That's MY boy!

We went to MAC (our mom and children group) this morning. We were a little late due to Nehemiah's extreme bedtime behavior. I tell ya', I start that kid out around 8, and it has been past 11 when he has finally settled down to sleep the last 4 nights--Uugh! Anyway, it does mean he sleeps a bit later in the morning. So we got up later, and it took us a little longer to get it together. Then, I had the car warming up and everything ready to go, and I realized I could not find my wallet. Now, if there is one thing I know, it is that if I leave the house without my driver's license, then I am going to get in a wreck or make some bone-head mistake and get pulled over. So, quite frankly, it is not an option. ;)

Eventually I found it, so we made it there, but a little late. And I tell you, I think Nehemiah is an extrovert (taking after his old mom!). He gets mobbed by the other kids. And he just grins and laughs! Everyone (the kids anyway) wants to take turns holding him, or hugging him, or kissing him, or tickling him, and he just eats it all up. It is consistently my favorite experience of the week. I can hardly wait until he can run around and play with everyone. Well, actually, I can. It's quite alright with me that he isn't mobile just yet. That would be exhausting.

Anyway, today was a really busy day, and Nehemiah only got one nap, and then we got back from small group a little before 9. I got him all ready for bed, and though he started to fuss, I was able to keep him calm. Awake, but calm, and so far, I haven't heard anything else! Here's hoping tonight goes better and we get back on our schedule. :)

What Daddies are good for...

Disclaimer: No children were harmed in the making of this picture.

Look at that height! And the thrilled expression after touch down. :)

Give a hoot!

Look who we happened upon on our front yard this afternoon:

God is SO cool!

Now I have to go look him up in my Sibley Guide to Birds. Well, it looks like he is a Barred Owl. My book cracks me up sometimes...it says that this owl's voice is: "clear-voiced, expressive, hooting/barking hoo hoo ho-ho, hoo hoo ho-hoooooaw ('who cooks for you, who cooks for you all') ending with descending and rolling hoooaaw note" (p. 276). I wonder what the owl would cook up for me?! Hopefully he keeps his talons to himself as far as the little bunny who frequents our yard is concerned. He can take all the squirrels he pleases, but I want my bunny around. Maltby already took out like 8 babies last summer--end the genocide! ;)

Dead End

Does anyone have any suggestions on bedtime for a 7 month old? It seems to be taking longer and longer to get Nehemiah to sleep. He starts shrieking shrilly whenever I put him in his crib and leave the room. It is really cutting into marriage time not to mention wearing me out! I have a tough time handling over an hour of crying with interrupted times of comforting. :( I just want him to sleep and sleep well! We have a bit of a routine, wherein I change his diaper and put on his pjs, plug in his night light, turn off his room light, swaddle him up, nurse him while singing two songs, and then saying bedtime prayers. When he seems asleep and finished eating, I put him in his crib and head out. I'm not really sure what else to try. Oh, here's a cute picture of he and his favorite lovey all swaddled up for naptime :)

Playdate

Grinning at the tiny little lady, Adelaide (with her Mum, Susan):

I'm in love with the UPS man!

These things happen when you see so few people at your house on a regular basis! I also really like my mail lady!

Tonight when we got home, I found I had missed my friend in the brown suit, but he left a surprise! My mom sent me a great package. She and my dad got Nehemiah some adorable red striped Oshkosh Engineer Overalls and a Heartbreaker Valentine's bib for his first Feb. 14. So sweet! He also got two great Christmas gifts from our relatives out in WA state. He got a Peek-A-Boo Curious George toy and the Philadelphia Chickens book and CD by Sandra Boynton. We're listening to it now, and he is getting a MAJOR kick out of it--part of that is that his daddy is dancing with him to the rhythm of my typing.

My mom also sent several needlework projects from my GGs stash! I have a ribbon embroidery kit, a cross stitch, a crewel project, and crochet and embroidery hooks, knitting needles, and some other tools that I have no idea about. Guess I better get to learning how to do all of these things! Too fun. :)

Wowzers

Whew! It has been a full day! We didn't get much sleep last night, because Nehemiah was up until 2:30am trying to acclimate to a new environment (at Aaron and Susan's), and then he was up again at 6:30! We left for home around 11:30 this morning. But a trip to a BIG city ;) isn't complete without some stops at our favorite haunts. We stopped by Trader Joe's to pick up a few culinary delights, including this awesome garlic and herb pizza dough...yum! We also went to Noodles and Company for lunch, where Ben and I both had dishes with an Asian flair...Ben had Japanese Noodles, and I had a red curry dish, and we each had some tasty flat bread. Nehemiah enjoyed the break from sitting in his car seat.

