A Major Confession of Upcoming Expectations

that almost sounded like a Jane Austen book , didnt it?

Well our little family has a major announcement. We have been keeping the lid on for the most part for awhile, but no more. We are pregnant, expecting our second child in February 2008. That is a whopper. We are excited to share the news, although i must confess i enjoyed keeping it under wraps. A pregnancy can get pretty long and we always find out really early, so a little private time is good.

So our household is pretty rocking right now. This time around my "morning sickness" is 24/7 and pretty rough. It seems i have traded the semi- nauseous , mind numbing fatigue of the wolverines pregnancy with the super yuck, always a moment away from a heave nastiness im experiencing this time out. Its been a rough several weeks. Each week i get a little worse and Tim gets a little more behind in his work. Its not easy having a partner that cannot stand to step into the kitchen, especially when your 2 1/2 year old really has to eat. Tims show opens in less then 3 weeks and he is having to juggle the play, the wolverine, and me.

Ive managed to get to work each morning, and found its actually easier to be sick at work then at home. Iknow...that is terrible. But i told them at work at least im not expected to do anything, outside of just sitting there and massaging patients.

On the up side, the wolverine has had a good week, which coincided with my worst week yet. That was nice. It makes it easier to feel bad when he is happy. that just sounds crazy doesnt it. But i guess we should get used to crazy.

We havent had a lot of time to sit around and think about how our lives will change and what it will be like. This is all about just getting thru the next few weeks. Maybe when i feel better i will be able to do that. but somehow i dont think you get that a second time. I think this pregnancy will go mostly unnoticed alot of the time, except for the occassional "wow im getting big", or "oh the baby kicked" or "oh my we are always going to be behind". Life marches on in this house now. A toddler demands it. And i think having been thru this before makes a difference.

The baby will be very welcome, very loved, and im sure totally its own personality. But this house has been there, done that......and we are ready to rock.

U.S Circumcision rates drop

http://kevxml.windstream.net/_1_KTBTO1044EKGTH__wind.main/apnws/story.htm?kcfg=apart&sin=D8PRD5BG0&qcat=USNews&ran=7073&feed=ap&


This very sensitive and personal issue is a no brainer to some and a confusing, emotional one for others. Im glad people are being more proactive in their decision making at the very least.

Never too young to jump into politics and let your voice be heard...

Here is my sister and her youngest at a political rally for John Edwards.

Our First Recall....

All you Thomas the train folks out there...listen up....there has been a recall.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07212.html



We have the red baggage car and the yellow sign. Great.

Summertime fun

For both of you that read this i apologize for the long break. Things get busy, i get tired, and i am unspired.

So taking a cue from the hubby, what are your top five favorite "Summertime" songs. You know, the songs that just remind you of summer, take you back to lightning bugs, lemonade, yard sales, beaches, cold beer, riding around, having not a care in the world.

*Van Halen- Panama
*The Sundays- Skin & Bones
*Bob Marley- Is This Love
*Seals & Croft- Summer Breeze
*Counting Crows- A Murder of One

June is Busting out all Over.......

This week has been a doozy for us. Mommy has been working full days and daddy has been promoted to double-shifts on the homefront. Its only for four days, but boy oh boy you would think it had been 3 weeks. We are all off our game and tired and cranky and so ready for it to be back to normal. NORMAL. What a funny word. Its something different for everyone.

For us, normal is lots of laughing and singing and playing with matchbox cars. Its a house that although low on clutter is always dirty. Walk barefoot on our floors or run your fingers across a dresser and you are sure to see the evidence of our normal. Its sticky fingers and yogurt smeared across the tummy giving a "massage" like mommy does. Normal is no clean underwear by wednesdays and 5 trips to Kroger every week. Its going to work for "time to myself" and allowing myself 5 minutes in the car in the parking lot to read the paper before i head home for mommy duty. Its seeing the man i love in passing or talking to him while we supervise the wolverine bouncing on the bed. Every third sentence is normally interrupted by the little guy checking in with "mommy?" Normal is always having bills to pay. Its wondering if the YMCA gives rebates for unused months. Its laying in bed and hearing not one, but two guys snoring.

So what is your normal????

Congratulations Honey...or thanks for keeping us out of the poor house...

Yes , we found out today that the hubby has been rehired after much hoop jumping and head scratching. We are thankful, we are relieved, and we are 3% wealthier. woohoo!!!!

Way to go Mr. Davis. On to the next worry......

Predictable

Oh the joys of the "nap schedule"....and i use that term loosely.

isnt it just like a child who hasnt gone down for a nap before 2 all week to fall asleep in your lap at 11:55 on the day you have a 12:30 lunch date planned with friends.

I swear i think he is looking at my calendar and taking his nap cues from it.


Sorry Susannah and Sophia we missed you.

Memorial Musings.....

Clean White Bean.....



Stories always sound better when read by Grandmother....

The secret to our relationship........

Home sweet home.......

