"Since U Bin Gone..."

This is Kasey, happy to be stopping by as a guest blogger while we await the arrival of Big Willy!

Tonight, we took a lot of pictures and thought it would be fun to post a little diary of what we're doing while Mommy and Daddy are off welcoming Baby Brother into the world.

I picked up Reese and Quincy around dinner time this evening, since Mommy checks into the hospital at 5:15am. No one wakes kids that early if it's at all avoidable! It's probably been at least six months since the last (and only) time I've ever picked them up and taken them away from their house in my car. They usually come to my house in their own car, then stay. Reese was quite startled that time and wasn't sure what to think. She ended up being fine, once we got out of the driveway and she didn't feel like she was choosing between two mommies!

To my relief, they were super excited for a sleepover. So excited, that they kept saying, 'Go to your house NOW! Come ON! Bring TOYS! We're gonna take a BUBBLE BATH!' And we realized how sound proof my windows are when we stood talking in the driveway with them yelling from inside the car, "Come on! Let's go! Stop talking!" It really took me right back to the days when I would hang from my Mom's sleeve in the hallway after 3 hours of church meetings. No. More. Talking.

I hadn't realized that Reese knows all the words to "Human" by The Killers now. She said it's her Daddy's favorite song. When they next song on the disc started, she said she didn't know this one...and then proceeded to sing along with the correct words. Too funny. Reese showed me how her grandpa taught her to dance with her arms. And when Muse came on, they both showed me what they've got. BTW, Meg, Reese thinks song #2 is YOUR favorite. Song #3 is HER favorite.

They finished their princess bubble bath at 8:30 and were hungry. Reese suggested that she be given "choices" of what to eat, so we reviewed what Mommy had included in their bag and the "choice" was oatmeal - hands down!

Quincy attacked it!

Reese considered a more lady-like, princess approach.

They inhaled it.

I wasn't kidding.

And they were still hungry. The next "choice" was "white yogurt."


I love the way Quincy's entire brow squishes when she's serious about her food.

Mommy packed BRAND NEW toothbrushes!

Note: Pink belongs to R; Purple to Q.

And then I realized there was no 'kid toothpaste' in their bag. Thinkly on my feet, I announced that the dentist had just given us two sparkly bags with a brand new tube of toothpaste for both of them!

They fell for it.

Little tiny tubes of CREST.

The rest of these pictures do not require words.

Cutest sisters!

And they fell asleep happily ever after.

"Burn Like Fire In Cairo..."

WHAT. THE. HECK.

I am officially the caretaker for the geriatric demographic in my neighborhood.

This afternoon, Ross and Marge's Smoke Alarm went off. Remember what happened last time?

I wasn't about to fall into THAT trap and find myself looking at another Naked Marge...
But 5 minutes went by...and the alarm just kept getting louder, and louder. How do I NOT check up on them?

I threw on Aaron's shoes and ran over there, letting myself in through the back door, which was wide open.

Ross and Marge are just SITTING there in a CLOUD of smoke watching tv. Really, so much smoke that I put my arm up over my face to breathe. The smoke alarm is beeping well beyond comfort level.

"Hey! Everything ok in here?"

They just stared at me. "Of course, honey, what's going on?"

THEY DIDN'T EVEN HEAR THE FREAKING ALARM BLARING THROUGH THE HOUSE!

Me: Guys, your smoke alarm has been going off for several minutes, and it is very smoky in here, is something burning?

Ross: Oh MY! The steaks!

Yes, that's right, Ross was pan frying LIVER STEAKS on his stove, sat down for a break, and forgot about them. They were charred.

I grabbed a dishtowel and shut the stupid alarm off, then turned on some ceiling fans and opened more windows (HOW the smoke didn't get to them is beyond me...I was DYING to get outta there.) then calmed their dog down, who had also been barking up a storm and freaking out.

