when I was 14

this was a draft that I am just getting around to finishing now...you'll have to excuse my absence...I've been growing a baby and being lazy.  

I'm co-directing a summer program for 105 incoming 9th graders, which I think I've mentioned before.  I'm not really sure that this is the best job for me this summer because I'm hugely pregnant and this program is causing me a lot of stress...but I guess I didn't really have a choice.

Anyway...everyday I come home and think "what the fuck are these kids thinking??"  (sorry mom, this warrants the f-word).  Was I anything like this when I was 14?

Here are some examples of some what-the-fuck-ness that has gone down:
A question texted to me:
"So, what are couples actually allowed to do in Level 9?" (meaning to each other)

A question asked to my face:
"Can girls and boys share a room when we stay at the hotel in Idaho?"

A conversation with me:
Student:
"I know I wasn't supposed to soak anyone with water because I'll get a strike, but while you weren't looking I totally soaked 2 other students...honesty is the best policy, right?"
Me:
"Thanks for being honest, that's your first strike."
Student:
"What, really??"

Situation:
A Metro bus driver had to pull over, get up and yell at our students for their behavior on public transportation.  Then she called Metro Police.

A conversation with me:
Refer to older blog post here.

A question asked to me:
Student:
"How was your birth?"
Me:
"I don't remember it, it was 31 years ago."
Student:
(confused)

Two ongoing battles:
1. Marker fights where the only objective is to mark the other person's face.
2. Water fights where the only objective is for YOU to get soaked by someone else. not to soak someone else.

When I was 14 I was riding the beach bus in the summer with Marjorie to Narragansett Beach to eat ice cream and lay out...and watch all the surfers.  I was probably giving my parents a hard time about my curfew and having boys over late at night, but I was not doing anything bad.  I feel like the students I worked with this summer are just so different from the 14 year old me and you.  I know I swear a lot now, but I NEVER swore in front of or AT adults.  I was not having sex with boys when I was 14.  And had I decided to have sex that early...I would NEVER have talked about it so openly with my friends, enemies, random adults or anyone who would listen.  I was not wearing booty shorts and showing off my boobs.  Wait, I'm pretty sure I barely had boobs at 14. Geez!

As someone who is about to bring a baby boy into this world...I'm petrified about what kids will be doing when he is 14!!!

ants vs beals

Is anyone else having ant troubles?  We are generally pretty clean people (although at times it looks like we've been robbed, but that is RARE people) so I'm shocked that we have ants in our home.  I hate them...they are tiny and pretty non-threatening, but when they are marching in their creepy straight line and there is no actual entry point which I can see...I have to think they are teeny-tiny, miniature aliens who have outsmarted the human race.  Have you ever really seen what an ant looks like?

Ant traps.  They suck.

Ant spray.  Stinks and it sucks.

Obsessive vacuuming.  Hard on the back when you're prego.

Toxic household cleaner.  Toxic and wasteful...I'd rather use my 409 to clean the sink, not drown ants.

Professionals.  Overpaid and clearly not useful.

What the hell are we supposed to do?  The Husband found some ant hills in front of our front yard...so pretty far from the house if you were an ant.  He poured gasoline down each hole and lit it on fire while our 4 year old neighbor cheered him on.  Did they come back?  Yes, and they were probably pretty pissed.  Holy shit, one just crawled across my laptop screen.  Gross!

How can one possible keep out the smallest aliens on the planet?  We can't seal every possible hole that might exist around our 104 year old house...that is crazy.  We can't be the only ones with this problem, right? 

People...I'm begging you...give me ant solutions!!! 

ants 1: beals 0

why can't I post a comment, Brooke?

I've gotten word that some people have tried to comment, but are unable.  Suspicious.  Here is what I found online.

"If those who cannot comment are using Firefox, they have to enable third party cookies in order to comment on some formats--and apparently this (blogspot) is one of them."

So...enable those third party cookies.

Soon enough I will have a blog post about our new garage door and I'll even include photos!!  It is being installed tomorrow morning...so exciting.  The Husband is making this house secure and homey for baby boy Beals; what a guy!

wtf

So, today in my program I was visiting some of the classes to see how things were going.  A student raised his hand for me to come over...and I was pleasantly surprised!  This is how the conversation went:

Student #1: "Hi Brooke."

Me: "Hey...what's up?" (no, I don't know his name...shame on me...I only know like 20 students names)

Student #1: "Is that a burn on your face?"

Me: "Um, no...it's this terrible thing called Melasma and sometimes women who are pregnant get it."

Student #1: (to his friend next to him) "SEE...told you she wasn't burned."

Student #2: "I didn't know, it looks like she was burned to me."

Student #1: "I told him that happens to pregnant ladies' faces."

Me: "OK, well, glad we cleared that one up...now I really hope it goes away after this baby is born."

Student #2: "Yeah, me too...I mean, for your sake."

