Clettus

Last week I got a text from my mom, which of course, I can't find now that I need it... it showed a cardboard box with critters in it and said "know anybody who wants a opossom? or 8?"

To which I replied, no...and who has a box of opossoms?

To which she replied, your daddy saved them... the mama got killed crossing the road.

You know, because that's the way conversations about 'possums go...since its normal to have them in a box at your house and all...

So I'd like you to meet Clettus, spelling yet to be determined if that is correct or not.

Clettus is the only remaining possum baby... Mama prefers to call him Ratatouille (and yes I had to goodsearch that to spell it correctly) since he mostly resembles the mouse from Pixar.

Daddy took the original sibling set to school one day to show Mischa's class... Mischa told her class that the Mama got run over because she didn't look both ways before crossing the road... that's the good little teacher in her.

Evidently, the classroom experience was sensory overload to 6 of the babies because they stopped eating and didn't make it.... Clettus and one other baby possum did.... until Bo Bo (whom you remember from this story) decided they'd make good squeaky toys and took the box and all into the backyard to play... to which he was punished... and then did it again for good measure the next day.... leaving only Clettus behind.

So here is Clettus getting his meal...

He's still getting the hang of that whole milk from a syringe thing... so he gets a little messy...but he's a tiny little guy, so its allowed...

And here he is, post-meal, just chillin' with Big Dave...attempting to return to a sleeping position despite the flashing in his face from my camera...

This bonding relationship is not all together unusual for our family... all animals take to Daddy and he takes to them.... and I think this next picture shows that best of all... please disregard quality as it was taken with a cell phone... I received it by text message earlier this week with the words "Lord help us" (also not uncommon when Daddy and animals are involved together)...also ignore the ginormous piece of pizza in Daddy's hand...

do you see Clettus? I think their bonding is going well!

This is how we work...sorta

This is where I found Hayley Tuesday afternoon....

When I asked her what she was doing she replied:

me. watch. daddy. sit. chair. outside.

which I think covers it all.... and sit she did...

for a whole 3 minutes, which is basically an eternity in her time frame

she really really really wanted to be outside with him.

But if you ask me, this is totally the way for work to get done...

I think I'll try it next.

Oh and Lori got it right when I asked about THIS....

that would be where Hayley walked through her breakfast

because her breakfast plate was on the floor

where all breakfast plates should be.

Can You Spot It?

It's not the Virgin Mary...but can you spot what this piece of toast displays??

NOT My Thoughts, NO way, NO how!

Y'all know how this thing rolls by now.... so let's just jump right in...

This week I will be dwelling NOT on the things I actually said, but on the things that I thought... as we all know I'm avoiding the "weight" commentary at this point in my pregnancy...the following are a list of thoughts I would NEVER have in my head after hearing the comment or seeing the face of the person's original statement.... because it would be insensitive to have such thoughts...

From the lady who sees me at least 3 times a week at work.... "My, My...you sure are blossoming!"

Every day she sees me she tells me this.... I do NOT think to myself "why thank you, I needed to know that I look even bigger a mere 24 hours since you've seen me last... and while we are at it... at what point does blossoming involve a belly which causes one's profile to resemble the letter S...last time I checked, blossoming involves flowers becoming all pretty and colorful and bright... not a person's pregnancy weight gain. And if you continue to say this to me I may begin to roll my eyes in your face, even though its unprofessional and rude." I NEVER would think such!

From another co-worker .... "Girl, every weekend you come back and you just look like you are farther out there."

"Why thank you, I wanted to know that despite the fact that I ate normal portions for a normal person all weekend and chased my toddler around that this outfit makes me look large, because that's what I aim for every morning, to find the outfit that makes me look even bigger than I actually am.... you know, because that really helps my self-esteem." NEVER would such words cross my mind!

To the look of shock from someone who finds out I have until June to make it...

"Oh thank you for that look... I was unaware of the fact that it looks like I have one of those weight-loss toning balls that a grown-person sits on under my shirt... actually, I'm not pregnant at all...this is just a new look for me... you know, everyone wants to make a statement these days... and yes, I am well-aware that June is still 2 months away... and no, I don't think I'll be having this baby early despite the fact that you obviously judge me as ready to deliver at any second... you know what, on second thought, I might be going into labor right now...what's that? you don't know nothing about birthin' no babies (name that movie!).. to bad, you forced me into labor shock" NO, NO, NEVER would I think of faking labor just to shock them further, that would NOT be a considerate thing to do.

