The Children's Museum

On Thursday we debated on whether or not we should go to the Houston Children's Museum. We were so tired and thought a day of doing nothing would be great. But, we decided that we would regret not going so we picked ourselves up and headed to the museum district. The museum recently added on, doubling in size, and it just opened the new wing on Saturday. The line was CRAZY long, but luckily it moved fast. We entered through the original exhibits and did all of that, which is great, but we had done it before. Here the girls are in the music room.

Here they are pulling themselves up on a suspended chair:


We stepped outside to an awesome water play area, which I'm not sure how new it was, but it wasn't there years ago when I went. It was beautiful outside and the kids loved getting wet. We helped them restrained themselves from getting completely soaked, but they had fun.

We then went to the new wing. Holy cow!!! It was amazing. It was set up like a city and there was a bank, TV station, diner, vet, art school, grocery store and more. There was a huge jungle gym and rock wall. The kids receive ATM cards when they enter and they track their progress through the city by using working ATM machines. It was so cool and I know I'm not doing it justice!

Here the kids are giving the weather report. Hannah on the right, and my nephew Luke on the left.

Here is Abby giving some news and as I try to snap her picture I get my handbag in the shot...whoops!

Here is a cool shot of the diner. They had a kitchen with play food where the kids could prepare food, tables with menus where we could sit and order...just so fun.

Obviously, we thought we made a great decision by going. I highly recommend it and can't wait to go back!

Spring Break '09

Ok, not exactly like MTV's spring break, but pretty fun in my book. I am absolutely LOVING having my sisters and Mom here. I do not want them to leave. EVER!!!

Yesterday was a great day of shopping. We hit the outlet malls in Cypress and they were pretty good. There was a Cabi outlet there. The clothes were from their line a year ago, but that's ok with me. The prices were tremendous.

We also hit Harwin. Harwin is this street in Houston that sells knockoff handbags and sunglasses. It's similar to the ones in New York. I didn't get anything, but my teenage nieces thought it was terrific. They are actually pretty good fakes, but I am not a faker. Every time I get a knockoff, I KNOW. You may not know, but I know. And, I'm never happy that I spent the money.

My Aunt Raini and cousin Jacque came over last night. I have the Cabi clothing line at my house and we introduced my Aunt to Cabi. She had never seen the line and fell in love.

We had a fun girls dinner and then all watched American Idol.

Today was a laid back day. We needed one. We have been on the go non-stop. Allison went to see Scott's brother's family and Kristie and the girls shopped some more while I went to play some tennis. Daniel's boss is in town tonight so we are going for dinner with him, his wife, and their daughter and future son-in-law. The best part about this---we don't have to pay a sitter. I have realized how spoiled we have been. With no family here, we have to pay a sitter every time we leave the house. We are excited that my Mom is here to keep the girls!!!

This afternoon the weather was gorgeous. My girls braved the pool, we made margaritas and sat outside. We are looking forward to enjoying the pool this summer!

Rodeo Roundup!

Last night, my sister Allison, her kids and my Mom pulled into town. We have been anxiously awaiting this week and it's finally here. Today we headed out to the Houston Rodeo. Ellie Grace was probably the most excited about this. They have been talking about this at school and she has been planning out how she was going to see cowboys, wear her cowgirl hat.

I'm afraid she might have been a little disappointed. We didn't actually see a show, but there was alot to walk around and see. We may try to get back later this week to see a show. Here we are watching chicks hatch.

Other highlights were the petting zoo, watching a cow be milked, sand art, and sitting on a John Deere Tractor.

Of course, it wouldn't be a complete day without the food! The most fun part was just being with cousins!

Catching Up

I am so sorry that I have been an unfaithful blogger. Really, I am sorry! Lazy Moms is taking a lot of time, but will hopefully be worth it. I want to catch you up on a few things with Lazy Moms and a few things with the Herrolds.

We have an agent!!! Absolutely amazing. We are working on numerous things with him, but the biggest item is our book proposal for him to present to publishers. I started tonight with a very rough draft. It's so surreal. I can't believe I am writing a book proposal. This wasn't even in my wildest dreams!!!

We had our first media appearance at Fox 26 Houston. The Lazy Moms got tons of air time at the 5, 5:30 and 9:00 news and then we were live guests the next morning on their morning program. It was great exposure for our website and great practice for us!!! It was a blast!

We had open house at the girls' school tonight. I can't believe we are at this point in the year. We have almost survived our first year at a new school. The girls are doing great, and although there has definitely been an adjustment period to curriculum and expectations, I feel like we are ending the year on a positive note.

My 2 sisters and their kids and my mom are all coming to visit for spring break. I absolutely cannot wait. The house will be probably the most chaotic house you have ever seen, and I am going to try to soak up and enjoy every moment of it, knowing that in a few short days they will be headed back to T-town!

I gave Daniel tennis lessons for Valentine's Day. Besides spraining his ankle chasing down one of my killer balls, he is loving it. We have our first couples tennis match this weekend (ankle willing!) and are excited about that.

