Do you like pina coladas? And going out in the rain...

*Warning: if you are against drinking, you may find this post offensive. I don't want to alienate anyone. Proceed with caution!*


I had a great night last night.

A great night.

Want to know why?

Pina coladas.

My husband is a champion pina colada maker. Nothing better to help an exhausted mommy unwind then one or two (or 4...yikes!) pina coladas.

We had friends C and K over for dinner last night along with their two daughters A and A. (We'll call them A1 and A2 so as not to be confusing.) We had a feast planned! A delicious appetizer of chili-cheese dip and chips, followed by steak and chicken on the grill, corn on the cob, salad, and double-baked potatos. The perfect summer meal.

And pina coladas.

C and I sipped them right when they arrived. We sipped some more while the men went outside to do manly BBQ-ish things at the grill. (That sounds dirty. Tee hee!) We sipped them with dinner, and we sipped them after dinner.

Before we knew it, C and I had each "sipped" 4 pina coladas. Our hubbies, quite brilliantly, remained sober in order that the children wouldn't go unsupervised. Such good men! Such presence of mind! (Lance was asleep by this time and A1 was starting to drift off. I don't want anyone to think we were getting trashed and not paying attention to the kids!)

This is unusual behavior for both of us. Our husbands were quite happy to let us get ourselves dizzy. Such great men they are! There we were, the two of us sipping pina coladas and giggling like schoolgirls.

I won't lie. We enjoyed it.

This morning though? Not so hot. Not horrible, but not so hot.

Do I have a point to this post? Just to say that every once in awhile, it's great to unwind, let your hair down, and relax. And if you're going to drink 4 pina coladas, you might as well do it with your friends from church!!

Suggestions, Tips, and Ideas Welcome!

Good morning!

As I mentioned before, Lance has learned to sit up.

Yesterday, I discovered that not only can he pull himself to a sitting position, but when he is placed in his crib, he can pull himself to a kneeling position, pulling up on the crib rails. There was silence in the nursery, I was sure the little guy was asleep. Nope! He was grinning at something in the room as he gingerly peeked over the side of the crib, up on his knees.

So how do we teach the little guy to get himself to sleep in his crib if he just starts playing?

Should I instead be grateful that I can put him in there and he can entertain himself for awhile, giving me a few minutes of peace and quiet?

Is it just a novelty and something he'll stop doing after awhile?

Usually, when he gets sleepy I can put him in his crib, he'll fuss for a few minutes, but then drift off to sleep. Now, instead of fussing, he sits up and starts playing with his teddy bear mobile.

What new and interesting challenges motherhood constantly presents! Just when I think I've finally got something figured out and begin to settle into a little bit of normalcy, Lance learns how to do something new which throws everything off! I'm glad that he's learning to do new things, I just wish he would wait for his mama to catch up!

Things That Make Me Happy (and a contest!)

I've been reflecting on things that make me happy. It's easy to get caught up in mommy-hood, and when you're a very tired mommy, sometimes it's also easy to overlook the happy things. So here is my list of things that make me happy.

1. Spending the afternoon at the swimming pool with friends
2. Brownies
3. Bear hugs from my husband
4. My son's giggle
5. The soft fragrance of my scented candle, and getting lost in thought as I gaze into the flame of the burning wick.
6. Reruns of favorite TV shows
7. Getting my carpet cleaned. For free. (We renewed our apartment lease for another year, getting us free carpet cleaning! Bonus!!)
8. Enjoying an evening of a clutter-free home because it's all stashed away in the closets because I had to move everything off the carpets so they could get cleaned. For free.
9. Did I mention my free carpet cleaning?
10. Oh! Also free shoes! A friend bought a pair of shoes that she ended up not liking and gave them to me.
11. Free stuff is great.

Speaking of free stuff, here's info to a contest I've just entered. Enjoy!

***************************************


Wow, it seems that contests and giveaways are abounding in the world of Mommy-Bloggerhood.

I don't enter them often, but this one sounded good to me! A Solarveil Ring Sling which is made of a fabric that keeps the mama (and baby!) cool in the sun and protects from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Who wouldn't want one of these?

To enter the contest, go visit Steph.

To view the sling being given away, go check out KimzKreations.

I've been carrying Lancelot in a pouch sling that I just adore, but I have to admit I'm getting a little bored with it, and in this south Florida summer heat, it's just about unbearable to carry him in it. This sling sounds like a great solution to both problems!

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 7

YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

I lost most of the weight I put on the last two weeks! Go me!!

