Time Flies When You're Spitting Up

Gabe is 3 months old today.

He's huge. 24.5 inches long and over 13 pounds. That's really big for one of my kids. I'd have to look up the others to see where they were at this age, but I just can't believe any of them came anywhere close to the baby elephant that is Gabe Micah.

He just FEELS big. My arms ache after holding him for a while. His legs are scrunched in the side of the rocking chair when he nurses. He's wearing 6-9 month clothes. Where did this baby come from? His Dad and I are roughly the same size--SHORT. Like 5'3" short. Both of us. He's going to tower over us by the time he's 10!

Gabriel has a very sweet disposition though. A very laid-back baby. Easy to please. Sleeps through the night. He's teething like crazy, but you wouldn't know it by his demeanor.

You would, however, by looking at his clothes.

Because he drools.....like crazy.

He's very often, at any given moment, chomping on his fingers ferociously; blowing bubbles until he looks like he's foaming at the mouth; and/or saving his breakfast on his shirt for later. All which provide for a very drippy kid.

So I change him.

And change him.

And bib him.

And change him some more.

But poor thing, he just soaks through everything. It doesn't help that he's been congested too. Which means goopey eyes and snotty nose. He's really just a mess most of the time.

But he's my mess, and I love 'im.

***

So here's some pics I haven't posted yet. Some are from today, his 3 month b-day.

But don't worry. I cleaned him up before taking the pictures. ;)

Tinny What?

Tinea Versicolor
(ti-nee-ah ver-si-color)

***

That's what Boo has. Some sort of yeast growth on her that creates these salmon colored spots.

Flares up when it's humid. Can be itchy, but not necessarily.

Generally, a common side effect of living in skin.

Can you believe it? My Boo's got something relatively normal? Ha! Amazing!

***

The dermatologist gave me some cream to put on it to make it go away. Honestly? It doesn't bother her in the least, so why fuss with it? I mean, it's not like it's some rare skin disease or something. This is something we can actually LIVE with! I don't even HAVE to give her the medicated cream if I don't want to!



Just let me revel in this for a while, ok? I'm savoring the experience.....

Never A Dull Moment

Fell on blunt metal object. Thought he broke his neck. Ended up splitting his head. Bled profusely. At Toyota dealership service garage. Had all 6 kids. By myself. Call 911! Went to ER. Got 4 stitches. Was his normal, happy self.




(semi-graphic pictures........be advised......)










Mama loses 5 years. Gains 6 new gray hairs.

Roots

Unfortunately, St. Patrick's Day is considered to be a day set aside to:

A: Walk in a parade
B: Get drunk, or
C: Walk in a parade, getting drunk

Now I realize that most people who celebrate this holiday do so with wearing green clothing (like Irish people dress like leprachauns or something....), tacky shamrock earrings, and eating corned beef and cabbage. But, to REAL Irish people....

...those who honor their heritage.....

....and actually know something about where they came from....

...and remember their Grandfather's stories......

...and the hardships their ancestors endured before coming to America....

...and the hardships they endured AFTER coming to America....

St. Patrick's Day is probably a day to meditate on how wonderful it is to have such a strong family, and generations worth of memories, and deep........



roots.

At least, I do.

I am proud to be a third generation Irish American. I'm as green on the inside as they get.

Yummy/Healthy/Easy

I have been trying to lose some weight now that I'm "done" having kids. Actually, I could stand to lose about 50-60 pounds, lower my cholesterol, increase my metabolism, and do my heart some good. I need to change some old habits, and make some new ones. In particular, I have to get out more and exercise. That's hard for me, but I think I've found a slot in my day when I can get out and get some air and bring my heart rate up a bit.

Part of my new regimin will be changing our eating habits. Notice I didn't say, "My" eating habits. We all eat "not the greatest" and can all stand a little overhaul in our diet. I've changed it before, when Michaela had diet restrictions, and I know we can make it work again. The hard part is paying for the Better food. It's more costly to buy fresh veggies and leaner meats. But we're gonna try. I know HOW to eat healthy, I just have to make it happen.

A friend of mine posted a "recipe" (actually, it wasn't what you'd consider a recipe, just a list of ingredients) on her blog recently, and we've come to love it. It's can be really healthy (especially if you eat it with lean meat), and very yummy, and it makes me feel good to feed it to everyone. So, I'm gonna post it here, more in recipe form, and you can all tell me if you like it.......thanks Rebecca!

Rebecca's Pasta

One bag of frozen peppers (the tri-color and onions mix)
One bag of frozen cut-leaf spinach
2 cans of italian diced tomatoes
1 pound of pasta (your choice--we like Barilla's Penne Plus)
1 pound of meat (again, your choice--we like smoked sausage)
2T Olive oil
Minced garlic
Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper

Cut meat into bite-size pieces. Using a large pan, saute garlic and meat in olive oil over med-high/high heat until cooked through (eliminate this step if using sausage). Add all vegetables. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. Add seasoning and spices to vegetable/meat mixture according to taste. Let simmer on medium heat until vegetables are tender and meat is heated through. Drain cooked pasta and add to mixture. Serve with salad and/or fresh bread. Serves 8 (approx.).

Our whole family eats this dish, and we still have a good amount of leftovers to spare. I think 8 adults could share this if they had the sides with it.

Oh, and if you couldn't tell, it's VERY easy to make. I've made it on Sunday afternoons after church, and it doesn't take very long to put it together at all (we're all starving after church, and hate to wait!).

Also, I love all the color in this meal! And from what I hear, that's a good thing when you're eating vegetables. A healthy combination that tastes good--who woulda thunk it?

Does anyone else have any other yummy/healthy/easy meals they want to share? I'm looking for some more good ideas!

They Make This Too Easy

There are two times in the year when I shop for clothes for my kids. I know, I know, that sounds impossible---especially with 6 kids---but it's true.

Like I have time to scour God's green earth for the latest in size 5 pants (navy blue), or a church dress for Michaela that doesn't make her look like she just left a nightclub.

Speaking of which....

What in the world is WITH little girls' clothes these days???

Oh, DON'T get me started! Arrgghghgh! Ok......that's a whole other post.......

By the way, notice the "Moms for Modesty" button on the side-bar? Yeah, that's me: A MOM FOR MODESTY.

MO--- DES--- TY. Ya know, where people actually have some shame? Yeah, thaaaaaat.

This ain't no "show off what God gave ya, Honey" blog. Nope. We wear CLOTHES around here people!




Ok, rant officially over.....

***

Anywho, like I was saying. I went clothes shopping for my kids today.

I only go twice a year because that's when the big consignment sales hit my area. Imagine department store sized buildings with nothing but oodles of kids' stuff that people are trying to sell. And not just clothes. Toys, books, baby furniture, bikes, you name it. If it has to do with children, you'll probably see it there. And the clothes! Rack upon rack upon rack of NICE STUFF. We're talking brand name. All for a fraction of the cost (well, it is if the seller actually wants to sell it--otherwise it'll just sit on the rack if it's too pricey).

Not that I couldn't get stuff like this at yard sales, but I don't have time to search yard sales for all the clothes my kids need. Not when Noah just grew like 4 inches in the past month! No. These consignment sales are my thing. I go with a list for each child, and I find everything I'm looking for. If something's not there, then I look in the next sale that's coming up. If I still can't find it, then I try a thrift store. THEN, if there's still some holes in someone's wardrobe, THEN I might try buying it at Walmart or Target.

Needless to say, when I plan right, I don't hardly EVER buy my kids clothes at retail prices.

Are you kidding? Not with 6 kids in the house. There's no way we could afford to dress them even half way decently if I didn't shop the consignment sales. Just no way. And not to mention, all the TIME it would take for me to clothe my brood if I had to check every store in town for what I was looking for.

