I love a good Catch 22. Here's an excellent one for you: I am so busy chasing after my wild man of a now-4 year old that I didn't have time to write a blog entry on his 4th birthday, which was yesterday. Could have written the entry if he wasn't around, but wouldn't have had anything to write about.
So. I write this entry in honor of my sweet son for his 4th birthday. And I am writing the entry a day LATE in honor of my Mario Brothers-loving, tile-grout-coloring, insanely-loud-yelling, never-wanting-to-go-to-sleep, always-wanting-a-snack, kissing-me-on-the-elbow-because-he-thinks-it-will-butter-me-up, never-walking, always-running, won't-brush-his-teeth-without-a-fight, asks-me-to-marry-him-every-day, wears-me-OUT-but-I-wouldn't-have-him-any-other-way boy.
Happy Birthday E!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
BBB
You people crack me up. It's been so much fun reading everyone's suggestions for naming BBB (Baby Boy B.). Unfortunately, a lot of the names suggested are not options because we have close friends/family members/friends' dogs (Cooper) with those names. I made a big list of all the remaining ones, plus a few of my own, and gave it to Matt. He started slashing. When he hnaded it back to me, here's what was on it:
Aaron
Thomas
Evan
Daniel
Gee, thanks for giving me something to work with, honey. We have since added a somewhat improbable name to the list--Hudson. I am reading a book with a character named Hudson, and I mentioned it, SURE that Matt would say it was too "cool", but surprisingly he likes it. This from the man who thinks Preston is too cutting edge.
Anyway, no decisions have been made yet. The way this pregnancy is flying by, we'll probably be sitting at home the night before the c-section feeling like we forgot something and realize that we forgot to pick a NAME. We really may just wait to see him to decide, though I'm pretty sure I have several friends and family members (hi, mom) who would have gigantic hissy fits about that.
Thanks for everyone's input. I got 38 comments--a record for AMENMom! I'm sure a major syndicate is preparing to offer me a paid blogging gig after that coup. Keep up the good work!
PS. Nub is not an option. Sorry Rich.
Aaron
Thomas
Evan
Daniel
Gee, thanks for giving me something to work with, honey. We have since added a somewhat improbable name to the list--Hudson. I am reading a book with a character named Hudson, and I mentioned it, SURE that Matt would say it was too "cool", but surprisingly he likes it. This from the man who thinks Preston is too cutting edge.
Anyway, no decisions have been made yet. The way this pregnancy is flying by, we'll probably be sitting at home the night before the c-section feeling like we forgot something and realize that we forgot to pick a NAME. We really may just wait to see him to decide, though I'm pretty sure I have several friends and family members (hi, mom) who would have gigantic hissy fits about that.
Thanks for everyone's input. I got 38 comments--a record for AMENMom! I'm sure a major syndicate is preparing to offer me a paid blogging gig after that coup. Keep up the good work!
PS. Nub is not an option. Sorry Rich.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Name that baby
It's a boy. OH, is it a boy. The ultrasound tech was in the middle of measuring the baby's head when he did a back flip and gave us an eyeful (the baby, not the ultrasound tech). Matt and I are really excited. Abby is getting there. Actually, she's not at all, but she will. She has to. Please LORD, let her get there.
Now we have the monumental task of choosing a name. Plenty of names out there to choose from. Except not. We have a few...challenges. And preferences. I am therefore soliciting the assistance of all 4 of my loyal blog readers. Below are the issues:
1. First off, I have given up on making any sense out of our initials, though if the name starts with A, M, E or N I guess that would be a bonus.
2. Our last name (which Matt won't allow me to say on here but it starts with a B and is one syllable and is also a common word) sounds funny with any names that start with a B, any names that are only 1 syllable, and any names that are also words. Which knocks out a LOT.
3. Abby and Ethan are both names that can't really be shortened, and I like that. Not totally committed to that, but I like it.
4. Matt will not stand for anything remotely "trendy". Ethan is cutting edge for him.
5. The middle name will likely be Matthew, so it should sound good with that.
6. It should kind of "go with" Abby and Ethan. This is hard to explain, but most people will know what I mean. We can't have Abby, Ethan and Frank, for example, because that just sounds strange. Also, it can't be too much like Ethan, so Evan and Easton are out. I get confused enough as it is.
