Nothing like a little perspective...

It is no secret that I really miss my "old life". You know, the one where I was employed and had money to do what I needed plus what I wanted? Yeah, that life. I get incredibly frustrated at times when I look down at my tattered jeans and really want to buy a new pair, but cannot. Or when I get an awesome coupon to my favorite baby clothing store, but simply cannot afford to make good use of it. Or that I just want my poor kid to have her own room where she doesn't have to tip toe around when her brother is asleep, but we cannot afford a three bedroom apartment.

After going over our budget one day, my husband came into our bedroom and told me the familiar story about how we would be okay until the next paycheck, but would have nothing left over, I looked up at him and said "my life sucks" -- and I absolutely meant it. I just couldn't understand how I had worked so hard all my life to avoid the very things that are happening to me now (no house, lack of money, no job, unable to give my kids all the things they want). I must admit that I get really angry on a quite frequent basis because I can't figure out who to blame for this mess (I am type A people, it can't possibly be my fault, haha).

So, one day as I sat in my living room wallowing in my own self-pity, I saw that The Pursuit of Happyness was on TV. For those who do not know, this is the movie with Will Smith and his son in it that tells the real-life story of a man who basically loses everything and is forced to live on the streets with his son. For those of you who are about to correct my spelling of happyness - go google the movie, you'll see.

Anyway, I only caught the last part of the movie, but saw a scene where the father paid .50 cents for a train tickets and rode the train all night long so his son would have somewhere to sleep that night. That made me very sad, because I am sure there will be people doing that tonight because they do not have a place to stay either.

It takes the occasional reminder for me to recall that my life does not suck. I always have a place to stay - 900 s.f. is better than 0 s.f. I always have food to eat - tuna noodle casserole is better than no food at all (even if I do want sushi instead). My family is healthy and should we lose it all today have resources (like other family to stay with until we get back on our feet).

Don't get me wrong, I have every right to dislike my current life circumstances. But by no means does my hard time even come close to being as bad as it could get. I think I should get that movie and keep it in my DVD player -- just in case I need some reminding later on.

Lots of milestones as of late!

Mr. Nikolai has been quite the milestone hitter as of late. He has officially grown out of his inchworm phase and is full on crawling now. This only means I have to move extra fast to keep him out of the cat food and away from any sort of cords that were left about (e.g. my laptop cord). Nikolai also decided it was time to pull up onto furniture and do some scaling. I must admit I was really surprised by him pulling up already because I didn't think he was ready for it yet. Well, I was obviously very wrong because he pulls up to the couch to steal the remote control, pulls up on the dishwasher to help with the dishes (hehe) and pulled up on his Leapfrog Table for the first time (and giggled while doing so). It is all very exciting to see my little guy grow up. Here are some pics of Nik and his milestone achievements!

What I hope to be a soon achieved milestone for my little PITA is the appearance of some effing teeth! That poor boy has been absolutely miserable and seriously cried off and on all day. I can't keep him happy for long...which made for a very long day yesterday. The funniest thing happened because of it though -- take a quick gander at this little clip to see what settled him down. LOL! It was awesome! Hopefully the little teeth monster settles down and gets those teeth! We could all use a good night's sleep and a peaceful day :)

The seemingly never ending road...is three minutes long.

Today was a beautiful day.  It was a bit chilly, but sunny and just gorgeous looking outside.  By mid-morning the whole family made it to the lake for a little 5K training.  I got these shots just before we started up...too bad the iPhone has the crappiest camera EVER - or they would have been an AWESOME pics.  Damn iPhone.

Anway, today I was really nervous heading out for training because my regimen called for me to run in three minute increments.  That may not sound like a lot, but for an out of shape fatty like me, three minutes is forever.  When my little phone told me to "run now" I just kept it slow and steady -- I basically run as fast as I walk, lol!  I got to my very last three minutes of running and my legs were just aching.  I really wanted to stop and I kept looking at the countdown on my phone, which was a really bad idea because each time I looking thinking a whole minute had passed only to find it had been like five seconds.  Bad idea.  This sounds really, really cheesy, but to convince myself to keep going I kept saying "thin, thin, thin."  I also thought about how all of the women in my family have diabetes (or are on the verge of it) and how I don't want my kids to ever have to worry about their health or weight -- that they are watching me so if I sit around and eat crap, then they will too.  So I kept running (really slowly mind you) because of all those things.  Wouldn't you know it, I finished :) 

I will eventually get there.  If it took all of this motivation to get through three measley minutes, then I wonder what I will have to do to get through a whole 5K!  Time will tell.

