Oh So Many Things...

It's been awhile. A long while.  I have been completely and totally unmotivated to write in this blog.  My precious blog has done nothing to offend me, we are still close friends, I have just had the longest and most ridiculous brain fart imaginable!  I am sitting here even now wracking my brain for things to write about.  SOMETHING exciting and blog-worthy must have happened to me in the last countless weeks since my un-manicured fingers last graced this keyboard!  Well, let's see if I can think of any...

Hot, Hot, and Hotter

Summer is in full force in Iowa. I'm not a hot weather person.  I've decided that summer was a lot more fun when we were children.  This is especially true in my case seeing how my family had a pool.  No we weren't wealthy as I am sure you are thinking all pool owners are, it was one of those above ground round pools that my parents built a deck around.  It was heaven.  I spent my pre-teen days floating about the icy cool water, sipping kool-aid from wine glasses with my friend Jessica and talking about the latest boy crush I had.  There were a lot.  The summer nights were filled with sleep overs, catching lightning bugs and playing outside until it got dark and was time for bed, only to wake up and do it all over again.  Oh what a charmed life it was during summer in Missouri!  Summer was good for me until I had a child.  My carelessness was replaced with panic that the gallon of sunscreen I put on her 20 minutes ago was already wearing off and her delicate skin was going to burn to a crisp.  I don't even remember wearing sunscreen in my day.  And since the blow-up alligator pool my daughter has is not large enough to accommodate me, her, and 4 of her barbies, lounging in the pool is out.  Plus there is the sweltering, take your breath away, want to vomit heat wave we endured for months and months.  It seemed like months, I'm ranting.  Yes, summer is just not the same.  But I still do love the longer days, although not when trying to put Ally to bed at 8.  Her 3 year old brain can't comprehend that it's bedtime when the sun is still up.  I do love getting out on the boat, and grill outs with friends.  I love that my teacher friends are out of school and this stay at home mom has someone to talk to during the day.  But I must say, to the disapproval of my mother in law, once August hits, and the Iowa State fair is past...my mind drifts to cooler temps, football, sweatshirts, jeans, pot roast, and pumpkin spice.  For yes, dear friends, that wonderful season is upon us. Fall is just around the corner.  I just wish it came a little sooner on the thermometer!

School House Rock

Speaking of cooler weather and summer being over, that only means one thing. It's back to school time.  Usually this means nothing to me, except an increase in commercials for JC Penny and Macy's showcasing the latest back to school trends.  Which by the way, why don't kids dress like, oh I don't know, KIDS!  I can't believe some of the clothes out there made for children.  Wow I am getting old.  Anyway, back to school this year means the start of school for my little one.  Ally is going to preschool!  GASP! Tear :(  Two days a week for 2 hours a day I will have to let go of her tiny little hand and send her off to the Methodist Church to get educated.  OK, so 3 year old preschool is not so much for the education, but more for socialization.  Which she needs.  Staying home with momma all day may be great for her (and me) but she also needs some time with other kiddos.  Time to learn how to share, interact, and listen.  Despite the knot in my stomach I know it will be good for her, and me, to have this time.  I'll try to keep the tears to a minimum. Think happy thoughts, like how stinking cute she's going to be with a little backpack full of school supplies!  Better clear some space on the refrigerator for lots of crayola masterpieces!

Complete and Utter Exhaustion!

OK, here is a test to see how many people actually read my blog.  For the past few weeks normal Amanda has been taken over and replaced by tired, grumpy, nauseous, make-up and hair straightener free Amanda.  This is not a good looking Amanda.  This can only mean one thing.  I have a tiny sea creature growing in my body.  In other words, I'm knocked up!  (hoot, holler, let's make some noise!)  Yes, despite Ally's best efforts at making me want to never reproduce again (only at nap, bed, and tantrum time does this happen) we decided it was time to bring another Duke into the world. I'm in my 9th week and couldn't feel, well, worse.  I'm tired, my back hurts, my stomach hurts, and my once love for bacon has now turned into complete and total disdain for all things pork!  Pregnancy this time around is also making me irrational.  For example.  I've had sleepless nights over the fact that the hubs and I can not agree on a name for a boy.  I know how ridiculous this sounds, seeing how I have 31 weeks left to be pregnant.  AND, we don't even know if it is a boy and won't know until November.  But still, in my head it makes total sense that a name should be agreed upon in the first weeks of pregnancy.  Don't you think?  Don't answer that.  But we couldn't be happier and more excited!

So for all of you who read this you now know why you haven't seen me in the wine section at the grocery store for a while.  I know your typically not supposed to share this kind of news until your at least 12 weeks along, but I'm an atypical kind of gal. And who can wait that long, really!?!  Keep me in your prayers for a healthy go at this!

OK, so apparently I had a few things to write about.  Promises to not go so long until I grace your computer screen again!  Peace out peeps!