Attack of the Kirby salesman

This past Friday evening, I was hanging out with Bry & D waiting for daddy to get home and kick off our weekend when the doorbell rang. It was a really, really nice man telling me how he and his wife just moved to the area and they were opening up their own business cleaning carpets. He was offering to clean one room in my house, the only thing he asked in return, was that if I was pleased, I would help spread the word about his business. There was no obligation to buy anything. Who wouldn’t want a free carpet cleaning?

Now I was in a perfect situation. Just last week, I had a steam cleaned the carpet in my living room. Not only that, I vacuum every other day since the D-man puts any and everything in his mouth. My carpet is not just clean. It’s very clean. So you would think that I would be in a perfect position to say, “No thanks. I’m sorry.” Close the door. Done.

He told me it would take about 20 minutes, so I figured what the heck. I'm all about supporting entreprenuers and local businesses. Twenty minutes...remember that number.

He called his "guys" and they arrived 5 minutes later. It's now 4:35. Three big boxes get lugged into my living room. I noticed on one of the boxes the infamous "Kirby" brand. At any rate, the sales guy was going on about how cute my son was, and how lovely my home was, all the while, he is setting up a display of some sort, featuring the attachments of the Kirby vacuum cleaner.


The goal of the Kirby vacuum demonstration it to demonstrate how much dirt has been left within the carpet. A "Dirtmeter" attachment is used in place of a vacuum bag, while "dirt pads" are placed inside the attachment. When the vacuum is turned on, dirt lands on the pad, and is shown to the customer. The salesmen frequently replaces used dirt pads with new ones, leaving evidence of dirt around the vacuumed area.

The second goal of the demonstration is to show you how inferior your vacuum is. He whips out my handy dandy Hoover Fusion with "cyclone" suction power and vacuums my living room.

Here's how it went from there...

“Have I vacuumed this with your machine about the way that you would have?”
It is acceptable what you have done.

“Now that I have used the Kirby, do you see all this dirt that was left in your carpet.”
I have the ocular proof.

“If you had a chance to get this remaining dirt out of your carpet, would that be something you’d be interested in doing.”
The remaining dirt is upsetting to me and its removal would be most welcome.

“Wouldn’t you feel better if your son wasn’t crawling around near all this dirt?”
That’s an affirmative.

“If your machine is missing this much dirt, and you bought it to do precisely that very job, to remove dirt, then don’t you think it’s time you fired it and got something that will do the job.”
Can one really fire an inanimate object?

“You know what I mean. Get rid of it.”

He then leaned in for the final sales pitch. “Look, your machine isn’t getting the job done.” He then went on to talk about “superior suction power” and how the dirt in my carpet was going to destroy it by midnight unless I made some drastic changes, and that if I really, really loved my children, I would do this. For them. For their future.

Frankly, he had a point. I wondered "How much does this thing cost?"

It was now 5:45

“Would you like this Kirby in your home,” he asked.

“It depends,” I said. “How much does it cost.”

Now I knew that Kirbys were expensive. But when he handed me the flyer telling me the price, I honestly had to keep myself from laughing out loud. Want to know what the price was?

$2,049

Over two thousand dollars. It was at this point that I knew I was going to have to turn rude on him.

I did apologize for wasting his time, but I did let him know that there was absolutely NO WAY I was going to pay that price for a vacuum cleaner. Dude brings out the financing sheet. He told me I could afford to pay $30 a month (for the next 4 years), that he knew I could spare a dollar a day.

It's now 6:30

6:30 is feeding time around here, if not earlier. After I put my foot down about not purchasing the vacuum, I went into the kitchen to start cooking our dinner. He sat in the kitchen packing up his things. He had to call for a ride (just a little freaky), but finally got loaded up and stood outside by the mailbox waiting for the van. I told Chris he was gone, and how much he came off the original price to try to make a sale. We decided we would yank his chain for some giggles (since our Friday night was now shot) so we went outside and offered him $100 for the vacuum. He had to call his "boss", but it is unbelieveable what just happened....He sold it to us for just a little more than what we offered! Holy crap!

He came back in to do the paperwork (his ride still hadn't arrived...hmmm...) and finally left us with our new Kirby at almost 8pm. What a ride!

Back to the doctor

I'm taking Bryce to see Dr. Eastham in the morning now matter what. These are his tonsils...taken just a few minutes ago. He doesn't have a fever or even act sick. The only reason I thought to look at his throat was because he was talking weird today. His tonsils have been this big and red since atleast the end of May. They have big pits in them, which from what I've read, means that is scarring from chronic tonsillitis. He also has about 8 or 9 enlarged lymphnodes in his neck that have also not gone down since May. I'm afraid of what the doctor will say, but I think they should definately look better by now.

Hip Hip Hooray!

Bryce went back to school today! Hey, that rhymes :)

He's been very anxious to get back since the open house Thursday. I took a few pics, but my card wasn't in the camera and I'm not talented enough to pull them off. Luckily Lisa took somee for me, so I'll post those when I get them.

TGIF

Oh.my.goodness.

What a week. Well, what a crazy two weeks.

I'm about to throw a bunch of info your way, so beware. Lots of stuff on my mind, and I'm not really wanting to seperate it all into different posts.

Last night was the open house for Bryce's MDO. We got to meet his new teacher, and let me tell you...I really think she's going to make them toe the line. Which is a great thing, especially since Kindergarten is right around the corner! Bryce is a good kid, don't get me wrong, but he gets out of ALOT of things by batting his eyes and turning on the waterworks. He knows what it takes. I think this year will be a great experience for him, and hopefully he will learn lots! I pulled out his Kindergarten workbook yesterday just to get him going again. We colored shapes and worked on writing the letter "A". At the end of the lesson, you're supposed to go through and quiz them things that begin with the letter "A". Well, there was a train on the page. An "A"lligator was conducting the train, and hauling "A"pples. Bryce KNEW this, but here's how our conversation went....

Me: What's in the train, Bryce?

B: bananas

Me: bananas? Are you sure?

B: yep, bananas

Me: who's driving the train?

B: A Crocodile

Me: Does Crocodile start with "A"?

B: nope, but it's a crocodile

Alright, I could still be confused by an alligator and a crocodile, but apples and bananas? He thinks he's clever ;) Just another reason why I would NEVER homeschool.

We're off today to the land of Wal-Mart to get a few necessary things. I only make a Wal-Mart trip about four times a year. I try to steer clear of that place as much as possible. I think the crowds of people mixed with the size of the place just don't sit well with me. I'm definately more of a Target girl. I'm sure I'll have a story when I get back...I always do.

