Dolly and Me

The thing that C asked for the most this Christmas? Matching clothes for herself and Karissa dolly. Santa delivered 2 outfits, I made matching skirts (didn't turn out the best but she liked 'em) and Grandma came through BIG time. Look at this:

Caaa-uuute!!

Merry Christmas!

Snuggie Patrol

I don't often get to do much sewing these days. But this Christmas has given me the excuse to get downstairs and see what the ol' machine can do.

 I made a snuggie for Hubster's nephew today. It turned out pretty darned cute and was amazingly simple to make. S modeled it for me and said it kept him warm during my picture taking.

OK, confession time. As I was attempting to take the picture, I noticed my screen was blurry in one spot. No matter what I did, it didn't get better.  I reprogrammed, switched settings, turned the camera on and off and nothing worked. As I harumphed around, S asked what was wrong. I showed him my screen.

He looked at me and said "Do you think the lens has something on it?" I checked and yes, yes it did. Cleaned it off and it worked great.

I don't like it when the kid is smarter than me.

Humbug.

Cookie Patrol

You know you might have a problem with cookies when this is the note your daughter leaves.

C wrote "No Daddy" to warn him away from the cookies we made.

Hee hee hee hee!!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Oh, the weather outside is frightful. Not because of the snow, you can still see the grass through the snow (course, that's probably because we needed one more mowing this Fall but oh well. Lawn mowers and snow don't mix). It's the darned temp and those nasty, nasty windchills. It's no fun to wake up to -9 degrees windchill.

But the one who suffers most in our house? Poor little Maggie. She has to wear one of her coats outside. She runs out, does her business and flies back into the house as quickly as possible. And heads straight for the heating vent if it's running or the nearest big, fluffy, warm blankie.

Poor Maggie, I think she's a Snow Bird at heart!

Good News Concert

S had his Christmas Choir concert at church today. He's right in the middle of the picture, behind the girl with the blonde hair.

What fun! The choirs ranged from the Chapel Choir, Grades 2-5 all the way up to the adult choir. There were 2 Bell Choirs, numerous instruments and our church's brand new harp. Listening to all the beautiful music definitely put me in the Christmas mood!

But, it got better. After the concert, they served high tea. Lots of yummy little sandwiches, many, many cookies and tea and punch. Even C tried the tea, she liked the peppermint tea the best. I had apple spice tea and she tried that and like it too. S had punch and mostly cookies, we saw him after his supply ran out.

All in all, a good day. Wish Hubster could have been here to hear and see it.
:)

Meeting with Santa

We went to see Santa. C was so excited, she told me all week long what she would ask him for and what she would tell him.
She and I got there first, we were waiting for the Hubster and S to get there after Fencing practice.
C kept moving closer and closer to me. She asked "Can I ask Santa if he'll bring me my 2 front teeth? I think he knows the tooth fairy, or maybe Mrs. Claus does, maybe he could just deliver them for her??"
I told her I thought that would be fine. She told me again what her wish list contained and tried to be very patient waiting for her brother to arrive.
S and Hubster finally arrived. The kids sat down on Santa's lap and.....
nothing.
Complete silence from both of them.
Santa, bless his North Pole heart, tried to get them to talk but they both just looked and looked at him.
They got their picture taken and off we went.
Soon as we were out the door, they couldn't STOP talking.
And both resolved to be writing him a letter with their wish lists.

Wedding Quilt

I finally have pictures uploaded of the quilt I made for David and Kendra. Here it is:

Please ignore the mess in the background.

I think my favorite thing about this was the fabric. The light fabric looked like potato chips. The dark fabrics had either pizza slices or mugs of beer on it. Here's a closeup:



Almost makes me hungry and thirsty just lookin at it!

Jumping in the Deep End

The kids have been taken swimming lessons at the Y. Yep, the infamous Y, but trust me, it's more normal at night when they have their lessons.
S is doing really well. Swimming is fun for him and although he's rusty, some of his form is returning. It will be a while before he gets back to what he was doing over a year ago, but he's enjoying the lessons. Especially jumping off the diving board.
C, well, she's a bit of another story.
It started like this:
C: I don't wan to go to swimming lessons in the big pool. The water is way over my head. (Note:She can stand on the shallow end but it goes from there to over 12 ft deep on the other end.)
Me: You can do it! The lifeguard will be right there and you'll have a board or floaties to hang onto. She won't let anything happen to you, I know you can do this! Just try it, I think you'll like it and have fun. Trust the lifeguard, she knows what she's doing and she's there to protect you.
C: I don't think so. I'm scared.
Me: (Repeat previous statement about 10 more times, each time with a slightly different take but all very supportive).
Eventually, C says: OK, guess I'll try it (said very, very reluctantly)
See, what you need to know is that C doesn't like to put her face in the water. She'll do it but then wants a towel to wipe off her face. Not the most practical thing when you're in the swimming pool on the deeep end.
C went to swimming, shyly walked behind the instructor to the pool and presto, bango, she's off and having fun.
She does everything the lifeguard tells her, including kicking both on her tummy and back holding the board going from one end of the pool to the other. She floats, bobs, and has a great time.
Until...
Until the diving board.
She's all brave and laughing with her swim classmates.
Until it's her turn. That's when the 180 degree change comes, faster than a speeding bullet. One minute laughing, the next, utter sheer terror.
The girl goes to the end of the board and refuses to jump off into the arms of the lifeguard waiting for her with another noodle. Her little knees shake, she's sobbing and she won't let go of the railings to walk to the end. She has a serious death grip on the railing.  Mind you, there was also a lifeguard on the board with her holding her hand or at least trying to hold her. C just wouldn't let go of the rail. Sorta like when you try and put a cat in a carrier and they spread out their legs and refuse to go in. Just consider C the cat. She tried numerous times to go on the board and jump off. She'd be smiling when she got on the board but as soon as she got to where she had to let go, she just couldn't do it.
I felt so bad for her, really heart-breakingly bad. I was almost in tears myself watching from the bleachers. I could tell she was terrified and there is nothing like watching your baby girl freak out and not being able to do anything to help.
After patiently working with her many times, the lifeguards told her she could try again the next week. They told her how brave she was going up on the board. They pointed out that she jumps off the side of the pool by herself (and the noodle) and this was in the same amount of water. C just looked at them and said "I know I can jump off the side. But on the diving board, it's just too much. The walking off the board and dropping is really scary. It's just too hard to step out and trust that it'll be ok." 
I towelled her off and dried her tears. Assured her that it's okay. Gave her lots of hugs and support.
She was smiling when we went to shower. But she did give the diving board the evil eye when we walked by on the way out.
Wonder how next week will go??

