My body has finally gotten the hint. I guess it's a bit slow on the uptake. My brain has been trying to tell it for the last few weeks that it's on a diet and exercise program to lose weight but it was staunchly refusing to get the hint until recently.
I think that's what makes dieting so hard for me. My body's ability to lose weight is about two weeks behind my brain. The will-power and determination kicks in right away but the progress is so slow going at first that I get easily frustrated. Around two weeks into it is when i start to say "hey, this isn't working...why bother?" as I did in a recent post. But, then I have to tell myself to stay the course and see if another week or so will make a difference. And it did. Over the course of the last few days I've steadily seen the scale drop in tiny increments and today I was a full two pounds lighter than I have been for the last few weeks. When the first drop in the scale appeared a few days ago I was hesitant to believe it would 'stick' - it was a small enough amount that it could have been chalked up to a normal weight fluctuation. I figured I was going to see it inch back up the next morning. However, much to my delight there was another small drop the next morning and yet another this morning when I stepped on the scale. It was a relief to finally see a change in the right direction and it gave me the motivation to just keep doing what I'm doing.
I walked in the freezing cold yesterday with Lauri. I think it was below 10 degrees - brrrrr.... I know Lauri is generally willing to brave the cold weather (especially when she has company to help pass the time) so I threw on the front light and went to get dressed. When I came back I saw that she had turned her light on and knew that we both crazy enough to face the cold for a bit of exercise. And man, did my legs get cold. They were as red as lobsters when I got home, but it was good to get the exercise over and done with for the day. The ways things went for the remainder of the day it was not possible for me to fit it in at any other time. I had hoped to maybe do a quick upper body workout in the afternoon but it never did happen so that's on tap for today at some point...I hope. It depends on how nap time/bedtime works out today...
Today I get a little reprieve from the "Mom Job". My MIL is due over at any minute to hold down the fort while E naps so I can run out for a quick lunch with one of my friends. It has to be quick because I need to be back to preschool to pick up A at 12:45. So, it will be brief, but I will enjoy every second of it. And I will do my best to pick something sensible from the menu so I don't end up losing ground on my recent success!
OK, my MIL just walked in the door. So, I'm off!
Be well!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Hello out there
Quite the catchy title there, eh? I'm not feeling very witty this morning, I guess. And this will not be a blog entry with any real focus. Just giving you fair warning in case you wish to move along to a more inspiring or thought-provoking site.
I got out this morning for my walk with Lauri. After working out in the basement on my treadmill and with my weights the last number of days it was nice to get out in the fresh air again and chat with my walking buddy. We talk about everything and nothing in particular. It makes the time speed by and I don't focus on how much longer until I am done - which is what I most certainly do when I'm walking by myself. When I'm on the treadmill the numbers flashing on the screen at each tenth of a mile keep me going for a while. It can be tough to push through a full hour, though, and I often want to give up after about 30 minutes. I barely get to the 45-minute mark before I declare myself done. Watching movies helps a bit but it's not the same.
This past Saturday, grandma and I took the girls to see a community theater production of "Beauty and the Beast" and it was amazing! I wish I could have taken some pictures to show you the incredible costumes that were (I assume) made by this local theater group. I was just thinking that it is possible that they rented some of the costumes - they were that good - but we do live in a very diverse community with lots of local talents so I would not be surprised at all to hear that they were made by the local costume designers. I know a few of the people involved in the production - both on stage and off - so I'm going to ask about that because I'm just curious. The group also did a great job with the casting for this production. The woman who played Belle has a beautiful voice and she looked adequately diminutive next to the 6'7" guy who played the Beast. When he finally removed his "beastly" attire I was shocked to see how tall he still was. I had assumed it was the costuming that made him appear so much taller than Belle! The other lesser parts were equally well cast and I was reminded once again how fortunate we are to live in a community filled with such talented people across the generations. There were kids in the production - most of whom I would guess have attended one or more of the local ballet/dance schools in the area - as well as high school students, college students from some of the 5 local colleges/university (quite a few of those actually - most of them studying theater or a related field), and of course adults of a wide age span. Everyone was fabulous and it was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Of course, it makes me want to get back to NY soon to see another Broadway show, but that will have to wait until later in the year - hopefully some time in April or May.
Today is a 'teacher work day' and both R and A have the day off from school. So far, they have been playing nicely together but there have already been a couple of skirmishes and I've had to threaten to "separate them" if the fighting continues. They loathe the thought of being separated, even when they are at each other and don't seem to be enjoying each others' company. Go figure. So, it's a threat that sometimes works to keep the peace. Sometimes I have to resort to actually separating them - and listen the resulting screeches of "not fair!" and "I hate you!" - but usually the threat is enough to get them through a rough patch. It's almost 9:30a and I still need to shower and dress but for now I'm just drinking my coffee and hanging out on the computer. This afternoon A has her gymnastics class and I've roped grandma into coming over to stay with R and E. Once I drop A off at gymnastics I'm going to use my kid-free time to get the grocery shopping done. You gotta multi-task when you have those kid-free moments, don't ya know?
I've been receiving some personal email through Classmates.com of late. Seems that there are some people out there who have mistaken me for someone really OLD who is coming up on her 20th high school reunion. Ha. It was not THAT long ago that I graduated from high school. Someone thinks their little gag is soooo funny. I mean, really. Was it really that long ago that we were wondering "Who Shot J.R.?", playing Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man at the arcade, learning the lyrics to "Karma Chameleon" and "Like a Virgin" on the radio, watching the latest Brat Pack movie, and dressing preppy in our pink and green ensembles with little alligators on the chests of our shirts (collars in the 'up' position, of course) and our jeans appropriately cinched and cuffed at the ankles? It wasn't that long ago that typewriters were commonplace in homes and offices, they used mimeograph machines to make smudgy purple copies of tests and homework assignments, Trapper Keepers with cutesy covers were the norm among the organized high school set, and the Rubik's Cube was the newest, most annoying toy on the market....was it? Wait. Don't answer that...I don't really want to know. If it's all a delusion of my own making, I'd prefer to keep it that way for a while longer.
Ok, the girls are getting restless, E needs to go down for her morning nap, and I need to clean up those breakfast dishes. Have a good one!
I got out this morning for my walk with Lauri. After working out in the basement on my treadmill and with my weights the last number of days it was nice to get out in the fresh air again and chat with my walking buddy. We talk about everything and nothing in particular. It makes the time speed by and I don't focus on how much longer until I am done - which is what I most certainly do when I'm walking by myself. When I'm on the treadmill the numbers flashing on the screen at each tenth of a mile keep me going for a while. It can be tough to push through a full hour, though, and I often want to give up after about 30 minutes. I barely get to the 45-minute mark before I declare myself done. Watching movies helps a bit but it's not the same.
This past Saturday, grandma and I took the girls to see a community theater production of "Beauty and the Beast" and it was amazing! I wish I could have taken some pictures to show you the incredible costumes that were (I assume) made by this local theater group. I was just thinking that it is possible that they rented some of the costumes - they were that good - but we do live in a very diverse community with lots of local talents so I would not be surprised at all to hear that they were made by the local costume designers. I know a few of the people involved in the production - both on stage and off - so I'm going to ask about that because I'm just curious. The group also did a great job with the casting for this production. The woman who played Belle has a beautiful voice and she looked adequately diminutive next to the 6'7" guy who played the Beast. When he finally removed his "beastly" attire I was shocked to see how tall he still was. I had assumed it was the costuming that made him appear so much taller than Belle! The other lesser parts were equally well cast and I was reminded once again how fortunate we are to live in a community filled with such talented people across the generations. There were kids in the production - most of whom I would guess have attended one or more of the local ballet/dance schools in the area - as well as high school students, college students from some of the 5 local colleges/university (quite a few of those actually - most of them studying theater or a related field), and of course adults of a wide age span. Everyone was fabulous and it was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Of course, it makes me want to get back to NY soon to see another Broadway show, but that will have to wait until later in the year - hopefully some time in April or May.
Today is a 'teacher work day' and both R and A have the day off from school. So far, they have been playing nicely together but there have already been a couple of skirmishes and I've had to threaten to "separate them" if the fighting continues. They loathe the thought of being separated, even when they are at each other and don't seem to be enjoying each others' company. Go figure. So, it's a threat that sometimes works to keep the peace. Sometimes I have to resort to actually separating them - and listen the resulting screeches of "not fair!" and "I hate you!" - but usually the threat is enough to get them through a rough patch. It's almost 9:30a and I still need to shower and dress but for now I'm just drinking my coffee and hanging out on the computer. This afternoon A has her gymnastics class and I've roped grandma into coming over to stay with R and E. Once I drop A off at gymnastics I'm going to use my kid-free time to get the grocery shopping done. You gotta multi-task when you have those kid-free moments, don't ya know?
I've been receiving some personal email through Classmates.com of late. Seems that there are some people out there who have mistaken me for someone really OLD who is coming up on her 20th high school reunion. Ha. It was not THAT long ago that I graduated from high school. Someone thinks their little gag is soooo funny. I mean, really. Was it really that long ago that we were wondering "Who Shot J.R.?", playing Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man at the arcade, learning the lyrics to "Karma Chameleon" and "Like a Virgin" on the radio, watching the latest Brat Pack movie, and dressing preppy in our pink and green ensembles with little alligators on the chests of our shirts (collars in the 'up' position, of course) and our jeans appropriately cinched and cuffed at the ankles? It wasn't that long ago that typewriters were commonplace in homes and offices, they used mimeograph machines to make smudgy purple copies of tests and homework assignments, Trapper Keepers with cutesy covers were the norm among the organized high school set, and the Rubik's Cube was the newest, most annoying toy on the market....was it? Wait. Don't answer that...I don't really want to know. If it's all a delusion of my own making, I'd prefer to keep it that way for a while longer.
Ok, the girls are getting restless, E needs to go down for her morning nap, and I need to clean up those breakfast dishes. Have a good one!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Why do I bother?
Ugh. I have been at this diet/exercise thing for over two weeks now. In some ways I know I am doing my body a favor. I know I've gained some strength and stamina. I have worked through most of the initial pain of getting back into doing the exercises with hand weights and for the most part I don't have significant pains that linger for days (with the exception of the inner thigh exercise I did on Monday which left me feeling the effects for three days - ok, so that sounded naughty but it really was just a bunch of boring exercises so get your mind right out of the gutter because I don't talk about that stuff on here). And I am certainly eating less crap. I am trying to eat healthier but I know I could eat more veggies and less starch - and portion control is always an issue.
But, I feel like I'm trying so hard and getting no where. In fact, I was in an annoying 'holding pattern' for the last two weeks. The scale wouldn't budge. This week I've been feeling like crap and skipped exercising for two days and now the scale budged...but in the wrong freakin' direction.
Oh, why do I bother?
I feel like I'm ready to throw in the towel and just eat what I want, when I want! Life is too short, man!
I think the cold snap we are experiencing is making things worse. I do not want to go out walking in that freezing cold. I should get on my treadmill today. That is if I can work up the motivation but it's not really looking too promising right now. I'm just pissed that my efforts have seemingly gotten me no where.
I have been telling myself that I needed to rebuild the muscle mass and that muscle weighs more than fat - so maybe I'm losing fat and it's not showing on the scale. But, seriously, how long can that be the case?
I know I need to look closer at my diet but I really like my food. I have given up a lot in the way of high-carb and/or high-fat snacks and I've tried to reduce my intake. Everywhere I read it says to lose weight I need to eat about 1500 calories. I can't say that I've done that well most days but I was just hoping the exercise would tip the balance in my favor. I am finding that magical 1500-calorie mark very difficult to achieve.
