Happy Halloween!

Run Away!

Decoy photo

Earlier this month I gave up my gym membership to save money.  It was a good gym and I really miss having time to work out, and be away from the kids.  Because of my gym membership and the excessive heat, I didn't really run outside this summer.  Most of my miles were on a treadmill which meant there weren't as many of them.  Before I took up running I preferred to run on a treadmill because treadmill running is great, even superior, for 30-45 min., then it becomes tedious and lonely.  Anything past that and 45 min. sucks.  I think my speed improved, but my endurance defiantly suffered.  That lesson was learned this morning.  After a few weeks off of running, (I still did weights and some aerobics,) I started back up again today.  I really wanted to push myself so I did six miles.  While my lady parts didn't quite fall out, I question whether they will still work right.  I am beat!  Several hours later and my calves are still screaming.  About that....I am beginning to question whether all this working out is worth it in the long haul.  I mean yes, I have lost a ton of weight and I'll admit to spending waaaay too much flexing my arms in the bathroom mirror, but I am sore almost every day now.  My shoulders have been hurting since last spring.  I have always made fun of people who play volleyball cause no matter how you hit the ball it hurts!  Why do those fools play a game that hurts.  Well I guess I am the fool now.  In response to numerous requests and to supplicate my vanity I am posting a picture.  It isn't my best, and I am not sure it really shows off my arms that great, but there will never be a perfect picture.  And don't bother asking for the lower half cause that isn't coming for another 10 pounds or more.

I just got my hair cut last Tuesday and still haven't gotten it styled right.

Photo Bomb!

Burrr

So the temperature dropped yesterday and in case it froze I snagged the rest of my tomatoes.  Once again due to the nasty record breaking heat I got like a total of ten tomatoes all summer.  Things went like gangbusters a few weeks ago, but they are all green.  Last year a friend turned me onto ripening them in brown paper bags, so I'll give it a go again this year.  Wish me luck.  I did have some small success with green pepper this year.

A little shut eye

This is what happens when you lie down for a few moments in the morning.

Most of the time quiet from the kids is bad as in the above photo.  Sometimes they can surprise me, as in the photo below.

We moved some furniture around a put the computer and desk in the playroom.  It is now Spikey's favorite spot and we have to make an effort to fold the chair up when we are done.



Caught!



"What are you gonna do about it mom?"

Well Spent



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Some days I need to avoid the associate store.  That place is a trap cause the prices are just too good.  Here was an impulse buy, but totally worth it.

Pumpkins

Look at how cool he slides.



Thanks to so annoying girl this was the best shot I could get.

It was a hard day at work

Once again we headed deep into Missouri to go to the pumpkin patch.  This year we went earlier in the day to accommodate naps and it didn't turn out as well.  Next year we will make sure to go later in the afternoon/evening when the sun isn't blazing.  I also didn't help that it was super hot and I did not dress the kids accordingly.  Despite all that, we did have fun and Mae had her hand eaten by a goat.  Good times.  I do like our little tradition, Jeff just about flipped out when I suggested we save gas money and go to a patch closer to home.  I guess some things are already set in stone.

What do you want to do?

Just now...
Me to Jeff: "So what do you want to do tonight?"
Jeff: "Like right now?"
Me: "No, in the next ten years, lets plan."

This actually made me remember a couple from college.  He was my home teacher/roommate's brother (nice normal guy), and she was a friend in the ward.  They dated for a month or two then got engaged.  His sister, (who will go down as one of my bitchiest roommates ever, an impressive title to attain,) told me about a meeting the couple had had with the bride's parents.  Before they were allowed to get married, (yeah red flag right there,)  the presumed groom needed to set some goals.  They worked out a ten year plan for him that included job ambitions, spiritual standards and even weight loss goals.  Now I have no idea whether or not they are still together, they did get married, so I assume he must have passed the prerequisites.  This was a little over ten years ago so I kinda wonder how the ten year plan panned out.



Because I feel like a pictureless post is a waste; Spike standing.

Not in the plans

So for the past few months I have been procrastinting using our health savings account to get some new glasses.  I badly need new frames, the ones I currently have are cheap walmart frames that just haven't held up over the last three years.  I also suspect that my perscription has changed.  Well as luck would have it the money is going somewhere else.  Spike got sick this weekend and we spent Sunday night at the hospital.  Grrr.  Don't get me wrong I am so grateful that he is now fine, and that we live in a time of modern medicine and have access to a hospital.  That is great!  It just sucks to think that if it had been 24 hours later then I could have taken him to the doctor and probably gotten a steriod shot, nebulizer perscription and saved myself a thousand bucks.  Grrr.  He had a nasty case of croup and sounded like he couldn't breath at times.  Poor little guy.  I did learn a few things from the experience.

