happy halloween and my baby on a horse.

have you forgotten about the give-away?? this is your LAST DAY to sign up here !! that means i'm drawing a name (early??) tomorrow morning...spit spot! (anyone remember what that is from??) GIVEAWAY CLOSED...

naw.

i didn't forget to share...

my baby on a horse...

here ya go.


here is my belly (in the back) riding doubles with her new bestest friend A. note the matching jackets? and the slight look of terror on my baby's face?? yeah. just enough scared. but enjoying it nonetheless.


and you know my thing with old barns? my friends live with this in their backyard everyday. complete with an hayloft...that was used for plenty of barn dances in it's day. awesome, no?


and this?? original homestead house. original homestead house. crazy huh? i think at one time it was mentioned that, something like, 9 people lived in that house. it is smaller than my bedroom. and i live in a small house. i'll ask her for specifics for y'all. i can't remember the date that it was built. but she will. she's kind of a antiquey girl.


we can't leave out the kitten that belly wanted to take home so bad...she's just like her mama. this kitten, though, adorable. actually let the girls dress it in baby clothes and put it in baskets. just purred the entire time.


oh yeah...and i completely horrendous picture of my girly-girl riding all by herself. mama's heart was pumping. that must be why the picture is incredibly blurry. yeah, that. even playing around with it on picnik was no help.

wild and precious life.

have you forgotten about the give-away?? sign up here - before tomorrow is over! that means i'm drawing a name early on saturday morning! GIVEAWAY CLOSED...

digthischick (aka margot's mama) says it ever so eloquently in a poem by mary oliver.

the last of which is...

"I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?"

and i told her via commenting..."tonight?? i plan to jump and hide and play in the gigantic pile of leaves that our oak trees dumped on us over the weekend."

here is the proof that i did it.

introducing coconut to the wonder of a pile of leaves...albeit slowly. she was a little fearful after belly disappered into the depths of a large pile.

belly and i giggling uncontrollably.

this face... the face i so often try to capture on film...but never can. and i did. the background was way wonky...so i played a little and had (maybe?) too much fun with the editing...but couldn't help myself. i had to emphasize that smile. it's a real one. developed after proudly covering daddy in leaves and walking away.

two girly-girls facing the camera. at. the. same. time. (i'm sure you are just about marveling at my photograpic abilities at this very second.)

awful 'blurry as can be' photograph. but evidence of pure joy.

covering daddy up with leaves. i love (and hate) that our oak trees drop so many leaves on us that you can completely cover up a six foot two daddy. and we had several of those piles. and the trees aren't done with us yet. or rather...we aren't done with them.

in this wild and precious life??...i'm just enjoying what it throws at me.

hasay - wednesday update...

before we get to the meat of this post...don't forget to sign up for the give-away! GIVEAWAY CLOSED...

aren't they cute?? the give-away is for 3 baby doll cloth diapers for you little ones to play with! they are made by the woman that makes my coconut's cloth diapers...and she is now making these little cuties for play. my girly-girls absolutely LOVE playing with the diapers...and they can even be made waterproof if you were like santa and made the dumb mistake of giving lil' kids those baby dolls that pee and require real diapers so they don't pee all over your house. whoever wins will get to choose boy or girl colors...
GO HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

confused about today's post title? yeah i was too...until i remembered...

oh yeah...

h - half
a - as
s - small
a - as
y - you

club.

and i'm a wednesday updater.

so here is my wednesday update:

i still haven't bought a scale. kinda ok. i think it sucks to look at a number and define this goal by that...rather than how i feel. but, i'm thinking that i need to have that number so that i can really keep track of how i'm doing. and not just make guesses and assumptions.

but for today...guesses and assumptions?? my pants and jeans are fitting better. all of them!

foodwise - i've made a concious effort to not eat anything more than i need. i'm not snacking, all. the. time. i'm not stopping by the staff room to see if anyone has left any snacks. i'm trying to not eat anything past 8:00...when i usually really want to snack. i'm trying to only take what i need at dinner and not take seconds. i'm trying to not eat the kid's leftovers. (unless you count last night, when they both wanted what i had and therefore i didn't get to eat my meal. then i ate their stuff. hmm.)

exercisewise - i have done at least 20 sit-ups every day! every day! each morning i have gotten up and done at least 15 minutes of exercise. sit ups or crunches at least. and then i do some random exercises. unfortunately we haven't gotten my elliptical trainer back yet. but i saw it on my husband's to-do list. so it's coming. i'm making an effort to walk to people rather than email. and in between students, when i have a little break...i try to sneak in some crunches or jumping jacks...rather than check email.

i think i'm being successful.

until last night, when i bravely said to my husband..."look at my tummy...don't you think it's getting smaller?"

he (ever-so-slightly) rolled his eyes and said... "i can't really tell."

