Movie Monday~~Easter

We can't find our camera. That means that I don't have any pictures of how incredibly cute Reagan looked on Easter. He looked like he stepped out of a Gymboree advertisement. He was adorable and very, very handsome.

But I do have some video. I apologize for how LOUD my voice is, but there is a speaker on both the front and the back of video camera. I will hold it out as far away as I can from now on.

And although Reagan was eager to get started with hunting (he's the first one out of the starting gate), I think he got maybe 3 eggs. And there were TONS of eggs. Hundreds of them. But he got 3. Oh, and about 5 confetti eggs. That's all he wanted.

My Journey~~Week 4

I didn't reach a single goal this week. I only had 4 glasses of water (not 6) on Friday. I only did a real workout on Thursday (not 3 days like I wanted). And I was far from losing 3 pounds.

The only word that comes to mind is "blah".

Let me say some positive things. The workout on Thursday was so much fun! David and Reagan walked with me...well, David ran some of the time while pushing Reagan. So they didn't really walk. But they were with me. And I actually got to use my iPod. (I have had several issues with it, but it worked this time!!) "Wind It Up" by Gwen Stefani really got me truckin' along. I didn't go over my points in a single day. Let me explain: The previous weeks I may have gone over my points on ONE day, but those extra points fell into the 35 "fluff" points that everyone gets to use (or not use) throughout the week. I think the most of the fluff that I have ever used was 10. Well this week I didn't have to reach into the fluff at all...

In fact, I left 3 to 8 points on the table every single day. It is so hard to get all of my points in.

Apparently this is a no-no.

Because I GAINED (aaaahhhhh!!) weight this week.

I was so upset by the scale today at the meeting that I didn't even pay much attention to the lesson today. I was fighting back tears most of the time. At the end of the meeting the leader said, "Are there in questions? ....... Any concerns?" So I shot my hand up. I needed to know if this happens to everyone. I mean, I had a relatively good week! I wouldn't have been so upset if I had over eaten one day or if I had splurged on wine or beer. But I didn't over eat. And I only had 2 light (very light, 64 calories) beers last night.

I explained my week, and I asked if this really happened to other people. You follow the plan, but you gain weight? What the heck?!

So this is what is soooooo good about a meeting. Almost everyone nodded or said "yes". This made me feel a bit better. The leader said that what struck her was that I wasn't eating all of my points. She said my metabolism is slowing down. I know that this happens if you don't eat enough, but I feel like I'm eating enough...almost like I'm trying to stuff myself at night to get all of my points in. She also told me to check to see if I'm getting enough protein.

After crying (hard) to David, we also talked about it. I think we have a plan for this week. And hopefully I'll see the results on the scale next week.

Another positive, 4 people said they notice a difference in how I look. I'm not positive that 10 pounds can look different on someone my size, but I'll take the compliments as motivation to keep going!

Weight loss: +1.6 pounds (isn't that horrible?)
Total loss: -10..4
Weekly goals: Water and exercise with the family; eat more protein at breakfast; lose something and not gain.

I believe next week is picture week. I'm not sure if there will be any difference, but I'm sure that in a few months it will be neat to look at all of the monthly pictures.

Tomorrow's a Big Day

On Saturday (tomorrow) I will be attending the Round Rock ISD job fair. I was hoping to be able to post this earlier so that I could get as many people as possible to pray for me, but I got to the computer too late.

I'm so excited about it. But I'm also nervous. I'm not really nervous of the actual event...I'm more nervous about (1) getting a job with the district and (2) getting a job in my "first" choice of schools. I have a list of about 10 schools that I would be totally happy with. And then I have a list of about 11 that I'd be OK with. The rest (maybe 6 to 8) I wouldn't be all that thrilled with. However, if that is where I'm placed I will be happy that I am in Round Rock.

The schedule tomorrow is that from 8:30 to noon there is a meet and greet and interviews. Then there is an hour break for lunch. And then the rest of the day is just for scheduled interviews. I hope I make a good impression on some of my top schools that I get an interview.

