Hi friends!

I don't usually get on the "posting about giveaways" bandwagon because there are a million going on at all times BUT there is an awesome one on "The Secret is in the Sauce". It is unbelievable and I could tell you all about it or you could hop over there and make both you and your child's ENTIRE summer break MUCH more enjoyable. Actually I am hoping that I win, to be honest :) OK I would be happy for you also!

Writing this gives me five more entries so I am crossing my fingers. I also did a "Fishful Thinking" book that is explained on the blog more thoroughly. Go and see mine. I wrote about the boys NICU journey.

Here is the link to the giveaway post! Enjoy!

I will take this opportunity to also mention that the bed/naptime roller coaster continues and the boys have not given us ANY problems since naptime on Friday! YAY! I may actually stay sane. Stay tuned to find out :)

Alert: Mommy to twins did not get her usual "break" during nap time.

I cannot be held responsible for this making sense. I have battled twin two year olds all day and they are the victors!

First and foremost disregard my entire last post. I am in no nap HELL! They didn't stay in their beds for nap. They didn't even stay in their rooms for that matter. I stayed near their bedroom door and kept it slightly open so that I could spy on their behavior. They took this as an exit sign and scurried out one after the other. I will admit that part of me thought their antics were pretty funny but the, I just ran around all morning part, was tired and in need of time away from my sweet children.

My next step was to stay in the room with them as suggested by Nanny 911 and put them back in bed when they got out. I cannot put into words how thrilling it is to put your children back into bed a million times in under two hours. It is annoying and exhausting and honestly I finally gave up. I know, this was not a proud moment but I left the room and figured it was baby proof "have at it, boys". I opened the door 15 minutes later to find a pop-up book ripped into approximately 50 pieces, both window shades open and two boys standing on the train table handing me the book that was, in their words, broke. I found this a bit funny because it seemed to imply that they had simply found it that way.

I was tired, frustrated and done. I plopped them on the couch and reached for the Barney DVD, popped it into the DVD player and it froze. Yep, it wouldn't come back out and it wouldn't play. At this point I wanted to quit the whole Mommy gig. I was over it. I found a PBS show they like. Thank goodness we have PBS. I called my sister and I cried. I e-mailed two other twin mommy bloggers and desperately sought their insight. I told Jared all about it when he got home. Ultimately, I feel MUCH better.

Jared geared up for the battle tonight due to my fragile state ;) He told the boys, "It is bed time and you are NOT to get out of these beds. Go to sleep." We said our "goodnights" and "I love you's" and I headed for a much deserved shower. I came out and asked Jared how it was going and he hasn't heard a peep! NOT A PEEP! I have decided that it was due to my diligence ;) during nap time. Yep, I rock!!!

The Transition I've Dreaded

Don't worry it is not the binky because that one takes an emotional toll both on Mommy AND Alex so let's move on K? Alright! The transition of which I speak is the one from cribs to big boy beds which at this point is actually the crib with the front off and an added bar. So far it is going well but it is 8:16 and we put them down at 7:40. I will finish this post tomorrow and tell you how the entire night went but I have to say, for the record, that I am betting Jared that it goes well and he says I am delusional. He admits that this bet is one that he hopes I win! Isn't that sweet??? ;)


Well, the boys did quite well last night, as expected. ;) They were wound up from the excitement of a "new, big boy bed" but they relaxed and fell asleep by about 9 without getting out of bed the entire night. I consider this a success and when we went in this morning they were up and babbling but they did not get out of bed once again. Hooray!


Right now they are in bed for naps and have been chatting for about 20-30 minutes. I am not sure if they will relax or not. I may go in and try and calm them but when I did that at the beginning of the nap it seemed they were just set out to defy mommy. In fact, I was tenderly rubbing Eli's head and his blond curls when he kept trying to stick his finger up my nose. This only made me laugh which in turn made them both laugh and on and on it went. I finally decided to let them be silly and come back if it didn't end soon. It's not ending so I will probably head back in there.

