Off the Wagon

I have fallen off the wagon.  (in all forms) I have been having more than a glass of wine way more than multiple times a week, I just polished off a dark chocolate bar (yikes), and workouts have been...  Well, they haven't been. 
But, I have been having a ball!  We spent 1 night/1 day with my sister and her family at their families summer home (it's on a river so we had fun in the sun), then we just returned home from NC.  We went to visit my college roomie!  Her husband is in the Army so we went to visit the base, it was my first time on a military base and it was awesome.  So neat and just incredible.  Bear was so excited to see soldiers, I was in awe just watching his face.  We checked out a children's museum as well.

Here we are, we have already started carb loading for Iron Girl!

S-U-M-M-E-R

I look forward to the start of summer...  As a teacher the summer brings me back to when I was younger, the anticipation of all the "summer fun" that is lined up.  As a parent there are other "anticipations" I look forward to that come with summer.  The clothes are lighter (and smaller) so laundry seems to be less, lazy days with a more relaxed bed time, supper sleepy children when bed time roles around, for the most part there is no rushing out the door in the morning and of course I can enjoy a lot of the simple things, you know, because I participate in running through the sprinkler with the kids and not look like a crazy lady.
So now that my Internet is back up (urgh, went down on Tuesday and is finally back up) I have been put back in touch with life (okay that is sad) and back on my blog and catching up on reading blogs :) .
We have had a productive start to summer vacation.  I have organized two children's bed rooms, cleaned my kitchen (that includes organizing the pantry), hubs vacuumed the house, signed the kids up for the summer reading program at the library, played, played, and played some more, have had limited TV time for the kiddos, have been watching True Blood season Three with hubs (we don't get HBO), and are getting ready to have a small get away with my sister and her family.

Why does the drink change it?

Why does the type of drink you have change the "meeting"?  I had plans to meet an old co-worker.  We were going to meet for wine, my old co-work recently took a job close to where I work.  So we thought we would check out this great wine store that does tastings and you can order a bottle and enjoy!  Of course life got busy and my plans with her fell through.  My current co-worker heard me talking about my "ex" (that is what we call our previous co-workers) and he said he was getting jealous.  So I told him that when (and if) he left teaching I would meet him for wine.  He said he didn't know if he would feel weired or not.  I laughed and couldn't figure out why he would feel weired (my sister, who I was on the phone with couldn't understand either).  I asked if we met for a beer would that change it, he said "absolutely, then it would be fine". 
Why does the drink change it?
My Theory (and my sisters):

• You rarely see/hear of two guys meeting for wine
• While men enjoy wine, it is thought of to be more of a woman's drink and therefore the man would be accommodating the woman
• Wine is sensual (so two people of the opposite sex meeting for wine who are married to other people...)
• Meeting for "beer" sounds cooler...     

H-E-L-L-O Stranger

That would be me, a stranger I realize that some of my readers may have gone and will not come back, I hope they stay but, I have been under a rock.  I have been having a blogging funk.  Life has been crazy and I was not sure where I was going to my blog.  I decided that while I still have no clue where I am going with this, it was a mini therapy session for me to write, so I gave myself a little face lift and started to type. 
While I say I have been under a rock, I don't mean I have been hiding.  I have just been really busy.  I haven't gotten a chance to sit and write at work and at home, I can even hide in my bathroom to try and write because either someone runs in attached to my leg or if I lock the door my children violently throw their bodies against the door that I either open it or have them break it down! 
So here I am back, I hope some of you are there to say "HI"!

