Easter Bunnies and Babies

Note to self: Babies and unusually gi-normous rabbits don't mix. Don't ever take your 6-month-old to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap.

We happened to be in a mall tonight and saw a sad Easter Bunny...sitting on his little chair looking very lonely. So I took the kids a bit closer to give him a wave. The older two sighed and rolled their eyes (only slightly...the bunny did look silly though very sweet), but Ethan smiled his big, excited grin.

So I thought: Why not get a pic of Ethan sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap for the first time? I had my trusty cellphone camera along...which saved the $24.99 for a wallet-sized portrait of the following:


Somehow oversized bunnies are NOT the same up close and personal.

Having the big sister and brother join in helped a little.


Let's just hope I don't need the $24.99 as part of a co-pay on a therapist later in Ethan's life.

On Maniacal Moments and Monday Musings

Happy Monday to you! The final Monday in March. Amazing, huh? We're over a quarter of the way through 2009 already.

Life was a bit slower last week though at times it didn't feel like it. I guess that's due to having every day scheduled by a 6-month-old's feeding/napping times.

I spent Friday afternoon all alone in a hotel room. I'll pause and let that sink in...it's still sinking in for me.

I took a bubble bath, watched some of Season 1 of 24, did a bit of writing...

Then my friend Angel joined me around 6 p.m., and we had some dinner and watched a few movies in between chatting and snacking. We didn't go to bed until 3 a.m. It was truly a treat of a night.

Yet, while it was fun to be away, it was nice to get home to my happy tribe. I guess I missed them afterall. *wink-grin*

We had a fluke storm yesterday afternoon, complete with melonball-sized hailstones. The next day, there were reports of a tornado nearby. Wowzers!!



24 should be interesting as usual tonight...though I'm not sure what's going to happen to Jack. (Are we ever sure?) I just don't trust the writers.... I'm soaking our pretzels a bit earlier with the hope that they'll absorb the sauce and be even tastier.

We're hoping to catch the new Monsters vs. Aliens movie soon. It looks really funny! And, of course, my main reason for wanting to see it has nothing to do with the voice of one of the characters, right? *grin*

Have a super, wonderful, fantastic end of March!

Mommyhood, Awesome Hubbies, and Night's Away

I'm sure I have mentioned that I'm married to the most wonderful, awesome, fabulous, marvelous, sweet man in the universe.

I have, right?

*wink-grin*

Well, in case I haven't, I am.

For a number of years, Stuart has offered to use his "points" to book me a free night in a nearby Holiday Inn just to give me a chance to get away. Being a mommy is a wonderfully rewarding job, but it's 24/7 with very few breaks. Add homeschooling to that, and there are nearly NO breaks.

Always, I told him that I appreciated his offer, but I didn't really need it.

Okay. Okay. I can hear the collective groan of a number of moms out there, wondering why I wouldn't take his offer and run. I guess I was just being silly...or feeling guilty...or both?

Anyways...

Enter Baby #3...and the fact that I'm now 38 and mothering three kids, one of which takes an exorbitant amount of time. (Hmm....wonder which one, huh?) Add to that the fact that I haven't had a full night of sleep since I got pregnant with Baby #3.

Now I was ready to take up Stuart on his offer.

So this past Friday, I headed to the Holiday Inn Express near the Reading Airport for a night away...my first one ever. I invited my BFF mom friend, Angel, to join me and prepared for a relaxing night of snacks, bubble baths, movies, and sleep...or nothingness, depending on what we fancied.


We managed the first three activities with great zeal and alacrity, but I wouldn't say getting to bed by 3 a.m. was exactly catching up on "Zs." Still, it was awesomely fun and refreshing -- something we hope to do again one day...maybe next year?


*wink-grin*

Have I mentioned that I'm married to the most wonderful, awesome, fabulous, marvelous, sweet man in the universe?

I have, right?

Well, in case I haven't, I am.

Sweet Sunday

Our newest Sunday School student:

Saturday Sweetheart

In honor of our sweet Emily reaching another milestone...

Emily, age 2 1/2 (Spring 2000)

Friday Funnies

It's the little things...


There's nothing quite so endearing as whispering "I love you" in your 6-month-old's ear, seeing him smile really big...and then hearing him "toot."

On Heroes and Hurting Hearts

There's nothing more painful than seeing your child hurt and feeling powerless in the wake of it.

Sometimes the hurt is a "necessary evil" in the lessons of life... sometimes it's not.