Starting: 157
Last week: 154.2
Today: 152.6

Total loss: 4.4 pounds!!!

Something New

Lance did something new today!

From lying down, on his back, he sat himself up without help from us. (Well, we held his feet down, but he used his own strength to get himself sitting up!)

Funny how things like this get us moms excited. :) Happy Sunday!

Isn't my boy cute??

Throwback Thursday

Hey, I like this idea!

Throwback Thursday. A peek back in time!

My sister has recently started scanning in our old family photos, and I've got a handful of them, so here is what I have dug up for you today.

I was in a baton twirling group when I was about 11. We were called "Victory Twirlers." The group was run by a home-schooling mom, and most of the girls in the group were homeschooled. She opened the group up to girls in our church as well, so my little passel of pals from Sunday School and our little sisters joined in!

(I'm in the purple uniform at the far left, my little sister is in the pink uniform at the far right.)

We marched in parades all over the state. (We lived in California at the time.) We did Christmas parades, 4th of July Parades, local festival parades, etc etc. It was so much fun!

I wasn't crazy about having my hair put up in a bun and being attacked with hair spray. To this day, I never use hair spray. I hate the stuff.

So here's a photo of us in our cute baton-twirling outfits making goofballs of ourselves.

*Note: this was taken on the day of our "professional" picture day. After we all had to pose for what seemed like hours, my dad got out his camera and let us be ourselves! Good ol' Dad!

Have some old photos you'd like to share? Hop on over to Pinks and Blues Girls and join in the fun!!

Wordless Wednesday

I liked to play with these when I was a kid. I used to have a ton of them. These are all that are left...

A Little Bit Nervous

I believe I mentioned before that I got a job teaching preschool music this coming school year at a local Christian preschool.

I'm terrified out of my mind.

This will be my first "real job" and I'm not sure I can do it! I'm nervous about leaving Lancelot with a babysitter. Not because I'm afraid something bad will happen to him, but afraid that I'll miss something! His first steps, his first word, all kinds of things. I don't want to miss out on anything!

I know I'm being ridiculous. I'm only teaching 3 days a week and my school day is only 4 hours. It's not a high-pressure job. I get to sing songs with preschoolers and put on a Christmas program! This is the kind of job I dreamed about while I was in college.

So why am I freaked out?

Please pray that these butterflies in my stomach will relax a little bit!!

Two weeks ago I was able to participate in our church's VBS program. I helped out 3 days of the week, and the program lasted about 4 hours. Lancelot was in the church nursery while I was next door in the sanctuary running the sound equipment for the "Sing and Play" sessions. (This was not a tough job. I turned everything on and ran a DVD player. Very simple.)

I loved it. I loved the feeling that I was doing something. Something productive, something helpful beyond mothering. I was doing something for my own personal edification. Not that I don't love being a stay at home mom, I just ADORE it, but every once in awhile it's nice to feel like the person I used to be before the baby came along!

So if I didn't have a problem with VBS, why do I have a problem with this? It's basically the same thing.

Only it's EVERY WEEK. Not just one week of the year.

Lancelot won't be in the building next door to me. He'll be across town. I can't pop in to check on him in between classes.

I know I just need to have faith, but it can be tough sometimes!

Getting all of this out has helped a little bit.

Thanks for "listening!"

* * * * * * *

And because pictures of my little boy always cheer me up, here is something for your viewing pleasure:

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 6

Hmph.

Gained another pound this week.

Last week I had a valid reason for gaining weight.

This week I just blew it.

Grr.

Argh.

Well, I guess I'll just have to try harder this week! Hopefully next week I'll have happier news to bring you!

Edited to Add:

I suppose I should set some specific goals so I don't get lazy again like I did this last week! Here is what I will do:

1. Walk EVERY DAY. If it is too hot to walk outside, I will go to the mall and do a few laps with Lancelot in his stroller!

2. Get to the gym 4 evenings this week. There is no reason I can't get to the gym tonight, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday and Monday are the only days I can't make it.

3. Fruit with breakfast and fruit with lunch.

4. Caffeine ONCE a day.

5. Only half a glass of wine in the evening, or a whole glass every other evening.


I think these few things will help me. Let's see how it goes!

Just For Fun...

Have a look at this photo. Does something look unusual??



If this were to be published in a newspaper, I would imagine the headline would go something like this:

"Incredible One-Legged Man Saves Baby From Falling Tree!"

LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!

This was taken on our recent camping trip with Damselfly and friends.

I tried to tell him, but my husband had to learn the hard way that it's very difficult to push an umbrella stroller through a sandy trail. :) Don't even bother. Get yourself a sling or a good baby carrier instead!

