To Do:
Vaccume all carpetsX
Mop all wood floorsX
Learn how to cross stuff off this list :p (Ok, I admit I didn't learn this-HELP)
Dust LivingroomX
Kiss and hug my babies once an hourX (except of course while they were asleep)
Make grocery list and go shoppingX
Take videos to the libraryX
get rid of the pile of laundry in the laundry roomX

I deserve a piece of chocolate cake and ice cream for finishing this. :D (and I made said cake for just this occasion!LOL)

Last night, Josh brough home some Muskadine (sp?) wine and some Sangria. He also got me a beautiful card and put a really sweet note inside. Getting that wine open was quite an adventure since we don't own a cork screw. Well, we do, Josh just didn't find it on his Swiss Army knife (Yes, I hear you laughing) until he had already done some rigging that I won't go into since he asked me not to. :P I drank a full goblet of red wine and pretty much collapsed on the couch. I got up when I heard Dawson cry and I dropped my glass. Unfortunatly it was fragile and broke on the carpet from a fall of a foot. I got Dawson to sleep and then put him in the crib because I was so zonked. I figured that the wine would help him sleep a little longer this morning. WRONG! He was awake at 5(freakin):30 and stayed awake until 7:30. We both went backto sleep for about an hour and then he was up for the morning.

I got us all ready and went to my mom and dad's house for the day. We went to Old Navy (Mina, I used the gift certificates on a pair of Kahkis and a red/plaid shirt for Dawson) and then to Dillards for my mom's Clinique fix. (she gets the freebies everytime they offer them. I think she has a mini of every product in the line!) I took Megan to the indoor softplay in the mall and we stayed there for over an hour while mom shopped. We met back up and took M to get her feet measured. Thankfully her shoes still fit. I know she will need new ones soon but I couldn't afford them today. On the way back to their house I got the great idea to make Oatmeal/cranberry cookies. They were delish!

Thank GOD J's check today was 1/2 decent. I was able to write checks for all our utilties, Josh's truck, subtract the life insurance, bank fees and internet service fees and that left enough for groceries and a date this weekend. (Don't tell Josh but I think I'll get my hair cut too~shhhh) :) We still need to pay the rent, vehicle insurance and figure out what we are doing about my vehicle. But, I really think this month is going to turn out pretty well.

1. What was the first thing you ever cooked? Either cookies or a box cake. I used to do a lot of baking when I was a kid.

2. What's your signature dish? The one thing I have been assigned to make from now on when we have a big get together is mashed potatoes. I cook the potatoes and then whip them with a cup of sour cream and 8oz of cream cheese. Then I put them in the oven on 300 with some butter. MMM

3. Ever had a cooking disaster? (tasted like crap, didn't work, etc.) Describe. Yes, one time I made cookies and instead of using flour I used corn meal. (How does an 8 year old know the difference?)

4. If skill and money were no object, what would make for your dream meal? I think it would be filet mignon, twice baked potatoes, and a veggie of some sort. A big decadent chocolate desert. (Maybe hotfudge cake and ice cream...)

5. What are you doing this weekend? I hope that Josh and I will get to spend some time together. Hes worked his butt off for the last week 1/2 and actually made some money so he promised we would go out to dinner. I want mexican. He mentioned his mom keeping Megan, but I think I want to take her along because she doesnt' see him much. We'll probably do that on sunday. Saturday maybe we'll rent a movie and have a pizza.

First of all, if anyone else recieved a farewell email from Jo, would you email me at annamariec@yahoo.com

Dawson's afternoon nap is getting shorter and shorter. Today he started nursing down at 11:30. Megan immediatly nursed to sleep and then I went to the kitchen to fix myself lunch. I didn't even finish lunch before he was awake. It was less than 45 min. I had to put him in the highchair to play while I cleaned up the kitchen from last night and then folded 2 loads of clothes, switched out the laundry and then swept the laundry room floor. (the dog's kennels are in there so it gets pretty gross.) My other related rant is WHY is it so freaking hard to get a sleepy baby to sleep sometimes. Days like yesterday when he is so unbelievably tired but fights sleep tooth and nail really wear me down. Hes not happy sitting, he fights in the sling, he refuses to nurse, he gets angry if I try to play with him. Its miserable. So, I walk, and I pat and I bounch and I do all the things that help him fall asleep normally but he screams and cries and I get angry. There have been times when I had to walk away for a minute because its so stressful and I don't know what to do for him. All the while, Megan is patienty waiting for me to spend time with her and her patience often runs out.

