Its a Prize Counter, Baby

Disclaimer: Tonight's post is going to be a lot like the stuff under the glass prize counter at Chuck E. Cheese, where there's just a lot of random stuff going on.  Some stuff is worth the wait in line behind the whack-a-mole for the armful of streaming tickets, and some makes you wish you had never risked getting a communicable disease to toss a couple skee balls down the lane for nothin'.

But unlike Chuck E. Cheese, in this post you can have it all- it doesn't matter that your four tickets should really only get a you a plastic bug ring or a spinning top.  Tonight, you get the big stuffed dolphin hanging from the ceiling, the wicked awesome lava lamp, and the bundle of Tootsie Roll Pops too. 

Thaaaat's right.  I don't mess around.

Prize #1:
Tonight Newbie was super squirmy during pajama suit-up time.  So in a desperate move to gain three seconds of stillness, I handed his Woody doll (action figure?) to him and told Newbie to tell Woody a secret.  I fastened a couple diaper tabs while I watched him shove Woody's pointy nose up against his own little ear and say, "Shhh.....GAN-DAD'S TOOOOAST!"  The back story on this is that my dad (Grandad...aka: Gan-Dad) likes to tell Newbie he has a secret, watch Newbie lean his little ear in, and then my dad whispers, "Do you want some of Grandad's toast?". Newbie's repsonse is always an "Oh YeeeeeAH!" complete with jumping up and down and happy squeals.  Grandad's toast is the best secret in the world.  Newbie totally swiped Grandad's secret tonight.  I'm sure Woody was severely disappointed when he found out that instead of toast he was stuck with a couple of bedtime stories. 

Prize #2:
Newbie has officially passed his cold onto me. I had a headache all day except it was one of those really fabulous ones where when you bend over you can feel it move into your jaw.  Except it isn't so fabulous.  Because its IN MY JAW.  At least no one's come after me with the booger sucker yet. 

....in case you were wondering, that was totally one of the mediocre prizes at the top left of the counter of the prizes reserved for the people who aren't great at skee ball. 

Prize #3:
Jubilee and I introduced the Hubs to his first Starbucks frappucino last week. Starbucks is a rare delicacy for me because I have a hard time forking over my child's college education for a cup of coffee, but it was a day for delicacies.  The Hubs loved his, and Jubilee and I devoured ours (decaf, of course.  I'm one of those pregnant ladies that follows all the rules.  Heat up your lunch meat. Don't ride a bike. Order decaf. etc. etc. etc.)

(Jubilee, last week I took you and Daddy out for a special coffee treat.  It was your and Daddy's first taste of a frappucino, and that was one delicious 345,029 calorie drink wasn't it?!  The whip cream makes it.  I told you about how in the winter we put that kind of whip cream on our hot chocolate and sit in front of the fire.  And if you're as crazy as our little family, you'll bring some guitars and singing into the mix and bust out a few George Strait and Willie Nelson songs too.  Whip cream brings people together, Baby. =)  I love that we've had the blessing of getting to share the tiny little things that make us happy with you.  You are one of the BIG things that bring us joy, Jubilee, but there are little things that bring us joy too.  God's gifts are everywhere, and He's showering them on us all the time. Like whip cream on a fun drink on the road with your daddy, or hyacinths blooming in the backyard, or the big fat rain drops we saw splattering the patio last week.  God's goodness is everywhere, and every last one of His gifts, big or small, whispers to us that He loves loves loves us.  Never, ever forget how much God loves you, Jubilee.  You are such a treasure to Him and to us!)

Prize #4:
It is 50- count 'em: 50- minutes after I put Newbie to bed, and he is (I kid you not) currently chanting from his bed: "Wach Yightning Kween!  Wach Yightning Kween!"  ...and to make it even better, he is slowly sounding more pitiful and desperate.  Heaven help me, bedtimes around here are always a trip. 

