Names

Yes, I'm already thinking about baby names. Why? Well, because this is my FOURTH time "doing" pregnancy...and I know it all already. (lol) So while I can't get totally stoked on the fact that it's totally awesome that my baby is only one inch long and busy sealing his/her eyelids this week until week 27, I CAN obsess on names.

And while we're on the subject of names, we're kinda going with a combo of our own initials and it turns out that this one, if we stick to the plan, should be a R-L. Sooo...there aren't a lot of good R names still out there. I have to say that all the normal R names are taken in the family already like Ryan (a couple times), Robert, Richard, etc. So, not wanting to duplicate those anymore, I find I'm left with these choice names. Please help me out by voting for your favorite in the right side panel. These are potential R boy names. I'll do another R girl name one soon.

[You may need to reload the page if you can't find it just below my Library Thing section on the right panel]

Well, I'm doing it

Today I'm venturing out of my house. Yes, for the first time in at least 4 weeks, I'm going OUT...and I'm even taking the kids. I'm still not up-to-normal-speed yet but I'm desperate. The kids are sick of these 4 walls and need some others to interact with for a while (and frankly, so do I). So we're heading out to our new MOPS group. Fortunately it's only about a 5 minute drive so if I need a quick exit, that's possible. And the kids will have 2 solid hours where they don't even have to look at each other. :) Not that they're fighting non-stop but they are showing signs that they really need a break. I wish I felt good enough to take them to a park this afternoon but I don't. Maybe Grammy will take pity on them when she stops by tonight and take them for a walk around the subdivision at the very least. ;)

Hubby will be gone the first week of October for training in....Vegas. Yeah, I'm sure he'll get lots of studying done! teehee...actually, if anyone in the world could go to Vegas and not be the least bit tempted, it's him. We're not gamblers in the least but even I would have to go see the sights and take in some cheap buffets at the very least. LOL I'm hoping I'm feeling a LOT better by then because even though Grandma and Grammy have offered to come help out that week, it's still going to be a rough week without him.

Oh and if you didn't get my personal email (lol), we're super excited that Veggie Tales/3-2-1 Penguins will now be airing on NBC on Saturday mornings at 9CST!!! We've been die-hard Veggie fans since Matthew was about 2.5 years old.

Jade has been working on word sounds a lot lately and I feel she's about to have a language explosion soon...at last. She certainly understands everything I tell her and can follow two-step directions so I'm not concerned. But I *am* getting tired of her whining and crying because I don't know what she wants. She loves the 'more' baby sign and uses it almost constantly. The problem is that you never know what she wants more of...so you spend your day turning yourself into Alex Trebec..." more milk? more crackers? Do you want your doll? you want to learn more signs?"

Rose is in the throes of the terrible three's. Though I have to say that compared to her brother, it's barely noticable. Having said that, I DO notice. ;) She in the middle of that "changing her mind all the time on purpose" stuff. So we've been making her stick with whatever her first decision is and I think she's finally catching on that we're not playing her game anymore. "Do you want cake?" "No." "Ok" (start to put it away) "I mean yes, I do want cake!"

I suppose that's most of the news for now. When you spend the day distracting your sick stomach with TV and reading, it doesn't leave much to blog about. But I should have a glowing report about the new MOPS group soon. ;)

Oh and the REALLY REALLY big news...
Yesterday in the mail, Matthew received a birthday card from his great-grandparents...with $5 in it. I'm telling you, I've NEVER seen a kid so happy to see Mr. Lincoln before. "Nana and Papa sent me FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS!!! Now I can get that mini-con set with the bad guy and the good guy that I've always wanted!!! When can we go shopping???" So a major thanks to you, Nana and Papa. You just made his day!

The decision

Well, after 3 hours of crying and whining and hanging all over me and begging me to make the decision for him, I finally told him I wasn't going to listen to anymore of it. This was HIS decision. And I wasn't going to talk about it once more until supper time. This kinda got his attention. Once he lost his audience, he skulked to his room and when he came out, his attitude was much better. Just before afternoon quiet time, he came down the stairs with a screwdriver in hand. I eyed him suspiciously and he said, "Mommy, I just needed to use the screwdriver for something in my room. You should go see what's on my bed."

