Quick Takes

Friday! My favorite day!

1. We have had more ear-piercing screeching with Butterfly this week. The poor girl is just so darn frustrated by her limitations. She is getting more and more words, but too often they are not the words she really needs. I definitely wish I had learned more about baby signing somewhere along the way. But she won't scream forever. At least if there is a God in heaven. Please let her not scream forever.

2. I have had five kids. One would think that perhaps I knew a lot about sleeping and babies. But we have a problem here. Butterfly is not getting enough sleep. She sleeps great at night, usually from 8 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. or so. But nap time is a whole other story. Some days she needs two naps, but other days she only takes one nap. Sometimes her nap seems to be too short. But then we are in that vicious place of being overtired and therefore unable to actually sleep. Trying times around here people.

3. Okay, I can't have two complain-y posts about Butterfly and leave it at that. When she is not screaming she is quite the charmer. She has learned to give us "five" and to blow kisses. She has learned to run away giggling when it is time to change a diaper (still cute now, will let you know when it is just annoying). Her feisty personality is really quite funny, at least on days when I've had enough sleep. So before you think it is all bad here, know that we are laughing more than not and that I still sometimes have to catch my breath in amazement that she is even here.

4. More evidence of weird parental angst: books. How will I ever introduce my kids to all the great books out there? Both girls are reading chapter books. They love The Magic Tree House series. They enjoy several others. I rarely get to peruse the shelves with them at the library because I'm chasing Butterfly all over the place. But today I remembered Roald Dahl. And the Ramona books. And I know my girls are only almost 7 and 8, but it already feels like there is not enough time for them to discover all the books waiting to be read. And I don't remember how I discovered the books I read as a kid. Plus more books are always coming out. What's a mom who loves books to do?

5. This has been a light exercise week for me, so far. I didn't go to Zumba Monday because awesome friends of ours babysat our kids so we could go on a date (they had the misfortune of eating with us on Sunday, the day of screaming banshee baby). I took Tuesday off just because. I did run on Wednesday and go to kickboxing yesterday. Today I can go to CardioBlast, but I'm definitely considering staying home too. Things sure have changed if I'm saying three workouts in four days is a light week.

6. Last night was Football 201 at UNT. They host a women's clinic every year. It is pretty much a promotional event for the program, but is a lot of fun. The only men there are the coaches and a few players. There is good food and good booze (we were greeted with champagne!). Listening to the AD talk and then the coaches got me all excited for the upcoming season. Considering they were 1-11 last year, there is reason to hope for an improvement this year. I think I have become one of those people that likes college football more than the NFL. It is way fun to watch. Husband and I have trained our kids well too, and they were all excited to see the new football poster (in fact, we had to go pick up two more today, for their rooms). They started singing the fight song as soon as I got home. Between that and their love for the Texas Rangers (14 games over .500! I'm pretty sure it is the first time in my life we can say that), our hearts are full to overflowing with parental pride. :)

7. Fun giveaway coming soon to celebrate my birthday!

Visit Jen for more quick takes.

What I Learned: Movie Version

Time once again for me to share my wit and wisdom! (Stop laughing now, please)

What did I learn?

Liev Schreiber is a good actor. Really. And not too hard on the eyes either.

Purely by coincidence we watched movies with Schreiber playing a large role two nights in a row. First we watched Defiance. It is a movie about four Polish brothers who flee to the forest of Belarus to avoid Nazi capture. What starts out as a purely selfish endeavor ends up involving many more people. The Bielski brothers were responsible for saving many lives. Schreiber plays the second oldest brother, who definitely has some issues with his older brother, Tuvia (played by Daniel Craig, also easy on the eyes). Schreiber was very convincing in his role, and his accent was fantastic. He's good at accents.

Last night we watched Wolverine at the two dollar movie theater. I had forgotten that Schreiber was in that movie. He again plays a brother with some issues, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine being his brother. This movie gives the backstory on the Wolverine. Schreiber plays a convincing bad guy. Wolverine was a cool movie to watch. Especially for two bucks.

So, what I learned is what most of the world already knows. But check out either of those movies and you won't be disappointed.

Visit Jo-Lynne and see if anyone learned anything more useful.

