Today I Sat in Semi-Darkness While I Ate My Breakfast.

I woke up tired today (still am) and that is probably the biggest thing that led me to feeding myself and my children cookies for breakfast.  I think I made it up by giving them a second breakfast of homemade oatmeal a couple hours later. 

Ash discovered that the Christmas tree is a million times more magical when all the other lights in the house are off.  So we enjoyed our breakfast of champions with only the pretty lights of the tree for illumination.  It was a good morning. 

P.S.  I've misplaced my camera again!  So annoying because my phone is full.

Today Was Late for My Appointment.

But luckily, only by 10 minutes.  The receptionist acted like it was a big deal, but it wasn't to my midwife.  **thankful**  I got to meet another midwife today (I have 5 of them) and I really liked her.  She was energetic and talkative.  She's happy with my blood pressure and weight gain (glad someone is!).  She said that the baby is hanging out sideways inside of me, but that they won't get concerned for another month.  If she's not head down by the end of December they will start talking about taking some action, though what that is I am not sure.  The midwife also said that because I've had these three pregnancies so close together, my muscles and uterus haven't snapped back all that well and that is one reason why this baby isn't head down yet.  She's got a lot more space to spin and twirl and swim around in.  Kind of a cute visual.

I've been a bit bluesy since late last week, but that always happens to me in my third trimester.  I'm the more typical, emotional, semi-crazy pregnant lady in my last trimester.  I really hate it because what I'm upset about feels so crucial and real and yet I know it wouldn't be that big of a deal if I wasn't full of hormones and what-not.

I also finished one of the advent calendars today, but I was in such a mad rush to get it wrapped and over to the post office, I failed to get pictures.  I'll be sure to get you some of the next one.  Only two more to go! 

Today I Shopped 'Til I Dropped.

Literally.  Ash and I left the house this morning around 10am and didn't get home until 6:30pm.  We didn't stand in any horribly long lines and we didn't fight with anyone for merchandise.  No one was rude.  It was a very pleasant experience.  I think the longest line I stood in was at Joann Fabrics (they only had two checkers) and the place most packed with people was definitely ToysRUs.  It was pretty funny to walk into Target at 5pm and see only 4 carts left.  And Ash was a wonderful shopping companion.  It was a lot of fun.  A bit long, but I'm pretty much done with Christmas shopping.  Yay! 


(not like I think about taking pictures while i'm shopping, but near the end of our trip i gave in to ash's request for a snack.  she wanted an icee, even though she'd never had one before, and they did sound pretty good to me so we each got one.  and since it was her first icee, i pulled out my camera and snapped a pic.  she enjoyed it but that red dye gets her soooooooo hyper!!!!  next time she's getting blue.)

Today I Ate Turkey.

I ate a lot of different yummy foods.  As I'm sure many of you did too.  I enjoyed the company of my family (even though that's not any different than the norm).  And we watched the traditional "Muppets Christmas Carol" which always brings the Christmas spirit for us.  :)

(source)

Happy Thanksgiving!  Hope it was a great one!

Today I Made Pie.

I originally decided I'd just make one fudgy pecan brownie pie. 

(source)

And I did, though with a lot less pecan than it called for.  I'm not a huge fan of pecan with chocolate.  But that left me with waaaaay too many pecans because I purchased too many in the first place.  So, I decided to make chunky pecan pie bars to use up as many pecans as possible. 

(source)

While I was online looking for this recipe I decided to take a quick peek at Facebook and saw that Myrnie was busy baking a ton of pies, including the brown sugar buttermilk pie she shared on her blog last week.

(source)

This is the same pie which I vowed I would make for Thanksgiving.  And then promptly forgot, which extremely common for me.  I, obviously, remembered that I really wanted to make this pie, so my sweet Tony ran to the store for pie dough crust, buttermilk and pie pans (and a couple other things) and I made two.

That's not all. 

Tony also brought home two of those huge, delicious pumpkin pies from Costco (before I even started baking, I should add).  We've got pie coming out our ears.  Five to be exact. 

