Hmpff!

Max: "Thanks for the yummy dinner, Mom!"

Me: *gush* "You're welcome, Sweetie!!!"

Max: "I didn't really like it, but I knew I had to eat it..."

(for more great Max quotes, see Doug's blog.)

New Years 2000

Recently my nightstand was tossed by a five-year-old in search of mischief. In the process, he opened and emptied my scriptures and scripture bag. (Evidence also points to a two-year-old accomplice who fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.) This set was one of my High School graduation gifts from Faezer and has been accumulating notes, churchy hand-outs, and scraps of paper ever since June of 1996.

Among the pile of non-gospel related items were; a list of E-mail addresses, a shopping list, a list of party invitees (and if they were coming or not) and most interesting, my New Years Resolutions for 2000. I'd like to list a few of them as I believe they exhibit my extreme maturity at the young age of 21.

1. Eat dessert daily.
2. Date a lot.
3. 100% attendance @ school.
(I really wish I'd kept track of how long this one lasted)
4. Gain weight .
(This seems strange only because it's been edited by my husband. The actual resolution states the precise area of my body where I wanted to gain the weight...but doesn't specify how I might accomplish this goal.)
5. Don't get engaged.
(Prompted by the breaking of a previous engagement on Christmas Day 1999. I kept this resolution until exactly June 10th. Hey, half a year ain't bad!)
6. Date more/kiss less
(needs no explanation.)
7. Make bed daily.
(Crossed off...maybe just to be more realistic?)
8. Learn to play chess.
(Makes it on the list almost every year. I have been taught once or twice, but never remember the rules for more than 20 minutes.)
9. Kiss someone new every month.
(I guess I'd forgotten about Res. #6 by the time I got to this one.)

Now we switch over to my roommate, Michelle's (aka P.B.'s) handwriting and she notes some of her personal requests for my (hopeful) behavior modifications. (Do more dishes?!? Que va!)

At #14, I steal the pen back and take over again. I guess I was starting to feel a little shallow because I list a few serious things like "read scriptures," "learn French," and "get straight A's". I finally wrap-up with #24 "Make 20 new friends."

I'm not sure what this says about my character (though I have a clue) but I do think it's probably for the best that I was married by that August.

Pretty much every aspect of my life has changed since those long ago days (fortunately) but surprisingly, I still follow through with one of those worthy goals: "Eat dessert daily". The one area where I never fail to succeed!

And really...what's more important than that?!?

Everybody loves Earl (don't they?)

Earl’s mom drives up to their house with Randy and sees her husband (Earl's Dad) throwing gerbils out the second floor window:

“Oh dear...your father’s blood sugar must be low again…
CARL! EAT AN ORANGE! EAT AN ORANGE!!!”

"So Emily, How Are You Feeling?"

Answers: (pick one)

1st Trimester:

"Nauseated!"
"Tired. I'm going back to bed."
"Severely Depressed."
"Why can't everyone just go away and leave me alone!?!?!?!?!?"

2nd Trimester:

"Great!"
"SO MUCH BETTER!"
"Really, really hungry! Can I have some of what you're having?"
"Fabulous! Want to frolic through this flower field with me???"

3rd Trimester:

"Large and in charge!"
"Waddle-y"
"Cumbersome"
"Ungainly"
"Uncomfortable"
"Klutzy"
"Ready to pop"
"Pregnant!"
"Please quit asking and get me an epidural immediately."

And still 11 weeks to go...

Max quote: "Can't you just push the baby out WIGHT NOW?"

If only...

It's Sixes...

I was "tagged" by Fabulous Photographer Jen to do a post about 6 things that make me happy and 6 weird things about me. Well, there are lots of things that make me happy and far more than 6 weird things about me so I'll just type until my fingers blister...

Weirdness:

1. I have no lateral incisors. Those are the teeth on either side of your two front teeth. (Evidently, this isn't that weird according to Doug.) I was missing one permanent tooth and the Orthodontist yanked the other one and pushed everything together.


2. I HAVE to sleep with socks on and with two or more pillows or I can't fall asleep.

3. I never pierced my tongue (like Jen) but I did have three earrings in each ear until November 2000. I know. That isn't really weird, though I did want to pierce my eyebrow and/or get a tattoo in college and could just never afford it. I would have gotten a black sun on my lower back, in case you're wondering...(Good thing I didn't do it because Doug says he wouldn't have married me if I had a tattoo. And the eyebrow ring would have just been lame.)


