It's a Wonderful Life: Blog

I'm mooooveing, I'm mooooving!!!

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:46:55 GMT

Yes, that is a lilt in my voice and a song in my step cuase I'm movin' on up and out of the whole Live Spaces "pain in the keester" "gotta have an ID to comment" World. Yea~ Haw!!! Follow me, Pleeeeeaaaaase to :

http://snpnmnmi.wordpress.com/

See ya there!

Tammy :):):)

OK... So, This Just Stinks!

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 16:27:07 GMT

The party's over. I'm in let down mode. But here's the thing... over 900 bloggers participated in this thing, and I had 1 new blogger leave a comment. Thank you!! By the way!! If you just happen to stop back by, I would have stopped by your site, but I have no idea who you are. :(

Now, I'm understanding a little better why a lot of folks in this circle don't have live spaces blogs... this Stinks! (Notice, with a capital "S"!) I am sure, after looking at about 40 of the party goers blogs, that I would have at least polite, "hey, how ya doin'? s" except that Nobody Outside of The Whole Live Spaces freakin' universe can leave a comment. ARG! Which, if I had realized this, would have caused me to start somewhere else. But I could have sworn!!! That I was able to leave a comment before I had a blog... but now I can't even find where it was that I had commented witout the live spaces ID. So I can not prove that I am not going crazy... which could only mean that... naaaahhhh

So, that said, I am putting honest to goodness, hard effort into getting my new WordPress blog up and going over this weekend. Which is really going to bite, because my sweet Perrin wants to also sell her GS cookies door-to-door. YUCK! I would rather stay on the computer all weekend long to get this out of my system. But, I guess, I should

*kick the dirt with my tenny-toes, look down at the resulting dust cloud with hung head*

Be the mommy today and not wimp out on my responsibilities.

Keep your eyes open for a link to my new digs! :)

Just Look Up! WW

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:06:06 GMT

Tip-toeing around and reading e-mails reminds me that we are, a lot of us, facing challenges every day. Here's some pictures I took last week that reminded me that all I had to do was look up! My children pointed these out to me... leave it to the "little children"! Have a blessed and joy-full Wednesday!

The Great Communicator

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:35:08 GMT

So I haven't posted anything substantial in a little while. Life is happening all around me, and I haven't taken the time to form it all into cogent thought. But really wanted to share what I watched last night.

I put Moira in the tub for her "rub-a-scrub" (the ASL for bath is thumbs up, knuckles in, both hands on chest rubbing up). She's down to only a few toys in the tub now... she just doesn't care for much... or maybe I need to change them around more frequently. The point being, I want her to take a lot of time to play in the bathtub. It's part of the teeny-tiny little bit of schedule that we've been able to maintain. See, the first child(ren) are a lot easier to put on a schedule. And I would whole-heartedly suggest one, because life is easier when you kind-a, sort-a know what to expect. Subsequent children, especially, it would seem, ones that come along 10 years later, have to liv around the schedule the rest of the family has already adopted. To a large extent, anyways. But, I digress...

She was in the tub with her one little plastic neon orange (I kid you not) baby doll, a red plastic duck and a paper towel that she managed to sneak in with her. This has become my time to read a little more while I'm sitting by her side. So I look up once and she's sucking the water out of the paper towel and dunking it back in the tub to suck again. Cause, as everybody knows, water that you suck out of a towel is infinitely better than water from a cup. Only marginally better than the drip of water from the faucet that you manage to catch in your upturned mouth, but you take what you can get apparently.

I look down to read again (I'm rereading The Order of the Phoenix, in preperation for the movie and final book... which I obviously can't wait for in July. Yes, I'm hooked!). The next glimpse I catch of her, she has taken the leg off of her little dolly, is forcefully draining all of the water out of the resultant maimed dolly and jamming her little fingers up in the hole. This is interesting. Out comes a little huff of exasperation, in go the little fingers again... out she pulls her beloved paper towel. Nods her head once for dramatic emphasis and tells the dolly thank you (ASL right hand palm up, tips of fingers at lips, take away from the face) and speaks something that must have been close to "baby".. discards the dolly in the water to play, once again, with the paper towel.

This child will either grow up to be a geat communicator, or a taste tester in a paper towel factory... I don't know. Seriously, though... it's times like this when I am so glad that we have managed to incorporate a few signs into her language base, because she uses the few she knows ALL THE TIME! To talk with anything! :) She is currently watching the Baby Einstein Wordsworth video (thank you, Aunt Missy) which includes the ASL for the images of things around the house. Which, I love! My Heart has commented that he was afraid that the signing would take the place of actual vocalizing, but it hasn't. I think, mainly, because we always voice the word back to her that she's signing. It is SOOOO neat! To actually get to see her mind working in this way is fascinating. I didn't get to do that with the twins... signing wasn't a big thing yet. So, I knew they were thinking things through, but I had nothing to really offer as evidence a lot of the times... with signing, you catch that rare glimpse into how the very young child is working to communicate with their world. Again, just amazing!

I sound like a commercial... I'm going to stop now and go see what they're into! Have a great day!

Party Time! 5 Minutes style!

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:51:36 GMT

Lots of you already visit 5 Minutes For Mom and know what a great community these ladies have started! If not, this is the perfect time to start combing through all the stuff they have to offer... it's party time! They've set up these next few days just for mom bloggers to get to know each other and make some new blog-friends. And if you post their nifty party badge and sign their Mr. Linky, you can be entered to win one of the gajillion prizes other moms just like us have offeed through the party! Cool! Now I've got to go introduce myself to all of my attendees... excuse me, but make yourself at home!

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My name is Tammy :) :) :) and this blog is my connection to adult "conversation", a way to work on my writing skills and my release valve when homeschooling my 3 children and life in general becomes funny "in so many ways". I haven't had my personal blog for long... since December 06. I did do some background research, snooping around a bit on some other blogs, before I put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). I don't have a huge readership, I think I might be fibbing a bit if I try to convince myself that it doesn't matter... I do like to be heard.

One thing I try to do to promote the "link-love", community thing is to blog-tip. Curious? Want to know more? Meet some folks who think outside the "space"? Check some out! I'm also looking at a blog-move to WordPress, also tipped!