Power (Con)Fusion

I have had a big summer. And, I mean big as in the 'we traveled a butt-load and I took it as my personal duty to try as many new yummy calorie laden foods as possible' kind of way. I mean, someone has to do it, right?!
Unfortunately, I believed my own propaganda. And the scale shows it.
My running has stopped as well. Another story for another day.
So, now that school is back in session, I decided it was time to get back on track. YMCA, here I come.
At least, that's what I said on Weds. But, then Weds was early release so I didn't have much time to go.
"I'll go tomorrow"
Then, on Thursday, I did all my things at home, it was hot, I was tired and thought "I'll go tomorrow".
As I'm on Facebook Friday morning, my friend (whose name begins with TR and rhymes with fish) emails and asks if I want to go to a class at the Y at noon.
'Darned Facebook' I grumbled but I decided there's no time like the present so I told her I would mmet here there.
I didn't know that the class was called Power Fusion and frankly, that should have been my first clue.
Holy Crap!
I was sweating, no, I was drenched with sweat within, no lie, the first 3 minutes. And that was the easy warmup portion!
We were strategically positioned in the back row. Which is a great place when you don't know the moves, are the plumpest one in class and don't want anyone to see what you're doing. Which was a great plan until the infamous jumping jacks began. First, I don't jump. Second, my arms were already tired and getting them up over my head in a repeatedly high energy fashion just wasn't happening. After the next few seconds, I glance over at my friend and she has a similar pained expression on her face. Ahhh, comrades in arms (or jumping jacks in this case). It's always nice to know that you have someone to commiserate with.
"Jumping Jacks, now turn a 1/4 turn!" shouted the drill instructor. With a big ol' smile on her perky little face.
"And another 1/4 turn!!" she commanded just oh so jolly. Uggh.
Cause now, of course, we are turned the opposite way around so we're in the front. My friend and I.
I continue to bounce in my sorta jumping jack stance. Grimacing and swearing that if we have to turn around again, I'm hightailing it to the opposite side of the room. But then, I glance over at my friend.
As soon as we turned so that we were the front people, she starts doing jumping jacks like she's in perfect condition! I mean, you could have taped it and posted it on You Tube as 'how to do the perfect jumping jack'. (really, I was chuckling inside just that those chuckles couldn't make it past my sweaty exterior).
About the time I was going to point this out to her, we turned another 1/4 turn, then another and we were back in the back row again. Thank heaven.
I did pretty much every modification you could in the class.
Eventually, I finished and it actually felt pretty good after we completed the classs.
Until tonite.
Owwwwwwwie!

Zoo Moments

We spent the last few days before school started doing some of the last things on our Summer 'to do' list. Things like visiting the zoo.  C had to take her standard pose by the flamingoes:

And, then C & S pretended to be giraffes:

It seems my little monkeys fit right in at the zoo!

First Day of School 2010

Here are my kiddos in the infamous "First Day" photo that proud Mamas across the U.S. take on the first morning of the new school year:

They had a great day and came home bursting to tell me about their teachers, class and of course, who they ate lunch with.
We celebrated by having root beer floats after school.
I love these days!

Futurama

I was sitting in my chair, checking out my favorite sites on the laptop.
C was playing next to me.
Suddenly, she handed me a little boy doll, some clothes and then asked/pronounced "Mama, can you help me? I cannot get this boy's pants back on!"
I paused. And, I swear, the very next thought that went through my mind was "Please Lord, do NOT let this be a foreshadow of the years to come!"

Family

We had a nephew's wedding last weekend. It was nice to see everyone and we did get a photo of everyone who was there except one sister and her daughter and family. Here's our good looking bunch:

Stuffed Zucchini

In an attempt to use up some of the yummy garden produce, I made Stuffed Zucchini. Hubster (from a website called Annie's Eats) and I loved it, the kids ate some but did not request any more. I think they just need more exposure to it!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

1 zucchini, about 12 inches long (or 2 6-inch)
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
½ cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup mushrooms, chopped
1 lb. turkey sausage or ground turkey
2 tbsp. dry white wine (I used sherry cooking wine)
2-3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out insides, leaving a shell about ¼-inch thick. Reserve about half of the insides.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and reserved zucchini insides to the skillet and saute another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble in the sausage or ground turkey and cook until lightly browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cooked onion and mushroom mixture. Add the wine to the pan along with the tomatoes, basil and rosemary. Cook for 1 more minute. Drain of any excess fat, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Once the turkey mixture has cooled a bit, mix in the Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper. Fill the zucchini shells with the mixture. Fill a baking dish with ¼-inch of water. Place the filled zucchini shells in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the zucchini from the pan and serve immediately.

From Annie's Eats

One of Those Days

I should have known what this day would be like when by 7:30 am, we had already had tears, timeouts, scoldings, and a temper tantrum (no, none of the behavior was mine!).
But, at 8:00, off to VBS we went. It went well, kids seemed happy. Had a talk with S about how he treats C. Had a talk with C about how she deals with S. Thought progress was made.
Oh, silly, silly me.
Fast forward to this afternoon. I lost count of the timeouts. TV privleges and computer privileges were suspended, pillows were thrown at the dog, pencils were tossed across the room, workbook pages were ripped. And, all of it by S. I couldn't believe it! If someone had offered to take him away, I think I would have packed his bags myself.
Then, after a session of 'calming down' in his room, S hands me the following note:

"Dear 'I hate you' ("which, by the way, Mama, is you if you don't know," S told me).
Never hug or kiss me again!
Your hateful son,
S
I promptly asked him to get me a pencil. Why, you ask? Well, simply so I could date it and put it in his keepsake box. While not pleased with the hateful words, I simply had to preserve this. Can't wait until I can bring this one out when he has his own kids!

p.s. Did I mention how much I'm looking forward to early bedtimes tonight???!

