No, that's what I meant to cook

I told Sharks that we were having steak for dinner tonight.

He said, You mean, like a mis-steak?

Giveaway Winner!

Okay, folks, the winner is:

Mandy!

Email me your chocolate preference and I'll pop it in the mail for you!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

In Prayer

Remember when I posted this little ditty about Anderson Cooper? Well, on a more serious note, he is reporting from Haiti right now and yesterday, during some looting, was able to help a boy who was seriously injured.

Here's the article from his blog. (The pictures are quite graphic, so be warned. I mostly had to scroll through them really fast.)

Chet and I were just talking this morning about what we would do if we had been in Haiti during the earthquake, whether we would try to come home or whether we'd try to stay and help. I can't imagine choosing to go there in the aftermath, knowing how terribly dangerous and precarious life is at the moment.

Not what I was expecting

So something different happened at my doc appointment this week and it was weeeeird.

I stepped on the scale and found out that I have gained only 2 pounds in the last 6 weeks. Well, howdy-doody, whaddya know?!

This is after 2 months of 10 lbs each, so I was stunned. Especially because I haven't really been following my doctor's orders to cut out desserts completely. Chet was frustrated because I kept saying I wouldn't eat desserts all Christmas break when in reality I had dessert every single night.

All that to say, I have no idea how I didn't gain much. Is it possible for your body to just reach a weight gain limit?

Then, the doc said I was measuring small. Also weird since I tend to have average-to-large sized babies (Sharks was 8#10 oz and Deeds was 8#8 oz).

So today I had an ultrasound to measure the little guy and everything was just fine. Apparently he is about 4#13 oz. Though I am skeptical about how much they can really predict that.

It seems that I was measuring "small" because the baby is actually transverse at the moment. It is bizarre since I can feel and see his head pushing out from my belly.

Kinda like this, except that his spine is at the top. At this point, we are hopeful that the baby will flip on his own. Eight more weeks to go, so that should be enough time.

Those of you who have had breech babies, what did you do to get them to flip?

Say What?

Today my mom came over to watch the boys while I had my doctor's appointment (more on that later.)

First thing Sharks says when she walked in the door:

"Mimo, you look silly."

She asked why she looked silly.

"Because your hair is on backwards."

It was the first time he had seen her hair in a ponytail. So that means I must have my hair on backwards every.single.day.

I laughed so hard I almost wet my pants. (Not that it takes much to get that to happen these days.)

Giveaway Time!

Ok, so awhile back I promised that each time we got sick this winter I would have a giveaway. Well, since then, we haven't been sick at all - a great blessing for us. And a bummer for you since less sickness=less amazing hutchinlove giveaways.

Yesterday I did get a sore throat though, and since it's lingered into today, it counts as getting sick.

So you have a chance to win some more chocolate.

This time, up for grabs is Vosges chocolate. I have tried the Red Fire Exotic Candy bar (or maybe it was the Oaxaca Exotic Candy bar...all I remember is that it had a nice spicy kick to it) but I haven't tried any of the others.

I am really curious about the Chocolate Bacon Bar. I like chocolate and I like bacon so it seems like a genius idea to combine them. But maybe that's just my opinion.

If you win, you pick your chocolate.

To enter just tell me one of your favorite food combos, even if it's a little unusual. (I happen to like chicken fingers with vanilla ice cream. And that's just when I'm regular me, not even pregnant.)

Squeaky Clean

Meet my new shampoo and conditioner.

I've been using this combo for about a week now and it's working quite well, thankyouverymuch.

Here's the recipe:

1 TBS baking soda in 1 c. water

1 TBS apple cider vinegar in 1 c. water

I have two little spray bottles that I mix this stuff up in and keep in the shower. First I spray on the baking soda mixture and scrub it around and rinse it off. (It does feel very clean even though it takes awhile to get used to scrubbing without bubbles.) Then I do the same with the vinegar spray. (I use about a third of the bottles each time I wash my hair, so they last me about a week.)

From what I've read, because the baking soda is an alkali, it is great for cleaning and removing dirt. The apple cider vinegar then helps balance the pH and closes the cuticles of your hair which results in shinier, smoother hair.

I have been washing my hair every other day, but it's been a little drier than I'd like. So I think I am going to try washing it every three days to see if that helps. Or maybe I'll only do the baking soda part every other wash.

Other than a slight vinegar smell until my hair dries, there's nothing drastically different between the results from regular shampoo and the baking soda/vinegar method. And it's so cheap (and I had the ingredients in their pantry already) I figured it was worth a shot.

Bathroom

I'm just going to be honest here. I pee a lot these days. And I have been known to use more than my fair share of toilet paper.

So I'm doing an experiment.

We usually buy the cheapest kind of TP available. I am convinced that you simply have to use more when it is the cheap scratchy kind, which means that one day you have like 6 rolls of TP under the sink, and the next day you are resorting to baby wipes because you ran out. (Not that that has ever happened here.)

Seriously though, I think we went through at least one whole roll the other day. (Some of that may be due to Deedo's affinity for tearing off toilet paper and flushing the toilet.)

Anyway. My thought was that with the nicer types of TP, perhaps I would use less, and would therefore not run the risk of running out. Plus it is just so much softer.

What is your opinion on the whole toilet paper matter?

Also, check out this website, runpee.com. It lists all the current theater movies and tells you the best time to pee without missing anything. On the website it says that all of their "Pee Times" are user generated, you know, wiki-pee-dia. Ha. Get it?

