Redeeming Alexander's Day

You know that one, right? The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad kind? Mine started off like that.

BUT...I was determined that the morning need not set the tone for the whole rest of the day.

I didn't sleep last night. No reason---just because I woke wide awake at 3:00 and couldn't go back to sleep. I finally got up and ate some cereal. I could have washed the dishes or balanced the checkbook or any number of things at that hour I was so awake. But I chose to go back to bed. I finally, finally drifted off to sleep a few minutes before husband's alarm went off. Sigh.

I weighed all the courses of action I could take. Get up and make his coffee and breakfast and lunch like usual? (He was getting up an hour earlier than he usually does ON TOP of losing that hour of sleep this weekend). Or lay here and try to get back to sleep? Hmm. He's getting up early. He can make the coffee and grab some toast. I think he has enough cash in his wallet for lunch.

I guess you know what I chose. But it was 7:00 before I went back to sleep. And then I woke up at 8:30. (which, really, is 7:30--you know?) Great start to the day. The girls got up before me and were playing on the Wii. The kitchen was a mess and I didn't know what we had for breakfast.

(On a side note, we cleaned house this weekend, but the kitchen didn't seem to make the cut.)

So I sent them to get dressed and I took a shower. Now it was 9:30. I'll make pancakes. Shoot. No baking powder. I have a tiny bit of "just add water" mix they can have and I'll find something else. Not enough. Oh look! Just enough Bisquick! Add milk. Add eggs. Huh? Oh man. Little bugs in the mix. I hate those little things. Wonder what else they are in?

So, I had to pay for breakfast while we ran our errands. Not what we needed to do. But I'm still determined to make this day good.

Errands are run. We have lunch and supper for today and breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. Picked up medicine for S. Back home. It's 11:15. There is still time for this day to turn around.

After lunch we will do school. We will START with Bible. There hasn't been enough Bible around here lately. Then we will clean the kitchen. And update that checkbook. And do some chores around the house. I will have the girls sweep off the back porch and tidy up before Daddy gets home. We will watch a show together tonight and maybe eat popcorn.

Just because the morning started off poorly doesn't mean the day is going to go downhill. I mean, sometimes it does. But today is NOT one of those days.

Because I say so.


And this picture makes me happy. Little Bit, nearly 2 years ago, helping Daddy in his wood shop. See all her Handy Manny tools in her tool belt. Cutie. 

All the New Products

I got the best thing in the mail a few weeks ago! It's hanging in baby's closet right now. I can't wait to use it.

This is one of the cool things about the 8 1/2 year gap between children--there are all these products out there that we didn't have last time!

So since Little Bit was born, I have seen all the cute nursing covers out there. I wanted one if I ever had another child. Little Bit was born in November and let's just say I did my fair share of public nursing because Christmas shopping, it had to happen! I'm all about nursing in public. If your child is hungry--feed them!! But I'm also a Christian, so I'm all about modesty.

My friend Rachel from The Other Huse, sent me this awesome package in the mail:

It's from her Etsy shop Shut the Front Door.

When I opened it, I saw the beautiful fabric she had let me pick out earlier.

Isn't it beautiful? I wanted something pretty and grown up looking. Not fabric that screamed "HEY LOOK! I'M NURSING OVER HERE! SEE THE BABY FABRIC MY NURSING COVER IS MADE OF?"

You understand. And I told her I wanted greens. But then I saw this one and fell in love. It was also important it not be black or dark because summer + Texas + nursing under black nursing cover = sweat. Lots of it.

It's the kind of nursing cover with the boning at the top so you can see baby. Like this one:

Picture source: totally swiped from Rachel's blog

Wait! I haven't even told you the best part! Rachel and her friend who run the Etsy shop are Army wives. Are you ready for the name of my awesome nursing cover?

Mammo Camo

Oh come on! That is hilarious!!

Speaking of camouflage...there is one other thing I would like before baby comes. Maybe after our income tax refund?

Modest Middles.  I know I have the nursing cover, but even for just around the house, it would be nice to not have the squishy middle parts of me hanging out for everyone to admire. Right? These make it so you can wear pretty much any shirt.

