Archiving Failure

So, I've done a horrible job of journaling this pregnancy. I have extensive write-ups of every stage of my first pregnancy, a few long journals from the second and absolutely none (but the few little bits on this blog) about this third AND VERY FINAL pregnancy. The one thing I have learned very well this time is that this is the LAST. If we want another child after this one, we will finally fulfill that vague need I feel to adopt.

The morning sickness that was really all-day-and-more-at-night sickness hit a horrid high about 3 weeks ago. I've thrown up a total of 3 times, a low number due to the benefits of Zofran, the world's most expensive drug for nausea. For our 11th wedding anniversary on June 15th, Spitz found the pharmacy in town that sold it for the least, and we got the doctor to call in 30 pills. He paid for them (the insurance only will pay for 12 pills each 30 days) and I've been able to take them anytime I need them (translate that "daily") ever since. His very thoughtful present has made this a bit more bearable to the tune of $840!

Anyway, I begin to hope (and hopefully not delude myself) that the sickness is on the downside. I've managed to take Zofran only in the morning and not again in the afternoon twice this week. Since it's been worse at night, I see that as quite a step forward. We'll see how it goes, because this is only week 13 - 3 weeks earlier than the sickness has ever gone away and 10 weeks earlier than it was over last pregnancy.

I'm excited to think that in about 3-4 weeks, I will be able to start to feel small movements inside. That is my ultimate favorite part of pregnancy. I always miss feeling the little one move inside after they are born. It's sort of lonely after months of being very firmly TOGETHER.

About a week ago, I was getting ready to step in the shower when Diana let out a huge gasp and said, "Mommy! Your tummy is getting bigger! Your tummy is getting bigger! Becca, look! Mommy's tummy is getting bigger!" She was so thrilled; I laughed and laughed. The girls have started talking to the baby. He can hear them now. (Yes, I use "he." If the sickness is going away early, I'm sure it must have a reason! Something significant must be different this time!)

I have an appointment August 15 for the ultrasound that will reveal the sex of this little one. If you mention it at all, the girls begin chanting loudly, "We want a girl! We want a girl!" As if it could possibly be influenced. (-: Spitz has actually brought up a potential name for the first time - we've not talked names at all yet - and it was a girl name.

Okay, my guilt at not archiving this pregnancy at all has been a bit assuaged. And it's time to go feed the savages lunch.

Becca did it!

Diana 3.0 has recently started blaming Rebecca 5.9 for anything she thinks she is about to get in trouble for. Actually, sometimes it's not even something that Diana will be in trouble for; it's just never Diana's own fault, of course.

Diana recently potty trained (and she is doing amazing, by the way. It is so much better when the child picks the time and place completely on her own). If you aren't a parent, you probably don't know that there is a stage in every child's life where they are capable of going to the toilet and using it when needed, but the parent still needs to wipe them - or else the result is red, sore bottoms, not to mention the streaks.

So yesterday, Beth (a dear friend who cleans our house and is nice enough to come more frequently while I feel so awful) was here, and she stepped in on one such adult-wiping encounter. I think I was asleep, so I'm very grateful for all the babysitting she tosses in along with the cleaning. Later, when the girls were getting ready for bed, Becca announced that Diana's underwear had poop on it. (Kids love to announce that kind of stuff, especially if you happen to be out at the store.) I took Diana in to help her wipe a bit more and get fresh underwear, and Diana is saying how Beth wiped her.... Then she heads back to her room to find the fresh underwear and announces, "Becca pooped in my underwear!!"

Last but Certainly Not Least!!

Big news!! Diana 3.0 has potty trained! Monday afternoon, she didn't want the diaper back on after she'd just finished a shower. She insisted on big-girl underwear. She has a bunch that she got to pick out in hopes it would inspire her, but it hadn't worked before. She'd been adamant for about 2 months that, no, she didn't want to sit on the potty.

So, it took just that - her mind made up - to reverse the policy. She had a rough day Tuesday, but has had only one accident since Tuesday afternoon. Really phenomenal! I'm so proud of her. And she's staying dry in big-girl panties at night, too!

Woot!

Now what?

