So the poll is over. Here is the sugar breakdown:
Skittles - 47g
Raisin Bran Crunch - 20g
Dark Chocolate - 21g
Frusion smoothie - 48g
If you take the sugar grams and divide by 4, that is how many teaspoons are in the item. Adults should have no more that 12 tsp of added sugar daily (naturally occurring sugars like in fruit don't count in this tally). So your Dannon smoothie is a daily allowance of sugar.
On someone's suggestion, I have been using The Daily Plate to track my calories. It is neat because it breaks down not only calories, but fiber, fat, sugar, protein, sodium, and cholesterol. On any given day I can see where I stand in any of those categories. I ten to go over on sodium and protein, but I am fine in the other categories. Anyway, it is a neat site.
I have decided to keep track of things that make me cry lately. They are such ridiculous things too. Today it was an OnStar commercial about a car that swerves to avoid hitting a deer and gets in an accident. No kids were involved that I could see. The was the second time today after the book incident from last post.
A while back we discovered this Dr. Seuss gem, On Beyond Zebra. Ronni had sent us a bunch of books that belonged to Mike as a kid. This was among them and I had actually never read it before. We fell in love on first read. The copy we had, being so old, was falling apart. I bought it new from Amazon and it arrived today. We have already read it twice and loved it even more each time. Dr. Seuss is such a master of rhyme and rhythm. There is NEVER a hitch in the meter, it flows so easily out loud. I LOVE that Leah is exposed to so many unusual rhymes. It came close to beating out The Sneetches for my favorite, but I love the lesson in that one too much. :) SO just a heads up for a good read.
On another book note, I brought the book Perfect by Judith McNaught with me to Leah's ballet class to read in between peeking in the door. I only got through the first 40 pages and I was BAWLING. The story begins with a heart-warming tale of a child whose life turns around by being adopted into a good family. Things centering around children affect me so much more now. So I am sure all the ladies in the hall thought I was a nut. I was sniffling and wiping my eyes and nose for like 10 minutes. I hope I can show my face there again. :)
They are linking diet more and more to the diagnosis of ADD. (I am not saying that diet is a CAUSE of ADD or can cure it, I'm just saying it is probably linked.) Dr. Fuhrman has done a case study and reversed the diagnosis of 90% of his test subjects by changes in diet alone. here are the guidelines he followed:
* a high nutrient primarily vegetable-fruit-nut diet
* 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed daily (source of Omega-3 acid which reduces/prevents inflammation)
* 1/2 oz of walnuts daily (also a source of Omega-3's)
* additional 100-600mg of DHA daily (flaxseed oil)
I still don't really know much about flax though. I would have to research it more.
Did you notice that the diet did not contain meat/dairy? The speaker (a registered dietitian) said her family rarely eats meat OR dairy. Someone asked how kids get enough calcium. She claimed that there are lots of vegetarian sources of calcium like: beans, dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, etc. Also almost 50% of the calcium from these sources is absorbed into the body, unlike the 20% from animal protein sources. Another fact about animal proteins is that they raise the acidity of the blood. Calcium is what your body uses to counteract that, taking from your bones if need be. If dairy were the answer to brittle bones, she said, why are humans breaking their hips in record numbers despite the increase in dairy products consumed in recent years? Interesting info...
One last thing before I leave you. One of the ingredients in the Dannon Frusion smoothie is carmine. Check this out before you eat any more colored yogurt.
I attended a Nutrition Seminar tonight at the gym. I learned A LOT of interesting facts, many of which I will share with you over the next week or so. I am ready for bed tonight though. So I will leave you with the poll on the right as food for thought. Don't cheat and look it up!
I just made "trail mix" using raisins, cashews, and Honey Nut Chex for Leah (Erin ate raisins I cut in half and the cereal). I ate Craisins, almonds, and the cereal. It was so good! It was pretty filling and while not low-calorie, it could probably be substituted in place of a Slim Fast meal replacement bar as breakfast. So give it a try!
I cannot wear my engagement ring anymore. I am so sad about it. It is not due to weight loss (I wish). It is because I think I am allergic to it all of the sudden. Every time I put it on I get this big ole rash on my ring finger that wakes me up at night. Once I take it off, it takes a week or so for the rash to go away. I have tried cleaning it well in case it was a chemical on the ring that was irritating me, but it didn't help. I can still wear my wedding band, thank goodness. But it sucks.
On another note Erin pooped in the potty today! She was looking like she had to go during dinner, so Mike took her and sat her on the Dora potty ring on the big potty. She cried a bit because it was hard for her to go, but I think sitting on the potty actually helped with gravity and no diaper and all. And then there it was! How cool is that? No wonder I want another baby! My baby is not a baby anymore. :)
I feel like I have finally hit that dreaded plateau. After 6 weeks and diet and exercise and a 10 lb loss, I have been back and forth between the same two pounds for two weeks. I am starting to think that, like Keri, I may be slightly starving myself. I am limiting myself to 1200 calories a day, even when I run a 5K. The websites I have been to say that my body needs approximately 2000-2300 calories on a daily basis to maintain my weight with an active lifestyle. So accordingly, I should operate on a 500 calorie loss. That leaves me with at least 1500 calories a day, you follow? So I am possibly shorting myself by 300 calories. I wanted to eat less calories than I thought because I am sure I underestimate my food when I count the calories. I rarely actually measure stuff. But even so, do you think that could be it? This past week, I have run almost 12.5 miles, swam, and worked my abs. What do you guys think?
AND you like those teenage melodramas like Dawson's Creeek and 90210 (I am talking to you, Rhi!), you may like this series, The Vampire Diaries. Here are the first two and here are the second two. (My Franklin girls, you know what I am talking about.) The author's website has a brief synopsis of each book. They are very good. I know I first enjoyed them in high school but c'mon, you know the Twilight series is loved by teens everywhere. If you liked Twilight, you may as well give these a try. I own all four. If you are interested in borrowing them, let me know.
PS I just read on the author's website that a FIFTH book in The Vampire Diaries series is coming out Feb 2009! The series originally came out in 1991. Talk about delayed reaction. I guess she is trying to cash in on the love for vampire stories right now. Whatever the reason, I will be buying it!
I may not have come across exactly how I wanted to in the last post. I feel like all of our parents and siblings are capable of caring for our girls and will love them to the end. I was not saying that any one of them was not able to do it. I just wanted to look at all the angles. Making those kinds of judgements is hard. Ultimately I think being with family is the most important. I am sorry if I insinuated that I do not think my siblings are willing and able to be a parent to their nieces. I know better than that. You are all wonderful and I have no doubt that you would take them in a heartbeat.
