Weigh in Wednesday

on a Tuesday. Since tomorrow is Bear's birthday I am just going ahead with this post today.


Weight 157

Thursday- bike for 1 hour and 10 minutes
Friday- 30
Saturday- 0
Sunday- 25
Monday- 0 (sick)
Tuesday- 0 still not feeling up to pare

She's a girl.
Yes, she likes to play in the dirt and look and cool bugs
but deep down she is a girl.
She wants her nails painted
and lotion on.
If I would let her she would wear a sun dress in thirty degree weather.
And although she doesn't really want to sit still while I brush out all the tangles she loves to have "fixed" hair.
But we have a problem
She now wants to fix her own hair.
And while that is all fine and good for when we are at home
it was rather difficult to let her walk into church with her own 'do.

My only consolations is that people probably assume her Daddy fixed it.

Any minute now
I'm going to wake up
They are all going to yell
April Fools
and this will all be over

Anybody got some Dapper Dan

"Mama?"
"Mama?"
"Maaaaama?"

I stroll down the hall, throw on the lights, expecting to find a full diaper and an empty belly. Instead, I found this....
What on earth happened to this poor baby in his sleep. Did he stick his finger in a light socket?

Did he consult Edward Scissor hands for a hair dresser?
Who knows. All I do know is that it sure didn't take away his cuteness.

They don't come more beautiful than this

Works of God Weekend

Lizzie, over at A Dusty Frame has moved Works of God Weekend to Mondays but it works better for me, when I remember, for Fridays.

I am going to kind of cheat here and link you to something from the past. It was a year ago but the death of Liam Neeson's wife has brought it to the forefront of my mind. While looking at pictures of Bear from the past year when I come upon the pictures that were taken while he was bleeding and I didn't know it, I can't look. I feel physical ill, I feel like a horrible mother, but mostly I feel complete gratitude that things came out fine. Thank you Father.


I know the post was super long but if you want to read more scroll down to our archives on the side and you can click on March 2008. There is another post on March 28 or 29 and some from early April 2008.

I love being southern

While at school today....

"Mama, what's a 'get'?"

I had to stop and explain that for us it's 'git' but we just talk funny.

Rub some dirt on it

At our house

we play rough.

None of this whining

crying

"I can't do it", stuff.

You just have to get in there

and go for it.

And they love it!

Weigh in Wednesday....

on Thursday. I know, I know, I haven't posted anything since Monday, which really means that I haven't written for nearly a week since I just auto-post most of my things. I've been busy and if you are a mom I don't need to say anything else because your mind just became full of all the things you have done recently so you totally get it.

Weight loss - one pound - 160
I can't remember what my times where this week for riding my bike. I do remember they could have gone longer and I didn't go walk every day as well. I don't get how all the other moms fit it all in. If I do school with Kati and circle time with all the kids (work on colors, some signs, bible verses, days of the week and a work book) and then we go to the park the house suffers. Since I won't let the education of my kids slip so I can loose weight and I go crazy living in a dirty house I gave up the park this week, which I hate because it feels unfair to the kids. (That had to be a run-on)
I had been doing good with my points until Friday when I used my flex-points and I never got total control again. I have no self control.

That's all for now.

I feel like I am never going to lose this weight.

These kids just keep us rollin'

I rounded the corner just in time to see Kati holding up only her middle finger. Knowing that if I over-reacted it would only make things worse.
"Kati where did you learn that?"
"Bear just showed me."
"Bear where did you learn that?"
"That's what Spiderman does to the bad guys."
I stiffly my giggles and show them the correct way. As I head toward the kitchen I holler, "Babe, I just caught the kids shootin the bird"
"What birds Mama?"


Last night while Jeff was singing to the kids Kati starts getting weepy, "Daddy, when I grow up and get married I am going to have to change my last name and I don't think I am going to like that."


Bear burst into tears at breakfast, "Someday I am going to grow up and I'll never get to be a kid again."


While washing Kati's hair she says to me, "Mommy how come when Daddy and I go to the store and it's just me and him and not you and Timbo and Bear does he spit in the parking lot?" She is so random!

And this morning Bear asks "Hey Mama can you show me how Spiderman shoots birds again?"

My kids all think that have to have something in their mouth at all times. Clearly I have the same problem or I wouldn't be posting Weigh in Wednesday. Anyhoo, with Kati it was her middle fingers, sometimes it was nearly her whole fist, with Bear it was, and still is his left thumb and Timbo is a thumb sucker as well.

