Then comes frustration! It seems that as I have tried so diligently over the past 2 1/2 weeks to focus on getting in better shape and eating right (I've lost 5 lbs by the way!) the rest of my life has fallen to pieces. All I can conclude from this is that I'm not the great "Multi-Tasker" I like to think I am. Why when I want to take take care of myself does the laundry and dishes pile up? Why do my children's toys remain on the floor at the end of the day? Why do I feel like there is less time for me to be with my husband? And for the love of all that is good are my bathrooms such pig sties? How do women do it?

I see women in my ward who seem to be able to do it all. Lose weight after just popping out their fifth kid, having "perfect", well behaved children, clean houses, happy, well fed husbands etc.? Is the joke on me? Am I missing something? Was there a Memo on how to do all that and still look great that I missed? If so could some fax that to me? Frustration has officially set in on this utterly Miserable Monday!

1. 6am comes much earlier when you know there is a treadmill just down the hall from your bedroom that has your name all over it.
2. When starting a work out routine (after having fallen off the wagon) by day 6 you will still feel the need to have an oxygen mask after attempting to run (sprints) for two and half miles even if you have done this before.
3. Gratitude for the home gym is abundant when you realize your whole body is shaking to and fro as you run. I'd like to take a moment here to thank my husband for supplying this home gym. Offending the general public of Everett with my "baby flab" on a daily basis is not a personal workout goal.
4. Who needs chemicals when a little fiber + a good workout = a perfectly suitable colon cleanse.
5. A good sports bra is worth more than it's weight in gold.
6. I'd rather be pregnant and go through the pain of labor and delivery every 9 months than work out.
7. It's really not as easy as it looks I don't care what Jane Fonda or any of her other little workout cronies say!
8. As hard as it is at the moment I always feel so much better after.
9. Good running shoes and breathable socks are essential if you don't want your feet to feel like they are on fire.
10. It doesn't matter what you look like when you start, it's starting and reaching the your goal that counts.



p.s does anybody know someone who does lipo probono? Perhaps whole body transplants from the double chin down? No? Okay just checking!

The Norlie's have officially reached max closet, laundry room, kitchen, toy room and most importantly garage capacity. Which means it's time to spring clean. Something I dread and look forward too. Mostly because I have reached my max limit of patience for the lack of space we once enjoyed last spring. I think there are really only two things I truly dread about spring cleaning. First how long it takes. To do this the "right way" as my mother always taught me, it takes quite a while because "let no dust bunny be left behind"! The second thing is having to do such an undertaking with a three year old under foot. Kailey destroys WAY faster than I can clean. I'm pretty sure she thinks she's helping, as I'm sure most three year old's do. Other than those two things I really don't mind spring cleaning. And once it's done I feel like I can breath again. Perhaps it's because all those dust bunnies I've been cleaning AROUND are gone.

Well you know what they say, "cleanliness is next to Godliness" so I best get to it!

sometimes, and by sometimes I mean once in a blue we have a Monday that really isn't so bad. I think today might be a decent one in the making.

This week I have my younger sister here visiting. Today we have things to accomplish and I look forward to it. Yes I have to take my kids along but when you have that extra pair of hands it makes everything SO much easier!

So far we have had a lot of fun together. Giggling in inappropriate settings is always good fun when you're with a sister! I can't wait to see how the rest of week unfolds!

I'm still fighting a cold and Kailey is getting a bit of cabin fever. My house needs cleaning as my little sister will be here in two days to visit me. Thing aren't looking to good thus far.

Today we have a lot going on at the Norlie House. It was big weekend with lots of candy, cake, and presents. First on Friday was last minute birthday gift shopping, then Valentines on Saturday, then on Sunday was Kailey's 3rd Birthday. So that means a whole lot of clean up for today. I also cleaned out my fridge for the first time in months and now know why Clint keeps saying there's nothing to eat! So that means a trip to the store today, which by the way isn't so bad now that I've discover the kids play area at Fred Myers (free baby sitter....SCORE!).

