A Whole Lotta Random

Here are a whole bunch of things I've been meaning to tell you about:


-You know, I usually feel pretty good when I'm pregnant, but just this last week, I get SO STIFF every time I sit down or lay down for more than ten minutes!!!  Seriously, it takes me a full minute before all my limbs work properly, and for that one minute I have to hobble around like I'm 80 years old or something.  It's getting really annoying.  How does being pregnant make this happen?  Is there something I should be doing to make this not happen?  (Other than never sitting or laying down, that is...)

-Last night I was in charge of the combined YW/YM activity.  Somehow I got it into my head that we should do a walk-through of the Plan of Salvation.  It seemed like a fun idea at the time.  I had no idea how complicated it would end up being-- I had to buy, prepare and bring tons of food.  We had to set up all these rooms to look like the various stages and instruct a bunch of grown-ups what to do and when and everything...  It was the biggest pain ever, although I was pleased with how it all turned out.  (Mostly thanks to the many others who helped me figure out what I wasn't planning very well...)  Anyway, I was exhausted after that was all done.  And relieved to have it over with.

-In fact, apparently I was so relieved that I went to sleep that night and promptly dreamed that I was suddenly expected to perform on American Idol, and I was frantically trying to learn some song and a dance to go with it and all this stuff.  I woke up in a sweat (pregnancy is fun!), and realized that the whole American Idol shindig actually felt less stressful than the youth group activity had felt.  Go figure.

-Ryder is finally starting to get a bunch of new words!  I KNEW I was doing the right thing to put off speech therapy for a bit!  It's really fun trying to keep up with all the words he suddenly knows and will actually say back to me.

-Unfortunately, along with all this vocabulary comes a clearer sense of what he actually wants (and doesn't want).  So he's a little more difficult to please than he used to be.  But he's still a lot easier than Bentley ever was, so I'm not complaining.  At least, not yet!

Here he is looking very tough, considering he's wearing a diaper..

(Time to stretch, before my legs completely lock up on me!)

-And back to that whole thing of walking around looking like I'm 80, I also refuse to go up or down the stairs without a firm grasp on the handrail now.  It's not helping me look any younger.  But even worse than looking so decrepit would be falling down the stairs again, so that's a look I'm willing to embrace for a bit longer.  (Four-and-a-half weeks longer, to be precise!)

-Ryder has also started pretending.  It's so fun-- he'll talk in this high squeaky voice and declare "Puppy!" or "Deedee!" (which means Robot, I don't know why) and then act like whatever it is he's being.  He'll usually squint his eyes up in his I'm-being-cute way while he does it.  It cracks me up-- how can you pretend when you can say so little still?

Yeah, that squinty face!  Also, notice his new Big Boy bed in the background...

-I got a new calling this week at church!  I've actually known it was coming for a while now, but it took a long time to happen.  I've been changed from being in the YW presidency, where I've been in charge of the 12- and 13-year-old girls, to being one of the advisers and working with the 14- and 15-year-old girls.  So basically I'll still be pretty busy and involved, but rather than being in charge of all these activities, I'm in charge of teaching most Sundays and then providing support for the activities.  So it's a few less meetings and a lot less responsibility.  And considering this new baby on the way, it's probably a good change for now...  (Although my friend who just replaced me had her 4th baby back in August, so I am feeling a bit bad for her, even though I know she'll do a great job.)

-Last week was the Pinewood Derby for Bentley's scout troop.  I wasn't planning on going to it, until Craig lectured me on its its importance and explained that any semi-decent mom would be there.  Oops.  The things I missed out on, growing up in an all-girl family!  So I went after all.  And Bentley won pretty much every race, taking first place for his age group.  Which meant we had to go back a few hours later and do it all over again!  And he won all his races AGAIN, which meant that he beat all the older boys, too.  And that was both very exciting for him, but slightly disappointing for us since it would actually be good for him to learn the art of losing gracefully.  (It was also kind of embarrassing for Craig, who figured all the other fathers would be as hard-core as he'd been.  After Bentley won, he worried he'd "helped out" a little too much...)  Anyway, we now have to attend the District Level derby this Saturday.  Here's to hoping that any losing will be done with grace and equanimity by both Bentley and Craig...

After his first win

And showing off his car and trophy after the big win!

-Kendra, meanwhile, has turned into Little Mother around here.  It's kind of awesome.  She helps out and plays with Ryder so well.  She even (successfully!) put him down for his nap the other day!  Just in the nick of time, too-- I can use all the help I can get these days!  Ryder and I will both miss her terribly when she starts kindergarten next fall...

Showing off her princess dress when Grandma and Grandpa were visiting

All right.  I think that's more than enough for now, don't you?  Peace out!