McFatty Monday—1/31

I’m embarrassed to share this week.

Really.

I’m not embarrassed because the scales went the wrong way for the first time. I’m embarrassed because I KNEW I was sabotaging myself and did NOTHING to stop this part of me.

But here it goes. This week bit it. Hard. And it is totally my own fault. I’m kicking myself as I type this. I completely blew the start of phase 2. My will power apparently went on vacation. I don’t even know what else to say, so here it goes.

Let’s get it over with.

Recap of Big Picture Goals: 

1) Lose 40 pounds total 
2) Run a 10k in April
3) Bike 50 miles with hubs by the end of June
4) Make healthy eating my lifestyle.
5) Get my cholesterol & triglycerides to a normal range without medicine.

This weeks tabs:

1) Weight Loss/Gain: +1.8 pounds

      Total loss:  -8.2 pounds

      Remaining to lose:  31.8 pounds

This week’s goal: I have to get the scale moving in the right direction again this week. I want to lose AT LEAST 2 to make up for this week.

2) Exercise: If I get a gold star for anything this week, here it is. This is about the only area in which I feel like I did well. I ran my goal of 3.5 miles on Friday! Can I get a amen?! It totally kicked my butt, but I did it. In addition, I ran 3.2 Monday, biked 10 on Tuesday, did a power pump class & ran a mile Wednesday. There were some weights & ab workouts in there too.

This week’s goal: Sticking with another long run of 3.5 miles. Hoping it will be a tad easier this week. Also, I want to add a weekend workout to the week.

3) Diet: Blew the diet this week. B-L-E-W. It. Phase 2 did not get solidly started. I had pizza twice this week. Ice cream was consumed in mass quantity. I ate more than my one serving of complex carbs & one serving of fruit per day. I had no will power at all this past week. None. My struggle with eating really happens at night, once the boys are in bed. It’s like I go nuts eating because I finally have me time.  I’m thinking the whole calories in vs calories burned might be a better plan for me, but we’ll see how this week goes.

This week’s goal: New rule. No eating after 8. Hopefully that will help curb my binges after the boys are in bed. Really going to try to stick to one serving of fruit & one serving of complex carbs each day this week.

4) Beverages: I slacked on drinking my water this week. And I drank way too much pop this weekend. Had coffee with sugar. What happened to me this week. Gah!

This week’s goal: Water, water, water! I will drink it!

So, week 3? Can kiss my behind. I’m moving on. Today begins a new week. No pizza or ice cream will be had this week. Scouts honor.

Little Gems

Check out these little note cards! Do you likey?

I think they are beautiful. The photographs on the fronts were taken by Julie of Julie Sancken Photography.  Here’s a closer look at them.

Julie uses her photographs on the front of these blank 3.5 x 5 note cards & was gracious enough to send me some of these to review.

I have to say, I love ‘em. You will too.

Gotta say, the black & white one is my favorite. I was so excited to learn that she sells these photographs as prints as well. I have my eyeball on that black and white as a print for my living room.

But back to the notecards.

Perfect size for a quick, little handwritten note without all the white space left over. And the handwritten note?  That is a past time that should be rekindled if you ask me. I know this is the digital age and all, but a handwritten note is just more heartfelt. No way of getting around that. In fact I wrote a note on one of the note cards today for my husband. He loved it.

And the quality is stellar. Yes, I did just use the word stellar. They are printed by Kodak. I took the liberty of writing a little note to Julie on two of the cards just so you could see the quality. The first one is written with a Sharpie marker, & the second is just a regular, ol' ball point Bic pen. Both wrote on the cardstock nicely.

If you are interested in Julie’s note cards or her prints venture on over to her photography site & take a look. Here. Let me make it easy for you. All you have to do is click on this button. What can I say? I’m a helper.

The Elephant in our House

Y’all, I’m in trouble. Sweetie Pie is too smart for his own good. He has the memory of an elephant. He is not a child who you can just wave off with a random statement of  “Oh, we’ll go to Sonic tomorrow.” Because tomorrow will come, & I GUARANTEE he will remind you that you said you’d take him to Sonic. And then you will have to get yourself & 2 kiddos dressed & out of the house to go get a drink. Pain. In. The. Boo-Tay.

