Moving Day

Well, the time has come and it is moving day. I don't know how many times I can say bitter sweet, but that is exactly what it is. I have lived in our Sailfish home for 9 years now, almost a third of my life--crazy to think of it that way.

I fell in love in this very living room to the man of my dreams. We started our life together here and have spent all of our married years in this sweet home. All of our babes have called this their home for the entirety of their little lives. We have all loved, laughed, cried, learned, entertained, prayed and lived for God in this small abode. 

As you can tell I am feeling super nostalgic right now as I take 5 minutes to sit for one of the last times in my home. I know life is always full of change, but for me change can just be so darn hard. So right now in this moment, I am thanking God that He is in charge and praying that I can trust in Him as He leads us on our new adventure. 

I have so much more to say, but alas I here the moving truck approaching. Please keep us in your prayers!

Sanctifying Sunday, Sunday Best, WIWS, Birthday Blog-- or whatever!

I can't help but love how he contributes to my blogo! He said he wanted to write something to make me laugh on my birthday, which really is so thoughtful of him. 

But before I turn it over to my Matt, just one little FYI that I thought you should be aware of. 

He did ask  me: "Do you think people are going to think I am funny or really weird for writing this." 

I had no answer for him. 

Now for da man of the hour (or 3.5 minutes, however long it takes you to read this)...

This ol' move to TizzyTampa (thats the Bronx coming out of me, which I'll push it back in, but someday I'll video my shimmy or shake depending on if you're from the Bronx or Harlem--- trying to keep ya in suspense) has got us crazy. Butt (I LUV using the the wrong "but"), I'm taking time out to hook up for Saturday or Sunday best or WIWS.

The deets on my apparel

Hat: Converse, Target 4 yrs ago. LUV hats and I'm simply fine with being the old dad w 4 kids trying to hold on to my converse hat. I'm not giving it up, BAM! Nor my red vans BOOM! But, I did by a wild hat from polo 70% off that may not fly to well with the wifey- I'll keep ya posted. 

Glasses: No name. Lost my favorite pair of glasses, which Kristin consequently HATED.  I tried to remind her that as Disciples of Christ we should not hate.  Well, the old glasses are floating somewhere with cement shoes in the Gulf of Mexico. These new suckas were $75 bucks. I walked in, told the optometrist my wife off'd my fab pair and he pulled this box out of the garbage and said pick one & I'll put your lenses in & they're yours for $75. I asked if there was a warranty and he laughed.  

Polo TShirt: 2XL at only 11.99. I waked into Ambrcrombie and Finchbigots and the guy who weighed a buck ten soak n' wet (my rt leg weighs more than that on a diet) informs me right off the bat, before I have even crossed through the threshold of the store, that "we don't carry your size." Whhhhooa. Maybe I should call my lawyer and y'all be whooping it up at Ambercrombie and Matt!  HAAAAHAAAAHaHAhizzyha.

Beard: Super trimmed up since last week.  I LUV it long, but Isaiah said that I looked like the guy on the side of the road asking for money the other day.  I took his words as a compliment. However, my poor brother on the side of the road held a sign that said, "will work for food."  My sign would have been like my other friend at another intersection in Tampa that says, "I'm not going to lie- I need a beer."  I give that guy $20.  It's HOT down here in Florida.

Now onto Some Sunday Meat: 

Thus says the LORD:

I will pour out on the house of David

and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem

a spirit of grace and petition;

and they shall look on him whom they have pierced (also translated as THRUST THREW),

and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son,

and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.

From the Minor Prophet Zechariah.  

Jesus is close to us. So close to us. 
He opens himself up to be close to us so that we can identify with him and others.  It's tempting for me to hit auto pilot when I hear: "Thus says The Lord." Often times I am sitting at Church thinking: "I've heard this before...." Well, I have heard it, but understanding it is completely different! Jesus' Incarnation puts Him close to our hearts. One translation, as I noted above, is rendered "Thrust threw".  I think of all the people I know (knew and will meet someday) who have been "thrust threw"and my heart breaks. But, I'm sure God's heart breaks more..... And, Jesus knows--- he really, REALLY knows how excruciatingly painful it is to be "Thrust threw."

