Holiday Shopping Do's and Don'ts

With the season of cheer upon us, I feel the need to remind us all of some simple rules when out and about. I have already been out and encountered many a Hooiser who needs an reminder. So here's a handy primer for all. . .

GROCERY SHOPPING
DO stay to the right of the aisle when stopping to check ingredients, compare prices, ect. This allows others to pass easily.

DON'T stop in the middle of the aisle when running into your BFF from high school. Kindly resume shopping or move the reunion to Starbucks.

DON'T make the poor clerk do a price check on every stinkin' item in your cart because you are sure that the sign said "Buy 1 get 10 Free" DO make dang certain that if you ask for a price check that you are correct.

DON'T chat on your cell phone while meandering back and forth down the aisle, making it impossible for me to pass you.

THE MALL
DON'T walk against the flow of traffic. With a stroller, 7 kids, Grandma in a wheelchair, and a seeing eye dog.

DO leave your coat in the car. I do not want to carry it for you. (This only pertains to my shopping companions. I do not carry strangers coats.) I also do not want to hear about how warm you are in your parka.

DO be aware of your surroundings~especially when needing to back up. My baby does not wish to be sat upon.

DON'T allow small children to behave like, well, small children in stores which they have no place in. Right now I can not think of one of those but I'm sure there is one or two.

DON'T hog Santa. Hug, smile for a pic, share your list, and get the heck out. Don't come back while my kid is sitting there and ask her to move so you can get another snap shot.

While on the subject of Santa DO remove yourself from the line in the event of a potty/diaper emergency. I would be happy to hold your place in line while you attend to business in a more private area.

DON'T attempt to return an item with no reciept or tags and then cuss out the store manager because she won't give you a cash refund.

PARKING LOTS
DO remember pedestrians have the right of way. Especially in marked cross walks.

DON'T park in the "Expectant Mother" parking if you do not own a uterus.

DON'T "steal" a spot that someone is obviously waiting for. If turn signal is on and car is waiting for another car to clear out, it is their spot.

DO return your cart to cart corral.

DO allow the pregnant, elderly, or mom with many children to have the closer spot. If you are alone, adult, able-bodied, and it is not a blizzard, please let those of us who need to shlep 3 kids into Target have the closer spot.

One final overriding tidbit~DO NOT for the love of Pete take your toddler out shopping at 9:30 pm and then yell "I'm gonna whip your butt!" at her for behaving like a toddler who should be in bed not in Target.

Thank you for reading and have a joyous shopping season!

Fashion Friday

Since I do consider dressing my daughters to be an Oympic sport~hey, I gotta be good at something~I'm flat-out copying Lisa's idea of Fashion Friday. It also gives me something post about other than all my angst. So here they are in all their glory! :-)

First we have a teeny newborn Greta in Playtime Piggy from Gymboree, that set is a Size Preemie!

Next is Amelia at 3 months in an awesome Tommy patchwork jumper I actually got at a garage sale! What a deal!

Last but not least is kindergarten Caroline in a great Gymboree Poppies set~we have had that set in 3 different sizes she loved it so much!

Thanks for looking and will someone PUH-LEEZE tell me how to make my posts with pics pretty?!?!?

Greta and the Staple Gun

We had an interesting trauma last week. We were at MOPS cleaning up (well, chatting) and Greta takes a dive onto the iron table base. I'm thinking she's ok, just whacked her noggin. I'm snuggling her and I say to Shawnie, "I taste blood. Did I cut my lip?" No, but blood is covering the back of Greta's head. And I missed this, how?

So to be safe (and cuz he's less than a mile up the road) we stopped to see good ole Dr Stroman. It goes something like this.

I walk in and announce "I don't have an appointment but we've got a head wound!"

And what does Tae Ni say? "I LOVE head wounds!" Takes a look at her and says, "Yep, ya gotta take her for stitches." Groovy.

Then Cool Nurse with the Nosering Lisa yells from the back, "We've got the staple gun!"

Um, hello? Did you say GUN?!? And STAPLES?!?!?! So Tae Ni whips out the gun, pulls her hairback and before I can spit out "Doesn't she need ANESTHESIA?!?!" He puts 2 staples in head.

So now Miss Greta-Boo has metal in her head and will not be passing through security anytime soon. She didn't even flinch. Wow.

And I know all of you are asking yourself "What become of her outfit with all that blood?" Worry not, I think I can save the outfit~great set from Petting Zoo. (OK, quit laughing behind my back. I made $1600 bucks this week. :-P ) I tried to check it discreetly while holding her and Shawnie caught me.

New Auctions Up!

I've got 96 auctions up~90% Gymboree and some boutique stuff and custom hairbows too! Click on the link on the side of my blog that says "Current EBAY Auctions" Sizes 6-12 up to Big Girl 8-10

~*~*~*Blogging Friends Special~*~*~*~
If you win an auction and tell me you saw it on my blog, shipping is 1/2 price!

Check it out~great holiday stuff :-)

I Love the 80s

Seriously. Like crazy love. Like I am still wearing leggings with big sweaters. Oh yeah, that's cool again. VH1 is running another totally rad show to feed my obsessions with both the 80s and organzied lists~The Top 100 Songs of the 80s. I am only thru 34 so DO NOT RUIN it if you know them all. I have it all TiVo'd and need to catch up.

A family friend who is a big music junkie once told me there was "no good music made after 1972" I find that wrong on so many levels~the biggest of which is I was born in 1972 and I did not ruin the music scene. I have thought about his statement and have modified it a bit. I think most people name their favorite music as what was popular when they were teenagers. Now I'm a big fan of what the kids are listening to today but I will always hold the 80s were the best. My parents thought the 60s were the best. And on and on.

So my QOTD is what are YOUR Top Ten of the 80's? Here's mine. I think. I may add more. Offensive and controversial as they may be. . .

10. Livin on a Prayer~Bon Jovi
9. Only in My Dreams~Debbie Gibson
8. Personal Jesus~Depeche Mode
7. It Takes Two~Rob Bass and DJ EZ Rock
6. Pour Some Sugar On Me~Def Leppard
5. Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For~U2
4. Every Rose Has It's Thorn~Poison
3. Material Girl~Madonna
2. Pride (In the Name of Love)-U2
1. Paradise City~Guns N Roses

~*~*~*Happy Halloween~*~*~*~

Here are the little angels sharing their Skittles. Yumm-O. They had so much fun!

You might be a redneck if. . .

Here's a neato shot of our neighbor's back yard. No, there was not a terrible storm or vandals. That, ladies and gentlemen, is normal. They started to assemble a new picnic table, got bored, and left it there. For 9 days. This was a stroke of genius on their part. They didn't need to pick up any of the paper or cardboard from their new purchase~I did. Out of my shrubs, trees, and window wells.

Now moving to Exhibit B. Look closely at this shot. See the windchimes as big as your leg?! Observe the stunning Bug Zapper powered by a sunny yellow extension cord. Pretty, eh? So that brings me to the Q 'o the Day. How do you ask someone you've spoken to twice to remove the windchimes that wake the dead? Before you answer, you need to know that Mrs Redneck was seen screaming obscenities at the ATT guy last week in the backyard. In a muu muu. With curlers.

Seriously, I love bein' a Hoosier and all, but I am trapped in a Jeff Foxworthy special. Help.

Long Live TULIP

Here is an article to read. Discuss among yourselves. Follow up post to come when I actually have more then 10 minutes to string a thought together. . .

Books and More Books

I love to read. I could sit in my comfy chair~not to be confused with the comfy couch~and read til I have to get up and pee. I read fiction, non-fiction, "Christian" (I hate the term Christian fiction but heck, we'll use it here.), "secular" (again, bad term), the phone book, old yearbooks, and magazines of all shapes and sizes. Oh, and the church directory. Ya never know if it changed since the last time I looked up a number. So becuse I am deluded enough to think you care, here's a small list of some of my favorite reads from the last few years or so. Feel free to add your opinions and your own titles. Just no laughing at some of them. I run the gamute from cheesy to philosophical. Some I will list by series because it is easier. And it's my blog. I can do what I want. So here is my list of books I have read a zillion times and will read again soon.

The Red River of the North Series by Lauraine Snelling
This would fall into the "Christian fiction" catagory but I do love historical fiction. This is set on the Dakota prairies of 1880s. The main character does way more in her day than I do in a month. I always want to get up and plow a field or milk a cow after reading these. Great family saga that isn't too nicey-nice.

The Love Comes Softly Series by Janette Oke (some one PUH-LEEZE tell me is it "oak" or "oakie"!)
Also falls into the "Christian fiction" and lands squarely in incredibly nicey-nice. But I still love it. Such a sweet story.

Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury
Great story. A bit over-written but I did get attached to characters and wanted to see how it worked out. Kingsbury is a gifted story-teller but not so much a great writer.

Dancing in the Dark by Big Bill Romonowski and Friends
Changed my life. Or at least my major. Love him. Love his book.

Redeeming TV by Quintein Schultze
Can I get an AMEN from all my siblings here? Will change the way you view TV completely. I am also TOTALLY showing my age as this was his NEW books when I was there.

The Girlfriends Guides by Vicki Iovine
Wet-your-pants-funny. Must read for any beginner mom.

