a peek at us.

Had to quickly take a picture. This isn't the best, but decent. I look a little crazed, been a long day! Kaia is still in her bathing suit from swim lessons, and we are all a bit rumpled! Enjoy.

Freedom! to......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

WHOOT!!!! Off cervical rest! You know what that means?!
.....
.....
......

It means I have to figure out a way to stay awake while in a horizontal position long enough to enjoy it.


just kidding.


mostly.

Baby Name Poll

Which name do you like best? The baby would most likely go by the nickname in parenthesis most of the time. This is far from our final choices, just trying to get ideas...


Benjamin (Ben)

Isaac (Zack)

William (Will)

Please let me know! thanks!
I would like to know why you don't like any of the names too, please.

My Home Sweet Home

I've put this in the Things About Me category because this is where I'm from. Geographically, I'm still there, but real Pacific Northwesters know that where I am is NOT real Pacific Northwest. Actually, I'm in the Inland Northwest, but anyone not from here, or the Pacific Northwest, looking at map wouldn't know that, probably.)


The Pacific Northwest According To Jeff Foxworthy

You know you're from the Pacific Northwest if ...

1. You know the state flower (Mildew)
oh hells yes. technically, it's the rhododendron, which I also know. uh...yeah....
2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.
what?!? there are people out there who DO that!? Just kidding..but I DO feel way guilty when I do.
3. Use the statement "sun break" and know what it means.
that's not an normal weather term?!
4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
yep. got me on this one too.
5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
not necessarily...but I do see the point of the statement.
6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.
them types of restaurants are in them big cities out East.
7. You stand on a deserted street corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" Signal.
You never cross unless the little sign TELLS you to!
8. You consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain.
Naturally. Those others are called "hills".
9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best,
and Veneto's.
I might be hazy on this one, but I could probably do it.
10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye Salmon.
I fail on this one. I do know that those are all types of salmon though! Does that get me points?
11. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon, Yakima, and Willamette.
I shur do. (for those out there that only recognize Oregon as a word, it's NOT "orry-gone" I won't overload you with the others)
12. You consider swimming an indoor sport.
mostly this is true...but there are a couple of weeks in Summer that we can swim outside. If you catch them.
13. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese, and Thai food.
There are people who CAN'T?!? ;-)
14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark - while only working eight-hour days.
yep
15. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho.
I never go camping. You mean there are times when it's not too wet or cold to do that sort of thing?
16. You are not fazed by "Today's forecast: showers followed by rain," and "Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers."
what else would the weather man say?
17. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.
this is very true. people talk about a "wet heat", and I'm like, yeah, it's called "rain"
18. You know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind.
hee hee
19. You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see them through the cloud cover.
volcanoes are a way of life.
20. You notice, "The mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.
I can't count the times my mother has said those words.
21. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.
if you don't catch shorts weather now, you'll miss it!
22. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60.
see above.
23. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
personally I have never done this, but what else is a mountain bike FOR?!
24. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.
LOL! I was just teasing Mike and Kaia about this. I can't remember ever in my life choosing to use an umbrella. It's just water, people.
25. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time.
Sunglasses are a fashion accessory, not a sunblock aid.....aren't they?
26. You measure distance in hours.
there's another way?
27. You often switch from "heat" to "a/c" in the same day.
and back again. in the same hour.
28. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
many a costume worn as a child was never seen by the people who gave out the candy.
29. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer), Deer & Elk Season (Fall).
though I don't agree with the last one, I agree with the statement. "Road Construction"....love it.

Outrageous Outfit Day

Kaia and I had a lot of fun picking out her outfit for school last week. She said she was one of the craziest there! You can't tell in this picture, but her shirt is purple and covered in sparkles!

sorting scrapbooking paper is fun...or not....

It's been an interesting mix of laziness and productivity today. My parents left this morning, after another wonderful breakfast out. On the way out, they stopped with me at U-haul, so I could finally return the boxes I bought months ago when we were going to move. On the way back from that, I went to Michael's and Jo-Ann's to get scrap booking stuff. By the grace of God, I spent almost EXACTLY the amount I had planned on (was even a little under)!

