Day Off

Taylor over at Fat Tuesday headquarters is taking the day off.

And since I use any excuse to be an underachiever, I'm taking the day off too.

I'm tired and I have the munchies.

Remember yesterday when I made a fuss that my youngest spawn was nothing more than a sweet, innocent infant?
Well, he was up twice in the night for no apparent reason and it reminded me that he is indeed not an infant, and he should not be waking up in the night.
And the bleary-eyed stumbling through the house reminded me that I really don't want an infant, after all.

So there.

In other news:  My e-mail account, for the second time in the past several weeks, sent out spam messages to various people on my contact list.
This prompted a change of password which has turned my world as I know it upside down. I'd been using that password since 2002, back when I had no less cellulite and thought that 3 hour naps on Sunday afternoons would always be a part of my life.
My how times have changed.

Then I was told that I should clear out my inbox as well to help with the whole spamming issue.
Ladies and gentlemen, do you know how many e-mail messages were in my inbox?

Let me tell you.
You're not going to believe me.

Here it goes:

6,412.

Yes, that was six thousand four hundred and twelve. 

I just kept thinking that "I might need that one down the road..."

Somebody stage an intervention. I should be on that show Hoarders. Internet edition. 
You'll be glad to know that I deleted everything from 2002-2008. I'm working on the rest. 
Baby steps, people. 
Baby steps. 

And now I shall take myself, my children, and my hairy legs to the swimming pool and hope that I don't run into anyone I know. 

Goodbye forever. 
Or until I blog again.

Hungry and Hairy in North Carolina

Splash

This weekend we went to a spray park in a nearby town. 

We are nothing if not exciting and adventurous people, don't you think?

It's either that, or we're just trying to cram in all the fun before the TDY season begins. 

(TDY= Temporary Duty= Daddy gone= Mama goes crazy)

I love taking pictures at spray parks. I find that they make for fun photos. 

Why, yes. That is my daughter wearing goggles at the spray park.

She's an odd duck.

This is Derek's buddy Brady.

I loved these shots of him under the water.

And do I really need to tell you who this cutie is?

Baby Brooke is a big fan of our family. She repeats Josh & Derek's names all the time. It's kinda funny.


Here is Alex having fun:                                              

And here she is being talked to about the meltdown she had at the SPLASH PAD when some kid had the nerve to SPLASH her.
Oh, the drama.

Here's my baby getting all soaked.
Such a tiny infant baby he is.

Not even that much older than the actual tiny, infant baby Jenna (who is Brady's little sister).



Are those pouty lips sweet, or what?

It kind of made me want to grab my man and just make another one.

Briefly.
And then I came to my senses.

After all, I looked around and couldn't even find Josh.

Josh?
Has anyone seen my husband?

Oh. 

There he is.

Hmm.
I kind of like that picture.

Almost as much as a flight suit picture.

I may need to rethink that baby-making thing...

The Verdict is In:

Kindergarten is fun and she wants to go back.
It would appear that Alex's first day of school was a success. :)

I managed to hold back the ugly cry when the bus drove away with my baby, but a few tears might have slipped out. I didn't really have time to get too sad, because the bus was early and I was too busy trying to grab my camera.
I missed the chance to get the traditional first-day-of-school picture-- all I got was Josh walking her out to the bus.

They pick her up right in front of our house.

And as soon as the bus drove away, Josh hopped in the car and followed it.
Yes, he did.
He drove behind it all the way to the school and then waited and watched for her to get off the bus and into the building.

Then he left before anyone called the cops reporting some man watching from a distance as kids got off the bus. We're lucky he doesn't still have his molester-stache, or he would certainly have been arrested.

Then the long day started of wondering what she was doing, if she was sad or scared, if she was hungry or cold or tired or pouty. It's such a weird feeling to be without a little person who for so long has depended on you for her every need.

Later I asked her if she had missed me at all during the day and she said, "Mommy I was busy. I forgot you weren't there."
Ha!
I'm glad for that.

But she could have missed me just a little.

I made sure to bring my camera to pick-up time to make up for the morning picture. (She only rides the bus to school, and I pick her up when she's done.)

Alex reported that her favorite part of the day (prepare yourself for her run-on sentence) was:
"When Mrs. E read the gingerbread man and she put a paper gingerbread man in the play oven and when we came back he wasn't there he ran away but he left a note so we knew where to find him and he had made us a yummy snack!"