Eve's Daughters by Lynn Austin
All of Lynn's books are great but this one is still my fave. You can tell just by reading this book that Lynn is a Calvinist! :-) I get really tired of characters in "Christian fiction" that are very one-dimensional. "Good girl goes to church, doesn't touch alcohol, never has any sin, ever. Bad boy is very, very bad. Dances to rock music, reads Harry Potter books, swears, and even has GASP non-Christian friends!" Lynn's characters are not perfect. They are real flawed people with a grasp of total depravity but no clue about grace until it whacks them upside the head. This was the first book I ever actually read in one day.

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Wiener
Great fun read about a bored SAHM who tries to figure out who murdered her neighbor.

Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
Also a fun read about a women who has too much to drink and ends up telling her life story to a handsome stranger seated next to her on a trans Atlantic flight. Turns out he's her new boss. Goes on from there. . .

Sophie's Heart by Lori Wick
Pure Velveeta. But hey, why not a little cheese with that glass of wine. . .

So whatcha all got?

An actual quote. . .

"I better clean up my house in case DCFS shows up."

Uttered after a well-meaning-but-not-very-understanding lady returned a child from the street to the house.

Weigh In

It's Tuesday. . . .

More Holes in Her Head

Yep, Amelia got her ears pierced. She loves them so much~it's all she talks about. It was kinda a spur of the moment thing. I was at the mall with the girls on Saturday and we went to Claires to get some new earrings for Caroline. The poor thing has been wearing the same pair since July because somehow we lost her earring box in the move. Anyway, Caroline says "Amelia, do you want to get your ears pierced?" Well, duh?!? She's all over that idea. I tell her it's going to hurt and she says "It not hurt. I not cry." So we did it. As we were sitting there getting set up I said to Caroline, "Daddy's gonna kill me" Amelia then got upset and said "No Mommy! Daddy not dead you!" Oops. Guess she knows what kill means! I called Tim on the way home.

"Hi hon. How's your camping trip?"

"Good. What's up?"

"Well, would you be upset if I got Amelia's ears piereced?"

"As long as I don't have to clean them, I don't care."

"Good. Cuz I already did it."

"That's what I figured."

Ah, he knows me so well. I have always been very conflicted about the whole earrings on little girls thing. It started with my dad who said only biker chics had earrings. Huh? I wasn't allowed til I was 12. I swore no daughter of mine would either. The funny thing is I always thought they were cute on little girls~esp them bald baby girls~like Greta! But somehow I didn't think that applied to my kids. They would look trashy. Hey, I never claimed to make sense. When Caroline was 4 we got her hair cut pretty short. I looked super cute but to soften it a bit, we got her ears pierced. After the alloted time we took out the started set and she would not let me put new ones in. Said it hurt. Okie dokie. No more earrings. Then when we were in Hilton Head with Dr and Mrs Beautiful and family, Christine and I decided to get Emily and Caroline's ears pierced. And Doug and Tim's too, but that's a story for a different day. After the intial hoopla, I never even noticed. So I guess that's why I broke down and did Amelia's. I realized it was not nearly the big deal I made it in my head. As most of my life is.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. :-P

OOOOO, Pretty!

Notice anything different about Miss Amelia?

Grab their jerseys, grab their jerseys. . .

I adore high school football. Seriously, it breaks my heart that my girls will miss out on it. The cool fall air, smashing helmets, cheering cheerleaders, the pep band playing "Peter Gunn", hot chocolate, smoking under the bleachers, and on and on. Oh the joy. And THIS makes me miss it even more. Can ya freaking believe it?!? Us who lived and cheered for the Knights of the 80's. When we did not win ONE game. I remember cheering for a game where we lost 88-0. Yep, 88-0. That was the game that my dad invented the "Grab their jerseys" cheer. He thought "hit 'em hard" cheers were useless. He was right.

I think we will move. Homecoming is next weekend. . .anyone game?!?!?!?!

A little help here, please. . .

My bow business is really starting to take off! It helps to use your girls as advertising! I'm going to be taking some to a new boutique that opened up here in town and hopefully she'll buy some to stock there.

SO, I need a name. I want something cute and memorable~and a bit snobby is OK too. I'm hawking these babies to moms who can and will pay $14 for a set of hand-made bows. My main market is mostly moms but think moms are girly-girls and have all girls and love the girly stuff. Moms who have had a few boys before girl arrives so they are itchin' to go nuts with ribbons and lace. My best ones are Grandma's who have had all sons and now have granddaughters!

Kim's suggestions were "Bows by Jen~They Even Make an Ugly Baby Cute" or "Bows by Jen~They Draw the Eye Upwards" PLEASE give me something more useful than Kim did!

Also, a few of you have inquired about bows for your little gals. I would love to set you up at a discount as long as you tell everyone who askes where you got them from! :-) Let me know soon as I'll be starting Christmas stuff this week! Here's a pic of a set I made to match something for someone~the fringy stuff matches a horse sweater with yarn "hay" on it.

MMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Weigh in time. Icky poo.

You Can Put It On the Board. . .YES! Er, Um, NO

It official. My beloved White Sox will not be winning their division this year. Boo hoo. We still have like a 4% chance at the Wild Card but probably not. So it is over. It was a great ride but now it's back to being just a basic ball club. At least it will be easier to get tickets next year. This was the first year in as long as I can remember that I didn't go to one game. Too many band-wagon-jumpers buying all the tickets.

Now it's time for some football!!! GO BEARS

Yet Another Skank Post. . .

Just wanted to add one more thought. . .

I was just watching Tim and mine's (that is SO grammatically wrong, but I dont' know what's right) favorite guilty show, Two-A-Days. It's all about high school football~which by the way we just figured out that our girls will never get to have high school football games. Boo hoo. Anyhoo, some of the girls on there were dressed in very short skirts, low-cut tops, ect. Another reason I fight it now, is that soon they will be in high school. I want to have a foundation set for that. I want them to know what's not appropriate and have in ingrained in them. Secondly, if I start "just a bit" now where will it be when they are teenagers? We work with lots of teenagers and have had to tell girls they can't play pool cuz the guys are lining up behind them to watch them bend over the pool table. We have had to give them sweatshirts to put over their tops because they are too skimpy.

OK, I'm done.

What is a Skank?

First off, I just borrowed the title from a book I saw at B&N last week and I noted that on the post. I called no one a skank. The title made me chuckle so I used it. I talked about what was in the stores. I was making a point about how choices are somewhat limited when girls get out of the 2T-4T range. I said nothing about limiting choices to Little House dresses. I listed Hanna, Lands End, Gymboree, and even LTD2. Only of which Hanna could be accused of carrying Little House dresses. I am talking about exactly what I said, "gauzy tops and pencil skirts"

I am also talking about little girls not teenagers. I have no problem with a jr high girl wearing a trendier outfit~sheer top with cami, tighter fitting jeans. I am talking about little girls. When I wore big belts and tight jeans, I was 13 not 8. There is nothing wrong with fashion and trends. I love to go shoppping with my oldest (and hallalujah she loves it too!) I just get frustrated by the lack of choice. Things seem to be too babyish or too teenager-ish.

About the shirts with sayings, look again at the ones I linked. I was referring to ones with "snarky" sayings. I saw one out today that said, "If you catch me, I'll just lie" While I am not a fan of the "Princess" shirts, I said nothing about parents being unfit or uncaring if they let their daughter wear one. I thought my point on that was very clear. I think it emphasizes what they are instead of who they are and that's what bothers me.

This is a Bratz doll. And here is a Bratz Baby. Starting with the name, um, Bratz? I have a hard enough time with my girls acting bratty, why make it cool? And that much make-up and skimpy clothing is not something I want them to model after. And for the record, we also own no Barbies.

And note to Carol, I make a profit every season on my girls' clothing. So I spend less than zero. And about 80% of their closets are from resales or Ebay. Caroline gets a "budget" when we shop and she knows that she can spend it on one sweater or 4 outfits. It's her choice. I think that teaches her a lot about wise spending and materialism. It's not about looking "just so" Fashion and putting together an outfit is something she likes to do~it's a hobby~and she knows that. We talk about it everytime we shop. My other girls might not enjoy it like Caroline does. We'll have to see. . .

Stop Dressing Your 6yr Old Like a Skank*

Those of you who read my blog regularly~and there seems to be less and less of you these days~might have noticed a new button on my sidebar. It says "Moms for Modesty" and it is one of those online petition things. Now before you point and laugh at me, I do realize that online petitions do not save the world. But I also thought it was a good opportunity as the mom of girls to add my "Amen and preach it sister!"

This issue of appropriate clothing for little girls has driven me crazy since Caroline moved into the 4-6 size range. Before that we were happy at Target or Kohls or Babies R Us. While the quality sucks at all those places, we did find cute things. And for me it is not so much about "showing skin" I have no problem with the girls wearing tank tops or shorter skirts (ONLY if there are built-in shorts underneath) It is about making them look like little adults. I don't need Amelia to have a black pencil skirt with a silver chain hanging off it or Caroline to wear a gauzy see-thru top with a cami under it. I also detest those T-shirts with snarky sayings on them. Like this or this . We already fight against the attitude why enforce it? I also hate the Tshirts that say "Princess" While I am all about developing self-esteem in my girls, hello, let's talk about modesty! How 'bout a T shirt that says "Really good at soccer" or "Bakes a mean brownie" Let's focus on all the great talents they have instead of how cute or spoiled they are.

