Peeps Have Been Destroyed, And I MAY Have, Just Possibly Vacuumed Up All Easter Grass...

Oye, I am not in the blogging swing of things, am I? I am happy to report that my sweet kids have quickly decimated their Easter haul and the temptations for me are now gone. They really love me. :) I found myself on quite the downward slope off of my healthy eating. This week I have been really good at watching my points and I am maybe a pound and a half away from my lowest weight this year. I am at goal as far as Weight Watchers looks at it, but this is how it's going to be for the rest of my life. I slip. Holidays come. I reject all forms of exercise for too long. Monday I am going to start going to a personal trainer with a friend. (Groupon had an amazing $29/ 2 month deal, I couldn't resist.) Hopefully it will light a fire under my behind, because even though I am maintaining goal weight, I am  not toned or fit. On Easter I wore this sleeveless top and when I saw pictures I was cringing at the sight of my bat wings. And really, am I THAT pasty white?! That cannot help my look in pictures. I tell ya, the closer that 40 gets here, the more flaws I see in pictures. It's hard growing old. Harder than I thought it would be. So fingers crossed that I really take advantage of this work out deal, I can go twice a week when the shorties are at Mother's Day Out, other than that, I'll have to plan around Billy's work schedule and the kids' end of year schedules. I don't see that happening.

Potty training the shorties has taken an odd turn. We started with Emi all into it and Simon crying at the suggestion of the thing. Now Emi is utterly defiantly peeing in her pants and smiling about it. I kid you not. She's gonna be a fabulous teenager. Simon has become quite excited with peeing in the "big go potty". :) He high fives, flushes it and tells everyone how great he is. Sooo, with that being said, I think Miss Emilia needs a break and Simon will be first trained. Funny, I always heard (and through our experience with the 3 big kids) that girls were easier to train. There's always an exception....

I should go, the big kiddos are almost home from school and I need to throw another load in. So, be honest, I can take it. Did you use the dreaded Easter grass that never disappears like I did, or were you the smart one that used tissue paper in the basket like one of my FB friends was quick to tell me? DUH, such a smart way to go, I feel like an idiot. :) Next year, no grass!!! Have a great weekend!!

Have A Wonderful Easter... I Think There is Chocolate Oozing From My Pores....

Just a short post since it is Easter and all. Here are my sweet kiddos, right before church. I wonder how many more years it will be before I can get a picture of all 5 of them looking at the camera in some sort of jovial manner...

My dad met up with us at church and then came to lunch. Emi is never far from her Pawpaw... LOVE that....

I hope that every one has a blessed Easter full of family, friends and chocolate bunnies. :) Tomorrow we diet!

Oh Boy, Easter Candy Is Upon Us... Pray For Me....

I hope my kids start eating this stuff faster. Lord knows I don't have the self control. Tomorrow will be worse, I know, darn bunny. :) Yesterday we dyed eggs and smashed each other with confetti eggs. Emi and Simon just never caught on... Next year I figure they will really get it. I'm just hoping all the stained fingers will be faded by mass in the morning.

Today we went to an Easter egg hunt for the shorties. Simon just wasn't picking up any eggs until I told him that we needed to "tidy up the eggs". BINGO. He was a cleaning machine. He is so funny at bedtime, cleans up all the toys and gets quite upset if his sister doesn't help. They say he is the same way at school. :) Here's for hoping it lasts at least a few more years. So we came home with quite a stash and then during nap had our last egg hunt for the big kids. :( For them, I put change in the eggs, better to lay off all the sugar and they like money nowadays anyway...

Just tidying up this egg mess...

Emi with a little sibling "help"

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. I love getting the kids dressed up and this year my dad is meeting us at church and then coming over for Easter lunch. I'm glad he's doing that, with my mom in the nursing home, I don't want him at church alone on Easter. Fingers crossed that it all goes well. A gluten free lunch is planned down to the GF brownies and maybe cupcakes thrown in. Counting points is out the window on holidays. Then I just have to hope the kids inhale the candy before I do.

Groupon had a great deal yesterday for $29. Personal training sessions for 2 months, unlimited visits at the place right down the street. I bit the bullet and I'm actually excited about going when the shorties are at preschool. I need the routine, so I'm hoping this will do the trick. It's too easy for me to say no to a DVD on the shelf. My weight is low, but I have low tone and when I have to throw on a suit this summer, I don't want to be uncomfortable next to my stick figure of a best friend. :) Wish me luck!

I better bring this to an end, I need to iron church clothes and get Pioneer Woman's mashed potatoes ready. I LOVE that I can make those the day before and they are.so.yummy... Have a wonderful and blessed Easter.

Yes, The Entire City Takes The Day Off For A Parade...

So San Antonio is known for Fiesta, we have a two week party every Spring. My family doesn't really participate in all the festivities, the crowds are not my thing. BUT, the last Friday of Fiesta is a day off from school (I am not kidding), and lucky for us, Billy's downtown office overlooks the parade route. :) So no hassle for parking, we take a bunch of yummy food and have a nice family afternoon. In the air conditioning. Perfect.... Here are some obligatory shots of my kiddos and a few of the actual parade! :)

Oh and now that Fiesta is over, onto Easter! This is exhausting! :)

What's a parade without a giant Texas flag??

Here are a few of the Fiesta princesses...

Simon, my sweetie...



Kevin eating yummy Mexican food...



Emi and Olivia with their fiesta crowns

My three boys...

I Am Not A Reliable Blogger, I Accept That....

