It's coming!

Wow. Is it really March already? Where has the time gone? We've been having beautiful spring weather here this past week, which means it's just about time for a big dump of snow. Last April we got over 3 feet so I wonder what is in store for us this year? One last Rocky Mountain dump before we head back to the midwest.

Lots has been happening here at Casa De Folger. Eva has started crawling and is even pulling herself up to a standing position. I fear she may be an early walker like her brother. However, she has no interest in eating solid foods so we are still doing the bottle every 3-4 hours. I get one 6 hr break at night, but she is still up at 2 or 3 am for a feeding. Can't wait to put those days behind me.

Declan has been testing both Tom and I's patience with the "Terrible 3s". Whoever coined the phrase "Terrible Twos" had it all wrong. 2 was a cakewalk compared to 3. Some days I wonder how that child is going to live to see 4. His favorite thing to do lately is spit at me. That usually does not go over well. I do really well with getting him in timeout and explaining why he is there in the earlier parts of the day. But by the time we are on the 5th or 6th timeout (which is usually around 10 am) I have usually lost any semblance of patience and have to put myself in timeout and count to 10 so that the neighbors don't hear me losing my noodle and calling the police on me. By 5 pm, Declan is allowed to do whatever he wants and I just block it out and go to my happy place. Which usually involves wine. Can't wait for preschool to start.

We are also working very hard on toilet training. Or, "toilet learning" as I have been told to call it. Whatever it is, I don't like it. Every morning I make Declan walk around bare-assed so he can't rely on the diaper. We put his little froggy potty in front of the TV and there he sits. But I have to remind him several times to actually use it. I ask him "Do you have to go poopy Declan?" and he responds "No, it's not coming out of my butt yet". And then he eventually yells "It's coming!" and off to the potty we go.

On a positive note, Declan has been in swimming lessons and is doing great. He should be ready for the lakes and the Dahlen pool by this summer! And beyond the discipline problems we are having, he really is a great kid and when he's not misbehaving he is a lot of fun. Although, I am already over the toy fights that are already breaking out between the the kids. I know this is payback for me.

I am still busting my ass at the gym and working on my running endurance. I can't say that I am really getting anywhere but I haven't gone backwards either. I think it's time to invest in some running shoes though as I am currently using cross trainers which don't have enough "spring" for running. So far, I've lost 13 lbs. Yay me! I have been struggling with the dieting part, and fortunately I have been able to get by with just exercising but I know the day is coming when I am going to have to actually start counting calories. I just hope that day arrives after the Girl Scouts have packed up their cookies and gone home.

We haven't made much progress in the way of packing. However, we did finally schedule tile installation for out bathrooms. Since our cat decided to substitute our master bath carpeting for her litter box we have to replace the flooring (why we didn't tile in the first place is beyond me). So, that goes in next weekend. I have also been going through boxes of old photos and shredding duplicates and organizing. I found lots of great blackmail photos of friends. Should I put them on facebook? Ha ha. I've also got a couple goodwill boxes ready to go. So, it's baby steps toward being ready to leave. It still doesn't feel real though. It probably won't until we are settled in our new home, which might not even be until next year.

We've got a big day today. Swimming lesson, then having lunch with some friends, a workout and then dinner with another friend tonight. I can't wait! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.

Andrea 1, Treadmill 0

Well, it's official now. Tom submitted his background investigation paperwork and the wheels are in motion. And to be perfectly honest, I am having second thoughts. Mostly because of the unknown. Even though MN is familiar there are still a lot of unknowns. Will Tom like his new job? How will living at my parents house for 5 months go? Where will we end up living? Will we have to rent or buy? What will happen to our house here in CO? etc, etc, etc. And of course there is the midwest weather to consider. Every morning I wake up to blue, sunny skies here in CO. The temperature rarely gets below 40, and sometimes it hits 65 in January. I am really going to miss CO weather. Next winter is not going to be an easy one for me. And don't get me started on MN humidity.