I got the book to use for the baby's baby book, and two smaller books to use for my idea of making matching (except for boy/girl differences) albums to give to my kids when they are adults. They will each have the same pictures in them, of the two kids together. I'm very excited to start on them, already got some duplicate quotes and similar paper to use for them! I think I can make them very similar but feminine and masculine according to child.

Then I came home and Mike took the car to various things of school-ish nature. I took turns being lazy on the couch and getting chores done. I filled almost two more bags to go to Goodwill, and cleared out the area where the baby dresser will go! Hoping to get Mike to put it together soon....

Kaia had a fun time finger painting the kitchen floor and a small piece of cardboard, and still isn't in bed....though she's been bathed!

Tomorrow I am hoping to go out to Andrea's, get some time outside and let Kaia run around wild.

Gonna have a baby boy...oh my! :-)

it's a........

....

.....


BOY!!!!

If there is a god......

There will be wars and holocausts and genocides as long as God is portrayed and thought of as a tight-minded Legislator, a feudal Lord, and offended King, a hypersensitive Artisan-even if church managers condescendingly tack on that ridiculous list the not-very-convincing footnote that He is also loving.
As long as people dream on that they are insecure and needy and in some sort of eternal jeopardy, there will be atrocities.
But as the human race grows up spiritually, and as individuals gain a personal experience of the God they have been worshiping in fear, they will recognize that much of their theology and philosophy is built on nightmares.
That will be the day of rethinking of presuppositions and of vested positions.
That will be the day of peace.

George Fowler
Dance of a Fallen Monk

New Direction (If I can remember I even wrote this entry)

I am going to change up what I do here a bit. No one is interested in my day to day stuff, not even me. The main reason I was doing that was because one of the purposes of this blog is to keep a record of ME, in all my boring glory, for my kids to read years hence. But I think I can do that in other ways. you know, like when they are sick, and HAVE to listen to whatever I am saying for hours on end. Or on my deathbed, when they have to pretend everything I am saying is ultra-important, because after all, I am dying.

So first, you may have noticed a new part to my blog, the Twitter.com box. It seems to lag behind my actual twitterings, so click on the link to see everything I decide to randomly twitter. It's not necessarily more interesting, but it's in much smaller doses.

The other part is that I may be blogging less often. I want to try to have actual reasons to blog, not just that it's been a day or two since my last entry. I can't promise my reduced entries will be more entertaining, but they may give more insight into Me. Which will hopefully be more interesting to my kids later than how often I did laundry.

if you care to be involved, let me know if there is anything about Me that you would like to know. Ask one question, ask fifty, I'll answer them all, no matter the content! Or just list any topics you would like to know my opinion on. Trust me, I have an opinion on most everything, though not always an educated or logical one.

and someone, please ask SOMETHING. or I may feel unloved. ;-)

Why I don't have a Ghost

This, my friends, is AWESOME.

http://thinkingapeblues.com/archive.php?comic=20

and yes, I KNOW, I am supposed to know how to do hyperlinks...but I kinda forgot-just temporarily!- and anyway, I am tired. So check it out.

(sorry, for some reason it's not doing it's link-y purpose and turning blue and allowing you to just click on it and head straight there....but copy and paste. It's worth it. To me anyway.)

6:47 am

For the last few weeks, more often than not, I haven't been sleeping well. I will wake up multiple times at night, and toss and turn for awhile before going back to sleep. Almost every night, one of these times, I will look at the clock and it will say 6:47. The other times I wake up are random, and I almost never even think to look at the clock, much less have it be the exact same time! I would say I've looked at the clock at 6:47 am probably about 6-10 times. Now, it's not actually 6:47 am because my bedroom clock is set fast. I don't know how much. I've been awake for about 5 minutes and the computer says 6:46 am right now.

This didn't deserve quite such a long post. It's just odd, in my opinion. Wonder what is significant about that time that wakes me up every morning?

a bit of fun....

I am The Sun

Happiness, Content, Joy. (for the most part, yes!)

The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.

Young, healthy, new, fresh. (young! hear that, 30th birthday!?) The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way. (YAY! when?)

The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. (again, YAY! WHOO HOO!) As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science (yes)and math (and no), beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.

(in other words, I ROCK!)

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

yeah, I kinda knew him....he was my sister's husband's ex-roommate's cousin's aunt's friend. It doesn't matter WHO it is, folks.

