- How do we get ourselves to the point where we pray and pray for something i.e. fulfilling responsibilities and good friends with common interests, and then once those prayers are answered and those wonderful things land in our laps, we find ourselves struggling to balance it all? (That may be the longest sentence ever.) It’s hard to maintain close relationships with all the people you’d like. Relationships take communication and communication takes time. It’s hard to find time to take care of all of the fun things you’ve volunteered to do and things you’re getting paid to do.
- The above bullet point is not supposed to sound ungrateful. I am completely grateful for all of these blessings, but I’m trying to figure out how to balance all the phone calls, emails, hanging out, and trips to visit loved ones.
- I wonder if hormones can affect your singing voice. For some reason my face looks like a big 15-year-old-girl-mess and my singing voice is much lower. What is going on?
- Home ownership is overrated. Do you hear me, Sandra Rinomato?
- Budgeting is fun! It’s like a game to me where I enter the numbers every night and feel like I “win” if they’re under budget! Hip hip, hooray!
- All marriages have ups and downs. But the ups are so much fun!
- I absolutely love the book club. I haven’t been able to comment on each post, but I’ve read them all and I’ve so enjoyed discussing the book with everyone. I’m already looking forward to choosing the next book with everyone’s help.
- A very exciting small business venture will be launched soon on this little blog and I’ll be available to help you with your kids’ birthday parties. Or your birthday parties if you’d like! I hope at least one of you is excited!
- As much as I’m looking forward to football season, I’m also dreading it a little bit. Once it starts, it’s here until January. That means we’ll be watching every. single. game until January. Or TC will be watching every single game and I’ll be sleeping on the couch.
- Is it just me or is there a baby boom going on? Between my cousins, my best friend, another good friend, and lots of great blog friends, there are babies growing every where. I love it!
- Our spider is still hanging out in my kitchen window. And she looks fat. Maybe she’s pregnant, too? Do spiders get pregnant?
- I think Bachelor Pad is a smutty smutty show, but I can’t look away.
- I think “smutty” is a gross word. My list of gross words also includes “moist,” “creamy,” and “plump.”
- My husband has a problem with made up, compound words like “webinar,” “chocoholic,” and “simulcast.” Oddly enough, he loves the word, “docu-drama.”
- I think he is cuckoo!
- This is no doubt going to be TMI, but I think Hudson is in the beginning stages of potty training. Right before he goes number two, he looks at me and says “boo boo” (because he can’t say “poo poo”) and then does his business. As soon as he’s done he heads down the hall to his room to have his diaper changed.
- I told you that was going to be TMI. I’m a proud mother. What can I say?
What do you think? Care to dump anything into the comments section? No judgment, just a little brain dump!
Ooooh I also hate the words plump and smutty. And the word panties! Ugh how terrible.
Another gross word: “succulent”. It makes me cringe! Can’t wait to see some new parties planned – Hudson’s birthday was so incredible 🙂
Uggg, my face is that of a fifteen year old also! Being off BC for 16 months and just not getting back on it is rough!! Breakout city and I am having so many cravings!!
My sister can’t stand the word “pus.” (It is pretty gross.) It sounds like Hudson is getting ready for potty training. What a smart, good boy!
Oh my gosh, I’m so glad someone else feels the same about the word “moist.” Even typing it gives me the shivers!
Random, but did you see the On the Road with Austin and Santino (on Lifetime) where they were in Ruston?
I am the same way with juggling responsibilities! When we moved back closer to our hometown, I struggled with finding new friends, maintaining relationships with old ones, family time, etc. Now I am just overwhelmed with it all sometimes! And lets not even mention the holidays!
And I am really enjoying the book club also! I think this was an awesome book to kick it off with! Can’t wait to see what the next choice will be!
I’m the same way about moist, pus, and a few others. One of my best friends in college took great delight and saying them over and over to drive me crazy. There’s an episode of How I Met Your Mother where Lilly, one of the main characters, is the exact same way with moist. It’s a very funny episode, but the fact the other characters repeat it over and over to make her cringe makes me cringe, too!!
That’s great for Hudson!!
