I think it's safe to say......

that Jack is glad he isn't an only child. 

No really.  I'm serious. 

He is the fourth child, and has no concept of life without a constant companion.....or well....he didn't until last week.

First day of summer vacation, Memorial Day, and Destin was volunteering at work with his daddy....which left Jack at home with me and Karissa. 

It was a beautiful day, and we had tossed around a few ideas....maybe bowling with some free passes we had,  but it's no fun to bowl alone, and between an untimely pinched nerve in my neck and his sister's ongoing struggle with her shoulder and hips, he would have been literally bowling alone.  Not cool. 

So at the last minute I asked him if he would like to just go down to the pier and see if he could catch any fish....to which he agreed.  He loaded up his things....but it just didn't seem the same without Destin. 

Sophie thought she should get to come along since we didn't have Destin....and she thoroughly enjoyed the view, and the wind in her hair....and she even looked rather patriotic....well....sort of.

So Jack began setting out the crab baskets, baiting them with chicken legs....and after getting them all down in the water, he proceeded to walk to the end of the pier.....all by himself. 

I think that was a long walk......













But he was a good sport about it, and began fishing.....alone.

But it wasn't long before I could see from my view that somebody was missin' his older brother.......

He's killin' me here......

Ahem.  I'm getting too sappy these days....moving on. 






So then he decided to try his hand at throwing the cast net.  Now....I need to just go ahead and tell you that it appears that has become a lost art or talent.....or however that saying goes. 

No...really!  When Darwin was a kid.....he threw it all the time, and I would venture to say that he wasn't the only kid his age who would be out on the pier doing it!  But now....you'd think I had a traveling road show the way people stop, watch, look, and ask questions about what exactly he is doing and what he is trying to catch!  (Well.....it DOES seem like I have a traveling road show when they all pile out of the van......but that's another story for another day.)

Those questioning folks are all very obviously not native to this area.....

And I'm not even gonna' lie.....it is pretty cool to watch.  Especially when you have a handy dandy new camera that can catch multiple shots :) get ready.....there's gonna' be a few pictures. 

How cool is that???




Don't worry....I'm not quitting my day job being a stay at home mom to become a fast action sports photographer.....but I was rather impressed with the setting that allowed me to snap multiple consecutive pictures and actually capture the moment. 

I know....I'm easily impressed. 

But after only catching a few little bait fish, and spending all day alone....checking for crabs in the baskets

And tempting the scavengers  sea gulls who suddenly were his best friends while taking the bait out of the crab baskets.....he decided to call it a day. 

But the day wasn't a total loss....we got to witness several family outings.......

I guess Canadian Geese celebrate Memorial Day too??

And it WAS the official beginning of summer....so it would stand to reason that we could do the same thing two days in a row...only this time.....we were gonna' do it right.  With his very best friend in the whole world. 

That's right.  The next day Destin came along.  And thank goodness he did....not only was he good moral support, he got things rolling early!!!!  He caught a red fish! And even though he couldn't keep him....it did give them some hope that things would be looking up that day!

Aren't my photography skills amazing?  Ummm......was I more concerned about snapping a pic of the fish from my phone than including my son's face???

Embarrassing really. 

Let's move on to that function on the fancy camera that snaps multiple shots, shall we?  Perhaps I won't cut off faces that way.

So Destin decided it was time to bring out the big guns...and by that...I mean the mack daddy cast net.  Very heavy, very big, and able to spread out and hopefully catch some mullet.

I get exhausted just watching them throw the cast net from my chair under the shade tree. 

I know....I know....it's a tough life but somebody's gotta' supervise, and we definitely don't want mama out there showing off her cast net throwing skills...because....well....I have none. 

But Destin does.....and it paid off on the first throw.

Yep....he caught two mullet in that throw.  And for those of you that aren't local?  That means that whatever you had planned for dinner tonight or tomorrow just changed.....because that's some good eatin'. 

However...mullet doesn't freeze well.  At all.  Don't let anyone try to tell you that it does.  It gets strong and fishy tasting.  So it MUST be fixed right away.....and to be honest....fried is the way to go.  I am all about eating healthy and grilling fish....but mullet needs to go straight into some seasoned corn meal and into a fryer. 

Problem is....we gotta' have more than two.  You do the math.  That's only four fillets, and I gotta' feed those big ole' boys!!!

So back at it he went.  All.  Day.  Long.   Searching out the best place to throw...to see if the "mullet were running" (another locals term.) 

And he must have just gotten lucky on the first throw because he only caught two more the rest of the day.....but that was enough to warrant bringing them home.  So I bought some fish to go with it and Destin was the hero for dinner that night.

Fried Mullet, Cheese Grits, and Coleslaw....that my friends is what these southern folks would call a good dinner. 



And I think it's safe to say, that Jack will always be thankful that God didn't choose for him to be an only child.....because this is how I usually find them.  Together. 

Because they are best buds. 

I'm just sayin'.

I never liked fractions.......

and unfortunately I use them all the time when cooking or baking. 

Stop laughing....yes I use measuring cups. 

But this was not about cooking, baking OR measuring cups.  This was all about fractions. 

And no....believe it or not.....it wasn't even about helping with math homework. 

6/10  or .6  whichever way you wanna look at it.  Matter of fact you could even reduce 6/10 down to 3/5 if you wanted to. 

But the bottom line here??? 

.6 of a pound.  Yes, I said "of a pound". 

That was my big "payoff" at the end of a fattening-snack-deprived-stay-on-program-eat-broiled-fish-three-times week. 

.6 of a pound. 

Here's what that looks like.....

