What We’ve Been Up To

We’re still dealing with the ups and downs of home warranty repairs. Yes, still. But we’re starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Hey, at least all my walls and ceilings are the same color now. Which is a bigger deal than it should be.

So what else have we been up to?

1. Nana came for a visit. She’s back from Ireland and came to hang out with us for a couple of weeks. We enjoyed spending time with her and the kids loved having some extra attention – and an extra grown-up to read books to them.

2. Starting our garden. Yes, it’s barely spring…at least, I think it is. The weather can’t quite decide. But instead of buying all plants this year, the kids and I thought we’d try growing some things from seeds. So just in case you were to check out the ledge of my bathroom window (one of our only south-facing windows), you’d find a tomato plant, some cucumber plants, and a couple of green bean plants. I promise. They’re legit vegetables. Or fruit, depending on how you land on the tomato issue. We’ve had some failures, too. The jalapeno plans do NOT want to sprout. Neither do the bell peppers.

3. School. Kindergarten is still going well. I think we’re both about ready for a break though, so we will officially be on spring break for part of this week. I’ve discovered it’s more difficult to start back (both practically and in attitude) when we have a long break. So a three-day break may be just perfect for us.

4. More school. I’ve already begun to plan for 1st grade next year. Pause for a second while I take a deep breath. It’s a bit overwhelming to me, realizing that we basically double our course load next year. It’s a shame we don’t come into this world knowing how to spell, you know?

5. Frozen. We’ve drunk the kool-aid, folks. At least, Honor has. We’ve watched it daily since we got it. And I know everyone talks about “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” and “Let it Go,” but my favorite song is the one Olaf sings about summer. And I won’t even go into the plot holes. How did Kristoff not realize Anna was the girl he’d seen the trolls heal as a kid? Or did he? And if he did, why didn’t he tell her? And how did the girls know all of the “princessy” things if there was no one (limited staff, remember?) to teach them? And don’t even get me started on the fact that if Elsa and Anna’s parents had ever actually watched a Disney movie, they would know better than to try to hide Elsa’s magic. That only leads to…bad things. But I did like the movie. And I pink puffy heart Olaf. How can you not?

6. We’ve discussed the fact that Disney needs to, nay, MUST make a spin-off for Sven and Olaf. You know, if they care about me at all.

7. Cleaning. Now that most of the dusty repair work is done in the house, it’s time for some deep cleaning. I don’t typically “spring clean,” because I prefer to follow a schedule to deep-clean the house year-round. But since I’ve basically just kept my head above water since right after Christmas, knowing that the repairs would cause a huge mess, the house is in dire need. I tackled the master bath & bedroom on Sunday. The kids get to help this week, too. Won’t they be so surprised?

8. I have a couple of artsy projects I’ve been waiting to hang, too. They’ll be going up this week. The house is still a long way from being decorated, but it’s a start.

9. Just heard from upstairs: “I think Honor hates me today!” What? All she did was tackle him. He tried to blow snot on her. I think it was justified. The kids love each other as much as ever.

10. The blog is still suffering. And I’m still sorry. I’m much more active these days on Twitter. 140 characters at a time is much more my speed these days.

The Past Two Weeks: A List

So much has been going on during the past two weeks. If I tried to explain it all, it’d take forever. So, a list will have to suffice.

1. We said goodbye to our Xterra. It was sad. I was not ready to let her go. She has been part of our family since 2004 and will always have a special place in my heart, as she safely carried my babies home from the hospital and all over the country since then. (I refrained from a picture of me hugging her. I would’ve cried.)

2. I hate car shopping. So, so much. And I probably frightened a car salesman in the process. I’d had my hair cut that morning, and the stylist had left it “natural,” meaning, he didn’t straighten it (aka fry it into submission). It was hot and humid that day. My hair was getting more fluffy and out of control by the second. I was switching out a test-drive vehicle for another one. I had 30 minutes before I had to pick up my kids. I did not have time to mess around. I pulled car seats out of one vehicle and started throwing them in another. I was sweating, and my hair was ridiculous by this point. I looked like a crazed sasquatch. And when I sat in Honor’s car seat to tighten the belts, the poor car salesman burst out laughing. I couldn’t blame him - I’m sure it was a sight to see. He later ended up carrying Honor’s baby doll around the car lot while our children climbed in and out of vehicles and tried to punch every visible button. I wish we could’ve bought a car from him. He deserved the commission, he just didn’t have what we were looking for.

That also may have been the day that I ironed my shorts with my flat iron. While I was wearing them. Desperate times, people.

3. We welcomed a new car to our vehicle family. It’s newer and nicer than anything we’ve ever owned. And even though the color is not my favorite, we are thankful and blessed to have it.

Fun Fact: The Ford Flex is considered, by our insurance, to be a van, not a SUV. So in a way, Husband’s quest for a minivan was fulfilled, if only in the bureaucracy of insurance paperwork.

4. The kids started their “one day” classes. Caedmon is attending a Homeschool Enrichment class and Honor is attending a Mother’s Day Out class. On the same day, at the same place, at the same time. For the first time in over two years, I have approximately 4 hours (class time minus drop-off and pick-up) to myself on a somewhat regular basis during daylight hours. So far, I’ve been super busy on those days, but in a few weeks, I will have some time to just…sit. Or not. The kids are loving it and so am I.

5. Homeschooling is in session at our house. And it’s going well. We are settling into a routine, and Caedmon is enjoying learning. Right now, most things are fairly easy for him. It will be interesting to see how he handles things once they start to get more difficult in a couple of weeks. He’s a smart guy, he just prefers to already know the answers. I have no idea where he gets that.

6. I have been reading Little House in the Big Woods aloud to Caedmon. We are both loving it. I think that was the first chapter book series I read, and I’ve loved them ever since. I hope he enjoys them as much as I did!

7. We celebrated Husband’s birthday.

8. Caedmon turned six. How is this boy six years old already?

9. We are on our final countdown to Disney. I don’t know who’s more excited – me or the kids. My to-do list is about three miles long, but every item I check off just gets us one more step closer to the House of Mouse.

10. I couldn’t have a picture of the guys and not post one of Honor. She really enjoyed the cake balls I made for Daddy’s birthday!

A List for Tuesday

1. There was no Monday post yesterday. Yeah, I know. It’s a little late to be noting that. I wasn’t feeling well this past weekend, so there were several things that didn’t happen. Making a blog plan for this week was one of them.

2. After some advice on Honor’s hair last week (thanks, Ladies!), I bought some tiny little rubber bands at the store yesterday. Or 500.