To the ladies holding this conversation: "You see how she came around that corner....walking wide...why do we do that when we're pregnant? Walk with our feet spread so?"

"Oh, I don't know...maybe the fact that I have a small person practicing karate on my ribcage at this very minute who up until I was walking was playing the piano on my bladder with her elbow...and it certaintly wouldn't be because I'm carrying 1/3 of my total body weight in the span between my shoulders and hips....and it certainly wouldn't be because I'm almost 8 months pregnant and I CAN!"

So, let's set this record straight... I did NOT have any of those thoughts. NOPE, NOPE, NOPE.

despite how angry this whole process has made me...

Glee's Just Like A Prayer/Take Me There redeemed the 2 hours it took me to watch a 45 minute segment.

I guarantee I won't miss it on TV again if I have any say so what so ever

so to say this week has been crazy busy packed would be the understatement of the month... but I'll catch you up on that another day.

Right now, I have a startling confession of a totally not-serious nature... this week, I forgot all about GLEE.... yes its been that busy! And yes, it takes me more than a week to rebuild a habit!

So I've been attempting to watch it from Fox's website for the last 50 minutes.... the show is only 45 minutes long....so that tells you that its not going well... it seriously won't buffer in advance (grrrrrrrrrrr) so I'm stop/starting every 3-5 minutes... I've only gotten through 20 minutes of show and if I have to watch one more Red Bull commercial that loads instantly despite the show's ability to do so, then I may just throw this entire computer which we love out the closest window!

Is it too much to ask??

We have 2 vending machines here at work.. one dispenses Pepsi products, one dispenses Coke products. That is all the background information you need to know, really, its just that simple.

EXCEPT

The Pepsi machine, which is where the Sunkists are stocked (even though they aren't actually a Pepsi product)... and we all know about my orange caffinated addiction (as evidenced here and here).

For the past 3 weeks, every time I want one... its SOLD OUT. Seriously folks, EVERY TIME.

What does a pregnant lady have to do to get a cold drink around here??

In other related news, said Pepsi machine is also possessed to a level of OCD that I didn't realize machines were capable of... it disciminates quarters based on their year of production. It evidently is having a hard time accepting that each state needed its own design on its on set of quarters because it REFUSES to take "new" quarters.

But, in true machine fashion, when one person puts money in and hits the Sunkist button which then says SOLD OUT (which by the way, it won't tell you until AFTER you put your money in) and thus decides that said person is not settling for a Dr. Pepper AGAIN.. it will spit your money out in quarters, but not just any quarters... NEW quarters, STATE quarters... the very quarters that it will NOT TAKE when you try to purchase a drink.

I mean, seriously??!!

And as evidence to my delirium in regards to this matter, I am seriously contemplating leaving a sticky note that threatens death to anyone who attemps to purchase Sunkist so that I might have a shot a getting one when I have a craving.

Good grief. Now I'm as crazy as.... well, we'll just leave it at that.

Hoorah & Welcome....and all that army talk

Yay! My college roomie has joined the blogging world... if you know Lori, check her out (by clicking her name)!

Hayley & Her Colors

We went out to eat Thursday night down in Colquitt because Michael had a taste for shrimp... as we (our family plus M's parents) were sitting there waiting on our food this little old lady (whom I'm sure I'm supposed to know, but I don't) comes up and starts talking to Michael and his dad... she then speaks to Hayley as all good little Southern old ladies do.... I look over at Hayley (who is next to me but farthest away from the little lady) and tell her to say 'tell her hey' (you know, gotta train 'em up right in the social aspect of small town life)... Hayley then looks up from her crackers at the lady and says.... "hair... blue? white?"

Please pardon me while I pick myself up off the floor.

Luckily, said little lady was already carrying on her conversation with M and Mr. D. and she missed our color observations, but seriously, I almost fell out of my chair!

I'm not even going to pretend

that this is a real post about us.... this is all about me trying to win some really, really, really, really cute stuff for my girls!

Check It Out! - Great little blog (be sure to click on the giveaway link and check out her Etsy store... too too cute kids items!)

And I get an extra chance to win some (my heart is set on the burp cloths) just by encouraging you to check her out!!

so I finally got some pictures up that were overdue... back up off me.

