Mommy's Super Powers

I think my kids think that I have superpowers. Well not super exactly, but special abilities that they somehow do not possess. I am here to make it perfectly clear, my children, that these are not super powers. In fact, if you put forth any effort at all each and every member of my household can accomplish the said tasks with ease. (Okay maybe not the youngest member.)

Some of these tasks include...

1 - Changing out an old toilet paper roll for a new one. Amazingly enough, the packages of new toilet paper lay just a few feet from where the rolls sit. In a matter of seconds you too, my children, could change out the toilet paper roll.

2 - Pouring their cereal from a Costco size box. Now I realize this is a little more difficult, and occasionally there might be some spills, but unless you keep trying you will never master this skill.

3 - (Savannah) Wiping your own bum. You are 3 1/2 . It is time.

4 - Picking up towels after a bath/shower. Right now mom's super powers are a little weakened. Trust me when I say that it is easier for you to pick up anything on the floor  than it is for me.

So what super powers do your kids think you have?

Random Thoughts Thursday

I will be induced next Thursday so I'm just guessing that unless this little man comes earlier (which would be totally fine by me) there will be no random thoughts next Thursday. They took an ultra-sound last week and it said he was already seven pounds. Apparently later ultra-sounds are not as accurate. However  the tech told me that while he might not weigh quite that much the measurement was coming out that big because his head was extra large. Fantastic.

Some people (my siblings) seem to think that they get a vote on this baby's name. Let me just explain. Everyone is Puerto Rico. You get to vote, but it doesn't count.

Since my induction date got moved up last week I've spent the week trying to get everything done I "need" to get done before the baby comes. Unfortunately, every day I remember new things.

Savannah has been telling her friend's parents that her baby brother is going to come out of my bum, just like her poop. I don't regret the family discussion we had, just that it has to be repeated to whoever happens to be around.

I am being slowly converted to a mini-van mom. I'll be honest every time I look at the van I cringe internally, knowing I am driving such a large vehicle. But whenever I am driving it, or buckling kids in, or shuttling them places I am loving it.

My sister-in-law just texted me to tell me my Girl Scout cookies are in the mail. My already decent day just got supremely better.

Random Thoughts Thursday

We are now the proud owners of a mini van. After being scarred during college from my experience at a car dealership, I was terrified to deal with dealers, car salesmen or the number of random fees and taxes that I couldn't keep track of. It has been an odd experience because generally I'm not a person that is easily intimidated, but I really was in this case.Thankfully Russ handled everything from the shopping to the dealer to the barginning and now we have a pretty darn awesome car that we got at a great deal.  Pictures forthcoming.

Now we just need to have this little boy and buy a house and my goals for the year are complete. My vote is after those two things happen I should get to take the rest of the year off..........Yeah. I know.

I just cut out some fabric to make some bigger blankets to swaddle the baby in. Does anyone else think the receiving blankets you buy in the store are too small? They work great to swaddle newborns, but after a month they don't fit the bill.

On the way to the car dealership this morning Savannah asked, "What are we going to put it [the car] in? It wont fit in a box or a bag." It was so cute how she was trying to figure it all out.

So far, America's Test Kitchen's 30 Minute Meals cookbook has been a roaring success. This week the adults all loved the Cream of Asparagus Soup, and everybody loved the Butternut Squash and Parmesan over ravioli. Abbie ate as much as Russ, which is a big deal. The Spaghetti Carbenara last week was loved by the adults, and I think would have been a bigger hit with the kids if we hadn't used whole wheat pasta. This is a great cookbook for when I don't have the time/energy to do a more elaborate meal. (Which is turning into all the time.)

Random Thoughts Thursday

Insert any rant you have heard/felt/thought by yourself/friends/sisters/sister-in-laws/co-workers/aunts about being nine months pregnant. It would probably describe how I'm feeling this morning.

I have watched the first two episodes of Downton Abby. While I almost never get on a TV show bandwagon, this is a great show. (I think the last series I watched in full was Gillmore Girls and by the time I got to it, it was in reruns on cable. I don't even really know if lots of people watched it or not.) Before you dismiss it, just think. This is a Masterpiece Theater show. PBS. And it is trendy. When has that ever happened?

I have a head cold that is keeping my nasal passages pretty well plugged. In a desperate attempt to clear them so I could get some sleep last night I boiled some water and sat over it with a towel over my head for ten minutes. It only helped my nose slightly, but my face felt so soft afterward. I would never have thought it would help my skin as much as it did.

My sister-in-law told me that the Girl Scout cookies that her daughters sell are going to be here in under a week.  It is really sad how much I have thought about that wonderful piece of news since she told me.

Last night I did a library run to browse and get some books just for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember anything anyone has recommended in the last little while (bummer) so the quality of the results of the raid have yet to be determined.

Pink

Friday I got a call from Abbie's school. She had pink eye and was waiting in the front office for me to pick her up.