Yes, there are actually 500 of them there. Supposedly. I didn’t actually count them.

Also? Why they’re in a thing similar to a day-of-the-week-pill thing is beyond me, but it’s sheer genius.

3. I did manage to get one of them in Honor’s hair. It didn’t last past naptime.

4. Once again, Caedmon photo bombs.

5. That thing Honor’s chewing on is a rubber bracelet. Our church handed them out for our OneMore Project. Honor’s using hers wisely, don’t you think?

6. Here’s a rare-ish photo of Honor and me together. I’m usually the one behind the camera. And self-portraits aren’t as easy with a big ol’ camera as they are with a point-and-shoot. (Not that I’m complaining. I love my big ol’ camera!) Also, please excuse the hair. And lack of makeup.

7. The other day after bath time, Honor wanted to play action figures with the guys.

8. Bossk doesn’t stand a chance. Bounty Hunter, schmounty hunter. Obviously he is ill-prepared for little sisters.

9. Caedmon used the bare-belly time to get in a few zrbts.

10. This boy’s been especially sweet to his sister lately. But learning to play together is tough sometimes.

Especially when this…

…quickly turns into this:

Bless these kids. It’s a wonder any of us survived our siblings.

Some Thursday Randoms

1. This little girl adores her Daddy.

2. And this boy is taking “urban cowboy” to a whole new level.

3. Today, I am making PW’s Cinnamon Rolls. (Yum!) Last night when I was making the dough, I accidentally let the milk get too hot. But it didn’t taste bad or anything, so I went with it. Hopefully I did not doom myself to failure. As long as they still taste good, that’s all I care about.

4. Also today, Honor is having rice cereal for the first time. More on that tomorrow.

5. The end of Daylight Saving time is killing me. We decided to try to adjust the kids’ schedules a little this week so next week wouldn’t be such a pain. We’ve done it before and it worked just fine. But this time, for some reason, it is not working. At all. It’s just going to turn into two weeks of suffering instead of one.

6. I know it’s dumb, but I’m excited that the red cups are back at Starbucks. (Even though I haven’t had one yet.) It’s like the unofficial start of the holiday season.

7. Speaking of holidays, I am already trying to figure out how to decorate for Christmas in our new place. Husband and I have talked about where to put the tree, and I think he’s ready to put it up. Me? Not quite.

8. Yesterday I was reading a brochure from the American Academy of Dermatology that I got at the doctor’s office, and I found a grammar/punctuation error. It jumped right up and smacked me in the face. I don’t go looking for these things, but I can’t help it. This was not one of those things that’s “sometimes correct” or acceptable either way (like the Oxford comma). Don’t they pay people to proof these things? And how can I trust the AAD and their recommendations if they can’t even make sure their brochures are typo-free? Just sayin’.

9. To avoid meltdowns and fussing over Halloween candy, I gave Caedmon some old tokens from Fun City to use as “candy coins.” He gets to trade them in for a piece of candy and when his tokens are gone for the day, no more candy until tomorrow. I must say, so far, it’s worked marvelously. Of course he spends all of his tokens at once. But when he asks for candy again later, I remind him that he chose to spend all of his tokens and he can have more tomorrow. You’d think he would figure out that he should spread those candy coins over the course of the day. Maybe he will eventually. I was the kid who still had Halloween candy left over at Easter because I rationed myself. I don’t think he’s going to be that kind of kid.

10. I can’t think of a tenth thing and I need to change the laundry. Have a good Thursday!

Thoughts of Randomness

1. The Lion King arrived in our mailbox yesterday, thanks to pre-order. I was so excited. I’ve been singing the songs to Caedmon for weeks. He watched half of it last night, and yes, I sang the songs. He kept shushing me. And at one point, he put his hand over my mouth. Embarrassed by me already. Honor, however, didn’t mind the singing. Or the dancing. Yes, I danced. Us girls gotta stick together.

2. Honor scratched herself with her fingernails yesterday. Again. I swear I just clipped them. I cannot keep up with all the nail-clipping and maintenance that needs to be done around here. I haven’t painted my toenails in a month. And we won’t even talk about Oz’s.

3. I spent some time yesterday getting Caedmon’s fall clothes out and putting away some things that were too small. Which included all but two pairs of his shoes. And one of those is flip flops. It’s a good thing Husband bought him some new awesome shoes a few weeks ago. I pulled out some shoes I’d bought for him on clearance, and I hope they’ll hold us for a while.

4. Honor still has newborn clothes in her chest of drawers. And now she’s starting to wear 6-9 month clothes. Maybe I should put away the newborn stuff, huh? It’s not sentimentality that’s keeping me from doing it…I just haven’t had the time. The best time to change her stuff around is…during naptime, of course. And that won’t quite work.

5. I am loving the fall-like weather we’ve had lately. That’s all.

6. As I mentioned on Twitter/Facebook the other day, Caedmon has learned the classic, “Guess what? Chicken butt!” And I have to admit, it’s kind of funny. Especially since it sounds more like, “shicken” when he says it. I’m sure the novelty will wear off soon. Very soon. For me…not necessarily for him. I told him the other day that he might not need to say it other places because not everyone is allowed to say “butt.” So he decided he’d say, “Chicken hiney” when he needs to. But it’s just not the same.

7. We are loving The Sing-Off. It’s definitely one of the best “talent” shows on TV. And it’s one we can watch on the DVR while Caedmon is still up. That’s rare these days. And I especially love that each group has a wardrobe theme. Whoever does their wardrobe is as creative as the singers.

8. I made a cover for my camera strap on Sunday. And it’s…adequate. But then yesterday I found a tutorial on Pinterest for one that completely puts mine to shame. And I’m going to have to make another one with the tutorial. We’ll just call the first one a practice cover.

9. I still haven’t adjusted to Eastern Time. And with it staying dark longer in the morning, it’s not any easier. I am dreading time change for the sake of the kids and their sleep schedules, but I’m hoping it helps me.

10. I have nothing for #10, I just couldn’t leave the list with nine things.

Thoughts of Randomness

1. Caedmon is officially well. Or at least I’m declaring him as such since his fever has been gone since sometime early Tuesday morning. And he feels good. So far, the rest of us have avoided his germs. It’s now time to disinfect the entire house. Not my favorite thing.

2. I bought some new teethers for Honor last night. After she completely soaked her shirt and a bib yesterday, I decided she needed something new to chew on. I headed to the local baby store and dropped a small fortune on some things I thought she might like.

This one almost looks like some sort of torture device.

