Saturday, July 11, 2009

old age

The other week when we were at the beach we rode down to where the Pavilion used to be after dinner one night. We passed a woman sitting out on her porch with five dogs at her feet. I pointed her out and Mom didn't see her so she asked if she was an old woman. When I replied, "She was about the same age you are," Jules echoed me. "She was about the same age as you, Nanna."

So then mom asks Julianna if she thought she was old.
"Do you think I'm old, Julianna?"
Julianna said in her deep Southern accent, "Yeah." [pronounced with two syllables]

Well, mom then asked, "Jules, is your Mama old?"
Julianna replied, "A little bit."

"Are you old, Julianna?"
"No. I'm just three." [holding up three fingers]

"And I don't have dots all over my face."

Fortunately, everyone laughed.

Friday, July 10, 2009

blurbs

This baby is so much stronger than I remember Jules being. Obviously, that was three years ago so my memory may be clouded, but I don't recall Julianna being so active and almost violent with her movements as this one is.

I had a check-up yesterday and the doctor said he wanted to do another sonogram next visit to get a more accurate measurement of the baby since it was measuring so big at yesterday's visit. He told me that it would more than likely be a very big baby.

My blood pressure was also high and he instructed me to monitor it at home. In addition, I've gained 23 pounds and was advised to only gain between 25 and 30 so I'm definitely going to miss that mark. Diet and exericse, diet and exercise....

...maybe I should stay out of the ice cream every night.




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Julianna has been giving us a super-tough time lately. I don't know if it's a phase or just that she's three or what but she's been very mean. She disobeys quite often, deliberately doesn't listen or answer questions when we ask her. She has been using "bad words" like "idiot" that she's picked up from The Little Mermaid even after multiple conversations about what the word means, how it makes people feel, and about how we shouldn't use some words we hear people in movies use. It's beginning to really hit home the power of all of these Disney videos.

She tells people she doesn't like them. She picks on my mom in particular, but also tells me and a little girl in one of her classes, straight to our faces, "I don't like you!" and swats us away. She pretends to shoot things she doesn't care for like bees, the dog, and sometimes even people she's mad at.

The funniest (but not funny) part of it all is that she has learned that if she does something wrong while people are not looking, then she cannot get in trouble. She will tell me, "Mommy, don't look!" and then she will move a chair over to the TV to stand in it and turn off the television.


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I have been spending the past couple of weeks mailing out more resumes and applying for more jobs. It is exhausting and you really don't realize how much time it takes to alter your resume and cover letter to fit various different positions until you actually have to do it. I'd say I've applied to over 50 jobs since May and so far nothing.

I am content with subbing again next school year if I need to, but of course it would be better to have a full-time teaching job.

But there are only so many computer teachers out there and only so many computer teachers leave the positions at their schools each year.

I am putting a lot of thought again into extending my teaching license and going to graduate school. I would appreciate your prayers on this matter. It's just so hard to know what is best to do. Ideally, I'd love to be able to do what I "signed up" to do when I got my teaching license which is to teach middle grades computer technology classes. Maybe God has a way to make that happen, but maybe I have another year or two of heading in a different direction instead.

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I've been having so much trouble sleeping at night. The heartburn has begun. I had it with Julianna so I fully expected it this time too. I am a back sleeper and with Jules I was able to teach myself to sleep on my side. I am having a much more difficult time with that this go 'round and I'll find myself awake in the middle of the night on my back with no idea how I got there, and in excruciating pain. Tears run down my face when I try to roll to my side and I'll lie awake and wait until the baby moves again because the pulse in my head is slow and scary sounding. I get worried when I cannot feel the pulse in my stomach like I usually can when I lay down on my side.

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We've seen several good movies lately. We went to see Up in the cheapo movie theater and we saw The Reader, He's Not That Into You, and Revolutionary Road from Netflix. The last two I wouldn't recommend as highly as the first two, but still worth seeing I guess. This week we have a babysitter and tickets to see Harry Potter. I could not be more excited.

I've also read some great books this summer. I finished My Sister's Keeper not long ago and now I'm working on The Time Traveler's Wife both of which are absolutely fabulous. Can't wait to see both of those at the movies later this year. Before that I read Wally Lamb's The Hour I First Believed which was a bit dissappointing after reading his other two long ago.

Julianna and I have been reading a chapter a day in The Frog Princess and she is eagerly waiting for the movie version to come out in December.

However, it's another Disney Princess movie so we might have to rethink that idea.

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Still have prime weeks open at the beach. If no one rents them I guess I'll have to go back down there for a while again.




Silly girl. She had to come around and feel the coconuts after we took the picture.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

notes from Jules

Dear Mamaw,
Thank you for the pretty tote bag. I've been using it to keep my library books and school worksheets in. It is perfect. Thank you for thinking of me. I miss you.
Love,
Jules


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Dear Seth,
I hope you've gotten your voice back since you got home from the beach. I would hate you to have to go to work not being able to talk and sing like Ariel. Thanks for always playing with me.
Love,
Jules


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Dear Aunt Camilla and Uncle Ted,
Thanks for letting me come over to pick blueberries again this year. They sure are yummy! It was nice of you to share with us.
Love,
Jules


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Dear Nanna,
I'm sorry I've been so mean to you lately. Please know that I love you and I am only three and have a hard time expressing my feelings properly. I know it's hard living with me, but I would miss you if you moved out.
Love,
Jules

Saturday, July 4, 2009

this has Disney written all over it

We're walking out to the beach just now and Jules asks, "Mommy, why are there fireworks at the beach this time? Is it because my Daddy is falling in love with me?"


Maybe she's watched one too many Disney princess movies?

Saturday, June 27, 2009

short stories

When we were getting dressed for church last Sunday morning Jules explained, "When my baby sister is born I want to take him to Disney World and take him on Goofy's rollercoaster and Daddy can hold him while I hold on to the handlebars."


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I was tucking Julianna in for a nap one day and as I was leaving the room I said, "Goodnight Squirt."


She replied, "Mommy, I not a squirt! A squirt is someone who has juice in them!"


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Me: Jules, did you just feel that?! The baby just kicked you!

Her: With his shoe?


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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

Mark Twain, in "Bringing Up Father," Reader's Digest, September 1937

Happy Father's Day to all of the dad's out there! You are much appreciated.

Friday, June 19, 2009

with Julianna all I wanted was cheese

In the past ten days or so I have had cravings for the following:

baby back ribs
grilled shrimp
salt and vinegar potato chips
hushpuppies with melted butter
Claussen dill pickles
gummy bears
steak and baked potato
a BLT loaded with bacon



Why can't I want healthy things like fresh fruit or veggies? I'm sure you've heard the stories of the women who just can't get enough oranges or whatever and they wake up in the middle of the night peeling and ravenously eating oranges over the kitchen sink. Why can't I be one of those women? I mean, seriously. Baby back ribs...?



Since these pregnancy cravings started my sodium intake has probably tripled. Not good.



Problem is, I would still be about willing to give my left arm for a hushpuppy tonight.



What did you crave when you were pregnant? Or just hungry and bored?