Summer

The popsicle plan backfired.  But surprisingly, not in the way I thought it would.  I figured once the kids got a taste of the free sugar, they'd be asking for popsicles every day.  Of course, I was prepared for this; I bought a giant thing of popsicles!

Instead, I now have lots of friends.  Lots of friends who are 10 years old or younger.  They come over to my house every night when I get home, not to ask for a treat, but to hang out.  They tell me all about their day (which usually involves riding bikes, swimming, and whatever cool dead thing they found).  Then they check up on me and the baby, play with Moo for awhile, and then leave.

I know, you're thinking it doesn't sound so bad.  And it wasn't at first.  I was honestly a little honored that these kids thought I was "cool" enough to talk to.  But soon one visit a night was two, and then three, and then more.

I attempt to ignore them when they ring the doorbell, but then they start knocking on the door.  And the dog goes nuts.  And if I continue to ignore them, they start ringing the doorbell again.  Then knocking.  I timed it once, they were out there for five minutes!  Once they even opened my door and started to come in to the house (they got an earful for that one).

Monday I'd had enough, and went down and explained to the kids that if I didn't answer after they rang the doorbell once, I wasn't going to, and they had to stop.  Their little faces looked so sad.  So I gave them popsicles.

34 week appointment

I just got back from my 34 week appointment.  Things are looking great, and the doctor said my pregnancy is progressing nicely.  Which is always good to hear!

I had to go in again two hours after I ate lunch to have my blood sugars tested, but they came out fine.  The doctor said this means I don't have gestational diabetes (which I thought we'd already determined) but he wants me to keep eating healthy.  Which is pretty much a no brainer.  I think my body is loving the fact that I'm giving it better fuel to burn.  I hope to continue the trend long after the baby is born!

Blood pressure is fine, although I was a bit freaked out over the number: 142/62.  The doctor told me it's the number on the bottom that concerns him the most, and since I was coming into their office in the middle of a stressful work day, he wasn't concerned about my numbers.

I'm still measuring a week ahead, but the doctor isn't concerned about that either.  And he's equally not concerned by the fact that I now weigh 2 pounds less then when I conceived.  So either everything is going great, or my doctor takes to much x.anax. 

Things that made me smile this week

• Minute Maid Light Lemonade.  Soo good, and refreshing with the heat.  And also a great treat at the end of a long day!
• My fur baby Moo.  He follows me everywhere lately, even on all of my bathroom trips, although he gets locked out.  He's started sticking his paw under the door when I'm in there.  Makes me smile every time!
• My Nook.  I love being able to carry 20+ books around with me wherever I go.  
• My Zune.  Without music I'm pretty sure I'd turn into a grumpy, mean spirited person.
• Anything related to Anna.  But that's a given.
• Being told by a lady at work and another one at my pharmacy that I look amazing.  Totally made my week, because I'll be honest here, I don't feel like I look amazing.  I feel fine physically, but I don't know how well that translates to what everyone else sees.  
• Cold baths.  Absolute heaven!  By the end of the day I feel overheated and swollen, and a nice cold bath makes me feel so much better!  Plus as I'm laying there reading my Nook, I can look over at the door and see paws sticking under the door.  Who wouldn't smile seeing that?
• Watermelon anything.  Fresh watermelon, watermelon sorbet, watermelon bubble gum.  Yummy!  And the price on the fresh watermelon is going down, which is really helping my budget as I've been eating it non-stop since January.

What's made you smile this week?

My Third Summer as a Popsicle Pusher

So begins another summer.  Last week I went to the store and bought a giant box of otter pops, and I know it isn't the last box I'll buy this summer.  What started out as a great way to get a certain little boy to leave my house, has morphed into a summer tradition.  And the kids all know it.  I am, for better or worse, The Popsicle Lady.

This year, the popsicles came with rules.  First rule is that they can't come up and bug me incesantly about getting a popsicle.  I'm hoping that the kids respect this rule, but I'm not certain they will.  The second rule is that I will no longer hand out popsicles to any of the kids if I find any of my flowers picked.  I'm hoping the lure of the popsicle mixed with kid peer pressure will save my blossoms.

Back story on the flowers:  I've been getting home from work each night to find my flowers picked and then abandoned in my driveway to wither and die.  It's one thing if you are picking my flowers to take home to your mom, but to pick them and just let them die?  Anger.

Anywho, there are two new little kids in our circle that moved in over the winter.  They didn't know about the popsicles, and we so excited to get them.  So excited in fact, that they took out my trash cans and helped me weed the front yard.

All this time I've been going about it the wrong way.  I was using the popsicles as a way to get the kids to leave, when I could have been using them to get yardwork done!  What have I been thinking?