Student of the Month.

I don't think I was even Student of the Month.

But my kid was - and that's even better, right?

Tonight I will take a picture of her with her certificate and prize pencil. She has reminded me many times that she is Student of the Month - so we had her choice of supper last night (soup) and she told me I could tell her what to do because she was student of the month. HA!

Pictures to come!

Baby Names.

First, does my blog just look ugly now or what? *sigh* I tried to get fancy and I failed.

Anyway,

BABY NAMES!! Oh the fun! I love discussing/analyzing/picking baby names. There's so much pressure involved in naming an actual human. So much. But I think we have it narrowed down and while I haven't made a secret of it to friends and family, I'm not quite ready to broadcast it on the blog. Specifically because my darling grandmother said that it makes her stomach churn. Ouch.

Anyway, I thought I would post the top 10 names for 2010. Fun stuff!


Girls:
Sophia
Isabella
Olivia
Emma
Chloe
Ava
Lily
Madison
Addison
Abigail

Boys:
Aiden
Jacob
Jackson
Ethan
Jayden
Noah
Logan
Caden
Lucas
Liam

*note - both names we have chosen are not even in the top 100 names. And our boy name is super traditional. Weird.
**the girl name is NOT a weird, far-out name. It is old-fashioned and lovely.
***I changed my blog ugliness as soon as I saved this post. I couldn't handle it. It's not pretty by any means, but it's not as ugly as before.

Approaching a Nursery.

I'm almost 20 weeks and starting to come to grips with the fact that we are not going to find out the sex of the baby. This is hard for me, you see. I am a planner. I love to shop. I love to decorate. I hate anticipation and suspense.

My husband is not a shopper, decorator, and he enjoys anticipation and suspense. (loser).

So we are not finding out this time. Just shoot me, please.

There is a tiny (very tiny) part of me that is excited. That part is now looking ahead to the nursery. How the heck to decorate a gender neutral nursery sans shades of yellow or green.

Here's what I'm thinking. Feel free to not give me your opinions.

(PS - The room is already blue - SW Hinting Blue - it will stay that color, girl or boy)

Too girly? Of course the owl pillow will be blue for boy, pink for girl, etc. But the bedding will just be a simple white bumper. I already have the white crib skirt. I love the prints and I love the mobile. The vintage flashcards are darling and we will do my regular long white IKEA curtains on the windows.

If it's a boy, I will butch it up a bit with some cute fabric like this:

or

If it's a girl I will doll it up with scallops bordering the room - oh how I wish these could work with a boy too. But they don't.

and

Pretty garland. See the blue? That's about the right color.

So that's what I'm thinking for now.

Who is Sick of the Post Below?

I never even tried one of those granny cookies. Dave ate about 50 of them, even after being reminded about the butter.

I'm pretty sure my belly button is going to pop out with this baby.

I'm predicting boy.

Granny Cookies aka Christmas Cherries aka Butt-Loads of Butter

Alison and Kelly, enjoy.

PS - I doubled this recipe. So FOUR sticks of butter were used. FOUR.

Christmas Cherries
(pioneerwomancooks)

Ingredients

• 2 sticks Butter, Softened
• ½ cups Sugar
• 2 whole Egg Yolks, Stirred
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Zest Of 1 Lemon
• Zest Of 1 Orange
• Juice Of 1 Lemon
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour, Sifted Twice
• Candied Green And Red Cherries (sold Around The Holidays)

Preparation Instructions

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add egg yolks, vanilla, orange peel, lemon peel, and lemon juice, and mix until combined. Use rubber spatula to scrape bowl, then mix again.
Add sifted flour and mix until combined. Place dough in a ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until firm.
When ready to make the cookies, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut candied cherries in half.
Roll dough into small balls and set on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Gently press the cherry halves, cut side down, into each ball.
Bake for 20 minutes, removing from oven before they start to brown. Cool on a wire rack.

I Have Nothing.

To say, that is.

I do not feel compelled to blog, period.

No reason, really. Things are good at work, great at home, awesome with D&H.

Christmas shopping is done.

The baby is growing...lots.

I don't feel like decorating, that's new.

I made some old-lady Christmas cookies last night for a cookie exchange tonight.

