Proper Introduction...

Ah, finally a name. Just in the nick of time. The birth certificate lady at the hospital has been giving me grief for 24 hours now. Sheesh!
So, with no further ado...






I'd like to introduce ....

Ivy Jane Bassett

It's a long story, but we are so glad she has a name. For three seconds today her name was Lyla Jane; but then we changed it back to Ivy. I look forward to sharing that experience with you. But it's gonna have to wait till later!

Introducing...

Baby Girl Bassett!

Why yes she is 13 hours old and has no name...what of it?

Born 12:28PM

Weight: 8 lbs 7 oz (at a week and a half early!)

Height/Length: 19 1/2 inches

Head: big

Hair: NONE!

And you can totally blame the no hair thing for her not having a name yet. When I found out this baby was a girl I envisioned producing a Gwen-twin...so not so. She looks completely different and as a result all my old ideas for names had to go out the window! So we are regrouping and hope to have a name to announce tomorrow!

Nalic

Steps up to mike *clears throat*

It's three AM and I'm writing cuz I'm still awake
because at four I am going to take
a drive to the hospital
to-day's the day of induction

Dreamt all night of long needles pushed straight into my back
and of all the sleep I know I will lack
but a cute baby
surely it all will be worth it

Just breathe (he he hoooo, he he hooo)
Just breathe

Um, okay that didn't work. Mostly because I only know the first little part of the song.

So, surprise! Today's the induction date and by the time you are reading this (thank you blogger for letting me prewrite today's post and make it not post until this afternoon!) I will hopefully be 10 lbs lighter and have a cute baby in my arms.

Last night as we collapsed into bed after running the kids around to their various babysitter destinations I took a big sigh.

Blaine looked at me and said, "you know we aren't going to be able to sleep at all tonight, right?"
And I was like, "speak for yourself, I am so tired and this is very well my last chance to sleep. Ever."
Blaine---snore.

Honestly. He probably didn't even hear my sentence. That all happened at midnight.

I closed my eyes and saw every girl name in the history of the world flash before my eyes. Agh.
Turn over, shuffle. Close my eyes again "boy don't try the front, I know jus jus what you are" plays over and over in my head (what is that song? sheesh. I am only in the car like once a day but somehow I always hear it). After all I can take of that, I heave and ho and roll over and try to picture the baby once she is born...instead all I see is Dr. Gregory House coming at me with a needle as tall as I am....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! So I figure it's probably about time to get up. Nope 12:41AM.

There's nothing like trying to sleep on the night before you know your whole world is going to change. I daresay it is even harder than just trying to sleep with pregnancy aches and pains, which is saying something.

Anyway, here's hoping I've already posted good news on the blog today. I don't want to spoil the fun for those who I was able to keep the secret from (which is like, my family, who is uncontactable in Panama...but hey, that's a start!). I was tempted to hire Jeannie to update my facebook status periodically today with things like "Kristi is...making beautiful art projects with the children" but then I realized everyone would see straight through that, I'd be better off having her put "Kristi just ate a whole sleeve of oreo cookies in less than two minutes--boo-yeah!"

So two things to note

* I came up with the best name yesterday but Blaine gave it a giant thumbs down, and then upon google-ing the name I found out that most people in the country gave it a giant thumbs down too (apparently there is a certain celebrity couple who also really like this name--no it's not Phinneus, or Apple). I'll tell you what it is later.

* Okay, remember how all of the special events in mine and Blaine's life are double booked? Our anniversary is on valentines, first kiss on my birthday, etc? I was stressed about January 29, 2009 because...well, there's no match up. But then I realized it is 1-29-9 and I realized my birthday is 12-9-81. So see her birthday will be 1-29 and mine is 12-9 (same numbers, same order, different dash place) and the year '81 if you split it up 8+1 = 9, just like how she is born in 09. So really, it's like we have the same birthday, in some weird yet pleasing, way. Shush, it made me feel better.


If I die you can all fight over my awesome wardrobe. (I think I really have a deep seated fear of death by childbirth and my way of overcoming that is humor).