HELLO?!?!?!?!?!?
wrong answer.

even if you cannot visualize an even slight change...you should always say,

"why yes my dear beautiful wife...i so do believe that you are looking so much trimmer than you were last wednesday when you decided to embark on this adventure. and by the way...have i mentioned what an awesome mother you are to our dear children? and the dinner you made tonight, was absolutely delish. and you amaze me with your ability to successfully run our family and maintain a full time job. in short...you are a truly amazing woman and i can't believe that you married me."

but, i will give him the fact that he told me after last wednesday's post...that he doesn't want a trophy wife. he just wants me to be healthy and happy. good boy.

100 things on my 100th post.

because i'm oh-so-creative...i decided to tell you 100 random things that came out of my head on my 100th post. (i bet no-one else has ever done that...stepping outside the box here...stay with me! or don't.)

validate me! make me realize that i'm not alone in these weird quirky behaviors of mine! enjoy! hope you make it to the end, in one piece! (and if you do...there's a prize!)

1. i HATE moths.

2. i will, literally, shove someone out the front door at night so as to avoid letting the creatures in my house.

3. i think the fear is rubbing off on coconut...and therefore, now i have to pretend that they (and all other creepy crawly creatures) don't scare the crap out of me.

4. scary movies. scary shows. scary books. ALL scare the crap out of me, too.

5. i cannot watch them when my husband is working. i will not sleep. ever.

6. my husband is an airline pilot...therefore working a lot... and so, i avoid these things much of the time.

7. i always get asked, "where is your husband right now?" and i often don't know the answer.

8. i don't know what i would ever do if my husband was no longer an airline pilot.

9. i love having him home and try my best to cherish our time together.

10. but, i also like the "me" time i get when he's gone.

11. and the "just the girls" time that us girls get to have.

12. i would love to have another baby. someday.

13. i don't know what i would do if it was a boy.

14. i think my biggest fear is that there would be no more "just the girls" when daddy is gone.

15. i also think that i want to be SO ready for the next one. and i'm not sure if i ever will be.

16. i am supported by a few amazing girlfriends.

17. i do not get to spend as much time with them as i would like.

18. i love to chat with friends over glasses (or bottles) of wine.

19. i also love to chat with them over chai tea (specifically coconut creme from namaste cafe)

20. many of my for-real friends don't understand this "blogging thing"

21. i like the community of bloggers. i like writing and knowing that someone somewhere is listening.

22. i think listening to others is one of the most important things that you can do for someone.

23. i listen all day long working as a speech-language pathologist in our school district.

24. i love playing games with the kiddos and watching their communication abilities grow.

25. i HATE the paperwork.

26. i wish all parents knew how important it is to talk with their children. not just at.

27. my two new goals as a mommy are to...try to say "yes" with my kids, at least as much as i say "no" and

28. to give hugs until my children let go.

29. neurotically...i must keep my play-doh colors separate. no options, there.

30. i claim it is because i use them to work on identifying, labeling and matching colors.

31. it's actually just that i hate when they mold into a *blech* color.

32. i think about colors all the time. yes, it's weird. i know.

33. i actually returned a set of dominoes because the colors on them drove me insane with their non-coordination.

34. the thought of those dominoes makes me ill...i can still visualize the colors. ugh.

35. i like to play games with my husband. dominoes, dice, board games...

36. he always bets things like backrubs or ahem, things...but i never follow through.

37. i always bet things like backrubs or taking care of the next dirty diaper. he always follows through.

38. i hate when people paint their houses the "wrong" color. it drives me bonkers. i wish i could show you the house. but that would be weird. and totally judgemental.

39. i try not to judge other people. especially when i don't know their side.

40. i always try to see things from their side, too. devil's advocate. it frustrates me when they are right

41. i have always loved animals. always.

42. before i had real animals...i had TONS of stuffed animals.

43. i used to sleep with them in, yes in, my nightgown because i was afraid that if someone broke into my house, they would steal them. they were my most important possessions.

44. i don't sleep with my new most important possessions (the girly-girls) in my nightgown.

45. i rode my first horse, queenie, when i was 4...and have LOVED horses ever since.

46. during college, i worked as a horse trainer/handler for a hippotherapy organization.

47. i loved doing therapy with horses and animals and kids. dream job.

48. i've always had a dream to open a farm-based camp for children with disabilities.

49. i don't know if i have, or ever will have, the energy (or funds) to ever initiate that dream.

50. i love old houses and old barns.

51. especially barns. big red falling down barns.

52. i wish that i could buy an old (less falling down) barn and turn it into my home.

