I'm gonna wait till the midnight sunset hour

Who says Florida has all the big bugs?

While in my sister's driveway in the middle of suburban Michigan last week, we happened across this very impressive praying mantis, who could give this guy a run for his money.

I took the risk of being devoured just to give you an idea of how big this guy really was.

Click on the first image to enlarge it. It always amazes me to see close-ups of insect faces; they have so much personality. Praying mantises appear to have rather pleasant personalities; kind of like your favorite science teacher, or Mahatma Gandhi. However, we know that appearances are deceiving, because I have personally witnessed a praying mantis devouring a live cricket in a most un-Gandhi-like manner.

Ethan proved that he is not one to be intimidated by carnivorous insects.

In fact, close supervision was required to ensure that both the mantis and the lamb would escape unscathed.

ingrid and the burning bush

Do you think someone should tell her

her hair is on fire?

It doesn't really seem

to be bothering her.

would have, if only

It would have been a beautiful moment

if only Theia's eyes hadn't been closed...

which is really unfortunate,

what's on your fridge?

:cardstock:

+

:ripped-up tissue paper:

+

:watered-down glue:

+

:foam paintbrushes:

=

:instant craft:

I don't know what you'd call it, but the girls enjoyed it, and it took Mama

less than 3 minutes to prep it.

Its a win in my book.

Rebecca Raelene

Rebecca Raelene

9 lbs ~ 21 inches

Beautiful, squishy little bundle.

Rebecca did not wait for me to arrive in Michigan to make her appearance. She didn't wait on much of anyone, actually. She came the day before my scheduled flight, three days before her due date, 5 minutes before her Aunt Robin made it to the birth center, and just barely after her grandma got there to witness the last push. It was a far cry from her big brother's birth, for which everyone, especially her momma, was very grateful. I was just talking to Penny today about how enjoyable second and subsequent births have been for us. We both put in our hard labor with our firstborns, and now we just get to rest on our laurels and bask in everything that is beautiful and marvelous about birth. I'm not saying that my other births, or Rebbeca's birth were without any challenge, but they presented a challenge that was fun and exciting to embrace, and was easily within our ability to achieve. We both felt awesome afterwards, and the reward is complete and overwhelmingly gratifying.

I will blog more about my short trip to Michigan later, but I've just been itching to share pictures of my beautiful new niece since I got home. I miss her already. I'm so glad I got to see her while she's still in her newborn stage, and that we get to go back in just 8 weeks (and that we get to come home with a squishy little bundle of our own :).

favorite of the week - large cutting implements for the diaper bag

I've been thinking about my favorite things this week. I think I might make this a regular around here. Do you have items that you have a weird emotional attachment to, or that make you feel clever or sophisticated (or otherwise) every time you use them, or that you feel you really couldn't live without, or fill your heart with warm fuzzy feelings when you look at them?

I was struck with a feeling of weirdness in the food court of Sam's Club the other day, when I opened my diaper bag and pulled out a rather lethal looking pair of kitchen shears, and proceeded to (very efficiently!) cut up hot dogs for each of my children. I tried to imagine to myself that all the people who were already staring at the pregnant woman out alone with 3 small children in tow were just admiring my ingenuity and foresight.

I mean, who carries these around in their diaper bag? (Answer: only exceptionally brilliant people, of course.)

I love these scissors. They are awesome for cutting up meat without dirtying a cutting board (I hate getting meat juice on my cutting boards), and I use them for cutting up the girls' food every day. They actually come apart and the large piece doubles as a santoku knife too.

I always kick myself when I forget to slip them in the diaper bag on days when we end up eating pizza or hot dogs on the run, or at a church function or birthday party (not that we would ever stoop to eating hot dogs or pizza. That would be unhealthy, after all). It gives me an immense feeling of satisfaction to reach in my diaper bag and come up brandishing these babies. Its about 16 times faster than trying to use a silly plastic fork on a paper plate. They have saved me from many public meltdowns from hungry children, and from personal starvation, since I can't eat my own food until all the girls' food has been properly cut up and distributed. I definitely recommend adding them to your baby shower registry ;).