Hump Day....or is it?

Yes, you are correct it really is Wednesday, although I went through most of the day thinking it was Tuesday.  It was great when I finally realized it was Wednesday, er I think that is a good thing right, LOL!  So today was another fairly uneventful day in the Mendez household. 

So my five year old wants desperately to be a big girl at night and wear panties to bed, however, she is an extremely heavy sleeper and does not wake up when she has to go to the bathroom.  So after a month and a half of hit and miss with waking her to go to the bathroom (the hit or miss part is her being wet or dry), I've decided we need to try a different approach to night time potty training.  First, I went to the store tonight and bought another bag of pull ups...this was met with mixed reactions.  Ooooh, Sleeping Beauty and then why do I have to wear pull ups again.  Now let me tell you that when I would wake her at night to go to the bathroom and she was already wet, I would change her sheets and her clothes and the next morning she would not remember any of it.  She would wake thinking she was dry only to be crushed when I told her that I had changed her in the middle of the night (mind you I have her get herself dressed and help her get undressed, she just does not remember as she is barely conscious).  I just cannot take having to wash the sheets and the extra pad that we put over her sheets everyday...it's crazy.  I also have done my research and finally caved and purchased a bed wetting alarm from Amazon which will be here on Friday.  I've read research on them and read several reviews on this particular one, and now I just hope it works.  According to the research I've done (I'm known as the Google geek amongst my friends, LOL) it is completely normal for a child to not be night time potty trained till the age of six or seven and Angel just turned five in December.  So, that was my excitement for the day...WOOT WOOT!!!  Only a mother can appreciate the "fun" in researching and purchasing a bed wetting alarm as the excitement for her day!!  Give it up moms, you know I'm right!  Let's see if this puppy can wake my little Angel up so she starts to recognize the feeling of having to wake up at night and go to the bathroom.  Out of my four children she is the only one we have had to try this on.  The other three we would wake them up once  a night in the middle of the night and take them to the bathroom and eventually they did it on their own (by eventually I mean within a month).  The only unique exception to this is my son...yes unique.  During his sleep he recognized the urge to have to go to the bathroom, HOWEVER, he didn't always recognize the location of the bathroom.  Yes, your read that correctly!  One night we caught him in the laundry room holding the lid to the container we had the dog food in, opened and peeing on the dog food, once I caught him peeing down the side of his dresser.  There were a few times he woke up and smelled of urine, my thought is that he woke and stopped mid-pee and went to the bathroom. He eventually grew out of it, quckly thankfully.  Angel, I fear may be a bit more of a challenge...anyway, we will see if this works.  We will still have the sticker calendar in the bathroom for when she wakes up dry, she puts a sticker on the calendar.

My oldest was home sick again today...NO FEVER SINCE THIS MORNING!!!  WHOOP...WHOOP!!! The girl is going to school tomorrow!!  I will be kid free for three hours tomorrow morning...can I get an AMEN!!  Now, please do not take this the wrong way, I LOVE my babies, but every mom needs some alone time.  A little bit of "woosaaa" time, I'm feeling a Zen moment in the morning.  I might even avoid housework and all that that entails, get a nice tasty cup of coffee, the book I'm getting ready to start and draw a bubble bath.  Yep, this mom is going to soak in the tub in the MORNING!!!  Then onto the cookbooks...like I said yesterday I need to get my meal plans planned out for the rest of the month and maybe start next months.  Not only will this help with me trying to lose some weight (remember Monday is the moment of truth...AKA "D" Day), but I've put us back on a strict budget and set us back up with the envelope system.  So, if I can get my meals planned out it will make life easier when I sit down to work out the monthly budgets and how much cash I need to take out for groceries each month.  Big things are going to happen for this family this year!!!!

So are you ready to hear some of the big plans for this year...(DEEP CLEANSING BREATH INSERTED HERE)...
   ~The house is go on the market in June
   ~A $26,000 home equity line of credit will be paid off within the next year and a half (obviously sooner if the house sells quickly and it covers that too, but the market is horribly crappy right now).
   ~I'm going to lose  XX lbs (XX will be known for certain on D Day)
  ~We will have established and be firmly on our budget...*DRUM ROLL PLEASE* and be well on our way to paying off the credit cards....Goal is to be out of complete debt (besides house) in less than five years.

