Cranky

I am so cranky today. I don't know why. I wanted the kids to disappear. I didn't feel like hanging out with my family. I just wanted to veg and read. I could NOT wait to get the kids in bed (both were up late last night and Erin was up SUPER early) and sit with a glass of wine, which I am drinking at this very moment. Mike is on his way to the video store to rent us Can't Hardly Wait, which was one of our favorite movies when we were dating. We own it only on VHS, so I think it is time to upgrade. AND he is stopping to get us some chocolate dessert. I totally needed this tonight. Thanks baby! Hopefully tomorrow will bring a tad warmer weather and a happier me.

2 random things

1. I remind myself SO much of Kate on Jon & Kate Plus 8. I just watched the episode where they go visit their new house. They go into Jon & Kate's room and they tell the kids that they will never be allowed in there again. The way Kate explained it and the way she made the kids stay in the room and pay attention just reminded me of me. A minute ago I was telling Leah something and I made her stop and pay attention to me. I had a flash of Kate just then.

2. Erin can count to ten! This morning she was pointing to letters or numbers on their little table (I couldn't see which one it was) and she counted all the way to ten! Also her favorite color is "geen-pu-pul" and that is the first color she says when I ask what color something is.

Date Night

After Tuesday night's fiasco or Erin not sleeping well, I was SO tired yesterday. AND we found out about Erin's ear infections. So I was not especially looking forward to date night last night. But as we had tickets to RENT and had the babysitter lined up, short of Erin having a fever or being truly sick, we were going.

We ate at Carrabba's, which is a favorite of ours sans kids. They now have mini desserts. They come out with this tray of six little cups and you can get as many of them as you want (or all 6 for $12!). We got the zabaglione (custard over crunchy biscotti type stuff) and chocolate brownie with chocolate mousse. Then we hit up Starbucks to stay awake the rest of the night. I was wearing my teal Old Navy kangaroo sweater and a lady stopped and said, "That blue is a really good color on you." Random complements are the best! Then it was time for RENT.

It was SOOOOOO good! We had the original Roger and Mark in our cast. Mark makes my heart skip several beats, he is that good. Don't worry, Mike agrees. :) I cried all through the second act for Angel, Collins, Mimi, Roger, etc. I love plays that truly make you feel. And we had pretty good seats too so we could see the faces and expressions pretty well.

All in all, great date night. And Erin was fine at home so I am glad we went.

25 random things about me

I was tagged to do this on Facebook. I thought I would put it over here too in case I have some people who don't cross over.

1. I will never homeschool my kids, even though I am a teacher. I believe too much that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2. I am addicted to The Bachelor and Biggest Loser. I always cry for the one not chosen on Bachelor.

3. I am a fan of Wii Music, after telling Mike I thought it looked stupid. Oh, and I suck at bass.

4. Most of the time, I CANNOT wait to go back to work. I think I romanticize it in my head A LOT.

5. Most of the time, I want to have more kids. The idea of a big family appeals to me.

6. I seriously think my husband is the best husband and dad I know. I almost never have to bitch about him to my friends. Our biggest problem is money.

7. I am terrified of having a boy. I only really grew up with sisters. I have girls. What to do with a boy?!?!?

8. I am SO HAPPY we moved to NC. I am just a happier person in general since coming here 2 yrs ago.

9. I loved teaching middle school and I think I will probably look for a job in social studies or English when I go back. I like how they think at that age. They have real opinions on stuff. And it is a challenge to come up with things they want to participate in.

10. I am a super-organized control freak who has a problem with clutter. How does that happen?

11. I am NOT a fan of cold weather. I am ready for spring!

12. I just recently realized that I do not have a best girl friend. My husband is my only best friend. I kinda wish I had a girl best friend too.

13. I LOVE eating out. My favorite part is trying new foods, so tapas is the ultimate.

14. I am really proud of the fact that I have been working out five days a week fairly consistently since last August. But I am disappointed that I don't see the effect of it more in my body.

15. I think I sing okay most of the time, but I get the impression from others that I am not that good.

16. I LOVE my minivan. But I miss driving something small and super-maneuverable.

17. I pretty much like ALL kinds of music except that one where the lead singer screams instead of sings.

18. I truly think TV has taught my kids a lot. I don't believe that whole no TV before 2.

19. I also don't believe the new no unprescribed meds for kids under 2 thing. I still give Erin cough medicine and stuff like that.