See you on the flip side!

Seriously so blessed!

No, but seriously, I am so blessed!

It's kind of a scary thing birthing a child and living so far away from family. It's actually quite scary. I have been so lucky to have great friends who have helped me through, and today I feel particularly grateful for

*Betsy, who was able to take kids last minute while I went to the doctor (still at a three...). It was oober early in the morning and she has lots of her own kids, but she was totally willing to help. Then she told me to plan on her bringing dinner on Wednesday. Awesome! Plus she provided some much needed "listen to Kristi vent"ness. Thanks Betsy!

* When I got home from the doctors there was the biggest pile of diapers I have ever seen sitting on my front porch! There was a card and several people from my ward (pre-ward split!) had all gone in and gotten me a mountain of diapers. What a blessing. Seriously. I felt so loved and cared for and it honestly just made my day! Thank you Robin, Chelon, Jeannie, Kim, Jody, Jamee, Stacy, Jamie, Becca and Tammy. That was the best surprise ever! Oh and they also brought a headband with cute flowers to put on it and a bracelet. Thank you!

* Ralphie and Meleah showed up just as I was having my emotional breakdown of gratitude for Betsy and diapers and spent time cleaning my floors, and stove, and helping fold laundry (you know...all the things I've been begging Blaine to help me with ; ) ). I thought that was the nicest thing ever. Ever. Thank you!

* I e-mailed the incredible Shauna Jones (don't know why I always feel like I must add her last name!) a day or two ago asking if she could make some bows for the baby, since my bow making days are way over. I was thinking like a little tiny bow to glue on the babies head. Anyway, she sent me pictures of the bows she is sending and they are like....amazing. Seriously. I am so grateful to have crafty friends!

* A huge huge thanks to Lauree, Ralphie, Gretchen, and Melanie for volunteering to help with my kids while I am in the hospital. These are all amazing women, who have kids of there own to take care of, but are happily taking mine in for a couple of days. THANK YOU THANK YOU. It is so nice to have so many friends who I trust more than myself to watch my kids.

So, TAMN, you've got nothing on me, because I am Seriously, so blessed!

Final Words

Blaine had a lesson in EQ on Sunday and it started out with the teacher asking them to write in 25 words what could be their final letter to their family. Then he sat down and gave them ten minutes to write. I've been mulling this over and contemplating the probability of me kicking the bucket during childbirth. This morning after my morning "run" (that's really funny if you know that by "run" I mean "run to the restroom"), I was waxing philosophical and trying to do this same exercise. You know, just in case.

Here's what I came up with

"New temple dress for burial. Hate zipper, Ralphie choose.
Remarry someone loves kids same as me, fat chance.
Closed casket. Big zit.
Love y'all tons."

What can be taken from this?

Y'all is a very useful word if you are limited in your writing. My priorities are all selfish. I really really don't like my temple dress (it takes like a hundred volunteers in the dressing room to help me zip up that baby...and no it's not because I am fat, it's like that when I am oober skinny to --you know like when I first got married and stuff).

So of course I was feeling particularly selfish after I wrote this. And kind of like a caveman in my manner of speaking. So I had to wake up Blaine to tell him in person my requests so I could free up some of my 25 words to dote more on my children and husband in the event of my death.

Blaine's was really sweet though, and more well thought out. But he likes his temple shirt and has no big nose zit, and doesn't have to worry about me getting remarried, so cut me some slack : )

I also let him know to end my blog with a simple post. One that just read

"The heartburn. The heartburn."

Ten points if you can name the book that alludes to. Another ten if can write a really good essay about it for your AP English test even though you didn't understand the book. At all. Or even the cliffnotes. At all.

The heartburn. The heartburn.

Pros and Cons

*Due to the girly talk in this post, no boys allowed. Yes that means you Blaine, Bart, Joey. I think that covers the boys that read.

