Something really weird just happened to me.  Annaleigh has a play this weekend, and tonight we went to see the dress rehearsal with Big D's mom and dad.  When we came home, we got the kids settled, and then Big D asked me to "put him to bed," which is a code phrase for him needing his back scratched.  That was three hours ago.  I just sat bolt-right-up in bed.  I was fully dressed, and I had been dreaming that I was about to meet Barrack Obama backstage at an American Idol concert.  (I think it was turning into a nightmare.)  I got up and changed into pajamas and was about to get back into bed when I remembered there were a few things I needed to do....Bake cookies.  I had volunteered to bake cookies for the receptions after Annaleigh's plays.  Make Mother's Day cards.  Wash Harrison's baseball uniform that he got dirty wearing for 15 minutes this afternoon before his game was cancelled due to rain.  Write my Flashback Friday blog.

So, here I sit at 1:12am on Friday morning, flashing back to another time and another place. (Trust me....it beats dreaming about Obama!)

This is Indiana Mimi and I way back when.  Cute, weren't we?  The story behind this picture is that my dad was supposed to go with us to get a family picture, but my parents had a spat before we left, and my dad wouldn't go.  I don't really have any memories of that, but looking back at this photo, I'm glad it was just me and my mom.  We don't have a ton of pictures, just she and I.  Another bit of the story is that when we went to choose and pick up our pictures, I was only interested in the individual ones of me.  I'm glad Indiana Mimi wasn't having any of my vanity because I really treasure this picture now.  I like remembering my mom at this stage...remembering how she would always drive me to and from school so I wouldn't have to ride the bus.  I remember once when I was really sick and couldn't sleep she stayed awake into the wee morning hours playing Hi-Ho-Cherrio with me.  She was always my advocate when my dad wanted me to eat everything on my plate, but I knew I would die if I had to eat a beet.  Once I got a detention in 2nd grade for something I didn't do.  Indiana Mimi believed me, and even went to the school to discuss it with my principal. (I still had to serve the detention, by the way.)  Indiana Mimi never missed one event of my entire life that I know of.

Here we are now...

Ummm...something has definitely happened to us over the years, but we're still kinda cute aren't we?  I don't know....something in me wants to recreate the sailor suit look and troop into Olan Mills for another photo op.

Indiana Mimi is still a great mom to me today, when I'm 35, instead of 5.  Something tells me that she would still not want me to have to ride the bus or eat beets.  I think she might play Hi-Ho-Cherrio with me if I needed her to.  I know she'd argue tooth and nail if someone gave me a detention.  She still hasn't missed any events of mine or my children.  And she allows me to call her Indiana Mimi and post silly pictures of her on my blog...ones of her wearing silly hats, with a Webkinz bullfrog on her head. (Well, I use the word allows very loosely.  I'll just say she hasn't disowned me for it yet.)

Does it get any better than that?  I think not.

Happy Mother's Day, Indiana Mimi!  I love you!  You're the best!

Now, I'm off to bed, hopefully not to dream about eating breakfast with Hilary Clinton at Cracker Barrel....

Do you have any warm fuzzy memories of your own mother?  Why not share them with us.....or any memory for that matter?  Sign up with Mr. Linky below, so we can all come and share!

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One of the many advantages of living in an area where there are lots of home schoolers is that there are lots of cool home school activities.  Another plus is that the activities are generally organized by other more zealous home school moms, and all I have to do is show up with my kids in tow.  Last week's Field Day for our county was no exception.

Man, I loved field day when I was a kid.  A whole day out of the classroom, running through grass, challenging your friends to relay races and balloon tosses.  My kids loved it too....until it started thundering and lightening in the afternoon.  But our morning was filled with running...

and Frisbee-throwing...

and backwards-walking (or whatever this is called)...

and hula-hooping...

and all sorts of other activities that didn't involve remote controls or video game consoles.  They were just as pleased as punch with their flimsy satin ribbons.  Annaleigh won 2nd place in that backwards walking, whatever-it's-called event and jump-roping.  Harrison won 1st place in the broad jump and 2nd place in the Frisbee-throw and the shoe-toss.

Living in this area, outside of Nashville, which is the capital of country and Christian music, you never know who you might see.  Well, unless you're like me and hardly know what anyone looks like.  I could run smack-dab into...oh, say....Kenny Chesney in the middle of Wal-mart (assuming he even shops there) and I might possibly never know it.  I have had a few sitings of over-the-top celebrity sorts.  Like last Mother's Day we saw Wynona and Naomi Judd at Ben & Jerry's ice cream.  I would have never recognized the normal looking Naomi, but we all recognized Wynona immediately because she has this unnatural looking, super-long red hair.  I regularly see Phil Joel, formerly of the Newsboys, but again, he has this outrageous set of long, blond, curly locks.  I would recognize Willie Nelson or Dolly Parton in a second, but I've yet to run into either of them.

Well, at our homeschool field day, I saw this guy (the one with the long gray hair)...

Anyone know who that is?  Anyone?  Anyone?

It is Guy Penrod, formerly of The Gaither Vocal Band!  (Update:  Oops...my bad!  It has just come to my attention that Guy is STILL with the GVB.  Sorry, Guy....I have no idea why I had it in my mind that you left.  Shows what I know about Southern Gospel!)  Now, some of you may be wondering what a self-proclaimed rocker girl like me is doing recognizing and photographing a former member of a southern gospel group.  Well, my grandma loved the Gaither Vocal Band and had a lot of their Homecoming videos, so I was subjected many times to Guy's amazing tenor vocals and recognized him almost instantly.  And don't worry....he never knew I was photographing him.  I have pretty good zoom on my camera.  I'm a stealthy paparazzi!

Finally, 4sweetums tagged me with an interesting challenge....

Here are the rules:
1. Write the title to your own memoir using 6 words.
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Link to the person that tagged you.
4. Tag five more blogs.