20. I really hate playing dolls/Barbies with Leah. I am not good at doing voices and making the dolls talk. I do not enjoy it at all.

21. I LOVE reading out loud. I miss reading chapter books to my class. I can't WAIT until Leah is ready for that.

22. I am not a frou-frou girl. I almost never wear skirts or dresses. I only wear makeup or fix my hair on special occasions. BUT as I age, I find that I would like to look nice more often. I guess I am thinking now that I need more help to just look decent.

23. I don't miss my kids when I leave them as much as I used to.

24. I will read just about anything. I used to be able to read a 200-300 page novel in an evening. Now I am too exhausted. I usually fall asleep after like 1/2 hour.

25. I love cooking for my family, experimenting with food, and trying new recipes. If you come to dinner at my house, chances are I am making something I have never made before. You are my guinea pig. Good luck.

Erin updated

She has another double ear infection. It is either gym daycare or Leah carrying germs because Erin JUST started school. Ugh! She was up last night coughing and crying. I can't wait for the meds to kick in.

Erin these days

Erin started school today. As typical of her, she ran right into the classroom and would not hug me good-bye. She actually told me no when I asked for one. I took Leah to go pick her up and she was playing away. When they handed me an art project (a cotton ball snowman) I got teary. I have never even attempted an art project with her yet I guess I assumed that she wasn't ready. They said she loved it. I am so glad we put her in school, she is such a social creature.

I swear this kid is older than she really is. Tonight after dinner Erin was stripped to her diaper. She grabbed it (it was pretty full) and said "I ge git, dah-pah" (I get it, diaper) and brought one over to me. She was ready to be changed. It was pretty funny.

Erin is also playing with the counting bears a lot lately. She can put all of one color in a cup. She may not know the name of the color but she can sort by color already. What a smartie!

Savannah

I loved spending time with Mandi and Stacy this weekend. We all hooked up in Savannah at about 5pm on Friday and went to dinner at an English pub. Because we were all exhausted we were in bed watching Bourne Ultimatum at 9pm (don't judge us).

Saturday it was so nice to *sleep in* (I slept til 8am and read by the window-light until 9:15 when everyone else woke up) and have a leisurely breakfast. We headed out to find a spa for pedicures soon after. It was hard to find a place that wasn't booked, but eventually we ended up at this adorable brick building covered in ivy. I can't remember the name of it (Stace, Mandi, help me out) but it was fab! We spent 3 hours there getting pampered and relaxing and chatting and decided that spa trips are going to be a mainstay of all future girls' trips. We headed back to our hotel room to renew and refresh and get ready for the evening.

Dinner was at Jazz'd, a tapas/martini place. I had seen this place every time I had been to Savannah and always wanted to try it. AHHHHH! It was a small piece of heaven. Some group favorites: Beef Gorgonzola, Chorizo Empanadas with cilantro-lime cream, and Potato-Leek Frittata with fig chutney. The plan was to catch the 8:30 ghost tour that we already paid for (I know, I was coerced), but we arrived at the trolley site 2 minutes late and the trolley was already gone. We were able to grab drinks to chug before the next trolley arrived. The ghost stories told on the trolley weren't scary but I did NOT get off to tour the "most haunted house in Savannah" with the rest of the people. Mandi and Stacy said it was pretty cheesy though. After we went to the dueling piano bar Savannah Smiles.

I definitely had lots of fun at the bar. It has been a LONG time since I have been "out" like that. But I looked at all the other girls there and I realized that I was probably in the oldest quarter of them. It was kinda crazy.

Sunday morning checkout wasn't til 11, thank goodness. We got up eventually and headed to Starbucks for that caffeine hit before driving. Stacy left (she had the longest drive) and Mandi & I walked around one of the oldest cemeteries in Savannah. There were graves there from the 1700s. It was interesting to talk about all of their stories.

On the way back to the car, we happened to run across a honey store. That's right, a store completely devoted to honey. We got to taste 8 different flavors and I actually bought two small jars, one of acacia and one of sourwood. Then it was back on the road.

