I Was Tagged Again But This One Was Different, So Here Goes!

Seven interesting, weird, or otherwise facts about me, hmmmm:

1) I am currently obsessed with the Body Pump class at my gym. At first, I was religious about going because the gym had child care and I was willing to do anything for an hour to myself. However, the other day I slipped on a pair of Sofee shorts (yeah, that takes you back to your cheerleading days doesn't it!) and I actually saw a little bump of a muscle above my knee cap:) I don't own and never really have owned muscles in my life so this was a major achievement for me. Now, I am motivated to see what pops out next? Although they never say I am working the boobs, I hope that is next for sure!
2) I am also completely obsessed with the beef Chalupa from Taco Bell. It would seem that #1 and #2 are opposites, which they are. But, since this is the first time in my life I have ever exercised, I think my brain thinks I should reward myself for the effort. So, I find myself at the TB more times than I would like to admit!
3) I have secretly started watching the Bachelor: London Calling. I say secretly because my husband thinks I DVR way too much as it is so I haven't told him that I found one more show to watch late at night after the kids go to bed. I caught a glimpse of it one night and saw how delicious the Bachelor is and his accent is quite fantastic, so I am hooked. I will also say that watching it makes me feel much better about my position in life. You see, I have missed several seasons of The Bachelor and in my absence, the women have gotten nuts! I mean they are showcasing talents that really should be saved for a circus act. It is GOOD stuff!
4) I once entered a contest through Bop magazine to try and win Donnie Wahlberg's jeans. He was, is a member of New Kids on The Block. I had to write an essay and was certain I would win. But no, some other bimbo, teeny bopper won them. Bummer!
5) My favorite scripture is Proverbs 30:8-9 "Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
6) I fall asleep very quickly anytime, anywhere. In fact, I have at times fallen asleep in the middle of a prayer. That might not be unusual except that I have been the one saying the prayer outloud to my husband!
7) I sit in the sink everyday to put my make-up on. I guess one day I got tired of standing and didn't have a chair. So, I decided to try the sink. Yep, even 9 months pregnant, I lifted me and my big old belly onto the counter! It isn't always pretty watching me get out but a girls got to do what a girls got to do!

So here are the rules:
- Link the person who tagged you
- List the rules in your blog
- Share seven interesting, weird, or otherwise facts about you
- Tag seven people to do the same
- Link their names in your blog
- Leave the people you are tagging a message on their blog letting them know they have been tagged.

So I am tagging: Jenni C., Keri B., Katie D., Lana M., Wendy C., Whitney L. (I am cheating and only doing 5.)

I Was Tagged!

My sister-in-law, Jenni, tagged me with this little get to know ya. So, here it is!

What was I doing 10 years ago?:

Oh my, ten years ago, I was finishing up college along with plans for my wedding, May 23, 1998. That means that I was sort of doing school work but mainly doing crunches because I thought my body needed work, and I couldn't imagine going to the beach with my new hubby looking like the Harding Cafteria Queen. Boy, doesn't perpective change after three kids! I am again doing crunches because for our 10 year anniversary, I am going to the beach with my hubby again. I am working hard to have that Harding Cafeteria Queen body back;) I think God thinks that is funny and wishes me well in this endeavor!

Five Snacks I enjoy: in a perfect non-weight gaining world

1. Cinnamon roll from Braums (they serve those things warm no matter whether it is 8:00 in the morning or 8:00 at night (sadly enough, lately I know this to be true!))
2. German Chocolate Cake with the coconut frosting on top but chocolate frosting on the sides;)
3. Ruffles potato chips/french onion dip
4. Skyline Chili dog (a Cincinnati thing)
5. A Coke fountain drink

in the real world:
1. Fiber One bars (yummy)
2. Fiber One cereal (I try not to eat #1 & #2 in one day. That might be traumatic to the system!)
3. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich
4. Nestle Raspberry Water (Brent can't figure out why I can't pick a nice Coca-Cola product to love, like Dasani. Unfortunately, Dasani flavored water just isn't the same!)
5. Coke in a bottle, Coke in a can, Coke from a fountain - It is my guilty pleasure!