There is definitely a baby boom going on! I have so many friends, relatives, aquaintances that are pregnant now….and they’re all due around March & April! Crazy!
I am also loving the book club! Great choice on the first book….loved it!
Never thought of creamy as a gross word, but I think I do now. There is SUCH a baby boom going on– my friend and I are due 8 days apart. So, so fun! I think you should be next. 🙂 I’m excited for your new business! How fun that will be for you. Great post, I think I did my own brain dump comment because this is all over the place. Ha! Have a great day!
Ah ha! Finally something I know about and can comment on!
Hormones definitely affect your singing voice! Think about teen boys going through “the change”. Our womanly fluctuations have a big effect. In fact -some opera singers have clauses in their contracts that when they get their periods, they don’t have to sing, and their understudies take over. So just be gentle with your chords that week (that’s what my teacher used to tell me).
My brain dump: I’m going to have no patience with the pedants at work today. Also, I love your blog. Hudson’s such a joy to read about!
I too have the skin of a 15 yr old ever since having my kids. And since having my last baby (who’s now 14 months) I may or may not be growing a mustache. I don’t want to say. 😉 All I can say is…. HELP!!!
Yay for Hudson for being at the beginning of potty training! My biggest fear (OK, not really “biggest”, but, you know what I mean) is having a 4 year old who refuses to use the bathroom! My little sister had NO desire to be potty trained and I kid you not, she was like almost 4 before my dad and stepmom could even get her started.
So exciting about your party planning business!!!
This really isn’t a gross word, but I hate the word luscious. A group of friends of mine used to have a $50 fine for the use of the word. Not that anyone ever paid up. I also hate the term “humker down.” Can’t meteorologists ever think of anything else to say before a hurricane comes?!
That was supposed to be “hunker down.” Oops.
I am so with you about football season. Does TC watch Pro Football too or only college? I actually like football but my husband LIVES football and has caused me to resent it. We have to do all of our errands/chores/projects on Saturdays because heaven forbid he miss a minute of NFL on Sunday, but then we miss my Nittany Lions every week!
Also, love love loving the book club!!! I would vote for Hunger Games for the next book. I read it on vacation this summer and it is AMAZING.
You’re absolutely right – the word “moist” is soo ick.
And you’re right – it’s so hard to keep friendships going and balancing all the responsibilities of life. Exhausting!
I hear you on the 15 year old skin and the baby boom. It’s crazy!
I’m glad your budgeting is going well! We are making baby steps on our budget. We spend way too much money on mindless stuff, and we are looking forward to buying a house and starting a family, so budget it is!
Good luck launching your new businesss! I know you’re going to do a great job and I look forward to someday, hopefully getting your help! 🙂
I hope you have a great week!
TMI–my “mom task” today involves bringing some of baby’s poop to dr. for testing. Poor tummy troubles!
Yay book club!! I need to email you today and we can narrow down the choices for a vote!
Also, that’s fabulous about your new business!! You do such a great job with event planning. I can’t wait to have babies and hire you to help me plan.
And speaking of babies, you’re right. There is definitely something in the water. It is making me want to jump in, but alas, I promised my dear husband we’d wait a while longer. So tough to wait and be patient.
So, this is random but I need to know about this budget. Did you read a book that gave you a good start, or some great financial guru?? We tried one that we found online but it just didn’t seem to stick. I’ve been hearing about yours on here and Twitter and just wondered if you had something to go by. Does this make sense? Ha! If not, maybe we’ll eventually get it.
I feel like budgets are a “game” too, I love it! Even though I guess technically, I lost. Haha!
One more thing, The Bachelor Pad… horrible! It’s like a train wreck that I can’t seem to turn away from! Being a “germaphobe” I cringed a fair share of times watching the competition this week! Eeek!!
Yuck! Moist is sucha gross word. As is panties and lips. (Yes, I vant stand the word lips!)
And I’m pretty proud of Hudson too! That’s a big step!
I also struggle with keeping up with my relationships. Most of the time I feel like I’m juggling all these balls in the air. Sometimes you just have to let a few drop. You can always pick them back up later 🙂 and there is my prophesizing for the day!
