Today I Drooled.

This is not a food blog.  I'm not sure what genre you would put this space under.  Probably family or baby.  But lately, it seems that food is on my mind a lot!  Hence, all the recent edibles in my posts.  So, you might want to get used to it.  Or not.  I'm pregnant, so who knows?  And the sudden obsession interest in food is too bad, because as of today I have hit that sad point where my stomach is getting crowded by uterus.  And that's not going to improve in the next 5 months!  So, I can't eat very much or I get heart burn.  

I've made blackberry muffins and blackberry-peach cobbler and I almost made doughnuts today too, but I didn't have all the ingredients for the recipes I was interested in trying, so no doughnuts!  Then I got on etsy and drooled my way through photo after photo of delicious looking treats.  Thought I'd share a few, since it was pretty exciting to me.  Then I'll fill you in on the rest of my day (just in case you were wondering). 

(chocolate filled candy nuts.  oh my yum!  i think everything in andie's speciality sweets is beautiful and scrumptious looking!)

(pumpkin creme cookie-wiches.  **groan**  it looks so moist and creamy and gooey and i wants it!  tookies also has cake jars!  too cool.)

(spiced apple cider butter caramels.  i know i'm not the only one who is salivating at the sight of these pretties.  and if i got some, i'd have to hide them because tony and i would totally fight over them.  fushion sweets has an impressive amount of caramel flavors!)

 

No.  I am not ready for Fall and I do not want it to be here yet.  But when it does show it's crunchy, crisp head - I will embrace it and accept it.  :)  I seriously need to get a hold of these etsy shop owners and tell them I'll gladly advertise their products on my blog in exchange for a candy or cookie or two!  I'm easy like that.  ;)  Or pregnant like that.... 

Well, today was pretty uneventful.  I mean besides have muffins for breakfast and cobbler for lunch.  :D

Britt sat on the potty for 5 minutes.  I was reading and heard her making those delightful grunty noises we parents come to dread.  So, I put my book down and asked, "Did you make a poop?"  She promptly lifted her skirt and grabbed her diaper.  Haha.  I changed her and then asked if she wanted to sit on the potty.  She did, we read the Gingerbread Man and then I put a fresh diaper on her.  Baby steps, right?

Two days ago when we had a similar scenario and I asked Britt if she'd pooped, she said, "Poop!"  Hahahaha!  She's really starting to talk.  She says: mama, dada, out, no, don't do that, uh-oh, shoe, and poop.  She's starting to pay attention when I read, loves instruments, books, jumping, rocks, sticks, screaming, cuddling, sucking her middle fingers, nap time (I know, I'm so lucky!) and food.

Ash and I played a matching memory card game while Britt was napping (and yesterday and the day before).  It's her new favorite game.  She tries to cheat a lot and always wants to steal my matches.  Hahaha!  We're working on that.  We also broke out Mighty Mind and I was impressed with how long she stuck with it. 

Ash went blackberry picking with her Uncle Sam (my brother) this evening.  Her job was to hold the bucket while Sam picked.  He said that after he gave her a berry to eat she got really quiet.  He turned around to see her chowing down on the berries in the bucket!

I've been testing dairy products on the girls.  I tried an organic cottage cheese in their lasagna last week.  No reactions.  Woohoo!  I thought I'd try again tonight, only this time with fruit mixed in.  That way they'd get more and then I could see how they do with a larger amount ingested.  I ate a spoonful before serving it and immediately knew that they wouldn't eat it.  That stuff was soooo sour!  No sugar at all!   Must be the super healthy stuff.  Sure enough, after one bite Britt refused to touch it and Ash said, "Mommy,  this is yucky."  Maybe I'll try organic yogurt instead.  **laugh**

Well, that's probably enough chatter for one day.  I need to finish up some laundry and then I'm heading to bed.  Sooooo tired!

P.S.  I'm finding out my baby's gender on Friday.  **suuuuuper excited!!!!!** 

Today I Picked Berries.

It hasn't been an easy year for blackberries around here.  Our summer didn't start until August and so most of the berries are still green.  On top of that, our neighbor, on who's property we've always gone berry picking (with her consent) for years, now has her son-in-law living with her.  To be blunt and to the point, he's mean and we're scared of him.  So, all those berries are basically bird food this year. 

