wanderings at 4:07 AM

I'm up. I can't sleep. I've been up for 2 hours now.

What's going on inside the hamster wheel?

How big is my baby right now? I've gained 20 lbs according to my last dr. visit... how much of this is baby? how much of this is all the food I've been loving.

How will I feel in the morning when Aaliyah is up and around? (I hope I won't be the grouchy mama everyone knows and loves.)

Swine flu.

How much can one baby move? My belly looks like it's been taken over by that thing in Alien!

Will I make it to my due date?

Will Shabbar and I decide on a boy name ever?

I need to clear the pictures off my other computer before we give it to my folks this weekend.

Why am I blogging, when I could be productive and doing that.

Should I go snuggle Aaliyah? I love that but don't want to take two steps backward with the whole, "sleeping on her own" big girl thing.

Why did I give ALL my preemie clothes away to Teddy and his wife? Now I have nothing to remember Aaliyah's first tiny days.

Why has getting together with friends gotten so hard?

I can't wait to get back to enjoying coffee.

How much diet soda and tuna sandwiches from subway have I had this pregnancy? And will this effect my baby?

Why has al-Qaida decided to wreck Islam for American Muslims? This is leftover resentment from 2001 + a new litany of code oranges of an impending new attack. Why can't we just live in peace?

How have I missed so many seasons of The Office all these years? Grey's isn't as good and Thursday abc has been lacking on the whole. Here's been this hilarious show that I've missed out on. Thank goodness for TBS!

When will I be able to overlook my problems with certain people and feel warmly towards them? For some it's been years and I still can't do it. For others I am so forgiving. Why is that?

Why am I so jealous that an old good friend of mine outspokenly thinks I am the least attractive member of my family?

How often do I put My foot in my mouth without realizing?

Of course I can... but I can't wait to meet this baby!

Been Busy Nesting Part Deux

Just a quick update... I should be sewing but my fingers hurt!

Well, the freezer meals are done. We prepped the night before as planned and I awoke and began cooking at 8 the next morning... A full day of cooking (excluding time to feed Aaliyah, get her ready, get her on the bus, take her off the bus etc.) and I truly came out with 32 meals bagged or plated and labeled in my freezer. All I have left to do is creat my list so I know what we've eaten and what is still left. That gives the family 40 meals in all for when the baby decides to appear! *For extra credit, I even provided dinner for the fam that evening-- beef roast with grape juice reduction, veggies and mashed potatoes!

As for the bumper... it is cut, batted, seamed, ribbons have been placed and now the binding is going on... S.L.O.W.L.Y... it is killing my fingers to get it on but the results are pretty! I'll post pictures of the freezer and the bumper when I get them all done.

Life continues to roll on although I do feel like I'm in uncharted territory-- I've never been more than 8 months pregnant before. The baby kicks and moves MUCH more than Aaliyah and at nearly 33 weeks I am JUST beginning to swell. If we make it to Saturday (yes, I am really taking things THAT day by day) we will actually make it to our lamaze class this pregnancy!

What do I have left to do:

• finish bumper


• sew up blanket


• put final touches on nursery


• pack hospital bag


• start driving around with infant car seat in the back of the car

Oh, I'm sure there are 1 million more things but I'll keep it to five items today... We're getting there though and that is pretty gratifying!

Been Busy Nesting

For whatever reason, with this pregnancy, I've decided to go crazy "providing" for my family and the next coming months. What have I been doing?

Freezer meals: Because I belong to a MOMS Club, I stand to receive meals once the baby arrives... BUT... this group has been through 2 miscarriages with me as well and they have provided meals and childcare for me both times. With this occasion, I have decided to wave meals... but I'm not dumb either. I KNOW... I remember that when a baby enters the world, pretty much everything else stops. SO... I picked up a recipe book at Barnes and Noble (Frozen Assets- Cook for a Day-- Eat for a Month by Deborah Taylor-Hough) and have gone through the Eggplant recipes so far.... they smelled good but I didn't taste. This provided 8 meals for our family of 3! Today I finish shopping for the Chicken, Beef and Ground Meat mini-sessions. Tonight Shabbar and I will do the prep and tomorrow I will cook all day. By the end, I should have 32 meals complete and stored in my basement freezer! Wish me luck that it all goes with the plan!