Mike and I have an appt Wednesday to see a lawyer about our wills. The most pressing issue of course is guardianship for the kids. We are in a dilemma. All of our parents, while we love them dearly, will be at least 75 when our kids are able to be on their own, especially if we have any more. I just don't think raising kids at that age is a burden we need to put on them. Plus you never know when a health issue will arise. So we are thinking they should not be our first choice.
Stacy is the only one of our siblings who is at a place to even raise children. So she is one choice. Mike's godparents are friends of their family. So he was asking about considering our friends too. It's just a lot to ask people who are not blood-related to raise your children and still have your kids connected to their family. (BTW, I'm not asking for volunteers to raise our kids.)
Anyway, I just wanted to put it out there. If any of you have made these kinds of decisions, how did you decide? What were the factors that influenced your decision?
I know this is kind of a "Duh" statement, but I can't imagine our life without Erin in it. Mike and I were talking tonight about how it is so strange that you have NO idea of the impact your little ones will have on you. It is so hard to believe that we could have decided to not have any more after Leah. Then we wouldn't have our little cuddlebug! And we both pretty much said that it makes us want to keep having kids, because it is such an amazing feeling to bond with a new life. Twenty years down the road, we will look back and say "I can't imagine our lives without ____, ____, and ____ in it." (or however many kids we end up having) No matter how many we have, every one of them will add to our lives something that we are currently lacking, yet we don't even know what it is yet. I am REALLY hoping to last until after our cruise next July before getting pregnant again, but I just don't know if I can wait that long. Not that I am so eager to relive the newborn days, but I am anxious to see what the next child will bring to our family. Erin has been SUCH a joy, I am ready to experience it again and again. Am I crazy to want another one so soon?
So get this. A few blog posts ago, I got a comment from someone in the Signing Time! organization. Because I had posted several times about how I love the series, they wanted to send me two new volumes of Baby Signing Time that are going to be coming out in October to review. We watched them today. Here is what I thought:
Both Baby Signing Time 3 & 4 were lots of fun. After every sign was introduced, my three year old, Leah, was making sure I was doing it correctly. I think our favorite song of the day was "That Tastes Good" introducing many foods such as apple and pear. We also really enjoyed the "Opposites" song. My one year old was actually attempting a few of the signs.
One thing I really like about these volumes is that all of the words are put into songs. Rachel isn't trying to sign every word of the song, just the ones they are focusing on. I think it helps the kids isolate the signs to learn them. My kids really like the cartoon parts with Alex, Leah, and Hopkins. Thank you so much for the opportunity to screen these videos. We love Signing Time! and want continue to learn as many signs as we can.
Since I have been tagged here and here, I guess I better get on this.
A) Four places that I go over and over: the gym, Walmart, Leah's school, Harris Teeter
B) Four people who e-mail me (regularly): nobody really emails me regularly just to check in, they usually have a question or a reason
C) Four of my favorite places to eat: Carrabba's, Maggiano's, Harper's, Taco Bell
D) Four places I would rather be right now: Disney World (we'll be there in about 3 weeks!), the beach, Hive reunion, on our cruise next July
E) Four people I think will respond: Keri, Mandi, Tiff, Nikki
F) Four TV shows I watch all the time: The Office (re-runs on Tuesday nights on TBS), Blue's Clues (unfortunately), Jon & Kate Plus 8, Dog Whisperer
PS Is anybody else PSYCHED for TV to come back in a week????
I have been SO good about not eating the pumpkin cream cheese bars and blue frosted sugar cookies T has sent over (congrats, T & B!). They have been on my counter/in my fridge tempting me for a few days now. But I was determined to do well in this weigh-in.
So instead, I dreamed (drempt?) of dessert. I was standing on underneath a ramp watching all of these chefs carrying platters over my head. There were things like a giant chocolate cake (5ft in diameter!) and tiny petit fours piled high. You think I was craving something?
So as a reward for all that, I had a good weigh-in today. I am 9.4 lbs down in the competition and am only 2.8 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. I am so happy I did this with everyone. It has certainly served as a motivator.
I think Mike and I ate some bad jelly in our fridge. On Friday when said jelly was eaten, we both came down with a "stomach bug" within hours of each other. Last night/this morning were rough, and we are now recovering. We SOOO wished that we had a grandparent here to pawn our kids off on. These are some of the moments that parenting gets really tough. I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel...
On Wednesday evening, we were waiting on the porch for Mike to come home. Leah was pulling a few weeds in the garden when all of a sudden she shouted that her hand was hurting. I looked and it was the tiniest scrape, no blood even. So we patched her up.
The next day she told me it was hurting again. She claimed the scrape was from a "mean girl" at school. She told me this whole elaborate thing about how the girl wanted Leah to "be in her family" but Leah didn't want to so the girl scraped Leah with her fingernail. I asked her if she told the teacher and she said yes and the girl got sent to time out.
The whole story sounded suspicious to me, so I asked her teachers about it today. Both of them said they had never heard a thing about this incident. So I will have to talk to Leah about it later today.
I wonder though, because a couple of days ago, Ian came home telling us about a "mean boy" on the playground who was bullying him. So did Leah feel the need to have her very own mean kid story? Or are the kids at this school pretty pesty?
I am inclined to believe that Leah has told me her first fib. I hope this is not how things are going from here on out. I enjoy having Leah tell me straight out that she hit Erin, so I can put her into time out based on her own word. :) But I guess they all figure that out sooner or later.
Update: Leah and I discussed things later and she did finally admit to me that she made the story up. I told her it's okay to tell me interesting stories as long as she says, "Mama, I'm just teasing," if it's not a true story. I think she kinda gets it.
So yesterday morning, Leah got up and was in the bathroom with Mike while he got ready for work. I didn't hear the whole conversation, but I assume she asked why he had to go to work. He answered that he had to make money so that we could pay for our house. And my darling girl said, "I have lots of money in my piggy bank. I can pay for our house." I teared up, it was such a sweet thing to say. Mike told her that she had a LONG time before she had to worry about money. I love that kid!
I took Erin to a preview Gymboree class today. I never got around to taking Leah so didn't really know what to expect. It was lots of fun. She got to climb and sing and slide and hide and catch bubbles and play with about 10 other kids her age. I wish it was not so far away. AND was less expensive. With Leah's preschool and ballet, we can't afford Gymboree too. I hate the idea that Erin is getting shafted, but I guess Leah was not doing things at Erin's age either. Next fall Erin will probably start a part-time preschool, unless I go back to work.
Well, that's it for tonight.
I know a lot of people use RSS feeds to read blogs, so I wanted to let you know that I posted video of Erin walking on my entry Blood rushes to the head. Check it out!
Can't trust that day...
