Hatching eggs!

This is what is happening in Ben's class today.

Progress will most likely take all day, so keep checking the link!

Do NOT try this at home!

If you read my last post and realized my state of desperation, you probably either are shocked and can't believe I would stoop to such low levels or you're wondering if it's working. Before I proceed here, please take warning and do NOT try this at home! This form of potty training is not endorsed by this blog!

So, my sweet little friend is now using the potty. She has had a complete turnaround. We actually ventured out yesterday in underwear. She ended up going pee-pee and poo-poo on the potty all by herself! She is little miss independent and doesn't even ask for help, just goes on in and does her thing.

Good job, Abby, you little stubborn monkey!

I'm a bad mommy...

I am SO frustrated that my 3-year-old is still in diapers. I mean, we are not even in pull-ups! It's one thing to change diapers for a sweet little baby, but when it's a work-out with your arms to hold the child's legs up to get the said region clean, it's not fun or cute anymore! Keep in mind, this is my third time to do this! Emily & Ben were potty-trained by this age and it was a fairly easy accomplishment. This time, it's NOT the same! Our little Abby is a tad bit more strong-willed, er, I mean spirited than the other two. Compliance is something we may occasionally glimpse, but most things are a struggle with her. Don't get me wrong, she is a load of fun; brings laughter into our home every day. You never know what she's going to say or do!

So, I have tried all the tricks I know to get her to use the potty. She is not motivated by rewards; she is not motivated by punishment; she is not motivated by coercing... what are we to do?

In my frustration yesterday after one of those unwanted arm workouts, I laid it out for her. She can either use the potty herself or we will have to go see the doctor to get a diaper shot. What's a diaper shot? It's the shot you get so you won't need diapers anymore. Immediate tears and screaming... she doesn't want to choose either one of these options! However, last night, she pee-peed in the potty. We are in underwear right now, so we'll see how the day goes.

I know, this is a bad tactic, but in times of desperation, what must one do? As I am typing this, she just jumped up and said, "I need to go pee pee by myself!" Sometimes, you just got to do what you got to do! I am in no way endorsing this as a potty-training tactic, however...

Catching up...

Yesterday was a fabulous day! We spent most of the day outdoors, actually we spent most of the weekend outdoors. Yesterday, we took a trip to Squire's Castle, which is in one of the Cleveland Metroparks. We had a great time hiking through the woods. We ventured off on what looked like a shortcut and ended up being quite a steep climb down a hill. Never fear, we conquered it with ease! The kids gave me a slew of handmade things, which I love, love, love! Jason gave me two adirondack chairs for my front yard, handmade by a guy close by. We're going to paint them red. They'll look great against my blue house and my red and white impatiens I planted this weekend (keep away you waskally wabbit!). Here are some fun pics from our day...

I am a blessed Mom, indeed!

So, just wanted to update on our new quest for a healthy lifestyle. Today marks two weeks since we started our program. I am LOVING this! I cannot tell you how much better I feel, how much more energy I have. I no longer feel like a stuffed toad after I eat. It's great! We had a free day on Sunday to not worry about what we eat and indulged a bit. However, I was looking forward to getting back to the regime today. Jillian Michaels keeps us on track every morning at 6:00 am. The kids have noticed as well and wonder why we're eating so many "fancy" dinners! Hee hee... Here's one of our favorite recipes:

Caribbean Chicken Salad

1 lb chicken breasts

2 tsp McCormick Montreal Chicken seasoning

1 bag of baby romaine salad

1 bag romaine salad blend

1 cucumber, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

1 cup radishes, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained

1 can (8 oz) pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup lite honey-Dijon salad dressing

Preheat grill to high. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the Montreal seasoning. Then place chicken on hot grill and cook for approximately 6 minutes; turn and grill for approximately 6 more minutes, until no longer pink in the center.

While the chicken is cooking, combine the baby romaine salad, romaine salad blend, cucumber, red onion, radishes, red bell pepper and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and toss.

Divide the salad between four plates. top each with one-fourth of the mandarin orange slices, pineapple tidbits and shredded cheese.

Place the cooked chicken on a cutting board, let it cool slightly, then slice into 1/2-inch strips.

Top each salad with a portion of chicken. Pour honey-Dijon dressing over salads.

Serve and enjoy!

I picked my little boy up from preschool today and learned that he had written a love note to one of the little girls in his class. It seems that he has his very first true crush. It's been building for a while and he is now free in talking about his friend. Evidently, today, he wrote a note to her that said, "I love you". Oh my! I'm sure Ben's name has come up at her dinner table and her dad is buffing his baseball bat! At least this note seems to be a little more chivalrous than his last attempt to impress her. He took a lollipop to school to give her. He had Emily make a card that said, "Love, Ben" and tied it on the stick. He put the lollipop in a baggie and headed off to school. When the big moment arrived and he handed over the prize, he said, "Here, this is for you. I peed on it." She was NOT impressed! But, look at this face... there's hope, right?

Have a fabulous week!

I am going to enjoy the sunshine!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy friends!

Let us Pray...

Life with a 3-year-old in the house can really provide proof that God has a sense of humor. I mean, seriously, life with a 3-year-old can be a bit challenging, right? The only way to get through and appreciate the day-to-day challenges is with a sense of humor that only He can give!

