Quilting vs. Newborn Baby

I am on the e-mail list of a local quilt shop. A few days ago I received this notice:

"We are making arrangements for a quilting cruise for 7 days to the Mexican Riveria April 25 to May 2. We are working with Tour West Travel. The cost include cabin, taxes and port charges and range from $ 499 - $779 depending on the type of cabin you want. We will be sending out a flyer soon. We will be joining Memory Lane Quilt Shop for this cruise! We will not have any "famous" people on the cruise to teach classes but we will all be there to keep you busy and entertained!"

I've got to tell you, when I first read this I thought: "Surely the old quilting ladies wouldn't mind if a newborn attended the cruise. And I could totally sew with one hand and nurse with the other. I know all the grandmas would help me out if I needed a break. And I'm sure my doctor wouldn't mind inducing my a couple weeks early so I could be a far enough into the post-partum recovery to really enjoy the cruise and participate fully..."

Haha! Can you believe the craziness that is me! I sure can't. There is no way I can go on a cruise with a newborn. Especially not mere weeks after giving birth! I told Hubby about my crazy few minutes of considering this. He just laughed at me and said the hormones really must be messing with my brain. He's right! I'm usually a pretty rational gal. And taking a newborn on a cruise while still recovering from giving birth to said newborn is definately NOT rational thinking.

So I' m not going on the quilting cruise. Oh well.

But hey! Maybe the cruise will be such a great success they'll do it again next year. I mean, I could totally leave a one-year old in the care of his Dad for a few days. Really! Hubby could absolutely handle that! Don't you think??? ;)

Baptizing Anne!

This December our dear Anne-girl turned Eight years old! Anne had a great birthday filled with family, friends, cupcakes, and presents. However, the best part of her birthday celebrations occurred ten days after her actual birthday. Anne was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had been looking forward to her baptism the whole year and was thrilled the time was finally here!

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Anne's Sweet Smile

(she wore the baptism dress that I and my sisters all wore. my Mom made it using lace leftover from making her wedding dress.)

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Anne's not afraid to show her true feelings. She's pretty stoked about her baptism!

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Aunt Mermaid braided Anne's hair so it wouldn't float to the top. Anne insisted on pigtails.

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Profile of Anne

(please note the earrings. they stayed in the whole afternoon!!)

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Anne & Her Dad are ready to go!

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Even though we took many precautions, we had to baptize Anne twice. One witness (my Dad) said she was fine, but the other witness (my brother-in-law) said her foot popped up. So Hubby baptized her again, just to be sure. Anne was laughing all through the second baptism. She was excited that she would have a good story to tell. Goofy kid!

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Newest Member of our Ward with her adoring parents

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Anne and her gal-pals .
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My Sweet Anne-girl in her Confirmation dress

What's in a Name?

You know the old saying "A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet"? Well, it's just not true when it comes to naming children. Names hold much more significance! The meaning, the cultural references, the way it rolls of the tongue, if you knew a jerk in elementary by the same name, any possible crude words that might rhyme with the name you've chosen. These things (and many others) must be taken into account when deciding on the name of your child.

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Fortunately for me, I have a name book to help me out. This baby will be our third boy. (WOW! Another darling son! I still can't get over it!) Hubby and I have only a few requirements (other than those listed above) for our son's name. The most important being that it needs to be a boy boy name. That is to say, a name that will not make people wonder, upon reading the name, if our son is a boy or a girl. A name that declares itself Male in all ways.
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Hubby and I have diligently searched this book, from A to Z, searching for the perfect name for our son. Here are some of the book's "boy" suggestions:

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1) Ashley (Scarlett's love interest in Gone with the Wind; when I first read the book I thought she was in love with another girl!!)

2) Aubrey (my cousin's daughter's name)

3) Beverly (like Beverly Crusher from Star Trek Next Generation)

4) Caroll (I guess the second "L" makes it manly...)

5) Courtney

6) Kimberly (I've known many Kim's in my life...all female)

7) Lacy (the neighbor girl when I was twelve)

8) Meredith (my sister's name)

9) Paris (male lover to Helen of Troy and Juliet, but Hilton has claimed it as a girly girl name)

10) Whitney (as in Houston??)
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Most of these male names were taken over many years ago. However, the trend to use male names for baby girls has continued and amplified! Hubby worked for a woman named Michael. My dear Mom had a high school student named Jeremie. I guess spelling it with "ie" makes it feminine.

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What's a soon-to-be Mother to a boy supposed to do? How can I be sure that the name I pick doesn't end up a girl's name a few years down the road? The answer is I can't! I just have to pick a name and cross my fingers.
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Wish me luck!

The Great Date Debate

Hubby and I are having a disagreement. During this disagreement Hubby has proven himself to be the most embarrassing Dad that ever was!!! At least he would if I let him have his way.

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Miss Q is 17. Old enough to date. She is a quiet, shy girl who is just learning to come out of her shell. She is interested in dating, but because of past experiences she is very, very timid around boys and pretty awkward. She and I are working on this. I have taken her on a couple of dates, to show her the ropes and have some fun. Hubby would like to help our process along. His idea...call up one of our neighbor boys to take her on a date. Let me say that again...Hubby would be asking a boy to ask Miss Q out!

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Hubby was quite surprised when I vehemently said NO! He was also surprised when I informed him that asking a boy to ask out his daughter would be one of the worst things he could ever do to her socially and emotionally. Hubby assured me that he would pick a nice boy and would give him plenty of money so the boy could take Miss Q somewhere nice. At that point I was a bit dumbfounded and at a slight loss for words. How could my dear Hubby be so dense?

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I've tried explaining to the man that paying someone to go out with Miss Q in wrong. I've stressed the importance of a boy asking her of his own accord. Hubby still doesn't get it. He thinks it would be fine. Fortunately, when we decided to be Foster Parents we also decided that I would have the final say in all matters regarding the children. It is this fact and this fact alone that has stopped Hubby...so far.

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He really thinks I'm wrong on this topic. He is really scoping out the Priest Quorum at church, trying to decide which boy he think would be best for Miss Q. Aaaah!!

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Help a girl out and back me up! I think if I have a few more ladies on my side it would convince him that YES! It is absolutely wrong to ask a guy to ask your daughter out on a date. Especially if you pay. ;)

Into the Woods

Well, I am finally posting about Into the Woods. I was originally waiting until the CD drive on my computer could be fixed, so I could put up a bunch of pictures of the other cast members. But it looks like my CD drive is dead and gone for good. That means you only get pictures from my camera. Which means lots of pictures of Hubby.

