Sunshine

The Diva and I had a spectacular day yesterday. Daddy-o had to work, but Diva and I soaked up the sunshine and played to our hearts' content! Hooray for Spring!

Warm Fuzzy

I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy, and not just because I just finished a large glass of chardonnay. My 31st birthday is coming to an end. It's been a nice, easy, relaxing kind of day. It started with snow, which wasn't my idea of a Spring birthday surprise. However, it quickly melted and the sun hung out all day. A book I was waiting for arrived at the library, so I picked it up. My mom and step-dad came over bearing gifts. I had a long talk with my sister-in-law, who I miss dearly. The Diva made me a beautiful sticker picture featuring a one-armed princess. Daddy-o loaded my MP3 player with tons of awesome break out in a sweat music and got me a fantastic water bottle. He says I have another present coming, but really the water bottle and music were all I asked for. We dined on Chinese take-out and Daddy-O got me a tasty ice cream cake. The Diva insisted on wearing a dress to my "party". It was just the three of us. She was so passionate about singing "Happy Birthday" that I cried real tears.

We were eating the ice cream cake, which was chocolate and vanilla. The Diva looked at the cake on her plate, pointed to the chocolate ice cream and said, "This part is brown like me and Daddy, and the other part is just like Mommy." An interesting observation. I think I need a spray tan or something. While I am pretty pasty, I don't think I am quite that vanilla.

I feel so blessed to have been able to have such a chill, laid back birthday and to celebrate it with my favorite people, who have showered me with love and affection, as they do most days. Except for days when The Diva is being insane and Daddy-O is making me want to drink. Happy Sunday!

Challenging

The Diva has become very challenging. She testing boundaries left and right, is prone to tantrums and is driving me a bit mad. I love her, I do. She is a sweet child (most of the time). However, I am about at my wits end with the fits. We are being consistent (we always try to be), and sometimes I fear that this isn't just a phase, but that my daughter is going to permanently be a full fledged Veruca Salt. It's a scary thought. Three is proving to be harder than age 2. At 2, The Diva went through the whole "Mine" phase, but with her own unique style. When she does something, she does it big. I could barely take her out in public because she would harrass innocent bystanders. As I pushed the shopping cart through the store, she would say to shoppers, "This is MY MILK!", or "This is MY WALMART!" It was embarrassing, but it passed, with a lot of work on my part. But will this too pass? Sometimes I worry. The Diva appears to be pretty intelligent, which works in her favor when she wants to be horrid. She knows just what to do.

Dinner time has been one of our most recent combat zones. She pushes buttons like there's no tomorrow and proclaims that she doesn't like whatever it is I am serving. She has had a time out or ten during dinner time.

Here's a sample of some pre-dinner testing of my patience/sanity:
The Diva: What are we having for dinner
Me: Sloppy Joes and Mac and Cheese (Don't judge me, we eat plenty of healthy meals)
The Diva: I don't like Sloppy Joes and Mac and Cheese (She's lying, she loves the Mac!), I'm going to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Me: No Diva, you're not. This is not a restaurant, you are going to eat what Mommy and Daddy are having.
The Diva: Yes it is a restaurant. And I'm the customer.

Daddy-O and I just looked it each other. I reaffirmed that there would be no peanut butter and jelly served. But I swear, she knows just what she is doing and how to get to me. I am fearful for the teenage years and am hoping to get through the preschool years without producing a terror. I love The Diva, but man.....

Randoms

It is a beautiful day today and The Diva and I spent a big chunk of time at the park. I am hopeful that spring is really coming, and it's not just a vicious rumor.

The Diva told me she had to use the bathroom, and then snuck off and climbed in bed for a nap. I guess the park did her in.

The Diva seems to be feeling a lot better, hence our trip to the park. We have a follow up appointment with her Dr. tomorrow. Of course it's dead smack in the middle of the morning, making my day crazy, but at least we have a proactive Dr. who wants to check on her progress.

Daddy-O has been really irritating me more often than not this past week. I love him but he is really testing that love right now.

I will be 31 in one week and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Surprisingly I love going to the gym, even at 4:45 am.

