Catch Up

A lot has happened that really hasn't warranted it's own blog post. Here we go:

ET is now a purple stripe belt in Karate.

Thumbelina is a Karate drop-out (but a brand new yellow stripe on the way out.)

Munchkin new favorite phrase is "No! I do it myself!"

Munchkin can buckle her own carseat in under 5 minutes.

Munchkin can (and does) dress herself every day. Including shoes.

Thumbelina's bangs are finally long enough to pull back.

We moved the playroom to the huge 'master bedroom' and finally got it all set up.

My dryer is getting fixed tomorrow.

I am making most of our Christmas presents this year. And I got two done today!

I finally got the counter cleaned off in the kitchen so the kids can eat in there again. Now we only have one room with food all over the floor.

Hubby has kept up on the dishes all weekend!

I still have a range sitting in my driveway. If I ever need more than 4 burners...

We still have lots of Thanksgiving leftovers--I may not have to cook all week!

I am bummed that tomorrow is Monday, hubby has to go back to work, and I don't get to sleep in anymore.

The Best Christmas Present Ever

I am 17 weeks pregnant. At my OB, they do ultrasounds around 20 weeks.

That means I get my ultrasound on Christmas Eve.

How cool is that?!

Today...

As of last night around 6 pm, our dryer is still broken. The repair guy came and needs to order a part and will be back on Monday to fix it. So our dryer is taken apart and our dirty laundry has creeped into the kitchen under the counter. I start the oven to roast the sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. They need to cook for 30 minutes. I remember them about 45 minutes later and rush into the kitchen. Little problem...the oven isn't even remotely warm much less hot enough to roast my potatoes (or my turkey the next day!!) My wonderful husband called our landlords to tell them of our plight. They laughed. Our dryer last week, our oven this week. (I wonder what next week will hold!)

Then they remembered that they had an oven at their house. An extra oven. An extra oven that worked and that they could bring over.

So less than 30 minutes later, my sweet potatoes were roasting away in a hot oven.

So while on this great Thanksgiving day I am grateful for so many things, I am especially grateful for that extra oven...and all the turkey I can eat.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wonder of Wonders

Its a Thanksgiving miracle! I went to the doctor this morning and I have only gained...

2 pounds!

And that is since I got pregnant, not since my last appointment.

Whoo-hoo!

Now, I look like I have gained a lot more than 2 pounds, but the scale never lies!

It's pretty easy to not gain weight when food seems disgusting most days, and you have no cravings to speak of. I have only craved steak and potatoes so far. But that was the best steak (and a half) I have ever had... you know until my sister's dog ate the other half of it.

It is a good thing that my appointment was the day before Thanksgiving and not the day after because I am so excited for that TURKEY!!!

(and that the heartbeat was only about 120 beats per minute--very possible slow enough to be a boy!)

Have a great Thanksgiving!

DRAMA

Thumbelina has been having a rough couple of weeks. Oh who am I kidding? She has been having a rough life. She cries when we walk home from school because her feet are too tired. She cries 45 minutes after breakfast because her tummy is still hungry. She cried at Karate when they called her up for her tip test. She refused to go up today to get her new belt. But the kicker was when we got home.

She cried because she wanted her hair out. I asked her why, and she said, "My hair is hurting my feelings."

I don't even know how to respond to that.

Pregnancy Tips

*If you have spent the last three months lying on the couch, moving two rooms worth of furniture (and 8 loads of laundry to the laundromat because your dryer isn't working) will cause you to be very sore the next day.

*The long shirts (mine are from Shade) do an excellent job of holding up your pants when you can no longer zip or button them.

*2 inch thick foam flip flops are my best friends-except in the rain where they become death traps.

Slight Misinformation

I have been lying to my son.

I know--not the best course of action, but I think I am doing it for good reasons.

You see, these are the lies I am telling him.

1. You can only be a father after you are married. (After he asked my 17 year old brother if he was a father to anyone.)

2. You can only get married after you get home from your mission. (After he asked my brother if he was married.)

While these are lies in the grand scheme of things, I hope they will become truths in his life. SO... does that really make it lying?

****

Last week he asked me if he could go on his "mission to outer space and tell the aliens about Jesus." I told him missions are pretty much earth-bound right now.

Guess What?

Learning

At least she is learning the important things in life.

You've Come A Long Way, Baby!

Remember this?

And the subsequent this?

Look how far we've come! It almost looks like an on-purpose hair cut now!

Wisdom

Our children have some interesting ideas on life.

Thumbelina: How do you die? (Pause) Do you just get punched really hard and it makes a hole? And then all the air comes out and you go flat like a pancake? And then you die into a skeleton? Is that how you die?

