on birthdays

Today the little girl told me and I quote, "When I get bigger, when I get to be a big girl, when I am bigger I'm going to get in my car and drive to the store and buy Aunt Whitney a birthday cake. I'm going to drive my car to Harris Teeter and buy Whitney a cake."

There has been much anticipation regarding her upcoming birthday. She even told the doctor one day last week when the doctor mentioned her big birthday coming up, she said, "And I want to invite YOU to my birthday party!" Well, today we were talking about the two little boys I keep in the afternoons who both have birthdays this week. She said, "So ______'s birthday is after mine?" and I said, "No, first it's _______'s birthday and then it's ___________'s birthday and then it's mommy's birthday and then it's your birthday next." To which she replied, "Yes and I'm going to eat lots of cake! And I'm going to have a cakey face!"

Actually, as I write this Julianna's sitting at the fireplace yelling up the chimney at the top of her lungs, "SANTA!!! SANTA CLAUS!!!!" I don't know which is more exciting - Christmas or birthdays.

The Bucket List

This one has been going around Facebook, but it was one I actually hadn't seen before so I decided to do it here for all the world to see. Feel free to play along on your blog or on FB, but if you do please leave me a comment so I can check out your list as well.

The Bucket List.

Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not, then send it to your friends.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, do the list and tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.) If you don't see the Tag people in the upper right hand corner you are in the wrong place.)

Things you have done during your lifetime:
( X) Gone on a blind date
( X) Skipped school
( X) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
( X) Been to Mexico
( X) Been to Florida
() Jumped off a cliff
( ) Bungee jump
() Parasailed
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
() Flown a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
( X ) Been lost
( X ) Gone to Washington, DC
( X ) Swam in the ocean
( X ) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Been to New York City at Xmas time
( X ) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
( X ) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
( X ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( X ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( X ) Danced in the rain
( X ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( X ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( X ) Watched the sunrise with someone
( X ) Blown bubbles
( X ) Gone ice-skating
( X ) Gone to the movies
( X ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( x ) Lived in more than one country
( X ) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars
( X ) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( X ) Been on a cruise..
( X ) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
( X ) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
( X ) Been to Disney World...
( X ) Truly believe in the power of prayer/thought/energy
( ) Been in a rain forest
( X ) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier crack
( ) Been spinnaker flying
( ) Been water-skiing
( X ) Been snow-skiing
( X ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( X ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
( X ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( X ) Ever been skinny-dipping
( X ) Laugh so hard you cry
( X ) Follow a map for treasure
( ) Drive a dune buggy
( ) Get lost in East L.A. after dark
( ) Got a Tattoo

thinking about

I'm contemplating taking the Praxis II to get certified in additional teaching subject areas. I'm wondering how much of a difference that would make on my job search.

Also, thinking about how proud I am of myself losing 18.5 pounds all on my own. It's so exciting and I know I can lose more. I really feel like I've already made some good habits this year.

I'm loving my husband very much today (not that I don't any other day, just had more free time today to miss him) and looking forward to a quiet weekend to spend together doing not too much of anything.

Hoping and praying I don't have strep throat. After last year, I really don't want to take antibiotics again.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Her First Joke

It is a constant battle to keep the dog away from Jules while we eat and to keep her hands off of the dog so he doesn't jump up at us. Tonight we were having corn for dinner. Anyway, Julianna said, "I going to put corn on you Light and make you a corn dog!"

there's just gotta be

There's gotta be a lesson in all of this, but darn if I haven't figured it out yet. Please pray for me if you do that sort of thing. I'm hoping I've made the right decision regarding jobs, money, etc.

if only i were a child

I would be fascinated with the most randomest things (that's not a word is it?).

At least my daughter is.

She has learned the word "question" and although she says it with the most adorable pronunciation ever (kess-tuhn) she doesn't understand the meaning of the word. She's all the time now going around saying, "Mama, I got a question for YOU." And I'll say, "OK. What is it?" Then she'll reply with a typical toddler story like, "When we went to the library the other day... there was a boy... and he had on PURPLE!"

Anyway, that's not the funny part. The funny part happened yesterday when we were sitting at the bar in the kitchen eating lunch. Our island bar is located right next to the refrigerator and Julianna's usual seat is closest to the freezer side of the fridge.

Sometimes ice gets stuck halfway between the ice maker and the ice dispenser and then as it melts a little a piece will occasionally fall out. You see where this is going so far, right?

Julianna and I are happily munching on leftovers when a piece of ice falls with a loud clunk and scares us both a tiny bit. She asks, "What's that?" and I explained to her what had happened.

I think nothing else of it, but Jules knows our routine pretty well and she knows that right after lunch we go to pick up the kids I babysit for from their preschools. She tells me that she wants to tell the boys that a piece of ice fell out of our ice maker so I say OK kid whatever. (Well, not exactly that, but you know.)

As soon as she sees the oldest she exclaims proudly, "C_____, I got a QUESTION for YOU!"

"What is it, Julianna?" he answered with genuine curiosity.

"A piece of ice fell out of our ice maker!" she responded.

And he sat there bewildered as can be while I just quietly laughed at the workings of my child's mind.

Sometimes I feel like there's not a sole out there that cares. No one to tell. Nothing to do. Alone.

But trusting in God.