I would love to interview and get offered a job pretty quickly (wouldn't we all??) instead of waiting through out the summer. I don't like having this major part of my life just up in the air.

Well, I have 23 copies of my resume~~which is the best resume I've ever had (Thank you, Colleen and David). I have 13 copies of my references (Oh gosh! Is that a bad luck number?). And 10 copies of my teaching certificate and my transcript~~which isn't so hot. Maybe with 6 years experience no one will really want to look at my transcript. Ugh. (Those are 5 years of my life I wish that I could do over.)

Well, wish me luck! Say prayers for me! Eek! I'm just so excited about re-entering the work force!!!!

My Journey~~Week 3

This week was a challenging week for me. I was surrounded by chocolate almost the entire week! The good news is that I was not tempted to eat the cookies at Bible study, the brownies from a friend at the park, or the fudge at my sister's house.

I did, however, eat some of Reagan's chocolate from the Easter bunny. But I didn't pig out on it, and I did count it in my points.

I met my water goal last week by drinking at least 6 glasses everyday. I didn't exercise two times, though. I walked on Thursday evening, but then I just didn't get another change to. I'll make it up to myself this week.

Weight loss: -2 pounds
Total lose: -12 pounds
Weekly goals: Exercise THREE times; continue drinking water; work to lose 3 pounds (that will be very HARD)

Running on Empty

Before I get started, I want to explain why there isn't a Journey post tonight. Well, it is Easter, so Weight Watchers is closed today. I will weigh in tomorrow morning, and I will post my usual Sunday post on Monday this week.

Back to my post for this evening. I'm running low on content. I just don't know if I can keep up this daily post thing. I'm only 1/4 of the way through with the year, and I have more blah posts than exciting ones.

I imagine you (you being the one reading this and any other you's that may also be reading) sitting at your computer going through your daily computer routine. And then you think, "Ugh. I have to go check out Kel's blog. It's beginning to be a chore." No need to comment me on that sentence. I mean, there are days that I feel like it is a chore for me to find something to write about.

So we'll see. I'm not really stressing over the whole Blog365 thing. Because, really...I'm the only one checking to see if I'm doing it. And I'm a pretty easy judge. I let things go.

And I have bigger and better goals set for myself. Like keeping the house looking half way decent for my loving husband to come home to. And like keeping the fridge stocked with food. And like finding a job. And losing weight. Oh, and that little thing of raising a healthy and happy kiddo.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Ours was great. There will be more on that later this week.

Easter Eve

Well, Reagan just sat out his Easter basket on the end table next to the sofa. He thought that would be a great spot so the Easter Bunny would see it when he came in through the back door. He also carefully picked out three carrot sticks so the fuzzy guy can have a snack when he gets here. He picked out three of his own Easter eggs for the E.B. to fill and hide.

I hope the Easter Bunny shows up.

Excuses, Excuses

I have a good excuse for being 36 minutes late on my Friday, Mar. 21st post.

As you may have noticed, I post pretty late at night. After Reagan has gone to bed. Well tonight I went to my sister's house because my parents were in town. I wasn't planning on staying there until midnight, but I did.

My sister, my mom, and I sat out in the backyard next to the fire pit chit-chatting about all kinds of things. Mostly funny things. But we also talked about my grandparents. Remember, my grandaddy passed away in December. And this really is the first time that the 3 of us have talked about him. And of grandmother (who passed away almost 5 years ago). It was a much needed conversation. We laughed. We cried a bit.

And we became even closer than we were before. And we have always been very, very close.

So I am not feeling guilty about being late. Most of you read my posts the next morning...so this is no different.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Same Situation, Different Name

My super blogging buddy, Jen, posted a post once from another mommy blogger. I read that one post, and now I'm hooked on Big Mama.

So I moseyed on over there this morning and read a post about phones. Which quickly mentioned a post about Charmin, so I had to scroll down and read the previous post.

I had huge tears in my eyes because I was laughing so hard. I'm telling you, we have all had her same experiences. I could SO relate to her...her past spring breaks as a child and as an adult; her Target trips, and her cordless phone woes.

Oh, and she's an Aggie. That means we're family.