The Mom Badge

There are many variations of the Mom Badge. Some we wear proudly, others grudgingly, maybe even a few with resentment.

Yesterday was a day of wearing the Mom Badge with reluctance and then finally acceptance. Butterfly was having an off day from the beginning. She slept in (glorious!) but that was where the good stopped. We had wailing and gnashing of teeth because of things like not being able to reach a book (the horror!). Food was a major player in the day too. Butterfly might be little, but she can pack away the food like nobody's business. So at home, I wore the "here to serve" Mom Badge (do we ever take that one off?).

We headed to Mass in the afternoon, leaving the house half an hour early to arrive at the church that is less than a mile away (I don't like being late). I realize that my obsession with being early means the kids have to sit quietly for an extra thirty minutes every week. And maybe I need to relax on that, at least for Butterfly's sake. Anyway, she made it clear from the beginning that she did not dig the whole "be quiet and stay by Mommy" plan I had hoped to implement. She screeched a screech that will surely lead to hearing aids in my future if it keeps up. We couldn't even stay in the foyer of the church. We had to head all the way outside (where it was a pleasant 100 degrees) so as to not disturb the worshiping congregation. So I wore the "trying hard to be patient" Mom Badge.

After Mass we joined some friends for dinner at a restaurant. I was already wearing my "kid fell and scraped a knee and bled on me" Mom Badge. We really should have gone straight home. Butterfly's behavior at Mass was enough to make me want to wear a "who is this Mom person?" N0t-a-Mom Badge, but we soldiered on. We chose a restaurant that is really kind of small and not conducive to our large group. Mistake. While we waited for our server to bring us drinks, Butterfly let her frustration and immense hunger pains be known. Finally we get some chips and salsa. Butterfly likes to eat salsa. But she doesn't know when she's had enough, which leads to spitting and screaming. Soon enough she was dipping chips in ranch dressing and then in ketchup. She likes to dip. We indulge her. Time for the "I'll do anything to stop the screaming" Mom Badge. We plowed through our meal with varying levels of screaming/eating/happiness. Finally we got our dessert to go and left the restaurant, when all the other patrons promptly let out a whoop and a holler. Okay, maybe not, but I bet they were glad to see us go. At this point, I was covered in various dipping substances and Butterfly was in full-on meltdown mode. I was wearing the "Oh dear Lord just get me out of here now" Mom Badge.

Once we were home and Butterfly was cleaned up and sleeping contentedly in her bed, I donned my "What was I thinking?" Mom Badge. Butterfly had a bad day before we ever left the house. I knew that she was not feeling like herself. What made me think she would magically transform into a sweet and saintly child at church or the restaurant? The truth is, the badge we wear all the time is the "I'm the adult, I have to make the hard choices" Mom Badge. And I left that one at home yesterday. And we all paid for it.

I want to wear a badge that proclaims the joy in my life. A badge that tells people "Yes, I'm blessed! God is Good!" So what can I do to wear that one more often? I'll be thinking about that and get back to you.

Quick Takes Friday

Two posts in one day! Jen indicated that this would be a good week to participate in the carnival, although she did not give specifics. So here is a pictorial edition of quick takes.

1. The girls and I went to a play last week. Our local theater company always does a children's summer musical camp. This year the production was Narnia. It was the first trip to a live theater for IndieGirl, and the second for Princess. We enjoyed the show very much, and I especially liked doing something with just the big girls.


2. Butterfly made a mess of herself eating spaghetti this week, and of course we had to take a picture. What baby book (or digital picture library) doesn't include this classic look?


2. My boys are such boys! One of their favorite games to play is baseball. Inside. This means they fine some small stuffed animal that we throw to them, and they hit it with their "bat," which is their hands clasped together. Here they are, running the bases.


4. The summer of yes continues. Today I indulged my kids and let them pile up every blanket and pillow in the house. And then I let them jump off the couch and land on the pile. Now they are "napping" on the pile.



5. Butterfly is kind of obsessed with wipes. She likes to take them out and then hold one up to her face and walk around with it. I think she likes the coolness and the smell. So I bought her her own package of wipes. It didn't last long.

6. She's also a two-fisted drinker.


Six instead of seven this week. Enjoy your weekend!