ET: (talking about his Show and Tell at school. He told his class about his Karate class.) I told a teeny tiny lie. (We asked him what he lied about.) I told them that at Karate we got to jump through hoops that were on fire.

Parental to do list:

1. Have a talk about death.
2. Have a talk about lying, and possibly fire safety.

I Was Just as Nervous

The Primary Sacrament Presentation was today. We didn't rush to get ready, we just started earlier. Both kids kept saying they were nervous. (Me, too!) We got to the church 5 minutes early and it was packed. We had to sit in the back. Both kids knew their parts, but only ET had ever said it in practice. Thumbelina was always too scared, which is about par for the Sunbeams. I bribed the kids with candy if they would say their parts. About 30 seconds before the kids were supposed to go up to the stand, both kids said they had to go potty. Typical!

Thumbelina didn't say her line (along with about half of her class), and didn't go and stand by them to sing their song. She sat in her chair for the first 15 minutes and then sat on a nice lady's lap...and fell asleep.

ET did great! Last year his dad had to go and sit by him because he couldn't behave, but what a difference a year makes! He said his line nice and loud (but not too loud--you know what I mean!), sang the songs and was quiet the rest of the time.

Thumbelina did let me do her hair without too much hassle. It is getting longer but we are still stuck with variations on the puffy braid. I had to run to the store yesterday and get some ribbon that would match her last year's Christmas dress from Grandma, but I made a cute bow (with absolutely no cursing) and her hair turned out great. She wouldn't let me take a picture of all of her.

(I gotta say it was so easy just having to occupy Munchkin today!)

Why Not?

Who wouldn't want to jump in a huge pile of leaves? Over and over and over again.

TGIF!

Fridays around here are really just another day since hubby still has night class.

BUT...Fridays bring Saturdays; and that is something to celebrate!

Hubby home all day, cooking breakfast, changing all the poopy diapers, and ...

(drumroll please)

Letting me sleep in!

Well, maybe not so much letting me as realizing that I am not getting up with the kids so eventually he does.

But lest you think I am heartless toward my hard working husband, he gets to sleep in on Sundays.

At least until January and we switch to morning church!

Snow Babies

So excited for the snow...

...even after 20 minutes of putting everything on.

And then 20 minutes later, Munchkin was done.

Maybe next time she'll leave her gloves on.

Tired

Daylight Savings Time Change is kicking our butts!

Winter Pregnancy

I am a cold person. I always use at least one more blanket than my husband. I am not a huge fan of the winter and cold and snow.

But now that I am pregnant with my own little built in heater...

I say bring it on Winter! Let it snow. Let loose with your frightful weather.

Because I am tired of being hot at night!

Things I Miss Today

I miss only seeing my toilet up close when I am cleaning it.

I miss eating only when I am hungry.

I miss not being sick of the smell of dinner by the time I am done cooking it.

I miss not falling asleep on the couch by 9pm every night.

But, last night I got to snuggle with Munchkin, who wasn't feeling well. And I have missed that, too.

Miscommunication

My two oldest were playing outside, enjoying the last of the warm days before Fall really comes (in November?!), and were digging in the dirt.

ET ran inside. "MOM! Thumbelina picked up a rock and there was a black widow on it!"

Thumbelina comes trailing behind him. "Mom, I was outside and I saw a black window!"

*********

The other day we had pork chops for dinner. Hubby was finishing up in the kitchen when Thumbelina came in and said, "I really like hork, Daddy."

*********

But my absolute favorite is when she sings along with commercial jingles or songs on the radio. The melody is the same but the words...the words are very different.

Fingers Crossed, Knocking on Wood

I had another doctor's appointment on Friday. He asked how I had been feeling and I was pleased to report that I have had 2 (count 'em 2) good days this week where I never even thought about taking a pill. He said it wouldn't go away all at once but I would find myself having more and more good days...fingers crossed, knock on wood.

While I was at my doctor's appointment, the doctor had a hard time finding the heartbeat. Since we have never had a problem finding a heartbeat on any of my other kids, I got a little nervous. The doctor kept going around and around on my baby bump. This probably only lasted about 2-3 minutes but it seemed like forever! Then he thought he had it for a second. More searching, and then we heard it. It seemed a little slower than Munchkin's (fingers crossed, knock on wood) but steady.

And I didn't gain any weight! This is the first OB appointment I have EVER had where I can say that! But now that I am feeling better, I am sure the pounds will come.

5 Year Old Conversation

I was helping ET tie his shoes for school. (The double knot confounds him.) And we were talking.

ET: I'm sorry you're sick, Mom.

Me: I know you are. Me too.

ET: I wish you were a woman who didn't get sick when she was pregnant.

Me: You and me both!