Okay, so I have been working hard to curb my "potty" language around my kids. I think I'm doing pretty well. I still have an occasional "Dammit!" here and there, quietly, of course, but overall have cut most of it off. There was a moment yesterday where I hit my head and screamed out, "SHIT!", but I don't even think they heard me, so...It helps that most of my conversations are with them, at which times I feel no need to use such language. Well...most of the time, if you get my drift!

Anyway, I was quite thrown for a loop the other day, when, while eating dinner, TJ busted out with this:

"Get out of my fuckin' car!"

He and Taryn were playing with Matchbox cars while they ate at the table. I wasn't really paying attention to the plot of the storyline they were in, but I'm sure it had to do with going to the "moooobie tee-ater" and fighting bad guys (every single time it does). That line kinda popped out of nowhere. I asked TJ what he had just said, and he was so kind as to repeat it for me. We had a talk about why that was bad, and that little kids don't say words like that. He seemed to get it.

So, later, when I was on the phone with my mom, and the kids were playing in another room, I figured it'd be okay to tell her what happened. I actually used the word "f-ing" instead of the right word, in case they did hear me. They did hear me. TJ came running into the room and said, "No, Mommy, the word was 'fucking'!" Wow.

So I thought about it, and I've decided that this one is not my fault. I've noticed lately that when we are in the car, and Trey is driving, he uses very colorful language when someone pisses him off. I've heard him use that very word several times, and on occasion I point out that there are ears in the back of the car that can hear and repeat him. He was with the kids the day before, and had been driving for a while. I'm pretty sure TJ picked it up then. So, for now, I feel better. Only somewhat, of course, as it still shows that we have some work to do to curb our mouths before we make little people with mouths as bad as our own!

Well, perhaps this will win me some kind of award for "Worst Mother Ever" or something. At the very least, perhaps TJ will figure out to use this nice little 'f' word on the playground when some bully is kicking his ass. That would be nice, I suppose.

Today I weighed myself, and so far I've lost 8 lbs. Yeah, it's not anywhere near as much as Trey and Butch have lost in their competition, but it's a start. I've gone to work out twice now, just doing a half hour of cardio for now. Today was TONS easier than the last time, so that's cool. This is all very exciting!

What's also exciting is that we have a trip coming up. Trey and his friend Mike decided they wanted to have a big group go skiing, so we found a house and it's on. At the end of February we will be going to Gatlinburg for skiing and fun. TJ chose that instead of having a birthday party, and my friend Ashley's little girl (who's 5th birthday is in Feb.) will also be celebrating her birthday there with us. How fun! There will be 6 couples going, as well as some kids. We haven't decided if we're taking all three of ours yet or not. I feel like we should, though, b/c Taryn's more excited about it than TJ is! Anyway, check out the house we're going to be staying in, it's pretty cool, and quite a nice price! Smoky Mountain Mist

I guess that's about all of the good news for now. I'm going to go try to fit in a few minutes of tv before I take a shower and pass out for the night. I hope you have a great day, and I'll see you soon!

Because it's SO much easier! Today I went to my first workout session at the YMCA. All I had to do was exercise on the cardio equipment for 30 minutes. All I had to do! P-sha! It seemed easy enough. She wanted me to get my heart rate up to 143 for most of the time, but that wasn't happening. I managed to get it there for a few minutes shortly after I started, and I thought for sure my heart was going to beat right out of my chest and I was going to die! I did my best, with a couple of breaks in between, and lived to the end of my time. When I finished, I was sure that at any moment I was going to fall over dead. I didn't, but I sure wanted to. I'm supposed to go back on Thursday, but man, I'm scared just thinking about it! I know it's a good thing, though, and that it will get easier with time...if I don't fall over dead first! However, I will mention that I kinda forgot to eat lunch before I went (lost track of the time), and I didn't eat a whole lot for breakfast four and a half hours before. I also didn't bring water, not realizing that I'd actually be working out today. Perhaps that will help the next time.

Oh, I was also told that the 1200-1500 calories that I've been eating each day are not enough. I was told I can't eat less than 1800 until my body and stomach have gotten used to everything and shrunken down some. Do you know that that was the highlight of my day! I immediately went home and had two more bites of everything, which pretty much covered those extra calories!

Okay, talk to you later! Bye!