BlogHop '09

Last week at this time, I was wallowing because I was not in California for a family wedding. Responsibility can be a bummer. This week I could be wallowing because I am not in Chicago for BlogHer. Thankfully, Robin at Pensieve came up with a brilliant idea to spare you the misery of my whining two weeks in a row. So make sure you click on the button and find some fun new blogs to read, especially if you are feeling sorry that you aren't in Chicago living it up.

If I'm being honest, I would feel totally out of place at the conference anyway. I mean, I'm just Nicole, a girl with a blog. I don't get to do reviews very often, no one wants to give stuff away on my blog, and I don't have a vast readership. But here I am anyway. This whole blog thing is somewhat out of character for me. I've never kept a journal or a diary. I don't aspire to a serious writing career. I never thought I would be closing in on three years of doing this, but here I am anyway. I already said that.

This is supposed to be short and sweet, so I'll try to wrap it up. Here are a few posts that I think give readers an idea of who I am. I look forward to reading/meeting new bloggers. Thanks for stopping by!

When Will I Learn?

I saw Harry Potter last night. I will not lie, I was really looking forward to it. Every time I saw a trailer on TV I would make Husband stop and let me watch it. The sixth book of the series is my favorite. I think it challenges readers more than the other books. It poses more difficult questions and has more surprises.

The movie was disappointing.

Friends who have only watched the movies and not read the books said the same thing. But my rant is about books versus movies anyway.

I realize that not every single thing will be included in a movie. But sometimes I wonder how the moviemakers decided what to include and what to leave out. And when I see a movie that excludes a scene that actually has a role in the following movie, but add a scene not in the book at all, I am especially confused. My beef with this particular movie was that is was disjointed. It did not flow. Too many things went unexplained that are essential to the story. Even in the context of just the movies, apart from the books, I thought this movie just didn't fit. And, I think audiences would easily watch a three hour movie if it was done well. Hello, Lord of the Rings sure wasn't hurt by epic movie times.

I did enjoy the growing romantic entanglements. I have always liked that Rowling included that angle in the story, as teenagers do get caught up in silly drama and angst and whatnot and it is fun to watch. Plus, there is that aspect of hope and life going on in the midst of darkness.

The biggest problem with books versus movies is that we don't get inside the character's heads in the movie the way we do with books. That means the actors and the story have to actually say or show so much more to get the plot moving and to help viewers understand their motivations. I think that is why The Other Boelyn Girl was so bad. It just moved from scene to scene with very little exposition.

So now I'm afraid The Time Traveler's Wife will only leaving me disappointed. Will I ever give up my hopes for movies based on books? I think LOTR set a standard that is impossible to reach again.

And I am a big dork.

At a Standstill

My weight, that is.

We are 40+ days into the latest Biggest Loser challenge. I went into this challenge with my girlfriends knowing I wouldn't win. But I wanted to make the prize money bigger, and I needed the motivation to stick to a good exercise routine. And I am doing well on the exercise front. I hit the gym at least four times a week, and usually five. I feel really good.

Until I step on the scale. These weekly weigh-ins are killing me. Thankfully, I've avoided gaining weight the last two weeks, but I'm actually up a pound total since we started. Talk about discouraging.

But I know what the problem is. And I am reluctant/too lazy/too stubborn to change it. It is all about the food. I tell people that I exercise so I can eat what I want. And that is true. But I know that what I want to eat is usually not the best option. I do enjoy a good steamed or roasted vegetable. I can avoid the fried foods most of the time. But I have terrible eating habits, as y'all know from my post on what I eat for breakfast and lunch.

So what is it going to take to make a change? I don't know. I'm pretty satisfied with how I look and feel these days. I should probably get a physical, just to make sure the inside is working as well as I think it is. Of course, that requires making an appointment and arranging childcare and saving money for the visit (no co-pay with my insurance), so that is not likely to happen. In the meantime, I have no idea if/when I will find the motivation to make even more positive changes.

Why can't exercise be enough?

Quick Takes Friday: Wish List

It is Friday! Yea! I'm taking the big girls to see The Chronicles of Narnia in musical format tonight. Two friends are in it and we are very excited.