7. There are lots of names I love that are not options because people we know or are related to have the audacity to already have that name. The nerve of some people.
I think that's it. I really need some ideas here. Help!!!
PS. If you came here from Facebook, please post here and NOT on Facebook, so I can keep track. You don't have to log in or anything.
Now we have the monumental task of choosing a name. Plenty of names out there to choose from. Except not. We have a few...challenges. And preferences. I am therefore soliciting the assistance of all 4 of my loyal blog readers. Below are the issues:
1. First off, I have given up on making any sense out of our initials, though if the name starts with A, M, E or N I guess that would be a bonus.
2. Our last name (which Matt won't allow me to say on here but it starts with a B and is one syllable and is also a common word) sounds funny with any names that start with a B, any names that are only 1 syllable, and any names that are also words. Which knocks out a LOT.
3. Abby and Ethan are both names that can't really be shortened, and I like that. Not totally committed to that, but I like it.
4. Matt will not stand for anything remotely "trendy". Ethan is cutting edge for him.
5. The middle name will likely be Matthew, so it should sound good with that.
6. It should kind of "go with" Abby and Ethan. This is hard to explain, but most people will know what I mean. We can't have Abby, Ethan and Frank, for example, because that just sounds strange. Also, it can't be too much like Ethan, so Evan and Easton are out. I get confused enough as it is.
7. There are lots of names I love that are not options because people we know or are related to have the audacity to already have that name. The nerve of some people.
I think that's it. I really need some ideas here. Help!!!
PS. If you came here from Facebook, please post here and NOT on Facebook, so I can keep track. You don't have to log in or anything.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
To Blind or not to Blind
We just returned from spending a few days in Mountain Home with my two brothers, their wives, and their combined 6 children. Add our brood, and that's 14 people. Sounds like a recipe for insanity, I know, but it was really a lot of fun.
Each night, after the kids went to bed, the 6 adults played a game. Two of the nights, it was spades. And therein lies the event about which I wish to write today. We had a disagreement of rather spectacular proportions, and I would like some outside opinions on the topic. This is about the game of spades, so if you don't know how to play you won't be able to have an opinion on this. Well, maybe that's not the case--I know some people whose ability to create an opinion on something is completely unrelated to whether or not they know anything about it.
Anyway.
Here's the situation. Since there were 3 couples, and spades is a 2-couple game, we devised a round robin method of play, in which each couple sat out 1 of every 3 hands. So the first round was couples 1 and 2, the next round was couples 2 and 3, and the third round was couples 3 and 1. It worked beautifully. We predetermined how many rounds we would play so that each team played an equal number, and at the end the team with the highest points would win. The individual scores wouldn't matter (so even if Team 1 beat Team 2 in all their games together, Team 2 could still win if they ended up with the most overall points).
Two rounds before the end of the game, Team 1 had about 600 points. Teams 2 and 3 each had about 300 points. They both expressed the wish to play the next hand "Blind Nil," which can only be done if a team is at least 200 points behind. Team 1 opposed this, arguing that while both teams were in fact more than 200 points behind Team 1, they were NOT 200 points behind everyone, and therefore were not eligible to play Blind Nil. A heated discussion ensued, One member of the group, and I will not say which member other than to say that it is his or her birthday today, threatened to walk away from the game if he or she did not get his or her way.
Is this post dorky enough for you yet? The thing is, there really isn't a real right or wrong answer--it's not like there's an official rule book for 3 teams playing round-robin spades. So to determine the best choice, you have to use an innate sense of logic and understanding about the purpose of allowing someone to go Blind Nil in the first place.
Now the post is DEFINITELY dorky enough.
Okay, I need some feedback now. Which of the following do you believe is the right decision?
A) Teams 2 and 3 should not have been allowed to go Blind Nil at all, regardless of who they were playing in the round, because they were not 200 points behind all other teams.
B) Teams 2 and 3 should ONLY have been allowed to go Blind Nil if they were playing a round with Team 1, even though individual round scores didn't matter.
C) Teams 2 and 3 should have been able to go Blind Nil at any point, regardless of the round, as long as they were 200 points behind the leading team.
I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks! Feel free to explain your rationale. Hopefully I have explained this neutrally so as not to have swayed my loyal fans. If I end up being in the minority with my opinion, I will gracefully concede. Probably.
