Habits

They say that if you do something for 21 days straight, it becomes a habit. If that's true, then I have a habit of blogging everyday since I have officially blogged for 30 days straight. I started the month with the intention to blog everyday, but had decided that if I didn't, that was okay, too.

A lot has happened this month and I'm glad that I have just a little of it written down to help me remember. Some of my blogs were serious and some silly. Some long and some short. Some well written, some not so much. But they are what they are. A snapshot of a month in the life (and mind) of me. The ups and downs. Work and play. Just life.

So I hope those of you who stop by have enjoyed reading a new blog everyday for a month. I'll try to blog often but no promises about everyday. At least until next November.

Counting

I watched "White Christmas" for the first time last weekend. I love when Bing Crosby sings the song about counting your blessings instead of sheep to fall asleep. It's not time to sleep yet (although I could go for a nap), but today is one of those days when I need to count my blessings. So here are a few that I feel most blessed by today.

1. my family is healthy...and happy
2. I have a job that I love (most days)
3. I have people in my life who really care about me
4. I have very good snow tires on my car
5. my husband does the outside stuff in winter
6. I can get up everyday and care for my family and myself
7. I have hope for today and forever

See, I already feel better. It works every time. :)

That Darn Barometer

Today I had to deal with 14 snow-hyped kindergarteners with 14 pairs of snowpants, 28 gloves, 14 zippers, and 28 snow boots (and three little girls with the exact same boots in sizes 9, 10, and 11). After recess, the hall outside my classroom looked like the kid's department at Target exploded. Said kindergarteners also got in trouble for throwing snow balls, not lining up when the whistle blew, and pinching. (Okay, only one got in trouble for pinching.) They also decided that they no longer have to raise their hands to speak in class and can eat candy whenever they want. (Okay, there was only one with the candy. Pockets full and pockets full of candy.) And apparently none of the rules of standing in line apply once there is snow on the ground.

I haven't figured it out, even after 11 years of teaching, why snow on the ground outside somehow changes everything inside the building, too. It must be something with the barometric pressure. But if you know how to stop it, please, please let me know.

And people wonder why I pray for no snow until Christmas break.

August

The post a few days ago about music actually started out to be about the movie "August Rush," but it became it's own post. So here's the post about the movie. The first time I saw the preview for "August Rush," I knew that it was a movie that I would love. When the preview makes me cry, I know the movie has got to be good. And it was. I laughed and cried and cheered for August.

The movie is about an eleven year old boy who has been separated from his parents since birth. He is played by the amazing Freddie Highmore. From the opening scene when this boy is standing in a field of tall grass directing the orchestra he was hearing in the nature around him, I loved him. August turns out to be a sweet, brilliant child and before long I wanted to adopt him myself.

He ends up going out into the world looking for his lost parents because he can hear their music and thinks that if he makes music too, they will be able to hear him and find him. He has adventure after adventure searching for his parents. And finds out a lot about himself and the world on the way.

But the best part of the movie is the music. The music from instruments. The music from the world. The music from everything. August sees the world with his ears. And throughout the movie, that's how I saw it, too.

Today's Cliches

1. The pregnant woman was craving dill pickles and went searching the school kitchen for a jar of said snacks. None were to be found. (Well, there were dill slices, but that just wouldn't do.)

2. Adam lost a tooth at lunch while eating an apple. (Then he lost another at 2:00 recess. Yes, two in one day. I think that deserves a tooth fairy bonus!)

Just A Note

If you know me at all or have read my blog very often, you know that I love music. I love to sing. I love to listen. I love rock and gospel and country and jazz and classical. I love that my boys love music. I love that my husband knows all the lyrics, artists and titles to pretty much any song recorded in the 80's. I love to sing in the car and have often gotten funny looks from those stopped beside me at stoplights because I will sing my heart out if it's the right song. I have sung to my children their entire lives and would make up lullabies for them in the middle of those long nights of infanthood. We sing before bed. We sing while we do chores. We sing together at church. Music has always been a part of my life.