But my poor little guy has developed a rash. I wasn't surprised really, Kati had a similar rash when she was little but hers was on her chin from all the drool (somebody remind me to bring this up again when her first boyfriend comes around). At night I could put some cream on it and try to tame it down a mite.But poor Bo got his on the thumb, maybe he is just better at swallowing drool than she was. While I am still able to treat it he is unable to make regular use of it. Being the good natured kid that he is he is very willing to wear his glove.
But at night it can pose a problem. He has happily switched to using the pacifier on occasion but this just means that I have to get up several times a night to find it.
To tell you the truth, I kind of missed seeing that frog in his mouth.

You'll have to talk to my agent

This is Bear's new pose for all pictures. Once he realizes the camera is out the hand usually shoots up to cover his handsome face. As his mother I know that this is just preparing him for all the paparazzi that he is going to encounter as an adult.
You guys haven't seen him play ball.

He is really pretty good.

But then again he does have a flare for the dramatics.

Weigh in Wednesday

Thursday- 17 minutes on the bike
Friday- 0 I was sick, took the day off
Saturday- 20 minutes on the bike
Sunday- 0
Monday- walked 1 and 1/8 mile
Tuesday- rode bike for 20 minutes, some ab and leg exercises and walked 1 and 1/8 mile
Wednesday- rode bike 39 minutes, some ab and leg exercises, and walked 3/4 of a mile


Weight 160 - lost one pound

Last week really discouraged me. I had to force myself to get going again. I put a picture of me on the bathroom mirror for encouragement. I thought about putting the one of me, Jeff and our friend from Padre up there but the truth is I will never have that stomach again. That isn't pessimistic, it's just the truth, I have had three kids and my skin will never be the same again. So instead I chose a picture of me that I have always liked but is more realistic. It's a weight that I would like to be at.

I started doing Weight Watcher yesterday. I'm not going to meetings or anything just doing it on my own. It's hard. Although I made healthy choices all day I was so hungry. I am suppose to have either 22 or 24 points and at the end of the day I totaled up to 24.5 points. I went over. It was so disappointing to go over and still go to bed hungry. Jeffry told me if I gave up he would understand but I am going to stick it out. It's not just about being where I want to be weight wise it's about being healthier for myself and setting a good example for the kids. I am glad to say that the kids are having a great time walking with me. Actually they are running/jogging and putting me to shame. I want them to view exercise and fun and not a chore and so far it looks like we are on the right road. I will have to remember to take my camera sometime, Kati and Bear hold hands while they do that awkward kid run in front of me. Yesterday while we were on our second lap Bear yelled over his shoulder, "Mom! it feels like my legs are going to fall off"

You all can be praying for Jeff and the kids, when I am hungry I am impossible to be around.

Oh, and Baby, thanks for rubbing my feet last night. It was nice to have some extra comfort when I was so hungry and frustrated.

Not their cup of tea

For Valentines day Jeff and I went to Cheesecake Factory and for the first time ever I had asparagus. I know, I'm twenty six, why was this my first time. I'm not really sure. Maybe it had to do with the can of asparagus that was in our pantry for years. Jeff and I both say we didn't buy it so maybe it just creeped me out. But Valentines night I was feeling adventures and decided that if Cheesecake Factory was preparing the asparagus they would ensure that they didn't send me anything creepy.

It was a hit. I loved it.

While at Walmart last week I saw some in the produce department and thought I would try my hand at cooking it. While we grilled burgers I also grilled the asparagus. Our burgers weren't coming out so hot but the asparagus was wonderful. I munched away while we watched the burger shrink into oblivion.

When dinner came I begrudgingly shared some with the rest of the family. And much to my delight it doesn't look like I will be having to do that again any time soon.


What's wrong with these kids, asparagus rocks!

Last post

So there were lots of type-o's in that last post but I am far to lazy to go back and correct them. Clearly what ever those cords and medallions were for didn't amount to much.

Oh, and I'm still waiting for my package.

I'm putting my trust in you Jessica

Let's take a little stroll down memory lane.Meet Stephanie(on the right), if it weren't for her Jeff and I may not be together today. No, she wasn't some match maker or even a good friend of mine. What she did was bring out a really jealous streak in me that opened my eyes to how deeply I really felt for Jeffrey.