Father's Day Weekend

I'm so proud of myself.

I have purchased an incredible, romantic, meaningful gift for my husband for his first father's day.

There is something he has been anxious to have for a long time, and I have gotten it for him!

It is a thing of prestige, a symbol of wealth, and will make him popular with his coworkers. (Not that he needs it. Everyone loves him!)

It is...

Dum de dum dum dum...

Drum roll please...

Wait for it....



a lava lamp.

My husband wants a lava lamp for his desk at work.

It was not what I was expecting him to ask for.

Not just ANY lava lamp.

Purple with yellow lava.

And I found it.

On my second shopping excursion for lava lamps, I found it.

At Target.

I'm feeling very smug.

Have a great Father's Day weekend, everyone!

Don't Cry Over Spilled Coffee

What a day!

God must have given me an extra dose of patience when I woke up this morning!

So far, we've had two doctor's appointments, two changes of clothes, a jaunt through the pouring rain, and a spilled cup of coffee.

Not just any coffee. Starbucks coffee.

A Christian comedienne I like is Anita Renfroe. She has a bit about Starbucks where she says, "In my family, we call it Fourbucks, because that's how much it costs to go there."

Today, I may as well have thrown four bucks in a puddle on the street and driven right through it.

This afternoon was my annual girly exam. No fun. I have begun a tradition in which after such unpleasant medical procedures, I reward myself with my favorite Starbucks poison. (Grande Raspberry Mocha without whipped cream, for those of you who must know!) I drank a little bit of it in the car on my way to pick up Lancelot from the babysitter.

I stayed and chatted with the babysitter who happens to be a good friend of mine for awhile. Had I left her house 5 minutes earlier than I did, I would have avoided a great deal of unpleasantness. As I was walking to the car, baby and diaper bag in hand, the heavens opened up and spilled forth. Torrentially. Babysitter offered me the use of her umbrella so Lancelot would not get wet. She offered to let me keep it for awhile so I could get into my house nice and dry. I took her up on the offer.

If I declined the use of the umbrella, I would have avoided about half of the unpleasantness of the day.

Once I arrived home (well, to the parking lot of the apartment complex that is,) I was very happy to have the umbrella. I very precariously propped it up between my shoulder and the roof of the car as I bent over to release Lancelot from the chair of torture, er, I mean the carseat.

My cup of Fourbucks, still nice and warm and waiting to be enjoyed, was also on the roof of the car. Big mistake.

I bent over just the wrong way, and the edge of the umbrella knocked the cup of coffee over. Of course, it couldn't knock it towards the back of the car or the opposite direction from me. It came, much like the rain, spilling forth on top of me. Coffee spilled on my shirt, my jeans, the diaper bag, Lancelot, and all over the backseat of my car.

I rushed inside, ripped off Lancelot's onesie and my shirt and tossed them in the washing machine so hopefully the stains won't set.

Murphy was giggling. A lot.

I managed to save the last few sips of my Fourbucks, so once we were both in dry, coffee-free clothes I was able to enjoy a portion of my reward.

Sigh. What a day!

Mommy, Mommy, Are We There Yet??

“Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.”
~ Oswald Chambers ~

As a child, I can remember taking long car trips every year for our annual camping excursion up in the Sequoia Mountains. It was a 6 hour car ride and to my 9-year old sensibilities seemed like an eternity. (Especially with a baby sister who kept touching me and scooting over to my side!) Every few minutes I would inquire of my patient parents, "Are we there yet??" The standard response to this question was "In about three hours." Once I realized that no matter how long it was actually going to be, my hilarious father would respond with "in about three hours," and then I stopped asking the question.

I may not have known where I was being led or long it was going to take to get there, but I knew my father would not drive us into oblivion. He would get us where we were going safely.

When I saw this quote by Oswald Chambers, it brought back those memories. How much are we like little children inquiring of God, "Are we there yet?" Once we know our Father and learn that He will always get us to where we are going safely, we no longer have need to ask that question because we know Him and love Him, and it ultimately doesn't matter where He leads us. Wherever He is, is where we want to go.


If you'd like to post your thoughts on this topic and join the CWO Tuesday 'In Other Words,' click on over to Iris at Sting My Heart. Read what other people have to say and share your own thoughts, too!

Wordless Wednesday: Avalanche Ranch!!

I guess I need a few words to explain the next few pictures.

