Say what?

Some conversations my kids have had this week. I want to write a book or do stand up or something b/c this material is just too good.

Dalton to Tatum: why do girls get to call tank tops meatball straps?

Tatum laughing hysterically to me although I am completely confused: HE MEANS SPAGHETTI STRAPS MAMA!!! He started laughing too.

Dalton getting dressed this morning, laying on the floor insisting he is too tired to sit up. "MOOOMMM, I am so not into this today." Oh yeah? Me either, get up and get dressed.

I walked in Sunday and the TV was up so loud and Tatum was sitting wide eyed.

The lady on the screen: "Do you want to learn to draw?"

Tatum: YES YES.

Lady: Have you ever thought about taking your art skills to the next LEVEL?

T: YES, I LOVE TO DRAW!!!!! (remember she does not see me watching her).

Lady: The art institue at California blah blah blah blah blah wants you to be the artist you have always wanted to be. It's simple really, blah blah blah.

T: running to the white erase board to write down the number and calling after the TV 'Hold on, that is too many numbers!!!"

I walked around the corner pretending not to know what was going on. She tells me she just simply MUST go to the 'art institutional' they can draw really neat barns, and tigers.

I tell her that sounds like fun, but there are a couple issues: she is 6 years old and really needs to think about finishing 1st grade for now. 2.) this place is in California, let's go look at the map and see how far that is 3.) you can't live with me when you are 35 and still do not have a job. Now draw me a pretty picture I can treasure and frame. Ahhhhh kids.

I have no title for this blog entry today. I can't think of anything really. I just had my GTS strength training class, it was good (by good I mean really flippin hard). But I survived. My intern is a 22 year old cross country runner at Drury and he is in immaculate shape. Now, it's not quite fair to compare myself to a KID who runs 8 or more miles a day! BUT, I can't seem to help it. I WANT TO BE lean like that.

I have some obstacles: 1.)My age. 2.)My gender (women seem to have more fat then men---thanks a lot EVE for that whole forbidden fruit thing!) 3.) TIME--it's not so hard when you are young and it's part of your actual job to run. Add two little kids, 40+ hours of work, making dinner, soccer practice, swimming lessons, grocery shopping...you get it. 4.) My feet are HORRIBLE. In fact, it's a miracle I can do anything. I have suffered for YEARS with flat feet that hurt non-stop and my wicked high heels don't help that at all. But I am not about to wear ugly shoes....not going to do it. 5.) I have a COUPLE things I indulge in......calories I mean.

My only few advantages: 1.) I hate chocolate-just do NOT like sweets at all. 2.) I am OCD and very strong willed and if I want something bad enough, I usually find a way to get it. Within reason of course. 3.) I guess, maybe, kinda I am athletic. I sure was strong as an Ox in high school.

Speaking of healthy, I am slamming a diet dr. pepper as I type. I know it's not great for me, but I am hitting the wall and I need a little pick me up.

On a different note, the weekend was a bit short with our special event taking up most of the afternoon and evening on Saturday. When we have weekend events I always just feel my days are off, I woke up today (monday) much more tired than usual. We did get to plant our first little garden yesterday. Tatum helped me and it is cute. I just want to get some big trees planted soon. Dan raked the dead grass up with this machine (I am sure it has a name but I have no idea what it is) and then watered and seeded the back and front yard. The landscaping is looking good, but I still have many things I want to do inside and outside the house. But with no credit cards and following or trying to follow the Dave Ramsey plan, we restrict ourselves much more on the extras.

The other good news is the weather is AMAZING.......76 degrees and feelin' great. Cheers to a great week to everyone.

