The Hazards of...

being potty-trained!



Need I say more?

Vanity Takes a Holiday

I've never been what you'd call a role model for healthy living. Oh, I'll forego an occasional bite of cake or give up a sweet that I don't really like anyway. Proud of me?

I'm the kind of girl who lectures herself about eating better while slyly slipping another chocolate chip cookie into her mouth, hoping I won't notice and make myself spit it out into the trash can.

Well, maybe I'm a little better than that. Maybe, but not really.

Anyway, time and gravity being what they are - as well as baby number four and the wonderful age of thirty - I'm trying to get back into the swing of exercise and good eating. It seems to be going really well. *snort*

So, as soon as I got the go ahead from the baby doctor, I was doing my little workout video three/four times a week.

This really did last awhile. However, I got the feeling it was time to find something different when my sister asked me (when she saw me doing it), "Uh, has Pat seen you doing this?"

Ahem.

Then there were the times when my four-year old son would cheer when the young, beautiful blonde came on. She was only half-naked.

Ahem.

Oh, and the best one. Gi-Gi says, "Mama, I can tell you're nursing Ju-Ju because your - shake when you're exercising."

Ahem.

Moving along, then.

Walking. Crazy thought, isn't it? I think I may have forgotten that I knew how to do that. I'm usually chasing kids around at full speed.

After pulling myself out of bed at a way early time, before kiddos get up and start making the individual and group demands, I briskly walk around our neighborhood, praying that our neighbors can not tell that I'm a nursing mother.

Ahem.

And do you know what I've discovered? I have yard envy. Oh, and porch furniture envy, too. Shameful, shameful.

So many of these homes have gorgeous landscaping and inviting chairs and tables covered with flowers or greenery.

And then I realize, many of these people probably don't have four kids. Kids that would be throwing the cushions all over the porch or dropping the plants accidentally while trying to help me by watering them.

They might not have to exercise because they have had four pregnancies doing wild and crazy things to their tummies.

I don't know, but I think they should be envious of me.

Early Morning Treat

While I've never considered myself a high-maintenance kind of girl, there are times when my family spoils me. Oh, it's so hard being a mama. ~sigh~

Yesterday was one of those times. I had breakfast in bed. And it wasn't even my birthday or Mother's Day!!

Yep, you heard it right. Gi-Gi decided to surprise me and bless me at the same time. She succeeded.

My "Royal" breakfast

Now, you have to know, the biggest fan of our blog is Gi-Gi. I told her that I wanted to blog about this special meal and her face just lit right up like roman candles.

And so, in order to bless her, I decided to do something that rarely happens around here. Let me say, very rarely. Like so rarely that I think that gas was only 99 cents a gallon last time it happened. So what is this once in a lifetime occurrence?



Yes, you guessed it. I was photographed with no makeup on and my hair not done. Are you shocked?

My Monkeys At The Zoo

Thanks to Grandma, we got to spend the day at the World Wildlife Zoo yesterday. After driving all the way to the tip of South America (okay, not really S. America, but it felt that far!), we all stumbled out of the car on legs that felt like they hadn't been used in quite a while.

We corraled the kids and then...We were off!!


My monkeys checking out the monkeys in the exhibit.


Nothing beats those happy faces.


We decided that this is how Daddy looks when he needs a haircut!


I've never been this close to a giraffe before. The kids were in total awe!


I can totally sympathize! This Mama was pooped, too.

Pool Time!

Summer is in the air! Flip-flops are being worn, swimsuits donned and sunscreen slathered over wriggling little bodies.

That’s about as poetic as it gets.

This mama has boycotted pools and especially swimming suits (or baby soups in our family’s vernacular) for reasons obvious to all. At least I would think the reasons are obvious.

This is as close to the pool as I am going to be.


And so, this weekend’s trip to the pool was the first trip for me, although the kids and Daddy have been going for weeks now.

Ya-Ya just "floating" around.


Gi-Gi, aka Mermaid Girl


Fish Boy


Instead of partaking in the day’s activities, I sat on the sidelines chatting with dear friends and counting children’s heads. While not exactly a cool dip in the pool, it was just as good. For me, anyway.

Ju-Ju joined me. He didn't feel like getting his hair wet.