Got Picasso?

This cute-as-a-button girl is all heart!

She wears her emotions on her sleeve (though she may outgrow this once she is past the age of 2). While this can be frustrating for the adult in charge (usually, yours truly), sometimes it can be a good thing. For instance, you never have to guess how this little gal is feeling.

If she's frustrated, she screams.


If she's tired, she whines.


If she's mad at somebody, she screams and throws herself on the floor.


If she's happy, she's all giggles.


If she's doesn't feel well, she's cuddly.


If she's feeling ornery, she's, well, ORNERY!!!!



You get the picture.



One thing you can't tell just by looking at her is how creative she is . She is probably my most creative child thus far, and I have pretty creative kiddos. She can make-believe right along with her two older sisters, but this gal takes it a step further.

She's a little Picasso. (I chose Picasso because I think his work as a child might be similar to what my Bug has been producing-- they're both kind of out there).

Really, she is quite the color-er. Given the chance, this gal would carry around a crayon everywhere. Sometimes she sneaks the opportunity in when I'm not looking and she colors on stuff. Yes, she manages to land on paper every once in a while-- papers that include cards for or from friends, notes for work, magazines, my other children's drawings, grocery lists, books, a notepad, etc., etc.


And sometimes she colors on whatever is close by. Be it a



Beanbag




Kids table







Bouncing zebra




Kids desk

Kids vanity table

The arm of our futon

The futon's cushion

Our storage ottoman

The wall that covers a beam in the basement

Even my treadmill

And these are just the things that were close by in our basement.

Thanks, my little Picasso. I love you because you are always yourself, and you don't care who knows it!

A Daddy and his 6 Girls

So, you know this guy,

who can multi-task by pushing one girl in a swing and kiss her all while holding another girl (yes, this picture is from Oct 2007 2 days before Bug was born).


Well, you know he has an adorable wife whom he loves so much (my words, but I'm sure he would say them if he were actually here).



And they had 4 lovely daughters-- all of them their hair of plenty.


Did you know he had two other daughters? One predates our four human children.


And then there is the other baby of the house

She joined our family shortly before this past Christmas. And just like all the other girls in this house, Daddy seems to be wrapped around her finger paw.





This, my friends, is how the two of them head to bed every night. Our baby makes him carry her to her crate. Oh, the spoiling that takes place under this roof!

Two Weeks!

It happened again. I abandoned my blogging for two weeks (again). I was hitting a stride and then...

I fell off the blogosphere. I have been reading and keeping up with your blogs, but I have not paid mine the least bit of attention. This is what happens when you are elbow-deep in training for a new job that takes up every waking hour after your four young children are in bed. Oh, and throw in 5 sick people--things are bound to get pretty harry. Yes, the stress level here is finally mellowing out this Sunday night, and I am hoping to catch up on some much needed sleep.

By the way, the 5 sick people included all children and yours truly. It all started with cold-like sypmtoms and Brownie. That turned into three doctor's visits--one was even for moi. I can now say that at the ripe age of 27 I have an ear infection, or what the pro's know as Acute Otitis Media. But seriously, I didn't think people over the age of 6 ever got ear infections. I honestly thought I had served my time in that department. Guess, not. The moderate to severe pain only lasted half a day (thanks to some ear drops), but the hearing loss and dizziness are lingering.

Anyway, after buying one neubulizer (for M&M) machine with medicine, three RX for cough syrup, 3 RX for Amoxicillin in liquid form, 1 RX for Amoxicillin in pill form, 1 RX for azithromycin, and one RX for ear drops, we are finally on our way toward healing. Despite my earnest attempts at keeping this family of six healthy, we fell pray to these little devil bugs. Oh, except for my husband-- isn't he lucky? I'd like to say that he stayed home and nursed us all back to health, but he was out there makin' money for his girls. But still all healthy!

So now I am back. And I am back to show you our last two weeks. What follows is all what happens when...

... you leave the bouncy seat out and your three-year-old gets a hold of it and puts her babies to sleep in it.

