Too...tired...leave me...save...yourselves...

[lemon_says]

This week has been insane, mostly in a good way. We've been really busy with Camp Lemon (which means I'm keeping a friend's kids, which entertains MY kids, so it's win-win all around) and errands and a gazillion other things, mostly of little consequence.

We walked down Stone Mountain. Half the people I passed asked me, "Did you actually WALK UP?" Probably because it was 200 degrees and that whole baby thing, eh? We rode the cable car up, which has a big sign with a pregnant person with a line through it (which Ez would read as NOT ALLOWED PREGNANT PEOPLE, as he enjoys translating such signs and always reads the NOT ALLOWED part first). I'm not really sure what they think is perilous about riding a cable car up 850 feet or so, so I said sure, I'm still clear to get on a plane and hopped on. It was that or walk up, and that was not going to happen. Walking down was challenging enough. Now I have shinsplints. Durr. But Pip went with us, and the seven of us trekked up and down and around and had a picnic. It is really a delightful bunch of kids. I had several people give me these sidelong looks or say, "Wow, you've got your hands full" or "you're brave," and it didn't dawn on me at first that most of them probably thought all those kids are mine. That would be challenging, since Colton and Anya are four months apart and Ez and Spencer six months, but maybe they thought it was sets of fraternal twins? Once I realized people thought that I felt compelled to say, "They aren't all mine," and then I got on my own nerves because it's none of their business.

And for the third time now, I was out with just my two and people would point at my midsection and say, "Is this your first?" The first two times I just said no and gestured at the kids, but the last time I said, "Yes, I found these two in the parking lot."

So between our art projects, bowling, hiking, and errand running, I've decided to end this week today instead. Tomorrow is Saturday and if P tries to leave the house, I'll staple him to the wall.

Either that or I'll just take the kids swimming.

Astonishingly, I passed my gestational diabetes test. I am astonished not because I thought I had it--I was certain I did not--but because I had sneakily blown off the test for three weeks until they called and started pestering me to come in RIGHT AWAY, as I had already violated the RULES by not doing it prior to 28 weeks. It's a non-fasting test, but there's a hella high fail rate because of that, and then you have to go take the 3-hour fasting test. I had also had a popsicle about an hour before with the kids, and not like a frozen-real-fruit-treat, but a plastic tube of water and corn syrup kind of popsicle. Flav-o-ice, right? That glucose is so nasty that if the nurse had stopped eyeballing me during my five-minute allotment to drink it I would have dumped it in a plant; it occurs to me that that is probably why she was watching me. I took six minutes and got gently reprimanded.

Let's see, what else... in baby related news: I have finally started purchasing a few garments for Z3PO so she doesn't have to wear doll clothes or hospital-provided t-shirts; got a new nursing pillow for really cheap (less than half price, brand new!) since I think I donated the Boppy; and am collecting a new fluff selection, as I sold all the diapers after Ez potty-trained.

Non-baby-related:
1. Is there anything more superficially annoying than a grown man flipping the bird in photos? Really? You're 35, and flipping the bird in all your FB photos? From this I gather that you peaked in high school. (Women doing so make me assume you drink too much. Yeah, I'm judging you, bird-flippers.)

2. I'm annoyed that Borders is closing, but not out of any outraged loyalty or anything. It's not just the e-books; it's the prices. Amazon is cheaper and ships for free. My annoyance arises from the fact that I loathe B&N, as the employees are generally dumber than a bag of hair and they don't have computers on which I can search for my own items. I have to ask one of the dim employees, who don't understand the filing system any more than a layman. You know what would make me happy? A bookstore that filed using the Library of Congress classification so you can actually locate the book. Anyway, when I read that we hot-footed it up to Borders and spent my $20 in Borders bucks while they still have books to sell. Anya got Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Anybody else love that as a kid?

3. Had a lovely dinner with blakdove and her family this evening. For some reason, her husband makes Ez really nervous, which is a little funny because R has a PhD and worked in the child mental health field. P says Ez thinks R's onto him. I fed them roasted butternut and bacon pasta, which is made of awesome. The kids love it, P (who doesn't like squash all that much) loves it, everybody seems to have liked it so far. After the first time I made it I thought it needed some dry mustard in the cheese sauce and P and the kids requested more bacon, so tonight's had those adjustments.

4. Harry Potter fans, read this. Brilliant. But don't read the comments because some HP fans are stoopid and crazily defensive, and it will make you sad for humanity.

5. I just learned that Big Ez doesn't go back to preschool until the end of August, weeks after Monster's back in. He is going to "waste away from boredom," which is what he tells people happens to him when she's away all day.

6. Twice in the last week, in separate, unrelated forums, I have read about secret ways to trick elevators into doing your bidding and not stopping on other floors. I need a test elevator, but the only place I go where I have to stop at all the floors on the way to mine is Crawford Long, and I suspect those people would react badly if I make it skip their floors. Should I do it anyway, or does that make you as bad as the people who push all the buttons when they get out?