Take this past Thanksgiving for instance. We actually had turkey dinner with my family TWO weeks BEFORE the holiday. During this time my mom told little Sweetie Pie that she wanted to take him to see Santa before Christmas. And, honestly, we talked about it for maybe two minutes & moved on. Two minutes, folks. Stressed the Santa visit would be after Thanksgiving. That was it. Moved on.

Fast forward to FIVE days before CHRISTMAS. No mention of Grammy taking Sweetie Pie to see Santa since our Thanksgiving dinner. None. Now, I had taken both him & Boogaboo to get their picture taken with Santa, but that was it. So, the Monday before Christmas COMPLETELY out of the blue, Sweetie Pie & I have this convo:

Sweetie Pie: Momma?

Me: “What, babe?”

Sweetie Pie: “Can we call Grammy & see when she is going to take me to go see Santa?”

Are you kidding me kid???!!! How in the world do you even remember that she said she wanted to take you?!

So, we called Grammy and she & Grandad took him to see Santa that night. Only the line was wrapped around the store, so they were finally able to convince Sweetie Pie with a promise of pancakes for dinner that writing a letter to Santa would be sufficient . And then they went to IHOP, where my child hopped the entire way to the table because he thought he had to in a place called I-Hop.

But that’s another story….

My kid obliviously got his memory from his daddy’s side. Because me? I can’t remember squat.

McFatty Monday—1/24

This week was interesting—to say the least. Started off strong. I went to the gym Monday & Tuesday morning. Eating was going well, and then our house got hit with…The Bug. You know the one. Yes. It starts with one person in the house and hops from person to person until everyone has shared it. Tuesday night it struck. Boogaboo woke up throwing up. And, if you have a toddler, you know just how much fun this experience is. I could say more, but I’ll just leave it at that. Then Thursday evening the bug got Sweetie Pie & me—within 30 minutes of each other. And Friday the hubs got it.

So….I told you that to tell you this.

This week I did not see the results I saw last week. BUT I’m okay with that. With our little household visitor, there was no way to stick to phase 1. None of the foods good for you tummy after having a stomach bug—bananas, rice, apple sauce, toast, crackers--are aloud on phase 1, & I’m sorry but peppers, lettuce, broccoli, & lean protein weren’t happening.  That being said, who knows how accurate my weigh-in today is. I didn’t eat hardly anything Thursday & had 5 saltines & an orange Friday. And obviously the workouts ceased as well.

Let’s get to the nitty-gritty, shall we?

Recap of Big Picture Goals: 

1) Lose 40 pounds total 
2) Run a 10k in April
3) Bike 50 miles with hubs by the end of June
4) Make healthy eating my lifestyle.
5) Get my cholesterol & triglycerides to a normal range without medicine.

This weeks tabs:

1) Weight Loss/Gain: –3.0 pounds

      Total loss: –10.o pounds

      Remaining to lose: 30 pounds

This week’s goal: 2-3 pounds—I’ll be starting phase 2 of South Beach, which is a much more realistic & healthy way to eat, so the weigh loss is supposed to start coming off at a more reasonable & healthy rate.

2) Exercise: Pitiful this week—although for good reason. I did make it to the gym Monday & Tuesday before the bug arrived. I did cardio & weights both days. But I never did run my goal of 3.5 miles this week. So…

This week’s goal: Run a long run of 3.5 miles.

3) Diet: Stuck to phase 1 as planned until Thursday evening. Then I had to abandon it for a couple of days. I did okay until yesterday when my MIL & I took the boys shopping to look for bedding for the new bed boy bed. She bought fruit snacks & chocolate covered pretzels to pacify my angels. Guess who didn’t want the chocolate covered pretzels? Yep. Guess who ate too many? Yep.