... you have one very excited girl all ready to go to her Bible class and she is running a fever; therefore, she is terribly bummed when you decide to keep her home, so you try to make up for it by telling her to pose in her favorite clothes and promise to make pudding.

... you have a craving for Chipotle and you eat their guacamole despite your random allergic reaction to avocados

there, now do you see it?


... you get to join your second-born at school for part of the morning and you pose as silly as you can for a picture.


... you catch your third-born calmly relaxing (for once in her life) and looking super cute!


... you let your four-year-old take pictures with your camera.




... you have a baby who is photographed quite often but is still not quite used to the bright flash.


...you read Food Network magazine and decide you need to make the Whoopie Pies, and they look so pretty you just have to photograph them-- you know, before you eat them.


...you let your nine-month-old express her independence by allowing her to feed herself herb-roasted root veggies. And this is just the tip of the messy iceberg.


...you let your three oldest children frost cupcakes-- did I say frost, I meant lick every last inch of frosting.


... you have a baby who has hair that is totally out of control. So you put it in a rooster-tail (like a pony-tail, but on top of the head).


... you snap a photo of your child devouring a cupcake and surprisingly discover that you captured a moment you can use as blackmail when said child reaches middle school.

Not that I would, umm..., ever do that?


And I wish I could show you all video from the many dance parties we've been having around here these past two weeks. If I had recorded our dances, you would see us dancing to Train's Hey Soul Sister and All the Single Ladies from Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeaquel. These have been getting tons of play in our family room. And hopefully I've burned enough calories to get rid of my Whoppie Pie booty.

Since I can't show you videos I don't have, here's one I do have. This is Peach when she was 5 months old on her very first Valentine's Day doing one of her first dances! Enjoy, and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!


Please excuse my laugh. I had a cold at this time and I sounded awful manly!

What a Bunch of Odballs!

As Sunday night draws to a close, I decided I better fill you all in on some of the oddball things said around the Copeland house this past week. What I'm about to include here is not made up. I really don't think I could even make this stuff up--unless I had the thought processes of a young child, but anyway...

Just last night husband and I were tucking the older two girls (who share a room) into bed. Sometimes we read. Sometimes we tell stories. Last night we decided to sing. One of the songs we (mainly the two older gals) sing quite often says,

I said, shush girl, shut your lips
Do the Helen Keller
and talk with your hips

In our house we say Do the Hokey Poky in lieu of Do the Helen Keller, but who cares, right?

So we sang our version of the lines above and laughed like we usually do. Then I thought I'd help develop and fine tune Peach's problem solving skills by asking her this:

So, Peach, you know how the words really say "Helen Keller," well she was a real person who lived a long time ago and she was deaf and blind.

Peach quizzically stares at me so I explain how deaf means can't hear and blind means can't see.

I then continue by asking my thought-provoking (and hopefully problem-solving skills developing) question:

Hey, Peach, how do you think Helen Keller communicated if she couldn't see or hear?

And here is what my genius of a four-year old said:

In English!
I can hardly explain the look on her face as she uttered those words--like, duh, mom!

Husband and I laughed at that one for quite sometime and then I said:

Did you know that Daddy and I used to teach English?

And that little smarty answered:

Are you sure?

Again the expression on her face totally matched her question.
Where does she get her material, seriously?!?

I love how these kids just come up with the most honest answers to innocent questions that make adults fall down laughing! Thanks kids, keep it up!

On another totally unrelated note, when we sat down to dinner tonight I unintentionally set my husband up for a trap. You know what I mean. The trap where you ask a basic yes or no question and whether the person answers in the affirmative or not they find themselves in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

For some reason or another it occurred to me that I've either been pregnant or breast-feeding for all but 4 of the last 61 months! That totally shocked me when I silently thought it to myself so I had to share the news with the only other person in the house who knows how much 61 is, let alone someone who knows what a month is.

So I tell him of my findings and we both agree, wow--that's somethin'. But I don't let it stop there. I continue on...

I'm guessing that since I've basically had my nutrients depleted for 5 years, my body thinks it's in starvation mode and that's why I'm so fat; it's because my body saves every little ounce of fat I take in because it swears I'm in the depths of a famine. (Insert breath here). I just know I'm right!

