Me? Skinny?

So it's been a while since I've blogged and I can't come up with anything good.  Everyone is about the same.  Ty's little in-home evaluation is Tuesday and we are eager to get therapy started.  I've lost another pound and 3 inches.  Jeff is making progress on his quest to build muscle.  Our Isagenix Team Hemingson is expanding which is fun to watch others start to achieve their goals too!

So today I was looking at myself in the mirror and it hit me.  I still see fat Jeni.  You hear it all the time.  "I know I've lot weight, but I still see the heavier me when I look in the mirror."  In the past I would yell at the TV, "what's wrong with you, you look great, you worked hard, you should be proud of yourself, etc."  I totally get what they are saying.  While I am very proud of my accomplishments, I still can't get over the image looking back at me.  That's not MY body.  It's like someone photoshopped my face and put it on a smaller body.

Why does this happen?  Are we afraid of success?  Perhaps afraid of success so that we might need to maintain it?  Maybe that's why some people can't get started in the first place.  If I don't really try then I don't have to fail.....maybe?  What DOES happen when we succeed?  How do we know when we get there?

Well here's what I did this morning.  I kept looking at myself.  All angles.  Until I could confirm in my brain that it's me.  I even told Jeff "I'm a smokin' hot momma.  I look good, I like it."  Am I perfect?  Heck no.  But I like it.  Maybe the more I see it and the more I say it, the faster my brain will catch up with my body.

Am I afraid of success?  Maybe.  I've never been this healthy before...now what?  I'm 38 and in the best shape ever.   It's all new to me.  I've never been "athletic."  Now I run and lift weights.....and I like it.  What's up with me?  I'll tell you.  I feel good and I can't stop myself.

Maintain it?  I still have some fat to release and some muscles to tone.  So that's where I'm going.  I'm releasing more fat and toning more muscles.  It's a game plan.  It means working smarter.  I don't have more hours to exercise, so I need to continue to maximize the time I have.  Heavier weights, run faster, push myself harder.  It's a bitter sweet moment when I'm at BodyPump class and I realize I need to add weights.  Yay I'm stronger....shoot that means the bar will be heavier.  I was getting comfortable and now I need to get uncomfortable again.

How do I know when I've reached "success"?  I guess I will just know!

Any other "smokin' hot mommas" on the inside screaming to get out?  Contact me asap!  I love watching the transformations!

Pictures!

Feeling pretty good today!  I've had a productive weekend signing up for some 5Ks, shopping for new clothes and rocking my new body.

Wanted to post some pictures.

This is me on June 12, 2013

Here is me this morning!

And for fun, a side view.

20 pounds released!  55 inches smaller!

First I have to say how much more happy and energetic I am.  You know what they say about people who exercise and those endorphins.  Yep, it's true!  I feel happier for myself and for other people.  It's amazing!

Then there's the shopping because my clothes are looking a little baggy.  Of course they feel big, but when they start to look like they're going to fall off, it's time to bite the bullet and get some new ones.  I bought the blue work out outfit yesterday in a size smaller than in the past, it's more form fitting than I'm use to, but I'm not self-conscience like I use to be.

Still going to hit the Y to shed the last of the belly, thigh, and upper arm fat.  This week looks like BodyPump, Shred, Stair Climber, Rower, running, and taking a day off for a cleanse.  If I can stay on task the last few inches shouldn't take long.

Thank you Isagenix and my friend Lori for helping me find my groove again.  I feel better than I did when I was 20!

Weigh in

This week's weigh in:  down one pound and two more inches.  That's a total of 20 pounds and 55 inches!

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to say good bye to the scale.  As I keep replacing muscle with fat my weight is not decreasing as much.  Which isn't bad.  It's a good thing.  I think I will have to rely more on the tape measure and mirror to determine fat loss.

I also have come to the realization that I need to consume more calories.  In a time where we get bombarded with the message of "less calories" and "deprivation" it's hard to make that mental shift to "consume more." When I say consume more, I'm talking about quality food and protein.  Obviously not add more empty calories.  I've gone from occasional exerciser to athlete so I need to get in the mind set of one.  I'm burning too many calories and my body is holding on to the last little bit of fat I want to see GONE.  Eat more to loose more.  Ugh, that sounds so backwards and I need to wrap my head around that.  It's a total mind change and a total lifestyle change.

