book recommendation

Have you read this book? If you haven't, you should. I just finished it last night and it is the kind of thing that makes you think you can actually change the world. I am still crying and when I think about it, I want to read it again. I checked it out from the library but this is one I would buy and keep.

nesting

Let the "nesting" begin... I have been a cleaning maniac and checking-things-off-my-to-do-list maniac (unfortunately it is so long, not sure if it will ever be done). It has to be that pregnancy nesting, but I am a homebody anyway so I feel like I am always doing house stuff. We painted our family room this weekend and it looks so good (I think!), now I have to make the window treatments. We hung drapes in our bedroom (I've had them for about two months, still in the packages!). I am making valences for our bathroom, almost done. I have started to clean out our coat closet/black hole (I actually do this every year before school starts, it amazes me the things that find their way in that place.) I have boxes loaded in my van for Goodwill and books ready to take to Half Price Books. I cleaned my scrapbooking area (!) and have sorted all my old fabric to tackle all my sewing wish list projects. I am loving all this energy and I am trying to get as much done as I can, I know it is short-lived and once peewee is born, I won't have time. I'm a little in mourning about that because I love to be a task master and get things done. I just get a thrill checking off items on my (many) lists!

a helpful hint I just discovered while cleaning out my fridge:
You can put your shelves from the refrigerator door in the dishwasher and they come out clean as a whistle! No more milk spots, dried jelly blobs, or sticky syrup streaks, unless of course you are more Martha than me and you clean up spills immediately! I put all kinds of things in the dishwasher actually, but this was a first time and I love how good they turned out. I have never tried the big shelves from the fridge, only because, well, they are too big!

I got tagged

I got tagged by my friend Kristi (who I miss so much since she has moved away) so here goes:

20 years ago: 1988
I was probably getting a home perm and some pink lip gloss for school as well as an Esprit outfit and tote bag. I was probably expertly pegging my jeans (like Katie Holmes is now!!!) and eating some Chef Boyardee. I was getting ready to enter high school as a freshman and I was facing a huge disappointment. I didn't make the cheerleading squad. I did the roundoff/backhandspring combo thinking I was a shoo-in. Well, the girls who made it, could do a roundoff/backhandspring/back-tuck combo. I was totally devastated. I tried out for the dance team and color guard and made that and thankfully so. I think it helped me stay out of a lot of trouble. All those extra practices and performances and trips to all over (even Disney!) kept me busy and away from bad things. I made new friends (at band camp- hee hee!) and it helped me later at UK make their squad as well.

10 years ago: 1998
I was a kindergarten teacher, workout queen, partying-with-my-gal-pals maniac. I took a cruise with my best friends and still look at it as one of the best times of my life. I was enjoying my little apartment and taking classes towards a Masters degree. I was probably making lesson plans and prepping things for my 60 students to arrive in my classroom. I hadn't met my husband yet (strange to imagine) but I was dating and having lots of fun. I think this is when I was at my healthiest ever, I worked out for about two hours a day! I still wish for that time to take care of myself.

5 years ago: 2003
I was a married, stay-at-home mom to my sweetie pie Zoe. We were thinking of building a new house (where we are now) and my husband was getting ready to start his new job as head principal of the biggest high school in Ohio. I was a lonely woman looking for other mommy friends. I was trying to find a way to adjust to no scheduled work time and learning how to manage my home.

3 years ago: 2005
I was a big bellied preggo. I was hot and miserable waiting for my second baby to be born (Parker). We were in our new home and Zoe was beginning gymnastics. I found the MOMS club and was so happy to have some moms to meet with to share my mommy life. We were counting the days until our baby would be born...

This year: 2008
I am a big bellied preggo again! I have a while to go so I not so hot and miserable this time. My husband is still a dedicated principalling dude. Me and the kids, well we are busy, busy, busy. We have been scheduling all kinds of things like doctor appointments and getting school supplies, as Zoe will be going to kindergarten (!). I am looking forward to a few months of time alone with Parker. We are going to do lots of fun things (even if it kills me) like storytime at the library, a mom and me class and playtime at home.

Yesterday: Monday
I did laundry, cleaned a couple windows, went to Target, played outside for hours with the kids, finally put Parker's first year scrapbook album together (after his original one came apart completely), cleaned out my fridge door, read the US weekly blog and some other blogs, watched a taped show I like (The Secret Life of the American Teenager-my gal Molly Ringwald stars!), and made chocolate chip raisin oatmeal cookies.

Tomorrow: Wednesday
I think we are going to drop off stuff to Goodwill and probably play outside some more.