Prize #5:
I've been feeling wonderful today in the baby bump department.  The past few days have been sprinkled with contractions that made me think I need to double check my hospital bag and be ready to go, but today I've had zilch.  Not having any kind of pain makes it a BILLION times easier to just enjoy our girl while she's here.  Its hard to stay focused on the moment when I've got the contractions because are such a distraction- I have to keep track of them and pay attention to whats going on.  Not to mention, it makes it hard to play with Newbie or help him like I want to, and there ain't no way homegirl can get any laundry done either (not that that happens when I'm not in pre-labor anyway, but it makes me sound good to say I'm at least thinking about it.  Ha!).  So to have the break from them today was fabulous.  I'll take a pain in the jaw headache over contractions any day. =)

Prize #6:
Here's a little peel at my dining room.  I know I'm way overdue on "after" pictures of our house after all the hard work the Hubs and our family put in, and we've obviously had other things to think about, but I figured a little shot of the dining room might take the edge off for those of you who have been here since our move and have been waiting to see what happened to all the 70's glam I promised would soon disappear.

A shot of the house is a pretty decent prize.  I'd say at least Ring Pop or temporary tattoo status.

(Don't judge my messy hutch. Someday it will be a glorious display of cute decor...for now, its a catch-all for sunscreen and ball point pens. Also, are you loving the box fan chilling out in the hallway?  We are white-noise sleepers.  All of us.  There had better be a fan on in this house at night or nobody's sleepin'.)

Prize #7:
I finally finished a photobook I've been working on for Eden since August.  Shameful, I know.  Its taken forever, but I finally got it done last night.  Lots of pictures from her ultrasound and a few belly shots- though the belly was a lot smaller with her than it is with Jubilee!  I put in all the posts from my blog so we have them in a spot that's easy to read when we need a little encouragement in the Heaven department. =) The book should arrive some time this week.  I'm excited.

Do you like how this post is just a play-by-play of a bunch of random stuff?  Maybe next time I'll get it together before I sit down to blog. =)

Prize #8:
There's a big boy around here who is about to celebrate his second birthday.  We're throwing him an "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" party (its one of his favorite books).  Here's a little sneak peek of the fun we had making our invitations:

Prize #9:
Jubilee helped Newbie paint an Easter mural last week.  They make quite the artistic team.

(Jubilee, you and Big Brother did some painting last week.  He told you all about the colors and then went to work.  We've been talking a lot about the Easter story at our house, and you and Big Brother painted a white cross with lots of beautiful colors to show what a precious and lovely gift Jesus gave us on the cross.  We hung it on the fridge next to the pictures of you because we hang things we are proud of and want to see every day up on the fridge.  The fridge is a place for masterpieces, and you, Sweet Baby, are a masterpiece!  God formed every last bit of you, and our God doesn't make mistakes.  He knows you by name and He loves you sooo much.  He is our Creator, and everything He makes is good.  Your picture is right next to the fancy picture you and Big Brother painted on the fridge because you are a beautiful work of art that we are proud of and want to see every day!)

Prize #10:
I feel like I have to have a 10.  A list without a 10 feels a litte bare.  So...to make you all feel better about any Girl Scout cookies you may have consumed during the current Girl Scout cookie season, I'd like to disclose that Jubilee and I are down two boxes of Somoas, one box of Tagalongs, half a sleeve of Thin Mints, and counting.  Newbie has only helped us eat two Thin Mints. I'm not sure what kind of damage the Hubs has done, but I'm sure he's got nothing on me and my girl.  BOOM.

I think that just about does it for the most hodge-podge, throw-it-all-together post ever.  I've got a man in the living room asking if I'm ready to take him on in night three of our Five Crowns tourney.  He has officially beat me in the past two games, and I have GOT to leave with some dignity tonight.  (If you've never played Five Crowns before, I highly recommend it.  Its a family favorite around here- super fun for two or a trillion players, and its a nice game that you can converse over without having to worry too much over strategy.) 

I feel like whoever makes that game should totally give me some Girl Scout cookies for the props I just gave them. 

Wishing you all a very happy evening and a wonderful week!  Thank you for letting me continue to keep this blog a place where I can be real and share my heart- whether its vulnerably sharing the deepest parts of this journey with Jubilee or frankly disclosing my Achilles heel for Somoas and Thin Mints.  I appreciate it. =)

Happy Tuesday!