uh-oh.

the five things going through my mind wednesday night when i was being pulled over.

-yup, getting pulled over.

1) oh my goodness, i'm getting pulled over and sam is following me in the van. yup, i'm getting pulled over by a cop and sam is driving the kids home in the van behind me. i've given him nothing but pain and grief for 7 years over the number of speeding tickets he's had, and he is going to witness me getting a speeding ticket because...

2) oh holy crap, was i just going 45 in a 35? yes, i was going 45 in a 35... oh for how long?

3) and how much of driving was in the shoulder? it's been rainy and windy here and i was trying to avoid all the fallen leaves and might have been hugging the shoulder.

4) oh dear, just how long had the cop been following me with his lights on? because my rear-view mirror was messed up and when i finally went to switch it that is when i noticed the terrifying blue and red lights behind me.

5) how long was this going to take? my mcflurry's were melting the cup holder.

oh man. what a disaster. we had just left Bible study and had picked up our kids from sam's parents. sam was generous enough to let me drive the cool car (our camry) and i took off- because our special treats of mcflurry's were melting and i needed to get them in the freezer.

i was speeding, i am sure of it. and i was driving into the shoulder. and i was paying no attention to what was happening behind me.

it was just the worst feeling, and i was so flabbergasted when i got pulled over- mainly because i knew that sam was going to see all of this in just a few minutes.

imagine my relief when the officer came to my window, smiled at me, and asked if i knew why he pulled me over.

i totally played dumb and flabbergasted and confused.

because i was dumb, flabbergasted and confused.

and i told the officer just how confused i was, flashing a smile of course.

he reassured me that i was driving just fine (what???) and that i had a headlight out.

oh thank the Lord.

i cannot believe i didn't get a ticket. and neither could sam, because he said he saw how fast i was going- and he saw just how quickly the officer flipped around to go after me.

i don't know how or why or what, but thankfully the officer told me to get the headlight fixed and sent me on my way.

much to my multiple speeding ticket husband's chagrin.

a family fun friday

i am often amused by companies and organizations that try and woo families into their product or place my defining their specific thing as "fun for the whole family".

well i am all for family fun, however, below are 5 things i wish i could convince my family of being fun for the whole family:

1) sitting patiently on the couch for 45-60 minutes while momma works out.

2) sitting quietly around the sewing table as momma sews in peace.

3) sleeping.

4) sleeping in. and yes, those are 2 different things.

5) blogging.

perhaps some day? i wonder if i made a fun family book and sublimely inserted those 5 things with colorful pictures and exciting fonts- would they catch on? perhaps.

a different kind of friday five

i am getting very frustrated with myself and my lack of motivation and my misuse of time (this is being written at 12:49 while i wait for cloth diapers to finish washing).

i am just not happy with what is getting fit into my day, and just what is not getting done.

this isn't really how i want to live my life. i am pretty happy and content with what i have, but not with what i am doing.

so i am going to try something.

my 5 in 15.

i am going to try and add 5 things into my daily life that i wish i was doing now. and i am going to try and do them for the next 15 days.

and i am officially removing "try" from the words above. i am going to do it.

my 5 are going to be fairly specific.

one that brings me closer to the Lord.

one that is directed towards Sam.

one that is directed towards my children.

one that is directed towards my body.

one that is directed towards my mind.

so here are my 5 in 15.

1) devotions. at some time everyday. i will read at least a chapter in the Bible, and i will journal at least a sentence. and i will pray. and this could take 5 minutes, or 50. its the act of doing it.

2) make a lunch for Sam everyday. he never eats at work (usually just snacks on samples) so i really want to be an encouragement to him, and help him stay energized at work.

3) spend my mornings with my kids. i usually stumble out of bed, zonked to the world, dragging until 1 1/2 cups of coffee has seeped into my skin. allowing my kids to wander around, watching pbs and eating breakfast bars. that isn't the morning i want for us. i want breakfast together at the table. i want us to read a story from their Bible, and i want us to start our day together. of course, after that- its pbs and wandering while i get focused for the day!

4) brushing my teeth. i bet some where expecting either exercise daily or eat right in this category. well i do weight watchers so diligently as if a drill sergeant is in the kitchen with me. and daily exercise gets me through every single day. but i do not have great dental hygiene habits. and that really needs to change.

5) reading. i need to read at least a chapter in ANY book. i need to re-establish my passion and eagerness for reading, so that i can set a great example for both my husband and my children.

so that is my 5 for the next 15.

i would love to encourage anyone who would like to, to do the same! and if you do, i'd love to know what you are doing.

a glimpse into the future.

this morning has already gotten away from me. one should never stay in bed while kids run a muck. i also stayed up to late, and ate a really rich dessert way to late last night (yes, i had the points- plenty of points, but i still think it should be a better practice for me not not eat any 9+ point dessert after 9 or 10pm... it just lingers)

as i sit here seeing the fruits of my unproductively all around me, i can't help but dream about next friday...

the five things i will be so excited about next friday morning:

1) surviving a 10+ hour road trip with my bff and our 2 little babies. (and sorry Serena... i think 10 hours is low balling it, i can dream though- right?)

2) my full tummy of amazing, delicious, indulgent foods of Portland.

3) the beautiful fabrics i will purchasing from : cool cottons, fabric depot, and mills end (and anything else we find along the way.

