What Mother's Do

Bless me readers for I have forgotten to write. It has been 9 days since my last post. I'd like to say there has been a TON of progress, but not really. On the diet front, I have lost 2lbs since my last blog and 3 TOTAL inches from my waist since I started the diet. Wait, I guess that IS a lot of progress! My bad! I also get to stay on Corey's team for the weight loss challenge!!! That means 30 days for FREE FIT-NASS! Woop woop! I am only on day two, but I feel great, body-wise. Mind wise...yeah, whatev. I'll pull out of that eventually.

On to the blogging. Sunday is Mother's Day. I got THE BEST Mother's Day gift I have ever got from my husband...a ticket to California to see my best friend that moved away before Christmas last year! I am STOKED! I'm not stoked about flying, but I'll take a couple xanax and the world will be ok. :-) Anyway, I have read several times on several blogs, FB posts, news briefs, etc that dudes are pissed that they don't get as much special treatments that moms do. While I totally disagree, my husband gets LOTS on father's day, even if it were true let me give you MY opinion as to WHY Father's Day just might not be as hyped as Mother's Day.

1. Mothers carry a human being, sometimes weighing in excess of 9lbs, for 9 months or longer INSIDE their bodies. Do men do that? No. Some would argue they helped put that human there and I say yes, but that's like letting your kid carry the watermelon all the way to the door then taking it from him and saying YOU did the carrying! Not cool.

2. Mothers push said human being out of their vaginas, some without any medication and some have to be cut open and have the human yanked out of their uterus. Do men do that? No. WOULD a man do that? HELL NO! Now argue about helping put that human there and see just how many curse words your woman can muster up!

3. According to the 2011 US Census Bureau, 5 million moms stay at home with their kids until at least 15! Compare that to the 154,000 dads out there with the cahoonas big enough to let their wifey get a job and do the supporting! ;-)

4. Mothers breast feed, bottle feed, do not hesitate to get up in the middle of the night for anything a baby, toddler or child needs and a father, well, I know MY husband, as awesome as he is, hesitates or sleeps right through the nightmares, crying, puking...all of it.

5. And one more...instinct. Mothers have instinct that cannot be denied. I don't care WHO you are, man or woman, once you have a child, your instincts about shit just skyrockets! Doesn't even matter if it is something as small as it's going to rain even though the sun is shining. If a mom tells you it's going to rain, grab an umbrella guys, cuz it will most likely rain! Dads, you can say you got this all you want, but stop pretending! It's not there!

I don't mean to dis the male species at all, I have a husband, a son, a dad and all 3 are GREAT and I celebrate their lives and give them all the props they deserve but come on, you men out there HAVE to understand WHY Mother's Day is so hyped by now? Right? If not, numbers 1 and 2 should be the only ones needed to convince you otherwise.

That's all I got for today. I must go out and finish staining the deck. Oh, did I hear "that's a man's job?" HAHAHAHAHA!

TTFN,

My Journey to Average...continued

Man has it been a busy 8 days! Baseball and softball really keep this family on the go. I'm not complaining though because all of this running around has been GREAT for the weight loss! I am down UNDER 160lbs! Granted I am only down to 158, but I was so excited to jump on the scale on Wednesday morning and not see a 6 anymore! I am now just sitting at 158 and have been for 4 weigh-ins. I think it is time for some sort of change up in my eating habits. I have 2 months until phase 3 and 20lbs to go so I have to figure this out.

What I Eat/Drink
I am up to 2+qts of water per day, 1 diet soda, 1 10oz cup of coffee black, sweetened with Spenda...those are my liquids.
I eat my 2 tablespoons of oat bran with 5oz of plain greek yogurt sweetened with Splenda in the morning
I also eat 2 pieces of turkey bacon (thinking I am going to cut this out) and the equivalent to 2 egg whites via Egg Beaters. Sometimes I will eat 2 regular eggs, but I am not a fan of the fried egg anymore.
I haven't been hungry at lunch, but I try to slip in a can of tuna or some turkey slices with dijon mustard and on my veggie days I add cucumbers and tomatoes.
At dinner I do fish, steak, chicken, hen or burger. If I am on a veggie day I add cucumbers, tomatoes and salad with homemade dressing from the Dukan book.