For my quick takes, I'm going to share some Etsy treasures I happen to love. These are things I found just browsing around one day. I could spend a lot of time over there, but I'm working on contentment, so I try not to indulge too often.

1. I have no keychain right now. Just the boring key fob for the car and too many membership cards. I would love one of these adorable wristlet key fobs from not a potato. I think it might be easier to grab my keys from my (too big) bag with one of these. There are quite a few cute patterns to choose from.



2. Speaking of too big bags, I'm looking for a new handbag. Perhaps one smaller than my current diaper bag/purse combo. It has served me well, but I've been carrying it around for a year. One of the things that draws me to Etsy is the appeal of buying unique items. I love me some Target merchandise, but I love knowing I'm carrying something original even more. And there are so many affordable options. Like this bag, from LiReca.




3. I like this bag too, for a larger option, from Jozanie's.


4. I would also like a new wallet some day. I usually don't carry my checkbook around, so I opted for a smaller billfold wallet. But now I want to go back to the larger size. It just looks better I think. I've had my eye on this one from Cotton Purr, for a while now.


5. Let's finish our list with jewelry. Who doesn't love sparkle? My top pick is these earrings from The Jewelry Workroom.

6. I love the colors in this pendant from GamiWorks.


7. And finally, these earrings feature my favorite color. And the shop is local and supports charity.


These items are just a few examples of the awesomeness that is Etsy.

For more (less materialistic I assume) quick takes, visit Conversion Diary.

Wallowing (Again)

I'm having a little pity party for myself today. My parents and brother spent the night last night, because they had a morning flight today to California. My cousin is getting married and the whole family is gathering for the occasion. And y'all, my family is fun! My mom is one of seven kids, and most of them have children that will be there. Plus, it's in California. I'm pretty sure I have a beach-shaped hole in my heart that can only be filled with more beach.

But, hey, I'm healthy, my kids are healthy, Husband has a job, and life is good. I'll make it to a beach eventually, and it will be great because we won't be sacrificing financial responsibility to do it. And I know that will be a better vacation than one that we can't afford.

To compensate, I'm enjoying some very good books. I recently read The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb and it was fantastic. I can't even really explain what made it so good, I just know that I loved it. It was a story, with characters I cared about, even when I didn't like them that much. I'm finishing up The Given Day by Dennis Lehane right now. He wrote several detective novels that I enjoyed because they were less about the crimes and more about the detectives. This newest book is still about police officers, but set in Boston in and around 1919. It is broader in scope, but fascinating. Again, characters you care about, even when you don't like them. If you're looking for a good read check out either of those books.

And my pity party has ended, because how can I look at this and not feel blessed?

Wordless Wednesday: Sleepy Fan

Oh my word she can have a pony or whatever she wants.

Visit 5 Minutes for Mom for more Wordless Wednesday.

What I Learned: Food and Muscles

I might be the biggest dork on the planet.

I have muscles! Okay, obviously we all have muscles. But mine are starting to show a little bit, at least when I'm working out. Silly vanity has kept me in t-shirts for my classes at the gym. But I decided today to wear a tank top, because I've noticed that other women wear them and I can see their muscles, and it is kind of inspiring. So today I got to see my arm muscles while doing an interval class. And it was awesome. That is all. Enter me in the dork olympics.

About food. Jo-Lynne has been sharing her and her family's journey to change the way they eat and it is fascinating stuff. I like reading her posts because she keeps it real. She tells us what is hard and what is easy and her misconceptions about eating well and it is just so real and I like it. And maybe I'll start making some changes. Because Jo-Lynne has taught me that it can be done and starting small is okay.

Finally, I'm super excited that Harry Potter comes out tomorrow and that I will get to see it for free. Also, The Time-Traveler's Wife comes out next month, and I'm pretty sure I will use the birthday angle to make Husband see it with me. Also, new books coming out this month and next have me more excited than is sensible.

Monday Mash

Hello. This is one of those posts Husband hates, but I can't stand the blog silence one day longer. So you're about to be bombarded with some ho-hum content. Don't say I didn't warn you.

My new bathing suit top came in! Yippee! I got to try it out yesterday and I love it. It looks great on me (sorry for bragging) and it fits well and the straps don't fall down. I felt hot in it! So call it a success.

