The Nativity Scene According to Thomas.

Each day lately when I pick up all the toys, I've noticed that the same things are always in the children's nativity scene we got from Grandma Nancy. Thomas very intentionally sets things up this way...

I so wish he was old enough to explain his choices to me. I'm thinking something like this: The football is a mountain backdrop. There was some construction going on around the manger, so of course there has to be a tow-truck. Joseph went out to get ice chips for Mary during labor in the red sports car. The puzzle piece is a bird flying through the air, and the block is the guest house where the wise men stay. The plastic orange donut thing represents a hot tub for everyone to chill in after their long journeys, and the angel and Joseph are guarding the "Baba" Jesus (who is always in the manger---the kid is a genius, don't you think?). All of the animals and the shepherd have to go in the basket below the scene because it's too cold to be outside, and Mary is hanging out behind the guest house cleaning herself off after labor. She's also probably gaining her composure, seeing as she just gave birth to the Son of God and all.

Merry Christmas!

Yummmm.

Just so there are not any secrets between us, I admit that I LOVE Taco Bell. I eat there about once a week. Even after looking up the nutrition information I still go there once a week and just order less. Nachos Bell Grande at 750 calories without sour cream...Yum.

I Laughed.

It's amazing how many of these things I've already heard myself say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

Grrrr...

In case you didn't know, all Drehers (my maiden name) have an arch rival. The rivalry usually begins in about 2nd Grade when a classmate starts to stand out and receive recognition more than the others. Drehers are intense, and did not like sharing the spotlight, thus they declared war for the remainder of the childhood years. Because all three Dreher children are pretty much average in every way, the arch rivals always won in the end. But I must say we put up a good fight.

My arch rival began to emerge in early elementary school as smarter, faster, more coordinated, and more popular than me, with my chubby little legs and awkward tinted glasses. In middle school and then high school she was skinnier, prettier, and again more popular. We competed for Homecoming Queen, Class President, Valedictorian, and Varsity Cross Country...all of which she won. More on arch rivals to come...

Season's Greetings!

It has been really fun for me the past few years to start some of my own holiday traditions. One of the traditions I've attempted to begin in my family is the phrase, "Season's Greetings!" I have a jingle bell that I keep in my pocket at Thanksgiving Dinner. As soon as the meal is over before anyone starts to clean up, I ring the bell under the table and say, "Season's Greetings!" This is the official start to the Christmas Season. While currently my brother and husband roll their eyes at this tradition, I'm hoping all the kids in my family will one day be excited each year when they officially hear the bell and know the season has begun.

Some other traditions we have are: always hanging mistletoe in our home for David and I to make-out under, setting up the tree Thanksgiving weekend (notice how all the ornaments are on the top half this year for you know who), and setting up my collection of nativity scenes in a unique way. This year's featured favorite is the one above given to us by David's Aunt. It is very colorful and detailed. I love it and just found the rest of the pieces I needed at a store close by to complete the set. This particular scene is not the one that Thomas is allowed to play with, especially after finding his velcro Baby Jesus out of his Christmas Story book in the fake gumball machine, in Norman's Mouth, and thrown down the stairs this week. He also likes to put his "Baba" in his wagon and pull him around. What are some traditions you have tried to get off the ground? I hope your heart is light this month. Season's Greetings!

Then and Now

Man I had a fat face and a bad haircut for awhile there. Don't let me ever cut my hair that short again! It looked good when I first did it as a skinny-faced gal, but pregnancy and leaving my favorite-ever stylist in Denver made things go really downhill. Scary. Here's a picture with some of my BFF's from grad. school at the 2 month postpartum point.

At least I can say things are looking up, although Thanksgiving didn't help things much. Here's a more recent picture you have probably seen of me before. As you can tell I'm really losing weight in all the right places. See the poll to the right to share your personal thorn.

Finding a Therapist

I was re-reading my post from yesterday and realized I wasn't very helpful as far as finding a therapist. And please know that my personal journey has been long and difficult. I have by no means arrived, and I don't expect "arrival" from others. BUT, if you are my friend at any level deeper than talking about football I'm always going to encourage you every once in awhile to go talk to someone. Hopefully not in a pushy way, but more because I care about you and want you to experience what I have gained from having an outside perspective.