Tank tops and flip flops

One thing, among many, that the parenting book doesn't prepare you for is the fashion crisis that you will be thrown violently into when your daughter/son feel their apparel is not 'of code.' Now, if you know me at all, you can probably imagine that my response isn't "oh honey, you can wear whatever you want." My kids do NOT run the show. But, I do attempt to keep them looking fly on the cheap if possible. Tatum only wants to wear bedazzled tank tops, flip flops, skirts with shorts underneath (for recess purposes) and now she is in the hair in a pony tail phase. She will walk into my closet in the morning while i am getting ready and say things like.."OHHHH, I wish I WAS a mommy, then I could wear nice jewels and high heels, and short sleeve shirts with sweaters.....!!!" And all I can think is R U KIDDING ME??? I would take your flip flops, jeans, and sneakers any day of the week! There was also the pajama meltdown last night. I don't want to re-live it, let's just say it was dramatic. While Tatum is going to break me (or my bank account) with her wardrobe, Dalton may quite literally eat me out of house and home. It's like his legs are hollow, I have never seen food consumption at that level for that size human being. He eats two breakfasts, two lunches, two snacks, all his dinner and usually two more snacks. He is going through a growth spurt and I know it...I can't imagine how much he will eat when he is 16!!!! I love those little people more than anything in the world!

Back for more torture....

It was another torture day of strength training. If you are looking for something that really kicks your butt into shape then do this GTS machine combined with a teacher who is pretty hard core and you will see what I mean. I got there and the ladies were giving me grief because I didn't have much weight on the bar, so they bumped me up and (all in jest of course and I was giving it back to them :) they were saying things like "you are young! Come on add more weight!" I really did a pretty good job, but the a couple of the arm workouts KILL me. My left arm is just not as strong as my right arm, and with sports injuries, dislocated elbows, etc. I struggle with that. It's 30 minutes of intense hard cardio/strength training.

I walked out and my whole body had the shakes, but I guess no pain no gain right? The good news is it's getting nice out and I want to look my best for summer, so I guess this is the way to do it!

Germs

I really...really.....really hate to be sick. I also hate when my kids are sick or anyone I know is sick. This weekend started with Tatum getting a fever and then finding out her little buddy Connor (who has diabetes) was rushed to the ER after a day of the flu in a diabetic coma. It was terrifying. I 'started' to feel a little off Saturday night, but didn't think much of it. I went to go visit Connor and his family up on the Peds floor here at Cox, just to check on him. Bless his heart he was so sick. He did smile at me when I walked in, and I could see that he was so weak. They had to put his IV in his neck, his little veins in his arms wouldn't work. After leaving there, I started to REALLY.. REALLY feel bad. Then I felt even worse. What if I was sick and was up there on the PEDS floor? Anyway, I started on my regime of OTC drugs to help my terrible chest cold. I actually slept all day yesterday. I have extreme OCD in some cases and it was killing me to be away from work this close to an event. But I had to make a mature decision. Get better now or later....and I can't afford to be sick later this week! I feel better today. Tatum is better today, and her little buddy Connor went home today. So that is the best news of all.

It's like what Dalton said.... "I know STUPID, isn't a very nice word, but sometimes things are just stupid"

Well, I think germs that make us sick are STUPID.......and I don't care if it's not a nice word :)

I hope everyone out there steers clear of this stupid virus that is going around!

Death by Strength Training

I always thought of myself as somewhat 'strong.' Like I can carry heavier stuff than most chicks, maybe it's that I am just cocky and think I am stronger. Maybe b/c I was very athletic growing up and I have attempted to keep that, not sure but today was the 'torture day.' So many people do the GTS classes and they love them. I really hope I get there.........I do my usual workouts but this is something altogether different. I didn't even add weights today and I am dying. It's 30 minutes of INTENSE EVERYTHING. I can't even explain it, except I think I might have fooled the instructor and she thinks I am 'a natural' or something. I AM NOT. I can barely move, tomorrow and the next day will be worse. I was worried even walking out of the gym to my car. That I would pass out. It's muscles I am CERTAIN should not be used for anything. So I get to the car. Then I start to feel sick, like really it's going to just come flying out of me. I then realize PROBABLY why. For a portion of this time you are basically laying upside down at times and I have terrible motion sickness, so I think that is what caused me to feel sick. I got back to my office, threw up (water), and felt better. Just like if I get motion sick in a car. Same thing, get sick feel better. I know if I continue this class for the next 8 weeks I will look JUST like a gorgeous celebrity, so I guess there is that.......ha!

That MIGHT have happened if I hadn't inhaled a subway like a ravished pig. More later...