The Long Awaited Post Office Peanut

Her Big Girl Bed in Her Big Girl Room

reason 512 that I'm not your typical HR Director....


This is my shred box...you know, the box that sensitive information is put in to be shredded since it can't go into the regular trash....

no, multi-colored paper with hands cut out of it doesn't qualify as sensitive information....

but what is shredded is recycled and this week, the recycling is a bit more colorful

reason 513 that I'm not your typical HR director would be that I posted about my non-typical-ness.

if you are reading this, right now, please stop and pray

pray very very very hard


for a friend and her little one


who need it very very very very badly

Beauty for Ashes

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives… To grant consolation and joy to those who mourn in Zion, bestowing on them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning…” Isaiah 61:1-3 (excerpts)




For me, Easter time is not only the celebration of what Christ did for us, but even more simple than that, it is the beginning, the embrace of spring and all its goodness. It’s the feeling of the breeze across your face, the first painting of toenails in bright shades of pink, the deep inhale of sunshine and the flowers bringing color back into its rightful place. It is beauty for ashes. It is newness and life and beauty for the blues and grays and seemingly dazed winter. Its an emergence from that which has confined us to an openness of the heart, the mind and sometimes, when no one is looking, our arms as we just stand in the sunlight.



How much more so does the Lord create beauty from our own ashes. Imagine how deep the healing of the soul when we lay our burdens, our shortcomings, our failings, our frustrations, and all the things that hold us hostage within our own hearts and minds and instead release ourselves fully to God’s glory, intention and will.



I wish it was a simple as walking out into the first beautiful day of spring. As simple as seeing a flower bloom or feeling the gentle breeze across our faces.



But to trade our ashes in requires much more from us than a simple observation of God’s goodness and faithfulness. It takes action… deliberate choices to release those things that hold us captive—be they our own expectations, our own accounts of our own failings, our pride, the hard places in our heart, our list of wrongs and uh-oh’s and all the things that haunt us in their own ways.



It entails a humility of crawling before a broken Cross, looking into the eyes of the Savior who spent three days in the Place of Ashes to rescue us from ourselves, and an openness to a Spirit which longs to bring assurance to our very being. Its brokenness that is unmistakably humbling and all-encompassing, a moment so sincere and profound that even the recounting of receiving such grace and mercy is not sufficient.



This spring I long to leave my ashes at the alter and embrace the garment of Beauty that my God has created for me—a garment that encases His Goodness through me, making full use of my own gifts for His glory, I hope you do too.

a second thing you don't hear from your mom often

Me: Did you know you were in the paper yesterday?

Mom: I haven't really looked... (note, there is a webinar playing in the background...)

Me: yea, in the 25 years ago column

Mom: what did I do 25 years ago? (seriously, she asked this question in total seriousness)

Me: Oh, I don't know MAMA, what did you do 25 years ago? about this time??


Me: Did you really just ask that?

Mom: busting into laughter.... I think I had a baby.... around this time... yea, I had a baby...

Me: You really didn't just ask me that did you? I mean, not seriously?

Mom: still laughing.... I guess that means you were in the paper too.... I was trying to pay attention to my webinar...

Me: ok, well, that's all I've got... listen to your webinar now

Mom: still laughing...ok



no words for this exchange... no words at all

things you don't hear from your mom everyday

"Your sister just tackled her
Administrator at school..."

evidently, the Teachers vs. Administrators kickball game/fundraiser didn't fair well in the sportsmanship category... but I'm told the Teachers won, and that's what's important

Bo Bo's Egg Adventure

This is the story of Bo... Mama & Daddy's eeyore of a dog... who is massive, seriously, his head weighs like 30 pounds and his feet are the size of my hands... but he thinks he's a lap puppy... but I digress.

This is Bo, oh-so-casually walking around after Easter lunch at Mama's.... this is also after we had the name eggs in the pinestraw for pictures (as evidenced here)

humm....dee...dum

just taking a little walk... no one to bother... no one pay me any mind...

what's that? do I have something in my mouth? You mean something blue?

are you sure its not someone else? I mean, it could be....

well, ok, it couldn't really be someone else... but I promise to take good care of it...

its just a blue egg after all... and you did leave it sitting unattended in the pinestraw...

see how nice I buried it next to the goldfish tub? It'll be safe there....

no really... no one will ever know I took those eggs... they'll be mine and I'll keep them forever.

