Resolution, Smesolution.

I have a confession.

I do not believe in New Year's Resolutions. 

I don't!

Not even a little bit.

That could very well be because I've never been able to keep them. 

Well, ALMOST never.

New Year's Day 2002 I resolved to have a baby that year.  Roon and I had already been trying to get pregnant for 9 months, so I thought it would be a cinch to keep.  When March came and went, and I was still without child, I tweaked my resolution in hopes to just get pregnant sometime before the 2003 ball dropped.  In early May, I learned I was expecting Sissy, and was given a due date of December 28th. 

That was the beginning and the end of my success with New Year's resolutions.  But not from lack of trying. 

At least half a dozen times in our 11 years of marriage, Roon and I have resolved to lose weight and get out of credit card debt.  One week of exercise, a few sore muscles, and paying off one credit card with our tax return later, we would revert right back to our old ways. 

And we were never any better off as we sipped our sparkling cider the next year.

This has led me to believe that resolutions are just one more way for me to fail at something, and then give me reason to beat myself up. 

Not a good thing when you bruise like a peach.

So why do I bring this up?

Because, while I think resolutions are stupid, I DO believe in goal setting.  Goals that don't have to wait until Monday, or January First, or your birthday to begin.  Because why wait until Monday to change your life for the better?

June 16, 20ll, I looked like this:

And, no, I'm not going to give specific weights or sizes.  Mainly because...I'm embarrassed. 

Roon and I decided we were sick of being fat.

We bought a treadmill, downloaded calorie counting apps for our phones, and jumped right in.  No Monday or January 1st required.

I did my official weigh in on a Thursday.

Slowly, but surely my hard work paid off. 

When I started, I could only do 20 minutes on the treadmill, with a speed of 2.0 and next to no incline.  NOW, I can RUN at a 4.6 with a 4-5 incline for several minutes, and speedwalk at a 7-10 incline for up to an hour. 

Not too shabby for a heart patient...

Wanna see the results?

Who needs "resolutions"?!

I'm currently down 46 pounds, and am 6 pounds away from my goal weight!

My reward, aside from looking HOT for my husband, is to head to Utah for a WEEK to visit my REAL LIFE friend EVELYN, and finally meet my [practically] real life friend, Xazmin! 

I CAN'T WAIT!

So what are you NOT resolving to do? 

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

Xazmin! It's NEW!!!

I would explain my title to y'all, but as long as THIS GIRL is laughing hysterically right now at my stupidity, I have done my job. 

Now before any of you go all "Ricky Ricardo" on me, and tell me I have some 'splaining to do...
I just wanted to say thank you to all my friends out there in the blogosphere.  Y'all are the BEST!  I can't even count how many emails, texts, phone calls, snail mail lettters, etc. I have received since my abrupt hiatus began.  It's just nice to know that I was missed. 

I missed you guys too.

Typically, I am the "wait until Monday", or "Start fresh with a new month/year" girl, but after an urging text from THIS GIRL, and an encouraging phone call from THIS GIRL all in one day, I decided I'd just take the plunge and get back to it. 

After all, my most recent and most successful diet program to date started on a Thursday...why not?

Now for the explanation...

Quite simply, I burned myself out.  The perfectionist/devoted friend in me would not allow myself to write unless I had visited every blog I followed, and commented on at least one of their recent posts.  If I missed even 1 day of visiting, it would take me a week to get caught up. 

It just wasn't fun anymore.

Not to mention the fact that my house was spiraling out of control around me, and my weight reached a number I hadn't seen since I was 9 months pregnant with Bug. 

It was just not pretty. 

I took a step back, and realized I needed to concentrate on ME.  I needed to establish routines, make fitness goals, get our financial house in order, and concentrate on making my house feel like a HOME again. 

But, something had to give. 

That thing just happened to be blogging for me. 

No, blogging is NOT bad.  I love it.  I really do.  BUT with how intensly I was concentrating on it, it kind of took over my life.  With the summer coming, and going from having 2 kids at home to having 4 at home, I knew I had to make a change. 

So, I gave it up.  Plain and simple.

We had an awesome summer, and now that Sissy, Bubble, and BUG have started school, I finally feel like I have some ME time again. 

I am actually completely childless right now, because Boo is at her first day of preschool OUTSIDE of the house!  A GOOD FRIEND and I have started a co-op type preschool 2 days a week, just to clarify. 

My plan for now is to blog at least 1 day a week.  Most likely while Boo is at preschool. 

I am also going to come up with a game plan for when to do my tours of blogland. 

But I'm not going to apologize for putting myself first anymore.  I will always blog first, if I feel like I have something to say, and THEN I will be by to visit if I have time.  I will also no longer visit blogs because I feel like I HAVE to.  If you entertain me, or we connect, you can bet your behind I will be very hard to get rid of.  Isn't that the point of "blog LOVE"? 