So, here it goes,  my six-word memoir...

KIDS, where are my freakin' scissors?!?

Actually, the word scissors could be replaced with any random object on any given day....calculator, keys, loose change, my favorite pencil, my house slippers, my lesson plan book, the glue gun (don't ask), the Night at the Museum DVD....you name it, and we've misplaced it.

I'm going to fore go the tagging this time because I have company coming later this week, and I really should be cleaning my baseboards.  Ta-ta!

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Since the weather has turned gorgeous over the past few weeks, we have been frequenting this park, which is a mere five minute drive from our home....

Nice, huh?  It's very new too, about a year and half old, I think.  The city maintains it impeccably and continues to dump money on it for comfortable benches and covered picnic areas.  There's a nice walking trail, which has views of the play area from every angle.  Nice.  Very, very nice.

But do my children appreciate it?  Do they use the hundreds of thousands of dollars of play equipment?  Do they stay in the areas where they are visible to me from my shaded picnic table?  Oh no.  They like to play here...

Doesn't it seem they have left the confines of this small town park for the deep jungles of South America?  Doesn't it look like an anaconda could swoop down at any moment and swallow them alive? 

That is a muddy creek which flows along the perimeter of the park.  It is a magnet for my children.  I cannot see them as they play unless I stand for two hours on the bridge which crosses it.  I'm left to only listen for screams or splashes and only hope that it wasn't one of mine who just drenched themselves with muck and grime.  It usually is.

I must regularly pluck ticks off the above child, so that he will not succumb to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme's Disease.  And I must wash mud out of the child's hair below, so that she can go to ballet class in an acceptable manner.

So, again, I ask, are they some weird freaks of nature?  Or are they just nature freaks?  Maybe a little of both?  I don't know, but something tells me this is ok.  And something tells me that perhaps the city could just invest money into more creeks instead of slides and swing sets.

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As summer approaches it finds me thinking more and more about movies.  We subscribe to Netflix, and through the school year we use it mainly to get films that supplement our history and science studies.  The summer, however, is a different story.  We order all kinds of fun films that we missed in the theaters or that I remember fondly from my own childhood.  I decided for today to narrow down my favorites to my "Top Ten," so here they are....

10.

I loved all Disney movies really, and a couple of others will undoubtedly make this list, but this one was especially memorable for me.  I vaguely remember seeing this in the theater, and as a matter of fact, its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under , was the first movie that Big D took me to see.

9.

C'mon....who didn't like ET?  I remember this movie sparking clever Halloween costumes, a renewed interest in Reese's Pieces candy, and numerous "phone home" jokes and quips.

8.

I loved the Muppet Show and all the movies, but this was my favorite.  I love Charles Grodin in it, and the scene where Miss Piggy breaks into the mansion and pretends that it's her home still makes me laugh today.

7.

I'll bet this is on almost everyone's list...unless the Wicked Witch scared you to death.  I always anxiously awaited when this would come on television every year.  It was quite an event at our house.

6. 

Admittedly, this is kind of a strange movie, and after watching it with my kids a few years ago, I didn't like it nearly as well as when I was ten.  But in 1982, I was a certified unicorn fanatic, and I thought this movie was the best thing since sliced bread.

5. 

When I was little, I was kind of a monster movie freak.  I liked Godzilla, mummies, werewolves, Frankenstein...you name it.  Weird, I know, but it was my childhood and I'm kinda fond of it.  Well, I LOVED King Kong the most.  When I was really small, like three or so, I really liked the old B&W movie, starring Faye Wray, but when the above film with Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges was released when I was about six, it stole my little heart.  And, just for the record, I don't like the most recent King Kong film much at all.

4. 

I have to include the whole original trilogy for this one, but I think, if I had to choose, the last one, Return of the Jedi , is my favorite.  The newer ones were a bit of a disappointment to me, but I've enjoyed seeing them with my kids, who love them all.

3.

This, to me, was the ultimate of Disney princess movies, to be rivaled in modern times only by Beauty and the Beast.  Everything about this movie is so perfect, from the music to the fairies to Malificent.  It's just all-around great and timeless!

2.

I remember when my parents saw this for their anniversary the year it was released and them coming home just raving about it.  I couldn't wait to see it on video, and it did not disappoint.  It became a favorite that I could watch over and over and never tire of.  I liked the other ones as well, but this one was my favorite.  Oh, and just for fun, here's a favorite quick clip....

1. 

Does it get any better than this?  I'd have to say that this would go on my list of favorite movies of all time and not just childhood.  It has to be the best sing-along movie ever!

So, what are some of your favorite films from yesteryear?  Leave me a comment and let me know if I forgot a great one.  Also feel free to join me in a flashback of your own.  Sign Mr. Linky below, so everyone can come reminisce with you!

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Ok....whew...I did it.  I got some footage of Harrison's extreme form!  His instructor was kind enough to allow me to come yesterday to video at their studio.  On the way up to do this, Harrison informed me that he wasn't sure if he could remember all of it or not.  I was flabbergasted by this because his competition in which he received a silver medal for this very form was last Saturday, a mere three days before.  "Well, I've already started making up the next one for the tournament in June, so that may mess me up," he explained.  I sighed loudly and just told him to do his best.

Just an FYI, what you're about to see, is exactly what he did in Mobile.  He hadn't forgotten after all.  And he made this up all by himself.  I helped him a little with the timing and such, but it is in large his brain child.

If I were going to compete in TaeKwonDo tournaments, I would want to do that because it's just so darn cool looking.  Never mind that I can't do even half that stuff anymore.

Here he is actually at the tournament, with his hardware:  a silver medal.

And speaking of forms, Annaleigh did not too shabby herself on her regular form, earning her second gold medal of the day for this....

Way to go, munchkins!  As parents, Big D and I couldn't be prouder.....not because you medaled, but because you did your best!