PS. Happy Birthday, Mike!
Each night, after the kids went to bed, the 6 adults played a game. Two of the nights, it was spades. And therein lies the event about which I wish to write today. We had a disagreement of rather spectacular proportions, and I would like some outside opinions on the topic. This is about the game of spades, so if you don't know how to play you won't be able to have an opinion on this. Well, maybe that's not the case--I know some people whose ability to create an opinion on something is completely unrelated to whether or not they know anything about it.
Anyway.
Here's the situation. Since there were 3 couples, and spades is a 2-couple game, we devised a round robin method of play, in which each couple sat out 1 of every 3 hands. So the first round was couples 1 and 2, the next round was couples 2 and 3, and the third round was couples 3 and 1. It worked beautifully. We predetermined how many rounds we would play so that each team played an equal number, and at the end the team with the highest points would win. The individual scores wouldn't matter (so even if Team 1 beat Team 2 in all their games together, Team 2 could still win if they ended up with the most overall points).
Two rounds before the end of the game, Team 1 had about 600 points. Teams 2 and 3 each had about 300 points. They both expressed the wish to play the next hand "Blind Nil," which can only be done if a team is at least 200 points behind. Team 1 opposed this, arguing that while both teams were in fact more than 200 points behind Team 1, they were NOT 200 points behind everyone, and therefore were not eligible to play Blind Nil. A heated discussion ensued, One member of the group, and I will not say which member other than to say that it is his or her birthday today, threatened to walk away from the game if he or she did not get his or her way.
Is this post dorky enough for you yet? The thing is, there really isn't a real right or wrong answer--it's not like there's an official rule book for 3 teams playing round-robin spades. So to determine the best choice, you have to use an innate sense of logic and understanding about the purpose of allowing someone to go Blind Nil in the first place.
Now the post is DEFINITELY dorky enough.
Okay, I need some feedback now. Which of the following do you believe is the right decision?
A) Teams 2 and 3 should not have been allowed to go Blind Nil at all, regardless of who they were playing in the round, because they were not 200 points behind all other teams.
B) Teams 2 and 3 should ONLY have been allowed to go Blind Nil if they were playing a round with Team 1, even though individual round scores didn't matter.
C) Teams 2 and 3 should have been able to go Blind Nil at any point, regardless of the round, as long as they were 200 points behind the leading team.
I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks! Feel free to explain your rationale. Hopefully I have explained this neutrally so as not to have swayed my loyal fans. If I end up being in the minority with my opinion, I will gracefully concede. Probably.
PS. Happy Birthday, Mike!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Ways I can tell, without looking at a calendar, that it's almost Christmas
***A disclaimer before you read this post: I LOVE Christmas. This list might make it seem like I'm all jaded and bah-humbug-y, but that's not at all the case. Still, no one reads this blog for sweetness and light, so once again smarminess reigns on AMENMom. ***
1. It is a physical miracle to make it in and out of the toy section of Target unscathed.
2. I have to wear sunglasses to drive down my street at night or risk being blinded by "exciting" light displays.
3. Radio channels that usually play songs revolving around girls' bottoms and "hooking up" are suddenly airing music about a baby born to a virgin.
4. My newspaper is 4 times thicker due to store ads.
5. Sonic's cups have clever Christmas sayings on them.
6. People in charge at my children's schools and our church actually arrange for them to get on a stage with an audience in front of them and sing.
7. Catalogs virtually explode out of my mailbox daily.
8. Our laundry doubles. (I don't know how exactly this is connected to Christmas, but it has definitely happened.)
9. Matt is laid up for a couple of days after he strains his back pulling all of our decorations out of the attic.
10. I draw a complete blank when anyone asks me what I want for Christmas, then just blurt out the first thing I can think of that sounds remotely normal. This usually results in me getting 42 bottles of body wash for Christmas.
How do you know it's almost Christmas?
1. It is a physical miracle to make it in and out of the toy section of Target unscathed.
2. I have to wear sunglasses to drive down my street at night or risk being blinded by "exciting" light displays.
3. Radio channels that usually play songs revolving around girls' bottoms and "hooking up" are suddenly airing music about a baby born to a virgin.
4. My newspaper is 4 times thicker due to store ads.
5. Sonic's cups have clever Christmas sayings on them.
6. People in charge at my children's schools and our church actually arrange for them to get on a stage with an audience in front of them and sing.
