Finish this sentence Link Up

I've missed like 10 of these. Or maybe 2, but I love them. Even if my readers don't. This is purely selfish. Sorry, not sorry.

My happy place... a checkout at the grocery store when I have a gigantic stack of coupons and the cashier looks like I am the devil. Like she'd have a million other places she COULD be if I hadn't given her that stack of coupons. Second to this is when I knock a horrific amount off my grocery bill.(I know I'm the lamest human at this moment). 

Whatever happened to... women's shirts that weren't paper thin? I embrace the mess that is my lovehandles, muffin top, baby shelf and dunlap, but do I need a showcase for them. Dear Old Navy: I'm done with you.

So what if I.... wore a dress today, not because I wanted to be dressed up, or because it makes me look good, but because I recently discovered I had failed to unpack a small suitcase of clean clothes from the trip to Fayetteville 9 DAYS AGO and I made myself wear something out of the suitcase so I wouldn't have to hang it up. Because I ooze class, responsibility, and cleanliness. 

E! needs a reality show about... life post fast loss show. I watch Biggest Loser, Heavy, Extreme Weight Loss, I Used to be Fat, and I am embarrassed at how much time is spent wondering how many people kept off their weight. All while failing to lose mine in the first place.

My go-to fast food meal is... When Sonic has the chicken tender box with the solo onion ring. I just love it. With a Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper. Because I'm on a diet and all, with my box of grease, I have to have diet soda.

You might not know that I... worked in a Chemistry Lab at one time in my life. My house looks like a chemistry lab explosion and the breakfast I took to MOPS this morn proved to not be my best work in the kitchen mixing ingrediants, so the fact that I was alone with chemicals and such is scary. Luckily I was pretty much a glorified secretary. Job paid good. 

The hottest quarterback in the NFL is... Like I really have an answer to that sentence. Hottest quarterback in a movie? James VanDer beek

If I could... Get my house clean and to stay clean, I'd be a happy woman.

My personality is awesome because... I often act like I could give a shiz. When people are upset about stuff, especially at work, I somehow chill out and remind everyone that its all going to be okay. Which annoys everyone. Plus, later that day, I will bite off all my fingernails and be unable to sleep with worry. I'm crazy like that. But at least I'm able to spread a sense of calm and happy for others.

Twerking is.... Probably a good source for calorie burn, but makes you look like a total douche canoe. It really makes your butt look like its separated from your body. Anybody seen this vid? I know that my moves back in the day, when I frequented da club were not all I thought they were, but how is this sexy?

I think it's super gross when... I go into a public restroom and there's poo in the toilet. I vomit. I do. Or gag. A lot.

Someone needs to tell Miley Cyrus.... don't break my heart. My achy breaky heart. With your foam finger and teddy bear backpack.

New school and Mommy and Max Day

This is like two weeks a tad late, but oh well. My little boys both started a new school late August. Rylan is now going 3 days a week. I am having heart palpitations just writing that. It just feels like time flew. Every parent says this, its such a cliche, but seriously, I was just quitting my full time gig yesterday to stay home with my 10 month baby because it was best for our family.

The church we joined early this year has a Developmental Preschool in it. I've known for years that a lot of my MOPS friends take their kids there to prepare for kindergarten and get some mommy time, but I started hearing lots of good things about their program and started thinking that the way they "teach through play" was right up Rylan's alley. When we took him out of a preschool a year ago and I did HIPPY at home with him, we did ok, but it was obvious he needed more. He has some delays with hand grip and balance, retaining things like abcs and numbers recognition, and he basically needs some class structure to keep him on task. He's had a lot of free time with mom and we butt heads when its time for me to crack the whip and get him to learn.

On Tuesdays Rylan goes to school on his own. He started Pre-K August 19th.

I didn't get a fancy chalkboard, just erased my grocery list. I'm cool like that.

What he wants to be when he grows up:Spiderman

Favorite Food: noodles

Best Friend: Andrew

Favorite Song: I will Wait by Mumford and Sons

On Thursdays and Fridays both boys go to school and I go to work. Here's Max on his first day of the 3 year old class. He's trying to show me his shark back pack. He backed into every room that day to show everyone.

Dapper little kid.

Now onto a new thing at our house: Mommy and Max day. Every Tuesday. The little boy that was born into a home that already housed a 22 month old and has never had mommy alone a day of his life that he wasn't sick finally gets a little Mommy time. It only took (almost) 3 years. He wasn't complaining, but he sure isn't complaining about some alone time.