53. i love the thought of being in a place where the walls were a source of constant life and warmth.

54. where the past echos of moos and whinnies, shuffling hooves in the straw and creaking of the floors.

55. i've let my baby eat pizza on the floor of a barn during a horse show.

56. at the time, i reasoned that it would improve her immune system.

57. i will never win a mother of the year award.

58. i think i'm a pretty good mom, anyways.

59. i haven't slept through the night in about 5 years...and i still manage to function.

60. i secretly wish to have my husband's job for a day so that i can watch tv from my bed in a hotel room by myself eating a pepperoni pizza. nothing specific. and really...i only want one day of my husband's job.

61. i could not handle sitting in a cockpit flying through ENDLESS blue skies. ending up in another hotel room. and not with my family.

62. we only have one tv in our house and we rarely turn it on for something other than the weather during the school year.

63. my husband's favorite show is the weather. meterology and aviation go hand in hand. i guess it's important to know the weather at. all. times.

64. my favorite tv show is project runway.

65. but i only saw 2 episodes this season.

66. i love watching the designers turn nothing into something.

67. i've made a few pillowcase dresses for the girls. something into something.

68. i am pretty sure know my family and friends laugh at me...but i think they are cute.

69. then again, i think my girls are cute even when they are covered in popsicle drippings and dirt.

70. i am so not cute covered in popsicle drippings and dirt. but, i want to lose weight. and be cute too.

71. i hope i can do it.

72. don't worry...i won't make myself a pillowcase dress. maybe.

73. i love crafting.

74. i am an undefined crafter that wants to open an etsy shop.

75. i can't narrow down what i want to put in my shop...

76. everytime i have an idea...it doesn't work out like it did in my head.

77. my current craze is metal stamping and beading.

78. and photograph letter blocks.

79. i want to do digital scrapbooking...because it seems like it is much more organized...

80. i am not organized.

81. i am trying to be more organized.

82. i claim that i need a bigger house to be organized. (maybe a resurrected barn?).

83. i wish to have a linen closet, a coat closet, a cupboard for separate dishes/cups AND a pantry.

84. i don't have any china. (i don't have any room for china.)

85. we could not find a single dish design that we liked and ended up buying a set of plain dishes at target.

86. we used it to replace the dishes that had a large blue daisy on them. (seriously, i found a picture).

87. they were handed down from my aunt and uncle, who purchased them in virginia when they lived there.

88. we rid ourselves of them (the dishes...not my uncle & aunt), in virginia. (full-circle, baby!)

89. in virginia, i used to drive up and over a mountain to get to work.

90. i thought it was super cool driving past monticello, thomas jefferson's place. every day.

91. but, i didn't really like living in virginia.

92. i wanted to move back home.

93. i love living close (veryclose...sometimestooclose) to my parents.

94. on the positive side, my children get to have wonderful opportunities spending time with family.

95. and i get built in babysitters.

96. occasionally, i get calls to ask if i want to have someone watch the kids. seriously. babysitters that OFFER. before you ask.

97. i've never had to pay for a babysitter.

98. i pay for daycare though.

99. thankfully, my daycare providers are awesome and even agreed to letting me cloth diaper. super wonderful.

100. this is my favorite cloth diaper lady.

whew. you did it. i did it.

you know that favorite cloth diaper lady?? she has helped me put together a little bag for a give away! it has 3 little baby-doll sized cloth diapers for your little one to play with! leave a comment (by friday, october 31st) saying which of my 100 things you most identify with, and i will randomly pick someone from the group to win the give-away! you must live within the united states to be eligible. sorry.
also...i'll contact you to get your mailing address and some specifics! so make sure to leave an email address or link to your website/blog!
get your comment in by midnight on friday! i'll draw the name on saturday morning...(hopefully later rather than earlier. i would love the chance to sleep in!)
GIVEAWAY CLOSED...

but before that...

thanks for the well wishes from last night, everyone.

someone put it very well, that maybe last night...*that*...was really what i needed.

and i think i did. i've been so busy running through life lately. i haven't taken many minutes to just stop and cherish where i am.

i feel like i'm on this fine line of being happy where i am and wanting something new.

and i really need moments like last night, to show me that i need to just appreciate everything that i have during the moments that i have it. i can't worry about the future or the past, but i just need to treasure the now.

i'm not ready to fully insist that i don't need a night away with my husband...

but last night was a gentle reminder of how quickly the time will pass. and i want to thank all of you for helping me remember that.

waiting...

wait for it...
tomorrow is my 100 list and a give-away!

not quite...but still perfect.

i've been feeling a little sorry for myself today.