Last night, Emily came in from dance class and burst into tears. The new pointe shoes (which are exactly the same as her old ones except one letter different in width) we'd gotten on Ebay were apparently "all wrong." And her ballet teacher made sure to say as much in class in front of all of the other students, pointing out that we should always "buy locally" instead of online.

Now, you might think Emily is just being a bit dramatic and that it's not really such a big deal, but she has felt like an outcast in this class for the past two year or more. She already feels friendless, like she stands out, especially since she's nearly 5'6"...about 3 or 4 inches (or more) taller than most of her classmates. So being chastised in class over a pair of dance shoes was like a pile on to her.

I asked Emily if the new shoes were too big...were they making it hard to dance...was she falling out of them...were they tripping her.... And the answers were all "no." The shoes just gaped a little on the sides. Her teacher had only noticed when Emily asked her how she should break them in.

The maternal side of me hugged my daughter close to my heart and soothed her. The human (more nasty? *grin*) side of me wanted to go back to the studio and read her teacher the riot act while simultaneously kicking her little ballerina behind. But Emily had already begged Stuart not to do that while they were still at the studio.

We both felt that the teacher was out of line. She should have remained professional (a very hard thing for adults in charge of kids these days it seems) and come to us with her concerns about Emily's shoes. She should have advised us about buying shoes locally and why this is so important to her, and we could have explained to her that we needed to buy these shoes online because they were half the price of the ones that are sold locally. We could have told her that we'd researched the exact same kind Emily had been wearing and made sure to get a slightly larger size. And we could have advised her that we have three children in our home and the one involved in dance class has grown nearly 4 inches and 2 shoes sizes since October. We cannot afford to have her outgrow a pair of pointe shoes that cost nearly $60 in a space of a couple of weeks.

Stuart called the studio when he'd calmed down and asked for the manager to call us back. We haven't received a call back yet (and I'm not really holding my breath), but at least Emily knows we've got her back. We'll make sure that the teacher understands her side of the story and shows a bit more professionalism next time.

It's not about being right... It's about doing what's right.

Wordless Wednesday

Eggs-actly What I Need

If only the whole world was made of chocolate. Mmm.... Well, I guess it could get kind of sticky and messy at times... especially during the hot summer months.

Okay. So if only the world was made of chocolate when I need chocolate. Better?

Sometimes I think I'm a chocoholic. It's then that I think I should definitely attend "Chocoholics Anonymous" meetings. "My name is Susie...and I'm a chocoholic....and I'm NOT changing! You can't make me! I love chocolate!" Oops. Guess that wouldn't work. Maybe they'd have to drag me out in a straight jacket and give me a chocolate drip. Mmmm...

*Pop!*

Okay. Okay. Back to the real world.

So enter in this time of year.

Why?

Because it's Eastertime! And everything -- or mostly everything worthy of a look in the food arena -- is made of chocolate. You have chocolate rabbits and chocolate lambs and chocolate-covered marshmallows and....the best-est of all: chocolate eggs.

I don't know this for certain but I think Cadbury's puts something addictive in its chocolate caramel and cream eggs. It's like Whiskas for cats. "9 out of 10 prefer..."

Who can resist them? Well, what person who loves chocolate like me can resist them?

But then you have to ask yourself: Why would you want to resist them?

Eggs-actly! *wink-grin*

Motionless Monday Musings

I know. I know. Another stretch. But I'm hoping...and praying...and eagerly anticipating...a quieter week this week. Sigh.

I don't know how our lives get so busy, but it happens, and then we're left spinning wheels, trying to keep up.

Happy happy happy Monday to you! The beginning of a brand-new, spanking-clean week. Yeehaw! And Happy Spring to you, too! Finally! Now maybe it'll warm up a little?

Last week was a blur at times, to say the least.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we had PSSAs, which in and of themselves aren't much but require us to go to another site for drop off and pick up. When you homeschool, you don't usually go anywhere for schooling so we're not used to the loading and unloading and reloading of the minivans throughout our normal day. The social side of Emily enjoyed herself immensely. She has made some really nice friends through these tests and that really helps ease her anxiety about taking them. (Well, seeing all her friends added together with all the treats we slip into her backpack...) Next year, Edward will join her in taking the tests.

I still had to teach my journalism class at our homeschool co-op on Wednesday, at a facility about 30 minutes from home. Since drop off for Emily was 9 a.m., we skipped the beginning of co-op and drove the half-hour to teach for an hour and drive back home. Edward made his own newspaper while he visited my class. Emily's done the same thing before when she's sat in on my class. They're amazing kids, really. Naturals in the newspaper field.

