on the subject of dating & college

Little Man told his sister that his bestfriend's brother is in love with her and wants to marry her.  The look on her face was priceless because the boy looks like a gelfling from Dark Crystal and his older brother, who is friends with Little Man, has bad hair and yellow teeth.  Pretty good sign that the younger brother will follow in his older brother's footsteps. Proud mama moment for me that my girl is already showing discriminating taste towards men at 5 years old.  So, in response to her crinkled up little face and the "Aw, jeez" comment, I tell her that she's way too young to be marrying anyone and not to worry about it.

Well, Princess decides to inform me that she is indeed old enough to get married because she's a big girl.  I had to break it to her that she's too little and she has to be my size before she can even begin dating...in fact, I started on the whole, "you will be 16 before you even go on your first date" rule.  Adorable little one that she is, thought she'd try out her hand at negotiation, since it works out so well for Little Man, that she flat out says, "no mom, 17!"........DEAL!  I'll take it... no problem.  ;)  she was so proud to bend me in her direction of thinking and I secretly enjoyed the fact that she screwed herself without realizing it and I wasn't about to point out the mistake. 

At this time, Little Man decides to chime into the conversation and claim that he's not dating until he's 19.  Think the poor kid thought that by claiming an age higher than his sister, he'd win me over more...after all, I was ecstatic that she said she wasn't dating until she was 17, so by saying 19, how happy would I be?  Again, I said, "DEAL!"  In fact, I told them both that if they wanted to wait on dating until after they completed high school and got into college, I'd be fine with that completely.

Well, this set off a whole new conversation that we seem to go back to over and over again.  Little Man does not want to go away to college because he doesn't want to leave me.  Now, you all know me, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my kids and never want them to leave, but because I LOVE them SOOOO much, I know that their leaving the nest someday is the best thing for them.  So, I told them both, that by the time they're out of high school, in fact, probably long before that time, they're going to be sick of me.  This they couldn't not believe...and for now, I'm going to enjoy how much they love me and adore me.  Because, I know damn well, that once hormones start flowing it's gonna be ugly!  :) these are my kids after all and they share my flair for the dramatic!

So, Little Man and the Princess both ask if they'll have any fun in college.  My boy, well, I'm sure he's going to have more than enough fun.  The Princess...well, my only goal is to keep her off Girls Gone Wild and out of working at Hooters for drinking money.   So, I tell them, "yes, you will have fun...you will meet amazing new friends and have memorable experiences that will last your entire life"...

Kind of makes me sad that we're talking about all this now and they're only 7 and 5... so much else in between now and then to tackle and enjoy.  While I can't wait for it to happen, I definitely would like to go back to when they were babies, sitting quietly with them and staring at their beautiful and perfect little faces looking up at me while they eat and sleep.

Holiday Diet Day Two

Office mate brought in left over homemade pumpkin pie today and my little brain quickly calculated and determined that it's a vegetable, so it's good for me, so I could let myself have one little peice.  Lucky for me, all my requests to be bitch slapped for stepping out of my diet zone were taken seriously and a wonderful work friend came flying down to the kitchen just in time to see me unwrap and drool over said pie.  The alternative of sugar free hot chocolate (with extra calcium) satisfied the sweet tooth enough.

I ALMOST caved on my diet and i'm not even fully into day 2. yeah, I have ZERO will power, I know this...not even going to try to deny that fact. 

My daily walk was a speed walk to Whole Foods for lunch and back to work again.  All the yummy bakery smells, and the holiday goodness all over - chocolate, candies, the smell of cinnamon and apples.  Why did I pick NOW to decide to do this?  Seriously?
I only gotta lose 17 pounds...how hard can that be? 

Weight: note to self, in addition to pedometer, must buy a scale
Calorie/Food intake: (skipped breakfast-i know, bad move), sugar free hot cocoa, chicken caesar salad with lemons (no dressing), diet sprite, two bottles of water and one vitamin water ZERO, minestrone soup and pack of albacore tuna for snack. 
Workout: brisk walk to grocery store, pilates tonight and the FIRM

I will be Wonder Woman by Christmas!

In the Spirit of Bridget Jones Diary

As many of you know, I'm embarking on a total transformation and attempting to do this during the holidays.  Yes, I know, probably NOT the best idea but I'm gonna go with it anyway. 

Weight: 127
BMI: 23.3 (normal is 18-24.9)
GOAL- 110, size 2 jeans

So, starting today - NO sugar.  No breads.  Basically doing the southbeach diet, which means, no fruit either for at least two weeks.  Pure veggies and protein.  Lots of water and diet/no calorie drinks and snacks. 

Starting today - daily lunch walk of 30 minutes, however far that will take me per day.  Note to self, buy pedometer!!