31 weeks

I know what you're thinking. I should have accessorized a little better. Got the headband, got the sweater, but beyond that and I'm lost.

Sharks to the rescue. Every pregnant belly needs a strainer. Should have thought of that myself.

Christmas morning

I love this picture of the lads all dressed in plaid. Except Sharks, who dressed himself.

And my wonderful husband. He took that shirt with us to Georgia for the sole purpose of wearing it for one last Christmas before throwing it out. He's had it as long as I've known him and it seems so very Chet-ish, so I decided that I wanted it and it came back home with us. Merry Christmas to me.

Time is a concept I do not yet understand

This morning we did a bunch of activities, like blanket time, vehicle time, and puzzle time. (Apparently if you add "time" to whatever you are doing, it becomes an activity. Gotta get Sharks started on "fold that laundry time" or "pick up toys time" or "please make mommy a cup of tea time.")

My goal was to keep Deedo awake and not fussing because the time has come to break him of two naps. Unfortunately.

Well, it all seemed to go quite well and the morning flew by. I planned to go grocery shopping as soon as the boys ate lunch. And since they had to be hungry after all that activity-ing, I got their lunches made and plopped them in their seats at the table.

Then I headed to the kitchen for a cookbook and happened to glance at the clock. It said 10:26. As in still very much mid-morning. Not noon. So much for the morning flying by.

Back in the swing of things

Chet started classes again today. Nice to be back in a routine, but having him gone was a bummer. And we jumped right back in big time since he had class until 9:30. Talk about a LONG day. For the whole family.

After dinner I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make it til bedtime what with all the fussing and fighting. At least I knew I wouldn't be able to make it with a good attitude until bedtime. Then I remembered this post a friend of mine wrote, so I asked the Lord for the strength to make it because it was apparent that I couldn't do it on my own. And He provided just what I needed.

Peace even though I was tired. Knowledge that I could enjoy my children simply by sitting and chatting with them while they played. Inspiration to get out the kids' new "activities" (that's what Sharks calls them.) Basically it's different stuff I've collected for them to sort and lace and organize, all contained within a tray or basket. They sit in their seats at the table so they are secure, separated, yet still together. Just the thing.

I got a bunch of the ideas from this website, Tot School. It's been helpful, and I figure I will have a bunch of tots around here for the next few years, so what the hey. Better get a move on.

I am curious about what sorts of activities you other stay-at-home moms do with your kids that are calm but purposeful? Like play-doh, blocks, etc. Or what sort of set up have you instituted so that you can work with one kid at a time on different things?

We are sooooo not ready for real school, but like my dad always says, "Every day's a school day."

The Great Indoors

Other than the nothing much happening here, there is the snow that is causing the nothing much. Going out is much more work than staying in, so guess what? We're staying in (mostly.) We did get the boys all bundled up yesterday to play in the snow (which took a loooonnng time) for them to play in the snow for a whopping 10 minutes. But it's all about the experience, right? (I do have some pictures...will post them later.)

Though today, after a week of staying in the house, I finally ventured out with the kids to run errands. At the first store we went to (the Container Store - my first time there and it was amazing! though why I am in love with organizational tools is beyond me since I can't manage to stay organized for the life of me...actually that's probably why; I think things will help me when it's really my brain that needs the help) there was a family with 2 kids who were, shall we say, tantrum-ing, and to my shame I had the thought, "I am so glad my kids aren't doing that."

Well, by the time we got to REI and I was in mid-question, asking an employee for some help finding socks, Sharks had pushed Deedo onto the floor. So I had to say, thank you for your willingness to help me, but could you please excuse me while I deal with my children.

The guy was nice and stepped aside while I picked up Deeds, and got Sharks to sit on the bottom of the shelf nearest us. Then I tried again to ask my question, but Deedo was mad that I had picked him up and he started flailing his arms around and yelling "Down!" I think I had to stop the guy two more times in mid sentence to correct Deedo. It was not fun.

Perhaps this is what they call humble pie?

Staying in doesn't sound so bad after all.

Maybe we'll just name him Winston

Maybe we'll just name him Winston.

Maybe. Or not. Whatever the case, we are seriously struggling with names for our latest little dude over here. We each have names we like; they are just very different names.

Sharks said yesterday that he wanted to call the new baby "Stinky" because it sounds beautiful.

(Stinky happens to be his most favoritest word at the moment. Sharks kept saying, "Hey Stinky," to his cousin who he hasn't seen in a year, to which his cousin replied, "No, I'm Ethan." To which Sharks insisted, "Stinky." Repeat this scenario about a 37 times per day, and that is how these 3-year old cousins interacted.

Sometimes, Sharks will even say, "Mommy, when I say 'stinky', you say 'bookshelf,' ok?" Insert any other inanimate object and repeat 153 times, and that is how we spent our 10-hour drive home from Georgia.)

I digress.

So, anyway. Chet heard this interview with historian Paul Johnson about his new biography of Winston Churchill. Johnson recounted the time when he was 16 years old that he met Churchill and asked, "Mr. Winston Churchill, sir, to what do you attribute your success in life?"

Churchill responded, "Conservation of energy. Never stand up when you can sit down. And never sit down when you can lie down."

I always knew I liked that Churchill fellow. My mother-in-law even tells me that he wrote his speeches in the bathtub and had a board he could rest across the tub in case he needed to read or write on it.

Now that is what I call genius. Though I've gotta be honest. Even though it's comforting to hear that someone famous likes his rest, I've been, shall we say, conserving energy all my life and I have yet to be Prime Minister.