Ears Lookin' at You

It's been a while since I visited my beloved YMCA. So, today was the day.
After many weeks of minimal exercise (due to my lovely plantar fascitis, yeee-ouch!) I decided today was it. I was going to the Y and exercising. Hubster was bringing the kids after he was finished mowing lawn, so here was my chance.
I got there, changed my clothes and headed out to work out. Now, I wasn't foolish enough to try and rock the treadmill with my awesome (or, well, really, totally non-existent) running talent. So, I stepped on the stair stepper. Plugged in my headphones and pushed the tv button. I started moving (& groovin', at least in my mind) on the machine but much to my dismay, my tv wasn't working. Well frankly, the tv is about the only thing that makes that instrument of torture, I mean, machine, bearable. So I wasn't about to continue on without something to watch so off I stepped.
Unfortunately, I forgot one little thing. I was still plugged in to the console. Let me just say that it is not comfortable having the earplugs ricochet out of your ears as you walk away. And, surprisingly, they can whip around pretty darn fast after pinging out of the ear canal.  Sorta like a mini, white bungee cord.
I nonchalantly backed up, reached over and unplugged. I tried to pass it off like this was all in my master plan but I don't think my exercise neighbors were buying it. Their snickering was the first tipoff. The weak ass barely contained laughter was the second.
Once again, I am the new Y story.
Lovely.

Summer's in Full Swing

Only 2 weeks into summer and it's been a whirlwind. We've been strawberry picking, bike riding, bowling, numerous library trips, tennis lessons, fencing, prepping for VBS, we're halfway through Camp Invention this week and preparing for camping next week. Oh, and we're trying to get the van fixed from my stupid-a** rear ending accident late last week. But, that's a story for another day.
I got awoken this morning with a tap on my shoulder at 5 am. 
"Mama?" C asked
"Hnmmgph?" was my incoherent reply.
"I just threw up"
There's just nothing that gets the blood pumping and me outta bed faster than those 4 words. I mean, you'd think I had the energy of a 20 yr old the way I bounded after her.
"Where?" I asked.
"In the potty" C said, "but my tummy still hurts".
Off we went to clean up and comfort. Needless to say, she's home from Camp Invention today. She's doing quite well but since there was an upset tummy involved, she's resting up.
Whether she wants to or not.
But what I realized this morning, as I was snuggling with the puker (although not too close and with my Lysol and hand sanitizer close by), is that in our hustle and bustle of the summer, it's so easy to lose track of what's happening at the moment. I am constantly planning ahead and checking the calendar and making sure everything will, hopefully, run smoothly, that I sometimes forget to appreciate what's right in front of me.  And, frankly, sometimes it's just much easier to keep looking forward and not down at the mess that's right in front of me.
But, in reality, that mess is my mess. It's there because we made forts in the living room, crafts in the kitchen and played in the sandbox. It's there because we made jam and chocolate chip cookies and snack mix. It's papers from Camp Invention and the library reading program. It's evidence of our lives being lived.
So, my goal for the rest of the summer? Well, the planning will continue, I can't change THAT much. But I'll also take some time to really look at what's happening and appreciating my life right at this moment. Because, frankly, it's pretty darned good. Even with the upchuck.

Chopped Chicken Salad

There's nothing better than a hot summer day and a yummy cool salad for lunch.
Here's what I made yesterday, it was quite tasty. (This is a Hungry Girl recipe found while I browsing the net).
If you make the whole thing, it's a big salad (I'm still enjoying it for breakfast today after having it for lunch & dinner last night).  I highly recommend this dish!

Chopped Chicken Salad
1 package broccoli slaw
12 oz cooked and diced chicken breast
1 cup water chestnuts, drained and cut into strips
1 can mandarin oranges, drained & rinsed
1 cup scallions, chopped
3/4 cup Newman's Own Lighten Up Low Fat Sesamee Ginger Dressing

Toss together & refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
5 servings/salad

Weight Watcher Points for Salad: 15
WW Points for serving: 3

Why Measuring is Important

I had the dreaded/delicious Amish bread here. So, every ten days, I made a couple loaves. I got tired of that quickly, as although it was yummy, it was not so good for us here. By we, I mean me, and my waistline, or hips. Take your pick.

Anyway, I attempted to make a large double batch to use up what I had left of my dough. I was quickly measuring and mixing and flying through the prep, talking with the kids, helping with homework, tripping over the dog, answering the phone, etc. etc. In general, I thought I was paying close attention to what I was doing.

I put the dough in the pans, put it in the oven and a while after it was baking, it smelled really, really good in the house. "MMMmmm" I thought smugly.

Shortly thereafter, it smelled really, really burnt in the house. I opened the oven and this is what I saw:

A large goober of dough overflowed the pan(s) and landed on the bottom of the oven. I had never had that happen before. I happened to glance over at the dirty measuring utensils and saw that instead of 1/2 tsp baking soda and baking powder, I used 1 1/2 tbsp. Oops!

This is how the first 2 loaves turned out:

Not too bad, just a little funny in the middle.

This is how the last 2 loaves turned out:

But, they tasted good even if they looked like they had massive belly buttons that reached to the bottom of the pan.

Moral: Read recipe and check measurements BEFORE baking.

Lesson learned.

Cakes and Cupcakes

I have a secret, well, more like a confession. I like to bake. I really, really like to bake. I especially like to make cakes and cupcakes. I find it fun to bake them and decorate them. Even if it's a bit tedious at times.

S asked for sunflower cupcakes to bring to school on his birthday. Here's what they looked like:

Then, for his birthday party, S requested a cake that looked like a present. "OK, no problem" I told him. Then I silently panicked as I realized I had no idea how to do that. But, I figured out something and this is what his party cake looked like:

Then, C asked for 'special' cupcakes and pretty much left it up to me to figure out what that would be. I made really cute cupcakes, the cupcake itself looked tie-dyed with a large fancy dollop of frosting on top with colored sprinkles on it (the closest thing to cupcake bling in my cupboard). Here's what they looked like:

Well, you'll have to guess since I forgot to take a picture. Ooops!