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I admit that I struggled a little when Annaleigh wanted to follow in her younger brother's footsteps and start TaeKwonDo.  She is a girl, afterall.  A real girly-girl.  She takes ballet.  She likes pink and purple.  She beads.  She reads novels about unicorns and princesses.  What business does she have kicking people in the head and punching them in the gut?

Yet we saw a lot of value in the sport.  It promotes a self-control and discipline that is rare in youth today.  We love the academy we are a part of and have a lot of respect for the instructors.  Plus as Annaleigh nears her teen years, it is not a bad idea to know some self-defense moves as she gradually becomes more independent.

It has actually been a real treat over the past year watching her develop her skills.  It wasn't a big surprise that she excelled in her forms.  Afterall, she's taken seven years of ballet.  If she couldn't kick high and stay in rhythm then I'd want seven years of tuition refunded to me from her dance instructors.  Sparring, however, was a toss-up.  Would my delicate flower of a daughter be able to beat people up?  The answer is a resounding yes!

This past weekend in Mobile, AL she whooped up in her ring full of boys and earned the gold medal for sparring, a feat she has yet to accomplish in a tournament.  I didn't record her first sparring match because she was up against a large, stocky boy and, frankly I didn't think she would win.  She almost didn't, as it came down to 4-4, but she was able to get in the last kick and won the round.  Here's a clip of her second round, where she came from behind for the win.... (Just an FYI, she's red for this round and I think you can see the score cards in the background.)

And then here's her final round, against a tall, gentlemanly boy from Texas who had sparred better in his preceding rounds than he did against Annaleigh.  Personally, I think it must be hard on boys who are probably raised not to hit girls to suddenly try to knock their blocks off.  Poor guy... (She was white for this round.)

The kid you hear on the video that was cheering incessantly was Riley, a little friend of Harrison's, who was at our ring to cheer for Annaleigh, and cheer she certainly did.

Here's Annaleigh sporting her gold medal...

I'll have more clips and results over the next day or so.  I'm not purposefully trying to build this up.  I actually goofed taping Harrison's medal-winning form, so I'm waiting to see if anyone else who went has the footage.  If not, I'm just going to tape him doing it in our backyard or something.

Speaking of Harrison, it must have been a girl-weekend all around, because he was beaten by a cute little girl in his ring earlier that day.  Oh well....it happens.

I think I'll end this entry with simply saying, "You go girl!"

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Just what does that expression mean anyway?  I think it usually is referring to opportune moments in someone's life, but, really, does that make any sense?  I mean have you seen an oyster lately?  Their appearance doesn't exactly scream success or good fortune.  Well, as usual, I digress.  I was just wondering what your thoughts were on that matter, but the show must go on.

This past weekend when I said I was going to be busy, what I actually meant was that we were going to Mobile, AL for a TaeKwonDo tournament.  There's enough caution in me that I try to adhere to the Internet safety rule of not advertising to the world that we're going to be out of town.  So, anyway, we went to Mobile, which is right on the Gulf and which strangely reminded me of my hometown of Charleston, SC.  I mean they had the swampy areas, the mosquitoes, the humidity, the live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, and they had seafood.  There were seafood restaurants EVERYWHERE.  So Friday night Big D wanted to go to Wintzell's Oyster House, which was right across the street from our hotel.

The strange thing about that is we don't eat oysters.  Ever.  So I'm not sure where the notion came from to try them, but there it was.  And he tried them in a big way, as in the oyster sampler platter:

I believe that our oysters were baked, not raw or fried, and as you can see, there were four varieties....I'm just not exactly sure what all of them were.  Big D was being extra risky because this is all he ordered for he and Harrison to share, so if they didn't like them, they were hosed.

Thankfully, he liked them, and they got the Big D thumbs-up.  Harrison was the real wild card because he is our family's pickiest eater.  Big D described eating one like swallowing a booger, and that was the real turning point in Harrison's skepticism because I suspect he does that often.

Here he goes...

...and he loved them.  He ended up eating four of those suckers.

Annaleigh chose the much tamer catfish...

...which she liked very much.  And I, who was feeling rather queasy watching my family swallow booger-like sea creatures, chose the cream of crab soup, which was tasty. 

 I also downed most of one of our appetizers, fried green tomatoes, which is one of my favorite foods in the world, but I didn't take a picture because I was too busy inhaling them.

More on our tournament results over the next few days.....

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I apologize if you came here today just for your weekly dose of my 80s big-haired goofiness.  I had an exceptionally busy day and am heading into an equally exceptionally busy weekend, and I just don't have time to scan pictures and the like.  Not to mention that I have the worst cold I think I've ever had in my life.  I honestly don't know where this amount of snot is coming from.  I am very fearful that it may be brain matter at this point, and I don't have a lot of that to spare.  Unfortunately, there's not much for a woman-with-child to take, so I have been finding relief in sucking Jolly Ranchers non-stop.  They help my dry mouth and taste good to boot.  My teeth may rot, but I am momentarily happy.

I also want to thank all of you who took the time to read my post below, read the articles, watch the videos and leave a comment.  It meant a lot to me.  After I posted that, I wondered if others might watch it and think Randy was drunk as a skunk.  It was difficult, since I know him personally, to be objective.   So it was good to hear that others saw what I saw.  I'm following the story the best I can from a different state, and I will let you know how it all turns out.

Have a wonderful Flashback-Free weekend!

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To borrow a little from my old friend William Shakespeare, "There's something rotten in the state of Denmark South Carolina."

Recently, our good friend, Randy Scott, was arrested on drunk driving charges.  Randy also happens to be a SC State Senator.  I do not believe that he was drunk, and I'd like to tell you why.  I'd also like to tell you that I do not take drunk-driving lightly.  It is a stupid, selfish thing to do.  If I thought for a second that Randy was guilty, I would not be writing this, no matter how sentimental I feel about him and his wife.