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They didn't allow pictures to be taken during the performance. Being my guilty self, I followed this rule, even though my sister-in-law was unashamedly taking picture after picture. She promised to share and true to her word she sent me copies...on a CD. Grrr. ;)

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Hubby heading out the door.

No make-up, No costume. Just his plain, old self.

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Turning into the Wolf!

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His metamorphosis helpers

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The Wolf!

Hubby is wearing a prosthetic on his nose and chin, to give him a more wolfy look. His hair was better the first day. It was gelled into place to look like wolf ears. The lady who helped him do it was sick the day I took this picture.

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Full Wolf Costume-Front View

The ladies who made this did a fantastic job!!

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Full Wolf Costume-Back View

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The Wolf costume looked so good on stage! I had no idea what it would look like. When he first came on stage, I yelped and covered my eyes. Haha! It was such a surprise. And the way he moved while in this costume...Wow! It was very animalistic and kind of creepy. I could hardly watch his scenes with Little Red and Grandma. He was just too creepy for me. Haha!! What a funny thing to say about your husband. ;)

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The ladies who made the costume were cursing the fur fabric. It did not cooperate at all. I think it turned out great! It's already been borrowed a few times for other shows.

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Look out Little Red! He's trying to eat you!!!

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Now he's pretending to be nice.

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His true colors coming out again!

Watch out Granny! Run Little Red!

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What big eyes you have Grandma!

The picture cracks me up.

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After singing Hello Little Girl, Hubby only has a few minutes to take off his wolf coat and pants, throw on his Prince pants and Granny's nightgown, and jump into bed pretending to be Grandma. Again, this picture cracks me up. Seeing it in real life though, absolutely Hilarious!!

After he's killed, crew members wheel him (still in the bed) off stage. He then had to quickly scrub his face, tame his hair, and don his Princely attire.

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The Prince Brothers

The man who played Rapunzel's prince directed Hubby and the girls in Annie!

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After the performance ended, we were able to meet and greet the cast. I left Cakes home with a babysitter. There's no way he would have sat through the entire play. Joe, Anne, and Rose were so excited to see their Dad performing!

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Prince Charming and his adoring family

pictured are Joe, Anne, and Rose with my Grandma and Aunts

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Hubby and the Baker

Showing there are no hard feelings, even though Hubby totally macked on the Baker's Wife!

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The full Cast in one set of costumes

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Full Cast in another set of costumes

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Some cast members only had one costume they wore the entire show. Others had quite extensive costume changes! Cinderella was the worst. She had her dirty cinder clothes, ball gown, wedding gown, and pretty peasant clothes. Luckily, her make-up stayed about the same through the show. She only had to remove some ash after the first set of songs.

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Even though Hubby only had three costume changes, he had to deal with cleaning all the wolf make-up off and applying more princely make-up in a matter of minutes. Granny had a tough time too. She played three characters, Granny, Cinderella's Mom, and the Giant. She also made many of the costumes (including the Wolf). She is a trooper!!

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The show was great. I am so glad that I was able to see Hubby perform in it. The entire cast did a superb job. I absolutely love the theatre and am very grateful to have two active production companies in my city.

They Have Returned!

Annie is officially over. Hooray!

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This afternoon Rose and Anne came home from school, finished their homework in twenty minutes flat, and left to play with friends!!! They were so excited. They got to play until close to 6:00 pm. And when they got home, they were happy. No meltdowns. No exhaustion. No rushing about trying to find their jazz shoes and the tube of lipstick. Nope. They were calm and happy! It was refreshing. I should clarify...Both girls were thrilled to be in Annie, but it was a lot of work. It took most of their free time away. Plus it sapped at their energy levels. And, as every Mom knows, when you mix exhaustion and stress into a little girl you will end up with (as we refer to it in our family) a melted mess of a kid.

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Hubby got home just in time for dinner. He was calm and happy too. No rushing to shove food down his throat before going in search of the eyeliner. No rushing to change his clothes and get out the door. Just calm. It was great! Joe had a performance this evening with his Kindergarten class, and even getting ready for that, everyone was calm! So nice! No stress. No rushing about. Just calm. *sigh* It's so nice to have my family back.

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And as I am typing this, the girls are in bed sleeping and Hubby is on the couch watching Dr. Who. He was three episodes behind! Poor guy! Haha! He watched the first episode, The Next Doctor, last night. Currently he is watching The Planet of the Dead. And while I'm on the subject, I have to say...I am going to really miss David Tenant playing The Doctor. He has done such a great job. I've really fallen in love with his Doctor. And I just know the final two episodes are going to really pull at the heartstrings. For one thing, they are bring back Donna (Catherine Tate). I am so happy about this. I hated how they ended her story. It was such a kick in the bum! I hope she gets her memories back or at least finds her Silent Man.

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Anyhoo, I'm glad to have my family back. Now I can have Hubby paint my bathroom. ;)

Picture Update

I haven't posted any pictures for a while. My computer got a virus. Hubby fixed it, but my picture program needs to be reloaded and I keep forgetting to ask him. There is another picture program on my computer that is s-l-o-w! And it kind of freezes up after downloading a few pictures, making the whole process even longer. Oh well. I worked around it and now have some pictures to share.
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Homemade Bunk Beds

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My kids are big kids. And they keep getting bigger! I wanted to put bunk beds in the boys' bedroom to free up space for playing. Did you know that most top bunk beds only support between 100 - 150 pounds? And that they all have warnings about not jumping or rough-housing or rolling in your sleep due to the shakiness of the bed? Well, they do. And let me think... My oldest daughter (who turns ten in a month) is already 100 pounds. Crazy, I know. She's also already in size 8 shoes and is close to 5 foot tall, if not over! If that's any indication of how my boys are going to grow, I knew that none of the bunk beds on the market would suit our family's needs.