I feel like my body is my enemy. I feel like food is my enemy. I am afraid of eating the wrong things. I'm afraid of eating too much of the "right" things. Gah. This sucks.
But, I feel like I'm trying so hard and getting no where. In fact, I was in an annoying 'holding pattern' for the last two weeks. The scale wouldn't budge. This week I've been feeling like crap and skipped exercising for two days and now the scale budged...but in the wrong freakin' direction.
Oh, why do I bother?
I feel like I'm ready to throw in the towel and just eat what I want, when I want! Life is too short, man!
I think the cold snap we are experiencing is making things worse. I do not want to go out walking in that freezing cold. I should get on my treadmill today. That is if I can work up the motivation but it's not really looking too promising right now. I'm just pissed that my efforts have seemingly gotten me no where.
I have been telling myself that I needed to rebuild the muscle mass and that muscle weighs more than fat - so maybe I'm losing fat and it's not showing on the scale. But, seriously, how long can that be the case?
I know I need to look closer at my diet but I really like my food. I have given up a lot in the way of high-carb and/or high-fat snacks and I've tried to reduce my intake. Everywhere I read it says to lose weight I need to eat about 1500 calories. I can't say that I've done that well most days but I was just hoping the exercise would tip the balance in my favor. I am finding that magical 1500-calorie mark very difficult to achieve.
I feel like my body is my enemy. I feel like food is my enemy. I am afraid of eating the wrong things. I'm afraid of eating too much of the "right" things. Gah. This sucks.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Just tired...
Yesterday, I was feeling completely spacey and out of sorts all day. By the time Rick got home I was dead on my feet. When he saw how pale I looked, he promptly sent me to bed. Actually, he escorted me to the bedroom and tucked me in.
Yeah, he's a keeper.
I ended up taking a nap for at least and hour and a half and Rick, bless his heart, managed the girls and also got dinner on the table. I was still feeling tired when I got up but a bit better and Rick commented that my color was back somewhat. We hung out a bit in the evening after getting the girls to bed and then we headed to bed ourselves at close to our regular time. Even after the nap I had no trouble getting to sleep. Obviously my body needed it. I had turned my alarm off for my morning walk because I was not sure how well I would be feeling and figured I might need the sleep more than the exercise.
When I got up this morning at 6:45 (not long after A had woken up and climbed in with me) I was still groggy. Not sure if it was from too much sleep or the effects of whatever my body is trying to fight. The morning seemed a bit rushed and we were not out the door to drop A off at preschool until about 8:50. I did not find time to make my coffee before we left so I was still not feeling too lively when I dropped her off. As soon as E and I got home I put on a pot of coffee and downed a couple of cups of caffeine goodness. It helped me wake up a bit and I'm feeling more human now. Most of yesterday's weirdness - tight throat, light headedness - is gone but I still feel on the tired side. I just don't have much energy or motivation to do anything. So, while E wandered around and played with this and that and brought me toys I sat here and watched episode three of the Grease reality show. I've been enjoying it so far and am very curious to see who makes the final cut! Personally, I'm liking Derek and Jason as "Danny" (Austin is really good but he just seems too pretty boy for Danny and as much as I love Max's voice I can't see him as Danny either) and I like Juliana, Laura and Ashley as "Sandy". Those are the ones I'm rooting for at this stage of the game!
This afternoon will be busy with just running around - I have to bring R over to the main pediatrician's office for her second dose of FluMist (it was supposed to be administered when I brought her in to the local office last week but for some reason they had run out of doses and because the vials need to stay frozen they could not transport one from the main office to the local office for us....grrrrrr....). We need to leave as soon as she gets off the bus. Her appointment is at 2:15 and one never knows what the traffic over the bridge will be like. Then, R has her first art class of the semester back here in town at 4pm. I hope the nurses at the main office are not running late today. We should have plenty of time but that office can get a bit crazy and I never have much luck getting in and out quickly - especially when I have somewhat of a schedule to follow. Thankfully, grandma is coming over to watch A and E while I run around with R. Otherwise, I think I would've just said "the heck with it" and rescheduled the FluMist appointment for another day to reduce the running around with three kids in tow.
Needless to say, I'm taking today off from any form of exercise. I am getting a bit discouraged because I've been trying to eat less and move more, but the scale is not giving me any satisfaction! I had hoped to gain some additional motivation from the numbers on the scale, but so far they are really not budging and it's annoying! And feeling like crap yesterday and just plain old tired today is not helping matters.
Well, E is now down for her nap and I need to think about getting myself some lunch before leaving to pick up A from school. I'm going to try to get to bed early tonight and hopefully tomorrow I'll find more energy - for now I'll just keep on keepin' on as best I can.
Yeah, he's a keeper.
I ended up taking a nap for at least and hour and a half and Rick, bless his heart, managed the girls and also got dinner on the table. I was still feeling tired when I got up but a bit better and Rick commented that my color was back somewhat. We hung out a bit in the evening after getting the girls to bed and then we headed to bed ourselves at close to our regular time. Even after the nap I had no trouble getting to sleep. Obviously my body needed it. I had turned my alarm off for my morning walk because I was not sure how well I would be feeling and figured I might need the sleep more than the exercise.
When I got up this morning at 6:45 (not long after A had woken up and climbed in with me) I was still groggy. Not sure if it was from too much sleep or the effects of whatever my body is trying to fight. The morning seemed a bit rushed and we were not out the door to drop A off at preschool until about 8:50. I did not find time to make my coffee before we left so I was still not feeling too lively when I dropped her off. As soon as E and I got home I put on a pot of coffee and downed a couple of cups of caffeine goodness. It helped me wake up a bit and I'm feeling more human now. Most of yesterday's weirdness - tight throat, light headedness - is gone but I still feel on the tired side. I just don't have much energy or motivation to do anything. So, while E wandered around and played with this and that and brought me toys I sat here and watched episode three of the Grease reality show. I've been enjoying it so far and am very curious to see who makes the final cut! Personally, I'm liking Derek and Jason as "Danny" (Austin is really good but he just seems too pretty boy for Danny and as much as I love Max's voice I can't see him as Danny either) and I like Juliana, Laura and Ashley as "Sandy". Those are the ones I'm rooting for at this stage of the game!
This afternoon will be busy with just running around - I have to bring R over to the main pediatrician's office for her second dose of FluMist (it was supposed to be administered when I brought her in to the local office last week but for some reason they had run out of doses and because the vials need to stay frozen they could not transport one from the main office to the local office for us....grrrrrr....). We need to leave as soon as she gets off the bus. Her appointment is at 2:15 and one never knows what the traffic over the bridge will be like. Then, R has her first art class of the semester back here in town at 4pm. I hope the nurses at the main office are not running late today. We should have plenty of time but that office can get a bit crazy and I never have much luck getting in and out quickly - especially when I have somewhat of a schedule to follow. Thankfully, grandma is coming over to watch A and E while I run around with R. Otherwise, I think I would've just said "the heck with it" and rescheduled the FluMist appointment for another day to reduce the running around with three kids in tow.
Needless to say, I'm taking today off from any form of exercise. I am getting a bit discouraged because I've been trying to eat less and move more, but the scale is not giving me any satisfaction! I had hoped to gain some additional motivation from the numbers on the scale, but so far they are really not budging and it's annoying! And feeling like crap yesterday and just plain old tired today is not helping matters.
Well, E is now down for her nap and I need to think about getting myself some lunch before leaving to pick up A from school. I'm going to try to get to bed early tonight and hopefully tomorrow I'll find more energy - for now I'll just keep on keepin' on as best I can.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Feeling a bit "off"
Not sure if something is brewing under the surface but today so far I've just felt a bit "off."
My throat feels funny - tight, but not painful - when I swallow. My stomach does an occasional flip making me feel uneasy. I feel light-headed as if I'm on the verge of a headache but thankfully it never seems to get worse. I just wish it would go away all together.
Perhaps I brought this on myself when I was walking with Lauri this morning and commented on how well we've made it through the "winter" so far (of course, the real winter seems to be hiding somewhere in TX this year, but that's beside the point). "We" being the me and the girls....Rick has had more than his fair share of illness this winter but finally seems to be on the mend.
So, I've just had a glass of water with an effervescent Airborne tablet droped into it. Hopefully, that will give my immune system a boost and keep the nasties at bay...one can hope.
I've also been drinking more water because I am wondering if I am suffering from some dehydration. It's possible. I don't drink nearly enough water on a good day and I've been keeping up with my daily workouts so I probably need even more water than the standard 8-glass-a-day recommendation.
There's enough going on this week between doctor's appointments, dentists appointments, and a theater production on Saturday that I really would like to stay well...please? I'm taking the girls (and my MIL) to a local community theater production of "Beauty and the Beast" on Saturday. I think the girls will really enjoy it. Grandma and I toook R to see "Oliver" when this same group staged it last year and she really enjoyed it. I suspected it would not be as appropriate for A and after seeing it, I think I was right to leave her home with Rick last year. This year's show is right up A's alley, though, and she 's a year older so I think she's ready.
It's time to head off to pick up A from preschool. E seems to be finding all kinds of "no-nos" in the playroom that she is presenting to me every few minutes as if to say "hey, I don't think you want me to have this...do you?" So, I'd better get a move on. If I can muster up the energy right now. I just want to lie down and take a nap.
But, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Onward...
My throat feels funny - tight, but not painful - when I swallow. My stomach does an occasional flip making me feel uneasy. I feel light-headed as if I'm on the verge of a headache but thankfully it never seems to get worse. I just wish it would go away all together.
Perhaps I brought this on myself when I was walking with Lauri this morning and commented on how well we've made it through the "winter" so far (of course, the real winter seems to be hiding somewhere in TX this year, but that's beside the point). "We" being the me and the girls....Rick has had more than his fair share of illness this winter but finally seems to be on the mend.
So, I've just had a glass of water with an effervescent Airborne tablet droped into it. Hopefully, that will give my immune system a boost and keep the nasties at bay...one can hope.
I've also been drinking more water because I am wondering if I am suffering from some dehydration. It's possible. I don't drink nearly enough water on a good day and I've been keeping up with my daily workouts so I probably need even more water than the standard 8-glass-a-day recommendation.
There's enough going on this week between doctor's appointments, dentists appointments, and a theater production on Saturday that I really would like to stay well...please? I'm taking the girls (and my MIL) to a local community theater production of "Beauty and the Beast" on Saturday. I think the girls will really enjoy it. Grandma and I toook R to see "Oliver" when this same group staged it last year and she really enjoyed it. I suspected it would not be as appropriate for A and after seeing it, I think I was right to leave her home with Rick last year. This year's show is right up A's alley, though, and she 's a year older so I think she's ready.
It's time to head off to pick up A from preschool. E seems to be finding all kinds of "no-nos" in the playroom that she is presenting to me every few minutes as if to say "hey, I don't think you want me to have this...do you?" So, I'd better get a move on. If I can muster up the energy right now. I just want to lie down and take a nap.
But, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Onward...
Friday, January 19, 2007
What's that white stuff?
Woke up this morning and there was a thin layer of white stuff coating the grass and driveway. Since when are we getting snow this winter? I thought (happily, in some ways...) that we were looking at a snow-free winter this year. The girls, however, were thrilled that there was some evidence of winter out there this morning. Not possible to please everyone, I guess.