This past weekend we had a sniper shooting in a town very near to where I live. My first reaction to hearing about it was shock, horror, amazement that it could happen in such a small town, and sadness for the people who knew the victims. However, after a few minutes, my thoughts moved on to other other things, and though occasionally came back, I continued on with my day to day moments of laughter and complaints.

This morning Mike and I dropped Kaia off at preschool. On the way in, I noticed one of the workers looked sad, but I quickly forgot about it. However, upon signing Kaia in, I read a note attached to the log-in sheet. It informed us that the officer who had been killed in shooting was the husband of one of my daughter's teachers.

This suddenly makes it personal, and so much more horrible. I had never met this man, so it could have been much much worse, but I am now connected to his death. All the teachers are so obviously near tears, and yet trying to still be cheerful for their students. This isn't supposed to happen in such a small town!

This isn't supposed to happen ANYWHERE. People should not be able to take out their personal feelings of angst or wrongdoing on others. EVERY shooting should feel this personal to all of us. We are all connected to every human on this planet. Every person who dies has a mother, a sister, a son....so many people who have suddenly lost one of the most important people in their lives. All because some asshole felt the world had done him wrong and felt justified in spraying bullets at random people.

This is NOT ACCEPTABLE. I don't care what kind of fucked up life you have had handed to you by fate, there is nothing in this universe that gives you the right to fuck up someone else's life.

Do I have a solution? No. Unfortunately, I feel helpless. I am ignorant about what we can do, as People of the World, to fucking STOP ALL THIS CHAOS.

Do you know? Can you let me know, please?

"Wishes are a scam!"

Spent the weekend at Dana's! Kaia and I both had a really good time, though we are both a bit tired tonight. She's quite easy to tears.....and I am done being the parent for right now...Mike's turn!

Dana made me cupcakes, and I've eaten about 5 or 6 I think...so far....I brought some home! Very tasty, and my first birthday celebration of the year! We have Adam to thank for the title today, I about choked on my cupcake when he said it. His basis for his statement is that his wish to have Cerberus (the three headed dog who guards the Underworld) for a pet never materialized.

I opened a Twitter account, though it is being VERY slow to do anything right now. Gonna get Mike and whoever else is interested in it to join and won't you be my friend? It's quite simple, and much easier and less time consuming than blogging. Don't worry, I won't be giving up blogging any time soon.....anyway, basically, at random moments in the day, you log on and in a single sentence, answer the question "what are you doing?" I'll probably put random single sentence thoughts on there as well....let me know if you join, so I can add you as a friend!

Dana really likes Second Life, and I have to keep myself from logging on myself. I know I could waste HOURS on it, without doing anything to make money, like Dana does. I'd just spend money and buy stuff. So, NO SL for me!!

I need to get off my ass and change the laundry load...need to get my work shirts washed..... I'm not ready for Monday....

Go Green!

Mike and I have been talking lately, about a few different things. One, when we build our house in a few yeas, we want to go much smaller than originally planned. My goal would be not to spend more than would allow us to be able to pay all our living expenses with only one income. That way our second income would be for retirement, vacations, helping our kids with various purchases, and emergencies. While I would still like a few acres, 3-5, I am brainstorming on ways to make our house smaller, while still providing us with what we want. Examples include a separate office/music room for Mike, and a Japanese style room. I'd also like a guest room, but I think a guest area would work if I did it right.

Mike has been reading lately about the monumentally horrendous amount of plastic we generate as a planet. Only 3-5% of this is recycles IN ANY WAY. This is not good people. Many types of plastic are extremely poisonous. You know the little numbers on the bottom? That indicates the type of plastic the item is made of. #'s 1 and 2 are the only ones that get recycled to any degree. #'s 3 and 7 are the most hazardous. Recently, a tangled mass twice the size of Texas was discovered floating in one of our oceans. This mass is completely unable to be recycled or destroyed in any way. SO. We are going to try to buy and use less plastic! From the food packages I buy to my appliances and utensils, I'm going to make an effort to be more aware of what's made of plastic and try to avoid being a part of it's use.

