P.S. I'm taking a short break...

It seems everyone in the blogosphere is taking a break lately. I guess I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon, too.

We were all set to go to the beach this weekend, but yucky hurricanes have forced us to change plans and we're opting to vacay in our own city. People come to Atlanta for vacations, right? So, we're going to play tourist for a few days.

We're packing up to go stay at my mom's house (she's a whopping 5 minutes away) and the girls are going to camp in a tent in her guest room. It's our un-vacation.

But, in an effort to spend undisturbed time with my husband and girls (and not secretly be obsessing about my next post) I'm going to take this vacation from blogging as well.

I'll be back next Tuesday (Sept. 2nd) with fantastic tales of my Rod Stewart concert adventure and fun homeschooling projects and what it's like to take a vacation in your own city. Expect amazing posts next week. Or, actually don't 'cause that's alot to live up to. Just expect posts next week. That's much less pressure.

Anyways, have a wonderful Labor Day weekend and I'll see you guys next week!

Total Truth Tuesday

Sorry this is a bit late, I've been really busy today with pregnant SAHM stuff (i.e. sleeping, eating, sleeping some more). My Total Truth this Tuesday should be embarrassing, but it's all about hormones so I refuse to be ashamed.

Here it is:

When I am pregnant I have the weirdest cravings ever.

Okay, you're probably thinking, "yeah, so?" But, seriously, I have cravings that come up just short of qualifying for that pregnant Pica thing.

With my first pregnancy, it started with Oreos and Vienna Sausages. Together. That was what I ate just before I decided it was time to take a pregnancy test. But, my second craving that pregnancy was...Vodka. I'm not a big drinker (no wisecracks, Thomas!) but all I wanted during my first pregnancy was Vodka. Vodka straight-up. On the rocks. It all sounded delicious to me. It was the one craving I could NOT indulge my entire pregnancy (which is a little like torture if you have cravings as strong as mine!) As soon as Kai was born, I didn't give Vodka another thought.

With Ivy, I craved Cabbage. I ate it all the time (much like this pregnancy) but that wasn't really the weirdest thing. The weirdest craving I experienced? Cigarettes. Which is extra weird 'cause I don't smoke. And, I never really have. I had a fling or two with clove cigarettes during college, but regular cigs? Never. And yet, every time I smelled cigarette smoke or saw a pack of Marlboros my mouth started to water. Yet another craving that absolutely could not be indulged the whole pregnancy and completely disappeared after having Ivy. To this day, I have not had a cigarette since college.

This pregnancy I've been too sick to crave anything, but I am expecting some weird cravings any day now. Though I'm a little worried what cravings will be coming my way? What's left? Meth, hand lotion, potting soil? I guess I should be thankful my willpower is stronger than these cravings otherwise you might find me digging egg shells out of the trash to eat for dinner...

BTW, I promise not all of my TTT posts will be about pregnancy related stuff for the next 9 months. I just have pregnancy brain at the moment so this is the best I could come up with...

The Lovings were here...again.

I'm not sure when I'll learn my lesson. It is just pretty much inevitable that our family's presence at a school or birthday function will bring with it chaos, embarrassment, and/or infamy. That's just the way it goes.

This weekend, of course, was no exception. Saturday we had a pool party for a friend of Kai and I managed to completely forget about a church obligation Thomas and I had that night so it meant the kids could only stay about 45 minutes at the party and wouldn't be able to swim. I explained it to them before we got there and the girls were fine with it (yeah right) so I thought everything would be fine.

We got to the party. Dropped off the present. And, prepared to have a bit of cake before the rest of the party jumped in the pool. But, as always, things did not go according to plan.

Ivy, my resident daredevil, really wanted to swim. Really badly. She kept walking around crying and trying to take off her pants (classy, no?). Finally, she "accidentally" fell headfirst into the pool. In the deep end. In front of everyone.

I did the whole shrieking/screaming for help thing 'cause (and here's where it gets embarrassing) I was fully clothed in the outfit I had to wear to church in 30 minutes and, uh, I wasn't about to jump in. Let me be clear, she popped right up to the surface and was not-so-gracefully treading water. There was no danger of drowning. Within about 15 seconds her dad came to the rescue but not before I managed to dive to the ground (prematurely big belly and all) and reach for her - breaking my sandal in the process.