These are the details I was able to dig out of her:

She played play-doh

She colored pictures

She "counted the calendar"

She said her letters

They read The Kissing Hand
They made a craft

She ate lunch in a big room with lots of tables

She ate everything but her applesauce

They went to the bathroom "so many times"

She wiped her own poop

She played outside on the monkey bars

She had to lay her head on her desk and rest her eyes after recess

She slept (not true) so can she stay up very late tonight?

Her teacher is nice

The bus was fun

There were "NO seatbelts"

And my personal favorite:

"We got to play whatever we wanted for a little while. It's called sexual time."

I think she might mean section time, but I can't be certain.
The only thing I'm certain of is that it's surely not called sexual time.
Or else we're homeschooling.

For me, the day felt really long. And quiet.
And I had this weird guilty feeling that I was pawning my kid off on someone else and that I should ask how much I owed them at the school when I picked her up.

And did I mention it was quiet?

Not only was Alex's never-ending talking gone, but so was the bickering between her and Derek, as well as the sound of my voice constantly running interference.
It's definitely going to take some getting used to.

But she loves it, and I have to admit...the quiet?
It's kind of nice.

Sweetness in Slippers, and that other kid.

This week I did not neglect to snap a few photos of Miss Alexandra the Ballerina before taking her to dance class.

If only she acted as sweet as she looks... ;)

Tomorrow is the big day! First day of kindergarten.
Her lunch is made, her bag is packed, she's picked out the dress she wants to wear.

If it weren't already bittersweet enough to let her go, my friend had to go and send me this poem...

First Day Of Kindergarten School Poem

~Author Unknown~

She started school this morning,
And she seemed so very small.
As I walked there beside her
In the Kindergarten hall.

And as she took her place beside
the others in the class,
I realized how all too soon
Those first few years can pass.

Remembering, I saw her as
She first learned how to walk.
The words that we alone made out
When she began to talk.

This little girl so much absorbed
In learning how to write.
It seems as though she must have grown
To girlhood overnight.

My eyes were blurred, hastily
I brushed the tears away
Lest by some word or sign of mine
I mar her first big day.

Oh how I longed to stay with her
And keep her by the hand
To lead her through the places
That she couldn't understand.

And something closely kin to fear
Was mingled with my pride.
I knew she would no longer be
A baby by my side.

But she must have her chance to live,
To work her problems out,
The privilege to grow and learn
What life is all about.

And I must share my little girl
With friends and work and play;
She's not a baby anymore --
She's in Kindergarten today.

Sniffle, Snort.
Weep. Wail.

Allow me to go mop up, and in the meantime I shall lighten the mood by sharing with you these things that have come out of my mouth today:

"Derek, please take your hands out of your pants."

"Guys, I know you love Monkey Bizness, but we cannot fly out to Idaho for a slide."

"Derek, I think you would do better eating that ice cream with two hands, so please take your hand out of your pants and use it to eat."

"Yes, I am aware that my nipples are bigger than daddy's, would you mind giving me some privacy while I get dressed?"

"Derek, you're supposed to be sleeping, let me cover you back up. And take your hands out of your pants."

Life with preschoolers is nothing if not comical.

I'll let you know tomorrow what life with a "schooler" is like.

Do you know what today is?

Yep.
Fat Tuesday.

And without further adieu, I shall announce to you, my internet peeps, that I have dropped 3 pounds this week!
No, I didn't mistake 'pounds' for 'ounces' this time.

And for my success I have prepared a thank-you speech:

I would like to thank all of the little people who made my week a success. 
Thank you gym childcare workers. Without you, I would not work out. 
Thank you incredibly fit women who exercise at the gym. Without you, I would have thought that taking a one-hour class was good enough. Watching you, I see that it is not. And I am impressed that you finish a spin class and then stay for the "Boot Camp" class. I am not there yet, but I am inspired.
Thank you non-digital scale, that allows for some interpretation between a 2-plus and 3 pound weight loss. I will interpret as I wish. 
Thank you computer. If it weren't for you keeping my fingers busy in the evenings, I fear I would be snacking more often. 
Finally, thank you to my children. If it weren't for you, I would not have burned those extra calories at each mealtime, when you needed "one more thing, some ketchup, another napkin, more to drink, a different utensil" and everything else under the moon. 