I got an e-mail FINALLY that "Fearless Fourteen" is available at the library!!!! Right when I'm in the smack-dab middle of "The Choice" by Nicholas Sparks. Oh well. I had to pass on "Fourteen" the first go around because when I had planned on picking it up Chris had left with my library card And my wallet. It was the last day to pick it up, and they had closed by the time he got home, so I went back on the HUGE waiting list...and now I'm so EXCITED to finally get to read it!

On the custody front...
Our first home visit was last Monday. It was weird. That's about the only way to put it. She came wanting to "observe" our family, so we're all hanging out in the living room playing. Bryce is doing his usual, "Hey, watch me do this" stunts, and Drew is being pretty good. Then she starts an interrogation process of sorts. She's asking about drugs/alcohol, arrests, criminal activity, financial status...basically things I felt just weird letting Bryce hear her ask us. Luckily there's not much to tell, but I couldn't believe she did that infront of the kids. Anyway, she was nice and all. I tried to make her feel welcome. She snooped in the pantry and refrigerator, and toured the house. That was really it. We don't know anything at all yet, but she did say that she has to come by two more times. Oh boy!

We're really doing some soul searching about this entire situation. First of all, can we financially afford to go on? This first gig cost us just a little under $5K. O-U-C-H! We just got that statement a couple of weeks ago. There's tons more legwork to be done for the final hearing, which in turn means more moulah. Secondly, what are our odds that we could get custody now? We shot our wad the first time. The biggest thing we had on her really didn't make the judge flinch! Chris called the atty and he said "Factually we have enough for custody, but judicially you never know." Our atty was so PISSED after the first hearing. It really was ridiculous how it was handled. I think we really had our bubble busted after that and now we're contemplatig our next move. I don't put a price-tag on K's safety, but if the judge saw him in any immenent harm, I feel like he would have acted on that day. We just don't know what to do or where to go from here.

My 11 month old

Well, as of yesterday :)

Only one more month until my baby has his first birthday! I can't believe it!

Yesterday was Bryce's first soccer practice. It was short and sweet! Made momma real happy since I had to get to work. The coach worked real well with the kids, and I think he's finally at an age where it's not complete chaos. All the kids followed directions so good. He learned how to stop the ball with his foot and kick it back. Games start a week from this Saturday :) I took some pictures, but they sucked...I guess from being in the gym.

If you had a couple of hours.....

If you had two hours at home alone, how would you spend your time? This actually happened to me yesterday. It was sort of an impromptu daddy-take-the-boys-to-Chuck-E-Cheese day playdate yesterday, so I didn't have anything "planned" to do. I thought about soaking in a bubble bath, but it was the middle of the day. I thought about working on my scrapbooks, but couldn't find the motivation. I thought about power cleaning the house....nah!

I ended up putting on my bathing suit, grabbing my book, and laying out by the pool. It was extremely relaxing. I never get to just LAY there. It was such a beautiful day and I'm glad I got a little "me" time!

Just had to end today with this.....

Members

Chris and I officially joined church yesterday. I transferred my membership over to Fellowship. It's so nice to belong!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

Happy 37th Chris!

We've been celebrating his birthday all weekend :) He took off from work Friday and today and it's been sooo nice having him home! Poor guy was trying to help out by doing laundry yesterday, and I was in the kitchen and heard a horrible clanking in the dryer. I pulled everything out to find his ipod in the bottom. It's toast now. Too bad it didn't happen BEFORE I did birthday shopping. We got him a new drill (that he picked out), a hat, some XBOX points and aftershave. I got the yummiest (rich, but yummy) cake from Julia's homestyle bakery. It's over by Pei Wei, and I highly suggest checking it out. They have cookies, pies, cakes, coffee....oh my!

My mom was trying to fish for ideas on what to get Chris for his birthday. I cleaverly suggested that they just BABYSIT for us tonight so we can go out and have a "grown-up" dinner at Bonefish or something like that. I know it's a tough time for everyone right now financially, so I would rather spend time with him (and he definately feels the same way). That's been a big downer for me lately. It's been like we have been running on our track and not really getting to be "husband and wife". The kids are pulling us in opposite directions these days, but we managed to have a little "time" this weekend.

finally!

Finally...I'm getting around to blogging a little :) Nothing extremely exciting has been going on with the family lately, hence the lack of blog entries. Add to the mix Mr. Drew, and that really leaves me with pretty much no time to be on the computer. I'm not at all complaining though. I have been quiet with so many people lately and sort of a "shut-in" because I've been savoring the moments with my babies. Drew is almost 11 months now and the reality of "my last baby" is hitting me hard. He's growing up sooooo fast. Everyday he does something new. He's walking all OVER the house now and just babbling his head off :) So cute!

Bryce is starting MDO in less than two weeks, and the soccer season starts next week! It's his first organized sports team (well, if you want to call it organized). I was glad to hear that they don't keep score. It's not a competitive league, it's just to teach the fundamentals of sports and group play. We're going to Dick's today to get a soccer ball and shin guards. I will definately shed a tear when I see my little Becks all decked out for his first shoe game.

Bryce said the cutest thing last night....I'm a huge Big Brother fan, so the POV comp was on last night (and being such a big fan with the After Dark show, I already knew who won) and I got up to get a drink. I came back and sat down on the couch with the fam. Bryce raised up and said, "Momma, Jerry won the power. The power of veto!" Awe!

So, I can't say how often I'll post over the next few weeks...it may be tomorrow, it may be the next day...it may not be for a week. I'm soaking it all in right now.

Tag, I'm it

I've been tagged by Rachel and Shannon


Here are the rules:

a. Link to the person who tagged you

b. Post the rules on your blog.

c. Write six random things about yourself.

d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blog.

e. Let each person know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.

f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up..



A)
Shannon and Rachel each tagged me :)

B) done

C) Six random things about me
-I have naturally curly hair that I battle with a flat iron after each washing.
-I am double-jointed in 4 fingers and all of my toes.
-I know every word to Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'"
-I don't like ice cream.
-I still hang out with my high school friends.
-I love to fall asleep with the tv on.

So for (D) and (E), I think from reading all the blogs that I read...everyone has already been tagged :)

Off to do (F) now!

bye bye Sprint

Hello Verizon!