So now are you wondering...house going on the market?  Where are we moving?  Well we have verbal orders to Colorado (for June of 2012...that is when J gets back from Afghanistan, yeppers 14 months).  Should the grace of God be over us and the house sells quickly the kids and I will move out there and get the house and get moved in....which yes will be stressful, however, it would be great to be set up in our new place by the time daddy returns.  It would make the post-deployment adjustment a lot less stressful.  I just cannot imagine him coming home from 14 months in Afghanistan and having to move the house and all of us up to Colorado...and then of course finding a house to for us all to live in there.  Well, OK I'm not focused anymore...I'm watching Clean House.  Love Niecy Nash!!!  Nighters All!!!

The cootie's are in the house....

yep that's right...and I think they might be the flu cooties..AAGGHH run quickly in the other direction (don't worry I am sanitizing my words as they splash across your screen).  My Nina Beana is sick, came down with a low grade fever last night with the body aches and a sore throat, today that low grade fever went up to 102.2* and she was an achy, icky feeling girl.  I've started pumping the rest of us with Vitamin C, Zinc and Echinecha; in hopes to prevent the cooties from spreading...of course there are also fingers crossed and prayers being said (I'll take whatever I can to prevent the spread of it).  So, other than having a sickly kid my day has been pretty unadventurous and pretty boring.  I did manage to rid my house of some more of the toxic cleaners and beauty products in my house.  LOL, as I read the phrase "beauty products" I get a chuckle to think I once would use these products fairly regularly and have since learned that these products are just chuck full of toxins that cause more harm to your body than good.  I am sorry but no beauty product is worth that...this chick is going green, it's not as a quick of a process I would like but I am going.  I washed the dogs...in the shower that was interesting, but better than going out in the 40* weather and freezing our butts off (or tails in their case).  I am now going to sit and that very butt that I kept warm this morning and watch my all time favorite show..."The Biggest Loser"!  I am going to be really bad and eat a brownie while I watch it.  I've decided that starting next Monday, when we are back on track with our routines (and God willing we are all healthy) I'm going to get my butt back in the gym.  Next Sunday when the garbage goes out, so does the garbage food in the house.  Next Monday morning I will once again take my "beginning" pictures and get on the scale to get my actualstarting weight...time to get this butt back in shape.  I'm going to use this week to get the house back in order, the routine's back in order, hopefully my husband will get my weight bag set up for me.  If not, no worries...I've learned to be very independent over the years, not because of my husband being lazy (and he is not) but because well heck I'm a Navy wife...sink or swim baby!  By next Monday, the house will be ready for me, I will be ready and the family will be ready.  I have to get back to planning out my meals for the month, yes you read that right at one point I was planning out my dinners for an entire month (up on the calendar in the kitchen where everyone knows what we are eating and not to ask, LOL).  So I think I just did a whole lot of babbling, but I know what I meant, LOL!!!  Well...I'm off to get my big brownie and watch the Biggest Loser.  As my menu and plan comes together for next week I'll post it~

T-minus nine hours....

but whose counting!!  LMBO!!  That's is the amount of time till the Mendez bus pulls out of the driveway tomorrow morning to return the children back to school!!! A day every parent celebrates, at least a parent who has more than one child, because by this point of Christmas break they are in a constant state of bickering and I am having to play referee.  Don't get me wrong I like black and white in more wardrobe, just not that of a referee uniform (eeww, so not flattering).  So, I spent the day working on proofs for a client, breaking up arguments and washing bedding.  All and all a somewhat productive day...but I need to get my derriere up and moving and shake off some of the weight I have put on since September.  It's been a rough six months...thought my Thyroid was out of whack, however, I was mistaken.  Of course being the stubborn person that I am I waited to go the doctors...well until I started having issues in the bathroom (TMI TMI TMI WARNING).  I became constipated, I went from going two to three times a day to once every three to five days.  So, with that I decided it was time to go get checked out.  I was diagnosed with anemia, my iron levels were at 2.9 (the normal range is 11-300 and doctors do not like to see anything below 30).  Well, this explained a lot of the symptoms I was having; exhaustion, losing hair, moodiness etc.  The doctor gave me a prescription for iron of which I could not take the full dose with my constipation issue.  The two days I took the full dose caused my constipation issue to hit the roof.  Can you say HOLY COW UNCOMFORTABLE, not going for nine to eleven days is pure hell!!!  So, now I take the iron once every other day.  I am now feeling slightly human...I no longer have to nap an hour to two every day.  The issue at the other end seems to be slowly working its way out...however I now have 15lbs to lose (YAY me!).  Needless to say my marathon venture is not going to happen this year, but I will do it one day.  I am still planning to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon again this year on February 27th.  BTW, I am sitting here writing this while eating my second very large piece of fudge brownie with fudge frosting on it, yep, it's going to be a long haul to lose this 15lbs.  Hubby did buy me a membership to the Y for Christmas so I have a way to blow off steam while he is in Afghanistan, let's hope I can gain an interest in working out again with the same fever that I've eaten these two brownies tonight.  It's going be a looong and stressful year but I am hell bent and determined to stay positive and get through this.  My mantra is going to be, "I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!"  Well OK, I think there was a little train who took that one, so I will have to come up with my own.  Any suggestions?