I guess things will work themselves out.

Speaking of working out.....

I have been hitting the gym HARD lately. As I've mentioned before, I am participating in a weight loss challenge. Biggest loser gets $600. Yesterday I hit a major goal. I ran (errr, jogged) 3 miles...... without stopping to walk. Now, I realize I have friends out there reading this that run regularly and are probably laughing because, let's face it, 3 miles is really not that far to run (jog) . And it's not. But, it is for me. While I have always exercised, jogging has always been a major challenge for me. I fight for every minute of that particular workout. Every minute jogging feels like an hour for me. I hate it. But, I'm actually learning to love it! It's not that it's physically hard for me, I just can't get my brain in line with my heart. I've finally learned to shut off the inner dialogue in my head. It goes something like this:

I hate this

30 more seconds, just do 30 more seconds!

When can I stop

Oh god, I want to stop

Is it time to walk yet?

OK, walk for 3 minutes

Keep running, I can feel your butt jiggle

My knees hurt, lets stop

I hate this

And on and on and on it goes.

Well, I've learned to silence that bitch and keep going! The year after Declan was born I couldn't manage 5.5 mph for more than 3 min. Yesterday I did 35 min at 6 mph. And the best part? I've lost 8 lbs. Go me!

Change

It's been so long since I've last posted I don't even know where to begin. Life has been kind of hectic these past few months and I just haven't made the time to blog. Most of the people in my life already know what's been happening anyhow! So, for those of you not in the loop here's what I've been up to lately.

The biggest and most exciting news to share is that Thomas got a job with the Dept. of Homeland Security working under TSA as a Bomb Appraisal Officer at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. This means that we get to move to MN and be closer to our families and most of my friends. I am so excited to be starting another adventure in our lives and to finally move back "home". As much as the weather sucks in MN, I love it there so much and am very, very happy to be headed back. However, the downside is leaving Colorado which I love as well. And leaving lots of amazing friends that I have made here. It definitely won't be easy leaving and I've already shed many tears over it, but in the end, this is the right move for our family and I know we are making the right decision. Thomas is very excited to begin a real career and to not have to spend any more days digging in the ground. Onward and upward!

So with that on the horizon, we have been very busy making plans. Moving a family and a household across the country is no small feat and I have found all the details to be overwhelming. So overwhelming that I have pretty much shut down and buried my head in the sand. Before Thomas gets a start date, he will need to pass an extensive background check. Don't be surprised of the FBI comes knocking on your door. Say only good things. Well, actually I am kidding. That probably won't happen. However, the background check will take a couple months so we probably won't be leaving CO until at least April. That gives me plenty of time to procrastinate!

Declan turned 3 earlier this month. It boggles the mind that I have a 3 year old. He is no longer my baby boy but a full fledged "kid". Everyday brings new challenges. Lately we've been focusing on toilet training. At least I have anyway. Declan....not so much. Rewards don't seem to be working, and he doesn't seem to mind hanging out in a dirty diaper all day so I am at a loss. It's my hope that he will just "get it" one day because buying diapers for 2 kids is going to be our financial ruin!

Eva is almost 6 months old. Again, where did the time go?? She is growing like a weed and is all "girl". In fact, she has earned the nickname "Eva Diva" because when Eva wants something the neighbors hear about it. She can screech louder than any baby I know. When she's not demanding everyone's full attention she is as sweet as can be with her smiles and coos. She gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth and can scoot herself around the living room floor when she wants to get somewhere. I have a feeling this one will be an early crawler.

I'm currently participating in a "Weight Loss Challenge" where the winner takes $600. While I don't expect to be the "Biggest Loser" I have certainly been motivated to stay with the program. Mostly because I am uber-competitive and don't like to see other people succeed while I fail. So, I have been hitting the gym hard and am actually seeing some results. Though I've got to work on the "dieting" part. I don't like counting calories so I am going to avoid that for as long as possible! I'll keep you posted. The contest ends April 4th.

See you next week blog! Promise!