It was 5:50 when I dragged my butt out of bed and I wondered if Lauri was up for our morning walk or not. And I wondered what the roads were like. From the warm comfort of my living room they seemed clear of snow but I wondered about the possibility of icing. I glanced at Lauri's house and saw that she had not yet turned on her light. I went to the back window to turn on the back flood light to get a better look at how slippery things might be. By accident I turned on the front garage lights. Twice. The switches are next to each other and I was not yet awake. The conditions seemed pleasant enough - temp was around 30, snow was minimal, and falling from the sky were tiny, fluffy flakes of snow. I went to the front windows again and this time I noticed that Lauri's front light was on (perhaps she took my fumbled attempts with the light switch as a sign?). Ok, looked like she was game so I quickly found my exercise togs and threw them on and got outside not too long after 6:00. The walk was actually very nice. The traction was fine except in a few spots where it seemed like they had not bothered to throw some salt/sand in the wee hours of the morning. But, the accumulation was minimal so it was easy going. About halfway through our walk the snow picked up pace a bit and we did get a bit damp, but it was still enjoyable and I was glad I got up and walked this morning.
The snow continued for another hour or so and we have a coating of snow that doesn't quite cover the grass completely. R looked out the window at the falling snow and said "Ya know what, mom? It would be beautiful out there if those houses were not there." She really is a daddy's girl - she loves nature and has, it seems, an innate resentment for anything that impinges on the natural world. The snow really does look lovely on the trees out back (without all those pesky roads and houses marring the view).
It is somehow Friday once again (how did that happen?) and so it is time for a trip to the museum for story time. However, A was being extremely difficult this morning and I told her "no story time trip" because she was being such a noodge. Her attitude has improved quite a bit and now I need to decide whether to recant on my earlier statement or not. It would be nice to get out of the house this morning and goodness knows she would be thrilled. I have about 15 minutes before we need to be out the door if we are going.
Tomorrow is Saturday and we have no plans but on Sunday we will be heading to my sister's for a memorial mass for my brother-in-law, Tom. He passed away 5 years ago after undergoing "routine" heart valve surgery and having something go horribly wrong. He is greatly missed. My sister and her kids (ages 11, 13, and 15) will be participating in a walk for the American Heart Association this April 29th in memory of Tom. Here's a link to their team's web page if you want to support their efforts! I'm trying to figure out if it will be possible to join their team on the day of the walk.
Ok, I guess we are going to story time so I'd better get these girls ready to get out the door. Have a great day!
It was 5:50 when I dragged my butt out of bed and I wondered if Lauri was up for our morning walk or not. And I wondered what the roads were like. From the warm comfort of my living room they seemed clear of snow but I wondered about the possibility of icing. I glanced at Lauri's house and saw that she had not yet turned on her light. I went to the back window to turn on the back flood light to get a better look at how slippery things might be. By accident I turned on the front garage lights. Twice. The switches are next to each other and I was not yet awake. The conditions seemed pleasant enough - temp was around 30, snow was minimal, and falling from the sky were tiny, fluffy flakes of snow. I went to the front windows again and this time I noticed that Lauri's front light was on (perhaps she took my fumbled attempts with the light switch as a sign?). Ok, looked like she was game so I quickly found my exercise togs and threw them on and got outside not too long after 6:00. The walk was actually very nice. The traction was fine except in a few spots where it seemed like they had not bothered to throw some salt/sand in the wee hours of the morning. But, the accumulation was minimal so it was easy going. About halfway through our walk the snow picked up pace a bit and we did get a bit damp, but it was still enjoyable and I was glad I got up and walked this morning.
The snow continued for another hour or so and we have a coating of snow that doesn't quite cover the grass completely. R looked out the window at the falling snow and said "Ya know what, mom? It would be beautiful out there if those houses were not there." She really is a daddy's girl - she loves nature and has, it seems, an innate resentment for anything that impinges on the natural world. The snow really does look lovely on the trees out back (without all those pesky roads and houses marring the view).
It is somehow Friday once again (how did that happen?) and so it is time for a trip to the museum for story time. However, A was being extremely difficult this morning and I told her "no story time trip" because she was being such a noodge. Her attitude has improved quite a bit and now I need to decide whether to recant on my earlier statement or not. It would be nice to get out of the house this morning and goodness knows she would be thrilled. I have about 15 minutes before we need to be out the door if we are going.
Tomorrow is Saturday and we have no plans but on Sunday we will be heading to my sister's for a memorial mass for my brother-in-law, Tom. He passed away 5 years ago after undergoing "routine" heart valve surgery and having something go horribly wrong. He is greatly missed. My sister and her kids (ages 11, 13, and 15) will be participating in a walk for the American Heart Association this April 29th in memory of Tom. Here's a link to their team's web page if you want to support their efforts! I'm trying to figure out if it will be possible to join their team on the day of the walk.
Ok, I guess we are going to story time so I'd better get these girls ready to get out the door. Have a great day!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Stats For The Day
E had her 15-month appointment at the doctor's office today. She is continuing to grow big (very big!) like her sisters. She was 23# 10 oz. (between 50th & 75th percentile) and she measured 32.75 inches long (above the 95th percentile) - another Amazon Princess in our midst.
She had to have two shots (double ouch!) and was not pleased with the shots or with the nurse and doctor poking and prodding her. Stranger anxiety was at an all-time high today.
This morning I got up at 6ish and walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill and did a bit of ab work. A woke up during my workout and joined me in watching part of "The Music Man" (my musical trend continues...) and just as I finished the walking and was starting the crunches R woke up and came downstairs as well and reported that E was awake and crying. So it was time to get lunches packed, breakfast made, and everyone dressed and ready for the day. A mother's work is never done.
Today finally feels more like January - my car thermometer showed a balmy 12 degrees this morning and I think we may have reached a high of 19 degrees by now. Nothing like going from 70 degrees to the teens in just a couple of weeks. Egads. I'm starting to wonder if the seasons are just backwards this year. We've had spring, next we will have winter of a sort and then we'll be thrown right into the scorching summer temps.
Time to get E down for her nap and then throw together something for lunch.
She had to have two shots (double ouch!) and was not pleased with the shots or with the nurse and doctor poking and prodding her. Stranger anxiety was at an all-time high today.
This morning I got up at 6ish and walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill and did a bit of ab work. A woke up during my workout and joined me in watching part of "The Music Man" (my musical trend continues...) and just as I finished the walking and was starting the crunches R woke up and came downstairs as well and reported that E was awake and crying. So it was time to get lunches packed, breakfast made, and everyone dressed and ready for the day. A mother's work is never done.
Today finally feels more like January - my car thermometer showed a balmy 12 degrees this morning and I think we may have reached a high of 19 degrees by now. Nothing like going from 70 degrees to the teens in just a couple of weeks. Egads. I'm starting to wonder if the seasons are just backwards this year. We've had spring, next we will have winter of a sort and then we'll be thrown right into the scorching summer temps.
Time to get E down for her nap and then throw together something for lunch.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Keep Moving!
That's my motto these days. I'm trying to find time to do something active every day. That, combined with paying attention to what goes into my mouth will hopefully start the downward trend that I'm looking for on the scale.
So far, so good. I had a few pounds that crept up over the holidays (on top of the few that crept up on me when I had my broken toe...on top of the numerous pounds that I've been trying to rid myself of since E's birth...on top of....well, you get the idea). Anyway, those holiday pounds are now gone once again and I'm back to where I started before the feasting began...which was still a good 30 pounds more than I should have on this 5' 4" frame. But, at least I've seen a small drop in the scale of late.
Today I wimped out on walking with Lauri (sorry, Lauri!) - I awoke to my alarm and to the sounds of the winds howling and I just could not bring myself to get out of bed and walk in what seemed like a cold morning made even colder by the windchill factor. Instead, I made a pact with myself to find a way to get on my treadmill at some point and just "get movin'!"
I dropped A off at school, made a quick run to Target for a few necessities and then headed home with E. We played for a bit, had a snack, and then headed back to pick up A from school. Once home, I made lunch and put E down for her afternoon nap. After a bit of time for digestion I suggested to A that we watch a movie together while I exercised. She was all for that - never one to give up the opportunity to watch a movie! We popped "Madeline" into the DVD player and she enjoyed watching while I sweated away on the treadmill and then did my lower body workout. The timing was perfect - I spent about 45 minutes on the treadmill (2.75 miles) and then did my exercises and the movie ended just a few minutes after I was done with everything.
Unfortunately, Rick has to be in work early tomorrow for a software upgrade that needs to be done "off-hours" so I won't get a chance to walk again with Lauri. However, I am hoping to make the time to get in some form of exercise. Dieting all by itself does nothing for me except make me feel deprived...and exercise is no good if I continue to eat with abandon. So, I'm going for the middle of the road with both - a little exercise here, a little calorie reduction there - and hoping it amounts to something worthwhile!
So far, so good. I had a few pounds that crept up over the holidays (on top of the few that crept up on me when I had my broken toe...on top of the numerous pounds that I've been trying to rid myself of since E's birth...on top of....well, you get the idea). Anyway, those holiday pounds are now gone once again and I'm back to where I started before the feasting began...which was still a good 30 pounds more than I should have on this 5' 4" frame. But, at least I've seen a small drop in the scale of late.
Today I wimped out on walking with Lauri (sorry, Lauri!) - I awoke to my alarm and to the sounds of the winds howling and I just could not bring myself to get out of bed and walk in what seemed like a cold morning made even colder by the windchill factor. Instead, I made a pact with myself to find a way to get on my treadmill at some point and just "get movin'!"
I dropped A off at school, made a quick run to Target for a few necessities and then headed home with E. We played for a bit, had a snack, and then headed back to pick up A from school. Once home, I made lunch and put E down for her afternoon nap. After a bit of time for digestion I suggested to A that we watch a movie together while I exercised. She was all for that - never one to give up the opportunity to watch a movie! We popped "Madeline" into the DVD player and she enjoyed watching while I sweated away on the treadmill and then did my lower body workout. The timing was perfect - I spent about 45 minutes on the treadmill (2.75 miles) and then did my exercises and the movie ended just a few minutes after I was done with everything.
Unfortunately, Rick has to be in work early tomorrow for a software upgrade that needs to be done "off-hours" so I won't get a chance to walk again with Lauri. However, I am hoping to make the time to get in some form of exercise. Dieting all by itself does nothing for me except make me feel deprived...and exercise is no good if I continue to eat with abandon. So, I'm going for the middle of the road with both - a little exercise here, a little calorie reduction there - and hoping it amounts to something worthwhile!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Virtual Cocktail Party
Ok, so I went over to Vexed in the City this morning and got tagged with this Virtual Cocktail Party meme. I'm supposed to find five (bloggable) things that you might not know about little ole me. And, as usual, consider yourself tagged in kind if you are reading this!
1. This may come as no great surprise if you know me at all, but you may not be privy to the fact that I have never, ever smoked a single cigarette. Not even a puff. I was once tempted to try one at a party when I was living in Denmark, but I didn't follow through.
2. Something that may or may not be common knowledge for most of you (Rick doesn't count because there is not much, if anything, that he doesn't know about me!) - beer and chocolate don't mix for me. I don't like the taste of them together, obviously, but if I eat/drink them in the same time frame (of probably a few hours) I puke my guts out.
3. I am a published translator. A few years out of college I translated two short stories from Danish to English for a collection of short stories. I have a few copies stored away in a box somewhere... The author of one of the short stories liked my translation so much she sent me a book she wrote in the hopes that I would enjoy it and translate it. I never got around to reading it and now it would be very hard given my decreased Danish language skills! Anyway, my short stories appeared in the March 1995 issue of the Review of Contemporary Fiction (under my maiden name Griffin).