We have a God who became fully human and knows the pain to lose a first born child-- Jesus and us.  We have a personal God who knows the pain of betrayal- by others, by ourselves, our emotions, our bodies....

He's really closer than we think. 

Shifting gears again to some photo commentary:

The kiddos were starving and the table was set and they were soaked from swimming. So, I had to change 5 kids by my lonesome (super easy by way of this deficient daddy). I am the first born and see everything as a competition.  Unfortunately the picture above can show how my determination can be a little reckless.  I was changing my God-Daughter out of her wet suit (which why the heck is that SO HARD) and she was crying when I was taking her swim top off: "You're hurting me, you're hurting me!"  I responded: "Mia, since you are part of this family, you've simple got be tough." Well, look closely at the pic above. She did have a legit claim against me.  A little hair will grow back, right? No big deal.  

I seriously almost burnt my face off taking this pic.  This is a breakfast pizza that I made for dinner as the kids were swimming. G-Free. That's all I can tell you. I'm like a mad scientist in the kitchen and I don't measure shat.  Just a big dose of LUV.  

Isaiah said: "This is awesome dad. Thanks!" Gotta love a thankful heart. 

That's all he wrote folks! Till next time- Happy Birthday, Babe.  

What They Said

Grace: Mom, you look weird
Me: Really, what looks weird?
Grace: Your face.
Me:
Not much I can do about that.

Returning from a CrossFit workout where Isaiah and Isaac were there watching...
Matt: So Isaiah, how did mom do at the gym?
Isaiah: Well, she kinda looked like an old woman and she runs really slow.
Kids never lie.

While at the pool...
Me: Okay Grace, 1, 2, 3 JUMP.
Grace: No MOM, it's 1, 4, 6, 9 JUMP.
She's so smart, isn't she?

"Momma, call me Pink Cat Woman today."
 As you wish.

At the dinner table...
Isaac: Grace, do you know who dad's favorite saint is? It's Padre Pee-A.
Isaiah: Not Pee-A, Isaac. It's Padre Pio.
Grace: I like pah-drr-way pia. Oh tay, Doggie.
Oh tay, Grace.

Seconds later in the convo...
Isaiah: Do you think there is a holy card with Father John on it (Father John is our parish priest).
Isaac: I don't know, but I bet Father John has holy powers.
Isaiah: Yea, probably like power rangers.

As Isaac is giving me a hug, he whispers into my ear...
Isaac: Mom can you please teach Grace how to say Isaac, because I'm not a dog."
So sorry Bud, your request is pretty much hopeless right now. Maybe 10 years from now she will finally get it. Maybe...

Isaac comes to me with seemly very important news...
Isaac: Mom, Isaiah is the best farter in our family and I'm the best burper.
Really??

Matt and I talking about something...
Matt: You just live in your own world and I am going to leave you there.
Me: Thanks babe. And I TRULY appreciate being left there.

While Matt and I are coming home from a date night...
Matt: Wow, your legs are WHITE! You might want to consider signing up for couple of Zoom Tans. I mean...I am just trying to look out for you.
Me:
Always love having someone look out for me. 

Matt: Are you going to have a couple of Skinny Girl cocktails tonight?
Me: I dunno, why?
Matt: Well, your a lot more fun when you do.
Me:
What could I say when he is just telling the truth!

Sanctifying Sunday Sabbatical and Sunday Best

Matt is back and in full action... 

I've been holding out.  Almost like the NBA lockout or the writers guild strike a few years back.... I think.  I was waiting for my HUGE fan base (there's only 2 and you'll have to read this whole thing to find out who it is) to rally behind me to just come out and post something, anything. It just didn't happen.  Then Kristin, way back when, called me over and said that some super popular girl from Camp Painting had given me a shout out because of my rarely found and unique dynamic mixture of prose, humor, and incredible insight. Well, that was the nail in the coffin.