St. Patrick's Day was a hoot for us. Even though, Stuart is pure-blood English and, according to my dad, there isn't any Irish ancestory on my side -- despite the few Scots who fled to Ireland during the persecution of the Covenanters in the 1600s (I think) -- we celebrated anyway. Any why not? Stuart came up with the idea of corned beef tacos with "Irish" toppings such as cabbage. They were very yummy and enjoyed by all. We all wore green and listened to Irish music all day, too. Very memorable for all involved.

Another new 24 tonight. Each episode has been nail-bitingly exciting...so I'm sure this one won't disappoint us. Stuart and I have a new tradition to combat the rising costs of wings: pretzels. We now season our own hard pretzels and bake them in the oven...just like the wings. It's perfect. Much cheaper and very tasty. Plus, the crunchiness of the pretzels helps to save our fingernails as we watch the varied adventures of Jack. *wink*

Saturday found us at the Greater Reading Expo Center for the annual Pet Expo. We'd never been there so it was an interesting experience. We took four of our rabbits to share at the Berks County 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Club exhibit. The bunnies got lots and lots of pets and strokes and pats that day. I think they enjoyed it though they were more than ready to get back to the quietness of their usual surroundings. Still, it was fun to share our love of our cute, furry friends with the visitors at the expo. We're looking forward to doing it again next year. While we were there, we did a bit of wandering and saw some of the other creatures on display. There was an exhibit of rescued tigers and nearby our booth, a corral of alpacas, amongst the many other animals you could see. Well-worth a visit if you're in the area next year.

An Emily-ism: I love when the kids use words incorrectly -- not because I like them to get stuff wrong -- just because I think it's cute to see how hard they try to use "grown-up" words. The other day, Emily was explaining about an article she'd read telling of a dog that could smell a person and know that he/she had cancer. "I think it's cool that the dog was psycho," she said in amazement, meaning, of course, that the dog was psychic. We chuckled. But then again maybe it was both? Our dog can be pretty "psycho" at times...especially with all this Spring fever stuff going around.

Enjoy your Monday!

Saturday Sweethearts

Friday Funnies

Hilarity in LEGO for our First-Day-of-Spring Friday Funnies. Well, some silliness anyway.

Enjoy! And have a fun Friday!

Hanging with Slang

I've never been really "hip" when it comes to slang. I don't always get the latest lingo, and I find it hard to incorporate some of what feels silly to say into my everyday speech. It comes out kind of "stilted." Maybe I'm just too serious sometimes.

So it wasn't a surprise that I didn't really understand the term: Peeps.

I grew up knowing and enjoying the yellow sugar-covered marshmallow creations shaped like baby chickens. They were a favorite in my Easter basket, though I often left them long enough to get crunchy with bits of plastic grass stuck fast to their bottoms because I couldn't bear to eat them....their sweet brown eyes and stout little bodies...

Enter in the slang use of "my peeps."

Being very literal, I couldn't understand why people constantly referred to these "marshmallow chickies" as their favorite ones to hang around with. Why? They were marshmallow candies, for goodness sakes.

Then the proverbial penny dropped, and I actually got it.

"Peeps" was short for "people"...the ones you love the most. Your favorite ones to "hang with."

The lightbulb went on, and I loved it. What a great expression!

So I present to you: MY "PEEPS"

Wordless Wednesday

Partying "St. Patrick" Style

This year -- being Ethan's first St. Patrick's Day and all -- we decided to have a little fun on the holiday and have everyone wear something "seasonal." We also decided to partake in a rather festive (and creative...thanks to my wonderful hubby) "Irish" meal. (Well, maybe if the Irish "chef" who made our meal crossed over the Rio Grande...)

Anyways...

I put together a little montage to share a bit of the fun we had together. (Don't forget to turn off the sidebar music player to enjoy the festive video music.)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Measured Monday Musings

Okay. Okay. A bit of a stretch for my musings title today. But I have testing on my mind. Tomorrow and Wednesday, Emily will be taking her PSSAs. She's nervous (apparently it's "tradition"), but we know she'll do fine and have A LOT of fun in the process. The teachers do fairly well at keeping the kids entertained and focused during the testing, but it's a loooong two days for everyone involved.