I limp around the party for about 10 minutes with a broken shoe until finally giving up and going completely barefoot. But, wait, it gets better (or worse) 'cause then Kai, thinking it is unfair that her sister got to "swim," starts pouting and moping. She lays down on the ground and covers her eyes and just silently puts on a dramatic show. She looks not the least bit bratty and instead like the child of a completely cruel mom who would bring her child to a pool party and torture her with the inability to get in the water.

One of the moms (who was an angel) gave Kai a pair of her son's shorts and tshirt to swim in for a couple minutes. Kai proceeds to get just a little too far out into the deeper end and loses her confidence thus resulting in a half-drown/half-tread water move reminiscent of her sister's earlier move. She's not drowning but she's panicking. So, I have to walk down the steps a little to get a float out to her. I soak my jeans in the process. You know, the jeans I'm going to be wearing to church in about 10 minutes? Yeah, those jeans.

And, now we're all wet and guess what? We don't have towels either. Who doesn't bring towels to a pool party? The mom who assumes her kids are absolutely not going to get in the water, that's who, but it doesn't stop me from looking like a flake. I am the only mom there without a Land's End tote packed full of every single supply my children need. So, I beg and borrow towels off of moms who are more grown-up, more organized, and infinitely more together than I, all the while thinking the one thing running through their mind is, "Yeah, this girl needs another kid."

The best part? I got to go to our church's GroupLink function in a pair of soaked blue jeans and completely inappropriate sparkly dress shoes. Never a dull moment in this family. But, oh how I could use one...

You know what I'm talking about. Right? (please say yes.)

Today:

1. I woke up too late and only got out of bed because my children were begging me to save them from starvation.

2. Kai got yelled at for knocking over a plate of peanut butter toast that was sitting by the bed. It's been sitting there for a day (okay 2) and it was totally my fault it was there in the first place.

3. The kids ate leftover pizza two meals in a row which, for those of you doing the math, is actually eating pizza the last 3 meals total.

4. We had two potty training accidents in one day. One of them involved standing on the bed and peeing all over sheets.

5. The playroom went from organized to a complete and total disaster.

6. I threatened to throw toys in the trash and settled on locking up the playroom.

7. I relied way too heavily on Comcast On Demand (thank you, Dora, Diego, Backyardigans, and Blue!).

It's days like today that make me think about getting a job. I think it would be like going on vacation.

But, then I remember that I am not qualified for anything and pregnant super satisfied most days and decide to see if tomorrow is a better day.

It almost always is.

Is it just me or...

does the Baby Center picture of an 8 week fetus look a bit diabolical? It's a little scary to think that this guy is living inside me right now!

www.babycenter.com

Kai-versations: That's it. We're moving.

Kai is an extraordinarily imaginative child. The depths of her imagination sometimes scares the living crap out of me.

We have a couple of imaginary friends, Deebai and Heehaw, that moved in with us right after we moved into this house. I always attributed it to the fact that we moved in about 4 days after her sister was born (that's another post for another day) and that it was a coping mechanism of a new baby and a new house. I didn't really worry about it too much.

Even when she told me Deebai went to high school in Africa and I didn't know she even knew anything about high school or Africa.

Or when she said Deebai and Heehaw slept in the tree out in front of our house.

Or after the time they were picked up by the cops for walking down the highway in her panties. (true story.)

Or, when their friend Sally moved in because her parents died.

Or even after the last time we went to a friend's house and she was crying in their playroom because Heehaw locked her away in a room where no one else in the world could see or talk to her.

Yeah, even then I didn't worry.

But, the other night, her imaginary world got a little too scary for me.


Kai: "Hey, Mom. Do you ever hear people whispering about things and you know it's not Ivy or Me or Daddy?"

Me: "Um...no. Why?"

Kai: "Just wondering. 'Cause I think sometimes Heaven is talking to me."

Me, more than just a little freaked out: "What makes you say that?"

Kai: "Well, last night this I heard this boy's voice and he told me he was going to marry me!"

Me, completely freaked out: "Uh, who was this boy?"

Kai, laughing: "I don't know. He forgot to give me his name. Isn't that silly?"

More like terrifying. Um, what the heck do I do about that?

Total Truth Tuesday

Yeah, this one's embarrassing, but, ladies, I've decided it's time to come out of the closet.

Here's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I looovve maternity panties. I do. They are, I think, one of the best creations of all time. I mean, I love my kids, too, but the maternity undergarments may actually be reason enough for me to procreate.

