agonizing

So 4 people went home tonight, but I will only speak of one. It was truly agonizing watching Alaina get booted. She was clearly floored that she got the axe & not Kady. I was so embarrassed for her, & I had to keep reminding myself that the show was, in fact, live. Wowsa. She was a crying machine. Hopelessly Devoted was hopeless. Did anyone else have to shield their eyes when she turned around to Ryan, weeping, & cried out, "I can't sing! Oh my gosh!" Oh brother. It was this huge awkward silence between her, Ryan & Kady. Kady should've broken out & done a Shakira or Britney imitation. It would've at least made it a little less uncomfortable. Yikesies.
Alaina joined Bandana-Blondie, Aleksandra-Suspenders, & Jason-Skunk-Hair. Boo-hoo, Off You Go.

On a much more important note, Lincoln turns 3 on Sunday! I'll be posting lots of pictures this weekend when we have his birthday party. He's so excited to sing the Happy Birthday song. He absolutely LOVES birthday parties & everything that goes along with them...the hats, the goody bags, the cake, the ice cream, the presents...he thinks it's the coolest thing ever. And he actually says, "Oh wow! That's very very cool!" He cracks me up.
Until next time, friends.

a big improvement from last week

This week is a huge improvement from last week for the guys. I'm going on this from memory, so bear with me. I may not get to everyone & if that happens, that means I don't have the energy & therefore, don't like them enough to write about them.

Chikezie-my-Neezie: He was a completely different person this week, due largely in part that he was sans orange polyester leisure suit. He was much more laid-back with his performance & sounded really great. Ben thinks he's Wayne Brady. True dat.
Danny/Danielle: Here's an important tip, Danny--you are on straightener-overload. Scale it back next week. Your hair looks like it has been literally ironed on an ironing board. I really don't think his voice is anything to write home about, either. But I can't concentrate on his voice because I'm constantly worried about what gross facial expression he will make next. Those have got to stop. He will get through, though, because he's gay & all the kids like him. Ben said, "You'd be surprised at how cool it is now to be gay at your high school." Go fig.
David Archuletta: Ugh. I know he gets rave reviews every time he sings, but I'm convinced people like him because he's only 16. He sounded good tonight, but only John Lennon can do that song true justice. He's just so smiley, I can't take it. But I guess he's the one to beat these days, as Simon so eloquently put it. And Paula crying?! So over the top. Leave it to her to say, "That's one of the best vocal performances I've ever heard. Ever." Seriously...ever, Paula? I don't know what crazy radio you're listening to, but it's not the same one I have.
Jason-Guitar-Rock-Guy: Hhmmm, I'm confused on this one. I agree with Simon, in that he said his video was boring & had no charisma. Jason's a big fat dud. Period. Can you imagine going backstage at one of his concerts? Before tonight, you would probably be thinking, "This is cool, I get to go backstage, party with the band, party into the wee hours of the morning..." Instead, you go backstage & find the lead singer drowning face-first in soduku puzzles, crosswords & word searches. Rock on.
Papa-Was-A-Rolling-Stone: Loved this guy. I especially loved his black hoodie. I need to find me one of those. I thought his voice was unreal tonight. He just sounded solid & confident, & I hope he returns next week. I'm a fan.
Dreds-Guy: I don't know why in the name of everything good he chose that song. Worst song choice ever. He just might have slipped to the bottom half of my list based on that performance alone.
Aussie: I'm still rooting for him, but not because of tonight's performance. He did not do well with his Fleetwood Mac song. It was way too high for him & I found myself straining to listen as he was straining to hit every note. Shoulda done it in an lower key. Coulda woulda shoulda.

That's about all I can remember. Tomorrow night I'm excited for Janis Joplin & Carly Smithson. You know Janis is gonna come strutting out doing Zeppelin. Can't wait!
Shoot for the Stars,

Pics of the boys, momma, & one crazy driver

We had some fun with the camera tonight. Lincoln's finally getting to the age where he wants to pose in front of the camera. His version of posing is looking at the camera with his eyes squinted & scrunched up, always having to say "Cheese!"
Here are some of us hanging out...


Awww...


Here's a prime example of him saying "Cheese!":

Self-portrait:

Then here's the crazy driver. Since it was raining & cold outside this afternoon, we went downstairs to the basement so Lincoln could ride his Power Wheels down there. Today was the first day he actually enjoyed it. And when I say enjoy, I mean laughed his head off every time he ran straight into the walls. Very rarely did he actually look in front of him while he was "driving." Funnier than Lincoln driving is Ben laughing in the background. Who has a leather recliner in an unfinished basement?!? Ben does.