Speaking of this weekend, I am headed to the rodeo. The rodeo in Houston is a huge deal. Daniel and I are going to the Clint Black concert tomorrow and next week I will be taking the kids with their cousins. They have learned all about it in school and they are dying to go!

That's about it for now!!! I will take lots of pictures next week and blog all about it!

Lazy Moms Hit It Big!!!

I am in Nashville right now working on Lazy Moms...please check our website at www.lazymoms.com and look under News Alerts to see our big news!!! I am so excited to share this with all of my friends!!!

June Bugs

June bugs in March? Seriously? I didn't even know that was possible. But, we've got 'em. And, why don't they call them March bugs?

We're Moving On Up

The Lazy Moms are excited to announce that we have our first media appearance scheduled. Tomorrow, the local Fox affiliate is coming to Lazy Mom Leslie's house to interview us. We are so excited. We hope this is the first of many great things to come.

On Sunday, we leave for Nashville to meet with a VIP. I will fill you in on the details later, but just know "we're moving on up!"

On a completely different note, I got hit with a terrible stomach bug this week. I would go thru it all again for the 4 pounds that I lost. Yippee. I did gain one pound back, but that keeps my total loss at 13 pounds. Only 4 pounds left to go. I can now officially get my old clothes zipped. Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't wear them in public yet, but I can get then over my hips and that is a feat in itself.

Tumbling and Trampoline

Hannah had another gymnastics meet this past weekend. Luckily, this one was in Houston. I was not prepared for what a HUGE meet this was. This was TNT as well as traditional gymnastics. There were former Olympic Champions and coaches there. It was really neat. Friday night we had to leave our house at 4:00. She had a practice from 5 to 7 and then at 7:15 they started the Synchronized Trampoline Competition. This is where you perform a routine and your partner does the same routine at the same time on another trampoline. Hannah and her friend Alden were together. They looked awesome during practice. When it was finally time for them to go, they messed up. They didn't start together. They didn't do one single skill synchronized. They got a big fat zero. Daniel's jaw dropped. All I could do was giggle. We just spent 4 hours to watch her get a zero!!! Oh my! Hannah and Alden were terrific sports. They laughed it off and didn't point fingers. What a night!

The next day she competed in power tumbling, double mini and tramp. She placed 2nd in tramp, 3rd in tumbling and 5th in double mini. All in all, a great meet. She had a great time and just absolutely loves it!!!

TMT--Lazy Moms

On Tuesdays, the Lazy Moms will be posting Ten Minute Tasks. We will have a Mr. Linky for you to link back to your site. I would love if all of my blogging friends participated. The idea is to find something that needs to be done, set the timer for 10 minutes and get it done. (or at least get a good start on it!)

Thanks for helping this Lazy Mom out!

Spongebob Breath

For any of you that have kids that watch Spongebob, you will remember the episode where Spongebob and Patrick have such terrible breath that no one wants to be around them. They finally realize that the ice cream sundaes they have been making are the cause. The "ice cream" was actually a white onion which gave them halitosis. This has become how we refer to breath in our house. If you have Spongebob breath, you have to go brush again.

Well, our precious Abby has Spongebob breath all the time. I have even asked the dentist about it. Evidently, some people just have to deal with bad breath more than others. Yesterday, Daniel after smelling some bad breath, Daniel made the executive decision to go buy mouthwash for Abby. When he told me about it I was so worried that it would hurt her feelings and make her feel different. Boy, was I wrong. She is so super proud of her mouthwash. This morning, as I was laying out clothes for church, I told her to go brush and use her mouthwash while I was laying out her clothes. She said, "do I have to? The mouthwash is my favorite part and I want to save it for last!"

Guess what I get to go buy for her sisters? Mouthwash...they want some of their own!

By the way, I need some more followers in my follower box to the left. If you read my blog, please click the follow me button :)

This Blog's For You!

Linda,

This blog is for you. I have not disappeared. I have been so busy with Lazy Moms that I have neglected my personal blog. What can I say? I am lazy, I guess. So, Linda wants to know if I have abandoned the weight loss journey. No, I am still at a 10 pound loss. I actually had gained 2 back and re-lost those pounds. I still have 7 more to go and I am determined. I will get there. I have lost 2% body fat, according to my handy dandy new scale. So, Linda, what about you???

As for Lazy Moms, it has taken off more than our wildest dreams could imagine. We have been approached by a couple of big names, one for representation and one to partner with on an idea. I don't want to jinx anything be releasing names yet, but stay tuned. When the deals are done, you will be the first to know!

I promise to get back blogging more regularly!!

What I Got For Valentine's Day

Some of you got roses, some of you got chocolates, some of you may have even received diamonds. Here is what I received:

Yes, seriously, this is what my hubby gave me for V-Day. But, before you get mad on my behalf. I asked for it. It is way cool! It measures body fat, weight, hydration levels, bone mass...it's amazing. The reason why I wanted this scale is because the weight seems to be coming off very slowly. I was hoping that if I could watch the body fat go down that would help keep me motivated. So, I am not disappointed in my gift!!! Daniel sure got grief at work when he told the guys he bought his wife a scale for Valentine's Day!!! You can purchase it on the Lazy Mom's site in the store!