As I rounded the corner into his room, I saw Metroplex on his bed and Matthew beaming from ear to ear. "I decided to keep him and I put his batteries back in." He was truly happy with his decision. I put the girls down for their naps and came back into Matthew's room. I told him how very proud I was of him for not taking the easy way out. It boiled down to him thinking it was too hard to transform and I was proud of him that he decided to muddle through and conquer it. So I stayed and, following the instructions, helped him transform it. It was then his turn to be proud of me. ;)

"You know what, Mommy?" What? "I'm proud of me too!" That's good because that's THE most important thing. ;)

Buyers Regret

Well, as I stated earlier, Matthew got two duplicate Transformers for his birthday. So we exchanged them last night and, along with a gift card from Grandma, purchased a new one. This was an expensive super-duper $40 Transformer, Metroplex. Then we went over and got a smaller one from ToysRUs to complete his shopping.

Last night he happily played with them. Metroplex needed batteries so he could do some cool manuevers and we fired him up. Cool, right? Well, this morning I was told that Metroplex is "too tricky to transform". I asked if he wanted to exchange Metroplex for something else. "Yes. I mean I want to keep him. I mean he's too tricky and I want the set that has one bad guy and one good guy in it." Ok. But as soon as I started to put Metroplex back in the box for the store, down came the tears. He's now on hour #3 of going back and forth on this decision. Should he take Metroplex back and get something else?

He's trying to force me to decide. And I tell him that it's his money and his birthday present and I refuse to decide for him. "But you're the best deciderer I've ever had." Nope. "But you always know what's best for me." Nope...not gonna decide. "But he's too tricky." Then take him back if you're not going to play with him. Tears. "Well, Jade got $5 from Grandma that she hasn't spent yet and that's what the set costs that I want." Nope. "But...." NOT going to decide for you. Sorry honey. "OK, what if I take him back and YOU get me a new transformer that you think I'll like?" Nope. This is your decision. You can do this sweetie. More tears. "That's not very nice to put on your blog Mommy...here, I'll put crying tears on top of you to prove it." You already have.

What a horrible decision for a 6 yr old. Please send your condolences to us at unschoolingblogger at charter.net.

Matthew is 6yrs old today!

But the party was over almost before it began. Since I've been laid up, my mom offered to do the games and decorations and my MIL offered to do the food (I did the cake), the kids all arrived, they were running and playing and WILD. 'Course some of that was Papa's fault for showing up decked out in Pirate garb.

After about 20 minutes, we were going to get started on games and Matthew comes in and says his tummy hurts. Hubby takes him upstairs for a few minutes and comes back down and says he went to the bathroom and was feeling a lot better. Five minutes later Matthew was throwing up. So he went upstairs and watched the kids play a quick game of Walk The Plank, grab their party bags and wrapped up cupcakes and leave. I feel soooo awful for him to miss his party!

So far, it seems to be more intestinal than throwing up but that's awful enough. Jade had a stomach bug last weekend but I thought we would have already gotten sick from it if we were going to. Poor guy. But everyone left, he opened his presents (I took pics so we can send them in the thank you cards).

And maybe we'll have a playdate in a few weeks and get to play the games and if I'm feeling up to it, maybe we can re-do the cake too.

He's taking it **really** well, bless his heart. I'm the only one about to break down in tears. He did cry for a little bit before the kids left and then came out of his room and said, "I know it's a little late but thank you all for my presents." Poor guy. At least he has some new toys to keep his mind off of feeling so awful.

Not the best picture in the world but here's the cake, matey!

Plans...

"Mommy, I figured out what I want to be when I grow up."
"What is that?"
"I want to be a Crocodile Hunter to replace Steve's life. But I won't go scuba diving. And if I see a sting ray, I'd really just try to stay near the other divers."
"What about your former dreams of being an astronaut and an archaeologist?"
"Hmmm...well, I will be all three!"

Pluto

Matthew: "Mommy, what are you watching?"
Me: "A show about Pluto. They think it might not be a planet after all."
Matthew: "Actually Mommy, Pluto is in the Kuniper Belt. Some scientists think that it's a planet and some think it is an asteroid. They're arguing about it."