Actually today went rather well. I went to my post-op appt and the dr said everything looked good. No dry socket for me. I guess I had some food caught in there and it was pressing directly on my nerve. But I haven't felt severe pain since yesterday morning. So yay for that...
Leah, Ian, and Erin ate PB & J sushi for lunch. I stole the idea from my friend Liz but her blog is private so I can't link you to her. But you just cut the crust off the bread, roll it flat, and spread PB & J on it all the way to the edges. The you roll it up and slice it gently. When you turn it on its side, it looks JUST like sushi. They all LOVED it. So, thanks, Liz, for sharing...
I was able to do a step class today without any pain, so my exercise schedule should be back to normal this week. Hopefully I will start dropping lbs again since I can eat fairly normally.
As you probably saw in my sidebar, I got a Wii Fit yesterday! My Wii Fit age already went from a 37 to a 30 in just one day. Mike and I really like the hula hoop game. I of course also like the yoga poses. I am excited to unlock new stuff too.
Well, that's about it. My dad finally has power back in Houma and things are settling down there too. Thank goodness Ike has turned away from FL and LA. Sorry, TX, I guess you were due.
Last night while running my 5K (go me!) on the treadmill, I was experiencing pretty intense pain in my mouth. We were talking about it later and started thinking that blood rushes to injuries and while my blood was pumping so hard it must have been pooling in my wounds. It was pretty intense and everyone is telling me not to do cardio until I go to my post-op appt. That sucks! But I guess I will listen.
Update: I am pretty sure I have dry socket, where the blood clot becomes dislodged and your nerves are exposed. Lovely.
Update2: I called my dr this AM because I was hurting SO bad. He said that if I had dry socket, even my heavy duty painkiller wouldn't touch it. So I probably didn't have it.
Erin took a few steps today! She is still nervous and doesn't like to let go, but if you get her going and gradually peel her hands from yours, she sometimes is on a roll. More often than not, she lowers herself down and crawls.
teeth that is. For most of the first week, my right side was bothering me and my left seemed almost healed. But for some reason, now my left is hurting WAY more than my right did. I even had to take the heavy duty painkiller last night for the first time since Monday. My entire right jaw felt swollen and achy all the way up to my head. I even had to use an ice pack (frozen peas) to alleviate some of the pain before the meds kicked in. I called the dr yesterday and the nurse gave me the impression that this was all "normal" and they would check it all out at my post-op appt on Monday. I hope I can get through the weekend.
On a TMI note, in the middle of the night I have been waking up to bits of food finally becoming dislodged from those spaces and running around my mouth. Food in your mouth after it had been hanging around a while digesting is NASTY! It has made me rethink my diet, which will go back to as many liquid-like substances as I can stand until my appt Monday.
On a happier note, Erin finally said Mama today (the stinker) after a week of saying the following: Dada, Ee-ah, Mimi, PawPaw, baby, and ball. We all knew she could do it, it was just her stubborn nature not to say the one thing we were all working on with her. I have my work cut out for me with that one.
She also had her 1 yr check up today (I am writing this at 4am, so it was actually yesterday. Leah woke up needing to potty and with her arm asleep so she was crying.). Erin's stats were: 22lb 2oz and 28 3/4 in long. That is a full inch taller and 2 1/2 lbs heavier than Leah was at this age. In fact Leah was 23 lbs at 18 months! So Er-bear is quite the bruiser. Maybe it's because we call her bear? :) She has another tooth popping through on the right side of her tops. The dr also said she could feel the molars on Erin's left side so they are getting close too. I am rapidly losing my baby here. Help!
Tropical Storm Hanna is currently upon us. It is raining and we are under a flash flood watch until noon. But Hanna is expected to be in VA by 8pm Sat night. So don't you worry about us. Stop on by if you feel the urge.
Here at Casa Gallers, we accommodate friends and family from all states, we don't discriminate. So make your plans for Hurricane Ike accordingly and know that our shelter is ALWAYS open. :)
Picked up her one year portraits today. Had to reorder two sheets because they cropped the picture wrong and part of it was cut off. But here are the other ones I bought...
Mike says this last picture makes her look like a troll. I think it's cute because it is a picture of her "scrunchie" face she does for us. So whatever.:)
Today we went back to The Penguin for lunch. (Mandi) There was NO wait and we had so many leftovers we already have lunch again tomorrow. I LOVE those fried pickles! Okay, so not so diet-y today. Need to get back with it tomorrow. It is SO hard with my dad in town!
My dad & Myrn are on their way to our house. There is no power where they are and they aren't allowed to go back home til the weekend. What better excuse than to come visit the grandbabies! Although I am exceedingly sad about the whole mess, I am thrilled that they are coming.
My poor aunt had lost her house in Katrina. She stayed with a friend for a month or two, then got a FEMA trailer. She has been in the trailer since then. She just moved into her brand new house last week after 3 years. Of course she had to evacuate on Sunday along with her little teacup yorkie. She got this dog around Katrina time too. Well, while she was at her friend's house during Gustav, her 3 yr old dog dies in her lap. How freaking unbelievable is that??? This woman can't catch a break. And they are not allowed to go home yet, but presumably there is maybe only minor damage like missing shingles or other such things. I hope things start looking up for her soon. I love you, Nana Zee!
Well, not so tight, but busy, which makes me happy.
Monday:
Leah - school 9-12
Angelle - step 4:30-5:30
Tuesday
Leah - ballet 10-10:45
Leah - swim lessons 4:30-5
Wednesday
Leah - school 9-12
Angelle - Yogalates 6:30-7:30
Thursday
Angelle - Zumba 8:30-9:30
Leah - swim lessons 4:30-5
Friday
Leah - school 9-12
Angelle - step circuit 9:30-10:30
Saturday
Angelle - Pilates 8:30-9:30
During Leah's school, I make our appts. This Friday I have Erin's 1 yr check-up. Next week I have my surgery follow-up appt on Monday, Erin has a free Gymboree class on Wednesday, and I am babysitting T's kids while she goes for her BIG ultrasound on Friday. I like being busy, it keeps me out of my funks.
Overall, this weekend was a combination of painful, relaxing, and fun-filled. I did not take that many pain-killers after the first day. I was mostly just sore and sometimes chewing would hurt. But otherwise, I was able to eat a turkey and avocado sandwich today. Good times.
I got to read 2 books (see my Goodreads bar) and take naps almost everyday. Mike was so attentive. He was always checking in, trying to get me to eat something, making sure I was taking my meds. Seriously, best husband ever. Thanks honey!
We also went to the water park (I did not swim, just watched my kiddos and Mike), ate at Cici's (even me!), went shopping at Target, had a cook-out at the Maddexes, went to the US National Whitewater Center and rode bikes, and went to Matthews Alive (craft festival).