Sewing: I decided on a crib bumper that I loved at Target but didn't get it soon enough and the darn line went out of vogue.... story of my life! :) And so I took Aaliyah to JoAnn and we found material and stuff to MAKE a bumper for the baby. I cut and sewed the strips yesterday based on some directions I found on the internet-- very simple... Make a pattern out of computer paper and just tape the ends together to figure out how much material you need.... material-wise, I bought too much (surprise surprise) and should have enough to make a blanket when I'm done! Today I have to go back to Hancock and buy more batting (I used a crib sizebatting cut into 5 strips. This took care of about 1/2 of the bumper. I will need to buy two more today but should have enough left to make that blanket!) This was NOT a cost saving idea-- to be clear-- but I am making it-- and therefore am very proud of myself! Left to do? seam the sides, add the binding and ribbon to tie the bumper on... and of course now the blanket!

Going healthier and greener: We have decided to get the plastic out of our house (mostly) and one step we took was to switch to glass bottles for this baby. They are washed and ready to go. No plastic (bpa free or otherwise) will effect my little one...

Cloth diapers!!! I've been "approved" to spend about $400.00 on the purchase of 36 diapers for the baby. I am going with Bum Genius white, blue, green and yellow one size fits all pockets! I am so excited! I will however be the mom that brings the disposables with me when we venture out and about.

My only thought is this... what will happen to the projects I don't get done? And will I look back at this time of life and think I was absolutely crazy to go to all these preparations? Will I think I was suffering from type of survival psychosis? Or will I think-- wow, I was a pretty smart lady? Time will tell...

What's up with the last 6 months???

Hi World,

Why have I fallen off the face of the earth? Two reasons... 1)it's something I do at times in my life and 2) I'm pregnant and didn't know what to put in the blog-- to tell, not to tell, to obsess, not to obsess too much... the excuses go on and on... so, here is a status style listing of what life has been like since April or so... I promise to try to do this better in the future! :) Best if read from the bottom if a stickler for chronology...

September 2009:

• I don't know about the other mom's whose kids have gone off to school, but I have not layed on the couch and eaten ONE bon bon yet! What's up with that???


• so far so good...


• any other moms out there following the bus to school tomorrow? Am I excited and concerned or neurotic and micromanaging things? The truth... even if it hurts :l

August 2009:

• What did I do this weekend? Aaliyah's room is "big-girl-ified" and baby's room is still a catastrophic mess... getting anxious.


• Gross gestational diabetes test at Marshfield Clinic today-- take two! And a re-check on my travel restriction... only 9 weeks left!


• Aaliyah was a ROCK star at the dentist and the doctor today-- even through the 4 shots she received... and is now the proud owner of a Glow-Doodle. Yay for my big girl!!!!


• Aaliyah and Alicia have colds... but not of the swine persuasion... guess it's best to get it over with before school starts.


• Ramadan Mubarak everyone!


• Let the "nesting" begin!


• is almost back from vacation-- almost back to real life... sigh


• is vacationing!


• can't wait to EAT her way through the State Fair on Thursday! Cream Puffs, Corn on the Cob, baked potato and flavored milk, here I come...

July 2009:

• ahhh... camp is behind me. vacation is looming-- let the summer begin!


• hi ho, hi ho... its off to work I go! Meetings and budgets today--almost like a real working girl, how'd that happen?


• Baby looked great! Yay and alhamdullilah! Glucose test will have to be re-done, Marshfield "lost track" of me and let too much time elapse before I could get poked... oh well, guess I can look forward to the grody orange drink again next mo


• duas, prayers, crossed fingers... whatever you've got... our 3rd of 4 ultrasounds and diabetes test is tomorrow noon.


• belly is just a kickin' away-- never a dull moment with this little one! I finally get the whole, "there's the foot, there's the butt" thing..


• Camp is half over! Cheer or sigh?-- I know which one I'm doing.... but the kids, counselors and teachers may be feeling differently.


• just got back from the most enjoyable family reunion I've ever been to... Shabbar had a great time too! SO glad I went-- what a fun weekend!


• Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone! 32 is pretty great so far-- GASP, am I really that old?


• two people told me to take a nap today... think I'm looking tired? I took the hint-- went to be at 7 pm tonight!


• One more day-- can you handle the excitement??? Camp WILL happen, can't stop a train :)


• 4 days and counting...and still SO much to do


• is home and working her tail off...


