I'm in Texas!

24 days til Christmas!!!

I am in the great state of Texas! John, Reagan, both dogs and I drove down last Tuesday morning. We hit the road at 4am (so very early). It took us almost 12 hours to get here. It took 4 hours for our youngest dog, Lily, to calm down. Ginger, our oldest dog is scared in the car so she slept the entire time! And Reagan did great! All in all not a bad drive.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had breakfast at my sister's house and then headed over to John's parents house for lunch. Let his parents watch Reagan while John and I went to see Old Dogs. Hilarious movie and very clean.

And then there was BLACK FRIDAY! My mom, sister and I have a tradition every year that we hit the stores at 4am. Yes we are some of those crazy people! This year we even wore shirts that matched. Ellen and I found shirts at Target that said "Nice" on them, but couldn't find one for mom so we made her one that said "Naughty". We got lots of compliments on them throughout the day. We started at Kohl's at 4am. Got some great deals. Drove through Starbucks (a must on Black Friday), then off to Target, grabbed breakfast at Chick Fil A. Next we went to Children's Place (love this store) and then headed to the mall. I finished all my Christmas shopping and Reagan's birthday shopping. Had to get Reagan's birthday cake (of course from Texas Star Bakery) . Got back to my sister's house and got ready for Reagan's Texas Birthday party. We had a blast and Reagan got lots of cute clothes and fun toys. I am attaching the picture of Reagan eating her "smash" cake. She was so cute and definitely loves cake! Thank you to all my friends and family who came!









This weekend we are celebrating John's Pa's 100th birthday! Which is totally amazing! And he is in very good health for the most part. So we will be having a major celebration! We are definitely looking forward to that!

Turkey and Gliders and Sales...Oh My!

So Thanksgiving has come and gone this year. We ate, we saw, we conquered...and I'm worn out. Places to go, people to see...I'm sure you all understand. We are fortunate to have both sets of parents living in the DFW area, however it can still be a whirlwind of a time trying to see everyone. I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families...can you believe Christmas is right around the corner? And what better way to kick off the Christmas season than to go shopping on Black Friday, right?! It's not so much a tradition of mine to go shopping on Black Friday, but the last several years I have gotten up with all the other crazies and braved the sales. This year I checked out the ads early and really didn't see anything worth getting up at 4:00 am for, especially on my day off. That is until I got the Toys R Us/Babies R Us ad. I was flipping through to see if there was going to be anything good on sale and there it was...50% off a glider set! Um, hello? What? Those suckers are normally $300! That means the set would be on sale for $150, starting at 5:00 am on Black Friday. As you may or may not know, I am expecting and due in March. I've already been looking into baby furniture, car seats, pack-n-plays, strollers...you name it, I'm on it. So this discovery really got my mind racing...should I get up and go get it? My decision wasn't made until the morning of...I set my alarm for 4:30 am and laid in bed for a little bit trying to decide. I finally gave in, got up, threw some clothes on (because there was no way I was going to actually get ready that early), and headed to Babies R Us. I got there about 5:15 and they had 3 gliders left and fortunately they had the color I wanted too. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! Woo hoo. I left there so excited that I decided to brave Target. HA! Not sure why b/c again, there wasn't anything in their ad that made me want to get up and go shopping. But I did it anyway. Fortunately I found a Christmas gift for Scott's sister that was on sale and a few other things. Yeah! I headed to check out and that's when I almost decided to put everything down and just walk out. The lines were ridiculously long, which wasn't all too surprising, but I just didn't want to deal with it right then. That's when I noticed that they were checking people out in the jewelry department and that line wasn't long at all. Well come to find out it was because they only were taking cash at that register. So I opened up my wallet and counted my money...thankfully I had returned some things earlier in the week and they gave me cash back...I had just enough and got out of there in no time. I was back home and in bed by 6:30 am. I did get out later that day and went shopping with my mom...we braved the mall this time. (We're such big girls.) All in all my Black Friday shopping experience was quite successful. Did you get up and go shopping on Black Friday? If so, what crazy sale did you take advantage of?

Cass

Yummy Goodness

I was looking for something a little different to contribute to Thanksgiving dinner this year, and I found a scrumptious recipe that I just have to share. I typically use AllRecipes when I'm looking for something new, and occasionally food blogs like Smitten Kitchen, or The Pioneer Woman Cooks. However, I happened upon a blog I haven't seen before, Plain Chicken, when searching for Nutella recipes the other day. And it was quite a lucky find. This recipe is definitely NOT healthy, but is certainly tasty.  I bring you...drumroll please...Nutella Gooey Butter Cake:

Nutella Gooey Butter Cake
adapted from Paula Deen

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted


Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup Nutella
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.