Mental note: Never get into a scientific topic that I don't know much about with my son. And the actual name of the belt is Kuiper (before I get corrected), I learned while watching the show. ;)

I've had a couple good days. Today isn't as good but still better than I was feeling last week. Maybe I'm starting to come out of the really bad morning sickness days. :) Jade, 17mos, had a stomach bug all weekend and was throwing up and other stuff. Thank goodness Hubby was home to clean her up and take care of her. Rose has some kind of cold or respiratory flu that she's being kind enough to share with us all. And I think they picked both of these things up at the mall last week. Their only outing last week was going to the mall play area with Grammy while I was at the hospital for re-hydration. I don't get it - usually there's at least a month of school before the kids start picking up everything in sight, right? Maybe it was our milder winter last year. If so, BRING IT ON this year! :) I'm not scared of snow. ;)

I apparently spoke too soon

What a difference a day makes. Day before yesterday when I had the IV, I felt really great afterwards and was able to actually eat a meal. I went downhill all day yesterday and last night was horrible. It's not that I'm actually getting sick. And I'm getting fluids in...at least I was up until last night. But I cannot force myself to eat. I had teeny bites for dinner, 1/2 serving of cream of wheat for breakfast and a few bites of potato soup and shortbread cookies for lunch. I know, it's not nearly enough. But I have some "stores" I can get by on for a while (believe me, it's not like I don't adore food), as I usually do lose a lot of weight while pg. I don't know how I can go from feeling so much better to so utterly horrid in one day. And I'm really scared my OB will be talking about a stomach tube soon. Anyway, I'm not trying to go on and on about being pregnant but if you could send up some prayers for me, I'd really appreciate it.

Hollywood and a pg update

Hollywood is cruel, especially when you're 5. transformersmovie.com Matthew's latest obsession, Transformers, is bringing out a movie next JULY. Yes, an entire year from now. How cruel to my sweet son who's [upcoming] birthday list consists of:
17 Transformers and 1 set of Magnalogs.
Hmmm...wonder what he'll be getting this year?

In other news, I went to the hospital today and got a litre of IV fluids and some top-shelf hyperemesis medication, Zofran. I cannot begin to tell you how much better I feel than this time yesterday. Hoping against hope that it lasts, I still feel the need to say that I will probably still be sporadic in posting for a while. The kids were exceedingly sweet and my dear mother took several hours off work and watched the kids for me. One of the big downsides to being a SAHM and/or homeschooler is these things that come up - like doctor appts, etc. - where you'd really like some privacy but don't have many places to drop the kids off. So you try to rotate within your small group of people who can help but still feel like you're calling on them all the time. Mental note - find more local homeschooling friends that you can trade off with. ;) Oh yeah, and make sure they don't look like this when you mention 3 or 4 children.

In the meantime, check out my RL [real life] best friends new blog! Yes, I've converted yet one more mommy deep into the blogging world. [insert evil laugh here] Mwahaaahaaahaaaaaa She's asked that I not share her site just now but I had to announce her conversion with pride. teehee..

It might be a while

It looks like my morning sickness is going to be on the severe side again. So I probably won't be posting regularly for a while. If you haven't signed up for my RSS feed, please do so and you'll know when I'm back in business. The RSS site is:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/rss.php?u=amalapert

And, of course, all prayers are welcomed. I keep trying different medications but nothing's working yet.

Saturday Photo Hunt - Blue

AND we homeschool...

It was eery this morning, driving through a couple subdivisions around 10:30a, to find them completely devoid of children. I've never really noticed it any other year [perhaps because Matthew would be starting K this year?] but it was kind of a shock to the system.

Speaking of shocks, we've had a stressful week and a half. I didn't post about any of it so I'll briefly sum it all up now that things are fine. As you remember, I had the positive home pregnancy test a week before this past Saturday. It was a shock to us, though we definitely wanted one more child in our family. A couple days later they did an ultrasound to find out how far along I was and couldn't find a fetal pole or heartbeat and we thought that I was far enough along that we should see them. We feared the worst. We were given a glimmer of hope on Friday, when my HCG numbers almost doubled in 48 hours but we knew it still could have been bad. So we held our breath and prayed. Lots and lots of praying. Today I had another ultrasound and voila - there IS a heartbeat and fetal pole. YEAH!! So we're thanking God for His ongoing faithfulness and watchfulness over us. I'm 6 weeks, 6 days along and due on April 14th (tax baby...lol).

