2frogs.net

Next Phase

March 13, 2011 14:09

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what direction I want my life to take next. No answers, but here are the thoughts.

At the moment, I’m feeling a little “Jack of all trades, master of none.” For example,

* I’m fair at martial arts. I think I’m a pretty good teacher of it, and I do alright given the shape of my body and my age, but the time is past when I could be a superstar. The paths I can take in the arts are limited.

* I’ve dabbled in several arts and crafts, with varying degrees of skill. I’m decent at quilting, scrapbooking, cross-stitching, and clothing construction. I’m not an expert at any of them.

* My time in the business world was very limited. Lack of degree keeps me from applying to any of the jobs I think I’d truly enjoy, and to be honest, I don’t want to work for anyone else. I’ve been spoiled by a decade of self-employment.

* I am a decent web developer, but other commitments keep dragging me away from investing the kind of time and energy it would take to be great at it.

* I’m a terrible cook. I know a few staples that I can bust out in an emergency, but cooking isn’t something I really enjoy, anyway. I do love baking, but I don’t have the kind of innate sense for it that people like my mother and grandmother always did.

* Gardening is NOT my thing. I can weed with the best of them, but when it comes to keeping something alive, I am not your girl. Green things fear me, and for good reason.

* I am quite good at organizing events and pretty good at leading people, but I am not so good at motivating employees.

* I’m great with kids. They seem to respect and trust me, even though I demand a lot of them.

So where does this all lead me? I don’t know. I’ve considered starting businesses in event planning, food service, and retail (especially crafts). I believe my dream job would be to own a successful boutique bakery and coffee shop. The key word there is successful, and I’m not sure dealing with employee issues, taxes, bounced checks, returned credit card charges, supply issues, etc. would really make it as fun as I imagine it to be. That’s all moot, anyway; I don’t have the money to invest in a retail business, and I can’t ask my young family to make the sacrifices it takes to start such a venture.

I guess that brings it all back around to web development. That’s still my best chance to make a good income doing something I enjoy while being self-employed (or semi-self-employed). To do it right means I have to cut back somewhere, on some of the things that currently occupy my time. Maybe cutting back some on karate, some on volunteering, and some on socializing will do the trick. I guess only time will tell.

Year End Recap

December 31, 2010 16:29

2010 draws to a close, and a new decade is about to begin. A lot has happened this year, some good and some bad:

* I earned my black belt in ChunJiDo.
* I started my second year as a troop leader, and added a co-leader.
* My last grandparent – Marie Payne – passed away.
* I formed new friendships.
* Old friendships were strained, and some ended.
* I saw drama amongst grown people at scrapbooking, karate, and scouts, and realized that drama is an inevitable part of the human experience.
* I learned that I actually really love camping.
* I lost ground on my weight loss goals.
* I sewed lots and lots of clothes, and scrapbooked hardly at all.
* My mom taught me to crochet – the basics, at least.
* I visited Dallas and St. Louis.
* Thomas started Cub Scouts.
* Lindsey started karate.
* I started more volunteer work with scouts and a homeless shelter. Adam helped me serve a meal at the latter, which was a real eye-opening experience for him.
* I did some programming, including stretching myself well beyond what I thought I could do on a couple of projects.
* We hosted some of our fellow developers for an informal “conference”, which brought us all closer.
* My children grew and changed and developed new skills. The changes were remarkable to see.

Next year will be an interesting one for me. This will be the year when I really find out what I am made of. I’ve made more commitments to help at charitable organizations this year; I’ve signed up as an adult trainer for the Girl Scout Council; in the fall I will have two troops of Scouts to contend with; our family is committed to doing lots of camping this year; my dojo is having its 15-year anniversary celebration in March; we are taking a cross-country trip to California to visit with family; my oldest will be moving from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts; and my oldest daughter from Brownies to Juniors.

I’m going to make a few resolutions this year:

* Finally shed the last 15 pounds and reach my goal weight before the trip to California.
* Conclude my Troop Camp Training so that I can take my girls tent camping.
* Get back into the rhythm and habit of regular web development so that it doesn’t feel so intimidating.
* Spend at least 5 hours per month with charitable work.
* Finish at least 5 sewing and quilting projects (starting with finishing Lindsey’s quilt!).
* Teach Kayla how to use her new sewing machine.
* Make better investments of my time with friends – get less vested in the drama.

That’s probably enough to hold me. :) Tonight I’m having a few friends over for games and to help ring in the New Year. I hope you and your families have a very happy and safe start to 2011!

Relocating Again

November 30, 2010 15:46

Long blog absences is nothing new for me, but this might be a record. :) I’ve been posting regularly to Twitter and Facebook but both have lost some of their luster – Facebook even more so than Twitter. I’m extremely annoyed with Facebook’s recent disregard of its users’ privacy, as well as the frequent and seemingly arbitrary changes to notification settings. I’ve had enough.

I’m still in the process of gradually moving blog entries into this new blog system, as well as working out the kinks in the application and making things easier to find. Please bear with me!

I’ll post a fuller update on everyone when more time allows. Welcome back!

Family Camping Trip

June 27, 2010 18:05

We went on our first all-family camping trip this weekend, to New Harmonie State Park. Adam’s Cub Scout Pack was having a campout there, and so we all went along. I would call it a successful trip, though of course, camping is not an unmixed blessing.

Pros: No electronic distractions (Mike didn’t touch a phone to his ear all weekend); no laundry; no deadlines; no neighborhood drama; lots of time to relax; a good long swim at a pool; a fun hike through the woods; getting to know a couple of families; funny little-boy skits around the campfire; s’mores; Friday night’s dinner; hammock; realizing once again, by comparison, how freaking great my husband and kids are.

Cons: Pit toilets; lack of shade at the pool; the heat; the feeling when you haven’t showered for two days and are covered in bug spray, sunscreen, and sweat; air mattresses deflating; occasional bad behavior from kids; Saturday night’s dinner; the heat; Pack drama; biting bugs; no electronic distractions; the heat.

All in all, I think it was a good learning experience for our kids – and for me! – and I’m sure we’ll do it again. We learned some things this go ‘round that will make the next time even more pleasant, and I think I might’ve found the right location for my own troop’s first tent camping attempt.

Random Snippets and Updates

May 17, 2010 15:39

Only four months since my last post here? I could have sworn it was longer than that! Anyway, I got bit by the blogging bug again, so here I am. In no particular order:

The kids are getting ready to put on another play, with Mike’s help. This time it’s Gilgamesh. I made costumes for everyone, which took up the better part of May. That’s finally done, and I can get back to earning an income. About damn time, too; sewing was starting to be more work than fun, and I was missing code. I need variety!

I’m also starting to get caught back up on the housework, which has been getting away from me while I was playing Betsy Ross. Not going to do it all at once; incremental progress will be fine.

I took a break from doing “regular” homeschooling with the kids, and now we’re doing an extended unit on Egypt (modern and ancient). They’re really enjoying it and excited, and I’m not feeling bored by teaching either. (see above, “variety”) This week, I think we’ll paint some hieroglyphs and maybe practice writing the Arabic alphabet! (see above, “modern and ancient”)

I’ve almost finished reading Bitter Is the New Black by Jen Lancaster, and it’s so funny! I’ll write up a review once I’m done. In the meantime, I’ve got all of her other books languishing in my Amazon shopping cart. :)

We have 2 fish now – comets. Adam named them Gandalf and Bilbo. Eh. Fish are boring pets. They don’t fetch or sit or beg for treats. You can’t even pet them! But the kids are fascinated (for now) and it’s not a bad way to help them learn some responsibility, so I’m cool with it.

So I’m a black belt now. That happened on April 10th (go me!). Pictures of the ceremony are here. I have had all kinds of “firsts” since then – first class as black belt, first tournament, first demo (this past weekend). It’s exciting, and I’m really happy to be taking on more responsibility and learning different things (like how to TEACH kata, as opposed to how to EXECUTE kata – it’s a whole different ball of wax!).

The weight loss thing has had its ups and downs. As of this morning, I had lost a grand total of 35.2 pounds since July 19th, but I still have 6.8 more pounds to go. I’ve been bouncing around between 3-8 pounds over my goal for 5 months. I really need to just get serious and GET there. (Please, no dieting advice in the comments – I know what I need to do; I just need to stay resolved and hang on to my willpower.) I WILL get there!

The Girl Scout year is coming to a close. I have a troop meeting Thursday, camping trip this weekend, then an Awards Ceremony next week, and I’m DONE until August. I really need the break to recharge and get my enthusiasm back. It’s a draining job, especially as some parents get less and less conscientious. I’ve had 10 girls re-register already for next year, and there are 2 more that I know for sure will be re-registering. Figure in the stragglers and the membership drive the Cluster does in September, and next year looks to see a big troop again. But I’m going to cap it at 18 girls – I have to know my limits.

And with that, it’s time to get back to work. Hopefully I won’t be such a stranger (even though I’m sure I’ve lost virtually any audience I had here!)

A Room Per Day

January 28, 2010 22:34

I really hate housework. It makes my fingers feel all sore and raw, my back hurt, and it makes me sweaty and gross. But I hate having a filthy house even more. So I have a new plan.

I made myself a “roombox” (catchy, right? Like “boombox”? No?). I cut little slips of paper and wrote the name of a room (or hallway, or entryway – whatever) on each one. I balled each one up and threw them all into this leftover truffles (yum!) tin box I had lying around (ahem). Each day, I’ll pick out one slip of paper, and SCOUR that room, top to bottom.

Some will be easy (upstairs hallway), and some will be a real pain in the ass (kitchen). Most will be somewhere in between. But this way I can work my ass off on ONE room, then ignore the whole rest of the house without feeling guilty.

Now, I am fortunate (?) to have a big house, so I won’t do a room more than once every 18 days. But honestly, that’s better than my average has been using any other method!

Poetry

January 25, 2010 19:59

Adam had to write some poems as part of his schoolwork today. They were too funny not to share.

Prompt: Write a two-line free verse poem about a feeling. Compare it to some kind of food. For example, anger could be a tangle of spaghetti. Give your poem a title.

Happiness & Pastry

Happiness is like a cake,
Short, sweet and over too soon.

Prompt: Think of how someone you know is like a color, happy like yellow, for example. Write a two-line free verse poem on this topic without naming the person. Don’t forget a title.

Kayla

She is like pink,
Irritating to me but not many others.

Prompt: Write a four-line free verse poem, like “My Old Cat,” that creates a word picture of a day at school.

Homeschool

I am homeschooled,
It has its ups and downs,
I get to choose my lunch,
But my siblings are annoying.

Papa's Passing and Trip to Texas

November 30, 2009 07:06

If you keep up with Mike’s journal then you already know my grandfather died. It happened last Wednesday, November 30th. He was 82. It was either a heart attack or a stroke; they don’t know for sure, and because of his age no autopsy was ordered. Adam and I went back to Texas for the funeral. We left Thursday at 9:30AM. We flew from Spokane to Pasco to Salt Lake City to Dallas. The getting there was pretty uneventful. Adam cried some along the way, but for the most part he was content to play or sleep or nurse. I only changed planes once, in Salt Lake City where I also had a 2-hour layover. On the first plane, we were seated next to a nice woman named Judy who helped me with Adam. She held him and played with him and talked to me. We exchanged phone numbers, as she has an antique quilt her grandmother started that she’d like to have finished and I told her I’d talk to some people I know who do quilting and piecing by hand (it was all started by hand).

By the time we got into Dallas at 6:30, I was pretty tired. Even a happy baby is a handful on a plane. I got the rental car with no trouble (thanks in large part to help from a few random businessmen who took pity on a lady with a baby by carrying bags) and promptly took the wrong highway away from the airport. It seems they’ve built an entire highway while I was gone, and like a doofus I took it. I ended up calling my sister (Donna) for emergency what-do-I-do directions. I got going the right direction and headed out to Donna’s house. When I was about 15 miles away from her house, I almost got run off the road by two crazy drivers. I ate some spaghetti at Donna’s house and let her play with Adam. She even changed a couple of diapers!!! Just as I was about to leave (still had a 2 hour drive ahead of me) she told me I was supposed to go to Canton to pick up my aunt/step-mom (same person) and take her to my grandmother’s house. I bitched and moaned – didn’t they realize how tired I’d be? – but did it anyway. I picked up my aunt and drove on to Linden to drop her off. My mom was staying there, and she had a nice time playing with the baby, too. I finally drove on the rest of the way to our motel in Atlanta, 15 minutes away from my grandmother’s. By the time I bought some water (had to stay hydrated!), checked in, and went to bed, it was 4 AM.

We slept in til 11AM Friday, then we left and picked up some lunch at Wendy’s before heading to my grandmother’s house. Buying food was foolish; as is typical for southern funerals, tons of friends brought over tons of food – we didn’t even make a dent in it. We sort of socialized and reminisced with family all day Friday (it was this day that Adam chose to first roll over, from his tummy to his back), then went into town for the viewing that evening. It was very hard to do. My grandmother had requested photographs be taken of my grandfather, so guess who got volunteered. We got all that taken care of, then sat and received friends for the rest of the wake. I was sort of in charge of amusing my second-cousin, Joshua, who instantly fell in love with Adam (he wants a baby brother/sister) and ended the evening by telling his mother, “I don’t want to live with you, I want to live with the lady with the baby.” Fun.

Donna and her boys shared the motel room with Adam and me Friday night. Lots of family members were staying in the same motel, so we sort of room-hopped until bed (1 AM) catching up on each others’ news. The funeral was the next morning at 10AM (Donna, the boys, and I had McDonald’s before). It was very emotional, and a beautiful service. Afterwards, we went back to my grandmother’s house and socialized and hung out and played dominoes to pass the time. My friend Nancy had driven all the way out there from her house (3 hours away) and brought her daughter Megan along. Megan’s 7 months old, and this was the first chance we’d had to see each other’s kids. It was nice. They played together, when Adam wasn’t being passed around the family. Around 3PM, we decided to take off and head for Dallas. Nancy followed me, and I checked into a different motel near my sister’s house. The babies played together until we went to go have dinner at Chili’s. Adam slept through dinner, Megan munched on some crackers, Nancy and I chatted. Then we went back to the room to talk and take pictures of the kids. Around midnight Adam got crabby-sleepy, so Megan and Nancy left. It was around 1:30AM before Adam finally fell asleep.

The next day was Sunday. My cousin was having a surprise party for her husband’s 40th birthday, so Donna came over around 11AM and we went shopping for his present. Before the party, we stopped at El Chico for lunch. We went to the party, then I drove Donna back to the motel to get her car. She went home, and Adam and I took a nap. I ordered in some Italian food, then drove to Donna’s house again to visit. I left at a reasonable hour, around 10PM, and Adam and I sat up and watched TV for awhile and played, then went to bed. It was tonight Adam decided to roll over from his back to his tummy.

The next day, my mom stayed home from work because she was having car trouble. I had Indian food for lunch and a banana split from Braum’s, then drove over to mom’s house. We hung out for awhile, in between her going to pick up the van, then drove all of us (including my niece & nephew) over to Seven Points to get dinner. We ended up picking up Taco Bell for the kids and Schlotsky’s for us. I left not long after dinner and drove back to Dallas (my mom lives about an hour away). I stopped first at the grocery store and bought some of the things I can’t buy here. More TV, then bed.

Tuesday, Donna and I met up at mom’s work and we all went to lunch at the Spaghetti Warehouse downtown. The service sucked, the food was great, so it was pretty much par for the course. After I left there, I drove down to Ennis to my dad’s house. We stayed there all night, visiting with him, my step-mom, my aunt (different person – Dad’s sister), and my cousin. We left around 9PM and drove back to the motel. I wanted to get an early night since our plane was leaving the next day. Of course, it didn’t work out that way. Adam was trying to come down with a cold, so he was crabby and clingy and nursy all night. He never went more than an hour without nursing. At 7:15 the next morning I was so tired, I called Mike and complained to him about the whole thing. He said there was nothing he could do, but I told him to tell his son to go to sleep, then held the phone up to the baby’s ear. The baby got quiet, and, amazingly enough, fell asleep not long after the phone was hung up. I took it off the hook, and went back to sleep.

At 8:45, my cellphone started ringing. I crawled out of bed to turn it off, then went back to sleep. At 9AM, Donna knocked on the door and said Let’s go to breakfast. I gave her the baby, a diaper, and a change of clothes, then stumbled into the shower. By the time I was dressed, Adam was, too, so we went to breakfast at Denny’s. Then I went back to the motel and packed and checked out. I called Nancy, and we met at her mom’s work (she wanted to see the baby). Then we went to where her husband works (ditto), then went to have lunch at Spring Creek Barbeque. It was pretty good. Then I drove to the airport to start the plane trip home from hell. He was still sort of congested and cranky, and neither of us was really well-rested. We took the same route (in reverse, of course) home that we had taken to Dallas. He cried some on every leg of the flight, but from Pasco to Spokane he cried non-stop for 25 minutes. I was worn out. Mike had a hard drive from home to the airport, so we didn’t see him when we de-planed. He caught up with us at baggage claim. It was a yucky, snowy, long drive home, but it was better than being on a plane. Within 5 minutes of arriving home, I collapsed into bed, exhausted. To see pictures taken during this trip, click here.

Mike Is Sick

November 13, 2009 16:30

Mike has a herniated disk. He’s discussed it here and here. He’s talked about what the injury has done to his body, but not the impact it’s had on the family.

There was a time when I would have dumped my every thought out on the Internet. It was freeing and cleansing. Like Mike, writing about things helps me to cope with them. But I’m not so reckless anymore. Once you put it on the Internet, it’s forever, and some of my thoughts are not really helpful right now.

Suffice to say, what we’re going through is in the top 2 most challenging times our family has ever had. I expect that, in time, we will recover and heal from this – our bodies, and our relationships – but it will take time.

In addition to Mike’s injury and all of the fallout from that, our children have been passing around various and sundry sicknesses for weeks. At present, we know that Thomas has the flu (don’t know which), an eye infection, and an ear infection. Adam may be contracting the eye infection as well. I have a pinched nerve in my shoulderblade, and I think I have the flu. Mike also has a horrible cough and congestion which exacerbates his spinal injury.

That’s the physical stuff. That would be enough, but it’s not everything.

Someday, when everyone is healed and whole and happy again, I might retrospectively put down some of the thoughts I’m now having. It will feel good to share some of them, since I don’t really feel that I can share them with anyone right now.

Mike’s next doctor’s appointment is Tuesday. We’re hoping they will do an MRI and see how things stand with the injury, and that we’ll have some course of treatment that will work (preferably quickly). In the meantime, Twitter is the best way to keep up with us on a day-to-day basis. His and Hers

Brownie Troop Leader

September 13, 2009 16:58

The last two weeks have been all Girl Scouts, all the time. I signed up to be Kayla’s Brownies troop leader when I learned that her troop didn’t have a leader yet. As I do with everything else, I jumped in with both feet. We’ve already had our first parent meeting, and we’re having our first monthly meeting this coming Thursday.

It’s a big troop – 15 girls – which is a little bit intimidating. But I have a lot of volunteers to help and the parents are great, so I’m not really that worried. I have a lot of ideas for things we can do, so now I just need to make it happen.

Besides planning for meetings, there’s been all of the “business” of Girl Scouting to deal with – getting parents and girls registered, getting permission to establish our checking account, training, reviewing materials, getting our meeting location secured, etc. Everyone tells me that once you get past this initial burst of stuff, the actual leading is a lot of fun. Here’s hoping!

My Food Diary

September 02, 2009 15:09

So for about the last two months, I’ve been on a mission to reduce my weight. My goal was to lose 42 pounds, through changes in diet, and more exercise. If you’ve been reading here awhile, you know I’ve tried this several times before, with varying degrees of success.

This time I decided to keep a diary of what I eat, in hopes that it would help keep me from cheating. I didn’t want to report this all publicly, though, so I signed up for an account at My Food Diary. I must say, I have been thrilled with their service.

They already have a pretty extensive database of foods, but you can always manually add your own, or even create your own recipes and have the program calculate the nutritional information. You input your weight and your goal weight, and it will tell you how many calories you’re allowed to have in a given day if you want to either maintain your weight, or lose 2 pounds per week. Most days, I’m somewhere in between those two numbers, but closer to the “lose two pounds a week” point. It also calculates and reports on other nutritional benchmarks, like saturated fats, sodium, protein, sugars, etc.

So far, I’ve lose over 18 pounds. I still have a long way to go, but this is real, tangible proof that this site works for me. I didn’t lose it all at once and I didn’t drop a whole lot too fast (the most I’ve lost in a day was 1.4 pounds, and most days it’s about 0.4 pounds). I had several birthdays in there, too, so those days were a bit of a setback, but you just get back to it the next day.

I go out sometimes with friends, and I give myself a little leeway on those nights. I know that it will have an effect on my weigh-in the next morning, but I’m willing to make that trade-off. It just feels like a more normal way of living than totally denying myself things when I go out with friends.

I look forward to continued progress with the site, and reaching my goal weight, hopefully before Halloween. :)

Dream Job

August 30, 2009 15:10

If I didn’t have to worry about money and I could have a job purely for fun, I would go around to big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Target and straighten up the shelves. Re-fold the stacks of shirts, return the misplaced packages to their rightful places.

I know, it sounds sort of stupid, but there’s something oddly satisfying about restoring order to chaos in such a simple, concrete way.

Drawing Skills Develop

August 13, 2009 19:43

About three and a half years ago I posted three drawings that Kayla (then almost four years old) had done. I showed her the post today as I was entering them into this new blog system, and encouraged her to make new drawings of the same subjects, to show her progress as an artist. Here they are, side by side:

Great Birthday

August 10, 2009 05:40

Today I turned 35 years old. I love celebrating birthdays – I’m as bad as the kids. I took the whole weekend off from work and scrapbooked and relaxed. The kids, Mike, my in-laws, and a friend got me some really thoughtful gifts, and I was showered all day long with congratulatory messages on Facebook, Twitter, email, and text.

I am so blessed.

So, obviously, the blog is back on. I’ve been wanting to redesign this entire site (2frogs.net) for quite some time, so here it is. Things will probably change and grow quite a lot over time, so if you’re into it, check back often. Pulling over the old blog archives is going to take a looong time. Before 2006 I just had all of my blog entries in flat HTML pages. Getting them into a database is a long, tedious, boring process. I’ve been blogging over ten years now, and that’s a lot of entries to input. I’m in no great, tearing hurry, though; it’ll happen as time allows.

I’m also planning to upload pictures of the family, my scrapbook pages, and other things that tickle my fancy. Once I get ImageMagick installed (I hate you, non-standardized open source install protocols), it should be a breeze to create galleries of all kinds of photos and add tags to them, so that everything from blog entries to photos to the kids’ family pages cross-references nicely.

The old content is still available for the time being at http://2frogs.larkstage.com. The plan is to eventually blow that away, once I’ve imported everything over here.

I’m going to go hit the hay now, since I really need to buckle down and get a lot of work done tomorrow. Gnight, world!

Click on Yes

December 01, 2006 02:14

Thomas was busy playing with his computer at bedtime, when the following conversation ensued:

Dad: It’s time to go to bed, Thomas.
Thomas: OK, I click on Yes to go to bed.

Spines

December 01, 2006 02:14

Kayla (after getting a big hug from her Mom): You squeeze my spines!

Sloppy Joes

December 01, 2006 02:13

Adam: “Not even an entire world made out of sloppy joes would be loved by me more than you are loved by me.”

Nana Fluffy

November 01, 2006 02:16

Thomas: I want nudder ’nana fluffy! (banana muffin)

Cooking With What?

November 01, 2006 02:15

Adam: Mama, when I grow up, I’m gonna have a cooking show called “Cooking at Cafe Adam.” All you need is a few ingredients, and a TV!
Mom: That sounds great! And I have a few ingredients, and a TV.
Adam: Yes. But it’s sad that people who live in boxes won’t be able to watch it.
Mom: Yes, that is sad.
Adam: Are there any people who live in boxes that have radios?
Mom: Yes, I think so.
Adam: Well, there will be a radio version of “Cooking at Cafe Adam”, called “Cooking With Trash Food.” (We’ve been doing some talking lately about gratitude and consequences and how much worse life could be than having to do schoolwork and have a bedtime.)

MySpace

October 21, 2006 03:39

I may end up regretting this, but I think I’m going to move my blogging over to my site on MySpace. They just make it so easy, and I’m hoping I don’t get nailed with comment spam again. We shall see. Anyway, there are a couple of entries over there, so if you’re interested, go take a look. And if not, that’s ok – it won’t hurt my feelings. :)

Niagara

October 12, 2006 04:25

It’s not new, but I’m really lovin’ this song right now.

It’s really amazing to be sharing my life with the person I most love and most respect in the whole world. What a blessing!

When Moms and Kids Get Silly

October 10, 2006 04:26

Mom: Run, run, run, as fast as a deer. You can’t catch me…
Adam:… cuz I’m drinking root beer!

Mom: Run, run, run, as swift as a cheetah. You can’t catch me…
Adam:… cuz I’m not good to eat-a!

Mom: Run, run, run, as fast as light. You can’t catch me…
Adam:… cuz I’ve got much might!

Mom: Run, run, run, like a pair of pantyhose. You can’t catch me…
Adam:… cuz I’m standing on my toes!

What Next?

October 04, 2006 04:28

I’ve been chewing on this thought for awhile, and have decided it’s time to just put it out there.

I’m fed up with the Republican party.

I was pretty vocal about my support of George W. Bush back in 2004 (read the archives), but the actions of his administration and other prominent Republican leaders have left me cold.

I think it all started with the Medicare drug bill. Things seemed to go from bad to worse after that, and I never really fell back in love with the GOP after that. I mean, granted, I was happy about the tax cut, but a responsible government would have coupled that with spending cuts. Instead, spending is absolutely out of control. Iraq is (I’m just going to say it) an almost unmitigated disaster, with no endgame in sight.

The party allegedly of small government is involving itself in all manner of state’s rights issues from what constitutes marriage to outlawing Internet gambling. The executive branch continues to make agregious overreaches of its authority. The unwarranted-wiretapping-of-Americans program is a disgrace. And don’t even get me started on the corruption and conduct scandals.

And you know what the shit of it is? The Democrats would be no better. Take Iraq, for example. Sure, they’re critical of “Bush’s handling of the war,” but whenever you try to nail them down about what they would do to change things, they fall back on the same old empty, “We need a new direction.” Fine. WHAT direction might that be?

And it’s not just Iraq. I’ve been disillusioned by the policies of the Republicans, but at least it’s clear they HAVE policies. Twisted, pious, sanctimonious policies, it’s true, but at least they’re about something. I’m so incredibly hungry for a, say, Lieberman independent presidential bid, I can’t see straight. I just want someone I could believe in again. If the Dems would run Joe, I’d vote for him. Even against someone like John McCain, and definitely against someone like Gingrich. But the Democrats won’t do that, so it’s a moot point. The Dems will nominate some polarizing figure again like they did in 2004. Hillary, maybe, or possibly even John Kerry or John Edwards again. And I tell you, I will eat my own shit before I will vote for Hillary. Everything I’ve read from the Left over the last eight years is so bitter, arrogant, hateful, and histrionic that I just don’t see them going moderate. A pity.

Anyway, not really sure where I wanted to go with all this, other than to say I’m sick of the Republican agenda, and thirsty for a change. Is it really too much to ask to expect a party to uphold the Constitution, defend the nation from foreign invaders, and restrict itself from encumbrance of and interference in state affairs?

I guess it is.

Marriage Joke

September 29, 2006 04:30

I got this tonight from my niece. I got quite a chuckle out of it.

_~

Typical macho man married typical good-looking lady and after the wedding, he laid down the following rules:

“I’ll be home when I want, if I want and at what time I want-and I don’t expect any hassle from you I expect a great dinner to be on the table unless I tell you that I won’t be home for dinner. I’ll go hunting, fishing, boozing and card-playing when I want with my old buddies and don’t you give me a hard time about it. Those are my rules. Any comments?”

His new bride said, “No, that’s fine with me. Just understand that there will be sex here at seven o’clock every night… whether you’re here or not.”

Quick Update

September 26, 2006 04:31

Life is super busy right now, so… highlights:

* Two weeks of class under my belt now – going great
* Joined Adam’s karate class this week – ow.
* Working on a major redesign of the QuiltIndex site – challenging, frustrating, fun, exciting, getting close to done.
* Housework – uh. Moving on.
* Homeschooling – still going great.
* Project with Mike – he’s almost done, I’m not working on it anymore (long story, way too long for a quick update). Hopefully, a new project for me will be there in October.
* Kayla’s dance class – She. Loves. It. And if there’s anything cuter than a 4-year-old in a leotard and dance skirt, well, I haven’t seen it.
* Scrapbooking – None. Nil. Zip. I miss it. October, maybe?

Quote of the Day

September 17, 2006 04:33

“Mama, if you were the first Dragon Master, you would be able to communicate with the Griffins, thereby understanding their needs!” – Adam, age 6

What, did you know how to use the word “thereby” appropriately when you were six? I damn sure didn’t!

(This concludes another Mommy Brag Session, brought to you today by the coefficient of N, and the letter Mu.)

So What Did I Do Today?

September 14, 2006 16:00

Why, I’m glad you asked!

Starting Monday, I will be “attending” (via internet course) Spokane Community College. I’m taking Graphic Design for the Web. I’m so excited! Will be interesting to see how well I juggle this, and kids, and business, and … well, you get the idea. But I’m so hyped about this!! I’ve been sort of secretly wanting to go back to school for years. Finishing my degree isn’t really my prime objective at this point – I want to take classes that will help me in my business, and maybe eventually take classes purely for fun. That’s allowed, right?

Go Changin'

September 14, 2006 04:41

You know how people always tell you that you have to accept people for what they are? That you can’t change them? Well, that’s crap. People do change, and that change is influenced by the people around them. Think about it – weren’t you changed by some of the relationships you’ve held? I know I have. And I know I’ve influenced people in my life, too.

An example: when I met him online, Mike was a confirmed non-breeder. The man was simply NOT going to have children. Period. Now we have four. Now he is a father, and really good at it.

Some changes are big, and some are small. Some people are more “moldable” than others. But people absolutely do influence each other. That isn’t to say I think girls should go into a relationship with some big asshole and expect to turn him into a prince. But can you encourage him to put the toilet seat down or enjoy the rodeo? Sure. Maybe.

I have been changed dramatically by almost every serious relationship I’ve ever had with a man (or boy-man). Perhaps too much. I once had a boyfriend, Kyle, who left me a birthday card on my front door months after we broke up, that told me he had broken up with me because I was too much of a chameleon – I acted like whoever I was with. That note stuck with me, and for the second half of my life, I’ve been trying to figure out if my tendency to be a chameleon is a good thing or a bad thing. Am I striking the right balance between putting others at ease, and remaining true to myself?

My first husband – to whom I was married (Islamically, then legally) for five and a half years – was a devout Arab Muslim. He was a student during the entire course of our marriage. Being his wife changed me, making me:

* … more pious
* … more secretive
* … more modest, outwardly
* … more ashamed
* … a better housekeeper
* … less assertive
* … Muslim (he didn’t make me convert, but he sure made conversion seem like the best and easiest option)
* … snobbier
* … more distant from my family
* … more insecure

I was already beginning to “shed my skin,” so to speak, when I met Mike. I was still married, but was trying to find my way out. Friendship with Mike (and that’s all it was, at the time) gave me courage to finally leave, and sustained me in those first few awful, hard weeks. Of course, eventually, it became more.

Being Mike’s wife has changed me, too. It’s made me:

* … more assertive
* … more withdrawn
* … more knowledgeable (in almost every area)
* … a mother!
* … more cynical
* … more realistic/pessimistic (take your pick)
* … more daring
* … needier
* … care more about my health
* … more inclined to try new foods
* … feel empowered to try so many new things
* … value my sexual side
* … realize I’m not the smartest person I know
* … more emotionally open (your call if that’s good or bad)

I still have a long way to go to figure out who I am at the core, without a man’s influence. Maybe that’s what my 30’s are for?

Mountains

September 10, 2006 16:53

There are times in life when you gotta crawl,
Lose your grip, trip an’ fall
When you can’t lean on no one else:
That’s when you find yourself.
I’ve been around an’ I’ve noticed that
Walkin’s easy when the road is flat
Them danged ol’ hills’ll get you every time.
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains,
So we could learn how to climb.

“Mountains” by Lonestar

Highly-Qualified Teachers

September 10, 2006 04:55

So, let me get this straight… a teacher can be considered highly qualified according to standards that include “job evaluations, teaching awards or service on school committees”, and some people are concerned about the level of education our children will receive when home-schooled?

Anatomy

September 08, 2006 04:56

Adam: Kayla, how can you tell if a dolphin is a Daddy dolphin or a Mommy dolphin?
Kayla: Well, Daddies are a little bit short.

Before He Cheats

September 06, 2006 05:07

Yaknow, I’m really loving this as a “don’t fuck with me” song. Probably helps that Carrie Underwood reminds me a LOT of my niece, Candice.

_~
Before He Cheats
Carrie Underwood

Right now he’s probably slow dancing with a bleached-blond tramp, and she’s probably getting frisky.
Right now, he’s probably buying her some fruity little drink cause she can’t shoot whiskey.

Right now, he’s probably up behind her with a pool-stick, showing her how to shoot a combo.

And he don’t know

That I dug my key into the side of his pretty little suped up 4-wheel drive,
Carved my name into his leather seat.
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights,
Slashed a hole in all 4 tires
And maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats.

Right now, she’s probably up singing some white-trash version of Shania karaoke.
Right now, she’s probably saying, “I’m drunk” and he’s a-thinkin’ that he’s gonna get lucky.
Right now, he’s probably dabbin’ on 3 dollars worth of that bathroom Polo
Oh, and he don’t know

That I dug my key into the side of his pretty little suped up 4 wheel drive,
Carved my name into his leather seat.
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights,
I slashed a hole in all 4 tires
And maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats.

I mighta saved a little trouble for the next girl,
Cause the next time that he cheats
Oh, you know it won’t be on me.

Nooo, not on me.

Cause I dug my key into the side of his pretty little suped up 4 wheel drive,
Carved my name into his leather seat.
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights,
Slashed a hole in all 4 tires
Maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats.

Oh, maybe next time he’ll think
Before he cheats.

Ohh, before he cheats.

Making a Deal With the Devil

September 06, 2006 03:09

So I signed up at MySpace. A friend prompted me to do it, after he found a third, mutual friend there, and I wanted to see said friend’s profile, and I had to be a member for that. Since then, I’ve re-met several people I went to school with, and several that I dated.

To be honest, the whole thing makes me sad. Most people (probably me, included) aren’t who they once were. They don’t look the same, the jobs they hold now aren’t what they expected at 18 that they’d have, their interests aren’t the same. At least two are born-again Christians. I’m not sad for these people, mind you – by and large they seem to be happy and successful and well-adjusted, and really, who can ask for more than that?

But I’m sad because I find I miss them. I didn’t keep close to anyone after graduation, except my very oldest friend in the world (and even we aren’t as close as I’d like), so all of this new stuff comes as quite a shock. They’ve changed. In good ways, mostly, but change is still change. And I didn’t see it happen gradually, so these people are all completely new. It’s like meeting a stranger. And it’s as if those teenagers I knew – every last one of them – has died. It’s all very surreal, and leaves me with the feeling that maybe high school didn’t really happen at all.

Sometimes, a meme will circulate among the people I once knew, asking for their memories from that time, almost 15 years ago. I’m shocked and amazed at the things people remember, and the things they don’t. Your focus as a teen is so narrow, and so self-centered, that you forget people go through things you don’t. Their perspective is different. Their memories are different. And here’s the kicker: you were not as important to them as you thought you were. All perfectly normal, but still… sad.

One thing that strikes me is that it’s unlikely I’ll ever be as close to anyone (except my husband and kids) as I was to those long-ago kids. At what other time in your life do you spend 8-10 hours a day with a group of people, plus hanging out on weekends and in the evenings? Nowadays, I’m lucky to see friends an hour a month! There’s email, sure, but it’s not the same. I guess the overriding emotion MySpace has left me with is… loneliness.

Kinda surprising for a mother of four, eh? :)

Who Me? Literal?

September 05, 2006 05:11

Thomas: I want some more TV, Mommy.
Mommy: You would watch TV until the cows came home, if I let you.
Thomas: No, I don’t like cows, Mommy.

Overheard

September 05, 2006 04:12

Kayla: OK, Thomas, I’m going to get da tewwaphone!
Thomas: OK, but be cayehful! You want to get no hurt!

(Alleged) Molester Killed By Victim's Father

August 31, 2006 05:14

All I’ve got to say is, good for him.

Quote of the Day

August 24, 2006 05:15

“When I grow up, I’m gonna be a real artist. Or maybe a Mama who shops for Pop-Tarts.” – Kayla

Girly Stuff

August 22, 2006 05:15

What is it about buying a new purse that makes the whole world just a little more tolerable? I got a boring, tan, sensible purse at 30% off today from Shopko, and even that just put a smile on my face. Now I’m on the prowl for a good apple scrub. Might have to hit up the Bath and Body Works next time I’m at the mall.

Propaganda Films

August 18, 2006 05:16

I’m sure Michael Moore is very proud of himself.

New Job

August 13, 2006 05:18

Today I was hired as a part-time employee for Adaptive Strategy, the same company Mike works for. I’m really excited about it – there will be some new technical challenges for me, and a chance to work on a team (which I’ve really missed, in some ways). The work should be interesting and different from what I’m doing now, at least to start. After a little while, I might be doing some work like that I’ve done before on QuiltIndex. It’s all sort of fluid and open right now. I’ll be reporting directly to Mike, at least in the immediate, since he’s project manager on the project I’m starting with.

I think I’m mostly looking forward to getting a little sexual harrassment. ;-)

Update on Everyone

August 07, 2006 05:19

Life continues to busily march on and on. Today was the last weigh-in before my birthday. I had hoped to get my weight down to 220 before my birthday on Thursday. I fell 5 pounds short of that, but I’m still down 24 pounds, which I figure is still nothing to sneeze at. And I’ll get there… hopefully before the end of the month. My exercise lately has consisted mostly of working on the chicken coop, since we’re losing more and more of them to predators who are finding the holes in the coop’s roof and sagging doors. I’m building new doors for both entrances into the coop, as well as new half-doors that let the chickens out to their pen. Next will be to fix the fence in the big scratch pen and build a new gate, then tramp down all of the brush that’s accumulated this year while that area was vacant.

None of this is helped by my back twinging today. Dammit.

I’m still learning more C# and ASP.net. I’m using my QuiltIndex website to practice and learn new things. It’s been a lot of fun! I think even Mike has learned a couple of things teaching me to do all that I need to do in the new language. It will be a big improvement, I believe. I’m planning a complete overhaul, with new graphics, new features, etc.

I’m back to working on the Double Wedding Ring quilt I started about three years ago. It’s still months and months away from being done, but I’m trying to get a little done on it each day. I hope to SOMEDAY be able to take that frame down and reclaim the space. There is a LOT to be said for machine quilting!!

Around all of that, I try to scrapbook when I can. Here’s my latest layout, which I finished today.

Mike is still working at Adaptive Strategy, as well as some other freelance work. He’s been under crazy deadline pressure for a long time now, which is why you’ve probably noticed it’s been awhile since he did a diary update. All I can say is he’ll get to it when he gets to it. I check his site every day, too. ;)

Kids, in reverse order:

Lindsey is crawling – CRAWLING – everywhere. She sort of does the commando crawl thing, but still – it gets her where she wants to go. She’s begun eating a few solids, but still can’t be trusted with, say, Cheerios. So far, her favorite is couscous, followed closely by cheddar cheese Club crackers. She’s deep into “Mommy only” need, which is wearing for everybody. She spends some happy time on the floor, but there is a big, big chunk of the day where she only wants to be held, and only by me. All of the other kids went through the same thing, so I know that this, too, shall pass.

Thomas has suddenly and inexplicably become something of a picky eater. For the longest time, he was our human garbage disposal – anything you set in front of him was sure to go down his gullet. Now, more and more, his lunch is being left on his plate, unfinished. Again, that happened with both of the preceding kids, but not this early, as I recall. His vocabulary has exploded, and he now often tells us things like, “You’re trying my patience!” Monkey see, monkey do.

Kayla is a little Sybil. Sweet as candy one minute, and an argumentative little brat the next. A passing phase, I’m sure, but trying while it’s going on. She still does Math every weekday morning and reading every weekday afternoon, and often participates in some of Adam’s classes (music, art, sometimes cooking, and “Extras”, which will be explained later.)

Adam spends a lot of his free time on his computer. He’s learned to download and install kids’ programs on his own, and frequents sites like Nick.com and Lego.com. He’s still doing his homeschooling classes (we don’t take summers off). We have some core classes that he does all the time (multiplication drill, language, history, a couple of others), and we follow his interests on other things (he’s currently studying China, because he wants to know about it). A new class I introduced a couple of weeks ago is called “Extras.” This is just a randomly-drawn activity. I keep an eye open for things that I think will be fun and/or educational. I write them on slips of paper, and put them in a little can. Each day, after he’s finished his other classes, he chooses an activity from the can. It can be anything from “play the boardgame of your choice” to “conduct the experiment on page 32 of the Big Book of Experiments about expansion and contraction.” Sometimes, we just play games like red light/green light. He loves the mystery factor of choosing an activity, and I’ve tried to make all of the activities themselves interesting and fun. So far, it’s worked well!

I guess that’s about all the news that’s fit to print. Both Adam and I have birthdays in the coming week, so we’re both pretty excited about that. I get just as excited about birthdays as the kids do. :)

Now, I’m off to do a little more C# work before dinner.

Conversation With Thomas

August 04, 2006 05:25

Thomas: wahhhhhhh I gotta bonk!
Mama: Awww, did you get a bonk?
Thomas: Yes!
Mama: Poor baby. Where did you get the bonk?
Thomas: pointing over his shoulder On my backwards!

The Biggest Loser

July 31, 2006 21:52

I’ve been trying out for a couple of contests and design team spots.

No success. None. Haven’t even made it to the second round of contests that are “elimination-based” (think Survivor).

I wasn’t really prepared for how sad and disappointed this would make me feel. Had I known, I would’ve never entered. Not to sound full of myself but I’ve always seemed to just naturally do well at things, that when I fail, I don’t really take it well. Adam is the same way, and now I understand that he gets that from me.

So no more contests. If/when I scrapbook, it’s just going to be for myself. If people don’t like my work, fine, but now they’ll have to not like it to themselves.

Bah. Who was I fooling, anyway, thinking I was some kind of artist. sigh

Like a Mirage

July 31, 2006 09:53

We went to Spokane for Kayla’s fourth birthday party at the Chuck E Cheese, and on our way up Division it rose out of the horizon, surrounded by mist and shimmering. I did a double-take, since I couldn’t believe what I’d seen – it was that wonderful. What I saw was…

…

a brand-new Sonic.

There is a God.

Lookalike?

July 26, 2006 21:56

“She looks just like her Mama.”

People say this all the time about Kayla, so when my friend Nancy – whom I’ve known since we were four – sent me a picture of the two of us as little girls, I had to wonder – do we really look that much alike? You be the judge. Oh, I think I’m about a year older than Kayla in these pictures.

(Kayla’s on the right on the couch, I’m on the left of the other picture.)

I Loved Her First

July 25, 2006 21:57

I heard this tonight for the first time, and started crying.
_~
Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each other’s face
So much in love you’re alone in this place
Like there’s nobody else in the world
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one
She told me so
And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything
Life must go on
And I’m not gonna stand in your way

But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she’d find you someday
But it’s still hard to give her away
I loved her first

How could that beautiful woman with you
Be the same freckle-faced kid that I knew
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time

But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she’d find you someday
But it’s still hard to give her away
I loved her first

From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
Someday you might know what I’m going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first

How's Life?

July 22, 2006 21:58

It is SO FLIPPIN HOT!

Thatisall.

Ask a Stupid Question...

July 10, 2006 21:59

… get a brilliant answer.

Not the Captain of My Own Ship

July 07, 2006 22:00

Well, the Mall Crawl is over, so the inevitable boatloads of email have been pouring in over the last week. It’s always the same kinds of things – problems claiming prizes (which I hate), praise of the event (which I love), difficulty logging in or changing email addresses (which is just a slog). I know how to answer everything (this was, after all, our twelfth such event), but I can’t help but resent the demands on my time that seem to come from every direction. It seems like, no matter how well I try to plan my day, a million-and-one things nibble away at my available hours until there’s no time left to do what I really want to do.

Kids must be fed, dressed, read to, educated, changed, corrected, and otherwise attended to. Dishes and laundry must be washed. Events in town require driving to and from them, plus packing, unpacking, and planning. Shopping, working – it all takes its toll. I want nothing more than to just sit down at 6 in the morning, scrap all day long, then go to bed at midnight, but days like that are long gone. Now I do well to just get in a few minutes a week of “paper therapy.”

I tried the eBay thing. Gave it three weeks, and am finally giving up in disgust. I sold several layouts, but only at giveaway prices. Between eBay’s fees, Paypal’s fees, shipping costs, and the lack of enthusiastic bidding, it is simply not worth it. I’m going to keep scrapping for myself, and maybe enter more contests and design team calls. I want to develop my abilities at this – to push and challenge myself so that I can grow and change. Scrapbooking is not, for me, just about getting pictures in books. It is an artistic expression – one that I find I really need to maintain my sanity.

I’m also still learning C# and ASP.NET under Mike’s tutelage. The hope is that I can learn enough not only to redesign QuiltIndex and 2Frogs (both of which are badly overdue), but also to take on some development-for-hire to bring in a few extra bucks. God knows it can’t pay any worse than eBay!

Mike got a new color printer for us. It arrived today, and seems to be working really well. It’s a big monster of a machine, though, so I’ll have to do all of my scrapping at the card table since there is now not enough room on my desk. You can expect to see more color printing in my scrapbooks now. :) Speaking of printing, I’m working on uploading pictures for a new photo-print order, full of pictures from January (when I placed my last order) to the present. I’m going to use up the rest of my pre-paids at "Shutterfly"http://shutterfly.com, then switch over to Snapfish (which is not only 7 cents per print cheaper, but is also offering free shipping and 20 free prints). I also might try doing some photo printing on my new color printer. We’ll see how that goes.

I guess that’s all the news that’s fit to print!

Mouse Ears

June 30, 2006 22:10

A “just ’cuz” baby picture.

She's Getting My Head

June 30, 2006 20:13

Thomas was playing with Lindsey on the floor tonight, and I decided to break out the mic again and do some more recording. I just asked Thomas, “What are you doing?” and clicked Record. This is what ensued.

Nice Package

June 29, 2006 22:31

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday strongly limited the power of the Bush administration to conduct military tribunals for suspected terrorists imprisoned at the U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The 5-3 ruling means officials will have to come up with a new policy to prosecute at least 10 so-called “enemy combatants” awaiting trial — it does not address the government’s right to detain suspects.

(emphasis mine)

So, I’m curious… do you think this ruling will put a damper on the “sky is falling!” alarmist cries of Supreme Court packing?

Yeah, me neither.

I Love Feet

June 27, 2006 01:30

After having three babies you start to think you’ve seen it all. Then the fourth one comes along, and surprises you.

Lindsey loves her feet. She’s really quite taken with them. None of the other children ever showed such fascination with or affection for their feet, but she just can’t get enough. Roll her on her back, or sit her in the high chair, and she grabs at them and waves them around. Being a woman who now has more bandwidth than sense, I decided to do a short audio recording of her talking to her feet. So here is a 20-second (or so) clip of Lindsey crooning a love song to her toesies. I warn you, though – it’s a pretty large file (almost a meg) and could take awhile to download. Baby Feet (please right-click, Save As, and you might have to turn your sounds WAY up).

Getting Fit

June 26, 2006 01:35

I didn’t like the pictures I took while I was in Texas, and it’s not just because my camera was on the blink (Sony fixed that little problem on warranty – Go Sony!). I realized that I have become, for disinterest in a politer word, a fatass. My entire family struggles with poor eating habits and serious weight issues, and I am no exception. I have long found it difficult – even embarrassing – to shop for clothes that are flattering. I’m also seeing other weight-related issues that I’m just not willing to accept anymore. I want to be healthy. I want to like what I see when I’m naked in front of a mirror. I want to feel desirable and attractive. But most of all, I want to be around for a good, long time, for my family.

So, I’ve changed the way I live. I decided to take control of and responsibility for my eating habits. I’m not a dieter, because diets are temporary. Instead, I’m changing my tendencies. I started right after I got home. I guess you could say I’ve combined the “you don’t need another cookie, fatass” philosophy with the “get up off your fatass and do something” routine. In a nutshell, I’m eating less and moving more. I don’t count points, calories, carbs, or anything else. I don’t have an “allowed per day” number of anything. Rather, I:

* eat at least one salad every day usually a side salad with dinner
* limit my portions, really questioning the amount of food I’m putting on my plate
* no longer snag the leftover chicken nuggets (or whatever) that my kids don’t eat from their plates
* take serving-sized snacks out of the packages and put them on a plate/in a bowl, rather than eating straight from the package
* look at the number of calories in a serving of everything I eat, to see if I really think the tradeoff of calories is worth it
* indulge cravings, but only in moderation
* drink water almost exclusively
* keep on hand fruit, carrots, and popcorn kernels (which I make with very little oil and no butter)
* exercise at least a little every day my back allows – either mowing the grass, walking around doing grocery shopping, weeding in the garden, or something similar
* have begun some very light weight training, to tone my arms
* weigh myself first thing, every Monday morning
* forgive myself when I have a bad day, and keep trying

I’ve been at this for five weeks now, and have lost 17 pounds. The first week, I lost 10 pounds – wham! That’s not real surprising, considering I ate nothing but crap in Texas and was working my butt off every day outside. Since then, I’ve lost two pounds a week, except for the fourth week when I lost a pound. Any doctor will tell you that a two-pound-a-week weight loss is healthy and sustainable, so I am THRILLED.

Now, I’m going to do something that women NEVER do – tell you my real weight. I started five weeks ago at 249 pounds. I am 6’1" and built like a bowling pin. I have thick legs, and always will – it’s genetic. The thinnest I have EVER been at this height was 180, when I was in high school and playing two sports simultaneously. I never expect to see 180 again. My goal weight is 220, and I’m currently at 232 pounds. Only 12 more to go! I may find that I lose more after that, because these food/exercise changes are permanent, but I want to reach 220 by my birthday. I’m well on my way to reaching that.

This week was not the best. I had back problems much of the time, we had a LOT of running around for the kids, and there was pizza and birthday cake. Even so, because of improved eating habits, I was able to lose two pounds. The thing is, I can literally eat ANYTHING I want. I just can’t always eat a LOT of some things. I still have ice cream, and chocolates, and pizza, and pasta, and chips. After all, a single serving of chips has no more calories than a granola bar. It’s all about portion control.

I’ve not told many people about this before, because I didn’t want to have to publicly admit failure. But I’m doing well, I’m feeling good, and so far I’ve had five weeks of my weight heading in the right direction. One interesting effect of telling people you’re “dieting” is that they try to impress upon you their own favorite fad diet. I’ll tell you right now – I’m not interested. I don’t need pills, castor oil, glucose tablets, protein-loading, or any other wacky replacement for a good sense of self-control. I just need to keep doing what I’m doing, because that’s what will ultimately get me to my goals of a healthier, sexier body and a good example for my kids to follow.

What's in a Name?

June 23, 2006 01:40

The other day, I realized our kids’ names (Adam, Kayla, Thomas, Lindsey) increase by one letter in length for each subsequent child. I guess it’s a good thing we quit when we did, or we’d never get our Christmas cards signed and mailed out!

Dead Poodle

June 21, 2006 01:40

I’ve decided to close Scrap-Poodle. It just wasn’t growing fast enough to justify the continuing investment of time. I couldn’t even get stores or consultants to put up free ads, much less to pay for advertising. Even after a year and a half, the subscriber database was only at just barely more than 1,100. I decided I’d rather spend my time doing other things, like learning C#, working on updating QuiltIndex.com and 2frogs, and (gasp!) actually scrapbooking.

Never one to be less than completely busy for too long, I’m back at the eBay thing. I’ve made a few bucks, and I think I’m starting to get noticed a little more by some of the regular buyers. I’ll just keep making things and posting them, then hoping for the best. At least scrapping is fun again.

Yesterday was kind of sad – that’s when I sent out the “I’m shutting down” email to everyone. I got several sympathetic emails (thanks!), one very, very touching email that I shall save to read whenever I think my work is crap, and a couple of feelers. Someone wants to buy the domain (I’m selling), and someone else wants to buy some of the content (again, I’m selling, so long as we can agree on terms). Kind of funny (not “ha-ha” funny, but “how pathetic is THAT” funny) that I couldn’t make a dime on the site until I killed it. Oh, well – it’ll help me recoup some of the losses I’ve had on that site over the years.

I’m moving the sketches, courseware, project directions, and other stuff to this site. It’ll take some time, but at least it won’t be lost forever. It would be really nice to find the time to do a complete reorganization/redesign of THIS site. Goodness knows, it’s long overdue. Maybe I’ll make that one of my C# practice projects, when I get far enough into the language to do some good. Mike’s helping me. So, if you’re a new reader here and you found me from Scrap-Poodle, welcome. I post about scrapping and stamping here sometimes, but also just about the vagaries of life as a mom to four small kids and wife to the most brilliant, forgiving man on the face of the planet.

So, another chapter closed on my life as an entrepreneur. You win some, you lose some. So it goes.

Thoughtful

June 20, 2006 01:42

A good friend will package up some empty CD cases, at your request, for you to store your unmounted stamps in.

A great friend will stash bite-sized Ghirardelli packets in each case before shipping them.

Thanks, babe. mwah

Raising Boys

June 19, 2006 01:44

I’m once again trying my hand at selling handmade scrapbooking layouts, albums, and the like on eBay.

I was going through my stash of quotes, titles, etc. looking for material for a new paper bag “Brothers” album, when I found this quote from Harmon Killebrew that made me cry:

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, “You’re tearing up the grass.”

“We’re not raising grass,” Dad would reply. “We’re raising boys.”

FEMA Gone Wild

June 14, 2006 01:48

This is exactly the kind of thing that happens when you governmentalize charity and relief efforts, both tasks that are better handled by privately-funded NGOs:

A $200 bottle of champagne from Hooters and $300 worth of “Girls Gone Wild” videos were among items bought with debit cards handed out by FEMA to help hurricane victims, auditors probing $1 billion in potential waste and fraud have found.
…
The GAO uncovered records showing that $1,000 from a FEMA debit card went to a Houston divorce lawyer; $600 was spent in a strip club and $400 was spent on “adult erotica products,” all of which auditors concluded were “not necessary to satisfy legitimate disaster needs.”
…
More than 1,000 registrations used the names and Social Security numbers of prison inmates. According to the GAO, in one instance, FEMA paid $20,000 to a Louisiana prisoner who listed a post office box as his damaged property.

Further proof that no good deed goes unpunished.

Independent Learning

June 07, 2006 01:49

Today, Adam finished his lunch, went to the bathroom, then started the free reading portion of his schoolwork all on his own. (He finished his second Wizard of Oz book.) I didn’t have to nag him to get started; by the time I had finished my own lunch he was already engrossed in the story of Dorothy, Toto, and the other characters. I was so proud of him, and proud of us for sticking to this homeschooling thing. Adam is comfortable with our routine, and he rarely balks at it (though he does still pronounce some schoolwork “boring”). He’s leaps and bounds ahead of the curriculum he would be doing in a public school and showing no signs of slowing down.

Most importantly, he is an avid reader. He does more challenging reading in the mornings with Dad, to help stretch his vocabulary. In the afternoons, he reads silently on his own, under my supervision. He can choose virtually anything he wants, and he’s now choosing chapter books meant for children twice his age. He does not see reading as a punishment, or a chore. He loves it, and always has. Homeschooling is time-consuming, difficult, and sometimes requires a degree of patience I didn’t know that I had. But it has been so worth it. If nothing else, I have helped to give my son the gift of a love of reading, and if I had to choose only one thing for him to love doing, reading would be it. At least he has that.

Quote of the Day

June 05, 2006 01:51

“Sometimes I see my ass out of the corner of my eye.” – My friend Kathy

Mother's Day, Anniversary, Graduation

May 25, 2006 14:44

Wow, it’s been a busy month! Of course, earlier in the month was Mother’s Day. I had a wonderful, very low-key day. Mike and the kids got me the movie Walk the Line (Adam chose it, after Daddy informed him that mommy “likes country music and falling in love”), so I just scrapbooked and watched movies all day. Can’t beat that with a stick!

Tuesday was our anniversary. We did what we usually do on that day – took off from work, ignored the phone, and just spent time decompressing and enjoying each others’ company. Seven years, now, and still no itch my man can’t scratch!

Last night, our friend Nanci took the older three kids for awhile so that we could enjoy a nice dinner (almost) alone. Lindsey joined us, of course, but she was mostly quiet and pleasant. Dinner was barbequed country pork ribs, wilted fresh kale, fried potatoes, crab salad, and regular salad. Delish!

This past weekend, Lindsey and I flew down to Dallas to attend my nephew Don’s graduation. It was a fun trip, but exhausting. Traveling with an infant is do-able, but not pleasant by any means. I was glad to see everyone, and also glad to get back.

Hooray for Bandwidth!

May 17, 2006 15:09

At long, long, lonnnnnng last, we finally have the T1 line we’ve wanted since we moved in. Our connection is roughly ten times faster than what we had before. So what have I done with my newfound speed? Well, among other things, I watched this. No buffering! Instant play! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO addicted. w00t!!!

Enough?

May 12, 2006 15:20

How many of the world’s oceans have been filled since the beginning of time, by mothers shedding tears of frustration, joy, hope, fear, or anger? How many of us wonder if we’re doing this Mommy thing good enough, long enough, often enough, fast enough, slow enough, softly enough, or just… enough? How do women not crumble under the weight of the guilt we feel?

Surely the fiber of a mother is the strongest substance known to man.

Earmuffs

May 11, 2006 15:21

This is what happens if you fall asleep and you have an older sister. Kayla says she was putting earmuffs on him so he wouldn’t wake up.

Big Brudder

May 08, 2006 15:44

Pine Cones

May 01, 2006 15:35

Yesterday, I took Kayla to see The Wild, and afterward to the park to play. Lindsey had fallen asleep, and I was lucky enough to get a spot where I could watch Kayla playing ten feet from where I was parked. She was the only little girl on the playground at first, and she bored of the play equipment and started collecting pine cones. She had a nice handful of them when a couple of older boys (maybe 7 or 8) showed up and started playing. She noticed them, and started toward them, telling me, “I’m going to go give some pine cones to those kids.”

Something went through me. I saw my little girl, all innocence and syrup and heart-right-on-the-surface, heading over to this group of boys that were bigger and stronger and (to my mind, at least) more jaded than my baby. I imagined how badly this might go – she might offer the boys her carefully-chosen pine cones in her sweet little almost-lispy voice, and they might meanly reject her. These more worldly boys might tell her they didn’t want her pine cones, that pine cones were for babies, and why didn’t she just go away?

But I couldn’t protect her. She was throwing her own dice now, and I had to let her. I held my breath as she approached those boys, and I thought to myself, “If you break her heart, I’ll put a hex on you.”

I didn’t hear what was said; they were too far away. I saw the first boy turn his head toward Kayla as she approached him. I saw her hold her tiny little hand out, and I saw him take something from her hand. I saw the same scene repeated with the second boy. Then she scurried back to me, all lit up like a sunrise. I asked her what they said. “Thank you,” she replied.

I realized, even as it was happening, that I would feel this way again. This was not my last brush with this fierce sense of frustrating helplessness, this fear of my child’s rejection, this unfounded and unwarranted mistrust of someone else, someone who had the power to hurt my baby. It will happen, again and again, and I will hate it just as much every time.

And eventually, someone WILL hurt her. Someone will make her cry. Someone will break her heart, and in so doing make her a little less eager to go bounding over to a stranger, offering her heart in her hand.

When it happens, I will grieve with her, I will hurt with her, and I will listen to her. I will assure her that somewhere, there is someone who is truly worthy of her pine cones, and who will treasure them as much as she did.

And I will put a hex on the person that hurt her.

Quote of the Day

April 29, 2006 18:42

“Oh crap, it’s a real live crazy place there.” – My friend Kathy, after hearing a description of my evening.

Kayla's Drawings

April 21, 2006 17:58

I share my artwork here all the time, so I thought I’d share some of Kayla’s.

This is a sheep standing next to a horse.

A chicken.

Kayla and her “three big friends”, holding umbrellas in the rain. Kayla is the figure to the left, and she has 2 umbrellas. The three friends apparently have to share an umbrella. The M is actually “the water”, and the rock-looking thing between Kayla and her friends is a blanket.

I especially like how everybody (even the chicken) has a huge grin on their faces. She’s a happy little girl.

God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You

April 20, 2006 18:00

For my children. Maybe this explains why they were all “late”?

_~
In all of creation
All things great or small
You are the one that surpasses them all
More precious than
Any diamond or pearl
They broke the mold
When you came in this world
And I’m trying hard to figure out
Just how I ever did without
The warmth of your smile
The heart of a child
That’s deep inside
Leaves me purified

Checking the Calendar

April 19, 2006 18:01

I had to look at the calendar today, to make sure it wasn’t April 1st and the world wasn’t pulling some gigantic hoax on me.

First surprise was that Katie Holmes (girlfriend of Tom Cruise) had her baby on the SAME DAY as Brooke Shields. You probably remember when Tom Cruise made an ass of himself for criticizing Brooke for taking antidepressants, right? How “fucked up karma” is it that they had their babies on the same day?