(see?  they are mostly like this.  above my head and draped over holly bushes.  but i mean to have them!)

I've been rummaging about for berries all over our property but they are hard won since they are mostly out of reach and/or surrounded by brambles and holly.  Yowch!  I took out a pair of hedge trimmers yesterday and whacked away at the bushes, picking berries are they were revealed.  I did the same today.  It's slow going, and yet I have high hope of obtaining enough to make jam.  We'll see.  If you have a great recipe that features blackberries, please share!

(i hope these little booger berries get a chance to reach maturity.  i read that we are in for a cold fall in the pacific northwest.  which would be a real bummer, given that we've had summer for about a month only.)

Today I Wanted It to be the Weekend Again.

Monday.  Ugh.  How I loathe thee. 

Well, it depends on the Monday: how I feel, how the girls feel, how much we accomplish, how much we miss Daddy, etc.

None of us girls were in the best of moods today and since I didn't get to bed until 1am last night, I woke up late.  And of course, Ash was already in a bad mood because I was late getting her out of bed.  Not a great way to start out.  I won't bore you with the negative details, but another Saturday and Sunday would have suited me just fine!

It's not like we did anything huge or exciting over the past weekend.   On Saturday we laughed together, made waffles, took naps, watched a movie, went to the beach (one the girls hadn't been to before), picked blackberries, and got Mexican for dinner.  On Sunday, we went to church, took more naps, made cinnamon bread/cake, ate baked popcorn chicken, flew paper airplanes, and did absolutely no housework.  Who wouldn't want to do all that again?  **sigh**  Guess I have wade through another set of weekdays, just like everyone else!

On the bright side, there is only one Monday per week.  **cheer**  Sooooo ready for Tuesday!

The following are some of the pics we snapped at the beach. 

(trekking down from the parking lot to the beach)

(britt got a ride)

(it's all about walking the balance beam driftwood!)

(i think she was a bit nonplussed by the wind and loud waves - it took her a good while to warm up to the new environment)

(my little driftwood sprite)

(the camera decided to focus on the lighthouse instead of my baby, for some reason.  haha.)

(i'm pretty sure this was their first taste of blackberry.  so glad we stumbled upon the berries.  there were a ton.  totally worth getting stung by nettle to obtain!)

How about you?  Do you want a repeat weekend or was your Monday pretty good?

Today I'm Reading Peter Pan.

(wendy, sewing peter's shadow back onto him. source)

I think it's my second time reading this well known story.  I was about 8 years old when I first read Peter Pan.  My dad would frequently go to the library near his office and bring home classics for me to read.  And even though I didn't understand most of the big words, I devoured each of those books.  The only one I remember not being able to get into was Treasure Island. 

(flying to neverland. source)

I think that Tinker Bell has always been my favorite character from Peter Pan.  She doesn't play a huge role, but she is amusing and interesting.  It was because of her that I went to my dad (again, at age 8) and asked, "Dad, what is an ass?"  That question stopped him dead in his tracks!  He wanted to know where I heard that word, of course.  I pointed out to him where Tinker Bell calls Peter Pan a "silly ass."  Dad looked at it for a bit.  Then told me it's not a nice word and that we don't use it.  Well, I'm pretty sure I never have.  :) 

(sick tinker bell, after drinking peter's poisoned medicine.  source)

I just read today that Tinker Bell was "slightly inclined to be embonpoint."  Haha!  It's fun to learn the meaning of new words.  Something I never knew about this famous fairy.  It seems like it's going to be a much shorter read than I remember it being.  There is so much more to the book than is in any of the movies or play.  I know it's a children's story, but if you haven't read Peter Pan yet (or in a while), I highly recommend it. 

(pan & hook fighting.  source)

Today I Made Homemade Pita Chips.....and Ate A LOT of Them Too.

Seriously.  I'm sitting here crunching on them while I type.  The bad part?  I just got back from a dip party where I stuffed my chops.  And previous to that party?  Tony took us girls out for Subway to celebrate getting his Associates.  Give a big cheer for Tony!  WOOHOO!!!!!  It's been a long time coming. 

