The Old Navy Experience

So, I have no flip flops for summer. All I have are these Merrill slip ons that are like fur lined...and it is getting really hot. I decide to stop at Old Navy to grab a pair of their $5 flip flops. Here I am walking in with my fur lined merrils on and shorts. Needless to say I was a little embarrased. Anyway, I grab some flip flops and head to the checkout counter. As I walk up to the line, a beautiful, youthful twenty something girl is standing in front of me all evenly tanned with cute short shorts and an even cuter shirt and lovely brown hair. (I am now even more embarrased). What always impresses me is how these girls get such an even tan. Is it the tanning booth? spray tanning? lotion from home? If any of y'all know - please fill me in. So I am really trying not to stare. Why do i stare? Because this is really how I want to look. I really want to, be tan, have thin long legs and pre-baby boobs - Just like I use to have about eight years ago. Why didn't I appreciate my great body when I had it? Is it really possible to get it back? I don't think I will ever look like I did when I was 22. But there is a part of me that believes I can look just as beautiful as I did ten years ago but in an older, more mature way. It takes a lot of extra work to take care of ourselves as moms because we are always giving so much to everyone else. And to all you cute twenty year olds who haven't had kids yet - your time will come, muahhhahahahaha!!! (One kid doesn't count. Read previous post)
-Dani

The diets I've tried

A huge issue we all face as stay at home moms is staying at a healthy weight. Some of us moms have it down. We are able to stay active enough and keep our calorie intake in check. Some of us have a harder time with it. We tend to gain a huge amount during our pregnancies and for some reason it is very hard to take off. With my first baby I didn't even have to try. I nursed and the pounds just melted away before I knew it. I thought the same thing would happen with my second baby....and it didn't. I lost hardley any weight. After my third, I worked really really hard and most of it came off but I gained it all back and then some by my fourth. With four kids you would think i wouldn't have a problem. So here i am almost two years later after my last baby and about thirty pounds overweight. We don't always realize it either. I was at a family dinner where pictures were taken. At the time I thought I looked pretty good but when the pictures came back, I realized I had the stereotypical "fat arms". I was pretty shocked. It is a struggle. I'll tell you though, when I lost all the weight after my third baby, I felt great. I felt strong, powerful, sexy, confident. It felt soooo good to put clothes on that were baggy instead of tight! I dread walking into my closet right now. I hate buying clothes because I can't buy the ones I really want to get. I want to feel strong again. Mabey talking about it on the blog will help me be accountable to myself. I'll keep ya'll updated with how i'm doing. So, Neenie and I have decided to lose ten pounds over the next two weeks. Since I have had my fourth child, I really haven't lost the weight and gotten back down to where I should be. I really need to lose about 30 pounds probably even 40 if I want a really rockin bod. So we thought it would be a good jump start to lose ten pounds in two weeks. I'm going to go with the Abs diet as my diet of choice this time around. Funny how I always said i wouldn't be "that girl" who struggles with my weight but here I am!
-Dani

The bachelorette cont...

Neenie and I both watch the bachelorette and love it!! Deanna is awesome! She is tough and pretty and really knows what to look for and she is really genuine. So, what guy is she going to pick? Graham - The hottie basketball player with whom she connects with like crazy? This last episode I could see their chemistry just ooze off the screen. There is also Jason and who does not like Jason? He is truly husband material right? I favor Jason. But we can't rule out Jeremy, he is definately still in the running. Also, I noticed that other guy this week, what was his name, the one that won the car race challenge. He is pretty sweet too. Did anyone lol with the "cook" guy. In his interviews he kept saying, "It takes chemistry and we have it. I know I am going to stay." Its funny how people get such a skewed sense of reality. 'Cause she was soooo not into him. What is it that is so appealing about watching other people's lives on TV? Its reality in a skewed sense. I suppose it should be call "Contained Reality" or "Controlled Reality" instead of just reality. But it is pure entertainment at its best.



Dani

The Bachelorette

Okay so I know it is kind of crazy but I am really into the bachelorette this year.  I was talking to Dani on the phone last night and was telling her all about Mondays episode (she is without cable right now).  Okay I am thinking that Grahm is a front runner.  I couldn't believe that he denied her a kiss.  She even asked for one.  I was telling Dani that the physical chemistry between them is so unreal.  You can see it and feel it.  I am also digging the guy with the kid.  He seems so real and down to earth.  We were talking about the show and how I actually think it is awesome that they can meet like that.  What a neat opportunity to meet someone really cool and experience all the romantic dates.  I know that it isn't real life and most people don't date how they are, but wow how romantic!  Sometimes I wish I could be swept away in a helicopter!  Any way so fun and I love the show.  I am going to put up a poll.  How many other people love the Bachelorette?