And the modesty thing is a big part of it. Even Walmart has so much flimsy, floosy, show-off-ey, type clothing that I can't possibly outfit my kids shopping there. At least at the consignment sales, I can find ALL kinds of clothing from many different brands. That's a whole lot less time consuming than shopping at individual big name stores, AND I have plenty of modest clothing to choose from. Even if an article of clothing is last year's model, I'll still have a chance to buy it if it fits into what I'm looking for.

I know some people shuddder at the idea of used clothing, but honestly, how long do kids wear this stuff? Not long. In fact, a lot of people could look in their closets right now and even find stuff with tags on it. They've never worn it, and they never will. Their loss is my gain. I got Gabe some nice Carter's rompers like that. Carter's. New. 4 bucks. Cha-ching!

So I did really well this time. I found a lot of what I was needing for the kids' summer wardrobes. The things I didn't find, I know I can get pretty easily and cheaply somewhere else. And I got a bunch of brand name stuff too, for dirt cheap! That's a good feeling.

I like getting nice stuff for my kids, and I like not paying a lot for it.

Things like this help keep life wonderful (as opposed to stressful), ya know?

She's Got Shoes (She Knows How to Use Them)

Michaela loves shoes.

If for no other reason than, SHOES=OUTSIDE.

She's often trying to put shoes on her feet, in a desperate effort to make a break for the great outdoors. And really, it's not even the yard she's totally interested in. The van is an acceptable substitute (and that often also means, McDonald's to her). She just wants OUT of the house. This girl's got the worst case of chronic cabin fever you've ever seen.

So she shuffles in and out of her room, with this pair (not necessarily matching) and that one, trying hopelessly to get them on her feet. The only trouble is, is that most of the time, she's picked out a pair of LIBBY'S shoes.

When she's really serious about going out, she'll even get herself a pair of socks.

And believe it or not, she CAN get them on.

Now, I wouldn't say she's comfortable in them, the way she gets them on there, but she does it. She's that determined.

Unfortunately, the shoe/sock combinations generally don't get put on in a workable way, and she's left to falter around the house. Trying to convince us that, shoes HAVE been accomplished, and therefore OUTSIDE must now commence.

She scoffs at rain.

She scoffs at cold.

She scoffs at the street too.

And that's what worries me.....

***

This morning, Michaela and I were going through her normal getting-ready-for-school routine. I got her up, took her to the bathroom (if I put her there, she will often go, but she doesn't do it on her own), got her dressed, got her her medicine, brushed her teeth and washed her face. In order to keep her from waking everybody in the house (who's all still asleep at 6:15 in the morning), I don't put her shoes on until it's close to when the bus comes. She shuffles her feet horribly, and that makes a lot of noise on my wood floors.

We went to the living room, where she sits on the coffee table, and I sit on the couch to put her shoes on. She lifts up her leg and props her foot on my lap. I go grab a shoe and start opening it up to put it on her foot....

"No, that one." she says.

"Yeah, I'll do that one in a minute."

After I get the shoe ready to put on, I notice I've picked up the wrong one. It fits the foot on the floor, not the one on my lap. And it dawns on me, Did she just tell me that I had the wrong shoe? Does she know which shoe goes on what foot? So I decide to test it out....

"Boo, does this shoe go on this foot?"

"No. That one."

I switch the options.....

"Does this one go on THIS foot?"

"Noooo. THAT one!"

Hmmmm......

"OK, Boo, which foot does this one go on?" Holding up a shoe.

"That one, right there. Right there."



She was right.


Go figure.

***

It's little things like this that make my day. I don't know how many people WITHOUT a handicapped child can appreciate something little and mundane like that. I don't know if it would've stirred ME before Michaela came along. But I now have learned to enjoy these little streams of sunshine that burst through the fog in her mind. Some days, she just seems so UNABLE. And then she pulls a stunt like this, and I realize just how ABLE she can be.

I'm thankful for the ABLE days.

And for a kid with an obsessive shoe fetish.

Must Be A Monday

I'm feeling fairly sluggish today. Not sure why, but I have absolutely NO desire to do ANYTHING today.

Did I ever feel this way when I was out in the workforce? I'm sure I didn't get away with it THEN!

I should probably cut myself some slack. I DID make breakfast (instead of the kids making their own). I DID do the dishes. I DID change Asher and Gabe. I DID give Noah his spelling pretest. I DID clean up the living room. So, I guess that's not sooooo bad.

Well, unless you consider that I still have to shower, clean my room, clean the bathroom, tame oodles of laundry, make some necessary phone calls. Then it looks as bad as my brain is making it out to be.

And the rest of me is rebelling.

***

Does anyone want a nice job as a Mother's Helper? Free food!

Yeah, yeah, I didn't think so........sigh.

Hush, laundry! I'll get around to you!


soon.........

Anchors Away!

Michaela went to see Chief on Thursday, and it was a really good visit. It wasn't one of those, "I need to see her, so I'll fit her in" kinda visits, but just a run-of-the-mill, "See ya in (enter number here) months" kinda visit. We had quite a few of these generic check-ups last year. But this one was a little different, for me, at least.

See, it's been exactly one year since we started Felbamate.

I mean, A WHOLE YEAR! That's monumental! Before that, she was jumping meds like Anna Nicole jumped suitors! Um....er......but that's another story.....

So, for her to be on the same drug for that amount of time is just really great for her. I mean, super. Just super. And I was feeling pretty uppity that day. Peppy. Yeah, that's what I was feeling: Peppy. Excited to be going to a visit with Chief, with a list of like, two things. Just TWO things! And they weren't even serious issues or anything. Minor stuff. Like, "Can we get this drug in a liquid?" Stuff like that.

Do you realize how COOL that is?

Ok, maybe you can't relate, but just trust me. It was VERY cool.

***

Michaela's just kinda rolling along. She not getting better, per se. But she's not getting worse, either. It's what we affectionately call "Stable." I love Stable. Stable has been my best friend lately. Believe me when I tell ya: I've pampered Stable. BIG time.

But that's all changing. Chief and I had the same idea this go around: we're pushing Stable's comfort zone. I think it'll be a good thing.

Well, I'm PRAYING it'll be a good thing, anyways. This new "rocking the boat" type adventure....

***

Boo's on 2 different seizure meds. That's right. Two. There's Felbamate, and then there's Zarontin. Zarontin is kinda like Linus from the Peanuts comic strip. Quiet. In the background. Yet, very smart. It has been Michaela's anchor drug for almost two years now.

In my lingo, an "anchor" drug is simply a drug that she's taking to help another drug. Zarontin doesn't take care of her seizures by itself. But since it helps a little and doesn't cause any nasty side-effects, we've kept it on board. Like an anchor. Kinda keeping everything from getting tossed in the waves when we're trying to find a more powerful drug that works.

She's had a few different "anchors" in the 6 years she's had seizures. And Zarontin is the latest.

But we're getting rid of it.

See, the theory is that the Felbamate is doing the job of keeping her Stable. It's packing enough bang for it's buck (oh, and let me tell YOU, there's a lot of BUCKS behind that bang---just ask my prescription drug insurer!). Which means the Zarontin may not be needed any more.

And in my book, the less drugs, the better. So, in 5 weeks, she'll be off the Zarontin. And only on ONE seizure med.

That's sweet.

I hope.

***

Now, before you start thinking she'll only have ONE drug to deal with, let me tell you this: Michaela is also on another med.

Robinul. To control drooling.

Yeah, unfortunately, she's drools almost constantly. Almost. There are times when the flow is minimal, or seems to be not there, but if she concentrates on something really hard, she will probably drool even if she hadn't drooled all day. It's just something she can't control very well anymore.