On a funny note, Erin will NOT say Mama. Every time I say Mama to her, she come back with either Dada or Eee-ah. I do not rate anymore. :) When Mike is within sight, forget it. I am old news. She is SUCH a daddy's girl. He of course loves it. Hey, it's fine with me, she will be asking for him to put her to bed soon.
Item 1: My bottom 2 wisdom teeth have been successfully removed with little to-do. My new love is general anesthesia. I was chatting with the dr one minute and waking up the next to, "Are you ready to try and sit up?" a mere 45 minutes later. I had maybe an hour of pretty severe pain once the first pain pill wore off but before the second one could be taken. And a few bouts with a minor amount of nausea. But otherwise not so bad. Eating yogurt, pudding (both fat-free!) and cream of chicken soup (low-fat and low-sodium). Seems like recovery will be fairly swift, thank goodness.
Item 2: I guess I am taking a different approach to the Biggest Loser contest than some of the others. Instead of truly counting my WW points, I am trying to change the way I eat in general. My diet has become about 20x healthier as a rule. I know I could probably cut back more points-wise. But what I really want to do is attempt to be a role model for my kids. I want to try to cut out more processed foods and eat in season. So it seems because of this, I am not losing weight as fast as I'd like. I have only lost 5 lbs in 3 weeks. Technically that is entirely acceptable, but with everyone else dropping some major pounds, I feel like I am not trying hard enough. That does frustrate me to some degree. I am exercising every day and I can feel that my legs are getting stronger. I hope I am making muscle and that is part of it. I plan to keep up the daily exercise for the duration of the contest (Oct 5) culminating in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure 5K (with the Buddy Walk thrown in on the same day for good measure). After that, I want to make a plan (that works for my family) to continue to exercise at least 4 days a week. Hopefully that along with a new eating mindset will help me to eventually see the weight loss I desire. I am not expecting to win the contest with this course of action, but I feel like the long-term benefits are more important than the short-term. I just needed the contest as a beginning motivator and it has worked out perfectly for that.
So I guess what started out as a rant in my mind about the lack of weight loss, has really turned into a reality check for me. I am getting what I want out of all this, a healthier me and hopefully a healthier family. That is all I can ask for.
I know this is strange, but I realized today while reading Is Your Mama a Llama? (which has a scene with a kangaroo) that I don't know much about how they use those pouches. So if you are interested, read on.
Kangaroos usually have one young annually. The young kangaroo, or joey, is born alive at a very immature stage, when it is only about 2 cm long and weighs less than a gram. Immediately after birth it crawls up the mother's body and enters the pouch. The baby attaches its mouth to one of four teats, which then enlarges to hold the young animal in place. After several weeks, the joey becomes more active and gradually spends more and more time outside the pouch, which it leaves completely between 7 and 10 months of age. Female kangaroos enter into heat within a few days after giving birth; they mate and conceive, but after only one week's development the microscopic embryo enters a dormant state that lasts until the previous young leaves the pouch. The development of the second embryo then resumes and proceeds to birth after a gestation period of about 30 days.
How ridiculous is that? I watched this video (a little gross but SO fascinating) of a kangaroo giving birth and it showed just how tiny that baby is. It really is still an embryo.
AND the fact that a kangaroo gets pregnant again right away and the embryo "pauses" until the other joey is finished with the pouch? Those kangaroos are some crazy creatures.
1) Last night we were watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and I found my perfect breakfast food. Bacon pancakes! They are being served by Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory in Jersey City. Just so that you know how much I love the idea of this pancake, I will tell you a secret. I ate a bowl of bacon covered with syrup most mornings of my honeymoon. So if anyone ever travels up that way, try this place out and report back.
2) I am in love with something else. Remember when Erica was talking about bento boxes a while back? Well, Parents magazine featured neat lunch box ideas in its back-to-school issue. One of the articles was about bento box lunches. These adorable containers fit inside each other so nicely to make the cutest bento boxes. I want so badly to get Leah one, but since she doesn't eat lunch at school, it's hard to justify. I may just get one anyway. :)
I still haven't gotten the pictures from Erin's birthday from Laurie so here is a video of her birthday present. We had gotten her one of those Dora ride-on cars, but she didn't like it as much as this, which we played with at a neighbor's house. So we had to get one too.
I can see how people get addicted to exercise. I always feel so GOOD after I do it. Yesterday I took a class called 30-30-30. That's 30 min of floor aerobics, 30 min of step aerobics, and 30 min of strength training. I thought I was crazy to take it, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think running for a week prior helped my stamina tremendously. It ended up being lots of fun.
Today we met Christina and Joe at Discovery Place for lunch and some play time there. Of course I currently have no camera, so Christina will have to post pics for you. The kids had a blast looking at sharks, playing with the pulleys and levers, and running around the kids area. Kaitlyn and Erin had just as much fun as the big kids once we let them out to crawl around. They are all coming over tomorrow night for dinner and play too.
Thursday Erin has her 1 yr portraits. The photographer told us to bring in a mini-cake for her and let her smash it up right in the studio. How cool is that? So I guess I should get a cake tomorrow, huh?
As you know, I am competing in a Biggest Loser competition. It began last Sunday on my vacation. But I was determined to keep track. I made myself write down EVERY BITE I ATE the entire week. I did NOT eat the bacon that was cooked every morning or the cherry pie and frozen custard everyone else consumed. I had two s'mores and a piece of Erin's birthday cake and that was about the extent of the bad stuff. I made my own healthy breakfasts like Egg Beaters with tomatoes and mushrooms, or oatmeal with a little brown sugar. I ate mostly sandwiches or salads for lunch. I had to eat what the group ate for dinner, but it was grilled chicken one night and salmon another. Of course on my nights to cook (along with Laurie) we made cheeseburgers and then tacos. So cheese and sour cream... sigh. But I was WAY better than I have ever been on vacation so that is all I can say about that.
I also exercised EVERY day. The only exception was the day I learned to water-ski. I figured that was enough exercise for that day. EVERY day I jogged. We mapped out a route that was 2 miles and I did parts of it. I ran 1.4 miles the first few days and 1.7 the last few. Last night when we finally got home, I so didn't feel like running. Mike talked me into just doing a quick run (since the weigh-in was this AM) and I ran an entire mile - to the front of our neighborhood and back! I can already see the improvement in my running.
And the best part of all this? I lost 2.4 lbs this week! That is 1.65% of my body weight (the competition goes by %, not lbs). So job well done, I would say.
My baby is one! When did that happen? As was stated in the last post, my camera fell in the lake and is not currently working. So no pictures until I get them all from Laurie.
