Chikin is mooey better than beef

The monkeys, their buddy, his sister, the nanny, and I are going to Chick-fil-a tomorrow dressed like cows (well the kids are at least).  They have been at home sponge painting white t-shirts and making cow visors to wear and are SO excited.  I saw this and thought they might like it being that they LOVE going to Chick-fil-a.  It is really the only fast food restaurant we go to (every once and a while we get milkshakes from Sonic) and they love the fact that they can get chicken, fruit cups, and play.  I love the service.  The people are super nice and usually help us to our table, get refills, take our trash, and I never feel rushed out.  So, as our Friday field trip, we are going to take the "herd" to eat free chikin (side salad for mommy since I don't eat chicken!)!  I will be sure to post pictures Monday.

Extreme Makeover Me Edition Beginning

This will be my first week doing the Extreme Makeover Me Edition (EMME) that Amber hosts on her site.  I am excited and hope that I will be able to keep it up each week.  I really enjoy reading what other people doing this challenge have to write every week. 

I would like to make this about more than just body image and getting back into shape.  I want to get my psyche back into shape too.  I am a happy person for the most part.  I am a little high strung at times though and neurotic (as my mom likes to tease me about).  I am trying to make it a priority to step back and smell the roses more often.  I also need to do more for me, I know this would make me a better mommy.

My biggest goal physically is to get back to running like I was when I was not pregnant and at the beginning of this pregnancy.  I am not in a huge rush to get the weight off (don't get me wrong, I DO want it gone) since I am breastfeeding and don't want to compromise that success with losing the weight too fast.  

I will be running my second half marathon November 8th and really need to get into training for this.  The first time I ran this was when I was 19 weeks pregnant and I was on top of the world when I crossed the finish line in under 2 1/2 hours.  I am hoping to get into good enough shape to run it in 2 hours this time, we will see.  I ran most of my pregnancy but then had about 9 weeks off due to having a c-section.  Boy has it been hard to get back into the running.  I could not believe how out of shape 9 weeks can make you!  So I have been taking baby steps and am back to running on the treadmill.  I ran 3 miles yesterday in just over 30 minutes.  It was a great run and felt really good.  Running is my time to be me and a time to actually hear my own thoughts.  My goal this next week is to run 4 times on the treadmill and once outside.  I would also like to get in a couple of strength training sessions, I am really lazy when it comes to this and I know how much I would benefit from doing these exercises 

I am not one to really do well with dieting.  I like carbs.  No, I LOVE carbs.  One thing I plan on getting under control this week is the candy eating that has gotten out of hand.  I know that I get enough water when at work, but the weekends are a different story.  I have to do better with drinking enough while running after the monkeys.

I have about 15 pounds to go till pre-pregnancy weight is achieved.  I have sort of stalled for the past few weeks, but I do feel a difference in the way my pants fit.  

This week's topic was to share vacation survival strategies.  I can't say that I have any, other than packing snacks to take with us on our road trips.  I have always just figured vacation meant I could take a vacation from everything, including healthy eating.  I do try to make a conscious effort to eat plenty of fruits and veggies along with the junk, and I do make sure my kids are not overloading on sugar.

3 months old

Squeaky is 3 months old today!  Where does the time go!?!  He is holding his head so well now and does really well with tummy time.  He absolutely loves to get kisses and squeals with delight when he gets them.  I have been watching his hemangioma very closely and it has grown some, but mostly it is just a bit more raised than before.  The older monkeys are still in love with him as much as they were the day we brought him home.  I love to watch them talk to him.  I am getting some good rest at night since he likes to sleep for long stretches.  The hair is just as crazy as ever and growing in blond. 

We had a great time visiting friends on the 4th.  The boys really had fun playing with the kids and their toys.  My friend made a wonderful potato salad and homemade ice cream that was really yummy.  I am not usually a big fan of potato salad, but I plan on making this one soon!  We plan on making the ice cream for a summer treat at work, hopefully this week!  I am happy to report that the ice cream did not seem to bother the littlest monkey (no, I did not directly feed him ice cream!!).  So I am hoping the dairy issue has corrected itself and he will not end up lactose intolerant like my husband. 