7. Catalogs virtually explode out of my mailbox daily.
8. Our laundry doubles. (I don't know how exactly this is connected to Christmas, but it has definitely happened.)
9. Matt is laid up for a couple of days after he strains his back pulling all of our decorations out of the attic.
10. I draw a complete blank when anyone asks me what I want for Christmas, then just blurt out the first thing I can think of that sounds remotely normal. This usually results in me getting 42 bottles of body wash for Christmas.
How do you know it's almost Christmas?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
For the record, we have very nice dish towels.
Here's the deal. When we found out I was pregnant, we knew we needed more living space. That gave us two choices: make our house bigger or buy a bigger house. We made a valiant effort to go with choice A. We LOVE our house, our street, our location, everything. We just need a couple more rooms. Unfortunately, with our house and our lot it just wasn't feasible. Also unfortunately, this meant we had to do the thing I have always feared more than just about anything on earth, except maybe homeschooling: putting our house on the market.
Have you been to my house? If so, then you know that it's a mess. We are clutter fiends. We just have a lot of STUFF. You know? I don't know what other people do with all their stuff. They have to have it though! For example. Where do other people put kids' sunglasses, unused picture frames, the channel guide for their cable, and 30 boxes of crayons? I can tell you where we put that stuff. The bar, or the desk, or the dining room table. Not anymore, though! Now we will have strangers waltzing through our house, judging us on our toothbrushes and our kitchen towels and our choice of window treatments. Ugh! I loathe the thought.
First, though, we had to spend a frantic couple of weeks prepping the house, which for us meant filling to the brim a 10 foot square storage room with things we own but in no way, shape or form actually use or need. Seriously, I am selling 95% of it as soon as it becomes garage sale weather.
We are close to being done, but still not quite there yet. If we get any lookers this weekend, they are in for a startling surprise when they go in our garage, in that it resembles a room from that show "Hoarders" more than it does an actual garage. We haven't been able to park a car in there since 2004. I am not joking.
My sincere hope is that someone will read this blog and go, "Hey! I was just thinking that I need a new house and I love Nancy's. I'm going to call her and make an offer RIGHT NOW!" Barring that, my hope is that the people who come look at the house will find it charming and will be forgiving of the little clutter that will inevitably sneak back in over time. And by over time, I mean by Friday.
Have you been to my house? If so, then you know that it's a mess. We are clutter fiends. We just have a lot of STUFF. You know? I don't know what other people do with all their stuff. They have to have it though! For example. Where do other people put kids' sunglasses, unused picture frames, the channel guide for their cable, and 30 boxes of crayons? I can tell you where we put that stuff. The bar, or the desk, or the dining room table. Not anymore, though! Now we will have strangers waltzing through our house, judging us on our toothbrushes and our kitchen towels and our choice of window treatments. Ugh! I loathe the thought.
First, though, we had to spend a frantic couple of weeks prepping the house, which for us meant filling to the brim a 10 foot square storage room with things we own but in no way, shape or form actually use or need. Seriously, I am selling 95% of it as soon as it becomes garage sale weather.
We are close to being done, but still not quite there yet. If we get any lookers this weekend, they are in for a startling surprise when they go in our garage, in that it resembles a room from that show "Hoarders" more than it does an actual garage. We haven't been able to park a car in there since 2004. I am not joking.
My sincere hope is that someone will read this blog and go, "Hey! I was just thinking that I need a new house and I love Nancy's. I'm going to call her and make an offer RIGHT NOW!" Barring that, my hope is that the people who come look at the house will find it charming and will be forgiving of the little clutter that will inevitably sneak back in over time. And by over time, I mean by Friday.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Dance on
How embarrassing. It has been almost 3 weeks since I last blogged. To my public, I apologize. To all 6 of you. It has been a busy few weeks. Right on the heels of my birthday was Thanksgiving and Matt's birthday. We've got tons of stuff going on, blah blah blah.
Last week, I left on Tuesday for Little Rock unexpectedly. My great uncle Lonnie, my grandmother's brother, passed away Tuesday evening. I stayed until the funeral on Saturday.