Nik sat next to me while I stretched afterwards...he tried to eat the dirt!

Oh yes, remember how I said I wasn't going to weigh myself?  Well, my scale must have been in on it too, because I tried to weigh myself and the damn thing is broken.  I guess that's what I get for getting a $15 digital scale. 

Til next week my McFatty Friends!

Sunday Funnies -- something new!

So, per the suggestion of my supportive husband, I am going to start up Sunday Funnies.  This will usually entail a video clip or picture that I think is absolutely hilarious -- Anwar usually does not share my sentiment. Please feel free to let me know if my sense of humor sucks! So, for the very first edition I give you this gem that I stumbled upon on Facebook...thanks to Carrie for spreading the good word!

Haha!  Happy Sunday y'all!

"If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you?"

Well, I guess the answer in my case would be YES!  Quick, quick, look up at your address bar!  It says http://www.ajdplusthree.com/!! That's right, I have my very own custom domain :)  (much like the rest of the bloggers I know).  Not that there was anything wrong with nikandnoelle.blogspot.com - but now you don't have to recall whether there is a "c" in "nik" or to put the ".blogspot" into the address bar.  Nope, you can just write down what this super cool blog is called!  You should know the old address will forward to the new one.

Now I feel like one of the cool blogging kids :)

Now would be an appropriate time to shamelessly ask for your votes -- I am slipping down the ladder, my friends!

The NEW Hats by Heidi winner!

I have not heard from Ms. Krista S., so her loss is your gain and I have reselected a winner of the Hats by Heidi Giveaway!

Here it is, lucky #33!!

And that would be Shahlala! You totally left me your email, so expect to hear from me and Heidi soon :)  Congrats!

I am like the little engine that could.

I have written before about how Mr. Nikolai likes to whine and complain on our little jaunts around the lake.  Normally this occurs when we are about half way around the lake, so it makes no sense to turn around and go back - if you know what I mean.  So I usually do my best to calm him down and then try to get back to the car per my little Couch to 5K reg.  This has been our process.

Well, this time the little man was in quite the mood.  We got to the lake and he balled as I put him in the stroller, balled as I bundled him up, balled as I started on my way.  I thought he would settle as I got moving, but no, he just kept screaming -- much to the delight of the other walkers/runners I might add.  So after a whopping three minutes I went right back to the car and left.  5K training FAIL. 

I was convinced I would head out right after Anwar got home from work.  As the day proceeded I felt less and less motivated to actually go out, however.  It did not help that I was waiting by the phone all day for a call that never came (bummer), but anyway, along came 5pm and I did not at all feel like running.  Thankfully I have a good husband who wants me to succeed - so I was convinced to go back out.  I went sans Nikolai because he (again) was crying when we got to the lake so sweet Anwar sat in the car with him while I did my thing.  I got further than ever before!  Who knew a stroller was such a good way to do resistance training, lol!  I got done and felt great. 

Naturally this was followed by us going to the mall to grab a quick bite to eat -- I got chinese :)

Have we talked about my other obession? No? Well here it goes...

I was fortunate enough to grow up with family in Southern California, namely, my grandparents.  So, as is the dream of many kids (and adults I am sure), I was able to go to Disneyland almost every single year.  It became quite the family tradition to pile into our family van and drive the nearly 800 miles (we lived in Utah at the time) to San Diego.  We would spend some time seeing the sights in So. Cal, but we would always end up at Disneyland.  For me, it truely is the happiest place on earth because I have so many good memories that were made at Disneyland. 

I have been to Disneyland more times than I am old and am always planning the next trip there.  Unfortunately my unemployment has derailed my attempts to get there since August 2008...so I am in major Disneyland withdrawal! So, to help curb my pains, I thought I would share some of my favorite Disney memories with you!

When I was about 5 years old I feel asleep in the stroller right before it was "present time" - you know, when you finally get to buy one of the things you had been begging your parents for ALL DAY!  Want to know what my mom picked out during my slumber?  A plate.  A fricking Donald Duck plate.  What in god's name does a kid want with a plate?  But alas, it ended up being the best gift, because it is the one that to this day I remember :)





Noelle decided one year (I think she was 4) that she wanted to dress up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast so she could be a princess at the park.  Well, a princess she was, she would curtsey to those who complemented her dress and blow them kisses! Haha!  She was fortunate enough to have a grandma who would get her a dress every year we went to Disneyland.  She has been Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel and Giselle.  Now when we go she says she doesn't want to dress up anymore :(  She grew up so fast!