So there you have it. I managed to work out 5 days this week, which doesn't happen often. And I got my new ColorFUEL recipes.
I like this collection of meals and snacks better than the previous ones, so I'm excited to try them all out.
There were a few foods on the list that I had a hard time finding. I had never bought polenta before, or eggplant either. I still haven't managed to find any jicama, thought I did manage to find out that I was pronouncing it wrong (supposed to be said hic-ama).

Jicama! If you're out there, find me! Even the lady at the health food store didn't know who you were. 


And for today's nugget of goodness, allow me to introduce you to the Larabar.

Last week, I was running jogging walking briskly on the treadmill and one of the TV's was showing The Doctors. I don't usually watch daytime television, but let's face it, anything is better than watching the screen on the treadmill.
The program was about healthy eating, and the doctor was giving some examples of things he regularly eats.
These Larabars were one of the things he mentioned.

Then I stopped watching because I was too busy panting for breath, and then my treadmill sentence was over.

I thought it was a funny coincidence when I got my new ColorFUEL recipes, and there on the grocery list were larabars.

So I picked some up.
There are only three ingredients in the bar: figs, almonds, and unsweetened cherries. (There are different flavors out there, but each contain only raw, un-processed ingredients.)

They are pretty tasty in my opinion, and very filling as well. There are 200 calories in each bar, along with 5 grams each of protein and fiber.
One morning when I didn't have time to get a real breakfast together, I grabbed one of these and was able to work out and feel energized and not hungry.

So try one sometime.

Every Fat Tuesday makes me feel like I should be pursuing a career in advertising.

Instead of my current career of being an internet specialist. (Requirements: read blogs, check Facebook, shop online.)
Too bad it's a non-paying position.
Don't worry, I'm not in it for the money. I just like knowing that I'm helping people.

Namely, me.

Happy Fat Tuesday to you all!




 

The beach was totally double rainbow

Yes, he's been at it again.

Josh has been you-tube-ing.
And now none of us can stop singing the dang double rainbow song.

Have you heard of this nonsense? Some guy posts a video of himself on you-tube filming a big rainbow.
A double rainbow, no less.
He is so excited about the rainbow that it sounds like he's...
well...
um...
how do I put it?...

Let's just say he's really, really excited about the rainbow.
Moved to tears, no less.

Then some other crafty online folks take his video, synthesize his voice, and make a "Double Rainbow Song" out of it.

Don't listen. It's from the devil. It will get stuck in your head.
But I'll link you there anyway, just because I've given you fair warning.

Here is the original video.
And the song.

But don't do it.

Because as soon as you get it out of your head, your husband will manage to put it right back there. Like this e-mail I just got from him.

...

Also, Our Disney trip is now during {yadda yadda I never know what is sensitive 

info}, but {whosie whatsie} is fine with us taking the leave.  Double rainbow 

all the way!

...

And now it's back in my head again. He's so sneaky.
So I'm just going to embrace it.


We went to the beach on Saturday.
It was totally double rainbow.
All the way.

Well except for when I annoyed Josh by failing to realize that we had no gas in the van.
Down side: We had to stop for gas, delaying us a bit.
Up side: I got out of pumping gas. It's hot around here.

My hero:

But after that, the day was totally double rainbow.

The kids had a blast.

It was Derek's first trip to the ocean and he's still talking about the "big waves."

And Alex? Well it took everything I could do to pull her away from the water just to force her to take drinks now and then or get some more sunscreen.
She was in heaven.

And because I am constantly harassed for not being in any pictures, I will go ahead and post this.

But only after adding a lovely white heart to the picture, because you could see a little too much cleavage from that angle.
And not the good kind of cleavage either.
The kind that needs a more supportive bathing suit top and has been abused by 26 months of breastfeeding.
That kind.

You're welcome for the heart.


Hope your Monday is DR...all the way!

Friday Night Splashdown

Tomorrow-- The Beach!!

School Blues

Today was a big day for our firstborn.
Alex had her first dance class as well as her kindergarten open house.

I was looking forward to both events.
I knew she would love ballet/tap/whatever-it-is-they're-teaching-her-as-long-as-it-doesn't-involve-a-pole, and I was sure that once we visited Alex's classroom I would feel more at ease with our decision to send her off to school.

I was right on one count.

She did love her dance class.
Unfortunately I was in such a rush to get there on time that I didn't get a chance to snap a picture. 

But allow me to assure you that she was as sweet as can be in her leotard and tights, with her hair in a bun. And we were five minutes early.