You know how they say smells bring back memories. For me it's music. If I hear old gospel music, it reminds me of my grandpa who was always singing and playing records of southern gospel groups. And of Sunday mornings when I was a teenager and my dad would play gospel songs on the record player while we got ready for church. If I hear "Santa Baby" and "Thistlehair the Christmas Bear" I think of my sister and how we sat one day and recorded Christmas songs off the radio and how we have listened to that tape every year since then. If I hear "Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel, it reminds me of the last high school choir concert of my sophomore year. I had just found out that I had made jazz choir for the following year and was so excited to be a part of the group that was singing that song. And if I hear "Mack the Knife" or "Good Day Sunshine" I remember those early morning choir classes and the fun we had performing. When I hear "When I'm With You" I remember falling in love with my husband and how that totally awesome 80's song was our song. If I hear "Open My Eyes" I think of my wedding day and how the hot candle wax dripped on my thumb during the candle lighting and Arrty told me that it would be okay. And I knew that it would be. If I hear "Cowboy Take Me Away" I think of Josh as a baby and how I would sing that song to him as I held him in my arms and danced around the living room. And how I did the same with Adam when I heard the song "Wrapped Up In You." When I hear "Here I Am To Worship" I think of the Saturday when I attended Women Of Faith and cried because it was five days after my car accident and I was truly glad to be there to worship.

I've learned that I can't sing when I'm depressed. And that I sing louder when I'm especially happy. I've learned that music can say things that I just don't have the right words for. I've learned that music can calm a crying child and bring laughter to the whole family. I've learned that music can bring people together like nothing else.

And I've learned that no matter where I am and what's happening in my life, music will be a part of it. Even if it's only in my heart.

Bon Voyage

My sister and her Adam are on their honeymoon. Yes, they got married last summer but decided to wait until now to cruise the Mexican Riviera. Which sounds like a great idea to me considering it's below freezing at my house right now. But it made me think about traveling and some of the places that I would like to go. Here are a few:

Ireland--I've long been fascinated by Ireland. Maybe it was all those historical romance novels that I read back in the day that were set in some ancient castle with a strong, handsome lord who was just charming enough to win the fair maiden. Or maybe it's because when my ancestors came to this country their last name started with O'. Either way, any time I think of travel, Ireland is the first place that comes to mind.

Hawaii--I mostly just want to go to Hawaii just to say I've been there. And it looks so beautiful on TV. Plus, I love a good beach.

Zoo tour--I would love to take my family on a road trip around the country to visit all the great zoos and aquariums. Our family loves animals and I've always thought it would be fun to just spend several weeks seeing the country and visiting the zoos. The tricky part would be going at just the right time when the kids are old enough to enjoy it but not so old that they whine about being in a car with mom and dad for weeks. This will be especially tricky with the newby.

Bible lands--This trip is a little worrisome because of the unrest in that part of the world, but if it's ever safe, I would love to visit the places mentioned in the Bible. How cool would it be to walk where Jesus walked and see the seas and mountains that he saw? There's also a zoo in Jerusalem that has all the animals that are named in the Bible. Except maybe the leviathan.

Africa--You know when you watch those nature shows with African safaris and there are trucks driving around and all of a sudden they see a herd of elephants or zebras or giraffes? That would be so fun. I would love to go just for the pictures I'd come home with.

Washington, D.C.--The history in this city would be amazing to a history buff like me. To see the artwork and writings from the beginning of our country would be amazing. The Smithsonian would be my first stop. I'm sure I could spend days and days just wandering around looking at old, dusty documents.

This is a short list as I'm sure that there are many more places I'd love to see. But this is a good start for whenever I find the time and money.

And So It Was

Some of the best parts of Thanksgiving (in no particular order):

1. laughing
2. snackies
3. pictionary and buzz word
4. Ada's yummy mashed potatoes and gravy
5. mom's dressing
6. family, including new brother in law's family and an old family friend
7. taking pictures
8. sunshine
9. the smells of a feast
10. my boys saying that they are most thankful for good parents and family and friends

Happy Thanksgiving

I have been looking forward to this day for weeks. It's not because of the parades or the football games or even the turkey dinner. It's because I know that I get to spend the day laughing and sharing with my favorite people. I know that when I walk into mom's warm, welcoming house this afternoon I will be hugged by those people and surrounded by the familiar smells of so many Thanksgivings before. I love tradition. And Thanksgiving is one of our most traditional holidays. I know that there will be story telling. I know that there will be laughter. I know that there will be two kinds of turkey (roasted and smoked) and mom's yummy dressing and pea salad and pumpkin pie. I know that dad will cut the turkey with the electric knife that they've had forever and that Arrty will stand ready to catch any pieces that fall onto the counter. I know that the boys will be excited and have to be told to settle down at least twice. I know that I will set the table and everyone will help in their own way. I know that the food will be delicious and that I will have seconds of mashed potatoes and gravy. I know that after dinner, we will sit down and look at the ads for tomorrow's big sales whether we intend to go shopping or not. I know that today is the day that the Christmas wish list goes up on mom's fridge for everyone to make their list.