And then, Mike informed me that the United Nations Commission on Disarmament on Tuesday elected Iran as deputy for Asian nations. You have GOT to be joking. They write entire books of cliches about this kind of thing, the foremost of which in my mind refers to a fox and a hen’s den. Can we just pull out of the UN already and let the damn thing die a slow, lingering death? I mean, they vote the US OFF of the Human Rights Commission, and vote Libya on.

Think about that for just a minute.

I say fuck ’em. I mean, really, what has the UN ever done for us?

Stretching His Wings

April 18, 2006 18:03

Tonight I gave the older three kids a round of baths. This is always a fairly major undertaking – three squirming, hollering, shampoo-phobes; all that hunching over the bathtub; teeth-brushing. It’s enough to wear a person out, not to mention leave you dripping wet, yourself.

I got Kayla and Thomas through their bath (they shared the tub), then got Adam into fresh water. I washed his hair, then told him he could have some playtime and I’d be back to check on him. Five or ten minutes later, just as I was about to check on him, he came out the door, announcing he’d dried off “all by myself.” Before I could tell him to, he headed for his room to pick out some clothes and get dressed.

Yesterday, I sent him to the deep freeze to get a loaf of bread, and he obliged. He even got his bedroom door closed again (the door to the garage, where the deep freeze is, lies in his room), though I found out later he’d forgotten to close the lid on the deep freeze.

He brushes his own teeth. Rarely has potty accidents. Gets his own desserts out of the cabinets. Fetches water bottles and paper bags.

These are all small things, I know. But these small things make a huge difference. Not only do they make life in general SO much easier, they are reminders that my little bird will one day be capable and independent enough to fly my nest. Someday, he won’t need me. That’s good.

And sad.

I’m proud. And awestruck. How is it that in only five and a half years, a person can go from being so clinging and needy to drying, dressing, and feeding himself? Every little step he takes – every new thing he does on his own – leaves me surprised, and a little misty. How DID he learn to open the refrigerator door? When did that happen?

One day, when he’s a little older, he’ll come back and read all these old entries, wondering what I said about him. So here it is, Adam: I’m proud of you. You’re the best parts of me, and the best parts of your daddy, all rolled into one amazing, special little boy. I’m so grateful to be your Mama, and I know I’m blessed to be able to stay home with you, and not miss any of these little steps. They’re not the ones you find in the books – first word, first haircut, first tooth – but they’re no less significant. I love you.

Quote of the Day

April 06, 2006 18:06

“I think my name is Kayla because I’m cute.” – Kayla

No, love, your name is Kayla because you’re vain. ;)

Quote of the Day

April 04, 2006 18:06

“Mommy, there’s some drips of water coming out of your eye.” – Kayla

What I'm Loving

April 02, 2006 18:09

Aside from my family (of course!), here’s what I’m loving lately:

* Mother’s Double Fudge cookies
* Sweetened ice tea
* Sleep!
* Bazzill cardstock
* Unmounted rubber stamps
* Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy lotion
* Friends I can be catty with online
* Sleep!
* Cutterpede paper trimmer
* The Fairly Odd Parents
* The new washing machine
* Cropper Hopper embellishment storage
* Did I mention sleep?

Things to Come?

April 01, 2006 18:11

I took Adam to the Palouse Discovery Science Center today since his soccer practice got rained out (again!), and at one point we wandered over to their dinosaur toy area – Adam calls it “Dinosaur City.” I laid Lindsey on the carpet mat to watch him while he played (I was right next to them), and she just cooed and gurgled and talked and ate it up. A few minutes later, two little boys – about 3 or 4 years old – joined Adam and played with him, all noisy and rowdy, the way boys play. Well, that little girl was in Hog Heaven! She was as bright-eyed and alert and happy as I’ve ever seen her. She almost twisted herself in pretzels trying to follow them around the room with her eyes. At one point, I picked her up to get her out of the way of the predator-ing, and she had a little hissy fit. She did NOT want to be away from those boys! So I laid her back down nearer to them, and she was once again happy.

That’s it. It’s official. My Babygirl is boy-crazy.

Oh, well. As my Dad would say, “She comes by it honest.”

Just Barely Coping

March 30, 2006 18:39

Some days, I have to really, really force myself to slow down and think about only one task at a time, because if I really let my mind consider all the things that are undone, half-done, or that need to be done, I start to panic. Like, serious anxiety attacks, the kind that make you just shut down and do nothing at all but just whimper. I’m trying really hard to keep that tendency to panic under control, but it’s not easy. So I’m trying a different approach – spewing it all here, to see how that helps me, if at all.

So here’s what I need to do, and the deadline (if any) by which each needs to be done:

* ~~Configure the new forums for Scrap-Poodle: end of today~~
* ~~Write monthly newsletters for SP and QI: end of tomorrow~~
* ~~Write the last two sections of next week’s curriculum: end of Saturday~~
* ~~Take kids to library for storytime: tomorrow at 10~~
* ~~Take Adam to soccer: Saturday, leave around 11~~
* Go to Kennewick to pick up server: Sometime next week, probably Tuesday

Of course, none of that takes into account the regular email, chat, kid-chasing, scrapbooking, cardmaking, forum-maintaining, cooking, cleaning, laundry, diaper-changing, and other crap that goes on in my life. I mean, who wouldn’t go nuts?

Right?

Right?

PS – Did I mention the migraine? No? I must’ve forgotten due to the throbbing symphony going on behind my left eye.

PSS – Blind to the Rubber Rocket folks: Box arrived. Haven’t had time for party planning (obviously), but it’s here. Let me know what’s good for you, we’ll try to make it work.

Hand Lotion

March 30, 2006 18:38

Best. Lotion. Ever.

The River and The Highway

March 27, 2006 18:42

I’ve always loved this song.
_~
But every now and then he offers her a shoulder.
And every now and then she overflows.
And every now and then a bridge crosses over.
It’s a moment that every lover knows.

Smiling Girl

March 25, 2006 18:46

Frustration

March 14, 2006 20:12

Ever have one of those days where it seems like everything that can go wrong, does go wrong? I’m having one of those weeks.

Blah Day

March 12, 2006 20:13

When you’re in business for yourself, you run up against all types. Most of the people that I deal with on a day-to-day basis are kind, friendly, welcoming people. But every now and then… you get involved with one of “those.”

I am a very scrupulous businessperson. I go to great pains not to overcharge businesses for advertising, and to offer as much in the way of free services as I can reasonably afford. I respond to emails, usually within a day or two, and I remove “dead” email addresses from my subscriber database at least once a month. I take my reputation in the crafting industry extremely seriously.

Today I was accused of being anything but what I am. Someone asserted that I was being sneaky, manipulative, and underhanded in an attempt to make sales (which is ridiculous, since I don’t sell anything). I KNOW the accusation is wrong, and yet it still grates, because it was stated publicly. In trying to defend myself, I made things worse.

If I were McDonald’s or Wal-Mart, I would expect this. I would have a whole DEPARTMENT for dealing with false accusations. As it is, it’s just me. I’m it. I’m the marketer, the lawyer, the designer, the developer, the IT tech, the sales rep, the accounts payable rep – I do it all. And some of my jobs are harder than others. I’m not so good at the public relations stuff when it gets nasty.

I’m also not real good at shielding my own feelings from hurt when someone accuses me falsely.

It sucks.

Quote of the Day

March 07, 2006 20:15

A baby is a bit of stardust fallen from the hand of God.

Healthy Baby

March 06, 2006 20:18

I neglected to mention that Linny-Bug had her first well-baby checkup on Thursday. Aside from her brothers and sister acting like heathen devil children in the waiting room, all was well. She weighed in at a hefty 9 pounds, 8 ounces, her length is up an inch to 22.5", and she’s healthy as a horse. The doctor pronounced her “perfect.” The nursing staff had somehow misplaced her hearing test, so we took her over to have that redone. Lindsey loudly objected, however, so they finally gave up – they’re essentially going to fake a new card. After that, it was over to the lab for her follow-up PKU. I hate that part of having a new baby, so Mike takes the baby in and I wait out in the hallway with the boobies. Doesn’t mean I don’t have to hear it, but at least I don’t have to be RIGHT THERE, barely restraining my impulse to murder the technician.

We had a second, low-key outing to the library on Friday – just me, Lindsey, Adam, and Kayla. Ours were the only children there, so it was pretty relaxed. Then yesterday, I took that same contingent out to Pullman and Moscow for lunch (KFC) and a movie (Curious George). There were some difficulties – screaming baby, arguing older kids, poor timing – but nothing I couldn’t handle. I feel like a soccer mom again, rather than an invalid. Lindsey h-a-t-e-s her carseat, but luckily she falls asleep pretty quickly once we get going. I’m getting good enough at packin’ ‘em in quickly, though – I’m thinking about joining a pit crew!

Thomas, playing GuardDog to his baby sister the first time she’s laid on the floor.

Baby Mitchie in his new joker hat.

Friday night, we had guests over – Margi, Mitch, and Baby Peanut. We had a fantabulous time, and Mike made an especially scrumptious dinner of grilled broccoli, pork medallions with gravy, and pasta with a cheesy seafood sauce. Mmmmmm! We all sat around chatting about babies and motherhood and nursing. It’s so fun to have another family nearby with a baby the same age as ours! We agreed that while Peanut has Lin-bird beaten in the projectile vomiting event, she could totally take him in interpretive farting. (And isn’t she just going to KILL me for this entry in about 14 years?)

And in the “Moms will ‘get’ that this is sad” category… Mike and I have decided that we’re done having babies. Linn-mutt is my baby. So I sent Margi home with a couple of sacks of boys’ clothes in 0-6 months, and as our kids grow up and I dig more stuff out of storage, I’m sure I’ll be keeping her well-stocked in too many boy things. It worked out nicely that she had a boy and I had a girl! And not JUST because we’re already discussing floral arrangements and honeymoon hotspots for their (inevitable! I’m sure!) eventual wedding. ;)

Being done with pregnancy (forever! sniff) means that I was able to finally cull my panties drawer of the dreaded “pregnancy drawers”. Tossed em right in the trash. Woohoo!!!

I Love My Life

March 06, 2006 20:17

Add a few more kids, and this is how I feel.
_~
I Love My Life
by Jamie O’Neal
_~
Her little blond hair’s blowin’, she’s swingin’ while her daddy’s mowin’
The grass, and the dog needs a bath
But he’s chasing the cat up a tree
I’m lookin’ out the window, happy just watching my world go round
And I think to myself, how lucky can a girl be

I’ve got everything, more than I ever dreamed
I love my life
I thank God for all I have
And that I love this man
Who loves his wife
I love my life
I love my life

Twenty kisses goodnight, turn the little butterfly night light on,
‘til the monster is gone and she’s finally fallen asleep
We tiptoe downstairs, cuddle up and we kiss in the big chair
and I smile and you whisper, now it’s just you and me

I’ve got everything, more than I ever dreamed
I love my life
I thank God for all I have
And that I love this man
Who loves his wife
I love my life
I love my life

Blue and pink in the nursery
Gold and silver anniversaries
Dancing in the living room
Our little girl, and me and you

I’ve got everything, more than I ever dreamed
I love my life
I thank God for all I have
And that I love this man
Who loves his wife
I love my life
I love my life

These Four Walls

March 03, 2006 20:26

This song really speaks to the way I feel about my life. I am so completely blessed, and even when things seem tough, I want to try to remember how very lucky I am. I have a man who loves me unconditionally, a home that I am proud of, a career that I have made myself, and four beautiful, healthy children who are the purpose of my life. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve such bounty, but I am very grateful.

These Four Walls
by Sara Evans
_~
Wasn’t that long ago
I was skipping to school with a lunchbox
Pigtails in my hair
Where did the time go?
One minute I’m playing in the sandbox
How’d I get to here from there?
Making lunches and folding clothes
It’s not the most glamourous life I know
But I’ve got so much more than most

[Chorus]
I’m not famous but my kids think I’m a star
I’m not rich but I’ve made a million memories so far
I may not be a model
But my man thinks I could be
I may not be from royalty
But in these four walls
I’m a queen

I had it all planned
First I’d make it big in Nashville
Then take Hollywood by storm
But it was in God’s hands
There were three little lives that would need me
To one day be their mom
I wouldn’t trade it for anything
Those movie stars don’t have everything
I know I’m right where I wanna be

[Repeat Chorus]

I had to let it go, but I have no regrets
I would have never known this kind of happiness

[Repeat Chorus]

Pearls

March 01, 2006 20:29

For my daughters:
_~
Pearls
by Shannon Brown

These pearls from my mother, passed down from her mother
Of everything they gave me, I treasure them most
Can’t wear them, can’t hold them, don’t come from the ocean
Oh, they’re way more precious than anything I own
They’re written in my soul

Chorus
Remember who you are, and don’t forget to pray
Make sure he’s your best friend
When you give your heart away
Be kind, be strong,
Be someone everyone can count on
Yeah, someday
I’m gonna give my little girl
These pearls

I’ll teach her about make-up, boyfriends and break-ups
I’ll share all the wisdom I’ve ever learned
Like beauty’s on the inside, give it your best try
I’ll pass down the same words I’ve always heard
And she’ll carry them with her

Repeat Chorus

Bridge
She’ll tell her daughter, and she’ll tell hers too
I’ve saved these pearls just for you

Shhh! Don't Wake the Baby!

March 01, 2006 20:28

You know how they tell you not to let the baby get used to sleeping where it’s absolutely quiet, because they might not be able to sleep if there’s noise?

Yeah. That’s not gonna be a problem around here.

I Cross My Heart

February 28, 2006 20:29

I wish this song had been out when we got married – it would’ve been our first (only!) dance song.
_~
Our love is unconditional
We knew it from the start I can see it in your eyes You can feel it from my heart
From here on after
Let’s stay the way we are right now
And share all the love and laughter
That a lifetime will allow

Chorus:
I cross my heart
And promise to
Give all I’ve got to give
To make all your dreams come true
In all the world
You’ll never find
A love as true as mine

You will always be the miracle
That makes my life complete
And as long as there’s still breath in me
I’ll make yours just as sweet
As we look into the future
It’s as far as we can see
So let’s make each tomorrow
Be the best that it can be

Chorus

And if along the way we find a day
It starts to storm
You’ve got the promise of my love
To keep you warm

Chorus

I love you, baby.

Return to Normalcy

February 27, 2006 20:31

Know what I did today? Do ya? Huh? Huh? Do ya?

Today I put on…

…

… JEANS!

They are my fat jeans, and they’re a lil snug, but still… I haven’t worn jeans in literally months, so I am THRILLED!

Language Explosion

February 26, 2006 20:31

Thomas has gone through a real verbal growth spurt in the last month or so. He started talking (and walking, and eating, and crawling, and climbing) early as it is, but now he’s doing a better and better job of making himself understood. His phrases include:

* “Mutt’s doe-in?” = “Whatcha doin?”
* “Dat’s Thomas’ fote-anna-poon!” = “That’s Thomas’ fork and spoon!”
* “Teem teese!” = “Cream cheese!”
* “Skeem peace” = “Ice cream, please.”
* “Givin’ baby Mama milk!” = “Give that baby some Mama milk, you imbecile!”

First Bath

February 24, 2006 20:33

Lindsey had her first bath today, under the watchful eye of her brother. Immediately afterward, she celebrated by making an enormous poop*.

*What, you were expecting me to talk about, maybe, politics? Just be glad I didn’t take pictures of THAT.

Definition

February 23, 2006 20:39

Advantage isn’t just something you have – it’s something you take.

Lindsey's Birth Story

February 23, 2006 20:39

I’m having a rare empty-handed-of-baby moment, so I decided to write up my version of Lindsey’s birth story. Enjoy!

Oh, and here are a few gratuitous baby pictures. :)

Stylin' and Profilin'

February 23, 2006 20:36

More pictures of babies! Here is Baby Dove in one of the outfits she got from Grandma and Grandpa Gunderloy.

And a close-up of her sweet widdow face!

Finally, a shot of how she self-soothes. Her older sister did the same thing.

Fun Facts

February 22, 2006 20:43

Fun Facts about Lindsey Nicole Gunderloy, age 2 days:

* She likes to be held. She doesn’t like to spend a whole lot of time in the bed by herself.
* Her nicknames include Gidget, Lins, Blinky, Monkey-Mine, and (my personal favorite) Lindsey-Dove.
* Both of her brothers, and her sister, believe she is “tute.”
* You cannot trust her body’s actual volume of output to, in any way, match its audible volume of output. Beware.
* She has long, thin fingers. The nurses predict she will play piano.
* Her upper eyelashes are long and curvy – they look like spiders are crawling out of her eye sockets. She has no lower lashes to speak of.
* She has the cutest little kitten mewl that gradually rises to this crescendo if not attended to.
* When full, she has been known to sigh, mumble, and sing.
* Her feet are very ticklish, and she Does Not want you to touch them. Her brother, Thomas, however, will get HIGHLY indignant if she has a “sott off” and will nag me until I put it back on.
* She’s got long skinny feet. They didn’t quite fit on the “Footprints” page I made for her. I find this endearing.
* She has a swirl on top of her head, just like an ice cream cone.

What a Letdown!

February 21, 2006 20:44

And in other news, my milk just came in. Like… just 3 minutes ago. My, my, my. Aren’t they purty?? ;)

Lindsey's Here!

February 21, 2006 20:44

Lindsey Nicole Gunderloy
Born February 20, 2006 at 5:36AM
8 pounds 13.5 ounces
21.5 inches in length
Parents: Dana Jones and Michael Gunderloy

Mom and baby are both well and back at home. The whole family is excited to welcome her into the world.

I promise more pictures – and a birth story – well… later. :)

Baby Update - Deadline

February 17, 2006 20:47

Today was the OB appointment I never expected we’d keep. Everything is still frighteningly normal – blood pressure was 132/83, weight was up 5 pounds over 2 weeks, no mention was made of my urine being a problem, there’s plenty of amniotic fluid, and Lindsey’s heart rate is fine. I’m now two days past my estimated date of delivery. The doctor says he’s content to just let things roll along for a little while longer, but said if we have no baby by Thursday, we need to help things move. So I have another OB appointment at 10AM on the 23rd, which I hope not to keep. If Lindsey hasn’t arrived by then, we’ll almost certainly be inducing.

I’ve said all along that my guess for her birthdate would be February 21st. I shared this with the doc, joking, and found out that he’s going to be out of town both Monday AND Tuesday, so if Murphy has anything to do with it, I’ll be right. There’s nothing wrong, in terms of competence or ability, with any of his replacements, but they just aren’t “my” doctor. Anyway, I hope I’m wrong, and that Lindsey just shows up on her own over the weekend sometime. I’m going to try to get ahead on some of my work, nap often, drink lots of water, and think Happy-Baby-Coming-Out thoughts. Really, what else can I do?

Speaking of napping, I’m now having a really hard time getting comfortable at bedtime now. Last night I couldn’t lay down on my right side, or on my left side; my ligaments were just causing me too much pain. Even propped up on pillows and sitting mostly upright, it wasn’t happening. I was so tired by that point that I was just about frantic to sleep. I got on all fours and tried to lean my head on pillows, but that wasn’t exactly prime sleeping position. It did somehow shift the weight of the baby, and I finally fell asleep, exhausted, on my right side, for my usual four hours of sleep. Yep, baby’s definitely getting me on HER schedule. :)

Adam's Song

February 16, 2006 20:49

I was singing lullabies to Thomas, and Adam decided to help by making up his own. Here’s what he came up with:

Twinkle, twinkle, little dinosaur,
How I wonder if you’re a minosaur.
Down in the middle of the jungle so deep,
Like an anaconda that won’t sleep.
Twinkle, twinkle, little dinosaur,
How I wonder if you’re a minosaur.

Clever boy. :)

Oh, and.. yes. I’m STILL pregnant.

New Low

February 13, 2006 20:50

Just when you think you’ve heard the absolute stupidest thing that anyone can say to a (very) pregnant woman, someone comes along to surprise you. Mike and I just got back from the grocery store where a woman called me…

…

… wait for it …

…

… an elephant.

An. Elephant.

She said I looked like an elephant.

Not a cow.

Not a very large sheep.

Not a pig or a goat.

An elephant.

…

There are no words.

Thing is, I don’t think she was TRYING to be hurtful (though it hurt, a great deal). I seriously, honestly just believe that she was so unbelievably THOUGHTLESS as to say the first thing that came to mind, and as I was wearing all gray…

Still. Is it REALLY so VERY difficult to THINK before you SPEAK? Or are APPROPRIATE comments just that difficult to come up with?

Here… I’ll help:

“Ooooh, can’t be much longer now, right?”
“You look great!”
“That baby’s just too happy in there! You’ve made him/her too comfortable!”
“You’re glowing! No wonder your body doesn’t want to turn loose of the baby – look how great your skin is!”
“It’s all baby weight.”

Now, look, normally I am a big, big (SHUT UP!) advocate of truth-telling, but when someone is THIS pregnant, it is PERFECTLY OK to LIE to them to make them feel better. I mean, it’s probably only a little lie, anyway, and it won’t hurt anyone, and it will do so MUCH for their sense of well-being, so why not?

State of Mind

February 12, 2006 20:52

I am so miserable. I am so very ready to STOP being pregnant! I want my daughter out, where I can see her, and where she can beat up on and abuse someone else for a change. I want to start nursing, and start losing this “baby fat.” I want to be able to bend over and touch my toes without squatting to do so. I want my back to stop hurting, my hips to get back into alignment, my shoulder to quit aching.

I want to regain my normal attention span. I want to be able to eat something – anything – without the horror of heartburn. I want to feel sexy and wanted again. I want to stop smelling like an alleycat. I want to be able to cuddle my other children without feeling like they’re going to kill me. I want the contractions to either STOP, or KEEP GOING – this stutter-stepping shit is getting seriously old.

I hate this.

False Start

February 08, 2006 20:54

I swear, I can NOT have a baby without first making an aborted attempt at delivery, and having to come slinking home from the hospital with my tail (and fetus!) tucked firmly between my legs. UGH. I am thoroughly disgusted with myself.

Timeline:
Tuesday, February 7th
4:30PM I lay down to have a nap before dinner.
5:00PM Contractions start, and are uncomfortably strong. I call Mike in to coach.
5:45PM After timing contractions, we realize they are coming anywhere from 2-4 minutes apart. I get up to take a shower, and he gets up to pack last-minute things into the van, “just in case.”
5:50PM I squat my knees a little during a contraction, and feel some kind of gush. I’m not sure if it’s amniotic fluid or urine, and as I’m in the shower, there’s no way to know for sure. I call for Mike and tell him what happened.
5:55PM Mike calls the hospital, telling them we’re coming in and might have ruptured membranes. Mike and I get dressed and head in.
6:30PM We arrive at the hospital. The nurse (Christy) checks my cervix (50% effaced, only “a fingertip” dilated), and uses “the magic tape.” The magic tape turns bright blue, which Christy confirms means my water has broken. The doctor is called over, I’m put on monitors and given an IV shunt (in my hand, after no fewer than FOUR aborted attempts elsewhere), blood is drawn, and we sit back to wait.
8:00PM And wait.
10:00PM And wait.
12:00AM And wait. We spend these hours walking the hall, doing a puzzle in the surgery waiting room, rocking in the rocking chair, watching really bad television, and talking to each other. Contractions come and go, but never really get serious. There is no bloody show. My doctor comes by to check on me, offering “assistance, any time you want it.” I laugh, telling him he knows how we feel about “assistance.” The nurses, doctor, and we all get a good chuckle. Everyone decides to just wait and see.

Wednesday, February 8th
2:00AM Mike and I are both getting tired, so we decide to sleep. I crawl into the bed with the Evil Baby-Monitoring Straps around me. Mike folds out the couch and tries to steal a few winks himself. We are plagued with the usual hospital routines – beeping and swishing machines, nurse visits at least every hour, bathroom breaks at least every 45 minutes, and general discomfort in too-hard beds in an unfamiliar room.
5:30AM I get up and decide to go for another walk after a restroom break. While in the bathroom, I have my first sign of bloody show, but it is not bright red, and it is largely mucousy. While Mike and I are walking around, there is more mucous, with a little more blood. It would be the last blood we would see all day.
6:15AM We return to the nurse’s station to announce that I think I have lost my mucous plug. Christy tells us there will be a shift change at 7, and we will have Martha for our nurse. I try to doze some more.
6:55AM Martha arrives, and the sound of her voice wakes me up. Contractions have all but stopped completely at this point. It’s been over 12 hours since my water broke, and I know they’re going to want to talk intervention.
7:30AM Breakfast time. Some kind of egg-pepper-ham thing and toast, along with milk and orange juice. Mike and I are both getting whatever cold Thomas had. Joy.
8:30AM We meet with the doctor, and ask for another pelvic exam. 60-70% effaced, 1 finger dilated, “and only because I can push my finger through.” We opt to start a pitocin drip to augment contractions, but go for one last “freedom run” around the hospital.
8:45AM Just before we get hooked up to the IV, the doctor decides to do a ferning slide just to make sure my membranes had really ruptured. He goes to find a microscope, then comes back almost beaming, announcing, “Well! That explains how you could have lost your mucous plug after you got here! There’s no amniotic fluid at all.” I’m sent home.
9:30AM Relieved, sad, exhausted, disappointed, we head for home.

ER Visit

February 06, 2006 21:02

We made a run to the hospital last night, but it wasn’t for me. We were sitting upstairs, chatting about kids and half-working, when I noticed Thomas chewing on something red that had dripped down onto his shirt and was smeared on his forehead. My first thought was that he had bitten his tongue, but then I realized we hadn’t heard a peep out of him. “He must’ve found a piece of candy lying around,” I thought, so I inspected. Damned if he wasn’t chewing through a hunk of his tongue, on his right side!

Oh. My. God. It was so disgusting. I couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t screaming – didn’t it hurt? – until Mike later reminded me that we had recently given him a dose of Motrin because of a fever (100.7) he was spiking, so he probably wasn’t feeling pain at full force. We tried to get the hospital on the phone, to see if they had any ideas about stopping the bleeding. I mean, you can’t just apply pressure to a TONGUE, especially when the toddler is busily and happily chewing on it! I got him to take drinks of my ice water (he LOVES ice water) while calling the hospital. But the yahoos that were supposed to be answering the phone… weren’t. We kept ending up in the answering machine queue for the physical therapist, of all damn places!

So we decided screw it, we’d take him to the ER. We should’ve just driven him around instead – that made him fall asleep, and let the tongue stop its bleeding. Our beloved hospital has recently contracted to outsource its ER services, and that has proven to be a GRAVE mistake. These people do NOT exude “competence” on any level. I swear to God, when the “doctor” came in, I had to check his badge to see that it said MD – I was sure he was the janitor! He reeked of cigarette smoke, talked at a snail’s pace, had long, grimy, greasy, slicked-back hair, and said things like “somebody’s got an owie” to the elderly gentleman across the hall. UGH!

Thomas is fine. His tongue had, by then, mostly stopped bleeding on its own, so they gave him a round of Amoxycillin to prevent infection, and told us to dose him with Tylenol or Motrin for pain. We couldn’t get out of there fast enough, and both Mike and I agreed that if facing THAT doctor was our only medical alternative when I went into labor, I would deliver the baby with Mike’s help at home.

We all had a rough night after we got home. Thomas is crabby (not, I think, because of his tongue) and we’ve had to keep holding him upright to sleep (stuffy nose), and dose him with Motrin to keep the fever at bay. Needless to say, we’re all even lower on sleep than usual, and I’m finding myself hoping Lindsey DOESN’T choose to come now – I’m not sure I’d have the energy for labor.

New Toys

February 03, 2006 21:04

My computer has been getting flakier and flakier lately. Microsoft Outlook was mysteriously crashing on me 3 or 4 times a day, and Windows Explorer was getting unresponsive. It was finally time to bite the bullet and rebuild the operating system. This is always a major pain in the ass, not to mention a time sink. I had been putting it off for weeks.

I downgraded my operating system from Windows 2000 Server to Windows XP, mostly because more of what I’ve been trying to use lately was incompatible with 2000 (including my Christmas game from Mike). So I’m looking forward to that.

As another gift/surprise/business necessity, Mike bought me a memory stick and media reader for my camera! Now I can take HUNDREDS of pictures at a go, rather than my former limit of 46 or so. I’m stoked!! I can also dump the camera myself, without bothering my poor, already-overworked-but-loving-kind-sweet-and-generous husband. Score!

Some contractions (one starting now, as a matter of fact), but still no baby. sigh My sacroileac joint continues to be all wonky, so aside from sitting in this chair, playing Texas Hold ‘Em, and trying to get the odd bit of work done, I’m not doing much. I think I might try to fit in a little scrapbooking now, if I can hold off on taking another nap. I went to bed at 1AM (blame the baby), woke up at 2, 3, 4, and 4:45 (for good, that last time), worked/played poker until 7:45, then napped until 11. It’s 3:30 now, and another nap is starting to sound good.

Closing In

February 02, 2006 21:07

Another boringly uneventful doctor’s visit today. In fact, this pregnancy has, in general, been SO unremarkable that my doctor said that, in absence of some concern on my part, I could skip next week’s visit. (He’s going to be out of town on a “Men’s Retreat” skiing, and I’d just as soon wait for his return to resume my prenatal care, such as it is.) I teased him that he could just slip us a protein strip (for testing the urine), and we could check weight and blood pressure at home. He kinda chuckled and said, “I could… but… I don’t think I will.” Hee.

So, let’s see… what WAS there to report this week? Weight was down a pound (go figure). Blood pressure was at 110/80, which the doctor deemed “excellent” and the nurse called “consistent.” (They LOVE that word, “consistent.”) I got a big laugh out of her when she was taking my bp, because I told her before she got started, “OK, now, think ‘110/70’.” She said she would, and told me to think babbling brooks and warm summer days. Hey, whatever works, right? So anyway, there was a tiny bit of protein in my urine, but the doctor was not at all perturbed. My pulse rate was 96; Lindsey’s was 132. So everybody’s still humming right along.

Until the doctor told me he was counting on me “hanging in there” until February 13th, when he got back from his trip. Shit. Now, I’ve expected this pregnancy to go late all along, but something about having my doctor gone for 5 straight days just must’ve put the fear of God into my uterus or something, because it was only about an hour or so later that “It” started.

We were pulling out from the furniture store in Pullman, where we had been looking for a camp mattress for our bedroom (no luck), when I felt this god-awful pressure, way, way down low – more rectal than vaginal. But it was fetal movement – not contractions. She twisted and squirmed, her head firmly engaged, and I started feeling that achy-hips feeling that comes from your pelvis spreading open. She worked at that for awhile, playing the “Mommy Violin” (and I do make such pretty noises when that happens) and looking for the exit. Alas, she didn’t find it, but I endured that awful rectal wiggling all the way to Colfax.*

About halfway there, the wiggling was joined by contractions. Irregular, but fairly hard. It wasn’t “go” time, but I told Mike (and he agreed) that if we saw one TINY LITTLE TINGE of pink when I went to the bathroom, we were heading straight to the hospital, Do Not Pass Go. We made a couple of stops on the way to the grocery store – the pharmacy and the bank. It was at the bank drive-in that I had a REALLY bad contraction. Like… find-a-focal-point-ignore-the-worried-teller’s-annoying-questions bad. We finished there, then went to the grocery store.

Mike wanted to know if I felt like trying to shop, or if we should just go home. I told him I wanted to go to the bathroom first, and then decide. I did – no bloody show. Damn. So I started trying to shop with them (Mary and Thomas were along), but my sacroileac joint had slipped badly out of place, and it was too painful. Once a spot in the deli opened up, I took it. I nibbled on a piece of chocolate cheesecake and sipped water, and endured the contractions. Finally, I started noticing the times. 3-4 minutes.

Mike came back and checked on me, and I gave him a progress report. We decided he’d finish the shopping while I waited – I could tell we still had some time. After 15 minutes or so, sitting got too uncomfortable (I could barely wedge myself into the booth between the seat and table as it was). I tracked Mike down in the meat section and told him I was going to sit in the car and wait. They wrapped up the grocery shopping, and we headed for home. Contractions were strong and regular, 3-4 minutes, all the way home.

Got home and checked again – still no bloody show, but a LOT of mucous (I think I lost my plug). I went and lay down to rest. The contractions continued, but were far more manageable, and stretched out. They didn’t stop, and even though I was dozing, each one woke me up. After 30 minutes or so I got up to use the bathroom, went back to bed on my other side, had 2 contractions, and promptly fell asleep for 2 hours. When I woke up, the contractions had stopped.

So now, here it is, 5:30PM. I still feel a lot of rectal pressure when she squirms, there seems to be a vacancy under my ribs, I’m still having fairly hard contractions (albeit irregularly), and I’m starting to think my February 21st guess was wrong.

But who knows?

And if you found this post by Googling “rectal wiggling” then I’m guessing the JOKE’S ON YOU!

Assault and Battery

February 02, 2006 21:06

Crime in the Palouse!! I lifted this story from this week’s Whitman County Gazette (they have no website).

Snowman Attack Hearing Set
-—-
Three Colfax 13-year-old boys have been charged in juvenile court with attacking an inflatable snowman which was on display in a yard in the S. 600 block of Mill Street. The youths have also been charged with taking a tip cup from the Daily Grind on the same day, Dec. 26.

They have been summoned to a juvenile court hearing Feb. 16.

According to the Colfax police report, the investigation started when a staffer at the Daily Grind reported a tip jar had been taken. The suspects were later located with the help of descriptions from a resident who spotted a group of boys loitering in the area behind the building adjoining the Daily Grind stand.

Police the same night received a report that three youths attacked the inflatable snowman. Descriptions of the suspects matched descriptions of some of the boys spotted in the Daily Grind investigation. According to the report, one of the suspects unplugged the snowman while another struck it with a bottle and the other boy tackled it.

Late Pregnancy Thoughts

January 30, 2006 00:34

Still no baby. Some increasingly-real contractions, a little scare yesterday when I thought I might be leaking fluid (ahem), but nothing to get too excited about.

I’m beginning to despair of the size of this baby. I’m carrying her almost entirely in the front (Terry says from the back I don’t look pregnant, but maybe she’s just being nice), and she’s (Lindsey, not Terry) still pretty high. But OH. MY. GOD. Aside from the fact that the doctor says she’s measuring big, and her movements are VERY pronounced and obvious – even now when everything I read says she “should” be moving less – her hiccups shake my body. Like, literally. I’m sitting here now, typing this entry, and Lindsey-dove has the hiccups. And the wiggles. Her whole body hiccups, so I’m getting rhythmic kicks down at my lower-left pelvis, and just under my right ribs. My WHOLE body jumps, every time she hiccups. Every 5 seconds, just like clockwork.

And she hates contractions. Like, really bad, “oh, no, you DITTENT” hates them. She squirms and wiggles and rolls and pokes and jerks in these big, flagrant ways. She reminds me of a hockey player, with all the shoving and the poking and the jabbing. I can just imagine her kicking and clawing her way out when “real” labor comes. I mean, natural labor is tough enough, without having her fighting me, too, yaknow?

More Nothing

January 26, 2006 00:22

Another OB check today, still no real news. No protein, no Strep B, no blood pressure problems (117/76), reasonable (3 pounds this week) weight gain, good fetal heart rate (130). The only thing of note is that the doc will be out of town this weekend – he’s going skiing. I told him that was no problem, because there was no way she was coming this early. Increased contractions, but I’m still sticking to 2/21 as my guess at the birth date.

Big Families

January 25, 2006 00:23

Mike is teaching Adam about frogs this week in his science class. Yesterday, they were reading a story about the life cycle of a frog, and Mike mentioned that frogs typically lay 40,000 eggs.

Mike: How would you like to have 40,000 brothers and sisters? That would be a very big family, wouldn’t it? You’d probably always have someone to play with.
Adam: Yes, but I think I would get pestered a lot.

Heh.

Incidentally, I’m 37 weeks pregnant today, and so officially “term.” There’s nothing at all to report (OB appointment tomorrow morning), and I don’t think we’ll have the baby any time soon. So. Yeah. No news is good news.

Quote of the Day

January 23, 2006 00:25

“It’s gonna hurt bad before it gets better.” – Keith Urban, from I Wanna Cry

Baby Visit, and What Not to Say

January 21, 2006 00:26

I went to Spokane yesterday – alone, for a change – to visit Margi and her new beautiful baby boy. I don’t want to say too much about the visit or the new baby’s delivery, because Margi hasn’t made an official announcement on her site, but suffice it to say that he is a teeny-tiny CUTIEPIE, and hopefully everyone will be home very soon.

There’s something about walking around VeryPregnant in a hospital that makes people feel compelled to ask you questions. Maybe they were afraid I was lost? Like, perhaps I didn’t REALLY mean to be in recovery, but was looking for delivery instead? Whatever the reason, it seems to make people say the most asinine, insensitive things. Do people not realize – or maybe not remember – how very emotional and tear-prone we mothers-to-be are? Last night, I was asking for directions to Margi’s room, when the Informations girl asked me, “And when are YOU due?” in a voice that conveyed she was sure I was about to squat out a baby right there on her nice clean floor any minute.

“I have another month to go,” I said cheerfully, and with a smile.

“A month? Are you carrying twins?”

blink

blink blink

Alrighty, now I realize some people sort of lack that filter between things you THINK and things you SAY, so I decided to post a helpful list of things NOT to say to women who are this pregnant. I think I’ve done this before (can’t find the link), but clearly it’s still relevant.

Things Not to Say to a Big Ol’ Pregnant Woman

* Are you STILL pregnant?
* My God, when is that baby DUE?
* Is it a boy or a girl? Or a horse?
* You still have HOW much longer to go?
* You look like you’re about ready to pop!
* Doesn’t that hurt?
* What, have they sewn you shut?

And last, but DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY not least…

* Are you carrying twins???

Healthy Baby

January 19, 2006 00:28

Another blissfully boring doctor’s appointment took place today in this week’s episode of Let’s Make a Baby. There was no weight gain this week, and blood pressure was down to 130/72. Fundal measurement is up another centimeter, just like it has been for the last little bit. Lindsey is still consistently measuring a little bit big, and made nice at the doctor as he did a quick ultrasound to check heart rate and amniotic fluid (he pronounced it “not too much, not too little”). She is, as Dr. Parsons put it, “in launch position” with head still down and spine almost exactly aligned with my midline. Aside from the Strep-B test (a vaginal/rectal swab) there was nothing remarkable. We go back next week for more of the same.

Oh, and about the picture… please be kind. I’m a lil emotional. It was a self-portrait I took on a timer with my new camera (which I still love).

Rethinking

January 17, 2006 00:38

This is not a baby. That is a toddler.

This can’t POSSIBLY work. I mean, I’ve done it before, more than once… but still I say – look at the straw-thin cervix. Now look at the grapefruit-sized baby head.

Straw.

Grapefruit.

…

Maybe I’m going to start calling Lindsey “fresh-squeezed.”

Not. Happy.

January 15, 2006 00:40

I don’t give a sh*t WHAT Babycenter says, this kid has got an entire PlayLand of room in there, and she intends to make full and complete use of it. At the moment, she’s practicing walking (upside-down) on the balance beam. A moment ago, she was working the pummel horse, and before that, it was the rings.

It. F*cking. Hurts. She’s a BIG baby, and when she moves, I feel it. Apparently it isn’t enough that I have constant heartburn (who ever heard of ICE CREAM HEARTBURN???), or that my bladder is roughly the size of a shot glass, or that I forget what I’m talking about in the MIDDLE OF A WORD. Oh, no. Those joys are not enough. My darling little girl must make hourly rearrangements of my vital organs. I can just hear her in there. “Who left this kidney here? I don’t like kidneys in the middle of my living room! Put it out! shove”

She’s due a month from today, but my babies are notoriously slow to arrive. I predict February 21st. I love her dearly, and I can not WAIT to see her darling face in color – not least because it means she won’t be beating the hell out of me anymore!

A Couple of Days Out

January 14, 2006 00:41

Thursday I took Mary up to her first class at Picture Pages. The original plan had been to have her class at another store, but they canceled on her at the last minute because she was the only enrollee. Grrrr. Anyway, along the way we stopped for dinner at The Golden Corral and for a tiny bit of shopping at Wal-Mart.

It’s always a lot of fun to hang out with Mary. She’s funny and smart, and we share absolutely NO similarity in our choice of eye candy, so we’re always watching different people. Still, I can tell we’re getting close to “go” time with this baby, because ten minutes of walking in Wal-Mart about wore my ass out. Were those aisles always so LONG??

Mary seemed to enjoy her class, even if some of the people involved (including the teacher) were a little too serious about scrapbooking for her taste. She finished with a really cute layout, though, so I’m glad she went and enjoyed herself. While she took the class, I worked in the back on an album for Lindsey, and got four pages done!

Lindsey’s album was inspired by a similar album I made for Margi, which we delivered after the class. We had a very nice little visit, and Margi seemed to like her baby album. But as usual, ten minutes became an hour and a half, and all too soon it was time to leave and head for home. We got in around midnight.

Yesterday, Mike, Kayla, Thomas, Adam, and I all went into town for our doctor’s appointment. Lindsey and I are both still doing fine – bp 130/82, weight gain 5 pounds in 2 weeks, no protein in urine, I didn’t catch her fetal heart rate but doc says she’s “consistently measuring a little on the large side” – and for the first time this pregnancy we had an OB visit with NO ultrasound! She’s probably so big at this point that all that would fit on the screen at one time is, say, a toe. ;)

After that and a very brief 18-month checkup for Thomas, the poor kids all got poked. Thomas had two immunizations and his flu booster; the other two each got their flu boosters. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth and screaming, as the older two kids are savvy enough to know to dread it, and the nurses were less than speedy in getting the needles ready. Nevertheless, they administered the actual shots swiftly, and we left with tearful children. All was made better a little later with the liberal application of ice cream and Cheetos.

Preschool Grammar

January 13, 2006 01:14

Adam: (after reviewing a picture drawn for him by Mary) So, let me get this straight… he’s going to take over the world with his skeletorial powers, right?

Week 2 of 101 Course, Movie

January 09, 2006 01:16

Week 2 of the Scrapbooking 101 course is up. That and pregnancy (normal, normal, boring, normal) has ruled my life lately, so there isn’t much else to report.

Speaking of which, care to guess on which day I launched ScrapMentor?

We did have a Girls’ Night Out last night (with me, Kayla, Terry, and Mary) that was a lot of fun. We ran a few errands (quick shopping stops, for the most part) and saw the movie Cheaper By the Dozen 2. It was cute and campy, and something we could all watch and get some enjoyment out of. We finished off with dinner at Winger’s (as usual, the wings were great, the rest was ho-hum at best), then came on home.

Good Morning!

January 09, 2006 01:15

Terry: How did you sleep last night?
Kayla: (puzzled look on her face) I just closed my eyes and laid down to do that!

Independent Girl

January 01, 2006 01:20

We have a rule here that you aren’t allowed to go into anyone else’s bedroom without their permission. Adam is forever trying to get into Kayla’s room to play with her stuff. This conversation just took place:

Adam: Kayla, can I go play in your room?
Kayla: Yes, you can.
Mike: No, Adam, you can’t just go into your sister’s room and play while she’s doing her reading.
Kayla: But I said he can! You shouldn’t change my mind for me, Daddy.

Oh. My. Gawd. I thought I was going to inhale my tongue, trying not to laugh out loud. She’s growing up. Just what the world needs: another generation of independent-thinking Gunderloys.

Utero Personalities

January 01, 2006 01:18

I have been blessed with this pregnancy (major knocking on solid wood) – we’ve had no complications to speak of, Lindsey is still fine as wine with lots of room to wiggle around in, a nice healthy heartrate, and plenty of amniotic fluid. My weight gain has been surprisingly low (at my OB appointment on Thursday it was up 3 pounds for the last 2 weeks), blood pressure is well in hand (132/72, at last count), no edema or cramping or spotting. I’m still usually pretty comfortable in this body, even though it’s kind of a duplex situation right now. Of course, the worst is before me in that regard. Still, I have been a very, very lucky pregnant woman this go-round. Thank the good Lord.

The fact that this is probably our last baby has made me a little more philosophical than usual. I continue to marvel at the fact that each of my babies is so very different, even while inside. Adam moved some, but was reasonably placid while in utero. He’s still the one of our children most likely to be able to SIT STILL for a reasonable amount of time with a book or a game. Kayla twitched a lot before she was born. She had pretty regular movement patterns, with long periods of quiet in between. As a three-year-old, she’s a relatively quiet little girl, with real artistic and emotional streaks to her. Thomas made these little jerky movements all of the time. He never seemed to sit still. That hasn’t changed.

But Lindsey! My goodness! The huge, sweeping, rolling movements are a wonder to behold. It’s really hard to believe we have less than two months to go when she still seems to have so much room for her acrobatics. She actually rarely rests still – only maybe 3-4 hours during my waking day – and her movements are very grandiose. Mike has felt them with his hands, and calls it “moving furniture.” It’s amazing the little darling hasn’t poked holes right out through my abdomen, I tell ya!

But I wouldn’t change a thing. She’s healthy and strong and beautiful (I’ve had enough ultrasounds to KNOW) and wonderful, and I can not WAIT to find out what kind of person she will be. Do her movements portend some part of her personality, as well? Will she be more dramatic than her sister? More physical than her brother? (God help me!) More active than all three of her siblings put together? Will she crawl sooner? Talk earlier? Will she want to cuddle up to me? Will she want her arms free? My boys both liked to be swaddled as newborns; Kayla could not abide it. How will Lindsey react? She can’t seem to stand being penned in NOW, I can’t imagine she’ll like the confinement.

But you never know.

I, for one, can hardly wait to find out.

ScrapMentor

December 31, 2005 16:33

OK, it’s official! I’ve got a great new “gig” going over at Scrap-Poodle, called ScrapMentor. It’s an online scrapbooking “classroom” where I’ll be teaching courses on a range of topics – stuff like chalking, journaling, making altered items, and more. I’m starting off with a Scrapbooking 101 class that will run for 24 weeks. It’ll start off from the very, very basic – presuming the student is coming into the class with no prior knowledge of scrapbooking – and will gradually build on itself, day by day. There’s no cost for it, so if you’d ever considered taking up scrapbooking but didn’t know where to start – or if you’ve been at it awhile but want to fill in some gaps in your own repertoire – please check it out! Tell your friends! Tell your neighbors! And don’t forget to register for the newsletters so you’ll be eligible to win free stuff.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Scrapbookity Christmas

December 26, 2005 16:34

This was one of the best, and worst, Christmases ever, for me. Our home was full to bursting with happy people, and presents, and merriment. Everyone seems to have appreciated the presents that were chosen for them (I shopped for everyone this year, except myself, of course), which was very gratifying. I got lots of great presents myself, including a new digital camera, an XM radio receiver for the minivan, and (though it is not yet here) a scanner that will accommodate 12″×12″ paper!

But Michael was dog-ass-dragging-sick all day. I mean, he managed to get through the three-hour orgy of opening presents, but only just barely, and as soon as that was over he went back to bed. He stayed there for the better portion of the day, joining us for tiny “taste bites” of dinner, before slinking back off to bed. I felt really horrible for not being able to make him feel better, and it certainly made the day somewhat subdued to know how awful it was for him.

Sooo, there were some ups, and a really huge down, but I’m still very grateful that all of my children are healthy and happy, and I know that I am truly blessed and loved. And that’s really rather the point (for us, anyway).

Happy Holidays

December 24, 2005 16:36

I’ll be offline beginning later tonight, and through tomorrow. But from our family to yours, may the peace, love, joy, and magic of this season be with you throughout the coming year. Hold close to those who mean the most to you.

Escapa!

December 21, 2005 16:40

Well, here it is, my Christmas gift to you. Please do not hold me responsible for the hours of mindless mousing you are about to sink into that thing.

Silly Christmas Questionnaire

December 20, 2005 16:42

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa doesn’t wrap presents for this house. Santa does well to get the presents assembled by daylight.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Multi-colored on the tree, one string of red on the mantle, and one string of white icicles on the house. Hopefully by next year we’ll get more outside lights strung. :)
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put your decorations up? Whenever I can find the time. We did it last week this year.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Toss-up between Mike’s Christmas morning stollen, and my cornbread dressing
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Stockings. I loved finding out what would be in the stockings.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? My brother told me when I was 8. The pig.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope. Mike won’t let us. :)
10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? It varies. This year, Adam’s insisting we leave chocolate chip, along with carrots for the reindeer.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it, as long as I can be INSIDE the house. :)
12. Can you ice skate? No way.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift as a child? I think it was the Easy-Bake Oven.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Not working, not answering the phone, and focusing only on family.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pie!! Chocolate, coconut, or pecan.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Waking up to the smell of Mike’s stollen, and watching the kids react to their presents.
17. What tops your tree? A snowflake
18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Both
19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? Jingle Bells
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Ick.

It's So Chic...

December 20, 2005 14:44

Parts of this song are just striking WAY too close to home. It’s called “It’s So Chic to be Pregnant at Christmas” by Nancy White.
_~
It’s so chic to be pregnant at Christmas.
I feel like the round yon virgin of yore.
Cuz though I have a warm bed to sleep in
There’s no room for me when I go to the store.

Cuz the aisles are so narrow and crowded.
Christmas shopping has never been such a pain.
Oops, here comes another Braxton-Hicks contraction
And I’m knockin’ over knick-knacks again.

Ooh the salesclerks are so friendly this Christmas.
One said, “Oh, GOD, lady, don’t have it here!”
Their discretion and manners go right out the door
When I and my stomach appear.

People like to put their hands on my fundus
And they want to know exactly when I’m due.
I say, “Why do you care? Are you plannin’ to be there?
I could use an extra labor coach or two.”

I am such fun at a party
Trying hard to get high on life
Desperately avoiding the smokers
And being introduced as someone’s little wife.
(Chorus:) Not-so-little wife

No, I enjoy being pregnant at Christmas
Though my identity is draining away.
And if I ever get asked my opinion again
I’ll simply smile and continue to crochet.

It’s so biblical to be pregnant at Christmas
No matter what stories you believe.
And only suffer from gravid senilis
And heartburn and nausea and charley-horses and overwhelming fatigue and frequent micturation and varicose veins and swollen ankles and shortness of breath and that .. tired achy feeling in the groin.

But I won’t be alone on New Year’s Eve!
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
_~
A BIG thank you to my friend Mo for getting me the right lyrics – from the singer herself, even!

A Much-Deserved Plug

December 16, 2005 16:59

My quilting frame is an endangered species. A month and a half ago, Mike was moving my heavy scrapbooking bag around and he accidentally broke one of the diagonal support legs. I called the manufacturer, and they shipped out a replacement part which fit perfectly and solved the problem.

Then, a couple of nights ago, one of the kids was leaning on the quilt frame, and broke the OTHER diagonal support leg. I called the manufacturer up again, and explained to them what happened as I dug around looking for my credit card to pay for the replacement part. (It’s a BIG wood piece.) But they’re sending it out to me, either today or Monday, FOR FREE! How cool is that?

Now, I take this as a sign that I really, REALLY need to finish up that quilt and get the frame out of the way. It’ll be my next big project, after Christmas. And if anybody is out there looking for a good-quality, natural wood, adjustable quilting frame, made by people who actually care about their customers, I HIGHLY recommend the Grace EZ3 Millenium Quilt Frame.

Boring OB Visit

December 16, 2005 16:00

We had another obstetrician visit yesterday. Blood pressure was 142/80, and everything else was normal. We had another ultrasound, and she still looks like a “she.” The doctor didn’t do any measurements on the baby, other than fundal height and heart rate, but I got some more looks at her face, hands, feet, ribs, and other assorted body parts.

We also got flu shots for everybody. Or, rather, we thought we did. Thomas was accidentally given a tetanus booster, poor baby, so he will have to go back for another flu shot.

Other than that, we just go back in two weeks for another checkup. Guess that means we’re entering the homestretch!

Quote of the Day

December 01, 2005 17:00

“Behold, the fortress of doom! I disguised it, so no one would be able to recognize its doomness.” – Adam

Life Update

November 28, 2005 16:57

Well, the Mall Crawl’s almost at a close – two more days until it’s all done, then the REAL fun (yes, that’s sarcasm) begins. It’ll be as if I’ve crawled under a rock and no one will ever find me again. The truth will be that I’m copying and pasting my poor fingers to the bone. I hate the two weeks immediately following EVERY Mall Crawl, so it’s not like this will be at all unusual.

We had a great Thanksgiving with our friends. It was nice to have a big Thanksgiving dinner, without suffering through two weeks of leftovers. We had a wonderful visit, with lots of time for games and chatting and just hanging out. They left the day after Thanksgiving, and are sorely missed!

Last night, I took Adam and Kayla out to see Zathura. They both pronounced it “a little bit scary”, but both also enjoyed it. Adam complained later in the day of a sore tummy, probably brought on by too much popcorn and gumdrops, but I think he’ll recover. After the movie, we went to good ol’ Applebee’s for dinner, then a quick Michael’s stop, then back home.

Pregnancy has turned me into the world’s biggest klutz. I have broken three dishes this pregnancy, spilled two plates of food, dropped innumerable utensils, articles of clothing, and tons of other items. I trip over things that are not moving, and am generally unsteady on my feet. Ahhhhhhhh third trimester bliss! I’m also having the other usual pregnancy symptoms – achiness, fatigue, sore joints, incontinence, indigestion, and constipation. This pregnancy stuff is very glamorous, I tell you what. But Lindsey is as healthy as a horse (and kicks just as hard), even if she chooses to rarely sleep. I’m happy to say that I’m really not at all worried about her. I was a little taken aback when I realized yesterday that she’ll be here in less than three months, though. Considering this is almost certainly my last pregnancy, that realization was a little bittersweet.

I still haven’t gotten the results from my glucose test I took 10 days ago. I take that to be a good sign. My doctor was on vacation all last week, but I assume that even so, if the results had been bad, someone at the clinic would have called me. Even so, I just left a message with the clinic, asking them to let me know what was up. I’ve never had a problem with that test before, so I don’t really anticipate one now. Besides, why borrow trouble?

I’m planning to start our holiday shopping today, after I finish typing up the pattern for the Crawl. I’m going to be updating the kids’ wish list, as well, as I go along. Mine stays pretty up-to-date, and Mike’s was recently updated as well. You know, if that kind of thing interests you. ;)

Update: The nurse called back from the clinic – the tests were fine. The doc will probably call tomorrow just to answer any questions I might have.

And the verdict is...

November 18, 2005 17:01

It’s a girl! Well, it’s 90% girl, 10% doctor-leaving-room-to-cover-his-ass. I still think I saw lips, and so did the doctor. In fact, at one point the doctor flat-out said, “That’s a baby girl.” So Lindsey Nicole it is! She’s still estimated to be due February 15th, though she’s measuring about a week and a half older. That’s completely normal for my babies, who tend to be a pound or two larger than normal, anyway. My own vitals (weight, blood pressure, urine stick) are fine, and they did the glucose test today. He should have the results early next week.

This time, we had a couple of extra spectators for the ultrasound. Adam wasn’t interested in watching, but both David and Mary were, so Terry stayed in the waiting room with Adam and the rest of us trooped back. Dr. Parsons was wonderful about the extra people, of course. I mean, after all, he IS the coolest doctor, EVER. Next appointment, four more weeks.

Other than that, my days have just been busy working and enjoying our houseguests. Today we all did the grocery shopping together, and wasn’t THAT a production!? We managed ok, and no one had any real behavior problems, but we sure got some dirty looks from a few old biddies in there. Oh, well; it’s their problem, not mine.

Visiting With Friends

November 15, 2005 17:02

We’ve had some friends visiting with us for the last few days – Terry and her children, David and Mary. We’ve had lots of fun, playing lots of card games, and Boggle, and Candyland, and computer games. Adam, Kayla, and Thomas have really enjoyed having all of the extra adults and near-adults around to get attention from. I don’t really remember the last time I saw Mike laugh so much (or cook so much!). I took the teenagers out last night to visit the mall and a couple of other places. The “mommy” in me sort of choked when I sent them off to the mall on their own, with plans to meet up later, but it’s rather refreshing to be around kids and not having to constantly be asking them if they need to “go potty.”

And Mary has gotten into scrapbooking! She finished putting together a whole pre-cut album kit, and is now working on pages of her own design in a new 12×12 book. It’s really a lot of fun to see her sense of style and creativity come out on her layouts. I do have to keep reminding myself that she’s 14, not 3, so I don’t have to limit her to safety scissors and glue sticks, nor do I have to tell her every single little step of the directions, complete with multiple demonstrations and VeryCloseSupervision. :)

Tummybug is doing great – wiggling and squirming and generally making him/herself more and more apparent. I’m still holding pretty steady on weight gain (up a pound from last week), despite eating like the proverbial pig. I’ve begun having Braxton-Hicks contractions the last few days, as well. Nothing major, and it’s not making me think the baby will come any earlier than expected: I’ve had “practice” contractions start earlier and earlier and earlier with each successive pregnancy. Just something to mention to the doctor. Our next OB appointment is Friday morning, and will include the glucose tolerance test and an ultrasound. I have high hopes for both.

That’s really about all there is to report. I haven’t scrapbooked much lately, but I hope to get back to it either today or tomorrow. Tonight, though, my big butt will be firmly implanted in front of the television to watch the CMA awards!

Marines in France

November 10, 2005 17:04

It is SO VERY TEMPTING to steal this wholesale, but I won’t.

President Bush has authorized the Joint Chiefs to begin drawing up a battle plan to pull France’s chestnuts out of the fire again. Facing an apparent overwhelming force of up to 400 angry teenagers, Mr. Bush apparently doubts France’s ability to hold off them off. “If the last two world wars are any indication, I would expect France to surrender to the little pissants any day now,” said Bush.

That’s not the best part, so go read the whole thing.

Divorce Kids

November 09, 2005 17:06

I didn’t bother to watch the video, but… it just seems to me that this particular story falls into the category of “news that isn’t.”

Shoot Me

November 08, 2005 17:14

I just spent a couple of hours sorting, throwing out, and putting away toys in the living room, including moving some things that are Kayla’s into her room. I was just about done, taking the last load of things into Kayla’s room and sorting them into their appropriate spots, when I saw it. She has already drawn on her wall, in pen. A face, and two hands. About a foot high, about three feet wide, right above the heater. Not even the scrapbooker in me wants to grab for the camera, so please don’t ask me for a picture. I am heartsick.

Weight Gain - Pregnancy

November 08, 2005 16:14

This appears to be the pregnancy where I can eat anything without gaining any weight. I started the pregnancy out at about 252 (I’m 6’1"). My goal weight when not pregnant is 220. Between the first trimester nausea, and the problems with my teeth making it hard to find things to eat, I dropped to about 240. I hovered around there for MONTHS. Then I had my wisdom teeth pulled, and at my next weekly weigh-in I was at 241. The week after that (last week), it was 246. I thought, “Finally! I’m gaining weight!” At six months, not gaining any weight was starting to concern me a little.

At this week’s weigh-in, I was right back to 241. What the hell? I’ve eaten a lot more in the last two weeks than I have during the rest of this pregnancy; why is the needle not moving? Now, don’t get me wrong, 241 is no lightweight, but I’m in the third trimester! I should be gaining weight at a rate of about a pound or two per week, and I’m still 11 pounds BELOW where I started!

I know I’ve been doing some extra physical work – housecleaning, carpet- and trim-installation, painting, etc. – but not so much that I shouldn’t be gaining. I’m eating when I’m hungry, and stopping when I’m full. I’m eating regular-sized portions, so what gives?

My doctor is completely unconcerned. When I mentioned it to him a couple of weeks ago, he tactfully worded it thusly, “If you had started out your pregnancy at 120, I would be more concerned by weight loss.” So, since I was fat to start with, it’s not a worry. The baby is clearly healthy, and I am clearly healthy – just not gaining!

Mind you, I’m not complaining. Just… starting to be a little concerned. My weight has always fluctuated 5 pounds or more from day to day, but that damn needle just won’t get off of 241, no matter HOW much baby is in there!

Room Completed

November 06, 2005 17:17

I am almost orgasmically pleased to report that, with the exception of the curtains, Care-a-Lot is FINISHED! Kayla has slept in there two nights in a row now, with no incident. She and the boys love playing in there, and I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. Here are some pictures of what it looked like with no furniture in it. I’ll probably take and post more once the curtains are up. The carpet is a deep wine color, that Kayla picked out herself. She wanted pink, but they didn’t have that, so instead she chose this. She calls it “red.”

This project, along with the current Mall Crawl and other stuff, has kept me busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. My teeth are feeling a lot better, and I’m able to eat almost anything I want (though I still avoid my beloved pretzels). Thomas has a runny nose and has been generally fussy and clingy. I hope it passes soon.

Tummybug is still happy and wiggly and healthy, so far as I know, and his/her gender is still a mystery. But we have another doctor’s appointment, including glucose test and ultrasound, a week from Friday. Maybe this time we’ll get lucky?

The next major project on the docket is to finish quilting my niece’s enormous double wedding ring quilt. This is now possible, since the huge pieces of furniture and toy-ery has been moved out of my living room, and into Kayla’s room, where they belong. At least I can now REACH the quilt frame!

Halloween

October 31, 2005 22:11

Happy Halloween, from our family to yours!

Mrs. Hyde

October 30, 2005 22:18

Dentist Visit

October 26, 2005 22:19

I just got home from the dentist. It was as bad as I had feared. I feel like I’ve just been mugged. But he got all four teeth, and seemed to genuinely feel bad about making me scream and cry. Yes, really.

There was some infection behind one of the teeth, so I’m on a week-long course of antibiotics. I’m also changing gauze pads about every 10 minutes or so, and have all kinds of weird rules like “don’t use straws for 48 hours.” I hurt and I’m miserable and I can’t talk and I can barely even open my mouth enough to get the gauze in and out and I just want to die. Or cry. Or both.