And this one looks pretty interesting, too.

It actually looks like a sports mouth guard on the other side. I don’t know why the website doesn’t show it.

And this one she already chewed on a few minutes – which is more than I can say for a pacifier.

3. It’s TV premiere week. I love premiere week. Except when I hear that some shows have already been canceled and I don’t yet know what they are. I don’t want to waste my time getting involved in a new show if it’s already been canceled. And how do TV executives know a show isn’t going to be successful if it hasn’t even been on yet? And if they already knew, why did they premiere it? The mysteries of television.

(By the way, I’m ecstatic that Jim Parsons won the Emmy again this year. If you don’t watch The Big Bang Theory, you should. Even if you don’t speak “nerd.” It’s still funny.)

4. I am loving Pinterest for recipe ideas. I made this salad recipe the other night I found on there, and even though it wasn’t “man food,” Husband enjoyed it (I added some chicken and we made it a meal with some Sister Schubert’s yeast rolls). I also made a few other things that either weren’t a hit or I want to tweak. But I love the fresh ideas it gives and I don’t feel like I’m in a complete meal planning rut these days.

5. Also thanks to Pinterest, I have a giant list of things I want to do/make. And I haven’t done any of it. Yet. And I keep pinning away. The list grows longer by the day. Want your list to grow too? Go check out my boards.

6. Oh, mattress update! I called the moving company a couple weeks ago and basically said, “WHERE’S MY MATTRESS?” They still have it. Sitting there. Waiting for “a truck to come this way.” Um…we moved in July. I think it’s time to be done waiting. They decided to just have us buy a new mattress and send us a check. Novel idea. So we get to go mattress shopping. Is it sad that I’m just a tad bit excited about that? Probably.

7. Caedmon is going to get to take his first airline flight soon. He’s super excited. But I am already thinking about how I’m going to get both kids through the airport(s) and keep them occupied on the plane. I will be taking gum for Caedmon to chew to pop his ears, and a video device of some sort. The flight’s only about 2 hours, but after our last experience in an airport, I’m a little freaked at the idea of being stuck in an airport with two kids. Any advice on flying with kids would be appreciated.

8. I went to Old Navy last night for the first time since we’ve moved. I know. I used to go almost weekly. I know I’ve missed some cute things and great deals. And it hurts. It really does. But what really hurts is not really being sure what size Honor will be wearing next summer, or if she’ll for sure be walking. I don’t want to buy dresses for next summer if she’s not walking yet. I just think it’s kinda mean to put a crawling baby in a dress they have to figure out how to crawl around. Life already has enough challenges.

9. I almost made this list with two #2s. That would not have been acceptable, but would have been indicative of the way my brain has been working lately. Which is not well.

10. I buy frozen waffles these days in order to have a Nutella delivery system. Something just doesn’t seem right about eating it from a spoon straight out of the jar. But I don’t mind eating peanut butter that way. Nutella just seems too classy for that. That’s right. Spreading Nutella on a frozen waffle is more classy than eating it from a spoon. That’s perfectly rational, right?

A Whole Buncha Random

1. Caedmon “read” to Honor the other day. She loves it when he pays attention to her.

2. For game day last week, Honor wore her hand-me-down Razorback onesie. Caedmon wore…undies.

3. Someone rolled over last week. One time. Probably on accident. She hasn’t done it since – nor has she showed any interest in trying again.

I still think Honor will sit up before she rolls over. She might even crawl before she rolls over, too. She’s been “helicoptering” in her bed, and I’ve found her on her knees and elbows a couple of times. I’m so not ready for that.

4. Caedmon…he’s a hot mess when it comes to photos these days.

5. Remember when I bought Honor’s Miss April outfit? She finally got to wear it this week. LOVE!

She’s quite slobbery these days.

And I must post a disclaimer stating that yes, I know her headband was pushing her ears forward. But every time I moved it, she would slunk down, pushing it forward again. (Yes, “slunk” is a word. At least it’s one that Dr. Seuss uses, so I figure I can too.)

6. The weather has been fabulous this week. I miss being able to run to the pool for an hour, but I love stepping outside and not feeling like I might spontaneously combust.

7. Caedmon and I did a purge in his room yesterday. When Husband and I first talked about it with him, he was afraid he would have to get rid of some special things he loved, like…everything. Once I explained the concept to him and let him think about it a few days, he was ready. And after we got started, I had to convince him to keep a few things that he plays with on a regular basis. The original plan was to donate some things, but the majority of what we were taking out (that we weren’t throwing away) is stuff that Honor can play with in the not-too-distant future. We’ll donate a few things, but Caedmon was all about putting things up for Honor to play with later.

He also enjoyed throwing stuff away. I told him that if it was broken or came from a kid’s meal, it was going. We ended up with a nice little pile to throw away. I was surprised at the number of fast-food toys we’ve accumulated in the recent past. I guess moving and having things unsettled for a while will do that for you.

I was not, however, successful at getting him to let go of any stuffed animals or the Hulk Hands. Probably not the last thing we’ll be at odds over.

8. I bought this cardi-type thing at H&M last week, and I’ve worn it twice already. I love it.

It was a total impulse buy, and one I will not regret. Even though it wasn’t on sale. *gasp*

9. After last year’s boot debacle, I said I was going to give up. And I may have fibbed. I just can’t give up the hunt for a good pair of boots. And once I find them, I will hold onto them forever. And ever.

10. Who has two thumbs and loves Pinterest? This girl. I’m making something for dinner tonight that I pinned the other day. Want to see what I’m pinning? Go for it!

Thoughts of Randomness

1. I went to Walmart yesterday in search of some good (clearance) Valentine’s Candy. And I was sorely disappointed. Pretty much all they had were cheesy little conversation hearts, 5-piece boxes of chocolates and random marshmallow items. What happened to the good candy, like M & M’s and chocolate hearts? Nowhere to be found. So I went to Target, where they still had some good candy. I may have brought home four bags of chocolate of some sort. It was all on clearance and I had coupons. Score!

2. Walmart may have been out of good Valentine’s candy because they were too busy getting the shelves cleaned off so they could put out the Easter candy.

Yes, that’s right Easter candy.

I am all about some Easter candy. It’s my all-time favorite. It just tastes better than any other holiday candy. Don’t ask me why, I don’t make the rules. I thought about picking up a Reese’s Egg or three, but refrained.

3. The Easter candy on the shelves was also a reminder that Baby Sister is coming soon! She’s due the Thursday after Easter. And if it’s close enough to Easter to put out the candy, it’s close enough for me to get a little wigged out about getting Baby Sister’s room in order.

