Love Quilts?? How About a Free ONE?

Check this out....2 handmade quilts are being given away, and YOU can get
in on the action! Just follow this link!
Free Quilt

Good Luck!

Winner of 500th Post Giveaway!

Commentor #6....InkMom!

The Caboose picked your number and you've WON a Spirit of Christmas Gift!

Congratulations! And BIG Thanks to everyone who follows & encourages my Journey thru this crazy thing called Momza's House!

~Dawn

Mothers Don't Have To Be Everything To Everyone, FYI

As I drove home from Loveland
Saturday,
I always leave there with a heavy heart.
I hate leaving Dean.
I wonder often why this is part of the Plan
for our family?

As I continued to drive,
the highway melted into my thoughts
and all I could think of
was
Why can't I just be ENOUGH for all of my children?
As much as I want to be all, do all
for them,
I just can't.


This thought stayed with me
all day Saturday
when I had a moment to myself
there it stood,
that lone thought:
"As much as I want to be a Perfect Mother to my children,
how come I am not?"
The weight of that brought tears, frankly.

Sunday afternoon,
I awoke from a nap
and there was that thought
again,
"Why can't I be enough?"
A tender mercy
whispered from Heaven
soothed my heart:

"You were never meant to be
everything to everyone in your family.
If you were,
Why would they need Me?
It is in the void of their lives,
that noone else can fill,
that they turn to Me.
This is why you cannot be everything
to them, nor ever be enough
that they never want.
This is the Plan.
You are their Mother,
I am their God."

Patience is a Virtue? *OR* Where is that Baby?

It's Monday.
MONDAY.
And I am still not a Gramuddah.

I got up at 6:45am on Turkey day
like a Sous chef
to make sure all was ready
for Mr W--
should I get "the call"
to run up to Golden,
and leave him to make the dinner.
Which, he loves doing
and he got up with me at 6am
cuz
he likes spending time with me
whilst the yahoos are still sleeping.

We chopped,
sliced and diced
 and cooked
and finally it was all done--
and it was good!
Lemme tell you,
it was good--
cranberry salsa
stuffed mushrooms
warmed cranberry brie
Turkey
sausage & sage dressing with granny apple & mushrooms,
hawaiian rolls
homemade cranberry sauce (Cranberries Are Loved)
PLUS the gel in the can :::shudder:::
for Diana
and on and on...
I was stuffed.
Mr. W was stuffed
the kids were stuffed
pie was eaten,
and life was good.

Dani & Mr Idaho did not
come down for Thanksgiving
and she was sad about that--
but she'd been having ctx all day
and didn't wanna chance the drive
away from her birth center.

But No Baby Yet.

Again, I went to bed
on high alert
waiting for that phone to ring!
Friday morning at 4am
I got up with Mr W
and reluctantly went to Wally World...

I didn't want to
except for two items
ON SALE
that are on Santa's List
were there!--
and oh-my-gosh!
the number of cars in the Parking lot
was fantastic!
I thought the store opened at 5am--
no it did not!
It never closed
from the night before.
And it was almost as PACKED as the
Kohl's parking lot across the Street.

Once inside Wally's World,
the place resembled a Zoo
only with brighter lights
and Karo syrup  & womens' underwear
down the aisles.
They had their "deals" spread all over the store--
Cameras in the Fitting Room areas,
Nintendos at the Pharmacy,
TVs in Frozen Food
TomToms in Lingerie
It was a Scavenger Hunt--Walmart-style!
I only got cart-rammed
twice
and observed only one truly irate
hobbit-woman--
she behaved like The Queen of Hearts--
"MY WAY, ALWAYS MY WAY!"

We got our goodies
and I was back home in bed
less than an hour later!

We also hit Target
for two of their Sale Items
and while there,
they girls got candy for the Candy Game--
upon laying it on the checkout thingy,
Dean exclaimed, as loudly as I have ever heard him yell
in public,
"DAMN People!"
Hands thrown up in the air
in excitement over the candy!
Diana and I were ahead of him in line
and turned, wide-eyed to each other--
"Did he just say what I think he said?"
We look behind to Dara for confirmation
whose eyes were huge and
we all started laughing, told Dean
"We don't use those words Deano."
The smile never left his face. He loves candy.
And apparently that love elicits cuss words.
Who knew?

The Missionaries came over
and played the cussed-over Candy Game...
and didn't mind that Dean cheated
by telling what kind of candy Diana
was hiding under her towel.
Dean always cheats.
But we don't mind.
He is our Golden Ticket afterall.
Not be confused with the Golden Child
that is very very late.

Saturday
I grabbed Nana and we ran Dean home
to Loveland
and stopped by Golden
to check on Dani
& Brad.
The lack of sleep shows
in both their eyes.
We went out for pizza
and laughed our guts out.

Then we went to Whole Foods
where I got Dani some Zinc
and Red Raspberry Leaf supps
that might help kick her into labor.
Mr W offerred use of his Shop-Vac
if those didn't work.
smart aleck.

She said she thought she was
in labor
that night
5-1-1
but then
Not.

Today she is going to a
Midwife/Dr. (not my Midwife) appointment.
They may break her water
to get labor going.
And if they do,
then we'll have a baby today
no doubt.

Otherwise,
we are being taught a fine lesson
on Patience.
We're waiting for this newest
Yahoo
to join the craziness that is Our Family
and while it may look like
we're living our normally-scheduled-lives,
we're really living in an altered universe
which we will easily ditch
once this Golden Child
makes his way here.

Oh and I also got to spend some
Quality Time in the ER last night
with Diana's Little Man
whom we thought had a heart attack
at the house last night,
and whom our neighbor and brother from the ward
had to haul upstairs over his shoulders
to the car
(Little Man's sister didn't wanna call 911)
but all is well--
he just has a rib head cartilege thingy that was inflamed
and after a drip bag of drugs
a few thousand dollars worth of tests
and whatnot
Little Man slept in his own bed last night.

(fyi: When someone is being taken to "the hospital" from your house, and you intend on following them once you grab your shoes and coat, it's important to ask them BEFORE they drive off, WHICH hospital they're going to, otherwise, you are left in the driveway with your coat, shoes and car keys and no idea.)

With everything else,
I have to admit
the diversion wasn't awful.
I did get to read a Newsweek article
about Twilight's Stephanie Meyer.

Patience.  I hear it's a Virtue.

Walmart is Now Selling Coffins!

No kidding.
Walmart.

I'm placing my order in today.
Just need to find the website...hold on a sec.
Yellow Smiley Face
there ya go.

Now what I want in a coffin may be
unusual
but in these times we live in
is anything outta the question?

I want WiFi
and a laptop.
I know, right?

Possibilities are limitless
I tell you
limitless.

A Feast Without Calories!

 Since all the Cool Kids are doing this, and I wanna be Cool too, I stole borrowed this from Marilyn

Lori ....let the feast begin!


Breakfast

What is your favorite menu item you will eat at your Thanksgiving Feast?
Home made cranberry sauce makes the meal for me.  I am not a "pour from the can" kinda foodie, so anything that's on the table is likely homemade, and sometimes there are lumps in my gravy!

Lunch

What are you most grateful for at THIS moment?
That there is a Grandchild on the way.  One more person to love in our family. I can barely wait to meet him!

Dinner

What is different about Thanksgiving this year?
Well I may miss the whole meal entirely if Dani goes into labor. SO I am preparing as much as I can today so Mr W can make it without me.

Midnight Snack

Where are you spending Thanksgiving this year and what part of the menu are you preparing?
Either at home (like always--we don't have extended family close-by or even within a days' drive) or at the Hospital with Dani, Brad & baby.

Recipe of the week

Mosiah 4:9 & 19.  It's delish!

Golden Child is on his way!

Last night around 8PM:

Heading up to Golden!
Prayers much-appreciated
for a safe and healthy birth!

~Dawn


Then Dani called and said the contractions
she'd been having all day
were irregular
so she was going to go lay down
and see if they just went away.

She'd call back if they didn't.

I had just showered
and put on scrubs
tied my shoes
and was ready to walk out the door
before that call.

Hmmm
okay I thought,
I'll go rest a bit too--
she'll probably call around 11PM
and then I'll head up there.

