Well that wasn't what I was expecting

We had decided we are done having children. We have 2 healthy kids, and pregnancy is hell for me. Only due to being youngish, our official decision was to see how we felt in 10 yrs, when it's time to remove my IUD before making any permanent decisions. (If we even choose to; neither of us are really wanting to be the one to undergo a medical procedure.) I'd just assumed I'd probably decide that 9 months of extreme puking isn't really that bad and want 1 or 2 more. After all, we'd always said we wanted 3 kids.

This weekend, one of my good friends from high school was in town, and we went to meet her and her wonderfully cute and squishy 2 month old son. After he was awake and fed, she passed him off to me. I was thinking, "This is it. Baby fever's gonna strike." And that's when I shocked myself. Absolutely no baby fever. As adorable as he is, I felt zero desire to have one of my own. It was all a bit unsettling.

Mommy Guilt

I shut my poor baby boy's hand in the van door today. :( Fortunately I didn't shut it as hard as I usually do. He was standing next to the van, like he always does, while I shut his door, and then we go around to get the princess out. He just happened to stretch and have his arms out behind him at the exact time that I shut his door. Fortuntely there's just a slight mark on his hand and it no longer seems to bother him. No broken skin or anything (like the time my hand got shut in a door around his age). It took about 5 minutes of hugs and kisses and some m&ms to make it all okay.

FYI, bears are BIG, STRONG wild animals

I thought this was kinda common knowledge. Apparently not, as I witnessed yesterday. I was driving along, enjoying the scenery on my way to a family picnic by Cades Cove when all of the sudden, traffic was at a complete standstill. My first thought was wreck, as not everyone is accustomed to mountain driving. Then I noticed the herds of people milling around with cameras. Commence eye rolling.

People were walking up to maybe 10 feet away from the bear taking pictures. A few brave (or massively stupid) people were going down the embankment to get closer. People, do you not realize that bear was close enough to get pissed and eat you for lunch. But hey, at least you'll have a picture of the bear to show off when you're telling people about the attack. And after you're stupid self gets mauled, the poor bear, that was just being a wild animal in it's natural habitat, will be killed. All for a f-ing picture. *shakes head*

And while I have your attention, it is NOT cool for you to come here and litter in the mountains. There are bear proof trashcans at all of the picnic and camping areas and some of the trails. If you're somewhere without a trash can, then carry it back out the same way you carried it in. Last week, we passed some people on a trail. A short while later we found an empty peanut bag. We picked it up and The Boy was carrying it back to the van, so we could dispose of it properly. The children (around 8-10) in the group that we'd passed then came running by (Who the heck lets kids that young go off on their own in the mountains? Adults shouldn't even be out alone on trails.). One of the boys saw The Boy carrying the bag and said, "That's ours," and took it back. I thought maybe he was embarassed we'd picked up his trash. Not so much. The next drop-off we came to, the little jerk threw the bag down. I'm surprised my head didn't explode. We pondered going after it but ultimately decided it was too dangerous. :(

Catch a falling star, and put it in your pocket!

Last night (this morning?) we were out watching the Perseids Meteor Shower. Very cool! It peaked last night, but tonight should still be pretty good too, if you missed out. We were only out from 12:30-2:30 (caffeine wore off ;) ), but we saw dozens. And we weren't even in that dark of a spot. It's an annual event too. Next year I'll be better prepared - fisheye lens for the camera and a remote shutter, plus I'll scout out a better viewing place.

I'm completely fascinated with the moon and stars. My childhood dream was to be an astronaut. (Hmmm, not something I'd thought about in a while.) Anyway, this thought prompted me to look up my moon sign again. Check this out, it's SOOOO me!

MOON IN AQUARIUS


You are very perceptive, imaginative, and enjoy the opinions your friends and colleagues offer. You are social, and sympathetic to others feelings. Your attitude is not the norm. You are prone to unorthodox, independent and unconventional tendencies. Your eccentric interests and hobbies will draw strange looks from observers. You are attracted to anything that is of an intellectual, social, original or unusual nature. Your vocation may include educational, political, scientific or social work. In your heart you are a true humanitarian. You have strong (sometimes-impractical) ideals. You are drawn to large movements supporting great causes. You may also belong to a (get ready for this) mystical or secret society, brotherhood, or association. Your intellect and imagination combine to give you inventive and original ideas. The Moon in Aquarius gives you an attraction towards occult subjects (astrology or clairvoyance). You are a real humanitarian, a true liberal. You get along with people who think the same as you. You may belong to a club or group of people who think the same way as you.

http://www.ofesite.com/spirit/horoscop/moonsign/moonform.htm

I have a confession

I actually sorta like living here. Yeah, the traffic sucks. And the 12 billion days of hot summer with like 5 mins of spring and fall. And I'm not a fan of the political climate or the in your face Christianity that is sometimes so commonplace here in the Bible Belt.

I do like the mountains though. Actually, I heart the mountains. (Except for all the pesky tourists mucking up traffic and clogging the trails.) Heading into the mountains and finding a nice, quiet place to just be is such a calming, grounding, vibration raising experience.

Has it really been 10 years?

The countdown's on for our 10 year high school reunion. It's in early October. We're having family night Friday and going to the high school football game. That might actually be fun. Maybe. Saturday is "adult night." I'm very unimpressed with the planning committee. It's at a freaking RV Trailer Park - beer and BBQ! It just doesn't get much more redneck than that. Not to mention that for this bit o' culture, the ticket price is $45 each ($35 if you paid early enough). (Plus the cost of child care!) Are they freaking kidding me?!?! I'm also amused that the piece of paper we got in the mail says the dress code is business casual. Seems like barefoot, cutoffs and a wife beater would be more fitting for the atmosphere. The added bummer is that my lover graduated from the same year from the same high school, so we're not gonna get a decent reunion at all. Blech!

Oh well, at a high school friend's wedding, a few of us were talking about doing a turning 30 get together. Maybe a weekend cruise or something. That sounds way better! And I'd actually want to see the other people there.

Sometimes all it takes is a little something

Laundry has always been a chore I've loathed. The dang dryer takes twice as long as the washer, so it takes paying attention to time things right. And if I get busy and can't empty the dryer when it's done, the clothes get wrinkly. So I decided to get a clothesline. I got this one. Last night my lover put it up for me, and this afternoon, The Princess and The Jedi helped me break it in. The clothes are drying ridiculously fast and have that wonderful sunshine-y smell.