Last week, our church had our Vacation Bible School. The theme was "Avalanche Ranch" and the sanctuary was dressed to the 9s to look the part! (We have a fabulous interior designer who does the decorations for VBS every year. She outdoes herself each year! On the stage was a log cabin and a horse, there were clouds strung up from the ceiling, and a pine tree forest in the choir loft. It was incredible.)

Anyway. The church was all decorated and ready on Saturday, which is when we have one of our contemporary services. Hubby, Damselfly and myself are in the band called Renanah which does the music for the service. Being the goofballs that we all are, we decided to dress to match the decor. We didn't play country music, though, although if you gave us banjos and washboards we sure would have looked the part!!



That's my sweet hubby playing guitar!!




A couple people told me that I look like Shania Twain in that hat. Aww! :)




We don't normally all wear hats like that. :)



Ride 'em, Cowboy!

A Question

For those of you who share a bathroom with the significant male in your life-

Do all men have pitiful aim, or am I just lucky???

A Cute Picture of My Kid

Because it's my blog and I can.

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 5

I didn't lose any weight this week. In fact, I gained some weight. However, I also went to the gym four times, drank plenty of water, and made a conscious effort to add fruits and veggies to my diet.

This week also happens to be my monthly ride on the crimson tide, so perhaps I'm retaining all that extra water I drank!

While it's disappointing to see the numbers go up on the scale, I'm happy to report that I am indeed establishing healthier habits and I can feel it. I have more energy and stamina, I'm sleeping better, and my clothes fit better.

Pooh on you, Mr. Scale.


Here are the numbers:

Starting weight: 157
Last week: 151.2
This week: 153.2

Total weight loss- 3.5 pounds (I'm keeping my button though, because I *did* lose 5 pounds! I just have to lose a couple of them again! lol!)

Of Zerbits and Funny Faces

My little man's personality is starting to come out!

He loves to give kisses, which consist of a sloppy zerbit-like (some call it raspberries,) slobbery kiss on the cheek. He also loves to receive zerbits on his belly. He laughs and laughs!

He's starting making some funny faces! He's learned to crinkle up his nose and lips in an expression of disgust, as though he was detecting an unpleasant odor. (I'll try to get a picture of it. It's the funniest thing you ever saw!) Hubby and I were in stitches last night, trying to get him to make the face! He happily obliged, and hilarity ensued for much of the evening.

He talks! He tries to, anyway. He just babbles away at anyone who'll listen. Two of his favorite "words" are "ah-blah" and "deb-deb." lol! He also smacks his lips making a popping noise. Last night we were sitting in the church service and he just kept doing this over and over. It was cute, but distracting other people so I had to take him out! (Our church does have a nursery available and we usually put him in there, but because I wasn't singing with the band last night, I decided to keep him with me. I had attended a Women of Faith conference that day and only arrived at church halfway through the evening service. I will write a post about Women of Faith later on. It was incredible!!)

As I've been sitting here typing this, I've been keeping an ear out for when he falls asleep for his morning nap. The nursery is now quiet, so I'm off to shower and get dressed and have breakfast. Have a lovely day!

Prayer Request

Good afternoon!

Today, my sister is on an airplane heading for the Dominican Republic on a 2-week mission trip. She will be working in a medical clinic. Please pray for safe travel, protection while abroad, and that God will use her in a mighty way. Also that she will have life-changing experiences and come to know God's will for her life.

This is her second mission trip. A couple of years ago she went to Uganda. She really has a heart to minister to those in other countries who may not have learned who our God is. She's really amazing for a 20-year old!

Here is a photo of us when we were children. I'm on the left, my grandfather is in the middle, and Natalie is on the right. Looking at the picture, I'm guessing I was about 9 and she must have been 5. Enjoy!

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 4

I sure am glad our weekly weigh-in occurs on Tuesday, because for some reason, my weight shoots up on the weekend but plunges back down by Tuesday morning. Very strange. I always get very discouraged on Saturday and Sunday when I check my weight, but every Tuesday morning I am pleasantly surprised by what I see! Maybe I'm subconsciously making an extra effort on Monday because I know I'll be weighing in Tuesday. Who knows?

Here are this week's numbers.

Starting weight: 157
Last week: 152.6
This week: 151.2

Total weight loss: 5.8 pounds

Yahoo!! Now I can get my "I Lost 5 pounds" button. Tee hee!

Stories and Photos of our Camping Trip...

...are not to be found here.

We are having some weird computer problems, prohibiting me from uploading pics from our camping trip with Damselfly.

Fortunately for you, she has written a post about our camping trip and included LOTS of pictures, so head on over there to find out all about it!