4. After the past few weeks of frigid temperatures and crazy snow, highs in the 50’s and sunshine this week have been marvelous. And very welcome. Caedmon, in the same breath, asks if we still have snow and when he can go swimming. I may have to break out the goggles and let the boy swim in the tub. He’s clearly going to shrivel up and die if he doesn’t get to swim soon.

5. After two weeks of no KDO, I’m already mentally planning every moment of tomorrow. Caedmon is excited about the Valentine’s Party he finally gets to have. And I’m excited about having five straight hours of the day where I don’t have to answer, “Why?”

6. Caedmon has this habit of licking his lips and face around his mouth. He’s had a constant red moustache the past couple of weeks. So I bought him some Chap Stick the other day. I may come to regret that, as the last time he put it on he tried to apply it all the way up to his nose.

7. This whole second-kid preparation is throwing me off a bit. I need to hear from you guys what you did to prepare for 2nd (or 3rd) baby or wish you had. Anything. For the sibling, for the house, for yourself…whatever.

Weekend Recap In List Form

1. Friday and Saturday were crazy warm. As in, temperatures in the 70’s. And we felt kind of stupid buying a sled on Friday while it was warm enough to wear a t-shirt (during the last snow, our sled got broken). But it was great to get out in the sunshine and let Caedmon burn off some energy. Saturday, Caedmon played in the sandbox and enjoyed the sunshine from home. Saturday night we went out for ice cream, too. Something I’m not inclined to do when it’s cold out (unless it happens to be a Red Velvet Cheesecake Blast from Sonic). We enjoyed the warm weather knowing it wasn’t going to last long. At all.

2. As I mentioned last week, I’ve tried to move my grocery day to Tuesday. But it seems that the universe does not want me to get groceries on Tuesday. We have a huge winter storm headed this way, which means Caedmon and I have to go today and fight the throngs of people who are rushing to buy milk, bread, bottled water, and Pop Tarts.

3. We spent the day yesterday at Mom and Dad’s, hanging out with NLB. He leaves this week to head to Afghanistan for six months. Hopefully I’ll have some good pictures to show off tomorrow.

4. I always check the Sunday Coupon Preview before I get a paper on Sundays. I want to make sure the coupons I’m going to get are worth my while and if there’s something really good, I’ll get some extra papers. It never fails. When there’s a week with a lot of coupon inserts (4 this week), I’ll get a paper and at least one of the inserts will be missing. This week? Two of the four were missing. It’s so aggravating. And it does no good to call the newspaper people. I’ve tried. They don’t care. They tell me if I subscribe, they would do something about it. But why would I want to subscribe if they don’t care to help me in the first place?

5. Mom finished Baby Sister’s bedding last week, and Caedmon and I went to get it. She did an awesome job and I love it. I’m saving pictures for when we get it in her bed. Which may  be a while, considering we’ve done n.o.t.h.i.n.g. toward getting the rooms switched and ready. Which makes me nervous.

6. What makes me even more nervous? I had Husband download a contraction tracker on his iPhone the other night, and I input our due date. In large, bold letters, it said “89 days to Due Date” (which would be less now). My response? “Holy Crap!” It’s time to get busy.

7. Saturday, I was cleaning in the laundry room around Oz’s crate, which necessitated moving the elliptical. (Yes, it’s in the laundry room. Yes, it’s big.) Anyway, I accidentally kicked it when I was walking thru. And I might have broken my toe. It is not pretty (I will spare you from having to look at it, so no pictures). And it hurts like the dickens. Husband wanted me to get it x-rayed, but since I figure if it’s broken the doctor would just tape it to my other toe, I can do that myself for free. Besides, it only hurts when I walk.

8. I’m off to do tons of laundry and get groceries. If we end up with more ice than snow this time, we may be without power. I’m really hoping that doesn’t happen (like it did 2 years ago and last year), but you know me…I have to be prepared.

Another List. I Like Lists.

1. Don’t forget – today is the last day to register to win Forgotten God by Francis Chan. I’ll announce the winner tomorrow.

2. I have another giveaway coming soon, and I am really excited about it. The folks at CSNstores.com are sponsoring this one, and I got to pick the prize. I love picking prizes. But it’s hard to choose from their stuff because they seriously have everything.

3. I found out that Frozen Tung is opening back up on May 15. If you don’t live in my area, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about and couldn’t really care less, and that’s ok. But I am excited. I have plans to go on opening day, even if it’s 40 degrees and raining. My life is so glamorous.

4. I am still craving that big fat juicy burger I talked about the other day. Jamie Oliver would probably still be sad about it. And? The lunch I sent with my child to KDO today would probably not make Jamie happy either. But at least the granola bar was organic. That counts, right?

5. I am already looking for fabric (ugh, I know) for Caedmon’s nap mat for KDO next year. I know you’re thinking I’m a bit early. Actually, I thought he was going to have to have one for this year and bought the mat last summer. So it’s been sitting up in the top of his closet, naked, waiting for a cover to be made for it. And maybe if I start the fabric shopping now, I can actually find something in time for Mom to get the cover made before August. I like to set achievable goals.

6. Speaking of sleeping (we were, right?), Caedmon’s been on a little developmental-growth spurt and has had trouble napping this week. As in zero nap Monday and Tuesday. I know not everyone has a kid whose naps are so fragile, but his certainly are. He hasn’t been able to be still or quiet in about 3-4 days. I finally got him to go to sleep yesterday afternoon by pulling him into my lap and pretty much holding him still until he fell asleep. Once he got still for about 7 seconds, he was out like a light. Poor thing. And I had to refrain from cheering so as not to wake him.

7. I am wondering when to let Caedmon start sleeping with a pillow. Anyone know the “proper” age? He asks for one occasionally, though I have no illusions that he’ll actually stay on it during the night. At this point, it would just be one more thing for him to play with.

8. I am on the hunt for a new swimsuit top. Just a top? Yes, because I already bought bottoms. I know. I like to do things the most complicated way sometimes. But I want what I like and I often don’t know what I like until I see it. So then I have to buy it right then or it won’t continue to exist after I leave the store and I’ll never find it again. Anyway, the bottoms are chocolate brown, and I’d like a top I can wear with it. But like I said, I’m picky. So I need something that covers well and can handle a 28-pound kid hanging on my neck in the pool, if you know what I mean. And I don’t want it to look frumpy. Or pay a lot for it. See, I’m easy to please.