These didn't come out very clear but here they are in their big boy beds. This morning they insisted up having their milk in their beds and reading books. So cute!

And here is Alex giving BIG hugs!!!

Random Nonsense

Keep in mind that I warned you about this post in the title and you chose to keep reading.

O.K. so I am somewhat new to this whole Stay at Home Mom (formerly known as "housewife") thing and I must admit some things allude me. I am sure there are more "pressing" issues that should concern me but for today here it is:

I am incapable of picking a good melon! Cantaloupe, to be specific! I am 5 melon picks into this season and I have failed miserably each time. They are either over ripe or not ripe at all. I finally broke down before buying the last one on Tuesday and asked the produce lady if she thought I had picked a good one and she said she thought so. I carefully mushed at it with my fingers and it gave slightly but did not seem TOO mushy and it smelled, well it smelled like a cantaloupe, actually, but I thought that too was a good sign. I thumped it like the lady told me to although still didn't completely understand what it was supposed to "thump" like. I proudly brought it home and declared to Jared that I thought I'd done it, I had actually picked the right melon.

Fast forward to today while prepping lunch for the boys. I cut into it excitedly (well, if you can get "excited" about fruit prep) and found a mushy, mediocre tasting melon. Eli actually liked it and asked for seconds but it wasn't up to par and I threw the rest out. Maybe waiting two days was a huge mistake. Who knows? Ugh, the only good melon that I have had this year was at my friends house or when my sister in law buys it because they obviously know how to pick a melon. Where was I when others were being taught this?

That's it. That is the end of my deep thoughts. Told you it was pretty random. This is in honor of my friend Mariah who always writes this funny type of random post. Yes, her random thoughts are a bit more intersting than canteloupe!

Rainy Days!

Today we had a great rain storm. It was the kind where the sky goes nice and dark and all of a sudden the heavens open up and pour. It was a LOT of rain. The boys quickly ran to the window to see it. It was a sweet moment and I enjoyed hearing the rain fall. Unfortunately, today is the day that my sister, Missy, was in charge of field day for the entire elementary at the school. She definitely had to revamp her plan but all went well from what I hear.

I watched Missy's daughter, Miss Olivia, and I planned a craft knowing the forecast was calling for rain. As usual, I stole creativity from another blog called, No Time for Flashcards, and we did this craft. On a side note I also found another great blog for kid's crafts called, Just For Fun . She has five kids and manages to craft. Women like this amaze me much like my friend Stephanie who has five and works out DAILY among other things. Anyways we plan to do this craft once our corresponding book is available at the library.

I thought it may be helpful to hear how an "everyday kind of mom" completed this craft because I am convinced that the mom's that I just mentioned are super human! ;) As I've said before I am FAR from crafty. I even have a folder in my "favorites" that is labeled "Craft Stuff That I May Never Do". You see I love other's creativity I just am not one to come up with ideas alone.

OK enough about that here are the pics.

I used crayons instead of markers to color the "A". In the original post, she took this as an opportunity to teach "inside, outside" by coloring both inside and outside the lines. The boys are not there yet so I mentioned it but I just let them color.

The big hit with the boys was the glue. I used stick glue and she used Elmers. I don't think it made much of a difference.

Other than that I followed the directions and this is our finished project.

We had a great rainy day!

What kind of activities do you do on a rainy day???

Simply Saturday

This week as I think of the simple pleasures in life I am reminded of the holiday weekend. Memorial Day as a kid just meant that we got to hang out with family friends all weekend and eat hot dogs, hamburgers and whatever other yummy stuff our parents decided to make. It was always enjoyed. This year, well yesterday, after reading this post, I was reminded of the sacrifices that those in our military make and have made in the past in order for us to enjoy the seemingly simple things in life.