So - I'm basically growing a snout and a pink, curly tail at this moment.  I've been doing some hard-core pigging out tonight.  And I'm still planning on eating M&Ms and snuggling with the hubby while watching a movie tonight.  **groan**

If you want the recipe for the pita chips it's here.  And I did make the hummus too, but 1/4 cup of lemon juice is waaaaay too much bitter.  So, I wasn't thrilled with it.  Probably would've been fine otherwise. 

I should've taken pictures at the dip party.  So much variety - it was awesome.  And they had a chocolate fountain!  Yep.  Died and went to heaven for a little bit there.  Pound cake in chocolate sauce is the bomb. 

Here's the pic I snapped of my offerings on the way to the party.  Lame pic, I know.  But, it you like pita chips and making your own food, do this.  I, for one, will never buy pita chips ever again.  Ever.  These are too easy and way yummier than any bagged chips I've had.  I used whole wheat pita bread so these are healthy!  And don't use cookie cutters like the recipes says.  Please.  That is a waste of time and pita bread. Truly.  I think some people try to make things all different and cutesy when simple, easy, & conservative is just a million times better. 

Ok.  Gotta go.  Tony is waiting for me to get the movie started.  We're trying out Limitless (with Clearplay, of course).  I have my doubts about it. 

Today I Looked at Schools Online.

I was originally checking out colleges for my hubby and filling out their "request more information" forms.  He's going to start applying to 4-year schools really soon and though we both want him to end up at BYU, back-up plans are super important. 

I was just googling and stuff when I came across the George Wythe University.  I'm soooooo impressed with what I read, even if they do only offer a BA in Statesmanship.  AND they offer the whole degree online!!!  Unfortunately, they aren't yet accredited.  Boo.  For me, getting an online degree, or finishing up what I started from home would be nice. 

Let me back up and give you my educational history.

I started Kindergarten in Alaska, finished in Washington.  Dropped out of 1st Grade when my parents talked to me about homeschooling (they couldn't decided if they wanted to do that or not, so I helped them take the plunge).  I did a lot of volunteering, through my high school years, with the local children's librarian and in the 1-3 grade multi-age class.  I also traded helping out in the little kids dance classes to get free classes for myself.  These experiences, along with helping to homeschool my younger brothers and sisters, led to me becoming very interested in early childhood education, especially the Montessori method.

When I turned 18, I went to the head of the Montessori College for Early Education (now Montessori Center for Teacher Education) and had an interview.  They required all their entrants to have an Associates but since I'd had substantial experience in working with children, they waived that requirement and I was in!  It was a two year program (that included a year of interning).  It wasn't easy and I didn't like my intern year at all, but I learned a lot, it got me a job, and what I learned has been invaluable for teaching my own kids. 

After that I had a summer as a visiting student at BYU and decided that I'd like to get a "real" education.  So, I went to Bellevue Community College (now Bellevue College, a 4-year school) and got my degree in Music (I taught at the on-campus Head Start School while I was there).  I used to play a lot of piano.  I really need to get back into practicing.  After BCC, I transferred to BYU and never did figure out what I wanted my major to be before I decided to take a break from school and go on a mission to Houston, Texas. 

I planned on going back and probably just getting a degree in English, but then I met Tony, fell head over heels, got married, had a couple of babies and here I am!  BYU wouldn't let me finish with their online degree program because they only count day student credit hours and due to my job at the time, I had taken some night student classes.  I fell short of their credit requirements by something like 2 or 3 credits.  So lame.  I sent emails and letters to no avail.  They wouldn't budge and I remain without a BA.  I could have looked into other schools, but I was so disappointed and upset, I decided that I'd just wait until Tony got his degree before trying to get mine. 

So, maybe by the time he's done, George Wythe University will be accredited.  I'd also loooove to take Dr. Aviva's Women's Herb Course.  Again, not accredited, a real degree or anything close, but just to have the knowledge for my own personal use would be uber cool.

Ack!  I'm so excited!  There is soooooo much to learn out there.  And I'm having a ton of fun with our little preschool program too.  Educating oneself and one's children is truly a blast.  Let me know if you've come across any exciting courses or programs that are online.  The more options and classes, the better! 

Today I Ate a Homemade Popsicle.

We made banana pops last week and today was pretty warm so I thought it would be a great afternoon snack.  I'm not a huge banana fan, but these are good!

(showing me where some of the chocolate fell on the ground.  excuse her shirtless-ness.  laundry is a big enough chore without stain treating added to it.)