....ummmmmm more later. I've come back to this post a few times and still can't think of anything to say...
Ok, I thought of a couple more while I was getting my upper body workout done for today...
4. I once auditioned for "Community Auditions" (Talent Show on Channel 56? in Boston). I was, I think, in 8th grade, and it was a actually with my friend Katie - we played a HORRIBLE flute duet. Why we ever thought we could get on the show is beyond me but I remember it being a long day of waiting in line with butterflies in my stomach. Such fun! ;-)
"Star of the Day
Who will it be?
Your vote may hold the key!
It's up to you!
So tell us who!
Will be...Star of the Day!"
5. I have come close to failing only one class ever in my life. My freshman year I took Microeconomics in the hopes of eventually becoming a business major (don't laugh). It was in a classroom dubbed "the cave" by many students - a huge 500-seat lecture hall (but many of the seats were broken so I think the classes held there were on the order of 250-300 students) with poor acoustics and even worse lighting. It was easy to fall asleep during that lecture and I had a foreign teaching assistant who was impossible to understand and who seemed to understand our questions even less. I can recall sitting in the lecture hall during the midterm and later the final and sweating profusely with tears in my eyes because I felt like I was trying to decipher a foreign language. I honestly had NO idea what the hell the questions were asking me to do. It was a scary moment for me - I thought about how disappointed my dad would be (he encouraged the business major thing and I was all for it at that point because I had this fantasy of living in Denmark and doing some kind of job in international business....didn't I just tell you not to laugh!?...of course dad had hopes that I would come back home and work for the family business...) and the thought of actually FAILING a class was unfathomable! I was not exactly an "A" student throughout high school but I got by just fine with mostly Bs, a few As and, if I recall, a couple of Cs thrown in for good measure. I remember being home over January break and being very moody and cross and having my mom ask me what was wrong and I broke down in tears and screamed that I "FUCKING FAILED MICROECONOMICS!" Yep...I think that was the first time my mom heard me swear! Turns out I did better than at least a few of the other students in the class because by some miracle I got my report card in the mail and I was blessed with a CD. Still not a grade to be proud of, but I did not lose all credit for the class. I did, however, change my status from "business major wanna-be" to simply "undeclared" and it was not until late in my sophomore year that I decided to major in Linguistics with a concentration in Anthropology.
Ok, so some of you probably already knew some of this stuff, but it was the best I could come up with!
1. This may come as no great surprise if you know me at all, but you may not be privy to the fact that I have never, ever smoked a single cigarette. Not even a puff. I was once tempted to try one at a party when I was living in Denmark, but I didn't follow through.
2. Something that may or may not be common knowledge for most of you (Rick doesn't count because there is not much, if anything, that he doesn't know about me!) - beer and chocolate don't mix for me. I don't like the taste of them together, obviously, but if I eat/drink them in the same time frame (of probably a few hours) I puke my guts out.
3. I am a published translator. A few years out of college I translated two short stories from Danish to English for a collection of short stories. I have a few copies stored away in a box somewhere... The author of one of the short stories liked my translation so much she sent me a book she wrote in the hopes that I would enjoy it and translate it. I never got around to reading it and now it would be very hard given my decreased Danish language skills! Anyway, my short stories appeared in the March 1995 issue of the Review of Contemporary Fiction (under my maiden name Griffin).
....ummmmmm more later. I've come back to this post a few times and still can't think of anything to say...
Ok, I thought of a couple more while I was getting my upper body workout done for today...
4. I once auditioned for "Community Auditions" (Talent Show on Channel 56? in Boston). I was, I think, in 8th grade, and it was a actually with my friend Katie - we played a HORRIBLE flute duet. Why we ever thought we could get on the show is beyond me but I remember it being a long day of waiting in line with butterflies in my stomach. Such fun! ;-)
"Star of the Day
Who will it be?
Your vote may hold the key!
It's up to you!
So tell us who!
Will be...Star of the Day!"
5. I have come close to failing only one class ever in my life. My freshman year I took Microeconomics in the hopes of eventually becoming a business major (don't laugh). It was in a classroom dubbed "the cave" by many students - a huge 500-seat lecture hall (but many of the seats were broken so I think the classes held there were on the order of 250-300 students) with poor acoustics and even worse lighting. It was easy to fall asleep during that lecture and I had a foreign teaching assistant who was impossible to understand and who seemed to understand our questions even less. I can recall sitting in the lecture hall during the midterm and later the final and sweating profusely with tears in my eyes because I felt like I was trying to decipher a foreign language. I honestly had NO idea what the hell the questions were asking me to do. It was a scary moment for me - I thought about how disappointed my dad would be (he encouraged the business major thing and I was all for it at that point because I had this fantasy of living in Denmark and doing some kind of job in international business....didn't I just tell you not to laugh!?...of course dad had hopes that I would come back home and work for the family business...) and the thought of actually FAILING a class was unfathomable! I was not exactly an "A" student throughout high school but I got by just fine with mostly Bs, a few As and, if I recall, a couple of Cs thrown in for good measure. I remember being home over January break and being very moody and cross and having my mom ask me what was wrong and I broke down in tears and screamed that I "FUCKING FAILED MICROECONOMICS!" Yep...I think that was the first time my mom heard me swear! Turns out I did better than at least a few of the other students in the class because by some miracle I got my report card in the mail and I was blessed with a CD. Still not a grade to be proud of, but I did not lose all credit for the class. I did, however, change my status from "business major wanna-be" to simply "undeclared" and it was not until late in my sophomore year that I decided to major in Linguistics with a concentration in Anthropology.
Ok, so some of you probably already knew some of this stuff, but it was the best I could come up with!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
And on that note...
Well, this won't mean anything to you if you have not seen "A Chorus Line" but here's my rendition of Montage 1....it's been running through my head (and my achin' body) today so I had to throw it out there for ya.
Hello abs
Hello abs
Hello deltoids
Hello pain
Feelin’ Old!
Muscles Pulled
Not again!
Time to frown
To break down
I’m a mess.
I’m a mess.
Time for meds
Time for bed
More or less,
More or less.
Too young to give over
Too old to ignore
Gee, my body’s ready,
But…what…for?
There’s no gain
Without pain?
That’s so lame!
Goodbye flab
Goodbye fat pants
Hello pain…
Saturday, January 13, 2007
No pain, no gain...
Ok, yeah, I'm reacquainting myself with the muscles in my upper body today. Every time I move it's "Ow - oh, hello, there Deltiod. Where have you been lately?" or "Hey! Oh, it's you - Sternocleidomastoid. I'd forgotten all about you! How's it hangin'?"
I can recall a time when I could get through the exercises without experiencing much in the way of pain. But, I'm so out of shape that right now they are kickin' my butt.
I did not manage to get on the treadmill today. But, after Rick left with R and A to go to the owl program at the library I tackled our bedroom which was a mess. I spent a good 45 minutes to an hour cleaning and vacuuming the room while E wandered around the room getting into trouble and needing to be shooed away from things every few minutes. I'd say I got a decent workout without stepping foot on the treadmill.
Tomorrow the girls and I will be at church in the morning. I am teaching the unit on "The Good Samaritan" over the next few weeks. I have the "arts/crafts" segment and we will be making quilt squares that will later be made into a quilt to present to a long-time church member who is moving to an assisted living facility. Should be a fun unit to teach. No plans as yet for the afternoon, but there is always some project or other around here so I'm sure I'll find something to keep me busy!
I just popped some ibuprofen for these sore muscles of mine. I hope they are no longer trying so desperately to communicate their displeasure in the morning. I think I'll go get in my jammies and read a bit before bed.
Nighty-night.
I can recall a time when I could get through the exercises without experiencing much in the way of pain. But, I'm so out of shape that right now they are kickin' my butt.
I did not manage to get on the treadmill today. But, after Rick left with R and A to go to the owl program at the library I tackled our bedroom which was a mess. I spent a good 45 minutes to an hour cleaning and vacuuming the room while E wandered around the room getting into trouble and needing to be shooed away from things every few minutes. I'd say I got a decent workout without stepping foot on the treadmill.
Tomorrow the girls and I will be at church in the morning. I am teaching the unit on "The Good Samaritan" over the next few weeks. I have the "arts/crafts" segment and we will be making quilt squares that will later be made into a quilt to present to a long-time church member who is moving to an assisted living facility. Should be a fun unit to teach. No plans as yet for the afternoon, but there is always some project or other around here so I'm sure I'll find something to keep me busy!
I just popped some ibuprofen for these sore muscles of mine. I hope they are no longer trying so desperately to communicate their displeasure in the morning. I think I'll go get in my jammies and read a bit before bed.
Nighty-night.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Baby Steps...
Yep. Tuxbaby is right. Baby steps.
Today I tried to balance the good with the not so good. Lauri and I did get out for a walk this morning (3.2 miles). After I got back I had a good breakfast of steel cut oatmeal with apples and walnuts and a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon. By lunchtime I was famished and we were going out for lunch. Bad combination.
As usual for a Friday morning, we went to the museum for story time and met up with friends. Some weeks we go out for lunch together after the museum visit and today was one of those days. We decided on one of the local Chinese restaurants that serves sushi because my friend's daughter was jonesin' for some raw tuna. Um yeah. My friend will actually say stuff like "if you are too crabby we'll just have to go home and you won't get any raw tuna"...ha! like that would be incentive for my kids to act nicely! They would start acting like Attila the Hun just to NOT eat raw fish. Lucky for them I'm no fan of raw fish. In fact, I once asked this friend to help me order some sushi so I could give it a try - what can I say, it was a daring moment for me. Let's just say sushi was not my cup of tea. Blech. But I digress...
If you haven't guessed I ending up eating waaaay too much for lunch. But, it was soooo good (no sushi on my plate!). I did get the brown rice which should count for something, right? I should have just had my meal - which was plenty of food by far - but I ended up eating a couple of the pork fried dumplings that A ordered on top of my luncheon special. Whoops.
So, I tried to balance things out a bit. How, you ask? Well, I tried to keep the portions/calories down at dinner. We made some homemade calzones with shrimp and veggies and I only had a small portion of one of them with a glass of wine. Hopefully, that helped even things out.
But that was not all. After the girls were in bed I was sitting at the computer feeling like a lazy ass. I had not yet done the upper body workout that I mentioned in yesterday's post so I decided to stop procrastinating. I went downstairs and turned on my current movie (yep. you guessed it. Broadway Whore again today with the next installment of "The Chorus Line") and did some upper body exercises from my Jorge Cruise book. I'm not following the book in sequence this time around. I'm just picking and choosing the exercises I like and trying to group them into separate upper body and lower body workouts. So far, so good. My legs were pretty sore after my leg workout earlier in the week. Jury is still out on tonight's upper body workout...I'll give an update on how my arms, chest and back are feeling tomorrow.
The movie hooked me in for longer than the exercises took so I watched for a while longer and did some stretching while I was at it. I am soooo not flexible. It's something I really need to work on because I'm so bad at it. Baby steps, right? Right.
Not sure what is on for tomorrow. There is a "birds of prey" program at the library that we think the girls would enjoy (well, R especially...). There will be a guy there with some live owls - right up my nature girl's alley. I'm not sure yet if I'll be going but I think Rick and/or Grandad will be taking the older girls (or just R if A is not interested). The weather forecast doesn't look so great for tomorrow - rainy, cold, perhaps some freezing rain early in the morning, perhaps some sleet or snow late in the afternoon - so it sounds like a good day to stay in and stay warm. I plan to carve out some time to get on my treadmill. (You read it here so now I will feel like I have to do it - See? You are a good influence without even really trying! You rock!).