I was welcoming my first child into the world. Can you believe it? I certainly can't. While I admit that the memories have somewhat become a blendy-swirl between the three of them, I still remember my perfect little sweet bundle of baby. He was so laid back, never cried, and, according to my mom, was "always so serious". It's true. He still is. I still see a lot of characteristics in him that we noticed early on. Like his wacky sense of humor. He was always goofy in a non-baby-like way, which is something that Taryn certainly is not. His memory and intelligence still astound me to this day. I was so proud that I was the only person with a two-year-old who could say the words 'astronaut' and 'exterminator' like an adult, and who could count to ten before he was two. He still surprises me on a daily basis. Now he remembers EVERYTHING that comes out of my mouth that benefits him, and is doing simple addition problems w/o even having been taught yet. Just yesterday, he came up to me and asked, "What's 2+3?" I said, "I don't know, you tell me." He held up his fingers, added it up, and said, "5". Hey, maybe that's something that five-year-olds can do, but I don't care. I do know that he's setting the bar pretty high for the other two kids, though! So, Happy Birthday, TJ! Life with you has definitely been an experience I'll never forget!


So, as far as today, it was a HORRIBLE day! To begin with, it was pretty cool. Trey and I started our diets, low calorie, this morning, and I joined the YMCA for the family. That was cool. That was, however, where all coolness ended.

On the way home I stopped by the bank to transfer money to my mom that I owe her for rent, and it was unavailable b/c I had just deposited it this morning at the ATM. No big deal, I'll just do it tomorrow, but it's still a pain in the ass.

Once I got home, I rushed the kids into the car so we could go to the children's museum downtown. I was already running late (I had to meet someone at 4, and we wouldn't even get to the museum till 2), but we were still okay. So, we get there, and we head over to the museum. It's closed. I'm pissed. However, TJ reassured me that it was okay, and that we can just go back another day. "Let's just find something else fun to do, Mommy." Once I got over my ranting and raving (and cursing), I decided we would go ice skating (b/c I'm not too smart).

I still had to wait till 4 to meet the guy I was going to buy Taryn's bike from (from craigslist), so we needed to stay in the area. So I took the kids to James Island County Park, and we had a picnic-ish lunch and I let them play at the playground. The kids enjoyed themselves, that much I can say. Within five minutes of getting there, Taryn had peed her pants. No problem, I had a spare pair of undies and some shorts. Off she went to play some more. Five minutes later, the shorts were soaked, along with her socks and shoes. Riiiiiggghhhhhhhttttttt...No worries, I happened to have another spare pair of panties, which I never thought I'd use. So, now she was in just her shirt and undies, but hey, I'm sure the moms understood...although I still disclosed to every mom I could get near that she did come in pants, and that I don't typically take her out in public in just her underwear. Time passed, and I went to sit down from playing for a few minutes. I look up, and there is Taryn running toward me, yelling my name, with her panties IN HER HAND! This guy was kind enough to let me know that she "took off her drawers", although I, sadly, had already figured that much out. Luckily, I just happened to have one more pair of spare panties in the bag. Why, I have no idea, but hey, it worked. Needless to say, at that point, ice skating was out. I'm not sad about this, though, b/c the more I think about it, the more I think that was a bad idea to even think of attempting by myself.

So, we go to meet the guy with the bike, but he's not home. Luckily, he answered his cell phone, and told me just to leave the money in the door. I got her bike. We went home from there, and she just HAD to ride it. Naturally, TJ and Taryn were both tired, so I should have said no to avoid the chaos and whining, and ALL OUT FREAK OUTS they both had when they couldn't get their bikes to do what they wanted. After ten minutes, I was done. I, too, was tired, and this was not cool.

Did I happen to mention that the hallway toilet overflowed and flooded the bathroom? No? Well, it did. Not my favorite thing to clean up. As a matter of fact, I guess I should switch over that load of towels now...

After dinner, since we didn't get to do the "fun stuff" I'd promised, I told TJ we could bake cookies. That worked out alright, except by this point my nerves were shot and I just wanted them in bed and away from me. TJ pushed my buttons again by not doing what he was told twenty seven times to do, and I lost it. I don't remember my exact words, but I do know that there were some that I would prefer he not repeat back to me. Do you know what he did after I yelled the way I did? Laughed. Is this really what five-year-olds are like? I want my perfect baby back!