Our precious 3-year-old is quite the spirited child. She is very independent, very creative and very stubborn (not sure where she gets it...). Thus, the reason she is still in diapers (which is a whole post in itself!) She's not ready; doesn't matter if Mommy was ready months ago.

We try to do as much as we can to teach our children about the God who created them, about his love and his provision, his miracles and his discipline. We memorize Scripture, teach our kids to pray, sing songs about God, and point out on a daily basis some of the blessings He gives us.

At the dinner table, we take turns saying the prayer before the meal. The kids are usually very eager to pray and volunteer quickly, so we rotate the turns to keep it as even as possible. One particular night last week happened to be Abby's turn. She began her prayer with the song, "God our Father". Emily & Ben learned this prayer song at their preschool in Texas. Abby, in turn, learned it from them. The words are:

(To the tune of "Frere Jacques")

God our Father, God our Father

Once again, once again,

Thank you for our blessings, thank you for our blessings,

Amen, Amen.

On this particular night, Jason stopped her and asked her to do a "Dear God" prayer instead. (This is when they just talk to God with their own words.) Here's a glimpse into our life with Abby:

Dear God,

Thank you for this food.

Thank you for making healthy food.

Thank you that we get to disobey and do whatever we want.

Amen.

Oh my goodness...we have a long road ahead of us!

Have you tried this?

Apple Turnover...

You must! It's beyond yummy!

Happy Friday!

Pamper Yourself!

I just had to share this website with you. These products are designed and created by a great friend of mine from high school. I have personally ordered and enjoyed many of her soaps, which are natural, old fashioned, cold processed soaps. I just received two pillar candles and they smell so good!

Besem is Hebrew for pure, worthy, a sweet smell. All Wendy's products are handmade in Brenham, Texas. In addition, 10% of her profits are donated to orphan relief.

So, if any of these scents sound appealing to you... cinnamon spice, lavender harvest, lemon tea, orange blossom, pink grapefruit, rosemary mint and much more... order some today for yourself or to give as a gift. Mother's Day is just around the corner!

Pamper yourself...you deserve it!

Day 4...Full Speed Ahead!

Today is Day 4 on our journey. We have been very good and have not cheated once (big deal for me!). We've also done our 30-day-shred video every morning this week. In just 4 days, I can already do more pushups and ab crunches than I could do just 3 days ago.

This has really not been as difficult as I thought it would be. Now, I will admit, on day 2, I wanted some french fries! No joke... Day 3, yesterday, I didn't have any silly cravings. The recipes we've been using having been delicious and very filling. Last night's dinner was grilled salmon on a bed of wilted spinach and sauteed mushrooms with a side of green beans and one slice of wheat bread. It was excellent! The rest of the day included a Myoplex shake for breakfast, a Myoplex bar for mid-morning meal, turkey sandwich (wheat bread, mustard, lettuce tomato, roasted turkey) for lunch and an apple and two hard-boiled eggs for mid-afternoon meal. The great thing about this diet seems to be that we eat all day long. I've only found myself hungry one time in between our meals and I just grabbed a fat-free yogurt.

It helps me so much that Jason is doing this with me. It's much easier to have a partner! And, great news...I've lost 4 pounds! Woohoo! In the meantime, my arms, legs and abs are quite sore!

Oh, I think I've failed to mention that on this new plan, we get one "free" day a week to indulge or eat whatever we want and not worry about calories, low-fat, etc. Don't think we haven't already made the list of what we'll eat on Sunday!

Have a great day!

No pain no gain, right?

I am in pain today, thanks to Miss Jillian Michaels! It's a good kind of pain, I guess. Abby wants me to hold her and I compromise by sitting on the floor and her sitting in my lap. My arms are screaming today!

Day 1 of our new journey to be healthy went by rather quickly. I didn't feel hungry other than at the times it was time to eat. Today, I am craving me some sweets, though. But, I will stand strong and not give in! I really like that this plan allows us to eat 6 times a day. The trick is the right foods at the right times in the right amounts.

The morning started off today with 16 oz of water and a torture session with the previously mentioned Miss Michaels. This was followed by a pina colada protein shake, and now, snack time is quickly approaching. Snack this morning will be fat-free Yoplait and this afternoon will be an apple and string cheese. Lunch will be a Chicken Caesar Wrap and Dinner will be Asian Beef Stir-Fry. The recipes in Eating for Life actually seem to be really good. (I do have to admit the cheesecake last night was just so-so. I'm not sure I will repeat that one.)

For me, this is a mind transformation, seriously. After the past 30 years of using food (or sleep...that's another posting altogether) as an escape or comfort or reward, I am having to literally change how I live life. I have never been one to exercise and, honestly, pretty much hate it, but that can no longer be an excuse. I want to set a good example for my three kids so that their life is naturally this way. I want to be healthy so that I am around to play on the floor with my grandkids. I want to be healthy to have the energy it takes to run my household of 5! I want to go shopping for clothes and have a hard time choosing because everything looks good instead of having a hard time choosing because there's not much that looks good. (I'm just trying to be as honest as I can here!)

I am the little engine that will! I know I can, I know I can, I know I can... And how do I know? When I am weak, He is strong!

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13