It is now officially past my bedtime. Have a great night!
Today I tried to balance the good with the not so good. Lauri and I did get out for a walk this morning (3.2 miles). After I got back I had a good breakfast of steel cut oatmeal with apples and walnuts and a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon. By lunchtime I was famished and we were going out for lunch. Bad combination.
As usual for a Friday morning, we went to the museum for story time and met up with friends. Some weeks we go out for lunch together after the museum visit and today was one of those days. We decided on one of the local Chinese restaurants that serves sushi because my friend's daughter was jonesin' for some raw tuna. Um yeah. My friend will actually say stuff like "if you are too crabby we'll just have to go home and you won't get any raw tuna"...ha! like that would be incentive for my kids to act nicely! They would start acting like Attila the Hun just to NOT eat raw fish. Lucky for them I'm no fan of raw fish. In fact, I once asked this friend to help me order some sushi so I could give it a try - what can I say, it was a daring moment for me. Let's just say sushi was not my cup of tea. Blech. But I digress...
If you haven't guessed I ending up eating waaaay too much for lunch. But, it was soooo good (no sushi on my plate!). I did get the brown rice which should count for something, right? I should have just had my meal - which was plenty of food by far - but I ended up eating a couple of the pork fried dumplings that A ordered on top of my luncheon special. Whoops.
So, I tried to balance things out a bit. How, you ask? Well, I tried to keep the portions/calories down at dinner. We made some homemade calzones with shrimp and veggies and I only had a small portion of one of them with a glass of wine. Hopefully, that helped even things out.
But that was not all. After the girls were in bed I was sitting at the computer feeling like a lazy ass. I had not yet done the upper body workout that I mentioned in yesterday's post so I decided to stop procrastinating. I went downstairs and turned on my current movie (yep. you guessed it. Broadway Whore again today with the next installment of "The Chorus Line") and did some upper body exercises from my Jorge Cruise book. I'm not following the book in sequence this time around. I'm just picking and choosing the exercises I like and trying to group them into separate upper body and lower body workouts. So far, so good. My legs were pretty sore after my leg workout earlier in the week. Jury is still out on tonight's upper body workout...I'll give an update on how my arms, chest and back are feeling tomorrow.
The movie hooked me in for longer than the exercises took so I watched for a while longer and did some stretching while I was at it. I am soooo not flexible. It's something I really need to work on because I'm so bad at it. Baby steps, right? Right.
Not sure what is on for tomorrow. There is a "birds of prey" program at the library that we think the girls would enjoy (well, R especially...). There will be a guy there with some live owls - right up my nature girl's alley. I'm not sure yet if I'll be going but I think Rick and/or Grandad will be taking the older girls (or just R if A is not interested). The weather forecast doesn't look so great for tomorrow - rainy, cold, perhaps some freezing rain early in the morning, perhaps some sleet or snow late in the afternoon - so it sounds like a good day to stay in and stay warm. I plan to carve out some time to get on my treadmill. (You read it here so now I will feel like I have to do it - See? You are a good influence without even really trying! You rock!).
It is now officially past my bedtime. Have a great night!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Trying hard to be good.
This morning I was not able to walk with my neighbor from 6-7am because Rick had to be in work very early for a software upgrade. His alarm went off at 6am so I dragged myself out of bed when he got up to get dressed. It was going to be a busy morning because of the MLK, Jr. celebration at R's school but I knew the girls would be asleep until at least 7am so I was going to do my best to get a short workout in before they woke up. I got on some exercise togs, put a DVD in the system downstairs ("A Chorus Line" - told you I was a Broadway whore...) and walked for about 30 minutes on the treadmill while I watched the beginning of the movie. I find it really helps keep me going on the treadmill if I have something to listen to or watch. If I don't have something to keep my mind off the workout I tend to cop out a lot earlier because it's so damn boring! I also planned to do a couple of exercises right after getting off the treadmill but at that point the girls woke up and came looking for me. I will try to do those later today. My legs were so sore yesterday after my workout on Tuesday, but they are recovering. At least I know that I gave those muscles a good workout. More muscle means more fat-burning! Today I will try to focus on my upper body and give it a good workout - chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps, and abs thrown in the mix as well.
Food choices have been mostly decent. A few cookies here and there that I certainly didn't need but I don't think it threw off my caloric intake too much (I hope). This morning I headed out the door with R and A (grandma stayed here with E) to attend the MLK, Jr. breakfast at school. Lots of home baked goodies there. Ugh. But, I tried to keep the eating to a minimum and ended up with a small muffin, half a donut, a couple of strawberries, and a clementine along with my cup of coffee from home. Not nearly as much as I would normally want to eat, so I felt like I showed a good deal of restraint. This afternoon A and I will go back to R's school for special school show in honor of Dr. King. Grandma is coming back over to watch E for me again because she is napping and will still be asleep by the time I have to leave to pick up A.
My stomach is demanding to be fed so I am going to go see what healthy things I can find to throw together for lunch.
Have a great day!
Food choices have been mostly decent. A few cookies here and there that I certainly didn't need but I don't think it threw off my caloric intake too much (I hope). This morning I headed out the door with R and A (grandma stayed here with E) to attend the MLK, Jr. breakfast at school. Lots of home baked goodies there. Ugh. But, I tried to keep the eating to a minimum and ended up with a small muffin, half a donut, a couple of strawberries, and a clementine along with my cup of coffee from home. Not nearly as much as I would normally want to eat, so I felt like I showed a good deal of restraint. This afternoon A and I will go back to R's school for special school show in honor of Dr. King. Grandma is coming back over to watch E for me again because she is napping and will still be asleep by the time I have to leave to pick up A.
My stomach is demanding to be fed so I am going to go see what healthy things I can find to throw together for lunch.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Hopelessly Devoted...
Ok, so thanks to a little "recording magic" (ahem.) I was able to watch the first episode of the new reality show You're the One that I Want!
Oh the drama! The laughter, the tears, the hopes and dreams, the dancing and singing (ok, some of those were not great - but they were good for a laugh!), the gusty not-so-talented people and the ones who truly have a gift. I'm hooked!
'nuf said.
P.S. I really thought the 'cupcake lady' and the girl named Sunshine were talented AND gutsy! Of course, they did not make it to Grease Academy but I wanted to send a shout out to them: "You go, girl!"
Oh the drama! The laughter, the tears, the hopes and dreams, the dancing and singing (ok, some of those were not great - but they were good for a laugh!), the gusty not-so-talented people and the ones who truly have a gift. I'm hooked!
'nuf said.
P.S. I really thought the 'cupcake lady' and the girl named Sunshine were talented AND gutsy! Of course, they did not make it to Grease Academy but I wanted to send a shout out to them: "You go, girl!"
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
In which I find muscles I forgot I had.
I managed to drag my ass out of bed this morning for my walk with Lauri. But, I barely made it. I had woken to my alarm at 5:40 and somehow I didn't climb right out of bed to get dressed. Hmmm...that's odd. NOT. My guilty subconscious must have been working overtime though because the next thing I knew I opened my eyes a slit and I turned my head to look at the clock and it was 5:55. Eek. At that point I did get out of bed and stumbled down the hall to look for the "signal" - we turn on our front light if we plan to go out walking. I saw Lauri's front light on and so I turned mine on to alert her to my eventual emergence from the house this morning and ran to get dressed. She was just coming down her driveway as I exited the house so luckily I wasn't making her stand around in the chilly morning air waiting for me.
We walked our usual route through the neighborhood but I asked to cut it short by the last loop around one of the roads and Lauri agreed (she's still fighting a cold these days). So, we had walked about 3.2 miles this morning (according to the google map pedometer program).
Later in the morning, after I had dropped A off at preschool, E and I were just hanging out here at home. She started to fuss at me and was trying to drag me to the back door because she wanted desperately to go OUT! I bundled us both in warm jackets, hats and mittens and she settled happily in her red wagon while I pulled her up and down the street (another .5 mile or so of walking to add to my earlier excursion!). She loves being outside in the fresh air and I'm loving the unusually warm winter temps and lack of snow this year.
We were off at 11:30 to pick up A from preschool and then I made lunch. E went down for her nap and after a while I decided that I really should get cracking on my Jorge Cruise exercises. I've followed this program (the exercises but not the dietary recommendations, per se) in the past and it has certainly been a useful tool for my weight loss and fitness goals. The exercises are simple, they really do take very little time, and they are effective. Earlier in the week I had started doing a few of the exercises (day 1 through 3) but then I took a few days off - stupidly. So, today I decided to cover all the rest of the exercises for the week. I did the exercises that were for the following muscles: calves, butt, hamstrings, quadriceps, inner thighs, outer thighs. Essentially, all the lower body muscles. I spent about 1/2 hour doing the various exercises and I had thrown in a bit of ab work for good measure.
Ouch.
Now my legs are quite well worn out for today. I hope they recuperate enough to walk most of the route in the morning!
At least it's a good kind of ouch. The kind that feels like the muscles saying "hey! I'm here, alright? Geesh. You don't use me in forever and then you expect me to do WHAT?!" So, I know I worked out today and it's a good feeling.
Time to hobble off and play with the girls - preferable something that allows me to sit still for a while...
We walked our usual route through the neighborhood but I asked to cut it short by the last loop around one of the roads and Lauri agreed (she's still fighting a cold these days). So, we had walked about 3.2 miles this morning (according to the google map pedometer program).
Later in the morning, after I had dropped A off at preschool, E and I were just hanging out here at home. She started to fuss at me and was trying to drag me to the back door because she wanted desperately to go OUT! I bundled us both in warm jackets, hats and mittens and she settled happily in her red wagon while I pulled her up and down the street (another .5 mile or so of walking to add to my earlier excursion!). She loves being outside in the fresh air and I'm loving the unusually warm winter temps and lack of snow this year.
We were off at 11:30 to pick up A from preschool and then I made lunch. E went down for her nap and after a while I decided that I really should get cracking on my Jorge Cruise exercises. I've followed this program (the exercises but not the dietary recommendations, per se) in the past and it has certainly been a useful tool for my weight loss and fitness goals. The exercises are simple, they really do take very little time, and they are effective. Earlier in the week I had started doing a few of the exercises (day 1 through 3) but then I took a few days off - stupidly. So, today I decided to cover all the rest of the exercises for the week. I did the exercises that were for the following muscles: calves, butt, hamstrings, quadriceps, inner thighs, outer thighs. Essentially, all the lower body muscles. I spent about 1/2 hour doing the various exercises and I had thrown in a bit of ab work for good measure.
Ouch.
Now my legs are quite well worn out for today. I hope they recuperate enough to walk most of the route in the morning!
At least it's a good kind of ouch. The kind that feels like the muscles saying "hey! I'm here, alright? Geesh. You don't use me in forever and then you expect me to do WHAT?!" So, I know I worked out today and it's a good feeling.
Time to hobble off and play with the girls - preferable something that allows me to sit still for a while...
Monday, January 08, 2007
I confess...
I am normally quite happy to not have cable TV in the house. It is rare that I learn about a TV show that is, in my opinion, "Must See TV." We have not had cable since 1992 when we lived in our last rental (well, ok, we did have a stint of cable TV in this house when the cable company came out to install our internet connection and their device to block the cable TV was defective - so we had free cable TV for about 4 months when I was very pregnant with Rebecca...and I recall watching an episode (premiere?) of the original Survivor). I have come to appreciate how much more I can accomplish without the lure of the TV in the corner.