For C's birthday party, she didn't want cakes or cupcakes, but she requested cookies. I made the largest flower cookies I could manage. At the party, I frosted them, the girls decorated them and they were quickly devoured. I'd post those, but they're still on my camera. Even though it wasn't cake or cupcakes, they were still fun to make!

Change Worthy

S is a saver. Of money. Really, the boy gets his allowance, it goes into his ATM bank and he carefully keeps track of every penny he has. He is always trying to save up enough to exchange his changes (bills & coins) so he can get a $20 bill in return. (I may have, on occasion, had to borrow some cash from him because I was running low, ahem.)
S walks, a lot of the time, with his head down, scanning, looking, hunting, to find the spare penny, nickel, or if he's really lucky, quarter on the floor, parking lot, sidewalk. He is usually successful. (And then he likes to rub C's nose in it).
I have always thought that the saving habit was a nice trait that he has.
Until, that is, until today.
S had a doctor's appointment and afterward, since we were so close to the bread store, we stopped in to buy a few loaves before I dropped him off at school. I thought he might like to go with me because I knew  that there are various treats at the bread store. Like hostess cupcakes and zingers. Yummmm! I thought a little treat before school would be fun for him (and perhaps rate me in the Cool Mom category. Yeah, I will so pay for this vanity later). 
So, in we go. He's fascinated by the little store, even considering that it's 80% bread. We find the bread we need, and after perusing the various treats, he picks out a single Hostess cupcake. Suddenly, he drops to the floor, gets on his hands and knees and sticks one side of his head down on the floor. I mean, one whole side of his face is plastered to the floor (eeeuuuuu) and I can't tell what the heck he's doing.
"WHAT are you doing?????" I asked (I prefer to think that I asked this rather quietly and calmly, apparently not as quietly as I thought as the other 2 customers in the store were now staring at the two of us rather strangely).
Now, at this point, he is laying on his stomach, crawling commando style, underneath the shelves (and all I can picture is the amount of dirt on the floor) and I hiss "S, get up!!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? GET OFF THAT FLOOR!!! Dignity is going fast because the 2 other customers are now looking anywhere BUT at the Floor Crawling/Cleaning boy & his Mom. I smile weakly at them and kinda shrug my shoulders.
"S, get off that floor this instant!!" I command, holding back because I soooo wanted to stamp my foot along with it too.
"Mama, I'm almost done" S says. "I'm just looking to see if there's any change under there" S replies.
Seriously??!!
All was well, however. S found a penny and declared it 'totally worth it'.
Heaven help me if he keeps this up.

Growing Older

I turned 42 this week. Just like wine, I'm getting better with age. There are many things that I like about getting older:
-I have a better grip on what's important

-I have some great life experiences

-I love watching my kids grow

Then, well, then there are the other things. Now, why is it that no one told me about the other things????
Like, enjoy your flat tummy when you're young because one day, your stomach will blow up like a dead fish on the shore.
And like this:

Now, why the heck didn't anyone ever tell me that as you gracefully (that's my story and I'm sticking with it) grow older, random hairs will suddenly appear in places where you have had no problems previously??????

I mean, really, big sisters, thanks for the warning! And look at the size of this sucker! I didn't notice the 2 1/2 inch long hair until it practically grew up into my ear! NASTY!!!!

And, when you pull these babies out, you think "Aha, gotcha, you little bugger" until some weeks later when it's older cousin shows up even longer than the first guy. AAAACK!

So, for my younger friends, sorry, but this is what you can look forward to.

And, for my older friends, I'm not sure if I want to know about the other things that will be happening. Unless they involve 2 inch hairs, then you better 'fess up!

Kimono Shirt

I made my first shirt! Considering the only patterns I've ever followed are quilt patterns, I thought this turned out pretty cute. C loves her new shirt and has now requested that I make her one like it, but in a dress and with blue fabrics. I have my first summer project!

It's Just Food

At Weight Watchers this past Saturday, I was struggling. My weight loss journey/battle has once again taken a big surge to the uphill, much harder to make it, into the wind- kind of weight loss. And, frankly, it sucks. I really hate that it's this hard.
As usual, they did the stars and awards portion at the end of WW. One lady lost 5 lbs (you get a star for every 5 lbs you lose) and the substitute leader asked her for any tips.
"Well," she said, "it's really pretty easy."
"Oh?" said the leader, "Would you care to share how this works for you?"
"Simple" 5 lb-er replied "it's only food. That's all you have to understand. It's just a little bit of food, you can wait till the next meal or snack for more".
The leader hesitated and quite frankly, I was shotting daggers at the woman with my eyes (ever so politely, of course, I am a lady after all).
5 lb-er continued, "I mean, why is food so important. I've been her a whole 2 weeks already and I"ve already lost 5 lbs!!"
Well, just bully for you, 5 pounder. You could almost hear the groans in the room and I know a few people were rolling their eyes (of course, not me. No, I was simply wishing a big ol' weight gain for her this week. Petty, I know, but I felt better).  The other part of me was thinking, really, good for you for losing those 5 lbs but honey, you truly don't get it. I lost 5 lb the first couple weeks too, that was the easy part.
The comments that 5 lb-er made really bothered me and stayed with me all week. I thought about them, pondered them, stewed about them. Let them eat at me and poke me and prod me to consider why did those little words "it's just food" get to me so much??? (I just noticed how many times I refer to food terms-stew, eat, etc. Guess I'm just making my point all the more)
Well, because for me, it's not just food, it's ALL about the food. It's about how many points things are, it's about knowing the amount of protein I'm eating, it's having my treats in moderation, it's about journaling each and every bite that hits my mouth (apparently, I need a little more honesty in the last category based on recent scale figures). It's about figuring out how I can make this a live-able, do-able, life long endeavor. It's about knowing how to indulge and not pay the piper for the next 2 weeks (or more). It's about being healthy, living longer, enjoying my life more. It's about control. 
I have not gotten to the point where I can say 'it's just food'. I fight the scale each and every day of my life and it's so difficult.  I wish I could celebrate 5 lb-er and her weight loss but I'm bitter. I'm mad that I let my weight get this far out of hand and I hate that losing it now takes so much effort.
But, I'm learning. I weigh less now than I did a year ago (not tons, but less). I make better choices, I exercise more. I don't know that I will ever get to the point where it's easy but I'm making the journey, one little step at a time.
It might be 'just food' ;but,  for me, I really want it to be 'just living'.
The journey continues....

