Fit Me Pink!

My sister and I have thrown around the idea of starting a fitness blog for a while. We finally did it! We aren't dieticians or physicians, but we've realized that the only way to stay sane as stay-at-home mom's is to make healthy living a priority. Every day. Check out our new blog and feel free to comment, ask questions, give suggestions, etc. so we can learn from each other! So without further ado (or is it adieu?), I'm excited to introduce you to Fit Me Pink! Check it out!

Paddle On!

I was scrolling through old posts from last summer trying to find one that portrayed just how much I HATED summer last year. I did a pretty good job at hiding how absolutely miserable I was. Apparently we had a pretty fun summer. So....just so you all know, I HATED last summer. Not because of all the cool things we did, but because our house was literally a sauna! If I were in Finland, that would have been great...but I was in hot, dry, deserty Utah. Sure we had fun, but I DREADED coming home. The heat is all I remember. We got our swamp cooler to work a few times, but it would last only a few hours before spewing water all over the place. Parker slept in a diaper. I won't tell you how we slept. Joe and I finally decided that central air was 100% necessary for my sanity as a stay-at-home mom, so last fall we got it. I dreamed ALL. COLD. WINTER. LONG. of the return of my normally favorite season--summer! Not a single day has gone by this summer that I haven't praised the heavens for central air. Walking into a cool house is the cherry on top of every hot, fun thing we do outside. Last year, I was thrilled to say goodbye to August and hello to a loooooong winter. This year couldn't be more opposite. I am holding on with every ounce of strength I can muster to the hot days of summer.

Last Monday night we went with Joe's parent's and grandma for a little paddle boat excursion. What I thought was going to be a relaxing ride around the lake turned into a hot, sweaty, crazy good workout! We had a blast! We came home tired, sore, and HOT! But thankfully the heat isn't really what we remember. We remember enjoying the beautiful, outdoorsy summer that living in Utah provides, along with great company! Thank goodness for WONDERFUL in-laws. And once again, praise the heavens for central air!

Don't Snore Me Again....

While reading a bedtime story a few nights ago....

Me: Parker, what does a lion say?
Parker: Rooooaaaar
Me: Yep, it says rooooooooaaaaar!
Parker (with quivering lip): Mommy!
Me: Roooooaaaar!
Parker (starting to cry): Mommy!
Me: Parker, are you scared?
Parker (now hysterical): Yeah!
Me: I'm sorry, buddy! I was just pretending to be a lion.
Parker: Mommy! Don't do it again!

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While driving home from a wedding reception last night...

Parker: Mommy, go to sleep!

Me: hooooonk shoooooo... (think: snoring)

Parker: Mommy!

Me: hoooooonk shoooooo.....

Parker (voice shaking): Mommy!

Me: Parker! I'm sorry! I was just pretending to snore. I'm not really asleep.

Parker: I don't like that, mommy!

Me: OK. I'm not snoring anymore.

Parker (repeatedly for the remainder of the ride home): Mommy! Don't snore me again!

OK Parker...I won't "snore" you anymore!

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And some photos leading up to the big scare... (photos courtesy of Erin)

Our New Vehicle!

Don't get me wrong. I love our house. I really do. But it has some interesting (read: stupid) features that make me seriously question what the builders were thinking!

1. There is no back door! If we want to enjoy our backyard (along with the less-than-luscious garden, or Price is Right hot tub), we have to go out the front door and around to the side gate. Heaven forbid we have to take those 20 extra steps to get back there!
   


2. We have a BBQ patio. Why couldn't they have made this totally enclosed outdoor space into a backdoor? I guess because they were also brilliant enough to have the next-door neighbor's yard come right to the edge of our house! Our house is part of their fence...part of our property line is actually in their backyard. Hmmm....
   


3. We have a single car garage next to a single car carport! Make up your mind, people!
   

When we first moved in, the garage belonged to our precious PIR Ford 500 (Thanks, Bob!) After Avery was born, I decided that it was WAAAAAAY too much work to back the car out of the garage before putting Avery in. I gladly handed the garage parking privileges over to Joe's 1998 Honda Civic. But with the recent purchase of our newest vehicle, Joe has happily given up his prime parking spot.

I'm pretty OCD about keeping the inside of my car clean and clutter free. The rules for this vehicle are even more stringent, however. The kids can have nothing but water to drink. Every crumb is removed immediately upon return. When the exterior gets splashed with mud, it's instantly wiped down. With the rising gas prices, this may soon be our only mode of transportation. Let me introduce you to the Trek Sport GoBug...

Come On, Let's Crawl....

One of my favorite movies of all time is Disney's Summer Magic (1963). The story of adjustment to simple life in Beulah, Maine is great, but I mostly just love the music!
Especially the song about the "Ugly Bug Ball." It's amazing how entertaining a song about crawling insects can be!
So when I heard that our library was hosting an "Ugly Bug Ball," I knew we had to be there! I had visions of Parker prancing to the ball in his home-made bug of sorts costume. But life happened, and Sunday night came. Still no costume. I considered using Parker's Nemo costume from Halloween, but couldn't stand the thoughts of embarrassment as my child showed up to the bug ball dressed as a bug-eating fish!

