wiped out

Bushed wacked, exhausted, hung out to dry, . . . pregnancy and a cold and new inventory to contend with does not mix. Add to that3 noisy children , and a colapsed shelfing unit. Any questions?

5 pounds

in one day my family gobbled down somthing over 5 pounds of fruit. For lunch (yesterday)I bought a 3 lb bag of oranges. There is now 1 left. Then for dinner I bought a 3 lb bag of apples. There are 3 left. Add in a few bananas and a can of peaches, and no lack of applesauce, and you can see that my family eats more than the average family for fruit consumption on a daily basis. I am sure that if my budget could handle it, they would gobble down about 5 pounds of fruit every day. And if you count veggies you can add in the tomato, letus and carrots. Veggies do not get consummed quite as fast per pound as fruit does, but it does add up to a lot of produce :)

Then of course, they also gobbled down a double batch of whole wheat biscuits, one loaf of fresh bread, a loaf of french bread, and a dozen rolls, one dozen eggs, 1 pound of lunch meat, 1/2 pound of cheeze and a whole chicken, adn a pizza. All in 24 hours. And this does not count the peanut butter and other things I don't watch as closely. . . Mike better get a good job.

As for Squiggly, she's trying to move up my backbone. My ribs have expanded so the waist band of things have started leaving thier marks, and then she put her self in position to push against my stomach. Then her movements have started to come from underneith instead of on the surface. Most of her ability to go where she wants to is because Galen did such a great job stretching my uterus and making more womb for his other siblings. In fact there was so much room for Ewan that at his 20 week ultrasound, he was laid out with his elbows behind his head and his feet stretched out and crosses, it looked like he was laying in a hamock.

Well That All I have to say right now :)

Have a good day

The Life With In

At 19 weeks the life with in has finally gotten a nickname of her own: Squiggely. She squiggles after meals, and at bed time, tv time and nap time. She also enjoyed squiggling during class yesterday- that reminds me mom, call me about class interesting spirtitual gifts breakthrough. She even moved strong enough that Mike could feel it last night.

I have had to increase my calorie consumption. I have added a touch of sugar. Mostly because sugar makes her squiggle, and I like that. But also because I just plaininly need more carolries to grow this kid. Being that weight gain hasn't happened yet, I figure an ocassional mug of hot cocoa will not hurt, and it has calcium.

Next topic: one of life's little ironies.

Today is PJ day at aGalen's school. So last night he fell asleep in his clothes and we still had to get him dressed (in his pj) this morning to go to school :)

My problem is I got a man who has a passion for anything dealing with computer animation, true, I did help him discover this passion and am very happy he has a passion he can make work for him. But I still have to question the wisdom of a man who plays his computer game all day then has to stay up all night to do this 3-d modeling homework.

You see, when we were married his only passion was me. Now he is over thirty and his brain can occasionally think about something besides sex, so at least a passion for his career is not all bad. But I am still trying to get over the fact that he's not desperate for my attentions all the time. :)

That and the fact that he doesn't find an ornery women attractive. I think he believes that if I bark at the children, then I'd be likely to bark at him too.

Oh well, he is easiest to love when he's at school, at least then I'm in complete controll of the house and then I see him as I want to see him, and not as someone addicted to his computer, who takes 5 minutes to come when dinner time is called.

Is it

Is it biologically impossible to get a man with wisdom and sex drive?
And what do you do when they are switching between the two (you hope) and have neither?

Long Week

Itis wensday and I am just now getting to my blog. That means I have had a busy week.

I have been busy with kids, business and just everything else that is part of life in this modren day and age. But I haven't wasted time watching TV, or anythign silly like that. Last night, I stayed up until 1am doing numbers for business, and then went to Galen's school today, taught math, took 2 kids in for thier yearly checkup, and did the shipping. And I already haev m ore to ship, 3 orders more to ship.

Ian has been a pumpkin, who every other second is being so cute that I say "Mike, get the camerea." Maby we should just keep the video camera rolling all the time on him.

Sunday

A mostly quiet day, excepeting kiddlet noises. We had the missionaries over for dinner. And they happiliy helped us shovel a wider driveway before eating.

So besides getting the roast and homemade bread, I made them desert. A berry pudding. Somebody asked what kinds of berries are were in there. "Blueberries, raspberries and some another berry, that I don't remember."

Galen piped in "liberry."

Snow What?

about 6", or knee high on Ian.