for some amount of time, the husband and i had planned a night in boston. he has a rather long overnight there, this evening. over 24 hours. in pilot-terms...it's a long overnight. for us...it was to be a first night of...just us...

no plans. no babies. no kids. no house.

just us...and a hotel room. and a new city.

but stuff...got in the way. recovering girly-girls... recovering mama... birthday parties... midwife get-togethers... halloween costumes to be made...

still...i felt sad. sad that my husband and i weren't gonna be...just us...for the night.

until...this evening. the girly-girls and i picked up my dad from the airport. it was late...and belly fell asleep during the ride. coconut, on the other hand, didn't. she even managed to stay awake while i nested belly in her bed.

with the house quiet and creaking, i nursed her to sleep. i felt her sweet warm breath. i watched her eyes ever...so...slowly...sink closed. i felt her body deepen into my arms. i overheard her breath whispering slow and steady.

and my tears spilled.

my baby, that is not quite always my baby anymore, is still...my baby.

and even though i wasn't with her daddy tonight...

my night was still absolutely perfect because of that single moment watching her drift to sleep.

ear infections. wheezing. and coughing. oh my!

the girly-girls and i have been battling this "cold" for the entire week.

my head is bursting. my ears are hurting.

belly has ear infections. 2 ear infections.

coconut is wheezing. and is on steroids and albuterol nebulizers. again.

they are telling me that we are probably going to be putting her on a preventative something or other for the winter to reduce the likelihood of pnemonia.

ugh.

i'm ready to pull everyone off of milk again. explanation: last year, we realized that belly (coconut was still nursing) had a sensitivity to cow's milk. put her on soy milk. it seemed to make a bit of a difference. but now i'm wondering about everybody!

coconut has developed a rash in response to certain foods. little bitty blotching on her face in response to certain foods.

is this the beginning of a food allergy?? anyone??

suggestions??

oops.

sorry about that.
i pressed publish post for a post that i was gonna publish later.

and i'm guessing some of you saw it in your readers. sorry!
it's to come - monday...

yippee!
and there is a giveaway!

yippee! sorry again!

perhaps a little motivation will help.

so my "friend", jen "at" steenkybee, "alerted" me to another "blogger" that is "hosting" a weight-loss "club".

sorry about the unnecessary quotations...i just read a funny blog about unnecessary quotations...and as soon as i started with the "friend" thing...i couldn't help myself. it's my whacked sense of humor, i guess. you are totally allowed to ignore that first paragraph. but you must pay attention to the rest...there might be a quiz.

i have been in a really difficult place with myself lately. i love myself. i really do.

this body was able to create and birth two gorgeously beautiful blue-eyed blondies. with no meds. no meds. i'm very proud of myself for that.

this body got me a terrific husband. (or maybe that was just my personality and brains. who knows?) but still, a husband that loves me irregardless of what i look like.

this body is me.

but i don't like what it looks like anymore.

i'm loved. but i want to love what i look like. it's a completely selfish desire. but one that i want to accomplish.

so i'm jumping into the club. i've heard rumors that they will kick my ass into gear. is that what she said in the email? sounds harsh. but maybe i don't need anyone quietly motivating me. maybe this is just what i need. here's my first assignment.

side note...why can't everyone not use capital letters? i hate having to erase and correct all those damn capital letters when i cut and paste. seriously...time, folks! i don't have a lot of it!

first assignment:
write and publish a blog post on your site detailing the following information:

what motivates you and why do you want to do this challenge?
motivations...the desire to never have to be tested for diabetes. the desire to love what i look like in the mirror. the desire to run around the yard with my kids. the desire to have my husband think he just acquired a trophy wife.
why?...cause i want to love myself more than i already do. because my mom and her 2 sisters all have diabetes...and i don't want to prick my fingers.

what is your long term goal?
i want to wear a size 10. or 8. that's 3 (or 4) sizes folks. i realistically think i can get there with perseverance. and less eating out.

what is your long term weight loss goal?
i have no idea what the above will look like in poundage. i'm guessing 25-30 pounds?

what tools are available to you?
i have a membership at curves that is ending this month. which is good. i haven't been getting there. my time with my girls was too precious, already. husband will be bringing home my elliptical machine from another location (borrowed to someone else, when i got the curves membership). i have a dog. i have the girly-girls. i have trails in the valley. i also have winter rearing it's vicious head. so...i have an elliptical machine.

how often can you exercise?
i want to note...in her description here...she called us fatties. just for that...i'm gonna exercise 5 mornings per week.