Random Acts of Kindness

You need to go to Paper Doll Designs to enter in her contest today!!!

My Little Valentines

Here are some snapshots from the girl's Valentine's Day Parties at school. I spent my time running around between three different classes trying to make the time equal. Abby's pretty sure she got the short end of the stick and wanted more of me. Ellie Grace, on the other hand, looked over at me and said, "I've had enough of you. You can leave now." Well, alrighty then! As always, they had so much fun going through their "loot" after school.

Excuses, Excuses...

I am full of them. I have been off of the WW wagon all week. With 2 sick kids and a traveling husband, I haven't made it to the gym. What is it about being out of a routine that throws everything? I mean, just because I couldn't work out doesn't mean I had to make bad food choices. But, I did. All. Week. Long. But, today, I have gone for a run and eaten healthy. I refuse to weigh myself today. I don't want to get discouraged. So, if you were looking here today for a weigh in post. Sorry, you will have to wait until next week!

If you haven't been to the Lazy Moms site lately, check it out. We update it every day and we think we are quite funny!

Ordinary vs. Extraordinary

I wasn't planning on blogging today. I didn't feel I had anything "blogworthy" to report. But, then, I read 2 blogs that inspired me. The first one said to look at doing ordinary, mundane things as a gift from God. It is a blessing that I am here just to go about my day. Wow, how true.

The second blog I read talked about the surprise smell of an orange. An orange! She took something so ordinary and made it extraordinary!

So, in light of that, my extraordinary day consists of Bible Study and taking the dog to the vet for shots. What are you doing on this extraordinary day?

What I Have Been Up To...

Blowing and Wiping Noses

Fever Reducers

Tamiflu

Antibiotics

Breathing Treatments

With Ellie Grace having bronchitis and Abby having the flu, these pictures pretty much represent what I have been doing the last few days. (I didn't take pictures of the wine or the cookie dough!!!)

Tough Girl

Our youngest daughter, Ellie Grace, is tough! She LOVES playing basketball. She wanted to play so bad last year, but she wasn't old enough. She has been counting down the months, weeks and days. She can't wait for practice every week. She likes games even more.

Here is a picture of her with her teammates. Yes, she plays on a team with all boys. She doesn't even seem to notice. They refuse to pass her the ball, but when she gets her hands on it she's great!

Saturday morning she woke up and told me her ear hurt. This didn't shock me. She has had a cold for about a week and she has a history with ear infections and tubes. We needed to go to basketball because it was picture day. I gave her a choice and she said she felt well enough to stay and play in the game. Tough girl! So, after the game, we headed to the doctors office. We were surrounded by kids with the flu. They were laying out everywhere. They were spread out on chairs, floors, laps...and we had to wait an hour. So, I will probably be blogging next week about how we have the flu.

Anyway, when we finally got back to see the doctor, her ears were perfectly fine. I am slightly embarrassed to tell you that I was a little annoyed that we had waited an hour, been exposed to the flu and she was completely fine. Oh, but wait! She's not fine. She is wheezing and has major bronchitis. In fact, we are having to do breathing treatments at home every 4 to 6 hours. Man, she is tough. I had no idea and that poor child played in a basketball game!

Awards

If I was actually attending a Weight Watchers meeting, I would be given a 10 pound star today. But, I'm not. Since you are my audience, I expect applause...wait, I think I hear it. Thank you very much!!

Seriously, I am thrilled with having lost 10 pounds. I still have 7 more to go. This hasn't been easy, nor do I ever get to quit. This is going to be a lifelong battle for me. It's a battle I intend to win!!!

And you????

25 Random Things

I have been tagged a jillion times on Facebook to do the 25 things. It took me so long that I thought I should get more use out of it and make it my blog entry for the day! Enjoy!

1. I must have a diet coke in the morning...it's my coffee.

2. I am already stuck...how did you all do this?

3. I am working on my first book with a friend...The Lazy Mom's Guide to Life". It will get published so don't laugh. Check out our website at http://www.lazymoms.com

4. My friend and business partner, Leslie, and I have known eachother for less than 6 months. I just moved to Sugar Land and she randomly called me because she heard there was a new girl in town that was crying all over the place.

5. I always wanted 4 kids, but 3 did me in.

6. I used to live in the same neighborhood as my Mom and 2 sisters and I miss them terribly.

7. I became a Certified Personal Trainer last year and then found out we were moving. I only had the chance to train 3 clients. I miss it, but I would rather be a Lazy Mom.

8. I went on my first date with Daniel when I was 17. We've been together for 1/2 of my life.

9. I am a big OU football fan. Next to missing my family, this was the hardest thing to leave. We refuse to give up our season tickets and we went to 4 games last year...all the Texas games. I can't stand being around all these Longhorns!

10. Steve Doocy from Fox and Friends is not only on my friend list, but he wrote on my wall!!!

11. I keep a personal blog that I try to update Monday thru Friday...http://herroldcollection.blogspot.com

12. My second toe is longer than my big toe. I heard somewhere this mean you have leadership quality????

13. I was told my 2nd child was a boy. We found out later on in the pregnancy she was a girl. She's the girliest of all 3!!!

