As previously admitted, I blog stalk. I came across a posting where a mom asks her two daughters questions and blogs their answers. It's cute (thanks for the idea, Desi), so I decided to "interview" Megan this evening. She was so cute and proper about it. I asked her the question, and she answered; while I wrote down the answers, she made sure I got the correct first letter for each answer (most were right). Here's the world, according to Megan at 3. Each question began with, "What is your favorite..." (Next time, I'll branch out and ask good questions like Desi does.)

"What's your favorite..."
Thing to play at home: Princess with Daddy
Food: Oranges
TV Show: Wonder Pets
Movie: Sleeping Beauty, I mean Cinderella, I mean Peter Pan, no it's Cinderella.
Thing to wear: A dress
Toy: Barbies
Restaurant: Babe's Chicken (you have to hear her say this...too cute!)
Dessert: Ice Cream
Treat: Cookies
Color: Aquamarine
Song: "So dis is LOOOOVVVVEEEE" (in song) from Cinderella
Game: Monopoly Town
Drink: Milk
Cereal: Lucky Charms
Was dat it?

So, because I couldn't find my to-do list last night, I made another one. When I came into the living room a few minutes ago, I picked it up for a consultation. It had Megan scribbles all over it. She's really been into writing all over any piece of paper in the house lately, so once again, I got onto her about it.

Her response - word for word, "Well, your house is a mess, so I wrote that on your list."

This could SO happen to me...courtesy of www.foxnews.com.

DENVER — There wasn't time to look up any books on obstetrics before a woman gave birth in the Denver Public Library on Tuesday.
Library spokeswoman Celeste Jackson said the woman walked into the library, said she had been riding a city bus and was in labor.
"She was pretty far along. She delivered right there," just inside the entrance, Jackson said.
Staffers and security guards helped until paramedics arrived and took the mother and baby to Denver Health Medical Center.
Jackson said staffers didn't yet know their names but they want to send flowers.
"It's never happened before," she said.

Kind of like the case of which comes first, the chicken or the egg. Don't know if I'm extremely tired and that's contributing to my current state of depression, or if I'm depressed so I'm so tired and lethargic. Whatever it is, it sucks. I'm pouty, unreasonable, cranky, weepy, hot-tempered, and just plain unpleasant to be around - ask my family. Sorry for the negativity, but it's my blog and I can cry if I want to. Don't worry, I'm not looking for any sympathy, so don't feel like you have to offer any. To help me purge, I've listed my top "can'ts" at the minute. Maybe I'll feel better after I write this. Or not. Either way, enjoy.

Can’t remember what it is like to zip a pair of jeans.
Can’t see my feet.
Can’t keep my temper in check.
Can’t sleep at night.
Can’t believe Megan is 3.
Can’t find the crib I want.
Can’t stand the disgusting condition of my house.
Can’t find my to-do list.
Can’t seem to muster up any motivation.
Can’t stay out of the GS Samoas cookies.
Can’t get comfortable.
Can’t bend, must swoop.
Can’t decide what to do about Megan’s school.
Can’t carry Megan anymore.
Can’t get out of the recliner without almost falling over.
Can't enjoy food.
Can’t travel.
Can’t relax.
Can't believe the nerve of some people.
Can't get my hair to hold a curl.
Can't wait to have this baby!

Kerryn, the awesome Aussie, held an "Australia Day" tea celebration today for our mom's group. She went above and beyond with the food! We had authentic Australian treats including: Fairy Bread, meat pies (please DO NOT ask how many of those I ate), sausage rolls, Veggie-mite sangers (sandwiches), chocolate crackles, honey things (the name escapes me), and "Frogs in a pond" (see below). It was well attended and very fun! Of course, Megan and Georgia hit the dress-up clothes 33 seconds after we hit the house, so to them it was Australian Day, princess style. I'm sure Kerryn and Aussie Gran are still napping... :)

Kati asked me to be the matron of honor at her wedding in May. Of course I accepted, and I am very excited! I just love Kati and Ryan and am SO glad they are getting married.

I was invited to go wedding dress shopping today with Kati, Tif, and Aunt Kari, and it was fun, fun, fun. Kati was her normal self - easy going, agreeable, and willing to try anything. It was hard to eliminate dresses because every dress looked good on her.



However, I would have to say that my favorite part of the day was watching my very proud Aunt and Uncle interact with Kati. If I didn't think Uncle Gary would kill me, I'd post other pictures of him talking to her and adjusting her gown...it was priceless. I enjoyed watching them talk to her about her dress and the wedding in general. It was just heartwarming, and I'm glad I was able to sit back and watch it.