Yes, Eeyore not only managed to sneak in two eggs in his mouth, but he carefully dug and carefully hid them for safe keeping... the last picture is what was underneath the pile of straw he moved, in the hole he dug.

Its always the quiet ones.

thoughts on GLEE

so was it me or was gLee a little too action packed to be just plain ol' fun last night? My goodness at the number of storylines they started.... I felt like I couldn't blink because I'd miss something...

Don't get me wrong, I love the classic battles that were ever present, but good grief at the new stuff they stuffed into a one hour program! I'm hoping that since its their first night back, they were setting up all the storylines for the remainder of the season, because if it continues to have that many storylines running through every show then it will be approaching a more intense viewing session than I have previously awarded it.

The music was still good and the characters too... but it seemed like some of the quirky-ness of the show was lost with this new episode...almost like it was too scripted, too streamlined, too controlled... it needed a little more oddball feel, like the first half of the season, to keep it in its rightful place as simple entertainment.

But that just shows you that I think way too much about watching TV.

It's Back!!!

Tonight.....




9:28 p.m. ( seriously, what is up with that?)





Fox (channel 13 for you cable folks like me)






GLEE

Not Me! Food and Other Thoughts

evidently, MckMama appreciates my non-birthday party excitement stealing, even though I seriously doubt she checked my blog to make sure I wasn't ahead of the game, anyway,  its now officially time for....

  

Last Monday, I did NOT eat every.single.one of the rice krispie treats that were sent home from Easter with me in less than 10 minutes at work. I also did NOT take them to work for the sole purpose of not having to share them with the two other mouths in my house, that would just be selfish on my part.

On Tuesday, I did NOT finish the quarter of a poundcake that was sent home from Easter with me, which consisted of enough slices to last me a week at a slice a day.

We did NOT watch a different Netflix movie Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights because we hate commercials just that much. (And for the record, the instant download works pretty well for South Georgia internet.)

Thursday, I did NOT eat enough mashed potatoes and cubed steak for 3 grown people in one sitting.. that would just be wrong.

Friday morning, I did NOT get a text message from Mischa (with whom Hayley had spent the night) saying that she thinks I drink too much Sunkist... upon asking why I did NOT find out that when Tony sat his Sunkist on the table Hayley pointed at it and said "Mama?" because I would NOT constantly refer to it as "mama's drink" when she's getting her milk and I'm indulging in caffienated bliss. *oh wait, I already confessed to this once... oh well, keep reading*
Friday afternoon, I did NOT witness Hayley telling the boys "nope" when they asked her to do something that she didn't want to do. I also did NOT have to start correcting her to where she now says "nope sir" and "nope ma'am" to adults. I also did NOT witness her turn into little miss nice-nasty while playing in the sand which consisted of her moving the sand around for a few minutes, standing up brushing her hands off, and then repeating.

On Saturday, I did NOT hear her say "help me" 500 billion times because its her new phrase and she uses it just as much to say that she is helping you as she does when wanting you to help her. I also did NOT take advantage of the fact that she was enjoying some one-on-one time with Grandmama and Granddaddy during most of the day resulting in me taking 3 separate naps... despite this fact I did NOT also go to bed at 9:30 Saturday night.. there is NO reason for one person to need that much sleep in less than 24 hours.

On Sunday, I did NOT crawl into the bed, completely bypassing the couch, 30 seconds after putting Hayley down for her nap only to be woken up by Michael 3 1/2 hours later. I would NOT sleep that hard, that long, just because I could.

Also.. for the record.. I was NOT, just now, in the first five to link up MckMama because I certainly did NOT check her blog every 5 minutes since I got up this morning to see if it was time yet! And just now, I did NOT get a little sad that MckMama wasn't sharing with us this week...there is NO way I'd have that much attachment to another blogger, despite her good reason for not-Not Me'ing today!

So I have a Not Me! post in the works... but I feel like I can't post it until McMama kicks it off officially on her blog... it would be like trying to throw a birthday party at the same time on the same day with the same kids and the same theme...and that would just be wrong.


In other news, I've had to tie my shoes 4 separate times today because I have yet to find the proper angle of leg propping/stomach dodging to succeed with a tight tie.

And in a photo op... this is Hayley helping Daddy hang the pictures in the hallway... more acurately, this is Hayley wanting to be on the ladder at the same time as Daddy wants to come down the ladder.

hodge podge

I'm 25. And we're not talking about it... especially with those of you who like to phrase it as "a quarter of a century"... moving on.