So then I started thinking about how many times I, and many of you, have commented with things such as "That has happened to me!" or "I know exactly how you feel!".

I wonder if God has a few choice experiences that he likes to giggle at. And instead of Tivo he just tosses those "experiences" out to all kinds of moms to watch it over and over and over...

Do You Have A Post-It I Can Borrow?

Wow. Yes. "Wow." with a period. I need to read yesterday's post. I need a constant reminder today of how wonderful things really are. Because today ain't so blissfully happy.

And there isn't any real reason. I mean, yeah, I can make up all kinds of reasons for my horrible bad mood. Allergies are extremely high on the list. The wind today must have kicked up all kinds of goodies for my system to go "Crap!!!! What is this stuff?!?!?!" Coming in at a close second is the over-the-counter allergy medicine I took. (Talk about a downer.) And right behind that, or maybe it is at the very top of the list, is the constant whining coming out of my precious 3 year old. And I mean non-stop whining. If words are coming out of his mouth, they are coming out in a low sing-song tone that ranks right up there with nails being scratched down a chalkboard.

But like I said. I'm the one in control of my mood. And I'm doing a crappy job of keeping it happy. I think I was happy for about 5 minutes today. At about 1pm. I think it can only get better from here, though. My whine-bucket is in bed. I'm getting ready to watch some tv. I'm reading a great book (90 Minutes in Heaven). And then I'm going to bed only to wake up early to take my kid to school. Woo hoo!! (Did I just say that out loud?)

I'm going to go read yesterday's post first, though.

Note To Self

Dear Self,

Remember this day. Remember this time. Remember what and how you have been feeling for the last few weeks. Remember your goals and desires and keep working towards them. Remember how the tiny little successes make you feel so good about yourself. Remember how in love with your life you are. Remember all of the joys. Remember how good God is. Remember all of the many, many blessings He has poured out onto your family. Remember this time. Remember this day.

Love,
Your self

Movie Monday~~Giving the Easter Bunny a Jump for His Money

We went to the jumping place today. Which of course involves jumping AND tickling. Reagan left there with his head drenched in sweat. I think he had a good time.

Not only did he jump his energy out, but he also decided to become a human Pong. And he wasn't even alive in the 80's, so I don't know how he knew that this was an all-time favorite Atari game.

My Journey~~Week 2

I had another fantastic week! I am a bit nervous, though. I know the time will come when the scale will not be so generous. My mom told me that I shouldn't be nervous since I know it is going to happen. She's right. I'll just fully enjoy the success I had this week and last week!

One of my goals last week was to "drink more water". Well, I did drink more. But I still didn't drink the 6 required glasses per day. And I'm taking the requirements to literally mean WATER...not something else. I know that some people will count one of their teas or their fruit juice or whatever as water, but I don't want to do that. On the two days that I did get all 6 glasses in, I realized that it really wasn't that hard. I'm very good at drinking a Rudy's cup (which would count as 2 waters) while I'm vegging in front of the tv late at night. I guess it is a habit of needing to do something with my hand and mouth~~that habit used to be filled with snacking and a glass of wine. So I'm going to up my goal for this week (see below).

I had a challenge this week. Yesterday David and I went to a wedding and a reception. All this week I kept this in mind and didn't use any of my extra points so I could save them for Saturday. (more on not using points in a bit) And I don't think I went overboard yesterday. I ate sensibly for breakfast and lunch. And I had a whole bunch of points left for the wedding. With the meal (which I only ate 1/2 of) and my two light beers, I stayed within my point range. It was the darn wedding cake that put me over! But I didn't feel guilty about it. It took 7 points of my extra 35 for the week. And that's it.

PLUS, I'm given a ton of points since I have so much to lose. But I just can not eat all of my points. I'd be stuffing myself if I did. So I usually go to bed with 3 to 6 points left in the day. I just can't do it. So I'm feeling like those points are as if I were exercising. Which I haven't really started doing, yet.

