S Club Mama

My MIL (finally) gave us her clothes hanger ... shoot, I mean, treadmill. It's old but I'm hoping it will help me shed some of this oh so stubborn weight. There's just one thing - I really hate running. BUT I'm hoping to have a long relationship with it, preferably with some love mixed in there.

Summer, one of my good bloggy friends, has set up a 21 day challenge to better herself. She's invited us to join along. I'm doing the challenge for myself and will post now and again about it. Day 1 was to give something up for 21 days. Mine was to not call myself "fat" for 21 days. So far, I've been doing good. I try to focus on the good things about my body. How strong I feel myself getting, how good I feel after working out, the energy I feel, and other nice things I like about my body. Day 2 was focusing on doing something for someone else, being nice. In a great twist, I had made a couple of birthday cards for a few friends & was sending them out that day. I used my new obsession, picnik, to make collages for them. Turned out cute! Day 3 was focusing on the blessings in your life. I used a sticky note on my computer dashboard to write them out. My salvation, kids, and husband top the list. Of course, my mom is on the list - I would never talk to anyone w

I hate taxes. That's all.

When Moose was little, everyone thought he was too big. And he was big (still is). He's only dropped below 90% in height or weight - ever. He's usually off the charts for weight and about 95th for height. However, he was never one of those babies (as darn cute as they are) with rolls. He's always just been...stout, if you will. When you begin life at 9 1/2 pounds and your dad is 6'4" and about 220lbs, you're bound to be big. That's just the way it is. Well, Squirt is his own person. He started off small for us but big for normal. 8lbs and 15 oz is not a "squirt." At our last well-baby check-up, he was in the 75% for height and 25% for weight. He does not like to drink from a bottle (which sucks because we don't breastfeed) as much as he likes to eat food. If you eat in front of him and don't give him anything (which I don't because I don't eat a lot of things he can eat yet), he gets mad. Most meal times, he eats 2 jars of #2 foo

i meant to get up at 6am to workout; my hubby took care of the kids and didn't wake me until 7. it's days like this i wonder why i ever get mad at him; too many men wouldn't do that. the baby is almost sitting up and almost crawling. it's going to be a big deal when he does; we've been waiting patiently for a few months now. we've finally realized (after 7 months) that he enjoys his formula warm. #1 parents, right? he is still in love with his older brother - although sometimes i think he's in love with his hair. we've started to tell him no; even moose tells him "no pull hair." he's mischievous, that's for certain. his smile can light up a room while his wail could set off a stampede. moose has grown up so fast in the past year. i was checking out old pictures of him and remembering what he was like, what he sounded like, just a year ago. while so much of him is still very baby-ish, he has grown up. i love when he helps me around the h

...are in order for my friend, Stacey, from And...So it Goes . She gave birth to a little darling girl, Emery Shae, on Friday, February 19 at 6:40am. This girl is a beaut! Makes me wish Canada was right next door so I could hop on over to play with her! Head on over to wish the mommy well and many naps.

My younger sister & her best friend, Megan, always have the coolest albums on Facebook because they use Picnik. If you haven't checked it out, do. It's a lot of fun and an easy way to jazz up your pictures (and it's free). So, here is my best attempt at making my pictures look sweet (also notice the new header).

Pillow Factory Alphabet Down Filled Pillow GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!! Go check this out: it's super cute and you could win it!

I'm not Catholic but I do observe Lent. I think this is a very special time of the year when we can reflect upon what our Lord did for us. During Lent, you are "supposed to" give up something - pop, drinking, ice cream, tv, Facebook. Something that allows you to sacrifice as our Lord sacrificed Himself for us. Something I think it's silly to give up food or something because what is that in comparison to His LIFE? It is good to reflect upon WHY you are giving up whatever it is that you are giving up. I've done the junk food before myself, trying to cleanse my body, my vessel for the Lord. However, this year (I do realize I'm a wee bit behind) I'm going to give up coveting. I covet something horrible. Something that started as just noticing, "oh isn't this a nice house?" or "wow, she has a great body (not in the sexual way but in the fit way)" or "she has such great clothes" has become "I want this house," "I

We went to bed around 10. Before I fell asleep, Squirt decided it was time to wake up, screaming. Got him to bed around 11. He woke up once again, then again at 3am. We've been up since then. Lucky for me, my sore throat is back, too. Whoopie! About half an hour ago, Big A noticed he was broke out in a rash. Called the hospital & spoke with a nurse about it maybe being an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin. Our doctor happened to be on-call and suggested we stop the amoxicillin and give him Benadryl & Tylenol/Motrin if he runs a fever. Of course, we don't have Benadryl or Motrin. The store in town probably won't have the baby kinds and the closest place with it won't open until 9. Moose has a hair cut at 9:30 so afterward I'll get to be the luckiest person ever - driving with a cranky baby a half an hour (and back). I won't lie; these are the days I want to be an ostrich and bury my head in the sand.