Tummybug didn’t much care for the experience, either. What with the adrenaline shot and Mommy’s constant clenching and yelping and whimpering, he/she was wiggling up a storm, reminding me to breathe. Labor breathing helped some, but not much. Dental pain is just a whole other level of hurt.

On the plus side, once it was all over with and I was heading back out to the van with the rest of the family, I found a big, fluffy, soft, cuddly puppy dog waiting just for ME. Mike said they all picked it out for me. I haven’t let it out of my sight since. :)

I’m going to go have a bath now, and put a cold washcloth on my face. And moan. A lot.

Quote of the Day

October 23, 2005 22:22

While I was doing more painting in Kayla’s room, Adam wandered in and pronounced: “See? The thing on each bear’s tummy gives it its name. For example, the cloud and hearts on Grumpy Bear’s belly stand for the power of love and grumpiness.”

Good Samaritans

October 23, 2005 21:23

To the girls who turned in my lost wallet – thank you for bringing it to the Les Schwab, so they could track me down and return it to me. Please consider the cash you stole from it as your finder’s reward.

OB Checkup

October 20, 2005 22:23

We had another checkup today. Everything’s maddeningly normal – weight up a pound this month, blood pressure’s (I think) 124/72. We had another ultrasound, and Tummybug kept his/her knees FIRMLY CLAMPED TOGETHER. Dammit. This kid’s gonna make me gray. But it is still wiggling quite a lot, and Mike got to feel a kick for the first time, while I was stretched out on the ultrasound table waiting to get gooed-up. I go back in five weeks for my next OB visit, which will include the glucose tolerance test. Followed by another ultrasound. I expect we’ll only see a blur. ;)

(Editor Note: I wrote this two days ago, then promptly forgot to upload it. YET ANOTHER instance of baby brain, about which I will do another post … well, whenever I fucking remember it, which will probably be after I’ve forgotten what I was going to say. Don’t get me started.)

Care Bears

October 18, 2005 22:27

I haven’t said much here, because there hasn’t been much to say. Work, painting, sleep. Work, painting, sleep. I’m going this weekend to get the carpet for Kayla’s room whether the painting’s done or not, so I’m trying to get as much of it finished as possible. I just know that if I don’t get the carpet down soon I won’t be able to get it down at all until after the baby comes.

Thursday’s going to be the day from hell, because we’ll be cleaning all morning at preschool (and I’m in charge of the cleanfest – go figure!), followed by doctor’s appointments for both me and Mike, followed by our usual chores. I’m looking forward to the visit (though I do have a couple of things to discuss with my doctor for a change), but BOY, HOWDY are we gonna be pooped when that day’s over!

I’ve done probably about 70% of the painting in Kayla’s room. I figured out much too late that I should’ve stuck to using my older acrylics, even if they were a bit “clotted.” They are higher quality than the cheap crap I bought at Joann’s, but I can get by with only one or at most two coats, instead of the three I had been doing. Saves a helluva lot of time, and right now time is worth way more to me than money. Anywho, I’m really hoping to finish the painting either tomorrow or Friday, so that I can shop for carpet on Saturday with a clear conscience. :) I will, of course, take and post pictures when it’s all done.

I haven’t scrapbooked much at ALL, due to lack of time. Still, somehow, life manages to march on. ;)

Hooks' Back!!!

October 15, 2005 22:30

Sgt. Hook is back to blogging again! I’ve missed his writing, and his candid look into military life, and am so grateful to have him back in the saddle again, so to speak. Big thanks to Margi for pointing out to us that he had returned to the land of the living. :)

"Quote of the Day"

October 13, 2005 22:31

“Your email is like a kidney stone.” – Mike Bernico

TISSUE ALERT: These Four Walls by Sara Evans

October 13, 2005 21:31

These Four Walls
by Sara Evans
_~
Wasn’t that long ago
I was skipping to school with a lunchbox
Pigtails in my hair.
Where did the time go?
One minute I’m playing in the sandbox.
How’d I get to here from there?
Making lunches and folding clothes
Is not the most glamorous life I know
But I’ve got so much more than most.

[Chorus]
I’m not famous but my kids think I’m a star.
I’m not rich but I’ve made a million memories so far.
I may not be a model
But my man thinks I could be.
I may not be royalty
But in these four walls
I’m a queen.

I had it all planned:
First I’d make it big in Nashville
Then take Hollywood by storm.
But it was in God’s hands
There were three little lives that would need me
To one day be their mom.
I wouldn’t trade it for anything;
Those movie stars don’t have everything.
I know I’m right where I wanna be.

[Repeat Chorus]

I had to let it go, but I have no regrets -
I would have never known this kind of happiness

[Repeat Chorus]

Buried

October 13, 2005 19:32

The server that runs Scrap-Poodle and Larkware (among other sites) blew up yesterday. Mike had to drive to and from Kennewick – 5 hours of driving, round-trip – to pick up the carcass. Then he spent this morning playing Dr. Frankenstein to build a replacement machine from spare parts, and this afternoon and evening taking the new creature BACK to Kennewick, with Adam in tow. In his absence, I was single mom to 2 (today) and 3 (yesterday) kids.

Needless to say, this has put an unbelievable dent in our working schedules, which were already crazy and over-filled. We are utterly, totally, irrevocably buried in deadlines, tasks, email, challenges, requirements, and expectations. I’m feeling QUITE overwhelmed by it all, but there isn’t much to be done except to muddle through.

Basically, if I owe you something in the next week or so, expect it to be later than promised. Ugh.

GI?

October 11, 2005 22:35

My sister told me two days ago that my nephew wants to enter the Army after he graduates next year. I am absolutely stunned by this. Don? Isn’t Don still, like, seven? In my head, I think he always will be. And now he’s talking about going into Special Forces? How can that be? Doesn’t he still need someone to tie his shoes? Does he know all his colors? Even ones like “beige”? When did he grow up? Was I not looking?

If he does go in – and so far, he sounds pretty resolute – odds are good he’ll get deployed. I’ll actually be sending care packages to someone I know. With pictures included of people HE knows. And I’ll be praying to get letters back, so I still know he’s ok. I’m so scared. Proud, too. But scared.

Quote of the Day

October 07, 2005 22:36

“I’d like to believe in the healing hand of time, but the truth is I really can’t say if I’m getting better or just used to the pain.” – Tracy Lawrence

Painting Progress

October 05, 2005 22:39

Things are moving right along! I’ve done the priming and basecoat painting in Kayla’s room. The walls are now Sunny Day Yellow and the ceiling is Clear Blue Sky. Kayla is thrilled, and is now demanding white clouds. Tomorrow, while we’re in town for preschool and other errands, we’ll make a stop at the craft store and get some acrylic paints. I had a stash of these from years ago, but they’ve gotten all yucky and clotted, and at the price of acrylic paint, it’s not worth it.

So next is the mural. That’s going to be a pretty painstaking job, but I hope it isn’t as backbreaking as edging the ceiling was. Ouch! My goal is to finish the room within the next two weeks, so that I can then concentrate on the Mall Crawl, holidays, and baby-growing.

Speaking of Tummybug, he/she is still doing just fine. Wiggling and squirming all over the place, and there is no more magical feeling. A week or so ago, I started being able to feel some of the more vigorous movements with my hands. We’re past the alleged halfway mark now. I’m getting ready to meet this little person, and watch how he/she fits into our family.

Girl Parts

September 30, 2005 16:40

Watching shows like Discovery Health Channel’s Special Delivery makes me realize how lucky I am to continue to have healthy, relatively uncomplicated deliveries. There are families out there who go through some seriously bad shit. I am blessed.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t have my own challenges to face. Today, it’s a “really bad” (to quote the doctor) yeast infection. He prescribed Diflucan to “kill the yeast fire” (I feel like California), then I get to take a 7-day course of Monistat. It’s unpleasant and uncomfortable and not exactly what I’d WANT to have happen, but still… between this and, say, placenta previa.. I’ll take it.

Backpack!

September 28, 2005 17:21

Everybody knows how much I looooove (heavy sarcasm) Dora the Explorer. I mean, really, how can you NOT love a children’s show with such wonderful songs as, “I’m the map! I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map!” But my children are all completely enamored of her. I say “all” because even Thomas is crazy about her. He recently learned to say “nana” (for banana), and the very next day, Dora had a banana grove as one of her destinations. Dora the Explorer is BIG on repetition, so they must have said the word “banana” at least 15 million times. Each time they said it, Thomas said it.

Today’s show was about how Dora got her backpack. So the word “backpack” got repeated ad nauseum. Guess what words Thomas learned? “Backpack” and “Dora.” I know what the generation of Barney moms felt like. Hey, at least it’s not Oobi.

Did you know I'm pregnant?

September 27, 2005 17:23

Preg-head has set in. For those who don’t know, when you get pregnant, you get stupid. That is, you get forgetful, your attention span is shortened, and you just aren’t as witty or clever as you normally are. There are those who discount the phenomenon of Preg-head. Fuck them.

It gets worse as the pregnancy progresses. I am forever forgetting common words (things like “fire drill” and “chicken”), losing my train of thought, repeating myself, etc. Whenever this happens, Mike will usually point it out. “Did you mean to say, ‘Eat your fork’?” When I’m called on it, I just sigh, and say, “Did you know I’m pregnant?” That’s my catch phrase for, “Yeah, yeah… blame it on the baby. Dammit.”

Suck It Up

September 26, 2005 17:25

On days like today, I wish my vacuum cleaner had a “nasal and sinus cavities” attachments. Sinus pressure suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.

Tacky

September 25, 2005 17:25

OMG, y’all. What was up, y’all, is now down. I once again caught the Jerry Springer radio show on Air America. Apparently, his program is some kind of media-commentary thing. He was commenting on the Bush speech given in Louisiana, at night, after Hurricane Katrina. You remember that speech – the backdrop was all lit up? I kid you not… Jerry Springer called that speech “tacky.”

Jerry Springer.

Called a speech “tacky.”

…

Let he who is without a history of having the MOST classless television program in the HISTORY of TV cast the first stone.

Not only that, but he has got to be THE least effective radio host, ever. He seems almost incapable of completing a thought or a sentence. His poor guests are forever prompting him, finishing his sentences/thoughts, and otherwise picking up his slack. It’s just sad.

Battle of the Bulge

September 25, 2005 16:26

I was at an all-day crop yesterday. I wore one of my biggest pair of non-maternity jeans, and STILL spent all day buttoning/unbuttoning when I got up and sat down, rearranging the crop area, and otherwise fighting my clothing. I fear, friends and neighbors, that it is time to slip into the maternity clothes for the long haul. Which probably means I’m going to have to shell out more for maternity pants, since I have only two pair. MUST they gouge women so badly who are both tall AND pregnant? I mean, I know it’s some extra fabric, but not THAT much, for heaven’s sake!

Ultrasound

September 22, 2005 20:17

It’s 5PM and we JUST got home. We were late getting to our doctor’s appointment, so we were late getting out, yadda yadda yadda. Anyway, I won’t draw this out: we don’t know conclusively what the baby is. Both the doctor and I thought we saw… something. But neither of us is 100% (or even 80%) sure. So… another month, we’ll have another ultrasound. sigh

I did get some super-cute ultrasound pictures, though.

First, the big ol’ head:

Spine

Foot

Face

Close-up of Face

So… better luck next time. :/

Update: Otherwise, everything’s fine. Blood pressure was 124/66, weight was up a pound and a half. Nothing remarkable.

Room Progress

September 21, 2005 20:21

OK, so it’s probably going to take more than 2 days to do the basecoat painting. OF COURSE. If I were a NORMAL human being, with a NORMAL body, I could easily do this job in 2 days. But NOOOOOOO. I’m NOT a normal person. I’m a PREGNANT person, with LOOSE JOINTS, and a BAD BACK, and DIZZY SPELLS. And after only one coat of primer on the four walls – nothing yet in the closet or the ceiling – I’m already having back pains and have to stop for the day.

This is so frustrating!!!! I want this job OVER AND DONE WITH. I know exactly what needs to be done, and in what order, but I can’t get my damned body to cooperate! It’s so, very, utterly NOT FAIR.

Ugh.

OB appointment tomorrow, hopefully with a gender-identifying ultrasound. Maybe THAT would put me in a better mood. Bah.

Ronnie

September 20, 2005 20:22

I’m a pretty reflective person, I think. I’m often consumed with thoughts of things from my past – what went right, and (more often) what went wrong. In one sense, I have a lot of regrets – things that I now know were stupid actions/inactions on my part. On the other hand, I know that if I changed any one thing about my past, I wouldn’t have the wonderful present and future that I do right now. Still doesn’t stop me from mentally kicking myself in the ass from time to time, though. ;)

So last night – on the long, boring drive home from Spokane – I decided I’d turn it around. I thought about what was the single decision I’m most glad I DIDN’T fuck up? Aside from the obvious, of course – taking the leap into love and marriage with SexyHusband.

When I was fifteen, I was dumped by a guy named Michael. He worked (still works, in fact) with my mom. He was a couple years older than me, a few rungs up the economic ladder, and a bit of a snob. Still, I was attracted to him, because a) he had a new truck (Hey! I was 15!); b) he was taller than me; c) he had disposable income and could take me places; and d) he had a cocky self-assurance that I’ve always been attracted to. We dated for a couple of months, then he dumped me. Unceremoniously. I felt VERY bad about myself, and did the usual teenage-girl-thing of wondering if I wasn’t good/smart/pretty/sexy/whatever enough.

Shortly after that, Ronnie came into the picture. He had graduated from Spruce High School the year before I transferred there. I was introduced by a mutual friend. Ronnie, like Michael, was a couple of years older, tall, blonde, and gainfully employed. In fact, he was a self-employed general contractor. The first day we met, he took me out for an early dinner, then over to the mall. He strolled into Gordon’s Jewelry Store, and told me I had to pick something. I protested, saying I had just met him, and he didn’t have to buy me anything. We went back and forth like that for awhile, until he finally told me that if I didn’t pick something, he would. And it wouldn’t be cheap. So I settled on the second-cheapest thing in the store, a little gold ring with a heart shape on it, and a little diamond chip.

That was the beginning of months of senseless extravagance (and Ronnie’s slavery to debt). Over the course of about nine months, he bought me a ton of jewelry – blue topaz earrings, ruby necklace and earrings, gold earrings, and plenty more. His Christmas presents to me were a diamond tennis bracelet, and a waterbed. He picked me up every night after work or the game (I played volleyball and basketball), and took me to get something to eat. I thought at the time that he was rich – now I know he was just buying on time. It got to the point that I knew all I had to do was express an interest in something – either to him or to my mom – and he would get the hint and get it for me. It was thrilling, at 16.

The “good decision” part came after he took a job at an apartment complex, as the head maintenance man. He finally moved out of his parents’ place, and had an apartment of his own – a two-bedroom. I started spending more and more time there, and we even referred to the spare bedroom as “the baby’s room.” He finally worked up to asking me to marry him and move in with him. It was tempting – my mom had remarried the asshole ex-husband, and I really wanted to get away from him. But I was surrounded by dozens of women and girls I’d grown up with who’d made that choice, and were now saddled with kids, a husband, and no high school diploma. He swore I’d finish school – even promised my mother I would – but finally I told him no – we’d wait until I had graduated.

A few weeks after that, I came to his apartment with my nephew for a visit. Ronnie had this odd habit of extemporaneously writing his thoughts down on yellow legal pads, then leaving them right out in the open. His brother was there, along with his best friend’s wife and new baby. Everybody seemed nervous, and I was too naive to know why. Then I looked at the yellow legal pad. It read, “What am I supposed to do? I love her, but she’s my best friend’s wife.”

That’s as far as I got before I completely blew up. I started cussing him right in front of my baby (he was 2) nephew, calling him every name I could think of. His brother – who always hated me – was laughing, enjoying my fury. The girl sat there clutching her baby in front of her, using it as a shield against… who knew what? I finally snatched my nephew up and stormed out.

A couple of months later, I saw them. I was working at a grocery store, and the three of them (Ronnie, the girl, and the baby) came in to buy formula and diapers. They all looked like hell. God is good.

Air America Lineup

September 18, 2005 20:27

Most of the news I get comes from CNN and Fox News – website and satellite radio, respectively. Occasionally, I decide to take a spin through the dial to see what some of the other stations and programs have going on. Some are entertaining, some are informative, some are just downright stupid.

Today, I flipped over to Air America (my absolute least favorite radio station, period). I heard a new host – one I hadn’t seen in their programming lineup before. Apparently, as an answer to the integrity of personalities like Fox’s Geraldo Rivera, they’ve added…

… wait for it…

…

… Jerry Springer.

Care-a-Lot, Book Review

September 17, 2005 20:28

Nope, this isn’t a book review of a Care-a-Lot book. :) I did post a book review, though, if that’s your “thing.” On a related note, henceforward the baby I am carrying will be known as “Tummybug.” :)

I’ve been trying to focus more time and attention on redecorating Kayla’s room. She decided she wanted the room to look like Care-A-Lot, where all the Care Bears live. So first step was to take down all of the awful, fake wood paneling. That job is done, and beneath it is a patchwork of some kind of composite wood stuff, with some pieces of drywall (installed with the wrong side facing out) interspersed over the areas where structural changes were made.

To do this job right, I would take down all that crap, install new insulation and drywall, then do the mudding, painting, and mural. But I’m already 18 1/2 weeks pregnant, and haven’t the time or energy for that. So for now, I’m just patching the walls as best I can, then I’ll try to use elements of the mural and pieces of furniture to hide the worst areas. Then in a few years, when she outgrows Care Bears, I’ll do it right. Then plan is to use today to finish all of the mudding and taping (a very messy – but satisfying – job), then tomorrow to pull out the old carpet and pad. Monday, I’ll drive up to Spokane (Margi, wanna have lunch?) to get my oil changed and purchase new paint and primer.

Kayla REALLY needs to have her own room. She needs a place she can escape from her brothers, and a place to store all the toys she isn’t ready or willing to share. The rule in our home is that if a toy is in the “common” area, then it has to be shared with all of the children. Kayla is starting to have special toys she doesn’t want to share, or things she wants to do (like coloring) without interference from Thomas, but she doesn’t yet have an area of her own to do that. So I’m doing my best to remedy that.

The good news is that after the taping, the rest of the job should go relatively quickly. I think I can prime and paint in a couple of days. The mural will take the longest – probably a week or two. Then there’s just floor sealing, carpet installation, trim, and little touches like outlet covers then she can move in.

The wild card is the window. She has one window that really should be replaced. That’s a job I’ve never done before, but I think I’m going to have to figure it out. That’s another thing I’ll be looking for at Home Depot on Monday, since I should do that before the painting.

Extraction Delayed

September 16, 2005 20:30

I saw the dentist. He agreed the tooth (all my wisdom teeth, in fact, but especially a particular one) should come out, but he won’t do a wisdom tooth extraction without an X-ray. There’s no way I’m going to have an X-ray during my second trimester, so he suggested we just “baby it along” until the baby is born. Then I’ll likely have all four removed at once, while Mike sits in the waiting room with the newborn praying it doesn’t wake up hungry. :)

So, immediate crisis averted, but this poses new challenges. Now I not only am trying to eat lower-sodium, but I have to avoid anything that is too hard, crunchy, or chewy. Joy. There’s always grits, right?

Tooth Extraction

September 16, 2005 19:30

I have a dentist appointment today, possibly to extract a tooth. I HAAAAAAAAAAAATE going to the dentist. :(

Drawing a line

September 15, 2005 20:38

I love scrapbooking, and I love looking at all kinds of layouts. Even those whose subject or style I will never use. But ya know… I really have to draw the line at layouts of stillborn births. I’m sure they bring comfort and healing to the parents, but right now… s’just not prudent.

Quote of the Day

September 10, 2005 20:39

We have to start thinking of America as a family. We have to stop screeching at each other, stop hurting each other, and instead start caring for, sacrificing for, and sharing with each other. We have to stop constantly criticizing, which is the way of the malcontent, and instead get back to the can-do attitude that made America. We have to keep trying, and risk failing, in order to solve this country’s problems. We cannot move forward if cynics and critics swoop down and pick apart anything that goes wrong to a point where we lose sight of what is right, decent, and uniquely good about America.

This is a quote from Colin Powell, in his autobiography My American Journey. For a review, check out my Book Reviews.

Fat Ass

September 07, 2005 20:40

I normally don’t go in for this kind of thing, but this one genuinely made me laugh out loud. Just bear in mind – no offense is intended. :)

WOMEN’S ASS SIZE STUDY

There is a new study out about women and how they feel about their asses!

I thought the results were pretty interesting:
85% of women think their ass is too fat…
10% of women think their ass is too skinny…

The other 5% say that they don’t care, they love him, he’s a good man, and they would have married him anyway.

Swoll like a tick

September 06, 2005 20:41

It always happens overnight, like a pimple erupting. One day, it’s not there. Then suddenly, without any advance warning, it is. The Belly.

I started showing today. I say “today” because although we went into town yesterday to run errands, and I was wearing much the same thing as I was today, nobody made a comment. A couple of people who already knew that I was pregnant asked how I was feeling. I told someone yesterday who hadn’t known I was pregnant about our impending addition, and they seemed appropriately surprised.

But tonight, at the Mexican restaurant, the very sweet checkout lady asked whether “the baby” was a boy or a girl. I was only accompanied by Adam and Kayla, and she gestured at my tummy. I hadn’t spoken a word about being pregnant at dinner, and I didn’t know this woman well enough for her to have heard through the grapevine. So she could just tell by looking at me.

So that’s it. I’ve “popped.” I haven’t gained any weight, overall. My clothes still fit reasonably well, though I sometimes unbutton my jeans if I’m sitting down for awhile. I haven’t gone anywhere near my pregnancy clothes – not that I have any appropriate for the approaching cooler weather – but apparently I now have enough of a distinct pooch for people to just know.

sigh

You're Gonna Be

September 05, 2005 20:42

Reba is – and has been for twenty years – the best story-teller in country music, maybe in ALL music. That twangy voice of hers just pulls at your heart strings. Her latest single – You’re Gonna Be – speaks directly to me (and, I suspect, to many others). Lyrics below. Warning, Margi – this one will bring on the waterworks. Get a tissue first.

No, really. Go get one. I’ll wait. ;)
_~
You’re Gonna Be
by Reba McEntire
_~
6lbs and 9oz. lookin’ up at me
Like I have all the answers
I hope I have the ones you need
I’ve never really done this, now I know what scared is

Sometimes I’ll protect you from everything that’s wrong
Other times I’ll let you just find out on your own
But that’s when you’ll be growin’,
And the whole time I’ll be knowin

CHORUS:
You’re gonna fly with every dream you chase
You’re gonna cry, but know that that’s okay
Sometimes life’s not fair, but if you hang in there
You’re gonna see that sometimes bad is good
We just have to believe things work out like they should
Life has no guarantees, but always loved by me
You’re gonna be

I’m afraid you’ll have to suffer through
some of my mistakes
Lord knows I’ll be trying to give you what it takes
What it takes to know the difference
Between getting by and livin’

‘Cause anything worth doing is worth doing all the way
Just know you’ll have to live with all
the choices that you make
So make sure you’re always givin’ way
more than you’re takin’

REPEAT CHORUS

Someone’s everything
You’re gonna see
Just what you are to me

You’re gonna fly with every dream you chase
We just have to believe things work out like they should
Life has no guarantees, but always loved by me
You’re gonna be
Always loved by me

Archives Moved

September 05, 2005 19:43

Woof. Well, the massive job of more or less manually moving over all the archives from over two years of blogging is now completed. Unfortunately, all comments are lost – I just can’t take the time to manually insert those as well. There are also a few other changes – things that were in extended entries now aren’t. Some photos and links were lost, and most of the older intra-blog references became inaccurate almost a year ago, when I switched to WordPress.

Hopefully, having the blog/journal here, more directly under my control, will make maintenance easier. We’re using a home-rolled comment system and can tweak that a little as time goes by, to exclude comments when necessary. I still have some work to do on the stylesheet to make the blog a little prettier, and may eventually go through and make the merged “2frogs” and “Note-It Posts” entries look a little more coherent, but that’s a very, very low priority right now.

What struck me most in bringing over my archives – especially those from a year or more ago – was this: HOW IN THE HELL did I used to have that much time for blogging??? There is no way I could maintain that level of posting now. Between homeschooling two kids almost every day, having three children instead of two, and having added another business, practically all of my time is spoken for. I don’t regret it (much), but this is definitely a different place than it was in, say, October 2003.

Thank you to those who have changed their links to this new site. Now I’m off to go change the DNS record so all traffic to the noteitposts.com domain will come here.

Comments

September 04, 2005 20:43

Sorry about the problems with the commenting system. I made an elementary programming error, and failed to test. Everything should be working now.

And death to the Brazilian assholes who hijacked my template again at the old site. I’ll be changing my DNS just as soon as I get the archives all moved over.

Supreme Court

September 03, 2005 20:44

Chief Justice William Rehnquist has died of thyroid cancer. I am not a Supreme Court scholar, so I am not the one best suited to write a tribute (or not) to the man’s legacy; I will leave that to others. I simply hope for peace and healing for his family.

With that said, be prepared for the hysteria from the Democratic Underground/Air America/MoveOn.org folks to be ratcheted up even more. Because now, it is up to a sitting, conservative, Christian, Republican president to nominate the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice. More “the sky is falling!” paranoia is on the horizon, as the Left’s pet issue – abortion “rights” – may be in real jeopardy. Finally.

Katrina

September 02, 2005 20:50

I know I’ve been keeping notably quiet about Katrina and the people stranded in the gulf coastal area. In part, that’s because I’ve been really busy trying to focus on making my new business a success, but mostly it’s just… what can you say?

I wish that we were in better financial shape to be able to offer more help.
I wish that we were close enough to offer our home to some of those heartbreaking families on the news.
I wish Jesse Jackson, Randall Robinson, and the other usual suspects would stop turning this into a racial issue.
I wish the people of New Orleans, Biloxi, and other coastal towns had heeded the mandatory evacuation notices and gotten out.
I wish the federal government had provided more help, sooner.
I wish the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana had asked for help sooner.

But most of all, I wish those babies had milk. And diapers. And a roof. And a bed to sleep in at night. And both of their parents with them. It is the babies that break my heart the most, because they are the ones that are most truly without a voice, without any means of self-preservation, without any choice. They are the ones most vulnerable.

The ripple effects of this disaster are going to be truly staggering. I can’t even bear to think of it for very long, because of its enormity. Rising gas prices are only the first baby step. Think about doubled food prices because of a combination of supply and transport issues. Think about millions of people both homeless AND jobless. Think about the strain on school systems in the towns and cities accepting refugees. Think of how many people will freeze to death this winter because they can’t (or won’t) pay the huge heating costs that we WILL face. Think of the psychological damage done to so many people – especially children – from seeing scores of dead bodies baking in the sun.

Every day, new ripples emerge. The problem is just too damned big! Honestly, and with no offense to victims of 9/11, Oklahoma City, and other terrorist attacks, but I truly believe that this is the single greatest tragedy that my generation will ever see, and certainly the greatest we have seen to date. Just as the economy was bouncing back, and jobless rates were beginning to pick up, and investment was growing, this happens. Inflation (led by rising gas prices), unemployment, homelessness, strain on social and military services – all these things point to a potentially disastrous winter. And God forbid we suffer a major terrorist attack right now!

Could we see another Great Depression? Quite possibly. Certainly it looks like all signs point to another major recession. And just like 9/11 (a major, far-reaching event beyond any government’s control), this natural disaster is being blamed on the Bush administration by party politicians and those hacks over at Air America. As if Bush himself should have stood in the Gulf and waved Katrina away.

I am very grateful that I am not involved in emergency management, because I would not know where to begin. I feel selfish that I am focusing on work now, rather than organizing and conducting charity auctions like I did after 9/11, and for troops in Afghanistan, and to raise money for Iraqi children to have toys to play with. I feel disloyal and heartless.

But the truth of the matter is, until a man has his own house in order, he cannot reach out to others. And so that’s what I’m trying to do now – trying to get my own house in order, improve my own financial picture, to put me in a position to be of more help the next time there’s a disaster.

AOL Spam Policy - A Rant

August 30, 2005 16:02

I want to go on public record as saying that I FUCKING HATE AOL. Those bastards allow their customers to mark any incoming messages – including those they SIGNED UP FOR – as spam. No problem, right, as long as that designation affects only that customer.

But no. AOL, in their infinite wisdom, takes it a step further. If a certain number of AOL customers mark your messages as spam, then you start getting blocked at the server level. Meaning: NONE of the AOL customers who requested your email can get it. The only way to get out of this AOL black hole is to get added to their “white list,” but for that, you have to agree to include your mailing address AND PHONE NUMBER on EVERY SINGLE EMAIL you send to an AOL account.

Let’s review. I have, as part of QuiltIndex.com, an opt-in database of subscribers for my various mailing lists. They opt in, and they can just as easily opt out. That database is currently at 34,000 records, including 18,000 active subscribers for my largest mailing list. Of that number, 3,200 are AOL/Compuserve (same thing) subscribers. NONE of those people can get my emails anymore, EVEN IF THEY WANT TO. Not only is this costing me roughly $500 in direct income every month, but a not-insignificant-number of my subscribers are pissed off at me for requiring them to change their email addresses to remain eligible for prizes, thinking (wrongly) that I am just picking on them. In addition, I have had to remove approximately 25 quilt shops from my database, because they use AOL addresses exclusively, meaning they wouldn’t get my emails to them, either.

I am not going to put my phone number on every email I send. Too many of my subscribers are of the “old school”, and would not hesitate to call me if they had a question. I work from my home, and I am very prompt about answering email. I don’t require my subscribers to give me their phone numbers, and I don’t care to give them mine. I don’t want to start getting calls all hours of the day and night at my home, especially when I can conduct the entirety of my website’s business through email.

And the real bitch of it is – there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING I can do about this. AOL has no appeals process, other than that damn white list.

In summation, if you are an AOL subscriber, get out. Several of the quilt shops I work with have let me know that they are not getting all of the emails they need. AOL is filtering emails not only from me, but from LOTS of other legitimate mailers. So if you want to get your messages, get a different ISP. Trust me on this.

Archive Restoration

August 26, 2005 16:03

I’ve spent the last couple of days (in between work and whatnot) restoring the archives for 2005 from the old site. While I’ve got 2005 done, 2004 and the latter half of 2003 still await me. But that’s ok; it’ll all get done in time. The only month I’m REALLY worried about is October of last year. (Update: November was no big picnic, either.) I was a blogging fiend in the run-up to the election! As ever, if you see something broken, please let me know.

Right now, the site is very “brown wrapper” plain. I might change that in the future, if I find time, but content will be the priority. Sue me; I’m not a graphics artist. Anywho, other changes you’ll notice is that I don’t yet have comments installed here (they’re coming, eventually). Also, old links to specific posts won’t work with the new site, so instead I’ve linked them to that month’s page, with a reference to the date’s entry. I will most likely eventually have permalinks (of some sort) here, but again: not a priority.

This new site won’t have a blogroll. I don’t read many other blogs anymore, anyway. No offense intended to anyone – just a matter of supply and demand, with time being the commodity.

And in other WordPress news, yesterday a spammer managed to post three comment spams on posts that do not exist. Those bastards get craftier and craftier all the time. All the more reason for me to pull the plug on the whole damn thing.

I’ve noticed in reading some of my old blog entries, that on some days I really am a raving she-bitch! I don’t know how (or why) SexyHusband continues to put up with me, but I’m ever-so-grateful he does. :)

I’ve been doing some scrapbooking lately, and will scan and post pictures once I get a chance. I’ve also started the work on Kayla’s room (dubbed “Care-a-lot”, since she wants it decorated in Care Bears). To whit, I’ve started ripping down the ugly blue wall paneling, revealing the horrors beneath. I’m going to get it all down before I decide exactly what to do, but at the very least I’ll need to get creative.

Guess that’s about it for now. Back to the joy of HTML markup. :)

Plug-Pulling

August 24, 2005 16:05

I’m just about at the same point Margi was when she said:

This is one of the reasons I will probably give up blogging when the baby comes, if not sooner. If it’s not a new tweak to keep the spammers at bay, it’s a “security exploit” that causes me 12 hours of installation time.

Blogging has become a drag. Between the comment spammers forcing me to spend hours closing comments, my ISP changing servers on me (without providing me new information for accessing my Control Panel), new vulnerabilities that make me spend either time or money upgrading, and fact that my ISP switched to an all-forum tech support method (as opposed to the direct-email system they used when I signed up), I’m fed up. WordPress blogging software is simply not THAT much more convenient over plain ol’ HTML.

Some of you probably know that before I wrote here at Note-It Posts, I had another home, over at a site called 2Frogs. I quit journaling over there for good last year, when it got too tedious to blog both here and there. But that site has been around since December 98, long before blogging was a fashionable trend. It might not be as pretty, or searchable, or as categorized, as WordPress, but dammit, the upkeep is WAY easier.

So I’m going back. I’m going to spend the next several days porting my old entries over into an archive of their own (HTML only; I’m a busy girl), and will resume my blogging over there. It will be mostly journal, I expect, just like it has been here. But I’m going to do my linky commentary and political observations over there, too (which is something I didn’t do before).

If you liked reading me, and you want to keep up with what I’m doing/thinking, please change your links/bookmarks to the new address. Once the archives have been ported over, I’m going to redirect the noteitposts.com domain name to that site.

I expect to continue to have comments there, but using a home-rolled, hubby-designed system, as opposed to WordPress’ innate comments. Thank you for your patience while I work on getting everything moved over.

Ultrasound Results

August 23, 2005 16:09

I’ll be 15 weeks tomorrow. We went in for another OB checkup today, including another ultrasound. Babycenter.com said we might be able to tell the sex at this gestational age, so we were hopeful. Blood pressure is normal (136/70), I’ve lost 4 pounds this month, pulse and urine are all normal, so we were good to go for the u/s.

What did we find? Well, this kid is a happy, healthy, VERY wiggly, acrobatic…

baby. It was moving SO much we couldn’t begin to get a good femur measurement, much less a good genital shot. But it was still fun to see him/her moving around in there, doing little baby aerobics. It looked to be lying tummy-down, lengthwise in my uterus. It pressed its little feet against one side of the uterus, propelling itself over to the other side, where it bumped its head against the opposite wall of the uterus. Over and over and over again. The doctor teased me, asking what I ate before I came in (implying I’d hyped the kid up on sugar).

You can bet that next time, I’ll eat nothing but bland, low-sugar stuff, so maybe the little thing will sit still long enough for a sonogramic peep show. ;)
8/21/2005

Second Trimester

August 21, 2005 16:10

Last night, while I was failing miserably at trying to fall asleep, I finally felt it – the quickening. There is really nothing so magical as those first little fluttering movements, those tiny, frantic kicks made by this tiny little person. I can only really feel it when I’m lying almost on my stomach (balanced on a hip and a knee), but it was unmistakable. I woke Mike up so he could be in on this development.

Then today, as I sit here working, I feel that telltale tug on my lower abdomen that means that my uterus – slowly but relentlessly – is shoving everything aside to make room for the growth of our newest little gift.

This is my fourth pregnancy in five years. You’d think I’d be a jaded “old hat", and I must admit to being less engrossed in this pregnancy than the first, but the wonder of my body’s ability to make a whole person never ceases to amaze me. I’m stunned that it knows how to do this, how to accommodate a person and not kill me in the process. It is (mostly) a joy, and always a miracle.

Of course, this also means the GreatEver-expandingBellyOfDoom is on the horizon, too, but that’s ok. Just means I need to get the remodeling on Kayla’s room done. Now. While I can still see the damn floor!

Streetwalker

August 18, 2005 16:12

Kayla was playing dress-up this evening. She got as far as two mis-matched glittery shoes, a purse with a too-long string slung around her neck, and a glittery skirt around her waist.

Me: Daddy, look! Kayla’s playing dress up! She looks a little like a streetwalker.
Kayla: Yeah! I look like a streetwalker!
Adam: I want to dress up like a streetwalker, too!
Kayla: You can’t, cuz there aren’t any more streetwalker clothes.
Mike: Thanks, Mom.

Splash of Color

August 15, 2005 16:14

These are the flowers I got for my birthday from my friend and business partner. Thanks, Rusty!

Quote of the Day

August 15, 2005 16:13

From the non-blogging Mike: “And anyway, we need to find some other Muslim country and set them up the bomb… $2.76 a gallon..fucking killing me. We must need more blood…cause we sure need more oil.”

Homeschool Confusion

August 12, 2005 16:15

In Adam’s history lessons, we’re talking about Plymouth colony. Today he got a new unit about “building a village.” Part of the accompanying story went thusly:

Everybody went to the meetinghouse on Sundays for two church services. The preacher read from the Bible and gave a sermon.

As we are heathen, church-shunning folk, I knew this would go completely over his head (the concepts, not the words), so I decided to pause to have a little impromptu lesson about religion.

Me: Do you know what church is?
Adam: He’s the one who tells the news in Plymouth.
Me: No, that’s the town crier. Church is the place that people go to pray. Do you know what pray means?
Adam: It means an animal eats a different animal.
Me: (falls out of chair laughing…)

So then we got to have another little impromptu lesson about homonyms.

Ain’t homeschooling grand?

Pleasant Surprises

August 11, 2005 16:17

I was all set to have a crappy birthday. I had some plans that I made a couple of weeks ago, which I had to cancel at the last minute. Nobody’s fault, just the planets didn’t line up right or something. So I was looking at a day at home, rather than a day going out doing fun stuff. I know, I know – selfish, but isn’t that what having a birthday is all about??

But much to my surprise, I had a great birthday! This, despite getting a pinched nerve in my shoulder early in the morning. I had to spend a good portion of the day in bed, on pain medication and reading. That turned out not to be a bad thing, though, since I got to catch up on some sleep and finished a book I’ve been working at for a little while. I got some great gifts from wonderful people (including binoculars, birdwatching books, cash, and gift certificates), and the phone rang all day long with people wishing me a happy birthday! I got emails or phone calls from mom, dad, mom & dad (Mike’s folks), my sister, best-friend-since-4-years-old, niece, and many, many friends. I felt very special, loved, and thought-about.

I had apple pie a la mode for my “birthday cake", and jambalaya for dinner (per my request).

Thank you to everyone who wished me well here, and/or sent emails or made calls. You helped make a great day for me. :)

New Rule?

August 09, 2005 16:18

I think you should be allowed to open your presents the night before your birthday, so you can enjoy them the whole day OF your birthday.

I’m just sayin’.

Can't have...

August 03, 2005 16:19

May I please just share with you how I am absolutely craving – to the point of fixation – chili cheese fries from A&W? And how I can NOT have them, because they have, like, a WEEK’S worth of allowed sodium at a time when I need to be eating low-salt?

And how much this state of affairs truly sucks?

Just sayin’.

Google Fun - a recurring theme

July 31, 2005 21:57

I am the number one Google hit for “cute little penis.” Here’s why (February 25th entry).

Bigger...

July 31, 2005 19:02

Yesterday, my beautiful girl had her 3rd birthday party, at Ye Olde Chuck E Cheese. I haven’t been to a Chuck E Cheese since my nephews were having their birthday parties there (the youngest is almost 13 now). They’re still just as garish and gaudy as ever, God bless them. All of the kids seemed to have a great time, each in their own ways, until they started getting overtired and fussy.

I couldn’t help crying when they got to the Happy Birthday song. I know she’s only three, but my God! She’s already blossoming into this…. person! How in the hell did this happen? Isn’t she still this baby?

Or maybe this one-year-old?

Or at least this two-year-old?

She almost doesn’t seem like the same person. Every time I turn around, she’s learning something new, or being gentle and loving in some new way. She’s a very “girly” girl, which both puzzles and pleases me. And on the way out of the parking lot, guess what song came on. Somebody’s Hero, by Jamie O’Neal. That song is hell on a pregnant mommy, I gotta tell you.

More birthday pictures in the extended entry.

Hiring: A live-in nanny/maid/cook

July 28, 2005 22:12

My house is an utter disaster (except the new room; I’m HARDCORE MILITANT about keeping that room clean).

My dishes are nowhere near caught up.

Ditto the laundry.

Vacuum? What vacuum?

Kids’ chores? Not even mentioned this week.

Scrapbooking? falls off chair laughing

“Work” work? More behind than I care to admit publicly.

And guess what. Tomorrow is Kayla’s birthday, and the day after THAT is her party. Meaning: Saturday will be utterly useless for getting anything done, since we’ll be in Spokane all day, and tomorrow I need to make AND decorate her cake.

I can’t afford to pay anybody, but I could reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally use a houseboy right about now. Any takers?

The deed is done

July 25, 2005 22:13

The reconstruction project is FINISHED. We have been sleeping in the new room for two nights now, and everything’s going great. I will be adding touches to it for some time (it needs curtains, and shelves, and a couple more outlet covers) but for all intents and purposes, I’m done.

As promised, pictures!

The hallway side of the new wall, with ceiling-to-almost-floor bookshelves.

The room side of the new wall.

The door to the bathroom, and the new track lighting and ceiling.

Kiddos, enjoying the new room.

New Blog

July 14, 2005 22:20

When I first started blogging, I did a lot of cross-blog linking. Frankly, I think that sort of thing was my “best stuff.” I devoted a lot of time to reading and researching what other people said, and helping to spread the word on things that were particularly poignant.

As time went on, I had to invest my meager time resources in other directions (like work and family) and I only read 4 or 5 blogs anymore, on a regular basis. So usually, when I get link exchange requests, I just ditch them without responding.

But Wesley of Independent Sources had a different approach. He didn’t just send me some generic “come-on” that he’d sent to 50 other bloggers – he actually had taken the time to read some of my site, figuring out who I am and what matters to me. His email was personable, funny, and (maybe most important of all) grammatically correct and free of spelling mistakes! So I took a look.

And Independent Sources is a great site! Granted, the abundance of Google Ad Words gets a little annoying after awhile, but I’m sure that with enough time reading over there I’d just sort of not notice them anymore. And even if I did, the content is so worth it. They have a wide range of insightful, original thoughts on a variety of different topics. They aren’t over-the-top or “shillish” (to coin a phrase), but they do call it like they see it.

I’m impressed. I’ll be reading.

The Bionic Incubator

July 14, 2005 21:24

Ever wonder why women get a little emotional when they get pregnant? Well, basically, it’s because our bodies go through a few hormonal changes which is the biological equivalent of converting yourself from a cardboard shoebox to a NASA space shuttle, and back, all in the space of about 42 weeks.

If men experienced an increase of testosterone by a factor of one thousand, they’d be a wee bit testy, too.

Ain't no WHAT???

July 14, 2005 18:31

It’s official. I’m an old fogey. I still listen to new music – rap and hiphop, dance, and new country – but more and more the top 40’s music makes absolutely no sense to me. Case in point: Gwen Stefani’s “Ain’t No Hollaback Girl.”

What. The. Fuck…. is a “hollaback girl”?

I finally couldn’t take it any more, so I asked ~~Jeeves~~ Google, and this is what I found.

A few times I’ve been around that track
So it’s not just gonna happen like that
Cause I ain’t no hollaback girl
I ain’t no hollaback girl

Gwen is apparently the captain of the cheerleader squad; she is the girl who “hollas” the chants, not one of the girls who simply “hollas” them back. Given that the squad is preparing to beat somebody up on Gwen’s behalf, she’s picked a strange time to remind them that she is their leader and they are her sheep-like followers. Gwen obviously rules her squad with an iron fist.

But there’s more! This song had way more depth than I first realized.

Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out

Gwen is going to beat up the person who wronged her, after she completes the cheerleading routine that will inspire the football team to score a touchdown. Gwen has interesting priorities.

Who knew?

Sadness

July 07, 2005 22:34

May God protect and preserve the suffering people of London in their hour of tragedy. And may the cowardly terrorists find no quarter from those nations sacrificing to rout them out and dispose of them.

Heaven help us all.

Cravings

July 06, 2005 22:35

Things I’m Craving:

* Chicken Korma (so much so that a trip to Spokane may be in order)
* Enormous baked potatoes, stuffed with cheese, sour cream, and butter
* Rice, rice, and more rice
* Pizza
* French bread, with lots of garlic butter
* Lasagna. Mmmmm, lasagna…
* Fried vegetables – cauliflower, squash, okra, zucchini
* Mashed potatoes, with lots of butter
* The buns they make sandwiches from at Schlotzsky’s

Things I’m Not:

* Pickles
* Roasted pork
* Stir fry
* Sugar
* Yogurt
* Green beans
* Pineapple
* Strawberries
* Hot dogs and corn dogs
* Roast beef

Guess who’s a carbs girl? ;)

Shut. Up.

July 01, 2005 22:36

I know I’ve beaten this horse before, but… what IS it about pregnancy that makes people so stupid!?

Today I told a couple of new friends that I was pregnant, and one actually (I swear to God, I’m not making this up) said, “Oh, God, you make me nauseous!”

Seems she’s been “trying” to get pregnant for two years, and hasn’t gotten there yet. Now, mind, she hasn’t been doing any of the actual checking for signs of ovulation, or charting her schedule, or losing any weight (I’m not going to elaborate; I’m trying hard here to be kind) so her periods will be more regular, but yet I make her nauseous.

I was so stunned by what she said, I couldn’t even reply. My jaw dropped open and my mind went completely blank. I mean… what do you SAY??

“It’s mutual”?

Update

June 30, 2005 17:28

Not too much of note has been going on around here. I’ve been busy trying to wrap up the Quilter’s Mall Crawl, and tending to other things (including adding a business partner!). I completely overlooked my 2-year blogiversary (it was yesterday). Feel free to drink a beverage of your choice in celebration. Or not. Whatever works.

We had our first OB checkup nearly a week ago. I had a sonogram. Of course, as I was only about 6 weeks along, there wasn’t much to see. You couldn’t make out any “baby parts” at all, but the doctor did pick up an “embryonic disk,” so we at least confirmed that the pregnancy is not ectopic (yay!), and that it’s not in a bad part of the uterus. My doctor is a big ultrasound person* (and so are we) so hopefully we’ll get lots of glimpses of this little one as things move along. I go back again in another month for another checkup.

That’s about it – just wanted to catch folks up on the goings-on in these parts.

* Please don’t email or comment about how horribly unsafe ultrasounds are – there has been no credible evidence of that, and it just pisses me off when people try to scare expectant moms unnecessarily.

Fun With Google

June 24, 2005 17:32

Someone just found me after a search for “ample ass.” I am happy to report that you are DEFINITELY in the right place.

Way more so than all those people searching for “little penis.”

Carnival of the Recipes

June 23, 2005 17:32

DRINKS

Blackberry Summer Dream – This is a sort of coffee smoothie, compliments of Audrey. Includes a photo of the finished product, which is good enough to… well… drink!

Mesa Grill Margarita – A great cook-out drink, though you probably want to dip the rim into the salt BEFORE you pour the tequila into the glass. ;)

Baby Formula Fruit Smoothies – A way to make nasty-tasting formula more palatable to the younger set! Not to mention you get to expose them to kiwi early on – win/win!

SOUPS AND SALADS

Cucumber Salad – Summer is upon us, and this cucumber salad sounds like it would go great with a glass of iced lemonade and a crust of bread. Yum!

Meat and Veggie Soup – A total, typical “dad” meal, so the kidlets are guaranteed to gobble it up.

Rice Salad for Twelve and Barley Chicken Salad for Ten – Two hearty salads, each suitable for a meal all on its own. At least one of these is bound to hit the spot!

Red Onion Cilantro Salsa – Grab those tortilla chips! No tomatoes in this salsa, so be ready for it to have a little “bite” to it.

A Summer Minestrone – This tasty soup from Aeryk is heavy on the fresh veggies for those with summer gardens.

BREADS AND SANDWICHES

Limburger Cheese Sandwich – I’m not really much for stinky cheese, but just the way the “Mostly Cajun” tells this, has me curious to try.

MOMCAB Mufflets – Gosh these sound good! Fruity, “mufflets” (miniature muffins) made with mandarin oranges and maraschino cherries. Tea, anyone?

PASTA DISHES

Pasta Pollo Tricolore – An Italian recipe from a Hungarian living in Texas – talk about international!! This one sounds very quick and yummy, even if I don’t know what Pecorino cheese is.

Hot Italian Sausage and Tomato Pasta – This one from Shawn sounds healthy (if you use reasonable sausage), easy, and tasty. And I must admit, my x-rated mind was hooked at “4 hot Italian sausages.”

Simply Pasta with Lemon & Basil – This dish makes the case for fresh herbs, and I agree with them: if you can find the space for a pot of oregano, thyme, basil, or mint, please do! You’ll thank me later.

BBQ Chicken Pizza – Michele offers a quick and easy recipe, with toppings more sweet than salty.

Cheeseburger Macaroni – Mmmm, cheesy mac! I gotta say, though, there are LOTS of great uses for Velveeta, in addition to this one. :)

Oniony Ramen Noodles – Two words: bachelor food.

OTHER

Mushroom Gravy – I’m a Southern girl, so a good gravy recipe – this one uses mushrooms, red wine, beef base, and more – always gets my attention!

Mom’s Party Cheese Ball – There is no better appetizer than a really good cheeseball. Don’t forget the wheat thins!

ENTREES

Fried Chicken Breasts – Karen takes a relatively simple recipe, and adds a great marinade plus really thorough frying directions to make this one a winner. The reheating directions are something I’ve never tried, but they make sense!

Pot Roasted Chicken – Another chicken recipe from Karen. We just got a dutch oven for our anniversary, so I’ll be sharing this one with hubby!

Salmon Patties – A simple, wholesome recipe that is a hit with all ages. Even my kids will eat salmon patties!

Taco Rice – Sissy says she can’t cook much, but this relatively dish sounds quite tasty, and simple to boot.

Drunken Chicken Suppositories – Really, not NEARLY as gross as the title sounds – this is basically a beer-basted roast chicken. But Mean Ol’ Meany makes it better that I just described it.

Chili and Cornbread – The Texan in me balks at calling something “chili” which includes beans (and “omit the meat"? What?), but Taleena saves it with the habanero peppers. Great for cookouts!

New Orleans Style Jambalaya – My hubby usually makes jambalaya with shrimp and sausage, but this version (which uses chicken instead of shrimp) sounds quite tasty. Plus you get to shout “BAM!” – what’s better than that?

Sushi Salsa Ceviche – Brian offers a no-cook seafood salad, using a chemical reaction in the food (instead of heat) to cook the fish. Fascinating!

Arroz Con Pollo With Apples – A variation on the traditional chicken-and-rice dish, it seems the apples would add a delicious subtle sweetness to offset the usual savory flavor.

Laulau – This Hawaiian dish from gEye requires a lot of work, and even more time, but if you have guests that you want to impress, this is definitely one way to do it.

Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms – If this thing tastes half as good as it sounds, it’s well worth the work.

Quickest Chicken Dinner Ever – This is like a mini-Thanksgiving, all in one dish! And I love the recipes that have pictures accompanying them.

SMOKIN!

Asian-Influenced Beef Jerky and Mexican Eggs with Beef Jerky – This is two recipes in one post. First Kevin tells you how to make homemade Asian-inspired beef jerky, then he tells you how to make an omelet with it!

Mike’s Pulled Pork – I’ve heard more than a little about this damned pork, so it should be good! I don’t know that I have the patience to wait 16 hours to cook something, but I hear it’s worth it.

DESSERTS

Easiest Cake Recipe – muse has a kind of a cake “pattern” that you can adapt to all sorts of flavors.

Chocolate and Guinness Brownies – Posted by ArmyWife in honor of Blackfive’s Second Blogiversary, these yummy chocolatey brownies are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Variety Pie – A Weight Watchers recipe that sounds like it WON’T suck! I might even try this one myself – it’s virtually idiot-proof!

Cookies Without A Name – Oh. My. Goodness. These sound so decadent, you may as well just skip the whole “baking and eating” part and just smear the batter right onto your thighs. But what fun would that be?

Bourbon Whiskey Cake – When I bake this thing for my dad, he’s going to sign over the deed to the farm to me and rename his firstborn after me. :)

Hummingbird Cake – A fruity cake with nutty cream cheese frosting. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven!

Who's Up For Soup

June 22, 2005 07:18

From BabyCenter:

This week, your baby is about the size of a small lentil bean. Her brain, muscles, and bones are beginning to take shape. Her hands and feet resemble little paddles, with thick webbing still in place between her developing fingers and toes. And her tiny heart has begun beating. Though you probably won’t actually feel anything for another ten weeks or so, she’s about to make her very first movements.

We live in the Palouse. The lentil bean reference is pretty appropriate, since this is the lentil capital of the world. But have you ever seen a lentil? It’s TINY.

So my question to you is this: how in the world can something only 1/4″ across make me so friggin tired?? I mean, don’t get me wrong – I am EVER grateful to the PTB that I am not (yet?) having the crippling waves of nausea like I did with my last pregnancy, but still…. by the end of each day I feel like I’ve run a 20K marathon!

Public Service Announcement

June 21, 2005 07:22

A note to clueless people:

Sometimes, you say stupid things. I don’t know whether you are really stupid, or whether you are just thoughtless. Maybe you’re callous.

In the hope that it is not just rank insensitivity and/or stupidity, I am going to offer some suggestions about reacting to news of pregnancy, to avoid your looking quite so stupid in the future.

1) Unless you are the one who is going to have to raise the baby(ies), “Oh, no!” is never an appropriate reaction to news of someone’s pregnancy.
2) Yes. I know where they come from. You are neither clever nor helpful when you ask whether I do. We are not all as stupid as you.
3) No, I’m not “done.” I’m fucking PREGNANT, so clearly I intend to have AT LEAST one more child. Furthermore, it is none of your business how many I/we intend to have.
4) I am six weeks pregnant. I DON’T KNOW what it is yet.
5) I don’t care whether you “stopped at two.” I’m not you, you’re not me – it’s utterly immaterial.

Basically, the rule is this: think before you speak. The following are acceptable reactions to someone’s announcing their pregnancy.

1) That’s great! You’re such awesome parents. What a lucky baby!
2) Oh, wow! I bet big brother/sister is so excited.
3) How’re you feeling? You look great!
4) Have you started thinking of any names yet?
5) I’m so happy for you. I hope everything goes great!

Variations on these are what you want to stick to. Got it? Good.

(PS – Didja know I’m hormonal? K. Just checking.)

Happy Birthday, Son

June 21, 2005 06:23

One year ago today, we added a third child to our family. Thomas Nelson Gunderloy was born at 11:51 AM, and was just one ounce shy of nine pounds. He has been a joy and a wonder ever since, and has a personality utterly distinct from his siblings.

I love you, Monkey-Mine.

Shelves

June 20, 2005 07:26

So far, I’m feeling pretty darned good with this pregnancy. I’ve had some very mild morning sickness, but nothing that sidelined me. I got a prescription of Meclizine filled just in case it gets worse. I’m a little tired, kind of forgetful, but not yet too bad.

I’m using this time – while I can still get things done – to push through on the reconstruction project. After yet another trip to Home Depot today for supplies, I FINALLY got the shelves up on one side of the new wall! I didn’t even get them all in place before Mike was filling them with books. We have thousands of books packed away in cardboard boxes all over the house, and it’s great to see them coming out of boxes and going onto shelves.

What’s left?
* Finishing the ceiling (I ran out of staples)
* Cutting the framing around the window
* Installing the lighting
* Nailing down carpet strips
* Installing carpet pad
* Installing carpet
* Staining trim
* Installing trim
* Last touches – outlet covers, that kind of thing

Getting there!

Bundle Up!

June 20, 2005 06:20

Kayla is a very maternal sort of girl, and one of her great fears is that someone might get cold. Today I saw her in my bedroom with Thomas (he of the one-year-old-birthday fame), gleefully pulling out my underwear from the drawer. They emerged a few moments later, with a pair of my underwear hanging from Thomas’ neck. I took them off and tossed them back into the bedroom, admonishing him gently that, “We don’t wear underwear on our neck, silly boy!”

Kayla squealed in protest. “Hey! I was using dat for a coat for my baby brudder, so he could pay in da snow!”

Hosting the Carnival

June 20, 2005 05:20

This week, I’m going to be hosting the Carnival of the Recipes! I know, I know….. the one woman who cooks the LEAST of all women on the Internet. But maybe hosting the ‘val will help inspire me! Anyway, I’d really like to make this a “big’un", so all you guys and girls out there who have a recipe to share, please do! ~~You can email it to recipe.carnival@gmail.com.~~ Please post the recipe to your blog, then send the link to it to recipe.carnival@gmail.com. The list goes up on Friday, so if you could get it in before Thursday, that would be great!

Life Update

June 16, 2005 07:28

I’m afraid I’ve been pretty remiss in giving updates about things around here – so sorry about that! Well, let’s see… what’s been going on here at Casa Del Dana?

Reconstruction project: The wall is up, and the painting of the wall and the rest of the new bedroom is done. The door has been stained and hung. The tiny strip of ceiling in the hallway that had been exposed is now neatly covered with ceiling tiles. Today I re-attached a piece of ugly wall paneling to the hallway (whose base walls are even uglier), and trimmed the carpet to fit the space. Previously, it had just kind of lopped against the new wall. I did a pretty thorough vacuuming in the new hallway (you DON’T want to know), and cleared out a bunch of junk so it actually looks like a hallway now. Tomorrow I’m going into town to buy some trim and shelving to finish the hallway. Mike’s going to start unboxing books onto the new shelves while I finish up the bedroom itself. It still needs ceiling tiles, a floor, and trim (plus a few little odds and ends) but is nearing completion.

Potty training: I gave up. She had a little success yesterday, but today was fighting me at every attempt to even get her to sit. I’m not going to have an hourly contest of wills with my daughter. We’ll try again in a few months.

New minivan: We finally did it! We finally broke down and purchased a brand new Honda Odyssey EXL (with leather interior). It is beautiful, roomy, handles like a dream, and smells like Heaven. It now has just about 600 miles on it. I love it.

Miscellania: The weather is still really weird. It’s warming a bit, but we are still having intermittent showers, lots of clouds, and too much wind. I still watch the birds all throughout the day, and am getting pretty adept at identifying most of the regulars. I’ve been scrapbooking when I can find the time, and am still as in love with the craft as ever.

Oh, yeah. And I’m pregnant.

In fact, Margi and I are due within less than one week of each other, and we both found out on the same day (yesterday) we were “with child.” I am really excited to have a nearby friend pregnant along with me, and we’re already shopping for double strollers. ;)

Stolen!

June 16, 2005 06:31

Found in my local paper today:

“Pastry Grabbers Face Jail”

Two 19-year-olds who admitted breaking a window at the Friendly Mart in Steptoe and taking pastries were sentenced to two days in jail and ordered to pay $1,610 in fines and fees including $500 in restitution to Wayne Kinsinger, the store’s owner.

Tyler MacDonald, Cheney, and Jennifer Burlingame, Kennewick, Friday admitted charges of third degree theft and malicious mischief, which was amended from an original charge of burglary.

The two were apprehended through video surveillance tapes at the store. They were in an extended cab Chevrolet truck which came into the Mart shortly after 1 a.m. last Nov. 21. The cameras observed occupants of the truck going around a corner from the fuel pumps to the side of the mart where the window was broken.

One of the occupants dropped a pastry before they drove off. Identity of the truck occupants was traced through the charge card which was used to purchase the gas at the same time.

So you see, it’s not that we don’t have criminals here, we just don’t have smart criminals.

Kill me, please

June 15, 2005 07:32

Pottytraining is the most Sisyphusian exercise I have EVER engaged in. I am SICK SICK SICK of saying, “Go to the bathroom. Take the wet pants off. Put them in the diaper pail. Sit on the potty. SIT on the POTTY.”

I talked to a friend yesterday who just pottytrained her barely-three-year-old, so I got inspired to get serious with Kayla. My friend told me she made her daughter sit every hour, on the hour, and that it took about a month to get her completely trained. She had about ten accidents in that month. I thought, “That doesn’t sound too bad… I can do that.”

We started at 9AM. It’s now almost 2PM. We’ve had eight accidents so far, one legitimate pee-in-the-potty, and one tiny (1/4 teaspoon) dribble, in the potty. When do you know it’s time to throw in the towel?

Nuclear Option

June 14, 2005 07:33

Mike of Eat the Lettuce had his birthday today. He didn’t go out to a strip club, or to a baseball game, or even to dinner. He did something better – got on the computer to chat with me. [Shut up, this is my blog! I can be HotSexyIrresistibleGirl if I want to!] We got to talking about his house, which just went on the market, and the pictures of it that are on the Internet. The following conversation ensued (warning – it is NOT politically correct, NOT suitable for children, and NOT in keeping with modern feminism. Sue me.):

Dana: BTW… lol@the little table corner thingies on your coffee table. And the fireplace.
Mike: Yeah, I know… my handmade coffee table…. all baby proofed.
Dana: LET THE BASTARDS BANG THEIR HEADS! It’ll toughen em up.
Mike: LOL. You’re a nice momma.
Dana: Hey, they ain’t died yet, have they?
Mike: Nope.
Dana: They only whack their heads 3 or 4 times, then they figure it out.
Mike: orders the first copy of Dana’s new book, “Parental Darwinism"
Dana: LOL
Mike: That being said…we strike a bit of a balance.. I’ve seen some houses that are WAY worse that ours…shit so you can’t close the doors to the rooms (so fingers don’t get smashed), shit in the bathtub that tells you water temp…
Dana: I rely on the screams to tell me when something’s wrong. They’re way more reliable.
Mike: Ya know…I can’t make too much fun…I’m on your side…but, she who owns the vagina disagrees.
Dana: LOL. Never argue with the vagina.
Mike: No, it’s not the vagina that has the power, the vagina is the valuable resource…She who has the vagina has the power. I’m surprised you’ve never noticed this vagina power thing before….
Dana: Oh, please. I know all about pussy power. I could play that instrument, if I wanted to. Have, even.
Mike: Well then…you know that a gaggle of women that all have the vagina very much resemble OPEC. This is why men are scared when women group to the bathroom.
Dana: LOL. That is a more apt analogy than I care to admit.
Mike: We know that if they wanna charge $2.00 a gallon for the vagina there isn’t a god damn thing we can do about it.
Dana: Many, many important decisions about sex and procreation and vehicle purchase have been made during those trips.

