Today was a rather nice and relaxing day. Eric has some work to do this evening, so he took the day off to be with us.

Our neighbor is a Metro police officer and works nights. So, Christy gets to have Chip home most days. I am sure it is difficult not having him there at night. But, there is the advantage of getting to be together during day hours. For instance, Eric was able to take Grant to see a movie today and then we all went grocery shopping and just "hung out" outside on the trampoline. Of course, he's at work at the moment, so I miss him (insert pathetic frown face here). And, I'm sure that he'll be exhausted tomorrow.

Anyway, Grant truly loved the movie and Eric said that it is even funny for adults. I'll probably wait until it comes out on DVD to see it.

The guys were so adorable tonight; just lying there on the trampoline looking up at the sky. Counting passing airplanes and searching for shapes in the clouds. Warm whispers of wind were like a favorite T-shirt after an evening bath; comfortable and cozy. It just felt like we could be out there forever, minus the insects that started to come out as well. We saw our neighbors drive up and said hello, checked out their new deck, and Grant got to see one of his favorite girls on earth, their daughter Carly (she's an older woman...eight!). Then we came inside and Grant had his bath and blew bubbles in the tub. Next was prayer time (which he insisted that his stuffed Tigger participate in) and goodnight kisses. So, both boys are sound asleep and the big "boy" is gone. It is so quite; I hardly know what to do.

By the way, sewing was fun last night. I ended up not having any time to make food so I stopped at the grocery store on the way to Tina's house. To represent California, I found some ready-made guacomole and some Lay's Monterey Jack potato chips (from their state series). I felt like I needed to apologize like crazy for the awful green dip stuff! If someone has never had fresh guacomole made from real avocados, and that is what they think guacomole is... then I feel terrible for them. The real stuff is amazing, but this looked (and tasted) like a face mask from the beauty isle! From scratch is easy to make, but the avocados in the store were too hard and I had no time to allow them to ripen. Oh well. We did enjoy plenty of other "home state" goodies: New York Cheesecake, meatloaf made with Michigan beef, a Cuban chicken casserole from Miami Florida (the official name of the dish was given but I couldn't pronounce it for my life!), rice pudding from Greece, Denver Omelette from Colorado, and the only native Tennessean brought potato pancakes. Nashville is such a melting pot; we only know a few people that are originally from here.

I just bought this swimsuit. I am so excited. Apart from a maternity suit, I haven't bought one since Eric and I have been married. So, swimming pool- "Here I come!". They just opened the outdoor pool at the Y and Grant has been asking when we'll go in. He has a cute pair of red trunks. I can hardly wait to take him.

The little man is still not "potty trained", so I hope that he fits in swim diapers- they only make them so big. That is a goal of ours in the upcoming months. Get him potty trained, get him to stop sucking his thumb, and get him to drop the "blanket habit". Poor guy, it's going to be a traumatic summer. We haven't really forced any of these ssues because of the new brother ("one thing at a time")- but we'll be cracking down soon! He'll be three in a few weeks, its time to be a "big boy".

Our big boy gets a "Bob the Builder" birthday party on June 14th, too. Can we build it? Yes, we can!

I thought this site was of interest:
http://www.findyourspot.com/

My sweet friend Mary just came to pick up Grant and take him to the zoo so that I could spend and afternoon with just Dean. I plan on eating my lunch and promptly taking a nap. She is about 5 months pregnant...I pray to God that he is good for her and enjoys himself (I'm not so worried about the "enjoys himself" part, more the "good" part) I don't even know how to thank her for something like that. Maybe she considers is investing in her future- in a few months we'll be able to babysit their son for them!

I just received the food theme for this weeks sewing party. Tomorrow night, we are to bring an item from our home state. For me, that is California. So, I am trying to figure out what is stereotypically "Californian". California Rolls. Sourdough Bread. California Style Sunny Delight (which means what exactly). I don't know. I guess I'm at a loss. It's hard to imagine what other people consider when they hear "California" since it all seems normal to me. I think you have to be an outsider to really know. For instance, in a heartbeat, I can now tell you what is Southern! 5 years now, and it still strikes me funny that I ended up in the South.

