Life according to me…

So, my bff is preggers and we have yet to see a belly pic. For those of us who aren’t part of mommygossip, lots of preggo mommies take pics of themselves weekly to document their ever changing bellies while pregnant. So far, I have yet to convince my dear friend to take a picture, until now!!! I present to you my glowing, radiant, beautiful Katie!!

I had a very happy birthday this year!

First, on my actual birthday, I got to have bueno messican food with my dad, get a pedicure with Danae, and then have shopping and dinnertime with mom and the kids. They sang to me and we had cake and it was AWESOME. Mom got me some fun stuff that I apparently really needed…as I will explain further.

My husband made me a birthday card that indicated we would be going on a 2 day getaway in the near future and all I needed to know is that he would let me know when it was time to leave. EEEE!!! Now, mind you, I am not very good at surprises. I hate not knowing for I hate not being prepared for things. I can’t properly prepare if I don’t have details, and this was a bit of a sore spot for me and Steve as the surprise was worked out and the days went on. He actually planned a smaller surprise where I got to go to Lauren’s and visit with her, David, the kids, Jes and Phil - which was cool because when the three of us get together its like 1996 all over again. That day is when he learned his lesson in not surprising me anymore because I don’t like surprises - but I think the actual surprise made up for all the bickering we did about surprises.

I GOT TO GO TO TENNESSEE FOR A WEEKEND TO VISIT KATIE AND MATT AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve and Katie planned a 2 day mini-break for me to go up there, see their new place, and visit for the weekend and we went this past weekend. It was AWESOME! I had no idea! (Mom had given me some jean capris and travel sized shampoo but I had no idea why - I just thought it was stuff I could use and she was being nice, which was both the case but it was also for the trip!) I had some guesses at like the beach and other local places but was completely thrown off when he told me as we were packing that I had to bring cold clothes and then he stopped for gas on the way and only got $10.00 worth! Silly boy even drove us to the airport and stayed on the wrong side of the highway away from the exit and then flew over at the last second. He also tried to convince me I wasn’t going to see Katie and we were just vacationing in Chattanooga - I was like, she really isn’t here? She was waiting in the rental car parking at the airport and Steve tried to convince me he rented a car. I didn’t even realize he hadn’t gone and gotten a key until we got outside and I saw the green truck with the Mac apple on it and WHOOO WAS I SO DAMN EXCITED!

It was an awesome weekend. Sad that I love to write but can’t think of a better word that awesome, but it was just awesome. We did some much needed, hurried therapy shopping, her bro came over and we grilled out (in the 40 degree weather, don’t ask me but it was GOOOOOOD), we played some Guitar Hero, we went and saw Definitely, Maybe, we did a driving tour of Oak Ridge to show Steve around town and then ate at this amazing waterfront grill with the BEST FOOD I HAVE EVER EATEN OUT IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. After that we had some more retail therapy and then it was time to go home. It was such an amazing weekend. Katie and Matt have done an amazing job setting up their new home in the short time they have been there, and it just confirmed even more how much I want to live up there one day. It was bitterly cold but I loved it…and today it snowed and stuck! I was so touched that they thought of me enough to put that trip together and I can’t thank them, Steve, Mom, Britney, Sandy, and Dad enough for taking care of details and my children so that we could go. My family really came through and took care of the kids - Maria even got to go to Sea World and the little girls got new shoes too. It was amazing and I was so impressed that it was kept from me and went so smoothly. I really needed a break, time with my bff, and time away with my husband and it all worked out very nicely.

So turning 29 plus two wasn’t so bad after all. Thanks everyone who made it special!!!!!

…has just about gone by without one single post. why? because i have been too frikkin tired to post, that’s why! i am putting everything i can into taking care of my children and home and husband and studies and frankly, there hasn’t been time for much else. i was hoping the writer’s strike would continue, in a way, because then i would not miss tv shows but it appears i am going to have to give up tv until spring break for i have way too many books i need to read. i had no idea being a history major would entail reading everything known to man about everything i have chosen to study. 4 books per class. i love it though and each day i find more reasons to confirm the decision i made to go back to school. though it’s killing our wallets, i know God will provide and it will work out just fine. that is, if i get my butt in gear and study (which, i should add, i should be doing now instead of blogging).

the bedtime routine has seemed to normal out some. sarah is FINALLY staying in her bed though it takes us putting her back over and over during the bedtime ritual to get her to finally go to sleep. we haven’t woken up to her in a few weeks though and it has been nice. of course, with her staying in bed, stephen decided he had to start getting up at 2-4am each night to make up for it. we have hopefully nipped this as well as it appears he has just been hungry. he has a few crackers and is willing to go back in his bed instead of ours which has been very enjoyable. on the down side of this, the child will NOT sleep past about 6am. it’s been killing steve to get up that early and i never hear them get up, so i guess we will start alternating who gets up at 6 and who gets to sleep in until that whopping 7am when we all have to be up and working our daily routine. it’s amazing how tired one can be when they are forced to not only get up, but function in the sense of caring for children, before the sun rises. we are also trying to make sure stephen eats his dinner and has a snack before bed so he will quit getting up for food. so far, so good.

on the poop front - the child still has issues and i am so tired of skidz underpants that i am ready to put him back in diapers. he just refuses to use the potty to the point of holding it and hiding in a corner or his room to go. (sarah just got up to tell me her cup was empty ARGGHGGGHGGHG) anyhow - we are working with him on this as well and hope that by the time he can drive a car he will have figured out how to poop on the potty. i know i really pulled for maria to be a boy based on the whole balance thing, but i am SO GLAD i have 3 girls and one boy. i can’t handle anymore skidz.

that’s all on the kid front and i am going to make a separate post for the me front. cuz it’s a doozy and i need to have the space to gather my thoughts and get it all out in one post. stay tuned.