I've been with Sprint for about 6 years. After numerous dropped calls and lots of dead air space on the interstate, I was ready to switch to another company. Originally I had wanted to go with AT&T. We have Dish Network, AT&T landline and internet. I thought we could get a pretty good discount with one of their widely advertized "bundle" packages. Wrong! You only get a 5% discount for bundling your junk. I had my heart set on an LG Shine phone, picked out the plan and everything. I had gone in earlier in the week and spoke with a salesman. I took Chris back with me the second time so he could ask any questions I may have forgotten. This sales guy threw something out like, "to get this phone for $49.99 you have to purchase unlimited text messages for $20 a month for the next six months." Ummm, no thanks. Do you really get a discount at that rate?

We thought we would be better off just going back with Sprint then. We decided to stop by the Verizon store first, just to make sure, before heading to Sprint. The Verizon store was SO FREAKING PACKED! It was insane. Chris put our name on the list, and we "tried" to look at phones. Luckily, I knew I wanted a slider so that narrowed it down a little. I was really turned off while I was looking at the prices posted on the phones. The kids were cranky, since cell phones are the FORBIDDEN toy that they are only allowed to play with in the most desperate of situations, so we were ready to bail. A manager/bouncer-looking guy stopped us at the door. So, to make a long story short, they made us very happy customers!

Some 4th of July pics!

We partied with the neighbors this year. It's pretty sad that we have lived here three years and really haven't gotten to know a lot of the people around us. We were fortunate to meet some really great people!

Everyone pitched in and bought about $700 worth of fireworks. It was quite a show. Bryce loved it this year (unlike last year), and Drew actually fell asleep. Only that child could sleep through explosives going off. Totally a child of his routine.

Got Shirts?

I'm not sure if I'm just in the "shopping mood" or what, but lately I've really been digging the shirts Kate has been wearing on TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8. So I sat down to browse on the computer and see what I could find. I ended up ordering the "Grateful Mom" shirt and a shirt similar to her "MOM8" (to the 8th degree). I can't wait for them to get here! Cheezy, I know. Now I feel like such a stalker ;)

an update is coming...

I know I left you hanging. I'm going to come back to this today, promise.

Blog going private

If you're a reader of my blog, and would like to continue, please comment with your e-mail address so I can send you an invitation to read it. Due to the circumstances we're under right now, it's best that I do this so nothing can be found to use against us in the near future.

p.s. If you don't have a blogger account, feel free to e-mail me at mondickens at yahoo dot com so I can add you to the list of readers.

TO DO - AND ALREADY DONE

TODAY:

-pilates (done)

-drop off stuff at Goodwill (done)

-Meet Libby for lunch (done)

-Shop for new outfit for court (done)

-iron clothes (not done)

-confirm with sitter for tomorrow morning (done)

-swimming lessons (not time yet)

-go by AT&T store to look at phones (not done)

TOMORROW:

-court at 9am

-Zanies for celebration or mourning...depending on how above event pans out


My stomach has been churning today. I haven't been nervous AT ALL about the court thing until I talked to Chris earlier today. He will have to go on the stand. Not that we have anything to hide, I guess I just thought it would be a fairly quick hearing and only the lawyers would be doing the talking. I don't like the element of surprise. I hope he handles the questions well. We are, of course, putting her on the stand tomorrow in return. The paralegal at our attorney's office also said that she has character witnesses to speak on her behalf tomorrow. What! Our attorney told us it wouldn't come to the character witnesses when we met with him initially. Of course we could drag a parade of people in there that could say great things about us and our parenting skills, but I don't know how anyone could miss work on such short notice. Hopefully our evidence and the people we have subpoened will be enough to pull us through successfully. Please say a little prayer for us! I'll post an update tomorrow afternoon when we get home.

Lookie what I found! eak!

It's a black widow spider! See the red hour-glass on it's belly? It's dead now and long gone down the garbage disposal. I found it in a web under my chaise. I was laying out in the sun on Wednesday and there she was. I've been so creaped out since! I hope there aren't any more out there!

If you're looking for something good to read....

then try a book by Philippa Gregory. She writes historical fiction, and has grabbed my attention. My newest fascination is with King Henry VIII. I'm currently reading "The Other Boleyn Girl", and I can't wait to read her others from the Tudor series. (The Other Boleyn Girl, The Queen's Fool, The Virgin's Lover, The Constant Princess, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Other Queen). I've always been such a light reader and liked the silly, smutty stuff. I've suprised myself with this book! Give it a try!

-livid-

Well, let me start by saying it has been one heck of a week. A very weird, strange week.

My neighbor has officially PISSED me off, so now I'm posing a WWYD situation. I would LOVE to hear how you would handle this....

Here's the back story....

Our neighbor never ever cuts his grass. Well, maybe 3 times a year. Just kidding, more like 10. So, it's always so high. This week the grass on the side of his yard closest to our house came up to my waist, no kidding. He'll mow the front, but never the rest. We have to look at it. Well...he came home yesterday with a brand-spankin' new riding lawnmower. YEE-HAW! I don't think he owns a weed-eater either, so this should be interesting. He gets everything geared up to mow. Chris and I are all excited and staring out the window, thinking the days of the waist-high yard may be a thing of the past. Chris went out to inspect the yard work last night (yep, we're the anal neighbors) and noticed that the neighbor blew his waist-high grass all over our fence. Normally I wouldn't have been SO upset, but we just rented a pressure washer two weeks ago to wash our fence. Last week, we stained our fence and still have another coat of stain to go. Now I'm pissed. I didn't react on it at the moment and I didn't let Chris either. I guess I'm getting a little older and more level-headed. We decided if we were still upset tomorrow and he doesn't clean up his grass (which was piled up literally 6 inches up our fence) then we would say something. I had to go out to work last night and got home around midnight. I walked to the side yard and I guess I was still upset about it. I went into the garage and grabbed a rake. In my rage, I raked all the grass by the light of that big 'ol moon we had last night. I placed the huge pile right infront of my neighbor's car. That's me to a "t". Passive-agressive. Thinking he'll see that we raked the grass and *think* that we don't want it there, and hopefully it won't happen again. Any suggestions on what to do if it happens again? I would like to keep it civil, but....maybe if I piss them off they will move ;)

oh so zen

I went to a new-to-me class today at the Y called Yoga Ball. I loved doing yoga when I was pregnant, and today I decided I wanted to do something a little on the soft side so I jumped on in. Man, oh man. I thought pre-natal yoga was hard! We were doing some c-r-a-z-y poses in there. Here's a picture of one (the one I thought was the hardest) called "half-moon"....

Well, I just about ended up on my head with that one! So much for thinking I was taking the easy way out today!

AUGH!

