May My Way - Weigh In Week 2

It's Wednesday so that means it is weigh in day for the Sisterhood. This month's challenge is very cool for me, since I am only focusing on myself and what I need to do, and I have to admit it has been going well for me! It's about time, don't you think?

Anywho, here are the stats:

Started challenge weight: 201.0
Last week's weight: 199.0

This week's weight: 196.6

Whooohhoooo!! I am so excited to see these numbers going down at such a good pace!! It has been a while since I have had success with my weight loss and I have to say I am thrilled that my constant contact with Livestrong/MyDailyPlate is paying off!!
This means in 11 days I have lost almost 4 1/2 pounds!! Whooohhoooo!! Reaching my goal of weighing 190 or less by the end of the month looks like it COULD happen!!

As I mentioned in my confessions post yesterday I have been really busy and have been trying to get in my 30 minutes of exercise however I can! Did you know that pushing a wheelchair with an adult woman in it is just like a workout for your legs and arms?? Trust me it is!!

I participated in SisterSays which was getting at least 64 oz of water in daily...this one was a easy one for me. I drink around 100 oz of water everyday and if I don't my legs cramp up and let me know I didn't. Not to mention I feel so dehydrated by the end of the day and don't sleep well!

This week's SisterSays will be a bit of a challenge for me: to eat 5 servings of fruits/veggies every day! I love fruit but not so much on the veggies (don't hate me Karena) but getting 5 servings always seems to be a challenge. I will do my best....besides I KNOW it will be good for me!

I got to participate in some of the SisterChat on Monday night and that was a lot of fun! It was kind of like a big party with a bunch of women all trying to join in the conversation at the same time and trying to keep up! I had fun with it but fell wayyyyy behind! Kind of hard to keep up with all these speedy typist and get That Other Kid ready for bed at the same time! But I will definitely be back next week!

Last night's Tworkout was kind of choppy for me....Twitter was acting weird, That Kid came home in the middle of it and started talking and moving about and of course doing the #tworkout with That Other Kid is always a test of my patience. I'm glad he wants to do it with me BUT he's 7 and thinks he is 20!! If you know any 7 year olds I'm sure you understand that!!

Well I need to get off the computer and accomplish some stuff so I gotta cut this off now...hope you are doing well with the May Challenge. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about head over to the Sisterhood and check it out!

btw, my next post will be my 600th post! I'm trying to come up with something special for the post....so keep checking back. Hopefully I will get it up by the weekend!

Confessing Is Good For Me....

It's confession time over at the Sisterhood of Shrinking Jeans and I've been having a week that is worthy of confessing. I need to get this off my chest in hopes that I will start having a better week.

I'll just do bullet points since that seems to be the trend for confessing right now.

*I'm still working on getting the diet (ie, food) and stomach issues worked out. Therefore, every time I eat something I have to use the bathroom. Sometimes there is nothing but gas, sometimes it aint pretty. (sorry for tmi, just being honest here).

*I'm running in the Zooma Austin 5K in just under 3 weeks and I'm not feeling very confident in my ability to run much of it. Since I haven't felt good for the past couple of weeks I haven't been outside to run, until yesterday. It was a lot more walking than running and it was discouraging.

*Today it's rainy (which is good for the ground but bad for me to run). I was hoping to run again today but I'm not hardcore enough to run in the rain!

*That Kid came home to take care of some stuff here at home and That Other Kid and him are playing a LIFELY game of "go fish"!! I miss having my boys together!! Even the bickering, arguing and constant competitive activity! Soon That Kid will be gone away to Marine Corp boot camp and my house will be entirely too quiet!

*I think I have come to grips with the fact that he will be gone soon. I can't say I'm happy with it but at least he is acting like a mature young man and doing something to better himself.

*Stress has been a constant around here lately as the hubby continues looking for more architectural work and I'm trying really hard NOT to eat out of boredom or stress. I haven't always been successful but I think I am doing better than I usually do. I guess the scale will be the true judge of that.

So...what do you have to confess this week?

**Have you filled out a comment for my give away yet? I'm giving away a Jillian Michaels DVD in honor of my 2 year journey through losing weight. Go now cuz the give away ends tomorrow night!

Monday Project -- Letter From 2012 Me!

I'm participating in this weeks Monday project from the Sisterhood although I am doing it late...apparently I'm no earlier with my posts this year than I was last year! Some things never change, huh?

