« November 2006 | Main | January 2007 »

December 22, 2006

Last Minute Byes

Well, there was no time for blogging this week. Sorry! We are getting on the road in the next half hour, so there's no time now either. Please don't feel abandoned. I love you all. But somebody has to find all the toothbrushes and Sunday shoes and hair dryers and whatnot for this trip. I'd let the kids do the packing, but I really don't want to have to construct all my clothes out of legos and coloring books again.

Merry Christmas to you all-- I hope you enjoy the time with your families as we celebrate the birth of Christ.

Will blog if I have internet access and can tear myself away from the snack table long enough.

Posted by WonderGirl at 2:32 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 20, 2006

Rx: Laziness

This is the official Slow My Butt Down Day. I have taxed my body too much in the last few days, and I'm feeling it now. It's really difficult for me to let go, though. I can't walk past a mess without cleaning it up. I was not always this way- but parenthood drove me to it. There is enough chaos in our normal day without living in clutter, too, ya know? I don't worry too much about the kids toys until the end of the day- but the rest of the house is kept fairly tidy. But it's not just housework- if I have a project to finish, I have a hard time walking away from it until it is complete. Anyway, with the regular upkeep of things, plus Christmas preparations, I realize I pushed it too far the last couple of days.

When I was in highschool, I had orthoscopic surgery on my knee for a tennis injury. And yesterday, that same knee started giving me serious trouble. Today I am limping, which is not a good sign. I am going to try to stay off of it as much as I can and hopefully it will feel better tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers that it's just a strain. It could be. Pregnancy does weird things to your joints, so it's entirely possible this is not as bad as it feels right now.

Anyway, this has brought on an official Slow My Butt Down Day.

Hey, you can celebrate, too, if you want! All you gotta do is chill. Let the dishes stack up. Let those papers go ungraded, unfiled. Don't shop, wrap presents, or even get out of your pajamas all day. Don't do a durn thing.

Cool, huh?

Okay, I'm going to do just that. Nada. Zilch. Zip.

Have a good one!

Posted by WonderGirl at 10:06 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

December 19, 2006

Manic Monday

Wow, what a day yesterday! I am still a little stunned by the busyness of it all. I was a workhorse, let me tell ya. Besides all the normal activities of the day, I also did a lot of extra stuff. I got a scary amount of laundry done for packing, I went through all the kids toys, tossing some and saving their favorites, I made two batches of the sweet chex mix, I got a few Christmas presents ready for delivery, I got everybody fed, dressed, and ready for the Christmas program last night. As we walked out the door, I remembered the diaper bag, the camera, the presents, the food, AND the kids. Pardon me while I give myself a little pat on the back!

The program was nice. But loooooong. It started at 7, and we didn't get home until almost 10. It was a lot for the Duke. He was a challenge during the service, but other than that, it was nice. Our family had volunteered to light the Advent candle before the service, so we had to walk up there in front of everybody and light 3 of the candles. That went well- we didn't burn the place down, so that's a plus. And I didn't freeze up there and do something stupid- which, yes, has happened quite a bit when I have to be in front of a church. I don't know why, but I always seem to flub up when I am the focus of ecclesiastical attention. But those are other stories- I'll tell them another time. I'll save those humiliations for a rainy day!

The children's choir sang about halfway through the service, and it was really cute. I could barely see Czarina because she was standing behind a tall girl- what a shame. But HeroBoy was on the front row in full view. He was something else. The little girl next to him was a buddy, and had her arm around him the whole time. He had his hands in his pockets, and he sang all proud and animated. He seemed right at home. And no picking of the nose, thank goodness! Yippee!

Afterwards, we had a reception with a pretty good spread, and we stayed for a little while to enjoy it. We were so wiped out though, we were out of there after thirty or forty minutes.

By the time we got home, King Pen and I were totally zonked. We got the kids in bed and they went straight to sleep without a peep. We watched headlines on Leno, and then we crashed ourselves. It was quite a day.

