It Ain't Fiction, Just a Natural Fact

If you are anywhere close to my age, you are singing the next line of that song that my title comes from.

The door thing. Its something my husband's sister got him, because she knows him so well, that fits under the doorknob and goes all the way down to the floor so in case the intruder breaks through the 3 locks it takes to get in the door, the door won't open because of this door thing. (Wow, that was a run on sentence, sorry Mrs. McPhail) Anyway, if it were me, I would just lock one lock because that is all I think you would need to keep you safe at night. This is one of the many things that makes me and my husband opposites.

2nd example. In the morning, I want to open every blind so the brightness of the morning sun fills the house and my heart. Andy, needs every blind closed because he doesn't want anyone seeing him doing anything in our house. I love to drive by houses at night that have their blinds open with the lights on so I can see how they decorate or spend their evening. Andy can't believe these people don't have their blinds closed because the "intruders" know right where the TV is and can get it out much faster.

I'm a city girl, he's a country boy.
I could eat pizza every night for dinner, he couldn't.
I always want to have a party, he's looking for ways to get out of going to a party.
I can find a pair of jeans at the store in 10 minutes, have them purchased and be out of the store in 15, it takes him 5 trips to the same store, trying on the same pair of jeans each time to make a purchase.

All of this to say, how the heck did we get together? Then I look at him and think, man he's hot. I better lose some weight so he can have a hot wife so people don't say how did that girl get that hot guy? (Because I tend to make that assessment about random people).

I better go do Pilate's.

The List

Today's post is going to be a modification of an exercise my mother used to tell me to do. Writing a list of all the things I have to be thankful for. I used to cringe when she'd tell me that and refuse to do it. Then I'd find myself thinking of things throughout the day and it truely does lift your mood.

Well its been raining a lot here and my mood needs lifted so I'm going to make the list. This is strictly for my benefit today. An exercise of internal cleansing, if you will. Its going to be "20 things that bring me joy that don't cost money"

Here goes:

1. Praying all the way to Mother's Day out that there would be 2 "drop off" spots for the day in my kids classes - and there are.

2. Watching late night eposides of Frazier

3. Rene' smiling at me first thing in the morning as if to say, "I'm so excited to see you"

4. A spoonful of peanut butter with chocolate chips on top

5. A phone call from a friend

6. A hug from my husband

7. Worship music at church

8. A cup of coffee early in the am with my bible open

9. My kids saying "I love you, mom"

10. Things on sale at Hobby Lobby (okay, that one costs money)

11. Finding money in my pocket of my pants I forgot I put there. (to spend at Hobby Lobby)

12. Any Toby Mac song

13. Having $60 cash to spend at the grocery store and my bill comes to $59.98

14. Andy saying "Can your mom watch the kids so we can go out tonight?"

15. Fresh flowers

16. Southern Living Magazine

17. Rene' blowing bubbles

18. Knowing I have a house to live in and food to eat in my pantry

19. My old cat Montgomery sitting on my lap and purring.

20. Paige in pigtails.

Okay, there you have it. I want to challenge you to come up with your 20 things. And post at least one in the comments section to share with others.

My newest obsession

You know that feeling you get when you think about something and your heart starts pounding? You know its something you need to take action on and maybe you don't want to or you do want to. Well, I got that feeling the other day. While sitting at a play date with a few moms we began talking of our love of good coffee. Then we started talking about the annoyances of our favorite coffee shops. Which led to the discussion of our dream coffee shop. Then how 3 out of 4 of us had thought of having our own coffee shop. Well, it was great fun sitting together and planning our little business we were going to open up. Since that day, I can't get out of my mind the thought of opening up a coffee shop. Yesterday I had the oh so rare opportunity to actually take a nap. As I snuggled under the covers, my mind drifted back to the coffee shop and the fact that I have a business degree. I've been trained for such a thing. My heart started to pound and I though to myself - "I could really do this". I didn't end up taking a nap but basically planning out the layout, budget, and menu of this coffee shop.

Now I know there are those who will think I'm crazy. I do have a 4 year old, 2 year old and 4 month old. But its not like I'm opening up shop tomorrow. There is that minor detail of capital. Of which I think I have about 50 cents raised. (I haven't checked the floor of the van so that total could go up). But I'm telling you, I don't think this is going to go away until I have have researched it to death and decided there is no way I can do it. And I have 3, maybe 4 business partners in the wings.

I'm being practical about the whole thing and have put 3 books on reserve from the library, detailing the brewing of coffee to actually staring your own coffee house. Your work has to be your passion. And while I don't mind bookkeeping, lets just say its not my "passion".