Then we drove awhile longer, and when we hit the next city, we went to Once Upon a Child and got a few things for a steal of a deal...a mobile for Nehemiah's crib (which doesn't spin...yet--it lights up and plays music, and looks really cute, but doesn't really move--I'll see what I can do), a car seat bunting, one pair of pjs and a construction puzzle. Next was TJ Maxx. We got a Calphalon bread pan for half off, because, in our experience, they turn out the best loaves, and almost all of our recipes make 2 loaves, and we only had 1 pan. AND, we found Maltby a brand new, fully washable, microsuede dog bed there too; which is important because our pup is a bed wetter--nobody's perfect, eh? These stops served double purpose. At this point Nehemiah was thoroughly unimpressed with the ride. It didn't get much better when we strapped him in after our break, but he did fall asleep soon after.

At the next city--you know, the one we normally go to...not the town, but the city, ;) we hit the NAPA auto part shop and Ben fixed the dome light in my car! What a guy! It hasn't worked properly since we bought the car, and to tell you the truth, I didn't have much hope for it, because I think it is the 3rd time we've tried to do something about it. It makes it really tough to buckle a baby in blind though. Ben got the correct voltage of light bulb and the right amps for the fuse, and it shines like a star!

We picked up Maltby and thrilled him with his new bed and bones and Ben made an excellent Pepperoni Pizza with our Trader Joe's crust and I played with the baby. I tried to put him to bed about and hour and a half ago, and guess who's peepers I still see? I think this trip really threw off his sleep schedule; uugh! A small price to pay for such a fun-filled mini-vacay.

Ben got the taxes done tonight too-wow...he's been busy! I feel like I've hardly done anything, but it takes a bunch of time and energy to take care of a moody little one.

Oh Joy! Oh Bliss!

Guess where we went today??? Costco!!! You should've have seen Ben, rushing like a giddy school boy toward the 48 pack of Duracell AAs. A sight I won't soon forget. ;) Of course I was rushing around all over the rest of the place like a giddy school girl.

Costco makes us giddy...so sue me! I've already petitioned corporate for a store in our neck of the woods. They said they would forward the request to their real estate department. Oh, if only! *folds hands and bats eyelashes*

In other news, Baby Adelaide is too cute! What a little peanut! She has been pretty sleepy during our visit--I've never held a baby so tiny and perfectly formed. As many of you know, or can tell from the pictures, mine started out a bruiser! It would be great fun to have a little girl one of these days, but until then, I shall live vicariously through my friends and their beautiful daughters. We love you Adelaide!

Mini-vacation

Ben has 2 days off in a row--a rarity; so, we are heading to the REALLY BIG city to visit our friends and their new baby! Yehaw! I'm excited. We may even get a bit of shopping in. :) But for now, I ought to play with Nehemiah...he'll have enough time sitting by himself today. TTYL!

Super

Yesterday I was a hero of the super variety; I had a cape and everything. You see, last summer, I was in a Beth Moore Bible Study called "Believing God." While we were studying, one of my friends said that it made her feel like a super hero, and we all agreed. The next week, she had capes for us. :) While I was cleaning yesterday, I rediscovered my cape.

When Ben came home, I was playing a little Link's Crossbow Training on our Wii, shooting all the bad guys. He laughed when he saw me. There I was wearing a cape saying *Armed and Dangerous--I'm Believing God* and shooting the place up!

I know what you're thinking...impressive! Yeah, me too. ;)

Junkie

My husband is a junkie...a carmex junkie! I was expressing this sentiment to a friend the other day, and she said that she knew why. She said that they put fiberglass in Carmex to cut your lips with teeny tiny cuts so that you can't get enough of it because the stuff gets in your blood stream, AND your lips never heal when you use it. Well, my source is uber knowledgeable about all things beauty AND I know that they do that with some kinds of dip--one of those lovely things you learn hanging out with a bunch of Army Rangers...it seems like 3 out of 5 dip that stuff-Eeew! Look out before you drink out of a pop can at any of those BBQs!