The good news about the giant zit on my nose is that it means labor is imminent. I don't know what it is about childbearing that brings out my skins inner teenager, but it does. It's one of the first things that happens when I find out I am pregnant and one of the last little joys of pregnancy, the giant nose zit. It's especially great because it is always immortalized in all of those post birth pictures, you know, the ones where I usually look a lot like a super model (a supermodel with a giant nose zit who has recently put on a lot of weight and gotten run over by a semi). Love those.

The day is quickly coming and I feel so blessed that the stomach flu is finally gone. I thought I ought to make a list of the five things I am the most excited for about the baby being born and the five things I am the most nervous about (well not the most nervous about that since that list would involve things like genetic defects and stuff....we are assuming everything in that dept works out at least for the lists purposes).

Most excited for

1- Meeting the little girl and I am so so curious if she is going to look the same as my other two kids, who look exactly like each other. Oh and if the old wives tale rings true this kid ought to have buckets of hair because ....man....this heartburn is killing me.

2- I have to admit I am really looking forward to the juice they bring you right after delivery. I don't know what it is about having your body work so hard, but nothing makes you feel better than that little plastic cup of grape juice, and another, and another, and another.....

3- Staying at the hospital for two blessed days, going on the assumption that I will spend most of my time sleeping and reading. I know it's not a safe assumption, but a big fat pregnant woman can dream, can't she?

4- I am planning on all of the pregnancy aches and pains disappearing immediately! I look forward to springing out of bed in the morning with a giant grin and being able to walk about freely without first laying like a zombie in a hot tub for an hour. I also look forward to not having to pee 12 times a day.

5- Not being pregnant again for a long, long, long, long, long, long, looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
oooooong time. Anyone have opinions about IUDs. Boy comments not allowed.


Okay the five things I am nervous about

1- Afterpains...hello. Those knocked me off of my feet they hurt so bad with Bentley and I hear they get worse with each kid. Yowza.

2- Um, life with three kids. I am so concerned about just functioning in day to day life, let alone doing things like going swimming...Agh! And what if she doesn't sleep like ever? That's what Bentley did and I very nearly went insane. Seriously, just ask anyone who was around for that time. Insane.

3- Okay, seriously, Bentley is nowhere with the walking thing. Should I tie a sled to my leg? How am I going to mobilize this family unit every day?

4- Breast feeding. Again. The nunga nungas are doomed.

5- What if all the aches and pains don't go away. Dun dun duhhhhh.....

Okay, so does anyone have an opinion about double strollers? Like should they be tandem or sidebyside? I am looking for lightweight, compact, run Gwen and the two children into preschool every other day kind of stroller. Already have a double jogger for all of that jogging I will be doing *cough* yeah right *cough*.

Letting myself go

In light of the events of the last few days...I stayed in my PJs today and made my only goal survival.

So just now I heard a splat on the floor. I looked down and it was a hunk of meat from my sloppy joe I had for dinner. I then noticed the large red sloppy joe stain on my (er...Blaine's) shirt. And while looking at the sloppy joe stain also noticed a few pieces of Smacks cereal. From breakfast.


Talk about taking a day off.

Update

Well, turns out I was dilated to a 3, so that is saying something. And I have an induction date set, but since we keep hardly any surprises we are kind of keeping the date a secret, or on a "need to know" basis. We kind of want to have the thrill of calling you all from the hospital and you all acting surprised. Though nearly everyone in Texas is on the "need to know" list, since "need to know" = "might be able to help". So...stay tuned. We'll have a baby before the month is out.


Hey Lizzy....you should come stay at hotel Bassett! It's only a fourteen hour drive, we could reimburse your gas....give you plenty of fodder for taking pictures and building that already impressive portfolio, plus you could have the pleasure of meeting the baby before any of its Grandparents....whatdya say?? : )

Momma said there'd be days like this....

There'd be days like this my momma said. What she failed to mention was that the days like this would happen while she was cruising in sunny Panama.

Where to start. Well, my day ended much like it began, but worse. Changing not only Bentley's bedding, but also Gwen's. The funny thing is that on Monday night I felt like I finally was getting a grip on things. The house was under control, we all had clean underwear to wear, and I was getting excited to nest....or at least to set up the port-a-crib or to do something in anticipation of the new baby.