I have picked up a few memes, since finding time to put my thoughts in order to write is sometimes hard to do! A couple of Friday Feasts for you to sink your teeth into, and a Wordless Wednesday to peek at. If you don't participate in a meme, you might want to check out two spots to find one that will fit just right for you!

Most people who meet me personally like me... I'm pretty easy going. When training for my Kindermusik license my personality type was "bubbley"... that should tell you something! But I can get up on a pedestal if I've got something to say. We can agree to disagree, huh? :)

So, make yourself at home... look around, tell me what you think! It's my wonderful life, and I'm happy to share!

And since it's a party, here's a link to a recipe I previously posted on, Crab Dip.

My personality, time... to clean?, putting out hors-de... appetizers

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:18:37 GMT

This personaity test thing is neat... I think I've taken a much more complicated version of it (my Heart had taken it one time when he was interviewing for a job.) I think it said bsically the same thing with the further distinction that I had a "teacher" personality... hmmm, go figure! :) Thanks to Meg's Garden for the link!

http://images.blogthings.com/howrareisyourpersonalityquiz/personality.jpg

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm.

Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men
You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

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These next two images are funny! And since I want to clean up around here for my "party", I'll let you in on my cleaning style! Click on "My Blog Photos" in the photo box to view them properly. A dear friend of mine sent them to me... she has high school age triplets. Not coincidently, she has a wonderful sense of humor! Here's the poem that goes with them:

Cleaning Poem

I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'computering',
And I had to answer "yes."

He told me to get off my fanny
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up...
The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick...
I was just admiring my work...
I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops I found
A real absorbing site
That I got SO way into...
I was into it all night.<<Sigh>>

Nothing's changed except my mouse
It's very, very shiny.
I guess my house will stay a mess...
While I sit here on my hiney.

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Friday, March 02, 2007

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Three

Appetizer
What does the color pink make you think of?

My beautiful daughters... with my first, who just happened to be born with a twin brother, I swore up and down that I wouldn't always be putting her in pink just so folks could identify her (so red became her color when she was little). Flash forward 10 years later and to the arrival of my new jewel, and most everything she has is pink. I must congratulate myself here, though... I still have not caved to the "everything lacey and ruffled" mindset... no, Ms. Sue, she will NOT be a girly girl!

After that, I think of my own sweet Granny, who herself was a twin (her brother died soon after birth... it was 1918, so I guess the mortality rate was up there for multiples). Her parents did dress her in everything pink, or so the stroy goes. She fervently despises anything even hinting of the color pink... her favorite flower is a yellow rose ~ pink roses should not even exist!

Soup
Name something you thought you had lost, but later found.

A diamond ring my parents gave me for my 16th birthday... it was lost down the cracks of a camp cabin, to be found a year or two later (if memory serves). Do I still have this ring? No, have no idea what happened to it after that, and it kind of bums me out to think abut it.

Salad
In 3 words, describe this past week.

Grandparent sleep-over & Fieldtrips ( & doesn't count, right?)

Main Course
What are you obsessed with?

Maintaining perspective in my life. This often times ends up looking like I've completely forgotten every other obligation in my life except for the feeding and clothing of my children... oh well! Not that everything I do is directly related to them... my philosophy is that if mom's happy, everybodies' happy!

Dessert
What kind of perfume or cologne do you like to wear?

I don't usually wear it, because suffering from allergies makes me aware that others may be super sensitive to the added odors. However, when I go out on the town (read * once in a blue moon*) I like to wear a vanilla musk or "sunflowers".

Word Press Tipping

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:22:53 GMT

OK... I've spent a few months here at my starter-blog and I'm feeling a bit confined. What??? You say? But you have 2 columns and pictures and RSS feeds and a sandbox and youtube. I know, I know... but I'm starting to get that itch. You know the one, "If we tear down that wall, put a few spolights there, redecorate this corner... maybe I'd be so much happier with my place. Wait, you mean if I tear down the wall, might find that the room isn't square to begin with and the floors slope and I'll never get it to look just right?"

Now, besides the fact that I know just a little too well the misery and woes of redecorating/remodeling an old home, I kind of know that somtimes it's just easiest to go somwhere and build your own. Trouble is, it takes while to get up to speed. Anyway, here are some reasons I'm looking at WordPress.com .

1) These guys do what they can because they like doing it. And it's a "community built" kind of service. If you can "code" (I cannot), you can submit anything and you just might see it there! There are 2 different but related entities here... one hosts your blog as well as gives you tools but you can't use the things that might cause security issues; the other you host, or find a different host and use all of the tools word press offers at your discretion which means a lot more customization possible... which also leads to a lot more user created customizations. Something they call the "tag surfer" helps you find other blogs in the wordpress community that are talking about the same things you are... that's easier surfing I can get into!

2) I don't know if this is available on any of the blogs you use or frequent, but a lot of the WP blogs I've looked at for ideas have a calendar in the sidebar that you can use to get through the blog... point and click at the last date you visited and you get directed to those posts. There are also the blogrolls we're so used to as well as recent comments made on the blog posts (no need to sign in and such). You can also inlcude buttons and such without a sandbox. Now, I know some of these things might be doable in live spaces, but I'm a little tired from looking for the work-arounds. And folks that come to a word press blog don't have to have any word press id or try to figure out the alphabet soup "type the word you see" into the box for security's sake.

3) One of the coolest things about word press is the ability to have pages, sometimes they're tagged on the top nav, sometimes just in the sidebar. That looks like the place I'm going to put most of my pictures... and maybe a page for each of the heirs... what else?

The biggest problem with using word press is that there is soooo much to go through. Sure, you could pick a theme and start blogging. But the reason I want to move is because I want my blog to look uniquely me. So I guess I have a bit of reading to do!

What's Goin' Ooooonnnnn???

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:50:22 GMT

Another contest over at 5 Minutes For Mom... it's a cute little Easter bracelet. I like how they promote other moms' online businesses. Check it out! Party's coming... mark your calendars for March 2-9.

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Updated my 5 X 5 list... maybe I can be a little less scatterbrained this way. Last week didn't go half bad, so we'll give it another go.