When else can you wear a pair of panties that come all the way up to rest snugly beneath your bra? Well, I mean, when else can you have a legitimate medical condition that excuses the wearing of those types of panties?

Never! In fact, during my first pregnancy when I brought my maternity underwear home Thomas was greatly dismayed. But, I would not forsake them. When he teased me mercilessly I refused to stop wearing them. In fact, when he suggested I not worry about our hotel room on the 27th floor because in case of a fire I could simply jump out of the window using them as a parachute, I remained strong.

And, so, now that I am pregnant again I have brought these sacred undergarments from out of their secret hiding place (lest Thomas find them and, you know, throw them away or burn them) and will make them a part of my wardrobe for as long as I can get away with it.

I'm thinking I should be able to justify it until the baby is at least 6 months old, don't you think?

Planning and Planting for Fall

Our summer garden is nearly tapped out. We've had an amazing bounty of tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, cucumbers, & peppers. But, our harvesting is slowing down and it's about time for us to put our Winter Garden in the ground. We started the seedlings several weeks ago and they're off to a great start.

We're pretty lucky that Georgia weather allows us to grow things well into fall/winter. Our winter garden includes: lettuce, radishes, green beans, peas, carrots, cucumbers, squash, onions, and, of course, pumpkins. The girls are so excited to grow their own Halloween pumpkins and I can't wait to see how big they get!

One of the things I've got to learn is how to can if we're going to keep growing our own food, 'cause our tomato crop was out of control and we ended up with tomatoes everywhere!

Though I can't can (yet) we did learn about freezing tomatoes (and other veggies). It's an easy and fast way to preserve tomatoes for later use in sauces and soups. These tips work for freezing a variety of veggies, though you'll probably forgo the whole skinning and squeezing seeds out for most.

1. Boil a pot of water and drop your firm red tomatoes in (they can't be too soft) for a 2-3 minutes.

2. Transfer them quickly to an ice bath and peel off the skin.

3. Cut them in halves or quarters and squeeze out excess water and seeds. (Don't worry about getting all the seeds. Just try and get as much done as possible.)

4. Place them in ziplock bag and squeeze out excess air.

5. Stick them in the freezer for quick and easy sauce!

Thomas had read something about sucking the air out of the bag through a straw to make sure you don't get freezer burn and gave it a try when freezing our first batch. He wants me to let you know that you should NEVER do that unless you feel like passing out from hyperventilating disgusting tomato air. Instead, you might opt for one of those Reynold's Handi-Vac systems from the grocery. They're cheap, easy to use and get rid of any air in the bag that could cause problems in your freezing.

So, we've now got a whole freezer of good veggies for winter and a winter garden ready to plant! Our eggs should be coming along soon or else we'll be eating some really lazy chickens (totally kidding - can you see me killing and plucking pet chickens? Not that hardcore yet!)

I'll be sure and post more when our winter garden gets productive!

My Alternate History

I got sucked into the time warp tonight (hat tip to Don't Try This At Home) over at Yearbook Yourself and thought I'd share with you what I would look like if I graduated highschool in the distant past...

1958

1960

1962

1978

I'm thinking, judging by these pics, its a good thing I didn't graduate any of those years. Though I can't honestly say mine were much better...

7 things you didn't know about me

I got tagged by P.S. He Loves You a week ago to tell 7 things about myself. And, to be honest, after doing my 100 things and Total Truth Tuesdays I am starting to wonder if there is anything about me that isn't public knowledge?

But, I'm going to give it a try, so here goes.

1. Growing up my family had tons of pets. Weird ones. A few of the most memorable? Potbelly pig (yes it slept in my bed - and no we were not hillbillies), Red & Yellow Macaws, and Wolf Hybrids.

2. I think fact number one is why we don't currently have any real pets now. I do like animals. But, mostly I like other people's animals.

3. My family is in the furniture business for over 30 years which means I have done everything from sanding, painting, and staining to moving, decorating and selling furniture. I think it is one the coolest and most challenging businesses to be in.

4. I am a super fast reader. It drives my husband crazy when we're trying to read something together. I'm ready to turn the page before he's even halfway through it. I think it is a left-over survival instinct from my days as an English major in college.

5. On more than one occasion I have had to wash and rewash and rewash again clothes that were in the washer because I seem to have a complete inability to take them out before they sour.

6. I was once the object of affection of a completely psycho stalker. He even went as far as to leave dead roses and toe nail clippings for my (now) husband. Scary.