• is enjoying the Chicago wedding and the visit with her Razvi relation. These folks know how to have fun!


• shouldn't be wasting time on facebook today-- or any day for the next weeks for that matter... darn you facebook and all your fun status updates, quizzes, chats....

June 2009:

• It's 4:13, been up since 3:11... dum de dumde dumb hormones!


• Ahhh.....heat you've finally come back to wisconsin. Just in time to turn on the air conditioner :)


• Are pigs flying? Has Hell frozen over? My brother has joined facebook... will wonders never cease?


• wonders if two goof ball quizzes a day is too much? I'm not so hot on the "how well do you know..." ones though.


• AHHH..... I love early bed times! For Aaliyah and for me!


• three days of rain on the horizon? Say it ain't so!


• Had a really nice long weekend!! and doesn't want to get back into the swing just yet. Sigh.


• Loves it when the baby kicks! Loves it!!


• is contemplating coffee. If I grind the beans it'll wake people up, but... hmmmmm coffee.... maybe I'll take the chance.


• loves Loves LOVES this weather! And thinks.... hmmmm. Maybe a walk to Politos for dinner...

May 2009:

• probably looked like one of those cheesey granny cut-outs in the garden today, bent at the waist, digging in plant after plant...charming!


• got to dig in the dirt today-- yay spring!


• have you ever had one of those days where nothing you eat is actually what you were craving? Argghh.


• is annoyed that she needs to move her car every two hours....


• slept GREAT! Wedged between three pillows and sleeping on her side.... not bad for the old pregnant lady!


• Day 3 and ALL is WELL! Whee Hew!


• is excited about the next 10 days!


• is diggin' the sound of the rain-- and my plants are liking it too!


• is tired but content...


• found 9 baby bunnies in her garden yesterday...


• has been waking up at 5:00 am the past few days....what's up with that???


• can do anything with maple syrup and agave nectar!


• so many things... so little time! But, can't wait for plant sales tomorrow!


• says, "Favre in PURPLE?" I give up, I'm SO done with him!


• work work work-- its a big week for camp!

April 2009:

• just got back from driving to Zubumafu and back.... whew!


• loves Madison... and Earth Day was a great day to be here.


• is alternately cleaning the house and weighing in on trivia-- not bad for a cold Sunday afternoon.


• is trivia-ing with Captain in an Ice Crisis.... and anxiously awaiting the return of her baby-girl.


• loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and mi goreng-indonesian noodles


• conqured the 7th and 8th graders at John Muir today and it was awesome! Makes me miss teaching very much...


• realized that Middle Schoolers weren't as scary as orginally thought-- it was a great day!


• is nervous about speaking at Horace Mann today-- eek! 7th and 8th graders scare me... a little....


• misses Aaliyah-- but loving nightly dates with Shabbar!
  

Guess that's enough for enquiring minds! I do love the status update!

Things that make me happy

1. Flowers-- especially in the house at this time of year
2. McDonald's coffee-- sz. Medium with 4 creams and xylitol
3. Road Trips without lots of grumbling
4. Sunshine
5. Naptime
6. Sunrises especially when I'm driving
7. Hot weather plus cool drinks
8. Date nights with Shabbar
9. Aaliyah's belly laughs
10. Coffee Clutching with my girlfriends
11. Reading
12. Breakfast at a restaurant
13. Weeding and watering plants early in the morning
14. Sitting on the dock with a fishing pole in my hand
15. Campfires
16. Shopping at goodwill or st. vincents
17. Walks in to town
18. Picking strawberries and putting them up for jam year round
19. Shopping at the farmers market
20. Biking the Green Circle

In case you were wondering who I REALLY am...

You see the big picture. You easily take the broad, long view of almost any topic. You are comfortable juggling myriad facts. You tend to synthesize material easily and think in webs of factors, not straight lines. You are imaginative and enjoy ideas.

You are also socially savvy. You are good at both talking and listening. And you generally read people's faces, body postures and tone of voice accurately, so you often intuitively understand what people want and need.

You are also highly compassionate. You care deeply about others. So you are inclined to make personal sacrifices to be a supportive friend and colleague. And you are idealistic and altruistic; you like to work to improve the world.

And you have an adventurous side; you enjoy new ideas and novel experiences and you want to share these with an enthusiastic partner. But you are particularly fond of people who are direct, decisive, focused and tough-minded, people who complement your more flexible, agreeable and affable style.

