Happy Camper…

Here is a small recap of the 4x4 adventure that we went on with our friends…

1. We spent 2 and a half days driving to our “destination”, and it rained for 1 and a half of those days.

a. on the one hand, the area we were travelling to really needed the rain for forest fire control.

b. on the other hand, our Jeep leaked.  A lot.  As did the metal locker box that was storing all of our hikers and rain boots and rain jackets and windbreakers.

 

2. The temperature on the top of the mountain where we were camping and 4x4ing was approximately 3degrees.  Or less.  And damp.

 

a. on the one hand, the damp was great for the prevention of forest fires.

b. on the other hand, all our “wet wear” was, well, wet.  And it was 3degrees.  See 1b.

 

3. Berry Boy walked through a huge mudhole.  In his only dry pair of shoes.  See 1b.  I have nothing else to add.

 

4. The 4x4 trail was very, um, technical

a. on the one hand, it made for a great adventure

b. on the other hand, my fingerprints are firmly embedded in the dash.

c. on the other hand, the carton of apple juice and the 4 cans of Coke that I had inexplicably left loose in the 4x4 camper we were towing were caused to burst since the camper was bouncing about 2 feet off the ground as we 4x4’d.  Yes.  Yes they did.

 

5. We departed from the 4x4 mountain and hit the lake to visit my sister and her family.

a. on the one hand, it was nice and sunny and warm.

b. on the other hand, it was nice and sunny and warm and dry.

 

6. We then drove home for two days.

a. on the one hand, we got a sweet deal on a cushy hotel room with a king-sized bed, fireplace, jacuzzi tub, free hot breakfast and Starbucks just across the road.

b. on the other hand, we had to use the massive jacuzzi tub to soothe Berry Baby’s flaming diaper rash.  Resultant from him *unloading* into his diaper earlier that day, in his carseat, such that he required a complete change of clothes and that I *really* needed to wash his carseat cover when we got home.

c. on the other hand, Starbucks didn’t open the next morning until NINE A.M.  And I couldn’t convince Berry Guy to wait the extra half an hour, and I was forced to be satisfied with Tim Hortons for the rest of the trip.

d. on the other hand, Berry Guy appeased me by stopping later in the day at Dairy Queen for blizzards.

 

7. We got home safe and sound on Wednesday evening.

a. on the one hand the boys were psyched to be not in the Jeep and playing with their toys.

b. on the other hand, I had to kill 20 moths that night.  And 8 the next night.

c. on the other hand, my marriage almost came to an abrupt end because Berry Guy had *forgotten* to throw out all the meat from the soft-sided cooler, and we had taken it all home with us.  In the heat.  And he had packed my Starbucks Ethiopian Sidamo coffee in there.  Which was really the clincher.

d. on the other hand, I was just really glad to be home.

Scenes of Serenity from our adventure:

up in the mountains, in the boat with my great friend, our coffees, and our books, stealing a bit of peace from our boys…

 

at the lake, visiting my sister…

on the way home (who knew you could find good iced coffee in a small mining town), I had my coffee break…

while the boys had theirs…

Conflicted

I love being a Mom.

I love being at work.

Herein lies the dilemma.

I started my job two years before we decided to start our family, and it’s a job I really enjoy.  However, when Berry Boy was due to come along, Berry Guy and I both felt that it would be best if I were able to stay home full time with him and not have to return to work – our finances were tight but we made it work, and neither of us has ever regretted that decision.  I would not trade those years with Berry Boy for anything.

When Berry Boy turned 3, I returned to work part time.  They asked, they offered hours that I could definitely live with, and “Granny” (my MIL) was willing to look after Berry Boy for 2 days a week while my sweet and wonderful friend was willing to take him for the half day per week.  And I have never regretted this decision either.

Now, since having Berry Baby, I work basically part time, but my employer is gracious enough to allow me to work most of that from home, and I put in 2 mornings per week in the office.  And Granny takes care of Berry Baby (Berry Boy is in Kindergarten on these days).