Now for something less positive. I am a forgetful moron sometimes. I had to buy some grocery items yesterday, as well as a couple household items. I went to Target because they had yogurt and sunscreen on sale and I had coupons for said items. I was kidless for the trip (alleluia, thank you Lord!) and spent some time wandering before tackling the list. When I finally made it to the checkout, I got so distracted making sure I used "blow" money for some items and "food" money for other items that I forgot to use my coupons. D'oh. Also, I have some super cute reusable bags from Land's End. But I keep forgetting to put them in my car and actually use them. Double D'oh. So instead of saving money and the earth, I spent an extra $1.80 and used more plastic bags.

Why is sunscreen so expensive anyway?

I think the heat is melting brain cells. It was 104 yesterday, and it was not the first day of that kind of heat. I still love Texas though.

Go Read Elsewhere

As usual, my blogging well is running dry. I just don't have a lot to share these days I guess. So, today I'm going to send you to a few other places. Enjoy!

Jo-Lynne has a great post about the efforts she is making to improve her family's eating habits. As I told her in the comments, I'm at the stage where I know we need to make some changes, but I'm also in complete denial. Does anyone else find it infuriating that the food that is the best for us is often expensive and difficult to find?

Stuff Christians Like is a funny read most days. But also a place that can catch you unexpectedly and make you think. After what I wrote this week on NFP, reading this post was just what I needed.

MommyMaria is putting all of herself out there in a bid to change her life. Go read and be inspired.

Finally, Darcie and her husband have come up with an idea that I know we could all think of one or two reasons to use.

Happy reading!

Not There Yet

I have been writing this post in my head for days, but have had a hard time getting to the draft stage. I'm not sure why that is, but I'm going to attempt to write it and publish it anyway.

I feel like I should start with a disclaimer, which is probably not a good sign. First, I might overshare here, and I'm sorry. Second, I'm going to be talking about NFP and our journey. I welcome comments and questions that are respectful and intended to further a conversation. I do not welcome comments that are rude, disrespectful and so on. Third, I pray that what I say is not hurtful to my readers (especially IRL friends) that struggle with infertility. I do not mean to belittle your struggles at all.

Okay, now that that is out of the way, let's get started.

NFP is the common name for one method of natural (no hormones, no drugs, etcetera) fertility awareness. It is short for Natural Family Planning. The method involves taking your temperature daily and interpreting some more personal signs of fertility. Husband and I have practiced NFP for the length of our marriage. Well, more accurately, have not used any form of artificial birth control for the length of our marriage. We didn't actually learn the method until our third child was born (hence three consecutive October birthdays).

We choose to use NFP for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is that we are faithful Catholics and we accept the authority of the Church in our lives. I realize that not every person, even every Catholic, is able to say this. I'm not here to preach to you, or change your mind. My words are not likely to do that. Second, I'm a healthy woman and have no desire to introduce artificial hormones to my body. I'm blessed that my body functions precisely as it should. I know that is not the case for far too many women. Third, we don't just accept the authority of the Church, but have come to an understanding of the reasoning behind these teachings and embrace them as true.

But this post is not even about all of that. This post is about how hard it sometimes is to do something, even when you know it is right and exactly what God wants for you.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light." Matthew 11: 28-30

That passage is a tough one to understand. I'm pretty sure I still don't fully understand it, and might never do so. But I think it is an essential passage for my life.

Sometimes I rail at God and want Him to know that I find nothing easy and light about being His child. This is certainly the case more days than not lately in terms of our family life. We are SO blessed to have had five healthy children. I have never lost a child through miscarriage. I know that I am the exception in that experience. But being that exception is not always easy. I am very aware of how easily my body accepts a pregnancy and kicks into gear to protect and grow a baby. And, well, sometimes I wish I wasn't so dang fertile.

Part of using NFP is abstaining from relations in a fertile period if we are not seeking pregnancy. Given my history, that can be a pretty long time. We are in a season where extreme caution is required. We do have serious reasons for postponing pregnancy (indefinitely at this point). Financially, we would put our whole family in danger with an unexpected pregnancy. Emotionally, we (and especially me) would be at a breaking point. Spiritually, I fear I would be even further from where God wants me. Our marraige would be strained by the demands of our family.