Now, of course, my wedding makes this list.  Yup, I am so Disney obsessed that I got married at Disneyland! There were other factors though.  It helped to know almost everything would be done by the Disney staff (they rock btw) so that I could study for the bar exam which occurred a mere 3 weeks before my wedding.  It was also nice because I knew my ill grandpa would never be able to travel to Minnesota for my wedding.  Finally, it ended up being a great family vacation!  I will never forget my ride in Cinderella's carriage or our beautifully decorated hotel suite.  It was great.

I can't wait to get back to Disneyland so that Nikolai can experience how wonderful it is too!  I think the most exciting thing about Disneyland now isn't so much my memories, but the memories I am helping my kids make now and in the future.  How lucky am I to have something that makes me so happy...I want them to have that too!



 

If your name is KRISTA S...

You WON the Hats by Heidi giveaway and only have 24 hours left to contact me!! Send me an email: ajdplusthree @ gmail.com

If I do not hear from you by Saturday, March 27 at 9 a.m. I will be forced to re-select a winner (which from my comments below they are all hoping for, lol)!

Contact me, girl!

I know I am having a hard day when...

In all seriousness, I have symptoms that arise when I am having a rough day, much like getting a runny nose or a fever when sick.   I start wishing Nik would nap just a little longer so I could sit and do nothing all day.  I start hiding from phone calls.  I basically just want to hole up in my room and sit in the dark all day.  But the biggest two things -- and the two things that get me in the most trouble -- would be my constant need to eat the most horrible and unhealthy food out there and my impulsive urge to go shopping and spend money. 

Let's address the food issue.  I have problems (as you should all be well aware of) with food on an everyday basis anyway.  However, if you add any sort of emotional termoil to my inability to eat good food, it can get bad.  I mean, bad - bad.  I am talking chocolate chips mixed with peanut butter, endless bowls of cereal, crackers with loads of cheese spread, bagels with half the container of cream cheese.  Do you need more?  I really could go on because it really is an insatiable need to eat - like a craving you cannot satisfy.  This is emotional eating at its worst, my friends.  This is also the reason I can't get the scale to budge.  I hear you are supposed to find something else to comfort you...I just haven't found what that is yet.

Ahhh the shopping.  On a bad day I want nothing more than to run to the mall and buy new shoes, purses, clothes and household items.  To add to the bad habit, I also rationalize pedicures and the like "to make me feel better".  The former consequence was my high debt - the current consequence is I don't have enough money for bills and groceries.  Based on my monetary situation, I have done very well in avoiding the money spending (my horrible looking toes can attest to this), but unfortunately leads me to simply eat more.  Hey!  Looks like I have my very own built in vicious cycle!

So, here I sit today.  I just finished my 4th bowl cereal, I am dying to get a pedicure and there is a bag of chocolate chips in the kitchen calling my name.  *sigh* Is it Friday yet?

And the winner is....

Lucky #27

Congrats to Krista S  for winning the Hats by Heidi giveaway! 

You have 48 hours to contact me (you did not leave an email) at ajdplusthree@gmail.com or I will be forced to re-select a winner.

Hooray and enjoy your super cute new hat!

So, I have some bragging to do!

You know when you work out, whether it be at the gym, outside, with the mall walkers (it is a MN thing people) you always look at the skinny people to see what they are doing.  I mean, they are skinny already, so they must be doing it the right way.  I suppose my spy tatics may be considered a "girl thing" because I have no idea what guys look at, but I will say that I look at the skinny guys too.  Anyway, I look at the skinny people and assume that skinny = in shape and that if I can only do what they are doing that I will be skinny too!  Now, thinking about this logically for a second, skinny does NOT equal in shape, but this is my complex so I will continue on with this likely false assumption.

On to the relevant part, I swear.  I go to a local lake to do my 5K training and many Minnesotans go there as well, especially when the weather is as nice as it has been.  I got Nikolai in his stroller, put in my headphones, chose my tunes (go Black Eyed Peas), and turned on my iPhone Couch to 5K app to time my walking/jogging.  I hit "start" so my regimine would begin - and wouldn't you know it - I was right on pace with two skinny girls.  They were about 10 feet in front of me and were also intermittently jogging/walking.  I immediately got butterflies in my stomach because I didn't want to look like a panting mess in front of the skinny girls (a lame fat girl insecurity, sorry).  But, I didn't back down, I sucked it up and went along my way.  Well, those girls never got more than the original 10 feet in front of me and I even passed them in the very end!  All I could think was: "wow, I just kept up with the skinny girls." I even called Anwar and told him how excited I was about it! 

