Not MY Happiest Place

So, Disneyland. I have to start by telling you that my husband and his family are all huge fans of the amusement park. My mother-in-law in particular is horrified whenever I express my distaste for it.

But the whole thing just seems so...manufactured. It feels so forced and not genuine, as if everyone is thinking, "We paid so much money to get into this place that we're going to have fun come hell or high water!"

Put together those kinds of crowds and the outrageous prices, and I'm not sure it isn't one of my versions of hell.

I can't be the only person out there who feels like I paid a huge sum of money for the privilege of standing in lines all day. You stand in line to get in. You stand in line for rides. You stand in line for the bathroom. You stand in line to get something to eat. You stand in line for a picture with a character. You stand in line to get out of the place!

I was 17 when I went to Disney World and 18 the first time I visited Disneyland. Was I too old by then to be lulled into the sweet caress of a fairy tale land? I had oodles of fun during both trips. Of course I went to both parks with my marching band (high school and college), and I'm pretty sure we could have managed to have fun in an open stretch of asphalt.

We also had dinner at Medieval Times, that place where you get to watch the jousting. More manufactured fun! It's a strange day indeed when I find myself yearning for a nice, quiet camping trip.

We also spent a few extra days in Yuma on the way out and back so we just got home yesterday. And M doesn't have to work this week either! I'm going to be so spoiled that when next Monday rolls around, and I have Q all to myself, I may go into shock.

A Yipee Sort of Day!

First things first...

We got the ultrasound done this afternoon and it's....another boy! I'm quite happy to be the mother of boys; there's enough estrogen in this house already. He put up a high five for us, and we even got to watch him practice breathing (apparently a rare thing this early). I've been feeling odd the last few days, and I had a completely irrational fear that something was wrong. Turns out I'm already having Braxton Hicks (i.e. "false") contractions. That could explain the out of sorts feeling.

More water is supposed to help, but I already feel like my back teeth are floating. And I'm already planning a potty redecorate since I spend so much time there.

But something else wonderful happened to me today! I won a copy of the amazing book Visual Chronicles from the incredible sisters over at Journal Revolution. Their blog is one of my favorites, and I can't wait to dive into their book. It may be exactly what I need as I move into the 2nd half of this pregnancy.

Just FYI, M is flying to Germany tomorrow so Q and I will be spending the next few days in Phoenix with family and friends.

Knock Knock

Just in case you need a place to write yours down...

I discovered a great little gift and stationery store on the web this morning, Knock Knock. I bought their kids' travel journal at Target yesterday (which unfortunately they don't seem to carry on their website), and decided to check out their website for more fun stuff. And fun stuff it is!

Of course there's the Shit List shown, but I'm also partial to the Log Books, Sex Flashcards, and Paper Email. I also think any of the sticky pads would make a great addition to any corporate office. You may not ever be able to actually use them, but it might make you feel better to have them in your desk!

Please Tell Me Why I Do This

All of my toddler's pjs neatly stacked in the basket after being freshly washed - I make sure they're all in matching sets. And tonight, when Q goes to change into his pjs, he will throw them all on the ground searching for the single set of long sleeve, long pants pair all the way at the bottom (where I thought it safely hidden). Or he'll randomly pick a bottom and a top not from the same set, preferably from near the bottom of the basket. Then he'll stuff all the discards back in the basket.

So why do I bother putting them away so nicely? Why don't I just toss the clean pieces in the basket willy-nilly so he can pick through them all even more easily? It's not like I keep a generally clean and tidy house; I just seem unable to not fold these pjs neatly. Maybe I'm trying to make up for a chaotic house with this one small gesture?

Not Quite the Monsoon

Today brought the first summer thunderstorm to our house. Q dressed in a jacket and shoes to go play in it and quickly shed all but his tighty-whiteys to frolic. It may be raining, but it's still 80 degrees! But it's a welcome reprive; temps should be back above 100 by the end of the week...

Baby Names

I recently downloaded the top 1000 names given to babies in 2006 from the Social Security website. Of course I'm not just content to look at the list as given because they don't recognize different spellings so the rankings can be misleading. Isabella for instance only comes in around number 8, but when you add all the Isabelles, Isabels, Isabelas, Isabells, Izabellas, and Izabelles, it suddenly jumps to number 1. And sorry if you don't agree (no, I'm not really), but those are not different names.

Yes, combing through the lists and combining all the different spellings is quite tedious and time consuming so I'm probably admitting to being a little crazy here. But the exercise appeals to the part of me that craves structure and order, and I needed something to do while I was on strict orders from my husband to sit on my ass all day Monday.

Anyway, I'm done. Unfortunately not many names jumped out at me nor have I had my faith in humanity restored. Nine different spellings for Aiden? Really? And we're only talking the spellings that were popular enough to make the list. The best (worst?) is coming across a name you think is truly awful and then realizing that not only did it make the list, but a number of its alternative spellings have made the list. How is it that almost 1000 babies a year can be given a name I don't even know how to pronounce? And it has multiple spellings. At least I think it does.

For truly funny, acerbic comments about baby naming madness please see Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing. A dear friend pointed me to this website when I was pregnant with Q, and it's still as hilarious 4 years later.

And feel free to forward any baby name ideas you have that you wouldn't mind me stealing. I promise I won't even tell you if I don't like it!

No Really, I'm Fine

OK, so I already think it's funny but M's still freaked out. Apparently I pass out with my eyes wide open - not rolled back, mind you, wide open. M says it's an image he'll continue to have nightmares about. The midwives said it was just a blood pressure thing. I got super relaxed and my body decided that since I wasn't actually using my brain at that moment, it didn't need nearly as much blood.

Things That Are Annoying the Already Grumpy Pregnant Lady:

• Ants. On my stove. I know I'm supposed to get extra protein, but this is ridiculous.
• The sun coming up so damn early. It wakes the toddler up before 6. So the whole house is up. Before 6.
• Still vomiting. 17 weeks and still vomiting.
• My heart murmur. It becomes more pronounced with the increase in blood volume so my heart becomes much less efficient. Haven't gained an ounce but I huff and puff like I put on 20 pounds overnight.