Anyway, I told Ben when I got home, and like any addict, he was in denial. He said that it wasn't possible, and that he would keep right on using until I could prove it. Well, I went where I always go when I suspect and urban legend--I went to snopes.com:

http://www.snopes.com/business/secret/carmex.asp

It turns out that while Ben may be a carmex junkie, I am a sucker for the good ole' fashioned Urban Legend. ;)

Aww, the stuff marriages are made of! :P

Speakin' my language!

Today my friend Megan and I took an unexpected trip into town. It was such a treat! Literally! She treated lunch and a fun new shirt for my Christmas present. It's nice to feel special like that. :) We had both babies in tow, and all things considered, or trip was pretty great!

Does it seem weird to any of you that the trip was impactful (I think that's a word) for me? I read Gary Chapman's Five Languages of Love a few years ago, and learned that for some people that wouldn't be as big of a deal. BUT, I learned that my primary love language is gifts. At first I was a little ashamed, because I thought it made me greedy, but then as I continued to read, I realized that it developed some from family dynamics, and some from my personality. I have learned that it doesn't even have to be something that costs money. It could be a flower or a sample of something, or anything like that, but it reminds me that whoever gives the gift has thought of me sometime on their way. And it goes both ways, because I love to pick up little things for people along my way too. Just some musings. :)

Cooking

I meal-planned this week. It is quite the accomplishment, because I haven't done that since we were first married. I have gotten lazy. Ben is hardly home for dinners, and he can bring home leftovers from camp, so I rarely cook. I went to the grocery store with ingredients of actual recipes on my list rather than the usual staples. I made a few meals to keep while Ben was working on homework and Nehemiah was sleeping. I'm not so great at being productive when Nehemiah is awake. He's got that separation anxiety thing going on in spades. We've been working on that, but it means I've been engaging in shorter activities like laundry, and not ones that require multiple steps and close monitoring. I am feeling productive and sleepy--what a nice way to go to bed! Also, I picked up a mini-muffin tin while I was in town today. My mother-in-law and I are going to try to make these really cute puppy cupcakes I found in Parents magazine. I'll have to post a picture after we make them. :)

Another teacher tale

Today seems to have been pretty run-of-the-mill, so I am going to tell a funny teacher story. I had a student who was mocking some of the special education students in our class. We were observing him for a placement also, though I'm not sure he'd caught on to that just yet. Anyhow, he was working on what was supposed to be a partner assignment, but his partner was sick that day. He was having an incredibly difficult time focusing and finishing any of his report. I told him that I thought he could finish just one page before our time was through, and he looked up at me and said, "Mrs. Frank I've got DSL in a Comcast World!" I tried to stifle my giggles, and I asked him if that meant he was slow, trying to make a teachable moment regarding some of the other students, but his retort was quick; "I did NOT say Dial-up!" Kids say the darnedest things, eh? ;)

Amusements

So I was on a new website today: http://www.grinzilla.com

You are supposed to find fun things for kids in your area by typing in your zip code. I thought, why not? So I entered in my zip, and to compound the problem that it is too cold to be outside, look what my search yielded:

Locations found: 0

There appears to be no fun activites based on your criteria. Try doing a more broad search.

Search Criteria

Location zip or City name

Hmm...guess we'll have to prove 'em wrong!

Fangs

This shows the current tooth-pushing progress...Aww my little vampire! ;)

Once Upon A Time...

I was a teacher "in the 'hood". I have many interesting stories from those days, and my experiences still affect my life today. It was such a unique environment to me, but there are parts of it that I am very fond of. And the parts that weren't endearing to me at the time are endearing now, because they point out lessons learned. Anyway, I'm going to share a brief story, and it's impact. :)

I was student-teaching in a 2nd grade classroom, and there was this ultra-intelligent, top of the class, sweetheart of a boy, named Stacey. He was always respectful and on top of his behavior and schoolwork. One day he came in from recess as I was standing at the door to the classroom, and this sweet child looked up at me, and in greeting said, "What up Pop Tart?!" The inflection was perfect, and the serious and innocent face cracked me up. I almost lost it! I was close to tears and nearly rolling on the floor. Who have you heard call anyone a pop tart? Anyway, it is a memory that is close to my heart, and that I probably won't have the pleasure of experiencing again in the rural, white bread-esque community that I live in currently.