So Happy Monday to you! The day after the "ides" of March. Yikes! After reading the history of Julius Caesar, I'm not so keen on that day. Tomorrow is St. Patty's day...and we're all ready with our green gear. We've even planned a new menu for our celebrations. Usually we have green eggs and ham -- a tradition since the kids were very small -- but we decided to notch up our feast this year with...wait for it...ready? "Taco-the-mornin' to you" (Stuart's catchy name for the recipe)...corned beef tacos with cabbage instead of lettuce. Sound good?? We'll let you know. I've got a box of green-sprinkly donut-holes if the experiment fails. *wink-grin*

New episode of 24 tonight!!! And may I say that Jack is indeed back. True to form, we last saw him running down an alley, fleeing from.... Aaaaa! No more spoilers...I promise!! Monster vs. Aliens arrives in theatres soon. We're going to see it in our local IMAX theatre. I think it will be awesome! But then isn't everything that has Kiefer in it like that?

We celebrated Ethan's half-birthday on Saturday. He had a fun day, complete with presents and a candle in a half-a-cupcake (that he only got to see not taste). The day before, the kids were very anxious to buy him something at Babies R Us and then wrap it for him. (I love that about them. They just love to spoil him!) We finished off the day with his very own birthday adventure to Build-a-Bear where he picked a soft and fuzzy black bear that we named "Sammy." It was perfect since we'd earned a $10 coupon for anything in their store...and the bear was exactly that. Afterwards we met up with my sister and her hubby and had some dessert. I think he enjoyed himself...well, I know we did.

And on that note I hope you enjoy your Monday!

Saturday Sweetheart

Introducing the newest 6-month-old in our house:
Ethan Samuel

It's hard to believe he's 6 months old today. It seems like only yesterday that he was born, and we were wondering what kind of baby he'd be. He's been a joy from the start and delights in our love, especially the love of his older siblings. They light his world -- and I think he reciprocates. *wink-grin* We couldn't ask God for a nicer blessing.

He had his 6-month checkup on Thursday...and shocked us all by weighing 21 lbs. 8 oz. and measuring 30 inches long. We knew he was a big guy and all...but...

Half-a-Year of Happiness!

It's amazing to think that Ethan will be 6 months old tomorrow. I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone.

Breaking the tradition of our usual "Friday Funnies," I bring you a video of photos from Ethan's first six months. I hope you enjoy it! (And don't forget to pause the sidebar music player first.)

Have a wonderful happy Friday!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Wordless (mostly) Wednesday

One of the joys of having more than one child is sharing the clothing...or seeing it used again on another cute baby!

A Tuesday Tittering

Around Valentine's Day, I bought a bag of Dove chocolate hearts with messages inside their wrappers.

This one took the "cake," so to speak: "Make someone melt today"......

Ewwww!!

'nuf said.

More Meager Musings on Monday

Happy Monday to you!

<-- We took this a week or so ago when Stuart was holding him, trying to help him "wait patiently" for his bottle. Ethan just couldn't make it. We loved his hands.

Nearly the "Ides of March"... which means that Ethan is nearly...6 months old!!! It's amazing to think our little "Tiny" is going to be a half-a-year-old already. His first "half-birthday." I'm sure we'll take lots of pictures.

We had a tremendously busy week last week... And, sigh, I'm very very glad it's over. Stuart was away for the week in *sunny* Denver (think 75 degrees F, eating dinner outside the restaurants, etc.) while we got 6-10 inches of snow dumped on us. Welcome to March, everyone? Still, it did warm up by the weekend, and we enjoyed opening the windows and airing the house.

The kids and I (and the dog) headed down to Rehoboth, Delaware, on Thursday and Friday to stay with my 87-year-old grandmother who hasn't been doing very well. A week earlier, she found out she had pneumonia and a heart that's (as she said the doctor put it) "shot." She's on oxygen at home and probably will need it for the rest of her life. We were hoping to give my mom and aunt a break...and bring my grandmother some cheer. I think we accomplished our "mission." *wink-grin* If you think of her, please pray for her.

We enjoyed a two-hour 24 episode last Monday night. Well, I say "we," but it was really just me since Stuart missed it, being in "Mountain Time" and not knowing when it would be on TV. We watched it on Friday night after we got home. Well, I say "we," but it was really just "he" since I fell asleep about 15 minutes into it. I guess I should have had wings -- or at least some popcorn -- to help keep me awake. Still, they were another awesome two episodes, though they left me worried about who might be "killed off" next. (No spoilers here...just a "gut feeling.") We'll find out tonight!

Anyways...

Back to the grind. I have a mountain of laundry (again!) to scale and conquer. And students to prod and poke and cajole. *wink*

Enjoy your Monday! Ciao for now!

Saturday Sweetheart

Mr. "Cerealface" himself.

Friday Funnies

Thanks to Karen over at This and That for this oldie but goodie!!

