NOT the blue-footed variety...

This afternoon as we were driving home from a couple of errands we pulled up behind a car that had several bumper stickers plastered to it.  One of them said "boobies!"  I didn't think too much of it. Then from the back seat Jacob yelled, "Inappropriate bumper sticker!" Caite and I laughed, and then I asked him, "What is inappropriate about it?"  (Both because I really wanted to know what his thought process was, and to tease him a little. I admit it.)  There was a moment of stunned silence and then he replied, "Uh- that one that starts with a B, you know, boobies."  "Why is that inappropriate though, maybe they mean the blue-footed variety," I said. Caitlin chimed in with, "Or maybe they mean someone who cries a lot."  Jake said, "Yeah. I don't think they'd make a bumper sticker about bird's feet, Mom."  "So what do you think they mean Jake?"  There was an exasperated sigh and then, "You know, buttons." "Buttons?" "Yes. Buttons. Like the ones on your chest. That women have. Like yours Mom... I don't like where this conversation is heading."  Caite and I started laughing again and Jake, soundly slightly offended, asked, "So is 'inappropriate bumper sticker' okay... or would you rather I just yelled out Boobies!?"  Once I stopped laughing enough to talk I assured him that inappropriate bumper sticker was just fine.

Early in the morning...

This morning I decided that since all of my children are sick with croup, and therefore not going into public, I would let them sleep as long as they would. 

I peeked in to check on Evie and just had a moment of such intense love overwhelm me for this sleeping beauty. (What can I say, sometimes I like my children best when they are asleep...)

Jake is our early riser and he was the first to join me, and quickly started to ask me questions about everything: How did I sleep? What was for breakfast? and When could he turn on the Wii? 

Evie woke up next and came out of her room slowly and quietly, smiled when she saw me and quickly climbed on my lap to be held and hugged while she made the transition to fully awake.

Lila was last, but greeted the day laughing and running full steam ahead, barely pausing long enough for a hug and kiss good-morning.

I was left reflecting on how this morning seemed to encapsulate each of my children's personalities and how they interact with their world in general.

Jake so eager to learn and understand what is going on around him.

Evie needing a moment and some reassurance before change.

Lila usually happy and always busy.

  I was also grateful that I was awake first and got to share their day from the very beginning. An unexpected bonus of learning to be a morning person.

I'm turning into my mother!

Starting last week I implemented some big changes. It all started with my cousin Emilie, who kept posting on Facebook the wonderful results she was getting with a new diet and going to this gym she had joined. I was excited for her, but it also left me feeling pretty down as it seemed to highlight an area of my life that felt so out of control. After three weeks she posted another good result and then an invitation if anyone was interested in joining her, and we'd both get the next month 1/2 off. I replied that I would do it before I really thought about it. Which is a good thing because if I had thought about it too much, I would have probably talked myself out of it.

So the changes:  I cut out all soda and juice, I am doing the same diet, which is a six week plan to help reset and boost your metabolism, and I get up at 6 am every morning and meet up with Em at the gym for a workout.  She also introduced me to a great website called myfitnesspal which has some great tools like an online food diary that does all the math for you so you can see how many calories you are eating and all that. And my personal favorite, a recipe tool where you can enter in your personal recipes and it will calculate out the nutrition information per serving. (I'm not trying to tell anyone else join it, but if you do send me a friend request!) 

Today was my 2nd weigh in, and I couldn't sleep last night! It was almost as bad as Christmas Eve when I was a little girl. I had worked so hard, stuck to the diet and I couldn't wait to see the result. I lost 3.4 pounds! And every measurement was smaller, in fact I lost almost 2 inches off my thighs! 

The even bigger surprise. I love it! I don't even think about rolling over and hitting the snooze. I like getting up and moving my body, even if it is sore afterwards. I feel stronger and better then I have in a long time. And even though 3.4 pounds is a drop in the bucket compared to where I need to be, I feel like it is a great start.  I don't know why this time is different for me, when I was exposed to all the exercise and good nutrition information anyone should ever need growing up, but it is. I have been inspired by so many people in my life getting into shape and losing weight this past year. I guess I finally decided that I wasn't going to miss another chance to jump on that band wagon!

So I want to tell Emilie a great big, public "Thank You!" and "I love you!" It means so much to have you cheering me on and helping me feel better about myself.  And I want to thank my mom too, I am pretty sure she is sitting on my shoulder through every workout. I know I heard her counting out the beats the other day...

It makes me a little sad...

I keep a plastic bin in the top of the girl's closet so that when they outgrow something I can toss it up there instead of having it staying in the laundry rotation.  Because nothing is more frustrating to me then having them pull something out of the drawer, try it on, find it is too small and then it goes straight into the hamper, because that's pretty much where they put anything when they aren't really sure where it goes...

