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The Smith Family is ready for spring, how about you?

Who woulda thought?

...that TWO TIMES in one month, I would agree with NOW???

See here and here.

I can't believe it's only a weekly paper

I was perusing our paper today, and came across the following article:

FOLLOW THESE TIPS FOR SAFE RAKING

Yep. I was all prepared to write a blog post on that. I mean, the first “tip” was this:

First, do some stretching exercises to warm up muscles. Follow with further stretching.

[My thought: A little redundant. First, do some stretching. Follow up with some stretching…. ]

But then I came across THIS article, and I just have to share it:

AUGUSTA RECYLCES OLD BONES INTO ART

[Me: WOW. That’s… interesting…]

Make no bones about it. Kevin Hiland, Augusta, is an unusual artist.

On second thought, maybe we should make bones about it. [Ack- stupid pun- and they used it twice!] Hiland does [he makes bones?] – and creates some unusual works of art. He converts skull bones of cattle into some of the most unusual artwork you’re likely to encounter. [Again- wow. I’m almost speechless]

Nearly fitting for Halloween, the multicolored pieces of art have gained a measure of local popularity, although his work has yet to gain much acclaim outside the local area [I can’t imagine!]

Bones, however, are not the only art in which Hiland is involved. Some of his past work is on public display in Augusta [On public display? Like in the public library or something?]. Hiland contributed significantly to the construction of the wall mural on the south side of the building currently housing PJ’s pub & Diner [Oh. He painted the wall outside the local bar. THAT kind of public display….]

“I know that I’m not the greatest artist in the world,” Hiland said, “But these animals die. No sense in wasting their skulls.”

Way to “go green,” Kevin!

I'm still laughing about this one

When we dropped Moses off at AWANA tonight for Cubbies, an elderly man stopped and asked K a question. When K got in the car our conversation went something like this:

Me: What did that man ask you?

K: He was looking for some guy named "Butch Lutrine"... But he had kind of a low, grumbly voice....

Me: You gave him directions to the bathroom, didn't you.

K: Yeah.

It doesn't quite come across as funny in writing as it did in person, but I think I laughed for about 10 minutes straight.

Catch up! (for real, this time!)

I should be working-- but since I've been up since 5:20 am and have already accomplished quite a bit, I decided to take a little break and try to catch up a little on the blog. PLUS, I actually meant to post about our annual ice cream social-- but then realized that K has the camera with those pics with the kids at the pool. Oh well. Maybe I will post on that later.

Several weeks ago we went to visit family. We stayed at a hotel so Moses and his cousins could swim. Fun was had by all!

We had intended to take Moses to the zoo the next day, but when we got there it was a madhouse. They had opened a new Africa exhibit the week before, and the line was like two blocks long just to get into the zoo. We opted for a quaint little "farm park" instead. It was much more our style and pace.

Moses particularly liked the silo slide...

The next week, Moses' first session of swim lessons ended, so there was a "family swim" at our pool. When I took ZuZu out of her carseat at the pool, Moses yelled, "Is a bug!"

And let me tell you, it is every mother's post-partum dream to have a baby who has more fat rolls than she does.

Toward the end of June was VBS. Moses had A BALL and greatly enjoyed being a "big boy" this year at the annual week-end party...

Last but not least (and I am sure I prbably left out a lot), ZuZu took her first trip to Chicago last week! I needed to go into our Chicago office, so K and ZuZu came along. She fell asleep before we even let home, and woke up on the train. Here she is saying, "HEY! Where AM I?"

She was a great little traveler...

I always get business class on Amtrak, because it isn't that much more expensive and it is much more comfortable (and quiet). And on the way back, the conductor opened up the back of the train! How cool is this?!

I think that pretty much does it for June. Up next: July!

Good idea?

I know, I know. I keep saying that I am going to catch up on blogging, but I don't. I think it's time to just move on and give up on posting anything from the last, say, 4 weeks.

Let's just say life lately has been far from organized. Maybe it's having a new baby. Maybe it's having a sick baby. Maybe it's that spring and summer are crazy times at work. Maybe it's having a preschooler who is into everything. Maybe it's having a preschooler who is in everything-- I can't believe I am already having to prioritize his activities (do I do story hour, or swimming, etc?).

But our house has definitely taken a hit. So much so that I'm almost too overwhelmed to do anything about it. And when I am motivated, something comes up. You know, like feeding children.

I've (strongly) hinted at K for quite a while now that I would like a cleaning lady. But today I think I came up with a better idea.