But, I should state for the record that I was actually a TV junkie as a kid. I had my nightly line-up of shows that I loved to watch and I was a committed "General Hospital" addict for many years (and embarrassingly enough I even kept a journal of what happened on the show and a scrapbook of pictures from the Soap Opera magazines for quite a few years in my early teens - my heart melted at the sight of Blackie Parrish and Frisco Jones and my little heart went pitter-patter whenever I heard Robert Scorpio's Aussie accent...go ahead and laugh). So, when I first gave up TV it was not completely easy. We did so because, in part, we were being cheap. We wanted to find ways to cut costs and that was one bill that we knew we didn't NEED. At that point we did buy and install a big antenna on our roof in an attempt to gain some level of signal for at least the basic local channels and had some limited success (being at the base of a mountain on the opposite side from whence the prime signals came was not helpful). Over the years we, well I (Rick was never gung-ho about TV even as a child), became accustomed to the lack of constant barrage from the 'boob tube'. No unwanted ads enticing us to buy and insisting that we could not live without product X, Y or Z. No channel surfing to find a good program and realizing that an hour has gone by and you still haven't found anything worth watching (I find the clicker addictive like that....). Our children do not know about all the latest and "greatest" toys on the market that are force fed through the media and they are not part of the target demographic of Saturday morning cartoons, Nick Jr., or the Disney channel. They do get some screen time - both through computer time and DVDs and they have seen most of the appropriate recent movies to hit the big screen (although we usually wait for the DVD to come out). It generally works well for our family.
Through the years there have been shows that have piqued my interest a little. I have heard snippets about this program or that and thought to myself that I could easily get sucked in by the story lines and the characters I was hearing about. I guess I have an addictive personality when it comes to TV. So, in a way, I'm often very glad that the temptation does not exist in my house. I get a whole lot more done because I do not find myself sitting in front of the TV in the evenings after the girls are in bed. I knit. I read. I sew. Rick and I play games - card games, backgammon, etc... - or we make a point to sit together and chat and connect... particularly when life is moving too fast and we are feeling like we haven't spent much time "together" in any real sense.
But...and here's the confession. I am RIGHT NOW coveting the cable programming that I know exists in others' households. (Father forgive me for I have sinned, it has been MANY YEARS since my last confession and I doubt I'll ever sit in a Catholic confessional again in my life so please take this blog entry as my way of atoning). As we sat in the movie theater the other night before the showing of "The Good Shepard" we were privy to some cable TV programming that was played during the wait time before the start of the movie (Rick and I both missed those slide shows they used to have with the trivia questions...what happened to those anyway?). One of the ads that appeared on the big screen was for a new reality TV show. Now, generally, when I hear about reality shows - and those rare times I've seen parts of any reality show - I am not at all intrigued or even vaguely interested. But, this one has me hooked (without even being able to actually watch it...so frustrating!). Since I can't actually see the programming I've been checking out their NBC-affiliated web page online and watching video clips from the producers, the judges, and finally today a few snippets of the premiere that aired last night.
And what is it that makes me want to watch it? Well, if you know me at all you probably know that I am a self-proclaimed "Broadway Whore". I love anything related to Broadway or musicals. Ever since I was little I've been drawn to the Show tunes section of the music store and I started collecting albums at a young age so I could sing along to my heart's content (in the privacy of my own home, usually when I'm alone - my voice is not fit for public consumption...trust me). I'm still collecting new musicals (CDs now, of course, but I still have all my old LPs down in the basement) and my somewhat recent acquisitions included an 8-CD set that Rick got me for Christmas this year - a few that were repeats but most were new to my collection. He even transferred them to the computer so I can add them to my MP3 player (well, that benefits him as well because it means he doesn't have to listen to them! LOL).
As you may have already guessed the new reality show that I'm ga-ga over is "You're the One that I Want" - in essence it is a casting call that is in search of the next actor and actress to play the parts of Sandy and Danny in the Broadway revival of "Grease"!!!!! It may not excite any of you but it's right up my alley and I'm bummed that I'm missing out on seeing it. But, with any luck, maybe I can get to see the actual winning contestants when they perform on Broadway - now THAT would be fabulous! I have plans to get to NYC again this year at some point (I think the Grease show is slated to begin in May?) so there is a chance.
In the meantime, I'll be singing the songs in my head, grabbing bits and pieces off the internet as they are made available, and dreaming of the opportunity to see Grease in all it's Broadway glory later this year.
A girl needs her dreams, after all. G'night.
But, I should state for the record that I was actually a TV junkie as a kid. I had my nightly line-up of shows that I loved to watch and I was a committed "General Hospital" addict for many years (and embarrassingly enough I even kept a journal of what happened on the show and a scrapbook of pictures from the Soap Opera magazines for quite a few years in my early teens - my heart melted at the sight of Blackie Parrish and Frisco Jones and my little heart went pitter-patter whenever I heard Robert Scorpio's Aussie accent...go ahead and laugh). So, when I first gave up TV it was not completely easy. We did so because, in part, we were being cheap. We wanted to find ways to cut costs and that was one bill that we knew we didn't NEED. At that point we did buy and install a big antenna on our roof in an attempt to gain some level of signal for at least the basic local channels and had some limited success (being at the base of a mountain on the opposite side from whence the prime signals came was not helpful). Over the years we, well I (Rick was never gung-ho about TV even as a child), became accustomed to the lack of constant barrage from the 'boob tube'. No unwanted ads enticing us to buy and insisting that we could not live without product X, Y or Z. No channel surfing to find a good program and realizing that an hour has gone by and you still haven't found anything worth watching (I find the clicker addictive like that....). Our children do not know about all the latest and "greatest" toys on the market that are force fed through the media and they are not part of the target demographic of Saturday morning cartoons, Nick Jr., or the Disney channel. They do get some screen time - both through computer time and DVDs and they have seen most of the appropriate recent movies to hit the big screen (although we usually wait for the DVD to come out). It generally works well for our family.
Through the years there have been shows that have piqued my interest a little. I have heard snippets about this program or that and thought to myself that I could easily get sucked in by the story lines and the characters I was hearing about. I guess I have an addictive personality when it comes to TV. So, in a way, I'm often very glad that the temptation does not exist in my house. I get a whole lot more done because I do not find myself sitting in front of the TV in the evenings after the girls are in bed. I knit. I read. I sew. Rick and I play games - card games, backgammon, etc... - or we make a point to sit together and chat and connect... particularly when life is moving too fast and we are feeling like we haven't spent much time "together" in any real sense.
But...and here's the confession. I am RIGHT NOW coveting the cable programming that I know exists in others' households. (Father forgive me for I have sinned, it has been MANY YEARS since my last confession and I doubt I'll ever sit in a Catholic confessional again in my life so please take this blog entry as my way of atoning). As we sat in the movie theater the other night before the showing of "The Good Shepard" we were privy to some cable TV programming that was played during the wait time before the start of the movie (Rick and I both missed those slide shows they used to have with the trivia questions...what happened to those anyway?). One of the ads that appeared on the big screen was for a new reality TV show. Now, generally, when I hear about reality shows - and those rare times I've seen parts of any reality show - I am not at all intrigued or even vaguely interested. But, this one has me hooked (without even being able to actually watch it...so frustrating!). Since I can't actually see the programming I've been checking out their NBC-affiliated web page online and watching video clips from the producers, the judges, and finally today a few snippets of the premiere that aired last night.
And what is it that makes me want to watch it? Well, if you know me at all you probably know that I am a self-proclaimed "Broadway Whore". I love anything related to Broadway or musicals. Ever since I was little I've been drawn to the Show tunes section of the music store and I started collecting albums at a young age so I could sing along to my heart's content (in the privacy of my own home, usually when I'm alone - my voice is not fit for public consumption...trust me). I'm still collecting new musicals (CDs now, of course, but I still have all my old LPs down in the basement) and my somewhat recent acquisitions included an 8-CD set that Rick got me for Christmas this year - a few that were repeats but most were new to my collection. He even transferred them to the computer so I can add them to my MP3 player (well, that benefits him as well because it means he doesn't have to listen to them! LOL).
As you may have already guessed the new reality show that I'm ga-ga over is "You're the One that I Want" - in essence it is a casting call that is in search of the next actor and actress to play the parts of Sandy and Danny in the Broadway revival of "Grease"!!!!! It may not excite any of you but it's right up my alley and I'm bummed that I'm missing out on seeing it. But, with any luck, maybe I can get to see the actual winning contestants when they perform on Broadway - now THAT would be fabulous! I have plans to get to NYC again this year at some point (I think the Grease show is slated to begin in May?) so there is a chance.
In the meantime, I'll be singing the songs in my head, grabbing bits and pieces off the internet as they are made available, and dreaming of the opportunity to see Grease in all it's Broadway glory later this year.
A girl needs her dreams, after all. G'night.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
First date night of the new year!
We had a great night out. Relaxing, fun, delicious.
In the end we decided to see "The Good Shepard" since Rick seemed most interested in that one. I would go see just about anything (ok, so I once went to see a movie without knowing what the heck it was about and I'll never do that again - I ended up covering my eyes and ears for more than half the showing of "Seven"....ugh...I can't do those nasty horror flicks that are more gore and shock value than suspense and plot twists....ya know?). The movie was good - although a bit on the long side- and I, personally, got confused and could not easily keep up with the plot. It is not hard to confuse me, however, so that's not saying much. There were too many agents to keep track of and too much jumping between the 1960s and earlier times between the 1930s and the 1950s. If you like spy/espionage and are not easily confused I'd say go ahead and watch it - otherwise you might want to pass.
Before we headed to dinner I called to check in with the grands and make sure things were relatively peaceful at home. We had a rough departure with A having screaming fits and tantrums about doing some cleaning up so I just had to be sure things were going ok. As it turns out the girls had been having a great evening were acting like "model children" according to my MIL (phew! guess we provided enough incentives through blatant threats to ensure cooperative children for the evening). We headed off to our dinner with an easy conscience and plans to enjoy ourselves. We picked a place downtown that we rarely go to because it's a bit on the pricey side. But, we decided we were worth a little spoiling! Rick ordered a dish called Linguine fra Diavlo which was shrimp, sausage and chicken in a spicy red sauce over pasta. I ordered the Bistro Medallions which was beef wrapped in bacon and served with a mushroom demi-glaze. Sooooooo good. The caramel apple pie was also quite delicious and I'm sure none of this was on my self-proclaimed "diet plan" but it's not often that we get out for date night so I decided to enjoy it without guilt!
It was great to be out and about with Rick and enjoy having uninterrupted conversations. No need to cut up anyone else's food. No need to cook or wash dishes. Just him and me snuggling at the movies and eating a delicious dinner. No distractions, no time constraints, no stress. Ahhhhh....
One completely unrelated side note: there was a group seated next to us at the restaurant - looked like mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and a toddler of perhaps 18 months - and the entire time they were seated at the restaurant they had the toddler perched in her highchair facing a portable dvd player that was sitting on the bench next to dad! And dad was feeding her some dinner to ensure that she actually ate something (I assume that if he did not feed her she would not have eaten much of anything because she was so transfixed on the video screen). I know we tend to be on the ultra-conservative side when it comes to TV viewing, but I thought that was a bit over the top. Does anyone else agree? I guess they figured it would keep her quiet and entertained so they could enjoy their dinner but I would tend to disagree with that tactic. I guess because I'm also not one to take small children to swank restaurants at what would have been past my 18-month-old child's bedtime (we got there at 7:30ish and they were there until at least 8:30). Feel free to weigh in on this topic. I'm curious whether I'm being too judgemental because of my own biases about TV or if others think sitting an 18-month-old in front of screen for a few hours of quiet at a restaurant is "ok" in their own personal book of parenting tricks.