WARNING

If I had that WARNING WARNING voice from Whale Wars I would have that playing.  Because this post might come out as a little vent session.
Not sure what happened to me on Wed. night but I threw up.  It wasn't fun.  I think it was something I ate because when I got up on Thursday I had that odd tummy feeling, but was fine otherwise.  Oh except I came home from work not having eaten all day and ate a few brownies washed it down with a milkshake.  So much for eating right!  I fell off the wagon.
My co-worker is out today, he got a random sub.  R-A-N-D-O-M  When this happens I feel like I have a house guest that I don't know to feel and I have to stretch my brain to entertain them.  Honestly.  I don't have the brain power to do this on a Friday.
My kiddos were doing forward rolls during their well checks on Thursday.  Yes, in the middle of the Dr.'s office my children decided to display their gymnastics skills.  (I swear that office must think I have no control over my kids)
I never thought that I would hear this from a child, but I had a child who swallowed a rock today.  (I think it was a pebble)  I don't know how that happened, truthfully I didn't want to know.  In my defense it happened over a half and hour before they came to my class so!     
The weather is cold again, not chilly, COLD.  I am over it.  I need my flip flops and I need to be able to run in warmer weather.
Oh and the "sub" from earlier jumped as a pulled out a knife to cut a lemon for my tea, I guess I am not being a good hostess since I scared them, but really, did they think I was going to knife them?
Oh yeah, who swallows a rock?

PINT

Birthday

This past weekend we celebrated Bear's birthday.

Bear is my oldest.

He is getting so big.

Sad to think that he has one more year of pre-school and then it is off on the big yellow bus to kindergarten.

So this weekend it got me thinking of things.

Bear is our first child.

This little man entered our world and forever change life for hubs and I.

Not only was he born, but hubs and I were "born" as parents.

I had been a Aunt for 6 years.

A Godmother for 5.5 years.

But a MOM.  No.

This was something new.  Something that was the most amazing gift, a gift that would change "who" I was.

When the Dr. handed Bear to hubs (after what seemed like years, but we will get to that in another post) I remember looking at Bear's little face and asking hubs to just touch Bear's face to mine.  That moment, the memory of that touch, will be forever engraved in my mind.

I suddenly had dreams that were not my own.

Dreams and wishes for this little human that we were now responsible for.

I wondered; what he was going to look like, what his voice would sound like, what his personality would be.

Who he would be.

This little man has shown me stregnth and humor all in one.

He has a heart of gold.

A stuborn little mind!

He has 2 modes, on and off.

On is full on, never stop.

Off is sleep.

There is no in between mode.

He keeps me on my toes.  He has created a joy that I never knew exsisted. 

(sometimes he creates a mom that can polish off a bottle of wine in one gulp)

(but that is motherhood)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAR

MOMMY LOVES YOU

(this has sparked a thought in my mind, I am starting a once a week post about my pregnancy/delivery/newborn life with Bear)



My Car (a.k.a. the nasty mobile)

My car is a kitchen table, cozy napping area, grocery getter, dance floor and bathroom all in one.  Seriously it is.  Until now I have not given up that much of myself to ya'll.  I warn you there are some parts here that will shock you!

I have a long commute so I often eat breakfast in my car.  At any given time you will find at least 3 1 coffee mug with the "ring around the mug" sign of a BIG coffee drinker somewhere in my car.  My car is also the car that we drive mostly when we are all together, so the kids snack in the car.  I removed P-nut's seat last month and found almost a whole bag of Goldfish scattered under her car seat.  I also just removed a cheese stick from the floor of the backseat, which was now hard.

Like many children the minute the car is moving they fall asleep, many lovies have been accidentally left in the car overnight after we come home later than bed time (It doesn't lead to a good morning in our home when you wake up with out your lovie).

We like to jam in the car.  We dance in our seats, it makes the whole car shake (and I drive a minivan).  We listen to anything from Pink to Trace Adkins!  Well and our oh so loved Big Time Rush (sometimes I daydream that James Maslow is hubs) (Just kidding) NOT REALLY!  Sorry, he is young but he is hot!
Now the gross factor!