Today, as I left the room, Nehemiah started to cry and clearly say, "Mama!" (I don't know if it is for real or not, but it sure seemed like it.) I didn't know what could be wrong, so I peeked my head around the corner and exclaimed, "What up Pop Tart?!"

Now it was Ben's turn to nearly lose it. We came up with " 'hood names" for my other two guys as well. Turns out Ben is "Home Skillet" and Maltby (our dog) is "Home Slice". Just something to smile about during the day. :)

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

You know it is cold outside when...

+ You turn on the car to warm it up, and try to back it out of the driveway, and it takes 20 seconds to make it out.

+ Your iPod doesn't work in the car.

+ The brand new (with brand new batteries) Baby Einstein toy doesn't work in the car either.

+ You've heard of 7-layer dip, but have you heard of 7-layer baby? ;)

+You can't convince the dog to venture outside to pee.

+ The weatherman says the high tomorrow won't break zero and that frostbite of exposed skin will occur in 3-5 minutes.

WHERE HAVE I LANDED?!!? DO I LIVE IN ANTARCTICA?! SERIOUSLY!!!

Birth

The Lord is so gracious to give us the gift of new life. It is amazing when someone is born into Christ, just as it is when someone is born into the world. Today some of our good friends became first time parents. What a blessing and joy! We are looking forward to making the acquaintance of dear little Adelaide, and we are so glad that everyone is healthy and happy!

I never expected to get all sentimental as a mother, but just thinking about everything Susan and Adelaide and Aaron must have gone through today sticks that lump squarely in my throat as I remember the day Nehemiah was born. It was such a struggle and so intense, but the joy and awe at the Lord's new creation were even more intense. It's been over 6 months, and my feelings for this little love only continue to intensify. Praise His Name and His wisdom!

Who will be the next Simon Cowell?

After Nehemiah went down for the night tonight, I was up for some mindless entertainment, so I flipped on the season premier of American Idol to watch the auditions. There were some touching moments, as well as some atrocious ones. In the middle of one of the worst, high-pitched shriek sessions, Nehemiah woke up screaming. I thought maybe it would pass, so I gave it a few minutes--during which more ear splitting auditions took place. I went in to see how he was, and he seemed legitimately frightened. It was sad! I brought him out and calmed him down...he also got to see Daddy, because initially he went to bed before Ben got home from work. It was nice that Ben and he got to play a little bit while he learned that tone deaf singing does not signify the end of the world after all! Maybe Nehemiah will be a pretty good judge of musicality, and hopefully a much nicer character than a certain Brit. :P

My Best Friend is...

Gatorade! I was silly, and didn't stay nearly hydrated enough today, and sometimes when that happens to me, I can drink as much water as I can stomach, and it does nothing to catch up until I have Gatorade. The electrolyte boost helps me feel better almost instantaneously-yay! I say this because I had a screamer of a headache when I got home tonight, and I was feeling faint and pukey, the whole nine yards. I took some Tylenol and drank water, before putting Nehemiah to bed, and I expected it to work. No dice. I had a container of Gatorade, and within minutes I was perking up--hooray!

I had a great day today. We missed church, which, other than the extra sleep I got from the alarm clock volume being turned down, was not part of it. I like church, and I was bummed to miss it! But other than that, our friends Susan and Aaron came over so that Ben and Aaron could play video games when Ben finished his homework, and Susan and I could go shopping for her last-minute baby needs. She is due before the end of the month. In fact, the next time we see them, they will probably have a baby! More babies is a good thing.

Then when we got home, Ben, Nehemiah, and I went and picked up ice cream for a night with the Normans. It was too fun! We had some super yummy chocolate cake that Sarah made to go with the ice cream, and then we played all of the new Wii games we got between us for Christmas. Hunter and Tate, the Norman boys, were cute with Nehemiah. Tate wanted to snuggle with him, and they both wanted to play with him. He was squealing in delight, and laughing and jumping excitedly. He is getting to a really fun age, where you can start to see his happy little, social personality coming out, and I love it!