14. I am addicted to technology: laptop, blackberry, dvr, etc.

15. We just got a new Shih Tzu puppy. What were we thinking? 2 Labs and 1 Shih Tzu...and 3 kids!!!

16. My nickname in middle school was "Lobe" b/c I have such big ear lobes.

17. I won the Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest at my church when I was 4.

18. I love Reality TV

19. I have run in 4 marathons. (Chicago, OKC twice and Dallas)

20. Not only am I friends with Steve Doocy, but I am friends with Bob Stoops. He hasn't written on my wall though.

21. I took up tennis in May and I love it!

22. I started playing tennis so I could wear those cute clothes!

23. My first semester in college I made an A, B, C and a D. Good thing I didn't have any more classes!

24. I am loving reconnecting with old friends on Facebook!

25. I was a bat girl one semester at OU for the baseball team.

My Baby is Six

I can't believe it! My baby is 6 years old. The youngest of my 3 daughters is no longer a baby or toddler, but a little girl who is missing her front tooth. We celebrated her birthday on Friday. She had her party at the church in their indoor playscape area with tunnels and slides. She had tons of kids there and had a blast.

My favorite moment of the party was when she opened the American Girl Doll from my parents. Two of the girls at the party started screaming and hugging and jumping up and down. It was so precious. They were so excited and they didn't even get the doll. So cute!!!

Wonder when I will lose all my baby weight???

Going for Gold

Hannah had a gymnastics meet this weekend in Victoria, Texas. My Mom and Dad were in town so my Mom drove with me so she could watch Hannah. I was so thankful to have company for the drive! Hannah's first stop was the floor. Watch the video below of her first tumbling pass.

We thought it looked pretty good. When they finally held up her scores, they were low. The lowest of anyone that had gone. We watched other tumblers with bent legs and a slower pass get higher scores. We didn't know what happened, but I am not an expert so I assumed she must have done something. She lined up for her 2nd pass. I am hoping she does well, but quite honestly, from a competitive standpoint, I checked out, knowing she didn't stand a chance to place. Here is her next pass.

Again, looks pretty good to us. She gets her scores and they are great. But, Hannah walked over to me and burst into tears. "Why were my scores so bad?" Oh, goodness. I didn't have an answer, so I told her to go ask her coach, who went to ask the head judge. Turns out, they had messed up on her scores and she actually received the highest scores on the first pass!

My lesson in this was that Hannah did not let it shake her. She got right back up and did her 2nd pass great. She didn't allow herself to get upset until the very end. You never know how life may turn out. And, for Hannah, that meant a 2nd place medal! She was thrilled! She also received a 3rd and 6th place medal at the meet!

The Challenge Update

Today is my 4th week of being in The Challenge, and with my 2 pound loss this week (yes! you read that correctly), my grand total is up to 8 pounds. I am so excited. That's an average of 2 pounds a week. I still have 9 pounds to go, but it feels like a milestone to be under the 10 pound mark. So much more feasible! Can you tell I'm excited??

Monday, February 2nd, will mark one month that I have been on Weight Watchers. That also means it will be time for me to take more pictures. I have to tell you, I'm pretty scared to see those back pictures, but they can't be as bad as before.

What about you? Is anyone still doing this with me?

Friend of Jesus?

You probably need to have a Facebook account to understand this post, but tonight I received a friend request from "Jesus OfNazareth". Seriously! I think it's weird, but Mom is a believer and is friends with Jesus. She said, "He's nice. He told me He loved me." And, I said, yes, He told me that too when I was having my quiet time this morning."

Mom says she is going to stay being his friend because she likes his answers. I ask her what kind of answers. This is the funny part...She asked him who he really is and he replied, "I am who I am". No he did not. (And I must tell you, I am really thrown as I am typing...do I capitalize the H or no???...I'm going with no, because I don't think it's really Jesus)

What other things did he tell her, you ask. Well, he told her he is watching her. And, I said, "yes, he's that pervert across the street peering through your window."

Just thought it was funny. Daniel and I have been chuckling all night at the "I am who I am" comment. Hope it provided you with a good laugh. Let me know if you are friends with him too.

Grumpy Old Men

Why do old men get grumpy? And why are they following me around? And why are they getting grumpy with me?

Case in point: a couple of weeks ago I was filling up my car with gas, minding my own business when the grumpy old man next to me said, "you know, you are putting us all at risk when you don't turn your motor off while filling up." I sarcastically, yet politely dangled my keys in front of me and said, "my car is not running." The grumpy old man says, "oh, my mistake."

Today, after taking my black lab on a 5 mile jog when we were at the pond by my house that was completely deserted, I let her off her leash so she could jump in the water to cool off. It was 80 degrees and muggy outside and she was hot. A grumpy old man comes out of his house, holding his coffee cup to the back of his wrought iron fence and says, "did your dog escape the leash?" I kindly reply, "oh, I let her off so she could cool off in the water." Grumpy old man says, "you know, we have a leash law." PMS girl replies, "yes, and she has been on her leash for 5 miles. I just let her off so she could get in the water and cool off." Grumpy old man says, "what about regard for other people?" PMS girl doesn't turn around or reply, but wants to shout at the top of her lungs, "THERE ARE NO OTHER PEOPLE!!!!!"