Speedy Brownies

I tried a new brownie recipe the other day. It's from here: http://www.thetidynest.com/2010/04/speedy-brownies.html
Oh my heavenly goodness! They were fantastic!! Definitely a keeper. I did reduce the oil to 3/4 cup and I think you could cut back on the eggs a bit if you'd like, but goodness, why would you??
This is my new go-to quick dessert.
Yum!

Growing Pains

I was at school yesterday to work in S's classroom and to deliver the cupcakes I spent hours decorating. Once our centers of learning were complete, S came over to whisper in my ear.
"Mama, could you please not stay for lunch today? It just, well, is sorta embarassing to me."
"What???" I heard myself gasp, as a sharp pain shot through my breaking heart. As the other part of my brain was thinking "you must not have heard him correctly".
"Well, you're my Mom and it's kinda not great to have you here for lunch" he said.
"Really? But I always come to school to eat lunch with you on your birthday. It's our tradition," I stammered, bravely trying not to look too shocked, too sad, too teary.
He looked down at the ground, glanced back up at me, looked at me with his big blue eyes and whispered once more, "Please?"
"OK," I said, being brave, "I don't have to come back for lunch."
"But," I said as I tried not to grab him and hug him, "do you still want me to drop off  McDonald's for lunch?"
"Oh" he said, "If you're bringing McDonald's, you can come and sit by me. That's perfectly fine."

Nice to know that me and Ronald McDonald rate right next to each other.

Starstruck

S went to Miller Park yesterday for Weather day. WTMJ4 had a science fair and talked about the weather and then the kids got to watch about 6 innings of the 14 inning game against the Pirates. (Boo Pirates, Yeah Brewers, Boo on the Brewer eventual loss.)
What had S most excited? No, it wasn't the hotdog and Pepsi he got, or the cotton candy, although, they were darned high on the list.
No, my son's biggest moment?
He shook Craig Koplein's hand. Craig, one of the TMJ4 weathercasters.
S was literally jumping up and down when he told me.
"I got to shake his HAND!" he bragged.
"Did you ask him a weather question?" I said.
"OH no," S replied, "I was just too stubborn to ask."
I hesitated, thinking 'how does stubborn go with that?'
"I was so excited because he's, like, really famous, he's on tv and EVERYTHING!" exclaimed S.
Then I said, "Honey, I think you mean speechless."

On an unrelated note, later at dinner, S asked me "In Catholic-ology, is Sister another name for nun? You know, the ones who run the Catholic church?"
Good thing my Mom never heard this one!
Guess I have some 'schoolin' to do with my starstruck boy!

Oh Sister!

C was reading a book to me. She came to the word "sister" and couldn't figure it out.
So I prompted her "You know this word. It's what you are to S".
She thought for a moment and then with a confused look, she answered "Sneaky?"
I just grinned.

Complaint Department

S & C were playing outside before school. Suddenly, S comes rushing in and stands right in front of me.
"Yes?" I ask him, meaning "I'm working on an important crop in Farmville and do not wish to be interrupted."
"Mama" S responds, "I want to lodge a complaint against C."
"Really?" I ask, trying not to crack a smile cause he's looking quite serious.
"Yes, I want to lodge a complaint." He stands there and looks intently at me, not saying another word.
Shortly, I say, "OK, consider your complaint lodged".
He stands there a bit longer, just looking at me.
"Is there a specific outcome you would like?" I ask.
"Yes, Mama" S says. "C threw a rock at me and it almost hit my back. Would you tell her my complaint was lodged and that I would like her to stop?"
"Certainly" I respond, "Is that all?".
"Yes, that is all" and S runs back outside to play.

Seriously, where does he get this stuff???

Easter Lessons

I have been questioning lately, especially with C, if I am an effective parent. She is in a 'lying' stage and I am at my wits end with her (not to mention the stubborn and bullheaded behavior). Also, she took communion for the first time on Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday for my Catholic readers) and Hubster and I were conflicted about this. He felt she wasn't quite ready and I vacillated between letting her and not being sure she got the whole idea. I questioned whether I was getting through to her about the real meaning of Easter and if I spent too much time on the Bunny aspect.
And then, we went to church on Good Friday. It was a service unlike anything else I have ever experienced. It was competely put on by the high school youth and it was, hands down, the most moving and absolutely spectacular Good Friday service I have ever attended. It was touching, dramatic and thought provoking. It kept not only the kid's attention but also the adults.  (On a side note, S & I have had almost daily discussions on various parts of the service. I love this!)
During the service, whenever the lights came on, C would hurriedly draw in her notebook. She does this quite frequently and I have many notes of  "I love my family"  or "I love my dog". But on Good Friday, this is what she drew. A crude drawing of a cross, with a person drawn on it. The person had a cross on  his forehead and a very large frown on their face. When I asked her about it, she said "Well, that's Jesus. And he's not happy to be on that cross but he does it because God asked him and he loves us. Mama, it makes me really sad that he had to die."
I was astonished. She gets it! She didn't understand all the layers of course, but she got the main idea.
Then, this last Sunday, she was working on another 'masterpiece'. She kept asking me how to spell things and when she finished, this is what her paper said.
"What is Easter? Easter is a time of love and giving God a prayer. Easter is God and us."
I guess my question of whether we were approaching Easter in the right way was answered by 2 pieces of paper.
Wow!
p.s. I think she mostly gets it. When, on Easter, they opened the box that contained the Alleluia banners the kids made and packed away on Ash Wednesday, the banners weren't in the box. They were held up by various congregation members. The lesson: You can't contain the goodness of God and the lessons of Easter.
When C came back to the pew after this lesson, she whispered to me "I think that tricky Easter Bunny must have been here and hid those banners just like he did the eggs at our house!"
I guess we'll just face it one bunny step at a time.

