From This to That (x5) to This Again - Is It Possible?

I need to get in shape. I must have said that a million times by now. In college I ran daily and lifted weights regularly. Somehow I was able to stay thin regardless of my binge drinking. Most likely it's because I was in my 20's and I smoked instead of eating too.
Now13 years later and five kids later I am a much healthier, happier person, but also a much softer plumper person too! Ripped abs? What's that? Perky breasts? Ya right agter nursing 5 - I don't thinks so!
Long runs and hours at the gym are impossible now. I'm lucky if I can get through 20 minutes on the tread mill in the good ol' basement without some little person saying "Mommy, I need ______ or can you _____ right now?"
Do you kids understand the concept of "leave me alone?" NOOOOOOO!! they don't. Gone are the days when I my only concern was how little my bikini could be to minimize tan lines. God forbid I have tan lines! Now just the thought of a bikini sends me into a cold sweat!!! I even gag a little just thinking of it.
It's not that I'm out right repulsive but I sure as heck am a far cry from the girl in the 1st and 3rd pictures.
I don't need to be her anymore either but I would love to have the private alone time in my life to work out and feel good again.
I don't know how I'll achieve that as of yet but that's my resolution for 2008. I will try to MAKE the time to make me feel good again - maybe not bikini good but at least shorts and tank top good!!! I've got 4 mths...

Morgan's Bowling Party

Morgan's birthday is December 27th. We have cake together as a family on the day of but anything planned with friends comes later. Morgan had wanted a fancy dinner party very elegant and formal but I KNOW that what she imagined in her dreams could not be made a reality and so I talked her into going bowling instead. That's a radical departure from a formal dinner in fine apparel eh? No dresses and flowers just borrowed shoes and lots of hand sanitizer! Actually everyone had a great time. I love bowling myself but I decided to just watch the girls and opt out this time. Once again I sure wished Kelly and the kids could be here with us - it really stinks to have only one sister and have her live across the Atlantic!

Christmas Morning

"It's Christmas!, It's Christmas!" the children shout gleefully. "shhhhhhhhh....yes yes we know" Tim and I say in return with about as much enthusiasm as Ben Stein. "Be quiet and get back in your rooms and don't come out until I come and get you ok?" It's 6am and that means I've gotten all of about 5 hours of sleep. But I won't make the same mistake we made last year. We told the kids to go back to their rooms and give us 10 minutes to get up and get ready. We drifted off back to sleep and awoke to the sounds of joyful yelling and high five-ing coming from downstairs. By the time we got halfway down the stairs the kids were racing towards us with UNWRAPPED gifts in hand saying "look what I got!, look what I got!" AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! Of course we KNEW what they got! But what we live for, what makes it all worth it is that momentary split-second look they have when they unwrap and see their wished for gift for the first time!!!! And.......we missed it!! BRATS all of them! Morgan was the ring leader last year and so this year I kept special care not to let her escape from her room. I threw on some pants and shook Tim's shoulder. "Get up get up remember last year?!" "You kids stay right where you are, hold your hands high where I can see them. Don't make a move." Mom and dad had spent the night and so we had to wait for them to get ready as well. I make a big deal about being prepared to see the unveiling of the gifts because there are literally only 4 gifts to "unveil" Each child only gets 1 gift each and so there's no long drawn out process of unwrap-squeal with glee-show off-on to the next one- repeat, repeat, repeat... We let Monica go first - a baby crib and baby stroller (ok so I bent the one gift rule for her but they came together...) Then Collin - 2 guns (again, they went together kind of...) Then Mary Grace - her own camera. Then Morgan - a guitar. It lasted all of five minutes. There aren't any presents for Tim and I. None for mom and dad either. That's it - that's all folks!! But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. The materialism and consumerism of this culture are corrupting kids. It's a sickness almost. Our kids have PLENTY and going overboard just makes them self-centered and shallow. Hopefully they'll look back on their Christmas 's and remember the fun we had together and the great breakfasts we ate and how much we laughed together and not feel like we begrudged them the "stuff" they might have wanted.

Christmas Eve

"Back in the day" we used to do the very traditional Italian Christmas Eve...lots of pasta, lots of fish/seafood, and lots of Italians gathered together to eat, argue and criticize one another with much love and affection of course! But, as time passes families gow and then they branch out on their own splitting off from the original group it seems. Today everybody goes their own way and the parties are smaller, more tame, and with a lot less fuss. Tim and I hosted this year. Mostly because we have 5 children one of which is just a little bity and we don't like dragging them here, there, and everywhere if we can help it. Tim and I enjoy hosting gatherings like this. Tim's a great cook and I'm not too shabby myself (but it all depends on who you ask). I made mostaciolli cookies and biscotti - very Italian...Uncle Dave, Aunt Linda, mom and dad, brought food too. One of these years I'm gonna try to make Auntie Virginia's home made ravioli from scratch. But I need to get a pasta maker first. (You know the thingy that rolls out the dough to the right thickness ) I really wish Kelly were here to do that sort of thing with. We could banish the kids from the kitchen, put in both leafs for the table, cover it in flour and spend the day making ravioli, drinking wine, and laughing our asses off. (Too bad I can't really laugh my ass off - that'd be a hell of a lot more fun than jogging on the tread mill...)
Speaking of which - I'd better dust it off (again) and start running cause I was a BAD girl this Holiday season and I STILL need to lose the pregnancy weight!!!!!!! Yes, yes, Christopher is only 4 mths. old but I have an irrational fear of being labeled "that fat stay-at-home mom with all those kids!" I'd much rather be known as "that mom of five - can you believe it!!??- she looks great!" I'm about 25 lbs away from THAT commentary... so it looks like salad and jogging are in my future...