Today Big A took Moose to work with him (they delivered feed or liquid protein or something so it was a driving day) which left me with just one child to attend to. With Squirt still sick, he slept a lot. I threw out my work out today and took about an hour long nap with him. It felt SOOOO good. I can't remember the last time I napped. And it helped me feel better - my throat was SORE when I woke up this morning. I mostly felt good the rest of the day until Squirt woke up from another nap and cried for an hour straight. And then Moose came home and was super whiny so my headache just escalated. But nothing a few Tylenol couldn't help. Tonight Squirt actually laid on the floor and rolled around/played. He was smiling. Another sign he is getting better is that he's getting stubborn about sleeping again (ugh). The kid is just a fireball of energy - always moving an arm or a leg or something. It's crazy (and can be crazily aggravating, too). Watched last week's Biggest

Poor Squirt's temp went up to 104 today so I took him to see the doctor. And it's what I expected: ear infection. He never has rubbed his ears (just like Moose) even. This is about a month after Moose started to get his ear infections 2 years ago. Squirt has eaten some solids today but hasn't drank much. He just acts like he feels miserable. And I feel miserable! He cried all the way home (which was a 40 minute drive and about a half an hour stop to get his medicine). I'm ready for my aerobics class so I can get out of here for awhile. I'm tired.

The morning started out by cuddling with my youngest in bed (well, more sleeping than cuddling but you know it was cozy). We exchanged coupons (provided by my MOPS) we had filled out for one another. Moose got a small box of chocolates and we bought a large one for ourselves. I also broke out the Text-and-Learn I won from Dee just before Christmas (I was saving it for his birthday...but couldn't hold out that long). *He LOVES it!* Poor Squirt got jipped this Valentine's Day. Not only did he not get any chocolate or cards...nothing, the poor guy ran a fever most of the day. He slept most of the morning; only had about an ounce of formula before church. During church, he slept most of it. While holding him as he was crabby, I noticed he was running a fever. At home it topped out at 102.6. After some Tylenol and more (and more and more) sleep, it was down in the lower 100s and 90s. He ate maybe close to a jar of food and about 6 ounces of water (tinged with juice). Right now, he&#

Not really - my butt is still very much present and accounted for (haha). However, I have been working out a LOT lately. From Monday - Friday, I had worked out 7 hours. I haven't gotten anything done because we were gone until supper time (and I think that's partially why I am SO tired). I've been using the Biggest Loser DVDs I got for Christmas ( Boot Camp & Yoga ) and a friend let me borrow her Cardio Max (BL, too). I tried that the other day & it whomped (is that a word?) my butt, but I liked it. And then my aerobics class meets twice a day and I try to do at least a half an hour a day on the Wii Fit Plus. I like to use that to jog or free step. For as much as my body feels I've been working out (I am SORE); that scale has not significantly moved (and we had a Valentine's Day dinner last night at church so I'm fairly sure if I had lost anything, it was gained back haha). I do feel my body gaining muscle (which is cool). I feel stronger and more flex

Sorry it's been slow around here lately. I think I just need some sunshine to infuse my inner muse (and sun is a rarity these days). BUT.... if you want to learn more about me, head your booties on over to Emma's Not So Usual . She has interviewed me and set up a lovely little intro (although I swear there are better pictures of me LOL). I hope you all have a great Friday and beautiful Valentine's Day (or Single Awareness Day, if you prefer).

It's very frustrating when people don't acknowledge being a SAHM as a job. Both of my in-laws have made mention of me needing to get a job at one point or another. Sometimes on forms you have to mark one of three boxes: full-time, part-time, don't work. When introductions are made, there's always the "do you work?" line. And usually if you answer "yes, I stay home with my kids" you get weird looks. There are various other areas where it's been made known that I don't have any income of my own or that I don't have an "outside" job. Well, let me tell you something. My job is tough. Not every day or every moment, but many days and many moments. Take today for example. It's going to be a 16 hour day when all is said and done. Then I will basically be on-call for the other 8 hours of the day. How many people can say that? My boss likes to yell at me lately. The good thing about this job is that I can send him to time out (most pe

I did it. I left the kids in the nursery/play area for MOPS today. They didn't die (ok I knew they wouldn't die...). Moose actually did fairly well. I heard him intermittently screaming out for me/crying. I almost got him (actually went to get him), but I saw he was (at that time) playing very nicely. I do need to remember to go get him right away when we end so he doesn't think all the other mommies are coming to get their kids but he's stuck there. I had a good time at MOPS. There were quite a few new faces (and plenty of friendly "old" ones - not that they're old but that I already know them...not that I remember all of their names either). The theme was "get your orbit on" (i.e. romance). I think one thing I really need to work on is respecting Big A in the little things. For example, this morning I got on him about not following the "schedule" of food I have for the baby (trying to stretch our food a little with some rice cereal).

