Moments.

Bounce Dryer Bar.

I'm itchin' to give these a shot. Haven't purchased one - yet. Has anyone tried these? If so, what do you think? Deal or dud? Yay or nay? I'd love to hear from some others before buying one. Ü

Keepin' It Real.

Recently I've been bothered by the fact that I'm not blogging what's on my mind & in my heart. My concern for others, & being afraid of their opinions of me, has taken most of the joy out of my blogging. I'm irritated with myself. It is senseless to be an honest person, yet refrain from sharing honestly, because of what others might think. I have been SO anxious & excited to find myself again. I guess it just took the right time content. :)

Because I'm outspoken doesn't mean I'm not a friendly or caring person. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. Indeed I am a friendly, caring person with an outgoing personality. That said, God didn't design me as an introvert. I am a true extrovert. I have never been reserved & I have never been one to keep my thoughts and/or opinions to myself. Sometimes possibly I should, & I may toy with the idea, but most of the time, I don't. In addition, I am blantantly honest, brutally honest, too honest, if you will. You may not appreciate what I have to say, but it is what it is & that's just how I live. I live in reality, not fiction. The fact of the matter is I have absolutely no tolerance for dishonest people & I'm not one of them. I offer no apologies. Sure, some people don't agree with me. My favorite rule of thumb, so to speak, (which um, I made up all by myself) is "God created individuals, not duplicates". Thank you. :) I think it's totally acceptable & normal that people have difference of opinions. I also think finding a respectful way to disagree is actually the challenging part.

So anywho, let's get this party started! I'm ready. I've been ready. Let's go! Ü

Let's start w/ MckMama. She has opened herself up, willingly, to be an open target. So I'll shoot. To begin with, for someone (me) who cannot have her own biological children (me), it gets my goat to watch those who can have biological (or non-biological, for that matter) children treat those innocent lives like crap. And to post it & brag about it on the internet for all to see is flat out disgusting. To travel for days/weeks at a time here & there, leave those babies time & time again, lie & mislead those reading your site, admit (even though clueless) you do not parent as you should & then publicize it, by george, I'm gonna blog about. Thank you for the content. Honestly? Inconsiderate, selfish people who blog their ignorance give me something to discuss. That is, when I'm NOT raising & spending time with my 4 beautiful little people, whom I adore & cherish.

I am not a perfect person & I will never claim to be. However. I am a mother FIRST, a wife second. My children, as long as I'm on this earth, will always come first. Their needs will forever be placed before mine. My husband knows it & I am proud of the fact that he, too, puts our children before me, his wife. He'll catch no flack from me & vice versa. I do not submit (don't care for the term) to him, I will never submit to him - I am a partner WITH him. I am a Christian, who does not feel the need to 'Bible Thump' every person; actually, you see, if you think about it, I believe the only reason people do that is to make themselves feel better. God is the Truth. He can also be very comforting to those who are doing wrong by choice, make no beans about it, & continue with their wreckless, irresponsible, selfish behavior.

Seriously. Do we even need to discuss the fact that no one cares enough to wrap those little innocent loves in some soft, snuggy pajamas, so they too can get a comfy, good night's sleep? I'm appalled. Honest to pete. Do you think MckMama Jennifer sleeps in her uncomfortable clothes? I bet not. We all know how much money she makes from blogging - "a lot" - (btw, who cares how much money she makes. Money has nothing to do with being a responsible, loving parent) so we all know they can afford pajamas for the children. What they can't seem to afford is the time it takes to show those children love - to devote TIME - & something as simple as changing out of one set of clothes into another. Maybe I'm the only one (although, I doubt it), but I feel so deeply sorry for the MckChildren. The amount of time they have been left without mom or dad is inexcusable. When you decide to have children, your life changes. There is complete responsibility & it's not always when you feel like it. Your children are a part of you & your family is a package. Not just when it's convenient.

And did you read her husband's post? My first one to read. And my last. Oh.my.frickin'.stars. My eyes, my eyes! Disgusting! Good glory, do they not know that there are some things that just don't need to be shared? I'm embarrassed for him! Get a clue, dude! It's called privacy. Have some dignity, for crying out loud!

Let me add this. Every marriage cannot be saved. I was married prior. My husband punched me in the face, kicked the living daylights out of me on several occasions, threatened me, repeatedly called me names I would not even say to my dog, constantly belittled & degraded me. He had adulterous affairs. He threw things at me & would hit me with them, splitting my skin open. The night I had finally made the decision (no, it didn't take long) that I was more important - he had me pinned down & was holding a knife 1 inch from my face. The point of me sharing all that? The guy had a chemical imbalance. He refused to take medication. My marriage could not be saved & it was not worth me risking my life to find out if it could. I believe people can be saved, but some marriages cannot. For anyone to insinuate anything different is asinine. If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, please don't let anyone persuade/influence you or talk you into staying. Get the heck out. Don't jeopardize your life all the while praying your partner doesn't 'snap'.