AWESOME!!!!!  As if I'm not self-conscious enough about it.  Want to see it?  OK, here is an actual picture and my interpretation of how I really look.

real picture of Melasma

fake picture of Melasma

This shit better go away.  I'm not against a really intense chemical peel, so if you have suggestions...clearly I'm open to hearing them!

poop-a-looped

So much for blogging everyday...I'll be lucky to have the energy to blog once a week.

Today was day 5 of my summer program and I'm totally wiped out.

Good news: we have 110 students.

Bad news: we have 110 students.

Good news: I get to teach the baking class (so far we made human puppy chow and chocolate chip cookies).

Bad news: we don't have a space on the campus big enough to accommodate the entire group.

Good news: for the most part, our team is rock solid.

Bad news: teachers expect a lunch break away from students.

Good news: my boss has stopped by twice and thinks it's going really well.

Bad news: we probably have to be at this location next year, too.

Good news: I get to leave a tad earlier on the days I teach baking.

Bad news: I have to drive the YMCA mini bus (the short bus) on the days I teach baking.

Good news: I am getting a lot of exercise.

Bad news: by the end of the day I could swear my legs and feet are going to explode.

Good news: I get to miss one day so I can go see Brandi Carlile in Bellingham as our "babymoon".

Bad news: I only get to miss one day.

Good news: I think this proves I'm working in the right field.

Bad news: I'm not learning enough of the students' names.

Good news: because I'm 8 months pregnant, I don't have to go on the 3 day trip.

Bad news: although exhausting, that trip is fun!

Good news: the campus is smaller than last year.

Bad news: the food BLOWS.

OK, I think I'm done with this game.

Now I'm off to hang out with my bestest friend, who is in town visiting.  = )

restless leg syndrome

I'm pretty sure I have RLS and not just because I'm nearly 32 weeks pregnant.  Last night my legs were going into crazy spasm mode all on their own.  I wanted to chop them off.  Then I realized that I have a weird thing about body stumps so that probably wouldn't be a good idea.  It's not a full-on phobia of body stumps, but I get a little freaked out by them.  That scene in Scary Movie didn't help this freaked-outness either.  I know, it's not a stump, but it's equally as freaky. 

The only real phobia I have is of little people and I'm not even sure that is a real phobia as it doesn't have a phobia name.  I'm not exactly sure why I have this fear or even when it began, but it is pretty legit.  I can see them on TV or in a movie and I'm OK, but the second I am physically near a little person I start to have a panic attack.  This is like the meanest, worst phobia to have...but I can't help it.  I remember going to a dance in middle school (Archie R. Cole Middle School to be exact, although I could've sworn it was a junior high when I was there) and anxiously awaiting Stairway to Heaven so I could finally kiss my boyfriend...Stairway to Heaven was always the last song of the dance and they let the kids make out during the entire song!  Well, here we are, having a great time at the dance and as if planned, the crowd parts and running straight at me is a little person.  I think the story was that one of the staff members son was a little person, but was home-schooled or something so she decided to bring him so he could socialize with people his own age.  I nearly fainted right there on the dance floor.  I remember a couple of girlfriends having to walk me over to a chair and bringing me water.  Needless to say, I was sure he was going to run up an attack me at some point during the dance, so I barely enjoyed the making out during Stairway to Heaven.  My eyes were open the entire time...I'm sure my boyfriend, who did open his eyes from time to time while kissing, was like "what the hell is wrong with her?"  I never saw that little person again...but the panic attacks still happen to this day. 

 Any phobias you're a little embarrassed about??

baby names

So, of course baby names are a common topic of conversation lately...not just around our house, but everywhere we go. 

I had a work lunch today and it came up again...then my friend and colleague sent me an NPR article talking about baby-naming-hostility.  People get a little peeved when you don't want to disclose what names you're thinking about.  Why is that?  Are you going to embroider the name on a pillow for me?  We definitely have some names in mind, but I know how judgmental I am...so it stands to reason that other people would be just as judgmental as I would be, right?  There are names I can't stand...like super trendy names or "fad" names.  Oh, you want an example?  Ashton.  Really?  The ONLY Ashton that anyone knew before was Ashton Kutcher...now it's a cool name for your kid?  I don't think so.  Or Bailey, that was super popular a few years back and with that name came Connor and Riley.  I wonder how many Bailey's have to go by their last name or Bailey First Letter of Your Last Name because there are 6 of them in the same 4th grade class. 

See, I'm judging.  According to the NPR article, it is most common to name a girl something that ends in "a" right now.  Emma, Ava, Isabella, Sophia, Olivia, Alyssa...and on and on.  I wonder why that is trendy?  The article also says it is common for people to name a boy something that ends in "n" right now.  Hudson, Evan, Ethan, Owen, Jackson, ASHTON, etc.  Our top names don't follow that "n" rule.  Is that a good enough hint?  My best friend had a dream we named our son Owen William Beals.  My sister had a dream we named him Max William Beals.  Both cute, but both not on our list.  I do love that people other than us are having dreams about our baby though. 