Susie: “Well, he still won’t agree to the damn minivan.”
Jill: “Asshole.”
Mary: “Yeah.”
Susie: “Yeah.”
(pause)
Susie: “I guess I’m gonna have to withhold sex.”
Mary: “Don’t be so hasty now… have you tried burning his food?”
Susie: “Yep. Every dinner this week.”
Mary: “Hmmm….”
Jill: “Fuck that. It’s time to go nuclear.”
Susie: “You mean…?”
Jill: “Yep. PMS.”
Mary: “Wow. You really want her to have that minivan.”
Jill: “Damn straight! She does carpool on Tuesdays and Thursdays!”
Susie: “OK, so it’s settled then. No sex for Bob for a week, because I have PMS. And THEN no sex NEXT week because I’m on the rag. At the end of the two weeks, he’ll be begging me to buy that fucking van, if I’ll only let him have the coochie.”
Mary: “Yeah. But… what happens the week after that, when you REALLY have your period?”
Jill: “Then she says she needs to visit the doctor to have it ‘checked out’.”
Susie: “Oh my god, he’ll shit! Think I can get leather seats out of that?”
Jill and Mary: “Toooootally.”

Mike: No no, PMS isn’t the nuclear option… PMS is like the Palenstinians. If you wanna be in the Middle East you just gotta tolerate them…they don’t go away no matter what the fuck you do.
Dana: Women are scary
Mike: Lol…agreed. And the deeper you go..the scarier it gets.
(pause)
Mike: envies Susie’s husband for getting laid in 3 weeks

Summer?

June 13, 2005 07:39

Where the hell is the June weather? This is like February, for Christ’s sake!!

Jumping up and down

June 12, 2005 07:41

My good buddy Howard Dean is back in the news again, doing what he’s known best for: building coalitions and solving problems.

Over the past week, Dean described Republicans as “pretty much a white, Christian party” and said many in the GOP “never made an honest living.”

Now THAT is the kind of progressive, forward-thinking, honest, straight talk this country needs!

“People want us to fight,” Dean told the national party’s executive committee. “We are here to fight.”

That’s right! Screw working with other elected officials, let’s get busy whoopin’ some butt!

“Privately, people have said they don’t want Howard Dean to become the story because we have more important issues to talk about,” said Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000.

“But publicly we will continue to give Howard Dean our strong support,” she said.

He’s a spotlight-hogging performing monkey with more venom than a pit full of vipers, but By God, he’s ours!!

One of Dean’s predecessors at the DNC, Don Fowler said, “The controversy over this statement or that statement is a blip and only a blip.” But Fowler complained about leading Democrats who aired their gripes last week. “Even if they don’t like it, they should have enough sense not to make those comments,” Fowler said.

Damn straight!! Screw original thoughts and dissenting opinions, we want LEMMINGS!! If you ain’t a lemming, we don’t want you, we don’t need you, we don’t like you. Besides, you smell like a white Christian to me – so get yer ass over to the Republican party, like your buddy Zell Miller. Traitor!

But when a DNC member joked that the best way to get the chairman’s attention was to “jump up and down,” a grinning Dean fired back: “That’s my job.”

That, and flinging poo.

Nostalgia

June 07, 2005 07:43

The Effervescent Margi Lowry has tagged me in yet another blog meme that’s making the rounds. It’s a good thing, too, because this one really got me thinking. Apologies for copying her rules wording “per se” (because, really, I couldn’t improve on it).

Five Things I Miss From My Childhood

1. Flirting with boys, and all the feelings that went with it. That thrill in the pit of your stomach when you thought maybe – just maybe – he might like you, too! I even miss that aching, sickening knot right in the center of your chest when you knew he didn’t. I still flirt now (some things are incurable), but of course it’s completely innocent and will never yield forbidden fruit the way it may have, back then.

2. Spending entire days perched in the tree in our backyard, just me and a book – any book.

3. The clothes. Koolats, tights with THREE pairs of socks layered, white Keds, oversized button-up shirts with collars.

4. Ice cream trucks. Would that 50 cents could buy me so much happiness now as it did then.

5. Doing puzzles with my mom. I didn’t spend a lot of time “just bonding” with her, but puzzles were sacred. Nobody else in our family was “into” them, so I never had to share her at those times. She’d let me sip her Pepsi, and we’d laugh, and talk, and in those hours she was mine.

The rules:

Remove the #1 item from the following list, bump everyone up one place and add your blog’s name in the #5 spot. You need to actually link to each of the blogs for the link-whorage aspect of this fiendish meme to kick in.

Pirate’s Cove
Fistful of Fortnights
Cake Eater Chronicles
margi lowry dot com
Note-It Posts

Next, select four unsuspecting victims, list and link to them. Get the plank ready.

Mo
Mike
jennye
Harvey

Crazy Bird Lady

June 05, 2005 07:48

Every spring I move my work area from the upstairs office down to the living room. The air up there gets too hot, and the house is just more pleasant in the spring and summer on the ground floor.

This year, I put my workstation right up against the big bay window that faces my front yard. I have a gorgeous view: across the valley I see my horses and sheep grazing… to my left I can see the corner of our fenced-in playyard… I’m surrounded by big, beautiful black locust trees… and barn swallows flit hither and thither all day long.

Last year, the local women’s group gave me a birdfeeder for my birthday, but I never did anything with it. Then last month, while we were in California visiting Mike’s parents, I was charmed by their hummingbird feeder and its occasional visitors. So last week, I stopped at the grange and purchased a hummingbird feeder of my own. I hung it from the locust tree that’s on the left of my window after filling it with homemade nectar (sugar dissolved in water). Mike, sweetheart that he is, filled my other birdfeeder and hung it from the locust tree on my right.

Well, who knew I was such a “crazy birdwatcher person"? I absolutely adore sitting here and watching those feeders, wondering who’ll show up. It’s just so much fun! A couple of days ago I noticed this flock of small, yellow-and-black birds at the feeder. First I saw one, then a pair, then before I knew it there were at least six of them out there. It was so interesting, watching them work out their pecking order, and seeing the difference between the coloring of the males (brilliant and flashy) and the females (dull and subdued). I dug around until I found our copy of The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds – Eastern Region, and found that what we had were some little American Goldfinches. Gorgeous!

I’ve yet to see any hummingbirds show up at that other feeder, but today I did see a female goldfinch perch on the metal hanger. The hanger is composed of metal rods, about 18" long each, all connected with metal couplers. Well, this little goldfinch perched herself sideways on this hanger, and started pecking the hell out of one of those couplers. She worked at it and worked at it.. I don’t know what she was trying to accomplish! Then she slid down to the next coupler, and the next, trying her darnedest to … well, I don’t know what she was trying to do, but she was trying hard!

I’ve also seen doves, sparrows, and of course the swallows, as well as other birds that weren’t around long enough for me to grab my field guide. I might try to get some pictures to share here, if anyone’s interested, though I make no promises about quality. It’s just so much fun to watch the little creatures interact. Who knew?

Up-and-comer

June 05, 2005 07:47

I just saw Keith Anderson video “Pickin Wildflowers” for the first time. You mark my words – that boy is gonna be HOT. He’s gonna be big – bigger than Tim McGraw, maybe bigger than Toby Keith. And he’s purty to look at!

Somebody's Hero

June 04, 2005 07:51

Love this song by Jamie O’Neal. But the first time I heard it, I c-r-i-e-d. I’m soooooo not ready for my little girl to grow up. Stay little forever, Button. Please?

====
She’s never pulled anyone from a burning building
She’s never rocked Central Park to a half a million fans, screaming out her name
She’s never hit a shot to win the game
She’s never left her footprints on the moon
She’s never made a solo hot air balloon ride, around the world,
No, she’s just your everyday average girl (but)

She’s somebody’s hero
A hero to her baby with a skinned up knee
A little kiss is all she needs
The keeper of the cheerios
The voice that brings Snow White to life
Bedtime stories every night
And that smile lets her know
She’s somebody’s hero

She didn’t get a check every week like a nine-to fiver
But she’s been a waiter, and a cook and a taxi driver
For twenty years, there at home, until the day her girl was grown
Giving all her love to her was her life’s ambition
But now her baby’s movin’ on, and she’ll soon be missin’ her
But not today, those are tears of joy runnin’ down her face

She’s somebody’s hero
A hero to her daughter in her wedding dress
She gave her wings to leave the nest
It hurts to let her baby go down the aisle she walks right by
Looks back into her mother’s eyes
And that smile lets her know
She’s somebody’s hero

Thirty years have flown right past
Her daughters’ starin’ at all the photographs
Of her mother, and she wishes she could be like that
Oh, but she already is

She’s somebody’s hero
A hero to her mother in a rockin’ chair
She runs a brush through her silver hair
The envy of the nursing home
She drops by every afternoon
Feeds her mama with a spoon
And that smile lets her know
Her mother’s smile lets her know
She’s somebody’s hero

Quote of the Day

June 03, 2005 07:54

My daughter, inviting our cat to a game of soccer:

“Snuddles? Anna pay baw?”

Quote of the Day

June 01, 2005 07:54

“She was definately the kind of girl you tie up..not the kind that ties you up.” – Mike B

Memorial Day

May 30, 2005 14:50

For the families of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom, I offer a most humble Thank You.

Get 'er done

May 25, 2005 14:51

Today was, I think, my most physically productive day, ever. Well, except for that few times when I produced a whole person, but then… that’s kinda hard to top. This morning, I temporarily caught up my email (that’s ALWAYS only temporary), then (brace yourself!) I finished the painting on the re-construction project! I did a coat of “high-hide white” on the hallway side of the new wall, and two coats of “Coastal Mist” in the bedroom, on all four walls. It looks great, if I do say so myself! It’s not a professional job, but it’s done, and it looks good enough for me. Obviously, I’ve been making incremental progress all along, and just not bothering to write about it here.

My hands were aching sore after that, but the grass in our side yard (where the kids play) was nearing three feet deep, so I got out there and mowed it. I emptied the grass bag 15 times if I emptied it once, but that chore is also done.

Hopefully, I’ll find time to get the ceiling tiles stapled up tonight, too, since tomorrow will see me in Spokane, shopping for a door and flooring. Moving right along!!!

Making Memories

May 24, 2005 14:53

This song always makes me feel all tingly and romantic and sexy and happy. Keith Urban sings it. I don’t know if he wrote it or not, but whoever wrote it really knows how to tap into what a woman feels.
_~
I’m gonna be here for you baby
I’ll be a man of my word
Speak the language in a voice that you have never heard
I wanna sleep with you forever
And I wanna die in your arms
In a cabin by a meadow where the wild bees swarm

And I’m gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I’ll earn your trust making memories of us

I wanna honor your mother
I wanna learn from your pa
I wanna steal your attention like a bad outlaw
I wanna stand out in a crowd for you
A man among men
I wanna make your world better than it’s ever been

And I’m gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I’ll earn your trust making memories of us

We’ll follow the rainbow
Wherever the four winds blow
And there’ll be a new day
Comin’ your way

I’m gonna be here for you from now on
This you know somehow
You’ve been stretched to the limits but it’s alright now
And I’m gonna make you a promise
If there’s life after this
I’m gonna be there to meet you with a warm, wet kiss

And I’m gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I’ll earn your trust making memories of us
I’m gonna love you like nobody loves you
And I’ll win your trust making memories of us

Princess Waterfall

May 23, 2005 14:53

Today is our sixth anniversary. Our anniversary tradition is to take the day off from work, and just relax with our family. We’ve spent the day reading, eating, playing games, having baths, taking naps, watching movies, and otherwise lazing around. Mike was trying to explain “anniversary” to Adam, and he showed him my bridal picture, taken in front of a little tiny waterfall in a park near our photographer’s house. Being (almost) five, Adam’s comment was, “Well, it looks kind of like Mama, but she was dressed up like Princess Waterfall.”

ACMs

May 18, 2005 14:54

I watched the ACM awards last night. The Toby Keith performance was heart-wrenching (he performed for the troops in Baghdad), though not really that remarkable, technically. Gretchen Wilson’s was great, but you can tell she didn’t stretch herself much. Brad Paisley’s a cutiepie, in a “coochie-coochie, wook at da coot widdow baby” kind of way.

But Faith. Sweetie. What happened? Was your stylist on vacation or something? That middle-of-the-head part look SO does not work for you. You’re a beautiful woman. Gorgeous. But you were NOT lookin’ good at this show. Get a little sleep, comb that mop, and kill the fake-plaster smile, mm-k?

Scrap Obsession

May 13, 2005 14:56

I’m very, very slowly digging myself out from under the mountain of work that built up in my absence, and during our illness, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Mike got the younger two to bed, and Adam worked quietly at his computer on his new game while I blitzed through nearly 100 emails that have been piling up for over a week. (That’s NOT counting the spam, of course.) One of my latest emails was from Mike’s mom, with whom I had the pleasure of scrapbooking the last day we were there. I taught her just a very few tiny, basic things, and I’m pleased to report she’s sticking to it! She’s scrapbooked five pages now, and is on the prowl for more supplies. I’m so happy she’s enjoying it, and am super pleased I could be a small part of introducing her to a new hobby.

Love you, mom. Oh, and don’t forget to check out KMA – their stock is phenomenal, and I’ve always been happy with my orders from them. They have tons of different packs of paper and cardstock to choose from, for those who are… ahem…. stash-building. ;)

Go ahead...

May 12, 2005 14:58

… tell me how much trouble I’m in.

A note to aspiring chefs

The eating of potato salad should not require a knife!

Thatisall.

Stomach Flu

May 10, 2005 14:59

Everybody here – except the baby, thank God – is sick as a dog. It started last night, shortly after dinner. I was nauseous and uncomfortable. I started running at both ends, and STILL haven’t stopped. Then it hit Kayla, then Mike, then Adam. Last night was the roughest night we’ve ever had, INCLUDING the up-all-night new baby experience. Mike and I both have 101.5 fevers and everybody’s limping along on watered down apple juice and crackers. Mike and I are both still waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay behind on work, and this isn’t helping.

And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to enjoy pizza, ever again.

I guess I just wanted to whine, or rant, or… something.

Larry, the Meme-Slayer

May 09, 2005 15:04

Some time ago, I passed the “if I could…” torch (April 20th entry) to my not-so-secret blog crush, Liberal Larry. Well, he dragged ass about it for awhile, but finally got around to posting his bit. It was, as I expected, very funny. My favorites?

If I could be a missionary…I’d give small pox to the indigenous peoples, just to stay in character.
If I could be a professor…I’d draw Binky off the back of a matchbook and get tenure at the University of Colorado.

But damned if that bastard didn’t tag me back with a new meme!! Why couldn’t he just give me funny answers, like Kool-Aid did? Or serious answers, like Ulrika did? Arrrgh! (Hey, lookit me! I’m a bonnie pirate!)

Anyway, here’s the new meme:

You start with the phrase “Turd in a punchbowl", add a clever phrase of your own, followed by “Turd in a Punchbowl” again, and then conclude with a line that rhymes with your first. The end result should sound something like a cross between a Bukowski poem and a Mad Lib. You must complete two whole stanzas and pass it on to three other suckers before the curse is lifted.

OK, it’s now safe to say that blog-memes have jumped the shark. sigh But since Larry played along with me (ooooh, play with me, baby!), I’ll play along with him. So I give you, my ode to potty humor:

Turd in a punchbowl,
Sausage on a stick.
Turd in a punchbowl,
Come, have a lick.

Turd in a punchbowl,
Floatin’ tasty treats.
Turd in a punchbowl,
Kids! Time t’eat!

And now, friends and neighbors, you know why I am not a working poet.

Recovery

May 09, 2005 14:07

I never thought I’d say it after Mariah Carey’s spectacular public meltdown a couple of years ago, but every track I’ve heard on the radio from her new album has been bangin’. Kudos to her for stepping back up. The “We Belong Together” video is hot, too. And that cover? Smokin’. I’m adding this one to my shopping cart. You go, girl.

Shitty Mother's Day

May 08, 2005 15:08

Today started out pretty fair – low-key, just trying to catch up on work. I kept waiting for some kind of Mother’s Day mention, but there was none. Finally, I asked Mike if he remembered what day it was. He apologized he’d forgotten, wished me a happy Mother’s Day, then we started calling parents.

Mid-afternoon, he succumbed to a gathering sleep deficit, and had a nap downstairs with Kayla. About a half-hour ago, Adam announced he had pooped in his pants. He got through our entire vacation without a single accident, and now this. I was so disappointed and frustrated, I wasn’t sure what to do. I told him to go downstairs to get cleaned up, and grabbed Thomas to go help him. Then I realized the baby, too, was poopy. Grrrr….

Changed Thomas’ diaper, and it needed to be rinsed out. Adam was occupying the potty in the front bathroom, so I took the diaper to the back bathroom. Just outside the door, I found a place where one of the cats had pissed on my soon-to-be bedroom floor. I fumed. Went into the bathroom, and saw four little piles of cat poop where the litter box once was.

No more fucking Mother’s Days, please? They suck.

Back Home

May 08, 2005 14:10

We’re now back from our trip (sorry I forgot to post a “going away” message), and moving on to the next step: catching up! Two weeks of email and snail mail, not to mention household chores, bills, etc. It’s going to take us awhile to recover, but we’re so glad to be back in our own beds, using our own bath, and eating our own foods. I might even find one or two things to blog about! ;)

Quote of the Day

April 23, 2005 14:20

“It’s better to be hated for who you are than be loved for who you’re not.” – Kurt Cobain

Working my ample ass off

April 23, 2005 13:24

SexyHusband, the kids, and I are all about to take a vacation to California. As you can imagine, traveling with three children under five necessitates a huge amount of planning and logistics, packing, buying, sorting, arranging, cleaning, and working. That explains (somewhat) my silence here. There’s likely to be more of that (silence) as time goes on, since I am way, way, wayyyyyy behind in where I need to be at this point, and blogging just really isn’t in the cards. So please don’t fret over my absence; I’ll post when I can, but things are likely to be pretty lean for awhile.

Meanwhile, anybody want to intern as an unpaid secretary? I could use some major help.

When I Grow Up

April 20, 2005 14:25

Harvey nailed me*! And it was goooooooood.
_~
Immediately following there is a list of 20 different occupations. You must select at least 5 of them (feel free to select more). You may add more if you like to your list before you pass it on (after you select 5 of the items as it was passed to you). Each one begins with “If I could be…” Of the 5 you selected, you are to finish each phrase with what you would do as a member of that profession.

For example, if the selected occupation was “linguist,” you might take the phrase “If I could be a linguist…I would learn Hebrew, Greek, Russian, Italian and Chinese.” See how easy that is? Here’s the list:

If I could be a scientist…
If I could be a farmer…
If I could be a musician…
If I could be a doctor…
If I could be a painter…
If I could be a gardener…
If I could be a missionary…
If I could be a chef…
If I could be an architect…
If I could be a linguist…
If I could be a psychologist…
If I could be a librarian…
If I could be an athlete…
If I could be a lawyer…
If I could be an innkeeper…
If I could be a professor…
If I could be a writer…
If I could be a llama-rider…
If I could be a bonnie pirate…
If I could be an astronaut…
_~
I’m not as good as Harv at coming up with funnies for ALL of these, so… without further ado, my offerings:

If I could be a scientist…
If I could be a farmer… I’d shoot myself in the head. Farming sucks.
If I could be a musician…
If I could be a doctor…
If I could be a painter…
If I could be a gardener…
If I could be a missionary… I’d minister to the carnal needs of heathens everywhere. Mmmmm, heathens!
If I could be a chef…
If I could be an architect… I’d build that cult compound that Mike and I keep talking about, and I’d wear priestess robes with nothing underneath, and have lots of wild monkey sex.
If I could be a linguist…
If I could be a psychologist…
If I could be a librarian…
If I could be an athlete…
If I could be a lawyer… I’d sue the pants off of whiny, liberal, Wal-Mart obstructionists. Then cackle in glee as they all fled into the store to buy new pants.
If I could be an innkeeper…
If I could be a professor…
If I could be a writer… I’d live in underpaid squalor for the duration of my life, only experiencing commercial and critical acclaim after I’m dead and my ungrateful children can reap the benefits.
If I could be a llama-rider…
If I could be a bonnie pirate…
If I could be an astronaut…
_~
And now I get to pick three more people to pass this along to. Hmmmm, let’s try…

Liberal Larry – cuz really, the man can’t write a word without being funny.

Ulrika – cuz she and I haven’t spent NEAR enough time gabbing online lately.

Subliminal KoolAid – cuz I can only GUESS what he’ll put down for “bonnie-pirate.”

* Oh, yeah, RIGHT, like I was gonna let THAT one go by!

The Interview Game: Questions for Mike of Eat the Lettuce

April 19, 2005 14:29

I know, I know… it’s taken me wayyyy too long to wrap this game up, but I finally have my LAST interview from the Interview Game! This time it’s one of my best friends, former co-blogger, and future cult co-founder Mike of Eat the Lettuce.

1. How bad do you want me?
2. No, really. How bad?
3. Where shall we run off to for wild, monkey sex? Shall I bring anything along? Strawberries? Whipped cream? Handcuffs? This?
4. Shall there be pictures?
5. If so, how much shall we charge?

Now just post your answers to your blog, and I’ll update this post with a kink – errr…. I mean, link to it. Don’t forget to post the rules, and solicit five other people to be interviewed. Thanks for playing!

Update: Mike answers! And you DAMN WELL BETTER tell me about it afterwards!! If I can’t be a whore, I need to at least be a voyeur! After all, a girl’s got her pride…

Zero Tolerance for Zero Tolerance Policies

April 12, 2005 14:31

The other night I had dinner with a good friend. She and her husband are both substitute teachers at our town’s little school. She told me about the school’s Zero Tolerance Policy toward guns. I had seen the “Gun Free Zone” sign at the front door of the school, and of course it’s illegal to carry a gun onto school property, but the ZTP went way, way further than that.

Children are not permitted to bring toy guns to school. If they were realistic-looking ones, I could see this, but even neon-orange plastic squirt guns are forbidden.

Children are not allowed to “play guns” with their fingers.

Children are not allowed to draw a gun, even as part of a picture of, say, a police officer.

Are we not carrying this just a BIT too far? I mean, are they permitted to say the word “gun?” In history classes, are they taught about warfare? If so, do teachers have to white-out all of the guns from paintings and pictures of battles?

When I asked my friend, incredulously, “You mean, they can’t even draw a PICTURE of a gun? Isn’t that a little extreme?” she said straight-faced, “Well, they have to, because of Columbine.” I paused, then told her, “Well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree.” She looked a little uncomfortable, because she knows that I regularly carry a gun so obviously our children see them.

I think the school is handling this in the absolute wrong way. If you try to deny a child knowledge about something, you turn it into something dark, mysterious, and (therefore) INFINITELY FASCINATING, especially to the pre-pubescent mind. I say better to let them draw about them, talk about them, play-fight with toy ones, and (hang onto your panties, folks), shoot real ones, under controlled circumstances with direct adult supervision. Let them get it out of their systems, and learn to safely handle them so that when they get ahold of them (happens allllllll the time with careless parents) they aren’t completely stupid about them.

Unitarian Jihad

April 09, 2005 14:34

It was only a matter of time before the next terrorist attack in the US. Everybody knew that, and now it looks like it’s closer than we thought.

Beware! Unless you people shut up and begin acting like grown-ups with brains enough to understand the difference between political belief and personal faith, the Unitarian Jihad will begin a series of terrorist-like actions. We will take over television studios, kidnap so-called commentators and broadcast calm, well-reasoned discussions of the issues of the day. We will not try for “balance” by hiring fruitcakes; we will try for balance by hiring non-ideologues who have carefully thought through the issues.

Happy Anniversary!

April 09, 2005 13:36

Today marks ~~nine~~ six years of wedded bliss for Harvey and his beloved bride, Smiling Dynamite. May the love you feel for one another continue to grow and deepen, may you forever find hope and promise in one another’s company, and may you always find passion and fulfillment in one another’s arms.

Care Bear Stare

April 06, 2005 14:38

I continue to feel awful (though it’s led to lots of blogging, no?) and Mike was trying to brighten my day.

Mike: Oh common…cheer up. Happy happy. I will have to do the Care Bear stare at you soon.
Dana: I’m sick. Burning up.
Mike: I know…just trying to lighten the mood.
Dana: I think my sense of humor burnt up on re-entry.

Mothers & Daughters

April 06, 2005 13:48

I love this picture. Love it enough I’m not going to hide it in the extended entry, even. :)

An Observation

April 06, 2005 12:50

It never ceases to amaze me how some people can be so completely self-absorbed, and yet possess so little self-worth. Boggles the mind, it does.

The Interview Game: Questions for Mo of Mo’s Musings

April 06, 2005 11:50

This time the questions are for a friend of mine that I actually know, Mo of Mo’s Musings. This is going to be fun!

1. When did you start ballroom dancing, and what was the biggest challenge in doing so?
2. Who has the World’s Best Chocolate? (Full disclosure: I’m kind of baiting her here, because she possesses knowledge that simply should not be kept secret from the wider world.)
3. What is the wildest hairstyle you’ve ever had? Did you regret it?
4. Describe your dream weekend which does not include children or spouses.
5. I know you worked in a medical lab in the past. Tell about an incident that would surprise laypeople (of course without disclosing any confidential information).

Now just post your answers to your blog, and I’ll update this post with a link to it. Don’t forget to post the rules, and solicit five other people to be interviewed. Thanks for playing!

Update: Mo’s answers are up! And I must completely agree with her answer on #2. Yummy!

Steamed Poop

April 06, 2005 09:52

I feel awful. I have this awful sore throat/head cold thing. Lots of congestion, fatigue, occasional nausea. I woke up Monday with the sore throat. It was mild, but still I canceled my apheresis appointment. Yesterday it was much worse, and I had to cancel a crop (scrapbooking event) I was scheduled to attend at a friend’s house, which really bummed me out. Today is no better, and maybe a little worse. I’m tired, tired, tired, and I just crawled my sorry ass out of bed!

Hope your day is going better.

The Interview Game: Questions for Amy of Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

April 05, 2005 14:52

Sorry it took me awhile to get back around to this. Life has a way of intruding on my Net existence at the most inconvenient times. :) Today’s interviewee is Amy of Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice.

1. You homeschool three kids. THAT RULES!! Wait.. that’s not really a question, is it? OK… hmm… what do you like best about homeschooling?
2. Isn’t it so much more fun to shop for house stuff than to shop for clothes? Feel free to elaborate.
3. Did you ever think of taking your weird squirrel on Late Night with David Letterman? He has a whole stupid pet tricks section, you know (or did, last time I watched it). Squirrels in my neck of the woods never do anything cool like that; they just tunnel under the horse pastures and lay traps for unsuspecting horses to break their legs in.
4. Have you always been a poet, or is it a recently-developed skill?
5. What one invention do you think the world would be best off without?

Now just post your answers to your blog, and I’ll update this post with a link to it. Don’t forget to post the rules, and solicit five other people to be interviewed. Thanks for playing!

Update: Amy’s on the ball! She’s already got her answers posted, and is soliciting interviewees of her own. Great answers, Amy, and I would’ve commented, but that whole “you need an AOL username” thing is just way too much work for a “LOL!” ;)

Management 101

April 04, 2005 14:54

If only my last manager had mastered this lesson, I might’ve stayed in the workforce instead of branching out and starting my own business!

[…]

Aw, who’re we kidding? I would’ve moved heaven and earth to be with SexyHusband, so quitting a crappy, unfulfilling job wasn’t even a choice.

Living Will

April 04, 2005 13:57

Best. Living. Will. Ever.

In the event that my termination becomes necessary/desirable/so intoxicatingly attractive that she can think about little else, my wife is authorized to employ any means of disposal that does not cause me pain for a period of longer than 0.00000000000000000001 seconds.

And I'm not afraid to admit it!

April 04, 2005 12:58

If I’m coming up the stairs and music by Christina Aguilera is on the radio, it makes me walk with a little twitch in my ass.

I’m just sayin’.

A real chocoholic

April 03, 2005 14:59

I recently joined a Yahoo! Group whose members send each other chocolate every month. I mean, sure, you could just go out and BUY your own chocolate, but what fun would that be? Also, swapping with others around the continent means you might get to try something new that isn’t available in your area. I like this group, and it needs more members. So, if you’re interested in joining, give it a look!

Pharmacies and birth control pills

April 02, 2005 15:00

So the Illinois governor (one of Mike favorite people – NOT!) has passed an imperial decree that all pharmacies must carry birth control pills, and must fill all birth control prescriptions “quickly.”

No delays. No hassles. No lectures.

Now, granted: I don’t think pharmacists ought to be in the business of moral lecturing, but isn’t that something the market would work out? And speaking of markets, I’m hard-pressed to think of any other retail business that is not allowed to choose its own stock. If I go to the doctor with a sore throat, and he recommends I drink lots of ginger ale*, should I be able to walk into any grocery store and demand they have my brand of ginger ale in stock, or I’ll sue their asses? What if ginger ale sells so poorly that it’s not economically sensible for a particular store to carry it?

* Yes, ginger ale is an extreme, somewhat silly analogy, but I’m trying to illustrate the folly of the esteemed governor’s position in trying to make governmental authority take the place of natural market forces.

Public Notice

April 01, 2005 15:02

To the nosy old bitch at the Wal-Mart who saw fit to butt her nosy ass into my family’s personal business: you said you have children of your own, so I suggest you spend your time giving them unwanted and unneeded advice and save me from the ill-informed, self-righteous lectures, mm-kay?

Future Debaters

March 31, 2005 15:38

Conversation overheard between my four-year-old son and two-year-old daughter:

Adam: Stop chattering.
Kayla: You’re not the daddy or the mama, so don’t worry about me, worry about yourself.
Adam: Sometimes I can’t.
Kayla: Sometimes you can.

No Bible in the Jury Room

March 29, 2005 15:39

This story is an outrage.

Ruling that juries cannot turn to the Bible for advice during deliberations, a divided Colorado Supreme Court threw out the death penalty for a convicted murderer because jurors discussed Bible verses.

What? The? Fuck?

Now, let’s be clear. I am not a Christian. I do not believe the Bible is The Truth (though, like most religious texts, I believe it does contain some truth). I do not believe that elected or appointed government officials should refer to the Bible (or the Koran, or the Torah, or the Psalms, or the Book of Mormon, or the Lotus Sutra, or ANY other religious text) as a basis of their opinions. But we are the product of our teaching. We cannot separate who we are from what we know. We CAN’T. And we simply cannot limit what jurors may or may not consider in deciding punishment for convicted criminals.

Death is a viable punishment in the state of Georgia. Were it not, the jury would not have had that option placed before them in deliberation. They ought to be able to consider anything and everything in making their decision (outside of legal evidence excluded from court proceedings and reported elsewhere, like in a newspaper). The law SHOULD be their primary consideration, but you simply CAN NOT start the precedent of overturning a decision made “by a jury of his peers” simply because they considered and discussed religious doctrine along with the evidence presented them in court.

Look, the whole point of having “deliberations” is to discuss possible verdicts and punishments. Ever seen Twelve Angry Men? Classic movie. Should be required viewing for all students of law. The point is, jurors are people. They DO influence each other. They DO pressure each other to come to one or another conclusion. That is their PURPOSE. If everyone just stuck to their initial impressions, we’d have a whole helluva lot more hung juries than we do.

I can’t say it any better than this:

But [Jay Horowitz, a former assistant U.S. attorney and former University of Denver law professor] noted it was unreasonable to expect [jurors] to set aside moral standards when they step into a jury room, though there must be limits. “In fact, people do bring their background and thoughts and impressions, and you can’t separate from that, and shouldn’t try to,” he said.

How many shoes is too many?

March 28, 2005 15:43

I was just chatting with Mike about my in-laws’ upcoming 50th anniversary party, and the clothing and shoes I’d need for it.

Dana: SexyHusband just told me he can’t believe I need more shoes.
Mike: Well, they do have to match the dress. Besides, I have a formula… a woman needs her age squared in shoes…
Dana: Her age squared?? So 900 shoes for me?
Mike: Yeah.
Dana: And Kayla gets 4 shoes?
Mike: Yup. See, it’s math.
Dana: OK, so she has 28 years to buy 896 shoes. That’s…32 shoes a year. 16 pair. Or about one every 3.25 weeks. That’s do-able.
Mike: Yeah. That’s why I’m against polygamy…. no single house can contain that many shoes.

Truth

March 28, 2005 14:45

The longer I live, and the more people I meet, the more I become convinced that when it comes to disputes – especially marital disputes – there are always, always three sides to every story: his side, her side, and the truth. Unfortunately, it’s that third side that no one ever hears.

The Interview Game: Questions for Daisha of Where’s the Love?

March 26, 2005 15:51

Another day, another interview. These questions are for Daisha of Where’s the Love?

1. If you had to be reincarnated as a bird, what kind would you be?
2. Describe your favorite meal.
3. Have you ever tried to take your two kids to a country club? If so, how did that go?
4. Which invention do you think the world would have been better off without?
5. Did Forest Gump have it right? Is life like a box of chocolates?

Now just post your answers to your blog, and I’ll update this post with a link to it. Don’t forget to post the rules, and solicit five other people to be interviewed. Thanks for playing!

Update: Daisha has posted her answers to these questions and is soliciting interviewees.

The Interview Game: Questions for Rose of Miniature Rose

March 25, 2005 15:52

Time for my first ~~victim~~ interviewee for The Interview Game (March 23rd entry). The first respondent was Rose of Miniature Rose.

1. Exactly how many ponchos do you think you’ll end up making before the obsession runs out?
2. Your son is seven years old now. What has been the hardest age so far, and why?
3. What did your family think of your moving to the United States?
4. What is your most embarrassing addiction?
5. Which children’s song did you hear and/or sing TOO MANY TIMES when your son was little? You know, the one that if you heard it just once more you’d lose it.

Okie-doke, just post your answers to your blog, and I’ll update this post with a link to it. Don’t forget to post the rules, and solicit five other people to be interviewed. Thanks for playing!

Update: Rose’s answers have now been posted. And I must totally agree with her answer to #2, especially.

I’ll do the next set of questions tomorrow.

New Purse

March 24, 2005 15:57

I heart e-commerce. Mommy’s new toy arrived today. w00t!!

The Interview Game

March 23, 2005 16:02

Margi decided to play “The Interview Game” that’s been going around, and she answered some questions posed to her by Jim. She then invited others to be interviewed, and I hopped on board. My answers to HER questions asked of me (all of which, she warns, are Harv Bait) are below, and now it’s my turn to interview others. So, first, the rules:

Leave me a comment saying “interview me”. The first five commenters will be the participants. I will respond by asking you five questions. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (Write your own questions or borrow some.)

Okley-dokley, now on with the answeravatin’.

1. What sense has the greatest sensual effect on you? Be very specific.
Touch. Touch really gets me going. It’s best when I’m blindfolded, depriving me of the sense of sight and letting my body focus more on the sensation of a feather being lightly dragged across my skin, or an ice cube at the base of my throat, or a cotton ball gliding across my… um.. wait. How specific is “very"?

2. What’s your idea of a romantic evening?
Almost any evening can be romantic. All SexyHusband has to do is grab me as I pass by in the kitchen, press me against a wall, and kiss me, while holding my hands at my sides, or (better yet) behind my back. But a “great date” type romantic evening would be a dinner together at a nice steak-and-seafood place, followed by an hour or so of looking at the stars (SexyHusband actually knows which is which) and a long walk by the beach. After that, a couple of hours sitting quietly together on opposite ends of the couch, each of us engrossed in a book and occasionally playing footsie or sharing a kiss. Culminating with. Well. See #1.

3. If you could have any superpower what would it be? How would you use it? How would you mis-use it?
I would TOTALLY choose to read people’s thoughts. But I’d want it to be something I could turn on and off, since if people have thoughts that are as catty as mine, I probably don’t want to know EVERYTHING they’re thinking. But it would be nice to know if someone is uncomfortable, or afraid, or excited, or lonely, and how precisely to make them feel better or express themselves more easily. As for mis-use of the power… I’d probably catch my kids before they even THOUGHT about getting into something they shouldn’t, depriving them of the God-given natural right to hellraising. And really, who wants that?

4. When did you first realize that you were in love?
SexyHusband and I were friends during the tail-end of my marriage to my ex. When that relationship was breaking up, I was worried about the remote possibility that I could be pregnant. I remember, I was walking through Target, shopping for a CD-and-cassette player for my new bachelorette pad, and talking to SH on my cellphone. I asked him, “Ohmygawd. What will I do if I’m pregnant?” and without missing a beat, he said, “Then I’ll marry you, and we’ll raise the child together.” For once, I was rendered speechless, and immediately I realized I wanted nothing more in this world than to marry that man and make babies with him.

5. The Sims – enlightened escapism or crack for non-druggies?
Enlightened crack for non-escapists.

Wheeee!! That was fun. OK, who’s next? First five win! Or.. something…

Quote of the Day

March 16, 2005 16:15

A first, I’m going to “quote of the day” myself, in a conversation I recently had with Mike about my latest shopping trip.

“There is nothing like a room full of full-length mirrors and unforgiving fluorescent lighting to get your fat ass off the Doritos.”

And with that, I am back on my diet.

Armchair Television Producer

March 16, 2005 15:15

I have a great idea for a television show. In fact, it came to me quite literally in my sleep.

A sitcom centered around a traditional military family!

You know, Dad’s in the military, Mom stays home with a few kids*. Dad could get deployed from time to time and Mom has to deal with raising kids alone, he has to deal with missing them. Then when he comes back, they all have to deal with re-integration. Think of the storyline possibilities! Military balls, shopping at the commissary, frustration with long deployments, etc. Military families would identify with it, so THEY’D watch it. Non-military families are (I think) fascinated with all things military, so THEY’D watch it (I know I would!).

Alright, so all you television executives who regularly read Note-It Posts, get busy on that, k?

* Before the femi-Nazis come out of the woodwork screaming at me for assuming the Dad would be the one in the military, YES I know that there are women in the military, and that they often leave home husbands and children, but that is not the most common configuration, plus the whole “Mr. Mom” thing has been done to death.

Massage

March 15, 2005 16:17

I have a massage scheduled for 10:30 tomorrow morning, my first (by a professional) in over ten years. I am long overdue. The past two weeks have been very difficult, and this week won’t be better. But for one, glorious hour tomorrow, I am determined to let it all go.

Unproductive

March 12, 2005 16:17

Sometimes I wonder why it is that I never seem to get anything done. I feel like I’m always doing something, so it would seem I would accomplish a lot, right? Wrong! Today I identified the problem: interruptions. Example: part of my business is to send a daily mailing to a subscriber database on behalf of an advertiser, then bill said advertiser for the mailing. That used to go like this:

11am: Start mailing.
11:03am: Mailing ends.
11:04am: Run credit card for cost of mailing.
11:05am: Address envelope and mail receipt for cost of mailing.

Today, it went something like this:

11am: Start mailing.
11:03am: Mailing ends.
11:04am: Change diaper for child #2.
11:06am: Rescue child #3 from the plastic bucket on his head.
11:07am: Start a load of laundry.
11:10am: Right upturned bag of garbage, retrieve spilled cupcake wrappers.
11:11am: Wash hands, notice mountains of dirty dishes.
11:12am: Start load of dishes.
11:25am: Finish load of dishes.
11:26am: Break up fight between child #1 and child #2 over a Lego block.
11:28am: Carry armload of dirty Kleenex out of the “master” bedroom – “It’s on my way.”
11:30am: Rescue child #3 from the plastic bucket on his head.
11:31am: Bathe child #3. Toss out bucket.
11:45am: Dress and diaper child #3.
11:50am: Break up fight between child #1 and child #2 over who “got there first.”
11:53am: Run credit card for cost of mailing.
11:54am: Help child #1 with his cards for his recipe swap.
12:10pm: Jump into the shower.
12:15pm: Shoo child #2 out of the bathroom, start getting dressed.
12:20pm: Change diaper for child #3.
12:25pm: Start another load of laundry.
12:30pm: Have lunch.
12:40pm: Start getting child #1 dressed and ready to go.
1:15pm: Leave for recipe swap.
5:30pm: Return from recipe swap.
5:35pm: Start another load of laundry.
5:40pm: Address envelope and mail receipt for cost of mailing.

See what I’m up against?

Robots: A Review

March 12, 2005 15:20

I took Adam and Kayla to see Robots last night. ~~Another Disney/Pixar animated movie, and (if you ask me) the best one so far.~~ Turns out this one’s a Blue Sky/20th Century Fox collaboration. No wonder it’s so awesome! The story is kind of over-the-top anti-corporate “fight the man” empowerment bullshit (ironic, considering the merchandising and marketing of this movie), but even though I think the message is a load, the storytelling is pretty damned impressive. Robin Williams, as usual, steals the show, but the other characters are still well-acted, well-animated, and engaging. The action scenes (like the “Midtown Express” sequence) was jaw-droppingly masterful.

Loved it. Buying it. Go see it.

Goodbye, Vicki

March 10, 2005 16:29

A very dear friend of mine died today. The world is a poorer place without her. I’m ambivalent about the existence of an after-life, but on the off chance that there is one: Vicki, I love you. I miss you. My life will never be the same without you. God blessed me with the knowing of you, and with being witness to your strength, courage, and grace. May your soul rest in peace and eternal bliss, and may your sons know your presence, even in your absence.

Cupcakes, apples, and…?

March 08, 2005 16:30

It’s our turn to bring snack again this Thursday. Normally, this means Mike (over-)cooks for the “moms” (he’s the token Dad), and I cook for whatever class we have. This time, it’s the 2- and 3-year-olds, Kayla’s class. I had planned to make them Blue’s Clues cupcakes, and peeled apples. The snack coordinator (yep, our preschool has an official “snack coordinator") called today and tells me that class has 19 kids in it, and that they tend to eat through all of their snack. I don’t want these kids to be hungry – it’s important to me that they are all full and satisfied. I have enough “gear” to make 27 Blue’s Clues cupcakes, and I have seven or eight apples. I need to make something else, preferably from things I already have here at home so I won’t have to make another trip into town tomorrow. I have a pretty fully-stocked pantry, but specialty items and packaged crap isn’t readily available.

So, got any ideas? All I can come up with are graham crackers (yawn!), chewy bars (do they really NEED another sweet thing?), and carrots (they’re TWO-YEAR-OLDS; I might as well feed them dried horse turds, since they won’t eat THAT, either). I need help.

Who should be ashamed?

March 07, 2005 16:33

Certainly, by now, everyone has heard about the Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, whose car was fired upon when it tried to rush a coalition checkpoint in Iraq. Sgrena and another occupant were wounded, and Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari was killed. When I first saw this story, it was as a CNN headline: “US fires on Italian journalist” and my reaction was “Oh, shit.” Then I read the article (since scrolled off CNN’s site), which stated that the car was part of a motorcade that was speeding toward a coalition checkpoint. Soldiers manning the checkpoint apparently tried to use hand and arm gestures, flashing white lights, and even warning shots to get the car to slow down, and it didn’t. That’s the US version of events, anyway. Sgrena, naturally, disputes that account.

I listened to BBC on the radio the other night, and the announcer declared, “And, of course, at the very least, this is a cause for embarrassment for the Americans.” This, before the refutation by Sgrena came out. I was dumbfounded. Embarrassed about what? A procession of cars speeds toward a checkpoint in a warzone, ignores repeated signals to slow down, and expects – what? For coalition forces to toss candy at them? If this thing went down the way the military is reporting it, then those soldiers acted entirely properly, and it’s the Italian driver who should be ashamed for endangering the lives of the vehicles occupants.

Building Lessons

March 05, 2005 16:35

So I’m back to work on the re-construction project. You (8/25) remember (1/9) that (11/16) project (11/9), right (8/30)? Thought so. Anyway, today I framed the wall. Got it all done, except the door (I need more wood). I have come to the conclusion that, while I am a bright girl and a quick study, the rules of architecture will not naturally come to me. Either I need to be explicitly told by Mike that something needs to be done (like a notch cut out of a stud to carry electrical over from an existing wall), or it MUST be in the book. Otherwise, I’ll just have to figure it out when I screw something up. Since there are probably lots of others out there in the same boat, I thought I’d share a few tidbits of varying importance I learned the hard way.

1) Two nails should go in each end of each stud, not one.
2) No matter how inconvenient it seems, choose your own lumber. If you let the lumberyard/building center choose for you – particularly if you are a girl who accidentally refers to something as a shiv instead of a shim – they will send you the shitty, warped, splitting, knotty wood they can’t sell to more sensible people. This is not real conducive to building a square wall.
3) Take off your toolbelt before you go sit down to pee.

What About My Swatch(tm) Watch?

March 03, 2005 16:40

Got an email from a friend, entitled “You were a little girl in the 70’s if…” I was born in 74, so I was a very little girl. My comments are in italics.

1. You wore a rainbow shirt that was half-sleeves, and the rainbow went up one sleeve, across your chest, and down the other.
Gawd, I think that’s the shirt I was wearing at my 10th birthday party.

2. You made baby chocolate cakes in your Easy Bake Oven and washed them down with snow cones from your Snoopy Snow Cone Machine.
Cherry snow cones, no less. And those fudge chocolate cakes were the bomb! But those light bulbs could give you a third degree burn if you weren’t careful.

3. You had that Fisher Price Doctor’s Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked.
For some value of “worked", anyway.

4. You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.
Banana seat, yes. Plastic flowery basket, no.

5. You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.
Check. They were white, and had pink pom-poms on them.

6. You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (Admit it!)
I almost never watched it, and couldn’t even remember who Gopher was. After a Google search, I have to say: Uh. No.

7. You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island.
Yes!!

8. You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days or just moon boots.
Maybe Northern little girls had these boots. We Texan girls had flip-flops, white sneakers, and gellies.

9. You had either a “bowl cut” or “pixie,” not to mention the “Dorothy Hamil” because your Mom was sick of braiding your hair.
And I thought I had sufficiently repressed this particular trauma. Yes, I had the bowl cut. Daddy gave it to me. He made me sit on a big stump out back of my Papa’s house, and he cut all my hair off. I was mad at him for a month.

10. People sometimes thought you were a boy.
See #9, trauma. MOVE ON.

A new favorite thing

March 03, 2005 15:43

This stuff is yummy, nummy. Expensive, but worth it!

Just gimme the clippers! - UPDATED

March 02, 2005 16:44

I went today to get my hair cut. I wanted something semi-radical, but without coloring (too much maintenance). My stylist chopped off over 6", layered, and “end snipped” it, making it look pretty darn different than I had before. I like it.

I came home. My family’s reaction.

crickets chirping

They didn’t even notice. Honestly, I could be bald as the Mr. Clean man, and SexyHusband would notice no difference. sigh

UPDATE: As requested, a picture of the new ‘do (as well as the FunDip-covered face of my beautiful daughter, and various scrapbooking paraphernalia) in the extended entry.

Quote of the Day

March 01, 2005 16:49

“I used to think I was serving humanity … and I pleasured in the thought. Then I discovered that humanity does not want to be served; on the contrary it resents any attempt to serve it.” – Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land

Rebuffed

March 01, 2005 15:51

You know, it’s very stressful to make an offer of help to someone, then to have it rebuffed in such a way as to make you feel you’re imposing by even making the offer. But that helpless, I-know-what’s-best-for-you feeling is pretty damned awful, too.

sigh

Long, Slow Kisses

March 01, 2005 14:52

Newest country music singing obsession: Jeff Bates. With that voice, I could just close my eyes, but he’s purty to look at, too!

Legalized Baby Crack

March 01, 2005 13:53

These things should only be sold with a prescription.

I Do

March 01, 2005 11:54

SexyHusband doesn’t dance. Doesn’t like it, doesn’t miss it. But for me, he agreed to a “First Dance” at our wedding. I even got to pick the song! I chose I Do by Mark Wills. The words are as true today as they were almost six years ago. I love you, baby.
_~
All I am, all I’ll be
Everything in this world, all that I’ll ever need
Is in your eyes, shining at me
When you smile I can feel all my passion unfolding

Your hand brushes mine
And a thousand sensations seduce me ‘cause I

I do, cherish you.
For the rest of my life
You don’t have to think twice.
I will, love you still, from the depths of my soul
It’s beyond my control.
I’ve waited so long to say this to you
If you’re asking do I love you this much, I do.

In my world before you
I lived outside my emotions
Didn’t know where I was going
Until that day I found you
How you opened my life to a new paradise.

In a world torn by change
Still with all of my heart, until my dying day

I do, cherish you
For the rest of my life
You don’t have to think twice
I will, love you still, from the depths of my soul
It’s beyond my control
I’ve waited so long to say this to you
If you’re asking do I love you this much, yes I do

I’ve waited so long to say this to you
So, if you’re asking if I love you this much, I do
Oh, I do

Theorems of Scrapbooking

February 28, 2005 18:00

Mike is back! And back with a vengeance. His first “real” post back is about his trip to the scrapbook store, which he calls the Temple of Doom.

Then I walked in. At least 20 curious eyes turned to me and the store fell to a hush. The music stopped… It was like the old west, when the outlaw walks into the saloon.

[…]

As I’m checking out the counter lady smiled as my predicament once again. This time she happily stopped cat blogging to return to torturing me. “Do you think your wife would be interested in any of our classes or crops?” she asked. A sick smile settled over her face as waited for confusion and panic over the word “crop” to set in. But oh no, not this time you frumpy mistress of pain…. ShishSha! I know that word. Thanks to the sweatpants wearing queen of all things scrapbooky (…) I have a scrapbooking vocabulary not even a guy with a Queer Eye could match. That’s right evil cat blogging scrap nazi…your dragon style kung fu is mighty, but my tiger style is even mightier.

And with that, I’m off to edit my template. Can’t let a quote like THAT get by without adding it, can I?

Mini Albums on eBay

February 27, 2005 18:05

I’ve been doing a lot of mini-albums lately. I tried for awhile to sell them on eBay, but I’m not willing to sell as low as you have to before you build a following, and I’m not willing to stick it out long enough to BUILD a following. The pay just isn’t worth it. So instead, I’m making them as gifts. It’s tough to photograph them well, though, I’m finding.

Guns don’t kill people, microstamped bullets do

February 24, 2005 18:08

An IM conversation I had tonight with a friend:

Steve: Latest gun law silliness here: same guy that authored the .50 BMG ban wants to require semi-auto handguns to have the means to microstamp the gun serial number and other info on the bullet each time one is fired.
Dana: Oh for fuck’s sake
Dana: Are you serious?
Steve: Yup.
Steve: It’s no wonder I keep buying guns. Buy ‘em before I can’t anymore.
Dana: Indeed
Dana: That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard
Dana: (re the microstamping)
Dana: Has he ever actually SEEN a gun?
Steve: Or, has he ever heard of a file?
Steve: Though I imagine the law isn’t about helping police to identify handguns. I think it’s more about whittling away gun rights. Create too many hoops for people or gun manufacturers to jump through.
Dana: Yup
Dana: And these are the same people who jump through their own asshole to prevent doctors from advising 13-year-old girls that they’re about to inflict pain on a fetus before they perform an abortion on them without their parents’ consent.

On Why I Love My Margi and My (Other) Mike

February 21, 2005 18:10

It’s a “spread the love” kinda day here at Note-It Posts. In addition to a most wonderful husband, I also have a terrific bunch of friends, who offer me alternately (according to my needs) a kiss on the cheek, a pat on the back, or a kick in the ass. They also lend me love and support in far more abundance than I deserve. There are several (and you know who you are), but I wanted to especially thank Margi and Mike.

Mike (who is not SexyHusband, but who is, in his own right, sexy) endures countless hours of instant message conversations with me about a range of topics from parenting to programming to scrapbooking to sex, and never fails to offer me his honest assessment of the situation, even when it may not be what I want to hear. He is critical (in the best sense of the word) without being judgmental (in the worst sense of the word), and I can always count on him to be there for me. Thank you for being you.

Margi is the funny, smart, sweet, lovable, ironic SisterFriend I always hoped to have, and now do. She babysits my kids without any complaint at all while I go off and gallavant around town, stopping only short of nursing the baby (Go ‘head, girlfriend! I won’t mind!) and offering them love, kindness, encouragement, direction, and cookies as appropriate. She lends me an ear any time I ask, and has (on at least one occasion) kept me from running after SexyHusband with a gun in hand. Thank you for all you do.

I love you guys.

My Husband Rocks

February 21, 2005 17:11

Let it be hereby known that I have the most amazing husband in the whole, wide world. No offense intended to any of my married male readers, but SexyHusband is just TheShit™. He keeps me loved, happy, healthy, and cared for in every way, and he is – hands down – the greatest father who ever lived.

I know I come across as a cynical, complaining bitch much of the time (but only because I am), so I don’t want to let the good times go by unremarked. I have a friend going through a very, very rough time right now, and her misery has helped bring home to me just how blessed I am.

Mike, I love you.

If I were a Sim...

February 20, 2005 18:14

I’m so very NOT surprised. (shamelessly scammed off of Margi):

You’re a fortune sim, you greedy bastard you.
You’re obsessed with doing well with your work
and making as much money as simly possible.

Good for you…you allow capitalism to succeed.

What Sim aspiration are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Fradnabba!

This is That

February 20, 2005 17:18

I was driving around town the other day, and I noticed a bumper sticker on the back of some little Hippie-Mobile. It was a goofy little half-assed attempt at pithy wisdom that read, “War Is Terrorism.” Trés original, no? Anywho, it got me thinking, and hubby and I started playing a little game where we came up with other equally.. uhhh… “englightened” pithy slogans. Here are some of the ones we came up with:

Liberalism Is Fascism
Communism Is Slavery
Pacifism Is War
Education Is Ignorance
Religion Is Science
Order Is Chaos
Hope Is Despair
Health Is Sickness

So what do you think? Have some of your own? Leave them in the comments. :)

Croppin'

February 18, 2005 18:19

I’m getting ready to go to an overnight crop at a friend’s house in town. I was just packing the stuff to take, and SexyHusband came by to look.

SH: So, did you decide which rubber stamp you’re not going to take?
Me: Ha-ha.
SH: Want me to sit on it so you can fit a little more in?
Me: No, I think I got it. See, the problem is I need to take this whole drawer full of stuff.
SH: (chuckling) You’re so cute.
Me: What? What’s cute? It’s not that much.
SH: Uh-huh.
Me: Really! I just need to take this and this, that, that, and that, and that stuff on the bed.
SH: (eyeing the thises and thats, amounting to about six carrying loads of stuff) Is this an all weekend crop or an all week crop?
Me: (sheepishly) Um. It’s an overnight crop.
SH: I see. (wisely goes back to his desk)

ABC - Book of Me

February 10, 2005 19:19

A friend of mine emailed me tonight, and reminded me that I never talk about quilting or scrapbooking now that my sites aren’t daily journals anymore. This is really quite ludicrous, since at least a third of my waking hours are probably spent scrapbooking. Quilting, sadly, has fallen by the wayside, though I still intend to finish my niece’s double wedding ring quilt this year. So, I thought I’d start posting some of the layouts I do here on the site.

One project I’m working on now is called a “Book of Me” – a scrapbook all about ME. There’s a trend in scrapbooking to do ABC books – “A is for ambitious, B is for brave, etc.” – so I decided to combine the two: an ABC Book of Me!! My goal is to do at least one page every two weeks, so I should finish this project in a year or less. I’ve done A, B, and C so far. Pictures are in the extended entry, for the bandwidth-conscious.

Update (9/2/09): The pictures from the Book of Me (which has been neglected for far too long but which is not forgotten) are now in the ABC’s of Me Gallery.

Happy biiiiiiiiirthday…

February 10, 2005 18:23

Happy 40th to Dame Margi. I hope you have a fantastic day, girlfriend. Wish I could be there! Love you!

Federal Customs

February 08, 2005 19:25

I was driving through town today, when I noticed a funeral procession. There was the hearse, followed by a motley string of cars and trucks with their lights on. Once I realized what it was, I pulled over to the side of the road because – of course – that’s what you do! I watched the cars pass by, and turned the radio down. I shushed my daughter, trying to convey to her by my actions the appropriate sense of sobriety and respect. Then I realized – I was the ONLY one who pulled over. Other cars – on both sides of the road – continued to drive along normally. Some passed the procession, and some (sacrilege!) actually turned in and out of the grocery store parking lot during gaps BETWEEN procession cars.

Now, I’ll admit – before moving to the Great White Northwest, I lived my entire life in Dallas and environs, so I’m not exactly the most well-traveled person on the Internet. But I’ve NEVER seen a funeral procession pass by where the majority of cars didn’t pull over out of respect and reverence. Sure, there are usually a couple of jackasses who pay no heed, but those few are always sneered at by the rest.

I mean, this is that deceased person’s last pass through the land of the living, before being planted for all eternity in a cemetery. Do we not owe them at least the courtesy of an unimpeded journey?

That got me thinking – is this another one of those regional things? Is pulling over for a funeral procession a southern thing? A Texan thing? An urban thing? What’s the custom where you live?

Rant

February 08, 2005 18:26

If you don’t like cussin, and you don’t like bitchin, just move along.

I’m SO FUCKING SICK of the lack of bandwidth here where we live. I love living in the country – fresh air, no traffic, friendly people – but the shitty connectivity is driving me to distraction. You KNOW it’s bad when I can’t even upload a goddamn 97KB image file without the son of a bitch corrupting TWELVE DIFFERENT TIMES before it finally decides to fucking play nice. I swear to God, the fact that I haven’t taken my gun out and unloaded the bastard into my monitor is proof positive that I have the patience of Job. But it’s WEARING THIN.

Trying to maintain

February 08, 2005 17:27

Thomas has by far the most annoying cry of any of my children, ever.

Oh, and guess who’s teething.

Just thought you’d like to know.

Finding Love on al-Internet

February 07, 2005 19:28

A budding romance between a Jordanian man and woman turned into an ugly public divorce when the couple found out that they were in fact man and wife, state media reported.

Separated for several months, boredom and chance briefly re-united Bakr Melhem and his wife Sanaa in an Internet chat room, the official Petra news agency said.

[…]

Upon seeing Sanaa-alias-Jamila, Bakr-alias-Adnan turned white and screamed at the top of his lungs: “You are divorced, divorced, divorced” – the traditional manner of officially ending a marriage in Islam.

People who fall in love on the Internet are weird.

Quote of the Day

February 04, 2005 19:28

“It may be relevant here to add that I hold no religious beliefs whatever. Roughly, I cannot imagine any omnipotent sentient being sufficiently cruel to create the world we inhabit.” – A Severed Head, by Iris Murdoch

Why I Love Him

February 04, 2005 18:30

I haven’t really felt that well today. I’ve been catching the baby’s cold, so he’s been clingy and needy at the same time I’ve been grouchy and wanting space to myself. In that climate, this conversation ensued.

SexyHusband: Kids are all asleep, dear.
Me: (shoots a “don’t even think about it” look) Yeah, they are.
SH: Wanna nap?
Me: Heh! It’s almost time to go drool on Morimoto.
SH: Heh. Yep. Battle asparagus.
Me: You’re so indulgent of me!
SH: I am?
Me: Yep. You put up with shit from me that I’d never put up with from you.
SH: You don’t give me anything to put up with.
Me: If you drooled over Takata-san the way I drool over Morimoto, I’d give you a ration of shit.
SH: Pffft. I’d never drool over her. There’s not enough meat on her bones.

And that, friends and neighbors, is why I LOVE that man.

Co-hostessing

February 03, 2005 19:33

Last night I co-hostessed a meeting of my town’s women’s civic group, BETA (Bettering Endicott Through Action – isn’t that cute?) but in hindsight, this wasn’t a grand idea. Since I’m remodeling, having people at my house was a non-starter. I had originally planned on holding the meeting at “The Depot” (an old train depot, now partly grain storage, and the closest thing my town has to a community hall), but their furnace wasn’t working and someone had stolen the tables, so that idea was scrapped. Enter the co-hostess. The deal was people would meet at her (newly-remodeled) house, and I would furnish refreshments.

Now, I like this person very much. She’s considerate and nice, and she has a beautiful home. The downside is that she takes a much more laissez-faire approach to party-planning than I do. When I called to talk to her about logistics (when to arrive, where to set up, etc.) she was very, “Oh, just show up 10 minutes – if that – before we start, and it’ll be fine.” I do nothing by halves, not even hostessing a half-dozen people for cake and punch. I like to check – and double-check, and triple-check – every possible detail. I like to DECORATE and PLAN and FESTIVATE. But since it was at her house, I was limited in what I could do. I made a great cake, had decent punch, and a good time was had by all, but it was a lot less “ornate” than I would’ve liked. Live and learn.

Potty Etiquette

February 03, 2005 18:35

Adam and I were at Subway on Monday, having lunch. He noticed the Men’s restroom and read the “Men” sign. The Women’s restroom was around a corner, so he hadn’t seen it. The following conversation ensued:

Adam: Mommy, that says “Men.”
Me: Yep, it sure does.
Adam: Are there men in there?
Me: I don’t think there’s anyone in there right now. That’s where men and boys go to potty.
Adam: (careful thought) Boys can go potty in there?
Me: Yes.
Adam: (more careful thought) Girls can stand outside the door.

Not Fair

February 03, 2005 17:37

How can such a sexy voice reside in such a dorky body?

Self-examination

February 02, 2005 19:38

Here comes the part where I bore you with an explanation of why I left, why I’m back, and what to expect in the future. Think of it as public mental masturbation.

