Princess #3-isms

Some of the things my kids say never fail to amuse me, and it always seems like I'm trying to remember what she said or did. So I've been jotting stuff down this time, and all of what I've got lately has been said by the youngest princess. I hope you enjoy!

*Mama, are you done milkin' the Prince yet?*

*Mama, that smoke from the iron smells like broccoli steam.*

*Mama, your panties are a lot bigger than your bottom.*

*Mama, remember how A. (her cousin) had lots of sugar (#3's word for spit-up)? Well, the Prince has tinier sugar with more bubbles.*

*Mama, when you kiss Daddy, your heel doesn't always pop.* (A "Princess Diaries" reference.)

*Mama, when I grow up I'm going to feed my babies faster than you.*

*Mama, isn't it interesting that the Prince has a [insert correct male anatomical word here], and girls don't. Because we all have the same bosoms, so God made boys have [insert correct male anatomical word here], so we can tell them apart.*

Dingity-Dang

I heard the Prince stirring during the wee hours and squinted at the clock, on which I swear I saw the hour as 4, like in 4 am, as in the Prince slept for 7 hours! He has been doing so great at night, that this was really a possibility in my mind. So I jump out of bed, feeling so rested, after all, it was 4 am, snatch up my babe only to realize that he was just grunting and wasn't fully awake. So I carefully wrap him up and tuck him back into bed, and then check the clock again, thinking how can he not be hungry?!

IT WAS 12:32 am!! Swear word, I think to myself as I hear the Prince decide that if Mama was willing, he was able. We haven't had a midnight feeding in a couple of weeks dang-nabit.

Note to self: Always double check the time with your glasses on, before checking on his royal self!!!

Lunchtime Chatter

Princess #2: "So how many calories does our tartar sauce have in it?"

Queen: "45 per serving"

Princess #2: "How many calories are in your tartar sauce Mama?"

Queen: "95 per serving"

Princess #2: "So that's why your Mii is so fat on Wii Fit!"

I love how one serving of tartar sauce explains Mama's shape, rather than the four servings of royalty she's brought into this world!!

Happiness Is . . .

. . . a baby day! I just had to brag that I am an Auntie again!! My sister had her second daughter this evening. Baby and mama are doing just fine, praise God! And I just got an email that a sweet friend is in labor with her baby #2 surprise. I can't wait to hear her good news!

What a great first day of Spring!!!

Overheard on St. Patty's Day . . .

". . . let's have Mama drink lots of green milk today, so that the Prince can drink green milk too!!"

"Yah, and let's have her eat lots of chocolate, so he can have chocolate too if he wants!"

They are such thoughtful gals . . .

One Week

It's amazing to me the difference just a few days can make. A week ago found me so frustrated, so tired, so anxious about everything. And now a week later, life has found it's rhythm again. I'm not saying it's perfect and going like clockwork, because we are living according to "Prince Time" right now, and babies are anything but clockwork. They somehow sense that you are content with the routine and that's when they like to drop a nap or add a feeding or sprout a tooth, you know.

I decided to brave going to Bunco last week knowing full well my hands would most likely not touch the dice, but I needed the fellowship. I'm so glad I did. I had the chance to reconnect with my friends and laugh about things that were and still are really bugging me, and got to eat a delicious dinner that I didn't make. It was just what I needed!

And now this week, I have taken up two offers of help with cleaning the house before our company arrives. Something that I normally would never do, but once I agreed, what a weight lifted off my shoulders! Anyway, before I blither on much more I better end this post. I'll go into more details later of "stuff" that has been going on, but for now be assured that things here at the castle are going as well as can be expected and I'm hanging in here, but by my hands now, instead of my fingernails!!

Showing off their knitted head gear!

Prince Pictures

A nasty cold-bug has descended over the castle in the past week which is slowly making it's way through our family. So far, just the Prince and I have yet to get it to the fullest. I am hoping it stays that way. So not much for posting fodder, I apologize. But here is some Prince eye-candy for the meantime.

What do I do with this thing??

Look at that cute chin and the visible lower lip!

Wearing his duck soup sweater!

Drat!

But it works so well for Mommies . . .



(I hope you all know I'm totally kidding with this post . . . kinda.)

My Surefire Method

So this week I discovered a new, improved, surefire method for getting the Prince to wake up when he needs to . . . I pick up my knitting!! No sooner to I get into the rhythm and remember where I am in my pattern, do I hear a little voice calling my name, usually insistently. It's great! (Ahem, except for the times you immediately pick up your knitting after putting the little one down, and he decides that he doesn't want to sleep. Then my friend you've got trouble.) But for now, I can take it, and for his sake it beats a cool washcloth on a sleepy face!

You Know You're Beyond Tired When. . .

. . .you let your kids start their day off in front of PBS Kids.

. . .it takes your 4 year old commenting on your smell before you realize that your p.j.'s have baby spit-up all over the front.

. . .and then you notice that your baby's hair is slick with spit-up.

. . .you slice your leg shaving, in an accident that rivals the first time you snuck your Mom's razor into the shower to try it out.

. . .you see that your kids have made breakfast for themselves-all over the counter, and it doesn't even raise your blood pressure, just makes you want to curl up in the corner, and concede their victory.

. . .you consider how to make and hook up an I.V. to your husband's coffee, so you get the benefit of the caffeine without having to taste the stuff.

. . .instead you pile all the kids into the van and head for the nearest Conoco to buy the largest diet pepsi they sell, despite the wind, despite your smell, and are slowly feeling more alert!

Happiness Is . . .

. . . casting on for a new knitting project! It feels like forever (2 1/2 whole weeks!!) since I've knit anything. Of course, casting on is as far as I got-at this rate, I may be done by Christmas with this one! :)

For Jordan, Jamie, and Nora

"Froggy Bottom"

"Moo Cow"

"Sunday Best"

For sweet friends who gave the Prince these sweet outfits!

We're enjoying them!

Week 2

The Prince & Toofers--week 2

Princess #3 is 4!!

Well, she's been 4 for about a week now. And now thanks to the latest addition to the family, she looks huge, like a kid instead of a toddler.

This year has been a challenging one for the King and I as we learned how to parent her. I have come full circle on several beliefs I had about raising children that I never thought I would budge on thanks to her personality. One being, that outfits must match in order to be out in public, two being that panties must fit, three being that some children (Princess #3) have a real need for personal space (beyond the norm), and if it's not respected have real anxiety. So many more, but sleep deprivation takes hold. She has stretched my patience beyond what I thought I could bear and has stretched my heart with compassion for her real fears and panics.

She is such a sweet girl. We are so blessed to be her parents. I can't wait to see how she will grow and change this year, she has so much this past year. Right now, she wants to be a Mommy and feed her babies like Mama does (awwww).

We love you Princess!

Happiness Is . . .

. . . waking up and seeing your ankle bones again. Even if it was just a temporary sighting, I am happy to know that they still exist!

Sister LOVE

Princess #3 has taken to rubbing her cheeks on the Prince's soft head ever so gently. Can't say as I blame her, there really is nothing softer or sweeter on earth. She also has taken to kissing him (on his clothes, Mama), which I think is so precious. Of all the girls she was the one I was most concerned with adjusting to this new family member, but she has really taken his presence in stride, even better than her older sibs. It's special to see how much she loves him already.

We Are In LOVE

One week has passed already since our little man entered the world. Sigh.

Here we are one week ago, just before leaving for the hospital. . .



And here we are now. . .

Recovery Road

So, now that I've done babies both traditional ways (the king says I've done it more than two ways-sunny side up, face down, c/s, premature), I have to say it's a toss up as to which I'd recommend. The end result stays the same, which makes us forget the recovery road that we have to journey on after said result.

