Penguins

Anyone out there remember Billy Madison? It came out in 1995 but I don't remember seeing it until the summer of 1996. Now, even fans of movies that are admittedly "Dumb Funny" will probably admit that this movie falls more into the "Dumb" category. (You can see what's running through Adam/Billy's mind in the above picture: "Doi duh doi doi doi...") I only vaguely remember certain scenes, ("Nooo...condeetionah is bettah...eet makes the

haiah soft and seelky!") and those not very clearly.

But I do remember there was a very random, very large PENGUIN. Adam Sandler is evidently very drunk and hallucinates about a penguin while laying by the swimming pool. (I think.)

Anyway, the other night I walked around the corner and saw this out of my peripheral vision:

I let out a loud "AHHHHHH!!!"
Can you blame me for being slightly alarmed? I mean, how do I know pregnancy doesn't induce penguin hallucinations? Last I saw this gargantuan art project it was hanging discreetly on the side of the fridge...nowhere near Max's door. (Which doubles as an ever changing art exhibit.)

The lesson here is, if you're going to have giant penguins in the house, warn your wife before changing their location. Give a pregnant girl a break once in awhile!!! (We have weak bladders!)

Sweet Samuel

This evening after Easter Dinner, I snuck out and made a quick trip to the hospital to see my friend Diane who just had her baby*. When I got home, the boys were in bed but Sammers, who took a late nap, was still awake. He must have heard me talking to Doug because he started yelling for me.

Sam: MOOOOMMY!!!
(I walk in the room)

Sam: Dat you Mommy?
--Yeah
Sam: Whewe’d you go?
--I went to see Diane at the hospital.
Sam: NOOOO!
--I’m home now. I’m all done!
(I lay down on the bottom bunk next to him)

Sam: Dat you Mommy?
--Yeah

Sam: You wub my tummy?
--You want me to rub your tummy?
Sam: Yeah.
--Okay!

*"J.J." arrived yesterday weighing 10+ pounds and is adorable with silky black hair and chubby cheeks. Congrats Diane and Steve!!!

Florida Thursday through Sunday

Since writing my last post, the weather has taken a decidedly unSpring-like turn. It's been gray and cloudy and chilly and rainy. This has basically made me lose my desire to accomplish anything, let alone come up with a new blog post. But in an effort to pull myself out of my crappy-weather-induced slump, I've decided not only to post, but to finish posting about my vacation. I figure I need a little reminder of sunshine and blue skies right about now. (And white sand beaches, for that matter.) So, here it is: The rest of our trip. As you can see, we spent a lot of time at Destin Beach. And why not? It was astoundingly beautiful! It was hard for me to believe, even while digging my swollen little toes into the sand, that I was in Florida and not in some far off exotic local. Not only was the sand white, it was incredibly soft and fine. Imagine really fine sugar. Same color, same texture. The boys played for hours and would have slept at the beach if we'd have let them. Max and Beach Dad even made a sand Alligator!The time inbetween trips to the beach was spent in full armor. For Max, Sam and Curtis, at least. Curtis has an awesome weapon collection and Maxwell was in heaven. Since Max got to sleep in the toy room, he was in full armor each morning to greet us. They played Knight-in-Shining-Armor and Pirate alternately. Much emphasis was placed on costume and fancy footwork. Like I said: Heaven! On Saturday we did a few different fun things since Joe wasn't at work and could come with us. First stop was the Eglin Airforce Base Airplane Museum. The bomb below is called "The FAE bomb". Since my mom's name is Fae, and she is most definitely "the Bomb" I thought this was extremely cool.
After the museum, it was time for a special lunch at "Fudpuckers". (Try saying that ten times fast. But not in front of your kids.) The extremely cool thing about Fudpuckers is, surprisingly, not that the name can make you swear, it is that they have a whole pond full of alligators right on sight. You can even attempt to feed the alligators if you spend $3 on a little bag of wannabe meat (the color and texture of a Pink Pearl eraser). You won't have any success, (what sane alligator wants to eat an eraser?) but you may have fun trying to bonk them on the head with the bait. Lunch was great despite our inability to induce a feeding frenzy.
Who knew even MORE fun was to be had in the parking lot!?! As you may recall from this post, Max has three goals in life. Or rather, one goal to acquire three different things. They are all vehicles and he's saving change and birthday dollars in his Pooh-Bear bank for them. They are: A motorcycle, a convertible, and a stretch limousine. (Pronounced "stwehch li-ni-ma-za-neen") Anyway, parked next to us when we were headed to the car was a man just about to leave on his motorcycle. Max walked right up to him and matter-of-factly said "I want a motocycle when I get big!" The driver was evidently impressed and asked if he'd like to climb up for a minute. Max did, and then proceeded to rev the engine very loudly and frighteningly. (Frightening to a reformed-speeder mother with a little boy who really wants a motorcycle when he grows up.) Very nice guy. Very cool for Max.