So here goes an attempt at something...

My mother-in-law does this to me to all the time.  For example, a conversation will go something like this--

Sweet Mother-in-Law Gale: "Matt, couple of quick requests before our guests come for dinner."

Obedient Son-in Law Matt:  "Sure.  Whatever you need, just tell me."

Sweet Mother-in Law Gale with a little more seriousness in her voice:  "We have some really important people coming over, so please entertain us with some good humor, walk the line with your language and if you cross it just simply apologize for ill-humor and lack of poor judgement."

Internal Matt's thoughts: Well, that will be easy. As it is one of my trade marks and really draws the crowd in...

Sweet Mother-in-Law Gale: "Oh, and Matt, it seems as if you have been in a melancholic mood today.  Do you think you can snap out of it and just make us laugh and keep the conversation going. And by the way, the guy who wears the bow tie is a physicist.  Could you read up on something to have a conversation with him too?"

Favorite Son-in-Law Matt:  "Gale, I'll read up on some nano physics and the God particle- bet he doesn't know a Jesuit discovered it... most importantly, does bow tie guy drink whiskey?"

Sweet Mother-in-Law Gale: "Yes."

FlavaFlav Son-in-Law:  "I got this fo-sure.  (I used to hang out in the Bronx right across the street from the rapper with the huge clock around his neck and would yell up to his Penthouse, 'Yo, it's me, Brother Isaiah, let me in!'  His floor was way up there 45 floors or something.  I still hold to this day that if he did hear me he would have let me in." 

Favorite Son-in Law at the beginning of the dinner: "Great to meet everyone.  I have a question, does anyone know the difference between in-laws and out-laws?" DEAD silence.  I respond: "Well, out-laws are wanted!"

The response was weak at best, so I thought I would pull out another oldie but goodie.

Not so Favorite Son-in-Law or Husband at this time (I'm thinking, redemption time):  "Hey, does anyone know why it seems that husbands die before their wives?"  Now everyone thinks that we've moved from pathetic humor to a more substantial conversation.  There's serious discussion going on in the room: stress, poor eating habits, demands of providing for the family, genetics....  I finalized the conversation with a declarative statement: "It's simple, It's because they want to!"  SHINTO

Not so nice face from Mother-in-Law and the "you're not getting any dessert tonight" look from the ol' smokin' hot wifey, even if she has drank three bottles of skinny girl COSMOMARGARITAAAA.

BUT,  that's ok.  I'm still the favorite Son-in-Law, because there aren't any other son-in-laws in the family!  And Kristin is in this for LIFE.  It was a valid marriage, full knowledge and consent was present (maybe just a little coercion with my good looks), and it was with the absence of fear, ignorance, or violence- just a little bit of concupiscence.... that makes it like a good cocktail.  It was all good and neither of us are going anywhere.

So, that's the pressure.  It's like this girl from Camp Planet Smoothy put some huge pressure on me and shut me down.  Then another lady gave my wife one line comment out from NCR (thank the good Lord it wasn't NPR) and I didn't want to mess up their mojo- either of them....

I'm over it now after doing my link up with what I wore last week.  I've got more 5 favs to come and some "quick seven takes" too.

So, a super quick thought about Father's Day.  I think we should strike the Father's Day off the calendar for a few years until we men get our acts together.  If I hear Oprah say "crisis of manhood" one more time I'll scream.  But if I hear her say a "crisis of FATHERHOOD" then I yell, "ALLEILUYEAR!"

We should have two Mother's Days a year- the second on the kid's birthday.  It shouldn't be for the kid, it should be for the MOM!  She's the one who sacrificed her body for 9 months, went through excruciating pain (the whole birthing process is outrageous- I have a whole stash of smelling salts in my pocket and some hidden in my socks just in case I actually do hit the floor and can have easy access and not miss the birth of one of my children).  I'm mean, yeah it's beautiful in a really weird twisted way.  Beautiful after all the screaming, crying, and cursing stops AND all the nastiness all over the place cleaned up- then it's beautiful.

