Sunny, Sunny Day

This has been one tough week, but I could not ask for anything better than the sunny, warm day we have here in The Lou today.  I know parts of the country are seeing thunderstorms and snow storms.  But if you are blessed enough to have a sunny day, get outside.  Take a walk at lunch.  Get up from the computer, shut off the TV and bask in the warm glow of a beautiful Spring in bloom!

Three Months in Hell

I follow MomLogic on Twitter - and I came across this article this morning.  

How many of you have been here?  

Isn't it nice to hear the truth every once in awhile?  

And how blessed you are if you have no idea what this article is talking about!

Operation Candy Removal

Hey, everyone!  Hope that you had a fabulous Easter weekend, and no doubt you are sitting in your house/office right now, reading this, in somewhat of a sugar coma.  Just how many peanut M&M's, chocolate eggs and rabbit ears did you eat this weekend?

Well, no worries, don't fret.  What happened, happened, and dwelling on it won't help.  Because it is certainly no reason to fall completely off the wagon and give up!  

So right now, collect all the remaining candy in your house.  Bag it up, and decide where it's going:  your husband's work (not your own, that defeats the purpose!); your Nana's nursing home; your child's school; your church's office; your doctor's office; your neighbor who couldn't visit with family this past weekend.  Heck, even your local shelter and food pantry would gladly accept your donation!  The point is to remove it from your surroundings, and use the opportunity to also share some Easter love with your community.

If you have kids who will be devastated if all the candy disappears today, pull a select few of their favorites our for them to enjoy throughout this week.  But by this weekend, really, Easter candy should be a distant memory!

And then go enjoy a nice salad today, be grateful for your health and enjoy your day!

Momma's Dirty Little Secret #57

Us Moms have a million little secrets - from the good, the bad and the ugly.  Secrets we'd gladly share, secrets we'd gladly kill to keep quiet!  Let me share one with you today.

I am a stay home mom.  No, that is not the secret.  The secret is the Power Mom I become between the hours of 3-4pm.  I'm like Jack Bauer on 24 - the following takes place between three and four p.m.  I become crazy woman.  I can complete more tasks in that one hour than I seem capable the entire rest of the day.

Why that hour?

Because my husband gets home around 4:15.  

Ah, is it becoming clearer?  

Here's the deal - a good FitMomma would rise before the sun, work out, and have accomplished half her to-do list before the children rise, thanks to all the energy she received from her workout and no-doubt low calorie, high energy breakfast she ate.

This mom, with her 4 month old, plus almost-three year old, still hasn't gotten back to that point, so I am still sleeping when the first one wakes up; I'm barely covering my body parts when I stumble into the bedroom, and frequently forget even to pee before I begin my day.  This does not create good momentum.  

By the time 3pm arrives, I realize that I haven't done half, or even most, of what I wanted to, so I begin the "I better earn my keep" mode of Mommyhood.  Power Mom.  I can pick up toys at neckbreak speed; I can fold four loads of laundry in less than five minutes; I can wipe down all the counters, put away all the papers, sweep the floor, etc. with the grace of a gazelle.  In fact, I'm moving so fast and furious, a little sweat will break out, the heart is racing, and talk about legs!  Lunging and squatting like a mad woman!  

And that's why at around 4pm, I stop, and clean myself up, and then hubby is in awe of all I accomplished in my day, and I look good, too!

Oh, one day, and hopefully one day soon, I'll be back to waking up before the kids, and getting in that early morning workout that fuels me for the day.  But for now, at least, I know that I have a workout coming to me, no matter what!

Getting Honest

Who saw Oprah's show on moms on Monday?  There was a ton of good stuff, but thing that struck the biggest chord with me was....how moms need to get honest with each other!  Because we so are not!  At least, most of us aren't.  I have tried to be, and found that it's is often met with great resistance.  

Last year, on my personal blog, I spoke briefly about my marital problems with my husband.  While most of my friends and family reached out, there were a few that either kept their silence or even told me I should keep those things to myself.  And it amazes me how many conversations I have or blogs I read where life seems to be perfect for that person, but later on, through the grapevine or a small personal encounter, you find that things are not that way.  

WHY?  Why do we lie to ourselves and to each other?  This job sucks on many days.  I mean, it's the most rewarding job out there, because nothing matches the unconditional love of your children.  But the day in and day out of being a mom is harder than hell!  Throw in bills, mortgage, marriage, family, and it's a surprise we don't all have a future at the Betty Ford Clinic.  

So if you wanna be a FitMomma, I'd say first things first is to get honest.  Being a Momma is hard.  Being a FitMomma is harder yet!  It's a hell of a lot easier to buy cheap, crap food, and sit on the couch each day when you're exhausted already.  Of course, any FitMomma knows that the best way to get energy to deal with your Momma life is to eat right and move that body!

