Remodeling Projects....

So I've decided to get off of my not very active rear end, that seems to have gotten flabbier and flabbier with the growing and carrying and the the births of my five children, and try to do some "remodeling". The remodeling project mainly consists of daily walking. And I'm not talking your slow paced-casual-I'm not in a hurry-and I'm not going anywhere kind of walk. I'm talking about the get your run/walk shoes on, and your getting your arms into the swinging motion, lifting your legs one after the other, focused on one direction and that is what is right in front of you, who cares who sees you on the sidewalk, who cares if it starts to sprinkle (or worse case scenarios, it DUMPS), but your butt muscles are tightening and releasing, you breathe in and out and you get the heart rate up and going, and burn, burn, burn those calories off as you get your metabolism (what is responsible for you burning calories) going. Well it really is good for the heart too. Keeps your heart in good shape -- so I hear, now it's time to "experiment upon the word".

This remodel will cover probably hundreds of miles, and in the meantime, strength training to tone and tighten the other areas of my body, like the droopy, saggy, jiggly arms (COME ON YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THEM TOO, or at one point you did) called the triceps. The group of muscles on the back side of your upper arm, for those that don't know their anatomy or anyone elses for that matter. Especially if all you call it is "the back of my arm". Those seem to be the muscles that are the hardest for me to keep in tact. Well, actually they are in tact, thanks to my epidermis (aka SKIN) layer holding them in place. But despite having five vibrant, healthy trials children, they seem to be the set that gets lost and takes awhile to send the search party out to find out what happened to them. And seem to be the most stubborn in returning back to home base. Darn Triceps - not to be confused with TRYceratops.

Other trouble areas include, my abs (major MOMMY gut going on you know the one that looks like your ETERNALLY EXPECTING A KID, but you aren't. And your kids like to tease you relentlessly that you look like your having a baby, and come up and kiss your belly and say I can't wait to meet you baby. Oh, am I the only one with kids that weird? ) My Glutes (My BUTT, that's what your rear is called as well. At least the muscles hiding under that epidermis layer) And I tend to think of my rear as having "layers" as Shrek says in the movie, that "Ogres are like onions, we all have layers" --- okay so I probably messed that up, because I somehow lost the "script" to the movie in the mess that has been created by last years hurricanes that ran through my house, and seems to hit my piles of papers, and clothes and throws them EVERYWHERE. Sorry I'll really try and find the script so that I can correctly quote that next time. What? I don't have a script you say? Hmmm... You know what I think you might be onto something with that. Matter of fact, You are. I don't have the script. But I am too lazy to go and GOOGLE, (since that's what everyone is now doing with the internet) movie lines from movies. There might be a site, but really I don't care at the moment. You get my point though about the layers, right? My rear is like a layer an onion. But not in the way that you might be thinking. If you've ever had the opportunity of working with onions, you'll notice that most are pretty PLUMP, ROUND, and CHUNKY. But as you peel away the layers, and sometimes it's a lot of "work" because you have to keep dabbing your eyes because of the tears which are caused by PAIN from the onion. Well, so is the rear end. How? Simple.

The rear end can be one or all of the following (and in rare "rear" occasions you might just have the perfect one so this doesn't apply to you) PLUMP, ROUND, and CHUNKY. Well, you have to W.O.R.K those glutes in order to shape up the rear. You call an early end to it's vacation and tell it to get back to work right away. Well, as you work the muscles using weights you tighten and firm, which in essence is peeling away the layers of your butt, from the plumpy, round and chunky version to the now lean, slim and sexy (ier) rear end. It really is quite satisfying to see the hard work pay off.

But I also have a few other "trouble" spots. I mentioned, my Mommy gut, my butt, and just plain kickstarting my metabolism. But I also have a trouble area with my "free throw". So my goal there is to spend hours upon hours practicing the techniques and finally making all the "free throws" I want. Now, I didn't say that I was talking about basketball, did I? Because this could actually mean anything from throwing a baseball, to a football, a frisbe, and maybe a kid or two into a body of water, or a newspaper, or a wad of clothes, because let's face it, I don't get paid to do those things so they are all technically called "free throws" right?

Well, that's about it.... these few areas take a lot of time and effort, and really I can't be distracted while I'm doing this. So I'm putting ont the "I'm going to be Selfish for just an hour or two, so leave me alone" role and hopefully not make my kids or husband too angry and upset in the process. I think it's really important for me to have this time. And I'll talk more about that in the next post.

WORST MOM EVER goes to ......... ME!!

A lot has been on my mind lately. Most of which I'm keeping to myself, at least for the time being. But last night was BAD..... I mean really BBBBAAAAAADDDDD!!!

