Paper in My Soup...

It all started with a super-hot mommy/daddy only date to this swank (sort of) restaurant that we LOVE, Emmy's, which has the BEST authentic German fare around.  It had been so long since we'd been last, it took me forever to decide upon what to order. After pouring over the menu for what seemed like an eternity, I finally chose to perhaps...maybe...possibly...try the fish.

I asked the waitress what I considered to be a completely normal question, to which I anticipated a completely normal answer: "Where do you get your fish?" WEEEEELLLLLLL...you'd have thought I asked how to concoct a nuclear bomb by the look on her face! She insisted she didn't have any idea from where the fish came and proceeded to WAVE OVER the manager...ugh! He leaned over our on our table with both hands, looked me square in the eye (he was totally in my personal space, btw), and said he could go "look on the box!" Really, dude????  Then, he inquired whether or not I was allergic to something in particular and if that might have anything to do with my question. "No," I said, and assured him that I would simply have the filet instead. I couldn't very well tell Mr. Manager that I preferred NOT to ingest his now highly-questionable frozen fish from a box, now could I?  After all, it was branded "New" on the menu...

So, there we were, munchin' on the appetizer schnitzel, when the next course appeared at the table...the homemade potato soup! YUM! This soup is usually my absolute favorite part of the meal, but tonight, it contained a little unexpected suprise. THERE I WAS...quietly enjoying the minor slurping of my lovely soup...when, all of a sudden, I began to detect a slight need for negotiation between my teeth and a stubborn potato peel. I chewed, I gnawed, I did everything but actually pick my teeth with my fork...and FINALLY freed the lodged bit of potato peel from it's place of entrapment between my pearly whites. Next, a dilemma...what to do??? Should I simply swallow said peel and move on to the rest of my soup? Did I dare take it out of my mouth and attempt to discreetly place it on my napkin? Did I even try to voice my relief that it was no longer causing my such angst? ARGH...decisions, decisions, decisions!

As a last resort, I finally chose the path of discreet elimination...I quickly and carefully grabbed the potato peel and placed it on the edge of my soup platter.  BUT, IT WASN'T A POTATO PEEL...IT WAS PAPER!!!!!!!!   There had been a tiny scrap of paper swimming just below the surface of my beloved soup the whole time...what a let-down. Again, I was torn as to what my course of action should be. If I called the waitress over, would it be yet another excuse for her to lose her mind, feign ignorance of the matter, and wave over the personal-space-invading manager? I had to find out.

When the waitress came over to fill our water glasses, I explained to her the situation with the paper in my soup, honestly expecting...well, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. In a much more professional manner than the fish scandal, she thanked me for letting her know and left, making her report to the manager across the room moments later. When she returned, she apologized and offered us one free dessert. I explained that both Hubby and I had sworn off sweets for Lent and that we could not possibly accept her offer. She then proceeded to try to get us to take the dessert home to our children. I declined again, but to no avail. She tried once more, but I declined once more, assuring her that I really just wanted the staff to know that there was paper in my soup...and that it could be in other unsuspecting soup dishes anywhere around the room. Waitress finally left us alone, after practically begging us to take a free dessert, and we finished our otherwise-marvelous meal.

Over the remainder of our dinner, I regaled Hubby with the thrilling tale of how, when I was but a child, I once thought that I was chewing on the fatty remains of a piece of ham I'd had in the school cafeteria, but it turned out to be a spider on which I gnawed. Gross. I guess if there's any consolation whatsoever in this funky tale, it's that I at least did not find a spider in my potato soup...just paper...

All-time Low...

You know, I really and truly thought that having to take stool samples from an infant was the all-time low.  I now, however, realize that it's the near daily squishy poo-left behind in Ethan's otherwise cute little outfits-that lead to the all-time lows...lowS...plural...keeps happening over and over...

The plastic grocery sack. I see it. It waits for me. Inside lurks the nasty left-overs of Ethan's "blow-out." Sometimes one sack...sometimes two...sitting, waiting, firmenting...the heinous fog laying in wait, ready to spring forth at the first opportunity...

And when I get home, I have no other choice but to just throw it all in the wash, right? WRONG! The soiled drawers have to first be RINSED...which means, of course, releasing said fog/smell/wretched thing...

Yep...gotta' soak that stuff, then spray it off, and hope for the best.

I could not ask for better care than that of the fine ladies who keep an ever-watchful eye on our boy. But, you know, I almost feel as though they are the lucky ones. After all, they do not have to wrangle the contents of the evil white grocery sack each afternoon.