To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread Nutella mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

I wasn't sure on the timing of this one.  It really didn't appear to be done, but with the warning not to overbake, I didn't want to leave it in too long.  I baked it for about 45 minutes, pulled it out while it was still jiggly, and behold: 

Not a great picture, but I somehow failed to photograph an individual piece in all its' oozy glory - which is really a shame.  It sank quite a bit in the middle as it cooled, which looked a little odd, but didn't affect the taste in my opinion.   This was so stinking good!  I will say, a little piece was definitely plenty.  This was almost too sweet and very rich, but it received lots of compliments.  If you're a Nutella lover, this one is a must-try.  I think I would probably bake it just a little longer next time, because I thought the center was just a tad too oozy gooey, but all in all, this was a success!  

I'd love to hear some of your Thanksgiving contributions.  I'm always looking for something to add to the rotation, so let's hear it.  What did you bring to the feast this year?

Accessory?

I'm sick with the flu, and I can't bring myself to write much today. However, as I was trying to go to sleep last night, I was thinking about third nipples. I have no idea why. Anyway, it got me to wondering about them, so here's what I found doing a quick search this morning. This can also be called a triple nipple or accessory nipple. As many as 10% of people in the US have a third nipple. This number must not be certain, because I've also found numbers suggesting 1 out of every 18 people have one (around 5%). Apparently, they are commonly mistaken for freckles or moles. Carrie Underwood has one. Lilly Tomlin has one. Mark Wahlberg, too. I find it quite interesting that they would come out and tell the public that, but good for them! Anyone want to make an announcement on here?! :)

Sorry for writing about this while everyone else is writing what they are thankful for! I have so much to be thankful for.... maybe I can write about that next week. I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving.

ACTS

Can you believe Thanksgiving is in two days?!? Time really does fly. Soon it will be 2010...incredible. I have so much to be thankful for and am so looking forward to spending time with family and friends over the next few days...and eating a LOT of yummy home-cooked food. Woo hoo!

During this season of thanks, I am reminded even more than usual how God has blessed me, which in turn makes me consider my relationship with God and where it ranks in my life priority-wise. Suffice it to say, it's not always where it should be. Quiet time, prayer - I struggle to be consistent. I mentioned in an earlier post that I have, of late, been using my morning rush-hour commute for prayer time, but even with that I often give in to the temptation to just turn on the radio and listen to music or mindless morning talk shows. When I do make time for prayer, I find that my day is better for it. Logically, this realization should take away the struggle - if you find something that makes your day better, why wouldn't you want to do it? - but it just doesn't work like that for some reason, at least not for me.

All of this leads me to the point of my post: ACTS. I have realized lately that a lot of times when I pray, I seem to go straight to the requests: Lord, thank you for this day and your many blessings; please do this, help me with that, be with this person, etc. Our pastor told us about the ACTS acronym for prayer, and it has been such a big help for me, I thought I'd share it (though many of you probably already know it): A-Adoration, C-Confession, T-Thanksgiving, S-Supplication. To me, this puts all the elements of prayer into the right order. First we should acknowledge and tell God how much we adore him and all the ways that he is truly the most beautiful, powerful, loving, perfect Holy of Holies. Then we should confess to God that we are sinners and be real and honest about our shortcomings and our need for God's forgiveness. Then we can express our thanks for the fact that He chooses to bless us, forgive us, and provide for us despite those shortcomings. And finally, we can approach God and share with him our desires and needs and the desires and needs of others. This simple guideline has really changed the way I understand and experience prayer. I hope it touches you as well!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thankfulness & The Miracle of A Brother's Song

31 days til Christmas!

Ok so I wanted to also list what I am thankful for. But I have also included a story that our interim pastor told Sunday. Beware.... you will need tissues. There wasn't a dry eye in the room!

I am thankful for:

1. My relationship with Jesus Christ. I am thankful that God sent His only Son to die on the cross, taking my place and paying the penalty of my sin and then rose again conquering death!

2. That I am married to the most wonderful husband in the whole world! I love you John!

3. That I have the most precious daughter in the world!

4. That I have the ability to stay home and raise Reagan!

5. For my family and in-laws!

6. For the very best friends a girl could have! I love you girls!

7. For my church and the fellow members!

8. that John has a job and loves what he does!