Comments

[morningloryblue.livejournal.com]

You pregnancy is going by so quickly - at least as an onlooker it seems this way!

The bird story is funny and I agree. Of course, I usually agree with you. Great minds :)

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

It feels that fast to me too!

[patsila.livejournal.com]

Once I realized people thought that I felt compelled to say, "They aren't all mine," and then I got on my own nerves because it's none of their business.


I feel like this too. Whenever I have a pile of neighbors with me at the grocery store.

[swamplilly.livejournal.com]

You just made me want to drive to Crawford to ride the elevator with you.

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

All the cool kids hang out at CL.

[martina-d.livejournal.com]

I was actually thinking about you a couple of hours ago, as we sat at Stone Mountain, in front of the Laser Light Show brought to you by Humana! ( do you remember there being that many ads?!). I might have rather walked down the mountain with 10 kids than have a front row seat to the heathens and their parents overtaking the lawn. However, the show was decent. Except for the fire works, which Oldest Son deemed SO LOUD that he sat through the entire show with his hands over his ears.

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

Did you enjoy a nice COCA-COLA while watching your sponsored laser show?

Ugh, some of the people on the lawn are so rude that they're like cartoons of rude people.

[patsila.livejournal.com]

oh and regarding bird-flipping: a pet peeve I have (bird-flipping would be one too, though I haven't come across much of that) is women our age proudly posing with cigarettes. I mean, if you are still smoking at this age, why are you flaunting it? I am saying this as someone who occasionally will sneak a cigarette from the side of the house from time to time.
That, and people posing with artillery while making aggressive facial expressions. INTIMIDATING *snort*

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

Even better: check out the awkward pregnancy photos web site, under the "guns" heading.

[blakdove.livejournal.com]

We always get "Are they twins??" comments about Gnarly and Alexander. I've been asked that with Caitlin in sight. And the general assumption is that HE's mine and she's the loaner, if they're told otherwise. I love your comeback to "Is this your first?"

We had a lovely time. Sorry R made Ez nervous, though! It's been a while since they've seen each other. I gotta make that casserole now, and we were this close to a fruit tart run tonight. Common sense prevailed. Gnarly fell asleep talking about her cousins and you guys.

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's anything R did. I think it was just that Ez doesn't know him and he was tired, and didn't really know what was expected of him. Both kids adore Gnarly, although they do treat her a little like a pet. :D

[blakdove.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know he didn't do anything. I'm sorry that Ez was stressed, though.

Gnarly loves them, too. She's not quite at the playing-with-kids stage, though, but she really does like them a lot.

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

Well, you know Ez, too. Half the time he's actually nervous and the other half you're getting a Dramatic Interpretation of Nervous. The kids spends half his time onstage.

[lachan.livejournal.com]

thank you for the Harry Potter link! I loved it! Too true, no, seriously, I always wondered what was so special about Harry Potter, than the fame itself, nothing he accomplished! :)
and yes, try the elevator trick, see if it works, and share the knowledge of how you do this with us! :D

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

Isn't that great? She nails so much about the story, and according to the comments it really struck a nerve for people. It's a little odd to me how weird some adults are about HP!

[dcart.livejournal.com]

You might see me flipping the bird in pictures taken by my siblings, but that's only because I tend to revert to being 12 around them. Other than two years when two of them were in Orlando with them, I've lived across the country from them since we were in our late teens.

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

There's one in my photos where it was a friend and me, and her husband at the last second stuck his hand right in front of the camera and did it. It was funny contextually. If ALL his photos were like that, I'd worry about him, though. :D

[jigsawdiva.livejournal.com]

The Hermione piece is brilliant. Thank you!

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

I especially liked the bit about the whole Chosen One thing.

[jigsawdiva.livejournal.com]

Yes. I forwarded it to a friend, but I neglected to warn her about the comments. So sad.

I just noticed the title of your entry. When I was pregnant with the Dude, Dogfather would talk about what always happens to the pregnant female that separates from and falls behind the herd.

[lolliejean.livejournal.com]

I loved the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books as a kid! I own all of them and I'm hoping that one day I'll be reading them to a grandchild.

Daughter's IVF first attempt happens soon, think good thoughts!

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

Oooh, many good thoughts! I can't wait to hear good news. :D

Love me some Mrs. Piggle Wiggle!

[bramey.livejournal.com]

The recipe looks yummy. I am printing it out as I type. Odd, though, that it was originally published in Cooking Light. 469 calories and 849 mg sodium per serving is light?

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

Well, 469 calories for an entire meal isn't really that bad. It doesn't require a side dish (although I served with applesauce), so that is the meat, carbs, and vegetable all together. Cooking Light has a lot of excellent recipes. My things are often not quite as light because I prefer to use less of the REAL version of food rather than reduced-fat cheese or what have you.