Anywho....I'm sitting here with so many thoughts running through my head and heart I can barely breathe properly. I am thinking of That Kid who is at this moment in "lock down" for his Marine Corp medical physical. If all goes according to HIS plan he will be signing up to be a Marine come tomorrow afternoon. What that means to me?? My 20 year old, 6 ft/215 pound BABY is about to join the Marines! Proud momma but UGH!!
I'm also thinking of my best real life friend who is going in for an MRI tomorrow afternoon to see if the aggressive Breast Cancer they found in one of her breast is in both. She believes it is.
My thoughts are also on my mom who is heading into knee replacement surgery on February 2nd. This should be a great thing for her but...you know??!!

So, as you can see I have much on my plate THAT I KNOW OF for this year. Let's see how the year goes according to my 2012 self!

Ann,
Here it is the beginning of 2012 and I just wanted to remind you of what a wonderful year you have had!! Glad to see you survived...oh wait, you didn't survive. You thrived!! What a wonderful year you had. The beginning of the year felt like you were gonna have another bust of a year. You struggled to get a hold of your emotions; what with your son joining the Marines and your friends breast cancer diagnosis and your moms knee surgery BUT you learned so much over the year I just felt I needed to remind you!

Emotional eating is not a part of your life any longer. You not only "got it by the horns" but you "wrangled it to the ground". Every time the emotional side of you told you to EAT and EAT and EAT, you went out and EXERCISED, and EXERCISED and EXERCISED!! Woman you are so fit now!!

You could probably take That Kid....not that you would, what with him being a Marine and all, but you could cuz you are one fit momma!!

Your friend also survived the breast cancer treatments with flying colors and is healthier than she has EVER been!

And your mom, well she has never been better. Not only did the first surgery go great but now she has 2 new knees and they are serving her well. She has taken walking back up and is doing above and beyond what her doctors thought possible. You were an instrumental part of that, so don't ever forget what a good influence you were on her. Encouraging her to walk and lose weight was just what the good doctor ordered!

In 2010 you surprised yourself by starting to run, not that you were fast but you were moving. Well 2011 saw you speed up and you now can run that full 5K in a competitive time. You ran a couple of races with friends from high school and that was a lot of fun, because 'they' used to be the runners and now you are all runners!! You also got to run your "first race" with your brother again! Man, that brought back some awesome memories!! You also started biking...not for racing but for fun! What memories that brought back to you from your childhood. You and That Other Kid love to bike together in the nearby bike paths and neighborhoods. It has been a great way to spend time with him that doesn't involve "parenting" or "schooling"...just hanging out has been great for both of you.

Homeschooling was very successful during the past year as well, since you learned to take one day at a time and not stress over the "basics". Learning how to go with the flow in every area of your life served you well. He has learned so much and it wasn't all "book" learning!

Your health and fitness levels are amazing for someone who is 46 years old and looking back at the pictures that you took at the end of 2010 for your Christmas calendar are just an additional reminder to you how hard you have worked during 2011. Looking at those pictures from last year and looking at you today are just unreal! Eating healthy foods that taste good is just like breathing to you now and it shows. You love to prepare healthy meals for the family that everyone likes to eat and you do so nearly every night. You still enjoy having a treat of ice cream or an occasional coke but neither are part of your routine diet now and your body has thanked you by losing all the excess fat that you were carrying around for some 20 years. Fruits, veggies, whole grain breads and lean meats are the norm in your diet now and you have a hard time thinking back to when it wasn't! Whooohooo!!

You were also able to contribute to getting all that "stupid debt" paid off in 2011. It made you feel like you were really doing a service to your family and it didn't hurt your family the way working did in 2010. I won't ruin all the surprises on how you did it, but everyone benefited from it in a positive way. You are now debt free and about to move into your first home. Yes, indeed 2011 was an awesome year!!

Can't wait to see what you do in 2012...

See you in a year!

Me

Sounds like its gonna be a great year!

Sometimes Life Just Reaches Up and Kicks You In The Butt!!!

Yes, I know that is a weird title for a post, but it's been 20 days since I have written a post so it needs to be dramatic, don't you think?? Not to mention the fact that is exactly how I feel right now.

This month has been a month I would really like to forget and fortunately for me, I have some short term memory loss...because I am already forgetting some of the less eventful parts of it.

I want to start off by saying that I slept nearly 10 hours today and I'm still tired, so as soon as I am done with this post I'm going to go back to bed! I have had a sinus infection this week and usually when I get a sinus infection I just sleep or lay around the majority of the time. This time -- not so much! I have had to work, although I did take one night off. Just couldn't do it...so weak and tired, and I slept all night with the exception of about 30 minutes that I got up to eat something and put That Other Kid back to sleep.