Of course, our next stop was the beach to play for the last time.

BUT, not the beach you see below. Now we're on to Sunday. Sunday, of course, we went to church. After church we needed something reverent and solemn to do. So we went to another beach. Okay, not really, we actually took a drive to Seaside. This is the extremely perfect town where "The Truman Show" (with Jim Carrey) was filmed.

We walked around a little, but this is as far onto the beach as the boys got before being reined back onto the more righteous sidewalk. It is a BEAUTIFUL and quaint little town and it was really fun to check it out. My only regret was that we couldn't buy ice cream.
Monday morning, we reluctantly started our trek back to Orlando and from there, to Providence. All in all, it was a perfect, PERFECT trip. Thanks to my dad for helping with the first two nights, and then mostly to Angelique and her wonderful husband for pampering us the rest of the trip. It was hard to come home. And we still miss it.

I'm not sure all this reminiscing has improved my mood. Now I have to get back to reality (my unattended children upstairs) and the cold weather.

Thank goodness for vacations!!!!

April Showers...

Yesterday felt to me like the real first day of Spring. I know, I know...it was supposed to be last week sometime but we've had a snow storm since then so obviously Mother Nature doesn't consult her calendar enough.

But YESTERDAY...yesterday made up for a multitude of horrendously cold Rhode Island days. When I woke up it was to find we'd had some rain. The ground was wet and the air smelled clean and heavy. Then the temperature proceeded to rise to a blissful 70 where it stayed almost all day...despite intermittent clouds. Not only was it warm, but things are actually starting to bloom. I saw crocus in the neighbors yard and a few tulips popping up in ours.

The boys played outside for hours and turned the bath tub black when they finally came in. THEN, they were so tired they were both in bed and asleep by 7 p.m.!!!

The biggest bonus, though, is that I was motivated to clean the house! (And that doesn't happen every day!) So today we all woke up to more sunshine and a sparkling kitchen!

Hooray for SPRING!!!

CraigsList and Crepes

Yesterday I picked up a table I found on CraigsList. It was a bargain at $50 despite having only 3 chairs. The best part, though, was that the nice Indian couple I bought it from included a FREE GIFT for Sammers!!! A HUGE stuffed Lion. This isn't any old lion, he is BRIGHT yellow (except where he's dirty) with a HOT PINK mane (that really sheds!!!), and a large TURQUOISE nose. I believe he falls into the Amusement-Park-Ring-Toss-Prize catagory as he seems to be filled with shredded aluminum as opposed to, say, cotton.

Now if I could only find a way to sneak "YION KING!" into the garbage without Sam noticing. I have a severe aversion to other people's dust mites and used stuffed animals in general. Gross.

On a cleaner note, last night some very generous friends threw a
double BABY shower
for me and another friend, Diane. (She is having her third a few weeks before me.) It was fun and relaxing and they served Crepes which I happen to LOVE!!!

It's nice to know Gabriel* will have a few CUTE NEW clothes and toys that haven't gone through two brothers and numerous boy cousins!!!

All in all, it was a fabulous day filled with awesome gifts!!! Now here's a little gift for you:

A simple Crepe Recipe in case you're looking for something easy and extremely unhealthy for dinner tonight!