We live in a tri-level house that is cool in the summer and toasty warm in the winter. We have clean, running water at our fingertips. We can cook at ease and refrigerate at will. I have a wonderful job where i help others, get paid well, and only work about 15-20 hours a week. The hubby *hopefully still* gets to work in a field he enjoys, that pays fairly well, and gives us medical and dental benefits. He can arrange his schedule to be able to spend alot of time with our child AND where we dont have to send the wolverine to daycare.



We go to the grocery store whenever we want and buy pretty much whatever we want. We have two cars and are able to fill up the tank *even though we moan and complain* whenever we need to. The three of us are healthy and if we werent our insurance would at the least make most illnesses affordable. We dont live in the swankiest neighborhood, but we are in a wonderful school district. Our house isnt the nicest decorated, but everyone has a bed, bath, and beyond. Our clothes wont turn heads most days, but we are covered and sometimes stylish.



If we wanted to get in the car or on a plane and travel we could without too much hassle...although the cost can be alot....we can still get around. We enjoy time with friends and go visit family on occassion. All this with no hassle. *Unless you count family in general as a hassle. ha!



We can vote. We can speak our minds. We can do pretty much whatever we want unless its illegal or harmful to someone else.



We can pray or worship if we choose, who we choose, when we choose, how we choose....or not.



The place i live is pretty alright. Even with all her faults, i appreciate the good and the advantages i was born into. But i realize down thru the ages alot of people have laid down there lives for this place...some willing and some not. People before me have not just espoused rhetoric....not just talked platitudes.....some people down the line have gotten their hands dirty to build something. And now here we are.



On Memorial Day i think about that. I think about not just those that have served in the Military, although their deeds arent forgotten. I think about the regular people who for whatever reason found themselves in a position to make a difference and they did. I remember all the people who have contributed to this place i call my home. And i wonder to myself if when my time comes to make a difference i will have the courage and wisdom to do so. To do my part in helping continue building the United States of America.

Sunday Fun....You Are Invited

Hey for any of you not already booked, obligated, or on the road........

THIS SUNDAY AT OUR HOUSE at 4:00 p.m
We will be doing burgers (beef and turkey) and your all welcome. Just bring a dish and yourselves and a festive spirit.

We will have the kiddie pool filled for the kiddies so bring swimsuits Or at the very least a swimdiaper....although i have been shamed in the past for letting my son venture out into the water with only a diaper on.

Its a FREE for ALL .....isnt that what Memorial Day is all about???

Since i dont know if Melinda has watched it yet

i wont give any spoilers away to the season finale of Lost.

After sitting thru the first 45 minutes it finally kicked into overdrive and had some fun. They have turned it around now to start the slow walk home over the next 3 seasons. Should be interesting.

I do have few things that bugged me about the finale but i will keep quiet for now.

Playtime with friends

A friendly game of checkers with Noah.

The boys riding horses at the Explorium

A game of bball with Daddy and Owen, while Noah works on his soccer skills. I think someone might want to bring that goal up a foot or so to make it an even game.

The boys and THE BOYS. Notice THE BOYS have color coordinated to avoid having to subject the boys to "shirts and skins".

The haircut....or what Rapunzel does on the weekends

So for quite awhile now i have had long hair. When i got pregnant with the wolverine it really grew like a weed, what with all those pregnancy hormones surging thru me. And i was happy just to let it grow. Since he has been born most days the hair goes up. Between mothering and work my hair usually didnt get to bask in its full glory more then once a week. And even then i had no time to do much more then wash and go. So its been ponytails and badly shaped buns for mommy for over 2 years.

Last summer my niece donated her hair to Locks of Love and it got me to thinking. I decided i would grow my hair "super" long and then cut and donate it too. Although i was feeling generous of spirit, my vanity prevented me from cutting it right away. I was not going to go "short", even for charity. I had to at least have shoulder length hair. So i waited....and waited....each visit to my hairdresser we got the ruler out and measured and she would show me where the cut off would be.....you have to have 10 inches to donate.

Well it finally happened and we ended up taking off 12 inches. Its taking some getting used to. I still prefer long hair, but its not so bad. I do have to actually use a hairdryer and "product" in my hair now...unless i want it to be wild. But sacrifices must be made.

The upside now is that i can wear my hair down without the wolverine saying "Mommy pull your hair up". That has been nice.
Before-

After-


The wonderful thing about hair is.....that is always can grow back. At least for me. The organization i chose to donate my hair to makes wigs for children who dont grow hair or have lost all their hair due to chemo treatments for illnesses . I liked http://www.wigsforkids.org/because they donate their wigs to the families instead of making them pay for the wigs which several of the other organizations do.

I figure i will do this again as soon as my hair grows back out. Any of you care to join me???

Spring Flashback

This is the wolverine at his very first baseball game. He was intrigued at the guy throwing the ball. He was thrilled they had a playground and a carousel. And while he people watched , Mommy and Daddy enjoyed the REAL reason people go to ballgames......the snacks. Is it just me or do the big pretzels just taste better at these places. It almost makes paying $4 for one not hurt so much.

Just one more reason to love Henry Rollins

http://www.glumbert.com/media/walmart


You just have to appreciate a man who spans the generations with Black Flagg, The Rollins Band, spoken word, and now this, his own take on Wal-mart, the devil .