Mom has decided not to make the two pies she had planned on making.  That's what you get for asking the pregnant lady to bring a green salad.  I guess. :D

If you're celebrating Thanksgiving, what are you doing to contribute to the feast?  Or are your hosting and making just about everything yourself?  I've never cooked a turkey before.  I've only ever been a guest.  And I like it that way! 

Today I Ironed a LOT.

Bleh. 

I ironed fusible interfacing on 75 embroidered felt squares. 

It is a major understatement to say that I am thoroughly SICK of ironing.

At least I'm done.  And the squares are pinned on to their new home. 

Yay! 

I went over to a talented friend's house tonight and she helped me figure out how big to make the background and how to do all the measuring and stuff. 

All that's left is a lot of stitching.

(sneaky peaky preview of what is soon to be a finished product!)

Today I Wanted to Take a Nap, but I Didn't.

Toooooooo much to do!  I think I'm doing really good at not stressing even though I've got my plate piled high.  I think at this point, in the past, I'd be grumpy and freaking out and needing Tony to talk me down on a daily basis.  So - we're doing really good!!!  Yay!

I think it must be the gloomy weather or something, but both the girls took really nice, long naps.  I'm still having a hard time getting my oldest little sleepy-head up and out of bed!  She's not going to want to go to bed tonight.


(sleeping beauty.  she naps in our bed because she keeps britt up during nap time if I put her in her own bed.)

Well, I'd better get going!  I've got four quiche pies to make!

P.S.  Just have to make sure I write this down because it's too cute to forget.  Britt has been asking for "ugs" on a regular basis (meaning hugs, of course).  Also, Ash still calls Britt, "Bitten" and Britt calls Ash, "Annin."  I looooooove little people accents!

P.P.S.  If Ash doesn't stay in her crib anyways, is there any point in keeping her in it?  Should we just get her a toddler bed now?

Today I Was a Day Late and a Dollar Short.

I finally hung up the results of a painting activity the girls did almost a month ago.  **sigh** 



I had cut out pumpkin shapes from cereal boxes and the girls painted them orange. 



They also painted clothespins green. 



Some of the cereal boxes had print on the inside and our washable paint didn't cover that. 

My plan was to decoupage cute, orange scrapbook paper over that print. 

I finally decided to just hang up the non-print pumpkins already and throw away the handful of printed ones. 


Should have done that a month ago.

Pumpkins can still work for November decor, right?
P.S.  While I was in the middle of writing this post, some movement on the wall across from me caught my eye.  I looked over to see a three inch long frog climbing the wall.  What the heck?  How does a frog just waltz into the house?  It's cold and wet outside.  I haven't had the door open any longer than it takes to get in and out.  **so confused**  When I first tried catching it it ran under the entertainment center.  When I was finishing up this post, the little stinker tried to sneak right past me.  But it's hard to be stealthy when your only way to move is by hopping.  The frog is now safely back outside.  Hopefully for good.

Today I Took Some Recipes for a Test Drive.

I wanted to taste Ash's birthday cake before her birthday party.  The day of the event is really not a good time to be trying out a new recipe.  I opted to go with a cake box recipe because....well...hard to mess those up, you know?  I wanted to do a fancy Neapolitan cake, but as we get closer to the party, the more stressful that sounds. 

(source)

So how about a vanilla cake with strawberry frosting and chocolate ice cream?  I got the cake recipe from Bakerella.  And it turned out great in cupcake form (though a bit flat on top) so I have no doubt it'll be great as a layer cake (as Bakerella intended it to be). 

(source)

For the frosting, I tried was a recipe that had good reviews, but when I made it, I found it to be a bit too runny, too sweet and not strawberry-ish enough.  So I added shortening and more strawberry puree and that made it much better. 

(i really need to get a camera like the ones the bakers above have.  there's something to be said for a nice, clear shot with all the details.)

So we're all set!  The cake, frosting, and ice cream are gonna be good!  Yay!

Today I Started Working on a Bunting.

I'm making a bunting (maybe more than one) as decoration for Ash's birthday party.  Again, cutting up old picture books.  I'm going to use ric-rac to hold it all together.  I used the template from this blog.

Today I Didn't Play in the Rain.