Yesterday, I played "ring around the rosie" with the boys in our backyard and we fell on our backs laughing together. The boys stayed on their backs and looked up at the "tees, tees" (aka trees for those without a 2 year old in their home). I joined them and we stayed on our back for quite a while, considering their limited attention spans. We enjoyed watching the birds, the leaves swaying in the breeze and planes flying over head. It took me back to September 2001, when despite living near a metropolitan airport there were NO planes flying over head. It was an eerie "sound" because we are all so used to the roar of the engines on a regular basis. That plane reminded me that I am unbelievably blessed to have this freedom AND the freedom that my boys don't even understand yet but are able to enjoy.


I feel indebted to those who fight for us daily and those who have lost their lives and their loved ones in order for me and my children to have the freedoms that we do. Whether that freedom be having an ice cream cone on Memorial Day or those that are much more "significant" in the grand scheme of things. These men and women that fight for our freedoms don't know MY name, Jared's, Alex's or Eli's. They aren't sacrificing because we "deserve" it or even always appreciate it. It is what they feel called to do and for that I am very grateful.


It also makes me think of my heavenly Father who sacrificed his Son on the cross so that we could experience true freedom. I live a blessed life that would not be possible without these sacrifices, all of which, today I am very grateful for.


I guess sometimes life's "simple pleasures" come at a pretty high price and aren't as "simple" as they seem.

Happy Memorial Day!!!

How 'bout a little....

flashback Friday. I am all for revisiting baby pictures!

I'll be honest sometimes my heart literally aches to hold these tiny babies again

and kiss these chubby little feet all over

AND THEN I see pictures like the ones below and I snap back to reality.

NOW, we get out to go out to places other than the Dr.'s office AND they can walk which means bringing less gear AND they are hysterically funny AND they are healthy little boys AND we get to have days like today playing at the park

Who am I kiddding? I still ache for those sweet babies BUT I wouldn't trade my wild little guys for anything in the world! Yes, even though after playing at the park all morning they are STILL awake TWO hours into their nap time.

The Quirkier Side of All Things Two

Chocked Full of:

funny costumes...

funny faces....

wanting to sleep with AS MANY TOYS as Mom and Dad will allow.

This morning I put on music before I woke them. They were in great moods and so was Mommy so we did a little dancing. Needless to say, it led to LOTS of giggles and fun! This is the part of TWO you gotta love!

Shabby Blogs Rock!

I have to give a "shout out" to shabby blogs. I sent a half-joking email requesting the template that I LOVE in a 3 column version and Megan e-mailed me back saying she would get it out to me over the wknd! I was very surprised to get a response so quickly and I didn't respond b/c I thought she was probably being sarcastic HOWEVER when I checked the blog again their was a 3 column template for me! There are also SEVERAL other adorable backgrounds and extras that you HAVE to check out! Enjoy their site (click on "shabby blogs" on the upper left hand side of my blog)! Thanks Megan! Now I just have to play around with all of the font/color combos!

Ahh, the mind of a toddler!

I remember being in my 20's and wondering "what in the world are men thinking???" I have since had the joy of being married to a very no-nonsense, honest, man for the past 6 years so I am no longer pondering this question. I still don't always know what men are thinking but the question that consumes me now is "what are my 2 year olds THINKING?"

Example:

We go for a lovely bike ride this weekend and the boys continually want "down", which means out, of their bike trailer. Each time we stop, due to their whining, they ask "down?, down?, DOOOOOWWWWWNNNN!" We pressed on and were actually able to enjoy an hour long ride. By the end the boys settled down and seemed to enjoy the fresh air. The weird part is that once we got into the back yard and let them "down" Jared began to put the bike trailer away and GUESS what happened......they wanted to play IN the bike trailer. Seriously??? Like I said it is a mystery, those little minds.

Today after the library we headed out to look at the ducks, which are actually geese but whatever. We walked around the pond and there were fountains in the middle. Once the boys noticed them Alex began to cry "fountain, fountain" so I walked by them 3 times thinking that would make him happy. Oh, no. I am pretty sure he wanted me to strap them both on my back and swim them out to see the fountain. He was inconsolable.

So the love/dislike part of the terrible two's continues. It is such an entertaining age but man, it has it's challenges. Speaking of challenges, I am off to "shred" with Jillian.