Anyway, feel free to guess or even suggest names for us, but know that until he arrives we're keeping the name a secret. 

For fun...try this.  Baby Name Genie.

relaxing weekend?

What is better than coming home from a relaxing weekend at the cabin having played extreme croquet, strolled around Leavenworth eating ice cream and shopped at Smallwoods for delicious homemade honey and apple butter? HOUSEWORK! 

Today, on our nation's day of independence, The Husband and I worked our little tushes off.  We went to Home Depot and Target.  We tore apart the bathroom in the nursery in order to ensure it gets done before baby Beals arrives.  New tile, new sink, new mirror, new cabinet and new adorable picture from Pier1 of an owl.  Of course none of the new stuff is installed, but it's all purchased and waiting for installation.  I think The Husband and my dad might get it all done the day of my baby shower.  Good ole father-in-law/son-in-law bonding.  I LOVE that they get along so well...even though sometimes my dad can be a little critical. 

The Husband painted the walls of the garage white, which makes the whole space look cleaner and bright.  He also moved the elliptical down there and it is slowly becoming the workout space he had envisioned.  While he worked downstairs, I got all the laundry and vacuuming done AND made dinner.  Oh, before dinner we did walk up to Ladro for some coffee and took a stroll down 44th to check out a house we want our friends to buy.  It is SO STINKIN' CUTE!! Click here to see it.  Did I mention it is literally one street behind ours??  Wouldn't that be so fun, Laura?  hint hint!  Wait, he also mowed and watered the lawn while I picked all the ripe strawberries from our garden.

Anyway, my point is that this was too much to pack into one day...I do not feel like I just had a 3-day weekend.  Tomorrow...back to work to get ready for my crazy summer program where I will work with 120 incoming 9th graders.  Awesome blossom!

short break...

My apologies for not blogging for a couple days...I was up at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island leading a Diversity & Inclusion Training for 230 summer staff members.  So, needless to say I was not connected while in the San Juans. 

I am not headed up to the cabin for 4th of July weekend and there is no internet there.  Sorry folks...I'll try to make my next post a good one.  = )

Happy 4th of July!

30 weeks and slowly losing it

I'm not losing my mind, but I'm pretty much losing everything else.  I would say sleep, but I gave up on sleep when I was 15 so that one doesn't count, but here is what I'm losing:
patience...with everyone, but especially the gross neighbor who lets her 2 dogs bark all day
my appetite
the ability to put on my own socks
comfort
a cute wardrobe
energy
the ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel
my belly button
one-toned skin on my face - stupid melasma
my social security card (this doesn't really count, but I did lose it)

I have felt pregnant for like 2 years...is this normal?  Don't get me wrong, we wanted this more than anything and tried for a while to make it happen, but thinking about doing it again makes my head spin. 

Today at work I was multi-tasking on super speed...no big deal...but trying to prepare for the next 6 months of my life is really hard.  Not only am I getting ready for my 5 week summer program working with 120 incoming 9th graders, but I'm also preparing for 2, 3-hour Diversity & Inclusion trainings up at Camp Orkila for over 100 staff members...AND trying to plan out everything for the fall so the students still get served by the Y even though I'll be on maternity leave.  Thank god the school closes at 3pm in the summer...they rushed everyone out of the building right at 2:59...so I get to "work from home", which means constantly refresh my email and have my work cell handy. 

Doing all of this as pregnant as I am is EXHAUSTING!!!  I'm such a whiner...seriously! By this time at night (6:30pm) I'm totally wiped out...barely able to put on my slipper boots (best Old Navy purchase in a long time)...worried I won't be able to stay awake to watch Pretty Little Liars and not even wanting the delicious dinner that The Husband has prepared. 

family

Sorry for the brief hiatus...I was in Oroville, CA for a little family time from Thursday until late last night. 

So, being with my moms family definitely made me think about family in general.  We were in Oroville for my grandma's memorial service.  My sister and I called her "Plain Grandma" because we only had a grandma on my moms side (plain) and a grandma and grandpa on my dads side.  It made perfect sense to us to call her "Plain Grandma"...not sure if we called her that to her face, but there is a good possibility we did.  Her memorial was short and sweet, but left me feeling a little sad.  Of course memorials should make you feel a little sad, but this was different.  There were a lot of people there, but when it came time for people to share stories or memories...only two people shared.  I think more people should have had something to say...she did have four kids and only one of them spoke.  I know, I know...I could've stood up and said something, but I read a poem as part of the service and felt I had talked enough. 