I have a total of 5 pictures from the whole trip. Mandi has most of them, so when she posts them (!) I will link to them here. Thanks, girls, for such a great time. I hope more of you can make it to the next girls' weekend in 2010.

The littlest Larsen

My neighbors, Tiffany and Brandon, had their baby this evening. I just wanted to say congratulations on the birth of the newest member of the CDS crew, Weston Larsen. We can't wait to meet you!!!

Stuttering

Is it too early to tell if Erin will be a stutterer? Because I am noticing it more and more. Especially on say the word "potty" which she says "pa-yah", she repeats the puh-puh-puh sound several times before saying it. It happens on other words too, but not every word. So I don't know what to think...

On to me, I am SO excited to meet up with Stacy and Mandi tomorrow afternoon in Savannah. Mandi and I were looking up restaurants to go to. (You can tell who the foodies are.) I realized that there are too many restaurants and not enough meals! That can only make me happier. AND Mandi is bringing me cupcakes! I thought I had blogged about these cupcakes before but I can't find the entry so here is Mandi's entry about the famous cupcakes. Seriously, read her entry before you go any further.

I know, right? And we picked some up on the way home from Hive in October and they were worth the detour. Holy deliciousness!

Can't wait!

Snow bunnies

The girls LOVED the snow this morning, especially Erin. I will try to pick out the best pics from our playtime this morning to show you.

Our house

Erin is EXCITED to see snow.

Licking snow off the car

My first sled ride EVER

Leah's snow angel

Playing on the deck

Our website, G-Rated Life, has more pictures.

Snow Day 2009

I just want everyone to know that I am watching the snow fall in our backyard as we speak. Why am I awake at 6am if there is no school and no work today? Well, I have a big overgrown kid for a husband and he was doing a giant happy dance this morning and now I can't sleep anymore. But very cool! Pictures to come today, I'm sure.

Baby talk

Conversation with Leah at bedtime:

We were talking about whose birthday is next (is that grammatically correct? whose?) and I told her it was Ian's. Here is how it went:

A: You know whose birthday will come before Ian's? Baby Weston's! (Tiff is ready to POP!)
L: Can I go see him when he comes home?
A: Sure. And after Andy's birthday, Ian's new baby brother or sister will be born.
L: When will my new baby brother or sister be born?
A: I don't know. There is no baby in my tummy yet.
L: Why not?
A: Because we haven't tried to have a baby yet.
L: Can we try tomorrow?
A: No, baby. But we will soon.
L: How does the baby get in your tummy? Is there like a control that puts them in there? (I guess she meant like a remote?)
A: Daddy helps put the babies in my tummy. He helped put you in there. He helped put Erin in there.
L: I didn't see him put Erin in there.
A: That's because it's a secret.
L: No, it's not, Mommy.
A: Oh, look at that! Song is over. Good night sweetie.

AHHHH! I got out of that one as delicately as I could. How much am I going to have to tell her? I want to be as honest as I can without giving too much info. Hopefully she won't remember to ask about it again tomorrow, but I wouldn't put it past her.

The Supermarket Diet

When I bought The Supermarket Diet Cookbook a few weeks ago hoping to find a variety of healthy recipes, I had never heard of the "Supermarket Diet." I was just looking for new recipes to try. When I got the book home and started to read through it, it really made sense to me. And the recipes sounded yummy. So I decided to try it. I have been doing it for a week now and as you can see by my weight loss counter, I have lost a few pounds (like 3 this week). I am REALLY enjoying the food and the portions seem huge! I am never still hungry at the end of a meal. I LOVE that I get a treat of 125 calories every day. I can still have a latte at Starbucks when I want. So I highly recommend giving this a read if you are interested in losing weight and you enjoy preparing your own meals. I wanted to post here two of the recipes we have REALLY liked.

Honey Pecan Belgian Waffles (9 servings)

1 1/4 c whole-wheat flour
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c oat bran (I used ground flaxseed meal instead)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 c buttermilk
1/4 c butter, melted
2 eggs
2 T honey
1/2 c finely chopped pecans, toasted if you like

1. Spray waffle maker and preheat. In large bowl, combine flours, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and honey. Stir until flour mixture is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir in pecans.