I lay down
in my bed
in my scrubs
in my socks
with my head carefully
touching the pillow
so my hair didn't get messy.

Then I woke up
at 3:00 AM
and wondered why the
heck was I still at home?

Rest wouldn't return easily
so I puttered around on the
www
for awhile,
looking at BlackFriday.com
for some deals
until Mr W
talked me back into bed
and off to dreamland
I went again.

I dreamed I missed the birth.
Yikes!

Finally, I just got up
around 6:45am
came down to the kitchen
and started breakfast
turkey dressing
and the rest of the fixings.

We had dinner
uninterrupted...
we did the customary round table
discussion
of what we're thankful for--
Joseph says, "Pumpkin Pie."
Dean says," To be here with my family."
I love him.


It's 8:23PM
and still no baby.
She was 4cm dilated yesterday
morning
before the midwife swept her membranes,
and she's had ctx all day,
but if she went to the hospital
they'd just hook her up to pitocin
and then follow that with
an epidural
and on and on
like dominos
one medical intervention after another.

No, she says,
we'll wait until the Golden child
is ready....

So here we are,
her ctx are on again tonight
but still irregular...
I'll keep you posted.
On the plus side,
if I'm still here
in the morning
there are some killer deals
for Black Friday
that I would love to chase!

Winn Reeding tha Scripshurs duz pronunciashun cownt?

We're into Day 3

of reading the Scriptures

right after dinner.

It's going well.

We're in the middle of

1 Nephi Chapter 4.

Which is progress because

we're all taking turns

reading 2 scriptures

at a time.

We started out

by reading 4 at a time

but that proved too

laborious

for me...
lotsa big words, ya know?

With new readers

taking turns

things get funny

real quick:

Arianna, reading1 Nephi 3:15--

"As the Lord...livth?

lyv-eth? liv-eth-th? lvth?

th-iv-eth? liv-eth?"

1 Nephi 4:2--

"and they divided

hit-her and thit-her,

and our fathers came through,

out of cap-cav-ity, on dry ground,

and the armies of...

Pa-hair-oh?"

The inside of my cheek

is nearly raw--

to keep from laughing.

Which is more than I can

say for Daisie

who busts up every time

tho Mr W and I give her

a hairy-eyeball look

to NOT LAUGH.

I love listening to my

babies read the scriptures

and if it takes forever

to get thru,

I'm okay with that.

I can still feel the Spirit

when we open the

Book Of Mormon

in our home,

around our table

and read the Prophets words.

Hook-ed

on

P-Honics

Work-ed

for

Me!

Fihr-teen Dorras Fihr-teen Minnas, yes?

I spent the day up North

with Dani,

the mother of my

soon-to-be

Golden grandchild

who has yet to make his

appearance.

He's late.

Like his Momma,

and his Daddy

who are always

always always

late.

I took Dani to Colorado Mills Outlets

where we walked her

around like a show pony

to see if we could get

her into labor.

We stopped at a

 place

where she got a foot massage

from Chinese guys wearing

little white chinese "scrubs"

with red piping on the sleeves

and neckline

and who,

apparently just got off

the boat from China

3 days ago

as they spoke almost as much

English

as I speak Chinese.

They took a look at Dani's

very large pregnant belly

and with eyes wide as pancakes

said:

"You-ah wont mah-sege?"

HUNH?

Then they used Chinese sign language

 which could easily be

Universal

as they pointed to Dani's belly

and practically reached out

and dragged her inside.

"Fihr-teen dorras, fihr-teen minnas, yes?"

I thought, why not?

She's overdue,

reflexology can help,

sure, go ahead,

I say.

Forty minutes

and

forty dollars

later

I am thinking

I  need to learn

Chinese.

Sirry Umelikens.

500th Post!

Wow.
In honor of this somewhat benign occassion,
and in the spirit of all things bloggerville,
I am doing a giveaway!


The giveaway is in the
Spirit
of
Christmas!

Simply leave a comment
and winner will be chosen randomly by 11/30/09!

Thanks to all of you for following,
commenting
and cheering me along!!!

A Willow or an Oak?

Saturday
missionaries over for breakfast--
Breakfast is always fun with the missionaries.

Later that evening was Joseph's bday party at
Art Sports...the perfect place
for a bunch of kids to run around
and get all sweaty and worn out!

Somewhere in the middle of the day,
I had a grand argument
with Nana about her dating habits--
that was more fun than is legal in
some countries.
Not really,
actually it's not fun at all.
Sometimes being THE MOM
forces Me to have conversations
I would rather not have,
set rules I would rather not
have to enforce.
But being accountable for my stewardship
requires that I hold my ground
like an Oak tree
and not bend
even when I'd rather just hang around
and be lazy like a Willow.
And when I have to be THE MOM,
that's just no freaking fun at all.


I've always adhered to the saying:
"A good disciplinarian is a good teacher."
As a Teacher/Mom, I first try the soft approach--
express my love in a cheery-sunshiney way,
using examples of others,
encouraging to Choose The Right,
a soft voice.
"Oh Sugar face, don't touch the stove! That would hurt! And I love you so much, it would just kill me if you got burned!"
When the lesson isn't learned
I press forward
with love & logic--
express my concerns for their well-being
at their choices.
With real consequences.
"Don't TOUCH that stove! It will hurt you so much! You might have to go to the hospital! Please be more careful!"
When I feel taken advantage of,
the lesson is clearly not being learned,
I lay it out like a rug
as plainly as possible
with all the energy of my soul
and it comes out Blunt, Direct, and Sharp.
"Hey YOU! Stay away from the Stove. Period. Since I can't leave the room without wondering if you're going to touch the stove, you will have to stay outta the kitchen, indefinitely!"
Mr W says I use their example/choices
and serve it back to them.
"Remember when you last touched the stove? And it hurt so bad we had to buy bandages and stuff and you couldn't use your hand for a week? I told you to be careful and you didn't listen."
They don't like that.
They take the truth to be hard,
as I have heard.
I like plain-speaking.
Don't sugar coat it for me.
Tell me how it is.
I learn better that way.
SO when I express my expectations
and house rules,
I do not want any misunderstandings.
I want to be as clear as possible.
"The Stove is made to cook food. But you have to know the rules about cooking, before you can use the stove. And until then, you need to be extra careful around the kitchen and are not allowed to use the stove."

And if you know my kids,
that's how they relate to one another
and to their friends.
Speaking frankly
and plainly.

I wonder where they learned it from?

SO Nana isn't happy with me today.
We rarely argue.rarely.
But Satan is a Puke
and he just loves contention
in a family
and that Puke will use whatever
whoever he can
to stir up hard feelings.
Before she left last night,
to go back to her Nanny house,
we had scripture study
and Prayer
(wherein Ari blessed the meal that wasn't there)...
"please bless the food..."

We've been slacking
with this stuff
lately
and it shows,
right?
Whenever the energy of our home
becomes less-loving and more contentious,
I have to look at myself in the mirror
and ask
"Are you doing your part?"
Last night, the answer was "no".
So Mr W and I re-commited ourselves
to lead by example
and rein the family in again.

So before Nana left,
we called everyone to the diningroom table
with the charge to bring their scriptures
and we began at the beginning
1 Nephi.
We had been up to Mosiah,
but we decided to start over.
Because sometimes a clean start is
the best way.

I love my family.
I specifically love my daughter.
And until we are "good" again,
I won't throw my hands up in the air
and say "I'm too tired to care anymore!"
No, that's not Me.
Sometimes I am a soft-flowing Willow
but other times
I have to be an Oak.
Knowing when to be either
is the challenge.
 The only way to know which
is to seek the Spirit.
So we're back to the basics.
BTW, I long for the day when I can
be a Willow
and not an Oak.

Any advice from the masses would be greatly appreciated!

Happy Thanksgiving, Pass It On!

In the front of my personal journal is the quote:

"We are all like the Fiddler on the Roof:'trying to make beautiful music while balancing our lives and not fall off and break our necks.'"


 I am thankful for the opportunity to be on this earth, at this time, to have all I need to learn to live happily ever after.