Let's not forget that mom won't sleep for another year while the wee little one cries, poops, eats (that's why I'm the National Male President of Le LECHE- I even have a bumper sticker that reads "Got Breast Milk?  Good, You'll get more SLEEP!"   Guys are honking at me giving me fake high fives all over the place.)

So, I'm back.  Two Mother's Days it is a year and I would like to thank my two faithful followers, Sarah Sahm and LeBron James.  I appreciate your support.

The Play by Play

I know, I know, no one really cares about me typing my narcissistic minute by minute Midnight to Noon chronicle. But, for some reason I thought this would be fun and help me to justify to myself why I am getting NO packing done and why my house is such a mess!

So here is the play by play.
Ready. Set. Go!

Midnight (last night) - Bed time for me.

12:20am - Wake to the sound of Hope crying. Walk from my bed to our school room (where Hope sleeps in a pack n play) to nurse her.

3:30am - Hear lil' Hopie girl crying again. Stumble my way to the school room to nurse her.

6:30 - Hear da Hopie crying again...Grumble my way to the school room to nurse.

6:40 - Transfer Hope to the pack n' play in our room, put the binky in her little mouth, and back to bed for both of us.

6:50 - I hear the boys out in the living room and roll over in my warm, snug bed.

7:03 - Grace is up and telling me very LOUDLY her desperate need for me to put a bow in her hair.

7:04 - Bow in her hair.  I plop back down in my bed while the kids are talking or playing something in the living room.

7:10 - I roll out of bed to tell Grace to stop yelling.

7:10 and 30 seconds - Back in bed for me.

7:25 - I get dressed to go to the gym and tell the boys to put their shoes on so that they can come with me.

7:30 - Try to explain to Grace that she can't come to the gym because last time she was whining and crying way to much.

7:35 - Still trying to reason with Grace to no avail.

7:40 - Hand Grace to Matt and run out the door with the boys and drive to gym.

8:00 - CrossFit time!

8:15 - After finishing JUST the warm-up, which included an 800m run, I start to think:  I may be in trouble today, because I am already really feeling it.   

8:30 -  I'm thinking: Am I really paying for this type of torture?? But, loving it just the same.

8:45 - Doing post WOD (work out of the day) air squats and shaking.

8:50 - Bam. Done with my workout for the day.

8:51 - Sit on the floor of the gym in a pool of sweat.

8:53 - Allow the boys to do pull-ups on the bar in my gym (they had been begging me all week). They did me proud.

8:57 - Pull through Dunkin Donuts for two medium coffees.

9:03am - Back to the homestead.

9:04- Hand Matt his coffee, change my clothes, and wash my hands, because there is no time for a shower just yet.

9:05 - Nurse the Hopie Hope Hopster.

9:15 - Sit down and gulp 5 awesome sips of coffee, while trying to block out the kids requests
for water, food and seemingly every basic need that they have.

9:20 - I get my booty up off the couch and get the kids water, and put out some fruit and toast.

9:25 - We all watch Hope crawl around and the kids argue over who gets to hold her.

9:30- Isaiah falls into the couch hurting his head and starts crying. I hold my big 6 year old.

9:32 - Kiss Matt goodbye as he leaves, sadly enough, for the funeral of a friend.

9:35 - Change Hope's over loaded pee diaper.

9:37 - Change Grace's diaper and coax her to get her underwear on.

9:40 - Story time with Mom (me). Hip, hip, hooray! The kids bring their blankets and pillows to listen to my grande and magical story telling voice, which half way through Isaac asks: "Why are you talking so weird?"

Warming up for Story Time. 

9:47- Tired of my story telling antics the boys want to dive into their Bob Books and read to me and the girls. We happily oblige and of course love to hear about how "Matt and Sam sat".