Let's start this post with the beginning of my tragic tale. You know how the mechanics always tell you to "change your oil every 3 months or 3000 miles?" DON'T IGNORE THEM! NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, CHANGE YOUR DANG OIL!! BEG, PLEAD, BORROW MONEY...JUST CHANGE THE OIL!! Why am I talking about this? Because I ruined an engine this month by NOT CHANGING the oil and it's going to cost us a measly $2000!! Just when we thought we were going to finally make enough money to pay ALL the BILLS for the month!! Oops, not gonna happen this month. Fortunately, we found an engine with only 39k miles on it for $1000 after spending the entire weekend on the internet searching for sites that might have a new/rebuilt engine for our slightly old truck and our "normal" mechanic is going to let us pay him off in installment payments. It pays to do business with people who understand tough times.

Next up, in my crazy month -- 3 drivers trying to share 1 vehicle. That would be the car for That Kid who lives in the dorms 30 minutes away. He doesn't have a lot of places to go right now, but I have to work Sunday night through Friday morning which means I have to have a car to take me there and get back home. He has class at 9 am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and did I happen to mention that it takes me 45 minutes to get home from work if I leave right at 7 a.m. (sometimes it happens that I don't get out of there till 7:15 or later, too) and him 45 or more minutes to get back to school in the morning rush hour?? And then let's add in the fact that since dh has been getting busy with work again (can you say THANK YOU, GOD???!!!) he has had numerous appointments as well!! It's been a scheduling nightmare some days!! But we have been managing it although there are times it has been a major hassle and we have had to rely on friends to get us places at times, we have managed. We are hoping to get the truck back by the end of this next week. I'm sure That Kid will be happy to have his car back, too! I'm so glad I raised a good kid!

On the healthy lifestyle and fitness side of my life...it has kind of s*cked this month although I have not gotten too out of control. I have consumed more cokes and junk this month than is my normal. A couple of the ladies I work with overnight have noticed that I am not eating as well as normal and that really means I need to watch it I will fall into some seriously BAD HABITS!! Time to say goodbye to those cokes and candy bars during break time!! I haven't exercised HARDLY any but I did manage to go from 193.2 on the 7th of April to 189.4 this past Wednesday. That's almost 4 pounds I lost this month....of course, I should have lost 4 pounds from this low of 189.4, but WHATEVER!! The Spring Fling challenge is over wtih at the Sisterhood and I didn't meet my goal of weighing 185 by the end of the challenge but I am pleased with myself that I have not let the circumstances of my life TAKE CONTROL OF ME and ruin everything that I have worked for the past year. I also bought myself a pair of pajamas this morning before coming home from work (because all of mine were FALLING OFF me and although my dh likes my jammies falling off me it is hard to sleep with them sliding off my hips!) and I was able to buy a size 12/14!!! I rushed right home and put them on and they FIT GREAT!! I can't tell you how happy that made me feel! I just might have to buy another pair!!

I am now working on the sales floor and so I am not busting my butt with heavy manual labor every night so I am going to have to start really working out again. I have to say I am looking forward to exercising consistently again. I have missed it sooooo much. I wanted to start again this past week but with the sinus infection I barely was able to minimally function. I am happy to report that I think the medication is working so I am hoping to at least do some basic exercising tomorrow. Maybe not bust my butt, sweat a ton, exercise but at least get the heart moving again. I'm looking forward to it!

In other news, That Other Kid has been doing an amazing job of entertaining himself while I have been sleeping during the day. He has been playing with legos and creating some awesome "inventions". He has also made our living room a skateboard park a couple of times this week using books from the school bookcase along with all his supplies of Tech Deck skateboard ramps. However, he has complained (numerous times) that he needs a skateboard ramp with stairs so that the skaters can go up and down the stairs and "grind". Where does he come up with all this?? Oh yeah, he has a big brother!! Not to mention, if it is "an extreme sport" he is interested in it!

He has been doing school over at a friend's house and has completed one of his math books for the year already. I need to pick up the pace and get some school work done in the afternoons here because I feel he is falling behind with his reading/phonics work. Math and handwriting he has down pretty well. Science we do with a class every other Friday so that is taken care of although I would like to do some simple experiments at home. That leaves Geography and reading/phonics for me to take care of in the afternoons. I haven't really figured out how to "do it all", but I think now that I am no longer having to work so hard physically at work it will be easier to handle some more things at home. I hope so anyway!! My house is a wreck and my kid has been ignored long enough!! Let's see how it works this week...and hopefully I can report in with good news next week.

