lucky 13

things i've noticed in the last week:
1. eating while leaning back is now a key part of any meal.
2. kirkland dryer sheets can easily be confused with ladies perfume or men's cologne.
3. i found brennan's squirt gun in the toilet this morning. AWESOME:-)
4. slouching is just not an option (this makes the scout master pleased).
5. my belly is officially at the perfect size. this is why:
a. people still look at you like,
"oh, what a darling pregnant woman. i think i'll open the door for her."
(as opposed to one month from now when they will say/think, "oh, you look like you're dying.")
b. i feel like i'm pregnant, not carrying around a baby elephant.
c. shirts are now showing a ball, not a lumpy pillow.
6. i am more hungry at breakfast and lunch, and full faster at dinner.
7. if the lights on my christmas tree can be on all day and all evening i can die a happy woman.
8. brennan takes a better nap if he goes to bed at 12:30pm instead of 1pm. why? i do not know.
9. the burning feeling at the back of my throat has returned for pregnancy #2 at the end of the day on a regular basis. i've found that eating muddy buddies and drinking milk cures this ailment. when it's not there i think it's a good idea to still use said remedy,
just in case;-)
10. my bottom may have grown. i'm still undecided.
11. being on a strict budget actually makes the holiday season more enjoyable.
12. my toddler can survive on only 1 hour of tv in the mornings. i don't think i could survive with less than that, but i'm feeling great about getting it down to 1. afternoons are a different story. they depend on how well the toddler can play by himself while i make dinner and if he has had a good nap.
13. "ring around the rosie" is the pork loin's new favorite game. he does the fall down part really well, rolls around, does the worm (no joke, true story), and then hops up signing "more."

i wore royal blue to church today.

there was also a tri-tip steak sandwich involved in the evening.

extra sauce.

notes to follow.

things i learned at this year's game:

i still get car sick in traffic.

tri-tip sandwiches are better with extra sauce.

glad i learned this the easy way.

by asking.

trend setter, wait and see.

very satisfying.

hot chocolate is better enjoyed when it doesn't burn your tongue.

still haven't learned this lesson completely.

my tongue is not uncomfortably burned, just slightly "cinged."

not enough to affect drinks and food today.

i'll consider that an accomplishment.

quarter backs can say really dumb things in post game interviews.

husbands are happier when their team wins.

i knew this already.

having family and friends to watch your child is priceless.

i should be a MasterCard commercial.

eating pizza at 9:30pm tastes better than at 6pm.

barges root beer is better from the bottle than the fountain.

this is not true for most sodas.

cold weather puts me in a good mood.

i knew this already.

so did you.

the scout master is handsome.

i knew this already too.

as noted previously, the cheerleaders made me want to grow my hair out.

i'm undecided this afternoon.

it's better not to talk about rivalry games at church.

everyone should know this already,

yet every year someone breaks the unspoken rule.

in the foyer.

and the halls.

trust me, it wasn't me.

just saying,

someone did.

i heard them.

walking around cougar stadium for a tri-tip sandwich and multiple bathroom breaks makes me one tired pregnant woman the next day.

i love college football.

especially when my team wins.

jumping up and down, while pregnant, with a full bladder is not recommended.

says me.

the end.

charge!!!

game day.
go cougs!!!

beat those utes!

the year of the "talk boy"

tonight i dragged my family to REI.
i've never wanted something so badly that i just didn't go out and purchase.
this whole budget thing is tough work.
i've done my research on my prized item.
i've pushed said item around the store on multiple occasions.
i see them at the zoo.
at discovery gateway.
in the airports.
i love this stroller.
santa, are you reading this???
the scout master is home for thanksgiving break and mama C is here from the land of aloha.
i was so excited to have mom and sean push the pork loin around in THE stroller.
i wanted them to see how light weight it is.
how you can change the incline position of the back support for each child!
one child can lay down, the other can sit up.
how the sun visor can be down for one and up for the other.
i wanted to show them the cup holder attachment.
the infant car seat attachment.
the brake.
the storage bin underneath!
the big, beautiful wheels!
and where was the dang thing?!
up in the lofts.
one in the entire store, completely out of my reach.
just as it is right now in reality, i guess.
i wanted the store keeper to bring it down so badly.
i knew i wasn't buying it today.
i just wanted to feel it in my hands!
to push it around.
oh, swivel wheel, i love thee.
and then,
i took pity.
i didn't demand that he take down the stroller.
i smiled and said,
"ok, no problem."
and what have i been whining about the entire night?
how the salesman didn't insist that he get it down for me.
how he didn't want to get it down, so i could stroll around the store with my hopeful stroller to be.
how if he only knew how badly i wanted to test that stroller tonight, he would have gotten it down.
"it's my red rider BB gun!"
i wanted to shout.
but i didn't.
i thought it though.
BOB STROLLER,
for now i am sitting here looking up at you, dreaming of the possibly that you might just be mine after a bountiful birthday and christmas next month.
this feels just like that christmas where i wanted the home alone talk boy...
that was a great christmas.
i think sandie searched every store in the state of california so my stepsister, stepbrother, and i could each have one.
the excitement has me feeling like i'm 10 again.
in a really good way.

she grew

just took this.
can't believe this was only a week ago.

i guess she grew!
or i did.

whichever;-)

*child was napping, otherwise i'm sure he would have been at his tv spot for the 28 week shot. oh well. better luck next time.

