No, I'm not getting fat...

I've managed to keep up with my goal of exercising 3 to 4 times a week. However, I haven't lost a single pound! ARGH.

What's worse? My clothes are also feeling tighter!

Of course, some explanations might be I'm cheating on the food end of things- but I believe my calorie count has been cut in half.

So, you might ask yourself, is this because of her thyroid? Nope- that was checked just last week and it's right on (Whew!)

Now, I might really be depressed at this point, but the reason for all this gaining in inches and lack of weight loss is because we are expecting our

FOURTH Daughter

on August 31st.

Originally I'd planned to do a whole April Fools joke on my blog. But, it's been so hard to keep quiet about this pregnancy (and it seems not just for me!) that news leaked out.

Ironically, our other three daughters didn't find out. I'm not sure how that worked... But tonight for Family Home Evening we told the girls they were going to have a new sister. Miranda, not unexpectedly, didn't know what was going on. Zoë and Megan were SUPER excited! Their eyes were shining, their little bodies were dancing, and they were cheering about having a little baby sister. Megan immediately suggested the name Annabelle, and Zoë, not be outdone, resuggested the name Veronica (she recommended it for Miranda's name, too).

Travis said he got to pick out the baby's name, but they could make all the suggestions they wanted. As an aside to me, he said we really just needed to recycle the old list of names. I thought we might add a few like Hepzibah. He countered with Bertha. I don't think either of those names will make the short list.

I would post "pictures" of our up-and-coming daughter, but you'd have to cross your eyes and stand on your head to really see anything. I was just so glad to see that all her anatomy was in the right place- four chambered heart, head & brian look normal, tummy and bladder bubbles, legs and arms and feet and hands, umbilical cord with good flow. Everything looked great.

Now, I just wonder- will she look like her sisters? Eyes of clear blue? or green? or dark blue-green? Hair of straight blond? curly brown? "adult-like" dark brown? Average in height or tall? Will she be similar to one of her sisters? or all her own? (Maybe she'll have curly blond, or shocking red hair!?)

I'm glad that I'm in the second trimester, I've managed to NOT gain any weight (which is my goal since I'm grossly overweight). I'm truly full of gratitude that the Lord has blessed us, so far, with a healthy baby girl.

Of course, now the hard part... waiting for what seems like an interminable amount of time for her to arrive!

Oh, and in honor of this being our fourth daughter, I changed most of the blog colors to pink...

Sisterly Love

Megan was riding her "bike" outside. Miranda would LOVE to ride a bike, but she hasn't got the leg length or the coordination. Still, she has no problem with "helping" her big sister out.


We are LOVING the sunshine, and even more the warmer weather. It's so nice to put on a lighter jacket and play outside. I'm still hoping we'll have a warmer spring and a great hot summer!

The Best Toys...

.We've all seen the kid who ignores the toy inside the box and goes straight to play with the box itself- or hey, even the wrapping paper instead of what it was hiding. I love it when kids take ordinary toys and turn them into something that uses their creativity and imagination.

I remember being 3 and playing in some cardboard boxes my dad put together to make houses. He took some boxes that had shallow lids. By placing the shallow lids on the ends of the boxes (perpindicular) and placing a third lid on top, we had our own house/car/store. I remember packing my pink plaid baby blanket and my koala stuffed animal (my comfort toys and favorites of the time) into these cardboard box houses and playing for hours. (Or maybe it felt like hours and was only minutes- I'll have to ask if my mom remembers).

I remember as a child one of my favorite toys to play with was this super-durable hard plastic shopping cart. The handlebars were removable, so it worked as a shopping cart, a stroller, a car, a wheel chair, or anything else that required wheels and could contain a 6-year-old or smaller child. My sisters and I would often take turns (or fight over whose turn it was) to sit in the shopping cart and be pushed around. That's why it was great when we could reach the wheels ourselves and self-propel our tiny bodies around the room (still difficult on carpet).

So, when I saw Miranda inside her shopping cart today, I laughed! Not just because she was sitting inside of the cart (I actually put her in there once before, so the idea was not completely novel) but the fact that she climbed inside by herself!




She's definitely a little climber, and has no qualms about finding tools to help her achieve her goal. I love that she's interested in exploring her world. Now, I just need to find a way to keep her from wanting to run off...

Literature

Last night I finished a good book. East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a novel that is not unknown by name, and I know it made it on not a few high school reading lists. I never had the assignment to read this book until our book group selected it recently. Unfortunately, I didn't read the book before we met for the discussion, but about 1/10 of the way into the book, and especially after further discussion, I was intrigued and impressed. Despite knowing all the plot twists and the outcomes, I was still vastly moved by the book.

Themes of good vs. evil, predestination/fate vs. free will, parental responsibilities and roles, sibling relationships, and importance of family are some of the major point of the book. But there was also a beauty in the subtleties, the language, the descriptions of the author's childhood stomping grounds. It is a book of substance, one that makes you think, and one that, once you close that last page, you feel like a better person who has learned something about humanity and life and God.