Had a checkup yesterday and ended up with an ultrasound (yay! I have been anxious to have another) Miss Priss was all balled up and only gave us glimpses of her profile so we can't even pretend to guess what she'll look like (unlike with Hayley who looked.just.like.michael. even on a regular ultrasound) but she weighs 3 lbs, which is good for her due date in June. We aren't even going to talk about what I weighed, but everything is looking pretty good, though the good Doc recommends more rest and checking my blood pressure (just as a precaution since I'm carrying more weight than my body ever has before) and seriously, that is all I'm willing to say about my weight.thank.you.very.much.

Bowen's nursery is coming right along... well, its done as much as we can do for the time being. We are getting her mattress hopefully next week so I can finish putting her bedding on... and once we get her dresser back from Mom & Dad's (where its on the "needs slight improvement" list as the drawers stick) I'll be able to unpack the 0-3 month clothes from their designated tupperware container in the corner of the room. I'll share pictures the next time I get a chance to hit the home computer for a minute or two.

In a Zilla moment, she spent the night with Mischa last night and this morning, when spotting Tony's Sunkist on the counter, looked at it, pointed and said "Mama?" ... so I think she knows my favorite drink by now. haha

MckMama's Compassion Fundraiser Project

Seriously, Check It Out!!

yes, that is a link...click on it... there are two others below!

OK, we all know that my Monday confessions are spirited in the Not Me!Monday spectacle that MckMama hosts every week... and as its been such an enjoyment for me (and hopefully for you) I feel like I should direct you to her blog to read about this great fundraising project she has going for Compassion International (read more about it at Compassion's Child Rescue Project Page). I think its amazing what her site has been able to do for Compassion (just go back a few dozen entries to see the number of children who were sponsored during her Compassion trip to Kenya alongside other bloggers) and wanted you to get the chance to be involved in it too!

P.S. If you've got your eye on a iPad, you can give through MckMama's site, and for every $5 you donate, get a free entry to win one that she's giving away!

Pride & Protection

yes, I know its now April.. back up off me.


Why is it that we, even as adults, are so susceptible to pleasing others that we, in essence, leave more and more of ourselves sheltered, and spend more and more effort in projecting our perceived self? This is the thing of children and teens and young people as they struggle to find their place in this world. We even tell them that as we see them fight through the years of middle and high school, dealing with their first instances of heartbreak, betrayal, he said/she said, and quest for coolness. We sit aloofly in our adulthood status and tell them to embrace themselves and people will either like them, or not, and that those who do are the ones who matter. Then we, the adults, put on our game faces and attempt to negotiate the delicate balance of self, the balance of the real and the perceived, the image and the reality, the inner core versus the outer projection.




It comes down to pride and protection.



We know that God created us to grow and thrive in
relationship with Him and thus in relationship with others. We know that love is the greatest binding force between two people and it is what stabilizes our homes and
families. It is what gives us our own experiences with
trying to be who we think we want to be, or who we know we aren’t, or somewhere in between. Even as adults, we treasure the affection and approval of others. We fall back constantly on pride to keep us from showing weakness in public, as if our struggles are unique and no one else would understand them. We claim protection over those we love and of the image we offer. We don’t talk about the bad, the ugly, the struggles, the trials, the frustrations, the
exhaustions that haunt us all in their own way. We put on a good face, we smile, we speak, we remember to tell people we’re praying for them. And we slink off to ourselves in the peace and quiet.



Surrounded by pride and protection.



God’s calling for our lives is for so much more than a dance between reality and perception. More often times than not, pride and protection offers habits that are isolation
factors by nature. It strips us of our own gifts and talents as we assimilate into a culture or a friend group or a
relationship that is more about meeting expectation than embracing one’s self, not only distancing us from others, but from ourselves, and from God. In all of it — the balancing, the pretending, the games and the politically correct, we lose our joy…not because our joy was so aloof that we couldn’t grasp it tightly, but because joy is tied to freedom…and freedom doesn’t necessary find itself hiding within pride and protection. Break free this week…find the part of yourself that was hiding inside, and let it reign.

Big Girl Bed

Hayley slept in her big girl (read that as: toddler) bed last night for the first time.

It was a total non-event for her.

It was a HUGE deal to me and her daddy.