I keep a bucket in my car (two really), one yellow, one green (can you think of what each is used for?).
Yellow = Pee
Green = Puke
I keep a lot of napkins in my car.
I have wipes/diapers (okay not out of the ordinary I have a little one).
Tampons (I keep these everywhere just in case).
Bags (grocery store/gallon Ziploc=garbage bags)
Gross factor that ALL have been used IN the car!
Here is how:
Puke bucket, it hasn't been used in a while (bite my tongue) but Bear used to be a vomiting child in the car.
Common, now onto the ewe.
If you had a chance to read this post you will know that everyone in our family had a nasty cold back around Christmas time.  Over the holiday's we went to NY to visit my In-laws and the trip landed Bear on antibiotics with an ear infection.  Well...  He doesn't respond that great to antibiotics, he tends to get a little case on the poops and when he has to go, it comes on fast.  So here we are driving down I-95 and I hear "mommy, I have to poop", we were within a mile of a rest area.  THANK GOODNESS but we also realized that Bear takes all of his clothes off when he poops (this might pose a problem in Kindergarten).  Hubs and I really didn't want to take him into a rest area bathroom and when we parked he looked at me and said "it's coming" I grabbed my "Ziploc garbage bag" and placed it in the bucket and he just got his pants down and the tush meet the slip of the bucket.  It was interesting awful!  So the bucket was used as well as the wipes and napkins.  Judge if you will, but we put the nasty double bagged poop in a trash can at the gas station.  I felt that it was the = to a dirty diaper. 
I can't believe I am going to go here, but I am.  I also have had to use a tampon in the car.  It was NOT to stop a nose bleed either.  Remember that long commute I referred to earlier.  After I stopped nursing P-nut my cycles were off.  It started one morning on my commute and there was no place for me to stop to go into a bathroom and it was so bad that I couldn't wait.  I would have had to go home because it was that bad. 

This weekend with the beautiful weather I am going to transform my car.  It needs the winter gunk to be gone.  The inside needs a vacuuming and a good cleaning.  I will also re-organize the "car essentials" that I keep, because, you never know what your going to need and when! 

PINT

Count Down

Here is my count down post!
I have a few things coming up that I am just excited about.

248 Days until Breaking Dawn (Part 1)
I love Twilight (actually most books, movies, shows about Vampires!  Well, Weres too!)


162 Days until Iron Girl

I started Tri training on Sat. with a nice ride with my sister.
Not nice to ride a mountain bike with a chick on a rode bike.
On a windy day too!



83 Days until Wine Country Half Marathon

This will be my first 1/2 marathon.  I just want to finish.



63 Days until the Historic Half Marathon

(I am relaying it so really, 1/2 of a 1/2)



30 Days until the START of DEADLIEST CATCH
I love Deadliest Catch.  Shh, I have had dreams about some of the crew members.



Guilty!

I am so guilty.  Guilty of a lot.  Or maybe full of guilt, not sure.
Bear was invited to birthday party this week.  Except the party has going on during a time when I was working.  I hate that.  I hate that I miss out on things in my children's lives because I work (outside the home).  I have a killer commute to add to that.  I hold animosity towards my job for that.  I had to make arrangements for Bear to go to the party and while I have no idea (I like to think the other mom's don't think much about it) what the other mom's think.  It kills me that my dad is the one that drives Bear to and from school.  That his teacher and pre-school director know my dad's face over my own son's mother face.  I feel GUILTY over that.  It drives me nuts and often makes me cry (when no one is looking).
Someone asked me today what my mileage was up to.  They know that I am relaying a 1/2 of a 1/2 marathon in May.  I laughed and said, you don't want to know.  Ha!  Training!  So far I have been running when I can and THAT is all.  Okay how about another does of guilt to go along with your guilty conscious.
I need to get my rear in gear!

PINT

Talk Dirty to Me

So I have some ideas for posts (yeah, I wrote them down so i don't forget as my week goes on) and as I was reading some bloggy blogs this morning I went to check in on Shell at Things I Can't Say and she wrote about potty training her son. 

So... 

As a mom of two small children a day does not go by when a conversation about all things potty and private parts doesn't happen...

Bear was interested in the potty early.  I think it was because of his cousin who is 2 years older than him.  Bear wanted to be like him.

We didn't really start "potty" training him until the summer after he turned two.  P-nut was on the way and we were looking to put Bear into a pre-school program where he HAD to be potty trained. 

(2 accidents and your out)

We started out with Bear just telling us when he went in his diaper.

