Happy Birthday Heidi, Baby, Lent, Valentine's and High School

1.  Today is Heidi's 14th birthday.  Happy birthday to my wonderful, smart, beautiful daughter.  People say they dread the teenage years, but so far, teenager-hood is way more delightful and easy than toddler-hood.   Now, she actually is turning into a reasonable person who you can converse with in a logical, interesting manner.  And she never throws stuff or spits food out or insists on getting the pink cup or cries because her banana broke. Teenagers are way easier than toddlers. 

2.  Last night she had a bunch of her friends over for a birthday party. Birthday parties for teens are way easier than for little kids.   Just throw some snacks and soda at them, and they're good. They entertain themselves (and it can be pretty entertaining at times).  Nothing at all like having a birthday party for a bunch of 5-year olds. 

Happy Birthday Heidi.

It's the homeboy pose.

3.  Keeping on the Heidi theme, it's looking like, after 8 years of homeschooling, she will be attending high school next year.  A public high school at that.  Actually, it's a very small, magnet school that attracts more "serious/academic" students where you can earn a ton of college credit during high school.  She applied and was accepted into it (they look at grades/test scores and meet with the student) so I think we're going to try it.  If it doesn't work out, we can always go back to homeschooling. Maybe I'll write a future blog post on why are looking at high school after so many years of homeschooling. 

4. How about a baby bump picture.

 I'm almost 15 weeks, so that seems like a good time. I've been feeling what I think is movement for about 2 weeks now, so I think everything is going well, but we'll see.  I feel like I have more of a bump at this stage than I did with the other ones.  That either means that I'm fatter (definitely) or it's a boy (maybe) or my memory is terrible (definitely). 

5. So everyone is talking about what they are doing for Lent.  My sole goal is to pray more and yell less.  Many times my life feels pretty Lenten as it is, so being overworked and underpaid, I'm keeping things simple. 

6. From what I've been seeing on Facebook, the Northeast is getting pounded with snow.  Meanwhile, we've had hardly anything.  Makes me glad I don't live in the Northeast anymore. 

7.  I'm out of ideas for takes, so I'm just going to consider this a wrap and link-up. 

Hope everyone has a Happy Valentine's Day and a holy Lent. 

This is the card I'm going to give my Valentine. 

This was created by the Archdiocese of Detroit

 I figure anyone who can stay married to me, must be a candidate for canonization.

Two Rules for Lent

It's that time of year when Catholics everywhere start wondering what they can give up or take on for Lent. 

Lent is almost like the New Year for Catholics.   The time to make new resolutions and grow closer to God.  The time to weed out bad habits and form new, good ones, 

I don't like it. 

My melancholic side feels like life is one big Lent. Especially the last few months.  We've been in Lent for awhile.  The waiting.  The suffering. Life has been difficult.  So adding on even more penance seems unfathomable.  

That said..that's not really an excuse to just do nothing. I mean..I could certainly stand to be a better person.  And, I really should pray more.  I'm back on speaking terms with God now..but for awhile I wasn't. I still need to pray more. So that's really part of it.   But this post isn't about me.  I'm not totally sure what I'm doing.  Except I'm going to pray more. Because that is what I NEED to do. 

I don't know what you NEED to do for Lent.  Only YOU can know that.  

But when considering what you should do or not do during Lent...please keep the following rules in mind.

1) Don't take on or give up anything which makes more work for someone else.  For example, don't give up all computer/phone activities and make everyone call you instead of using email. Reconsider giving up Facebook if you belong to a group that primarily communicates via Facebook, and you might miss important information and then someone has to track you down and contact you individually. Don't make someone else cook special foods for you.  Or make someone else do lots of extra work while you trot off to daily Mass. Your penance should really only affect you (as much as possible) unless the other person agrees to help you. 

2) Don't take on or give up anything which is going to turn you into a miserable person. Fasting may not be the best idea if you are subject to low blood sugar induced anger episodes. If you need coffee to function normally..then don't give it up.  If sleep makes you a nicer person, maybe deciding to get up at 4:30 AM everyday isn't the best idea.   

My Life is Crazy and Other Quick Takes about Sleep, Lent and Random Questions.

1.

Linking up with Jennifer Fulweiler who says that when she evaluates opportunities she decides if it makes a good story or not. 

