Mama's Excited!

While it may not be about Baby Dude, I'm still excited! One thing I love about being in a homeschool group is the "network" as I like to call it. One thing we all have in common, it seems, is the quest for anything free or cheap. I may as well face it. I'm now officially a penny pincher. Join the rest of the world, you may say.
Thanks to one of the very dedicated moms in our group, we get updates on free stuff. Hel-lo! I'm all over that.
Yesterday, was free pancakes at IHOP. I LOVE pancakes. Couple the pancakes with free and I'm nearly swooning! It was so easy. We just walked in, sat down and ordered our free pancakes. We must just look poor because the waitress said, "You guys want the free pancakes, right?" Uh, yeah. All that they asked for was a donation to the Children's Miracle Network. No pressure, no strings attached.

Waiting, oh so patiently, for our turn at delectable goodness.


What should we order? Oh, right, the free pancakes!


Hmmm, I think I'll have the pancakes.

Now really, what is better than breakfast for dinner? Our kids are always giddy at the thought of it because they think they're tricking the universe in a big cosmic joke. What really made them giddy, though, was picking their own syrup. It takes so little sometimes to keep them happy!


I wonder how many he would've eaten, if we'd let him.


Gi-Gi wanted it all! Butter Pecan, Old Fashioned, Blueberry and Strawberry at once!


Ya-Ya isn't picky! She just likes pancakes!


Me, too! Pancakes just make my day happier!

Daddy's Excited!

I just had to share this picture with you. My husband has always been and always will be a baby fanatic! With every pregnancy, I joke that I'll never even get the oppurtunity to hold this little child I've been busy making for the last nine months. Well, except for feeding time. That's mine and mine, alone!
To prove how excited my hubby is, I have to show you what he was so proud of last night. I was laying like a slug on the couch, which is not unusual these days, when he proudly marched in from the garage with a sheepish grin plastered on his face.


While cleaning out the Tahoe, bless his heart, he decided the time had come to place the infant carrier into it's rightful place. He rearranged all the seating to accomodate the throne for the little prince. Fanfare if you please!
Now, I just have to say that the c-section date is still three weeks away. However, to cut him a little slack, tomorrow is the 36 week mark, where if Dude decides to come, he comes. With the last pregnancy ending at 36 weeks, Daddy thinks he's just getting things moving.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), that's one of the last things to get ready. Everything else is cleaned, folded, painted or stacked up ready to be used. So now we are playing the waiting game. ARGHHHH! Having been born with a sinful nature, I'm not really so good at patience and waiting. Although, now that I think about it, there's always things to do around here to make the time go faster.

Ladies' Night!

Friday night! Woohoo! I love Friday nights. It's the longest period of time before my hubby has to go back to work. Now I do realize, quite clearly, that since we've added children into the mix, our Friday nights are, well, a bit on the "un-trendy" side of the spectrum. I never pictured my Friday nights as going to the grocery store or Costco and ending up fun, but they are. No complaints here!
However, this particular Friday night, was a "Sister's Night". Don't you hear the song "Sisters" from White Christmas in the background?


We started off our night out with a trip to Charleston's restaurant. Yum, yum! That's one of those places we rarely go to and perfect for girly talk. After all, isn't that what girls like to do, talk? Between the chatting, we had fun with my camera, while trying not to irritate the other customers. (Since it was dark in there, we had to use the flash, so I didn't want any complaints from other people around us.)

Isn't she so cute?


Lovin' being with my sis!

After dinner, we did one of our favorite activities. As a belated birthday gift, we went to see "The King and I" at the Hale Theatre here in Gilbert.


Growing up, we watched that movie so many times, I'm surprised we didn't know it word for word. But to see it acted out in front of you is a different story altogether! I'm not sure what it is about the theatre, but... I know now that I'm addicted to it and my sister is well on her way to the same addiction. Yay, now I have someone else to kidnap and "force" to go to the theater with me, other than my husband.
What a fantastic, memorable night. And it's going to have to last a while. I have a feeling that theater going won't be in the near future for me. I guess I'll just have to take comfort in holding my brand new son, who could be arriving any day now. Ah, well. I don't think anything could be better than that, even the theater.

A New Discovery

It happened this morning. Out of the blue, out of no where. How did this happen to me? Really, of all the nerve.

Alright, so this morning, I'm just about ready to do my hair. I wouldn't say I'm thrilled by what I see in the mirror at this point in my pregnancy, but only a couple more weeks to go, right? Anyhoo, minding my own business, it appeared. Oh, yes, I may sound calm, but my insides are quaking!

My first thought was, "What is that?" Oh, it must be glare from the lights. Hmmm, no that's not it. Wait...

Are you serious?! Surely, you're joking! That can't be what I think it is! Uh, yup. It is.

It was my first gray hair. Immediately, my mind jumps to this image:



Yes, I am the new bride of Frankenstein. Bolt your doors, protect your children and loved ones. Here I come.

A little dramatic? Maybe. But, in my defense, I'm not even thirty yet! Okay, okay, a couple of weeks doesn't make much of a difference, does it? Yes!

