Because the weather is getting warmer, but it was still supposed to be in the 70s today, Mike decided to take a day off and take us to the Desert Botanical Garden to see the butterfly exhibit. We then planned to have lunch at Red Lobster, and make our first visit to the shopping mecca of IKEA. (Read on …)

I can’t let this day pass without mentioning my 5th Blogiversary. Thanks to all my regular visitors and commenters for caring about my little world. And thanks to all of you who might be stopping by for the first time! Here’s to 5 more years! :)

Now on with the feast!

Appetizer
What are you proud of?

Easy question - I’m proud of my beautiful Little Girl. She is the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m also proud of the work I’ve put into my marriage. And I’m proud that I graduated from college.

Soup
What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize?

I’m sure I’m forgetting something really spectacular, but the best thing I can think of right now is a nice big box of scrapbooking supplies from an online contest.

Salad
Name something you do that is a waste of time.

Probably half the time I spend on the internet is a waste of time…lol!

Main Course
In what year of your life did you change the most?

Wow. I can pinpoint several specific years in which I changed a lot. Obviously the year after I got married; the year after I had my heart attack (age 28); the year after I graduated from college; the year after I got my last teaching job; the year after my mother died. But probably the year that I changed the most was the year after my daughter was born. I think becoming a parent changes you more than anything else in your life does.

Dessert
Where is a place you consider to be very tranquil?

I would have to say the shower or the bathtub. That’s where I can really relax and let my mind wander and not worry about things for a little while.

Congratulations to Susie on her very cool new site for Friday’s Feast. Come join the feast!

The weather the last few days has been unbelievably gorgeous. Other than the wind tunnel we had to put up with on Tuesday. Which was the day after the pool cleaners cleaned the pool at the project house. Yeah, that was cool. Not.

This morning, the John Deere dealer came to our house to pay a service call on Mike’s riding lawn mower. LG saw the deer logo on the truck and said, “reindeer!”

While Mike was dealing with that, Marlene and I went for our Thursday morning walk with the two year olds in their strollers. Right as we got to the end of our street, a dog from across the street decided to start following us. I am really really nervous when it comes to dogs I don’t know (having been bitten when I was a kid) and even moreso with my child in a stroller at doggy face level. It wasn’t growling or acting aggressive in any way, but I was still nervous (and so was Marlene). It followed us for awhile and I kept yelling “GO HOME!” over my shoulder without stopping or gesturing, and finally it did. Marlene was telling me a really cool story about an Animal Planet show, but I have to admit I was a bit distracted because I was dwelling on the stupid dog for awhile. I did finally relax and forget about it though, and when we got back it was nowhere to be seen. Whew.

Then Marlene and Mike rehearsed a song for Good Friday, and I showed her my $16 of loot that I scored at Hancock Fabrics going out of business sale yesterday. You can get a lot of stuff for $16 when everything is 50% - 70% off the lowest ticketed price, even if you do have to buy a minimum of two yards of fabric in each cut.

I finished cleaning off my quilt table and got some quilting done, and finally LG was hungry and wanted “jelly sammich!” which translates to peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Well, actually she wanted “fruit snacks”, but I managed to convince her she would rather have a sandwich.

I looked up from what I was doing and realized she had eaten everything but the crust of her sandwich. She gets that from me, I guess, since I’ve never been much of a crust eater.

But then, after she had played with the bread and her Little People zoo animals for awhile, she ate the crust, too. She gets that from her dad.

It was so gorgeous outside, I couldn’t resist going out onto the back porch for a few minutes.

LG is getting entirely too curious. Yikes! (Yes her shoes are on the wrong feet. “I put shoes on self!”)

And finally, while LG was taking her nap, UPS delivered not one, but two packages! Wow, we never have that much excitement around here. One package was an envelope of paperwork from the insurance company.

The other was this box…

And here is what was inside (a thank you gift from the mortgage company that is working with us on the project house)…

I thought my story was over, but I just had to go coax Melody into the house because she was much too interested in the neighbors’ dog. (Not the neighbors that have the horses. The neighbors that think that it’s cool to play their stupid stereos at full blast with the doors of their cars open in their back yard where all I can hear is the thumping of the bass, which is one of the things we moved to get away from. GRRR!)

