Happy Anniversary

The woman who settled down at 16 and whose relationship resulted in 3 children has (according to the CDC) a 30.01% chance of still being with the same person after 7 years.

What can I say, I'm stubborn.

That's probably why, rather than writing the gushing love post to Hubby I planned to write about pitter pattering hearts in honor of our 7th anniversary, I'm writing this post instead. The truth is, I'm not feeling very pittery. I'm exhausted, my teeth are killing me, and I'm buried up to my eyeballs in independent contract work-some that are trying to negotiate me down to 1/4 of my price, and some that won't even pay me until January. For the last few days I've been perpetually on the prowl for the next person to piss me off so that I can destroy them....I'm the freakin' fairy of flippin' fun right now....and do you know what the best part is?


That's right-I haven't gotten out of my pajamas since Friday. I haven't brushed my hair in that time and I've only taken one shower. I smell like that special putrid blend of Eau de Mommy, and my disposition is twice as sour, but my husband loves me no matter how I act or smell.

He doesn't care that I've gained 25lbs since The Bean was born either-he still thinks I'm sexy (and I've got the hickeys to prove it). He doesn't care that I'm a mess at this point, he would never leave me. He'd fight me, for sure-he's always pushing me to do more and do better for myself, even when I'd rather fight him than listen to him-but he doesn't mind fighting my ridiculous stubbornness....if that's what's best for me he'd fight me for me forever.

That's what a real relationship is all about. It's easy to think in the abstract about all of the ooooey gooey mushy love fluff, but when you're in a committed-forever relationship you have to have more than that or you'll fail. It's also easy to set up a system in your head and pretend that things will always work that way, but that rarely happens either. Real love has romance, and there is some direction, but mostly it is a lot of hard work. It's loving someone no matter what-thick or thin, grumpy or happy, exhausted or well rested, poor or rich, foul or fragrant-that's unconditional love. It's a lot of hard work, but it's worth it. Just ask Hubby....

....Though maybe not right now, because he already got an earful today while I was on one of my fury rampages and I'm pretty sure he just wants to sleep peacefully at the moment.

Happy 7th Anniversary Lovey Bear~
With all my heart,
Your petulant but adoring wife

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Downward Dog, Drunken Bear

When I got pregnant with The Bean (six months after delivering Baby Bug) I was 15lbs overweight. I gained 13lbs during my pregnancy, delivered, and at my six week check up I had lost 20lbs, making me only 8lbs overweight. Awesome, right? Then my newly acquired practice of eating one meal a day at 9pm after the kids go to bed, due to time constraints, caused my metabolism to commit harakiri rather than face it's obvious uselessness....and I GAINED 25lbs. That's right-I'm heavier now than I was when I delivered our third child.

GAG.

I tried returning to vegetarianism, but sadly it turns out that we can't afford to buy all of the food necessary to maintain a balanced vegetarian lifestyle in addition to all the animal meat required to sustain Hubby and the kidlets. I'm still eating pretty healthy, even if meat is included at this point, but let's face it-that's not getting me any closer to the rockin' pre-baby bod that I fantasize about regaining. It's time to pull out the big guns.

Exercise.

I'll tell you now-I hate exercise! I have SVT and while exercise is a good way to strengthen your heart and lower blood pressure and it is thus commonly recommended that people with SVT exercise (at a comfortable level) daily, it can also trigger an attack. Those suck. A lot-so I have generally avoided anything more than low impact exercise and have certainly not done anything daily since before Monkey was born.

I've got to face the facts though-that has to change. It might suck to have an attack, and exercise in general might suck (it totally does), but being The Blob sucks more (and, funny enough, is also bad for my heart)....so exercise it is.

I told you a little while ago about my "fun" with hip hop cardio. I decided to try belly dancing. Yeahnotsomuch. I thought I looked bad doing the hip hop thing-belly dancing was just ludicrous. I didn't even have to look at my reflection in the fire place to now that I looked like a fool. So, back I went to my drunken bear marionette antics of hip hop cardio. Now I do that for an hour, plus I added in a half hour of Pilates/Power Yoga and put in 30 crunches on each side (to the front, to the left, and to the right) for good measure [all doc approved].

I look like a total idiot. My body feels like it has been hit with a Mac truck. Still, I must have burned like a bizillion calories by now.

In the end I know it will be worth it. I want to be healthy, and I want to teach my kids to be active. [Monkey already "did" the Pilates/Power Yoga with me...he calls it Karate, and he has his mother's grace.]

Plus, I really really want my 17 year old body back.
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Wordless (kindof) Wednesday: Halloween!

We all had so much fun visiting grandpa and grandma and going Trick or Treating! Well, The Bean didn't go (she preferred snuggling with grandma), and Baby Bug could only say "Hi! Hi! Thank you! Bye-Bye!", but Monkey definitely Trick or Treated. He was so adorable going around to my dad's neighbors and saying TRICK OR TREAT!! as loud as he could. Even more adorable-after they gave him candy he said "Thank you-I love you" to every person that gave him candy. Too too cute!
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