Yes, these are the days of the all-time low...

V-Day...

That Eric Springs certainly had a trick up his sleeve this year! "Mrs. Springs, please come to the office." (Oh, no!  I've been busted!) "You have a Valentine delivery." (Wahoo...and all the kiddies get to see it.) Eric also BROUGHT TO MY CLASSROOM DOOR earlier in the day a box of chocolate covered strawberries from Creative Kitchen...yummo!!!! It was so funny...he told me later that three 8th grade girls working in the class next door put him through an inquisition about his relationship to me. Apparently, the whole thing ended in secretive giggles. Oh, the world of junior high.

We ended the evening with a super romantic date for five at LaFiesta when neither of us managed to make it home in time to cook dinner. :0) We did run into some friends there, so it ended up being a semi-mediumish sized group, hangin' out in the back room of a Mexican restaurant for V-Day.  Good times...all good times!

Officially Unfinished...

As Eric and I prepared to leave the hospital with our older two boys, we knew we were bringing them home to cute, prepared, ready-to-go nurseries that had been completed months ahead of time.  You'd think, being the planner that I am, that Ethan's nursery situation would be the same...lucky for him, he's little and won't remember the unfinished, completely incomplete nursery that he'll have to come home to! 

With what little strength and stamina I have remaining, today I finished unpacking all of the Huggies boxes that contained seven years worth of various-sized clothing.  All of it was repackaged into Space Bags...my new BFFs!  It's amazing to me that eight diaper boxes and four plastic tubs worth of clothing (which were stashed in three different closets around the house) can now fit into one one small space below a shelf in the nursery closet.  Not a pretty picture, but it all fits.  Next is to construct some sort of curtain/covering so I don't have to look at all those Space Bags every time I get into the closet for a burpie or bib!

Eric and I (mostly Eric) will be painting the ceiling white on Saturday...it's currently a dirty, light beige of some sort and just really makes the room darker than it needs to be.  The unofficial theme of the room is birds, so I have some silver metallic bird art pieces to spray paint this weekend as well.  Silver is NOT going to work in a room of browns and blues, so we'll go for a more "hammered" bronze look...Lowe's, here we come!  I also have a couple of craft projects lined up.  Maybe I can get started on those tomorrow (today, actually, seeing as how it in the AM HOURS AND I'M AWAKE...again). 

My sister, Erica, and I have a double baby shower at church on Sunday afternoon.  My big plan was to wait until after this shower to see exactly what we still need to properly plan for Ethan's arrival home.  Well, Monday at my check-up, the due date was changed to next week!  So, I've gone on ahead and ordered a few NECESSITIES from my own registry, praying that they'll arrive before Ethan does!  He may have his fresh, new crib bedding ready to go...and he might not.  Like I said, it's a good thing he's too young to remember, because this boy's hangout won't be finished until, well...who knows???

It Is Not For Me To Question God's Will (Caution, tear-jerker)...

I know nothing compared to the Lord's wisdom and the plans he has in store for each of us; however, if I could ask God one thing, I would want to know why Eric's father is not here with us today.  On Father's Day, I have wondered that very thing for five consecutive years now...and obviously at other key times as well.  I wonder why he's been called to Heaven and has to miss t-ball and soccer games, Grandparent's Day, preschool graduations, school functions of various sorts, etc.  I know that he would relish being involved in Braden's Boy Scout activities and that he would put a firm foot down to help stop Garrett's suddenly "smart" mouth...but in only the way a grandparent could.  I know that he would sit in the kitchen and dunk Oreos with my boys (and me, too?) and that he would go fishing with them and their daddy.  I know that he would cherish Ethan the very same way that he doted on Braden and Garrett...the pictures of him snuggling our babies are now priceless treasures.

Our boys have experienced much loss in the way of fatherly figures and they know all too well the devestation of disease and old age.  "Cancer" is a common term for my children, even though they don't fully comprehend what it entails.  Braden and Garrett know, even at so young an age, that everyone's Earthly life will end at some point and that we must trust in God's love to bring us all together again in Heaven.  They remember Grandpa's passing, but were so young when Curley and Papaw passed...they only "remember" the stories we so willingly share of these great men who loved them, but have since gone on before them.  I have some solace in the fact that my grandfathers, at least, lived long productive lives, and were such a huge part of my own upbringing.  But, I am heartbroken at this one time each year that my husband has lost his father before his own children could revel in Papa Curley's love, affection, attention, humor, and wisdom.  These things can never be replaced by anyone else here on Earth, for nothing can replace the special bond between grandparent and grandchild.  I am so sad that our boys will never know that relationship, my own father unable to provide it.