Buckle up,

Psalm 4

"Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord will hear when I call to him.
In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.
Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

We are studying Psalms this semester in our women's bible study. Needless to say, it has been unreal amazing so far. I learned this past week that David penned this Psalm (much like many of the others) when he was being sought after by his own son, Absalom. The psalm is a cry to the Lord for protection & peace. I have overlooked this psalm for one reason or another in the past, but this week brought about a concentrated study on it. One of the things that makes me love this particular psalm is David's urgency, his immediacy, for God to intervene on his behalf. "Answer me!", "Give me relief!", "hear me when I call to you!" I will dare say that I have never prayed like that. My prayers are more along the lines of, "God, if you can do this, please do it." My prayers are filled with more pleading & begging, rather than boldness & straight-forwardness. David knows who God is & he is not afraid to claim it. He is not afraid to tell God exactly what he wants, when he needs it, & why he should receive it. That may sound selfish or self-seeking at first, but after each request, David always follows it up with a confirmation of God's character. "O righteous God", "you make me dwell in safety", "may the light of your face shine upon us" Simply put, David longs to love God the best way he can, & everything he prays for is marked by that longing.
O, that my life would be marked by the same...

4 hours of television??

When Ryan started out the show by saying that this week has "been 4 hours of television that has brought us to this point", I almost choked. Have I seriously watched 4 frappin' hours of AI this week? It sounds so bad when you say it out loud. I guess that's what happens...it eventually sucks space & time out of you until you're eating & breathing Idol. Has it gotten to this point? Good Grief.

I'm going to state the obvious right now. Make-up is truly amazing in the power it holds to make the utterly ugly look fantastic. Their little montage they did with the private jet, paparazzi, yada yada yada made everyone look like models. And as we all know, there are some contestants in this show that are the opposite of models. Seriously opposite. I.E. Garrett.

I'm taken back in time to my show choir days of college when they do their group number. I like Amanda (AKA Janis Joplin) even better now because every time the camera pans across her face, she looks like she's in hell. She is clearly not in her element up there & she beckons us, the Viewer, to rescue her from the misery that is taking place onstage. Poor thing.

We just get right into it with Garrett. Ryan kinda blindsided him when he pulled out, "Tonight we're going to say goodbye to you." Everyone looked shocked. Danny looked like he had been shot. Which made me laugh out loud. Garrett sings his last song, which confirms to everyone that the right decision was made regarding his future on American Idol. It was awful.

Next is poor Amy Davis to go home. Paula says, "Go paint that door & that knob." Paula is so so wise. So wise, in fact, that I want to reach through my TV set & punch her one. At least one of my predictions was correct. I believe that I called Amy Davis "Flat Girl" last night. Point for me.

I am upset that Paula & Randy are using this show as a platform to showcase their 1985 song. Straight up now tell me, Paula, your choreography needs to be updated pronto. No longer are you a Laker Girl choreographing for Janet Jackson during her "Control" days.

The next girl to go home is the plus-size model, Joanne. I'm not gonna lose sleep over this one. She should go back to modeling.

Chikezie is safe?!? I thought Colton was a lot better than Chikezie. I'm surprised by that. I thought surely Chikezie would be the one to go. Too bad so sad for you Colt. Sing right on outta here.

I'm satisfied, maybe even pleased, with the results tonight.
Stay tuned,

Flu Night

Seems like a few girls have the flu. I think they might ALL have the flu because there were very few ladies who were great tonight. Let's get to it.