On another note...and an event from today, the dog that I put an adoption application in for at a rescue was adopted, sadly not to me.  I am heart broken to say the least, it is crazy as I have never have met this beautiful little lady, but I was head-over-heels for her as soon as I saw her picture and read her story.  Broken heartedness equals the two brownies ...oh and did I mention the several pieces of Dove's dark chocolate that I have eaten since I saw her adoption posted.  How is it that a 17lb Shih Tzu baby that I have never even met have such an impact on me?  Have I totally lost my marbles?  I've looked through the rescue sites for another little Shih Tzu to steal my heart and none even come close to capturing it yet, besides I promised my husband that if I was not selected to adopt this particular pooch that I would wait to get myself a Shih Tzu.  With all the next year and a half is going to be bringing me I guess this was just God's way of telling me was not time yet, just not yet meant to be as I am going to have a very full plate.  I am super happy that she was adopted and hope that her new home is wonderful and loving.  One day I will rescue a Shih Tzu baby and I also want to rescue a Greyhound when we have more land.

Well, my plate is empty of a brownie and I fear that if I stay awake too much longer I may attack some more of the brownies, so I guess I should find my way to bed.  So good night folks!!!

Great start to the day...

Started my morning with my alarm going off bright and early at 6:30am...I have to admit I was hoping it was still raining out, but when it was all over I was glad that it was not.  I met partner in crime, Christine at "our corner" to begin our morning with a brisk (but at sometimes leisurely) 10 mile walk.  I ache like hell now, mainly due to the crappy rainy weather...it's killing my knee!!  AAGGHH!  Mom, if your reading this blog relax it's fine (love you).  Now I'm watching "House" with my hubby (after watching the very sad Jets Vs. Bills game)...our favorite show to watch together (so I'm going to make this a quick blog, LOL).  Did I mention he made the most amazing Puerto Rican dinner this afternoon!  YUMMY, bataligos, tostones, and rice and beans (pardon the spelling)...so good I will definitely be going back for seconds later tonight.  Other than that just hanging with the family and enjoying them....I love lazy Sundays with the family, the only thing that would make it better would have been us making it to mass this morning.  The kids have been enjoying the various crafts, play doh and other toys that for Christmas.  Love is Great!!!!  So on that note I am signing out and hoping that all of my friends and family are enjoying their Sunday afternoon as much as I am.
   God Bless!

I went to bed in one year and woke up in another...

Can you believe it is already 2011?  I can't.  Where the heck did 2010 go?  It was a great year for my family, it was the first year in the 13 1/2 years of marriage that my husband was home the entire year (with the exception of one overnight trip and one two night trip)...and surprisingly we did not kill each other, LOL!  I always joke that when he retires from the military he is going to have to find a job that requires monthly travel, you know maybe a weekend here or a week there...because until this year we never lived under the same roof for any length of time.  But sadly, all good things must at some point come to end, so with that said I want a do-over for 2010, I want it to last longer, because I'm just not ready for another year (14 months to be exact) apart.  This time it will be Afghanistan as opposed to Iraq, again trying to be positive, his job over there will be a lot safer than the one in Iraq....but it's still not here with us.