Simply Saturday

I thought I would start a Saturday post about the simple things in life that I am thankful for because I truly think it is important to appreciate these little moments. Here is my first installment.

I am thankful that on this particular afternoon we had nothing to do except concentrate on puzzles. I love seeing the focus that it takes for their chubbly little fingers to put together a puzzle.

I love that they are playing side by side without a struggle (this is big with 2 year olds). I also love that I ignored the laundry in the baskets behind them in order to be still and take in the moment.

I love that he is still young enough to think it is cool to where a colander on his head!

For all of these simple moments I am thankful!

Unbelievable!

What a night!!! After the day I had yesterday, Jared and I got a phone call that my sister Molly's water had broke. My first feeling was pure excitement and then Jared broke through my thoughts and said "Jack said that if you want to come to the hospital and be in the room for the birth that would be fine." Gulp....let me re-phrase that Double Gulp. I should back up and explain that I am the sister who hears of the impending child, rolls back over to sleep and then visits the niece, nephew, friend's child, whomever, the next day at my leisure. At best I DO offer to help my sisters with their other children. But at NO point have I ever considered being in the room when a child came into our world. I mean I was barely conscious when I had my own children.



On Mother's Day Molly told Missy and I that she would be fine with one or all of us being in there. I considered it and thought I would have a few weeks to think about it. At the time my thoughts were "It would be awesome but the odds were the timing wouldn't work and I'd need someone to watch the kids." In other words I figured that I would have an out. You see I love my sisters like, well, sisters and seeing them in pain is not on the top of my list of "things to do". I am a person full of mercy who cries at commercials. I am not the "strong oak" type who assists someone while giving birth. I also tend to pass out when giving blood. I am not sure how I would handle seeing blood fly out of another human. I decided to "man up" and do it. I mean what a blessing. There are people who go through life and never see another child come into the world. It is miraculous and DARN IT I am going to do it.



I arrive at the hospital within the hour and talk to my sister Missy who is leaving to take care of Molly's other children. Jack (Molly's husband) came out to say I could come back. I have never even seen my other sisters have a contraction so despite my nerves I headed back to find my sweet, sister Molly. I swear she is not related to me because she is just that; SWEET to the core of her being. She is so gracious to her nurses and her husband and her ridiculous sister :) I prayed on the way to the hospital that first of all Molly and her baby would be safe and secondly that I would not be a lunatic but a composed woman who would actually be a support to my sister. When I got there I realized that she was that "strong oak" that I wasn't.



She is amazing. My imitation of Molly in labor goes as follows: "So, I plan to paint the bedroom...oh, hold on I am having a contraction.....heee, heee, heee haaa, haaa, haaaa....wow, that was a bad one......some shade of purple and then I'll do the nursery in this color." Enter Nurse. Again Molly is gracious and thanks her each time she enters "thank you so much for your help". Towards her husband: "Jack thanks so much for rubbing my back that helps so much".



I swear to you it was like watching Snow White give birth. Jack also did a great impression of Prince Charming and took care of my sister in a way that only he cold. When it came time to begin to push, her Snow White persona was outta there and she became the athlete that I remember her being in high school. The girl was a champ. In high school I remember her pitching and people were afraid to face her. Although that was partially due to the fact that she pitched really hard and really fast but not always accurately. I lost track of the number of batters she hit with her pitches but I am sure the other teams kept count. :0 But I digress, she is my hero and I admire her so much for her grace and composure in day to day life and while bringing a child into the world.


The birth was such a miraculous experience and only our Creator, God can accomplish something so beautiful. I held a leg and was right in the thick of it. I am so glad that Jack and Molly included me in this moment of their lives. I am still in awe of what my sister went through in order to bring Landry Thomas Smith into this world. He is gorgeous and healthy. He, at 3 weeks early, weighs 7 lbs. 12 oz. and is 19 inches of pure joy. Welcome to the family, Landry!