I will do just about anything for money. Anything ethical, that is. I think it started during my shy years when my mom would actually pay me to talk to boys. Or men on barges in the Kentucky Dam Locke. But that's an entirely different post.

Anyway, I think I could motivate myself to clean my house-- and keep it clean-- if I paid myself.

You know, just set aside the money we would have paid a cleaning lady, so that I can use it however I want. Inevitably, that will be on Moses and ZuZu. That might actually make me better about not just buying things for them willy-nilly.

So clean house, better budgeting. Kind-of killing two birds with one stone, right?

I'm clearly not getting the concept

I've said it before, and I will say it again. I just don't "get" going to garage sales.

Maybe it's because I'm germophobic (and my husband has certainly contributed to that). Or maybe it's because I'm picky. Or maybe a little snobby. Or maybe all three.

But I just don't get it.

This weekend is the community garage sale. And I will admit, it's fun to leisurely stroll around town and see what people are selling. And I will admit that I do sometimes buy books. For example, the church across the street has a huge sale during the weekend, and they tend to have great books. Like brand-new Beth Moore books for 50 cents.

But other than that, I just don't get it. I mean, WHY, when I can get a Ralph Lauren shirt for 4.99 on yellow dot at Bergners (Yonkers, etc), would I dig through other people's old clothes-- not likely washed-- for a potential bargain that might not even fit? And I figure if I won't buy garage sale items for myself, I won't do it for my children.

But overall, the garage sale people thatI observe each year make me crazy. Let me give you an example. Like I said, the church across the street has a big sale every year-- so I get to observe the people going in and out. I think that garage sale people operate on a different time schedule than other people. Over the last few sales, we've noticed that although the HUGE sign outside the church clearly says the sale starts at 8, we watch people start going in sometime after 7. This year, the ladies got smart-- they locked the doors until it was time to start.

And it was like watching the mob wait for store openings the day after Thanksgiving.

Okay, that might be a little bit of a stretch. But there was a line. And the lady at the beginning of the line was complaining loudly that the church wasn't open yet. She was making exaggerated gestures, checking her watch. At 7:45.

Another example-- someone parked in our neighbor's driveway. I know they weren't her family, because we see her family come in and out. What's more, the person in the car was hanging out the car door smoking. Amidst all the non-smoking signs around our neighbor's house. She's on oxygen.

These are just a couple of examples. And I guess to me, time-- and peace-- is money. I'll take that 4.99 [brand new] Ralph Lauren shirt anyday.

I am SO not ready for this

Something happened to me when I became a parent.

I became soft.

Let me explain. I played softball for 10 years growing up. And if I do say so myself, I was good. I was the annoying one that knew all of the strategy and would yell out the plays to my teammates so they knew where to throw the ball. But my real love was baseball. In fourth grade, my goal in life was to be a pitcher for the Cardinals (interestingly, at that same time, K's dream was to catch for the Cardinals...). So I spent hours in the backyard practicing. One of my joys was to show up boys that were older than me with my pitching ability.

And I was competitive. In fact, just a few years ago, I was watching my cousin's son's game (I think he was 5 at the time), and I think my mom wanted to kill me. I was yelling at the kids on his team to run, etc. I mean, if you are going to play, RUN to first base.

So something that happened last night surprised and appalled me. We were on a walk with Moses and ZuZu, and stopped to watch a 2nd-3rd grade baseball game at the diamond down the street. It was apparently highly competitive. Because when one little boy struck out, the opposing team parents cheered.

The parents cheered.

And the little boy hung his head and walked back to the dugout.

And I cried.

I think we will start working on Moses' skills so that I never have to watch that happen to MY baby.

Thank you, HyVee

I don't know how many of you are familiar with HyVee grocery stores, but I became a HUGE fan yesterday. I already knew that our store's produce and meat were above average, and it actually has a food court located right there in the store (with Chinese, Italian, American, etc. foods to choose from) with a very clean, large seating area.

The company is very committed to good health. The foods available at the food court are fairly healthy-- for example, the Chinese food contains no MSG.

HyVee stores also have dietitians on staff. Yesterday afternoon K and I met with the dietitian at our local store, and she helped us sort out so much. I can eat a lot more than that I thought!

She was familar with Dr. Sears and had even attended a conference he spoke at. But she discouraged the total elimination diet, because it would just make me crazy. (And I can attest to that-- yesterday I had rice for breakfast, and green beans and an apple for lunch... I was HUNGRY, even though I hadn't even abided by the strict diet!). Instead, she wants me to focus on cutting out dairy (and hidden dairy), soy, nuts, and chocolate. I can do that.