9. I believe we are going to take a hiatus on Photo Album Rejects. If there’s a large outcry or interest in starting it up again, we’ll look at doing that at the end of the summer when everyone settles back into their routine.

10. I almost didn't have a #10, but then I remembered something very important. Remember last fall when my friends took their four small children to Africa for two months? The Kennedys went there to put the finishing touches on our church's orphanage and get things rolling. And they filmed the whole thing. And now it's going to be on TV. You can watch a promo here. I feel like I'm famous just because I know them. (Addis is one of Caedmon's best buddies. Talks about him all the time.) It's going to air nationally/internationally on the Daystar Television Network Sundays at 4:30pm CST. It's also going to be airing on our local ABC affilliate on Sunday mornings. I can't wait to watch. The DVR is already set!

Thoughts Of Randomness

I know ya’ll have been dying to know what random thoughts are popping into my head these days. I will no longer keep you in suspense.

1. My allergies are killing me. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would say that allergies are some evil plot to take over the world via pollen. Because when you feel as cruddy as I do, resistance is futile. As evidenced by what I let Caedmon eat for dinner the other night.

2. I was discussing fashion with Jill the other night (the same night as the mom-of-the-year dinner) and we wondered if there were any good shorts to be had out there. Thankfully, Big Mama has answered that question. And here they are. I don’t know that I can bring myself to pay $40 for them, but knowing they are out there gives me peace.

3. I believe that, by far, this is the most awkward fashion season. You’re dying for spring and summer to be here, but it’s too cold to go all-out with your warm weather clothes. I feel like I have to dress myself three different times in one day so I don’t freeze or burn up at any given time.

4. I do love spring though, even with the schizophrenic wardrobe issues. One reason is because I love a good thunderstorm. I know, I’m weird. And? I must watch Twister around this time every year. At least once.

5. Until recently, I was unaware of Gap brand’s new Athleta stores. And I am in love. But my wallet is afraid. Very afraid. I think I’m going to have to break down and get something like this swimsuit cover-up. Love it. And since I will be spending countless hours in the water with the boy this summer, it will be well worth it.

6. Speaking of summer, Caedmon is convinced it’s just right around the corner. And he doesn’t even know what it is. Someone mentioned playing in the water the other day, to which I made sure to respond that yes, in the summer we will get to play in the water. He has since begun qualifying everything with “in the summer.” “Momma? I go outside in the summer.” “I want to play with my cars in the summer.” And because he has a memory like a tiny little elephant, “I play in the water in the summer.”

7. I have been toying with the idea of growing some vegetables this year. Nothing big, just a few pots on the back deck. Then I come to my senses and realize it will take work and time. And besides that, Oz is likely to eat the mulch and Caedmon is likely to dump sand/water/whatever else he can find on the plants. It seems to be a trend at our house.

8. I wonder why the pretty flowers I planted for the winter haven’t survived? Oh, that’s right. See #7.

9. Caedmon has become an expert on favorites lately. He notified me just last week that a certain bone was Oz’s “pabrite.” And apparently chocolate chip cookies are his “pabrite,” unless we’re having mint chocolate cookies, then those are his “pabrite.”

10. I have not yet watched Tuesday night’s LOST, and it is about to cause me to go into convulsions. I just can’t take not knowing what happened when the rest of the world already knows! But I am loving that by the time I get to watch it (maybe later today), I have less time to wait until the next episode than the rest of the world.

Take that.

Repression Can Be Healthy, Right?

I don’t even know where to begin with our weekend. So I think I’ll just make a few observations.

1. I am thankful for people who love us and help take care of us.

2. Knowing everybody is ok is priceless, even though it actually does have a price tag. A big one, sometimes.

3. A boy who asks to go somewhere every day actually can go too many places and ask, nay, beg to stay home.

4. Keep a little boy off his schedule long enough (2 days, apparently), and it’s like he never had one to begin with.

5. If one is bored enough, Curling can actually be interesting. Shocking, I know.

6. If you have an exhausting weekend, it's almost a guarantee your child will come down with a fever on Sunday afternoon.

7. Don’t forget that tomorrow is Photo Album Rejects day! I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s photos! Go here for an explanation and rules on participation.

Monday Is Out To Get Me

I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but….(in list form, of course)

1. Walmart was out of canned pumpkin. It’s pumpkin season last time I checked. I asked a grocery guy if I was missing it somewhere, and he even went to the back to check. Apparently the warehouse is out of pumpkin. Seriously? Get it together, guys. You’re only the largest retailer ever, and creating a false canned pumpkin shortage at the end of October is not good for anybody.

2. I left the house wearing an outfit that would definitely not have been approved by Clinton and Stacy, but it wasn’t altogether terrible. I thought it was great for a cold, rainy day. And then the cashier thought I was 37, which I am NOT.

3. I had to stop in the middle of the Halloween/candy aisle, blocking half the aisle to dig thru my purse to find a Kleenex. Why? Caedmon had sneezed and subsequently began blowing snot bubbles. I believe some of it got on my shoulder as he endeavored to give me a hug in the middle of his snot attack. I’m chalking that up to adding at least a year to my appearance.

4. I got home and checked the mail, only to find that I had received a Medicare packet from the AARP. Addressed to me. Clearly the Walmart cashier and the AARP know something I don’t.

5. The currently-being-refinished kitchen table has become my nemesis. I actually started singing the “nemesis song” from Phineas and Ferb in my head yesterday morning as I was thinking about my next step toward conquering the blasted thing.

I know I’ve discussed my possibly unhealthy love for backyard/playground cartoons before, so just stay with me.

(I recently discovered that Recess is on in the wee hours of the morning on Disney, and might or might not have set the DVR to record a few episodes.)

6. My laundry? It didn’t do itself. When I came home from my errands, it was just where I left it. How is that? Nothing is ever where you leave it. How come laundry is the exception to the rule? And because I had to conquer the nemesis last night, the laundry still sits, unfolded. At least it’s clean. Mostly.

7. My wonderful Husband doesn’t care about the messy house or the unfolded laundry. We even had cereal for dinner last night. He’s just as ready for that table to be finished as I am. And tonight will be the big reveal (as in, we’ll roll it into the kitchen and put it together). Thanks for being so patient through this process, Husband!

Here’s hoping Tuesday is better.

Oh, Canada

Before I get to the play-by-play of our vacation, I wanted to share with you some observations we made while on our trip.

So I’m going to pretty much make fun of stuff today, m’kay?

Some Fun Facts about Canada:

1. Everything closes super early. “Extended hours” on several stores were only until 5pm. Restaurants start closing about 8pm. And the mall? The mall isn’t open past 6pm except on Friday & Saturday night. What’s a person to DO in Vancouver after dark? Apparently not much.

