I'd Better Go and Get Me Some

My sister sent me this advertisement. She is so thoughtful. I've kind of gotten out of this, but it's high time I get some of these back. You can bet I'm getting the vest too. And cutting my hair.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/10333/saturday-night-live-mom-jeans

Happiness in a Bowl

This is what I looked at this morning which made me so happy. How cute is that newborn? How happy do those babies look-all warm and scrunched up? Add the extra smell of baby shampoo to the warm water and a soft fuzzy little back and head and you have one heaven-like experience. I'll bet that is what heaven is like. You get to go around smelling babies and rubbing their little backs. 2 more weeks. 2 more weeks. You probably also get to take lots of naps (with the same babies) and eat sweets which, turns out, aren't bad for you there.

Go To spababytubs.com After you are on their website, click on "How to Use" and just ENJOY...

SWIMMING FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SUMMER.
HEAVEN.

READING: My Atonia by Willa Cather

LISTENING TO: Alex DeGrassi --classical guitarist who does a lot with Windham Hill Recordings. I love his version of the Princess Bride theme.

WATCHING: Easy Virtue at the Broadway and The Proposal last night with Brett. Also liked Last Chance Harvey with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.

WORKING ON: Finishing baseboards, closet and door in the baby's room. The pink I bought probably won't work; too bubble gummy. I've got to go get it remixed.

BUYING: Hospital PJs, car seat and stroller frame to strap it into. Wish I were buying a cute t-shirt and fitted pants that zip up and button at the top.

EATING: Scrambled Eggs and toast, salted almonds and whole wheat blueberry pancakes with cold skim milk. No cereal or juice for me, no way.

WISHING: I could take a long stretch, touch my toes, feel the back of my knees get warm from the stretch, go for a speed walk, then stretch again. Aaaahhh, how good would that feel?

DOING TODAY: teaching morning piano, going to lunch at a quaint, funky restaurant, painting, working on my band music, getting kids to work, making some semblance of carbless dinner

LOVING: the sun, date movies, baby moving inside of me, kids who drive, good night's sleep with lots of pillows, scriptures with the family, hearing the dishwasher running that Brett just loaded, kissing Syd's little sleepy face when she wakes up.

Needed: Personal Shopper or Strong-Bodied Woman

I need a personal shopper who likes to find things like mens slacks and ties and perhaps electronics or books. Someone who doesn't mind saying the word slacks, because it doesn't creep her out. Someone who knows my husband and what he likes even more than I do. Someone who loves going from store to store on a Saturday until she finds just the right thing. Someone who will pass up the same thing at Store A, because she knows at Store C, it will be on sale and she is not too tired to wait until Store C to finally buy it. It is a pleasure. Someone who will then come home from hours of invigorating deal finding, wrap the lovely present for me and then say she has just enough time to make a dinner for us if we'd like her to. OR, I need someone to carry my stomach and included energy levels just for today. Thanks. Call if interested... Please provide references upon request.

Thoughts on this calm overcast Wednesday of June

Country Time Lemonade Days. Oh, don't forget the umbrella.


So we are in the second week of summer. I really wondered before school got out if having all of the kids home would make me more uptight, with everyone eating and making messes all of the time. When you are used to a quiet house all day, I knew it would be a change. However, I was used to a quiet house all day, but have never really liked a quiet house all day. It's too easy for me to just stay inside, and keep trying to find new nooks and crannies in my brain to keep me company. I forget that my personality type is happier when I am with people.

So, these past two weeks of summer have been so good. I love having noise and people and less schedules. The days go by so fast and I am getting such good quality time with my teens and little Syd. I feel more myself than I have in the last 8 months. I am beginning to remember what I was like before. It feels really good.

4 weeks to go. I'm not going to lie, I am NOT ready yet. I need to go buy some stuff and get stuff set up. I've never been the super planner, organized, everything ready weeks before an event or a trip.....or a baby, kind of girl. I'm more laid back. However, I need a diaper or two I figure. Maybe a blanket. Maybe a car seat?

Since I have no camera for a week, of course, I thought I'd dig up some photos out of our archives on the mac. No rhyme or reason, just make me happy to look at.

