Score One For Virginia

Spring in the mountains of Utah, where we used to reside, was usually chilly, often cold, and not uncommonly snowy. It would, in fact, routinely snow in April and May. Sadly - even in June we could be surprised by a rogue dusting of white stuff! Though I miss my home state and family/friends that live there, spring in Virginia has some definite advantages.

This is the tree in our front yard. I wish that I had snapped the pic when it was in full bloom, it was gorgeous! Now our lawn is covered with what Z calls 'pink snow'. Above A is enjoying the weather with her friend, and anyone who knows Z will understand that laying in a bed of pink flowers made his day!

Work Out Songs

So I need a larger repertoire of motivational work out songs.   My favorites are:

I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor 

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - Proclaimers

Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty

Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall

Move Along - All American Rejects

The Middle - Jimmy Eat World

Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode

What are yours?

My New Theme Song

Otherwise known as the dieter's anthem:

*note: for musical accompaniment select Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive' from my playlist on the bottom right!

First I was afraid

I was petrified (of the upcoming bathing suit season)

Kept thinking I could never live

Without you by my side (chocolate)

But then I spent so many nights (and days)

Thinking how you did me wrong (inner thighs, belly, etc..)

And I grew strong

And I learned how to get along

And so you're back (because the neighbor brought over cookies)

From outer space

I just walked in to find you here (in my kitchen because I was saving you for kids)

With that sad look upon (my) face

I should have changed that stupid lock (bad neighbor!)

I should have made you leave your key (okay, good neighbor - bad cookies)

If I had known for just one second

You'd be back to bother me

Go on now go

Walk out the door (in the trash bag that I threw you in - the kids won't know)

Just turn around now

'Cause you're not welcome anymore

Weren't you the one

Who tried to hurt me with goodbye

You'd think I'd crumble (like one of those gooey chocolate chip cookies)

You'd think I'd lay down and die

Oh no, not I

I will survive

As long as I know how to love (eating those vegetables)

I know I'll feel alive

I've got all my life to live 

I've got all my love to give (to health/weight conscious choices)

And I'll survive

I will survive

HEY HEY

It took all the strength I had 

Not to fall apart (on the stair master at the gym)

Kept trying hard to mend

The pieces of my broken heart (and those inner thighs, belly, etc..)

And I spent oh so many nights (and days)

Just feeling sorry for myself

I used to cry

But now I hold my head up high (even though I go to the gym with no make-up and a bandana to hide my bed head)

And you see me

Somebody new

I'm not that chained up little (or average sized) person

Still in love with you (really I still am)

And so you felt like dropping in (remember, good neighbor - bad cookies)

And just expect me to be free

Now I'm saving all my loving

For someone who's loving me (carrots - sigh....)

GO ON NOW GO  

Walk out the door

Just turn around now

'Cause you're not welcome anymore 

Weren't you the one

Who tried to break me with goodbye

You'd think I'd crumble (and get the cookies out of the trash - which I considered - instead of going to the gym)

You think I'd lay down and die (on the third rep of overhead lifts)

Oh not, not I

I will survive

As long as I know how to love (the benefits of working out)

I know I'll feel alive

I've got all my life to live (and build up more that child-like muscle endurance)

I've got all my love to give (to a new pair of skinny pants -which I will buy as soon as they fit)

And I'll survive

I will survive

The Down Side of Broccolli

I love steamed green vegetables.  With lots of ICBNB butter spray.  Lately this sustenance has become a 'snack' for me - as I am trying to be more health conscious.  The upside of snacking on vegetables has been that none of my offspring wishes to share with me.  I don't know about other Mom's but I become overly aggravated when I fix myself a plate/bowl/dish of something and my half hound-dog kids come sniffing about and ask for a bite.  (It is my food, and I don't want to share!).  Sadly, vegetables are no longer a 'safe' dish.   Today, I fixed myself a big plate of steamed broccoli.  I was excited to sit down and 'enjoy' it when the kids came running.  Two of the three saw what I was about to eat and excitedly asked to have some because they love it so much.  Now don't get me wrong -  I am happy that my kids are excited about eating their vegetables, HOWEVER, now instead of hiding my M&M's from them I will have to hide my broccoli.  

High Cholesterol?

Yesterday, the diagnosis of High Cholesterol blind-sighted me.  Your initial impression may be that at 34, I am too young to suffer from this medical malady.  You are right.  Which makes it all the more strange that I am not the one who has it.  It is my 4 year old son!  Before you think that my poor nutritional provisions are the cause, please know that no one else in the family has ever suffered from 'cholesterolic' problems.   And so, little Z has been put on doctor recommended breakfast plan of oatmeal and cherrios. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the new face of High Cholesterol......  

March in Review

Yes, I realize that it is mid-April, but.............

The Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts took up A LOT of time - N was excited to finally get the awards that he had earned last fall.  He was not excited to eat the dinner as it went along with the theme 'chineese new year'.  He despises most dinner-time foods that are not: macaroni and cheese, buttered noodles, or some type of bread product. 

Decorating cakes for the Elementary School Cake Walk was a priority for N and A.  We had fun coming up with the designs, and the kids quite enjoyed sampling their medium.