3a. At my wedding dinner, my brother Brandon told my future in-laws that I had a tattoo.....on my bum. I'm pretty sure they still wonder about that...


4. I wore a black shirt almost every day of my Junior and Senior year of High School and I wasn't even Goth! (Though I did paint my nails black on occasion...and blue, green, white, red, purple...)


5. I MUST put my colorful-Ikea-kid-plates in rainbow order when I unload the dishes. If Doug unloads, I'll go back and re-stack them in the correct sequence. Same goes for the cups and bowls.


6. Now that I wear colors other than black, I put the clothes in my closet in rainbow order also. And they have to be on black plastic hangers.

6a. Despite my many obsessive organizing tendencies, I'm a very cluttery person.


7. My favorite color is black but I tell people it's green so they don't ask questions.


8. I deleted 8. It wasn't that weird.


9. I'd MUCH rather work in the yard pulling weeds than clean the house...


9a. although, I will clean the house willingly if I can listen to Erasure really loud or if I have a good book-on-C.D. to listen to.


10. When I realized Doug was stealing/usurping my black plastic hangers once, I beat him with one. Soundly. (His are dark green.) (He told me to add this one.)

11. My second toe is longer than my big toe on both feet. (That's not so much weird as gross.)


12. I started dying my hair at a very young age (13ish) and, therefore, don't really know what my natural color is. (I blame my mom for this because she described my hair color as either "dirty blond" or "dish-water blond" when I was little. I'm sure she'll deny it though...)


12a. I've never found a grey hair on my head, (even when the color starts to grow out) but a few days ago I found a pure white eye lash.


13. If given the opportunity (which I never am) I could sleep for 12 hours straight. Make that 14.

14. I'm the youngest of 5 kids and yet, amazingly, I'm not the least bit spoiled!

15. When I was 19, I had a nightmare about my nephew falling off a balcony. Ever since then I've been afraid of heights and it's gotten 1,000 times worse since having kids...and visiting the Empire State Building.


16. In Middle School my life goal was to have 10 kids AND run my own day care center. (HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!)

17. I can't let Doug end our phone conversations. If he tries to hang-up first I find something else to talk about for a minute and then I tell him I've got to go and hang-up.

18. I had a 76-year-old German roommate named Ursula when I lived at "The Old Mill" in college.

19. I would send a Christmas card to every person I've ever known if I had their address. (In the hopes of getting one back and hopefully seeing their picture. I'm insanely curious, nosey, and sentimental.)

20. Pondering or thinking too deeply about things of an infinite nature gives me an instant anxiety attack and has ever since I was about five-years-old and my sister Karie told me "space doesn't end" while we were sleeping outside on the trampoline.

I could go on, but I'm starting to frighten myself...


Happiness:


1. Having things in rainbow order.


2. My super comfy bed with its Space Foam mattress topper.


3. Sleeping in.


4. My boys sleeping in.


5. "Softer Than Air" socks from Costco


5a. Shopping at Costco


6. 80's Alternative Music


7. When my boys show their sweet side and/or play nicely together.

8. McDonald's Hot Fudge Sundae's. With or without nuts.

8a. When Doug buys me one spontaneously.


9. Eating really yummy food. Especially when someone else cooks it.


10. Travel.


11. Art.

12. Making pottery and/or taking art classes.


13. Surprise gifts.

14. Earning money.


15. Carlsbad, CA

15a. Living in, visiting, or day-dreaming about Carlsbad, CA.


16. The weather in Carlsbad and surrounding areas.


16a. Sunny and warm days with a cool breeze.


16b. Having a sun tan (it's been a few years.)


17. Sleeping-in while in Carlsbad, CA.


18. Doug (except when he makes me really really mad.)


19. Exploring the East Coast.

20. Watching my stomach undulate.

20a. No longer having morning sickness.

21. Uninterrupted reading time and a really great book.

22. Uninterrupted reading time with my husband and a really great book.

23. Clean, sweet-smelling little boys.

24. Chocolate 25. Did I mention sleeping?

26. People who make me laugh.


TAG! You're all "IT"

"Music and Lyrics"

Since yesterday was Valentines Day, (and let's face it, Valentines Day is mostly for chicks) I got to choose how we would celebrate. (Oh, and it's still my birthday month so I can still do whatever I want...sorta.)