Then, if we were home, he went around the house with no clothes on.

We had a few times when he pee'd on the floor (once blamed in on the dog).

Then LOTS of reinforcement and M&M's when he would use the potty.

**the use of M&M's sometimes leads to your child offering M&M's to people they see go into a public restroom to use the bathroom**

The potty when peeing was mastered...  The poop, well, he preferred to do that in the pull up.  He would be fine all day, then as soon as the pull up came on for bed, he would walk to a corner and squat, drop a load and then ask to be cleaned...

We started to get a handle on the potty training.  Then...

He broke his leg.

It was gone (not his leg, the potty going)

After he was healed he would wear pull ups and one day right after Christmas Bear said to me:

"mommy, I will wear underwear, but only if it is Hot wheels"

I looked at him and said:

"well, I am not going to run out and buy you Hot wheels underwear, you have plenty of underwear that is fine"

I WILL EAT THOSE WORDS

He pooped in every pair of underwear he wore, told me, if they were Hot wheels, he wouldn't do it.

Well damn!  I went out and bought Hot wheels underwear the next day and that was how Bear was FINALLY Potty Trained!

If only it was as simple as saying:

"I will not have an accident if you buy me xyz underwear"

You think I have a strong willed child on my hands????

My advice:

• When they are ready it will click (hopefully that will happen before Kindergarten)
• Buckets in cars are miracle workers, it helped us avoid many accidents
• If your child asks for a specific type of underwear well, it might be worth the $5
• M&M's (other little treats) are magic, just be prepared with enough for friends and family to have some when they use the potty because your child might just offered them to those who use the potty
• You may feel like to you have puppy in your home at first.. just saying!
• We also used a letter chart**
• If you have a boy and you do let them pee outside during an emergency moment, make that clear about what an EMERGENCY is, or you might have a child that drops their pants and pee's an impressive arc over the slide during your younger child's 1st birthday party.
• Have a plunger on hand (too much toilet paper and curious minds)

GOOD LUCK

**Letter chart: we used a reward (yeah we bribed him) he LOVES Red Robin so we wrote the word Red Robin on a piece of paper and hung it in the kitchen, everyday/nigh that Bear was dry/clean we colored in a portion of the letter, never taking away if an accident did happen, he just didn't get an color on the chart.  When all the letters were colored in, he got to go out to dinner.  That and the Hot wheels underwear were what got him trained.

Say Hi Sunday

It Sunday, as always the weekend has gone to fast and I am sitting at the table with my coffee planning the day and creating my shopping list for the food store blogging!

I decided to link up today with Three P's in a Pod for Say Hi Sunday.

If you are visiting my blog for the first time WELCOME and here is a few things about me (like speed dating you can decided if you like me and want to get to know me better as time goes on).

I am a full time working (fitness education, it's a fancy way to say PE teacher) mom with two crazy children, a native NY girl who is now 4 states south.

Like myself, my blog is a work in progress, I still don't like my look (working on my banner tonight, yet again), I am trying to really to not hold back when I write so any suggestions are welcomed.

In case you want to know a little more...
Here were fun facts that were used at work for a "get to know you" activitiy:

-Favorite saying is Oy!
- Has very few articles of clothing in her closet that are not made of moisture wicking fabric.
- Believes a good pair of yoga pants can take you from the gym to dinner if paired with the right top.
- Suffers from OCD...of the metatarsals
- Student taught in Australia
- Has loved Vampire books and movies since 1994 when Interview with a Vampire came out.
- Was the 1984 National World Champion in Duck, Duck, Goose.
- Once received a set of K2 Mickey Mouse ski's and that night she tried them out by skiing down her parents stair case!
- Was on the ski team in college.
- Ran a triatholon this past summer and is training for more.

Aloha: Where you from?

Happy Friday, I don't know about you but I am SO GLAD that it is Friday!

So needing the weekend.

I got the idea from a qustion that I have been getting a lot lately.  Not sure why...

My question for Aloha Friday with An Island Life;

Where you from?

Does this happen in everyone's home?