Anyway, we had a blast, and now it is time for all of God's children to go to bed. I shall sleep hard and fast--hopefully you will too.

One giant step for Mommy...

One relieved Daddy, and 2 better rested parents! We turned off the baby monitor last night! Whoa...I know; that was huge. ;) I have been getting up so much lately, and I read that at about 6 months it is okay to turn off the monitor, because you'll hear them crying (which is sure true--we share a wall and a closet) if they really need you, but you won't hear them all of the little times they wake up in between and could put themselves back to sleep. It also sounds like if I kept running in there for much longer, Nehemiah would come to expect it, and that would not work too well, because man, I have been dragging! Anyway, I am a little attached at the hip to that thing. We are still using it for naptimes, but I did sleep much better last night.

Naked

So, I found a quart Mason Jar to put my workout funds into today, and Ben graciously dumped out all of the tacks it was holding (from the previous owners of our house), and washed it 'til it shined! What a man!

He handed it over to me and told me that now I needed to decorate it. I was a little surprised, because I thought it might be gratifying to simply watch the funds pile up, so I asked him why I needed to get decorating, and he said that because if I didn't, it just wouldn't be my jar! That made me smile. Maybe I'll spruce it up a little after all. It is to be determined. :)

Spinach-Chicken Breast Rolls

Tonight I tried a new meal, and it was a success! I got this recipe from the January issue of Better Homes and Gardens, and it's even healthy! :)

Ingredients:

• 4 medium chicken breast halves (boneless, skinless about 1.25 lbs total)

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 a 10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
• 1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese, drained
• 4 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded 1 cup)
• 1 1/4 cups light spaghetti sauce with garlic and herbs (half a 26 oz. jar)
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 6 oz. dried multigrain or whole wheat spaghetti (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375* F. Place each chicken breast between plastic wrap; lightly pound with flat side of meat mallet to about 1/4 inch thickness.
2. In bowl stir together egg white, spinach, cottage cheese, and half of the mozzarella; spoon on chicken, leaving 1/2-inch border. Roll up from narrow side. Place, seam down, in 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Combine spaghetti sauce and tomato paste; spoon over chicken. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, about 25 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink (170* F) and cheese is light brown. Let stand 10 minutes. If desired, serve with spaghetti. Serves 4.

We served it with leftover brown rice instead of the pasta, and it was; Oh, so yummy! Look at it steaming!

Woohoo!

I just found out that I am going to be an Auntie!!! How exciting! Nehemiah will have a new little cousin sometime September-ish. :) What fun it will be!

Just had to share my joy!

That is all.

Feeling Crunchy?

"I do believe that I am turning into a Granola Mama!" I say as my cloth diapers are in the wash and my butternut and acorn squashes are cooking away and softening up to be pureed into baby food. :) Growing up, I guess I thought I would be pretty convenience driven, but 2 things are the primary cause for my new found crunch--#1 these things are better for our environment than "disposable society" and #2 they are better at saving me money! Both of which make me feel like they are better stewardship decisions for our family, especially since I am staying at home, so I have the time.

I tell you, Nehemiah is going to be eating better than us! Today Nehemiah actually kept some sweet potatoes in his system instead of raspberry-ing them all over the place. Baby steps, I say, baby steps!

Guilty confession time? Sometimes I sneak a bite of his pureed sweet potatoes...Dang! Those things are yummy! I'll probably try the squash out too. Maybe it will help me start to eat a little healthier. Half for the baby and half for me.

That would help out with that live a healthier lifestyle resolution I made. Here are some other helps I'm going to try for the exercising portion of that resolution. I am going to try to remember that I am doing this for my health, not necessarily so that my body shape will change. In the past I have become so frustrated that I am not showing the progress I want that I have given up, so this seems logical. And a neat idea I'm going to try is to write when I exercise down on the calendar, and stick $1 in a jar each time. Then at the end of the month, whatever I have earned is fun money! It can't be more than $30 a month, and my suspicion is that is will be more like $20, but you've got to start somewhere. I'm hoping I can stay motivated with this plan. Any other good tips from my peanut gallery?