Guess what is sad? This new baby had one new thing, one thing in this whole world that was made with her in mind. Gwen's preschool teacher made the new baby a blanket. And we went through so many blankets, towels, etc. today that I let Bentley use it. And he pooped all over it. Her one thing. Pooped on.

Mounds of laundry, it smells like....oh it just smells awful everywhere in our whole house. And if I go into labor tonight I would just have to find some stranger on the street to go with me to the hospital because honestly, who is going to want to watch my stomach flu ridden children? My stomach flu ridden husband isn't in much of a position to do it. Though he is being a champ trying!

Agh!

At least I don't have it....yet. And at least I am not in labor....yet.

You know, it really is a weird thing when you just realize that you simply cannot do it alone. So many people have asked how they can help and normally I try to brush it off and say, "no no no, we're fine" but today I was like, nope, not fine anymore. HELP ME!

And help they did! The champions today were Gretchen and Sheyenne. Today was my last (or at least it was supposed to be my last) OB appt. I didn't want to miss it for fear that that would make it so I couldn't schedule my induction and plus I haven't been "checked" at all yet this pregnancy and I was kind of curious if these random contractions actually mean anything. So when Blaine went to work with the stomach flu because he had important meetings I didn't know how I was going to make it to the doctors. I couldn't take them with me. I couldn't leave them with someone else. Really don't want to spread this kind of love. And dear, sweet, wonderful, thoughtful, caring Gretchen came through for me. She met me at my OBGYN and watched my kids while they just watched a movie in the van. My appointment was like an hour long too. Can you imagine, watching two van fulls of children for an hour. Yuck. But she did it, and acted like it wasn't a big deal. You should go and find yourself a friend like Gretchen. Particularly if you live 23 hours away from family.

And Sheyenne....well, there's a friend for you. She was originally going to watch my healthy daughter Gwen today while I went to my appt. When she found out that Gwen was sick and I canceled the babysitting thing; she went to the store for me and got me many many needed supplies...bananas, pedialyte, diapers. She's a saint. A real, true, honest to goodness saint. And then she wouldn't even let me pay for them.

I feel so blessed to be around so many nice people. I feel like since I have moved to Texas I have been in a perpetual state of "I NEED". And haven't been able to offer much help. I really hope that someday soon I can start paying it forward. But at least for the next week or two, I am pretty sure I am still going to be needy : ) So thank you everyone for your thoughts and your prayers. I definitely know things could be worse.....and I am so glad they are not!

It's six AM...what's going on at your house?

Because all of the male Bassett's have the stomach flu....and the young female Bassett hasn't woken up yet, so hopefully she doesn't have it to. Kind of hope I don't go into labor today.

Here's your sign

So a couple of days ago I was discussing with a friend, a friend who has a boys name but is a girl and also is a really good photographer, the pros and cons of cloth diapering. I know, pick up your jaw! I am not like hopping over the fence into granola-land or anything just yet, still comfortably straddling the line, bridging the gap between granolas and anti-granolas. So, settle down. See that is one fear that if I start doing cloth diapers everyones going to assume that I am going to start making my own clothing out of wheat grass and holding hands with strangers in the park while singing kum-by-ah. Yeah, NO.

The thing is, over the three year span of your child wearing diapers you could save like two thousand dollars. And when you have two in diapers, that is like FOUR thousand diapers, which is like four thousand frostys. So really, there's something. And not only that but my inner recycler can't help but notice that all those diapers my kids are producing every year probably fill up an entire landfill by themselves. One giant non decomposing landfill.

And it's not like I will be using diaper pins and memorizing boy scout knot tying tricks to make the diapers. Cloth diapering today is trendy, hip, and easier. The diapers have snaps and buttons and come with cute covers that hip mothers everywhere are jealous of.