Springtime always brings with it a HUGE RUSH. Becca plays soccer. Often, we schedule swimming lessons. Ballet recitals. Diana's birthday. Family/friends' graduations. Easter. Mother's Day. I can't even think of it all, but I'm sure there's more. I feel like we've had every night and weekend scheduled full for weeks and even months.

But. We've come to the end. Yesterday, Becca graduated from kindergarten, and today was the end of year picnic. Diana's school actually ended last week.

Entering next week, we have NO PLANS. I don't know what we'll do. I get this feeling every year. The "what will I do with them?" doubts. Of course, by the time school starts, I wish for the freedom again. I expect greater challenge for this transition this year because I am so sick. I've been taking lots of naps, and without school, I don't know how that will be managed. I can't just leave them unsupervised. *seeking babysitter!*

Popping out

I remember back to the first pregnancy with Becca. I think I was four months pregnant and clothes had begun to get a bit tight when a friend and coworker took me shopping for maternity clothes for the first time. When I got pregnant with Diana, I remember thinking that I had to pull out the maternity clothes much earlier.

But third baby? Bamm, right from the get-go. I'm only 7 1/2 weeks pregnant, and I've pulled out the maternity shorts. Due in part to the nausea and an intense dislike of any pressure on my middle, I can't wear my normal clothes. I've pulled out all these old dresses I've had forever so that I can be waist-pressure-free. I can safely say that I haven't bought a dress except for fancy Christmas party deals since we moved here 4 years ago, so my recent wardrobe is anything but fashionable. *sigh*

And my friend Cynthia pointed out that I look pretty pale right now, too.

Have I mentioned that I hate pregnancy?

Whoever Named It Morning Sickness

This is not morning sickness. It is All-Day-Every-Day-Drive-You-Mad Sickness. Can any man imagine what it is like to feel nausea for 3 months straight? It literally threatens your sanity.

Why did I do this again? *groan* And to top it all off, I'm all emotional today, too. I dropped the knife while making Diana's peanut butter and jelly sandwich and started crying at the huge jelly mess I'd made. (About then Spitz came home and almost got in big husband trouble for the ... how to describe it... "she's moody" man look he gave me.) Then Diana and I went to her end of the school year party. They showed a slideshow of all the pics they've taken of the kids all year. I was fighting so hard not to cry because those people don't know I'm pregnant and wouldn't understand.

I need a nap. What? Oh, yeah, I know. Pigs aren't flying yet, so, no nap!

Mother's Day Shopping

Spitz told me this story, because obviously, I wasn't there.

He took the two girls out to find Mother's Day presents for me. He likes to let them pick out something on their own - makes the presents much more meaningful (although sometimes it means... well... that it takes a mother to love them). Anyway, Becca apparently picked out a present very quickly, but they continued to shop because Diana still needed to choose. As they looked, Becca would periodically go over to Diana, place her arm around Diana's shoulders and say, "Now, Diana, you have to pick a really special present for Mommy because we have a really awesome mommy. And she deserves a very good present."

*cry* She is so sweet!

Update/Rambling

It has been a busy 2 weeks!

At playgroup on 5/4, I couldn't keep the new addition to the family secret from the other moms because Mindy saw me and immediately said, "So are you?" I had to hush her excitement at my response because Becca and Diana didn't know yet. Three days later at Bunco, Lesa asked me straight out, too. My friends are nosy!!! (-;

Friday we bought our new mini van, a 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L. I love it! We were not really going for the new car, but looking for the Derby vans. Kristi told me about them at Bunco last week. Honda gives some minivans to the Derby Festival, and they are used for whatever for about a month. Then they go back to Honda with about 3,000 miles on them - for a bit of cleanup and sale to the public. Rumor is that you can get a pretty good deal on them. Well, the dealership we went to was pretty much asking the price of a new van. Pfft. Spitz basically said, "We'll pay you x and we want the 0% financing you are giving on new cars." They said, "Um, sorry, the good financing is only available on new cars... but we'll sell you a new one for that." So, surprise, I drove home a new van at about midnight (paperwork to buy a car takes FOREVER - because of the stupid waiting they make you do while they "check with their manager" on every point). Hmm. And we suspect we offered too much for the Derby Van with 3200 miles on it.