This is Jared(Jeff's youngest brother) and me in the summer of 2000. Can you imagine that this baby is now in Iraq fighting. On this night he told me that I made Jeff really happy, among other nice things he said. I will treasure that conversation always.

Me, Jeff and Rachel (just ignore the hand around my shoulder) at Padre.
I am only showing this picture because by now Daddy should be in Mexico with no internet and therefor can't strangle me for my lack of clothes at the time.

This is Alexis and me when I worked in child-care. Trust me when I say she is as cute as a button but I didn't feel okay with showing her face. However I do feel the need to share this.....
Alexis told me that when her Daddy came home at night she had to go play in her room while her mommy and daddy shopped for a little brother.
I still laugh about that but it taught me a great lesson....I should be careful what I tell my kids, just because they don't understand doesn't mean the adult they repeat it to won't.

Jeffrey and me on my graduation night, also my eighteenth birthday.
I wish I remembered what those two extra cords and the medallion I wore meant, not ever one had them, maybe I'm not as dumb as I remember.

This is Quinn and me in English. She was a lot of fun and I am glad I got to know her in school. She introduced me to lots of people, people I probably never would have aloud myself to know.


Now my point wasn't to show you what is in the pictures but what isn't. What's missing from all these photos?

Is it the little VW bug my brother wanted to buy me for my sixteenth birthday? How cute would I have been in a yellow bug with jersey cow upholstery seats. Never mind that I would have had whiplash from not know how to drive a stick shift, I would have been the only one at school with one.

Is teenage angst missing? No, my mother can testify to that. Or really anyone who came within ten feet of me through those years.

We can all see that the blinding glow from my pasty white skin is apparent in every picture, so it isn't that.

No, I'll tell you what was missing from all those pictures and my teenage years. Acne. That's what's missing. The very thing that kept some kids from wanting to go to high school. The same thing that had girls caking on make-up. That's probably the really reason all those Alabama boys are wearing sweeping bangs right now. It's not about style, it's about necessitate to cover up bumpy blotchy red skin.

If you were one of those kids don't be envious of me, while you were making sure your make-up covered it all I was worried about keeping my arms at my sides for fear that someone might see that I sweat like boxer. And now that were are all grown up you acne is all gone and long forgotten but my sweating is still hear but has brought someone new in the mix, your old friend acne. I got it while pregnant with Kati and all these years later it's still hanging on. So here I am, a grown woman with three kids but with the skin of a fifteen year old. It might be okay if I still had that body but alas it's gone along with my bellybutton that I fear I will never see again.

Today I am waiting for the delivery man to bring my Proactive. My sweet husband is the one who ordered it for me. So either he is tired of me looking in the mirror and complaining or he is embarrassed to be seen with me.

I took a picture of myself the day he ordered it but I just couldn't bring myself to post it. However, if I get nice results I will post a before and after. I hope the delivery guy gets here soon. I can't wait to tear into the box and learn how to wash my face. Maybe they will have a video for remedial students.


oh, and babe, I know you aren't embarrassed to be seen with me but it's too bad you can't just carry that photo of us from Padre around and say it's a current picture of me.

Cuties

They make me laugh, here are just a couple of funny things they have said this week....

Kati: "Sometimes Cameron is so funny, but wait, first, I don't need to go potty, but then Cameron is so funny it makes me need to go potty."


This morning at breakfast
Bear: "Timbo is the cutest little brother I have ever seen"

Weigh in Wednesday

Thursday- bike 30 minutes
Friday - bike 40 minutes
Saturday - walked 1 and 1/8's of a mile (the older kids kept up the whole time)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - bike 43 minutes

Weight 161 - gained two pounds
Boo, this makes all my pitiful little bowls of cereal for breakfast so disheartening.

He is a winner

Since the video was a flop I wanted to share this picture of my Bear. I know it's a little fuzzy but it is super zoomed in. This was taken of the family but he looked so adorable I had to just capture him. Have you ever seen a boy more proud to be a part of a family. I hope he still feels that way when he is fifteen and I'm dancing in the car while I drive he and his girlfriend to the movies.

Allergy season

The video may be a little tough to see but really all you need to do is listen. No, I take that back, the footage at the end is priceless.