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I talked to one of the Air Force guys in my neighborhood to find out where they get their bunk beds. I was informed that they were special ordered, special made by one of the defense contractors. Sheesh! There went that option. Hubby quickly volunteered to make bunk beds himself. I was very skeptical. I've seen his other woodwork. I love the man, but woodworking is a talent that he is most definitely still in the development stage. Despite my skepticism0, they turned out pretty good! They are solid and sturdy. Hubby jumped up and down on them to illustrate to me how sturdy they were. I told him if he fell through and hurt himself, I wasn't going to take him to the hospital and would be mad at him for a year. He laughed and kept jumping. Surprisingly, the beds held his weight!

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The bunk bed pieces soaking up their stain.

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Hubby and Joe putting the beds together.

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Roadshow!

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Miss Q participated in our Stake's Roadshow. The whole experience for her was hilarious for me (the Mom) to watch. Miss Q had never done anything like this before. She is a kind of shy and very unsure of herself. She was worried about looking like an idiot, which is the goal of every Roadshow I've ever seen! ;) She was also super excited about participating. So she would go back and forth between biting-her-fingernails-off-scared (practically begging me to get her out of it) to school-girl-giddy in anticipation. Silly Girl!

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She did a good job. She's in the middle of the picture holding a palm frawn.
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Pinocchio

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Missoula Children's Theatre came to our town. Joe, Anne, Rose, and Miss Q tried out. The three girls were cast. Poor Joe was so sad. He and another little boy (whose sister had been cast) started crying when they realized that "everyone got picked but me." Poblacito!

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The three girls had an intense week of rehearsing. Monday through Friday we would race from school to the rehearsal site. Saturday afternoon was spent rehearsing. That evening was the performance. It was an interesting take on Pinocchio. Anne played a Ballerina Doll, Rose played a Treasure Island Kid, and Miss Q played Candlewick. They were all very brave and did a great job!

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Joe and Cakes killing time before the performance.

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Anne, the cutest Ballerina Doll ever!

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Rose, the Treasure Island Kid, smiling because she just broke a window. ;)

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Candlewick and her gang, being PUNKS! Miss Q is on the right end.

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BLOCKS

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We try to keep the Sabbath day holy. It is a tough job! One of the activities that we use to keep our brains and hands occupied is building with blocks while listening to jazzy hymns. (No one said all hymns have to be slow and monotonous!) The kids begged Hubby to take pictures of their creations. Here they are. :)

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Anne's block city and flowers

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Joe's tower. Cakes helped by not knocking it down until after the picture.

(That's me in the background, trying to figure out what to name this baby!)

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Annie

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After Pinocchio, the acting bug stuck with Anne and Rose. Hubby volunteered to take them to try-outs. I made him promise that he would not try-out or let himself get roped into Annie in any way other than doting stage father. He laughed and said there was "no way he would try-out". He assured me that he was "way too busy to participate in Annie". The Bum! He had no chance against the audition ladies. He was cast as "Rooster" and the girls were cast as "Chorus".

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For the last few months, they have worked hard memorizing lines and songs, learning choreography, and developing their acting skills. Joe, Miss Q and I attended the opening night show last Thursday. It was great! Rose and Anne did a wonderful job. They sung "Hooverville" and "A New Deal for Christmas". It was such a joy to see them up there having fun. They have one more week of performances, starting tonight. Afterwards, they don't want to do another play as long as they live! Haha! As much as they've enjoyed it, they have really missed playing with friends, riding bikes, and going to bed at a decent hour.

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Hubby did a good job too. It was hilarious to watch him, Lily, and Miss Hannigan. What goofballs! Hubby did fine, but Lily completely stole the spotlight every time she opened her mouth. Hahaha!!!

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Hubby, like the girls, does not want to participate in another play for a long, long time. I told him that was fine by me! Especially since he wasn't supposed to do this one in the first place. Haha. Although, I do expect him to participate in the opera Desert Pointe in putting on next December: "Ahmal and the Night Visitors". My man can S-I-N-G!!! And Opera is right up his alley. *sigh*

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My Chorus Girls

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Lily & Rooster

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Oh! I never posted the Into the Woods pictures. I will get to that...eventually. ;)

Grateful

Last year many of my friends participated in a Thanksgiving challenge on their blogs. Each day in November they were to write about one thing for which they were grateful. It made my heart glad to read their entries. I haven't seen this challenge circulating this year and only thought of it when I was trying to cheer myself up this weekend. The old "Count Your Blessings" trick is pretty consistent with its results. In that spirit, I wanted to list a few of the things I am grateful for this year.

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1) My dear Hubby. He is such a great friend and companion.

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2) My four kind and interesting kids. I'm so grateful that my kids are interesting! They like to explore, go on adventures, and learn new things. Hooray!

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3) My house. I'm still getting used to it, but having four good-sized bedrooms is fabulous.

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4) Quilts! How else are you going to keep warm in the winter? And nothing beats a quilt to snuggle up in while watching a movie or hanging on your wall to beautify your home.

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5) Books. I love reading and learning. I am especially grateful that I am no longer in school and can read for pleasure again. So far I've read Beowulf, a couple of books on the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, and Yoni's Last Battle: The Rescue at Entebbe 1976. It is wonderful to read a book, learn from it, think about and digest the content, and NOT write a five to ten page essay dissecting it!

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6) How National Adoption Day was celebrated in my little town. Our two family judges worked hard all last Friday. They conducted 30 adoptions! Isn't that wonderful? Reading the stories of a few of the families that participated made my heart happy.

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7) Trees. I adore trees. Particularly fruit trees. In my backyard alone I have a lime, lemon, grapefruit, Arizona sweet orange, tangerine, Anna apple, Dorset apple, plum, and peach tree. I had an apricot tree, but it didn't survive the Arizona summer. In the spring one of my apple trees produced three little apples. This winter, my lime tree produced one lime-which was picked prematurely-and my orange tree has about twenty oranges on it. They are currently a light orange. We have to wait a few more weeks for the orange color to deepen then they'll be ready to eat. Yum!

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8) Being outdoors. I am fascinated with the world around me. It drives my kids and Hubby nuts, but I am content sitting outside all day just observing nature. Watching the clouds drift and change, the leaves move with the wind, the birds flying overhead, insects moving in the grass, a spider building a web...I love it all!

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9) The Sonoran Desert. What a beautiful place to live. I feel so lucky to be here.