That means I can still eat meat, fruits, vegetables, etc. She told me some to avoid-- but my menu options are more numerous than I thought! So instead of grabbing a handful of hershey kisses, I can have a handful of craisins instead. Again, I can do that.

And did you know that there is such a thing as rice ice cream?! I haven't tried it yet, but I did put rice milk on my cereal (rice chex) this morning-- I couldn't tell the difference at all! Of course, I also put sugar on my cereal, which I don't normally do.... but since I am eating healthier now in all other respects, I think that was okay!

Peace

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul!

--It is Well with My Soul

Rejoicing today in all the good that God has done for us, that we have a helpmate even when we feel at our most helpless.

32 weeks, and losing my sanity...

Okay, so I am really closer to 33 weeks... but my inability to post this week is just one example of how busy we have been.

But here I was last Sunday (at 32 weeks):


Moses is still into getting his picture taken in the "Mommy pose," only he is now adding to it:

Apparently he is due with a sheepdog.

My 32 week pic was taken on Sunday before church-- but I didn't go. Moses was terribly sick for a few days, and the doctor checked him out for pneumonia on Monday. His lungs were mostly clear, so we are now in the clear. But I woke up today tired all over, with a sore throat, and weepy... sure signs that I am getting sick. I don't know how that happens, after being coughed on for a week...

Hence, the losing of my sanity. Other highlights of the week included:

• Job stress-- this is one of the busiest times of the year, because the state legislative calendars run from January to May/June. So I have been on the phone so much, giving constitutional analyses and advice on bills, that I am sick of talking on the phone. And it doesn't help to be on the phone, telling a legislator why a bill is unconstitutional, when you hear the...


• Slap of the wildlife expert's laddar against the side of your house while he is inspecting for bat holes. He found several. Several holes IN the sealant the first wildlife company used. Meaning that they used the wrong thing. And we got ripped off-- to the tune of over $1000 (with the lawyer in me screaming "but we've missed the statute of limitations to sue!"). And while all this is going on, I am....
  
• Sitting in a room completely devoid of wallpaper, just waiting to be painted. But life keeps interrupting the process. Like sickness and bats and attic construction. And of course, I am also hearing...


• My baby boy hacking away in the other room, and knowing all the while that...


• The attic has to be completely cleared out (there were some things stored there before we knew of the bats) before construction can begin next week. And I do mean CLEANED out. Everything had to be disinfected before it could be brought into the other areas of the house. Per instructions of a pest control expert. *sigh*

And that was all just Monday morning. I reached the point where I was either going to start laughing hysterically, or crying hysterically.

But, GOD IS GOOD, and His blessings are abundant. Like:

• A good report from the doctor on ZuZu's health. I haven't had continual contractions (I have one every now and then) for months. She sounds great!
  
• A husband who is willing to sacrifice everything for his family. And who has a job that allows him to be flexible. He's been in the attic for almost two days straight now, cleaning things and taking them to the basement. Which, by the way, is completley dry and has never had water in it for the two years we've lived here. That's a blessing in and of itself.
  
• Job stability. It's stressful at times (okay, often), but I have a job that I love, that allows me to work from home, that I can count on. That's saying a lot in this world right now.
  
• A little boy who is finally sleeping through the night again and seems to be on the way to good health.
  
• Family members who are helping us with the bat issue (as well as keeping me clothed ;) ).
  
• The joy of being at home every day with my son.
  
• Having Moses spell his name for me, unprompted! And then, later, when I spelled "B-A-T-H" to his daddy, having him look at me and say, "No bath. No bath." He is SO stinkin' smart!
  
• The joy of getting ready for a new baby girl.

And one more blessing: a husband who will run for ice cream whenever I want it, and brings home Hershey kisses from the store. Life is pretty good, after all. :)

A few prayer requests...

First-- we are on the route to getting rid of bats! Please pray for us on Monday morning-- a new critter control company is coming to evaluate our house to see if they can tell where the bats are getting in. Please pray that they find the problem and can fix it FOREVER!

We've also begun working with a contractor who is going to remove all of the false ceilings in the attic, clean out the guano- and urine-saturated insulation, put up dry-wall and blow-in insulation, and basically seal it all up. That will prevent any bats from ever getting into our living space. AND, it will also mean a couple other things: 1) we will now have three giant walk-in closets!, and 2) we will now be able to use the huge room upstairs as a family room! And all of this is supposed to take place before ZuZu is born.

