Week In Review, Is it Desperate that I Ate A Square of Baking Chocolate?

I feel like this week has been a long one. I mean who's brilliant idea is it to return from Spring Break and then have 3 days of early release from school for parent/teacher conferences? Anyway, as far as school goes, my big three are doing well. Aaron could get organized, (ummm, ADHD so I'm guessing that's not going to happen...) Kevin grades are going up, and Olivia didn't even warrant a conference because she is that awesome. My sweet Emi was discharged from speech therapy this week, another YAY! Simon is soon to follow, he just doesn't have the girl DNA, must talk thing going on. So all in all, the Ryann children are doing pretty darn well, and I am a proud mama.

I talked to Billy about my lack of fitness mojo and he said he was having the same problem. Now is this good or bad? I mean, we can sympathize with each other, but if neither one of us is full steam ahead, how is the other one guilted into exercise?! (Full disclosure, while I was thinking about this, I couldn't find anything sweet to eat, so I ate a semi-sweet baking chocolate square. That is pathetic. Don't tell anyone.) I just need to get it together. I mean, I will be at the pool soon, I need to at least be able to comfortably do that.

My dad (he's 77) asked me if he should be on Facebook. I love that. But explaining Facebook was painful. Then he asked about Twitter. If you think the FB conversation was long, imagine the Twitter one. I eventually told him that FB was great to keep up with old friends and family far away and share pics. I use Twitter to cyberstalk. :) I mean, I follow people I don't personally know. Duran Duran, for instance. Once I told him that, he decided it wasn't for him. :) Guess he's not a diehard Duranie....

Have a great weekend, Aaron has his first soccer game of the season tomorrow, I'm sure the pictures will follow. You're lucky like that....

Ugh, I have Lost My Weight Loss/ Get Fit Mojo.... Have You Seen It?

 So I wrote this long post all about Spring Break week, but I just scrapped it. I'll bore you with pics later from the shorties' first trip to the zoo, but I felt like my lack of get fit mojo was a more important post. I am slipping. Here it is only March and I am having a hard time staying on track. I know that I am not overweight. But I am not where I want to be either. I really need to get off my behind and go shred with Jillian Michaels, but honestly, at 7 at night after the littlest ones go to bed, I'd rather watch Bravo TV or worse, the Food Network. The fire is out, and my dear hubby's is not. I am in workout wasteland. I don't like to do it. I don't get that endorphin, "ohmygod, I totally should have been doing this before, I feel so awesome!" I just get tired and sweaty. And who likes to sweat? So I am trying to get accountable by writing all this down. I need to force myself into a regular routine and stick to it. Maybe 2-3 times a week, just to dip my toe in, I dunno.

I think part of it is that since January, I have lost 9 pounds. I am not a big girl, so I think maybe I thought I'd see it more. Or maybe someone else would?! Even though clothes are bigger, I don't see the loss. It is such the downer of weight loss that you see the number on the scale, but the girl in the mirror doesn't match up. Bitch. I went through old pictures of me yesterday, same weight as today, but all I could think was, "why don't I look that thin now?" I know, I am totally mental. And it is so frustrating. So today I am here to barf out all this boo hoo stuff and also admit that my fit mojo is lost. My hope is that I get it back and very soon. I am going to write down my food intake today, that always helps too. Fingers crossed, I need to get back to working out. I am almost 40. And my best friend just called me to tell me she HAD HOT FLASHES last night... Dear God, I am not ready.....

Spring Break Is Trying To Make Me Fat....

Ahhhh, the kiddos are home for the week. We are finally healthy in the house, minus allergies, but this is Texas, someone is always sneezing. The big downside to having everyone home (everyone minus the money maker) besides the charming "I'm bored!" 10 minutes into break, is that the snacking people under 5 feet make me hungry. The will power is shaky, I'm telling you. For some reason, when I am here alone or just with the shorties, I sit well within my points, I stay on liquids when mid afternoon strikes, all is well. But when the older kids are home and want to bake or eat Cheetos, I am sunk. I thought I had it well planned, I bought snacks with gluten. No way I can cheat. But they aren't eating that stuff. Olivia wants to use that last GF cake mix. Kevin wants hot Cheetos. Ugh.... I.am.a.goner.... I really shouldn't chalk it up to vacation. We didn't go anywhere. I don't think it counts when they just don't go to school. Thursday we're headed to the zoo. Does that count as a vacation spot which then green lights bad food?? This is hard...