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10) Variety. Wasn't our Father in Heaven wise when he designed such a diverse earth and population. Deserts and Rain Forests. Tropical Islands and Mountain Ranges. Horses and Tigers. Elephants and Ants. And of course the variety of personalities in the peoples of this planet. It's just so interesting! I am grateful for interesting things. :)

Choosing to be Happy

I am feeling much better today than I was on Friday. So, how did I turn it around? Simply put, I chose to be happy. It was tough, but I did it. I sought out those things that lighten my load and make my heart glad.

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1) I vented. Writing the previous post, airing my feelings, helped immensely. I am a person who will dwell on things and let them fester until I explode. So writing that post was a good first step.

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2) I caught up on my friends' blogs. It was nice to read about them and see pictures of their families. One gal even had a picture from her latest ultrasound...showing her baby girl! I was excited to see that, though a tad jealous. My ultrasound tech guy only gave me a picture of my baby's boy parts, not exactly suitable for sharing on the Internet. ;)

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3) I played silly games with my boys.

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4) I watched Miss Q get ready for a night out with a bunch of great girls from Church. This is her first group of Good, Kind, Loving friends. Her enthusiasm was contagious! I was happy that she had made these friends all on her own. And proud of her for stepping outside of her comfort zone.

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5) I talked to Rose & Anne about their hopes and dreams. I am a planner by nature. Listening to other peoples plans makes me happy. And boy do they have some big dreams! It was fun to sit with them and teach them about setting small goals which will lead them in the direction they wish to go.

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6) I got my life-planning book out and looked at the next ten years. It's hard not to feel better when your looking at a calendar that charts each child's future baptism date, entrance to Young Women or Young Men, entrance into Middle School, then High School, and eventually college. I know that might sound overwhelming to some people, but remember, I'm a planner. I love seeing life mapped out, seeing the big picture of mine and my family's lives.

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7) I read silly stories and silly blog entries. I also perused the "People of Walmart" blog. I usually find that thing hilarious. This was no exception. By the time I caught up, my heart was feeling much lighter. I just hope that I never see a picture of myself on that site! That would really put me in a sad place.

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I did many other things over the weekend. This morning I woke up feeling good. And even though I had a busy Sabbath, I still feel good. Hooray!

Big Girls DO Cry!

Especially when they're pregnant!

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I am not someone who cries a lot. In fact, it is rarity for me to cry at all. Even when I'm pregnant and my hormones are raging, it is more likely that I will get grouchy with a short-fuse or start laughing like a maniac.

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But not last night.

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I was so happy. I was teaching a class at JoAnn's. The mini-quilt coaster class. Hubby decided that he and the girls didn't need to attend Annie practice. I had planned on taking the boys to a local drop-in babysitting place. With Hubby staying home, I could leave the boys home saving me money and drive time. I left the house happy. Turned on NPR to get an update on the news and got about two miles from my home before I was pulled over by a police officer.

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The officer, after freaking out because I got out of my car (my driver's side window won't roll down); refusing to tell me why he stopped me until I had given him my license, registration and my insurance; and being a bit condescending, informed me that I hadn't come to a complete stop before I turned right on a red light.

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I was floored!!! I told him that Yes! I did stop. Whatever, he didn't even seem to acknowledge my response. He'd already started walking to his vehicle. All my extra time for getting to JoAnn's to teach my class went out the window as he took his sweet time filling out a ticket. I kept looking at the clock. My class started at 6:00 pm. When the clock hit 5:50 the injustice of it all hit me and I started bawling. Not crying. Not weeping. Full on bawling.

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I was being charged with something I hadn't done. The guy was taking his sweet time writing a ticket. He was a bit rude when I was pulling out the registration and insurance info. He was making me late for class. And on top of it all, I would have to pay a stupid fine! For something I didn't do! And it's Christmas time. And Anne's turning eight this year. All of my extra money is going towards presents for those two events. I bawled even harder.

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When the clock hit 5:55, I got my cell phone out, called Hubby, and asked him to call JoAnn's to let them know I'd be late. Hubby freaked out!! He knows I never cry and he couldn't quite understand what I was saying. He thought I was in an accident. I explained what happened, hung up, and kept waiting.

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The officer finally came back to my door. He explained the ticket and my options and then asked me to sign the ticket. I was sitting in my car, he held the clipboard at my elbow. I tried to take the clipboard so I could sign, he wouldn't let the stupid thing go!!! I had to climb back out of my car just to sign the ticket because he wouldn't let go of the clipboard. Seriously! Did he think I would steal his clipboard? I mean, the guy still had my driver's license. And my car was turned off. I had to climb out of the car to sign the ticket, which was difficult because he didn't move out of my way, so I only had a little bit of space to maneuver in.

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And he kept telling me that I had run the light. Umm, no, I sure didn't. It was like a preschool fight! Ya-huh. Na-uh. Ya-huh, Na-uh. Obviously I wasn't going to agree with him, but he just couldn't let it go. I finally told him (through my tears) that I was not going to agree with him. He stated once more that I did not stop completely. Holy Cow! Talk about beating a dead horse. And he didn't even seem to care that he made a pregnant lady cry. Which of course, made me cry harder.

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Anyhoo, I did make it to class and was able to teach without falling apart anymore. But as soon as I was back in my car, I started crying again. And I have been so sad ever since. Hubby has tried to cheer me up, but nothing seems to be working. Which makes me even sadder!!

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I have an attorney in my family. I haven't ever used him before. I talked to him last night and this morning. He is going to take care of the ticket for me. He is a very nice man. But I'm still sad.

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I tried reading funny stories on-line this morning, but nothing worked. The last (and only) time I was like this was when I was pregnant with Cakes...and the sadness lasted for a whole week! I sure hope it doesn't last that long this time. I'm writing this all out here, hoping that a little venting will help me feel better. And now I'm going to go try to find something good to eat, because that usually makes me happy. Wish me luck. :(

The Big Reveal...

Hubby made it to the appointment yesterday. So no back rubs on demand or yummy dinners out for me. Oh well. He'd probably have been too busy to do any of that anyways. At least for another month. However this does mean that I can tell anyone and everyone what we're having.

Drum Roll Please...

We are having a Boy!!

How fun is that! I just laughed and laughed when I found out. Then I kept saying "What am I going to do with three boys???"

Of course I have no names in mind for a boy. Not a single one. The kids have been shouting out names to me. Joe's suggestion was the most interesting. He thinks we should name the baby "I" because that is the shortest word and it's easy to spell. If it was a girl he thought we should name her "A". Crazy!