But it is kinda annoying. Hmmmmm. Maybe annoying isn't the right word for it. Or maybe it is......it's just......just......kinda icky. Not pleasant? Does that work? Yeah. It's very Unpleasant.

So, she wears bibs all the time to keep her clothes from getting totally soaked. There are days when we change the bib 3-4 times a day, and there are days when she wears one for the whole day. There's not much rhyme or reason to it. And we've learned to deal with it. Like, wiping her mouth really quick before she plants a kiss on our cheek. Or adjusting the bib to lay on our shirts if she wants to snuggle close. No biggie. In general.

But I can't honestly say that I don't care about it. It's not normal, and therefore just one more thing that sets her apart and complicates life a little. It's really not all that wonderful to absent-mindedly lay your arm on a fresh puddle of drool. When you're running late for church. And you JUST ironed the shirt.....

Yeah, unpleasant.

The Robinul is supposed to help dry her up a bit. We'll take it. As long as she doesn't have any side-effects from it, we'll take all the drying we can get.

***

There's also a new drug we're putting her on: Risperdal.

Risperdal is an anti-psychotic to help her chhhhiiiiiiiillllllll out. Lately she's been very un-chilled. Very hyper. Very CRAZY.

That's our term for it around here: crazy. "Boo's acting all crazy again." "Boo, no crazies!" "Michaela, cool it on the craziness, okkkkkk?"

All the while, she's running around the coffee table, flapping her arms, randomly screaming and laughing at the same time. Or singing Twinkle Twinkle for 45 minutes straight.

The. same. two. lines.

You thought I was kidding on the crazy thing, huh?

So, this new addition to my drug cabinet is supposed to help that. We'll see. I've decided to not give it to her until the Zarontin is weaned completely. Then, if there's any problems that arise, we won't be confused as to what's the culprit.

But, I'm sure hoping it helps her sanity. If it does, it'll be helping mine too.

Because I need some of mine back. Really bad.

***

We're also taking her to see a dermatologist because she's had these weird spots on her back and neck for about 9 months now. They don't itch, blister, sting, or puss. They're just there. But why? Totally random spotting-ness. Last I knew, little girls don't grow spots for no reason.

Well, at least not before 12 or so. And then those are supposed to be on the face, not the back.

That appointment is going to be in March. I'm just curious enough to be anxious for it.

***

In general, things are looking good for Good Ol' Boo these days. And things are changing. But it's good change. Just little tweaks to help her have more quality of life, more ability, hopefully even less seizures. I'm just feeling really good about her right now. She's predictable, her bad days aren't horrid or long-lasting, and we're taking measures to help iron out some rough issues.

Like I said: it was a good visit.

Yeah, "Peppy." I'm still feelin' it.

It's Elementary, My Dear Watson

Homemaking, that is!

Jen has "tagged" me. Here's my take on it:

ABC's of Homemaking

Q: Aprons - Y/N? if Y, what does your favorite look like?
A: Yes, I have one. Only one. It wouldn't be my favorite. It's sissy looking.

Q: Baking - Favorite thing to bake?
A: Anything with chocolate involved is fine with me. However, bread is the most rewarding!

Q: Clothesline - Y/N?
A: No. But I need one! For the same reason as Jen....

Q: Donuts - Have you ever made them?
A: Why? When there's Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts?? Anything I would do would probably be sub-par.

Q: Every Day - One homemaking thing you do every day?
A: Laundry. It's the only way to keep up with the "large family size" proportions of clothing.

Q: Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freeze?
A: Well, technically, it's a whole refrigerator, but we only USE the freezer part.

Q: Garbage Disposal - Y/N?
A: No. They're too noisy for me!

Q: Handbook - What is your favorite homemaking resource?
A: Good ol' Mom. She's only a phone call away.

Q: Ironing - Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
A: What kind of question is this? Who in their right mind does ironing FOR FUN??? "Oh, honey, let's not go out to eat, I'm enjoying ironing right now." HATE IT. I delegate it to Chris whenever he lets me!

Q: Junk drawer - Y/N? Where is it?
A: I have a junk box. It's Rubbermaid, with a handy-dandy lid, and it sits in my pantry all pretty and neat. What an oxymoron, huh?

Q: Kitchen - color and decorating scheme?
A: It's a sage variation, and it matched my dishes, which is a "country gardening" theme. However, if you saw the mosaic in my island (custom, handmade!), you'd think it was "nautical"--because there's a New England lighthouse in it.

Q: Love - What is your favorite part of homemaking?
A: When it's done, it's very satisfying.

Q: Mop - Y/N?
A: OK, again, weird question. I'm a HOMEMAKER. Of COURSE I mop! And if I didn't, do you think I'd admit it here on my blog?? "Uh, Hon, let's not go visit Kelly anymore. I hear she doesn't mop her floors."

Q: Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
A: This one feels a tad bit too personal.

Q: Oven - do you use the window or open the oven to check?
A: Both. Depends on the situation. (Aren't you all happy to know this little piece of useless information now?)

Q: Pizza - What do you put on yours?
A: Finally! A good one! OK.....lemme see.....mushrooms, meat, onions, peppers, BBQ sauce! Mmmmmm......

Q: Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
A: Sleep!

Q: Recipe card box - Y/N? What does it look like?
A: I've had one, but I couldn't seem to get the recipe I wanted WHEN I wanted it. Now I have a binder that Pampered Chef put out. They've since retired that binder, but I love mine!

Q: Style of house - What style is your house?
A: Farmhouse. One floor.

Q: Tablecloths and napkins - Y/N?
A: I have a couple of tablecloths that don't fit my table. Cloth napkins are just adding more laundry, so I don't use 'em.

Q: Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?
A: Does very organized, semi-toxic wasteland qualify?

Q: Vacuum - How many times per week?
A: More in the winter, with Chris hauling in wood. Perhaps 2-3 times a week.

Q: Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
A: 7-8.

Q: X's - Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
A: Not everyday. Mostly on Saturdays when Chris is home and we have to get things done before Sunday or friends come over. For everyday, I usually have a list on the fridge of outstanding projects I need to accomplish. It's nice when those are crossed off!

Q: Yard - Y/N? Who does what?
A: Our lawn mower is persnickity, so Chris takes care of that. However, I will sometimes get immersed in outside stuff when the weather's warmer, and I particularly like to get some flowers out on the porch in the spring.

Q: Zzzz's What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
A: Probably cleaning the kitchen, although I don't generally wait until right before bed, but try to do it right after dinner.



Well! That was fun! I'm going to tag......Rebecca, Chrystal, Denna, Katie, and Dana....

Have fun girls!

Ya Gotta Love The 80's

Ahhhhh, the good ol' days! The golden age of Beatboxing! Although this video was clearly made recently (since beatboxing is experiencing it's second wind), it is a funny reminder of my childhood....

And how BAD we were when we tried to imitate the pros.....;)

Beatbox
Uploaded by loranger

I Don't Know What To Think

This video has really made me think. The significance of what the actor/director/producer says is almost overwhelming to me. I'm dumbfounded. Speechless. It doesn't make sense, yet it does. I almost want to find out that it's a hoax. Because that would certainly make life easier.

Watch this video all the way through (even if you think it's boring or strange to begin with), because there's two parts. The second part relates to the first, and I believe it will blow you away.

I really want to know what y'all think about this. Including you, Chief. Of course, Jeni, you MUST respond. My perspective on mentally challanged people has been really altered.

And considering the fact that I have a mentally challenged child (who presents with a lot of these same characteristics), I have a lot to think about.

All because of this video.

Video Problems Fixed

Like I said....

I think I fixed the videos. Let me know if they work now!

