Soooooo.... Yesterday I found out that the 5k my husband was supposed to run with my son is on the same day he's doing a 5.2 mile Mud Run.  Obviously that's a lot for one person to do in 1 day, so I've been drafted to do the 5k with Trevor.  Today I got up at 5 freakin' 30 in the morning to walk 3 miles, but I only made it a little over a mile before the blisters on my toes from yesterday's walk with the girls became so painful, I had to walk the rest of the distance limping with my toes curled in my shoes.  I did about 2 miles, so I'm going to pamper my feet and try for 3 on Friday in hopes that I won't have to hobble home like a drunk pirate.

That didn't stop me from my date with Chalene.  I put on the pair of sneakers I SHOULD have worn to begin with, as they fit my feet like appropriate athletic shoes, and I did Burn Circuit 2.  How was it, you ask?  Well, I finished an hour ago, and my arms still feel weak.  I was even more sore than yesterday, but I felt pretty good after the warm up.  Then she hit me with a ton of squats, lunges, rows, and curls.  I made it through, stopping here and there to catch my breath, but I felt good.  Then she had the audacity to make me do push ups.  And not just regular ones.  She has 3 versions, none of which I could do on my toes.  Well, I did bang out one regular one, but the rest were all knees, and I still couldn't do all of them.  I mean, who ends a work out with push ups? I had better wake up with Madonna arms tomorrow. 

For people that just want to see pictures of the kids and couldn't care less about my workout regimen, you're in luck.  I took pics of the girls while we were outside yesterday, and Victoria got a hold of the camera at some point to take some self portraits.

I'm going to try to post daily or at least weekly updates regarding the program in case anyone else out there is thinking about doing it.

Day 1 had me feeling strong and capable.  Day 2 has reminded me that I'm not as young as I used to be.  My ass and shoulders hurt like hell.  It's a good hurt, for sure, but still majorly uncomfortable.  Today is supposed to be a rest day, but since I'm a fatty fatty 2x4, I'm trying to step it up and do at least 30 min of cardio even on the rest days.

I have taken some before pics, but they are hideous as hell, and I refuse to post them until I drop some weight and have a decent after pic to post. Below are 2 from Disney World, where you can see me in all my glory.  The ones I took yesterday are in a bathing suit.  Imagine the horror.

    I could have posted this last week, but I wasn't sure how much I wanted to say since this is supposed to be about the kids, but I'm about to hijack the site and make it about me.  I thought about creating a different site, but I've already done that a few times, and it (obviously) does not keep me honest.  I deleted them within weeks of creating them.  I can't delete this one, since it's all about my precious angels (ha!).  So...here goes...

Last Saturday, we had Trevor's birthday party in which he invited 2 friends to go to Frankie's Fun Park.  I awoke with a twinge in my back.  I thought I slept funny, but it got progressively worse until I was barely moving in the grocery store while trying to pick up Trevor's monstrosity of a cake.  Somehow I managed to shuffle my way through the check out and to the car and then had to put the heavy groceries (sodas, etc) into the car.  This made things worse, but I knew this was going to be the easiest part of my day.

I managed to survive Frankie's, mostly by clinging to Sophie's stroller for dear life.  Every bend and twist caused torturous sharp pains to run across my entire back.  I picked my brain trying to recall every incident that could have caused this much pain, and I want to say it was something heroic or adventurous, but the only activities I'd participated in recently were playing basketball with Trevor and cleaning the house for his party.  That's when it hit me that my weight had become a problem.  I couldn't even do regular activities anymore without causing injury.

I went to the doctor, and she confirmed it was a back strain likely due to activity combined with my weight.  My weight has steadily climbed through college, marriage, and having kids, but I've never had any medical problems related to it.  I always figured I'd get it off eventually, and I wanted to get in shape before clinicals, but I wasn't strict about any diet or exercise regimen.  This injury meant I needed to get in better shape fast.  With school and raising 3 kids, I can't afford to be sidelined. 