Well....this ought to make a great story...some day.  For those of you don't know....it's a long story but my husband was a teacher for 10 years when he decided to go to law school to become a lawyer.  So, off he went to law school....with a lovely wife (that's me!) and 3 darling children in two.  He graduated last year, he  took the bar in Virginia, passed it and moved to Virginia with his lovely wife and now 4 darling children.  However, he was unable to find a lawyer job so ended up going back to teaching. 

Well, he decided that taking the Virginia bar was so much fun, that he's going to take the Indiana bar this summer.  Just finished the application process (which is long and involves basically telling your entire life story in minute detail to the law examiners) . Of course, he's still looking for a job here in VA, but also looking in Indiana.  

Why Indiana, you may be asking?  Don't worry, I'm asking the same thing myself.  Actually, I grew up in Rhode Island, but this past September my parents moved to Indiana.  Ever since then, they've been trying to woo us out there with promises of plentiful Catholic home school groups, cheap living, low traffic and tall corn. They didn't mention the oodles of free babysitting they will provide, but I know they meant that too.  Anyway, who can resist the lure of tall corn? So hi ho, hi ho...maybe it's off to Indiana we go.  Or maybe not....depending on if he finds a job here. 

Anyway, this a long way of pleading, begging, or stealing prayers for us.  For our discernment, for the bar exam and for him to PLEASE find a lawyer job so he doesn't have to spend another year trying to teach Spanish to a bunch of teens who don't believe in school or studying or homework or anything like that.

2.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the worst sleeper of them all?

3.

Actually she's not the worst sleeper.  She's just the worst alone sleeper.  My other kids were taking like 2 hours naps at this age (18 months).  Not Elsa.  If she sleeps for 45 minutes, I consider it A VERY LONG NAP.  And, nighttime...well she's gotten better.  Let's just leave it at that.  If it weren't for co-sleeping, I'd be a walking zombie.

4.

Let's compare.  Here is a picture of all my kids at around age 1.5. 

Heidi

Greta

John

Elsa

Why, oh, why, oh, why is it only the boy that has any kind of hair to speak of?  Although Elsa is doing better than Heidi and Greta were at the same age.  She still has nowhere near the hair John had.  I mean, he had already had a few HAIRCUTS by that age.  Why does the boy get the best hair? 

5.

Is it still Lent?  Anyone else feel like this is the LONGEST LENT EVER. Maybe because Easter is so late this year, but I feel like we should be done by now.  Or maybe my life is just one, big, long Lent.  That could be it.

6.

Or maybe I'm just too melancholic which is why I say exaggerated things like My Life is One Big Long Lent, when really compared to most of the world, I have a very easy life.

7.

I can't think of a last quick take, so I'm going to make this a slow-take and answer Kendra's questions.  Now, I can double link-up. 

1. Where do you live? And why do you live there?

See take #1

2. What's are you currently watching and/or reading?

Reading: The Theology of the Body for Beginners (Christopher West)

Beyond the Birds and the Bees, Raising Sexually Whole and Holy Kids (Popcaks)

Watching: I gave up watching alone for Lent.  So, I just watch Psych with Ben.  Except I usually fall asleep, so I end up not watching much and never finding out who the murderer was. 

3. What kind of Catholic are you: cradle, or convert? (Or considering?)

Cradle

4. Can you point to one moment or experience that made you a practicing Catholic? (Or want to be?)

Well, I was raised Catholic, but it was through attending Youth 2000 Retreats in College that I began to understand the Catholic faith even more and grow deeper in my faith. 

5. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

1 pair of tall boots

1 pair of sneakers

3 pairs of flats

2 pairs of sandals

1 pair of high heeled pumps (I haven't actually worn these yet, I just got them for my brother's upcoming wedding in May). 

Hmm...that seems like a lot, but it really doesn't feel like that much. 

6. Are you a good dancer?

No. 

7. Who usually drives, you or your husband?

My husband, usually.  He says I'm a bad driver. I'm really a very good driver, except for the fact that I learned to drive from my dad.  Anyone who has ever driven with my dad knows exactly what I'm talking about. 

8. What's your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it?

Any holiday we spend with friends or family. 

9. Which is correct? Left or right?

Left

10. Do you have any scars?

I have a scar on my right ankle from a roller skating incident when I was a kid.  I also have three scars from where I had three (non-cancerous) moles removed.