I was surprised. We've been dealing with colds all week but I hadn't seen anything wrong with her eyes when I had sent her to school a few hours earlier. So while I was extremely skeptical, I realized I didn't have much of a choice and began the 25 minute drive to pick her up. (We've kept her at her old school during our stay at my parents because 1- It is most likely we will be moving again before the school year is up and didn't think she would like that much transition 2 - Her teacher is AMAZING!) Meanwhile, I made an appointment with the doctor's office, just in case.

Upon arrival I met Abbie in the front office looked at her eyes and......saw nothing. I asked the secretary and showed her the lack of pinkness. She apologized and said that 25 minutes ago Abbie's eye had been incredibly pint.

"Was she rubbing it?"

"Yes."

"Sometimes when kids rub their eyes, they turn pink."

"Yeah."

Umm.....Yeah.


 I was unwilling to repeat the nearly hour drive a few hours later and checked her out. (The office was very understanding.) I thought that Abbie would be excited to have an unexpected short day. Surprisingly, she complained about missing out, and kept asking why she had to leave early.

This morning as she was getting ready for school,  she complained about having to go and how much she didn't like school (specifically writing). .

Once again, I can not win. Ever.

Random Thoughts Thursday

Last night we sold our car! Thank you ksl.com.

Also last night was the second night in a row that we've been up with Savannah and croup. The poor girl just sounds terrible. Thankfully it is more miserable for her than dangerous, but it still sounds so darn sad.

In order to get ready for the baby I have sewn a car seat canopy and a nursing shield. all. by. my. self. (No commenting on the fact that for the most part these items mostly consist of fabric squares that have been hemmed. I'll take my self-esteem where I can get it.)

Yesterday I was reminded once again how like my father I am. I started wondering where a very cute diaper bag a friend had given me had ended up.  (Not that my father cares about cute bags. At all. In fact, I am confident he doesn't notice anything about bags except if they hold what you want them to hold, and how many pockets they have.) Like my father I hate the idea of it being lost.Also like my dad, rather than recognize that this is hardly something I need for another month, I started to devote my entire day to looking for it. I even went over to our storage unit and climbed around on furniture and boxes. After realizing I could really get myself stuck. I gave up. (I can't say my dad is that ridiculous, just that I am.) . Thankfully after one final attempt of looking around at my parents I found the box with the bag, right where it should have been (in the storage room) just not in the place it had thought. Sadly only then could I breathe easy. (Dumb bag.)

This week I started my weekly pre-delivery check-ups...We are getting closer!

Random Thoughts Thursday

For the last week or so the girls and I have been listening to the Newsies soundtrack as I drive around places. There is an 11-year-old inside of me that still gets such a kick from those songs.

Speaking of music I really wish I was more in tune with what adults listen to. I think I've been taken over by children's music and news radio. It is a sad sorry state to be in.

If you are interested in buying a 2003 Passat let me know, we are selling ours...... And moving on to the world of mini-vans. I have mixed feelings on this issue.

This video clip is about the most hilarious thing I've seen in a long, long time. If you are a parent, or have ever parented young children, I believe you will enjoy it. I know it is a little long, but it is well worth your time and gets better as it goes a long. Please trust me.

Thanks everyone for the reading suggestions. I started reading Cold Comfort Farm. It is a British comedy that really nails their dry sense of humor. It has some of the best characters I've ever read.

It is 9:24 and I think I'm going to go to bed. It is either a sign of my age or this pregnancy that I am super excited at the prospect.

Random Thoughts Thursday

Abbie is supposed to recite the scripture for primary. The scripture is "Wherefore men are free to choose...liberty and eternal life though the Great Mediator of all men." What she says is, "Wherefore men are free to choose liberty and eternal life through the great meteorite of all men." It is only because I know people will laugh and that she hates to be laughed at that I correct her. It is just so darn cute. I am proud that she is doing it and proud that she can read it herself.

Yesterday I felt like I had been hit by a bus. I don't know what bug I had, but it was a 12 hour nightmare. Glad to be feeling better today.

Anyone have any good reads they can suggest?  Anyone? Anyone? Bueler? Please? If you happen to be looking my latest recommendations are Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and To Kill a Mockingbird. (Yes, yes, I know you read it in high school. Read it as an adult.)

It was supposed to snow a lot today. We need it to snow a lot today. But I am very excited that the forecasters were wrong.

I'm in charge of planning Valentine's Day for Russ and I this year. Any ideas that will appeal to a 35-week pregnant woman and her husband who only goes to plays because he knows that she likes them? (Sorry I want to go to a play, but I really want to do something we will both enjoy.)

This baby is less then two months away from birth and we still don't know what we are going to call the poor guy. So far Baby Brother just might need to keep covering it. It would help if Russ were interested in giving suggestions that included things other than Horace, Hugo, and Bartholomew.

Take That Rachel Ray!

For Christmas I got two presents that I LOVE. But first my tangent. Around Christmas time I read an article about the fact that we often spend money on big items or gifts that we use irregularly in hopes that they will improve our life. The example the author cited was an RV that was purchased and never used. Her suggestion was that to significantly increase our happiness we should buy things that we will use regularly that will significantly impact our life.

