Bubble Suit

We gave Anna in-line roller skates and Chris a "skateboard" (really it's a scooterboard) for Christmas... they both had been asking for these items for quite some time, so we finally decided just to "do it"!

But I was soo hesitant at the store to actually purchase them....

Why?? Because they are dangerous! Once you get into skating and skateboarding there are all sorts of injuries!!

Ok, ok, I'm a little cautious and overprotective...

I'm a MOM!

And I am NOT very coordinated myself:) I worry my kids inherited some of my klutziness :(

So today I take the kids outside to try out their toys (the snow is melting... yay)!! I made them get on their "gear"... aka helmets and knee pads for Anna:)

At first, Anna held onto my hand and I was perfectly happy with having her holding on:) LOL!!

Chris, though!! He just "goes for it"!




And then he remembers the sloped entrance into the fellowship hall...


It's those moments I start to wonder if we should invest in a "bubble suit"... kind of like those inflatable sumo wrestling outfits...

like this...

but add a helmet with a visor...
and some knee pads...
one of those teeth guard things that professional football players wear.

Then maybe I won't flinch each time I hear the skateboard hit the pavement!

And from the video of Chris you can see that Anna quickly let go of my hand and was going around the "circle" without me :)

She was so proud of her new accomplishment:)


I was soo proud of them BOTH, too!! And thankful that maybe they are more coordinated like their Daddy:)And are NOT like ME:)


I'm linking up to My Charming Kids! Check out more Not Me! Monday posts there;)

Nesting & Preparation or Just Paranoid

This weekend I have had a little more energy and the feeling that I really have needed to have "stuff" together!

Maybe it was from Andrea's labor post, or us continuing to prepare for Nate or just that "feeling", but I pulled out our labor resources and started reviewing.... Oh, not me!!
Here is Anna helping me go through some cute outfits we picked up this week for Nate:) Gotta love some Once Upon a Child.... soo affordable and cute;)

***BTW, one of the resources talks about the signs of pre-labor.... I've experienced a few in the last few days... LOL!!! Probably a sign of just being a little paranoid especially since I'm not 37 weeks until the end of the week!

One night I just climbed into bed "early" just to read about labor. I was also very uncomfortable and thought it wise just to go to bed. Poor Brian came in to check on me.... complaining about cramps, reading labor books, being in bed "early"... I sooo didn't have him worried that we'd be making a trip to the hospital that night. And definitely not worried enough for HIM to start reading the labor books as well:)

Also while I watched the kids outside, I started working on their "daily schedule" and meals while Brian and I are in the hospital having Nate. I'm hoping the "schedule" is just useful for whoever keeps the kids, but the meals are soo needed with the food allergies!! We really want the kids to be safe! It's comforting for us and those watching them that there are "safe" foods/meals already planned and ready!

So as Brian headed to town for visitation, I totally handed him my list of groceries that needed to be picked up to complete the meal plans for the kids. I know he was thinking, "Does this have to be done TODAY?" But I'm in a stage where I need to feel like we're "ready"!! So, I did send my husband to the grocery store for items we may not need for weeks.... without concern about sales or coupons, yes, I did!

Sunday afternoon/evening I baked 4 loaves of banana bread to use up the old bananas AND prepare food for Brian and I to take to the hospital (due to more allergy concerns)... yes, I did!!

Do I put those in the freezer or will we need them in 10 days or less????

LOL!!! I'm starting to wonder if I'm nesting or just a bit paranoid and "jumping the gun"???

Not Me! Monday.... Skating

Sometime during the Olympics, I received an email from our homeschooling group about skating!! I pondered if it was possible for us to go... late at night, me being 33 weeks preggo... so I asked Brian about going.

He hadn't been ice skating in years! But since we had been watching ice skating from the Olympics we were all soo excited!! The kids were actually EXCITED about trying this "new" thing... which I was totally excited about:)

Fast forward 3-4 weeks of talking it up and making our night skating event seem really cool so the kids would really want to try it... oh, not me!!

It's the night of skating....

I had the kids collect all their "warm" weather gear so they wouldn't get cold at the rink- hats, gloves, coats, etc! Since it would take us 45 minutes just to get to the rink, we packed the kids dinner on trays to eat in the car... yes, that was totally US (and it worked well)!

What I don't want to claim is that when we pulled into the parking lot we were all a little lot disappointed!!! It wasn't quite "ice" skating like the Olympics!!! It was a family-owned, very ancient ROLLER skating rink! How did I make such a big mistake???