Now the accidental kicker of a trap is set up and I follow with:

Don't you think?

I know my husband. And I know that if he's not really making eye-contact at this point it's because he's trying to avoid what is about to happen. He knows I've just set him up in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

So I save him the worry and let him know:

Ha, guess I got ya there, didn't I. Because you know if you say you agree then you are essentially agreeing that I'm fat. But if you say you don't agree, well then you're screwed because you A) don't agree with me, and B) now have to find a back-up argument against the logic I've provided.

The nice, supportive husband I have looks at me with a smile and laughs. I don't make him answer the question. I just fill in the blanks for him and say:

Fat or not, I bet my body is a bit starved for it's own supply of nutrients-- don't ya think?

Yes, honey. You're right.

Now, wasn't that nice of me to dig him out of that trap?

I know, I 'm kidding. It was mean of me to put him there in the first place--but honestly I did NOT do it on purpose!

Oh, Pudding, My Pudding!

I have a pudding problem. I told my husband today that I wish I was a bad pudding maker. He laughed and said, yes honey, you have failed at being a bad pudding maker! HA. Was that a bit of sarcasm mixed in with the absolute truth?

But I can't take all the credit for this pudding. When I was a young gal, my mother made this pudding.

I know that when my own mother was 8, she was helping her mother make this exact pudding by constantly stirring so the milk wouldn't scorch.

And I'm sure that her mother (my Mema) helped her mother make it on a stove that I'd love to make this pudding on.

And I don't know for sure, but I bet there may have been a woman or two before my great-grandmother who also made this pudding. Really, I don't know where this recipe came from or who thunk it up. But I would like to thank them.

It has made several appearances at the holiday table (you name the holiday, it was more than likely there). It has stopped by for my birthday and for birthdays of many family members. I've even been introduced to my chocolate pudding's twin-- vanilla pudding.

It is probably my most favorite recipe in the world. Not only because it has history, but it's part of my personal history. Additionally, my own children have made it part of their history! And what's crazy cool about this recipe--it only uses real ingredients.

Folks, believe me when I say that I can use the same ingredients that my great-grandmother used years ago. I'm not using anything I like to call crap. There are no fillers! There are no preservatives. Yeah, I'm using fatty foods, but they are foods that we as a human race have been eating for years. And guess what, I can pronounce everything I put in my pudding.

The base ingredients follow:
eggs, flour, sugar, salt, milk and vanilla.

Does it get better than this? No, I can assure you; it doesn't!

If you are really nice and plead many times over, I might let you know the recipe.

Sickness and Randomness

Today was yet another sick day here-- no, not for me, I don't get those unfortunately--I have four kiddos who are either looking miserable, feeling miserable, sounding miserable or any combination of those. Bless their little hearts!

I just hate seeing my three-year old with tears streaming down her face, a pink splotch under her nose, and a set of red eyes to match. With a fever yesterday, she had to miss preschool :( On a more positive note, her colors are coordinating well with the upcoming Valentine's Day!

I hate the fact that my nursing baby can't breathe as she tries to eat (or do much of anything else for that matter). The poor thing is constantly rubbing snot and tears (from watery eyes) all over her face. Many baths in our future.

I want to suction out my four-year old's nose, though I know she can blow (I just want to assist, you know). This sweet child has been excited for a week about dressing up in several shirts in order to go to FBI (Faithful Bible Investigators) and earn bonus points. Instead, she had a low fever so we dressed in our layers anyway and made pudding from scratch! She feels a little better (emotionally speaking).

And my poor two-year old sounds awful, but has just as much crazy energy as ever! Luckily she didn't know we had to cancel both of her play dates this morning---oh, the high pitch screams i would've had to endure...