This quest is what brought me to Gymboree in the first place. I have been a Gymboree fan for years but their newest line has yoga pants that say "CUTE" on the buttinski~for baby! Why on earth do we need to DRAW ATTENTION to a toddler's biscuits?! I complained to the store manager. We are big fans of Lands End , Hanna Andersson, and I am even branching out to a very FEW pieces from Limited Too.

And while we are fixing this world problem, can we PUH-LEEZE get rid of Bratz dolls?!?!?! I am sick of Caroline coming home in tears because the neighborhood girls are playing with them and she's not allowed to. She understands (we point them out at the store and talk about how they are inappropriate) but it's still hard to be left out.

**Stole this title from this book which I'm dying to read!

Some Random Bible Fun

Here's a fun quiz. I am a Jerry Falwell Christian. Not so glad to hear that~not so much a fan of 'Ole Jer. Oh well. I think I fit more with George Bush Sr. but I do love me some sweet tea. So what kind of Christian are you?!?


You view the Bible as historically accurate and divinely inspired. You go to church every Sunday, with the Good Book in a Bible cover, and Wednesday night for Bible study. You've read at least one of the books in the apocalyptic "Left Behind" series, prefer your iced tea very sweet, and suspect Bill Clinton has murdered somebody somewhere in Arkansas. You're furious that people actually believe "The Da Vinci Code" and have bought a book debunking the novel. You wept uncontrollably all three times you went to see "The Passion of the Christ" and have ordered the DVD in bulk to give copies to friends. You may watch Eternal Word Television Network, and you adore Dr. Laura, Chuck Colson, James Dobson, and Rush Limbaugh. You enjoy some episodes of "Joan of Arcadia" but think it's not reverent enough--"Touched by an Angel" was better. If you're Catholic, you go to Latin Mass and weekly confession, though you don't have much to confess. You think homosexuals are sinful but try periodically to love them. You think the surrounding culture is so polluted that you shop at Christian bookstores, listen only to Christian radio and send your kids to Christian or parochial schools--or homeschool them. You give generously to your church and Christian charities. The Bible provides you not only a direct connection to God but a roadmap for how to lead your life.

Weigh In

Here we go again.

Let's All Go To Confession

I am not Catholic but there are certain practices of the Catholic church that I have always thought highly of. One of those things is confession. While I do believe that coming before God and confessing our short comings is better done without the priest interceding for us, I do like the theraputic component of confessing to another living person without the burden of them "knowing" you. It gives a certain freedom. Even though my BFF totally knows me, I care what she thinks of me. Anyhoo, here's my confessions for the day. Feel free to add your own.

1. I told a white lie to get out of something I didn't want to do.

2. I didn't stick to my budget this week.

3. I really like Nick Lachey's new song.

4. I said not-so-nice things about someone (only to my husband, not the whole world) because they hurt my feelings.

Ick

I have the stomach flu. It sucks. The last thing I ate was Mexican with 2 good friends 24 hours ago. I am feeling well enough to blog quickly and send Tim to the store for chicken soup. He took the day off work so I could go shopping all day yesterday with Dawn, Shawnie, Anne and Kathleen. Shawnie and Anne had the flu so it ended up jsut Dawn, Leenie, and me. (We had a wonderful time.) AND THEN he stayed home today so I could alternate between puking and sleeping. He's been outside cleaning out the garage with the girls since 2:00. That ladies is true love for me. You can keep your kissy-smoochy and flowers and gifts. I'll take this anyday.

Weigh In

It's weigh in time girls! Post it here. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Remember, the first week is the easiest.

Jen's Report Card for Today

PUNCUALITY~A
~Caroline was sitting on the front porch waiting for carpool this morning. We were car #3 in line for drop-off and pick-up at preschool.

NUTRITION~D
~Breakfast was cold cereal, no fruit, no juice. Lunch was Wheels and Cheese. Dinner was better~PB&J, carrots, and string cheese. I did grocery shop. Opened up a pack of cheese to shut Greta up. First time I ever did that.

PREPAREDNESS~D
~Greta had a bowel emergency at Target and I had no wipes. At least I was at Target where one can buy wipes, a whole box of 'em as they do not have little travel packs. Still no folder for Amelia's school bag.

LAUNDRY~B
~Got 3 loads done AND folded. (But that's only cuz Days was good and I folded while I watched.)

FINANCIAL PLANNING~B
~Made a budget for the business and paid 2 bills. 18 more to go. Went to the bank to deposit paycheck before checks start bouncing.

SELF CONTROL~A
~ I did not clock Amelia upside the head when she colored with NON-WASHABLE markers all over these capris and this top that she wore for the first time today. I also did not clock Caroline for leaving her bedroom door open to allow access to such markers.

DIET~C
~I was really good til I just ate a chocolate chip cookie. It was that or clock Amelia.

EXERCISE~F
~nope

And here we go. . .

So is everybody ready?!? Or least the people who are not big fat chickens. Post your starting weight, goal weight, goal date, and how the heck are ya gonna get there from here. Maybe a short-term non-number goal, like fitting into a certain outfit or accomplishing a certain exercise feat. Whatever.

Throwdown

Ok gals, here it is. A challenge. Almost all of us have been bemoaning the fact that we are oxen. (Amanda excluded cuz hey, she's got a good reason) So here's the plan. Starting Tuesday Sept 5 we are going to have a weight loss/get in shape challenge. I know I need accountability and someone to run to when the pull of the drive-thru is too much. Every Tuesday I will put up a post to check-in. Respond in the comments with your weigh-in and goals for the week. And we will hold you to them!! Do whatever "program" you want~I'm going to do WW b/c that has worked for me in the past and I'm familiar with it. Do Atkins, do fat grams, do B4L, whatever creams your twinkie (mmm twinkies. . .)

Comment on this post if you're in or not. I know Kim is in MI til Tuesday but I want a response from everyone else. Eat, drink, and eat some more this weekend. It's Mardi Gras for Dutch people. On Tuesday I will kick it off so be ready to post your current weight, your goal weight, a goal date, and your plan of how to get there.

Happy Girl/Sad Girl

Greta's blankie is in the washer and she is NOT a happy camper. Notice the red-faced screaming and goo running down her face.
French fries by the handful make everything better.

Four Eyes

Miss Caroline got glasses this week and she is so excited about the new fashion accessory in her life. She is planning every outfit around them.

The Master Bedroom

I am desparately trying to find bedding to do in our new bedroom.

**NOTE TO HECKLERS~~I have not bought new bedding in 4 years so shut it.**

I found this set at Kohls~I'm not a huge fan of Kohls but this caught my eye the other day. The pic is kinda small but you can view the larger photo. Whaddaya think? My walls are almost that exact shade of blue. And you gotta love a comforter the color of dirt. How gross can it get from 3 little girls on Saturday mornings?

Where the Heart Is

I had a very interesting meeting at church this week. It was kinda of a leaders meeting with everyone who heads up a ministry involving women so with MOPS I guess that's where I land. It was really neat to share our ministries with each other because while I had a bit of an idea of what they were doing they had no clue what MOPS even is. I was the youngest one there by like 10 years so MOPS just isn't on their radar screens.

In the course of our meeting we veered into a discussion of quality and excellence in our programs and balancing that with what is real and messy~life. While we all agreed quality is important, it needs to address the needs of the women in whatever group it is. It's so easy to get caught up in who is bringing food and did that person get a call and who is doing this and that. We so often get so full of the mechanics that we forget the heart.

We also talked about how we need to not let our particular talent or passion (single parenting, music, motherhood were the ones represented at this discussion) become the thing that is glorified. While it is definitely a God-given passion of mine for moms, that is not where the glory should lie. One woman was talking about how in her passion of music~she is starting a woman's worship night~it is easy to focus on the music because that is what moves her. Myself and another lady there~who I think is the only person who is a worse singer than me~tried to explain to her that while music is pretty, it doesn't move us in the same way. She was having trouble understanding that we weren't really interested in singing for 2 hours straight. Applying that to MOPS was a bit harder. I know that every woman does not have preschoolers, but I do get blinders about the ones who do. "It's been great for me therefore you should come too. And love it as much as I do. " They were telling me that even though I want to run through Target and hand out MOPS flies to every woman with a baby, not everyone is moved by that. It was one of those meetings where I really didn't learn anything I didn't already know in my head, but I didn't always get it in my heart. To have other women taking something that was so obvious to me (music) and pointing out the parallel in something not so obvious (MOPS) it kinda took hold a bit more.

So I am prepared to not sob over every mom who says "no" to MOPS. I think. We'll see.

Wowie Kazowie!

Just had to share my joy. Look how well my Ebay auctions did this back to school season! I am SO excited! This is the best per auction haul I think I've ever had. And now Caroline won't wear Gymboree anymore. Boo hoo says my wallet.

Now for a moment of complete randomness. . .

Amelia Age 3 says "I want to eat Hot Pockets when I get big like a person. I not a person now. I a girl"

Okie Dokie.

Hallalujah and Praise the Lord!