My Exercise
The book says basically to keep doing what you were doing before if you were exercising. If you weren't exercising, then walk. I was in physical therapy and doing core training so I came up with a little something for me
AM: Pelvic tilts 3 sets of 10
Crunches 3 sets of 10
Walk 20-30 minutes sometimes with the dog
We also spend a lot of time at the ball field where we are constantly standing and walking from field to field so I add that in to my daily workout. I joined myfitnesspal.com and started a food journal as well as trying to track my exercise as best I can.

I see improvements that others may not see. My pants are looser, my bra isn't as tight (bad thing, but oh well), my love handles are disappearing and I do not crave the carbs I used to. In fact, I tempted myself by eating a few Hardee's fresh cut fries and my body decided it didn't care for them, IF you know what I mean! The one thing I have had to restart taking is a multi-vitamin. I am just too tired and I know it is from not getting enough vitamins. My body is already vitamin deficient as it is so dieting like this is just making it worse. I am taking one specifically for women, fortified with D3, calcium and iron. Hopefully it will give me the boost I need. I also take biotin on a regular basis. It helps your metabolism too.

One thing I am sad to report is that I am probably going to have to give up my spot on Hot 100.5's weight loss team. I am an extremely busy sports mom right now and they want to work out at NIGHT and on the weekends...time that I am the most busy! So, unless Corey decides it is ok for me to work on my own, I will be dropping from the competition. Oh well, I have the base to rely on if I ever get my ass out there!

TTFN,

My Journey to Average Entry 2

Well. Today marks the end of day 8 of the Dukan Diet. I am down 5.2lbs and extremely proud of myself for sticking to a diet plan for 8 days!! It hasn't been TOO rough, but I think I am past the being hungry all the time phase because I find myself eating just 3 meals and 1 snack a day now. I am up to more than 8 glasses of water because I am SO thirsty and I have added the occasional diet soda as Dr. Dukan says it helps curb the sweet craving. I must admit that he is right because it surely has helped. The only REAL reason behind me adding it is because I can't drink my morning coffee anymore. I was used to it every day with a ton of rich, fattening creamer, but now that I cannot have it, skim milk just wasn't cutting it so until I can have my creamer back or can find something that makes my coffee taste good again, the diet soda and tea are going to have to do!

Today I also received a call from the local radio station. I entered a contest of theirs a few weeks back, before I started this diet and when I was 167lbs, for a weight loss challenge and they picked me! I was in the middle of fixing my taxes when she called so it really didn't sink in until later that I WILL BE GETTING A WHOLE MONTH OF FREE EXERCISE AND COMPETING FOR 3 MORE FREE MONTHS!! I need this last little push to boost the weight loss efforts and maybe get to that ultimate goal that much faster. The only catch is that we have to be evaluated by One Life Fitness. Hopefully I can pass their tests and get this party started!

That is about it for the updates on my fit-nass. As soon as I can get some links to the radio station and One Life Fitness, maybe I can link them up here on my blog and increase traffic a bit. Of course I will also be posting a before picture on here before we start working out. GO TEAM COREY!

TTFN,

My Journey to Average Entry 1

I know I said I would write about this another day, but I started a Facebook status and ended up with this:

Learning to adjust, adapt and overcome with my food has been interesting. Tonight I found a new favorite...haters don't hate...non-fat, plain Greek yogurt sweetened with splenda, flavored with a touch of almond extract. Calms my craving for sweets and makes this plain yogurt not taste like sour cream!

I am PROUD of myself for being able to stick with something so strict. Even though we are allowed to eat as much as we want protein-wise, the no fat, no sugar, no carbs can be a kick in the @$$. When I started reading the book I weighed 167lbs. I wanted to start then, but knew I needed to wait until after I got my last back injections. I ended up losing 2lbs just because this last injection made me a bit queasy and not want to eat as much. My starting weight on Monday was 165.2lbs. After only 4 "attack" days, I weighed in this morning at 161.1lbs...4.1lbs lighter! I was skeptical because I have staggered with my weight, and was actually thinking about quitting yesterday because I was sitting at 162 for 3 days!!! When I woke up and jumped on the scale and it hit that 161 I almost screamed with happiness. I didn't change a thing I was doing, kept with the plan and just pushed through that little bit of doubt and I came out of the first phase with success!