On other news fronts, Olivia and Aaron had to get new glasses. Aaron picked almost the same frames, but Olivia went from hot pink frames to these really cute ones. Love them! (taken on my phone, not the clearest pic)

I took Emi to see a neurosurgeon about her torticollis. Simon has really responded well to therapy and the helmet. Looking at him you wouldn't even know what he had gone through to look "normal". This is Simon before: (see how tilted his neck was?)

And my beautiful Simonster now:

But Emi is still at a constant slight tilt and we're looking for a solution. The neurosurgeon sent me to a pediatric neurologist because she doesn't need invasive stuff done (thank God). Here is my sweet Emi. See the tilt?

It's a mild tilt, but if you could sit in front of her, you would notice it more and that one cheek slightly protrudes more than the other. Anyway, I am hoping there is a possibility for improvement, mommies tend to suffer guilt for things they cannot control, and I am definitely sitting right in the middle of that party of one. It's silly, I know, no one puts me there, no one says that I had a thing to do with the overcrowding in the birth mother's womb. Doesn't matter. I should have noticed sooner, I should have pressed the doctor more. Name it, I have told myself I dropped the ball. A waste to do to yourself, but alas, here I am. I will get over it and move on, but while I am knee deep in appointments and physical therapy, I feel bad.

Ugh, I need to end this post, too boohoo. All is good, I have a great life, great kids, and so far this week, my jeans still fit! :)

I Need About 3 Days Of Sleep, and Go Me, I Am A Solid Size 6!

What a busy week! Between science projects and wax museum characters due before Spring Break and the shorties with double ear infections, I am wiped out. Let me tell you, when I collapse into bed at 10, sure to get a solid 8 hours, I am up at 2 am wide awake. Last night I was awake listening to dogs outside, my husband breathing, whatever making noise. I have no idea what is going on, but I stayed awake for 2 hours being seriously annoyed with myself.  I am hoping for better luck tonight, Melatonin in hand and bed by 9:30. My kids are having sleepovers tomorrow night and I'm going to need my strength. :)

Yesterday I ran to buy Kevin a tie for his museum costume and decided to hit the clearance in my department. I picked up all size 8, and they were all big! WHOO HOO!!! I ended up only buying one pair, but hey, I am a solid size 6 and quite the happy camper about it. Toiling away and counting my points, measuring everything and I am at an all time low weight. I am so excited. I'd love to lose maybe 3-4  more pounds, but really I am happy with right now. I swear by Weight Watchers, I really do. I have always had success with them and maintained when I was aware. I say that because when I stop paying attention because I get too comfortable, the weight will creep back. It's an all the time thing, there is no way around that. But I am 5 months from 40. (Oh Lord, did I admit that?! I will be wearing all black that week when it comes...) And I wanted to be at a great, healthy weight at 40. So YAY ME! Oh and if you are also doing WW, a great recipe site with amazing recipes is http://www.skinnytaste.com/ .

I better get myself off the computer, I have 20 minutes before big kids are home and I'd like to get a load of laundry in before that... Have a good one!

This Isn't His First Trip To The Rodeo, We Do Have Five Kids.....

Ok, this is not going to be about illness. The shorties now have double ear infections and I am still coughing, but enough. Everyone is on antibiotics, so we're moving on...

Ok, so Sunday Billy decides to be the one to do nap. I'm all for that, any help is always accepted. Right as he is going up the stairs, I say, "make sure they both have pants on after you change them." Ok, they're in bed, good to go. An hour and a half later they are still yelling, jumping, it's a freakin rave up there. This is the point where I just go get them. They aren't going to sleep (even though they had gone all day without sleep) so why keep them trapped? So Billy goes to get them and I hear, "Umm, it's my fault they didn't fall asleep." So as I head up there I find out that my charming husband that took over putting them down for nap (his 4th and 5th child, he's no amateur) he neglected pants. Yup, they're standing in their cribs, naked from the waist down, diapers on the floor, and pee soaked cribs, and thanks to one of my shorties being male, I think I stepped in pee too. Sweet Emi is repeating, "mess, mess daddy." I mean on the one hand it is kinda funny. But geez, I'm not sure this is the kind of help I was looking for. :) In his defense, (because he is a great help with all 5 kids) he totally owned it. Once I deodorized and stripped it all, he said he'd make the beds and get it back to normal. He apologized and it's all good. But I have to wonder, how does that happen when I tell you one minute before you change  their diapers? What if I hadn't said anything, would he have even diapered them? How does the male mind work exactly? Such strange creatures....