Second-- we obviously have a TON to do before the construction begins, not to mention all of the other "nesting" stuff I want done. I've also started some projects of my own-- like a couple of cute mobiles for the kids. So I need prayers for time to get it all done, and that I maintain my sanity in the process. :)

Third-- and this one is a little on the lighter side-- I need to learn to exercise some self-control, especially in light of some of the upcoming expenses (like the above). But there are just some things that I cannot resist. Like...

precious little flower clips...

and baby leg warmers...


and cute korker hair bows...

and ANYTHING with guitars on it for Moses...


But I REALLY need to stop spending money. Maybe that's not such a "light" prayer request after all! Taming my shopping might take more of a miracle than getting rid of bats.... Seriously, K needs to cancel my paypal account and confiscate my credit card...

Another Confession

Per the title of this entry, I have another confession to make (if you missed the first 10, you can see them here). This one is a little more serious.

#11: My favorite prophesy in the Bible, outside of the Messianic prophesies, is found in Obadiah 1:15:

“For the Day of the Lord draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.”

I know, I know. Sounds vindictive. Vengeful. Angry. I agree. But I understand that vengeance is not mine—it is God’s. And when you work in the area that I do, sometimes you just have to cling to some of the wrathful promises of God.

I don’t talk about what I do on here much. That’s for a couple reasons. One is for privacy. I have a unique and easily google-able first name. If you decide you don’t like me, you could figure out very quickly where I live. And I already know that the nation’s most notorious abortionist (one who has purposely run over pro-lifers with his car) has my home address—and that’s enough to worry about.

Another reason is because sometimes I just need a break. An escape. Which I think is why I generally try to ignore January 22. I should have probably blogged about this yesterday—that would have been blogger etiquette, right? Yesterday was the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

50 million lives lost.

A little background to put it all in context. Long-story short, I decided in fourth grade that I was going to “fight abortion.” From that time on, I knew I wanted to be a constitutional attorney. Everything I did scholastically centered around that goal. The classes I took; the grades I achieved; the activities I participated in. I studied in Washington, D.C. I interned for Congressmen and non-profit organizations. But I wasn’t really the one who did it—it was God.

So we are talking about this being my focus (or God’s focus for me) for about the last 23 years. Even in just the last 4 years, there have been joys; there have been stresses; there have been celebrations; and there has been mourning.

There are a lot of perks to my job—I work with awesome people, I have been able to do some pretty amazing and unheard of things for my age, and I get to do most of it from home, while raising my children.

But there have been some hardships. Like being in my third trimester, feeling every movement of my son, while reading graphic court testimony of how abortionists used their own fingers to pierce the skulls of babies the same age.

Like fearing that decades of common-sense laws, which protect women and have proven to reduce abortion by almost 20% in some parts of the country, will all come tumbling down if Obama signs the Freedom of Choice Act.

And so sometimes I just need to fall back on Obadiah 1:15. And remember that God is in control. And that even though I don’t have the power to change the hearts and minds of people, God does. And if they do not turn from their ways but continue the abomination, they will get their “reward.”

And even if I don’t always win, God already has.

Remember the unwanted children this week. Pray for them—and for their mommies. Abortion has two victims.

Confessions

1. I've worn the same pair of jeans to church three weeks in a row without washing them (and I don't plan to yet). When you are this pregnant, who wants to break in a fresh pair of jeans?

2. There are some days when Moses and I stay in our pajamas all day long. But I do have a pair of "nighttime pajamas" and a pair of "daytime pajamas"-- so I do change clothes-- just into other pajamas. And sometimes Moses runs around in just a diaper...

3. Maternity pants aren't fitting anymore. They are WAY too uncomfortable to wear, and they don't stay up. Another great reason for #2.

4. I think that my son is the cutest and smartest little boy in the whole world. And I tell him so frequently.

5. Along that same line, I probably say "He is just SO CUTE" about 50 times a day. I think it probably makes up for the one time a week I whine to K, "He is making me crazy!"

6. I think that "fixing" (i.e., taping) a broken wrapping paper roll three times while a child is supposed to be napping probably constitutes spoiling him. But I do it anyway.

7. I'm a terrible housekeeper. And most of the time I just don't care. I have better things to to do than vacuum or dust.

8. I also hate to cook. I can't stand the way that raw meat feels.

9. I think I'm funny. And K thinks I'm funny. But sometimes other people just don't get our jokes.

10. Sometimes I get distracted and miss large segments of the Sunday sermon because the pastor looks so darn good in his suits. Especially when he wears that light pink shirt with no tie and an open collar.

(Will I EVER be this little again?!)

I sold out

I will fully admit that I am a Christmas tree snob.