Next year: 2009
I will have another new baby (in August he/she will be about 9 months old) and Parker will be starting preschool :( , Zoe will be getting ready for first grade, my hubby will be getting ready for another new school year. I will be as busy as I am now I imagine. Hopefully, we'll all be happy, healthy, and excited about a new school year.

There you go Kristi! Thanks for the memories!

hindsight

This morning as I toasted a bagel for me, a bagel for Zoe, and a Pillsbury Strudel for Parker I couldn't help but wish for that giant six slotted toaster that we do not have. Toasting sure does take a long time when your kids are hungry and grumpy. I distinctly remember when my husband and I registered for our wedding and the toaster was the only appliance we needed (OK, so we asked for a bread maker too, and I have used it twice in our marriage, hey, I'm not the only one guilty of that!) and we saw the wide variety of toasters available. I remember us discussing which one we needed. Both of us agreed that the giant one was just too big and it would take up too much room in our then tiny-kitchen, so we settled for the regular, basic two-slotter. I can remember actually unwrapping that toaster at one of my bridal showers and I was so excited, I couldn't wait to make toast in it. All these years later, we still have it and we use it almost daily. It never fails, every time I use it I think, oh why didn't we request the giant one? I guess this is a true example of hindsight is 20/20. Maybe Santa will bring us a new Cadillac version of the family toaster this year?

a little helpful hint:
I have been using the bags our newspapers come in to clean up doggie doo for a while. I just keep a grocery bag of them in the garage by the door we use to go outside and so they are handy. It bugs me that the newspapers come in them everyday (I think they should be reserved for rainy days only) but this makes me feel like I am recycling them. They are easy to turn inside out and tie up. They are good for walks too, because they tie to our leash or stroller handle easily.Note: my dog is little so his stuff is little too, not sure if this is a good tip for mastiff owners.

thanks babe

Don't ya just love this? Me too. My hubby helped me get this lovely piece of artwork. I am always asking him, "can't you pull some strings and get ____ for me? you're the principal of the biggest high school in Ohio for goodness sake!" Usually, he is just too busy to help me out with my wild ideas, like I said, in charge of the biggest high school in the state, doesn't give him a lot of free time. Anyway, we went to the spring production of "Phantom of the Opera" (our school was only one of four in the country who got permission from the Phantom people to put it on this year, only because we have an outstanding arts department, yeah us!). The art students had transformed the auditorium to look like a real Paris opera house and they had these huge banners hanging from the ceiling with these awesome paintings. Just a side note, I've seen Phantom about 8 times, no joke, on Broadway and everything so I was kind of fading in and out, not because the kids weren't doing a good job but because I could probably sing it with them off-key of course! So I noticed these banners, again, I said, "honey, I love those birds, get the kids to make me one." Hubby said, "huh, oh, ok, yeah they're cool." I just knew I wouldn't get one. I kept looking at them through the whole show. About a month later, my honey walks in and says, "I have a surprise for you." He had gotten the lovely Megan to paint me a birdy picture and I was so excited. I just love it and I love looking at it all the time. We have it in our family room right now, unframed for now, but I hope to get it framed sometime soon. We gave Megan enough money to cover the cost of her supplies (it is a big canvas) and a little more, I felt she deserved it. I think she just might be famous some time. I know art is totally personal as to whether or not you like it, but I truly think this is a cool piece. Thanks to my sweetie pie who listened to my request.

another movie recommendation

I recommended seeing "Swing Vote" and I still stand by that one, it was a good one. Now for one I do not think you should see... "Borat." I know it is an older one, I actually checked it out from the library after several people told my husband he would like it. We watched it and P.U.! I can't believe anyone would recommend this movie to a friend (or foe for that matter). My husband likes to be silly and in his younger days he was quite a comedian but in no way did he relate to this movie. Very crude and just plain yucky. Anyway, don't waste your time, pick something else if you are as sick of summer t.v. as we are.

driving

Here is me in the car driving with the kids:
windows up (so no one can hear the screaming), AC blaring (I am sweating due to stress of course)
snacks: pretzels, juice, fruit snacks
music: something they pick (Zoe prefers Hannah Montana, Parker chooses Kiss)
my comments: "Stop hitting each other, no you can't hear your song again, I can't turn around and see your drawing I am driving, no we can't get McDonalds, no we aren't there yet."
my state of mind: dazed and confused

Here is me driving in the car without kids:
windows down, wind blowing
snacks: something chocolatey (m&ms)and a Dr. Pepper of course
music: Dave Matthews, Michael Buble, Sting, Beastie Boys, the Cure, George Michael, Bob and Tom in the morning, anything I want
my comments: only song lyrics, profanity towards any ding-bat driver
my state of mind: happiness, bliss, freedom!