The point -- I think I am on my way to being an IN SHAPE skinny girl :)  I may huff and puff and my legs may cramp up, but I am on my way to a 5k!  I get farther around the lake each time and know that in six weeks I will be a 5K superstar!  Yay!

And as a bonus, Nikolai sat contently in the stroller the entire time!  I was a very proud momma.


Totally off point, but your kid can look stylin' in the jogging stroller too if you win the Hats by Heidi Blog Giveaway!  It ends tonight, so hurry, hurry!

I hate with all of my heart and soul...

Laundry.  I know everyone has that household chore that they just despise.  Mine so happens to be the laundry.  Under different circumstances I may not feel this way, but as it is I just can't stand to do it.  I feel comfortable enough saying that I would rather scrub out the nasty dirty toilet than do the laundry.  Would you all like to know why?

Well, right now I live on the third floor and the only laundry room is on the first floor.  So, I must somehow lug my laundry (not just my laundry mind you, my laundry plus the kids' laundry) down three flights of stairs WITH my seven month old son.  It is pretty tricky.  Then I have to pray that there are open washers and that I counted my change correctly so that I can avoid unnecessary trips up and down those same stairs.  If I am so lucky to get some free washers, I must also hope that some a-hole takes their laundry OUT of the dryers when the time is up so that I can get my wet clothes to the dryer without delay.  All of this hoping and luck just so I can put my clothes into a communal washer and dryer -- I think this is gross and have no idea how I am not itching all day because my clothes get tumbled with the clothes of random strangers with unknown hygine habits. 

The end result of my laundry issues is that I rarely do the laundry.  Last  night I was forced into it because poor Noelle has NO clean clothes left.  I was tempted to run to target and get her a new outfit...but I decided my $20 was better spent on two rolls of quarters which would provide may outfits for us all as opposed to just one or two for Noelle only.  Anyway, I lug Noelle's overflowing laundry basket (picture the trash poem from Where the Sidewalk Ends)  all the way down to the first floor only to find that my neighbors must have all been in the same boat.  It took an hour just to get two free washers and another two hours to get those wet clothes into the dryer.  All that work and six of my hard earned (well, maybe not earned...thanks unemployement) dollars later only HALF of Noelle's laundry is done.  I foresee a long day in the laundry room today as well.  **sigh**

When I get a job we are getting the hell out of here and the top priority is IN UNIT washer and dryer. 

Phew.  Now that I have gotten all of that out...what is your chore gripe?

By the way, don't forget to vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs...oh yeah, and doing so will qualify you to enter my blog giveaway that ends tomorrow!

Do they allow bottle breaks during a 5K?

That is sort of a joke.  In all seriousness, Nikolai cannot hang for the 30 minutes it takes me to do my Couch to 5K training.  He cries, he yells, he gets upset -- and yes, this is regardless of what I have done beforehand to make him a happy baby.  What this means for my training is that I end up taking a break around the 12 minute mark to give Nik a bottle, make sure he has his pacifier, make sure he is warm, give him a toy...anything I can do to make him tolerate the remainder of my workout (the fact that I am already half way around the lake makes it sort of hard to turn around and go back).  So, I am thinking I may ask the Race for the Cure organizers if I can be allowed to take a short break after 12 minutes so to keep with my training, lol!

Besides my little interlude, my training is going pretty well.  I imagined that I would want to die once I started my week 2 day 1 training (it increased my run time from 60 seconds to 90 seconds).  But to my relief, I did really well!  I just did what my nice friends told me last week and kept a comfortable steady pace.  It worked and I felt awesome.  Now, I am by no means anywhere near ready to run much more time than that, but I believe if I keep this up I may in fact be able to run the whole 5K come May 9th! 

You all may have noticed that I have not posted my weight loss/gain (we are certainly hoping loss) for the past few weeks.  Well, I must say that it in general just pissed me off.  Either I would bust my butt and lose little to nothing or I would royaly mess up and gain weight.  In either circumstance I was very frustrated and I think it was derailing my efforts.  Running a 5K obviously has health benefits - even if just in terms of physical fitness.  However, I am hoping that running a 5K also has the natural consequence of me losing weight.  For the time being I want to gauge my weight by the fit of my clothes because in the end I want to be smaller.  I could give two craps if I weigh 600 lbs so long as I drop clothes sizes (lol)!  I may start weighing myself towards the end, but for now I am a scale free momma! 

I hope your efforts are going well!  If you have any words of wisdom for me I am all ears!

And as if you needed reminding, you are running out of time to enter my giveaway for a SUPER CUTE crochet hat!  Enter by clicking here!

Can I get a semi-wordless Sunday?