When we arrived to the studio, it was kind of a cluster. No one appeared to be in charge, and there were too many little girls and moms in too small and hot a space.
Once they got settled in the room things improved.

Apparently parents sticking their faces in the window is a distraction for the class, because they had it blocked off with a large piece of paper.

But I didn't let a silly little thing like that bother me.

I just smooshed my nose right up to the crack in that paper and watched my baby tap-tap-tap and twirl-twirl-twirl.
I feel a stage momma coming out of me.

Kidding!
I just wanted to make sure she was tap-tap-tapping the crap out of those 42 dollar tan Bloch tap shoes.

Oh, and might I also point out that there were a couple of girls in the class with black tap shoes and some with tan shoes that were decidedly not Bloch.
I can only hope this is rectified quickly. May with a public beating, or tar and feathers.
I cannot stand for it. Not one little bit.

Not after I drove through the thunderstorm, risking my life, to be a rule follower.

Let me also tell you that the conversation in the lobby area between the mommas was delightfully full of southernness. I felt a little out of place.
I must work on my drawl.

We then met up with Josh, who was able to join us at Alex's open house.

Folks. (see? I'm trying!)
I'm not sure what to think.

The school is nice. The building is just 10 years old, and it's bright and cheery.
I'd heard great things about Alex's teacher, and she certainly seemed to live up to her reputation.
She has been teaching kindergarten for 20 years, and she and the assistant teacher were very personable and friendly.

However comma.
In her 20 years of teaching, she has never had a class as large as the one Alex is in.
There are twenty-nine children in the class.
2-9. 29.
That's one less than 30. 

And then she shares with us that the kinder-mat we purchased, because it was on the school supply list, was not going to be needed after all.
Because the new principle is doing away with rest time.

Did I mention that the school hours are from 8 to 3:15?
That would be 7 hours and 15 minutes. 

Josh and I are not happy. How can these 5-year-olds go all day with no rest time? And what could be the benefit of not allowing them the break?
The teacher certainly didn't seem thrilled with the new plan, and I don't blame her.
Josh plans to make a call to the principle to make known our concern over this policy change.
(Because he makes all of our uncomfortable phone calls. Because he loves me.)

I don't know what to think. We wavered quite a bit on sending her to school versus homeschooling, and this visit didn't exactly make me feel confident in our decision.

And now I can't sleep.
It's either thinking about all of this school stuff...or maybe it's the diet mountain dew I drank.
Definitely one of those.


Help?

Just Another Wednesday

Today, like most days, I awoke to a five-year-old face inches from my own.
 Husband was already gone.
He is eerily quiet in the morning.

Also, he is quiet at night.

Last week during night flying he came home around 3am, watched some TV while he had a bite to eat, crawled into bed next to me, and I never knew it until I woke up the next morning.

I didn't hear a thing.

Attention predators: Despite my lack of awareness, please do not come into my house in the middle of the night, watch my TV and eat from my fridge before climbing into my bed.
It might be easy, but that wouldn't make it right.

Where was I? Oh yes, I woke up this morning.

We're moving at blazing speed through my day, are we not?

After breakfast the kids and I shuttled off to the gym. I took a powercut class.
 I was the second fattest person in the class, not that I'm catty enough to notice those kinds of things.

Then I came home and fed the children "pre-lunch."
You know, because they are bottomless pits that are never satiated.

After pre-lunch we met some friends at the pool for a playdate. When my children's stomachs dictated that the playdate was over for them, I broke the hearts of the remaining children as I collected our pool toys from them.
I'm just a meanie at heart.

We came home for lunch-lunch and naps.

After naps, I drove my swagger wagon through a torrential downpour to a town 30 minutes from here because if my daughter did not have Bloch tan tap shoes by tomorrow, worlds would collide.

Don't worry, I made sure to feed the kids post-lunch, or pre-dinner if you prefer, on the drive.

What's Bloch? I dunno. A brand of tap shoe.
The dress code for her dance school was very specific that they must be Bloch, and they must be tan. And I've been calling all around for stores nearby that carried them in her size, but apparently we are not the only ones in the world who wait until the last minute to do things.

But. I have an excuse.
We just moved, remember?
I will be drawing on that little number for the next 6 months.

Alex is fitted for the tap shoes. Alex is fitted for ballet slippers. I pick up a few pair of tights that were on sale.
SIXTY EIGHT DOLLARS and some odd cents later, I leave the store.