There is a misconception out there that once a couple comes to embrace NFP that they want a million kids and that they throw caution to the wind regarding their fertility. People think that we eagerly look for a positive sign every month. I guess this is true for some families. They have reached a point in their walk with God of complete surrender, I guess. But we are not there. We love each of our children and are grateful that we have been blessed beyond our imagining in our family. But we do not feel called to grow our family at this time.

This is where the hard part and the oversharing come into play. We're young, we've only been married eight years, and I've been pregnant five of them. Throw in nursing, and you find that my body has not been my own for a long time. So those brief windows when not pregnant and not nursing have been treasured. Are treasured currently. But. I'm young, I'm healthy, and my body seems to like pregnancy. So we chart the signs and we avoid each other. We carefully choose our moments. And lately it feels like the moments are far too infrequent.

NFP advocates like to tout the low divorce rate among couples who use it. I am happy about and take assurance in those positive statistics. But I want some reality too. I want people to talk about the struggles. The questions. The times when we question what we believe and feel burdened by our convictions. I think more of us should be telling others about the months that we feel like roommates more than spouses. I want to know what other couples are doing to keep their passion alive when their options are limited.

So I'm telling anyone who will listen. It is hard. There are days, weeks, months when you feel like you are surviving, not thriving. Real work is needed to grow and nurture a marriage in these circumstances (and any circumstances of course).

But, then you are blessed with that moment of clarity. That instant when you feel that you are right where God wants you to be, and that you are moving to an even better place in your journey. That moment when you get it, if only for a moment, when you read this:

"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8: 31-32

We're not there yet, or we might not stay there, but we're trying. And some days that is enough.

Quick Takes Friday

1. I'm spending my 4th of July doing something I merely tolerate and something I love. I'm starting the day by running a 5K here in town. I figure I need to start the day exercising, in anticipation of all the food I plan to eat the rest of the day. I'll finish my 4th of July at the Ballpark in Arlington, watching my Texas Rangers take on the Rays. Fireworks will follow. The kids don't care for loud things, so they are staying home with Husband. I'm joining my parents, brother, sister and four nephews at the game. We will probably come close to melting with a predicted high of 103, but it is price I am more than willing to pay.

2. Remember how I complained about my baby girl not being snuggly? Well, that is slowly but surely changing. Of course, her timing is less than ideal at times. She likes to snuggle with me for about twenty minutes, in the middle of the night. While I love sweet baby snuggles, I do not love waking up in the middle of the night. But I guess I'll take what I can get.

3. I won something! Again! Erin at the Vintage Pearl hosted a week of giveaways last week and I entered several. And I actually won! I am getting an enameled necklace from her shop of the same name. I am so excited because I was going to put that on my birthday wish list, along with at least one other item from her store, and now I can put something else on the list. Yea!

4. Do not buy Kroger brand dishwasher soap. It is terrible. My dishes, especially utensils, are not getting clean at all. I usually use something until it is gone, but I will be buying new detergent next I am at the store. This stuff is just awful.

5. I have a tentative date for my friend to come over and get me started on sewing! I am beyond excited about this. Another friend of mine made the big girls some 4th of July dresses, and I want to learn how to make more. They are so cute (pictures next week) and can easily be worn over a long-sleeve shirt and leggings when it gets cooler. Also, I want to learn how to make a fabric necklace like this one at Joy's Hope.

6. Princess must be really tired, because this is her not twenty minutes ago. She crawled up in my bed and had a little Friday morning nap. Lucky girl.




7. Finally, this is just too cute not to share. The one time I got to scrape together the smallest little ponytail, Pebbles style, on Butterfly. Of course, you can't see it in the picture, but it was very cute.



For more quick takes, visit Conversion Diary.

Food. I Eat It. **Updated**

Time to share my sparkling wisdom one more time.

Aimee aks:

If you wouldn't mind sharing, what kinds of meals do you eat for breakfast and lunch? I know that might sound like a weird question, but I consider you a fit person (even though I've never really met you) with a healthy weight. I've been taking unofficial polls of my friends who are fit, just to see what they eat and how often.