We'd also like to make the house we build as Green as possible. This means using building materials that aren't hazardous to the environment, as well as appliances that are eco-friendly and energy efficient. I'd like to use solar panels, but in the Pacific Northwest, I feel that would mean we'd be going most of the year without power!

Another goal, more near in being put into play, is our goal of bringing less into the house. This will be the most hard for me! I love to shop, love to buy things, love THINGS. After we move and have more money this will be even more difficult. But I feel so much calmer in a room that is clear and clean. Not to mention it's easier to keep that way! Our first step in this is to go through each room, which we will be giving a week per, and editing out what is unnecessary, as well as organizing what's left. The kitchen will be the hardest to do, as I plan to go through each and every cupboard. We're also going through our storage areas again, and both plan on being brutal! Nothing that is not necessary or LOVED will stay. My clothes are difficult for me to get rid of, since I always feel that some situation or other will come up that an item I haven't worn in years. But not anymore.

So, in short, our current plan is to live simpler, cleaner, and more environmentally friendly-like. Wish us luck, and feel free to offer suggestions or remind me when I go to purchase that really, really cute whatever-it-might-be!

the perils of outdoor lettuce growing.

This morning I walked out to water my tomatoes and lettuce, and spied a rabbit enjoying the feast. On the way to work, I told Mike about it. He asked if I had chased it away. I told him no, we had enough to share.

"Share!?!" he said incredulously.

"ummm...yeah...." I said, unsure why he was so upset. It's not like we are huge in the lettuce eating department.

"I don't know about that. " He said. "I don't want to eat lettuce that has been touched by rabbit lips! You don't know where they've been."

tidbits

Kaia sang a little song to herself while I did her hair this morning....one of the lyrics went like this..... "Listen to yourself, don't listen to your paaaareeeents"

Went and saw In the Land of Women with Dana last Sunday. I was really glad to see her again, we haven't gotten together for while. Next weekend, Kaia and I will be having a sleepover at her house!

Going to Liam's birthday party today! He's five...wow....

Three conversations that Andrea and I had with the inscrutable small children last Monday at her place:

Heading toward Liam to help him out of the tree he is stuck in, Andrea says "This is why I
told you not to climb trees when I'm not out here with you."
Liam quite indignantly answers "I'm not climbing trees!!"

Walking down one of Andrea's roads, Mama Cat comes streaking by, running for all she's
worth. Kaia comes running after her, yelling "Mama Cat!! Mama Cat!!"
I call after her "Don't chase the cat!"
Without stopping, and with shock I would suggest such a thing, she answers "I'm not chasing
the cat!"

Kaia goes outside, thinking Liam is following her, which he's not. From outside, she began to
yell his name "Liam!! Liam!!! Where are you!?"
I call out the window "Liam is inside!"
Liam comes out of his room looking confused "Why?"

Baby is moving quite a bit, especially at night. Can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or a girl!

For Mother's Day, Mike is cleaning out my car....very cool! I am assuming I will also get a bit pampered and allowed to be lazy, we shall see.

If you're bored....really, really bored....

70 Confessions

1.Phone rings who usually is it?
My mom.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
If I am by myself, always. If Kaia is with me, then I do if I am close to a cart return.

3. If you had to kiss the last person you kissed again, would you?
Most assuredly!

4. Do you take compliments well?Usually.

5. Do you play Sudoku?absolutely not! Mike was teaching Kaia how to though….

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
For how long? Sadly, I doubt I could last long….I’d try my damndest though.

7. Do you like nipple rings?depends on the nipple.

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
a day camp, once. On the last day, we spent the night at some camp ground. The leader guy told the scariest scary story, scarring me for life.

10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married what would you do?Tell him to fuck off.

12. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
I doubt it. Considering that I don’t really get anyone who belongs to any organized religion, and wouldn’t want to marry one, so why date them?

13. Do you like to pursue or be pursued?
Be pursued.

14. Use three words to describe yourself at the moment:
Bulbous, itchy, hot.

15. Do any songs make you cry?
yep.

16. Are you continuing your education?
In a year or two, yes.

17. Do you know how to shoot a gun?
well, I have shot a gun previously…but if I just picked up a random gun? I know how, yes, in the basest “point and pull the trigger” sort of way.

18. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?
My child. If we are strictly speaking “thing” then my photo albums and laptop.