Alrighty! Here are my stats:

Weight loss: -5.4 pounds
Total loss: -10 pounds (holy moly!! in only 2 weeks!!!!)
Goals for the week: Drink 6 glasses of water per day EVERYDAY; exercise two times this week

I really want to thank all of you who commented last week. I enjoy being accountable to all of my friends...I kept on thinking this week that I want to be able to post something good today, and I was able to. I fully understand that my weight loss will slow down, but even if I can just tell you all that I met my own personal weekly goals is a success to me. So thank you for reading this. And thank you for being so incredibly supportive.

Out

We're out of town right now. And I'm scrambling to post before midnight because I'm determined to do this Blog365 thing.

Consider this a filler for today. Just fluff to take up the calendar space of March 15th on my blog.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Is That Really MY Kid?

Sometimes I wonder if Reagan really is 1/2 of me. There are some things that he does that are so NOT my personality. (Yes, I know he has his own.)

For example, Reagan isn't the biggest fan of ice cream. What?!?! How can that be? My favorite dessert is ice cream. In fact, I had a whole lot of it when he was in my belly. Hello Sonic chocolate shakes!!

Another example is his (no) sense of style. Last night when I walked into his bedroom after he and David got Reagan ready for bed, my heart about stopped. Reagan picked out his own jammies. He picked out a long sleeve light blue sleep shirt with a tine snowboarding bear on it. It is really cute. It came with super cute plaid jammy pants. However, it is now too small. So the long sleeves were 3/4 length sleeves. And he kept on trying to pull it down over his belly.

AND he didn't pick out the super cute jammy pants. He (and David) picked out light blue sleep shorts. Not the same light blue. Not even in the same family of light blue. It made me a bit queasy looking at it.

And yes. I am over-reacting. But this is how I am.

That brings us to today. Reagan asked to wear his San Antonio zoo t-shirt. Ok. No problem. It isn't the cutest thing in the world. And I would have liked to dress him up a bit more since we are going out of town, but whatever.

The kicker is that it is hot today. So I put him in shorts. Fine, right? Nope. He wanted to wear is "sea socks". These are socks that have fish all over them. Which would be great if he were in jeans and no one could see them. But he's in shorts.

And check out the pirate bandanna. Yeah, it is fun to go out in public with him today.

At least the sea sock colors are the same colors as his t-shirt.

I don't know why there is a greenish tint to these pictures. Just another reason why I'd like a new camera.

Hey! That's Not My Post!

...with a bit of my own post to go with it.

The following link is an example of WHY I WANT A NEW CAMERA!

Ok. Not to take pictures of Reagan being "wrassled" to the ground. But because of how quickly the pictures took, AND how wonderfully crisp they are. I feel like I'm right there in the dirt with them. I think I can even smell cow poop.

Check it out.

My First Wordless Wednesday (with a few words)

Playing with puppets we have made.

Covering My Mouth As I Type This

Really. Do I deserve to be getting another cold? I don't think so. And to make this sore throat even worse....Reagan is coughing and sniffling.

I will say this, though. Reagan is in a great mood for having a cold. Usually colds with him have been dreadful~~you know, waking several times during the night; extreme poopiness; no eating; etc. AND my sore throat is nothing like it was two weeks ago. This is almost like a beach vacation compared to whatever I had.

The only time I wish for allergies is when I don't know if what I have is a cold or not. Then I say to myself, "Maybe I'm allergic to something and this will all be over tomorrow."

Bring on the benedryl!

My spell checker didn't recognize "poopiness". I don't get it.

Movie Monday~~Starting Him Out Early

I knew that we started a family for many reasons. One of those reasons ~~ having someone else around the house to do chores, favors, and other stuff that we don't want to get off of our own butts to do.

Here is an example of one such thing.

David LOVES coffee. Me? Not so much. But I do like hot chocolate. Our super-duper (and super expensive...don't get me started) coffee machine brews David's coffee from freshly ground beans. There are many steps and many buttons to push to make the right cup of coffee. The plus is that there is also a hot water spout for my hot chocolate.

One morning I walked into the kitchen to see Reagan on the counter and David teaching him all the steps to make the perfect cup.