Our kids aren't really at the "they play awesome together" stage. I hope it comes. For their sake and for ours. They fight. A lot. They don't like the same things, they pick on each other. Rylan is bigger, Max is small and spry. Someone gets hurt daily in what started out as simple playing.

The first Mommy and Max day I offered Max choices of where to go and he chose home. He just wanted to stay home. So we did.

He played with his car ramp by himself like an angel forever.

Then we walked to our duck pond. Captain Crunch for the toddler, bread for the ducks.

.

One day I will write a children's book about bullying and it will star this a-hole goose in the front. If you are being such a jerk that a 2.75 year old says "hey duckie! Calm down!!!" you are being inappropriate.

After naps for each of us, we watched a movie and ate popcorn and snuggled. Such a good day.

Mommy and Max Day 2

I needed an oil change so we ventured to Bryant to try out a new place and play at Chick Fil A after. This kid eats like a linebacker. We'd already had breakfast so I just ordered coffee and apple juice. 10 minutes later he tells me he's hungry for his lunch. It was 9:05am. So we had 2nd breakfast and played for hours while I clipped coupons. It was glorious.

We then went to Walmart for groceries, and because I only had one kid and there wouldn't be a fight, he got to play on my Iphone the entire time. This was awesome for him, but he was too dang good and I stayed forever and spent hoards of money. I think the fact that I shop with a two and four year old saves more money than coupons because when the shit hits the fan, and they start getting cray cray, I am like "who cares what else we need, we're leaving!"

Mommy and Max Day #3

Library time. We went to Toddler Story Time and checked out whatever he wanted then went home and watched his newly rented movies and read all of our books. 

I am so thankful to get this extra time with Max. 

A good weekend and Get Your S*@t Together September

Ahhhh......its the most special time of the year. Time for the Qualls fam to spend copius amounts of time in the car going to Fayetteville, our future hometown, to be major Razorback fans.  This weekend was the first game. With a new coach and a new outlook on our team, we decided to attend the first game, one we usually skip. And by attend, I mean Rob attends and I tailgate only. I don't really have the attention span to make the ticket price worthwhile. Its pitiful.

It really is a damn shame that on the way there, the compressor went out in our van, in 104 degree heat and we have no AC. Its hot, damn hot. Gave the weekend shotty start. Good thing we ended up at the Chateau Tramont, home of two of my sisters, a brother in law and my neice and nephew. Basically most of my kids favorite people under one roof.

My pre-tailgating, pre-humity, pre-hottest day of the year fixed hair and face. Mama got some alone time with a makeup bag and chi iron. I looked presentable!

At this point we were 4 hours in and we were starting to boil. I was ticked at myself for that extra hairsprayed do that wouldn't go into a presentable ponytail. Next time, skip the chi iron and go hat.

The grill meisters.

Afterwards, I straight up stripped down to a tank top in the car

Meanwhile, back at my sister's house. Angie babysat while I got to sit and sweat on myself. It was the most fun sweating I've done in a while!

To be young and not feel heat.

After jumping, there was helmet wearing

On Sunday, we met up with Rob's sister and her kids and went bowling. So fun. I love to bowl. I will update this post once I get the pics off Rob's phone. Kid's first time to bowl. So so so fun. 

A good time had by all!

And now for Get Your S*@t together September. One of the blogs I stalk read, written by Amber, Crafty Healthy Mommy, is coming down off a bad September. She's lost a bijillion pounds and had a bad month. I'm jealous she had a bad month. Like one bad month.  I've had a bad half month for like 4 years. I do half good and half pretty bad each month which has equaled me being 40lbs overweight and the scale not budging. She's had a come to Jesus and is getting her shit together in September. I like her style. I'm gonna get my shit together too. No half month good/half month bad. No more undoing all the good the recent cleanse did. No more having one cheat meal turn into 4 cheat meals. No more no more no more. Thank you, Amber, for the motivation. 

 

Max and Wheat: A story about true love

I never updated on the situation in Max's belly. And I know, inquiring minds want to know.

Max was taken off wheat In June. Max has had reflux his whole life.  It might or might not be the reason he has recurrent ear infections (refluxing so high it gets in his ear canals). So, after an all clear EGD, an all clear Upper GI (swallowing barium and looking at his innards while he was sadly strapped to a table, we both needed valium after THAT), and an all clear on testing for Celiac Disease, the doc wanted to try certain foods out of his diet that can cause reflux.

The first two are dairy and wheat. He'd been off dairy for a year. So, next was wheat. Life off of dairy and wheat is tough. Planning is tough. Eating out is tough. Snacking is tough. Grocery bills are high. Taste is low.