And I know, without a doubt, that I will leave after several hours of this wonderfulness, with a full tummy and a full heart.

Picture Day

Today was picture day for our family. We had an appointment at Sears for the boys first thing this morning. They did great and we ended up with some super cute pictures of them together and individually. I did find out one thing, though. Adam's eyes almost close when he smiles---just like mine. :)

The lady that took their pictures has been there since the first time we took Josh for pictures 8 years ago. She recognizes me when I go in and today specifically assigned the other girl to the other family that was there so that she could take the boys' pictures. I thought that was pretty cool until she confessed that she took them because the other family had a baby and she knew the boys would be easier. Whatever. She takes the best pictures anyway.

Also she always tries to sell me the $200 package when I go in intending to spend $75. Every once in a while she gets me to buy the extras, but today I did well. I only bought a few extra sheets at $2.99 each because they were such great pictures at such a great price. And it's so hard not to buy pictures of your kids when they're right there looking so adorable.

After that we had a doctor's appointment for an ultrasound. I was a little apprehensive just because you never really know what's going on in there. The whole family got to go into the room and the lady explained that she was just going take some measurements to get an accurate due date. They apparently like to do that for repeat c-sections and now is the best time to measure. So she squirted some stuff on my tummy and started. Within seconds, there it was. A tiny, little 2 inch baby. My baby. Growing inside me. The boys were so excited. They oohed and aahed and couldn't believe what they were seeing. Before I knew it, there was a tear sliding down my cheek. I looked at Arrty and he was smiling from ear to ear. And so we all four watched as our baby was measured. We were shown the spine and eye sockets and heart beating. And got the hear the heartbeat as well. It was 162 beats per minute.

I thought to myself that the baby wasn't moving and watched and waited for some activity. And just like that, he or she woke up and started waving and kicking like crazy. Josh said, "Cool," and Adam giggled. They both loved it . So did I. It was amazing. Just as amazing as the first two times with the boys. The lady doing the ultrasound was great and told Josh and Adam that the baby was waving at it's big brothers. She also gave them their own pictures of the baby. I was so relieved to hear the heartbeat and see the baby move. It's just good to know that everything's going the way it's supposed to.

I was also relieved to see that there was only one baby in there. Everybody else thinks it would be so cool for me to have twins. But one baby at a time is plenty for me at my advanced maternal age. :)

So it was picture day. I have pictures of my 3 children to show off at Christmas. And can I just say that they are the cutest ones I've ever seen. Even the one that looks like a peanut with arms.

Mornings

This morning I saw, once again, how different my sons are from each other. When I went in to wake them up, Josh moaned and dramatically rolled over and covered his head. His way of saying, "Not yet." Adam, who usually wakes up on his own, stretched and smiled and sat up. Then I reminded Josh that today was the last day of school for the week and we get five days off. He said, "Oh, yeah! Five days off!" Adam said, "I don't want five days off!" Adam ate breakfast, Josh didn't. Josh wore his jacket and hood. I had to warn Adam of frost bite before he would wear his.

So as you can see, they have very different ideas about things. I have to admit that I have to side with Josh on the subject of getting up when it's still dark. And on the fact that we have five days off from school. Woo hoo!

I am so looking forward to a mini vacation with my family. And not having to wake the boys up early.

American Music Awards

Here are some observations I made during the show last night:

1. Daughtry rocks! More specifically, Chris Daughtry rocks. He writes amazing songs, performs them with that great voice, and looks good doing it. He is also loyal to the band that he was with long before Americal Idol and turned down the lead singer job with an established band to risk it all with these guys. And he never lets anyone forget that Daughtry is a band, not just a guy. Pretty cool. They won the first award of the night last night, breakthrough artist. He gave a great speech thanking the fans and God and the band members' "wives for doing the real work of being at home and taking care of the kids." How cool is that? They went on to win the adult contemporary award and the pop/rock group award. And then topped off the show with a great acoustic performance of "Home." I even stayed up until 11:00 to see it. Not much can keep me up past 9:30 these days. But it was so worth it.