9. For my home and my dogs!

10. I am thankful that we are all healthy!


The Miracle of A Brother's Song

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could do to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael would sing to his sister in Mommy's tummy. The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen. Then the labor pains came. Every five minutes . . . every minute. But complications arose during delivery. Hours of labor. A C-Section was required. Finally, Michael's little sister was born, but she was in serious condition. With sirens howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatric specialist tells the parents, "There is little hope. Be prepared for the worst." Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. The had fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby — now they plan a funeral. Michael, kept begging his parent to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he says. Week two in intensive care. It looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael keeps nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen made up her mind. She would take Michael whether they liked it or not. If he didn't see his sister now, he would never see her alive. She dressed him in an over sized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, "Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed in ICU." The mother rises up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glares steel-eyed into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen tows Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sings: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray." Instantly the baby girl responded. The pulse rate became calm and steady. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, Please don't take my sunshine away" The ragged strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr. "The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms . . ." Michael's little sister relaxes as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. Tears conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away." Funeral plans were scrapped. The next day, the very next day, the little girl was well enough to go home! Woman's Day magazine called it "the miracle of a brother's song." The medical staff just called it a miracle.

Thankful

First of all, I would like to wish Amelia (my dear sweet friend and co-blogger) and Lindsay (my sister-in-law) a happy birthday today. Wishing you both a year full of blessings. Love you!

Every year at Thanksgiving my mom has us go around the table and say one thing we are thankful for, so I thought I would get a head start and share a few with you all.

1. My family and friends - Their love and support mean the world to me and I am so blessed to have them in my life.

2. My job - In times like these, when people are being laid off everyday, I am so lucky to have my job.

3. Baby Boy O - What an amazing little miracle from above.

4. My freedom - I am so thankful for the men and women who have served or are serving in our military. It is because of their sacrifice that I have the freedoms I enjoy, yet sometimes take for granted, everyday. Remember to say a pray for those serving in our military (and their families), especially as the holidays approach.

Those are just a few examples of what I am thankful for this year. God has truly blessed me in so many ways. So as you celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, take time to reflect on all that you have to be thankful for and give praise to God.

Cass

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus...

...and her name is Mary. It's that special time of year at work. You know, the one where I try to cram buying 200 toys into my schedule while maintaining the rest of my job. Yeah, that one. But I'm happy to show you the fruits of my labor:

All of these toys (or sets) were $11 or less. My goal was $10 per toy, and I always stretch that as far as it will go. My best discovery this year was the seasonal Mattel outlet in Richardson just past Spring Creek off of 75. There's an outlet that's open year round in Fort Worth, but their prices are comparable to Target or Walmart. The Richardson location on the other hand, is amazing. I found toys that are regularly $26 for under $10. Unbelievable. My best finds there were probably the High School Musical 3 Fabulous Fashion Closet, and the Disney Princess Royal Horse Gift Set with a full size Princess Doll & Horse. I also found the Matchbox Crossroads Crash set there, as well as the Disney Cars Matchbox Carrying Case with launcher & extra cars. They even had full size ride along vehicles, outdoor playsets, etc. at huge discounts. If you have kids to buy for this Christmas - you must check it out! Be sure to check the coupons and sale calendar on the site before you go.

All of this is for our annual company Christmas party. It's a family event, and each child gets a gift and a picture with Santa Claus. It's early this year (December 5th) and I've had to hustle to get everything planned and organized, but I think I'm getting there. I had my team of elves at the office help me start getting things gift wrapped this week, and we made some serious progress:

We're almost done! Everything is coded with wrap by gender and age so I don't get confused and give a twelve year old boy a Sweet Pea gift set from Bath & Body Works. It's necessary. The downside to all this?  If you're on my Christmas list this year, you are definitely getting a gift card.

What kind of a picker are you?

So, I was at a stoplight the other day and looked to my right and saw a guy in his car going to town picking his nose. He did not seem to care who might see him...it was a little gross and equally entertaining. I kept looking at him to see if he might look at me, but nope- he was focused. So, it made start thinking about my own nostril behavior...and the other day I was sitting in my car again at another stoplight and went to scratch my nose and noticed I had a few boogie "friends" in the left nostril...so what was I to do? Do I pick, do I leave it? I was in a conundrum...and then if I pick- where do I put it? I know growing up I used to watch my dad slyly pick his nose (although he claims it was just scratching) and then proceed to roll the boogie and flick it on the floor. I think he thought I didn't see that, but even as a kid I knew what he was up to...ewee! So, since I was less than a mile away from home, I decided that I would leave my "friends" in tact and take care of it at home with a tissue. I wasn't ready for cross the "boogie rolling/flicking" line...I have a feeling there in no turning back once you do that...ha, ha!

Another thing that is funny is that After being married for 5 years, seeing how loosely Randy and I will pick a boogie in front of each other...Randy is worse about it than I am, but it just makes me laugh because when we were dating there is NO way we would do that.