I decided to use my limited power to see a chick flick in the theater. Now, generally, this is the type of movie Doug will watch with me once it comes out on video...and once we've seen all the other big blockbusters that came out around the same time.

When and if we do go to the theater, which is rarely, it's to see something a little more action oriented. (The last one I remember seeing with Doug: Mr. and Mrs. Smith.)

So last night, my personal Cupid gallantly and without complaint, accompanied me to see Music and Lyrics with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. (Despite the fact that he can't stand Ms. B-more.) He even pre-bought the tickets on-line and arranged for the babysitter so I didn't have to do a thing.

Now, before I read any reviews or hear the opinions of any of my smart friends, I'd just like to say that WE LOVED THE MOVIE!!! That's right, BOTH of us. Now, if I had to pick it apart academically, I could find plenty of flaws.

But I DON'T WANNA!

All I'm gonna say is, it had fabulous 80's elements, lot's of humor, and it was CLEAN! I didn't have to cringe through a s.e.x scene and there were no gratuitous F-words thrown in for shock value. Although I don't have the same emotional attachment to Hugh as I do to John Cusack, he's second on my list of favorite male actors. After all, he has an English accent, he's a great actor and he was AWESOME in this part.

In conclusion, I give the movie, and Valentines Day, two thumbs up!!!

I HEART FEBRUARY!!!

*P.S. Thanks for the awesome Valentine, Felix. I LUFF it!

Six Months Down, 55 Pounds To Go...

Dear Blog,
I am now 6 months into my third pregnancy and growing rapidly. The first few months of nausea and vomiting --which kept my weight gain minimal-- are now being generously off-set by a recent accelerated, but not unfamiliar, craving. The craving now threatening to take over every moment of my free time and cause a 75 pound total pregnancy weight gain is for....
sugar.

Now, sugar and I have always had a bit of a love/hate relationship. (Cue song: "I Love to Hate You" by Erasure.) As a hypoglycemic, any sugar over-dose I may indulge in generally ends in pain and suffering. Or more specifically, extreme lethargy and crankiness which is mostly painful to those around me. Of course, if my sugar indulgence happens to coincide with an empty stomach, vomiting and coma are the likely and usual results.

So imagine my glee when during my first four months of this pregnancy, the very thought of ice cream made me sick and all I wanted (if I wanted anything at all) were large chunks of red meat followed by any artery-clogging, heart attack-inducing side dish. (Read: French Fries)

Lucky me! This meant my baby was getting plenty of protein (and sodium and fat, but whatever...) and I didn't have to feel guilty for eating more servings of dessert than of vegetables on a daily basis!

Alas, all that has changed and my longing for the sweet stuff has taken over both mind and body. Currently, sugar in almost any form will do. If my body tells me to eat a spoonful (or three) of brown sugar, I just do it. Obviously, if I'm craving it, it's because the baby needs it! (Why else would I have ever craved tuna fish or egg salad?)

Unfortunately, more and more often lately, Baby and body have become more demanding. Although a handful of chocolate chips or large chunk of frozen cookie dough can partially satisfy, often I find a desperate need for something more. Something, in fact, homemade and baked.

It seems in the last week or two, not a day goes by when I don't have the desire to bake some divine dessert. Usually, the only thing that can stop me is still having left-overs from the last bake fest or lack of a key ingredient. This is why in the last few days I've consumed approximately 10 sugar cookies (all yesterday morning at a birthday party) half of a Chocolate Mousse Cake and at least 38 Lemon Bars. It's also why, now that I've polished off the last of the Lemon Bars, I'll be making Tollhouse Cookie Bars this afternoon. (I'm only writing to you, Dear Blog, because the butter needs to soften.)

Don't pity me. Although I'm sacrificing my health and sweet temper, it's all for the greater good: I'm keeping Baby #3 happy and satisfied. If you'd like to show your support, please join me as I gorge myself into yet another coma. Here's a little help to get you started:

Best Lemon Bars Ever

Crust:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour

Filling:
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
5 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Crust: Beat butter, powdered sugar, and 2 cups flour together until smooth. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan; bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Filling: Beat together the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice, 5 Tbsp. flour, and baking powder until well blended; the mixture will be thin. Pour over the top of the baked crust, and continue baking at 350 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cool, and cut into bars.

I'll let you know how the Tollhouse Cookie Bars turn out! Happy eating!

Birthday Do's and Dont's

DO stay up late on your birthday-eve reading Newsweek. You'll regret it in the morning but the quiet, uninterrupted reading time is worth it.