Well, 3.5 weeks off of wheat, Max audibly refluxed ALL. DAY. LONG. Either you could hear him swallowing fluid nowhere near a drink or food, or he had painful sounding hiccups. All. Day. We woke up Monday morning, fully intending to finish our 4 week plan and Rob and I both agreed that he was so much worse. PLUS, the poor baby (WARNING: I'm about to talk poo) was stopped up like never before!

We told gluten free food to SUCK IT!!!!! We gave him an Eggo waffle and a dose of Miralax and didn't hear a hiccup or reflux all day.  He then went to his Grammy and Papa's house, went straight to their Golden Grahams that he loves to eat at their house and ate maybe 7 bowls. Noodles at Chinese restaurants are back! Nutra Grain bars are back! Pancakes are back! Soy sauce is back! Max is happy!

 I feel like, after we saw the GI doc and he put M-train on twice a day reflux meds at a higher dose that he was probably the best he'd been in a year, reflux wise. He had gained weight and grown 3 inches. But when he got another ear infection, we decided that it was best for Max to rule out the option that it was wheat related.  I talked to the doc, since I just so happen to work in the GI department, when I choose to be a nurse that makes money, not a poor stay at home mom, and he agreed that we would know by now if wheat was the culprit. Basically, he said I was a genius. That's what I heard, anyway.

Because his reflux got worse, we've tried to decide what he could have possibly had MORE of during his time off wheat that would have triggered it. All I could think of was nuts. It was an easy snack to give him a baggie of almonds or peanuts, or a rice cake with peanut butter, or granola bars with nuts in them. Our next venture is giving Max a ton of nuts over a few days and seeing if it causes reflux. He'll be in heaven. Unless it turns out that this gives him reflux, then he'll hiccup for a day and never eat a nut again. I hate reflux.

 We love that little dairy free/wheat included kid so much and want the very very very best for him.


***I have a list of restaurants and what to order that I made from our dairy free/gluten free time if anyone wants it, let me know and I'll email it to you.

My kids rock my face off

Wow. We have had a rockstar week. Last week, we didn't leave the house all three days I was off and we had a pretty low key weekend as well.

We made up for it.

Like, a lot......

Sunday, I wanted to look at fabric at Jo-Anns because I'm trying to give our ugly table a face lift and the chair cushions are the worst offenders. Max and I had a Mommy and me outing. He came with me and acted like an angel while I fretted over fabric and eventually left empty handed. I swear, naming my kids was easier than picking out cushion fabric.He was so good, he deserved a trip to the train table at Barnes and Noble. I would say free fun, howeva, mama got a hankering for a coffee and my pick was almost $5. 

Nicely done, Sara.

Monday, we hosted Zac, a friend from MOPS. Zac is in the top 5 funniest people I've ever met. He loves doing pretty much any activity, any action figure, and Disney princesses. The kids were playing in water. Mud got involved after this shot. The water hose took care of the ick soon after.

 They played for a solid 5 hours.

Wish I had pics of Tuesday. We went to story time with my friend Jacki and her kids. After story time, we went to Chick fil A and let the kids play while we chatted. Our kids acted like prize children and had so much fun together. They just moved back from Virginia and we are so glad they are here. 

Because story time and CFA wasn't enough, I decided to chance all chances and run errands with my kids at naptime. Shoe Carnival, Jo-Anns (its really becoming a sickness at this point), and Hobby Lobby (yep, just in case they had magical fabric that called my name). They. Were. So. Good.

 I did buy them facepaint AND Skittles. It might have helped.

Wednesday we were feeling really magical, so we went to the park with our MOPS group. The heat index was 103 by 11am, so it was really cozy PLUS I didn't pack us anything to take to said PICNIC. So, we came, sweated, and left and went to McDonalds. CFA and McDonalds? 

We are obviously not cleansing this week! 

When we got home, GRAMMY AND PAPA CAME!!!!

And we took them to the Museum of Discovery. We had the best time. The last time I bought a membership, Max was 1 and Rylan was 3. They liked it, so did I, but it was always a little crazy. Now at almost 3 and 5 (I just threw up a little) they are so much more in to the exhibits. 

It helped that there was not many people there.

Obviously their life sucks sooooooo bad. 

Being a stay at home is hard. Its awesome but its hard. There are days when either me or Rob ask "why don't you just go back to work?" This blog post. This is why. Because I have two kids that will be young ONE time in their lives. And they are good kids. And we have worked like demons to be able to afford life on one income and getting a week where all we do is party like rockstars and go to parks and museums and have friends over and host family mid-week is our reward. Well, my reward. Sucks being Rob. So why not stay home if I can? Cause for every "your a bad mommy" I get a "mommy will you snuggle me?" 10 times over. 