This is soooo ideal, and I love it.  But I still have this conflict inside.

When I’m at work, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.  I’m driven, I work hard, and I want all the things that go with that – I want to work my way up, learn new stuff, maybe get that “prime” cubicle space…

When I’m at home, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.  I love taking care of my house (even though this is monotonous at times), I love being with the boys, I love being home when Berry Boy gets off the bus, I love having time for coffee with friends, I love being able to fit my run in whenever I need to…

I don’t know how to reconcile these parts of me.  When I’m at work, I wish that I could be there more often and do more.  But when I think about what would be sacrificed for that, my heart absolutely rebels.  But when I see co-workers training in stuff that I had anticipated training in (before babies), or new employees getting nicer digs than me (it wouldn’t pay, really, on 2 mornings a week, for me to ask for a prime spot), I feel anxious.  Or sad.  Or something.

So how do I reconcile all this?  I want to be at work, and yet I don’t want to be at work.

I have angst.

I think I’ll have a brownie with ice cream.

Or a run.  

But probably the brownie.

Mushy Mondays

Berry Boy

I think my heart failed…

when you came downstairs where I was watching TV after I was sure you were asleep – you wanted to go to your own bed (you were laying down in ours) – and you scared me so bad that I both jumped and yelled, which in turn startled you and made you cry

I thought it was so sweet…

when you had finally gotten back to (your own) bed, and over the monitor I could hear Berry Baby start to cry in his sleep, and you hushing him with a soft “shhh shhh shhh” just like you hear us do (this is much cuter than when you knock Berry Baby over and make him cry, and then frantically say “shh shh shh” to get him to stop crying before I can come and find out what happened and give you trouble for it)

I then started to laugh…

when you were done shushing Berry Baby and instead decided to sing…a very quiet jazzy version of the ABC song, which turned into a very quiet jazzy version of “Twinkle Twinkle” – all over the baby monitor.

 

Berry Baby

You are hilarious…

in your enthusiasm for the Christmas tree decorations.  The bottom 2 ft of the tree is now bare of hanging things because you have pulled them off and either broken them or had them replaced higher up.

when you stand on the desk seat, point in the air, and *talk* about something very important (to you – I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you are very emphatic about it)

I laughed (in dismay)…

when I left you eating your meatball and rice, and came back to find you like this:

goofy expression and all…

sticky sweet and sour rice in your hair…

but really, who could be mad at that face?

Mushy Mondays

 Berry Boy

You made me laugh…

when you were getting ready for church, and you said that Berry Baby’s new plaid shirt was “gorgeous”, and then you added “but I look way more gorgeouser even” (I won’t count how many grammar violations were in that sentence)

when you were starving hungry before supper and you told me that I was the “most bestest cooker” ever (I was only making chili, which you actually don’t like that much…amazing how hunger changes a boy’s perspective on food…)

 

Berry Baby

I really love it…

when you wake up at 4am but go promptly back to sleep with just a little pat on the back and a recovering with the blanket

when you wake up at 4am but refuse to go back to sleep, and Berry Guy has the next day off so I can throw you into bed with him and send myself to the couch to sleep

I laughed…

when I went to get you up from your nap and you were sleeping so hard that your hair looked like this:

and this:

You’re too cute.

Terrible Tuesday

Take two Advil Liqui Gels

go to sleep for 3-4hours, until Advil wears off

get up because you're too achy and chilled to sleep (even though you're wearing two layers of clothing)

take two more Advil Liqui Gels

hack and cough

begin sweating

go back to sleep

repeat - at least until 4am at which point: spend an hour with Berry Baby trying to get him to go back to sleep and not to wake his brother, decide that patting him to sleep in your bed would be more comfortable than patting him to sleep whilst standing by his crib, get him to sleep on your chest, roll him into the middle of the bed and have him kick you in the back for the remainder of the night while whacking his dad repeatedly in the face with his hand...

feel annoyed in the morning that Berry Baby is still sleeping while you have to get up to get Berry Boy ready for the bus

lose all sense of *mad* when Berry Baby sits up in your bed, smiles his cheeky, sleep-flushed smile at you with a little chuckle, and decide all is forgiven

have a 3hour nap with Berry Baby starting at 9:45am

pray to not repeat this sequence of events in any way tonight

The (notso)Great Soother Wean, and Other Stressful Experiences...