Last night, I finished Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood. I thought it was an enjoyable novel. Many times, I am not so interested in contemporary authors; it seems that all too many of them are more concerned with selling books than writing a great literary work. But, this was certainly more than just a storytelling book; it leaves you with something to analyze and think on.

So, today, I began reading Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I like reading at the gym while I work out (unless I'm in a class) so I get a little in each day. With the movement of running or cycling etc. it is slower reading than normal (so I'm only 50 pages in)- but it is better than the magazines they have out or watching the TV programs they have on (usually trashy daytime stuff).

I talked to my dad yesterday. He did arrive safely and is taking it easy due to jet lag. Sometime this week he's scheduled to have tea with the Queen. Right.

We made our "weekend trip to Target" yesterday and bought a new bottle to try with Dean. (Eric and I joke that a weekend isn't complete without visiting one of their stores- we just always seem to need something). Anyway, he seems to take the this old fashioned Playtex one better than the Avent type. So, hopefully we can keep him accepting a bottle for outtings and church- it was a real problem with Grant and he never did take one...he just went straight to a sippy cup (I think his strong-willed personality had something to do with it, as well!)

So, we were supposed to go here yesterday. It didn't work out because of sitter issues (and we're really mad at her for getting pink eye, too).

Instead, we grabbed some food to take to the park and had our own little picnic. Grant had a blast on the slides, as usual. He doesn't like the swings for whatever reason; although, he didn't mind pushing me on one! Eric ran and played with him. I mean, RAN. They did lap after lap chasing each other, jumping down slides, leaping up stairs, and climbing across bridges. I held Dean. My sweet husband was so tired after all that, though Grant wanted to do more and didn't really want to head home. We aren't that old, but it already seems like such a distant memory- when we were that young and played that hard. Such a fun night. While we were at the park, we had some of these cookies. Very good and rather healthy.

Also yesterday, my dad should have arrived safely in Stoneleigh, England where Grandma lives. He hasn't called to vouch for the "safely" part, but I assume I would have heard otherwise if there was any concern. Every time I think to call it seems to be either too late or too early because of the whole time difference thing. Maybe I'll reach him tomorrow.

Does anyone out there watch Smallville and Trading Spaces? Eric and I are of the opinion that Chloe, played by Allison Mack, and Paige Davis could be sisters. They don't look exactly alike, but in watching the shows they seem to have similar mannerisms.

Regarding Trading Spaces, we (Mary, Amber, and I) were at the "Southern Women's Show" (None of us are originally from Nashville, so I had to wonder how accurate the title was for us: one Californian, one Michiganite, and one Floridian) last weekend and Frank Bielec had a time slot to speak. He didn't do a "how-to"; he just talked about himself and the show and then fielded questions. Funny man. Amber asked him if they had ever found any embarrassing items when clearing out a bedroom so he told a few stories about that. Populare national television show- you'd think people would be more careful.

Usually someone's first job, but I am now a "paper boy". We get this little weekly flyer/ newspaper every Thursday called "The News Herald". Mostly, it is classifieds with a few local articles and some political cartoons. I read it every week and began to wonder about the possiblitiy of a side thing to make "fun money" for vacations or Eric's birthday (his birthday comes at such a busy time of year....Grant's birthday, Donna Malleg's birthday, Riley's birthday, our anniversary, Father's Day, and on some years we were moving or traveling.... that I have never been able to do much for him).

So, a lady called to give me the details: the papers need to be bagged and thrown, the printer has them ready by 2:00am, you can pick them up whenever you want but they need to be all thrown no later than 5:00pm. Rather flexible, I thought. Perfect for having two kids in the car, no strict hours, and only one day per week. Today was my first day and I had 800 papers. There is possiblity to get 600 more within a few weeks time, should I want.