Who just loves to be out in it, that is until he fell in a way that allowed the cold snow to get in to his gloves. (about 2+ hours outside) while Mommy and Daddy shoveled enough of the driveway to hopefully get our minivan out. (And sometimes I wish I still had my gas guzzling beast with 4 wheel drive, but only for getting out of the driveway when we're too lazy to shovel).

The other boys, wimped out after about 1/2 hour. But Galen didn't have boots (couldn't find a set) and even though Ewan finally found his other boot he refused the wear the only pair of gloves we could find in his size. Then I emphsized to the kids that this is why you put your coat, hat and mitts, and boots away as soon as you walk into the house. I don't think the lesson sunk in, as all of thier stuff is still scattered about the office. But at least it got them away from the TV and doing a little physical motion that didn't involve driving Mommy crazy.

Then our front door decided to stick stuck while we were out side. We had to push the gate open and walk through the back door to get inside to work hard to open the front door. One of the door edgeings must have gotten some ice under it and expanded so the door didn't want to move. And I am glad we got the door working again, because the idea of shoveling a path to the back door for main use seemed like too much, that and the kitchen is too small to be stepping on the kiddos boots and coats all day.

Well, my kids are happily watching Sponge Bob, and if Sponge Bob teaches tollerence, all the better for the world. Even if you agree with that Christian Rights group the Homosexuality is sin, should we be intollerant of the sinner? Not if you are a Christian who actually does what Christ teaches. We should still respect and love the persons. Just because thier sin has a name, are they any worse then us with sins of our own, and yes intollerence and hatered is a sin.

Meanwhile, I have learned that whenever I harshly judge and indivual, then somehow I have an oppertunity to walk in thier shoes for a while. And let me say, the experience always humbles me, adn I see I am no better than they, if that good.

Physic ian?

How many 6 year olds do you know that get excited over Nova? The PBS show that he saw that spent the whole hour talking about string theroy in physics?

And when Galen gets excited over something he learns to write the name of that thing everywhere. That is why he learned to write StarWars as a 4 year old, and also why we have "SpioroMan" written on our TV stand.

And so since Mike is taking physics this quarter, we thought that we should get Galen to study with him (or actually to get Mike to teach Galen the basics of what he's learning).

We can see that Galen could eaisly become a science nut and work his way into his Grandfather's foot steps as a resident mad scientist.

However, I may no longer be thrilled if he tries to take apart my toaster.

Question of the day? How come they call someone who studies the human body a physician and someone who studies physics a scentist? Wouldn't make more science if the scientists was a physician and the physician was a anatoman?

Name this recipie

Combine:
1 autistic child with his school week out of wack
1 4-year-old with a tanasity for trouble
1 2-year-old (any two year old)
and a Pregnant mother with a headache.

mix them together for a week, add few crayons and lots of cold weather

what do you get?

post your reponses: the winner gets pancakes for a week because the bank robbed them of thier grocery budget in the name of Martin Luther King Day.

Come on people, please!

I read this article:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/20/sponge.bob.reut/index.html

and if you can find anything remotely sexy in SpongeBob, you have a one track mind. Besides, why is promoting tollerance of people and thier differeneces wrong?

And Barney and Teletubbies (ok, some teletubbies do carry purses . . . ) but still would you rather have your children watch network TV? or GI JOE?

Now that I have somewhat

satified the hungery little monster inside me I can concider telling you all what has been up in my life since the internet has been down.

1. Heard my baby's heartbeat again. 140 bpm and she was a squiggily thing and didn't want to stay still for long.

2. Got my ultrasound schedueled for Feb 16th- does anybody want to baby sit so I can bring my other half?

3. Oh yes, and I have gained 1 lb. I lost 2 at the last visit so I'm still net -1 at 18 weeks. I'm not worried though, this baby likes to suck all the blood sugar out of my system and then cry for more.

4. Ian has been cute. He put on his hat on crookedly this morning, and looked for applause. I told him he was cute. Then he put his hat on me and then pointed to me and said "You're cute."

Galen hasn't had school on Monday nor today, So I am very tired of child made noise right now. Does anybody want to take a Galen for a bit so my ears don't burst?

I'm back

I have alot to say, but I'm too ornery to write it. So I guess I will eat dinner instead.