Saturday, Diana had a fabulous birthday and party. I ordered food from a restaurant and only had to make the cake. It was perfect weather for most people to sit outside the whole time. It was the most relaxed party I've ever given. A lot of fun. The hit presents were a remote-controlled car and a music box that plays music when she opens it. And she has a closet full of new very fancy dresses to strut around in! (Diana wears nothing else! She is a fashion plate.)

We announced my pregnancy at the party. We basically pulled the girls aside and told them. After a few seconds for it to sink in, they both went running back into the heart of the party and yelled, "Diana is going to be a big sister!!" It was really adorable. The only downside to this was my mother-in-law's comment, "I was right!" She manages to irritate me in every conceivable way, even when I'm really trying to not be in a bad mood towards her. *sigh*

(So, now the only secret is on WoW because Spitz wants to announce it at our next guild meeting.)

On a final note, the timing has proved perfect because my brother and his wife (who are moving back to Columbus after his graduation this week, need an additional family-friendly car, and hope to start a family soon) want to buy my Toyota Avalon. We didn't use it as a trade-in because we don't have the paperwork yet to have a free-and-clear title. But this works out nicely, except for the fact that it is really better to not do business with family. Really.

And today, the morning sickness has arrived. )-:

Flatten Chicken Breasts to 1/4" Thickness

I've read this in a recipe repeatedly when scanning cookbooks in the past, but I've never made a recipe that called for it. Ok. So.

Messy, nasty, more challenging than you'd expect. And it actually turns my stomach a bit to think of what taking a heavy, marble rolling pin to (what was) living, breathing flesh looks like.

So, I've declared my pounding step complete, but they surely aren't 1/4 inch thick. I think if I really got them that thin, they wouldn't be in one piece anymore. Actually, they are only sort of in one piece now. Hmm. I hope that once I roll them up around butter/parsley/chives and then dip and bread them, they will be more appetizing. I'm sure they will be to anyone who hasn't seen the current status.

The Results Are In

YES!!



(shhhh, it's a secret. Seriously.)

The Waiting

So, has it happened?
*shrug* I can't tell you. I don't know myself.
Do I think it has?
I hope so. The waiting is killing me. Usually I've tested by now, but Spitz wants me to wait this time.
Time to test yet?
Well, the box says so, but to keep marital harmony, I'll wait a few more days.

The waiting is killing me.

Kid Tidbits

I got two chuckles from my daughters today.

First - At dinner both girls clamored to be able to be the one to say the prayer before the meal. Diana 2.12 (almost to her birthday now) was given permission to start it off. Her prayer was as follows: "Dear God, Thank you for today. Thank you for Daddy and Mommy getting married. Amen." [Frequently it is obvious what in the child's life has prompted a prayer or unusual comment. This one was out of left field. ???]

Second - Becca and the rest of her school were treated to a magic show today. The father of one of her classmates is a professional magician. She was full of stories of it when she got home. Her favorite trick from the whole show was when he had a flower and tried to smell it, but each time he put it to his nose, it bent over, keeping him from actually smelling it. I've seen this joke and recognized it from her description. But the funny part is how she described it. "Every time he tried to smell it, it stuck it's butt in his face!" LOL

You Learn Something New Every Day

So, the new thing I learned yesterday was that tree roots continue to grow for about 7 years after the tree itself has been cut down. Who knew?

I learned this from the plumber who had just spent 3 1/2 hours running 144 feet of snake down the main drain in our basement (which had begun backing up nasty smelling water). He brought out a TON of tree roots and miscellaneous gunk.

Adoption

When you hear about a family adopting a child internationally, does it pull at you? Do you get misty-eyed and think about what it would be like to try to integrate a toddler (since usually it takes so long, they are no longer babies) into your life that you didn't meet as a newborn? A toddler who likely does not understand English at all. Do you think about the love they've been missing in an orphanage somewhere or maybe the food or clothing they've done without? Do you feel like someday, you should do that, too?