19. Who was the last person you shared a bed with?
My secret boyfriend. but don’t tell my husband. He might want to up his visits with HIS mistress.

20. Who do you call the most?
My mom, Andrea, Kathy.

21. Favorite children's book?
Higgelty Piggelty Pop, Or, There Must Be More to Life

22. What color are your eyes?
Brown.

23. How tall are you?
5’6”

24. Do you have a crush on 'Dave the Goofy Professor'?
Huh?

25. If you could do it over again, start from scratch, would you?
Nope.

26. Any secret admirers?
Well, I wouldn’t know, now would I? If they were SECRET.

27. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
Yes. many times.

28. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
oh wow…..umm….not really sure. Years ago.

29 Favorite ex?
my ex-husband. he was the least loser-ish of all my exes.

30. Where was the furthest place you traveled?
Alaska.

32. Do you like mustard?
In small bits.

33. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
well, that’s not a good choice. they are both marvelous things. I’d have to pick eat, if I had to pick one…but sleeping is a sacred thing….so I call no fair.

34. Do you look like your mom or dad?
I have my dad’s coloring and my mom’s features.

35. How long does it take you in the shower?
To do what? that is the determining factor here….

36. Can you do splits?
oh yes. my feet will move at least two feet apart from each other.

37. What movie do you want to see right now?
a so far unmade or planned sequel to Serenity.

39. What did you do for New Year's Eve?
Got toasted at Andrea and John’s. Had a blast.

40. Do you think The Grudge was crappy?
I didn’t even consider watching it.

42. Do you own a camera phone?
yes, but do not use it as such.

44. Was your mom a cheerleader?
HELL no.

45. What's the last letter of your middle name?
H

47. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
right now, since I am pregnant, I get a solid 10 hours of constantly interrupted sleep.

48. Do you like care bears?
not overly much…not against them, per se….

49. What do you buy at the Movies?
pop. I smuggle air popped popcorn in.

50. Do you know how to play poker?
in a very vague way.

51. Do you wear your seatbelt?
Every time.

52. What do you wear to sleep?
depends on the season. anything from ziltch to covered from head to toe.

53. Anything big ever happen in your town?
not in my opinion.

54. Is your hair straight or curly?
depends in its mood.

55. Is your tongue pierced?
uh uh

56. Do you like Liver and Onions?
I have never tried them. But I am going to go out on a limb here and say absolutely not.

57. Have you ever been in love?
most assuredly.

58. Do you like funny or serious people better?
I love funny people, as long as they know when to get serious. I tend to annoy serious people.

59. Ever been to L.A.?
no.

61. Do you visit goofyauctions.com daily?
never even once.

62. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
neither, at the moment.

63. Do you hate chocolate?
excuse me? are you stupid?

64. What do you and your parents fight about the most?
we don’t really fight anymore.

65. Are you a gullible person?
I can be. but not across the board, no.

66. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?
I’m not sure. Since I was 15, I’ve only gone 3 months without one….sort of…what do you consider a boyfriend?......moving on….I am sure I could be quite happy without one, should the event occur.

67. If you could have any job what would it be?
Lottery Winner.

68. Are you easy to get along with?
Very much so. Unless you piss me off by being a jerk. Even then, I'm not overly difficult.

69. What is your favorite time of day?
late afternoon.

70. Are you a generally happy person?
I like to think so.

alright, here's one of the only politically bent entries you'll see here.....

MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATION
Julia Ward Howe
27 May 1819 to 17 October 1910.

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or of fears!
Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
"Our husbands shall not come to us reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
"Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy, and patience.
"We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says, "Disarm, Disarm!"
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice! Blood does not wipe out dishonor nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as the means whereby the great human family can live in peace,
And each bearing after her own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.

let me know....

okay. so I just learned how to make hyperlinks.....let's see if I can, shall we?

where does this take you?

Paris Goes Down!!



It should take you to www.gofugyourself.com, the Paris Hilton entry.... did it??! ohpleaseohplease say it did!

the first picture of Katie's wedding....more to come

yes, yes, way past time for a new blog. but I still just don't have the....something...that apparently I need to blog. But, thanks to Andrea, you get to see the marvelousness that is my sister and I. Aren't we awesome?!