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We had friends over last Friday for our Backyard Ballistics co-op. I always have such a good time chatting and sharing with these moms! Encouraged one to try some herbal tea that I had (last time she drank it, she didn't sweeten it - Blah!). She liked it... also discussed what our children are reading - she has some issues with the Harry Potter series so I asked her if she let her son read the Lord of the Rings series (she does... we can agree to disagree on Harry Potter). They had seen the movies, but he had not been able to find the books at the library, so I loaned them mine. She is so sweet! She e-mailed me the next day to thank me for introducing her to the tea ("Herbal tea, this is T... T this is sweetened herbal tea") and to say she had bought some at the store. She likes trying and finding new things. We could have been cut from the same cloth, me and her! Nice to sometimes know when we impact the lives of others, no matter to what little degree! I am sooo going to miss my friends here when we move! :( Don't dwell, Tammy... don't dwell.

Friday Feast #132

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:01:09 GMT

Since Amy is taking a leave from blah, blah, blogging... and since it looked like fun, I thought I might try a new meme. Bon Apetite!

Appetizer
Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it?

I have 4 scars... one on my head, one on my right hand, one from a c-section and one on the bottom of my right foot. Going from head to toe... the first was received when I was about 9 or so... I was attempting a back flip off of the side of the public pool and didn't quite clear the concrete edge (did I swoon from the head trauma or the handsome lifeguard?). The one on my hand is fading, but it is the one that I am reminded of most often because I see it all of the time... I put my hand in a hot oven to snatch something out, my mom caught me, I was startled ~ my hand went up and touched the heating element. The c-section scar is pretty self-explanatory, and is the one that means the most to me... some scars you just have to earn, and that one I did! The last one is the oldest... I was maybe 5 and running through a neighbors backyard when I stepped on a can lid... left a mountain shaped scar on my instep.

Soup
What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle?

Well, I just mentioned a post or two ago that I don't hear God talking to me through bushes or anything. There was this one time, though, that I had been praying for some time over a possibility. I felt as if I heard my name. Just like God saying, " I hear you, Tammy." And if a sound can remind you of something tangible, that one reminded me of metal... or a metallic sound.

However, Albert Einstein said "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." I agree 110%... which is probably why I get such joy out of "shiny nickels".

Salad
Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves.

Bill Mahr

Main Course
What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")?

kife for knife... you see, I knew *one* of those letters was silent!

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have always thought children are amazing.

To share the meal, go to http://fridaysfeast.blogspot.com/ .

Fun, Fun, Fun!

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 13:12:32 GMT

5 Minutes For Mom contest:

It's another contest over at 5 Minutes For Mom. What better way to encourage folks to come to your party (see the big button down below) than to send them a chance for a pre-party favour? The prize is a game called Rhyme-Time, supposedly for children over 8 (but the web masters had a ball "discovering" who was the smarter of the 2... they're twins, that competitive thing comes with the territory). Follow th link and sign the Mr. Linky for a chance to win.

Speaking of Mr. Linky... any of my blogger friends a little more savy on this? Will it allow folks who aren't Live Spaces people to leave me messages? No... thinking about it again, I don't believe it will... so what CAN I use it for? Hope you all have a geat day! We've got a few morning things to do, maybe a trip to Kmart and the YMCA activities this afternoon. Fun, fun, fun!

Where'd All The Snow Go?

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:48:30 GMT

Not a caged bird anymore

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:25:00 GMT

Growing up in church I started singing with a group of other children and then when we got older the adults started trying to get us to sing duets and solos... older, contemporary songs. I was a standard teen and eventually convinced myself that I was nervous and I couldn't do a good enough job.

As an adult, back in church after several college years away, singing and leading prayer became the things that I knew I had to work through... God told me he had given me talents and I would loose them if I didn't put them out there for Him. So I did, and I do... it doesn't get terribly easier... I get choked up by a lot of the messages in the songs (I don't sing them unless I like them, so, there are, inevitably catches in my voice and such). I'm not a super singer, but I hold my own. The thing is, I put myself out there ... that's always good for children to see, whether I mess up or not. And I have had to talk through it with them sometimes, because they want to know why I end up crying.

Some years ago I had a friend remind me, after his own shakey, but good performance (he has a wonderfully rich baritone voice when he's comfortable) that we don't do it for ourselves or even the people in the audience. I had gone up to him to shake his hand and tell him what a good job he had done. But the compliment made him nervous. I see his point, and agree... but I think God wants us to get to a place where we can take joy in what we accomplish in Him. I think that takes a lot of practice!!

Now, Sam has a wonderful singing voice and is the class clown type of funny man, but he won't do it for people or in front of people for nothing. Perrin will, but she still suffers from the nerves... I just hope not debilitatingly. Not so much that she would avoid possibilities.

When I had gone back to my childhood church home for a visit, one of the same adults who had worked with me growing up asked me if I would lead prayer in sunday school. I said no. And kicked myself the rest of the day for it and every time I thought about it until I just pushed through it. I talk with friends a lot and find out that they've experienced this same thing. One lady told me she was afraid she wouldn't know what to say. I talk to God a lot during the day in casual conversation ( and no, for the benefit of those like my dear heart, I don't hear him talk back through bushes or anything... jiminy, sometimes I think my Heart wonders about my sanity... oh well), so not knowing what to say has never really been my problem that I can remember... it's kind of like conversations in rehearsal. When you're in communion with church family, you get things out on the table in prayer that have hit you through the week in your head. Yes, there are definitly times that prayer should be formal, I think. Those are the ones I have more trouble with. I believe that prayer is a lot of the times just as much a participatory, audience thing as it is to send up those sweet aromas to the Father. So I was always more concerned that I didn't mess up for the people around me... cause Father always knows what's on my heart (WHEW!).

Pivotal Moments...

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:17:04 GMT

Cheryl over at Cross and Quill has this question for us: If you could rewrite one pivotal moment in history, good or bad, to make a change, which moment would that be AND what are some of the consequences that you believe might come from that change?