On to the kiddos!  The kids love school.  Cheer and football are well underway.  Ty has a new word in his vocabulary.  I'm happy to announce that he can consistently say "no"!  It may sound weird that I'm happy.  When my big kids learned "no" and used it repeatedly, I was so annoyed by their new skill.  However, given Ty's speech situation, I'll listen to him say any word with consistency and appropriately.  Now I feel bad for wishing the big kids didn't talk so much when they were little.  After having one the struggles to talk I now know how precious that little voice is.  The ability to communicate is huge!

This is one mother that has learned a new appreciation for her kids this week!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

School is underway and a challenge has started!

Labor Day weekend!  The sign of the end of summer and the beginning of school.  Our school actually started this past week, so we have a week under our belt.  The kids LOVE their teachers and have adjusted well.  Ty enjoys having mommy to himself again.  Mommy loves having a schedule.

Ty had his preschool screening this week.  We got about 1/2 into the screening and the teacher stopped.  He couldn't finish because he doesn't talk.  Yay!  Exactly what I was talking about, and finally someone confirms what we already knew.  He needs help before starting school.  Obviously we have two years before Kindergarten, but it might take that long to get him caught up to kids his age.  Our next step is to have a more thorough evaluation by the school district to determine exactly what therapy(s) he will need.  We should hear back from them in the next week or two to schedule the appointment.  We are very excited for him.  How much easier his life will be when he can talk.  In every other category he's pretty much normal or above.

I have hit my goal weight and continue to loose inches and fat.  I have never felt healthier and stronger.  This morning I completed BodyPump class at the YMCA with heavier weights in all muscle groups.  I can run longer and faster.  Jeff and I have signed up for a 16 week Isagenix Body Challenge.  Jeff is signed up for the Performance challenge and I for the Weight Loss challenge.  We are both excited to tackle this challenge together.

For inquiring minds, I have released 19 pounds and 53 inches.  Jeff has released 15 pounds and 31 inches.  We've both gained lean muscle mass.  Pictures will follow as the challenge progresses.

And for the kids.  They continue to enjoy the shakes and bars for snacks.  So much better for them than other snack foods they could indulge in.  Larson has taken some additional supplements and we are happy to report that he has more control over his emotions.  Maybe not perfect, but better.  This is a game changer for him.

Happy Labor Day Weekend My Friends

Sick kids and lost inches

It's been a while, but I'm back.  We've had some minor drama in the family and I finally have time to sit down and blog.

The little guy has some kind of cold virus and ear infection and is being treated for that.  He has become a super picky eater during this time so I don't know if he still has ear and throat pain or if he's just being silly.  I've also been back and forth with our insurance, the speech rehab facility and the school district on Ty's speech therapy.  Right now we are approved by the insurance for eight rehab sessions.  I just found out that the school could possibly help him, but they need to do an assessment sometime in August.  Today I will be contacting insurance and rehab facility to see if we can wait on those eight sessions until after the school's assessment.  Why?  Well the school's speech therapy would be free.  Speech therapy at the rehab facility will be pretty much 100% out of pocket expense.  Not a financial hit we want to take.  We will do it if we have to, but we want to check out all our options first.  It will be a busy day of making phone calls today.

My big guy had a pretty bad bike accident.  Took a good chunk of skin off his elbow, and also banged up his mouth.  Stitches in his lip and two broken teeth.  Of course he broke his two front permanent teeth. We visited the dentist earlier this week, but his lips were so swollen and tender, the dentist couldn't do anything.  We are going back in a few days to get at least a temporary fix on the teeth so Larson can eat normally and feel more confident.  It's been a long week.

Weigh in time!  Down another 2 pounds which makes 15 pounds in 6 weeks.  I only have 3 more pounds to go to make my original goal.  Once I get there I have to re-assess because I might want to go a few more.  This week I lost 5.75 inches (total of 42.5 inches)!  Which is huge because in the past few weeks I had only lost between 3 and 4 inches.  I was surprised to find I lost 1/2 inch around each arm because I've never lost in my arms before.  Also surprising was 2 inches around my waist!  In trying to evaluate what I did differently this week, the only thing I can think of was Body Pump class and an extra effort to work on an ab challenge I found on Facebook (below).