Whew. PMS girl feels much better now. Grumpy old men need to find a hobby so they will leave me alone!!!

Life Is Short

When I woke up this morning I had plans to write an amusing little blog entry. That all changed when I read a friend's blog. I actually clicked through a friends to another friend and that's when I saw it. She talked about her friend Kathy dying suddenly and leaving behind (and I'm thinking, no please don't say it) 3 daughters. OH NO...how many Kathys live in Tulsa and have 3 daughters that go to Jenks. I started a frantic search on the internet and found out it was a sweet friend of mine. She was 48 years old and died suddenly.

I first met Kathy when I was pregnant with my youngest...over 6 years ago. She and I had an instant bond because of the 3 daughters connection. She was so sweet with me over the years. She always encouraged me and really showed me the kind of Mom I hoped to be. Her life is cut way too short. She leaves behind a loving husband and 3 sweet daughters, parents and inlaws and siblings. My heart is breaking for her daughters today. They range in age from senior in high school to 9th grade. Life is short. And precious. And should never be taken for granted. We take comfort in the fact that she trusted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and is in a much better place.

Thanks, Kathy, for the life that you lived.

Finally Friday

I know, I know! I'm posting this on Saturday, but my WWeigh in day is technically Friday. So, finally I get to report another weight loss. I only lost half a pound, but it is still a loss. I am up to to a total of 6 pounds since January 2. I have been giving myself this little peptalk the last few days. Let me know if I'm leaving anything out.

At least I'm not gaining weight. If I continue to lose half a pound every 2 weeks I will eventually get to my goal. I have 10 and 1/2 pound to lose, so basically this could take the rest of the year, but at least I am headed in the right direction.

Most of you are probably hoping for a romantic gift for Valentine's Day: chocolate, roses, diamonds, etc. I am actually hoping for a new scale! Don't laugh...I am serious. I want a scale that also measures body fat. I am working out a ton, so I have to believe that I am losing some body fat. Since I am not losing pounds, it would be very encouraging if that changes too!

In one short week I have to take my 2nd month pictures. I am dreading that. I thought I could lose at least 8 pounds in the first month. I guess slow and steady will have to win this race!

WOW!

What a whirlwind day. We got nearly 1,000 hits on our new website. Not only that, we received full rights to http://www.lazymoms.com/ today. NO MORE DASH. I know this is minor to you, but it is a big deal to us! So, my new e-mail does not require a dash amanda@lazymoms.com We received a ton of positive feedback. It was the most exciting day! I loved everything about it! Leslie and I went out to celebrate. Hop on over to our site and go read all about it.

Big things were offered to us today. We were asked to be on a local Houston morning show around Mother's Day and we were also asked to be on a local radio talk show in early February. We are so passionate and excited about being a Lazy Mom that it is almost ridiculous! Still waiting for that book offer!!!

From Dreams to Reality

Remember when I posted about my childbirth dreams? Well, today I am excited to tell everyone what I have been working on. My friend, Leslie, and I have launched a new website at http://www.lazy-moms.com/ . I am so excited for you to go over and check it out and leave lots of funny comments. We have big plans for our idea. We can't wait to turn the site into a book and the book into a movie. I hope you will visit us often. Leave a comment and let me know if we should visit Regis and Kelly first or Hoda and Kathie Lee first. Enjoy!

Inauguration

I had all these great plans to watch history in the making and then blog about it. Well, my cable went out a few minutes before it started and didn't come back on until this afternoon. I have to say, I am a bit bummed. I am proud that the kids were able to watch it at school. Even my youngest watched in her kindergarten class. Here are some VERY random thoughts about it:



-Michelle Obama's dress was just ok...I was expecting more out of her.

-I feel SO sad for Ted Kennedy. It's bad enough to have a seizure, but then to have it on a national stage at lunch. And poor Sen. Byrd. It just kept getting worse (so I hear!)

-The crowd booing Bush...that's just WRONG!

-Bush handled the transition so beautifully and respectfully. What a way to go out!

-Bush looked 10 years younger when he landed in Midland. No matter what you think of his politics, he is a genuinely nice guy and I wish him the best!

-I wonder how long the honeymoon will last for Obama???



Would love to hear your thoughts on it...no matter how random they may be. Did I miss anything good? Did you pick up on anything random? How was the speech? How did the little girls look? Thoughts?

I'm A Snob

I admit it. I am high maintenance. I am not sure when it happened, but it did. When did I require manis and pedis and eyebrow waxings? Once you start these things it is very hard to stop. So it goes with highlighting your hair. And, boy, was I overdue for a highlight. I have been going to my hairdresser in Tulsa since I was a teenager. I even went twice this fall when we were back in Tulsa. I had not yet HAD to find a hairdresser in Sugar Land.