This week’s goal: Solidly start phase 2, adding one fruit & one complex carb into my meals daily for one week. I’ll probably have the fruit with lunch & save my complex carb for dinner.

4) Beverages: I have learned to actually like Splenda in my coffee now. it will NEVER be as good as sugar, but I don’t mind it. So, I drink it with that & a splash of skim milk. Then the rest of my day is water except for the occasional glass of tea in the evenings. Oh, & I did have one pop this week too. One pop a week for me is spectacular!

This week’s goal: Just continue

So, week 2? Not too bad. Could have gone better, but with all the chaos ensuing, it could have gone worse too. I’m a stress eater. But I resisted eating my way through this week. Mainly because I knew I was reporting this to the world. And? There is pizza sitting in my fridge RIGHT NOW. I haven’t touched it. Not a bit. I think I will go have an orange.

Wish me luck! Who else is doing this McFatty Monday thing too? Let’s cheer each other on!

How We Spent Our Day

The boys and I were cooped up all day today because of ice & we didn’t get out of the house yesterday either. The cabin fever hit this morning. Sweetie Pie was the kind of wound up that only being outside can cure. So, I did the only thing I could think of to do. Brought the outside in.

This monstrosity took up the ENTIRE living room floor. I had to move the coffee table & an ottoman out to get enough floor space for this thing.

Can you see the energy burning off of him?

Almost worn out….

And we’re there. Energy gone. Mission accomplished.

Which Is Easier?

The age-old question. Who works harder? Moms who work outside of the home or moms who stay at home?

I have been in both positions, so I feel like a have somewhat of a unique perspective.  I worked teaching middle school before even getting married and having kids. I continued to work the first 3 years of Sweetie Pie’s life. And it was hard. exhausting. draining. My day was nonstop from the moment I got up until the moment I went to bed. I kept thinking how much better & easier it would be if I could be a stay at home mom. I could be with my boys all of the time. My house would always be clean. The laundry and dishes always done & put away. The boys would be eternally happy. Ahhh, the PERFECT set-up. And then out of the blue, the opportunity came. I was going to quite my teaching job & spend the days with my boys.

Then reality hit. Staying at home? EVERY. SINGLE. BIT. as hard. exhausting.draining. as working outside of the home. But in a different way. And, as SAHMs out there will tell you, I was totally delusional in my thinking. My house is messier now & I clean more often because we are always home. Making messes. Dropping crumbs. Tracking in mud. Dirtying dishes. Dragging out toys. When I worked my house was always messier on the weekends. Now it’s like those weekends everyday. And those demanding pesky adorable little kids? Well, they want your attention. So you don’t have all the time in the world to clean. And? Don’t get me wrong. I love being at home all the time with my boys. Love it. But, think about. I’m at home with my boys all of the time. It’s both incredible & nerve-racking. All at the same time.

Honestly? 

I think sometimes we all suffer from the grass is greener syndrome.

I think neither kind of mom has it easier than the other.

I do think each being type of mom has it’s advantages & disadvantages. So, here I give you my charts. Tada! Are you impressed? (And this is, of course, how I see things. After all my blog, my opinion, right?)

Working Outside of the Home Mom

Pros	Cons
extra income	away from your kids/feeling like you missed things
break from kids	hard to find time to run errands
adult interaction	every minute of your day is planned
household duties shared more

 

Being a Stay at Home Mom

Pros	Cons
with your kids 24/7—don’t miss things	with your kids 24/7—no break
flexible schedule	might be expected to do all household duties
have time to go to the gym/workout	one income
have time to run errands	lack of adult interaction
no daycare expense	sometimes underappreciated

You may totally disagree with me. I’m cool with that. We are all entitled to our opinions. Like I said, these are just my thoughts & realizations after having walked in both shoes. And I’m sure there are things I haven’t thought of. What would you like to add to my lovely charts?

My conclusion? I realize not everyone has a choice on this issue. We were that way for years. But, me? I wouldn’t go back to work right now if you paid me. ::giggle::

But I’m fortunate enough to have that option. And I don’t fault any mom for any decision she makes (or is forced to make) on this particular issue.