Did you know that Bloch tan tap shoes cost $42?
Neither did I.
But now I do.
And I'm starting to think that we should have picked a less expensive event for her.

Cooking class maybe? Hairnets can't be that expensive.
But then they would probably need some specific name brand and color of apron, and I'd be driving 30 miles to find it.

Rant complete. I'll be back on this subject come recital time, no doubt.

On the way home in yet another downpour, I decide that we should probably just go to McDonald's for the kids' dinner and a chance to play at the playplace.
Because I'm lazy like that.

And so we do.
Don't be concerned, I did not indulge in McD's food.
I did, however, order a sugar-free vanilla iced coffee. It's only 90 calories.
Bad news though, I am suspicious that it was not indeed a sugar-free one.
It tasted a little too good.

You just can't trust teenagers these days.

The kids shared a strawberry juice.

Alex, despite 5 years of life on earth and at least 3 of which included drinking from straws, decided it would be best to tip the cup back while she was drinking.

She was wearing a white skirt.

I'll let you know how that turns out.

Then we came home, and after an hour or so of tap shoes clackity-clack-clacking, the kids had baths.
I think I shall encourage her to wear them as often as possible. You know, to get our money's worth.

During bathtime, we were presently surprised when Daddy walked into the door. His workdays are usually somewhere between 12-14 hours, so many weekdays he doesn't get to see the kids at all.


So there you have it. Just another Wednesday, with a happy ending.

Don't be alarmed! Of course the kids had post-dinner, or pre-breakfast, before heading off to sleep.




Happy Hump Day to you!

heehee

That term always makes me laugh.
Because I'm mature like that.

Fat Tuesday. Yes, again.

I know. It's like Tuesday comes around with a vengeance never seen by Friday.
Or any day you might be looking forward to. 

But not Fat Tuesday.
It taunts me and harasses me into sharing shameful facts about my week.

Like the ice cream cake for Derek's birthday.
It was from Cold Stone people. You can't say no to Cold Stone.

And the pizza.
It was pizza people. You can't say no to pizza.

Right?
Anyone?
Bueller?

But the week wasn't entirely shameful. As I mentioned, last Tuesday I joined the gym. This week I worked out 4 times. It would have been 5, but Alex's chin incident interrupted my week's plans.

And did I lose weight?
You betcha!

I lost FIVE WHOLE ounces.
What, did you think I was going to say pounds?
 
I knew I was going to run into a little trouble with the scale this week, because it had been awhile since I'd been in the gym. As is to be expected, I tend to gain a little weight when I start working out. The good news is that it should be muscle and not fat.
So overall, despite my weekend indulgences, I am happy that my weight didn't go up. And more importantly, my muffin top is a little less...puffy...than last week.
If I have to choose, I would rather see results in the mirror than on the scale.

But really, I want both.

Greedy much?

I'm still a fan of the type of food I'm eating on ColorFUEL, and I'm ready to buy another set of recipes this week.

Each Fat Tuesday I'll try to post either a recipe or a healthy substitute for some basic pantry items. Today:

Sandwich Thins
Have you met these things yet?
If not, allow me to introduce you.

Bloggy Friend, This is a Sandwich thin:

Sandwich Thin, meet Bloggy Friend.

These are great for sandwiches & burgers. The whole wheat variety has 5 grams of fiber, and can turn a burger into a healthier choice.

I was surprised to find that one of my ColorFUEL recipes is for smothered cheeseburgers. What's healthy about that?
Well, the amount of lean ground beef used is quite small, but you don't really notice because it's loaded with tomato, spinach, and sauteed bell peppers. Top it with a small amount of swiss cheese, and it's really yummy!

But I think the most important step is to eat it, without the fries or chips, and then step away from the plate.
I don't feel full, but I do feel satisfied. And I know that by the time I feel hungry again, it will be time for my next meal or snack.

I totally sound like an infomercial, don't I?


Here's to a week with less cheating, lots of gym time, and Fat Tuesdays to keep me on track!

And for the love of all that is good, would someone please come and finish off this ice cream cake before I can restrain myself no more?!?!

Boo-boo's and Birthdays

Buckle up, folks. We've got lots to talk about today.

First, I promised that I would provide you with a picture of my hair emergency Alex's chin injury.

She wanted to tell you about it:

Well, all you can really see is her bandage. But I must give her kudos for not messing with it, picking at it, or getting it wet. We'll just hope for the best when it comes off.
Thankfully, today is the last day we have to keep it dry.