I hope ya'll have a good week and remember....DON'T NEGLECT YOUR VEHICLE!!! A public service reminder!!!

Monday's Project: What I Could Have Been Like

It is time to talk about this week's Monday Project that ChristieO assigned us.

What would have happened if I had waited 2 years to start working out and losing weight?
I have been thinking a lot about this project this week and I have to say it made me kind of sad, but kind of happy at the same time.

1) When I started this journey nearly 1 year ago (March 25 is my "getting skinny and healthy anniversary") I was told that I was near the point of diabetes, so if I would have waited I know for a fact I would have become a diabetic. Needles and blood and such just don't get along well with me! Giving up sweets forever? No way! Not gonna happen....so glad I started taking care of myself (at least better care of myself!)

2) I was averaging a gain of 20 pounds a year so I would have weighed somewhere in the range of 270 pounds. How nauseating is that for someone who should weigh in the area of 135 pounds? Pretty darn nauseating if you ask me.

3) I was already to the point of not wanting to go shopping for clothes (and for a woman who LOVES shopping that is just plain sad)!! I would have NEVER wanted to step inside a mall or even a discount store to shop, cuz that would have just proven to myself that I was in even worse condition than I thought. Size 18's (which is what I was wearing) would have been a thing of the past! Now I am wearing small size 16's and 14's. Gotta get the gut taken care of so I can move on down!

4) I would not have been healthy enough to work at the job that I currently have. I would have just had to find a job where I could just sit because I wouldn't have been able to move well enough to do anything else. Not likely to have found that, since there aren't a lot of jobs during the grave yard shift where you just sit (at least for a person who hasn't worked in 20 years!)

5) My feet, legs, knees, and back would have constantly HURT. With all that extra weight that I was not designed to hold up I have no doubt I would have needed even MORE medication! And possibly surgery for my knees.

6) My family would have had to put up with a MISERABLE MOM/WIFE! I was already pretty grumpy most of the time. I was unhappy, disgusted with myself and depressed. If I would have waited 2 more years I can just imagine how miserable we all would have been. It woulda been UGLY!!

7) My little boy would not have the joy of watching his mom exercise and eat healthy for 2 more years. By that time he would have gotten to the point of not even asking if I could/would do something with him because he would have heard me tell him "NO" so much that it would just have been too hard to hear it again. My goal is to be able to do fun things with him this summer and not be so self-conscience about being so fat and overweight.

8) My older son would not be able to watch the progress that I am making. By that time he would be 21 years old and never be able to remember his mom healthy, happy and thin! He would probably never be around to see the transformation that is being made now. How sad?? I want my kids to see me healthy, happy and thin....not grumpy, miserable and fat! (which is what I have been for FAR TOO MANY YEARS!)

Thanks ChristieO for making me think and for pushing me outside my comfort zone! I need to remember these things on weeks where I just want to "give up" and be fat! Weeks where it is just too hard to keep going. Weeks/days where all I want to do is drink a bunch of cokes and candy bars!

I am going to be victorious over this weight! I will not let it conquer me! I will conquer it!! Because with Christ all things are possible!!

My SuperHero Alter Ego

Today's Monday Project is to create an alter ego that is a super hero for myself and talk about some of the super powers that she would have. This one was kind of difficult for me so I enlisted the help of my dh.

As a stay at home mom who has poured almost 20 years into caring for her kiddos, as well as homeschooling and taking care of the home management side of being a homemaker, my dh has often called me "SuperMom". I never really thought of myself as supermom but as I have been thinking about this alter ego I decided that this would be my ideal super hero character. As SuperMom I would definitely NOT wear a cape....A cape would just get in the way of my constant movement! Because as SuperMom moving all day long is just part of the role!

Although I have been a stay at home mom for what seems like forever it is what I always dreamed of doing as a kid. After I got over the idea of being a nurse the first time I saw a bunch of blood and a broken bone (my own) -- of course, because didn't every little girl want to be a nurse back in the 70's??

I would change MANY things though, if I were the SuperMom in my head...

1)I would not be lazy EVER!! I would never go to bed with a dirty, cluttered, unorganized home.

2)I would enlist my kids in a healthy lifestyle from Day 1. Sitting around just watching tv would be for OCCASIONAL days...not days where I just don't want to do anything, which sadly is more often than I would care to admit!