If you want to guarantee regular interactions with me, let me know.  I'm sure we can work something out... (Did somebody say Facebook or Texting???)

Any bets on how many followers I lose? 

Until next time...

It's good to be back!

Symfully Sweet, Whatever Day it is...

My deepest apologies to all those who were actually on the ball and got their posts up on time.  I am in awe of all of you.

I seem to be fighting a losing battle with my schedule.  Moms with older kids, please tell me it gets easier to manage.  Lie to me if you have to...

Alright, so this month, as you may recall, the subject matter for Symfully Sweet was PEEPS.

I don't like Peeps, so my goal was to disguise them as much as humanly possible. 

I LOVE Rice Krispies treats, so I figured I would love them just as much if they were made with Peeps, as opposed to regular marshmallows.

I'll tell you a secret...

I was WRONG.

But here's how Sissy and I made them, anyway.

You must begin by dawning your best apron, and a smile that says "I could totally be on Food Network".

You know that saying "never trust a skinny chef"?  Well, at least you know you can trust me.  Creepy smile and all.

We melted the butter, and then helped a few Peeps commit "chef assisted suicide".

Okay, more than a few.

SAVE YOURSELVES!!!

Oh the humanity!

If it begins to look like a scene out of a horror movie, you know you're doing it right.

Eventually they'll melt together, your kids will begin to get excited that you're making cheese sauce.

Pour the sticky mess over the Rice Krispies (or "Crisp Rice", if you're too cheap to go name brand.)

Make sure to get every last bit out of the pan.

Enlist your husband's help to stir the mess together.  Steal a taste, and be disappointed that they taste very little like real Rice Krispies Treats.

Press mixture into greased pan with a greased spatula.  Make your kids wait "FOREVER!" for them to cool.

Cut into huge pieces (because they'll be gone sooner that way), and arrange them on an ugly plate someone gave you 5 years ago, because all your cute dishes are dirty.

Then, make sure to forget to take a picture of your child(ren) eating the delicious morsels.

How did you guys fare???  Are your projects cooler than mine???

I sure hope so!  Link up your projects, and I will have my Brain Trust select a winner by mid week.  I will announce May's mission when I announce the winner. 

P.S.  Don't forget that if you never had the chance to link up your December "candycane" project, you can do so now.  I will be announcing a winner for that as well...

GOOD LUCK!

Three For Thursday

Got this prompt from EVELYN, and I thought..."why not?".  Hey!  Maybe if you join in too, she will make it a weekly meme and have link ups...DO IT!

Three things I do after the kids are in bed:


1. Eat something I probably shouldn't.
2. Watch all my shows that aren't appropriate for children.
3.  If the mood strikes us me, some sort of team sport... *cue stripper music*

Three people I kind of want to be, but not really:

1.  Me...11 years and 70 pounds ago. 
2. Blanket Jackson.  I'd introduce myself, and say "My friends call me Blankie".
3. ANYBODY who can walk comfortably in high heels wihtout looking "special".

Three objects I would never buy used:

1.  Lingerie
2.  Breast Pump
3.  Makeup


Three things I didn't do today:

1.  Wake up refreshed.
2.  Eat breakfast.
3.  Feel guilty about going out to lunch.


Three books I would like to read...probably in ten years when all these dang kids are in school:

1.  The rest of the Hunger Games trilogy.
2.  The Mortal Instruments series.
3.  Some sort of vacation planning guide.  Preferably to Australia.


Three things that have been ruined for me thanks to stomach flu and/or morning sickness:

1.  Bananas
2. Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup.
3. Yogurt


Three things I appreciate about my marriage:

1.  Our personalities just "fit".  Like we were made for each other.
2.  The boy can cook!  Which means...I don't always have to.
3.   Even after almost 11 years of marriage, we still flirt.  It's nice that my hubby is still hot for me...


Three things within a two foot reach of me:

1. Butterfly habitat
2. My Turn on Earth CD
3. A happy baby that does not belong to me.


Three pictures:


My sister, Boogs, recently sent out announcements for her husband's graduation from Dental School.  I am in love with my nephews!  Especially the grumpy one in the front.  He's so much like his mother, I just can't stand it!!!

Speaking of "announcements"...my brother and Sister in Law recently announced they're EXPECTING!  *praying for a girl*.  As if that's not enough, the incubator up there is turning 25 TODAY.  Happy birthday, Didj!  I love you!

THIS is my newest niece!  Isn't she beautiful?!

Three plans for the near future:


1. Go out to lunch with BAUB.
2. Work for 4 hours at the Book Fair.
3. Publish this post.


Three final thoughts:

1. I think I have allergies
2. Symfully Sweet will post THIS COMING SATURDAY, because my computer was broken, and we just got it fixed.
3.  Something about shopping at midnight, made me feel slightly less appreciative of the teachers

A Post By Roon

In my post labled "Love Bug" I had several of you ask what Bug was eating in the picture that has also resided on my sidebar since day 1  I decided to take the easy way out, and rather than tell you, I thought I would let Roon do it by re-publishing a post he had written on our family blog about 3 years ago.  (Plus, since we FINALLY got our computer fixed, I'm feverishly working to ge my Symfully Sweet post up, and I don't have time for a real post right now.)