So I was mulling it over and trying to decide if I was ready to take the plunge (the thing about getting started is you spend all of the money up front, not over the span of three years), and then Bentley had like the biggest poopy diaper I have ever seen. And it happened while he was asleep, so he like rolled in it. It was all over his whole body and bed and EWWW. I was so glad I could just throw that bad boy away. I thought he probably pooped himself out for the next month...it was that gross. But then three hours later? Same thing. Next morning? Same thing. The kid turned into a pooping machine and I am kind of thinking it might be an omen to ward me off from cloth diapering.

So I've put that little spark of an idea on the back burner for now. It's not fair to think about cloth diapering while your kid has the big D. So I will think about it later. In the mean time I have sheets to wash and children to hose down. Ew.

Back to the Future

This may sound like kind of a complaining post but I swear it is NOT. Really it is a grateful post. So buckle up, you have to hear the complaining part first : )

I was thinking last night about how pregnancy is a lot like being old. Work with me here. My major complaints in the last month or so are

*Seriously sharp shooting back pains when I try to get out of bed
* I have to take a hot bath before anything else or I seriously cannot tolerate the back pain long enough to walk into a different room.
*Hard time with stairs
* Numbness in my hands when I sleep (what the? This is a new one)
* I have a weird ligament issue that sometimes causes my leg to just give out. Which is particularly scary when I am holding Bentley and / or walking down the stairs
* I have to visit the restroom at least once an hour, even at night
* Heartburn; really really bad heartburn
* Extreme crabbiness

Okay, so basically I just sound like an old person right? Right.

I have been banking on all of these ailments going away but last night I was thinking about what would happen if they don't. Ahhhhhh! My life would be so miserable forever. Every step hurts. Can you imagine that for the rest of your life? I can't. Well, let's say I can and I don't like the idea. At all.

And I think it must be sad to get older and get more frequent aches and pains that limit your activity like this. So I am trying to figure out what I can do to keep myself, and mostly my joints, as young and limber as they can be.

This was a really long weird post that pretty much is just trying to say that I am thinking about taking up Yoga. What do you think? Could it be the solution to all of my future aches and pains?

And also to say that I am so grateful that pregnancy is temporary! That I have a chance to get back to pain free. That I have visited the future potential aches and pains and don't like what I see so I can now dedicate myself to being healthy and limber and happy.

The end.

A peculiar people

Parents are kind of strange. Not like the young hip parents like myself, but my parents. Strange strange. And it gets kind of freaky when you realize you are becoming like them. My fiery temper for example, comes from my fiery red headed mother, didn't think I'd get that quality....totally did. I find myself saying things she would say and doing things she would do and my feet look disturbingly like hers. We become our mothers.

So, I beg of you, why does my mother still have her fiery red undyed hair and I am sprouting like a billion grays. Seriously! It's like I turned twenty seven and started dying. I mean, I usually get the stray gray or two. But the other day I was like "whoa!" there were like twenty. I figured I would be safe if I parted my hair somewhere else. I changed my part and let out of shriek of terror. They are everywhere! In one month I've gone from having a hair color I am happy with to looking like Elvira or something.

So why can't I be like my mother in her hair color retention-ness? Not sure. All I know is I am going to fight tooth and nail to never sign off one of my e-mails with a graphic like this

Yes, she put that at the end of her e-mail to her kids today. She's going on a cruise and she sent her final will and testament and then signed off with this picture. Only in the email it was doing the hula.

Have fun on your cruise ma, the older I get the more of a great mother I realize you are and I am proud to become more like you ..... usually : )

Long time no see!

I went to Costco with some friends yesterday. At the end of the trip we parted ways to go to our cars. I unloaded my cart and then went to put my basket in the little basket keeping area thing in the parking lot. The lady putting her groceries in her car that was parked next to the thing looked at me, then she did a double take and got a big friendly smile and was like "HI!!!!" and I looked over both of my shoulders and seeing no one looked back at her and responded, "HI!" then she looked me up and down and was like "I didn't know you were expecting" and I was thinking....I don't really know who you are! Anyway we proceeded to have a lovely conversation and I still have no idea who she was/is.

And I feel bad because no one has been that excited to see me in a long time.

Anyway, it's always nice to meet up with old friends, even if they're really new friends.