Why I left:
Blogging wasn’t fun. It was too much work, for too little return, and I felt like I wasn’t doing very well at it. I had stopped reading blogs, and I felt guilty about that. I woke up one morning to over 200 spam comments, and they didn’t stop until I disabled comments on each and every post. (Why, oh, why, can’t WordPress automatically delete comments with the words “poker” or “cialis"?) That wasn’t exactly the reason, but it did clinch the decision.

Why I’m back:
I missed sharing things here that I thought were funny, or noteworthy, or cute, or absurd, or some combination of those things. I missed my platform. I thought too often, “I could post about that!” only to realize that I had taken a leave of absence.

What to expect in the future:
My blogging has changed over the last several months. It’s less “linky” and more “journally.” I had started to feel bad about that, as if I were shortchanging my readers. Then I realized – dooce rarely links to other blogs, and everybody reads her. (You do read dooce, right?) So I wondered: why do I read Heather? What is it I like about her blog? What do I want to emulate in her blogging? And I realized it’s this: truth. She tells the truth, as she sees it. Even though I don’t always agree with her take on things, I’m always delighted to read it.

And that got me thinking: maybe that’s why people read me. Maybe people want to see what I have to say about little things I encounter in my life: conversations with my kids; laments about housekeeping; snide, bitchy observations about celebrities. Maybe every post I make doesn’t have to be a treatise on the shortcomings of the Democratic party. Maybe I should quit trying to entertain my readers, and instead write for myself.

The comment spam will continue to plague the blogging community as long as we allow others to contribute content (even in the form of comments and trackbacks). We can plug holes, but the spammers are diligent, and they will always find new holes. There’s not much I can do about this, without disabling comments altogether. I don’t want to do that, since I like hearing from my readers. So instead, I will periodically turn all comments off on previous posts. I hate having to do that, but it’s the reality of the situation.

It seems most bloggers come back to the self-gratifying aspect of blogging at some point or other, and this is mine. I’m glad if what I write strikes a chord, but from this point forward, that’s not my main goal. I’m not going to promise regular posts. I’m not going to promise “serious” posts. I’m not going to promise to read other bloggers regularly, because frankly I lack the time. It would be great if I could regularly read everyone on my blogroll, but that simply isn’t in the cards. At least, not right now.

So, I welcome your readership. I welcome your comments. I hope you find something here that holds your attention, though I’m going to quit making that my primary aim.

Snark

February 02, 2005 18:42

There’s a special kind of hell for people who write children’s software with insipid instructions on a 15-second loop.

Oh, and I’m back.

Adieu

January 21, 2005 19:42

After much soul-searching, over two hundred comment spam, and more than a few crappy posts of late, I have decided to once again call an end (or at least an extended pause) in Note-It Posts. I have a lot going on right now (three kids under five and their activities, two online businesses, a marriage, a farm, several civic commitments, among other things), and blogging just isn’t in the cards for me right now. I haven’t read blogs regularly since before I left for Texas, and have missed it far less than I thought I would. Thank you to everyone who read, and thank you to everyone who commented.

Speaking of comments, I turned them off on every post but this one, and will turn comments off on this one in a few days. The spam is just more than I have time for.

I can’t promise I’ll stay gone – I’m far too unpredictable for that – but I don’t foresee this site coming back. It’s been fun, I’ve been grateful for the many great people I’ve met, and I don’t regret it for a second.

Duh!

January 20, 2005 19:43

The scene: Kayla (2) comes running up to me (after she’s been put to bed) while I’m in the bathroom changing her brother’s diaper.

Me: What are you doing?
Kayla: (holding up her thumb and finger, pinched tightly together) Mama, wook! Wook!
Me: What is that?
Kayla: It’s a ou’side bug!
Me: Where did you find that?
Kayla: In the wivving room.
Me: What were you doing in the living room?
Kayla: Finding a ou’side bug!

Just. Let. It. Go.

January 15, 2005 19:44

So, it seems some people are so disappointed in the 2004 Presidential election, they’ve decided to voice their opposition.

Rothchild, 35, is selling blue bracelets that say “COUNT ME BLUE,” while Laura Adams, of Fairway, Kan., offers blue bracelets that say “HOPE.” The McKnight family, of Moscow, Idaho, is even more direct; their black bracelets proclaim: “I DID NOT VOTE 4 BUSH.”

[…]

Rothchild, who is selling the bracelets on the Web in packages of 10 for $20, plans to give part of her profits to UNICEF, and Adams has donated money from the sale of her $3 bracelets to Save the Children and Habitat for Humanity.

The McKnights are auctioning their bracelets on eBay and selling them for $3 each on their Web site, where buyers can vote for one of six organizations that will receive a portion of the proceeds.

I’m torn on my reaction to this. On the one hand, raising money for charity in a way that does NOT involve compulsory donation (read: taxes) is a good thing. On the other hand, the whole “He’s not my president” and “I didn’t vote for him” message of this thing strikes me as more than a little childish. “I didn’t get my way, so this is my own personal little temper tantrum.”

After spending 10 days in London with friends who were outspoken about their disdain for President Bush’s policies, Berns Rothchild came home wishing she had a way to show the world she didn’t vote for him.

“I sort of felt ashamed, and didn’t really want to be associated with being an American,” said Rothchild, who lives in New York City and voted for John Kerry.

Personally, I feel like if she was so ashamed of being an American, she should have kept her frizzy-haired hippy ass in London. But, maybe that’s just me.

Quote of the Day

January 15, 2005 01:28

“You’re like smart Roseanne.” – Mike B.

Mouths of Babes

January 13, 2005 19:47

I was playing a game with Adam (4), wherein I caught his ankles in a “trap” (my hands).

Adam: Look! (holding up thumb and forefinger, pinched together) I found a key! (twists fingers into my hands) Now I unlocked the trap!
Mom: Musta been the wrong key, cuz you’re still trapped!
Adam: Then I’ll have to find another key.
Mom: I have the only key that works. It’s hidden.
Adam: Then I’ll have to shoot a cannonball at you so you let me go.
Mom: But if you shoot a cannonball at me, it will blow your feet off.
Adam: No, it won’t. It will just hit only you, and hurt you! (big grin)
Mom: But you don’t want to hurt me! Then I would be sad!
Adam: Don’t worry; I will only hurt you softly.

At that point, I started laughing so hard, the “trap” came loose. He has no idea, does he? He hurts me softly every day.

Iron Chef Crossovers

January 10, 2005 19:48

I expect only maybe two of my readers watch enough Iron Chef to find these funny, but as an avid Iron Chef fan myself, I couldn’t NOT blog them.

5. Iron Chef/Jacques Cousteau crossover. Chef: Michiba. Theme ingredient: Giant squid. Gimmick: The theme ingredient strangles Kaga as he unveils it. Outcome: After Kaga is rescued, he mentions suavely that Michiba’s “odori squid sushi” gave him intense personal satisfaction and he is pleased to announce the tetsujin’s victory.

[…]

3. Iron Chef/Geraldo crossover. Chef: Sakai. Theme ingredient: Methamphetamines. Challenging chef: A KKK member. Gimmick: Major fistfights break out in the Kitchen Stadium as the Klansman rudely insults Sakai’s ancestry and is carved into sushi by the agile chef’s filleting knife. Outcome: Lawsuits.

Phone Talk

January 09, 2005 19:51

This story made me laugh right out loud. Little premonition of what I’ve got coming, I’m sure.

Pre-Schooler Gratitude

January 09, 2005 18:53

I need to get back to work on the reconstruction project soon. For readers new to this blog, I’m converting my den into a bedroom for SexyHusband and myself. I’ve made substantial progress on it over the last year (yes, “year"; we’re doing the work ourselves, cut me a break!), and have now reached the point where I need to build a new wall. I can’t do that, however, until I move the GiganticQuiltFrameOfDoom out of there, and I can’t do THAT until some of the haul from the great commercial greed-o-fest (read: Christmas toys) have been moved out of the living room.

I just spent two hours cleaning, sorting, arranging, and culling toys in my eldest son’s room to make way for his huge pirate ship and dock. In the course of said cleaning, I managed to wrench my back, stub my toe, and generally wear my ass out. I finally finished it, and called the boy (4 years old) into his room. What was his reaction? Not a “You’re the best mom in the whole world!” No “Wow, I have the coolest room, ever!” Not even a “Thank You.” Instead, he giggled, clapped his hands, and slammed his door. I’ll take it. :)

Taking Forbearance Too Far - Updated

January 09, 2005 17:54

A British man was jailed on Friday for repeatedly stabbing a long lost best friend he had traced via the popular “Friends Reunited” Web site, and the victim says he still wants to be buddies.

Brendan Walsh, 27, nearly killed Noel Duff when he stabbed him seven times in a drunken rage because he mistakenly believed his friend had attacked his sister, Karen, whom Duff had started dating.

However, Walsh immediately became full of remorse, called an ambulance and Duff was rushed to a hospital where doctors said it was a miracle he had survived a stab wound to the heart.

See, I gotta tell ya… I don’t care HOW good of friends we are, or HOW drunk you are… you stab me* – even once – and the friendship is OVER.

* In light of Harvey’s comment, I thought it merited clarification – if you stab me with an implement which causes me injury, with malicious intent, the friendship is over.

Wrongful Termination

January 07, 2005 19:56

The most outrageous thing about this story isn’t that the guy was so mindbogglingly stupid, as that he was so mindbogglingly arrogant as to file for unemployment benefits.

Dean L. Wooten, 65, was accused of greeting customers with a computer-generated photo of himself in which he appeared to be naked — except for a carefully placed Wal-Mart bag — and of telling customers that Wal-Mart was cutting costs and the sack was the company’s new uniform.

[…]

Wooten’s application for unemployment compensation was rejected by an administrative law judge, who said “a reasonable person would know the act of showing a naked body wearing a Wal-Mart sack would not be good for the employer’s business.”

God bless Iowa, where they at least have some judges who haven’t completely lost their mind. Had this been San Francisco, Wal-Mart would’ve been sued into the bay for inflicting pain and suffering.

Agnosticatin'

January 07, 2005 18:58

A woman on one of the scrapbooking lists I’m on just posted that her mother died. I don’t know her, but I wanted to write her a note of condolence. I started out with the typical “I’m sorry for your loss, please accept my condolences” and then I got stuck. I’m areligious, so “I hope God gets you through this rough time” is a a little hypocritical. Same with “I’ll be praying” or “I know she’s in a better place.” Since I’m not even an acquaintance to this person, “Let me know if there’s anything I can do” would be a big fat lie since (let’s be honest) I wouldn’t really do (or be able to do) anything.

So what do you say?

Fun With Flash

January 06, 2005 19:59

Classy.

Nirvana

January 04, 2005 20:00

I’m leaning back in my computer chair, trying to make a more comfortable bed for my son. He’s passed out on my chest, his back to me, head pillowed on my breast. He stuffed himself full of Cheerios, and has that familiar oaty, wheaty smell on his breath. His head is heavy, and lolls to the side. He twitches in his sleep. He startles now, his little-boy hands flailing in the air, seeking purchase. I reach for them quickly, pressing them to his chest, wanting to prolong his rest. He settles.

He’s perfect – the curve of his ear, the chubby skin of his fingers, the soft silkiness of his hair, the gentle slope of his lashes. He’s all the best parts of me, and at times like these my heart is full to bursting: I cannot love him more.

Party Bus

January 04, 2005 19:01

Christina has crafted a linky-love post about who she’d want on her fantasy blogger party-bus. I’m not along for the ride, but even better: she thinks me worthy to look after her lil chilluns while she’s gone! Now, honestly, how damn cool is that?

Quote of the Day

January 04, 2005 19:01

“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility, there are so few of us left.” – Oscar Levant

T-I-Double Guh-Er!

January 02, 2005 20:04

I subscribe to a couple of scrapbooking mailing lists over at YahooGroups. I’m trying to get a problem resolved, wherein email sent from them to me is not being received. They have this nifty automatic notification system that puts up an alert on your account page if your emails aren’t getting through. After you clear the block (in my case, overactive spamcop), you have to instruct them to send you a message with which you can reactivate your account. The link is called “Unbounce.” The parents among you will therefore understand when I say… “Who-who-who-whooooooooooooo!!!!”

Channeling the Menendez Brothers?

January 02, 2005 20:03

Adam: (to his sister, in a pique after being temporarily denied a toy) I have a wonderful idea, Kayla! Let’s kill our parents.
Me: blink
Kayla: (ever the lemming) Oh-tay!
Me: Who will feed you?
Adam: Oh, no matter! (yes, he actually said, “no matter.") We’ll get all the food we want at the grocery store!
Me: How will you get there?
Adam: When I get bigger, I’ll drive the truck there.
Me: Well, then I guess you better not kill us until you get bigger. (scurries off to double-check the locks on the gun safes)

Venting

January 01, 2005 20:05

I will never, ever again do back-to-back Mall Crawls. I have high hopes for 2005 in general, but the very first day is turning out to be quite a bitch.

Bad Influence

April 01, 2004 02:16

Dad: Can you say “bad influence?”
Kayla: Daddy!
Dad: That’s right!

No More Hugs and Kisses

March 01, 2004 02:17

Mom (after receiving a hug and kiss from TheBoy): May I have another hug?
Adam: No, ’fank you.
Mom: May I have another kiss?
Adam: No, ’fank you.
Mom: No more hugs and kisses?
Adam: Nope, you already had one. You can have just one hug and one kiss. But you can have a banana!

Book Characters

January 01, 2004 02:19

Mom: It’s the Bearenstain Bears.
Adam: And the Owlenstain Owls!

Oranges

January 01, 2004 02:19

Adam: These oranges, like all oranges, are made of orange juice.

What is an Elephant?

January 01, 2004 02:18

Adam: “An elephant is a trunk-eating grass mammal.”

Escape

June 01, 2003 02:20

Adam, while lying on the upstairs bed: “I’m resting and I runned away from Kayla.”

Annoying

May 01, 2003 02:23

Adam: That’s annoying me, to go to bed.

What's for Dinner?

May 01, 2003 02:22

When I was pretending to be a hungry dinosaur: “Adams are not for dinner!”

Nuffin

May 01, 2003 02:21

Dad: OK, let’s change your diaper. (starts to change diaper upstairs, thinking it’s just wet) Uh-oh. Did you forget to tell me something?
Adam: No!
Dad: What did you forget to tell me?
Adam: Nuffin!
Dad: You’re poopy.
Adam: Nuffin!
Dad: Let’s go downstairs and clean the poopies off.
Adam: Nuffin!
Dad: Let’s go, Adam. (On a related note, we have an almost-three-year-old, slightly smelly, for sale: CHEAP!)

Mashed Potatoes and Chocolate Sauce

April 01, 2003 02:26

Adam: (pointing at my vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce) What’s that?
Mom: (hoping to keep eating her own ice cream for a change) It’s mashed potatoes and gravy.
Adam: (pause) That mashed potatoes and gravy is called “ice cream”.

Good Monster

April 01, 2003 02:25

Adam: (to his Mom when he was feeling affectionate) You’re a pretty good monster.

Noses and Fussing

April 01, 2003 02:24

Mom: You know what I think?
Adam: What?
Mom: I think that you have a very nice nose. You know what else I think?
Adam: What?
Mom: I think you are my favorite boy in the whole world.
Adam: You know what I think?
Mom: What?
Adam: I think I should fuss.

Dinosaurs

April 01, 2003 02:23

Adam, speaking about Kayla: She doesn’t like me. And she doesn’t like my dinosaurs, too.

What People Have

March 01, 2003 02:30

Adam: I have a penis!
Mom: Yes, you do. Some kids have a penis.
Adam: And some kids have puzzles and toys and books and friends.

Being Friendly With Dinosaurs

March 01, 2003 02:29

Adam, while playing with his dinosaur CD: “How are you doin, dinosaurs? Are you feelin fine today, dinosaurs?”

Very

March 01, 2003 02:29

Adam: “I very love you, Mama.”

Cold Goosebumps

March 01, 2003 02:28

Adam: “I need pants to keep my goosebumps warm.”

Say Mama

March 01, 2003 02:27

Adam, when Kayla was fussing unintelligibly to be picked up: “You have to say, ‘Mama.’ You better say, ‘Mama.’ It’s not my job to say, ‘Mama.’ You have to say, ‘Mama,’ not fussin.”

Inside/Outside

March 01, 2003 02:27

Adam: Fussing babies should not stay inside, screaming babies should go outside!

Headache

February 01, 2003 02:33

Mom: How does your head feel?
Adam: Mama Bear said, “It’s too hurt.”

Colorful!

February 01, 2003 02:32

Adam: I have green-eggs-and-ham poopy.

Puzzled

February 01, 2003 02:32

Adam: “Forty-eight five puzzle!”
Mom: “That’s right, you’re doing a forty-eight piece puzzle. You’re doing a very nice job!”
Adam: “Of course I am!”

Puppy in the Window

February 01, 2003 02:31

Adam: (referring to a stuffed puppy) “He barks at the window and chases the cows and the cars and the things that go.”

Manners

February 01, 2003 02:30

Adam: “You’re welcome for my manners.”

Good Job!

January 01, 2003 02:35

Adam: “It was the best job I ever do-ded.”

Dinnertime

January 01, 2003 02:35

Adam: “I’m upset for dinnertime.”

Kissing Birdies

January 01, 2003 02:35

Adam (sees animation of an eagle pouncing on a pigeon, and resultant pigeon feathers): Uh-oh, something’s broken!
Mom: The birdie’s broken. Sometimes big birdies eat little birdies.
Adam: And some birdies kiss!

How Much?

January 01, 2003 02:34

Adam: “I love you, too…. I love you TEN!”

Chocolate Bat

January 01, 2003 02:33

Adam: Did you ever eat a bat?
Mom: No, I haven’t. Have you ever eaten a bat?
Adam: Yes, I have.
Mom: What did it taste like?
Adam: Chockit!

Funny Quote

December 01, 2002 02:38

Adam: “Christmas is ready!”

Choices

December 01, 2002 02:38

Mom: Would you like to go get some candy?
Adam: Yes, I would. Candy is a good choice.

Obstinate

December 01, 2002 02:37

Mom (to Adam): “Obstinate child!”
Adam: “ob-sin-da tiled!”
Mike: “You’re an obstinate child!”
Adam: “I’m not an obsinda tiled, I’m Adam!”

Daddies

December 01, 2002 02:36

Mom: What are you building?
Adam: A house!
Mom: It’s a very nice house. Who lives there?
Adam: It’s a house for Daddy.
Mom: I bet Daddy would like it.
Adam: I like Daddy. I like to play with Daddy. Daddies are my favorite.

What's Fun?

November 01, 2002 02:51

Mom: Do you want to go outside?
Adam (whining): Hunh, hunh, nooooo.
Mom: But going outside is fun!
Adam: Going outside is not fun!
Mom: So what’s fun, then?
Adam: Just fussin’ is fun.

Green Goblin

November 01, 2002 02:50

Adam (pointing to a picture on a box of Spiderman cereal): He’s cryin’.
Mom: That’s the Green Goblin (Spiderman’s arch enemy).
Adam: He’s a fussy one.

Mrs. Butterworth

November 01, 2002 02:50

Adam: After seeing a bottle of pancake syrup in the shape of Mrs. Butterworth: “It has a Mama on it!”

Beds

November 01, 2002 02:49

Adam: (coming into our bed from his) “I love this bed cuz Mama’s in it!”

Go To Bed!

November 01, 2002 02:49

Mike: What are you doing?
Adam: I’m taking off your glasses.
Mike: Why?
Adam: I’m sending you to bed!

What Do People Do?

November 01, 2002 02:48

Mom: What does Daddy do?
Adam: He types Daddy things.
Mom: And what does Mommy do?
Adam: She types Mommy things.
Mom: And what does Kayla do?
Adam: She’s just lie down.

Determination

November 01, 2002 02:48

Adam: “Can we poop it? Yes, we CAN!”

Apples

November 01, 2002 02:47

Adam: “I’m sad of apples.” (Doesn’t quite have “tired of” and “sad of” mastered yet.)

Spinning

November 01, 2002 02:46

Adam: “I spinned a great spin.”

Gourmand

November 01, 2002 02:45

Adam: “I like a hammaburger.”

Seven Pieces

November 01, 2002 02:45

Mom (as I jiggle infant Kayla on my knee): I’m shaking her, Adam.
Adam: Into seven pieces! (pause) That’s no good, to shake her into seven pieces.

Don't Grab

November 01, 2002 02:44

Adam: (to his sister) “Don’t grab my ice cream, just look at my ice cream.”

Pacifiers

November 01, 2002 02:43

Adam: (on seeing a baby girl with a pacifier) “She has a puppy in her mouth!”

Happy Boy

November 01, 2002 02:42

Dad: Thanksgiving is a day when we think about what makes us happy, then eat a lot. What makes you happy?
Adam: Everything, I’m a happy boy!

Hotmeal

November 01, 2002 02:42

Dad: What do you want for breakfast?
Adam: Hotmeal!
After some troubleshooting, it was determined that he wanted oatmeal.

Mirrors and Ducks

November 01, 2002 02:41

Adam: The duck looks in the mirror!
Mom: And what does he see?
Adam: Himself!
Mom (trying to turn this into a grammar lesson): And if Kayla looks in the mirror, what does she see?
Adam: The duck’s self!

Noodles

November 01, 2002 02:40

Adam: “My goodness, that’s nummy noodles!”

How Many?

November 01, 2002 02:40

Mom: How many poopy diapers can you make??
Adam: Un, too, freeee!

Yogurt

November 01, 2002 02:39

Adam, pointing at his Daddy’s yogurt: “That’s yours, Daddy. Would I like a bite of it? O-tayyyyyy.”

Today?

November 01, 2002 02:39

Adam: “I would like a baby today. Please, Mama, please?”

Kayla is Born

July 31, 2002 21:29

Our baby girl has arrived! Her birth story is online.

Still Waiting for Baby

July 26, 2002 21:31

The night before Kayla’s due date, and still no baby. No promising labor signs, either. Oh, sure, a few contractions here and there, but nothing to get excited about.

OB visit yesterday went well. Weight’s up a pound, blood pressure is just about exactly what it was at our last OB visit, her heartrate is fine, too. I described our week (including the trip to the hospital) to Dr. Parsons, and he said it sounds like things are progressing. He jokingly promised it wouldn’t be more than two days now. Ha. Ha. He opted not to do a cervical exam since, without the presence of contractions, it doesn’t tell us anything useful. Sure, I could know how many centimeters I was dilated and how effaced, but big whoop! No labor is still no labor. He mentioned the “i” word and said we should probably think about setting a date for when that happens, if things don’t move along on their own. I told him that last time we went 10 days over before inducing, and I was having blood pressure issues at the time, so we wanted to wait at least a week. He said ok, then teased me, “You want to wait a week??” I snapped, “I don’t WANT to wait another second. I’d just as soon have her out right now, but I don’t want to induce, either.” No, I wasn’t mean about it, I’m just trying to remind myself that’s still the plan. So we go back on Wednesday, if we haven’t gone back before.

False Start

July 21, 2002 21:33

Well, we made the obligatory (for me, anyway) abortive trip to the hospital last night. I had been having contractions all afternoon, and finally found that they had settled into a frequency (2-5 minutes apart, about a minute long) that I thought warranted a trip to the hospital. So we said our good-byes (Adam was shockingly ok with everything – “Mommy Daddy go hospital see Doctor P”), packed what little bit of things needed to go with us, and left. Got to the hospital, gave a urine sample and got settled into the fetal monitor, and the contractions had slowed. Not stopped, but slowed.

Dr. Mellor, who was on call, said we’d monitor it for an hour and see what happened. An hour turned into over two hours, and while the contractions got harder and more regular for a time, they eventually slowed to more than 10 minutes apart. The nurses were completely useless (the “good” nurse was just ending her shift as we left) – they never checked on us unless Mike went looking for them, they didn’t have a clue how to get the fetal monitor reset (which is a problem, because I kept having to get up to pee), one of them tried to cut off the circulation to my arm with her ineptitude with the blood pressure cuff. It was a nightmare. Suffice to say, I’ll now be hoping Tammy AND Dr. P are on call when (if??) we ever go into labor.

Stats: I was 50% effaced when I got there, dilated to “1, maybe 1 and a half”. When I left, I was 80% effaced and dilated to 2. And really, really discouraged. After I got home, I noticed some bloody show on my clothes. It was bright red. As the night wore on, I actually had a few smallish clots. I continued the bloody show through this afternoon, and it has gradually gotten darker and darker, and less abundant. Mike thinks this is the rest of my mucous plug. I think it at least started because of irritation from the cervical exams.

38 Weeks

July 17, 2002 21:35

Doctor visit today. Weight up 1 1/2 pounds (that puts me at 35 1/2 over the course of the pregnancy), blood pressure 120/68 (woohoo!!), urine showing a trace of protein, as it has all along. Doc confirmed that the baby has dropped even further, which I could feel over the course of the past couple of days. You see, she’s been staying up all night, moving. Not just squirming, but full-on moving. Very painful, prohibits sleeping. Anyway, her heart rate is good, so we made another appointment for next week. Our next appointment is 2 days before she’s term, so I’ll guess that if we make it to that point, we’ll start talking about “our options”. I don’t want options. I want to cancel that appointment, from my hospital bed, as I hold my baby girl.

Only other thing of note that happened is the doc suggested I take some stool softeners. You see, I’ve been seriously constipated for a month or more, and my best efforts at staying hydrated haven’t helped much. Oh, and if you think that’s TMI (too much information), you probably shouldn’t be reading this journal in the first place. ;)

37 Weeks

July 10, 2002 21:37

Another OB visit yesterday. Weight up 2 1/2 pounds, blood pressure 122/70, urine fine (and even urine-colored this time). By the way, I wish I had recorded here the blood pressure readings from my last pregnancy, so that I’d have them to compare to this time. Oh, well.

I talked to Dr. Parsons about the stuff that’s been going on pregnancy-wise since the last time, and he asked if I wanted him to do a cervical exam, to satisfy my curiosity. I said yes, then was disappointed to learn I was only 50% effaced and not dilated at all. I go back again in (what else?) another week.

Pelvic Pains

July 07, 2002 21:38

For the past few days I’ve been having these weird pelvic pressure pains that I couldn’t explain. I’d have 2 or 3 of them an hour, followed by a few hours of nothing. Yesterday, however, I had lots of them, including about two hours with pretty constant pressure. I was baffled and frightened by this, so I called the hospital. Dr. P is on call this weekend, and after I told the OB nurse she said she’d call me back with his recommendation. She had asked me if there was any bloody show or fluid leakage (no, and no). When she called me back, she said both she and Dr. P agreed I could come in and get checked “if it would make me feel better”, but it wasn’t required. I asked what he thought it was, and she said it was probably just the baby moving around to get into birthing position. I decided to just stay home, unless something more substantial happened. After awhile, the pains stopped.

Later, I looked back into this journal from last pregnancy, and found that, five days after my due date, I reported the exact same thing. I was surprised! I had completely forgotten about it. I guess it’s a good thing I chronicle things here, since memory is so faulty. To that end, I should report that I’ve also had intermittent chest pains late in this pregnancy. Mike and I think we had the same thing last time, but we can’t remember, and I didn’t mention it in the journal, so we’re unsure.

36 Weeks

July 04, 2002 21:39

Another OB visit yesterday. My weight’s down a pound, and blood pressure is at 122/75. The doc scolded me after glancing at my color. “Nice color,” he said (it was neon orange). I kinda blushed and said, “Yeah, I’m sorta dehydrated.” He said, "You’re pregnant! What are you doing dehydrated??? So I’m on orders to rest and drink more water. sigh The rest thing is because yesterday I was having trouble (again) with my sacroiliac joint on the left side. This is a recurring thing, and pregnancy seems to make it worse. I told him I thought the baby had dropped, and a fundal measurement confirmed this. I also told him that she seemed to be lying funny, so he did an ultrasound and we found that she was very firmly head-down and engaged (I’d be surprised if I weren’t starting to dilate, frankly). So everything still seems to be a go, and we go back next week. Oh, and I asked if he was on vacation anytime soon. He said no, but that he was going to be out of town taking the boards next weekend, so he’ll be gone from Thursday night until Saturday night. I’ll just have to cross those days off of Kayla’s social calendar, I guess. :)

Baby Dropped

June 29, 2002 21:40

I thought my water broke Wednesday night, but it didn’t. I won’t elaborate on what it was, but it wasn’t ruptured membranes.

Had another OB check on Thursday. Weight up another two pounds, blood pressure 130/74. I was a little worried about that, but the nurse didn’t seem to mind, and the doctor didn’t say a word about it. I had been using one arm to get Adam into my lap (with a little struggling), so that may have been it. I hope so, because if my blood pressure goes up again this time, even after I’ve been trying to do so well with lowering salt intake, I may give up, drive myself over to Pullman, and eat a large deep-dish meat-lover’s pizza from Pizza Hut. I mean, if nothing I do makes any difference, why not indulge? We’ll see what the reading says next week.

Baby dropped today! I had a few contractions that were pretty uncomfortable, so I went to take a bath. By the time I got out, it was noticeable how much lower she is. Mike can even tell by looking, and he’s usually pretty indifferent to this kind of thing (visually, I mean).

I finished washing, folding, and putting away the gifts I was given at my baby shower. I’ve taken pictures of them and will upload them to the appropriate page, all in due time. (Hey, we’re in the middle of a Mall Crawl here!)

Mucus - yummy!

June 25, 2002 21:42

More mucus yesterday, but still no sign of impending labor. A few contractions here and there, but nothing to get very excited about.

Lost My Plug?

June 24, 2002 21:43

I think I lost my mucus plug yesterday. I have had no vaginal discharge for the past several days, then yesterday there was a big, stringy glop when I went to the bathroom (no bloody tinging, though), and then no mucus since then. I keep doubting myself, thinking maybe it was just an increase in regular vaginal discharge, but then I realize that if that were the case, I’d probably still be having it. I called my doctor today, and he was non-plussed. He said even if I did lose the mucus plug, it was ok, because I’m almost 36 weeks. His two comments were: “You can lose the plug and still be a long way from delivery” and “We can’t put it back!” Heh.

I’m still having contractions, though they aren’t very hard, for the most part. I have had a little burst of nesting activity – weeding the strawberries, washing some dishes and laundry, doing lots of filing, and then yesterday – a sudden urge to clean out the silverware drawer (I didn’t). But who knows? I’m not sure I give a lot of credence to the whole nesting-as-a-sign-of-labor thing, anyway. The loss of the plug, though (and our subsequent reading that it could be a sign of labor starting) did get Mike to go running around and finishing his end of the packing (I finished my end a few days ago). At least, he’s mostly finished. There are a few niggly details left, but basically if I had to go right now it would be ok.

Mike’s parents are planning on being here for the delivery. I think they’re planning on arriving a couple of weeks before the due date. Obviously, I got a little panicky yesterday, wondering what we’d do with Adam if Kayla decided to show up before the in-laws did. I talked to a few of my friends and we worked out an alternate plan. One of the women (Liz) who was at my baby shower lives in Cheney, about an hour from here, and she says she’d meet us at the hospital and take Adam off our hands for as long as we needed. So now I feel much-relieved. :)

Fetus Not Sleeping

June 20, 2002 21:51

I’m beginning to wonder when, if ever, this kid is going to sleep for awhile. She seems to be awake for really looooong stretches of time – like, four hours or so. She moves and wiggles and turns, so of course she’s dreadfully healthy, but my goodness, that kinda stuff can exhaust you! Still having lots of contractions, too – another energy sapper. Luckily I don’t have any marathons scheduled or anything. I do whatever household work I plan to do first thing in the morning after breakfast and email check, when I still have some energy, then just veg the rest of the day.

Abdominal Pressure

June 19, 2002 21:45

Another OB check today. For the most part everything was normal – weight’s up two pounds from the last visit, blood pressure’s at 112/66. Urine’s normal, fetal heartbeat is normal, and the doc says I “look good”. The only notable thing that happened was toward the end of the visit, when the doctor helped me up from lying down. He held out his hand, which I took, and as he pulled upward something not-good happened. I don’t really know how to explain it, except that I felt some very painful pressure on my abdomen, left of midline, on the southern hemisphere of the globe.. errr.. belly. It took my breath away, and I kind of fell backward. Mike says I “yelped”. It took me a few minutes to recover, and the doctor kept asking if I was ok. I couldn’t really explain the feeling, but as best I can tell some of her bones pushed against some of mine. I may have been contracting at the time, and pulling on my (now non-existent) stomach muscles was enough to do me in. Dr. P suggested we schedule our next visit in one week instead of two (I miscalculated, and technically I could have gotten away with another two-week-er), and to “call me if you need to.” I kind of shakily smiled and said, “Don’t worry; we will!”

Bags Not Packed Yet

June 05, 2002 21:46

We had an OB check today, and another on the 22nd of May. Both were, not surprisingly, completely uneventful. In the last one, I had actually lost a half-pound, and this one I gained six-and-a-half. The doctor didn’t seem overly concerned about it, and just said we’d watch it. More importantly, my blood pressure this week was down to 112/56 from 122/82. That has me very pleased, since it was high blood pressure that caused me to be induced last time. It rather makes all the self-imposed salt-deprivation worthwhile, somehow. Not enjoyable, by any means, but worthwhile. We go back again for another visit in 2 weeks, then start going every week.

I still haven’t packed the hospital bags, though it’s on my to-do-in-the-near-future list. I have gotten around to updating the list (with the benefit of prior experience) and printing it out, now I just need to track down some bags and figure out what outfits to put in them. I still haven’t located a baby book I’m happy with, which has me somewhat worried (I want to get her footprints recorded in it, if nothing else), but I’m not going to stress over it. If worst comes to worst, we’ll buy one in the hospital gift shop last minute.

Glucose Test Results

May 16, 2002 21:54

Got the results back from the glucose test earlier this week – 75 fasting glucose level, 77 after an hour and a sugar-shot, so my body’s processing sugar just fine. Yay! I also forgot to mention in my last entry that I’m supposed to start going to the doctor every two weeks, so there may be more updates to this page now. Or… Maybe not… I make no promises.

I’ve begun having Braxton-Hicks contractions. At first I was worried that it was too soon, but from what I can tell (after reading a bit and asking friends), it’s perfectly normal to have them at this stage. One woman told me she contracted throughout her entire pregnancies. Yikes! The hard part really isn’t the contractions, per se, but the way Kayla fights back at the uterus afterward. Its like having two errant children in there, duking it out!

Glucose Test

May 09, 2002 21:57

We had another doctor’s visit today. I had to get up extra early for this one, because we were supposed to be there at 8AM. I intentionally scheduled it for that early because it was the glucose test, and you have to fast from midnight the night before until you take the test, and I didn’t want to be fasting for very long. We’ll get the results back from the test, most likely at our next visit. It’ll be in two weeks, since we’ve reached the more-frequent-visits part of the pregnancy.

Becoming a Big Brother

April 06, 2002 21:58

Adam is going to be the world’s best big brother. He is very caring about “Kayda” (yes, he says her name now!), petting, kissing, hugging, feeding, diapering, and otherwise looking after her. Last night he demanded “Baby open!” So I exposed my belly to him, and he kissed and hugged his sister (guess he missed her, too), then demanded “Baby warm!” so I covered my belly back up. It’s very, very sweet.

Adam Feels First Kicks

March 25, 2002 21:59

Kayla has gotten way more active in the last two days. Either that, or I can feel it a lot easier. I’m still trying to figure out her schedule, but as far as I can tell, her “schedule” is to be awake all of the time. She’s Mama’s sweet angel, but I could do with some quiet time so I could, oh, I dunno, get some sleep!

Adam has gotten a lot more interested in the baby since he felt her kick the other night. I had told Mike to try to feel for her kicks, and after Adam saw Daddy do it he wanted to try, too, so he put his little hand on my belly, and sure enough, she whacked him. His eyes got kinda big, and he grinned sheepishly. I think that did it; he knows there’s a baby in there now. He kisses and hugs her, tries to feed her food, and tries to feel her move a lot. It’s really quite touching. I’m looking forward to seeing how they interact together.

Here We Go Again!

March 09, 2002 22:00

Ahem. Time to get back to updating this one again, as we’re expecting our second baby this summer. As I’m sure you’ve guessed from the background color of this page, this time around, it’s a GIRL. We just found out this information Thursday. I’m thrilled, and the (as Mike calls it) “working name” is Kayla Reese Gunderloy. So far she appears to be healthy as a horse and doing well, growing appropriately (whatever that is). I’m healthy and feeling good most days (though today I seem to be having some wicked bad gas that is Not Fun), so that’s a good thing. Honestly, I’ll be very surprised if I’m able to keep these pages anything like as up to date as I did when pregnant with Adam, because (1) I have a toddler now, and (2) I have an online business to run. But I will try. Ooooh, trivia point – I gained 5 pounds in a week. Whee.

Everyone is Sick

April 21, 2001 15:22

We have all came down with a cold. All 3 of us feel like total crap. Sniffling, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever – we sound like living, walking, Nyquil commercials. Add to this Adam’s getting his top two teeth, and life pretty well just sucks right now. Needless to say, we skipped swimming class on Wednesday of this week. I made a commitment to go sit with my new guild’s raffle quilt this morning, which in hindsight was a mistake. I can’t get out of it, so later this morning I’ll drive to Pullman with Adam and sit at the Beasley Coliseum for 2 1/2 hours. Maybe people will buy raffle tickets out of pity.

Interspersed with feeling so lousy, I’ve had intermittent bursts of energy. I’ve taken advantage of a few of them; I mowed the side yard yesterday (it was looking much too overgrown), did a little cleaning in the living room, and have tried to help with afternoon chores when I could and the weather allowed. We haven’t felt like eating much, so cooking of actual food has been minimal. Which is too bad; I miss eating real food, but not so much that I feel like actually cooking. I may eat lunch while we’re out today, at some fast-food place; leftover turkey sandwiches are wearing a bit thin.

Babies and Quilting

April 12, 2001 15:23

Busy week here. Monday I went to a meeting of the new quilt guild I joined. Before the meeting, there was a free class. Donna Slusser and Patricia Magaret are going to be teaching a new class called “Let’s Strip”, and they were trying it out on the guild before they took it on the road. It was one where there wasn’t any sewing, so I was able to take Adam along. He did well, for the most part. During the guild meeting, he had alot of fun being passed from “grandma to grandma”. After the meeting, we drove over to Joann’s to get some patterns to make clothes.

Tuesday, I went to Pullman to have lunch with a few girlfriends (it was one of their birthday). Between the 3 of us, we had 4 babies. Birthday girl’s daughter was being too unruly so we got our food to go and went to her house and hung out for a few hours.

Yesterday, I tried to go to “little quilting” (a group here in Endicott has a weekly get together for quilting, and once a month they all work on the same project – that’s big quilting; the other weeks are little quilting), but Adam was too intrigued with the lady’s knickknacks (not a very baby-friendly house) so we left that and came home. I started working on an Easter wall hanging “just because” until it was time to go to Adam’s swim class last night. We did that, along with the same couple of ladies from Tuesday’s lunch, then I went to my friend’s house to see her new baby twin girls (teeny tiny babies!). Then we came home and I worked a little more on the wall-hanging.

Today, we all went into town to run errands. Nothing much out of the ordinary there, except that I saw Kathy (my therapist) in Colfax instead of Pullman. Then we all came home, and I finished that wall-hanging (woohoo!). Now I think I’m going to get back to work on a romper I started cutting out for Adam on Tuesday.

Productive Day All Around

April 07, 2001 15:28

I had a very productive day today. I finished chapter 3 of the book I’m revising, and I finished Adam’s quilt. Yippee!! Just yesterday I finished and mailed another quilt for a friend (will post pictures of both soon). Now I can get back to work on the quilt for our anniversary! :) Mike got some fruit trees planted today, too, and finished an article, and… something else. :) I’m tired now, so we’re going to try to all go to bed.

Baby Horse and First Swim Class

April 04, 2001 15:29

Gosh, today was a busy day! Around 12:30 or so in the afternoon, I left the boys together and drove over to the home of Marilyn Bafus, who lives just on the other side of Endicott. She and a group of other ladies – “The Palouse Piecers” – have a monthly quilting bee, where they get together at someone’s house (or a church, or some other building) and all work on the same quilt. They also have weekly get-togethers, where they get together but work on their own projects. The former is called “big quilting” and the latter is called “little quilting”. I’m going to join this group, especially since they encouraged me to bring Adam along. It was nice to be babyless for awhile, though. While at Marilyn’s house, she allowed me to see their 19-hour-old filly, Mary Jean’s Dream Girl. It was amazing to see a new one so young. This is by far the youngest horse I’ve ever seen in person. Such tiny hooves!! She’s a doll.

I came home to a fussy baby and a tired daddy, so Adam and I cuddled for awhile while Daddy took a break outside. I did a little embroidering, then realized it was time to go again. Adam and I drove into Colfax where we had our first Baby and Me swim class. We attended it with my friend from La Leche League, Denise, and her daughter Ellie. It was lots of fun, and Adam loved it. He was still clingy, but not so much that he wouldn’t float (supported) on his tummy or his back for a little while. We’re going to do this ever Wednesday for 12 weeks.

After swimming was our monthly La Leche meeting. We were a bit late, but it was still fun. There was a girl there who’s having trouble with her baby’s suck, and is having to supplement with formula until her insurance gets approval for a breastpump for her. I told her I’d loan her my pump if she’d stop using the formula. She agreed, so I’m taking my pump to her on Monday.

It’s now 10:45PM, so I’m going to finish the embroidery I started before I left today, then go collapse into bed with my guys, who are already there, snoozing away.

Quilting Projects

April 01, 2001 15:33

I’m resurrecting this journal after a few weeks’ absence. I just have too much to say NOT to. I may not keep it as up-to-date as I’d like, but I’ll do what I can.

QuiltIndex.com is having a Mall Crawl! It’s like a shop hop, but.. not! LOL This is what’s been taking up most of my time, and why I haven’t posted much here lately. The Crawl will be taking place July 2001, and will be lots of fun, but also lots of work.

Besides that, I’ve been doing some quilting. I have several ongoing projects, including a country sampler (for me), an applique BOM from Brandywine Design called Love is a Work of Heart (I have all of the block patterns and fabric kits, but am just now getting around to doing it), a fusible applique snowman BOM, a baby quilt for a friend (basted that one today, and have started quilting it), Adam’s flannel Puzzling Stars (basted that one today, too), miniature foundation-pieced log cabins (don’t know what I’m going to do with these yet), a fusible truck quilt for my nephew (started a year ago), and several others. I switch from one to another as the mood strikes, but I really need to get that baby quilt finished first, so I’m working on it most of the time.

I’ve been sick lately. Well, actually for awhile there, we all were. We had the “crud” – that yucky congestion-cold thingie that so many get when spring comes. For me, it seems to have settled in as a sinus infection. I had serious teeth pain as a result, and ended up going to the dentist in Colfax. He’s the one who diagnosed the infection and prescribed some antibiotics that seem to be doing the trick.

I’ve also started revising the Access book I did a couple of years ago (just before the wedding). It’s tough, but the challenge is a good thing – I need to be made to think every now and then. ;) I finished chapter 2 today, except for the tables that go on the CD. I haven’t gotten those from Sybex yet, so I’ve done as much of chapter 2 as I can.

Adam continues to grow big and strong. At his six month checkup he was 29 inches long, which is an amazing amount of growth in so short a time. He also weighs right around 20 pounds. He eats just about everything, although he’s not crazy about applesauce. We’re holding off on giving him milk products, with the exception of yogurt, just in case he has a mild allergy. So far he doesn’t seem to be allergic to anything. He can pull up and stand unassisted, as long as he has something to hold onto with one hand. He wants to walk, but hasn’t figured out how yet.

Blogging Break

February 10, 2001 15:19

I haven’t been very “into” this site for awhile now. I think part of it is that I just don’t have much time anymore, what with the baby and QuiltIndex, and part of it is that I just don’t get much out of it. It doesn’t really have a “return” for me anymore, other than the occasional odd email from someone saying that they’ve enjoyed what they read. For that reason, I’m going to leave off my journal, at least for now. I’ll still update my book reviews, and photos of my quilts (as I finish them), and will add anything else of interest or note, but not journal entries. I’ve already been badly deficient in posting pictures of Adam, but luckily his dad has done a far better job at it than me, and you can always look at his pictures there.

Sewing Playdate

January 25, 2001 15:14

Adam and I had a playdate today. We went to the home of a friend of mine from La Leche League, and met up with a third mom (also from LLL) where our little buckaroos had a fine time playing with toys and looking at each other warily. The idea was for the moms to be working on some kind of craft (needlepoint, quilting, cross-stitch) while the babes played, but it was more like sew a couple stitches, move the babe away from the cat, sew a couple stitches, turn the babe in a safer direction, sew a couple stitches, pick up the crying babe, sew.. you get the idea. But it was fun. It was nice to be able to talk and laugh and just sort of “hang out”. We all agreed we should do it again.

The driving-me-crazy thing is pretty much over now. In hindsight, Adam was having another growth spurt. Those are very, very trying, and it’s not always easy when in the midst of them to know what’s really going on. At any rate, the spurt is over, and things are pretty much back to normal, thank God. Most of my waking time these days that aren’t spent playing with the baby or quilting are spent working on QuiltIndex. It’s coming along nicely, but is certainly no small amount of work. It’s rewarding, though, and connects me to life beyond motherhood, so I’m going to keep it up.

Cranky Baby

January 13, 2001 15:16

I love my son. I do. He’s a wonderful, sweet, charming, beautiful little boy. He’s driving me out of my mind. For the last two days, he’s been fussy way more than is normal than him, and he’s been clingy and nursy. Especially at night, which has me exhausted and crabby. I want to sleep. I don’t want to nap for a couple of hours and be awakened to a cranky baby every two hours like I have been. I want to sleep for oh, I don’t know… THREE hours at a stretch. My back aches from arching it to feed the baby lying down so he stays asleep. I know I’m doing the right thing for him, but I’m just so tired. During the day, he’s been very needy, too. It’s not just that he needs our attention – even with us right there he’s unhappy. I don’t know if he’s teething, or this is a growth spurt, or both, or there’s something else, but it’s really wearing me down.

QuiltIndex Launch

January 08, 2001 15:18

I’ve been a busy little beaver! I’ve been hard at work on my new project – QuiltIndex. I sent off the first newsletter today, and so far have only received positive feedback. Thankfully, there weren’t even that many bounced messages, despite the fact that the newsletter was 52 KB each. Yikes! But it was all content – no fluff. I may have to send them out twice a month instead of just once, though. I can’t imagine this site will do anything but grow.

Besides that, we all went into Pullman today. I started seeing a therapist, and today was my first appointment. It went well, and I feel comfortable with her, so I hope it’s a positive thing. While I was at my appointment, Mike took Adam off for Daddy-baby time. They drove over to the used bookstore and did a bit of grocery shopping before coming to pick me up. From what I hear, it was a pretty positive thing for them as well. Tomorrow is our regular chore day, as well as the blood drive. So Mike gets to go play vampire bait again. :)

Baby's First Christmas

December 28, 2000 07:03

We had a wonderful first Christmas with our baby boy. He wasn’t much interested in opening presents, but he could tell we were happy-giddy about something, so he was, too. There were a few toys he got that he really seemed interested in, but for the most part it was all sort of confusing for him, understandably. I had a wonderful Christmas, and got lots of really neat toys of my own to play with, including a copy of EQ4. EQ4 is only the coolest-ever quilt design software. I’m having loads of fun designing and redesigning future quilts. It’s so nice to see what a design will look like before actually putting in the hard work of making it first. :) I’m sure the fruits of my (cough) labor will show up here sooner or later. No plans for Christmas Eve, really. I guess we’ll probably stay up til midnight, say a quick toast, and collapse into bed.

Launch of QuiltIndex

December 22, 2000 07:04

I haven’t been posting much lately on this website. That’s mostly because I’ve been so busy trying to get my other site ready to launch. It’s called QuiltIndex. It took me 2 1/2 months to get ready, but I’m pleased with it. Mike and I have been working together lately to make it better – adding searching, questionnaires, and other cool stuff. It’s fun working on a project with him. Maybe we’ll get to do it more. We sort of complement each other – he does most of the technical design stuff, then I dress it up. I’m learning some HTML in the process, too, and I think he’s learning (and remembering) some HTML and VBSCRIPT, as well. If you’re a quilter, you should check it out. If you know a quilter, please have THEM check it out. The more the merrier!

Other than that, it’s just been the usual pre-Christmas crunch. It hasn’t been so bad this year, although I’m not sure whether I’m going to have Adam’s stocking done in time or not (I’m cross-stitching it). I’m trying, but it’s really tedious and time-consuming. Oh, well; if I’m not done with it, I’ll just pin what I have done onto the front of a plain stocking and finish it for next year. Who knows; there could be a NEW baby by then. (No, that’s not a hint.)

Papa Passing

December 07, 2000 15:10

If you keep up with Mike’s journal then you already know my grandfather died. It happened last Wednesday, November 30th. He was 82. It was either a heart attack or a stroke; they don’t know for sure, and because of his age no autopsy was ordered. Adam and I went back to Texas for the funeral. We left Thursday at 9:30AM. We flew from Spokane to Pasco to Salt Lake City to Dallas. The getting there was pretty uneventful. Adam cried some along the way, but for the most part he was content to play or sleep or nurse. I only changed planes once, in Salt Lake City where I also had a 2-hour layover. On the first plane, we were seated next to a nice woman named Judy who helped me with Adam. She held him and played with him and talked to me. We exchanged phone numbers, as she has an antique quilt her grandmother started that she’d like to have finished and I told her I’d talk to some people I know who do quilting and piecing by hand (it was all started by hand).

By the time we got into Dallas at 6:30, I was pretty tired. Even a happy baby is a handful on a plane. I got the rental car with no trouble (thanks in large part to help from a few random businessmen who took pity on a lady with a baby by carrying bags) and promptly took the wrong highway away from the airport. It seems they’ve built an entire highway while I was gone, and like a doofus I took it. I ended up calling my sister (Donna) for emergency what-do-I-do directions. I got going the right direction and headed out to Donna’s house. When I was about 15 miles away from her house, I almost got run off the road by two crazy drivers. I ate some spaghetti at Donna’s house and let her play with Adam. She even changed a couple of diapers!!! Just as I was about to leave (still had a 2 hour drive ahead of me) she told me I was supposed to go to Canton to pick up my aunt/step-mom (same person) and take her to my grandmother’s house. I bitched and moaned – didn’t they realize how tired I’d be? – but did it anyway. I picked up my aunt and drove on to Linden to drop her off. My mom was staying there, and she had a nice time playing with the baby, too. I finally drove on the rest of the way to our motel in Atlanta, 15 minutes away from my grandmother’s. By the time I bought some water (had to stay hydrated!), checked in, and went to bed, it was 4 AM.

We slept in til 11AM Friday, then we left and picked up some lunch at Wendy’s before heading to my grandmother’s house. Buying food was foolish; as is typical for southern funerals, tons of friends brought over tons of food – we didn’t even make a dent in it. We sort of socialized and reminisced with family all day Friday (it was this day that Adam chose to first roll over, from his tummy to his back), then went into town for the viewing that evening. It was very hard to do. My grandmother had requested photographs be taken of my grandfather, so guess who got volunteered. We got all that taken care of, then sat and received friends for the rest of the wake. I was sort of in charge of amusing my second-cousin, Joshua, who instantly fell in love with Adam (he wants a baby brother/sister) and ended the evening by telling his mother, “I don’t want to live with you, I want to live with the lady with the baby.” Fun.

Donna and her boys shared the motel room with Adam and me Friday night. Lots of family members were staying in the same motel, so we sort of room-hopped until bed (1 AM) catching up on each others’ news. The funeral was the next morning at 10AM (Donna, the boys, and I had McDonald’s before). It was very emotional, and a beautiful service. Afterward, we went back to my grandmother’s house and socialized and hung out and played dominoes to pass the time. My friend Nancy had driven all the way out there from her house (3 hours away) and brought her daughter Megan along. Megan’s 7 months old, and this was the first chance we’d had to see each other’s kids. It was nice. They played together, when Adam wasn’t being passed around the family. Around 3PM, we decided to take off and head for Dallas. Nancy followed me, and I checked into a different motel near my sister’s house. The babies played together until we went to go have dinner at Chili’s. Adam slept through dinner, Megan munched on some crackers, Nancy and I chatted. Then we went back to the room to talk and take pictures of the kids. Around midnight Adam got crabby-sleepy, so Megan and Nancy left. It was around 1:30AM before Adam finally fell asleep.

The next day was Sunday. My cousin was having a surprise party for her husband’s 40th birthday, so Donna came over around 11AM and we went shopping for his present. Before the party, we stopped at El Chico for lunch. We went to the party, then I drove Donna back to the motel to get her car. She went home, and Adam and I took a nap. I ordered in some Italian food, then drove to Donna’s house again to visit. I left at a reasonable hour, around 10PM, and Adam and I sat up and watched TV for awhile and played, then went to bed. It was tonight Adam decided to roll over from his back to his tummy.

The next day, my mom stayed home from work because she was having car trouble. I had Indian food for lunch and a banana split from Braum’s, then drove over to mom’s house. We hung out for awhile, in between her going to pick up the van, then drove all of us (including my niece & nephew) over to Seven Points to get dinner. We ended up picking up Taco Bell for the kids and Schlotsky’s for us. I left not long after dinner and drove back to Dallas (my mom lives about an hour away). I stopped first at the grocery store and bought some of the things I can’t buy here. More TV, then bed.

Tuesday, Donna and I met up at mom’s work and we all went to lunch at the Spaghetti Warehouse downtown. The service sucked, the food was great, so it was pretty much par for the course. After I left there, I drove down to Ennis to my dad’s house. We stayed there all night, visiting with him, my step-mom, my aunt (different person – Dad’s sister), and my cousin. We left around 9PM and drove back to the motel. I wanted to get an early night since our plane was leaving the next day. Of course, it didn’t work out that way. Adam was trying to come down with a cold, so he was crabby and clingy and nursy all night. He never went more than an hour without nursing. At 7:15 the next morning I was so tired, I called Mike and complained to him about the whole thing. He said there was nothing he could do, but I told him to tell his son to go to sleep, then held the phone up to the baby’s ear. The baby got quiet, and, amazingly enough, fell asleep not long after the phone was hung up. I took it off the hook, and went back to sleep.

At 8:45, my cellphone started ringing. I crawled out of bed to turn it off, then went back to sleep. At 9AM, Donna knocked on the door and said Let’s go to breakfast. I gave her the baby, a diaper, and a change of clothes, then stumbled into the shower. By the time I was dressed, Adam was, too, so we went to breakfast at Denny’s. Then I went back to the motel and packed and checked out. I called Nancy, and we met at her mom’s work (she wanted to see the baby). Then we went to where her husband works (ditto), then went to have lunch at Spring Creek Barbeque. It was pretty good. Then I drove to the airport to start the plane trip home from hell. He was still sort of congested and cranky, and neither of us was really well-rested. We took the same route (in reverse, of course) home that we had taken to Dallas. He cried some on every leg of the flight, but from Pasco to Spokane he cried non-stop for 25 minutes. I was worn out. Mike had a hard drive from home to the airport, so we didn’t see him when we de-planed. He caught up with us at baggage claim. It was a yucky, snowy, long drive home, but it was better than being on a plane. Within 5 minutes of arriving home, I collapsed into bed, exhausted. To see pictures taken during this trip, click here.

Christmas Pictures

November 28, 2000 06:46

Adam and I went into Moscow Saturday to do some shopping. First, we went to Staples and got a folding table for me to use for cutting fabric and a filing box for bank statements. Then we drove over to Joann’s, but the lines were unreal, so we left and went to Wal-Mart. Bought lots of stuff for Christmas there, including some more lights and wrapping paper and stuff.

Today we ran most of our regular errands in Colfax, then we all drove over to Lewiston, ID for family/Christmas photos. It was lots of fun, and Adam is a ham and a half in front of the camera. Then we drove back to Colfax to do our grocery shopping and came on home.

Adam has been teething lately, which is uncomfortable for all of us. Poor baby, it hurts him, which makes him cry and fuss inconsolably. That really wears you down after awhile, so we pass him back and forth a lot. There’s nothing you can do to make it better but to be there, which is kind of demoralizing if, like us, you’re a couple of doting parents.

Afraid of the Nurse

November 21, 2000 06:53

Today we go into town again. I have an appointment to get my hair cut at 2:15. I don’t think I’m going to cut it as short as I did last time (see pics on the Quilt Camp page); I’ll probably cut off four or five inches. It’s gotten to the point where I’m lying on it when I sleep, which pulls and is uncomfortable. And that, I’m sure, is far more than you wanted to know about my hair. LOL

Friday, Adam and I drove over to Moscow to do some shopping. First, we made a stop at the hospital to make Adam’s next doctor’s appointment, and to visit our friends, the nurses. Dori, the nurse we see most often, was there and she took Adam and started off down the hall to weigh him. Adam has never had a problem being taken by anyone, and for awhile he was ok with Dori. But at some point, he realized he hadn’t seen me or heard my voice in a few minutes, and he started crying. I was RIGHT behind him the whole time, so I wasn’t far – he just panicked! So I took him back and consoled him. But after that, he just seemed terrified of Dori. She thinks it was because she gave him his shots last time. I don’t – he was asleep for them. Anyway, he got weighed with his clothes on, and came in at 16 pounds 12 ounces. AND he’s going through a growth spurt, so heaven knows what he’ll be at when we go back for his real visit. We stopped at Becky’s in Colfax to pick up a wish list card, then drove to the new Becky’s in Moscow to finish filling it out. Then we popped into Joann’s to buy some tearaway stabilizer (for embroidery) and a few other things. Then we cruised the Palouse Mall to do some Christmas shopping for Daddy and bought.. well, some things. ;)

Last Tuesday was chore time again – same old, same old. Everybody continues to compliment Adam on how gorgeous and happy and loved he seems. We’re pleased. :)

First Pumping

November 10, 2000 06:56

Well, I did it. I pumped my first 2 oz. of breastmilk. I got to the point where I was too worried about what would happen to Adam if I ever had to have surgery and couldn’t nurse, or got put on antibiotics, or (God forbid) died – I just didn’t want my baby stuck with yucky formula. So I bought a Medela Pump-in-Style from Little Koala. I know I may not be able to pump enough to keep him completely on breastmilk if any of these things happen, but I can keep him on it as long as possible. One thing I learned is that I don’t need the “small-to-medium nipple” insert. A word of caution – if you’re a new pumper, and get the same style pump – try to pump with the large nipple shields FIRST – I got a tiny cut on the bottom of my areola, and it was because of the insert. <THUD!! The sound of my mother-in-law fainting from embarrassment about me talking about my nipples on the Internet.>

Skipping the Guild Meeting

November 09, 2000 06:58

I decided to skip this month’s guild meeting because it’s snowing here and the visibility yesterday was really bad. I also didn’t relish the idea of driving on icy roads in the black of night with an infant in tow. I was a little depressed, because I finally had something to show-and-tell – I made a table runner for Mike’s mom. I’ll upload a picture of it soon. Oh, well, I guess this just means I should send it to her.

Nothing much else to report. It’s cold here. I’m cranky today. I’ll stop here.

Difficult Day

November 02, 2000 06:59

Some days you ought to just stay in bed. Which I tried to do, but Adam insisted we wake up. If you’ve ever raised a baby, you know how they “insist” on something. He was cranky, which made me cranky. He got over it; I didn’t. I’m still cranky. Adam has taken to getting these 5-minute power naps (PN). He’ll take a PN, then wake up and want to be played with. Then in the middle of it, he’ll have a PN. Then he’ll wake up wet. Then hungry. Then a PN. Just when you try to lay him down to sleep so you can get something done, he wakes up, revved up and ready to go again. It’s exhausting.

Mike’s had an even worse day. Started with a wet diaper, then a dead turkey, then a misbehaving dog, then escaped chickens, then a dead Exchange server. I’m sure there’s more, but on our bad days we try not to irritate each other with talking, so I don’t know what else has happened to him today. I’m sure I’ll find out by reading his diary tomorrow.

Last Saturday’s playdate was rainy, so only Denise and I showed up. We still had fun, and I bought a rug. Then we went to have lunch at Burger King and both went home. I hate rain. It really makes fun things un-fun. This week’s errands were done on Monday instead of Tuesday, because Mike had this arbitration thing on the phone on Tuesday. We’ve started delivering eggs to people’s homes in Colfax instead of leaving them at Becky’s, because we were irritating the girls that work at Becky’s, and because some of our customers were forgetting their eggs. It’s really not much more of a bother.

Yesterday was LLL again. There were only a few of us there (we had the enrichment meeting last Wednesday, and LLL meetings on the first day of the month are always not-well-attended), so it was pretty informal. Adam had a good time staring at his buddies, including one (Hogan) who seemed very concerned that Adam was being forced to wear clothes, and showed great interest in Adam’s penis during a diaper change. He kept pointing at it and looking at me questioningly. His mom says he’s going through a “naked phase”. Didn’t bother me; I figure kids have to find out about themselves and one another somehow, and who am I to give some kid a complex about penises? I probably won’t be so eager to “Free Willy” when Adam’s a bit older. ;)

Addendum: As an added bonus to this glorious day, I have now thrown out my back. Again.