Well, that was yesterday. I'll get on here and write an actual blog post later-- but I wanted to jot down the details of the day while I had a moment. Happy morning, everybody!

Posted by WonderGirl at 10:18 AM | TrackBack

December 18, 2006

Breaking News

We interrupt your program to bring you this breaking news...

Okay, so maybe that's a little misleading. It's not actually news, and it's not breaking anything.

I just wanted to report my latest pregnancy craving. Almond stuffed green olives. Oh, delight. I could drink the juice out of the jar, no lie.

And now back to your regularly scheduled internet browsing.

Posted by WonderGirl at 11:55 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 17, 2006

PreChristmas

*yawn*

Hey folks. Busy weekend over at the WonderGirl Casa. I did manage an hour long nap this afternoon though, so I thought I'd work in a blog post, too.

We stayed after church today so that I could help set up for our Christmas dinner that is tomorrow evening. I didn't do much... there were too many women for the little that actually needed doing, but I was glad to help at least a bit. Our church has welcomed us with such open arms, and I already feel indebted to them for their generousity of spirit, ya know? Anyway, I am looking forward to the service tomorrow night. Czarina and HeroBoy will both be singing in the children's choir, which should prove to be interesting. HeroBoy has never stood before a group before, let along to sing. I have no idea how he'll handle it. I am just praying he doesn't choose that moment to pick his nose. Let's all cross our fingers on that one, mkay? Cause there are no guarantees. Czarina, on the other hand, will be just fine. She'll be a little nervous, but she'll be so sweet singing. I love the look she gets on her face when she's a tad unsure about undiluted attention from a group of people. She gets the same look on her face every year at her birthday when we sing Happy Birthday.

Anyway, that's tomorrow evening. Tomorrow morning, I have my December visit with the midwife. I am now 30 weeks. 10 more to go! Yippee! I don't have anything new to report to her-- this has been a very uncomplicated, normal pregnancy so far. I always feel a tad bad when she asks me, "So... do you have any questions?" Because I don't. At all. Which is great, because that means all is well, but it makes for a boring response. Better that than the alternative though!

I have a few more gifts to pick up this week, a few more gifts to finish constructing, and I also have to start washing clothes and packing for us to leave Friday in time for my family's Christmas party. I anticipate this being a very busy week for me! But I'm excited. I love every minute of it. I can't wait to get home to meet Adler, see my family, and share in the good things of the season. Ya know. The food.

Kidding. (Kinda.)

Speaking of food, I am going to make a dessert for tomorrow night, and also for our Christmas party Friday. I'm thinking of making the Chex Mix Trash stuff, because oh my goodness. That stuff is gold. I'll let you know how it turns out. I will even go so far as to conduct a taste-test for you, dear readers. How thoughtful am I? I even impress myself with the lengths I will go to for your reading pleasure!

Well, that's all for now. I will try to blog more this week than I did last week, honestly. Last week was weak. I know it, and you know it. But I'm hoping you were all as busy as I was so that you didn't have time to check every day! Any chance that worked?

Okilee Dokilee. I'm out.

Posted by WonderGirl at 5:36 PM | TrackBack

December 14, 2006

Hydration

Good morning, everybody!

Oh, who am I kidding? It's not good. Not good at all. And do you know why? Because I am out of tea bags. And there's no coke in the house. Not to mention no coffee, and no milk. So that means I get to drink water ALL day long.

Wah.

I'm going back to bed.

Posted by WonderGirl at 9:25 AM | TrackBack

December 13, 2006

The Last Lamp On

Bed, bed, bed, bed....

No more browsing. Time for drowsing.

G'nite, all.

Posted by WonderGirl at 11:55 PM | TrackBack

Hey Family

What's a girl gotta do to get a picture of her new nephew around here? Heh? Folks, I'm getting cranky. Somebody HELP the long distance aunt out, mkay?

And everybody else, pardon the rant. Innocent bystanders will not be harmed.