A Quick Review

Place Your Bets!

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Tomorrow afternoon is my "official ultrasound" appointment. The one where you have to drink 32 oz. of water then do your best not to die while a technician firmly presses the ultrasound wand all over your abdomen. It's also the one where they tell you (baby's position permitting) if your having a Boy or a Girl. Anyone want to take a guess??? Personally, I am not placing a bet. Being 0-4 kind of puts a damper on the guessing game. The family, who have guessed correctly on occasion, have already put in their opinions. So far the results are 3 Girl, 3 Boy. Cross your fingers that I'll find out who's right tomorrow.

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Hubby's Busy Schedule

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On a side note, even if I do find out what I'm having, I might not tell. Why?? Well, I don't want you to tell Hubby.

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See, Hubby's work is super busy right now and he won't be able to attend the ultrasound. I think this is the first one he'll miss. I love Hubby dearly and can honestly say he's my best friend. However, in our relationship we have a lovely time harassing each other every so often. And now I will have the perfect ammo to get him and get him Good! It will kill him to know that I know the gender and he doesn't. Oooh! I can have such fun. Mwhaha!

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Of course, I might let him earn the knowledge. I'll have to think up something good. Something like back rubs on demand for a month or taking me out for a dinner at some yummy place. ;)

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Morphing Studies

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As part of my Bachelors, I studied marital relationships. In one class, a study was reviewed that claimed the married couples, as they age, grow more and more similar in taste, personality, and appearance. Scary!! I laughed at the time and kind of shuddered to think about morphing into my Hubby. Bur Horror of Horrors!!! The morphing has begun!!! Thankfully it has only reached the taste buds and I'm praying will only last the duration of my pregnancy.

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I have never in my life eaten a Big Mac. I prefer a petite hand-formed patty loaded to the brim with veggies. However, during my first trimester when I was so sick and everything I ate sat wrong, I saw a billboard for a Big Mac and it looked good. I chided myself and kept driving. But a week later, I found myself in the drive-thru ordering a Big Mac. I took it home and ate the entire thing. It was delicious. My tummy and my mouth felt so happy, and my heart felt like crying. I called Hubby practically in tears to confess my grievous behavior. He didn't believe me. When he came home and saw the wrapper, his eyes bugged out of his head. I have since had at least one Big Mac a week. Usually two or three. It's disgusting and delicious all at the same time. I am really at odds with myself. This is definitely Hubby's child.

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Other things I now eat that I didn't eat before:

1) Dill Pickles. I can't get enough. They used to give me heartburn.

2) Mayonnaise. I never used the stuff. Just mustard and a little ranch and I was happy. Now I'm slathering my sandwiches with mayo.

3) Soda or Lemonade with my Big Mac. I never ordered drinks. I always got water. But now I need the sugary junk!

4) Pepperoni Pizza. I always ordered a small veggie pizza for myself. But now I can't eat mushrooms or bell peppers. Those are two of my favorite foods!!! I am so sad. For the first few weeks I kept trying to eat them. Thinking that a different recipe wouldn't make me sick. But no. Mushrooms and bell peppers are no longer my friends. And I miss them. A lot. :(

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I tell you, my taste buds have morphed. Hubby still can't get over me eating a Big Mac. He thinks me eating Mayo is even weirder. He was seriously concerned about my mental state when he saw me slathering that white stuff on a slice of bread. :(

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Tess of the D'Urbervilles

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This book has been on my "to read" list for years. Once I started college, extracurricular reading was put on hold. By the time I started reading for pleasure again, I wanted to read light and happy stories. Life was just too emotionally demanding for me to read anything dark or heavy. I must confess that I become very obsessed when reading. I really get into the stories and become quite invested in the characters. I also notice (and am irritated by) typographical and grammatical errors, inconsistencies in storyline, and other fun stuff like that. Books I have read lately include the Lightening Thief series, re-read the Anne of Green Gables series (except the last book about Rilla...it's sad!), and the ever popular Magic Treehouse, Captain Underpants, and A to Z Mysteries. All fun, light, and easy reads.

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Then I read about Tess. It was AWFUL and INFURIATING!! The writing was superb. The story well-thought out and executed beautifully. It was thoroughly engaging, moved at a nice pace, and had an actual conclusion (something many of today's authors think is optional). The awful part was everything that happened to Tess. Holy Cow!! I don't want to give anything away, so I won't elaborate on the awfulness. Just know that when you read this story you are going to hate a man or two passionately and curse their names every time they appear in their self-righteous glory.
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My kids were laughing at me because every so often I would put the book down and start storming about the room yelling about those awful men. I gave Hubby an earful when he asked me what I was talking about. Lecturing him on the values of a good man and condemning arrogance, self-righteousness, and hypocrisy. He made no further inquiries after that. ;)

The Real Story

Well, we finally dragged the real story out of Miss Q. Hubby was right. She was lying the first time.

The real story is in an attempt to win a friend Miss Q lent the library item to a gal in her class. A gal that she did not know the name of, nor the address nor the phone number. Hubby and I told her she had 24 hours to get the item back and I gave her the death glare while saying this, so she knows we mean business.

As for her money, she has blown it on water bottles and extra lunches at school. Now, please keep in mind that we gave her a GIANT reusable water bottle. All she has to so is take it to school with her. To remember! In addition to the giant one we gave her, she has about seven of her own, in what she calls her "water bottle collection". Aaaah!  I just can't believe she is wasting a dollar a day (sometimes more) on something she could have for free if she just took time to prepare.

And the extra lunches. That's really throwing me for a loop right now. Why??  For a couple reasons.

1) Miss Q claims to hate what is served for lunch. She is constantly complaining about it. How the food is cooked properly. How the juice tastes funky. How one item or another made her want to puke.  And yet she is getting SECONDS???

2) Per doctor's instructions, she is to increase her activity level and decrease her food intake. This part is funny. The gal is about the same size as my nine year old Rose, yet weighs more than me, and Eats more than Hubby! Now I am no bird eater, but for someone to out-eat Hubby, who is a Six foot, Five inch tall, calorie-burning MAN....Well, that is an accomplishment.

Anyhoo, Miss Q was in a heap of trouble for lying. We lectured her and restricted her privileges and told her if she did it again she'd be in for another heap of trouble. The poor girl was freaking out a bit the whole time. She thought Hubby and I were going to yell at her and call her names. I did tell her what she did was dumb, but that she herself isn't dumb. We told her to go to her room and start working on her reading assignments. She then asked, "So, you aren't kicking me out?"

WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!?!

Hubby and I were floored.

We told her, "Of Course NOT!"  And asked where she would have gotten that idea from. She said it had happened in the past. Hubby told her that she is our daughter right now and we do NOT kick family out. He told her we may have to reprimand you and give you consequences that you don't like, but we will never kick you out.

I have to say, it is amazing what crap these kids go through. I just hope we can make a positive difference in this little gal's life.

Yucky!

Cakes and I delivered the last fundraiser item yesterday evening. Hooray! All the fundraiser items are out of my house. Well, except for the deceased man's cookies. I just don't know what to do with those...

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Anyhoo, after we dropped off the last package, Cakes wanted to keep walking around the block. Fine with me. A little fresh air and exercise is good for the body. He led the way, stopping every so often to watch ants, pick up rocks, or point out birds flying. The funniest stop was at a house that had just thrown down seed for winter grass.

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Cakes: "Eeeww! Poopy!! Yuck! Wook Mom. Poopy!!! Eew Yuck!"

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Me: "That's not poop. That's just fertilizer. Oh, wait..."

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Haha! The kid is right. It was poopy. ;)

Ummm....

Did you ever have a time when you just didn't know quite what to say? I've had a couple today.

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Joe brought a note home from kindergarten, pinned to his shirt so I wouldn't miss it. The note read:

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"Dear Parents: This Friday is 'Crazy Hair' day. If your child wants to have crazy hair, please send in $.50 for a donation to the student council. Feel free to style and have fun. Thank you, Mrs. D."

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That's right. If my child wants to participate he has to pay to do so. And the cost is two whole quarters! That's a lot of money! Since when do you have to pay for Crazy Hair day? And what about Rose? My nine-year old? The one who has refused to wash her hair for a week and has a huge rat's nest in the back that I'm just too tired to fight about some mornings? Will she be charged for her crazy hair? On second thought, that might actually be a good thing for Rose... I'll have to think about that.

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Earlier this evening, I was talking to my foster daughter, Miss Q, about her monthly allowance (provided by the state that I'm required to give per some rule or another). There are some activities coming up that she'd like to attend and some things she'd like to buy. Hubby and I had talked to her about money, budgeting, saving, etc., last month when we gave her the allowance. Apparently, nothing we talked about sunk in.

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Discussing the cost of things she wants to do, I told her that she would have to pay for some things. I then asked how much of her money she had in savings from last month. "None" was the response. I was shocked! She has not brought anything into the home purchase wise. Her meals at school are paid for as are all her expenses living with me. I asked what happened to her money. I got one of those mumbled "idontknow" shrugs. After twenty minutes of dragging her feet I finally had an explanation of sorts.

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She had borrowed a CD from the library a couple months ago, failed to return it, and owed fines. She gave the CD and $15 to some kid who she had never met before and whose name she did not know to return the CD for her and pay the fine. Can you see the points in this story where this Mom's jaw dropped? If not, no worries. I will gladly list them for you:

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1) I ask this kid every week if she has anything that needs to be returned to the library and her answer every week is "no". When I pointed this out, her reply was that she had borrowed it from the downtown and didn't know if it could be returned to the main branch. Excuse me??? Why didn't you tell me? To that question I got another mumbled "idontknow" shrug.

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2) She gave a stranger, a stranger!, an item that did not belong to her and her money! When she shared that bit of info, I had to stop and take a few deep breaths before proceeding. At which point I asked her to think, really think, about what she just said and whether or not she thought that was a "good idea". Dear Heavenly Father, please grant me patience with this girl!!!

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3) Fifteen dollars for a fine. Seriously?? What was she thinking? That amount would be high as a replacement fee, let alone a late fine. And again, she gave her money to a stranger. A Stranger!!!

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I called Bull on her a couple times during her story. But she insists that this is what really happened. I just can't decide if she's lying or if she's really that dumb. Hubby thinks she's lying.

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The last episode occurred about fifteen minutes ago. My kids participated in their school's PTA fundraiser sale. The stuff that they sold came in today, so I have spent the afternoon and evening calling our neighbors who purchased items to make sure they're home, then taking the items to the neighbors. One man's phone number wasn't working. An automated message told me that it had either been "changed, disconnected, or is no longer in service." Huh? The guy just ordered stuff in September.

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I got online to see if an updated number was listed there. I found one and called it. A woman answered the phone and when I asked for the guy she evasively said, "He's not around anymore." Huh? In that brief second I figured that he wasn't home and she didn't recognize my number and so didn't want to give out too much info. So I explained that I was calling because my child had gone door to door in the neighborhood and had sold the guy some cookie dough. I asked if she had an idea where he was so we could deliver it to him. Her reply: "He's deceased. He died in September."

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My compassionate response: "Ummm.....Wow. I'm sorry for your loss. So, umm...do you want the cookie dough? 'Cause I can bring it over, if your home..."

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In Which I Update...

The Mother-in-Law...

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Is recovering wonderfully. The surgeon removed most of the tumor in surgery and only had to remove a teeny bit of brain. There is a smidgen of the tumor left, but it will be wiped out with Chemo and radiation. The tumor was a very aggressive cancerous kind. My Mother-in-law is a champ. She had her surgery Friday and is already up and walking around. She is completely coherent and still has her memory in tact. She gets to go home tomorrow.

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While she was in the hospital, her hubby painted their room and put wood flooring throughout their house. Ha ha. That man kept himself busy so he wouldn't miss his wife so much. ;)

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I think I'm going to buy my Mother-in-law this pin. She'd get a big kick out of it.

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The Foster Child...

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Poor Miss Q. We are torturing her soundly. Since she has been with us she has visited an Endodontist for a root canal, an Orthodontist to get braces, and an Oral Surgeon to have three of her upper teeth removed. When she came to us she was on pain meds because her mouth hurt so much. Poor girl. We've been trying to get things better for her, but first we have to torture her. And the torture will continue next week.

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She is going back to the Oral Surgeon to have two more teeth removed. This time at a hospital.

