a pre-baby confession...

...you know, back when i "had all the time in the world"

well, back then i would browse ohdeedoh, a lot.

i would save pictures and links for inspiration.

inspirational decorating tips, diy projects, recipes, etc.....

and this morning, i checked on my old friend, the doh, and found this:

click on picture to take YOU to the recipe :)

how cute, ey?!

yeah, i'm gonna try it.

you should too!

when i have three kids...

....two of them will be ridin' board-style.

YO!

yep. just snap on a board or two.......

and wallah.....

you can push all three kids!

just think of the killer muscles you'll be building.

zooooooooooooooooom!

you can get yours from orbit. right here!

if i had school-aged children...

...i would do this:

as the school counselor, i am always trying to find good resources/ideas for parents....and i stumbled upon this fabulous one:

go HERE to find out more about this awesome daily routine.......

what a wonderful way to triage about their day :)
and.....

someday, i will do this too:

you can check this fruitytooty out HERE!

a couple weeks ago...

... i was so weepy.
kinda like this fine female:but now i'm in a pretty good place, emotions-wise.
i mean heck, i think i can really do this whole pregnancy thing at least 3 more times.
then our 4 kids can share a room.
you know, like this cutie patootie below:
hold up...... i'm dreamin.......
i have this strange feeling i'll end up with all boys......
so it will probably look more like this.
and i'd be ok with that:

either way.
i'll still make their lunches into faces.
because i'mma be a cool mom like that.
you know......faces,
like this:

ok......this is it!

i've found my dream job.

most of you know, this changes on a monthly basis.

and mr leif - you shush.

you are probably thinking, "um, how about a weekly basis?" -while rolling your eyes!

(of course he is saying and doing those things out of love for me, his ever-so-can't-make-her-mind-up with what she wants to do-wife)

side note - im hoping that bearing babies will consume my crazy job-hopping desires.

we'll find out soon!

soon, as in 8 weeks :)

but yeah.........so the job, the "THIS IS IT JOB".

well.

i'm going to open my own consignment shop.

y'all know how much i LOVE searching for fabulous deals as consignment shops -

example.

the shoes for babyleif in these photos: they were originally from babygap.

i got them from children's orchard for $2. actually grammy linda bought them. thanks grammy!

now you could be thinking - well why are you going to open a consignment store if childrens orchard already exists?

well. its crowded. unorganized. and not very cute, AT ALL.

what i'm picturing is down below.

i'm gonna replicate this place.

a most radical consignment shop for childrens clothes - cute ones.

and i'll have a section for mommas too.

boooooyah.

behold, from richmond, virginia:

CLOVER.

ok, i can just see myself sitting behind this totally fabulous desk. welcoming my shoppers :)

and. my plan is that i'll only work part time.

cuz i'll be home with raising babes.

but maybe mr leif could build a little nursery/playroom on the back of my shop so when i am there - the kids can come too.

it would be kid friendly for my shoppers :)

ps. one problem.............anyone out there want to donate the $$ to get me goin? i suppose i could start it out of my garage and then move into a shop when business gets boomin. hahahaha.......

(liza - how bout that salon you'll open - i can be on the other side! just think childcare for your clients!)

its a date....

...a date night.

and its budget friendly.

and its helping me learn how to like coffee.

because i don't like coffee.

but lots of my mommy friends are telling me i must learn to love it.

that i will need it.

so im easing myself in.

im liking white chocolate mocha stuff......

i don't even wanna know if there are tons of calories or whatever.

im not skilled enough to order the 'healthy' version yet.

i don't quite know what to tell the coffee dude.

so i just straight shoot off the menu.

and ya know what?

im kinda liking this whole coffee thing.

for the first time in well 25 years - it doesnt taste bitter or yucky.

and then there's the him.

mr leif is the perfect date.

we talk.

and sip our coffee, like we are cool.

and we dream.

and there is nothing to distract us. no computers, no laundry, no housework, no yard.

except one phone call from a lost friend trying to get to homegoods

(hahahaha - she knows im kidding)

and we soak each other up

and dream some more

and pretend the world has stopped.

and its the best date.

and we are practicing these cheap, quick dates.

because we know when the babe comes, we still need them. weekly.

and we'd like to have date night about 4 or 5 times a week.

but really. its just once a week.
and its our favorite night ever.

good work starbucks.

we like your comfy chairs.

and we like havin a date with you.

so do you?

do you set aside time for just your husband?

and talk and dream and smile and give googly eyes?

because you should.

its like medicine.

goooooooooood medicine.

BYOBb idea from 2:27........

...........a.m.

that's in the morning.
and BYOBb doesnt mean, 'bring your own beer, baby.'

i couldn't sleep last night. at all. for 2 reasons.