UPDATE: Thank you, Aunt Dee! You are SOOO on the "nice list" this Christmas!

Look at that chunky monkey! He's so cute!

Posted by WonderGirl at 6:50 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Santa's Lil' Helper

Busy, busy, busy working on pulling Christmas together. I went shopping again last night, this time at the mall. Whew.

The best part of the night was making a stop at Spencer's. I was looking for a funny key chain- but I didn't realize just how LEWD this store has become. Oh my gosh. It's terrible. And there I am, with a big 7 month pregnant belly. I felt ridiculous. I nearly laughed out loud when one guy looked at me like I was an alien with fourteen heads. I felt like an alien. I definitely did not belong in that store. So I hightailed it out, no purchase made, and ducked into the nearest restroom to scald the heebie jeebies away. Ew. What a gross store.

Anyway- I got a lot done, but I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home. That disturbs me. Two and a half hours of shopping shouldn't wear me out that much. It makes me realize just how out of shape I am! I am starting to miss my running days. I miss my body. I miss eating and not getting heartburn. I miss walking without wanting to rip out my sciatic nerve. I miss sleeping through the night without a bathroom break at 4 am. -Sigh-

Not to complain, though. Those things are all minor and I truly am enjoying this pregnancy. I am in the home stretch now, and I haven't lost my good humor yet. Two more months. That's barely a blink and a nod. I can hang in there. Right? Um, somebody?

Since I had my Christmas mojo going so well last night, I decided to follow through today with putting the finishing touches on some gifts I've been working on. So basically, this means we're playing hooky from school. Czarina is busy with her own Christmas project, and I've been tackling mine. Later, I'm going to wrap some gifts, too.

I'm awesome. At least according to Czarina, who enjoys Teacher Work Day like any other kid. Whoopee!

Well, that's it for now. Break's over. Man, they work us elves hard.

Not to mention how uncomfortable these pointy shoes are.

Posted by WonderGirl at 3:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 12, 2006

Welcome To The World, Little Guy

Or I should say BIG guy! My sister had a 9 lb, 5 oz baby boy yesterday named James Adler. Congratulations, Ash! I can't wait to see him!

Posted by WonderGirl at 12:11 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

December 11, 2006

In Labor

No, not me!! Two more months, thank you very much.

But my sister is hard at work, having her first baby today! Hooray! I'll post an update later, but I just wanted to put that out there so you can say a quick prayer for her.

Love you, little bean... can't wait to meet you!

Posted by WonderGirl at 12:40 PM | TrackBack

December 8, 2006

I'm Just Saying

Okay Swiss Miss. I didn't want to make a big deal about this, but after countless winters of silence, I feel I must speak up. When you label something "Marshmallow Lover's Instant Cocoa", we expect a bountiful supply of fluffy marshmallows to plop into our steaming hot cocoa. Cause, um... we LOVE MARSHMALLOWS. Three, dried-up, puny pellets hiding in the bottom of the packet really don't count. It's actually kind of insulting. Do you not take my love of marshmallows seriously? Did you think I wouldn't notice? Well, I did. I did.

You should think about that, Swiss Missy.

Posted by WonderGirl at 3:52 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Freaky or Not, I Love Friday

Good morning! Let me take a moment to wish you a warm and sincere HAPPY FRIDAY!! Are you with me on that one? Thank you, God, for Fridays. Just when you can't take a minute more of the work week, along comes that carefree day. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and life is good. Friday is my BFF. And we have the necklaces to prove it.

We have company coming this weekend- my aunt and grandmother. Living in B'ham has been good for visiting, we see people a lot more than we did when we were in Baton Rouge. It's not uncommon to have someone stop by every other weekend. They happen to be coming when we need a babysitter, too, so all the better! King Pen's office Christmas party is Saturday night. (I plan on draping myself in the Christmas tree skirt, since that's probably the only thing that will fit right now. Hey, at least it's festive.)