10:15- Isaiah calls Grammy to let her know how he read the book As Big As all by himself

10:20- Quick nurse for da Hopie girl and down she goes for her nap.

10:30 - Isaiah plays legos with Grace, while I make a for real breakfast of eggs and bacon.

Notice Grace's outfit change and hair accessories. She's always quite original.

10:40- I scarf down my eggs (because I am super hungry and waited too long to eat) all while still scrambling the kids eggs in the pan.

10:45- Eggs are served for what I should call brunch by now.

10:46 - Grace leads us in a drawn out prayer of "Bless Jesus, Mia, Hopie girl, Zah, and Doggie," which she repeats over and over again until Isaiah finally breaks in and finishes with "Bless our lives".

10:52 - Eggs are all down in the kids bellies.

10:53 - Isaac gets on the toilet.

10:55 - Isaac yells for me to wipe his bottom.

10:57 - Isaiah hops on the toilet.

10:59 - Graces screams she has to go poopie! Thus, Isaiah is made to finish as quickly as possible.

11:00 - Grace plops down on the potty.

11:10 - Grace finally finishes and yells for her treat, which I say she must put her underwear back on before she gets her treat.

11:15 - Grace finally puts her underwear on gets 4 chocolate chips.

11:20 - Boys are in their room playing Bey Blades, while Gracie girl dances around.

11:21 - I start a load of laundry.

11:24 - Hope wakes up!!

11:26 - Another quick Hopie girl nursing session.

11:30 - Grace, Hope and I play doctor, consisting of Grace putting the same play bandaid on us over and over again, while checking our temperature.

11:32 - The boys go outside for a game of tag and cry.

11:42 - Isaiah comes in the house complaining, which is an automatic timeout dis here house.

11:44 - Hope and I play 3 super lame fun games of hide and seek with the other 2, while Zah is in time out.

11:50 - Isaiah comes out of the laundry room (our timeout spot), I kinda forgot about him (whoops!!)

11:53 - We all smash an entire container of grapes in our mouths.

11:58 - The 3 biggers are peacefully playing some sort of "experiment game" in the boys room.

Noon - Hope and I begin to make g-free pasta for lunch.


Now that was fun, wasn't it?!
Nah, not really. Booorrring.
Don't worry, I'll try to never put you through that again.

Ps. When Matt came home around 1ish (1:19 if I was being exact) he asked me: "So what did you all do while I was out." To which I responded: "Nothing really."

Pps. It only took me until 4:30pm to get my shower in. Not too shabby or gross, same diff.

The CrossFit of All Updates

I have been doing CrossFit for over a month now. In case you missed the first 2 posts (and are bored), feel free to have a go at them. 

Verdict: 
It is still super-duper hard. 
I am still in the lower, and I mean lowest, rung at the gym as far as the amount of weight I lift, how fast I can go, and how high I can jump. 
But, I think I am officially addicted. 
I have not missed a day, except for Sundays and even have asked Jen and Martha to watch the kids when I am in a bind, so I can make it to the gym for my hour of need.


What I love:
++ First, I love that I am in the gym for 1 hour and no longer. With CrossFit you come in on the hour and finish before the next. And in that 1 hour I feel like I have gotten the best possible workout.  When I work out at home I am always wondering if I did enough, did I really push myself, should I do another tape, etc. And with CF there is never the question of: if I worked hard enough, because most days I come home with my muscles literally shaking. 

++ I love the competitive spirit. I have always worked well when being pushed by others who are doing the exact same work out at the same time. I never get tired of hearing coaches or peers shouting: "Come on, Push yourself. Yooouu can do it. Keep going!" Thus, why I played competitive team sports through College and taught aerobics for 7 years. I love having comrades around me who make me want to push myself to da limit. If I am not with others, I tend to stop when I am tired or just because I can and no one is looking.  