Mood:  meh?  So far, not wanting to kill anyone, but definitely VERY hungry and wishing I could eat that apple I brought with me today by mistake.  Hungry, low blood sugar me = bad news for someone along the way!

-- UPDATES--
it's 3:40 p.m., I'm doing ok, except for the pangs of hunger which i'm quenching with water.  thinking working out tonight before bed might make me feel better. 

I'm thankful for....

Long before the first holiday turkey was purchased at the grocery store, retailers had been ready to go for the Christmas season.  Last week, in Target, I heard Christmas music playing as the final touches on the displays were placed.  On my way to work today, our local station had their Christmas carols playing...and I actually kept the station on and sang along....for a girl who used to wait until the last minute to put up a tree, this is very very strange behavior!  :)

I've been sitting here...thinking long and hard about all I'm so very thankful for this year and here it is, not in any particular order: 

• I'm thankful that I've more or less kept my sanity.  Notice how I said more or less....I realize I do still have a bit of nuttiness in me and really, that's probably going to an endearing character trait for life. 
• I'm thankful to be the mother of two amazingly wonderful children. 
• I'm thankful for the roof above my head and a job to support the mortgage of that home
• I'm thankful for the career path I'm on right now and for our association maintaining ACCME accreditation!  that was a BIG weight off my shoulders to have passed that hurdle!!!
• I'm thankful for my siblings - for their support, for their never ending source of love and inspiration, for their humor and all around wonderfulness!
• I'm thankful I still have both my parents - and look forward to creating more memories with them
• I'm thankful for all my fantastic and loving friends... you all have been super amazing and I'm so happy to have you all in my life
• I'm thankful for good wine ;)
• I'm thankful for chocolate chip cookies on a bad day

With all this in my mind and heart, I'm looking forward to another holiday season of memories and family.  Again, my children will express their joy and love this Christmas through home made gifts of cards, cookies and crafts.  We'll decorate our home together, setting up the tree and I'll even let them put the ornaments anywhere they want (very hard to do for someone like me).

If I don't post again this week...have a very, very happy thanksgiving!  I love you all very much!

Random Facts About Me

There is this "game" of sharing 25-30 random thoughts about yourself and tagging it for all your friends to read.  I found my answers from facebook from two years ago and figured I'd edit/add on to complete my "30 random facts". 

1.) I'm the oldest of 5 kids and LOVE my siblings to pieces. I’m their mini-mom and will always be ready to dispense love, advice and humor at a moment’s notice.
2.) Road trips with my brother Nathan always includes laughter so hard it hurts
3.) I’m a natural born Texan and sometimes feel like all I need for a good day is some country music and my boots…
4.) I have 5 true best friends…one of whom will NOT join facebook because he says he’s on the computer too much during the day. What crap is that?
5.) LOVE beer over wine… and jello shooters over shots.
6.) I think some of the happiest memories of my life center around living in Munich and the friends I had when I was there.
7.) I secretly hated Charles County when I moved there, but now wish it was the old county it used to be over the crap hole it has become.
8.) Becoming a mom and raising my kids is the most important thing I’ll ever do. Nothing will top it ever.
9.) I live for my morning wake ups from my kids…they are sweetest first thing in the morning and the cuddle time is amazing
10.) I’ve worked for the same company for 12 years and still love it. My co-workers are some of the funniest people I’ve met!
11.) I suddenly have found reason to believe in fairy tales and magic… and love that my daughter believes in princesses and fairies --edit--fairy tales are bullshit
12.) You can never know too much about trains and tractors and Titanic…and appreciate legos for their ability to keep a boy occupied. If only he could pick them up….
13.) I miss my days as a server at Olive Garden…and all the good times we had back then.
14.) I have this knack for stepping on the only lego or other small hard object left on the floor in the middle of the night on a bathroom run. 
15.) My experience with my inlaws has taught me to cherish my family more than ever and reminded me that although you're told that you're "family", well, you really aren't when the other shoe drops.
16.) LOVE Italian and German food… will never get enough.
17.) Seriously addicted to Pepsi and need one first thing in the morning
18.) I get grouchy if I’m woken up rudely…which could be described as tickling, wrestling, whining, complaining, lights on before I’m ready, covers pulled back on a cold morning. Yeah, seriously will throw off my entire day. See #9…if I’m not being woken up this way, it’s gonna be a rough day
19.) I DVR greys anatomy, private practice, and Vampire Diaries. Just in case I’m interrupted or fall asleep, I can go back and catch up again
20.) I’m a child of the 80s and wish we could all go back to collar popping, tapping the pants, slouch socks and colorful converse allstars. How can you not smile dressed like that?
21.) Love watching sappy love stories, eating something too yummy and crying with my Meegan.
22.) Found that my sister and step sister will continually find ways to shock me…
23.) I hate doing laundry…hate it… hate it…hate it. Wish I could just NOT fold another item of clothing ever again. Yeah, this is the part of mommyhood I did not sign on for.
24.) I’m not OCD, but seriously will mess up my day if I don’t put the keys in the same spot. Well… then there is the dishwasher, the way I fold towels, the sorting of the kids toys, …OMG I’m turning into my father.
25.) I love all my family and friends so much
26.) Purple will always improve my mood and make me smile if I catch a glimpse of it randomly during the day
27.) I love how the sand on a beach can be walked on and the tide can come in and wipe it clean over and over again.  It's a soothing reminder that life is a cycle of renewal. 
28.) Monday Night Football is probably one of the greatest things on TV
29.) I get bothered by people who do "just enough" to get by and are unhappy with their lot in life.  If you want to be happy, be willing to go that extra mile.  Might be hard for a time, but the rewards later will be worth it.--this is also something that i'm working on in myself
30.) One of the most endearing qualities about me  is my uncanny ability to have many "open mouth insert foot" moments...also known as "being awesome".