Anyway, they'll be here this weekend. Then, next weekend, my sister is coming and she'll watch the kids for me when I go to see the midwife again the following Monday. And that's it. No more weekends to do last minute shopping or wrapping or whatever, because we'll be on the road to my parents house that Friday! Yay! And YIKES. I still have so much to do! There is an underlying feeling of unpreparedness that really has nothing to do with Christmas though, and more to do with the baby. I know when I get back from the holidays, I'm going to freak out a little bit, feeling that I'm running out of time before the wee one arrives. As much as I'm looking forward to Christmas, part of me is ready to get past it so I can concentrate on having this baby. But it'll all work out. One thing at a time. First, Christmas and all the trimmings. I can't wait! Oh the food I plan to eat! Fudge and divinity and peanut butter balls and little sausages and maybe a carrot or two from the veggie trays. Maybe. If they run out of the other stuff.

Well, that's it for this morning. Sorry. Nothing spectacular, I know, but hey, at least I showed up, right? That counts for something, doesn't it? Hello? Anybody?

Oh. They all left.

Nice.

Posted by WonderGirl at 9:15 AM | TrackBack

December 7, 2006

I Do That?

King Pen and I were discussing Superman the other day because neither of us has seen the last movie. We plan on watching it in my brother-in-law's spanking new, high-tech media room over Christmas. (Oh, did we forget to tell you, Eric? And yes, we expect popcorn.) Anyway, here's an exerpt from the conversation.

King Pen: The thing about Superman is we've seen it all, you know? I mean, you can fly? So what? Super strength? Yeah, you and every other superhero around.

Me (thinking I'm all clever): Yeah. What's so super about Superman?

King Pen: *groan

Me: What?

King Pen: *rolls eyes

Me: You know, you used to love me once upon a time.

King Pen: Yes. That was before you talked in blog titles all the time.

Ouch.

Posted by WonderGirl at 9:53 AM | TrackBack

December 6, 2006

I Blame SpongeBob

Oh, I'm worried about myself now. I just had a craving for a Krabby Patty.

Mommy? I'm scared.

Posted by WonderGirl at 5:11 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

P.S.

One more, then I'm through for the morning. I seriously have to get out of my pajamas.

I just wanted to say HEY!! I have noticed several people commenting that I haven't met before, and I wanted to say thanks! I love that you guys have found me however you did, and please feel free to join in anytime. It's very encouraging to hear from you, and I always intend to respond to your comments. I'm bad about that though. I'll think of something to say back, and then there's a potty emergency over here, or a spilled cup, or ornaments pulled off the tree. It's hard to stay focused. But I DO appreciate your feedback. I'm very happy to have you here, and I hope you find a nice comfy seat to settle into at the Sift.

Okay- I can't put off starting the day any longer... time to shed the jammies. Have a great hump day, folks!

(you know, I really hate the word "hump". It's just wrong.)

Posted by WonderGirl at 10:01 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

1. The color orange.
2. Really soft, squishy mini-marshmallows.
3. The mailman at my door with a package.
4. The perfect bath.
5. Stroking a babysoft cheek with my finger.
6. When someone enjoys my cooking.
7. Czarina's excitement when the baby kicks her hand.
8. That my husband puts away the silverware because he knows I hate to do it.
9. When something that used to bother me just doesn't anymore.
10. The sound of a car driving over a wooden bridge.

Posted by WonderGirl at 9:42 AM | TrackBack

82 Days

So at Christmas, I'll be about 30 weeks. I love 30 weeks. It's a hop, jump, and a skip away from the Magic 40!

Posted by WonderGirl at 9:27 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

December 4, 2006

Deck the Halls

When my mother was a little girl growing up in the Mississippi delta, there wasn't much money for Christmas. One year, it was so tight that my grandmother had to draw their Christmas tree on the wall. I always thought that was a sweet story. I don't know how my grandmother felt at the time, but I don't think her children felt a loss at her handdrawn work. Children have an innate excitement about Christmas, no matter how bright the lights or pretty the bows. I see this for myself with my own children, who happily decorated our tiny tree Saturday night.