And those moms that work at home? Well, I’ve not been there, but my guess is that position has its pros and cons as well.

*The word mom everywhere in this post could very easily be replaced by the word dad. I know they stay at home too.

Savor the Moment

This is supposed to be a random topic post. One about the random topic of egg yolks given to me on Twitter today. But I feel I need to write about something more than that right now. (But I do have something to say on that topic. I’ll tuck it away for now.)

Instead I need to write about something that has been heavy on my heart lately. Something I have been focusing on & working toward. Something I need to write to myself.

Savor the moment.

Let it sink in, Jami.

Savor the moment.

Oh, how I want to freeze time at moments like these. The ones when the reality sinks in that my boys are not going to be little forever. When I look at my Sweetie Pie and legitimately wonder how he got to be 4 already. And don’t even get me started on Boogaboo and him being one day shy of 20 months.

 These two boys? They have captured momma’s heart forever.

Yet, I find myself wishing days away sometimes. Rushing from one task to the other. Getting the boys busy with something else so I can do housework.

When really? I just need to stop, be still, & be with my boys. Really be with them. Enjoying the moment. Savoring the moment.

This has been my focus for the past few days. Tonight I actually caught myself living in the moment & savoring it.

Sweetie Pie was ready for bed. We’d done the bed time routine--bath, medicine, brush teeth. And then he started playing with a bucket. He was putting it on his head & pretending to be a monster. He wanted me to draw a monster face on the bucket. Normally, I probably would have forced the bedtime issue. Made him stop playing & go to bed.

But not tonight. I was savoring the moment.

So, instead? I grabbed a paper sack, cut some eye & arm holes, & drew a monster face on it. He LOVED it. He would growl at my husband & I & we’d scream like we were scared.

Then, here’s the part that melted my heart. He’d stop playing like he was a monster & say, “It’s okay. It’s just me.”

The sweetness. The innocence. The precious joy those few extra minutes up with mom & dad brought him. Brought me.

Savor the moment, Jami. Savor the moment.

McFatty Monday—1/17/11

Last Monday was the day for me. The day I woke up and told myself I was really getting back on the wagon to being healthy. And this time I meant it. Unlike the 13 other times I told myself that during the holidays. So, without much planning, I got up, started South Beach, & went to the gym. And I have been faithful for a whole week, which, sadly, is good for me.

Really? This right here is how I still feel. In addition to all of that info, I have since found out my cholesterol & triglycerides are high. Not so high that I have to be on medicine, but still too high. So, we’ll now add that to the list of goals. Get those lowered.

Big Picture Goals: 

1) Lose 40 pounds
2) Run a 10k in April
3) Bike 50 miles with hubs by the end of June
4) Make healthy eating my lifestyle.
5) Get my cholesterol & triglycerides to a normal range without medicine.

This weeks tabs:

1) Weight Loss/Gain: –7.0 pounds. 33 more to go.

Next week’s goal: Loss as much as I can because once I start phase 2 the weight loss will decrease.

2) Exercise: I ran this week, & it felt awesome! I hadn’t really run since the holidays. I had been to the gym & worked out, but I had been doing aerobics classes for the most part. This week I really ran again. I forgot how much I love it. Man, I got in the zone on the treadmill Friday and did 3.2 miles before I knew it. This week I ran a total of 8 1/2 miles. I did pilates once & lifted weights once.

Next week’s goal: Complete a long run of 3 1/2 miles. Pilates twice. Weights 3 times.

3) Diet: I started back on phase 1 (which only lasts 2 weeks) of South Beach last Monday. After losing 15 pounds last fall, I gained 6 back over the holidays. Prior to that I was somewhat following South Beach & doing well. So, I jumped back on the wagon. I started on phase 1 because of the amount of weight I need to lose. And, just as importantly, phase 1 gets rid of the the cravings for sweets and bad carbs. Added bonus of phase 1? You lose a crap-ton of weight in the first couple of weeks. It  gives you a jump start. That being said, I have been eating a lot of lean meat & veggies this week. A lot. No carbs. No fruit. (Those come back in phase 2.) Results? I feel great. Cravings for sweets & bread are greatly diminishing.  I even resisted pizza tonight!