I can't help you pay for counseling, but I can watch your kids if you live around here, help you find a good fit in a therapist, and search for low-fee people if money is an issue. Plus, I've been trained to keep everything about the subject confidential, so it's not like you have to worry about me squealing on you. There you go, now all the excuses have run out. Now if only I could find weight-loss therapy. :)

Nationally Certified Counselors (this is what I am) can be found by typing in your zip code on this website: www.nbcc.org

Look for someone that has an interest roughly in your particular issue-set even if you aren't sure exactly what they are yet. For me, I would look for words like "Women's Issues, Spiritual Direction, Career Counseling, Anxiety/Depression,etc." And don't worry if you don't know what you will say the first time you go. I sat through my first few appointments pretty much in silence with my therapist in Denver because I wasn't comfortable enough to talk. She asked me questions that finally got me rolling.

A Client of Mine

I've been thinking today about a client I had in Denver we will call Sarah. I met with Sarah for two years nearly weekly. She is in her mid-50's and is married with no children. Sarah did something that I've noticed it is hard for many people to do: she got help. She decided her life wasn't being lived to the fullest because of some emotional baggage she carried from her childhood. We ALL have emotional baggage from our childhoods. Yes, some people have 10 suitcases and some have 2, but we ALL have stuff swimming around inside us that needs to come out, be dealt with, and then packed away and shipped to a foreign land.

Most of the adults I know have never taken the step Sarah did. They assume they don't have stuff to deal with or maybe they just have fond childhood memories. They don't understand that un-dealt-with baggage seeps out of them and creates issues in their marriage, their close relationships, and especially their parenting. I've noticed lately that people over 30 and those of us from the Mid-West are particularly reluctant to seek help for emotional problems. In Denver it was kind of hip to be in therapy for a few years in your 20's. Not so here. And the sad thing is that those who are most reluctant to really digging stuff up and taking a look at it stand out like a Bronco Fan at a Chiefs Game. Their woundedness is apparent and sad, just like mine was in high school and college.

When I was training to be a therapist, David and I both saw a counselor individually once a week for a year. It was the best school assignment I've ever been given, and I consider myself a blessed woman that my husband was willing to look at himself too. The self-awareness and confidence that came out of that period has made us whole. Both as individuals and in our marriage. Throughout that year there were times where we were both angry with our parents, forgiving of our parents, hard on year other, tender with each other. The emotional spectrum was broad. But it was so worth it. My parents and a few of our friends have been on the same journey. I can spot a healthy person or couple a mile away. Unfortunately I can also spot the opposite.

Three years later we are still going strong based on what we learned about ourselves and each other in counseling. We have an incredible marriage. Yes, we still wound each other. Yes, I sometimes still get too mad and David gets too passive, but we are now AWARE where those things come from and able to face them head on instead of being blindsided. And as far as Thomas? We know we are going to mess up and pass on some unhealthy traits to him. But our hope is that when he is 25 and going through counseling he will be able to talk to us about it all and eventually grant us grace. It's much easier to grant grace to parents who have been on the journey and are willing to look at their faults than to those who haven't. We are headed back in for a tune-up soon, and it will be great to have someone objective listen.

Many have asked me if I think this kind of work can be done in a church. My answer is no. God made us whole people with physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional parts. Pastors are not trained to deal with the emotional parts of us, just like you wouldn't ask your counselor to also be your weight-lifting coach. The church can provide support to other parts of us, but it can't be a sole source of emotional support. A bible study where a leader asks how things are going for you is not the kind of work I'm talking about. I thought church and emotional work were one in the same for a long time. They are not.

So consider taking the step my client did. All the odds were against her: she is older, she didn't want to spend the money, she was set in her ways, she is from Michigan, and she didn't have tons of obvious baggage. But she took the step and sought me out. A year ago I received a letter from her stating because of her therapy she is now able to be more centered, at peace, and whole. I can say the same thing. Can you?

What I've Learned About Myself...Year One

Call me non-maternal. Call me a thinker instead of a feeler. Call me anti-gush. My son is one-year-old today, and I'm so relieved. I'm not very good at things in the first year. Transitions have always been tough for me. The first year of college I got depressed, my first summer of guiding I had no confidence, and our first year of marriage was BAAAD. I was hoping to dodge the bullet with the new baby transition. No such luck. But I have learned a lot about myself along the way. And the good news is I'm always better the second time around. Second year of college--awesome, second year of graduate school---one of the best years of my life. Second year of mothering? I'm already sensing a home run. Here's what I have learned in the midst of this crazy transition.

1. Especially in parenting, things are almost never going to go the way I plan them. Holding Thomas right after he was delivered? No dice. Breastfeeding? No pointy nipples, tongue control, or anti-reflux mouth. Trip to the mall without a poop? Not going to happen. Cleaning the house well every week? Yeah, right. Being the best stay-at-home-mom in the neighborhood? ha. And so, I must flex with my own plans. It's fine to make them, just don't hold on to them very tightly.