Taking The Good With The Bad

It's ok, this new Blogger. Don't like that ALLLLL the HTML I learned to be able to tweak this site is now gone....but that's not the end of the world. The well-fed people at Google seem to have made this whole thing a lot easier to manage, so I'll work with it. I'm still trying to complete 14+ months worth of "labels" (ie: on the sidebar--"If you liked reading THAT"), and deciding if I like the header font enough. I don't know if my sitemeter works yet, my flicker banner is missing (it was outdated anyway), and my Amazon book lister is gone.

I'm learning y'all. I'm learning to accept change gracefully.

But sometimes it's so painful.

Technical Difficulties

Stay tuned everybody. I just switched to the new Blogger stuff, and like I feared, it has messed stuff up.

Hopefully, I'll be able to clear it up and make it all pretty again soon.....

It's My Party, And I'll Record if I Want To!

Here's a little offering from my birthday celebrations last week. The pictures are from my SURPRISE birthday dinner, and YES, it was a surprise! I still can't believe they pulled THAT off.....I usually figure surprises out :) Thanks Everybody, for a wonderful 30th birthday!

"Does He Take a Passey?"

No. No he doesn't.

Fast Food??

OK, what is up with the Wendy's on University, y'all??? 20-30 minutes to place and fill an order?

Hellooooooo!!!

And then my food was cold, the burger buns were hard-ish, they only gave us one Kid's Meal toy (not even the decorated bags that the meal's supposed to come in!), and they ran out of lids for little kids (who really NEED the lids!).

Disgusted. ME.

To top it all off, out of ALLLLLLL the empty seats in the joint (hmmmm, should've been a sign...), this family with three young girls decided to sit the next booth over. And the girls stared. And stared. And stared at us. While we were eating. They were so close by leaning over their booth that I could've seen their nose hairs. I'm not kidding. Perfectly rude. All while their Dad chatted on his cell phone.

When their Mom came back with the food, she started berating her children for everything they did. "_________, if you don't eat that RIGHT NOW I'm gonna lay into you!" Things like that. My kids were dying to stare at THEM to see all the horrible things their Mom was getting onto them for. She was obnoxious. Just loud and mouthy. Imagine how she acted when one of them spilled their drink!

Instead of taking the kids to McDonald's like we usually do, I decided to try Wendy's, since they have chili, and Asher hardly ever eats his hamburger or chicken nuggets. I know he likes chili (whereas, he really doesn't like meat), and I figured we could eat there, and I wouldn't be wasting money on him for once. Even with all these annoying and frustrating issues, him eating his meal would've been nice.



Except he wouldn't eat the chili.

Killin' My Pride

As many of you could tell, I was having a hard day yesterday. But thankfully, my good friend Denna had decided to take me and our friend Lori out for my birthday; and that was today. Which was something fun to look forward to, and got my mind off of my Mom-less house.

But yesterday, my eyes were swollen and red no matter what I tried to think about. People at church were asking me how she liked her visit, and how long she was here, and how they enjoyed seeing her, and Bless My Heart, I'd start tearing up all over again. So, in service last night, I would try not to think about all this, and think of perfectly random, non-related things instead.

OK. THAT was a lesson in futility.

No matter what it was, there seemed to be some connection or memory of Mom. Even someone who I barely ever talk to reminded me of Mom, because I've played Scrabble with that person! How terribly annoying!

When my "little sister" Laura saw my face after church, I think it was obvious to her that something had to be done about my pitiful state. She told me that if I met her at her house after church, she would give me a facial. Who would pass that up? Not I! So I gladly agreed, seeing as how my face hurt from being constantly scrunched in that ugly "crying face." A facial sounded like just the ticket.

I helped Chris put the kids to bed and scooted over to Laura's house. She had a foot massager, and lotions, and scrubbers, and of course the facial stuff. Ooo La LA! I could definitely handle being pampered for a little bit. It was going to be a nice end to a hard day.

And it was. I was pampered and fussed over and generally spoiled, and I relaxed. I actually talked about Mom without breaking down.

***

Once the facial part was over, Laura noticed that I had more than a few offending hairs between my nose and my northern lip. Laura would be the type to notice such things, as she is still in her teen years, and is generally more conscientious than I. She's the glamour girl, I'm the tomboy. It is her mission to make me fashionable at the very least. And the fact that I hadn't promptly removed said hair before last night.....well, this was a problem, you see!

Not that I don't try to take care of such things on a regular basis (thanks to her), but with the baby and all....time had gotten away from me. Fine. I don't care. Take care of it, La. This is what facials are for, right?

So she breaks out some hair removal cream. Alright. Sounds like a plan. Shouldn't be any pain involved.

However, Laura makes a habit of not reading directions.

For if she had, she would have probably read something to the effect of, "Do not use this hair removal product after exfoliating your face." Or something of that nature.

It soon became painfully obvious that facials and hair removal cream do NOT go hand in hand.

***

"Uh, La??"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't know this stuff was supposed to hurt...."

"Well, huh. It didn't hurt when I used it. But maybe it does for some people. I know bleaching stuff kinda stings, so maybe that's why."

"Ok......"

(((10 minutes later))) "Man! this stuff STINGS! I'm taking it off!"

And after wiping it all off, my upper lip was throbbing and sensitive to the touch....

....not to mention BRIGHT RED.

"LAURA!!!!!"

***

And the irony of the whole thing was that we gals get RID of facial hair because it's "too manly."

But a bright red streak between my nose and my lip didn't do anything but make me look MORE manly. Like, I had a red moustache or something! Ack!

Yet, just to prove that I'm not vain, and that I'm not prideful, I WENT to that luncheon with my friends Denna and Lori-----red milk moustache and all. Yup. I "stuck out my upper lip" and swallowed my pride and enjoyed every minute of that Chinese buffet this afternoon.

(But I didn't go to the bank or the store like I wanted to.......a girl can only take so much pride killin' in one day!)

Love Letter

Dear Mom,

Something tells me that I forgot to tell you "Thank You" for the groceries and the gas and my birthday present and the help and doing laundry and making coffee and putting up with the dog and flying down here and making me breakfast and changing diapers and babysitting and offering money and doing dishes and wiping noses and cooking dinner and listening to Michaela with me and letting me win at Scrabble and keeping a Surprise and rocking the baby and giving a spelling lesson.....and.......and.....

.....and just BEING here.

Thanks Mom. I needed that.

Love Forever,
Me

Clichés

My Mom came to visit me for the last week. To see the baby. Spoil the kids. Celebrate my 30th.

And now she's on her way back home.


I know they say that there's no such thing as distance for people who love each other. And I know that time heals all wounds.

But right now, the distance just STINKS. And the past hour's been AWFUL.





i just want my mommy

Hey, Baby, You Never Looked So Good....

Gabriel is one month old today.

He slept through the night for the first time.

This little guy has got me WRAPPED, I tell ya.....


And I'm not the only one!





(Did I mention that he's a pro at sleeping?)

Just Pushing it Off a Little Bit

So, as you are probably well aware, today was my 30th birthday.

I have video and pictures to share, but my husband is galavanting in Walmart with my camera, and YouTube is being persnickity. So, y'all will just have to wait.

Why don't we all just pretend that I'm not really 30 today? Then, by the time I DECIDE I WANT to be 30, I should have all my multimedia working smoothly!

(But I'm not giving back my new Rascal Flatts CD.....no way man!)

Happy Happy Loo Loo!

Birth Day

4 Today

Baby Bottoms

One of the first things my husband ever did when he met Michaela for the first time, was check out her backside. I know that sounds weird, but he didn't get to hold her right away because the maternity nurses were doing all kinds of funky stuff to her. They had her layin' out on the isolette, checking her weight, length, putting goop in her eyes, etc. So his first interaction with his child was when she was laying on her stomach under the lights.

And there was her bottom.

We've all heard the phrase, "Soft as a baby's bottom," but here was his chance to prove it.....

And, sure enough, it was pretty stinkin' soft.