No big stories to share...I just had a nice weekend and wanted to share some good park pics :)

Yes, yes. I am a singing fool!

So, anyone who has spent any sort of time with my knows that I sing. Not just that I am a singer (not a professional one, of course) but that I sing all of the time. Those of you who have read my bio know at least that.  Well, maybe it is a family tradition (my dad's family does this all of the time as well) or maybe I just miss being up on stage taking in the lights and the sounds...but I sing for absolutely no reason whatsoever.  This goes beyond singing in the car to the radio people.  I sing in response to a familiar phrase.  I sing to emphasize words.  It drives Anwar insane. 

Well, along came a nice little game to assist in my singing/musical obsession.  First there was Guitar Hero.  LOVE that game.  I jokingly (well, maybe not so jokingly) tell people it is the only time playing the viola has come in handy -- you know, I actually know how to move my fingers without looking down.  I am pretty darn good, unless you are my brother and are trying to make me play Through the Flames and Fire on anything other than medium.  Oh, and I hate the orange button wth a passion.

The next game - Rock Band.  Now I can sing to my heart's content with a guitar and drums to boot!  The only crappy thing about that is you can't embelish anything or "make it your own" like the American Idol peeps would prefer.  Nope, you just have to sing EXACTLY what the artist is singing.  My husband thinks this is stupid as well.  He even compared my obession with singing to this recent Southpark clip...



Yeah...funny, right! 

All in all I miss singing for an audience - a lot.  After high school I dabbled here and there but never really made anything out of it.  I really should have.  Not that I would be a top selling pop artist or anything, I really just wanted to be an opera singer.  Yes, you heard right.  An opera singer. 

Alas, I am not a professional singer.  I am an unemployed lawyer who gets my singing kick in everyday life circumstances.  I even sing to Nikolai and Noelle...they like it!  Or at least, I tell myself they do, lol!  Maybe one of these days I will get back in the game.  But not today.  Today I trained for my 5K (ouch my legs) and am getting ready for my BFF's bachelorette party!  Whohoo!

Until then, I'll be humming a tune :)

Don't forget to enter my super cute hat giveaway!!

Hats by Heidi Giveaway!!

I am very excited to host this giveaway for Hats by Heidi.  You know those adorable crochet hats you see adorning the heads of cute little babies?  Well, Heidi custom makes those hats -- and each and every one turns out great!  My experience with Heidi is that her hats are always custom (yes, that's right, you pick the colors), always well-made and always just what I ordered. 

Would you like an example?  Looky here:

Photo credit to Klodjana Dervishi Photography

Now that you have seen and LOVE these hats...how would you like to win one?  Well, today is your lucky day because Hats by Heidi has agreed to make one of her wonderful hats for one of my readers!  Here is the deal, you win - Heidi makes a hat just for your little one!  Sound amazing?  Yes!  It does!

So here is how to enter:

Mandatory (if not done all other entries void):  Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs by clicking here (leave a comment).  You can leave an additional comment if you vote each day the giveaway is open!!

Optional Additional Entries:

1) Become a follower of my blog (leave a comment)

2) Follow me on Twitter -- click button on top right of page! (leave a comment)

3) Blog about this giveaway and link back to my blog (leave a comment)

Please leave your email in at least one of your comments so I can contact you if you win!

That is all folks!  You can enter until Wednesday, March 24, 2009 at 11:59 p.m.  I will chose a winner shortly thereafter using random.org and will announce the winner on March 25, 2009!  Have fun and good luck!

And again, a BIG thanks to Hats by Heidi for hooking us up with such a great giveaway!

I have a new look & today a different place to chat!

Hi everyone!  As you have probably noticed, I have a new blog design!  If you can recall, I won a blog design from a giveaway hosted 365 Days: 30+ Mommyhood.  It was a pleasure to work with the designer, b's {blog} boutique and she did a great job!  If you like what you see, go check her out. Let me know what you think of my new diggs :)

Also, A JD + Three can be found over at 365 Days: 30+ Mommyhood today for some guest blogging with a twist!  Go see what I mean, you'll love it, I know ;)  Check it out by clicking HERE.

Finally, as if you need reminding, I need some Top Mommy Blog help stat!  Just click this pretty button and then click the "To Vote Click Here."  E-Hugs for all voters!

Crowsmack Giveaway!

You should all hurry your little behinds over to Look at the Birds!  She is having a great giveaway for some supercute Crowsmack onesies.

You can enter by going here.

It is better to have loved and lost...

than never to have loved at all.  Well, I don't know about love, but this well-known saying certainly does not apply to sleep. 