Today was the first day of school and to quote my good friend Kary "Yippee skippy flapper doodles!" I love the start of school. It's such an opportunity for organization! I know some of you have been sad about time marching on but quite frankly, I'm really happy about school. Caroline adores school~at least the social part of it~and her school is awesome. Even if there are 250 kids packed into a small little church. So here's my little bookworm decked out in her new Old Navy outfit and PINK camo backpack. Notice the layered polos with the collar up~how cool is that?!? And we also have 2 little girls who cried when they did not get to stay at "big kid school." Amelia was very much not happy.

Now for something educational. . .

School starts this week so I'm in a learning mood. There are a handful of blog I like to read on occasion and Holy Mama! had a great post this week reminding us all to do our monthly self-breast exams. Through that post I found this great video all about Inflammatory Breast Cancer which is what my mom died of in June 2002. If you don't have speakers, check out IBC Research. It is one of the best pieces I've seen about IBC and what it can do. Take a look and pass it on. Then go feel your boobies.

And the Oscar goes to. . .

OK, not so much. But I could think of a cute title. So, here's the answers that a few of ya wanted to know.

1. North to pick up, south to drop off.
~Mr. Mom. When Michael Keaton drives carpool the first day he goes through the line backwards.

2. I carried a watermelon.
~Dirty Dancing. When Baby first is introduced to Johnny.

3. Don't f--- with the babysitter.
~Adventures In Babysitting. When Kris encounters gang bangers on the El and they say "Don't F with the Lords of Darkness" that's her answer.

4. If you guys know so much about women, why are you at the Gas N Sip on a Friday night?
~Say Anything. Greatest movie ever. Or at least one of them. Lloyd says it to a group of guys bragging about how the chicks love 'em.

5. Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.
~Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Tim's favorite movie ever. Bill says it to Ted when they first meet Rufus in the time machine.

6. Kmart sucks.
~Rainman. Raymond to Charlie at the end.

7. You can't say lesbian~it's women in comfortable shoes.
~Good Morning Vietnam. Adrian Cronhower during a weather report about it being rainy enough to need dykes.

8. I've just been felt up by my grandma.
~Sixteen Candles. Samantha's grandma points out her "boobies" to her whole family and then grabs them.

9. My dad was a peeping tom!
~Back to the Future. Marty sees his dad in a tree with binoculars.

10. I will not be ignored.
~Fatal Attraction. Glenn Close (I can not remember her name!) says it to Michael Douglas (Dan)

11. Orange whip, orange whip, orange whip, 3 orange whips.
~Blues Brothers. John Candy when ordering drinks at the Blue Brothers show.

12. No dancing? Jump back!
~Footloose. Ren (Kevin Bacon) to Willard (Chris Penn) when he finds out dancing is illegal in their town.

Thanks for playing. Johnny, tell 'em what they've won. . .

Just Call Us Betty Crocker

Today was the day. Kary (Circus Girl) and I baked. And baked. And baked. In 4 hours we made 8 dozen brownies, 8 dozen Tollhouse bar cookies, 3 dozen blueberry muffins, 3 dozen apple-cinnamon muffins and appx. 300 pancakes. We used mixes for the brownies and pancakes but everything else was from scratch. Ain't we domestic. We froze everything for breakfasts and school lunches. So now when Tuesday (pancake day) hits, we just pop 'em in the microwave. We've got yummy muffins too. And brownies. Yumm-O. We were both exhausted when we were done but SO glad we did it! Next time we will tackle dinner. We are going to shoot for 10 meals~5 for each of us.

New Auctions!

Some of you have asked so here it is. My newest Ebay auctions are up. I will be adding more size 6-8 plus some hair bows (I think) in the next few days. Link is in my sidebar. Bid 'em up gals!

Cinematic Fun

I'm working on a few games for MOPS and I get SO sick of the same 'ol ice breaker games. SO in the next few weeks I'm going to try a few out on you guys. Not the full games, just some ideas I'm experimenting with for possible usage. W

80's Movie Fun

What movie are these quotes from. And if you can, name the character who said it and the setting.


1. North to pick up, south to drop off.

2. I carried a watermelon.

3. Don't f--- with the babysitter.

4. If you guys know so much about women, why are you at the Gas N Sip on a Friday night?

5. Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.

6. Kmart sucks.

7. You can't say lesbian~it's women in comfortable shoes.

8. I've just been felt up by my grandma.

9. My dad was a peeping tom!

10. I will not be ignored.

11. Orange whip, orange whip, orange whip, 3 orange whips.

12. No dancing? Jump back!

QOTD

Pink camo~fashionably cute or horribly redneck?

Please Pick Up Your No. 2 Pencils

I went to Target today to get Caroline's school supplies. Shoot me in the head now. Why oh why do these teachers have to be so stinkin' specific?!? We needed 2 boxes of 12 Ticonderoga No 2 pencils. No generic Rose Art will do. And what does Target have 5 billion boxes of? Rose Art. Not a Ticonderoga in sight. Same with CLASSIC Crayola markers. Gobs of BRIGHT and BOLD. Nary a CLASSIC. If every teacher demands Ticonderogas and CLASSICs, why for the love of Pete does Target even carry the other kind?!? And BTW did our founding fathers fight with Daniel Boone at Fort Ticonderoga just to make pencils? Maybe the Hooker can answer that after her family field trip.

So now I get to go to Walmart. Ick.

Kiss Your Husband First

As Dr and Mrs Beautiful and have been waxing poetic about each other and the man/woman dichotomy all week (and making the less-mushy among us nauseous), my brain has been churning. So henceforth, I feel the need to throw my two cents in. I know you all have been on the edge of your seats waiting.

A few years ago I attended a MOPS convention out of state. We all met at one girl's house to drive down and dragged our husbands and children to see us off. In the midst of all the tears (by the toddlers, not the dads) and quick "discreet" groping (by the dads, not the toddlers) I noticed something. Most of the moms spent a lot more time playing huggy-kissy with their kids than with their husbands. While some of this may reflect the fact that the major huggy-kissy was done earlier in private, it struck me. And so I began to think and that led to a somewhat heated discussion on the L-O-N-G ride to St Louis.

**Central Question**
When we become moms, do our babies become the center of our affection instead of our husbands? If so, is that wrong? Is it the reason so many marriages~even those among our Christian world~fail?

Some of this displacement is inevitable. When we have a newborn~especially a breastfeeding one~they suck the very life-blood out of us. God created us moms with a fierce love and all-consuming drive to Be the Mommy. Without this, so many of us would succumb to the sheer stress of new motherhood. We are so touched out by the end of the day that any physical contact makes us run for the hills. But as the baby grows and sleeps and becomes aware that they are indeed their own person, mom sometimes doesn't get the memo. Instead of reaching back towards our husbands many of us fixate on our kiddos. Each of us has a tank of different needs and us moms tend to fill our need for cuddling and smooching and all that with our kids. While we love our husbands, we often turn into roommates who occasionally have sex.

Awhile back Oprah did a show with the question, do you love your kids or husband more? I was amazed at how many women were SO passionate about the fact that they loved their children above all else. "It's my BABY! Of course I love her the most! Anyone woman who would put a man above her child is not a good mom." I think the question is wrong. It's apples and oranges. I do not love my Pookie more than my Princesses. I love them differently. Tim is my best friend, makes me laugh all the time, is my partner in all we do, and well, ya know, the other fun stuff. The girls are each gifts and I adore them all as the individuals they are. The best way to love my kids is to give them a solid home to grow up in and that means a strong marriage. Even though we will snark at each other about how to cut up a pizza or whose fault it is that the paperwork is missing, there will be no divorce here. I would contend that is why divorce is so common. Mom is showering the kids with her attention and affection and Dad gets none. So Dad finds himself a little Pop Tart who will shower him. (See Dr Beautiful, I do agree!) Not that I am by any means excusing Dad from his tryst, Mom needs to be aware that she choose him to be her partner and lover, not just sperm donor.

So feed the kids some generic mac and cheese, call a sitter, and go out to dinner. Go out to Target. Go out parking. Go makeout in a forest preserve. Do something to show your hubby that he rocks your world. And always kiss him first and the most.

Say Cheese

This is not the actual pictures~just ones from when we got home so you can see the cute tops we found. Greta was not stopping for the paparazzi this afternoon.
I took the girls for pictures today. What an adventure that turned out to be. Caroline loved getting her pictures taken~she would actually throw a fit if we walked past the Picture People with out getting pics. Because of this I was always very smug about getting great photos of kids~"What do you mean little Susie hates picutres?" I thought it was obviously the mom's fault that her kids didn't cooperate. And then came Amelia. That girl has hated every camera ever pointed at her. Where Caroline would ham it up all over the place, Amelia scowled and pouted. Her 2yr pics feature a pose of her sitting on a stool with her legs so wide open she looks like she is sitting on the can. And Greta you ask? Greta is in between. She likes the attention but is easily overwhelmed by too much of it. She was standing on her head in waiting area but refused when the camera tried to capture her 1 yr old silliness. What I really wanted was a great pic of all 3 girls and one good one of each. I kinda got that~only after much bribing and my lap becoming the "stage" I have to give a shout out to Glamour Shots~they rock. They use digital so they took about 50 shots and they will do them all together, alone, whatever I wanted. They also curled Caroline and Amelia's hair which rocked their world. They even went as far as to re-do Amelia alone after we saw the proofs and didn't have a great one of her alone. I love them. I ended up with a 10x13 of all 3, a 8x10 close up of each girl, a 8x10 full-length of each girl, and 3 5x7s and 48 wallets for $208 total~including handle fee and tax. Pretty good deal for all they did. And they are SO nice and helpful. Only thing I don't like is I have no online proofs so I can't post 'em here for you all. So you will all just have to wait for Christmas. Or Kwanzaa. Or Hanankah. Or Ramadah.