1 - im pregnant:
because every 29 seconds i shifted to a new, uncomfortable position
because babyleif was moving so much it was almost on the verge of frustrating, but not

and

2- scary ant visions:
because this past week we've been seeing an ant or two in our kitchen as we pass through.
just a teeny tiny one or two. nothing too major or scary.
BUT because i dont believe bugs should be in houses, or at least my house
and because ive been kitchen-clorox-spraying my counters and walls and everything in our kitchen and its still not helping....
......mr leif got some ant traps/poison/killer (wow, such evil words) from home depot yesterday and totally got all 'mr leif vs. ants'.
and so instead of sleeping, i kept having visions of a whole army of ants marching into our kitchen. devouring our bait like thanksgiving dinner, and then NOT dying or taking the poison back to their colony. but rather, hanging out in our kitchen ALL. NIGHT. LONG.........inviting more ants to their party..........and so yeah, my visions were gross/scary/ant-filled.

and so i couldnt sleep.

and then the bad thing happened. my mind began to wonder.
i dont know if its me being pregnant and half crazy
or
if its me being extra self conscious lately
but
regardless, i am wishing my mind would just calm down a bit.
and i am very critical of myself and how i think and process things......
i wish my ideas and dreams would slow up......
and i wish i would keep them to myself. but i dont.
and you should know that by now :)

so.
a quick preface, before i delve into BYOB.

..........in attaining my masters of school counseling degree, i've taken some parenting courses.
these classes aren't intended for me to attend 'as a parent trying to learn how to parent'
but rather, as a future facilitator of parenting groups (id rather call them mammas clubs)..........and of course to help the parents that think/want/desire me, the school counselor, to magically 'heal' their child during their course of elementary school. and please note, the sarcasm in that last sentence is purely due to the fact that TODAY is my LAST day of summer and i have to go up to school to prepare for tomorrow my FIRST day back to work. hehe :) but no really, its not all that bad, im craving a schedule.
so anyways
back to my degree.......
i L.O.V.E.D. learning about how to facilitate parenting groups.

i remember the first day of parenting class, i thought......."pshhhhhhhhhh, i won't run a parenting group until i've had a few kids that are at least in middle school, otherwise people won't believe what im saying, because i won't have any experience..........."

but i was quickly swayed from such thinking.
and felt empowered.
and of course, in true lindsey fashion..........i starting dreaming
and imagining
my first parenting group.

well.
last night, i really, like really starting wanting to make this happen.

and.........
i thought that once i would get this group up and running (preferably next fall) i would create a seperate blog/page for it........so of course it would need a title.
and at 2:whatever in the morning, a title instantly popped in my mind:
BYOBb
Bring Your Own BabyBaggage

now that its normal awake hours, 7:24 to be exact, im sort of trying to process the whole BYOB thing, but ya know..........i kinda like it! im sure i'll change it to something a bit more refined, but for now, its a bit catchy and a tad on the naughty/suspicious/moms might want to say "sorry, cant come to the pool today, i have BYOB at lindsey's" side.........eeeeeeeeeek!

let me set the stage.
picture this below, my living room, filled with moms.
and of course they would be holding a notebook, pen, cup of coffee........and idealy munching on coffee cake.
because at the core of a successful parenting group (mommas club) is the idea that mothers would come, bearing real struggles, sharing their hardships/concerns/questions..........and then in return receive advice from other moms going through the same thing, and i would offer insight as a third party, as to what/how/why the child is reacting........

i want the mommas to come, say and hear things like:
"omg. little benny is totally having tantrums in the middle of target too! so i.... "
and
"here's whats worked for me..."
and
"seriously? me too......... just yesterday i locked myself in the bathroom and put both the shower and sink on full blast, to eliminate the sound of screaming.......am im going crazy???"
and
"next time, you could try..."

and then i'll jump in and offer some sort of........
"wow, you're feeling defeated, your child is using this too...."

so.
you get the idea.
right?
i have a year to get this up and running.
(and most likely the idea will fizzle out)
but i hope not.

and as i was grabbing a pic for this post, i realized, i haven't shown mr leif's handywork from last spring (that is our new built in, corner entertainment center) shown on the left side of this photo below!
nicely done, ey?

k. thats all for now.

thanks for letting me document this idea.

and please, someone hold me to it!

i am really really...

....REALLY looking forward to life with kids.

i'm always daydreaming of the FUN we will have!

whether i'm only home with them in the summers........

or whether my dream of 'home all the time' will come true.........

regardless.

we'll have a BLAST :)

we'll hang artwork up to show daddy!

and i'll help them put on neighborhood performances in our backyard.

and have arts and crafts days when its rainy outside.

and this organizational system makes me so happy inside.

and go thrifting, allowing them to pick out their own lawn chair and their own paint color.

making our yard quite the colorful attraction, SO full of life :)

i

can't

wait!