***

Baby skin is extremely incredible stuff when it comes to softness. Just silky smooth. Almost glorious. You just want to purr when you rub your face against warm baby skin. There's nothing like it.

And when it comes to putting clothing on a little human that is so fun to touch, the LAST thing you wanna do is scuff it up. Rub it raw. Irritate it. You wanna preserve as much innocence as possible. Even on the skin.

Adding a little bit of fragrance is just a bonus.

Such is life when pampering a newborn's butt. You just don't want to mess it up (they seem to do enough of that themselves). Some really rich guys out there understand this fact, and have introduced every stinkin', smoothin', buttering product known to man---just for our kids' backsides.

Yup, we humans sure pay a lot of attention to baby bottoms.

***

I, especially, like to pay attention to my kids' butts. For some reason, I got overly interested in what goes into taking care of their posterior a few years back. Someone I worked with at the time, brought their toddler into work and was showing off her son's diapers.

I was immediately interested.

Not that diapers are usually a thought provoking conversation piece, but the cool thing about these diapers was that they were handmade.

Yup. She had made her kid some diapers. Out of cloth.

And would you believe it? Those were the coolest things I ever saw (as far as diapers were concerned). I mean, they had a cute print on the outside, and were soft cotton on the inside, and they closed using velcro. So neat. I was instantly fascinated in this world called, "cloth diapering."

I mean, since when did cloth diapers get so "user friendly?"

The more I looked into it, the more it seemed completely do-able to use cloth diapers on my soon-to-be-born baby (my third, Caleb). I was already thinking about the financial pinch it would cause to have a THIRD child in diapers, so I did plenty of research. Come to find out, there were so many different types and styles and patterns to choose from. Not to mention cost. I could spend a little or a lot, or I could make my own. And as far as washing them, I learned that most Moms don't "dunk" their diapers in the toilet like our grandmothers did. New detergents were so effective, that you could simply throw a dirty diaper in a pail, then dump the pail in the washer, add soap, and start it up. Out came clean diapers. No mess, no hassle.

And I really liked the idea of that soft, fluffy cotton on my baby's butt.

(And come to find out, there's nothing like wrapping your child's posterior in a clean, warm, fragrant diaper fresh out of the dryer.......ahhhhhhhh.)

***

I ended up researching everything diaper, and found a cloth diapering style that suited me best. I needed durable (because I knew we were having more kids), easy, and inexpensive. I didn't end up with the fancy type diapers like my friend had made, but what I got, I liked.

And I can't tell you how much money it has saved me to use cloth diapers over the years.

Now, I will say, that I haven't used cloth exclusively on my last 4 children, but every child has had the opportunity to wear them. My diapers have lasted this long, and they still work great. You just aren't wasting your money having cloth diapers around. They're so versatile.

~We use them when a child (even our friends' kids!) has a painful yeast infection.

~We use them to catch drool on a pillow.

~We use some of the worn out ones for cleaning the car (or anything that needs a "soft touch")

~We use them to get on top of recurring diaper rashes.

~Michaela uses our largest diapers as bibs.

And the styles and options keep growing and getting better and even more user-friendly. It's really not a problem to wash, dry, and use cloth diapers. You can even get cloth wipes. I have some, but I found it easier to just use disposable wipes. Especially since I don't use wipes every time I change a diaper.

In general, I would say that disposable diapers are the easiest thing to use when it comes to keeping your child's rear in pristine condition. HOWEVER, most moms find out pretty quick that there's more to life than just convenience, and that includes what's pampering your little one's backside. I mean, how convenient is it to have to keep switching diaper brands because each one makes your baby break out? And how nice is it to hear your little 3-month-old screaming constantly from a horrible yeast infection they got from an antibiotic? Don't forget the price of those things: it's like rubbing your money in doggy doo-doo and throwing it in the trash. Not ideal by far.

So let me just put a bug in your ear: think about using cloth sometime. You've got the internet.....look some stuff up! And if you're not doing the "kid thing" these days, tell someone you love who is. Maybe it's something that would really work out for them.

Here's a website started by a Mom who wants to help people try out cloth. She lets you try different types of diapers for free, just so you can get a feel for what would work for you. Wish she had this up and running when I was looking into it!

And just to whet your appetite, here's some pics of baby Gabe in his favorite fanny fashions:

The diaper part, kept together by a cool "Snappi" gadget (no pins)

A white "snap on" diaper cover, my personal favorite

A very cute velcro print cover that's also very easy to use

Give your soft-bottomed baby the best in bottom attire---cloth diapers!

Resoluting

OK, so I'm tired of not blogging. I can't tell you how many times I've had wonderful posting ideas and simply didn't feel as though I had enough time to do it. But I've got to. I LIKE blogging. I like posting. I like COMMENTS! But when you don't post, you don't get comments. And when you don't post, you don't remember all the cool things your children have done. And when you don't post, you don't get some things off your chest. And when you don't post, you don't think to take candid pictures of your children, because, well, you don't need to put pictures on the blog you're not posting to!!

So, this is what I'm gonna try to do: I'm gonna TRY (notice the capital letters, hence the STRESS), to post a couple times a week, or even every day, even if it's just a little smidgen. A little tid bit. A little bit o' nothin'. And if it doesn't look all nice and pretty and fluent and sensical, well then, that's life. This blogging thing is something I just want to do, and if I have to go against my own stupid neurotic tendancies in order to get it done, then that's what I have to do.

It's a growing pain, but I can deal with it.

And speaking of growing, Gabe turned 4 weeks today. He doesn't look all that different to me, but I gawk at him every day. So I'm sure I wouldn't notice much change. He's definately getting heavier. THAT I can feel.Libby will be 4 tomorrow. We went out today to let her pick out some presents. I thought this would take some of the stress out of trying to figure out what to get her. Not exactly what happened. There was too much to choose from, so she picked the very first thing she saw, even though it really wasn't something she'd want. When it came down to it, I picked out the things I thought she would want. No different than if she were never there. Oh. At least I didn't have to wrap anything.....she wanted to use her new "stash" right away, and that didn't bother me in the least.

Speaking of "We," my Mom is in town for a week. I cannot TELL you how wonderful this is for me. Mom (and often Dad too) comes around these here parts roughly twice a year, and I get treated like a queen. They are such a help, and spoil me rotten, and we just ENJOY ourselves. We're talking Scrabble tournaments here, people! But basically, Mom and I are two peas in a pod, and I just love her to death, and my kids do too, and sometimes a girl just misses her Mommy.....

Especially when she only has one more day to relish her 20's, and 30 sounds awful scary. I can't be a kid anymore. How do you change your personality to fit into the mold of an adult? 30-year-olds are ADULTS. I am not. I don't really want to be. I don't THINK that way. How can I justify hanging out with my teenage friends when I'm in my 30's? I'm serious. I enjoy the young people. I don't want to get too old to be considered "fun." I don't want to get too old to BE fun. (And don't get the wrong idea here: I have as many friends in their 40s-80s as I do 13-30)

Man, I just don't want to get OLD. Is that too much to ask? My brain didn't grow up with my body. And herein lies the rub. I'm a kid at heart. A kid who doesn't want to have to start THINKING about their heart. Catch my drift?



Any condolences from the peanut gallery would be mighty appreciated.

Now THAT'S Pretty Unique!

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

My friend Vanessa had this thing on her blog, and since I'm such a sucker for all things "name", I decided I HAD to check it out.

And, go figure, this is what it came up with when I entered Libbigail's name!

And, believe it or not, I got the same results for Asher's name too!

That's pretty stinkin' unique. Very cool. I've always liked their names, and how "different" they are (yet, relatively tame on the weirdness scale--doncha think?). I never would've thought that there were NO OTHER people out there with their first and last name, though. How interesting....