Forming a Playgroup

October 27, 2000 01:08

Wednesday was a big day for Adam and me. We went to Moscow, Idaho to do some shopping with Denise (my friend from La Leche League) and her daughter Ellie. First we went to Joann’s. Not finding what we wanted there, we went to Michael’s, next door. I got some embroidery floss organizer bags, fabric stamp pad, and a couple of other things. Denise got a headband for Ellie, who is 10 months old and is going to “do” Halloween. Then we went to Wal-mart. I got more shelves, including a couple that are 6 feet tall. Still haven’t assembled any of them yet, but I will. After Wal-mart, we went to her house in Pullman to chat for awhile before our LLL meeting, where I gave an “enrichment meeting” talk about the LLL conference I went to a couple of weeks ago. It was fun, but tiring. Adam is now holding his head up so well that I let him be on the floor at the meeting. Of course, all of the other kids played with his toys and carried them all over, but he’s too young to care. I had planned on doing some grocery shopping in Pullman after the meeting, but it was 9 PM and we were both exhausted, so we just came home. Tomorrow is our first “playdate”. I kind of organized a playgroup of 6 of us from LLL (me, Denise, MaryAnn, Karen, Holly, and Lisa) and our first playdate is going to be at the annual crafting fair in Pullman at the Beasley Coliseum. Our kids are all different ages, so this is really more about “Mommy-playing” than “kid-playing”, at least at this point. Although Adam and Holly’s son are only a few days apart in age.

Quilter's Quest

October 20, 2000 01:12

Adam and I went on an adventure today, to Spokane. We went in search of some elusive fabric, of which I need enough to make one more 12" block, or I’ll have to remake four squares (long, boring story). We went to the quilt show and nagged all of the vendors there who had any similar fabrics. Alas, to no avail. We did get some nice pictures of quilts, though, and saw a few of Adam’s “aunts”. On the way to Spokane, I saw a peacock. It was trying to cross I-195 (the highway north from Pullman to Spokane) and just barely avoided getting hit at least twice. On the way back home, on the road from St. John to Endicott, I saw a raccoon. It was toddling along the side of the road. About 50 yards farther down the road, I saw a fox. Strange. Must be the day for unusual animals.

While in Spokane, I went to Hancock Fabrics to buy some polyester batting. I almost never use poly-batting, so I didn’t have any around. Then we went to the mall to shop for Daddy Christmas presents. We didn’t find much, but we did stop at the kiddy-yard for a nursing break. Adam didn’t nurse much, because the screeching and laughing and yelling of all the kids was just too tempting a distraction. He was fascinated by them, and watched for a full half-hour before he got fussy. A couple of them came up and “petted” him gently, which made him smile. He’s certainly getting more interactive.

New Wiring Finished

October 18, 2000 01:14

Yesterday was Adam’s two-month checkup, and my post-natal check as well. Both of us were pronounced healthy. Adam weighed in at fourteen pounds nine ounces (gulp!), and is now 25 1/2 inches long. He’s off of both growth charts. :) He also got his first three immunizations – HiB, polio, and DPT. He was asleep when he got his shots, and it was a terrible way to wake up, but he was back asleep in fairly short order. He was feverish and fussy yesterday afternoon, but was more or less back to his normal self by bedtime.

The electricians finally finished putting in the outlets and the exhaust fan today, so Mike spent the better part of the day moving all of the computers up to the office and arranging them on shelving. It was a big job, but it looks really nice now. Much nicer than cables hanging all over the house, that’s for sure.

Growth Spurt

October 15, 2000 01:16

Adam has hit another growth spurt. This is exhausting because it means he’s nursing all the time. All I got done was one appliquee block and a little fabric shop-hopping.

Need More Hay

October 14, 2000 01:17

Adam is two months old today. Pretty amazing. In some ways it seems like his birth just happened, and in others it seems like he’s been a part of our family forever.

We’ve been going through hay faster than we anticipated (partly because we’ve had those damned boarding horses much longer than we expected) so we’ll have to have more for the winter. Knowing this, I called Fritz Coon, our “hay guy”, and ordered another stack. It should get here some time next week. Fritz is a nice guy. Last time we had hay delivered, I was very, very pregnant, and he speculated on delivering late in the week rather than early, to maximize his chances of seeing “the little guy”. This time, he asked whether we had our happy, healthy baby (we do) and seemed excited at the thought of seeing him. I think Fritz likes babies.

I finished the curtains today. I’ve been working on them for months. (“Working on them” means that I bought and washed the flannel for the curtains months ago. The actual sewing part went pretty quickly.) So now I can move on to other projects, starting with some blocks for a swap and a table runner for Mike’s mom.

Baby Bunny Spotted

October 11, 2000 01:23

The local electrical company started putting in new outlets today. We don’t have enough outlets upstairs for all the computers we use, so we needed more. They made a tremendous noise, and woke Adam up several times from his various naps. But it’s a must-do thing. They got here around 9 in the morning and left at about 5. I finally got the Whitman Samplers website updated while that was going on.

After that, Adam and I headed into town for the guild meeting. It was pretty dull, but pretty short, too. On the way home, I saw the darnedest thing! I was turning off the road and onto our driveway when I saw a bunny! It looked like a juvenile bunny, and not too bright, as it took it awhile to decide to hop off of the driveway. Neither Mike nor I have seen rabbits here, so it was remarkable. I have no idea if they’re indigenous, or if some kid let his pet bunny get loose. I wonder if we’ll see it again..?

Trip to Bellingham

October 10, 2000 01:27

It’s been a busy few weeks. I didn’t realize how long it had been since I updated this website, though. One of the side effects of being a parent is an absence of “free” time. That can be really frustrating, especially for someone like me, who generally has lots and lots (read – too many) irons in the fire. I’m going to have to learn to scale back, or I’ll drive myself (and Mike) batty.

We got back from the LLL conference yesterday. It was a blast, although the drive was pretty daunting. It was held in Bellingham, which is about 90 minutes due north of Seattle. This meant a 6-hour drive both Friday and Monday for us. Adam’s a great infant traveler, though; he slept the whole way, waking up at stops for nursing and a diaper change, and then falling back asleep within 30 minutes of getting back on the highway. The drive there was gorgeous – 75 degrees or so the whole way, although getting stuck in Friday rush-hour traffic in Seattle was not one of my smoother moves. It was cloudy on the way back, which was good because the truck lacks air conditioning and the drive there was kind of warm. I had lots of fun, and met lots of nice women, and cooed at lots of adorable babies. Of course, Adam got cooed at, too.

Adam turns two months old on Saturday. This means that on Tuesday, he has an appointment at the doctor for a well-baby check, and to get his immunizations. I’m a little apprehensive cuz I know they’re going to hurt him, but we think it’s what’s best for him.

Tomorrow night is the guild’s next meeting. I really do need to try to find some time to update that website. Other than this page, I made a new page of book reviews. They had the quilt show last weekend, and I have a ton of pictures I need to get posted. Thursday, the Medical Examiner for Pullman is coming out here to give Mike a physical (insurance-related). That’s about all we’ve got planned for this week, at least other than the usual sewing/working/gardening/babycare.

Table Runner in the Works

September 20, 2000 17:36

We did the weekly errands together again yesterday. I don’t know if this will be an every-week kind of thing or not. Yesterday we made a stop at the Goodrich’s to return their dishes (they were the only ones who brought over a meal for us shortly after Adam was born) and I wanted to go along for that. Incidentally, Adam’s almost as big as Kari, the Goodrich’s 4-month-old daughter.

I’ve been working on a table runner for us. I decided a small project would help ease me back into sewing. It’s taking me a lot longer than it should, but that’s ok; it’s nice to be working on something “sew-y” again.

I’m going to Bellingham in a couple of weeks. La Leche League is having a conference there, and Adam and I are going to attend. It should be fun. I wish Mike could go, too, but he’ll be staying home to take care of animals.

What else? Oh, yeah, I won a radio contest. They were doing a trivia thing, and the question was which former major league baseball player helped the Netherlands beat Cuba in the Olympics baseball game. I won a gift certificate to Branegan’s. Yay.

Socializing Baby

September 16, 2000 17:35

It’s been a busy week for Adam and me. Tuesday, we went into town with Mike to run the errands. Everyone talked about how cute Adam was (of course; who’s ever told someone, “Gee, that sure is an ugly kid ya got there!”) and asked how I was feeling. Wednesday, Adam and I went to the quilt guild meeting. After nursing a couple of times, Adam was feeling sufficiently sociable and allowed several of the gals to hold him. He even put on a performance, smiling and grinning and cooing at some of them, disrupting the meeting because he had a whole corner of the guild in hysterical laughing fits. Oh, yes, he’s learning to smile. Quite cute, when you can catch it. So far, Dad still hasn’t gotten a picture of it.

Thursday and Friday we stayed home and rested. Today, we made a trip (just the two of us) all the way to Moscow.. Idaho.. to take advantage of the sale at Joann’s, then to pick up a few necessities at Wal-Mart. All in all, it was a pleasant trip, although a bit tiring. Whoops, baby’s hungry, must go.

Errands With Baby

September 07, 2000 17:32

Last night we went on a little excursion. Mike, Adam and I all piled into the truck and headed for Moscow. First, of course, we had to adjust the carseat, because our little Peanut has grown too tall (long) for the setting we had it on. We went to the Wal-Mart and bought a few things, including a new lamp for night feedings and some shelving for a belated birthday present for Mike. After we left, we dropped back into Pullman and swung by the McDonald’s for some dinner for me (drive-thru, yum.. not) then went to the La Leche League meeting up the street. It was lots of fun. It was a couples’ meeting, and we got to show Adam to everyone there. He was quiet through most of it, but woke up about midway to soil 4 diapers and nurse 3 times. It was my first (semi-)public nursing. I talked to two of the other moms after the meeting, and we’re going to form a playgroup! I’m really excited about that. One of the moms – Holly – had a little boy four days after Adam was born.

After the meeting, we stopped by the Dissmore’s (grocery store) to do some shopping. At one point, Adam got hungry-fussy and so I started nursing him in the store. You’d be surprised how little people are really aware of. I don’t think anybody realized he was nursing! At the checkout stand, while Adam was still nursing, the cashier said, “Oh, that’s a sleepy one!” I just smiled, and said, “Or something.” I don’t think he heard me, or if he did, he didn’t know what I was talking about. It sure was convenient!! I must remember to keep burp cloths with me at all times, though, because I still have a “spraying” problem.

Three Weeks Old

September 04, 2000 17:29

My sweet little angel baby is three weeks old today. It’s hard to imagine that. He’s already grown and changed so much in that short a time. Physically, he’s not near as puffy and squinty and.. “pulled in” to himself as he was the first few days. He’s put on lots of weight (an informal scale test shows between 11 and 12 pounds now) and has grown at least an inch and a half in length. His hair has lightened, his eyes darkened. He’s lost the little brown love spots he had on his thighs when he was born (some call them stork bites) and he’s got a tiny little case of baby acne.

But wow, in ways OTHER than physical!! He can roll from his back to his right side, he can track movements of people and things from one side to the other, he turns when he hears voices or sharp noises, he can grab beards, hair, and cat tails, he stretches out at night, taking up as much bed space as his little wingspan will allow, and he can scoot across the bed backwards by thrusting his legs out in front of him. He’s growing fast.

Nursing is still going well, although there’s still a bit of pain in my nipples in the mornings. Neither Mike nor I can really tell who he looks like, although lots of people have said he looks like me. We think that’s just because Mike has a beard and no one knows what his face looks like. If we put a beard on Adam, everyone will say he looks like Mike. :) Shay and Snuggles are still VERY attached to Adam; they’re both quite maternal. If Adam cries (usually because he’s gassy) for any length of time, Mommy’s little helpers show up to look at me disapprovingly, and (in Snuggles’ case) to walk back and forth across and around him, purring loudly to try and distract him from whatever’s causing the fuss. It doesn’t work anymore, sadly.

He’s a very alert little boy, and if he’s sufficiently focused on whomever is holding him at the time, he can mimic sticking out a tongue (which is quite remarkable, when you think about it). Of course, he has both Mike and me wrapped very, very tightly around his tiny little finger. We’re totally hooked.

First Well-Child Visit

August 24, 2000 17:27

Yesterday was Adam’s first well-baby checkup. Mike went in on Tuesday and ran all of the other errands so that we wouldn’t have to drag a one-week-old around town on such a hot day. The well-baby checkup went splendidly. Adam is now up to 8 lb. 10 oz. and is thriving. As mandated for newborns, he peed all over the scale. :) The doctor says he looks healthy, which we pretty much already knew. He asked me how I was doing, and I told him everything was going along swimmingly. He said we don’t really need to come back until Adam’s two-month checkup (he’ll be getting his first vaccinations then), and I can wait until then, too, for my post-natal physical. It’ll be so strange to go from seeing the doc and nurses every week to not seeing them for almost two months.

After his checkup (and a bout of nursing), we went over to the hospital’s lab to have his follow-up PKU done. It was miserable for the poor little angel. They had to stick him twice to get enough blood since he’s “such a good clotter”. I felt just terrible, like there should’ve been something I could do to make it better. As it was, I just nursed him again after it was all over.

He vomited for the first time last night. He had been sort of on-and-off fussy all night, and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I nursed him a few times, and after the last time was taking him to the bedroom to try to introduce him to a toy, when he barfed all over me. Three times. God, it’s amazing how much they can vomit!! I freaked out, so Mike got me calmed down (Adam was fine – gurgling and happy after it all came out) and I got us both cleaned up. I think the problem is that I wasn’t burping him enough. He doesn’t always have a burp to give after feeding, but I’m at least going to try to get one out of him each time.

Just Us Chickens

August 21, 2000 17:25

Mike’s parents left yesterday. They stayed for a few days after Adam’s birth to coo at him, and to help us out until we had both healed a little. By the way, if you haven’t already, you may want to read Adam’s birth story. Anyway, yesterday was our first day as “just us” — our own little brand new nuclear family. It was nice – I tried wearing the sling for the first time and managed to get some laundry and other light housecleaning done. Mike got out to the garden and got some weeding and harvesting in, including cucumbers, which he later made into bread and butter pickles. Adam’s cord stump also fell off yesterday. It was a sad time for me, because it was the last little vestige of my physical connection to this sweet little angel. Sniff.

I’m learning you can do just about everything one-handed (including typing this journal entry). Anything that requires both hands, and/or is remotely dangerous, like dishes or cooking, just waits until the other of us is on Baby Detail. It’s working out quite well, and I now have a healthy respect for single moms, and moms who stay home alone with infants. It ain’t easy!!

Baby is Born

August 18, 2000 22:15

Well, I’m not pregnant anymore. Adam Charles Gunderloy arrived in this world on August 14th, 2000, at 11:55PM. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 4 1/2 oz. and was 21 1/2 inches long. His head circumference was 34 cm. So this will be the last entry in this pregnancy diary. To read his birth story, click here.

Family Comes to Visit

August 12, 2000 17:23

Thursday was my birthday – I’m 26. My mom, sis, niece, and 3 nephews had driven here from Texas to spend a couple of days with me, and we had a big party – the first birthday party I’ve had in ten years. Mike made me a fudge cake with fudge frosting, and we had banana splits to go along with it. It was so strange to be sung “Happy Birthday” to at this point in my life, but it was nice, too. It was kind of a beaver-themed day (I collect beavers). Mike gave me beaver books, tapes, a sweatshirt, a framed photo, and other goodies, all with beavers on or in them. Mike’s parents gave me a cloth fold-up wallet, a beaver hat and stuffed beaver, and several small “beavered” pieces – two pendants, a ceramic beaver, etc. My sis gave me some ribbons and a pincushion and some fabric and a rose candle inside a sewing basket. My mom gave me a book about making gifts – crocheted things, painted things, all kinds of gifts. It was a lot of fun.

There’s still no baby, of course. We go back to the doctor on Monday, at which time he’ll decide whether or not to induce. Quite frankly, I’m hoping he will. I’m handling the extra weight, blood pressure, low-salt diet, and general boredom, nausea, and other junk worse and worse every day. It’s time.

My family left yesterday morning for the drive back to Texas. Mike’s folks (who had been staying at a hotel in Moscow while mine were here) are back staying with us, and waiting for Adam’s arrival. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer of a wait.

Not Quite Contractions

August 09, 2000 02:12

Wow, two doctor’s appointments in as many days. Our regular appointment was yesterday. My blood pressure was sort of high, and I had some swelling, but other than that everything was normal. The doc asked us to come back on Monday. He said if things hadn’t progressed on their own then we’d probably induce, using oral prostaglandin. Basically, that’s a pill (or part of a pill) that you hold in your mouth to ripen the cervix and induce contractions. If the contractions start to come too fast (a risk with this method) you take it out of your mouth and they slow again. It’s supposed to be pretty effective, with fewer risks than Pitocin. Of course, if it doesn’t have the desired effect, we can always “up the ante” to a Pit-drip. Anyway, I made the earliest appointment available for Monday – 8:30 – on the theory that it’s best to get the labor started early so it might not have to run through to some god-awful hour in the wee morning. Other than that, he just said I should cut down on my salt intake and get plenty of rest.

Last night, I had some kind of weird pains. They were almost like contractions, but not. There was no abdominal tightening. It just felt like he was ramming his head into my pelvis, maybe turning his head, trying to fit through. Apparently, this is completely normal, even without the water having broken. Some of the pains were pretty sharp, so today I called the doctor’s office. Oh, yeah, I was also having some very frequent urination, even for a pregnant woman. The doctor said I could come in and they’d check me, so they did. They did another cervical exam. I’m still effaced to about 70%, I’m at a -1/-2 station, dilated to 1, water still intact. So basically, no physical changes since almost three weeks ago. But here’s the kicker – I have a bladder infection! Also common in pregnant women. So I’m on Macrobid for five days – 100 mg twice a day. My blood pressure was consistent with yesterday’s reading. So other than adding a prescription, there’s really nothing new to add. This is all very frustrating, but I’m trying to handle it as well as I can. Poor Mike is low on sleep and is subsisting on chips and coffee during the day. He’s having to do lots of fetch-and-carry, since having a baby’s head (oh, yeah, the doc felt his head, and said it was coned.. lol) down in your pelvis makes things like bending and picking up and walking pretty painful. Go figure! Anyway, Mike’s long overdue for some TLC, and has been an incredible source of support throughout this whole thing. And they keep TELLING me it’s almost over, so maybe soon he won’t have to do so much.

Sick of Being Pregnant

August 05, 2000 02:13

I decided to just reprint part of what I wrote to a mailing list, as an update on how things are going.

I’M SICK OF BEING PREGNANT. Adam’s due date was yesterday, and it feels like he should’ve been out weeks ago. I’ve been having contractions for a month now, and it’s been 3 weeks to the day since we made the false trip to the hospital. Tonight we had more contractions, fairly regular, harder than they have been, and I was stupid enough to let myself actually think the thought, “Hey, this is really it!” Now it’s 10:45 at night, I haven’t had any contractions in hours, and there’s NO SIGN of an impending delivery. I’m sick, sick, sick of being so pregnant. It’s been in the 90’s here for two weeks, and we don’t have air conditioning. We open the windows at night and close them during the day, drawing the shades, to try to keep in whatever sense of cool we can, but at 9+ months pregnant it’s always uncomfortable. I’m tired of looking “like you swallowed a watermelon” or “you’re about to pop” or all the other asinine things people say when you’re VERY pregnant. I’m tired of walking around smelling like urine all the time because I have lost some control over my bladder (I feel like an old, incontinent cat). Despite Mike’s best efforts, I feel very, very unsexy, and I’m tired of that, too. I’m tired of my pelvic joints rubbing together and against his (Adam’s) head and causing me excruciating pain and making me walk like Daffy Duck. I’m tired of back pains and headaches and insomnia and going to the bathroom every hour. I’m SICK TO DEATH of being cooped up in the house because of the heat and the fact that I can’t go out alone anymore (part of living in the sticks) and I’m tired of being the only one who sleeps during the day and stays awake at night. I’m tired of people offering well-meaning advice about how to start labor, from herbs to beans to every conceivable variant of the castor oil theorem you can imagine. I’m tired of CRAVING Pitocin. We go back to the doctor on Tuesday and I’m tired of telling him there’s nothing to tell. And I’m REALLY tired of him telling me it’s all normal. It doesn’t freaking FEEL normal!!!

Most of all, I’m tired of not being able to hold and nurse and cuddle my baby, and being separated from him by this stupid, belligerent, uncooperative, non-calendar-reading UTERUS that refuses to get to work and stay there. Please tell me I’ll grow to like my body again. Please tell me this DOES end because, as ludicrous as it sounds, I’m starting to contemplate my future as a pregnant person for the rest of my life; it just doesn’t feel like it’ll ever happen!! I’m at my wit’s end, and I don’t know what to do.

Still in a Holding Pattern

August 02, 2000 17:21

Yesterday was doctor day again. Of course, if you just want a brief update, the keyword is “NORMAL”. After that, Mom and Dad and I went to have lunch at the pizza place in town and Mike went to run the errands. He joined us later (we were still waiting on our pizzas at that point, so he didn’t miss much). Then we all went to the grocery store, where I had a few contractions but nothing serious. I was wiped out by the time we got to the end of our shopping, so I konked out for a long nap as soon as we got home. You know, this pregnancy stuff was a lot more fun in .. oh, say.. the sixth month than it is now.

Still No Baby

August 02, 2000 02:15

Went to visit the doctor in Colfax yesterday. He’s back from his camping trip (he was gone from Wednesday to Sunday) and the first thing he said was, “You made it!” He said he hoped I didn’t go into labor while he was gone, cuz, “I want to be there!” Well, we didn’t. Not even close. Not even any real serious contractions. Blood pressure was down from last time, which was good. I didn’t look at weight; it’s gotten too depressing. He didn’t mention the urine, which usually means there’s nothing to say. Baby’s heart rate is normal, but it sounds slower to me than it has. I mentioned this, and Dr. P said, “He’s getting bigger.” Uterine measurement was still “good”. Basically, all vitals are good and there’s still nothing to do but wait. Mike asked at what point we start considering induction. Dr. P said usually a week after due date is when we start “talking seriously” about it. Well, my due date is Friday, and my next doctor’s appointment is next Tuesday, so if I haven’t delivered by then I guess we’ll discuss it. That doesn’t mean he’ll induce, of course, but he’ll start looking at whether inducement is a good or bad thing for us. Of course, I’ll keep you posted.

A Bit of Running Around

July 25, 2000 17:20

We went into town yesterday for our doctor’s appointment and other errands. I usually like to avoid Monday appointments, but it’s the only day he was accepting appointments this week so that’s what we got. Before the clinic, we went to the grange to buy feed and to the bank to sell a couple dozen eggs. After the clinic, we went to Subway for lunch, then to the grocery store for our weekly shopping. Boring, huh?

Non-News

July 25, 2000 02:17

Doctor’s appointment again yesterday. Of course, this means there is still no baby on the outside. The doc says since they’ve established my cervix is “ripe”, they don’t want to keep checking for dilation and effacement progress until I’m in actual labor. Blood pressure and urine are about where they were last time, uterus still measures good, and his heart rate is still good. So now, it’s just a waiting game. I’ve had contractions off and on now for a week and a half, but nothing substantial. Usually a few hours a day, with others “peppered” throughout the day. It’s gotten to be pretty old hat. We don’t even record them all anymore; it’s rather tedious.

Hospital Trip That Didn't End in a Baby

July 20, 2000 02:18

Good news and bad news. Good news – I went to a doctor’s appointment yesterday and I’m effaced to 70%. Bad news – there’s still no baby, and I went into the hospital yesterday thinking I was going to give birth, only to have contractions go from regular 2-3 minutes apart to absolutely nothing. Maybe I should back up. I’ve been having contractions (small ones) since Saturday. They were off and on, irregular, no certain consistency, not painful, easy to talk and walk through. We went to our doctor’s appointment and after a cervical exam, I’m 70% effaced. We did some more errands-running around town and it was not real easy. I was sure I had finished effacing and was starting to dilate. I wasn’t contracting, exactly, just feeling a lot of pressure from Adam’s head. We came home, and contractions didn’t pick up. I took a nap, and then contractions picked up again after dinner (I insisted on a squat-walk to the driveway.. walk, walk, squat if a contraction comes on, walk, walk). They got very regular (all from 2-4 minutes apart) and all between 60-90 seconds in duration. They weren’t really hard, but we thought maybe I was one of those lucky women who breezes through labor, so we went to the hospital. Contractions continued all the way to the hospital, I mean right up to the door. I got out of the truck, started walking into the hospital, and they completely stopped. Went down to the OB station, got strapped into the monitor, and NOTHING. Not even one contraction. I decided maybe the reclining position was the problem, so I got unstrapped and we walked around the hospital. I had 3 or 4 contractions, so we came back to the OB room. Got strapped back in, and nothing again. So they did a pelvic exam and found that I was dilated to 1 cm. While that’s progress, it’s not considered “real labor” so we came home. No contractions since. I’m bummed.

Too Many Errands

July 12, 2000 17:18

So far it’s been a very busy week. Monday, we went into town for my first serger class. It was a lot of fun, but there sure is a lot to learn!! Yesterday was errand day, so we started with the doctor visit, then had lunch at the Top Notch cafe. Mike then went to go pick up some feed from the Grange, and the rest of us went over to Becky’s to sell eggs and pay for the serger. My in-laws were very kind to me – for my birthday present, they paid for half of the serger. Mom’s also been going to the classes with me so she can pick up the stuff I miss and remind me of it later. After that, we walked over to the bank only to find that our egg customers there were gone to lunch. So, it was off to the post office to mail a package, which was the end of our chores.

We drove into Moscow to shop for baby things. We started with Wal-Mart, where we bought clothes, mattress pads, hooded towels and washcloths, and some other odds and ends. Then it was over to Joann’s, where I bought 14 yards of flannel to make receiving blankets to give to the hospital. Then we bravely decided to cruise the Palouse Mall. We didn’t find anything until we hit the Bon Marche, then we bought three cute little baby outfits. At this point, we were all pretty pooped, but we still had the serger class to go to. So we piled back up in the van, and drove to Colfax for class. This one wasn’t as informative, but I did get to do a little experimenting with different fabrics and tensions and types of stitches. The original plan called for us to do the grocery shopping after the class, but that just wasn’t happening. So we came home and sort of stumbled around in a daze until bedtime. We’ll do the grocery shopping after today’s (final, thank God) serger class.

Strep Culture Negative

July 12, 2000 02:20

Another doctor’s appointment yesterday. The group B strep culture was negative (yay!) so there’s nothing to do about that. The baby has, indeed, dropped. His heart rate has also slowed to 130 bpm from the 150 bpm it’s been at for the last 4 or 5 visits. All indicators of the birth’s getting closer. Everything else was normal, of course, and we go back again next Wednesday. On the home front, I’m having an almost impossible time sleeping on our bed these days. It’s just too hard, and my joints are too loose. It feels like sleeping on concrete. So Mike and Mike’s Dad are going to try to move the RV’s air mattress into the house some time soon, since I sleep much better on it (I take my naps in the RV now). I hope that helps, since I’m already doing my zombie impression half of the time.

Friends of the Library Sale

July 06, 2000 17:16

Another Colfax trip today. That makes two in a row. Today we went in for the annual Friends of the Library book sale, and bought only 4 boxes. We spent much less this year than we did last year, but that’s ok; I don’t think we’ll ever run out of reading material. And if we do, there’s always amazon.com. Heh.

Yesterday was our regular, weekly visit. We started with the doctor’s visit, tour of the hospital, and pre-registration, and then went for dinner. Initially we were planning on going to the Top Notch Cafe, but they were closed, as was the Sol Vallarta Mexican restaurant. Must have been an extended Fourth of July type thing. Anyway, we ended up at the pizza place. It was pretty good, although we did have to wait quite some time before the pizza showed up. After that, we did egg deliveries and shopping at the fabric store. Among other things, I bought a serger! OK, technically I haven’t paid for it yet, but we did pick it out. We go to classes (“we” being me and Mom) Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to learn to use it, so we’ll pay for it next week. It’s a Bernina 2500DCE, if that means anything to anyone. I know next to nothing about sergers, but apparently this is a good one, and we got a good deal on it since they’re discontinuing it.

After Becky’s, we went to the grocery store (Mike and Dad had already taken care of going to the Grange while we gals did the serger bit). Our favorite checker, Donna, got to meet Mom & Dad, and everybody made excited-type-noises about the upcoming baby. Then we came home, exhausted. OK, everybody else may have been ok, but I was exhausted. There’s a lot of that going around these days, though, so…

Baby Dropped

July 06, 2000 02:21

I’m almost certain the baby has dropped. My fundus (the top of my uterus) now feels lower, or at least the top part feels “squishier”, and his head feels like it’s about to fall out of me. This makes it much harder to walk, of course, so getting around town has become quite comical, not to mention slow. I don’t know if this is going to be a permanent drop or just a testing-the-waters drop, but it’s definitely a drop.

In-Laws Arrive

July 05, 2000 17:15

Happy Belated Independence Day. Hope everyone had a great one. Mike’s folks showed up yesterday, after having driven cross-country from New Jersey (grandma lives there). They got to NJ by driving cross-country from California! They’ve put quite a few miles on their new Roadtrek, but they seem to be doing just fine. No broken bones yet! Heh.

We had a great time chatting and visiting yesterday. Got to hear all the good gossip from the “eastern” branches of the family. Then last night we went into town for the ice cream social and fireworks display. Considering how small Endicott is, it was really quite an impressive display. Then we all came home and crashed.

Today is doctor-visit-and-errands day. Mom and Dad are coming into town with us and are even coming to the appointment so they can hear the heartbeat.

A Baby, Just Not Our Baby

July 05, 2000 02:22

Another doctor’s appointment today – the last of our two-weekers. Now we’ll be going every week. As usual, everything was normal. We did a test today – a cotton swab test for group B streptococcus. Dr. P says I’m very low-risk for it, but better safe than sorry. We did get the news that Dr. P has some vacation scheduled. He leaves for 5 days starting tomorrow, then is back for 4 days, then is gone for 4 days. After that, he’s back for good. So I’ve been sending “don’t come out” signals to the baby all day, since I really want OUR doctor to deliver him. Mom & Dad came into the room with us when it got to be fetal heart listening time. They kind of grinned during. I’m still amazed that people can grow inside of other people. How in the world can it possibly work?? Anyway, the only other thing of note that happened was we saw a picture of Sola Brooke, Dr. P’s daughter. She’s a beautiful little girl, almost 5 months old. She’s got these huge, beautiful blue eyes, and looks just like the Gerber baby with this sweet little curly-Q on top of her head. Mike says he thinks Dr. and Mrs. P taped it on there. :) In the picture, she was sticking her little tongue out. Too cute.

After the doctor visit, we went to tour the birthing and recovery rooms again. We saw them back when we were taking prenatal classes, but that was 4 or 5 months ago, and we had a few more specific questions this time. We also saw the operating room and OR recovery room, where we’d have to go in case of a C-section. I’m really glad I got to see them before “time”, and Christie, Kate, and Pat (OB and OR nurses) were wonderful. Very informative and helpful. Last thing we did at the hospital was pre-register. It didn’t take long, and I got to sign my first form as Adam’s Mother. Mike also signed a consent form as his Father. Also, this is the first official documentation of “Gunderloy, Baby”. Awwww….

Errands, Bit of Nausea

June 27, 2000 14:23

We went into town again today. It was a usual “rounds” day – deliver eggs to the groomer’s, then to Becky’s (I dropped off a quilt there, too, to be quilted), then to the bank, then Subway’s (for lunch for me), then the grange, then the grocery store. By somewhere between Becky’s and the bank I was feeling really nauseous. I sat and rested some in the bank, and decided I needed food (I had only had a bowl of cereal and a piece of bread all day, and this was about 2:30), hence the stop at Subway’s. All in all the rest of the day was pretty normal. Read – a lot of sleeping, not much else getting accomplished.

More Braxton-Hicks Contractions

June 27, 2000 02:24

The Braxton-Hicks contractions I started identifying a few days ago are coming more often now, and harder. Still not regular, of course, but I definitely know when they’re happening. I have 6-10 a day, I think. So far, I haven’t had four in an hour, which is when I’m supposed to call the doc. We go back to see him again in a week, and I’m sort of wondering if he’ll be at all concerned about this development. Probably not; he’s been pretty laid back about everything else so far. Oops.. having one now.. they don’t hurt, really. Mike asked if they hurt or were uncomfortable. The answer is – neither. Well, ok, sometimes they’re uncomfortable, but mostly they just feel very STRANGE. It’s almost like you were doing a stomach crunch without having to move a muscle on your own. Very odd.

Needy Cat

June 25, 2000 14:24

It’s 4AM, and I’ve been awake for a half-hour. I haven’t slept more than a few minutes at a stretch, and that’s got me cranky, so watch out! I just can’t seem to get comfortable, and to top it off, at 3:30 Pepper decided to sing us a chorus of, “I don’t want to be alone, so ONE of you has to wake up and pay attention to me.” GRRR The first one to tell me this is a prelude of Adam gets it, right in the eye, I swear.

OK, the news – yesterday we drove into St. John (15 miles away) because they were having a town-wide garage sale. “Town-wide” in this case meant 10 garage sales, 7 of which were still going by the time we got there (1-ish). We hit 5 or so of them, and mostly bought baby clothes and hangers. The day before that, I had my first recognizable Braxton-Hicks contractions. I had intended to write a sweet, goopy update about that, but sweet and goopy are not in my makeup this morning. I can go so far as to say they were humbling, once I figured out what they were. And I’ve had a few from time to time since then.

That’s about it. I think I might try going back to bed, possibly with the door closed this time. Anyone want a cat?

In-Laws on the Way

June 21, 2000 18:01

Yesterday was our errand/doctor appointment day. The first stop was the doctor’s office. Then, we stopped at the mower medic. Apparently, the problem with the mower was that it required “adjustment”. $11.84 worth of adjustment, as I understand it. Neither of us is quite certain what that means, but anyway the mower seems to work. Then we went to the groomer’s to drop off their eggs, then the bank, then to Becky’s. Mike then dropped me off at the grocery store so I could munch on some late lunch in the deli while he did the grange run. We did our grocery shopping, filled up on gas, then headed home. All in all, a pretty uneventful day.

Monday we spoke to Mike’s mom and dad, and found out they’re going to be headed this way from New Jersey, and that they left this morning! So in two or three weeks they’ll be here, to help take care of the farm and get ready for the impending delivery (I’m due in about six weeks, can you believe it???). I’m really excited. Mom and I are going to sew up a storm, and the boys are probably going to do farm stuff. Speaking of sewing, I finished my maternity dress (made from challis). I think it turned out really cute, and I even wore it into town yesterday. I’ll get a pic of it uploaded soon.

Baby is Head-Down

June 21, 2000 02:25

Another doctor’s check! As usual, everything’s normal. I’ve gained 3 pounds in the last two weeks, my blood pressure is 130/70 (normal for me), urine test was fine, womb measurement was perfect, Adam’s heart rate is perfect, and there’s really not much else to report! Adam’s head-down, although his back is on the opposite side from where it was a few weeks ago when we had the ultrasound. We go back again on July 5th, then we start going every week. I can’t believe it – as of tomorrow I’m going to be 34 weeks pregnant. For those that don’t know, that’s VERY pregnant. Only six weeks to go until the due date, so it could be anywhere from 3 to 9 weeks from now. The thought that we could have a baby here in 3 weeks terrifies me. Well, sometimes it terrifies me.. sometimes I get really excited about it.

I Love Baths

June 19, 2000 02:26

Please let me say that I love baths. No, I mean that I really, really love baths. Sometimes they’re the only things that save me from driving myself to the doctor and demanding pitocin at gunpoint. I’m getting very uncomfortable in this body; it’s too crowded and there are too many of us IN it. I only have 6 1/2 weeks to go until my due date, and that seems too long. (Sometimes it seems too short, too, but that’s not this morning’s rant.) His Highness is doing well, I guess, but I can’t say the same for me. I wake up more and more mornings cranky, irritable, tired, sore, grumpy, and a complete bitch to live with. Just ask Mike. My patience level is about this long: – . The cats drive me out of my mind, and Pepper’s yowl is so piercing he should be drafted as some sort of super-secret torture device for the CIA or something. Like everyone else on this place, he finds Mike a calming influence which is (for him) a very good thing, because I’ve considered running my own Darwinian experiments with him as the subject on more than one occasion. (“Let’s see.. can a cat who has lived in a house all its life outrun a coyote…?”) If you can’t tell, I’m in a pissy mood, and the only thing that has me THIS cheerful is my bath.

Tiny Strawberry Harvest

June 15, 2000 18:03

Yesterday, I had lots of energy for some reason. I managed to weed over half of the strawberry patch (two huge baskets of weeds) and harvest a small bowl of tasty little strawberries, that were actually quite yummy with last night’s dinner. I also did some dishes, a little laundry, and finally finished the flannel jacket I’ve been working on for Adam. It’s quite cute, if I do say so myself, although not perfect. I’ll upload a picture sooner or later.

Tuesday we went for a trip into town. We took the lawnmower (which wouldn’t start, for some reason) to the lawnmower repair shop. Then we went to the groomer’s, the fabric shop, the bank, the grocery store, and the grange. We also managed to get all of Adam’s diapers, clothes, and blankets washed and put away, and have made more progress on packing our hospital bag. I’ll be 33 weeks pregnant tomorrow, so I really have to get that bag finished. That’s my project for the rest of this weekend. That, and tech-editing another chapter, and designing a website. I’d better get to work.

Sleep Schedule

June 15, 2000 02:29

We’ve sort of settled into a semi-routine for sleeping. It doesn’t always work, but this is how it usually happens – I wake up sometime in the morning, usually FAR too early (like 4:30 or 5) and stay awake, checking email and munching on breakfast, until sleepiness creeps back up on me, usually around 8 or so. So, I head back to bed and sleep til 11 or 12. This sounds like a lot of time sleeping, but it’s not, since I also don’t fall asleep until 1:30, and then I sleep fitfully. I’m not tired, since I’m able to catnap this way during the day, but it makes me REALLY grateful I don’t have to work during the day. I honestly don’t think I could manage it if I had to work.

Domestic Progress

June 12, 2000 18:04

It was another reasonably productive day for me today. First, I tech-edited a chapter for the book I’m working on. Then, I did some work on a client’s website. Then, I took a bath, then a nap. :)

When I woke up, I actually did a load of dishes. Try not to faint, now, you might hurt yourself! LOL. After that was finished, I took pictures of the gifts Adam has received from folks. Then, I put together the dresser we bought for him yesterday. It wasn’t hard, but it did cause my hands a little cramping. Wah. :) It looks nice, though, and if we get our dryer fixed tomorrow (Don the appliance guy is coming to look at it in the morning) I’ll wash all of Adam’s clothes and get them put away, just like a real mommy. LOL

Lastly, I made a new page to display the gifts Adam has received. I have friends all over the world, and wanted to share pictures of the gifts with them. And now I’m doing this webpage update! :) Assuming I have more energy after dinner (which I can smell cooking now), I’m going to get back to work on the maternity dress I’ve been sort-of-working-on for the last two days. If I get that finished, I’ll try to finish the jacket I started for Adam.

First Contraction?

June 12, 2000 02:30

I either had a contraction this morning, or a very vivid dream about one – I’m honestly not sure which. If it happened, it happened just as I was waking up. I didn’t hurt; it felt like squeezing at the top of my uterus. Anyway, it was only one (if that many) and I’m not really worried about it.

Dresser, Filing Cabinet, Sewing Notions

June 11, 2000 18:05

Today was a day for shopping. We drove into Moscow, Idaho in search of a dresser to hold Adam’s clothes, and came back with that, and more. First stop was Joann’s fabrics, so I could buy all kinds of sewing notions. Lately, I’ve gotten back into making clothes, and this has made me realize I’m woefully deficient in things like buttons, bias tape, and zippers. So, I stocked up. Now, I’m ready to tackle all of those patterns I have. I actually started a flannel jacket yesterday, but had to stop because I didn’t have any bias tape. Maybe I’ll finish it tonight.

After Joann’s, we went to Office Depot to buy a filing cabinet. The service there was ridiculously bad (especially when the employee-to-customer ratio was about 3:1) so we left and went the 1/4 mile it takes to get to their competitor – Staples. We bought the filing cabinet from them. Then it was on to Applebee’s so I could have a burger and fries and mozzarella sticks. Last stop in Moscow was the Wal-Mart, where we finally bought the dresser. We also bought a ton of other things, including another outfit for Adam, some things to make up care packages for my niece, and a bunch of other odds and ends.

After leaving Moscow, we stopped in Pullman to go to the grocery store. I needed milk, so of course we had to have some. His Majesty cannot FUNCTION without his morning cereal, then it’s a cranky time for all of us. Anyway, we bought the milk, and some more cereal, and some Asian food items we hadn’t seen anywhere else around here, then we came home. We’re both pretty pooped, but unfortunately Mike had a crashed server awaiting him when he got here, so he’s going to have to fix it. I, on the other hand, am going to take a nap.

Glucose Test Results

June 07, 2000 02:30

It dawned on me (after scanning this page for typos) that I never posted the results of the glucose screening test. Shame on me! It went well – my fasting blood glucose level (BGL) was 67. After I drank the orange fizzy stuff and waited an hour, it was at 75. All well within normal parameters.

Boring Day of Errands and Egg Delivery

June 06, 2000 18:08

We had a trip into Colfax today. It was actually a pretty long one – it started with two stops in Endicott (the school, to sell some eggs, and the post office, to pick up a package of diapers from Born to Love), then on to Colfax. First, to the doctor’s for a checkup; then on to the Catholic church where they hold the blood drives so Mike could donate; a quick stop at the hardware store; then we swung by the pet grooming shop (we sell eggs to the groomer, but she was already closed when we got there); then on to Becky’s where we were cleaned out of eggs and I picked up a few things; then to the bank where we made a few deposits and were scolded for not saving some eggs (we promised to go to the bank before Becky’s next week); then to the grange, where Mike loaded all of the feed while I sat on my butt; then to the grocery store; then the gas station, then home.

Baby Detergent

June 06, 2000 02:31

Another day, another OB check. All in all, it was pretty uneventful. Weight gain is “on the normal curve”, blood pressure is normal, urine test was normal. Heart rate is normal, symptoms are normal, I’m normal, you’re normal, he’s normal, she’s normal, everything’s normal, normal, normal. I only SOUND like I’m complaining, really. That was our last four-week visit; now we start going every two weeks. We did get to hear his heartbeat. Made me fall in love all over again, which is (what else?) – normal.

Oh, one thing of note here is that we stopped at the grocery store before we came home, and looked at Dreft, the baby detergent. We couldn’t really tell anything from their packaging that would make them better than any other detergent (other than “this is the detergent for babies”) so we decided to just go with the regular stuff. It’s EXPENSIVE, too. If anyone knows of good reasons why you should use baby detergent, please let me know.

Steve Visits

June 05, 2000 18:09

Steve came to visit this weekend. We had fun, although the drive to Spokane feels a lot longer when you’re in your eighth month than when you’re in your fifth (which is, I think, the last time I drove there). This time all 3 of us (me, Mike, and Steve) were in the car, since Mike (rightfully so, it turns out) doesn’t think I should be making that long of a drive myself. On the way there, I snoozed for a few minutes, and on the way back, I was so miserable I thought I was going to throw myself out the door into the ditch. It was not a pleasant car ride (it was three hours round trip, in a truck without air conditioning, much of it on bumpy, winding roads).

Saturday we drove to Moscow. On the way, we stopped in Pullman at Basilio’s and had some Italian food. I had chicken parmigiana, he had fish and chips. Don’t ask me why they serve fish and chips at an Italian restaurant; they do. Anyway, after lunch we drove on in to Moscow and saw a couple of movies – Mission Impossible II and Center Stage. MI2 was good, but they had the volume turned WAY up, and the movie already had a lot of built-in bass, so some of the action was actually uncomfortable. Adam kicked a LOT in this movie. Center Stage was cheesy, but cute. And not near as loud. :) Originally we had decided to then go see Small Time Crooks, but we were both a little movie-pooped, so we went for dinner instead. We ended up at a bar-and-grill in downtown (a laughable term) Moscow. We had burgers then played a few rounds of pool. Neither of us is a master pool player, but he kicked my no-pool-playin’ butt anyway. Three games to one.

Sunday we just kind of lazed around the house. We played with kittens, ate super brownies, and watched The Muse and The Bachelor on DTV. Then we got ready to go to the airport.

We moved Zorro and her litter out into the garage on Thursday after we picked her up from the vet. She was just looking so forlorn and missing her sister so much, we decided to forgo the extra day in the bathroom. Thursday night I cleared everything out of that bathroom in preparation for a good scrubbing and swept the floors. Friday, in between tech-editing a couple of chapters and doing a smidge of laundry, I scoured that bathroom top to bottom. It took all of my energy, but (if I do say so myself) it looks great now. You’d never know that, just a few weeks ago, there were 12 cats staying in such a small space. I finished just about in time to get to the airport and pick Steve up.

Tomorrow we go into Colfax for our weekly egg rounds, as well as a doctor’s visit and blood donation for Mike. This is our last 4-week visit; after this one we start going every 2 weeks. It’s getting close now! For those keeping track, I’m in my 32nd week.

No More Driving Alone

June 01, 2000 18:13

There hasn’t been a whole lot going on, really. I haven’t even been out of the house this whole week, except for the occasional brief trip to the barn or the stable. Mike made the weekly trip to town on Tuesday, and I was originally scheduled to go with him, but at the last minute Adam decided we needed a very long nap, so nap we did.

Mike read my diary from last month, and he’s now uncomfortable having me out alone, or having me here alone. A lot of this has to do with the fact that it seems everyone we’ve talked to lately has had their babies at around 30 weeks (I’m 31 weeks tomorrow) so I won’t get to stay home napping much longer, and my days of driving around alone are over.

My friend Steve comes for a visit tomorrow. I’m really excited, because he’s always so much fun to be with. If I’m up to it, we’ll go see movies in Moscow and pig out on junk food. :) If not, we’ll stay home and watch movies on satellite, and make Super Brownies! There’s a story behind Super Brownies – when I went to go visit him the first time in California (I was there on business) we went to a movie (Rush Hour), and while waiting for it to start, we stopped at a Baskin Robbins or something and had a super brownie – a fudgy brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream. It was YUMMY. We both share a love of certain things – cats, chocolate, movies, and Oreos. :) There’s more, but that’s what comes to mind.

Speaking of cats, Casper and Zorro have now both been spayed. Casper was spayed a week ago (the vet warned us they’ll just have litter after litter after litter, if left alone) and Zorro has been at the vet’s overnight. We go to pick her up today. We’re planning on moving her and her kittens outside with Casper and her brood tomorrow, after she’s had a day to more or less recuperate. Then I can reclaim that back bathroom and ATTACK it with some bleach. Lots of bleach. Quantities of bleach. :)

Packing the Bag

June 01, 2000 02:32

I think I misdiagnosed myself in my last post. Probably from reading too many pregnancy books about what “might” be happening now. Anyway, I don’t think I’m lightening, because the heavy feeling isn’t constant. (For the record, I still think “lightening” is a stupid word.) He seems to drift down that way, do a couple of breakdance-style headspins on my pelvic bone, then drift back up to midway where he seems to spend most of his time. He does have a new trick – back twinges. It happens when he’s particularly low and kicks or “swirls” in a particular way. Ever crack your tailbone? I’ve bruised mine… it hurts a BIT worse than these back twinges. They’re extremely brief – lasting only a second – but they sure snap you to attention when they happen. I’ll have about an hour or so of them, then go take a warm bath and I’m good to go again. Poor Mike, he’s gotten very few relaxing baths these last few weeks – I’ve been monopolizing it. We need a hot tub (yes, yes, I know – I couldn’t get in a hot tub now if we did have one, but HE could!) or a jacuzzi.

We’ve started packing for our trip to the hospital. It’s kind of mind-boggling how much stuff you need for basically a two-day stay. I’m packing a little at a time, so that I don’t have to try to get everything done at once. Besides, we don’t have any baby detergent, so we haven’t been able to wash his clothes or cloth diapers yet, and that has to be done before they can be packed. It’s on the shopping list, though. Of course, we had to add a few things to the standard list – laptop, digital camera, phone line (we’re going to TRY to broadcast webpage updates, if labor allows).

Candi's Graduation

May 25, 2000 01:10

OK, so I didn’t get another load of laundry done yesterday, but I did do more dishes, so that counts. Besides, I’m doing laundry today, and I even updated this site a little more. Namely, I got the quilt camp pictures up.

My niece is graduating on Saturday. I’m happy for her, but bummed I can’t be there. I can remember when she was just a baby, and have watched her grow up. I sent her gift off to her today (a quilt and a palm pilot) and since it went Fedex, she should get it tomorrow. She was the flower girl last year in my wedding, if you’re curious about what she looks like. If you ever read this, Candice, I love you!

There’s not much else going on today, really. I think I may lounge the rest of the day and just cross-stitch, since I’m feeling a little pooped (for no good reason – I slept til 11).

Lightening?

May 24, 2000 02:34

In the last few days, Adam has begun lightening. Now, please, allow me a brief bit of latitude in discussing how STUPID that term is. You have this 3-4 pound child, along with placenta and assorted fluids, making their way DOWN, into your pelvis (as if he wasn’t down far enough to begin with), pressing quite heavily onto your bladder (current capacity – about 2 teaspoons) and pelvic bone. That’s right, folks, it’s this sensation that some genius decided to call “LIGHTENing”. Grrrr… (rantoff) Other than that, we’re both doing exceptionally well. Energy level isn’t too bad (although naps are my BEST friends), and his activity has been.. um.. abundant. :) He’s “definitely a mover” (so sayeth Dr. Parsons). I’m still growing, as evidenced by some of the newest pics on the pregnancy images page. In fact, while at quilt camp, someone took a pic of me and Amanda back-to-back. When I looked at it, I was absolutely stunned. I had no idea I was showing so much. Someone at quilt camp commented, “My, Dana, you sure are blossoming.” Burgeoning is more like it. But still no swelling to speak of, no nausea, no real food aversions, no muscle cramps (unless you count abdominal tightness and backaches when I stand too long). I’m really being blessed with an easy pregnancy.

One-Year Anniversary

May 24, 2000 01:13

Yesterday was our first anniversary. A whole year, can you believe it? It has just flown by. I guess that’s a good thing. If you’re wondering, we’re still as blissfully happy and giddy and in love as we were in the beginning. (I started to type “as we were last year”, but it extended farther back than a year, as you know if you’ve been reading for that long.) Interesting observation – whenever anyone finds out it’s your anniversary, or that it’s coming up, they always ask the same question, namely, “What are you doing for your anniversary?” Now, without being completely indelicate here, do you suppose people really want the true answer to that question? I mean, sure they’re expecting you to say something like, “We’re going to eat out and go visit one of our favorite places” or something equally sappy, but what if that’s not what you’re going to do. I mean, suppose, just for the sake of argument, that your plan is to crack open your brand new edition of the Kama Sutra and spend the whole day trying each and every position. Twice. Do you think people would really want to know that?

For the record, we stayed home. We played cribbage, we walked around the property making a video of the animals and buildings (probably an annual tradition), we did a (very) little weeding, we sat and talked, we cooked dinner, we read, we cross-stitched (obviously some of these “we’s” apply only to one or the other), we had dinner together, followed by wedding cake and fake-pagne, we watched a (very very stupid) movie called Dog Park, and we went to bed. The important thing is, we did not answer email or the phone or see anyone else besides us. OK, Mike read through email before I woke up, and both the UPS and Fedex drivers showed up, but none of that counts. All in all, it was the most perfect day I could’ve imagined.

As you may know, the first anniversary is traditionally the one on which you exchange gifts of “paper”. This can present quite a challenge when, as we did, you rule out books as potential gifts (our standard fall-back gift). My gift to Mike was three M.C. Escher prints, framed. His gift to me was an origami starter set. Three packages of origami paper and three ~~books~~ sets of instructions on the subject. We even spent part of yesterday making a couple of paper cranes. All in all, our efforts were, predictably, pitiful, but we had fun.

Oddly enough, today was a very productive day for me. Now, you must bear in mind that “productive” is a relative term. The fact that I’m updating this site is enough to call a day productive, even if it’s all I do. But it wasn’t! I washed 2 loads of dishes and one of clothes (more laundry to be done after this update), tech-edited a chapter for a book I’m working on about the Internet, did 2 months worth of filing (personal, Lark, and MCW), and made the trek into town to play Egg Lady, make a bank deposit, and buy a few groceries. On the way home, my energy level dropped, and it was a major struggle to keep my eyes open and keep the truck on the road. I think my days of lone town-going may be over, at least for some time.

There’s a lot that’s happened since my last post, including Quilt Camp, Mother’s Day, and Amanda’s visit. For now I’ll close, and try to toss in bits and pieces of that stuff in future updates.

Glucose Test

May 10, 2000 02:35

Well, we went in to the doc today for an OB check. We’re at 27 weeks and 5 days.

First, they drew blood from me, then gave me the orange fizzy stuff to drink (glucose screening test). It really wasn’t all that awful. The doc came in to talk to Mike about some bloodwork he wanted done and a couple of labor questions we had, then sent us off for an hour. Mike went to the bank and I went to the fabric shop, then we headed back to the hospital to have more blood drawn to see if I “passed” the test. We should know tomorrow or so. Hopefully, my body’s processing sugar well enough not to have to do a 3-hour version of this test. Keep fingers crossed! Mike also had some blood drawn for bloodwork, including a cholesterol test. Keep more fingers crossed!

Then we did another ultrasound. This one we taped. :) It came out pretty well, especially considering Mike basically aimed it at the screen and shot it that way. A little fuzzy, but pretty good. He’s doing really well – heartbeat is good, movement is good, position (head-down) is good.. there’s only one small (ha!) problem – he’s HUGE. LOL Mike gets irritated with me when I say that, but really.. I mean, we’re at 27W5D and this kid is measuring between 29W3D and 31W3D. That’s including head measurements, chest radius, leg bone (femur?) length.. everything that was measured shows he’s going to be a LARGE baby. The doctor jokingly (?) suggested we skip the newborn clothes and go straight to 12 months. The nurse said to hope he’s early. We saw his cute little face, and even got a printout of it. I’ll get that scanned in and uploaded soon. Also, Mike has a toy that lets you take stills from VCR tapes and upload them; once he plays with that, we’ll upload some of those, too.

Besides that, we just did weight and blood pressure. I’ve gained 4 more pounds in 4 weeks, and my blood pressure is fine. The doctor told me not to get all worried about my bp (one of the 3 readings today was kind of high), as long as I was gaining well, wasn’t retaining water, and didn’t “feel weird”. :) I like this doctor.

Incubator

May 10, 2000 01:18

Yesterday, we went to the Endicott Elementary School, armed with an incubator and a half-dozen eggs. We went into the first grade class, and Mike proceeded to set up the incubator, teaching the kids how to keep an eye on the whole process, and promising them we’d be back in 2 1/2 weeks to check on the progress.

Today, we went to run errands, starting with a visit to the doctor. This was followed by a trip to the bank and fabric store, back to the doctor, then on to Subway for lunch for me, then the grange for feed and fence posts, then the grocery store. Our last stop on the way out of town was back at the doctor’s, to do one more blood pressure check. I came home and took a nap, then checked email, then went into town for a meeting of the Quilt Guild. While I was napping, the new farrier showed up and shoed Danny. Mike tended her (she doesn’t “tie”, so you have to hold her lead the whole time) for the whole two-hour process, so he wins the Best Daddy in the World award. :)

Kittens Moved to Garage

May 08, 2000 01:19

We moved Casper and her kittens outside today. We’ve decided to close off the garage to dogs and let them home-base there. Mike put some food and water on the ground near an old sleeping bag, and we lugged the kittens out with the mom. Everyone was very timid at first, but they eventually made their way around the better part of that garage. If Mike or I was standing outside the garage door, they’d come out for a bit (the garage isn’t closed completely; it’s a couple of inches off the ground) and kind of play around. Mom made sure everything was ok in the garage, and safe, then she went on the prowl. Within about 15 minutes she was back with a mouse. Within 30 minutes she had nabbed another one. I know she caught at least one other today, but can’t say for sure how many she got altogether. She’s still got her touch. :)

I slept better last night. And I slept a lot today. Several naps. Probably catch-up sleep. Besides that, I’ve just been working on a quilt for my mother for Mother’s Day. It’s going together pretty quickly, when I actually feel up to sewing.

Only two more days until we get to see our little boy!! I’m getting so excited. :)

Spring Babies

May 07, 2000 01:21

It has been a VERY long time since I did a diary update, I know, or updated this page at all. There is an excuse, although I’m not sure it’s a good one. FrontPage suddenly decided it didn’t like this particular site anymore. It just refused to open it! Mike could open it from his computer (the data is housed on a common server) and I could open other sites on my computer, but not this one. It was a real stumper, and I finally just gave up on it since it was such a source of frustration. But since lately I’ve been feeling very pregnant, I wanted to move this computer downstairs but wanted to work out this problem first. It’s odd, I feel kind of out of practice, so hopefully you’ll bear with me.

Well, lots has gone on, and I can’t remember specific dates so I’ll just kind of spew things at random. Zorro also had a litter of kittens, but she only had 4. Between the two litters, we got 9 females and 1 male. Since we’re planning on spaying all of the females to prevent future litters, this is a pretty non-cost-effective outcome, but there’s nothing we can do about it. We moved all of them into the back bathroom when Casper’s litter got too mobile and we were worried about them falling from the rafters in the living room. As I update this site more, I’ll get more pics of them up. Tomorrow, if the weather is nice, we’re going to move Casper and her litter back outside. They’re getting extremely stir-crazy, and it’s time to start reclaiming that bathroom.

In addition to the 8 chicks (one was killed by the dog, by the way) the broody hen hatched, we managed to hatch 25 more using an incubator. They’re isolated in half of the chicken coop, while the broody mom and her babes have been re-integrated with the rest of the flock with apparently no problems. We’ve had another hen go broody (peck-your-hand-off broody) in the last 4 days, so we’ll give her a few eggs to set. Mike’s marking these by pencil so there won’t be too many for her to handle. Besides these, we’re going to take a half-dozen or so up to the school for the first graders to hatch for us. It’s almost the end of school there, and this should be a fun little thing for them to end the year with.

We now have turkeys. We got 20 in, and one passed away (no obvious reason) so we now have 19. They got here the day after the incubator-chicks hatched, so they’re about the same age.. but you wouldn’t know it by their size! They don’t grow as fast as ducks, but they do grow FAST.

Speaking of the ducks, they’re now at slaughtering size. Which is good, because they eat like little pigs. No, really, they eat ALOT of food. Mike has been trying to sex them so we’ll know who to “whack”, but this is not the easiest task in the world. So far he thinks he’s sexed 3, and he thinks 2 are female and one is male, but he wouldn’t swear to that. He bought a 50-gallon tank and sunk it into the ground for a pond, since they just weren’t showing any interest in the stone trough (probably because it’s about 3 feet off the ground). They just love their pond, and they splash around in it all of the time. Little mini-ponds have sprung up all around it.

The garden is getting weeded, rototilled, and planted, although not by me. Mike has had pretty much complete responsibility for gardening and animal care. He’s been incredible about getting everything done, which is good because most days I just don’t feel up to it. He’s started working for a new start-up, too. That’s a good thing, because it means a steady paycheck, whenever the contract details get worked out (I’ll post a link to their site when that happens). This means we’ve got even MORE computers around this house, and Mike is back in battle with the phone company to get more bandwidth dropped in here. Let’s just say it’s not easy.

We’ve started boarding four horses for a friend of a friend. Originally, the agreement was for two months, but they’re already a week behind on the second payment, so we’re not filled with confidence. There are 2 geldings – Ukiah and Musty – a mare (Orion) and a filly (Brea). They’re only temporary animals, at least in theory, so I’m debating whether or not to upload pictures.

I’ve been spending the last few weeks trying to get obligations taken care of before D-Day. Mostly this means getting quilts made and sent off to their prospective owners. Speaking of quilting, a few weeks ago I entered a few items in the St. John Stock Show and Fair. I actually won a purple ribbon!! This was for my stained-glass daffodil quilt. I was really rather proud of myself. :)

Hopefully, I won’t fall this far behind again. I’ll post more frequently, if FrontPage cooperates, and I’ll try to be a little more detailed.

Third Trimester

May 05, 2000 02:37

I have crossed a magic threshold. I am no longer in the blissful “middle ground” – I am now safely into the hellish third trimester. I am no longer showing – I am now blatantly and obnoxiously pregnant. If you don’t believe me, look at the latest pregnancy photo. His kicks are getting stronger, and they are now at the point where they can both wake me up in the middle of a restful sleep and KEEP me from falling immediately asleep. The net result is fatigue. I can no longer sleep all night – I have to take these little mini-naps all day. Between that and the frequent potty breaks, I’m really getting quite cranky. Feel free to send sympathy mail to Mike.

That said, I’ll bring you up to date on the baby news. We had an appointment on April 11th. Mike had a physical while we were there (everything looks great). All we did for me was the urine sample (of course) and heartbeat check. Between my last checkup and the April one, I had gained 8 pounds – 13 pounds overall. The doctor didn’t seem concerned, but I was a little disappointed. Maybe I should wear lighter shoes next time. ;) He said our next appointment, which is scheduled for May 10th, will consist of a glucose screening test. This is just to make sure my body is processing sugar ok and I’m not at risk of contracting gestational diabetes. We told him that we hadn’t had luck taping the last sonogram, and asked if he’d do another. He agreed! Wahoo!! So we’re going to take the camcorder and just kind of hold it up to the monitor. Better than nothing. :) Then I can make copies for the grandparents.

Missing Wallet

March 30, 2000 23:05

I haven’t written much cuz not much has happened. We haven’t had any doctor’s appointments or major baby developments, I haven’t taken any classes. The only thing that has happened is that I either lost or had stolen my wallet. I’m still trying to figure out which. If that’s ever happened to you, then you know it means a round of phone calls to credit card companies, getting license and social security card reissued, and a whole bunch of other really annoying tasks that I’m still working on.