(Oh, and just so you know, I've never called Randy anything but "Randy."  It would seem odd to refer to him as Mr. Scott or Senator Scott.  Just don't want you to think I'm being disrespectful.)

First of all, please, if you're interested, read the story for yourself as printed in Charleston's paper, The Post & Courier....

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/apr/22/sheriff_scott_was_belligerent38146/

Also watch the video clips of his taped field sobriety test and his data master test at the police station.

And, here's what I think about all of it...

• Randy appears to stumble at one point during the balancing portion of the test.  Randy had his leg amputated as a teenager.  In all the times I have ever been around him, he stands crookedly, if you will, because he cannot distribute his weight evenly on his prosthetic leg.  It would be impossible for him to walk heel-to-toe or stand in the way the officer required him to without stumbling.
• The officer claims he failed the counting backward portion of the test, but if you listen carefully he counts correctly from 59 to 39.  It's just that the officer asked him to count to 33.  That to me seems like an honest mistake.
• The officer also claims he failed saying the alphabet.  I think I hear an extra R in there, but he says it quickly and clearly.  If I was stopped under suspicion of DUI I would be so nervous that I would faint, let alone be able to say my alphabet without stuttering.
• The article says Randy was belligerent, but he seems cooperative to me.
• He was apparently stopped for driving erractically.  He says he was out checking on his political signs, which is something he is known to do.  It makes sense to me that he was swerving and driving slowly throughout the neighborhood streets in order to shine his lights on his signs.
• I'm not sure I can even talk about the police station footage without seething, so please just watch the clip.  It's ridiculous.
• Randy scored zero on the breathalyzer test and was denied a blood alcohol test.
• I have interacted with Randy many, many times, and what you see in that room is just Randy, not a drunken man.  He actually reads aloud the paper work much better than the attending officer did.
• The only regrettable moment for Randy was his comment about the officers losing their jobs under another sheriff.  However, I would like to point out that by this time, he was rightfully very angry and was being treated unfairly.
• Randy states on the field test that his highest level of education is a GED, which has garnered some shock and criticism.  Randy lost his leg in a hunting accident in the latter part of his high school career, which caused him to not be able to graduate.  I think it admirable that he pursued his GED when he was healthy again.
• We know Randy more personally than politically and have never known him to be a drinker, let alone a heavy one.
• Randy has been criticized before for being "a rich hick with a good ol' boy mentality."  I have no idea what Randy's yearly income is.  What I do know, because I've been there many times, is that Randy lives in a modestly furnished, three-bedroom, ranch style home that was built in the 50s or 60s.  His main source of income is a pest extermination business of which he is the owner and sole laborer.  Randy IS a good ol' boy, but since when is that a bad thing?  That is one thing that, in my opinion, has made him a worthy politician.  He is moral and honest and cares about people.  He is real.  It is why, over a decade ago, Big D and I helped him with his campaign for county council.  It is why he won.  It is why he is now a state senator.
• OK....so I totally know that not all of the above have to do with his drunk-driving charge.  But they are things that have and will come up in the media because of it, and I want to throw in my two cents.

I do not know why Randy was arrested.  The timing seems fishy...just a couple of weeks before a key primary.  The political atmosphere seems fishy too.  It's a known fact in Summerville and the surrounding area that Randy and the Dorchester officials have butted heads on some issues before, dating back to when he was the County Council Chairman.  I can't make an opinionated comment on these things except to just list them as facts.  Well, I guess it is my opinion that it's fishy, and that's all I'm saying about that.

OK, now for the sentimental part.....My family really loves Randy and his wife, Amanda.  Randy donated a generous sum to our youth group as a thank-you for holding campaign signs on election day.  It was an unexpected and appreciated gift.  Randy and Amanda left the comfort of their own home to bring Christmas gifts to my children on Christmas morning several years in a row.  (Annaleigh, to this day, still enjoys the Mary Kate & Ashely video that they bought her and the praying bear brought many smiles to the then-baby Harrison.)  They took time out of a very busy schedule to visit  and comfort my family when my grandmother passed away.  Randy single-handedly rid my home of large Palmetto bugs, for which I'm eternally grateful.

If you are a resident of South Carolina and you're reading this, I just ask that you consider these things before you vote in a few weeks.  If you were already going to vote for Mike Rose for other reasons, then I encourage you to continue to do so.  However, if this media-hyped incident has caused you to change your mind, then I just ask you to see another side of this story and encourage your friends and family to do the same.  I believe that much of this will begin to come out in the media over the next few days and weeks. 

And thanks for reading my non-funny, out-of-character ramblings.  I felt it was the least I could do for, in my humble opinion, an innocent friend.

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...or, an alternate title...

Reason #127 Why I Can Never Send Him to School

or another alternate title...

Why I'm a Little Concerned to Someday Have Harrison Read to the Baby

*Sigh*  The other day Harrison read this story out loud to me for reading practice.  He got so tickled over the story that I wanted to record his reading it for posterity and all.  It was just so cute how he was doing the voices and laughing hysterically at intervals.  So I asked him to read it again, just like he did the first time.

Well, the best laid plans of mice and men, I guess.  This time through he didn't do the voices and wasn't laughing.  Well, he wasn't laughing until he decided to belch.  That's always good for a laugh around here.  Then, by sign language, I tried to remind him to laugh.  I know that's cheesy, but that was the whole point, and well, if you watched the video, then you know how that went.

Not that I'm really considering sending him to school, but do you  honestly think he would burp like that if he was reading aloud in a classroom, with at least twenty other children?  Something in me sorta hopes he would.

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Earlier this week Indiana Mimi brought over a stack of old photos from her house for me to use for my Flashback Fridays.  Going through that stack has caused me to realize one downfall to my flashbacks:  they can make you feel really old.  So that's what I have decided to focus on this Friday...things that I can no longer do because I'm too old and weathered.

