Slumber Parties and Portion Control

Good golly I love food!

I used to be a really picky eater, once upon a time. Now, though I really have a hard time dealing with picky eaters, I sort of envy them in a way. I was SO MUCH THINNER when I was picky! Even as an adult, when I expanded my palate by leaps and bounds but could not cook, I was so much thinner than I am now. (Okay, so the whole 'three pregnancies thing' could also have some bearing on this but it's just more fun to blame my kids for the shoes in the floor or the mysterious melted chocolate that was found inside the door handle of the Saturn!) I would sometimes eat McDonalds for two of my three meals a day and I was way thinner than I am right now.

Sad, I know.

Now that I can cook, I have found ways to make foods I never cared for taste good to me. And, of all the things in my life that I feel like I'm never going to finish (laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc.) I can, without a doubt, finish a meal. The one thing that will always be cleaned is MY PLATE. And you can take that to the bank!

We went shopping for Easter dresses today. (Not for me, but for the girls) Every time I passed a mirror (and I always seem to notice so many more of them when I'm unhappy with my appearance!) I would cringe. My tight pants are no longer a fashion statement. They are tight-fitting partly out of necessity, party due to my stubbornness. I flat refuse to buy a pair of jeans in a larger size! It might be tough to breathe sometimes....and the world gets to see more of my 'muffin top' than I ever thought I'd share, but it is what it is.

13YO had a slumber party last night. We survived. David maybe spent 5 minutes in the living room from the time he got home to the time he threw a couple of pizza slices on a plate and ran back to the bedroom to hide from all the estrogen. Five giggly 12 and 13-year-olds all playing with each other's cell phones and playing Mario Kart on the Wii. I actually had a really good time, believe it or not! It was really very cool to watch these girls sit around and talk. I found myself wanting to just sit near them and absorb some of that innocence and those carefree outlooks they all seem to have. It also helps that THEY. ARE. FUNNY. Seriously, the things they think about and say are just hysterical.

Though you couldn't pay me enough to go back to my middle school years, they don't seem as miserable as I remember being. They seem to be doing it better, if that makes any sense. Perhaps they are better at being a 'tweenager' than I ever was. And all we can hope is for our daughters to be more successful in whatever they do than we were.

Well, staying up late and our shopping trip today have worn me out. It's time for me to get to bed. It's not like I can do anything else anyway...since I'm NEVER EATING AGAIN and all! I did break down and buy myself a new pair of pants for Easter. After all, I'm bringing COOKIES to the dinner, NOT MUFFINS!!!

Aaahhh...the Night Life

Like most newborns, Aly seems to have her days and nights confused. From what her original family told me, the puppies slept great at night, all curled up in a crate in a big pile-o-love. Since she now has to get used to having her 'own room' without any warm bodies to cuddle with at night, things just aren't as easy around here.

Every evening, Aly is called by her name. Well, we call her 'Aly' or 'Puppy' or even 'Baby Cakes.' Whatever endearing thing that comes to mind seems to fit her perfectly. I've been known more than a few times to call her 'Princess Alykins.' She is so cute that it hurts and it's amazing to hear all the mushy things that come to mind when I see her. Toward the end of the day, that is!

When morning finally arrives, we are pushed to calling her slightly less endearing things. 'Madame Yelps-a-lot' is one of them. She now spends all night making a fuss and very little time sleeping. Instead, she plays for about a half an hour during the day and then passes out for a good two or three to recuperate. She sleeps most of the day...so she can rest up and howl and yelp and bark and whine all night!

David was the first one up this morning and took her outside before he was able to jump in the shower to get ready for work. Since everyone else was still asleep and he didn't want to put her back into her crate, he locked her in the bathroom with him while he showered. I was just barely conscious enough to remember hearing the shower running, the dog carrying on as if her life was about to end, and him half-begging and half-scolding her to stop making so much noise. Personally, I don't bother saying things to creatures that won't listen. But, it was pretty entertaining to be able to hear him trying to bargain with a screaming 8-week-old puppy!

Eventually, she will get used to being alone in the crate. She will even find it her 'safe place.' We just have to keep doing what we're doing and stay strong. Had I not raised three human babies, I might find this a lot more difficult than it really is. The yelping doesn't bother me....not too much, anyway! Luckily, our family consists of pretty good sleepers and no one has actually lost any sleep over it. She does have a bad habit of napping right before we are going to bed. Then, she is waking up and ready to play when we are going to bed. I guess that there a few things we could be doing differently...and it does feel sort of like having a baby again.

And I'm happy to report that this is as close as I'm ever gonna get!