Enjoy!

We made a whole bunch of sugar cookies, and we let the kids put the icing on some of them. I told them to take it easy on the sprinkles this time because last year the super sprinkle covered cookie gave Santa some wicked heartburn.

Sissy did a pretty good job with her cookies.

Bubble didn't do too bad either.

Bug started off ok.

Then he decided to eat the icing.

And continued to do it on the floor.

Reminiscent of Mr Pooh Bear.

What Time Is It?!

Come on, really.  What time IS IT?!

THAT'S BETTER.

On the bright side, if I can't tell what time it is, I don't have to feel guilty about oversleeping, right???

This post brought to you by the recent outbreak in storms that caused the power surge that broke my iHome.  Thanks, Mother Nature!  You owe me $40.

It's Like Breaking Up with a Boyfriend, on the Day He Was Fired.

I have learned through my year of blogging, that I have an amazing resource right at my fingertips.

YOU GUYS!

Oftentimes, I have confided in you on an individual basis regarding some sticky situations, and have sought out your advice on how to handle them.

From family, to business, to friendships gone awry, you always know how to navigate me through those less than comfortable situations.  Instead of confiding in you all individually, I decided to lay it all out there for everyone, so I can receive a consensus on how to handle this bit of a pickle.

Let me tell you a little story*.

There are many things in life that Roon is better at than me.  Yardwork, is one of those things.  Even though Roon is completely capable of mowing, edging, and landscaping our yard, he doesn't always have the time or desire to do so. 

One day, when I realized that our yard looked particularly sad, I suggested that Roon do something about it once winter was officially over.  He thought about it for a day or so, and then came to me with a suggestion.  Why not hire a professional?  I had a little bit of money of my own, and I could use that to pay someone to make my yard look EXACTLY how I wanted it, and things wouldn't get ugly between the two of us.

I thought he was brilliant!

I soon found a small landscape company to do the work, and as luck would have it, he was running a bit of a special.  If I paid the full estimated amount in advance, (Before lawn mowing season began) I would be added to the mowing schedule from day one, and Roon wouldn't have to push the mower even once.  Not to mention the fact that I could "bundle" my landscape requests together for a discounted rate.

I was all over it!

I received an estimate, and paid it in full within 24 hours.  I could hardly wait for spring to come, so I could see some improvement in my yard!

Normally, the idea of paying in full for work yet to be performed makes me very uneasy, but he came VERY highly recommened by neighbors and friends, so I went with it.

At the first signs of spring, I would see him in my neighbor's yards, sprucing things up a bit.  Planting a tree, adding some flowers here and there.  The anticipation was killing me!

Along the way, Roon and I decided to add some things to our plan.  You know, a fruit tree in the backyard, a tulip border, and some rose bushes on the side of the house...that kind of thing.  Each time, he would bill us, we would pay, and then we would wait.

When the grass began to grow and look unruly, I called our landscaper to find out what was going on. 

He was very nice, and explained that some things had come up, but that he would be out very soon to take care of it.

A week later, with the threat of an HOA fine looming, Roon went out and cut the grass when our guy couldn't be reached in time.

Through the course of several months, our guy never came once.  We were handled with kid gloves, reassured that we were on his schedule, but no concrete dates were ever offered.

Towards the end of the summer, we heard rumblings that the landscaper was experiencing some personal hardships.  His wife was ill, money was tight, and he was doing his best to handle it all.  This was all speculation, though, as we hadn't actually heard the information from HIM.

We took pity on the guy, and made do the best we could.  Eventually, we contacted the guy, and asked for a refund.  Our contract was terminated, he apologized, and we were promised a full refund.

We found, and hired a replacement landscaper, who has done an amazing job!  We love him, and are so glad to have found him in our time of need.

So where's the problem?

Our original landscaper has yet to reimburse us.  I've contacted him a few times, offering to make arrangements with him to pay in installments, and the offers have been embraced and appreciated by him, but no arrangement is ever made.   At the close of every conversation, he offers the possibility of paying me back with his services, or gift certificates for friends. 

If I wasn't happy with the service I was given in the first place, why on EARTH would I want more service in lieu of money?

To add insult to injury, our landscaper has officially started publicly announcing his hardships to the community.  How am I supposed to request a refund when he's standing at a pulpit telling everyone his woes?!

Is it so unreasonable of me to want what I was promised? 
If you have any suggestions for me, I would greatly appreciate them.

*Certain details have been altered or deleted to protect the guilty.