Berry Baby 1 -- Berry Girl 0

So I have decided that the best day to wean your baby's soother is NOT the day before your Kindergartener starts his first full day of Kindergarten, you go back to work part time and you leave your baby for the first time with his Granny.
For sure, NOT the best time to create stress.
I didn't really clue into that until 11pm last night, after a whole day of soother "training", after we fought with Berry Baby for 3 hours off an on after bedtime, after Berry Guy had driven Berry Baby around the "neighbourhood", and after our third inconsolable nightwaking in 3 hours.
That was the point at which Berry Guy and I decided that Berry Baby could have that bloody soother until he was 4. Or so.
And a whole day went down the drain as I popped that soother into Berry Baby's mouth and he promptly lay back down and fell asleep.
Certainly not "begin as you mean to go on", as the Babywhisperer would say...

So now that we have all recovered, more or less, from THAT, I tore myself away from Berry Boy as he began his first full day of Kindergarten - he, of course, was having no trouble. After continuously asking if it was "now" time to go, I told him we would leave once I was done my makeup and he said "ok, I'll just go wait in the car" (we still had at least 5min of getting ready left to do)...can you say eager?

Then I had to tear myself away from Berry Baby at Granny's house - easier said than done really, but I made it to work on time (miraculously).

I am now going to retrieve my precious boy from school and treat him to some ice cream (and myself) and enjoy being together with my special guys.

At least until they whine/cry/won't go to sleep/or generally misbehave. In which case I'll look forward to going back to work on Thursday...

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

I love...

that you're such a go-getter. you want to be on the move so badly and it's so fun seeing you crawl and get into trouble, and then grin at me with your toothy little grin

that all you want to do right now is stand, because it's "new"

that I came to re-settle you for your nap for the THIRD time and you were proudly standing in your crib, absolutely pleased with yourself that you had finally done it

Berry Boy

I laughed...

when we were trapped in the car with you and you were *singing* "chicken playing a guitar" over and over in a very annoying way, and when I told you to please stop singing "chicken playing a guitar", you obeyed, and instead began to sing "Transformer playing a guitar" over and over (I can't accuse you of not listening)

I love...

that you run outside in your pj's first thing in the morning because your Dad is there working somewhere on the yard

that when I ask you to give me "five more minutes" of sleep in the morning you *usually* do and entertain Berry Baby for me

that you told me we were "having a special day huh?" when we went up to the lake yesterday and did basically nothing, but you were still having fun just being with us

that you *work* really hard with your Dad and *your* workers

Berry Guy

I love...

spending time with you at the lake, sitting on the beach, doing nothing at all

driving in the car with you, talking with you and enjoying being with you, and laughing at your sense of humour while the boys are crashed in the backseat

that you have time off work this year for the berry harvest - you are so much more relaxed about the season this year and it's a pleasure for me to see you like that

that you do jobs for me, like weedwhacking, which you don't really want to do but do anyway

Someone save me from this 4yr old...

Someone please tell me that they also have ridiculous conversations like this with their boys who talk incessantly and ask endless questions...

Berry Boy (looking at a wedding announcement card on our "wall of photo cards" - this picture is of a firefighter and his bride in an antique fire truck) Mom, when were you at that wedding?

Me: I wasn't

BB: Why did you get this picture?

Me: Because they're my friends

BB: (musing some more in front of this photo) Mom? Mom. mommy.