Alex totally wishes that I would think budgeting is fun. Ha! And everyone IS pregnant…except me. Thank God. 🙂
I shiver when I hear the word moist
Yay for a new business! I’m excited for you and pray that God would bless it.
I understand what you mean about football. I love the beginning of it and all the games, and then by mid November when its the ONLY thing we have watched since September I get a little sick of it, wait a lot sick of it.
I think Huddy is close to potty training also! Smart boy!
I’d like to hear more about budgeting. We don’t have the same challenges and obligations but I am really trying to free up as much as I can to put toward retirement. How do you manage to monitor things like groceries, eating out, saving for holidays, vacations, and having fun money for a Nordstrom sale?
Thanks!!
I’m also interested in hearing more about the budget program you’re using for your family. I’m using Dave Ramsey but I’m finding it hard to work all of it. Make sense?
As for the baby boom, all I can say is I sooooo want to be a part of it.
I am new to the blog–love it! I have a 19 month old and a 3 month old and work full-time. Talk about balancing everything with hormones!
And home ownership is definately over-rated. We have a 1927 bungalow that we have been trying to slowly restore for five years. It is nearly impossible now that we have two kids. The house owns us.
Ditto on the comments about budgeting. What’s your secret?
Regarding football, I live in Big Orange Country where a football game is a whole day thing. It’s going to be touch balancing law school, work and UT football.
Home ownership is for the birds. In the past month, we’ve had to have service work done on our garage door and our disposal. Completely unplanned!
Regarding words, I hade the word “panties.” It makes me cringe.
I am both anticipating and dreading the start to college football too. I think when you get super involved in it you find out how draining it can be: the wins, the losses, the recruiting, the scandals, the rivalries… it’s exhausting but F-U-N.
Also agreeing that Home Ownership is overrated. We live in a newer home and yet I still have trouble finding the positives in owning vs. renting some days.
Confession: I started reading the Book Club book a week late. I felt the need to catch up as quick as possible, and ending up reading the entire book over the course of 2 days. Now I am impatiently waiting for the next book to be named!!! The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes is a book that I would have never picked out myself to read, but I am SO, SO happy I did! Now I feel obligated to just listen to you for book suggestions!!
I am SUPER excited to hear more about this party planning situation! I have just starting reading your blog and….WOW! That party for Hudson was awesome! We have a babe that is just 4 months and I can’t wait for the party!
Gross on the moist….I agree with the other reader…panties is also on my list of weird and gross!
I wanted to be a part of the baby boom too Belle! It took us a few years to figure my body out and then it worked! Good thoughts to you!
Singing voice (well, and regular voice): size and mass of vocal cords.
Re: smutty shows…”The Bachelor” is a smutty show. It’s gross to watch those people acting and talking intimately with people they’ll probably never see again, just to become famous on TV. And the ‘Rose Ceremony’??? Why do intelligent people watch that show??
Good luck on your party-planning venture.
Girl-you need to get EXCITED about football season!!! 🙂 I was looking at the Vols’ schedule the other day and wishing I could come to Columbia and meet you when we play South Carolina. Hmmm…maybe when my boys are a little older. We don’t travel well right now. Oh, and this is one super excited reader to hear about your business. I’m in desperate need of some help with birthday parties. Is it okay to admit that I’m not creative and need some help???
My mom has always told me that prayer isn’t about asking God for help with something, it’s about learning to listen to what God is telling you. I’m not overly religious, an I’ve stopped going to church as often as I probably should, but this always seemed like a really healthy way to think about prayer. You’ve been blessed with so many wonderful things, great family and friends. Try to worry less about how difficult it is to balance all of those things (although it seems like you do quite an awesome job at balancing everything in your life) and keep trying to listen to what God is telling you. It’ll all work itself out!
Panties, Moist and Squirt… eww… cringe!
I too can’t stop watching Bachelor Pad, as awful and pointless as it is and I totally agree that there is some kind of baby boom going on. Everywhere I turn, there’s a sonogram or baby announcement!