I was reading a post by a friend today where she was appalled by watching that show, Wife Swap. The show she saw had paired up a city family with a homeschooling country one. The homeschoolers were shown as eccentric and having out-of-control kids and messy homes, etc. The city family made comments like, "Each of our kids have a playstation so they don't BOTHER us," and yet were portrayed as 'normal'. I.E. If you think you fall into that 'normal' category, I'd be mad too! LOL

That post got me thinking about what people picture when I tell them we're homeschoolers. [As a side note, why does it seem that either 'the kids go to school' or 'we're a homeschooling family'? Well in our family, it's definitely a cooperative effort. So I feel I must include myself in the education statement and say "we" are homeschoolers. But if I sent the kids to school, that's "their" thing. Just a passing thought, forgive me.]

So whenever strangers comment, after seeing my three little ones, that "you MUST have your hands FULL" or "bet you can't wait til they start school!" and then I smile and say, "We're homeschoolers", I always get THE LOOK. You know what I mean. They look at me and see THAT SHOW going on in my house. Their thoughts go like this:
I'm a freak and my kids are so far out of control and ohmygosh, I probably have a GARDEN out back too! (You should see the looks I get when I mention the compost pile! ROFL) For fun, we must grow our hair out to our knees, hang out at the library and learn how to weave baskets. We must go from door to door selling the fruits of the garden and schedule every other weekend as canning time. We stay in our four little walls with no tv or modern niceites and ~ oh, the horror~ hang our laundry outside to dry (which my subdivision actually doesn't allow us to do)! I don't allow my kids to play with the freakish public school kids across the street, for fear that my kids will learn a little too much about life before I'm ready. We have converted our dining room into a one-room schoolroom, complete with desks and a chalkboard. We are strictly scheduled and have ourselves wound so tight that you'd better not talk to me or I might break down on the spot and weep in front of you.

If you've been reading my blog for any time, you know that there's not a whole lot of truth up there in that so-called snapshot of our family. Ok, so we do have a large garden and compost pile (Hubby's passions, not mine...but I do cook the food), we DO actually hang out at the library quite a bit and if my kids want to learn how to basket weave, we'll venture down that road too. But I see the above story in the strangers LOOK when I admit that we're homeschoolers. It's actually pretty fun to see the horror flutter across their faces as they say, "Wow, then you really ARE busy...and a little crazy! [nervous laugh]". But it usually shuts them up...kind of a show stopper. lol

But Matthew is getting to that age where people are expecting him to be in school during the day so we will get the question a lot more now that school has started. I need to find some other great comebacks to add to their suspicions...perhaps I should mutter something to the kids about the "science experiment" in the basement on the way past them (in truth, we do have some garden onions drying on racks down there so they'll last all winter - not too much of a real experiment but it could work). So if you have any great suggestions for me to use, I'm all ears. ;)

Oh, and what do/did you think of homeschoolers before you met one (or read their blog - lol)? Admit it, you had the same image in your mind. Well, close to it. ;) Guess what? SO DID I...and that's why I did NOT want to be one.

The 12 Days of Public School song

Hope I don't offend any of my schooled friends! But I came across this on a website a few years back (sorry I can't give proper credit to the author! If the author stops by, please let me know. ;)) and thought it was pretty cute. So, I'm posting it for my other unschooling friends in honor of our public school district starting tomorrow.

The First 12 Days of Public School song

And a one, and a two...

On the first day of public school my neighbor said to me, "Don't your kids just watch TV all day?"

On the second day of public school my neighbor said to me, "Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?"

On the third day of public school my neighbor said to me, "What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?"

On the fourth day of public school my neighbor said to me, "Don't you use workbooks? What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?

On the fifth day of public school my neighbor said to me, "PLAY CAN'T BE "WORK"!! Don't you use workbooks? What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?

On the sixth day of public school my neighbor said to me, "Don't you set limits? PLAY CAN'T BE "WORK"!! Don't you use workbooks? What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?

On the seventh day of public school my neighbor said to me, "Life isn't like that. Don't you set limits? PLAY CAN'T BE "WORK"!! Don't you use workbooks? What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?

On the eighth day of public school my neighbor said to me, "John Holt was crazy! Life isn't like that. Don't you set limits? PLAY CAN'T BE "WORK"!! Don't you use workbooks? What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?