Me: WHAT??? (apparently just looking in his direction does not convince him that I am paying attention, I must also verbally acknowledge him even though he is only 1ft away from me)

BB: What is this? (referring to the antique fire truck)

Me: it's an old fire engine

BB: what's a fire engine?

Me: It's what Fire Fighters drive when they're going to fight a fire

BB: But why are they in it?

Me: because he's a firefighter

BB: Who?

Me: (exasperated - I'm beginning to feel like Abbot and Costello) THE MAN, who else?

BB: what's a firefighter?

Me: (trying not to roll my eyes) a person who fights fire

BB: with what?

Me: (when oh when will the questions end...) with water

BB: but Mom, that's not fighting (apparently he has an image in his head that they actually "fight" with the fire, like with fists and stuff...wierd)

Me: (tersely) yes it is, that's what they do, to put out the fire

BB: who?

Me: (trying hard not to yell now) THE FIREFIGHTERS.

sheesh.

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

I love...
That you are so excited to sleep with your big brother that you giggle and scream for 20 minutes at bedtime until your brother has to come and ask me to take you out of the room so that he can go to sleep (ok, ok, it was completely frustrating for the first two days, but I'm over it)

That you "insist" on "sharing" our food, even though you have had a complete meal of your "own" food

Your chubby chubby thighs - I love squishing them with my hands and making you giggle

Berry Boy

I love...

That you like sleeping with Berry Baby so much that it even eclipsed sleeping in the tent trailer with your Dad

The way you say "come oonnnn" and "how cool is THAT"

The way you are always telling me that you're a "good helper huh?" while you're helping me or your Dad

Berry Guy

I love...

they way you tease me because it says that you love me

your sense of humour

the way you enjoy working on the farm - I'm so excited that you get to take time off this year to do the things you want to do with harvest

In Which Berry Baby and Berry Boy Exasperate Their Mother Together...

ok, I must be more uptight as a mom than the average woman. Last night (Thursday) was night #2 of Berry Baby and Berry Boy sleeping in the same room - or should I say, NOT sleeping in the same room. oh yes, the I'm Too Excited To Sleep Because My Big Brother Is Right There phase is in full swing. Peals of laughter and shrieks of excitement are coming from their room, and while this is VERY cute it is SO not conducive to sleeping.

And I am BIG on sleeping. Especially for kids. And more especially for babies. Because when kids and babies have good sleeps, so do mommies (and I've also heard that it's important for development, yadda yadda yadda, but I'm trying not to kid myself here - my main motivation here is really my own sleep). And so I work VERY hard on making sure that Berry Baby has good naps, because good daytime sleep leads to good nighttime sleep, blah blah blah.

Which is why I am SO frustrated.

Because last night went EXACTLY the same as Wednesday night. Berry Baby went down first, bashed around his crib for an hour and then partied with Berry Boy until I removed the baby so that the boy could fall asleep.

So all my careful napping and bedtime planning are for naught. This irritates the crap out of me. Someone save me from myself. Or give me a better idea for bedtime - mine is OBVIOUSLY not working.

Wimpy Wednesday

yep, today's the day. D-day. The big M. The switcheroo. The big...umm...ok, I guess I'm out of euphimisms.

Today, I am moving Berry Baby OUT of the office (which has been his bedroom for the last 8months) and into Berry Boy's bedroom. Yep. going to do it. today. this morning. right after I'm done on the computer. unless I can think up another plausable excuse to put it off...

I am both terrified of this and super excited for it.

On the one hand, I am quite sure that the interactions between the boys will be priceless, and an endless source of amusement, and great fodder for blogging.

On the other hand, we have just barely gotten rid of the Crappy Night Wakings For No Good Reason phase, the Waking Up Early Simply To Torment Mom phase, and my favorite, Yelling Shrieking And Crying For Two Hours Before Falling Asleep Just Because I Don't Want To Lay Down phase. I am of course referring to Berry Baby (although Berry Guy is also fond of the Wake Up Early Simply To Torment Mom thing). I have a deep and gnawing fear that all these things will return in the Adjustment To New Surroundings phase, also known as the I'm Too Excited To Sleep Because My Big Brother Is Right There phase.