Enjoy and have a funny Friday!

* * *

Birth Order for Parents

What to Wear:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don’t bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn’t do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

The Wardrobe:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn’s clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby’s little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can’t they?

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress–a whimper, a frown–you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

The Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby’s bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diaper Changes:
1st baby: You change your baby’s diapers every hour, whether it needs it or not.
2nd baby: You change the diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change the diaper before other children start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to the baby's knees.

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your older child isn’t squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!

Wordless Wednesday

History Lesson of the Heart

I'm very nostalgic at times.

My older two kids go to a homeschool "learning group" (or co-op of families/teachers that offers a school-like atmosphere and supplemental classwork) over in the Elverson area, right "down" the road from my alma mater Twin Valley High School. (If you've ever seen TVHS, then you know everything is down from it since it sits high on a hilltop.)

Anyways...

I was passing the school on my way to the store a few weeks ago and remembering parts of it based on what I could see from the road.

On the corner of the building, I saw the white blocks that enclosed the staircase up to the second floor where my 12th-grade civics teacher Mr. Arnold looked me in the eye and asked me how I "liked cicadas." (The 17-year locusts had hatched.) I've never been sure why...

And the two windows down from the stairs were part of the classroom I sat in with Mr. Lawton, learning history in 11th grade and hearing stories of his times as a pilot in World War II.

The next three windows (I think) were a part of my 10th-grade English classroom. Mrs. Witmer used that classroom.

A few windows down and I remembered my 11th-grade chemistry class with Mr. Mountz, where I struggled all year to get passing grades yet got one of the only two "As" in our class on the final exam.

And further down from that room were my biology and earth science classrooms. The biology room was where I was sitting when the Challenger Shuttle blew up in 1986. I remember it like it was yesterday. The entire school was watching the shuttle launch that morning. When it blew up, the building was so silent you could have heard the cliched "pin" drop.

Why do I remember such things from well over 20 years ago? (I know. I know. I've aged myself now.)

Because life has a way of handing you special moments that piggyback on other memories.

Last time we passed the school, my daughter began asking me about it. It was fun to tell her all about the classes I had and share a few pieces of my "history" with her. I think she felt a little like she was there. I know it made her know me better.

Makes me wonder what parts of her "history" she'll share with her kids someday.

Afterall, she's kind of nostalgic...like me.

Monday Musings Marching In

Happy Happy Happy Monday to you! The very first one in March!!

And, wow, did it start out like a lion. At least six inches of fluffy, white snow plunked down on our area this morning.

Dumb groundhog. [Insert Yosemite Sam mumbling here.]

Of course, all the schools were closed for the day. But not ours. Mwa-ha-ha-ha. In fact, I had my kids double up their lessons today since we have a lot of busyness coming up later in the week. Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Still, we'll be finished our lessons in May while the rest of the schoolkids are sweating through into June. *wink-grin*

Anyways...

There's a 2-hour 24 tonight! Woooo-hoooo! But, alas, all the wings have been eaten. Stuart and I decided to try baking the wing sauce on hard pretzels instead. We usually dip pretzels in it afterwards...and this might be a cheaper alternative to wings...and save our fingernails from the stress of the show. The "Jack-slap" scene was awesome last week. Renee really let him have it emotionally. It was well-written and well-acted. And lest people think I'm into abuse or something I was excited for the scene merely as a means of seeing some of Jack's past brought back into the storyline....that's it. Really. Nothing else. Absolutely nothing. Well, seeing him get smacked (even by a woman) was refreshing since none of the "baddies" can shoot straight, and he's becoming a bit of a "super hero"...or a 1950s cowboy (the only one who can shoot and hit anything).

We were chatting with the kids about video games last night, and my hubby mentioned something about a princess which brought to mind (who knows why exactly) the very same type of person in the game "Donkey Kong." I was telling the kids how this blonde-haired chickie sat at the top of a tower (end of the level) shouting "Help!" through a word bubble. Stuart and I were chuckling at the memory when Emily looked at us in surprise and said, "You know about 'Donkey Kong?'" Um...yes. We played the original game, complete with ladders and a big gorilla....back in the...'80s. Yikes. Does that make us old?

Dumb question.

Well, I finally updated my blog to include all the posts from two weeks ago to today. Have a gander backwards if you so desire. Lots of good photos of our now-8-year-old and our nearly-6-month-old with their beautiful older sister.

I will endeavor to keep this current. Life has a way of overtaking me sometimes...which adds to the clutter in my brain.

Enjoy your Monday!