According to Olivia . . .

Olivia and I had to go upstairs to change our clothes after a little juice spill today. She asked me if I was going to wear shorts and a short sleeve shirt just like her so we can be matching. I told her that my shorts don't fit anymore because my tummy is getting SO BIG. Olivia looked at me with her wide eyes and said "Mommy, you're going to have to start wearing daddy's clothes!

This is my Monday so far... How's yours?

Last night the church celebrated Pastor's 20th anniversary with an all-you-can-eat cookie buffet afterglow. Is there such thing as a cookie hangover? If there is, we all have one today.

5:30 am. . . AJ is up and asking for spaghetti.

5:45 am. . . Olivia comes downstairs and scowls at both of us.

5:50 am. . . First fight of the day over who has a better seat on mommy's lap while watching Little Einsteins.

6:00-7:00 am. . . Mommy cannot leave anyone's sight to do ANYTHING lest a complete meltdown take place.

7:00 am. . . Olivia eats some cereal. AJ is still asking for spaghetti.

7:30 am. . . Olivia and daddy head out the door for church/school.

7:35 am. . . Mommy makes spaghetti for AJ

8:00-11:00 am. . . blurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (though somehow the dishes got done and all the laundry put away and my room dusted and all the toys in the living room picked up... is there such a thing as "auto-mom"?)

11:00 am. . . Olivia and daddy home for lunch. Olivia reports that she did not get a Skittle in school today.

MMMMM!!!! Spaghetti for breakfast! Some battles aren't worth fighting.

Sugared Pecans

• 1 egg white
• 1 Tbs water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz pecan halves
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 325


2. Put sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a plastic bag. Shake to mix


3. Beat egg, water, and vanilla in a bowl until foamy.


4. Add pecans and coat well.


5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pecans to cinnamon mixture. Seal the bag and shake until well coated.


6. Bake on a baking sheet lined with crumpled, well greased aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Stir pecans halfway through baking.


7. Let cool completely before serving!

If you love the chewey pecan crust on a pecan pie, you'll love these!

The Polls are Open!

The "Middle Name for Little Clara" poll went up a few days ago, so be sure to cast your vote! We like to consider the meaning behind the name as we sift through all the possibilities. Also, the first name needs to sound good in both Spanish and English. AJ was the exception to that rule as his name is literally pronounced "Ah- Hota" in Spanish. Oops. Anyways, back to Clara which means "Bright, Clear". That is settled, but her middle name is still up in the air. Olivia's middle name is Faith, so we are thinking Joy or Grace to keep with the fruit of the spirit theme. Evangelina means "bearer of good news". The name Clara Evangelina actually flows a little better in Spanish than it does in English, but I really like the meaning. Our desire for all our children is that they live lives worthy of the Gospel; to have a clear, bright testimony that shines such Good News before our world. So there's the rest of the story... gotta go check on my pound cake!

While I Was Out. . .

Alex took today off, and one of our church members, Abelardo, wanted to come over and make a shrimp cocktail (a tomato based chilled soup with all sorts of stuff floating in it). They actually went down to a local island to pick up the fresh seafood.

I thought that they were just going to make the shrimp cocktail, but when I came home from my OB appointment this pitiful guy was sitting on our kitchen table.

Sure, I could have complained that there aren't enough Yankee Candles in Charleston to cover up the smells that now permeated every inch of our home, but they were so proud to be eating something that still looked mad about being caught and cooked... so I held my peace...and since my wonderful husband already told Abelardo that the Mrs. won't be eating the seafood (especially shrimp), today was a good day to opt for a $5 Hot-N-Ready.

Pregnancy Notes: I feel like I've been pregnant FOREEEEVER. Did you ever have a pregnancy where you felt more impatient (about being pregnant =) than others? Uggh. As I sat in the waiting room, I looked at the "really" pregnant ones around me and felt a slight pang of jealousy. Sooo ridiculous. Probably not as ridiculous as daydreaming about about the OB entering the office with my chart and telling me she has been wrong this whole time... that I'm really due in October, not January. No such luck. Maybe it's because I've passed the 20 week ultrasound mark (a landmark I always look forward to), I'm still on monthly appointments, and the nearest thing I have to look forward to is the glucose test. Yuck. I've also had to completely transition to maternity clothes. (Stephanie... I saw those eyes roll!!) In the past, I needed a few maternity shirts and at least one trusty dress/jumper for the last month or so. Those days are long gone. This is baby #3.

=

Speaking of baby #3... someone recently asked me if I had a theme for this baby. . . You know, ducks, lambs, polka-dots, transportation, daisies, the seven wonders of the world...I had to laugh. Having a theme for baby #3 never really crossed my mind. Olivia had a theme. AJ had a theme. I guess that somewhere in my thinking I figured that Clara was going to have what Olivia had-- and for the most part she will. However, I've been thinking about this. I do have a practical side, but I also want to keep some hand-me-downs reserved especially for Olivia, spruce up some that she can pass along, and have a few new things that are unique to Clara. When they go their separate ways and start their own families, I want to be able to pass things along to the girls without one or the other thinking "mom, uhhh, where's my stuff??!"

Rain Rain, Go Away

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hanna is now behind us. Whew! I really agonized over this one. Seriously. Earlier in the week, some weather forecaster somewhere had the mentioned the word "Hugo" (a very big hurricane that devastated the low country), and that's when my stomach began to churn. I can go without power for a day or two, but I'm not survivor woman! We thank the Lord for delivering our area from any serious weather on the night she was supposed to hit. The power never even went out! Even better, the next day was so beautiful you would have never known we were all gearing up for a hurricane just a few days earlier, so we went downtown to Waterfront Park to let the kids play in the fountain and "see the water".

A RARE moment at the park... AJ and Olivia holding hands! (He doesn't let her get a hold of him too often-- and I don't blame him!)

My Little Teacher

Olivia is really into the whole school thing right now. Yesterday, she told me that she was going to tell me a Bible Story....

[Mommy is sitting attentively and listening to this entire monologue]

Olivia: Today I am going to tell you a Bible Story

You don't talk. I talk. If you talk you won't get a skittle.

Stand up. Now we're going to sing head and shoulders knees and toes. [Begin singing]

Sit down. Now don't talk. I'm going to tell you a Bible story. You don't talk.

My name is Mrs. Z... [name of her teacher]. Don't talk. Stand up. Now sit down.

Today I'm going to tell you a story about God is Not Happy with the Little Child.

[Hmmmmm....]

I can't wait to hear tomorrow's story!!