Two of my girls went to a day camp with their church leaders from Activity Days, which was fine. NOT A PROBLEM THERE!!

But, when said girls or rather the younger of the two, came home she was so tired that anything I asked her to do, or anything I said to her, triggered her into some kind of ANNOYING, IN YOUR FACE, OUT LOUD, LASTING FOR A VERY LONG TIME, NOTHING WOULD SHUT HER UP, AND NOTHING I TRIED TO SAY WOULD CALM HER DOWN, AND IF I MENTION SHE WAS JUST TIRED (she would scream and cry louder and harder) type of fits.

I'm talking major headache -- and to top that off, the youngest sister came in the room throwing a fit for completely different reasons, but a FIT nonetheless.

Daughter #1 said I care more about the computer and playing STUPID games than I care about them.

Hmmmm..... She doesn't normally talk like this, what's her deal?

So of course, I realize it's LATE, like if I tell you how late, I'd be ratted out for how bad a mom I am, and discovered that her main problem was that of being TIRED!!! She just spent the day outside doing outside kind of things, and she'd had it. I am often told by her statements like these:

" I HATE YOU!! You are the WORST MOM ever"

" I don't want you as my mom anymore, your mean!!"

And other such claims. My question is " If I'm the worst mom ever, and I'm mean, who's the best mom ever, and nice too??

I wanted to take cover and hide from all the NOISE last night but I realized she was just tired, but wonder if there isn't some truth to the "worst mom ever" nomination that I have gotten multiple times in one year within just weeks or sometimes even days of each other.

And really is it bad of me to think that someday she'll be a MOM, and the parenting won't get any easier, will it? She thinks she has it all figured out, but I don't know how, or what she plans on doing. Only time will tell, I guess.

So tell me, have you gotten the MEANEST MOM EVER AWARD, or the BEST MOM EVER AWARD??? And how does it make you feel and react when your kids say that they HATE YOU!!???

I'm just wondering....

I'm outta here sluggy buggy.

Good Mothers are a Rare Gem, Indeed!!! Cherish them Always!!

Okay so I'm a stay at home mom.
I enjoy it most of the time.
Despite all the messes, all the screaming, all the crying.
I really do enjoy it.

I try my best to do the things a "Mom" is supposed to do.
But despite all my efforts it seems that someone else...
doesn't think it's as "hard" as I make it sound.

I've got to devise some kind of plan to get him this person more involved. In all of my "mommy" duties.

I've grown up with the impression that the "chores" and household responsibilities can be divided and equally shared among the "Couple". But in my case, I'm the exception. We break that rule big time.

I'm the one who tends to the kids during the day.
I'm the one who makes them food, if they haven't raided everything before "I'm available" and ready to help.
I'm the one who tries to enforce the chore doing by the children, and helping them with homework, and making sure they read.
I take them to their doctor appointments, the library, and the store(s) they want to frequent.
I schedule or at least think of scheduling play dates.
I attempt to do the laundry and sometime I succeed.
I make the dinner, (sometimes I have help with clearing the table), and then onto the doing of the dishes, if I'm not distracted already with something else.
Then I make sure that I take time and play "rough" with them, and go for walks, and take them to the park, watch them do this neat thing or that other one.
I'm telling them to be nice, and trying to intervene before someone is badly hurt.
I suffer when they are hurt.
I give them kisses on their ouchies and hugs free of charge.
I am asked questions that sometimes make me feel "DUMB" because I don't know the answer.
I try to teach them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and teach them right from wrong.
When they are sick, and mom isn't feeling well either, I still sacrifice for them.
I'm usually the last one that gets to eat any food for dinner.
I help them find their lost belongings, and remind them to put them away next time.
I do try to discipline them, and sometimes I'm successful and other times, well.... we'll just pretend those times NEVER happen.
When the awake during the night... I'm usually the one who takes care of their needs.

Wow!!! Now I'm tired of just thinking of the things that can usually happen during the course of one 24 hour period .... no wonder I'm so TIRED!! and EXHAUSTED !!! and wanting to absolutely nothing at all the next day.... BUT then realities hit (aka 5 little people) and the STUFF starts ALL over AGAIN.

Now I wonder how this other person could handle ALL of this in the course of one day. I'm laughing just thinking about it. So to those husbands who think your wife doesn't do much during the day. Just remember that her most important role is that of a MOTHER!! and that your kids well being should be her first priority. Messes will come and go, and tiredness too!! But your children will be small bur for a moment and then the mother will be sad again, because there isn't another to fill the spot. (This is assuming that you've decided you're done creating the family members and are now just ready to play "House" )

Support these special women, and don't MOCK their Valient efforts!!