Next week’s goal: Continue phase 1 for 1 more week.

4) Beverages: I have probably tripled my water consumption this week. I’d say I drink a minimum of 64 oz each day. But, the TRULY AMAZING THING??? I have ONE, yes ONE Diet Dr. Pepper this ENTIRE week. And that was in lieu of the wine I really needed that afternoon. Besides water, I have had tea—both hot & iced—and coffee with Splenda & a splash of milk.

 Next week’s goal: No cokes. None. Cut them out completely.

So, week 1? Let’s just say I am very pleased. I want to kick it in the rear again this next week to get the most out of this jump start. That’s what is motivating me right now—getting the most bang for my buck before the weight loss slows down like I know it will & as it should.

Wish me luck! Who else is doing this McFatty Monday thing too? Let’s cheer each other on!

The Blankie Bandit

Doesn’t every baby & toddler have a lovey? Both of my boys are/have been blankie boys & thumb suckers. They hold there blankets while sucking their thumbs. We broke Sweetie Pie of the habit about a month ago, and, once the blankie was gone, the thumb sucking stopped. But, every so often, I catch him hiding somewhere in the house taking a hit off of Boogaboo’s blankie.

I made sure it wasn’t a certain blanket they got attached to but rather a type of blanket. (And yes I know part of that was just me getting lucky because it worked.) The receiving blankets actually. You know the ones, right? The small, thin ones? I figured that would be ideal so we could have several with the logistics of laundry and all. I had hear horror stories of the ONE special blanket & getting it washed.

The past couple of weeks I have been finding said blankies ALL OVER THE HOUSE. One on the couch. Two on the floor in the living room. Still another in the kitchen. Maybe a couple in the hallway. And one on the train table. I was perplexed. You see, we only give Boogaboo a new blanket at night. Then he uses that blanket the next day as well. Night comes & he gets a fresh one. Simple enough right? So where were all of these blankies coming from? That’s what I couldn’t figure out.

Until…(picture it)

I followed Boogaboo down the hallway to his room the other day. He sundered with his little toddler waddle right over to his dresser, opened the exact drawer where we keep his blankies, grabbed a handful, shut the drawer, and meandered back down the hallway. Blankies in hand. Right to the living room where he handed a blankie to his brother, kept one for himself, and dropped the other 2 on the floor. Then he proceeded to go about his business of playing.

Mystery solved.

Mental note: Get those blankies moved to a different drawer of you don’t want to be washing blankies every day. Because you know. You have blankie boys.

Heaven in a Crock Pot

I just made this for dinner tonight. And all I can say is Oh. My. Goodness. D-E-L-I-S-H. My ONLY regret is that I didn’t make it sooner so I could link up earlier in the week to the crock pot blog hop over at Not Super Just Mom, Middle of Mommyhood & Sluiter Nation. Hopefully several of you will see this because this tasty goodness needs to be shared. Here we go.

Caribbean Pork Pot Roast
3 1/2-4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
2 tsp salt-free Jamaican jerk seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil (I used olive.)
1 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits, reserve 1/2 cup juice
2 4 ounce cans diced green chiles, undrained
2 tbsp tapioca
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
Rice

Some notes:
1) I used a pork roast with a bone just because it was what I had. It was also more like 6 pounds but whatever. 

2) I didn’t have the jerk seasoning so I found a recipe online. Since the recipe has salt in it I omitted it from the above ingredient list.

3) I used WAY more than the 2 tsp. of the jerk seasoning. I just slathered it on. In fact I used the entire amount that the recipe made.

4) I didn’t have tapioca to use for a thickener, so I used cornstarch.

(I feel like one of those people on All Recipes that is giving a review of the recipe and talks about how good it is and then goes on to say they did this differently & that differently. To the point it wasn’t even the same recipe.)