Pictures are to follow but I had to high tail it out of there so I could relieve Jared of Alex and Eli duty and he could go to work. I haven't slept yet so that is where I am headed.

My Dose of Reality

Raising twins is awesome and I LOVE it. There are however some days, like today, for instance, that are a bit more challenging. So in the interest of "keepin' it real" I give you......

A day in the life

• 7:30 Wake/Dress etc.


• 8:00 Boys wake up crabby and both want to be picked up which is getting a bit more difficult given the fact that together they weigh over 50 lbs.


• Throw breakfast together to take with us, make milk sippies (aka chaka monkey), change, dress, and get shoes on them.


• 8:58 Arrive at 9am appt. JUST IN TIME.


• 9:00 Escorted back to the fun playroom where we typically wait FOREVER to be seen. Much to my surprise by the time I get the boys out of their stroller and they are mid-way to the slides a lovely lady comes out and calls our name. I am THRILLED that I didn't have to wait a day and a half. My sweet toddlers are DEVASTATED. This leads to me trying to wrangle them back into the stroller that they were just unleashed from. It was not pretty and involved kicking and screaming.


• 9:03 Mommy is slightly embarrassed and begins making promises about playing with the slide soon in order to calm insane children. I even get down to their level a la Nanny 911. Note to self: it doesn't work, it never works, they are too out of control at this point.


• Sweet lady finds them books and all is well for about 10 minutes.


• At this point they want to do blood work and get heights and weights.


• I brace myself for a little bit of a struggle but they are usually great with this and only cry at the poke because, well, it hurts, and then they are over it.


• NOT TODAY, Alex freaks out about being measured and weighed and by then he is so worked up that the blood work may as well have been an amputation. OY!


• Eli has been watching from the stroller and is already crying for his brother, so not only am I comforting hysteria boy in my lap I am trying to comfort Eli (my usually calmer child, but again, NOT TODAY).


• Eli repeats Alex's performance but weighs more thereby causing Mommy to break out into an aerobic sweat by the time we are finished.


• 9:30 WE SURVIVED and as far as I am concerned we are heading for the play room. NOT TODAY! Insert pleasant ladies voice "Mrs. R we just need a bit more paperwork and then you are all set. "


• 9:32 Back in the stroller. I don't even need to tell you what happened just read the end of the 5th bullet point again.


• 9:45 We are finished, as in, we can leave.


• 9:50 We are still there playing on the slides.


• 10:00 Still playing


• 10:05 I am exhausted and we are outta there.


• 10:06 Mommy decided we will visit Daddy at school. At this point you may think this was an insane choice but at school the boys usually don their wings and halos and it is peaceful for Mommy. It was for the most part (despite dropping Thomas, you know the tank engine, in a big puddle).


• 10:40 We are home and heading for the back yard. I now think it is wind down time. It is a beautiful day, my toes are in the grass and nap is in less than two hours.


• 11:30 Bring them in and give them their daily dose of Barney.


• 12:00 Lunch


• 12:30 Begin prepping them for their nap, change diapers, etc. It is at this point that I notice that Alex has a rash around his mouth. You see, the nutritionist said it was fine to start peanut butter. I did and shouldn't have.

• 12:35 Call Dr.


• 12:38 Call Jared


• 12:45 Head to the pharmacy but not before Alex tries to bring his bus with him. I let the boys bring little things with us but a bus, come on. I pry said bus from eachandeveryoneofhischubbylittle fingers and head out the door while he screams "bus, bus, bus, bus,".


• 12:50 Arrive at pharmacy and forgo the cart trying to hurry and as an added bonus give the boys a bit of freedom.


• 12:52 Head back to pharmacy entrance to get a cart after the boys discovered the sunglasses display and the candy display and the magazine display. (yes, all in 2 minutes)


• 12:53 Guess who doesn't want in the cart.


• 1:00 Leave pharmacy with Benadryl


• 1:10 Call Dr. to check on how much to give.


• 1:15 Finally get off the phone with Dr. only to hear splashing and laughing. My boys were playing in the toilet and had wet sleeves, hair and Alex's mouth was wet (lovely).