what do you plan on doing?
my plan is to set my alarm for 5:45. i will not hit snooze. i will start a pot of coffee and go downstairs on my elliptical machine for at least 20 minutes. i will do 10 sit-ups (for starters). and then i will shower and get ready, before the girls get up. then, i'm not wasting the time that i have with them.
my eating plan, is to call my friend (a dietician) and ask for some suggestions. she's amazing and beautiful and highly recommends chocolate. but in moderation. i want her to help me.

what has worked for you in the past?
i've never had to work for it. in the past...it was easy. i rode up to 5 horses a day. i ate whatever i wanted. i occasionally pulled out my yoga for abs dvd.
what hasn't worked in the most recent past...is workouts that bore me, eating whatever i want, not caring, being too busy to eat healthy and not having people there to kick my ass.

i think i need the ass-kicking, everyone. so...i'm gonna post in my side-bar my weight loss. every week. (which means i need to buy a scale.) i might just need y'all to keep the motivation going.
help?

wait...don't help.
just keep kicking my ass until i reach my goal.

oh yeah. no quiz. just wanted to keep you on your toes.

sorry...not QUITE what you were looking for...

wow.
back from my trip. 4 1/2 hours each way. by car. with two small children. with head colds.

all. of. us.

need i say more?

tons o' fun. but first...
took a look at my statcounter...had to share.

dear internet searchers,

i'm so sorry that you were directed here. i'm almost positive that this was completely NOT where you had hoped to land when you had entered your search. i cannot help that sometimes i say type things that seem appropriate to what i am talking about at the time, but apparently in reference to your searches...are all wrong.

for example.

1. mountain lion meow?
--i really hope that you found your answer to whether or not a mountain lion meows. and i REALLY hope that you were not out camping when you were wondering about a mountain lion meowing. and i REALLY REALLY hope that you made it back home safely. better luck next time.

2. can i skip shift in a big rig
--i don't know. i've never worked in...or on...a big rig. and i'm not sure that you should be asking the internet that question. i would suggest a magic 8 ball.

3. love in my bed at night
4. love at night in bed
--ok. one time, i mentioned that i LOVED my bed. i still LOVE my bed. but i don't talk at all about loving IN my bed. ok. i just love to SLEEP in my bed. and i really love my pillow.

5. I love my had i love my bed
--this probably could have been included in the above. but seriously? it makes absolutely no sense. and i'm not a grammatical wizard. did you mean hat? you love your hat AND bed? you wish you had love in your bed? i'm confused. check with someone next time BEFORE you press enter.

6. functions and pictures of casserole
--sorry, not much of that around here. i just wanted to figure out which wine went best with chicken noodle casserole. i was too embarrassed to ask...good for you for learning more about casseroles. i'll help...the function of it...is to eat it. i would have to google a picture for you...and really...that's what got us into this mess.

7. words that scare like woof
--boo? screech? bwah-ha-ha-ha? palin?

8. cat squawk
--ooo...doesn't sound good. call your vet. best to include a professional on this one.

9. easy kids coconut outfit
--are you giving your child an option here? i just call my kid coconut, i don't expect her to dress like one. sorry.

and my absolute favorite...
10. for the first four years i knew you i thought you were a house cat
--thanks. i think. unless you were wondering about your own cat...so sorry that it didn't work out.

better luck next time googlers.
sincerely,
coconutbelly mama

sixth of the sixth...

psychmamma tagged me for another play along here...
the rules are to choose the sixth photo from your sixth album and post it with a brief description and/or the story behind it.
me, being the rule-follower that i am...followed the directions to a t. so here it is.

just after belly turned 1. sometime in june of 2005, i believe. we went for a trip to visit friends that were living in california at that time. we flew into san francisco airport and were planning to drive down to monterey bay for a few days before heading back north.

at the airport, we rented our red minivan. (i don't know why that sticks out in my memory.) and we decided to begin our drive south, figuring that we would stop on the way. our girly had other plans. belly was getting completely restless. hating her car seat. hating the fact that she was still cooped up. she needed to move.

we saw a sign indicating that we were nearing a beach area. (i have tried really hard and searched for the name...but cannot figure it out. i'll update if i can find it. sar-bear?) we decided to stop and let her run around and play in the sand.

this was a picture of the first time that her foot touched sand.

it was the warm, comfortable sand. not the hot sand that burns the bottom of your feet. it was a quiet day on the beach. not too many people, a huge flock of sea birds...and the quiet rolling of the waves. belly loved to toddle out towards the water and then attempt to run toddle quickly back as the waves moved in. it was one of my fondest memories of our trip.

edited to add! oh yeah...

i'm supposed to tag 6 people for this one!

here goes...(play along...this meme was a lot of fun! revisiting old memories...) check back and let me know if you participated...

digthischick, enjoyingthesmallthings, lifeisgood, theyoungandtherelentless, cakerwakers and

steenkybee

horse crazy...that's me.