This makes me think of another thing- if someone has a booger in their nose- do you tell them? or act like it's not there and try to wrap up the conversation asap? I remember in college, that one of my dearest friends, Crista (she's always been there for any social awkwardness as she commented in my last post-just love her!) came up with the saying "Do I have friends?" to check our noses in public("friends" meaning boogers)..we would tilt our head back a little and ask "Do I have friends?"...it was nice to have people in your life that would tell you the truth and keep you from social disasters. As embarrassing as it might be for a minute, I go ahead and tell people if they have a booger or something in their teeth, etc... because I know I would like someone to do that for me.

I know this post gives you a lot of deep questions to think about- to pick or not to pick?

See you next Thursday!

Ciao- Staci

Just Resting?

I was driving through the Walmart parking lot this morning and looped around the front of the store to turn down another aisle. As I turned, I noticed a man lying on his stomach, right next to a bench near the entrance of the store. His head was facing me, and I could tell that his eyes were open. As it registered what I saw, I was already turning onto the aisle. I put the car in reverse and rolled the window down. There was only one other person out in front of the store, which seems pretty rare for Walmart. She was trying to ask him if he was okay, and I asked her if I should call 911. She pulled her cell phone out and started dialing. There was a fire truck out in front of the store, so we knew someone inside would most likely be able to help him. A man walked up and started asking what was going on. He took the guys pulse and started asking him questions. The man responded that he was okay and also said that he was "just resting." I don't think so! His body looked like dead weight. I went to park the car, because I figured the situation was under control at that point. By the time I got the girls out (Aidan was at school) and got to the door, a few other people had gathered around. They all pulled the man up onto the bench in a sitting position. He still looked really out of it, and this whole ordeal really stuck with me the entire time we were in the store. In fact, it brought tears to my eyes as I was parking right after seeing him on the ground. Nobody was there with him. Did he have a wife or children? Someone who had no clue what was going on with him? Poor guy. As I checked out, I asked one of the employees if he was okay. I had seen her come out to check on the situation. She said that it was a blood pressure issue and that he had been taken to the hospital. She said that he was more responsive and doing better by the time they took him. Such a weird situation. And I haven't been able to get it out of my head ever since. I hope and pray that he is okay. I don't think there's anything I could have specifically done to help, but I hate those moments when you feel completely helpless. Maybe God uses those situations to teach us that sometimes all we can do is pray. Thankfully, He can do so much more than that.

Side note: The shoe lady that I blogged about a long time ago.... I saw her in Walmart, and apparently, she works there now. I am so glad to know she is gainfully employed. And her shoes matched. :) I wonder where I will see her next.

Uninspired

I am just exhausted and can't for the life of me think of anything clever or remotely interesting to blog about. I found a Mad Libs book lying around...here are the stories my efforts produced:

"A Charming Story With a Happy Ending"
Once upon a log, there were three little pigs. The first little pig was very sparkly, and he built a house for himself out of moonbeams. The second little pig was creepy, and he built a house out of moles. But the third little pig was very imperfect, and he built his house out of genuine fangs. Well one day, a mean old wolf came along and saw the houses. "Quick!" he said. "I'll vacuum and I'll swing and I'll blow your house down." And he blew down the first little pig's flower bed and the second little pig's remote controls. The two little pigs ran to the third pig's house. Thereupon, the wolf began blowing, but he couldn't blow down the third little pig's toenail house. So he carried off into the forest, and the three little volatile pigs moved to Chicago and went into the sausage business.

"What to Do When You Have a Cold"
You can always tell when you're getting a cold because your windowsill will feel stuffy and you will have a typewriter ache. The first thing to do is to take a couple of whiskers. Then get into your cheese and rest, and drink plenty of kerosene. Sometimes it's fun being sick. Food is brought to you on a ligh socket so you can eat and watch TV, and your temperature is taken by putting a popcorn in your chainsaw. If your temperature goes over 1100 degrees, a doctor should be called. He will thump you on the speeding ticket and saw, "Oh Boy!" Then he will ask you what fireplace you ate the night before and x-ray your stomach. Finally, he will give you curly advice on how to get well. If you do just what he says, you'll feel scenic in no time at all.

Ah, Mad Libs. Cheap fun. :)

Human Trafficking

This past Friday at our MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) monthly meeting we had a guest speaker come speak about human trafficking. It was very alarming to say the least! She is apart of The Sold Project. www.thesoldproject.com. She informed us that the truck stop about 5 miles from my house is considered one of the largest human trafficking truck stops in North America. Ummmm what???? Very scary! I told John that Reagan would not be able to play on the playgrounds of any of the restaurants close to the truck stops ever!! And we were encouraged to pray as we pass by the area. I am hearing more and more about this tragic crime. I think just about every crime drama on tv has addressed human trafficking. But I still think we are not as concerned as a country as we should be. So here is a definition and just a few statistics on human trafficking.

Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons: by the threat or use of kidnapping, force, fraud, deception or coercion, or by the giving or receiving of unlawful payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person and for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor.

An estimated 27 million men, women and children are victims of human trafficking today.

Every year 600,000 to 800,000 are trafficked across international borders.

Women and children comprise 80% of the total number of people being trafficked.

An estimated 200,000 U.S. children are at risk of human trafficking

161 countries out of 192 are involved with human trafficking

Children comprise 50% of human trafficking target. And they become victims as early as 12 to 14 years old and they are most likely to get exposed to sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking, as an organized crime, is approximated to generate 32 billion revenue each year.

Individuals under the age 18, make up half of the total number of humans being trafficked.

There is only one shelter in the U.S. designed specifically to meet the needs of trafficking victims, and it currently only houses a total of seven to nine victims.

Scary scary scary stuff. Please parents watch out for your children, watch them like a hawk. Inform them of the dangers. Awareness is the key!

I know that was a heavy topic for a blog. So to end (I didn't forget) there are 38 days til Christmas!!

I Learned It From Watching You

I come from a big family...well, at least I think it's big. There are my parents, Gary and Cathy, and then I have a brother, J, and two sisters, Kiersten and Caitlin. So before any of us got married we were a family of six. Fun times at our house for sure. My parents marriage story is quite interesting...they've been married to each other twice. They married back in the day, had me, and got divorced when I was maybe 2 or 3 (I don't remember my age). They were apart for several years and by the grace of God they reunited and remarried when I was 5. And then boom, here comes J...followed two years later by Kiersten...and two years later came Caitlin (she and I are 10 years apart). My parents didn't waste any time obviously! LOL! I was my parents very own built-in babysitter for many years. Growing up we were not what you would call 'rich.' My parents worked extremely hard to provide for me and my siblings, but when you're younger you sometimes don't understand why you can't have what others have...and of course kids can be so cruel and make fun of you for not being 'rich.' It may have been difficult growing up not always having 'everything,' but I think that I gained so much by watching my parents provide for our family. What I learned from them I have been able to use in my own life. I paid my way through college by working over the summers and while I was in school, and my parents were able to help me here and there with books and other expenses. My car is paid for and I bought my first house by myself about three years ago. I have definitely worked hard to get where I am today, and I am thankful for all that my parents have taught me over the years. I hope that I will be able to pass onto my children a strong work ethic and to not take anything for granted. Thank you momma and daddy!!

Cass

Co-Workers, Schmo-Workers

A few weeks ago I was having some computer trouble at work. I was under a deadline on a project for one of the owners, and to say I was stressed out would be an understatement. I called in our IT Manager, who is also a good friend, and asked him a barrage of questions that he apparently did not know how to answer. He informed me that my question was not in his job description (I was having issues with Excel).  I informed him that job descriptions are very broad where we work, and I needed some answers. So he sent me this:  http://lmgtfy.com/?q=creating+forms+in+excel+2007.

I don't think I have to tell you how that went over. Did you see that "Was that so hard?" come up at the bottom??? 

A) I know how to create forms in Excel. 
B) Something was not working as it should. 
C) If it was that easy, he would have known the answer. 
D) OH NO YOU DIDN'T.

I had never seen Let Me Google That For You, but I must say it is the ultimate smart-aleck tool.  Takes some cojones to actually send the link to someone though. My reply to him? "You see the weird thing about that is that we pay YOU to answer those questions. :)" He replied with something equally snippy about how he's paid to make sure I can open Excel, and I just decided to let it go at that point. Later that day (of course), I thought of the perfect retort. 

This is what I should have sent him:  http://lmgtfy.com?q=IT+Manager+job+openings%2C+DFW.  Watch your step IT guy.

Wise sayings to live by...

So, from time to time certain "wise statements/principles" people have said to me will pop in my head at just the right moments for an appropriate application...these are some of the ones that I have actually listened to and it has really served me well...

1. Never spend more than you make

2. Choose your friends wisely- you become like those you spend the most time with

3. You can't un-ring a bell- meaning watch what you say- once its said you can't un-say it...

4. You should always be learning something new until the day you die.

5. Joy is a choice!

6. Better out than in (my Great grandma's take on tooting in public).

I have a head full of these, but these are just a few I have been thinking about lately(minus the last one-I just thought it was funny to throw in!)...what are some great words of wisdom you can testify to...