Enter Chalean Extreme. I saw reviews of the program on Amazon, and it seemed a better starting point for a beginner than P90X (I'm a sucker for infomercials), so I ordered it.  Today was day 1, and I have to say I hung in there better than I thought I would-except for the push ups.  I was on my knees, but dammit, I did them. Also, I had 2 little girls that were on my heels almost the entire time.  When I would lie down, they would lie down.  When I picked up weights, they picked up weights.  It was frustrating, but cute, I have to admit.

So, that's the deal.  For the next 90 days, I'll be doing this program, and will hopefully have some results to show in 3 months.

And now for what most of you have come for...pics of the kids.  These are from Trev's b-day party.

    Two posts in 1 day? That's right.  I'm overly ambitious tonight.  Remember this when another month goes by with nothing.

Today is my oldest child's birthday.  I was thinking about him today, and what I really thought about was the fact that his sisters should be grateful that he was first, or one or both of them would likely not exist.  He was...and still is...an ideal child.  He has his issues like every kid, but for the most part, he listens to me and tries his best to do what's expected and try not to disappoint.  I think it's a first born perfectionist thing.  They put so much pressure on themselves that the parents don't really have to be too forceful. This is a godsend in a house of 3 kids to 2 parents.  The second he was born, I realized why I was put on this Earth, and he gave me a gift no one else can.  I love being a Mom, and I'm so happy he broke me in gradually.  Unfortunately, he left me totally unprepared for the dual estrogen storm that has been coursing through the house for the last few years.  He, however, handles the girls like a pro, aggravating them as only an older brother can but knowing when to show them love and support.  He is an amazing human being, and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to watch him grow into the person he will become.

    Over the past month, I've taken the kids to the beach, suffered through midterms, and relaxed over Spring Break.  It's time to get back into the swing of things, and I have a ton of pics to post.  I'm much better about posting on Facebook, since it's quick and easy, and quick and easy is what I need right now.

Beach pics

Wesley took the kids to Edventure so I could study for my midterms...

Sophie has an unhealthy obsession with numbers and letters.  This drove her to actually pick off several letters on my keyboard, which she now tries to do every time I leave the room.

Crayola makes colored bubbles, which sound really cool until you give them to a 2yo who hasn't quite gotten the concept of "blow" down.

By the way, Sophie made the Internet again.  They posted this super cute one of her green face, but unfortunately, they thought she was a boy.  See the internet posting here.

OK, so sometimes (a lot of times), you encounter ignorance, prejudice, bad driving, etc. living here, but somehow it all seems worth it when it's the middle of February and 62 degrees and sunny outside.   Also, I wanted to thank my family (husband) for my wonderfully sweet gifts- a stethoscope, which Sophie has claimed as her own, and a new watch, both of which will help me with this Nursing thing I'm pursuing.  Happy Valentine's Day.

I say yearly because in Sophie's short 2 year duration, she's already been to the ER twice.  The first time, she was a mere 6 weeks old.  She had gotten the flu from Trevor, and I had always been told that fevers in babies under 3 months were a big no-no.  Kids older and stronger than she was have died from the flu.  Needless to say, I was freaked out, and we rushed her to the ER on the advice of her pediatrician.  Then they poked and prodded my little girl until she and I were both in tears, only to diagnose her with the flu (duh!) and send us home 4 hours later.  They had wanted to admit her and also wanted to do a spinal tap to rule out meningitis (didn't they hear me when I told them her brother had a confirmed case of the flu???), but we opted to take her home and keep a close eye on her instead.  She made it through like the trooper she is.