Things That Make You Go --- HMMMM

Front page of MSN today - This Cricket has Cajones.  YES, I clicked on it and had to read it.  Remember what I said a long time ago about withholding judgement of my postings?  That some things I post may be off the wall random or hard to handle?  Well, this is gonna be one of those posts - you've been warned, read on at your own risk!

Apparently there is a bush cricket that has a testicle to body size ratio of 14%.  The article states that if this was put into human size ratios - a 200 lb man would have balls that weighed 28lbs.  Random thoughts included - what would pants look like if that was the case for all humans?  How would one walk?  What would the other part look like then?  Proportionate? And, if so, how would us chicks have evolved to handle that?  And, how would she get around then?  I know, I know... that's just me.  Just ask me about midgets sometime, the questions I have about how they go about their daily living are plentiful-where do they buy clothes, etc.  But, I digress!

Reading further, the article states that size does not mean more "sperm"...the size makes it possible for this cricket to keep on going like the energizer bunny.  And, with good reason, too!  The article then mentions that the female of this species is a promiscuous she devil!  Most promiscous of the cricket species...so, Mother Nature is very kind to the male crickets then by giving him big ones and allowing him to keep up with a never ever fully satisfied counterpart. 

....in my next life, I am going to be a female bush cricket.... seems perfect for me to come back as a bug, that bug in particular!  And, I'm sure I'll be very happy!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40109803/ns/technology_and_science-science/?gt1=43001

All I Want For Christmas is a Stripper Pole

Tis the Season folks!  Christmas is right around the corner, plans are being made and my poor fat ass is panicking over the prospect of me baking MORE cookies, cakes and pies this season once Thanksgiving wraps up in a couple weeks.  I never actually fixed the damage that last season rendered on my poor teeny body and nothing good is gonna come of this season either.  Good point to mention though is that I'm not nearly the head case I was last year over the holidays so perhaps I won't feel it neccessary to hoover an entire batch of cookies in one lonely night!...notice how I said, "perhaps"...we all know that means, "not likely" and I might as well get the size 6 pants ordered for after new years.

The monkeys are busy tossing around their "wants" for Christmas and each time, I have to mention that Santa is following mommy's new "3 gifts" max rule.  Baby Jesus, our Lord Savior, King of Kings (really making sure I use their christian education to my advantage here) recieved only 3 gifts, so why on earth would we expect to have more than Him? I think I ALMOST have them convinced that this is a good idea.  Let's see how Christmas morning pans out!  On top of that, I'm asking them to use some of their hard earned and saved money to purchase a toy for the Toys for Tots drive...as a way to help others less fortunate.  Christmas isn't always about "things" and "he who dies with the most toys" is dead...period.  Can't take any of it with you and if you have excess while others have nothing, that's just not right.

The holidays for me and the kiddos is and always will be about family, friends and making memories- ice skating, decorating the tree, making cards, cookies, ornaments, finding a living nativity scene, and maybe taking a ride on the Polar Express.  It's being grateful for each other, grateful for what we have.  It's about opening our homes to those without family for the season and sharing traditions with each other. 

.......now, I know you're glancing back up at the title of this post and wondering, "What about the stripper pole?  What's up with that?? Is she getting one?"  Shame on you for thinking it and to those related to me, I hope you threw up a little in your mouth with that thought!  No, I have not asked Santa for a stripper pole...............this year anyway.  Kind of a waste right now.  What I've added to my list is as follows:

1.) Hans Jorg Butt jersey (Bayern Munich goalie) - because he's an awesome leader for his team and I will get a sick satisfaction of walking around with a shirt that says "butt".
2.) Waffle maker - friend of mine sent me a GREAT recipe for brown sugar maple bacon waffles.  I just gotta try to make these things!
3.) Big girl camera - my little "elf" or whatever just doesn't cut it all the time.  I have some damn cute kids who do amazingly awesome things that are missed because the stupid camera takes too long to take the shot!
4.) New computer - i really want my own computer at home with all the bells and whistles. 

