Weekend Hedgehog--I Mean, Hodge Podge

Once again, a veritable smorgasbord for your enjoyment:

1. This week I have learned a couple things not to do when you are 8 months pregnant.
--Don't drink a whole bottled water before a 30 minute car drive. Oh my Lordy lord. There's only so much room down there, and your bladder definitely doesn't get priority, if you know what I'm sayin'.

-- This is not the best time to go shopping for new boots. Cause as I remembered too late, it requires a lot of bending over, pulling on, and zipping up.
Holy faux leather! I seemed to have forgotten that I have, like, a medicine ball protruding from my middle. But I was too stubborn to give up, and ended up a disheveled, sore, slightly sweaty mess at the end of it all. With no boots! (Shakes fist at the heavens.) I did discover, though, that trying on shoes is a good way to bring on contractions, so I'll file that away for later!

2. We've used a sticker chart for Ava a couple times in the past for various reasons--as an incentive to do certain things, to reward positive behavior, etc. As a short term thing to "jump start" a new initiative, it works really well for her. Tonight, I overheard her say to Nate, "Now Nate, if you are good every day for the next 7 days, you will get a sticker. And then, I'll get you something." "O-hay," Nate said obediently, "I be good."

I walked over, and she'd made him a chart, with 7 boxes marked off and a sticker in the first box. "Wow, Ava," I said, inspecting the chart. "And what will you 'get' him if he gets all the stickers?" She looked around the room. "Ummm, I'll get him this", she said picking up a teddy bear lying on the floor. "Babe," I said, "that's already his. You can't reward him with something that already belongs to him." The picture of generosity--that's my girl! (Later, when he did something to frustrate her, I heard her say in a very motherly voice, "Well, I guess I'll have to take your sticker off." I figured at that point I should step in, but I was tempted to see if she'd get better results than I have!)

3. I luurve my mama.


(Dave, you were there in spirit.)

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! You are the man. Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean. If I can be half the mother you are, and raise children even half as awesome as we are (hee hee), I'll be stoked. Thanks for all those years of love and sacrifice and stuff. And can you bring that stuff from Old Navy when you come? Kthxbai!

4. Happy Birthday, Dad!
You are also the man--but I don't mean that in a white supremacist "The Man" kind of way. You know that, right? And don't worry, 60 isn't really THAT old. And with your advanced age, once we take away your driving privileges, I think you can get bus tickets for really cheap now!! So that's awesome.

(I wanted to include a pic, but you are growing more elusive and wily in your dotage. I'll see what I can find!)

Okay, now I need to go put the finishing touches on my Mother's Day sermon. Yes, I'm working on Mother's Day. Cause that's the kind of girl I am. Have a great weekend, y'all!!