11. What's the most famous thing you've ever done? 

Well it's a toss-up between this decidedly un-famous blog or having my name published as one of the authors on a scientific paper published in the Journal of Dairy Science.  Clearly, I am not that famous. 

The Definitive Guide As to What to Keep and What to Give Away when it Comes to Baby/Kid Clothes

Are you doing the 40 bags in 40 days challenge?  Me neither...but I am doing a simplified version of it and focusing on de-cluttering this Lent.  I like to get rid of stuff and keep my house nice and uncluttered.   Or at least uncluttered...the nice part is highly questionable.  

Do you ever grapple with what to keep and what to get rid of when it comes to baby/kid clothes?  I do. 

Maybe you're planning on having more children or hoping to have more and you don't know what you should keep and what you should get rid of.   

Maybe you're struggling financially or on a tight budget and don't want to get rid of something only to have to buy it again.  I am too.  

Maybe at the same time, you don't have room to store a bunch of stuff. Or you will be moving and need to de-clutter.  Me too!

And maybe you know someone who could really use those clothes.  You neighbor who's having a baby or someone from your church or your sister or that mom in playgroup.   There's definitely virtue in passing things on to someone who can use it, rather then letting it languish in boxes. 

What you keep and what you get rid depends on your family.  But, in my 12 years of parenting with 4 kids,  here is my definitive guide of what I found makes the most sense to keep or get rid of.  

Keep:

-Anything you already have that a child that will wear within 2-3 years.  I refuse to keep clothes longer than 2-3 years, so unless I have a child that can wear it within the next 2-3 years, I get rid of it.   So, if you have 2 girls that are 8 years apart, get rid of all the clothes as the older one outgrows it.  No need to hang onto stuff for 8 years, that's just crazy.   

There are a few exceptions of things I keep longer than that.  Those are

Swimwear

-bathing suits 

-rash guard shirts

These are items you typically need and are harder to find in thrift stores and hand-me-downs.  Especially the rash guard shirts....I like my kids to wear them for sun protection at the beach and pool and they aren't easy to find on the cheap. 

Dress Clothing 

-dress shoes 

-dress clothes

Not a bunch of these, just one or two outfits.  Just because these aren't as easily found in thrift stores or as hand-me-downs.  It would be a shame to spend money on a beautiful Easter dress when you already had one. 

Uniform Type Clothing

-white shirts (polo and button-down)

-black/navy/tan pants 

-black/navy/tan skirts

This is most important for kids once they reach age 4 or 5 or so.  There have been numerous activities my kids have been part of where they want everyone to wear a white shirt and black/blue/tan pants or skirt.  So,  I keep these because you never know when you might need them. 

Any Outfit you Really, Really Love

-Just because you really love it.  I do have a few outfits that all 3 of my girls have worn, even though there is 8 years between Greta and Elsa. I cherish those outfits..but there are only a very few of them.

Socks

-you always need socks

Warm Weather Clothes (especially that which is gender-neutral)

-coats/jackets/snow gear

-winter boots

-warm, fleece pajamas

Again, because this stuff can be harder to find (especially if you live in an area where it snows only occasionally), is more expensive and in a pinch you can always fudge on boy/girl stuff and let anyone wear anything.  That way you have those snow pants and hats and mittens when you need them.

Cloth Diapers
-if you use them, they are definitely worth keeping.  

Get Rid Of:

Basically, just get rid of regular, every-day clothes.  They are easy and inexpensive to acquire and typically get handed down, so someone may very well just hand you a big bag of clothes before your next baby comes along anyway.

This includes

-t-shirts

-jeans

-shorts/skirts

-play dresses

-cheap clothing

-anything Carter's 

In my experience, Carter's clothes just don't store well.  They are super prone to baby stains and age stains and just aren't worth saving. 

-nothing special everyday clothes

-pajamas

-any baby clothes which are highly seasonal and gender specific.  

Assuming you don't have another baby on the way and don't know if you will need these again, get rid of baby clothes which are highly seasonal and gender specific.  Babies outgrow clothes really fast, and in order to use that super cute, newborn sized sun dress, not only would your next baby have to be a girl but she would have to be born in the summer.  It's been a looooong time since I took statistics, so someone correct me if I'm wrong please, but there is a 50% chance your next baby will be the same gender and a 25% chance they will be born in the same season as your last baby, so that means there is only a 12.5% chance you would use that item again within the next 2-3 years.  Get rid of it.  Unless you live in FL and it's summer all year long.  Then consider saving it.