I'm sure I'll think of more things I just can't live without before Christmas, but for now, I think this is it!  :) I know I can only get 3 of the 4, per the baby jesus rule... and 3 out of 4 ain't all that bad!

I Wanted to be Wonderwoman... What Happened to THAT Dream?

I remember watching Wonder Woman when I was little... Lynda Carter would spin really fast in place and transform into her.  I even had Wonder Woman underoos. I wanted the awesomely cool bullet deflecting wrist bands AND the invisible jet.  She was gorgeous and sexy.  She was, to me, what it meant to be a tough, no nonsense chick when I was 5 years old.

Well, I eventually outgrew my underoos, the granny panty style star undies went WAY out of style, the show went off the air and Lynda Carter got old.  I never really was one for comic books, so the dream died as quickly as it appeared.  Darn shame my parents steered me to real books and playing outside.  I can see how letting me get locked in my head and in a comic could have had disastrous results.  But, after checking out wikipedia, I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't stand firm and demand my mom buy me more comics, larger underoos and learn more about this phenomonal example of a woman...even if she is JUST a character. 

Check this out:
Wonder Woman is an Amazon (based on the Amazons of Greek mythology) and was created as a "distinctly feminist role model whose mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to a world torn by the hatred of men." Her powers include superhuman strength, flight, super-speed, super-stamina, and super-agility. She is highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat and in the art of tactical warfare. She also possesses an animal-like cunning and a natural rapport with animals, which has in the past been presented as an actual ability to communicate with the animal kingdom. She uses her Lasso of Truth, which forces those bound by it to tell the truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets, a tiara which serves as a projectile, and an invisible airplane.

So, I now have a goal...to grow up to be Wonder Woman.  Stay tuned to see how this turns out.  First things first - MUST get my fat ass back into the size 2 jeans and lose this cookie baby of a tummy!  Can't sport that AWESOMELY sexy costume in THIS body.  ;)

Where Would We Be Without Friends?

 Yesterday I was chatting with a dear, sweet, wonderful friend (who knows WAY too much about me and I will continue to lavish praise on her) and some old memories came up in conversation.  In talking to her, I had this realization of how enriched my life has been thanks to the friendships I have established with these fantastic people. 

My friends list isn't a long one - for those I can call true friends.  These people have seen me at my worst and at my best and I have seen them through some hard times as well and never gave up on them.  I'm fairly certain that if I were to have a big party at my house and invite them all in, it would be amazing!  The one major thing we all have in common is our ability to laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves too seriously. 

So, to my wonderful life long friends, I leave you with these memories of mine and look forward to what you might also remember about me along the way.  I love you guys so much!

• bicycle rodeo in perlacher forest
• two for flinching
• girlscout meetings
• skipping school to go to burger king
• throwing pebbles at your window every morning during the summer
• dentist visits to fix teeth chipped by crazy "volleyball" accidents
• when chopping lettuce with a food processor, it works better to remove chopped lettuce before adding more.  can't imagine why mushy lettuce wasn't a hit that night
• learning how to smuggle alcohol onto a school picnic function- if it's in a water bottle, and it's clear, it HAS to be water, right?
• learning how to drive a stick in the church parking lot and learning how to avoid brick walls all in one night
• Dairy Queen visits - had NO clue we were THAT close to Richmond
• Repellers!!!!! 
• homecoming after being dumped - thank you for letting me borrow your boyfriend so I didn't have to go alone
• paying off DJ at same dance so I didn't have to hear a song played since it was THE lovesong of the year
• always having a date for movies, dinner and prom at a moment's notice
• bonfire parties that involved saving my poor dog from the flames (the dog house was NOT firewood)
• sappy love stories from Blockbuster and pumpkin pie nights
• Denny's study nights and paying for coffee in pennies
• playing rummy when the power cut out at the mall and we were locked in the store
• sneaking out and popping the clutch to drive around town in the middle of the night
• night swimming and fence climbing
• driving all over VA to hunt down loser cheating boyfriend
• sitting in parked car for hours because someone was being a stubborn ass and wouldn't fasten his seat belt
• theater class and play rehearsals
• curling your hair before the big away football game so you'd be the prettiest one on the pom team-you have a lot of hair you know!
• wedding planning
• wanting to attack priest for threatening to not allow you to be married and you having to dismiss me to the car before I made it worse
• marriage on the beach at sunrise, in October, in RennFest costume... SOOO cold but beautiful
• baby showers, natural child birth classes that just didn't work out and babies
• football parties
• Wednesday wine nights

That's just a sample of some of my favorite memories... :) I really, really love you all!  Thank you for everything!