2. When waffle maker is ready, pour batter and make waffles according to manufacturer's directions. (I was able to make almost 6 waffles and I have this waffle iron.)

3. Serve drizzled with honey and 1/2 cup fruit (berries or diced peaches) each serving.

Greek Salad Pitas (4 servings)

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans (also called chick peas)
1/4 c plain yogurt
2 t olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1 garlic clove, peeled
4 (6 to 7 in) pitas (about 150 cal each)
3 c sliced romaine lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 oz feta cheese crumbled (1/2 c)
2 T chopped mint leaves (I didn't used this)

1. In a food processor, combine beans, yogurt, oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic. Puree until smooth.

2. Cut off top third of each pita to form a pocket. Use half of bean mixture to divide evenly inside pockets.

3. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and mint. Use mixture to fill the pockets. Top with remaining bean mixture.

Schedule

Since we have been back to our daily lives, I had been slacking on real quality interaction with the girls. There was too much TV and computer time and not enough imaginary and creative play. So I put together a daily schedule that included time for me to work out 3 days a week, time to run errands/get out of the house and just do something, and individual time for each girl (will work better when Erin starts school in February). So here it is:

It says Schedule B because I have alternating weeks on my chore list and this is the schedule I am doing this week. So far it is going extremely well and I feel like I have dedicated much more time to playing AND I still have gotten everything done! The only thing I am missing is time for me. I guess technically gym time is time for me. I mean scrapbook/computer time. I do get on in the mornings still and occasionally during the lunch hour. As we speak, I am watching Ian & Chase for Laurie so the kids are entertaining each other. In a way, it is nice to have something to force me off of here.

Anyway, just thought I'd share.

Hi-in'

Erin does a lot of "hi-in'" (hiding) lately. She goes somewhere like my closet or behind the bathroom door and says, "Mommy, hi-in'." I ask, "Erin, are you hiding?" She says, "Yah." I know it sort of defeats the purpose of announcing you are hiding while you are in your hiding place, but otherwise we would never know to look for her. :)

This morning she hid in my closet. I peeked in at her then I hid in another part of the closet. She thought that was pretty hilarious. She giggled while I said, "Where's Mommy?" and then came to find me with the biggest hug. It was so sweet.

These things are the reason we are talking about trying to have another child again soon. She has gotten so BIG the last month or so. She is no longer a baby. She is talking, playing, running, climbing, and wanting her own way.

At breakfast she said, "Dampin' makey does?" (Jumping Monkey joes?) She remembers a week ago when I took them up there to play. Just now she laughed at something Leah said and told her, "Funny." What a kid!

Pajama Day

Leah is SUPER excited because tomorrow she gets to wear her pajamas to school and bring her blankie and a teddy bear. Tonight she made Mike ask her at least 3 times, "Do you know what tomorrow is?" And as she lay in bed she told me, "Mom, I will remind you in the morning that I don't have to take my pajamas off." I told her that I wouldn't forget. She said, "I will remind you anyway."

I love that school can make her so giddy.

Triathlon bummer

I logged onto the tri website on January 5th (the day after they opened registration) and the race we wanted to participate in was already full.

And there went my triathlon hopes. Just like that.

Mike and I are still going to do a "triathlon" in our own neck of the woods. We plan to swim at our gym, then bike and run from there to get a time for ourselves. It doesn't matter now when we do it, so there is no particular date. Just a day that it isn't too cold would be good.

Because of this issue, we pondered briefly on the idea of trying to get pregnant in February. We would only have the one shot. That baby would be born in November. That would give us time to attend Brittany's wedding in January. If it didn't work, we would have to wait until at least June in order not to conflict with the wedding. And if we are already waiting until June, it may as well be July so we can enjoy our cruise witha clear conscience. So we are back at July again.

In other news, Mike & I decided to start Erin at Leah's school in February on Tue/Thurs. Chase started there today, so they would be in the same class. Then I would have time to spend one-on-one with each kid. And I know Leah needs it. She rarely gets time alone with me. It will be fun to do errands with just her since she is easier to handle.

I think that is all that is new with us.

Erinisms

Now that Erin is starting to talk, she says some really funny things. We sometimes have a hard time interpreting it, but sometimes not so much.