Anyway…

Trim your meat. (Proof I taught middle school too long? I giggled when I typed that.) Rub the roast down with the jerk seasoning. Heat oil in pan and drown all sides of the roast.

Mix the pineapple, the reserved juice, green chiles, brown sugar, & tapioca together in a bowl. (I about threw this recipe out when I got that mixed together. It was not appealing to my eyes. So glad I went ahead with it. Just mix it up & go with it. Trust me.)

Put the browned roast into the crock pot, & pour the pineapple mixture over it.

Cover & cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours or high heat seating for 4-5 hours.

Serve this goodness over rice and with the juice it made while cooking. So good. In fact, I think it’s time for seconds.

::runs to the kitchen::

Wordless Wednesday—Mickey Cupcakes

***Quick disclaimer. This was going to be a picture post of the entire birthday party. Problem. I have no good pictures. So instead you get the highlight of the party.***
I made these for Sweetie Pie’s birthday party this past weekend. All by myself.

Top Ten Tuesday—All-Time Favorite Posts

I’m joining the ranks of Katie over at Sluiter Nation today with my Top Ten Favorite Posts on my own blog. So, folks here they are in no particular order. Some funny. Some touching. Some about motherhood. Some about friendship. Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Adventures in Motherhood—The story of how I went from being a working momma to a stay at home momma.

One of THOSE Days—I was 30ish weeks pregnant with Boogaboo. And this day SUCKED the big one. Totally snowballed on itself. To the point I had to laugh—eventually.

Say No To Double Strollers—I wrote this the day I had had ENOUGH with attempting runs with both boys.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!—Hormones gone crazy is what this post was. I wrote it 2 weeks before Boogaboo was born. Proof you should never mess with a pregnant lady.

What Happens in Mexico—One of my very favorite posts ever and the first real one on the blog. An “incident” that happened on a trip we took with our bffs. You can’t make up a story this good.

Grab a Kleenex—Not my usual type of post. Written from the heart. A touching story of friendship.

“Wawk”—Love this story of when Sweetie Pie needed some snuggles.

Moms: Let’s Stop Judging Each Other!—I don’t get fired up about much. But I was fired up about this. (If you have a hard time reading some of the lighter text, highlight it. You’ll be able to see it then.)

Boy Toys—If you are a fellow boy mom, you will totally relate.

Jami’s Favorite Things—This one was recent, but I really liked it. What can I say? I’m here to help. Got several comments & questions on Twitter about it.

So, there they are. My favorite posts. Take me to your blog & show me some of your favorite posts. I’d love to read them!

Switcher-Roo—Guest Post

Welcome my first guest blogger! Jessi Arias-Cooper blogs over at Mama’s Got Flair. I was first introduced to Jessi by reading her post about Happy Pappies. You have to see this post. Have. To. See. It.  Go ahead and read it. I’ll wait.

Did you pee your pants laughing? Good stuff, right?

Jessi is no stranger to being a boy mom; she has 3 of the rug rats. She shares my lack of estrogen in her house. Ahhh, the craziness of boys. Gotta love them!

Jessi and I are doing a “Mi casa es su casa” blog switcher-roo today. She is in my house & I’m over at hers. You’ll find my Christmas story of the almost trip to urgent care over on her blog today. So, meet Jessi & then hop on over to her house to visit me!

---

Cooper Family Vocab: Take That Webster!

Just as every region has it's lingo, so does every family. Growing up, some terms that passed our lips as little ones, stuck, forevermore, as Arias family terminology.

For example, if you were to dine with my parents, you would sprinkle your spaghetti with “butt cheese” (grated Parmesan) and sop up mom's delicious meat sauce with “stinky bread” (garlic bread).

Even though my sibs and I are grown up, married and have families of our own, these terms have hung around, and will be passed on for generations to come...just ask our kids.

Speaking of kids, I happen to have an energetic brood of young boys (ages, 5, 3 and 1). I'm just as boy-crazed as my pal, Jami, here. I think that's why we get along so famously...or on Twitter...infamously. Well, that and a deep and passionate appreciation for a wicked-rad mullet.