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Here's the part where we feel sorry for me. The Oral Surgeon who will accept her insurance...he's a three hour drive away. Last time Hubby took two days off work and drove her down. This time it's my turn. I get to load up my other four kiddos and drive and drive. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I'm pregnant. And the magic 12 week date has come and gone without me feeling much better. Oh well. That's why they invented saltine crackers. ;)

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This trip to the oral surgeon should be the last bit of torture. Then she just has to deal with braces for a couple of years. Fortunately, our Orthodontist is local.

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Costumes...

I am sewing costumes again. Nope, not for Halloween and not for my kids. I am helping with costumes for a local production of "Forever Plaid". I thought I would be one of many helpers. Nope. I am one of two. But I got the easy part...all be it time consuming. The other lady is sewing plaid jackets. Do you know what a bear it is to try and match plaid seams together?? It is horrid! I am responsible for white tuxedo jackets, white tuxedo shirts, black tuxedo pants, plaid bow ties, plaid cumberbunds, plaid suspenders, plaid pocket squares, white pocket squares, tartan sash, and shoes. I think that's it...

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Anyhoo, the directors wanted all those items MADE!!! Aaaaahhh!!! Luckily, I have a few brains left in my head. I started looking online and found a great dealer of cheap, used tuxes and accessories. I just had to make adjustments to the items. I shouldn't say just. I spent a full day fixing the tuxedo shirts and the white jackets so the matched. One jackets collar had to be completely reworked. Fortunately it was all handwork. Why fortunately? Well, because my prego body decided it wasn't enough to attack my stomach. My head needed some attention too. I did all the handwork laying flat on my back on the couch. I just held the jacket up over my belly and sewed away.

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I still have to get the pants hemmed. I just received them Saturday and have a fitting scheduled for tonight with the "Plaids". The bow-ties are sewn. All that is left are the other plaid items. But those have to wait until I get the scraps and leftovers from the plaid jackets.

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As for my own children, they will be wearing costumes from previous years. All except Joe. I don't have any boy costumes his size. With everything else we have going on, the Hubby and I will probably just don our matching Hawaiian outfits and call it a day.

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The Baby...

Can I just say that the number FIVE sounds so weird to me. I just keep saying it over and over in my head. Five. Five. Five. I can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that I will be a mother to Five children.

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The baby is healthy. My doctor did an ultrasound at my last appointment. When I looked at the monitor I thought the doc's hand must be shaking because the image was so jumpy. But no. It was my baby. That kid was all over the place. The funniest thing was that the kid is using my uterus like a trampoline. The kid would bend his/her little legs then push off from the side. He/She would go sailing across the uterus, then settle back into place like a feather drifting down. It was funny to watch...for now. I sure hope that kid settles down before he/she gets much bigger. I've had jumpy, active babies in utero before. They are very uncomfortable to play host to...

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This is a picture of the babe getting ready to jump. I still can't decide if I think the babe is a boy or a girl. But since I usually get it wrong anyways, I guess my prediction doesn't matter much.
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Where's The Punchline?

So a funny thing happened yesterday...

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My Mother-in-law called up. She could not remember if she had sent out Joe's birthday card or not. She didn't think she had, but couldn't find it anywhere in her condo. She laughed and said her memory was failing her since she's so old. I laughed and told her that I would keep an eye out for the card and call when it came. She described the card to me...Green envelope (Joe's favorite color) and regular card size. We talked some more, catching up on each other's lives. She told me a few more stories about her old, failing memory. It was really funny. We laughed and laughed about the bad stuff that accompanies aging. Just to be sure everything was alright, her doctor ordered a few tests that she had done that same morning. She was sure everything was fine. Nothing wrong but her getting old. I again promised that I would call if the card arrived in the mail and we hung up.

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A couple hours later I picked up Joe from Kindergarten yesterday. The mail lady came at the same time. Joe's birthday card had arrived, but it wasn't green...it was white. I laughed thinking of my Mother-in-law's comments about her failing memory. I also laughed thinking of what she would say when I told her the birthday card had arrived and was a different color. I just knew that my Mother-in-law had probably searched her condo top to bottom, front to back at least three times and probably cleaned each time as well...just searching for that card. I knew that she would laugh about all that time she had used up when she could have been reading or doing something else. I was excited to call her and tell her that the card had arrived. I knew she would be relieved.

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When I got inside, I had four messages. One was from her. It was a short message. The doctor had called with the results. She has a brain tumor. As I heard that, all I could think was...what's the joke? Is it April's Fool? No, we're in October. So, where's the punchline?

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I called her back. She tried to play it off. The tumor is on the right side and only 6 cm, she said. It was a short call. She really wasn't in the mood to talk. That's alright, I really didn't have much to say except Wow and I love you. Before we hung up, she told me that she had found the green card and would put it in the mail tomorrow. I laughed and told her that a card had arrived today from her. She couldn't understand it. Then said, "Well, I guess that tumor really is affecting my memory."

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I got a call a few minutes ago from a dear Sister-in-law, Hubby's oldest sister. Mother-in-law was admitted to the hospital at 11:00 am. She couldn't keep any thing down and her headaches became so severe that my Father-in-law took her to the hospital. That is HUGE! While there, someone took another look at the test results. The tumor isn't 6 cm. It's the size of a small chicken egg.

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They're waiting to hear back from two other hospitals. It's a bit of a race to see which hospital can locate a neurosurgeon first. Then she'll be transported to that hospital. And that's all they know right now. They'll call me when they hear more.

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And I still can't help but wonder, where's the punchline?

Teaching

The November/December Class Schedules are now available at JoAnn's. Can I just say, it is so exciting to me to see my classes listed. I have had many jobs in my life. They have all been jobs of convenience and necessity. And many of those jobs, I did not like at all. Despite that, I plugged through and performed each job well.

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This is my first official job that I will not only love from the get go, but will also get to grow and expand my skills in. I am just so excited! And I have such a feeling of satisfaction and contentment. They are such nice feelings to have. :)

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These are the samples I made for a few of the classes I will teach. It's kind of funny, but a few of the items I will be teaching I would never have thought of making. They were such fun to complete though. And my kids absolutely love each item. I let them each pick out the fabric for one sample. After the sample comes down off the JoAnn wall, the child that picked the fabric will get to keep the sample item.

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Sewing 101

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Sewing 202: Fleece Robe

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Teen Sewing 101: Wristlet

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Quilting 201: Mini Quilt Coasters

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Other items I will be teaching, but don't have pictures of, include: Reusable Gift Bags, Fleece Vest, "Hole in the Barn Door" Quilt Block, "Steps Through My Garden" Quilt Top.