Anyway, there were two little kids out there. One a little girl who informed me that Max “loves the girls” and that he was “in love” with Melody. The other an even littler boy who decided that throwing rocks at his dog was the way to get him to behave. I told him not to do that. He said, “But he’s bad.” I told him that wasn’t the way we treated other living creatures. Would he want someone to throw rocks at him if he was bad? At least I got him to stop throwing rocks, but it makes me wonder. How did he learn to react to “bad behavior” with violence? I don’t really think I want to know the answer to that question.

You might remember me telling you about my friend T whose little baby J came 8 weeks early due to T’s pre-eclampsia. Well, good news! Baby J has finally come home and she weighs almost 5 pounds now. Thanks for all of your prayers!

I have one child and I am an only child, so the concept of how a parent loves more than one child is foreign to me. It’s not that I don’t think it’s possible, it’s just that I haven’t had first-hand experience with it. I can only rely on my observations, and whereas I’ve seen many families where it’s obvious that all children are loved as close to equally as possible, I’ve also seen other families where it’s clear that one child is favored over the other(s). I’ve also wondered if adoptive parents love their adopted children the same way as biological parents love their biological children. (We’ll ignore, for the sake of this argument, the fact that there are many biological egg/sperm donors who do not care one little bit for their children - I’m talking loving parents here.)

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t believe that adoptive parents, etc. can love their children as much as biological parents, it’s just a curious thing to me that stemmed from the bond that I formed with LG as soon as I knew of her existence in my womb. I loved her before I knew her, so to speak, because I felt her inside of me - she was a physical part of my being, and I just wondered how an adoptive parent could have that same sort of bonding with their child.

And so, I’ve questioned it, and driven my friends crazy at times I’m sure. It was just something I had a hard time grasping. But the last couple of days, via conversations, and a blog post, (thank you Marlene!), I finally know the answer to my question.

The answer is no. Adoptive parents don’t love their children the same as biological parents love theirs. And step-parents don’t love their step-children the same as the biological parents love them. And you don’t love your first-born the same way you love your second-born or your third or your fourth.

Because you can’t.

You can’t because it’s impossible to love any one child the same as any other. I love everyone I know for a different reason, because they are different people. And so are children. They are different. And therefore, the love you have for each of them is different. Not necessarily more, or less, or stronger or weaker. Just - different. And in the end, that is the only answer there is.

As a very wise person said to me yesterday, “what really binds a family together are the moments they share”. Being a family is not about blood or DNA, being a family is about togetherness and love - in all its shapes and forms. It’s not about sharing the same name or the same color eyes or the same address, it’s about the experience - it’s about the living. And it’s about the memories. My mom is still my mom even though she’s not here anymore, and not just because she is part of my DNA. She is my mom because we shared part of our life together. That’s what makes a family. That’s what binds us together. That, in the end, is what love really is - not quantity, not even quality really - but a common thread that weaves our moments and memories into the tapestry of our lives.

So yes, I finally got my answer, and it’s greater than I ever imagined.

Yes, we’re having a “terrible two day” today. And if I didn’t know exactly why a certain little girl was throwing tantrums right and left, I’d probably be a lot more upset and stressed out than I am. I’m actually not upset or stressed out at all, and if you could hear my calm, quiet voice (and you know me very well), you’d probably be shocked because I rarely ever use a calm, quiet voice because that’s just not who I am…lol!

However, Miss LG is very very tired. She missed her nap two days in a row, and that is not a good thing. Sometimes life happens and this has been a very very busy weekend. She’s also managed to get to bed later than I would have liked (or stayed up playing instead of going to sleep) and gotten up much earlier than I would have liked (as in an hour or two before she normally wakes up). So, we have the perfect storm of sleep deprivation.

I was planning to write about two year old-ness today anyway, but I’ll save the other stuff for another day. Right now, she is resting on the sofa, fingers in mouth, watching the TV Horse to calm her down. (Thank you Marlene, and I promise you’ll get it back one of these days soon! lol!)

If she falls asleep, I’m leaving her there, but this could very well be a two nap day, although I’d take one very long one, just to make up for some of the lost sleep. Poor kiddo. Sometimes life is just not fair when you’re two.