Now, let's clarify that I'm not condoning complaining all the time!  That can be an energy drain - you know those people who never have anything positive to say, their life is always full of woe.  Ugh.  This is more about being honest when you need help; reaching out to friends and family when you need a shoulder.  It's about learning to laugh about the struggles, rather than hide them.  Especially in this online world, there is someone close to you who understands what you're going through.  They've been there.  We are there!

So you ready to look in the mirror and get honest?  I'm standing right next to you!

Happy Birthday to the Hubby!

It's a Birthday Day around these parts today, so we all know what that means.  Diet, schmiet!

Actually, there is so much to do to get ready for this evening!  Today's workout will be running up and down stairs getting through the laundry, power speed cleaning, running around like a chicken with my head cut off!  All so that when Hubby walks through the door, dinner is made, cake is ready, kids are happy and house is perfect.  Hey, I can do that One day a year, right?

So what's on the menu tonight?  Nothing healthy.  But definitely scrumdili-icious.  Hubby requested some chicken enchiladas.  Now, I'll use multigrain tortillas, and reduced fat cheese.  I'll add lots of veggies to the meat mix.  But overall, not the healthiest of dinners.  I will do some fat free refried beans, and I'm trying out a new recipe for Mexican Rice I found on AllRecipes.com.

But dessert?  We're going with the traditional cake and ice cream.  This is Hubby's birthday, after all, and while he appreciates my continuing desire to live a fit and healthy life, to him, that does not mean denying those things that we love.  And in the end, that's what we're trying to accomplish - how to be fit and healthy, and still enjoy those pleasures that we love.  Finding the ....here it comes....Balance!

So I'll let you know how I do tonight.  Let my pledge for the day not to Get Stupid around cake and ice cream!  And in the meantime, I have some serious house to tackle!  Have a great, active day!

New Workout Idea

I have a great new idea for all of you.....

Take your family out for the day.  Go to a park, museum, attraction - say, for example, The Zoo.

Bring the baby stroller.

Load it.  Water, snacks, jackets, blankets, hats, books, kitchen sink.

Push said stroller for four hours around the park, museum, attraction.

Make sure you use your legs and not your back!

Watch out for steps!

I dare you not to be sore.  I dare you not to feel muscles you had forgotten you had!

Plus, you'll save a ton of money, because you brought your own eats and drinks with you.  

Just an idea.

From the Kitchen: Shrimp & Basil Pasta

Here is one of my favorite recipes - it is not only quick and easy, it's also healthy and yummy in the tummy!  You really can't ask for anything better, can you?  I got the original recipe from AllRecipes.com, which is one of my favorite sources for recipes.  I cannot recommend them enough!

So here's what the fam had for dinner at our place tonight!

Shrimp & Basil Pasta

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time:  20 min

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1 (8oz) package whole wheat angel hair or thin spaghetti

1 large clove garlic

1lb large peeled & deveined shrimp (I buy a bag of frozen shrimp & then thaw - perfect!)

2 (14.5oz) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Bring large pot of water to boil, adding 1 T olive oil.  Cook pasta according to package, until al dente.  

2. Heat remaining oil in 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until garlic is tender, about 1 minute.  Do not let garlic burn! Add shrimp, and cook 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove shrimp from skillet, and set aside.

3. Stir tomatoes, wine, parsley and basil into skillet.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, about 8 to 12 minutes.  Add shrimp, and continue cooking until the shrimp are heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Serve shrimp mixture over pasta, sprinkling with Parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!

How Many Things At Once?

I've been doing really well with the eating/tasking issue!  It does frighten me a bit, tho, how much I have to concentrate on enjoying my food through the day, and resist that urge to get up to do something else while eating.  As if I was wasting valuable time by savoring the food!  What a commentary on our society!  Dinner is not a problem - we all sit down at the table and enjoy our meal together.  It's all the eating I do before dinner, which is the most important eating all day!

What I hadn't anticipated this week (because this is life, and there's always something) is that a stomach virus from hell would hit my little one.  My not-quite 4 month old has been vomiting and had diarrhea for a week.  As in this is Day 7.  This was preceded by an ear infection.  Now while he has had reflux issues, my little Piglet managed to stay healthy all winter, so these last two weeks - the beginning of Spring! - have blindsided me!  Who gets sick Now?!

So between comforting him and the mountains (and I do mean Everest-sized loads) of laundry, my head is spinning.  Of course, what I need is a good exercise routine to help with the stress level.  But I'm still trying to establish that new routine with a new baby.  

I'm feeling...oh....frustrated?  Overwhelmed? Helpless, even?

Of course, I know I am none of these things if I don't want to be.  Every Single Day will bring its challenges.  And our life is not to live without challenges, but how to embrace them and work with them, rather than around them or avoiding them altogether.

So...it's supposed to be mid-60s today.  I commit to getting the boys in the double jogger and going for a walk.  And if I have to turn around after one block due to pukies or poopies, so be it!  At least I got out for a block, right?