But as we looked around at the other families emerging from their cars, we saw many of our homeschooling friends! So we decided to stay and try it out.... the kids have never been ROLLER skating either!!!


The task of getting skates on 3 kids and one adult.... LOL!!

Yes, we totally put our kiddies in the classic kiddie skates... they LOVED them!! They felt very confident in them and gladly "skated" MANY times around the rink:) And adorable on the kids... oh, not me!!


One of the blessings of being at a ROLLER, and not ice, skating rink was that I could walk on the rink and help the kids!! I would have never tried to walk the kids around on ICE... but it was good on the rink and everyone kept their distance from me:)
Had to remember the falls... there were plenty... but NO tears. They just got up and went again:)
Brian helping Anna once she was wearing the "real" skates!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Lydia liked the snacks everyone brought! I showed her where the "safe" eats were and she gladly helped herself:)
In the snack bar with all three lined up on a bench having a snack, one of the homeschool moms from the Monday night Bible study approached me about how I always "have it all together" when she has seen me.....




LOL!!!! I about fell over laughing! I quickly told her that I didn't usually even look like I have "part of it together"!!! And I confessed that our van had a bag FULL of winter gear thinking we were attending an ice skating event:)

Anna really liked skating!! She did a great job for her first time and told us she wanted to come back for her birthday.... where does this kid come up with stuff like that???

Just realized how bad the ceiling looks even in the pictures! I told you THIS place was ancient.... but it was filled with other homeschooling families and they played only Christian music... so it was a great environment. The few times the kids were bumped over, there was a quick and honest apology!!

We had a GREAT time... yes, even though it wasn't quite Olympic-style:)

A Good Weekend= One Tired Momma:)

I am exhausted!!!! And it hasn't been ONLY because I've ben watching the Olympics until midnight every night! No, not me!!!

It's not that we had a very busy or exciting weekend... but it was a nice weekend! One we actually could enjoy being outside and I got some alone shopping time which doesn't happen much!! So BOTH were great TREATS!!

What did I do with my afternoon/early evening out.... I SHOPPED until I about dropped:) LOL!!! I needed a couple of nursing bras (for now and the hopefully 12 months of nursing!!). Right before I left, a friend emailed me a coupon, just out of the blue she had NO clue I was headed out to shop. So I got each of my bras for only $10!! Much better than the $27 on the price tag and they fit perfect which is amazing for me to find a bra on ONE trip!

Then I headed through the mall just browsing and walking! I did stop by Motherhood and got a nursing sweatshirt top... it's super cute!! I was excited that I could wear it NOW and while nursing:) And it was on sale,too!!

Before I left the "big town" I made a stop at Harris Teeter to shop the Super Doubles. I had my list ready (which I did until midnight or later on Friday night), but it was nice to flip through my other coupons and find "new" deals!! I even had my calculator out figuring out deals!! The kids are usually pretty good when I grocery shop, but I'm soo distracted by them, I HAVE to stick with the list and GET OUT:)

I did well at Harris Teeter!! I spent about $26 but saved $71!!! I brought home tons of pasta:) And some treats that I got SUPER, super cheap!! And I so didn't bring home 10 boxes of pasta... after bringing home 10 boxes of cereal last week.... No, Not Me!!

I also stopped by Food Lion to see what sales they had and was sooo excited that they still had some sales from last week up.... I thought I had missed them!! So I got the kids their "safe" semisweet chocolates (under $1) and some Hi-C juice boxes (for $1) (nice for shopping and field trips)!!Oh, and we STOCKED up on some grapes, they are only 88 cents:)

Lydia had fun unpacking all the "goods"!!


We had a great time of worship on Sunday morning... our super sweet college student took the kids up to nursery. She is soo compassionate... I know she enjoys the kids, but she also knows that it's such a nice break/treat for me:) So I got to listen to Brian's sermon AND participate in the Lord's Supper with the church!

After a yummy lunch I had waiting for us in the Crock-Pot (yes, I actually planned ahead this week!!) the kids laid down for a nap. I headed outside to tackle the gardens... I really had let them get too overgrown and it was really bothering me.

So I was outside climbing through the garden ripping out weeds and dead branches of my bushes for over 2.5 hours, instead of resting, no, not me!!!.... lotsa squats and exercise for this preggo momma! Brian came out to pull up a couple of dead bushes for me;) So maybe, maybe, maybe.... my garden might not get soo neglected with Nathaniel coming! And the kids were SOOOOO excited to be able to play outside without being all bundled up or getting cold.

