The News

• The number of ants in my kitchen has dropped significantly in the last few days.  No more than 1-2 a day (or none!), so hopefully, we can continue this pattern!

• I talked to my Mom on the phone twice yesterday.  She’s watching my nephew while Karen and Erik take their last grad school classes.  I think they’re having a good time!

• I talked to Michelle for over an hour yesterday afternoon.  I was so glad she called.  I needed the conversation yesterday.

• I got two loads of laundry done yesterday (not put away, though).  And I loaded the dishwasher (and ran it) twice.  Talk about productive! 

• Today I need to run some errands (library, drop off recyclables, quick grocery run).  I also need to keep cleaning on my house so that the girls coming over tomorrow aren’t disgusted by my messiness!

• Eric mowed as soon as he got home last night and beat the thunderstorms by about 30 minutes.  It was crazy weather last night, for sure!

• I can’t think of anything else worth telling you today.  Happy Wednesday!

I didn’t recap yesterday, so maybe I’ll do that this morning. 

Friday: mostly uneventful day.  We did a lot of goofing off.  We had a cookout at a friend’s house to attend that evening.  It was supposed to start at 5:00.  Apparently I missed that until 4:20 when I looked at the time and then had to hurry to make my pie.  We were late.  But we had a great time talking and making some new friends. 

Saturday: another mostly uneventful day, at least in the morning.  In the afternoon, my parents came up.  My mom, sister and I got our nails done, Karen’s husband watched Jason, and Eric took my dad to MicroCenter where my dad drooled over the Notebook PC.  Then we had tacos for dinner at Karen’s house and then home to bed.

Sunday: church in the morning, then some friends took us out to dinner as a thank-you for letting them use our carpet cleaner a few months ago.  I’d forgotten all about it!   After we got home, I sat for the rest of the day.  And I went happily to bed at about 9:00 after watching the Olympic trials for a while!

Yesterday: Nothing too exciting there either.  I cleaned up the house a bit and started a load of laundry.  It’s still in the dryer this morning.  And I ran some errands as well.  Other than that I read a book and ate my snacks until Eric got home.  Then I almost ruined dinner (it was saved) and chatted with our neighbors while Eric hacked down our forsythia bush which was starting to look more appropriate to a jungle habitat at the zoo.  Then…off to bed!

Okay, I think that’s all I’ve got.  Happy Tuesday!

A is for age.
31.
B is for burger of choice.
Regular, with lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, and sometimes cheese.
C is for what car you drive.
A 1995 Toyota Corolla (maroon) with almost 220,000 miles on it!
D is for Dog’s name.

None.  I’d love a dog, but not right now.
E is for essential item you use every day.
Computer.  (Also, these days, the bathroom is pretty much a fixture in my life, too!)
F is for favorite tv show at the moment.
America’s Got Talent
G is for Favorite game.
Word puzzles
H is for Hometown.
Cedarville, OH.
I is for instruments
you play
Piano, sort of.
J is for favorite juice.
Cranberry Grape, Pinapple Orange, Grape
K is for who you’d like to kiss.
Eric
L is for last restaurant you ate at.
Macaroni Grill…just yesterday!
M is for your favorite Muppet.
I always liked Statler and Waldorf.
N is for number of piercings.
Two per ear.
O is for overnight hospital stays.
Never.
P is for people you were with today.
Eric
Q is for what you do with your quiet time.
Reading through the gospels right now.
R is for biggest regret.
Spending so many years absorbed by my own selfish fears.
S is for status.
Married, four years.
T is for time
you woke up today.
Far too often between midnight and 7:56, when I got up.
U is for what you consider unique.
My husband.
V is for vegetable you love.
Tomatoes.
W is for worst habit.
Huffing when I’m annoyed.
X is for number of x-rays you’ve had.
Two, I think.
Y is for yummy food you ate today.
So far, I’ve only had cereal.  But I’ll be having leftovers from Macaroni Grill for lunch today
Z is for Zeal
Right now, keeping my babies inside me for at least 20 more weeks!