Cut to yesterday.  Sophie was hanging off the couch, as the girls like to do for whatever reason.  Her hand slipped, and she face planted on the floor.  She hit hard, so I knew it had to hurt, and I was totally prepared for the imminent screams and tears.  She sat up, took a deep breath, and then nothing.  She had flopped over on her side on the ground with her blanket over her face.  I thought she was doing that thing where they a really quiet for several seconds before yelling loud enough to make your ears bleed.  When I pulled back the blanket, her eyes were rolled back, and she was snoring.  I knew this meant she had a concussion.  You would think I learned this in Nursing school, but no, I learned it from watching Johnny Knoxville on Jackass get his face punched in by some boxer.  He had the same reaction.  The point is, I knew it wasn't a good thing for a 2-year-old to be doing.  I got on the ground, grabbed her by both arms, and jostled her and spoke to her very loudly, trying to wake her up.  She came to a several terrifying seconds later, so I had to keep her awake while frantically calling the pediatrician.  They said an ER visit was in order, so off we went.  Luckily we had a sensible doctor that had a list of criteria to be met before putting a toddler through a CAT Scan.  Was she out for more than a minute, showing signs of neurological problems, acting unlike herself, unresponsive?  No to all, so no CAT Scan was ordered.  It was a wait and see situation at this point, because as I was told, brain bleeds (BRAIN BLEEDS???!!!) would happen within the first 4hours.  So Sophie and I sat in the room for the next few hours.  Well, I sat, and she climbed. And she jumped. And she screamed, and she blabbed.  So, luckily for us, she was in good working order.  She was finally diagnosed with minor brain trauma, which is hospital speak for minor concussion.  Today she is being treated to anything and everything she wants- food, soda, tv.  It's Sophie's day today and probably for the next few days  because I know how bad it could have been and am so grateful that it wasn't. 

Update*** This is the video I'm talking about.  This is what is was like, except I didn't punch Sophie, and she's not a mentally handicapped adult that has a career getting hit in the crotch with random objects.

Ok, so not a technical blizzard, but by SC standards, it was Snowpocalypse 2011.  We are officially snowed in and have been all day.  There's a nice coating of ice on top of 5 plus inches, not to mention the additional ice that may pile up tonight, so it looks like we'll be housebound for another day.  After the Disney trip, then the holidays, and now the snow, I'm just impressed that everyone is still alive.  God help us if we lose power, though.  Then, it's every man for himself.

To celebrate the snow storm as well as Sophie's birthday, we had a playroom camp out complete with a tent and roasted marshmallows.  We also had the grandparents up to celebrate on Saturday.  I tested my cake decorating skills (or lack there of ) by making a Brobee cake.  Sophie knew who it was supposed to be, so that's all that mattered to me.

This year has certainly not ended up where I thought it would. Thank God for small miracles, right?!  So many things have happened, so I thought I'd do a little Year In Review piece.  So here are the highlights from 2010...

1. Vic had pink hair.

This was supposed to be a temporary hair do, but it ended up lasting until the chlorine faded out the color sometime in June or July.  I loved it.  In fact, as soon as she'll let me do it again, I'm going to.  She loved the color, too, just not the process.  Also, after the pink faded, it left these perfectly placed blonde highlights.  Not bad for an amateur, if I do say so myself.

2. We got 8 mother effin inches of snow.

I know it's nothing up North, but down here in the South, it's a damn blizzard. The last time Columbia had seen that much snow was when we were in college, so this was pretty momentous.   The city all but shuts down.  School is closed, and forget about being able to get to work.  I love snow days.  It's a great excuse to pop popcorn, make hot chocolate, snuggle under blankets, and watch movies. 

3. Sophie got famous by ripping out her teacher's hair.

Sophie was quite the little scrapper in daycare.  This was proven once again when she decided to take a chunk out of Ms. Linda's hair, which she so kindly taped to the daily sheet along with a note...a passive aggressive note, to be exact.

4. We got a dog.

She's still not potty trained, by the way, and she's like 10 times bigger than she should be.  Half chihuahua my ass.

5. Sophie hit all the milestones: walking, going from crib to toddler bed, first haircut , and the beginning of potty training.

That last one is still a work in process, but we're getting there.

6. I became a stay at home mom.

This was not by choice, mind you, and at the time was a huge blow, but this has by far been the most positive thing to happen to me in years, aside from the birth of my children, of course.  I never knew how much I gave up by working and how easily we would be able to transition into this lifestyle.  I am looking forward to rejoining the workforce after I finish school, but for now, I am soaking in every minute I'm lucky enough to have with these kids because I'm able to stay home.  If I had known how wonderful this would be, I would have made it happen years ago.

7. My son became a rock star.

Ok, that may be a bit of an overstatement, but he's stuck with it for over 8 months now, which is a record for an activity.  He's getting pretty good, too, so I'm hoping he sticks with it.

