I'm here

Thanks to you bloggy mommas who have wondered if I fell off the earth. I guess I just fell out of blog land. Not intentionally. I just literally have not sat down in about two months. I hope to catch up with everyone soon. But as we all know the big holiday is in six days, holy heck, and I probably won't get a chance to check in until after Santa's visit. 

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Years. Enjoy this time with your lovely families.

Jenny

Watchin' My Weight Wednesday

Farmer Tanner (and the ever present pug butt)

 Tanner is in a pre-preschool class and they were allowed to wear their costumes for a Halloween party. He is a farmer this year. He chose that about three months ago, maybe after we went to the fair (?) and has not wavered. I think he thinks farmers and cowboys are one in the same, because he says, "I look like Woody mom" (from Toy Story). I don't care, he just looks cute. I loved, loved, loved going to Tractor Supply Company to get these overalls. I love that store. I always wanted to be a cowgirl.

 He insisted I bring up the horse from the basement so he could ride. All. Day. Long.

 That thing was heavy! Does that count as my weight lifting/cardio for the day? Just kidding.

I've tried about every kind of fitness fad there has been in the last 20 years. Step areobics, Tae Bo, Pilates, yoga, running road races, cycling/spinning, boot camps, dance aerobics (this was before Zumba- I do want to try this one), giant exercise balls, jumping rope, exercising with giant rubber bands, home DVDs, you name it, I've tried it. They all work to some degree. But like anything, you have to DO it or they don't work at all. The one thing I do still want to try that I am afraid of is horse back riding. I rode a little when I was younger but only a couple times. I don't remember it very much. I think it would be so awesome to  be flying wild and fast on the back of a beautiful strong horse. I've heard it is a tremendous leg, booty, abs and back workout too. But really in all honesty I just want to embrace my inner cowgirl. Maybe this summer, that would be a great family outing. I might not be racing around but it would be kind of a bucket list thing. For now, I'll stick with running, spinning, and weight lifting. They are working and I enjoy them. But I can dream can't I?

Are there any exercise things you want to try but are afraid to do?

Monday/Tuesday Check in

I posted this on Facebook so sorry friends who already heard this story. But I love it.

Tanner and Asher and I came home from the grocery today. Tanner asked if we could listen to a song we heard in the car again. It was a Sting song, and you gals know how much I love Sting (a whole bunch of oodles, in case you forgot). I was so happy. Yes! Most of the time he requests Weird Al's "Fat", what in the heck was I thinking letting him listen/watch that on Youtube? And when I asked him if he wanted a salad for lunch he said, "YES mommy, I love salad!" He was so happy. The kid really likes salad. So we found a Sting concert on Youtube, and danced and munched for lunch. It was glorious. Awesome day.

things I am doing this week:

• writing thank you notes
• labeling pictures to mail
• getting Halloween costumes for me and Big Tall Hubby
• fixing our house for sale sign, after 3+ years, it needs some work
• wrapping and delivering a gift for our little chatterbug neighbor
• mailing books to my Big Tall Father in Law
• calling the sprinkler people for fall service

my menus for this week:

• lots of party leftovers
• Big Tall Hubby has one of those weeks, where he is working late every day so the kids and I will be foraging for food in our fridge

Have a super awesome week!

we found bigfoot

I've told you how my boys* (Big Tall Hubby included) are addicted to that show "Finding Bigfoot." A few weeks ago, I took the kids to the flea market because Big Tall was at an Ohio State Football game. Look what we found. 

Sasquatch Yard Art!

I swear I wanted to buy it. Just to piss off my grumpy, unsocial, frowny-faced neighbors. Wouldn't that be excellent? We sent this pic to Big Tall at the game and I don't know if his eyes are getting bad or he had too many at the tailgate party but he thought it was real, for a minute. Do you think I should go back and get this for our yard? It is completely tacky but I would love to irritate my neighbors for real. We live on the grumpiest street in America. I have tried giving my neighbors baked goods, picking up their trash cans after a windy storm, snow blowing their sidewalks, and they are still the meanest people I have ever seen. All of them, (with the exception of one family) I am not kidding. Anyway. I think they hate kids or something. My poor kids will wave and say "hi" desperate for someone to reciprocate and they all ignore them. I'm surrounded by rude, idiotic, dumby heads (I'm referring to my neighbors).

*I try to tell my guys that if they really found Bigfoot, we'd know already. It would be on the news/web, not on some show taped months ago. They refuse to see my logic. Instead, they all make Bigfoot calls periodically and look for tracks at every park or wooded area we might travel to. **sigh**

find a treasure

Don't you love it when you find little treasures in the laundry? This little Go Go guy was just sitting there when I opened the dryer. Like, "hey lady, get me out of here!" I'd rather find a washed and dried $20 bill that was left over from last winter and fell out of a coat pocket (trip to the antique mall?) but a Go Go guy still brightened up an otherwise weary chore. 