Also I have been VERY productive this week! Can't wait to share pictures with your tomorrow!

The Goings-Ons Around Here

I have energy for one big thing a day. Monday it was a doctor's appointment. Yesterday it was grocery shopping. Today--the kitchen. Heaven sakes the kitchen! It's AWFUL. I have no after-supper-energy to clean it up and it shows.

But that isn't your problem, now is it? :) We've been busy around here with the pressure of "oh my goodness only 9 1/2 weeks to go!!"

We got a used pack-n-play from a family in our homeschool group who was having a garage sale. It had been used for 4 kids and in storage so it needed a little scrubbing. Sweetheart needed to earn some money. Win-win!

 But she still needed more money so she washed the car too. The neighbor's tree (in picture) holds a lot of birds. 'Nuf said. Not good for car. Little Bit was washing up the bucket of baby toys for her new little sister.

Found new rugs for the girls' rooms at Target. Neither rug was over $20! Little Bit's is kind of small (just the size of her) but it will do for now. It matches.

 Sweetheart's matches PERFECTLY! Well, it will when we finish the rest of the room!

 We also went to IKEA Monday night and got a new dresser for Little Bit. I can't wait to get it put together (including all 200 pieces of hardware. I wish I was kidding) and moved into her room. THEN...we can move her old dresser to our room for the "nursery." And I really can't wait to get that space ready!

And this was just funny. Sweetheart is constantly reading. All. the. time. The other day I told her she didn't have time to get a book to read with her meal. She sighed and said, "OK" and headed back to the table to eat. When she finished, I saw this.

That would be the phone book that Little Bit sits on to reach the table. She was READING IT! THE YELLOW PAGES! Oh, that girl.

So this post kind of makes it sound like we've been super productive around here. I'll admit that we've gotten more done than usual because of the countdown!! But...when I look in the kitchen and laundry room, I don't feel so accomplished.

But talk to me later today.

The Cure for Back Pain

I've been having terrible back pain. Sure, my back hurt sometimes with my other pregnancies (from what I can remember!) but nothing like this. The doctor said yesterday it's probably because the baby was laying "cattywampus" (Is that a Texas term?) and was probably on a nerve. It's not sciatica. I know that pain. My whole lower back just tenses up something awful. I've tried ice, heat, Tylenol, a warm bath and whining.

So last night when we got in bed, it hurt really badly. We had taken a longish ride in the truck yesterday evening and even though I had a pillow for support while riding, by the time we got home my back was acting up. I was laying in bed trying to get to sleep and thinking about crying. It really hurt.

And then, the children of Pleven came to mind. And I couldn't get them off of my mind.

Suddenly, I forgot all about my back hurting.

If you haven't followed this story, just read this one post. Just this one. The Lord is moving. Please pray.

It will make you forget your back pain or other troubles really quick.

Afternoon School

So the other day I experimented with running the errands in the morning and putting school off until after lunch. It worked BEAUTIFULLY!! I didn't nearly pass out in the grocery store and school still got done. We've continued the trend this week and we've been able to eat at home because Mama still had energy. This morning we did a Target run and I paid bills while the girls are enjoying the beautiful weather outside. But it's almost time to come in...

Anyway, I mentioned on Facebook about how afternoon school went great and all my homeschool homies start admitting how they've fallen asleep while reading aloud in the afternoons. Cracked me up!! I have never fallen asleep during school! Now don't get me wrong, I slept through most of the fall but I called school off first! :) I just thought that was funny. Anyone else doze off while teaching? (Also, if homeschoolers can achieve the results they do with obviously sleep-deprived moms at the wheel....just think what we could do with enough sleep!)



Looking forward to a field trip tomorrow and S is going to join us! It's about an hour and a half away from home so it'll feel like a mini vacation. Can't wait! AND...we have a date night this weekend too! (With a gift card!) It's going to be a great weekend!

Also...planning to finish Sweetheart's curtains
*found rugs for around $20 each for the girls' rooms
*hoping to hang some wall art up in Little Bit's room
*more than anything--I want a clean house!