biggest loser?

So I've been thinking about needing to lose weight for awhile now. I got semi serious this spring, then quit.

One reason that motivated me: I found the piece of yarn that was used to measure the size of my belly when I was 9 months pregnant with Dakota. 4 years later, I'm the same size! BLAH!!

Reason #2: this really kicked my butt in gear, I saw how "fat" I looked in the pictures from my brother's wedding.

Now I know I don't look fat. I'm tall, and it hides well. My suggested weight range is 132lbs-174lbs. ideal is 156lbs. So I've been teetering on the top of the range for several years, but felt it was not that big of a deal.

Here's the big deal. I am considered obese! I was 197lbs in April, 192lbs the first of November. OMG! looking at the #'s makes be feel huge! lol

Here's the good news. As of today I am down to 186lbs. I have lost 6lbs in a month just by changing my eating habits. baby steps.... I've lost 2 inches in my waist & hips!

Next step: getting serious about exercising. Not just talking about it. No chasing 5 kids around does NOT count. lol

just 12 more lbs and I will be back in my suggested weight range! WOO HOO!!!! My goal is to get down into around 160lbs. I haven't been there since before my 1st kid, who will be 10 the end of this month.

I think I can I think I can I think I can I KNOW I can!!!

Nutcracker...pt1?

half way through our long week at the civic center we hit trauma.

First of all, I spent the week running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. I was "part" of the crew. which consisted of getting the angels wings and putting them on before the girls went on stage, then taking them off, returning them to the costume department as soon as they came off. And the occasional quick change, or whatever else I was needed for. I never really understood the concept of a quick change until I was asked to help during the sleeping beauty show.

These dancers come in off stage to a "room" (in this case a curtained off area). They have 2-3 minutes to get their costumes off and a new one on. keep in mind, these costumes usually have 20+ eye hooks on them and are fit tightly on the girl. It's insanely crazy!

So back to the trauma. I'm of course in another dressing room and Alyssa come in crying.

Her tooth is loose! Very loose.

Now this may not sound like a big deal, but to a 6 year old who is about to do several performances and she does NOT want that tooth out! It had been loose for several months, but she wouldn't really work on it because she was afraid to not have it for the show. (not that anyone could really see that she had lost a tooth from the audience. lol)

This turns into several mom's trying to pull the tooth for her. This sends her into a panic! She's never had her tooth pulled, she always does it herself. This is all Wednesday night.

Thursday afternoon, we go to sonic for happy hour. As we are waiting for my coke, I get her to twist the tooth and a root popped. There was a little blood, but no big deal. My coke arrives, I ask the carhop if she happens to have any napkins and she says "no, why?", looks at Alyssa, says "OH CRAP, I'll be right back!" and runs off. I turn around and Alyssa's got blood just gushing out of her mouth. lol OOPS! So the car hop comes back with napkins and a cup of ice for her. Alyssa wouldn't touch her tooth after that. Here she is showing off her loose tooth.

So Friday morning, the tooth is still hanging there, barely. Look how nasty black it got! I'm envisioning her on stage and her tooth just falling out. She's scrambling to find it, or somebody slips on it, and she's bleeding on her costume. So I had her lay down on her bed and just yanked the thing out.

Then after this, she wouldn't smile showing teeth. I think we have finally gotten pasted that stage, but there were some rough pictures for a bit! lol

wow, it's been awhile!

Not much going on around here. We've just been crazy busy with Nutcracker.

a week already?

It's been a week since my last post already!

I've been fighting a cough, and I think it maybe turning into something worse. *sigh*

Otherwise, I've just been busy working on Christmas cards and gifts. Contemplating whether I put the decorations up thus weekend or next.

I "redecorated" my bathroom today. ok, so it was just simple stuff. I already have the color theme going. Well, I decided to put use to my sea shells I picked up in Florida. I made a little shelf and put the sea shells on it. Then I picked up a "beach" calendar for $1. I framed 4 beach pics. Now I can drift into the sea while in the tub. lol Maybe I should look into putting some sea sounds in there some how. lol

The Wedding Dance off????