It’s “Friday”

Eric was very happy about that fact all week.  And we even have plans this weekend that will allow us to stay home and sleep in, but still get to see people.  Fabulous!

Today, I think I’ll be going to C-ville with Karen when she drives down (if she’s still going and still wants me along!). It’ll be good to get out of the house, I think.  Hopefully, though, I don’t develop a headache like the one I had yesterday.  It was the low-grade kind I got almost every day a few weeks ago.  I guess they’ll still pop up every once in a while. 

Because of the headache, I didn’t do much yesterday.  I cleaned the kitchen in the morning to discourage the ants from lingering and looking for food (only 2 ants so far today, btw).  But I spent a good bit of the rest of the day watching television or being on the computer.  I watched America’s Got Talent, which I had recorded on Tuesday, and part of Dirty Dancing in the afternoon.  Eric grilled steaks for us last night, and dinner tasted really good.  Then we watched our most recent Netflix movie, Semi Pro (Will Ferrell).  Pretty normal for him, really.  A bit dumb, too much swearing, boy humor, but I actually liked Woody Harrelson in the movie…which was a major surprise.  I don’t typically find him worth watching.

And…just for Holly…here are some updated pictures for you.  At 15 weeks,

They are a little blurry, but Eric and I forgot to take them yesterday until I was already in bed, and I didn’t feel like doing it then.  But there they are!

Happy Thursday (aka “Friday”)!

Big, Black Ants

I haven’t had ants in my house for a couple of years.  But apparently, all the recent rains sent our neighborhood ants looking for a dry, warm place to be.  And they have decided my kitchen is a lovely place to hang out.  I, however, disagree.

They first appeared last Friday evening.  We squished them.  And we realized that our plan to deep-clean the kitchen on Saturday couldn’t have come at a better time.  So we cleaned.  And killed a few ants in the process.  And cleaned some more.  By Saturday evening, all was quiet.  They were biding their time. 

The first two reappeared yesterday afternoon.  This morning, between 6:55 and 7:00 a.m., I had killed seven more.  I guess I will have to go on the offensive, now.

So, I’ve already cleaned up the kitchen and swept the floor in there.  And as I despise sharing my kitchen with tiny black creatures, I may need to make a trip somewhere to find some ant traps or bait.   But for now, I will simply content myself with stomping on them every chance I get. 

Happy Wednesday!

Yesterday, I cleaned up the loft.  I shredded old documents.  I sorted and threw away lots of stuff.  My desk hasn’t been this clean in, well, in a long, long time!  It looks super nice!

Today, I am thoroughly enjoying the sunshine outside.  So far, I’ve been for a walk, showered, had breakfast, and watched a movie (Mrs. Winterbourne).  It was in high-def, and I think it’s a funny movie, even though Shirley MacLaine is not one of my favorite actresses.

As for a to-do list, I must make a grocery run.  And I’d like to get to the library, too.  Speaking of…I’ve discovered that the Hilliard Library (a branch of the Columbus Metro. Library) is one of the freakin’ loudest places I’ve ever been.  It’s always full (which is a good thing), but I’ve never seen such rudeness in a library. Seriously! No one shushes their small children.  People (including the librarians) talk normally, even loudly.  Definitely not the dull roar that Mrs. Doyle always required.  It’s crazy!

Anyway, there’s my soapbox for the morning.  Sadly, that’s about all I’ve got to give you all this morning.   Oh!  I do have a strange happening to share.  Last night, I ran into the doorpost as I was leaving the bathroom from my 2:00 a.m. potty trip.  It kind of hurt.  It was the first time I’ve done that, but I will have to be more careful, I guess.

Okay, off to the rest of my day.  Happy Tuesday!

Missing: my feet

I realized in the shower this morning that I cannot see my feet anymore without leaning forward.  I’m only 15 weeks pregnant…I think I’m in big trouble!