So, on with the cabin fever. To top it off I think we're due for some snow tomorrow and the next day. Needless to say, I broke my rule of no toys (or just a few toys, mostly for baby) on the main floor. We have a walker, jumperoo, doctor's kit, doll house and accessories, 100 wooden blocks, several fort quality blankets, shape sorters, books, puzzles, homemade quiet toys, and games all over the place. When this snow finally does come, I plan on bringing in a pile (or 3 so there are no arguments) of it and setting it up at our makeshift sensory table. And if this fails, I'll just let them play with the regular old shaving cream and small toys. One way or another these three girls

will be kept plenty busy. That way I can tend to this monkey

who has been a little handful lately.

Believe it or not, this gal turns 9 months old tomorrow (the 28th). She's not crawling, but boy does she have some tricks up her sleeve. I believe my next Not My Child Monday post will have something to do with the fact that my sweet, Precious Moments-looking doll most certainly did not happen to finally produce a BM in her bathtub today and then proceed to create a bigger mess as I scrambled to create a clean environment and baby. Ahhhh, the joys of being a mom, or as I like to refer to myself on such crazy days: SuperWoman!

Anyway, M&M has made it through 3/4 of her first year. Yes, as always the time has passed way too fast-- so here are some of the facts I don't want to forget.

What you love:
Your singing/interactive mirror, your jumperoo, your walker, any entertainment provided by your older sisters, mommy, daddy's left shoulder, your sleepy-time giraffe, most music, anything you can grab/touch/abuse/pick at/scratch, seeing yourself in the mirror, playing peek-a-boo, mangoes, avocados, bananas, bread, summer squash, winter squash, applesauce, any rubbery surface toys you can mouth, "singing," "talking," and cuddling.

What you certainly don't care for:
Being without entertainment, not being held after 10 or so minutes of playing, nap and bed time (boy do you like to fight those), cauliflower, mommy doing anything that doesn't involve you "helping," and an occasional bath (you enjoy most of them but scream every once in a while).

You can:
Definitely babble (you even sound like you're cursing when you get really mad), use your pincer grasp, sit up unsupported, get to something you want (but not crawl), stand holding onto something (for a few seconds, anyway), sit on my lap for a short story, kind of clap your hands (you get real excited if I clap mine, the you reach for mine and try to mimic), and feed yourself.

We'll find out your weight on Friday, but I think you're about 27 inches (from what I can tell with my measuring) in length. You still sport some amazing hair that we have to keep clipped back out of your face. If we let it hang down in front, it's past your nose and it's past your shoulders in the back. Your eyes are still blue, but a very dark blue. The next time I buy diapers, I will purchase your first size 3's. You are in size 6-9 month clothing, though some jammies are too short for you. You also wear some 12 month clothing. Growing, growing, growing!

M&M, I love you. You are so funny with all your little mannerisms and bright personality. I can tell that you know what you want and you'll do just about anything to get it. I can't wait to see your smiles and hear your giggles as we embark on your 10th month of life with us. You delight us all, sweetheart. Thank you for your sweet love. All my love,
Mama

Tuesday's List

Well, I meant to get my Not Me Monday done early this morning, but that sure didn't happen. I'd like to try another blog link up from Love From Texas called Tuesday's List.


Today's list concerns our Go-To Dinners.


For those of you who know me (blog world or real world) you probably know I love cooking. I'm a recipe junkie. I have too many cooking magazines--okay, really I have too many magazines, but I can part with just about all of them. But guess what? I can never part with Taste of Homes or any other good recipe mags.

I've been known to take care of many tasks while gazing at tempting dishes and reading through ingredient lists. Oh, to have my own business...

Well, I don't have one, but I do have a decent size family to cook for. My kids have been exposed to quite a few foods (whether they know it or not) that most, maybe some, are never exposed to. No, I''m not an awesome briber--I just make them (and my husband) my guinea pigs. Whatever I feel like cooking (IE: whatever looked awesome on some recipe site or in a cookbook/magazine) is what's for dinner. However, there are several nights when I just can't be creative and I'm crunched for time. On those nights, I turn to some old favs!


