Thanksgiving Meal

So I usually cook a huge feast from scratch every year. We're talking cooking cornbread from scratch to make the cornbread dressing, chopping vegetables, baking cakes and pies, homemade mac n cheese, the works. This year though I decided to cheat. I came to this conclusion because this year it was just Steve, the girls, and I and I was exhausted. So I got mashed potatoes from a bag, cornbread dressing, mac n cheese, calico beans, and apple crumb pie from a box, and cranberry dressing from a can. I even cooked our turkey in our crockpot so that if I forgot about it at least it wouldn't burn. I have to admit it was the easiest Thanksgiving yet. And to top it off it was actually really good. Not quite as good as when I make it all myself but it was still pretty tasty. So kudos to me! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. To all of you crazy enough to have shopped the day after kudos to you. I did it one year and hope I never have to be involved in that insanity again. Now begins the race to Christmas. (And by the way, if you decorated your house for Christmas before Thanksgiving shame on you! That's cheating! ) Good luck to all on your holiday shopping!

All Star Cheerleading

These are my adorably energetic All Stars. Ebonie, Jalis, Jennifer, Eden, Lauren, and Haley. They had such a blast even though it was freezing and began to rain at the end. I am so proud of the hard work they put in. Way to go girls!

Cycling Mania

Well, I worked out again yesterday. I took the cycling class. Let me just say OMG!!!!!!!! My "betweeny", as my girls call it, still hurts! The gel pad they gave me for my seat did not even begin to help. Did you know that when on the bike you only feel out of breath and your legs only hurt while "climbing a hill", but as soon as you extract yourself from the machine your legs feel like jelly? I was sure I would never walk again. I was supposed to go to the kickboxing class today, but Madison is sick so I am going to stay home and just do my elliptical today. Wish me luck tomorrow. It's that cardio class again. Jessica Alba here I come!

Girl's Night Out

Friday night four of my closest friends came over for a Girl's Night Out. No kids allowed! It was the best time I have had in a looooong time. Lauren spent the night with a friend and Steve took Julia, Madison, and Sara to Tennessee with him to see his parents. We ate, talked, and laughed until 2am. We covered every taboo topic possible. Religion, politics, husbands, you name it we talked about it. I am truly blessed to have the friends God has blessed me with. These are amazing, strong, independent, loyal friends. Not just the ones you can talk bout your kids with or ask to help you with the class party. I mean the call in the middle of the night with a crisis come and bail you out of jail friends. This weekend reminded me just how lucky I am. It reminded me I am special and loved. I soooooooo needed this.
I also worked out again on Saturday and walked for 45 min. today. My goal is to look as much like Jessica Alba as possible by May. That's six months people. So keep those encouraging lies coming. Tomorrow I'm going to a cycling class so wish me luck. To all my wonderful friends I wish you a fabulous week! Thanks for everything!

Belly Laugh

So, after having four children my body looks like war zone. I'm not kidding! There are now mounds of "debri" (aka blubber) where there used to be flat sandy plains (aka my stomach). There are mine fields (aka stretch marks) where there used to be perfect skin. And countries (aka my boobs) have moved to lower regions (this means they sag). I still think I'm gorgeous, but that's only because I avoid all mirrors. I finally came to the conclusion last week that since I am officially done have children I am ready to get myself back. Every mother I know comes to this point eventually. The point where you realize if you give anymore of yourself away you won't know who you are anymore. You already don't recognize the person that stares back at you from that wretched thing they call a mirror. So, I decided to stop avoiding the mirrors and become the person I used to know. My first step was to join a gym. I know, I know. At this point you're thinking "It'll never last." That's where you're wrong. I finally got up the courage to go to the gym and actually work out and I loved it. All of the women there were encouraging and supportive. I did 20 minutes on the elliptical, 20 minutes of ab work and a 1 hour cardio class. Yes, I made it through the entire class. I couldn't believe it either. I felt so good afterwards that I am going back tomorrow for the kickboxing class. My muscles are protesting profusely and my mind keeps asking me why I would want to torture myself like this. All I can say is that I'm starting to like the person I see in the mirror again.

Sainthood

I've decided I should be nominated for sainthood. I believe the qualifications are that you must perform three miracles. Well, that's easy.

Miracle #1- All of my children are still alive. Even after coloring on my walls with Sharpies and fingernail polish, stuffing Q-tips and bar soap down the toilet, and spreading poop on everything (walls, door handles, shoes, etc) during the potty training phase.

Miracle #2- My husband is still alive. Even after declaring that giving our children a bath and helping with the dishes after a meal "isn't his job." (See. I'm a saint.)

Miracle #3- I still nominated a certain cheerleader for All Stars (she deserved it) even though I got an "a**-chewing" (as her mom likes to call it) in front of the entire squad because she has a permanent case of PMS. Oh, and I didn't kill her either. (Even though I did hear Mrs. Hannigan's screams of "Kill! Kill! Kill!" in my head)

Saint Kimberly- The patron saint of mothers with restraint
Has a nice ring don't you think?

My first blog

Well, I have decided to join the technological age and start my own Blog. As I write this, the thought goes through my head that with 4 children there are plenty of other things I should be doing right now. Not least of which is cleaning my house. But I decided to start this to save my sanity and give me a place to share all of my joys, frustrations, sorrows, and whimsical musings with whoever might find them interesting, helpful, or just downright entertaining.
I have four beautiful daughters. Lauren is 8. She is intelligent, sweet spirited, helpful, and has just enough fire in her to make her a pain in my butt sometimes. Like the fact that even if you tell her to be quiet she HAS to finish whatever she was saying. Julia is 5. She is savvy, stubborn, quick witted, stubborn, and extremely funny. And did I mention stubborn? For example, when we went for her 1st school conference the teacher said she had actually digressed. She knew her letters and numbers at the beginning of the year, before they started teaching her, but now she only knew about 3 letters, 2 numbers, and the color blue. All because she didn't feel like telling anyone anything on the day they evaluated her. Madison is 3. She is a delight and it is wonderful to look at the world through her eyes. She is resourceful, insightful, and free spirited. Like when I found her in my washing machine because she thought it looked like fun. Or the time she cooked an entire box of waffles in the toaster oven while I was taking a shower because she decided she was hungry. Sara is 7 months. She is the most patient baby you will ever meet. She is learning to crawl and sits up pretty well. She loves Raggedy Ann and all of her sisters.
My husband and I will be married 10 years in May. He is the love of my life. He is the one person who can make me laugh no matter what else is going on. Like when I am so mad at him I could spit nails and he ends up making Coke come spewing out of my nostrils instead. Wonderful visual, I know.
Well, I hear my jungle animals calling me to come and feed them so I will end it here. Have a great day and try to find the things in it that make you smile.