Quick, boring, takes

Joining Jen and others for some quick takes to round up our week thus far.
I will warn you now, the boredom from reading may kill you.

1) One of my 2 besties here in the Bend moved far far away yesterday (I know, way to start the quick takes off on a bright note, Ana, you're the best!). But it's pretty much the main piece of news I've got for the week, and has left me only 96% down in the dumps, not too bad. I plan on writing a little homage to her at some point, but I am assuming that will require some actual thought and that it maybe shouldn't be written while fending the girls off with my feet. So, it may take a while.

I'm going to be fine

2) On that note, the interview process for a new best friend has commensed, I have written up a few criteria that I plan on sending out int he local news papers. Here are a few:
WANTED: A NEW BEST FRIEND. Must have:

• a cheerie disposition
• rosie cheeks
• be willing to play games
• no warts
• never cross or cruel
• are you catching on?

3) As a result of these recent sad occurances, I have been eating away my sorrows, as well as patting myself on the back for a job well done, with these little PUPPIES. Seriously, why did it take me so long to look up a recipe for oven-less chocolate chip cookies, it is JUST LIKE EATING COOKIE DOUGH. What could be better?

VIA

Now I must give the disclaimer that I substitute every even remotely healthy ingredient in this recipe for the unhealthy variety: all I can say is if you do that you will not be disappointed. I cannot speak for the healthy form of the recipe, but I know is my gut tells me that chocolate chip cookies should never try to be healthy. the end

4) We're having some fam-a-lam come to town in a few days, which means it is time for some of my semi-annual house cleaning, which I have motivation to do only when comparing it to the motivation I have for the alternate activity of working out. There is NOTHING I want to to less than to work out. Why?

5) Um, maybe because, since it only ever rains here or is so humid that you cannot breath and are left pealing your own skin off, that makes it so that going for our little morning jaunts is no longer a possibility. This leaves me with only one other workout option here to be done in the house. Which is pretty much like throwing yourself into a lion cage every morning.

So I chose to clean.

6) I am a whopping 27 weeks pregnant now, with no belly pictures for you, because you will be utterly convinced that I have my due date wrong and am in fact a full 40. Let's just say I am somewhere between this:

And this:

So maybe next week.

7) We are celebrating the triumphant return of QUINCY THE BEE! this week. A long lost family friend/pet who has come back a larger, hairier, totally different bee. The short explanation: dead bees make excellent house pets. The link above will provide much more explanation.
I will leave you with a not-so-quick video showcasing some of the excitement on his return:

Midnight Musings

I thought this 7 quick takes up in the middle of the night last night. Most of my better instincts are telling me not to actually post it, but I think I will just go with it and see where it takes me.

I am a terrible sleeper. How old am I, 2? No I am 27 and I just suck at sleeping, I always have. I will wake at the tiniest noise and then be awake in bed, unable to fall back asleep for hours. I also stink at napping, but we'll save that for another day, or never, whatev. So needless to say that an already bad sleeper and pregnancy, the mother of all sleep disruptions do. not. mix.

Here are some things I thouight up last night that would make my life a whole lot easier both now, while pregnant, and during non-pregnant times as well.

1.

A bed side toilet.  I think this would be splendid, only I don't think Mike would really appreciate it. A new topic for discussion for us.

2.

I will one-up number one and say that an at-home catheter would be even better, no need to move at all. I googled this, but I will leave out pictures for you squeamish ones. I don't know if this is even possible. Grace, can you ask Simon?

3.

An at-home incubator. Or really, just a Relaxman. After Jen's post on scorpions and the need to be totally confined during sleep, I think I am convinced. Only I don't know how comfortable these things are or if Mike would fork out the thousands of dollars for it. But I figure we could put this down in our basement, then I would never be awoken by any child/snoring husband/air conditioner noises/etc... ever again, what else could be worth thousands of dollars I ask you? Yeah, that's what I thought. 

4.

Middle of the night dinner buffet. It really needs to be a buffet because you never know what I want at 4 a.m., but I am almost always STARVING in the middle of the night and having to spread peanut butter on bread at that hour is just inconvenient, you know? This way the food is all ready, it's set out for me, and there are options. That is the key people, I need options. This one looks good:

I'll take it.

