Happy 4th birthday, Ella Bean.  I’m so proud of you and am loving watching the person you’re becoming, even if that person pushes my buttons a little. :)

I’m even more frustrated lately because that ten pounds extra I’ve been carrying around turned into 18 and I have been working my ass off.  Seriously.  1500 calories a day plus I’ve been doing the Insanity videos for six weeks.  Things are definitely firmer and flatter, but zero weight loss.  It’s extremely annoying.  I used to easily lose weight just by eating 1500 calories a day for a few weeks or by increasing my exercise. Now I’m doing both and nada.  And by used to, I mean last year.  It seems the day I turned 37 the old kicked in.

I’m trying to combat it.  I’ve been getting regular hair cuts and getting my hair colored to hide the gray that’s multiplying like rabbits all over my head.  I’ve been getting my eyebrows threaded regularly. I got a facial when Sean and I were in Vegas and I’m getting another one on Mother’s Day.

And this week, I did something I haven’t done in years.  I got a mani/pedi.  The last time I had one done was my wedding day six and half years ago. I even got the gel kind on my fingers so maybe it will last a few weeks without chipping.  I’m pretty rough on the nail polish.  So far, so good.

Even my hands look old

I’m coming to the realization that I’m like an older car.  I still run pretty well, it’s not time to trade me in for a newer model (hear that, Sean), but I need a little extra buff and polish to combat the wear and tear.  So I’ll keep fighting this aging thing with blow dryers and tweezers and nail polish to see if there’s still a few good years left on me.

Do you have any secret anti-aging tips?  Anything you do that makes you feel young?

We are in waiting mode here. Samantha is one of the youngest in her class and she does not yet have a loose tooth. She’s watched most of her classmates lose at least one tooth this year. Most have lost multiple. And it’s driving Sam crazy.

Her friend who plays at our house every week has two loose teeth right now. She wiggles them and checks that they’re stil there. She runs her tongue along them and pushes them back and forth. And it’s driving Sam crazy.

I’m impatient too. As is Sean. We ask her at least weekly if any of her teeth are loose. She points to her molars and says they hurt, but no loose teeth yet. And it’s driving Sam crazy.

She wants to know when her teeth will fall out. Some people say they start falling out when the 6 yr molars come in. But Sam got hers at four. (I took her to the dentist because I didn’t thing 4 year olds got new teeth. They don’t. Usually.) So that’s no help.

I think we all feel it’s a rite of passage of sorts. A sign that she’s growing up and stepping firmly into big kid land. She’s grown so much this year, both physically and emotionally. Sometimes I forget she’s not yet six. As her birthday approaches, Sam’s anxious to be a big girl. And a loose tooth would help that process along.

Can’t say I blame her. I’m anxious to start my tooth fairy duties. And no loose tooth is driving me crazy.

What age did your children start losing their teeth? What’s the going rate for the tooth fairy these days? (Please say a shiny penny :) ).

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The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, age 18 or older.  The giveaway will run from May 4th to May 18th at midnight PST.  You can only win from PrintRunner once in a two month period, so don’t enter if you’ve won from them recently.


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Thanks to PrintRunner for providing this giveaway.  I will receive a set of business cards for hosting it.

Whenever I see it, I cringe, because I imagine my husband along with some of my friends’ husbands having those conversations. Sometimes, you just have to wonder what goes through their heads. I swear, it’s like having another child around.

Take, for example, my husband. Sunday I did some volunteer work in the morning and he took the girls to Panera Bread for lunch. On the way out, Sammy and Ella said they had to use the potty. Now, I understand his dilemma. He’s male with little girls, and Samantha’s starting to get to the age where it’s a little awkward to take her into the men’s room. Nonetheless, she’s not quite six, so one would assume he would schlep all three into the men’s room. You know, because they’re still maybe a little young to go into a public bathroom alone.

He, however, asked Samantha if she wanted to go alone. She said yes and then Ella said she wanted to go with Samantha. So into the women’s room they went while Sean and Penny waited at the door.

They were in there a while. A couple of women went in and came out, and still no Sammy and Ella. Finally, they emerged, giggling with wet hands.

Ella whispered to Sean that she had a secret. They giggled. She had gone #2 and didn’t want to wipe herself, so Samantha wiped her. They giggled and then Ella asked Sammy if it was big. To which she replied it was huge! Lots more giggling.

And this is the part where I shake my head and ask Sean not to tell me what they do when I’m not around. I think it’s better that I don’t know.

What “good” ideas has your significant other had?

Also, if you haven’t already taken my 5 question, little survey, I’d love your opinion and comments about this blog.