Maven Says: Just Say No to Wedgies!

When Boobah was two years old and recently potty trained, she coined the term "oogie" AKA the wedgie. In the nearly three years she has been wearing underwear we've had frequent complaints about oogies...until now. Thanks to Parent Bloggers Network and the nice folks at Hanes my girls have been outfitted in "No Ride Up" panties. Briefs for the big girl and bikinis for the little one (agh, I had no idea there were all these choices to make so soon!). Its nice to think of Boobah heading off to Kindergarten this year and not worry about her spending most of the day doing an odd little dance to dislodge her panties from places they shouldn't be.



Both packages of panties (9 to a pack, more than a week!) came with enough white pairs to go under the light colored shorts and enough patterns and colors to keep everyone happy. The lack of days of the week made my day, I hate the morning quiz--What day is it? What does it start with? Where are they? Who knew that plain cotton underwear would make me so happy. One of the "plain" parts that makes us all happy is the lack of a label. The size info printed in the back instead of on a tag eliminates the itch factor. It also makes it much easier for the kids to figure out which is the front vs. the back--the side loaded tags on most normal underwear don't give the kids a clue.



The panties are thus far showing no signs of wear and tear from the wash. The no roll legs stay put and no elastic peaks out. The only thing coming out of the top of the underwear is my kid, none of those annoying little elastic bits or l0ng, unraveling strings that can be itchy and annoying.



In addition to panties we have socks. My favorite thing about them is they are all the same! I've made the mistake so many times of buying socks with various colored bottoms or rings around the ankle and end up with piles of lonely, single socks. No problem with these socks, the only color difference is the color coded heels to let you know what size the socks are. Size medium fits both my girls so no fighting over what belong to who either.



You can't go wrong giving these underthings a try, they come with the Comfort Fit Promise--you don't think they are comfortable, you get your money back. What do you have to lose? (And I was just over on their site--20% off, just in time for back to school.)



Check out the Parent Bloggers Network for other reviews of Hanes undies and socks. If you've got a little guy instead of a little girl you can learn about tightie whities and boxer briefs as well. Keep your eyes out for the blog blast on August 22.

Motivation Crisis

Somewhere in the last few weeks my desire to get up every day and work out has gotten up and left. Not a good thing 4 weeks out from Iron Girl. I signed up for this race in October, I've been training pretty consistently since then. Now I know I can do the distance. I know I can swim in open water. I know I can RIDE up the hills. But most days lately, I just don't want to. I have done it most days and felt better for it afterwards but it doesn't make it any easier to do it the next day. Why now, in the last few weeks where I am supposed to peak, am I finding it so hard to even get out my bike? My excuse for not running (much) is a hip that has nagged me on and off for months. Unfortunately lately its been on again.

This morning I ran, it felt good even in the heat. I am hoping that I saw a glimmer of my motivation returning. I signed up for a spin class tomorrow morning--EARLY--so we'll see if I can pull myself out of the bed to go.

Chocolate covered pig and other fun stuff

Last night we watched the a new episode of Dinner Impossible with the new host Michael Symon. I just have to say. He. So. Rocks. Perhaps it is the Ohio girl in me who just can't resist the authentic Cleveland attitude. He just seems like he is having fun all the time! He is a great Iron Chef and I think that this show will be so much better with him at the helm. I mean, come on, last night he made bacon covered in chocolate with nuts. Everyone went wild for it. Gotta get me some of that chocolate covered bacon (how un-healthy of me is that?!).

Speaking of chocolate, my financial advisor invited me to a chocolate making class this evening at Sweet Cascades. If anyone is in downtown Ellicott City, you must stop by and try out some of their chocolates. We overindulged big time, truffles, sipping chocolate, Old Bay crab shaped chocolates (surprisingly good!) and even a chocolate covered jalapeno. As good as the chocolates were the owner was just as nice. Definitely a winner. We got to be hands on making our own truffles, the whole family was glad to have me come home!

As an added bonus, check out Gman's Picassa site for his stash of vacation pictures. Baby cuteness, girlie fabulousness, and just general fun. You don't even want to know what it costs to stay in a house that size in the middle of nowhere. Dirt. Cheap. My favorite one of Gman and I below--notice the new blondeness.



And for a Think Thin Thursday update, I stayed the same. Two weeks of comfort eating and spending time with my parents in the "house of snack" and I stayed exactly the same. Either I have learned to control things in proportion to my exercise or I am just darned lucky! Not particularly good as a motivator to eat right but I am glad not to have a gain to work off. I think that pounds that are hardest are those that I am losing for a second time! In 15 weeks only one week with a gain, not too shabby. 25.8 pounds total.

I Want to Ride My Bicycle

This morning Gman and I got up "early" and headed out to ride the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway (or part of it anyway). Getting there was a bit of a battle, the parking lot that the map says to park in was closed and the college lots were full (besides I figured we'd get ticketed in one of those). After a bathroom break and a bit more driving around we managed to find somewhere to park. Then it was a another delay to get the tires pumped up and all our stuff together. It was well worth it-what a beautiful, flat ride on well maintained trails with a few crossings of lightly traveled roads. Its not often we get to ride anything that is flat and without traffic! I rode with Gman for the first half and on the way back I got some training in and tried to keep my speed and cadence up. It was a fun ride and nice to be out by ourselves. I was determined that we didn't bring our bikes all this way for them to sit on the porch.

