WEIGH IN!!!

Stepping on the scale, I was terrified of what I'd find. Even though I've lost 1 inch in my thighs, 1/4 inch on my arms, and 1/2 inch in my waist (Yes, my thighs go first....go figure) I was terrified I'd not actually see a result!

Alas....I did it anyway...after 7 days of working out, 9 days of 0 carbonated beverages and 0 caffeine I have lost 8 pounds!!!!!!

I literally started crying all over my hubby...who incidentally lost 10 pounds in 7 days. He was thrilled to death for me! I cried! I was so excited! So happy! Did you feel the earth shake when I jumped up and down and nearly broke my scale????

Here's to weight loss!!!!  Thank everyone for all of their support.

Sometimes...you just wanna punch someone in the face.....

This morning on one of my favorite radio shows, they were talking about things that people do that make you want to punch them in the face. So, naturally, I began thinking about this. I'm not usually a violent person, but I had to admit that there were certain times and certain people that just deserved a great big punch in the face.

With that being said, Here are some reasons I'd really LIKE to punch someone in the face. Feel free to expound upon this!

1)  One Uppers--those people that seem to think that if you're happy, they're happy-ER. Put it this way, "My kid made the all A & B honor roll!" "Oh, really? Well, MY kid made the All A Honor roll!" These are the people who can't stand that someone else is talking about good fortune. These are the folks who's kids are better than your kids, car, house, husband, is better than yours, and if you're happy, they are just plain HAPPIER!

2)  Complainers--I like to call these the "Luke Skywalker Group." (If you have ever seen the original Star Wars, you'll know what I mean...Luke sure is a whiny one.) These are the people who feel the need to bitch, whine, and complain about EVERYTHING. These are also the staters of the obvious. Summer in Houston is hotter than Hell, and these are the ones going, "OMG, It's SO HOT! I can't believe how HOT it is!" (Really?) These are also the people who like to corner you in a room so that you can't escape, and start prattling off the ten thousand things that are wrong in their life, this world, work, etc.

3)  Bad Drivers--I don't really think I need to explain this one. Do you?

4)  People who hurt children, women, or animals--These people deserve more than a punch in their face.

So, I'm fairly sure I could go on and on...and I've discovered I have vaguely violent tendencies towards people...but what about you? Who just sets you off?

My Turbulant Blessings....

Children are a blessing. Proof that there is definitely a God. Children are also totally and completely insane. I've come to this conclusion by experience. See, I'm mother of 2 school aged children. Bubba is 7 and Sissy is 6. I had my children 11 months and 3 weeks to the very day apart. Yes, I think I was quite possibly inebriated at the time of conception. *winks* At any rate, I've discovered that there are so many things they don't tell you about when you have children. When I say "they" I'm talking about all those wise women who felt the need to give you unsolicited advice at the drop of a hat when the bun was still in the oven, but laugh their asses off at you now that the child is talking.

See, there are things that were not included in my "Mommy Manual." Oh, you mean, you didn't get a "Mommy Manual?" Well, neither did I, but if I did, there's definitely things that are missing. For example:

Projectile Vomiting was invented by a 3 month old.
You'll never eat anything mushy and green again after changing a poopy diaper.
You'll never guess the quantity and size of things that can fit down a toilet without clogging it.
Baby gates do not keep children out....
Sleep is over rated.
Legos can fit into noses, ears, and apparently taste really good.
Babies have Mexican Jumping beans in their bodies.
Children are better listeners than you think...even if it does take you 15 times to tell them to clean their rooms, the second you're around friends one of your "blessings" spouts off about mommy and daddy's "Alone" time.
The word "No" is just the beginning, after that comes, "I'm not eating that." Followed by "I didn't do it", "It wasn't me", and "the cat did it."
Brothers and sisters fight, Sisters and sisters fight, Brothers and brothers fight...there is no "Non fighting combination"
You cringe when you hear yourself repeating the words your mother told you.
Forget punishment, Bribery works a hell of a lot better.
Leave a child alone in a room with baby powder, and you can bet that the entire room will be white when you come back.