Having never done this before, I asked the lady about technique. Some people bag them at home and then go out on their route. If bagged before hand, some people drop them into their car window- ready to throw. Others pile them in a laundry basket. Some people bag as they throw. Some people throw out the passenger window and drive on the right side of the road, while others throw out the driver side and go against the flow of traffic. Some, she said, ride the middle of the road and throw to both sides at once.

Keeping in mind that I'd have to DRIVE as well, I decided to pre-bag and then throw. But, halfway through, I realized that they would then be taking up way too much room in my vechicle (the printer's stacks are nice and compact). So, with half bagged, I set out on the road. As it turns out, it works better for me to bag as I go and throw out the passenger window on the RIGHT/CORRECT side of the road (the people who drive on the left scare me!...no offense intended toward my British father and his left-side-driving family.) I had my map and my list of people NOT to deliver to.

Apparently, there are some people that have complained about receiving this cute little free paper. I can imagine asking to be removed from the list ("I have a bad back and don't want to bend over to pick it up", "I don't read it and therefore consider it litter", "The article about the lady that turned 100 offended me because I am 101 and no one recognized me" and various other complaints). But, some recipients have threatened lawsuit (their names on the list were in the color red). My opinion is that there is a lot more in this world to worry about than a tiny paper in a yellow bag.

On a happier note, when I was throwing papers this afternoon, there were three young boys out playing basketbal in their driveway. They saw my car approaching and huddled near my open window when I was ready to toss theirs. They backed up, and began waving their arms (as though to say, "I'm open. I'm open!"). I played their game. I asked if they were ready and then I threw it. No one caught it, but one boy with red hair and a missing tooth came really close. It must have been my bad throw as I'm sure he could have caught it otherwise. And, as I kept on driving, I imagined that Grant and Dean will probably do the same thing in a few years time.

A few years back, I was told that a great technique for remembering Bible passages was to read the same set of chapters or same short book each day for a month. At, first, you'd think that it wouldn't do anything but help you memorize. But, I found out that it also allows you to discover deeper meanings or realize portions that you might have overlooked the first run through (or maybe even the second, or third). I am trying this technique with Galatians right now and today is my second day.

Galatians 5:26 "Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other"

Galatians 6:4 "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load"

We (Grant, Dean, and I ) made it to the gym this morning for an 8:15 am spin class. This is an accomplishment. I have been working out rather diligently to drop this pregnancy weight, but it seems that we haven't been there that early in a long time. Usually, it's around nine before we get there simply because nursing Dean throws one more thing into the routine. And, I have to make sure he is good and full before going because he "won't take a bottle" for the nursery staff. Every time I have gone to the effort of pumping milk for him, they say he "wouldn't take it". I don't think they're lying, I just don't believe that they try very hard with him. He takes a bottle of expressed milk from Eric and I, it just takes him a moment to get used to the idea. Anyway, that stuff is like "liquid gold" so I hate coming home and dumping it down the drain. Now I just "top him up", hand him over full, and limit my workout so that he's not starving when I come to get him.
Here's the Grant "cute thing" of the day: On the way to the gym, it was raining. Grant was in the back seat making noise; every 30 seconds or so, he would loudly exclaim, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!". At the next stop light, I turned to look at him and found out what he was doing. Droplets were clinging to his window and as soon as one would get too heavy and trail down the glass, he was making a falling sound for them (because, as we all know, raindrops can't cry out for themselves). Very sweet and such a brilliant use of his imagination, but thank goodness it was a short car ride!

woooo hoooo!!! I have figured it out. Trial and error works wonders. I could always have asked my intelligent computer-minded husband, but now I can show him and have him think that I am cool.

I really don't know what I'm doing with this code stuff. I want to put my comments link in a logical place- it jsut keeps coming out all funky!

testing.