We have a busy start to our week as well!!!

Today we have men coming to work on the heating ducts in the attic. They will be here early and plan to finish in one day!! This will be a good day of keeping the kids FOCUSED on their schoolwork with all the activity through the living room and attic.... makes me even more thankful we have the school room in working order (not finished enough to "show off" yet!!)!

And Tuesday I am hoping to head back into the "big town" for some more Super Doubles at Harris Teeter and run a few more errands:) And then getting our schooling done in the afternoon;)

So my preggo update is coming and in the works.... it's been sitting waiting for an updated photo of my baby belly! Can't believe I'm in the 3rd trimester already... we've got a LOT going on in these last months before Nathaniel arrives!!

I am linking up to MckMama at My Charming Kids for Not Me! Monday!

Not Me!! Monday - Balancing Christmas Stress!

So if my trip last week wasn't enough...

After reading over my "to do" and "to get" list, I've come to the conclusion that I must venture back into town with the kiddies, making many tiny stops!! I know they can handle it and did sooo well last week.... but I'm wondering????

Why didn't I do this EARLIER????

Seriously the ideas and decorations I had planned to have up this year are still half done... most of the Christmas cards are sent, the wreaths and Christmas tree are up, and the Christmas dishes are down (so the kids are excited).... but there are still items I need to get for gifts and meals, my mantle really needed some Christmas touches and my outdoor decor is dead or not lit (hmmm... should have thought how to get power to the lights first... duh!)!!

When I look around to what NEEDS to be done and what I'd LIKE to have done.... it can be overwhelming! BUT then I am reminded the of the reason and the heart of Christmas....

*We've really enjoyed a CD Brian found in a free box at a homeschooling store. in September... it contains Christmas carols by well-known Christain artists as well as a reading of Luke 2 from the New Living Translation. The kids LOVE listening to the story and I'm thankful for this awesome way to celebrate Christmas while in the car!

*While I'm out, I've really tried to be cordial and sweet to other people... shoppers, cashiers, and managers!! I remember working at Christmas and dealing with all the disgruntle shoppers... it is really ugly to behold... yes, even when a young college student takes a SUPER parking spot when it is sleeting outside and you've been shopping with 3 kids ALL DAY!! I took a deep breath and then found another :)

*When the kids and I make the time we have been using our advent calendar and a set of prophecy boxes to count down to Christmas. The calendar is cute with little velcro figures to use each year. The prophecy boxes are a little above the kids' head... but when I explain the background of how Jesus fulfills each, they sit still and ask questions and really seem interested. And it's kind of fun to celebrate/remember Jesus' whole life during Christmas!

So maybe the un-lit lights out front and the un-Christmasy mantle can just be like that this year (and probably next year, too)! And we can just finish those few things that NEED to be done and continue to enjoy the season of Christmas and not stress about the extras:) And maybe our company will over-look the floors that need another cleaning :)

Easier said than done!!

NOT Me! Monday : All Dressed Up and Too Tired

Sunday morning I had TWO little girls awake tooo early:) One standing at the side of my bed whispering, "Mommy, we're uuuuuppppp." The other in the hallway pushing the stroller with her baby doll in it. I looked at the clock and it was 6:20AM!!! Way too early for ME.... yes, even on a Sunday!!!

We had a pretty normal morning and then about 9, Lydia started to asking to be held. She said she was sleepyyy... hmmm, wonder why??? So all dressed up we got her cozy on the couch:)

I wish she would have slept SOME.... but she didn't. But she did camp out on the couch for a while and then on my bed while I finished getting ready.

Anna later confessed to waking up early this morning to potty. On her way back to her bed she decided to wake up Lydia. Then she and Lydia climbed into her bed to "sleep" for a little while. Finally they decided to get up and get me....

And I wish, wish, wish I could claim that I read books to them and played with them until the rest of the house started to wake at 7AM.... but I didn't! I stumbled into the living room, felt around for the TV remote (I didn't have my glasses or contacts) and then found PBS Kids for them and turned down the volume really, really low... gotta love 24hour PBS Kids!!

This is a new little weekly meme-thingy I'll try out:) I've seen a couple bloggie friends participating and I always have plenty of parenting blunders to share..... maybe you can learn from me:) Here are some more Not Me! Monday links at My Charming Kids.