Good things

To make up for my earlier rant, and to put myself in a better mood after Fynn threw up again all over his crib and bedding, and Ewan had an accident on the floor, I'll now post some things that are good right now and that I am grateful for.


1. John showing up to pick Ben up a little early, bearing an ice-cold 20 oz. Coke. And he didn't even take me up on my offer of $1,000,000.

2. My new table and chairs, which I plan on posting about soon. Too long I endured a peeling table from Goodwill. No more. Ikea to the rescue. My kitchen looks so nice.

3. The dogs are staying in the yard. For now.

4. The littlest baby is moving more and more every day and making his presence known.

5. We are getting a brand-new, FREE double stroller from some incentive program at Bryce's work. YAY!

6. Fynn is napping. Hopefully to wake up puke-free this time.

7. No one else is sick (crossing fingers).

8. I think I figured out what happened to the fish. Pretty sure it swam way up into the shell in the bowl and got stuck. Which, you know, is sad, but at least I know. Whether it was suicide or not, I can't be sure.

9. On my table are several good fashion magazines just waiting for me to peruse.

10. Bryce promises to not be late from work.

11. I dreamt I had adopted another rabbit. Woke up to find it wasn't true. Always a bonus.

*** Updated to add one more great thing - Just now, I flipped on the TV to see if Oprah had anything good on, and Ewan, sitting on the couch coloring next to me, randomly said, "Yeah, Oprah's a fake." He swears he never heard anyone else say it, that he made it up himself.

Boring, I know, but that's all I had for now, without getting totally sappy. Which I don't like to do. So there you go.

Grievances

1.  I can't sleep at night due to pregnancy insomnia, an overly affectionate cat, and vigorous coughing up of my lungs.  Very tired.

2.  The two dogs I had previously taken to Mary Ann's had to come back due to serious over-crowding at her house.  I'm making them stay in the backyard.  But they keep escaping.  

3.  So very tired.

4.  Fynn threw up on me this morning.  All down inside my shirt. Yum.

5.  No energy to clean.  Much cleaning to be done. 

6.  A vase full of colored rocks fell off of the fridge and all over the floor.  Great fun.

7.  Ewan's fish disappeared.  Into thin air.  Cat not responsible.  Weird.

8.  Some animal pooped on Ewan's bed last night.  Complete mystery as to which creature or when.  Due to this and the fish incident, beginning to think a raccoon lives in there. Only partly joking.

9.  Sleepy.

10.  I'd pay someone $1,000,000 to bring me a Coke.  Not that I have a million dollars.  But still.

To make up for my horrible pessimism and negativity, I'll publish a list of good things later.  Much later.  After sleep.  

Amen, sister!

I've been a really crappy, moody, hormonal friend of late, and completely forgot to publicly thank Shannon for this awesome plate she got for me.
How awesome is that?!  And so, so true.  I love it, and I want you to know, Shannon, I had my last take-out meal on that plate before our take-out fast.  Thanks for thinking of me, you are a great friend.

Deprivation

It's always been a minor pet peeve at stores that they don't put my 20 oz. Coke in my bag.  If I'm buying several things, like groceries, and grab myself a Coke, they always put it right in front of me, without even asking where I want it, assuming I want to carry it out.  No, my hands are full thanks, what with the two giant children and fifteen grocery bags.  I always end up putting it in a bag anyway.  It graduated from a minor pet peeve to major one today when I got home from the store, itching for my cold Coke... and realized it's not here.  Probably still sitting on the counter where the checkout girl put it.  

It is lovely, when I forget all birthdays, including my own, to find that somebody remembers me. - Ellen Glasgow

*UPDATE*  Bryce redeemed himself, totally, by bringing me snacks to make me fatter.  :)
I have such good friends and family who have taken such good care of me on my birthday.  My mother treated me to dinner last night, after which Shannon treated me to a movie.  Sarah took me to lunch today and also ordered me something Black Apple-ish, as did Mary Ann.  It's been wonderful, and I am so blessed.  I, who am so lazy about birthdays, have been treated like a queen, and I am moved to tears over it.  Thank you all, you are so loved and appreciated.

And now for the "Woe Is Me" portion of the evening, and forgive the whining.  I know it isn't attractive, but I simply must:  Bryce is under the impression my birthday should be ignored since we had such a nice anniversary, I made my own birthday cake, without candles, and sang to myself, Bryce is still at work at nearly 8:00 pm with no idea when he'll be home, and my fish is half belly-up, dying before my eyes.  Meep.  Combine these first two paragraphs, and my emotions are paradoxical indeed.

After Fynn goes to bed, Ewan and I are totally watching a movie.  And I'll be having a Coke.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and Fynn the Upright

Ugh, the last time I had a real, decent post was back in the first week of January. That's one long case of the blahs if ever I've seen one. I've had week-long blahs before, and it doesn't usually bother me, but now I'm going on a month! This past week was particularly "blah-ish," as they amount of take-out and Coke I consume, the amount of cusswords I spew out, and the amount of time spent on useless Internet sites are in direct proportion to how high or low my spirits are. I knew I was in dire straits when on the way home from church today, I saw someone driving out of the Jack-in-the-Box drive-through and was way too envious that they could have some take-out and I could not. So, I'm trying to read good books, spend time with the boys, pray more and write something. I have now become a little bothered and concerned, because I feel like I'm neglecting my blog, and therefore any writing at all. So, here I am, determined to write something, anything, worthwhile. I'm going with stream of consciousness to see if anything valuable tumbles out. (Plus I actually have a decent idea for a book, so that's a new project I'll be working on.)