After some thought, however, I decided that having Parker dressed as a bug-eater would be better than not dressing up at all! After all, in a few years, Parker will be the one horrified at the thought of not wearing the right thing.

So off to the ugly bug ball we went! We met up with Ellie the Ladybug, Ammon the Bumblebee, and Ella the Butterfly. Luckily they embraced their friend, Parker the Fish...he decided not to eat them for lunch! We had a ball!

Once a lonely caterpillar sat and cried,
to a sympathetic beetle by his side.
"I've got nobody to hug,
I'm such an ugly bug."

Then a spider and a dragon fly replied,
"If you're serious and want to win a bride,
come along with us,
to the glorious annual ugly bug ball."

Come on let's crawl, (gotta crawl, gotta crawl)
to the ugly bug ball (to the ball, to the ball)
and a happy time we'll have there
one and all, at the ugly bug ball!

While the crickets clicked their tricky melodies
all the ants were fancy-dancing with the fleas
then up from under the ground
the worms came squirming around

Oh they danced until their legs were nearly lame
every little crawling creature you could name
everyone was glad,
what a time they had,
they were so happy they came!

Everyone was glad!
What a time they had!
They were so happy they came!

Come on let's crawl (gotta crawl, gotta crawl)
to the ugly bug ball(to the ball, to the ball)
and a happy time we'll have there
one and all!
at the ugly bug ball.

Then our caterpillar saw a pretty queen
she was beautiful in yellow, black and green
he said, "Would you care to dance?"
their dancing led to romance.

and she sat upon his caterpillar knees
and he gave his caterpillar queen a squeeze
soon they'll honeymoon
build a big cocoon
thanks to the ugly bug ball.

Come on let's crawl (gotta crawl, gotta crawl),
to the ugly bug ball (to the ball, to the ball)
and a happy time we'll have there
one and all!
at the ugly bug ball!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Camping...

Overheard (last Thursday):

Marci: So, what are you guys doing today?

Robyn: Well, I'm not sure. We were thinking about going camping, but it's the last day of the month, so Joe probably won't be able to get off early enough.

Marci: What? You're going camping? By yourselves? Weren't you going to invite us?

Robyn: Well...we weren't sure if we were even going. But if we were to say, invite you, would you come?

Marci: Uh, yeah!

Robyn: OK, so do you want to go camping with us for a few nights?

Marci: Sure! We'd love to! I'll tell Marcus to get some firewood and take tomorrow off. We need to do something spontaneous! I'll leave right now to get a spot!

Robyn: Sounds good!

(a few minutes later...)

Robyn: So, I guess we're going camping.

Joe: Really? Well, I won't be off until at least 7 (which will turn out to be 8), so we'll probably have to set up camp in the dark!

Robyn: Well, Marci already went to get us a spot, so we have to go!

Joe: Alright! See you at 7! (Make that 8). Wait, what? Marci's coming?

Robyn: Yep! She talked me into it!

____________________________

So turns out we went camping for my 28th birthday celebration! When I married Joe, he informed me that we were going to be a camping family. I'm a shower-and-wash-my-hair-every-day kind of a girl, so I wasn't too sure I'd let his plan succeed. But as things turn out, it's kind of fun to get dirty every once in a while.

Camping highlights:

• Forgetting to put batteries in the lantern before leaving.
• Marci and Marcus forgetting batteries for theirs as well!
• Setting up our tent in the dark.
• Joe's trip down the canyon the next day for the essentials I'd forgotten (including batteries, his contact solution, and deodorant).
• MY BIRTHDAY!
• Walking around Silver Lake.
• Jacob falling in!
• Parker throwing a tantrum on the boardwalk.
• Laying next to Parker as he fell asleep in the tent. Each time I thought he was out, I'd try to sneak away quietly. He'd pop up every time (the kid has serious mommy radar) and say, "Mommy, stay. I want you stay." Me: "I'm just going to go potty, Parker." Parker: "Mommy, no goin' potty. I want you to stay." Me: "OK, I'll stay!" Such a sweet boy!

  

• Great meals! Marci and I did pretty great for having a 5-minute over-the-phone planning session!
• Even better snacks! Mmmmm....smores!
• MY BIRTHDAY!
• My surprise B-day Cake!
• Lots of walks to get Avery and Tate to sleep!

  

• The beauty of having NOTHING to do!
• Jacob getting sick.
• Jacob and Marci leaving in the middle of our game of Settlers (since we actually had working lanterns on the second night) so that Jacob could sleep in his own bed.
• Parker and Avery waking up WAAAAAY too early.
• Marci returning early to gather her also-sick husband, tired baby, and stuff!
• Parker falling off the picnic bench as Joe and I were folding the tent...onto his head!
• Parker being OK!
• Feeling so grateful for my little family...there's just something magical about being in the great outdoors together! I loved having all four of us crammed into our two-man tent! (But if we're really going to be a camping family...it's time to upgrade!)

Which Disney Princess Are You?

I AM JASMINE!!!

Independent and adventurous. You don't want much; just to break out of the guilded cage society has put you in and experience life to the fullest. Following orders isn't really one of your strong points, and you would rather live a life of poverty than being forced into something that you hate. Kimberly did this, so I had to try it! How funny...I think that describes me pretty darn well!

Which Disney Princess Are You?