Yesterday I wrote that recovery was hellish with this one, but after thinking about it, it is not really any more or less than it was with each of the girls. It's just different, and I can do different. Today is totally better. Way less pain, way more mobility than yesterday. It's amazing the difference 24 hours can make.

The Prince continues to do well. He's figuring out the nursing thing, much to my happiness. He's very "chill" to quote Gwen Stefani, hopefully that personality trait will continue throughout his life. He's going to need it to balance out the estrogen in his family. I can hear the king talking to him about checking accounts, trips out to Daddy's shop, and bike rides in the summer and all kinds of things that the Prince has to look forward to. I love to hear those happy conversations.

My heart is so full it could burst!

Happy Birthday!

I'm going to break from protocol just this once to introduce my son!!

Cade Judah was born at 1:26 pm, Wednesday, February 11th. He weighed in at 9 lbs. 1 oz. and was 20 inches long!! A nice big boy! The c-section went better than I could have imagined, recovery is hellish (sorry there is just no nice word for it), my baby boy is amazing and so beautiful. God has blessed the castle once again!!

Turns out that it was God's hand in keeping him breech. Not only for his size, but also because his cord was wrapped around his torso several times, making a traditional birth very dangerous!

Our computer died, so posting may be sporadic here for a while.

Here are a couple photos of Prince Stubborn. . .thank you for coming along this journey with me!!

Shock and Awe

So, great news! Baby's birthday will most likely be tomorrow! And I didn't have to be bossy to get what I wanted-it was just handed to me on a silver platter. It was amazing how quickly everything fell into place, almost like Someone had this in mind all along. Hmmm.

My appointment started much like last week's, office running late, me not making eye contact with the number on the scale, nurse concerned, midwife hurried through exam, and then she said well, this baby doesn't want to turn, so what doctor do you want for a c-section. I said whoever can do it the soonest, as in this week. Next thing you know, I'm ushered into Dr's office, he looks at my chart, does a double take and says, your 9 lb baby was how early, we need to get this baby out this week, how does Wednesday work? Wednesday is fine I managed to choke out over the pounding of my heart.

I'm incredulous. I am so blessed. I am giddy. I told the king that it feels like the giddiness you have once you realize the stick has two lines-partly out of fear and partly of pure joy. Granted, this whole end of the pregnancy thing has not gone according to my plan, but I plan to learn from this experience. God doesn't have to answer my every prayer my way. He's not a vending machine, I am relearning.

The princess' to say the very least, are to the moon about meeting their brother. It's been great to talk about stuff that I've put off talking about, since everything has been so unknown. Today, we swaddled Princess #3's panda and talked about how babies like to be held and touched. We talked about why mama has to have surgery and how babies have soft heads. We looked at his tiny clothes and all got excited that we get to dress him in his little button-downs very soon!

Thank you for your kind comments and encouragement throughout this journey. Lord willing, the next post will introduce our son!

Still Hoping

So despite my week-ago meltdown, last week went surprisingly well. We kept up with our little routine, as I tried not to get my hopes up with every contraction, and I just held on to really the only hope that I have at this point: he has to come out eventually!

Last night, however, I felt my faith falter. It had been a good weekend (hey, any weekend where your husband does all the nesting that you want done is good, right?), and I was in good spirits, then I started thinking. Dangerous. Deep down in my heart of hearts I wanted this baby to come before today, and I really thought that God would honor that wish.

My Dad is headed back to Canada for another few weeks tomorrow early, and I really wanted him to meet his first grand-SON (the first boy born into our family) freshly hatched. I didn't realize how much until last night when I realized that the contractions that had been coming so consistently had decided to take a break. And I got frustrated. And felt out of control.

It's back to my same old problem: I am the oldest. I am the boss. I know what's best for me and all of you. That's right-I said all of you, and it really would be in your best interest to just accept that fact!! And somehow I have to relinquish that part of who I am in order to be right with God (pretty much hourly), because He really is the oldest and the boss and knows what's best for me and all of you.

I hate not being the boss.

On the positive side (I hope), I have an appointment with my midwife this afternoon. I am praying for the boldness to tell her what I want and what I feel would be best for my family. Here I go again being the boss. . .

You Know You're Never Gonna . . .

. . . have the baby when they give you the lovely pink and blue non-stress test belts to just "tuck in your purse" for next time. You know the belts. How thoughtful and environmentally conscientious of them.

Oh to be a Fairy

I am a firm believer in using the "Big Man" as my back-up as a parent. If I use Him as an ally and use His words to correct and train my kids, then I feel that I am using the right motives and words to help get at the heart of the issue at hand. My girls hate it (as did I as a child and as an adult), which to my mind reaffirms that the direction I'm coming from is right.

Anyway, one thing that we tell the girls quite often is that they truly are princesses. They are children of the only King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Usually they love being told this, but sometimes that is a lot to live up to (and don't I know it!!). So after getting in trouble for not controlling her tongue the 50 bizillionth time, Princess #2 had this to say: "I'm done being a princess. Being a princess is so hard. Why can't I be a fairy instead?"

Why indeed . . .

Holding Pattern

After a disappointing doctor's visit yesterday, I am struggling to be content with this current birth plan. What is the current plan you ask? If I go into labor on my own, I *get* to have an unplanned, emergency c-section, unless baby turns south, which would of course be ideal, given that my alternative is, I *get* to wait until 39 weeks (next week) and then we'll casually plan the c-section sometime after that magic number. I feel like my midwife and I had a failure to communicate yesterday, which is frustrating.

Not to get all religious on you all, but please be praying along with me. I'm a hormonal wreck right now. How I feel reminds me of how I felt stuck in the hospital on bed rest with Princess #2, when I got all the post partum depression out before she was born. And the thought of not having a plan in place with this baby being breech, is freaking me out. I'm in uncharted territories here. Also please pray that my midwife will hear what I try to communicate to her at our next visit (which by the way, I'm praying we don't have to have-that he will come before Monday!!) Thanks.

The great news is that baby is doing great-obviously very happy and content where he is at. And really, you can't ask for more than that, as much as I want to.

Memo

Hi Son-
Just a quick FYI: It is now February. Your birth month. You've done something that only one other of your siblings has done, made it to the month you were due. We're so proud of you and of that accomplishment and would like to tell you that face to face. Now.

Here are the directions to meet us: take your hands off your toes, continue to press your chin to your chest, and let your head float down the next time you feel Mama's tummy tighten. That should be in about 10 minutes.

You won't regret it. And you'll make us all so happy!

Love you,
Mama

Happiness Is . . .

. . . hanging up from a wonderful phone conversation with a good friend, feeling so encouraged, and then realizing that according to your phone you just spent 198 minutes chatting without a single kid interruption (although neither of us would have minded an interruption from "Prince Stubborn"!).

**Baby update**
As of Friday, baby is in "frank breach" position (butt down, head and feet up), which really should be called the "amazing baby taco" position. How is that comfortable for him I wonder? Then I see him grab his little toedies with his fingers, pulling them closer to his little mouth, and I have the epiphany that he is never going to move to head down-at least not while he has things to keep him occupied. Harumph.

Heavy Sigh

A conversation from this morning:

Princess #2: Mama, I'm so tired of calling baby brother "Izuzu F150". I just want to call him by his real name, and see him.

Queen: Me too, baby girl, me too.

Happiness Is . . .

. . . going to the dry cleaners to pick up some items and have the gal (who served you when you dropped stuff off the previous week), say, "I had no idea you were pregnant! You were just in here and I didn't even notice. So, you've got a few months left to go, huh?"

I told her Lord-willing it was any day now. And honestly, I could have just kissed her incredulous face!

Some Circular Thought

Frustration=a full-on breech positioned baby=contractions 24/7 with no visible progress=no immediate labor and delivery=cranky, tired mama=cranky, (mama wishes they were tired) girls=tired Nanny (thanks mom!) and husband (thanks honey!)=frustrated castle dwellers!