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Take all my family on fun trips around the world
2. Pay for my family to go on mission trips during the Summer
3. Have my own "Big Give" show like Oprah
4. Buy a baby video monitor or a Nanny so that I don't have to get out of bed everytime I hear Isaac whimper!
5. Have the girls put back where they belong. Breastfeeding has not been kind to them! (Okay so I am probably not brave enough to really have that done but if I can dream that I am a billionaire, I guess I can dream that I am brave too!

Five jobs that I have had:
1. Exercise equipment demonstrator at the mall. Strange, huh? Yeah, I think my boss was a pervert but I was 16 and didn't see it.
2. Assistant to the Football Operations Manager and Assistant in Recruiting at the University of Notre Dame. Go Irish! (Great job! Worked hard but got paid like I didn't!)
3. Regional Office Coordinator for Pharmacia Pharmaceuticals (Great job! Didn't have to work to hard but got paid like I did!)
4. Mom
5. President and CEO of Pumpkin Doodle

Three of my habits:
1. moving my feet at all times when I am sitting down. Whether it is wiggling my toes or circling my whole foot, something connected to my ankle is always moving.
2. spell words in my head all day long. I spell each word 5 times or 15 times if it has an "A" in it because in my mind there are three ways to write an "A" so I have to write it all ways 5 times. You don't have to say it. I know. It is a sickness!
3. checking the doors at least three times each before we go out of town. Then about 10 minutes down the road I ask Brent if he shut the garage door. He loves that because then it makes him question whether he really shut it or not. So, then we have to call our friends, the Bakers, and ask them to drive by sometime to make sure we did. Funny thing, we have never left it up but I always worry I might!

Five places I have lived:
1. Springfield, MO
2. Searcy, AR
3. South Bend, IN
4. Cincinnati, OH (atually Cold Spring, KY)
5. Springdale, AR

People I will tag: Mary Jo P., Mandy B., Amy Mc., Melissa H.

Sweet William

I wanted to post this story simply so that I wouldn't forget it and so that I could share it with Will.

A few years ago, shortly after my Granny passed away, I was lying in bed with Will (not yet 4 years-old) reading books and trying to get him to sleep. After the stories, we said our prayers. During my portion of the prayer, I got a little weepy. Will asked me why I was crying and I told him that I was missing my Granny. I explained that she had passed away and had gone to be with God in Heaven. About a minute later, I heard sniffling from Will's side of the bed. I asked him why he was crying. He said, "I just miss that (pause), What's her name again?" (me: "Granny?") Oh yeah. I just miss Granny so much."

I think Granny would have enjoyed that moment so much. Actually, I know she did!

Follow-up to Will's Museum

Some of you might have read about Will's museum. Well, shortly after the exhibition of such fine pieces, Will informed me that there had been a robbery. Luckily, Will was able to get some photos of the thief during the heist and was certain he could solve this mystery and catch the devil!

Oh, he makes me laugh!

I Love The Midwest

I will begin by saying that today it is amazing outside and God is awesome! Unfortunately, on the most beautiful day in a very long time, I have a very sad, very sick child.

Sam woke this morning with an earache, so I did what any good mom would do and took him to Wal-Mart:) If this decision seems puzzling, you are not alone. When Sam asked where we were going, I told him we were going to the doctor to make him feel better. Since he is a toddler, he asked again where we were going and this time I told him that we were actually going to Wal-Mart to see the doctor. He responded in all of his toddler wisdom, "That is not right. Wal-Mart just has food." So, as I dressed Sam, I shared with him that Wal-Mart is a world unto itself. Right or wrong, you can get your tires rotated, your nails and hair did, your check deposited, your picture taken, your flu shot, and bananas all in one spot. (I could have mentioned that you can get your eyes checked too but my father-in-law is an optometrist so I cannot and will not speak of and do not know about the quality of that service;)) After Sam got over the confusion and probably sadness of the Wal-Mart reality, he hopped in the car and off we went.

Ok, so let me be clear in saying that a doctor in Wal-Mart is not a first option but it definitely should be in a list of options for any desperate mommy. Our regular pediatrician couldn't see Sam until tomorrow and short of storming the clinic with threats of leaving Sam there unsupervised until he was seen, Wally World was our choice! So, we visited the clinic inside the store and I will say it was strangely fabulous! I mean when can you go to the doctor on no notice, get a buzzer like you are at Applebees to let you know your exam table is available, and actually get some shopping done, or many of the other things I listed above, while you wait?