We fit right in, as we are old and were ready to go to bed early anyway. Except that we were up and ready by 7 or 8 (which was 9 or 10 our time) and pretty much nothing opened until 10am. The time difference killed us for the first few days since the west coast is 2 hours behind our normal time zone.

2. Canada uses the metric system. That’s right, the metric system. Remember, everything’s a factor of 10? That’s all well and good, except when you try to work the thermostat. Because this is what I was faced with when we checked into our hotel: If it weren’t for the beloved Internet, I wouldn’t have figured out that when it was 17 degrees (Celsius) in our room, that meant it was actually about 64 (Fahrenheit). No wonder I was freezing. But it still took me a while to get it set properly, as the black dots on the adjustment knob weren’t particularly helpful.

It was also a bit disturbing to hear the weatherman talk about it being a balmy 20 degrees the next day – then we remembered that was probably about 72 and relaxed a bit.

3. Apparently, Pepsi owns Canada. Every place we ate had Pepsi products and no Coke products. I would have been extremely unhappy except that I could get 7Up everywhere! Even fountain 7Up, which, if you are a 7Up fan, you know is extremely rare, and the best of all 7Ups.

4. We were surprised at the demographic in Vancouver. There were a lot of Oriental people. Which isn’t a bad thing, we just didn’t expect that. Lots of signs are written in Mandarin/Chinese. I guess we’re used to seeing things in Spanish, so it was very different.

Apparently, Vancouver is also a popular vacation destination for Oriental people. We were definitely outnumbered at the airport, and were pretty surprised to see most folks pushing around carts of luggage. Not just one or two suitcases per person. No, these people came to stay. And they brought everything they own. Those checked-bag fees must kill them!

5. Canada pretty much has their own version of regular American stuff. For instance, Pepsi cans (no Coke, remember) had different logos and designs. They were also measured in milliliters instead of ounces. Dang metric system.

There was also some pretty interesting candy. We were in a drugstore one day and spent forever looking at the candy at the check-out counter. The poor girl working there probably thought we were nuts.

Did you know they have Smarties that come in a BOX? I told Husband I thought it was impossible to eat Smarties that didn’t come out of a roll, and that I didn’t believe they tasted the same. I don’t think he agreed.

There were also some products from Nestle we’d never seen before. We bought an Aero bar, just to see what it was. I was willing to sacrifice for the sake of culture and eat some chocolate. I figured it probably had rice krispies inside. You know what it had in it? Air bubbles. Tiny air bubbles. It was like the Swiss cheese of chocolate. It was good chocolate, though.

6. Continuing on with Canadian versions of American stuff, they had their own versions of our TV networks, too. ABC, CBS, VH1 and CMT still had the same name, same logo. But they had completely different shows. They even had their own version of ESPN, but it was called TSN. And they didn’t show the college football Husband was hoping for, either. But as we were only 3 hours from Seattle, we were able to watch some American TV while we were there. It kept us from completely losing ourselves to Canada, I suppose.

7. Vancouver seems to be pretty “green” or at least they’re trying to be. There were lots of public recycling bins and things like that. Probably part of it is that they are preparing for the 2010 Olympics. There were some fun signs, this being one of them: So in this area, there’s no skateboarding, no bicycling. But you should definitely pick up after your dog. But only in this area.

We saw more “health food” stuff than I expected to see in a large, urban city. But this is the picture of irony, a natural food store next to a cigar store: I think I’m the only one who found this amusing.

There are a few more stories I’d like to tell…but I’ve got to get the pictures up first, before I become a hunted woman. They’re coming, I promise!

Some More Pregnancy Advice

As promised yesterday, here’s some advice for the hospital, labor/delivery, and bringing baby home.

(If you’re a guy, you might want to come back tomorrow. Unless you’re expecting your first bundle of joy. If so, you totally need to read this, then run out and pick up whatever it is your pregnant wife is craving.)

And a disclaimer, one more time: I have done this a whole one time, so of course that gives me full and complete knowledge of all things pregnancy and baby. Sort of like baking a batch of awesome cookies makes me a professional pastry chef.

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts for the Hospital, Labor/Delivery, and Bringing Baby Home.

Do go on a tour of the labor/delivery area at the hospital where you plan to deliver. They usually offer these on a regular basis. It helps to already know where some things are when your wits might not be about you.

Don’t get upset if things happen differently than you plan during labor/delivery. The first lesson you learn as a mom is that your kid has a mind of their own and can be totally unpredictable. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

Do pack your hospital bag with some comfy clothes you don’t mind being seen in. But comfort is key!

Do pack a notepad and pen (for questions you want to ask the docs when they come by), ones and quarters for vending machines, and some snacks (You will be hungry when the cafeteria is not open!).

Do bring some small bills so you can send someone to get you some food. You’ll need to keep your strength up, and if a cheeseburger is what you need, there are probably plenty of people who would be happy to go get it for you!

Do make up some fun little cards you can hand to visitors with the baby’s name and blanks to write in birth date, weight, etc. It’s a fun thing they can show off after they’ve visited. Plus, it makes you look like you’re all organized and stuff.

Do (and I can’t stress this enough) make the nurses be the bad guy for you. Had enough visitors? Need a shower or don’t want anyone to see you until you’ve put your make-up on? Feel like clawing the eyes out of the next person who walks in the room? Want some alone time with your husband and little bundle of joy? Tell the nurses. They’ll have your back. And no one will be the wiser.

Don’t freak out if breastfeeding isn’t easy. It’s simple, natural, but definitely not always easy. Don’t give up! Again, take advantage of the hospital’s lactation consultant. That’s why they’re there.

Don’t feel like a loser if breastfeeding doesn’t work for you.

Don’t be in a rush to leave the hospital. Yes, you are ready to get to the comfort of your own home. At the hospital all you have to worry about is feeding and snuggling that sweet baby and getting up to go pee. But when you go home, it’s all you, all the time.

Do stock up on toilet paper a couple weeks before your due date. You can come home to a house with no food and survive, but you’ll get pretty desperate pretty quickly if you don’t have any TP.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself about the homecoming. Especially if there are a few things that got left undone because, you know, you were leaving to go have a baby.

Don’t worry if it takes you a few weeks to get into a groove. You have a lot of things to adjust to, and so does your little one.

Don’t feel like you need to entertain everyone who comes by to drop off food/visit. You just had a baby, for crying out loud.