The day of the Anaconda...We are all still innocently happy to be in the water.Brett, with 3 of 4 brothers and poser Spence.

taken by my brother..The younger years. We were playing dress up I guess.Chubby-cheeked Spence during the Boston years. One of my favorites. This little guy says, "enjoy us, your kids, every second. My parents were probably poor, in college and exhausted the day they took this photo. Enjoy us though, for pretty soon the cheeks change and we will be 17 and soon to leave the nest."

I'm Laughing Hard

Spencer just told me that he wants to sing "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge with Maddie in sacrament meeting. I'm laughing so hard. He said, "We can start out with a hymn and then just move into that." I'm laughing at the awkwardness of a) a brother and sister singing the words "never knew I could feel like this....like I've never seen the sky before.... and b) the complete awkwardness of the bishopric on the stand and people in the congregation as they belt "Come What May!!" and c) the randomness of Spencer's mind and what he thinks is funny.

Which leads me to a segment I like to call "REALLY?!" by Erin Blake.

Really?! I am supposed to help them get to bed still semi-early in the summer? Really! Even when the oldest two want to have a "late movie night!!!" watching Remember the Titans starting at 11. Really? We are going to find a consistent time to have scripture study every day when we'll all be here? Really??!! There will be good jobs out there for them this summer even after 30 college kids home for the summer and want the same ones? (They're not going to like the job ideas I've come up with. I'll spring them on them tomorrow.)Really?! I am going to have time to get all this pre-baby stuff done when it is WAY more fun to take Syd to a puppet show or a matinee movie with Maddie and Ali or swimming. Really? Life can be better than a cool June day with all of your kids home? I don't think so.

Great news is that Ali is doing the dishes before she goes bowling. Maddie did the daily laundry job before she left to go jogging and Spencer went to the store for me before going on a drive with Mikey T. Syd cleaned her room, put away clothes before she headed off to Morgan's. I'm going to like this- I'm getting way more help than when they are in school. I'm going to wipe down walls for the room to be painted and make some effort in our SUPER SUPER MESSY GATHERING OF PAPERS AND RANDOMNESS OFFICE.

Ben Kweller is coming in concert on Sat. night. Should I go?

Ephiphany

6 weeks left. I had an epiphany at the doc's office this morning. I was drinking the new orange glucose drink, which they told me was 2xs more sugar than the last one (burned like, I don't know, whiskey? going down my throat) and saying over and over.."don't throw up. Keep this down. You can do this. This is yummy. You are loving this drink. Whoa, go back down there big orange.."
I had an epiphany. This is the last unpleasant thing I am going to focus on in this pregnancy. Everything from here on out, is all about how happy I am that in only 6 weeks, I will have my own Baby Kate to share with my family. I will get to smell her, rub her hair, stare at her, cup-o-bum her little bum, kiss her forehead, take naps with her.. I am going to realize that although this pregnancy was really hard on me from the get go, not any more. I've made it. At 39, I made it through one last pregnancy. I can see the finish line. I can even handle it if the results of today are that I do have gest. diabetes for sure and I have to keep going with this diet. The positive? I am learning to eat better than I ever have. Now I just crave a bite of a shake or a handful of fries, and don't want any more even if I could. I am not gaining much weight. I feel like I'm more all baby now than all chub all over.
I am going to call my friends and have a one-day paint the room party. They all said they want to come up and I'll make some good food and it will be fun. I am going to go buy a fuzzy pink blanket....or go to Kid to Kid which always has lots of baby clothes that look brand new. It's more fun for me to buy there than buying brand new. I'll start looking at car seats and port-a-cribs. It's all good. How happy am I that I have been able to carry this baby this long. I have had so many friends have tragedies and problems and even with my setbacks this time, I have a healthy little girl inside my stomach constantly letting me know she is there and wants to play soccer? lacrosse? someday. I've decided that she will be so polite, always smiling and super smart. She is going to have an English accent too, which will be so fun to listen to since we don't hear that accent very often. She'll be super obedient and a peacemaker. She's also going to have big eyes and a sprinkling of freckles. Kidding about everything except the English accent.
Baby Kate, we are so waiting for you..