Sometimes its fun to compare families.  My moms family couldn't be more different than my dads family.  The one thing both families have in common is they both like to drink.  One family drinks a lot of wine and the other drinks Budweiser out of cans, but drinking is the common theme.  If you really want to add in some spice, you can throw in The Husband's family for a third comparison.  I think it's strange how my parents ended up together being raised in such different families, but The Husband and I ended up together and our families are pretty different, too.  It makes me wonder what our kids (yes we're planning on having more than one) will say about our families. 

I think both of my families...moms side and dads side...are a lot of fun.  My dad has three sisters and I have three girl cousins and we're all close in age...between me, my sister and our cousins our ages are 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34.  When you throw in The Husband and two other husbands...it's a pretty fun, young group.  My mom has two brothers and a sister and there are a lot of cousins in the mix of all ages, but it's the adults in this family that make it fun.  My uncles are total cowboys and love the hell out of me and my sister.  We shoot guns, ride ATVs, drink cheap beer and laugh a lot with them. 

I honestly love both families equally...can everyone say that?  I wonder if our son will say that about his extended families? 

If you know me at all...you're giggling a little right now. 

Look ma...no swear words in this one!!

what kind of mom will I be?

So, today I was having a conversation with one of my close friends about toys..which definitely got me thinking about what kind of mom I'll be in general. 

I have all these ideas, but I know the reality will be very different.  For example, I don't want my house to be overrun with toys.  I get that kids like toys, but babies are entertained by simple things like kleenex boxes, locked cell phones and remote controls...do they really need a million blocks, stuffed animals, and plastic stuff?  One of The Husband's friends has a one in one out rule for any toys.  If their child gets a new toy, they have to choose an old toy to donate.  I love this idea!!  I also think there are good storage options for housing toys.  Have you ever walked into someone house and seen stacks of toys in every corner?  Yuck!  I'd like to utilize our basement as play space, but also have a nice storage unit (maybe one that is also a bench for more seating) that hides all the toys when baby Beals isn't playing with them. 

I realize I need to think a little sooner than toys...like sleeping.  So many people have baby sleep in their room with them...in a bassinet or a pack and play or their bed (weird).  I don't want to do that.  Our closest friends put their baby in his crib in the other room right away.  I'd like to think that is what we'll do.  I know I'll be tired...really, I know...but I don't think I'll bitch and moan too much about walking a little further to his room to feed him or change him or soothe him. 

I'm sure all of my parent friends have opinions on these things and I'd love to hear them.  Not everything works the same for everyone, but I KNOW you all had a vision of how you'd do things before your bundle of joy appeared. 

new enemy

If you are mean to me...I will draw you the way I see you.  Bitter, angry, and mean!!

Take that!

Clearly today was just proof that I need a little vacation.  Any suggestions?

3 weeks

So, The Husband got a new job...yay for him...and with that came 3 weeks off.  Oh Jesus...3 weeks is a lifetime to that man. 

Today was his first day off and he was calling me at work by 9:15...bored.  He had already finished his book, read the whole paper and walked to get coffee.  It's a good thing the school year is almost over and my summer program doesn't start until July 11th because I'll be able to entertain him at least a little from time to time. 

He did manage to clean out most of the garage because, surprise surprise, that is his new project!  He is going to make it into a work-out room. 

Up to the minute update: 8:10pm "hey, I'm going to stare at the garage for a little bit" - The Husband

OK, back to his day.  There were a lot of misc building materials from the countless other projects he's done so he decided to take a huge load of trash to the transfer station.  At the same time he's being all ambitious, I'm at work feeling like shit.  I think it was a combination of the school being hot, worrying about the vague call I got from my doctor, and being so annoyed about my room being given to someone else, but I got super light-headed and clammy...so I went home for the day.  I arrived home to an empty house...got a big glass of water and laid down on the couch.  I'm not there for 5 minutes when I get a call from him.  "Don't hate me" - oh shit...what now?  "I'm at the transfer station and I forgot my wallet".  I immediately channeled my non-existent New Jersey relatives and swore up a storm.  Seriously?  Today...of all days??  If this is any indication of what the next 3 weeks will be like than this blog will get better and better. 

Sorry, no pictures today.

Oh, and if you're keeping up...I FAILED my first glucose test.  Dammit!  Now I have to go in on Wednesday for a 3 hour test and more of that yucky sugar drink.  Awesome! 

west seattle farmers market

Today was my first time at the West Seattle Farmers Market.  Isn't it shameful that I've lived here in WS since 2004 and have never been?  Whoops.  Anyway, I think I was expecting magic beans, lots of fresh veggies and melt-in-your-mouth baked goods, but instead was underwhelmed with vegan baked goods, mediocre looking vegetable starts and NO MAGIC BEANS!!  Now, I wasn't in the best mood...The Husband actually said "it's kind of hard to be around you when you're in a bad mood".  Ouch.  I think I was being stinky because the weather was cold and rainy all goddamn weekend, the Starbucks by our house cannot make a black and white mocha to save their life and I've been getting pretty shitty sleep...like forever.  This is no excuse to be in a bad mood to a soon-to-be father on Father's Day, I know, but it is at least a couple reasons that knocked me down a few pegs.

we did buy some lettuce starts

The day immediately turned around after another West Seattle first...our first trip to The Original Bakery near the Vashon Ferry.  Now, it's not that the baked goods were amazing, but 2 of my former students work there...who knew?  They were so cute and excited to see that I was pregnant!  So, when I say the baked goods weren't amazing what I mean is that we went in at like 1pm...so there was barely anything left.  I assume that means this is a popular destination and therefore will be one of the places a walk to with baby Beals when he arrives. 