"Ok, well I'm glad everyone is ok, I just heard the alarm and couldn't help but come over and check on you after a few minutes when it didn't turn off. Let me know if you need anything."

They thanked me, and on my way out the door I heard them conversing, "such a sweet girl... How on earth did she hear that thing? Did you hear it? No, I thought I heard a car alarm so I turned up the tv when I couldn't hear the news...My golly that girl must have extra ears in the back of her head...."

The smoke alarm went off two more times after that.
Even their dog stopped caring.

"Always Thought I Was a Fool For No One, But Ooh Baby I'm a Fool For YOU..."

Quincy put her pink polka dot dress on herself this morning and said, "I'm ready for the tea party, Mommy!"

I have no idea where she got the idea that there is a "tea party" to attend today, but since we're having a baby tomorrow, I thought it might be nice to take Quincy out for a little You and Me time, while Reese was at preschool group today.

Where to? A TEA PARTY of course!

at 10:15 am we arrived at the Crumpet Tea Room for orange rolls and a little Girls-Only Mom & Me Tea Party.

Only to discover that Crumpet Tea Room opens at 11 am. The manager opened the door a crack and poked her head through to let us know they'd be open in 45 minutes and to come back then. No big deal, it gave me an opportunity to place an order for 1/2 dozen orange rolls to take and share with friends who will be helping me out with my kids next week when Aaron returns to work.
We killed some time shopping and wandering through the little boutique next door, then hit up McDonald's for some french fries. Q picked out a new shirt for Reese and some shoes for baby brother. We got some bow clips for her hair. I think they're tight enough that they'll actually stay in.

We came back to the Tea Room promptly at 11 am to park next to this guy:
Hmmmm...
Kind of makes you think twice about wanting to go inside and eat, doesn't it?
Well...maybe they're just doing routine preventative work, I thought... Or maybe he's here for lunch!

Just then, Mr. Rid-a-Pest comes back out to his truck, walkie talkie in hand, to retrieve an 18 inch flashlight and a blow torch. He goes back inside Crumpet Tea Room.

Um....is it routine practice for pest elimination to use a blow torch? There's no doubt that's what he got out of the truck...and I imagine the flashlight would only be needed for one thing.

To hunt down a critter that has scurried behind a large oven.

The oven that has my already-paid-for Orange Rolls in it!

I decide to bite the bullet and eat there anyway. Partly because I was too lazy to find another tea party date spot for Little Q, all dressed up in her polka dot party attire.

...but mostly because I just really really wanted an Orange Roll.

We passed Mr. Rid-A-Pest one more time on his way out of the store, with a signed bill in one hand, and a bag of day-old orange rolls in the other.

Is it a bribe to keep him quiet?!
Maybe so, but either way...the rolls were fresh from the oven and fantastic.

Naturally, Quincy behaved like a perfect little lady during our tea party. Look at those stuffed cheeks! She kept asking where the "oranges" were. I finally realized that to a 2 year old, an "orange roll" probably involves oranges, or at least the color orange. I pointed to her plate and she said, "no, that's cake".
With all the buttery gooeyness on there, it might as well have been cake.

Quincy, you are such a sweet little girl, and you have grown up WAAAAAAY too fast! All of a sudden, you have so much to say, and an opinion about EVERYthing. It brings me pure joy to see you smile...even when it is your naughty smile where the dimple next to your nose shows up. I love how much you look like your daddy, how you love your sister, how you copy everything she does, how you "tell jokes" and try to make us laugh all the time. You are so giggly and snuggly and absolutely beautiful.
I can't wait to see your little compassionate heart at work when we bring your baby brother home. You are very in tune with the emotions of others and I know you will be a great helper and comfortor to your new sibling. I love you SO SO SO much, and could kiss your sticky little candy-coated marshmallow creme cheeks all day long.

And it would only make you giggle more.
I love you, silly girl. Thanks for the tea party!
Love, Mom

LEGGO MY PREGGO

Still here.
I am ALMOST 4cm.