Where did June go

This week really got away from me.  There is nothing like a rough couple of weeks to really make you appreciate your closest friends and family.  I have the most wonderful supporting people around me.  I am truly blessed.  A girl could not ask for more understanding friends and family.  My parents are the kind of parents everyone would love to have, the kind I strive to be everyday with the monkeys.  I know I have mentioned this before, but I really mean it!  My best friends live in different cities, states, and even countries than I.  But when we get together, or email, or talk on the phone, it feels like we are next door neighbors.  I don't tell them nearly enough how thankful I am to have them all in my life. 

I get to go visit one of these friends this weekend.  The monkeys and I are going on a weekend trip to let mommy have some venting "girlfriend" time.  The big  monkeys are very excited because she has a daughter that they are both in love with and a son just a bit younger with fun toys.  I am really looking forward to it.  

I had a great run this afternoon.  The kind where I could have kept going if time wasn't an issue.  It is such a great time to clear my head and make plans and just be me.  I am very much looking forward to running with my running buddy VERY soon.  

I am thinking about doing the Extreme makeover me edition that Connie does each week.  It might keep me accountable for things (like the half dozen pecan sandies I ate before my run).  I feel like it might cause me to feel pressure to come up with things to better about myself which means I would have to really look at my life a bit closer.  I am not sure if I am ready for that, but will think about it before next week's edition.

Agony on me

For your viewing enjoyment (if I did this video thing correctly)!  You will have to excuse their very dirty batman pj's - we did bath time while mommy was making dinner last night so they ate dinner in their pj's!!  This is the song they sing to squeaky, they call it a lullabye (grandad taught them).  Squeaky likes to be all crooked in his bumbo.. I swear!!

Follow the leader

Yesterday the monkeys had their first ever day of vacation bible school. They had to walk the 1/2 mile there with the babies in the double stroller and water bottles in tow since it is about 150 degrees outside. The oldest boys hold onto a follow the leader rope pictured above from the Oriental Trading Company. Big monkey gets to be the leader at all times because he gets easily distracted on their walks and we are afraid he will just walk into the street while chatting away.
They all ended up in different classes for the bible school. I just figured they would be together and was happy with that because I could tell little monkey was a bit nervous. Apparently they were all a bit nervous at drop off time and asked the nanny to please stay with them. She of course could not with the two babies, so they were on their own. Big monkey and Little monkey did so well. Big monkey said he was a little bit nervous and worried but not too much because he was there to have fun! Their buddy that went with them cried and cried until the teachers put him in with Big monkey. They kept telling me they had to calm buddy down. I was so proud of them for being big boys and for helping their friend feel better.
I asked them what they did and the first thing they mentioned was watching a movie, go figure! It was about a squirrel and some mean crocodiles, not sure what the message was there.. they missed it. They also said they did not like the snack, it was vanilla pudding and they only like chocolate! I can just hear them now.
Big monkey said he was a very good listener and was not the one talking when the teacher had to raise her voice to be heard! I was floored by that one. He is a chatty little thing. He was convinced all night that he had been to kindergarten that day and liked it so much he was going to keep going. I was glad to hear this since he will be starting K4 in August.
Little monkey said he heard a story about Moses and a fire and that God asked Moses to take his shoes off. I am going to have to look that story up.  

The way home was uneventful other than a skinned knee, but nothing some smarties could not take care of and make a little boy instantly feel better.

They are growing up so fast, in just a couple of months I will be dropping Big monkey off for his first day of big school!

TGIT

Yay! I am so glad it is Thursday and my weekend will begin in about 2 hours! I am wiped out. I still have to get used to being back at work. I am going to get my hair done tomorrow morning. It is in desperate need for highlights and a good cut. I keep going back and forth as to whether I should cut it all off in anticipation of the great post-partum hair loss or leave it long enough to put up in a pony tail during our horrible summer heatwave. Guess I will decide tomorrow. I am dumping the older monkeys on the nanny and taking littlest monkey with me, hopefully he will take a nice nap during the whole process. He has his 2 month check up afterwards so he will probably be angry with me tomorrow evening.
It has been a stressful week and I am looking forward to taking it easy this weekend.
There were a couple of great posts I read this week that really got me thinking and hit a nerve. Check out Sarah's ideas on taking time for yourself and Jennifer's post.
Have a great weekend everyone!