Tonight both kids have sleep overs.  We are doing a "child swap" with another family.  Our households will have the same number of kids, but different personalities.  It will be fun for everyone!  I know the kids are super excited!

Onward to fight the good battle of raising kids and trying to be the best mommy I can be.

Even less of me!

Just finished another 48 hour cleanse.  I'm down another 2 pounds and 3.5 inches!

I tried Bosu class this morning.  Pretty much kicked my butt.  That instructor is fantastic!  I like switching up my routine and try not to do the same exercise more than twice a week.  I feel like I have to do weight lifting though.  It might be easier if I sign up for a personal trainer, but I don't really want to spend the money on it.  I'll have to think more about that.

Kids are doing good.  Ty still isn't potty trained, but the speech thing kind of messed us up.  I don't want to throw too much at him.  We saw Despicable Me II yesterday with our neighbors and we had a GREAT time!  It was a cute movie.  The big kids laughed and laughed, and it kept Ty pretty entertained until he fell asleep.  Unfortunately we had to go close to his nap time, but it all worked out in the end.

The noises from the basement lead me to believe that a neighbor girls are over and the big kids are having all sorts of noisy fun.  Ty is content watching his pre-nap Mickey Mouse show.  Looks like our day is on track!

Happy Thursday everyone!

SO TIRED

Got home from ladies' night last night and everything in the house seemed normal.  Ty was up, but I assumed he was waiting for me.  He's a momma's boy right now.

I put him to bed when I went to bed.  About 30 minutes later he's whimpering at our door and I put him back into bed and sit with him for a while.  Something seemed off.  I assume it's a bad dream and go back to bed.  Not 10 minutes later he was back at our door.  Jeff brought him back to bed and shortly after, it hit.  The sound of a little one puking.  UGH!  I jump out of bed and help Jeff clean up and get the little guy back to bed.  I grab a pillow and blanket and hit the floor next to Ty's bed so I can be closer for the next round.  He's restless.  We snuggle in the oversized chair in his room.  Just as I think he's sleeping, it hits again.  Puke down my arm and on the blanket.  Poor guy!  Jeff runs in and helps me clean up.  Ty can't seem to get comfortable in the chair so back into bed.  I find myself thinking of Grandma Harriet and try to channel comfort from her.  I ask for some help/strength from both God and whatever other maternal spirit would help me, and what happens.....more puke!  This time contained and easy to clean up myself.  Ty pretty much slept through the whole thing and fell sound asleep for the rest of the night.

Lightening strikes and the thunder rolls across the sky.

For the love of Pete!  Now the big kids will be up neither mom nor dad have slept yet.  Fortunately only Larson wakes up and he's big enough to make a bed on the couch and fall back to sleep.  Still a restless night.

We slept in somewhat (if you call lying there awake with your eyes closed sleeping) and Ty wakes up at 9:00!  Yay!  He got some sleep.  Now for the unfortunate part, there's no way he's napping since he woke up late and that means no rest for mom nor dad.  

Mom and dad have to take turns hitting the Y today because we can't bring Ty to Kid Stuff.  Mom takes the big kids first and gives dad some quiet time with Ty.  I didn't think a work out was going to work for me today, and if I hadn't skipped yesterday, I would have skipped today.  I grab an Isagenix shake for breakfast because I know, if anything, this will get me through it.  I also bring an energy drink just in case I need it mid-workout.  I climb up on the stair master and rev it up to my average speed for 30 minutes.  Plug in the ear buds and set the TV at the trusty DIY channel.  They are making over bathrooms today.  About 10 minutes into it I feel great!  I'm thinking I'll be able to crank it up no problem....who needs sleep?  So I take a peek at my heart rate to make sure my vitals are in check, and it's about the highest I've seen it so early in a work out.  Who needs sleep?  ME!  Talked myself off the ledge.  It's OK to work at a slower rate today.  Thank goodness I did!  By the end of the 30 minutes I was wiped!  I was one of those crazy people whispering to myself, "come on! you got this!"  Of course I felt much better when I notice the guy next to me having an even harder time and he's at a lesser pace.  HE needed a shake and an energy drink! Downed the energy drink...feeling better.....off to the weights.  You'll never guess what I did.  Yep, increased my weights by 5-10 pounds.  Woohoo!  Should have had the drink earlier!  Live and learn.