Yesterday we ventured out into the parks to commune with nature. In the morning with the whole family we went to Ash Cave--a paved trail took us to the spectacular cave and Gman, BIL and I took the big kids back via the slightly longer "hiking" trail. After a trip to sis' house and lunch the MM crew headed to Old Man's Cave. There was a bit more hiking here as well as the cave and waterfalls. We made two of the loops (having to take two bathroom breaks, oh the joys of hiking with kids. Someday I'd love to come back and hike all 6 miles (each way) of the trails that lead from Ash Cave to Cedar Falls and then to Old Man's Cave.

Last night we went out to dinner with my sister and BIL at the Grouse Nest Restaurant. The food was good, the company better but the drive up to the place was a little rough, gravel and all up hill. I wasn't sure the Mommy Van was going to make it! We've definitely had the Appalachian adventure a pleasant change from our "normal" lives.

Today is sis' 35th birthday, happy birthday sis! She and BIL headed out this morning to Jamboree in the Hills. Part of me wishes we were with them. The other, more mature part that hates crowds of drunk people is just as happy to spend another night in the quite lodge even if it does mean we have her 3 y.o. and 6 month old sons! The older one and Boobah keep each other busy and PDQ is a big help with the baby--when Grandma lets her have a turn.

Stay tuned, I know there will be pictures when Gman has a chance to get them published!

First Open Water Swim

Sorry I've been scarce, first there was the viewing and the funeral and now its vacation, in the woods. We are staying in a beautiful house in the middle of nowhere, its quiet, there is a hot tub and plenty of yard for the kids to run and run and run along with the requisite beds to then collapse into at night.

Today we went to Lake Logan park so the kids could swim. Since there were also plenty of other adults I got in some training time time as well. I have not gotten in nearly the training time I should have over the past week and a half. This was one I really needed though, I haven't had a chance to swim in open water and knew it was different than the pool. On the good side, it is much less repitious than swimming in the pool, the water was mostly warm and there was little vegetation. On the not great side the lake must be spring fed because there were REALLY chilly spots randomly around the lake.

You will be missed

This is the last picture I have of my grandmother, when we were there for Easter this year. She is with my cousin who was also celebrating her 16th birthday while we were there. Look at that hair and those nails, the nursing home where she spent the last year and a half was a good place where they took great care of her. She passed away this morning at the age of 81.

Grandma retained her humor right up to the end. My mother said before they took her to surgery on Wednesday the anesthesiologist asked if she smoked. She told him yes, cigars. He asked if she smoked one a day. She told him no, two. He asked if she'd had one that day and she told him no, they wouldn't let her have one. Mom said by that time he wasn't sure what to believe and asked her if it was really true and she laughed at him. She'd never smoked a day in her life! There was a really difficult period after her stroke when she was confused a lot of the time, she told stories about her neighbors and that she had been out on trips. She repeated things and made strange requests. As hard as it was to see her disabilities from the stroke it was harder to lose "her." We were all grateful when she came back to us and was her old self telling us what to do and asking embarrassing questions.

Thank you grandma for cutting up my apples, complete with taking off the peels (Mom wouldn't do that) when I was little. Thank you for teaching me to cook. Thank you for being a great role model for marriage. Thank you for sharing your love for God. Thank you for trying to teach me to quilt, now I wish I had listened and watched more carefully. Thank you grandma for being the port in the storm when I needed to get out of the house, you always welcomed me with open arms. My best friend told me tonight that she'd miss you as well, she hasn't had grandparents in many years and she so appreciated that you were there for her without judgement as a surrogate. I will miss you, she will miss you, the rest of the family will miss you and many, many other people whose lives you have touched will miss you as well. You lived and loved well.

Just not fair

It seems like every day there is more bad for someone I know. My friend's baby had an E. Coli infection at three weeks old and spent a week in a medical center far from home, he's home but faces 6 more weeks of antibiotics. She says it has turned into one of those mothers panicked and obsessive about everything. Then my sister's good friend had a tumor removed from her neck and they found cancerous cells, now has to have chemo and radiation--she's a mom to two kids 3 & under, the youngest being just a few months old. A friend from my old job lost his wife this week to cancer, they have two teenage/tween daughters.

Then there is the most crushing, my grandmother. Not quite two years ago she had a stroke and went from vibrant and totally self sufficient to unable to move one side and in a nursing home. Its been very hard to see her so diminished. Although she was nearly 80, she had the spunk of someone much younger. She chauffeured around her younger sister, they went to the senior center, they went on bus trips, she worked in the garden, she quilted, she maintained her home and yard with a little help from my dad and his brothers. Suddenly, overnight she could do none of it.

For the first several months there was hope she would improve but it hasn't happened. Thankfully the effects of all the medications had been dealt with and she was with us mentally. In the beginning she was telling people that she was taking trips and repeating the same stories over and over. The last few times I've seen her we had good conversations although the last time she was having some chest pain and looked really old and feeble.

This week she had a blood clot in her leg. Medication didn't help. They did surgery. Her leg swelled. They did more surgery to relieve the pressure and she was in ICU. The call came this morning that during the night things took a turn for the worse. My first thought was I. must. get. home. My mother told me to wait, she might not make it through the day. I am having a really hard time processing that. I feel the need to be there, the pull is very strong. Five hours never seemed so far away!

My sister and I talked, called my aunt and she is going to call and give us her assessment of the situation. Mom is a nurse and in situations like this it is good to have her around medically but it sucks emotionally. She is able to be totally devoid of emotion and even have a glimpse of what we might be feeling or need.