Busy weekend

Beautiful spring weather - did a bit of mild gardening. I'm annoyed at being preggers this time of year. I can't fiddle around in the dirt like I usually do. My stomach muscles just can't take the strain. I kept having to rest my round ligaments. So I did lots of laundry. Folding doesn't strain anything, except my patience.

Dinner out with friends, and their kids on Saturday. Dinner with smaller group Sunday, when our friend cooked, and shared her priest with us. Interesting company, and wonderful food. Nice way to swing into a work week. Quite a weekend. I'm exhausted.

We spent a lot of this weekend discussing the upcoming vacation. I feel like we haven't even started to prepare, and it's coming so soon...

The Joys of Chalk (or how much I suck at drawing)

Monkee realized tonight that her easel not only offers wipe-off markering and painting options, but it ALSO has a chalkboard side. Quite the revelation.

And yes, the sad, monstrous pig and leaning barn are mine. Sorry the pictures are not closer, but take my word for it, her happy sun, bunny and "Farmer Jed" are rockin' (see Jed to the left of the barn)!

Then she asked for a castle. Oh dear.

But she liked it enough to add a baby dragon and the princess (see window, left tower). She also requested a "momma dragon" - so I drew the part I could get by with - the head. And yes, those are supposed to be flames. My one saving grace - we were using sidewalk chalk, people. And that stuff is huge!

Visitors and Stagnant Pool Tables

This weekend we spent a long, lovely brunch with my cousin, currently of Texas, and his girlfriend. My cousin Dan and I basically grew up together - as the youngest of my siblings and I, he was the "little brother" that drove my brother crazy and was usually just around at events and family gatherings. He pops up enough in family snapshots to make you think we were "four" versus "three." We always loved having him around. Raised by my aunt, pretty much on her own, with a dad who has a lot to be desired (by me anyway, but my dad is fabulous, so I'm biased) he's turned out to be just a really great, down-to-earth person. I just love seeing him.

It was the first time we met the girlfriend, and she's so interesting! Well-traveled, bilingual, obviously smart and very sweet. Although from very different backgrounds, she and Cousin Dan seem (from the measly 3 hours we spent with them) to make a great couple.

Daniel - I wish we saw you more often. You're both welcome at our place anytime.

We also sold the pool table that has been lying stagnant in our basement for several years. We bought it pre-kid, and played it quite a bit in the beginning. Then it just became an island for the gear we didn't want to get wet during the monsoon season. (We used to have a minorly flooded basement every spring, but we fixed that problem - i hope). The table went to a good home, with two boys excited to have it. And now I have a lovely, big empty space in the middle of the basement, surely a catalyst to getting the place cleaned up.

I think my "nesting" is beginning in this pregnancy. I have begun organizing and cleaning up several spaces in the house. All with the goal in mind of having it done before September. It just feels so good to recycle and give away stuff we just don't need. I feel like I can breathe easier after a room (or closet, or drawer, or box, or random basket) has been purged of its uselessness.

Wish me luck. We have a lot of crap to go through.

Monkee Manufacturing

I can't think of a better excuse for not writing for a month (!), than the above title.

I've been VERY busy. Busy creating another monkee - internal organs, facial features, limbs, brain functions, fingerprints, and everything that goes along with being a tiny human. I'm 15 weeks along - due date Sept. 30.

And I have been sick as a dog. Not just a little sick, but puking every morning sick and "oh-my-god-i'm-in-a-client-meeting-and-just-might-hurl" sick. The last two weeks have been better, with much less nausea. Some days are bad (felt uggy and headache all day yesterday). And some days are better. This morning started off rough - saw a cat puke (lovely way to start a Monday morning) and there was a chain reaction. *sigh*

SO - enough about that. I've been going to bed right after Monkee, so my blogging time has gone the way of the Dodo. I'm attempting to write during my lunch hour. We'll see how it progresses.

Suffice it to say we are very excited about baby 2. Monkee is thrilled. She hugs the baby, talks to the baby, tells us what a good big sister she'll be and swears it's a girl. We were concerned about telling her so early, but since I've been a little "delicate" lately, we needed to tell her something. She's been my little rock star.

Chee has been wonderful. I've heard about husbands who don't give their wives any slack when they're pregnant and don't even attempt to understand the things we go through. Not my Chee - he's my goofy knight in shining hiking boots. And I loves him.

For those aunts readying this...I'll try to post the sonogram when we get it.
Cheers!