I've got to get going. I have a lot of research to do in the 2 hours called "quiet/nap time.

Summertime!

Summer isn't my favorite season. Fall is. But I am finding myself wanting to live out summertime commercials. My kids are in the back yard playing in the pool (kiddie pool of course) while I am sitting at the table (which has beautiful potted flowers sitting on it) on the porch watching them as I read the latest Southern Living magazine sipping my tall glass of iced tea with lemon slices and mint.

Here is actually how it ends up for me. Zak is outside of the kiddie pool in our yard that slopes so he has a shallow end and a deep end. He is carrying a cup back and forth from the pool to the sandbox where Paige sits, in her new pink and white polka dot swimsuit that is now brown and peach polkadot due to extended sitting in the mudhole he is creating much to her delight. I am stomping all the spiders that are running from the water and towards our house. My tea is watered down because I haven't sat a second at the table (with the charlie brown christmas tree looking pots of flowers)and there is no mint or lemon slices in it. Rene' is sitting in the house by the back door because we don't have any shade over our porch, spitting up or sucking her thumb. Paige begins to cry because Zak poured the water over her head and not in the hole and comes over to me and places her muddy hands all over the only clean shirt I have.

After about 15 minutes of "summer fun" I'm ready to call it good.

Thanks Kari for the Name alert!

Miscellaney

Here are a couple of converstions we've had in our house over the past few days:

Me: Zak, we're going to go enroll you in your new school today.
Zak: (looking scared to death) No, No, I don't want to be rolled in the school.

I'm bending over to put something in a diaper bag
Paige:(patting my bottom) "pank your butt, pank your butt"


11:52pm
Rene': waa waa waa
Me: Andy, the only other thing to do is put her in her car seat and drive her around.
Andy: I thought I was going to get caught up on my sleep tonight
Me: your kidding, right?


Zak: Mom, can I put a penny in the jar for watching over Rene' while you went to the bathroom
Zak: Mom, can I put a penny in the jar for sleeping last night
Zak: Mom, can I put a penny in the jar for eating my snack
Zak: Mom, can I put a penny in the jar for staying in my room during quiet time? (he didn't stay in his room during quiet time)
We might need to redefine the penny (aka M&M) jar.

On a Sentimental Journey

I'm a sentimental person, I think. Now not as much as my mother in law is, as she has kept much of my husband's childhood in the form of toys, paper, books, and written stories. I have no problem throwing things away if I haven't used it in awhile. But for some reason, I feel like I'm not being myself because I am so sentimental about Rene' these days. I know she's my last baby and it makes me want to hold her all the time and rock her and cuddle with her. I didn't enjoy my last pregnancy and I'm so ready to have my prepregnancy body back (if thats even remotely possible) so I don't want to acutally birth another baby. But I just find myself being so sad she's my last. I had poor Zak and Paige on such a schedule that I feel like I didn't hold them enough. I probably did as Zak is always wanting to "snuggle" and Paige always wants to be with her mama so they're not love deprived, but there is just something about holding that little tiny baby who looks up at you with those sweet big eyes and smiles.

Now Paige, she has been calling me "mom". Not "mommy", which is what a 2 year old should call her mother, but "MOM". I'm praying thats a phase. Because even though I don't really appreciate being awakened by her sweet little voice yelling through the monitor at 6:15 in the am - I prefer it to be yelling "mommy", not "mom".

And Zak, well all I have to do is look at him and I can't believe how big he's getting.

Its all making me so sad so I better quit talking about it. I'll come back and read this post when I'm having one of those days where I want to fast forward 5 years so they'll all be potty trained and can get their own snacks and drinks.

On another note, I changed the comments so you don't have to be a registered user to post one - just pick "other" and type your name and you should be able to post your comments.

WARNING: Rant ahead

I could have 3 things to rant about today, and I'm chosing the safest. So we're at the Omniplex. I hadn't been there in years and they seemed to have improved it. I was most excited about the fact that they had a nursing room. It was very pleasant. Lots of rockers, brightly colored, Perfect. So I head to the nursing room when its time. The sign on the outside said "Nursing room and changing station. Gentlemen, please announce yourselves before entering." I got in and the room is occupied by 2 women of a different nationality and their 2 children who aren't nursing, but playing. So I choose my rocker and being to feed the little one. As I am feeding her, not one, not 2, not 3 not 4 but 5 - yes 5 MEN come in to visit the 2 women of another nationality. They all plop themselves down in the rockers around me and speak in their native tounge. Now I am not a prejudice person. BUT COME ON PEOPLE - MEN SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO HANG OUT IN THE NURSING ROOM. I gave them dirty looks and they were probably talking about me, but I wouldn't know it because they were speaking another language. There was NO REASON for them to be in there - NONE. I don't think I've ever been so annoyed in my life. I should have complained, but figured it wouldn't help.

