Castle

Last season was Castle's debut. I knew immediately upon seeing advertisements that it was a show for me. Writing, mystery, humor. My kind of show. If you haven't seen it, Castle is a crime writer who gets to follow around a cutie pie detective, Beckett. He is using her as his muse in a new crime series he is writing. He is hilarious. I love his sense of humor. I love that he writes. I love his perspective on the crimes. I love how he interacts with Beckett. I love his daughter, Alexis. I tell Aaron every week that someday I want a daughter like her: level-headed, conscientious, responsible, adorable, and trustworthy. Anyway, I giggle through each episode, and last night was no exception - but - it was even better! The episode is called, "The Double Down". He talks about/gets upset about poor grammar. Hysterical! Here is a scene from the beginning of the show. And yes, I did rewind it - or I used "picture go backwards" as Monk would say (another favorite) over and over to get this to be exact.

Background: There is a dead female psychiatrist on a couch with the words, "Your out of time" written on her face.
Dr. Parish (medical examiner): "It looks like a patient lost their patience."
Castle: "Also his command of grammar. Your should be you apostrophe r-e as in you are. It's not even a tough one - not like when to use who or whom."
Beckett: "Do you really think that's the take away here, Castle?"
Castle: "I'm just saying whoever killed her also murdered the English language."
--a little other action takes place, and then...
Beckett: "Her husband calls before 6, and the food's picked up at 6:02. She knew who she was having dinner with."
Castle: "Someone with bad grammar."
--a little later in the squad room, and he is still upset...
Castle: "It's not like you're just leaving yourself a note - you know to buy bread on the way home. You're writing on a person you just murdered. You're trying to make a point - a point you care a great deal about presumably because you just killed someone to make it. So, how do you not make sure that you're using the proper language to make that point?"

I love it! Watch Castle on Monday nights - or - if you are watching Monday Night Football like we do - just DVR it and watch it later. Then you can even fast forward (or "picture go faster" as Monk says) through the commercials.

OKLAHOMA

{Sing it with me, folks, LOUD and PROUD!}
Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plains
and the waving wheat, can sure smell sweet
when the wind comes right behind the rain!

Oklahoma, every night my honey lamb and I
will sit alone and talk
and watch a hawk making lazy circles in the sky.

We know we belong to the land
and the land we belong to is grand!
So when we say, "Yip! Ayipioeeay!!"
we're simply sayin'
WE'RE COMING HOME OKLAHOMA!
OKLAHOMA, O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A
Oklahoma, OK!

{Yep, it is true. We're moving back to Oklahoma. We know no details except that Aaron starts work on November 1st.}

First Baby Pictures

Back on August 5, 2009, a day of actual misery in the nausea department, there was a bright ray of sunshine. This was the day that Aaron and I got our first glimpse of our baby and got to see his/her heartbeat. It was amazing. I was only 6 weeks pregnant at the time, and it was more than reassuring to see so that I knew that, "Yes, I actually am pregnant, and yes, all the nausea and headaches are worth it."

So although you can't really see much but black and white squiggles and smudges, I promise there is a baby there. The yellow dashed line is measuring the baby. I think they said the baby was approximately the size of a piece of rice at that time. I can tell you that the baby is much bigger now at 13.5 weeks. I go next Wednesday for another check up, and we'll get to hear the heartbeat again.

I realize I'm not the first gal to ever have a baby, but it is MY first baby, and I'm marveling. There are 2 heartbeats inside of me. There is another human in my tummy. That human is our baby - a gift to us from the Lord. That baby goes with me wherever I go. I could go on and on, but if I let myself think about it, I get overwhelmed.

Speaking of overwhelmed, I must make a confession: I have a difficult time reading about what is happening during my pregnancy. When I read that "eye balls are forming" or "today your baby's spine is fusing" or other such wonderments, I kind of have a mini panic attack. I feel like I'm not doing enough. I feel like I need to swallow a whole bottle of prenatal vitamins (don't worry - I WON'T...), or that I need to take a bath in vegetables. So, I sort of avoid reading about it as much as possible and trust that God is taking care of the baby and just using me as the incubator. {I remember having chicken eggs (I think) under the heat lamp in our bathroom while I was growing up... Miraculously, they hatched into chicks. What that has to do with anything, I don't know, but I felt the need to share.}

Anyway, one last comment: Today my 3rd and 4th hours (Evidently most of them have 2nd hour together, and they had discussed this then.) decided I should name the baby Bagel Nosh after a super yummy bagel shop down the road. Then they decided that if Bagel Nosh wasn't an option that I should consider Muffin. 4th hour is also the same class period where I looked up and a student was licking all four of his ink pens. In answer to my astonished, bewildered, grossed out, what-are-you-doing look, he said, "Kiani was trying to steal them. I figured if I licked them, she wouldn't touch them." Yes, I do have control of my class. This all took place before the bell rang to begin. The adventures in teaching 8th graders - never a dull moment, let me tell ya!

13 Weeks

Yesterday was 13 weeks. In my mind this is the end of my first trimester... 12+12+12=36 13+13+13=39
A pregnancy is supposedly 40 weeks, so 39 is more accurate...okay, enough with the mathematics.