• Sees the big picture
• Imaginative
• Intuitive
• Verbal skills
• Empathetic
• Trusting
• Introspective

• Novelty seeking
• Impulsive and spontaneous
• Curious
• Creative
• Flexible
• Open-minded
• Energetic

As a Negotiator, you seek a spiritual, life long connection to a "true love". But you don't want someone who is emotionally dependent. You admire people who need a good deal of autonomy. Marriage is important to you; but the social pledge of matrimony is far less sacred than the personal commitment you privately make to your beloved. You avoid conflict and strive for harmony in your primary relationship. So you express your love regularly-with hugs, thoughtful presents, romantic weekends or by creating other special times together. And you want a mate who is daring, playful and adventurous, yet one who will balance you-someone who is calm, decisive, strong-willed, focused and supportive of your enthusiastic, caring and imaginative spirit.

You dislike conflict. You seek "win-win" solutions. You are good at sharing power and ideas. And you are a master at the art of intimacy-building deep and exciting relationships with others. Nevertheless, you often enjoy solitude or intense interactions with just one individual or a few close friends. And you particularly enjoy people who like to play with abstract theories and ideas, provide insights, search for symbolic meanings in life and relationships and have a broad interest in the world.

• Because you can see so many angles to an issue or decision, you can be indecisive.
• Your need to please can turn to placating and your trusting nature can make you gullible.
• When you feel betrayed you can be unforgiving and hold a grudge too long.

You tend to naturally gravitate to DIRECTOR/explorers.

empathetic/empathy

read/reader

learning/learn

Passion/passionate

sensitive

kind/kindness

sweet

random

heart

real

• Novelty seeking
• Impulsive and spontaneous
• Curious
• Creative
• Flexible
• Open-minded
• Energetic

As a Negotiator, you seek a spiritual, life long connection to a "true love". But you don't want someone who is emotionally dependent. You admire people who need a good deal of autonomy. Marriage is important to you; but the social pledge of matrimony is far less sacred than the personal commitment you privately make to your beloved. You avoid conflict and strive for harmony in your primary relationship. So you express your love regularly-with hugs, thoughtful presents, romantic weekends or by creating other special times together. And you want a mate who is daring, playful and adventurous, yet one who will balance you-someone who is calm, decisive, strong-willed, focused and supportive of your enthusiastic, caring and imaginative spirit.

You dislike conflict. You seek "win-win" solutions. You are good at sharing power and ideas. And you are a master at the art of intimacy-building deep and exciting relationships with others. Nevertheless, you often enjoy solitude or intense interactions with just one individual or a few close friends. And you particularly enjoy people who like to play with abstract theories and ideas, provide insights, search for symbolic meanings in life and relationships and have a broad interest in the world.

• Because you can see so many angles to an issue or decision, you can be indecisive.
• Your need to please can turn to placating and your trusting nature can make you gullible.
• When you feel betrayed you can be unforgiving and hold a grudge too long.

You tend to naturally gravitate to DIRECTOR/explorers.

empathetic/empathy

read/reader

learning/learn

Passion/passionate

sensitive

kind/kindness

sweet

random

heart

real

fun

energy

adventure

new

active

passion

outgoing

traveling

spontaneity/spontaneous

Why do you watch the Superbowl?

The commercials of course!

What is a perfect dinner after a good run at the gym?

Bananas spread with peanut butter.

Favorite night in a week?

Saturday-- I got to relax all day and have one more day to look forward to.

Something I would spend ALL my money on if I could?

Eating out for dinner.

Guilty pleasure?

McDonalds large coffee with 6 creams and one stevia

Loves....

my husband and daughter
to read
to eat
to sweat
to laugh
thunderstorms
sleeping with the windows open

Dislikes...

Chinese buffet food
nightmares
throwing up


Accepts....

that I laugh too loud at times
that I get easily embarrassed
that I pout when I don't get my way (yes, I know I'm old and a parent and am not setting a good example... I still do this)

my life

Anyone care to explain???

Anyone care to explain why I can't just go out and enjoy myself when given a great escape?