Things I have Learned Today

1. The colder it is outside, the more hyper the children are inside.

2. Even the cat is willing to come indoors to the waiting hords of children when it is this cold.

3. Just because a child labels an eggshape with a single eye he has drawn as "mom" doesn't mean you nessicarly look that way. (although you might)

4. And the newest computer virus is named after me. Everypeice of technology I tried to touch today refused to work. My computer refused to acknowledge the internet today so Mike let me borrow his. Within 2 minutes his froze up, so I restarted it where it then said it required a boot disk to start. I wisely left his office and computer for him to figure out. And don't get me started on my phone (the 5 and 6 buttons don't like to dial) So I was suprised when the microwaved still worked at all. And so I wisley let Dominos take care of dinner so I didn't burn down the house with the newest items Ian stuck in the oven.

5. I got baby bones in my belly button.

6. When you realise and then acknowledge that you are afraid of the shawdows in the dark, then they no longer have the power to become big ugly monsters.

Well, 6 lessons in one day is enough (actually I learned the last one last night). But It is Friday and I am going to put the kids to bed and veg under a nice warm blanket.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Is what I keep telling them, but they have to freeze thier little hands off before they believe me, and at 9 below, that does not take long. But at least we know my cat will stay inside tonight.

How many kids does it take to water the dog?

3. One two year old to take the assignment, but to not understand what it is he's supposed to do with the picture of water, one 4 year old to crawl under the table and pour the water into the bowl, and one five year old complaining that he didn't get a chance to earn the chocolate chip.

If tired, ornery, cold and desperatly needing a good chocolate fix is not a good enough excuse to put three tired kidlets to bed, I don't know what is.

Baby It's Cold Out Side

Is what I keep telling them, but they have to freeze thier little hands off before they believe me, and at 9 below, that does not take long. But at least we know my cat will stay inside tonight.

How many kids does it take to water the dog?

3. One two year old to take the assignment, but to not understand what it is he's supposed to do with the picture of water, one 4 year old to crawl under the table and pour the water into the bowl, and one five year old complaining that he didn't get a chance to earn the chocolate chip.

If tired, ornery, cold and desperatly needing a good chocolate fix is not a good enough excuse to put three tired kidlets to bed, I don't know what is.

Milk Break

After nearly 11 months milk free, I broke down last week and bought 1/2 gal organic milk. Last night I bought another gallon. It tastes so good with cookies, grahm crackers and other baked goods. Ewan and Ian like it too, but Galen never wants milk (and because I know dairy helps him to "space out", I never offer or push it on him).

in 2 weeks, I will have offically been pregnant for 12 months. That means that when the baby comes it will be a total of 17 months. Well, at least I'm not an elephant, They have a 23 month gestation.

Mom came last night. Mike and her loaded the dryer into the car, then we got fuddruckers hambergers for everyone. We went to the Temple and did sealings on our lines, Then she took me grocery shopping. She wouldn't let me get jsut 1/2 gal milk. She made me get 2 (1/2 gals).

of course, it was only as she was crawling into bed that we could discuss Round Belly stuff. I just think she unconciously tries to avoid anything that seams like business work or planning. But we did plan the basic layout for the OTA show, and discussed whom to bring to the show to help represent our lines.

So, as always I have my work cut out for me. :) But if leaders had office hours, they might as well be republicans.

and now for something completely different . . .

sorry- Amy I can't get the spell checker to work.

Talk about my kids...

Yesterday Mike stayed home from school because he wasn't feeling well, but after his nap he sat down on the "reading chair" and Ian caught him there and made him read about 5 different stories. It was so cute watching Ian sit on Daddy and listen to the stories. (not bad for a 2 year old). Ian is just so sure that anyone who sits in that chair is ready to read stories that Daddy had no chance against his assurant charm.

Galen has had a para (a helper for just him) the past 2 days in school. The para's normal assignment has been sick and so she came to work with Galen. Galen just adores all the extra 1 on 1 attention. Personally, I don't think it's wise for him to have a para when we are trying to work on independance, but for a day or two the extra support won't hurt.

Ewan, what can I say about Ewan? He thinks he has his own ideas, but Mom and Dad do a good job making sure that thier rules stay in effect- even if the 4 year old refuses to move. Trust me, handling Ewan seems like a breeze to Galen at that age. :)

Business, Business, Business

Always growing, stretching and trying something new- to stay where you are is intimate death.

Working, exploring, breaking old rules. Fabrics is a women's world, since the dawn of time it was our job to clothes the family, now we take the responsibility to clothes the world, not only in organic fibers, but in modesty, self worth and eternal sustainability.

Yes, we will work from our home, and we will bring our children to work, and they will work with us, and they will learn from us, and not the TV or an underpaid daycare employee.