You know, I pretty much skipped out of there because after recovering from my little heart attack at the end of the stair work out I felt great!  Momma needs to keep herself healthy and strong if she's going to take care of other people too. 

Speech Therapy for Ty

So Ty's still not talking much.  At his 3 year old appointment, the doctor referred him to a speech therapist to  do an assessment.  We are not sure if he's just stubborn or if he is really having problems.

Our therapist was really good.  She wasn't able to get him to cooperate enough to manipulate his mouth, but she was able to do lots of assessments.  Basically he can hear, understand, and follow directions.  But we already knew that.  He tested up to a 4 yr old level in his comprehension.

She was impressed with his ability to communicate a three step thought through his little hand gestures.  To me it's just another day, but I'm home with him all the time.  I know what he needs just by looking at him.  

She could see his frustration with his lack of ability to communicate more.  From that first one hour visit, her first two thoughts are he might have tongue tie and/or apraxia.  (She could see his tongue a little when he was throwing one of his loud 3-yr-old-tantrums.  But needs to try manipulating more next time.)  

From what I've read on-line, it's pretty hard to diagnose 2-3 yr olds with apraxia, but sometimes speech therapists will give a diagnosis of "potential apraxia."  I guess in children in this situation it's better to diagnose and be incorrect than to miss it.  Either way, if it's tongue tie, apraxia, or just speech delay, he'll get some extra attention to get him back on track.  

Even the first session was a huge help for me.  She gave me four signs to teach him so he can be less frustrated.  Also, we need to stop "eh eh" to get what he needs.  She taught me how to listen to his babbling to find the words and reinforce when he says something right.  In the last 1-1/2 days I have found more words he has been using -- or trying to use.  

Now we have to wait on insurance to start more therapy sessions.  We happened to get new insurance the day he had his assessment, so now the clinic needs to get approval before we can schedule the next appointments.  Hopefully we'll hear something next week.

I'm excited to get this little guy some help.  I can't imagine how frustrated he must feel sometimes.

Mommy, I gots poopy.

Well, Ty doesn't talk, but if he did that's what he would have said.  Here's the story.

As it goes when any mom is in the shower, the kiddo had troubles.  I'm almost done and Ty opens the door and points to the bedroom.  I assume his movie was done and tell him I'll be done in a minute.  A minute later Ty comes back.  I look down and opening my shower door is one poopy hand.  Make that two poopy hands!  He looks at me as if to say, "mommy, I gots poopy!"  Oh dear.  Mommy jumps out and inspects the situation.  Everything is contained.  Appears to be a hand down the back of the diaper situation.  Whew!  Cleaned him up and finished getting ready myself.

Now to the basement to do laundry.  Alicia sits on the toilet, and says "oh gross mom, there's water on the floor."  Oh dear Lord.  I run into the bathroom and inspect the situation.  Yep.  There's pee on the floor.  Lots of it.  "Oh gross mom!  I got pee on my foot!"  Yep, oh gross mom, I got pee on my foot.  What about the mom who has to clean all this stuff!?  Got the culprit to confess and I cleaned up.  All this before 9:30am.  

Back to my regularly scheduled household chores.

Have a good Saturday everyone!

Being Mommy in the Summer

Literally had a break down this morning.  Full-time mommy to three kids during summer break is rough.  I love doing things with the kids and for the kids.  I hate doing things for the kids and have them complain the entire time about this, that, and the other thing.  And the back talking!  Seriously??!!

I am not doing this for my health.  In fact, I'm in a short line for a heart attack if this continues.

Saving grace is a wonderful husband who tries to help out when he's home, and lets me go to bed WAY early when I needed it (last night).  THANKS HONEY!!

Maybe I'm coming into a really hormonal part of my week.  I don't know, but I've got to have a girls night soon.

I know all you parents out there know what I'm talking about.  There are days that I wish I worked.  I know that has its own set of issues, but this isn't easy either.

Days like today are rough.  Kids are being ornery, husband is working hard, house needs cleaning, laundry needs to be done, and the budget just doesn't quite come together.