First Girl: I forgot her name, & I have now forgotten her performance because it was so boring. Ordinary, shmordinary. How did she make it, exactly? None of the judges liked it, either. Do we blame it on the flu? I think not. This is Idol! Suck it up! There's no flu in Idol!
Plus-Size-Model-Joanne: I like this girl. I think she's so sweet-natured & beautiful. I hated the song, but I think she'll pull through next week. If she's here next week.
Alaina Whitaker: Youngest contestant on the show. She'd like some "like great shoes, like look at these ones..." for her birthday. Oh, no she didn't. The immaturity oozes out of her & I don't know how long I can take it. She does "I Love You More Than Yesterday" & puts more tricks in it than a magic show. All she's doing is belting out every note. Hon, tone it down please. Dawg thinks it's "goin on man!" I find it so interesting that Simon hated her during the first audition. Then how the tables turned when she came out during Hollywood Week with hot pants on. She's fabulous!! She's got legs & she knows how to use 'em.
Amanda-Janis: She does "Baby Please Don't Go" & rocks the house. Is it me or is she just the coolest cucumber around? Dawg says he could rock her trousers she's wearing. Please don't even try to rock those trousers, Randy. That will never be a good idea. Simon really likes her & thinks she's authentic. He asks if she meant to scat during the middle of the song. She quips back, "Come on, haven't you ever heard the song before?!" She just raced to the top of my list like lightning. I hope she's a keeper.
Flat-Girl: I'm calling her this because I am fairly certain that every single note she sang was flat. NOTE TO SELF: Bring earmuffs to the couch when I turn on AI next time. I literally had my face in my hands during her song. Boo. Dawg says there were a lot of pitch problems. Understatement of the Night. Paula said something like she always does...something about her spirit, the camera loving her, her glow, whatever, blah blah blah.
Carly-Simon: She looks really good tonight. Her hair might just be perfect. I wonder if that's naturally curly or what...sorry, I digress. I'm not really into her performance. I think she may have the flu. Dawg said she "got her slaying on..." Oh good grief, what era are you in? We're not stuck in the 80's, Randy. Jump into the millenium.
Brit-Brit: Groovy Kind of Love. Not so groovy. Simon says the lights were off. I think I'm in love with that British charm.
Asia: I love her dimples & I get sad when I think about her dad dying right before her audition. I don't think I've ever seen earrings that big...whew. It was Simon's favorite of the night! The crowd goes wild.
17-year-old-with-suspenders: I hated her performance, but apparently, I should've loved it. I thought she looked cute, but she kept changing her voice during the song & it sounded like death. Let me tell you how I really feel.
Little-Girl-With-Big-Voice: Hated that song, hated it. But she sounded good. Paula mentions "all the accents with her head." Paula, must we talk about this again? Please quit drinking before the shows. Then the little girl mentions that the favorite part of her AI experience has been the hair & make-up. What the?!?
Saisha-Darling: She's the cutest thing I've ever seen. I think I may have said that before, but I needed to say it again. She sings "Tobacco Road" & sounds kinda off tune. Did anyone else get that same vibe? I'm totally willing to overlook that performance because she's so darling! I hope she makes it through. And wow! Simon thought it was terrific.
Carly-Smithson: I've sat through this entire show just to hear my girl. I had never heard that song & I did not care for it. But man, she wailed through it & I really liked it. She has the flu?!? Say it isn't so! She's better than anyone else in this competition. Still sticking to my plan. Please let her win! I'm choosing not to listen to Simon. Curse words to Simon.
If I was a bettin' woman, I would say that these 2 girls are the leavers:
1) The First Girl
2) Flat Girl
Let's meet up again next week.
xoxo

seriously, what just happened?

I don't know what just happened. I do, however, know that what I just watched on TV was horrendous. In every way. In every form. To Infinity.
Everyone sucked tonight. And I mean everyone but The Aussie. I just love that face of his. Oh, and his voice.
One person I could not stand to watch was Danny. Is Danny short for Danielle? I'm still not quite sure if the he/she is a he or a she. He kept doing weird things with his mouth that made me want to hurl. And why attempt Elvis? Don't get me started.
I don't have anything else to say because I've completely forgotten everybody's performances already. Forgettable in every way.
Here's hoping that the girls kick it tomorrow night.
Nighty-Night,
P.S. Josiah, I miss you.

to boycott or to not boycott?

BREAKING NEWS! JOSIAH! GONE!! I'm so mad! He's such a sweetie & I loved his fake British accent. Too much Coldplay & U2 for his own good. What will the little lad do now? Probably drive back to Morristown, TN & play the club circuit...that would probably be one bar. Boo. Hiss.
My friend Lindsay said it best last night, folks: "I'm seriously concerned for Josiah's safety. I think he might drive his house-car right off a cliff." Such wisdom, Linds. And such truth. I too was a little taken aback by his eerily sedated state after hearing the news of NO. I was surprised it took him so long to cry. That's just not like him.
So should I boycott AI? As many of you know, I was at this same crossroads last season when Doolittle was voted off. But what will I do without the countdown from 24 to 1? I will persevere, I will endure, I will remain strong & courageous.
I could go on & discuss the people who did not make it & the people that did, but what fun would that be? The real fun begins next week when the pressure heats up & the drama ensues.
So long Josiah.
P.S. For those of you who hop onto my blog to see pics of the new gleaming face of Levi, here he is taking a bath for the first time in his big-boy bath. Enjoy the Little Goodie.

absolute murder with a bit of torture...

