Okay, so if the title includes "Misc. Musings" you should know this is a long one. So go warm up your coffee and come back when you are in a musing mood. :) See you soon (I hope).
Even my computer got "Nested", go Packers...err TN! (T1 and buddy)
So I know from previous experience that a normal stage of pregnancy is "nesting". And I remember "nesting" quite a bit towards the end of my previous pregnancies. But this time it has kicked in high gear early and in the short month that we have been home I've pretty much reorganized our whole house. A couple nights ago while hubby was out and I let the boys stay up too late watching some mindless video, I tackled the coat/game/video/all the other crap (sorry, bad word) we have no other place to put
closet. Boy did that feel good to be able to walk into it again. Yesterday the area under my desk (which is really our old kitchen table) got cleaned out, filed and organized. Then I still wasn't satisfied so I took on the biggest project of all, the big storage closet in our bathroom. It is no ordinary bathroom closet, but the size or a double bedroom closet with just four huge shelves thrown in for everything to get lost and jumbled on.
Moving on to the point of all this...as I sorted, tossed and organized I came across some fun items from the past, each bringing back emotional memories. Under my desk in the file box I found a sign that reads "The ____ vs The Squirrels". This is from our first apartment together. It was a quaint (e.g. old) little brick building on M. street (I think) and we lived on the second floor. Above us was a storage attic (which was well used because the rooms were as small as they were "quaint"). Well, for awhile some local squirrels took up residence in the attic and we would lay in bed at night listening to them thumping around, rolling glass jars and jumping from what must have been great heights, above our heads. Our landlord decided that instead of coming out and fixing whatever hole they had made into a door, he would give us $10 off our rent for ea
ch squirrel we removed (with a live trap, don't worry, no squirrels were seriously harmed, sometimes forgotten for awhile in the trunk, but no worse for the wear). We had to catch them, drive them at least 7 miles away and release them. So I started a chart on our fridge to record how many we caught and drew a little squirrel with a red circle and line through it for every one that we captured. I think after we saved $100 off one month our landlord finally decided to fix the hole. :)
Another item I came across a few weeks ago was my beloved sticker album. How many of you ladies had one of these growing up? It had puffy stickers, sparkley stickers, scratch and sniff stickers, all of which were carefully placed in an album and ooohed and awwed over by other girlfriends with sticker albums while I ooohed and awwed over theirs. Some were traded, and the favorites were guarded. So hubby finds this album and looks at me really confused when I refuse to throw it away. You don't see me asking him to throw away his stamp collection, (sell them on ebay so I can get new furniture, yes, but throw them away? no!), but he just doesn't get my attachment. I think you just have to be a girl to get this one.
On the subject of stickers, in the gigantic bathroom closet I found a little orange cardboard box with a roll of shiny silver stickers with my name printed on them. I've had these suckers forever but can't seem to throw them away. Perhaps because of the memory I have associated with them. I remember being pretty young, not too young, but young compared to my ripe old age of 33 and my mom was leaving on a business trip or something (a rare occurence for me). I was pretty sad that she was leaving so as she packed she let me put some of my "Sherry" stickers on her red luggage. Why do I remember this? I have no idea. Why do I still have these stickers? Because I remember this I guess and can't throw them out. I know, I need help.
Another old photo I found of T 1 and Grandpa. He was sooo chubby (T 1, not Grandpa! :) )Maybe this is bringing back some memories for you too. If not your treasured sticker album, there is some other treasure tucked away from your childhood that you can't part with. I'd love to hear about it. In fact it would help me feel better about my strange attachment to these silly items.
One last item...under my bathroom sink (yes this cabinet didn't escape my nesting need) I found my Caboodle. You know, a caboodle! My dear friends C. and A. gave it to me in H.S. as a not so subtle hint that I needed to get my stuff organized. I still have it! And I think I'm making up for the lack of organization. Yes, I probably still hold onto more stuff than I should, but at least it is neatly stored away now!
L. (and all the EDGERs and students) that love on our kids. 
Tailgating with students before a game (fun to see them and I don't have to cook!).
Thing 1's continued love for any sport (it is fun to see his interests develop).
Cute soccer outfits that Auntie C. sends us from Brazil.
Our annual Mug and Muffin with Nav Gals.
My boys just being boys, esp. when they don't know I'm looking.
Thing 2 in the "Gone Fishin" overalls my mom embroidered.
Thing 2 being gross licking the patio door...yes that is snot coming out his nose but I had to take the picture before he stopped. This doesn't really bless me but I had to put it in.
T 2 checking to see if his tummy is getting bigger like mommy's.
Goof! Now we know where Tiney Hiney gets it from.
Reason # 1027 why I love my husband: he patiently weeds the yard b/c I don't want pesticides on the grass while I'm pregnant and we have kids playing on it.
J. loving on our kids.
One last perfect summer day when we can all be together.
Buddies.
