What a day....

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So, so much to say, and always so little time....

Well guys, I have a bun in the oven. Yep. I'm preggers. Woo Hooo! Well, I'm finally at the woo hoo point after much anxiety and a few tears. But it's wonderful news and we're so excited. Caroline said "I'm going to be a big sister" after much prompting. When we first asked her if she wanted a baby she said "NOPE". She has this funny way of saying nope so that the P pops on the end and she thinks it's so funny. I did not think it was funny. So we'll have a June baby. It feels a bit crazy but I guess I couldn't ask for anything but crazy. So that's the big news, on to other boring stuff.

Halloween was so fun and Caroline was so cute. She was a chicken and I must say she looked pretty darn sweet! I've posted some photos of our attempt at trick or treating. The monster walk in Columbiana is a real bummer for real trick or treating. I personally think we should all just forget about the monster walk. OK FOLKS -- IT"S STUPID! Okay, I feel much better now. But really, standing in line for candy is not trick-or-treating. It is a waste of time. But anyway.... We did have fun and it wasn't that hard to get Caroline to sleep. I was shocked because she had eaten about half a bag of candy before we even put her costume on. Thank you Daddy.

I hope everyone is well. Hopefully Halloween brought lots of fun for everyone.

Ali

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Rain, Rain.....

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This picture is a blast from the past. I found it after someone said Caroline looked more like Chris. I broke it out to prove a point! haha. I love it!!!

I'm listening to the rain and putting off getting ready for work. I'm glad I don't have a "real job" or I might have been fired a long time ago. I'd love nothing better than going back to bed. But I doubt Caroline would be cool with that.

I'm excited about the Fall. Chris doesn't know it yet be we're going to Old Baker's Farm this weedend for a pumpkin!! I already have three but what's three more? I LOVE Halloween. I bought lots of Halloween candy yesterday and I had to come home and hide it from Chris. I just hope I can remember where I hid it when Halloween gets here.

I broke out a few Halloween decorations, the ones I could find anyway. We have these two ghosts on the front porch and when the wind blows them Caroline says "It scare me, mama". My goal of getting her to think that ghosts and monsters are funny isn't working that well. How do kids know to be afraid?

I guess I can't sit here all day. I'm off to get ready for work... ugh!

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I guess I am a crazy woman...

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I'm not sure my last post made any sense. To anyone. Even me. I think I was overwhelmed by the rudeness in this little town. Go ahead and say it, "that's what you get, Ali". Okay, now that we've got that out of the way we will all feel better. On to other things.........

My sweet, sweet child is probably more hard headed than I am. God bless her (and me). She throws these fits that cause strangers to stop what they are doing and gasp like someone is ripping her limbs off. This happens daily, as she has been "going through the terrible 2's" since she was nine months old. Seriously. I usually try to keep the screaming to a minimum but sometimes I just can't give in to her multiple demands. I mean, seriously, who do I think I am, the mama? The latest is the hitting. I won't blame it on a cute little boy who has an obsession with Wii boxing. I'll just call it an age thing. I've been trying to be consistent and send her to the corner when she hits. It's pretty bad when we go somewhere and I have "the talk" (you know be sweet, blah blah) and before I can even say it she says, "No hit". So, yesterday we had marathon poopy day. I know that you all want to hear details of the poop but I'll save that talk for cocktail parties and wedding receptions. On about the third big poop Caroline decides that she is DONE with changing her diaper. Now diaper changing is not one of her favorite activities anyway and though I often let a wet diaper drag the ground before I change it, a poop is different. A poop stinks and burns soft little bottoms which often causes more screaming and serious guilt in mama land. So I get Caroline on the makeshift changing table and start to change her diaper. She is perfectly still and even says thank you afterward. Yeah right. Maybe in some other lifetime. So Caroline is kicking and screaming. All I hear is "I don't" "NO" and then she pops me right in the nose. Yep. She smacked me. Well before I could stop myself I had spanked her little bottom and said "NO hitting". Oh, the irony. And even more ironic is that the spanking seemed to work and there was no more screaming, no more kicking, only a few whimpers and then nothing. I couldn't believe it. So I put her down to play and we go back to the den. As I walk into the den Caroline looks right into my eyes and says: "Mommy, corner now!" I had to leave the room to laugh. But I probably should have gone and sat in the corner. She is my monkey. My marvelous little monkey. Pin It

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I'm pulling out my soapbox. Beware.

I've listened for years to people who talk about cooperation, kindness, loving your neighbor, etc., etc., etc. I embrace these things, as those of you who know me know. I have my own set of flaws, don't get me wrong. Lord knows that I'm not any where near perfect. But I've listened to people talk about cooperation and kindness and loving your neighbor and then watched as they did exactly the opposite. And I guess I'm a bit slow, but I've just realized that what they always meant is "Cooperate with people who are like you, be kind to those who can get you something, and love your neighbor if they 'fit' in the neighborhood." I'm disappointed. I feel really disappointed.