Kati narrowed it down to 3 dresses, but we were all suffering from "dress overload." We went to lunch to refuel. I was not able to go back the second time. However, Kati really didn't need me...she had such a good support system. I got a phone call announcement that, in fact, a decision had been made. Don't worry...the picture above is NOT "the one."



Now that you've suffered through my choppy rendition of the day, you really ought to check out Aunt Kari's description HERE and not just because she says I actually have patience. Countdown to May 15th!

First, do each other's hair.


Next, politely ask the mommy to get the hats.


Get dressed and give the princess pose.
Megan and Georgia were ready for "the ball."

On her way to Louisiana, our trusty, fabulous photographer Ashley stopped by to take my maternity shots. It was so fun! You can see some of them at Shuttermouth. I promise, I don't think I'm a model...

My friend Laura tagged me to share 10 honest things about me. I consider myself pretty dang honest on my blog anyway, but it said "about me." Yikes. That means facts and opinions about me...which sometimes offend people...so I don't normally open up about myself. Just love me for who I am!! :)

Here are my 10:
1) I love to read. Books, magazines, newspapers, scrolls across the bottom of the screen, cereal boxes, etc.
2) I am extremely bossy. In fact, at my brother’s rehearsal dinner they were sitting around trying to decide what time to meet, where, etc. It was driving me crazy because no one would decide, so I jumped in and took over the planning. The in-laws, the Tamakis, still call me “the Boss”. Embarrassing, but true.
3) I am frugal, but I will not admit to being cheap. I rarely pay full price for an item because I wait for a coupon or a sale. For instance, I’ve needed hair product for a week, but I had to wait for an Ulta coupon. Oftentimes, I wait so long that I never even get what I was waiting for.
4) I hate to watch TV shows or movies as my attention span is nil. I’ll watch sports with no problem; usually a sit-com in one sitting; an hour drama is usually split up over time (thank freakin’ goodness for DVR); a movie if I am reallllllllly interested.
5) I’m not a good wife. If I go into any more detail, I’ll start boo-hooing away. Simply: Jeremy puts up with quite a bit, and I often wonder why.
6) I cannot stand to be lied to, especially about stuff that really doesn’t matter or that can be proven otherwise with observation or written documentation. Just yesterday someone told me the same lie they’ve told me at least 5 times before. After a certain number of times, it becomes comical, yet increasingly aggravating.
7) I have a fear of being overweight.
8) I rarely ask for help, and when I do, I consider it a sign of weakness (and then I cry about it). Ask Jeremy…I almost fell off the side of a mountain because I wouldn’t ask for help.
9) I’m obsessive about food ingredients. This is a recent development, but I read labels for everything. If I don’t like what I see, I won’t eat it. This does not carry over to other people’s houses or meals because I don’t expect anyone else to be a freak like me. (And I don’t judge what other people have at their houses either…just in case you got momentarily defensive.)
10) I’m a blog stalker. I can’t even explain that one away.

I modified the "tag rules" a little bit to make it easier on myself (oh, that could be #11 - I'm lazy). But, the 7 people I tag are: Lee, Leanne, Sarah, Taryn, Ashley M (because you are so dang funny), Joanna, and Kati. Of course I wish everyone would do it, too, so consider yourself tagged if you have a blog. Purging helps, ya know. :)

Today was a fabulous day for many reasons. They might not sound like lofty accomplishments to you but they are around our house (especially lately).

First of all, Megan had an EXCELLENT day at school today! Considering I've been in the director's office 2 times in the past week due to Meg's antics (long story that you'd probably rather not hear), I was dreading the "pick-up" this afternoon. When I walked in, Ms. Tiffany had a big grin across her face and nothing but praise...*sigh*...I needed that! Megan obeyed all day, did not sass, was respectful, and stayed on her nap mat. Hooray!!! Perhaps this is the beginning of a turn-around. Cross your fingers for me.

After school, we had Megan's 3 year check-up with Dr. H. Megan weighs 34 lbs and is 38 inches tall (75th percentile in both). She was very cooperative and helpful throughout the entire exam. She talked Dr. H's ear off, too. They had a hilarious conversation about eating vegetables now that she is a "big girl"; her response was, "But I'm still just a little kid!" Dr. H suggested that she just take a little taste of veggies, and if she doesn't like them then she can politely not eat more. We thought maybe she'd get to move up into a booster seat, but she's not old or big enough. Next year. We talked about the new baby coming, discipline, preschool, developmental things, and all kinds of toddler stuff. It was a good visit.