Here's how the rest of us stacked up:
Chris--1,946
Me--649
Michaela--15
Noah--41
Caleb--43
Gabriel--142

And when I entered my maiden name, it came back as 7. 7 people who answer to MY name. 7 people who know how annoying it was to write it out (sorry Dad, but it IS). There are actually people out there with the same exact name I was born with. I mean, that's kinda weirdish.



Now I really want to meet those other 6 people.....

You Got it Denna!

My friend Denna was wondering why I haven't posted any pictures lately (try forever?).

I had been having trouble with my camera for some time before the holidays, and I just didn't want to fool with it. I mean, I was having a hard enough time POSTING, nevermind dealing with a a persnickity camera. It just seemed like the new-ish battery we bought wouldn't hold a charge.

Hence, the reason for the severe decline in photo shoots.

BUT! My dear hubby was so gracious to buy me a new digital camera for Christmas! And the battery works swimmingly! (Not to mention the 1 GB memory card-woohoo!)

(And the old camera? The battery charger wasn't plugged in.......for months.......whoops! Oh well, it WAS 4-years-old and somewhat antiquated :)

"Sleep Deprivation Du Jour With a Side of Dust Bunnies, Please?"

So, I've been working on my little tale of Gabe's birth, but I've only gotten through--perhaps--half of it.

What can I say? I'm sleep deprived!

I feel as though I have so much STUFF to take care of, but I can't get to any of it. I'm just trying to keep my head above water, and the dishes out of the sink.

You know, that sounds bad. It sounds like I'm bedraggled or something. And I'm really not. I'm actually quite astonished at how much I'm functioning with so little sleep. But as far as tackling any "extracurricular" activities (ie: dealing with "The Wheelchair Fraud", doing bills, making phone calls regarding having a new baby, etc etc), I'm not getting very far.

The kids are fed, bathed, and have clean clothes. The house is in relatively good shape (thanks to the children's help!).

But I haven't gone grocery shopping in weeks.

And my "junk basket" is overflowing.

Things could use dusting.

And the floors would like to be swept more than once a week.

But we're hanging in there. And the baby's a peach! Oh! Fuzz and everything! I'm serious! It's like some of his hair fell out before he was born, and there's this soft, silky peach fuzz left on the very top of his head. I dare say I will rub it off completely soon. It doesn't help that he just kinda melts when I nuzzle the top of his head.......

He is a very good baby (see, I KNEW this was your next question). No, he doesn't sleep through the night, but I really don't want him to do that. I know, I know, I sound like I'm out of my mind ("Kell, you ARE sleep deprived!"). But, you see, I'm nursing him, and it's really not the most pleasant experience for a breastfed baby to sleep through the night. Catch my drift? He can do that when he's older.

He is very much into Mama. Not every baby is, contrary to popular belief. He likes to snuggle, and he could be half starved, but he WILL calm down if I hold him or talk to him. I don't know if any of my other babies were quite like that. And it may not last very long. But I'm just soaking it up to the fullest.

He IS my last baby and all.

So, hang in there with me. I'm getting things done a little at a time. I hope to tackle the junk basket today (I've been saying that for days). Maybe that birth post will get out next week.

Cletus Tips the Scales

Guess what y'all?

Gabriel Micah Morris
Born December 28, 2006
11:00 am
21 inches long
9 pounds 13 ounces!!

What a bunch of smarty-pants readers I have :)

Birth day play by play still to come.......I think I need to "forget" a little bit of it before I rehash it again......

(You know, like the size of that HEAD!!!)

One Big Long One

So, I says to myself, "Self? It's time you updated for the good people!"

And here I am.

But I will tell you the awful hardship it will cause me. My keyboard is not cooperating and the "Y" key is being rebellious. Do you know how annoying that is? You wouldn't believe how OFTEN we English speaking people use that one letter! It's akin to hurting your little toe and never realizing how much you appreciate that one little member! I'm starting to think that the letter "Y" is terribly unappreciated. We turn it into "I"s and substitute "E"s.......but You with no "Y" is only "ou", and THAT, my dear friends, is French, not English....

MICHAELA UPDATE:

Michaela at the present is doing well. She wasn't last week, or the week before that. The weekEND before that, she was doing VERY well....but it only lasted 2 days. Sound erratic? It is. There's a song that says something along the lines of "And when you're up, you're up. And when you're down, you're down." That's kinda like what Boo does. Now, I wouldn't say she's been REALLY down--like wheelchair and feeding pump down--but medium down. Does that make sense? It's the drooling and staring kinda down. No biggy.

But it's kinda funny. When she's having good days, she's can be so NAUGHTY! I'm not joking! Like yesterday, I told her specifically to pick up her blocks. Now, don't bark at me here, I KNEW she could handle the task. She was doing well and comprehending plenty of other things, so I wasn't asking her to do something unreasonable for her current condition. And just to prove it to you, this is how she replied to me:

"I don't want to."

I don't WANT to? Ummmmm. Sorry, dear. That don't FLY in Mama's house!

So, yeah, she got her share of punishments yesterday. Just like a normal kid. If she didn't go to bed so early normally, I probably would've put her to bed early too! She was talking back all afternoon! HA! Ya gotta love it.....Keeps me on my toes....

PREGNANCY UPDATE:

And speaking of toes, I've got a few up in...my....ribs....as we SPEAK. Sigh. Discomfort is at an all time high these days. But I've only got 2 and a half weeks until D-Day (which means, "due day", and not "delivery day" necessarily). The baby seems to be doing very well in all aspects. Anyone wanna take a stab at the gender? Y'all can vote for what you think it is. We don't know yet, so it'll be a surprise for all of us. And in case you think this has anything to do with it, the heartbeat has been consistently in the 130s. My midwife doesn't subscribe to that "tale", but it's a constant, just the same. And no, I'm not carrying any differently than with ANY of the others--male or female. So there you have it. Have fun guessing!

And if you REALLY wanna have a go of it, feel free to leave me some name suggestions! We have names, per se, but I'm not stuck on any of them. It gets a whole lot harder to do the name thing the more kids you have. And I've sorta put myself into a pickle with the fact that most of my names follow a pattern of some sort. Like, all 3 of the boys have Biblical names. Not common Biblical names, mind you, like John or Paul. But the more unused ones. So naming a potential 4th son is not very easy, you see. Because we can't just feel right about naming him "Trenton", or something trendy like that with all his brothers fitting into a different mold. Same with the girl name. Both of my girls have more classical sounding names. (I don't care what anyone says, "Michaela" is a very OLD name.) I don't think a girl with the moniker, "Jordyn" would fit very well.....do you? Not that I like that name, but, well, you get the point.

THE HOUSECOAT SCARE:

Housecoat=Robe. Robe=Housecoat. Yankee term=Southern term, and vice versa. Ok, now that we have that straight....

I was making my kids breakfast one morning recently. It was nice actually, because my kids mostly eat cereal these days (due to my HIGH lack of motivation to do anything AT ALL). But we were out of milk or cereal or something in that equation, and they had to eat. So I fixed them a hot breakfast. I was feeling very "Martha Stewart"-ish. We had eggs, sausage, toast, and oranges. Pretty rounded. Pretty.....pretty! It was like IHOP without the stainless steel napkin holders!

But unlike the sous chefs of the illustrious International House of Pancakes, I was wearing my robe (housecoat). And, no, I'm not talking a "moo-moo". Yes, I have one of those, and Yes, I think it's a great addition to my morning wardrobe even IF 80-year-old grannies wear them. But, no, I was wearing the BIG, FLUFFY, LONG-SLEEVED robe that I got as a Christmas gift a few years back. In case you can't picture it, it's a lot like those ones they put models for hot tubs in. You know.....those big white fluffy things? That's what I've got. Except MINE is Midnight Blue.....OH YEAH.