And I tried to make that look better.....but there's just something about that decimal point that screams "NOT EVEN A STINKING POUND" to me. 

And there's always the sweet friend who does her best to encourage me so I don't go storming out the door never to return to Weight Watchers. 

Fact is?  I've done this enough times to know that .6 of a pound is still a weight loss, and over the course of time, the "tenths" add up to whole pounds and in the broad scheme of things, if I lost .6 of a pound a week for a whole year, that would total 31.2 pounds for the year. 

And of course, I am glad I didn't gain .6 of a pound.....because that would add up too, over time. 

Soooooo.......I'm gonna' get an attitude adjustment.  :)

Started out by deciding that instead of listening to the boys squabble about "who" was going to "hit the grounders" for baseball practice in the backyard and "who" was going to "ground them", that I would settle that dispute once and for all and just go do the hitting myself. 

Yes I did.  And no it's not the first time in my life I have picked up a bat.  Used to play softball many moons ago, actually. 

However.....after going through not one, but two five gallon buckets full of baseballs, and feeling rather athletic after my few moments of fame in the backyard, I had even broken a sweat and came in feeling good about myself. 

You know...the ole' "get moving" thing.  Exercise doesn't have to be a chore.....just get out and move with your kids. 

And it was all fine and good until I was perched in my nest curled up on the couch after dinner and I started wondering what on earth was making me hurt so badly under my right shoulder blade.....in my back and making me quite uncomfortable. 

I even went to bed early....took a couple of ibuprofen (because we all know that fixes everything), and laid there and suddenly it hit me. 

I swung that bat repeatedly over      times.....and I haven't done that in a year. 

UGH.....seriously????  I'm that old that it starts hurting the same night??  I'm that out of shape???

Apparently the answer to those questions is a resounding, "yes". 

And that's ok, because that's gonna' change.  Even if it is just .6 of a pound at a time. 

Week one: 1.8 pound loss about 7 1/2 sticks





     



Week two:  after a whopping .6 of a pound loss I am at 2.4 pounds, which is about 9 1/2 sticks of butter

I'm just saying.



It's all about sticks of butter.....

or at least that's what Mama always said. 

And no....believe  it or not, I am not referring to cooking with it....although it IS essential when baking and gives the best flavor. 

No....what I am talking about are counting the sticks of butter.  Read on.......

You see, I'm about to share something pretty personal. 

Those of you who know me well already know this about me....but for those of you who don't....well....here goes. 

I have always struggled with my weight.  I wasn't ever severely overweight as a child, or even as a teen, although in "my eyes" I was. 

But it wasn't until after I married, moved to the deep south (and thoroughly embraced their way of cooking here), and started having babies that I really began my struggle. 

Baby number one.....gained a lot, lost a lot, but not all.  Nine months later, guess who was pregnant again??  Yep...that would be me.  Gained less, but remember that I never lost all the weight from baby number one. 

After two babies so close together, I knew I needed to do something if I ever wanted any more children....and that I did. 

I lost 90 pounds.  Mmmmhmmm......I said 90.  (If I could find a picture I would post it....but that was before digital cameras, so give me a break!)

It took me about 18 months, but I did it.

And it felt great. 

And then I found out I was pregnant again.  :)

And on came the pounds....with a vengeance.  I think my body freaked out after me having lost so much weight and then going into a gaining mode....that I gained....well....let's just say a LOT. 

You probably already know the rest of this story, don't you?  Yep....lost a part of the baby weight and guess who ended up pregnant with baby number four??? 

That would be me. 

And in fairness....I did deliver some big ole' babies, with the smallest one weighing 9lb.12oz, and the biggest weighing 10lb. 14oz!!!!!  So I did gain it honestly......and as a matter of fact....the doctor told me I was made to have babies, but unfortunately, I just gain a lot with each pregnancy. 


And I wouldn't trade any of them for the WORLD.  I feel so blessed to have had two girls AND two boys.  God's timing was perfect, the birth order was perfect and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

But when your "baby" is 10, it's probably time to stop calling it "baby weight". ;)

I'm just sayin'. 

So it's back to Weight Watchers I go.  For the five thousandth time. 

But this time?  I'm going public with it. 

And no....I am NOT going on Biggest Loser.  I have threatened my family to never nominate me!  I am definitely not brave enough to be on national television in skimpy exercise attire. 

You can thank me later.....

But I am, however, going to try to hold myself more accountable by blogging about my journey.  Because we all know it's going to be one.  I'm probably looking at having to lose 100 pounds or so....but I can only lose it one pound at a time.  And I am determined to do it this time. 

My inspiration??

Those four.  I just love 'em so much.....and it's not fair to them for me to not take better care of myself. 






It's not about "swimsuit season" because we all know "Mama ain't gettin' in no swimmin' suit!!"  My kids don't even bother to ask. 

It's about being healthier, and having more energy to do things with them. 

It's about not developing diabetes which does run in the family. 

It's about lowering blood pressure.

It's about not having to wear tennis shoes because my darn foot hurts.

It's about not being the last one huffing and puffing behind the family as we trudge up the hill going to the stadium to see the state football game.

And it's about counting sticks of butter.

You see, whenever I would get frustrated with a "1/2 pound loss"....Mama would always say, "Well....that's two sticks of butter!  Look at it that way!"

So I am.

And yesterday, I wasn't too happy when I heard the WW leader say, "You lost 1.8 pounds!" after I had nearly turned into a rabbit from all of the vegetables I had eaten the past week.  I was thinking, "SERIOUSLY???  Not quite two pounds??"

But then I remembered what Mama said, so I began counting sticks of butter.....and it didn't seem all that bad for one week.

I'm just sayin'.