No I need to clean the house and do the laundry I neglected and catch up with Rylan's therapy and get back to regular stay at home mom crap. Oh, and work tomorrow to pay for all the Chick Fil A and McDonalds and Museum memberships and such.

Advocare 10 Day Cleanse Yay! Or Nay!

The cleanse is over, was actually over on Thursday morning. Want some results? Wanna know how I feel about it? Couldn't care less? Nobody's actually reading my blog anymore because I keep putting off blogging like the true procrastinator that I am?

Rob lost 7 pounds in 10 days.
I lost 3. Whomp whomp whomp.......

I wasn't doing the cleanse to lose weight, so I'm not upset, any loss is a loss and I'm happy with the scale going in the right direction. I just would have liked to have been a little closer to the guy that had Happy Hour and an appetizer platter on Day 5. And liquor. He had liquor too. I'm not naming names. It rhymes with Cob.

Overall, I'd say the cleanse was a success. My biggest wish was to get rid of Fat Brain. Fat Brain needed to go out with the trash. And I think it did. I really do. I don't think about food 24/7. I don't feel like I need "treats" all the time. I have made healthy choices at restaurants and not been sad about missing out.

A big part of eating healthy is cost. It does cost more. At least at first. That first trip to the store to stock up. Its frightening, really. Especially for the girl that was buying a million items for $100 with all the coupons. Very few coupons are for healthy stuff and I've had to become okay with that and know that the extra money is going to the right place. I still use coupons when I can. If you use a store, like Kroger, that has a store loyalty card, your card shows what you buy the most of. So, at the cash register, after you pay, it often prints out coupons for you, and they are magically for things you buy often. For me this is stuff like Almond Milk, eggs, and yogurt. They also send me coups in the mail and they seem to have trended towards stuff that I have started buying, like protein powder. Basically Big Brother is watching. If Big Brother wants to send me coupons, let him.

When I packed Rob's lunches for the next day (yes, that little bumkin is spoiled. It happened well before I was a stay at home wife/mom, sue me) I've started putting my own together. Even if it isn't a day I'll be working. Its nice when lunch rolls around and I have a salad or something all put together. Nothing makes you decide against a salad or healthy fare like having two little tykes yelling at you for a hot dog and being too overwhelmed to chop up fresh veggies. When these two boys get haingry, they get HAINGRY!!!!!

Lean sirloin, mashed cauliflower, peas

I really need to work on food pics. They don't do the food justice

Protein Pancakes

Sausage Corn Italiano
The cleanse says corn is a no no. Rob and I concurred that we didn't get larger than we'd like eating corn. Seriously. Its a terrible pic, but so delish, recipe down below.

Grilled chicken with tons of Cavenders, peas and corn on the cob for the chillens.
We had Roasted Brussel Sprouts. The kids ix-nayed the Brussel Sprouts.
Well, Max ix-nayed being awake for this meal.

Sweatfest at 5am, party of 1? I love days when I get myself out of bed and do this. Its hard. I'm not gonna lie. I suck at the actual, out of bed thing. This is a kettlebell workout. I bought this kettlebell and it came with a free dvd. The dvd seems so freakin easy until your legs nearly buckle and beg for mercy.
 So, obviously its working something.

All in all, I'm glad we did the cleanse. I'm not sure I would do it again, though. I'd do the cleanse in theory, just maybe not pay for the Advocare one. Its a tiny bit pricey (for 2 cheapskates) for a fiber drink and senna laxative pills. And, not to get too personal, but those little pills kind of worked opposite for me. Like, I didn't "cleanse" persay. I kinda had the opposite happen. I just went 10 days without a lot of my vices (no sugar, dairy, alcohol, coffee) and shook off some sweet tooth, craving type problems. So, next time I'd probably do the 10 days without those foods/drinks and maybe just drink some Miralax twice a day and save some $$$$. 

Now for a recipe. We got this recipe from Rob's sister, Staci. He actually made it before there was a Sara in the Rob and Sara scheme of things.

Sausage Corn Italiano

2 cans corn (drained and rinsed)

1-2 green bell peppers chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 package Turkey Sausage link, diced

3 tbsp Italian Seasoning

3 tbsp Parmesan cheese (we omitted this for the cleanse)

Heat up a large skillet. This is the one time I actually use my gigantic cast iron skillet. While it heats, chop up your bell peppers and onions. Cook them till soft. I do Pam (or the cheap version) spray to cook them. I spray the pan and put the veggies in, then do a spray on top of the veggies for when I flip them. When the peppers and onions are cooked, add the sausage. This is cooked before its packaged, so it only needs to be browned/warmed. When the sausage is cooked, add the corn and Italian seasoning and stir it through and allow it to warm. If your kids are not dairy free, like ours, this is the part where you quit stirring and add Parmesan cheese all over the top. About 3 tbsp. Rob and I just sprinkle it on our own plates after serving. 