2. I'm a working woman. I've gone back and forth and round and round about this all year. I've been jealous of moms who were established in careers before having kids and could just switch to part-time. I've interviewed at a counseling job, Pottery Barn, Starbucks, done freelance writing, and applied at KU trying to make something work. I even tried ministry again in the hopes of finding some outside-the-home fulfillment. Very bad idea. But staying home full-time all the time? Not me.

3. With #2 being said, I now also know that I am a therapist. It's my calling, my passion. I don't want to work long-term as anything else. Sitting with others, working through things. I love it. Brainstorming new ideas. Gotta have it. Of course I don't want to be on-call, go into people's homes, and work strange hours, but if I can find something that is a good fit for our family I would be ecstatic, which is why I'm planning to take the classes I need to get my license in KS. I'm done waffling back and forth about it. I just gave them a non-refundable check. Oh and just so everyone knows where I stand, I believe every adult should be in counseling WEEKLY for at least one year of their life. I'm sick of hearing about people going to counseling once or twice to "fix" something. Everyone has issues, and going to talk to someone every once in awhile when they act up is like putting a band-aid on a gushing wound. Go more often for a long time and fix them at the core. Then go 6 times a year for tune-ups. Most people take better care of their cars than their emotional health, so don't tell me you are "in" counseling unless you are really going to dig up the roots. There is no stigma with me. It's painful, but so worth it.

4. I'm a 2, maybe 3 kid person, NOT a 3, maybe 4 kid person. Probably 2 since I hated being pregnant.

5. Unfortunately a lot of my confidence is tied to my weight. This is probably always going to be the case for me, BUT there are two things I can do to help that. #1. Excercise 3x per week no matter what. #2. Don't eat sugar. If these two things are in place, I tend to feel quite a bit better about myself.

6. I don't work well alone. I need alone-time, but I can't get anything done while by myself. It's unfortunate, but I have to have someone around to keep me focused. When writing, I have to have someone give me a deadline to get anything done. With house cleaning, David and I set the timer for 30 minutes and do what we can do. Without him I end up in some drawer deciding whether to keep or give away a green towel. I'm an introvert with completion problems. This is easily solved for me by cooking with friends, cleaning with David, and remembering that mothering is more about the process than the finish line.

7. I have to have women around me in my life stage that create a sense of belonging. I like being part of a group. My mom's group has been perfect. Book Club gives me a sense of belonging AND a deadline to actually finish the book. These groups cannot be a spiritual thing for me. I hate feeling pressure to belong to say, a bible study or a church, but I like being part of a creative writing club. Something about guilt for me there, I guess.

8. I need more mental stimulation than the average bear. My brain craves intellect, depth, and walking through complex relationships. I get jazzed by reading scholarly articles and Mental Health Journals. I'm excited when the conversation at playgroups turns from cheerios to in-laws. Call me a geek, but I'm sad this has been such a hole for me this year.

9. I must spend a certain number of hours per week creating. Writing, pictures, decorations, gifts. I feel a deep void if I haven't made time for this. It also has to be in my own space. Having my own studio has been huge for me. And I'm now feeling confident that creating is a hobby or side-thing, and doesn't have to make money or be my career.

10. I am much more comfortable as a slightly more conservative person in a liberal group than the other way around. This has seemed to come up over and over again for both David and I this year. Obama for President!

So why is year two going to be even better than year one? Because moving forward I know myself better and therefore am more at peace. Here's to being out of transition for awhile!

The Tommy vs. Thomas vs. Tom Debate

We love the name Thomas, which is why we chose it for our son. He is named after David's beloved grandfather. There has been a big debate in our families about what to call him. In Kansas, where things are less formal, he is called Tommy. In Texas, where everything is over-the-top, he is called Thomas. At home he is called Bubba. The poor kid is going to have a huge identity crises soon. This morning his Parents As Teachers educator asked if he responds to his name. We laughed and said we aren't sure. We know eventually he will be Tom, but we are holding out on the Thomas or Tommy until 6th Grade. And while it's fine with us if family and close friends call him Tommy, when he goes to school or even Kid's Day Out this Spring he will be Thomas. So there you have it. You can call our son Thomas or Tommy for the next 11 years. Bubba, Tommy Sam, and Tinkle Factory are all reserved for parents only. Sorry. Isn't it cool to get to name someone though? Oh and Norman just whispered in my ear that he is ready to be called Norm, not Normie anymore. He's a big boy now.