I know that "normal" is a relative term, and to say our boys have a "normal" upbringing is relative as well.  Their normal is a life filled with Mom and Dad, their grandmothers and greatgrandmothers, and countless other adults who almost fill the void left by those who are no longer in our lives.  Our family has been blessed by so many who have reached out to us, created relationships with us, and -most importantly- somewhat bridged the chasm left by the absence of this key member of our family.  There are others in this world who have suffered similar-and worse- loss of family.  There are others who have children with no grandparents to speak of.  There are others whose tragedy far outweighs what we've gone through, and continue to deal with, in the absence of Eric's dad, in particular.  It is not for me to question God's will or to sit around feeling sorry for myself, my husband, or our boys.  But sometimes I just wonder why it has to be this way...

What's Up With the Blogs?...

So, I was going through the list of blogs that I follow and noticed some very strange stuff.  Some folks have stopped blogging, some folks have gone private, and some simply seem to have dropped off the face of the earth.  My very favorite blog of all time was The Sew Cute Shop, which I ran across a few years ago on Etsy.  It's GONE!  WHAT?!?!?!?!?!  Ugh!  I LOVE this woman's work, crafts, ethics, and just plain dig her approach to life...and now she's gone...disappeared...poof...vamoosh!  Oh, the pain, the agony...

Blogger pals, so sorry to see you go...
(tear...sniffle...)

Reminiscing on Edwardsville...

We had a great time visiting with Eric's mom last week.  She took this photo of the two of us after we returned from a fabulous dinner at Andrea's Steakhouse...to die for! (the food, not the pic) 

We enjoyed taking the kids to the Children's Museum again.  They just love it there.  Unfortunately, it was that very same evening that Garrett came down with a fever...confirmed the next day strep.  He muddled through our trip the the St. Louis Mills mall (fever had gone away with Tylenol...I did not force him to go while running a high temp...I know what you're thinking...).  That evening, Braden began to complain...the next day, confirmed as strep.  What are the odds???

With both children under quarantine from the rest of the free world, we hunkered down for two days of Monopoly.  Garrett beat us every game!  He is ruthless!  I'm not sure he knows exactly what he's doing or not, but none of us have EVER beat him since we purchased the game last year.  Odd...

By the time we headed home on Wednesday, everyone was feeling fine.  I am SO LUCKY that I didn't get strep as well, seeing as how I ate after both children at the mall.  It's second nature, you know, for a momma to just finish up whatever her children leave behind.  Right????  Or maybe it's just because I'm a preggo...oh well...

2:55 AM...

It's nearly three o'clock in the morning, and here I sit...
Garrett came storming in around 12ish to tell me that he "needed" me.  After getting him back to sleep and wedging myself between two large pillows, I discovered that Ethan was awake, too, and rolling around on my rib cage.  NO SLEEP!  I did take Tylenol PM, but now I'm just groggy and can't sleep.  I've been sitting here on the computer for the better part of an hour or so.  Ethan is finally sleeping again, so perhaps I can attempt to go back to bed...or maybe not...

Bully Buster...

So, while at Garrett's CHURCH LEAGUE ballgame last night, Braden and his friend Alex got into some trouble with bullies on the adjacent playground.  Specifically, Braden said he accidentally bumped into a boy who had an icee...and dropped it due to the bump...who then told Braden he would kill him for doing that.  Then, he proceeded to round up a friend or two to chase Braden around the playground.  He finally came to tell me and I escorted him back to the bleachers.  He insisted he wasn't scared, but I assured him there was no reason to push it...sit down and wait for the end of the game. 

Then there's the photo above.  Several older boys, probably 10-11 years old, were charging the smaller kids a quarter just to be able to slide down the slide.  Braden said he guessed the password correctly ("banana"), but Alex gave them a quarter to slide.  He came to tell his mom and she told him to go get his money back.  He was timid, so I offered to go with him.  That's Braden in the red T-shirt and Alex beside him in blue.  I just asked the one Alex pointed to if he had their money, but he said he hadn't taken anyone's money...but that he'd gladly give Alex a quarter if he wanted it.  Mmhmm...several kids then rolled their buddy under the bus and said he had, in fact, taken money on the slide.  The kid pulled, like, $2 in quarters out of his pocket and returned Alex's money. 