-neenie

Chickenuggety - putting value on what kids eat

When my six year old son said the other day that something he was eating tasted "chickennuggety" -referring to his favorite meal at McD's, I thought it might be time for a change in our diet.

In my quest to feed my family, I have found, for me, that it is a constant tug of war between healthy eating and prepared foods. Yeah, yeah, I know the American philosophy is that you can have instant prepared healthy food! Have your cake and eat it too. But I feel that so much is missing still. I am one of those "Natural" girls at heart and I have always felt a pull towards the organic, granola way of life. So, in my quest, I have discovered the french food philosophy! After research, and reading some books and cookbooks, ("Barefoot in Paris" -Ina Garten, "French Women Don't Get Fat" -Mireille Guiliano, "French Food at Home" - Laura Calder) I see that there are a few things the french do, that I do not.
1.The French eat fresh, and value the region. I didn't think about the fact that a tomato grown in California will taste different that one grown in Colorado. I never liked tomatoes until I grew them from my own garden.
2.The French see that less really is more. Good quality food that takes time and some effort to make or find, has concentrated flavors and more value. So we tend to eat less of it. It is much richer. ex. Homemade artisan bread vs. "wonder".
3. The French also keep a "contained variety" in their kitchen. They have accessible ingredients in their home all the time so they always have enough at home to make something good.
In the past my "contained variety" has been frozen pepperoni or cheese pizzas. - I don't think the French would count that.
I am going to try this summer to do a few things different. Some of which are: working on baking a mean loaf of bread, shopping the farmer's markets, and keeping a healthy "contained variety" in my kitchen so I don't have to worry about making something I don't have ingredients for.
And maby I will lose a couple of pounds along the way!

P.S. my husband asked me if I was going to write about our sex life. I said probably not. He said, "I wish you would, mabey we would get more hits" -Ha, ha

wait a minute

I called Neenie today.... Duh. Anyway, when she answered she was laying on her bed with kids crawling all over her. Our Conversation sounded something like this:
N -"I'm about ready to lose it."
D - "When is hubby coming home?"
N- "I think he is pulling up now."
D - "You know what you should do, tell hubby that you need a half hour of time to yourself. Just a half hour laying in your room with no kids will make a ton of difference. I promise"
N - Yes, but I can still hear the kids, it won't be relaxing to me."
D - "Dude, put your headphones on, listen to music and stay in your room for a half hour, minimum."

Did any of us think we would have crazy conversations like that? Has anyone ever had to actually lock themselves in their room and put headphones on just to refuel and get some peace and quiet? I have, and its the cheapest and easiest form of refueling the old tank. Be sure you have a lock on the door. - hmmm, I could seriously expand on the benefits of a lock on my bedroom door.....I'll save that thought for another post.
- Dani

Finally

Okay so I finally took the time to make my first post. Between, laundry, diapers, bottles, baths, gymnastics, breakfast, lunch, & dinner.... I am seriously exhausted at the end of the day. But, nevertheless I am here typing at 11:00 pm for all of you to read.
I am a stay at home mom with 6 children (4 of which are 1 year old quadruplets as my sister informed you already) Life has been tough this past year. So when do I have time for an awakening? Oh yah, that mommy time we are suppose to take for ourselves. Um...okay?
It seems like the only mommy time I get is when I run to the bathroom as fast as I can and hope none of the kids saw me. But, usually they find me and I have an audience and find myself conversating with my 7 or 4 year old whilst using the "potty". Any way enough of that. Back to my awakening. I suppose I had somewhat of an awakening 1 1/2 years ago when I found out I was pregnant with quads (who wouldn't right?). My life changed dramatically the very moment I heard the words................... "THERE ARE 4"!
Don't get me wrong, it absolutley changed my life for the better. I love my life and wouldn't change it for the world. Each one of my children bring joy, love, laughter, and much more to my life. They have made me a stronger mother and woman! Well, I have to go to bed now so I can get up for the morning feeding, but I will be back and can't wait to share more of my life with you!

-Maureen