Run, Anne, Run

OK, so yesterday was Day 2, Week 4. My workout went something like this:
Get the kids up, dressed, breakfast eaten, bathroom break taken and ready to go to the gym.
Realize I haven't eaten breakfast and make something for myself. Eat my oatmeal, get dressed for the gym, get Maggie in the kennel. Walk out the door and think "Hmm, did I bring along all my clothes to change into?" and realize I have everything but clean underwear. Can't forget those 'cause there's nothing yuckier than sweat drenched undies after a nice clean shower.
OK, have everything including kids so off we go to the gym.
Referee a few disagreements by the time we get to the gym.
Give strict instructions to the children about appropriate behavior in the youth room and remind them I can see everything they do from my treadmill and issue the 'you better not make me come in there' speech.
We go inside, put things into the locker, kids go in the youth room. I am relieved because there's another child in there and they're playing nicely together.
Get my ipod set and the treadmill turned on. Turn on the tv, find Oprah.
Start with a 5 minute warmup, just walking. No problem.
Next, a 3 minute run. The ipod instructs me not to go too fast as this is just the first run of the session. No problem there, I take that ipod seriously and don't stress myself out. Not too bad, I can handle this running. Easy peasy, lemon squeezie.< Famous last words.>
Walk 90 seconds. Cakewalk.
Run for 5 minutes. Not too fast, I'm instructed. I start out strong, feeling confident. This is so great! I can do this! I should really think about skipping to Week 5, I'm feeling so great. I'm so good, I could skip to Week 6!
About 1 minute into the run, I notice it's really hot in the gym. Sweat starts pouring. In places that are not so nice; like the 'under the boob' sweat, 'above the crack' sweat and the 'run down in my eye and sting' sweat. Darn, and it's only 2 minutes into the run. I think this ipod is broken. No? Well, crap.
Finally, I make it the 5 minutes and I very, very promptly slow down for my next walk. I'm just about recovered and that darned ipod tells me it's time to run again, what??? I notice the woman on the treadmill next to me looking at me rather strangely. "Damn ipod told me to speed up" I tell her. She just smiles tentatively and keeps walking. (At which point, I realize I have now become someone else's YMCA story).
I speed up the treadmill and the music speeds up too. Now, it's getting hard to read the closed captioning on Oprah and run and wipe the extraneous sweat balls that are bouncing around in unusual spots on my body. I glance at the kids. Thank goodness they are behaving. C waves and I grunt and move my hand in her general direction cause man, this running is tough. Contemplate going back to Week 3 workout.
Finally, I make it to the end of my session (there might have been more walking/running segments but I forget now. Selective memory at it's finest!). I gingerly step off the treadmill, wipe it down, and go to tell the kids I'm off to the shower.
Workout completed, legs tired, body sweaty, throat very thirsty.
And, I get to do this all over again one more time.
Oh boy.

Summer Fun Idea

The kids have spring break this week. So far, we have:
visited the Milwaukee Zoo
visited Jelly Belly
Ate at McDonald's
Swam at the Y
Went bowling
Went to a fantastic park
Rode bikes
Excercised at the Y
Played on the computer a little too much
Watched way too much tv
Today we're going to see a movie
And, it's only Thursday. Holy mackeral, what am I going to do this summer?
I found a fun activity that I need to remember to try with the kids. They both love to paint and I think this would be fun: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/07/27/chalk-paint/
Wish me luck for the rest of this week.

Day 1, Week 4, The Finale

I completed Day 1 of Week 4. Whew! I ran on the treadmill this time. That's a first as usually I am on the track or outside. It wasn't so bad but it was hot today. The air temp I mean, at the gym. I haven't sweat this much since last summer. But it felt so good, at least when I finished. I celebrated with a sugar cookie when I got home. What?! You mean I shouldn't have done that! Well, too darned bad, it was delicious and it was only one.
Next up: One day off and then on to Day 2. Woohoo!

Week 4 Revisited

So, on my running plan, I am on Week #4. For the third time. Seriously? Seriously. Crap!
I started out the first Wk 4 okay, then I got called on to volunteer for a couple things and the rest of the week went kaput. No problem, I"ll just start again. And so I did, last week. Did one day just fine, then the weather got nasty, my foot started hurting, I got distracted by a shiny object, whatever...I did not complete my week. No problem, I thought, I'll start again this week. Well, apparently there is a problem. I can't get my butt outside or to the gym to run. Motivation is severly lacking as my sinuses have reminded me that it is spring outside (drippy nose, itchy eyes, scratchy throat). Not sleeping well at night is not conducive to getting off one's ass and moving around, at least, in my book. So, this coming week, I am off to do Week 4. Again. For the fourth time. I am nothing if not persistent. I have been doing things like playing kickball with the kids, riding bikes, and a bit of walking. But, as the scale shows, the running has not been consistent.
Wish me luck with my fourth and final time for Week 4. And, feel free to give me crap, er, I mean encouragement as I continue on.

The Passing of an Era

With a few nice Spring days under our belts, we have begun the process of de-winterfying the yard, garage, and deck. So, out came the balls, bats, rockets and bikes. And, the all-time favorite, the cozy coupe. But, alas, after going back to the shed, I hear C yell "Mama, come quick!!" And I flew to the front yard only to observe her squashed into the cozy coupe, knees up around her nose, saying "Push me Mama, cause my feet can't move!" Much to her chagrin, I did not push (although I did guffaw a bit at the sight). She pried herself out of the car and announced that since she had grown sooo big, I could put the car in the garage sale.
Cozy Coupe, you've served us well for many years. May another family enjoy you just as much!

2010 Resolutions

I said I wouldn't but I couldn't help myself. I actually did accomplish quite a few of my resolutions from last year so what the heck, here are mine for 2010:
1) Start and finish a 5K (hopefully, that will be the same race)
2) Lose 30 lbs (I'm hopeful for more but we'll see)
3) Clean the outside windows of the house.
4) Repaint the trim on the shed.
5) Repaint the trim around the garage door and on the porch (along with the railings of the porch).
6) Plant a garden.
7) Shop the farmer's market as often as possible.
8) Clean the window screens. (I'm noticing that I have a lot of repair/cleaning issues)
9) Plan a fun trip to Chicago with friends (Friends, don't let me down!)
10) Have people over to my house more often.
OK, that's enough. I'll check back in at the end of year to see how things went. Here's to the rest of 2010!