We have had a problem with Nikolai sleeping since the day he was born.  And yes, I know, new babies are not supposed to sleep through the night.  However, I also know babies are not supposed to get up at least every two hours...and on a bad night every 30 minutes.  My lack of sleep began impacting my entire life and, most importantly, the way I took care of my kids.  I knew for my sake and theirs that I NEEDED to help Nikolai sleep better.  After doing the research and reading the books, Anwar and I settled on the Ferber cry-it-out method.  Shortly after his fourth monthday, we started.  It totally sucked hearing him cry...but it worked.  We had two glorious months of sleep.  I hadn't realized how much I missed sleeping in my bed without a baby - just me and Anwar.  I was happier and so was Nikolai. 

Fast forward to around six months.  Nikolai started waking at 4am, then 3am and it kept going until he would wake up at 2am and not go back to sleep until we fed and rocked him.  Trust me, we tried to re-implement Ferber, but the kid just cried until it was time to wake up...seriously.  We live in an apartment and I can only imagine how much our neighbors hate us. 

So now we are back to Nikolai waking at least twice a night to eat and be rocked.  He sleeps the second half of the night in our bed -- which I HATE (I do not like bed sharing).  With him in our bed I never sleep well because I am afraid to move and wake him.  I am left feeling like I would be better off if I'd never know what it would be like to sleep through the night.  Now I am just bitter because I know he can sleep through the night, but for whatever reason (teething, gas, growing) he just is not. 

I feel like we are back to square one and I am clueless as to what to do next.  Wait until we see teeth then try again?  Wait until we move and our new neighbors are unsuspecting?  Ahhh, so clueless is the second time mom. 

Well, despite the lack of sleep around here, I have some cute pics of the problem child to share with you all :)

My kids LOVE books :)

But they also love their TV shows, especially Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune :)

Proof that the box is way more fun than whatever toy came inside!

Ouch! My legs!

Day 2 of running did not go as well as day 1.  I was already sore from Sunday and for some reason my running time felt tiring and difficult.  It didn't help that my little friend Nikolai kept crying.  Half way through I just couldn't imagine actually running for an entire 5K...I can barely make it through 1 minute!  I guess that is the point...slow and steady.

Something good from today - I passed by two guys who asked if I was new to running and after I said yes told me I was trying to go to hard.  "Just get a smooth steady pace and stay comfortable.  It doesn't matter how you start, only how you finish," one of the men said.  First, it was good advice...a steady pace was easy to maintain.  Second, how nice was that?!?  They could have just laughed at my fat self trying to run around the lake, but no, they took time out of their day to help me out and encourage my efforts.  It was, to say the very least, much appreciated.

Finally, I am seriously considering wearing some spanx while I run...baby got back and I can only imagine what I look like running, lol!

xoxo

Heavy drinking and 5K training just don't mix

So, I haven't been out for a while.  I mean, out - out.  The kind of out where you tell the sitter to not wait up for you...well, not that late, but you know what I mean.  So when I got a message that some law school buddies wanted to hit the town I couldn't refuse, even when I knew that my much anticipated 5K training was to start the very next day.

Well, let me show you how this all went down...

Saturday night went pretty much like this:

Sunday morning pretty much felt like this:

After all was said and done, I thought I would put off my training for "just one more day".  I even confirmed with my buddies that the run was a no go because my lame ass couldn't handle the liquor anymore.

BUT - after thinking about it (and losing that i'mgonnapukeanysecond feeling) I decided my whole life was a diet that was going to start tomorrow....and then the day after that.

So.  Sunday evening looked like this:

I am not going to lie, getting out there and starting to train for a 5K is tough stuff.  By the end of my regimen I was red in the face and out of breath and at times I seriously wanted to just stop and take a nice leisurely walk...especially since that is what the rest of Minnesota was doing on such a gorgeous day.  Despite how stupid and out of breath I must have looked - I kept going.  I also have to rave about the Couch to 5K App for the iPhone.  I did not ever worry about how long I had been running versus walking, nor did I worry about my overall time because the App just took care of it for me.  Although, I did have a bad flashback to Jillian Michaels every time the voice prompt told me to "start running now".  I wanted to yell back YOU START RUNNING NOW!  LOL. 

So it begins.  My fat ass is going to run a 5K!!

xoxo

Oh yes...almost forgot! Vote for me by clicking below :)

A world without blogging?!? What would I do?

I was lucky enough to catch wind of a contest hosted by Mabel's Labels from Mommy and Molly.  What is this contest, you ask.  Well, I have to blog (in 300 words or less) what I would do under the following hypothetical:

Electrical storms are going to wipe out the Internet (perhaps forever). You have one day left to write about your passions: what do you want to say to the blogosphere?