It rained almost all day today and was pretty cold. I think the cold feels worse when it's wet outside. I was hoping to take the girls out for some "fresh air" like I did yesterday. Oh well.  Each day has its own perks, right? I thought I'd share the video I caught of the kids playing in the leaves in the front yard yesterday. Only downside is I forgot to hold the camera correctly. So you'll have to turn your head or your computer sideways to see the video properly. If anyone knows how I can fix this, let me know and I'll do so. :)

Today I Put a Sock on Britt's Hand.

I already filled you in on how much Britt loooooves to suck her fingers.  Tony is worried about her teeth.  I'm not.  But three days ago she came to me, held out her beloved fingers and said, "owie."  I looked at them and got a huge shock!  They were red, swollen, hard and the skin was all cracked!  It reminded me of when I first started nursing each of the girls. 

So I've been putting lanolin on her fingers and then putting a sock over her hand.  She'll only wear it for a little while, but it must be enough because her fingers have been getting gradually better.  **happy**  Ash thinks the sock-on-hand look is totally cool, so she's been copy-catting and wearing one too.  Hahaha! 



I'm am a little bit puzzled though.  I can't imagine what happened to make this occur now.  Maybe the onset of the cold weather and using a heater at night?  Poor, little bum.

Today I Put Together Birthday Invites.

We're having a birthday party for Ash in a couple weeks.  She's turning three.  I'm getting her invites out a bit later than I wanted but.....oh well.  We're doing a vintage book theme because Ah loves books and I love vintage.  I've got a small stack of old books that I used for the invites and will be using for decor as well. 

I'm pleased with how they turned out.  Simple and sweet.

Today I'm Sipping Lemon Tea with Honey.

Works wonders for a sore throat. 

Yep.  We've all got icky noses and owie throats around here.

So, I am cancelling everything on my calendar and taking the next three days (at least) off.  Just gonna stay home and relax.  No jury duty.  Weeeeeeeeeee!

Might even keep the blogging super simple. 

(stock photo)

Like, today.  I'm just going to sooth my throat and catch up on my blog reading (as opposed to writing).

So, if you'd like me to hit you up, be sure to leave a comment.  Commentors (is that even a word?) get put at the top of my blog reading list (as some of you may have already realized). 

Have a good night and stay healthy!

Today I Had a Weight Lifted Off of My Shoulders.

About two months ago I received a jury summons in the mail.  Ack!  I have nothing against serving as a juror but now is just not a good time of my life for me to be doing that.  In the trenches with the toddlers right now, ya know?  So I sent in my request for dismissal and waited.

And waited. 

And waited. 

All the while getting more and more nervous.  Would they really deny my request and expect me to show up?  Honestly?  And it's against the law to not be there without a dismissal.  I tried to get online and see if I could figure anything out that way but they didn't give me a stupid 10 digit juror badge number so I couldn't do anything online.  They had no email addresses and the only number I could find (initially) was an info hotline and pushing any number would give me more pointless facts but no live person to talk to.  I did, finally, get a message machine and left my name and number, but they didn't call back. 

Until today (4 days before I was to beginning my service).  The lady was nice and couldn't find me in the system, but then realized she was putting my last name in the first name and my first name in the last for searching.  **snicker**  After a bit of a hassle and more elevator music, she informed me I had been excused. 

Hallelujah!!!!  I'm trying not to be stressy, but I've got a lot on my plate right now (and the girls appear to have colds, though I suspect Britt is getting a molar).  So - this was just one more thing to be anxious about.  And I just don't need any of that right now, lemme tell ya! 

Last time I was summoned for jury duty was over 10 years ago and they wanted me right in the middle of finals, so of course I got dismissed then as well. 

Have you ever served as a juror?  And for those of you who are not in the US, do they have something similar in your country?

Today I Grinned at Myself in the Mirror.

I have a funny little spot on my front tooth.  I think it's time for a teeth cleaning and whitening.  Wish we had dental insurance.... 

I'm thinking of just getting a teeth whitening kit.  There is a great deal going on right now for a Direct White Professional Teeth Whitening System.  It ends 11/7/11.  So I have until Monday to make up my mind.  Does anyone know if these are ok to use while pregnant?  Not that I have many more maternity months left, but still.