I'm not ready for this! I haven't even decided what I want to be when I grow up. And yet, it's fascinating in it's own horrifying way. I just looked and looked. I couldn't tear my eyes away. And then, I did the only thing I could. I pulled it out. Anything else would be non-sensical. I then frantically rummaged through the cupboard for a box of hair dye. No one must know about this! Maybe if I became a blonde, the gray wouldn't show. Yeah, but the almost black roots would. What to do, what to do?

I know what the Bible says about gray hair being a crown of wisdom, or is it glory? It was such a lovely image, yesterday. But now, not so much.

And now, a new thought keeps presenting itself at the front of my mind. Is this the only one? Oh. My. Goodness.

Our Latest Adventure

Here at our house, we do try to force ourselves to do something adventurous when the oppurtunity arises. Well, this last "oppurtunity" came up on Monday night when we invited to our cousin, "Princess Rose"'s birthday party. We went roller skating! When I say we, I mean all of the other member's of my immediate family. I stood back and cheered everytime one of my children made it around the rink. No one wants to see a pregnant lady on roller skates!

The birthday princess and Gi-Gi

For some of us, it was very frustrating to not be able to be as big as we think we are...

Ya-Ya is determined she's going skating, too!

For others, video games with cousins were way more exciting than sitting on our bums on a hard rink!

Bubba and cousin "Cinder-Ella"

And then, some of us are just plain spoiled!

Daddy pushes as Gi-Gi rests. What a good Daddy!

PS Who remembers the "Skateland smell"? Well, let me tell you, the smell hasn't changed! Thankfully, it was family night, so the music was good. But, every once in a while, I hear a song and think to myself, "That's a Skateland song!" Ah, memories.

Family Olympics

I know many of you thought the Olympics were over until next year, but they are alive and kicking here at Tumbleweed Park. Saturday was our homeschool group, EVCHE, Family Olympics. Once everyone managed to roll out of bed Saturday morning, we put on our best athletic clothes, aka Saturday grubbies, and drove speedily to the park. We were obviously late.
Our first medal-qualifying event was the gunny sack race. Now, all of our children are very competetive. (Ahem, I'm not sure where they got it from. Moving along...) Bubba competed first because he was one of the younger ones.

After much focus and determination, he won a...

GOLD MEDAL!!!

Gi-Gi and Daddy competed in the three-legged race next.

They didn't disappoint, bringing home...

two more GOLD MEDALS!

Ya-Ya even got into the act!

While she didn't get a medal, she definitely got her sibling rivalry groove on!

Not only did we get to "compete", the girls got to be "Be-yoo-ti-fied".

Gi-Gi loved her fancy-schmancy "cat's eye" glasses.

Ya-ya kept it simple, yet elegant, with her flower on one cheek and heart on the other.

Bubba preferred playing football with the big boys. Go figure!

All in all, we thought it was a pretty good day. However, now's the time to start intensive athletic training for the next Olympics! This training includes running up and down the stairs 50 times a day, chasing small children, pushing heavy strollers, and bending down to get the laundry out of the dryer. Wait a minute... Hey, I'm an Olympic athlete in training, too! Eat your heart out, Michael Phelps!

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY...Februaury 4, 2009
Outside My Window...a slight breeze, a warm sun.
I am thinking...that if I don't get a nap, I may cry.
I am thankful for...a husband who prays for me!
From the learning rooms...division in math, prepositions in grammar, Little House for lit.
From the kitchen...a mexican concoction by my dear husband with potatoes, pork roast, chili peppers, and fabulous spices, served with tortillas; and hopefully chocolate scones for Mama!
I am wearing...one of hubby's shirts, capri's and socks.
I am creating...still cooking that baby, and a cute bedskirt for Gi-Gi's bed.
I am going...to go to Wal-Mart, is that unusual?
I am reading...the newspaper, Sense and Sensibility.
I am hoping...to be consistent in working with my kids through their areas of weakness right now.
I am hearing...little children working on an American flag together.
Around the house...more baby laundry, painting projects, ironing, etc.
One of my favorite things...getting ready for the baby, snuggling with my kids for reassurance that I still love them, even if a new one is coming.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: packing hospital bag (yay!), order girl's flower girl dresses, paint boy's dresser.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Last Spring at Disneyland with just my Hubby. I love this picture because it reminds me one day I may be thin again!

Our Yearly Visitor

Let's just get it out there. I'm not a bird-lover. It's not that they're not wonderful examples of God's creativity, I just don't like them around me. I love to hear them singing outside my window in the morning. Really, I do. However, I don't want to be close enough to have physical contact with them.
One of the few exceptions to this rule is "Buttercup". For the past three years around this time, we have a mama hummingbird who comes and makes an amazing, intricate nest in our wind chime on our patio. We have been in awe that, not only does she keep coming back, but the patience and diligence of building a nest for her family every year.
The first year, we were so sad because both of her teeny eggs fell out of the nest. Last year, one egg fell, one egg hatched and we were allowed to watch the transformation of this tiny baby into a birdy so big he was pushing Mama out of the nest! This year, we'll have to see what happens.
We laugh because this mama has seemed to adopt our family. She follows us from the front to back yard while we're doing yard work and doesn't seemed at all perturbed when they're out in back acting like a bunch of wild things!
I love that our children are able to celebrate the gift of life in all forms! Now we'll see who wins the "Name the Baby Hummingbird" contest this year.