To all my friends who are mothers, YOU ROCK!!! You are truly and example to me, and I learn new things all the time.

"Sluggy Buggy I'm out of here"

re: Baths

Okay so really, what is the minimum number of 'Baths/showers' that you need to give to your children, or at least make sure they get so that you aren't considered a slacker of a parent?

I've got 5 kids. 1 bathroom. Do you hear what I'm saying?? It takes like almost 2 hours each time I give my kids their baths. It really takes a while, and then the floor in the bathroom is always SOAKED!!! Am I really a bad mom, or even go on the limb and call myself 'NEGLECTFUL" if I only give them one bath a week??

So like I've said before, if only I had to concentrate on the bathtime... life would be doable. But again, there are more things to do then just the baths.

If I only.....

Yes, so I hate those days, when just the slightest thing goes wrong and it just ricochets through the entire day. Case in point, yesterday was Sunday which meant we needed to get ready for church. I usually try to get the kids bathed Saturday night, but it doesn't always happen. So in my lousy attempt at trying to get baths to all of the kids, my husband started getting a little "upset". And by the time he was able to get his shower and get dressed, he was going to be late for the first meeting. "Oops" He refuses to go when it gets like that. So then out came the daggers, towards me. "I love you"?

I tried to avoid getting upset as well, but one little comment after another, I just couldn't take it any longer. So I being the totally imperfect human that I am, started lashing back, but not quite so severe, (at least not out loud). Finally I was showered and we were a half hour late for the first meeting which lasts an hour. Better late than never, is usually my motto, but never seems to be his -- as far as church goes. Granted not every week is like this, but yesterday it was. So I ended up at church the whole time solo with the kids. We came home, and the comments started in again, OUCH!

Too much for my emotional self to take, and I broke down into tears and bawled for a long time, but I couldn't seem to make up my mind where in the heck I wanted to have my CRY!! I started in the bedroom laying face down into the bed, and cried a lot, who wouldn't? I felt hurt and betrayed (well not really betrayed, but it sounds good), and couldn't understand howcome the other (him) couldn't be compassionate with me right now. I've just gone through a month long duration of one disaster after another, and on top of that I was fighting a two year old for my half of the bed at night. I was sleep deprived, and often tried not to wake my husband so he wouldn't be tired the next day. BUT NOOOO!! He doesn't quite understand my point of view.

But back to when I came home, he was standing over the sink and was working on the dishes. Yeah, the dishes!! Those ones that didn't get done the night Kaylee broke her arm and the ones that piled up since then for a little over a week. Sure, I washed loads of dishes through the week as I needed them, but never seemed to have either enough motivation to wash ALL of those darn things, or I never had enough time, and sometimes it was both. But, the hot head temper coming from party number 2 seemed to dissipate after the NASTY things were finished.

Gosh, I don't know why he waits for them to get that bad, before he's bothered by it. (Major sarcasm).

Being the mom of 5 busy bodied kids, really keeps me dizzy, tired, and often unorganized. I try my best at trying to mother my children, while trying to be a good wife, and housekeeper. All of which, I seem to be doing terrible in lately. I have figured out a few things in the last few years that really makes me know why it's tough.

If I only had to cook the food, and take care of the dishes -- it WOULD be a piece of CAKE.
If I only had to gather the laundry and wash, dry, fold and put it away -- it WOULD be PIECE of Cake.
If I only had to make sure the living room was spotless -- you got it.. it would be EASY!!
If I only had to tend to my children -- you got it --- I would go NUTS, but it would be mostly doable.
And if I didn't have any of the kids around, and didn't have to pick up after them, or enforce them to do thier chores, or teach them responsibility, I wouldn't have a MESS ANYWHERE. But at the same time, I wouldn't be a mother either. I wouldn't feel the love from my kids, when I play with them. Or feel love from them when they make me a new picture. Or experience the pain when they get hurt, just to feel excitement, when they are healed. I wouldn't get the giggles while we were saying family prayers, because of the way someone was acting. I wouldn't get to see half of the movies we watch, because most of them are because of the kids.

So to any mom, who feels so overwhelmed like I do, MOST OF THE TIME, just remember the choice you made, and why you made it. I love my kids, although, ME time is always a good thing, and I think lately I haven't been able to get ANY of that. And granted most DH's don't understand all that goes on with being the MOM, but if they had to "BE THE MOM" I'm almost positive it wouldn't last very long.

And to end my bitterness towards my own DH, I had the lesson tonight on Forgiveness and how when someone does or says something that hurts us, we just need to "Let it Go". (which is in the June 2009 issue - I would have linked it, but it isn't available yet)