Anyway, Erin is cruising a bit around furniture. She learned how to crawl up stairs on our trip (supervised, of course). She says Mama, Dada, Leah (eeeeeeee-aaaaaaah!), baby, and pup-pup (puppy). She can sign more, milk (still just flapping her arms), eat, bath, change, wash hands, water, and all done. Erin LOVES her milk so don't ask her if she wants milk until you have it in your hand ready to give her. :) She is still napping twice a day mostly, but I have a feeling that won't be lasting too much longer. She just wants to be a part of everything. Often she watches Leah and Ian playing and calls Leah's name because she wants to join in.
On her birthday, we gave her one of those pop-up toys where you press the button or flip the switch and the animal pops out. She loves to close them all, that's her favorite part. She got a mini-cake and was hesitant. I had to cut slices and put them on her tray because the icing was a little hard. She got more into it after that but wasn't nearly as messy as Leah was. We are gonna have cupcakes with the neighbors next weekend so maybe we will have more mess then.
The funniest thing... yesterday in the car, we were handing her board books. She would take the book and hold it on both sides just like she was reading! And sometimes the book was upside down. I laughed so hard every time I glanced in the rearview mirror.
She is my little doll and I adore her. I am already feeling like I want another baby because I miss her babiness, but I am firm on waiting until after our cruise next summer. I can't believe how fast they grow up though.
This was without a doubt our best family vacation ever! Here is a bulleted list of the things we did:
* played in the lake A LOT
* wakeboarded & tubed & swam a mile across the lake (Mike)
* water-skiied (me!)
* rode in the boat (L & E)
* dropped our camera in the lake :(
* made s'mores by the fire and made up silly songs about pirates
* grilled out almost every night (ate some AWESOME salmon)
* met lots of Maddexes
* won a little bit of money playing craps at the Turtle Creek Casino
* played mini-golf when it was too windy to swim
* did a wine tasting and bought a bunch of bottles from the Chateau Grand Traverse Winery
* walked around downtown Elk Rapids and ate some yummy frozen custard (not me)
* played Bocci ball
* played some Mario-Kart on the Wii
* watched some Olympics, like swimming, gymnastics, and volleyball
* made lots of things out of dominoes (Mike, L & Ian)
* ate cherry pie (also not me)
* just chilled in the hammock
* read 4 books (me)
Doesn't that sound like the perfect combination of relaxing and action-packed? Thanks so much to Bryan and Laurie for including us. We would love to go back sometime.
We are leaving in an hour or two for a week-long trip to Michigan with the Maddexes. So don't expect a post from me for a while. I am glad to get out of here and do something besides sit in my house and play little kid games. T-minus 26 days until Leah goes back to school and counting...
that Joshua won. But it was a popularity contest at the end. Some awesome performances tonight, like the Wade Robson rabbit routine. Good to see that past contestants are doing something in the dance world. I already miss this show...
:)
On Sunday, we are starting a Biggest Loser contest. Nikki is heading it up and will be handing all of the numbers, money, etc. The gist of it is... $50 buy in, 8 week long contest, report your weight loss to Nikki at the end of each week, "Biggest Loser" is the one who has lost the most body weight percentage at the end of the contest and he/she takes the pot. Since many of the "losers" are at different locations, we'll be operating on the honor system and using pictures of our feet on the scale at the beginning and end of the contest. Of course, "before-and-after" full body pics will be taken too. :)
So far, I think we have about 7 or 8 losers, so if you'd like to play too, just let me or Nikki know asap. Like I said, contest starts on Sunday so you don't have much time to think about it. If you are interested in weight loss and need some motivation (like I do) this is right up your alley.
So... how much of a loser can you be?
Leah did so well at her first dental visit today! She woke up this morning asking if we were going right away. When we got there, she went straight back with the hygienist, no looking back. I actually teared up then. An older man in the waiting room said, "She's a big girl now," when Leah left and I had to try hard to compose myself. They called me back for the exam and the doctor was pleased with the spacing in her teeth. He did say that her frenulum (the skin attaching your upper lip to your gums) was attached kinda low and we may have to snip it one day (yikes!) but otherwise everything looked great. Here she is on the big day:
This is a child who has never fallen asleep anywhere but her bed since she was a newborn. She even stayed asleep while I transferred her to bed. Holy cow, she must have been tired.
We went to the water park this afternoon and Leah did so well! We have just finished another round of swim lessons, this time in the preschool II class. Leah did not pass, only because of her fear/hesitation of jumping in. She has been putting her face in fairly well if she chooses to do so. But DO NOT TOUCH her while she is doing it. And jumping in, she wants you to be close to her and holding her hand.
Well, today that seemed to change a bit. She was jumping to us without holding our hands. And she was going under all the way! I taught her how to put her hand on top of her head. I told her she was only going under if the water covered her hand. It was cute to watch her put her hand up every time. So YAY!
Also, we have been in a dilemma about ballet and gymnastics next year. I really wanted Leah to do gymnastics. But she LOVES ballet. She always claims to love it more and says, "I like ballet better because I really love dancing." I looked over the schedules and the best times for us (with Leah's school and Erin's naps) are at exactly the same time for both of them! So we had to choose one. And we chose ballet. So you can look forward to seeing adorable pictures of the recital next May.
We will probably try to work gymnastics into it next year. Incidentally, ballet will cost us $42/mo and gymnastics is $56/mo. If she had done both, that would have been $98/mo just on lessons, not to mention her preschool costs. That kid is sure getting expensive. And it only gets worse...
I don't know if anyone watched the show Baby Borrowers on NBC. Basically there were 5 teenage couples who got to experience being parents to babies, toddlers, pre-teens, teenagers, and caring for the elderly. They just aired the "Where are they now?" bit and NONE of the teen couples are still together. I find that very interesting. I wonder how much the show influenced that. I guess after doing the grown-up thing together, they realized that they were not with the person they wanted to do it for real with. So I think the show was a success in the fact that it really did show at least those couples how it would be in real life. And you know what? They all appreciate their parents now too. I hope other teens were watching.
So a few weeks ago, I found baby back ribs on sale at the grocery completely randomly (I had just gone in for a milk/bread run). Seriously $2.99/lb! So I bought two racks. I finally got around to cooking them a two nights ago and OH MY GOSH! Best ribs I ever had! Here is the recipe:
Smoky-Flavored Barbequed Ribs
3 1/2 lbs pork loin back ribs (or whatever kind you like)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp liquid smoke (bottled in BBQ section)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or crushed)
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup cola
BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ, DE-licious!!)