I have always questioned just what might have happened had Lincoln not died. But a recent wonder has been what would have happened had China not decided to remain closed to the rest of the world for so long. That is a huge nation with a strong and proud culture! And if the Asian races were truly the predecessors to some of the Indian and Alaskan cultures, can you imagine how different the US would be if that influence had continued? Perhaps the Asian people wouldn't have been harrassed during the gold rush time... maybe Japan would not have sided with Hitler (I know that's Japan, not China, but they had to have been an influence on one another to some degree). Perhaps Christianity would have spread to that great nation much quicker and to others much faster as a consequence??? hmmmm

To a much more trivial and less serious degree, maybe this country would have had fireworks and spaghetti quiker!

What do you think?

What fun for Mommy!

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:51:46 GMT

If Your Momma is a Lama..

Over at Adventures In Babywearing, Stephanie has decided to get us all in trouble with our moms by having a little photo-tag of mom game... Your Mom looks like a hoot, Steph... adding my pics to my photo album down below! Check out the hair through the years! And, as an added bonus, snaps of Momma's Momma's Momma... she's not a lama either.

Story Earns third place honors... film at 11.

My son got his "foot in the door" and I win because of it! Well, Ok... so I already won when they were born (awww), but now I won QTPies third place honors for the story, too! HeHaw! Go check out the rest of the stories. Thanks again, QTPie, for hosting this... it was just the kick in the pants I needed to get my birth stories online and therefore, down for the annals of time!

Are You a Slacker Mom?

Well, what do you know... what I see in me as totally slacker, someone else (at least the automated, couldn't care less quiz at chatterbean) sees as "zen". Kinda cool! I don't know if I would recommend taking the quiz, though... that's why I'm not putting a link here... you end up submitting your e-mail address to get the results (and what are, I'm sure, very useful education and product endorsements) plus you end up clicking through a whole list of university ads. But hey, it was a fun little encouragement (in a slacker- I'm spending way too much time on the computer-kind of way) and it would seem there is a way to create your own quiz. Hmmm, THAT looks like fun , all you have to do is "become a member... it's free and easy". Uh, huh.

Your quiz score makes you: Zen Mom

How do you do it? Even when explosions are all around, you are able to take a deep cleansing breath and chant your mantra "this too shall pass." You are a calming influence on your kids in a hectic world.

Tip-toeing Though Familiar Tulips

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 16:38:37 GMT

Decided that I had neglected tipping in Live Spaces for too long now. What's it been... 2, 3 tips ago? So, here it is, my tip of a wonderful tulip in the spaces field: Amy's Blah, blah, blogging.

1) Amy's title was what hooked me from another blog roll... to be so up front about this blogging thing. I mean, I know a lot of what I have to say is just so much fodder for a lot of people, and that's OK for a lot of us bloggers. Amy put it in her title though! Blah, blah blah, blah blah! It's little stuff sometimes, it's day to day stuff sometimes, it's normal stuff in a normal life. It's nice to have friends in this blog-world that you can relate to in the minutia. So, I love the title.

2) Amy participates in Thursday Thirteen and Friday Feast. Both are fun little glimpses into what makes Amy, Amy. I've seen the Thursday Thirteen things all over the place but the Friday thing is different and a little quirky and appeals to my love of food and finding out little tid-bits too. I just can't quite commit myself to one more blog regular feature that I won't be able to keep up with. So I'll live vicariously through Amy's!

3) I love all the extras! The pics of Lilla are always adorable. The quotes are interesting. All of the web links are great. The favorie music clips are fun. The book list, the movie list, the weather in Indy, where she's been, where she wants to go... all of it perfectly helps round out our picture of Amy.

Darn it, the only thing that makes me jerk a bit is the same thing that bugs me about my own blog... when we change the color scheme, I have to pull out all the stops to read some of the entries... it's kind of hard to read white words on pale blue background (me) and dark green on pale green. How do we fix that without going into each and every past entry and tweaking it? Or maybe I'm just too much of a perfectionist for my own good. Maybe I should just chill with a good movie (Princess Bride) and a good bag of lime tostitoes...

Check out Amy at http://dramy75.spaces.live.com/default.aspx?_c02_owner=1. She's cool people!

An Open Letter

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 14:56:27 GMT

For Our Littlest Joy, So She’ll Know

I’m just warning you now, this is long. Way long. Get a thermos of coffee, print out and sit a spell – long.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005 was an eventful day for us all. We didn’t know it, but you would be on your way before the night was through. Well, we were busy enough the day before with Sam and Perrin’s birthday trip to Gatti Town. We had fun there – although the pizza was just as bad as it always is, but I left there very tired and still very pregnant with you. We went to see Star Wars 3 a few days before, too. Basically, we stayed busy and you went along for the ride.

Anyway, Perrin had said that you could be born on any day, including her birthday (which is, as you know and not coincidentally, Sam’s birthday as well… I guess that would have made it a 3 for one special kind of day), as long as it wasn’t May 20 – her recital night, or May 25 – when she had to perform at a theater re-opening. So, I guess you were listening to your sister even before you were born.

So, that day Sam, Perrin and I hung out at the house, made some oatmeal raisin cookies, a double portion of Hamburger Helper for dinner and worked on your quilt. Had to be at the dance studio for Perrin’s last class and performance at 6. Several friends commented on how you were still part of me and "When were you going to be born?" Of course, I told them any time was fine. We had actually hoped you would be born on Sam’s and Perrin’s birthday, but, oh well.

When Perrin’s final class was over, we walked down to the Grand about a block away for her performance there. Sam and I sat outside – I thought it would be easier for your big brother to wait where he could move around and enjoy the rest of the evening. We sat and talked with Sue a few minutes before she went inside and then we waited. But not for long. Sam was bored and I had to use the bathroom (again). Since we were downtown and it was after hours, most everything was closed. So Sam and I walked back to the studio to use the bathroom, but it was locked. We finally found a bathroom at Marcus Furniture. They were having a going out of business sale, so they were open late.

