Praying

Last night a commuter plane crashed in Clarence, NY, just about 10 miles from my hometown. When I heard the news this morning, my first thoughts were with my family members who live in Clarence. Were they ok?


So thankful to learn the plane was not close enough to harm my dear loved ones. Now my thoughts turn to the victims and family members of this tragedy.


Please join me in praying today.

To Preschool or Not to Preschool????

OK - I need your help.


Megan will turn 3 this June. What do all you mommies out there think of 3 year old preschool?


She would go 2 days a week for 2.5 hours at a time. Remember, of course, that she is a gifted child who already knows how to count to a million, paint works of art she calls masterpieces, read at a second grade level, etc. (some of these skills may be slightly exaggerated) So clearly, she would already know most of what they would teach her academically. (I'm being serious now.) I do want her exposed to other kids and the concept of listening to another adult. (hopefully a little better than she listens to me.)


Would it benefit her enough to spend a decent chunk of change on this early part of her education? Or should I just save the money, continue the excellent job I'm doing at home stimulating her little brain (by letting her watch "noggin" - preschool on TV for 12 hours a day . . . so kidding folks!) and send her when she is 4?

It is such a big decision to send my little baby off to school. I think I might cry just thinking about it. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, help me!

Have Mercy

Have you ever heard not to grocery shop while you're hungry????

It is an age-old rule, created to prevent excessive spending on a whole bunch of stuff that will just make you fat anyway.

Yesterday, I broke that age-old rule. It is simply not possible to avoid shopping while hungry if you're hungry every moment of the day (and night.) I'm not exaggerating. I think about food all day long. I plan my snack while cleaning up breakfast, plan my lunch while cleaning up my snack . . . I have a recurring cheesecake dream at night . . . you get the point.

So, in my "constantly famished" state, I went to the grocery store. I usually plan my menu before I go but I didn't want the trip to interfere with lunch time so I hurried out the door.

After spending a whopping $245 on a family of 3.25, I SHAMEFULLY came home with several items that have never graced my shelves (until now.)

1. Beef-a-roni

John's reply: "Organic, mother-of-the-year bought BEEFARONI?"

Yes, John, yes I did and I'm so ashamed.

2. Tater tots

There is just no plausible excuse for these.

3. White hamburger buns to hold the sloppy joes I intend to make this week.

Have mercy.

4. Hard taco shells

Again, have mercy.

A delicious replacement for the 100% whole wheat (shoe leather) shells of yore.

5. Ice cream sandwiches

Yum, and much tastier than the 100% fruit pops I used to enjoy.

As I was putting away this festival of fat, calories, and refined sugar I opened up my mail. The FitMama pregnancy exercise video that I ordered a few weeks ago came in the mail.

(More shame)

How does this happen?

How does an organic vegetable eating, whole grain lovin', low fat, Kashi cereal for breakfast, high fiber, Weight Watcher, exerciser turn into a beefaroni eating, tater tot munchin', cheesecake dreamin' fatty????

Wish I had more time to ponder this but I gotta go. I have some serious eating to do.

Followed up, of course, by doing the FatMama FitMama exercise video.

Have mercy.

Scrapalicious Weekend Recap

Ridiculous fun was had by all . . .

"Junior John" helped warm my heart when I started missing St. John.

Yes, I did make that and no, you cannot have him.

He's mine . . . all mine.

I did manage to get some scrapbooking done during all this hilarity.

Scrapalicious

I am off to Coldwater, Michigan for a scrapbook extravaganza with the girls.

I will spend the weekend making them laugh, eating, eating, eating, napping, and oh yeah, doing a little scrapbooking.

Andrea will make fancy breakfasts like lemon curd stuffed pancakes and fruit kabobs.

I will be so impressed I will take pictures.

Kasey will become obsessed with my husband's naked chest and tape his picture to her drink.

I will create a scrapbook store inside the house and attempt to sell the 892837209487209847298 dollars worth of scrapbooking supplies I have collected throughout the years.

No one will buy anything since just my friends will be there.

They'll just steal my stuff when I'm not looking anyway.

We'll laugh until we cry.

That's what crazy weekends with the girls are for.

TTFN.

What's Cookin' Wednesday

A few tears in my eyes . . . that's what's cookin' today. Perhaps it is the preggo hormones and perhaps it is the beautiful song lyrics my St. John sent me today.

Day one, I stumbled through hello on 5th Ave

Day two, we grabbed a bite to eat

And talked all afternoon

Caught a movie on day fourteen

And day sixty-seven she said "I love you" to me

Oh, what a feelin'

What a wonderful emotion

Yeah, what a life

Counting my blessings and knowin'

Ooh, we had our ups and downs

All along the way

She had a chance to leave

But chose to stay

What a beautiful day

What a beautiful day

Day one-sixteen I asked her what she was doin'

For the rest of my life

Day one eighty- nine, oh I almost lost that girl

To my foolish pride

She said "I do"

On day four eighty-two

And gave me a son

On day seven sixty-one

Oh, what a feelin'

What a wonderful emotion

Yeah, what a life

Counting my blessings and knowin'

Ooh, we had our ups and downs

All along the way

She had a chance to leave

But chose to stay

What a beautiful day

Day eighteen thousand two hundred and fifty-three

Well, honey that's fifty years

Yeah, here's to you and me

Oh, what a feelin'

What a wonderful emotion

Yeah, what a life

Counting my blessings and knowin'

Ooh, we had our ups and downs all along the way

She had a chance to leave

But chose to stay

What a beautiful day

What a beautiful day

Day oneI thank God I said hello on 5th Ave

Order in some dinner tonight!

And St. John, I can't wait to see day eighteen thousand two hundred fifty three with you.

Thanks for making my day today.

Another trip to the E.R.

only this time it wasn't my kid. (shocking)

John came into the bathroom (where I was taking a leisurely float in the tub) to inform me that my sister called in a panic about Colin. She was not supervising him as usual sitting right there next to him when he fell and gashed his head open on the corner of the coffee table.

(Just picking on you, Kate :)

Since Justin was at work, I went to the hospital to take pictures for later exploitation on my blog to offer my support for my scared sister and poor little Colin.

Here is the little guy watching TV, acting like nothing is wrong.

Here is the doctor beginning the stitches. Colin will be glad I took this picture someday.

This is the type of experience that turns a boy into a man.

And yes, that is Justin in the above photo. He arrived so quickly I think he came by jet plane. Turns out, I wasn't needed after all. Except I did take a few good photos AND promised Colin his mother would buy him a new monster truck (since this episode was clearly all her fault.) You're welcome Kate. Anytime. Anytime.