Random Musings of C.S. Lewis

I just read an article about C.S. Lewis. I have always loved reading his stuff, and I took a great class in college solely based on his writings. Here are a few quotes of his that I thought were profound.

• "God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full -- there's nowhere for Him to put it."
  
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• "The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life -- the life God is sending one day by day."
  
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• "Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one -- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."
  
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• "A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. ... You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down."

Sunday Morning

I can hear the rain coming down, the house a bit chilled. My warm, long-sleeved T shirt feels good on my arms and the yoga pants somehow still fit as I sit indian style on the chair. TonyBurgers was good last night and was fun to be with my family. The shakes and fries looked really good as I ate my salad and drank my water. Good to be with family earlier at my niece's baptism. I love that crazy girl with her infectious giggle and big heart.

A call from my friend tells me that after two days of panic on my part, her son, who I was exposed to, does NOT have the swine flu after all, but has strep. The symptoms are the same; fever, sore throat, weak. The doc has seen cases of Swine Flu this week and treated him likewise. That is a relief. My kids all think we're missing church today, and I get to tell them the good news that now we won't have to. I think it's good news...I'm sure each of them will be equally happy. Maybe?

I am transcribing a song to teach to the Young Women today. I was given the song on a CD which is a'cappella and three-part harmony. I have to figure out each part, and write them down on staff paper to teach from. I am then going to hook my computer up to the piano which has midi capability and play each of the 3 parts on different tracks so the girls can listen to it without the voices which the cd has. The hard part( I should say extremely hard part) has been to write the actual note vales out on paper. As I said, the song is really syncopated, so I am having to guess at the note value. I am finding myself closing my eyes and counting 1 and 2 and (tie) ee and a 4. Rewind. Is that it? or is it 1 and 2 3 ee and a 4? Erase, scribble. It feels like I'm taking a theory exam. At least it's free and I'm not having to drive to a university to get to stretch my brain like this. Hopefully new nerve tracks are shooting out in all directions in my head.

First week of summer. Condo in Park City with gondola rides, Alpine Slide, swimming, tennis, slurpees at 7-11. A tradition we all look forward to each summer. Overnight hike and camping for Maddie. Cheer practice for Ali. Aerating lawns for Spencer. Gymnastics performance for Syd. Setting up our summer chores and rules for me. Selling a company, finding a new gig, church meetings for Brett. Also for me, a 3-hour glucose test to really get an accurate read on my glucose levels heading into the last 6 weeks.. I get to stay in the office for 3 hours without food in the a.m. getting finger pricked hourly. I had better find a good book or a comfy chair so I can sleep. 3 hours is a long time.

Will this summer fly by? Last summer before Spence graduates. Last summer before Maddie is in high school, dating, driving. Last summer with four older kids. Last summer with Brett's current job the way it is. Where will we be next summer? What will life be like? For now, I am just happy to know my flowers and grass are getting water, my kids are in their beds, Rudy's curled up next to me, and Baby Kate is kicking and moving, keeping me company.

No Interrupting

Sometimes Brett runs into this. "Mother Daughter Time-No Interrupting." It's not often, but it does happen, usually when other kids are gone. She has her daddy-daughter date time too, but it usually involves going somewhere with dad. He's more of an action guy. He talks her into being his helper and off they go. Even if they go to Home Depot, she comes home animatedly saying why they had such a good date. He's really good at that. Mom's more of a cuddle mom lately. Our alone time usually involves reading books to each other, cooking, or going to our traditional spot up on the mountain watching the sunset with the sunroof open. We have picked out what all of the buildings and lights are in the valley, but we always find something new. It usually involves taking my new-found sugarless choc chip cookies too. This time, we watched Penelope, which I think is such a great movie. Not only is James McAvoy in it, and not only are the sets and costumes quirky and artsy, but the message about loving yourself, even if you do have a pig nose, and why we love someone else is so great, especially for girls. I think every girl should see it and talk about it with their mom. If you want to borrow my sign, it's still on my bedroom door...