Just to insure that said bully's big momma didn't come lookin' for me, I finished up with a mini-lecture to the whole group about playing nice with each other on the playground.  At this point, some preteen lookin' girl piped up and said "I told them that, I told them!"  I guess she was supposed to be watching after them or something.  Big momma never did come after me, but I stuck close to the dugout until it was time to go...just in case...

Great American Pastime...

*Before I go on, I just want to make it known that I am baffled by the way Blogger is refusing to turn my photos right-side-up when they are saved that way.  UGH!

Anyway, now that that's off my chest, I'm playing catch-up big time.  The next few posts are events that have passed, but are still totally important...just not so important that I was willing to give up precious family time at the end of the school year to blog about them.  Now that I'm officially off on summer vacay, things should be better...here's hoping! :0)

 These photos are from our very first Arkansas Naturals baseball game last Sunday evening in Springdale, AR.  We had a blast watching AA ball, but it was HOT!  How can it be this hot in early June, I ask?  What a trick...no spring, just rain and heat.

                                 Including the nephews, Tyler and Jacob. 

                          Can you say T-R-O-U-B-L-E????

Well, well...what have we here?  Oh, double-chin girlie and her hubby.  I love doing things like this together...he's such a good daddy and a wonderful helper for me when those ornery boys get a little out of sorts!  Fun, fun, fun!

Ethan's Baby Shower...

Today, my friend Jennifer and I had a double baby shower at school.  It was thrown by our friends Hannah and Sara, who are awesome! 

 Jen and I at the shower...below is a photo of us abour 2 1/2 or so years ago that mysteriously showed up on the shower table. We were suprised in a good way!

I really have no clue as to why the belly photo is turned sideways!  It's right side up in my computer file, so I'm baffled.  Just the same, 7 1/2 mos. of belly is there...big!

Time Gets Away...

Braden is shocked by how hard Ethan kicks! (Ignore my double chin and focus on the amazed child!)

I am very dilligent about keeping up with who and what on FaceBook, but not so much with blogging.  Time does tend to get away from us, doesn't it????  Just a few pics to (somewhat) bring you up to speed with The Springs'.

 My enormous seven-month baby belly...poor Garrett...it's pretty intimidating to have to stand by it!

What more could a mother ask for on Mother's Day?  One chocolate-covered kid and one who was forced to smile...that would be Braden.  Literally, we had to threaten him.  What gives???

5 1/2 Months...And Counting...

I stick out in both directions now, but anyone who's known me for any length of time knows that my "back bump" has been there since birth.  I just stick out, period...always have, always will! :0)  It's hard to believe that we're past the half-way mark, and the days are just ticking away.  Missing out on the first two months of the pregnancy (due to denial on so many levels) really has sped things up.  Even my doctor can't seem to stay caught up with what needs to happen and when.  She was shocked when she discovered I hadn't been scheduled for an ultrasound...but we couldn't arrange one for two more weeks!  Like I said, can't seem to get it all together, but maybe we're on the right track now. 

On a similar note, my little sister, Erica, is due to have her baby a few weeks after ours...we found out today that she is having a boy as well!  So, that's six boys between us!  WHAT ARE THE ODDS????? 

Braden and Garrett were disappointed at first that they weren't getting the little girl of their dreams.  However, reality is sinking in and they are dreaming up all the fun things they can teach their baby brother...I'm having nightmares about it!  What this child won't think of on his own, Darrel and Darrel are bound to put him up to! 

As for names, we are tapped...all the really good ones are taken, after all!  I have wracked my brain for names that mean something to me (as I did for my other boys), but nothing works.  I may have to resort to a baby name list.  In the mean time, some suggestions from the boys have been Lightbulb, Count Duku ("Doodoo"), Darth Vader, Luke (Skywalker), and Boba Fet...see a pattern?  I have officially declared all Star Wars names off limits!  Wonder if George Lucas had any inkling that SW would be so popular with the next generation...

A New Little Friend...

Because I was going through my own personal tragedy last summer, I failed to meet the new little guy next door...the newborn, not a new boyfriend.  After I finally resigned myself to our fate, I grieved for a few months and then, low and behold, we were blessed to discover we were pregnant again.  At that point, my world turned upside down because it was so unexpected, unplanned, unforseen...and yet so wonderful!  While being wrapped up in my own little soap opera once again, I think I even managed to offend a few folks by failing to send out Christmas cards, reply to Christmas wishes, return phone calls, etc.  I was simply in shock...in a good way.  My point here is that a handsome little fellow was born last summer to our neighbors, on my birthday no less, and I'd never even seen him in person!  Major faux pas, I realize, but it is what it is.  On this rare, warm and sunny February afternoon, I met H, and he's a doll!  All of a sudden, I could see what's in our family's immediate future and I am really super excited about it!  What adventures we're in for!  So, H, it was great to meet you (finally), and to your mommy...I apologize for being a bad neighbor.  He's precious!