Make this, make it soon. Your house will smell like Silver Dollar City and your kids will eat it because it has "hot dogs" in it! 

The Couple that Cleanses Together Stays Together

I talked Rob into doing the Advocare 10 Day Cleanse with me. Its a fiber drink and probiotic pills and such for 10 days. ***

The rules are: no dairy, coffee, or wheat for 10 days. Drink at least 8 cups of water, but try for at least 100 ounces. Its a "gentle cleanse" read: you won't be running to the toilet. We've done day one and its true so far.

Why are we doing a cleanse? Well, I know why I am. My weight isn't moving. I had my thyroid checked and its fine. I have gone up and down with the same 1.5 pounds since March. I have over 40 to lose and I keep getting defeated and being all "addict like" and shoving copious amounts of cereal in my pie hole. For the most part, I keep a food diary and work out, but, obviously things could change. So, I'm cleansing, cleaning out the old, detoxifying and starting fresh. If I lose weight, that would be awesome. My biggest hope is for this cleanse to give my body a boost towards burning fat and calories and help me with my cravings.

I don't exactly have cravings, I have what I call, a FAT BRAIN. Meaning, part of my brain is on track with diet and exercise and the other side, the fat side, sees every restaurant and has a moment where it says "we should totally stop there". Even if I have dinner planned. Sometimes when I'm not even hungry.  Fat Brain craves bad food. Fat Brain feeds emotional eating habits. Fat Brain doesn't know when I'm full and wants to eat too much. Fat Brain starts craving dessert before I've finished my meal. Fat Brain sees a serving of cereal and says "that's just enough to piss me off, I need MORE!"  Fat Brain needs to die. I hope the cleanse helps me tear down Fat Brain.

I think Rob is doing it cause he rocks and he's supportive and if he feels better in the process? BONUS!

Day One was easy. Hope it stays this positive! Here's a list of our food

Breakfast-Oatmeal with a banana and tsp of honey

Snack-cashews and Pluots

Lunch-Salad with grilled chicken, watermelon

Snack-Sweet potato chips and hummus

Dinner-Sweet Potato Chili and cantaloupe (I left the zucchini out of the chili and threw in 4 shredded veggie burgers)

For being on a "diet" we ate a ton of food!!!! 

This is Rob's lunch and snacks for Day 2. This cleanse requires a lot of packing and planning.

Breakfast-Scrambled eggs and turkey bacon

Snack-Peanuts and grapes

Lunch-Leftover Sweet Potato Chili, cantelope

Snack-Wholly Guacamole and carrot chips

Dinner-Grilled Steaks, cauliflower mash, peas

Snack-strawberry popsicles 

(strawberries,water, truvia sweetener in the blender and freeze: BOOM)

***Not a fan of cleansing and think it is BS? Good for you! Please don't leave me a comment about your negative feelings on the matter. Love Peace and Chicken Grease, Quallsy****

****I probably shouldn't have chicken grease on the cleanse.

I forgot I had a blog

I have no excuses. I just took a few days off, got out of the habit, and then, holy cracker jackles, it's been a month!!!!

So, to refresh....

We've had a lot of pool time. Max is working on his tan and his modeling poses. Both are going swimmingly. Lololol forever. 

Rybearski has had some...um....behavior "mishaps" and now has a sticker chart. There is a bucket of toys on top of the fridge with army guys, swim gear, coloring books and action figures galore waiting on a full chart.

July 4 came. This is how Max Attack watched the boomers.

I don't talk much about church (or maybe at all?) but we have joined a new church and its been one of the best things for our family ever. I've missed being part of a church family. Anyhow, we made it into the church newsletter. That's us on the left, with our ever classy son with no shirt on and the other one MIA. 

Rob and I painted our living room/kitchen area. It went from red to Sensational Sand. Much more bright in the house now. Red is awesome, but 4 years of staying home with red walls was plenty.

My friend Laura and I ran the Color Me Rad run. It didn't start till 930 on the most humid day of the year this far and I was healing from the stomach flu but we did pretty stinking good.

The boys and I did some berry pickin.

Mac has started sleeping on his floor. It's odd but whatever. Sleep in the cabinet for all I care, JUST SLEEP!!!!!