Now is the hard part...getting to the ultimate goal. If I stay on track, I should be able to get there by our anniversary!! That would be an awesome gift to myself and my husband. I know he loves me just the way I am, but for me to feel good about myself would make him even more happy. I only have a few obstacles that stand in my way that won't be very hard to overcome or come back from, one of them being Greek Fest that is coming up May 12th. I am IN LOVE with Greek food and I do not think that is on my pure protein or veggie diet. Of course there is room for one day of binging, but do I want to do that for something that I love or can I wait until after I have learned how to control myself? I think I can probably wait! The other obstacle is our HUGE family vacation, one week in OBX with lots of time to have fatty, rich food. I can control what I eat there on MOST of the days...just bring/buy what I can eat and stray away from the no-no foods. I will be really close to my goal by then so it will be super tempting to stray and try things like alcohol, which you cannot have until the last phase, or fried fish, which I LOVE. All of it can be done. If I can pass up clearance Easter candy, I can do a week with family and can skip out on 1 Greek Festival!!

Anyway, I will give periodic updates...mainly on my weight...just for my personal motivation. If you are interested in knowing what this diet is all about, feel free to email me at goudegirl03@aim.com and I will fill you in a little!

Grades and Teens Oh MY!

I've been out a computer for a whole week because my damn dog got on the table while we were all out and spilled water so my poor MAC sat in water for over an hour. I had to soak it in a bag of rice for a few days and even though it still works, and I am typing on it now, the space bar doesn't work neither do a few other keys so I ended up getting a wireless keyboard and mouse. I kinda like this set up a lot better.

Today is report card day. This is the day that makes me feel either good or like a really horrible parent. Today I feel like an awesome parent! All 3 devilish kiddos did great this time around. 1 C between the 3 of them, the rest A's and B's. I guess we are doing something right with them. At least I HOPE we are doing right. Some days I wonder if I can do more.

We have a teenager. I have been dreading the teenage years since I started having kids 14yrs ago. I remember what I was like and it scares the crap out of me to think about MY kids being like ME. Unfortunately I probably deserve whatever these kids do to me for all the turmoil I put my mother through when I was a sneaky teen. I am already seeing my sneakiness in my oldest. Not the best quality to pass on to your child, but I guess you grow out of it with time! I have nothing to go by here in VA. All of my friends have babies. I am all alone in the teenage world for now. I am hoping if we move that I will be able to find some friend with kids MY kids' ages.

Well, it's time for baseball/softball and dinner. Next time I will have to tell you all (my secret 6) about my new diet and how awesome it is going! I'm pretty excited!

TTFN,



"""Note To Your Teenagers"" Outdoor Sign"
"Spot This is Not a Teenager Wall Decal"

Let Me Get You an Update...or not

Wow! I let almost a whole year FLY by without a word from my potty mouth! So much has happened in that year that I would have to write a blog about it. Wait...that's why I HAVE a freakin' blog! Duh. Anyway, the time for new orders for our crew is fast approaching...like THURSDAY of this week we will get our first "peek" at where we might land in January of 2013. I am nervous and excited all at once. We have lived here in VA for the past 8 1/2 years, which is rare for a military family. To move away would be really fun, exciting and nerve wracking. The boy has always lived in this house (except for the month he lived in an apartment before we could move in here) so it may be sad for him. This would be the girls' first time REMEMBERING a move. And for us, well for Balla and I as a couple, it would be our 2nd REAL move together if we have to leave VA. Even if we have to stay we plan on renting out this house and finding a better school district so our oldest can be in a good place for high school.

Besides that excitement, we lost a few friends to military moves. While it is sad, it is part of the life we live. My best friend left in October and it was the first time EVER I cried when a friend left. It was truly one of the hardest things I have had to do being a military WIFE. The military also let a few of our friends "go" and they will have to make a decision in September of this year if they are going to stay here in VA or pack it up and get out of dodge. If I were them, I would be packing it up! I'm ready for a change!