To make, I cut bananas in half, stuck them on the lower halves of our popsicle molds, dipped them in chocolate that had peanut butter mixed into it and then stuck them in the freezer on a wax paper lined tray.  Super easy.  I used the dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips that contain only three ingredients and the healthy peanut butter that also only has three ingredients.  Thus, I feel like these are pretty healthy as far as treats so. 

(excited about life.)

I had to eat Britt's down a little bit.  She was intimidated by the size, plus she is always taken aback by frozen foods.  Ash pretty much only ate the chocolate off of hers and a teeny bit of her banana.  Haha!

(see?  all the chocolate gone and most of the frozen banana left.  courtesy of ash.)

Good stuff.

P.S.  I did like True Grit, until the end, when it shows how things turned out for the girl after growing up.  That part was just plain stupid and lame.  Which kinda ruined everything else. 

P.P.S.  Keep those on the east coast in your prayers.  I sure am!  I'm worried about Hurricane Irene.  I have a brother who is on a mission in New York right now.  And even though they are predicting it will hit North Carolina, it still could miss and go further north.  Wherever it hits I hope and pray that it's mild and that the people are as safe and prepared as possible.

P.P.P. S.  I have a giveaway winner to announce.  The lucky individual who will be getting the beautiful Puget Sound print is......AudreyO!  She said, "Wow...great day for me to stop by.  I love the print.  I'll happily follow.  :)" 

Congrats!  Just need your mailing address, though, like I said this print is on back order so it'll be at least a couple of weeks before it's available.  Thanks!

Today I Am Watching True Grit.

And blogging at the same time.  I don't really feel like waxing eloquent tonight, nor am I in the mood for uploading pictures.  I'm just going to type out the highlights of my day and get back to giving the dvd my total attention.  No, I haven't seen True Grit before.  But so far, it's pretty interesting and I don't usually enjoy westerns.

I do a very simplified scripture study/daily devotion with my girls every morning after breakfast.  Ash saw me getting the book down with my scheduled lessons in it, and she got all excited and said, "I want Jesus!" 

Ash ate everything I made for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with gusto and a smile.  Britt threw most of her food on the floor and signed, "all done."

We read Baby Says and then played with blocks.  Ash made all sorts of buildings, houses, and boats with them.  Britt ended up in time out because she wouldn't stop throwing them.

We were going down the driveway, passing the neighbors chicken coop, when Ash yelled out, "kitchens!!"  Hahahahaha!

I didn't eat a whole lot for breakfast or lunch so by dinner I was starved and had low blood sugar.  I ate three bowls of pasta, three corn on the cobs and a spoonful of caramel sauce.  I think I'll make sure I get more to eat in the morning and afternoon to avoid this type of pigging out from happening again. 

Don't forget to enter my last summertime giveaway.  It ends tomorrow (Tuesday) night. 

Today I Watched Jousting.

Three of my sisters and I went the the Washington Misummer Renaissance Faire today.  It was really fun and really hot (85 degrees!!!) and, on my chest, I got a nice sunburn which looks just like a bib necklace.

I found my camera.  It was folded up in our double stroller.  Yay!  I took some pictures of today's festivities.  I promise to post them and talk more about the faire in a future post.  I also want to get our Pacific Science Center pics posted.

But since it was such a long, hot, fun-filled day, I am worn out and want to go to bed before midnight.  So, I'm simply going to post my final summertime giveaway.  I've been able to really get out, this week, and enjoy the beautiful, colorful location which I call home.  It's been awesome and the weather really cooperated, which is nice! 

I love the Pacific Northwest.  I love the Puget Sound (ocean).  I love the trees.  I even love the rain (it keeps things uber green around here).  I love it and I don't want to leave it but that is exactly what we'll be doing next year (most likely) because Tony will be applying to a lot of out of state colleges in October.  I'm excited for the adventure but I will miss this place (not to mention my family is here). 

So, this last giveaway of the summer is dedicated to the PNW. 

The winner gets this 8x10 print of the Puget Sound at Chukanut Bay.  Gorgeous!  This print is back ordered until next month, but I'd say it's worth the wait.  To win, simply be a follower and leave a comment.  Open internationally.  Giveaway will end Tuesday, August 23rd, in the evening.