3)I would homeschool my kids the way THEY learned best, not how I learn best! I would take more walks, do more nature studies, do more things that incorporate the lifestyle of our ancestors. I would also teach them more about the finer things in life; art, music, and caring for others.

4)I would make sure that my kids were actively moving EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Even when it is cold, rainy, snowy, windy or too hot! I would teach them that the most important part of their day needs to be to take care of their body by moving it and caring for all parts of it...from the top of their head to the bottoms of their feet!

5)SuperMom would also have time to help others in her life. Friends, family, and the community around her would benefit from all that she accomplished.

6)One of the most important things that SuperMom would do is to put herself FIRST; NOT LAST...Because she would realize that the mom that is healthy and happy is a better mom.


I am accomplishing much more of these things as I continue to get a grasp on my own health and raise That Other Kid but the way I see it there is always room for improvement. Maybe by the time I am a grandmother (which better be A LONG TIME FROM NOW).... I will be where I want to be and I can be SuperGrammy!!

2009 In Review

Today's You Capture Assignment was to document 2009 in photos. I'm not famous for taking pictures but I usually get the camera out for the "special stuff". So I am showing some of our special events of 2009!


That Kid's First Junior's Level Hockey game to officiate!



That Other Kid at the Gainesville Zoo with his best friend!



That Other Kid -- as goalie!!


Both my boys on the ice at the same time!! What a special mommy moment!!


A little brotherly love!! So glad That Kid came home from college to hang out with his brother!!


Re-engergizing after a game of football in the backyard!!


Me -- at the beginning of my weight loss journey! Can you tell I wasn't happy??



Me -- about 9 months after starting on my weight loss journey! 35 pounds lighter than in March...at least I was a little happier, right??

I can't wait to see what 2010 brings for our family!!

I Goofed Big Time....

When I first started this blog I wanted to use it as a place to vent my frustrations and have a place just for me to be me. Over the past couple of years that I've had the blog that's pretty much what I have done. But over the weekend it came to my attention that I was hurting someone with the words I was writing on some of my entries. So I will be looking back through my blog entries over the next couple of days and I will be deleting negative and hurtful things about my family. There may be times when the blog will be down or unaccessible during this time, don't worry I'm not shutting it down, just revamping it some.

The majority of my blog has been about me and the boys and the day to day life of raising 2 boys growing up in 2 different generations. I will continue discussing the challenges that come up with this and the things they do. I will continue to write about my weight loss and exercise routines, as a means of journaling and possibly helping someone else going through these same challenges. However, from this point on there will be things that I won't discuss -- personal stuff about dh, or the boys. I will also make an effort to leave the reader wanting to come back for more instead of leaving here and thinking I need therapy.

Hope ya'll have a good day!

Tomorrow Is a Happy/Sad Day

After tomorrow this scene will be one that won't be seen at my house very much so this past week has been full of emotional upheavals for me. You see tomorrow morning about 9:30 a.m. I will leave my house with That Kid and That Other Kid and I will come home ONLY with That Other Kid....I'm taking him down to college where he will start classes on Monday as a COLLEGE FRESHMAN!! I ask, how can that be?? He will be living in the Dorms and has 2 roommates. That should be interesting???!! I'm glad I'm not his roommates. He is a SLOB and he likes to leave his junk EVERYWHERE!! But God knows I love him and so does he. I have been an emotional basketcase all day long. My dh continues asking me what he can do to help, and I just start crying.

He's on his way to Sonic right now, to buy me a hot fudge sundae with caramel. I know that it isn't really going to help me feel better once it's gone, but I am feeling a need to have some comfort food, so that's on the list of comfort food.

We have spent the past couple of days packing up all his stuff. Determining what is going to the garage, and what is going to school with him. Of course, there are a couple of bags of just TRASH, too. We went shopping on Sunday to get the things he will need for school. Toiletries, school supplies, a cool chair, a water cooler so he can drink good clean water, laundry supplies, cleaning supplies, you get the picture...everything you need to live on your own! I even bought toilet paper and paper towels for him! You know that stuff is expensive when you buy a TON of it, right??

We also decided to bite the bullet and get a new, used car that will not break down every month so now That Kid has a new car for college. He is responsible for the car payments, which were amazingly inexpensive by today's standards. He is thrilled to have a car that he doesn't have to worry about breaking down and it has a back seat so he can take his little brother places, and his friends! Of course, since he'll be busy with school and work there won't be many opportunities for socializing or doing things with his brother. But, at least he CAN!