I'm not going to back up my comments regarding MckMama (or anyone else) with facts. Head on over to http://www.mckmamawithoutpity.blogspot.com/ for that. She does a fantastic job.

I'm only here to blog what's on my mind. 'Cause it's my blog. And I like to talk type. A lot. Ü

2010. My weight loss journey begins.

It was inevitable. 2010. It was destined to arrive. I've been waiting patiently hoping it wouldn't.

I graduated in 1985. This year is my 25th reunion. And the year I return to the field for Homecoming.

The photo below is when I was Homecoming Junior Representative, Oct. 1983.

I was a size zero. Zero. Waist size - 16". Seriously. 16 inches. Both of those should be a sin.

I adored this ruffly, hot pink dress. Ü

Below is Homecoming Queen, Oct. 1984.

I hated this red dress. I don't wear red. Due to finance struggles, I borrowed this dress from a friend. And was very thankful for her generosity. I never told her I despised this dress.

I am no longer a size zero. One thigh is, but not my body. Baha! Ü

Now begins my journey to lose 50 lbs. by...

Save the date...

Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010.

I would like to buy a rockin' new dress. Ü

I lost some weight, not too long ago. Can't remember exactly, but it was somewhere around 12-14 lbs. in 6 weeks. I was so disappointed, that I gave up. I look back now & realize that weight loss in that amount of time was acceptable.

I have been keeping up with Melissa's weight loss journey. She has lost over 40 lbs. in 4 months! She is amazing. She stopped eating out. She eats healthy. And works out. Two of my most unfavorite things in the world. Teehee. Melissa is delightful (so much like me - baha! :). If you haven't visited her blog, I encourage you to do so. Such a sweet, genuine person.

I shouldn't have to have an event to attend to encourage myself to lose weight. But. My Triglycerides level is too high (not dangerous, but needs to be lowered). My HDL is too low (just a tad). My doctor suggested I make changes, including taking fish oil. After I threw up in my mouth a little, I decided it was time. Without the fish oil, thank you. I definitely can eat much healthier. I don't detest working out, but I have limited time. I will utilize my treadmill, as well as implement vigorous house cleaning. Yes, it burns calories, if done properly. And for that extra push, I will use my reunion date as my goal & not feel guilty about it.

Saturday, Nov. 6th, 2010. I return to the field Friday night, Nov. 5th.

Wish me luck!

Kidbits.

Audi: I can't believe you & Daddy don't like Pez. You're crazy.

Me: We used to like them when we were kids.

Bentley: These have been around since you were a kid? They're that old?

Yeah.

Thanks, Bentley. Now you can go scrub some toilets. ;o)

Lowering expectations.

Because I have OCD, sometimes (ok, possibly it's a lot of the time ;o) I expect just a little too much from my little folks. Often I find myself reminding myself that they are indeed children, learning everyday. I don't want to be too hard on them. I want them to learn, of course, but at their level, not mine. They are their own tiny person - they are not me. What I'm learning is to lower my expectations. To help more, instruct less. Have patience. Just go with the flow. :)

I want my children to play. And they do. But I want them to play even more. Inside. Outside. Over here. Over there. Explore. Experience life. Have simple chores. And simple expectations from mom. Their childhood is too short! I want them to live. To love. To laugh. To have fun! To make amazing memories.

I told you - I don't know what's gotten into me! But whatever it is, it rocks! There is a lot less turmoil in our home. My stress level has diminished. Woot! Try it! Ü

It's time to LIVE!

I'm changing my ways. Now. Like, right now.

Not that I have a lot to change. But. Everyone can change some thing(s). And I'm going to do just that. Right now I have a wild hair. It's time to LIVE. Experience life. Not just go thru the motion.

We all have too much stress. Too much to do. Too many commitments. Obligations. Worry. Fretting. Family issues. Bills. Finances. Health. Marriage. Jobs. Kids amock. To-do lists. Just flat out too much stress.

I have decided.

To live.

To wear the good clothes on not good clothes days. Walk barefoot thru the mud. Get dirty. No plans. Just spontaneity. Just do it. Run. Laugh. Yell. Soak in the outdoors. Open the windows. Clean the dirt. Paint the walls. Break all the rules. Jump on the furniture. Chase. Photograph. Love. Breathe. Enjoy. Eat more candy. Be inspired. Learn from others. Light the candles. Loosen up. Let it go. Watch too much tv. Blare the music. Dance.

I don't know what has suddenly struck me. But I like it. My family will like it even more. I am excited. I am giddy. I am alive.

I've been too consumed building my life. It's now time to live my life.

Doesn't this sound like an awesome way to start the weekend? Woot! Life is short!

And because no post is any fun without a photo - here are my two favorite stud muffins. Ü

♥ them. :)