What I should have taken a picture of was the way I wrapped her chin in plastic wrap and taped it to her face and neck so that I could wash her hair the other day.
She looked like she was wearing a plasti-beard.

And not wanting to be left out, Derek wanted to tell you all about how, while we were walking into the hospital for Alex's chin to be re-checked, he got his arm wedged in a sliding glass door.

We are nothing if not a traveling side show.

Me: Hello, Doctor. Alex's chin seems to be fine. Not too much drainage, and she's not complaining about any pain. However on our way in, my son played chicken with the automatic doors out front and lost. Would you mind making sure that I didn't break anything when I pulled and tugged and yanked his arm out of it's stuck location? Thanks. 
Why, yes I do supervise my children. Why do you ask?

And then.
As if I wasn't traumatized enough at the goings on of our household...

My baby turned three.

Since I'm still pretending to be unsettled from our move 5 weeks ago, I didn't even have to make up an excuse as to why I didn't throw him a party.

As a general rule, children who have matriculated from my uterus do not get traditional kiddie birthday parties until they are 5.

Why?

Because parties:
- require advanced planning, which is not my strong suit
- require work and effort, also not my strong suits

Besides, they don't really even know that they aren't having a party, because we bribe some friends with pizza and cake into coming over and watching them open presents. More people in the background of photos give a party feel, as well as enhance the Happy Birthday song singing.

Facts about Derek's pseudo-party:

- I forgot to pick up birthday wrap, so I wrapped his presents in brown postal wrap and leftover Christmas paper.
- Derek loved blowing out his candle, until he saw the smoke coming from it and was utterly traumatized.

- Josh picked out a hot wheels race track set that he had way more fun playing with than any of the children.
- I did my best to make a Derek-friendly birthday cake, but cakes made without milk and eggs just don't hold together very well. So I went with the Three-Shaped Cupcake Egg(less)stravaganza.

Of which I did not get a picture until the bottom of the three was partially digested by my dear son. 

My sweet little man, who didn't even notice that he was eating a cupcake that needed a bowl and spoon while the rest of us had Cold Stone ice cream cake. 
My precious love-bug, who also didn't realize that he was eating plain whole wheat rotini while the rest of us were eating pizza.

All he knew was that the presents were all his to open.

Well, kind of.
His sister did hover to "help" and "show him how" to use his new toys.

Let's face it, this kid has a tough life.
I wouldn't be surprised if he traded up for a new family.
 

But we love every last inch of him, and all I ask is that nobody refer to him as a three year old for a little while. My heart can't take it.

And the rest of me can't take the fact that tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and there is half of of an ice cream cake in the freezer.
Go-go-gadget-willpower.

It's a (hair) Emergency

And I'm not even talking about how desperately I'm in need of a haircut.
Which I am.

Desperately.

No, I'm talking about the fact that my daughter fell and split her chin today and had to be tended to by doctors.

And that is my hair emergency.

Let's back up.
After getting back from the gym and feeding the kids lunch, I hopped in the shower.
Josh was getting ready to go into work, and the kids were playing nicely together.

Ha!

You know better than that, don't you?
They were playing together like they usually do, with much maligning over perceived slights and injustices.

Then Alex decided to take off running through the kitchen, slipped on the kitchen floor that was wet from a fresh mopping, and broke her fall with her chin.

Ha!
Gotcha again.
Of course my floor wasn't freshly mopped. She slipped on some dirty clothes that have no business on the kitchen floor.

But she did break her fall with her face, as my children seem inclined to do.
(They get their athleticism from their father.)

So Josh, who is super good at freaking out when it comes to illness and injury related to our children and possibly himself,  insisted that my presence was necessary IMMEDIATELY and UNCONDITIONALLY RIGHT THEN AND THERE.
Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars, and most importantly, do not take the time to rinse the conditioner out of your hair.

In his defense, we do have exceptionally poor water pressure in the master bathroom, and it probably would have taken me...oh, one to two minutes to rinse it out.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I have been experiencing a hair emergency since lunchtime today.

After looking at her chin and determining that stitches might be in order, we called and were able to walk her drag her into the flight doc's office.
The doc was iffy on whether or not she really needed stitches vs. the glue/steri-strips approach, and finally settled on doing the latter.
We go back tomorrow to have her rechecked.