Questions & Answers

Question #1

What did those two pink lines on the t-shirt mean?

Answer: The lines mean I'm pregnant. I thought it was a cute picture and a clever way to announce the pregnancy. The two pink lines mimic a pregnancy test. One pink line is a negative test result, meaning you're not pregnant. Two pink lines is a positive test result, meaning you ARE pregnant. And the gal in the picture is not me. Just some random model in a super cute tee.

Question #2

What did you mean by "Operation: Get Released from Nursery"?

Answer: I was again trying to be clever, but I guess it's more of an inside joke. Sorry about that. Here's the scoop. When I first moved to this ward, I was called to be a nursery worker...the one position that I was crossing my fingers not to get. My BabyCakes had just reached the magic age of 18 months. I wanted to drop his active little rear in nursery and go enjoy Sunday School and Relief Society. When the Bishop called me as a nursery worker (which I immediately accepted and have been diligent and dependable in the calling) , the Primary President felt a little bit bad about it. I laughed and told her that if I really wanted to get out of the calling, I knew how to do it...It would just take me nine months for my plan to come to fruition. No Bishop in their right mind will keep a brand-new Mom in nursery. I personally thought it was hilarious to refer to my pregnancy as "Operation: Get Released from Nursery". I still do. ;)

Question #3

So when is your baby due?

Answer: The baby is due April 21, 2010. I'm currently in my twelfth week of pregnancy. I usually wait a little longer to announce my pregnancies...in case something goes wrong. This time, however, I felt it was necessary to tell the kids. I have been super sick for the past eight weeks. My ears have been ringing, my sinuses clogged, nasty gunk dripping down the back of my throat, nauseous and light-headed, and all the other fun stuff that accompanies the first trimester of pregnancy. You know, I hear there are some women who delight in being pregnant. I think those women are crazy!! Anyhoo, I've been sick and my kids noticed. And they just started back to school which means all the lectures on germs. The turning point for me telling the kids early was the day Anne told me that she didn't want to sit by me because she didn't want to catch my germs. Sheesh! Normally, I would have laughed that off. I mean, there's no way she can catch what I have. But in my crazy emotional state, I was very much saddened by her statement. So I told early and now Anne will sit by me.

Question #4

Why are you doing foster care? Do you need the money?

Answer: I'm going to address the second question first. NO. We don't need to money.

Next, Why are we doing it? There are many reasons why we are providing foster care.

1) We believe that every child is a Son or Daughter of God and should be treated as such.

2) We recognize that not all parents know how to parent. Sometimes they need a break from their kids so they can pull themselves together and learn how to parent. Foster care provides that.

3) Not every foster family in the system is a good foster family. They need more families, GOOD, loving, kind, caring, families to help out. And, not to sound arrogant, we are a nice, loving, kind, and caring family. We can provide a safe and loving environment for a child in need.

4) My degree is in Family and Human Development. I seriously considered getting a Master's in Social Work. I had a scholarship in the bag and admittance to the program guaranteed. After really thinking it over, I realized I don't want to be the social worker who pulls children from a home, monitors their parents' progress, watches as parents meet or fail to meet goals that determine whether or not they will be reunited with their children, decides if it's safe for the child to return home and deal with the consequences if their decisions turn out wrong, and so on. Nope. I didn't want to do that. I wanted to be the Momma that, when a social worker pulled the child from their home, would love and care for that child while their parents got better. I would be the Momma who would show them what love, caring, kindness, safety, and security looked like. I would love them and take care of them until their parents could take them back. And Hubby was right on board with me.

One final note about the money. So far, I have received one check for about $500. That check was spent before I even got it. Now, before you get your knickers in a knot...I spent it on Miss Q. I did take her cute little self down to the Orthodontist and got her some braces. An expense not covered by the foster system. I have a monthly payment plan set up to pay off the balance for the braces. Those things are EXPENSIVE!!! The money I receive for the foster child is used for the foster child. Another rarity among foster families.

Question #5

Why was Cakes running around in just his underwear last week?

Answer: Ummm. You kind of just answered that one yourself. The Cakes has been diaper free for two full weeks. The first week, it was just easier to keep him in only underwear. He hasn't quite mastered the pulling up of pants over his round rump. He can do it, but it takes some time. I didn't want him to be hindered by that while potty training, so I opted for undies only. I love having a diaper free house. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that everyone can take care of their own potty needs. I am going to thoroughly enjoy this while I can. :)

Family Motto

After much deliberation, we have decided on our Family Motto. I've been saying this for years, but it only recently occurred to me to use it as our family's motto. Here it is:

Love is a Verb and Happiness is a Choice.

Very simple and very true.

A Note on Love:

So many people think that Love is a feeling. It's not. It is a verb. And an action verb at that. When Christ said to "Love One Another" he did not mean for us to just feel love for everybody. We are supposed to put that love into action. You may not feel love towards everybody, but you have to show love to everyone. How do you do that?? There are many ways. Being kind, courteous, and polite shows love. Helping out, serving others, smiling, visiting, sharing, and on and on and on. There are a million ways to put LOVE into Action!

A Note on Happiness:

Again, many people think that happiness is just a feeling that you have no control over. As if it were some extraneous thing, just out of reach, unless someone brings it to you. NO!!! Happiness is an attitude; one that you have complete control over. Sure, things can come along to make it difficult to be happy. There are many trials in this life that can bring you low. But even amidst your greatest trials, you can have a good attitude. It's a choice. And it's YOUR responsibility. No one but YOU can make YOU happy. I have heard many people complain that they are not happy because this is going on or that is happening. Or they don't have this or that. When I hear comments like that, I just chuckle inside because I think of Job or the Pioneers or Miss Corrie Ten Boom's Sister. They had severe trials, yet each of them chose to have a good attitude, be grateful for those things they did have, and to Be Happy. They are great examples of choosing Happiness.

(Now this does not apply to people who have depression. That is a separate issue entirely. And deciding not to have depression...well, the idea that you can just decide to not have depression anymore is just silly!)

A Note on Punctuation:

At first, I ended the motto with an exclamation point. After thinking it over, I decided a period would be more appropriate. A period indicates that this sentence is a statement. And that is how I'd like my family to think of our motto...as a statement.