2. How cute are the Jonas Brothers? They had hundreds of 13 year old girls screaming their little hearts out. And the lead singer was channeling Mick Jagger last night. He had the outfit and the moves.

3. I'm not a big Celine Dion fan, but I really liked her new song, "Taking Chances." She came really close to rocking the house. Strange but true.

4. There are some young singers with amazing voices. Rihanna and Alicia Keys to name two.

5. Duran Duran still sounds like Duran Duran. I hate it when bands "come back" with a completely different sound. Their new song is cool and they also sang "Hungry Like The Wolf" which was great. And John is still the cute one.

6. Where else on earth could you see Carrie Underwood hugging Slash? She hid her fear well. She only looked a little alarmed.

7. Whatever happened to last names? Fergie, Rihanna, Beyonce, Usher, Akon, Fantasia?

8. Special thanks to Fergie for bringing boyfriend Josh Duhamel to the show. He was the icing on the top of the Chris Daughtry cake. :)

Not So Ordinary

My husband has been teaching a class on the life of Jesus on Sunday mornings at church. Today's class was about those who followed him, the twelve apostles and the early disciples. I have long found these men and women interesting. Especially the original 12 who were hand picked by Jesus to travel with him and learn during his ministry. I love the fact that they were ordinary men, from all walks of life, with all different personalities. I think this was very intentional by Christ. Now, and for the last 2000 years, Christians can look at these men and see themselves in them. Maybe you're a little hot headed. So were James and John, the sons of thunder. Maybe you're not well educated. Neither were most of the twelve. Maybe you speak before you think. So did Peter. Maybe you need to see to believe. So did Thomas. These men were just like us.

Something else that I thought about as I sat in class this morning is that even though these men went through persecution and, the majority, martyrdom, they held fast to their beliefs. None fell away from Christ (with the exception of Judas). They lived their lives serving the Lord and most died upholding his name. Amazing. John alone lived to see old age and died of natural causes. But even then he died on the Island of Patmos teaching others about Jesus Christ.

The Word of God is so wonderful. It teaches us who he is, who and what his son did, and about so many who have had the same faith that I do today. And when I read about those men and women who spoke to Jesus and held his hand as they prayed before a meal and sat on the hill side listening to his voice, it makes me long for the day when I can do the same for all eternity.

Random Thoughts

1. Pregnant women should not go shopping when they're hungry. I ended up with a huge jar of dill pickles, Johnsonville Beddar Cheddar hot dogs and the expensive buns, a cheddar and bacon cheese ball, and a pound of monterey jack cheese. (Am I seeing a pattern with the cheese?) I did, however, resist the coconut cake and the tortilla chips and cheese dip. Barely.

2. Is it wrong that at this very minute I am allowing my children to play outside in the big puddle in our driveway in their brand new snow boots?

3. I love a good bargain. Last night I stopped in Kohl's because I had gotten a $10 gift card in the mail. I ended up getting 2 gameboy games for the boys for Christmas for $3.70. What a deal. (Kohl's is not a store I will shop at often, though. Too expensive for me even after their 50% off sales.)

4. I love Saturdays like today. No schedule. No pressure. And time to read and take a nap.

5. There are six 100 piece puzzles on my living room floor that Adam has put together since last night. He gets that from his dad. I do not have the attention span for puzzles.

6. I love it that my boys like to watch old cartoons like Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and Scooby Doo.

7. I am so glad that today's precipitation is rain and not snow. I hope that it doesn't snow until Christmas vacation.

Show and Tell

*two skinned pterodactyls and a King Kong action figure
*toy microphone
*stuffed doggy that has a habit of falling out of bed and has friends in California
*children's digital camera (pink and green, actually kind of cool)
*collectible doll named Alice
*book with "a whole bunch of pages in it," toy cell phone, a Hello Kitty notebook
*a little jar of gold floating in water (After which an argument broke out over whether or not gold is real.)
*an "ear-rin" stand--You know, "ear-rins." The jewelry that girls put in the holes in their ears.
*a huge stuffed bunny that was a gift from Aunt Cindy
*a pink princess Bible complete with bling covered buckle
*a baby doll that moves and giggles that "My mom got for $50!"