Pre-pregnancy, I spent 2+ hours a day at an LA Fitness or out-and-about exercising/working out. Of all my many various hobbies, this is my favorite. I guess I have changed a bit from when Mom picked me up from Mother's Day Out when I was teeny, and I was crying because, "They made me sweat!" Anyway, now the sweating, muscles aching, body challenging workouts are what I crave. If I don't burn over 1,000 calories in a work out I feel that I haven't done enough. I want to be pushed to the max, completely worn out, and feeling like I left it all in the gym when I leave. These 2 people are my workout cohorts. Leigh "Pain-Is-Weakness-Leaving-The-Body" (my trainer) and Chris (my daily workout buddy) are two amazing people. Leigh could get Arnold Schwarzenegger to do "one more rep" and Chris is supportive and helpful and kind. Since I've had to go to the "heartrate under 140" pregnancy category, I haven't been able to work out with Leigh and Chris. I miss them, but because I had to quit training with them, they were the first non-family people who heard about our baby.

Other Information:
*I told the staff at my school last Monday. They were all so sweet about it - tons of emails and well-wishes.
*I told my students on Wednesday. I wasn't sure what to expect from 8th graders, but they were so adorable and funny. Several are just positive that if the baby is a girl that we will name her Rachel. Evidently, that just seems like a name I would choose. :) Some were upset that I kept it a secret from them for so long.
*At this point we don't think we are going to find out the gender of the baby until the birth. The ultimate surprise! I'm just hoping the ultrasound technician doesn't give it away. My doctor has assured me that they can keep secrets!

My First Nursery Rhyme

I have a hidden talent that mostly only my family knows about.
I am a poet. Seriously. I am really good.
For most of my life I have written birthday poems, anniversary poems, and random poems.
I also write songs.
I just know I could be famous.
If you don't believe me, you must hear the lovely songs I write for my dogs or my new nephew.
They are really something else.
One of my favorite poems was one I wrote to teach my students rhyme scheme.
It goes like this:
There once was a girl I knew
Who wore a red shoe.
She stopped on the road
And saw a toad
Who asked if she had some glue.

I know you are amazed. I amaze myself!

So, it was only appropriate that I wrote a little poem for Aaron to give to him when I found out we were having a baby.
It goes like this:
"I don't know
if it is a boy or girl,
but a Little Baby
is going to rock our world."

I figure that is the first stanza. I might just keep adding to the "Nursery Rhyme" as we progress. I'll be sure to keep you updated!

P.S. Surely you know I'm being sarcastic about my amazing ability...
P.P.S Also, I come by this talent naturally seeing as how my mom makes up silly songs/sayings, and my dad actually started the whole singing songs to the dog thing...

We Are Glad, Glad, Glad!

Due Date: March 28, 2010
Photo Taken: July 22, 2009
Today: The 12 week mark!

It's FINALLY That Time of Year Again!

"I'm a Sooner born and a Sooner bred
and when I die I'll be a Sooner dead
Rah Oklahoma! Rah Oklahoma!
Rah Oklahoma! OK U"



Let the Saturday football action begin!

Queen Elizabeth

Mom has always called me "Queen Elizabeth".
I'm not sure why.
I just want what I want and when I want it.
Is that too much to ask for? :)

Seriously, I've always known I was royalty.
Several years ago when I was a youth sponsor in Hillsboro, my theme one year for my small group of high school girls was: We are princesses. We discussed the meaning of our Christian royalty, what this means on earth, how to conduct ourselves, etc...
In addition, one of my favorite stories in the Bible is Esther. I've always loved it. When I was a little girl, we had a cassette tape of the story of Esther in our car, and we'd listen to it often. The story has always intrigued me, so when our church announced that the women's ministry would be doing the Beth Moore study on Esther, I signed up immediately. Beth Moore and Esther - who could resist? On page 40 of our study book, Beth writes, "Those of us who know Jesus personally live under divine rule where all us girls get to be princesses." See, I KNEW IT! I am Princess Elizabeth. Only MY KING is THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! The exciting news is that if you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, you, too, are royalty. Our King wore a crown of thorns on earth, but He rose again. Our citizenship isn't here on earth; it is in Heaven where OUR GOD REIGNS!

Matryoshkas on my Shelf

I've always loved nesting dolls. I love how they start big and then get so itty bitty, and just when you think it is too little that they can't possibly fit another inside, you indeed can - where the ittiest bittiest one resides, safe and sound tucked away. My collection is very new - starting with Christmas 2008.

The top: The little one was purchased at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show last March. The middle one is from one of my favorite stores in the world: Blissful Living (part of Domestic Bliss) in Mesa, AZ. The salt and pepper shakers were a gift from Aaron, and he purchased them at another one of my most favorite stores: Anthropologie.

The middle: I made these one day the week before Christmas 2008 as I relished my time off from school and while I watched Shirley Temple in The Little Princess. I made them from the book Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle by Tilda, and I purchased the fabric and ribbon online from England. I love the pink and red together.

The bottom: The Asian one is from Pier 1. I don't love this one quite as much as the rest, but my idea is that someday this will be the set I let my children play with... The middle is a gift from Aaron's parents. The pieces are actually measuring cups - so neatO! They were also purchased from Anthropologie. The blank ones were purchased online. I have zero artistic painting ability, but someday I hope to get inspired to paint them into something special! (Maybe my favorite OU players or my favorite figure skaters or maybe just solid colors with googly eyes - which is more my level of artistry)

Just looking at these makes me happy. Opening them up makes me even happier. If you come see me, and if you promise to be super careful, I might just let you open them all up and play with them, too! I'm hoping that the next time I visit Nicholas - if I promise to be super good and super careful - he will let me open and play with his OU Sooners set.

Note: The lovely shelf was made by my father-in-law. It works perfectly to house this collection.