If I had been at 4cm my Doctor would have gone ahead and sent me over to the hospital to have a baby.

But I'm not at 4cm. I am ALMOST 4...which is apparently not the same.

Question:
Isn't the difference between 4 cm and ALMOST 4 cm like....a couple of millimeters? I mean, ONE centimeter is 10 millimeters, right? So what is the big diff between being a couple millimeters?

I'll tell ya what the difference is.
It means Mean Meg will be around for a couple more days.
It means no baby brother here yet.
It means I ate yummy lunch at Jerushia's instead of ice chips.
It means I ignored your phone call today if you were one of the 9 people that called for a "labor update" between 9 and 11am.
It means I probably threw the phone after I listened to your voicemail.

And it means I have to wait until Thursday morning when doc agrees to induce Big Willy.

I kind of feel like I'm forcing him outta there and that I should wait until labor starts naturally. THEN I refer to my lovely pregnancy book, and read the part about how "early labor is from 1-3 cm...and true labor has begun at 4cm. Where does that put me if I'm at ALMOST 4? Am I right to induce? Is he still cooking, or is my uterus just stubborn to give him up? I feel a small amount of guilt for rushing the process.

The other half (the uncomfortable half) says, "HEY CRAZY, this baby is only gonna get bigger, and you are out of vacancy". And considering the fact that Aaron starts a new job on Tuesday (when we had PLANNED to induce), we're thinking the sooner the better, because it will give me a little more time with Aaron home to help with the girls while I recover.

May 21st it is.

Updates Soon...

N is for NEST

During the Fugly Bee Bush Massacre, Aaron found two abandoned birds nests. Reese took them to school to show to her friends.

The funny thing was when Aaron decided to be an environmentalist all of a sudden, and told me we were "disturbing a natural habitat" and that the birds were going to be homeless now.
He was only looking for another reason NOT to tear down the hated bush/tree.

I pointed out the hypocrisy there, since he had just been siding with Ross on the whole "Shoot the woodpecker" argument.

Isn't it like, ILLEGAL to shoot woodpeckers in the Ozarks? Aren't they endangered or something? Should Ross REALLY be surprised that they're taking up residence in his yard, when he has 100 bird feeders out there? I'm just sayin'...

Aren't they beautiful?

I find it amazing that humans are not the only species that take great time and effort to create a cozy, inviting environment to bear their young in. I've been "nesting" for weeks!

I wish I could think of something cool to do with them. ANY IDEAS?

Dandelion Wishes...

I tried to get a picture of Q blowing HER dandelion, but she ate it. Oops. Dandelions are harmless, right? I mean they have them in those weird endive salad mixes...

"When I Get Older, Losing My Hair. Many Years From Now..."

The Bee Infested/Home for Snakes Fugly Bush came down tonight.
The trimming process began.

YAY! No more stepping on prickly leaves when I'm outside in flip flops and having my feet get cut up.
Here it is about halfway through the cutting process. THEN, ROSS comes outside and tries to convince Aaron to leave it up.

Meg: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooOOOOO!"
I came running outside to shut Ross up, (as IF I am going to take landscaping advice from someone with one of those creepy faux bark faces nailed up on one of his tree trunks)

I find Ross, sitting on his back porch with a gun between his legs.

Maybe a pellet gun? I can't tell. It looks wimpy, but it's a gun, nontheless. My kids are running around him.

Meg: Seriously? Ross is that a gun?!

Ross: Of course it is! I'm waiting for that [darn] woodpecker to come back. He's eating all my bird seed and boring holes in my wood siding. I'm going to shoot him.

Meg: yeah, buuuuut that's a gun. You can't be firing off any kind of gun with my kids running around. It will scare the crap out of them, and they can't tell the difference between dangerous guns and pellet guns...neither can I, really. (BESIDES YOU ARE OLD AND MIGHT HIT ONE OF MY CHILDREN with a BB and then I will hunt YOU down and kill you.)