When Michael put her down in it, she started to lay down, then sat up, looked around at her bed, turned to us at the door, pulled her covers up to her chin, said "night, night" and laid down.

And just like that. Her first night in the big girl bed.


I checked on her about 10:30 and she was stretched out catty-cornered on her back, mouth wide open, out for the count.

Only her horse lovey made the fall to the floor during the night.

She was curled up with her rear in the air when Michael went in to get her this morning. She looked down, said "bye bed" and off we went into our morning routine.

A total non-event for her.

A fact that tells me she was already ready for that bed, remember THIS?, that it was my own reservations about her growing up that hadn't put her in it before now. Isn't that the way it goes? We build up these great anticipations in our hearts and minds...make these great plans... have it all lined up on how things should go and will be? And then it happens... and its nothing like what we planned... sometimes its more, sometimes its less... sometimes what we cater to as a 'big event' turns out to be less hooplah than we had planned... or something happens that it becomes less special than we anticipated.... but then sometimes, something small, mundane even, perhaps competely unplanned one comes along and sweeps up our heart and the moment soars into greatness?

*may I please note how CLEAN her room is?!*

Not Me, Not Her!

Head over to MckMama's to read more

about what us mothers didn't do this week...

its a Not Me Monday party!

I did NOT attempt to involve Hayley in coloring Easter eggs inside...that would be insanity... by NOT doing so I did NOT witness her throw an egg into a cup of green dye, splattering the entire table (and her daddy) and cracking the egg. I then did NOT delegate her to some white paper and crayons to write on her own while her daddy dipped all the eggs in the colors of her choice.

I also did NOT expose her to 4 different Easter egg hunts in less than a week.... and I NEVER would have allowed her to bring home twice as many eggs as she took from each hunting meaning there are now 500,487,657 eggs in various assembly strewn from one end of the house to the next...and I definitely did NOT start sneaking those eggs back into the "Easter" box to be put into storage as early as Sunday afternoon.

I also did NOT showcase her new trick of "hopping" like a bunny which is insanely hilarious...she gives it total concentration and uses her whole body to clear a whole 1/4 inch off the ground... and I did NOT continue to encourage her to hop as much as possible for my own enjoyment.

She did NOT this morning, hold up one finger and say "min" when I said we were going to Sha Sha's... which translated into her response of 'in a minute'... she would NOT have learned this from any of us.

I also did NOT witness her hugging her daddy and saying "pat pat pat" while patting his arm...because she would NOT have gotten that patting and hugging are co-dependent actions according to her Breezy.

How Many?

How many grown adults does it take to watch one child pick up 6 Easter Eggs???

At least TEN!

All in a Name

Here's the new baby's name, just as I promised...

yes, you have to skip the two eggs with Hayley's name on them....

What? You couldn't pick it out already?

How about this??

what town is this?

This weekend Lane FINALLY returned to her hometown so I could see her again, so we decided to grab some Mexican (our favorite) and get pedicures at this new nail place on the square in downtown Blakely.

sounds simple enough right?

WRONG!

When we got to the nail place, which has just recently opened, there were 15 people in there!! And so we kind of looked around and finally 1 of the 3 people working there looks up and says "yes?" and we're like "two pedicures please" and he says "20 minutes" and we say ok... and we decide to go sit outside because its spring in South Georgia and all the furniture was taken inside the little place.... so we chat amongst ourselves for about 20 minutes and walk back into the place to notice that NO ONE has left or even really moved positions... so we sit down in the window ledge (the only place not full) and continue talking...for an HOUR... um, hello, did I take a wrong turn and end up in another place? Anywho, right before we noticed that we had been waiting an hour (we don't see each other in person a whole lot so we had lots of catching up to do) we decided that we must be next because the people who were there when we got there were down to 2, so we went to pick out our colors so we'd be all prepared when it was our turn... which was an experience itself given the color rack included names like "cowardly lyin' " for yellow and "burnt buns" for a pinkish-red color... but I digress... anyway, one of the 3 people working there finally stands up and says "who's next?" and these 2 people who CAME IN AFTER US... stand up and start saying what they want... so we look at each other and kinda go.. this is ridiculous.... this is Blakely after all... and we call it a wash, put our paint back up and go home without pedicures... which if you've noticed my inability to reach my own toes here lately isn't the best of news for me!

But, really, an HOUR and a HALF in Blakely??? What is this town coming to??