5.

Some sort of contraption that flips you from side to side when you need to move would be great. Sort of like a hammock in your bed, and you press a button and it flips you to whatever side you need to go to. Yeah, I don't really know how this would ever work, it's a real stretch.

6.

Some sort of over the bed, button activated, misting system with chloroform. Mike may be a little uncomfortable about this, but we could hang a tarp between us in case he is worried.

It would be quick and not leave me feeling droggy in the morning. Perfect!

7.

Or I could just offer it up like any really holy person and so many great saints who voluntarily gave up sleep in the spirit of mortification... to easy. 

So,  this is just some food for thought. 

Any other ideas would be most welcome. 

Go visit Jen and others for quick takes that will undoubtedly be a much better use of your time.

Happy Friday!

Babies, Food, Pinterest, Pregnancy: Quick Takes

I'm steppin in up a notch in the realm of blogging this week.

Last night I checked my Google reader "deats and stats" or whatever it's called and it said that I am averaging 4.2 posts a week, up from 3.3!! What the heck all this .2, .3 crap is about I do not know.

So I am going to keep up that current stat by joining Jen and others for some Quick Takes this Friday.

1.

I am positively delighted that 1) it has gotten below the 100 degree mark outside so that I can justify baking in my home without sweating everyone out and 2) that I have an occasion to bake for tomorrow morning (I've offered to host a prayer group, pretty much just so that I can bake. joking?)

2.

Thanks to Grace's inspiration I will be making THESE at some point today. Because making cinnamon rolls may just be my very favorite thing to do in the world.

3.

I would really like to be known for my famous cinnamon rolls when I am an old lady, I think I am on the right track with this recipe. Also, I have been receiving subliminal messages from the baby in utero that these must be made and eaten pronto, there must be some vitamin I am lacking that is only present in maple frosting...

4.

I looked on Baby Center's website last night to see where the baby is developmentally and was so pleased but mostly confused to learn that she is the size of a rutabaga. Rutabaga, really?!?! You couldn't pick a vegetable/fruit that people actually eat/know what the heck it looks like? I navigated to another site that said "cauliflower", that's more like it. 

5.

I am 25 weeks, 2 days today. Yippee! Only 12 weeks left until I can start doing things to try to get this baby to come out.

About to go do some "exercise" aka pregnant body flopping about with 70 lbs o'children + clunky double stroller. Face left out for your benefit, it's still too early for a head shot.

* Picture taken with photobooth, a low enough quality photo that my blogger lets me upload it. I still haven't figured out my photo-space thing.

6.

I got off of Pinterest a few weeks ago in the interest of not wasting any more time on the interwebs than I already do. Also so that I would stop feeling like a less-than-adequate housewife. But I am not going to lie, I may be going through some withdraw. I just need to see some beautiful pictures of food/houses/clothes, you know. Why is that?? 

Maybe you can convince me to get back on...

7.

And now this marks the 14th time I've been interrupted in the last 14 minutes trying to write this, so I am going to go ahead and be done. You're welcome.

Things I don't like to do: Pregnancy edition

Joining the ever awesome Jen for some free complaining via 7 quick takes this blazin' Friday.
Since I figured that you are dying to know the top 7 things I do not ever want to do while pregnant, here they are-- 7 being the one I want to do the least of all-- for your reading pleasure:

1.

Eat healthily. You may recall from several of my pregnancy posts that this is a struggle. It is my main struggle during the first trimester and then for the rest of the time it isn't that bad except for when I just want to plop down on the couch and enjoy a 1/2 bad of frozen chocolate chips. Then it's hard.

2.

Not talk about pregnancy. That is, while I am pregnant, I could sit and talk pregnancy for hours, HOURS I tell you. This is something I am not proud of and am working on since I know the rest of the world should be spared gratuitous uterine talk.

3.

Not drink. All I want to do is drink when I am pregnant. It always sounds good and can not always happen as it is generally frowned upon-- at least in public. And let's be honest, if there were ever a time you could use a stiff drink it is during pregnancy, especially when there are other small hellians at your feet all. day. long.

Just enjoying a potent afternoon cocktail at 9 months pregnant. C'mon, we all know that Mad Men=real life

4.