Next week is a new week.  Hopefully things will come together.  The kids have been talked to, and a gentle reminder seems to be working so far.  Now for the laundry, and hopefully a mommy nap before everyone else emerges out of their rooms.

Thanks for listening.

Cat Puke, Laundry, Exercise, Oh My!

Most moms will know exactly what I'm talking about.

Woke up last night to Emmy puking on our bed.  Yes, on our bed, while we were in it.  Nothing like waking up to that gagging hacking sound of a cat.  Everyone say "EWWWW." 

Get up this morning and pull all the bedding off the bed.  If I have to wash the duvet, I might as well do it all.  While I'm at it, might as well wash everyone elses' bedding too.  Smile and nod if you know what I'm talking about.

Little Ty wakes up an hour early since we put him down an hour early.  This is both good news and bad news.  The good news is I'll make it to the gym in time for 9:30 cycle class.  The bad news is I have one more little person to attend to while I clean up and get the kids off to the bus. 

Once the kids are off to school our day gets back to normal.  Oh no, wait, did I think this morning would go smoothly?  Got an email from our sub Sunday School teacher that she can't really sub on the dates that we need her.  Note to self, when we get home from the Y, finalize the teacher schedule and make sub request forms for next Sunday.

Take a peek at the carpet and notice the stairs are totally filthy.  I've got 25 minutes, I can vacuum.  Yep, I did it, I vacuumed.  (Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves??)

So that great idea set us back a few minutes, but we made it to the Y on time.  Ty had a great time playing with his friends and mom got a great workout.  Exactly what I needed after a rocky start to the day. 

School's in session!

Yay! The kids are back in school.  Down to me and Ty and our new little routine.  Hit the YMCA in the morning.  Ty is adjusting well to the child care center at the Y.  I go almost every day because the more I go, the happier he is when I drop him off.  I've found several classes that I enjoy...Body Pump, Cycling, Tabata, Boot Camp.  I also still hit the elliptical and treadmill on days I miss class.  There are a few I haven't tried yet like the water classes and zumba.  The schedule hasn't aligned correctly yet.

After the Y I shower, we have lunch and Ty gets down for a quick nap.  After naps we pick up the big kids from the bus stop.  Then the hard part starts.  Seriously the hour of Body Pump followed by a 3 mile run isn't as exhausting as afternoon snack time in this household.  Noisy, hungry, tired kids ready to tell me all about their day, demand a snack, and ask to go to a friend's house....all at the same time.  Talk about multi-tasking!  I'm exhausted 30 minutes after the kids get home. 

The kids have adjusted well to the new school.  So far we are doing great with the long walk to the bus stop....check back with me this winter when it's cold, windy and snowing.  I've gotten to know the kids' neighbor friends' parents better.  Behind us lives a family with a girl Larson's age, her older brother, parents, and grandmother.  The grandmother recently told me that the mom was praying a family with kids her daughter's age would build a house here.  We've had a few short conversations and hopefully we will develop a closer friendship as our kids have.  It's cute to see the "fabulous 4" walking to and from the bus stop together. 

Sunday School starts this week.  I've had to volunteer to teach Larson's Sunday School class, as they didn't have any volunteers  That would mean no Sunday School for that class until a teacher steps up.  One other mom volunteered to cover 1/3 of the classes which is fantastic!  I asked the coordinator to help us find one more teacher.  This church is a little different, as Sunday School meets during church.  The kids' lessons follow the message of the church service.  I kind of like this because they don't really enjoy sitting through church anyway, it's more convenient for the parents, and the kids probably get more out of Sunday School.  The only con is that the days I teach, I miss sitting with Jeff in church.  The program does quite a few "Sunday School in Worship" Sundays.  Which means the kids get an activity sheet to complete during church so the service is their Sunday School that day.  This means more time as a family in church and less lessons for me to prepare. Although I wasn't quite ready to jump into teaching, I'm looking forward to meeting more people. 

MOPS also starts this week!  Woohoo!  I found a group a few miles from me and I'm looking forward to checking this group out.  For more information about MOPS, check out www.mops.org.

Off for a nap before the bus comes.  I need all the rest I can get!

Hit the Y one too many times

Joined the YMCA a while back to give my work out routine some variety.  AND to get a moment away from the monkeys without messing up the "family time" schedule. 

