Another random list

- Penny got sprayed by a skunk underneath our air conditioner on Friday night. So, we have a skunky dog AND a skunky house, thanks to the A/C spreading it throughout our home. The house has been aired out, but the dog still reeks, despite trying every remedy on the Internet. One of those was vinegar, which made her smell like a slightly pickled skunk. I gave up after that.

- I introduced my kids to the slip and slide yesterday and it looked so fun I wanted to try it. I didn't think Belly Baby would appreciate that though. D couldn't resist though...



- My Kindle is not working properly and I can't figure out why. It's totally bumming me out AND I couldn't read my book club's selection for our meeting tonight, so no meeting for me.

- I woke up this morning to a back that is throbbing with pain. Picking up 30 pound toddlers is not helping...
I'm nearing 17 weeks and I was hoping the back pain would hold off a little longer, but I guess I won't be so lucky. I've gained less than 5 lbs this pregnancy, but the belly is still growing, so I guess there is no stopping the back pain now.

- A little bit of my energy is starting to come back! (Meaning, I'm exhausted at 5 PM instead of noon.)

- I got an MP3 player for Mother's Day and... I don't really like it. It's not the brand or anything, I just don't think I'm an MP3 player person. It annoys me to have to buy music, or rent it, and I forget to use it and I think I should just sell it and go back to the radio. Then again, I like it for walks and working out. I don't like that I joined Rh*psody for a month for $15, downloaded the songs I wanted, then unsubscribed only to find out that I was only RENTING the music. For $15 I rented songs for one month. The whole thing seems ridiculous. Maybe I just don't know what I'm doing...

- We're planning on extending our porch, screening in part of it and fencing the remaining part of our yard. We're planning it, but I have no idea when any of it will actually get done!

- We've picked about 2 dozen summer squash, a butternut, and several cucumbers from our garden. The pumpkin plants are growing so big that I keep thinking they're going to take everything over.

- We ate all the sweet peas right off the vine. They didn't even make it in the house.

- I bought this gender prediction test, called the Intelligender. I know it's mostly just for fun, but I wanted to try it. I have to wait for it to arrive, but you'll know the results as soon as I do!

Silent Sunday: My Blessings in Pictures

C

O

d

The Guy in the Glass

The Guy in the Glass

By: Dale Wimbrow (1895-1954) who wrote it in 1934.

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,

And the world makes you King for a day

Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,

And see what that guy has to say.



For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,

Who judgement upon you must pass.

The feller whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the guy staring back from the glass.



He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,

For he’s with you clear up to the end,

And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test

If the guy in the glass is your friend.



You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,

And think you’re a wonderful guy,

But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum

If you can’t look him straight in the eye.



You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be heartaches and tears

If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.

Huge controversy!

haha! Just kidding. ;)

Isn't it amazing how a trip to the grocery store with 3 kids can make you feel like Supermom if it goes well or Superfailure if it goes badly? Luckily, today I didn't have to be Superfailure! Yay!

Target keeps sending me some great coupons for $5 off a $50 grocery purchase along with other coupons, so I went there today instead of my usual Wal-Mart. I know so many people LOVE Target and so many people HATE Wal-Mart, but I'm just not sure.
They both have their pros and cons of course. Target has a different selection, better meat, slightly higher prices on SOME things (especially some of the things we seem to buy a lot of), and some really cool things on sale. I especially love their kitchen and "decor" sections. I have some problems with Target though. One, it's more than twice as far as Wal-Mart. Of course, that's not really their fault but it is what it is. Secondly, I can't find anything so it takes me a considerable amount of time to do my shopping. Third, they have a bunch of neat stuff, and since I spend so much time wandering the aisles looking for things on my list, I always spend more than I really should!! It would be nice if they had self checkouts, but it's not a deal breaker. I do LOVE that their employees are helpful and typically friendly. Dollar Spot. Need I say more?
I think I'd go there more, if it was closer, for things other than groceries. I love their other sections, but since I mostly buy groceries it doesn't make sense to go there every time.