Spring has sprung on the farm

March 22, 2000 23:06

Our farm is just growing by leaps and bounds! The broody hen we have has finally hatched all of her eggs. She hatched 10, and 8 have survived. They were housed in that infamous back bathroom but have now been moved into a separate enclosure in the chicken house. They don’t have a run yet, but they’re so young I doubt they need one. It’s on the list of “to do’s”, though.

Also, Casper had her kittens! I’ll get pics up as soon as I can, but she birthed 6 hungry, greedy, wiggly little kittens last night in the rafters right above the back bathroom. That area must be the maternity ward! I’ll have to keep that in mind if I go into labor too soon at home. ;-)

The duckies are growing like little weeds and have already quadrupled in size in two weeks. They managed to scarf down 50 pounds of food in those two weeks so it’s not all that surprising. That’s about all the news there is to report. If you’re keeping track, we’re now up to 94 souls on this little farm. :)

Showing

March 17, 2000 02:38

I’m officially showing now. I say this because I had my very first instance (ever, I’m proud to add) of a complete and utter stranger asking me when the baby was due. It happened tonight at a grocery store in Moscow, Idaho. I was buying 3 boxes of cereal and some milk, so it’s not like anything in my shopping habits tipped her off, either. I was stunned. I still think it’s a gutsy thing to ask. After I recovered (only a second or two) I smiled and said August. She smiled and nodded and asked if I needed help out. LOL. With 3 boxes of cereal and a gallon of milk?? I think I can manage, thanks.

Baby Birds and Volunteer Teaching

March 16, 2000 23:07

We now have baby duckies!! They arrived a little over a week ago. When I get a chance, I’m going to update the “Our Family” page and you’ll see pictures of the little cuties. They’re growing like little weeds, too, already doubling in size from when they got here.

As of this morning, we have new baby chicks! Momma Chicken hatched at least 3 so far. The other hens were nagging her while she was setting (even climbing into the nest with her) so we relocated the chicken nursery to the spare bathroom. Last time we went in there we saw 3 very, very new baby chicks. Don’t know how many we’ll get in all, but that’s at least a start.

I’ve also started volunteering at the school. I was there all day today, spending most of my time with the first grade class. They’re so cool! Mr. Anderson (the first grade teacher) has informed me that I can come and help whenever I get the urge to. He’s also planning a field trip for them to our farm some time next week. I knew we were amassing all these critters for SOMETHING. lol. I went to the meeting of the Endicott Community Days planning board last night. I signed up to sponsor the kiddy carnival. I’m hoping that doesn’t turn out to be a mistake. :) If you have any ideas for events or prizes or something, please email me. Well, I guess that’s about it for now. Saturday I’m going to be at the quilt shop for an all-day Quilt-a-Thon for charity. I’m really looking forward to that. In the meantime, I have another quilt I need to bind so I can send it off to a friend of mine for her son. I’ve got lots of updating to do on this page, but it’s all going to have to wait. Other things are taking priority at the moment.

It's (Going to Be) a Boy!

March 16, 2000 02:39

Well, he’s a he. :) We had our ultrasound Tuesday and LB definitely stands for Little Boy now. Some things there’s just no mistaking, if you know what I mean. The doctor did all of the measurements he needed to do (I think the ultrasound lasted about 45 minutes) and so far, Adam Charles is doing fabulously. Everything is measuring almost exactly in alignment with our due date, too, so nothing has changed. Just one thing you might be interested in – he is a WIGGLY little baby. Dr. P had several moments of frustration when he almost got the perfect shot and Adam just wiggled right away. Dr. P called him “Mr. Mobile”. One really amazing part of the u/s was when the doc just rested the sensor for a minute and you could see the little arms moving around. He clasped his hands in front of him, he seemed to suck his thumb, he played with his ear. At one point, we thought we might not be able to “sex” him because he was being coy. First he had his legs closed. Then the doctor said he thought he had a guess of the sex, but wasn’t sure. Then he said, “He has his hand down in his crotch!” We all made the obvious joke about how that proved it was a boy. But then we got the all-telling “Winky Shot”. Later, we got an even more blatant Winky Shot. I couldn’t make out any facial features myself, but Dr. P assures me he has 2 eyes and 2 ears, a nose, “several” fingers, and that all of his parts appear to be in good working order. We got a really good look at the heart. Dr. P measured the heartbeat and called it “perfect” – 153 bpm. My blood pressure is great, weight is progressing normally (don’t you dare ask), and this appears to be an all-around uneventful pregnancy so far, thank goodness.

Baby Class

March 07, 2000 02:41

We went to our final baby class last night. It ran long, because there was some material that just didn’t fit in to the 6 nights. Surprisingly, we did an exercise (mental, not physical) that almost made me cry right there in front of everyone. She handed out these cards to everyone with birth procedures on them. They’d have one procedure on the front, another on the back. One card said “No pain meds” on one side and “Pain meds” on the other; another card said “Episiotomy” on one side and “No episiotomy” on the other. We were told to lay the cards out with the side facing up that we wanted to happen in our ideal pregnancy. That was the easy part. Then she said, “Uh-oh! Things didn’t go perfectly. You have to choose 4 cards to turn over.” That was really tough. We picked “IV” (over “No IV”), “Delivery by other than primary doctor”, “Long Labor” (as opposed to short), and “Delayed breastfeeding” (as opposed to immediate). She said, “Uh-oh! NIGHTMARE. You have to turn over 4 more cards.” That was rough. We only had 10 cards. The only things we got to “keep” were “Healthy baby” and “Vaginal delivery”. When I looked down at our theoretical “birth”, it involved things like “Epidural”, “Pain meds”, “Confined to bed” and I just started bawling. I realize it may have to happen like that, but I just do NOT want it to. I was over-emotional all day yesterday as it was (just ask Mike) and that just sent me almost right over the edge. I gathered the cards up and said, “I don’t want to play this game anymore.” Then we split up into guys and girls and were told to make lists of things that will change when the baby comes. The lists were very long, and very negative. LOL. Things like “No sleep.. no sex.. no money… no social life…” Nowhere on the list did anybody list “We’ll feel so fulfilled.. we’ll have an added source of joy in our lives..” Nothing like that. Then we looked at signs of a healthy newborn, including reflexes and procedures that might occur. Lastly, we discussed breastfeeding over bottlefeeding. That was about it!

Leg Cramps

March 04, 2000 02:43

Baby’s newest trick: giving mommy leg cramps. :( They last all day long and cannot be relieved by stretching, hot baths, hot showers, or anything else. They just ARE. Also, I officially start my fifth month today. :) That seems incredible to me, but you can definitely see the difference in my expanding waistline. We had another childbirth class. The details are on my regular diary.

Tour of the BIrthing Suite

March 03, 2000 00:48

My, but it HAS been a busy few days. Let’s see.. well, I went to watch part of the basketball playoffs for this area over in Pullman last Friday. St. John-Endicott’s boys team made it to the state playoffs, along with several other teams from Whitman County. SJE plays tonight, and if they win, they play for the championship title tomorrow. If they win, I’m going to go to Spokane and watch the final game. :)

Hm, well, Monday we had baby class again. The first hour was spent with Dr. Mellor telling us about pain medications you could use and what the effects of each were on the mom & the baby. I’m pretty much hoping I can get by without needing anything at all, and I’m going to try. But don’t be surprised if I report needing an epidural. :) The second hour, we went to see the birthing room. Someone had just had a baby that day, so we couldn’t see the recovery room, but that’s ok. Anyway, it looks reasonably comfortable so we shouldn’t have any problems with the room. Bed’s a little small, but aren’t they all?

Tuesday, I went to go run some errands in Colfax, then came back to Endicott to vote. Then, I went over to the Endicott School to sign up to be a volunteer. I filled out the volunteer forms and watched the orientation video. When I went to turn my forms in, they asked if I might be interested in substitute teaching sometime. I said Sure, why not, so they gave me more forms to fill out. I took them home and brought them back Wednesday. They gave me a “safety” tour (think “Here’s a fire extinguisher, here’s a firepull, here’s a first aid kit..” over and over) and a tour of the classrooms. I watched another video (this one was shorter, 10 minutes, called “Bloodborne Pathogens”) and had copies of my driver’s license and birth certificate. Filled out more forms (including an EEOP one) and went home. So far, they haven’t called me to help, but it’s only been a couple of days.

Thursday, I found out that I had won a prize!! There’s a new website called Clubmom. They’re giving away $500 a day, and I won! (woohoo!) Late in the afternoon, I drove over to Moscow to help the Whitman Samplers get their booth set up for the Palouse Patchers Quilt Show. While trying to maneuver into a parking lot, I backed into a car and broke one of their headlights. Exchanged names and insurance info, took a deep breath, and tried not to hate myself too much.

Today we’ve mostly just been working on the duckhouse and I’ve been quilting while Mike works on computer stuff. The duckhouse is really getting close to being done, and if the weather cooperates I should be painting it Monday evening before our last baby class. If you’re interested, I’m planning on painting it a very bright, obnoxious blue. :) The ducks should get here Wednesday. Well, I guess that’s about it. Time to go update other pages now.

Broody Hen

February 22, 2000 23:28

There’s not been much going on except that one of our hens has gone broody on a clutch of a dozen eggs that Mike set out, and we’re hoping to have baby chicks in 3 weeks. I have a machine quilting class with Donna Slusser on Friday, and besides that I’ve just been quilting along on a project I need to finish up.

Baby Moved!

February 22, 2000 02:43

WARNING — This diary entry is going to be unusually long. It’s been a busy week, again, for LB (MB, if you listen to Aunty Cindy ). I’ll start with today and work my way back. We had another OB checkup today. It was reasonably abbreviated, with most of the time spent talking. Today was the day they had wanted to draw blood for the MSAFP test (maternal blood test for fetal birth disorders, including Down’s syndrome and spina bifida). After doing lots of research and soul-searching, we opted out of this test. We explained to Dr. P that we were uncomfortable with the high rate of false positives the test generates (for statistics, see Mike’s Family Page), and that even if the test proved positive, we wouldn’t abort unless the baby had anencephaly. Many of the things the test screens for will show up on subsequent ultrasounds anyway, and our risks are relatively low, so we decided not to do it. Dr. P basically confirmed what we had said about false positives, low risk, and u/s sensitivity, so we skipped the test. Then we talked about our fear of having to do a Cesarean, and found that his take on them was akin to ours – only when medically necessary, not when convenient. He said his C-section rate was about 15%, which is about 10% lower than the national average, so we were reassured. Of course, he can’t promise us a vaginal delivery, but at least we’re all on the same page. The last thing we did was listen to the fetal heart again. This time it was WAY easier to find, and unless my imagination deceives me (it happens), it was slower this time than last time we heard it. So the little one is still in there, thumping and growing away. Our next appointment is on March 14th, at which time we will do the extended u/s (measurements, etc.) and will hopefully find out the sex of LB.

Now we go back in time to this morning, about 2 hours before we left for the doctor’s appointment. I’ve been anxious lately to feel the baby move. Quickening usually happens somewhere between the 16th and 20th weeks in first pregnancies, and I’m 16 1/2 weeks. There had been a couple of times when I thought I might have felt it, but was unsure. Well, this morning I decided I was going to lie on the couch perfectly still until I felt it move. I lay there for about 20 minutes, absolutely still, eyes closed, focused on my body. After 20 minutes, I felt this little thump about mid-belly (“belly”, as used here, is defined as the area between the belly button and the line between the tops of the pelvic bones). It was one of those “Well, that might have been it” thumps, then I felt three quick, successive thump, thump, thumps that absolutely was NOT gas. It was LB, flipping around inside of me!! I was overjoyed. I screamed at Mike (who was working away on his computer across the room) “I felt it! That was it, really, that was really it! I’m sure about it!” He just smiled this dopey smile at me, came across the room and kissed my cheek. It was very sweet. Incidentally, on the drive home he asked himself outloud, “I wonder how long before the Daddy gets to feel it?”

OK, now flash-back to last night, where we had another childbirth class. The beginning part was pretty much like the end of the last one – practicing more labor positions. We found a few more that were comfortable to us. Because Mike is shorter than me, and I weigh so much more, alot of the “coach-supported” standing positions don’t work, but we found a few leaning/lying down ones that did. (Fascinating, isn’t it? LOL) The second half of the class was supposed to be a tour of the hospital’s delivery room and recovery rooms, but lo and behold, the hospital had a “rush” and had 2 deliveries while we were there. One was in progress when class started, and finished, but a second one came in while we were in class. A third lady had her baby yesterday, so this very rural hospital had 3 births in a matter of about 36 hours, which is almost unheard of here! We’ll try again next time for the tour. Since those plans were canceled, we spent the rest of class reviewing C-sections and watching the C-section film. Necessary procedure for many couples, but I’m really hoping we’re not one of them. If you’re the praying type, prayers of vaginal delivery would be much-appreciated.

Baby No Sleepy

February 18, 2000 23:29

It’s 4:30 in the morning. What in the world am I doing awake? Well, it’s the weirdest thing. You see, my body is not my own now, and LB just isn’t sleepy. It started at 9:30 when we went to bed. I woke up at around 11:00 to go to the bathroom. I came back at 11:05 and got up at 11:08 for the same reason. Again at 11:15. I finally fell back asleep only to wake up at 12:30. You guessed it – the same reason. Back to bed, woke up at 2:30. Then 3:00. All for the same reason. I lay in bed until 3:30, thrashing, then gave up. It just wasn’t going to work. So I came upstairs hoping the sound of the computers would somehow lull the little one back to sleep. LOL. Am I delirious?? Maybe. I have a class tomorrow at 10:00 AM, and if I make it it will be a miracle. Hey, by the way, ever notice how when you’re rummy things seem much funnier than when you’re notice? Bonus! LOL OK, I’m going to try to go back to bed again now. Of course, I’ll stop by the bathroom on the way. ;-)

Signed up for a quilting class

February 16, 2000 23:29

We had another birthing class on Monday. Tuesday, I went to Moscow (along with Val’s step-daughter Shiloh) to do some shopping. We stopped in Pullman and ate pizza for lunch, so I had some leftovers. After we went shopping, we went with some of the quilt shop ladies to have dinner at the Mexican restaurant in Colfax (if you ever eat there, skip the beef enchiladas – they’re horrible), then we had a class with Pat and Donna. This one is called All About Stars and is a long (the last class is in July), once-a-month class about making 8-pointed stars. It’s the most advanced class I’ve taken so far, and I’m really nervous about it. I don’t know how well I’m going to do, but I’ll sure try.

Childbirth Class

February 16, 2000 02:47

Childbirth class was Monday night. I got much more out of this one than I did any of the previous classes. We saw the film with four births (the film has 5 but she skipped the Cesarean section one) and talked about each of them after we had seen it. What they did right, what they did “wrong”, etc. We practiced various birthing/laboring positions and from time to time Mike and I will practice them at home to see what feels right. We’ve pretty much ruled out any of the “hanging” ones because I’m just too much taller than him. I’d have to squat down so far to really be “hanging” (eg. from his neck) that it feels very uncomfortable and awkward for me. The squatting ones seem to work well for us, as well as the one where you lie on your side and your coach holds your leg up in the air and you can push against him. My, that sounded very attractive, didn’t it? Since then, there’s been no real baby news. We go back for a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, and they’re going to do some bloodwork and hopefully we’ll get to hear the heartbeat again.

Week's Recap

February 13, 2000 23:31

My, my, my, but it has been an eventful week. Monday night we went to birthing class. Tuesday, I went to Valerie’s house and sewed binding onto a quilt. Wednesday night I went to a meeting of the Whitman Samplers. Thursday, I went to Spokane to watch Scream 3 and run some errands. Yes, I finally broke down and saw it by myself. It was worth the drive and the less-than-ideal circumstance of seeing it alone, although it wasn’t as good as either of the first two – some of the dialogue was just downright corny. Friday, I went to the Endicott school and watched the first 4 games of the county basketball tournament. Yesterday, I went back and watched 3 more (btw, our local school is going to district!!). Today, I mostly slept. LB has decided I have been doing too much running around and he/she made me sleep at least 17 hours so far today. All that sleep is wearing me out!! LOL

What I Want From Labor

February 13, 2000 02:48

We’ve gone to two childbirth classes so far. They meet on Monday nights. There are 3 other couples in the class besides us. All are much more pregnant than we are (the closest is about 6 1/2 months along). There hasn’t been much to report because, quite frankly, not a whole lot has happened in those classes. In the first one, we talked about pain management for the most part. In the second one, we talked about the stages of labor and did some relaxation breathing and exercises. The next one (to be held on Valentine’s Day, whee!) is supposed to include the birthing film, so hopefully that will be more interesting. She says the film has 4 births. The hospital appears to be as accommodating as we’d hoped for – you can labor how you want (they even provide a rocking chair and shower, for example, for laboring moms) you can deliver how you want (for example, on your knees) as long as the doc can catch the baby. Of course, I have no idea how I’ll want to labor, or how I’ll want to deliver, but it sure is nice to have choices. We’ve decided several things we want to occur (and not occur) about the delivery. (1) I want to nurse immediately after the birth, (2) we don’t want the baby removed from the delivery/recovery room I’m in for any reason at all, unless he/she is in distress (in those unlikely events Daddy Mike will be along to see what happens and comment appropriately), (3) we don’t want the baby to sleep in a bassinet/crib thingy but to sleep in the bed with me (this is going to be how we do it at home, so best to start off on the right foot), (4) we don’t want the baby to ever be introduced to a bottle for any reason while at the hospital. I plan on breastfeeding exclusively as long as the little dear will have me, and I don’t want it mucked up by a bottle at the hospital. If they have to give him/her medicine or something, they can do it with an eyedropper. Yes, the further we get into this thing the more opinionated we get about everything. Those who know us won’t be at all surprised. ;-)

Disappointed and Lonely

February 05, 2000 23:32

I got the laundry, bathroom, and quilting done. Actually, I got the quilting started Thursday and finished yesterday. I don’t have what I need for binding, so I have to wait until the next time I go into town to buy something appropriate. In the meantime, I’ve started back to work on that quilt for a friend I wrote about earlier.

Scream 3 came out yesterday. I’m really disappointed because I wanted to go see it sooo badly. My friend Steve in California, with whom I usually go see scary movies, can’t make it up this month, so we won’t get to see the movie together. I met a girl, Robin, at the quilt shop the other day and we agreed we’d try to see the movie together, but she’s at the lake with her husband this weekend. It’s no fun to see a scary movie alone, so I’m just going to have to wait. Robin and I are going to try to go Tuesday (maybe) to see it. I’m just so disappointed – I’ve been waiting for this movie to come out for months – since at least October – and now I have to wait even more. This is one time it would be nice to have my sister close. There’s another movie coming out I want to see. It’s called Hanging Up and stars Meg Ryan, Diane Keaton, Lisa Kudrow, and one of the guys from Grumpy Old Men. The trailer says it’s about sisterhood, so I really want to see it with my sisters but they’re back in Texas. Maybe I am beginning to get just a LITTTLE homesick. Or maybe it’s hormones. Anyway, I’m sort of in a blah mood. Mike doesn’t understand – he loathes movie theatres and when I try to talk to him about it he just sort of shrugs.

I wish I had more friends here – people to do things with. It would be nice to have steady movie/lunch/whatever buddies. Maybe I’ll make friends with some of the girls in my baby class or something – they seem to be the only ones my age anywhere around here. I’ve made some friends through quilting, but they’re almost all at least a generation older than me, and have kids/grandkids that consume all of their free time, plus outside of quilting I don’t have much in common with them. Mike hates to do much of the things I like (including movies) so that’s not an alternative. I’m feeling lonely, I guess is what I’m trying to say. And now that I’ve bored you to tears with my whining, I’m going to go mope in front of the TV now.

Anniversary

February 03, 2000 23:34

Today is our anniversary! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read the diary entry for exactly one year ago today. We don’t have any plans – just staying home and being together. Mike’s still under deadlines, so he’ll be writing. I finally have most of my energy back, so I’ll be quilting. We’ll probably share a nice dinner together alone, maybe a bottle of fake-pagne, and just relax. It will be nice to just be home for awhile.

Friday, I drove up to Post Falls, Idaho and Spokane to empty my craft booth and run some errands (wrote about that earlier – just stay with me). Saturday I didn’t feel good so I stayed home. Sunday I went into Colfax to work my last day at the quilt shop (mentioned that before, too). Monday we went into Colfax again for baby school. I know I promised to tell you about it, but there’s not much to tell. Someone asked me what I learned – basically, I learned that the baby’s head is way too big, and the mother’s pelvis is way too small. They had life-size models. Ouch. I’ll probably have more to report as we get more into the classes. We didn’t get really specific. Anyway, Tuesday we went into town again so Mike could donate blood and we could run more errands (including buying feed for the horse and the guineas). Yesterday, I went into Pullman to drop off my wedding dress for dry cleaning and to have dinner with Pat Magaret and Donna Slusser (the “watercolor quilt ladies”) to talk about their website. So I’m tired of going, going, going.

I need to fold and wash some more laundry, clean the bathroom, and quilt. Those are my goals for today. I’ll let you know how I do. ;-)

Signed Up for Childbirth Classes

January 31, 2000 15:03

I went to Becky’s yesterday to quilt on the long-arm. It’s going to be my last day of quilting. I’ll still do shop samples, but no more working in the shop – have to take “family” time now. :) Tonight we go to Prepared Childbirth classes – we’ve fondly dubbed it “Baby School”. The class runs from 7-9 our time several Mondays in a row. We have to take pillows and snacks – it sounds just like daycare! LOL. I’ll let you know how it goes. We got snow last night and this morning. LOTS of snow – it’s covering everything and it looks very much like a winter wonderland around here. I borrowed some movies from a friend, moved the dining room table into the living room and have been doing my sewing out there. Much better than being cooped up in my sewing room. :)

New Guinea Pig

January 28, 2000 15:05

I went to Spokane today. Cleared out my craft booth (they’re closing down), made a deposit at the bank, ate Indian food (yum! Got some “to go”, too .), and stopped at Petco for cat food. While there, I bought a guinea pig!! She’s a cute little chocolate brown sweetheart that’s about 2 months old. Her name’s Ethel. I don’t have a pic up of her yet. By the time I got home I was mildly dehydrated (was bad and didn’t drink water all day) and had a headache. I’m better now, and Ethel is being VERY still inside her very large cage. I think she’s still getting acclimated.

Grouchy

January 26, 2000 15:08

I took the Christmas tree down today. Yes, it’s long overdue – sue me. I was too tired to do it before, and in fact, it wiped me out. I’m going to take a nap because I’m cranky. When I wake up it’ll probably be time to do chores and then I guess I’ll make some frosting for the cake I made yesterday. Then I’ll probably be tired again and will need another nap. Gosh, I’m just getting all kinds of stuff accomplished, huh? I did manage to get some clothes folded and put away, and to wash 2 more loads.. small steps.

Egg-Selling

January 25, 2000 15:16

Had my third ob. appointment today. Then went to Becky’s and sold all but 3 dozen of the eggs we’ve got. Then came home, did chores, and we’re now settling into our evening routine. Mike’s working on an article for H2G2 at present and I’m getting ready to go downstairs and continue working on a quilt. Ain’t life grand??

Hearing the Heartbeat

January 25, 2000 02:51

We went to my third o/b appointment today. Let me start by saying that I have the most coolest, awesomest doctor in the whole wide world. And he has the coolest, most awesomest nurses, too. They’re all so chipper, and they remember who you are, and they always ask how you’re doing (and not just in the “clinical” sense). I don’t know how long Dr. Parsons has been practicing at Whitman County Hospital, but he delivered my friend’s grandbaby almost 2 years ago. She said he was good, and he is. I was a little apprehensive in the beginning about going to a male doctor, but WCH only has male doctors for general practitioners (or that’s all that was in their book) so I honestly just picked one at random. I picked a good ‘un! Now, in all fairness, I’ve only seen one other doc at this hospital (Dr. Mellor) and only saw him once, so I don’t know if I have the greatest frame of reference or not. All I know is I’m really happy with my choice. :)

Anyway – the appointment. Took my weight & blood pressure (have gained 4 1/2 pounds, plus or minus shoes, and bp is 136/72) then got to go pee in the cup (when you’re pg and NEEDING to go that’s a good thing! lol). Saw Dr. Parsons on the way to my room and he was friendly, as always. He came right in (I almost never have to wait) and told me today we were going to do the Pap (wheee!) and pelvic, so I needed to get undressed and put on my little open-back gown thingie. “You can leave on your socks.. and your headband.” LOL. So I did. Have never done a Pap with my husband in the room, but he says “things were carefully positioned” so that he couldn’t see anything anyway. Dr. P came back in the room along with a nurse (Dory?) and he did a breast exam, a heartbeat and breathing check, and looked in my ears & mouth. Then we got to the fun stuff – the Pap. I won’t gross you out with the details (I don’t know any, anyway – I’m on the unseeing end of the whole deal) but it was over reasonably quickly and they even had the grace to warm up the speculum. Then he did the pelvic (my uterus is growing, but is still lying sort of flat and hasn’t grown up off my bladder yet – no surprise there!) and tried to measure the fundus (still too small to measure).

Then came the REALLY fun part!! The DOPPLER. :) I had been hoping he’d do it, but wasn’t sure. He put some of the ultrasound goo on my belly, and started looking for a heartbeat. At first there was nothing, then I hear this “Thump… Thump… Thump…” My eyes got all wide and Dr. P says calmly, “That’s you. The baby’s is much faster than that.” Eyes go back to normal size and I start listening again.. Nothing for awhile, and we were starting to think we wouldn’t get lucky, then all of a sudden “thumpathumpathumpathumpathumpa”. “That’s it!” he said, and I started hyperventilating. My belly was jumping around so much he lost the hb for a second and had to remind me to be still. He found it again pretty quickly the next time. It’s really amazing. It’s so FAST!!! It was all I could do not to start bawling. It’s really there!! Dr. P says we’ll get to do another one next time. :) That’s about it – he says my pregnancy is going well, I’m doing good, and everything looks fine. I was just so excited to hear the hb; every time I think about it I squeal. :)

Sharing Pregnancy

January 21, 2000 15:18

LB is doing one of his/her/its (I may use the terms interchangeably – I have no idea what sex the baby is yet) first tricks – not sleeping, and not letting mommy sleep (it’s currently 4:30AM – NOT my normal time of day). I haven’t felt him kick yet, so I don’t know if he’s really moving and/or active right now – I only know I can’t sleep. So, I’m doing MY newest trick – updating the website. I already played a game of spades (and won, woohooo!) so I’ve taken care of that little “chore”.

I talked to my best friend in the whole world, Nancy, yesterday. She’s also preggers, but she’s 26 weeks (I’m 12 weeks today). Yesterday she went in for her second ultrasound and found that she’s having a little girl. Well, they’re 93% sure it’s a little girl, anyway. They’re naming her Megan Lea. I know I got the Lea part right; I think that’s how they’re spelling Megan. Anyway, I’m thrilled for her because a girl is what they really wanted. She’s due in late April, so I can get a preview of what’s coming 2 months ahead. LOL.

I did some more quilting yesterday. Nothing fancy – a nine-patch in VERY bright colors. Neons. This one is for WTIL. I’m hoping to finish it tomorrow and maybe even crank out a second quilt top. Who knows? I’ll post a pic when it’s done.

We got a little snow yesterday.. nothing to get all weepy over – just a light dusting. It sure is cute to come out in the morning and see little kitty prints everywhere. OK, Mike’s the one who gets to see the really unadulterated kitty prints (he’s out with the dogs long before me) but some of them are still there when I stumble into the light.

Cravings

January 20, 2000 02:54

It’s very weird the things you crave when you’re pregnant. Many of them you never even liked “before” (that’s another thing – all time and space is divided into “before” you got pregnant and “after”). For me, it’s mostly been Indian food (admittedly a pre-preggers favorite). One day my craving for Indian food was so bad I actually cried. Don’t worry – I cry over anything these days. Ever watch A Baby Story on TLC? It’s always made me cry, but “after” – forGET it!! The sound of a baby crying does it to me, too. WAHHHHHHH (that’s me, not the baby).

Oh, wait.. my inability to concentrate and remember things is showing through – this was supposed to be about food cravings.. ok.. back on track. Besides Indian food (curry… yummmm) I’m also craving pickles (the obvious) and french fries. But not just any french fries. Have you ever been to the State Fair of Texas? Now, I’m not sure about this, but I think they have a patent on some kind of special grease that can only be used at fair time.. it makes the french fries crisp and yummy and greasy and they seem to stay warm.. and you smear ketchup all over them and they serve them in a cup and they are so GOOD. No fries like them anywhere I’ve ever been. I’m craving them. And fair’s not til October (wah!) … AND it’s all the way back in Texas!! (bigger wah!)

Feeling a bit better

January 19, 2000 15:20

I’m feeling much better today. More energy, more of an appetite, and no nausea to speak of (knock on wood). Today I’ve already done a load of dishes, a load of laundry, and about 45 minutes worth of sewing. I’ve eaten two reasonable meals and am hungry again (don’t worry – I eat small amounts) so I think I’ll go put some more laundry in, unload the sink, wash some more dishes, and get a snack before I do MORE sewing. :) Gosh, this feels good, being normal again! lol

Dinner in Town

January 13, 2000 15:33

Last night I went to the guild meeting. It was pretty fun, and we got 2 new members. We talked about the quilt show we’re going to have here in September, as well as one we’re going to have a booth at in March. All very exciting (hey, we’re in the sticks!). I got to town very early to run my errands before everything closed at 5 (the meeting was at 7) so I spent some time at the Top Notch Cafe having dinner (lasagna and garlic bread, followed by a hot fudge sundae, yum!). While there, Jim (one of the owners) asked if I’d like to help make costumes for a Scottish/Celtic play the town is putting on. I was flattered, and of course I said yes. How hard can it be to make a bunch of kilts?

Still doing a little quilting here and there. Nothing major to report (besides, my current project is a bit of a surprise for a friend, so I have to keep it hush-hush) but I’ll let you know when there is. I still need to update my pictures but that will wait until I’m more in the mood. Besides, I doubt anyone ever looks at them anyway! lol.

Bank One Saga Continues

January 12, 2000 15:35

Two diary entries in a row, woohoooo!! Well, there’s an update on the Bank One fiasco. This morning I got a call from the girl I spoke to last night (the one who said I needed to fax in my cancellation letter first) – Dwalla. She said she didn’t receive the letter (sigh) and to refax it, attention to her. So I did. No word from them as of yet.

Last night I got bored, so I decided to do a puzzle (Mike’s idea – a good one!) so now I’m about halfway done with a 500-piece’r of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Real purty.

I have to run now, I have a meeting at the guild and I have a few errands to run first (including the bank and hardware store).

I Hate Bank One

January 11, 2000 15:36

Well, it’s a new year, a new decade, but I reFUSE to call it a new Mill—-. As my DMIL says, “don’t you think it sounds like a naughty word? after hearing it so often.” And YES, I do. Especially since technically it’s not really, so you WON’T see that word on THIS webpage, even when it IS the new Mill—-.

That said, this site is now officially over a year old. It’s almost a toddler! Yay! I know I haven’t been keeping it up-to-date as much as I should, but life seems to keep interfering. Well.. life and spades. I’m now addicted to spades. I play several times a day, and have a pretty fair rating. I’m starting to grow a little bored with it, though, so maybe I’ll get more done around here. LOL.

OK, ranting time. If you don’t want to hear it, just stop reading now. I HATE BANK ONE. They are the most incompetent, lousy, unprofessional, disorganized, annoying IMPENETRABLE organization on the face of this earth. And that’s saying something!! Governmental red tape has got NOTHING on Bank One’s loan department. The details: over a year and a half ago, I took out a boat loan for $10,000. The loan was through Bank One, who was also my banking establishment at the time. Securing the loan took ALL of 30 minutes. Since I had a checking account at the same bank, I decided to have my payments taken out by direct withdrawal. The payments are well under $200 so it wasn’t a problem. When I got divorced (yes, I was married “before”), I switched accounts and had them switch the debits to that account. NO PROBLEM.

Now that we live in Washington and don’t have a Bank One for MILES around and I’m no longer getting regular paychecks deposited to that account, it’s quite the hassle to keep enough money in that account to cover the payments. Not to mention Bank One has this LOVELY policy of charging you $10 every month if your bank account balance is below $600. Thus, my payments have effectively increased by $10. Not their fault, I know, but still – this is MY point of view.

So back in October I called them (after getting my first NSF notice to pay) to tell them I wanted to be switched to a payment book instead of debits. The girl I spoke with took down my information and said No problem; one would be arriving within 5-7 days and then I would need to fax a notice of cancellation of debit to the bank. I got the fax number and everything was supposedly taken care of. I even got (and miraculously held onto) a confirmation number. I went ahead and sent some more money down to the account in Dallas to cover the payment that would come up in November. Well, I didn’t think any more of it (the holidays came, sheesh!) until about December 1st. I noticed I still didn’t have my coupon book, so I called. They said they had no record of my having requested the coupon book (!!!) so I gave them the confirmation number. “Oh, there it is! Says it was sent out.” Well, I didn’t get it. So I told them to put another request through. Then she tells me the address on file was wrong (which was bogus, because the NSF notice had come to the right address) and that’s why I didn’t receive the coupon book. So I got the confirmation number for the second order, and wrote it down.

Thought about it no more until the other day, when I got another NSF notice to pay, this time for the January payment. I was LIVID, because every time this happens I get a $25 hit from Bank One for NSF charges ON TOP OF the $15 the loan department charges for NSF fees. So I called again and spoke to the absolute worst “customer service” person ever.. she interrupted me when I was trying to explain the history of this account, she refused to let me speak to her supervisor (after going back and forth with her for 25 minutes), and basically she told me it took 45 days for a coupon book to be sent out. I asked, “Ok, so I should get it in 5 days, right?” “No ma’am, that’s 45 BUSINESS days.” I lost it. I told her I had nothing further to say to her and I needed to speak to her manager/supervisor because that answer just was NOT acceptable. The b*tch put me back through to the automated line I called in the first place. After KICKING myself for not getting her name and calling Bank One every name in the book (and some in the yet-to-be-released edition) I got another operator. My first question was, “Can you tell by looking at my account who the last operator I spoke to was?” Of course, she said No. UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH. Anyway, SHE was much more professional, told me the 5-7 day turnaround time again that I had heard back in October, and said that since I had gone through so much angst she would have a coupon book over-nighted to me. I asked if there were a confirmation number I could refer to (she said no) and I hung up, thinking “What choice do I have?”

I faxed a letter over canceling the debit, and tried to forget about it. The next morning, someone left a message from Bank One. The phone number she left wouldn’t allow me to punch in the extension she left, so I had to go through 4 Bank One operators in 3 states just to figure out who she was. Of course, she was on the phone, so a message was left for her to call me back. God performed one of His MIRACLES, and she actually called back. She told me that she had received my request for a coupon book but that she couldn’t process it until she had received my notice of cancellation on the debit. I tried to be calm, but I’m sure you can imagine it was all I could do not to rip the phone out of the wall that this point. I told her that was the FIRST time I had heard that, but no matter because I faxed the cancellation notice the day before. She said they didn’t get it. I said where should I fax it to so that SHE would get it. She gave me a number.. I told her if she went to the fax machine, it would magically show up there as soon as I got off the phone with her. I asked how long it would take for the coupon book to show up NOW and she said “about a week”. Seems I’ve heard that one before.

I’ll let you know what happens.

Christmas Prep

December 22, 1999 13:31

Not a whole lot to report around here… we’re still in the Christmas rush, although it’s finally winding down. I’ve finally given up all hope of finishing the tree skirt (it’s no fun anymore, and we’re not keeping presents on the floor anyway because of all of the animals) and so all I’ve got left to do are the stockings. That’s on today’s agenda. I want to finish them (they won’t be anything overly intricate) and do some baking. I’ve been woefully lacking in the baking department this year. Poor Mike! Hopefully today I’ll have time to make some Almond Roca bars and peanut butter cookies. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

All of the animals are doing fine. Casper and Zorro have their first appointments with the vet on Friday, to get their shots. We decided not to have them spayed yet, as having a couple of litters of outdoor kitties might be fun. They’re so cute; they sleep in this tiny little nook in the garage right next to the door that leads into the house. I put a tiny little utility quilt I made down there and they like to cuddle up on it. :) Much more rewarding than watching the spoiled little indoor brats ignore it.

Time to go make some stockings, so we can stuff them. :) If I don’t post again before then, Merry Christmas!!!

Shay

December 09, 1999 13:32

My dog is a sociopath. The younger one, I mean, Shay. She’s the mutt we got from the Humane Society when we got here. Now she’s just over a year old, and she’s still very much a puppy. Chewsome, my goodness, that dog can chew up anything. She terrorizes the cats inside from time to time, pinning them down with her ENORMOUS paws (just ask Amanda) and slurping and gnawing on them. She’s never hurt them; she seems to have a soft mouth when it comes to cats. She also likes to “tree” the outside kitties. Finds that to be great fun. But Friday.. Well, we’ve finally let the guinea fowl start free-ranging during the daytime. They still don’t go very far — just venture into the garden adjacent to their pen — so now they’re vulnerable. Well. Friday, Mike was outside stringing an electrical cord to the stable (to put a deicer in the horse’s watering trough) and the dogs were out, too. A very common occurrence. UNTIL. Mike heard this unearthly squawk of panic raised by the guinea camp. Sidenote – you haven’t lived til you’ve heard a guinea alarm sound… could awaken the dead. He went and.. you guessed it, Shay had killed a guinea. :( She probably hadn’t been chewing any harder than she does on the cats, but guineas have these tiny little necks, so they’re much, much more fragile. Anyway, I learned about this by hearing the shrill “BAD DOG” chorus coming in through the door… Shay looked bewildered; she didn’t know why she was bad. Mike buried the guinea, and I went back to work. Later, Mike went back out again. Ten minutes later the “BAD DOG” sounds were even more shrill, and even more angry. I rescued the dog from her scolding (still looking at her sternly, mind you) and asked grimly, “Another guinea?” Mike looked very angry. “No, she was attacking the chickens.” I was shocked. We’ve had the chickens over 3 months, and nothing like this had ever happened. Besides, the chickens are penned. Or so I thought. Seems two of the chickens had gotten out (probably from crawling under the fence, as we found almost another chicken’s worth of feathers there) and had become Shay’s new playtoys. We rescued both of them. They were badly shaken up, and one had a tiny cut on the side of her head, but nothing worse. We went back in, shaking our heads and muttering, “Never a dull moment.” Later on I heard what I thought was a kitty mewl that sounded nothing like any of our outdoor kitties. I went outside and DARNED if another hen hadn’t gotten out!! I think she saw the carnage of so many feathers all over the yard from the previous attack and panicked. Much easier to get OUT than to get back IN. No dogs this time, thankfully. So I went back in the house and called to Mike, “Honey… I need you to help me catch a chicken.” He called back disbelievingly, “AGAIN???” I didn’t say anything, just headed back out. After several scrapes, lots of squawking, and some very indignant-looking scrambling through brush, we got her back in. Someone please remind me, why are we doing this again???

Decorating for Christmas

December 02, 1999 13:34

Ah, Christmas preparations. That time of year when you age 10 years, gain 10 pounds, and swear 10 times that NEXT YEAR you’ll start earlier. HA! People the world over have been making that same promise, and the simple truth is – we ALL have last-minute things to do. What, you mean you don’t? I don’t want to hear about it! Don’t burst my bubble! Misery loves company, an’ all that.

So, what have I been doing? Quilting, quilting, quilting. I’ve got new pics to update – they’ll wait. I’ve got two other sites that need updating – they’ll wait. I’ve got curtains to make.. they won’t wait much longer. It’s COLD here!! I bought 20 yards of taupe flannel to make curtains for the living room. I’m spending today prewashing it while I continue frantically making Christmas presents and my own decorations. I’ve decided I’d like to have a Christmas tree with all homemade ornaments. They don’t have to be homemade by me, mind you, I’d just like them all to have MEANT something to someone, at least for a while. We haven’t bought a tree yet; it would look pretty pathetic with no lights and no ornaments, and I’ve only finished four ornaments and haven’t bought any lights. Those darned credit card companies, thinking they need to get paid, even though it’s Christmas! Bunch o’ scrooges… Oh, wait, I digress.

So anyway, I’ve been quilting and sewing and quilting and occasionally washing a load of dishes or clothes. I’ve also been spending lots of time at the quilt shop, running their longarm machine. Normally there are 3 of us, so we take 2 days apiece. But one of them has been called back to service for 2 weeks (yep, she’s in the Reserves) and the other’s daughter is due any day now, so she’s gone to be with her. No word on when she’ll get back, either. So it’s just li’l ol’ me, quilting my heart out. I’ve taken today and tomorrow off, though, because there’s lots to do around here. But I know other people want their Christmas presents quilted before Christmas (ya think?) so I’m trying to help.

Speaking of Christmas, if you find any good links for holiday decorations you can make yourself (doesn’t have to be quilted – I’m becoming quite the craftress ), please email them to me.

Have a stressful December! (Oh, yeah, right, like me telling you NOT to will change anything.)

Not Much News

November 16, 1999 13:17

Today we drove over to Colfax to do some shopping and drop off that shop sample I did. We did our grocery shopping (mostly veggies – the garden’s petering out) then came home. The roosters got a reprieve from slaughtering til tomorrow because it was too late to mess with it. Dinner’s on the stove (meatloaf, fried potatoes, maybe something else – I’m not sure) being cooked – by me for a change! – and Mike’s working away on his computer. After dinner I’m going to start on my nephew’s quilt. All in all a pretty ho-hum kinda day. Aren’ t you glad you asked? LOL.

New Quilter's Mailing List

November 10, 1999 13:19

Two days ago, I created a quilting mailing list, called “QuiltingFrenzy”. I created it because the mailing list I have been on since September – “ACozyQuiltBee” – has been going through some growing pangs and has decided off-topic stuff is maybe not-so-welcome. QuiltingFrenzy is a very off-topic-friendly type of list, and is growing rather quickly. We’re already up to 24 members, and counting. It warns that it could be high-volume, which it is, and often off-topic, which it is. And I love it. I’m having a ball. I’ve even created a website for it (a sub-site of this one, at least for the time being). So if you have some interest in quilting (or at least don’t mind the occasional quilting-related post.. LOL), you can subscribe to it. Just go here.

Besides that, there hasn’t been much going on that anyone would really be interested in. Some time back, I bought Sew Precise – a foundation-piecing pattern program that only runs on Windows 95/98. So Mike loaded Win95 on a computer for me, and I have it downstairs in my sewing room. It’s very handy, and I can monitor chat and email from it if I feel like it.

I’ve been sewing on a shop sample for Becky’s, after I finally finished all of my other obligations for swaps and other things. Mike went into Spokane today to take some more certification exams and passed them with gently fluttering colors. He thinks he squeaked by on two questions. :) But hey, passing is passing, right? ;) He didn’t really study, anyway, as he’s been very busy on the authoring/editing front. He has to keep me in fabric somehow, ya know? ;) While he was in Spokane, he bought me a big jar (yes, a jar – one of those old-timey Mason lid-type thingies with the snap-shut lids) of CHOCOLATE. Chocolate bars, hot chocolate mix, and chocolate squares. Yum!!!

Speeding Ticket

November 06, 1999 13:22

Today I went into Colfax for a quilting class with Pat Magaret and Donna Slusser. They are famous for their work with Watercolor Quilts. I’ve been taking a Monday night class with them called Quilting Basics & Beyond, in which they teach you the basics of quilting, including how to make some of the better-known block patterns. I have one more Monday left of that class this session (on Nov. 22nd). Today’s class was called Fabric Tapestries and was all about how to use color, and how to recognize differences in color, etc.

I was late leaving for the class (it started at 10, it was 9:30 before I remembered it), so I was in a hurry to get there. I was speeding. Of course, today HAPPENED to be the one day since we’ve lived here that there was a police officer cruising the highway, so yep! I got a ticket. :(

I’m still bummed about Amanda’s not being here, so there’s not much else to report. I’m going to go downstairs and finish up some quilting stuff that I’ve started and need to send off on Monday.

Quilt Camp

November 05, 1999 13:24

WARNING!! This is a very, very long diary entry. Read at your own risk. :)

Amanda left today. She got here Wednesday night, October 27, at about 7:30PM. I hardly know where to begin. Well, I guess I’ll start with how she got here.

I had only given her directions as far as Endicott (not all the way to the house), so I kept waiting for a phone call so we could come get her and show her the rest of the way. At 7:30, we heard a knocking on the door, and it was her. I flung the door open and she said, “Please tell me you’re Dana.” I said, “Thank GOD!! How did you get here?” I was being very manic, because I had been so worried about her. It took me awhile to calm down; I was sort of bouncing all over the place. I just kept saying, “I’m so glad you’re here!!!” She was kind of wiped out from the drive, but I didn’t know her well enough yet to see it. So we started bringing in her Rubbermaid containers full of fabric so we could wash them. We got 3 or 4 loads done that night. Meanwhile, we came upstairs so she could check my email and see what was going on with our quilting mailing list.

At about 1AM, we both decided it was bedtime. I showed her the guest room (aka mobil home) and she went to bed (she ended up sleeping on the couch and never used the bed). I stayed up a while longer and got the fabric dry. I got to bed about 2:30AM or so. The next day, I went into work without her. I had to work at Becky’s all day, and we were going straight from there to Quilt Camp. She was going to come in later, after she woke up and packed the rest of her fabric. She showed up just after lunchtime. She helped me at the store (folding fat quarters, putting bolts of fabric back) and did some major mega-shopping. That girl was in quilter heaven!! :)

We left from the store at 6PM on the dot, and drove like bats out of hell to Potlatch, Idaho. We ate dinner at the Lone Jack with some of the other gals from Camp. I had steak, Amanda had teriyaki shrimp. Then we drove to Camp. At first, we thought we were in trouble because we were the last ones in line to pay for dinner, and we didn’t know where the camp was. But we found a carfull of ladies who were also going to camp, so we followed them. Amanda just barely had enough gas to get there; we didn’t fill up anywhere, and she only had $4 worth when she left Colfax. We unpacked, picked a room, and just sat there. We had Quilter’s Block! Amanda started working on putting together an Americana quilt she had started, and I started making friendship stars for a swap we were doing on our mailing list. There are pics of all of this on the Quilt Camp page, btw.

I won’t bore you with all the details of what we worked on at camp, but we accomplished ALOT. We did make one excursion out of the camp, on Friday night, and I’ll just copy what I wrote to the mail list about that night:

We made an excursion Friday night (remember that empty gas gauge?) to get gas cans and munchies. (The word “munchies” now makes both of us collapse into hysterical fits because of this story.) We decided while we were in Moscow (the closest big town) we would stop at Joann’s. That’s where she got the inkpad and some batting. Then we headed back for Potlatch. (“Potlatch” is a hysterical word, too. ROTFL) At least, we THOUGHT we headed for Potlatch. In fact, we went the wrong way on the highway. We were cruising along this 2-lane highway, when all of a sudden we saw LOTS of lights and noticed we were suddenly on a 4-lane highway. Amanda asked, “Are we on a four-lane highway?” (pause) I said, “Where are we?” Amanda said, “This is Lewiston!! I remember this!” (sidenote – we ran over a dead deer right before this… we got to later run over it again, wheee!! fun in Idaho.) I said, “Hm…. we musta gone the wrong way!” (insert lots of teasing from Amanda here) We turned around, (bump bump squish squish) and headed to Moscow again. We realized when we got into Moscow (again) that we had forgotten the munchies. So we stopped at this corner gas station and decided to shop. We invaded this poor little podunk gas station that was being manned by this poor little girl (about our age) in the middle of the night. Within 3 minutes, we had picked out 3 huge bags of chips, a Snapple, a Sobe, a cream soda, a pack of gum, and countless packages of candy. We got to the checkout and found that Amanda had already started drinking the Snapple. The girl asked, “Would you like me to throw that plastic wrapper away for you?” Amanda said, “(glug glug) No, hang on a minute. (glug glug)” and she handed over the empty Snapple bottle. The girl just looked at us like, “These chicks are on dope.” So then we ask, “Which way is Potlatch?” (We both giggled just now when I typed that word.) She pointed us in the right direction and we said, “OK, cuz we have to get back to our quilt camp.” She just looked at us like, “Yeah… SURE you do….” Two twenty-somethings raiding a gas station in the middle of the night for junk food, claiming to be quilters. I’m SURE she believed us. So I hand over my credit card to pay. She ran it through and I was busy packing the munchies into a bag, so I told Amanda, “You sign it.” The girl looked totally blank, so Amanda did. Then we left. On the drive back, it occurred to me, and I told Amanda, “I bet she thinks we’re on dope and have the munchies because of that. Who would believe that we’re really quilting out in Potlatch?” Then I thought about the word “Potlatch” and it’s obvious connection to the word “Pot” (i.e. dope) when I told Amanda we were just hysterical. Now you know why we call ourselves “The Crazy Potlatched Quilters.”

We stayed up all night at camp. In fact, Amanda stayed up (and woke up) later than me just about every night. She was still awake in the morning when everyone else was waking up. She’d go to bed around 5 or 6 or so. We were the last ones to leave – at 6PM on Sunday evening. We came back to my house (after stopping at Becky’s to do some shopping, of course) and decided to have Quilt Camp II. The next day we moved the dining room table into the living room, brought in a sawhorse from the garage, and laid a door across the end of the table and the sawhorse (to make a longer table). It took up half of the living room. We sewed and sewed and sewed for the next 5 days. It was some of the best times of my life. We laughed so much our bellies hurt. It was just like having a sister my age. In fact, I lost count of how many times people asked us if we were sisters, and told us we looked enough alike to be sisters. We can sometimes finish each others’ sentences, and we think alot alike. Scary, isn’t it? Have you ever met someone, and you had this instant bond? Like you were instantly comfortable with them? That was us. There were no awkward silences, no uncomfortable moments, nothing. It was all completely relaxed and FUN.

But now she’s gone. :( She left this afternoon. She got packed up today, and this afternoon we drove into Colfax. We ate lunch together, took a few more pics at the fabric shop, and then she left. I’m so sad, it’s hard to describe. I already miss her so much. She says she’ll come back sometime after the holidays, and I can hardly wait.

Website Progress

October 24, 1999 12:54

I spent the whole day today on this site. I did a little bit of quilting (putting sashing between the pinwheels I’m making for a lap quilt) but that was only for a couple of hours in the morning, and I’ve spent the rest of the day parked in front of my computer, making it look “pretty.” I made all of the backgrounds the same color, all (I think!) of the webpages use the same font and same font sizes for text & headings, and made a consistent-looking thumbnail schema. All I have to do now is upload the rest of the honeymoon pics (from Oregon) and finish the wedding-honeymoon update. I’ll probably tackle that tomorrow so I’ll feel like I’m done. :)

I’m going to spend the rest of tonight (after dinner, which Mike is busily preparing) pickling the last of our beets (bleah, but Mike likes them) and adding the last of the borders to that pinwheel quilt. Then if I have any time left, I’ll finish binding on a different pinwheel quilt. The binding’s about halfway done, then I’ll have another pic for the quilting page! Oh, speaking of pics, you might want to take a new look around – a couple of things have changed here and there, and you may find a surprise or two. :)

Amanda leaves tomorrow to start her way here. I’m a little worried cuz I haven’t heard from her all day today, but I know she had alot of things planned for today with her church, and then she was going to get some (much-needed) rest. But by Tuesday or Wednesday she should be here! Yippee!! Guess I better clean the guinea mess out of that back bathroom, eh? LOL

OK, that’s about all I guess. More later, when there is more. :)

First Time Riding Danny

October 22, 1999 13:12

Yay!! Everything’s finally working! We moved the hosting of this site to another server, and it’s LOTS easier now. In fact, it’s being hosted here, so updates are real-time! All of the pictures and links should be working, so if you find something that’s broken, email me. Now I’m getting ready to go to Quilt Camp next week. I just found out 2 days ago that a friend of mine from Onelist is going to drive here from Utah and go to camp with me! Her name is Amanda, and she’s a very sweet, smart, funny girl of 23. She’s never been to a quilt camp or (for that matter) a class, so we’re both excited about going. We’re packing way too many projects to work on, but THAT’S OK!!

Besides that, I’ve just been quilting. I got a few more tops pieced, and a couple quilted, but they still need to have the binding stitched down. Pics will come when they’re done. Mike & I both have our hunting licenses, and he goes on walks from time to time in the hopes that a legal buck will leap out in front of him and he can kill it. So far, no luck. :) Mike’s been writing, and pickling, and generally stirring up trouble. I washed the truck today! First time it’s ever been washed since we’ve had it. I didn’t exactly do a bang-up job, but I got tired of it so I quit messing with it. I rode Danny today, too. Amazingly, so did Mike! She’s getting much better about being ridden, but when one of us is riding, all she wants to do is keep an eye on the other one!

I think that’s enough for now… I’m going to go do some more quilting, and find something for lunch.

A Halloween Quilt for Us

October 12, 1999 13:14

I just can’t win!! I tried to upload it to the server, and now all it can see are the directories; no files! So we’re moving the hosting here to the farm. If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.

OK, so actual news, lessee. Last night I finished a quilt top I was working on for us. I’ve been doing so many things for the quilt shop and gifts and the like that I hadn’t made anything for US. It’s 6 jack-o-lanterns; some happy jacks and some “bad jacks”. You can see a pic of it on the Quilting page, along with pics of some of the other quilts I’ve made lately. Today I have to finish a quilt that’s going to be at the Spokane Quilt Show later this week. I’m a bit under the gun, so I guess I’d better get to it.

Frame Relay Line Is In

October 11, 1999 13:16

I’m all out of excuses. The phone line is in, it’s working, we have hosting, etc. No more per-minute charges. One helluva big monthly flat rate, though, so I guess I’d better make it worthwhile. I guess I’ll upload tonight (or at least start) and we’ll see how long it takes me to finish updating this site!

Poke around, lemme know what you think. Things are bad, bad, bad behind, and this is a busy week for me (Quilt Show later this week – I have stuff that’ll be in it that I have to finish) so just bear with me. In the meantime, look at Mike’s site. It’s much more up-to-date than this one.

Technical Difficulties, Hunter Ed, and Fairgoing

September 17, 1999 12:49

Yes, yes, the site is woefully behind. But I have a reason! I have been waiting on our local phone company to get their heads out of their butts and get a frame relay line put in the house so we don’t have to pay per-minute charges. They keep pushing the expected install date further and further back, and it’s driving us both nuts. They finally got the line installed to the house, but the equipment isn’t talking to itself or something and we don’t have enough green lights. I could go into more detail but the point is it just isn’t working. So I got sick of waiting and decided to do an update. Don’t know how many pics I’ll get up today (if any) but I’ll at least get a diary update out.

Tomorrow Mike and I go in to take our hunter ed exam. We’ve been going to class all this week for 3 hours (we had tonight off) learning such wonderfully useful information as the three different types of bows (NOT that we’ll ever go bow-hunting) and how to load a muzzleloader (NOT that we’ll ever hunt with one) and don’t point the muzzle at the game warden. The game warden hates me, so I’m just ready to get this class over with.

The fair came and went. It was fun, but exhausting. Last week went like this for me: Tuesday – at the fair from 3PM-9:30PM taking entries into the quilt category. Got back home and collapsed into bed from exhaustion. Wednesday – back at the fair at 8AM to help with judging (clerking, holding up quilts). Stayed until almost 7 helping set up the demo booth for sewing demos. Thursday – went to the fair as a participant most of the day. Watched some equitation competitions, got bored and went home. Friday – at the fair most of the day. Did 2 demos (one at 1PM and one at 5PM) then went home about 9PM, after chit-chatting for awhile. Saturday – another demo, this one at 1PM. Only at the fair for an hour – spent the rest of the day quilting. Sunday – yep, you guessed it. Another demo. Fair closed at 5PM, and I went home when it did. I watched the rodeo Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and that was alot of fun. Nothing compared to the Mesquite Rodeo, but I guess it was better than nothing. Oh, and my quilt won a blue ribbon. :)

Since then I’ve done a little canning (tomatoes, kosher dill pickles, pickled beets) and finished a few UFO’s I had lying around. For you non-quilters, that’s “unfinished objects”. I now (finally) have 3 quilts up on our own walls. They’re all small wall hangings, but at least I can now go through the house and point to them and say, “I made that!”

Mike is sick. He’s got a cold or the flu or something and is feeling terrible. Can’t concentrate on work (not that he should be working anyway) and is sneezing and coughing and has this cute red nose. Unfortunately farm life does not abate when you have a cold, so he’s just living with it. :(

Mom and Dad (Mike’s) are supposed to be here later this month! Our first visitors since the wedding (besides Steve) and we’re pretty excited. Need to do some cleaning (of course!) but we’ll have a great time while they’re here.

I spend most of my time these days quilting. The local quilt shop is now paying me to do shop samples, which is totally cool. I get to play with lots of different fabrics and techniques I might not have tackled otherwise. Right now I’m working on the focal point of their booth for the quilt show next month. It’s enormous, and I’m worried about getting it done in time, but I’m still plugging away.

Well, I guess that’s it! Time to do a little work on the rest of this site.

Chickens and Llamas Arrived

August 15, 1999 03:23

OK, so it’s been forever! Well, I tried to make up for lost time – there’s new stuff all over the place. I would list it all, but it’s basically the whole site. Just take a look around.

Let’s see… well, we got the chickens in. They’re a little over two weeks old, and we haven’t lost anybody yet. They had their first yard walk today. Mike let them out for about 15 minutes. About a third of them went out. The rest stayed under the brooder. We’ll slowly introduce them to the notion of being able to come and go as they please.

The llamas arrive Wednesday. We finally got the fencing put up, although we do have just a bit more flagging to do, so they won’t run into the barbed wire. Danny’s fine – she’s been allowed to roam into the neighboring pasture while we wait for the llamas. I think she’s enjoying the distraction. Her only other big news is that she’s in love. It’s amazing, if you’ve never seen a horse flirt. She arches her neck and tosses her head and canters about and makes all MANNER of noise. The object of her affection? Our neighbor’s combine.

The garden’s doing well. The zucchini are in, so it’ll be coming at us in buckets now. Tomatoes are still ripening fast enough that we haven’t bought a tomato in weeks. Greens and lettuces still doing well. Mike gets a fresh salad from it just about every day. The peas and beans aren’t doing all that well, but you can’t ALWAYS win, right?

I’ve been quilting up a storm. Just take a look at the new quilting page. I’ve also started a new tech-edit. I doubt it’ll last more than a month, though. Mike finally finished the VB/ADO book he was working on, so now he’s on to a SQL book and the revision of ADH (Access Developer’s Handbook) and editing for MCP. He’s also started building things for me to put into the craft booth (which is doing pitifully, I might add) like mirrors and shelves. He goes to Spokane tomorrow to take some certification exams. I’ll probably stay home and quilt. Or, the way things have been going, he could be home by the time I wake up!

New Llamas

July 24, 1999 16:43

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Typical overly eventful week here at Freedom Hall. Still quilting, canning, writing books, editing magazines, planting, weeding, watering, tending our growing flock of animals, repairing outbuildings, and sorting junk. I’ve also decided to open a booth upstairs from the boot and tack shop in Colfax. They had some extra space upstairs, so they’re renting out spaces by month. Mine is a 10 1/2 × 9 1/2 foot space, but I have one extra bonus – one of the “walls” is the overhang for the stairs, so I get to hang things over the railing to attract attention as people go downstairs. That sounds like a small thing, but if you’ve ever done merchandising you know that’s a pretty good thing. I take “ownership” of it August 1st, so I’ve been busily painting and sewing and doing all the other things needed to get a booth like that ready. I’ll be selling woodcrafts and cloth items (think “Country Gift Store”). I’m advertising in the quarterly quilting newsletter, and the local county newspaper, so we’re hoping we’ll do ok.

Hm.. what else…? Well, Danny’s ear is healing fine. It’s scabbing now, so it looks pretty disgusting, but I guess that’s part of it. Thursday we drove to Spokane so Mike could take some M$ certification exams and we could do some shopping. We also went to the llama farm and bought two llamas. :) We haven’t brought them home yet – it’s that whole fence thing all over again – but you can see fuzzy pictures of them here. Ours are Scotty and Tango. Hopefully, they’ll help keep Danny company, and will get along well with whatever additional livestock we get, and maybe I’ll even get into spinning llama wool. Who knows, at this point?

Thursday night our water pressure got really bad because our well pump died. By Friday morning it was nil. So Mike’s been hauling water to the house from the spring and boiling it for use. Today the pump fixer guy came out and installed a new pump (the cost was almost enough to buy four more llamas) and wiring. So now we have water again. If it’s not one thing, it’s another!

Well, I think I smell dinner downstairs. Drop me a line and let me know how you’re doing!

Horse Gets Hurt

July 17, 1999 16:46

Happy Birthday, Aunt Bobbie!

Woo-hoo! An update in under a week! What is the world coming to? ;-)

Well, the fun just never ends around here. Thursday afternoon Danny injured herself. She was sticking her head over the fence to eat grass on the other side (she’s got 3 acres of pastures, so why she was doing this behooves me) and when she pulled her head back she caught her ear on a nail and cut about a 3-inch gash in her ear. I discovered this when I went out to groom her in the evening, and immediately went into panic mode. We called the vet, who advised us to (1) put fly spray around her head and ear so she wouldn’t toss her head so much, (2) put ointment on the infection, and (3) stable her to keep her calm. Danny was NOT happy about this advice. But we did it as best we could (we got the fly spray on one ear, ointment in the general head area, and put her in her stable). She didn’t like being in her stable – Mike had wanted to ease her into it, having her rest in there a little while each day so that when the storms came and we had to stable her full-time, she wouldn’t be so traumatized but alas, the injury came the day after the stall was completed. She stall-walked (think pacing) for a good hour, then finally settled down. She munched happily on some horse feed (something she doesn’t get in her pasture yet), slurped a little water, and nibbled on some grass Mike had scythed for her. We also got a feel for just how inefficient a horse’s digestive system really is.