The best workout for your body type.

Spring Cleaning 101

Some adorable birthday cake ideas for the kids in your life.

(This one is for you, Rochelle.) Girls with guitars.

Another gadget I could use.

For some of you, knowing your caffeine intake might be a little scary.

Schoolr makes research easier. via lifehack.org

This is so Dick Tracy-ish isn’t it?

A great article on creative camera techniques.

Ever wanted to be on a reality or game show? Here’s some info that might help you!

Where oh where was this when I was writing research papers and copying materials at the genealogy library?

A fun twist on decorating eggs.

This is for the gmail lovers among you.

Last night we were planning on going to Red Lobster for our yearly Lenten trek to Lobster Fest, but by the time Mike got home and showered, it was 6:18 when we got there and the wait time was an hour for a table - which would mean we wouldn’t be seated until around 7:15 and then we still had to eat and get home in time for Mike to give LG her bath and leave for work at 8. Yeah, no. So we ended up at an Italian restaurant instead. I really wasn’t in the mood for Italian, so it wasn’t all that enjoyable to me. We’ll try again next Friday (as in Mike will get home earlier).

Thank goodness I had some Reese’s peanut butter cups at home to drown my sorrows in when we got home.

Today, we had a music rehearsal with the instrumental-type people at 10 am for our church program tomorrow.

Then we went to Mike’s cousin’s wedding reception. She was married in February in Hawaii, and obviously not everyone in the family could be in attendance, so this was the party to make up for that. It was at her older sister’s house, who has two kids, so all the little ones in the family (LG included) had a lovely time playing with the cousins’ toys. LG was a little clingy at first, but she relaxed after awhile and had a great time. It didn’t hurt that she found an Elmo to play with.

One of the guests at the party (not related to us) commented to me on how well-behaved LG is. And she really is. She may be two, and she definitely has some terrible two moments, but for the most part, she’s a really sweet good girl and so I feel like somewhere along the line, we must be doing something right.

After the party, we came home and prepared for Marlene to come over and rehearse vocals for tomorrow. Then she got to go on a date. Lucky her!

We had one more little musical interlude, which was recording some songs with the music director at church that we need to learn for Good Friday, so that we will have what we are expected to sing down before the rehearsal.

Then we worked on some paperwork to do with the flip house, and tried to convince LG to go to bed early since she didn’t get a nap. You can imagine how well that went.

Tomorrow we have Generations after the morning mass is over, mass that evening, and we’re supposed to go to our niece’s 4th birthday party in the morning, but I determined it’s just too much to try and do that too, especially since it’s on the other side of the Valley (as in about 70 miles round trip), and we could only stay for an hour at the most. So, unfortunately, LG has to miss her very favorite cousin’s birthday party, but at least I did deliver her birthday present to Mike’s sister today, so she can take it to the party.

If I survive the rest of the weekend, you might hear from me by Monday.

Appetizer
Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?
I really don’t have one at this time. I used to love Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw and Jane Pauley back in the day, but they are either no longer with us or no longer anchors. (Am I showing my age now? lol!) So I guess my favorite is whoever reports the news fairly.

Soup
Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.
Let’s see…there’s some salmon, some ground beef, and some green beans. That’s what I can think of off the top of my head.

Salad
If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?
I live in a city (Phoenix) that has what I consider to be a really cool name with a great mythology behind it. I guess I’d have to go with “Harmony” and hope it doesn’t turn out like the Harmony on the soap opera Passions!

Main Course
What will most likely be the next book you read?
Well, I just started reading In the Shadows of War by Thomas Childers, so I hope that will the be the next one I finish at least!

Dessert
What’s the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?
Their eyes, their smile, their intelligence. :)

Join the feast!

Twisted Cinderella’s tagged me with a really interesting blogroll idea. It’s always fun to discover new blogs and that’s what this one is all about. If I linked you and you want to play along, feel free, but don’t feel obligated!

Here are the rules:

1. Write a short paragraph at the beginning of your post and link back to the blog that put you on the list in the paragraph. This isn’t a suggestion. You need to break up the duplicate content string. Someone took the time to add you so the least you can do is give them an extra linkback.