I've seen this on other blogs and loved it so much I had to repost it here....
it's beautiful.

What are YOU thankful for?

Repost this on your blog and ask the same question...it's sure to gleen a response!

Fort Hood Teddy Bears!!

Yea! Finally got the information to send your wonderful TLC Teddy Bears!!!
Please let me know if you've participated, so we can keep a count! And I will have a Holiday drawing for those who send a bear!
Just take a picture of you with your bear and send it to me!


Dawn

 Santa's Workshop would love to receive the bears you have collected!!   You can either send them to our P.O. Box 5157 Fort Hood, Texas 76544 or to 512 Gazelle Trail, Harker Heights Texas 76548. We open December 7 for soldiers to come in and start picking toys for their children so we still have plenty of time.

Sherri Visser

SWS President

(254) 702-9041

If You Were Rich, Name One Luxury You Would Indulge In...OR The One Where Kevin Costner Makes My Bed

Clean sheets on my bed
Every Day.

I would pay someone
to make my bed
with clean sheets every day
of the year.

Nothing I can think of,
compares to sliding into
a bed newly made
with mmmm
clean, fresh-smelling
sheets.

And while we're at it,
I'd like the person that's making
that bed to be
Kevin Costner.
(and No, he does not need to know
how to do hospital corners. Have
you seen him?!)

Sahweet!

What About YOU?

The Weekend's Here, Whaddya Gonna Do?

It's the Weekend Before Thanksgiving--
can you believe it?

I'm planning our menu for the big meal.
Appetizer:
Stuffed Mushrooms
Cranberry Salsa & chips
Hot Pizza Dip

Meal:
Turkey
Mashed potatoes
Cauliflower with cheesy-mustard sauce
Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Sausage and Sage Dressing
Waldorf Salad

Dessert:
Pie
Pie
oh and
Pie.

And as a family,
we are going to make a
Gratitude Tree--
Everyday we will write our
blessings
on a slip of paper
and put it on a tree.

Now that sounds all
spirichual and stuff--
but knowing my family
it's going to get completely outta hand
and have ridiculous nonsense on it--

I can't wait.

 p.s. of course, all this is really just a distraction until I get the call
from Dani & Mr. Idaho...she's having lotsa BH ctx, so it could be any.second.

Surviving Teenager Number Five

I knew this day
this moment
would come...
it was
inevitable.

Experience taught me well,
I know what to expect
I have learned how
to not just endure
teenagers;
to build up our relationship
instead of walls.

It ain't easy.
I've read so many books on
teenagers
I could write my own.
Patience is the virtue of the hour
these days.
Humor & wit are essential
and life saving...
for us both.

Which reminds me of my oldest:
I could be hopping mad at him,
and he'd say something hilarious--
I'd be in a fit of laughter
and point a finger at him,
"I'm still mad, you're still grounded,
but that was funny!"

Lately the 14 year old has been
Fourteen Years Old--
and very good at it, as Nan says.
I've wanted to throttle her,
Nanny-shake her,
take her to Nebraska and leave her
there--
she has become mouthy
lazy
forgetful
irresponsible--
in short,
a rotten teenager.

Yesterday I didn't have to go to the clinic
till later in the day,
and she had an eye doctor appointment.
I decided to keep her home all day
to spend time with her.
That was in the morning.
But I swear by 10AM
I was already mad--
her bedroom is in the basement
and when I went down to talk to her
discovered that the entire basement
looked like a scene from
Apocalypse!
Nothing had been cleaned since
the kids' sleepovers last weekend!
Blankets everywhere,
toys everywhere,
popcorn,
plates, cups,
candy wrappers
everywhere.

Why? I wondered outloud--
WHY? hadn't this been cleaned up
Saturday morning
or any day since then?
Surely people (her) had seen
the calamity
Surely they (her) knew
it needed to be cleaned up
Surely Surely they (her) expected
I would not be happy
when I wandered down stairs
at some point!!
All she needed to do was
tell me the kids needed to pick up!

ACK!

I called the 14 year old
outta her room
and demanded answers
to all of these questions--
but all I got was a
"it's not my mess." --response.

We got busy and it was clean in 20 minutes.

The ride there was silent.
I knew that if I got started,
nothing positive would come of it,
so I drove quietly.

When we got to our Dr.'s office,
I filled out the forms for her;
one question at the bottom of the form:
IS there anything else the Doctor needs to know?"
I wrote:
"I am a rotten teenager and my Mom wants to sell me to the circus, fyi."
Instantly, I felt better.
The tech at the desk,
a good friend of ours,
just laughed.
The Dr. chuckled when he came out
and got her chart.

By the time we left
with new glasses on her peepers,
she turned to me and said,
"I'm sorry I've been a rotten teenager.
I can't help it. I'm all hormonal n stuff.
this is how teenagers are, Mom. We're weird
n all that. We're s'posed to drive you guys crazy.
I don't mean to, cuz it's no fun, but I can't help it."

Then we had lunch and the rest of the day
was better.

I learned a long time ago a secret about teenagers:
When you least like them,
when everything they say irritates you
and everything you say to them they respond to
with an upward glance or an eye-roll,
when you want to throw up a wall
between you both--
Don't Do It.
Pull them in closer,
Spend More Time With Them.
On Purpose.
I tried this with Numero Uno child
when he was 12--
we were at each other's throats
for a couple of days
and I hated it,
so one morning I'd had enough
and kept him home from school.
I made him help me clean--
but this is the difference:
I cleaned alongside him
in the bathroom,
hanging up laundry,
cleaning up his room.
Any errands I had that day,
he came with me too.
By sunset,
we were laughing together.

I learned that when 
you most want to pull away
is the perfect time
to pull in.

So I've got a few more years of this
whatwith Daisie being 14
and the youngest two yet to come.
By that time,
I may not even remember my name,
but I do hope I haven't forgotten
how to laugh.

Family...isn't it about time?

Today's Confessions

I made my Psycho Chili for dinner.
I also made a peach cobbler.
I skipped dinner
and ate
3 helpings of cobbler.

In order to walk by a Salesman
at a mall kiosk today
selling some kind of
other-worldly-miracle-in-a-jar-hand-lotion,
I took Diana's advice
and faked a phone
 conversation
on my cell phone.
It worked.
Four times.
But I really hate being
acosted while shopping...
"no, thank you. No, really, I don't need that.
I don't have any, nope. But I..I..gotta go...I didn't
come to the mall looking for handlotion made from
llama slobber and camel fur with touches of red sea dirt in it."

I made my bed
at 5:30
in the afternoon,
right before Mr W came home
from work.

I watched Glee tonight
and I loved it.

That is all.

What about u?
Anything you wanna confess here?
They say confession is good for the soul,
g'head...
spit it out.

Cristofori's Dream...my fav song

Fireworks & Dating

It started with a Facebook Status:
"GIDDY! I've never been so GIDDY!!!!!!!!!"

I look around for Daisie
but she isn't home.

"I'll talk to her when she gets in."

But I forgot about it.

Until the next day,

the next Facebook Status:

"GIDDY! GIDDY!!"

--followed by comments of her friends:

"Why so giddy?"

"It's gotta be a boy!"

"Of course it's a boy!"
Okay. Time for some face-time
with this child of mine.

I must be calm, cool and collected. She is number 5 child of 7...
I've seen these fireworks before.

"So, Daisie, I see you're feeling very excited
about a new 'friendship' at school?
Wanna tell me about him?"

Much giddiness ensues and I have to wait for her cheeks to

stop steaming and the sparks in her eyes to fade so she can
FOCUS.

--this is gonna take awhile.

sigh.


Then she started sparking like a firecracker:

"OhyesMom! (inhale) HisnameisAlexandwelikedeachothersincelastyearbutwedidn'treallytalkthatmuchandnowwedoandwehadlunchtogetherandthenhetoldJackiethathelikedmeandweweretalkingonfacebookandheprettymuchsaid hereallylikesme!" (exhale)

"Well, that's really fun to know that someone thinks you're special enough to want to get know better, isn't it?"
Her body temperature is about 2000 degrees.

She rapid fires like lady fingers,
one detail after another...
I have to really focus
but not so much
I will get a headache.

