Sunday Geocaching

Inspired by a spark of curiosity while recently reading the Boxcar Children book The Box That Watch Found, Lily and daddy checked out geocaching online. What a fun hobby!

Borrowing my in-laws GPS, we downloaded a couple of nearby locations and went on our adventure. It was cold out there today, but we didn't get any accumulating snow yesterday so we figured we'd better head out while we had the chance.

What a hoot!! We went to three locations and at least were able to locate one of them. It was a lot of fun as a family though and I'm pretty sure we just found a great family activity to do next summer that will also be baby friendly. We can't wait!

Bundled up and ready to go

On our way

Some of us searched

While others played

Daddy found it!

Have you ever tried geocaching? If not, give it a try. Our family highly recommends it.

November Daybook

For Today...11.9.10

Outside My Window...another nice day on tap before the cold air hits again later this week.

I Am Thinking...about Christmas lists and Baby names. What a combination!

I Am Thankful For...family time over the weekend; free movie matinee of Marmaduke at the theatre; lunch with grandpa & grandma at Pizza Hut; numerous odds and ends completed around home. Sweetness!

I Am Praying...for a mom from our homeschool group who is due with triplets (all girls) around the same time I am. I know she'd appreciate any extra prayers we can send her way.

I Am Reading...A Gathering of Angels by Katherine Valentine

Baby This Week...26 weeks and moving around regularly with frequent jabs that catch mommy off guard; enjoys responding to big brother and big sister by kicking back; he/she should weigh around 2 lbs. by now.

Favorite Pregnancy Foods...summer sausage, bagels and any cereal. Nothing fancy.

Around The House...little by little hubby is adding the finishing touches on the family room/playroom in the basement. This should allow for Baby's Room to be rid of the Little People/Polly Pocket World it has become.

From The School Room...steady days starting 2nd quarter and a number of fall/Thanksgiving projects will adorn the bulletin board once again.

From The Kitchen...going day by day lately with the menu plans, but I'm frequently using my Betty Crocker app on the iPod Touch for recipe ideas. I've found quite a few keepers lately.

For The Rest Of The Week...Norwex party tonight; visit to a Poor Clare's convent an hour away tomorrow with our Little Flowers group; Reed is off from work for Veterans Day on Thursday.

One Of My Favorite Things...the way my growing belly has become a bongo drum and source of entertainment for the kids. Not to mention Jonah's growing fascination and love for baby. Too sweet.

Picture Thought I Am Sharing...





Check out more Daybooks at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Flashback

Last week as I flipped channels on the television late in the afternoon, something caught my eye. The Backstreet Boys were reuniting as part of a surprise on a tv talk show (which shall remain nameless).

This I had to see.

I mean, I liked BSB back in the day and probably was more of a closet BSB fan than most girls at the time. But they were five guys...and they were so dreamy. You know you liked them too, just admit it.

Remember these album covers?




I think we all had our favorite. Mine was Kevin and sometimes even Brian.

So I waited and I watched for them to appear on the show. I had to check out how the guys had aged (and some of them even grown up).

Suddenly an unknown, forgotten giddy feeling came out of the blue while I watched. I could suddenly remember almost every word to their songs. It felt odd to be in my thirties and remember a day prior to my twenties when Boy Bands were all the rage. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing or hearing BSB or N SYNC (yup, you remember them too?).

They still had their harmonic sounds and their boy band ways, but now they're all grown up and we're all a little wiser. But man, it's amazing how a moment like that with all five back together again singing I Want It That Way can bring out the schoolgirl again.

I was smiling as I listened and I think I was even *blushing*.

And yes, when hubby arrived home I told him the whole story and we had a good laugh over it. I reminded him that even back then when I was single it wasn't like I 'even had a shot with one of those guys'. It was more about the mesmerizing ways of those handsome boy bands that caught most girls eyes. It seems so silly now and pretty hysterical that I still blush just by the mere mention of it. Oh boy.

I even half-heartily joked about hitting their concert when they are on tour in the spring with New Kids On The Block! No really, not gonna happen.

I mean maybe IF I were like a big fan or something. Hypothetically speaking.




***This slightly embarassing flashback moment brought to you by the slightly hormonal pregnant woman on the other side of the computer screen. We never need speak of this again.

100 Days (More Or Less)

Check out my Baby Ticker on the sidebar!

We're officially just 100 days from our due date. Hooray!!

I know, it's still a ways off, but I know with the holidays ahead that the weeks are going to fly by. We're so excited....and I've got some work to do in baby's room and some shopping to be done too yet. Yikes.

Most importantly, we cannot wait to meet our healthy baby boy or girl and be amazed at the preciousness of a new little one in our home once again.

Mommy Matters: Infant Car Seats

We're in the market for a new infant car seat for baby. We had a Graco Snugride with our other two children and I saved it because it was in such good condition. I then found out that due to our lengthy wait on baby news, it was far beyond the suggested time for upgrading.

So, we've got some car seat shopping to do. It's not exactly the most fun thing to do in the grand scheme of baby preparation shopping, but it does come down to my child's safety so it's kind of important, right? Except, that when I'm looking at car seats it goes beyond safety. It becomes about carrying comfort, color, style and fabric. Oh, and price. We are talking about putting precious cargo in this little thing, but seriously I'm not gonna pay $300 for one of these! I'm more in the less than $125 range.

I'm also finding it difficult to find neutral/unisex fabrics in these car seats. Does everyone find out baby's gender before birth and buy a gender specific car seat?? Good gracious. And then there are just plain ones that have black or gray, but I'd like to have a little bit of color/style in the fabric. And of course there are themed ones (jungle, Pooh, animals, etc.) which I personally just don't care for. I also want to like (no, I don't need to LOVE it) the thing since I will be lugging it around for a while and hope to use it again for another child.

I think we've narrowed it down to either another Graco Snugride or the Baby Trend brand since they seem to fit all of my criteria.

Here are a couple I've found online that I kind of like, but am not particularly attached to:

Graco Snugride in Lively Dots


Baby Trend in Mesa



Hubby doesn't really have a preference in this sort of thing and will be fine with whatever I choose. I could use your suggestions.

I'm wondering if you have a favorite brand? What's worked for you? Any current deals out there you're aware of and can share?

Gentle Reminder

Quote:

You will effect more by kind words and by a courteous manner than by anger or sharp rebuke, which should never be used except in necessity.

~ St. Angela Merici ~


Prayer:

Give me your voice, Lord. Help me to see that the words I choose can build up or tear down. When I grow tired of repeating myself and want to give up or shout, inspire me with a better way to gain my children's attention. Give me grace to correct fairly and inspire virtue. Help me to say out loud the things that are good and true about my children. I want to encourage them.

~ Author Unknown ~

For All The Saints

Click the video for the sung Litany of Saints. One of my favorite hymns that is rarely heard. This version is similar to the one that was song on our wedding day and is one of our most precious memories.

Happy All Saints Day!!