If you haven't read it, go read it.

"Timshel!"

Happy Sixth Birthday, Zoë!

Well, it only took me nearly two months to finally post these pictures. I put them on my web site-- as opposed to my blog, which is really all about me and not my children, or is it about them? At any rate, you can watch a captioned slide show, or you can click on thumbnails at the bottom to open pictures in larger format in a new window. I'll try to see if I can get some movies posted (if there are any decent ones).

It's so hard for me to remember Zoë is Six now. My little baby is all grown up, but just as full of fun, light, laughter, and life as she was when she was born. I get frustrated by her self defeatism (currently with reading), but she's so amazing when she catches on to something (swimming, bike riding, tying her shoes). I love how she is social, but enjoys her quiet time, too. I am grateful for her empathy, her love to serve me and others to make us happy. I know I'm her mom, but I also think she is beautiful- shiny honey hair, sparkling blue eyes, and clothes look good on her.

I love you, my growing girl, my oldest daughter, my sweet girl, my Zoë.

Random Thoughts about Beds

1. I love the smell of clean sheets- with just a hint of bleach in them. There's nothing like sliding your tired body into crisp-but-nearly-soft sheets that smell sooooo good. I don't like them as crunchy as my grandma's line-dried sheets are, but hers smell the best.

2. How long is a mattress supposed to last?

3. Do you have depressions in your mattress? I heard that turning it every few months is suppose to help that. We have some minor depressions, but after 10 years, I'd thought we'd have more. Maybe it's because there's not a whole lot of room for the 2 of us in a queen bed (Travis didn't want me to "get away"), or maybe it's because I flip and turn and roll so much that the mattress doesn't have time to "settle".

4. I hate making beds. It's even worse on Mondays (my laundry day) when I have to change 4 sets of sheets! (but it is worth it; see #1) Does one change them weekly? biweekly? monthly? annually?

5. I hate re-making the bed when somebody has an accident/throws up/etc. And, why does this always seem to happen on the day I change the sheets? Does the smell set of a chain reaction leading to the sheets needing to be immediately changed? Does the smell from the closet dampen this effect?

6. Although pretty, bed spreads are a nightmare. I love Megan's bedspread right now. All you really have to do is pull it up and there are nearly no wrinkles or problems with straightening it. Still, Megan does a great job making her bed. Zoë's is the hardest, ruffles and frills everywhere. I'm very impressed with how well she makes her bed.

7. How often does one wash blankets/pillows? I find that I "get around" to it about twice a year- barring any accidents requiring immediate washing.

8. I still really (someday) want to get a bed frame. Travis doesn't like them- they're too constricting. I'm trying to convince him (and find one) that one without a footboard would work. Maybe then I could sit up in bed without it sliding away from the wall...

9. How long does one keep a baby in her crib? I'm sure how quickly they crawl out of it is a big factor. (No, none of my children have crawled out, yet. But, Miranda is my climber, so I can see her getting there earlier than later).

10. Are toddler beds worth it? Zoë and Megan went right into regular twin beds. But, I am thinking that space is becoming a premium so...

11. What about bunk beds? And, does one get the stripped-down Ikea model, or the super fancy one that looks like a castle complete with curtains and a slide? (Baring any expense issues, that is).

12. What do you keep under YOUR bed? Right now I have some clothes, and books, and slippers, and a whole farm of dust bunnies (which are very prolific!), and I'm sure there is at least one pair of shoes (or maybe it's a stray).

Microwave Brownies?

Back in December, I talked about the Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker (a misnomer). Zoë decided she wanted to use her machine again, so we pulled it out and I whipped up the mix for Brownies. The batter was disgusting- mayonnaise??? I was fearful that they would not taste very good.

A while back I was talking with some friends about brownies- how homemade ones just don't have the right taste or texture as a store-bought box of brownies. There's something in the homemade ones that seems to be off. Whether this is because this group of friends all came from the generation where most things came prepackaged and boxed, or whether we have humble pallates, or if it really is just that store-bought mixes are better than scratch, well, I'll leave that up to you.

After baking these brownies, I might have found a contender to the box mix brownies. We did make them in the accessories that came with the Cupcake maker, and I put the brownies in individual paper cupcake holders. The recipe, however, said you could make these in a microwaveable glass dish as well. I might have to try that yet. They were MOIST, they were SOFT, they were CHOCOLATELY, and I imagine if I'd spread some melted chocolate chips on top they'd have been phenomenal. Or, maybe my taste is just so far off from what other people enjoy.

At any rate, when you make these brownies (which are CHEAP!), let me know what you think about how they taste!

Is it SPRING?