DON'T let your 5-year-old get sick causing lots of extra laundry

DON'T schedule your kids check-ups for your birthday especially when they both need SHOTS

DO take yourself to Denny's for a French Toast brunch (after Doctor's appointments) and let your kids both order their own meal from the kids menu. (No forced sharing means no fighting.)

DO order hot chocolate (instead of water) because, doggone it, you're worth it!

DO keep your bowel-control-challenged 5-year-old home from school and force both boys to take naps.

DO turn off the ringer on the phone so YOU can take a nap.

DO order Chinese for dinner so neither you nor your husband has to cook.

DO NOT order Chinese from a new place in a different town without telling your husband who drives to the old one first.

DO eat as many servings of dessert as you want and blame it on the baby.

ENJOY!!!

Why Do I Love February?

Because it's my BIRTHDAY MONTH!!! And when it's my birthday month, I might get unexpected GIFTS!

Like yesterday for example! I came home from picking up Max at preschool to find an Amazon box on the porch. Max took it inside and excitedly asked who it was for.

Knowing I hadn't ordered anything I said, "Probably Daddy..." and started to put it aside. But it IS my birthday month so I took a peek and saw MY name!

"Hmm." I thought, "Maybe Doug bought something but used my account so it came to me. I probably shouldn't open it.

Then again, it has my name on it...what if it really is for me from someone else?

But then, what if it's from Doug and it's for my birthday and it's supposed to be a surprise and it's not supposed to have come with my name on it???

Well, I guess that's not my problem because it DOES have my name on it!

That's it...I'm opening it! If it's supposed to be a surprise, too bad!!!"

(During your birthday month you are entitled, nay, EXPECTED to be a Birthday Brat!)

So, with Max looking on, I opened it to find a beautiful children's book. "Classic Fairy Tales" Illustrated by Scott Gustafson. The Amazon invoice had a note from one of my best friends* and bridesmaids saying it was an illustrator she loved and thought I would love too. (She obviously knows me well and knows I'm OBSESSED with children's books.)

She was right. The illustrations are awesome!!! It is beautiful. And it really was a birthday present for me and I really was justified in opening it!!!

When Doug came home we both perused it together and even looked up the artist on-line to learn more about him. I'm holding it even as I type. (I may or may not allow my children to touch it with their grubby mitts in the future, but not just yet.)

Awesome friends...another reason I LOVE FEBRUARY!!!

*This same friend (along with two others) made the week of my 17th birthday one of the best I've ever had. They went above and beyond the call of duty by kidnapping me (complete with face masks for them and a blindfold for me) to take me out to eat, decorating my house when I was gone one day, and showering me with gifts. This was when I had only lived in California for two months and was still desperately missing my life and friends in SLC, UT.

You rock Wahine! I Love you!!!

I Can't Help It If I'm Smarter Than You!

And by "You" of course, I mean Doug!

I know, I know what you're thinking! "Hey Emily, did you even go to college?" YES I occasionally went to college! And just because I only have a 2-year degree to show for almost 4 years of school, doesn't mean I'm a dolt! (Though it may mean I'm lazy, unambitious, more interested in parties than homework, and math inept.)

[I think Charles De Mar said it best to Lane Meyer (John Cusack *sigh*) in Better Off Dead: "Lane, I've been going to this high school for seven and a half years. I'm no dummy!"] "But Emily," you're bound to say..."doesn't Doug have a Bachelor Degree, Masters Degree, and Doctorate Degree???"

"PISH POSH!" is what I say to you (with contempt) and most of all to HIM! I'm still the smart one in this relationship, and I will now proceed to prove it with the following REAL LIFE example:

Lately, the tub/shower in the upstairs bathroom has been acting up. When I try to fill the tub for the boys, I cannot get the water to stay warm. It starts out hot, then quickly gets tepid. So I turn the nob higher and it gets warm for another minute then cools off again. I've learned several tricks to combat this. Turning it off and back on again twelve times will sometimes give me twelve bursts of hot water. Sometimes just immediately turning it as high as it will go will give me half a tub of barely bearable warm water.

The strange thing, though, is that this temperature fickleness doesn't effect the shower. If you turn on the water, and immediately switch over to shower, the water gets warm and stays warm. (At least for awhile and then it may or may not freeze or scald you.) The other thing is, I checked the sink. Endless hot water comes gushing out of it even as the tub is struggling to stay above frigid.

