you want to know that I left off and if you want to know the website, I'll tell you. I just didn't want to be taken for a salesperson in one of those MLM companies (been there, done that). Let me know what you think. I'm posting pictures for Susie's sake. They won't be very exciting, but maybe she'll read my first blog. It is a major tribute to her. I could have written about my family or my bolo headed husband (I like it, cheese) or the little one growing in my belly, but no. I wrote about my coupon queen and mentor, Susie Q.