Sweet "Baby" Caroline

Caroline was looking at my blog and saw all the baby pics of Amelia on her birthday and as per usual I heard a refrain of "It's not FAIR to ME!" Well, sweetie, I did not own a digital camera til Amelia was 3 months old so there are no baby pics I can put up of you. SSSSSOOOOO. . .here's my attempt at "fairness"~~she's 5 in these pics, baby enough I guess!

Caroline is a Tween

My baby girl is officially no longer a little girl! We have entered the tween years~those exciting years between sweet little girl and sullen teenager.

She loves American Girl dolls and the White Sox. Playing in the dirt and shopping with mom. And the saddest of all for me, no more Gymboree! boo hoo. Oh well, at least I have 2 more to dress as I like.

So Happy 8th Birthday Sweet Caroline! Mommy loves you.

Jesse Rees

Shawnie and Brian created a website for Jesse. Take a peek. We miss you Jesse.

Two Little Boys

Jeff and Dawn's little boy~~Andrew James "AJ"~~was born into heaven today. Dawn had a doctor's appt this morning and AJ's heart had already stopped beating. She went home to prepare to be induced and went into labor. With AJ being #4 and so tiny, he came quickly. So quickly he was born at home. We were all at the hospital this evening and everyone got a chance to hold little AJ and love on him a bit. Such a tiny soul. Even Brian and Shawnie were there~same hospital. Same waiting room taken over by the God Squad. Same peace. We buried their son Jesse on Saturday in a beautiful service and will be placing Andrew to rest next to him on Wednesday afternoon. Please pray for all the families.

I just posted this on my fridge. I hang onto it daily since my mom died 4 years ago.

What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul,in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my headwithout the will of my Father in heaven:in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him,Christ, by his Holy Spirit,assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and readyfrom now on to live for him.

Did Y'all Miss Me?

I am back! Mr Comcastic came today. Still no phone but we've got cable (with the Playboy Channel in Spanish~my question is Why bother?) and internet. So here's what I have done in the days since. . .

July 14~~We were supposed to close on our new house. Yeah, not so much. Mortgage company screwed up so we were left with moving closing to Monday. Pretty Boy Derek feels bad and gets his company to pay for movers for us. Sweet.

July 17~~Funeral for Cindy, wife of Kevin our Director of Student Ministires. She was 43 and died of colon cancer. Very sad. Closing takes place as scheduled. Found a fantastic table and chairs at Costco, counter height, black. Fancy.

July 18~~Movers show up and move all our big stuff. Turns out we have a lot more crap that we thought. Hmm, garage sale anyone?

July 19~~Comcast scheduled to arrive between 1 and 5 to set up all forms of communication. No show. Jen very mad. Very very mad.

July 20~~Still no communication.

July 21~~Went to see the coolest band ever! (Shut up Kary) The getting there was a bit rough. Picture being trapped in a Girls Gone Wild video and you are the only one wearing capris. That was my limo ride there. I saw lots of thongs and a pair of piereced nipples. All I could think was "How do you get them so perky?"

Whoa, we're half way there, whoa whoa livin' on a prayer, All together now! And yes, that's how close we were. Thanks for the pics, Leenie!

This was the first concert I have been to in 15 years that did not involve an altar call. Oh wow. Bon Jovi was awesome. And Nickleback opened and I now love them too. It was SO fun!

July 22~~6:30 pm. Got a phone call that Brian and Shawnie (close friends from small group) had lost their baby. She was 31 weeks along and suddenly no heartbeat. 8:00pm we were all at their house to hug and pray. It was very sad.

July 23-25~~Lots of time at hospital, waiting for name for Baby Girl. Her name will be Kaitlin. More time praying for no C-section.

July 25~~Jesse Rees B is born. Yep, Kaitlin turned out to be a boy. What a surprise! Medically speaking delivery went well so Shawnie will be able to attempt a VBAC next time. (Her first was C-section)

July 26-27~~Still no Comcast. Planning funeral for Jesse. Lots of stuff to do.

July 27~~Grandpa dies in Michigan. Kinda a shock~wasn't really expecting that. Pray all goes well this weekend.

July 28~~Mr Comcastic shows up. And here I am.

I have SO missed you all!! I can't wait to see you guys on Wednesday. And please pray tomorrow for Brian and Shawnie as they bury Jesse. And pray for Jeff and Dawn (other good friends from our small group) as they will be going through the same thing in 2 weeks. Their unborn son AJ is not expected to live more than a few hours.

Thanks for the love and talk to y'all soon! (Blank stare)

You Might Be a Dutch Calvinist If. . .

* You finish the food on your plate in a restaurant even though it is burnt or otherwise unsuitable for human consumption
* You reused plastic margarine containers long before anyone heard of the environmental movement
* You have a two-volume address book. Volume I: A-U Volume II: V-Z
* You have never skipped church to watch the Superbowl
* Your main contribution in increased gender equality was to switch from KING to Wilhelmina brand peppermints
* Your range of restaurant choice is restricted to the contents of a "Buy One Meal, Get One Free" coupon book that you bought to support missionaries in Sierra Leone
* You wipe the last of the butter out of the container with your roll
* Your mother's hairdo is the same at your wedding as it was at hers
* Your closet is divided into work clothes and Sunday clothes
* Your church attendance record is not interrupted by childbirth
* Your Sunday routine resembles this: Church, coffee, roast beef, green beans, a nap, and Church
* You have a front room but never sit in it
* All your cookies taste like almond
* You make the bed in a hotel room
* The last tip you left in a restaurant was "Don't wear so much makeup" and "A little quicker with the coffee
* You have always been to church on New Years Eve
* You can sing "eere zij God" even though you can't speak Dutch
* You think that being progressive means discarding the Psalter Hymnal in favor of the Steve Green songs on the overhead
* Seeing hands in the air during worship causes you to look around for a stickup man
* You are still trying to justify owning a dishwasher
* On summer vacation you couldn't swim, only wading up to your knees was allowed
* At your wedding, everyone was swaying, but no one was dancing
* You have attended worship services at a campground amphitheater
* You know what an afghan is
* You have lace on your windows, but not on your underwear
* Your two permanent Saturday jobs are to wash the car and make sure you have enough single bills for the offering plate
* All of your recipes are adapted to fit into a 9X13 pan
* You can't imagine a funeral reception without ham on buns
* The Usher never has to ask you where you want to sit.

The Best Post EVER!

I don't know about you but I am so sick of the "Mommy Wars" If it's not work vs stay at home, it's school vs homeschool or breast vs bottle or Ezzo vs whatever the opposite of Ezzo is! You get my point. I really enjoy reading Chris's blog~she is the mom of many, 7 I think. She had this post and I just had to share. So here's the link. What do ya think? I think she has hit the nail on the head.

http://www.notesfromthetrenches.com/2006/07/14/the-unspoken-conversations-in-our-heads/

Jana, teach me the hot link! Puh-leeeeezzeee!

Incommunicado

We are moving this weekend and have a wake and funeral to attend. And I have to teach about death at Brickhouse next week. And all our drivers are having temper tantrums. And Amelia has been watching TV for 2 days straight. And Greta was asleep in the high chair for at least 30 minutes before I noticed.

So that's my life now. I will be off-line til July 20. boo hoo

The Dating Game Part Deux

A while back I had a post about Mommy Dating~that search for other Mom Friends to connect with that most of us go thru. We discussed how to meet that "perfect" new BFF. After you've chatted for hours on the phone and maybe even done some IMing. You stepped up to face-to-face meetings at the park, McD's playland, your house, her house, and now quite frankly the thrill is gone. To quote my buddy Axl, "Where do we go now?"

Reach back in your mind to singlehood. Do you remember the guy that seemed so perfect for a few dates and then you saw a flaw? There is an episode of "Seinfeld" where Jerry has the perfect girlfriend until she thinks she sees him pick his nose. After that, it's all over. Even though Jerry vehemently states "No pick!", the belief is there and it's over.

Identify the Problem
Before making a life-altering decision, one needs to evaluate the situation. What bugs you about your new BFF? And can you live with it? Is she a "One-upper"? If your baby has a cold, her baby has pneumonia. If your baby learned to sit up, her's is crawling. You get the picture. While annoying, if all other things are good, this might be something I can live with. Two things are deal breakers for me. Lying is one, especially lying to ingratiate yourself to someone. Like "Oh yes, Muffy and I go way back! I'm her baby's godmother!" Often this will be said with no knowledge that I am friends with Muffy and know full-well she is not Junior's godmother. The other deal breaker is My Child Is Perfect Syndrome. Face it, all of our offspring are little monsters with little or no social graces. I expect toddlers to hit, kick, and scream. What I do not expect is Mommy to turn a blind eye or always assume her Little Precious would never be involved in anything so base as toy-grabbing or hitting.

Now that we have decided that we have an honest-to-goodness ex-BFF on our hands, we need to figure out our strategy. As in all of life, a girl needs a plan. And a cute seasonally appropriate diaper bag.