Musical Jokes

So, I was watching a little daytime t.v. yesterday morning, trying to pull myself out of the groggies. :) Ellen had on the cutest little 9 year old piano prodigy who told a few jokes worth passing along, here they are:

#1 One night, the notes, C, E flat, and G walked into a bar together. They went up to the counter, and the bartender yelled at them, "GET OUT OF HERE! We don't serve minors!!!"

and

#2 Q: Why did Mozart get rid of all of his chickens?

A: They kept saying, "Bach, Bach, Bach, Bach!"

Aren't those cute? They were even better from an enthusiastic child with the best Asian American accent. He was so excited when he was yelling like the bartender...too funny!

Some things money can't buy

Call to ask a nurse: $0.00
Trip to doctor: $30.00
Mommy and Daddy's college textbooks: $700.00

Using them to prop up the head of the crib so that everyone can sleep without the baby coughing?

PRICELESS!

Some things in life, money can't buy...for everything else, there's [insert name of life sucking, debt machine here].

In Memory

Who forgets drinking Coke and eating Oreos on the beach and then splashing in the surf while their parents are still sleeping away the morning? Not this great granddaughter. That is probably my favorite memory with my great-grandma, and it shows who she was. She loved her family dearly, she loved mornings, and she loved Coke and Oreos!

Almost every Sunday in my childhood was spent with GG. We’d bring Dunkin Donuts, or she would have some delightful thing cooked up and ready to go. I’ve never had Corn Chowder, Egg Custard, or Vegetable Beef Soup that tasted better than at Grandma’s. We’d look through the TV Guide and help her finish up any missing entries in the crossword puzzle and we’d play HiQ until everyone knew we were geniuses. We’d mix up potions in the back and side yards, and climb trees across the street.

On special occasions, we would all go out to eat. We’d either gobble down massive burgers at Red Top, snag some ice cream at Fat Man’s (GG was one of the few that still knew why it was called that), or head for something SPICY. GG was hot, hot, HOT! We’d have Hot Sauce or Hot Mustard wherever we went. Unless it was to the Cracker Barrel or Golden Corral for some down-home cookin’. When I was little, I remember my family’s pride as we wrote on the calendar… “The day we spiced out GG!” We went to Seis Salsa’s 6 that night and finally found one GG couldn’t handle—a victorious occasion!

Christmas. She was our Christmas Elf. Her light display every year was a winter wonderland that made me gawk in awe as a kid. Not to mention the cars that drove by just to check it out. The spread on Christmas was always amazing; homemade hot mustard, cream cheese rolls, summer sausage, ham, her famous beans, fudge of all sorts, peanut brittle, the works! And then came the tree. It overflowed with gifts lovingly purchased, or the best treasures, the gifts she made. You were the luckiest one that year if you got a handmade gift. They are works of love and art.

I’ll never have another “smooch” again. It’s bittersweet for me. There is nothing like a GG smooch. It is much more than just a kiss. She had that pucker power, and she’d plant one on you that you just knew was different somehow. I got my smooches in December, and so did my son, Nehemiah. I’ll always miss them, and he will grow up to know about them.

GG always had great stories to tell. Either the family history sort, or the world traveler sort. We learned we were related to Jesse James, Elvis Presley, and a guy who used to squirrel hunt with Abraham Lincoln. GG used to dance the night away in Oklahoma as the caller yelled, Di-Si-Do! I was privileged to wear her green skirt when I was about 8 years old to the father-daughter square dance for girl scouts. She wore the same skirt when she was in her twenties—what a tiny, pretty woman she was. I was so proud! We heard of her adventures in Australia, New Zealand, who could forget Fiji (and her lover), Alaska and the “I did a trod” dogs, Greece, and the Holy Land. I world traveled through her stories.

I know that my grandma was full of love, strength, independence, precision, efficiency, perseverance, fun, and good cooking! Quite the combination, but she was quite the lady!

I wish I could be there to say my final good-byes, but that would be more for me than for her. She held my hand in December, just before bouncing my nearly 20 pound boy on her tummy, and told us that she had to make it to Christmas so she could see us; all 5 generations of us. And I knew I had to make it to Colorado so we could see her. My only regret is that it was the last time.

Separation Anxiety

is running rampant in our house!