Yesterday I experienced the rare alignment of the planets resulting in time for myself -- doing things I enjoy-- from around 1:00 pm until 7:00 pm. I started at Starbucks for a MOMS club meeting and then proceeded to watch Benjamen Button-- a heart-wrenchingly sweet story. It was divine in its own right. Theoretically it was a perfect Sunday. And I had fun with all parties involved.... but....

I missed Aaliyah and Shabbar. I left a quiet life at home of pj's and movie watching. Snuggling on the couch and popcorn with butter and m&m's. I came home feeling melancholy. It may have been the movie or perhaps my stupid hormones or heck maybe it was the full moon but I needed Shabbar to snuggle with me for a while after putting Aaliyah to bed. I had no words for what was wrong but I was just sad.

After about 20 minutes with Shabbar life started looking up again and I ended up crocheting my way to sleep with a smile on my face. I woke up fine and did just what I expected to today-- MOMS club meeting, YMCA (I ran 2 miles) and Taco Bell for Aaliyah and myself before she took her nap. I feel fine today-- no problems with life in general.

SO-- can anyone explain??? What the heck happened to me yesterday that I couldn't enjoy (to the fullest) my away from the family time? Why did I need to cry about it-- but be unable to articulate my sadness to Shabbar-- for 20 minutes, then sleep it off and wake up refreshed for business as usual? Ideas anyone?

Clutching-- so good for the Soul

Today was a great day--one of the days I thought (before Aaliyah came along) being a mama was going to be like every day. I'm glad they aren't all this way as it turns out-- where would I get perspective to know the great days from the not-so-great-ones.

I spent the morning baking and wraping and getting Aaliyah ready for an outing... then we went to Steph's house to coffee clutch. Aaliyah played with Isaac and Trent this morning like children are supposed to play! No fighting, no crying. They took turns playing dolls then trucks then games then ate their snack. Meanwhile us moms, sat and drank coffee and laughed our butts off then discussed books then talked of moving to the country and gardening and raising cows then how we were going to make a million dollars selling homemade crafts on etsy.com.

When it was time to go, Aaliyah came down the steps got her jacket and shoes and hugged Isaac goodbye and then we got in the car to drive home. Aaliyah sang a few songs with the radio and dropped off to sleep with a smile on her face. I took my nap time today to talk with Shabbar and craft a little. And here we are at 4:00 pm and we're ready to snuggle as we watch Gilmore Girls then get supper on the table.

This is the day that belongs to the model family in Real Simple Magazine. This is the day that belongs in Good Housekeeping circa 1955. The food came from the Betty Crocker recipe book and this amazing act of play between the children belongs in a Dr. Spock case study.

Have you ever?

Have you ever.... reached for the radio knob to turn the volume of your child's voice while in the car? Yep--- just did it today and I don't think it was the first time...

It's utterly strange to me that I am here in this life-- asking the question Have you ever and having it end in such a way.

When I was in college, I played a game once or twice called "I never..." someone said something like... "I've never-- fill in the blank-- fallen in love, done the walk of shame, fallen asleep in class while sitting in the front row..." *note to any Razvi who happens to read this... I have been in love, I have never done the walk of shame and I have fallen asleep in my freshman English class while sitting in the front row* In the game, if you'd done that thing mentioned you'd drink. If you'd never done it, you didn't drink. It was a fun way to get to know strange things about people... with a college-type twist.

Anyhoo, I type the question "have you ever" and am instantly catapulted back in time to those forgettable/unforgettable college days. And it's like I look up and realize-- I'm not 21 anymore! I'm not even IN my twenties anymore. I haven't played "I never" in more years than I can remember because I haven't been "that" girl since oh my gosh-- 8 or is it 9 years ago! I am not even the thing (a teacher) I thought I'd grow up to be anymore! Where did the time go?

But... I am happier. I am more settled. I am deeper. I am thankful for all the days in between-- good, bad, ugly-- because I have been shaped by the days. And I can't wait to see what zany thing I-- or my child does as the day progresses... because I'd rather ask these types of "have you ever" question about you and your kids and the weirdo things we all do.

Making Resolutions Come True Part I: My Triathlon Training Program

Last November I ran my first race. It was a bittersweet day. Bitter because it was the day I should have given birth to a child that I miscarried in my tenth week months and months before. Sweet because it was a step I'd taken to making my life my own again-- something I'd wrestled with for well.... months and months.