We always had a real tree growing up. And not only was it a real tree, but it was a tree from Talbot's-- the local tree farm, where the elder Talbot was known to treat, paint, etc., trees so that even kids with allergies-- like me-- could have real Christmas trees in their homes for Christmas.

But let me explain a little further. This snobbery isn't all my fault. It's inborn. Growing up, we always got TWO real Christmas trees-- because you need one for the living room, AND one for the dining room. My grandparents have vaulted ceilings and always get at least a 14-foot tree. My parents now have a vaulted ceiling in their family room, and always get a 10-11 foot tree. My aunt has vaulted ceilings and also gets extremely tall trees. My cousin built his house with even higher ceilings so that he can have the tallest trees of anyone in the family.

And it's not enough to just have a real tree. It has to be a fraser fir. They smell the best, feel the best, look the best... in my opinion, of course. (Balsam firs are similar and also pretty, but they dry out much faster.)

But anyway, I sold out this year. We bought an artificial tree.

I think this was a change that has been in the making for a while. When K and I were first married, we lived in West Palm Beach-- and you didn't exactly go out to the local tree farm and get your tree. S we ended up at Home Depot. So, strike the "tradition" element of getting the tree.

When we first moved back to Illinois, we went back to Talbot's for our tree. But that is too far for us now. Strike another "tradition" element of getting the tree. (Besides, now that the elder Mr. Talbot has passed away and isn't there chatting over hot cider, somehow it just doesn't feel the same...).

Tree farms in our area don't grow fraser firs. So, for the last couple of years, we have ended up back at Home Depot.

We've been tossing around the idea of getting an artificial tree for a few weeks. My parents purchased a GE tree last year, and it looked SO REAL. We even had one picked out online a couple of weeks ago, but when we went to look at it in person, we weren't impressed.

But then a couple of days ago, I got online and looked at Home Depot again. And it had SLASHED its prices on GE trees. So a tree that was out of our price range before Thanksgiving was now $120 cheaper. And we went for it.




Don't get me wrong. I am VERY excited about this tree. It has 1200 (!!!) clear lights, a great warranty, a foot pedal to turn on the lights, and it looks real in person (although we are still waiting on ours to come in).

But I am struggling just a little with the guilt. Somehow I think it makes me less Christmas-y to have a fake tree. As if that is what Christmas is about.

On the other hand, I am thinking of all of the benefits. An artificial tree means K isn't outside in the cold, cutting the bottom inch (and branches) off and struggling to get the tree in the stand. It means Moses is less likely to impale himself (or poke his eye out) while playing with ornaments. It means no needles on the floor for small children to step on (or eat). And it means more FAMILY time. We can put the tree up whenever we want, and not have to worry about scheduling a time.

But I still feel like I sold out. Is that normal???

I love being a mommy...

...because I just never know what I am going to find.



I'm sure he was imagining SOMETHING.

By the way, these adorable little nativity blocks are available here at Little Bit Funky. I've also purchased this for the baby.

Happy Weekend!

Gobble Gobble!

Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

See you next week!

Technologically cursed

This just hasn't been my week-- er, my month-- for technology.

About three weeks ago, I dropped my cell phone for the last time. The screen is total squiggles and you can't read anything. I can still call and receive calls, but I can't text, view missed calls, watch any of the really cute Moses videos-- nothing.

We are still a year away from the end of our service contract, so I did some research. I found a seller on ebay with a 100% rating, who deals specifically in cell phones. He had a ton of positive feedback, and the phone was less than what I could get from Verizon, with no contract strings attached. Oh-- and it was NEW.

The phone came in. Instead of a Verizon phone, the seller sent me an alltel phone. No big deal. They looked exactly the same-- both were pink Razrs. So I sent it back, and he sent me the right phone.

Only, this one isn't new. Verizon says it has a "history." And it won't activate.

(Mom and Dad, I'm not blaming this on you, but I do think there is something genetic in this.)

So, I've written a nice demand letter to the seller, expecting a full refund, as well as a refund for having to ship the wrong phone back twice.

To quote Charlie Brown, "Auugh!"

Fortunately, my computer is now virus free and en route to me. I have missed it!

Dead.

I sadly announce that there will be no new posts for at least a few days-- my computer bit the dust this morning. It was apparently infected with a virus yesterday afternoon. Ironically, I was watching a video of Margaret Sanger (founder of Planned Parenthood) at the time. That woman herself was a total virus to the 20th Centrury.

But alas, I digress. No updates for a while. Sorry, MaMa and PaPa.