Randy

My husband is a collector of stray animals. Not the usual puppies and kitties, though. He brings home frogs, snakes and just yesterday an injured butterfly. It is a very beautiful monarch with big orange and black wings, but it cannot fly and apparently it likes Joel. He said it hung out in his work truck all day yesterday and even sat on his hand the whole time he was driving home. So, he gets home and decides that Randy the butterfly (don't ask me how he came up with the name - the frogs are always named after the street that they are found on) gets to roam free around our apartment. I am so not cool with this and I insist on a cage. After much debate, "But he can't even fly!" I win and he is put into one of the old frog tanks. Only after Joel has researched what and how to feed it and succeeded in feeding it some sugar water. I have to admit, it was pretty cool to watch it eat. But, I could only picture myself getting up in the middle of the night to get a drink and stepping on the stupid thing or having it crawl onto Oliver and get put right into his mouth, where everything else winds up. So now we have three tanks set up in our little living room - two giant (and nasty looking) marine toads, a Fowler's toad, named Einstein, and Randy the butterfly.
Life would be so boring without my darling husband!

Trust Deficiency

I think I have a lack of trust. No, actually, I know I do. There are so many things that I need to trust God about and instead I worry. Or, I try to tell God what He should do with the situation and in the next sentence I'm telling Him that I trust Him completely. I'm such a hypocrite. Finances and having another baby, those are the two biggies. "Lord, I trust you to plan our family and give us what we need in your timing. Oh and by the way, please don't let me be pregnant." Where is the trust?

Wanna hear something funny? Lastnight while I was cleaning up from dinner, Joel took Oliver in our room and was trying to put him to sleep. I heard loud, screechy singing coming from the room so went to check on them and Joel was singing "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles while rubbing Oliver's belly.
He was asleep in five minutes!

The Notebook

I found a notebook to use for my blogging ideas. I am also going to use it to jot down ideas for Christmas. I always think of great things to put on my list and then when someone asks I completely forget. I also see things to buy for people and forget those too. So, maybe I'm turning over a new leaf with this notebook thing. I've decided I really like lists. I am most productive when I have a list of things to do. No list, nothing gets done. I've tried making lists for Joel so that I don't have to remind/nag him to do stuff, but they're not so effective for him.
The notebook I am using used to be our (please control your laughter) bird journal. When we lived by the pond we had alot of birds at our bird feeder and we kept track of the different kinds we saw. I guess I liked lists then too. My niece, Emilee, was looking at the journal and said we are weird. I guess we are weird, but what else is there to do when you don't watch t.v.?

I wish I was able to post pictures successfully on this Blog. I have tried and tried, to no avail. I might try to download the Bloogerbot software and see if that works. Downloading takes so long though...maybe I should put DSL service on my wish list.

A Lull

I think I need to keep a list by my bed of things I want to Blog about. I always think of things as I am drifting off to sleep or feeding Oliver. When it comes time for me to sit down and write, there's nothing. The Blog in my head is really interesting though.
I need to do some major house cleaning today, but I have no desire. We are still not totally unpacked so I find my self cleaning around stuff which bugs me. "Why don't you unpack, then?" you might ask. Well, I'll tell you...(get ready for a rant!) All of the stuff that is packed still and in boxes and piles around the apt. are things that Joel needs to take care of. Computer stuff, frog tanks - 3 of those- the actual frogs themselves who have not been fed in a month, books, his bike...shall I continue? If I try to unpack and put away these things he comes home and moves them all back into the middle of the room so he can "organize" them and he says "I told you I would do this". But WHEN, I ask, WHEN?

I miss you...t.v.

Only sometimes though. I mostly miss t.v. when there is a crisis going on such as this hurricane. I feel like I need to be glued to the tv to see what is going on. I think that is kind of strange. Why are we so drawn to other people's suffering? I certainly don't want to watch so that I can laugh and say "Stinks for them." Is it morbid curiosity or wanting to feel compassion for these people by being in the know about their situation? Any ideas?

Also, this hurricane thing put our apartment flood into perspective for me. Instead of saying poor me, I am now grateful for only 3 inches of water, minimal loss and a nicer apartment.

In other news, Oliver has started eating baby food and rice cereal now. Milestones are so bittersweet. I am thrilled that he is growing up and we can have fun with different foods, but also I am sad that he is no longer dependent solely on me for sustenance. I guess this is the never-ending struggle of a parent. Wanting your child to grow and develop, but not wanting to let go. The other down side of the food is the change in the poop (See, I told you...). No longer little, sweet-smelling, cute baby poops...now they are stinky, yucky poops that Joel and I will fight over who has to change. (It's always me, by the way) Though, he has only pooped twice since we started the food. Is this normal?