She did really well while they were working on her, and was duly rewarded with her choice of treats.
She picked a Hershey's bar and a skipped nap.

Can you believe that I failed to take a picture of her bandaged chin?
Tomorrow, for sure.

Bad news-- 5 days of not getting it wet means no pool for us for awhile.

Good news-- my hair, while gunky and greasy looking, is getting a deep-conditioning.

My cup runneth over

I have three days left to enjoy my two year old.
Then I plan to start enjoying my three year old.
Because Derek is nothing if not enjoyable.

His face is still plump and squishy. And he loves to cuddle as much as he ever has.
He gives me unsolicited kisses throughout the day, and frequently comes up to say "I love you."
He melts my heart.

He also keeps a record of all wrongdoings and rehashes them at every tender moment.
Today in the pool, he paddled up to me, kissed my mouth, and said:
"I love you Mommy. And I love Daddy. And I love God."
Then he furrowed his little brow and said:
"Mommy, you splash me. And Daddy said I lose."

Yes, once I splashed him at the pool.
Yes, it was on purpose.
Yes, it was a little mean.
But I did apologize, and it was a couple of weeks ago.
He can't move on.

And Josh did tell him he lost a card game. Because he had. (He was my partner in Old Maid. When you've got the Maid, you've got the Maid. There's not much arguing about it.)

Once when I was putting him to bed, I accidentally turned his light on as I left the room. It was just out of habit that I hit the switch when I walked out of the room; I didn't realize it was already off at the time.
So a few minutes later, he calls me back to his room to complain that his light was on.
Now every night he feels the need to remind me: "Mama, this time make sure you turn my light off."

If you tell him no to something, he says "Dat hurts my feewings" in the most pathetic voice he can muster.

He's a funny little guy.

And I'm so very glad he's mine.

And this little thing?

She's leaving me soon.
And she's so darn excited about it.
Yesterday I got a paper in the mail assigning her to a kindergarten teacher and talking about the open house next week.
Soon we will enter a new phase of being parents to a school-aged child.
As much as I want to hold her back, it is such a neat experience to see her growing up. And I don't want to take any of it for granted.

Tomorrow I have to go drop off her registration at the ballet studio. I just cannot wait to see her in her leotard and ballet shoes.
My sweet princess.

I am so thankful to God for our blessings. There are moments when my heart simply overflows with love for them.

It's just that sometimes I wish I could bottle it up, and dispense as needed.


New Prescription: Mutli-Dose vial of the love you feel for your children while they are sleeping. Take as needed throughout the day when affection levels dip.
Take two doses when standing in line with children at the post office, or attempting to make a phone call while they are awake.

Fat Tuesday Part Deux

It's Fat Tuesday.
Again.

That sure came around fast, now didn't it?
I'm afraid that I have no exciting progress to share with you all this week. After having company for most of the week and having to dish out ice cream for my kids several times, I did not lose any weight.
Apparently those spoonfuls that didn't quite make it to their bowls have calories too.
Who knew?

I'm happy that I didn't actually gain anything, despite my cheating.

But in honor of Fat Tuesday, I made it to the gym today for the first time since we've been here in North Cackilacky.
Now that working out will be in my weekly routine, I'm hoping to see some more results.

You see, when you sign up for the ColorFUEL program, they design it to your specific needs and activity level. So when I signed up I claimed that I visited the gym several times a week. Because I had planned to.
And then didn't.
So I've probably been eating portions sizes that were larger than I should have been while not working out.

But overall I'm still happy with the program. I went grocery shopping today, and I like seeing the good, healthy foods that are going into the cart.

I thought I would share one of the recipes that I made last week that I thought was pretty tasty...you know, for nutritious food.

Sweet Chicken w/ Chickpeas

Chicken breasts, trimmed (I usually cut mine in half to make them thinner and easier to cook)
Paprika
Sea Salt (I'm sure regular would do)
Pepper
Olive oil
1 Diced onion
16oz of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Chickpeas
1.5 cups Frozen carrots
1/4 cup Raisins
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Season chicken w/ paprika, salt, & pepper. Heat olive oil in skillet and cook chicken on both sides until brown. Remove chicken & set aside. Add more olive oil and cook onion for about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, carrots, chick peas, raisins, honey, & cinnamon. Cover & simmer 8 minutes. Serve mixture over chicken.
Voila.

All this talk about food is making me hungry. 
Fat Tuesday may be counter-productive.