Well, I have to change the sheets on every bed in the house today! I just changed them a couple of days ago, too! Bryce had a little "leakage" before he made it in the bathroom and then decided to lay down in my bed and watch cartoons while I slept ;) Drew woke up and his diaper had leaked too. YUCK!

I don't know how, but we made it to the Y today at 8am for kickboxing. The usual teacher was out, so we had a sub. It really works me harder when someone else switches up my routine. She didn't do as much kickboxing, it was more bootcamp-ish stuff. We did stair runs and laps, jump-rope and jumping jacks...just throw in a few killers and I would've felt like I was at high school basketball practice again! Whew! I'm beat! We're going back today at 5 for Bryce to start his swimming lessons.


We bought tickets to see Jon Reep on the 25th of this month! I'm so so so excited! My mom's group is planning a night out to Zanies on the 21st, and I was pulling up the calendar to show Chris who the comedian was, and we saw that Jon Reep was coming!!! He was the winner of last season's "Last Comic Standing", and he made us both laugh so hard we could've peed our pants. Chris whipped out the AMEX and bought us some tickets! I got someone to cover part of my shift and we will actually get a night out together! I think the last time we were alone together was either at an attorney's office or getting our taxes done. I can't wait!

Postponed....

Our attorney had a death in the family and had to travel out of state for the funeral. We got a call today that the hearing has been rescheduled for June 25th. Just a couple more weeks left of walking on pins and needles!

Weekend stuff

I worked diligently Thursday and Friday to pull together a yard sale. I had quite a few home decor things to sell, some of my fall/winter maternity clothes and tons of baby clothes. I got everything organized, priced and hung Friday night. I placed signs at every intersection pointing people my direction. When all was said and done (at 11am for me) I made about $70. I really didn't sell but 25% of what I had out there. I don't know what's up. All the yard sales I've had in the past really went well, but Saturday there wasn't much traffic at all. Now I'm stuck with a garage full of stuff that's too good to take to Goodwill, but I don't want to store it anymore. I really wasted a Saturday.

Saturday night, I went upstairs and decided it's time to get back into scrapbooking again. I realized what goodies I still had after going through it for the yardsale. Anyway, I haven't made a single page since Drew's been born. It felt weird to me. I can't explain it. But...here's what it turned out like....
It's a group shot from Bryce's MDO and a picture of him on his first day. The pocket holds a tag for journaling (which I still need to do). Maybe I'll get my mojo back.

On Sunday, we went to church. I was really glad to be there after missing last week. I just don't feel right when we can't make it to church. Drew slept right through as always, and Bryce had fun in his class. Afterwards we went to TGI Friday's for lunch (without tomatoes or lemons..ha!), and to Kohl's for some clothes to wear to court on Wednesday. Home for a nap, and then the rest of the day in the pool! fun!

recent reads

Whew! I've been on a reading binge lately! I just *adore* the library. I'm still in the process of "Good in Bed", but I hope to have that finished pretty soon. I'm on the wait list for the sequil "Certain Girls" and I can't wait!

Green cleaning - take 1

I began researching "green" cleaning methods earlier this week after becoming more aware of the harm that the chemicals in common household cleaners can cause not only the environment, but my family. With Drew at a stage where he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth, I decided that I should better monitor what I'm putting on the surfaces he most comes in contact with.

I'm still somewhat skeptical of the so-called "green" products that stores have on their shelves now. It's becoming so cool to be green, that I'm afraid some manufactures may be using the timing to their marketing advantage. With that being said, I chose to research some recipes for household cleaning using common products that are non-toxic. Today's adventure began with white vinegar, water and baking soda.

I came across several ways that vinegar can be used (I have used vinegar in my prior cleaning experiences, but just not to this extent). I tackled the appliances in my kitchen this morning with "great success" (said in my best Borat voice). I started with my caked-up-funkified can opener. I took the blade apparatus off and soaked it in straight vinegar for about 10 minutes, rinsed it with water, and VOILA...clean! I cleaned the base of the can opener with a mixture of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar that I mixed in a spray bottle. This was e-a-s-y! I used less elbow grease than I normally do with my other cleaners.

I then cleaned out my washing machine (nasty, but easily done), coffee maker and toaster oven. For the toaster oven, I mixed baking soda and water in a small bowl until it was pasty and scrubbed the pan with a sponge. It rinsed off so well. No grit, no grime.

You know those stubborn lime stains around your kitchen faucet? Soak a paper towel with straight vinegar and wrap it around your faucet. Let it soak there for a few minutes and wipe the scum away!

I also found a tip for cleaning the microwave. Now, my microwave was mostly clean from a Spaghetti-O mishap yesterday at lunch, so this didn't get fully put to the test. Mix 1 cup warm water with 1 tablespoon vinegar and two drops of dish liquid. Heat in microwave for 3-4 minutes and let stand for 15 minutes. Wipe down with a damp cloth.

This entire experiment cost me around $3. I got a gallon of vinegar for $1.48, a small box of baking soda for $0.38 and two spray bottles for $0.96 each. I'm looking forward to playing a little more with lemon juice and some essential oils!

Just a swingin'

The baby swing has by far been our best purchase in awhile. Drew absolutely loves to swing and so does Bryce. I guess that's about the only thing these two yahoos have in common. We've added a mandatory "swing session" to our daily routine :)

Drew @ 7 Months!!!

My big guy is still growing so fast! He's sooo close to crawling now that I expect he will be all over the house by the end of the month. He's such a social baby, which works out in my favor. He loves to go. We can be anywhere. The more people that are around, the more he loves it. Chris got a swing for him yesterday and put it on the swingset and he loved it. I'll have to get some pictures of that today!

The Gift of Kindness

I get daily devotionals e-mailed to me and this one really stood out so I thought I would share :)


Suggested Bible Reading

So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

-Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2 (NRSV)


Today's Scripture

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

-Ephesians 4:32 (NRSV)


AFTER placing several items in the grocery cart, I headed for the check-out line. Since several customers were in front of me, I found myself people-watching. Soon I noticed an irritated man in the next line. He was waiting behind a young woman with a fussy child. She was beginning to count change, and she looked worried. "Don't tell me you don't even have enough for the groceries!" the man said loudly. "How can you come in here without money?"

The young mother was $20 short when all her change was counted. What the woman had was food for a meal, food for the child, and diapers. She had no frills that I could see. I found myself passing a $20 bill to the cashier. The young mother was embarrassed but looked genuinely grateful.

As I walked out of the store, the irate man came past me and said, "You know she probably does this all the time. You've just been taken."