All I know with every fiber of my being, is that the One who has known this baby's birth date from the beginning of time is definitely in control, as much as I wish it was me. HE has made it abundantly clear that this is not about what the Queen deems best, but what HE KNOWS is best for me and this little one HE has given to me.

And all I can say is, this baby better awfully darn cute!

For Auntie 'Chelle

Today I had a wonderful baby shower. Wonderful that I got to spend time with friends and feel (and truth be told, feed-off) their excitement over this new one! Wonderful that this little guy will be the best dressed, diapered, lotioned, you name it baby in the world. Thanks gals, your kindness and friendship overwhelm me!!!

Anyway, one of baby's gifts was a little soft football. The king was explaining to the older two princess' how you hold it and where to put your fingers, etc. Then they tossed it around a bit. Enter Princess #3. . .

"What is that?" she says. Once explained wants to know, "Why?" Once explained, walks away without a backwards glance.

At least there is one toy that she will let be all his, seeing how she immediately claimed his big dump truck as Nanny walked in with it, proclaiming, "He already has one (a tiny little one, totally different from the new one I might add), he doesn't need two."

I don't think she'd get the irony of her statement, even if I counted out her multitude of barbies!

Happiness Is . . .

. . . getting to sleep in to 7:10 am!!! and then having your wake-up call be a nice, quiet, "Mama, I'm going downstairs to play Barbies, everyone else is still sleeping. Can I eat an apple while I wait for you to come down?"

Tattle Tales

Just as I say "amen" to our dinner prayer. This conversation starts:

Princess #3: Mama, #2 was peeking while you prayed.

Princess #2: Well, Great Grandpa Cliff peeks while we pray all the time.

It should be noted that G.G. is 95 and has earned exemption from closing his eyes-he might fall asleep at the table!

Baby Update

Well, instead of breech this week, he decided to move back to a transverse position, just to mix things up a bit. Despite the multitude of contractions over the past week, no forward progress, which I was reassured is not uncommon for your second and beyond baby. I remember being frustrated with that fact with #3, oh well. Thankfully he has moved down, so my ribs are getting a much needed respite.

After a consultation with another doctor who has had success with turning babies, he would like to wait until we're past 37 weeks before heroics. However after reading about turning babies today, I am fervently praying that this baby decides to try some gymnastics in the coming week, preferably a headstand!! Most likely if I go into labor at this point, the delivery will end up as a c-section.

So right now, I am praying for patience and a position change for Mr. Stubborn. These weeks are the longest as some of you can relate too. You walk that fine line between being desperate to have the baby right! now! and knowing that the longer they bake, the better.

If you think of us, say a prayer would you? I'm thinking it's going to take a miracle at this point to get this boy to cooperate.

Thanks Friends!!

Today has been a day of blessing. Already. It's only shortly after 11 am here, but wow! First of all, when the king called to say that he wouldn't be able to home to watch the girls for my doctor's appointment, my first reaction was stark fear. Three kids, tiny waiting room, even tinier exam room, possible trek to have another u/s, almost dinner time, etc. Then I called my lifeline and she said she could watch them, no problem. Even though after listening to the events of her day, I'm questioning her sanity, she agreed and her generosity totally blessed me!

Then as I am cajoling the hyped up princess' to complete school, another girlfriend stopped by (I knew she was going to, but totally forgot, so it was like bonus surprise!) to bring me two batches of taco meat and two batches of spaghetti sauce to throw in my freezer for quick meals. How sweet is that?? What an encouragement.

I hope each of you has girlfriends in your life. The good ones. The ones who are willing to watch your kids at a moments notice or bring you yummy dinners just because or take time for a phone call or email or the ones who tell you every time you see them that you look like a million bucks or the ones that listen to your vents judgement free. I am so fortunate to have go-to girlfriends that I know love me bumps (a little pregnancy humor), prickles and all, and that I deeply love in return.

Yep, You're Right

It's official, I've reached the point in pregnancy where it is easier to agree with whatever the kind stranger has to say about your baby, size, etc.

For instance, when the kind lady at Orange Julius assumes you must be due in a matter of hours, you just say, "yep, you're right."

Or the cashier at the local store (whom you've never EVER seen before pregnant or otherwise), tells you that your baby has dropped, you just say, "yep, you're right."

And finally, when the nice older man in the parking lot lets you know that the baby looks like it's about to drop out, you just say, "yep, you're right."

It's so much easier to be agreeable, don't you agree?

You know your correct response, right???

Happiness Is . . .

. . . noting that some of your perishables have expiration dates past your due date!!

Then It Begins

Princess #3 has discovered that her height and baby brother's nest are incompatible. After trying to sneak past Mama to get to the sink, her head collides with her brother. Again. Without even a thought, she reaches up and gives him a (gentle) push and says, "You're in my way, baby brother!"

By the way, he heard and kicked back. Sigh. Sibling love. Already.

Happiness Is . . .

. . . being married to a guy who will brave Costco on a Saturday, with your list and coupons, doesn't forget a thing, and even doubles back to find some items!! All so you can be home with your feet up.

Sister Love

I am the oldest of four girls. I love my sisters. I know my sisters. My sister next in line and I used to fight over the sheets/blankets when we had to share a bed. Eventually we'd fall asleep under bedding that you could bounce a quarter on, since each of us had pulled the bedding and tucked it under ourselves as tight as possible, to prevent the other from hogging! My second sister had the reputation for being a restless sleeper and hence a kicker. And my youngest sister was accused of sharpening her toenails with a nail file so that she wouldn't have to share a bed.

Last night, I got a charge out of the fact that my girls know their sisters. We were getting everything ready for a sleepover. It was Princess #1's turn to hostess, so we were getting a couple of extra beds set up for her sisters in her room. As the air mattress was being blown up, Princess #1 says, "Can Princess #3 please sleep on the air mattress, instead of Princess #2? I was just remembering hearing #2 move around so much in the night that I couldn't sleep at the KOA's this summer."

There the knowing begins. I love it!

You're Eight+ Months Pregnant When. . .

. . . you realize that your belly and bumps have merged into one entity.

. . . you go bump holder shopping and select one off the rack that you always dreamed of buying off of in junior high.

. . . every time you drop something, you think of a response that should not be heard by royal ears (and if none are around to hear, may just utter aloud).

. . . you don't realize you are huffing and puffing anymore, til someone points it out.

. . . you plan your shopping around public restroom availability.

. . . you have to stand sideways at the counter in order to comfortably reach what you're trying to do.

. . . you have to wear an apron at all times in the kitchen, since you can't see what you may have spilled, splattered, or otherwise on your shirt.

. . . lace up shoes are no longer an option, unless you can talk your 6 year old into practicing her bow-tying.

. . . buckle up shoes are no longer an option, unless you can talk your 3 year old into practicing her buckling.

. . . you lack the energy to knit at your normally scheduled knitting time.

. . . you can't figure out why that guy/gal/child is staring so intently at your belly, until you realize that they can see the baby squirming around under your shirt.

. . . the borrowed maternity top that you swore you'd never fit into, sadly fits.

Baby Update

So I'm not sure what to think. I had yet another check-up yesterday. We're to the point where you see more of your doc than you do anyone else it seems. Anyway, we had a brief moment of excitement when she thought that baby had finally decided to move head down. However, she thought maybe we should go take a quick peek via ultrasound just to be sure, since we're getting down to the fish or cut bait stage. And wouldn't you know it, this little guy is sitting on his butt, spine along my right side, legs facing to my left side, and that sweet darling head wedged up into (I'm pretty sure!) my diaphragm, "cushioned" by my lower right ribs. It was so fun to see him squirming around, even catching him blink, that I ignored my inability to take a full breath without pain for a minute.