This evening Daddy and Megan took advantage of the 80 degree weather by grilling steaks and playing ball while they waited for the meat to cook. As I dished her plate, I started to skip the corn (veggie!), but I decided to put a few pieces on her plate. She freaked out at first but then reminded me that Dr. H said she should try it. Lo and behold, to my shock and amazement, she ate about 5 pieces of corn!!! I couldn't believe it. I can count the number of times she's eaten a veggie, in the past 3 years, on one hand.

I am so proud of my girl - not just today but every day. She's working so hard at being "a big girl". We've had such a pleasant week around here. Amazing the difference a week makes...

In our little family, my birthday is affectionately known as "the day after Megan's birthday". Megan welcomed me with a birthday surprise/present this morning. She declared that she was going to obey and behave all day - she came up with that one all by herself. And wow, she really did follow through. One time we almost had a problem, but then she remembered and asked me if it was still my birthday....trying to sneak out of that one! I'm going to tell her that tomorrow is my birthday, too. And the next day...etc.

I got lots of well wishes via mail, phone, email, Facebook, and in person. Thank you to all!!! My friend also brought me my own mini-cake and candle to playgroup today. Although I could easily inhale an entire cake, she helped me by not bringing me the entire cake, and for that I am SO grateful! :)

I got lots of cool presents, including one from my kid(s). Around Christmas, I saw this shirt at the store and dropped a very subtle hint that I needed it. Sure enough, Daddy-o remembered and helped Megan shop for it. I'm not sure there is one, but if our town has "The Biggest Nerd" contest, I could win hands down with my new shirt...it'll fit me for another day or two. I hope my book club friends aren't too jealous.



I also got some new nightgowns adaptable to nursing, a jellyroll pan (darn, now I HAVE to make a sheet cake), a Border's gift card, gorgeous purple tulips, and the Deceptively Delicious cookbook. I think Daddy-o has saved his present to me until tomorrow because it didn't happen tonight (he's going to hang the curtains in our bedroom...). I'm sure my subtle hints all day tomorrow will help remind him. :) He also offered a raincheck on birthday dinner as I have a smooshed stomach and no appetite right now. We'll go when I have room in my belly! And now, off to bed...doubt Connor understands that I could use a nice birthday sleep...

Home made laundry detergent: Recently I was asked, "Do you still like it and is it really working?" Yes to both. I have a ton left in my bucket even after doing at least 40 loads AND sharing it with people. I stirred it in the bucket since the water was starting to separate and rise to the top and now it's not so gelled. I am so glad that some of my family and friends have tried it and even made it! Whoo hoo! My grandma is even teaching the ladies at her church how to make it next week. Let the wave continue!

Chard: Yum-o! I made it tonight in two different ways so I could get twice the experience. First, I chopped it with spinach and sauteed it in butter with a little bit of garlic salt. I tasted that...very delicious. Then I made my version of an old family favorite, Grandpa's Mess, using the rest of the sauteed spinach and chard. (If anyone in my immediate family reads that last statement, they will think me blasphemous for making Grandpa's Mess healthy! Basically, it's a breakfast meal with eggs, sausage, onions, and hashbrowns all in one pan. I, of course, have to put my own healthy spin on it...) Chard will now make a regular appearance in our meal plan. Two thumbs up from the vegetable eaters in the house.

Megan has an Elmo trick-or-treat bucket from a previous Halloween, a year or two ago. It resides in the playroom and is used for various tasks such as (pretend) berry picking, hauling socks to her dresser after we've matched them, and various surprises for Daddy and me. It's been slightly unreliable lately because the bottom "clasp" comes undone sometimes.

Megan brought it to me in this condition and asked...



"Hey mom, can you please fix Elmo's crotch?"

Oh, what a day! We had Megan's 3rd birthday party at a "gyn-nastics" place today. I can't speak for anyone else, but our little family had a blast! We are so thankful to our friends and family for sharing the special day with us.


Megan's cake with a light up Cinderella!







How rude of me! I did not take the time to thank my mom and friends for taking pictures for me during the party (I cannot claim any of the pictures as my own). They really stepped up and helped me out so I could sit, eat chips, and watch the party. Thanks, ladies!