My immediate response was, "God knows my heart. I am not worried." Despite the feeling that I had no money to spare, I had given freely. And I realized God had given me this opportunity to test my faith.

Barbara A. Smith (Ohio, U.S.A.)

Can I get a do-over?

I need to rewind and start my morning off on another foot. If you don't want to hear a down and depressing story, then go back now. I got paged for work at 5:40 this morning. It was Labor and Delivery. They don't play, so when they call you know it's usually an emergency. When I called them they let me know they couldn't find heart-tones on a baby. This happens alot on patients that have a larger body habitus than their equipment can penetrate, so I just figured it would be a quick scan to calm their worries.

Man, I was wrong. I got there and received the story from the nurse. This girl had shown up early this morning to be induced. Totally normal pregnancy up to this point. After the nurse told me she was 99% sure this baby had passed, I asked her to come in the room with me while I scanned to run interference. The expression on my face can sometimes give way to what I'm seeing on the screen, and I didn't want to be the one to break it to her. The nurse was really helping to distract her while I did the ultrasound, so the "Is everything okay?" question didn't get asked to me.

I feel so horrible and sick. I'm imagining the excitement and anticipation they had when they arrived at the hospital this morning, and the extreme reverse of emotion they are probably going through right now. She talked about what she was going to name her baby, how the nursery was decorated and how all of the family was in town for his birth. Please say a prayer for this family.

Lessons from a Mom

Subject: 15-step program for Parenthood

Thinking of Having Kids? Do this 15 step program first!

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who alreadyare parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
(Eat cold food with one hand for dinner) 2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6
1. Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and a jar of paint, turn it into an alligator.
2. Now take the tube from a roll of toilet paper. Using only Scotch tape and a piece of aluminum foil, turn it into an attractive Christmas candle .
3. Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty packet of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower .

Lesson 7
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 8
1. Get ready to go out.
2. Sit on the floor of your bathroom reading picture books for half an hour.
3. Go out the front door.
4. Come in again. Go out.
5. Come back in.
6. Go out again.
7. Walk down the front path.
8. Walk back up it.
9. Walk down it again.
10. Walk very slowly down the sidewalk for five minutes.
11. Stop, inspect minutely, and ask at least 6 questions about every cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue, and dead insect along the way.
12. Retrace your steps.
13. Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbors come out and stare at you.
14. Give up and go back into the house.
You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Lesson 9
Repeat everything you have learned at least (if not more than) five times.

Lesson 10
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 11
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 12
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 13
Move to the tropics. Find or make a compost pile. Dig down about halfway and stick your nose in it. Do this 3-5 times a day for at least two years.

Lesson 14
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 15
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the
'mommy' tape made from Lesson 14 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.


This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!

bring.it.on

Bring on the warm weather! After yesterday, I officially diagnosed myself with "seasonal depression". The winter months have been miserable for me. We've stayed inside and it's gotten SO old! I was cured when the temperature reached 75 degrees. Move over couch-potato-cabin-fever Monica. I finally found my energy supply! We played outside a majority of the day (which by the way REAllY helps keep the inside of the house clean ;)). I pulled all the weeds that had grown up and washed the car. This was all in addition to pushing Bryce on his swing, blowing bubbles and throwing the football.

What can I say?

I have these thoughts during the day about this blog. Something will happen and I'll think, "I should blog about that!". Sometimes when I'm driving I'll even have it mapped out in my head how I want it to sound. I wonder if anyone else does this? Now that I acutally have a chance to sit down and blog, nothing comes to mind. Weird huh?

So, I can touch on the oh-so-dull details of what I've been up to lately. I finished Jodi Picoult's book "Ninteen Minutes", and I was very pleased with it. I really got sucked into this one. I wasn't as emotionally involved as I was with "My Sister's Keeper", but this book made me think, and worry about my kids. It's such a real issue that can, and has happened at school. I started (and am almost finished with) Kim Edwards "The Memory Keeper's Daughter". I'm 3/4 of the way through it and it's finally getting to the good stuff. It is about a doctor that is forced to deliver his own children due to a snow storm in Kentucky. He nor his wife realized that they were having twins (born in 1964). The baby girl was born with Down's syndrome. He sent the assisting nurse to leave the baby at an institution and told his wife that their daughter had died at birth (she was knocked out with gas during the delivery). The nurse chose to keep the baby after seeing the conditions of the institution. The book sofar has basically followed their lives to a point where the doctor/dad "David" can't live with his guilt and the lies he's told. I can't wait to find out if he actually meets his daughter and how/when he tells his wife. I picked up Carole Matthews "Chocolate Lovers Club" at the library yesterday, so that will be my next read. How in the heck did I not figure out the whole library thing before now?!?! It is awesome! I go online, place a book on hold, they e-mail me when the book is ready to be picked up and voila! It's free! The hard part is trying to read the book in two weeks. Anyway, if you're a reader...check it out!

Counting my blessings!

At Drew's 6-month appointment, I asked the doctor about the risk of him getting the flu if I were to take him to the nursery at the YMCA. He said that they have seen a huge decrease in the amount of flu cases, so his risk should be minimal. YAY! I've been going to the gym in the evenings when Chris gets back, but if given the choice, I prefer to go during the day. I like to get it over with, not to mention the chaos of cooking dinner, catching up with Chris, and just pure exhaustion that I deal with in the evenings...sometimes the last thing I want to do at 6 pm is a huge workout.

So we started back two weeks ago. It was so nice. I dropped Bryce off at MDO, went to the gym, came home and showered...it just felt so nice to be back in my "pre-baby" routine again. Well...last week, Bryce starts getting congested and coughing some. I chalked that up to a cool and windy Easter weekend, and the fact that Chris mowed the grass. I think that kicked up all of our allergies again :( I put the gym on hold until he got well. I gave him some Zyrtec and all was well within a couple of days. We decided to go back last Wednesday. We had been cooped up in the house due to weather and illness, so I was sooo excited about getting out for an hour or two. I got Bryce signed in to his room, and went to check-in Drew. There was a small crowd waiting to check-in their kids as well. Finally, one of the nursery workers came over and said she could take Drew, but she needed a few minutes to "disinfect" the nursery. I asked her why (since they opened at 8am and we were there at 8:45), and she said that they just had someone breakout in what she believed was HFMD (hand, foot and mouth dz). OOOH! I said, "okay, bye!" An hour of alone time was so not worth that risk. I considered that a sign, but I left wondering, "What if I came an hour later? Would they have told me about what hsppened earlier?" Scary to say the least.

for the love...

***update...I'm no longer livid..hee hee. I got the night off!***


I'm absolutely LIVID right now!