Today is our last day at work until after the new year. That's exciting.

That's all I've got.

Oh My Gosh, I Laughed So Hard.

(Do you watch Survivor? I don't - but I would if this was truly the next idea!)

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 2 kids each for six weeks. Each kid will play two sports and take either music or dance classes. There is no fast food. Each man must take care of his 2 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money. In addition, each man will have to budget enough money for groceries each week. Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time--no emailing. Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment. He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Emergency Room. He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a school function.

Each man will be responsible for
decorating his own assigned house,
planting flowers outside, and keeping it
presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television
when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs,

wear makeup daily,

adorn themselves with jewelry,

wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes,

keep fingernails polished,

and eyebrows groomed

During one of the six weeks,

the men will have to endure severe
abdominal cramps, backaches, headaches,
have extreme, unexplained mood swings
but never once complain or slow down
from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings,
and find time at least once to spend
the afternoon at the park or a similar
setting.

They will need to read a book to the kids each night
and in the morning,
feed them,
dress them,
brush their teeth and
comb their hair
by 7:30 am.

A test will be given
at the end of the six weeks,
and each father will be required to know
all of the following information:
each child's
birthday,
height, weight,
shoe size, clothes size,
doctor's name,
the child's weight at birth,
length, time of birth,
and length of labor,
each child's favorite color,
middle name,
favorite snack,
favorite song,
favorite drink,
favorite toy,
biggest fear,
and what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island based on performance.

The last man wins only if...
he still
has enough energy
to be intimate with his spouse
at a moment's notice.

If the last man does win,
he can play the game over and over and over
again for the next 18-25 years,
eventually earning the right
to be called Mother!
(found on justbeachy.com)

Well I Can Check THAT Off the List!

So long, #8. Truthfully, this was the only one I really cared about and the only one I was worried wasn't going to happen.

But it did and I am eternally grateful.

For real.

So, I'm also taking #16 off the list because, well, duh. And I'm also taking #11 off the list because I have cut so far back it's as if I don't drink it anymore. And it's my list.

My 30 Before 30

1. Successfully grow a garden

2. Purchase new drinking glasses (white polka dot from Target - love)

3. Sew a quilt

4. Print all past pictures since Hallie was born (making progress!)

5. Put #4 into albums.

6. Take Hallie camping.

7. Re-size my super-cute moo-moo.

8. Get (and stay) pregnant (no pressure, right?).

9. Get my ears pierced!

10. Take a tour of Woodlawn Farm.

11. Give up soda.(I am actually making progress with this.)

12. Visit Kurt in Colorado.

13. Find and buy black and white striped cushions for porch swing/rockers. I changed my mind.

14. Eat hibatchi with Dave.

15. Go on a job with Dave. In the semi.

16. Lose 5 pounds. (changed from 10 to 5...let's be realistic)

17. Organize under the kitchen sink.

18. Take a trip with Hallie and Dave. (St. Louis - to the City Museum, Brewery and Neil!)


19. Hang up plate wall in dining room.

20. Make cinnamon rolls from scratch.

21. Buy nightstands for the master bedroom.

22. Buy lamps for the master bedroom.

23. Make a headboard for the master bedroom.

24. Have new windows installed in the house. Blah.

25. Host an outdoor movie night.

26. Host a bonfire.

27. Sew curtains for the laundry room.

28. Pay off sound loan.

29. Pay off my car loan.

30. Host a fish fry.

What To Say, What To Say?

Not much going on here. I do look at this blog every day, but can't seem to find much to write about.

• Still pregnant - going on 15 weeks - yippee! My next appointment is in two weeks.
• Hallie is awesome. We figured out not to give her any sympathy for the little owies and she will stop complaining. Okay, she still complains, but not as much.
• We are doing the "Elf on Shelf" tradition this year. If you are not, you should. It's hysterical. Pictures to come as soon as I take them.
• I'm almost done Christmas shopping. It would help if certain people, *ahem, Megan and Beth, ahem* would give me their lists.
• It's really, really cold and Dave is gone. Which means the bed takes a lot longer to warm up in at night. It also means Zoey is inside at night. She loves it and so does Hallie.
• I've started buying a few baby things - a little at a time. I found something new to obsess over that I wish I had when Hallie was a baby. Oh well, it's fun this time around too!