I'll talk to you later! I hope you have a great day!

2007 was definitely a LONG and interesting year, but it was much better than the few years before. 2008 promises to be even better. I think we're finally starting to settle down and get ourselves together a bit....I hope.

Let's see what fun stuff 2007 brought:

Cole turned one. My last baby to be a "baby". Yeah, sure, he's still a baby, but now he's also a "big boy", so it's a little sad for me. Not quite the soft, tiny, snuggly little ball of helplessness he once was. Now he's the wants-to-be-independent little ball of funny. He's hilarious, and he's ALWAYS smiling. I love that about him! He also learned to walk, and got his first haircut...he's growing up! WAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Taryn turned two. Before she was two, she spoke very little and knew few words. Now, she never, NEVER stops talking! TJ is actually quieter than her now. Scary...but really, really cute! Her little voice is adorable, and some of the ways she says things just makes you giggle (ie-tag, you're ip!).

Trey got promoted to Head Kitchen Manager. Yeah, he's played that role for a while now, but he's even got chef coats to prove it now...he's really got the title. January promises a possible raise to match the job, too!

I won an iPhone and an iPod Nano. Yeah, sure, I sold the iPhone b/c honestly, I really didn't need it, and I can't afford to get it hooked up, or to keep it working. It was exciting, though, while it lasted. Trey really likes his iPod.

Taryn cut her finger open...it was not fun. However, now she is VERY cautious around knives! Oh, and she ate one of my Lexapro pills and had to be taken to the hospital for an EKG and to drink some charcoal. Nice. Oh, and she ran away and was found in the next neighborhood over. Yep, good times. It scares me to think of all of the fun in store if this is how she starts out!


96Wave left us, forever. Okay, sure, you can now find them online, but who cares. I don't listen to the internet in my car, so as far as I'm concerned, they have left forever. I miss 96Wave. I really did like that station.

I got diagnosed w/ADHD (and as bipolar, which I might argue). I've thought for a LONG time that it was a contributor to my problems, and now I have proof. I haven't done anything about it, of course, but perhaps that can be dealt with in the new year.

The end of Harry Potter came. I love those books! I'm not usually into that sort of story-telling, but that J.K. Rowling, man does she know how to write! I miss Harry.

My friend Wilson was shot on a pizza delivery. That was so awful. I really do miss him. The people you see at work become like family, and I was working two jobs with him for a while there. He was so funny, and such a cute little man. He worked hard for his family, and it makes me sad that they can't benefit from his love anymore. He talked constantly about his kids and how proud of them he was. I hope one day I'm as great a parent as he was, and just as nice a person all-around.

Mike had a baby! Well, his wife Amanda did. I never thought he'd finally get the joy, and he did! Little Logan is SO CUTE, and has the chubbiest little legs! Mike is going to be a great dad, and Amanda is a great woman. He really has gotten what he deserves. I'm so happy for him!

I worked for two weeks outside of paper delivery. There was that week of 9-1-1 dispatching, and the week at Carabba's. They were fun. Just the wrong time.

We went to the beach during the summer for a week. My mom hooked us up with a room, and we got to spend time with her and Bo, his brother and sister, and Julia and her kids for a couple of days. They came up and played with us for a while. I got to shop with my mom, play in the sand, and swim, swim, swim! TJ still constantly talks about the lazy river at our hotel, and everytime he sees one, assumes they have one and that we should go to it!

Trey and I put up a fence...and for my first time, it came out darn well! It's even still up and holding the kids in the back yard!

I won a BLOG EXCELLENCE AWARD for "Most Pregnancies by a Woman in One Blog". It's a coveted award, one which many have tried for. In 2006, though, I won, with three pregnancies, only two during the duration of my blog though. This year I'm hoping to win the award for "Best Use of the F Word by a Toddler" for TJ's wonderful antics when letting me know he was hungry early in January of 2007. Wish me luck!

We went to the mountains with Julia's family and Mike and his wife, Amanda. We rented a big cabin near a lake and had a good ol' time. That was a lot of fun. This year, Trey wants to go skiing with a bunch of people in February. That should be tons of fun, too.


Well, I imagine there's a lot more stuff that was cool this year, but Cole is crying on my shoulder, and Taryn's in the background crying about something, too. So, I guess I better run. I hope your 2008 is fantastic, and I'll talk to you soon!