Firsts . . .

First day of 3rd grade

First day of 1st grade

First day of preschool

(FYI: My kids all get to pick out their first day outfit at the store. This explains Eden's dress which she found all on her own and fell in love with. It's pink, it has a cupcake on it, and it twirls beautifully. What more could you ask for?)
First day of life

First family photo
(Can you see that the baby is no longer inside me but strapped to me?)

Notice how my last two posts are mostly pictures? That's about all I can do right now. Plus you don't want to hear about all my postpartum hormonal rollercoaster rides!

Before and After

Before

AfterBeforeAfterBefore

After

Due dates come and go, but pregnancy is forever

Oh wait, it's not. But sometimes- like right now- it feels a little like it is forever. My body is not doing the things it normally does leading up to labor/delivery so I'm a little worried. I don't want to be induced. I feel fine and the baby is fine so I have no problem waiting. It's just modern medicine that doesn't like it when you go over. We'll just keep taking it one overdue day at a time and be patient!
Enough of that, so I'm in a new neighborhood with people who have never seen me pregnant before and they always worry because I'm small. I'm sure they think I'm just saying it to be modest but really this is my biggest pregnancy. But you don't have to take my word for it . . . (Anyone know what that comes from?)
Here are my pictures from my past 3 pregnancies right before we walked out the door to the hospital. I don't have one of those yet from this pregnancy- as you are well aware- so you will have to do with a picture from today- 3 days overdue.
Pregnancy 1-Mara
Pregnancy 2 Asher

Pregnancy 3 Eden
Pregnancy 4 (Many thanks to my photographer- Asher- who only cut off my head a tad!)
What do you think?

"Girl, you'll be a woman soon . . ."

I am 32 years old. And I am a woman. I know, I don't wear womanhood well but I'm coming into my own. I'm just starting to grow into it. Here are a few "womanly" things I am just starting to do--
1) for the first time this year I had a wax. It was for the cruise. I had my legs waxed. That was a first. Someday maybe I'll do my eyebrow. Yes, that's singular. For a reason.

2) Sometimes I wear deodorant. Sometimes.

3) Jason bought me a set of makeup brushes for my birthday. I don't really use them that much since I don't use powder or blush or whatever else it is people put on with brushes. I'm sure I'll learn sometime in the next 32 years.

4) I now own an eyelash curler. For that 1 day a week I wear mascara.

5)I also bought eyeliner this year. I'm discovering how to use it.

6) I got my first pedicure 3 years ago. It only took 3 years to get my second one this year. Manicures still won't be happening. I'm a pianist for heaven's sake.

7) I have lotion that is specifically for my face. And I use it on my face. I know, sounds outrageous but true.

8) I even own a few headbands/clips for my hair. Is that too far?

Someday I may start to shower more than twice a week, or purchase clothes at actual department stores and not thrift stores. Or then again, maybe not. I still need to figure out how to decorate, and scrapbook, and make crafts and arrange flowers, wear jewelry, the list goes on and on. I think I hide it pretty well b/c people are always surprised by my lack of womanly skills and decorations on the wall of my house. The good news is that people in my neighborhood don't really know about my blog so I can pull it off a little longer that I'm a woman and I know what I'm doing. So, if you have a friendly advice that you've always wanted to pass on to me but never felt like you could- here's your chance.


Shame on anyone who knows the song for the blog title. I hate that singer.

All those within earshot

Yes, those are my children crying like it's the end of the world. Don't worry, I just asked them to weed a 2x4 plot of ground. This is one of those times when I pull the old "When I was a child I worked on the farm and we had to do . . . and . . . . and . . .." but really, they don't appreciate it. My siblings can vouch for me when I say it really sucked. And it was really, really long, hot, and hard. My kids do not know how good they've got it. Maybe I'll send them to my parents for a week to work on the farm. It will be like boot camp. They'll come back and be glad for the minuscule yard weeding.
So, if you hear the screaming, crying, yelling (from both sides) just know it's not abusive. Well, not by adult standards.

Summer Lovin'

It's summertime and the livin' is easy.
And that ain't no lie. I love that I can lie in bed until 8:30 with Eden next to me watching Dora. (Maybe a little too much since yesterday at a friend's house she said to her friend "Darce, come on- vamanos") I love that I can rest in the afternoon while my kids are doing quiet time or playing at a friends. I love the sun and the heat and swimming and . . . .the list goes on and on. Here are a few updates on our summer.

Mara
Mara is doing swim team and while at the first meet she was last in her age group for backstroke, at the second she dropped 15 seconds and moved up to 2nd to last. We're focusing on the 15 seconds! She practices every day and doesn't complain. That is something to be proud of. She is also doing tennis lessons with Asher for the 2nd summer in a row and they really seem to like it. I don't know how good she is because diligent mother I am, I send them out the door to walk to our friend's house for their lessons and have them come home when they're done. I have no idea what they are actually doing in that hour but I know I'm enjoying the time to get stuff done. You know, exciting stuff like weeding, laundry, all the fun things moms do when their kids are gone. Mara also started violin, FINALLY (as she would say). She's been wanting to but I made her wait. I warned her it's like piano where she has to practice every day and whatnot but she seemed determined. So far she has taken to it really well and I'm learning too!

Asher
For the month of June Asher was doing soccer camp which was great b/c we had to get out the door by 7:45 and it gave me a chance to do the track and Mara to bike around while he played. They had a guest instructor from England so now Asher insists on calling it "football." He also did T-ball with his buddies. I lied about his birthday by a couple months so he could play with his buddies and be the tallest kid on his team and intimidate the 4 yr olds. It worked very well. He did swim lessons which once again, I have no idea how he did b/c I just sat at the side of the pool with my friends and chatted. He enjoyed it a made a new friend- his friend's big sister who now always wants him to come over and play!

Eden
Well, she only colored on the walls once in the last month so we are really celebrating. Nothing went in the toilets and no lotion or makeup ended up anywhere it shouldn't be. She plays with toys now, of all things, and is getting more constructive and less destructive. ON the down side, her hair is now an inch long and she has already twisted it into a knot. The clippers will be coming out again soon. She loved swimming. I hated the fact that the cold water made her have to go to the bathroom EVERY time except for once. So instead of relaxing on the side of the pool I got to carry a wet child to the bathroom, help her strip, wipe and wash and then go back out for the last 2 minutes of lessons. She also had her birthday and loved going to the pool and all the other fun stuff. Lastly, she had an ultrasound on a cyst which was fairly traumatizing but she is doing well.

Me
I went to Oregon for my sister's graduation with her MSW from Portland State and enjoyed being in downtown Portland with family. My brother and his family came for a few days and we did lots of fun stuff and ate lots of food. It was great! Otherwise, I've been doing lots of driving and hanging out at the pool, park and home. But I love it. I love the heat. Relaxing. Weeding. Actually, scratch that one. Late night walking. Summer. I love it.

Hope all is well with you. I know this isn't an interesting post but it is a post so that's a start. How's your summer?

Meet "Eddie"

this cute girl

+

this: (knots cut out approx 1-2x daily)

=this Meet "Eddie"

time will only tell if this breaks the habit.