We Laughed Until We Cried.

Hallie's Christmas program was last night. Her first of many to come, I am sure.

Gosh, I love that kid.

They placed her right in front of the microphone in her polka-dot dress and tights.



can you spot the little girl in the polka dot dress (not Hallie) giving me a death glare??? Creepy!



I worried - would she cry (like her dance recital)? Run from the stage if people laughed? Freak out?

Nope. She rocked the stage. That kid belted out those songs like a professional, except about two beats behind the main tune. What can I say? She goes at her own pace.

Seriously, though. Hallie's voice filled that entire gymnasium. You could hear her over any of the other rugrats on stage. It was hysterical. And I cried I was laughing so hard. Which also made for some pretty crappy pictures.

Sorry!

360 Degrees of Bed Head.

So awesome.

It must have been a good night! 

Well, This Feels Different.

Welcome, 13 weeks!

Yesterday I felt like doing something! Dave dragged the tree from the basement and while he and his "helper" put it together, I cleaned. Yes, I cleaned!

It felt so good! I vacuumed, steam mopped and straightened things up. I love clean floors and mine haven't been clean for a looooong time. 

 And then I got hungry! For lasagna! So I cooked!!

I was a fool and decided to make my own sauce, so things took longer than expected, but by golly it was good!

And then I wanted cookies! So I made cookies! I mean, do you see how much better I feel? My energy is (somewhat) back and I don't feel sick. It's a Christmas miracle.

Yes, I went to bed at 8:30, but what do you expect??

This Is What 12 Weeks Looks Like.

Yowzers. Time to put mama on a diet!

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

Last night we broke the news to Hallie that she would no longer be the sole recipient of our attention. Parents, never make the mistake of telling your child you "have a surprise," lest you run the risk of them thinking you got them a PUPPY or a KITTEN. Ah, geez.

We bought her a book and had a Big Sister shirt for her. She burst into tears when she saw that it was not a puppy, not a kitten, but a book and clothes. Oh the disappointment. She cried until I finally just said, "Hallie, you are going to be a big sister!!!"

Confusion, a hint of a smile and then absolute JUBILATION. I have never seen this kid happier. And my stomach has never recieved so much love. My belly has been kissed, rubbed, gently hugged, patted, etc since she found out. It's all she talks about. The baby. Oh, the baby. How much she loves the baby.

It's darling. I love that girl.

Yes, Today is a Good Day.

Today.

I am back after conferencing for three days - Wednesday thru Friday. It sucked, but that's okay.

I am back after seeing Harry Potter 7, Part I, with fellow nerdlings like myself. That was good.

I am back and was able to be very nice to Home Depot, hopefully smoothing over my husband, who called and yelled at them. Yikes.

I am back to a crazy office, lots of appointments, but

here's hoping for a GREAT DAY TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I Am Still Working On This List.

I know this has been going on for a million years. And to be honest, I can look at 9 and know they are not going to be done. I'm obviously super worried about it.

But at least the ding-dang-dong WINDOWS are installed. Do you know this saga yet? Brand new house, brand new windows. Extreme air infiltration. Jacksonville Home Depot traded us for top-of-the-line windows and they were finally installed last week.

Praise the Lord. You can seriously tell a difference.

My 30 Before 30

1. Successfully grow a garden

2. Purchase new drinking glasses (white polka dot from Target - love)

3. Sew a quilt

4. Print all past pictures since Hallie was born (making progress!)

5. Put #4 into albums.

6. Clean the basement

7. Re-size my super-cute moo-moo.

8. Get (and stay) pregnant (no pressure, right?).

9. Get my ears pieced!

10. Take a tour of Woodlawn Farm.

11. Give up soda.(I am actually making progress with this.)

12. Visit Kurt in Colorado. (September!!!)

13. Find and buy black and white striped cushions for porch swing/rockers. I changed my mind.

14. Eat hibatchi with Dave.

15. Go on a job with Dave. In the semi. (we leave August 1st!)

16. Lose 5 pounds. (changed from 10 to 5...let's be realistic)

17. Organize under the kitchen sink.

18. Take a trip with Hallie and Dave. (St. Louis - to the City Museum, Brewery and Neil!)


19. Hang up plate wall in dining room.

20. Make cinnamon rolls from scratch.

21. Buy nightstands for the master bedroom.

22. Buy lamps for the master bedroom.

23. Make a headboard for the master bedroom.

24. Have new windows installed in the house. Blah.
25. Host an outdoor movie night.

26. Host a bonfire.

27. Sew curtains for the laundry room.

28. Pay off sound loan.

29. Pay off my car loan.

30. Host a fish fry.

Well, That Was Disappointing.