• 1:16 Clean boys up, give Benadryl to Alex, PUT THEM TO BED

And that my friend is all before 1:20p.m.

People say to me they couldn't imagine having twins and I always say it is awesome but there are difficult "moments". I make it through the difficult situations because there are moments like the ones in this video. Enjoy! (By the way, the "good bibs" were in the wash, which is why Eli's looks a bit out of proportion!) :)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I can't believe it!

Some days I can't even believe that this is my job. Today is one of those gorgeous days and I get to spend it with the boys. I am loving it.

These pictures were taken on Mother's day. I had a beautiful Mother's Day weekend with Jared and the boys. My pastor's message Sunday was encouraging but at the same time it really made me feel the weight of raising these boys. I feel unbelievably blessed that God gave me children and I seek to honor Him in the way I raise them. He talked about how, as a nation, we need to raise children to make a difference because change needs to happen. All so true and at this stage for me it begins with taking care of their daily needs. So often I see the things that I do as mundane when in reality I am investing in Alex and Eli's future. Very exciting and humbling!

Ugh!

Switched to 3 column template and played with the layout for an hour and don't like it. I am so bummed. I had switched the HTML to a wider template and liked that a while ago but I couldn't leave well enough alone. Back to the drawing board but not until tomorrow.

I just thought I would share my pain!

Edited: I found the wider 2 column html but now I am limited in background and don't want to go back to the old one. I should also mention that my header doesn't match so if anyone knows where to get headers now that scrapblog isn't free send me the info! Thanks

Mother's Day with a Little Mushiness

Alex and Eli,

Thank you for making me a Mommy. It is a great privilege and one that I do not take lightly. I hope that I will always make you proud in the decisions that I make. I pray that I will lead you to your heavenly Father with my words and actions. I was born to be a wife and Mommy and I know that is not very "PC" of me but it is true. It is what I have always wanted and it is what I am good at. I couldn't have done it without you, literally! :)

All my love,

Mommy, Mama, or as you have been calling me lately, Honey


Jared,

Speaking of, "couldn't have done it without you", that applies to you also! Thanks for making me a Mommy. I am the woman and mother I am because I am your wife. Thanks for loving and encouraging me so that I can be a good mom to our sweet boys.
You have all my love and respect!

I also want to thank all the Moms in my life who are either like mothers to me, my children, or have taken the time to live out your own version of motherhood in front of me. I learn from you constantly and cannot thank you enough.

Happy Mother's Day!

A Great Day

The boys playing with And-whoo (Andrew)

The boys and I had such a great morning today. We headed over to Aunt Mimi's (Kim's) house so that we could go for a walk. She is by the river which is always relaxing to walk by. We power walked, let the boys play at the park, hit the library, had lunch, visited with Andrew and Dusty (their terrier) and equally important we were able to have adult conversation (aka girl talk). It was a GORGEOUS day and now it is dark and pouring rain right when the boys need to take their naps. It is PERFECT napping weather. I would like to join them but Jillian calls. Tomorrow is officially one week with my 30 day shred and I am "liking" it. Well, as much as you can like watching 3 women in PHENOMENAL shape do plank jacks (don't even ASK what those are, Miss Jillian made them up and she scares me), jumping jacks, lunges, curls and crunches without cursing the heavens. OK I better get on it before I talk myself into my jammies and some reality T.V.

This morning the boys insisted upon walking around the house with their "bankees" around their shoulders. I swear sometimes I think that I birthed little old men.

Big Personalities!

My son's personalities are ever-changing. Alex's latest is that he calls people honey. Jared and I refer to one another this way and he must have picked it up. It is just funny to watch a 2 year old gesture with his hands and say "honey, come on" or "o.k. honey". Hysterical. I thought these pics show a little bit of what I am up against!

My son the 80's rocker. AKA finger painting gone BAD!

Eli insisting upon walking in Daddy's new shoes.