The vet came over at 10AM the next morning, looked at the ear, and said it would heal on its own. She said we should try to clip her mane between her ears, to keep hair out of the wound. Well! Danny likes neither the look, the sound, or the notion of clippers. She reared up on her hind legs (something I had yet to see her do) and backed away. She was having none of it. The vet tried to get her used to just the sound first, but it was hopeless. I went in and got my fabric scissors and the vet trimmed some hair out of her mane. She was extremely edgy, so we just put her back in her pasture. She’s been gradually “coming down” since then, and this morning Mike was even able to get a good shot of ointment on her wound, which – I’m happy to report – is healing nicely.

I joined the Colfax quilt guild. It’s called the Whitman Samplers’ Quilt Guild. I might be doing a website for them in the near future – if so, I’ll put the URL in the diary so you can see what it looks like. I’ve also started on my “challenge” quilt. What this means is the owner of the quilt shop – Becky’s Fabrics and Bernina – picks a fabric (in this case dark green Thimbleberries) and you design a quilt using it. I’ve started cutting out mine. I’ll upload a picture of it when it’s done. I have to have the whole thing completed (quilted, not just the top sewn) by October 2nd. Needless to say, I’ll be “cheating” (machine-quilting). I’ve decided there are worse sins. :-)

We’ve got lots of crops coming in. The tomatoes are starting to turn red, Mike nibbles on radishes from time to time, he had some baby lettuces with dinner last night, and we had wilted mixed greens the night before.

Escaped Horse, First Harvest

July 12, 1999 16:50

Happy birthday to my nephew Don!

The day after the last update, Danny got loose. The wire lift-up latch on her pasture was evidently loose, and she just lifted it up and walked right on out! We, of course, panicked. Drove the countryside, at least as much as we could. Told what few neighbors we knew.. met a few more and told them. We skipped the Fourth of July doings down at the park (ice cream social and fireworks display) because Danny decided to have her own little Independence Day. There was no sign of her for two days. Then a neighbor we had never met named Randy drove up on his motorcycle and said his neighbor had a horse in their yard. So the word has spread. We drove over to check it out, and it was her – 6 miles away, fly-bitten like the dickens, and exhausted. We don’t have a trailer, so we then had the problem of how to get her home. Mike started walking her home and I went into St. John to try to find someone with a trailer who would help us out. Eventually two very sweet strangers (friends-of-a-friend kind of thing) followed me to go get her. Mike had already walked about halfway (that’s three miles!!) but Danny had just about decided she was done walking. We loaded her up, took her home, and rigged a better latch. She’s (luckily) stayed put ever since.

We’re still doing lots of gardening. We got our first harvest – radishes. They’re all just about done, and Mike picked a bunch of them and ate them with dinner last night. I don’t like radishes, so he had no competition. :) Planted right next to the radishes are the turnips, and they’re getting about done. So we might have turnip greens soon. There are also more beans and squash coming up, more lettuce, and the yellow squash are just getting huge (well, compared to everything else). The tomato plants are also putting on a few more blossoms.

I’ve joined the quilting cult. Well, it’s not exactly a cult, but it’s definitely cliquish. Anyway, I’ve started taking classes and joining quilting bees. My first was Friday night (the 9th). At the quilt shop in Pullman they have something called the Night Owls Quilting Group. The first Friday of every month (July was delayed a week because of the holiday), a group of no more than 10 women meet at 6PM and quilt into the wee hours of the morning (I was there til after 1AM). I met lots of women, and we had a great time – laughing and cutting up (no pun intended). Just so happens that earlier that day, I had gone to the quilt shop in Colfax because Colfax was having its annual Concrete River Festival (think citywide garage sale). I had turned my sewing machine over to them earlier to be repaired. Becky told me my old Bicor was dead beyond resurrection, but that she had a nice low-end used machine (the little old lady only sewed churches on it on Sundays) that she would sell me. I bought it (of course) and am dying to machine-sew a quilt. Yes, I’m going to cheat. But not until I finish the first one I started by hand. I want to be able to say I did SOMEthing by hand. I did machine-sew a dress pattern – it’s a little jumper. The stitching is just terrible, but I fixed it as best as I could. First-timer’s disease, you know. I’m not discouraged – if you see the dress you’ll agree that it can only get better!

Tomorrow I go to the Endicott library to do some volunteer work. They’re only open Tuesdays and Fridays, for four hours each day, and I thought it would be fun to help out. Wednesday I have a meeting of the Colfax Quilters’ Association (which I’m going to join), and Friday probably more library.

Mike’s still working his tail off. Yesterday morning (5AM!!!) he drove to Spokane to pick up our cute little trees. We’re planting those fast-growing trees. Some willows and some… I forget – something else. They have to “rest” for a couple of days, so we’ll prolly plant them on Wednesday. He’s been writing, weeding, tearing down old fencing, clearing brush, rototilling, planting, picking strawberries, disinfecting the chicken coop (we’re just waiting for the chicks now), and doing any other number of duties. Busy as ever.

Well, I’d better go get some weeding done before it gets too hot. Hope you’re all doing well!

Wedding/Honeymoon Update

July 05, 1999 16:21

May 21 was my bridal shower. Lots of family and friends came, and my bridesmaids – Nancy, Julie, and Donna – hosted it for me. It was GORGEOUS. Decorations everywhere, balloons, confetti, tons of food from Jason’s Deli, and the most beautiful shower cake ever! I was given some very lovely gifts from everyone (for which we’re very, very grateful), we played party games, and everyone made fun of me for becoming “Old Mrs. MacDonald”.

May 22 was the rehearsal. Everyone was there except 2 of my bridesmaids. We held it at Lake Ray Hubbard park in Rowlett. Rehearsal itself only took about 20 minutes, then we went to have dinner at a barbeque place up the highway. Since there were so many of us we had to wait awhile to be seated (dumb Dana didn’t make a reservation for SATURDAY NIGHT!), but we had fun hanging out in the patio area talking and relaxing. By that point I was exhausted and getting a bit nervous, so I was really wigging out. Donna helped calm me down (breathe all the way in…), and it was more fun after that. We had to sit at 2 separate tables (there were 16 of us), and that was kind of a drag, but all in all we had a good time. We left and went back to my mom’s, where we had parked the RV. I got a few tsk-tsk’s from family members who thought we should adhere to the “bride and groom should sleep separately” tradition, but we paid no attention.

I slept almost not at all. These checklists kept running through my head (don’t forget to take the iron, get the petticoat out of Mom’s bathroom, get the birdseed bundles, take a robe) and I just couldn’t sleep. So finally, at about 3AM, I gave up and went to the living room part of the RV. I played computer games until Mike gave up, too (he has a hard time sleeping alone) and we starting packing for leaving. We were ready about 30 minutes before we had to go, so we just sat around and talked and tried to relax. By then the lack of sleep was really catching up to me.

We left for the Arboretum at about 6:30. We were supposed to meet the caterers, stylist, florist, and other wedding-type-people there at 8:00. Mike brought me in, helped me carry in the TRUNKLOAD of stuff it takes to make a bride (that’s not an exaggeration), then left. I was immediately bombarded with decisions. I cannot tell you how many questions I was asked. Where are the cake cutters? Do we put the chairs on the terrace or on the lawn? Should we put the cake in the library or the sitting room? Where should the DJ set up? Do you want your hair up or down? These questions all came within 5 minutes. I was starting to get frantic. Not nervous exactly, but definitely.. drawn. Then my SAVIOR showed up, in the form of my older sister Donna. By this point, Lydia (the stylist) was positively frantic. “You’ve GOT to sit down so we can start your hair!” My dress needed pressing, the DJ, florist, caterer, and wedding coordinator from the Arboretum were all hovering around, and I was standing there with the guest book in my hand like a deer frozen in headlights.

My sister took in the situation and began making decisions. Usually, I resent people doing this, but this time it was a GODSEND. She said very authoritatively “Sit down and let her (Lydia) start.” I did. Donna took the guest book out to the front room and set it up with the pens. Then she came in and started pressing my train, using the robe as a barrier between the fabric-munching iron and my dress. As people would come in with questions (and it was CONSTANT), she would either answer them or ask me one at a time so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed. The cake got set up, the DJ got set up, the coffee bar got set up, and then I started to relax.

Then came the rain. It had rained all morning and we had a brief lull. Everyone was trying to reassure me – “It’s stopped now. Everything will look fresh and new. Rain is good luck on a wedding day.” Oddly enough, I wasn’t worried. I had purposely ignored weather reports all week, since I didn’t want to add that to my stress list. Besides, it’s not like I could DO anything about it.

Women family members began streaming in and out of the room, as is customary. Everyone was being so sweet, and I was perfectly calm. Then I got a break from hair torture. What hair torture, you ask? Well! We decided that we should do “hair up” since it was so humid and my hair has a tendency to fall since it’s so long. The problem was that my hair absolutely DETESTS curling, so Lydia decided to take drastic measures. (I wince as I recall this, mind you.) First, she gelled it. Then, she dried it a bit. Then, she took individual locks of it and twisted it into a coil. Then, she wrapped the coil around a curler. She did this until I had a whole head full of curlers. She sprayed hairspray all over it. Then came the hairdryer. She put one of those hairdryer things on my head and I stayed there for an HOUR. Mind you, my back is turned to the rest of the bride room, so I can’t see anything going on. Bridesmaids are primping and curling and plucking and deodorizing and talking and comparing perfumes, and all the time I’m staring at this wicker curtain shade. Thrilling, right?

Anyway, after the hour was up I got a brief (2 minute) break from hair torture and I peeked out the window. First I saw Steve, the best man. “Oh, gosh, he looks so handsome in his tux!” I cried out. Then he rounded the corner and I saw Mike was with him. I involuntarily banged the window with my hands when I saw him “It’s Mike!!!” Everyone whirled around and pulled me away from the window. “He’ll see you!!” they scolded. THEN I started getting nervous. Mike was in a tux. He had his hair slicked back. We had trimmed his beard the day before, and he looked STUNNING. My heart started racing a mile a minute and I could NOT calm down.

Back to hair torture for me, young lady. I sat down facing a mirror and the REAL torture began. She unrolled the curlers and I had all these little Medusa ringlets all around my face. “Aw!” everyone said. I thought, “That wasn’t so bad.” I was wrong. Lydia had to undo all these little ringlets to put my hair up properly, which amounted to pulling her fingers through them. It was AGONIZING. I’m usually pretty hard-headed, but this was the most excruciating pain I’ve felt ever. Lydia kept saying, “I’m sorry” and I kept saying, “It’s ok” but we both knew it hurt like hell. Finally it was over and I had this Tina Turner poof on my head. That worried me. “This isn’t what I want!” I thought. Again, I was wrong. She wound my hair into little balls and positioned them on top of my head. She started in with the bobby pins. No lie, she ended up using like 50 bobby pins on my hair. I know this because I later had to take them all out. She got my hair all pinned up on my head and then got the veil. She dug it into my hair (which almost made me cry) and pinned it down with more bobby pins. That thing wasn’t going nowhere nohow. When I saw myself wearing the veil, I started to cry.

Then I started to get dressed. For those of you who haven’t ever been brides and had to wear a big, complicated dress, this could be an eye-opening experience. You see, it’s a physical impossibility to get dressed yourself. In my case, it took not two, not four, but SIX people to get me dressed, not counting myself. There were the 3 bridesmaids, my mom and mother-in-law, and the stylist. Everyone had various jobs which they seemed, instinctively, to just KNOW. My mom was mostly in charge of things, and she trussed me into that dress despite the extremely large petticoat. I think at some point someone even crawled up in that thing to fluff it, but I couldn’t be sure. The dress was so big I could have had the entire Botswanan field hockey team hiding in there and wouldn’t have known it.

Mike’s mother came in and said the rain was too bad and would I like to move the ceremony under the canopy and just have everyone stand. I said I didn’t care; that was fine. So they moved all the tables and chairs out from under the canopy and had everyone stand on either side of a makeshift “aisle”.

OK, now while I was getting tortured and dressed, the bridesmaids were getting dressed, too. Everyone finally got ready, and they started bringing in the minister, the photographer, the DJ, and my dad. More rapid-fire questions, and the putting-on of the garter. Finally, we were ready to go. Everyone grabbed their bouquets and we lined up. My dad and I had to stay in the room so Mike wouldn’t see me. We heard the processional music and both of us tried not to cry. Then we heard a knock on the door and just sort of stared at each other with these panicky looks. Can we open it? Do we wait? What?? Finally, we opened it and stepped into the next room. From this room, you could see all of the guests. Some of them even saw me! And I saw Mike .

Then came the wedding march. “Dun, dun-dun-dun-dun, dun-dun-dun-dun.” Those are magical sounds. Really. They cause the following symptoms in an otherwise normal, healthy woman — nausea, light-headedness, inability to breathe, fluttering in the stomach, momentary loss of vision. Then we started walking. We were in step and everything went fine. We made it to the front of the (8-foot) aisle, past all the faces sort of swimming together. They did the “who gives this woman” bit, and my Dad said “I do.” then handed me over to my soon-to-be husband.

Update: It is now more than ten years after the fact (9/13/09) and I haven’t gotten around to finishing this story. I think it’s safe to say I won’t. :) Obviously, the wedding “took” and that’s all that matters in the end.

New Horse

July 03, 1999 16:55

A lot has been going on since my last update. As you probably have seen, there are lots of new pictures up. If you haven’t seen this yet, go back to the home page and take a look – there are bridal shower photos, pictures of Danny-girl (the horse), and all kinds of other knick-knacks. Tomorrow I’ll be working on wedding photos and the wedding/honeymoon update.

Well, obviously we bought a horse. She’s a 13-year-old Thoroughbred mare, 16 hands high, brown (no white markings at all), registered. We bought her from a couple out by Spokane, and she was delivered here almost a week ago, on June 28th. She’s fitting right in, and has jogged down a little track in her (3-acre) pasture. Some time next week, we’re going into Spokane to get a saddle and a bridle so she can be ridden; she’s been getting a little restless. Mike has been easing into taking care of her little by little, which turns out to be a very good thing. The other day I hurt my foot (too stupid a story to relate here) and so Mike’s been having to take care of her full-time while I recuperate. He’s learned to groom her, halter her, lead her, and even give her a few commands (mostly “whoa” and “ok, let’s go”).

On the “work” front — Mike’s still writing. He’s working on a VB/ADO book now, but will be writing more Access and SQL Server stuff soon. He’s also still doing flurries of tech-edits. I’m going to be starting another tech-editing project, for a PhotoShop project, sometime this month (if it doesn’t get pushed back).

Garden update – Lots of things have come up. Mostly weeds. :) They’re so tenacious!! Food-wise we have squash, some peppers, beans galore, peas, potatoes, onions, radishes (they’re almost ready to harvest), carrots, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, and watermelon. No fruit yet, but seedlings and sets are popping up. The tomato plants we put out a few weeks ago are still hanging on. Those that already had fruit on them have developed more fruit. Those that didn’t, still don’t. Mike has been developing a web page to be published as soon as our DSL line gets put in – it’s a farm diary and it’s incredibly detailed. I’ll put up the link as soon as it’s ready. (If you want to bookmark it now, it’s going to be http://www.larkfarm.com.) Weeding is a never-ending battle, and they seem to thrive anywhere. We just go do some weeding in between everything else, like fencing, gate-building, quilting, cooking, baking, painting, planting, clearing brush, horse-tending, and computering (giggle). Oh, yeah, and eating and sleeping. :)

Gardening and Shopping

June 18, 1999 16:13

Well, we finally did it. We got the entire garden weeded, tilled, and planted in a week. The plot right next to the house, anyway. At some point (we say that phrase a LOT), we’re going to prepare another plot out behind the barn for “tall” crops – beans, corn, stuff like that. So far we haven’t seen any sprouts out of our garden, but the tomato plants haven’t died, either. Mike has taken to weeding the strawberries out behind the house. Last night he even watered them. (Contrary to popular belief, the Spokane valley area, where we live, doesn’t get near the rain Seattle does. The Cascade Mountains keep it all away.)

Yesterday we drove into Colfax to run some errands. I bought some boots (picture to come soon), we made some deposits at the bank, then we went to the grocery store and did some shopping. Amazingly enough, we bought no chips or cookies – it was all vegetables and paper products. OK, OK, there was some ice cream in there, too, but that’s IT!

Tuesday we drove all the way to Spokane. It takes an hour and a half to get there, and you FEEL it. We went everywhere – Petco, the fabric store, Eagle Hardware, Costco, Staples, and the General Store. We spent tons of money on tons of things, including a lawnmower, a wheelbarrow, cat and dog food… you know — luxuries. :) Hopefully the bulk of the spending frenzy is over, but I wouldn’t bet on it (see today’s Farm Lesson).

Besides driving all over Creation, we’ve been baking bread, making cookies, quilting, cooking, cleaning, mowing, writing, and spending time together. We’re still blissfully happy, and can’t imagine another place we’d rather live.

First Plantings

June 10, 1999 16:15

We managed to finish the weeding yesterday. I pulled the last weed chunk out of the ground just as the sun was going down. Mike also got several posts set into the ground, using a post-hole digger and gravel to set it. This morning he finished the posts and strung 3 feet of chicken wire around the perimeter of the garden to keep the dogs out. Eventually, he’ll string it up to 6 feet.

Early this afternoon we drove into Colfax again. We went to the hardware store and bought some string, some garden hoses, and a few other odds and ends. When we got home we started planting. So far we’ve gotten down pole beans, tomato plants, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, carrots, collards, and pumpkins. That’s four rows worth. We’ll keep working on it until we get the whole plot full, then we’ll probably start clearing another plot. We’ve ordered a greenhouse that should arrive any day now. We’ll get some seedlings going in there, too, so that we can do some longer-season stuff. After I scrubbed the dirt and grime off of me (sprinklers are MESSY!), I sat down to do some quilting (I’ll probably do more after finishing this update) and Mike made some (very delicious) brownies. While they cooled he heated up leftovers and we had dinner and dessert. Then we played a few rounds of Boggle (think Scrabble, but played simultaneously and with dice instead of tiles). And that’s all the news that’s fit to print!

We're Married (Again!)

June 09, 1999 16:16

Well, it’s official! We’re legally married. We even got our marriage license in the mail Monday. I know it’s been a (very, very) long time since we did an update, but we’ve been indescribably busy. Because of.. um.. technical difficulties, there won’t be any new pictures up for a few days, but don’t worry – they’re coming.

We’re back home now, in Endicott. We got in Sunday night and were just amazed at how overgrown everything was. In some places the weeds are hip-deep. We quickly added “lawnmower” to our shopping list. The first thing we did was start unloading the RV. We just brought everything in and dumped it in the middle of the living room floor. We’re slowly going through it as time goes by. We unloaded until we were exhausted, then we came in and slept. Oh, by the way, he did “carry” me over the threshold. Those of you who’ve seen us know that I’m much larger than Mike, so “carrying” amounted to bending over, picking up my legs, and sort of heaving me 3 inches into the entryway, but it was enough. :)

The next morning Mike woke up at about 5:30 and made a pace map of the property. We’ll need it when we start planning where we want to put everything. I woke up at 7 and we both almost immediately went out to start weeding the garden. We’re going to put a plot right next to the house, since he had already rototilled that before we left and it was the area with the shortest weeds. We may put another, larger plot somewhere else, but for now we’ve got to get stuff in the ground tout de suite! We got it about half done, then spent the rest of the day baking bread and working (Mike) and quilting and baking brownies (me). Of course, there have been flurries of unpacking interspersed with all this other stuff.

Yesterday we went through all of our bills and wrote a ton of checks. I finished most of the Thank you notes. We couldn’t get much weeding done because it was rainy yesterday. Finishing the weeding is today’s task. After we finished the bills we drove over to Colfax. First we went to the lumber yard and bought some fence studs and chicken wire. We’ve got to have a deer fence to keep the dogs and deer out, or we can give up ANY hope of having a garden. Then we drove over to the bank, the quilting store, and the grocery store. I took up quilting on our honeymoon (see the wedding/honeymoon page for more details) and I’m almost ready to start the final part of it, so I needed some batting. We stocked up on all kinds of groceries, made deposits at the bank, then came home. I spent the evening creating a filing system for our bills (something more than stuffing everything in a big “TBF” folder) and Mike did some writing.

Today, Mike woke up at 0-dark-30 again. He’s really got this farm hours thing down. I’m working on it. :) When I woke up, I made some breakfast (eggs, bacon, toast with apple butter) and Mike fried up some sausage. After breakfast we came upstairs and I got to work on email and some paid website updating stuff that needed to get done. Mike kept writing. A little while ago he went downstairs to bake another loaf of bread. The one he made 2 days ago is almost gone. :) After I finish this update, I’ll change into my weeding clothes and go get that garden done!

Now that we’re settled down, there should be more regular updates (hi Dad!!), so don’t give up on us yet!

Happy Mother's Day

May 09, 1999 15:54

Happy Mother’s Day!!!!

It’s been weeks! Well, let’s see… we’re in the Dallas area now. We arrived yesterday afternoon and are currently parked at my mom’s house. She lives in Kemp, Texas, which is about 45 minutes east of Dallas. She lives here with my little sister, Marie, and Marie’s 2 kids – B.J., 2 years, and Alyssa Renea, 9.5 months. Both are adorable, both make you crazy at times. Typical kids, I guess.

We drove here from Endicott. It took exactly a week. Here were some of the highlights —

* Went to visit Carlsbad Cavern. It’s breath-taking. There are pictures here.
* Stayed overnight at a forest in Oregon. Woke up to snow. Played in the snow with the dogs, who like to climb fallen logs.
* Saw antelope all over New Mexico, right up next to the highway.
* Had to stop in the middle of the highway to let a cow cross the road. Apparently in Nevada and Arizona and New Mexico (maybe other places I don’t know about) there are areas called “free range” where the animals are allowed to just roam wherever they want to.. including the freeway. It’s weird; there are cattleguards right across the highway.
* Stopped at Minersville (Nevada?) Dam. The place is infested with jackrabbits, but the dogs weren’t smart enough to see them through the brush.
* Drove through hail, sun, wind, rain, snow, duststorms, and sleet all in one day in Nevada.
* Visited the Natural Arches National Park. Pictures here.

Now it’s last-minute wedding flurry time. Tomorrow I have a bazillion errands to run, including getting my nails done since I’m supposed to do bridal photos on Tuesday. Today I’m going to draw up maps on how to get to the Arboretum so I can mail them out. The rest of the week I need to make phone calls to those people who haven’t RSVP’ed to find out if they plan on being at the wedding. We have to give a final count to the caterer on Friday, so this is a must. If you haven’t RSVP’ed, and you’re reading this, please email me and let me know. Whether you will come or won’t, I really need to know.

Well, I guess that’s about it. Oh, unless you’re interested in just how many of our “children” we brought along with us. The answer is 6. Both dogs, and four cats. The only one we left behind was Yowler. He never did learn to get along well with the others, so he had to stay. It’s been interesting, breaking up little cat squabbles, and trying to keep Shay from eating Snuggles for breakfast. Oh, don’t think Snuggles didn’t enjoy it; she was in heat for the first 5 days of this trip. She’s the only one onboard who hasn’t been “fixed”, so the others were just trying to figure out why she kept making all of those weird noises. I think she’s over it now, though.

New Pet

April 18, 1999 15:40

I have been a BAAAAD girl!! 10 days without an update! Well, I guess I have a lot to catch you up on.

Biggest news by far is our new puppy. We adopted Shay from the Palouse Humane Society. She’s a 7-month old Chow mix and is just about the sweetest thing there is. She thinks she’s a lapdog, but she’s already as big as Max, so it could be interesting. She also thinks the middle of the bed belongs to her, and her ALONE. Mike has fun working his way under the covers at night. :) They told us she wasn’t housebroken, but so far so good. Max likes having a playmate, too.

We also bought a tiller the same day. Mike’s been messing around with it, getting to know how it works and stuff. As far as I can tell, it works just fine. Makes nice, plantable, soft soil. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem to get our garden in the ground after the wedding. We’ve also been doing some work around the farm. Stuff like clearing more brush (it’s EVERYWHERE) and cleaning out the chicken coop. OK, here’s my gross story of the month – I was shoveling out the chicken droppings from the chicken coop, getting ready to put new chickens in there someday, and I found a VERY old chicken carcass, wedged between a table and a wall. It was disGUSTing. Mike dubbed it “dumb chicken”.. a little redundant, maybe…

We had a real bad scare over the last couple of days. Owen, our baby kitty, disappeared. Mike noticed mid-afternoon that he wasn’t around. He’s snuck out of a closing screen door several times, so we assumed he probably got out when we weren’t looking. But to be sure, we scoured the house… several times. First we looked in all his usual haunts, then we looked in every box, corner, drawer, cabinet, everywhere. No Owen. So we looked outside. Mike walked all the way down to the Palouse River looking for him. No luck. We called and called and called until we were hoarse. Then we gave up. Cried. Held each other. This is coyote country, after all. We moped. We mourned. Then we finally tried to work. We were just sitting here, when he appeared at the top of the stairs. I was dumbfounded. I thought I had imagined it. But it was real. We picked him up, checked him over, made sure he was ok. Then we checked the doors; they were all closed. So he was either hiding or trapped somewhere. But darned if we can figure out where!

We got our first wedding presents! Thank you thank you thank you. I know some people are very private about gift-giving, so let’s just say that if we received your gift, we are grateful. It means alot to us that people wish us well, and want to help us to start our life together.

I’m getting back in “Wedding Mode”. We leave here in 2 weeks to go to Dallas. I’m starting to get excited again. I just hope we get a nice turnout, and that the weather cooperates. Incidentally, if you need the name of a hotel in Dallas to make reservations, email me. Maybe we can get discounted rates if enough people express interest. And we could get a little Wedding Block Party thing, too. :)

First Trip to Moscow

April 08, 1999 15:50

Today we drove over to Moscow. That was about our last major sight-seeing trip planned for this area. Moscow is just BARELY inside of Idaho, and it’s the “big” town around here. It has a Wal-Mart, Staples, a mall, several fast food joints, a 24-hour grocery store, and the purported “Most Interesting Store in Idaho”. I forget the name of it, but that slogan was too much for Mike to resist, so we stopped. No lie, they were holding a turkey-calling class. Standing room only. We looked around; it’s basically an outdoorsy haveny fishing-and-hunting-and-stuff-like-thaty kind of place. I was interested to note that they had horse tack. :) No western riding saddles, though; only English. We bought a bunch of stuff from the Wal-Mart, including my hard-fought-for pressure cooker! I can now can vegetables. And don’t think I won’t!!

Before that, we did some work outdoors. Clearing brush is HARD work (see today’s Farm Lesson). More bookwork, some laundry.. Oh, speaking of laundry! We bought a washing machine! Up until then Mike had been washing his clothes by hand and I .. well, I just have too many clothes. We bought it from the appliance store in St. John (about 15 minutes north of us). The owner, Don, came by and installed it himself. While he was here, we had him take a look at the washer and dryer we had in the garage, and he ended up carting the washing machine back with him. In exchange, he’s going to get us an attachment we need for the dryer and fix whatever might be wrong with it. In the meantime, we’re line-drying. But it rained today, so… (ah, the joys of country life!)

We did some target practice today, too. We set up some tires, taped targets onto them, and went to it. We went through 2 boxes of range ammo with our 3 handguns. Which reminds me, I need to clean mine….

I guess that’s about it for now. We’re just doing what we’ve been doing since we got here — settling in, figuring out what works and what doesn’t, fixing as much of what doesn’t as we can, and cleaning up.

Hike to the Palouse

April 03, 1999 15:53

We woke up this morning to snow. About a half-inch to an inch fell last night, and it was covering everything by the time morning rolled around. Of course, by now it’s all melted away and it’s warmed up enough out there that it was uncomfortable to wear a coat. I found that out as we took another long walk today. This one really was a long walk. We drove the truck down as far as where the road/trail crosses our creek, then we walked all the way down to the Palouse River. All told, it was about a mile to a mile and a half. Not flat, either — it was rugged cliffs and game trails. The way back was almost completely uphill. We didn’t see any deer this time, but we did see lots of pheasant. We also found the owl that normally roosts in our barn. He “walked” along with us. We saw him twice. Snuggles went along, too. She didn’t think much of the riding-in-the-truck part, but she handled it pretty well.

Today I got a feel for just how much land this is. It’s alot. Down by the Palouse we own a stretch of cliffs about a quarter mile long. Keep in mind this is right smack in the middle of wheat country, so it’s just crawling with deer (they like the coverage) and pheasant and God-only-knows-what-else. The Palouse is about 50 feet across where it lies close to our property, and we’re pretty sure it’s got fish. I might apply for a fishing license and go down there some time (assuming, of course, that I can get permission to fish from the people who own that stretch of riverfront).

Other than that, it’s pretty much just been work, work, work. I’ve been taking a close, hard look at Access, and doing some work on the website I’m designing. Mike’s been writing and editing his little tushy off. He still takes walks with Max at least twice a day, and we still do lots of work around the farm when we have time. None of it’s easy, but it’s all worth it.

Settling Into Our New Home

March 31, 1999 18:39

Today was pretty busy. We woke up, Mike did some editing and I cross-stitched and had breakfast. About 11AM, we headed for Pullman, the closest “big” city and home of the Cougars of WSU – Washington State University. We drove and walked around basically the entire town, stopping at a quilting store (got on the mailing list), bookstore (of COURSE), gun store, Goodwill (still in search of a pressure cooker – no luck), and ShopKo (like a Wal-mart, but smaller). We were there about 2 1/2 hours, 30 minutes of which was spent on the phone with the Companion Animal Aid and Placement Society. They got more information than a humane society can POSSIBLY ever need, and we’re on a waiting list for a stray dog… a waiting list for a stray, can you believe it??

On the way back, we stopped in Colfax – the closest town with a real-life grocery store. We bought some potatos, onions and a few other odds and ends. They were having a sale on both, so we thought it was a good time to start stocking up the root cellar. Then it was back home. We started cleaning out the root cellar, carrying buckets of what claims to be paint to the detached garage, furniture and “workstuff” (junk) to the attached garage, and poking through cans of stuff that’s been canned for God-only-knows-how-long (that’s an actual unit of time, by the way; I looked it up). Then it was off on a very long walk. It was probably a medium-sized walk for Mike and Max, but for li’l ol’ me, it was LONG. I have blisters on my feet and brambles in my hair, but I feel good… healthy.

Snuggles followed along with us. I probably haven’t acquainted you with Snuggles by name, but I think I did mention two cats we’d inherit with the property when we visited it back in January. Anyway, Snuggles is one of those cats. She’s a short, fluffy, extremely affectionate orange-and-white kitty with beautiful yellow eyes. The other is named Yowler (if you ever visit, you’ll know why). She’s affectionate, too, but she’ll make quite a ruckus until she gets some attention. We found out Yowler was named “Casey” by some previous tenants, who are the ones who actually brought her here, but we can’t seem to stop calling her Yowler.

Last night I made some more apple butter, and Mike worked some more on his books. And he read. And we watched Donnie Brascoe (again). I still have some apples left, so I’ll probably make some applesauce.

We closed on Monday. We drove into Spokane and closed. We also visited the Costco (like a Sam’s Wholesale Club), the general store, and the power company (to put down a deposit). By then we were pooped. But we’re happy. There’s always alot to do, but it’s fun, and rewarding, and we’re working for our own future.

Bread and Apple Butter

March 28, 1999 18:44

Boy, are we ever becoming Maw and Paw Clampett! Yesterday, Mike made bread. Homemade bread. From flour. That he GROUND himself!!! And on the 25th, I made apple butter, from scratch, with real apples. OK, we didn’t grow the apples or the wheat ourselves, but I’m sure that’s coming!

What else has been going on? Hmm… well, we’re both still editing, and Mike’s authoring (a VB book at the moment). Most of the boxes have been unpacked, and now fuel our fireplace at night when it gets really chilly. Speaking of chilly, we got our first snow last night. It was really only flurries, and none of it stuck, but it was snow nonetheless. Big, fat white flakes of snow. I’m used to the light, powdery stuff that melts as soon as it hits anything, so this was new. We woke up this morning to more snow. Again, it melted off (no shoveling yet!) but it was beautiful. Today, as I look out the window in the office (we’re using the upstairs “bedroom” for an office) it’s partly cloudy, windy, and cool. More or less what you’d expect of Eastern Washington in March. Mike has finally managed, along with Max, to walk the entire bounds of this property. I wasn’t up to walking it with him, but he tells me all about it, and I’m sure I’ll be up to walking it when it warms up a bit.

Big news!!! Tomorrow we (finally!!) close on this piece of land! It will officially become “ours”. We’re pretty excited about that. It seems like we’ve been waiting an awfully long time, and it’ll be nice to have it done.

We’ve met lots of local people. Yesterday, the seller of this property came by to pick up some of his stuff, and point out what else he’d like to keep. Then in the afternoon a man came by looking for a piece of property that was supposed to be for sale. I had the pleasure of telling him he was too late. :) The day before that, we met BJ and Lynn Johnson, who live in town now, but lived in this house a year ago. They warned us that EVERYONE in town will have a story about this house. “My Grandpa helped build this place back in…” But apparently there was a death on the land. A man was standing near the loading dock which marks one of the corners of this place, and his son backed the truck over him and killed him. Great bedtime story to tell the kiddies, eh?

My new passion is canning. I was so pleased with the apple butter that I’m anxious to make something else. We’re doing alot of shopping tomorrow (since we’ll be in Spokane for the closing anyway) so I think I’ll get the ingredients to make salsa and a few other things. If anyone has any tips or recipes they’d like to share, I’d LOVE them. :) Just email me.

Speaking of email, our mail server is down at the moment, so if you haven’t heard from us, you know why. It should be working again by tomorrow (cross your fingers!).

In Endicott

March 24, 1999 18:47

We made it to Endicott! Actually, we made it here Saturday, but we’re just now settled down enough to do a webpage update. First we had to unload the UHaul, then we had to unpack some of the boxes (by no means ALL of the boxes – more on that in a second) and set up the bed, then our friend Steve showed up with his friend Matt, and we all went to sleep. Sunday morning we finished unloading the UHaul (big strong men, ya gotta love it!) and I rode back to Seattle with Steve and Matt. By this point, Mike had thrown out his back helping unload a desk my daddy gave us. I had JUST recovered from throwing out MY back in Albany loading boxes there.

I got to Seattle, loaded up the rest of our stuff there into our truck, then drove the truck all the way back to Endicott. I got in at 1AM, stumbled to the bed, and collapsed. The next morning, Monday, I drove all over Tarnation (that’s what we call the local area ) trying to get to LaCrosse. LaCrosse is a tiny little town, about the size of Endicott. They house the phone company, though, so we went there to pay our deposit and have our phone line put in. Incidentally, Mike should be sending out a travelog today or tomorrow that includes our phone number. If you’re not on his travelog mailing list, email him and tell him you’d like to be added. Monday afternoon I did a little grocery shopping at the Endicott Food Center. Then I unloaded some of the stuff from the truck and threw out my back again! So needless to say, there are still boxes all OVER this house. Most rooms have boxes stacked from floor to halfway up the ceiling. Mike hasn’t seen many of these boxes in about 6 years, so he’s like a little kid at Christmas, opening them at random and rifling through them. So we have all these little box “mushrooms” all over the house. :)

Yesterday, we rode tandem (I in the UHaul and he in the truck) to Spokane to return the UHaul and make a trip to the bank. We did more extensive grocery shopping there and came back home. Once we got here, we were finally relaxed enough to take a leisurely stroll along our little creek. We flushed so many pheasant I lost count. By the way, if you’ve never heard pheasant being flushed, they’re NOISY little creatures. They sound like helicopters or something, and I about had a heart attack every time we came onto one. Anyway, we unloaded the truck and I sat down to work on the book I’m editing. Mike cooked dinner for us (corned beef, mashed potatoes, coleslaw). I finished a chapter, emailed it off, then we went to bed. Today we have nothing pressing on our agenda (which is why I could finally get to this update!). Mike just now headed out the door to fire his rifle (ya gotta love the country) and I’m going to work on some stuff for my dad’s vegetable business. After that, I’ll probably edit some more.

Oh, kindof as a by-line, I’m wearing my Sig on a holster on my hip. I’ve never done that, because we’ve never had our own place, but I’m doing it now. It’s taking some getting used to, but it feels good. It cements the “it’s really our place” feeling.

A wedding side-note — I need help picking the music to be played at the wedding reception. So if you have a few minutes, please take a look. (UPDATE – this page is no longer available, so the link has been removed.)

Back in Ennis

March 18, 1999 18:49

We’re in Ennis again. We flew to Albany, as planned, and drove a UHaul to Dallas. Nothing really notable happened, luckily. Tomorrow, we drive both the UHaul and the RV to Spokane. We still haven’t closed on the property. Keep your fingers crossed!

Holding Pattern

March 07, 1999 18:50

Yesterday we went out to my dad’s house. Max had fun playing with Dad’s dog Charger, and Mike took lots of pictures. We stayed out there all day, then drove back to Dallas. We were so tired by the time we got home we just went straight to bed. Today, I went shopping for a petticoat and those accessories I was talking about. It took three malls to finish, but I finally got it done. Now I’m just working on updating this website, and working on one I’m designing for a local company, in hopes that they’ll buy it. That’s right; I’m trying to break into web design. More than anything, I’d like to make enough to pay to put a data line into the place in Endicott. We still haven’t closed on the property, by the way. We found out the acreage was 105 instead of 120, and that since it was listed, the owner sold off part of it, so we dropped our offer. We’ll see. Mike has spent the whole day writing and editing. He’s working on some books for Sybex, and wants to get ahead of schedule before we fly to Albany on Friday.

More later….

Finalizing More Wedding Details

March 05, 1999 18:52

Still busy. Tuesday I went to pick up my dress from BridesMart. Yes! It’s already in! Can you believe it? I have a fitting scheduled Monday afternoon, which means sometime this weekend I’ll need to go pick out my.. um… accessories. You ladies know what I mean. You guys don’t need to. ;-)

Wednesday we went to the cake place, and chose our bride and groom’s cake. (UPDATE – This page is no longer available so the link has been removed.) They’re absolutely beautiful. We didn’t get a chance to do a tasting, though, because all of them had been made with liqueur. We might do a tasting when we get back, but basically we went with amaretto for the bridal cake and chocolate for the groom’s cake. Thursday we met with the photographer. His name is Ralph, and he’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Plus his house is decorated with wedding photos, so it makes me happy to just sit in his dining room and look around. :-) The BIGGEST news, though, is that I finally got the invitations out yesterday! woohooooo!!!! It was such a monkey on my back! And I didn’t even do the calligraphy! I still have some, though, so if you forgot to send me your address, it’s not too late.

Today we went to Ascot Tuxedos and placed our order for tuxes. We also had Mike fitted for a tux. He looks stunning! I can’t wait to see him all gussied up.

Visiting Mom

March 01, 1999 18:54

Yesterday we drove out to my mother’s house in Kemp, Texas. We took her the pattern for the bridesmaid dresses and visited for awhile. Then one of my bridesmaids (Julie) showed up, and my mom measured her for the dress. Then I got hungry, so we all went out for Chinese in Seven Points (actual name of city). We left, then came home, where we lounged around and tried to rest.

Today we worked in the morning, then drove out to the Arboretum to meet with Julie Hopkins, their wedding coordinator. We toured the grounds, took some pictures, then came home. Mike cooked a wonderful dinner for us — chicken apple curry sausages in a cornbread casserole with boiled ears of corn. For dessert we had a chocolate pie I had made right after we got home. God, aren’t we sickeningly domestic?

Dinner With Friends

February 27, 1999 16:53

Saturday evening, and our weekend has already been busy! Thursday night, we had dinner with Andy Baron, wife of Mary Chipman, one of Mike’s partners. They’re also two of his dearest friends. We had an absolutely WONDERFUL time… (at least it’s crispy!) Yesterday morning, we went to meet with Mickey’s florist in Lewisville. We ordered most of the florals we’ll need, but today remembered some we’d forgotten, so we’ll have to go back. Or at least call. Then we came back home and worked a bit longer. Last night we drove out to the Hall of State and met with the caterer. They were holding a party there, and it was a perfect opportunity to see their presentation and taste some food. Both were excellent, and we’re still working out a few pricing details before actually signing a contract.

Today, we drove out to Canton for First Monday. This is basically a huge flea market with everything in the world you could possibly be looking for. We went with the notion we’d get stuff for our place in Endicott, but all we ended up with was books. :) Then we went to Town East Mall to meet up with my niece, Candice, who is going to be our flower girl. We shopped almost the entire mall before we reached the bridal store. We found a dress for her that she absolutely loved, and we picked out a veil for me. Two more items checked off!!

Now we’re just trying to recuperate…. we’re both pretty pooped, and tomorrow we drive back out to Kemp to spend some time with my mom. Busy, busy, busy…

Vacation Photos

February 25, 1999 16:55

OK, it’s been a LONG time since I did a diary update, but there’s a very good reason… I’ve been doing TONS of photo resizing and uploading from our trips. For those of you who don’t already know, we went to Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, and La Ventana Arch. I didn’t put any comments on the Grand Canyon or La Ventana pictures, because really, what can you say? “This is another picture of the Grand Canyon… this is Mike standing in front of the Grand Canyon… this is the Arch… this is Max running toward the Arch…” I didn’t want to insult your intelligence. :-) But there is one thing I want to point out on the Arch pictures… Max is standing behind a root, in a picture with Mike… Max mistook it for a stick and was trying to dig it up to play fetch with it. LOL. Oh, and there are a few new pet pictures up, too.

The big news is that BridesMart called… MY DRESS IS IN!!!! Yayyyyy. We’re thinking of going to visit it.. kind of like it’s in the kennel or something. LOL. Also, we went last night and registered at J.C. Penney’s. They have an online registry, plus it’s nationwide, so we finally broke down and picked out china, flatware, and glassware. OK, time to upload this, so everyone can see what we’ve been up to!

Property Pics

February 17, 1999 18:18

Yes, I know, it’s been awhile. I was busy editing an Access 2000 book, and then we were on the road. Tonight, we’re parked at the Silverton resort in Las Vegas, happily hooked into water, electricity, and telephone. We hustled on our way to Las Vegas, because we were having our mail shunted over to us. Now we can make a more leisurely trek over to Dallas, and hopefully we’ll get to stop over at a few places, including the Grand Canyon, which I’ve never seen.

We spent Monday night at our (hopefully) soon-to-be home. It was wonderful. It rained overnight, and we got a chance to see what the roads would be like after a shower (not too bad, really). We walked with our realtor and saw the bounds of the property (it’s HUUUUUGE), then later that afternoon Mike took Max for a walk down to the Palouse River, which more-or-less borders our property. They flushed some pheasants and a couple of deer (apparently both are abundant in that area). For pictures, click here.

Along the drive, we read through the Territorial seed catalog and picked out which seeds we wanted to order for our new home. I would put up a list here, but I doubt anyone but us would really care. :) Basically EVERYTHING but tomatoes (our season is really too short for any kind of tomatoes). Hopefully lots of it will actually come up and I’ll be able to put my canning and preserving books to good use! Keep your fingers crossed!

Well, I guess I’ll sign off now and go get a shower, do some reading, and nod off. Take care!

Loan Approved, Readying for Farming

February 09, 1999 18:30

OK, I’m feeling much better now. I had the flu and was absolutely miserable for about a week, but now I’m much better. Mike has been taking excellent care of me, including making chicken and dumplings (comfort food… mmmm). Anyway, at this point I’m just down to a nagging cough and have pretty much abandoned the sick bed. So we’re just packing up the RV as we go along, getting ready to head back to Dallas for awhile this weekend.

Friday I tried to make jelly. It was an awful mess. And it didn’t jell. :-( I was trying to make 3-berry jelly (strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry). I did it exactly according to instructions, and now I just have this really expensive ice cream syrup. Oh, well. It was just my first attempt. I think next I’m going to attack blueberry jam. No straining!!!!! (Incidentally, I’ve grown to hate cheesecloth.)

Now the big news… our loan was approved on our property! This is the acreage in Spokane that I wrote about on January 27th. And an insurance policy is in the works, so we should be closing on it (God-willing) the first week in March. We’re both terribly excited and can’t wait to get on the land and start working on getting the buildings and the vegetable plot in order. We’ve got lots of big plans for what we want to accomplish; we’ll just have to see how much of it we can make happen. I’m still chugging along through my dowry books, (UPDATE – This page is no longer available so the link has been removed.) trying to absorb as much of the information as I can. I’ve almost finished a poultry-keeping book (should have that done by tonight) and then I think I’m going to tackle the outbuildings book. So many books, so little time!!!

Mike’s been tech-editing Auto-CAD books for Sybex for about a week or so now. He hooked me up with his contact there, and I think I might be about to work on something for them, too. Keep your fingers crossed! My lady-of-leisure status may be coming to an abrupt end! (God-forbid! ;-D )

Blah

February 06, 1999 18:33

I’m sick. I’ve been sick since Thursday. So no updates until I’m over this. :(

We're Married!

February 03, 1999 18:35

I have an announcement to make!!!! We’re married!!!!! <Major happy dance!!!> No, don’t worry, we’re not forgoing the big shindig I’ve been telling you about for over a month now. But we are Islamically married, which is just as married as the legal thing, at least in our book. :) And speaking of books, part of the requirement of an Islamic wedding is that the husband-to-be has to offer the bride a dowry. Traditionally, this has been something that will help sustain the wife in the unfortunate event that they are divorced (sniff, sniff). So Mike, love of my life, racked his brain for days, and finally came up with the PERFECT solution… books!!! Books about living in the country, to be exact. LOTS of books. To see the full listing, click here (this link no longer available).

Oh, yeah… and Mike’s been haggling with the caterers about our reception… more on that when it’s resolved, and I’m not so euphoric. :)

Back From Los Angeles

February 01, 1999 18:36

We got back from L.A. yesterday at about 7PM. MUCH more reasonable than our last trip! It was great fun. The first night we had dinner at the Engine Company No. 28 in downtown L.A. I had the herb-crusted chicken with mashed potatoes and asparagus, Mike had the shrimp risotto, Peter (our friend) had some kind of sandwich (club?), and Ken had some kind of salad and something else (I don’t remember what). After that, we drove to their house (gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous house!!) and made blueberry muffins, then went to bed. The next morning (very early; Ken had a flight to NY) we drove all around L.A. and Simi Valley until about 8:30’ish, at which point we called David (Mike’s brother). We went over to David’s house, bearing blueberry muffins, and picked him up to go to brunch, at the Beverly Hills Cafe.

After that, we drove down to the Farmer’s Market, after a nice driving tour of Beverly Hills (yes, I saw Rodeo Drive; I wasn’t impressed… you can get overpriced ANYWHERE). That was fun. We bought a little statuette of a beaver (I’m collecting them) and looked through all the antiques. Mike and Dave kicked themselves for giving back some kind of robot toys they had when they were kids, cuz now they’re worth several hundreds of dollars.

ON TO MOM AND DAD’S!!!! Had a BLAST there. We went to the Living Desert and looked at all the animules. We saw the cutest little baby foxes, but they wouldn’t let us have them. Something about laws or vicious bites or some such nonsense. Anyway, we did that, and we had lunch, and we went shopping at the mall in Palm Desert. Bought jeans, overalls, work shirts, socks, and jewelry cleaner. Oh, I forgot to mention…. Mom made the BEST blueberry pie I ever tasted. I’m still kicking myself for forgetting to get another piece yesterday morning. Oh, well…. maybe she’ll give me the recipe (hint, hint, hint). We watched a home movie of Mike, David, and their sister Nancy with Mom and Dad as the kids were growing up (you fell in the snow!!). That was alot of fun. And we looked at OODLES of pictures. Heard plenty of cute stories, including Michael’s first words. If you’re interested in that one, you’ll have to email me; I can’t publish it….. Flew back last night, and that’s pretty much all she wrote!

OK, so what’s going on with wedding planning? Not a whole lot, except we’re really narrowing the guest list down a bit. I’ve been bugging my Mom and Step-Mom about putting together their invite lists, so that I won’t forget anyone… you know how that puny brain stuff can get. More as it happens….

Property Shopping

January 27, 1999 15:54

We got back from Spokane at 1AM yesterday. We saw three properties, two in Republic, Washington and one in Endicott, Washington. The first one was forty acres of basically mountainous forestland, with a converted mobile home. The second one was twenty acres (with an option to buy twenty more) of very steeply-sloped grassland, with a house and a detached garage. The third was 120 acres of creekbottoms and grasslands with a house, a 2-car attached garage, a detached garage, root cellar, chicken coop, barn, stable, and corral. We made an offer on that one. Hopefully, we’ll hear from the seller by the end of today, and I’ll have more news to report. Incidentally, pictures of those first two properties should be posted soon. We didn’t take pictures of the third one, because it was dark by the time we got to Endicott.

Haven’t been doing much more wedding planning, because of the trip to Endicott and the fact that almost everything else we need to do needs to be done in Dallas. We should be going to Dallas sometime in mid-February. Tomorrow we leave for California. Boy, we’re just jetsetting all over the place, aren’t we? (pant, pant, pant)

I’ve been practicing the calligraphy. I decided the best thing to do was pick a font I liked, and just practice that one. I picked a pretty vanilla italic, and have learned to write all of the lower-case letters, although not all that well yet. I feel like a kindergartner, with my little pad of paper, learning my ABC’s all over again. :)

Dinner Party

January 22, 1999 15:56

Wow!! Has it been that long?? Well, let’s see.. we got the invitations in… they’re really cute… now Mike has decided he needs to create an Access database (Access is one of the programs he’s helped debug) to keep track of the guest list. And I went to Ben Franklin Crafts and bought myself a calligraphy pen and instructional book. I’m going to see how hard it would be to learn… if it’s not too painful, I’d like to hand-calligraph the envelopes. :) Luckily, we got all of the return addresses pre-printed. Again, if you think I might not have your snail mail address, please send it to me.

We had our first dinner party last night. Not counting Steve, we had 4 guests. I cooked enough food for an army, according to Mike… and we’re eating leftovers as we speak. :) The party was in celebration of the end of Ramadhan, so I made alot of Mid-Eastern food. “What is ‘alot’?” you ask? Well, we had Tabbooleh, Cumin Lentil Dip, Navy Bean Soup, Red Lentil Soup, Grilled Fish, Chicken Kabobs, Rice with Peas, Stir-Fried Potatoes, Lamb Stew with Onions, Garlic Green Beans, and Cumin Peppered Mushrooms, Kuwaiti Sponge Cake with Pomegranate Sauce, and Date Cake with Almonds. I didn’t get a chance to make the Herbed Spinach with Meat that I had planned. If you want the recipes for any of these things, just click here.

Other than that, it’s pretty much been same old, same old. We’re having our friends Di and Shel over tomorrow for leftovers. And TRUST ME… there’s plenty. Sunday we’re going to go to Spokane to look at properties for sale. The one we had wanted in Oregon didn’t pan out. :-( Then next Thursday we leave for another visit to California. Flying this time… no driving.

Well, I guess that’s all there is to report! If you have any suggestions for the site, please let me know!

End of Ramadhan

January 18, 1999 16:07

We made the movie, didn’t do dinner. Drove by McDonald’s instead (parking at the restaurant was atrocious; that’ll teach me to plan for Saturday night!). Steve’s party was a smashing success (yay Steve!) and there was almost no damage to property. :)

Yesterday I went shopping with Karen, of Mike and Karen, of Woodinville. I bought a wallet and a hair towel. I also bought some chocolate-covered almonds from The Sweet Factory. (Hey, I was fasting!! It was a moment of weakness!!)

Speaking of fasting, Eid Mubarak!!! For those of you who don’t know what I mean, Muslims (of which I am one) fast for one lunar month each year, from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from food, drink, smoking, sex, impure thoughts…. basically just about everything. And yesterday was the last day (woo-hoo new MOON!). So today marks the beginning of the three-day holiday that follows Ramadhan (the month of fasting).

OK, I HAVE to share this… I had the most bizarre dream last night. I dreamed Mike was marrying my sister instead of me. I was the wedding coordinator. Everything you could imagine going wrong in a wedding went wrong. First of all, my sister was getting married in my high school auditorium. She was wearing a dress that was a yellow can-can number on top, and a big pouffy tulle skirt. She had like 15 attendants, all of whom were wearing different-colored dresses. Mike had no groomsmen. Everyone came down separate aisles during the processional. One of the (there were four) photographers’ cameras got stuck, and the entire wedding party left the “altar” to go help him with it. And on top of it all, I was wearing an all-white gown, and could only find two mismatched scuffy black shoes to wear with it. It was just awful.

Speaking of wedding gowns, we just got a call from Bridesmart. They said they can’t do the extra length and sleeve length we requested on the gown. The extra length I’m pretty much stuck with. The extra sleeve length, they’re ordering more lace and are going to do an extension. Please GOD don’t let it be heinous!!!

Still no word from the Arboretum on sending us the approved caterers list. Mike was wondering if it would be rude to call her up again… “The rules are different in Texas” (???). I told him to go ahead and call… but I think he’s going to wait one more day.

Well, fair readers, I feel I have gobbled up enough of your time. Have a wonderful week.

Wedding Plan Progress

January 16, 1999 16:11

Making more progress. We booked the officiant, Rev. Dan Eakin. He’ll be performing a non-religious, “modern” ceremony. We still need to tweak it a bit… including writing our own vows. We checked our mail the other day, and the contract for the Arboretum was in it, so we sent that back out. They didn’t send us the approved caterer’s list, though, so we’re still on hold with that. :-(

I think I’m going to call my sister, Donna, and have her go by the florist I liked and see what she thinks. I’d like to be able to just go in there when we get back to Texas and pick out the bouquets, boutonnieres and a few arrangements for the reception. I like quick and easy plans. :) That only leaves the baker for the cake. And we already have one of those selected, we just need to do a tasting, and select a style. That will have to wait until we get back to Texas, too.

Tonight, we’re planning on going to see a movie (You’ve Got Mail) and out to dinner (where is as yet undetermined). Our friend Steve is having a little get-together tonight, watching the Tyson fight. Mike doesn’t really care for Steve’s big-screen all that much, so we’re going out instead (yeah, watch ME complain! ).

Photographer, Honeymoon, Invitations

January 13, 1999 16:36

We’ve been busy little beavers. Monday, we booked the photographer (Alpha Photography) and the Bed & Breakfast for the honeymoon (Tyee Lodge), as well as the flights for the honeymoon. That was a big check-things-off-your-to-do list day. :) Yesterday, we went to Bellevue Square Mall to the Paper Tree and picked out our invitations. Just as I’m typing this, they’ve sent us the proofs to look over (I’m only a little frightened at how quickly that happened…. ). Also, Mike talked to the bridal consultant today from the Dallas Arboretum, and she sent out the rental contract on the 8th, so it should be here any day now. The only really major details left now are the caterers and the florist, then getting to Dallas to meet with the baker we picked out and actually SELECTING a cake.

I spoke to my mother yesterday (I think it was yesterday) and she agreed to make the bridesmaid dresses, so that’s a BIG load off of my mind… when we get back to Dallas I was thinking of having a big fitting party at my mother’s house for the bridesmaids. I mean, who would turn down a chance to have a party, right? ;-)

Mike went in to work without me today, as I’m feeling a little poorly. As some of you may know, we’ve been fasting during the day. Well, I’m sad to report that Mike is handling it MUCH better than me. The queasy-stomach thing is catching up to me and I decided to take an easy-day today. Only about a week or so more to go, though. :)

Back in Seattle

January 10, 1999 16:39

It’s been too long, I know…. and so much has been going on, I’m not sure where to start. We made the drive from Dallas to Seattle without incident. OK, OK, so I got ONE speeding ticket, but that hardly even counts! If anyone is interested, I got it in El Paso, Texas, and was going 72 in a 60. Not dangerous, but admittedly illegal. I’ll probably do a defensive driving course to get it off of my record.

Monday night we reached Palm Desert, California and spent the night with Mike’s Mom & Dad. They’re the sweetest, nicest people you could ever meet. They were completely gracious when I came to visit. I even got a few lemons from the lemon tree in their yard. I think I’m going to make some lemonade from it tonight for dinner.

We brought the cats back with us… Pepper and Owen are fitting in just fine, and trying to get accustomed to Princess (alpha cat) and Max (the sheltie). Pics of them to come sooner or later. Basically everyone just kinda piles on top of the bed every night… which is kinda like being vacuum-packed on a nightly basis. I could think of worse fates. ;)

Since we’ve gotten back, we’ve basically just been trying to get unpacked, get laundry done, and get the RV all cleaned up and squared away… merging households is pretty tricky when one of those households has (very) limited space. But we’re getting it worked out…. incidentally, you’d be amazed how much weight a little plastic hook held up by adhesive tape can take!

Mike picked out a tuxedo style, and we think he has a vest color picked out, too. Also, the voting (what little of it is going on) for the bridesmaid dresses is 100% in favor of style C. So I’m going to look into options about having the dress made in the color I want… more on that as it develops.

Next step is to have invitations made. We’re consulting with some friends in the Seattle area to see where they got their invitations from. So they should go out the end of this month, or early February. If you think I might not have your mail address, please email it to me.

We went shooting today. Mike even bought me my own gun!!!! It’s a Sig Sauer P229 semi-automatic. I shot really well today, especially considering it’s only my third time ever shooting a handgun. I find that as long as I don’t hurry the shot, I get in the black. Mike says my stance is wrong, my grip is wrong, but he can’t argue with my shooting. :)

Then we went shoe shopping. Bought three pairs of shoes in 5 minutes. Mike says I’m not very good at being a girl, cuz I don’t take forever to do my shopping. :) Oh, well… just means I get to make more actual purchases, right? ;-)

OK, time to log off for now… more updates to come later!!

Wedding Gown

January 02, 1999 16:44

(whew) Just (whew) Today was MUCHO busy. :)

Decided to tackle the small errands first – pay rent, drop off a movie at Blockbuster, run by the post office and file change of address forms…

Then we went to BridesMart. You see… I had found this picture in a bridal magazine of a dress that I just fell in love with. Mike insisted that we find it (something about gleam in my eye, or blush on my cheek, or something equally sappy), and BridesMart is the only place that has it. So hi-ho, hi-ho, it was off to BridesMart we go… er…. went… er… something…. anyway, they had the right dress, wrong size, and somehow we managed to place an order for one my size over the ear-splitting sounds of my squeals of joy. :)

Then it was off to the Bridal Show. It’s HUGE. We walked around for a good 2 hours. Picked up I-don’t-know-how-many brochures and flyers and cards, and registered for a god-awful number of drawings and giveaways and other such nonsense… I think we pretty much settled on a caterer, a DJ, and a photographer. We still haven’t decided on a florist, though. But since it’s at the Arboretum, I’m not TOO worried about it. There should be PLENTY of flowers there. Besides, as Mike is fond of saying… “we still have 4 1/2 months”. EEK!!! ONLY 4 1/2 MONTHS!?!?

I better get busy!!! :) Just teasing… I’m really NOT all that panicky… yet.

We wanted to go to the Arboretum and take pictures, but it was windy and cold… and not just ANY windy and cold… flat-land TEXAS windy and cold. So we blew it off. We did get some pictures of the wedding dress, and some bridesmaid dresses we looked at.

Tomorrow we start our drive to Seattle, after passing through the L.A. area to visit Mike’s Mom & Dad (Hi, Mom and Dad!!! ). We pack up our two kitties (pics of them to come later, I hope) – Owen and Pepper – and head out across the wild blue over-there… err… thataway… err… what IS that expression??? ;)

Wedding Registry

January 01, 1999 16:46

I’ve spent the last 30 minutes cleaning up cat vomit and doing the dishes, so this update will actually be like a little mini-vacation.

We started out today thinking we were going to be trying on wedding dresses. We didn’t. For some reason, people seem to think the first day of EVERY new year should be like some kind of HOLIDAY or something. Fortunately, some retailers don’t share this philosophy, so the day wasn’t a complete loss. We dejectedly drove around until we found a Bed Bath & Beyond that was open. We registered there for wedding gifts (we’re jumping the gun a bit on that, but we had nothing else to do). That took a nice, big, two-hour chunk of the day. We made a couple of immediate purchases, including a vacuum cleaner, which Mike is busy putting together as I type.

After that was all done, we went and had lunch at Chili’s. Then we drove out to my dad’s house. To pick up, of all ungodly things, a jar of pickles. :) My dad had special-made them for us, and we wanted to make sure we had them before we had to leave Dallas again on the 3rd. After that, it was a couple of quick stops for gas and a movie, then home again, home again, jiggidy-jig.

All in all, a pretty uneventful day. But not to worry, fair readers, tomorrow promises to be MUCH much more fruitful. I might even have to wake up at a decent hour (translation – before noon).

New Blog, We're Engaged!

December 31, 1998 01:22

Well, we’re finally in process of putting up a website that will actually TELL you something about our plans. For those of you who don’t know, ffmike (Mike Gunderloy) and britneyj (Dana Jones) are engaged (blush-blush, smile-smile, and all that goopy stuff). We’re set to be married on May 23rd at 11AM at the Camp Estate in the Dallas Arboretum, amidst our friends and family (woohoooo). We just TODAY secured the site, so we’re pretty happy about that.

OK, I KNOW the look and feel of this page is horrid; please bear with us – we’re trying to fix it just as fast as we can (FrontPage, HERE WE COME!!!)

Stay tuned for more from…. as the calendar pages turn…. (ok, that was corny, but it’s late and it’s the best I could come up with on such short notice).

PS – Happy New Year’s an’ stuff. :)