Ugh! Gia on the Bachelor Pad is super duper annoying. But, like you, I cannot look away even if it is a smutty show 🙂 I hear what you are saying about balance activities and relationships, etc… Since I am now a SAHM, I thought I would have oodles and oodles of time to do whatever I wanted and hang out all the time with friends and family. Life turned out more complicated than that! To help, I decided getting organized would help. I bought three monthly whiteboard calendars, so I can keep track of three months at a time. And I also bought a weekly whiteboard calendar, so I can have a more detailed view of the week. Now, I schedule things as they come, and I can see what I am doing, when, and with whom. Works for me!
I totally agree on the yucky words and the baby boom. Everytime I turn around someone else is pregnant. Baby Fever is kicking in BIG TIME!!! I just know that God has a plan and will reveal it when the timing is right. Love this dump post. 🙂
I hate the word ‘lucious” too…yuck!
I’m halfway with TC on the new compound jargon! Not because they annoy me, but because it often takes me entirely too long to really figure them out… “biopic” and “rom-com” being the latest that I scratched my head over for a while!
I dread and look forward to football season…the only difference is my hubby is into NFL (he likes college, too). I know that Sunday is game day…ALL DAY LONG. I don’t bother him about it…it’s his passion. I see it as my nap time…and I take some of the best naps during football season.
My Brain Dump: I am in my 36th week of pregnancy. I am tired of everyone trying to determine if my belly has dropped and when the baby will arrive. Sometimes, I just want to talk about something other than my belly and when this baby will arrive. I am excited for my little arrival, but sometimes I need a mental break from all of the pregnancy chatter!
I would like to add the words “slacks” and “squat” to the gross word list!
I need to apologize to anyone I offended when I stated I didn’t care for “The Bachelor” and couldn’t understand how ‘intelligent women watched it’. This readership is full of intelligent women, including its author, and I’m sorry if my words were judgemental, because, well – they were. It’s not my place to grade others’ brain candy…we all like what we like, and we should be able to say so without someone else bashing it. I’m sorry. For the record, I like the “Housewives…New York & New Jersey.” Go ahead, I’m ducking.
OMG. I just read your list of words and shivered. Bleh. And someone commented and said that they hate the word “panties,” too. That’s a taboo word in our house; I can’t stand it, either. What is it about some words that makes us cringe?
And I’m a HUGE budgeting fan. I’m like you – I think it’s fun. I am definitely what Dave Ramsey calls the “nerd” in the relationship (one person is usually a “nerd” and the other a “free spirit” when it comes to money). I’ve been on the Dave Ramsey budgeting train for about four years, and have even taught a few classes. I just wish I had been on the budget train when I was a carefree single gal with no bills; I blew way too much money back then!
Ha! Hudson sounds hilarious and super smart-potty training already?!?!
I’m very exciting about your party planning business. Hopefully, I’ll have something come up soon that I need help with 🙂
Enjoy reading your blog. And yes, there is definitely a baby boom going on. I am pregnant and keep saying being pregnant is like buying a new car…you never see it on the road until you buy it and it’s everywhere! 🙂 I had to comment because my all-time “grossest” word is MOIST! Ever since I was a little girl, I have hated that word. Just glad to see someone shares that same feeling 🙂 Congrats on your business venture. Would love your help one day with our little one on the way– is it sad that I have already started thinking of birthday party ideas? She is due in December and I am just struggling with “cute” winter b-day ideas 🙁
Eww…I am annoyed at how many faces I just used in that post.
speaking of baby boom, my gross word is womb. yuck!
So, I’m not a mommy but I just had to comment on the potty training tidbit (and no, it wasn’t TMI)… Though, I know parenting is a whole different ball game, I’ve nanny’ed for many different families and all I can say is the sooner they’re potty trained, the better! Especially because it opens the doors for more childcare options. I don’t think it’s too soon to start “warming him up” to the idea. It absolutely sounds like he’s getting there if he is not only aware of the mess in his pants, but wants it removed right away. That is sure sign. Unfortunately, with boys, the whole #1 part of the equation takes more maturity.
Loved this post!!! I also feel like everyone is pregnant right now, between my co-workers, Nick’s co-workers, and bloggers I feel like I know 20+ people who are expecting right now!