Music In The Air

I watched the Country Music Awards last weekend and am looking forward to the American Music Awards on Sunday. As I watched all the great acts (Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Jamie Foxx, The Eagles, Brooks and Dunn), it made me think of the concerts that I have gone to. They are:

Richard Marx (It was the 80's)
Little River Band and America (outdoor concert with a bunch of people way older than us)
Garth Brooks (joined on stage by Trisha Yearwood)
Dixie Chicks (they rocked then and now)
Jodee Mecina (opening act was Rascal Flatts)
Hootie and the Blowfish (so fun, their last concert of the tour)
The Gaithers (with my mom)

It's not a huge list, but it's a good one. There are so many that I would like to see, though. Like:

Daughtry (my favorite)
Bon Jovi (good old stuff, good new stuff)
Aerosmith (Hello! Steven Tyler)
Brooks and Dunn (great songs)
Dave Matthews (more great songs)
Alison Kraus (and hope a little of her talent travels through the air to me)
Santana (amazing music)
Duran Duran (They have new music!)

I'm sure there are lots more, but these are the top of the list. Until they come to Spokane I'll just have to enjoy their performances on the small screen. Daughtry's up for a bunch of AMAs and is performing at the show. Yeah!

Today's "5 Things to be Happy About"

*visualization
*sneaking a kiss
*chandeliers in a hotel
*making progress on a project
*fail-safe dinners for busy days

Realization

First, let me say that I promise that every post between now and June will not be about being pregnant. But this one is.

Yesterday I went in to have blood drawn for routine prenatal tests. I got right in but was dreading the procedure. I have had it done many times and know it's not a big deal, but still. There is a needle and blood involved. As the lady was preparing my arm for the needle, and I sat there worrying over the little poke, I realized that this was so just the beginning of what is going to be done to me over the next 6 1/2 months. There will be stretching and numerous other things happening to my body that you know about if you've been there and don't want to hear about if you haven't. The baby is going to sit on my bladder and kick me in the kidneys. There will be all kinds of poking and prodding done by doctors and nurses. They are going to measure my belly. And weigh me ALL THE TIME. And then, to top it all off, they are going to stick a needle in my spine, cut me open, and pull a person out of me.

So, now that I think about it, having blood drawn isn't so bad.

Questions, Questions

Here are the questions you get asked when you are a 35 year old mother of two elementary aged sons when people find out that you are pregnant.

1. Was it a surprise? (No, it was planned. It was, however, postponed for a year due to the craziness of the last year.)
2. Do you want a girl this time? (It might be nice to see what it's like. But I already have the boy thing down, so another boy would be okay, too. Plus I would be able to refer to "my three sons.")
3. Do you still have your baby stuff? (No, except for a couple of diapers I found under the bathroom sink and few stray sippy cups. When Adam was two, we sold everything thinking we were done having kids. Plans change I guess.)
4. Are you going to find out if it's a boy or girl? (Yes. We didn't find out with Josh, which was really fun. We did find out with Adam, which helped me bond with him before he was born. And this time everyone is wanting to know as soon as possible, including me. We should be able to find out sometime around the beginning of the year.)
5. When is the baby due? (The due date is June 6th, but it will be scheduled a week or so earlier. I'm really hoping to be able to wait until June. We'll see what happens.)
6. Are you excited? (Yes, more and more every day.)
7. Are the boys excited? (Very. They are already planning what they can teach the baby and giving name suggestions.)
8. How are you feeling? (Mostly good. There's some morning and evening sickness. But it hasn't been too bad so far.)
9. Are you going to have more? (Umm, no. I'm already at advanced maternal age. This one is it!)
10. Are you crazy? (Mostly I ask this of myself and the answer is yes, just a little bit.)

Five Good Things About This Weekend

1. A whole Saturday and Sunday with nothing planned.
2. The majority of time was spent in my pajamas.
3. I got a nap both days.
4. I was finally able to get Mexican food which I've been craving for days.
5. I watched movies and played games with my family.