1. Spray inside of 5 to 6 quart slow cooker with Pam.
2. Remove inner sin from ribs. (I did not do this, but probably would have been easier if I had.) Mix brown sugar, pepper, liquid smoke, garlic and salt. Rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs into 4 in sections. Layer ribs and onions in slow cooker. Pour cola over ribs.
3. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours or until ribs are tender. Remove ribs from cooker. Drain liquid from cooker and discard.
4. Put ribs back in cooker and pour BBQ sauce over them. (I used an entire bottle and had another one to dip into when we ate them.) Cook another hour on low.
Seriously, best ribs ever.
(stolen from Mike)
Jung/Myers-Briggs Personality Test
I'm an ESFJ.
Providers take it upon themselves to insure the health and welfare of those in their care, but they are also the most sociable of all the Guardians, and thus are the great nurturers of social institutions such as schools, churches, social clubs, and civic groups. Providers are very likely more than ten percent of the population, and this is fortunate for the rest of us, because friendly social service is a key to their nature. Wherever they go, Providers happily give their time and energy to make sure that the needs of others are met, and that social functions are a success.
Highly cooperative themselves, Providers are skilled in maintaining teamwork among their helpers, and are also tireless in their attention to the details of furnishing goods and services. They make excellent chairpersons in charge of dances, banquets, class reunions, charity fund-raisers, and the like. They are without peer as masters of ceremonies, able to speak publicly with ease and confidence. And they are outstanding hosts or hostesses, knowing everyone by name, and seemingly aware of what everyone's been doing. Providers love to entertain, and are always concerned about the needs of their guests, wanting to make sure that all are involved and provided for.
Friendly, outgoing, neighborly - in a word, Providers are gregarious, so much so that they can become restless when isolated from people. They love to talk with others, and will often strike up a conversation with strangers and chat pleasantly about any topic that comes to mind. Friendships matter a great deal to Providers, and their conversations with friends often touch on good times from years past. Family traditions are also sacred to them, and they carefully observe birthdays and anniversaries. In addition, Providers show a delightful fascination with news of their friends and neighbors. If we wish to know what's been going on in the local community, school, or church, they're happy to fill us in on all the details.
Providers are extremely sensitive to the feelings of others, which makes them perhaps the most sympathetic of all the types, but which also leaves them somewhat self-conscious, that is, highly sensitive to what others think of them. Loving and affectionate themselves, they need to be loved in return. In fact, Providers can be crushed by personal criticism, and are happiest when given ample appreciation both for themselves personally and for the tireless service they give to others.
The last book in the Twilight series comes out August 2nd! If you look back at my Goodreads sidebar, you will see the three Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer. If you at all like fantasy books with a love story, you will like this series. AND the movie for the first book Twilight will be out in December. If you are on Facebook and have the Flair application, you may have seen the buttons that say Team Edward and Team Jacob. These are from Twilight. I seriously recommend them, they are good reads.
If you plan to go see Avenue Q, don't listen to the soundtrack before you go. It will be so much funnier if you don't know what is coming. But even hearing most of the jokes doesn't keep it from being pretty funny anyway. Heads up too, it is strictly an adult show. DO NOT bring your kids thinking it's like Sesame Street.
My friend Mandi and her husband Barry are here, like I said in the last post. They had seen a couple of places from Charlotte featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives (from the Food Network). Yesterday we ate at both the Penguin Drive-in and the Bar-be-que King. The Penguin won as the better food, but both were good. We ate fried pickles at the Penguin and they were fabulous. My favorite of the entrees I tasted was the fried bologna sandwich. Who woulda thunk it? We did take out of BBQ King and ate it for dinner. It was traditional NC bbq with that slightly vinegar taste. The cole slaw was also the vinegar base. I normally don't like either of those things, but pile them on top of each other and they were pretty yummy. Thumbs up for D, D, and D!
Oh yeah, going back to the Avenue Q night. We left home at 5pm and didn't get home til 11:30. We had a teenage babysitter for all that time with the girls. The kids really seemed to like her. She fed them dinner AND put them to bed! And when we got home (although she didn't give me that much info), she said, and I quote, "They were fine." And that's that. So yay for finding a babysitter. We are looking forward to many more nights out now.
So Leah and I were talking this morning about our newest visitors, Mandi & Barry. They came in the middle of the night last night and Leah had yet to meet them. She thought they were two girls (sorry, Barry!) and I explained that Barry was Mandi's husband, that they were married. Leah then asked who I was married to and I said Daddy. She thought about that for a while. Then she said:
When Ian and I are Mommy and Daddy, I will marry him and he will be my husband.
I laughed at that and she said, "Why you laughed?"
Then later in the ride, I heard a sigh and then, "I wish we had husbands."
Don't be in a hurry to grow up, my baby girl!
She is on the move! Finally last week she started crawling for real. Gates and bathroom door must be closed at all times. Today she was pulling to standing on the sofa and coffee table. She constantly wants to be holding your hands and walking around.
Also this past week, she has been doing a bunch more signs. We have seen change (a diaper), eat, milk, more, bath, the "roll it" from Pat-a-Cake, and tonight completely unsolicited, she signed bed. So we put her to bed, even though it was a little earlier than I had planned. She went right to sleep. I LOVE that my 11 month old can tell me when she is tired. That is awesome!
And we saw most of them. We had such an awesome time in Brevard. We drove over there on Thursday. I just realized that I didn't get ANY pictures of the cabin. I know Myrn did, so I may have to steal hers. It was a 3 bedroom, a full bed in each of the downstairs bedrooms and two sets of bunks in the upstairs bedroom. The porch on the back was really cool, the swing was made of tree trunks. We had nighttime issues though because I wanted to put the two girls in the bunkbed room, but Erin would have none of it. She always sleeps alone, so we had NO idea she was such a light sleeper. Finally we took a mattress from upstairs and put it in our bedroom for Leah and everyone slept better after that.
On Friday, we headed over to Pisgah National Forest and hiked to Looking Glass Falls. 
It was time for a picnic after that. Then we stopped in at Sliding Rock where Mike took a few slides. He claimed it was the COLDEST water he had EVER felt. 
We took a quick jaunt (like that word?) to Jackson Falls where I was interviewed for the evening news. Yes, you read that right. There was a bridge that had been washed out in a hurricane in like 2001. They had finally rebuilt it and they were doing a piece on the bridge for the news. We just happened to be walking across it when the guy was looking for people to talk to. So we chatted a bit about it. :) We watched the news that night but we never saw it. We did miss the first 20 minutes, so maybe we missed the bit. Oh well. Leah ended up wet so we had to stop by Walmart to get her some clothes to wear.
Anyway, we got some ice cream and went back to check out Slick Rock Falls. Then it was back to the cabin for dinner and clean up. Mike and I put the girls to bed and got to go out for dinner on our own.
