Size XL please!!!

Hooray!!! I am so excited. I went shopping for the first time since we joined the foreign service and I started do physical activity in an attempt to shed some pounds. When we got to VA in January I was pushing the seam limits of my size 22 jeans and wearing 2X shirts (an attempt to hide the many rolls that exist in the middle of my body). This is hard to tell everyone. What woman wants everyone to know her size? Especially when it's a PLUS size. It's hard to shop for that size too. The only clothes that exist in the larger sizes within my budget are very, pardon me for saying, "Old Lady-ish". There is no style whatsoever to them and I would like to look my age if not younger. And those stores that do cater to the younger larger woman are more pricey and I can only afford the clearance items that have been marked down several times in an attempt to get rid of last years styles.

So, back to the story. Oakwood offered Yoga twice a week and I had always wanted to try it so I jumped in and add Yoga to my schedule for the Lent season. I bought a pair of XXL yoga pants on the clearance rack at Wal*Mart (sounds funny to say clearance and Wal*Mart in the same sentence) and a yoga mat and hid in the back of the room each week. It was more of a work out than I thought it would be but I kept telling myself that this is what I needed. I usually eat right but have always lacked the physical activity needed to loose any weight.

I knew that something was happening when I was able to touch my toes again, probably the first time since having kids. I was so excited at this new found flexibility but Ben didn't quite get it, even though he is still not able to touch his toes. Then I started noticing that my size 22 was no longer bulging and I was having to roll down the waist of my pants to keep them up. Since all of our summer clothes were in storage we were forced to buy some summer clothes while there so that we could dress weather appropriate. I was able to buy a size 20, and even got a pair of capris that said size 18 (I guess it all depends on the brand). SCORE! I think I only bought one shirt and it was of course a 2X. I remember trying the smaller sizes and feeling a little discouraged but I was still able to buy a size smaller than I was wearing before so....happy, happy, joy, joy.

I didn't buy too much because I knew I still had some clothes in storage that I would need to try on and that maybe would fit me right now that I had "Flexability". And I was right. When we finally got our shipment from storage I had a couple of pairs of shorts that I was embarrased to wear last summer that I love wearing now. They are size 20 and are fitting a little loose, which is ok with me. I always prefer things to be a little loose than skin tight. I also had several pairs of capris that were the larger size that I have since retired to the Goodwill. My dresses fit better too. Big thumbs up there because I like wearing dresses, it makes me feel girly even though I am most definately NOT.

So for lack of anything better to do, and out of a need for a little de-stressing, I went shopping last week. I had no intentions of buying anything but ended up with several new items to add to my wardrobe. One day it was Kohl's only because it was across the street from BJ's and I had about 20 minutes to kill before picking up Andy from school. Those clearance racks really paid off for me. I got 2 shirts for $12 and the girl circled the receipt and told me that I had saved something like $54. WOW!!! Next it was Ross where I found a cute little knit dress for everyday wear. I actually took pictures with my phone in the dressing room and emailed them to Ben and he let me know which one he liked best. Isn't technology great?! Finally I hit Target after a big blow up with Danny the day before and spent 2 whole hours there alone! LOVED IT! I don't think I have ever been anywhere for that long by myself before. It wasn't too dangerous either. I managed to find a 12 person tent, original price of $199.99, on clearance for $50! I snatched that up very quickly. I also bought 2 more shirts and a bathing suit coverup, costing me no more than $3 each.  I almost forgot that I hit up Wal*Mart on Friday and found a pair of size 18 shorts that fit perfectly for only $4. Yipee! The best part of all is that the 4 shirts that I bought in all last week were all sized XL! Who would have thought that I would ever be able to fit into an XL and it look good on me. I took a picture with my sisters this weekend and love the way I look in it. I have a waist again, and even my chin looks thinner. Now I am just being too vain! I know that I still have a long way to go but am proud of myself for how far I have already come, even if it is only 2 sizes.

This made my whole weekend, and made up for everything that had gone wrong last week. I was, and still am, so proud of myself and excited that I finally look the size I feel. Now I guess I should start feeling a size 10 or so?! Naaa, I think I will stick to a 16/18 for a little while. That is where I always wanted to get back to. Baby Steps.

UUGGHHH!!!!!!!

WHY? Why, when you are going to be out of the country for 2 weeks would you want to sit in front of your computer and ignore your family? I just don't understand it. Your son comes to you and asks if he can read to you and you tell him you will after you are done on the computer. I go in and you are playing a game, not doing work on said computer, while downloading another game on your laptop nearby. WTF?

Why do you not help put the kids to bed? Why, after they are in bed do you remain on the computer while your neglected-feeling wife sits in the living room watching a show that YOU want to see but sluff her off saying "It's recording"? Ugh! I don't get it.

I wish I could understand the rationale that goes through that head. It sure does make one feel horrible and makes crystal clear where the priorities are. Just sayin.

So agravated right now!

Mean Mommy

I am now the Meanest Mommy ever. Over the weekend the boys lost ALL of their toys in their room. ALL of them! Is it wrong to make your kids sit and watch you get rid of all of their toys?

The 3 boys share one huge room and it has been a never-ending battle to get them to keep it picked up. They have plastic bins for each collection they have; legos, transformers, star wars.... These storage bins fit nicely under their beds and are easily accessible for them to play with so it's  not like these toys don't have any where to go. We ask everyday for them to clean it up with the same result, Danny runs off screaming that we "Always make him clean by himself" and the other 2 run upstairs and play with said toys. Thus causing Danny to yell at the other two more with phrases like "Clean up" or "Come on guys" and then he starts screaming at the top of his lungs to them.

Danny is quite a good cleaner-uper. I think that I have encouraged him too much in the past, letting him stop once he has done half of the cleaning for the others to finish it. He is used to this now and always asks "Do I only have to clean half?". Well I did this. He now just sits around waiting for Benny and Andy to help him. Well Benny is lazy and sits around watching everyone else do the hard work and Andy follows whatever his big brother does. Someone to play with, WOO HOO! This drives Danny insane.

So after a whole weekend of asking them to clean up their room Ben and I decided we would do it for them. We had already taken the 3 large under bed bins full of Legos away the week prior. Didn't phase them at all. This time we made them come down and sit on the couch while we went up and cleaned house. It took a little while because we had to sort things into the right boxes but then we got everything cleaned out and moved to the garage. There was now NOTHING in their room but a bookshelf with plenty of books to read and a few plastic chairs and some small blankets. That's IT!

Danny was so upset, as he usually is, letting us know that he did not like that we took all of his toys away. They were sitting on the couch so they got to see each box coming down and heading to the garage. They all went up to inspect the damage when we were done. They expressed some disappointment but within 15 minutes were playing something in their room together. Later when I went up for bedtime I saw the plastic chairs with the blankets over top of them like they were trying to make a fort. At least they were using their imagination and there wasn't a huge mess. You could actually walk across the room.

Day 1 after the toys were gone was amusing to me. The morning went ok beccause they don't really play before school. After school, though, and after homework was done I was asked several times "What can I do?" to which I replied "Read a book". Ellie piped up and told the boys that they could play with her Barbies. They jumped on that opportunity immediately. It is quite funny though that they have nothing to play with in their rooms but can find something to do. Amazing isn't it.

I don't know how long we will keep them deprived but 1 day is definately not long enough. I am waiting for any signs of understanding, which may never come knowing these 3 boys. 

ALL of their toys, now taking up room in the garage.