1.  My friends are awesome and I am lucky to have them so close.  There were a lot of people helping us out with the other two.

2.  Jurassic Park is an awesome movie.  Twenty years later and it still looks great and entertains.

3.  I am glad I don't waste money on cable because most of the time there is nothing at all on all those channels.  I didn't even like what was on HGTV.

4.  Mercy is a much nicer hospital then Northwest.

5.  There is a good reason they clear the screens in the ER when they leave the room.  They didn't and I got to read all the stuff going on with all the other patients.

6.  I am taking my previously mentioned procrastination as a sign from the Lord that all of my procrastinations are just the Spirit telling me something and am now going to give in.

7.  Spikey's squishy fatness is adoreable to everyone.  No one is immune from that kid's squish.  Everyone wants to pinch him just a little bit.

We Decorated

This guy is my favorite.  I may keep him forever.  Mae did it.

The Last Box

Today as the temperature dropped I took advantage of some nap time to organize clothes.  As I have mentioned before I am blessed to have been given lots of hand me down clothes for all my children.  I suspect that over the years I have saved at least a thousand dollars on clothing, shoes, toys for the kids.  This has been such a blessing and I have happily passed some of the clothing and items along to others and will happily,( NO JOYFULLY,) pass everything along when we are finally done having more children.  Over the years I have gotten the clothing from various people and still get some clothing for Mae from my wonderful sister Krista, the neighbor, and a friend in the ward.  Unfortunately my Max supplier has dried up and today I unpacked the last box of clothes for him to wear.  There is plenty of clothing to last me for the next year, unless he has an absolutely insane growth spurt.  I feel lucky to have this problem with Max instead of Mae.  I have zero need to dress Max in cute outfit and so am just fine sending him out in Walmart jeans and free t-shirts, (I am hoping this will last til jr. high/ high school.)  So there is no worry about a sudden hit to my bank account.  Mostly I am just documenting a new era for us, and I want to take the time to thank all those who have given me clothing over the years.  (I would provide a list but people are funny about having their names on a public blog. )  I should totally send out thank you cards again. 

Shoes

I can't do shoes.  Yesterday I had the opportunity to be all by myself for a little over an hour and I chose to go shoe shopping; which I saw as an inevitable chore.  I realize that this may cause some to question my sanity and gender, but I just can't do shoes.  Here's the problem.  Shoes are expensive.  I would say that 99% of the time if I don't spend at least 50 bucks on a pair of shoes, they are crap and hurt my feet.  (Every once in awhile I get a great deal on sale, but I otherwise stand by this statement on cost vs. quality.)  Since I am forced to spend so much money on an item of clothing I don't do it very often and wear the pair almost every day until they die a year later.  I don't like how much difference there is in comfort and how you can't return shoes if they hurt your feet.  I feel like it is such an expensive gamble to make on something that you can't properly evaluate.  Then there is my deep dark secret that makes shoes totally miserable for me.  My feet have a hard time staying dry.  Yep, I typed it out for the world to see, but only so all can understand my pain.  I can't do the sock less thing so ballet slippers and loafers are totally out for me. I also cannot do boots.  I have an abnormal foot size to calf width ratio that does not allow for me to zip up boots.   While others bemoan the tediousness of having to shop for swimsuits and jeans; I hate shoe shopping.

Big Head

First off Happy Birthday Dad.  Secondly, I took Spike to the doctor for his 15 month checkup and the Apocalypse must be coming because I made it out of Bentonville Pediatrics in under an hour.  Spikey's doing good by all medical accounts.  He is 25% for height, 50% for weight and a whopping 95% for head size.  Tee Hee Hee no wonder that kid can't walk.  He can't balance that giant melon on those teeny little feet.  So maybe it's time to admit that it isn't Gymboree but my kids insanely huge heads.  I have already shown examples of how messy an eater Spike is, but I am not sure this has been sufficiently emphasized.  Seriously 75% of his meals end in bath.  This kid smears his food.  When it is time to extract him from the high chair he freaks out and tries to get in as much last min mess as possible.  If you go to wipe his hands then they dive back for more goop.  If you wipe the tray he just smears it again with what's on his hands.  It is a lose/lose situation that has resulted in me just taking him directly to the kitchen sink and using the little hose attachment.  He is almost used to that now.