Now the dealership is trying to sell us a second vehicle, but the vehicle they were trying to sell us had 38,000 miles on it and had several cosmetic problems. It also STUNK!! So I ask, would you buy a new/used car that had these problems? Or am I just being anal? When I buy a new or used car I want it to look and smell like a new car!
Not to mention it's not the car that I originally wanted to look at from this dealership. So, as you can see this week is full of emotions and changes in my life.
My house is a disaster, my emotions are a disaster and That Other Kid is feeling neglected, but after tomorrow he will become my full focus and he will probably be smothered with attention, since my first baby won't be around to love on.

Once I regroup from this week, I have to reorganize and clean the house and prepare for homeschooling kindergarten with That Other Kid. Oh how am I going to survive the next few weeks??!!

Tiny Talk

Tiny Talk Tuesday celebrates our children and their view of the world. They continually make us laugh and by recording their Tiny Talk we can focus on one of the many JOYS of parenting! If your kiddos made you laugh this week (don't they always), then feel free to share the humor! Check out more Tiny Talks with Mary.


We've had many things happen over this week that brought many humorous comments from That Other Kid...here are a few of them!

Seeing cows on the side of the road, That Other Kid wants to know how to know the difference between boy and girl cows. I explained horns and udders. So he said so you can tell a girl cow cuz of her "gutters". I tried not to laugh but couldn't help it!

Celebrating dad's bday this afternoon we started talking about old cartoons that we watched w/ That Kid when he was young. Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam cartoons were favs of his. We bought 2 water guns for him when he was 2 and he would put them in his pockets and say he was "so sam" cuz he had 2 guns! Now That Other Kid wants to watch those shows so he can do that,too!

That Other Kid got a new kitty this weekend and he wanted to name him "samwich" and we told him no he had to name him a real name, so he named him "Sammy" which is as close as we would allow!

So meet Sammy....




He is incredibly sweet and easy going, but our old, cranky cat is having real issues with him....she isn't happy with sharing her domain with this "new kid on the block"!
Every night she comes out of our bedroom and hisses at him and stares him down. Tonight she came out, hissed at him, stared at him, then went back to the bedroom...It was hilarious!!

Tiny Talk -- Summer Stuff

Tiny Talk Tuesday celebrates our children and their view of the world. They continually make us laugh and by recording their Tiny Talk we can focus on one of the many JOYS of parenting! If your kiddos made you laugh this week (don't they always), then feel free to share the humor! Check out more Tiny Talks with Mary.


Summer is usually a pretty laid back time for us. We usually don't travel much, we have never taken a "summer vacation" and I usually spend time getting ready for the fall/school and doing things that have been put off during the "school year". This summer is definitely different for me, since I am preparing for That Kid to go off to college (even though it's only 45 minutes away, he's still going to live in the dorms), and I'm also preparing for Kindergarten with That Other Kid. So I have PILES of stuff laying around everywhere to go through and organize, yeah right?!! (there is a point to this rambling I promise).

So the other day, That Other Kid comes up to me while I was going through a bunch of college preparation stuff and he said, "Why do you need all this junk just so "That Kid" can go to big kid school!??!! Where are all "my school things"?

I turned to him and said, "They are here, too. They are just buried under all the college things".

He replied with a pathetic look and said, "Well you need to unbury it, I need my school stuff before he needs his!". This isn't true of course, college starts August 24 and kindergarten starts the Tuesday after Labor Day in my house.)

Um, ya think he's a bit jealous??

I have managed to take some time and do some fun things with That Other Kid and it's involved friends of course, "cuz you can't have fun without friends", in his words!

So here are some pictures of That Other Kid and friends....


Soccer practice!! Gotta love Upwards Soccer and their devotional time!


Chuck E. Cheese "Bubble Car"


Chuck E. Cheese -- Horsey Ride!


Going Bonkers with BFF



So you can see -- we are having fun....just some exotic "vacation location"! Just the Big D, which for some people would be a vacation!!

Happy Father's Day....

Just in case dh figures out the name of my blog and decides he wants to go to the trouble of reading it, I thought I should write a little bit about the man I call dh and my children call "dad".

Dh and I married young, both barely 19...which really scares me, cuz ugh! That Kid, guess what? He's about to turn 19!! I can't imagine him being ready to be married. Maybe we weren't either, we were just too stupid to know that we weren't...who knows??!!