Don’t think you have to let everybody hold/squeeze/spread their germs all over your baby. Blame it on the hormones. Oh, and you’re the Momma now. What you say goes.

Don’t pressure yourself to get back into those pre-pregnancy clothes. I know you want to, but give it time. It’ll happen. But some disappointing news for you: they will fit again, but they won’t fit like they did before. Sorry. Seems to be a fact of life. But you had a baby…you can handle finding new favorite jeans.

So there it is. There's a lot more I could say, but I won't. If you'd like answers to specific questions (you know, because I am the consummate expert), just email me. And if you have any words of wisdom, please leave a comment. I'm sure I don't know everything!

Some Pregnancy Advice

(If you’re a guy, you might want to come back Friday. Unless, that is, you are about to welcome your first child. In that case, you totally need to read this. Then go give your pregnant wife a foot massage.)
In honor of my sister Curly and a few other friends who are expecting their first baby, I have decided to discuss some pregnancy things.

Because I’ve done this whole pregnancy/labor/delivery thing a whole one time, I feel I can provide valuable information.

Or at least some unsolicited advice and opinions. Because I’m cool like that.

So here are a few Do’s and Don’ts for the pregnancy and preparation for the baby to arrive:

Don’t get freaked out by the zillions of books on pregnancy. Choose one or two and leave the rest in the bookstore.

Do sign up for every free magazine, baby website, etc. you can find. Yeah, you’ll get a lot of junk mail, but they’ll send you free samples and coupons too.

Don’t freak out when the scale starts to move…sometimes too quickly for comfort. Your body is growing a human being – give it a break.

Do feel free to smack anyone who makes a comment about your weight. Blame it on the hormones.

Don’t listen to everyone who tells you their (or their brother’s wife’s cousin twice removed friend’s) horror stories.

Do choose your big baby gear (carseat, stroller, etc.) in gender neutral colors. You can always accessorize!

Don’t spend an arm and a leg on a crib. They’re just going to use it as a teether, anyway.

Do slap the hand of anyone who touches your belly without permission. Again, blame it on the hormones.

Do make a budget for the things you will need to buy. There are so many great things out there, it’s easy to go overboard.

Don’t get too many clothes in size 0-3 months. You need a lot of sleepers and onesies at that age, but not too much else. It’s hard to play dress-up when they’re that little, and honestly, you’ll be so stinking tired you won’t have the energy.

Don’t take the tags off of everything you get as a gift. Go ahead and return some things you know you won’t use and keep the stuff you are unsure about using with the gift receipts. You can take stuff back for up to 90 days usually, and by that time you know what you need and don’t.

Don’t return diapers, even if they’re so big you can’t use them for months. Unless, that is, your little one has already outgrown them. You’ll be thankful for a break from buying diapers when that muchkin finally grows into them.

Do ask around for a good pediatrician and make a prenatal appointment with your finalists (most clinics don’t charge for these, and if they do, your insurance may cover it). Take a list of questions about things that are important to you.

Don’t settle for a pediatrician that you don’t like or don’t feel comfortable with, even if they are “the best”.

Do exercise, but don’t kill yourself.

Don’t go overboard on decorating the baby’s room. Once you’re stumbling around the dark in a sleep-deprived haze, you’ll be more thankful for functionality than cuteness. Not that functional can’t be cute, but think functional first.

Do read up on breastfeeding if you decide that’s the route you want to go, and be prepared for things to not go smoothly at first. Also, take advantage of the lactation consultant at the hospital/pediatric clinic.

Do read up on labor/childbirth (and/or take a class) and think about some things you’d like.

I’m sure there are lots more things I can say about preparing for baby, but this list is already long enough. (Did I really just say that?)

Tomorrow, I’ll discuss hospital stuff, labor/delivery, and bringing the baby home. But in the meantime, here are some more of my pregnancy stories…feel free to peruse.

And please feel free to add your own pearls of wisdom!

Works-For-Me-Wednesday: Emergency Preparations, Part 2

Last week, I shared how I got things together just in case someone who is not me needed to take care of some important things in our lives. You know, like paying the mortgage. Because having a place to live is nice.

This week, I’m showing you the rest of my Emergency Preparations. I’m not quite where I want to be with it all yet, but it’s a good start.

Here’s my Emergency notebook. It stays on my desk in plain view, and it’s easy to show people (and for them to locate) in case it’s needed while we are away. Oh-so-cutting edge, with the clipart and all! The contents of my Emergency notebook are as follows:

1. Emergency Contacts. This includes family members from both mine and Husband’s family, co-workers, and close friends who can be reached in case of an emergency. I have their addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Some of these people are listed in our wills, living wills, or medical powers of attorney (more on those later), and it’s noted on the list.
2. Doctors & Hospitals. This is the same list of doctors/clinics/hospitals I mentioned last week.
3. Insurance Information. I made copies of our medical, dental, and prescription insurance cards. In case someone has to take C to the hospital/doctor while we’re away, they will have all the information they need at their fingertips.
4. Medical Powers of Attorney. One of the things our Attorney did for us when we wrote our Wills was to include Medical Powers of Attorney for C. It’s not as scary as it sounds. It basically states that in our absence, whoever we’ve named on that document has the right to seek medical treatment, make decisions, and receive all medical information for C. I have a copy of each of them in the Emergency notebook. (We named four different people who keep C frequently. We have a copy here and each of them has their own copy as well.)
5. C’s Medical Info. I have a brief list of C’s medical history, including his birthdate, hospitalization reason & date, laser surgery dates, any allergies, etc. It’s the kind of stuff Moms know off the top of their heads, but nobody else has any idea about.
6. Husband’s Medical Info. This is a brief medical history for Husband, very similar to C’s.
7. My Medical Info. Again, a brief medical history for me.

Each item is in a sheet protector. It not only keeps everything neat, it makes it super easy to switch out documents when I update lists.

And as for updating, I go thru it every few months, write any updates on Post-Its (ya’ll know I love me some Post-Its!), and stick them on the pages that need to be updated, kind of like a tab divider. Then I know what updates need to be made and where. Not that I always make those updates immediately….

So that’s what my Emergency notebook currently contains. It’s by no means complete, and I am thinking of starting a “Where To Find It” list that details where items of importance (like our Wills, birth certificates, legal documents, etc.) are located. But maybe that’s overkill. Ya’ll help me decide that one, will you?

Head on over to We Are THAT Family for more Works-For-Me-Wednesday!

Works-For-Me-Wednesday: Emergency Preparations, Part 1

Last year, we met with an attorney and wrote our wills. It forced us to think about a lot of things. Not just who would get our kid(s) and money bills, but a lot of other details, too.