Today I Lost My Camera.

I'm super bummed because I took pictures of our trip to the Pacific Science Center today.  And now I can't upload them.  I'm hoping that my misplaced camera is just hiding in the car somewhere.  I'm a little nervous that it somehow got left.  I hope, hope, HOPE not! 

So, I'm just going to do Day 28 of the 30 Day Challenge: A picture of something you're afraid of.



I'm afraid of violence.  I pray everyday that my family, myself and other loved ones will never experience violence.  I used to watch way too much of the CSI and Cold Case Files type tv shows.  Stupid waste of time.  It's terrible what has happened to countless people.  And it's really scary if you stop and think about it much.  It's more frightening now that I have children.  So my prayers are more frequent and stronger.  And if violence ever does touch us, I pray we have the strength to heal and bear that sad trial. 

Sorry.  It's such a horrid topic and a downer.  But I've gotta get it over with so I can finish up this challenge.

What are you most afraid of?

Today I Rode In a Tram.

Northwest Trek was awesome!  I brought my 19 year old sister to help me with the babies and things went quite smoothly (except for when some random guy didn't watch where he was going and totally knocked Ash flat on her face - she was quite distressed).  We walked around looking at all sorts of wild animals, including bears, big cats, eagles, wolves, etc.  We went to the kids activity center and saw snakes, a salamander, and a toad.  Ash (with help) made some ladybug antennae which she wore all over the park.  We had an hour tram ride which included some very close encounters with bison, caribou, moose, mountain goats and big horn sheep.  We also saw a mother raccoon with four kits, some turtles, elk, and trumpeter swans.  It was a long, fun day.  We ended it with pizza and soda pop.  My kids were asleep less than 5 minutes after we put them to bed.  My only regret was not taking a pic of the cougar.  It came out of hiding and walked up to as close to us as it could and stared at us.  It was beautiful and disdainful of us and I was so into looking at it (and holding Ash up so she could see), I didn't even think about the camera until after it went back into hiding.  But here are the pics I did get:

(cute and ready to go.  they were not in the stroller for long!)

(bald eagles. their wings had been permanently damaged, though not by NW Trek, so they were in a pen with no cage on top.  pretty neat.)

(my little cub posing with the life-size bear cardboard cutout.)

(the toad.  it barely moved.  reminded me of the days when i was a kid and would catch and release them on a very regular basis.)

(my new favorite picture)

(female caribou.  she was close enough to touch, as were most of the herbivores.  but it was grounds for dismissal to stick your hands out of the tram.)

(britt in a "log.")

(female moose.  we never did get to see the bull.  again, could have pet her on her fly-ridden nose.)

(ash, on the tram, taking it all in.  she was very impressed.)

(one of many bison.  he was close enough to touch too.  but even if we had been allowed, I wouldn't have because he was huge and kinda scary!)

I'm sure getting a lot of exercise this week!  :)

Today I Spent Time with Family.

I spend time with family everyday!  I'm a stay at home mom.  We live on my parent's property and, as mentioned in yesterday's post, we've got my brother and his family in town.  It's definitely been several days of family bonding and I'm sure there's more of that to come!  We went to the zoo today but Ash didn't get a nap and though she doesn't always need one, she most certainly did today!  So it wasn't a very enjoyable trip.  I didn't even bother getting out the camera.  It was all I could do to keep the girls happy.  Ash pests her sister a lot more when she's in a bad mood so Britt did a lot of irritated yelling.  **sigh**

We're going to Northwest Trek tomorrow.  Wish me luck.  It's a lot harder to keep these rugrats happy without Tony around to help tag team them.

Today is Day 27 of the 30 Day Challenge: A picture of yourself and a family member.

I couldn't pick just one.  So here are three.  :)

(dad took my brother and me to visit family in Juneau when I was 16.  matt and I were both born in alaska.  here we are on mendenhall glacier, in front of the helicopter that got us there.)

(my sister, kara, and myself on my 24th birthday.)

(my sister, rachel, giving my face a hug.  i'm pretty sure i was 22 or 23 in this pic.  it hadn't been very long since rachel had come from ethiopia to be a part of our family when this picture was taken.)

Ok.  Now to announce the good smelling stuff giveaway winner........