 I found this on the same day I read a friend's facebook post about being all off her laundry "day" schedule. She was ranting about how she didn't get to do her laundry on her certain day and now she was all behind. One day for laundry? I wanted to comment, "oh you have no idea, I do thirty loads of laundry every week..." blah blah blah, but I just  read the next post and thought, what in the heck would I do with all that free time?

Have a great day. If you must do laundry today, I hope you find a treasure!

Watchin' my Weight Wednesday

This picture is from (almost) two years ago. I had just figured out that I was pregnant and hadn't told a soul because it was a shocker and I was like those teen age girls you think of who deny it until they have a baby in the toilet. Well, I'm not quite extreme, but still. I remember thinking, "well crap, now I'm going to have to go on a diet, again." I am wearing those same jeans today. I wouldn't say they are my favorite "skinny mom" jeans (remember that from Sex and the City?) however, I am glad I can finally get them up over my thighs and get them buttoned without too much of a muffin top. Asher is 14 (almost 15 months) old and this time has definitely been the longest it has taken to get back to my prepregnancy weight. Bummer thing is, I'm at my old weight but my clothes still don't fit right. I think if I lost a little more, things would button easier, be a little looser, look a little more flattering. I'm trying super hard not to be all perfectionist about it, I mean, I have had four kids (!) and that's pretty stinkin' hard. I have seen people never get back to their old selves after having kids. I'm definitely taking the slow and steady pace. I've been working out regularly (love going back to spinning) and it helps to make myself write about it here, accountability and all so hopefully I'll be where I want to be soon. For now, I'm going to enjoy wearing some of my old jeans, even if they're out of style now. ;)

Songs I've been enjoying on my treadmill lately:
Tempted by Squeeze
50 Ways to Say Goodbye by Train
Pump It by Black Eyed Peas
3 by Britney Spears
Gangham Style - who doesn't love this one?
Anything by Stevie Wonder :)

So I ask you blog mommas (i.e. experts on everything)... do you think you've had to lose more weight than you gained after having a baby to look like you "used" to?

Don't procrastinate

This is an old chest we keep in our computer room.  We keep home and toy warranties, appliances paperwork, some of Big Tall Hubby's school stuff, and a few other random things, as you will see.  When I was a young single gal, it actually held winter clothes and gear. Fast forward to a married gal (notice I didn't say "young" anymore) and it has become a trash pile. 

It's one of those things that has been driving me crazy. I rarely open it but when I do, I cringe and say, "I hate this thing, it is such a mess." Then I take a few deep breaths and close the lid, as fast as I can.

 I began by taking everything out and making piles: keep, recycle, toss, file in a different place. Then I took off clothes because I was working so fast and furious I started to sweat.  Well, I really just took off my ratty slippers (see them, they are so gross, need to put that on my Christmas list), I kept my other clothes on. "Naked Organization Projects" now there's a blog that would make me some money!

 Here's the recycle pile. I had to measure it. Seven plus inches. That doesn't sound impressive but it looked like it in person.

 Asher and Max coming to "help." 

 Asher found something to read and settled in Max's cage. All my kids have done this. It makes me feel ill but they are drawn to it like moths to a flame. By the way, he was "reading" the manual to my label maker. Hee hee! Like his mommy! It was one of the mysterious things I found in the cabinet.

 I put some "school stuff" in a plain old box for Big Tall Hubby. I was really wanting to toss it all but I know he'll find me later and say, "do you know where that folder is..." and I want to be ready. I used a box because, well, Amazon had just delivered something and I was too lazy to go in the basement to find something better. Sometimes laziness wins.

 Big Tall Hubby keeps all his daily planner inserts. Why? How the heck would I know? I don't argue with him. I do however get sick of looking at these binders so I put them in here. He can dig around in here on the off chance he needs to look something up.

 On the left here is our house binder. It long ago exploded but I still have everything from when we built the house. You would not believe how often I have had to refer to this thing. (Like last week when the furnace people were trying to convince us that we needed to replace our 8 year old furnace!)

The right is a little basket that holds warranties for tvs, toys, and other small things that would not stay with the house if we ever moved.

 Here it is all straightened up. It isn't that pretty but a big improvement over the "before."

 I found this huge pen in here. The kids love it. It is pretty funny. I also found my childhood baton (Zoe was stoked!), a couple picture frames, and a picture CD that had some really cute pics of the kids on it. Buried treasure, you've got to love it.

I've said it before and I guess I have to keep reminding myself, don't procrastinate!