Go back almost 2 weeks now! Right after Chris and Abby cut the cake, they were taking pics of Abby's family(from Ohio). Like all of them! (groom side was way out numbers! lol) Then the song Hang on Sloopy comes on.

Did you know this is really an Ohio song??? I never did!

so the part that goes:

hang on sloopy, sloopy hang on

(yeah) (yeah) (yeah) (yeah)

hang on sloopy, sloopy hang on

(yeah) (yeah) (yeah) (yeah)

hang on sloopy, sloopy hang on

Well, replace "yeah" part with O H I O.....and you do "ymca" dancing spelling out Ohio.

So this is after I"ve had atleast 2 margaritas.....that was a good bartender, and I'm a cheap drunk! lol. I look at Jeff and said: "Oh, No....we need a Texas payback. Like ZZ Top. A Haa Haa Haa" Leave it to me to not know the name, But El Jefe to the rescue, "Tell him La Grange."

So here's the "Texas" group getting down

You know Adam Sandlers Wedding singer with the singing dancing Granny?? Abby's put's that lady to shame!!! Actually, I think she put us all to shame! The beuatiful young lady in red danced the night away!

This was the beginning of a long fun night of dacing! *notice margarita #3 in my hand lol*

I think we may have embarassed my nephew. See Nana getting down with him? yeah, poor kid may be scarred. He wasn't too sure of our white folk, dance to a beat of our own drum type dancing! lol

Talk To Me Tuesday: "What homemade Christmas Gifts did you make last year?"

I thought this was a great idea, so I stole it from Melissa (wink wink).



So today's is "What homemade Christmas Gifts did you make last year?"

I'm all about homemade gifts!!! Lets see, last year, all the kids (cousins, friends kids) got piggy banks. I went and picked up some ceremic piggys at Hobby Lobby. I painted them with acrylic paints, including each childs name on it, then sealed it with clear spray paint. They were sooo cute! I added $1 bills to each so they weren't empty. It still came out to about $5 a gift for each.

I'm not sure we made anything else last year. But we have also done name plaques that I painted each child's name on for them to hang on thier walls. Eric did some wood burning for adults.

Of course, I didn't think to take pics of any of this, so you'll just have to use your imagination!


Plan for my next blog.....Ohio vs Texas, The Wedding Dance

I was Tagged

My friend Melissa at Canyon Craziness tagged me with a survey! I am supposed to share a few random facts about me and pass the honor to 6 of my Blogging Buddies Here are my six random things about me you may not know.

1. I can no longer survive without FLY Lady

Thanks Melissa! ;)

2. I have a "new baby sister!"

Abby!!!!

3. I am a dance mom.

4. I LOVE Great Danes, especially my Hemi

5. I LOVE Christmas time. I get overly anxious to get the decorations out, but by the time Christmas gets here, I'm ready for them to be put away!

6. I had a tubal ligation, and completely regret it.

Ok, so the people I would tag, Melissa already did. I don't have a big blog group yet.

Mandie

back from "Spring Break"

Florida was beautiful!!! Warm weather, out on the beach. I even got a bit of a tan!!! I ate more fish last week, than I will for the rest of the year! lol I got to try stone crab, pretty tasty!

The wedding was great despite the scare we had. Tuesday morning we found out that they had been a wreck Monday night. If it hadn't been for Abby's quick thinking it would have been a head on. God was definately watching out for them! After seeing the pics of the car, nobody should have survived! Abby was in the hospital until Wednesday night or Thursday morning (my days have run together). She was almost fully relying on a wheel chair, if not that, then crutches up until Saturday. But she was very determined and walked from her room, down to the beach, down the isle and danced all night!!!