Option A~~Duck and Run
I am always in favor of the duck and run. And may I also add that Caller ID is a new mommy's best friend. The key here is to suddenly become so swamped that you can't possibly make it to the park, the mall, McD's, whatever. Hopefully, they eventually get the hint. **Complication**One complication of the Duck and Run is the Ex-BFF who really believes that you are swamped and shows up with dinner and cleaning supplies. I actually had one girl come clean my bathrooms because I told her I was so miserably pregnant I couldn't clean my toilets, let alone have a social life. I only felt guilty til I saw my reflection in my bathtub. This is the equivalent of the guy who sends roses everyday and plays "your song" Lloyd Dobler style outside your bedroom window trying to woo you back. While you may enjoy being the object of affection, it is a bit creepy.

Option B~~Honesty
While this option sounds morally superior, it really isn't. Especially for me as subtlety has never been my spiritual gift. You can just sit down with Ex BFF and tell her while you have enjoyed her company you think she could use a visit from Supernanny. How can this be a good thing? While honest, it really isn't very nice.

I had used both of these options with varied success. So that you know I have also been Mommy Dumped, I have had them used on me. One got kinda nasty over breast vs bottle and went downhill from there. Another constantly called her kid "Angel Baby" as he was whacking Caroline over the head with a Barney guitar. And SHE dumped ME!

Hopefully, you will come to a point that you have found some new BFFs who also have great kids. I have found a few newbies myself lately~~if only they didn't live in BFE. . .Now your next task is to intro the husbands and pray they get along!

Finish the Sentence. . .

We are now going to play a game of tag. C'mom, it'll be fun! I will tag someone to post their answers on their blog and so on and so on. . .

1. My home is... still on the market.
2. I am listening to... "Take My Life" by Jeremy Camp
3. Maybe I should... pay attention to my daughters.
4. I love it when... my house is clean and dinner is made.
5. My best friend... (other than Tim) is my sister, Christine, and Kary.
6. I don't understand... why I have to wait for things.
7. I lost... my wedding ring for 2 days once. Tim was mad!
8. People say... I talk too much.
9. The meaning of my blog name is... that is what starts most sentances in our house.
10. Love is... exhausting.
11. Right now, somewhere, someone is... having happy hour.
12. I will always... know that without God I would be nothing.
13. Once upon a time, I... remembered to send birthday cards.
14. I never want to...bungee jump or sky dive.
15. My personal motto is... Ya get what you get and you don't have a fit. Oh, and girls rock!
16. When I wake up in the morning... if the girls are still asleep, I love the morning. If I wake up to screaming girls, I hate the morning.
17. I get annoyed when... people are late.
18. People always... misunderstand me.
19. I sing... loudly and horribly off-key.
20. Hugs are the best when... they're given with little arms and freshly scrubbed faces.
21. Today I... started the laundry.
23. Tomorrow I will... continue the laundry.
24. I really want... to finish the laundry. Have another baby. Start my own business. Take a nap. Have a martini. Meet Jesus.
25. If my girls/boys were born the opposite sex, I would have named them. . .Caleb, Wyatt, and Wilson or Hudson.

OK, now I tag Kary. SOOOO Kary, you need to copy and paste this, delete my answers and add your own. Then tag someone else! :-)

It Has Happened. . .We Are My Parents

My parents tortured us when we were kids. They made us listen to their music. Loudly. Often. On turntables. They swore no good music was made after 1969. They sang it. But none of that is the worst of it. They made us listen to them share every single thing that ever happened to them while that song was on. My mother had a boyfriend for every song~one even "pantomimed" (I am not kidding. That was what she said.) I swore I would never make my kids listen to such ancient music.

OK, never say never. While driving home last night from meeting Daddy for dinner at work we heard a old Meatloaf song, the type the required windows down, radio up, and LOUD singing along. (Yes, Caroline it's all about baseball.) Not only did I make them listen to my singing, I proceeded to tell Caroline about a party on a boat with that song and how cool I was in high school. That's when the full-body shiver came on.

I grew up in the 80's and my parents grew up in the 60's and my kids are growing up in the 00's. Why does 20 years seem so long ago when you're a kid and it's just yesterday when you are a grown up? I can tell you title, artist, and year of a song within 10 notes. And I will also share any memory-good or bad-associated with that song. Music is a constant backdrop for my whole life~which is funny because I am not musically inclined at all. Nor is any of my family. It transports me. My husband will hum the theme from "Top Gun" while making dinner and it's summer of 86 again. I heard the Muzak version of "Pretty In Pink" and I am in the pool at Lance's house again. Don't even get me started on songs and boyfriends. Each guy I ever went on more than 2 dates with has at least one song and often a depressing break-up tune too!

So long live the 80's and my kids will get over it. With therapy.

C'mon, Get Happy!

When I was in college I found this really cool book called "14,000 Things to Be Happy About" It is the coolest book ever. It's almost like a gratitude journal with a twist~it inspired me not only to be thankful for small blessings but also to pay attention to life otherwise you miss them. I started a list of my own, way back in 1991! As I was packing up in the basement today I found the book and one of the notebooks that was my list. I have been adding to this list for 15 years now and I thought it was time to share. Here's a bunch of mine and some from the book. Please add your own~I'd like to hit 500 here. :-) I have over 5000 of my own.

1. re-reading a book you loved 10 years ago.
2. informing TV characters of impending danger, thinking that they can hear you
3. argyle socks
4. the position of your head when you bite into a taco
5. Welcome Back, Kotter
6. hymn sings
7. for November chillls: thick chili, crusty bread, and crunchy veggies
8. Lake Michigan shoreline
9. "Do Not Disturb" signs
10. golfing with fathers
11. running down a beach
12. Ivory soap
13. yard sales
14. wet babies
15. not-fit-for-man-or-beast February nights
16. getting catalogs in the mail
17. $1 bills that say "I love Mike" in pen
18. buttered maple syrup
19. Dairy Queen's Monster Cookie blizzard (that's a new one!)
20. sleeping with a jacket over you
21. falling asleep wrapped up in a wool blanket on the beach in October
22. Fisher Price Little People
23. Walt Whitman
24. friendship
25. Eight is Enough
26. "spirit sticks" at pep rallies
27. high school football on crisp fall Friday nights
28. laughing at yourself
29. "Babalu" by Ricky Ricardo
30. Gymboree
31. cable knit cardigans
32. chipped beef dip
33. New Years Eve kisses
34. good hair days
35. peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses
36. flannel sheets
37. "Coming to America" by Neil Diamond
38. Target
39. taking down the Christmas decorations
40. clothes that are too big
41. camping in the fall
42. cheese sticks
43. reading in bed
44. petunias in wild full bloom
45. seeing that someone else is a worse housekeeper than me
46. 4th of July
47. positive pregnancy test sticks
48. brand new baby girls (or boys!)
49. the Chicago White Sox
50. Hot Pockets
51. Nanny 911
52. Ebay
53. hot summer afternoons when there a dark clouds on the horizon
54. Rubbermaid bins
55. pumpkins on the porch
56. "Little House" books
57. exchanging restaurant recommendations over breakfast
58. balls of real butter
59. Ronald Reagan
60. going to sleep with a line thru every item on a To Do list
61. puppy love
62. sipping (or gulping) wine in front of a fire
63. not paying attention to stupid questions
64. the smell of the ocean
65. frolicking in a pile of leaves

OK, have at it!

Amelia Kate is 3

My little crazy one is 3 today~officially at 3:29 pm. What I can say about Mimi Kate? We tried for almost 4 years to get pregnant again after Caroline was born. We tried just about everything and were in the middle of the adoption process when I discovered she was coming. We were shocked and thrilled and scared to death since I had already had 3 early miscarriages (well, one not so early) She arrived on a hot June day with Daddy and Aunt Christine chatting over my bed. Amelia screamed through her first bath and has hated the water ever since. She was a great baby and a fireball toddler. And now a preschooler who would prefer to go back to baby status if it means keeping her beloved "pipies" Wow. Where did the time go? So Sweet Mimi, here's to you! We love you to pieces!

That Sweet Baby Smell?

Last night Greta was having a hard time settling down to sleep . So I did something I never ever do~I rocked her.

**Sidebar**
Being my littlest (at this time) I have learned that I do not wish to do the dog-and-pony show that Caroline required to drift of to dreamland. She gets put in her crib with blankie and pacifier and that is it. She never fusses, never cries. Just grabs her beloved blankie and snuggles to sleep.

Anyway, back to the point. As I was cuddling her, I got a whiff of something icky. I was thinking it was maybe that odd diaper smell that permeates the carpet, the walls. Ya know? As I sniffed closer, it was my sweet baby. Not her diaper but actually her person. She reeked! Then I started thinking. . .when was the last time I gave that child a bath? Ummm. . .not real sure.

I swore I would never be one of those moms that treats her younger kids different than the older ones, but here I am. Caroline had a bath every day, Amelia every other day. Now poor Greta stinks. Some of it is the fact that once you have more than 2 kids, your time is limited. Honestly though, for me, it is just that I have grown into being a mom. I absolutely love Baby Greta as fiercely I loved Baby Caroline. But I have also seen that "This too shall pass" She is at the same stage as my niece Elise now, except Elise is the firstborn. Greta touches everything, climbs on everything, and sticks her fingers (which are usually sticky) into everything as Elise does. It drives Kim (Elise's mom) insane and it doesn't really bother me. The difference is I have seen the other side with Caroline and Amelia so I know she will quit driving my nuts shortly. You can be told it will pass, but until you actually pass though the tunnel yourself, you can't really believe what the other mommys are telling you.