Being a military family can be trying and rewarding all in one great big package. You get 3 years of daddy or mommy being home then 3 years of them constantly being gone. The being gone part can really take it's toll on a child and even a spouse. The best thing to do when your spouse gets deployed is STAY BUSY! The ship should have an FRG...get involved! I know some FRG's are crazy and full of drama, but go to ONE meeting and find out first before you chalk it up as a loss. Get connected with the community and other spouses on the ship, if you can handle other spouses on the ship. I am not speaking negatively, but sometimes women don't get along with other women and vice versa. Get your kids into sports or karate or something that gets you and them out of the house. Staying cooped up will only keep you on the internet reading articles on what is going on out there in the ocean where you have NO CONTROL and freak you out. There are pirates out there and our sailors and soldiers are going to be out there messing with them, that is their job for the time being.

Anyway, I totally got off track and did not update you like I planned, but whatev! I hope this finds all of my 6 followers in good health!

TTFN,

It's Not The 90's Anymore...Unfortunately

My kids are all public school children...for now. While I love the time alone from September to mid-June, I get a rude awakening when I hear stories about some of the young middle school girls in my daughter's home room. What I thought was a better environment for my child is turning out NOT to be. When I hear "Sydnie is one of the good girls at school and there are only like 5 of us!" I cringe and want to keep her home, locked in her room until she is 21. When I see marks on the arms of 12yr olds that are from a game called "Eraser", I am reminded of what I used to do only I was in high school. What ever happened to sleepovers, prank calling, bloody Mary and toilet papering people's houses? Now there's sex, drugs, smoking and running away before you even get out of middle school!

Like I wrote before, I'm not a perfect mother or wife, nor do I try to be, but I DO strive to raise my children to the best they can be. I want them to succeed in life, not fail. They walk out the door in the morning KNOWING that if they EVER do anything like what these girls and boys in middle school are doing (smoking, sneaking out in the middle of the night, talking nasty to their parents, even "making out" with the opposite sex because they think they can) that I will personally sign their death certificate and hand it to the coroner then throw myself in jail! I know what I did as a teenager and I was NOT nice to my mom all the time, but I did NOT disrespect her the way these kids do. If I were to ever speak to my mother the way I hear some of these kids speak to their parents, I would have false front teeth right now. If I came home with eraser burns at the age of 12, I'm pretty sure she would have done something equally as drastic. Again, I wasn't perfect then, but I had respect and I teach my children respect...even if I have to threaten bodily harm. (I kid...kinda)

With that said, I am really thinking about pulling my children and home schooling them if we do not get transferred out of Norfolk or if we do not sell this house and move somewhere "safer" or more up to my "standards". I'm not quite sure what my standards are, but I just don't want my 12yr old being one of the ONLY good girls in school. I'd like her to have a lot of people she can rely on, not just a select few. And I don't want to feel like I have to be afraid of becoming a grandmother in the near future just because these girls are so so very influential. Ugh. Being a mom is really hard work. Anyone want my job?

I Don't Have To Be Perfect

Over the years, mostly the past 7yrs of being a "housewife", I have often been jealous of fellow mothers and the neat and tidiness of their homes when I would visit for playdates or get togethers. It always made me feel like less of a person because I couldn't be that neat and clean, always dust-free, not a speck of food on the counter. As I got older, the feeling got worse and grew into a sort of phobia. I really didn't like the super clean freaks to come to my house because I didn't want to be judged by how much dust was on my TV stand or how many kool aid stains were on the kitchen counter.

I've always kept my house CLEAN, but there has always been clutter somewhere in plain sight. To the average OCDer, my house would drive them to the looney bin. In order for there not to be dust on things, I would have to dust every single day and, well, that's just not gonna happen. In order to get rid of all the stains on my kitchen counters and floor, them bitches have to be replaced and unless someone can give us $10,000...that isn't happening either.