Well, as I try not to think about April, I find my self taking in this year and even a bit of previous years...kind of taking inventory of my life and those in it.  Now this only happened because (I think) I offered a friend on Facebook who is having a difficult pregnancy a meal (I told her I could cook dinner and bring it over one night), now this is a friend who I have not known very long and I really do not talk to that much, so I guess if I were to be technical she would be more of an acquaintance.  None the less, I still offered her my help ...well because that is me.  Anywho, I got a private message from her saying that she had heard and gotten the impression that I did not like her that much.  Needless to say I was puzzled and responded back to her and told her that was far from the truth.  Now I sit and not only wonder what kind of people I have surrounded myself with but also what kind of image/personality I am giving off.  I am not going to ask who said that to her, because it's a moot point, especially since I'm apparently sending off vibes that match what she has been told.  I just wonder what kind of people start rumors/lie like that, I mean really who benefits from such behavior.  Are they doing it just start drama?  I've really had my share of drama in the past two years to last me a lifetime.  It's time for me to start surrounding myself with more positive people, those who bring out the good qualities in me and not the worst. I have learned alot about myself these past few years and unfortunately I've also learned that things are not always what they seem.

So, as I sit here on the first day of 2011 and think, I wonder where we will be this time next year.  What things will happen this year?  Who will be in my life and who will have exited stage left?  What can I change in myself (for the better) this year?  What accomplishments big or small will I achieve this year?  What exactly does God have planned for me...I guess I will have to wait and see and enjoy the ride.

just keep running...

Well ending week three of my training on a good note, I ran  four and a half miles this morning...of course there was a little bit of walking, but ran well over half of it and I'm feeling great.  Of course I had my running buddy  Christine with me...that always help.  We kind of chit chat while we are running, makes the time go by faster and keeps me paced, no need to run out all hell and get stuck a couple miles from home exhausted.  I did however start a body cleanse/detox program yesterday, which may be a little rough on my runs, LOLOLOL!  We stopped into Publix to get a drink from the water fountain and I had the sudden urget to use the bathroom...not number one either!!!  Oh well, guess I can say I lost some weight on this run, onwards and upwards, although this is dully noted and will not happen during any week that I may have a race to run.  Bought myself some cute new running shoes and my feet feel great in them today, so they were a good choice (couldn't pass up the price...running shoes on clearance for $49 with an additional 25% off = $40...anyone who knows anything about the cost of running shoes knows what a steal that is).  My mother decided to take up running a few months ago and is going to run the Disney Princess Run with Christine and I which is two weeks after my full marathon (btw she is going to freakin smoke us at the rate she is going),  told me about these compression pants, so I bought some and they will be here Tuesday.  I'm curious to see if they do all they claim to do, although this mornig I'm feeling great and do not have any real aches and pains, I know that this is only a "short" run, and they start getting longer every week.  I have not my Wii Jillian Michaels  since the Friday before Father's Day...I need to get back on the ball game with that as well.  I can just picture in real life screaming at me about wasting her time and being a slacker and quitter...  .  It's coming together and once the kids start school, did I mention that happens exactly one month from today (can I get a Whoop Whoop!!  ), things will get so much easier scheduling a workout.  Now it's off to do Saturday morning chores...   

Been Committed!!!

Or maybe I just need to be!  So yesterday I officially registered hubby and I for the 26.2 with Donna, The Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer...276 days and counting.  On the note my stomach just did flip flops!   Training has been almost null for the past week and a half, thanks to the little invaders    that joined us then , I think it is safe to say they are gone (God I pray they are).  Checking the girls' heads and us all wearing shower caps was just not fun.  Anyway, I did make it to the gym yesterday, it was not easy but I did it.  Today, I am not going however, as we get to go "Family Fun Day" for hub's work ....although I need to get back in the Jillian Michaels  routine on the Wii.  MMM, wonder if it is programed to have her yell at you when you miss your workouts, LOL!  So tomorrow is my long run, last week was supposed to be four and this week five.  I didn't run last weekend, but I am this weekend, so it will be five miles for me.  Woot Woot!  I know I can do it!!!

Well I'm totally zoning   out at the screen, so I guess I need to drag my tired lazy buttocks up off this chair and get some housework done before we go out this morning...seriously when is the caffeine   going to kick in  !!!  Happy Fourth of July weekend everyone!!!!