Ross: Well as long as you're out here yapping at Aaron about that fine looking tree, the woodpecker won't come back anyway.

Meg: No. The tree is going to go. It is full of bees and they attack the kids when they're on the swingset. Last year, a SNAKE lived in the tree, remember? Plus, it's freaking ugly. The tree is coming down. Tonight.

Aaron: Well, maybe we will keep the tree...

Meg: (blood boiling at this point ) NO! What the heck?! (stupid Ross! Shut up, old man! You're swaying my case!) The tree comes down! I've been trying to convince you to cut it down for 3 1/2 years. Cut it down.

Reese: Down with the Bee Bush Daddy! CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT!

Ross: Listen, Aaron, I've been married a LONG time. You can't let these women control you like this. Meg, you take that baby boy belly of yours on inside and let us men handle this.

Meg: Ross. If that tree doesn't come down tonight, you have officially declared war on a CRAZY pregnant woman. And about the gun...

Aaron can now see the smoke coming from my ears, and that the once-playful chauvenistic banter has turned a little sour. "Uh...yeah, Meg go ahead and go on in the house. I'll take care of the tree."

Ross: No he won't! It's beautiful!

Meg: OK. Ross! That's...

Aaron practically had to shove me in the house before I could snap something I might regret at Ross (or at least something HE might regret me saying).

I bathed the girls and got them ready for bed. Meanwhile, Aaron sat outside chattin' it up with Ross for nearly an HOUR while the remainder of the Fugly Tree stood outside. Mocking me.

They knew I was pissed.
And they were eating it up.
Evil boys. Aaron had EVERY intention of cutting down the rest of the tree, but there he stood, talking the daylight away.
Just to make me mad.
Later, Aaron said regarding my little outburst at Ross, that "the ticket was worth the price of admission" He was happy to tear down his precious Bee Bush just to watch me freak out at Ross. NOT funny, Aaron.

MEANWHILE....Inside, through the bathroom walls, I hear...

"HELP!!! HELP!!! AARON HELP ME!!!!"

....Marge?

Yep.

I looked out the FRONT window to find Marge lying in the ditch between our front yard and the street, her arms and legs flailing about in the air, like an overturned turtle. I ran to her.

Meg: Marge! Are you ok? What happened?!

Marge: I've fallen and I can't get up!

her exact words....I. KID. YOU. NOT.

I helped her up and escorted her through our side yard back to her house. She was crying and muddy and all scraped up.

WHY DO I ALWAYS FIND OLD PEOPLE IN BAD SHAPE?

Is this my calling in life? It shouldn't be. Really. I am aware that I'm not patient enough for it. My natural reaction is to first help, then use it as a teaching opportunity to point out why they shouldn't be driving. I really shouldn't be the one.

Marge: Why doesn't Aaron ever hear me when I'm calling him for help?
Flashback to when Marge fell off her back porch and broke her arm in the middle of the night. I wanted to say, "well you DO end up in trouble, a lot..." but instead, I said

Meg: You have a point. He and Ross are in your backyard. Did you know Ross has like, a gun in the yard?

Marge: Oh YES. When we lived in Florida, he was shooting at some varmits in the yard, and ended up shooting right through the neighbors window. They lived a little farther from us than you do. The window shattered and Ross just went back in the house for awhile so they wouldn't know it was him.

Um. Yeah.

Meg: Ok, well if I end up with any broken windows, I'll be blaming him. Take it easy, we won't be home for a few days. I'm hoping to have the baby tomorrow.

Marge: Yes, you look like you should have had him awhile ago. I'm sure you'll feel much better when you aren't so swollen.

Why THANK YOU!

Crazy night. I have GOT to have this baby. I feel like yelling at everyone. It is not a good thing.
But look!

TIMMMM-BERRRRRRR!

I can't WAIT to plant some GIANT creeping Clematis there and let it take over.