4) that i will be about to be surrounded by unbelievable homeschool curriculum as far as the eyes can see.

5) that i will be having a yummy dinner with said bff, babies, and my little sister, and that my dad will finally be introduced to his third grandchild.

i'm getting excited!

i'm thinking that my next friday five will be entitled: 5 things you wish wouldn't happen on a road trip- and what you can do to avoid them.

yippee!

instead.

five things i should be doing instead of blogging while watching law and order.

1) sewing.  i have a dress to finish smocking, a skirt to make an elastic casing for, a log cabin square to complete, and i am sure i could think of something else i could be sewing.

2) reading.  i am in the middle of 5 different books, and i would like to actually finish one of them.

3) cleaning.  there are dishes that should be cleaned.

4) diaper laundry.  in fact, i will need to post this and get up and start that laundry, before it gets to late.

5) talking with my husband.  we are just so brain-drained right now.  he's had a hard time re-adjusting to being at work and his responsibilities as a husband and father.  his stress gives me stress.  and even though the two older kids are at his parents, we have basically just collapsed in mental and physical exhaustion.  i need to think of something we should do, or i'll be watching him play with his laptop and his blackberry- simultaneously.

lofty dreams.

the five top things i wish i could be paid to promote:

1) Breastfeeding.

its free. its the best for your baby. and it rapidly speeds up losing the baby weight. 

2) the Sleepy Wrap.  really baby-wearing in general.  i have a wonderful hand made Mei Tai which i plan to use to carry Henry on my back.  but baby-wearing is just absolute the greatest thing in the world.  i just love the special bonding of having them so close to you.  and when you have more than one child it is almost essential to have your hands free.

3) the Firm

i am a firm believer.  i have had the "fanny lifter" and related videos for almost 7 years. i have since added to my Firm video collection.  i know that a lot of people may be wary of home work out video things- but these are absolutely amazing.  the truly do shape and sculpt your body, the are really tough, they have videos for all levels- but most importantly: they are such a blast to do! i love waking up in the morning (well, maybe i don't love waking up... depends on what time said waking up is taking place) and deciding which video i am going to do (i know have probably 12). if you are looking for any type of home exercise video- i swear by these.

4) Weight Watchers.

if you are trying to lose weight, or looking to eat healthier, i highly recommend Weight Watchers.  you can eat anything you want (unlike some diet fads that have you eliminate certain groups of food entirely).  i love going to the meetings.  you truly get support from other women (and sometimes men) who are trying to get a hold of their eating.  for me, its portion control.  i am such a control freak that this program absolutely works for me.  i am so meticulous that having someone tell me how many points i can use in a day and a week just fits me perfectly.

and it really works.  now, i haven't had the opportunity yet to lose the weight and "keep it off".  the very day i hit my goal weight i discovered i was expecting sweet Henry.

so next week, i haven't picked a day, but next week i will be resuming my membership.  and will then be quickly on my way to my goal... not so much a weight goal- but the goal of getting back into my clothes that are anxiously awaiting me.

5) Tivo 

i don't care what you have to say, DVR is not superior to Tivo at all.  i love my tivo.  it is wonderful.  and i could talk about it all day long.

so there are the top 5 things that i would love to be paid to run my mouth off about.  because trust me, if you give me five minutes of your time, i usually have something to say about this.

friday five

1) Why are children’s books not consistently illustrated correctly?  When the author describes something in their words and there is not a picture that correlates to that affect, a 2 ½ year old is quite confused.  And frustrated.  Which makes for a frustrated mother.

2) The stupid things I do.  Why do you try and try to pry a box out of a lid (I slipped a box into the lid, and the lid would not come off) before you check to see if maybe the lid is actually on your piano, and the box is just pretty, and not actually stuck inside your lid.

3) Why do people put corn in so many things?  It’s an unpleasant surprise, and really hard to pick out.  Its especially bothersome when its swimming buddy in food is chopped up onions. 

4) Bad things come in threes.  Last night in a matter of moments, I realized 1) I had grabbed the leftover salad from dinner- not my wonderful cheesecake 2) after realizing this my eyes were drawn to a strange thing moving on our chair in our living room- a new kind of strange bug 3) after noticing the new bug on the back of the chair, my eyes then next go to the HUGE crouching spider on our wall. 

5) Watching your child run at you from across a gymnastic floor with their eyes open wide and huge silly grins on their faces is one of the greatest things in the world.  

my friday five

i'd like to start writing more consistent things on my little blog here.  and today i had the idea for writing weekly about five random things that just fly into my brain.

1) i really really wish that i could have some sort of microchip that always kept recording my inner thoughts.  i have some great ideas throughout the day, and i think- ooh write that down... and then i see my 13 month old toddling around with parts to my food processor, and someone they fly out of my brain into oblivion.  

2) yeah, number 1 would be great, because earlier today when i thought about doing this idea for a post i had 5 great things that i wanted to write about, and now i sit here struggling for any... i really think one was about soup.

3) yesterday i was trying to evict a spider from my back room and as it got trapped behind my wash machine and i was spraying with cleaner... i had to wonder if they all natural 7th generation cleanser would actually be any way effectual on the spider.

4) maybe i should spend more time coming with post ideas and then spend equally amount of time coming up with what i will write in my posts.... hmmmm....

5) i will not be deterred- i will take better notes, i will remember more things that i think are interesting to share.