With Wal-Mart, the main thing that keeps me going back is the price. I always spend less money there. The location is a big one too, it's very close to me. Third, I've been in some crappy Wal-Marts, but ours is really nice and I don't see a lot of the problems that others report from their Wal-Marts. I know there is some controversy over their business practices, but I think they've been doing a lot to change their image as well. Also, they're carrying a lot more organic things now, which makes me happy. I wish they would start carrying a better meat selection though, I almost always go elsewhere for meat.
Sadly, I do think customer service is lacking in some areas. The cashiers are sometimes friendly, sometimes sullen. Don't even bother trying to find someone to help you in the aisles though. The reason they have those smiley faces on their backs is because that's the only side you'll ever see as they run away from you. (I'm kidding! Kind of. hee!) With our Wal-Mart, there are some good employees and some not so good ones, just like anywhere I'm sure. I do like that they have a Redbox too, it's so convenient and cheap! Also, I think they have cuter shoes.
I can't tell you the number of times someone has said, "Oh, that's cute! Where did you get it?" and they were surprised it was from Wal-Mart. They have cute stuff too!

Really, I guess it's a toss up. Part of it is just what you get used to, I suppose. I know I've committed some kind of blasphemy by saying what I really think about Target and Wal-Mart. Eh... I'm kind of nervous now.

ho hum

I'm still around... we went on a short trip to visit family about 9 hours away. It went well, but there's always the let down when we leave.

I get bummed about living far from my family. Then, it's back to the reality of taking care of the kids by myself with no one to help, and of course, the mounds of laundry and mail to catch up on when we return.

On the upside, the morning sickness is starting to suck less. It's not gone, but it's less and that's good! I'm feeling Baby4 kick and squirm on a more regular basis too. That is my favorite part of pregnancy, for sure! Well, except for delivery because delivery means 1- pregnancy is over and 2- you get to meet the little one that has been pulverizing your insides for several months.

-------
Anybody watch Jon & Kate Plus 8? Ugh. That show is depressing me.
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Is it 5 million degrees where you live? Because it feels like I'm baking every time I go outside.
I like the warm weather, but this is a little too much! I can't believe it's not even July yet and I'm wishing for Fall.

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Isn't this the most disjointed post ever? That's how my brain feels today too. I really need a nap or something...

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I'm totally paranoid about this odd mole I have on my chest. I keep researching moles on the Internet and wondering if I have skin cancer.
I've learned enough to know that I really should just go have it looked it, but now I'm worried about that too.

My thought process is something like this:
Do I need a referral? I don't even have a primary care physician, I've seen my OB/GYN and no other doctors for the last 5 years...
Will my OB/GYN think I'm weird if I ask her about moles (clearly not her speciality) at my next prenatal appointment?
What if they have to scrape it? Ouch.
What if there's something wrong but they can't treat it while I'm pregnant?
What if there's nothing wrong and I made phone calls, and appointments and did tests only to find it's just a mole and I should have just not freaked out?
What if there's something wrong?! What if it's really bad?!
My anxiety level has been higher than normal this pregnancy and maybe it's JUST A MOLE and I am being paranoid.
Maybe I'm not, though.

I know it's worth my peace of mind just to get it looked at already. Ugh.

------

Anybody know some more recipes that have a clear vinegar taste? I'm craving vinegar in different forms, but coming up blank on how to eat it.
So far I've only got:
Crunchy Broccoli Salad
Sweet Potato Fries dipped in Balsamic Vinegar
Cucumber chopped up and mixed with apple cider vinegar and a touch of olive oil
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PS - I swear that I have been reading all your posts, but haven't had the energy to comment. My blog reader was SO FULL that it was a wee bit overwhelming...

Crunchy Broccoli Salad

I'm not sure what's up with my cravings this pregnancy, but I have never in my life craved vinegar before. This salad though, hits the spot. In fact I had one, ok... several, bowls of it for lunch. Try it with a side of vinegar potato chips. Yum! (Maybe that's just me...)




One of the best things about this salad is that it's versatile. Add peanuts instead of cranberries. Add green onions, leave something out, it doesn't really matter! It's still YUM!