However, I REALLY want my office space back, and I'm out of reasons to put it off. The bedroom walls and trims are painted, the new blinds are hung, the carpet is cleaned and dry...so I guess I just have to bite the bullet and do it...right away...as soon as I have a bit more coffee...

I'm going to try to stop hyperventilating now.

In Matters of Prayer

I've been repeatedly asking Berry Guy to replace the lightbulb in the hallway - it's been burned out for weeks now and we both keep forgetting about it until it's evening and we need to turn on the hall light. So the other evening Berry Guy finally got to work replacing it. Berry Baby was playing in the hallway at his feet as he started to do this job.

Now, our light fixture cover is frosted glass, about 12" square and flush with the ceiling. As Berry Guy pulled this cover down a bit to get at the lightbulb, the whole thing came down and fell square on Berry Baby's head, shattering glass everywhere around him. Berry Guy yelled, Berry Baby started screaming, I came running and found my baby in the middle of broken glass with the rim of the fixture hanging around his neck. All I could say was "oh God oh God" repeatedly.

Miraculously (and I do not use that word lightly) Berry Baby is absolutely fine. There is just the TINIEST scratch on his precious little cheek. After the glass was cleaned up and dusted off and we knew he was ok, reality kind of hit and I felt like throwing up. That could have been SO much worse. Every time I think about it I get nauseated.

The reason I'm telling this story though is not really to share what a horrific experience that was. This is really more about praying.

I believe in prayer. I absolutely believe that God answers prayer - I've SEEN Him answer prayer many times. I just do not believe that God answers MY prayers.

It seems to me, however incorrect it may be, that if Berry Guy prays for something, God will for sure answer. If I pray for it, most likely nothing happens.

Now I didn't say that my thinking isn't completely flawed - this is just my struggle. And to be honest, it's been a MAJOR struggle since Berry Baby was born. It seemed that through those first horrible 4.5 months God deliberately did NOT answer any of my desperate prayers, to the extent that I have stopped praying altogether. At least by myself. I still pray with Berry Boy, and I've made it part of Berry Baby's bedtime routine to pray with him too.

Which brings me to why I am telling you this whole saga.

Berry Baby's bedtime routing goes like this: bathtime, pjs, bottle while snuggling in the rocker, then we stand up, snuggle by the crib, and I pray a little prayer which almost always goes like this - "Dear Jesus, thank You for giving us a good day. Please give Berry Baby another good sleep tonight. Guard his heart and his mind, keep him safe and help him grow. Amen"

Now this is kind of a routine prayer, but apparently God honors even routine prayer. Because the only reason Berry Baby wasn't horribly hurt in that accident is because God answered my very routine prayer and kept him safe. Just like I ask. Every night.

So I guess I'm out of excuses.

Thank You Lord.

Mushy Mondays

Berry Boy

I love it when you...

say "perkfect" (instead of "perfect") and "puffets" (instead of "puppets" - you will probably go to kindergarten with the worst speech impediments as I refuse to correct you on these things because I think it's too adorable)

wrestle with your baby brother and make him laugh

say "thank you Mom" spontaneously for little things, like taped episodes of "Gofrette"

You made me laugh when...

you told me that a cereal bar was "perkfect" for a 4yr old boy for breakfast

you told me I wasn't having a "happy heart" when I spanked you

you sang "I love you Lord, and I lift my boy..." (instead of "voice" lolol!)

I realised you were growing up some more...

when you told me that you no longer "needed" your "special little blanket" (I tried to insist that yes, you did so still need it...but I couldn't convince you)

Berry Baby

I love it when you...

sleep through the night - you can do this as MUCH as you like, I don't mind at all (just wish you would clue in and do it all the time)

get excited with your ENTIRE body

You made me laugh when...