A Three Hour Tour, and other stuff

It's been a day.

Josh is flying nights this week, which means that he goes into work around 1pm or so, and then will get home late.
Or early.
However you want to look at it; it will be sometime around 2am.

Generally speaking, night weeks stink.
There's no hope of any assistance with the whole dinner-bath-bed rigmarole, we don't get to spend time together in the evenings, and then I have the impossible job of trying to keep the urchins quiet in the morning so Josh can get some rest.
The only bright spot in a rough week is that Monday morning we get some family time together. Today we took the kids swimming and just hung around the house.

But the afternoon seemed to drag by, and so after dinner I broke my newly-implemented rule of never taking the children shopping with me and ran over to JC Penney.
I don't particularly care for that store, but I had received a coupon for $10 off any purchase of $10 or more.
And as it turned out, they sent me two of those handy little things.

So I perused the store for anything that cost just over ten bucks, so that I'd basically get something for free.
Nothing really caught my eye, so I ended up buying two new beach towels.
(At different registers of course, since I don't think they would have let me use both coupons together.
I'm tricky like that.)

Here are the two newest members of our towel family, each of which cost me $2.14.

Side note: The towels were on clearance for $11.49. They were originally almost $40.
Who buys a forty dollar towel? It's not even two-sided.
I stand by my conviction that said store likes to mark prices up just so they can mark them down and make you feel like you're getting a deal.

Boy did I get off topic.

So the kids did okay at the store, if I were judging them by the same standards you would use for a puppy.
That had been kept in a kennel all day.
And fed Red Bull.

But we survived.

And then came the never ending bedtime routine.
It turns out that Derek likes to talk a lot these days.
And yet he can't actually move and talk at the same time.
And he talks slow.
And Alex never stops talking either.
And it's impossible to brush the teeth of people who are talking.
And it's just a good thing that they are both still alive.
And it's only Monday.

Whew.

Moving on. As I mentioned before, we were hosting a Bible study group in our house on Sunday evening, and so it marked the first time since moving in that my house was actually clean.
And because you never know when that might happen again, I took pictures so that I could proudly present:
The Three Hour (rented) home tour---

Here you have the front door entryway

To your left when you walk in is the office.
Only we don't have office furniture, so all of Josh's Air Force "stuff" got to move out of the garage for the first time in 9 years.

I didn't have much to contribute to the room. But one of those diplomas is mine.
All the knowledge it took to get it is gone, but the paper is still there.

We bought this chaise lounger because the room was too empty. It's our reading chair.
But in the store it didn't seem quite as...big. Nor did it look as much like a dentist's chair.

See?

 But it's really comfy.
So if you ever want to curl up with a good book, or have a filling placed, just come to our office.

Opposite the office is the dining room. We didn't change any of the paint colors in the house because
1) We're lazy
and
2) ... Well I guess there's only one reason

But the red works out fine since we have so many red accents.
The door leads through to the kitchen.

The door you see on the right goes to the master bed & bath.
Only I can't show you any pictures of that because as you might have heard, we don't have a bedroom set.
So clothes and things are just strewn about the floor.
It isn't pretty.

The view from the other side of the kitchen. The door on the left goes to the garage, and you can see the laundry room next to the dining room.

Eat-in kitchen area. I accept no personal responsibility for the valances.

The living room from the kitchen, along with half of Josh and not-dressed Derek.

They were wrestling.

This is the hallway that leads to the other bedrooms.
That blue room pretty much decided for us where Derek's bedroom would be.

The rest of the rooms are this way.

First the guests/kids' bathroom.
I like our guests to feel at home with un-flushed toilets and toothpaste decorations around the sink.

Then Alex's room.
When we walked into the house for the first time, she ran to this room and declared it to be hers. It was the pink stripe, I think.

Her headboard/footboard are the crib converted into a full-sized bed.

And the guest room.
That has our old bedroom furniture.
While we have none.

And this, my friends, is the sun room. Or the playroom, whatever you want to call it.

You can get to it from the long hallway, or the master bedroom, or from the main living room.

I like it. And it will probably never be clean.
But that's okay.
Because, in theory, all the toys will stay in one place. And I wont have to step on them. And I can just close the doors and ignore it.

Here is the view of the backyard from the sunroom.

So there you have it, our cozy home.
We love the space and we're really happy with the neighborhood.
Come visit us!

Hopefully one day I can show you our master bedroom-- with furniture.