So I know Greta won't always smell bad, Amelia will soon give up the pacifiers, and Caroline will stop sleeping with the bathroom light on~I think. Now, to go put her in bathtub!

Fun in the Sun

Now here are some more tasteful pics of the fun day of swimming and bonding. I don't have a lot of time so here are the highlights.

We ate fruit and veggies.

Laura pushed Christine in the pool.

Christine called Laura an unflattering name.

Christian retaliates and pushes Laura in the pool.

Ha ha.

We all swim. Big kids splash. Little kids cry.

We all eat sandwiches. And then Jen broke the seal and had a Mike's at 12:45.

More swimming. More eating. Lots of cheese puffs.

Hugs, kisses, and bye bye.

Amelia conks out with "sawbewwy sungasses" on. Too cute.

All in all, a great fun day. I had so much fun I called a realtor. Oh yeah. I have one. Smooches.

You can put it on the board. . .YES!

OK, so who's the best team in baseball?!?

White Sox 20
Cardinals 6

These are supposed to be the 2 best teams in baseball. This series was much talked about, a preview of October, if you will. Oh yeah!

BUT as a life-long Sox fan once said of us all, "We spend the season one breath away from suicide. We'll choke in September."

Grinder Rule #52
There is no crying in baseball. Unless the champagne gets in your eyes.

Funny thoughts. . .

OK, since y'all are by the pool today and I'm not, I have been surfing around. I found these and thought they were REALLY funny. Like wet-your-pants funny. Like shoot beer out your nose funny. OK, you get the point.

• I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here.
• If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
• Everyday I beat my own previous record for the number of consecutive days I have stayed alive.
• How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?
• Isn't having a smoking section in a restaurant like having a peeing section in a swimming pool?
• Why is it that most nudists are people you don't want to see naked?
• I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!
• Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over?
• My husband says I never listen to him (at least I think that's what he said).
• Just remember...if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.
• Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?
• Wouldn't you know it...Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
• Why do I have to swear on the Bible in court when he Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in a federal building?
• Bumper sticker of the year: "If you can read this, thank a teacher....and since it's in English, thank a soldier".

Dinner Anyone?

OK, gals, I hate to make dinner. Though I really do love to cook I hate it when it's 4L30 and everyone is screaming for food and Mommy. Anyone wanna do this together?

http://www.chicagocreativecuisine.com/menus.php

Welcome to My Breakdown

I am in the midst of a nervous breakdown. As you blog readers know, we have been in the process of trying to sell our house and build a new one for the past year. Well, the house we picked to build is one in the Parade of Homes here. We went into this deal assured that we were getting a great deal since builders want to display their best stuff for the public. Also we were led to believe that since we were in essence letting 1000's of people walk thru our home, we'd get a great price. Yeah, not so much.

So we're at the parade with Dad and Judy on Saturday night and we overhear what price our builder is telling people. It's $5000 less that what we're paying!!!!!!!! WHAT THE *&%*&?!? We were supposed to be getting the home for appx. $15,000 LESS than the "current market value"

I want to cry. I want to scream. I have been duped. How could I be so stupid?!? We have some friends going to the parade undercover for us to see what they can find out. One of them is a builder so he knows all the questions to ask.

I am now going to deposit Caroline and Amelia at VBS #2 for the summer. Hey, they are learning ecumenism. Is that a word? Love across the denomonations. Go hug a Baptist today.

**New Girl Alert**

Attention blogging girlfriends~welcome our newest blogger to the bunch~Kary. Her link is by my links. She's a bit shy at this so bring her out of her shell.

Amelia--isms

Part of my reasoning to start a blog was to provide myself with a written memory of all the cute and not-so-cute things my girls do. So in honor of my crazy middle girl, here are some of her very interesting patterns of speech.

emma-lade~lemonade

pocket polly~polly pockets

cakecup~cupcake. Her winter coat this year had a cupcake print on the lining so she always wanted to wear her "cakecup coat"

mum-sic twuck~the ice cream truck. We have convinced her that the ice cream truck is just a truck that drives around playing music for all to enjoy. Do not blow our cover.

koo-koo~Clifford the big red dog who is on 24-7 at our house.

goinky~her blanket. She is perfectly capable of saying "blanket" when pushed but much prefers "goinky"

She has many more but those are my favorites. She is getting to the point that Tim and I can understand about 90% of what she says and regular folks get about 60%. I think that's average for almost 3?

Thanks for listening to my brief moment of mushiness. Now back to real-life. . .

I Ask You . . .

Why do men define any movie with fast cars, men jumping out off fast cars, and scantily-clad women on top of fast cars as "good"?

Why does the gas company send me a bill every month? I just paid them.

Why does my 7 year old ask me what hell is while I'm trying to get her to bed?

Why does a 7 month pregnant woman look better in gauchos than me?

Screaming baby. . .Predestination~discuss. I'll be right back.

OK, back.

Why do my girls still throw food on the floor even though the dog is dead?

Why do men feel they need a medal or sex for every act of housework they complete?

Why do they ask me if I want fries with that? Duh!

Why is honesty confused with being not nice?

Why do books cost so much?

Why is 90210 off the air?

Why is it not OK to listen to Guns and Roses in my minivan? While squealing into the church parking lot for VBS?

The House is Done!!

Our house is done!! We are SSSOOO excited. Here's a quick tour. All the furniture and decorating you see is from our builder. I don't get to keep any of it. :-(
Pic #1 is the family room.
Pic #2 is the front of the house.
Pic #3 is the master bedroom.
Pic #4 is the kitchen.
Pic #5 is my UPSTAIRS laundry room! It is so awesome.

Once we actually live there and have our cheaper, uglier stuff in, I will post pics that! Now everyone pray hard that our house sells!!!

Start 'Em Young

Here's Miss Greta on Memorial Day at the lake. It was 93 that day and she felt she needed a cold one. Well, out here in Indiana we start 'em young. Builds up their tolerance. Only problem is it's Miller Light~what we call Jane Beer. Tim's mom brings it with her to visit because she doesn't like our "fancy" beer. Yeah, cuz MGD is fancy!

Jen Re-Loaded?

I just got finished watching "16 Kids" on the Discovery Channel. The Duggar Family~here's their website~http://www.duggarfamily.com/default.php~live in Arkansas and have 16 kids ranging in age from 17 to 6 mos. This includes 2 sets of twins. They are homeschooling, skirt-wearing, home church, type folks and if you Google them, you get oodles of opinions of people who either think they are wonderful or terrible. The arguments against mainly stem from the idea that it doesn't seem possible for two parents to spend any one-on-one time with that many kids. There are also lots of arguments which seem to take more issue with the fact that the kids don't date and the girls wear skirts all the time. The arguments in the pro camp keeping coming back to the "Children are a blessing" idea.

After watching this family~which BTW is WWAAAYYYYYYY more calm and organized than I am~and reading lots of opinions on what is the "correct" family size, my brain is fried. It also hit pretty close to home. Tim and I are presently embroiled in the "Should we try for one more baby or close up shop for good?" discussion. This is really a hard one for us.

First of all, I have never had a baby when we planned to. We struggled for years with infertility and were very close to adopting at one point. I have a hard time making the decision not have more when I wanted them so badly.

Second, when Tim and I first got married we both really wanted 4 kids. I have no logical reason why but 4 just seemed like a nice even number. Tim only has one sister and wished for a larger family. I never wanted 3 because in my family someone was always left out. Sometimes it was my brother cuz he's the only boy. Sometimes it was me cuz I'm the oldest and was out of the house before they were even in high school.

I hate being pregnant. I puke, I swell, I get huge, I get cranky, I just hate it. I also do not do well in the postpartum period. I had a really hard time after Greta. I am trying to realize that even worst case scenario it's 18 months of my life.

So here I am with 3 kids and pushing 35~the magic number where you become and "older mother". To top if off, we have the all one gender card. Personally, I love having all girls and would hope for one more. I'm not a fan of suprises so I'd like to stick with what I know. Tim would love to have a son~as I think most of us have that desire for a child of our own gender~but he is very realistic about the idea of having all girls. He is not bothered by it and actually takes his role as girl daddy very seriously~which if you know Tim it is one of the few things he is serious about! I just don't want to deal with the rest of the world's input on the gender of my kids. Like it is a tragedy to have all boys or girls.

So we have not come to a decision yet. I know for many that in and of itself is the decision! So for a few more months at least, the baby factory is open. Sort of.

The Dating Game

When Tim and I got engaged in 1992 I officially left the dating world behind. At least until 1998 when I became the mama of a sweet baby girl. Then I entered the world of "Mom Dating" I live in an area where almost everyone has lived here since they were a zygote and married their kindergarten boyfriend. I actually have friends who are sisters and live next door to each other! We did not know a soul when we moved here 9 years ago so I have really had to make an effort to meet people. As much as I love my husband and enjoy doing things with him, I am a gal who loves her girlfriends. So my quest began. . .