My sister-in-law (who shall remain nameless) told me in a very light-hearted, jokingly manner, that I'm interesting and all, but that my posts lately have been a lot about me and not a whole lot about silly Megan. Point taken. One last post about myself for a while and then all about Megan (quite frankly, we haven't done jack-squat lately, so not really anything to post).

While I was doing dishes today, I had a daydream. It was a fabulous daydream...one that took me to a faraway place free of screaming, tantrums, incessant questions, messes, laundry, health food, bills, telemarketers, family drama, decision making, and on and on and on. Where is this place? I have a brilliant idea. I think that society should adopt the "don't mess with us, we won't mess with you" policy regarding pregnant women. From the moment the plus sign shows up on the stick, women should be bused, shipped, flown, or even carried to a designated, isolated area (I hear Gitmo is going to have vacancies soon) to incubate stress-free. A highly trained staff would then take over all medical and mental needs. The biggest worry for the pregnant lady should be "what should I crave next?" Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, and even McDonalds would be open 24/7 and run by extremely competant workers who know how to make the food correctly (FYI, the Taco Bell tostada is supposed to have more than 3 pieces of shredded cheese on top). Days will be filled with naps, TV shows, eating, naps, reading, eating, naps, naps, and naps.

I could go on and on but duty calls in the form of yet another tantrum.

We joined a fruit and vegetable co-op in our area a few months ago. We get our share every other Tuesday, and we never know what we're going to get. Some things are pretty standard; for instance we usually get bananas, onions, and lettuce. But then some times I'm just completely baffled as to what I'm supposed to do with a fruit or veggie. It's been very good for us to be exposed to things that we normally wouldn't buy. I wouldn't normally buy kiwi, but Megan LOVES them now. Yesterday, she had me peel one, and she just tore into it like she does an apple. I don't normally buy eggplant, but we got one a while back and we ate it just fine. However, this week was the most challenging thus far. I pulled these green leaves with red stem lookin' things out of the bag and was like, "What the heck?" Apparently I wasn't the only one because the co-op lady sent out an email stating they were chard. Chard? I must live in a cave because I have never heard of chard. And past that, how the heck am I supposed to cook/serve it? Thank goodness for Google...I found several recipes that I can't wait to try for these 3 stalks of chard. My friend Joanna is much quicker/braver than me; they're having it for dinner tonight. I can't wait to hear how it goes. It's supposed to be one of the healthiest vegetables out there, so I'm looking for some serious benefits from it. If you have a favorite chard recipe, please share. First, I'll be impressed that you cook with chard; then I'll try your recipe. Wonder how chard will taste.......

Combining several thoughts/posts together to save your pointer finger from clicking aches.

Portion control: I've started getting ready for the impending birth and life afterwards. Instead of having people bring food in, I've started slightly increasing the amount of our dinner meal each night and freezing the rest of it to be used later. I have a system, and I hope it works!!! My goal is 30 meals before this baby is born. It's been funny to watch us dish our plates and eat the food each evening...if the food in the pan gets to a certain point, we both quit eating so there's enough to freeze for later. We may think we want seconds, but we'd rather have the food cooked for later. Sad.

Fallen in love all over again: A few months ago, I stumbled upon a new form of discipline to try with Megan. I read the book, started implementing the techniques, with success, but I was doing it on my own, so it wasn't really that effective. Jeremy kept promising to read the book, yada yada, but nada. He'd kinda try and ask me what to do, but it was getting frustrating. FINALLY, he read the book in one night last week, and he's become the expert!! We've really cracked down, together, and are working as a team. Oh man, he's made me fall even more in love with him even after all these years. Sounds bad, but he makes me weak in my knees when he's disciplining our kid!! :) We're actually giving high-fives, discussing our successes/failures, have each other's support, and are enjoying the fruits of our labors. Don't know that I'd suggest toddler discipline as a form of marriage strengthening, but hey...

Dessert: Oh man, you gotta try this dessert. I got the idea for THESE Apple Dumplings from Ashley, so I made them yesterday for the playgroup moms. YUM-O!!! If you're looking for something easy and yummy, I would highly recommend this recipe. Of course I can't leave anything alone, so I made them as "healthier" as I could: cut the sugar to 3/4 cup and used Reduced Fat crescent rolls. They didn't last long around here (sorry, Marla).

Flower girl: And lastly, Cousin Kati asked Megan to be the flower girl in her wedding in May. I was not privvy to the other side of the conversation on the phone, but this is what I heard from Megan: "Well, I can't do it tonight because I have to go home and go to bed. Well, I have a birthday on Saturday, so I can't do it then. May? Well, we'll see." Like the girl is so busy that she couldn't take time out of her life to be a flower girl??? Kati asked me to please see if perhaps Megan could clear a day in May to please be a flower girl. Done.