1. Turn on the machine and wait for it to finish heating up.
2. Check the water level and the coffee bean level (add if needed).
3. Press the "rinse" button which is a picture of 3 water droplets.
4. Pour out the rinse water.
5. Put coffee cup in place.
6. Press the appropriate button--either the picture of one cup (night) or the picture of two cups (morning).
7. Watch coffee.
8. Make Mommy hot chocolate (not captured on the following video)....

Please excuse my voice in this video. This was filmed when I was sicker than sick a couple of weeks ago.

Our cat, Mav, makes an appearance. He's the big blackout that occurs.

David is looking forward to the day when he can say, "Hey Reagan! Make Daddy a double-shot, non-fat latte with no foam!". I actually think this is just putting Reagan on the same road that David is on~~coffee addiction.

Now. If I could only teach Reagan how to clean the toilets.

Join Me In My Journey

Whew. I'm getting ready to post something that is pretty major (to me) on the internet for anyone who has an internet connection that happens to stumble across "What You Said".

I want to document my weight loss journey. I have been overweight (um, obese) for about 10 years. I think that is long enough. I'm done with it. Over it. It is time to take control of the one and only thing that makes me unhappy.

I will say that I have tried to do this many times. And I use the word "tried" loosely. I would get so impatient at how long and far away the end result seemed. But I have accepted that there will be no end result for me. This will be a lifelong struggle for me...and therefore, this is a lifetime journey with no end destination. And I am soooo OK with this.

I realize that for the next year or two I will be working very hard on my journey to reach the point where I can slow down a bit. And once I have reached my weight loss goal I can enjoy my new lifestyle changes.

Last Sunday afternoon I attended my first Weight Watchers meeting. Oh--I did do WW about 5 years ago for a couple of months. I did well my first two weeks...and then I got really, really good at cheating. Like I told my mom this afternoon, if I didn't write down something that I ate, it was like it didn't happen. Yeah, that didn't really help the pounds fall off.

So, I joined again last week. And I have had a spectacular week. I wrote down everything that went into my mouth. I kept track of my points. I kind of looked at how many servings of fruits and veggies I had. I tried to get lots of water in...but those are things that will fall into place soon. Right now I am taking baby steps. So right now I am totally focused on journaling my foods and my points.

What I'd like to do is on every Sunday evening post my weight loss for the week. And maybe tell a bit about how I did the previous week and what are my new short term goals for the upcoming week. I will also have David take a picture of me once a month so I can see the changes in my body once they start happening. I think that will be really fun.

Let's get started, then!

Weight loss: -4.6 pounds
Total loss: - 4.6 pounds
Goals for the week: Drink more water; get to that 5 pound mark!

March 9, 2008

-4.6 pounds

Secrets

Today was a good day. I decided to fall asleep thinking about happy things and positive things, and I really think doing so put me in a good mood all day long.

I have had an attitude change over the past few weeks...nothing major, but I have made my mind up to change little things about the way I live my life. Not to say that I wasn't super happy before~~because I was/am. I just realize that I am going to be going through a huge change in a few months by going back to work, and I feel like I need to make some adjustments in my life right now to make that change a smooth and stress-free one.

I am also going to start blogging about something new on Sundays. Something to make me accountable to all five of you. :) I'm excited, yet nervous, about tomorrow's post. But I am looking forward to sharing it with you all AND having a record that I can look back on in the coming months and years.

How about a little test? Try to fall asleep with happy and positive thoughts and let me know if it changed your mood for the following day!

Fish But No Chips

I tried my tilapia tonight in a steamer bag made by McCormick. It came with lemon and garlic seasoning and the bag. I just placed the fillets in the bag, poured the seasoning (mixed with water) over it, closed the bag, and microwaved it for 6 minutes on high.

Then I heated a corn dog for my son who only eats corn dogs or chicken nuggets. That took 70 seconds in the microwave.

Next, I tossed a Zip'n Steam bag full of broccoli and cauliflower (no seasoning this time) into the microwave for 3 minutes.

So in less than 15 minutes (including the prep time of cutting the veggies and the cantaloupe we also had), I had the healthiest dinner ready for me and David.