On of our more recent Go-to's is something we call


Penne Bacon Pasta

1 (12oz) box whole wheat penne
6 oz canadian bacon; chopped
1 small-medium onion; chopped
frozen peas (I never measure, but I think it's about 16 oz or so; use to your liking--and I like peas)
crushed red pepper (add to your liking; we just add it to our own bowls sense we have youngsters around)

1) Boil pasta according to box directions.
2) Spray skillet with olive oil cooking spray and put on medium heat. Add bacon and onion. Cook about 6 minutes.
3) When pasta is about 3-5 minutes from being done, add peas. Cook remainder of time.
4) Drain almost all of the pasta/pea water (reserve some to add to the mix if it's too dry for your liking) and combine with bacon and onion. Mix well.
5) Add red pepper if desired and serve.

I know it sounds flavorless, but trust me-- my meat and potatoes man digs this dish.


Chipotle Turkey Burgers
1 pkg of lean (99% fat free) ground turkey
about 3 or 4 green onions;chopped
1 small, organic zucchini; grated
1/4 c flax seed meal
1/3 c bread crumbs (whole wheat is just as good as the enriched stuff)
about 1/4 t each-- garlic powder and onion powder
* 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce


1) Mix all ingredients and form into patties (about 5 or 6 depending on how big you make them).
2) Grill indoor or outdoor until done.
3) We like to use 100% whole wheat buns, pepper jack cheese, avocado and tomato to top ours.

We also love to serve these with frozen chipotle sweet potato fries and fresh berries (in the summer; frozen blue berries in the winter). Of course you can make your own fries from fresh sweet potatoes, but this is a quick fix/Go-to meal.

*When making for kids (or other heat-haters) make their patties first, then add the peppers to the remaining turkey mix and form other (heat-lovers) patties.


Slow cooker Pork Chops and Veggies
*4 boneless pork chops (we usually get the butterfly cut)
1 organic green pepper; chopped
1 onion; chopped
fresh tomatoes; chopped, in season or, canned diced tomatoes

1) Put a liner in your slow cooker and add 3/4 of your tomatoes, pepper and onion.
2) Add pork chops on top; then add remaining veggies on top of chops.
3) Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours or high about 3 hours.

We like to serve this over brown rice with a salad on the side.
*For a little twist, you can dredge your chops through a flour and spice mix and cook about 1-2 minutes per side before you put them in the slow cooker. I usually do about 2/3 c flour and then add about 1/2 t each; black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic salt/powder, onion powder and maybe some flax.


Fajitas
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts; sliced
2-3 organic green peppers; sliced
1 med-large onion; sliced
1/2 c Newman's Own Family Italian dressing
about 1/2 t each; black peper, cumin, coriander garlic powder
Whole wheat tortillas
toppings such as avocado or guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa

1) Add chicken and veggies to a gallon size Ziplock baggie. Pour dressing in and zip shut. Marinade in refrigerator at least 30 mins.
2) Heat 2-3 T olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add chicken and veggies. Season with pepper, cumin, coriander and powder.
3) Cook until chicken is done and veggies are tender.
4) Serve in tortialls and top to your liking. Wrap, eat, enjoy!

We usually serve these with a brown rice/black bean/spicy tomato dish or a relish made with 1 jar salsa, 1 can corn, 1 can black beans, 1 small green pepper, 1 small onion and 1 can olives.


And now that I have a panini grill press, I've been experimenting with various cheeses, veggies, sauces and some meats-- not to mention bread.

We also do your basic taco on crazy nights.

And when I'm in a pinch at lunch time, I'll chop up some romaine, grape tomatoes, red onion, a bell pepper, a few banana peppers, and maybe some black olives. I'll top this salad with maybe a teaspoon of olive oil and some red wine vinegar. And if you want to splurge on calories-- put this "salad" on top of a 100% whole wheat hoagie and toast it with a slice of provolone or pepper jack. Yum!

And if you're really in the mood for some yummy desert, check this post out from last July! We recently made this with pears-- shhh......, don't tell, but this is about the only way I'll eat pears.

There you have it!