Crepes
Combine in a batter bowl in this order:
2 cups milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
Stir until perfectly smooth. (Some people like to do this step in the blender, but I find adding the milk to the bowl first and using a hand mixer works just fine.)
Next add:
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
Beat thoroughly. Pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter into pre-heated pan. (I usually have the stove on Medium. Make sure the pan is non-stick and have "Pam" on hand if you need it.) Tilt pan so it spreads out thin and forms a circle to the edge of the pan. Cook until edges start to look rubbery. Loosen edges. Turn. It will be pretty well cooked, so it only needs to stay on the second side a little longer. I usually turn the oven on "warm" and pile them on a plate in there until we're ready to eat.
Serve with any or all of the following:
Nutella
(or) Hot Fudge
Peanut Butter
Jam
Bananas
Applesauce
Berries, Fresh or Frozen
Whipped Cream
Ice Cream
Powdered Sugar
Powdered Sugar and Lemon Juice
Syrup
or anything else you can think of!!! Enjoy!!!


*I'm set on Gabriel, but PickyDad isn't so sure. We'll see what happens when we get to meet the little guy.

Think Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Pic 1: A Leprechaun visited and turned the milk and pancakes green!

Pic 2: It snowed here again so the boys spent all day outside building a sledding run and an igloo.

(See Doug's blog!)

Pic 3: My monthly belly shot wasn't supposed to include my face. I am 7 months along now. (And obviously thrilled with myself.)

Florida Vacation: Day 3

We left Orlando on Wednesday to head to Ang's house in Niceville. On the way we stopped at Crystal Springs State Park to look for Alligators. We're quite sure there were tons, we just couldn't see them. Next time we'll bring our own Glass-Bottom Boat.It may look like I'm not helping with the kids at all, but I really am. I'm holding Sam's hat for him. Oh, and Doug had to carry the camera... Sam really likes sun glasses. Especially if they have a little bling.

Curtis and Max are both little monkeys. When Max got down he had a huge, swollen bite on his back from some unknown insect. Whoops!

Florida Vacation: Day TWO

Our first full day in the Magic Kingdom. We made it to the park early to pack in as much fun as humanly possible. Of course we had to take the classic picture right inside the front entrance.

Yes. I forced my husband and sons to wear matching shirts. Sue me! They look so stinkin' cute, it's worth the mockery I can hear running through your collective minds!!!

The first ride to be a huge success with all four kids was the Indy Racers. Sammers had this look on his face the whole ride. When we got off he said

"We do dat 'gain, Momma? (He's a huge fan of "Cars" the movie.)

The crazies in the car right behind me had to promise no crashing. I didn't want to go into premature labor. (At least not at D-world.)

Joe and Curtis

That's right. They got to wear non-matching shirts. (I care not what you think...)

Ang and Claire

Claire wasn't entirely sure what to think of some of the rides, or how she felt being surrounded by so many wild boys. But I choose to believe she had fun anyway.

Three buddies: Curtis, Sammers, and Max pushed by lady with hideous belly-button. (Yes. If you zoom in you can actually see it through my clothing. SICK!)

Aarrh, Matey!!!

"Hey look! I'm dangerous too! My mom and dad finally caved and I got to pick weapons for my souvenirs!!! Now I sleep with my hook on and sword by my side! Aren't you proud Captain Hook?"

("I learned it from watching YOU Dad!!!)

The highlight of Doug's day: The Femullet*

*Spelling has been corrected.

Florida Vacation: Day ONE

We're home from Florida, and I have to say...it is now on my list of places I could possibly live long-term without dying of Seasonal Affective Disorder. So far, the "list" includes Carlsbad, CA.

(I suppose Arizona could also possibly make it on the list, but I've never spent more than three days there so I can't calculate what affect the lack of ocean might have.)

Anyway, back to the vacation. The first two nights we stayed at the awesome and very atmospheric Disney's Boardwalk Resort. My dad has a time-share there and was generous enough to let us, and our friends, use two nights each. (Waiting for the Shuttle Bus. Max kept busy by picking me flowers.)

After checking in, we went straight to the Magic Kingdom for the rest of the day. At first the boys were a little groggy and mellow due to being awake since 6 a.m., but before long, they got into the spirit of things and were excited to be there. One of our first stops was Pirates of the Carribbean. Both boys are totally obsessed with the movie even though they've only seen one five-minute segment. (Doug let them watch the 'Captain Jack vs. Will Turner' blacksmith shop sword fight.)

The ride dumps you directly into a gift shop filled to the brim with every imaginable deadly weapon and pirate accessory . Fortunately, by depriving Max of all toy weapons for most of his life, he has an aversion to violence and had no desire to participate in anything remotely pirate-ish. After making it through the gift shop, limbs tenuously still attached, we happened upon a pirate show. Max got picked out of the audience to learn a bit about being swarthy from Captain Jack Sparrow himself.