7. In college my vision tested as "predator vision" level. I have no idea what it means, but I think it has to come in handy as a mom, right?

And, technically, I am supposed to tag 7 other people. So, here goes. If you don't want to do it, feel free to ignore my tag and if you do want to and I didn't tag you then leave me a note in the comments after you post so I can come over and learn 7 things about you!

Halie @ Keeping Up With the Sells

Katy @ My McGuffey Life

Rachel @ Something Kitschy

Heather @ Cool and Hip I Am Not

Amy @ The Rowell Crew

Eryn @ Jared and Eryn

Kelly @ Kellymac

It's a...shrimp?

Yesterday we had our big ultrasound visit. I have to say I was about as nervous as I have ever been going in to a visit like that. It took the tech a little while to actually find the baby, but once she did it was obvious that our little one was doing great.

The baby has definitely grown appropriately since last week and he/she looks exactly like it should. They said the heartbeat is strong and everything looks perfect so we are really thrilled. We're just a couple weeks behind where we thought we were which is distressing only because it means my pants are getting tight even earlier than I had previously thought!

I got a picture to keep and Kai insisted that it could not be what the baby actually looks like. I'll admit those early pictures do look like a cross between a tadpole and a gummy bear, but we'll just have to keep reassuring her that he/she won't look like that forever!

Thanks again for all your thoughts, prayers, and good wishes!

I'm putting the finishing touches on my pregnancy blog so this blog doesn't necessarily become baby central for those who'd rather keep hearing about how my kids shave their eyebrows and paint each other with permanent markers. You know, I'd hate to interrupt my documentation of my children's quest to ruin any hope for cool family pictures...

Tips for New Parents

Dear First Time Mommy-

I have a little advice I'd like to share. Something I learned the hard way.

That precious little bundle of cuddles and love all curled up in the crook of your arm may not be able to do anything more than yawn and poke her arms out of the carefully swaddled cocoon you've wrapped her into, but trust me on this.

Put up your razors know. All of them. Hide them in places no one will ever be able to find them. Because if you don't, one day, before you know it you'll find that baby at the ripe old age of 4 shaving off her eye brows.

You'll be cleaning the house (read: trying to watch Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List) and become alarmed at the eerie silence coming from the bathroom. You'll go in there to find your darling baby with eye brows that only go halfway across her brow bone. And, if you're anything like me, it will be less than one week from the family portrait session you've had planned for over 2 months.

So, do your self a favor, and hide the razors now. Before it's too late...

And then she ate the baby...

In my not-so-brilliant attempt to teach Kai about dinosaurs (that's what we're studying this month) I found Jurassic Fight Club today while flipping through channels and thought it might be cool to show her what dinosaurs look like.

I mean, it's on the History Channel, so how scary could it be, right? She wasn't really scared to see the dinosaurs fighting. She thought that was cool. And when I told her the mommy dinosaur was protecting her baby she thought that was even cooler. That mommy dinosaur kicked some serious butt and I think moms became a little cooler in her mind after seeing that.

But, perhaps I should have screened the show first, because when I told her that her mommy was like that dinosaur and would protect her just like that mommy dino did I didn't realize what was coming next.

Immediately after saying that, the big bad boy dinosaur killed the baby and was then beaten up by the mommy dinosaur. And then it happened. The mommy dinosaur ate her own baby. 'Cause, you know, she needed some food after all that fighting.

And Kai looked at me suspiciously and said, "So, if I die, will you eat me, too?"

Things I've had to say...

Do NOT take your panties off in the front yard.

Please stop trapping your sister underneath the laundry basket.

No you cannot stay up to watch Project Runway because you're only 4.

Only one little girl in the laundry basket at a time please.

That's why God gave you a tongue. To help you get food off the roof of your mouth.

Stop laughing every time your sister gets in trouble.

No, mommy's cooking does not always give you diarrhea.

Kai-versations: I guess we could order Chinese?

Kai: "Remember when I asked Jesus into my heart at Christmas?"

Me: "I sure do. Why?"

Kai: "Well, He's living there in my heart and I'm worried about it. I mean, I don't know if He's getting enough food in there. Do you think we should have something delivered?"

Hmmm...I'm wondering how I would explain that to the local Chinese delivery restaurant?

Um...gross.

So, today I'm obsessing over the fact that the average person unknowingly eats 430 bugs over the course of one year. One year, people. 430 over the course of one lifetime would be too much for me. But a year?