We will be the future. We have the future in our hands, and hiding under our skirts. We have them in our hearts and minds. We will raise them and show them how to be. We are women, we are empowered to change the world, One dried tear at a time, one organic T- shirt at a time.

We will not shirk our duties. We will stand for what our hearts tell us to be true, and publicaly declair it to the world through our words and examples.

And people will support and buy from us, because then they are creating a world in which they want thier children to live.

-from "An Affirmation of Femininty in Today's Marketplace"

My computer . . .

Is as flaky as a pregnant women. And my brain has sucessfully all oozed out my nose.

My husband was supposed to make it to school today but is in bed sick (when he's in bed, he must really feel sick).

And my toddler has given up using the spoon in favor of his hands in the chocolate pudding. And he hates it when the dog licks his bare toes at the dinner table.

And some more good news: Our water usage dropped by 20,000 gallons for the past 3 months (in comparision to the same time last year). I think that must be because we turned off the broken toliet. And if anybody is interested we wouldn't mind a gift certificate to home depot to buy a wonderful replacment toliet :)

Meanwhile, I always know when my Mom is comming down. I get heartburn. Of course that is kinda unfair to say when I'm pregnant- because with Ian I got heartburn just by eating 1/2 a banana.

I wrote three posts yesterday

But they didn't post, adn the ideas will be lost forever. But sometimes you just don't care enough to rewrite them.

TUrn about is fair play

After being gone all weekend, having a fair amount of meetings and faboulously complex and delicious meals, I decided that ruen about is fair play and make pancakes for dinner.

Nice simple ww pancakes. Topped with natural peanut butter, applesauce and served with alittle slice of Shamp's bacon and organic grape juice. I think we needed that, adn it will soon be bedtime for some tired kiddlets who just didn't know how to calm down enough to sleep in the hotel room- well at least the room was big enough for him to run back and forth in until he zonked out hard on the floor. (both nights!)

Last night though, he played with the temp controlls and turned it all the way down, by morning it felt nice and cold (good for sleeping, hard for getting up).

Well, I better go get him in bed and maby tell a few more stories about the weekend later.

How come when you work your butt off all week, and your husband has been playing video games that he still expects you to cook dinner and put the kids to bed before going to class?

How come kids always get loudest right before dinner time, when you are on the last business phone call of the day?

sorry for not writting yesterday

I got swamped with work, kids, and other things mothers have to do.

I think I have been feeling my baby move, which excites me. But at this stage of the game it is hard to tell what is baby and what is digestion. The movements will get more propounced and obvious as the child grows. And judging by what I ate yesterday the child is growing bones and thinking about putting on a little fat.

Also I feel like Jennifer Aniston in "Bruce Almighty" my breasts once again are huge (and in some spots so tender, I have to cover them when I shower). This too is very normal, adn not being able to get through the grocery store without wishing there were benches to sit down seems to be comming a little earlier then I remembered with Ian. But that reminds me I have to write Target a letter and suggest a seat for those people who are excessivly pregnant, light headed or just anemic (don't worry, I'm not anything but pregnant!), And I will explain how wonderful it would be so we don't have to worry about fainting dead in the checkout lane and hold thier sales up.

the organic store was nicer, becasue it was smaller and had a nice little seating area with chairs. But maby I will sugest that they put one near thier deli.

And speaking of cute kid stories, i do n't have one today- but I have a pregnant story. Mike asked for a glass of juice last night, so I went to get him one and poured his glass full of juice, but when I reached in the cupboard for another glass, my big 2cup glass measureing cup dropped on top of the glass of juice and smashed it , juice went everywhere. But at least my measuring cup wasn't harmed (I use it every day!) Mike came rushing to see what the clatter was. and I told him "I'll have to get you another GLASS of juice."

Thick Smoke

So I wanted cookies and made up a small batch and put them in the oven. 8 minutes later we have thick smoke through out the kitchen. What's going on? Ian put his boots in the oven! And they melted. We took pictures in case you have to see to believe. Boot smoke is awful!

Women are powerful together

we are powerful alone too, but together we are changing the world. Many women owned businesses have in house daycare centers, but some even go better than that and offer having your children at work. www.mothering.com has a great article on it entitled "How you can bring your baby to work."