Ingredients:
2 - 12 oz bags of broccoli cole slaw
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 packages Ramen noodles (I like chicken)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup + a teeny bit more of vegetable oil
1/3 cup +a little bit more of apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Crush the Ramen noodles. When they are smashed up but not pulverized, open the packages and remove the powder packet. Set aside.
But the crushed noodles in a bowl. Add the broccoli cole slaw, sunflower seeds and cranberries.
To make the sauce:
Add sugar, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar and ramen noodle powder packets to a separate bowl. Whisk together. Pour over top of broccoli mix. Toss. Enjoy!

*Note - if you're not serving it right away, consider leaving out the noodles and sunflower seeds and adding them right before you serve. The crunch is one of the best parts!

Angry rhino with a pitchfork

Yeah, I'm feeling a little hormonal. It's too bad you can't drink a bottle a glass of wine when you really need it.

hmmm

What I ordered:





What I received:



Is this a sign? ;)

Silent Sunday: My Blessings in Pictures

totally in love...

I am completely in love with this banana fish bedding.

Do you guys think the birds are creepy? I never thought about it till Sarah's post, but now I'm wondering...
And it won't hurt my feelings if you think birds are a creepy nursery motif!!
For what it's worth, I would not be getting the bird mobile.



By the way, this is completely premature and I probably will never buy girl bedding. Just dreaming a little...

Random Tuesday

- D picked 2 more bags of lettuce last night and we already have enough to have salads every meal for 2 weeks. I made him take it to work. Next vegetable please!!

- He also picked a big bag of green beans so that was nice! Peas, squash and pumpkins are starting to grow too!

- I just told d that "I don't care what you want!" Ugh. Not my finest moment. These kids are pushing my buttons lately.

- It's not even 8 AM and I'm so exhausted I could lay down and take a nap.

- I have to leave for the park in less than 2 hours. We're all still in our pajamas.

- I am re-doing d's room in a robot theme. Do you know how hard it is to find robot themed bed things and rugs? I finally picked some, but it wasn't my favorite. It will be cute though. I'll post a picture when we get it done.

- We went on a mini vacation last weekend and decided that we will not take any more vacations (except to visit family of course, but that's not really a vacation!) for 5 years. In 5 years we're going to take the kids to Disney World. The youngest will be 4-ish, so old enough to remember, and the others will be 6, 7 and 9-ish. So I guess we're saving our money for Disney in 5 years.
It's not that we didn't have a good time on our trip this weekend, but:
1) Two of the three kids won't have much, if any, memory of it.
2) They don't sleep when we travel.
3)The kids might have enjoyed it, but we didn't exactly have fun.
4) We should stick to day trips. Cheaper and easier! We only went about an hour and a half away, so we could have easily done all the things we wanted in 2 day trips instead of a long weekend. Also, we would have saved money on the hotel. Although, it was a really nice hotel and one of my favorite parts of the trip. It's so rare to get good service anymore, but the people there were SO.friendly and helpful. Nice!

- Do you ever feel like you just need to get away from it all? And by "it all," yes, I mean the kids too. I love my kids more than anything else on Earth, but my gosh they can suck the life right out of me sometimes.

- I'm out of the first trimester and I'm surprised at how fast it went. I do wish that the m/s would get the memo that the first tri is over. Soon... right? I would love to be able to stop taking Z0fran. Plus, my prescription will run out in about a week and a half.

- We will be taking another trip in a little over a week to see my parents and for my brother's reception. It's an 8 hour drive but we've never made it in under 9 with the kids. I'm not looking forward to the drive there or back, but it will be nice to see family again. It's been awhile.

2 totally unrelated things

1 - Today is D's birthday! He turns 29!
The plans for today include:
Meatloaf and corn casserole for dinner at his request.
Strawberry cake with white frosting.
Presents! - An ESPN magazine subscription from the kids, the Madden '09 Wii game from me and, ah, something else...
A homemade card from the kids.
That's it.
Oh, and me doing all the laundry, packing for our weekend trip and finding homes for the 8 bags of lettuce in the fridge along with the regular chores and taking care of his 3 children, the dog and cat and growing a miracle in my body while trying not to throw up or fall asleep on my feet. No biggie, everyday stuff...