Anti-socialism

It's kind of a shame when a social person winds up with an anti-social child. And I assume the same would be true in reverse. I've often told people that the thing I love the most about my neighborhood is that all of the kids and moms and dads come out in the afternoon/early evening and everyone plays and rides bikes and sits on lawn chairs and has a blast. There are even four kids who are exactly Gwen's age in the circle (three boys and one girl), and my neighbor does daycare for three additional girls who are Gwen's age. Anyway, today we pull up and everyone is outside! The weather is perfect. Someone got a basketball hoop for Christmas. Bikes are everywhere. Gwen demands we go inside to trace. It's like this every day. I even offered to set up a table outside so she could trace out there with the other kids.

It's such a frustrating situation for me. I don't want to force her to play with other kids if she doesn't want to, but she won't even go outside if other kids are out there.

Any advice?

P.S. I think it would be good for my psyche to get outside, I've been having a bit of a stressful/depressing time lately and I think some sunshine and fresh air would do me good as well. Am I bad if I leave her in the house to play alone and take Bentley outside with me?

Everything is Miscellaneous

A couple of things.....first of all who is excited for LOST? Of course I recommend getting season one and starting from the beginning but for those of you who have time constraints here is a pretty good summary to get you up to date ; )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FRALZ62kns

Secondly, did I tell you that I only have one dog now? An awesome friend watched both dogs over our Christmas break and as a reward their family got to choose a dog to keep (shhhh...don't tell her that that is a lousy reward ; ) . It really has lowered the stress level in the house and we miss Boots a lot, but life with just Swiper is pretty sweet. His personality has changed a little in Boots' absence. For one he likes being around us more. For two he hasn't tried to escape. And for three...he gets real lonely and sad at night. We hear Boots is happy and has a little friend who plays with him all day and he even gets to sleep in his friends bed. I bet he couldn't be happier!

Thirdly. Sheesh can I just have the baby already? Holy Moses pregnancies last forever.

Fourth. I just made an entire batch of chocolate chip cookies, because I want ONE.

Fifth. I am having Gwen drama. She totally still needs naps and totally won't take them and then she won't go to bed and the only words out of her mouth are, "no no no no no no no" and the occasional insult [ "Why aren't you angry at anyone yet today" comes to mind]. It's stressing me out. Do they have parent/child counselors? I sat down to talk to her about it the other day and her solution to our issues was that maybe "Daddy could stay home and in charge us". I've always thought he would be a great stay at home parent..... : )

Sixthly: Today after church Blaine and I were standing in a classroom talking to some people. Well, I was talking to some people and Blaine was waiting patiently by the door...when someone in our ward walked by, looked right at Blaine and said, "I really like your hair, it is SO CUTE!". And then I laughed for twenty minutes. Blaine really does have cute hair (and we found out after like ten minutes of analyzation that she was talking to a YW also in the room.) Anyway it was hilarious. And for those who are curious it was our bishops wife, who I adore, and who made my day by making me think someone told Blaine his hair was "so cute".

Seventhly: I had a great Christmas. Sometimes you get gifts that make you think, "hmmm...does my husband know me at all?" Like the time I got three stepping stools on one birthday, all from the same husband. But then there are Christmasses like this where he scored big! I got a soft white robe, diaper bag, perfume, and beef jerky. It was awesome!

Mmmmm....the end. Castor oil anyone?

Peace on Earth and GOODWILL for me.

I've been real sad lately since there have been no garage sales going on, so I took it upon myself to go to Goodwill to get out my "rummage bug".

and I found this


which retails for $40 at Target, and on Craigslist for $25, at Goodwill for $2.99 (that's two dollars and ninetynine cents!).

I had two people in the store stop me and look at the price and freak about what a good deal I was getting.

Felt good to get out there and get a good bargain!

Insight

Gwen and I have been having a rough time together lately. We are usually both frustrated at eachother for some reason. I realized things were bad, but I didn't realize that she knew how bad they were until this morning as I was cleaning up the morning dishes and she said,

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you're not angry with anybody yet today?"

Awesome.