One day, I am at the mall with my friend and I find myself making fun of the hair salon in the mall. I mean, who would want to go to the mall to get their hair done. Evidently, my friend used to. Oops. And then, I start asking for referrals for a good hairdresser. I get not one, not two, but THREE recommendations for the salon at the mall. So, I decide to brave the mall salon today.

As I am sitting waiting for my hairdresser, I make a mental note to never come back. There are stylists with nose rings and tatoos and the music is WAY too loud. This is not my kind of place. But, alas, I REALLY need my roots done and I need them done NOW. So, I press on.

My hair looks GREAT! I am amazed. And, it wasn't cheap either. I thought it would be less than I was paying in Tulsa, but it was substantially more. Crazy!!!! New dilemna...do I go back? My hair looks good, but it was not a relaxing environment at all. To highlight or not to highlight...that is the question!!!

Grocery Stores

When we found out we were moving to the Houston area, we had several people comment on how much we would LOVE the grocery stores. I thought this was kind of a strange thing to comment on. There are plenty of other things to love about this city and grocery stores were at the top of the list? I mean, for starters The Galleria, the broadway shows, the museums, and I could go on and on. I was excited about being able to purchase wine in a grocery store, but didn't really understand what the fuss was all about. Even my Mom, who used to live in Texas, said, "Oh, you are going to have fabulous grocery stores."

Well, my small town friends, the grocery stores do not disappoint. They are amazing compared to what I was used to. The produce is amazing. They have the hard to find things that Wal-Mart never had, but Reasors would get on a special order. They are just there on their shelves waiting for me. They have LIVE MUSIC on the weekends. Yesterday, they had a James Taylor knock off, complete with guitar just for my shopping pleasure. Oh, and Whole Foods....WOW! It was like an organic shopping mall. I don't even know how to describe it.

Oh, the simple things in life...

Follow Up Friday

Well, this week isn't nearly as exciting to report as last week. This is usually the "weigh" I do WW. One good loss followed by a small loss or nothing at all. So....I lost nothing this week. But, I did manage to maintain. I am expecting a good loss next week. Plus, I have a whole new set of points handed to me today. I am feeling like my workouts are starting to pay off. Feeling a little less muffin in my top. I need a loss next week to keep my motivation! But, here are my thoughts about The Challenge at the end of week 2:

Why am I not skinny yet...I have stayed on point 2 whole weeks!!!
Why doesn't wine count as a fruit??...it's made from grapes!
Why don't my jeans fit?
Why do the pounds go on so quickly and come off so painfully slow?

I'm ready to hear from YOU! Hello out there...support please. Linda, Fran, Allison and the list goes on....tell me how you are doing. Are you struggling? Is this easy for you? Have you cheated?

American Idol

It's that time of the year again! Time for American Idol. I love this show for several reasons. FIrst off, it's just plain good! Secondly, it's one of the few shows on television that my whole family can watch together. My kids are so in to American Idol. I have thought about sending them a thank you note.

Dear American Idol, Thank you for your show. On the nights your show airs, I have no problem getting my kids to take their bath, finish their homework or brush their teeth. Thanks for making my job a little easier. Signed, I use the tv as a babysitter Mom

We first started really watching the season that Carrie Underwood was on the show. We were originally drawn to watch because she was an Oklahoman, but soon we were hooked on the show.

Last season, though. Last season marks the year that Ellie Grace, our youngest, became obsessed with American Idol. She was barely 5 years old and she became addicted. One night, she missed part of the show and she asked me, "Has the cute boy gone yet?" And, I said, no, he's up next. The "cute boy" I thought she was referring to was the cute Australian guy. (cant remember your name now guy...guess your 2 minutes are up??--oh yeah, Michael Johns I think) Anyway, when David Archuleta came on the screen she declared, "He's my cute boy!" She had the BIGGEST crush. She watched all season. She even had discussions at school with her Pre-K teacher about her cute boy. Anyone that was close to us knew about the cute boy!

Fast forward to the night of the finale. She could hardly wait for her cute boy to be declared the winner. And then, it happened. The winner was DAVID COOK! She dropped to her knees and bawled like she had lost a loved one. Honestly, I am not exaggerating. She ran up the stairs and said, "I'M NEVER WATCHING THIS STUPID SHOW AGAIN!!!!" (mind you, stupid is a bad word at our house...so she was really ticked!)

Low and behold, she has recovered and we are all watching again. I wonder who her favorite will be this year??!!

American Girls

Last night, our local Chick Fil A had "American Girl Night". Little girls were invited to bring their dolls to the restaurant, get their dolls hair styled, go for a limo ride and register to win prizes, including the newest American Girl doll. We had basketball practice, but headed that way as soon as we finished. It was so cute. As you can imagine, the restaurant was packed full of girls running all over the place. The girls were starving after basketball, so we ate first (which should make Chick Fil A very happy!!!) We took our dolls to get their hair styled. Super cute!!! Next stop: limo ride! Look at this super cute limousine. So precious that I could not resist riding along. It was as girly inside as it is from the outside. The t.v. was blaring with a Hannah Montana concert. I totally embarassed Ellie Grace by singing along. She finally put her hand over my mouth and said, "STOP". Ok, I get it. I am so not cool!!! We topped the night off with some ice cream and headed home. Thanks, Chick Fil A, for a fun night!!