Am I the only one who feels a pull every time I hear of an adoption seminar or meets a family at church with a child from an obviously different heritage? All my life, stories of international adoptions have ... how to describe it?... reached me. Really tugged at me, brought out emotion and avid interest. Drawn my thoughts over and over again. Some days I would even say that I feel God's calling to reach out to some child on the other side of the world that doesn't get a hug each day or who goes to bed cold. I can't stop the feeling that I'm supposed to do that.

We have the resources, at least financially. International adoptions are incredibly expensive. I've heard that before, but it is really hitting home as I've recently started reading the blog of a family working to complete their 3rd international adoption. A family barely out of debt from the first 2 adoptions and trying to reach a third child on a shoestring budget. Wow does the process sound complicated, expensive and exhausting. Yet, I read on because I feel like I might need to know this stuff.

Do we have the resources physically and emotionally? Hmmm. I've never been one to enjoy taking care of lots of kids. I'm an accountant, for goodness sake. I like order and numbers on paper. Patience is my biggest struggle with my girls. But I love them. So much. And maybe that's more important.

My husband doesn't share the urgency I feel when I bring up this urge to look into adoption. We have 2 beautiful little girls and might soon be expecting another if things work out right. Way back when we first discussed "kids or no kids?" before we were even married, he was not in favor of having many because of the world population explosion. He is very concerned with recycling and being wise in our use of resources and didn't want to add to the burden humans place on earth. At that time, there was a brief discussion of adopting, but only in the context of "let's only have 2 naturally and if we want more, we could adopt." But now? Now he's a physician and is concerned that we'd never know the child's medical background or the illnesses that babe would already have. And he just does the "Yes, dear" thing if I bring it up.

There's a couple in our Sunday School class who've known forever that they are meant to adopt. They are saving up for it. They have 3 of their own already, but they know that God has a sister-brother pair of children somewhere in the world in mind for them and they are saving until some point they will start the process. Sometimes I wonder, is what I feel, the pull, the calling, is it what they feel?

Is there a little boy or girl, maybe not even born yet, destined to be part of my family? Does he or she need me? Need us? It haunts me.

lag

It's really hard to keep up with a blog. Free time is scarce. Hence the post lag here.

Today's Parent Giggle

Diana 2.10 has never been a "terrible two." Her sister never was either. In our family, they hit "terrible three." Then, the stubbornness comes out. The self-assertion, I should say I guess.

Today, she was playing with a toy horse, giving it a very involved bath when up rides Rebecca 5.7 on a big wheel that makes police siren noises. (We are at grandma's, so the toys are all new and exciting since we only come about once per month.) Diana immediately demanded to ride the big wheel. Fortunately, at the same exact instant, Becca decided that she wanted the toy horse. It was a surprisingly amicable exchange, with both about to erupt in demands that were defused.

Anyway, Diana marched rapidly to the big wheel (all prepared to force her sister out), Becca hopped up, and with some built-up momentum Diana flung over a leg to take over the big wheel controls. She promptly missed the seat with her rear end and sat down HARD on the ground next to it. And very definitively announced, "Well. I meant to do that!"

And I fought the hardest battle there exists in parenting: keeping the straight face.

Success!

So, the absolute measure of success is having people ask you for the recipe after they've just eaten a meal you prepared. About 3 ladies wanted the recipes for Fluffy Fruit Salad and Chicken Broccoli Braid. (Of course, it tells me something about the other things I made. hmm) Anyway, peer pressure (I assume) and the easy availability of the recipes (I have my recipes in Word so I could just print them out) made everyone leave with copies.