When in doubt....get rid of it.  I've kept way too much stuff over the years and most of it, we actually didn't use again, either because I forgot we had it, or it was packed in the wrong box with the wrong size/wrong season. Better to pass it on to someone who could actually use it.  Over the years, I've had to buy very few things,  (mostly thanks to friends who are more than generous with hand-me-downs) and I discovered that for most regular clothes, it's just not worth it to keep them.  So what are you waiting for?  Go start getting rid of some stuff!

What have you found makes the most sense to keep or get rid of?  

7 Ways to Make this Lent the Best Ever

So, now that we're a whole 3 days into Lent, I figured I would pass out my -free, I'm not a spiritual expert, I have no qualifications- advice.  Because not being an expert never stopped me from handing out advice before. 

1.

It's not about the sacrifice.  It took me many, many years to learn this, but the point of Lent isn't to give something up just for the sake of giving something up.  Fasting without prayer is just a diet.  There is no point in giving something up, if you don't try to focus on Jesus during that time. The point of penance and sacrifice is to grow closer to God....to eliminate distractions and those things that separate us from God.  The small amount of pain we feel when we make a sacrifice, can help bring us closer to God if we let it.   If we just white-knuckle and suffer through, without actually turning towards prayer, we are just suffering for no reason.

2.

Make it about others.  Lent should be about serving others, not ourselves. It should be about growing closer to our family members and loving them better.  This Lent, no matter your state in life, you should resolve to love those around you better.  Give them more of your time, more of your attention, more of yourself.   Just about everyone could give more of themselves.  Our natural inclination is selfishness.  This Lent, try to root out at least a tiny bit of that selfishness and become a more giving person.

3.

Practice self-donative love.  I love that phrase....self-donative love. I first read it from the Popcaks.  

Self-donative love] is a supremely responsive love, empowering those who practice it to use their bodies, minds, and spirits to respond with justice and compassion to the deepest God-given needs of others.  Self-donation is the kind of love that mirrors the self-gift Jesus Christ gave us, through His Incarnation and through is Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Further, it is the love that lies at the heart of both Catholic social justice and Catholic family life.-  Parenting With Grace, (Dr. Popcak)

So...what is self-donative love?  Self-donative love is when you get out of bed to nurse a crying baby for the umpteenth time.  Self-donative love is when you stay up late to spend time with your husband.  Self-donative love is when you lie down with your toddler at night to help them fall asleep.  Self-donative love is when you read that extra story or play that extra game.  Self-donative love is when you carry your child who just wants to be carried or comfort the child who just wants to be comforted.  Self-donative love is the giving of yourself to another person. 

4.

Do hard things. It's good to do hard things.  Doing hard things is good for you. So find something hard to do and do it,  By doing hard things, we grow in virtue and strength and ability.  So, challenge yourself to do something hard...whether that's running a marathon or crocheting a blanket or teaching fractions or visiting a neighbor, or making amends with someone you've had a falling out with.  Do something hard, and you'll be a better person. 

5

Stop yelling.  This is the hardest thing ever...but it is so, so, so important.  Think long and hard about times when you are most likely to yell and then find alternatives.  There will be mistakes...there will be backslides.  But, yelling is really damaging to family relationships and family relationships are the most important thing. I'm a yeller...I get how hard it is to stop.  It's a long hard process (but remember, it's good to do hard things), but so worth the work involved.  The relationship you have with your spouse and children are the most important relationships...and yelling is damaging.   But, don't yell at yourself if you slip up.  Be gentle with yourself, be gentle with yourself, be gentle with yourself. 

6. 

Go to Confession and take your kids. Go at least once....and maybe twice or even thrice. If you have kids old enough to go, take them too.  

7. 

Make a new friend.  Just about everyone needs a new friend.  This Lent, resolve to be friendly, to make a new friend or revive an old friendship.  So many people are lonely and isolated and just looking for someone to reach out.  So do it...the rewards are great and the risks are few.  Invite someone over, take someone out for coffee or just spend a few minutes chatting after Mass.  You just never know how much one small gesture of kindness could mean to someone else. 