Big hockey fan?

Clarity

Ah...there was a press release today clearing up some of the uncertainties with the CPSC laws...looks like we're good! Except for the small business owners, but the resellers sound like will be okay. Sorry to get everyone in angst, but I was in angst. So you know. Perhaps it was my strongly worded letter to my congressperson that got the needed clarification : )

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

Identity Theft

I'll tell you what...there's nothing like going for 48 hours thinking your entire life is ruined as a result of identity theft. I lose my wallet ALL the time. I lose keys, I lose everything, always. Blaine doesn't lose things, ever. So when he came home from work on Monday night saying he had lost his wallet, things got a bit tense. The last time he had seen it was on Saturday night when we had gone to chick-fil-a and wal-mart. We tore apart the house and I spent all day yesterday searching for the wallet at chick-fil-a, wal-mart and our church. We checked nooks, crannies everything. It was particularly stressful because he had his social security card in there too. Hello identity theifs, we are your perfect candidates. Also his drivers license is not current, so if some good samaritan had found it they would have sent it to our apartment we lived in like four years ago and called our cell phone numbers from wayyyy long ago. What a mess! I was hesitant to cancel all of our credit cards and bank information, because, seriously, what a pain! At the same time I didn't want to have some criminals having a hay day on my dime. Anyway, we got particularly stressed when we saw on a website that if you lose your wallet you shouldn't overreact "carefully retrace your steps and take an hour to look for the wallet, if it cannot be found within an hour cancel all of your credit cards, notify the police...etc.etc.". Uh, an hour? Ours had been missing for like three days at that point. Whoops.

Just as I was resigned to the fact that I would spend all day today canceling all of our financial stuff...I heard a happy scream from upstairs, "I FOUND IT!". It was in the dresser, where we both looked a couple of times. Really, it was magical....and I don't need an explanation, I am just so darn happy that I don't have to spend my life worrying about identity theft. Go and take your social security card out of your wallet. Now. And also write down all of the credit cards/bank cards you have in there so you will know what to cancel. I hope you never have to thank me later, but just in case....

Cramp my style

I was doing a little perusing today on craigslist when I came across several postings referring to "CPSIA" or the Consumer Product SafetyImprovement Act, which- from what I gather - pretty much means that on February 10th it will become illegal to sell used childrens items. Clothing, toys, shoes, high chairs, doesn't matter. And I don't know if you've noticed but that's like .....my life. Love garage sales, love craigslist, etc. Have you heard about this new law? What do you think? I appreciate that they are trying to make childrens products safer....but what about those of us who don't want to buy all brand new things for our kids...or better yet, what if it is not a matter of preference but a matter of finances. Anyway, two giant thumbs down for this law and I guess I better buy clothing for my kids and all of their toys they'll need for the rest of their lives by February 10th.

Please write an angry letter to your congressman. I did.

Ankles

I had to wonder this morning, while driving through the barren New Mexican desert, why in the world anyone would ever want to live in New Mexico (besides in the little city of Farmington, where the worlds finest hotel "Hotel Applegate" is located! Thanks Liz). Then as I was driving at 5:30AM I noticed that I was seeing about ten shooting stars per second. At first I thought they might be UFOs because, well, I was pretty close to Roswell. So I had to look it up tonight and found that one of the best meteor showers ever happened to be going on right as I was driving in the dark New Mexican desert. It was awesome. So don't complain the next time you have to wake up at 4:15AM to drive for fourteen hours, you may just be in for a treat!

On that note, I am going to bed. It's been a long two days of driving, and a long two weeks of being away from home. From the looks of my legs one might guess that I have a severe case of elephantiasis. Seriously. My ankles are as big as my thighs.

Look forward to upcoming posts about Bentley's bout with pneumonia, and me nearly getting arrested for child abduction at a Subway in Ozona, TX - - oh yes and of course how I ruined Christmas for a good friend and many of her neighbors since my dogs escaped on CHRISTMAS DAY, bah. Nothing like a road trip to jog the mind for a few good blog posts.

For now though I must tend to this elephantiasis.