So, I'm at work last night and I notice the April schedule is hanging on the board. I though I would take a quick glance at it, and I noticed that I was put on the schedule to work on April 10th! I filled out a time-off request for that date WEEKS ago! I'm hosting a shower for three mom's-to-be at my house that evening starting at 6pm. Granted, I don't need the entire night off, but I didn't want to worry about getting called back in at 8:45 or 9:00 when I could possibly still have guests.

To me, the way it works around there is screwed up to me, and I plan on sharing my feelings about it to the appropriate people. When I'm at work (which is only in the middle of the night) I have to fill out a request for time off. When I accepted the position, I was told that as long as I gave 30 days notice, taking off would be no problem. If it was sooner than 30 days, then I had to recruit a replacement to work my shift....easier said than done. So, I fill out a request and leave it with the assistant director (I lay it on her desk since she's at home asleep). I NEVER ever hear anything from any of my requests, so I assume I'm always good to go with the dates I request. Now I have nothing to back me up. Nothing in writing. Nothing with a signature. No e-mail stating, "I got your request for time off." So now I'm left to believe either a.) the paper got lost in the mix on her desk, b.) the paper got misplaced c.) I didn't deserve the night off. What makes me the most upset is that the schedule was up last night...3/20. I notice the error 10 days too late to file another request.

I may just turn in my two weeks and take care of it that way.

My 6 month old!

I took Drew for his well-baby visit yesterday. It's always nice to visit the doctor and NOT have any problems :) He weighed 18lbs and 3 oz, which is in the 50th percentile, and he measured 28 inches, which is in the 90th percentile. I always compare his height and weight to what Bryce was at that age. At 6 months, Bryce was 19lbs 9oz and 27 3/4 inches, so they are pretty similar in size.

He got another set of shots, which he did so good with! He woke up at 1am to have a bottle, but that is the only side-effect of his shots this time. I probably need to take-off from work on "shot nights" because he got up at 1am, finally let me put him down (he wanted to be held) around 2:30am, and then my pager went off at 2:45am. So basically I was up from 1-4 this morning...YUCK!

I have never in my life!

Oh.my.gosh!

I have never been so embarassed in my Entire life! I just ruined my chances at getting the "mom-of-the-year" award Saturday night. We got busted having our sexy time. Bryce may be ruined for life (just kidding, he's okay now), but WHY DIDN'T I LOCK THE DOOR!!!

We put the kids to bed, and Bryce never, ever, ever gets up unless he goes to the bathroom. We were upstairs watching a movie and kinda got distracted. Chris looked up and said "OH MY GOSH!". I turned around, saw him, and screamed. I covered myself up with a blanket...what good was that going to do at this point? Poor kid was speechless! Chris asked him what he needed, and he just held up his empty sippy-cup and shook it. He acted a little pissy with Chris for awhile after he busted us, but luckily he hasn't mentioned it since then.

Lesson learned!

Lipstick Jungle

This show is my newest addiction! I LOVE IT!

What the heck *is* emo?

I've heard this term alot over the past couple of weeks and decided to do a little research (a.k.a google) what exactly emo is. The most recent Idol booted off, Danny Norriega, was termed "emo".

Like a Goth, only much less dark and much more Harry Potter.

I found quite a bit of info from this website.

emo - short for "emotional." Emo is a broad title that covers a lot of different styles of emotionally-charged punk rock.

Some pointers about emo fashions (above simple, universal hardcore attire)

-the Emo Romulan look - short, thick, greasy, dyed-black hair with bangs cut straight across the forehead, and cut high over the ears. Someone from Time In Malta recently described to me the San Diego Crimson Curse scene as "Spock Rock."

-actually, any greasy dyed black hair. Bangs in front and spikes in back is very emo too.

-horn-rim glasses, or at least thick black frames.

-bald head, furry face (boys only). Goes especially well with horn-rims.

-heavy slacks, often too tight and short.

-thin, too-small polyester button-ups in dark colors, or threadbare children's size t-shirts with random slogans. Button the collar if you got one.

-clunky black shoes

-scarves

-gas station jackets. This has diffused a lot over the years though, it's no longer exclusive to emo kids. Nowadays, you may want to select a nice corduroy denim jacket.

-also classic outerwear but quickly diffusing to normality: the famous Blue Peacoat

-barrettes on boys

-make-up (male or female)

-too-small cardigans and v-neck sweaters

-argyle

-anorexic thinness. Veganism helps here.

Normally a 15-17 year old teenager. Considers themselves to be much more in touch with their emotions than anyone else; whereas they really just feel sorry for themselves. Most emo's will claim to be depressed, or simply misunderstood. They think they are unique, and fail to realise that they actually look like half the teenage population of south england. You can recognise an emo by looking for these general characteristics:

SKINNY JEANS (both boys and girls) The tighter the better. If an emo can hardly walk because of their jeans, then they've reached optimum emo status.

STRIPEY JUMPERS. Normally black and grey. If you're a boy, this should again be worn as tightly as possible. Breathing comfortably is a luxury you may have to sacrifice.

TATTY CONVERSE. Usually drawn on, as most emo's regard themselves as artists.

BLACK LONG HAIR COVERING ONE SIDE OF YOUR FACE. Vision can be compromsised for style as an emo. Try and make it as greasy as possible.


So, I'm understanding this as a sort of preppy-goth style of clothing/music. What is your take on an emo?

Nuttin' Much

Chris is gone to Chicago for the week attending a seminar for work, so I'm here with the boys all week. This is the absolute longest amount of time that we've been apart since we've been married...heck, since we met. So, I'm a little lonely being the only grown-up in the house. I know he's bummed about being there. He's got a nice hotel room, but he's up there not knowing anyone. His classes are from 7a-7p, so that doesn't leave alot of time for anything fun.

I finished my first Jane Green book last night. "The Other Woman". It was "okay". Definately not the best thing I've read. It started off sort of boring, but picked up 3/4 of the way through. I have the next book "Swapping Lives" by Jane Green out to read next. It sounds a little more my speed than the previous one.

I purged all the crap I've had in my closet for YEARS and loaded it up to take to goodwill. Man, that felt good! I had so many clothes that I guess I was holding onto "incase", but they never would've been worn again. I'm getting closer and closer to getting into my "fat jeans". (the jeans that were my fat jeans before I got pregnant...not to be confused with my "fat ass jeans" I'm wearing now). I weighed in at Weight Watchers Saturday and I was 3 pounds down from the week before. All together I've lost 7.5 pounds in 5 weeks. It's coming off alot slower this time than it did before. I just wish I could get to the gym a little more often. I've been getting very creative with jumpropes, elastic bands, handweights and my staircase though ;)

Super Baby Food

This book has been my guide lately.