Saturday my dad and Myrn headed in to Brevard to shop while Mike and I took the girls to Hooker Falls (that was a good one). It was actually a swimming hole. 
The water was FREEZING and I had not brought a suit for me or Erin. She ended up getting wet anyway. 
Dad & Myrn met us there and we headed home for lunch. I put Erin down for a nap and Mike & I took Leah to the Zero Gravity Skatepark. Here are some highlights of that outing. 
Then we all went out to the Pisgah Fish Camp for dinner. We tooled around Walmart. The kids went to bed and we sat on the porch drinking wine and laughing til the wee hours. That was fun.
Sunday my dad & Myrn left at 8am and we took the girls on one more hike to Triple Falls. It was awesome! 
The falls were all stone and Mike and I took turns climbing to the very top of the third fall(s?). 
Then we went swimming one last time at Hooker Falls. I even swam all the way out to the falls! 
And if you know me, you know I am a total wuss when it comes to cold water. We packed up and headed home soon after.
I know I am behind, but we just got back (will tell about that in next post). I forget what week we are on now, but I cannot believe Kherington and Gev got kicked off! I thought for sure it would be Comfort and Mark. Comfort got saved by her hip hop and I have no idea why Mark was kept over Gev. Dang!
Here is what we've had to eat so far since my dad has been here:
grilled pork chops with a peach glaze
smashed rosemary potatoes
sauteed garlic green beans
sourdough bread
grilled steaks (1 1/4 in thick!)
grilled honey garlic shrimp
grilled asparagus
his famous spaghetti & meatballs
and now were are making lasagna with the red sauce from yesterday!
My freezer is PACKED now with all kinds of goodies. I have to inventory it next week so that I know what I even have.
We are leaving tomorrow to spend a few days in Brevard, NC. Hopefully we will get to do this. And Mike is excited about this. and my dad wants to do this with Leah. It should be lots of fun.
So the Theriot family has decided that an adventure is in order. My dad's family is booking a cruise sailing July 2, 2009 to Cozumel from New Orleans. Those of you who attended our wedding probably remember how much fun the Theriot family is. They PARTY, if you are into that sort of thing. :) Anyway, Mike and I are going, as I think I mentioned before, and leaving the kids at home with my mom. The family is inviting all kids of people, including friends and distant cousins. And so I wanted to extend the invitation to you, my friends. Anyone who is interested in possibly attending, email me and I can give you more details. It promises to be a REALLY fun time.
We had an AWESOME time today on the boat. We rented a boat for 4 hours from a marina. Well, actually we went through a marina, but they set us up with an individual and we met him at his house. Mike thought the whole thing sounded shady, but it ended up working out really well. We were actually late getting there so he let us keep the boat a little longer. I remember when I booked it, I was thinking 4 hours on a boat with 3 kids (Stacy and Landon were with us too, as well as Steve and Ronni) was going to be interesting. That was not the case. The kids were GREAT and we could have stayed out longer.
We started out heading to a beachy little island in the middle of Lake Norman. We ate our sandwiches and the kids played in the water for a LONG time. Then we went tubing. This is me: 
I know lovely, right? Here is Mike: 
And here is Stacy: 
And how adorable are these munchkins?
We are so getting a boat...
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday, dear Mikey,
Happy birthday to you!
Happy 30th birthday, my love.
30 is the new 20.
Two nights ago, we had SUCH a bad storm. Tiffany called me and said, "Did you know your swingset fell over?" We looked in the backyard and sure enough, it had fallen over backwards! Yikes! We haven't picked it up yet because everyday since, it has been pouring rain when Mike gets home from work. I guess we'll get to it this weekend.
We have this book called Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Manners. In it, Mama Bear says that if you call people names, you have to do a chore like dusting or something. This morning, Leah was calling Erin silly things like Bubbie and she turned and asked, "Mama, is that name-calling?" I had to convince her that it was okay to say silly things. Just not when you are mad. She is so cute!
I get reprimanded EVERY time I use the word stupid. I never use it when I am talking TO Leah, but I still say with with adults. EVERY time, I hear a little voice say, "Mama, that's not nice to say stupid." While I love that she is so aware of that, it is pretty annoying to stop my conversation to apologize so often. I guess I need to get out of the habit of using "bad" words. :)
Erin has been rocking on all fours for a week or two now. Today for the first time she took one "step" on all fours, then army crawled to a toy. She has never even army crawled before! She usually just rolls and twists around until she gets to where she wants to go. Anyway, without further ado, here is the video.
Leah had SUCH a good time at gymnastics! She climbed, jumped, swung, balanced, flipped, and snacked on pretzels. For two hours she never acted like she was done. She was always ready for the next activity. Here's a quick video clip of the obstacle course.
At the end of class, the teacher asked me if she had ever done gymnastics before. I said no and she said "She's got some talent." Of course as a mother, I almost burst with pride. It's ridiculous because she's 3, right? But I was having visions of competitions and travel and such. Not the Olympics, though. Because really, I don't think we want that lifestyle. But high school and maybe college? Bring it on...
My mom arrived on Wednesday night. We stopped for dinner at On the Border and went to Michael's before heading home.
Thursday went to PF Changs for dinner and then on to Symphony in the Park where the Charlotte Symphony played all-American music and there was a fireworks show after. Erin HATED it! Every time one of those loud ones burst, she would whimper and crawl all over me. I eventually got her to sit fairly still with my hands TIGHT over her ears. I ended up in a chair behind a tree so I couldn't see the fireworks very well. :( Leah, on the other hand, declared "It's not scary!" after the first few bursts. She laid on the blanket with Ian and discussed each one.
On Friday, we were supposed to go to Carowinds (bring a friend for $19.99!) but Mike came down with a 24 hr stomach bug, so he was in bed most of the day. Mom and I took the kids to Chick-fil-a for lunch instead. I made Shepherd's Pie and berry trifle for the Larsens and Maddexes. 
By dinner Mike felt well enough to go out with us. We ended up going to the farm with the Larsens and Maddexes. Their church owns 110 acres in the middle of nowhere that the members can use to farm. Tiffany's family has tomatoes, watermelons, and zucchini among other things planted. We set up on a tiny stage and Bryan and Brandon lit off some pretty cool fireworks over the field. We built a fire and made s'mores. Again Erin was agitated with the loud noises, but when it got late, Mike set up her pack-n-play in the back of the van (IT FITS!) and she went to bed with her music playing at high volume to drown out the fireworks. We got home at midnight. My poor girls had been up late for two nights and needed more sleep!