Lately, my "blessings" have been fighting like cats and dogs. It's a CONSTANT battle royal in my home. Seriously. It's even better now because they're older and use bigger words. I never quite knew that a 6 year old girl could be so dramatic, and that a 7 year old boy could pick on said 6 year old girl until she tries to pummel him with the nearest heavy object she can find.

Of course, in all of this, they do that amazing thing where they're snuggled up on the couch playing Wii, and you think, "Awww, I have the best, most awesomely well behaved children in the entire world," just as one bonks the other with the Wii Remote. *Sigh*

Old People and Good Food.

Last night, my mother made Fried Eggplant. Now, I, personally, LOVE eggplant. It's yummy. So, in my attempt to get my children to try new things, I put a small piece on their plate.

"What is this?" My son asks.
"It's fried eggplant. It's kind of like a potatoe chip, except squishy." I tell him
"I'm not eating that, mommy." He exclaims.
"You never know if you'll like it until you try it." I retort.

So, my son picks up the egg plant, disects it, and finally decides to put it into his mouth. The entire time he's examing and trying the eggplant, my daughter is sitting there staring at him and the eggplant with utter disgust. Finally, my son looks up, "Okay, this is pretty good! Sissy, you can eat it now." I think it's cute that my son will act the martyr to see if the food is good before his sister eats it. So, my daughter digs in.

A few moments later, I hear, "You know Sissy, old people sure can cook some good stuff, right Granny?"

Now, I'm not overly sure how my mom liked being called old, but she took the compliment with grace. I, of course, about died laughing.

This brings to mind how children's minds work. I used to babysit a little 5 year old girl and her older brother and younger sister. One day, Lil Miss comes up to me and says, "Ya-ya, how old are you?" So, I respond, "I'm eighteen." Her eyes turned into saucers and she says, "Ya-ya! You're OLD!" Gee, thanks. Good thing I loved her so. Alas, she's now 17....so, do I get to call her old now?

Last night was day 2 of my "Get Healthy" routine. 15 minutes wasn't as hard as it was the first time. I'm very excited to see how this progresses.

On a different subject...my 5th anniversary is next year. Yes, I realize this is quite some time away, especially since my anniversary is in October, but what I'm thinking is a trip for my family and I next summer to celebrate in advance. At first I was thinking somewhere tropical, since my son still hasn't forgiven me for getting married in Hawaii without him. So, we talked Jamaica, Bahamas, Belize, etc. Well, then I started thinking Disney World, with a day excursion to Key West. See, I waited my WHOLE life to go to Disney World. At 21 I was FINALLY able to go. Only, when your 21, Disney World isn't quite the grand thing you expect it to be at age 10. It was nice, but I think if I'd had children with me, it'd have been more fun. So, I was thinking that if I booked a Disney Vacation, with some beach time thrown in, my kids will have that dream of Disney World, and it'll still be a big, grand place to them. What do you think???

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart....

This morning I was at Walmart getting groceries. It was a rather nice experience considering no one was there. There was a man, probably about mid to late 30's there with his daughter. She was maybe 9-10, and sitting in the basket area of the buggy. He was busy looking at the bread, and his beautiful little girl suddenly starts singing, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart...where? Down in my heart? where? Down in my heart..." She's singing it loud and proud. I couldn't help but stop and listen to her. Even her father looked down at her and smiled. Now, if that wasn't the Lord singing through that child, I don't know what was. She was so happy in her song. What a beautiful way to finish my grocery shopping.

Today was the first day of my official "Get Healthy" routine. Remember how here I stated that I didn't want to look like a barge when floating the Comal River this summer. So, it's official. 15 minutes on my brand new elliptical, and I feel nice and sweaty, but happy. I'm on my way!!! What's even cooler is that the hubby has decided that the elliptical is "not really" a "chick work out machine" and has decided to use it also. I'm so proud of him! Of course....he'll drop about 25 pounds in 2 weeks...and I'll barely hit 5....but that's the way it works with men-vs-women. *sigh*

Last night I caught up with a very old friend of mine. We haven't seen one another since I was pregnant with my oldest. It was so nice to hang out and catch up. It's kind of funny how you can pick up where you left off. Of course, I didn't get home until 3:30 this morning, and had to be at work by 8. Oh well...it was worth it.