She's a Little Runaway

In my quest for healthier living, I decided (maybe while I was high on doughnut fumes) to start running again. Well, really, not running so much as a shuffling along faster than I normally walk kind of movement. I am getting back into this following the Couch to 5K running program. Since it was soooo nice yesterday, I thought "why go to the gym? I should just run outside". Which was a great idea, in theory. Here's what I learned:
1) It is not smart to start out on a downhill (even though you really feel like you're cruisin') cause when you turn around at the halfway point, it really SUCKS to have a long uphill battle, literally. (And, for the record, I never noticed that the way I went had any 'hill' to it, until I was slogging, er, jogging over it yesterday).
2) It's much harder running into the wind and your ears get cold when you have your hair pulled back. Seriously, the weather was so nice yesterday but that wind in the morning?? Crap!
3) You get funny looks from people driving by when you're on your last leg of the run, uphill, into the wind,  red-faced, shuffling along cause it's hard to have a loose-relaxed stride when you're seriously thinking your legs are about ready to fall off, with bright red ears, your Anne of Green Gables sweatshirt proudly proclaiming "We are kindred spirits", and peach colored capri gym pants which now have a big sweat stain on them..in the back..right above the a***.which apparently gets really dark colored when you sweat. Oh, and did I mention that I kinda forgot that I shouldn't sing out loud when I am the only one who can actually hear the music? I think I scared the poor teenager I went by. Apparently, singing "What have I, What have I, What I done to deserve this" by the Pet Shop Boys did not meet his musical expectations. But he was really happy that I was going in the opposite direction.
That's all my life lessons for today. Now, unto Week 4 of the program next week. Oh joy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We had much fun making our leprechaun trap and loading it. Here's an excerpt of our conversation:

C: We need anything green, yellow or gold. Cause that's the leprechaun's favorites. And we want them to come in the cage and SNAP! it shuts and we're one lucky kid!

S: Well, they really like money, but I'm not giving 'em mine. How about using some of yours C?

C: I don't want 'em taking my gold coin. Unless they leave me at least one more. Cause even if it's not real, it's special to me. Hey, did you just say I should give 'em my money??? Grrrrrrr.
S: (totally changes the subject to get C off course) I think you get 3 wishes if you catch a leprechaun. But they're probably like genies, you have to be careful what you wish for because they're tricky.

C: (who totally falls for the subject change) They ARE tricky. They made a mess last year and turned the milk green. Too bad they didn't leave us any money or candy.

Alas, no leprechauns were caught in our trap. They visited all right, ate the marshmellow hearts, took the gold wrapped toffee, and turned some of chairs upside down. Made a general mess downstairs. The kids were VASTLY disappointed that the milk had not been turned green. (woops, I guess that's what happens when you sleep in until 6:30). However, they walked through the entire house and declared everything the leprechauns did (even if it was the myriad of things that they forgot they themselves had just not put away!).
While they were eating breakfast, our milk 'mysteriously' turned green in the frig. Except it was more bluish than green and you could see where the darned food coloring had run down the side. Apparently, that wasn't noticed by anyone else.
A fun start to the day and now we have an entire gallon of blue-green milk to use up.
Oh joy!

Swimsuit Definitely Not Optional

Are you tired of my Y stories yet? Cause I've got another. And it's a doozie. Don't continue reading if you're eating or have a weak stomach. Ready? OK, you've been warned.
I met my friend Renee at the Y and we treaded water in the pool. For 45 minutes. It's tiring.
But, afterwards, we decided a dip in the hot tub was necessary to warm up. Cause it's frickin' freezin' when you get out of that lap pool.
Off we go, la te dah, to the whirlpool. Just two ladies, chatting and soaking in the lovely warmth.
Now, this is NOT a clothing optional hot tub. Swimsuits required. BIG sign on the door. Hard to miss  really.
We had been in there only a few minutes when this younger woman walked in. I looked up and, really, it's not that I was looking, but more like, how can you not look?. She had on a sports bra, okay, not so bad. But then, my eyes traveled lower. And holy moly. She had on a thong, g-string? I'm not sure but it had some teeny tiny ruffles on the back (and they were definitely not swimsuit material). And, then, then, eeeeuuuuuu, you see the 'rest' of it. Or shall I say, the lack of the rest? Except for the ruffles, it was see through. As in, there she was, in all her glory. As in, you saw that the carpet defnitely matched the drapes, if you get my drift. Seriously, I couldn't decide whether I should just close my eyes or burn that image out of my mind with extra chlorine!! I looked at my friend and I'm sure that her face and mine were pretty much matching at that point. I know our eyes were the same size!
The young lady proceeds to walk down into the hot tub and then up to a spot next to a hot tub jet. Renee quickly suggested that perhaps it was time to leave and we hightailed it out of there. But, but, that wasn't the end. Not only did the gal go next to jet, it was one that was at the see through level and she was carefully positioning herself next to it. I'm going with the theory that something down there just needed a might strong cleaning out, and if it's anything else, well, I just refuse to think about it.
I am shuddering just reliving this enough to write it down. EEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUU.
Now I must mention, that I have had no more unusual experiences since this. I've been there at least 4 times since and it's been rather pleasant.
And I post only for your reading pleasure.
And the fact, that I'm pretty sure you're happy that this didn't happen to you.

Blue & Gold 2010

S first Cub Scout Blue & Gold banquet was a success. He earned 13 belt loops and was quite proud of himself. He should be, he worked hard to get them. The entertainment was a juggler and he was fun. At the end, the kids got to balance peacock feathers on their hands and spin plates on wooden dowels. Even Mom & Dad got to try this.

A fun night even if the kids were up late. Getting up for school the next morning, not so fun.

It's the Shoes

There's nothing like watching little girls in their pink leotards and ballet shoes to warm the heart. C loves dance class and tells me "I like ballet but I REALLY like tap better. It's all in the shoes Mama." Oh man!