Nehemiah has picked it up, and man--not just a tiny bit! Anytime I start to leave the room, he starts to fuss until I come back. This is more than a little limiting. :)

And for my part, I am frustrated about Ben's hours. He had to work on his day off, spend extra hours one day, so that even though he went in early to get off early, he stayed every bit as late as usual. Went in early again today, and more of the same for Monday. It is difficult that he has an unconventional schedule already, but I am having a hard time with the fact that I plan on him having certain times off and our plans get steamrolled time and again! Uugh!

Anyway, enough of complaining. I have a few people that read my blog but don't have a google i.d. so they cannot comment. One such person is my mom, and she had a phrase for submission. She just finished up her Masters in Counseling, and she told me that when you have just been in a discussion of drama, and you think of another dramatic topic, kind of as a bunny trail, but don't have time or energy to get to it, the catch phrase is, "But that's a whole 'nother Oprah!" Ha! I'll probably use that one. :)

While she and I were discussing this, I recalled another phrase we use. It is called "butt hurt." This is something Ben picked up in the army. Basically if you are jealous of someone, or all hurt over something that you shouldn't really be, it's called "butt hurt." Ben and I were green with envy when some of our friends were basically given a gorgeous house on a lake to live in as long as they managed a resort. We were really happy for them; really! But it was still a little tough to take, that is until Ben identified what we were: butt hurt. ;) It pretty much sums it up effectively!

Maybe that is what I am about the scheduling. And then again, maybe it's not just that easy to write off--we'll see.

God is SWEET!

Not that I have heard that as a way to describe the Almighty before, but why not?! It was a fun day, and we were blessed with exciting happenings--it's all in the little things. Ben got a Christmas gift--a gadget for his gun (oh joy, oh bliss! Seriously, y'all should see the way he lights up at those accessories)! And my brand new, gorgeous Cherry Red 8Gig iPod Nano arrived via FedEx. Apple had a $100 off sale on their previous generation models, and I had frivolous Christmas money to spend. This thing is SO fun! We charged it and loaded it up, and took it with us into the "big" town near us.

On the way we were able to use a gift certificate from a new, local bakery. When we were in the hospital after Nehemiah was born, it came in the hospital gift basket. It was for a free smoothie and cookie. The funnest thing happened...I was all set for a cookie, but when I got in there, the clerk said that all of the cookies had been purchased 30 minutes earlier. She went to talk to the owner to see what she should do, and in the end, I had free pick of any of the delicious looking confections. I was stuck between these yummy, caramel brownie treats and the "Better than Sex" cake. These things looked really good, and they were huge. My curiosity got the best of me, I have to say, and I attempted the cake. I suppose I wouldn't have given it that name, but it was delightful. There was enough of that and my Mango Smoothie to split with Ben.

We ran to Target to pick up some necessary supplies, like Concentrated Tylenol Infant Drops. That stuff is like liquid gold in the little town nearby. $11.49 for 1 oz! I think we paid just under $7 today--bless Target!

Then we went to Kohl's because I had some in-store credit and Ben needed some work shoes. While he checked out the work shoes, I wandered around, and I found the clearance iPod accessories. There was a Belkin Nano FM transmitter that I had seen really good reviews of, but it was $79.99 and the sale was only 10-25% off. I didn't see it on the sale sign, so I took it to customer service with another like item to get it price checked. The packaging was also really beat up, so I thought I might talk a manager into giving me a better deal on it. The lady who scanned it said that it was $15.60! I was shocked, but after I double checked to make sure that she hadn't said $50.60, I walked to the front, bought my accessory and fairly pranced out of the store--ask Ben, he'll tell you. Ben hadn't found his shoes, so it was off to the mall. He did find what he was looking for there. He bought a pretty basic pair of black Docs. I love my Docs that I bought back when I had money and no familial obligations (aka: college student, living at home, working a steady part time job). They are great shoes, so I understand the price. Ben's feet have been giving him a tough time, so we sprung for the good stuff--hopefully they'll last out the year. That guy goes through shoes; I'm telling you! If they only last a year it will be comparable to the 2-3 pairs of clearance running shoes we usually buy.

