Thursday, April 8, 2010

What Not to Wear

As recently as Thanksgiving, someone close to me, also a mother, had a bit of work done. This woman has always been beautiful, but after 3 children, her youngest is nearly 4 at the moment, she had that last 10 to go and no matter what work outs she did, couldn't seem to get rid of it. She had abdominal surgery and looks the same size she was when we were children. I love this person dearly and at a time in my life when I was needing new clothes, she gave me not new clothes, but new-to-me clothes.
We have never had the same taste, but I would honestly wear some of these things by choice. Some are way cute, and others...we'll just say make me look so much more hippy than I have ever been.

There is a show on the cable network TLC called "What Not to Wear" and we are both fans.
http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/whatnottowear.html
The hosts, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, take fashion-challenged people from around the USA and give them $5000 and a week in NYC to shop for a new wardrobe according to body shape rules and fashion savvy. The catch is, they have to give up nearly every little bit of clothing they own--if (and most of the time all the peices do)--they don't follow the rules. Usually, buy things in the right size, not the size you think you are; cinch above the waist and not below it/that cuts you in half and creates more rolls; wear proper, supportive undergarments; a little make-up goes a long way, way longer than more make-up; create some visual interest and so on.
Now, I do consider myself fashion-challenged, but not to the point where I would have to surrender my clothing under threat of ripping the shirt off my back, and I thank this woman for the "new" clothes I have, but, and it is a big but...MINE. We have never been the same size, even when we were. My hips are hippier and my chest has always been chestier.
"They're all Clinton and Stacy approved." she says. I got the reference. I didn't need her to explain where the reference came from because she knows I'm a fan and would watch religiously if I could, but most of these pieces she gave me--the pants (I was only able to wear two pairs of the pants, and I'm nursing a wee one so I can't wear the dress that looks so fabulous on me because I'd end up stretching out the neck way too much)--Bless her heart, they are approved for her body shape. Or what her body shape used to be.
DH says I can get a tummy tuck if I want one, but when I had Baby M, I nearly lost my life with a c-section. I just don't know if I could do that again. And the cost. Even in about 5 years, when we're done with school and making real money...I just don't know about that. After 4 babies, I'm resigned to the flap I have going on. Me and the flap, We're good friends. I'd just like to have the clothes that fit my body and camouflage the flaws. I am not ungrateful, I just wish I could wear all the pieces she gave me.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Addiction to

Remind me sometime that I have to write about my addiction to following er uh, lurking around crafty blogs.

Family. We Grow and Learn....Sometimes.

Sometimes I think I know it all. Other times, I know I don't. Wanna know why? The brain cells come out with the breast milk. I said that last night at work and one of the little girls I work with thought I was serious.

I can't count. It's been proven by testing. I was a music major in college. I failed the chapter on counting and rhythm miserably. Just ask Kara. She is a supervisor in the grocery store I work in. She has the dubious task of checking my till when I'm done counting down and then saying to me, "sara, where is the rest of your money. count your till again." last night, I found 35 still in it, but the tape really did say 200. I promise.
I can't count.
In high school, I learned rhythm in the musical "Into the Woods". It was such a great play. Sondheim is a killer to play though.
Doesn't mean I can count.

Littlest sister is potty training. She had two accidents this week. The first, her diaper leaked because I just didn't change her enough. The second, she smacked her fingers in the door and creased her knuckles when it shut, 3 minutes after I told her to go potty. In the middle of her crying, her little body relaxed and she pooped in her unders. I'm pretty sure this is about the 4th pair we've thrown away. I just can't bring myself to clean cloth underwear of poo. She certainly is a cute little girl though. Her potty chart sure is filling up. Not as fast as we'd like it to, but she's doing very well.

Middle-most sister is doing all the things that biggest sister is doing, but at a slightly slower pace. after all, she is only 4 years old. We forget that she is only 4. Her verbal skills are of a 6 year old. We could technically test her into kindergarten and she would fit right in perfectly. I so wish we could get her into dance class

Biggest sister is about to embark upon her very first field trip. The kindergarten is going to the petting zoo. I'm jealous. I can't go because there is no room for younger siblings. Oh well. I sure hope I can get much done while she is gone for the extra two-and-a-half hours.

My hubby is trying to line up his internship and another job. interning and working at the same place just doesn't jive with his place of employment. It's a conflict of interest. He's on some serious good terms with the person who hires adjunct faculty at the local small university. He told him to call in the end of summer for fall semester. Here's to luck. Of the good kind.

Baby M. is growing so fast. I don't want him to stop, but at the same time, I think he's too big. He won't roll over, but gets frustrated when he ends up on his side arching his back to see what's going on above his head. He'll roll front to back, just not back to front. He gets along quite well in his stander. It carries him all over tthe kitchen and dining room. He loves it. You know what else he loves? Baby food from a jar. That's so much fun to watch him. He gets so worked up about it and then yells at me for putting the spoon down to feed myself, at the same time, so I can only manage one bite at a time. Being my fourth child, I have mastered feeding babies from my lap. I do this so when baby sneezes, I don't end up with a face full of mush, like my sister-in-law. It's just one of those things you gotta learn. The high chair is a thing you use when they can feed themselves.

I enjoy watching my children play with each other and learning from one another and loving each other. I truly am blessed by the love my little family shares with one another, even though we raise our voices a lot.