Dazed and Confused

Im knee deep in my high school flashback this week. Ever since i volunteered for coordinating our 20th reunion ive been getting emails from old classmates...even spoken with a couple on the phone and its weird. Seeing their names, seeing pictures of their children, hearing their voices.

It takes you back people.....waaaaay back. And it makes you realize how oblivious you were in your formative years. Most of these people.....really all of these people, are unknown to me. I have collective memories with them, but nothing else. Its a thin connection to your childhood, most of which i cant even remember. Seems kind of sad when you think about it too much. Perhaps looking back makes you appreciate being in the present a little more. It also makes you realize that once a moment has passed IT IS GONE. You cant get it back....not even a photo can capture it.

That being said, those years in West TN im sure were influential in making me into who i am today. And also responsible for alot of much needed therapy......HA!

I figure it will be a hoot though. Reliving or remembering over a cocktail or two.

Brush your teeth, everyday, round and round, prevents tooth decay

..thats our little toothbrushing ditty we sing at night. Followed by a round of "GET OUT OF OUR MOUTHS CAVITIES....we dont want you !!"

We are trying desperately to teach the wolverine good dental hygiene. But as most of you know, brushing a toddlers teeth is like herding wild cats....slow, frustrating, and sometimes painful.

We have had some success lately by letting him hold the shampoo bottle while we brush his teeth. For some reason he is more willing to open up and let us brush if he gets to play with something he usually cant touch. go figure!!!

Anyway....how do you guys do it?? Any foolproof methods. And dont even get me started on flossing!!!!!! ha!

Luckily we dont give the wolverine sugar so that helps. If you dont know....let me be the one to tell you...SUGAR is the cause of cavities. Thats right people....knock out sugar out of your diet and youve fought like 95% of the battle.

No 20 year class reunion....

that is what i learned on classmates.com . The group that planned the 10 yr. has decided they cant do the 20th. I understand and respect that, however it would have been nice to get a heads up like.......6 months ago. Its the end of April....in the year the "event" would take place.
Wow.

So i may jump in and try to throw together something. Am i insane i ask? yes.
I watced my sister plan her class reunion 2 years ago. I remember the headaches, the deadlines, the classmates that ignored deadlines and pleas for rsvp's and money and then called at the last minute wanting to come. Its alot of pressure ESPECIALLY when you dont live anywhere near the city or state you graduated in. And even MORE when you havent spoken to most of the people you went to school with in 10 or 20 years. I dont exactly do alot of "keeping up" with my chums from my youth. The one person i do keep up with i havent talked to in almost 2 years. yeah.....im the one you want in charge of putting together a reunion.

But still, a part of me thinks it would be worth the challenge .....to get an opportunity to look back a bit.

Maybe i am insane. This year is a biggie for us. Our first year in this house. The hubby is up for review in the next couple of months and we will find out if all his hard work is going to pay off with a littl stability. The wolverine is at "that age" and really needs alot of time and attention and patience. I am at a crossroads career wise AND then there is the possibility we may add to our family. And then there is that pesky IRS bill that we will spend most of the summer paying off. Plus my dad retires in like 2 days. (this has nothing to do with our big year but i thought i would give a shout out to him).


So planning a reunion would be an additional pain and strain on my rump.

And yet, im still sitting here contemplating doing it.

Drove

Multiple sources are confirming that Fox's new series starring Ex-Firefly hunk, Nathan Fillian, has been canned after just 3 short weeks. Im bummed. We kinda liked it. It was a Tim Minear produced show....another ex-Whedonverse guy. These guys cant catch a break. Minear had another short lived Fox show last year, Wonderfalls.

I think i would go to work with a different network.

Fox stinks. If its not Idol, or 24, or House....or some awful reality show.....they can it.

I love a good serialized genre show. I like a running thread that builds and culminates in a great season finale. I love getting involved in a good character and good storytelling. I like shows that have kick butt ensembles. That combine drama and humor. And i am willing to follow a show 5 or 6 or 7 seasons. If it is worth it. Few are. And even fewer are being given the chance to prove that they are.

Hats off to Minear and team Fillian.

We hardly knew ye.

Head check

The third leading cause of death in the U.S. is a stroke.
Strokes are the leading cause of disability in the U.S.

My parents 58 yr old friend had a stroke this year.
My 92 year old grandmother just had another stroke.


I worked on a patient this morning who has no left leg, only 1/4 of his right leg, and is blind.
He was a seeing, fully mobile man until earlier this year when he was hit by a dragster on the Texas highway going 200 something miles an hour.



The science of consciousness is a growing field. They are now saying that the "I" voice your hear inside your head isnt really "I", its just the thought that takes the forefront for that moment. I wont bore you with the details. However, scientists are quick to point out that this somehow disproves the existence of the soul. That somehow if we can find a spot in the brain that every function, thought, feeling and movement was originated that means we are souless. because if our consciousness is IN our brain then without that we are nothing.

Hmmmm.

I never have really thought much about the whereabouts of my soul. I dont think it resides somewhere specific. I see it more as energy permeating space. Not some actual form. So to the scientists i say, keep studying consciousness but dont rain on my soul parade.