But a beautiful thing happened on the trail. It was only a 5K -- a perfect length for a beginner-- but it gave me about 30 minutes with crisp air in my lungs, lovely scenery for my enjoyment and a mp3 list in my ears to just be with myself. I made the goal that day that I would live my life each day with intention rather than letting days and days slip by. Part of my intention was faith based... as most lives of intention are. But part of it was me-based. I needed to reclaim myself-- the girl I was when I didn't live in fear of not-getting pregnant ever again or worse, getting pregnant and losing yet another baby.

Part of my intention based life is to move with purpose. Thus the goal to compete in a sprint triathlon was born. Below is the information that I'll be using to base my workouts for the next six months to ready myself for this race.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=45

If anyone in cyber-space is out there and reading this blog, I'd love a little advice along this journey. I've run a race now and can swim and have biked medium length rides so I know I can do this, but if anyone has real life experience I'd love to know it!!

Day Late and A Dollar Short

Happy 2009!

I have always loved Loved LOVED resolutions! I love them so much in fact that I generally decide to "change my life for the better" twice a year. This happens at the true New Year on Jan. 1 and the other major "new year" time in the calendar-- Sept. 1.... As a past teacher, this day always excites me just as much as the real new years.

Anyhoo, this time around I have decided to do the following with my life:
1. Find joy in each day.
2. Relax-- there is nothing that I need to be SO uptight about.
3. Move and Eat with purpose.

What???!!! ONLY 3 measly resolutions you say??? Well, hee hee, these do open themselves up to much more in the sub-resolution category. Yes, I like sub-resolutions myself very much.

So here they are in more detail:
1. Finding joy
a. spend quiet time in the morning-- before the house wakes up doing something to better myself and my faith
1. This will begin with the Christian study Believing God by Beth Moore (no, I STILL haven't bought the books but as soon as I see Stephanie we'll sit in front of Amazon.com and she'll show me what to buy)
b. Journal and in that space, write down something or three things that made me happy in that day
c. Allow indulgences occasionally-- McDonald's Coffee with three creams and a xyletol-- trip to Goodwill while Aaliyah is in preschool just to treasure hunt

2. Relax
a. Laugh at life's mishaps more
b. Actively parent
1. get Aaliyah to sleep by herself EVERY night around 8:00 pm
2. get Aaliyah to nap every day
3. spend time with Aaliyah doing crafts, working on reading readiness and good-old-fashioned-playtime
c. Spend more time with friends be it my "people" (you know who you are!) or my activity groups
d. Start setting aside time to do things for the pure enjoyment of it-- stitch and bitch night, baking bread, getting good at knitting etc.
3. Move and Eat with Purpose
a. Train for the Sprint Triathlon
b. Keep up with the sugar-free-ish, lots of veggies (24 oz. of v-8 a day), fiber (five prunes a day)
c. Take vitamins (keep taking vitamins)
d. Drink water!
e. Keep up the cooking dinner each night.

Dreaming of... nose picking and "kum-fu??"

Last night Shabbar made a wonderful Leg-oh-lamb dinner while I cleaned the house-- we did this to host Shabbar's aunt's family and her sister's family. It was a wonderful night-- good food, great speaker (we listened to the Jaffari Islamic Center live) and great games afterwards.

But for whatever reason-- maybe the late night-- maybe the rich food... we all had vivid dreams last night.

Aaliyah has just begun to dream, or maybe to remember her dreams, or maybe is now able to articulate the dreams she has. At any rate she's had a few notable ones:

One night she walked into our room whimpering and telling me that there was a man trying to "bee-oom" her. ** Bee-oom-er is a gun. Bee-oom is the sound it makes when fired....**

Then a few nights ago, she woke up laughing out loud... so loud that she woke herself up! She told me that in her dream, Grandpa (my dad) was eating an apple and stuck his fingers into his nose in the process.... She thought that was SOO funny.


She's begun to dream that she's doing "Kum-fu" and can rescue animals like Diego (wonder if she's watching too much tv...) I love that she thinks she can do it all in these dreams. And they aren't all dreams of tending babies -- this little chicky is performing martial arts!

Me-- my dreams??? They are always taking place in houses. They are always very strange and surreal. I know-- for those dream analyzers out there-- I'm trying to solve problems...

But whatever I'm tryin to work out in my sub-conscious, I enjoy listening to Aaliyah's nighttime activites. Life with a three year old is a laugh a minute.