Catholic Bloggers Network

Linking up with Equipping Catholic Families,  Campfires and Cleats, Truly Rich Mom, A Slice of Smith Life, and Jen for 7 Quick Takes Friday. 

What to Give Up for Lent When You Already Gave Everything Up

Every year around this time you start to hear chatter of what people are giving up for Lent.

And, every year, I'm all

I'm sure it's just my melancholic side, but I see everyone else doing things (like eating out, buying fancy coffees, going on vacations), and I feel like my life is already one long, long Lent. Like I said, I'm  a melancholic with a flair for the melodramatic.

Let's see.

Sleep: check..gave that up 12 years ago when I had my first kid.

Gluten: check....gave that up 3 years ago.

Sweets: check....gave that up a few years back when I started turning into some crazy health food freak.  (okay, we do eat sweets on occasion, but even then they are healthy, homemade sweets made with things like coconut flour.  And, it seems pointless to give up something you don't eat very often anyway)

Junk food: check..see above

Eating out: check, check, check.

Unnecessary spending:  check, check, check, check

Sleeping on a bed: check...I actually sleep on a mattress on the floor.

Showering by myself; check

Heat: check (okay, we do have heat, but we keep it at 62, so it's always way cold in our house).

TV: no cable, check (although we do have Netflix)

Smartphone use: oh, that's right, I don't have one, nor any other mobile device that one can use to check email at any place. 

But, of course I haven't given everything up.  I still live a life full of comforts.  There IS always something left to give.

The three traditional parts of Lent are prayer, fasting and alms giving.  So, this year I'm encouraging myself (and everyone else in the family) to do something in each of those three categories.

Prayer:

We're going to add morning prayer from the Divine Office.   This can conveniently be found online for free, at any time, making my mom's book obsolete (sorry, Mom).    I'm also going to add in some spiritual reading.  Ben is reading chapters from the Scott Hahn Study Bible (Genesis, Revelation and the 4 Gospels).  So, I'm going to try to join him for some of that.

Fasting:

This is where the traditional "giving something up" comes from.  In the past, I've done things like giving up sweets or giving up junk food, but that's not really fair, because we don't eat those things on a regular basis anyway.  Plus, I've come to realize that *I* really shouldn't give up food items for Lent.   Food and I have a complicated relationship and it's just not the best for me.  We already eat a fairly simple and healthy diet, anyway, so there really isn't much left to give.  My kids would be thrilled to give up vegetables, but I told them that is not an option .  Of course, we'll give up meat on Fridays, but beyond that, I'm not planning on doing anything food-wise.

So, I thought long and hard about what to give up and decided that I'm going to give up watching Netflix  alone.   I don't watch a ton of TV, but I've gotten into the habit of watching in the bedroom while nursing Elsa to sleep for a nap or at night and then sometimes watching at night.  So, I'm going to give up watching during those times, and only watch if I"m watching *with* someone (usually Ben).   So, this way I will pray or read more when I'm nursing Elsa and will actually get more work done in the evenings. I have work I'm supposed to be doing for this online gift shop, but it's incredibly boring and they don't pay me enough to really motivate me.  But, I still should do it.

Alms giving

Well to start, we're going to give alms.  For real.  Sad to say, our charitable giving has been rather non-existent these last few years.  To put it bluntly...we *were* the charity, while Ben was in law school. But now, we're back into middle-class life, so we need to look at our charitable giving and figure out what and how and where we can give. It still might be the widow's mite, but it's better than nothing.

But, I also need to give more than actual alms.  Alms giving can include the giving of time.  So, I'm going to give my patience to my family and stop yelling.  I'm going to read more stories to my kids and cook more eggs for my husband.   I'm going to give more to my house by cleaning it a bit better.  I'm going to be bit more cheerful with less huffing and sighing when it comes to nursing Elsa or dealing with her multiple nocturnal awakenings and general clinginess during the day.

So, what are you doing for Lent? Do share...pretty please.  I really want to know.