Done with that, we went back outside to wait some more. Kari and Jackson joined us to wait outside and we talked for a long time. About you, about the baby she was expecting, Sam, Perrin and Rachael. Sam was trying to keep little Jackson occupied and then he got aggravated with him, I think and started trying to keep him away. And then I started getting aggravated with your brother. I hope, if you read this when you are older, that you know that I don’t get aggravated very easily. Sam was being somewhat difficult because of the 2 year old that was pushing his buttons, but he wasn’t being anything that I shouldn’t have been able to deal with ordinarily. So I guess I should have wondered if you were on your way. Contractions were pretty common at this point, or I’m sure they would have clued me in.

So Perrin got done with her performance and we made it home around 8:30 PM. I was so tired and I had a muscle in my right shoulder blade that hurt a lot . Sam and Perrin had both rubbed it, trying to make it feel better, but it didn’t help. By the way, Sam and Perrin rubbed my feet, legs, arms and shoulders all the time while I was pregnant. They were a big help! I don’t think you caused any of the aches and pains in particular – I kept moving and dancing and teaching my classes right up until the beginning of May, so I was pretty flexible. You did, however, kick and turn and roll over a lot whenever I ate ice. It was the one craving I had and I guess you enjoyed it on some level too.

So I sent your brother and sister to bed and went to take a hot shower, hoping to ease the pain in my shoulder blade. I stood in the shower for a while, but it didn’t seem to help much. I got out of the shower, dried off, put on my pajamas and my water broke! And I felt kind of stupid not knowing that you were on your way before this. After all, I had been to the mid-wife the day before and was only 1 ½ cm dilated. Which didn’t seem like a lot to me (having only progressed a ½ cm in one week). But while I thought about it in the shower, I reasoned that that was ½ way through the first stage of labor! So when my water broke, I thought, "Of course!". And I was very happy, but still very calm.

It was 10:30 when my water broke, Daddy wasn’t home and Ssam and Perrin were in bed and sounded like they were asleep. I went to call your Daddy, but the phones were out! But I thought, "no big deal… I’ll not worry until 11:00." I brushed my teeth, cleaned myself up, got dressed and packed the last few extras I would need at the hospital. Daddy walked thorugh the door at 10:45 and I asked him if he was ready to go? "Go where?" "To the hospital". I think maybe he asked why or if we had to go now or something, but then we got back on task and called the midwife on Daddy’s cell phone. Katie asked all of the routine questions… when did my water break, and how far apart the contractions were. Well, I hadn’t even thought to start counting those, so Katie told us to wait at home for 3 hours and count the contractions before going into the hospital. Your Dad started making phone calls and sending e-mails to the people he worked with and I got a watch, pen and paper to count. Already they were 2 minutes apart! We sat on the bed and talked until 11:30, when we went to watch a little TV – The Late Show With Jon Stewart. I kept an eye on the watch until about 12:30. I had walked through a lot of the pain, but the contractions and the pressure were getting harder to deal with. I told Daddy that I didn’t think we would make it 3 hours, 2 hours was good enough, and then I asked what he thought Sam and Perrin would need at the hospital and to go ahead and tell them to get ready.

Your Daddy went upstairs, told Sam and Perrin to wake up, we had to go to the hospital because it was "time for Mommy to have the baby… Moira’s coming!" I was still pacing the floor in the front room, which was still cleared from where I had used it as a studio for my music classes. I had to stop every time a contraction came. I made sure to tell Sam and Perrin that I was in pain, but it was OK and they didn’t have to worry. Daddy made sure to tell them that I would probably scream too, but I was still OK and nothing was wrong.

The drive to the hospital was uneventful, unless you’re counting every other minute. And I remember the turns and bumps in the car were a "bit" uncomfortable. We parked at the emergency side of the hospital… wrong side! Went ahead and brought in the suitcase with us, but had to walk around to the front entrance of the hospital to get to the right elevator. And even then, when we got up to the second floor, we couldn’t get to the labor and delivery side because of the security doors. SO we went BACK downstairs and up in a different elevator. I will admit that I was offered a wheelchair when I stopped at the entrance and told them I was in labor, but I told them I could walk. I regretted that when I finally got upstairs to the l&d desk and the nurse played 20 questions with me, trying to figure out if I had ever been a patient on the floor without actually asking that, having me sign more papers and weighing me. I can only assume that she was new to the labor and delivery floor cause I had come in the previous week or so and signed a million papers (probably mine and your life away) AND at this point my weight wasn’t really a question now, was it? I was about to loose quite a bit! By the time I got to my room I as asking when I could get an epidural.

After your delivery, I found out that the nurse on hand, who was very nice, called Katie and told her I was there and asking for an epidural. Apparently Katie had a hard time believing her because I guess I didn’t sound too bad on the phone and I had expressed a lot of concerns to her about wanting a better birth experience than I had had with Sam and Perrin. I had told her I didn’t want to do any intervention that I didn’t need, but I was open to what I did. I guess I caught her off guard!

The anesthesiologist was nice, joked with your Daddy and made sure to let us know that he was a nurse. He kept asking me how much I was feeling and that confused me a bit. Sam and Perrin were delivered by c-section, so the epidural I got with them took away ALL feeling. I guess I was kind of expecting the same thing, but still felt a LOT of pressure. That was uncomfortable, but not really pain and I wasn’t ready for that. The pressure was amazing! I hadn’t felt anything like that before. It was more than any words can express. I don’t remember the sensation of any pain when you delivered, there was just so much pressure! I just had to push. It was very hard not to push. Waiting to dilate sufficiently was extremely difficult. By the time I could push, I was more than ready and you were born in 5 pushes. To everyone, including me, that was very quick!

Sam and Perrin were there for the whole thing. There were 2 easy chairs and a TV in the far corner of the room. I told them they could sit and watch TV there or go to the waiting room or watch while you were born. Daddy even turned the chairs so they faced away, just in case. But for once, there was something going on that they knew was much more important than anything else going on around them could be. They were very concerned about my screaming, but they watched the entire thing! We were all there for your birthday. You are very special to us, a joy to all of us and very much loved.

Getting a little snarky here...