Socially Awkward

As the holidays approach, I thought it would be a good idea to talk something out. Do you always count on other people to start a conversation or introduce themselves? If you're the last one to the party, do you assume that the people you don't know will come up and introduce themselves? Or do you think, "Well, if they don't go out of their way to talk to me, I'm not going to talk to them." Or are you the type that just tries to avoid the party all together, because you're socially awkward (not that I have any friends like this, ahem.) Or do you get too caught up in your small group of friends or those you already feel comfortable around to include others? As my children have started becoming involved in things (school, dance lessons, baseball, etc.), it has vastly increased the number of people I don't know but find myself around on a regular basis. Sometimes I bring my A Game and am ready to introduce myself and make small talk. Other times, I just don't feel it, but then, for some reason, I feel I have a social obligation as an outgoing person to fulfill this need. Should we all just stand around and look weird because we don't know each other? Or should we introduce ourselves, even if we've seen one another five times now. I say let's all be more assertive. Nobody is going to think you're weird for saying hello! Why do we always feel so weird about it? Or is this just me? I know it's not just me, but is there anyone willing to admit it?! So put your big girl panties (or your big boy boxer briefs) on next time you find yourself in one of these situations, and go get 'em. You can do it! And chances are, you'll be glad you did.

P.S. I have to say, I think Staci is very good at doing this. We've had a lot of showers amongst the six of us (and more to come!), and I always admire the way she is able to put people at ease with conversation during a possibly socially awkward situation. She even said in one of her posts that it is an acquired skill, even for her, so don't go saying you can't do this, because it's just not "you." :) In another post, Mary, who occasionally finds herself in a socially awkward situation (wink, wink), suggested thinking up a short list of good small talk topics. She did think that pee and poo should be left off of this list. In Staci's post, however, she said she likes small talk that includes bathroom humor. So I'll leave that to your own discretion.

I'll cry if I want to...

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the average newborn cries 1-4 hours per day, gradually decreasing to an average of 14 minutes per day by 12 weeks. Ash is a generally calm, even-tempered kiddo, but of course he still cries, each and every day. Some days more than others, some days very little. Two things that Ash doesn't seem to care for very much occur at bedtime, unfortunately. While he enjoys his evening bath, getting OUT of the bath is another story entirely. I can't blame him - I hate those few moments of chill that happen when you're out of the water and getting dried off. No fun. He's also not a big fan of getting dressed, which is step #2 in the bedtime routine (getting undressed isn't his favorite, either, for that matter, though he seems to tolerate it somewhat better). This combination is sure to produce some consternation and tears, so we just motor through it as quickly as possible and he's usually right as rain after the PJs are on.

Tonight as we were going through this process and Ash was acting like it was the absolute most terrible thing that could ever happen to him, I wondered what it would be like if people never grew out of that phase. What if we, as grown adults, just wailed and cried every time something annoyed or irritated or upset us? I'm not just talking about moodiness or pregnancy hormones (Staci) or having a bad day, I'm talking about routinely spending approximately one hour per day crying. How bizarre would that be? The alarm clock goes off - burst into tears; the water doesn't get warm RIGHT AWAY - Niagara Falls; your nuggets at Chick-Fil-A aren't crispy enough - total meltdown (OK, so that's an actual example and the crier in question was pregnant, but you get the idea). And think of how tiring it would be for your emotions to be that raw! I am, without question, a crier. Happy, sad, frustrated, tired, nervous - these are all emotions that may cause (and have caused) me to cry. Sometimes a good cry is just what I need, and there's nothing like it. But I'm usually exhausted afterwards (depending on how good of a cry it was), so I can't imagine doing it every single day.

Anyway, there's my random thought for the day. I can't think of a tidy way to wrap up my blog post...I think I'll go cry about it.

45 days til Christmas!

So for today's post I decided I would google life's important questions and see what the answers were. Disclaimer: these are answers directly from google.com not necessarily my recommendations! So here you go:

Q: How often should you change out your toothbrush?
A: Every 3 months

Q: How often should you change out your mascara?
A: Every 2-3 months (so when you change your toothbrush, change your mascara)

Q: How often should you flip your mattress?
A: 3-4 times a year

Q: How often should you wash your sheets?
A: at least once a week

Q: How often should you change the oil in your vehicle?
A: Every 7500 miles

Q: How often should you rotate your tires?
A: Every 5000 miles

Q: How often should you go to the dentist?
A: twice a year

Q: How often should you clean your toilet?
A: twice a week

Q: How often should you vacuum?
A: 2-3 times a week

That is all the questions I could come up with at the end of a Monday! If I think of any more maybe I will include them in next week's post. I didn't write this question but someone actually asked on yahoo answers how often you should go to the bathroom. Hmmmm! Maybe whenever you have to go! :)

Random

I'm so tired right now and need to go to bed, so this is going to be short and sweet. I thought I would just give a few updates on how some things are going.