Anywhoo, when we first married he was adamant...he didn't want to be a dad. He didn't want to deal with the responsibility. Ya know...kids are a lot of work! He didn't have a very good childhood and he felt that he wouldn't be properly equipped to be a dad. But you know, things change and life happens. I talked him into agreeing to at least 1 child and hopefully 2! Guess what?? I got 2, which is what I wanted!! Right before we turned 25 years old, nearly 6 years after we got married That Kid was born. I had always thought we would have a girl, and that's what he thought he wanted too, but ya know God has other plans most times!

That Kid was born and dh cried, "oh no, we have a boy. How am I supposed to treat him? What if I end up treating him like I was treated as a boy?" Well God knew what he was doing and helped him to become a better man and a good dad to his little boy! it helped that That Kid thought dad hung the moon and proclaimed that he was "daddy's little man" from a very early age. When That Kid was about 2 1/2 years old they sat on the couch together and watched Star Wars and that was the beginning of a Star Wars and movie watching bond that still exists. When That Kid was about 3 or 4 years old he decided he was "big man self" and was no longer "daddy's little man" but by that time they had a special bond. This bond has changed over the years but they are still into the same kinds of "manly movies".

Before That Other Kid was born, we found out he was a boy and DH's response was, "well I guess I'm not good a making girls!" So the adventure began with That Other Kid. Now, That Other Kid has always been a "momma's boy", but sometimes he gets a little put out by all my "unmanly ways" and wants to hang with dad. These are the times that dh really love, and I think he lives for these times when he can develop this relationship with That Other Kid. TOK already loves Star Wars, Batman and all those other manly guy types of movies and shows. This is wonderful for the 3 of them to have this bond and it gives me a break from all the testosterone in the room!

Dh was afraid of becoming a father, because he didn't want to be a "terrible dad"! I didn't worry about him being a terrible dad because he has enough "sweetness" to knock out the bad from his terrible example growing up. I knew that he would be the best dad that he could and he has been....

So Happy Fathers Day, DH!!

30 Day Shred Again

WiiFit Hula spins 1563
Level 1 - Day 1 of the 30 Day Shred

Back to work....tonight was the first night of round 2 of the 30 Day Shred. It was also the first night in 1 week that I exercised. Last week I was sick with sinus gunk and just didn't really feel well. I was planning to finish the last 2 nights of the Shred but I had to prepare for my trip out of town this past weekend and didn't really feel like "bustin' a gut" to get it done. I started over with Level 1 and did some of the routines with Natalie and some with Anita. I feel like the cardio routines are more difficult in Level 1 than the other levels, but maybe that's because I HATE jumping jacks and that is a large portion of the cardio.

That Kid played in a hockey tournament in Kansas where all the family lives so we made a family trip out of it, with a nice Mother's Day celebration and little graduation party for That Kid. It was a really fast paced weekend, with family gatherings, hockey games, and a bit of Wii!! Whenever we go to Kansas it is always like that (usually without the hockey)!!, but we always have fun!!

Both boys have girl cousins to hang out with so it's fun for them, too. That Kid went to his first drive-in movie with his cousin and her boyfriend. That Other Kid played on the trampoline, played with water guns (even though it was only 65 degrees), and generally wrecked havoc on my brother's house! We all had a great time!! That Kid's team won 3 out of the 4 hockey games they played...only losing in the championship game.

We went to Burger King for Mother's Day lunch as we were heading out of town and That Kid gave me the Baby Mama DVD!!

All in all a great weekend...but now I back to the hard work of the 30 Day Shred and I'm going to keep up with the WiiFit Hula. I know, I'm crazy!! But it's fun and it just helps me lose weight faster. This time I took my measurements and took a front on picture and a profile picture. They are not pretty but they are real. I'm not going to post them yet...I will do that after my 30 days so I can show before and after shots!! I know I'll be able to see the difference in 30 days...as I can tell a big difference in the way my clothes fit from before Round 1 of the 30 Day Shred.

If you want to join in the 30 Day Shred....go to Target or Walmart or Amazon.com and get it and join in. You'll get great support from the Sisterhood.

You Capture Expression???!!!

Beth hosts a little photo challenge and I've been trying to participate in it. This week I thought, huh??? How can I capture "expression"???

So I'm sitting around doin' my 'thang when my son decided he wanted to play the "drums". We don't have any drums, thank GOD! But he's good at improvising and this is what he came up with....