Now, the downside of the night was the poor showing of the Ohio State Buckeyes against Florida in the final game of the NCAA tournament immediately following Bunco. *insert worst stinky face ever*

My Turn to Host

Bunco is at my house tomorrow night. It's my turn to stress over what to serve for dinner and to attempt to make my house look as if someone actually designed the layout of furniture and as if no kids live here. (-:

So, my menu is going to be Chicken Broccoli Braid (large square of dough with a chicken, broccoli, cheese, bell pepper, mayonnaise, garlic mixture in the middle and strips of the dough pulled up and sort of braided on top making a sort of meat-stuffed pastry with almond slivers on top), Baked Beans, Fluffy Fruit Salad (fruit cocktail, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows in a pudding and cool whip sauce) and Strawberry Shortcake. It sounds really yummy to me. Whatcha think? Anyway, one of the hard parts of cooking for Bunco are the limits determined by the other Bunco players. One woman is very anti-onion, and there are some other little quirks you have to follow when preparing a Bunco meal. The bonus of cooking for Bunco is that I can cook the Chicken Broccoli Braid; my husband does not care for it because he one time ate it just before getting sick and threw it up repeatedly. Understandably, that turned him off the meal, so I can only make it VERY RARELY or when he's going to be gone for a board meeting or something.

On to the house. For days, I've been reorganizing the first floor of the house. Not cleaning. I'll do that last minute tomorrow, and it won't need to be super-thorough. Just sweeping and cleaning the downstairs bathroom. But the reorganizing to get rid of the stacks of unresolved mail, coupons, ads, etc. that insist on building up on surfaces in the kitchen. Reorganizing to find homes for all the DVDs and CDs purchased over the last few months that are all stacked randomly around the entertainment center. I'll deal with the toys set for weeks on the window seat so that it looks like we actually planned their storage place. Those are the types of cleaning I have to attack this weekend before Bunco so that my house is presentable.

Every once in a while it is good to host a party at your home just to kick yourself in the butt and throw out the papers you really don't need, select toys to put into storage for the next child, box up the old videos no one watches to give to the church yard sale.

At a loss

How do you get a 5-year-old to get up and get dressed and eat and be ready? She just lays there, maybe moves while I'm in the room, but stops when I turn to help the other daughter. How can I motivate her? She doesn't care if we're late. She just wants to listen to music or play with a flashlight or pretend to be asleep or do whatever else happens to catch her attention.

How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?

Post Bath/Shower Huddles

Ritual is so important in the life of every child. They like familiar places and events and do not deal well with change (like most adults, actually). Consistency at home regarding rules, foods, schedules, care providers, etc. is extremely important to a happy, "obedient" child. Sometimes without even pre-planning, our family falls into regular routines that make us all happy.

One of these at our house is the post-bathing/showering huddle. I'm not sure when this ritual was adopted in our home or which child was the trigger, but after every bathing experience when the cleaning is over and the towels come out, our daughters become huddles. They wrap the towel around as much of their wet selves as possible, climb out of the shower or tub and find a convenient (usually very close by) spot of carpet. The child then returns to the fetal position with as much of her under the towel as possible and shivers. A huddle.

A little lump of cold, wet, small girl who then refuses to move. (-:

Questionnaire from a friend

What is one thing you wish you could do with your hair?
Have a personal hairdresser arrange it daily. Oh, ok, seriously. Red. I've gone a bit red before, but I want the nerve to do all-over, natural-looking, gorgeous red. And of course, not have to deal with roots.

Do you own a wall calendar?
I have a calendar covered in family pictures that my husband and I made and mass produced as family Christmas presents. We make one every year. This month has a pic of Dan as an early teen with a cute braces smile.

What was the most special present you ever received at Christmas before age 7 or 8?
God's gift of his Son, sent to this world to sacrifice Himself to pay for all the wrong we've done and can never atone for ourselves. God gave Jesus just for me and everyone else who accepts this gift.

What is your favorite view (Out of a particular window, from a tourist attraction, on top of a hill...)?
Looking down on a sleeping little girl.

Is there an instrument that you are particularly fond of?
I love listening to the cello and will always regret that I don't know how to play one. I do, however, still have my viola and play it occasionally. But there's something about the cello that makes me close my eyes and just listen. I adored the opening theme to Angel.

What's your favorite kind of cookie?
Chocolate chocolate-chip, slightly warmed

What did you have for dinner last night?
Chicken Bruschetta Bake. It was a recipe I got from a magazine, and I really disliked it. Won't be seeing it on our table again.

What was the last song you listened to?
You're In Love by Wilson Phillips

What was the last movie you watched?
Ghostrider. I have only one comment. Run and run fast.