It is amazing to me how similar my quest for gal pals has been to my search for Mr Right. You start with the obvious ways to meet~friends introduce you, church, work, neighbors. Though sometimes these tried-and-true ways produce the perfect new BFF, sometimes you need to go out a limb a bit more. So you put yourself in a target-rich environment. You know, those places where you can't turn around without tripping over a stroller~Target, the park, the mall, Borders at storytime. Here's how it plays out.

Step One
Spend all morning getting pretty wearing a new pair of gauchos and cute kitten heel flip-flops (why does a 1/2 inch heel make them so much dressier than beach wear?) Dress little girls in coordinating (not matching) Gap or Gymboree outfits, cute enough to illicit compliments but not too much that people point and laugh. The goal here is to look fun and cute but not perfect. A little baby puke on your shoulder is a perfect touch.

Step Two
Head out to Borders for storytime~complete with double stroller, sippy cups, and enough packets of Goldfish to share. Arrive at least 5 minutes early so that if baby has explosive poo or barely-potty-trained toddler needs to visit the potty you have ample time.

Step Three
Spend all of story time making mental judgments of the other mommies, focusing on the other ones who are their alone. Bonus points if their offspring appear to be same age and gender as your own. **Warning here~often the mom who appears to be the perfect match will say something that will totally turn you off the moment she opens her mouth. Something like, "Come along, Lucifer. It's time for your tarot card reading." Or "Are you hungry Raindrop? Mama has some organic tofu cubes for you!" So even if she's got on cute khakis and a comfy yet fashionable T-shirt, she might not be what she appears!

Step Four
And there she is. **Imagine the hallelujah Chorus Playing here** Across the room you spot her, same gauchos as you (but with a cuter top), hair in a ponytail but make-up applied and earrings on. Nice stroller (not an Italian one) and two girls about the same age as yours! She looks to be alone and slightly frazzled by being out with 2 little girls but not so much that she stayed home. You sniff the baby and under the guise of changing a diaper, wiggle out early~it's "Giggle Giggle Quack" and your toddler knows it by heart anyway! Station yourself casually by the exit of the Kids Section.

Step Five
Pounce. Compliment her, her kids, her gauchos, her hair~who cuts it? Anything to start a conversation. If all else fails, give your toddler an extra bag of Goldfish and say loudly, "Why don't you go share with that nice little girl over there, sweetie?" And hope she complies. Mom smiles and returns your compliment. "Your girls are so cute!" Play it cool. "Oh, them? I just picked 'em up in the parking lot. Hi, I'm Jen." Chit chat for a few minutes. "Our girls seem to be having fun. Would you like to get together at the park sometime so they could play?" Exchange numbers.

Step Six
Get home and spend the next five hours obsessing over how soon is too soon to call your new BFF.

More next time on how to break up after a few playdates when she turns out to be really icky. Or how to turn girlfriend + husband into Couple Friends!

**New House Pics**

Our house is coming along swimmingly! The interior was painted this weekend and it turned out really cool! The blue room is my kitchen and the khaki room is the family room. I am standing in the same spot in both the kitchen pics~just facing opposite directions. That is where the kitchen table will go. The blue turned out a bit bluer than what I thought but it's really growing on me. I'm planning a distressed black kitchen table. You can see the stairs that lead up to the bedrooms at the back right corner of the family room. Lastly is a pic of Caroline's very lime green room. She absolutely LOVES it!

We are set to close mid-July. That is if our current house sells. . .

Piggy Tails!

Greta has FINALLY spouted a small bit of hair and that was all Mommy needed for pigtails! Here's my happy gal. OK, so you can barely see the piggies. But they are there!

Tomorrow is Another Day

There are some days I love being a mommy and there are some days I don't. Today was a don't day. On one hand, everyone survived, there were no phone calls to Dr Stroman, and no need for pastoral counsel. So in that regard it was a good day. But by the end of the day, my mantra was "I do not need a martini to make it through the day." (Thanks to my friend Kary for that one!)

The day started out well enough~Amelia and Greta slept long enough for me to shower, dress, do my hair AND put on some make-up. I was ready to go the prom! Drove carpool, came home, fed the little girls breakfast, picked up a bit, yadda yadda yadda, looking forward to a little Oprah. Then phone started to ring. In my world, a ringing phone is never a good thing. (Unless it is during the universal naptime when one of my Girlfriends will call to chat!) Tim called to tell me he would be working much later than expected. Not a huge deal EXCEPT I had planned to go grocery shopping when he was home. So I begin to round up the girls for a trip to Costco and Meijer. Phone rings again. This time it is our builder. She needs to know what colors we want each room painted. OK, no problem. When does she need this info? Today. Spectacular. So I load 'em up and we head out. How bad can a trip to the paint store, Costco, and Meijer be with a 1 year old and a 2 year old?

First stop paint store. OK, my first gripe is that the lighting in these places sucks. How can a girl decide between "Witty Green" and "Laudable Lime" when it is almost dark? Secondly, why does everyone look at you like you are a circus freak when you enter a store with 2 small children? I am sorry but I will not live in a box. So we grab out 50 paint chips are we're on our way.

Next stop, Costco. My girls love it because generally there is food to taste and lots to look at. Well, not so on Tuesday. First of all, Tuesday is Senior Day. In my experience, seniors either adore small children and come pinch their cheeks or complain loudly about how in their day children were not taken in public. Seniors also~forgive my "age-ism" here~but are VERY SLOW. When shopping with 2 toddlers, fast is key. Also it seems that the tasting tables were all for grown-ups. Amelia was not happy that her only options were smoked salmon, chipolte salsa, and almond-crusted scrod. Finally, this last fun part was trying to convince a 2yr old the the swing set that is set up for display is not to be played on. Calgon take me away.

After this fun trip, we hit a drive-thru and headed home. Of course, Greta fell asleep. Hard. (JD will feel my pain here) Amelia was asking for "night night" and her pacifier (I weally cwyin Mommy!) but Miss G would have none of it. We played "in and out bed" for 90 minutes they both finally crashed.

Enter Caroline. 20 full minutes after the little girls fell asleep, Big Sis storms in and YELLS "MOM! CAN I PLAY OUTSIDE?!?" Ugh. Awake little girls. So I pile 'em in the minivan and we're off to grocery shop. Starts out well. The store has the little carts for the kids so they thought that was great. Until Amelia started mowing people over while yellling "Move out of way!!" Greta turns around in the cart and flings whatever I have on the floor. Including a cup of yogurt that burst. After 2 hours in hell, we get home. I unload the van and proceed to have the bottom rip out of a 12 pack of MGD bottles. It was not pretty. I seriously considered laying on the floor of the garage and lapping it up.

Now they are all asleep, I have a nice glass of Barefoot Chardonnay, and as Scarlet said, "Tomorrow is another day."

Anyone wanna do the "Running Man"?

Someone sent me this and I laughed so hard I almost peed. It reminded me of my step-brothers~greatest dancers ever!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg&eurl

50 Random Things About Jen. . .

1. I am not a natural blond.
2. I have a degree in Communications.
3. I am one class short of a degree in Political Science.
4. I do not drink enough water.
5. My first job was at County Seat selling Guess jeans.
6. My CDs are alphabetized.
7. So are my cookbooks~by genre and then author.
8. I love the Food Network.
9. I can not work my flat iron.
10. I love Wendy's.
11. I am terrified of having a baby boy.
12. U2's "The Joshua Tree" is my favorite album ever.
13. I want to be a writer.
14. I want to be a caterer.
15. I wanted to name a baby girl Grace Kathleen and my husband talked me out of it~3 times.
16. I am afraid of gauchos.
17. I adore Ebay.
18. I want to dress like a hip cool mom, but I fail miserably.
19. I once baked a 13x9 pan of bronwies and ate the whole thing in one day.
20. I found out I was pregnant the next day.
21. My first car was a 1987 Mercury Sable that was the color of dirt.
22. I love Ronald Reagan.
23. I do not like bananas.
24. I am learning to like wine~a lot.
25. I swore I would never dress my kids alike. Then I had 3 really cute girls.
26. And now I am sick of it so no more matching.
27. I have a crush on Alfonso Ribero~Carleton from "The Fresh Prince".
28. I also have a crush on Brit Hume.
29. I am terrible at sticking to an exercise regime.
30. My favorite color is aqua blue.
31. My favorite singer ever is Billy Joel.
32. I have re-decorated my bedroom 7 times in the past 12 years.
33. Unreliability is my biggest pet peeve.
34. And lateness.
35. And having more than 10 items in the express lane.
36. I am a closet Guns and Roses fan.
37. My heart skips a beat everytime the UPS truck turns on to my street.
38. I sometimes buy TV dinners for my kids.
39. I am an avid scrapbooker. At least for my oldest daughter's book I am!
40. The other girls' books got ruined when the basement flooded. Yeah, that's it. . .A flood. . .
41. I love old cheesey Christian "rock"
42. I visit consignment shops on vacation.
43. I hate to make dinner.
44. I love to cook.
45. I had never set foot in Walmart til I was in college.
46. I was 24 the first time I tried a cigarette.
47. I once threw a shoe at my sister and gave her a black eye.
48. My first boyfriend is married to my best friend.
49. I am not good at arts and crafts.
50. I do not put batteries in my girls' noisy toys.