2. Copy the list of originals below COMPLETELY and add it to your blog. If you would like a different keyword for your blog then change it when you do your post and it should pass to most blogs with that keyword.

3. Take the adds from the blog that added you and place them in the Originals list.

4. Add up to 5 new parenting or (Mommy/Daddy) blogs to the list in the My Adds section.

My add ons:
Party of Six
Controlled Chaos
Never a Dull Moment
It’s Just the Coffee Talking
Supermom

The originals:
A Work of Art: Raising Our Exceptional Son
Ever After … My Way
Adventures In The 100 Acre Wood
An Island Life
Adoption and Fire
Lala Girl
The Bookworm Broadcast
Parenting Sites 411
Cass Knits
Geni Desu Yo
No Average Mom
Notes From The Trenches
Busy Mom.net
Groovy Mom
Coffee Time
My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings
Toil
My Single Mom Life
Tips From The Money Goddess
Army Mom: New Jersey
Melissa’s Place
Three Sons and a Princess
Moot Thoughts and Musings
A family runs through it
Uglyhead
Parenting Toddlers
arewethereyetmom.com
HeartSongs
Kitchen Ramblings from a fairly odd Tofu mom
My Splatter Painted Life
The Adventures of Fantastagirl

Last night I tried disguising the broccoli as Broccoli Casserole since Mike is not a broccoli person at all. He does not like the smell and will not even put it in his mouth. But, I thought maybe by mixing it with some creamed corn, stuffing and and egg, I could disguise it enough to get him to try it.

Verdict: I thought it was delicious. Mike got a whiff of it and there was no way he would even take a bite. So, I guess broccoli is pretty much off the list for him. LG was in an “I don’t want to take a bite of anything but my macaroni and cheese” mood, so that was a wash, too. But at least there is still hope for her. I’ll keep trying the broccoli now and then, and maybe one day she’ll eat it.

We did a reconciliation service at the high school today, and as Rochelle and I were carrying four water bottles (for three people) and some other stuff out to the car when we were getting ready to leave, we were discussing why Mike had to have two water bottles.)

Me: He’s weird sometimes.

Rochelle: Well, you’re the one who married him. You signed the contract, so you’re stuck with him.

Me: Well, technically a marriage license doesn’t actually say that you have to stay married. It just says it’s okay for you to get married. It’s the verbal contract of the wedding vows that says “’til death do us part”.

Rochelle: True, but now you have a biological contract as well and that would keep you tied together even if you did split up.

Me: Biological contract huh? That’s definitely an interesting way to describe a child. lol!

LG to her Little People zoo animals: Good morning sunshine! Good morning sunshine bird! Good morning sunshine penguin!

What I say to her every morning: Good morning sunshine girl!

*happy sigh*

Warning: More poopy diaper news in this post.

After last week’s diaper debacle, I was totally due for some good luck.

And guess what? This weekend, Mike was around for every single poopy diaper that had to be changed. And this morning, LG finally had her morning stinky diaper before he left for work. Score!

Of course, she now has a second stinky diaper, but hey, at least there were a few I didn’t have to change. I’m finally getting my mojo back!

Great links to save you money, and that is always a good thing.

A great article about the top 25 personal finance myths. via Lifehacker

We love the beach. Here are the Top 10 Family Friendly Beaches in the USofA. via Parentography

Easter themed sidewalk chalk

Shear genius indeed!

A neat idea to control the mess and use of paint and glue when your kiddos are being creative.

How to drink more water. via lifehack.org

10 ideas to get you exercising. via Lifehacker

If you are anything like me, and your veins “hide” as soon as a needle approaches, this little gadget could save you a great deal of pain. I, for one, cannot wait until they start using it EVERYWHERE.

Because doesn’t your iPod deserve its own shrine?

I rarely, if ever, buy clothes online, but this site could change that. I’m already in the process of registering!

Who doesn’t love a toy sale? But hurry, it ends tomorrow.

What will they think of next? But seriously, why didn’t they have something like this on The American Inventor?

For the tea drinkers among you.

Here is a great tip if you need to paint, but hate the smell.

Create a survival kit for your car.