FAITH!!!! 

She said, "ooooh what a great smelling giveaway!  i want to smell good too!! :)

Well, Faith, you will, just as soon as I get your address and get your goodies in the mail.  :D

Thanks to all who entered.  Only one more summertime giveaway to go!  And just in time since Summer is (supposedly) winding down.  Hard to wrap my brain around that one, since we just barely got our Summer here in the PNW!

Today I Sunburned My Nose.

My brother, his sister and their son are in town for a week!!  Woohoo!!  Tony took the day off and drove our family and theirs to Ocean Shores for the day.  It was quite the trip.  My poor husband forgot to bring a paper that was 50% of his final grade and had to go back home to get it.  It didn't really put us back too much time though because the rest of us took soooo long shopping for picnic stuff at Winco.  Once we got to the beach we took a bunch of pictures while the kiddos played in the sand.  Ash had a major blow out that was not fun to clean up.  We had to throw her pants away.  Yeah, it was that bad.  We had our picnic and all ate a LOT of sand.  Ocean Shores is windy and there is no way to keep sand from blowing into your food.  Tony said next time we' be taking a tent to eat in.  **laugh**  It was interesting to see what each of the girls preferred to do.  Ash wanted to cavort and frolic in the water, which suited Tony just fine.  Britt wanted to hunt for the perfect rocks and feathers and then sit in the warm sand while playing with her new found treasures, which was right up my alley.  :)  My brother and sister-in-law walked up and down the beach, playing with their boy, taking a million pictures.  Here are a "few" that we took:

(ash, taking in the immense scenery, pre-blowout)

(britt, ready to dig in the sand with the green spoons)

(tony, happy to finally be at our destination)

(the cousins, playing in the sand)

(this is the only good one we got that included my bro & sis-in-law)

(me.  the pregnant mama at 17 weeks)

(the latest sister group shot.  too busy to bother looking up for the pleading mother.  ash soaked her only change of clothes when she fell in the water.  not that she was remotely bothered by it.)

(we were all tired, sandy, and sticky but it was totally worth the 2.5 hour drive each way.)

If you haven't had the opportunity to enter my current summertime giveaway, go ahead and do so because it ends tomorrow (Tuesday) night!  :)

Today I Smell Good.

Hahaha!  Funny title, I know.  Hopefully I smell good every day.  For someone who collects perfume, soap, candles, body wash, etc I'd better be smellin' pretty! 

It's true.  When I see something that pleases my olfactory senses on sale, I buy it.  It's gotten pretty ridiculous.  I would do a body wash giveaway if it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg in postage.  And I can't do a perfume giveaway because it's illegal to send it through USPS.  Boo!  I have sooooooo much stuff! 

I've picked out four items to include in this little giveaway of great smelling goodies.

Left to right: San Francisco Soap Company Shower Gel in Cherry Blossom, Thymes Body Creme in Kimono Rose, Tyler Candle Company Candle in Sugarbaby, and Bath & Body Works Anti-bacterial Gel in Japanese Cherry Blossom. 

6.5 ounces of yumminess!  And all in all worth around $10.  But of course I didn't pay full price!  ;)

This is the second to last of my summertime giveaways!

To enter, just be a follower and leave a comment.  Open internationally, of course and will end Tuesday evening (August 16th). 

You guys are awesome.  It has made me so happy to be able to send all these fun little things to old and new friends.  Have a great weekend!

Today I Got a Back Rub.

Day 26 of the 30 Day Challenge:  A picture of something that means a lot to you. 

(a lovely sunday nap, on my parents' sofa, 3 days before we got married)

The friendship and relationship I have with my husband means a TON to me. 

That's sounds so lame.  I don't have the eloquent words to express how much I value our marriage and companionship.  Just know that there is a lot of feeling behind those typical words and my lack of fanciful expression.

My husband is the best when it comes to many things, but back rubs are one of his specialities.  He gives them without ever being asked and never asks for one in return.  He's just so awesome like that.

He also helped me with a lot of housework this evening.  We've got family coming in from out of town next week and I've been trying to get things organized and cleaned up around here.  Nothing like the threat of company to get me to put on my house cleaning cap!  I really needed the help too.  After being out of commission for two months (1st trimester and thyroid blues), this place has gotten really outta control.  Tony is NOT a cleaner, housework type of guy (did any of you get lucky enough to find one who is?) so his assistance this evening was wonderful, pleasant surprise. 