Funny thing is, I'm not concerned. At this point his birth, no matter the exit route, is all I care about. And he's coming out, one way or the other, of that I am sure. So we'll just see what he decides to do. And like the king says, why wouldn't it be a c-section, we've covered all the other bases with the girls. Too true.

Overheard after dinner . . .

. . . "Daddy, how many inches do I weigh?", as Princess #3 hands him the tape measure.

Baby *BOY* Sweaters!!

I'm out of boy yarn. For now. I was just sure that I would run out of time to get all I had yarn for knitted before his arrival, but now I'm sitting pretty. I'm even making Princess #3's Duck Soup that she's been waiting so patiently for! I just need to finish up the last few inches of his blanket, so that will be next. Anyway, here are some photos of his new duds. It's been so fun to feel him "talking" to me as I've knit these up!

A blue Duck Soup (size 3 months)

A brown, nubby pullover sweater (size 12 months)

Get Ziggy (size 18 months)

Another Year Over

2008 is drawing to a close. Can't say as I'm terribly broken up about it, seeing as most of my focus for 2008 has been making it through January 2009 (for an obvious reason). However, the end of the year does make me take stock and evaluate changes I want to see happen for the New Year to come. I don't make resolutions per se, I just like to give thought to the positives and negatives of the old year, so I don't repeat mistakes (I hate it when I am a repeat offender!!).

And I don't make goals, because inevitably a goal list becomes a "kick me while I'm down list", as I tend to make impossible, lofty goals to live up to, like a clean house. What's the point of putting into writing a goal, that will most likely never be achieved in my lifetime without substantial outside help (note to King: Merry Maids is always looking for new clients, maybe I could help them reach one of their goals for 2009!!).

So as this year ends, I think that I will settle for some vague general thoughts for the coming year:
-Happy, healthy children. [Note: I will settle for just healthy!]

-Happy, healthy Mama. [Note: I will settle for just happy! A girl's gotta have her chocolate.now.]

-Continuation of our morning devotions, renewal of our prayer time before school starts.

-Children who want to make my faith theirs.

-Children who have an unlimited view of the possibilities that the future holds for them and feel free to pursue them.

Happy New Year Dear Friends! May it be one filled with immeasurable blessing for each of you and your families!!

R.I.P. Dotty Harold

Dotty Harold

2006-2008

a much loved guinea pig

Today we said goodbye to Dotty Harold. Our little pig in residence. She was a sweet little thing. So tolerant of all the LOVE that was bestowed on her daily. We'll miss you.

Merry Christmas from the Castle!!

Dear Jesus,
Happy Birthday tomorrow!
Love, Princess #2
(This was her dinner prayer tonight-too sweet not to share.)

***************************************

Overheard at bedtime:

Princess #1: Daddy, what time can we get up tomorrow?

King: No sooner than 9am!

Princess #1 (in all seriousness): I'm sorry, that's just not going to work for me!

***************************************

Princess #3 at bedtime, on the verge of a baby-fit has a moment of realization (much to her parents happiness) . . ."Wait, if I don't go to bed, then it won't be tomorrow-when-I-wake-up and I won't get to open presents!"

Happiness Is . . .

. . . finding out the Sharpie stayed capped while being washed. The Sharpie that slipped into one of his pockets unbeknownst to the Queen.

He's a lucky man, that one.

Meanie No More

So today I had no intention of doing school. Friends are coming over, and I wanted to make a batch of Christmas bread, not to mention laundry-til-I-die (Monday's usual chore). However, the princess' did not know my plans and assumed that they would have lessons as usual. So after breakfast and laundry sorting, they settled down to play in those last few coveted minutes before school was to start.

I got a load started and then nonchalantly asked if anyone minded if we took the day off from school. I wish you could have seen the glow of love that shone from their little eyes as they looked up at me in disbelief. I am a meanie no longer. I am their beloved mother and home-educator willing to give them a break from the drudgery that haunts their weekday mornings. I AM QUEEN. At least til I serve them leftovers for lunch. But until then, I plan to revel in my new found position of the Coolest.Mom.Evah!!

Happiness Is. . .

. . . a snow day! It's snowing here. Really snowing. Like Midwest winters long (happily, for my part) forgotten snowing. And it's been snowing since last night. Church was cancelled and we have been enjoying the day all cozy, snug and buttoned in. Makes me really glad that I finished all my errand running before all this, since there are probably 3 snow plows total for our county, of which 2 are operational (that was a joke, kinda). And it makes me glad that I have knitting projects to work on with no place to go--the best kind of snow day! We have made a batch of peanut brittle, popped popcorn for carmel corn, and have even played a round of "Littlest Pet Shop Monopoly".

It sure feels like Christmas now!

My Mistake

I just love Pandora radio. My hubby has a great Christmas "station" set up for us and it's great to hear song after song without commercial interruption. The princess' love it too and have each settled on a favorite song. The youngest princess loves "Little Drummer Boy". She recognizes the tune and comes running over to the computer to get a better listen.

So last night, while we were decorating cookies, "her" song comes on for the second time in one day, and I say to her, "That's pretty cool that you get to hear your favorite song two times today."

And she replies, "No, that's a girl rumping and pumping, not a boy, Mama!"

My mistake.

Happiness Is . . .

. . . snow! It helps to keep the Princess' busy outdoors so Mama can make peanut brittle without help! Unfortunately, it's so stinkin' cold (for here), that they don't stay out too long. . . and that's why Mama stood on the deck to take pictures, rather than venture out to get close-ups.
Princess #2 showing me her snow sliding invention!
Princess #1 having a snow snack.

Princess #3 wearing snow-PANTS, since, "Mama, they just don't make snow dresses."

Resisting the Urge

As many of you know, I am a Christmas junkie. Every year I wait patiently for the day after giving thanks and go full-tilt-bozo into the preparations for Christmas. This year is different. Mostly due to the simple facts of my life. I now homeschool two children, which on a good day takes up the morning. Then there is that third child to keep tabs on, usually not too difficult, just follow the trail of discarded Barbies she leaves in her wake. And let's not forget the fourth one, who for some reason has decided that my rib cage will make a nice little nest, making eating, bending, and breathing into chores. All of these little people added to the general tiredness that the final weeks bring have led me to do my best to resist the urge to (over) do Christmas.

What brings me to blog about this little aspect of the season, you ask? Tonight, I decided to make a batch a sugar cookie dough for cut-outs. Usually, I double or even triple the batch, just to make sure there are enough for guests, me, the neighbors, me, Grandpa and me. This year however, I singled it. Yep, just followed the recipe.

And yah, a few, small, non-tired cells of my body are freaking out.

You're Welcome

Just thought I'd let those of you whose necks live in my woods in on a little secret. We won't be having any snow this year. How can I be so sure, you ask?

I just ordered (bargain!!) winter boots for Princess #1, since she's outgrown the biggest pair we own.

That usually seals the deal for snow (or lack thereof).

In Need of a Vent

WARNING: I AM GOING TO RANT

I really hate comments comparing my pregnant belly to what some well-meaning (I'm sure) mother remembers hers as being. I don't care if yours was smaller. I don't care if you looked 2 months pregnant at delivery. I don't care that you only put on 15 pounds and that was when you were wearing your winter gear, clunky boots, and were dripping wet. Good for you. Thanks for using your comment to point out that I don't.

To be honest, I am content with how I look. In fact, this fourth pregnancy has been very kind to my pride-no innertube like I wore with #2, no belly hanging over my waist like with #3, just a nice round, high, centered bump. My weight gain is the best it's ever been, baby is healthy and happy. So there.

Thanks, I feel better.