Yep, I've become one of "those" moms. Lately I've been experimenting with making Drew's baby food. I wanted to give him more of a variety of foods than you could get in jars (keep in mind, I still buy a few jarred foods...just not as much), and I wanted him to have fresher fruits and veggies. Not ones that had been on store shelves for awhile.

Bryce is a PICKY eater. I think lots of times it was my fault for not getting him to try new things when he was exploring eating. We knew what baby food he liked and we stuck to it. Now, he's become a product of our actions. He will eat EXACTLY the same thing every day if given the choice. It's been a real headache to get him to realize french fries are not a vegetable. He is becoming more open to new things now....last night for example, he ate a few pieces of sauteed shrimp. It wasn't fried or breaded! He also ate ham & pineapple at dinner the other night. I just can't believe the kind of mother I was to him. I spoiled the absolute crap out of him. I'm going to confess that I actually cooked "his" dinner seperate from ours. Whatever he wanted to eat, or would eat, I would cook special for him. So needless to say, I'm trying to "undo" the damage I've done, and trying not to repeat my mistakes with Drew.

So, some of the foods I've made for Drew are:
-avacados
-mango
-pear
-butternut squash
-yellow squash
-sweet potato
-carrots
-bananas

A big, fat post about the kiddos and life

My, my, my. How can I ever catch up on all the milestones that have passed. Thank goodness I've been keeping Drew's baby book current, because I've been lacking with the blog.

Drew now has his first tooth! He got it just a couple of days before he was 5 months old. It's his bottom left one, and the right one is almost through too! This one is bothering him some. He's a big slobber monkey right now, and wants lots of cuddle time with mom. He rolls over from front to back and back to front now. He'll also scoot around in circles on the floor so he can see what he wants to see. I can tell he's going to be moving soon! He would crawl right now if he could figure out how!

Bryce is just getting more and more stinkin' cute by the minute! He says some of the most hilarious stuff you've ever heard. But on the other hand, he is talking NON-STOP! Blah, blah, blah. He'll ask me a question, I'll answer it, and then he asks me a question about my answer. It's adorable for awhile, but after about 12 hours of it..I'm done. I guess it's better than doing backflips off the couch or something. He's my buddy and he knows it. It's so nice to be wanted by him :)

Well, we had our taxes done a few days ago, and I'm so glad to report that we are getting a R.E.F.U.N.D. Yep. We got soooo burned by the IRS last year that we re-did our W2's and I had additional $$ taken out of each of my checks. Take that and the facts that this year we:
(a) made less money...I worked alot less after Drew came
(b) didn't cash out a pension...ahem...Chris
(c) added another dependent
We actually paid in WAY TOO MUCH! It's nice to get that payday, but it also makes me sick that the government has had that money earning interst on it and I didn't. Can I ever be happy? LOL!

I've been a big TV junkie the past few weeks. With all the shows being reruns due to the writers strike, I have gotten hooked on reality tv. Here's some of the shows I like to watch...
~Jon & Kate plus 8
~Big Brother
~American Idol
~The Girls Next Door
~The Bad Girls Club
~The Biggest Loser
~Celebrity Apprentice
and, non-reality, LIPSTICK JUNGLE! Oh my. This is a good one!

Cheez-its loves me

Just a little funny conversation I had with Bryce on the way home yesterday from school....

ME: So Bryce, how was your day today?
B: Good
ME: What did you learn about?
B: God and Cheez-its
ME: God and Cheez-its?!?
B: Yep, God and Cheez-its love all the people.

That's one for the books ;)

okay, okay....I'm still here

I don't believe it's been three freaking months since I've blogged! So much has happened with the kids! I'm uploading pics to post, so I PROMISE there will be some new blog entries from me this week.

stay tuned.....

Finished this book....

It was pretty good! I finished it at work Saturday because we wern't busy at all! I hope I get some of the books that were on my Christmas list! I've asked for the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson also. I just love that show, so hopefully the books are just as good!

New Pics of the Kids

We had some fun with the camera the other night. The boys were all grins, so I decided to snap some pics of them. It's not often that Bryce is WILLING to hold Drew!

We're slowly getting ready for Christmas. The only shopping I've done this year is online. It's pretty sweet let me tell ya! You don't get the instant gratification of buying it that day, but you also don't have to fight the crowds with two kids (one of which is begging for every toy in sight!) and you get the anticipation of a package arriving! Can't beat it in my opinion!

Bryce's birthday is this month also (5 days after Christmas). We went to Publix last week and let him choose a cake. I was shocked when he picked the Star Wars cake! He's obsessed with SpongeBob these days, but I guess Darth Vader is pretty cool too. He only has two more weeks of MDO left before Christmas break. Hopefully I can keep him as entertained as they do!

Drew started LAUGHING last week! My chunky-monkey is only 2 1/2 months old and he will just giggle at his bouncy seat, mommy and daddy. He's also been having a major drool-fest. I never remember the slobs coming this early with Bryce. Hopefully teething isn't in the near future!

The good stuff

No need for words :)

My 8 week old

This is the beginning of your second month Drew! You just keep on growing and changing everyday. You're officially out of size "newborn" clothes and into 3 months now. Your smiles now come with squeals and you love to have conversations with me and daddy. I switched to bottle feeding exclusevily last week since I started back to work last night. It's alot of work pumping and feeding, but I'm doing it all for you baby! You're still sleeping great! Daddy is finally able to get you to bed at night without my help. You go to bed around 10pm and like to wake up around 4 or 5am for a bottle, and then back to bed until 8 or 8:30. I hope you keep this routine for awhile!

Just a little funny

I found this at my new favorite website to lurk: KellyMom

I can really relate to #s 2,8 and 9!

Being a working mom, I have to pump. I use an Ameda Purely Yours, which anyone who owns one will tell you is not the quietest thing on the planet. I got thinking yesterday about all the stuff I've learned while pumping. Here are just a few:

1. We need new magazines in the exam rooms. (I work in a doctor's office.)
2. The customer service rep from Sprint can and will hear the pump running, and will almost always ask what that noise is.
3. 90% of women have lopsided breasts. (I think I'm in the top 200)
4. When using exam room 6, someone will either need something, have an emergency or both at the same time. They usually end up being more embarassed than I am.
5. You can use the spine of an Esquire magazine to open a beer.
6. When your boss hollers "AIRMAIL!!!!!!!!!!!" and slides your paycheck under the door, at least eight people will bust out laughing.
7. The term "boobie juicer" is hysterically funny. Especially to other nursing moms.
8. It is possible to fall asleep while pumping. And when the horn separates from the breast and makes a giant farting noise, everyone within a ten-mile radius will hear it.
9. It is physically impossible to turn your pump on or off with your nose.
10. Collection bottles can and will overflow if not properly supervised. This will most likely happen when you're wearing dark blue or purple scrubs.