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 03:52:11 GMT

OK, maybe not, cause I don't think I could even if I wanted to. It's not in me. BUT... I am just a little tired of the Blogger word identification stuff when you want to post a comment. I know they're for security and all of that... but seriously... half of the time I can't even tell if it's a capitol or lower case letter... is there a trick for that, or do you just make your best guess, roll the dice and wait for the computer to tell you that you must be blind and please try again? :)

So, I have started to sign my comments with my usual cheery name + :) :) :), but I'm adding a little extra. The first was:

Tammy :) :) :)

whose "I'm not a crazy stalker woman" word of the day for verification is boafafe

I hope she takes it in the giggly little way it's meant... What do you think? Should I stop?

Birth Of A Family

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 19:32:00 GMT

This is my first entry for QTPies birth story contest. Whether you like stories like this or not, I can't just tell one! Look for the other one a little later.

Birth of a family…

Tom and I had been married since July of 93 when we found out I was pregnant in September of 94. Young and stupid, er… in love. About a year before, we had gotten the "trainer-child" puppy that all young couples truly believe will be enough to put off the surging desire for a child. We had even gone through an ice-storm/no electricity, 3 day event with said trainer-child, but apparently it made no impact as to how much more difficult real life challenges become when there is another being depending on you. At the routine 4 month check-up and antsy parent, "can't wait to pass out pictures to everybody regardless of interest" ultrasound, my Heart saw a hand fly by where there shouldn’t have been a hand. And so, the idea of the instant family- just add water- became a reality.

The babies were due in early July of 95. My son decided to get a leg up on the competition, so to speak, and stuck his foot out , breaking my water at the end of May. Have I mentioned that my husband was a grad student at the time? Yeah, with all the attending, "compound interest" of this pregnancy, we get to do it on a grad student’s budget. * Read, no budget.* Now one of these children is deciding to come early? Yes, another reality to deal with. Picture me waking up at about 2 AM in a puddle of water not created from a puncture in the water bed, very pregnant for the first time. Now, the reason this picture is somewhat alarming is that my grad student husband is usually a night owl haunting the university library stacks, sometimes until 3 or 4 in the morning. So, in a measured tone I call out for him. No answer. I call out a little louder and continue walking and dripping through the carpeted apartment hallway. Whew, he was asleep on the couch. Not asleep anymore! I must come off a bit panicked, I don’t remember being so, though, but my heart is the picture of composure. He reminds me to get a towel to keep from flooding the car and assures me that God has this under control and we will be OK. His first and chief worry is getting me down the steeps of our apartment building. Yeah, first things first.

The hospital is a quick 5-minute drive away. However, his next worry is that it’s raining. Not the primary concern for most people, but hey! One thing at a time. When we get into the hospital the attending male nurse in the emergency room tells us that it’s not so surprising that we’re there because there is a full moon out. Gees, give him something else to worry about, right? I’m in a room, the nurse does the check… yep, there’s a foot (I told her, but I guess she wasn’t paying attention to the one actually feeling it protrude). It is decided a c-section is in order so they’re giving me the epidural and, no kidding, I could hear and feel that needle scratch bone. It didn’t hurt, though, which was the weirdest sensation. Then some infinitely unaware person tells me I will have to take out my contacts. Um, I can’t see a thing without them… sorry, they have to come out… my white knight defends my need to view the first children I give birth to and they relent and allow me to wear my glasses. I’m shaking my head and rolling my eyes here, because in my mind, we have bigger things to worry about than my vision. Granted, I WILL NOT be denied my clear view of my children when they are born, but the argument was a waste of what little time we seemed to have left. They took Tom away to prep him and after a time they rolled me into the operating room. Tom later said he thought they would never come to take him to the operating room, so he came looking for me. He’s such a great Daddy already… he’s refusing to let anyone allow him or me to miss this.

So we’re in the operating room, I am shielded from what I can only assume is a gruesome site and Tom wishes he had been. What once was a pretty cast-iron stomach is no more. He didn’t get sick or anything, which was good for him. As they pull Sam out through the incision, I feel the vacuum his foot had created suck the other way. That was weird, too. He screams and pees on me. What a boy! Perrin is born and I hear nothing. Instant, tiny wave of panic, and the first time I use my daughter’s name out loud is to ask "is Perrin OK, she’s not crying". She was, I guess, cause I heard nothing to the contrary and Tom really would have said if there was something wrong. While they are sewing the incision up, Tom says he watched the doctor count all of the cloths they used to clean up the blood. Funny man that he is, he made some joke about making sure they were all out, but I don’t think the doctor really appreciated it. He counted again.

That was almost 12 years ago. After a 2-week stay in the NICU they were brought home healthy and happy. The NICU stay was only because they were underweight and Sam was jaundiced. We were extremely blessed and our trainer-child now had two "siblings". Instant family, instant reality! And the first of many more realities to work through with not an only child, but twins. Life is good, even when it seems challenging!

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:47:00 GMT

Check out more Mom pics for Wordless Wednesdays at http://www.5minutesformom.com/

Click on each image to enlarge it in a seperate window.

In the News...

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 19:17:16 GMT

Lots to add, lots to add!

Humpty Dumpty Sat on a wall...

Well, just call me Humpty! Only I wasn't sitting on a wall, and I wasn't doing anything fun, dangerous or exciting. All I can say is that doing laundry is dangerous and I just may have to swear off of it for health reasons! Stepped down into my kitchen to go change my laundry over and my foot had different plans. I went down and my foot twisted and honestly felt like it had crumpled like a piece of paper for the wastebasket. It had a big pump knot on it that looked like an extra ankle, but now is just swollen all over and in technicolor. This happened Friday evening, so no dancing for me on Saturday :( and no subbing for the preschool Sunday school teacher today. Tom brought me home some crutches so that I could just get around. My armpits hate me!

The Midwinter Frolic was fun, even though I was sidelined...

In the past the show has been less audience participation, sans the "amazing feats", and you paid to get in the door (it's a fundraiser for the community education program). This year it seemed like every other dance the audience was encouraged to come learn and it went beautifully! It took some time to get everybody down from the seats, but I'm sure it will be worth it when the next session starts... hopefully it will translate into new dancers coming for our weekly fun.