Quality time with their cousin. My sister kindly assumed responsibility for this one b/c Jackson is a repeat offender but I have a feeling only these three hooligans will know the truth.

Are we going to get in trouble for this?

Sorry, Mindy your swing may NEVER be the same.

Our First Trip to the Zoo

Wow, guess I should post this since I started it over a week ago! We had a great time at the zoo and two of my sisters and their husbands and their kids were all in tow. We all kind of laughed at how much easier a trip to the zoo used to be. Now we have to schlep our kids and all their gear. OY! We stayed approximately 2 hours which is almost equivalent to the drive time. :) So here is our day in pics!

They have the most AMAZING petting zoo!!! Can you believe this???

Eli and Alex enjoyed their freedom the most. Jared and I really tried to let them run around as much as possible.

Bella insisted on pulling all 3, 2 year olds. She is a determined little lady!

According to the scale Alex weighs as much as a male orangutan. No, I had absolutely NO idea his pants were falling off. Poor kid.

and BEST of all Allie and Alex made a truce and got along beautifully the entire day. It was truly miraculous!

BTW the top pic is just a cardboard cut out in case someone was concerned!

Is it May??

Wow, I popped over to one of the blogs I read (oh, so, many of my sentences start that way) and her top post said May 2nd. I thought "hmmm? I know that you can post and then save it for future dates and it will publish automatically, but why did her post for May 2nd publish already?". Long story short, I though we were still in April. Yikes!!

Jared and I hit Target tonight after I convinced him to purchase THE work out DVD that would CHANGE. MY. LIFE. (insert sarcasm here). I have actually, for the most part, stuck with exercise since the first of the year and although I have dropped some weight I have more to lose and I was needing fresh inspiration. Free classes are still going on at my church and they are HANDS DOWN, the. best. workout. I have EVER done. Lucia, aka the work-out queen (according to yours truly), KICKS YOUR BUTT! I LOVE IT!! (Have I used enough CAPS and Exclamation points yet?) The problem is I truly find it difficult to get out of the house to work out consistently so I decided to continue power walking, which I LOVE, and work-out DVD's which I find kind of boring. I am a sociable kind of gal and when I talk to my DVD's they don't talk back. Bummer!

OK so I did a couple of P-90 X workouts with Mindy that were awesome but it is her system and I can promise you that I cannot commit to 6 days a week/60-90 minute workouts each time. The two times Mindy and I did this our children were sitting on us and climbing through our legs. Not working. I tend to be an all or nothing kind of girl so I wanted to find something else that was practical for me.

SO

I was catching up on one of the blogs I read (see, I told you) and I saw that she had started Jillian Michaels "30 Day Shred". She started it because another blogger challenged them to stick to 30 days. I thought GENIUS! It is a 20 minute workout. I am IN! I can do that during the boys nap and still have some down time. SCORE! So my wonderful husband plunked down the $15 (along with ridiculous amounts of money for diapers) and I plan to do it for the next 30 days. I told him that if I don't stick to it than he gets a massage every night for the following 30 days. This will be ALL the motivation that I need! J/K!!! Well, not completely, because 30 consecutive massages. YIKES!

My 33rd birthday is exactly one month from today so that should be motivation as well. The problem is I though the 2nd wasn't until Monday so technically I should be doing the work-out right now. If you are reading this and feel like joining in I would LOVE IT. I am planning to start Monday. Say a prayer that Jillian doesn't KILL me!!

I should add that after posting about my little health scare I had a follow up visit and my primary care doctor does not believe that my blood pressure/vision problem was related to lifestyle (ie diet and exercise) but my previous bout with pre-eclampsia. I was pretty bummed about this b/c I was hoping that I could lose a few pounds and not have to be on bp meds. I took a week off of working out and had a pity party and then realized that this was crazy. Working out is good for me and so is losing weight so I got back on track last week work out wise and plan to push forward as I have mentioned. Apparently, they are finding that women who developed pre-e during pregnancy are having reciprocal health issues. I guess we will see and to be honest I am hoping my Dr. is wrong!!