The kids LOVE the child care area, so that was a huge plus.  Ty has a little separation anxiety, and over time it seems to be getting better.  The staff is really good with helping him while I'm gone.  He puts on a good show for me as I turn around and walk out the door.  Usually the mom checking in behind us will find me and let me know he stopped crying as soon as I was up the stairs.  I love how the moms at the facility support each other!

I'm excited to have found a huge variety of equipment and classes that challenge me.  My favorite classes so far are group cycling and Bosu boot camp.  On my own, I like (what I call) speed hill walking and a few of the programs on the elliptical.  The elliptical that I like the most is Octane's run stride.  I can do sprinting and intervals without killing my back and knee.  I've been doing the 30:30, which is 30 second sprints, 30 second rest and every few minutes you get a 3 minute recovery.  That style of exercise is HUGE for weight loss.  Get your heart rate up and down throughout the work out. 

Anyway, I'd been working out 4 days straight!  This morning when I woke up and couldn't sit down on the toilet, I decided today is my rest day.  Ouch!  Tomorrow I'm going to try the 10K on the elliptical.  Maybe lift some weights too. 

I feel SO good these days!  I'm super excited I'm back at a gym and taking time for myself.  Even if I have to drag everyone out the door and leave one screaming at the child care area.  It's totally worth it to have a happy momma again!

Mommy's evening off!

I got a few hours "off"!  Thanks to my friend for asking me to a movie.  So rejuvenating in such a little amount of time.

Jeff does a fantastic job with the kids. I had to giggle a little when I get home and the van door is open and the diaper bag is still inside.  It is a challenge to get the kids in and out of the van with all the paraphernalia that comes along.  I was a little concerned about opening the door to the house, but they were doing great. Everyone was having a bedtime snack, smiling, and talking.  I should have stayed away for a few hours longer!

I took Jeff's car tonight and I have to admit....I really miss driving a "normal car."  They're so fast!  You can zoom in and out of traffic so easily.  I love our Grand Caravan because it's perfect for our family; and really, I shouldn't be zooming in and out of traffic anyway, right?

I don't think your life ever goes back to "normal" after you have kids, but sometimes I like to image what it will be like to have "me" back.  The "me" that's not 24/7 on-call mom.  I know the mom part never goes away, but I also know that eventually you get to hang out with your friends and eat meals without incident again.  Maybe I need to petition harder for year-round school.  HMMMMMM.

Another run, another day, and a visit to the zoo

Weight is a little up and I'm not sure why.  My goal this week is to track my intake a little better.

Went for a run this morning but ended up walked the last part because my knee hurts.  I injured it a while back and I have to back off when it acts up.  It was still a good run because my goal was to go faster, which I did for 1 1/2 miles. I'm eager to get a bike helmet so I can add biking to my list of exercises. I should probably add kettlebells to the list.  I could fit that into the schedule in the evenings.  Oh ya, the kettlebells are at the old house still.  UGH. Well, add that to the list for next week.

Last night we went to Como Zoo.  We only had an hour before the park closed, but it was a great time to go!  No crowds and it was coolish outside.  We zoomed through the exhibits and the animals were up close and personal (except the bears...I think they were already in their dens for the night).  I had a monkey run at me, which was spooky.  It came out of no where on a branch and pounced the glass.  I screamed of course.  Totally wasn't expecting that.  He was a cute little fellow.  The lion was pacing in front of the glass so the kids got to be very close up.  Poor thing wanted to be outside.  Not sure why he wasn't, I'm thinking the lions were brought in for the night.  That's the closest we'll ever be to a lion! The gorillas were looking pretty sad in their inside enclosures, but when we went outside we found out why.  They're doing a huge renovation to the outdoor gorilla exhibit.  It will be a much better space for them.

Today is a "stay home day."  We're going to try to do stuff around the house today.  Lars and Ali like playing with their friends and they hate having their play time interrupted.  I don't blame them.  Nope, today we stick around the house.  Maybe I'll get some house work done too.  Make a couple of phone calls.  Yep, that sounds good today.

What a great day

It was a scorcher today in Minnesota!  Hot and humid is not a good combination.  I believe it was in the 90s (F) with 71% humidity.  We're lucky to have central air!