Dr. N says i'm boring.

on dec 2nd i'm wishing and hoping to wake up to snow.
it came true once when i was in elementary school.
i jumped out of bed to look out my window.
i had put lots of stickers on my window.
quite a little collection it became.
i remember there was a unicorn with a rainbow.
and lots of others too.
thank you mom for letting me:-)
i bet those were a pain to get off when we moved out of that house.
i'll try to remember to let my kids do those kinds of things.
even if it doesn't match their rooms.
when i peaked through the stickers i saw the only present i remember for my birthday that year.
snow.
last night it snowed.
let's hope it was a sign of good things to come,
wink, wink mother nature!

and then we went inside,
put the pork loin in jammies,
put ourselves in jammies,
read books,
and went to bed.
a really good sunday night.
we had a pre-thanksgiving dinner before the snow.
or maybe it was during the snow.
it was with the cousins.
have you ever put butter in your turkey while it cooks?
my cousin does.
it makes the white meat better than the dark.
a feat i thought was previously impossible.
so come thursday,
stuff that bird full of butter.
you won't be disappointed.
like i was when i woke up to hives all over the pork loin's upper half.
we're talking hundreds people, hundreds.
itchy, red, splotchy hives.
it was sad.
1 tsp of benedryl (you know i don't buy the name brand, it was equate) later and the pork loin was stumbling around like a man who had just downed a bottle of tequila.
i fed him a pb sandwich, and then he took a nap.
a really long one.
mama nacho (grandma gibson) came to take over while i hustled to Dr. N's.
this is where he informed me that i am boring.
why?
i have few to zero questions.
other than,

"i'm drinking dr. pepper once a week. ok, maybe it's twice."

so maybe it's a statement more than a question, but he still answered it like a question.
he's

"fine with that."

it's not that i already have the answers or know everything there is to know,
it's just that i'm not reading anything this time around.
i'm not googling.
it's much more peaceful this way.
my blood pressure is normal.
i'm measuring normal (this is not normal for me).
everything is normal.
this makes me happy.

REALLY happy.

i've never been so grateful to hear the word "normal."

and "boring."

even though i still think "normal" is a made up word.

there is just no such thing as normal.
believe it, you'll be happier if you believe it.

so when he says,
"you're boring."
he actually means it as a compliment.
and that is just how i'm going to take it;-)

cold shopping

my pediatrician confirmed
that is is "normal" (whatever that word means) to have 10-12 colds a year before the age of 2.
apparently, it is what builds their immune systems to be strong as adults.
all this time i was trying to avoid him catching colds.
what was i thinking???!!!;-)
new plan of action: cold shopping
if we are going to get a cold anyway,
i'd like to shop for one every month.
if your kid is sick, give me a call.
let's get our kids together, let them share drinks and snot.
i'm not talking fevers folks.
i don't want your fevers.
or your pneumonia or your pig flu.
or the flu in general.
don't call me if you have the flu.
i just want the old fashioned colds.
if he is going to get a cold anyway,
we might as well just get on with it;-)
call me crazy,
but i think i'm onto something...
please tell me you get my jokes.

cheesy and beefy

my new favorite meal.

cheesy, beefy enchiladas.
reasons:
1. easy
2. fast
3. super tasty

ingredients:

1lb beef (or turkey, gobble gobble!, or chicken)

cheddar cheese (lots)

1 onion, chopped

2 cans tomato sauce

1/4 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic salt

1/4 c cold water

2 tbls corn starch

8 tortillas (i love the fresh ones you cook yourself from costco)

directions:

1. cook beef/meat with half of chopped onion.

2. sauce: tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, cold water, & corn starch all into a pot. cook to thick, boil 1 min.

3. in the tortilla: sauce, beef/meat, cheese, then roll up. place in pan folded side down. repeat for all tortillas.

4. cover tortillas with remaining sauce, cheese, and onion.

5. bake COVERED 350* 40-45 min (i baked uncovered for the last 5 min).

*serve with bell peppers, lettuce, sour cream, olives, etc.

...

in other news...

i was up coughing half the night.

not fun.

poor scout master was very patient.

rubbed my shoulders when i asked.

love him.

heard the pork loin making "dinosaur sounds" at the tv this morning.

also heard him make the "n" sound while watching "super why."

i smiled and patted myself on the back for letting him watch evil television.

b/c we do watch it.

every single day.

the "circle" store

disclaimer:

please excuse my camera phone.

it stinks.

gigi needed garlic bread for the pasta.
brennan wanted to ride in the wheelchair.
mary and aurdrey wanted treats.
this is our story.

garlic bread at our house:
hamburger buns
butter
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese powder
broil 2-3 min.
they got their treats. all were happy.
and cold.
i loved it.
but not the zingers.
i don't love those.

socks

socks in my laundry has officially begun.
i love the sound of laundry in my washer and dryer.
at the end of laundry day, i've accomplished so much.
i love having clean sheets and fresh smelling clothes in my drawers.
folding socks?
not my favorite part.
my favorite part is when the scout master is home to fold them for me:-)
my cousin buys only white socks.
she doesn't like folding socks either.
i love a good pattern though.
it makes my feet more exciting.
in high school, my friends and i would shop for interesting socks.
crazy socks!
i remember sitting in english class,
all of us in the back,
hiking up our pants to show off to each other which ones we had on that day.
here's to the sock season.
and the constant hunt of that one missing sock!
i found the navy blue one of the pork loin's that's been missing for an entire week last night.
it was in the sheets of his bed.
picture me jumping for joy in a 2 foot space between the wall and the crib after finding the small prize.
here's to the quiet time folding socks gives me.
maybe it's not so bad after all...