Read Brooke's Mary Kay blog. Funny!

O.k., if you haven't read Brooke's Mary Kay blog than you need to because it's hilarious and will bring happiness to your heart. Maybe you have to know Brooke to get the full joyful chuckle. Seriously.... if there's anyone that doesn't need make-up to live a fulfilled life, it's Brooke. Talk about packing your days full of hard work - on things that actually do bring fullfillment! I have to laugh that the Mary Kay Consultant told her that make-up brings self-esteem. She did not know who she was dealing with here - a girl that has a multitude of talents and spends her days using them without any need for the approval of others (although she's got mine!). Also, it brings back memories of my conversation with Brooke about her high school years and the year that her friend tried to "help" her out. Brooke was a very stylish girl that year - the right clothes, the right look and then upon discovering how different people started to treat her, decided to go back to her "own" style - a style that brought her contentment and happiness - and that actually allowed people to get to know her to appreciate her, heaven forbid! (You'd have to hear the story from her. I was rolling on the floor - she is so funny! Also ask her about her junior high clothing ensembles). I love that girl! She is who she is and you can take it or leave it - and if you leave it, you are definitely missing out. Being around her makes you realize how ridiculous the pursuit to fit in and be in style can really be. She is a big breath of fresh air in a society that tries to brainwash us into thinking that there is only a limited and specific amount of air we should breath. While some girls are spending massive amounts of time and money on their "self-esteem" by getting their hair highlighted, their nails done, shopping for the right clothes, tanning, whitening their teeth, putting their make-up on, ratting their hair just so, and breathing quick, heavy, shallow breaths while charging to the next appointment, Brooke is sitting on her porch taking in massive amounts of that fresh yummy country air while looking over a huge garden, a bunch of well-taken-care-of animals in home-made animal habitats, rows of home-canned jars, and happy hard-working kids playing in the mud. I want to be more like her. Some day I am going to be a full-on country girl. Thanks for a great blog, Brooke. Aaaaah, the joys of just being able to let your hair down and have a good chuckle! I think you're awesome.

With that said, go to my "Sister Brooke's family" blog link to the right and scroll down to the Mary Kay blog. Love it! A+++, 5 stars, 4 thumbs up.

Gymnastics!

McKenzie has been wanting to take dance for months! My friend recommended a dance instructor close by and so we've been patiently waiting for registration day. Finally the day had come and we were both so excited to go. Everything seemed great, but the timing with my piano lessons was bad. Also, McKenzie said she wanted to do it but didn't seem as excited as I thought she would. I decided we should go check out a gymnastics place by us. We watched some kids doing gymnastics through the windows and then went up to the area where they teach the 3 and 4-year-olds and McKenzie was hooked! Her excitement was back and she decided gymastics was the thing for her :) It also worked better with my piano teaching schedule and there's a place for parents to watch that is fully equipped with a train table for Ethan to play with. PERFECT! McKenzie and I look forward to gymnastics every week. On Tuesday I told her, "Guess what tomorrow is?" She asked "What?" I said, "Wednesday". Her eyes got wide and she said "I get to go to gymnastics?!" Then she covered her mouth with her hands and just giggled and giggled. Her next question, after finding out that gymnastics is coming up, is always, "How many minutes is it?" I don't know how it satisfys her to tell her it's "9:43 a.m." But somehow it does - and I'm glad. Maybe McKenzie will try dance in the future, but gymnastics looks like tons more fun for a 3-year-old - with balance beams, trampoline, parallel bars, a foam pit with a slide coming down ... McKenzie's lessons are on the second floor and you can see down below to the older girls practicing. Man, I should have done gymnastics! As I watch them do their back handsprings and beam tricks, I have a serious urge to join them. Luckily Asher holds me back from making a fool of myself. McKenzie does so well at following instructions and never has a problem going right in and participating. She volunteered for something on the first day! What a girl. It's fun to watch her. She even chose her very own leotard. Here she is, in the pink floral, during her second lesson. I think I've got a prodigy on my hands! :)

I love this one where she's concentrating so hard on

how to put her feet without letting her elbows off her

ears :)

Ethan does really well for 50 minutes!

Notice the foam pit in the background. That's the

favorite thing - where they can try tricks into it from

the loft (that you can't see) and then slide down the

slide. One of these days I need to rush in there and

try it out before anyone's brain has a chance to

register that a fat lady just whizzed by with fists up

and elbows out (ya know, to block anyone that even

things about stopping me. I will make it to that pit!)

He needs a little love here and there and then is ready

to go back and play. What a cute boy!

5 Weeks and Counting

O.k., I'm way behind on my blogging. Why? Well, with 5 weeks until Asher is due, I've developed adult ADD. This is taking a lot of determination to sit here for more than 10 minutes to look through pictures and think of something interesting to say to captivate my readers when all that consumes my thoughts is - "gotta have this baby ... can't wait to have lung capacity again so I can walk up the stairs without collapsing with a water bottle on stair number 5 ... what can I do with my kids all day that requires no physical movement on my part and that also doesn't require watching a Berenstain Bear episode for the 5th time (as much as I love the show) ... gotta have this baby ... WHAT can I do to have this baby? Absolutely nothing. O.k., I'll paint a wall ... Man, it'll be nice to have more than two options for shirts that can cover this gargantuan belly and more than two options for pants that can cover this ever so perfectly porportionated bum (wouldn't be so bad if they were interchangeable. But how many shirts can you really find to go with bright red velour 'Santa pants' - as Jason so lovingly calls them. Yes, I've definitely reached the stage of "Comfort over Style". Ya know, it's listed in all those pregancy guide books somewhere between month 8 and 9 - or should be). Hmmmmm.......twiddle my thumbs........look around the room.......give Ethan another fishy cracker......develop an impatient twitch....eat a handful of fishy crackers myself - along with anything I can find that has sugar in it.....oh ya, I rid our house of sugar to help my pregnant-induced sugar-addicted self out...........what a lame idea.....there's gotta be something in this pantry (as I frantically rummage through boxes, cans ... bags flying everywhere).....Honey! Perfect! This will do for now as I take a mental note to add 'a tremendous bag of candy' to my previously sensible shopping list (if I ever muster up the courage to venture out of the house in August as a very pregnant Mrs. Clause)......now what?.......crawl under a blanket with McKenzie and wait for Ethan to find us with delight - until, to McKenzie's dissapointment, I must come up for air (I can hold my breath underwater without plugging my nose for 12 seconds. But that's another issue). Eat something with more sugar in it - cereal is a great healthyish option (this sugar addiction may have something to do with my ADD?)....better take some prenatal vitamins with that......How many more hours left 'til bedtime? Might as well drive to IKEA and get lost in the maze. Only took 2 hours? I was shooting for 5 weeks! Ah well, we've accomplished quite a bit today. How many more minutes 'til Asher is due?"

Yes, bless my heart...and the hearts of each of my poor little children.

I actually do have some fun pictures and I'll try to snap out of it long enough to makes some posts soon. Just hang in there (or so I keep telling myself).