As I was growing up I spent a lot of time with Uncle Lonnie and his marvelous wife, Aunt Joyce. They live out in the country, and every trip to their house was filled with tractor rides, walks to the pond, and nervewracking encounters with aggressive geese (don't laugh until you've had one chasing you). All of that paled in comparison, though, to the pure entertainment package that was Uncle Lonnie.
Before I was born, Uncle Lonnie was in a car accident that ultimately caused both of his legs to be amputated and created a lifetime of medical issues for him. Most people would see this as a mountain-sized burden. Uncle Lonnie saw it as an opportunity to amuse and/or terrify people. I would go as a child to see him in the hospital after various surgeries on his legs, and he would spend his entire visit trying to convince me that if I tickled the air where his feet were supposed to be he would really feel it. Popping his legs off in front of unsuspecting visitors was one of his favorite pasttimes. I remember the first time he did it for Abby--while she was recovering in the fetal position I laughed until I cried with my uncle.
I am crazily blessed to have a huge extended family that I 1)actually like and 2) am close to. The days before and of Uncle Lonnie's funeral were a wonderful time of visiting, joking and much, much laughing. We are not a quiet bunch. In a group of cool people, Uncle Lonnie always stood out as one of the coolest, and I will miss him often. His and Aunt Joyce's 52 year marriage was one of a handful that, when we got married, Matt and I decided we want ours to look like 50 years from now. It is a lofty goal, let me assure you. No one came within 20 feet of them without knowing they were crazy in love.
Uncle Lonnie's funeral was lovely. Matt and I decided, for multiple reasons, that we wanted Abby to go. She loved my uncle, and I was worried that she couldn't handle it. She was a champ, though, and even would pat my back and tell me it was going to be okay when the emotion and pregnancy hormones collided and threated to turn me into a sobbing mess on the church floor a few times. Don't even get me started on the incredible military burial, one of which I have never witnessed in person before and is enough to make me weep just thinking about it.
I know that my uncle is in heaven, and I am sure that Uncle Lonnie is providing some serious entertainment up there. Abby asked me if he had his whole body back and was dancing with Jesus using his real legs. I told her there was no doubt.
Last week, I left on Tuesday for Little Rock unexpectedly. My great uncle Lonnie, my grandmother's brother, passed away Tuesday evening. I stayed until the funeral on Saturday.
As I was growing up I spent a lot of time with Uncle Lonnie and his marvelous wife, Aunt Joyce. They live out in the country, and every trip to their house was filled with tractor rides, walks to the pond, and nervewracking encounters with aggressive geese (don't laugh until you've had one chasing you). All of that paled in comparison, though, to the pure entertainment package that was Uncle Lonnie.
Before I was born, Uncle Lonnie was in a car accident that ultimately caused both of his legs to be amputated and created a lifetime of medical issues for him. Most people would see this as a mountain-sized burden. Uncle Lonnie saw it as an opportunity to amuse and/or terrify people. I would go as a child to see him in the hospital after various surgeries on his legs, and he would spend his entire visit trying to convince me that if I tickled the air where his feet were supposed to be he would really feel it. Popping his legs off in front of unsuspecting visitors was one of his favorite pasttimes. I remember the first time he did it for Abby--while she was recovering in the fetal position I laughed until I cried with my uncle.
I am crazily blessed to have a huge extended family that I 1)actually like and 2) am close to. The days before and of Uncle Lonnie's funeral were a wonderful time of visiting, joking and much, much laughing. We are not a quiet bunch. In a group of cool people, Uncle Lonnie always stood out as one of the coolest, and I will miss him often. His and Aunt Joyce's 52 year marriage was one of a handful that, when we got married, Matt and I decided we want ours to look like 50 years from now. It is a lofty goal, let me assure you. No one came within 20 feet of them without knowing they were crazy in love.
Uncle Lonnie's funeral was lovely. Matt and I decided, for multiple reasons, that we wanted Abby to go. She loved my uncle, and I was worried that she couldn't handle it. She was a champ, though, and even would pat my back and tell me it was going to be okay when the emotion and pregnancy hormones collided and threated to turn me into a sobbing mess on the church floor a few times. Don't even get me started on the incredible military burial, one of which I have never witnessed in person before and is enough to make me weep just thinking about it.
I know that my uncle is in heaven, and I am sure that Uncle Lonnie is providing some serious entertainment up there. Abby asked me if he had his whole body back and was dancing with Jesus using his real legs. I told her there was no doubt.
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