Girl Scout cookies were the bane of my existence as I ignorantly signed up to be the Troop Cookie Manager.  (Don't scoff you westerners, in the East, Girl Scouts are all the rage.)  Had I know that I was signing up for a part time job with cookie sales, I may have been more reluctant to volunteer my services.  To sum up the experience in one word: UGH!   

Kid Quotes For the Month:

Z: Can you just teach me everthing about Jesus so I can stop going to church?

A:  I didn't think that I would see a butt in Jamestown!

N:  I never knew my parents were the meanest ones on the street.

A: Grandpa got a new car?  What is he going to do with his old one?  Maybe save it for his oldest grandchild for when she gets her drivers license?

Z: Oh look a cute dog!  And an ugly girl with it.

N: I need new tires.  (me: what?) You know, the shoes, the kind with ties?

The West Wing

Thank you, Secret Service Agent X.

Thank you, for the comprehensive tour of the West Wing.

Also, thank you for offering my fidgety children some chewing gum to help them cope with the slowly moving tour group in front of us.

Yes, thank you for kindly thinking of three young children.  

But perhaps chewing gum is not the best distraction for a child.

Especially a child of 4.

So please apologize to the President of the United States.

Or to whomever has to scrape the gum off the carpet in front of the Oval Office.

But like I said, Thank You!

Today, we had a fantastic and informative experience touring the West Wing of the White House with the Hub's cousin John, who lives nearby, and my sister Heather who is here for a fun-fun visit.  The Hub is traveling again, otherwise he would have conducted the tour - and likely not have offered any gum.  Aside from the now infamous 'trident fiasco', and being kindly kicked out of the rose garden in order for the first family's dog's to have some outdoors time, it was FANTASTIC!  

*I actually removed most of the sticky substance myself - and have resolved to stick (ha-ha) to the 'you-may-only-chew-gum-while-sitting-at-the-kitchen-table' rule.

Happy Hair Cut!

After reading my friend Audrey's recent post, and then my blog friend Shauna's post, I had a thought: which will now follow -

Like many women, I struggle with body image issues and weight loss.  I am not a giantess, in need of surgical or professional intervention, I am simply one of those who would like to loose 10 (or more) pounds.  I am also simply one of those that does not loose weight - because I like my treats (and other good foods but sugar is the primary culprit).    

I am also the type of person who wishes to benefit from immediate gratification, which goes well with my desires to sample tasty snacks but is quite inharmonious with my desires to loose some poundage.  

One solution to my lack-of-weight-loss depression, I have found, is a really great hair cut and color.  I look better, right away (provided I go to a trusted professional), and so I feel better about myself.

And I have found the perfect stylist to fix my neurosis.

Every time I go in she chats up a storm - mainly about how great I am.  

I tell her a story - she goes on and on about how funny I am.  She tells me about an issue in her life, I offer my 2 cents on her situation - she goes on and on about how smart I am.  She tells me how beautiful my eyes are, how great my skin is, how she likes my shoes, my purse....etc.  Even if I show up in my work-out gear she tells me how cute and 'sporty' I look and asks me about my exercise regiment - then goes on and on about how smart I am to fit exercise in to my busy life, and on and on about how fit I must be and about how cute I will be at the gym with my new Do.  

And most importantly - she tells me that I am looking thin.  She never makes a direct comment about it - no, she is crafty and knows that it will sound superficial.  She saves this compliment and slides into the conversation in different places, never dewlling on the topic, glossing over how fabulous my body is, and the she moves artfully on to her next battery of compliments.

And so - in short - I love my stylist.  As much as I love cocoa almonds from Trader Joes, or a cheeburger cheeburger mint oreo shake, or those chocolate m&m's pretzles from.....well - never mind.....  

The point is, whenever I am down about my physical appearance, an appointment to go see my stylist provides a quick mood fix.  I come out feeling like a million bucks - every time.  I don't know how her other clients feel - but she sure gets a generous tip from me - the girl is my motivator, my life coach, my therapy.  And gives me a good cut and color to boot.

'bad' Mommy

I had one of 'those' moments tonight.  The kind when in my head I am telling myself "shut up before you say something you might regret" but my mouth has a mind of it's own. 

Early this morning I had placed a picture on my 4 year old son's bed.  I was moving it from one wall to another, but the phone rang, life got busy, and I forgot about it.  Later in the evening, after an incredibly demanding and stressful afternoon (pre-school drop off, homework, preschool pick up, an hour of rowdy boy scouts, fast dinner, football practice, homework, piano practicing - and particularly whiny kids at every turn) I was on my last thread of patience and supposed sanity.  

So when my son called from upstairs that he was 'sorry but he broke the glass in my picture', I kind of snapped.  

I ran up the stairs, ignoring my awareness that the incident was entirely my fault, and got mad at my innocent little boy for breaking the glass in the picture.

Thankfully, tonight, his wisdom was greater than my own.  He looked at me in my frantic 'mom -has-just-snapped' mode and said without batting an eye.

"Maybe you should have put that picture in a place where I couldn't touch it.  Then it would have been just fine."

To which I replied.....well....I had no reply.  He was right.  And we both knew it.

I am grateful tonight for 'Z'.  He has taught me a lesson - which hopefully I will readily recall the next time I am in a maniacal state.  So here is to my renewed efforts to keep my mouth from spewing out emotion that has more to do with my own stresses than anything else that may be happening at the time.