If you noticed (and when I say you I clearly mean the 3 of you who read this) I didn't blog on Saturday.  When I said I would blog everyday of my third trimester, what I meant was that I would blog everyday OTHER than Saturday.  Cool?  Until there are a million readers begging to hear the random shit that comes out of my head everyday...6 days a week it is!

yuck

So, this morning I had to drink a bottle of dextrose for my gestational diabetes test and it was AWFUL.  Not only did I have to drag my ass out of bed early after a late night of 4square, but I had to chug this sugar water in 5 minutes or less.  For those of you who know anything about me you know it takes me forever to drink anything...I can nurse an iced mocha for like 3 hours.  So, downing this disgusting beverage made me want to puke.

I'll get my test results on Monday...wish me luck. 

I just re-read my first line and it immediately made me think of that Stanley Steemer commercial where the driver is asking his colleague if he's ever had to clean up after an alpaca...because he has...and it was AWESOME!  haha.  If you haven't seen it, here you go!  It gets me every time...so funny.

I normally get a milkshake after every doctor appointment (once a month isn't a lot...stop judging me), but I couldn't bring myself to get a milkshake at 8:30am this morning...nor could I stomach it after my dextrose cocktail.  So, after a long day, we sat down at 8:15pm to watch The Town...all comfy on the couch...in our jammies...and I had to complain about not getting my milkshake today.  I'm such a jerk sometimes.  Anyway, The Husband jumped up, changed back into regular clothes and is currently at the store buying vanilla ice cream so I can make us home-made shakes.  What a guy, right?  Oh man...I can use the chocolate malt powder that I bought for the cookies I just made (thanks again Sister).  Turn of events...life is good tonight.

Just heard the car door...off to make milkshakes! 

4square

So, The Husband and I had our second 4square tournament tonight and although I didn't play, it went very well.

I LOVE watching grown men get super competitive while playing an elementary school game.  When is the last time you even played 4square?  It's actually a very active, fun "sport".  We're lucky we live a block away from an elementary school with not one, but three 4square courts!  Oh, we also have our own tetherball in addition to owning 2, 4square balls...yeah, that's right.  

I'll admit that the last tournament was a little better, but only because people stayed in the king square long enough to make up some really great rules.  One of my favorites (and not just because it was my rule) was that you needed to swear every time you hit the ball.  Not only were we all drinking beer and wine out of nalgene bottles, but we were yelling "shits" and "fucks" every time we hit the ball.  We probably looked like a bunch of 30 year old drunks with Tourette's, but it was really fun. 

I suggest that everyone play some sort of childhood game with their friends this summer.  Wait, that isn't a suggestion, that is my homework for you.  Good luck.  Tetherball, 4square, wall ball, tag...whatever, just do it.  If you have kids...even better...play with them, they'll love it.

The Husband just proof read this and wanted me to let everyone know that I wasn't drinking tonight. 

cookies...brandi...school year almost over

My friend Sam told me today that my blogs will get shorter and more bitter as the 3rd trimester continues.  Thanks, Sam!  Like I said in my last post, I didn't promise these would be good, but I will try to write a post everyday. 

Today felt like Friday...shit, yesterday felt like Friday.  I'm just tired and ready for this school year to be over already.  So, today was some "end of course" exam for some students and I promised one of the staff members, my friend Lori, that I would have coffee and treats for the rest of the staff (I do this for the school on big test days because they are stuck proctoring boring exams).  I made cookies from a recipe my sister just posted - Malted Milk  Chocolate Chip Cookies - YUM!!  Well, I love all chocolate chip cookies, but I thought these would be extra delicious because I also love malt.  Personally, I couldn't taste the malt, but they were chewy and so good!  There were 3 staff members, who will remain nameless, that kept coming in and pretending to want to talk to me, but really just wanted to grub on some more cookies.  I judged them in my head and then again in an email to another colleague.  Come on people, save some for other people!!  = )

While the day was dragging along I decided it was absolutely the appropriate time to order Brandi Carlile tickets!!  For those of you who don't know who Brandi Carlile is, shame on you.  Really, you should see my face right now just thinking about someone who hasn't experienced the awesomeness of Brandi.  It looks like this...

OK, if you really haven't heard her, click on this...My HERO. 