that's me.

but, i'm not sure that i want it to be my babies.

we are heading to a friend's house/farm for the weekend. just the girls and i. my friend said, via email...
"Do you think that *belly* will dare to ride horse with *A*. I have two
broke to death horses that *A* and her friends ride for hours!!! It
should be a blast!!!"

um.

it didn't hit me until just now. this scares the hell out of me.

it might have been different if i wasn't a rider myself.
(not that i've been on a horse in a few years. kids got in the way. excuses. excuses.)

i know how it feels to get tossed and thrown, AND plummet to the ground.
i know how it feels to have a horse rear up and get a mane-burn across your face, because you managed to hang on.
i know how it feels to have your horse go into a wild gallop because something...ANYthing... spooked them.

it might have been different if i wasn't a rider myself.

i know how it feels to ride your pregnant mare bareback and feel the baby, that you are both eagerly anticipating, moving around beneath you.
i know how it feels to walk into a chilly cold barn and feel your horse's breath as it nuzzles your cheek.
i know how it feels to have a bond with something so much greater than you.

god...i hope she "gets" it. i hope she is safe. i hope that she realizes the power that these animals have. i hope that she falls head over heels in love with a new best friend. i hope that she gets to have what i had, someday.

and i hope that i can get a picture of it to share.

kinda sorta tagged

edited to add...SUPER. LONG. sorry.

wow...
i got nothin'.

so i've decided that i was kinda sorta tagged by jen of steenky bee for this meme. and then i remembered that she kinda sorta tagged me for this meme too.

in actuality...she didn't tag anybody. but there is zero bloggy material floating around in my head. and she did mention, that if you wanted to be tagged...consider yourself "chased, caught, slapped and knocked to the ground" it. (my words...not hers.) i'm sure she would have nicely tagged me on the blog-playground.

here is the most recent...
The rules: Answer the following questions about yourself. Mention and link to the person that tagged you. Tag five more people and let them know that they have been tagged. Let the person who tagged you know that you have completed the meme by posting in their comments section.

my history:
10 years ago I was:
1. completely unaware of how much time i had in my day
2. able to exist when my checking account had less than $29 in it
3. the perfect parent (without any children, yet)
4. ready to live my (as of yet) unfulfilled (and fluid-changing...not liquid) dreams
5. much more fit than i am today.

Five things on today’s to do list:
1. try to understand why a parent would call in sick and/or without gas last friday to this morning's meeting.
2. make a child feel loved and love my own children so that they don't ever feel un-loved
3. to engage a student with autism
4. find and drink more coffeeattempt
5. go to sleep earlier so that i don't have to move #4 to tomorrow's list too.

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. gorp (don't ask me why my mom called it that...MOM???)
2. fritos and blue cheese
3. fruit
4. spinach dip
5. crackers and cheese

Five things I would do if I were a millionaire
1. buy myself a horse
2. quit my job
3. start a riding facility/camp for children with disabilities
4. home-school my daughter next year
5. help my husband have a career that he loves and keeps him home more. maybe not ALL the time...but more :)

Five places I have lived:
1. minneapolis
2. grand forks
3. charlottesville
4. my mom's basement
5. in love

Five jobs I have had:
1. retail
2. waitressing
3. horse handler for a hippotherapy organization
4. horse trainer
5. SLP

The older meme that i was (kinda sorta) tagged for by jen of steenky bee.
The rules of the meme are as follows: List seven insignificant things about yourself. Link the person that tagged you in your post, then tag seven other people and let them know that they’re now it. i'm not tagging...if you want to do it...do it!

i don't know why i said i would do this...nothing seems insignificant this morning. so here goes.
now i'm in trouble...i totally cheated. i emailed my mom and asked her to help. here is my inquiry and her response.

inquiry...Subject: help!
another blogger tagged me for a meme (fill in the box sorta thing where you explain something about yourself.)
she wants to know 7 insignificant things about me...
can you think of anything?

reply...Subject: re: help!
What does that mean? I think everything is significant about you.
(she loves me...she really loves me!)
1. How about that you like to walk around the house in "naked" feet.
- explanation...my feet hate to be confined. shoes and socks are like footy jail. (husband does not understand this...he buys me a new fandangled type of sock every christmas) my feet...they LOVE sandals. they LOVE being able to wiggle their toes. i wear sandals until the snow falls. then i succumb to shoes and boots. as soon as it hits 55 degrees...i pull the sandals back out.
2. You always wanted the little fork.
- i must explain. growing up...i hated using the big forks. i like the smaller size. i've always had fork issues...for quite some time, i requested a different fork or spoon for each item on my plate. note: said items can NEVER touch. NEVER. still. but i don't request additional forks. my mom didn't give in to that more than once.