We had an appointment with a pediatric allergist today. It was time once and for all to get Hallie tested to find out what was causing this

 to happen.

I mean, hello, obviously she is having a reaction to something. But she tested negative for everything in the panel today. Trees, grass, mold, dust, cats, dogs, etc. Negative. I am stunned. And totally disappointed. I mean, I don't want something to be wrong with her, but obviously something is wrong with her.

So it's not something easy. Of course. Poor kid.

Ah, Shutterfly.

So it's Christmas card time again. I usually try to do something funny, tie it into a Christmas carol and call it a day. Every year I use Shutterfly. They are super easy to use and there are tons of design choices. (http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery   ) I like that they are quick and since I usually scramble at the last minute...that works for me.

The first year it was a "Bah Humbug" with a picture of Hallie bawling.

The second it was a super cute picture of her with food on her face and a phrase from "Twas the Night Before Christmas," "She had a round face and a little round belly that shook when she laughed like a bowl full of jelly." That was my favorite for sure.

Last year was not my favorite. It was a series of crying pictures (again) with the "He knows if you've been bad or  good" caption.  Boring. Predictable.

This time I'm struggling!! My creative juices are not flowing. I am not doing a crying one again. I refuse to do the professional cards. I am too cheap and everyone does them. I like being weird. Shocker! Maybe I'll do some Hanukkah (http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/hanukkah-cards ) for a shout out to my Jews for Jesus peeps.

Blah.

Hmm.

Something sucks about today, but I can't put my finger on it.

I'm tired, but not overly tired (yet).

Hallie was in a great mood this morning and slept all night long.

My car is getting its oil changed and breaks checked, so I'm driving the Caddy today (thanks, Barb!).

My boss is out this morning.

My coffee/creamer/sugar ratio is spot on.

So what gives?

It might be my impending conference next week.

It might be the thought of traveling again this weekend.

It might be how dirty/gross my house is from the construction of new windows.

It might be feeling sorry for myself for not having a husband for the past 30 days, having to ask every family member for help with my daughter because work is so busy in the evenings, dealing solo on all of the construction stuff, single parenting and feeling guilty about not spending enough time with my kiddo.

Yeah, I think that's it. Today I am feeling sort of sorry for myself and I'm working on snapping out of it.

Snap.

Snap.

*sigh*

Beep.

Last night I had a scary dream.

I dreamt that I was dust-busting my floor by the basement stairs and noticed there was a light on in the basement. I threw my dust-buster down the stairs (huh?) and a man poked his head up to see what was going on. So there was a man in my basement - scary! I grabbed Hallie and ran for the door, and the man kept saying, "I'm from Illinois Power! I'm from Illinois Power!" Middle of the night? I don't think so.

So I woke up all scared and out of sorts. And then,

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! BEEP! BEEEP!! BEEEPBEEEP!

Smoke Detector.

I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest it was pounding so hard. I jumped out of bed but there were no red lights on anything and it didn't beep again.

I called Dave immediately. Did I mention it was 2 o'clock in the morning? The first thing he said was to check the geothermal unit....in the basement.

I have never been so scared.

Everything looked fine. So time to check the batteries.

One smoke detector had a red light, so yep - it needed a new 9-volt. Back to the basement for batteries. Again, I am such a wimp. So scared of the basement.

Put a battery in - Beep. Beep. Beep. Okay, apparently that was an old battery. GREAT. Thank goodness I am a genius and brought up a few more just in case.

Battery was finally changed. I said good night to Dave, and then it took me another 8 hours to fall asleep.

Long story, but it was a scary night.