These observations led me to conclude that hot water is indeed making it into the upstairs bathroom and the problem is with the tub alone.

Which brings me back to my geniusness. (Geniuses can make up words if they want.) When this started happening I noticed something printed in very small blue letters behind the water handle. "Symmons Temptrol". "Hmm...Temptrol. Sounds like 'Temperature Control.' Maybe," I thought to my brilliant self, "there is some built in mechanism that prevents the tub water from getting too hot...so as not to scald innocent little children or stupid people. And maybe that mechanism has malfunctioned and needs to be replaced."

At first I kept this theory to myself but as the problem became worse and worse, I decided to voice my suspicions to Doug.
"Hey Sugar Lips," I said sweetly, "I noticed on our bath handle thingy (geniuses can still say "thingy") that it says 'Temptrol'"...then followed this with my theory.

He listened, then proceeded to get this look on his face:
One eye scrunched into a squint while mouth on same side twisted into a half exasperated/half incredulous sneer. This is the look that means, "Um, remember how I'm a science geek and a man, and you, to put it mildly, are not!?!"

What he said was something like this: "Yeah, I don't think that's the problem. It's probably the water heater." (You may recall I had previously ruled this out as extremely improbable.)

Anyway, I let it go for a few days. Then, after yet another too-cold bath for the boys, I decided to check my theory on-line and googled "Symmons Temptrol".

I could go into great detail about how satisfying it was to find all the different conversation threads and posts from frustrated bathers to plumbers with my EXACT same problem who were told EXACTLY what I told my sweet and adorable husband...but I'll spare you.

Suffice it to say, as Maxwell so aptly put it a few weeks ago,
"Daddy, you're the biggest and Mommy is the smartest."

I think that sums it up brilliantly!

POST SCRIPT: I e-mailed my brother telling him to read my blog. After all, he's the one who first rented "Better Off Dead" in 1985 so I thought he'd appreciate this post. This was his e-mailed reply:


"SO did you fix your D@##* faucett or not!?!??!!

Crap, If I'm gonna blow 10 minutes of my day sifting through your verbal diarrhea for nasty little nuggets of wisdom or lugubrious lumps of humor, I should at least be able to know what the h#!! happened at the end of the story!

Ok, great, you feel smart. Super. DOES THE FAUCETT WORK!!!!??!??!??!?!?!?!?"
-Brandon

Oh well...you win some, you lose some. So for all you men out there who missed the entire point of this post and just want to know what happened, the answer is NO! It hasn't been fixed yet. The dang thing needs to be replaced! It's the MECHANISM!!! Sheesh! Ya happy now???

*This blog does not condone swearing unless I'm the one doing it.

Great Quotes

Me: "Max, are you excited about the new baby?"

Max: "Yeah, I wish it was a gwoahl (girl) though! We have too many boys alweady!!!"
---
Doug: (while wrapping presents with Max)
"What is ribbon, anyway? It's just glorified floss!"
---
Me: "Bella, you need to teach Max how to "play dolls" because he doesn't really know how..."

Bella: (age 6) "It's not about violence, Max!"
---

A Wicked Good Time

Last Saturday Doug and I actually went on a date!!! This is something we did weekly in San Francisco where babysitters were plentiful and usually lived within rock-throwing distance. Since moving here, however, we've only had a few actual dates without small boys in tow.

So it was very exciting to leave the boys with a sitter (Maxwell's primary teacher) and drive off without a care! (Or any demanding/whiny/tyrannical back seat passengers.)

Our first stop was "The Remington House Inn", a scrumptious restaurant located in a beautiful 200-year-old home. It had fabulous ambiance, (lots of fireplaces!) delicious food, (I got a gigantic steak) and very reasonable prices! Yum!
Next we drove "downtown" to the Providence Performing Arts Center where we had tickets to see "Wicked".
All I can say is, IT.WAS.AWESOME!!! The theater was awesome, the costumes were awesome, and the singing was stupendously awesome. Some might even go so far as to say "wicked awesome"! Even though we had to brave arctic conditions to get to and from the theater, it was well worth it. When we arrived home, it was to find the boys sleeping peacefully in a freshly cleaned house. The babysitter had loaded the dishes, straightened up, and vacuumed! Woah! Talk about the perfect end to a perfect date!
We're going to have to do this "date night" thing a little more often!!!