Thanks

I remember when my boys were babies and were first learning to talk. As soon as they could say anything, we tried to get them to say "thank you." We even taught them baby signs before they could talk and they both used the one for thank you. I would remind them to, "Say thank you," if someone gave them a graham cracker or said they were the cutest thing they'd ever seen or when I picked up the toy they threw from the high chair for the 27th time. And then when they were two or three years old I'd remind some more, but every once in a while, they'd say it on their own. By the time they were four or five, they would almost always remember to say "thank you." And now it's just a given. It comes naturally. At the grocery story. At restaurants. And grandma's house. At school. Even to me. They say thank you when they should. All those reminders over the years have paid off. They both have pretty good manners.

As I thought about this, it reminded me of how God does the same thing for us. His word is full of thanksgiving scriptures. It's like he's telling us over and over, "Say thank you. Say thank you for what you have and who you are and what I've done. Say thank you to each other and to me." And I know that with me, he's had to remind me over and over. But as I've gotten older, his reminders haven't had to come so often. It comes naturally for me to look at my husband or my children and just feel this strong sense of gratitude. And sometimes with a quick prayer to heaven, I say "thank you." I couldn't fit the list of what I'm thankful for on this page. My life is so full of blessings, seen and unseen, that it would take me all day just to put them into words.

One of my favorite ways to pray is a "thank you prayer." It's when I say thank you to God. I don't ask for anything. I don't say anything but thank you and tell him just what I am grateful for. It's not as easy as it sounds. It is easy to say thank you, but there's always something that could follow. "Thank you for my sons. Could you please..." Then I remember. No requests today. Just thanks. This kind of prayer is also the longest. I never run out of things to thank God for. "Thank you for giving me all that I need. Thank you for saying that I'm beautiful in your sight. Thank you for picking me up for the 27th time."

And I know, now more than ever, that living a life of thanksgiving is the only way to live. And why wouldn't I? I'm going to heaven! And until then I can practice saying thank you for the day when I see the Father face to face, and with tears in my eyes, whisper, "Thank you."

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. --Psalm 18:1

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. --Psalm 100:4

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. --Philippians 4:6-7

Conferences

Today is parent/teacher conference day. It's always good to sit down with my students' parents one on one and discuss their child. Sometimes it's the only time I really get to see or talk to them. Even some kindergarten parents drop their kids off and pick them up without ever getting out of the car. And a few only step into my classroom a few times a year. So, even though conferences aren't my favorite part of teaching, they are a good thing for the students and the parents.

I have a few challenges in my class this year, both academic and behaviorally. But the good thing is that usually the parents know what's coming. They know their child, so when I tell them that they have trouble focusing or have been in trouble for hitting, it's no big surprise. But sometimes I will give a really good report to a parent and they are speechless. They look at the name on the report card just to make sure that we're talking about the same child. Some kids who are little angels at school apparently aren't at home.

So Monday starts a new quarter with new lessons and new things to learn. And a few new things for me to try to overcome those challenges. I'll let you know how it goes.

Happy

On my desk I have one of those calendars that you tear a page from everyday. It is "5 Things to Be Happy About." I like it because everyday there is at least one thing that I really am happy about. Here are some of my favorites from this week so far.

*matinees
*apple pie and ice cream
*time to be quiet
*a room filled with loved ones
*the right to vote
*sketches in your journal
*meditating on the morning commute
*chicken pot pie in a flaky crust
*standing up for a friend
*collapsing on a soft mattress
*dipping a finger in the peanut butter
*sliding into slippers

All such good things to make me happy. The one that would make me the most happy at this very moment: collapsing on a soft mattress. (I really need a nap.)

More Cupcakes

Today's birthday treat: cupcakes baked in ice cream cones and "birthday party" ice cream (vanilla ice cream with blueberry swirls and party shaped sprinkles).

I'm so glad that tomorrow is a teacher work day. Not only will I be able to do all those things that never seem to get done during school days, but I am guaranteed that there will be no cupcakes in my classroom.*

Kathy, don't even think about putting a cupcake on my desk before I get there!

Cupcakes For Everyone!

I have had 3 birthdays in my class in the past 4 days. I only have 14 students, so three birthdays so close together is kind of strange. But more than that, it means 3 days of cookies or cupcakes or parties. Not to mention invitations to weekend parties. This all adds up to kindergarten overload. To combat the sugar and excitement, I have created a new seating chart, shortened free time and declared war on any talk of birthdays except by the actual birthday child.