So, anyhoo...

The vocabulary in the Cooper house is just as diverse and unique as la casa de Arias. As my kids grow, and toy with language, our family dialect evolves. In the last four years, these additions have been made, and mind you, I'm only sharing ones that we use on a regular basis.

“Schmoin”- pronunciation: sh-moyn- translation: Storm - My oldest apparently couldn't say our dog's name, so he made one that worked for him.

“Peanutbutterjellyfish”- pronunciation: peenut butter jelleefish- translation: PB&J sandwich – While they all call jelly, jelly, they still refer to the actual sandwich as a “peanutbutterjellyfish.”

“Dundun”- pronunciation: dun dun – translation: Being done. Finished. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

“Oh naps”- pronunciation: oh naps – translation: Oh snap! Courtesy of my middle child. He used it regularly, and now we do, too.

“The hot”-  pronunciation: the hot- translation: The heat vent. All three of the boys refer to the vent as “the hot,” and they all love sitting on it during the cold months. Interestingly enough, in the summer, when that sweet, delicious, can't-get-enough-of-it central air conditioning blasts through, they call it...the vent.

Even as the boys learn the right words and begin to actually use them, it's still a hard habit to break, not that I really want to, anyway.

What words and terms originate from your household?

The Best of 2010

Yes, I know I’m a little late with this post, but better late than never, right?

So many AWESOME things happened this year. 

--Boogaboo’s first trip to Cozumel.

--Our first family vacation just the four of us—road trip to Arizona.

--Hubs & I’s 5 year anniversary & trip to Florida sans boys.

--Diving in the Keys.

--Really meshing as a family & getting in the swing of life together.

--I became a SAHM & am blessed to spend my days with my sons.

BUTTTTTTTTTT, I think the most-est, awesome-est thing that happened this year didn’t even happen to me. It happened to my BFF. Yes, Thelma.

She’s preggers!!!!! Wait! I’ll say it again. Thelma is pregnant! Due in July. With twins!!!

Check out her blog.

In Which I Get Back on the Horse

I will begin linking up with McFatty Monday posts all over the world of blogging as I get back on the horse to get healthy & comfortable in a bathing suit.

And, yes, I realize today isn’t Monday, but I wanted to post a Happy Birthday to my Sweetie Pie this past Monday. So, here I am doing my McFatty Monday post on a Thursday. I’m cool with that & I think you guys are too. If it helps, I wrote this on Monday; just posting it a little late.

I started this mission back in July, lost about 15 pounds, & really started getting in the workout habit. Then the holidays & colder weather happened. I’m still down 10 pounds from my original weight, but I have gained 5 back. And now had to my post back in July that I now know my cholesterol & triglycerides are too high. I need to lose weight & get healthy.

So, here we go. Back on the horse starting today.  I WILL be swimsuit—not swimsuit model—ready this summer.

• I will workout at least 4 times a week.
  
• I will run at least a 5k this year. (I’d really like to run a half marathon, but that seems like such a stretch right now.)
  
• I will only eat ONE cupcake at Sweetie Pie’s birthday party Saturday.
  
• I will drink 64 ounces of water each day.
  
• I will eat no more than 1300 calories each day.

Please hold me accountable. I need it. I’ll post every week (Yes, usually on Mondays) about my progress.

Eviction Notice

Every night these 2 get evicted from Sweetie Pie’s room. Every. Single. Night.  Apparently they make too much noise for him to sleep.

Help! I’m Pulling Hair Out!

I need help mommas! Please, I am begging you. And if you haven’t been here yet, please, for the love of all things good & the sake of my sanity, get this to someone you know who can help me.

My now 4 year-old Sweetie Pie is trying to transition to no nap during the day. And this is a problem for me. Let me explain why.

If he doesn’t take a nap, he is CRANK POT & wound up by 4:00. Which is also way too late to put him down for a nap. So, from 4:00 until bedtime is a b-a-t-t-l-e. And that is putting it nicely.
If he does by some miracle take a nap—even an hour one—he is so much better in the evening. And we all have a Kum Dah Yah time together.

