A family fun weekend

This weekend will be really special. My sister and I are heading to Northern California to visit our 93 yr old Grandpa and his girlfriend, Rhoda. I also get to spend an afternoon with one of my besties, Dawn, and her gorgeous kids. Lots of smiling to come!

Unsolicited advice and comments

A good friend (and an experienced mother) of mine wrote this me when she learned I was pregnant: "There is something called 'mompetition' and mommy guilt that you will soon learn about.... and it sucks! If someone wants to tell you that they birthed drugless, breast fed until the kids was 2, never let kid watch tv, never have sugar... blah blah blah... they are totally lying! Do whatever works for you because you are going to raise the greatest baby ever.... So, when people are trying to offer unsolicited, unnecessary, advice that you just don't feel you need, say thanks and move on." Aww..I love this lady, because she is so true. I couldn't help but chuckle, because I am already experiencing it and my husband was a victim of this when he was trying to raise his son.

Don't get me wrong, I definately will listen to your advice and take it into careful consideration. Be warned though, that I may be secretly rolling my eyes and I could publish these comments because they are too good to keep to myself.

Comment #1, "It doesn't really look like your showing, just more like you are getting fat."

Comment #2, "Only 1 kid?! Don't be silly, you have to have at least 2 kids."

What did he do THIS time?!

This month's teenage stress and anxiety has resulted in the following crimes: bringing and using drugs in our house, driving under the influence, and speeding with a restricted license with 4 teenage girls in the car (one without a seatbelt). Oh, and I forgot to mention that the none of the girls in the car are covered under insurance. I bet their parents would have LOVED knowing that. But you know what? I bet their parents have no idea where their daughters are.

It's amazing how fantastic a teenager can be for birth control. For any of you considering having children, I strongly suggest that you have a teenager stay with you for a few months to help with the decision. My poor unborn child is going to be born with an ulcer.

The cat is out of the bag.....FINALLY!

I have been bursting at the seams waiting for the time that I can tell everybody that I am FINALLY pregnant! I am turning the corner into my 2nd trimester and this little babe is due at the end of September. Daddy is doing great and has become even sweeter of a hubby, if that's even possible. My body is changing so fast and doing so many gross things that I never knew it could do (I will spare you)...acupuncture and yoga really help with my bodily stuff. But I feel amazing, the baby is developing perfect, and I am digging the comfort of my new stretchy wardrobe. More pregnancy blogs to come.....I promise!

It sure doesn't FEEL like it

Everything around me is telling me that it's mid-March, except for the fact that it has been nothing but endless rain and a raw 48ish for TOO many months! I had to look twice when I saw the wild daffodils blooming. I could only stand to look for a few seconds before I was too wet and cold to enjoy them. Come on sun...show yourself!

I don't bake

If you know me, then you know that I can cook a wicked meal. I love cooking gourmet food with lots of fresh healthy ingrediants. I rarely use recipes, because I have a decent sense of what flavors work well together. Cooking lets me totally let go of control and just go with my instincts. What I can't do is bake. There is too much exact science to it! You have to use measuring cups, and tools, and specific spoon sizes. However...every once in awhile, I have a hankering for something sweet and I don't feel like going to the store....THIS is my go-to recipe.

My Vegan Chocolate Cake (or cupcakes, if I feel like it). I like my chocolate vegan, because I think chocolate tastes better without all that animal fat. Besides, who wants to lick the bowl when it's all raw eggs and butter? yuck. I have done this recipe with organic products, but the difference in price doesn't seem to satisfy any mental blockage I have about eating cake in the afternoon.

1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white vinegar

I mix all the dry stuff together, then add the wet stuff. Put it in an 8x8 glass pan, Cook it at 350 for 30min and that's it! The creative part is my frosting. Sometimes it's just powdered sugar, sometimes it's nothing, but today is was PB frosting. I don't have a recipe for it, though. I just start mixing PB, powdered sugar, vanilla, and soy milk together until I get something yummy and spreadable. The cake in the oven right now...I'll take a pic when it's all finished.

OK...here it is...or was. Between me, teenagers, and a husband, it didn't last long. I'm no cake boss, but it was super yummy.

The apple doesn't fall far

My father-in-law, Bob, is that 70something yr old guy climbing that tree in Hawaii. His son, (my husband Eric), is that 40something yr old guy climbing that rock in Mexico. I can't keep up with either of them.