The prize?  You get to go to BlogHer 2010 AND you get a paid blogging job with Mabel's Labels for an entire year.  Sounds good to me!  If it sounds good to you, enter the contest yourself here.

So, here goes my entry! 

Well, it appears as though this is the end.  After this post there will be no more internet and consequently no more blogging.  I have discovered that blogging has become somewhat of a dependency for me - and I assume a great deal of other bloggers.  Due to blogging, I am no longer required to make and date that fancy baby book, as all my recollections of milestones are right here in my blog.  I no longer need to keep a journal of my current feelings...those feelings are captured here for all to see.  I no longer need to be concerned with my lack of adult conversations as a stay at home mom because my adult thoughts are spilled onto the world wide web. 

As has become apparent, without blogging, I will return to a world where I have no idea when my child began to crawl.  I cannot remember when or what I felt after having my second child.  Nor can I compose myself in an adult manner.  Most importantly, without blogging, I lose my outlet to the world and my so called "cheap therapy" as obtained through internet venting. 

I will miss you dear blog and all the joys you have conveyed.   But, in the end, I am sure the people who will miss you the most are my children.  They will be absolutely pissed when  I have nothing of their childhood to share with future generations - haha!

My hubby, he's a looker!

I have been told in recent days that my husband is quite a nice guy to look at. I will, of course, have to agree that Anwar is very good looking. Naturally, the next thought that pops into my head is - how in the world did I end up with this guy?

Some of you already know, I met my husband during my time working at Starbucks. Anwar was a regular customer who would come in, get a drink and sit at some table in the corner to study. We would always have short conversations, you know, the kind you probably have with your local barista. I think the running joke was that I would be his malpractice attorney (at the time he was in chiropractic school).

Well, somewhere amidst all those small conversations Anwar thought it would be a good idea to ask the girl in the green apron on a date. Upon later inquiry I discovered he was interested in me for quite some time and it took him about a year to ask me out. I also found out he liked me because I "was always happy and had a smile on my face." Little did he know it was MY JOB to be happy and perky with a smile on my face - I did drink about 5 cups of coffee a day...who wouldn't be happy?!? I recall my co-workers were very jealous because it was the consensus that Anwar was (and still is) hot.

Well, I don't wear the green apron anymore and Anwar has quickly discovered that I am not ALWAYS happy...but after all this time (well over 7 years knowing him and 6 together) I still think he is quite the looker and I think he is VERY nice to look at. Funny thing is, over the years the times he has looked the best to me are the times I have seen him with Noelle and Nik.

I'm glad he is still lookin' good now...because I plan to keep looking at him for at least the next 80 years.

Another awesome giveaway!

My girl over at 365 Days: 30+ Mommyhood is doing a giveaway for a Pear of Lemons Shop Onesie! Let me assure you, these onesies are SUPER CUTE and I would love to win.

Have fun and good luck!

The best iPhone App EVER!

Since I am starting up this whole Couch to 5K business, I couldn't help but wonder how in the world I could pay attention to the path, to Nikolai, my music AND the time (run for this long, walk for this long...). Luckily, I was smart enough (thank you super expensive and otherwise useless law degree) to do an app search on my iPhone for couch to 5k...I found a really cheap app that times your run/walk based on the program (so the timing advances with me) and it includes a voice prompt telling me when to walk/run! So cool. Now all I need to worry about is my playlist!


I personally like "Bootylicious" by Destiny's Child (or as I like to call them, Beyonce and back up). Do you have any super fun workout songs you think I should add?


Oh yes, I should include that I FINALLY caught myself as the Featured Blog on Top Mommy Blogs last night! So to commemorate the occasion, here is the screen shot :)

You should all keep me there by clicking the pretty picture below :)

It seems daunting, but I am going to do it!

I have a new workout plan people! The 30DS was a great way to start my weight loss adventure because it taught me to keep going even when the going got tough. In all honesty I felt at times that I just wanted to lay down and die - especially when Jillian said "just a few more" and I knew that more than a few were to come. But, with Nikolai growing and becoming more mobile he hardly has the patience to sit in his jumperoo for the mere 20 minutes it takes to do the Shred. With this in mind I knew something had to happen for me to continue losing weight. Since I am obviously unable to control my eating habits (made evident by my eating a brownie for breakfast) I knew exercise would be the key.

What is my new plan you ask....DRUMROLL....I am going to train for a 5k.

Am I a big dumbass? Maybe. Will I fail miserably? I hope not. Will I learn a lot during this process. Oh yeah.