Dear Family Members, Coworkers, Sha Sha and everyone else who has asked to know of the baby name before Sunday's big reveal,


I have no wishes to die from family wrath so you will have to wait until after Sunday's reveal to know the full name of the baby... Unfortunately, you chose a bad year to have alternate plans on Easter Sunday, which will cause you to miss all the fun associated with this announcement. However, Michael has given me permission to share part of the baby's name with you today.....

One of the baby's names will be.......

Williams

Sorry folks, that's all you get.

To Dye or To Plastic?

How do you do Easter eggs? Real or Plastic? Stickers and Box Kits? Crayons?

Of if you are pretending to be all grown-up and too cool for Easter eggs (which you aren't, by the way)

How did you do Easter eggs?

PS This serves as the only hint I will be giving about the disclosure of new baby's real name

during family Easter time at Breezy's on Sunday.

No this is not the Post Office Peanut that I said I'd update the post from yesterday with.. but its a photo so be happy of that... and its springy and Eastery so double points. (photo by Sandy Smith Photography, in case you can't read where its branded on the top right-hand corner)

I couldn't upload the Post Office Peanut because my tech nerd of a husband was reruning (quite successfully) the phone lines in our house so that we could move the office to the green room (currently serving in full-force as the playroom) and thus have a room for the new baby, who as we all know, will be here in 2 months, so you know, having a crib and nursery would be beneficial before then. Michael has been working diligently over the past few weeks to get our office under control and sorted out so that it could be given up, which was quite the task as 1. we actually use our office (especially Michael) as an office 2. it was his sole "Man Cave" that housed all his fishing/hunting gear/photos/randomness and 3. we didn't really have another room to officially designate an office space. But we needed a space for the new baby because we don't want her disturbing her sister's wonderful sleep habits and I don't want the new baby in my room until she starts sleeping through the night. Anywho, that's a really long way of saying, I didn't have internet access when I got home to upload the photo that I said I would.

Taste the Rainbow

How do you eat your Skittles?

because its Easter time and that makes me crave candy

I eat mine three at a time... in color order from least favorite to favorite.. meaning, Yellow first, then Orange, then Green, then Red, then Purple... with the condition that green and red may be flipped based on my mood (or current state of pregnancy) at the time.


What about you??

a snipet of conversation

me: I need you to tell your cleaning lady to move. (while sitting outside a USPS on a cell phone holding a camera)
Mom: You ask her to move.
me: Well, now I'm waiting on *random citizen getting a newspaper* to move... oh great, now she's cleaning the outside of the door.
Mom: You could just ask her to move...
me: No, she's your cleaning lady.
Mom: You must be sitting in your truck still...
me: Yes, its cold out there. And I'm not talking to the cleaning lady because I'm the one standing outside a federal building taking pictures and I don't want to get arrested for suspicious behavior.... wait, she's going inside,ok.

*hang up the phone... 5 seconds later pick up the phone*

me: Did you know that your building is crooked?
Mom: uh, no, what do you mean its crooked?
me: I mean, one side is lower than the other...
Mom: hmmm
me: ok, taking pictures now
*hangs up phone*

So I get out of my truck and start taking pictures... I notice that the cleaning lady is giving me the eye when I'm getting out of my truck and especially when I get out the camera. I proceed as if its completely normal for a pregnant lady to be taking pictures of a Post Office at 7:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. I even offer one of those fake half-smiles of acknowledgement to the cleaning lady as she returns to the building while never taking the camera away from my face. I finish and as I take the camera down... I look..and the cleaning lady is standing creepily just inside the glass door where she has evidently been watching me take pictures...

me: Your cleaning lady is creeping me out...she stood right inside the door and watched me the whole time
Mom: yea, she tends to talk to herself...
me: well are you going to tell her that you asked me to take these...
Mom: no, she's a little different anyway
me: Great, now the cleaning lady who talks to herself is going to be talking about the pregnant lady taking pictures for no reason... perfect.

*photo of the post office peanut to be posted upon my return home this afternoon*

and no, I'm not posting a full-shot because I don't want to be on the USPS Most Wanted For Questionable Stalking of USPS facilities list.

for the record

If you are pregnant/horomonally or emotionally unstable... the movie "My Sisters Keeper" is not for you. Not at this time... unless you want to cry pretty much endlessly for 1 hour and 55 minutes... but if you are up for that, its a good one.