1.  The splits.

Actually, I think I still may be able to get into the splits.  It would be getting up and out of them without injury that would be the problem.

2.  Wear high heels.

Man, that is a skill I just thought I had never acquired, but apparently at age three, I had "it."  Too bad....at only 5'2", it would come in handy.

3.  Make my profile float eerily in the air.

Somehow I think a lot of kids who grew up in the 80s could do this.  It was the phenomenon of the decade.

4.  Get away with this at the dinner table.

Big D would definitely not be taking me out to eat much if I tried this now.

5.  Play on a Sit-and-Spin.

Annaleigh used to have one of these several years ago, and I tried and tried to get that thing to go with me on it.  It just wasn't happening.

6.  Do a back bend.

And, unlike the splits, I really cannot do this anymore.  At least I'm pretty sure.  It hurts just thinking about it.

7.  Sit on my dad's lap.

In all fairness to my dad, I haven't asked lately to sit on his lap.  I'm just pretty sure he wouldn't want me to.  I'm also pretty sure he doesn't wear Mickey ears anymore.

8.  Be lifted into the air by a super hero.

Super heroes just aren't what they used to be, I guess.  This hasn't happened to me or anyone I know in decades.

9.  Wear a mini dress and thigh-high boots.

It's not that I couldn't still pull it off.  It's that Big D wouldn't let me out of the house.

10.  Hang around the house in my underwear.

And just for the record, I don't think Debbles can do this anymore either.  Whatever happened to Underoos anyway?

So, how about you?  What can't YOU do anymore?  Or what other memories do you have for us to dip into today?  Sign in below and tell us all about them....

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I'm 8 weeks, with a due date of December 1.  I got to see Peanut's little heart beating yesterday.  Doc says everything looks great.  Praise the Lord!  (And he only saw ONE baby.....my kids have been obsessing about twins because they want one of each.)

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I have not been too into food lately, which is a slightly amazing phenomenon.  Normally, I really like food, and I have to remind myself fairly regularly to not eat too much of it because at around 30 years of age my metabolism decided it was Elvis and left the building. 

I haven't been overly ill.  A little nausea here and there, but nothing to write home about.  Nothing sounds good.  When I open the fridge, nothing jumps out and says, "Ooh, me!  Pick me!"  Today, for instance, I made the kids turkey and cheese sandwiches, which looked and sounded totally disgusting to me.  I also gave them some cheddar cheese Pringles.  Blech.  Then I served a big bowl of green grapes.  That didn't sound too offensive, so that's what I had for lunch.:  a bowl of green grapes.  I'm sure this tiny baby in my womb is hopping mad that's all he/she got.

I haven't wanted hardly any sweets at all, but about a week and half ago, I pulled out the stuff to make a Coconut Sour Cream Cake.  I originally planned to make this for our Easter dinner, but you may remember that I was dying on Easter weekend, so the cake or any other homemade meal item never happened.

The funny thing is I don't really care for coconut.  I don't hate it, but I certainly don't seek it out either.  I never use it for an ice cream topping.  I occasionally throw in a little for a fruit salad.  I don't like pina coladas (or getting caught in the rain....sorry, couldn't help it).  I don't know what possessed me to try one of these cakes for Easter.  Maybe because Big D likes coconut.  I don't know, but that was the plan.  I had the ingredients, so I thought I'd make it for our Bible study.

So, here I was not liking coconut all that much, not desiring sweets of any kind, and really not very into the whole food scene in general, up to my neck making a Coconut Sour Cream Cake......and I liked it.  I really liked it.  The really odd thing is that Indiana Mimi likes coconut less than I do, and she really liked it too.  Everyone did.  Since it's basically some kind of miracle, I have no choice but to share the recipe with you.  Oh, and bonus:  it's really easy too!

Coconut Sour Cream Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 butter flavor cake mix
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups sour cream
• 12 oz. of coconut
• 1.5 cups whipped topping

Directions:

1. Prepare cake mix according to box's directions, baking in two 8 in. circle pans.  Cool completely and split each layer horizontally.  Set aside.
2. Combine sugar, sour cream, and coconut; blend well and chill.
3. Reserve 1 cup of the sour cream mixture and spread the remaining between the cake layers.
4. Combine the reserved 1 cup of sour cream mixture with the 1.5 cups whipped topping; blend until smooth.  Then spread over the top and sides of cake.
5. Keep cake in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

And, yes, I know that it's lopsided, but I'd like to think of this cake as a symbol of life, because life, as you know, is often lopsided.

You should probably know that if you absolutely hate coconut or if you're allergic to it, don't make and eat this cake.  It's not that miraculous.  You may vomit or have to go to the emergency room, and I don't want to be responsible for that. 

But if you're just ho-hum about coconut, then I think you may be able to make this and enjoy it with the coconut lovers in your life.  That is all.  Thank you.

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Ice Castle!!!

I generated the number using www.random.org , and unfortunately I don't know how to put a picture of that screen here on my blog to legitimatize the winner, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  How it works is you put in a series of numbers, and the site will randomly pick one for you.  I had thirteen entries that I was keeping track of over the weekend in a notebook, so I just assigned each of them a number going straight down the page.  Random.org came up with #6, which was icecastle.

Congratulations!  Please e-mail me from my sidebar and let me know which prize you would like.  Also send me your mailing address, and I'll get your choice out to you later this week.

I totally enjoyed reading your baseball/softball memories.  It was a good weekend for it since it turned cold here, and I spent two of my weekend evenings shivering on metal bleachers, watching Harrison play, trying to convince myself that I still liked the sport.  His team won both games, and he got three base hits and two RBIs, so I guess I do.....as long as there's hot chocolate.  Lots and lots of hot chocolate.