This has turned out to be harder than I thought. I really thought that since I talk so much, this would be easy for me. So not true... Once things pick up at school, or we hit holidays, I neglect this blog. It really does take more effort than I thought it would.

Tomorrow the kids have the day off for Battle of Flowers. Only in San Antonio would we schedule a day off from school for a parade. :) Lucky for us, Billy's downtown office overlooks the parade route, so we sit in air conditioning and enjoy from above. It's an inside family picnic and the kids have a great time. I'm sure I will drown this blog tomorrow with pics.

I have two of the big kids signed up for swim team and the shorties will be in a Mother's Day Out summer program twice a week. I was lucky to find a summer one and I think it will be good for me to have time to devote to the three big kids, take in a movie, sit by the pool, without running after my littlest ones. It may sound harsh, but I am seeing my oldest two get ready for middle school and I want some time before they disown me in public. They have sacrificed to their little brother and sister and I'd like for them to be able to do things they can't do with 2 year olds. :)

I should get up and move. The big kids will be home from school and we are scheduled for haircuts. Not to mention that laundry that is piled NEAR the washing machine, but has inconveniently not walked into it by itself. :)

I Tell Ya, Ten Year Old Boys Can Just Be So Yucky...

I spent at least 3 hours yesterday cleaning out the disgusting area that my boys inhabit. I have been really trying to get them on track with keeping their room clean, taking personal responsibility, you get what I'm saying. They're almost eleven, we're starting junior high next fall, and I felt like if I let them half-ass their chores now, it's only going to get much worse. Every night they are supposed to clean up before TV, then in the morning they have to make their beds, pick up anything on the floor, not hard. Or so I thought. Must be REALLY hard for the mind of a ten year old... So yesterday, the shorties were playing sweetly, so I went to town. With one break to put the little ones down for nap, I spent the whole time going from corner to corner, top to bottom. I crawled under their beds. YUCK. They are simply gross. 2 trash bags later, one spoon in the closet, one bowl in a desk drawer later, I don't even want to tell you where I found dirty clothes.

So when they got home and I sat them down and showed them everything, I didn't yell. I told them I expected more from them. And gave them a clean slate. Keep your fingers crossed that it took. I come from a family that raised boys (another story for another day) and I want to raise MEN. I don't expect them to keep their space spotless, I'm not delusional. I expect them to follow the rules. No food in bedrooms, dirty clothes go in the hamper, make your bed. I do it, they can too. I hope.... :)

Now I told Olivia her room was next. Please don't surprise me and gross me out. I don't want to don a hazmat suit to clean the upstairs bedrooms. Did I mention the orange peels under one boys' bed?! I'm going to have flashbacks....

Have a great weekend, we've got soccer today and polar swim/swim team sign up tomorrow.

OHMYGOSH, Twins Are SO Handy!

With twins you get one for the front.....

And one for the back!!!

Yep, the boys are starting to do the lawn this Spring. It's hard for me, I worry that one of them will lose a foot. :)  When is this getting older thing going to stop?! Junior high, mowing yards, what's next?! (don't you EVEN try to tell me about girls...)

This is going to be a short one, 5 of the 7 Ryanns have terrible head colds (including me) and I need to wipe some shorties down with tissues and take some Tylenol. We've also had expensive car fixes and I could use a nap. Have a good Wednesday, I'm trying to, but man, is this a day that's screaming for chocolate? (and Dora is NOT helping with her taunting "boca boca chocolatte" in my ear... Really mean......)

I Have Nothing Witty For A Title, Pity Me And Read It Anyway....

I have been MIA from here for too long. I'd like to have a reason, but I don't. Total slacker, I admit it. I have been unusually busy with kid and family stuff, so when I sit in front of my laptop, I'm reading and vegging. I know, five kids, you have lots of kid stuff to do, but as the school year is winding down, our school is forcing me to attend these horrible "transition meetings" for parents to ready their 5th grade children (translation: ready the parents) for the move to junior high. I openly admit I am NOT ready to send my oldest two babies to junior high. I can't possibly have kids old enough for 6th grade. So I am sitting in the meeting (No way was I going to send Billy. He would come home and I would grill him for info and he'd say, "I'm not sure" or "I guess that's possible." These are MY BABIES!!! No guessing here, mister.) All the parents are there asking questions about schedules, lunches, etc. But then there was that one mom that raised her hand and says, "Do the sixth grade boys have to shower after p.e.?" Long pause from the principal... "We'd LIKE them to." Sigh.... My boys will be naked in a big room next year. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! It's barbaric really.... I'll be drinking by July just in anticipation..... Wait for the following year when I have to send my young daughter to the lions. I'll be sedated...

Yesterday we celebrated my mom's 79th birthday. We all went for dinner and used the private dining room. It was tough. My dad wanted it to be such a success, for her to enjoy her family. But with dementia you can't schedule when she is going to be "there". And for my dad, she wasn't. It just broke my heart when he was reading her the card he had picked out (the card that he called me from the store to read before he bought) and she responded, "why would she send me that?" Ugh.... All I could do was squeeze my dad's hand and soldier through. Whatever it makes me feel, it hits my dad 1000 times harder.

We are set for a soccer weekend and Billy plans on entertaining strep throat. Came back from the doctor's with an antibiotic and the car overheating with a broken belt of some kind. Awesome. So we're down to just the Suburban at least for a few days. Have a great weekend, eat something fabulous in my honor. I'll stay skinny that way. :)