Hairy Situation

Once again, I was at the Y. This time, I made it through my workout unscathed, unaccosted yet still sweaty.
I'm back in the locker room, blow drying my hair when I hear someone behind me say "I sure wish I had your hair. It's so thick and full. You're really lucky."  I turn around and there, sitting on the bench, is this little old lady. Of course, I had to look at her hair.  Her white/grey hair. Her whole 10 hairs on her head. Truely, that is about the least amount of hair I've ever seen on anyone. I gave a little gasp and unfortunately, my mouth spoke to her before my brain could stop it.  "Oh honey," I replied, "you just need a little volumizer!"
Open mouth, insert foot.

Y Me??

We joined the YMCA. And, I've actually been going. And working out. And sweating. And having sore, sore legs that night and the next day requiring Ibuprofen. It better be worth it.
Anyway, it's always an experience at the Y. I seem to be a magnet for the weirdos, I mean, eccentrics, I mean mentally challenged, no, I really mean weirdos that frequent the place. Only, not the young, good looking ones. Oh no, I get the old and somewhat depraved ones.
Yesterday, I went to the Y. La tee da, in I go. And doing pretty good as no one talked to me in the locker room (trust me, that's a plus). I get on my elliptical machine and push, push, push myself. I was looking fierce on that machine.
As I'm in full sweat mode, watching the timer, tick, tick, tick SLOWLY down (I swear it goes slower when there's only 10 minutes left), the man in the next row in front of me stops and gets off his treadmill. Now, I wouldn't have normally noticed this, because besides watching the timer, I was seriously watching my Oprah. And no one better interrupt me and my Oprah.
Alas, it was not to be. The weirdo man stops right in front of me and looks directly up into my face (now picture this, as it requires a bit of contortion on his part because each machine has its own tv screen and I'm focused on my Oprah). And then he proceeds to say, with a big ass cheesy grin on his face "Gooooood morning! And have a GRRReat day!" I almost fell off the machine. And I think I managed to say 'heh' but it might possibly have come out as a grunt. (Thank goodness what I was thinking didn't come out. That would have wiped the grin right off his face!) I'm not entirely sure what sound I made because I was trying to hang onto the machine, watch the darned timer and I was missing Oprah. And Weirdo Man wouldn't go away until I acknowledged him. Oh, and did I mention I was the only female he graced with his friendly/disturbing presence?
Well, he moved on. I trudged on and finally I finished. Off to the showers I go.
I get into the shower, was just about to take off my towel and thwap! I get hit upside the side of my head (partly on my face) with something. "What the heckl?" I look up and see that the old woman in the stall next to me had flung her swimsuit over the top of the stall and smacked me upside the head with it. Not the worst part though. The part of her suit that I got hit with? Well, it was the soaking wet crotch! EEEEEEUUUUUUUU!
I never shampooed so thoroughly.

Rock Around the Block

At Weight Watchers, we talk a lot about different topics and we talk about anchors, those things that help us, ground us, give us some inspiration. This week, our topic was about moving more. Not being one to love exercise (shocking to learn that about me, hey?!), I liked the topic. Didn't help me figure out what exercise I will learn to like but oh well.
Anyway, to get us started, our leader gave us each a wooden block and told us that when we get stuck and don't know what to do, just put the block down, walk in a perfect square around it and then think "There, I just walked around the block. Now what can I do?"

I thought it was cute and patiently waited for my turn to pick out my block from the box.

I, of course, chose a red block. Not with an 'A' on it, unfortunately, but at least it was red.

And then.

And then, I turned it over.

At Weight Watchers.

Where I struggle with weight loss.

Where I go for support.

And this, this is what I see:

Can you believe it????!!! A pig!

I couldn't hold it in and guffawed right out loud. One big power burst "BAH HA HA HA!" And many, many giggles after that. I think I scared the poor woman next to me. I turned to her and said "I got a pig. AT WEIGHT WATCHERS!" Hee hee hee! She was not amused and scooted just a little bit further away from me.

Truly, I think if I can laugh at this, I can find laughter anywhere.

And, I guess I needed it if only to remind me not to take myself so seriously.

Girls Who Wear Glasses

C got her new glasses today. She loved Jennifer's comment of "Girls who wear glasses look cool and smart." She's been constantly reminding S of this all day long.

I loved the part where she put them on for the first time and kept saying "Mama, I can see everything! I can read all those letters way over there!" It was a source of amazement and wonder for her. And my heart was full.

Sleep My LIttle One

I love how kids sleep. They can drop off so quickly and pretty much anywhere. But how do they do it? How can kids sleep so soundly in any position? C fell asleep on the recliner and Maggie plopped herself down next to her to catch her own zzzz's. Then, I tried to wake C up, gently took off her blanket and she still slept....in the chair....feet on floor....head on chair....unbelievable! Seriously, she is STILL sleeping in this position. If I tried that, well, we'd be making an appointment with the chiropractor. And a massage therapist with a few muscle relaxers thrown in for good measure.
Ah, to be young again!

Sledding

Sledding with the kiddos is always an adventure.
Here's S on his run:

Yes, that boisterous laughter is none other than my own. Nice Mama, right?! What you don't see are the 2 dozen runs before this where he misses the bump by anywhere from 1 few inches to a foot. He gets some serious airtime on this run before he biffs it.

Winter Coat: $30

Sled: $8

Entertainment for Mom: priceless

It's Not the Same

Last week when I was gone, we had a lot of education going on here at home.
Mostly, it was the Hubster who was"'gettin' schooled".
Apparently, he heard a lot of "That's not how Mama does it" and "Mama lets us..." and "Mommy does it better than that."
While I know that, for him, it was alternatingly funny and frustrating, for me, it was good to know that I was missed.
Cause that's how this Mama rolls.

A New New Year's Tradition

I started, what I hope to become, a New Year's tradition. I made cinnamon rolls. No, not the whack the container on the counter and peel them out of the can kind, but the homemade, yummy, gooey cinnamony goodness kind. Mmmmm, they were so tasty I forget to get a picture of them but they looked a lot like the one above only mine were less, well, uniform in size shall we say.

It really wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be because I mixed them in my bread machine, let them sit in the refrigerator overnight and then baked them fresh the next morning. I found that using dental floss to cut them worked the easiest. And, because I made them with half whole wheat flour I'm claiming them as health food.

Because I can.

That's why.

It's my blog and I'm feeling sassy that's why.

:)