And absolutely no dishes to clean up!! I'm in love with the steaming bags.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To answer a question I received earlier...

I usually bake my tilapia for about 25 in the oven. I am soooooo not a fish eater, and this is one of the only fish(es??) I like because it isn't fishy tasting. Most of the time I brush olive oil on the fillets, sprinkle it with Italian style bread crumbs and top it with grated Parmesan cheese before I pop it into the oven. That is one of our faves.

I will say that there was some fishiness to the tilapia tonight, but the seasoning that went on top of it really masked it. It was so yummy!

A Quickie

I'm wondering if Emily is now going to watch an entire American Idol episode after the cuts tonight.

My New Favorite Thing

Today while at HEB I bought the new Ziploc Zip'n Steam bags. Holy moly!!! I had no idea that it would work so well.

I sliced up 2 small squash, a zucchini, and an orange bell pepper. Tossed them in the bag. Microwaved the bag for 3 minutes. And viola! Yummy steamed veggies. And no pots to clean.

I highly recommend these things. They say you can steam all kinds of things in them including meats. I'm interested in trying that out. Anything to make healthy cooking easier and quicker is a winner to me!

Movie Monday (on Tuesday)~~Paging Dr. Reagan

Based on the following footage, I don't think David and I need to worry about saving up for medical school in the future. Although the picture above looks a bit promising...

I realize that this isn't the most exciting video to watch. But I promised a video every Monday (well, ok, I'm a day late this week). So I am taping Reagan doing all kinds of things to add to the blog. This was actually cute~~but then I got the camera, and he decided to change his profession from doctor to photographer. I think kids have the right to do that. Or something.

Shoes

I'm jealous.

I'm jealous of my son's shoes.

I went to Target the other day to find "church" shoes to complete his [expensive] Easter outfit. Reagan has never owned church shoes...only tennis shoes and crocs. And I have thought that his Stride Rite tennis shoes were ok for church since (1) we are a very casual church and (2) his tennis shoes have either been navy blue or dark brown. He has also worn his crocs to church~~during the summer of course.

So I found the cutest pair of church shoes. They are very "Reagan-y".

I took them home and tried them on his little feet, and they fit. So I thought, "Why am I spending a fortune on Stride Rite shoes when these Target ones fit him just as well?".

His tennis shoes (holy cow!! $50) were looking a little worn, and I decided to go back to Target to see about getting him some new ones.

Oh. My. Gosh. They are so stinkin' cute! They slip on, and he loves them.

I was just watching him run around the house, and I said, "I wish they made a mommy version of those!"

Some Observations

• My husband turned our tv onto the 50's music station. Huh?
• David and Reagan pulled out both of their tool sets and screwed nuts onto bolts for a fun time this evening. I didn't get it. But they both seemed to really enjoy it.
• One of us likes to run through the house naked right before a bath. Guess which one it is. (Hint: It isn't me.)
• Our pantry is full of relatively healthy snack stuff, yet I still can't find anything that I want to munch on when the "munchy time" hits me.
• A bottle of wine never lasts long enough.
• There are lots of horns in 50's music...time to change the station.

Making My Voice Heard

Texas' primary election is on Tuesday. And boy-oh-boy! I can NOT wait for it to be over.

Not because I'm all that political. And not because I want my vote to count. And not because I want to see the outcome.

But because I am so sick of all of the political ads. It is bad enough that during one commercial break I see a Clinton ad, an Obama ad, and then another Obama ad not "approved" by himself. But the local election ads are almost painful to watch. Most of the candidates are pretty bad in their ads. And I really hate the ones that are against another candidate and show unflattering photographs of that person.

I will say that I do like the guy~~I don't know his name or what he is running for (I'm assuming senate)~~who says "I want to glue the revolving door shut!". I like that line.

I will vote on Tuesday. And the whole time I will be looking forward to watching the news uninterrupted with political ads. I'm kind of looking forward to the talking apple (Applebee's) and the disappearing rhino (a cold medicine) returning.

Reagan likes the rhino.