Resolution Revolution

Sammers is on his way to completing BOTH of his New Year's Resolutions! (Talk about on the ball!!! It's still January)

Today he went POO POO* on the potty TWO TIMES!!! The second time he actually told me he had to go. (He usually tells me when he's finished and wants a clean diaper.) WAHOO!!!! (It could be that he gets a new Thomas train if he goes, but whatever...)

Not only that, Sam is completely BeeBee FREE! We took away his binky a week or so ago and he hasn't had it since. There have been a few rough nights, but he's adjusting quite well. Let's hope we can cement both of these wonderful behaviors well enough so that he doesn't revert the moment baby three is born.

Sam isn't the only one working hard on self improvement: Max has made his bed every single morning so far this month and even reminds me if I forget. (Which is daily.) Not on his list, but equally important, he has mastered the pronunciation of YELLOW (used to be lellow), and has learned to WINK!!!

Baby's resolution is to get a name. I've been considering Gabriel lately. Doesn't it sorta go with Maxwell and Samuel? And isn't "Gabe" cute?

The only problem is, I know a Gabe. He's an old friend and a great guy, but I don't really want to name a kid after him. (No offense, Gabe, but I can't be showing favoritism among "the boys".) So...Comments? Feelings? Sugesstions?

All name input would be extremely welcome and helpful as we've been a bit stumped with this little guy.

As for me, I rode the stationary bike the other night while watching "Criminal Minds". That means I've accomplished my resolution to "exercise more" and can be guilt free for the next 11.5 months. Good to have that out of the way.

I'm going to go eat a stick of butter now! Good night!


*Yes. I like to use representative colors on this blog. Hence, the use of brown.

He Said, She Said

What I said:
"Hey Doug! I bought a new calendar today...it’s a Mary Engelbreit one. Not because I’m all that in love with Mary, it just reminds me of my mom 'cause she loves ME."

What he heard:
(To the tune of the "Meow Mix" theme song.)
"Meow, meow, meow, meow,
meow, meow, meow, meow,
meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow..."


What he said later:
"What's this? You bought a Mary Engelbreit calendar? Are you turning into your Mother???"

*************************************

What I said:
"So while I was at the mall today I bought the boys some new shoes. Stride Rite was having a clearance. They’re really expensive shoes, but I got them cheap. They even gave me an extra $5 off because one of Sammy’s shoes doesn’t light up!"

What he heard:
"I bought new shoes…really expensive. Blah blah."

What he said later:
"Hey! One of Sammy’s shoes doesn’t light up!!!"

***************************************

What I said:
"Did you hear they’re coming out with a new i-Pod phone?"

What he heard:
(In Charlie Brown's parent's voice)
"Waht waht wa wah wah wah."


What he said later:
"Hey Em! Come see this! They have a new i-Pod phone!!!"

*************************************

Items of Note to an 80's Accompaniment

Recent Items of Note

from the Life of ME

(and the Men in my Life)

Last week Max missed two days of school due to a Meningitis/Encephalitis threat that shut down three Rhode Island school districts. One child died and at least two others were treated. Yikes!!!

The temperature here in Rhode Island has been breaking records. It has been so warm that the tulips we planted in the yard are actually starting to come up already. I don't think this is a good thing for the tulips, but I'm okay with the warmth! Max has stopped asking when it will snow.

As of tomorrow, I will be 23 weeks into my pregnancy. Last week, Baby got eyebrows. This week, his finger nails will be almost fully formed. Oh yeah...and he's forming his first poop. How's that for great news?

(This is not my kid. But it is an example of a 23 week old fetus.)

The ban on T.V. has been lifted, but after discovering we actually CAN survive without six hours of cartoons, I've cut viewing time way back. Max can watch all he wants until 8 a.m. After that, I force myself to get out of bed. If he is still in need of media stimulation, I will happily turn on my i-Pod to the 80's mix I recently made. (Which, by the way, is TOTALLY AWESOME!!! It's on right now as a matter of fact playing New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" What a rad way to start the day!!!)

Two "Family Night's" ago we made New Year's Resolutions as a family. They are as follows;

Me: "Exercise more." This shouldn't be too hard since more than zero isn't that much.

Max: "Be nice to Mommy and make my bed everyday." He's doing a great job with the bed!!! (and, I must admit, most of the time with being nice to me!:)

Sam: "Lose the binky and get potty trained." My words. Not his.
Since he didn't actually agree to these goals, we're having a bit of trouble getting full cooperation. Last night Daddy got him to fall asleep without his BeeBee but this morning when he woke up crying around 6, we caved and gave it to him. As for the potty training, well...we've got the rest of the year, right?!?