And that's all, folks.

Daddy was holding Megan, so she and I were at eye level. She leaned over, gave me the most precious look, brushed my bangs back very softly, and very sweetly said, "Mom, why do you look so bad?" I didn't have a comeback....still don't.

Recently I wrote a few little cheesy motivational messages on my bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker (don't even ask what they say because I won't tell on myself). Megan was mesmerized. She wanted me to read them to her over and over again, so I did while we were in the bathroom brushing teeth and getting ready for the day. Since then, she "reminds" me of the sayings throughout the day. Today, she followed me around - right on my heels - repeating her version of them over and over again. "Mommy, 'member to..." Yes Megan, thank you. Apparently I can erase them from my mirror now that I have my own pet parrot to repeat them throughout the day. She's like my own personal dry-erase board.

Daddy and I have new names. As of yesterday, we are now "Dad" and "Mom". For some reason she's dropped Daddy and Mommy. Who knows. That's all fine and dandy, but now that she has less letters to say she says it more. This is how the last two days have gone. Literally.

Megan: Mom.
Mom: Yes, Megan.
Megan: Mom.
Mom: Yes, Megan? What do you need?
Megan: Mom.
Mom: What? I'm listening. I answered. What?
Megan: Mom.
Mom: WHAT? You have my full attention.
Megan: Hey, Mom. Um, hey mom.

And the same for Dad, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. I mean, I think I'm talking to a wall!!!! I have heard "Mom!" 5,000 times today. It's so annoying, but it's so dang cute. I secretly love it. :)

Apologies...I can see this being a very long blog post. But it's something I need to say; if for no one else, myself.

I'm a pretty superstitious person, so it's hard for me to make "plans" for the new baby. I've joked all along that there just isn't room in the house, that Connor can just stay in our room, I'm not giving up my scrapbook room, etc. But really it's a defense mechanism. I don't want to get everything ready and have something happen. However, in a moment of weakness I looked at the calender (31 weeks!), we had a kid-free evening/day, and I had an insane desire to get things organized. So, together, we tackled the house. We cleaned out the guest room and closet, which will now be Connor's room. We also worked on the office, laundry room, Megan's room, the attic, the Christmas stuff, and anything else in our way. We have tons of trash now - poor trashmen - and tons of space. Here are some during pics. The room was trashed. We added 3 boxes of trash, 2 boxes of attic stuff, and 2 boxes of Goodwill stuff to that exisiting pile in the hallway. Although we bought some nursery decor, I refuse to put it up yet. I can only give in to so much in one day....must hold tight to my true superstitious self.

We went to the nursing home to visit Daddy's great-grandma for her 101st birthday. The kids made her laugh and made some of the other residents stick their heads in the door to check out the ruckus. But it was a good visit, and she seemed to really enjoy it. We promised the kids a trip to the park and to feed the ducks if they behaved, so since they were so good we had to pay up. Gran and Papa came along too, and Papa taught the kids to tear the bread before throwing it into the water (after we had several whole pieces of bread float away). For those of you out-of-towners, it was 84 degrees here today. That translates into "hot". Tomorrow it's not supposed to get out of the 40's. I imagine Megan will be sick in 3-4 days with some nasty cough and snot. After the park trip, Megan managed to find a spot in Gran and Papa's truck, driving the opposite direction from us. She's spending the night there, and at last check is having a blast. Daddy and I spent the evening at Great-Grandma's (Daddy's grandma) for a nice visit. We actually got to listen and talk to her without Megan bouncing around, but Great-Grandma sure did miss her being there to entertain her. She said we shouldn't come without Meg! Funny how we get that treatment from most grandparents in our family... :)

Last night we helped Great-Grandma celebrate her 90th birthday. And let me tell you, she's 90 years young! She's a hoot! The kids were mostly contained in the restaurant room; however, it got a little crazy in there with 7 kids, 4 and under. My favorite part of the night was when the 7 kids lined up in front of Grandma and sang "Happy Birthday" - priceless. I got it on video, but it was so dark and grainy that it isn't even worth posting. All in all it was a wonderful night. Happy birthday, Grandma!


Daddy, Megan, and Great-Grandma


Daddy was invited to deliver the toast. He did a great job! Uncle Shawn shared a funny Grandma story, too. Others shared memories and saluted a wonderful, strong lady.