I am so bummed. I just watched the video on the blog and you can't see anything. On our camera it's grainy but you can make Bear out. The priceless part.....at the very end Bear leans in and give the camera a kiss goodnight.

Everybody loves a Dallas girl

Tonight we put the kids to bed and anticipated checking out a new show that we thought was going to come on at seven. We were wrong and in our slothfulness we just left the tv on and vegged out. I had heard that Mellisa from the Bachelor might be replacing someone on Dancing with the Stars, a show we had never watched before, that I have desire to watch. I may have changed my mind for just one season. Afterwards Jeff said he liked Ty Murry (I probably spelt it wrong). Seeing that jerk dump Mellisa on national tv makes me want to root for her.

So here's to you Mellisa and good riddance to that baby of a man who can't make up his mind. I give him a few episodes and he will be back to wanting you again.

Make the switch

I believe in full honesty for the blog so with that in mind I must tell you that Jeff is forcing me to move the baby out of the crib. So what that he can stand up and play with the mobile, so what that he is able to put his Bubba to bed all by himself, so what that he is now trying to climb out of the crib. If you ask me he still has a decade or two left before he needs to make the switch.

Before each kid makes the move I make them a blanket for their bed. Timbo is laying on the top part of the quilt that I am nearly done with. I'm having a good time with it. I'll post the finished product when I'm all done. You will have to ignore all the tear stains that will be spread over the blanket.

You can't turn your back for a moment

She tried to warn me. She came several times but said it wasn't an emergance and in our defense Jeff and I were watching a trailer for a scary movie and didn't want her to see. But she did try to warn me.

The little booger got the one plant I have kept alive and dug it out. Not only did he dig it out he threw dirt at his brother and sister.

Jeffrey made him pick the dirt up and put it back.

One a side note I feel it neccisary to tell you that his diaper isn't as wet as it looks. We buy the cheap ones and they look bulgy as soon as you put it on.

Jeffrey asked him what he was doing and Timbo said "toy". After Jeff made him apologize he went and got his toy vacuum to clean it all up.

Jeff sent him to time-out and clearly that didn't go over well.

I'm a sucker for this face. But don't feel too sorry for him,

he can turn it off in an instant.

My girl, she is growing like a weed. She amazes me all the time during school. She has picked up reading so quickly and math is moving along more smoothly now. And you couldn't ask for a better sister. Just the other night while driving home she gave up her blanket to cover up Timbo. It's a good thing she did too, I was certain he might get frostbite in the all that seventy degree weather. But sometime the age gap between her and the baby is just to much for one big girl to bare.

"Mooom, Timothy spitting on me and he won't stop"

Timothy continues to spray her....

"You think you're cool but you're not"

Babies, they're so childish

So a horse walks into a bar

I received an e-mail in reference to my post about the ranch and thought I would share it with you all......

Stacy,

I am so proud of you; you have made significant improvement in moving out of the city girl mode and becoming a insert our last name(tr. "hick, redneck, hillbilly. cowboy.") Your recent blog is a good example. You gave a pretty good definition of a 'ranch' and were aware that we don't really live on one. Yet, you were very sensitive to feelings, apparently understanding my desire to live on a real ranch.

However, we don't have gay cows. Actually, we don't have cows at all, although cowboys do sometimes lump the whole species into that general category. They were boys (bulls), we adjusted their sexual orientation to zero (steers.) But they never were gay; they just missed their Momma. Just for your further education.

Daddy



In my defense, I did hear Momma say that she was "tired of looking at those gay cows" and would Daddy and Jason please put up a fence to separate them.

My Dad, he cracks me up. I just love getting e-mails from him. Or talking to him. Or listening to him talk to other people. Or...well I could go on forever...I'm pretty much saying if it involves Daddy I'm gonna love it.

Weigh in Wednesday

Bike rides
Thursday 30 minutes
Friday 43 minutes
Saturday 0
Sunday 20
Monday 30
Tuesday 30
Wednesday 30

Weight 159, weight loss of four pounds.
I didn't believe it, I had to get on the scale again. I'm back in the 50's!

It seems like every time my friend Erica and I get together we always talk about losing weight and our love of food. But Monday she told me about something she had heard and I have been putting it into practice and will keep it up. She was saying that the best time to workout is first thing in the morning so that your body is burning up your reserves and not something you just ate. It makes sense to me so I am going to keep at it. The four pounds is incentive enough. I'm not getting to excited though, next week I may be back to gaining.
The hardest part is telling myself no when I want a quick snack because it's never something healthy.