On the up side, most parents send an extra cupcake for me. Today's cupcakes are chocolate with chocolate frosting. And they're homemade, too.

Bargain Of The Day

I like to share bargains. So here's a good one. If you go to Albertson's and buy 10 boxes of General Mills cereal and/or fruit snacks, you get a certificate for two free tickets to "Bee Movie." Even better is that these products are on sale for $2.00 each. So for $20.oo today I got 7 boxes of cereal, 3 boxes of fruit by the foot, and two movie tickets. Not bad considering the tickets would cost $19.oo at the theater.

But a word of caution. Be sure to get the right products including the size of the boxes of cereal. I had to go through a refund and re-ring to get my tickets. But it all worked out. And I'm pretty sure that tomorrow is the last day of the sale.

Oh yeah, and save your box-tops and send them to Coeur d' Alene Christian School.

AMA

It's been brought up in a couple of previous posts that I'm pregnant. I am almost 10 weeks pregnant which isn't long for most people, but for me it's been 10 weeks since I've known. I remember on the drive to church one Sunday thinking to myself, "I'm pregnant." There were no signs and it could have only been a few days after conception, but somehow I knew. And if you think about it, I'm over 1/4 through my pregnancy. Especially since it will be a scheduled c-section somewhere around week 38. I'm really hoping that the doctors will let me wait until June. The actual due date is June 6th and I really want to have a June baby since I already have a May baby (Adam). But we'll see what happens. Either way I will miss at least the last week of school which wasn't really what we had planned, but God answers prayers on his timing, not mine. So here I am. A mother of an 8 year old and a 6 year old and expecting a baby. I really thought we'd only have two children, but, once again, my heart didn't listen to my mind. And I really felt like we were meant to have another child.

So now to my story. A few weeks ago I went to my first doctor's visit. I only saw the nurse and it was really just to fill out paperwork and give her my medical history. After pages of names and dates and yes, I have asthma, no, I don't have diabetes, she took me into an exam room to go over her list of stuff. She asked me about my other pregnancies and deliveries. (Even she was surprised about the 32 hours of labor with Josh.) And she told me a whole bunch of stuff that I already knew. "Whatever you eat or drink, the baby eats or drinks." "If anything weird happens call the doctor." I remembered most everything from before. And everything was going just fine until she brought out the AMA paperwork. AMA stands for "advanced maternal age." ADVANCED MATERNAL AGE! I know that I'm 35. I know that I'm probably a little older than most other pregnant moms. But come on! Advanced! I don't know about that. Basically what she told me about being AMA was that I have the option for genetic testing and counseling and other tests that might determine if there are any problems with the baby. Since then I have come to accept that I am AMA and that's okay. I knew how old I was when we made the decision to have another baby. (We were actually trying to have the baby last year before I was AMA, but that's a different story.) So what if I'm 35. So what if I will have two children in middle school and one in kindergarten. So what if I will be 54 years old when this one graduates....Okay, I'll stop there.

I admit that it's scary. Just like the first two times. But also like before, I already love this child that God has so graciously loaned to me. And no matter how old I am, I pray that I can be the mother that all my children need. Even if I do need a walker to attend his or her wedding.

Seattle

After the ACSI conference, four of us drove to Seattle to spend Friday night and Saturday. I just have to say that I love Seattle. I don't like everything about it, of course, but there is just so much to do and so many interesting places and people.

On Friday night, we did something that none of us had ever done before. We ate dinner at "Sky City," the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle. There are a few unique things about this restaurant. First of all, it is 500 feet in the air overlooking downtown Seattle. And secondly it rotates so that over the course of dinner we were able to see the entire city of Seattle at least twice. It completes a full circle every 47 minutes although it seemed much faster to me. I have to admit that it was just a little unnerving when we first sat down. You can definitely feel the rotation and I was a little worried about being able to eat while spinning. But it all worked out just fine and made for great memories.

This is the Space Needle at about 8:30 on Friday night just before we went up to have dinner.

You might be a redneck if you take pictures of your $36 chicken dinner before you eat it. There is a $35 per person minimum at Sky City, otherwise you have to pay the $16 fee to ride up to the top. We thought we might as well eat up there. We had to eat anyway. The chicken was good and I saved half and had it the next night, too.