Dreaming of Nesting

I've never done this before, that is, dream of nesting. I've always just done it, without much rational thought. For example, with Princess #1, I obsessively cleaned all the baseboards in the house so when she started crawling they wouldn't be dusty, and since she crawled immediately after birth it was a good thing I did!;) Then with Princess #2, instead of readying the baby gear (which would have been a good call due to her early arrival), I obsessively picked ALL the apricots off our trees in a burst of crazy energy and then lacked the energy to deal with all the fruit! Thank goodness for a mom who knows how to put up fruit and seems to enjoy the task. And with Princess #3, for some reason the oven had to be spotless, and since the "self-clean" mode really meant "clean it yourself", I did so with a lot of elbow grease since oven cleaner is so nasty. Of course, lots of other "nesting" went on, but it all seemed to have rhyme and reason.

Now this time around, the past few nights I have been dreaming that I am cleaning out the pantry. In fact, it killed me yesterday to not be able to touch it and then today we had MOPS, so it's gone untouched again!

So tomorrow, dear pantry, you will be mine, and maybe these weird dreams will end-or else point out some other random thing that needs settling.

Snappity Snap

So Princess #1 has been diligently trying for the past year to conquer two important life skills: snapping her fingers and whistling. It recently really chapped her hide to find out that Mrs. H's little guy could whistle with ease, and she has yet to get a single tweet, you know since she is all worldly and wise and he is only 5.

However, all weekend, we've been hearing her little fingers trying to snap and by George, she's got it. And now has a new (annoying) habit to share with us while she's reading, walking, doing schoolwork, watching a movie, riding in the car, and I'm pretty sure she's figured out a way to do it while practicing the violin.

I will say this in her defense, it does make it easy for mama to figure out where she's holed up when it's chore time! Don't tell.

Happiness Is . . .

. . . hearing the sound of snaps and overall buckles clanging in your dryer again!

Thanks to the generosity of my parents (and a sister), baby has a dresser which was delivered by Papa yesterday. So, I decided to abandon my thoughts of Christmas baking in order to clean said dresser and wash baby's clothes. It is so great to have all that laundry done and his little clothes all folded and tucked away in anticipation.

Houston, We Have A Name

Even two names! Even two names that go together with our last! Whoo-hoo! Stay tuned til February to see if we actually end up sticking with them, since we're not unveiling his monikers until we meet this fellow. I know, I know, why even blog about something you weren't going to reveal, but it is exciting to me that he is named. It makes him feel more "real" somehow. We have learned our lessons from the past with announcing baby's name early, and because of that choice had to deal with comments, the "how do you spell that's", and did you know that so and so and so and so and so and so, all have babies with that same name. Never again, we swore, and Princess #3 remained nameless to family and friends til her birth--much better in our humble opinion to share a name along with the new one. Much less helpful input if you know whattamean!

As some of you know, naming our babies is no easy task! We agonize, civilly disagree with one another's top picks, make lists (okay, just I make the lists), try out different ones, and I like to do the backyard yell test. The backyard yell test is performed by opening the back door and yelling both first and middle names, as if the child was in trouble in order to see if I can snap it out to my satisfaction. All of the princess' have first and middle names that really snap when needed, thanks to this test! And of course, most importantly, we pay careful attention to what the names mean. In fact, my first choice was tossed because of a dumb meaning (read: I couldn't weasel a good alternative meaning anywhere on the Internet, in order to sell my pick!).

Now that I have had the experience of naming a boy, I would take naming a girl hands down any day! All of you with multiple boys that you have named, I can only imagine what you went through, you have my undying admiration, seriously.

And if you are like the princess', who are all dying to know baby's name, I'll quote the king's standard reply, "Izuzu F150".

You Say Boxer, and I Say Boxer

The English language is confusing to be sure, but I have discovered that some words with multiple meanings can come in handy for covering up a conversation that didn't need to be heard by little "royal" ears without stretching the truth. Here is my case in point.

Last night while we were getting the girls in bed, the king and I were talking about what kind of unders our little guy might wear. I told him about a friend's little guy, and how he sports boxers and how cute they were. Then Princess #1 pipes up from her room (across the hall): "Are you guys talking about boxers?"

After a quick glance at one another we answer in the affirmative. And she wants to know why we are talking about the neighbor's dog which happens to be a Boxer (how convenient). And we reply that we want to know how she can hear what we're saying now, but not when we're sitting at the dinner table having a conversation.

And *GIRL* Hats and Hats

Even though Princess #3 is still waiting for her hat (when I ordered yarn for the older two, she declined to make a choice and of course, now she wants one), I thought I would post some pictures of the older two's latest head-gear. It is the pattern Capitan done up in some more of Jill Draper's amazing handspun yarn (baby's toddler hat is in her yarn as well). If you are a knitter, her yarn is so worth ordering, plus you will be supporting an indie-spinner/dyer. How cool is that?

Princess #2 doing school in her new hat, colorway is CMY. She likes it because it doesn't itch!!


Princess #1 has worn her hat non-stop since completion. That feels good! It is in the Butterfly Wings 2 colorway.

The sistah's showing off their inner gangstahs. ;)

Baby *BOY* Hats and Hats and Hats

I have a weakness for hats. Especially on my children. So that is why the knitting for baby has so far consisted of, you guessed it, hats. Here are some photos of the finished projects modeled by Princess #3 and *scary* Isabella (Princess #1's life like doll).

This hat is knit with completely wonderful handspun yarn I got from a seller on etsy.com. I love how squishy and thick it is. So much so, that I couldn't make a baby hat with it, instead I made a toddler hat that should fit him next winter and hopefully the winter after that. That is how much I love this yarn!

This hat was a special request by the king. It looks like the golf cap my Grandpa used to wear, complete with a little brim. It is knit with yummy Malabrigo yarn and is so incredibly soft. It is itty bitty, but should fit him from newborn to summer since the band is nice and stretchy.

I love this pattern. It is great for using up the leftover sock yarn balls that seem to languish in my yarn tub. And I love stripes. It should fit him come fall.

Overheard in the bathroom: Part II

Tonight while I am elbow deep in kneading bread, Princess #3 yells, "I'm all done!" since she has finished with her business.

The king heads in to help her, bless his heart, and I hear this:

"Hi, I'm Daddy and I'll be your wiper tonight."

The man cracks me up.

Happiness Is . . .

. . . a fabulous nap in a fabulous get-up! Here is my "Fancy Princess #3".

Happiness Is . . .

. . . Olive Garden salad and breadsticks delivered unexpectedly to your front door by a dear friend! Yummy! Thank you for the treat friend!!

Already??

We are just about to the third trimester for those of you keeping track, but not quite there yet. Silly me thinking that the tiredness and achiness that comes with those fun-filled last weeks would hold off til the appointed week. Wishful thinking to be sure.

However, as I looked at the calendar this afternoon, I realized that with the changing of my due date (the good direction!) at my last appointment and with the way my babies usually come early, that my tiredness is right on time. I'm just wishing the honeymoon period (2nd trimester) would last just a tad longer . . . obviously this baby is not my first!!

I Need Revenge!!

Princess #2 came tearing through the house after being punished (e.g. made to do a despised chore w/o compensation) for fighting with her sister, screaming, "I NEED REVENGE!!!" I asked her if she even knew what revenge was and what the word meant. And she replied with: "I know what revenge is, I am six! And besides I only wanted the good kind of revenge!"

Well, as long as it was the good kind . . .

Name Game

The princess' have been dying to name their brother, so as a result I've been fielding some wild ideas all week and thought I'd share some them with you. . .
*Abednego
*Shadrack
*Bob (Princess #3's idea!)
*Meshack
*David
*Ezra
*Murdock
*Shrek (Princess #2's idea!)
And that's all I can remember for now. Good thing we do not run a democracy around here, if so I can only imagine what his name could be!!

