13 Weeks

This pregnancy is an eternity for the children! Mark keeps teasing that he is going to take the baby out. Ellie is determined to name a girl Clarice after Rudolph's girlfriend and Dayton is dead set on naming a boy Rudolph. Needless to say they will be disappointed!

What's important to know this week is that the baby can smile! The baby weighs around an ounce and is 3 inches little! This is officially the Second Trimester and still sooner than I knew I was pregnito with D&E!

On the B Side: I am grateful for smiles. They are such a simple gesture of kindness; an expression that seeks nothing in return and can fill hearts with comfort.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

The children have done a wonderful job trying to understand the importance of this day. As I was searching for information to share with them I found a myriad of amazing quotes to honor this great man that I would like to share. I am going to post a few along with a powerful tribute that was put to the music of U2's 'Pride'.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

"The time is always right to do what is right"

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

and last but not least...this was a big one for the kids;

"The strong man is the man who can stand up for his rights and not hit back."



On the B Side: I am grateful for martin Luther King and the life time of principles that he not only taught but that he lived. Equality, justice, freedom, peace and kindness stand out in my mind as the things he desired most for all man kind. May we each learn what we can from this man and the many good people in our world who have much to give.

Just a Spoonful of Vinegar!

It has recently come to my attention that vinegar has many common uses. Here are a few of the practical ideas that have been shared with me and one caveat!

-I am the queen of leaving wash in the washer for extended periods of time. I could give a thousand excuses but the point is that Clancy the Pants enlightened me. When your wash is icky you run it through with a cup of vinegar and the VOILA the stink is gone.

-I get 'fustrated' (in the words of D&E) when shampoo appears to magically stop working. The residue that builds up and leaves hair feeling dirty is maddening. Shellbait has kindly advised that a vinegar rinse on your hair will remove the residue. TA DA!

-White distilled vinegar can be used as a household cleanser. Due to it's level of acidity it's effective for killing most mold, bacteria, and germs. Cleaning with white distilled vinegar is a smart way to avoid using harsh chemicals and it is environmentally friendly and very economical. Wow!

-What we recently discovered and WOULD NOT advise is using vinegar as a means to cease hiccups. Marcy and Jeff were here for dinner and games recently. Marcy suggested a teaspoon of vinegar as a remedy and insisted her family has always successfully used this method. Jeff's last words were, 'I'm not going to throw up, am I?' and before that spoonful could hit his stomach BAM he barfed all over the table! We all scattered and everyone including Jeff broke into belly aching hysterics! Consider yourself forewarned!

What makes this even funnier is that Ellie uses a cup full vinegar at the counsel of her doctor in her bath to resolve skin irritation. It works well for this purpose and Ellie affectionately refers to the vinegar as her 'bum juice'. Now she is telling everyone that Uncle Jeff drank her bum juice and 'frew up'!

On the B Side: I am grateful for those who do not offend easily, for those who have a sense of humor and are able to laugh at difficult situations despite distress. I am also grateful that I wasn't the one with hiccups! ;)

In Ellie's Own Words

"Mom, I'm going to pinch the Holy Ghost!"

She's a funny little girl and is full of personality! She knew she was being silly and was rather pleased with her own wit! She proceeded to pretend to pinch randomly in the air and giggle to herself! Dayton assured her that this was not a good thing!! He's a by the book kind of guy.

On the B Side: I am grateful that she is an independent thinker with her own little thoughts and humor even at the tender age of 4! I am also grateful that she has a big brother to help keep her in line!!! xoxo