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The crack of the bat.  The smell of freshly cut grass.  The roar of the crowds.  The taste of popcorn and nachos.   Ahhh....all of this means that I'm back on the ball field again....hot dog!

I mentioned in an earlier post that Harrison is playing Little League.  I grew up playing softball, and I absolutely looooooovvvvveeeeddd it!  The only other thing I was equally passionate about was boys, but a flashback about that would be ugly and dismal, so I picked baseball.

I started playing softball in 5th grade, when I was living in Great Lakes, IL (or Great Mistakes to all Navy people).  I really didn't consider myself athletic and didn't want to play, but my parents really encouraged me.  My dad said he'd coach, and Indiana Mimi volunteered to be team mom, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and never looked back.  Softball fit me like a....well, like a well-worn ball glove.  I'm not sure how it happened, but I became the team pitcher, and it was the position I would always play for years to come.  Our team was called the Shortcakes.  Can you believe that?  The Shortcakes?!  We came in last place that year of course.  What else could you expect from a team called the Shortcakes?

In case you can't tell, I'm the third from the right in the back.  This is my one and only team picture where I was tall enough for the back row.  In 6th grade everyone passed me up in height.  Indiana Mimi is back there in her big 80s glasses.  That's my dad on the left, and then there's little Debbles on the far left, first row.  She was our mascot.

After this year, my dad was transferred to Charleston, SC, where I continued in the Navy base league there.  I spent two more losing seasons on a team called the Rainbows (Hello?  The Rainbows?!), but then I graduated to the teen girl league and was placed on a team called the Cougars.  Finally, a decent, fierce sounding name.  I played for the Cougars for 3 years, and we were really good.  Our best year was my last year, 1988, where we went 16-2.

I'm on the bottom row, second from the left....the one with the big hair, who refused to wear her cap.  The girl to the right of me was one of my best friends, Angie, who was later in my wedding.  Her mom was our manager (top row, second from the right).  The girl second from the left on the top row was not well-liked by anyone.  We weren't very nice to her, and I've always felt badly about that.  The girl who is right in the middle of the top row stole my boyfriend once.  I wasn't very nice to her either, but I still don't feel badly about that.

Then I took a break for almost 10 years.  I graduated from high school, went to college, got married, had a baby.  Then I played for two years for a church team.  I was rusty and a little out of shape, but they still let me pitch, and every now and then I'd actually get on base.

(Look, Adrienne....your mom and dad!  Adrienne reads and comments on my blog from time to time.)

I'm third from the left, bottom row...again.  The lady in the top row, 4th from the left, was my boss at a daycare all through my college years.  Then I taught her daughter.  Actually, now that I'm looking at this picture, I taught five of these women's children.  I went to my senior prom with the two girls' brother who are in the top row 3rd and 4th from the left.  Then he married my best friend, but I'm okay with that.  We're all still friends.

After this year I had Harrison, and I haven't played since.  Something about having a c-section makes you never want to risk injury again.

I tried to get Annaleigh interested, and she played one year of tee-ball when she was four.

Her team came in first place, but Annie's (as she was called then) main contribution was flower-picking and twirling in the outfield.  Next year I enrolled her in ballet.

Now, it's Harrison's turn.  He was randomly placed on the Cubs, much to my delight, since that's my favorite major league team.  He says he loves it, so maybe I can finally be a permanent fixture at the baseball diamond.

Now, for the contest!  Post a comment (not to be confused for joining in for Flashback Friday) and tell me one of your baseball memories.  If you don't have one, make one up because it's totally un-American to not have any baseball stories up your sleeve.  Actually, you can just tell me to enter you in the contest and be a dud if you want.  You could win one of these....

or another inch-thick stack of 12x12 scrapbook paper...

I'll take entries until Sunday, April 13 at 9:00 pm, Central Time.

Also, feel free to join me for Flashback Friday.  Share whatever memory you might have rolling around in that brain of yours.  Sign up here, so we can all come read it....

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I promised a Q&A, and I deliver.  Many of you asked some questions in the comments.  Some of the questions have come from people I know in real life.  And then some I have just made up, mostly for comedic relief.  So here we go....

Have we told the kids and what do they think?

Yes, we told the kids the day after we knew.  We thought about not telling them for a while.  You see, I had a miscarriage in January 2007 (you can read a little about it here), and they were very disappointed when that happened.  However, after thinking about it some more, we decided to let them know.  They would both want to pray about this, and they are not really little children who would not understand if something bad did happen.  Plus the circumstances were different this time, with me being further along than before, so we told them.

They are VERY excited.  They had to wait another week or so before they could tell other people, and that was very hard for them.  As a matter of fact, Harrison decided he had better tell his Sunday school class right away, so they could pray.  I thought for sure that our whole church would know then, but do you know those little kids kept that secret?!  Not a one of them told his or her family!

When is my due date?

I don't have an official one yet, but it is in late November probably.  I am having an ultrasound done next week to pinpoint it more precisely.  I'm apparently measuring around 8 weeks, but my numbers point more to 7 weeks.

Also, I will be having a scheduled C-section, since I had to have one with Harrison, so actually the baby will probably be born around mid-November.

Will we find out what the gender is?

No, probably not.  Big D, in particular, is adamantly and vehemently opposed to that.  We didn't with either of the first two.  With Annaleigh, I had no clue, but I was leaning a little towards a boy, only because I mostly dreamt it was a boy.  Only once did I dream she was a girl.  With Harrison, I was 99% sure he was a boy because I was carrying him so differently than I carried Annaleigh.  So I think I may be able to figure it out eventually.  I did tell Big D that if I find out I'm carrying twins, I want to know what they are.  I will be overwhelmed enough and finding out would be a little comfort for me.

What does Big D think?