Tonight while putting away the laundry I took a few minutes to sort through Lila's dresser and clear out anything that was 18 months. I realized when I was done that she no longer has any onesies. I don't know what my deal with onesies is, but I remember vividly the day I could no longer squeeze Jake into one. I cried. It's such a visual reminder that this sweet little baby is growing bigger and developing a personality and identity independent of me.

Another reminder that we are growing out of the baby stage in this house is that I finally took the bottle rack out of our dishwasher.  Lila hasn't had a bottle in months. And even though it took up so much room that I couldn't always fit all the cups in the top rack, I guess I just wasn't ready to let go of  it. It means that now I just have children. Not babies. It makes me a little sad, but not sad enough to have another baby. I guess that's as good a way as any of knowing that our family is complete.

I got distracted...

Tonight we finally joined the rest of the world and got a Netflix account. I have spent the last two hours browsing movies and adding them to the queues. I noticed at 11:47 that I had almost missed doing a post today. Whew. Just made it. Now I'm going back to Netflix...

Hard life lessons...

Today continued Lila's apparent goal of being the Most Unhappy Child in the World.  I would have to say that she is a strong contender for such an award.  (Actually she is still sick with the croup and just doesn't feel good, poor baby.) Nothing would do today but to be held by Mommy. She hardly ate, couldn't settle enough to sleep and frequently had coughing fits that just about broke my heart when she would make that horrible sound of trying to draw air into an throat that is closed up.

Then this afternoon I tried to help Caitlin with a sewing project that necessitated a longish trip to Jo-Ann's.  We got a good twenty minutes of looking through the pattern books before Lila announced, olfactorily speaking, that a diaper change would be a good idea. Of course I didn't have a diaper with me. Just wipes. So she and I headed up to the grocery store to buy a package of diapers.  She insisted on walking through the store and alternately screamed like she was being tortured or cried, "Take me home Mommy! Take me home!"  So there we are at the check out, Lila sobbing and coughing piteously with huge, disgusting boogers hanging out of her nose and wiped across her cheeks. It was one of those moments when you want to step away and ask loudly, "Who's child is this?"  The kind lady at the check out gave me a tissue to wipe her face, and another lady working at the service counter gave Lila a balloon. Lila wanted me to hold the balloon for her, so I did figuring the sooner and quieter we could leave the store the better.

Out to the parking lot to take care of the original problem. I'll spare you the details, but the end result was Lila heading back into Jo-Ann's with nothing on her bottom half but a diaper, and carrying her balloon. She refused to let me tie it around her wrist. We had been in the store for less then a minute before she inevitably let go and it floated out of reach. We gave up at that point and packed everyone back out of the store.

Oh the heartbreak one small, blue balloon can cause. She sobbed and pleaded for me to get the balloon back for her.  I hate this life lesson, that not everything that is broken can be fixed. It's so painful to watch your child learn it, even over something inconsequential.  It has to be learned though, and I'd rather a million times over that she learns it about a balloon or a toy when she is young and the consequences aren't life altering.

She continued to cry for most of the way home. She was really working herself up to hysteria, when I had to break suddenly at a light. (I'll admit freely that a screaming baby is a great distraction to good driving...)  The car shuddered to a halt and the crying stopped abruptly as Lila said, "Whoa."  Caite and I couldn't help laughing as it was silent for a few seconds, then you could almost hear Lila thinking, "Wait... what was I doing... oh yes..." and then start whimpering again, trying to work her way back to full volume.

Tomorrow should be better. Caite and I are going back to Jo-Ann's. Without the children.

Christmas Coupons

Jake and Evie  each got a booklet of Christmas coupons in their stockings last year.  (And by last year I mean way back in 2010, you know, five weeks ago...)  They are redeemable throughout the year for things like a day off from doing chores, having a friend over to play, or going out to a movie of their choice. We, the management, instituted an "at least a two day notice" policy before we have to fulfill any goods or services, plus the right to refuse any coupon at any time.

Tonight I came home to find a Christmas coupon and a note sitting next to the fireplace.

The coupon says:
Endless Christmas- redeem at any time for one small surprise from Santa.  

The note says:
Dear Santa, please leave me a Mario associated product. I'm in to Mario now. -Jake
P.S. If you can, please leave Evie and Lila something too.


Brian tried to buy a little time by telling the kids that it might be too late for Santa to get the note tonight. Evie however has the complete faith of a four year old in the magic of Santa and said, "No Dad. Santa can do anything!" Jake came to the rescue by telling her, "It's okay Evie, if he doesn't get it tonight we can try again tomorrow night."

I think I'd better read through that coupon booklet a little closer tomorrow...