apparently she can only think of 2 insignificant things...let's email my dad.
inquiry...Subject: help! another blogger tagged me for a meme (fill in the box sorta thing where you explain something about yourself.)
she wants to know 7 insignificant things about me...can you think of anything?

reply...Subject: re: help!
7 INsigniicant things ?

apparently this task is harder for my dad. so i responded.
re-reply...Subject: re:re:help!
well just think of a few...
if you can.
i double dare you.

and then i realized...that he really just wanted to clarify the IN significant thing...
so i responded, again...
re-re-reply...Subject: re:re:help!
yes...**IN**signficant as in:
insignificant
/ˌɪnsɪgˈnɪfɪkənt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[in-sig-nif-i-kuhnt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1.unimportant, trifling, or petty: Omit the insignificant details.
2.too small to be important: an insignificant sum.
3.of no consequence, influence, or distinction: a minor, insignificant bureaucrat.
4.without weight of character; contemptible: an insignificant fellow.
5.without meaning; meaningless: insignificant sounds. –noun
6.a word, thing, or person without significance.

and now we are waiting...let's hope he gets to this important bit of information before the end of the day...seriously?? do you think he has anything better to do at work?? mom responded within minutes! oh wait...that was fast...sorry dad.

re-re-re-reply...Subject: re:re:re: help!
3. You've NEVER had a car accident in 15 years of driving
-- NEVER. :) in 17 actually. :) which makes women the superior drivers. or at least that's what belly says. (with zero prompting...no joke.) her explanation is that daddy ran into a car one time when we were leaving a parking lot. so that makes girls better drivers. i'm not disagreeing with her.
4. NEVER got in any trouble as a teenager
--NEVER. why are his responses all nevers? i WAS a really good kid. i didn't want to do anything wrong. i liked being on everyone's good side.
5. I THOUGHT that I caught you in a lie once ... but was proven wrong
-- yeah! not a never! to this day...we can't remember what it was that he thought i lied about. but a friend stood up for me and told him what had actually occurred. see, i really was a good kid!
????
--dad...the ???? marks don't really help me.

now i have to think of two more things. i'll text my sister.
a blogger has asked me to list seven INsignificant things about MYSELF. mom and dad came up with five. can you think of two more?

and waiting.
and waiting...i'm gonna go have lunch...i'll be back.
still nothing.
moving on...let's continue! i should be able to manage two things about myself.

6. i (almost) always have my toenails painted. but HATE to have my fingernails painted with a color. i think they look absolutely horrendous painted.
7. i will never let my children play with more than one color of play-doh at a time. i cannot stand to see the colors get mixed up. that brownish-gray shade of play-doh was never meant to be. and i feel kinda horrible that they will never get to create those awesome displays of play-doh art that can be found on the labels.

whew. done. now back to your regular programming!

34 years old, 34 reasons why we love you.

today is daddy's birthday!
yippee!
(so sorry that you are stuck in boston for it though. and super sorry that i don't want to drag the girly-girls across the country to see you...mommy just doesn't trust flying stand-by when i have to work on monday.)
so we did the next best thing! the girly-girls and i have compiled a list of 34 reasons why we love you, on your 34th birthday...

here it is...

1. you aren't mad that we thought the 11th was on sunday and completely neglected to say happy birthday until you mentioned that it is the 11th today. (sorry about that.)
2. because you are kind
3. you make the goodest campfires
4. you love tinkerbell
5. you are the only boy in our family
6. you send us pictures of the statue of liberty when you fly over it
7. you gave $ to a homeless man at a bus stop, to purchase an alarm clock, without fear that it would be used for something else
8. you love mommy...even when she drives you crazy
9. you love belly...even when she is acting like a 15 year old hormonal nightmare
10. you love coconut...even when she is screaming
11. you are tall (and can reach the highest apples)
12. you play barbies with me (not me...her)
13. you can be the boy barbie
14. but sometimes you think you get to be the girl...but i say no and you listen
15. you took me on the swing ride at the longa-longa-merica
16. your smile
17. your laugh
18. the way that you sing things that make absolutely no sense
19. the way that you have to add really LONG pauses to think of something that rhymes
20. the way that you put up with my slightly crazy family
21. the way that you put up with your slightly crazy family
22. how you lift coconut up to touch the leaves of the trees
23. when you come home from a long trip
24. you didn't get upset when belly said she wasn't going to miss you because then she gets to eat snacks in the living room while watching cartoons while you are gone.
25. your hugs
26. you love to take mommy on dates to belly's fish cafe or pizza cafe or whatever it is that she chose her "restaurant" to be at that moment
27. you read books to coconut
28. you read the girl who eats the whale poem (that completely makes mommy gag)
29. you love to go camping with us
30. you take us for walks in the valley
31. you let mommy bring her camera in the valley on the walks (which usually ends up adding significantly to the time of the walk)
32. you let me take long showers when you get home from a trip, without complaining
33. you are an amazing daddy
34. and a spectacular husband

we love you daddy. happy birthday.