-- CrossFit coaches are A-Maz-Ing (at least mine). I have never had a problem asking for help and pulling someone over to see if I am doing a move correctly, which 99.9% of the time I am not. I definitely feel that they are there for me and focused on the work that I am doing. 

-- I am getting stronger physical and I can totally see a difference in my daily life. Like holding Hope, Grace on my back, and pushing the stroller-- No problem. 

Or doing this. 

-- I have so much more energy. 
I'm laying lay my soul before you by saying that I love (and I mean LOVE) to take a nap. Like every single day. But since doing CrossFit, I no longer have to take a nap when the girls nap, which -let me tell ya- is such a good feeling.  

-- I love the feeling of post WOD (Work Out of the Day). There is nothing like the the feeling that you are totally spent and pushed yourself to the limit. It is almost like a physical cleanse and high for the day.

Things I am hesitant about:
-- CrossFit is super expensive compared to most gyms. Enough said.

-- A lot of the woman at the gym are built like SheWoman. They are like beyond buff with muscles bounding out of them and appearing in places I didn't even know they could bulge from. I have noticed my shoulders getting a little bulkier (how I have time to notice my shoulders and their bulkiness-I do not know, especially when I notice nothing, like not even when Matt gets a haircut). So, in the spirit of vanity, I just don't want to bulk into the Hulk. But I am kinda thinking that maxing out at 35 pounds won't really do that. Just thinking. 



-- In the days pre-CrossFit I could do a workout and pull off not showering. Post- CrossFit, NO CAN DO. I have to shower almost immediately after working out because the stank and sweat are just plain gross. This point should probably go in with the +'s, but I am lazy and sometimes miss my non-showering days. 

-- It's addicting, which is both good and bad.

So there you have it folks, onward and upward. I think my CrossFit Love affair has only begun...

Sunday Best

This week our darn packing up the house has kept most my free time pretty much all tied up, but of course I had to take a break from the boxes and make it for Grace's Link Up!

For those that don't see me on a day to day basis, it must be said that I am the type of person that if I like something, I wear it EVERY single day for like 5 years straight. Really, I am not exaggerating! Well, this here skirt (a Ross super buy) has been worn daily pretty much for the last week and today for my Mass. (I am thinking it may need to be thrown in the wash tonight, but most likely my lazy bones will give it one last whirl tomorrow).  

Kiddos Behavior: 
Matt's parents and the cousins were with us today for Mass, which made our kids behave (yet again) super good. I just love having a big crew of Loboda's taking up the entire row at Mass and I so wish they all could be here every Sunday. However, with their abode residing in Cleveland the possibility of that is Nada. But, I am still hopeful that the last two Sundays are a clear sign that we have crossed over into a new kids-somewhat-well-behaved-for-Church zone. I am cheers-ing to that tonight and to the possibility of a lot less headaches on Sundays. 

Isaiah and Isaac: B+ (I don't know, just because).
Grace: B (Grace was still Grace, but she was super tired, so I am giving her an extra half a point). 
Hope: A- (The minus is for chomping on my hair INSTEAD OF the 10 teething toys and necklace that I brought). 

Matt has been wanting to write again for Sanctifying Sunday's, but alas I keep working him too hard and he is already passed at only 9pm. But since I know y'all have been missing him, here is a special tribute of his Sunday Best. 

 Working it. 

 His flips. 

Do you find those as funny as I do, probably not, but still just had to post. 

Sunday Thoughts: 

Well, if I am being honest here, I can not even recall the readings for today. Uggh, so embarrassing. But between holding a tired Grace, nursing Hope, and telling Isaiah to put the bulletin DOWN, I just missed them. (Don't worry, after this I will be googling them to refresh my non-rembering brain.) But one thing that really hit me today was something Dad Loboda told me. He said: "We have to always remember that God does not make trash." He said this, of course, in context to what we we were talking about and it has stuck with me all day. Such a good reminder that God only makes beautiful, beautiful people, which I pray I remember the next time someone really ticks me off. 

Praying your Sunday was great! Go and visit Grace for more.