It Snowed!!!

Well, sorta. It did snow, but only on our church property. Our church brought in a snow machine and we had a snow day for the kids to get to play. They have been so excited about this for weeks. We bundled the kids up and gathered up our friends and headed off to church. When we pulled it the parking lot we immediately saw snow. They put snow in all of the flowerbeds too, so you really felt like it had snowed. The kids got to play during their Sunday School hour, throw snowballs, build snowmen, whatever they wanted. This is one church tradition they will look forward to each year!

Smitten

Our kids have been begging for a puppy for about a year. The problem with this is that we already have 2 adorable labs. But, they are outside dogs and the girls really want a lap dog and a puppy to sleep with them, etc. They even put it on their letter to Santa on Christmas Eve. We have been telling them that when one of our dogs goes on to doggie heaven we will get an inside dog. They even have it all planned out. They want a white puppy and they want to name her Sugar since we moved to Sugar Land.

Friday morning I wake up to an e-mail that has been forwarded a couple of times with pictures of adorable Shih Tzu puppies that are looking for a good home and are a bargain price. I am toast. I am absolutely smitten. I can't explain it. I have received these e-mails before and have no problem deleting them, but this felt different. I HAD to get my hands on one of those puppies.

I called the friend who sent me the e-mail and we litterally spent ALL day trying to track down the puppy Mama. She did not include any contact info in her e-mail. FINALLY, at 5:00 they call me and tell me they have 2 females left. I jump in the car with squealing kids and go to look at the puppies. It was really hard to just pick one, but good grief, I can't have 4 dogs!!!

This puppy is soooooo cute. Although not solid white, we still went with the name Sugar because she is sooo stinkin' sweet! And, even though Daniel is trying very hard not to like her, it is becoming increasingly more difficult. She is in LOVE with him.

I almost titled this post "Sucker"!

From Flab to Fab Friday

It's officially been one week that I have been on Weight Watchers. I weighed myself this morning, and guess what??? I am down (drumroll please) 5.5 pounds. Yippeeee....I am so excited. 11.5 more pounds to go. The best part about today? It's a new WW week and I get a whole new set of points to play with.

I am anxious to hear from you all. I have heard from 2 of you that you have lost so PLEASE post a comment and let everyone know how you are doing.

Don't forget to check out Nicole's site on Mondays for her WW report.

Have a great weekend!

Handy Mandy

The house we moved into was built in 1991, and not much has been done in the way of updating, so we are working through that process. My project today, was door knobs. I ordered them online and they came today. I was so excited that I couldn't wait for Daniel to put them on, so I did it myself. I love it...what a huge difference a little knob can make!

Here is a before shot with a lovely, shiny brass knob:

Here is the after shot with a venetian bronze lever:

Fat Hog

Ok, so I wasn't planning to do this yet, but scroll down to see my before picture...

Ok, so that's not really me. That is a dead, wild hog on the side of the road near my house. And you Oklahoma girls thought dead possums were gross????

Lousy

If you read to the left of this post the section on Why I Blog, I declare that I am going to blog about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Well, today is the ugly. I can't believe I am going to blog about this, but it will provide you with a good chuckle for the day and that will make it worth it.

First of all, let me tell you that I am a germ freak!!! I am constantly checking my kids for lice and pinworms and any other yucky creatures that kids pass around. Last night, while one of my daughters was eating dinner, I was picking through her hair (as I do about once a week) and saw something. Uh oh!!!!! I called my bff who has been down this road and she immediately came over and confirmed my diagnosis. I told her she was performing the modern day washing of the feet, by looking through my hair and helping me wash my child's hair. The good news is, my neurosis paid off. I caught it extremely early. We all went to the nurse's office this morning at school and got the all clear! WHEW.

For all of you who are is freaked out by lice as I am, a couple of notes. First of all, it's not NEARLY as gross as I thought it would be. The worst part about the whole thing is doing all the laundry. I am probably on my tenth load. Washing all of our sheets, blankets, towels, jackets and so on. Secondly, you find out who your good friends are. I had to make the call of shame and call a friend because our daughters had played together. She was so sweet. Her response, "well, they say they like clean hair, so you must be keeping your daughter's hair too clean!" So sweet. My other friend, looking through my hair...that's a friend. Thirdly, this took over my night and I never ate dinner...woohoo!!! That helped me stay on point today.

On a totally different note, you must go to this website. This is my high school friend who has joined the challenge and even challenged her readers. Here's looking forward to a weight loss this week!