Here is the plan. I am going to follow Couch to 5K because I am very new to running. So that I have an end goal in mind, I want to run (or probably jog very slowly) Race for the Cure on this coming Mother's Day at the Mall of America. That is in a mere 8 weeks. Yikes! But, I can do this, I can do this! I even have a bumpie friend who is going to do it with me (well, remotely at least, haha).

Now that I have a regimen, good shoes and support from all of you...now I need a jogging stroller. I have been looking on Craigslist, but today I will hit the second hand store. Everyone think cheap for me :)

I will for sure keep you updated on my progress - even if the progress is bad! Hope you all continue to follow me on my journey!

xoxo

CafePress Giveaway!

My friend over at Look at the Birds is doing an awesome review and Giveaway for CafePress. Go check out her blog where she reviews some adorable matching shirts for her and little Alex, then you can enter to win TWO FREE SHIRTS. Yes, that means you too can have two awesome CafePress shirts!

To see her post, click here.

Good luck!

xoxo

Look at me! Look at me! I'm a guest blogger!

I have completed my very first guest blog and feel so honored to have been asked. You should all go check me out at Matt, Ashley and baby Wyatt where I discuss my total and complete lack of style in a post appropriately titled: "Uh oh, I think I've lost my mojo!"

Pictures are included, my friends! Go see, right now!

xoxo

Solids? We don't need no stinkin' solids!

Nikolai is a formula champ! He can eat and eat all day long. So at six months we decided to start up the solids. We tried rice cereal and oatmeal...he hated it. We tried applesauce and peaches...he hated it. We tried bananas and sweet potatoes...he hated it. We tried avocados too...yup, you guess it! He hated it. So, we decided to give him biter biscuits and puffs because maybe he wanted to feed himself? Yeah, well, he hates those too.

Then I thought, maybe he'll eat if someone else tries to feed him...here is the result:

Well, laughing at Noelle is about all he did. Otherwise, he still does not like the solids. Oh well, he has to eat eventually, right?

xoxo

Clicky, clicky?

I'm sorry I'm such a voting hog...

But I just got an email that Nik is in a photo contest! It is for this pic:

VOTE HERE

You can also vote for me!

I guess this is what they call losing the weight loss battle.

No exercise, no good food, no weight loss. Am I done? Have I given up? By all outward appearances, yes.

BUT! This girl doesn't go down and out so easily. I have a plan and the deets are in the works. I will write more about it once I am sure it will be feasible. Stick around -- I promise there will be juicy weight loss posts to come (and a hot me to follow).


Oh yes, and I am dropping like a fly on topmommyblogs.com...help a girl out! You only need to click - nothing further :)



xoxo

Oh the projects we set out to complete...

When Noelle was born I swore I would keep up a baby book. I purchased one, began filling in all the details and was so proud. I got as far as her birth information and family tree, then I took a short baby book break. That was nearly eight years ago - I don't even know where that book is anymore. I am sure we have all done something similar. I will scrapbook that latest trip (guilty), I will finish decorating the nursery (guilty) and I will document each step of my child's life (guilty). I have to say, I am no mother of the year and knew so about myself when Nikolai was born. No baby book attempt, no milestone chart, nothing. Thankfully we have things like Facebook and this blog that pretty much document life for me. But I doubt all things on the internet are permanent. My latest mothering fail is so stupid...but a fail nonetheless. This blank wall in the kids' room is all set for an awesome picture (see, the nail for the frame is there already).



The blank space is supposed to be filled with this great picture frame we got as a gift from friends (holla Evelyn and Nick).

The frame is supposed to hold this amazing photo of my kids.

Want to know why this isn't adorning the blank wall. My lazy ass has to go the entire 3 miles to the craft store to get a matte custom cut for the frame. That would seriously take almost zero time. I would say I don't have any time...but I do.

I have time to take Noelle to the American Girl store to get the soccer outfit that has been on back order since Christmas.



I have time to take these ridiculously cute videos of Nikolai yelling for no reason.



I need a personal assistant to keep me on task. Any volunteers?


xoxo

OMG! I'm a Winner!

Much like Sarah Jessica Parker proclaimed when she won an award for Sex and the City..."I'm not a winner". But today, I AM! Remember when I blogged about needing help with my blog design? Well, thanks to my girl at 365 Days: 30+ Mommyhood, I won a credit for some blog designing from b's (blog) boutique!

I am very excited for my professional help and can't wait to show off the end product.


Kisses to all those who voted for me yesterday! If you like my blog, please click some more! You only need to click, nothing more :)


xoxo