I've become addicted to placing holds on books I want to read at the library, and then stalking my account page to see if I have jumped up in line at all.

I'm thinking about purchasing a kettlebell.

Last night I went to a girl's night with my mom at my step-father's ex-wife's house. The Diva is going to be in her wedding in May. That's how we roll. When my mom dropped me off at home, she waited until I got in the house to drive away. It reminded me that I'm still somebody's little girl.

I've thanked God several times today for such a beautiful relaxing Sunday.

The Diva is sick

Another ear infection and once again her asthma is out of control. She just had a terrible attack, and when she has them I swear I stop breathing. To hear her wheeze and gasp for air destroys me. To see the look of panic on her face and not be able to set her at ease immediately kills me. She is now lying down, resting because she is wiped out from trying to breathe. I just needed to come blog it out of my system.

My personal trainer and my dietician

First of all, I don't have a real personal trainer. But for some reason Ludacris is my new motivator. It seems that whenever I feel I can't go much further and am ready to hit the stop button on the treadmill, Luda makes an appearance in my ear buds. And suddenly, I am ready to keep going. It's weird and amazing.

Secondly, The Diva has taken to putting four grapes in a Ziploc baggie when I go to work out. Then, when I get back, she takes them out and stands over me while I eat them. It's another weird occurrence, since I have no idea why she does this. I am trying to be healthy, but isn't four grapes a little skimpy? She means business.

That's what friends are for

My dearest friend has a personal trainer, so she invited me to her gym with her today so she can show me what her personal trainer has shown her. I have worked out for three days in a row now, which might not seem like a lot, but when your butt hasn't done much moving, three days of exercise=pain. So, I emailed Dear Friend, and told her maybe I wasn't feeling it. After all, I did go to my own gym this morning. I asked for a rain check. Guess what her reply was?

"No. You can not take a rain check. You have to come with me."

So guess where I'll be in an hour? Bringin' on the pain! I'm so glad I have a friend who doesn't let me take the easy way out. I'm sure I'll be thanking and cursing her this evening!

Oops!

My alarm went of at 4:45 am. I hopped out of bed, got my workout gear on, brushed my teeth, splashed some water on my face and headed out the door. I did 45 minutes on the treadmill and was feeling awake and refreshed. I finished my workout, then went into the locker room to get ready to leave. I went to use the bathroom and...... realized I wasn't wearing any underwear. (Sorry if this is too much information!). How the heck can a person FORGET to wear underwear? Come on! And that is exactly what I did. Somehow in my sleepiness/eagerness to get to the gym I made an unconscious decision to go commando. I'm such a freak.

Overcoming anxiety and workin' on my fitness!

So, I joined Planet Fitness! Yay me right? Except for the fact that I joined Planet Fitness online, on Martin Luther King Day. I had yet to actually go and use my membership. I wanted to, really I did. But I've got issues. Not issues with working out, not issues with what people think of me, but issues with actually going to the gym for the first time. I get major anxiety over things I do for the first time. It's ridiculous and kind of all consuming. Today I finally sucked it up and went, and the world didn't come to an end. I just did some cardio while losing myself in some old school rap on my mp3 player, and I felt so great when I got done. I am hoping to get into a routine of going at least every week day. It's going to require some real discipline on my part, since the only time that works for me to go without worrying about The Diva is the absolute crack of dawn. Actually, slightly before dawn. We'll see how it goes.

Happy Dance in the Diaper Aisle

This morning I did some grocery shopping-all by myself! It was nice for a change to be able to roam through the grocery store without anyone making demands on me. I walked through to diaper aisle to cut over to the meat section. I took a second to rejoice in the fact that for know I don't have to make any purchases in the diaper aisle. The Diva potty trained and started wearing underwear shortly after her 2nd birthday. Now, not long after her 3rd birthday, we have graduated to underwear at night. I love not having to clean up a urine soaked child and deal with a smelly pull-up anymore, but the first week of "Operation Panties for Bedtime" I developed insomnia. I was seriously stressing over whether or not The Diva would wet the bed. I am still a little apprehensive when I hear her little voice let me know she is up each morning, but this is a milestone I am happy The Diva has reached.