One of the new fish, Pop, lets me pet it. Seriously. I read on the Internet on a betta care page that they will become accustomed to you and recognize you and let you pet them. So I tried it, I stuck my finger in the water, approached him, and sure enough, he was still as I ran my finger along his body. He then started to kind of circle through around my finger, much like a cat when it weaves around your legs. It's very cool, and I can't believe I'm not squeamish about it. I never, ever, in a million years thought I could become attached to a fish. But I am. Fizzle, however, has a little attitude problem, and spends much of his time grounded to his bedroom playing video games and sulking.

Ewan is such a cool kid, and getting so tall and is just a boy. Shannon and I talked about how when they turn three, they are still kind of babies. But once they turn four, which he will in March, the baby is completely gone and before you stands this little man. He has such a funny sense of humor, and now he's figured out how he cracks us up when he imagines or makes stuff up, so now he does it just to make us laugh. And he'll do it over and over again, demanding each time that we laugh. But after twelve times of the same gag, it's hard to laugh, and when we fake laugh, he totally calls us on it. I actually had to have a little talk with him explaining that we couldn't laugh every single time just the way he wants us to, but that it is still funny. Every Sunday we ask him what he talked about in Primary, and he never remembers. Same thing today, but twenty minutes later after "not remembering," he started talking in great detail about the M&Ms his teacher let him pick out. I talked to her later, and she explained her lesson was about making choices. Ahhh, the joys of candy-coated chocolate greatly overshadow the eternal lesson of free agency.

Fynn officially walks now. He'd do it off and on for a while, two or three steps at a time, and I thought he would hold off for a month or so. But then, one day, it's like he literally woke up and said, "Yeah, I think I'll just walk from now on." It's very cute, he still walks like a drunkard, and seems too small to be upright, but he loves it. He's so proud of himself, as you can see in the video below. (Please pardon his "Dumb and Dumber" haircut, that darn hair-cutter lady!)

And now I think it's time for another baby.

Just kidding. But seriously, he will be 18 months old in June, and I totally want to try to have another baby after that. I just want to be prepared, mentally and physically. So now I'm on this huge campaign to add balance to my life, and discipline myself in my daily, hourly choices. It's so hard to make myself commit to anything long-term, no matter how important it may be. Last year was my 30th birthday, and it seemed like such a good kicking-off point to living healthily, better, happier. Well, I'm still in the same boat one year later. I turn 31 on Tuesday, and I just think it's time to grow up, already. Easier said than done.

Other projects coming up in my future: painting the living room, arranging pictures and knick-knacks more attractively, spending more time outside with the kids, journaling, reading worthwhile things, learning, getting closer to God, writing a book and children's stories, spending less time on the computer (unless writing) and just trying to improve my home, my family, myself. It's not a total, instant overhaul, because those are next to impossible, but baby steps and small changes are all I'm looking for right now.

Speaking of painting and arranging my house, check out these badboys:
Those are prints from The Black Apple that Bryce got me for Christmas. I found some really cheap frames ($4.98 and $6.98) and I think they look really nice. The color I want to paint the living room is a very slightly lighter version of the blue in the background of the top picture. I need to redo a lot of the way my pictures are arranged and other stuff, so this is their temporary home.

On another note, I heard the writer's strike may very well end this week. Do you know what that means? More Michaelisms from The Office, and a full season of Lost, rather than a cheated half season. My fingers are crossed, as should yours. Anyway, that's it for now. Hopefully this week will be a little better and I'll have some interesting stories to tell and insights to share.

I'd like to buy the world a Coke

Slightly reminiscent of this picture, we again are trying to recruit Fynn. Witness:
Relax, it's empty. I may be an addict, but I'm not corrupting him. Yet. Amazing how he knows exactly what to do with it. I wonder where he saw that from...

I'd like a Coke to go, please.

I am sure some, perhaps most of us, have thought about how they want to kick the bucket, buy the farm, go up to that big On the Border in the sky... I don't like to really discuss death, it freaks me out, but I have decided that I either want to go out drowning in a vat of Coke, or a vat of guacamole. Maybe queso. I just can't decide which one for sure...

I tell you this to convey to you my love of Mexican food. It is unparalleled.

When Bryce decided to help Ewan pick out a Christmas present for me, they knew it had to be a fairy. I collect them, love them, will be one in the hereafter. So they betook themselves to Ebay, and searched for fairy figurines. On the very first page popped up a very appropriate fairy, indeed. Needless to say, it now takes up residence on my kitchen counter:
It is from a line of figurines called "Kitchen Fairies," and coincidentally, my friend, Jenna, gave me a different one for my birthday a few years ago, and since I'm sharing, here she is:
This one is so cute, it almost makes me like peas. Which I don't. Not at all. Certainly I don't want to drown in a vat of those.

Long live stress eating

I'll French kiss the first person that shows up at my door with a 20 oz. Coke. And maybe some Funyuns.*
*Disclaimer: If you are not my husband or you are a woman, no spit will be swapped.

Conversations again...

Ewan: Mommy, why does the rabbit drink water all the time?

Me: Because he gets thirsty.

Ewan: But, why?

Me: Just like us, his body needs lots of water.

Ewan: Yeah, just like our body needs milk and root beer.

Me: (saying) Our bodies don't need root beer, but they do need milk. (Thinking: Yes, Ewan, fizzy brown drinks...my body needs them, but it ain't root beer.)

And this is actually funny only because he's had root beer twice in his entire life.

I'm Ashamed

Ashley sent me this hilarious article. But it's shameful my team didn't come out on top.