I am a housewife, yes, and keeping house is my "job", but it is not my life. I have 3 beautiful children to tend to as well as 3 dogs, a pool, friends, a husband, school, my crafting business and whatever else my happy butt wants to do. I'm not perfect in any way, shape or form, but I think if I can keep my house clean, free from mice (another post in it's own!!) and pests and do the laundry so the people who live here don't stink when they leave, I am doing my job. I am a mom and mom's don't have to be perfect.

*_*Rachelle*_*

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Day 10...Who's Laughing Now?! (my homework)

It is coming to the end of the 10th day of being off the "crack". I DID have to log on and post to some people to get addresses for my Pay-it-Forward 2011 gifts and once today to tag one of my Pay-it-Forward 2011 recipients and boy did I get crap from one of my friends JUST for doing that! All that matters is that I went a FULL WEEK without even rolling my cursor over that word even once! And if anyone knows my routine they would know the first thing I do after clicking on the Safari circle is to click on the "crack" button. I proved to my mother and my husband and to my disbelieving friends that I could stay away for longer than 3 days. (Ass holes) Even if I did log on, it wasn't to update my status, check up on my friends or do anything but ask for some addresses and post some pictures. Before my sabbatical I was on there all day long. I sat at my computer from the time I got up until I went to sleep taking breaks only to take and pick up kids from school and to make dinner. Occasionally I would clean up, do some laundry, run a mop over my floors, but I neglected so much. I napped every day because I used my eyes so much on the damn computer.

In the 10 days I have been off I have gotten caught up on house work and sewing, laundry can kiss my ass is always backed up and school work... I've been doing so much around the house that (like how I changed the subject?!) I have been falling asleep sitting up watching TV with my husband by about 2200 every night. It's sad, really. When I was on the "crack" I could stay up all hours of the night. Huh. Kinda like the real thing! In 4 short days my 2 week sabbatical will be up and I will be back on the "crack", updating and posting as usual. Probably not on like I used to because my house smells MUCH better when I take care of it and so do my kids!(Kidding) I will probably give myself a schedule and include blogging as part of my computer time. Gots to keep my 7 followers up to date on my "crack" usage!

Facebook Sabbatical...

This is day 1 of my facebook sabbatical and I must say I have done a damn good job at it! I feel like I am out of the loop, but I have to remember that there WAS life before Mark Zuckerberg's crack. I got quite a bit done today without my Z-crack but with the help of my liquid crack 5hr Energy and Amp. Yep, I found a new love! YAY! I didn't do ANY homework, just HOUSEwork but shit, my HOUSE needed it. The homework can wait. I have a ton of things on my "to do" list and I have only crossed off like 2 out of the ton.

I started my day by shopping for cleaning supplies. While there I found some cute bags on clearance that I immediately got an awesome craft idea for for my girls and 2 of their friends. Once home, I turned on my tunes and cleaned the bathroom, organizing and throwing away 1 bag of shit I hoarded crap, cleaned and organized the area I call the pit of more shit I hoard missing things getting 2 more bags of crap and 1 bag of flat sheets (who uses those things anyway?) to send to Salvation Army. I then took a break to work on my awesome craft idea. I embroidered the kids' names on the bags for impromptu gifts! How exciting! By the time I was done, it was time to get the kid. When we got back I finished folding and putting away the sheets, checked all my email (perused the internet), yelled at the boy to finish his homework then loaded everyone into the van for free kids meal night at Hooters!

After Hooters, we came home. The kids fed the dogs and wrote Uncle Mike letters, dad did homework and I cleaned the kitchen...like REALLY cleaned it. I threw out another bag of shit I hoarded crap! Swept and mopped the floor, put everything in its place and set the dishwasher to start at midnight...to save energy. I then sat here reading Craigslist ads like I used to, BEFORE Zuckerberg Crack.

1 day down...13 more to go. I can DO this.

Christmas Giveaway Event - 4K in Prizes!

Christmas Giveaway Event - 4K in Prizes!

This is an AWESOME giveaway! Just click on the link to go to the page and ENTER!! It will be worth it...especially to the winner, who will be winning over $4,000 in prizes! All the prizes can be viewed at http://faithfullyfrugal-and-free.com/giftguide2010/ Good luck and HAPPY ENTERING!!!