That brings me to my Christmas presents....

1 - My new Knife. Russ bought me a really  nice knife. It is a thing of beauty. I'm not joking when I say that the first time I used it I started to laugh because it was so sharp easy to slice though a ripe tomato. I gave it to my mom and she did the same thing. I love this knife because I use it every day, multiple times a day. And silly as it sounds it makes me happy each time I do because my life has been significantly improved. (You should see it cut through chicken. I swoon.) I know I'm a nerd but really nice knife = happy me.

2 - The Best 30-Minute Meals from America's Test Kitchen. As you well know I LOVE America's Test Kitchen. Their standards for excellence (which really means deliciousness) are high. I know I can trust every recipe they have. In fact, just Sunday I made their Bread Pudding, and it was heaven! But the down side is that a  lot of their recipes are more time consuming than I have time for at dinner time. At most I will only make one or possibly two of their recipes in a week because I just don't have enough time after Abbie comes home from school. If I'm really on the ball I'll do prep work during the day but that doesn't always happen either. I'll be honest there is a level of quality that comes with letting things simmer, marinade, caramelize, and combine for longer than 30 minutes that just can't be replicated in that time frame. But if you don't have that time,  enter their 30 Minute Meal Cookbook. The same high standards but start to finish 30 minutes. Tonight I made their Ravioli Bake and it was a big hit. It tasted a lot like lasagna, but I was able to fix the ravioli, a salad, green beans and get the table set (read: supervise Abbie setting the table) in 30 minutes. Not bad, my friends, not bad at all.

It is nice to have received gifts that just keep on giving.

Random Thoughts Thursday

All the girls in our family got haircuts yesterday. No dramatic changes, except that Abbie said she really wanted bangs. We talked about the time it takes to grow them out, how they look etc., and she was determined (not that I cared either way.) Her desire lasted until she saw the bangs in the mirror after they had been cut. I'm afraid she takes after me, because I have never, ever liked any dramatic change I have made to my hair. This morning she insisted on me pulling the bangs back in elastics. Oh well, its her hair.

I've seen this sign every day I drive to pick Abbie up from school. I have yet to figure it out.

I am rereading To Kill a Mockingbird. If you haven't read it since high school, or even college I would go so far as to say it should return to your required reading list immediately. It really is AMAZING.

I am 31 weeks pregnant. I have 58 days to go. It is much better to be pregnant through the winter than the summer. Especially when that winter has had record low snowfall.

Abbie still misses her cousins, but thankfully it is not as dramatic.

I have zero motivation to avoid snacks or chocolate at this stage in the game. I'm just going to get bigger, right? I'm sure I'll be much more motivated to eat healthily once the baby is born. I'm sure of it.

I realized that the myriad of baby blankets I own are all wrapped around pictures and breakable house decorations sitting in storage from when we packed up our home a year and a half ago. Bummer.

You have got to be kidding me

Coming back from a two week break to the school/work routine has been brutal in our house. We've all groaned when the alarm rings in the wee hours of dawn. There has been much weeping, wailing, and nashing of teeth. Each morning I've pulled Abbie half-awake body out of bed and helped her get dressed because she remains in a near-comatose state. There has been excessive clinging at school drop offs, and drooping tired eyes at school pick-ups.

So why is it that on Saturday, the one day we've been waiting for to sleep in a little BOTH children are up at 6:30, earlier than they get up for school, and happy, cheerful,* and ready for the day?


*I'm not complaining about having happy, cheerful children I just don't understand why it had to be at 6:30 on a Saturday morning rather than during the week.

Random Thoughts Thursday

I've started to think about goals for this new year. But with a new baby coming in March, a house and a car to buy, my main goal is to survive with my sanity in place. I will, however, take just surviving sans sanity though, as that is really the most likely option.

This week I wished more than anything that motherhood came with a manual specifically directed toward my children and which method of parenting would screw them up entirely and which would not. I get opinions from valued sources on all sides of the issues. I guess that is something for them to analyze with their therapists when they get older.

I had an urge to clean this week (don't worry it was passing). I spent the day getting out the baby clothes we've purchased/been given and washed and sorted them. It made me really, really, excited. Except that our son will be a well dressed baby until he hits about six months, then he will have to go nude.

Savannah is sitting on the stairs singing Christmas songs while I type. The three-year-old version of Deck the Halls is making my day.

Also in my cleaning I found the set of cloth diapers that my mother purchased when she found out I was pregnant  (the newer kind, not the kind my mother used with pins, elastic-plastic pants, and toilet cleaning). I so badly want to want to be on board with this as it could save me a lot of money. Right now I'm just thinking...gross.

 Abbie received the "Builder of the Month" award at her school. She's had a rough week and it was fun to see how proud she was of herself. The pin she received has followed her throughout the last 24 hours and was affixed to her shirt as soon as it was put on this morning.