What was the last T.V. program you watched?
If we're talking as-it's-broadcast, the only show I've seen in the last 6 months was CSI: Las Vegas. I got to watch it on vacation in Florida last month.

When will be the next vacation?
May, I think. But I don't really want to go then. We just got back from a Disney World vacation with our kids (we had a blast). This summer we plan to vacation with my in-laws, and they want to go in May. But I'd really prefer to spread out the vacations. You know, wait until July or August or something. Not to mention their plans call for us to miss Rebecca's kindergarten graduation. Now, I know that doesn't seem like a big deal, but somehow the thought of missing it really upsets me. Sentimental mommy, I guess.

What's the last thing you said out loud?
"No, I'm not going to kiss you!" (Amazingly, that is really what I just said. Dan has a sore throat.)

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I really can't decide. I already wear so many hats, and I'm not sure any of them would really be my _dream_.

Best part about today?
Sitting on the couch and reading a Calvin & Hobbes book with Dan and both girls. (It was the girls' introduction to the comic, and they loved it!)

Do you like llamas?
Sure. Their name is cool.

So You Thought Y2K was Over....

So, computers and calendars clash again. Apparently, when Congress adjusted the approved Daylight Savings dates, they've screwed with the computer world anew. It's likely that after Sunday's time change, many computers will report incorrect times for the next month.

LOL

Big News

Last night, Becca's second tooth came out. This was a very abrupt tooth-exodus (the first tooth was loose for more than 2 months). She noticed it was slightly loose just a week ago. Tuesday she was at school and chewing on her tights (yes, while she was wearing them - don't ask me why or even how this occurred), and she popped that tooth loose. She spent the rest of that day in pain because every time she closed her mouth or tried to chew, the top front teeth hit that loose, cock-eyed bottom tooth.

Constant pain does not make for a charming 5.6 child. In fact, the evening was pretty miserable despite the Tylenol I gave her. And for dinner, she ate a fruit smoothy because she could not chew.

But after finding $5 under her pillow, she is wishing for the next tooth to let go.

Stinky Bunco

Monday night, I played Bunco with a bunch of women from playgroup and a few of their friends and co-workers. There are many variations of Bunco, but I'll give you ours. Eight women gather together, rotating whose home they invade, eat dinner and play Bunco. It is mainly an excuse to get away from the husband and kids, eat food someone else had to make (except when it's your turn to host), and gossip over a dice game that takes just a little brainpower to play. We split into 2 tables (the winners'/head table and the losers' table), pair up with the woman across the table, and roll a set of 3 dice until someone gets 21 points. There are 6 rounds in each game. In round one, each time a dice lands on a 1, it's worth one point. In round two, points are awarded for tossing 2's. And so on. After each round, the pair of women from the loser table who had more points moves to the winner table while the pair who had fewer points at the winner/head table gets kicked down to the losers' table.

This week, there was an extra incentive to win and move to the head table. We were in the middle of the first game and Kristy said she could smell something odd. Mindy (the hostess) seemed a bit confused and then gasped. She jumped up, ran to the door to her garage (a few feet away from the losers' table), opened it, yelled something unintelligible, put down her garage door, and shut the door to the garage. She was not pleased about something. I vaguely remembered that her garage door had been open just a few inches. (Turns out that was so her cat could get in to his food and water.)

So Mindy shared her struggle with her in-laws' cats. Her in-laws (neither she nor her husband gets along with them very well) have 12 cats and live next door. They aren't really all that close because Mindy is pretty far out in the country, I guess you'd call it. Houses are relatively spread out. But one of those 12 cats, a big male, likes to come over to Mindy's house and spray all over. In particular he likes to spray on door and window glass. Yuck!

And the perfume in the air for the rest of Bunco was Yuck! for sure. That big tomcat had crawled into the garage and sprayed all over while we were playing dice. And it was like sitting in a cat box that has not been changed in quite a while. Sort of spoiled the ice cream dessert we shared between Bunco games. Ick.

Ta-Da!!!!

I spent last night and this morning at a women's conference at our church. The speaker was Liz Curtis Higgs, successful author and formerly a well known radio personality. She was really engaging and hilarious.