Clint and I are leaving for a trip to Canada on Wednesday and my older sister Stephanie and her boyfriend are coming for a visit on Friday. That means I have to have my house cleaned and the fridge stocked (with soy milk no less so that means a trip to a second grociery store), suit cases packed, birthday presents wrapped and packed, and kids bathed before we leave.

On top of all this craziness Kailey is not feeling well with a mild fever and the sniffles. The poor girl was up half the night because she couldn't breath even with the humidifier, so now of course she's a grumpy girl and will not be fun to tote around today.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....

I woke up this morning and there was snow on the ground. 'Nuff said!

It's ten after 8 and this morning is all ready off to a poor start. No surprise really I mean after all it is Monday. So I woke up at 6am in hopes of giving myself 30 minutes to lay in bed before I HAD to get up to work out. But to my surprise not only was my alarm clock going off but so was Garrett. So I thought okay, this could be worse. So I got up, fed Garrett a bottle and went and laid him back down in his bed. By then it was 7am and I thought well Kailey probably wont be up until at least 8 because she went to bed so late last night and now that Garrett has had a bottle he should sleep until at least 9. So I climb back into bed still wanting my 30 minutes of sleep I didn't get earlier. I lay there for a few minutes and I hear Garrett on the monitor talking to himself. I think it's no big deal and figure he'll find his thumb and doze off soon enough. But no such luck. I go get him and bring into my room so I can get my work out cloths on, again thinking I still had time before Kailey woke up. Again, no such luck. It's 7:30 and both kids are up and want to play and eat breakfast. So much for getting my workout in this morning!

Please feel free to share a "Misery Monday" story. After all "misery loves company"!

As a kid I could never really understand what the big deal was with Mondays. I mean sure, back then Monday was the start of another school week, but for me even that wasn't that big of deal. However, as an adult I'm beginning to understand why my parents (or any other adult I knew) never cared for Mondays.

For me Monday means picking up the house from Saturday and Sunday. It means getting two kids ready to leave the house so we can go to the grocery store and run other errands, all on a tight schedule so we can get home, have lunch, and take naps. While my kids sleep I pick up all the toys they managed to drag out in the short time they had while I fixed lunch. Then try to catch up on weekend laundry and put lunch dishes in the dishwasher. Then the kids wake up, we have an afternoon snack and drag the toys all back out AGAIN. We all play for bit until I have to start getting ready to cook dinner. Usually we have some sort of meat for dinner so while I wait for that to thaw, if the kids are behaving themselves, I'll go check the email and return any calls I may have gotten during the day. Then I go put in a dvd for Kailey just to make sure she'll stay out of my way while I'm busy cooking and then go cook. By the time dinner is done Clint is usually home and playing with the kids. So I rally the troops and we eat. After dinner Clint plays with Kailey for a bit while I feed/bath Garrett. Then it's time for Kailey to get ready for bed. After she is ready we have a quick FHE, then off to bed with her. Clint and I take turns putting Kailey down so if it's my turn Clint will play with Garrett until I come back, then I put Garrett to bed. If it's Clint's turn to put Kailey down then I just go ahead and put Garrett to bed at the same time. Then we usually spend the next hour trying to get Kailey to actually go to bed while we are busy trying to watch our favorite tv shows or play on the computer. Finally by about 10pm we've all had enough and call it a day.

That is usually how our Mondays go. They are long and tiresome. Through out the day I'm constantly battling with a 3 year old who is extremely defiant and a 4 month old who crys as soon as I'm not within his sight. These are the days I pray for the Lord to give me strenghth and patience. Today is actually a bit of an off day for us I guess. Clint went to the store on Saturday for me, so I don't have to go today, but I do have to spend a bit more time cleaning as we have an apraiser coming to the house today or tomorrow. Which actually works out well because I didn't want to have to take Miss Kailey out today anyway. The poor kid hasn't pooped in 7 days and is not feeling so hot. I gave her more laxitives again this morning and am hoping I can blow it out of her. I think I'm going to call the Pediatric GI doctor today.

Since Mondays are usually miserable around our house, and my mother always said "misery loves company" I figured I would start a "Misery Monday" blog. That way I have at least one day where I can let out all my Monday frustrations. I welcome you all to join me and share a "misery Monday" story.