I never got a really good picture from the restaurant, but this gives you a little bit of an idea of our view. It was pretty amazing.

On Saturday we headed down to the piers. It was a gray day (no big surprise), but we had a lot of fun shopping, eating and watching people. One of my favorite things on the piers is Ivar's. It's a seafood restaurant with a sit down place inside and a fast food stand outside. We really just wanted fish and chips, so we ordered outside and sat at the tables they have available in a little pavilion. Ivar's has the best fish and chips and I wasn't disappointed this day. There are lots of gulls around, which is to be expected, and we saw a guy trying to feed a fry to one. Which wouldn't have been unusual except that he had the fry in his mouth! The gulls were smarter than he was and he wasn't successful.

One of my very favorite places is Pike Street Market. It's crowded and loud and smells like fish. And I love it! It also makes for great pictures.

I really wanted to buy flowers this day, but wasn't sure how they would do on the trip home. Look how beautiful they were.

This is a monk fish that one of the seafood vendors had on display. They had a string attached to the tail and when someone got close, they'd pull it and move the fish and scare the poor person to death. (It was pretty funny.)

The fish mongers are great. It's half market, half show. They throw twenty pound salmon around and call back and forth and play for the crowd. It's really fun to watch. I was thrilled to get a picture of the fish in midair. Pretty cool.

I love all the colors in the produce markets. And on this particular day I was craving fruit and bought strawberries and satsumas. They were delicious.

This vendors display of hanging peppers and garlic is just beautiful. The colors and smells are amazing. I bought one of these for my mom and dad for a souvenir. The peppers dry in nine months and you can eat them fresh or dried.

Later Saturday afternoon we went back to the Space Needle and walked around the park that surrounds it. More shopping and people watching. Our hotel was only three blocks away which was very convenient. (Can someone tell me how to rotate this picture?)

We spotted a Starbucks and just had to have Starbucks in Seattle. But as we walked in, we saw that we were in a big mall kind of a thing with a food court and stage. They just happened to be having a Turkish festival that weekend and we were able to enjoy a show while we drank our Starbucks. See, you never know just what you might see in Seattle!

So, as you can see, we had lots of fun in Seattle. There are more stories like the hugging street musician, the midnight walk, the half-off souvenirs, and the visit with Sylvester. But those will have to wait 'til another time. Now I have to go see if I can find some fish and chips in Coeur d' Alene that will begin to compare to Ivar's. Wish me luck.

Today's Show and Tell

*1 "lipstick" complete with demonstration on how to apply (actually it was chapstick that I think her mom found in her purse before school)
*1 stuffed polar bear named Siberia that does tricks
*1 Hello Kitty flashlight (with 3 minute explanation on how to turn it on and off)
*1 Batman figure, 1 robot, a magnetic Frankenstein and zombie, and 1 electronic game all pulled from a variety of choices in a backpack
*1 Bratz movie in a purse (An argument ensued on whether there is 1 Sasha or 2 in this particular film. I have a feeling that 1 Sasha would be enough.)
*1 stuffed horse (white and pink, of course)
*1 Spiderman web shooter with all the webs "wasted"
*1 stuffed penguin from the book fair
*1 toy police car with opening trunk and doors and a Lego guy that fits inside
*1 stuffed dog with a purple carrying case (also does tricks)

1 Down, 29 To Go

Today starts NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). And the fact that I knew just what Katrina was talking about when she reminded me earlier this week was just a little frightening. I have been a blogger for almost a year, so I guess it's okay that I'm the tiniest bit of a blog nerd.

For NaBloPoMo, bloggers are supposed to blog every day for the month of November. It doesn't sound hard because I have a blog running through my head at least ten times a day. The hard part, though, is actually putting words to keyboard and getting it posted. But I'm going to try. I certainly don't have a lack of topics--kids, kindergarteners, 7th graders, pregnancy/morning sickness/mood swings/cravings/baby names, Thanksgiving, weather changes, parent/teacher conferences, family, etc.

I have never blogged everyday for a month before. I don't even think I've blogged everyday in a week. But I do enjoy a challenge when it comes to writing. So wish me luck. And be sure to comment so that I am motivated to keep writing.

And I also want to take this chance to say thanks to all of you who stop by my blog. It's fun to share my life with all of you.