On the ninth day of public school my neighbor said to me, "You have no structure. John Holt was crazy! Life isn't like that. Don't you set limits? PLAY CAN'T BE "WORK"!! Don't you use workbooks? What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?

On the tenth day of public school my neighbor said to me, "Kids need a schedule. You have no structure. John Holt was crazy! Life isn't like that. Don't you set limits? PLAY CAN'T BE "WORK"!! Don't you use workbooks? What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?

On the eleventh day of public school my neighbor said to me, "I just don't get it Kids need a schedule. You have no structure. " John Holt was crazy! Life isn't like that. Don't you set limits? PLAY CAN'T BE "WORK"!! Don't you use workbooks? What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?

On the twelfth day of public school my neighbor said to me: Wow--you're so...different. I just don't get it. Kids need a schedule. You have no structure. John Holt was crazy! Life isn't like that. Don't you set limits? PLAY CAN'T BE "WORK"!! Don't you use workbooks? What about the TAKS test? Where's your curriculum? Don't your kids just watch TV all day?

On the thirteenth day of public school I smilingly replied: We like being different, go read these websites, kids don't need a schedule, we don't like structure, Holt was a genius, Life isn't like school, No, we don't set limits, LEARNING NEVER ENDS!! We use what the kids like, Tests don't accurately measure knowledge, Our curriculum is in a landfill ..and the purpose of unschooling is JOY!

On the fourteenth day of public school, my neighbor said to me... My kids really hate school, maybe I should withdraw them, I don't really know them as people, their friends are kind of nasty, the parents seem even worse, there's just so much stress, I hate the government raising my children, UNSCHOOLING SOUNDS SO COOL (but kind of scary at first), I would like to try it, I think my kids would like it, my spouse might need some work, but I know you'll help me out cause you're so awesome!

The Big Fat Rat

We're heading out to Chuck E Cheese today to celebrate the kids best friends last day of summer break. And though mine don't go to school, most of their friends do and it's gonna be a long year inbetween regular playdates again. I've signed up for MOPS and they'll make more friends at church (as they've moved up in classes there themselves) so we have some friends there but their very best friends will be in school. It's sad for me too. Sad that we won't see them as often but sadder still that the friends wanted to go see the Big Fat Rat himself today.

Barely holding onto the contents of my stomach and going to a greasy pizza-party joint with tons of kids celebrating their last day of summer freedom. Wish me luck! ;)

Saturday Photo Hunt - Youth

What says "youth" better than trying on all of your new Christmas stuff at once (surrounded by empty boxes and wrapping paper)? New nightgown, princess dress up and fairy dress up.



And, seeing everyone's kid pics, I got jealous so here's me and my brothers on a Halloween night, which is always the first thing I remember from childhood.

A morning in the life...

Thank you for listening to these words from our sponsor, pregnancy. Now back to our regularly scheduled program, "unschooling".

Matthew just interrupted me to ask if we could make a cardboard dagger. "You know, a dagger." He swings his arms in the air as if holding a dagger. "And could you please find my cardboard box? And get the craft glue. And scissors. And I really need you, Rose, to get your craft scissors! Mommy, I need craft scissors. Cardboard scissors, I mean." Looks like it'll be an interesting project. He decided on a Pirate theme for his birthday party and it looks like we're starting already. Now, where did I put those dagger schematics??

Rose comes running up to me this morning, in tears, over, "Matthew hurt my feelings!" and Jade is right on her heels, standing next to her, fake crying. Yes, my 17 month old who mostly refuses to talk, is fake crying with her sister. She's got her face all scrunched up and doing the whining cry and trying to crawl into my lap. What am I gonna do with them?

So the real reason of my post today...
Two days ago, Matthew decided he wanted to make a science experiment. He was very secretive but asked if he could use a few items from the kitchen. But he didn't want any help at all. "Sure, just clean up whatever messes you make." See, he's old enough now to actually be able to clean up after himself. MAJOR accomplishment ranking right up there with using the toilet, walking and talking, in my book. ;)

["Mommy, where is my cardboard box with the blue paper on it that I made into a plane?" "Check the garage." "I'm scared to go in there by myself. Rose, will you go with me?" "Yeah!"]