I don't have to tell her she can't date till 16,

she tells me she's already told him that

and "he's okay with it!" (as if he had a choice!)

So then I ask, "Well, what happens now?"

She hadn't thought of the what next part.

We've had the conversations of what dating

really means at any age younger than 16--
"Even if he confesses his undying love for you,

what does that mean?

He's in 9th grade.

He doesn't have a job, a car or an education.

His momma still does his laundry and drives him to Scouts."
That puts things into perspective

pretty quickly,

ya know?
That's the hope.

Saturday
Daisie sparkled into my room
asks mushily if she could get online
because "he's online".
"Sure, why not?" I said.
My day got busy and

I lost track of how long she'd been online without a break.

Then Mr. Wonderful pulls me aside and asks,

"Do you know how long she has been online today?

FIVE HOURS! FIVE.

Yikes!!
Okay Okay I think...how should I handle this?
Not even a potty break?
Nope.
Okay, it's alright. Every little thing is gonna be alllllright.

I assure Dad that this is really in OUR favor.
"Remember when we were young? We'd stay on the phone forever:
'What're you doing?'
"Nothing. What're you doing?"
"Nothing. Whaddya wanna do?"
"I dunno. What do You wanna do?"
"I dunno."
Time stood still in those moments.
Texting online takes so much longer than
a real conversation,
what with typos and all. Let's watch this play out."

Young relationships burn fast and furious,
full of excitement and wonder,
then like sparklers
*poof* they are over!

While girls want to know Every Stinkin Thing

about the Object of their affection,

boys have little interest in all that "complicated stuff".

Girls' Questions:

"What's your favorite color/icecreamflavor/TvShow?
"Do you really like my hair/friends/dog/cat?"

"What color is your toothbrush?"
Boys' Questions:

"What's Up?"


So I talked Mr. W off the ledge and said,

"Let the fire burn."

When she finally peeled her bum off the chair,

the giddiness had dissipated

I could tell.

The flame was gone.
I say to her as she walks by,

"Not all you thought, eh?"

" Everything he says is one-word answers and he doesn't questions about me." she pouts.
"He doesn't know any." I comfort.

"Hmmm. Yeah. I guesso." she says as the wind blows out the flame.

and she disappears down the hall to her room.

I return and report to Mr. Wonderful:

"It's over. The Giddiness has succumbed to teenage angst and unrealistic expectations.It was a grand show of colors and design but smoke and ashes now. What's on TV?"

Random Nonsense from Scenes in My Life

We're in the last week of Dani's pregnancy.
I went with her to her midwife's appt. yesterday:
75% effaced, -2 station, fingertip open cervix, baby is dropped and engaged.

She's been having lotsa Braxton-Hicks waves today...so anytime would be fine.
Altho Mr Idaho would like her to wait until next week when he has a break from school. That's just funny, hunh?

My b-day was pretty nice. I was treated better than I deserve and am grateful for the sweet gifts from family and friends.

I am getting super excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas!  Already planning my menus--which brings me to this:  Anyone have some fun recipes for finger foods for a large group for Christmas Eve? Just leave it in the comments section or email me so I can post them for everyone to share!

I have started on Christmas presents...I love Christmas so much.  And what's really great is no wedding this year like the past two years previous!  But all of the kids will be here for sure!

Dara has turned into a rotten teenager.  Everyday I am tempted to take her to Nebraska and leave her there--like people did last year when it became legal to drop your unwanted kids off at hospitals without penalty.  But, she is asleep in her own bed tonight and I remind myself that she is #5 and we'll both live thru her teenage years.

Ari was in a play tonight about Mexico at school. Her smile lights me up. Which is probably saving Dara's life.
I'm waiting for the gal at Fort Hood to give me a specific address for these teddy bears....she must be super busy!

And that's it. I've got nuthin' else until Dani gives birth...thanks for listening.

Do You Know Infant CPR?

So here you go:

Happy Birthday To Me!

Yup.
It's today.
I like my birthdays every one!

Some random stuff about me:

I was born in Florida.
I've lived in about 10 different states.
I've travelled a little to the UK.
Kevin Costner makes me swoon.
But Mr. Wonderful has my heart.

I refuse to buy bologna, liver, rice-a-roni and Sara Lee.
I love Subway BMT's on parmesan oregano bread.
My fav ice cream is Butter Pecan.
My family & friends know to serve Wendys' Chili and Pie at my funeral.
I want to be cremated and sprinkled over Garden of the Gods.

My fantasy vacation is Hawaii on the beach.
No tours, No fancy restaurants.
Just a lounge chair, an umbrella
peace & quiet!

One thing I'm grateful for besides my family, faith and friends:
Being home in the Rockies.
One thing I've accomplished since my last birthday:
Becoming a Midwife Assistant.
One thing I'm looking forward to in the next year:
My grandson.

Thanks to my bff's for a wonderful bday lunch
and mi familia for the love and gifts!

Third Home Birth in a Week!

No sooner had I gotten home Friday,
than the call came that our overdue Mama B.
thought she might be in labor.
I was plum.wore.out.
The Midwife said she'd call me
when Mama B.'s waves were to the point
that we needed to get up there
to Littleton, CO.

I wanted to go back to bed
but it was now 4:30Pm
and Joseph's bday,
so I dragged my bum up...
thank goodness for a supportive family tho--
honestly,
Diana & her bf, Little Man went and got the
German Chocolate cake & ice cream
--Joseph's favorite,
and Mr. Wonderful picked up Papa Murphy's pizza
on his way home from work.
Some of Joseph's friends came over to celebrate
and have a sleepover.
I went to back to bed at 8:30pm
Craving some more sleep.

The call came at exactly 3 AM...
since the birth was taking place in Littleton,
the Midwife and I would ride together.
Emily, the other Assistant
would not be joining
us on this birth.
Which sorta freaked my guts out
a tiny smidge.
Emily is amazing & sharp.
I wondered if I could fill her shoes
but decided I could just do my best
and hoped that was enough.

So I jumped in the shower
and Mr. W got up with me,
kissed me goodbye
and off I went with The Midwife.

Approx. 4:45AM
Mama B.'s labor was consistent
but dragging
when we arrived...
The Midwife gave her some
Labor Enhancer herbs
which wasn't as effective on her as we'd hoped.
Then some castor oil--
which I am just gonna say
would probably make me lose it--
as in upchuck;
but Mama B. chugged it down,
chased it with OJ
and even said it wasn't that bad.
bleh.
It was a very special day
in their house--
it was her daughter's 2nd birthday!
Yes that's right--both of her children
have the same birthdate!

Waves picked up
but still not increasing in intensity
so The Midwife pulled out her bag of tricks
then
we told her to rest as much as possible
so she piled pillows all around her,
put on her ipod music
we gave her some positive affirmations
to contemplate while she rested,
we shut her door and headed to breakfast
in town...
Mama B.'s mother and sister (aka the girls)were in town
for the birth from Waco, Texas..
they were anxious
for this birth to happen
before they had to return.
Along with Mama B., Papa K.,
the girls all laid down in our absence.

When we came back,
everyone was up except for Mama B.--
but she surfaced
at 10:30AM,
looking refreshed
and waves began coming
every 2 minutes!
YES!
Papa K. put on Enya music
and then Mama B. led the way!

She sat on a birthing ball
with her belly overhanging,
ate some chicken noodle soup
and then asked if i would do her one favor,
"Will you put a can of Dr. Pepper in the freezer for me,
for afterwards?"
She continued to labor on the birthball
or standing
as she leaned on the back of her sofa
until she felt like she was in transition...
The Midwife checked her
and yes she was!
SO into the labor pool she went!
About that time,
it started snowin too--
so how cool was that?

Papa K was attentive
 always always always
sweet words & attitude,
effleuraging her arms
counter-pressure on her sacrum
whatever she needed
he was there for her.
They made a really great team.

Mama B. was so in tune with her body;
she would tell us when she felt
a particular contraction had made a difference
in her cervix...
to look at her,
one would never know she was
ready to push--
until she let out a low grunt
and her body began spontaneously
pushing!