By the way, those are wrinkles on my forehead from furrowing my brow at you!

So, the plan is that The Husband and I will head up to Bellingham to see Brandi one last time before the baby gets here.  I know we'll see her after the baby gets here, but this will be our little pre-baby vacation. 

Oh, I also got a package today from Old Navy with the cutest maternity tank top!!  Woo HOO for cute, affordable maternity clothes!!

am I a 14 year old girl?

So, as you know, I work in a high school so am privy to a lot of great TV talk.  I've realized lately that I watch all of the same shows as my 14 year old freshmen girls.  Should I feel bad about that?  I think my sister watches tween/teen shows, too...right Sister?  Have I sparked your interest?  Are you ready to make fun of me?

So, my favorite 3 channels are pretty much Bravo, HGTV, and ABC Family.

My current favorite 14 year old girl shows are:
Pretty Little Liars and Switched at Birth - both are on ABC Family and about high school kids.  I also thoroughly enjoy Make It or Break It (another classic ABC Family show about teenage gymnasts).

I'm not really sure why I'm drawn to these shows because the acting is pretty bad, but I'm still a little obsessed.  The real puzzle is how I get The Husband to be just as hooked as I am.  Am I a 14 year old girl who married another 14 year old girl?  Honestly, I'll DVR an episode and watch it before he gets home from work and when he finds out he'll be like "Oh, thanks for watching it without me, did you at least save it?"

What are your guilty pleasure TV shows??

When I said I'd blog everyday I didn't say they would be good.  = )

long day

Has anyone ever taken something away from you that wasn't necessarily yours to begin with, but still stings when it's gone?

Today my principal gave my room to another outside organization that works in the school without even talking to me about it first.  The girl who works for that organization is constantly complaining about not having enough space.  Her solution: go in with her boss and ask for my room.  Here are some quick facts:

She works 3 days a week - I work 5 days a week
She serves a specific set of students - I serve all students
She has been at the school for less than a year - I have been there for 4 years
Students don't like to hang out in her room - Students rely on my room as a safe place to hang out

There is another one, but I probably shouldn't blog about it.  Let's just say I've never had a student complain about me or my behavior.

Makes me think about my return from maternity leave...and if my work is even valued enough to make it worth coming back.

This is definitely new for me...

third trimester...more house projects

So, today officially marks our 28th week and the beginning of our 3rd trimester.  For those women who say pregnancy flies by and is the most wonderful time of your life...I'm calling your shit.  We found out we were pregnant the day after Christmas, which feels like a year ago...at least.  I'm not sure if that is because I love Christmas so much or it seriously felt like a year ago, but the combo is enough to say I've been pregnant forever.

My new goal is update everyday of my 3rd trimester...a little experiment.  I got an email update welcoming me to, and I quote, "the trimester where you'll experience heartburn, indigestion, hemorrhoids, leg cramps, sleepless nights, stretchmarks, and varicose veins...but you'll finally get to meet your adorable baby!".  To the person that wrote that, and I quote, "fuck you!".  The only one of those I've experienced so far is sleepless nights, but that was my life before pregnancy so I'm used to it.

The Husband is in super house repair mode now...which is crazy if you've seen our cute little "cottage by the park" house.  Some things do not need to be redone, torn out or completely changed.  Paint on the other hand...is something we could do a lot more of and by "we" I mean him because 'I'm not supposed to'.  = )

New projects/project updates:

The Nursery
It is almost done!!  It's painted a nice, soothing green and I stenciled a birch tree on the wall between the crib and the changing table.  We got a great white faux animal fur rug, framed some cute art, and bought one of those 9 cube storage units with canvas baskets for the closet.  It's pretty stinkin' adorable if you ask me!  Now the finishing touches are curtains for the closet and the window, which my mom has volunteered to make (thanks mama) and a quick one-day update on the half bath in the bedroom, which pretty much needs a new sink and some tile on the floor.  My dad can help The Husband knock that out in a day.

Our Bedroom
There was nothing wrong with our bedroom before...other than the fact that our house is 104 years old so closet space is terrible and the actual dimensions of the room are small, but who needs a grandoise master suite?  Is that where you're going to bring your guests during your Christmas party?  Are you going to sleep in the living room and spend your waking hours admiring your huge bedroom?  I don't think so.  Who cares about a smaller bedroom?  I HATE those people on House Hunters that claim to want an old craftsman, but bitch about a small room (and then I find out it's actually bigger than ours) and how their massive California king bed and ugly furniture just won't fit.  Sorry, I kind of got off track.  We bought our first real, adult bed frame and decided to repaint the room a cool blue.  The bed is here and put together, but the painting just happened today!  We also moved the bed to a different wall because I sleep better facing north to south and our bed was east to west.  I know that sounds weird, but it makes a difference to me.  There are articles if you don't believe me.