Moose has a problem letting me go. Even when I leave him with Big A to go to my aerobics class, he gets very upset. "Mommy! Mommy" He can be distracted by the movie Cars, Veggie Tales, Wii, or any other assortment of media entertainment. But his mind always wanders back to me. Now he thinks that whenever I leave him with his daddy, I leave. I will be in the kitchen doing dishes while Big A does bathtime and I hear him. "Mommy? Mommy?" He's been kicked out of the tub twice already because he just doesn't get that I'm just in the other room. Big A thinks that I should do things like go to MOPS and this Valentine's dinner at church this Friday and just leave him because "it's good for him." Who says? Who says that it's good to leave a two-year-old (who hasn't been separated from his mom that he can remember) with complete strangers? Who says it's good for him to hyperventilate when those nice strangers try to comfort him (but a

Two of a kind, working on a full house: Celebrate Birthdays In Style With The Wilton Party Products Review And Giveaway I really want to win this set from Wilton . I love to decorate goodies that Big A bakes. I'm not really great at it, but I love to do it. Unfortunately, I can't afford (money-wise or diet-wise) to do this often. However, my birthday is coming up. Then this summer, I have 3 birthday boys and possibly a great-grandkid birthday party for my side of the family. I could do some awesome things with this kit.

I'm stepping up my workout to 10 hours per week. Sounds scary. I hope it's not so bad. I've cut down down down (baby are you down down down down down.....anyway) on my snacks (only 3 meals and maybe one small snack - less than one of Moose's snacks - and lots of Lifesavers). No juice, just water. Yoga, boot camp, aerobics, Wii sports, and Wii Fit. I'm exhausted looking at this paragraph. I have cut down on my naps during the week in order to accomplish it all (and keep this house looking like we just moved in). Sorry I don't have a whole lot to report. No real funny stories. Haven't started the potty business yet. Squirt is doing...better (minus today, today he's being a brat). Eating 3 meals a day. Hates hates green beans but seems to devour everything else (haven't tried peas yet). Just kind of in a funk lately. I think I'm still trying to settle in myself and adjust to this town and new people. One friend announced a pregnancy, another had her

Yes, my son has been telling me he pooped (for all of you non-Moose speakers out there). We've been sitting him on his potty right when he wakes up in the morning (or most mornings). Today, Big A got up with him as I couldn't drag my butt out of bed (yeah, going to bed early seems to have made me MORE tired). He sat our little guy on the potty, Moose stood up, went over to his diaper in the trash, and peed on the floor. Or something like that (I never have been good at relating stories). Big A seems to think that Moose knew he had to go and knew he normally goes in the diaper, hence picking it up. So ladies and gents, I've come to my big dilemma... how do you potty train a boy? (or a girl for that matter...but seeing as I only have boys, lets go from here) Instead of diapers, do I use... 1. Pull-Ups 2. Cloth training pants 3. Underwear 4. Birthday suit Which is best? Which do you not recommend? Where would I even buy cloth training pants? What about naps and bedtime? What a

I'm not really stuck back in December (although if you listen to our bedtimes songs, you may disagree), but rather, am looking forward to the next major holiday - the dreaded Valentine's Day. I don't remember any Valentine plans in high school. If I had any, they probably included a bad boy and cheap meal or my best friend and a lot of beer. Both probably had their ups and downs but nothing spectacular stands out. Big A is a romantical fellow. He used to write me notes in class. When we were apart for a summer, we wrote one another every day (and mailed them weekly to save on moolah). He's written me poems, even. Check out pictures from this spectacular Valentine's Day 2007. Oh yes, it's been a lovely ride for me in this relationship. The last few years have been filled, not with dates or romance, but a card (sometimes funny, sometimes semi-cheesy) and maybe a movie after the kid was in bed. Not what every teenager thinks when they think of married V-Days. At l

I love memes. No matter if I'm "tagged" or not. I took this one from my friend, LJ. 10 Things I Wish I Could Say To Ten Different People Right Now (in no specific order) 10. I love that when I talk to you on the phone, it's never awkward like it is with other people. Even when we hang up (which I think is a conversation's most awkward part), it's just natural. 9. I wish you would stop acting so young...even though you are young. 8. I am sorry I didn't stay in touch better. 7. Stop!! 6. I love you more than I realize. I'm so sorry at the way I act toward you sometimes. 5. Would you just stop being prideful and open your heart to God? He could do so much for you! 4. I hope you don't regret your priorities in the years to come when you have an empty nest. It's going to be harder than you realize to have a relationship with us. 3. Thank you for being exactly what I need. 2. Do you realize what you did to me? Do you even care? 1. In your position of