In the end we decided to see "The Good Shepard" since Rick seemed most interested in that one. I would go see just about anything (ok, so I once went to see a movie without knowing what the heck it was about and I'll never do that again - I ended up covering my eyes and ears for more than half the showing of "Seven"....ugh...I can't do those nasty horror flicks that are more gore and shock value than suspense and plot twists....ya know?). The movie was good - although a bit on the long side- and I, personally, got confused and could not easily keep up with the plot. It is not hard to confuse me, however, so that's not saying much. There were too many agents to keep track of and too much jumping between the 1960s and earlier times between the 1930s and the 1950s. If you like spy/espionage and are not easily confused I'd say go ahead and watch it - otherwise you might want to pass.
Before we headed to dinner I called to check in with the grands and make sure things were relatively peaceful at home. We had a rough departure with A having screaming fits and tantrums about doing some cleaning up so I just had to be sure things were going ok. As it turns out the girls had been having a great evening were acting like "model children" according to my MIL (phew! guess we provided enough incentives through blatant threats to ensure cooperative children for the evening). We headed off to our dinner with an easy conscience and plans to enjoy ourselves. We picked a place downtown that we rarely go to because it's a bit on the pricey side. But, we decided we were worth a little spoiling! Rick ordered a dish called Linguine fra Diavlo which was shrimp, sausage and chicken in a spicy red sauce over pasta. I ordered the Bistro Medallions which was beef wrapped in bacon and served with a mushroom demi-glaze. Sooooooo good. The caramel apple pie was also quite delicious and I'm sure none of this was on my self-proclaimed "diet plan" but it's not often that we get out for date night so I decided to enjoy it without guilt!
It was great to be out and about with Rick and enjoy having uninterrupted conversations. No need to cut up anyone else's food. No need to cook or wash dishes. Just him and me snuggling at the movies and eating a delicious dinner. No distractions, no time constraints, no stress. Ahhhhh....
One completely unrelated side note: there was a group seated next to us at the restaurant - looked like mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and a toddler of perhaps 18 months - and the entire time they were seated at the restaurant they had the toddler perched in her highchair facing a portable dvd player that was sitting on the bench next to dad! And dad was feeding her some dinner to ensure that she actually ate something (I assume that if he did not feed her she would not have eaten much of anything because she was so transfixed on the video screen). I know we tend to be on the ultra-conservative side when it comes to TV viewing, but I thought that was a bit over the top. Does anyone else agree? I guess they figured it would keep her quiet and entertained so they could enjoy their dinner but I would tend to disagree with that tactic. I guess because I'm also not one to take small children to swank restaurants at what would have been past my 18-month-old child's bedtime (we got there at 7:30ish and they were there until at least 8:30). Feel free to weigh in on this topic. I'm curious whether I'm being too judgemental because of my own biases about TV or if others think sitting an 18-month-old in front of screen for a few hours of quiet at a restaurant is "ok" in their own personal book of parenting tricks.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
The Year of the Pig
So, apparently, the Year of the Pig will soon be upon us.
Not an auspicious sounding year to be working hard on a diet and exercise regime.
I'm still on my quest to attain a more healthy body weight and a more fit cardiovascular system. My attempts were derailed last fall by my broken toe and a hip issue that seem to crop up for me now and again (sciatica SUCKS). And then I spent the last month or so in the Year of the Dog getting ready for the upcoming year - pigging out on holiday feasts and treats! Not good. Well, actually it tasted very good but it was certainly not the way to attain my goal any time soon.
So, like a broken record that repeats itself every year (am I dating myself with that phrase?) I will once again state my New Year's Resolution to work hard on my fitness goals and hope that this is not MY "year of pigging out"!
Perhaps I have a few lessons to learn from those whose Zodiac sign is the pig (I was born in the year of the dog, myself). After all, there are some very fit people who were born under that sign - a fitness guru turned actor turned Governor, a svelte-yet-fit-and-healthy-looking actress, an NBA Hall of Famer, and even a famous Australian Cricketer (thank you, wikipedia)! Here are some excerpts from wikipedia about those born under this sign (my comments in red):
This week I'm off to a pretty good start. I walked twice in the mornings and have managed to do some exercises with hand weights. I have also tried to cut back on the constant snacking and tried to reduce portion sizes. I've got the momentum going - I just need to keep on truckin' and keep my head out of the trough.
Not an auspicious sounding year to be working hard on a diet and exercise regime.
I'm still on my quest to attain a more healthy body weight and a more fit cardiovascular system. My attempts were derailed last fall by my broken toe and a hip issue that seem to crop up for me now and again (sciatica SUCKS). And then I spent the last month or so in the Year of the Dog getting ready for the upcoming year - pigging out on holiday feasts and treats! Not good. Well, actually it tasted very good but it was certainly not the way to attain my goal any time soon.
So, like a broken record that repeats itself every year (am I dating myself with that phrase?) I will once again state my New Year's Resolution to work hard on my fitness goals and hope that this is not MY "year of pigging out"!
Perhaps I have a few lessons to learn from those whose Zodiac sign is the pig (I was born in the year of the dog, myself). After all, there are some very fit people who were born under that sign - a fitness guru turned actor turned Governor, a svelte-yet-fit-and-healthy-looking actress, an NBA Hall of Famer, and even a famous Australian Cricketer (thank you, wikipedia)! Here are some excerpts from wikipedia about those born under this sign (my comments in red):
The Pig type is usually an honest, straightforward and patient person. (I could certainly use a bit of honesty (to myself) and patience as I continue my fitness journey)
The people of the pig type are conservative creatures of habit. (Time to start creating some new, healthy habits!) They dislike being made to travel too far from familiar surroundings, unless it is a trip to the countryside. They love nature and are never happier than when they are out somewhere, far from the city. (Note to self - get outside and getting moving more!)
This week I'm off to a pretty good start. I walked twice in the mornings and have managed to do some exercises with hand weights. I have also tried to cut back on the constant snacking and tried to reduce portion sizes. I've got the momentum going - I just need to keep on truckin' and keep my head out of the trough.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Cool Stuff
Just a few things that have happened recently that I think are pretty neat (however, you may beg to differ...).
#1 - E has begun to communicate quite effectively using 'baby signs'. It makes life so much easier now that she can tell us some basic wants/needs. She has signs for "all done", "eat", "milk", "more", "tired/night-night" and she now consistently waves hi/bye. Exciting stuff - well, at least for me it is. I'm her mom AND I'm a self-professed speech-geek so anything remotely related to human communication is fascinating to me! I have used sign language with all three of my girls with great success. It is an awesome way to communicate with a baby before they are ready/able to form words. Hand gestures are much easier than all those complicated tongue and mouth movements and it gets the point across quite clearly once they understand that the sign has a meaning attached to it. E's receptive language (understanding what we say to her) is great but she has yet to form that true "first word" so in the meantime we are using the sign language and it reduces frustrations all around! E is a bit later than the other two at her willingness to use the signs, but in the last week or so it really clicked for her and now there is no stopping her!
#2 - R got a ton of craft-related projects for Christmas and was thrilled to get each and every one. But, the most exciting thing for me was giving her the Learn to Knit kit! I was excited to share my love of knitting with her. This past fall she kept asking about learning to knit and I knew that I was getting her the kit so I held off and told her that things were busy but once the holidays were over I teach her. So, on New Year's Day we sat on the couch with her new yarn and wooden knitting needles and I showed her the basic knit stitch. I was not actually expecting her to be able to knit after only one session - but, I'll be damned! She picked it up so quickly and now knows EXACTLY what needs to be done. All she needs to do is work on her "form" and she'll be pounding out some scarves in no time flat! Last night before bed I sat with her again and she knitted two more rows on the swatch that we started on Monday. She did 90% of the work on those two rows and the second row came off much faster than the first. She is thrilled with herself and her progress and I'm bustin' with pride for my little crafty girl!
Here's what she's accomplished so far:
And since I'm sharing cool knitting-related stuff - here's a pic of a little gift I bought myself recently:
I ordered some yarn from Knit Picks recently (good yarn - cheap!) and found this organizational bag on their site. My knitting bag was a MESS so I figured this would come in handy. I always had a hard time finding scissors and other small objects that ended up at the bottom of the bag but now I am super-organized and can find what I need in a flash! YAY for me! The yarn in the top is the start of my latest project - a baby blanket with a fairly complex (but very pretty!) diamond pattern. It's actually been a bit troublesome to work out what the heck I'm supposed to be doing and I had to create a freakin' SPREADSHEET to keep track, but so far it's working and it's a sadistically fun challenge. I just can't TALK when I am working on this blanket so it probably won't be my "travel/on the town" project. I'll reserve my simple sock projects for those occasions!
#3 Rick and I have a date night scheduled for tomorrow night! WOOHOO! My in-laws (bless them!) are going to babysit for us. They will feed them dinner and bring them back here and put them to bed for us. We were unsure what we wanted to do for our date night...and then I was sent a sign....
Which brings me to the next neat-o torpedo thing....
#4 I won ANOTHER movie ticket from Blingo (if you don't know what Blingo is be sure to email me and I send you an invite so you, too, can win free stuff!). I *heart* Blingo. I think I've won at least 4 movie tickets from them since I signed up. I had won a ticket (that I had forgotten all about until last night) back in November. Then last night while I was surfing for information on the web (for R's upcoming birthday party) I won ANOTHER movie ticket. So, I told Rick that since we now had two free movie tickets that it must be a sign that we should do a traditional Dinner-and-a-Movie date! At this point I'm thinking it's a toss-up between "Night at the Museum" and "Pursuit of Happyness" - I guess it depends on whether we want to see a somber and probably depressing movie that HOPEFULLY has a uplifting ending or whether we want to just laugh our butts off for nearly two hours. Probably the latter would be advised for a date night, huh? I have heard great things about both movies, so we'll see what Rick feels like seeing... Dinner is another question that is up in the air and is to be determined later.
So, that's my recent list of cool stuff. Off to the museum for story time! Catch ya later!
#1 - E has begun to communicate quite effectively using 'baby signs'. It makes life so much easier now that she can tell us some basic wants/needs. She has signs for "all done", "eat", "milk", "more", "tired/night-night" and she now consistently waves hi/bye. Exciting stuff - well, at least for me it is. I'm her mom AND I'm a self-professed speech-geek so anything remotely related to human communication is fascinating to me! I have used sign language with all three of my girls with great success. It is an awesome way to communicate with a baby before they are ready/able to form words. Hand gestures are much easier than all those complicated tongue and mouth movements and it gets the point across quite clearly once they understand that the sign has a meaning attached to it. E's receptive language (understanding what we say to her) is great but she has yet to form that true "first word" so in the meantime we are using the sign language and it reduces frustrations all around! E is a bit later than the other two at her willingness to use the signs, but in the last week or so it really clicked for her and now there is no stopping her!