The coolest thing, in my opinion, though, was the guy in red and black. Check him out in the pictures! He juggled balls and rings for the children, taught them how to play with the shuttle sticks and another little toy AND walked on stilts!! Did I say he walked on stilits?? He also danced on them! How cool was he? All of the children loved him. I loved him! At one point he walked over to the audience, bent down to a lady in a wheelchair and asked for a "big hug". HeHaw!

We included a raffle of products from some of our downtown businesses and took donations at the door and at the end of the Mummer's Play. Perrin acted as one of Old Beezlebub's helpers... pulling the "dead" characters off of the stage. Her one and only line was "he's turned the wrong way!"

As the Mommy, my heart just positivly sang with pride when Perrin danced as part of the Rapper Sword team. She was wonderful... the whole group was wonderful. If you watch the video, you might want to click on the square so that it is the only thing on your screen and it is big enough to see the footwork. They really did a marvelous job.

Yes, Brenda, I'm tired of it too!

PG13... for too much information... not only is parental guidance encouraged, but so is female guidance.

I'm tired of the whole period thing. Had to do an emergency run to the store the other day for feminine products. I'm thinking they put the french translations on the packaging to help us not feel so negative about the whole thing... "de nuit nocturna"...yea, I'm happy now (*not*). I use to think anything in the French language sounded better... even romantic. Yes, there is irony for you! Another tidbit of ironic information ~ I failed French miserably in high school.

Finally broke down and bought the package that comes with the wipes (une debarbouillette). That has the potential to make it a little less bad, but there's only so much a freshening wipe can do for your mood. Not only do I have to deal with the normal bleeding but the dr. found a cyst-type thing while I was pregnant with Moira and that just adds to the amount. We have no fertility problems here, and my body is just determined to make sure I'm reminded of it every month. Did I get the "time off for good behavior" that is supposed to come with nursing? No I did not! What a rip off that was!

But I am really not complaining that much. I don't, thankfully, suffer from the mood swings that a lot of women do, nor the bloating or really any of the other negative things associated with my lovely "aunt" (I DO have a real, live aunt flo... that really caused further grumbliness while I was a teenage "new woman"). I have wonderful children because I have to endure this minor complaint every month. I wouldn't take any pill or patch to regulate it (I don't trust them... while it sounds wonderful in so many ways, there's just got to be something wrong with a 3 day, medicine induced period). So I guess I will just put up with it.

Through the pages of Parenting...

Just a few highlights from the magazine... I haven't made it to the library in a while, so no new books... this will have to do!

For my coffe loving friends... you probably already know this, but Starbucks will being giving away a free tall cup of coffee on March 15, from 10 AM - noon. I can't see paying as much as they charge (I could probably buy a whole McDonald's meal for the price... priority check... yes, I believe they're in order), but free is always good in my book.

There is an ad for "Twighlight Turtle" that has been featured the past few months. It is so cute! Maybe I'll get one for myself. What? It's supposed to be for a child, you say? So what's your point?

Sites they suggest that I need to check out: www.mightygoods.com , "a great shopping blog that features fresh finds from the web and www.cozi.com , a free program that lets you make a color-coded family calendar and create shopping lists.

"The topics that make moms feel most judgmental? 46% - working vs. staying home, 29% - spanking, 17% - breastfeeding vs. bottle, 4% - vaccinating your baby, 4% - sharing a bed with her." (pg 88).

"Baby Names: Why Cool is Hot" is a featured article, but Moira nor Perrin nor Sam are anywhere on the list, so the data must be suspect. And a wonderful article from Rick Newman entitled "Single Dad, Efficient Parent".

Blog-Tipping

So it's not such a regular feature... shoot me! (no please don't... you wouldn't shoot a person on crutches, would you?)

Mom Underground is a hoot! Got there from http://teaandbonbons.blogspot.com/... thanks for the suggestion!

1) Color is always a biggie for me... her blog is faded green tones and it's wonderful... probably is a true refelction of her style cause of a shirt she was going to buy she says it was "In a muted gray, which appealed to my affinity for drab colors." I personally don't find them drab, but relaxing.

2) Her tag line is "Everyday life interferes with my natural charm." From what I've read, nothing interferes with her natural charm! She has a way of looking at the world and blogging on it that is as relaxing as her colors... I could read and chuckle with her for pages!

3) Loads of pictures in her blog and they all add a cool perspective to what she has to say. A mommy perspective, but it's a cool one that I don't know if I would have the courage to post. A big ol' HeHaw for the pics of her son (cutie in glasses), what's under his seat (I could top it, but I won't), and the bag of conversation hearts that apparently didn't last very long in her house!

What to change? I don't really know...these blogspot blogs do that to me... maybe some sidebars so I could get to know her better without going through the archives?... I could really spend some time to get to know this hip-cool mommy... maybe you could too!

Mental note...

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:17:55 GMT

To me... add a list of all the glorious, wonderful, spectacular things that I can now smell and tatse.

To Amy at blah, blah, blogging... I can't make it through to the comments section on your blog for some reason. But I do want to say "thank you, thank you, thank you" for donating to Ronald McDonald House!! I have nothing to do with them excpet that I had to stay there while the twins were in the NICU. It is a huge blessing and I hope your Lilla will never have to know it in any other way than that all the people that love her so would give to that instead of a party that she won't remember! Happy Birthday Lilla!

I'll take weird things we eat for 10, Alex...

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 21:00:41 GMT

Just came home from my weekly dose of adult conversation (it's our homeschool groups' YMCA time, during which the moms get to talk while the children play sports and what-not). The conversation rolled around to food aversions, things someone new to the area might never have realized were food and everything else tasty. One lady moved, appraently, from Arizona... she had never heard of bar-b-que!?! She wanted to know what they were going to bar-b-que, having no idea that it is an institution unto itself in states like Kentucky and Tennessee. Unbelievable! No, what was unbelievable was that she could not stomach it! I myself like any kind of bar-b-que that won't run away from me. And I like my steak medium rare, thank you. No mooing for me, but I don't want charcoal, either.

Another dear friend can not stomach tomatoes, but she's a vegetarian! Go figure... she likes salsa too, but won't eat the chunks of tomatoes... they creep her out. So I'm asking our other friend from Arizona if she has ever had fried green tomatoes... gotta love those (she had not). On to discussing fried dill pickles ~ which are very good too.