Anyway, then we ran to BestBuy, because I don't want my new iPod to lose its luster! I took a look around, and while I wanted a clear case with a carribener to showcase my little beauty and keep it close to me at all times, there was no such luck. I did find some very functional, cute pink silicon cases for, get this, $1.99 on clearance. I figure for under 20 bucks, I scored over a $100 in accessories today. Which is good, because though it is nice to splurge with Christmas money, it is better not to splurge on gifts for the Christmas gift with one's regular fundage. :)

Anyway, add to that that I actually beat Ben a few games out of a series in our Wii game, Link's Crossbow Training (that NEVER happens--I mean shooting was his profession for years), and that Nehemiah is sleeping well and has knocked his fever out, and you have an all around stellar day.

Oh, the question for comment today is: What should I name my new Nano? I thought of "Little Red," "Cherry," "Cherry Pie," "Hot Stuff," and "Val," as in Valentine, but I really haven't decided. Any new offerings, or do you like one of the others? Let me know.

Phraseology

Do you ever pick up fun phrases from friends, sort of without realizing it? Or sometimes by making a conscious effort to use their "catch phrases"? I find myself doing this often, probably because I love interesting words. I remember when I was dating Ben, I thought it was so cute when he said "spendy" instead of pricey or expensive.

My newest phrase is going to be "bizzo." I love it! I have an Australian friend that uses that term, and it was something I hadn't heard before. It is essentially a shorter, less formal version of business. Example: "Let's get together for a planning session and talk over all of the baby shower bizzo." :P

What are the phrases/terms you've picked up? I'll share more as I think of them.

Here's one that makes me giggle: Totally tongue-in-cheek--when I do something worth celebrating: "Tick, tick, tick, BOOM! I'm the bomb!"

And another: "Flarbing"/to flarb--totally relaxing Ex: "I felt sick on Tuesday, so I flarbed around all day and watched movies."

Oh...this one is too funny. When Ben was an Army Ranger, there was a sergeant trying to motivate one of his soldiers to pass a marksmanship challenge. He yelled at the soldier: "Who's the party that rocks the party soldier?!" and he required the soldier to yell back, "I'm the party that rocks the party, Sir!" The sergeant did this over and over again until his soldier had been sufficiently pumped up to go master his objective. Totally hilarious!

101.7

Is not my favorite radio station! Today Nehemiah has his first fever. :( He is one sorry case. Every time he coughs he cries a short pitiful whine. His nose is gooing, and this afternoon while we were cuddling, because he seemed in need of mommy-comforting, he fell asleep on my chest a few times--totally out--that NEVER happens! It is SO sad. I really hope he is back to his cheerful, healthy self soon, and that I know when to take him to the doctor. He is in bed currently, but I can hear him. He coughed, which I think woke him up, and he is trying to settle himself back to sleep. Last night he was up 5 times after I put him down, and before he was up for the morning! Sleep will be much appreciated when it returns. ;) But for now, the little guy will get as much attention and comforting as he can stand, as long as I don't fall asleep in the process. Additionally, he is cutting at least one tooth, and maybe more, so add to the illness, the drool absolutely everywhere, which just makes more goop for him to swallow, etc. It's a lousy thing for a little one.

I resolve...

+ To participate in a Women's Bible Study

+ To live a healthier lifestyle (eat healthier and exercise more...duh)

+ To make homemade baby food for Nehemiah

+ To start making use of my sewing machine

+ To send a family update letter (probably around Valentine's Day)

+ To keep up on my blog (be more introspective/reflective on my life)

+ To go through our stuff with an eye towards better organization (this might include a garage sale--we'll have to see just how ambitious I stay!)

+ To keep my eye open for green living projects that are doable

+ To try to bring a little more variety to our life (with new recipes, activities, etc.)

+ To figure out something with our plants/gardens that are overgrown that I can actually make look good and maintain fairly easily

+ To work on being more servant-hearted

+ To compliment those around me (out loud) when I think good thoughts of them (from my husband at home to the cashier at the supermarket)

+ To have fun everyday!

These are some of my New Year's Resolutions. My parents used to ask my brother and I to sit down and craft resolutions every year, and I can't say that it was something I enjoyed particularly. I haven't made them in a long time, but this year there are some definite things in my life that I would like to see change, and I think the most productive place to start those changes will be with me. We'll see how it goes. ;)