Big D was very happy and very surprised.  You see, we haven't really prevented a pregnancy since having Annaleigh, except just with common sense for a couple of years after each was born.  So we were sort of thinking it just wasn't going to happen for us again, especially after last year's miscarriage.  But both of us were always open to more children, and this has made us very satisfied.

What do Bridget, Baxter and Ripley think?

I've only told Bridget, and she's happy.  She loves babies.  Baxter is about 18 years old now, and I'm worried about how he'll handle the news.  He was always tolerant of babies, but I wouldn't say he's fond of them.  I'm worried about Ripley.  He is a very curious, mischievous cat, and a baby may push him over the edge.  I'm sure he'll want to sleep with it and lick it, which won't be allowed.  He may have to live in the garage.

Do we have names picked out?

I think so, but I've been known to change my mind mid-stream.  With Annaleigh and Harrison, it was just me and Big D picking, but now we have two other opinions to deal with.  They have already vetoed my all-time favorite girl name, Caroline, but they liked my back up.  I think we may keep the names under wraps for a while yet.

Where will we put it?

I'm trying not to worry about that since it will probably only be about 21" long, and we live in 2000 sq. ft. house.  However, it is something to think about.  For the moment, we are planning on turning Harrison's room into a nursery, since it is the tiniest.  Harrison will be moved into our present schoolroom (the bonus room).  It will be hard to lose our schoolroom, but I know we will manage.  The bonus room is large, so part of it will have to house some of our school stuff.  My scrapbook stuff (not that I'll ever have time to use it again) will move to the loft, and then both kids will have desks in their rooms.  We already do most of our reading in the loft anyway.

How will I decorate the nursery?

I only know it will NOT be Noah's ark.  I did this for Annaleigh and Harrison, and I got really sick of it.  I sound like an absolute heathen saying I'm sick of Noah, but it was true as far as decorating is concerned.

I would like it to just be simple, with neutral colors that would work for either a boy or girl.  I'd like to have it done before the baby comes, since Christmas will be fast on the heels of our arriving baby.

Do we still have any of our baby stuff?

Basically, no.  I still have our crib, which is older than I am, believe it or not.  It met the safety standards in 1996, and both of ours survived it, so I'm thinking we can use it again.  It needs painted, though.  I have a rocking cow, that Indiana Mimi bought for Annaleigh's 1st birthday, that I couldn't bear to part with.  I think we may have our monitor somewhere.  And that's about it.  I'm not very worried about this though.  One thing I learned with the other two is that you can quickly accumulate a lot of unnecessary items.  I'd like to avoid that this time around, as our house is already crowded.

How am I feeling?

So far, pretty good.  I have had some bad days though.  I had about three days in a row where I was feeling nauseous at night.  I never had sickness much with the other two, so that is new.  Even days where I'm not feeling sick, food isn't all that appealing to me.  Coffee sounds really gross, which is totally abnormal for me.  Most days I am so tired that I can't hardly see straight.  That is not new.  I experienced that with both.

Will you ever go to Disney World again?

Maybe.  I hope so.  Probably in at least 2-3 years.  *Sniff, sniff*

Will I be doing updates here on my blog about the pregnancy?

Of course.  I can't promise that I will post a ton of pictures of me though.  Many of you were kind enough to tell me that I was a cute, little pregnant lady, and I thank you so much for saying so.  However, I was 23 in the picture you all are referring to.  I don't know what 35 is going to look like.  I may look like a, to quote the illustrious JenIG, "slovenly, blubbery, greased up monster potato."  (She was talking about herself...not me.)  If that is the case, then you will just have to use your imaginations because I will NOT be posting any pics.

Do Indiana Mimi and Debbles107 know?

Yes!  All of our immediate families know, which also includes my dad, Big D's parents, and his four siblings and spouses.  Everyone is immensely excited.  Our families are very into babies.  This little one will be the 6th grandchild on both sides.

Am I wearing maternity clothes yet?

Nope, not yet, which is good, since I don't own any.  I've actually lost 2 lbs, but I need to get on the ball and find some.  I would hate to wake up one morning and not be able to wear pants.  I would have to wear my PJs to Target to buy something, which would be incredibly embarrassing, even for me.

OK, I think I've bored you enough.  If you have another question, by all means ask.  And, like I said, if you are a regular visitor to this blog, consider yourself "along for the ride!"

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1.  This is my least favorite season since Season 3, which I hated.  The producers keep adding the phrase "the most talented top 12 ever" to the scripts every 15 minutes or so on the show, but I strongly disagree.

2.  But I still watch it every Tuesday and Wednesday night.

3.  My favorite this year was Amanda Overmeyer, who was sort of a Janis Joplin type.  She came in 11th place, which really bites, since she was, by far, the most interesting contestant they had.  She really destroyed...not in a good way...a classic Kansas song one week, but I quickly forgave her for that when she performed the Joan Jett song featured below.  That was one entertaining performance!

4.  She performed that for 80s week, and I would have been willing to eat live squid if she had picked anyone else but Joan Jett.  It just had to happen.

5.  Now that Amanda's gone back to singing in smoky bars, I am sort of half-heartedly rooting for David Cook and/or Jason Castro.

6.  David Cook is easily the best performer and only rocker left.  I like the funky arrangements that he does, like the below rendition of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," but he's a bit too sure of himself for my taste.

7.  Jason Castro has this endearing, quirky personality that makes me smile.  He also reminds me of John Travolta with dread locks, which is entertaining in and of itself.  The following performance is not from "American Idol" but his church in Texas, pre-Idol.

8.  That's the last youtube clip for today.  I promise.  Ever since I've learned how to do that, it's hard to stop.

9.  Randy continues to be inconsistent and nonsensical in his critiques, but he always wears the coolest shoes.

10.  Paula continues to sound like she's not drinking Coca-cola products from her cup.  Often her critiques are the most entertaining moments of the entire show.  And she always wears the coolest earrings.

