Good Karma

Even though I went ahead and shared about Lisa's My Fruit Roll Up give a way, thereby reducing my chances of winning, I still won! I guess it's good karma for not being selfish!

Off to design my Roll Ups!!

And a BIG thank you to Lisa. Now if I can just talk her into a trip to Florida to photograph my family!!

Too Cool!

My bloggy friend, Lisa, is hosting her very first give a way, and a part of me didn't want to mention it because, let's face it, the more comments she gets, the bigger the chance someone other than me will win! But, My Fruit Roll-Ups are just too cool not to mention. My kids would flip out to find pictures of themselves on a fruit roll up! So, go check them out, and visit Lisa's blog and maybe you'll be the lucky winner!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I am not actually posting a Not Me! post today because it doesn't really feel like Monday.

I did not just have oatmeal and coffee at 3:15 in the afternoon because I'm cold. It is not currently 72 degrees in my house without the heat OFF, so all you frozen tundra residents do not need to tell me to just shut the bleep up already.

I am not sitting in my quiet house while both my girls are out with friends, and the baby is napping. I am not spending this very rare free time on my computer when I should be mopping the juice and ground up Gerber meat sticks from some little someone's lunch off the kitchen floor.

I am not seriously considering buying this sippy cup because the ones we have now leak all over the place. $14.99 for a cup? My everyday stemware I got as wedding gifts doesn't cost that much.

Your turn!

Mother Of The Year

My sweet online friend, Kristine, gave me a Mother of the Year award. Kristine is the mommy of two beautiful little girls. She's a budding photographer, and she's just as sweet as can be. Plus, she called my kids 'gorgeous', so what's not to love about her? So, thank you Kristine!!

On another note, I won my first bloggy give-a-way! I got an e-book: Living and Learning on One Income from Sheri at Homeschooling on a Wing and a Prayer. No, I'm not officially a homeschooler, but I am trying to live on one income, and need all the advice I can get on how to stretch that one income to cover the expenses of a family of five. And, I'm sure my kids feel like they have the best (or worst) of both worlds because I do try to do a lot of extra teaching at home.

My little Princess, for one, is learning all about that after making a comment that it's not her fault she doesn't know how to count money because it's not her fault she lives "in a house where everybody is too busy to teach me." Needless to say, all my spare time and effort will be going into teaching that child something........not sure what exactly that will be yet. How to count money. How to tell time. How to keep thoughts to yourself when they might cause your mother to blow her lid if you say them out loud.

'P's & 'Q's

I joined in with Lisa at Oh Boy...Oh Boy...Oh Boy in a fun game. Lisa had to list 10 thing she loves that start with the letter 'M'. Then she picked the letter 'P' for me.

I'm just thankful she didn't pick 'Q'. I mean, how many queens and quilts can a person really love?

And so, in no particular order, things I love about 'P'. Wait, that didn't sound right. Things I love that start with 'P'.

1. Photographs. I love taking photos, especially of my kids, and I love looking at other people's photos. While my favorite subject is my kids, I find that I actually take better pictures of things in nature. Like these:

2. Pasta. Especially pasta covered in cheese and some sort of Italian sauce. Spaghetti. Lasagna. Baked Ziti. Fettuccine Alfredo. Etc. Etc. I could never do a no carb diet, and I have convinced myself that one day doctors will discover that not incorporating enough carbs into your diet causes some sort of dread disease, like, oh I don't know, impetigo or something.

3. Peanut Dust. That heavenly smell that floats through the air in South Georgia in the Fall.

4. Project Runway. I absolutely LOVE this show. I mean, seriously, gay men in a tizzy because they can't find their chiffon. What could be better than that?

5. Parenting. I had to find a way to work my kids in here. It's a hard job, but I do love beingtheir parent. And I love how my husband and I almost always agree on how to parent them.

6. Pages. Of books, that is. I love to read. It's a great escape, and I love getting wrapped up in a good book.

7. Pajama Mama. She's my best friend, and I love her to pieces. I don't know what I would do without her.

8. Pajamas. Spending a day at home, in my pj's with a good book, or a marathon of Top Chef or Project Runway, or a few good Lifetime movies. Heaven.