Let Me Pass a Lesson on to You

I'm baaaack-- and with a new look too! Do ya like it? I said I would do it possibly last night, but guess what--didn't happen. Here's why-

I went to the gym and took my very first spin class. Wait, or was it a cycling class? Are those one in the same? Either way, lets just say my rear end feels pretty bruised/sore after doing jumps and extended rides while adding a little drag. I hope I'm using my new vocab words correctly!

Those 45 minutes I spent pedaling away burned me roughly 500 calories-- so really I can't complain--okay, really I can complain. Let me tell ya folks who have never dared such a class, I'm pretty sure that in the first 10 minutes I thought I was either going to pass out, puke, or die the entire time. Is it supposed to feel like my airway is swelling shut? I thought I used to have asthma induced by exercise-- but apparently all this time I say I've been exercising at the gym (including some running, heavy lifting and elliptical work) I really wasn't exercising according to my asthma-- you know, because it wasn't induced! Did you follow that? I digress...

Those first 10 minutes I kept hearing all the people from the many seasons of Biggest Loser saying "You know, I'd sit at home on my couch and think I could tackle that last chance workout, but boy was I wrong. I thought I was going to die!"

Yep, it was me who had walked by and peered into the windows of the spin/cycling room and thought to myself, Eh-- I could handle that. Well, I guess I was kind of right-- I handled it, but it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay tougher than I ever imagined. I'd have to say it was the hardest 45 minute workout I've ever endured. I almost feel like I've accomplished something major by attending and surviving that class--which, actually the teacher thought I wouldn't do (survive that is) when I walked in without a water bottle. More on that at the end of my story.

A possibly tragic (I use that term loosely) story turn lesson learned that I'm passing on to you all:

If you ever go to a spin/cycling class, please, for the love of God, take a water bottle (preferably one with a flip cap so that you can just leave it open--trust me, the last thing you're going to want to do mid-ride is take the time to unscrew your cap).

Anyway, I walked in all innocent last night sporting my Jayhawk t-shirt and stretchy, black workout pants only to notice that every other person in the room had a huge bottle of water in their water-bottle holders so awesomely displayed on the front of the handlebars. I know, I know, you're thinking I would have registered these water bottles one of the many times I was peering into the windows as I walked by with my biggest loser-looks easy complex, but I didn't.

So, uh, am I in trouble if I don't have some water, I ask the teacher. In all honesty I wasn't being too serious at the time.

Well..., (her face is saying wow, dummy- you're screwed) you're really going to need to replenish what you sweat out. (What she should have said is, Um hon, I'm guessing this is the first time you've ever done something like this-- and YES, you will definitely need water if you want to walk outta here insteada bein' carried on a stretcher).

So I figure I'll just stop and grab a drink at a nearby fountain if I really need one, but I'm sure I'll be fine.

Well, then I notice that everyone has a towel (again, didn't notice this back in my peeping days) draped across their handlebars. So maybe these people aren't being all that dramatic about it. Maybe this class really is a swift kick in the rear to sweating!

Luckily, I remember that there is a half-empty (or half-full) water bottle sitting on my passenger seat. It didn't take me long to surrender to possibly being tardy to class in order to retrieve what will be my oasis in this sweaty, spin desert.

I jet up the stairs and literally run to the car parked quite a ways away. The water bottle is there (thank God) where I thought it'd be, so I grab it and head back to class. I literally run back (because I really don't want to be tardy) to class and prop myself up on one of these bikes and put my water in its holder. I also grabbed a towel from the cleaning supplies (hey, at this point I didn't care). Now, I'm set (and sweating-- not supposed to be sweating yet, right?).

The cycling started out okay- a nice pace without much resistance, and then we added drag and yowzers, it got tough. I just kept repeating to myself the mantra I silently chant while running, just push through it, just push through the pain. But I'm not gonna lie--this is the only time in my life I felt death's grip on my chest.

Those first 10 minutes (slowly) passed and believe it or not I think it got a teensy bit easier after that. No, not easy, but maybe just a teeny tiny bit less hard. From the way I was sweating I thought there'd be a puddle on the floor around me, but only a few sprinkles actually reached the floor. I think the rest ended up dripping on my legs or soaking into my shirt. What, too much info? Okay, I'll move on.

