Eating My Words

There comes a time in every sassy girl's world where she has to open her mouth WIDE and eat..her..words.  Today, my friends, is that day. 

My loyal and long term readers may remember this blog from a year or so back. Sassy Blog Post .

Yep, I'm happy/scared/shocked/delighted and even slightly worried to announce that we are expecting again. 

I'm just about 17 weeks along and due....DECEMBER 11th :)  It's what I deserve for putting those words in print back in 2009.  Lesson learned.

For the record, I was on birth control and it failed.  As if I needed another reminder that I am actually NOT in charge at all!  This baby is already taking charge!

I doubt it comes as much of a shocker that it's been really hard for me to settle in and not worry after what happened last fall.  As far as pregnancy length goes, today is the same day that with my last pregnancy I found out we'd lost the baby.

I haven't wanted to tell people because fear was holding me back.  What if I lost it again?  I couldn't go through all that and would rather no one knew. 

But, I got a phone call last night that reminded me that life is full of so many unknowns and so many things can change so quickly.  Living all frozen up and scared isn't doing me any favors.  We can't get through our fear and worries without the support network of friends. 

So, my friends, no more hiding.  I'M PREGNANT!!! 

(Now, please let it go well!!)

Public or Private

I've been laughing about this for a week or two now and thought I should do a blog post. Also, I'm not doing so great on posting this summer.  With "all hands on deck" I'm finding less time to sneak away.

Anyhow, for some reason when I became a wife and mother my body ceased to be my own. It went from a privately held entity to a publicly traded entity.

I am constantly touched, sat upon, tugged, pulled etc.

The focus of today's little laugh is my - ahem - chest. Yep. Hasn't been my own for a while. There is always a little elbow, knee, head or hand poking, pinching, punching or slamming up against my poor chest area.  (We won't even get started on the Hubs!)

J-Bear even calls that area of my body "pockets".  He is constantly pulling out my shirt and asking if he can tuck a toy away in "you pocket" for safe keeping.

WHY oh WHY!!

Perhaps the best came a couple weeks ago when my Mother-in-law (MIL) was watching my kids. The subject of taking a swim in her condo complex pool came up. My wise MIL knows that my little fiends need mucho adult supervision and doesn't quite feel up to the task of taking them swimming alone. Did I mention she is wise?!

During said discussion Cadie Lu offered up this gem:

"I know, we could take my Dad with us. He's a real good swimmer. He can go underwater and everything. But, my mom, well, see, she has these really big... uh...chest things. And I think the water must hurt them. So she doesn't like to swim."

Oh, ho, ho. If only that were true. Water is the only place were those honkers enjoy the glorious feel of weightlessness. If only she knew that those are the only "big things" on my body that don't give me pain and embarrassment. It's the other "big things" on my body that make swimming an uncomfortable prospect.

Also, I appreciate her discussing my aching bosoms with the family.

But, I suppose that's how it goes with public entities.

Summer "Vacation"

Here is how I remember summer vacations from my youth...

Swimming at "The Bubble" with my friends

Afternoons at Pineview

Hiking

Horseback rides

ATV rides

Sitting on the trampoline visiting with friends

Building Lego empires in the raspberry bushes

Here is how I envision that my summer vacations
will go with children...

Splashing in the sprinklers

Playing at the park

Trips to the library

Swimming lessons

Visits to the family cabin

The zoo

Learning to ride a bike

Here is how things are actaully paning out...week TWO...

Makes me wonder how my MOM remembers summer "vacation"!

Scapegoat

I've been thinking a bit lately about how one of the cool things about being a parent is using your kids as scapegoats for things you don't want to get busted for. 

I come from a long and distinguished line of scapegoaters.  The other day I called up to my parent's house.  The phone was answered by my rather disgruntled father who had apparently spent far too much time that evening going around the house and turning off unnecessary lighting.  Turns out all those dinner time lectures  us kids endured over the importance of energy conservation, while Mom was innocently tucked into her casserole, weren't exactly aimed at the culprit.  Now that all the kids are gone, the identity of the perp is as clear as day - literally, 'cause she's sitting in a fully lit home!  I gently suggested Dad issue a formal apology to his maligned offspring.  Still waiting....

This brings me to the latest example of scapegoating.  He who shall remain nameless in order to protect what pride my blogging allows him to have, went to the store last night with Cadie Lu.  Prior to the store trip our hero had downed several pieces of sausage pizza and a few glasses of coke.  The food was rising up in rebellion by the time they pulled into the parking lot.  As he exited the van he realized that he would need to "let off a little pressure" before entering the store.  So, with Cadie Lu innocently standing near he did a covert check of the surrounding area and let fly.

Not two seconds later, a man who had gone stealthily undeteced but was clearly in audible if not olfactory distance, rounded the back side of the car next to our hero.  What's a person to do?

Well, he did what any quick thinking adult would do.  He glanced down at Cadie Lu and said, "Geez babe.  Whew!" and herded her away. 

I can only imagine the skeptical eye that the fellow store patron gave them as they walked away.  I'm sure he was aware that if that petite little 5 year-old had made a sound like that it would be the sound of her body ripping in half.

Still, our hero felt as though he'd saved face, and Cadie Lu didn't rat him out - which has actually happened to me in the past.

As far as our future goes, only time will tell who is REALLY drawing on walls, feeding the dog people food and forgetting to flush the toilet.  For now I'm enjoying the dinner time lectures while innocently downing my Chinese take-out.