(i want her shade.  source.)

The cheap-o crest strips didn't do it for me, so I'm thinking I need to break out some big guns.  This looks like the real meal deal.  And it's hard to beat 70% off. 

Today I'm Watching Fast Five.

And I've never seen any of the other Fast and the Furious films. 

(source)

:) 

I'm also multi-tasking.  It's been a busy day and I am in no way close to done.  So, I'm checking off my to-do list as I watch over Tony's shoulder. 

Pretty sure this is the first time I've watched a Vin Diesl movie too.

Today I Went to a Meeting.

It was NOT a boring one either!  We're planning for next year, which is gonna be upon us before you know it!  I'm the secretary for Primary at church.  Primary is the children's Sunday School group, ages 3-11.  Every year we have a theme that we follow. Last year was "I Know the Scriptures are True." 

The theme for 2012 is going to be "Choose the Right."  So excited! 

I've now got a lot of extra things to accomplish before the end of the year: 

(child giving a talk in primary.  source)

I've got to make the handouts for the children that are assigned the talk, scripture, and prayer each week.  That means 12 separate ones since there is a variation to the theme every month.  And just because I retain info better when I write it down, here they are! 

January:  Agency Is the Gift to Choose for Ourselves
February: When We Choose the Right, We Are Blessed
March: Living Prophets Teach Me to Choose the Right
April: Jesus Christ Teaches Me to Choose the Right
May: I Choose the Right When I Am Baptized and Confirmed a Member of the Church
June: I Choose the Right by Living Gospel Principles
July: I Choose the Right by Living Gospel Principles
August: I Choose to Fill My Life with Things That Invite the Spirit
September: The Ten Commandments Teach Me to Love God and His Children
October: Blessings of the Priesthood Are Available to All
November: I Can Choose to Be a Missionary Now
December: Jesus Christ Is the Son of God
 
I've got to put together the lesson manuals for all the teachers (each age group gets their own teacher), which basically just means making sure they have all the schedules, media, supplies, and pictures that they need with their new manual.  The pictures were a mess last year!  I'm hoping it will be a shorter process this time around.
 

(this is actually a picture of the manual for the nursery age, which is 18 months-3 yrs.  i use this to create scripture lessons for my girls at home.  it's nice that it's online because i've often misplaced my copy!  source)

I've got to make some scripture visual aids.  This one is probably the shortest and easiest on my list.

And this week, I've got to put together a HUGE Thankful Tree.  Then the kids can take a paper leaf, write what they are thankful for that week and tape it to the tree.  In December we're going to switch out the leaves for some evergreen and they can write their gifts to Jesus on paper presents (example: "I'm going to give Christ the give of being nicer to my sister this week.") and tape them under the tree. 

(i really want to do something like this but it's got to hang on the wall.  how am i going to get twigs attached to poster board in a non-tacky fashion?  picture source.)

Today I Went to a Beautiful Wedding.

My friends, Austin & Rosie, got married today.  It was a beautiful ceremony and I totally teared up when Austin's little sister (the flower girl) walked down the aisle, dropping handfuls of rose petals, and then gave her brother a big hug.  The words said at their marriage were perfect and a sweet reminder for those who are already married (at least, I thought so). 

(the smith tower)

They were married in the Smith Tower, down town Seattle.  A gorgeous old building in which much original splendor has been preserved and renovated.  The top story is called the Chinese room and looks like it.  So pretty!  Tony and I were able to take a walk around the outside (so far up!) and snap some pictures.

(one of the views)

The Chinese food (fitting!) that was catered was aMAZing and I had to go back for seconds of the coconut shrimp!  So yummy!  I loved that when Rosie and Austin cut the cake, they fed each other nicely and Rosie's awesome gown was safe.  :)  They are such an adorable couple, have been together since high school and I'm so thrilled to have been able to be a part of their special day.


(tony and i on the observation deck)

Austin & Rosie, if you guys read this, I hope that your life together is full of sweet moments, happy experiences, and lots of belly laughs.  It won't always be a walk in the park but that's why God invented "I'm sorry" and "I forgive you."  I hope you have sooooooo much fun on your honeymoon!  Love ya both!