One of her themes was that we women should stop being ashamed of our bodies. We tell our daughters they are beautiful but always criticize ourselves, sending them a stronger message in our actions than in the words we speak. Our society's pressures have us always looking in the mirror for flaws. And guess what? When you look in the mirror to check if there are problems, you are going to find problems.

So, Liz suggests that we master our mirrors. This involves a daily ritual with our mirror that consists of the following: approach the mirror, throw up your arms enthusiastically, and announce, "Ta-Da!!!" with a big smile. [Note: It is good to warn your husband prior to performing this the first time, both to alert him that nothing is wrong and to make sure he doesn't miss it if that's his wish! Also note that the upraised arms are critical as everything is given a lift and boost upward! (-: ]

In the United Kingdom, each of these words has a meaning. "Ta" is shorthand for "thanks," while "Da" often refers to "father." So, each morning, this cheerful little exercise shouts praise to God the Father for making me so special.

Psalms 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (After a few more Ta-Da's I hope it'll sink in!)

Silence

In every happy couple, there is one morning person and one night person. In my marriage, I am the morning person. The cost of being the morning person is lack of sleep because no matter how late I stay up working/talking/gaming with my husband, I still wake up early the next morning.

The reward of being the morning person is silence. Peace. Solitude. A quiet house with no one demanding anything of you such as breakfast, candy, help tying a shoe or attention. Freedom. Quiet time with God.

Don't miss out on your phone tax money!

I heard about this a few days ago, and thought I would mention it here.

There is a refund you can claim on your 2006 tax return if you paid phone bills between March 2003 and July 2006. Apparently a tax was collected on those bills (which would have included cell phone bills as well as land lines) for both long distance and local calls, but according to some new rulings should have only been collected for local calls. So, the part that was for long distance is being refunded.

If you don't have 4 years of old bills, you can take a standard amount (the actual amount depends on your number of exemptions) that is supposedly easy to calculate and include in your return. I've heard advice from one tax professional that says it's not worth the extra time and effort to pull out the old invoices and add up the tax anyway. Also, if you've already filed and forgot this refund, just refile an amended return.

You can probably tell that I haven't filed my return yet and won't for a number of months (yes, I'll file an extension request). For that reason, I'm not completely familiar with the details yet. I will be once I look into it for myself. But if any friends have questions about it, just let me know. I'll do the research early! (Yes, you have to be a friend of mine to get this service.)

The child issue

Rereading my old posts, I see a commitment never to have 4 children. How time can change your outlook (time and your level of exhaustion). Actually, I still can't claim to want 4 children, but my husband and I are working on conceiving our third. (No, not right this second. And, yes, I've heard that joke before.)

Sometimes I think I'm a little deranged for making this choice, because I can catch a glimpse of freedom in the near future. We've signed a contract for Diana to attend a Montessori preschool starting next fall, and Rebecca will be in the 1st grade. I will actually have my mornings child-free! Well, I will for a few months before #3 is born, should we succeed in our efforts.

I'm definitely off my rocker for watching "A Baby Story" on TLC each morning that I go to the YMCA and climb on an elliptical machine. No one contemplating pregnancy should enjoy watching others go through the agony of labor, right? But somehow I watch it and always seem to come up with reasons why my experience will be different from the one I'm watching. I won't be screaming in a van racing to reach the hospital in time. I won't be the one begging for an epidural (I've delivered both girls without pain meds.) . I won't be the one who can't seem to get the baby past her hips (no questions there!).

But this time... no induction! No hernias (I hope)! No huge weight gain (I don't need it). Absolutely no pitocin. More naps! No more morning sickness!

Yeah, I'm insane.

More than Momentary relapse

Well, it's been a while. Hmmm. Seems to me that it was about May 2005 that I started playing WoW. Oh, that's World of Warcraft to the uninitiated. If there are any of those left. Guess that's when this blog petered out.

The girls are 2.09 and 5.06. (Version numbers, by the way, are years.months) We just got back from their first trip to Disney World.

And since that has left me tired, I will try to pick this up again tomorrow.