Just a few random things based on my experience, thought it was funny and that you might enjoy it. Anyone else have anything good?

6 Weeks

Oh my goodness! Drew will be 6 weeks old this Wednesday! Time is flying by so fast already. That's the one thing I've noticed about having TWO kids. The time flies by twice as fast. I guess it's my hormones getting back in order, but I've been tearing up alot lately just looking at Bryce and thinking "When did he get so big?". He's always been my baby and now he's growing up to be quite a handsome little man.

Drew has grown SO much! His little face has filled out and he's in the beginning stages of chubby cheeks. We're going to Portrait Innovations this Wednesday to get some pictures made and I'll post those when we get back. It's such a difference from the newborn ones from my previous post.

Welcome Andrew Blake Dickens

Baby Drew arrived September 12, 2007! He weighed in at 7lbs 14oz and was 20 3/4 inches long! I'm adjusting to life with a newborn AND an almost 4 year old in the house, hence the delay in uploading pics and updating my blog. I'm sure there will be more pictures to come!

Baby Evan comes for a visit!

Stephanie brought baby Evan over Saturday for a visit! He's sooo precious! It was nice to hold a little baby in preparation for my little one's arrival Wednesday. Bryce did very good with me holding a baby. I was sort of concerned that he might have a bit of jealousy. Notice how BIG I am now!! That pic was taken one day before my due date. My maternity clothes barely cover my belly anymore.

AAAAHHHHH!

Yesterday while Bryce was at school I treated myself to an hour prenatal massage at Blue River Canyon Salon and Day Spa. Oh my GOSH! Why didn't I do this SOONER?!?!? I actually got to lay on my stomach for the first part of the massage which alone was worth the cost of admission. I haven't laid on my stomach since January atleast! It was so relaxing, and I'm trying every way I can to go back next week ;)

Shopaholic makes a movie!

Given the success of Bridget Jones' Diary and any number of other "chick flicks" based on chick lit, I'm surprised it's taken this long to hear news about a movie based on the Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic series. But alas, now the time has come for a film all about Becky Bloomwood and her wacky adventures.

ComingSoon reports:

P.J. Hogan (Peter Pan, My Best Friend's Wedding) will direct Confessions of a Shopaholic, an adaptation of the bestselling novel by Sophie Kinsella. Jerry Bruckheimer will produce.

Shooting begins this November so I'll be on the lookout for upcoming casting news. I just read in 'US Weekly' that Isla Fisher has been cast as Becky Bloomwood.

She was the crazy sister in "Wedding Crashers" and is also pregnant with Borat's child. I can see her in the role of Becky, but I really, really hope that they color her hair!!! I can't get the whole "She's a red-haired Bitch and I hate her" t-shirt image out of my head from the 'Shopaholic and Baby' book. I hope they consider that.

Bryce's first day of Mother's Day Out!

This was such a big day for me and Bryce. We went to the open house last night to meet the teacher and see his classroom and he was VERY excited about going back. I told him last night that mommy and daddy wouldn't be staying with him when he went back on Tuesday. He didn't like that. So he woke up this morning and claimed that he "wasn't going" and "daddy said I could stay home". He's learned to play me already! I got his backpack and lunchbox out and he quickly changed his tune. Carrying a backback is the coolest thing in my son's opinion!

So we loaded up and when we got there he would barely stop so I could take a picture! He darted through the door and made a bee-line for his room (which by the way he remembered exactly where it was!). The teacher does the smartest thing for when the kids come in....she has an activity waiting on the tables for them which makes drop-offs go so much easier. Today on one of the tables was a big tub filled with rice and cars. Bryce went right for that. He started digging and burying the cars in the bin. The other table was covered with paper fish that had magnets on them. There were fishing poles with paperclips tied to the end so the kids could go fishing. With all that cool stuff, Bryce could've cared less if I was there or not.

The teacher gives all the parents a daily report on what they did. Today she said Bryce was very quiet (give that some time), and didn't want to take a nap (yeah, good luck with that). He claimed during nap time that he had to potty 3 times in the 30 minutes that they were resting. That little booger is smart I'm telling ya! Already wanting to roam the halls!

My first experience with MDO has been very positive so far. I was afraid it would be more like a daycare or drop-in childcare, but I was so happy to hear that there was some structure in their day.

Here's what Bryce's Tuesdays and Thursday's look like:

9:00-9:20 Morning Activity (which today was the fishing and rice)
9:20-9:55 Art
9:55-10:00 Clean up
10:00-10:15 Snack
10:15-10:25 potty break
10:25-10:45 Bible story/music
10:50-11:20 Recess/gym
11:30-11:50 Circle time
11:50-12:20 lunch
12:20-12:30 potty break
12:30-2:00 Nap

Almost 36 Weeks!

Here I am! Large and in charge! Some of my friends threw me a shower last night to help welcome Baby Drew! I had a wonderful time and got lots of baby goodies. I was so excited to bring everything home and find a place for it in the nursery. I can't believe that I'm nearing the end of my final pregnancy. In a way it's bittersweet. I'm having awful hip pain when I sleep, lots of heartburn, not much energy, and THE HEAT!!! I think it's three times hotter to a pregnant woman than it is to one that's not. But it also makes me sad that this is the last time I will get to experience these things. Only I could feel my baby's first kick. Only I can tell when his active times are in the womb. Only I can have the wonderful bonding experience that a pregnant mother has with her baby. I just have four more weeks to go, so I'm going to suck-up the complaining and enjoy it while it lasts!

Daniele wins HOH!!!

Congratulations Daniele.

I wonder what her exciting nominations are going to be this week. Since she swore to Kail that she wouldn't be going home to get Kail to quit, who is she going to nominate? What will Daniele do?

We're the proud owners of a Wii

Chris is a game nut! His XBOX 360 crashed last weekend and it will be out for repairs for almost a month. I think he is already having withdrawals! His birthday is next Saturday, so I told him if he wanted an early birthday present he should go ahead and get it. He was just like a kid on Christmas morning...so cute!