(Linking up for What are You Doing for Lent)

7 Quick Takes Friday....The "what they said" version.

It's Finally Friday..which means it's time for 7QTF.  This is the "what they said" version.  Cute or not so cute kid sayings in Household Bentrup.
--- 1 ---

Elsa just started being able to sit unsupported.  She's pretty steady and but does still wobble over on occasion.   So, today John said

Elsa, you're so cute, sitting by yourself, but you might fall so I will rescue you and save you. 

--- 2 ---

Greta...said all in one breath..without stopping.

Mom, did you know that a salties (saltwater crocodiles) are the most aggressive crocodile in the world., so if a person ever sees one they need to stay far, far away.  But, we probably won't ever be in India or Australia, right?  So, we probably won't ever have to worry about being attacked by a saltie.  Did you know that a saltie can even eat a tiger.  But I thought tigers were apex predators. So does that mean that salties are apex predators or are tigers apex predators? Tigers are really aggressive too, and sometimes attack people.  But, there are no tigers in Fl. right?  Well, except in the zoo, I saw a tiger in the zoo, but it's in a cage, so it can't get us, right?  Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a crocodile or a tiger.  Which would you rather be.  I think I'd rather be a tiger because they're pretty, but I might want to be a crocodile, because they get to swim all the time and I like to swim.  Oh, I just can't decide.  And, did you know that tigers can climb trees...and climb them well?  And, tigers can also swim, so there is no place that is safe from tigers.

She has a tendency to just ramble on...and she currently has this fascination with "dangerous animals".  I really, really hope she doesn't decide to be the next Crocodile Hunter.

--- 3 ---

Grete, while I'm on Facebook

Is what you're doing important?  Because it doesn't look important to me.

You mean Facebook isn't important?

--- 4 ---

Heidi, in a super sweet card to me.

I'm giving you my favorite picture and my state quarters that with them you might amuse yourself. 

Yeah..she likes to read a lot of books where the characters speak with "old-fashioned" language. 

--- 5 ---

This one is a few years old..but it's so good, I just have to share it.

Greta..when she was 5 and shortly before we moved to FL so Ben could attend law school...as said to our parish priest.

My daddy is going to go to liar school.

--- 6 ---

This one is from the beginning of Lent.  I told the kids that I was going to give up yelling for lent and try to be more loving,.

John:

Darn it, I wanted ice cream.

 --- 7 ---

And, I can't think of anything else, so anyone have any cute kid's sayings they want to share?  I love to hear what gems other kids come up with.

Have a great weekend, all!

 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes Friday

--- 1 ---

Best. Catholic. Meme. Ever!

--- 2 ---

Monopoly is getting rid of the iron and replacing it with a cat.  This is incredibly good news, because who the heck in their right mind would want to be an iron?  I mean..an iron?  Who came up with that.  That's about as dumb as being a thimble.   Who wants to be reminded of work while they play.  Not that I would know anything about ironing as work...because I don't do it.

--- 3 ---

I just found this on facebook.  This is me...so totally me.

--- 4 ---

I must admit, I'm jealous of all my Rhode Island/Massachusetts friends that get to a experience a historic blizzard of crippling proportions.  I've never experienced  a blizzard. ..and down here in FL, we're all just like So, is it going to be warm, hot or super hot today?    I miss not sweating. 

--- 5 ---

CNN did a piece where mothers (and fathers) can share their stories about abortion.  The stories are very interesting and sad.  A few are just maddening and are only about abortion in the strictest medical sense (same as a miscarriage is a "spontaneous abortion."  Anyway...you should check it out.

--- 6 ---

Lent is right around the corner, and I still haven't decided what I plan to "give up" or do this year.  I always find Lent so hard with a new baby....I'm all like...Well, I already gave up sleep..and going anywhere by myself for the next year and being able to do ANYTHING without being interrupted, isn't that enough.   And, I already don't eat sweets (except for ice cream on Sundays and dark chocolate...but that's a health food...really it is...it lowers my risk of heart attack or stroke, so I HAVE to eat it.) or soda, or any of those things. So, I really don't know what to do.  Any ideas or suggestions??  I'd love to hear what others are doing this Lent!!

--- 7 ---

 For number 7, I'll just leave you with our miracle of the day.  Elsa slept ALL BY HERSELF in her bouncy chair DURING THE DAY.  This is A BIG DEAL.  Here is the cute, photographic evidence.  She slept in there for like a whole TWENTY MINUTES.  WOW!  Keep it up babe...pretty please?

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!