2 - This fence encloses our garden and, yes, it's a pretty large one. It seems to keep the rabbits and raccoons out, although we've seen turtles in there so go figure how that happened.
We've got lots of things planted in the garden, including weeds. The spots where you can actually see our red dirt is where some weeding has taken place. Obviously, there needs to be a lot more weeding. It's on the list... somewhere...


This shot shows a closer up view of some of the plants. Pumpkins in the front and then watermelon and squash a little farther back. Then peas and green beans, tomatoes and the row for peppers that never came up. Then lettuce - that area is kind of empty because we picked a large portion of it already. In the back row is corn, and I'm sure I've missed something, but that's the gist of it!

Those really tall plants to the right - see those? Yeah, those are weeds. haha

This is my refrigerator. See all those plastic bags? (8 to be exact.) They are shoved into the drawers and crammed on the shelves.




Here's what's inside those 8 bags! Lettuce! All picked fresh from my very own garden. I'm going to be giving a lot of it away to friends, because that is a LOT of lettuce.


Salad anyone?

The World's Best Rice Crispy Treats

I got this recipe from my grandma. They're the best!

Recipe

In a dutch oven or double boiler, combine:

1 Cup sugar

1 Cup Lt. Karo syrup
Bring to a boil then remove from burner. (note: mine never boiled, but I finally took it off. I think just cooking it till the sugar is no longer granules is good enough.)

Then add 1 cup peanut butter and 6 cups Rice Krispies. Stir, then pat into 9x13 buttered pan.

Icing:
1 cup chocolate chips
1cup butterscotch or peanut butter chips (or 1/2 c both)
1/2 cup peanut butter

Melt in microwave. Spread over top.

Let cool. Enjoy, and try not to eat the whole pan!

7 years

Seven years ago today I got married to my high school sweetheart. At this exact time, I was getting my hair done and so excited that I would be married in a few short hours.
My nerves were calm. I'd never been so sure about anything in my life.
D, on the other hand, looked a lot paler than usual when I saw him at the altar. He was so nervous, mostly due to standing in front of a large crowd - or so he says. We were so young, 20 and a few days shy of 22.



In the year leading up to the wedding, there was a lot of stress. We were both still in college, and we were absolutely broke. Planning a wedding, taking a full course load AND holding down 2 part time jobs was enough to make me a little crazy.
D left most of the planning to me, and I left him to deal with his family in exchange.
After being together nearly 5 years, I'd had a LOT of time to think about how this should go.
Oh, the little things that bothered us back then. How could we have known what a different story our lives would be in just 7 short years?

By the time our wedding day arrived, I didn't care anymore if we had too many people to fit in the church (OK - I cared a little...) and I didn't care that we'd had a wedding budget so small that I could have blown it all on some food and a dress. I didn't care that the groomsmen mysteriously didn't have boutonnieres and that my throwing bouquet had suddenly gone missing. I no longer worried about what anyone else wanted. I just wanted to get married, and nothing could touch our joy on that day.


Despite the little things that went wrong, or the things I wish we had done; I still look back on that day with nothing but fond memories.
I will never be able to forget the way I felt in my dress.
The way my dad's eyes filled, just slightly, with tears, when he gave me away.
The beautiful song one of my dearest friends sang to us.
Our first dance.
The way he looked at me, and made me feel like I was all he would ever need.




Oh, how sweet it was. It's amazing how much more you can love someone after you thought you couldn't possibly love them any more than you already do. I've spent nearly half of my life with the same man and it's hard to remember a memory that doesn't involve him. I have no doubt that in 7 more years I'll love him more than I do today. Love seems to have no boundaries. It just keeps growing.

Our life has changed in huge ways in the last 7 years. We moved from Texas to Virginia, where I supported us on a paltry teacher's salary while D earned his Master's degree. He got his first real job which brought us here, to Alabama, already 4 months into d's pregnancy. Since then, it's been a whirlwind of responsibilities, having babies and growing up.

I can't think of anyone else I'd rather share it with than him. Happy Anniversary Darren.