Creative Projects As of Late...

1. Thanksgiving Cornucopia with gords and corn from the Pumpkin Patch and real fruit. Cornucopia= $6 at Pier 1
2. Framed Watercolor of Thomas' Favorite Outfit painted by an artist in Hutchinson, KS my aunt knows. She gave us the painting for his 1st Birthday Gift. Very special!
3. My own Studio! I had my own space to create in Denver and had been really missing it here. My wonderful husband painted this spare room in the basement and helped me arrange furniture so that it can be my own place to go and create. I am such a spatial person that when I walk in here I feel free to tune everything else out and work on projects. David and Thomas know not to bug me when the door is closed to the room, and Norman isn't allowed in there.
4. First Birthday party favors and decor. More on this to come, but Tommy Lisenby is turning one just a week from today! We're having a Barnyard theme party complete with animal decorations, costumes, and decorations.
5. The baby book...finished just in time for the 1st Birthday Party. I'm now excited to go digital for the years to come and hire my friend Crystal, who has her own business making digital albums, to do our albums for us.

Cousin Tribute

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY COUSIN! Carolyn-I forgot to write down your new e-mail address, but I know you read this blog. Have a great day today! For those of you that don't know her, Car-Tot has been one of my biggest creative inspirations. She and her husband, Philip, live in Sydney where they both work in the art industry. C and I used to run a hotel together called C&A's. Our services as 9,10,11-year-old girls included cooking, light cleaning, and mints on the pillows of our grandparents. We also had evening violin and flute concerts and matching hotel uniforms. Our fees for staying in C&A's wonderful suites were very reasonable: All of the change in our grandfather's money dish. :)

Other creative endavors with C include taking pictures on the Konza prairie, experiencing Wilderness Ranch together, learning how to play poker, gin, and bridge by Grandmother Dreher, burying a time capsle, fighting for territory in the woods with the Macy boys, pulling Great Grandmother's wig off, and getting matching 80's boomboxes for Christmas. Carolyn has a unique way of looking at the world that should be celebrated today. She has given us the most unique and thoughtful gifts we've ever received including Austrailian wind chimes, photographs of loved ones, a Joey Kangaroo, a unique collection of Austrailian Children's Classics, and a bugaboo hat. I'm pretty sad that Thomas won't have a cousin close to his age to share memories with like I had. According to Uncles Paul and Conor, Dreher cousins are at least 10 years away.

So here's a blog toast To My Cousin Carolyn---To another 28 years of creative energy!

Ass Whoopin'

I got a little trip to the ass-kick-atorium by 3 people about my last post: my mom, David, and Cristy. After contemplating their words I'm ready to quit bitchin', accept what God has given me, and move forward. So today I'm going to take my son for a walk around the park, proudly wear my best-fitting inbetween jeans, do my hair, wear a shirt that looks good on my body type, put on some funky jewelry, not eat more than one piece of Halloween candy, and make the best of it. I'm going to keep working toward my goal but also celebrate how far I have come and be grateful. And I'm done comparing. Tell me if you see me doing it. I have great eyes, hair, waistline, boobs, and legs. It's time to start focusing on those things and forgeting about the rest!

And by the way I'm moving my goal of being in the 120's back to March. And if it doesn't happen by March I'm letting it go for good. I've put so much pressure on myself the past few weeks because I stupidly set the deadline at the 1st Birthday mark. So my body takes longer to lose weight than most. Who really cares besides me? It's all becoming too much of a distraction to my true mission right now: to be present and love a little boy that probably likes it more that his mommy has a little chin fat to grab and shake. :) So new plan is 129.5 by my sister-in-law Callie's wedding on March 15th. That would be one year from when I started working out again anyway. And in the big scheme of things---not that bad. Sorry for my obsessive nature about this whole topic. I really am working to move past it and hope for baby #2 I have a much better perspective.

Weight Loss Update

Here's the only picture I've allowed myself to be in as of late. Getting closer...although I'm stuck again at 136.5. So sad. I've thought about doing something extreme before Tommy's Birthday like not eating carbs or fat, but I know I can't maintain that and will feel like crap for the next few weeks. And so I continue my quest to be balanced and reasonable and lose exactly 7 more pounds to be back in the 120's. Funny how it only took me about 2 weeks to put on 7 pounds while I was pregnant, and it will probably take me 4 MONTHS to get it off now. And PS-I'm kind of pissed lately at all of you ladies who gain weight in your legs and arse but not on top. I'd rather have a huge butt than gain all my extra weight in my face, arms, and boobs. If anyone wants to trade just let me know. At least you bottom heavy people can take good pictures even when you are at your worst. Jackasses.