This morning we biked to a park nearby.  Even at 10:00 am it was sticky hot.  Super mom saved the day and got the Burley changed from a jogger to a pull-behind for the bike.  Dripping sweat I braced cab with my feet and pulled with ultra super strength on the tire and POP it came off.  Whew!  The kids were a bit nervous that mom wouldn't be able to do it and then the ride would be cancelled.  Mom couldn't let that happen.  Putting the trailer piece on was much easier.  So got that ready, hop on the bike and the chain falls off.  Twice.  ARGH.  Needless to say, I got it fixed.  We had a good time riding bikes together.  I think that's the first time we all hopped on a bike and rode off. 

One of the kids' new friends spent the first part of the afternoon playing.  It is so much fun to have friends close to keep us busy.

Like a normal kid, Larson informs me when we get to the pool that he doesn't have his shoes.  He was embarrassed and said he was sorry so I really couldn't get angry.  We've all been there.  But OMG.  Seriously.  We have an agenda after lessons!  Took this time as an opportunity for some Love & Logic.  "Well honey, the pavement is really hot.  You're going to have to run to the door.  Watch for cars!"  He tries to pin it on me..."mom, you forgot to remind me."  Nope, not working.  My come-back...."sorry buddy, your shoes are your responsibility.  You know you need to put shoes on when we go somewhere.  Remember next time."  So yes, I got about 30 minutes behind running errands because we had to go back home and get the shoes, but he learned a lesson and I kept my head about me.  Yay mom!

So after Larson's lessons, I pick up a take-n-bake pizza at a place in Savage called Woodland Take-N-Bake Pizza Company.  Dare I say it's better than Papa Murphy's?  So many toppings! Yummy crust!  Anyway, we just sit down and the door bell rings.  The neighbor kids are inviting the kids to a pool party.  Yep, eat and hurry off, kids.  Ali's swim lessons are in 45 minutes.  Ali and Jeff soon take off and Larson stays out.  All the kids are pool hopping and running through various sprinklers.  They were out until 8:30 pm!  Good times. 

On to tomorrow.  Dare I take a run in the morning?  I've been a slacker the last few days and it should be nice and mugging tomorrow morning.  Well, my punishment for procrastinating.  Wish me luck!

There's only one of me!!!!!!

I'm pulled in so many directions today.  Kind of feeling like Elastagirl.  Or at least wishing I was.  ARGH! Everyone needs help, and usually at the same time.  In fact, it's amazing I'm blogging right now. 

One mommy and three kiddos is overwhelming.  I can't count how many times I've said "I'm one person taking care of three of you....you need to wait."  Wondering if Target sells those ticket dispensers.  "Take a number!"  It's summer break and there's no break for this mom.  Fighting for attention is never ending in this household and I need a break.  Sorry, not going to happen, but one can dream....can't she? 

Many of you know what I'm talking about.  Coffee??  Oh ya, I made some.  Didn't quite get around to drinking it.  Ever start the washing machine without putting clothes in it.  Come on, admit it. Projects 1/2 done sitting around because you start something, get distracted, start something else, get distracted, etc.  Eventually they must go to sleep, right?  Oh ya, and I got that coffee last night at 10:00 when I finally had time to sit down and enjoy it.  Thankfully I drink decaf.

Yes, I call my kids Monkies

I'm a mom! I have three children whom I call Monkies. Especially my daughter. She can climb, hang, jump, and cling to you like no one's business. They cuddle, squeal, fight, climb, and have been known to fling poop. Well not exactly, but there is plenty of poop involved in my day.

I stay home to do my best to raise them. At first I thought they'd be better off at day care. I felt that I was really bad at being home. Then I realized, no, all moms struggle with the same issues that I do. Now that Monkey #3 is here, I'm an awesome SAHM! Well, some days.

I wanted to start a blog to share some of the ups and downs of being a mom. I'm hoping it'll be theraputic. There are some really funny and entertaining things that go on around here, and I'm sure in everyone's household. We all could right the best books. Also, being on round 2 of weightloss I hope having a blog to air my failures, temptations and successes, I might have better - no, quicker success.

I look forward to airing all my laundry and hoping others might comment. We can help each other get through these days of middle-aged, child rearing fun.