Give birth to the baby. I am terrified of all things labor and prefer to be in complete denial up until the day that things absolutely must happen. Which is why my second birthing experience being a c-section was not half bad. As Steph aptly describes it, it was pretty much like going into Starbucks, ordering your coffee and taking it home. 
But I could really do without the whole recovery from a major surgery/having my entire midsection sliced open/not being able to role over in bed by myself for 2 weeks, etc... I prefer to rip the band aid off and take the babe home like I did the first time. I am, nevertheless, terrified. 

5.

Cleaning. Shouldn't someone else be doing this for me while I am in this condition?

6.

Working out.  Again, shouldn't someone else be doing this for me while I am in this condition?

as proof that while I DO NOT WANT to do any of these things, I do them anyways (occasionally). And I force my children to do them with me. Look at Bernadette's form on that push up. Impressive.

7.

Wake up. If I could I would sleep the pregnancy off, labor in my sleep, and then be holding the baby. I am barely partially kidding.

What are your least favorite activities during pregnancy??

How to fail during Lent

Joining Jen and many others for 7 quick takes.

Over the past 11 years of seriously trying to be a good Catholic, I think that I have become somewhat of an expert on Lent. Yes I think that I have gotten it down.

Oh you thought I meant sacrifice? Penance? No, no. I have become a veritable expert at how to really botch Lent. I really cannot think of Lent where I got to the end thinking "I did it! I kept to everything I set out to do! Huzzah!"

So without further ado, in case you were sitting around thinking that you were doing too well this Lent, here are some things you can do to cut yourself down to size.
7 ways to fail during Lent:

1) Don't give anything up. Just tell yourself that you will cut down on everything. After all it is all about moderation and you are the picture of it, right?  (You probably are, I on the other hand...)

2) Hop on the Internet first thing in the morning even though your prayer books are sitting right next to your computer. Your email CANNOT wait!!

3) Continue to buy lots of sweet treats to indulge in and tell yourself they are for the kids.

I did not eat any (lying)

4) Have lots of conversations about Lent with your friends and how they are doing with their sacrifices to ensure that you feel good and discouraged about whatever you did set out to do.

5) Do lots of online shopping, no better way to stay in the spirit of the world.

6) Tell yourself that you'll get it together by the Triduum, that's when all the good stuff happens anyways.

7) Expect that your toddler will remind you to do stations of the cross every Friday, she is the one with the little book that you use so this is on her.

But for real, I am really glad there are a few weeks left, I usually don't compile a list like this in my head until the very end and then sit a feel bad about myself, so this is an improvement. Baby steps.

Have a blessed rest of Lent!

7 Quick Takes

Joining Jen and many others for some quick takes this Friday:

1) Friday finds us having a movie day, as migraine days usually do. Also because when I broke the news to Naomi that it only looked nice out but that it is actually going to snow and that we would not be venturing out, she wept- literally wept. So I said "Let's watch 'Pooh's Grand Adventure'"! Alrighty then.

2) Not going outside brings me to the next note, that we are ecstatic about the fact that spring is around the corner. I think I counted at least 2 predicted 70 degree days next week. What?!?! We have officially skipped winter (and I mean, real winter, not this "light dusting of snow on the ground a couple times a week winter") Thank you, Lord.

3) Bringing me to the fact that tomorrow we will be making an excursion out to the ZOO!! It is their second "Winter Day" this year only we will be wearing spring jackets thanks to the upcoming mid-50 degree weather. Ok enough on the weather.

4) My husband went ahead and ordered his favorite food in the world in bulk online as they do not sell it in any stores that we know of:

Chili Ramen noodles: they really are so good. Lunch and dinner for many days in the future taken care of. Thank you dearest husband.

5) Another current food favorite costing us way too much money lately but also causing me immense joy:

liquid joy

 6) Do they make a toy vacuum cleaner that actually cleans? If not, they should!

This could be serving a much more practical purpose.

7) Speaking of toys I found this on Amazon and am thinking of adding it to Naomi's upcoming B-day presents (we are giving her a doll house). It is called the "Loving Family" and they have more than 2 kids!!! And a Grandma, for fun.

Aaaand, I am done.
Have a great Friday!