#2 - R got a ton of craft-related projects for Christmas and was thrilled to get each and every one. But, the most exciting thing for me was giving her the Learn to Knit kit! I was excited to share my love of knitting with her. This past fall she kept asking about learning to knit and I knew that I was getting her the kit so I held off and told her that things were busy but once the holidays were over I teach her. So, on New Year's Day we sat on the couch with her new yarn and wooden knitting needles and I showed her the basic knit stitch. I was not actually expecting her to be able to knit after only one session - but, I'll be damned! She picked it up so quickly and now knows EXACTLY what needs to be done. All she needs to do is work on her "form" and she'll be pounding out some scarves in no time flat! Last night before bed I sat with her again and she knitted two more rows on the swatch that we started on Monday. She did 90% of the work on those two rows and the second row came off much faster than the first. She is thrilled with herself and her progress and I'm bustin' with pride for my little crafty girl!
Here's what she's accomplished so far:
And since I'm sharing cool knitting-related stuff - here's a pic of a little gift I bought myself recently:
I ordered some yarn from Knit Picks recently (good yarn - cheap!) and found this organizational bag on their site. My knitting bag was a MESS so I figured this would come in handy. I always had a hard time finding scissors and other small objects that ended up at the bottom of the bag but now I am super-organized and can find what I need in a flash! YAY for me! The yarn in the top is the start of my latest project - a baby blanket with a fairly complex (but very pretty!) diamond pattern. It's actually been a bit troublesome to work out what the heck I'm supposed to be doing and I had to create a freakin' SPREADSHEET to keep track, but so far it's working and it's a sadistically fun challenge. I just can't TALK when I am working on this blanket so it probably won't be my "travel/on the town" project. I'll reserve my simple sock projects for those occasions!
#3 Rick and I have a date night scheduled for tomorrow night! WOOHOO! My in-laws (bless them!) are going to babysit for us. They will feed them dinner and bring them back here and put them to bed for us. We were unsure what we wanted to do for our date night...and then I was sent a sign....
Which brings me to the next neat-o torpedo thing....
#4 I won ANOTHER movie ticket from Blingo (if you don't know what Blingo is be sure to email me and I send you an invite so you, too, can win free stuff!). I *heart* Blingo. I think I've won at least 4 movie tickets from them since I signed up. I had won a ticket (that I had forgotten all about until last night) back in November. Then last night while I was surfing for information on the web (for R's upcoming birthday party) I won ANOTHER movie ticket. So, I told Rick that since we now had two free movie tickets that it must be a sign that we should do a traditional Dinner-and-a-Movie date! At this point I'm thinking it's a toss-up between "Night at the Museum" and "Pursuit of Happyness" - I guess it depends on whether we want to see a somber and probably depressing movie that HOPEFULLY has a uplifting ending or whether we want to just laugh our butts off for nearly two hours. Probably the latter would be advised for a date night, huh? I have heard great things about both movies, so we'll see what Rick feels like seeing... Dinner is another question that is up in the air and is to be determined later.
So, that's my recent list of cool stuff. Off to the museum for story time! Catch ya later!
I only THOUGHT I had no accent...
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: Boston You definitely have a Boston accent, even if you think you don't. Of course, that doesn't mean you are from the Boston area, you may also be from New Hampshire or Maine. | |
| The West | |
| The Midland | |
| North Central | |
| Philadelphia | |
| The Northeast | |
| The Inland North | |
| The South | |
| What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz | |
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Insert Title Here
Hello. I'm here. I have not felt very 'chatty' or 'bloggy' or what have you. Stuff has happened but nothing truly earth-shattering - at least not in my little world. I did speak with my host families in Denmark recently and found out that two of my host sisters are pregnant! Exciting stuff on the other side of the pond! One sister is due with baby #2 in September (so she's very newly pregnant) and the other sister is due in June with her first. So, of course, I started on a sweater for one of the babies and have some yarn on order to make a blanket for the other baby. Still in obsessive knitting mode. I can't help it. I go through phases with my obsessions. Sometimes I just want to read, read, read. Other times I won't pick up a book for months but I want to do some major sewing projects like dresses for the girls or a quilt. There are times when I want to cross-stitch or bake or knit constantly. And rarely, like last fall, I'm in a frenzied state of wanting to accumulate and accomplish multiple projects at once. The quilt project I started last fall is all cut out and languishing in my sewing area right now. I will get back to it at some point but right now it's not calling my name - and if it doesn't call my name than I've learned it is best to let it lie or else I'll be feeling like it's a chore and end up making more mistakes than would be acceptable to my inner Virgo. So, there it sits while I sit out here knitting like a fiend. And if the mailman doesn't soon bring my new yarn I might be having a conniption because I might finish the sweater soon (well, not in the next day or two so I'm probably safe, but maybe in 3 or so days...it's small and I've already said I'm obsessive with the knitting lately, didn't I?).
This past weekend we went for a quick overnight to visit my family for the holidays. We arrived at noontime on Saturday and had a nice lunch with my mom, dad, my nephew Rob, his wife Lori, and their two girls who are 6 and 1. Yes, I am a great aunt. Long story short, my much older brother took off when he was a young'un of about 17 and came home approximately a year later with his girlfriend and a three-month-old baby. He had scraggly hair down to his butt (my brother, not the baby) and was practically skin and bones. They had tried to make their way to sunny, warm California but apparently had only gotten as far as Ohio where they camped out with her (half?) sister for a bit and eventually decided to just head on home again, I guess. Anyhoo - I have a nephew who is 10 years younger than I am and he is now a dad with two girls who are roughly the same age as my oldest and my youngest girls. He's in the Navy and had been stationed first in California and later in Virginia but now he is stationed close to home and is working as a recruiter. We are so happy to have him living close again!!
So, back to the weekend visit - on Saturday night we went over to my sister's house where she hosted a wine-tasting party. That was a lot of fun! We each brought a bottle of wine and an appropriate appetizer to go along with it and we pigged out on good food and (mostly) good wine! One of my favorites was the Fish Eye Chardonnay - and I usually despise Chardonnay wines so that was a surprise to me! Our entire family was there for the party so it was nice to hang out with everyone and share the evening.
Since the weather was supposed to be crappy on Monday we decided to make the trip a short one and left for home again on Sunday afternoon. But, not before we had a chance to meet up with S (of the infamous S&O fame, a familiar commenter if you read Vexed in the City) for breakfast. The Divine Ms. Vexed was supposed to join us but fell ill at the last moment and was sorely missed. (Next time, right K?) It was great to see S and I hope I get a chance to love on 'lil man O' the next time we are down visiting!!
Tomorrow we are back to the full-fledged "grind" of life. Rick has been home quite a bit between holidays and illness over the last month and tomorrow he heads back to work and both of the older girls will be back to school. So, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming and I'm really dreading it in a way. I know I'll find my groove again but it's been so out of whack of late that it's going to be a difficult transition for me. It is going to be hard to get the whip crackin' during morning prep - lately the mornings have been unstructured and relatively free of any need to get dressed before lunchtime but now I'm going to have to get R off on the bus and A and E ready to jump in the car moments later to get A to preschool on time. And one of the hardest things is going to be the 5:30am wake-up for my walks with my neighbor. I have been such a bed sloth the last couple of weeks - in such a way as has not been possible for many, many, many moons. Since well before E was born. Rick and I have enjoyed the luxury of staying in bed most mornings past 7am and a few times even past 8am! It's been such a treat and it has felt almost miraculous. The girls have shifted their wake-up schedule from 6:15ish to 7:15 or even later! So, back when they were getting up at 6:15, or even earlier, it didn't seem so bad to drag myself out of bed at 5:30 to go walking. Heck, the girls were going to drag my sorry butt out of bed soon anyway and this way I got a whole hour to do something just for me - and with the added bonus of chatting with my good friend! But now? Ack. The thought of voluntarily pulling back those covers in the cold, wee hours of the morning when I could conceivably get another hour and a half of sleep? That's gonna hurt. And it means that I need to get this sorry (and pounds heavier than last fall) butt into bed early tonight so that I can get the maximum amount of sleep before the alarm disturbs my restful slumber and yells at me to "get in gear"! E just went to bed and I think I will not be far behind...but perhaps I'll sneak in a few more rows of knitting before I head in that direction!
This past weekend we went for a quick overnight to visit my family for the holidays. We arrived at noontime on Saturday and had a nice lunch with my mom, dad, my nephew Rob, his wife Lori, and their two girls who are 6 and 1. Yes, I am a great aunt. Long story short, my much older brother took off when he was a young'un of about 17 and came home approximately a year later with his girlfriend and a three-month-old baby. He had scraggly hair down to his butt (my brother, not the baby) and was practically skin and bones. They had tried to make their way to sunny, warm California but apparently had only gotten as far as Ohio where they camped out with her (half?) sister for a bit and eventually decided to just head on home again, I guess. Anyhoo - I have a nephew who is 10 years younger than I am and he is now a dad with two girls who are roughly the same age as my oldest and my youngest girls. He's in the Navy and had been stationed first in California and later in Virginia but now he is stationed close to home and is working as a recruiter. We are so happy to have him living close again!!
So, back to the weekend visit - on Saturday night we went over to my sister's house where she hosted a wine-tasting party. That was a lot of fun! We each brought a bottle of wine and an appropriate appetizer to go along with it and we pigged out on good food and (mostly) good wine! One of my favorites was the Fish Eye Chardonnay - and I usually despise Chardonnay wines so that was a surprise to me! Our entire family was there for the party so it was nice to hang out with everyone and share the evening.
Since the weather was supposed to be crappy on Monday we decided to make the trip a short one and left for home again on Sunday afternoon. But, not before we had a chance to meet up with S (of the infamous S&O fame, a familiar commenter if you read Vexed in the City) for breakfast. The Divine Ms. Vexed was supposed to join us but fell ill at the last moment and was sorely missed. (Next time, right K?) It was great to see S and I hope I get a chance to love on 'lil man O' the next time we are down visiting!!
Tomorrow we are back to the full-fledged "grind" of life. Rick has been home quite a bit between holidays and illness over the last month and tomorrow he heads back to work and both of the older girls will be back to school. So, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming and I'm really dreading it in a way. I know I'll find my groove again but it's been so out of whack of late that it's going to be a difficult transition for me. It is going to be hard to get the whip crackin' during morning prep - lately the mornings have been unstructured and relatively free of any need to get dressed before lunchtime but now I'm going to have to get R off on the bus and A and E ready to jump in the car moments later to get A to preschool on time. And one of the hardest things is going to be the 5:30am wake-up for my walks with my neighbor. I have been such a bed sloth the last couple of weeks - in such a way as has not been possible for many, many, many moons. Since well before E was born. Rick and I have enjoyed the luxury of staying in bed most mornings past 7am and a few times even past 8am! It's been such a treat and it has felt almost miraculous. The girls have shifted their wake-up schedule from 6:15ish to 7:15 or even later! So, back when they were getting up at 6:15, or even earlier, it didn't seem so bad to drag myself out of bed at 5:30 to go walking. Heck, the girls were going to drag my sorry butt out of bed soon anyway and this way I got a whole hour to do something just for me - and with the added bonus of chatting with my good friend! But now? Ack. The thought of voluntarily pulling back those covers in the cold, wee hours of the morning when I could conceivably get another hour and a half of sleep? That's gonna hurt. And it means that I need to get this sorry (and pounds heavier than last fall) butt into bed early tonight so that I can get the maximum amount of sleep before the alarm disturbs my restful slumber and yells at me to "get in gear"! E just went to bed and I think I will not be far behind...but perhaps I'll sneak in a few more rows of knitting before I head in that direction!
Monday, January 01, 2007
Time Stamp issue resolved.
Rick did a bit of looking around and figured out what needed to be added to my template so that my time stamp reappeared. So, there you have it.
Ok, time stamp ain't working here...
Just had to come back for a second to PROVE that we really did stay up late for once! LOL
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