The Yard
This is totally The Husbands turf, but I'm proud of what he's done.  We constantly have people walking down our street to get to Lincoln Park that stop in front of our house and stare.  A lot of people have lived in the neighborhood for years and can't believe what we've done to it in 2 years, but some people have never seen it and just stop to say how sweet and cute it looks.  The Husband ripped out all of the grass, brought in new dirt, and had the lawn hydro-seeded in the fall.  Our grass is green, the lawn is flat and he keeps it mowed...with pretty diagonal lines.  I'll admit, the grass is awesome.  Even the neighbor, a 4 year old, prefers our yard to his.  He is constantly climbing over the fence while announcing that he is "going over to Derek's yard".  We also installed a fountain to block out the street noise on the back side of our house, The Hubs installed new electrical so we no longer have to run an extension cord to said fountain.  We have a real garden where I've planted carrots, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, basil and strawberries!  We have amazing wildflowers starting to sprout (thanks to my sisters wedding favors) and some beautiful plants and flowers that I make up names to because I'm not really a plant/flower person. We can't wait for summer barbecues!!

The Basement
We haven't touched it other than buying a new leather sectional.  It still needs a bedroom door and the painting needs to be finished.  The Husband only rolls.  He refuses to "cut in".  I have a ridiculously steady hand, which I think I get from my dad, but that doesn't help when I'm not supposed to paint.  I'm not posting pictures of the basement until it's done...sorry!

I think that's good, right?  But, will everything be ready before baby boy Beals' gets here??

still trying new things...

So, sorry I've been absent, but I seriously believe that no one reads this so why should I post?  I mean...I'm not fooling myself, I have 5 followers...awesome!  BUT...I love the 5 of you so thank you, for those that read but don't follow...just follow...this is the first time that someone will encourage you to follow the crowd (Katie, before you comment on how 5 isn't a crowd - I know).

On to my real post.

I have never done Yoga...ever.  Not even on the Wii...it's just something I think incredibly thin, fit people do in their free time.   In my free time I would rather watch an episode of Bethenny Ever After or House Hunters, not exercise (reference blog post).  So, when a friend recommended Prenatal Yoga because you're surrounded by women going through exactly what you're going through I thought I would test it out.  I'm no dummy...I needed to learn some basics before jumping into this new hippy-dippy world.  I bought a Prenatal Yoga video from Target for $10.00 and used the yoga mat that I "earned" for raising $3000 for the Y this year.  First of all, I am not that flexible, but that just makes the argument for me that I SHOULD be doing yoga, right?  Second, I really dislike the woman's voice and she says exhale funny...like ex-ale.  Third, the dog just wanted to be on the yoga mat with me and it was too crowded, not to mention his white hair is now stuck to the mat (like everything else we own).  BUST.  I might try it one more time...if so, I'll let you know how it goes.

(that is supposed to be Oliver)

Another new thing that I tried was a dessert for Easter at the sister-in-law's house.  I thought I would try to make cupcakes with a delicious mini reese's peanut butter cup baked in the center.  I looked all over the internet for a "secret trick" so it didn't sink to the bottom, melt and make a gooey mess.  The only half normal person out there who actually gave TIPS said to freeze the peanut butter cups first...made sense to me.  The other loons out there are putting Mounds and Black Licorice in their cupcakes (I think that is actually illegal in some states).  So, I froze my pb cups, made my batter and overfilled my cupcake sleeves because I like when they have a muffin top (this is the only type of muffin top I will allow in my life because The Husband is a fatist...sorry Husband).  Well, the stupid pb cups still sank to the bottom and the chocolate melted leaving a chunk of peanut butter at the bottom of the cupcake.  I guess they are still good, but I wanted them to be nice and a little fancier.  If you look at the bottom of the cupcake it looks like I magically burned just the center...upon further inspection you'll notice it's chocolate, but still.

Does anyone have suggestions or a bitchin' cupcake recipe that will make me look like, even though pregnant and feeling icky, a domestic goddess in the kitchen?

lazy or amazing?

There is a short list of things I hate doing.  Here they are...in order.
1) Working out - this is because I have an exercise allergy called Cholinergic urticaria. It is the rise in body temperature that produces the itching, swelling, and small hives that some people experience. People who have this may also experience the same reaction in hot tubs (not me), saunas (nope), and see that they are more likely to get it on hot days (perhaps, but it happens on cold days, too).
Treatment of Cholinergic urticaria:

• Antihistamines
• Avoid exercising on warm or humid days
• Reduce the intensity of your work-out
• Stop exercising at the first sign of flushing, itchy skin or hives (this would be all the time...so it makes it hard to work out) 

that's me when I exercise

2) Grocery shopping - I don't know how this one started, but it is definitely something I dread.  If I absolutely have to go, I like to go to my local Safeway because I know the layout with my eyes closed.  I make a list at home starting with the 1st aisle so I can easily get everything in 10 minutes or less without backtracking.  I hate backtracking.  If I forgot something back in aisle 6 it's my fault and I'll just need to live without it...there is no going back.  Recently, however, The Husband suggested we get our groceries delivered.  Genius!  I feel pretty lazy and a little bad about spending $6.00 to have them delivered in a 2 hour window, but if it saves me from people who can't park, the Real Change guy who always looks so sad, those indecisive people who just stand in the aisle, parents who are yelling at their children and the temptation to buy 2 gallons of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream because it's on sale...I'm OK with it.  So is it lazy or amazing that you can grocery shop online and someone will deliver it right to your door?    