So the super-cycler teacher is blasting Lady Gaga on the speakers and we begin our jumps. Those are fun-- and it's kind of hard to describe them without a visual, but I'll try. You pedal in the seated position for x amount of counts-- in our case we started out at 4. Then you stand up and pedal for 4 counts. Then you sit for 4 more and stand for 4 more. This continues for the given amount of time (2 minutes last night). Sounds easy, eh. Well, I thought so too; in fact, I thought the first 45 seconds were rather tolerable. Then I found myself barely able to move my legs after entering the second minute. And then guess what, super-cycler upped it to 2 counts. Mmmmhmmm, up for 2, down for two. Repeat for another 2 minutes.

Legs. Feel. Drunk. Like. Epidural. Legs. Wobble, wobble. No control!

At this point I'm actually trying to think of ways that I can stall after class and wait on my bike until everyone leaves so that nobody sees me fall flat on my face when I try to step onto terra firma. Lucky for me, a cool down (where we just coast with little resistance) was about all I needed to convince myself that my thighs were in fact, still part of my body. It was probably due to all the water I took in as I was pedaling away {please sense sarcasm here}.

Soon, class ended and super-cycler shouted out to me in front of the class, I'm so glad you got that water... I didn't want to have to pick you up off the floor!

HA! Yep, you're funny. I just smiled.

So, lesson learned. You + spinning/cycling = thirsty, sweaty person. Take it from me-- Please take your own H2O bottle and a darn good, absorbent towel. And if you have a biggest loser-looks easy complex about spinning, throw it out the window! Even super-cycler, was ready to quit at quitting time; she asked if we wanted another 10 minutes and those who answered said, yes. She then asked if we could compromise and do 5 minutes. I'm just sayin'...

So, back to what I first spoke of, the new look here on my blog-- I did it mostly today. Last night I pretty much came home,bragged to told my husband how awesome sore I was, and parked my booty on the couch to work on my teaching stuff online.

I sat for quite some time (lots of work to do) and to my surprise, when I stood and tried to walk I really wasn't that sore (other than my hiney from that awfully tiny seat). Not only that, but I could also manage the stairs quite well-- you know, after the shaking and trembling of my entire body ceased!

All in all, the class was an awesome, scary at first, experience that I will be participating in again in the near future. If for no other reason, the calorie burn is sooooo worth it! Oh, and I'm sure it's doing amazing things for my stamina- burn, baby, burn.

More on: LIFE

It seems I blog a lot about regular, plain old life on here--but I guess that's what this blog is all about, right? My family's life! You know, because we are the most interesting people out there {HARDY HAR HAR}!

I know you are really loving my holiday theme that's still here-- I kind of feel like I've still got my tree up in the living room--decorations and all. But I'd rather post than spend my time changing my header and background. Maybe tomorrow, right?

But if I did it tomorrow, I'd have to do it after nursing before dawn, working out, showering, feeding my older three, drying my hair, putting on my face, winterizing my children, loading them into car seats, dropping two off at school, taking the younger two to two different play dates, picking older two up from school, making lunch, feeding baby, nursing baby, reading stories, putting them down for naps, cleaning up lunch, mopping my floors, folding laundry, vacuuming, checking in with my class online (and crossing my fingers I won't have much to do), fixing the kids a snack, starting dinner, nursing baby, filling plates, eating dinner, having a dance party, lifting at the gym, pj-ing my girls (hubby does their teeth brushing), reading another story, kissing and hugging and cuddling, turning out the lights and heading downstairs to check in with my class again. But by now it's probably 8:30 or 9:30 and I'll just want to relax for a minute--who knows.

Our schedule was rather similar today to what is listed above, and I'm finding time to post--so I'm hopeful!!! Hopeful. Hopeful. Hopeful.