I’m loving the book club too, and can’t wait to see what you and Rachel choose next!
Hormones DO effect your singing voice!! I am a singer and studied musical theater in college, and although I didn’t learn this in school–the great Mariah Carey taught me (from an interview I read) that when you are on your lovely monthly cycle your voice tends to be lower than normal. So she never sings live or schedules performances during this time–HA! Truth.
you’re right…i wait all year long for football season, tailgating, and cooler weather, but once it’s here all my weekends are shot. which can be a good thing. unless you want to have that quiet relaxing weekend with your friends the couch and the bed.
and there is DEF something in the water…all my friends, family, blog buddies, etc are preggo these days. i’m staying away!
Baby boom is definately going around! Every one I know is pregnant and I just hopefully found a home for a baby who needs to be adopted ASAP. He was born 2 days ago and his birth mom is going to prison as soon as she is released from the hospital and does not even want to see the baby. I found a youth pastor family who has already adopted 2 children from FL that were of the same biracial ethniticity.
Oh and your spider is probably most definately pregnant and will have about 200 babies inside….YUCK!
I don’t think it’s a baby boom; rather, I think that at certain ages people do certain things. So when all of your friends are around the same age, they are all doing the same things 🙂 Ie marriage/babies in the late twenties, etc.
OMG I hate every single one of those words on your list also.
totally a baby boom! i went to a brunch with my JL small group last week bc we hadn’t seen each other over the summer and 3 baby bumps showed up! so fun! i know at least 10 pregnant women at the moment…talk about peer pressure! 🙂
Fun post! I think you’ve got to do something about that spider though. Seriously. That thing is giving me anxiety from 1000 miles away! Have it relocated (preferably into spider heaven) but if you oppose such measures just send her packing! Oh my goodness!!
Budgets … Do not like them. They make me sad. I like to buy wonderful things that make me happy, not just for myself, but for the people I love. It really makes me soooo happy. Currently I am obsessed with the Chanel makeup counter (yes now that’s for me). As for the baby boom, I just had a precious baby girl 3 months ago named Audrey! So I’m thinking my Chanel is creating a legacy. Hmmmm.
Cheers for Hudson! Gavin usually squats, looks at us, and says “poop” in a very strained and controlled voice, just letting us know he’s going. He has peed in the potty chair once, but doesn’t usually want to sit on it if we ask. We’ve got plenty of time!
That is so exciting about the party planning venture! You did such a great job on Hudson’s 1st Birthday party. I am jealous that you are moving forward with this, as it’s something I myself would love to do, but don’t know if I have the nerves (or money or ideas) to make it successful. Congratulations and best of luck!
I agree with what you said about handling all of the emails, calls, get togethers. I was one of the last one of my friends to get married and always wondered what my married friends did that kept them too busy to see me. Now I know! I find it difficult to find the energy after a long day at work to make the effort and then when I have free time, I just want to spend it with my husband.
Haha so of course I’m going to comment on the poopie part of your post. I babysat all through high school/college and I still do on the weekends and in the summer. Anyway….I DESPISE when kids are old enough to KNOW that they are going potty in their pants and they TELL YOU ABOUT IT. In my opinion, it’s time to teach them about the potty FAST. It totally grosses me out when they’re verbal/mature enough to know exactly what they’re doing and then they want to do it in their diaper and have me clean it up! Haha….can you tell I don’t have kids of my own yet?? Vent over!
My mom hates the word “moist,” too. She always has. That’s so funny!
Liked the part about budgeting being a game. I agree, when we’re into it budgeting is a lot of fun! It’s just when it gets put off that it’s not so much fun. Care to share with us what tools you use for budgeting, and how you stay motivated!? I could use some inspiration, haha! 🙂
Oh my gosh, the diaper changing thing is ADORABLE! I can’t believe he heads down the hall -so funny!
I quoted (and linked) your first bullet on a post of mine, it was just too relevant for me to pass up. It spoke and continues to speak volumes to me over and over since you wrote it – definitely put in to words what I have been feeling over the past few weeks.
http://brittanyolson.blogspot.com/2010/09/definitely-downer.html