Saturday my mom had the stomach bug. :( She was in bed most of the day so we stayed around home. Mike and I took the girls to Sam's Club for diapers and formula (last can, I hope) and they ate all kinds of samples. Key Lime cake is yummy! The girls went to bed at 7:30 and we watched Premonition after that.
So that was our weekend in a nutshell. Everyone seems to be well so far today so I don't know what the plan is yet.
I got this from plasticplease. Love it! You highlight what you have done. Now you guys do it! Leave a blog comment so I can come read yours.
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabatized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter
Just got them today and they are super cute. Check them out at G-Rated Life. Click on photos in the upper right hand corner, then on Portraits from the list on the right. You will have to scroll through them all to get to Erin's most recent ones.
I was watching my DVR'd Supernanny last night and this episode centered around 11 and 8 year old sisters who were complete pills to their poor practically single mother. The dad traveled for work Mon-Thurs every week. These girls were CONSTANTLY fighting with each other and the mom. Everything the mom said was subject to argument and a battle would ensue. It made me a little nervous.
Then the 11 yr old said, "My mom just doesn't know how to communicate with me. All I want is for her to love me." Mike asked me if I thought it was true or the girl was just being dramatic.
So I started thinking about the book I read a while ago called His Needs, Her Needs. I talked a little bit about it here. Let me give you a quote from the introduction:
"Marital conflict is created one of two ways: (1) Couples fail to make each other happy, or (2) couples make each other unhappy. In the first case, couples are frustrated because their needs are not being met. I call it failure to care. This book addresses the failure to care - failure to meet each other's most important emotional needs. Ignorance contributes to this failure because men and women have great difficulty understanding and appreciating the value of each other's needs. Men tend to try to meet the needs that they would value and women do the same. The problem is that the needs of men and women are often very different and we waste effort trying to meet the wrong needs."
How does this relate to the Supernanny episode? Well, I think the same can be true of any relationship, even if it is not man/woman. A parent/child relationship may have the same issues. This girl needed to feel loved. And even though the mom loved her, she was not showing it in such a way that the girl understood. The way to meet the girl's needs was not what the mom thought it was.
My hope is that if you establish the lines of communication early on and work with your child at each stage to understand what their needs are and help meet those, not just what you think they should be, it is a little easier when you get to the sticky part. Kids need to feel that they are being heard and they are respected too. When that doesn't happen, that is when you see the disrespect get out of hand. Not that I am saying that kids don't get nasty sometimes for no reason. Of course they do, but I like to think those times are limited and you can get through them if you show that you respect their needs.
It will be SO interesting for me to go back into the classroom with middle schoolers now that I have all these philosophies and see how it pans out.
This was last night's favorite.
This one was a close second.
I think I have a sinus infection so I took Benadryl last night. I was kinda out of it for some of the dances. But these stood out...
I liked Erica's concept the other day, so I am stealing it. :)
- At 4:30am Mike and I heard some whispering. It sounded like Leah, but we did not have her monitor on. We thought maybe she was in Erin's room, because it was coming from the monitor. I got up and checked on Leah; she was still in her bed snoring away. Erin was whispering in her room. I didn't know she knew how to whisper! It was freaky.
- All Erin wants to do lately is stand up. She hasn't figured out how to pull herself up anywhere but using my fingers in her hands. So she constantly wants me to be holding her up. This little girl is demanding! She lets you know when she wants something and right now the screeching is not okay with me. If this is what the future will be like with her, we better watch out. :)
- Leah has been potty-trained for a while now. But at least once a week she has an accident. Now that I think about it, it is always at our house. Maybe it's because I don't suggest going to the potty when we are at home like I do when we are out. It seems like when she does have an accident, it is because she just waits a bit too long to go and can't make it to the potty. It usually happens when we have some commotion going on like visitors or whatnot. It's kinda annoying.
- Yesterday I just put in a reservation for a ski boat for July 11th. We are getting it for a half-day to celebrate Mike's birthday. His parents and sister will be here. It should be lots of fun.
- We are going on a cruise! Granted it isn't until NEXT July, but I am super excited anyway. My dad's family is planning it and so many of them will be there. I don't often get to hang out with them so it should be a BLAST! My mom has agreed to come up here and watch the kids. It will be our first vacation without kids! (if nothing come up before then, which I doubt it will) My kids will be almost 2 and 4!!! That in itself is freaky.
- We are still not definitely going to have another kid. But if we do decide to do it, we were either going to start trying late winter/early spring 2009 for a baby born in the late fall OR the following year. Due to the aforementioned cruise, it will probably be 2010. I am NOT going to be pregnant on our first vacation without kids!!!
Here is my dilemma: almost every shirt I own has hole(s) in the bottom front right in the center. They are right where a button would be on pants or jeans, maybe even a little lower. These shirts are from all different stores: New York and Co, Target, Old Navy, and one is a Disney T-shirt I got from one of those random touristy places last October. The one from NY & Co actually had a hole the third time I wore it! This never happened to me before I moved to NC.
Is anyone else out there having this issue? Why do you think it happens? Is there anything I can do to prevent it? If I were to get rid of all the shirts with holes, I would have like 3 shirts left to wear! HELP!
This one was great!
Update: You know, the more I watch this video, the more I realize that there were a LOT of mistakes/missteps in the dance. I think I loved it because I loved the concept and choreography more than the actual dance.
I also loved the Argentine Tango but I can't find the video out there. You will have to find it yourself if you missed it.
Leah started her "pre-ballet" on Monday. OH MY GOSH! Those little girls are so adorable!!! There is only a regular door to the studio and ALL the mothers were crowded around trying to watch the entire 45 minutes. The teacher was amazing with them. She had them doing plies, standing with happy feet (first position), and walking on little mouse feet (on tiptoes). She had so many props. They played with wands and crowns, baby dolls, and a little stuffed bear. At the end of each class she gives them a lollipop. I can't wait to enroll Leah for the fall! Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.
I am finally getting into the habit of flossing every night. If you knew my teeth, you would know how necessary this is in order to avoid high dental bills. So I put this question to you.
What is your most beneficial habit? Do have any habits you would like to get rid of?
My MOST beneficial habit is probably wearing a seatbelt. I put it on EVERY time I get in the car. I don't even think about it. Sometimes I realize my seatbelt is on and I don't remember putting it on. That's how much of a habit it is.
I am also slowing forming the habit of drinking at least 48 oz of water a day. I eat so much less when I drink enough water.
Bad habits - not putting on sunscreen every time I am out in the sun. I do put it on when we are going to the water park. But if, say, I am outside with the kids swinging or riding bikes, I almost NEVER put sunscreen on myself. And I don't put it on the kids EVERY time either. Erin is usually put in the shade somewhere, but still. This is something I need to work on.