Fear vs. Faith

WARNING: BLOG POST CONTAINS OVERT RELIGIOUS OVERTONES!!
(Thought I'd better put a disclaimer, seeing as I usually keep things light around here.)

I have been convicted this past week of my arrogance. Let me explain. About a week ago, I had a follow-up OB appointment during which we went over the ultrasound results. When you hear the phrase, "I don't know how to say this, but . . .", you know that nothing good is going to follow. So when I heard that phrase last week, I braced myself mentally. You see, I'd heard it before, approximately 6 1/2 years ago . And I remembered the fear and anxiety that followed. My midwife explained that baby had a cyst in his brain. She was very encouraging, not too worried, she had never seen one amount to anything in her 30+ years of babies. I decided that I wanted a second opinion and made an appointment to see the same specialist who had helped us with Princess #2.

I did my research on the cyst and if it was bad, it was very very bad. Like your baby dies bad. And I started talking to God about this specific thing. I started off with telling Him, what's up with that, you give me this baby only to take it away-that doesn't make any sense. It wasn't until I got to the point (took til Thursday!!) of telling Him that it was okay for this baby to NOT be okay, that He started talking back. And I don't mean like talking talking, I've never experienced that, for me hearing Him is being prompted to read a passage of scripture or stumbling onto a blog or conversation that adds wisdom. Through it all, I came to the realization that it is completely arrogant of me to expect a healthy, live baby. If I believe that God knows and wants what is best for me, (and I like to think that I do) then who am I to question if He chooses to take my child from me or gives me a baby with a handicap, as His ways are perfect.

This all came to sharp focus on Sunday morning. Our pastor had a great message, during which he shared an insight on 1 Corinthians 10:13 ("No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."). He asked "How do you know that you can hold up under a trial? . . . Because it is happening to you." This was just a balm to my heart. It makes me sound less crazy for saying I'm at peace with whatever the outcome of this little life. No matter what comes my way, I can handle it because of this promise of God's faithfulness.

So we had our appointment with the specialist yesterday. Believe it or not, I was more worried that somehow the "boy parts" wouldn't be there than about the cyst (you try believing after you've had three girls!!). The tech confirmed that baby is indeed all-boy and then went to look at his brain. He couldn't find the cyst. It was literally gone. He very carefully took a look at every other part of baby, paying special attention to the parts that could be affected if this was the very very bad version, and everything looked great. In fact, baby is beyond healthy, weighing in at over 1 1/2 pounds!! Amazing.

Was this process pointless? Maybe to some. But for me it made me think, it made me aware of sin in my life to confess, it humbled me, and in the end eternally grateful for the chance to raise this little man to be a follower of the One True God.

Murphy's Law?

So I'm wondering why my car seems to use less gas now that the prices have dropped almost $1.50/gallon this past week?

Is is just me? Or is it Murphy?

She's Got the Magic

One of the standing jokes at our castle has to do with our girls' growth. If the king or queen happen to notice ankles or wrists or behinds poking out of the ends of clothing we tell the offender to stop growing. We tell them we don't allow it and they had better stop it (you know, in a very serious tone). The girls' think that this is great fun and take great pride in showing off the ankles, wrists, and behinds, just to play the game.

Recently Princess #3 has a new take on the game. As I was tucking her into bed one night last week, I couldn't get over how long she was in bed-seriously long. So I told her that she better stop growing or she was going to run out of bed. After she got done giggling she told me that she couldn't stop because of the "magic". So I bit.

Queen: What magic?

Princess #3: God's magic. I have it in me and it makes me grow. I tried asking Him to take the magic out, but He doesn't want to.

Queen: Oh, why doesn't He want to take it out?

Princess #3: Because you only have the magic when you're little to make you get big like Mama.

Queen: What happens to the magic once you're big like Mama?

Princess #3: God takes it out when you're done. And that is all I know right now.

Go Figure

Last night I decided to give into two cravings. The first (and most important) being not cooking dinner. The second being Olive Garden salad and bread sticks. I looked high and low on-line to find a coupon for dinner, but was unsuccessful, so I decided to blow my month's eat-out budget in one fell swoop. I am pleased to report that both cravings were fulfilled-deliciously, with leftovers being devoured at lunch and dinner today!

Then as I flipped through the coupon circular in our local paper what is the first coupon for???

(drum roll please)

. . . Olive Garden.

Knock, Knock

I think that one of the best (only?) perks about being pregnant is feeling the baby move. I remember with Princess #1 feeling her first strong kick on Christmas Eve morning and then at very predictable times thereafter. Princess #2 was a different story, she was like having an internal amusement park 24/7! Princess #3 was also a predictable baby, preferring to move only after meals. This little one loves to really move it, move it at night and early in the mornings. He moves during the day too, but the wee hours seem to be his favorite (yah, I'm scared).

This morning, I had my first "conversation" with him!! He kicked, a real good one, and I pushed back where I felt the move, and then he instantly replied with another good strong kick. Too much fun. This went on for several minutes during which I know I had the biggest, dopiest smile on my face.

And I couldn't help it, I'm in love.

Baby Boom

As some of you know, I am the oldest of four girls. All married, all settled and all having babies! That's right. This weekend we discovered that all four of us will be adding children to our families. My next sister and hubby are waiting to adopt-most likely by the end of next year (pray with me, will ya?), the third one of us is due with her 2nd in March/April, and the youngest one of us is due with her 1st in May/June. Pretty crazy. My parents and grandparents will double the number of (great)grandkids they have next year!!

I was thinking of my next youngest sister today, and her impending adoption and realized that very likely her baby may be growing in it's biological mom's womb, and if not, his/her conception is imminent! That is pretty amazing to think about. I've been praying for his/her mom and for this important, so many lives-changing decision she is going to make. God is good and He knows all the details and is in all the details. It will be exciting to see His hand in all of this.

As for me, I am doing my best to race through the Christmas knitting. My goal was to be done by the end of October. Unrealistic to be sure. Especially when some of the gifts are two-parters. So, I am doing my best to be content with my progress and delay the baby knitting a bit longer. But, I may have to have a fix and tear into the first official "boy" yarn I have purchased . . .

Playing Hooky

As some of you know, I am one of those militant homeschool moms. My girls have school daily. I am a firm believer in sticking to the schedule. We try to keep the same schedule as the local school district, so that the girls are available to play with friends on their days off.

That being said, I do try to be flexible, which is one of the beauties of homeschooling. We are free to go to MOPS once a month, and every Friday from October through March they attend a homeschool co-op, so we do have "breaks" from the weekly grind. Today, however, I decided that I needed a day to play hooky. I had a bunch of errands that I actually wanted to do and those were all in the same general vicinity of the photo studio where #2 had her appointment, so we shopped til we dropped! And it was great. The girls had so much fun looking at all the pretty fall (and now Christmas!) things that were for sale. Princess #1 kept us on task, reading the list and checking the time (some school was being done!), Princess #2 marked the list off, and Princess #3 stayed close to the cart (always a bonus!) and gave her opinions.

Tomorrow we are off to pick apples at a local orchard in the afternoon. The girls can't wait, and honestly, neither can I!

Overwhelmed

Today is overwhelming. Not because of anything specific, it just is. A good house cleaning is way overdue, school to be taught, laundry to be washed, dried, folded and put away, meals to prepare, children to ferry to activities, Bible study to be hosted, and no energy to want to deal with any of the above. So I sit here and compound the problem and the feeling of knowing that I'm wasting precious time blogging about it! How ironic!

However, as I think about it, things have been accomplished today despite me. I actually remembered to call the sprinkler guy to have him winterize the irrigation system, and to call to reschedule Princess #2's picture session and I am switching loads of laundry (maybe not folding or putting away just yet), but it is getting washed and dried. School was taught and hopefully absorbed. Two meals down, one to go.