The floors still need to be mopped, but I guess that will have to wait until I get him asleep for his evening nap. I reckon he might be ready soon to give up a nap and I would be all for that happeneing but I can't figure out which one it would be. I would love for him to compile the afternoon one and the evening one together. The morning one is usually his longest for some odd reason and he's asleep for the night by 7:30. Is the afternoon nap always the first to go or is it differnet for all kids?

Hey Sarah, is Maya going through a growth spurt? (for those of you that don't know, Megan and Maya were born 2 days apart) Megan ate SO much today and I didn't even have to say "eat your lunch Megan." Plus she ate healthy snacks that were put out without any reminders of "would you like a bitey?" She ate a whole bean burrito for dinner and then ate some of mine and some rice. She is still nursing a lot, but I'm glad she didn't answer this growth spurt by wanting to nurse MORE. I couldn't handle it.

I made a big ol' crock pot of pinto beans last night for dinner. Here in the south, we mix up cheese, onions, cornbread (and I add ketchup) and its one big meal. Some people like relish on them too. Well, I invited my parents over and still had 1/3 a pot left over even after Josh packed his lunch today. When MIL makes them, they eat pintos til they are gone but I can only eat them one day, no leftovers so I couldn't figure out what to do with them. Then it hit me...refried beans!!! I mashed them and fried them with olive oil and garlic. We had bean burritos with cheese and sour cream and mexi-rice. MMMMM! Of course, Josh's co-workers would rather he not ever eat beans again, but thats another story. :p Since I am trying to use up some stuff in the house and not buy many groceries this week, that REALLY stretched my budget!

Ok, if you are reading my blog could you just say "HI" for me. I was looking at sitemeter and I just wonder who is out there. Also, if you are the one checking in from Lansing Community College, could you raise your hand? :) The only person I know who lives in Lansing is my brother and I don't remember giving him the URL.

Since the title of my blog centers around our bed, I feel obligated to add that as of this week, Megan is going to bed in her own "little bed" and sleeping there until about 2 or 3 when she crawls in bed with us. The toddler bed is in our bedroom too. Dawson starts out in his crib which is right next to my side of the bed, so for the past couple of nights, Josh and I have actually gotten to cuddle in our own bed alone.

Josh got a look at a few blogs today...he wondered what all the hubbub was about. LOL! I told him it was women stuff and he wouldn't understand. :p

I've read all the posts about Jo today. I don't know where my opinion lies. I guess somewhere in the middle of those who dispise her and those who idolize her. I got an email from her eariler today. She said she would be staying away from online alternative communities. I was the only one it was sent to AFAIK. Part of me really likes Jo and thinks that she is trying hard to get past all the ickyness she created and then I see her avoid discussing what happened or wanting to discuss it privatly or something. I told her that she was taking the easy way out and to try and hear what others were saying without feeling defensive. The passive-aggressiveness of the email reminded me of my mom. I just don't have the energy to deal with that. Its been a long day.

When I was discussing Red at Rhonda's blog, it was from my perspective. I wasn't talking for anyone but me. If you were there and saw things differently, go ahead and speak up, tell your feelings from your point of view by all means. A few people told me that they didn't agree with my POV or were told a differnet story by Red. I will let the record show that Red told me herself that she hosed the thread because she was mad that I attributed A LOT of good changes in my life to AMU!(hows that for a freaking exclamation point?LOL!). I said that I was having a homebirth because of it and had quit vaxing my kids, was still bfing Megan, etc... It was all true. If I hadn't found AMU when I did, I wouldn't have changed anything about my life or parenting. I wouldn't have grown or changed as a person. I wouldn't have ended up at RR because I most likely wouldn't have begun an email relationship with Red when I had. She was mad that I didn't say all the great things that she had done for me, but since the thread wasn't about her, shes right, I didn't go there. She was the one that took a thread about blogs and turned it into a thread about AMU. It doesn't matter anymore, to me anyway. But, since I talked a little about it earlier, I thought I should explain a little better.