I really think if he would take a nap 3 or 4 times a week, we’d all be better off, but I also know a consistent schedule helps.

We have tried the whole put him in his room for “rest time”. And it has worked a couple of times, but usually results in him coming out every 10 minutes and asking if rest time is over for an hour.

PLEASE tell me what worked for you. I know it’s all trial and error, but maybe one of you has an idea that will work for Sweetie Pie.

Apparently my blog is having comment issues. Please email me if you have trouble. boycrazedmomma@gmail.com

Random Topic—Elastic in Underwear

Alright, folks. For the third week in a row, I am writing about a random topic from a Twitter friend. My previous posts have been on socks and mac & cheese. Those topics were a piece of cake compared to this weeks random topic sent to me.

This week’s topic? Elastic in underwear. Thanks, Jessi. Thanks. I thought we were friends momma. Just kidding! I can totally do this. I will also be discussing elastic in pants as well. Because I can.

Both of these elastic topics for me take me to this issue: potty training. The term that makes all mommas cringe. But you see, I have made 2 discoveries involving elastic because of potty training.

1) Either the elastic in little boys’ underoos really stinks, or my little man is rough on his undies. A lot of his underoos’ waistlines are getting frazzled. He says, “Momma, I got a string.” I know that means I need scissors to cut that string that gets longer and longer the more you pull on it. Do you know the type? The more you try to pull it to the end, the more frazzled it gets. So I always end up cutting the string. Then the little elastic strings in there start sticking out & I cut them off too. (Mental note: Sweetie Pie may need more undies. Check it out.) And the underwear has everything to do with potty training because, hello, he went from diapers to underwear.

2) Once your child is potty trained only buy pants/jeans/shorts with elastic waistbands. YOU CAN THANK ME LATER. You will exhaust yourself buttoning and snapping. With the elastic waists, Sweetie Pie can go to and from the bathroom whenever he needs to without needing my help. Some might see it as laziness on my part; I see it as ingenious. You say pO-tA-tO; I say pO-ta-tO.

Okay, that’s the best I’ve got on this topic. Whew! That was tough.

ADDITION: I just (like since writing this post this weekend) bought new undies for me. Yes, I was still wearing maternity panties. What of it? I got Jockey Super Soft Bikinis. Bought them based on the recommendation of Blair. Oh my, I heart them. So soft. Great coverage without being granny. And? What does all of this have to do with this post? The elastic waistband is awesome. Doesn’t cut into you at all.

Happy 4th Birthday Sweetie Pie!

How is it possible for you to be 4 already? You have grown up so fast, and I know it’s just going to go even faster. There isn’t a day that goes day that I don’t look at you & think about your sweet, precious, sensitive heart & your sense of humor that completely cracks me up. 


Right now you:

• Love to help me cook & bake. I can’t be in the kitchen without you wanting to help. You are becoming quite the little chef & baker.
• Will be starting Pre-K this fall, which is completely unreal to me.
• Are “reading” like crazy, which makes your reading specialist/English teacher momma very happy.  You love books. You have every pre-literacy skill you need. Next? Actual reading!
• Are fascinated with numbers. You count (& want us to as well) everything. You just learned how to do connect the dots the other day.
• Love your little brother. He is getting big enough that you two wrestle around & really play together now. You miss him when he is taking naps & you are up.  You make sure he is okay when we are at the playground.
• Speaking of playground, you love being outside.  This time of year the weather is hit & miss, but we get out there as much as we can. You love to ride your bike & play soccer & playing with the kids across the street.
• Are starting to learn to swing on your own. Just this past week we were at the playground & I looked over & you were kicking your legs up & back while telling yourself, “Up! Back!”
• Are at the age where you are learning you are a separate individual from mom & dad. You are pressing boundaries to see what you can get away with, which is both exciting and frustrating to Daddy & me all at the same time.

We love you little man! Happy Birthday!