OK guys, we're in Hollywood! Considering that I've never watched American Idol during this "Hollywood Week" frenzy, this is all new to me. Apparently, the contestants are now allowed to use their own instruments. Well, that opens up all kinds of hell for us viewers. I'm going to say this only once: my eyes hurt because they're getting all tangled up in Simon's chest hair. Ewww.

--Carly Simon-Piano-Player: She gets through! Which I guess means she makes it to the last Hollywood Day. She needs to go & do something crazy to celebrate! Maybe go see a movie!...Oh, wait, that's right...she's never seen a rated R movie. Come on.
--Drummer-Boy: Jakie, "I'm Hooked on the Feelin" that you suck. End of story.
--David-Rose-Eagle-Dove-Singer: He was kickin' it. His voice reminds me of the Rascall Flatts lead singer. Dawg loved it from Note One. Paula raised her hands & clapped in her stupor. Hundred Trazillion Percent? This is getting ridiculous.
--Janis: She sings "Come on Baby Light My Fire" & seriously, her voice sounds like a box of Marlboro Reds. She gets through.
--Girl Who Forgets Her Lyrics: There are no words to describe this. Literally.
--Casanova: I had no idea that Antonia Banderas even auditioned. I feel like I'm listening to Puss in Boots in Shrek.
--Josiah-Living-in-Car: What a great song. His ambition is a force to be reckoned with. He's so cute. One tip: Dry 'em up CryBaby.
--Danny: Girl or Boy? Gender Neutral.
--Carly Smithson: I'm stickin' to my original plan. She's gonna win the whole kit & kaboodle.
Is anyone else so tired of Bryan Adams?
--Political Kyle: I'm over this whole thing. This isn't American Music Theater Idol. You could start one though, but you still wouldn't win. It was abysmal. This is when I hate Paula & her comments. They ticked off Simon so much that he up & left. He's the New Sanjaya. Lord help us all.

A CAPELLA (sp?) ROUND: I'm so bored I could just turn off the TV right now.

I'm going to list my top 2, male & female.
Top Female: Carly Smithson
Top Male: the Hot Aussie or Josiah (OK, my top 3)

Talk to ya soon,

check out my new diaper bag!

I have to show off my new diaper bag that my good friends Martha & Melissa got me. Isn't it darling? You just can't go wrong with Petunia Pickle Bottom.
It holds everything I need, & you wouldn't believe the pockets it has. It's my new favorite.
Happy Diapering,

not much to say

Levi & I are sitting here together while Lincoln sleeps. We just had great friends come visit us & hold him, which was so welcomed. It was a sweet time of fellowship & baby gazing.
Things have been going really great...I'm just figuring out how to love each boy separately, while also loving them the same. Does that make sense? I'm used to saying to Lincoln, "You're my favorite boy in the world." Now I can't rightfully say that, given that I have another favorite boy in my world. It's amazing how the human heart has the ability to grow, to expand, to abound to a measure I thought impossible. There will always be more room.
Thankfully, Lincoln loves his baby brother & is so sweet to him. This morning as Lincoln was lying in bed with us watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Levi squealed from the bassinet. Lincoln immediately pulled up the sheet & looked at my belly, asking "Where's Webi?" Bless his heart, he still has no idea that the Levi who used to be in Momma's belly is the same Levi in the bassinet next to our bedside. It's cute watching his little mind trying to think through this transition.

I don't really have anything useful or exciting to say today. I'm truly enjoying my days right now, thanking God for every second I get with my sons. I've read so many other womens' blogs who have lost their babies to anything from birth defects to chromosomal abnormalities to unexplained conditions; which is terribly heartwrenching. When I think of these precious girls who have let go of their children forever, it makes me turn away from my ever-present-Type-A mentality of strict scheduling, sleeping routines, feeding routines, and I tend to hold Levi longer, not minding that it's 3:00am & I'm going on only 3 hours of sleep. I tend to read an extra book or two to Lincoln at night, hugging him tighter & sitting there for 5 minutes silent while he decides what to pray to Jesus for that night. These are the moments I need not forget or take for granted.

Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift! II Corinthians 9:15

Yea, Football!

Happy Superbowl Sunday! My family is very eager & excited for 5pm to arrive today. Ben is already in his football jersey, as is Lincoln (neither one of them wearing jerseys of either team). They are quite the pair. Lincoln has been saying all morning long, "Yea, Football!"
Here they are:

Here are some of Levi's first bath a couple days ago. He hated the first minute, then absolutely loved the rest. He just sat there looking around & being very alert. We had a space heater going in the bathroom so it was very warm & comfortable for him. Here he is:






And here are some random ones that I just love:



I hope you all have a great Sunday & have fun watching the big game.
Happy Nursing,