I fed you chicken for the first time and you crammed it into your mouth so fast you could hardly chew, but still had more in your fist ready to be crammed in with the rest of it (nice to know my cooking skills haven't gone unappreciated)

you fell asleep in your crib...sitting up (lol) I watched you as your body relaxed, started to tip, straightened up, relaxed, tipped...it was too funny.

you found your reflection in the fridge and were so excited to get closer that you banged your nose into the fridge

Berry Guy

I love the way you...

have to immediately set up the new pool and slip-n-slide for Ryan, even though it's after supper and the forcast is for rain the next 4 days

let Berry Boy eat your food with you - you're a "good sharer"

Thank you...

for the new pool

for taking Berry Boy to the shop to work with you and make boxes - you're doing a great job teaching him how to work

When your words come back to haunt you...

This was my unfortunate conversation with Berry Boy yesterday (he was "crying" over something that was not worth crying over):

Me: stop crying right now

BB: I can't

Me: that's enough crying (threaten discipline)

BB: but I like to cry

Me: then I can give you something to really cry about (how "Mom" is that?)

BB: well crying is fun for me

(??? this was a new one - I had to think about this for a minute)

Me: (after some serious deliberation, I decide to try a new tactic) you know, God tells us in the Bible that we should have a happy heart.

BB: (clearly exasperated with me) I know, it was in the kid's story (at church)

Me: (hadn't realised that he remembered that) Yes, well, it makes God happy when we have a happy heart, not when we try to make ourselves cry.

BB: (deliberates on this for a moment) Well Mom (I can sense that I'm going to be in trouble here) YOU didn't have a happy heart yesterday when we were downstairs and you were mad and you gave me a spanking - THAT wasn't having a happy heart. (I am now wishing I had just sent him to his room...)

Me: well, yes, that's true (trying to salvage the POINT of this conversation) Sometimes it's hard to have a happy heart, isn't it?

BB: (nodding enthusiastically)

Me: but God still wants us to do our best and to try to have a happy heart

BB: agrees, and begins listing other times when I have not had a happy heart, and how the kitty doesn't have a happy heart because it's meowing, and when it meows that means it's sad, so it doesn't have a happy heart...at least I know that he's gotten the point.

next time I'm just sending him to his room

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

I love it when you...

rest your head against my cheek when you're tired

shriek with excitement when your Dad comes home

sit up immediately after I lay you down in bed and give me your goofy grin (ok, actually this frustrates the crap out of me, but you're too cute doing it and I'm never going to win, so I will just have to love it)

muck around in your crib until you get so tired that you basically pass out

I'm thankful...

for your chubby cheeks and legs and happy smile

that you have made huge improvements in the crying department

that you were born (because let's be honest, for a while there I was not so thankful for this)

Berry Boy

I love the way...

you are so great with younger kids - this also makes you a fabulous big brother

you say "concreek" (instead of concrete) and "Pirates of the Commudian" (instead of Caribbean)

tell me that you are no longer afraid of bees, even though I know that you are

you sleep on your back with one leg crossed over the opposite knee

You almost made me snort coffee up my nose when you...

were "reading" the Bible and you said "and then Jesus turned 4 and they gave him presents - one was gold, one was plastic..."

I'm thankful...

for your great imagination

for the way you care about your little brother

that you love spending time "working" with your Dad and that you want to do/be everything your Dad does/is (Dr Dobson would be proud)

Berry Guy

I love...

that you play games with Berry Boy such as "sleepysaurus" which involves you being able to lay down, and "asteroid" which involves you kicking balls at Berry Boy while he is wrapped in a thermarest (you are the most creative Dad I know)

that you let Berry Boy "help" you work on the Jeep and the "concreek"

that you are a good leader and organizer - you always have plenty of neat ideas

that you do things for me, like hanging a brand new front door (I love it - it looks amazing)

when you come home and say "hey Precious"

I'm thankful...

that you are my husband

that you provide for us in a job you don't really like doing, but you do it diligently and with integrity

Wonderfully Wednesday

I have nothing important to post today, just another "family life" snippet...