{"Who Can It Be Now" by Men at Work just ended and we're on to "Dead Man's Party" by Boingo.}

Last night I pulled off a culinary feat. I made dinner AND dessert!!! At the SAME TIME!!! The SAME DAY!!! WITHOUT a six hour break in between!

In case you're curious, I made super yummy Sweet and Sour Chicken (a recipe I got from Kris Dub) and rice. For dessert, I tried a new recipe from my sister Jenny. "Sumptuous Soft Center Chocolate Cakes". (and were they ever...!) Yes, it was a cooking triumph for a girl who likes to focus solely on one-course meals. (And you're lucky if you get a drink with that.)

By the time Doug and I sat down to eat, (the boys had to be fed earlier to prevent crankiness) my back and feet were killing me and my blood sugar had long since crashed and burned. Fortunately, the dinner was so yummy it was all worth it and the best news is, there are leftovers for lunch today!!!

{"It Must Be Love" by Madness is on now. One of my single greatest regrets in life is the time I had tickets to a Madness concert in San Diego but didn't feel well so I stayed home and slept through it. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!!!! (I'm STILL sooooo sorry Heath and Ang!!!)

(I could have added another black t-shirt to my concert collection!!!)

"She Loves Me" from the Some Kind of Wonderful sound track --- TAKE AWAY THE PAIN!!!}

Moving on...

Actually, that's about it.

Nothing else to report.

So, until next time, I'll just leave you with this:

"It's gonna take a lot to drag me awaaaay from youuuuuuu...
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever dooooooo...
I bless the rains down in Aaaaaaaff-ricaaaaaa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never haaaa ah ah ah ah ah ad...!"

Sing with me! "Dora, Dora, Dora the Explorerrrrrr...!"

Yesterday the boys knocked the DVD/VCR from the top of the T.V. to the floor far below. (which required no small amount of climbing and furniture scaling.) They both looked extremely guilty when I walked into the room (I was upstairs valiantly doing dishes) so I'm not sure who was responsible.

This led me to inflict swift and immediate punishment. I unplugged the T.V. and revoked all viewing privileges for an indeterminate amount of time. (Who am I kidding...this mostly punishes me!)

Regardless, this morning I was determined to follow through with my punishment for at least one day so the T.V. remained unplugged, and Nick Jr. was not to be heard or seen anywhere in the house.

This is how it came to be that Max was sitting next to me on the upstairs chair-and-a-half when I opened up the lap-top this morning.

"Whattadya doing Mommers? Gonna make some blogs?"
"I'm going to check my e-mail and look at some blogs. See, first I have to open up Internet Explorer..."
"Explorer!!! Like DORA! COOL!!!"
"Then I look at my Google homepage..."
"GOOGLE!?!" *giggles*
"and see if I have any e-mails or letters to read."
"Letters like on BLUE'S CLUES!?!" *more laughing*

At this point, he got bored and ran off to roar loudly at Sam.

Moral: You can take the kid out of the T.V. room, but you can't take the T.V. out of the kid.

Later: "Mom: Get off the computer and get in the shower then get your clothes on!!!"
Sheesh! What a tyrant! See what I have to put up with?

I'm going to go get in the shower now.

New Stuff

I just got all set up with the new blogger template and posted links to all of the blogs of all of my friends and family. IF you do not want your blog link here, let me know and I'll take it off. (Like, for example, if you're really ashamed of yourself because you only update every nine months or so...?!?)

When I have another seven hours to kill, I'm going to make a list of all the blog's I stalk without actually having met the person. :) If you want to be stalked, by all means let me know and I'll put you on the next list!

Right now though, I think I should check on my sons who have been watching cartoons unsupervised for far too long. (If I'm not careful, Max turns on Cartoon Network and is therefore exposed to all of that horrible animated illustration!!! Doesn't anyone go to art school anymore?)


Happy New Year!

Year in Review

(I switch between first and third person narrative throughout this post. Deal with it.)

***

January: As 2006 begins, we realize it's only a matter of time before we have to leave San Francisco. We start frantically photographing all of our favorite spots in earnest.

Positively Haight StreetThree pretty "Painted Ladies"

February: Emily turns 28 while Doug is interviewing in Rhode Island. We learn we'll be moving to Rhode Island. Emily has to look at a map to find Rhode Island...then starts house hunting on-line.