The weekend was pretty good.  My parents came up on Friday night and took us out to Red Robin.  I almost choked on a piece of chicken during dinner.  I guess that should teach me not to talk and breathe in while I’m eating.  I doubt it will stop me, though…  They hung out and chatted for a while after dinner…it was nice!

Saturday, my husband and I spent the bulk of the day deep-cleaning the kitchen.  It had been a long time since everything had been really cleaned, and Eric is super-detail-oriented, so when he cleans…it’s CLEAN.  And I figured if someone was working with me, I wouldn’t lose motivation so fast.  It worked, too!  So the kitchen looked fabulous for about 2 hours on Saturday night…until we made dinner and used it regularly on Sunday!  Oh well!

Really, the best part of cleaning together was that it really was quality time.  I loved it!  Actually, the weekend as a whole was good for that.  We talked, we hung out, we worked as a team.  And considering that in a few short months, we will have to sort of reinvent ourselves and how we relate to each other and function together, I enjoyed just getting to be us, together, for a couple of days.  I’m sure the “new” us that includes children will be good times, but I will miss the “us” that we’ve been for the last four years, too. 

Sunday was a lot of relaxing and hanging out.  We met five couples from our small group (we have a HUGE small group) for ice cream in the evening, so we actually got to be somewhat social.  It was fun to laugh and chat again (and I hadn’t seen most of them since we found out about the twins)!

The truth is…I’m finally beginning to miss people.  It usually takes about halfway through the summer for that to happen, but it means that I’ve finally recovered from the Spring semester and need not to be alone all the time.  And I’m definitely there!  Especially considering that I may not be teaching again in the Fall, I’m going to have to find ways of connecting with people socially or I’ll be mostly alone for the next five months. This would NOT be a good thing!

Anyway, I think that’s all I’ve got for right now.  Happy Monday (of a 4-day work week)!

Why I read movie spoilers

Because I do not like surprises.  I do not like to walk out of a movie theatre deeply disturbed by the end of a movie.  So I read the spoilers for certain movies that I suspect will cause that reaction in my brain.  For example, ever since the Sixth Sense, I do this for all M. Night Shamaylan movies.  I understand what he’s trying to do, and I think he is good at building suspense, but I do not enjoy his movies much at all.  They make me feel unsettled in a non-godly way.  And I just don’t need to see images of dead people, weird things, or stormy nights where creatures jump out of the shadows.  I have a hard enough time keeping my brain calm at 3:00 am without his ‘help’!

Anyway, there is my editorial for the day.  Of course, for most movies, I do not read spoilers.  Ironman was totally worth it, and I had no idea about the ending.  Dramas, comedies, cartoons…sure those can just be watched.  But suspense/horror movies…NOT A CHANCE!

Yesterday I got my laundry and ironing done, but too late to take pictures of my clothes.  Maybe this weekend (for Monday’s post).  I also got very little else done. 

I think my lack of productivity is directly related to the fact that, these days, I tend to do a couple of things, lose motivation, sit for a while, then get up and try again.  So last evening, I ironed 1-3 shirts, sat down with Eric on the couch, got back up at the commercial, ironed another 1-2, sat back down, etc., etc., etc..  It’s pretty silly, really.  But I seem to be unable to motivate myself anymore.  So sad…

Today has nothing on the agenda, really.  I have a few little chores, and I need more milk already.  It used to take us 2 or more weeks to use up a gallon of milk.  These days, I can drink an entire gallon in less than a week, by myself!  Sheesh!   Anyway, not exactly sure what the day will hold, but that’s not necessarily a problem, right?

Happy Friday!

Productive Day!

Despite the poor start to my day yesterday, I did end up having a pretty good day.  My mom called just after breakfast to say hi.  She’d been gone since last Thursday, so I hadn’t chatted with her for a while.  Then I was half an hour behind, so I quickly loaded the dishwasher and threw dinner in the crockpot and headed to Karen’s.  I was only a few minutes late!