I love the show Raising Hope.  A co-worker told me about it and I am hooked.  Last night in the opening of the show Burt says "Do you think this happens in other people's houses in the middle of the night?".  I laughed because I think that everyday. 
*Okay maybe not so much what happens in the middle of the night but more so everyday*
Last night was "Do you think this happens at dinner in other people's houses?"
Hubs was working out while I was cooking, Bear loves to "work out" with hubs or I.  He is pretty good with resistance bands and canned food (don't ask).  So while hubs was working out Bear was with him.  Hubs finished and came up for dinner with NO shirt on.   Typically full dress is required for meals but last night I guess we were more "no shoe, no shirt, no problem".  Well, like father like son, Bear decides to toss his shirt.  He even pulled his pants down a little because he likes the lower look of jeans (think Abercrombi model).  So the conversation went from how everyone's day was to...
Bear: Hey dad, when I get older I am going to be bigger than you!
Hubs: Oh yeah, then you better eat your broccoli or it might not happen (nicely played dear)
P-Nut: (Throws broccoli at her brother)
B: Hey dad, when I get bigger my man pimples will be like yours, BIG.  (those would be nipples)
H: Only if you eat your fish.  (again nicely played dear)
B: hey mom, the hair on my chest is starting to grow, soon it will be longer than daddy's.  Do you have hair like daddy's?.
Me: No, Mommy doesn't have hair on her chest, it's a man thing.
H: Yeah (I shot the look, I knew where he was going, it would have turned into a run down of who is the hairiest man in the family)
B: One day all of me will be bigger than daddy (I see the hands ready for the pants)
M: Okay, everyone eat with hands on the table or NO dessert!
Oh yeah, my boy is proud of his man parts!  I just hope that these meal time conversations are not in front of guests!~ Or maybe...  It will not only be just pants requiered at the dinner table, SHIRTS will make the list too.

Can You Say "Not Good"

Oy!  That about sums up what I did yesterday.  If you saw my post from yesterday about Daytona, my not good choice goes along with Daytona.  For starters Bear is no longer a Kasey Kahne fan (well duh, he no longer is driving the beer car)...  Of course then he found out there was an M&M Car.  So he is now a Kyle Bush fan.
Now my story.  I drank way too much.  WAY TOO MUCH.  I wasn't silly, obnoxious, or loud.  I did however fall asleep while putting P-nut to bed and then woke up at midnight I threw up.  At 3am I went to the kitchen and downed a 2 liter bottle of ginger ale and let out the loudest burp ever which apparently woke P-nut up!  So then I spent the rest of the night on the couch with a toddler who was in and out of sleep as much as I was.
I am never drinking again!  Oy!

On the menu...

*Pardon my appearance, I am working a little makeover, I felt like I needed a little color*

*It is my weekend project*

On the menu for today will be:

DAYTONA

Before you go thinking I am a huge fan, I will clarify that I like NASCAR.

I like Jr.

I watch the races when I am home, I don't ajust my schedule around when the races are on.

But...

Times might be changing in our home.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Bear was more excited over the Daytona commercial than anything else.

He was all excited and couldn't wait for the real race cars to race.

When I asked him who his favorite driver/car was he simply said "the red one" uh okay...  Then he made it clear what car he was tlaking about.  "THE BEER car".

Okay, so he is a Kasey Kahne fan!

I know that sounds bad that my 4 year old likes the "beer car".  I think it is just because his most loved Hotwheels car is red (yes I will just tell myself that is what it is).

So we have friends coming over to hang out and watch the race.

The kids can play and the adults can hang out.

What is on the menu...

Stuffing/Spinach Balls

Meetball Sliders

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Taco Dip

Beer/Rum/Water/Variety of flavored Milk for the kids

GO Jr. and Kasey Kahne!!!

10 Things I love Under $10

Happy Friday

I plan to love up on some of my "Things I love for under $10" this weekend

and

I thought I would share my loves with you.