Here he is getting some pointers about how to strike, distract, ("Look! It's the Govenor's daughter!") and then run away. He had the striking part down pat.

Now he's swearing allegience to Captain Jack and being sworn into his crew. (Notice his top-button is un-done and his skivvies are hangin' out.)

Next stop: SPLASH MOUNTAIN

The next ride Doug wanted to try was Splash Mountain. Maxer was barely tall enough and I was worried he'd be completely traumatized by the big drop at the end. Turns out, while I was waiting with Sammers and worrying, Max was having a blast and begged to go on the ride again immediately after...which they did since there was NO line that day! For more complete details, see Doug's version of events.Both Dad and Max were giddy when they met up with us at the tot play place, and Max is now a huge fan Brer Rabbit, Fox, and Bear, and the Briar Patch.

When we got home that night, my friend Angelique had arrived at the hotel with her two kids. (Her husband joined them late that night.) It's been about two years since I've seen her, so it was great to get caught up in person! She has two kids, Curtis and Claire and my boys loved them both instantly.

It was a great day, but day two was even better!!!
Stay tuned...

Heading Down South!

Tomorrow morning early we take off for our family vacation in Florida!!! We'll stay in Orlando for the first three days and hit Disneyworld, then head Northwest to Niceville for the rest of the week. Why Niceville? Well duh! It's NICE! (And that's where my friend Ang, who is graciously taking us in, lives. Little does she know what she's in for.) If I don't get a chance to blog while we're there, I'll definitely write a full report when I get home! In the meantime, as they say down south..."Have a MAGICAL day!"

I'm Only Writing This For YOU!

WARNING! I got a little carried away today and after reading this post had the thought pop into my head 'never has so much been written about so little.' Don't say I didn't warn you!

My sister-in-law recently mentioned that blogs are mostly "about being conceited". I couldn't help but feel dismayed and a little put-out! After all, the sole purpose of my blog is to serve humanity with my witty insights and well thought-out prose!

I can't really help it if my children are extremely adorable (and perfectly well-behaved) and my husband is perfect in every way and I'm a genius. Can I? I also can't be blamed if most of my blog topics revolve around "yours truly". After all, writers are supposed to 'write what they know' and I know me better than anyone!

I think this proves that my blog, at least, is published solely for the betterment of the human race and I'll leave it at that.

Now I'd like to move on to my topic for today's post: My belly-button.

I used to have THE perfect belly button. If you were to look up "perfect belly button" in the dictionary, it's likely you wouldn't find anything. But if you WERE to find something, it would be a picture of me. Baring my perfect navel.

What made it so beautiful and awe inspiring? I'll tell you. It was the perfect "inny". Gently sloping sides leading to a perfectly flat basin. Not too big, not too small. Just a perfect little bowl shape. It didn't collect lint, didn't have any unsightly nooks or crannies and never resembled anything the least bit distasteful. Like I said - perfect.

That was before. Before my first pregnancy. It was during that long-ago 9 month gestation period that something horrible happened. My belly button changed! It started to stretch out. Gone were the perfectly sloped sides! Now it had doubled in width and drastically decreased in depth! Around 8 months it appeared as though I had no belly button at all! It was practically a smooth surface and had all but ceased to exist. But that wasn't the end of its gross transformation. Occasionally, I would look down to see it POKING OUT! Yes! That's right! I started developing an "OUTY"!!!

Now, if you, Gentle Reader, happen to have the afore mentioned disfigurement, I can only say, I feel your pain and hope that a lifetime of dealing with the disgrace has hardened you a little to the cruel tricks fate plays on us. I, though, was totally unprepared for the blow to my self-esteem.

People said it would go back to normal after the baby came and I clung to that thread of hope. Alas, it's true shape never again re-appeared.

Now, years later, I'm pregnant with my third son and the continuous stretching and morphing of my midsection barely even phases me. But I admit, there are times I look at my navel with regret, NAY longing, for what once was...

But I soldier on, hopeful that one day science will provide a cure, or that the passing of time will at least dull the pain of my memories. In the mean time though, I hope my sharing of this tragedy will touch your heart and convince you that even the best of us have our Achilles Heel. May you take comfort in that fact. That's my selfless gift to you.

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!!!