Most of you know about my boys. The ten teenage boys who have become my children, my headache, my heart. And I know there are some who think teenagers are annoying and selfish. And you are right. But they are also people. I can remember how I felt as a teenager and I appreciate the adults who were kind to me even though I probably didn't deserve their kindness. I think I am the person I am today because of those adults.

I feel like Dr. Don's sermon last Sunday has had REAL relevance in my life this week. And I'm struggling to keep it fresh in my mind because the dark side of me wants to flush it down the toilet and get ugly! But I'm trying to 'kill people with kindness'. Because they are, after all, people.

All of this gibberish adds up to my desire to live in a world that is truly cooperative. One that doesn't judge a seventeen year old boy because his mother smoked too much crack. One that accepts someone no matter how they look, smell, or act. I want to live in a world where people accept me no matter what. And I've heard a million times that I am being naive. That this kind of world does not exist. That I should join the 'real world'. But I am telling you, my friend, WE created the present. We created the drama, the hate, and the uncooperative attitudes of society. And I feel disappointed in myself for doing so.

I would never ask for love. I think that may be too much to ask from a stranger who has no history, and no connection with another stranger. Because love is, after all, just a connection with another being. But I don't think asking for cooperation is too much. I think it's difficult and requires one to set aside their assumptions. But shouldn't we want that as spiritual human beings? And don't we? I know that I want to be included and to be accepted. I'm sure my fellow humans wants the same thing. The strange part is that I EXPECT to be respected and accepted and I find myself being disrespectful and unaccepting of others. Oh, the irony.

I hope that I can find cooperation in myself. I hope that I can learn to be the change I so desire.

May we love others as much as we love ourselves.

Always,
Ali Pin It

Class of 1998

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Our ten year high school reunion was Saturday. It was really fun and good to see so many people. It's so funny how easy it is to re-connect with people even after ten years. I'm not sure many people have changed all that much. Everyone seemed to have fun and I'm glad we did it.

This is the photo of everyone who came (minus their dates). Can you say Class of 1998 has ADHD?

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Beach Baby

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We spent the week of the 4th at the beach. It was wonderful! "We" included my entire family. It's always amazing how small we can all make a big four bedroom house! We ventured to St. George Island this year. We're usually Sunset Beach people but the ten hour drive would have broke the bank this year. It's a great island and I now know why they call it the forgotten coast. We spent the week in the sand and the sun and I have a slight tan! This is the first tan I've had in about ten years! Caroline loved the beach and the water. She would just run straight into the waves, unafraid.

We all had so much fun. We went to one of the best parades I've ever been to, no joke. Instead of throwing candy most floats sprayed you with these huge super soakers! It was great since the parade was at noon and it was so hot. The highlight of the week was spent watching fireworks on the beach on the 4th. Beth and Brandon stopped on the way out of Alabama and bought all these "great" fireworks. She thought spending sixty bucks was going to blow away the crowds on the island. HA! The fireworks there made Liberty Day look lame. It was hilarious because all of these huge fireworks would go off and then we would shoot one that looked like a roman candle. Too funny!

I hope you all enjoy the pictures. Hope all is well :)

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I thought I'd give it a go...

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So after much prompting I thought I'd give this whole blogging thing a go. We'll see how it goes and I guess you all will get to see how nuts I am. I kinda wonder who all wants to read this, but I guess you would be surprised how curious people are about someone else's life.

Life updates:

Caroline will be eighteen months old in three days. She is the highlight of my life and also happens to be the most beautiful child I know (running a tight race with four other blue eyed beauties I know). She can say nearly anything she wants to say, including DUMB DOG and, my personal favorite, Are you okay? She really is a smart baby and I worry that she is growing up too fast.

I'm doing some contract work at a group home for teenage boys (God help me) and it hasn't been too terrible so far. For the most part they are a good group of guys. They really make me laugh sometimes. I think I had started to forget how self consumed teenagers are (not that I was EVER self consumed! HA!) and so it's funny when they freak out about things. I have already heard myself say (more than once) "Because I am the adult, and you are the child." I try my best not to have to say that phrase because once you do, you've lost them . They don't hear anything else because you 'just don't get it'. I'm sure my mom doesn't think that ten teenagers is punishment enough for all that I put my mom and dad through.

In November we bought the money pit. Not really. Really we bought a house on East College Street that was built in the late 1800's. It had not really been touched since the 1950's and it smelled pretty terrible. Now when I say it smelled pretty terrible I mean that it stunk like no tomorrow. We've been working on the house since then. Thankfully, we have a great family and some good friends who worked really hard helping us. Had it not been for them we would still be stripping wallpaper. We have 'finished' all but two rooms (and the sun porch). It is absolutely unbelievable what all we've done(and I say WE collectively because every single person who painted, scraped, cleaned, and picked up really heavy furniture a ridiculous number of times is part of that WE). Sometimes I can't remember what a room looked like before and THAT is amazing! It even feels like a different house.

Our life has been crazy (I mean that quite literally) since November and I hope that things are calming down.

I'll see if I can post some photos.....

All the Best,
Ali

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