Casa De Lepers.. Welcome, Come On In...

For the last two weeks of back and forth sickness, I feel like I live at a leper colony. :) As it stands, I am 2 steps from death, Emi is exploding still, and Simon's pink eye is almost nonexistent. YAY! I claim that as a victory. Billy went into the office, weak, but upright. The big kids have avoided all contamination. I assume it's been my vigilance with the can of Lysol and screaming, "don't kiss her" or "don't touch that boy unless you want pink eye!". I am just trying to help... I have been amazed that with 5 kids, the pink eye is contained. Such a gross virus, isn't it? EWWWW... Ok, enough of the disgusting family details.

Tonight is the school's Dinner and Dance. The music teacher holds it as a fund raiser, $5 a head and you get pizza and then everybody does those wedding dances. (Electric Slide, Cotton Eyed Joe, The Chicken, etc) We didn't do it last year and my kids heard it was a blast so I paid for tonight. And it looks like Billy will be chaperoning at least the big 3, maybe my Simonster too. He better take lots of pics, I hate missing stuff like this. Oh well, gives me time to catch up with my DVR I suppose. Billy refuses any Bravo show, so I must watch them alone. :) I hear the shorties waking. Here's to the next blog post to be nothing health related!

Have a great weekend, Kevin has his last basketball game tomorrow and then we have to finish Olivia's big science project. Spring break is 1 week away!

Remember When I Said I Didn't Have Time To Be Sick? No One Was Listening...

Let's see, sore throat, hacking cough, no voice. Check. I could do that and continue to zip along. HOWEVER... Simon came home from MDO with a violent case of pink eye (now in both eyes), Emi woke up this morning with, let's just say colorful and loud diarrhea, and Billy is in bed as we speak. All I have going for me is that the big kids are in school. I have no other positives. I'm guessing this is round two of whatever virus was plaguing the house last week. So I got the shorties down for nap, zipped to Walgreen's since Billy was home and stocked up on the necessities. If the big kids can stay healthy (and I am furiously spraying Lysol everywhere) then it will be fine. I mean, I have to shower Emi every time she explodes, but hey, who can complain. I mean, I have running water! :)

So that's the reason for the sporadic and short blogging, there are oozing and dripping little people to care for. (and one 6'1" man that I hope wakes up refreshed soon!)

I Am NOT Getting Sick. I Can't, It's Not On The Schedule And I Can't Work It In...

It may be my turn. I was so proud of remaining upright when everyone else was leaning over a bucket. Then Kevin kept coughing and we went in to the ped's office yesterday. (you should see this event when I have to take all 5 kids in, those rooms are small, I have to take the double stroller and then the rest of us have to share seats. :) Anyway, looks like sinusitis, have some amoxicillin and have a nice day. One we were home though, I thought my throat was kind of itchy. And then my head started to ache. No, no, no.... I did the vitamin C dose (does that really work? Hubby seems to think so.) and the Advil. Keep your fingers crossed, I just don't have the time. This is the last week of basketball. Olivia has her science project due next week, the boys also have a wax museum project due then too. (and any ideas as to how to fashion a peg leg for Kevin would be much appreciated!) Billy is really busy with work and has a trip in there as well, so forget it.

So I sit here today, trying not to kiss the babies too much in case I do have something coming and now I'm coughing. Maybe I'll take a swig of Kevin's antibiotic. (not really...) I'm not saying that moms can't get sick and dads can, it's just that I'm the one at home, he's working to bring me cash. I need him there, not here doing my job. So fingers crossed that it's just a little cough. A touch of a sore throat. Nothing a stash of over the counter drugs can't hold down. Because not only do I not have time for this, I really don't have time to go see the doctor.

Olivia has her writing TAKS test today. That's the state standardized test. She was all worked up, but she consistently scores a "4" on the practice tests and loves to write. I promised ice cream, so I guess I should get off of here and pack up the shorties for the car. Have a good one!