I was content with that until yesterday, when I took a picture of HeroBoy doing his karate. In the background of the picture, our tree looked... sad. I wanted to post the picture because HeroBoy is so cute doing his "moves", but then I was sort of embarassed by the tree. I didn't want anybody to think I don't care enough about Christmas to do better than that. I worried about what people would think of me.

My first instinct is to say, oh, this tree doesn't reflect MY Christmas spirit- it isn't what I would do if I had the money. I have a whole list of ornaments and decorations in my head that I would use on my perfect tree. It would be beautiful. Fragrant. So delicious you would want to gobble it up.

But surprisingly, my thoughts led me away from that. The more I tried to envision the tree that would express my inner noel, the more I thought about my grandmother, bending over the wall with a marker, sketching out Christmas spirit for her children.

That's what our little tree is about. It's about giving something to our kids, giving the best we can. I look at the tree and see it with adult eyes- I see the fake branches and plastic stand, I see that the tip only reaches my waist. But I can also see it through their eyes- I see the excitment and memories that imprinted in their minds as we drank cocoa and listened to carols. I see their pride in the ornaments they made, in picking just the right spot to hang them. I see their joy at the lights and the sparkle. And I see that what they are seeing is the better view.

So I decided that if this tree is a reflection of me, then so be it. It's a reflection of how much I love my kids, how much I love Christmas. And I have my mother's memory to thank for this realization.

Do I judge my grandmother by the quality of her tree that year? Yes. Yes, I do. I see how loving she was, how earnest, how resourceful. I see the lengths she was willing to go to give them Christmas. She held back her pride, she smiled through tears, she gave when she had nothing to give. How precious she is in the sight of her children, and grandchildren, because of her small tree and her big heart.

If that's not Christmas spirit, I don't know what is.

Posted by WonderGirl at 9:27 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

December 2, 2006

Reluctance

One of the problems with not having much money is that when it comes time to spend it, and you actually HAVE it to spend, it's very difficult to make yourself go through with it. We have been sleeping on a mattress on the floor for about four months now- remember when I griped about the state of our bedding? Well, taking the top mattress off and putting it on the floor was the only comfortable solution we could come up with, until the money was there to replace the whole shebang. Now the money is there, but I don't want to spend it. Not because I want to go out and spend it on other, more fun things, but because I freak out anytime I have to spend money on something we can't eat or wear. It's like we've lived through the Great Depression or something. I'm spooked by the idea of money going out of my pocket, because the other pocket probably has a hole in it. Ya know? Plus, it's hard to prioritize which things need to come first- I stress out about whether it's wise to do this now, or do one of the other things that needs doing instead.

But. I'm 28 weeks pregnant now, and getting up and down off the floor just isn't going to work much longer. So, I'm trusting that it's time to go ahead and bite the bullet and fork out the dough. (look at me, mixing my idioms!) Anyway, off I go today, to get new mattresses. Wish me luck! And sweet dreams, too.

Posted by WonderGirl at 10:51 AM | TrackBack

December 1, 2006

TMI

I think I just blew air out of my eye. Is that even possible? I was sitting here, minding my own business, and I got a little draft across my eyeball.

Ya know, maybe this is the kind of thing you don't make known to the general public. Am I right on that?

Boundaries, WonderGirl. Boundaries.

Posted by WonderGirl at 2:53 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Flash of the Day

The other day, I tagged HeroBoy as he ran by me and demanded snuggles from him. He acquiesced for a moment, cuddling up for a few precious moments. But adventure quickly beckoned, and he pulled away to pursue it. "Aww..." I pouted, and tried to hang on to him.

"Sorry, Mom!" he explained. "That's all the snuggles I got!"

Well, at least I got it while the getting was good.

Posted by WonderGirl at 1:54 PM | TrackBack