I thought this shows a great deal of "expression" not to mention great creativity! I figured this would be a great way to show expression...Then this morning this was what I looked out at when I opened my blinds in my living room....What an "expression" and I won't tell you the "expressions" that left my mouth while I was cleaning it up in the 85 degree weather w/75% humidity...and did I mention my highest allergen is GRASS??!!! and I'm leaving town tomorrow and really don't feel all that great to begin with??







I just love having a teenage son....do you want another kid????

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Tiny Talk Tuesday celebrates our children and their view of the world. They continually make us laugh and by recording their Tiny Talk we can focus on one of the many JOYS of parenting! If your kiddos made you laugh this week (don't they always), then feel free to share the humor! Check out more Tiny Talks with Mary.



It's time for another edition of the Tiny Talks from my kids....

Today both my boys were playing the Wii together and they were starting to get a little bit TOO competitive. I told them they needed to remember this was 'just a game'...That doesn't go over too well with my two very competitive boys!

They continued playing while I was preparing dinner, when I hear That Kid say to That Other Kid, "I don't want to play this game anymore! You keep winning, and that's not FAIR!!"

They were playing a bowling training game -- I don't know much about it, but they play it a lot....basically I think it's to train for the 'real' games.

That Other Kid told his brother, "I know a shorter way to count from 1 - 100!"

That Kid says, "Ok, tell me."

That Other Kid replies, "One, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred!"

That Kid is totally shocked and speechless!

Honestly, so was I!! I asked him how he learned that and he said he "just knew it"!

I have a feeling math is gonna be the hardest subject for me to keep him challenged with when it comes time to actually start school this fall!!

Tiny Talk - Easter

Tiny Talk Tuesday celebrates our children and their view of the world. They continually make us laugh and by recording their Tiny Talk we can focus on one of the many JOYS of parenting! If your kiddos made you laugh this week (don't they always), then feel free to share the humor! Check out more Tiny Talks with Mary.




This week's Tiny Talk is gonna feature a discussion held on the way to our annual Easter Egg Hunt and Dinner with a family that opens their house for a huge group of friends. We've been doing this since That Kid was around 10 -- so around 8 years! We always have a blast catching up, eating, and hiding and hunting Easter Eggs!

That Other Kid: "Where are we going to have lunch?"
Me: "At the 'blanks' house. We will eat, play and then hunt easter eggs."
TOK: "Have I ever been at this restuarant?"
Me: "Yes, you have been there, but it isn't a restuarant it is a house."
TOK: "Well I'm hungry, will there be any food there?"
Me: "Yes, there will be lots of food there and lots of people, just like at a restuarant only it is a house. Just like we have lots of food at our house."
TOK: "Well I don't remmeber this restuarant...."

At this point I realized he wasn't getting it...We arrived at their home and he remembered being there before and went around getting into mischief, just like at home!

Here are some pictures from our day...There were so many eggs to hide, so some of the eggs had to find creative hiding places!

Post 300 -- Yeah for Me!! Pictures for FUN!!

Beth over at I Should Be Folding Laundry is hosting a photo meme. This weeks photo opportunity was for FUN...now that could mean just about anything...of course when you have children it usually means something with or for your kids!

Most of the fun in my life has come from my kids over almost 19 years! Therefore, the fun I show comes from them...

So now I give you, my internet friends, my FUN!!



















So yesterday I told you that this post, being my 300th post would be something "FUN" and I try not to lie, ya know? So here's what makes this more fun than just lookin' at my wonderful kids...GIVE ME CAPTIONS to go with these pictures. I have my own ideas but would love to hear yours. So leave your captions in the comments and I'll choose my favorites and give you credit for it!! Good 'nough??

So caption away!! And I'll be back tonight to give you my exercise update cuz I know you are on the edge of your chair just waiting for that, huh?

Tiny Talk Tuesday -- Sibling Edition

Tiny Talk Tuesday celebrates our children and their view of the world. They continually make us laugh and by recording their Tiny Talk we can focus on one of the many JOYS of parenting! If your kiddos made you laugh this week (don't they always), then feel free to share the humor! Check out more Tiny Talks with Mary.



"You are too weird to be in this house." This came from That Other Kid, my 5 year old to That Kid, my 18 year old!

Ya think he's trying to get rid of his big brother???

Big Brother's response...."Ok, I'll go pack my stuff and leave."
He proceeded to go get a suitcase and put a couple of things in it.
Little Brother's response...."No, you can't leave....I'll miss you too much!" and he started crying!!!

It may be a tough fall, when That Kid goes off to college or moves away to work in Minnesota! It's a good thing That Other Kid has a puppy now!