I can't remember if I posted my goal...
Goal weight 125 - 135, (I don't really know what's realistic)
or to not cringe when I look in the mirror.

Another trip to "the ranch"

I use the term ranch loosely. By definition a ranch is a large farm, usually in the western United States to raise cattle, horse or sheep and since the land has only one goat, that thinks its a dog, and two gay cows technically we should call it something else but the kids like to call it "the ranch" so I go with it.

It had been a while since we had gone down so last week the kids and I loaded up in the car and headed out. Truly I wasn't sure if Bear was going to make it if we hadn't gone. The boy wakes each morning only in the hopes that we might be going there.
Grandma and Timbo playing patty cake in the hammock. I think we need five more of these, it seems to be every bodies favorite spot. I know it's one of my favorite spots, I love to lay there and read in the peace and quite while the kids do things like

play in the trash can.

It's okay mom, it didn't really have trash in it just, cars for the kids.

It gets hot out there so it's important to have your water with you to ensure you don't become dehydrated.

After seeing this face I think you might need to carry a defibrillator around too but that wouldn't be very convenient.

Now I want you all to meet Sarah the new dog, I mean goat. Not only does she think she needs constant companionship she is also trying to make us all think she has asthma of some sort. She like to break out in dramatic wheezing coughs when you try to herd her in the cow pen. Personally I think she just doesn't want to associate with the sinful calfs. Of course that may not be it at all. She also broke out in coughs after Bears ride. Those coughs may have been from hearing him yell "I'm a cowboy, I'm a cowboy!", most cowboys don't play Barbies but I believe you buddy.

This had to be my favorite moment of the trip. I sat next to them for a while pretending to read my book but then I couldn't help myself and had to capture the moment.

We are glad to have Jared home, even if only for a little while.

I walked into the Puggles room for more juice and Timothy walked right out. I tried to talk him into going back in but he wasn't having it.

He is the last and I am a sucker for those big brown eyes so I gave in and he became an honorary Cubbie for the night. He did so well. He sat at the table with the big kids and he hung out during game time. And really you should have seen his little eyes light up when Ms. Nancy came by to ask who was on track. All of my kids hands waved in the air to proclaim how well they have done and Timbo was right there to get a ring pop too.

Brendon repeatedly asked where his ring pop was while Timothy ran around the room with his package dangling from his mouth.

At last AWANA's is over and the boys are ready to get in the car for the candy. As I gather all our many belonging I ask Kati if she was on track, knowing she would say yes and tell what prize she got.

Her head dropped, her eyes becoming overcast with tears.

"What happened?"

"They said I wasn't on track"

I told her I knew she was doing a good job and it was alright. After she was distracted I found her club secretary. I knew that she had to be on track because she has almost finished her book and AWANA isn't over until mid-May. There was no way she couldn't be on track. Ms. Pam let me know that the child has to complete six verses in a month, which is fine even though I don't agree with it, but no one told me as a parent. No note was ever sent home. Nothing was announced in any meetings.

I made the decision that I wasn't going to allow Kati to be punished for something that wasn't ever made clear. We walked back to the nursery where I knew Ms. Lisa had some candy and I got a piece down for Kati, "Mommy knows that you are working really hard on your verses. I'm sorry that I didn't know you had to say that many in a month. Daddy and I are really proud of you. You are doing a great job."

Now I know some people would disagree with giving her a reward anyway. Rules are rules, blah blah, but if she is further along in her book than a lot of the kids, and will finish early, why shouldn't be rewarded just because this month she didn't meet a quota. It was unfair and as her mommy I had to fix it.

There is going to come a time when I see her head hanging again, tears spilling down her cheeks and I am going to be able to do nothing about it. Some boy is going to break her heart without reason. She may study hard for a test and fail. Possibly get turned down from a dream job that she was qualified for. And on those days I am going to hug her but it isn't going to be enough. My comforting words will count but not mend her heart. I won't always be able to take away her pain but on this night I could. Something unfair and hurtful happened in her world and she is still at the age where I could swoop in and save the day, so I did. At this point in her small world I was able to right the wrong. These days won't last long so I am going to take advantage of every chance I get.

Oh, Thanks for the candy Lisa, I knew you wouldn't mind.