That's it...I only hate doing 2 things.  I don't hate going to the dentist or paying bills...I don't hate cleaning (although The Husband may disagree with the current state of our home) or doing laundry.  Just working out and grocery shopping. 

What do you hate doing?

one more new thing

So after what seems like a lifetime I'm happy to announce that The Husband and I are expecting our first baby in September!

We found out the day after Christmas, which was the best present ever.  With this news comes more home improvement...shocking, right?  Well, our third bedroom is perfect for a nursery, as it has a half bath.  Well, I'm not sure that a bathroom makes a great nursery, but it makes it nice for handwashing after changing poo-filled diapers.  I know you're thinking a little paint does not a home improvement project make (I'm tipping my hat to Laura on that sentence).  Well, you're right, but this room needed more than just paint.  This room had a floor that had been raised 4 inches for no apparent reason and a weird shelf around the upper portion of 3/4 of the room...not to mention paneling over the sheet-rock.  The Husband immediately ripped out the floor and everything that made it 4 inches taller and ripped out 2 walls of sheet-rock (including the weird shelving) so he could insulate.  It took a little longer than I thought it would, but the floor is redone, the walls are insulated and have new sheet-rock AND the room is painted a nice, soothing green.  And in case you're wondering, yes, we will be finding out the sex so we can plan the rest of the room.  = )  The bathroom needs to be redone, too, but we'll do that a little later.


Here are some before photos:

Notice the "step down"

We'll wait to show you the final results when it's all done, but here are some work in progress photos and the finished floor.  Notice the original bathroom door reinstalled...it will show you how high the floor was.

Before

After

Wait, did you want to see Baby Beals, too?  = )

Yay!!

cooking makes me happy

I'm officially back!  Took a short break because I wasn't feeling well for a while. 

So, I'm not a huge cook, but I definitely love to eat...so I figured I should practice cooking so the eating would be easier.  ; )

I'm pretty good with brunch, but I dabble in other things, too.  It helps that our kitchen was fabulously updated when we bought our house (which by the way is under construction...AGAIN).  My dad has always raved about gas ranges and how you really can't cook on anything else, but none of my rentals nor my condo had gas so I didn't know what he was talking about until now.  I would never go back to electric, but don't worry electric friends...I'm not snobby about it. 

One thing I made recently was Tortilla Soup...I even made the tortilla strips that went on top.  In addition to the strips, I made chips.  I bought the salsa.  It was simple, easy and delicious.  For some reason I had it in my head that it took hours and could easily be ruined, but neither of those things are true.  Not sure anyone could mess this one up.  The Husband liked it, but he would eat a baked shoe so I guess that isn't really a good measure.

One thing I do exceptionally well is Aebleskiver, it's like a sweet, yummy Danish pancake ball.  My grandma taught me, my sister and our cousins how to make these.  If you haven't had them I highly recommend it.  I'm more than happy to share the recipe.  Williams-Sonoma sells an Aebleskiver pan which I think it great, but they also sell a mix (don't ever tell me you used the mix...I will judge you).  My grandma puts apple sauce in them after about 1 minute in the pan, but I think that makes them too mushy.  I think my sister puts in small pieces of apple, which sounds much better.  Sister, is that right?

A staple dinner in our home is lettuce wraps with ground turkey because it's healthier.  I think The Husband only likes this dish because it's easy AND he can make a pile of "slop" when he's done with the wrappers and use tortilla chips to scoop up the "slop".  He makes me smile.   With the salsa, light sour cream, iceburg lettuce, lean ground turkey and low fat cheese...it's pretty darn healthy.

I love gnocchi!  Period.  I thought it would be cool to make it at home, but I was terribly wrong.  It is a long process and can end up inedible in a matter of seconds.  First of all, I made way too much dough, which I guess ended up being a good thing because I could try a million variations.  The final product, paired with a homemade creamy red sauce was actually really good.  I will not do this again.

Overnight Baked French Toast.  Enough said.

Man, I love food.  I also love bacon, who doesn't?  So, I think if you wrap anything in bacon it just makes it better.  I think asparagus is delicious, not super psyched that it makes your pee smell weird, but it tastes great!  So why not wrap it in bacon?  Have it as a side dish with lighted breaded, baked chicken...DONE!

Cheers and happy cooking (eating)!