Dreams

I have been having the WILDEST dreams lately. Mostly my dreams have been about pregnancy or childbirth. I was wondering if I kept having these dreams because my tummy is getting so big. I mean, I have gained 17 pounds. I only gained 23 pounds with my first 2 pregnancies. By all accounts, I should be about 8 months at this point! Anyway, I asked my Mom, who is a self-diagnosed dream analyzer about my dreams. I later confirmed what she told me by looking at this website for dream interpretation. To dream that you are pregnant, symbolizes an aspect of yourself or some aspect of your personal life that is growing and developing. You may not be ready to talk about it or act on it. This may also represent the birth of a new idea, direction, project or goal. BINGO...my friend and I have an idea that we are both excited about. It has kind of snowballed into a really BIG idea. And, as the dream dictionary suggest, we aren't quite ready to talk about it. Whew...maybe I am not pregnant fat, just fat.

The Challenge

Ok, I had 10 responses from my weight loss challenge! I am so glad you guys are going to do this with me. I wanted to let you know that Oprah is dedicating all week to her weight loss journey and will have all kinds of experts on. I'm not a huge Oprah fan, but I do think the weight loss stuff is interesting and inspirational. So, set your DVRs. Also, did you have anyone take your picture??? You REALLY need to. Daniel took my picture. The front and side view were ok, but the back view...oh good grief! Why didn't anyone else tell me I had boobs back there? There was so much fat it was hideous. It was a real eye opener. I refuse to show those to you now, but when I am skinny I will. I plan to do a new photo on the 1st of each month to track my progress. You might go back and read the last post as Nicole posted a bunch of helpful Weight Watcher tips.

The other HUGE eye opener for me was getting on the scale. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! 17 pounds...SEVENTEEN POUNDS...do you hear me???? SEVENTEEN POUNDS! I have gained 17 pounds since I moved here. That is basically 1 pound a week. I mean, seriously! That is disgusting! The only silver lining here is that I should see some results faster. Also, I will feel really good about myself after I drop 17 pounds. (I would have felt even better to not have gained it, but oh well!)

Now, this will only work with your comments. Who has taken a photo? Who has weighed? Who has already fallen off the wagon? Fill us in! There are at least 10 of us that are doing this! Let me hear from you!!!

The Last Hurrah

For my last hurrah meal before the big Weight Watchers began today, we invited over some of our friends for a New Year's Day Feast. Amy was in town and helped me so much. We spent all day Wednesday cooking. Here are some of our creations:

Ham:

Pulled Pork

Jello Pretzel Salad

Corn and Rice Casserole

Italian Cheese Bread- oh man, forgot to take a picture!

Paula Dean's Green Beans (we had to substitute the salt pork b/c they were out at the store and it was not as good. It needs the salt pork!)

My friends brought black-eyed peas and cole slaw and yummy desserts. I'd say that made for a pretty good last hurrah! You now understand why I must start Weight Watchers! I am feeling a little bit like Kirstie Alley. Remember when she gained all of her weight? She said that she really started enjoying cooking for her family and she would cook fatty things that everyone loved. That's kinda what I have been doing. It's much more fun to cook fatty things than healthy things!

The kids all did a polar plunge for a year of good luck. I was hoping the men would plunge, but they were too chicken. Here are all the kids lined up ready to jump in.

1, 2, 3 oh man, only one brave soul jumped

and another

and some more

The water was a chilly 58 degrees. Ellie Grace had the most priceless look on her face. Her lips were blue from her snowcone she had been eating. That combined with the look of shock and I thought Daniel was going in for her. She was tough and made it across the pool and was a really good sport about it. It was a great day, but we were glad to have a day of no activity today!

Let The Games Begin

Well, my diet started today, and as of 7:33 a.m. I haven't cheated! That's because I'm still in my pjs in my bed. But, I am ready. I am dreading it, but I'm so tired of being full and swollen that I'm ready to go! Daniel is gearing up to take my picture. He is even going to let me take his picture. Of course, his goal is to add weight! How disgusting is that? Anyway, I'm starting Weight Watchers online. Are you geared up? Would love to hear any tips or funny stories. I can use all the help I can get!

Have a great day!

Happy New Year!

First, you MUST turn up your volume and listen. The song playing is the Mississippi Squirrel Revival. This would be the same song that I thought I could sing shortly after midnight! It sorta looks like I am leading praise and worship, but...well...I sorta am. Afterall, it's the squirrel revival!

Ok, on to more important matters. Like my drapes! Daniel's brother, David, and his wife, Amy, came in town with their 3 boys. Amy is a workhorse! If you need anything done at your house I highly recommend you befriend her. She and Daniel set to work finish the projects from the other night. First stop: Ellie Grace's room. Look how precious it turned out (ok, this is mainly for my Mom. I know the rest of you are probably bored, but just humor me!)

Next stop: Abby's room. Now, you'll recall, I'm not a big fan of her bedding, but the drapes look cute and we are going to paint the room a shade of blue. If I can convince David to stay one more day Amy said she would help me paint. Please, David, please!!!

Ok, on to Hannah's room. I think this turned out pretty darn cute for curtains in a package at Lowe's. Don't you, Mom?

One of my favorite moments of the night was introducing David and Amy to our friends David and Amy. Here they are. Aw...how cute!

We are having a few neighbors over this afternoon for a big New Year's Day feast. Can't wait to show you the pics of all the food! Yummy!