The wedding was absoluetly beautiful! I'm so ready to go back to the beach. The "chilly" weather was in the 70's. We had some rain Saturday night/ Sunday. But it didn't interfere with the wedding at all!!!

big ol jet airliner

This time tomorrow I will be rolling in to Dallas to have a 3 hour lay over. oh woo hoo. not. But I will be getting to Tampa right about dinner time. Then headed over to Clearwater. My mom went all out. lol actually it was the cheapest way for 5 adults. I believe she is getting us a limo for our ride to the hotel, but that's only because it's cheaper than a "big" taxi. We will be staying at the Hilton on the beach, but only so she didn't have to rent a car and we would be right there. but hey, for 6 days I get to live the life of luxary with no kids or husband!

I'm not real sure what the internet status/ computer accessiblilty will be, so who knows if I'll even be able to check my mail...... Wait a minute....am I really going to a rehab????? lol I am sooo addicted to the net! Hello. My name is Mandie, and I have a problem. I cannot go more than 2-3 waking hours with out "checking" in on my net stuff. Hey at least I sleep through the night!

So when I get back I'll post some pics!

The count down has begun

3 days til I'm on the beach! and 6 days until I will officially have a new little sister! Woo Hoo!!

So instead of getting things lined up I'm surfing the web! lol

This trip is rather hard for me. I am going to be over 1500 miles away from my kids and my husband for 6 days. I've never left my kids before. They have spent the night with friends/family. But that's across town. a 15 min drive max. And the mom in me will not relinquish control. I know my kids will be fine. Eric and his mom will probably do a better job than me between the two of them. But those are my kids, it's my job to run them to school, home, dance, etc, etc. My mind has been swarming with "What ifs". I'm ready for a week from tomorrow where I'll be back home. But I guess I can TRY to enjoy myself on the beach with the temp in the 80's, sunshining, and no kids to keep up with!

I don't think God is even up at that hour!

Sunday night Eric makes the comment that he's going to get up early and work out. He's setting his alarm for 6:30am. First of all, him getting up to his alarm is a joke. I've been waking him up when his alarm goes off sonce we got married. So if he's getting up that means I mostly likely will too. Unless my the grace of God I can fall back to sleep.
So Monday morning rolls around and his alarm goes off. I try to wake him up. He turns it off and goes back to sleep. I decided to go ahead and get up and moving. When I come back from the bathroom I happen to look at the clock.

5:30 am.

Who gets up that early???????

Turns out, since Eric had to open at work Sunday morning, he had his alarm set that early and never changed it. I'm still planning on kicking his butt for that when he least expects it!

Oh yeah and I was up for the day, and monday is 3 hours of dance classes. Then the icing on the cake was Nutcracker Rehearsal until 9pm. I finally got to bed at about 11p. I think I'm still tired and cranky!!!

Dakota's Birthday

Dakota's birthday went great. He's at that great age that he just loves everything he gets. Look, it's clothes!!!!!

He is not much of a morning person. When I take him to school, he's clingy and does not want to go in. So I leave him with both our feelings hurt. But when I pick him up I can tell he had a great time! Friday morning he was rather entertaining. We sang Happy Birthday before school. I was talking him up hoping for a good morning. We pull up to the school, and he doesn't want to get out of the car. I told him that after school, lunch and dinner, was his birthday party. He says, "Nope it's not my birthday." I said "Really, so your not 4?" He said "Nope I'm still 3." I just kindof laugh about that and tell him I'm sure his teacher will do something special for his birthday. His cousin had announced to her that Dakota's birthday was Friday and she said she knew, it was on their calendar, and she was excited. (teachers amaze me how they can make the kids feel so special!). So Dakota looks at me and says. Nope, my teacher doesn't know it's my birthday today! Well we ended up getting him into class with out a fit (score one for mommy!!!) and he had a wonderful day of course.

For starters

I've started to attempt this blog thing once. Lets see how it goes this time! lol.

In 3 days my baby will be 4. Yup, I offically will no longer have a baby. He will be a big boy. Actually he has been for quite some time now, I just don't want to admit it!

2 weeks from tomorrow I will be on my way to clearwater fl for my big brothers wedding. I will finally "officially" have a sister (well, so Eric's little sister counts too, but this is on my side!). I am going to be 1500 miles away from all my kids and my husband for 5 days and on the beach! I really don't know if I should be excited or not. It's hard to leave my family behind.