1. Wet N Wild Nail Polish (I buy the little bottles) $.99
2. Pre-wrap about $3 a roll (love it for holding my hair back)
3. Tazo Passion tea (under $5 for the box from the food store or around $2 a cup from Starbucks)
4. Barefoot Chardonnay (It is my wine for when I want to drink more than 1 LARGE glass)
5. McDonald's oatmeal $1.99
6. Gillian and O'Malley Thong underwear from Target (recently obsessed with thongs)
7. St Ive's Apricot Facial Scrub (love this so much, I will not use anything else)
8. Nutella (I eat it with a spoon)
9. McDonald's Sweet Tea $1.00
10. Hugs and Kisses from my kids and husband (FREE, I had to go there sorry, I know it was cheesy)

The fun thing is, sometimes when on sale or with a coupon you can get all these for under $5.

**I don't go to McDonald's that much, those really are the only things I get from there

Here is my question:

What is something you love for under $10?

Go check out An Island Life for Aloha Friday and answer more fun questions!

11 Days of Thought

Ha, I was so crazed last week that I didn't even link my PINT to That One Mom!  What the heck?!?!?
Then this week I have been wrapped around work.  Urgh!

Last Tuesday night my sister and I went night skiing together.  I haven't been skiing in 5 years.  Crazy, the first run was great, close to the same exhilaration as a good night in bed with hubs.  (TMI?)

Yesterday I felt like poop at work, literally.  I was also one day late, I thought that I might be pregers I took a pregnancy test (negative).  Guess I know why I felt like poop yesterday, I was exactly 2 days late...  Great, I guess I will start to know the day before my period is actually coming because I will feel like arse the day before!

So thankful it is Friday, PARTY!  Well not really but I will have a party for myself with a bottle of wine tonight.  Oh yeah!

We were supposed to take Bear skiing this weekend, of course hubs car needed some work so...  Out goes the $ and no skiing :(

We are going to do something else for family fun, something less $$.

Here is to my random Friday thoughts.  Have a happy Friday!!!

PINT: Short and ...

Two Thoughts

I realized two things when I went out for a run today.

These two things are aside from the fact that it feels like forever since I have run outside.

First: Why is it that when it snows (more than just a dusting) it seems that the dogs in my neighborhood take their business to the street?  I will cut the owners slack because the sidewalks are not consistently clear, one person will have a clear sidewalk the next... No so much!.  I am not saying that this does not happen when there is no snow on the ground, it does, but I have noticed that when it snows, it is FAR worse.  I honestly felt like I was running through land minds today trying to avoid stepping on a steaming bomb!

Second: I really need to update my music on my MP3 player.  As I was running (snow on the ground), I realized all my songs are country songs that talk about summer.  I wanted to stop half way through my run and ring the nearest door bell and ask them to crack me open a beer.  (I guess that is what you get for putting "Redneck Yacht Club" on your MP3...

I need some new music suggestions.

Please HELP! 

Hello LOVER

This is a response to one of my comments from PINT. 

Comment: "Are you haveing an affair?"

Answer: YES

Really it is my husbands fault. 

He was the one that introduced us. 

He is accepting of it. 

So yes, he knows. 

The kids know too. 

Bear doesn't have a problem with.  The way he sees it, well, let's be honest, it benefits him as well.

P-nut has no clue, she hasn't been able to really see the benefits since she is so young.

It all started before the holiday's. 

My husband came home from work and introduced us.

Then we met, there was some problems at first, but after all that got cleared up it has been a beautiful thing.  At least from my mind.

Sometimes my husband gets concerned when he sees a charge on his cc that he didn't make, but then he realizes it was me and my lover.

Well, here is my lover...

My Nook color

It was a Christmas gift and I love it!

My husband says he never should have introduced this things to me.

It was one of those gifts that I was interested in but didn't realize how much I would love it until I used it.  This is the second one, the original one was a "defect" and Barnes and Nobles replaced it. 

So far I have read a ton.  Well as much as you can read when working full time and being a mom!

Bear loves that it can reads to him.  It was very handy while waiting at Urgent Care.

Now if only I could find a friend who has one so I can use the Lend Me feature!

PINT