She tried several different pushing
positions:
squatting
lungeing
hands and knees
reclining in her hubby's arms---
all that moving helped
the baby to come down easily
and finally his noggin appeared
and with the next couple of pushes
little J.'s body followed!
Time 1:30PM.

It was quite the celebration
of joy & tears!
She did it
and it was perfect!
And what a chunky monkey he was!
Oh my! Round little noggin, chubby cheeks,
chubby neck, chubby chubby chubbiness!!
His weight 9lbs. 5 oz.!

Mama B. delivered the placenta
and was ready to get out of the pool
and get cleaned up.
She was a little concerned that she might
get light-headed
so we gave her some string cheese
and drink
and told her to take her time.
I also smiled and told her
I'm too old to pick her up
so she'll have to make it to the bed--lol.
ANd of course, she did just fine.
Within an hour,
she was laying in bed
and had her Dr. Pepper
and her laptop--
posting her great news
on Facebook!!
Within an hour!
That is how young people do it these days
I guess.

I quickly packed things up
as a huge snowstorm was in progress
and we needed to get back to the Springs
before the roads got too icy.
So we tucked the family in
said our goodbyes
and left with hearts so full of gratitude
for our 3rd safe home birth this week!

I have one more left--
my grandson is due this week.
I can hardly wait to meet this
sweet little boy!

Full Circle Water Birth

1:54 AM
I got the call.
Scrubs on,
face washed,
hair reasonably brushed
so as not to scare anyone.
I grab my doula bag,
and kiss hubby goodbye.
I am in the car by
2:12AM
headed down to Fountain, CO.
for the birth.

The client, Molly M.*
is known for having short labors
and I'm just hoping I don't miss it.
There's absolutely no one on the
interstate...
just me and ribbons of highway
bright city lights
and the crisp November air.

Of course,
I crank up Michael Buble'
like I do
so I can sing along
to his awesomeness!

It's November 13th...
Friday November 13th at that...
and it's not a bad luck day at all--
it's a wonderful day!

Ten years ago today,
I was the one in labor
at home
surrounded by my family
and giving birth--
The Midwife was there for me
that time--
breathing with me
encouraging me
as I labored in the pool.

Joseph was born at 7:11PM
this night
ten years ago...
and here I am this day
working alongside the same
Midwife for Molly M.

Talk about coming full circle...
thinking about it
releases a tear on my cheek
as I'm driving alone
reflecting on God's hand in my life.

I am where I'm supposed to be...
it took time to get here
but it is a sweet time in my life
the right season
for me to be doing what I'm doing.
All is well.

I arrive at Molly M.'s house
at half-past-two...
the house is quiet,
and I follow The Midwife
to Molly's M. room.
The scene is one of absolute tranquility:
lights are low,
candles are burning
classical music playing
Papa Bishop is timing her waves
while he sits on the bed
and Molly M. is standing
leaning over her birthball
breathing thru a wave.

After it passes,
she looks up and smiles
to greet us.
We return the smile
and head back out to begin the set-up.

Emily has arrived by now
and we do what we do best:
get. it. done!

We speak in whispers
so as not to awaken the other children
in the house,
and to honor the mood Molly & Bishop have
created.

Once finished,
we meet in the kitchen
with The Midwife who relays
her assessment:
Molly is 6 cm dilated,
waves are 8 minutes apart,
but this momma's last birth
was a mere two hours
so when her body kicks in,
things will go fast.

Because Molly's sweet husband is attentive,
we remain in the livingroom
to give them space and intimacy
until we're called for--
they are are well-oiled machine
and we know better than to tamper with it.

Once Molly is 7 cm
she is in the labor pool
which she melts into like
warm butter on toast.

As long as Molly is comfortable
and laboring well,
our presence is subdued for now.

We even take turns resting,
two rest while one is awake.
Finally, at 6:20AM
I hear a vocalization from Molly...
transition...
The Midwife checks her--
Yes! nearly complete
her cervix is stretchy
n all we need is for the baby's head
to descend and finish dilation.

Molly stands between waves
to use gravity efficiently,
she rocks her pelvis
sways back and forth
and does squats
to encourage the baby to get into
position.


During waves
she is  relaxed in the pool...
to look at her you would never know she is
in transition...
she is still,
focused on letting
her body guide her
and following the path
of creation.
She was born for this.

She lets out a low moan
and we know she is pushing
one more contraction
and we see the baby's head--
face up, posterior!--
one more and Molly brings
her child up out of the water
with her own hands
and holds her son to her
chest.
Softly she whispers:

"Hello, Baby!", she greets
this new love in her life.

The kids all file in
to get a look at their new brother...
Molly gazes up at Bishop
with love-filled eyes
his eyes return the same.

Time: 7:14 AM.

I head home
for a shower
a nap
and a birthday celebration.
Time:12:38

What a beautiful day.

*Molly is the given nickname for the client by her husband.

Babies On Board!

Okay, so in case you're wondering
about those other
two babies---
one was born this morning
and the other is on the way!

I'm headed up to Littleton
for the next birth!
I have so much to tell you!

The Amazing Almost Waterbirth

Yesterday started out fairly ordinary...
kids left for school,
I cleaned the house.
Except that yesterday,
I cleaned a little deeper
than normal
knowing there are alot of
babies
on the way
and I wouldn't have
a)the time to clean
b) the energy.

The rest of the day
was actually relaxing--
lunch with my BFF's
and ya know, the usual.

Then, around late-afternoon
I get the call.
You know the call, right?
After all these months,
you know what I"m saying
when I say
"the call"--
if not, go back to other posts
then come back here,
cuz even tho I could've told you
what "the call" means
it's really just the principal
of the thing now.

SO, THE Midwife:
"Mama M. thinks she is in early labor.
Contractions are about 10 minutes apart
and have been all morning. Just giving you a
heads-up."
 We went to dinner over at Nan's house--
whose husband makes the best hamburgers
on the block, and she makes a wick'd potato salad---
which meant no cooking or clean-up for me!
Gotta love that!


Just as we were finishing up,
another call--
"we're heading up the Pass,
wanna meet us at such-and-such,
so we can go together?"

Now, "up the Pass" is referring
to the canyon
between Colorado Springs
and Woodland Park--
a beautiful touristy-town in the mountains--
elevation around 8000 feet.

I threw all the kids
into the car,
drove the kids home,
and headed up the Pass.

I met the other Midwives
in the appointed Parking Lot
and up we went...
Up Up Up!!
Into the dark rolling mountains
driving to get to our Mama M.
She is living an authentic Colorado lifestyle--
up in the mountains,
out in the middle of nowhere--
not in an urban neighborhood
with street signs and lights.

ANYWHO,
after a few pass-bys,
turn-arounds,
back-ups,
and the like,
we finally find the driveway
of what is Mama M.'s home--
it helped that her Mother
was at the end of said driveway,
in her car, lights on,
waving wildly
so we could see it!
That always helps, fyi.

G-Ma's first words:
"I'm sooo glad you gals are here!
I don't know what I'm doing."

Okay, so let me say that while I am
smiling, smiling, smiling--
I am actually thinking,
"Bears live up here. Watch out for hairy
moving objects, and make sure you run faster
than the other midwives."
You know that, right? 
That you don't have to outrun a bear--
just the other person with you!


Anyway, that fear-factor
was actually very motivating as we
brought in all things
midwife/homebirth stuff--
we did it in two trips
which normally might take
four.
Fear can be a wonderful motivator,
just sayin.

Mama M. is in the livingroom
wearing a bikini top and sarong
drinking her Aqua Pure
and smiling as we enter.
Her family is there too--
everyone's faces wearing the same
expressions: gratitude and wonder.
Time 7:30PM

Emily and I quickly set-up
while The Midwife
does an assessment of Mama M.
Again, it's the same things:
set-up the Birth area:
birth kit,
baby kit,
labor pool,
bed area.
In the kitchen:
slice up some fresh ginger
into the water-filled crockpot,
boil some water for instruments,
find bowls for cool water compresses
and for emesis, if needed.