9. Pampering myself. It's not something I get to do often, but when I can get away with it, I love to be pampered. The best is going to get a professional massage, but almost anything will do. Just a long hot bath with a good book or magazine, a scented candle, and some yummy soap is great. Oh, that is if I can get away with it without the Princess wanting to come in, sit on the toilet and talk while I'm bathing.

10. Peace. Another thing I don't get often, but what could be better than a nice completely quiet (read no whining kids, no Disney channel, no little boy beating on his bedbug toy) peaceful evening? Maybe in my PJ's watching Project Runway?

If you would like to play along, leave me a comment, and I'll email you with the letter I choose for you!

Not Me! Monday

We all have those moments in our lives when we do things we would really rather just forget. Not Me! Monday is the chance to embrace those moments and realize that our lives are fine despite our moments of inattentiveness, laziness or just plain forgetfulness! For more Not Me!s head over to MckMama's blog!

Last Monday I did not spend most of the day with the words, "Why didn't school start back today instead of tomorrow?" running through my head. I was not counting down the minutes until I could take my girls (and my daycare kids) back to school. Nope, I enjoy every single moment with all the kids in my house.

I did not turn 41 on Tuesday! I can't be that old. I have a baby for Pete's sake.

I did not completely forget that I had a meeting with the parents of the Princess' Brownie troop. I also did not forget that I had asked my niece to come stay with my kids while I went to said meeting. I did not suddenly remember these facts when said niece pulled into my driveway Friday night. I did not then realize that I could not under any circumstances allow her and her six month old daughter to come into my house with my son who had oozing impetigo sores on his face. There is no way I could have possibly forgotten any of this because I am the Cookie Mom who was supposed to be conducting the meeting!!

I did not stand in my kitchen last night with all three kids surrounding me and suddenly become overwhelmed and a little tickled by the fact that I have THREE kids. What were we thinking? We're outnumbered!

I am not getting ready to head out to the pediatrician with child number two in the great impetigo outbreak of 2009. What a marvelous way to start a new year.

So, what did you not do this week?

For Maddie, Miley & Jordan

If your Mr. Right is toothless, drools A LOT, loves long baths...with his sister, has a very strong Mommy attachment, eats anything and everything...especially if he finds it on the floor, has some inexplicable pull toward all things dangerous, loves to try to pull your lips and nose off, thinks it's hilarious when the dog licks him in the mouth, likes to growl at total strangers, has eyelashes to die for, and a smile that will melt your heart, then I have the man for you.

Let the cat fight begin.

Raw(e) Distracted by Fear & Hope

**Now that the contest is over, I have added a little edit. I blurred my last name and the name of my doctor. Just a little too much info out there for my comfort level!!

**This post is backdated because my children don't know any of this at this point, so I didn't want it on the first page of my blog where they might find it.

Sami at Sailor & Company is hosting this great photo contest. The photos must be completely raw and unedited. I literally had to remind myself of that after I uploaded and my first instinct was to start cropping.

This weeks Raw(e)theme is distractions. What is distracting you from your family, your housework, etc.?

Right now, my biggest distraction is fear.

I turned 42 at the beginning of January. At the end of January, I realized I am pregnant. To say I have lived in fear since that day would be an understatement. I am terrified that there is something wrong with this baby. I don't mean just a minor birth defect sort of issue, my fear is that there is something fatally wrong.

These ultrasound pictures are from the day I had my nuchal translucency screening. I got a call a few days later telling me that something in my bloodwork was measuring too high, and I was being referred to a high risk clinic for a more in depth ultrasound. That appointment is April 1st. The waiting is torture.

Meanwhile, I have piles of laundry, unmopped floors and toys everywhere. I am living with the fear of the unknown, and have been unable to focus on anything I need to do. Some days, it's hard to even get up and get moving.

It really wasn't until after I looked at the photos I took this morning, and saw this one, with the Japanese Magnolia reaching up to the heavens, that I realized I am also living with a great amount of hope. I have great hope that the baby is fine, that all this fear and worry is for nothing.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33:22