Did You Really Wanna Know...

I was tagged by Nicole. Here are the rules:
Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I have a vein thing. I CANNOT stand to have anyone touch my veins, especially the ones in my wrist, elbow crook, and temple. I practically hyperventilate every time I have to get labs done.
2. My Big Redneck Wedding is my new obsession. My favorite is with John and Amber in Georgia.
3. When Tom's gone for the nite, I have to fall asleep with the TV on.
4. I have to go out and get the mail as soon as it's delivered, even if I'm still in my pj's. I can't stand to leave it sit out in the box.
5. Even though I swore I would never drive a van, I'm completely in love with my Caravan. The person that invented in-car DVD players and stow&go seating is a genius.
6. I got a toe ring over 10 years ago from a little girl that I babysat for and I've never taken it off.
7. Even though I have my teaching degree, I secretly hope I never have to use it and can always be a SAHM.

Late Birthday Wishes Again!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Lil' Miss Audrey Catherine Grace!!! Did you know that I always wanted a little girl and God sent me you! I love you!!!

I Am So Gonna Die

So track season officially begins tomorrow. This will be my third year as head varsity girls' coach at JCS and call me psycho but I think I'm going to attempt to do their workouts with them. See, 10 years ago I was "Miss Track and Field" at JCS. I "trained" all year long for the sport and even competed my freshman year in college. Then I got engaged and had to focus on "life", which unfortunately didn't include competitive running, but the upcoming wedding was motivation to stay in shape. Even after getting married I stayed relatively fit, thanks in part to Beth and our stinkin' cheap gym memberships.

Well, everything changed the moment I found out I was pregnant. Instead of hitting the gym after work, I hit the couch. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with Carnation instant breakfast become my new favorite snack.

Three years ago I was offered the opportunity to take over the coaching position from my former coach who was retiring and I jumped at the chance. That was the spring that I was pregnant with Lexi. I actually attempted to run a couple of times with the girls. I was 20 weeks along and we were practicing on JCC's piece of crap track. I was in the middle of a relay hand- off with my sprinters when I completely lost my balance and went stumbling down the track headed for a major wipe out. Fortunately, the runner I was handing off to heard me shriek and turned around just in time to catch me. I happened to casually mention to my doc at my next appointment that I was "thinking" about running with my girls. He quickly nixed that idea explaining to me that my sense of balance could be off with my growing tummy and he wouldn't want me to take a nasty spill. Okaaaay.... I announced to my girls that the doc had told me that running was a no-go but that I would definitely run with them next year.

Well, that next year was last year and did I run? Nope. Wait, wait, scratch that. Yes, I did. I ran a 400 which killed me and then the SAME DAY I ran a 200 sprint. What was I thinking!?!? I am not lying when I say that my entire body reminded me for 3 days of my stupidity. After that I found it much easier and comfortable to yell encouragement from the sidelines.

But now track is starting again and I really want to run. The problem is I don't know if my body will allow me to. My legs have always been really sore and achy whether from an intense workout or being on them all day. I had 2 false positive tests for lupus last year; so even though I don't have the disease I still ache alot. Plus, I'll be heading straight to work 2 or 3 days every week from practice and I'm afraid I'll be so sore that work will be unbearable. What I'm trying to figure out is if these are all legit reasons or if I've just got way too many excuses for my own good.

I put on 35lbs. with Austin's pregnancy and 40 for both of the girls'. Even though I'm only 5 lbs. away from my pre-babies weight, I have, shall we say, a "softer" physique. I have love handles and a tummy pooch. I have "grandma" arms and flabby thighs. I'm not necessarily trying to lose weight, I just want my clothes to fit like they did 6 years ago. I want to feel healthy again. So I'm going to do it. I'm going to run with my girls and I am going. to. die. At least my clothes will look good on me for my funeral.

When All Else Fails...

... bake cookies! My kids love to bake with me, so I decided to try the recipe for oatmeal scotchies on the back of the toll house butterscotch bag. They were so yummy, sugar is an instant cure-all for the blues!

This pic is from back in November. Notice the kids' matching aprons- my grandma made them for my mom and me when I was probably around Audrey's age.

Oh, and I knew today was going to be a better day when I woke up and saw the sun shining! Thanks for the positive comments=)

MIA

I'm back... briefly. It's been close to 2 weeks that I've been absent in blog land and I've begun to feel a little guilty from being so neglectful. So much has happened and I don't have nearly enough time to elaborate. (this year for Lent I haven't completely given up the Internet, but I have so boldly declared to spend less than a half hour a day online, yikes- what was I thinking!!! This might actually be harder than the year I limited desserts. So this is one excuse for my absence). The other? Life around Hosmerville has been a matter of survival lately. Financial survival, that is. For any of you who have lived paycheck to paycheck, I'm sure you can relate to me when I say that being poor sucks. I am completely exhausted both mentally and physically right now. (i.e., most nites I just have no energy to even consider blogging.)

I'm working (alot) more and making (ALOT) less. And I feel like my efforts are all for naught. I was gone 4 nites this week (1 voluntarily- scrapbooking-yay!;) I got home after my kids were sleeping last nite and was back out the door 3 1/2 hours later for work. Austin told Tom this morning that he was missing me because, "mommy never came home last nite." For someone who just wants to be a SAHM, being away from my kids this much is killing me. I hit bottom tonite (at least I hope I did, because that means things can only get better) when I got online and saw that our checking account has insufficient funds. It only gets better, as Monday our car insurance premium will be processed and Tom and I don't get paid again until the end of next week.

Yes, I have sunk to a new low. Late Tuesday nite as the kids were snoozing soundly I snuck into their rooms and shook their piggy banks almost dry. I actually left a few coins in each so in case they shook them it would sound like there was still money in there. How do you explain to a 5 and 2 year old that mommy and daddy needed your pennies so we could put gas in the van this week.

Waa, waa, woe is me. Ok, enough of this pity party. I promise I'll be back in a couple of days with good stuff. Like how Ed was accidentally left out all nite and somehow survived in the freezing cold (really, a miracle), how we celebrated Austin's b-day and I (at the ripe old age of 27) became a grandma. How we (sob) enrolled my baby for kindergarten next fall. Oooh! and I got tagged from Erica to share with y'all my purse and all of its lovely contents therein. Happy birthday, Beth! Hopefully your 30th was a great one! So here's to hoping for a better week! The hope of spring's appearance and better yet, the hope of our tax return's appearance in our mailbox!!!