Mama M. is 3 cm dilated--
but just after we get there,
her body starts working--
she's been waiting for us.
Waves begin coming 5
then 3
then 2 minutes apart.
I do counterpressure on her hips
which she loves
and requests for each contraction.
Emily is with Mama M. in front--
breathing,
smoothing her forehead with finger massage,
words
words
words...
"You are doing wonderful."
"That's right, great job."
"Perfect. Just let each wave go through you."
"Relax your face and jaw."
"Let go of your shoulders."
And on and on we go.

We become part of Mama M.'s birth ritual.
Even between waves,
I am effleuraging her shoulders
and back muscles,
and we take a walk around the dining table
to keep circulation going...
she is laboring standing up--
the perfect position for early labor
because each wave counts towards progression
as the baby's head is gently
pushed spot on the cervix.

Mama M. is leading us all...
where she walks
I am right behind...
we make it around the table twice
and then lean over the back of the sofa
with soft pillows to support
her as she leans over
and lets her belly hang
and releases all her will
over to her body's natural labor.
Once the wave is over,
we again circle the diningroom table
twice,
and back to the sofa--
over and over again.

Two hours later,
she is 5 cm dilated.
The Midwife says
one more cm and it's "pool time"...
waves are coming quicker
but not more than Mama M. can handle
with support...
just 15 minutes more
and she is ahhhhhh
in the warm water
relaxing all her muscles.
"This feels so great."

I am in a different role
now--
tucked off to the side
I am not part of her ritual anymore--
hubby has stepped in,
supported by Emily and The Midwife.
I am charting every two minutes:
fetal heart tones
Mama's pulse, blood pressure,
words.
All of it.
The water is therapeutic--
within minutes,
Mama M. says she wants to push...!
YEA!!
The Midwife checks...
yes! Nearly complete!
Mama M. can give little pushes
when she feels the need...
"I can't help it.", she says.
Just a couple more waves
and Mama M. is complete
and she is
pushing with each wave
as her body guides her along.
She gets a small
"rest and be thankful" phase--
she can talk eaily and express her needs--
she is laughing ather hubby's corny jokes.

She pushes and pushes
until the head is out!
YES!
But it's a tight squeeze
so The Midwife
wants her on the bed
to finish delivery..
the entire baby is delivered
two minutes
later!
Time 11:00PM, sharp.

A beautiful son has taken his place in this little family
and their lives will never be the same.

Everything runs smoothly
with the afterbirth
and soon the sounds of a very happy
Mama M. are wafting from the bathroom
as she is showering:
"I seriously feel so great!  This feels so good!"
Hubby expresses equal amazment:
"That was so fast! Is this a dream? It's really over?"

Yes, it is.
Time to pack up and head back down
the Pass...
Michael Buble' cranked up,
I'm headed Home.

David Scott, The Happy Wanderer

I am a cautious person by nature. David Scott is not. He is all-boy and always has been. If he is fearful, I've never seen it--except for his absolute fascination/terror of arachnids...spiders.

He used to say to me when he was little, "I am my own person, Mom." He meant that too. He cannot be talked into anything. If it's not his idea, he's not interested. And if his mind is set on something, he is committed to that idea unto death, or until the next good idea comes along.

When he was just 4 years old, I took him, Danielle, and Dean to the Metro Center Mall in Phoenix .Before we went, we'd stopped at their Granma's house where she gave back some play clothes from a former visit, which she had washed for me. (Remember this part.)

Once we got to the mall, we walked all over it...there's probably 1200 stores there. I'm not kidding. Well, exaggerating a little. More like 120 stores. Honestly, we used to go there ALOT because when you live in helk, you are always looking for a cool place, not "cool" as in a P-diddy/J-Lo kinda cool, but as in a "North Pole" kinda cool. So we went ALOT. I grew to know the names of my favorite clerks in Dillards, JCPenneys, Mervyns, and McDonald's...cuz I could never get out of that mall without having to buy 3 chicken-nugget kids' meals, with a sprite.

Anywho, on this day we were nearing the end of our visit, and I just needed to go into a Photo Shop to pick up some photos.

I had quite a contraption to get around with 3 kids under the age of Four. It was a stroller with a "handholder" strung thru it. A "handholder" was comprised of two velcro strips on either end of a long long red curly cord. Made so that one end was for an adult hand and the other for a child's. Only for my purposes, I strung it thru the handle of Dean's stroller with David Scott and Danielle attached on either side. It worked well, and only embarassing when both end kids would stretch across entire aisles in the Mall, blocking all traffic, which gave cause for total strangers to roll their eyes at me, and little huffs of impatience behind me. But, I only have two hands, and 3 kids---do the math.

OK OK back to the photo shop. It was right smack next to a Pet Shop. David Scott asked if he could just go look in the window while I picked up the photos. I didn't normally let him loose, but thinking it was a harmless request, knowing I could see the kids from the register in the store, I said "sure".

I let him loose, got my photos within 3 minutes and upon returning, could not find him. Not at the window, not inside the Pet store...not anywhere in sight. At first, I am perturbed--" darn kid--we need to go!" Then the minutes ticked by, and my heart turned frantic. I called Mall Security. More minutes went by--still no David Scott...3 1/2 feet tall, bright blonde curly hair, big green eyes, wearing a red and blue baseball shirt, red shorts. Nowhere. I called his Dad at the office..."I've lost David Scott at the mall. It's been 15 minutes. Yes, Security is helping. Yes, Police are on the way. Yes, I gave them a picture of him and description."

I was sucking alot of emotion inside, trying to keep calm.

"Hey MOM!" I hear from the 2nd story level. I look up. It's David Scott! But wait, he's not wearing the same clothing I just saw him in??? He's all happy, I direct him to take the escalator DOWN, and by this time tears are falling as he reaches my arms. I am full-on bawling in the Mall.

What did he do?? He did what all 4 year olds do...he went out to the Car in the Parking Lot, and because the car doors weren't all locked, crawled inside, CHANGED his clothes (mint green tank and plaid green shorts)and came back in!

Why??? Why did you do that to me David Scott? I didn't even know he could have found his way to the car. He was alot smarter than I ever imagined!

After that, he set me up for more and more hide-n-go-seek adventures...to the point where when I would take him ANYWHERE, I would say, before getting out of the car: "David Scott, I am your Ride Home. Do not wander off, I will not look for you this time." I am not kidding.

Everytime we went somewhere we would spend 20 minutes looking for him when it was time to go. Ugh! When he got to be around 9, I stopped looking. I left him at church numerous times. We'd go home, have lunch or dinner, then he'd inevitably call home, and I'd tell him that when we were good and ready, we'd come back for him. Same thing happened at Target, Walmart, the Mall, etc.

When he was 12, we went with some good friends to Disneyland. At the Gate, I told him, "Do not wander off--stay with us." Un-hunh. We were there about 30 minutes when we looked around to see that he and the friend's son were gone. At first my friend, Dee, was worried about her son. She even looked around for him. I did not. When she asked me why not, I said, "Just watch. When he gets hungry, he will come and find me."

Three hours later, we were standing in line for a the Matterhorn Bobsleds, when I feel a hand on my shoulder followed by a "Mom, I am soooo hungry!"

Where is THAT Stork Anyway?

It's almost eleven o'clock at night
and I should be asleep.

I even went to bed at 10 o'clock
with the intention
of sleeping.

Got up twenty minutes later
and here I sit.

My sleep is being held hostage
by 3 pregnant women
who are going to go into
labor
any stinking
minute now.

Plus!
my own daughter
who is going to have
my first grandchild
the Golden one
any moment.

The suspense is killing me.
I just know the exact
moment
I finally drift to la-la land
my phone will ring,
shake my adrenalin
into high gear,
and shoot me off like a rocket!

I'm ready.
I'm prepared.
I'm wide-awake!

C'mon Stork!
Start droppin them babies
so I can go to sleep!

Weekend Roundup... Teddy Bears, Movie Review, Exploding Dog, Anniversary & Babies!

It's Monday.
I love my Mondays.
You don't even know how much
I love my Mondays.

After a busy
go go go weekend
the house is finally
mine
all mine.

Friday was the first day
of our Teddy Bear Drive--
we've passed the word
and already have our first
bears!--courtesy Daisie's
Sunday School teacher!

I'm really excited about this
venture!
If the past is any indication
we are going to have
ALOT of Teddy Bears to send
to Fort Hood's children!
I will post the address in the next post!