And that's the average. Which means some people eat more than 430 a year. I mean, you could have someone out there who eats 750 bugs a year bringing that average up. And it could be me. And I'd never know it.

I'm wondering how this happens? Do most of them ingest their daily insect diet via food or in their sleep? Are the averages higher for motorcyclists? Oh. I think I don't want to know.

I do think I might start sleeping with some kind of bug netting around my bed just in case though. Just on the off-chance I'm the one who's living on the high side of the bug eating scale.

Thank You.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments, emails and good wishes you ladies have been sending my way.

I can't tell you how much peace I have had since posting. It is amazing to know there are so many people out there who were praying for us! For now, my plan is to return to my regularly scheduled blogging (you know, plenty of posts on the random and absurd). I'll update you all with a post about any developments or news I get next week after my ultrasound.

Thanks again for reminding me how connected blogging makes me feel!

Total Truth Tuesday

Yesterday was a really bad day. It started with my first prenatal doctor's appointment. You know, the one I was so worried about?

Yeah, it didn't go well. I mean, it went okay, but not great. Long story short, I thought I was almost 9 weeks pregnant and expecting to see the whole 9 weeks pregnant blob on the ultrasound. The one with little stubby arms and legs and a big huge head. And a strong unmistakable heartbeat.

Instead, I saw a tiny little yolk sack. And an even tinier and harder to see heartbeat. Which means one of two things. Either this little one is not growing and I am miscarrying or I am not as far along as I thought.

Obviously we are praying that it's the latter.

You're probably wondering why in the heck I'm blogging about this. After all, the doctor did tell me with my first pregnancy that the general rule is that in the First Trimester you only announce your pregnancy to people who you don't mind admitting a miscarriage to. And, you know what? I guess that's you guys.

Because, this is part of my life. And this is part of who I am. Women go through heartbreaking miscarriages and pregnancy scares where everything turns out okay and though I don't know which group I'm going to fall into right now, I do know that it is all part of who I am and who I am lately is someone who is trying to be transparent about her life.

So, if you are someone who prays, please pray for me and for this tiny little heartbeat living inside of me. This baby was created in love and though we've only known about him a short time, he would be mourned. Pray that God will give us peace and that we will trust Him to carry us through this.

Please don't get me wrong. I did not have this much peace yesterday. In fact, I acted quite terrible to my husband and my girls. I was scared and sad and I treated them horribly. I even threw a temper tantrum at McDonald's that was neither attractive nor dignified. Though, in a few days, it might end up being considered comical.

In the meantime, as I know more about our situation you'll know more about it. And, if you're in a similar place, I hope it helps to know you're not alone. And, if you've been through something similar yourself, I'd love to know I'm not alone, too. Because this is why I blog. And, to me, it's what makes this community so darn special...

Dear Friendly Neighbor,

Let's be honest here. You've heard the screaming. I'm assuming that it's probably why you say a forced "hi" and rush on your way every time we cross paths. It's quite likely (and reasonable) that you think I am a raging lunatic who tortures my kids into screaming bloody murder all day long.

But, this is just to let you know that the shrieking and screaming coming from my kids really isn't as bad as it must sound from the outside. Well, it does sound as bad as it sounds but it's just not for the reasons you might assume.

My kids, you see, love to scream. They scream when they're happy and when they're sad. They scream when they're mad and frustrated and on the brink of a sleep deprived manic state of insanity. They shriek when they hear good news, when they pretend there's a monster in their closet, and when they can't agree which of them should be the one in charge of their favorite book/doll/toy.

And, the particularly blood-curdling scream you hear midday? That's the naptime scream. It's generally accompanied by shrieks of "NOOO!! PLEASE!!! NO!!! DON'T MAKE ME!!!"

Welcome to my life.

But, I assure you my own (occasional) screaming is simply an attempt to speak their language. Can screaming be a love language? Hmmm. I smell an New York Time's Best Seller here.

I digress. Anyways, just wanted you to know it's totally safe to look me in the eyes the next time we see each other outside of our houses. I can virtually guarantee my gaze won't turn you into stone.

Things I've had to say...

Please don't put your carrots between your toes.
If I hear anymore giggling and laughing you're going to be in BIG trouble.
Quit putting your hands in your armpits and smelling them.
Please stop telling everyone that you just peed in the pool.
I promise, Daddy is definitely too big to get accidentally flushed down the potty.