March: We visit Carlsbad, (near San Diego) while the Flower Fields are in bloom. This further cements our desire to be living here as soon as possible. (2011)

April: Doug has a three-week externship somewhere in the boonies and takes the opportunity to grow as much of a beard as it's possible for him to grow. (Which isn't much.) I stare at it in amazment then tell him to shave.I take the boys to Utah while he's gone and get to see my very good friend and ex-roommate Anna; who, because she worked at "The Rock Garden" in Provo and snuck me in free one night, is responsible for me meeting Doug exactly 6 years previously. (Did I mention I'm responsible for her meeting her husband? Did I mention she's a much better Rock Climber???)

May: Emily travels to Rhode Island to house hunt.

While she's away, Doug buys his own house. A bounce house.

Emily is still in shock at his impulse-buy 7+ months later.

Also, UCSF Dental/Medical School Friends start gathering more frequently for photo's, play dates, and parties...

in anticipation of being scattered across the country upon graduation.

Doug takes, and passes, the Dental Boards using his wife as a patient/guinea pig. We're still working on rebuilding a relationship of trust.

June: Quite the month.

Banquet's and parties abound leading up to graduation.

Gin, Me, Kim, Em

(don't we clean up nice?)

Lee, Brett and Doug on graduation day.
(Where's Nate?)

Max saying goodbye to two of his best girl friends, Ani and Abby.Goodbye San Francisco!

Goodbye familiarity and everything we know and love!

Here we come RHODE ISLAND!!!

July: We get settled in and try to adjust to 80%+ humidity.
The whole family spends a week in New York while Doug completes orientation.

Samuel turns TWO and stays perfectly sweet, well-mannered, and obedient

for another 6.4 minutes.

August: San Francisco friends (now living in Michigan) visit and help us celebrate our 6 year wedding anniversary.
Molly, Kim, Brett and Kody in front of our Newport house.




My anniversary present: A Trampoline!!!

September: Grandpa "Dub" visits and we explore Boston and Cape Cod with him. Of course, some of the most beautiful scenery is right outside our front door.

(See below.)

A wedding of friends takes us to Canandaigua, Palmyra, and Niagara, NY.

October: Doug turns 29 which is REALLY old. Fae (my most gracious and revered mother) visits and we tour New Hampshire and Newport, RI.

November: A visit to Plymouth, Massachusetts and our first Thanksgiving without parental supervision. (Or cooking assistance.)


December: Max turns FIVE and now thinks he's allowed to do whatever he wants. We take another trip to New York to see it in all its Christmas splendor.

The best part of the year: We get to see Baby Boy #3 for the first time!
If you made it to the end of this post, you really like us. Thanks! (Or maybe you were just bored...?)

It's been a bloody long year, this has been a bloody long post, and I need a nap.

See you next year!!!

Glad Tidings!

Merry Christmas! This was our second year away from family and friends (...present RI friends excluded) but we had a great holiday anyway! On Christmas Eve we went to the home of some VERY generous friends who hosted a fabulous party for us and a few other families. We had many scrumptious breakfast foods (for dinner), played a fun present game, and watched all the kids reenact the nativity.

Max the Bandit? Nope. He's a Shepard!

After overstaying our welcome by at least an hour*, we headed home to open Christmas Eve presents. We all got new Christmas Jammies, but in addition, the boys also got new Slippers and new Silky Christmas Pillowcases from Grandma Fae.

Sam gave his new "Cars" pajamas a big hug. Then he immediately wanted to try out his new pillowcase so he layed down and started snoring.

Once pajamas were on boys and pillowcases were on pillows, it was time for bed. Doug convinced the boys that since it was Christmas Eve, they had to sleep in the same bed. (His siblings all used to sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve...which our boys already do...so he squished them into the top bunk.)

Christmas Morning was FABULOUS and the boys loved all their presents, but especially the one's SANTA left! We even experienced our very own CHRISTMAS MIRACLE when the boys slept in until 8 a.m.!

Max was dismayed to find it STILL hadn't snowed by Christmas morning, but he likes his sled anyway. His other Santa toy was this Marble Game.

Sammers is a bit obsessed with THOMAS so he was thrilled with his new Train Table!

I hope your Christmas was as MERRY as ours. Max is already talking about next year. Yikes.

(*In our defense, there was still a lot of food left. I was just trying to help out by eating it.)