I hesitate to even venture to say that Spring has made an appearance here in the Midwest. Mostly because I know Winter is not officially over until after my birthday.
We will yet have a few more days of cold, probably some more snow, and I haven't packed away the boots, parkas, mittens, hats, and snowpants that are crowding our tiny hall closet.
However, this past week we had a BEAUTIFUL sunny afternoon, with temperatures in the SIXTIES! and clear blue skies. It was wonderful to remember that seasons do change, time does continue, and it will someday truly be Spring (and then SUMMER!) again.
I loaded Megan and Miranda into a bike trailer and got Zoë on her bike. I decided we would try to grab a friend to take with us to the park, and a kid in the neighborhood was outside riding his bike as we went by to pick him up.
We biked down to a little park we don't frequently attend due to the fact it requires crossing a VERY busy street (the busiest in South Bend), and going down a super-steep hill. But, I think the park was worth it!

The girls played on the little slide, the merry-go-round, the "digger", and the swings. Miranda went nuts when she saw a dog arrive (with a family). She was so eager to watch the animal run around. Zo&ueml; was thrilled to be able to throw the ball for the dog to chase (and, I was rather impressed with her throw! Maybe we should sign her up for softball?)

The ride home was a little painful. Our neighbor friend had training wheels, and didn't like riding over bumps or down 'hills'. That meant he stopped at every driveway and broken-up-sidewalk (of which there are TONS in our area!). I was exasperated because I saw Zoë up at the end of the block just as we got to the other side of the street we were crossing. It'll be so fun to go on bike rides with her and maybe some friends who are a little more comfortable on their bikes...

What a wonderful afternoon, tho'. Oh, and Miranda is definintely my most adventurous and is NOT afriad of heights.... Take a look at this movie:

Want some Squirrel with that Mousse?

Megan has a wild imagination. Since she was about 15 months old: sitting in a shopping cart she handed me her empty hand and said, "Cookie?" I replied that I wasn't buying any cookies. She grinned, then pretended to pick up another one and offer it to me. Duh. I guess I just wasn't expecting a toddler that young to already start pretending!

Well, it didn't stop there. I have been entertained by many of her imaginative activities. In fact, this morning Megan was telling me about why she has so many snarls in her hair. A while back Megan asked me why I kept saying she had "rats nests" in her head. I explained that it was the knots in her hair, or the snarls. Somehow, rats was changed to mice, and she started telling me about how the mice would crawl into her hair at night and throw a party, leaving a big mess of snarls.

Well, this morning she changed the story:

Mom? I have lots of snarls in my hair, but the mice didn't come into my room. They actually crawled in and had a party on the ceiling and dropped marbles into my hair and that's what made the snarls.

Yeah, um, she does speak in more than 10-word sentences. She does have an active imagination, and she can synthesize information to come up with a creative solution. Nope, I don't think she's lacking in the creativity or imagination department...

By the way, the quote from the title of this post is from "Will & Grace" when Karen saw Grace 's hairdo.

Busy Saturday

Since Travis was unavailable all day on Saturday (he had church meetings in the morning, and work- including interviewing a potential new post-doc for his boss' lab), I knew that I couldn't just sit around the house all day.

After getting some "chores" done, we loaded up our lunch boxes and headed for the library. Yup, our local library now has a little "snack" area where you can eat food. It's awesome- especially for winter picnics! While at the library, we checked out a museum pass. For you locals, if you haven't done this already, you can get into a number of the South Bend Museums for FREE (up to 6 people) just by checking out this pass from the main branch (downtown) library. We decided to check out the Mastadon and Mammoth exhibit at the Northern Indiana History Museum.

They had some cool bones, but I think the things the girls enjoyed the most were digging for fossils and playing in the basement area- they have an old town set up (wagon, trade store, tepee, canoe, etc.)

When we came home we all took "rest time". Megan was the only one who didn't sleep. But I think the novelty of getting to lay in her sleeping bag was too exciting for her. I guess Zoë was just tuckered!

When the girls got up, we did some window painting. Now, as for an activity, the girls LOVED it! I was a little surprised they went more with an abstract aspect as opposed to an actual picture, but all 3 loved the novelty and the colors and designs they came up with. I got the idea for homemade window paints out of my Family Fun magazine. It said to outline everything in black, but I thought painting was enough. YES, it was MESSY! I had a towel on the floor, and the girls wore a paint shirt. Miranda was lovin' the idea so much that I let her paint a little bit on one window- but I should've picked a color other than RED. Since I'm not particularly thrilled with the idea of pink windowsills in my green living room, I got her to paint at the table with watercolors instead. She enjoyed spilling the water everywhere, but also getting some paint on the paper, too.

After Megan finished her window, which she titled "Blue Island in the Sky", she wanted to paint with watercolors with Miranda. She loves black, and most of the rest of her picture was covered. Although, Megan discovered what happens when you color with crayon first on your paper and then watercolor on top. She was pretty excited about that.

Zoë was the last to paint (she woke up later from her nap on the floor in her sleeping bag). Miranda wanted to "help" so I had to keep her corralled away from the paints, the window, the brushes, and her big sister. Zoë named her finished piece (when it was only half done), "The Mix".












































































The clean-up wasn't too horrible, but my sink still looks like a leprechaun painted it...