11.  Simon continues to mostly say what I was thinking, only in a meaner way than I was thinking it.  I think I just sounded like Paula.  He doesn't wear anything that's cool, but then he really doesn't have to.

12.  Ryan Seacrest is making a lot of money by doing i-phone commercials in the middle of the programs.

13.  David Archuletta is going to win, and like I promised, I will not show you a clip because, while he seems like a sweet kid with a good voice, he bores me to wet, salty tears.  I would rather watch Amanda totally kill a Kansas song than watch David hit every note of Phil Collins.  But, mark my words, he will win.

14.  This post is totally and completely irrelevant, but I'll bet you already knew that.

15. In my next post, coming in the next couple of days, I will attempt to answer all of your pregnancy questions, both real and imagined, so stay tuned....

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In light of my recent news, it has made me nostalgic about my two past pregnancies.  I have been busy trying to recall little tidbits about those times.  And I'm finding that difficult in some respects since those pregnancies were 12 and 8 years ago, respectively.  Yet I was able to find a few snapshots.

Here I am, barefoot and pregnant in late July of 1996.  Annaleigh was born in early September.  I was 23.

Big D and I were up late working on the nursery.  The theme was Noah's Ark, and I was busy painting a little doll bed that I'd had since I was four.  My Dad made it.  (It was a decoration.  We didn't put Annaleigh in it.)  We didn't know what we were having, so I picked a theme and colors that could go either way.  We were still in this house when we had Harrison, so we just moved Annaleigh across the hall and kept this room the same for him.

Just for the record, I normally do have ankles...just not for the tail end of this pregnancy.  I was in the early stages of pre-eclampsia and was swollen like a rotten watermelon.  I just didn't know it yet and kept blaming it on the sweltering Charleston summer.

Here we are as a happy family in the hospital, the day after she was born.

She was actually born a week early due to my blood pressure with the pre-eclampsia.  I had to be induced, but everything went smoothly.  She only weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz., so she popped right out...literally.

I couldn't find any pictures of me pregnant with Harrison, but I'll just tell you that I was huge.  I actually gained more weight with Annaleigh (although a good bit was water), but I gained it all over.  With Harrison I was all out front.  It looked like I'd swallowed a basketball.

Our family after his birth...

Annaleigh, at three, looks shell-shocked, doesn't she?  I was 27, and Big D was 30.  Harrison weighed in at 9lbs. 2 oz., and I don't recommend delivering children that weigh almost 3 lbs. more than the previous one.  As a matter of fact, he got stuck.  After pushing for four hours, they finally decided to do a C-section.  Come to find out, he not only weighed as much as a two-month old baby, but his head circumference was 14", and his chest circumference was 14.25".  There would have been none of this, "OK, now the head's out.  The rest is easy.  Just push."  It was just unfortunate that I had to push for so long.  Later that day, as a nurse brought in some ice and the stuff for me to take a sitz bath, she said, "Poor thing.  It's really like you delivered both ways."  I didn't hit her, but I dreamt about it.

Interestingly, the blanket that is on Harrison, became his special blanket that he's always called "Blue,"  or before he turned 5, "Byoo," as he couldn't say his L's.  You might even still catch it now and then in pictures that I post because he still, even at almost 8 years old,  carries it around some.  Although it is now decidedly gray and frayed all around the edges.

Ahhh....memories.  Looking at these though has made it seem even more surreal that we are embarking on this all over again.

So, how about you?  Got any good memories to share with us this weekend?  Sign in below and tell us all about them!

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I am in so much trouble.  Last month this opened up in our small town....

This is not your ordinary, everyday, run-of-the-mill Target.  Oh no!  This is a SUPER Target!  It flies and wears a cape and has groceries and a Starbucks to boot.  See...

That's Harrison in the cart and Annaleigh and Indiana Mimi down the aisle on the first day they were opened.  It was a soft opening about 4 days before most of the public knew, but I have a friend who got a job there and told me.  I kissed my friend.

Let me tell you, I have been to this Target about 15 times since that opening.  Since it's been open about a month now, that means I average roughly a trip every other day.  Big D thinks I purposefully forget items from my weekly shopping trips so that I can run up there before dinner.  Who told?

The week I had the stomach virus the manager and two cashiers called to see if I was alright and where I had been.  A Starbuck's barista sent flowers.

Not really.

Now, some of you, especially those who live in big cities, are probably wondering What is the big deal?  It's just Target.  Well, first you have to know that I have a flaming love affair with Target.  And, secondly, you must know that our town basically looked like this just a couple of years ago...

Cows.  Lots and lots of cows.  When we moved here 6.5 years ago, there was a two month old Kroger, a McDonald's, a Sonic, a few budding neighborhoods and a video rental place with a tanning bed where the owner kept his cocker spaniel behind the counter.  That's it.  I spent a lot of time driving to the "big" city which was about 25 minutes north to go to the movies, Chuck E. Cheese, and Wal-mart.

Over the last several years many, many more neighborhoods have sprung up, which has caused many, many more businesses to enter.  We now have a Publix, several drug stores, a Home Depot, a Lowe's and several restaurants.

And now we have Target.  Super Target.  I can now buy socks without leaving my town.  Oh, and a Kohl's also opened a week later in that plaza.  In the next few years, we're getting a bookstore, more retail, and a movie theater.  And it's all just five minutes from my doorstep.  My life will never be the same.

(Thank you sooooo much for all your comments and well-wishes over this post.  Your words are very precious to me.  I will be posting soon to answer all of your questions and letting you in on more of the details sometime next week.)

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Just when you think you might run out of good blogging material some day...

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And that's about all I have to say right now, because I'm still picking myself up off the floor.  So is Big D.  We're all ecstatic though.  While this was a surprise, it was not an accident.  But I have come to the conclusion that God has a sharp sense of humor.  More on that another time...

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