For those of you with older children--I know you like to tell me that it doesn't get any easier. But can you just lie to me if you decide to comment? Please? Just tell me that when they grow a little and can bathe themselves, or tie their own shoes, or fix their own sandwich, or go potty independently, that it really doesn't get tougher. Tell me it's easier! And also, can you leave out the part where you say you miss assisting with bum-wiping, or shoe tying, or not getting sleep? I mean come on, do you really miss NOT GETTING SLEEP?



All kidding aside, I know I'll miss all the little assisting/mommy jobs I do day in and day out. I know I'll miss the cries for Mommy in the night. I know I'll kick myself every time I'm worried and not sleeping while waiting for them to come home from a game or a date and think, why did I ever cry about losing sleep from simply nursing my baby. I'll yearn for those easy days when I had little kids with little problems. I know I'll want to trade in their teenage attitude for their boundary-testing toddler days. I do know that it all passes too fast.

So for me, the choice has to be to realize what season of life I'm in, own it, and love it.

Love the fact that my children still actively seek my approval and love. Love the nights when I pull out towel after towel from the closet for my vomiting baby. Love the days when I want to pull out my hair and run for the hills screaming somebody take me away!!!! Love the moments when my little girl wraps her tiny arms around my legs, looks up at me with her big brown (or blue in M&M's case) eyes and says, "I love you Mama"!

Not only shall this,too, pass, but it will do it as fast as a rug being pulled out from under me. And I don't want to wake up on the floor someday, realize that rug is gone, and have regrets about not enjoying this time in my life.

And despite how desperate I appear in longing for a day at the sap--in all honesty, I'd be bored out of my mind. The energy that surrounds my family is crazy, but it's also filled with love. When I'm not with these precious girls, I honestly miss them to my core. Yes, I enjoy a couple hours away once in a while (and I covet my gym-time) with my husband, friends, mom, or even by myself--but it doesn't take long for me to find something in my environment that reminds me of how much I love my children. And it's that love that propels this tired, overworked, but NOT underpaid mom.


May my children reap the benefits of what I sow.

***Thanks, mom, for taking a few moments to snap these photos. I really don't have many of me with my babes and it means a lot to me that I got these!***

Excuses, Excuses

Ridiculous!

That's all I have to say! I mean, seriously? What else can I say?

The regular excuses as to why I've been MIA from this thing are there:

Too busy changing diapers, washing dishes, folding laundry, rearranging half my house, putting away Christmas toys, starting a new teaching job, continuing on with my first teaching job, packing away all Christmas decorations (does anyone else set aside the better part of a week for that), playing with my new vacuum, pulling back M&M's bangs, cooking delicious and nutritious meals, eating (oh, so bad for you) queso, watching my husband shovel some wicked snow, watching John Adams, making to-do lists, cheering on the Jayhawks, having breakfast with friends, writing dozens of emails, laughing at the crazy things my girls say, laughing at the crazy things my girls wear when they pick out their own clothes, hanging out with my sister, driving children to preschool, playing on the floor with my kids, shopping with my mom, eating lots of organic honeycrisp apples, holding my husband's hand (literally, not metaphorically--he's a big boy), feeding our animals (2 dogs and a cat), having dance parties, telling certain telemarketers to SERIOUSLY remove me from their call list, taking my girls to see Princess and the Frog and Alvin and the Chipmunks, listening to "Single Ladies" by the Chippettes on repeat, eating Dove's dark chocolate, reading blogs, kissing all my babes, making baby food, hitting the treadmill way too early in the morning, watching my husband dive into 1 pound of chocolate and not put on weight, visiting several Santas around town, giving M&M her first bath in the big girl tub, going to 2 preschool Christmas programs, hanging up several kid-art pieces, writing in a journal for each girl, laughing at my husband carrying our nearly 60 pound dog up the stairs to bed (oh, I should be helping him? oops!), still trying to understand football, sleeping with my nursing baby, practicing writing letters with my oldest, potty training the Bug, tickling my Brownie, ...
sigh.

I'd like to say the busyness has ended, but let's face it folks--- the busyness never ends, does it? One of these days I'll grow accustomed to the fact that life is simply busy all the time-- in the mean time, enjoy the pictures below that depict some of the above busyness!












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