See people, this is why I blog. Because someone out there thinks I'm fit and tells me so. :) Truthfully, when it comes to the exercise aspect of being fit, I would agree with you. I am in good shape, the best shape I've ever been in. But the goodness stops there.

I eat way too much junk. And worst of all, I skip breakfast all the time. I am just not the type of person that can eat first thing in the morning. And I don't like eating before going to the gym, which I know is bad. But I do it anyway. If I do eat breakfast, it is after being up for at least an hour, and even then will be very light. Maybe a couple of pieces of toast or one bowl of cereal. I don't drink milk often either. I hope no doctors are reading this.

For lunch, I only do slightly better. If we have good food in the house, I eat lunch. If we are down to peanut butter and jelly or leftovers, I probably skip it too. I know--terrible! But a good lunch to me is a tuna sandwich on toast (why does it taste better on toast?) with some chips. Or a turkey sandwich with some chips. Once in a while I will eat some leftovers, but I'm incredibly picky. Maybe I eat cheese and crackers and some deli meat, if I have it on hand.

I'm lucky in that I do have a good amount of control in terms of portions. So I might just eat chips for lunch, but it will be a bowl, not a bag. My weakness is sweets, and if we have them in the house I'm in trouble. I made some rice krispie treats a couple of weeks ago and I ate half the batch by myself, easily. This is why I have to work out like a mad woman.

So, don't eat like me. Please. It is not good for you. We do okay at dinner, but that is only one meal, and the least important one probably. I know that these horrible eating habits will catch up with me and I am working on making improvements. I've been given fair warning that it all goes downhill once you hit 30, so I'm trying to be on top of that. I've got the exercise part down, but the food aspect is taking longer to work for me.

And now you all know I am not as fit as I pretend to be here on the blog. Any more questions? Or do you want to keep whatever illusions about me that remain?

Update: After kickboxing this morning, I shamelessly drove to a local drive-thru Mexican place and bought two delicious potato, egg and cheese breakfast tacos. So I do eat breakfast, just at the wrong time. And today's breakfast is delicious. I did choose unsweet iced tea as my beverage, so I'm making small steps toward being less junky.

Keeping it Real Some More

I got more questions! Okay, so only two more, but I'm going to make them two different posts anyway.

Alli asks:

What's your bedtime routine with your kids?? We're still trying to nail down a decent routine that's CALM. It's hard to get everyone down at a decent hour, especially when Hubby has gone to work by the time bedtime rolls around.

Calm? What is that? Oh, I kid. I will break it down in three categories: a good night, a bad night, and what usually happens.

A good (ideal) night:

Around 8:00, or even earlier, I read to the kids. Maybe a couple of chapters from a book or some picture books from the library. Ideally, they will already be in jammies. But if they are not, then they change and brush teeth after we read. The three big kids can take care of this for themselves, and I help Monster. Butterfly (16 months) is usually already in bed by this time. Once the kids are in bed, we pray. Their rooms are right by each other, so I can stand in the hall and lead the prayers for all of them. We like to say one thing we are sorry for, one thing we are thankful for, and then any intentions. After that we offer recited prayers. We aim to have lights out by 8:30.

A bad night:

We get caught up in a TV show and it is 8:45 and the kids are making us crazy. We yell at them to get ready for bed. One of us goes in the rooms and quickly says "Bless you kindly and give you peace." And we turn the light out. Then we go back to the living room and keep watching TV. The kids are, of course, wound up and making noise. We go in their rooms and give stern warnings. We end up pulling kids out and having them sleep in the hall or our room until we go to bed.

A common night:

Around 8:15 we realize that we need to wind down for bed time. We ask the kids to change clothes and brush teeth. We tell them they will have about ten minutes to read (girls can read to the boys). At 8:30 one of us will pray with the kids. Lights are out and they might need one or two warnings.

As you can see, we do not have a good routine in place consistently. I think the biggest help for our kids though is being told when they are nearing bed time. If they are playing a game, they know it will have to stop. If they are already reading, they know they will have to stop. Our attitude goes a long way in determining how successful bedtime is. With you on your own when your husband is at work, I know it is tough. Working up the energy to go through the process can be hard. But I know that when we take the time to follow a routine, bedtime is bedtime and we don't spend an hour shushing the kids and getting frustrated.