First, this is so not my year for Fantasy Football. If you may recall from one of my very first posts, I am the Fantasy Football Champion for my family league. As of right now, I am 3-5...soon to be 3-6. So not my year to defend my title. It's all about luck I tell you. Fortunately, my husband is undefeated...kicking butt and taking names.

Second, we found out last week that we are having a boy. It's exciting and scary all at the same time. So many thoughts running through my head. Oh my goodness...I'm going to have another little Scott running around here! You can go ahead and start praying for me right now. :)

Finally, my 30 days to develop a habit has started off a bit slow. I did okay in two out of the three areas but not great. I really need to focus and just keep swimming. I can do this! So I better be off to bed now...morning comes so soon these days.

Cass

Getting my fix

Jennifer's post inspired me, and made me realize that we haven't talked about books in awhile. I had an experience almost identical to Jen's at the library last week. As I've said before, libraries are like crack for me, and after a particularly trying week at work, I needed a hit. (Do you call it a "hit" when you're talking about crack?  I'm so not street.) So despite the pile of probably 10 books on my nightstand, and that other pile of 8 books on the bookcase, and then those two bags of books from my mother in law that I haven't read...you get the point...I went to the library to rest my stressed out head.

At one point I was carrying around 6 large hardcover books, which eventually led to a rather loud debacle in a very quiet library. So I took my red face and found a cozy chair in a corner to read the first few pages of each, imposing a 4 book limit on myself.  I narrowed it down to the following:

First up, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I had heard a lot of hype about this book, and typically I'm not a big fan of hype.  Hype makes me skeptical. Call me a cynic if you will, but I've always subscribed to the theory that I'd rather have low expectations and be pleasantly surprised, than have high expectations and be bitterly disappointed. But that applies more to life than books. Moving on...


Water for Elephants did not disappoint. It is told from the point of view of Jacob Jankowski, an old man in a nursing home looking back on his life. The book had a sad sweetness to it, and the storytelling by Ms. Gruen was enchanting. She brought you right into the narrator's world and you just didn't want to leave.  Once I started I hated to put it down. Sometimes I dread the ending of a book that I'm really enjoying, because tidy endings annoy me, and open ended ones usually bother me. (I'm serious about this reading business) But I think this ending leaves you exactly where you want to be after hearing Jacob's story, and not in the most expected way. I decided I liked the story even more a few days after reading it, because it's one that doesn't quite leave you, and I think that's the best kind.


So that's a tough act to follow for the remaining three books. I think Lost & Found is up next, though the mix of tragedy and the comforting presence of a dog is a subject that will probably have me all emotional and weepy. For my husband's sake, I hope it's as quick a read as the last!

Maternity Pants, Muffin Tops, and Muumuus

So I was going through maternity clothes last week in order to lend them to Cassandra. I have to admit, I sat there and thought to myself, "Would it be okay if I just wore these maternity pants? They're cute, and nobody would know if I wore them with a long shirt. They sure would be more comfortable than my regular pants with buttons and all of that fuss that constantly reminds me I need to shed a few pounds." And then I realized I was seriously considering this. Not that I thought about it and immediately laughed it off. I was seriously considering this!! And my "baby" is 18 months old. Yikes!! So where it gets really funny... I was talking to my dear friend Becky (one of my other BFFs, and I'll tell you all about her and her placenta one day) the other day, and we were both saying how we had eaten too much Halloween candy. Then she mentioned that she had come across some of her maternity pants and seriously contemplated just wearing them again. Mind you, her "baby" is 16 months old. So we got a good laugh as we compared our on-the-verge-of-wearing-maternity-pants stories. So then we got to talking about just wearing sweats, but even then, some are tight and still you are faced with the muffin top issue. Somedays I totally understand the whole muumuu thing.

And this picture reminds me... If you haven't ever perused the aisles of Walmart on this website, you must! It's terrible, but it's hilarious!

Halloween

I figure I might as well blog this week about the reason I didn't blog last week :)

I know Halloween has these horrible pagan roots and what-have-you, but since most people couldn't even tell you the details of those roots, I feel perfectly OK with enjoying what it is now - a chance to put on a fun costume, decorate the front yard, and pass out candy to cute little kids! In Halloweens past, I have dressed up as: Wonder Woman (probably my all-time favorite costume, made by my mom!), a cowgirl, a ballerina, a biker chick, an alien, Moses (truly hilarious; if I have time in the next few days I'll scan a picture and add it!), a little kid at a slumber party, and, for the past two years, Zuul (from Ghostbusters). I have never bought a ready-made costume; they are always either homemade or put together with stuff I already have (or find at thrift stores etc.).