Today I Visited with My Midwife.

It was a nice, short & sweet visit.  Heard the baby's heart beat and all is well.  I get my anatomy ultrasound in a month and no, I will NOT be keeping this baby's gender a secret!  I wanna know and so does everyone else. 

Today I'm posting Day 25 of the 30 Day Challenge: A picture of your day.

The girls are in bed (Ash still isn't asleep because she had a nice, long nap).  I've got my tush planted on the sofa.  Dinner was good.  I spent most of my afternoon putting together a preschool curriculum for Ash (homeschooler here!).  I had the afore mentioned appointment.  The big baby threw a lot of tantrums today. The little baby only screamed once.  We read a TON of picture books (this one 3.5 times in a row) and played dollhouse after lunch.  How do you take a picture of all this?  

(my days are simple, messy, disorganized, untidy, crazy, colorful, and fun)

So, here is what I've got.  My day is pretty much wrapped up in my babies.  I'm enjoying it while it lasts because I know that as they get older they will not really need me so much.  They will (hopefully) have learned clean up their own messes.  They will want to do a lot of things independently and they will like spending their time with more than just Mama.  But for now my days begin and end with babies.  :D  Everyone says it'll go by fast.  And I believe 'em!

(not the best shot, but it's the only one I could find of the two of them that I haven't already posted.  guess i need to get my camera out and get clickin' some group pictures!)

Today I Laughed at My Child and Felt Sorry for Her Too.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, our little family went on a long search for the perfect bike for Ash.  All her peers now have bikes, and the meltdowns because she did not have been over the top.  I really wanted to get her one of those balance bikes, but they seem to be an online thing only for the stores we went to (Walmart, Target, and ToysRUs).  The regular little bikes with training wheels were too big for her.  The first place we looked was Walmart and they had a Radio Flyer trike in pink and red (Ash wanted red).  I thought we should go to Target to look for a balance bike before we made a decision.  We went to several different Targets and a ToysRUs for nothing, before trying the last Walmart on our way home to just get the darn trike (that store didn't have red).  After today, I was left wondering if we just wasted our evening.

This morning after getting dressed, having breakfast and coloring for a little bit, Ash remembered that she had a bike in the back of the car.  We went out to get it and she was excited for about one minute (should have had the camera handy then).  This is what followed:

(she became quickly disenchanted because pedaling isn't really as easy as it looks!  and when you can't pedal, the bike just sits there, stupidly!)

(she did a lot of this)

(which brought this pic to mind.  another frustrating time, at 11 months old, when she couldn't reach the clothes in the bottom of the bucket.)

(after every bout of screaming in anger, she'd abandon her trike - always on its side - and stalk away in disgust.)

(with lots of pouting, of course)

(every time returning, five seconds later, to see if the trike was ready to behave itself)

And now for the........

Giveaway Winner!  Keya said, "I need some good sleep."  Congrats!  I'll just need your mailing address and I'll send the lavendar sugar scrub, unless you'd like lavendar-vanilla instead.  :)

Keya, I hope you get some fabulous sleep soon! 

I should probably clarify that when I say 9 hours, I don't mean it's always a restful 9 hours.  I am pregnant, you know. 

I wish I could send this sugar scrub to all of you.  Waaaaaaiiiit.  I can!  For those of you who entered this particular giveaway, I will send you a 2 ounce sample of any of my sugar scrubs for free.  All you'd have to do is pay the shipping (check, paypal, money order, whatev), which is $2.50 and I'll do the rest.  Yay!  That's cool.  The only not-so-fun part of giveaways is not being able to give the prize to everyone!  Leave a comment or e-mail me if you're interested. 

 

P.S.  Blogger is giving me a hard time again.  I am sooooooo beyond irritated with all the issues in the past 4 months.  Those of you who have your comment settings on " Embedded below post" (versus "Full page" or Pop-up Window), I cannot leave you any comment love.  I'm sorry.  Deleting my cookies is not making a difference anymore.  If you haven't heard from me in a while and I owe you a comment (I always comment back), your chosen settings (and Blogger's seeming inability to work out their bugs) may be the reason.  Sorry!