Exercise by Proxy...

Do you still burn calories if it is your children doing your exercise videos? If so, soon I am going to one skinny little lady...

I'm AMAZING!!

Hola. Me llamo Rachel. Me gusta HELADO!!

I am fascinated by other languages and have always wanted to learn another one. Unfortunately, I've been stuck with the high school method of teaching Spanish.

"Okay, clase. Now we are going to sing our Spanish speaking countries song...directly after we play BINGO only speaking in Spanish. Begin - 'Mexico D.F. Mexico, Guatemala, Guatemala, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, San Salvador, El Salvado, Managua, Nicaragua..."

I really learned a lot and am almost fluent as long as someone only wants me to sing the names of the countries that speak Spanish in Central America or play BINGO with them. Kind of a sad thing for me. Well, I realized the other day that I shall be sad no longer...I will rejoice, for motherhood has given me one more thing to be grateful for. I am now "multi-lingual."

The Little Boxer (which shall now be her new name as Marc, my brother calls her, stemming from the fact that she almost always has some sort of bruise or scrape on her head (from a very unsteady running/walking gait)) stands near the fridge and shrieks. I come running..."oh, you want your milk." She begins panting..."do you see an animal somewhere?" More shrieking..."let me carry you down the stairs." She has me well trained. The other day, my mom was over for lunch and watched the conversation between the Little Boxer and I. "How on earth do you always know what she wants?" Me: "I guess I'm just multi-lingual." (I didn't really say this, but this was when the realization came).

I also 'dimember', 'degot', 'digive', get 'cuck', pick up 'gicks', and love 'gogs'. (remember, forgot, forgive, get stuck, pick up sticks, and love dogs). Like I said, I am multi-lingual...just another of the WONDERFUL gifts of motherhood.

The Genius Wheat Grinder Man

One of my favorite quotes that I think of often as I am scarfing down the last of the 9X13 pan of brownies that I made that very morning is, "I'd rather die young and happy, then old and miserable." Meaning, "I think that treats and unhealthy food is the only way to be happy and since we all know that eating this way causes you to die early...oh well...I guess I'm dying young." Unfortunately, I know that it probably is not a 100% accurate statement! It is still not movtivation enough for me to give up the ice cream and chocolate and whatever else is in sight. But, I went to an Enrichment activity this week at our church where a man in the wheat grinder business spoke to us about food storage and wheat and other healthy practices. I was enjoying it, thinking "Oh, maybe someday, I'll get around to that whole grain stuff...being healthy and all" when suddenly, the genius man whipped out 'the quote.' He must have known he was talking to a bunch of young mothers. "It is a sobering thought when we realize, as mothers, that the health and well-being of our beloved family depends nearly entirely upon our knowledge and loving care." GUILT GUILT GUILT

Well, probably needless to say, I went and bought a wheat grinder and Bosch mixer today and made my very first whole grain wheat bread. It was very expensive bread!!! The only thing I am trying to figure out is - Is it really more healthy to eat a whole loaf of fresh wheat bread with dinner followed by a couple slices as a bed time snack or just eat one little slice of store bought wheat bread for breakfast? I guess we should add "depends nearly entirely upon our knowledge and loving care, and self control" to the quote.

Here's to learning self control............I'd do anything for these little guys (and big guy)!!

Holes, Tails, Tears, and TROUBLE

I have a little girl that is obsessed with climbing into and on top of things. Any little hole that is anywhere, I find her down it. Any little ledge, I find her on it. Any little basket, I find her in it. Peyton never climbed out of his crib and we finally ended up just moving him to a big boy bed when he was three. I used to think it was because I was such a good mom, but I've realized, as I have with most everything else, that that is probably not the case. He just wasn't a CLIMBER!! Ellie is...and I'm just waiting for the day when she launches herself out of her crib at the age of one. Anyway, here are a few of her FAVORITE places around our house.

One of my friends has a little girl that is about 7 years old whose hair is always done perfectly and beautifully. I aksed her a couple months after Ellie was born how she does it and how she gets her little girl to hold still while she does it. She said, "well, I think you just have to start from Day 1 doing their hair and then they don't really know any different. If you don't start right from the beginning, I think they have a hard time all of the sudden being expected to hold still." AAAAAHHH!! Ellie was already 2 months old and she hardly had any hair anyway! I was way past "Day 1." I thought I was going to have problems with her for the rest of my life (not that it really matters all that much if they even get their hair done when they are little). I started from that day trying to do her hair. I got teased a little bit about the tiny clips...people asking if I glued them in, but guess what...I did pigtails (sort of) in her hair today and she even kind of held still while I did it. So cute!!

Peyton started his first day of preschool today. So sad to have him gone for a couple of hours...so happy to have him gone for a couple of hours. I talked to my mom this morning after he left. I was feeling a little emotional and she said I better get used to it. Motherhood is full of feeling opposite feelings. You don't want them to grow up, but you do want them to grow up. You don't want to send them to kindergarten, but you're so happy when they go to kindergarten. You don't want them to go on a mission, but you do want them to go desperately. You want them to get married, but you don't want them to get married. Anyway, I'm so happy that he is in preschool, but I'm so sad that he is old enough to go to preschool.

Lastly, I have a tendency to say dumb things a lot...i.e. "Holy smokes" or "Oh my gosh." Peyton used to say these same things sometimes, and it was a little bit funny. Well, in the last day or two, he has suddenly combined the two and says "Holy gosh" about EVERYTHING. He sees a bird on a tree, "holy gosh mom, there's a bird on that tree...holy gosh, that hurt...holy gosh, I had so much fun at preschool." I feel so mortified every time he says it...it just seems little irreverent, but the more I draw attention to it, the more he says it!! I'm trying to plant other statements in his head like "WOOHOO Peyton, there is a bird in that tree...HOT DOG, I love to eat ice cream...ZIPPADEEDOODAH, what a great day!", but he hasn't quite picked up on those yet.