We headed up to Polaris Fashion Place (aka “mall”) to shop.  We went to JC Penney’s, Motherhood Maternity, Baby Gap (which has some maternity), and Sears (which, apparently, does not have maternity clothes anymore).  I spent all my gift cards, and I swear I tried on over 100 items of clothes.  We had lunch, we chatted, we laughed.  And overall, we were very successful.

I got 9 shirts, a dress, a skirt, three pairs of pants, a pair of jeans and 2 pairs of shorts.  Sorry, Kimberly…no bikini!  Anyway, Eric offered to take pictures of me in the clothes after I wash them, so you’ll have to wait on the modeling.  But here’s a quick peek:

So clearly, Karen took good care of me.  I really needed her help, too, because I would’ve totally given up without trying on nearly so much.  And I needed someone to just stand there and tell me if an outfit looked good on me.  Of course, they didn’t all look good.  One pair of pants made me look like one of the seven Dwarves (with my pants up to my boobs); we did not buy those.  But Karen was sooo much help.  Thanks, Kate!!!!

After I got home, I sat for a long while.  I watched some television.  Eric got home, and we had dinner.  He did some work in the evening and showed me the new database he’s creating at work.  I just goofed off and tried to stay up as long as possible.  Then it was off to bed! 

Today, I have laundry to do and some ironing.  And I think I’m going to have to rearrange my closet to get all my new clothes to fit.  We shall see what comes of that!   Happy Thursday!!

What time I am afraid…

When David got there, he said he would trust in God.  When I get there…well, it’s much more hit or miss.  It was kind of a rough night.  Still not sure why.  But I was pretty much up from 3-5 this morning for a variety of reasons.  Mostly because my brain turned on.  And as I’ve said before, having that happen, at that time of day, is seriously problematic for me.

Surprisingly, what I do in those moments has changed somewhat.  I used to worry.  About everything.  Now it’s not so much worry as fear.  I’m afraid.  But it’s all a “what if” kind of fear.  What if “this” happens in the morning?  What if “this” doesn’t happen?  What if I do “this”?  What if I don’t?  What if?  What if?  What if?

I know that these moments are a bit cyclical.  I am gradually learning to trust and bring my fears to Jesus immediately, so for a while, we’ll do great.  But then it’ll sneak up on me, and unprepared for the attack, I find myself back to the knot-in-my-stomach fear that has kept me locked up into selfish, un-Christlike thought patterns and behaviors for many years.  So what do I do on those nights? 

David’s verse doesn’t help me very much on those nights…I barely understand the concept of trusting God when I’m super-coherent.  It’s way too vague at 3:00 am.  But another verse is my life-line: Is. 41:10.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (NIV)

I love that verse.  The Spirit speaks to me, “Shannah, don’t be afraid.  I AM is with you.  Keep your eyes on Him because nothing that happens is beyond his control.  So you don’t have to fear any “what ifs”.

The NAS translates that second part as “Do not anxiously look about you.”  That, I understand.  That phrase makes a lot more sense to me than “don’t be dismayed.”  But, of course, the reason, is still the same…I AM is my God.  He will provide strength, help, support, victory in any situation or circumstance I find myself in. 

What a promise!  What a God!  I AM…Jehovah…the covenant God of Israel is with me.  In the midst of my fear, my worry, my circumstance, I am not alone.  And my companion controls the universe.  Looking at him, I have found, is the only way to stop the cycle of fear.  I may have to do it over and over until my sin habits get the hint and leave me to fall asleep.  But a change in perspective is the only sure-fire cure that I have found for fear.

________

Okay, thanks for listening to my ramblings this morning.  I just needed to get some of that out of my head so I could get started on my day.  The day should be fun: a trip to the mall with Karen.  I’ll try to post pictures of any cute maternity clothes we find.  Then, given my early morning, I’ll probably crash for the afternoon.  Should be a good day!  Happy Wednesday!