Welll....it WAS midnight blue. Now? Not so much....

See, because I was being a good Suzy Housewife and cooking eggs on my gas stove. On a little omelet pan. With the heat up kinda sorta HIGH. And my sleeves.....

Did you know that flapping your arms like wings when you're ON FIRE, kinda doesn't WORK?

I do.

Noooooowwwwwwwww.

But alls well, my dear readers. I got myself to the front door and threw that thing off on the concrete porch like a hot potato. And there it smoldered. And went out.

And once my heart stopped beating in the 200 range, I got out my moo-moo. And cooked those kids some eggs. And they ate them. And everything was as it should be.

Except for my big fluffy housecoat. It is now sporting a new hairdo---frosted brown OVER midnight blue.

Oh well. Just goes to show that you can't kill Midnight Blue that easily. It's just THE perfect color!

SPEAKING OF FIRE......

We recently got our fireplace up and going! It is sooooo nice! We had been putting it off for the longest time because we thought the chimney would be filthy. And we knew enough that you shouldn't start a fire when you have a dirty flue. So, we just couldn't figure out how we were going to get it cleaned to the point of using it. Some older, wiser gentlemen from our church agreed to help us sort it out, but we all got very busy, and it kept getting pushed into the background.

So one day, I was like, "Honey, we've GOT to get this thing up and running! Can't we do something??" And so he tried to tackle it on his own.

He opened up the flue and took a look at what we were getting ourselves into:

Nothing. No dirt whatsoever.

The chimney was the equivalent of "squeaky clean!" Hooray!

And just to be safe, we bought some powder stuff that you put into the fire to help remove any residue off the walls, if indeed there WAS some there. So all the bases were covered. We went out and picked up some firewood that day, and now my husband is an official "Pyromaniac."

But I love it. Total ambiance! There's nothing like that real wood smell, sound, and feel. We're all enjoying it immensely. It just makes the house feel "magical" and comfy. Just to turn off all the lights, have some Christmas music in the background, and a cup of hot chocolate in our hands on these insanely cold nights. Ahhhhh....

You need to come on over and "sit a spell"....you'll love it.

THE WHEELCHAIR SCANDAL:

Oh! THIS one gets my goat! I can't even go into it too much, because it just gets me all riled up. But let's just say that my insurance company gave me every indication that Michaela's CUSTOM (ie: unreturnable) wheelchair was PAID FOR----IN FULL, and yet they are NOW retracting that notion. They are saying that the cost of the wheelchair exceeded my benefit level. ARGGHHHH!

Oh, there's WAY more info here that I could be giving out, but I won't. It's just too much for my mind to wrap around right now. I've got a baby due in 2+ weeks, and I just don't need to be dealing and arguing with insurance companies right now. Oh, how about NEVER? I don't EVER want to have to be dealing with junk like this!

Haven't I had to fight enough this year? Sigh.

In case you were wondering, MY "portion" of the wheelchair bill is (cough) over 2K (cough, cough).....(HACK)....

...Yeah, the wheelchair that was SUPPOSED TO BE COVERED.

Ok, need a new topic....

OUR TRIP OF THE DECADE:

On to happier things! Our vacation was flat out SMOOTH! Just tops. I can't say enough wonderful-ish type things about it. We just had FUN. Pure, "adult"-erated (as opposed to un-adult-erated!) fun!

But we didn't have a cabin....:( We couldn't seem to snatch one before they were all taken up. Thanksgiving weekend seems to be pretty popular in the Smokies, and not only were A TON of cabins booked, but the ones that weren't were WAAAAYYYYY overpriced (compared to the following weekend!). Or they wanted us to stay 4 nights instead of the 3 we could. Either way, it was a no-go. I was sooooo bummed, to say the least.

However, a dear friend happened to have a coupon to a really nice hotel that she wasn't going to use. I figured it was worth a shot to see if we could get a nice room, at least (hey, we had to stay SOMEWHERE!). And we did. A REALLY nice room! It was a "King" suite, which of course means that it had a king-sized bed, but it also had 2 other things that made it "Sweet": a jacuzzi tub IN THE ROOM, and a fireplace IN THE ROOM. Ooo-La-La! Va-ree Niiiiiice! It was clean, and spacious, and just down the hall from the Continental breakfast buffet, which was very good as well. An all around 5 star accommodation, in my opinion. I think I liked it better than staying in the cabin! Just because of the housekeeping and breakfast. Can you say "Fresh Towels?"

We did a lot of shopping while we were there. They had outlet shops EVERYWHERE. It worked out well for us to be able to get a good portion of our Christmas shopping done. Sure, I had to sit down a lot and take plenty of breaks, but it was so fun to not be on a time schedule. We didn't have to worry about getting back for the babysitter. Poor Chris ended up being a sort-of pack horse, but he didn't seem to mind that much. Needless to say, our feet were KILLING us by the time we were done.

Oh...how awful! We had to fill up the jacuzzi! Such hardships we endured!

We also took the time to see some of the shows and attractions, and that was cool as well. Very family oriented area, and there wasn't much we had to turn our heads at. Which is always a bonus.

I told Chris that we'd be fools to not do this again. Soon. Like as soon as #6 is weaned. It was a learning experience-----that we just HAD to do more "alone time." It really helped us click. And we weren't feeling so worn-down when we got home. Just mentally rejuvenated, and feeling like a couple....

....not a couple with a half-dozen kids. I think that's important. At least SOME of the time.

THE END RESULT:

So there you have it. My past few weeks in a nutshell. Now, I'm just getting ready for the baby. Finishing putting together Christmas gifts. Trying to keep my mind off of labor. Of which, I thought I was NEVER doing again. Oh well.....such is life.

(and if you find any "ou"s instead of "you"s in this post....well, you were warned! I'm not responsible for it! LOL!)

Happy Holidays!

Hope y'all think this is as cute as I did! Enjoy your time with your families and friends.....and if you can, DO go on a Sleigh Ride or two......;)

Shave And A Haircut

In my boys' case, it's the same thing!

Now that Asher is a full-fledged boy (as opposed to a curly headed baby), we found that going to the barber to get haircuts was getting a bit pricey. $8-$9 a head when you've got four heads to remodel every month is just more than I wanted to spend. I mean, that's almost $40! And you KNOW I could find something nicer to do with $40 bucks!

So, Chris took it upon himself to start giving every male-child (including himself) their monthly workout. He had done his own head a couple of times in the past to save us a few bucks, but he really hadn't done much with the boys. For some reason, their hair doesn't grow as fast as his does, and so we could get by with not cutting theirs for far longer.

Unfortunately, my dear hubby is quite picky about his coif, and will only have it a certain way---military flat-top style. He's had this haircut since his junior year in HIGH SCHOOL. I must say, it suits me far better than the alternative. He just doesn't look right with longer hair. And now that it's been, oh, 15 years or so of the same style, his head won't tolerate the change. Everytime we try to do something a little different, and grow it out a bit, he ends up looking like a Q-tip. Yeah, not appealling.

So, since he's had to do it in the past, cutting his hair wasn't a big deal. BUT, cutting the boys' seemed to present a whole different ball game. They like to have their hair like their Daddy's, and that's fine, but as we all know, it's different doing something with someone else's hair, even though you do it with your own. He couldn't seem to get it right. Either they would end up with a bald spot somewhere, or an uneven patch somewhere else. He became increasingly frustrated each time he would try. And the boys.......well, they looked a little haphazard.

So I felt is was my turn to take a shot at it. Not that I had any CLUE what I was doing, but I figured I couldn't do a WORSE job.......