Are You a Blog Slut?

This is a little shout out to my buddy Amy who apparently NEVER posts blog comments. I thought maybe a personal tribute to both Amy and her crush, Ryan Gosling, might force her to move her mouse to the comment link. I also have to admit that I find Ryan Gosling VERY attractive. He looks just like David, don't you think? :) If you, like Amy, are just using me for my musings but never post comments consider yourself a blog slut. Don't deny it. You come to this site, read all the thoughts of my imagination, but don't commit to really help me on my questions and therefore are just using me. I'm not fond of being an indirect pimp.

Question

If you have to pin your son down with both arms and then wrestle him until you are dripping sweat while saying, "You WILL be a lion for tonight's party!" does it ruin the spirit of wearing a costume? Happy Halloween!

Confessions of an Average Woman

I watched a so-so movie called 'Catch and Release' a few weeks back. The storyline and acting were lame, but the music and setting was great. There is also one scene that has stuck with me. Jennifer Garner admits to all the bad things she has done that no one knows about, like stealing library books. I think my confession list would look something like this:

1. Sometimes even when I smell a poopy diaper I pretend like I don't so David will have to change it.

2. I have a secret addiction to buying mid-sized bags. Not purses, but mountain-type day packs.

3. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I got the wrong Master's Degree. I should have gone to art school and done creative writing. I am afraid to tell my husband and parents (who helped us pay for the counseling degree) that I look at the Kansas City Art Institute website drooling about once a week.

4. I think I might end up being an Episcopalian even after making fun of my parents and grandparents about their faith being boring for the past 10 years. I confess that I now love the tradition of the Epsicopal Church and David does too.

5. I have little white-head zits all over my arms that I pop before I go to bed.

6. I've lied about my weight on my driver's license in 3 different states: Kansas, Texas, and Colorado.

7. Everytime I bake something I say it is for David but really it is so I can lick the bowl.

8. I'm almost always 10 minutes late to kickboxing with my mom. As I walk in I usually mutter something about Thomas not getting his nap or fighting getting dressed to come, but really I am late because the class is too hard for me and I'm embarassed that my mom is in better shape than I am.

9. In 6th grade I lied and said that I didn't call Adam Carey a "penis wrinkle" on the playground, but I actually did.

10. Also in 6th Grade (bad year) I skimmed a book in the car on the way to school at least 5 times and added it to my reading list so I could beat Katie F. in the "Most Read Books" contest.

11. I've always wanted to smoke pot and even confessed this to David and friend Kari when I was on painkillers one time.

12. Sometimes I wonder if I was/am too young and selfish to have a baby.

13. Sometimes I don't want to have any more babies because I don't want to go through the whole weight-gain/loss thing again.

14. There is a woman in our church that I can't stand. She bugs the hell out of me. I avoid her at all costs, but when I got trapped by her last week she told me we looked more rested as a family, held up her hands, and said "Praise God." I didn't know we were tired.

15. This is one of David's (I don't think he reads this so we'll see if he minds). David used to plot to kill our old neighbors in Denver. He literally would think of ways to kill them (such as poison) because they were so annoying to him.

Five Big Mistakes...Still Inspired?

A few people have told me recently that my blog is inspirational to them. I have a love/hate relationship with this idea. I love it because I need quite a bit of inspiration in my life and am glad I can provide that for others. I hate it because after you hear about the past 12 hours you may not be inspired anymore.

6pm: It is decided that Thomas and I will not be going to the cabin with my parents for the rest of the week because T has a fever and bad poops. I am disappointed to not have the chance to get away and breathe the Colorado Fall air for a few days. Due to this disappointment (I think) I decide to make brownies (really for David, right?) and decide that because I did so well at WW this week I can have a few licks of the batter without writing down my points. A few licks turns into many licks and suddenly I realize that I've eaten 10 points worth of brownie mix, which is almost half of my daily point allowance. Crap.

Licks= Big mistake #1.

1:30am: Thomas is up with his teeth hurting and the brownies allure me toward them asking me to just take a nibble. A few bites as I make a bottle and find the Tylenol leave me feeling wired as I try to fall back asleep.

Nibbles=Big Mistake #2.