He asked me to set out some ingredients for him...salt, sugar and colored sugar crystals. So I did and I left. After a while, he comes to show me his experiment. It's those three items and water that have been stirred up. "Awesome, Matthew! What is it?" "It's my experiment!" He and Rose studied it for a long time and poured more into it and complained that not all of the sugar crystals dissolved.

["We couldn't find the box Mommy." "Well, go in the basement and see if you can find an empty cardboard box." "Okay."]

That evening, when Hubby got home, Matthew and Rose were very excited to show him the experiment. I was on the couch, trying to contain the contents of my stomach so I'm a little fuzzy on the details but after a while, Matthew and Rose each came in and showed me their official experiment. They each had a container (one a mason jar, one an empty clean soda bottle) with the experiment inside.

["We can use our old bird blind," said bird blind being hauled up the stairs behind her. "OK, if you want to." "Mommy, I still need craft scissors. I mean cardboard scissors!" "Just a second, hunny." "And some glue!"]

On the outside of their experiments is written:
Hypothesis: It will might grow mold.
Started: 8-15-2006
Apparently he wanted to leave himself a little wiggle room on the hypothesis.

["This is the final piece. This will be the handle. Rose, the scissors, please. OK, we have all the stuff we need. This is Grammy's glue - it's better than yours because it's washable." He glues his dagger together, complete with handle. Rose hurries over with her pieces. "Mommy, me too, me too!!" (her favorite phrase) I help her glue her pieces together.]

Now I could be one of those over-achieving homeschooling moms who wants my kid to learn something and I could say, 'Honey, that won't grow mold very fast, if ever. You should try a piece of bread instead." But I don't. Why? Because the result isn't important. What is important is that he came up with this idea on his own, he now knows what a hypothesis is, he is following through on a project and he's having FUN learning.

["Mine is better than hers." "Hey!" "I mean, 'Wow Rose - that's a great dagger! It's even better than mine!'." My heart melts a little. Commence the swashbuckling dagger fights. "A dagger is a type of sword, Rose." "Oh."]

So we sit and wait for the experiment to grow mold. I don't know how long it will take for them to lose interest, if any. But for now they eye them suspiciously every day and compare their containers, looking for signs of mold.

["Mommy, I want to make a better one." "But yours is already better than mine, Rose!" "Oh...yeah." The finished products:
Matthew's dagger:

Rose's dagger:

]

You might think that Rose doesn't get as much blog time as Matthew does. To some, this might seem unfair. And it could be, if the following weren't true... Rose wants to do whatever Matthew is doing. The phrase, "Me too" is heard 534,297 times a day in our home. While I see her own personality emerging, I'm sure she'll get much more screen time in the near future. ;)

[Grammy just called and Matthew said, "Please tell whoever it is that me and Rose just made daggers out of cardboard!" I relayed the news to Grammy and she said, "Oh, we were discussing swords yesterday. He said he could make one and I told him I could just buy him one. He said he could make one out of cardboard and I told him that it probably wouldn't last very long and I could just get him a nice plastic one. He told me that it would be cheaper and more fun to make one."]

What will we get into next?

Compliment

The second best compliment of my life came yesterday by my best friend. How cute is it that I'm 33yrs old and have a best friend?? teehee Hey, don't knock it - I'm making up for lost time. What was the first best compliment, you ask? Well, when my very musically talented 12 yr old niece, Bria, said, "Aunt Laurie, you sing better than Amy Grant." Amy was my idol (little 'i') growing up. I listened to her music 24/7. I had many fantastical dreams and plays in the basement when I was singing in front of thousands of cheering fans, just like her. This will surely still be the best compliment of my life on my death bed.

So the second best compliment...She said, "I watched a friend's two boys the other day and told my husband last night that your three kids are much easier to watch than the two boys....because..." are you ready for this one??? "...because....your kids listen." Please be my best friend forever!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... The. Second. Best. Ever.

They've got heart too

My mom, a.k.a. Grammy, babysat this morning for me. Matthew's birthday is coming up next month and the wind-up to it has started.

Today's conversation was told to me after the fact:
Grammy: "Matthew, would you like me to bring you presents or money for your birthday?"
Matthew, deep in thought: "I think........hmm...presents."
Grammy: "Are you sure? It might be fun to have a shopping trip instead."
Matthew (still not confident): "Ummm...I think presents."
Grammy: "I could get you a gift card to Toys R Us and you could go pick out whatever toys you'd like from there."
[quiet pondering]
Matthew: "I think I'll go with presents because Jade is so cute rolling in wrapping paper!"