Okay, I'm done.

Lastly, when your going to gripe to your husband about your inlaws, don't leave the baby monitor on.

Its the little things......

So the in laws are here. Its going well. We had Paige's 2ND birthday party over the weekend. She was as overwhelmed as any 2 year old could be. It was like any other 2 year old birthday party - opening presents while her brother and 3 cousins helped, then being swooped off to have a cup cake shoved under her face with everyone hovering and singing to her, then having to share all those new toys with her cousins. It was great fun. I had everything coordinated in pink and brown down to our clothes (me and the girls that is.) My sister said it looked so "Martha Stewart" and that was of course the look I was going for so I was very pleased. I can't believe she's 2. This time last year at her 1 year party, I had just figured out that day I was pregnant with Rene' and was about in tears the entire time. Time sure flies. And just a FYI - if you are ever looking for some great cheap party favors for kids, pick up the sticky hands at your nearest party store. I spent a whopping $2.50 for 5 of them and they are still entertaining my kids (and the adults) today.

So today I had to run up to the church for a bit and it was awfully nice to just leave all the chaos and sit quietly in front of a computer screen. I was only gone an hour and when I got back I noticed Rene' was wearing something different than what I put her in. .... you know what that means. I silently thanked God for such great timing and went to see if my mother-in law needed any help with that laundry she had just finished folding.

N0w I'm off to Walmart by myself. (sighing with a smile)

I'm telling ya, its the little things..........

Supermom?

Right now, I have 5 children under the age of 5 at my house all by myself. That will be the only statement that impresses you in this post. Because 4 out of the 5 are sleeping. And the one who isn't is sitting in her bouncy chair staring at a book with purple pictures on it.

In 24 hours, my mother, father, and brother in law will be here. I haven't picked up one toy or cleaned one toilet. And I'm writing a blog. toilets??? blog??? toilets?? blog??

Its been craziness around here this week. VBS can do that to you. And I only have 1 child in it. I had told you my nieces were here this week. Well one of them hates to go to VBS. This totally perplexed Zakary today. He said to his female cousin "I love this, how can you not love this?". Everyday the 3 big kids go to VBS in the morning, eat lunch together and play until we can't referee their fighting any longer and then they all crash for an hour or so and get up and play more until its time to go to bed. Oh to be a kid again. Just getting them their lunch on the table wears me out. Or really - watching my mom do it. I'm usually conveniently nursing the baby.

I might be scarce the next few days with company arriving for Paige's 2 year birthday party. But I'll be back with lots of stories.

Expectations, and overcommittment

I am the queen of 2 things: Large expectations and largely overcommitting myself. Thankfully on Mothers Day, our pastor's wife gave a great little talk on how its okay to say "no" when you have small children. So I'm REALLY trying. I will be calling my pastor's wife today to tell her "no" to something she asked me to take on last week. Bet she didn't think that those she spoke to would be taking her advice on her. I was very proud of myself in saying "no" this week to being a small group leader for Vacation Bible School. So I am happy to report that I am refining myself in this area, and if you get a "no" from me when you need me for something, just know God told me to.

Now as for the expectations part - I had huge expectations of blogging at least every other day. As you can see, that is not happening. I have in my mind what my adoreable blog will look like in my head. My printer is still flashing "photo card in backwards". So don't quit reading, just because my layout is boring. I promise great things (we'll see if that is overcommittment).

So here's the top 5 highlights from the past few days of our lives:

5. The husband fell asleep in church on Sunday morning. Not just dozing off, but head hanging down, about to fall out of his chair sleeping. This is one of the reasons we usually attend on Saturday nights. But due to overcommittment - we had to bump church attendance to Sunday this week.

4. Our 2 nieces are in town and the kids are having a ball!

3. We scored 4 dinner engagements in a 5 day peroid so I didn't have to cook 4 nights in a row!!!! ( granted, we won't be having pizza for weeks as we had it 3 out of the 4 times)

2. I went an entire day without having to change my shirt. read: Rene' either didn't spit up on me or I actually had a burp cloth on my shoulder.

1. We attempted professional pictures of the kids this weekend and there was no crying and lots of smiles. Now I'll try not to go another year and a half without getting my kids professional pictures taken.