Okay, so we got done with the doctor and went to find Tylenol to go along with our antibiotic cocktail to get Sam back in fighting condition or heavily sedated. Either way would make this sleep deprived momma happy! Now, here is where the story is amusing in my opinion, and I think this is what makes the Midwest so fantastic! My items were limited so I chose the "check yourself out line" because I secretly think I am always faster than the cashiers:) Anyway, because we live in a curious world, once my Tylenol Cold was scanned, an alarm went off and the little cash register supervisor had to come and type a secret code and my age into the register so that I could purchase this medicine. I am not sure what the age requirement is for this type of drug, but make sure you take an ID with you just in case. So, after clearance from Clarence, I opened the box and started reading directions so that I could give Sam his medicine right there. I guess Clarence is actually Dr. Clarence because then cash register supervisor man returned to help me with dosing instructions. He took the box from me and asked Sam's age. Upon realizing that Sam's age required asking a doctor, Clarence then did some quickie math in his head and recommended 1 teaspoon. I agreed with his prescription and told him that I would also check back in with the clinic doctor to verify but sadly enough as I explained this to him, I worried that he might be offended that I was going in for a second opinion. So, I spoke with the receptionist at the clinic about the dosing. I guess she is a doctor too because she told me what she gives her granddaughter and obviously felt comfortable with her recommendations because she told me 1 teaspoon and sent me on my way not offering to check with the attending physician. Ok, strangely enough, I felt comfortable too with the conclusion that the clinic receptionist, Wal-Mart cash register supervisor, and I had come to so I proceeded to head for the door. However, I did not get out of the doors before Dr. Clarence (cash register supervisor) stopped me to verify that his dosing instructions were correct, I guess so that he would be prepared for the next customer;)

Now, I titled this blog "I Love The Midwest" because I am not certain but I feel quite comfortable in saying that this whole scenario could not and would not have played out in many other areas of the country or world for that matter. I love the Midwest, and I love Wal-Mart for making my life so much more interesting at such a low price:)

Oh, celebrities and all my hotness

Here is a picture from Brent's tryout for American Idol!

Just kidding;) Actually, this photo was taken the day my water broke! Some of you might know that Brent is now in marketing for Coca-Cola and they were sponsoring Wal-mart's monthly meeting. These things usually have some celebrity there to help with the presentation so Brent, on Coke's dime, flew Ryan Seacrest in for the meeting. Ryan drinks Coke and totally shops at Wal-Mart so he seemed like the perfect fit! Also you know, Coke, American Idol, Ryan Seacrest. Anyway, I am sure Mr. Seacrest was uneasy about havin' some barefoot, backwoods, Arkansan give his hair a fixin' so he also brought along his stylist. Smart move, Ryan!

Now, Brent is a sweet husband and is always trying to show his lady a good time so he invited my big, 8-months pregnant butt to meet Ryan and his crew. (Just as a side note, the other two times Brent has hooked me up with celebrities went about the same way. I met Elizabeth Hasselbeck 8 months pregnant which was great since she had just been on Survivor and hadn't eaten in some 30 days. I on the other hand hadn't eaten in some 30 seconds! So she was emaciated and I was a Thanksgiving Day float. The second celebrity event was for Britney Spear's, before she had some issues, CD release party in NYC. At that time she had a smokin' body and was dating Justin Timberlake. I, however, was lactating because I was only 6-weeks post delivery with Will and actually had to pump before we went to the party. Hot! I was trying to be cool dancing next to JT and Ms. Spears while all the while leaking breast milk on my sparkly top!)

I digress, so after visiting with Mr. Seacrest for awhile and him requesting I wait to have the baby until after the Coke function, this butterball turkey went home. And, being the pleaser that I am, my water broke during the Coke function but I denied it until Ryan was on his private plane back to LA before I went to the hospital.

So, does that help explain Isaac's middle name, Seacrest? No, that is not his middle name, it is Emerson you goobs:)

99 Balloons

Here is a video, 99 Balloons, that I watch to from time to time. This couple attends our church, and although I have never met them, they are such an example to me. They have a strength only God can provide. We are never alone! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0