The other day Erin was pooping in her diaper and I guess it hurt. She kept saying, "Poo poo, poo poo" frantically. I asked her, "Awww, baby, does it hurt?" She said, "Hurt," in a pathetic voice. Then she thought about it and said, "Kiss it."

When we ride in the car awhile and she needs some attention,, she slips her arm under one of her car seat straps and says, "Arm out?" asking you to help her get it out. But she can get it out herself. She just wants some interaction with you.

Today Mike and I rode our bikes with the kids on the back up to Food Lion to get the paper, then around the back way home. Every once in a while Erin would say, "Mama?" "Yes, baby?" I would respond. "Fun," she would tell me. It was adorable.

Also today she brought us one of the play coins from Leah's cash register. She kept saying something over and over while holding out the coin and I had no idea what it was. Then it dawned on me, Channukah candy she was saying. The coin looks like chocolate gelt to her.

I love that kid.

Loving Two revisited

I just reread the poem Loving Two I posted when Erin was born. It made me cry (of course), but I also really related to the part:

I watch how she adores you — as I have for so long. I see how excited you are by each of her new accomplishments. And I begin to realize that I haven’t taken something from you, I’ve given something to you.

I really and truly believe that. Erin ADORES Leah and Leah gets even more excited than we do when Erin does something new. They have each received something immeasurable by having a sibling, a sister. It is probably the best gift I could have ever given them. They may not think so at certain points in their lives, but I believe that ultimately they will look back and be grateful they have each other.

I am feeling sentimental this morning thinking about my kids, my future kids, and my family that I love so much.

Beware the sugar snap peas

So we were sitting down to dinner last night. I had made chili and one of those Steam Fresh bags of sugar snap peas. Leah was sitting two seats down from me so I couldn't see her plate. All of a sudden she said, "Daddy, what is this?" Mike took one of her snap peas and looked at it. Then he handed it to me. Leah had torn it in half and in between two of the peas was a teeny tiny caterpillar or worm or centipede or something. Of course it was dead (I gag a little just writing this) because I had steamed it BUT STILL! Leah likes to tear the snap peas in half but what if that had been one I ate? I just munch right down on them without looking inside. Or what if she had taken a bite instead of ripping this particular one. I tell you my skin crawled. I opened up every snap pea I ate after that, threw away the leftovers, and do NOT plan on buying them again.

So the warning is beware all fruits or vegetables that you eat without seeing the inside. Yikes!

Back to school - NOT

I was very much looking forward to Leah returning to school today. Alas that is not the case. She was up a lot of the night with fever AND coughing. Leah often coughs to the point of throwing up, so that happened too. I ended up sleeping in her room from 5-7:30am after being up with her at 4. It was a strange night, she fell asleep the night before at 5pm and slept til 7:30. Then she was awake until 9:30, but coughed in her room from 9:30 until 11 when she finally threw up. It was a miserable night all around. Thank goodness Erin slept all night.

My goals today are to complete my chores (clean the bathrooms and vacuum upstairs), ride our new (to us) stationary bike for 58 minutes, and stick to WW points for eating my meals. I also wouldn't mind napping when Erin naps due to lack of sleep last night. So that means I need to complete these things while she is awake. No easy task. At least Leah will be lounging watching TV most of the day (and I don't have to feel guilty about it, she's sick) so she will be pretty easy to handle.

Now that we are back to our boring everyday life (which I am pretty happy about for now), these blog entries will be pretty boring to read, I bet.

Training Graph

I decided to put my anticipated week's training on the graph and will make adjustments as the week progresses as to what was actually done, if necessary. That way I can check my blog for my daily training schedule instead of having to go multiple places. Enjoy!

PS Yes, I went from week 11 to week 9 (were you paying attention?). I haven't really worked out in almost two weeks so I decided to go back and redo weeks 9 and 10.

2009 Goals

After reading Keri's goals and now Nikki's, I am ready to state what I want to accomplish in 2009. Now, don't go reading Nikki's first, because she beat me to the punch, but mine are very similar to hers.