*****************

A while ago, I was reading someone's blog and found something incredibly hysterical. We dealt with infertility for some time before we finally achieved our first pregnancy. But somehow, my body now knows what to do and our next three pregnancies have been naturally obtained. I stumbled across [read: clicked a link from another link until I was lost on how I got there] someone's blog who was (in '03) dealing with failed IVF's and quickly found myself wanting to follow her story to the 'end'. Her ability to emote through written words had me thoroughly immersed, combined with all the feelings that I felt back when we dealt with it. I suppose I was more entrenched in her storyline than I thought because I suddenly found myself laughing so hard that I had salty tears pouring down my face. And in the literal next breath, I was crying those heart-wrenching sobs, followed by laughing tears in the next breath. I was doing a great Jekyll/Hyde impersonation, to my children's horror. They didn't quite know what to do with me.
Rose crept closer, wanting to help but not really knowing what to do. "What hurts, Mommy?" "Nothing sweetie." "Why are you crying?" Oh to be so naive/young to think that tears are only for physical hurts! "I don't know." Laugh, laugh, cry, weep.

Matthew quickly started to read the blog entry to find the source of my tears. "Don't you ever just feel like crying sometimes?" "No. I wish you felt happier Mommy." "Well, a couple of hugs would help." I find myself innundated with a barrage of hugs. Jade runs over to get in on the huddle and I feel myself relaxing a bit. Matthew jumps up and starts singing in a silly voice and trying to make me laugh. While I'm not sure that will calm down my exaggerated feelings, it *is* funny watching him dance around the living room, singing about his new Transformer that 'bit his rear'. Yep, I'm pregnant alright. (Of course, as my three kiddos snuggle up to watch some tv with me, I take the opportunity to explain that hormones can make pregnant women crazy sometimes.) Ahhh the sheer bliss of it all.

Siblings

OK, so my last post, "Name Our Baby!" was evil after my pg announcement (thanks Mrs. S - that goes down as my all-time favorite comment! ROFL). So now I'll get to the good stuff...

We told the kids and they're so excited. Rose keeps telling me that she feels the baby kicking already (when she's on the other side of the room, no less...lol). Matthew is convinced it's a boy. And Jade...well, Jade is just always happy so I say she's excited about becoming a big sister too. ;)

We went out for a celebratory dinner at my favorite Chinese place on Sunday. We all opened our fortune cookies.
Rose got "Opportunity knocks on your door every day - answer it."
Hubby got "It is time to help a friend in need."
I got "Keep your ideas flexible, and don't ignore details."
Now these three, stretched a little, could be pointing towards the baby. Though no one said it, and the baby wasn't the topic of conversation, I found it mildly cute. Then an unusual calm settled over the room. And Matthew reads his from the end of the table "Soon someone new coming into your life will become a very good friend." He squints in thought and suddenly his face lights up with a huge smile - "THE BABY! I can't wait!!" This goes down as one of my 'best moments of motherhood'.

I have two older brothers and no sisters. My oldest brother is 8.5 years older than me so I feel I have always been perceived as 'the baby' to him. And my other brother was only 3 years older but let's face it - there were two boys sharing a room and then me in my room. I wasn't exactly close to them and in fact, the middle child and I fought like cats and dogs most of our lives. Seeing my children so happy about welcoming another family member (and seeing how close the three already are) just warms my heart to the point of bursting [no, pregnancy hormones have not kicked in yet, I swear!]. ;)

As I listen to them playing behind me, I wonder why anyone would ever *choose* to stop at just one healthy child (aside from medical or financial reasons)...but I know that those people also wonder what would drive a woman so insane as to actually want four under the age of seven. ;) Please don't misunderstand me - I'm not judging parents of only children at all...it's just something I wonder about.

Strangers don't get this about large families...and maybe some of my own extended family members too, though they mostly keep their opinions to theirselves (it's not like we're related to Ray Barone). All through my last pregnancy, it was like strangers were saying, "Hey, you *have* your boy and your girl - why keep going?" And some did actually SAY it, believe me. So, I'm looking for comebacks from you, my readers, for when those comments start coming in. Leave me some good material that I can work with, k? ;)

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