Saturday was Mr Wonderful's & mine
11th Anniversary...
but we didn't make any plans
so it was very laid back.
I received breakfast in bed,
flowers & a card
and he did all the weekend laundry!
I love "gifts" like that--
My Love Language is
Service, remember?
My honey bunches speaks
my lingo and I love it!

Later that night
Mr W took Boofus to a
Hockey Game at World Arena
and watched the Colorado College Tigers
munch the University of Minnesota-Duluth-whatevers
6-2.
I took the grils (yes, grils) to see
Disney's "A Christmas Carol"--
freaked. my. guts. out!!
The animation is like Polar Express
and it's wonderful
and creative
and detailed--
but it has some intense scenes in it
and fraidy cats like me and the Bee,
should take someone braver than them
so they know "is it ok to look now?" stuff
cuz I nearly knocked myself out
with my own hand!
And without spoiling anything--
even though I'm pretty sure we've
all seen C.C. in all it's many productions--
there are " Harry-Potter-Dementor-type" horses
that chase Ebenzer Scrooge--
with red blazing eye balls that,
if I think about it too much
I may have to go into therapy
to remove the images outta my mind!
The Bee was so quiet afterwards,
I asked her if she'd been traumatized?
She said, "No, it just freaked me out."
Me too, Sister, me too.


Sleep.
I did not get much of it.
Saturday night,
I was just barely asleep
when Daisie appeared at the bedside
"The dog exploded in her kennel".

I grabbed the Lysol and Clorox wipes
and headed down to the basement--
it was bad. Very Bad--the stench met me
at the top of the stairs and
as I rounded the corner to the bathroom
I heard Daisie--
dry heaving as she comes tearing around
into the family room
gasping for air
and slipped, crashing down on the floor!
I was barely awake
so I didn't react right then--
that would be later--
in the bathroom I found
the kennel turned on it's side
in the bathtub
full of dog diarrhea.
I opened all the basement windows,
sprayed Lysol everywhere
and wondered again,
whose bright idea was it to have a dog anyway?
They should be taken out back and beat up!

About this time (11:48PM--minutes before curfew)
Diana comes in...
pinching her nose,
she walks straight to her room--
where she proceeds to spritz perfume--
and shuts her door.
Some help she is! Not.
(fyi, the next morning, I went down to her room,
open the door, and met by frigid temps, her window open,
and she is under several layers of blankets, wearing a sweatshirt).
By this time,
Mr W has come down stairs
YEA!!! thank goodness!!
And between the three of us,
we get the mess cleaned up
and I was back in bed by 12:40AM
wide awake.
laughing my guts out!
I couldn't stop laughing!--
The image of Daisie dry heaving, tearing around the corner,
sliding on the carpet and gasping for air
was hilarious!! Only in my life!
p.s. Dakota/Oprah/FlavaFlav is fine.


We have 3 babies due RIGHT NOW:
One is a week overdue
One was due Friday
and one was due Saturday.
And then Dani called Friday
to tell she's having some symptoms
of labor too.
So that's 4 Babies.
I feel like I should apologize to each of the
Mommies though
because every night
I have gone to bed tired and
whispered a prayer to the heavens:
"Please don't let anyone go into labor tonight."
Don't tell them that.

Altho in Church yesterday,
during a particularly boring meeting
I was thinking
"I wish my phone would ring! Ring, phone ring!"
But nope.
I know it's wrong to admit that church meetings
can be boring.
But we all know those meetings where your
mind wanders and the minutes crawl by...
or is it just me?
Yeah, it's probably just me.

So the rest of Sunday
was spent quietly:
I made a roast,
the Bee made a cake in her
Easy Bake Oven
Daisie made lemon squares
the missionaries came over
had some dinner and we played
Apples to Apples--Elder Garrison-style
who used his leftover Halloween candy
to bribe Boofus for his vote
and my vote garnered a Three Musketeers bar
which I cut into 7 peices so we could all share.
What? Hey, that's just what a Momza does around here.
Give Give Give....just like the little stream.

I love Mondays.

Will You Join Me? Teddy Bears for Fort Hood!

Like the rest of you
My heart has gone out to
the troops and their families
at Fort Hood
since the tragedy yesterday.

Living in a military town
here in Colorado Springs
where we have
the Air Force Academy
Fort Carson
Peterson AFB
and Schriever AFB
I feel a kinship with our
military families.

These bases are safe havens
for our community neighbours.
Our kids' classmates have parents
that are in the military.
It is a tightly-knit community.
As a civilian,
I love knowing I am surrounded
by the caliber of people who
serve our country
with their whole hearts.
The sacrifices inherent in their jobs
are noble and worthy of
respect to the nth-degree.

The experts are all weighing in--
fingers pointing in all directions
looking to blame someone
anyone...
and all I can think of is
the children
in that community.

With them in mind
I am going to invite YOU
My Mommy Friends
to help soothe some aching
hearts
by sending Teddy Bears to Fort Hood,
with the help of TLC Teddies,
the children's charity
that Dani started for 9/11.

My goal is to get as many
NEW Teddy Bears
by December 5th, 2009
together
and I will make sure they get to
Fort Hood to be part of their
Santa's Workshop program.

So tell Everyone you know,
and email me for the address
to send them to...
I HAVE a contact at Fort Hood
and we'll go from there.

IN the meantime,
go out and get a teddy bear this weekend.
It can be any size,
and color...
it will be sent to a Fort Hood child.
That's my promise.

We can do this much.
Will you join me?

Choices Choices

Personal dilema or is it dilemna? dilemma? Spellcheck says its dilemma.
Whew. I learned something in that moment. Score one point for moi.

Okay, I have been wanting to go to school aka College forever.
I've never gotten my chance.
I put a husband thru college
eight long stinking years!
and then started having a flock of kids.

In 2006, I studied home staging
and started my lil biz with that
and loved it!
In 2007, I got my Doula training
--a dream come true!
But I wanna go to college this next January...
and take some classes in subjects I've always wanted
to learn more of...
Art History
Literature
Interior Design
Psychology
and maybe even
a Home Ec class.
I want to go to a room,
with my College-lined notebooks and #2 pencils,
and sit and learn something I don't know.
Which is alot of stuff!
I may even want to take a Art class--
I've always wanted to learn how to watercolor paint
and sculpt clay into more than a pinchpot.
If there's a smidge of room left in my noggin
for something good
I wanna learn it!

My biggest concern is that
my brain has shrunk
to the size of a walnut.
AND yikes!--,what if I flunk out?
What if the teacher hates me
and I have no friends?
What if the big words are over my head
and I'm the stupidest kid in class?
What then, Mom, what then?

Back when I was a kid (in the disco-era of bell bottoms, Saturday Night Fever, Black Trans Ams and pet rocks),
we didn't even have the internet--
which meant when you had a book report to do
you had to go to the School's Library or
sneak a copy of Cliff's Notes;
personal calculators were for kids in Calculus or Trig (I never had one, so that's your first clue about my mathabilities),
and when you had to type up anything, you had to use a REAL typewriter & Onion Paper so you could erase the really bad typos--the others you hoped the teacher wouldn't count).
Yeah, it's been a few decades.

Actually, my biggest fear
is that I will love it so much
I won't wanna come home
and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
any more,
and my kids will become orphans
and have to fend for themselves
like some Third World Country kids--
living on the streets and panhandling
for their dinner...

Meh.
I'm willing to take that chance.

Pregnancy: Getting Enough Sleep?

These are some things that can enhance your preparation for childbirth--to be well-rested is essential in late pregnancy. However, with the increased size of your baby, circulation, and all things "baby" running thru your mind, bedtime can be a challenge.

These are some ways to "prepare" your body for bedtime:

Take a warm--not hot--bath before bedtime. Add some Lavendar to the water or use lavendar lotion when you're finished. (if you have candles & music together, all the better, but if not, this is just wonderful all on it's own.)

Get a foot massage from your sweetie before bedtime. Long, slow strokes with lotion help relax the body & mind. (make sure you are sitting or laying comfortably, with pillows to support your whole body for total relaxation.)