1. Go back to eating healthy and meal planning and shopping accordingly.

2. Try to hit my goal weight BEFORE my cruise in July. (Mike told me to buy 2 new swimsuits for this summer!!!)

3. Create a daily and weekly schedule for myself and the kids that includes working out, playtime, and one-on-one time with each girl.

4. Continue to train for and compete in my sprint triathlon in late March.

5. Stick to our budget so we can have money to go on trips with our friends.

6. Make more time with my girlfriends (all of them around the country). Our CDS girls don't do that nearly enough. I also think the girls' weekends need to be closer to twice a year. I miss you girls!

7. Sell our dining room table and buffet and buy new ones.

8. Get completely up to date on my scrapbooks.

9. Move closer to the lake or be in process to move in early 2010.

10. Make a new baby to add to our family.

As Nikki and Stacy both mentioned, my goals align with becoming a better wife, mother, and woman. That is all I can ask of each year. I hope at the end of the year I can look at each of these and see things I did to improve each area.

Spending our New Year's at the Beech

Beech Mountain, that is. It was quite an... interesting trip, to say the least. The day we left, I had the doctor call in a more potent prescription for Erin because her ear infections symptoms were back. We got just a bit lost on the way to our resort (apparently the mapping websites do that a LOT), but made it in by dinner time. After a dose of the new medicine, Erin went to bed at a decent hour and slept til like 8:30am! It was a miracle!

Tuesday was lovely weather-wise. It was in the 50s and sunny. They were making snow on the slopes so we headed over to let the girls (and Mike) play.

My new hat-a present from my dad

Erin's adorable snow gear

It was warm enough to take jackets off. Isn't she lovely?

PawPaw helps Erin roll up her sleeves

The beginning of a snow ball fight

AND the end of it :)

That afternoon we took the kids swimming in the heated pool and played at the playground and hiked a bit through the local woods where Leah found a "treasure" (a golf ball). Mike went night skiing that night while the rest of us chilled in the condo. Erin decided she was done with sleep that night. I think her ear infection was NOT helped by the swimming, but we did not think of that in advance. I put her to bed at 7:20 and she was crying at 8, 8:40, 10, 10:30, and then about every 1/2 hour thereafter until 4am when Mike took over and of course she fell asleep for him. I was on the couch until about 8:15am.

The second day we woke up and it was freakin' COLD! I have never experienced weather in the teens, and there were winds gusting up to 50 mph too! Mike and I bundled up and headed to the slopes for my first real attempt at skiing. I went down the bunny slope several times no sweat.

Seriously that's how relaxed I looked on that slope. It was so much fun. So I decided I was good enough to hit the smallest slope at Beech. This was how I looked coming down.
A little bit more stressed, no? It was SO icy, I couldn't ski without skidding. The snow-making machines were blasting snow right in your face so you felt like you were in a blizzard. Mike said he had never seen the conditions so bad there. But I did enjoy it when I wasn't sliding out of control and smashing my elbow into the ice.

That afternoon Leah claimed she was interested in skiing so we decided to try her out. The skis were so tiny and adorable. Leah really loved Mike leading her around the bunny slope. Here are a few pics:




That night was more of the same from Erin. At about 4am, we decided that, we bad as we felt for Dad, Myrn, and Leah, Erin was crying it out. I think she got into the habit of us comforting her because we were trying to keep her quiet. Again Mike and I got about 3 hours sleep.

This afternoon, I said to Dad & Myrn jokingly, "So we were wondering what you would say if we told you we were dropping you off at home with the kids and going to a hotel room to sleep tonight."

Myrn said, "That's funny, we were wondering the same thing."

It was that kind of vacation. All Mike and I could think was that next July we would go on vacation without the kids. It will be, not a little, but a LARGE slice of heaven.

I know that Erin was probably hurting from the ear infection, which kept her from sleeping, which in turn made her SUPER cranky and cry about everything ALL the time. But even on a good day, she is getting harder and harder to take in public. She just has tantrums when she doesn't get her way and is not content to sit in strollers or carts unless she is eating, and even then only for a few minutes. My lifestyle may have to drastically change or she and I are going to battle it out EVERY day. Not too excited about that.

So on that note I bid you a Happy New Year. I plan on posting my goals for 2009 (thanks for the idea, Keri!) in the next few days so stay tuned.