I should do this more often, I'm feeling much better about the day's outlook. I think I will rally the troops and have them do some vacuuming before rest-time. Thanks for listening!

When You Hear the Beep

So, I just had to relate this conversation I had yesterday with the littlest Princess. She had a night-time accident over the weekend and was explaining to me why exactly it had happened.

Princess #3: If I had just got up when I heard the first beep then I could have gone potty in the bathroom.

Queen: What beep?

Princess #3 (very matter-of-factly): The beep I hear when I have to go potty. God makes a beep sound and when I hear it it means I have to go potty. But the other night I didn't go when I heard the beep and then I heard another beep, and the last beep I got up but I didn't have enough time to make it.

Queen: How come I don't hear a beep?

Princess #3 (shrugs): You better listen better Mama. I'll ask God if I can share my beeps with you if you want.

Queen: Thanks, that would be great.

Now the phrase "when you hear the beep", has taken on a whole new meaning for me!

Who Knew?

I have a new weakness-boy clothes! Today as I just happened to be reaching up in a cupboard for something, a "gym bucks" coupon fell out. I had totally forgot that I had it, since I so rarely shop at Gymboree, much less spend enough to get the coupons. I quickly checked the expiration and was just under the mark (Divine coincidence? I think so!).

So after school and lunch and lunch clean-up I checked out their clearance pages! And bought the cutest raccoon stuff ever! I love raccoons and I love the idea of my little guy sporting some cute rascally clothes. Who knew there were so many fun things to dress a boy in?

A New FAQ

This one is sure to haunt us for a long time I am sure. So here it is.

Q: So now that you are finally having a boy, you guys must done having kids right?

A: [To be read/said with extreme sugary sweet, drippy sarcasm, my favorite kind, the kind that keeps them guessing.] Yep, you're right we are, because the only reason we will soon have four kids is that we just had to have that boy. Oh, and we would have kept on having kids until we got the gender that was "missing" from our family. Because as everyone knows, having a boy when you have daughters is all that matters.

Let the Knitting Begin

So now that baby's gender is known, I am itching to get knitting for him! Last night I couldn't get to sleep because my mind was humming with projects I want to make, and the quandary of which one to do first. Get Ziggy, cargo pants, the token beanie or two or three, the sweet Norwegian baby cap, Hickory Dickory Dot, a little brimmed golf hat like his Great Grandpa used to wear, the possibilities are endless (Ravelry isn't helping contain the madness either). And the color choices!! Reds, navys, greens, browns, I am in a non-purple-colored-yarn haze of bliss!!

His blanket is on the needles and going well, but it is going to have to take a hiatus because I have committed (as in, I bought the yarn already darn it) to make Christmas gifts this year. So I am committing the month of October to Christmas knitting. So far one down and four to go!! Thankfully, I have already finished a couple of gifts earlier this year. So I'm off to get to the gifts but I'll be dreaming of baby boy knits all the while-forgetting all about those dreams of a white Christmas!

Baby News

We had our ultrasound today and even though it feels weird to say/type this--we're having a BOY! I'll write more later, but for now we're just riding the baby boy is healthy high!

Yikes-I just realized I'm going to have to rename my blog!! Still it's still sinking in . . .

I Guess That's Why

Princess #3 is finishing up with her "business" while pondering this thought: "Why don't Murray and Jackson (our dogs) need to use toilet paper?"

When Mama doesn't answer with a satisfactory answer, she decides: "It's because they don't have any hands!"

That must be it.

I Hate It When. . .

. . . I am overly confident in what my pantry contains and flippantly assume that the ingredients for the meal on my menu exist in my house and arrogantly continue to knit . . . only to discover that I was sadly mistaken.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I hate shots. I freak out at the sight of needles. I can't watch when they draw blood, put in an IV, any of that stuff. Epidurals are out, they involve a needle right-IN YOUR SPINE? Not doing it-I don't care how bad the pain is! But when it comes to my kids I can't and solemnly refuse to let my fear be adopted by them. So I put on the brave front and shrug it off for them, hoping that they don't notice I'm not watching the nurses and that my knees are knocking. That intro brings us to today.

The older two have been due for their annual well-childs for over a month now and I finally remembered to make the appointment. I knew that both were due for the 2nd round of Hep A, but wanted clarification about the chicken pox booster since I'd been hearing conflicting things and since there has been a tiny outbreak at church. So now they are up to two shots a piece and they are a bit nervous, but I tell it's no biggie, we'll go out for ice cream (which next to chocolate, makes everything better). Thankfully our doc's office has the nurses tag team so it isn't one shot after another and each girl does great.

As we're headed down the hall for the stairs, I realize that I have to go to the bathroom. again. But God used the stop for good, because as a result, #3 (of course) had to try it out first and I took a look at the girls' arms in the meantime, and noticed that #1 had a huge hive under where the band-aid was. I took off the band-aid thinking that the nurse misplaced the band-aid and was going to move it, so none of us (read: mama) had to look at the injection site. It wasn't the injection site. Then she began to feel dizzy and got real pale. So I quickly got out the "propaganda" from the CDC and read that she had almost all the symptoms of a moderate to severe allergic reaction and that we should immediately see a doctor. Thankfully we were 5 steps from the office, so we piled back in, the nurse saw us and the doctor too. After about 20 minutes, some Tylenol, a shot of benadryl, cold compress, and some m&m's we were back in business. And I'm happy to report she is back to herself, for better or worse as the case may be.

FAQ's

This may end up being a series of posts, who knows?! But as I'm sure my friend Laughter Thoughts can attest, the more kids you have, the more at liberty people (friends/family/complete strangers) feel to ask you personal questions or make assumptions. Thankfully for the most part, my personality is such that I get a big ol' laugh at most or can at least see the humor in the situation later. So here is my attempt at answering some of those burning questions!

Q: Congratulations!! (then using a slightly hushed, more dramatic tone): Was this a planned thing?

A: Aren't all babies planned on some level? Seriously, this has been our most prayed for, agonized over, PLANNED pregnancy. With #1, I did all the lobbying and then God softened my husband's heart and there she was. With #2, it was a done deal, Lord willing, we weren't having an only child. With #3, I really wanted another one, husband was skeptical, and then there she was! With #4, back in February my husband asked me to pray with him about our family size and then in May we decided that we would step out in faith and see what happened. And there you go.

Q: Where on earth are you going to put this one? You'll probably have to add on to the house, right?

A: Funny how it works, but sharing a room with your sibling(s) doesn't kill you, I know totally weird, huh? I am living proof, as are my sisters, as are my girls. It's also funny how you don't know you are a boy or girl until about age 2 or 3 and even then, it's because someone told you that you were. So I think we'll be just fine with our three bedroom home.

Q: But what if it's a boy? (said again with the slightly hushed, dramatic tone)

A: Have you met my family? Would you like to see our track record with conceiving boys? Oh you have, then why the concern. Really, what better way for a boy to learn to treat women the right way than to be surrounded by sisters? Wouldn't he be spoiled rotten, you bet, but then we tend to spoil all our babies rotten!

Q: You're going to have to get a bigger car.

A: To quote my husband, "They don't come much bigger than this one."

Q: You should know by now how that happens. (pointing to my belly)

A: To quote Laughter Thoughts: "Why do you think we keep having them?"

The Cat's Out!

Well, it is safe to say that most everyone who reads this blog and/or who has had a visual sighting knows that the Queen is having baby #4. If you didn't--surprise!! We are about half way there, due in February '09, and if this little one cooperates we will know he or she (who am I kidding with the "he" right??) on Friday.