I'm getting excited now, because food is a dear love of mine... and now that I can actually TASTE it in all of it's delicate (and not so delicate) subtleties... honey, I'm all there!

Wilted Lettuce with onions, vinegar and bacon grease... peanut butter and syrup for breakfast... peanut butter and Miracle Whip sandwiches... grits... peanut butter and onion sandwiches, raw hamburger... (Know that I do not eat all of these things...) What oddities do you or have you eaten?

I asked my girl scouts in circle today what their favorite flavor of ice cream was... I love those Mississippi Mud Fudge blizzards at DQ... they would each add their personal favorite to which I would reply... yeah, that's my favorite too!

I need a bib... I'm drooling!

All of this reminds me of the Mad Max (?) character in Princess Bride whose favorite sandwich was an MLT... Mutton, Lettuce and tomatoe sandwich where the mutton is nice and tender... hahahaha

Another friend is having the lasgana that she fixed for dinner last night, tonight (her husband came home from a business trip and wanted to take his family out... awww)... I could have invited myself to dinner for that! We're having tacos if I can rouse my butt up to make them. I think I'll make my heart's birthday cake too (it's not for a few more days, but we have no other sweets in the house).

So I guess I should end a food entry with a recipe... I fixed this yesterday for lunch... we love it!

Crab Dip

Mix together 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, 1 1/2 Tbsp milk, 2 Tbsp mayo, 1/4 tsp salt, 7 oz can crabmeat (drained), 2 tsp dried chopped onion, 1 tsp. horseradish, 1 tsp lemon juice. I also added a Tbsp or so of chopped black olives this time, which wasn't bad. Sprinkle paprika on top and bake in a 375* oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm with crackers.

A personality quiz

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:06:24 GMT

Ha ha! I have found a personality quiz that I haven't seen on any other blog... and it's right up my alley! You may have to do a little searching (unless you're like some of us, me and Anne over at the Mire, who are having a difficult time getting all of the Christmas stuff put away ~ yes, I still have a wreath on my front door and it's waaaay past 12th Day!), but go find some bubble wrap and check out this site to find out how "how you pop" could be revealing! My results: "Light-hearted, Carefree - You are inquisitive, love new things and enjoy life to the fullest. You do well with change and love surprises." Yep, that's me! Anne, hope you're having more luck than I am... I don't know what it is about that dang wreath.

Alright, who ordered frigid?

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 14:20:38 GMT

I know I did not! Snow I did ask for. And we are due some more tonight. But cold enough to freeze the... well you know... No I DID NOT! I know, my friends from farther up North are laughing at me. That's OK. I had hot chocolate for breakfast..... brrrrrrr. SO we'll bring the twins down from upstairs (it gets a little nippy up there), close everything off and have all the space heaters and the kerosene heater going downstairs... where we'll live till spring thaw!

It's The Moira Show!

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:28:50 GMT

It is so much fun to be her Mom!

I woke up this morning (for the millionth time) to my Heart's alarm clock. Moira was rousing to nurse, but didn't wake up when I got out of bed. So after Tom left for work, I'm trying to accomplish a little e-mail responding and I hear "Maaaaaaaaamma!". I walk into my still-pretty-dark bedroom and she's sitting up, smiling and motioning her little "come-hither" finger pumping and patting the bed next to her. She wants me to come back to bed! It was certainly cold this morning, but, no... she wants me to come back to bed so she can "nis". She knows she can't nurse during the day, so I guess she was trying to finaggle me into it.

Our school day got under way... Perrin dropped her pencil and feigns this exaggerated "I can't reach it" reach (it's, like 2 feet away). Moira hops down out of my lap and I ask her to pick up Sissy's pencil for her. Perrin is still reaching, and so Moira "reaches" too... she's inches away from it but she bends over like Perrin is bent over and looks at us like, "I can play this game too!". And she understands, too! She's giggling, so I know she knew what she was doing! She's a big tease, anyway! She did pick up the pencil, but now... all you paranoid grandmas should probably not read on... she ran away with it laughing like a hyenna! "Don't!!! You're going to poke your eye out!"

A little later she goes up to Sam to "give him a hug". As she has him in her clutches, she pats his back with one hand and takes his pencil away from him with her other hand! Such a sneak.

Finally managed to get her a potty. This is a warning that there may be "too much information" for some coming up... She came to me just a little while ago and says she has to pee (patting her diaper and answering yes when I ask her.) So we both go to the bathroom and drop our drawers... she has to take all of her clothing off and I put her on her potty as I sit down (I figure, if she can relate what she's doing to what I'm doing, something might click). She makes the big 0 face when she hears me tinkle, and when flush and say "bye-bye" to the toilet paper. She then picks up her potty and runs through the house naked! If it wasn't so darn cold I might let her stay that way.

And it's not even noon yet!

A Prairie Home Companion

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 03:00:31 GMT

I have loved this radio show since my twins were little! I remember my Heart being on campus while we were at home. I would turn off the television when I caught it on and leave it on the entire time... isn't it like a 3 hour show or something like that? (You can believe that the time a radio show was on was not upper most in my thoughts during the infant/toddler days.) I caught it this evening on FM channel 91.3.. so THAT"S where it's been hiding! Anyway, just as hilarious as ever! And fun you can listen to without blushing too much! I love all of the sound effects.

Some jokes from tonight included something about the weather in Minnesota being, currently, a shock. Since they were lulled into thinking, just like the rest of the nation, we all might get off easy after that very mild December. And something about a bear being in company and at first it was happy, then it was mean, then it was happy again. Wait for it.... it was a bi-polar bear!! hahahaha And what do you get if you sit on the ice too long? polar-oids! hahaha And they've gone through all of their food supplies and latte just doesn't seem to be available. I know all of my latte lovin' friends will be sad for them... they only have the regular deli coffee... or something like that. I guess you have to actually be listening to it to really enjoy. But it was a hoot! I love to smile! Go to the Prairie Home Companion website to find out when it plays in your neck of the woods! Thanks Greg for reminding me about it a few weeks ago!