once upon a time...

once upon a time, in a land far far away...

ok, fine...it was in the hallway closet.

there lived a beautiful little princess.

she lived in a small, dark room (closet) of a messy little castle with a stepmother, stepfather and two (not-so) evil stepsisters. and a zoo of pets.

hence...messy.

her stepmother was constantly pulling her out of her dark little room, demanding that she...

**clean the carpets!**

**clean the kitchen floors!**

**look for missing cheerios!**

**find all the dog/cat hair within the carpet fibers!**

**make my house shine like the top of the chrysler building!**

(oops. wrong movie.)

but one day while her stepmother and stepfather were preoccupied...

doing the dishes...get your minds out of the gutter, folks!

the two (not-so) evil stepsisters found her wearily crying in the middle of the living room. amidst a mess. the eldest step sister felt horrible about her preoccupation with barbies and polly pockets. the littlest step sister felt awful for running from the room screaming whenever the lonely princess was pulled from her closet and sent, vrooming.

doing all that they could...these two sweet lil' ones...proceeded to give her a make-over, complete with a full ensemble of evening wear that would make her the hit of the hoover ball that evening.

sorry honey...there's no such thing as a magical fairy godmother around these parts...

point...even being a princess sucks sometimes.

more apples...please!

so...more apple orchard pictures. these ones are the ones that made me laugh. last post...cute. this post...more silly. except for the last 2. those include my beautiful niece and my handsome nephew. they were very willing to have the camera in front of their cute little faces. my kids...not so much.

my attempts at getting a cute picture in the cornfield...resulted in nada. seriously...they could not both look at me at the same time. the only one where they both were looking in my general vicinity...looked like children of the corn. seriously. too scary to post.

belly is all about posing. there is nothing cute about posing. i'm trying to explain this to her. it goes in one ear and out the other. where do girls learn this crap? maybe i should start watching more america's next top model or something, so that at least she can get some pointers. or maybe not.

this picture makes me giggle. i love cloth diaper baby bottoms. there is such a fluffiness to them. remind me to share my favorite cloth diaper lady with y'all! (off topic but related?...up-coming 100th post...and a giveaway from the same lady that makes our awesome diapers. we love her!)

what my marvelous husband won't do for a photo op. :) i tried to move the leaves, but mother nature wouldn't cooperate. (maybe that is my running theme from this trip!) but, my niece...gorgeous. wouldn't you agree?

and there is no leaving out my nephew on this one...isn't that smile precious? i think i want to frame this for my sis-in-law.

an apple a day...

a quick picture preview of our orchard trip...i'll try to upload more pictures later.

i just had to share what i've completed so far.

wouldn't chuck-e-cheese be easier?

belly was discussing her upcoming "5 year old birthday" (march 28th, 2009!) with me as i was pulling her hair into very lopsided pigtails this morning.

in an attempt to keep her still...so that the pigtails would be a wee-bit LESS lopsided...i kept the completely irrelevant conversation going.

i mean...hello!??!...i'm not even discussing what to do for my husband's birthday that just happens to be 9 days from now. crap...i haven't gotten him a present either...damn...any ideas? i digress.

me: "well...i was thinking we should do something really fun this year...you only turn 5 once!"
her: "yeah...i was thinking that we could maybe paint the entire house so that all of the walls matched the different rooms in beauty and the beast's castle..."

me: "what?? seriously?? how do you come up with these ideas?? is this why you lie awake in bed for hours on end??"
her: "well you said we could do something special..."

me: "um, doesn't chuck-e-cheese sound fun?"
her: "oh, yippee! i want to go to chuck-e-cheese for my birthday!"

and then i realized that i just spear-headed an idea for a place that i absolutely DESPISE. i hate the noise. i hate the nastiness of the tunnels that the kids subject themselves to major gross germs in. i am so yucked out by the thought of the person that i can't see in that costume. i mean...there must be a reason that s/he is in that costume. and to top it off...belly hides under the table anytime that gigantic mouse comes around. at the age of FOUR...she hides under the table. after endless discussions about costume vs. reality. and the cost...argh!

i need to install a hidden gnome that bites my foot everytime i am about to same something absolutely insane. anyone have a reference for small biting gnomes?