8. We've been married for 10 long, long, long years.

I joke, but that's like a record these days.  I can't believe it's been 10 years.  I'm amazed that we have 3 kids, and 1 of them is almost 9.  It's crazy.  I still think of myself as that burgundy haired college kid listening to Brit Pop and thinking I was so different than everyone else.  Then, like everyone else, I got married, popped out kids, got a sensible sedan, and went to Disney World.  That trip was the final nail in this little Goth girl's coffin.

9. As I just mentioned, we saw the most famous mouse.

It was an amazing trip, which at least one of them will remember, hopefully 2.  We also went to the beach a few times, the mountains,  and the lake.  One thing I've learned is that the kids are actually very good travelers.  I hope we can visit some new places next year.

10. I started Nursing school.

I linked the only post I could find where I really talked about it.  I noticed that I didn't write about it at all this semester, and it dawned on me that it was because I didn't write much at all this semester, which should tell you how grueling it was.  I was very scared at the beginning of the semester.  I thought I would be the oldest chick in there with a bunch of young things just starting out.  I was wrong.  I'm probably right in the middle.  There are several people older than me and many in my same boat- mother of small children, second career, etc.  The bottom line is that I finished out the semester strong- decent grades and confidence gained.  I know it will get harder as I go, but I feel like I'm on the right career track for the first time ever in my life.  I can't wait until it's all said and done and I am helping to save lives and truly make a difference.  I think being a Nurse goes hand in hand with being a mother.  I feel like I've been in training for 8 years.

It's been an amazing year, and 'm so grateful to have ended up where I am.  I look forward to the new year with anticipation and finally feel like evrything is falling right into place.

Something's going on.  I don't know what, but the past few weeks have gone off without a hitch.  First, I finished my first semester in school in 10 years with 2 B's and an A.  I was hoping for 2 A's and a B, but close enough.  It was as much proof as I needed that I am making the right decision in going back to school instead of going back to work. 

Second, Disney World was probably the best trip we've ever taken with the kids.  Obviously every kid loves Disney World, so it was no surprise that they were well-behaved at the parks, but for as exhausted as we stayed throughout the trip, there were no major blow ups or meltdowns.  Even the 8 hour trips there and back were peaceful.  The kids shared their dvd players with the baby and rotated between watching movies, listening to Ipods, and coloring.  They were crammed in the back seat like sardines, which should have been a recipe for disaster, but they didn't act the least bit bothered by it. 

The trip itself was fantastic.  The parks were draped in garland and lights, and each park had a ginormous tree greeting you as you walked in.  The cast members go all out to make you feel special and act as though it's their greatest pleasure to serve you.  I have to give Disney high marks on customer service.  Even the cleaning staff aimed to please, arranging the kids' stuffed animals on the bed, and even putting Sophie's precious "Corny" in the window to greet us after coming back from the park.  Our timing on the trip was impeccable.  We walked right up to several shows that were just about to begin.  We made it just in time to see them turn on the icicle lights on Cinderella's castle as well as the Holiday Wishes fireworks.  At MGM we finished the Toy Story ride and walked to the Streets of America just as the Osborne lights were turning on.  The worst day was Monday, which was the beginning of Christmas week, the most crowded week at Disney World.  Even then, we were able to get some fast passes and do most of what we wanted.   The trip went so fast, it was almost a blur.

We returned home and only had a couple of days to prepare for Christmas.  Even that wasn't too stressful.  We were cleaning last minute, but that's the norm for us.  My mother-in-law graciously prepared Christmas dinner, so I didn't even have to worry about that.  The kids got everything on their list and nothing more, which made them happy as well as us. 

And then, by some miracle, to top off the greatest holiday ever, this happened...

Ok, yes, it was the day after Christmas, but still.  In all my years, I have never seen snow this close to Christmas.  I'm sure Northerners would chuckle at the thought, but the 3 inches we got made everything complete.  I can't tell you how many 70 degree Christmases I've been through, so it was amazing for it to actually feel and look like a Christmas you see in movies and on TV...just this once.  It has been an amazing few weeks, and I don't remember being happier.