As a work at home, planning to grow my business, Child issues are always on my mind. As I plan to employ a large amount of mothers and I feel mothering is even more important then thier job will be. So I concider the possiblilites. 1. as often as possible have them work at home 2. if they need to be in office most of the time have the office baby and young child friendly. 3. offer flexiable scheduels so they can be home more or able to have the parents care for thier children most of the time.

Women are also at the forefronts of other world changing industries too like the organics. Most people I deal with in organics are women. Women seem to groove on natural and organic fabrics, lifestyles and foods. I work in the fabrics and everybody but 1 person in organic businesses I have worked with are women, and most of them work out of (or did work out of) thier homes.

Women seem to concider the whole economic impact when they choose workers and policies for thier businesses. They build up homes, 3rd world countries and generally create a better world where ever they go with business. The women don't consider the allmighty dollar nearly as important as the improved lives, yet they still manage to earn a profit and grow a business, and an industry.

I think it is because women see things men miss. Men are so focused that they don't see the ripples of thier inital impact (that's why women do most of the cleaning). Where as us women do. We plan for it, we feel it is in our reach and we immagine a world where we all think about the cosquences of our actions to the 7th generation.

Why do we think this way? Because we have children, and it's our job to leave them a better world. Therefore if we removed the child from the women in business, we remove the point of the women in business.

My belly seems to be doing it's thing- that is if poking out and creating lots of gas is doing it's thing. I can say I can't wait till it starts kicking, but when it begains to keep me awake all night then I'll wish it wasn't as much.

Ian is doing his thing- if being extra cute and cuddily is his thing (as it sure seems to be)
Ewan is a preschool, adn Galen's at kindergarden.

Today is taco tuesday. That mean I have a whole meal I won't have to cook. And I'm rambleing with nothing much important to say- so I guess I 'll go make some soup :)

It's Monday!

And I'm happy about it!

It's great to have the kids back in school and us back on routine. There is work to be done and a few moments to do it in.

We had an unexpected vistor drop by today- a friend and her daughter. They stayed played and we talked for a few hours. Then I sent her packing at nap time (she needed a nap too because she's working all night).

Tomarrow Ewan is back in school too, and he's happy about it. Life is great when expectations meet your demand :)

The kitty has found the basement adn loves having the big bed down there all to himself. I like having him closer to the mice.

Havea happy day! and buy from roundbelly.com

New Year's Resolultions?

1. Due to lack of organization, I think I'll follow Through (sp) Simplify, simplify, simplfiy.

Of, course I'm not sure if I'm very resolute about this. Because if I was resolute about it I'd probably be completely decluttered, unless not decluttering is a form of simplifcation in it's self.

I plan to simplify all of the household chores... Dishes...laundry...bathrooms...personal care

of course it might just be simplier not to chnage anything at all. (got to love great philosphy)

Most of you

wouldn't dare write a comment to the last post, but I am sure you were all glad not to be here when you read it.

Well these hormonal mood swings remind me of when I was about 14. Of course, this is the time when the sexual developmentof the babe is becoming obvious, so I'm blaming it all on her.

All I know is that yesterday I was so busy I didn't even get a nap- so today- in just a few minutes I will take one, or maby even two naps.

yesterday was Galen's B-day and Jan 1st. Now, I consider it important to cook at least one feast per year (because I like what I cook and I love the leftovers) adn January 1st was the chosen day for my feast (it gives me the rest of the year off!) SO we had ham, pineapple stuffing, mashed potates, gingered carrots and brown sugar whole wheat rolls, adn of course a spider man cake that I spent a lot of time and energy on. It was fun to use a few of my cake decorating skills again. I did boarders and string work in the spiderwebs and stacked layers in the building construction. We got pictures. I was so glad I could lock the kitchen to do the cake, as soon as I let the kidlets in, the licked the frosting bowls clean.

Then, of course we had the kids open present, clean the kitchen (well sorta) and then gave them just a few minutes before declaring that it was time to get ready for bed. I look forward to putting the kiddlets to bed early tonight and the rest of the week as well too. Then I have a few minutes of quiet to think, read, clean and play with cat who will finally show his face when he hears the house go silent.

Anyways- only one more thought before I let the dog in, adn out both Ian and myself down for a nap. What about baby sitters for Saturday night?

Warning! Rampanging hormornal pregnant woman on the loose!

I wish they would have hung a sign on me that said "mood swings ahead"

either that or warn me before I thought I could start cooking dinner that they put the dirty dishes in the cupboard.

Of course the kids behaved very well while they were searching the house for a mother that all of a sudden went missing.

Where's that chocolate bar?