Well, I'm happy to report that it didn't go so bad the first time I tried it. The boys looked decent and presentable. It wasn't a style they would've picked out, but it was clean and shorter and nice. I mainly used scissors to do it because I was too scared to use the buzz clippers. But as you can probably tell, NOT using clippers means that the hair is longer, and therefore gets shaggy a lot quicker. Like, two weeks quicker. That was annoying. I had to psych myself into cutting their hair the first time, and now I had to do it again?!? Arggghhhhh!

So I was determined to use those clippers this time. I chose the second shortest setting on the sides and back, and the fourth shortest for the top. Making sure the border from one to the other was something I was concerned about. I didn't want it to look like they had a bowl of hair on the top of their scalp. Nor did I want them to have "scalloping" on the sides of their head!

And for the second time EVER cutting hair, I think it came out pretty good! I may be able to refine my technique a little the more I do it, but this is the tyoe of haircut I like on my boys, and I was actually able to do a really good job!

Well, at least I wouldn't have asked for my money back if the barber did a job like this.....

Poor Ashey looks a little bald, but I honestly did the exact same thing with him as I did with the other two. He just has really light colored hair!

Not bad for savin' myself a few bucks, eh?

It's An 8, Ladies And Gentlemen!

So, I know you all have been waiting for me to post about my trip.

As have I.

But I have this little annoying situation called a "sinus infection" that is really getting me down.

Let me rephrase that: A BIG ANNOYANCE.

This is one of the most painful illnesses that I have ever had. I will sometimes suffer from migraines, and those are horrific, but this is pretty close. The right side of my face is feeling as though it IS having a migraine---stabbing pain that just won't quit. It seems to scoff at Tylenol AND Advil, no matter what dosage I try. Oh, and forget bending over. My face just throbs and kills all the more. Same thing with sitting up from laying down: shooting pain.

I've never had a sinus infection before, and I'm very glad for it. My deepest condolences to those of you who have experienced this more than once! My particular version is affecting my cheek area and all the bones associated. Like my teeth. And around my eye. But I hear that it can also go across your nose and into your forehead. Uh uh. No thank you. I'll be grateful that I'm only dealing with the lower regions.

So, this is my newest addition to my pain scale:

On a scale of 1 to 10:

8-sinus infection
9-migraine headache
10-childbirth

Oh, which reminds me: A couple more days and I'll be at 36 weeks. That's right folks, only 4-6 more weeks to go until this baby makes it's grand entrance (and throws me into another episode of #10 scale pain).

4-6??? You say?

Yeah, didn't I tell you? I haven't gone early once yet. I've gone as long as 11 days late. The only time I had a baby before my due date, was when I was induced. That was a mess, and I won't do it again willingly. If I'm left to myself, they all come late. Usually only 2-4 days late, but late just the same. No biggy. I'll put off that "10" for a little while longer.

Right now, I'm just trying to get through this "8"......

Oh Ye Of Little Understanding

Noah: "So, Mom, when is it that we're going to the Smokies?"

Mom: (FILL IN THE BLANK)



Just hate to bust the poor thing's bubble like that....hehehehehe ;P

Tin and Aluminum

Traditional and modern.

These are supposedly the types of gifts you're supposed to get when you're celebrating your 10th anniversary. So, that would mean, if you're old-fashioned and you want to give a gift to someone who, say, will be celebrating said 10th anniversary, then you would want to pick out something like a tin decorative plate.

Or a tin can. That would work too.

And if you consider yourself to be the thoroughly modern millie type, then you might be more inclined to giving something like bakeware.

Or some Reynolds foil. Still qualifies.

Either way, you would be totally going against the grain if you gave something like, say, wood.

Because that's what you're supposed to give for someone's 5th anniversary. Something wooden.
No matter if you're traditional OR modern, it's the same.....wood. You would want to give them something like a bookshelf, or one of those cool and trendy wooden door mats.

But you wouldn't give them tin or aluminum.

See how this works? There's a method, here people. There's an acceptable way of doing things. A socially acceptable methodology. It's easy. It's predictable. Don't complicate it. Take out the guesswork and just let yourself be guided in these matters. That would be my advice.

At least if you asked me two days ago.

***

But, you know, it's always kinda nice when someone doesn't take your advice, or even "go with the flow," and it works in your favor. Like, for instance, if your husband thought it would be nice to get you that doormat on your first anniversary, instead of the newspaper he's supposed to. Or a bookshelf instead of a book. I mean, that's really nice! Who would complain about that?

Not I, says Kelly, not I.

And such is the way with my anniversary this year. It would be my 10th. 10 years. That's huge. I mean that's a loooooong time. That's the same as the difference between a 10-year-old and a 20-year-old! 2nd grade and 12th grade!

Saints alive! That's a crazy amount of timeage there!

Not to mention the 5, almost 6 little humans that have come to be somewhat acceptable members of society since then. That's nothing to sneeze at. Apple computers started with 2 guys......I've got 6 people here to invent stuff!

(Oh, and believe-you-me, they are practicing.....big time......ahem)


Back to the point:

So we'll be celebrating 10 years of marriage on the 23rd (yes, I know, it's Thanksgiving Day. Thanks for reminding me that I'm sharing such a wonderful occasion with a dead turkey and acorn squash--ick.). It was a really pretty day back then. Slightly chilly, but nothing my grandmother's fur couldn't handle. We got married around 4:30 pm in a candlelight ceremony, and it was spectacular. Short, sweet and to the point. I have oodles of pictures of practically every moment until we left the reception. People still tell us how much of a memorable wedding it was.

And thank God, we're still together to cherish such commentary.

So, I told Chris that we really needed to do something for such a momentous occasion. There had been plenty of anniversaries where we simply went out to eat, or even just exchanged cards. Which is fine, really, when it's your 3rd anniversary. Or your 7th. But the 10th.....now, you really don't skimp on a number like that!

And in my mind, there needed to be a good helping of aloneness involved in whatever we decided to do. I mean, a SERIOUS amount of aloneness.

More than just the typical, "you're snoring over there and I'm reading over here while the kids sleep" kinda aloneness.

I was talking more like, "different time zone from the kids" kinda aloneness. Yeah, THAT kind.

However, when you've been married 10 years, and you have 5 almost 6 kids, and you just bought a house, the funds for previously mentioned aloneness adventures isn't always there. That's just a fact of life.

So you get creative. And I felt as though I had come up with the perfect little get-a-way for the Slug-Killer and me. It involves camping, food, fun, and plenty of aloneness. All for the incredible price of.....

Not much! HoooAhhhh!

Not that there was going to be any frills, mind you. I mean, "camping" and "extravagance" just don't meet in the middle. But that was ok. You don't try to dwell on what you can't have, ya know? Not that we didn't look into it. See if it wasn't plausible. Possible. Pinch here, finagle there. Yet, it didn't look good. No big deal.

But frills would be niiiiiiiice.....

Especially when it's your 10tthhththththth

***

So when my Mom called yesterday, and we were catching up, I was mentioning our plans. Because I'm really excited about this "getting away" expedition. Because we'll be ALONE. Yeah!

And I commented on the frills aspect, and how just out of reach it would be for us, because she's my MOM, and girls tell their MOM stuff like that. And I promise you, it was INNOCENT!

But her, being the Mom she is, thought, "Well, how 'bout your Dad and I help you splurge on some frills? For an anniversary gift?"

Well, I'll tell you people, first off, you don't have a Mom and Dad half as wonderful as I do. It's not possible. Secondly, if you live near my Mom and Dad, and you're reading this, PLEASE give them a big hug from me and Chris!

Because THIS is the little frill we're now able to enjoy:

It's called "Alone in the Woods"......(ALONE! In the WOODS! And we're not even camping! Hehehehehehe!)

Do you even THINK that I'm gonna complain about our 10th anniversary gift being made of WOOD?!?!?

Not I, says Kelly, not I!