Have some carbs before bedtime too. Nothing heavy like pizza though. Crackers are good. (Make sure you have a glass of water nearby, but don't overdo the water at bedtime.)

Play a cd with Ocean Waves on your nightstand. Or white noise. (you may find your baby likes white noise to sleep with too--it drowns out household noises once he goes to bed).

Read for a little while before bedtime. Not on the PC tho. That's too stimulating.

Make sure you have enough pillows to support your hips, neck and back when you lay down. Those body-pillows have a reputation for being great for pregnant women.

And finally, Self-talk can be calming--just make sure the words are positive, true, and relaxing. I will post a "script" later this weekend that can help you.

Do you have a tip you'd like to share or an experience in pregnancy that helped you get the rest you needed?

(dont' forget to enter my GIveaway of Faith Hill's "A baby changes everything" from this week!)

Fill In The Blank

This weekend, the one thing I am looking forward to:
_______________________________________.

Equal Opportunity Chow Hound

SO I HAD to get a dog!
Remember that?
HAD TO.

And we got this
little black ball of fuzzy
curiousness.

But now, she's a full-blown
curious teenage eating machine.
So far, she has learned two commands:
Sit.
which she does for 1.2 milliseconds.
Drop It.
which she only does for Me and Mr. W.

We buy good food for this eating machine.
Avo-derm from PetSmart...
because ya know,
we want a healthy dog.

But this is the deal.
The dog is a living, breathing, devouring
garbage disposal.
She eats anything.
Everything.
Like what? you ask.
Well how about this:
I've personally donated two pair of shoes:
leather ones. thankyouverymuch.
She has eaten countless flipflops...
but she only eats one
of each color...
pink, brown, navy blue, white, orange and yellow.
Socks--her favorites are
brand new ones.

What else?
Tinkertoys, legos,
Barbies,
rubber balls, jump ropes,
teddy bears and baby dolls.
She isn't discriminating
she's an equal-opportunity-chow-hound.

She jumps up to the
countertops
and tabletops--
where she has enjoyed
birthday cake
steak
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
pepperoni pizza
chocolate cake
vanilla yogurt
pancakes
scrambled eggs
and toast with grape jelly.

She has chewed thru
two leashes
and broken two collars.
Tried her choppers out on the wood deck
and a folding chair.

She has eaten every single
made-for-large-dogs Toy
we have shelled out cash for
and left no trace of it.

She has eaten modelling clay(!)
and candy wrappers
cheese wrappers
and fought like crazy for a dryer sheet.

Now I know what you're thinking...
you're thinking:
Pick up the floor,
shut the doors,
and watch this tasmanian devil dog
like a hawk!

And we do.
At least we try.
And this dog is driving me crazy.

I shoulda named her Dirt Devil.

Thank You, Thankyouverymuch

Lori from Joy in the Journey
has extended this very rockin' award
to me.
I always enjoy reading her blog
as it's always always always
cheerful, upbeat, and encouraging!

As I understand this, now it is my turn
to Pass The Rock
onto some awesome bloggers
so others can get to know
their awesomeness too.

So here we go:

First, I toss a stone to:
Amy...she is one fun gal who lives out loud!
An authentic writer who shares her hearts'
triumphs and other "umphs"--
I have a secret wish to live next door to her.
She's at Fourth Frog Blog.

Second, I'll toss a rock to:
Marilyn...the RS President of a Spanish branch,
Mother of a newly-called Missionary to Anckorage Alaska,
Granma to a dozen--give or take a few,
and gardener-extraordinaire.
She's over at the Merry Mssadventures of a Matriarchal Woman.

Third, I present a Rockin' shout out to:
Sue, from Sue's Veiws, Muse, and News--
an accomplished writer on her own,
she always extends an invitation to see things
with a little different perspective
and it's always worth the time to look thru her eyes.

Fourth, Fifth & Sixth...I reserve the right to pass this award onto
my other favorites when I get another free moment!

Momza's Psycho Chili!

Momza's Psycho Chili

2 lbs. stew beef chunks, fresh

1 Large Can Kuners Chili Beans in chili sauce

1 can Black beans (drained)

1 can Light Red Kidney beans

1 can diced, roasted tomatos salsa-style

2 C frozen corn

1/2 medium onion,chopped

2 TB sliced jalapenos

1 tsp chili flakes

dash salt & pepper

1 TBSP Oil

Into a LARGE crockpot:

Oil, then beef chunks

Salt & Pepper

Chili flakes

Everything Else!

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours...or do what I did: I started it the day before, let it cook then turned it off over night and back on in the morning on low.

*Serve with shredded cheese,sour cream, chips.

The familia loved every bit and nothing was left!

So easy even the kids can do this!

p.s. this is my own recipe, and since I made it on Halloween with jalapenos, it deserved a fun name!

Happy Anniversary to Me!

On this date in 1978
I walked down a few steps
into a warm water-filled font
to meet my Elder Brooks
in the middle.

I was nervous
anxious
teary-eyed
and overwhelmed
with gratitude
to be standing in that
very spot that day.

I had wanted to be baptized
into the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints
since early that Spring of 1978
but my parents wouldn't allow it.

I had met with missionaries
in Charlotte, North Carolina
since February of that year
at the invitation of my very good
friends at school, Vicki & Becky.

The missionaries there,
Elder Willcoxon and
Elder Larry Lavern Owens
taught me all of the discussions
in Vicki & Becky's livingroom.

I loved being in their home.
They loved each other in that home
and that love was palpable.
The time I spent there
remains a sweet memory to me.

The missionaries taught me
and I accepted their invitation to be baptized.
My baptism day, April 17th came
and where my parents had at first
given permission, withdrew it that day.

That was really hard.
The missionaries came over and tried
to soothe my parents' concerns.
At one point there were 6 missionaries
in my parents' livingroom--
but they went back and forth
and in the end
I ran upstairs to my room
and cried myself to sleep.

When I woke up
the house was silent.
Everyone was gone.
It was then that I opened
my parents' FAMILY BIBLE
looking for some kind of inspiration
an answer really,
when I read Mark 11:22:
"Have Faith in God."
I put the Bible down
and went and knelt in prayer.
While I had been raised to pray,
I hadn't been raised to expect an answer.

But Heavenly Father did answer me.
The Holy Ghost whispered to my heart:
"It's true. Hold on."
I felt like warm honey had been poured
over the top of my head
and covered my entire body...
I remember that feeling to this day.

But my parents had refused
permission to join the Church then
and then quickly decided to move
the entire family to
Denver Colorado
one reason was that the Broncos won the Super Bowl
and the other reason was
to get me
"away from those Mormons!"

They didn't realize that once
you cross the Mississippi,
the place is rotten with 'em!
But my folks didn't know that
thank goodness.

Once we got to Colorado
I found the church building.
It wasn't hard...
it was just down the street
from our new house.

I didn't tell my parents
and began going to the Baptist Church
with my brothers.
Since my folks rarely went to church with us
I divided up my "church time"--
going to the Baptist church for an hour
and then driving down the street
to the LDS Church for an hour.

Finally an LDS girl at school
recognized me at Church
and asked me if I were a member
I told I was...tho I was not yet
baptized.
It was thru her that I met my Elder Brooks
and his companion Elder LaVallee
and began to rec'v the discussions all over again.

These missionaries offered to
fast & pray with me
that my parents' hearts would be softened.
And they were so much so
that a permission slip was signed.

So on November 4th
I entered into those warm waters of baptism
after a long journey to get there.
I'll never forget that warm water
as it enveloped my whole self
head to toe...
it felt so good, so completely divine.
I was 16 years old.

And it remains in my life
the Most Important decision
I have ever made in this existence
and has influenced every other choice
I have made since then.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ
has the power to change your life.
It changed mine.
Changed Me.
And I am beyond words
to express my deepest gratitude
for the answer to that prayer
when I was just 15 years old.

Heavenly Father answers prayers.
He does.
And every year, I write my friends
Vicki & Becky and thank them
and I write my Elder Brooks
an email and tell him
"thank you"...
he says it makes his day
and I say it made my eternity.

So now you know why
I love love love
sharing the Gospel!
It's the greatest gift I have been given,
how can I not?