Today at Soccer Saturday, I had taken off the baggy, dark-colored (hopes of a slimming look!) sweater, and then saw a mom from Princess #1's previous team and her jaw dropped when she saw my "bump". To say she was stunned would be putting it mildly. Secretly, I found it hilarious and even more so when she was hustled off to the "potty" by her 4 year old before she could say anything more than a breathless hello. I suppose it's something to look forward to for next week.

I find people's reactions to this pregnancy very interesting. In fact, I should put up a FAQ's post sometime!! So anyway, the cat's out of the bag and I can now bore you all to death with baby updates. . .

I Didn't Think It Was That Bad

So got up yesterday morning, and am getting ready to hop into the shower, when the youngest princess marches in and without even so much as a "good morning" informs me, "Mama you need to brush your hair!"

I reply that I will after my shower, but that is not good enough for this little rascal. She very calmly hands me the brush and says, "Here."

Good Car Music

I had the "family" car all to myself tonight! (Did you see those stars align??) Anyway, usually I keep it silent, just soaking in the peace and alone time. Tonight however, I decided to turn on the music and each song that played was perfect! Have you ever had that happen--when each piece of music is the one you needed to hear to lift your spirits or encourage? I hope so.

I must say it was the icing on the already delicious cake of time to myself!

Ode to the Magic Eraser

Oh, how I love you, my Magic Eraser.
With just a little water and a quick swipe, the sticky finger prints that decorate ALL my walls at the 3 foot and under mark, "magically" disappear.
When I shudder at the state of the bathroom floor, I can just grab you, drop to my knees and the nail polish tracks disappear.
I don't know how you do what you do, but please don't ever stop. I just couldn't live without you!

Shhh, Don't Tell!

I told the girls that school would commence right after I check email. Of course, they know I use the term "check email" loosely! So after a couple of minutes. . .

Princess #2: Mom is school going to start soon?

Queen: Yep, just need to check yahoo mail and we'll start.

Then I overhear in hushed, flushed, tones:

Princess #1: Why did you have to remind her? We could have played a lot longer!!

Of course, now they did get to play longer, since I had to blog their conversation-we all win!

You Know You're Old When. . .

. . . the local radio station announces that there is going to be an Amy Grant "Lead Me On" 20th anniversary tour coming soon, and you think wow, she's still kickin'.

. . . and then you realize that you went to the original, 20 (yikes!) years ago!

Bad Mommy!

It was just sitting there on the counter, the one token piece of chocolate in the entire house, waiting to be put in my Bunco gift, and I ate it. I didn't even want it, but I ate it. It didn't even taste good, but I ate it. Very naughty. Especially since that means that at some point between now and Tuesday night, I have to find a replacement for my gift, with all three in tow. That right there my friends, is my punishment.

Dinner Laughs

While discussing the title of a Veggie Tale movie, the king mentioned one of the characters was named the "Italian Scallion". Immediately the girls jumped on the word scallion. Then the discuusion turned to what a "stallion" was.

I answered with: A male horse.

Princess #2 pauses, and says: Oh so it would be a horse that delivers the mail! Like in the olden days.

Then she couldn't figure out why mama was trying to conceal her laughter (and failing miserably, I should add)! Before she could get upset, we assured her that it was that pesky English language that was so confusing and funny-not her definition.

Say What?

Today at lunch, Princess #3 was inspecting the ketchup bottle. She looked up from her study to ask: "Does ketchup have cheeseburgers in it?"

And being the helpful mother I am, only half-listening, while cutting up #2's lunch say: "No it just has ketchup in it."

My Destiny??

My Dad sent me the link to the following youtube video and it is too funny!! Even if you don't homeschool, it is still a hoot. I needed a laugh this morning-thanks Dad!

Confession

I have a little 'fessing up to do about my ironing. It should probably remain just between us friends.

I don't iron the backs of my skirts and/or dresses.

If I lived close enough to walk to church or my shopping destinations I would probably give the backs a taste of the heat, but since I gotta drive, why bother to unwrinkle what is going to just get wrinkled up on my way! And that was my little secret to getting to the sewing faster yesterday!!

Don't say you've never done it or at the very least thought about it . . .

Bribing Myself

So I hate ironing. It is a loathsome chore to me. I will usually let the items that need to be ironed sit until I have at least an hour's worth of work, you know to make my time worthwhile, it's not like I'm procrastinating or anything. Uh-huh.

Well, today we had nice cooler weather, good sewing weather I thought to myself during school. However, my mom and I have the same deal, no sewing til the ironing is done. So once school let out I attacked the pile. Got the ironing done, the knitting blocked and even a bit of sewing done. Nothing like a little bribery to get a detested job done!

(Note for Friberg girls: I even did it without a stash of green m&m's and pretzel sticks!!)

In A Perfect World. . .

. . . school would have been taught and the garden tended. However, here at the castle the world is not perfect, it is real, and things didn't go according to my plan!

Over the weekend here the temps were sweltering, true August desert weather--100+ temps daily. Soccer games were watched, but just sitting in the sun sucked out so much energy that the normal weekend routine was interrupted! So that left weekend chores for today. So we stripped beds/remade them, and went grocery shopping! Not to mention the normal Monday of chore of laundry-til-you-die!

School will start tomorrow (I hope!) . . . in my perfectly real world!!

More Giggles

My girls make me laugh, which is a great thing! Finding my life amusing is the next best thing to knitting as far as keeping the queen sane! So I share two separate conversations with Princess #2 yesterday that still have me giggling.

We're at the table eating dinner, which happened to include rice. She stops eating and says, "Mama, when I grow up I am going to learn how to speak Chinese a little bit and go over to China with someone who knows how to speak Chinese and Washington, and I'm going to tell people in China that you can eat other things that aren't rice. That way they can have something else to eat." Too funny. Washington.

And then at bedtime, Princess #3 had a tiny thorn or sliver in her toadie and we were soaking it a bit trying to get it to work it's way out without assistance. When Princess #2 saw that our efforts were not working, she immediately ran to mama's bag and got out the "twizzlers", so the thorn could be taken out. I bit back the giggle then because she was so worried about her sister and her willingness to try and help was so sweet, I didn't want her to think I was laughing at her help.
(Twizzlers is "Washington" for tweezers, doncha know?)

Hope you had a laugh now too!

Time's a-ticking

Over the weekend I had the girls' clean up their rooms. P#1 has her own room and the younger two share. P#2 got right to work and put books back up on the bookshelf, and the library books in their place. It was great! I look across the hall to P#1's room and she's curled up on the guest "futon" reading a long lost Archie magazine! Like mother like daughter--those darn sidetracks especially in the form of books or knitting. Anyway, I offer to help and we begin to tackle her room.

From the vantage point of the hall, it sure didn't look too messy, but boy-howdy is that girl a pack rat! We found all kind of things that could be thrown away OR kept in her "special things" box. Well, among the things we found was her calendar, crammed under her desk. I flipped it to August and hung it up again. Then something caught my eye on it, a sticker on Monday August 18th. I leaned in for a closer look and it reads "School Starts". WHAT?! No one told me, and I'm the teacher!!!

Then I remembered the logic of having her put the sticker on that date. We'll be involved in our homeschool co-op again this year, and that sucks up a day of school a week starting in October, and then in September we're expecting company and school may or may not get completely done each day. Soooo, we're starting early. And as I'm reaching for the brown bag to breathe into, I remember, I did all my lesson plans, all I have to do to get ready for next week, is to organize their worksheets for the week. Hooray!

Now, I'm eager and excited to embark on this next year of learning adventure and fun. The smell of newly sharpened pencils to quote "You've Got Mail" has got my nose twitching and ready to see how third grade, first grade part deux, and keeping an eager preschooler busy will work exactly.

Please, be a friend, and remind me that come January when I'm pulling my hair out and ranting to the gods, I wrote this post about how excited I was for school to begin!