4:30am: Thomas and I decide to get up for the day after several off and on attempts to get back to sleep. I am hungry and frankly don't see another option than the brownies. One more 2 inch square in the belly. Thomas and I do the laundry together and I cuss 31 times in a row after realizing I put my only well-fitting bra in the dryer. Yes, there is a strong possibilty that my son's first word could be "CrapBag." Not getting out cereal,

Cussing=Big Mistake #3

As I am doing the dishes from last night I see a poof of yellow dust out of the corner of my eye. My little engineer has figured out how to open dry mustard and has spilled it all over the carpet. He is laughing at the magical fairy dust on his clothes, but I say a few more crapbags as I go get the vacuum. I also decide to write a mean note to my husband telling him to do his own dang dishes at night and to please take the brownies to school with him, as if it is his fault I've eaten so many. The Costco box of mix, the brownies themselves, and the note are set on the stairs where he will see them promptly upon awaking.

Mean note, leaving the mustard out, and buying the never-ending box of brownie mix in the first place=Big Mistake #4

At this point I'm feeling like poo about myself and drink some water and decide to go for a walk to try and rectify the brownie situation. I evaluate the status of the strollers since Baby Tom is still crawling around in circles at a high rate of speed on search and destroy missions. We have THREE strollers. ONE baby. THREE strollers. None of them are available for a morning stroll. Stroller #1 has a flat tire. Stroller #2 is in the trunk of my car, a vehicle to which the keys cannot be found. Stroller #3 is at my parents' house. I go find the hiking backpack and put the squirmy little monkey in it as we head out the door.

No organization regarding strollers or keys=Big Mistake #5

It is 5:30am, and knowing that sometimes other people with kids are also up at these strange hours I decide to walk by all my friends' houses. I need another woman to dwell in my woes with me. There are lights on at Angie's and Tiffany's from church, but I decide I don't really know them well enough to knock on their doors so early. I trek on to Allison's as Thomas pulls my hair over and over again squealing at the top of his lungs to wake the entire neighborhood up. On the way to Cloudville I start to get very tired and overwhelmed by the hair pulling and exhaustion from running only on brownie fuel. I decide that since it is almost 6:00 it's ok to knock on Allison's door and tell her what a terrible person I am for eating so many 2 inch chocolate squares. But as I walk up to her house and there are no lights on I am confronted by the idea of Kevin in his underwear as well as the fact that Allison has 3 kids and is thinner and more organized than me with one kid. I've climbed into bed with Al in the past but probably shouldn't do so with her husband in the bed and a backpack/baby on my back. I decide against waking up all the villagers in Cloudville and press onward around the corner. The last person I know on the route is my friend from 8th grade basketball who doesn't have any kids. Since I have only seen her at the grocery store a few times since moving back to the area, I decide waking her up is not an option.

When we get home I am relieved to see that David is still in bed, and I cross out the mean part of my note about the dishes. I keep the part about taking the brownies away and add some Oreos to the pile that I know will be my next temptation. I resolve to go to the grocery store this morning and stock up on healthy options. I post this blog, realize it's not too late to start my day over, and go back to bed, hoping for a fresh start around 8 or 9am. Goodnight.

Skinny Jeans Here I Come!

I just got back from my Weight Watchers meeting and lost 3 pounds! Yahoo!! So this means 4 pounds down and 6 to go until the potential pre-pregnancy jeans fit. I only have 6 more weeks until Thomas' First Birthday, so I'm hoping for at least pound a week. If anyone wants a box of Costo brownies that have been a huge distraction for me, let me know. A brownie is 5 points!

WARNING! ADULTS ONLY!

This afternoon I was feeling sorry for myself on our new tight budget and really wanting to pay someone to do some yardwork David can't get to and clean our house (because I sometimes spend more time feeling sorry for myself then just cleaning the stupid toliets). So I found myself on Craigs List looking at options and found this:

I'll clean your house for FREE ladies!! But there's one little catch..

I'll perform light house-cleaning, absolutely free, although only under the following guidelines:

1. I work in the nude

2. Only adult females may be present during my visit

3. I don't expect sex, I just have a fantasy to do this.. and you only live once, so....

4. No pictures

* I'm 26, attractive white male about 140lbs and 5',9"

Oh, it's 8-inches ...just in case you're wondering.

Here were some of my initial thoughts...(just to be totally honest here). "Dang, this guy is skinny!" and "8 inches...I wonder how long my husband's wazoo is?" and "I wonder if he is a good cleaner."

So there you have it. I'm going to go clean the toilets now and try to get over the hump of desire to have someone else do it.