So, I'm going to post a ticker on my blog about my weight loss. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers!!!

The struggle with parenthood.

Last February, my son was diagnosed with ADHD. We could definitely tell something was wrong because he had such a hard time concentrating on ANYTHING. Picture, if you will, one of those storm balls. You know, the ones with the purple or blue lightning in them? Can you see it? See how the lightning bolts are all over the place, randomly jumping here and there? That is how I envisioned my son's brain to work. Little synopsis going off here and there causing him to not be able to concentrate. He is now on Vyvanse. At first, I was very reluctant to give him medication to help control his little mind. But, once he started taking the medication, picture that same storm ball. Now, put your finger on the glass of the ball. See how the lightning bolts are no longer scattered, but are now soley focused on your finger? This is my son's brain on Vyvanse. All synopsis going to the same place. He's now head of his class.

The reason I'm posting this is because it's been brought to my attention that my daughter may be ADHD also. Now, she's so different from her brother. She's very calm, and can usually follow directions without much persuasion. Her issues lie in different areas. She has several storm balls in her head. She is having difficulty focusing on anything at school, reading is difficult, and she's still struggling with her alphabet. So, I'm struggling with trying to set up an appointment for her. I feel like a really bad mommy because I never noticed her struggles. Whereas her brother's were adamant, right there in your face, her's kind of creeped up on us. My baby girl has been through so much in her little life, and I'm actually really greatful that the things she's been through are minor compared to how bad things COULD be. She has strabismus, this is when a child is cross eyed. She had surgery on her eyes at the age of 3. She now wears very thick glasses to help keep her eye muscles strong. She broke her arm last year, and had to have surgery to fix the bones in her arms. When she was 4 months old she had a severe bronchial attack, and we spent several hours in the hospital doing breathing treatments on her. We've always cuddled her, and sort of treated her like a little princess. I think in our attempt to protect her, we've hindered her by not noticing her disability and mistaking it for her just being the "baby".

I know I need to forgive myself. It's a struggle. Parenthood is never easy, and they don't tell you all of this when you're taking reproduction classes in school. Parents make mistakes. It's very hard. I just pray that we can locate a therapist who can see her on short notice to diagnose her. I'd hate to have her held back because I failed as a mother.

Tap, Tap, Tap...Tappity-Tap-Tap!

I'm writing a book! Okay, so this really isn't a suprise. I've been writing this book for almost 1 1/2 years. But, I'm really writing it! I re-read the first six chapters, found a world of errors, and corrected them. (According to Romance Writers of America and NaNO Writer, you should NEVER do this.) But, I find it helps me remember what I love about my characters.

Want a brief idea about the story?

Matthew Court had big dreams of escaping his life in his one horse town in East Texas. Enrolling into a fancy college in the big city, Matthew cut his ties to his boring small town life, including his highschool sweetheart, Katie McShane, and moved on to bigger and better things. But, his dreams begin to change, and when Matthew receives the biggest surprise of his life, he runs for the hills as quickly as possible. Now, Matthew is back home trying to carve out a life, and pick up the pieces to a romance long lost.

Katie McShane was head over heels in love. But when her long time beau ditches her for the big city life and leaves her alone and heart broken, she's determined to never allow another man to hurt her. Picking up the pieces of her life Katie is faced with tragedy, the sudden death of her father. Suddenly, she's left at the helm of the family business, a bar. Katie has finally managed to create a place for herself when her entire world comes crashing down as Matthew Court walks into her bar and announces he's back for good.

I hope that whet your appetite, just a bit. In case you haven't noticed, this is a form of literature called "Chick Lit". (Otherwise known as Romance.) There's more to the story of Matt and Katie....and they are patiently, and at some times imapatiently, awaiting their story to be told.