Berry Boy woke up nice and late this morning and told me that he'd had a great dream...

Berry Boy - "and do you know what it was called?"

Me - "no, what" (I was until now unaware that dreams had "titles" lol)

Berry Boy - "when N---- was here" (N is his very best friend)

Too fun. I love every stage better than the last stage - kids just seem to get better and better as they go - hopefully this trend continues into the teen years ;)

Berry Baby has had a momentous morning yesterday - he finally figured out crawling (although he has not clued in to the full potential involved here - once he does, and it won't be long, I will be in heaps of trouble) and he somehow managed to pull himself up to standing at the couch (and promptly fell over, but still...)

And it's Wednesday, which means that I get to have coffee with my great friends and Berry Boy gets to play with his great friends (we are both social addicts).

Happy Wednesday to all (who am I kidding - I have a readership of one - haha!)

On a Lighter Note...

In Which Berry Boy Exasperates His Mother (again)....

Berry boy is sitting, feet propped up on the dining room table, dusting off the toast crumbs from his legs.

Me, with my sternest mother look and voice - "what, were you born in a barn?"

Berry Boy looks at me blankly (apparently, I have never used this expression with him)

Me - "get your feet off the table - we don't put our feet on the table in the house"

(Berry Baby, who feels the need to insert his own two cents, blows a raspberry with pureed squash in his mouth, thus spraying pureed squash about two feet across the table)

Berry Boy, still confused - "Only in the barn?"

Me (trying to keep the look of complete exasperation off my face) - "Yes, only in the barn" (we do not HAVE any such barn...)

I love family life :)

And to respond to Tell Me Tuesday....

A. Attached or Single? Very attached to my fabulous Berry Guy

B. Best Friend? Tough one - I'd like to say God (but you know where I am with that at the moment) so I'll say Berry Guy

C. Cake or pie? Definitely pie if the crust is right and it's warm (mmmmm), otherwise Safeway cake

D. Day of choice? Wednesday - for MOM's coffee time, or Saturday, b/c Berry Guy is home

E.Essential item? Diaper wipes

F. Favorite color? I am also addicted to Green - brown is a close second

G. Gummy bears or worms? Bears

H. Home town? Northern BC - the town sucks but the area is beautiful

F. Favorite indulgence? Starbucks

J. January or July? tough one - January is such a letdown after Christmas, but July is super hot and it's berry season so it's busy...pass

K. Kids? 2 and that's it unless God chooses otherwise ;)

L. Life isn’t complete without? Jesus (ditto)

M. Marriage date? February 19,1999

N. Number of brothers and sisters? 2 brothers 1 sister

O. Oranges or Apples? Crisp Apples

P. Phobias? Spiders and moths

Q. Quotes? "Flailing and thrashing, Buttercup wept and tossed and paced and wept some more, and there have been three great cases of jealousy since David of Galilee was first afflicted with the emotion when he could no longer stand the fact that his neighbor Saul's cactus outshone his own. (Originally, jealousy pertained solely to plants, other people's cactus or ginkgoes, or later, when there was grass, grass, which is why, even to this day, we say that someone is green with jealousy.) Buttercup's case rated a close fourth on the all-time list." - The Princess Bride

R. Reasons to smile? Berry Baby learning to crawl (also a reason for terror)

S. Season of choice? the seasons of transition - Fall first, Spring a close second

T. Tag 5 people: If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. It is Tell Me Tuesday after all... respond in the comments or backlink to your own blog.

U. Unknown fact about me? I hate berry season

V. Vegetable? Asparagus with creamy sauce (mmmm)

W. Worst habit? ditto the control freak.

X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound. (ditto)

Y. Your favorite food? Pepperoni Pizza, extra sauce extra cheese (nachos a VERY close second)

Z. Which zoo animal is your favorite? The wild cats (lions, tigers, etc)