A sad story about lbs

Alright.  Who broke my scale?  It is stuck 5 pounds above where it is supposed to be.  It won't move!  Come forward now and I won't sue you for pain and suffering.

Ok, maybe it is me and not the scale.  I'm not so great with the healthy eating, not drinking too much red wine, working out regularly, drinking water, and the general burning more calories than I consume thing.  I mean really?  Is dieting and working out any fun? I know the answer: NO!  But you know what else isn't fun?  Pants that make you feel like your gut is in a vice grip.  The vice grip muffin top jean is no fun. 

So I'm trying the cafeteria diet plan to shed my Christmas gift and get ready for bikini season (cause I have 99 bikinis and the tankini ain't one).  It goes something like this: peruse Pinterest for what seems to be the latest diet fad or craze and make that happen for some period of time.  This might be mostly in your head (gluten free diet) or maybe you actually try it on for 7 days (The no alcohol diet.  Ok it was 5 days but you brag to your husband that you've been off the sauce for a week.  Five rounds up to 7.)

And finally I settle on portion control.  This includes the elimination of the little (at least once a week) voice in my head saying "I'm feeding the cold, I'm totally feeding this cold!  Take that cold!  An extra piece of chocolate! BOOM!"  I can't eliminate carbs or white starchy stuff but I have tried to use more whole wheat and brown stuff.  Also, not eating (and drinking) after 6:30 at night (no matter what the spoon and the Nutella try to tell me).

I do love a nice baked good.  Here are a couple I've tried and we all really liked.  These are "healthy" which seems to be an incredibly subjective word so for all I know these things unhealthy.  All I know is that both taste too good to be healthy. 

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/healthy-chocolate-muffins/

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/10/11/healthy-peanut-butter-chunk-oatmeal-bars/

 

 

I've also been walking and using the Sworkit ap.  This workout new attitude came after my all-time low... searching for "workouts in bed" on Pinterest.  Guess what, trying to find a workout that can be done in your bed is not the ultimate picture of laziness.  Deeming all of the bed workouts (yes!  they exist and there are quite a few) too hard is laziness working over time. 
So here we go.  I really can't afford bigger clothes so 5 lbs you have to go!

Let's do this thing!

Patience

I pray for patience every day.  Sometimes silently and other times out loud so my kids hear my struggle (because they are the victims of my impatience). 

The other day we were at a random store that we never frequent and I overheard the person in front of me telling the cashier that her aunt always told her to never pray for patience.  INSERT DRAMATIC PAUSE AS MY EARS PERK UP. 

You should never pray for patience because that's just a guarantee that God is going to test your patience.

Ha.  Shows what she knows.  I'm actually asking for help here.  My God is going to help me.  I need help not a challenge.  I need less annoyance from my kids not more.  I need more time in the day not less.  I need you to make it all better!  I am a mean mom with a short fuse and I need patience.  Give it to me now! So much for the grocery store theology moment....

And then today I suddenly got it.  DUH!  It isn't about God testing my patience, it is about the opportunity to use my patience.  Asking for patience is about me wanting things to be easy (because easy is better!).  It's about me focusing on me.  What I really need to pray for are opportunities to love my kids in a ferocious way.  I need to pray that I will get the opportunity to practice patience and let God's light and grace radiate from me to my littles.

Do you see what He did there?  Well played Jesus, well played.

Big Girl Bed...Begrudgingly

Begrudgingly on all of our parts.  I'm pretty sure she would have slept in her crib until she turned 16 but she loves her new bed.

First night in the big girl bed!

 This crib (pictured as a toddler bed) was purchased almost nine years ago when I was pregnant with Patrick.  At that time Sacramento had one of the few local all inclusive baby stores, it was called Goore's.  The vibe was so much better than Babies R Us and even though the prices were a little high it was worth it.  We shopped for a crib, had an argument about color, form, and function.  Realized that we both wanted the same crib.  Returned to Goore's to buy it.    We are funny like that.

Both boys slept in this crib.  You can see Keith's chew marks.  This crib moved 3 times with us!  It was one of the best investments we made.  Stylish and solid and still in use.

Patrick and Keith both eventually climbed out of the crib.  Lauren only did it for a week or so and then stopped.  Until this week.... she's struggled with nap for a few weeks.  She talks, she destroys, she cries, she talks some more, and strips off her clothes (and her baby doll too).  Let's be real: I need naptime BAD.  So when she was yelling for me for half an hour the other day (Mom!  Where are you!?!?) I finally answered her call.
"Hi Mama!  Dis my horse."
My girl was riding the crib rail.  Her father and I decided that this was much worse than climbing out and on Friday the crib was converted into a toddler bed.  The fact that this conversion happened during naptime should tell you how my life has been progressing lately.

That night, she went to bed without her usually soliloquy.  The next day, nap FAIL.  Last night she slept great.  Today we fought for an hour and forty-five minutes.  I think she is asleep now (after getting up 4 times, slamming her finger in the sliding glass door, begging and pleading (by both of us)).
Today I realized that I have been out of diapers for a week.  What is happening to my life?  Wah and Yay.

Valentine's Day 2013

Kevin and I did the math and we think we were engaged 15 years ago on Valentine's Day.  We love Valentine's Day for that reason and all the fun heart shapes that come along with it.  In other words, we heart hearts.

First up, heart shaped pancakes (red velvet with a plain pancake border).

 The boys had valentines to take to all of their friends.

And back to back parties in the afternoon (lots and lots of treats).

Lauren got to hang out with "Robert" all day.

Nana came by and brought us a cake!

We made MeatHearts and Spaghetti.  YUM!

Daddy was running late for dinner and we were crashing hard from our sugar high (Keith was throwing a fit) so we had a dance party.  All of Lauren's clothes fell off!

Now that's a party!

Who wants to see the tea party photos?

A great photo shoot with Whitney Frank ... from October.  I'm a little slow but I hope you enjoy these anyway.  The tea party is at the end and oh what a blast that was!  I love these kids.