I realized that since I take care of our financial stuff, pay the bills, file everything, etc. that if something were to happen to me, Husband would have a huge learning curve and no clear direction.

So I decided to do something about it. No, I didn’t sit him down and put him through a bill-paying class. Because that would be no fun for either of us.

I compiled a list of our bills and payments, the companies they’re paid to, when they’re due, account numbers, contact information, etc. I keep that in my regular bill-pay notebook, and it’s come in handy several times. It’s also easy to make changes to keep it up to date.

Another list I made was of our professional service providers. People we don’t necessarily pay monthly, but use on a regular basis. Pest control, auto mechanic, attorney, insurance, etc. All pertinent information is listed there too – phone numbers, account numbers, email addresses, etc.

I also made a list of our doctors and other healthcare providers, their names, office locations & numbers, what they do for us, and how long we’ve been patients there. I included our past healthcare providers at the bottom. Since we’ve moved several times and/or switched doctors, it seems I’m always needing to get something from someone. It’s been very handy to have that information at my fingertips instead of having to search for an old business card.

So a sample entry on the lists looks like this: (I formatted them all the same)

Service (Cable, phone, dermatologist, etc.)
Provider name (Cox, AT&T, Dr. So-and-so/clinic name)
Account Rep (if applicable)
Account number, who account is listed under
Address & Phone; email address
Bill due date (or if it’s auto-draft), contract renewal date, etc.
*Notes about what this person/company does for us

I’ll continue telling you about my emergency preparations next week. But for more Works-For-Me-Wednesday, head on over to We Are THAT Family.

Thoughts of Randomness

I have been working on a bunch of random thoughts, presented in list format for your enjoyment. And mine. Because you know I love lists.

1. I don’t normally watch The Today Show, but with the Clouds Of Doom looming the other morning, I turned the local station on to see if we needed to get into the bathtub with our bicycle helmets.

And guess who was performing? NKOTB. That’s New Kids On The Block, for those of you who weren’t in the 5th grade when Joey, Danny, et al. stunned the world with their vocal stylings and oh-so-handsomeness.

For a second, I totally flashed back to the 5th grade. Cassettes. Prank calls on the Mickey Mouse telephone. (My friend’s, not mine. We weren’t allowed to have technology like “telephones” in our room.) Putting each others’ panties in the freezer at sleepovers.

Yeah, we were in the 5th grade.

I was totally surprised, though, that I remembered as many words to “Hangin’ Tough” as I did, seeing as I really wasn’t supposed to be listening to NKOTB. But I have to say, the medley of “We Will Rock You” with “Hangin’ Tough”? Sheer genius.

2. The latest episode of “The Office”? Sheer genius. Have I said that today already? Oh well. I laughed my head off.

“Stay, Kevin.” “Come, Kevin.” “Cookie, Kevin.”

3. And this hair thing? It makes me laugh. Almost as much as this blanket thing. Sorry, ya’ll. I just wasn’t aware that hair bumps were so difficult. Or that blankets were so hard to use. I guess since I’ve been using them for a few decades, I’ve got it down pat.

4. There’s a great giveaway going on over at GoMomma for a $40 gift certificate to The Walton Arts Center’s Magical Summer Camps. Check it out!

And that, my friends, is all. For now.

Thoughts of Olympic Proportions

Now that the Olympics Games are over, I have a few more thoughts, musings, and questions regarding this year's Olympics. So here they are, in no particular order.

• If you want to lose weight, become a serious marathon runner. Those women (and men) look insanely skinny.
• Women's Shot Put = Frightening.
• Why do the swimmers and divers shower off immediately after getting out of the pool? And then go get back into another pool? Aren't they wet enough?
• Since Michael Phelps has worn a swim cap for so many years, why haven't his ears flattened out?
• Who came up with the idea of using a long bendy stick to propel yourself over a tall horizontal stick? (Pole vault.)
• Those indoor cycling helmets look crazy. I'll bet those guys get made fun of.
• Table Tennis. Yes, it's really an Olympic sport. I wouldn't believe it if it weren't for Balls of Fury.
• Badminton. Need I say more?
• Running track apparently requires wearing bling of some sort.
• While I'm glad that the women from Muslim countries are more involved in sports, their full-body-covering suits are crazy looking.
• If you want your daughter to be a gymnast (a good one, anyway), you must name her something weird.
• You will only grow up to play Beach Volleyball if your last name sounds good as part of your team name. And you'll be really good if you have a strange first name, too.
• It's not about eating your Wheaties anymore, kids. This time it will be Frosted Flakes that has the biggest gold medal winner gracing its box. What is the world coming to?
• Baseball and Softball are apparently getting the boot after this year's Olympics. Apparently the world couldn't stand that the USA seems to pwn the rest of the world.
• BMX. Yeah, it's now an Olympic sport too. Wished you'd have known that as a kid, don't you? You'd have just about killed yourself making those ramps in the driveway. Skateboarding's probably next. Ooh, or Street Luge.
• Good Coaches = Coaches who train and push their athletes, then encourage and celebrate with them when they do their best, whatever it is. (Women's Gymnastics coaches, especially when Nastia was basically robbed of the Gold.)
• Bad Coaches = Coaches who basically tell you that you suck after placing second in the entire freaking world. In front of everybody. On worldwide TV. (Women's Pole Vault Coach.)
• Good Sportsmanship = congratulating the competitor that beat you, or graciously accepting the congratulations of others when you win. Congratulating your teammates and telling them how much they mean to you when you win as a team. (Michael Phelps.)
• Bad Sportsmanship = Kicking the ref in the face when you are busted for violating the rules. (Cuban TaeKwonDo guy, who got himself and his coach banned from the Olympics. For life.)
• What happened to showing the Equestrian competition on any network other than Oxygen? Who gets that channel, anyway? You're telling me I had to be subjected to stinking Handball on the regular networks, but I couldn't watch Equestrian? Someone please help me.
• Who plays Handball, anyway?
• Oh, and what happened to Synchronized Swimming? Isn't that still in the Olympics? Or was that on Oxygen too?
• On another note, how does one get into Synchronized Swimming or Water Polo?
• Those Water Polo guys are ripped. They have to be or they would drown.
• Their helmets look hilarious, though. Maybe they should start a support group with the indoor cyclists.

Ok, that is all. At least that's all I am willing to subject you to. I'm sure there are other good musings, observations, and questions out there. Talk amongst yourselves. (Said in my very best Linda Richman voice.)