The Strangest Craving...

I've had the strangest craving for Emmy's restaurant lately.  It began early last week and I just couldn't get it out of my head.  For those of you not familiar with Emmy's, they serve traditional German fare, and lots of it!  I was specifically jonesin' for their deep-fried bratwurst with hot, spicy mustard.  Sounds like a terrific case of heartburn wating to happen, right?  Not to worry...Emmy's is always covered over anywhere near a holiday of any sort and my craving hit just before Valentine's Day.  So, no way were we gettin' anywhere near that place. 

While I was still in the shower getting ready for Parent's Night Out last night, Eric announced (with tons of bravado) that he had secured a place in the "bar" area at Emmy's and that we would, in fact, be joinging the hoards of hoity toity folks descending upon this luscious Germanic eatery!  Wahoo!  So, I ordered the appetizer that had the deep-fried brats and the dinner that came with deep-fried brats!  Let me tell you, the little one loved it, the big one (me) loved it, and Eric came out smelling like a rose...and German beer!  :0)

My Valenine came though with the best gift ever...just the right food for his preggo Valentine!  Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Oh, and we followed up Emmy's with two very romantic stops at Sam's Club and Wal-Mart...it wouldn't be PNO w/out the traditional shopping trip, sans kiddos!
*They will be super suprised to find their Valentine Pillow Pets tomorrow morning !

Donuts...

So, I was addicted to Little Debbie cakes...now I'm moving on to donuts.  I should have known this would hapen.  I'm not sure why it is that I always get addicted to sugary sweets when I'm pregnant, but I do.  Why can't I become obsessed with, like, carrot sticks or something remotely healthy?  You know, become a little gree-eatin' rabbit????  NOOOOO...I have to get jacked up on sugar or else I'm goin' stir crazy!  Hmmmm...even the 100 calorie sweets won't do.  Gotta' have the real thing.
Damn...it's pretty bad when I can be likened in any way to the great Homer (Simpson, that is...not the blind poet guy).

WHAT???????...

Somehow, in all the pregnancy excitement-most likely, I failed to post anything about Christmas!  I was clearing out the card on my camera and realized that nothing from the holidays made it to the blog...not even FaceBook!  What in the world???!!!  So, in the near future (maybe not today), I will be posting info and photos from Christmas. 

Oh, and my belly is really big.  Should it be this huge already?  I just don't remember everything changing so quickly the last two times.  I am now in the clothing phase that I like to refer to as "nothing fits."  My regular clothes pinch, pull, and otherwise disfigue my expanding belly, while maternity clothes are baggy, limp, and look rediculous...as if I just WISH I were preggers!  I'm certainly a lot more creative with my wardrobe this time around, but it's getting difficult.  Funny, I thought I wouldn't need any of my winter maternity clothes...Mother Nature fooled me all the way around!

Totally Depressing...

Hey, I realize I totally fell off the blogging wagon and failed to post for quite some time.  BUT, it's hard to motivate myself to post when it appears that I am posting for my own health...and I'm NOT!  Who wants to spend all this time away from the joy of life if nobody is even going to comment, editorialize, argue, or just tell me to kiss their patooty!????  It's just like that classic Reba song..."Is there life out there?"  Well, is there?  Hmph!  And I have big news to share, but I guess I'll just keep it to myself.  Yes, I'm pouting...deal with it.

Combat In The Corn...

I follow international, independent reporter Michael Yon on Facebook, and he recently posted this video about combat in Afghanistan from the 6o Minutes television program.  It was VERY enlightening.  The entire video is approximately 13 minutes.  I was heartened, though, by the commentary of a young soldier at the very end.  When asked by his daughter why he had to leave again, he replied that his goal is to help as many good people as he can, to take out as many bad people as he can, and to make it home with as many of his fellow troops as he can.  So, if  you don't have time for the whole thing, check out the final five minutes...it's worth your time.

The All-Boy Crew...

One beautiful, October afternoon, Larry finally warmed up to this crew of boys...and Tehya!  Pulling out fence posts with the tractor was the perfect excuse for the kids to be super excited and hangin' around outside.  Brian and Jon had come from OKC and my boys had been at the MacSteel picnic all day.  We all came together just in time for some super duper good times!