So this year was obviously baby Asher's first Halloween. I spent some time looking online at the adorable infant costumes, but felt somewhat uninspired and ultimately decided that if Adam and I have never bought a costume for Halloween, we shouldn't buy one for Asher either! Adam wanted Ash to be Magnum P.I., but we couldn't think of a good way to put a mustache on a baby. Then, in a flash of inspiration, I had it - the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Done and done.

Which leads us to why I didn't get around to blogging last week. As usual, I grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take to make a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man costume. Every night last week after Asher went to bed, I stayed up figuring out how to make this costume happen and, subsequently, constructing it. However, it was sooooo worth it!!! Ash was the cutest little marshmallow man I've ever seen! He didn't even seem to mind the hat (definitely the kicker!).

As Beth said, I know he won't remember being the "cutest little marshmallow man" ever, but it still makes for a great memory, and I think we've got him off on the right foot with Halloween costumes!!

Halloween

51 days til Christmas!!

So Halloween is so much more fun when you have children! John carved a pumpkin and Reagan enjoyed watching! We dressed Reagan up as a Bumble Bee. She was so cute! And it was such a nice night. We went door to door in our neighborhood and Reagan just squealed with joy and would smile at each person. She got lots of candy and John sat on the porch and passed out all the candy we bought to give out. Of course Reagan won't be eating any of the candy and she won't remember trick or treating, but it was such a fun night!

What's It Going to Be?

This past week Beth sent us a link to a blog that four housewives contribute to and one of their posts got me thinking, so I'm borrowing it and using it for my post.

Have you ever tried to start something new, whether it be a new hobby or making your bed everyday or even reading your Bible and praying everyday? I have always heard that if you can get past the first 30 days of doing something then you have developed a habit of actually doing it. So as today starts November and there are 30 days in November, I figure now is a good time as any to work on a few things and hopefully make a habit out of them. I'm trying to decide what to do though...I don't want to overwhelm myself in the first month and give up by week two. Plus, I want to make sure that what I'm doing has a positive change in my life. So, here is what I have come up with:

1. Getting up early enough in the morning to where I have time to shower, get ready fully (I am one of those women you see driving to work and putting on her makeup...bad, I know), and leave so that I get to work on time. This is going to be interesting because I just love to snooze...and especially since I'm pregnant and really love to sleep right now. I know I can do it though and this will certainly be a positive change because I won't be stressing about getting to work on time and I'll be paying attention to the road.

2. Reading Proverbs daily. I borrowed this from the blog and really liked the idea. What you do is read the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds with the date, so today I would start off by reading Proverbs 1. I realize there are 31 chapters in Proverbs, but as the writer of the blog noted (and I must say I very much agree) and I quote "how very thankful I am that every month does not have 31 days because that Proverbs 31 woman is too intimidating for me to read about every month!!" Oh to be the Proverbs 31 woman!!

3. Finally, I have decided to make it more of a priority to pray for my husband. I am going to be honest here and say that I don't pray for my husband as much as I should. Somehow I think that maybe I can change him and then get frustrated when it doesn't happen. Gee, I wonder why? I don't know how many times I've heard or read this, but it all comes down to giving him over to God. God reaffirmed this for me today during the sermon at church. Our pastor discussed the role of the woman in a marriage...always a fun topic if you ask me. :) He said that a woman's role fits the man's role and provides stability...we complement the man. He spoke from Ephesians 5:22-27 and said:

• A woman must learn to FIT. "Wives, be subject to your own husbands" - as we all are subject to Christ. (Colossians 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Genesis 2:18)
• A woman must have FAITH. I need to get out of the way and let God do the work in my husband's life. God is the only one who can change him - I must believe/trust God to do what he can do. (1 Peter 3:5 - the women put their "hope in God.")
• A woman must learn to FOLLOW. I don't know about you but this one is hard for me, being the ever so independent person I am. "Wives should submit to their husbands in everything." I Peter 3:1-6. We are to 1) follow without contention; 2) follow without manipulation; and 3) follow without disrespect. Ephesians 5:33.

That concludes our sermon for the day. :) I feel I should clarify that I am not trying to change my husband, I am just aware that I need to be praying for him all the time. I love my husband and should be praying for every area of his life...that he will fulfill his God-given abilities and be the man he was created to be. It is an honor to pray for him.

So those are the three things I am going to be working on in the next month...hopefully I can report back with some good news by December. I challenge each of you to join me in developing a habit that will positively change your life (and maybe that of your spouse).

Cass

BTW, here's a link to the blog I was talking about: http://todayshousewife.blogspot.com/