Yesterday morning, I went to Weight Watchers at 8:15. There, I found out that I lost 5.8 pounds and I was crazy excited. The leader asked if she could give me my 5lb star during the meeting and I said "are you kidding me, I'm screaming this one from the rooftops"! LOL Incidentally, I need to mention that I thought those little rewards were kind of lame. I mean a ball of name tags or a little fuzzy flower? Lame, really really lame. That is, until I got them. I got a 5lb star, a little bravo star for walking 3 miles on Monday and the baby biggest loser flower. I was outrageously excited to get those things, which is just a little sad.
After my meeting, I ran home and picked up the kids to go to our post-Easter egg hunt. Loosey is a genius for scheduling this like she did. First because it wouldn't conflict with the million other egg hunts that go on in town and second because everything was on clearance. The kids had a great time. Loosey did a fab job of roping off areas of the yard and separating the big kids from the little kids. MT was a little angry when she was done getting eggs and saw that the other half the yard was still full of them. She was able to be distracted by a cookie and quickly got over it :) TB ended up with the big prize egg, which had a Cars car in it.
We came home and sorted through their eggs and then headed to the Biology open house on campus. Originally, MT was supposed to stay home with my mom but because my aunt was in town she couldn't. I promised her that there would be a real crab, like Mr. Krabs and she decided she wanted to go. I lucked into parking just across the street from the building but it was near the back door (apparently, nothing said that) so we had to wonder around for awhile because there were no signs telling us where to go. We finally found someone that had a Biology shirt on who directed us to the right place. They got to see a baking soda and vinegar volcano, extract DNA from a strawberry, dig for fossils, hold and pet real crabs, and attempt to make their own ice cream. MT was much more interested in holding the crabs than TB was. He poked at them, but wouldn't hold them.
We came home and the kids played outside for awhile, then MT came downstairs, asked to lay down with a blanket and promptly fell asleep. After she woke up, we had dinner. My aunt and uncle are visiting and when they come down, he always gets steak and grills it for dinner one night. Last night was the night. I knew it was coming so I saved my points so I could have steak and a baked potato. I was little sad that I couldn't have a second baked potato because I didn't save that many points. I was going to have some popcorn to finish off my points, but I was too tired to actually make it so I passed and went to bed.
This morning we got up and I took TB to see Hotel For Dogs. It was cuter than I expected but it was a Nick movie so it wasn't stellar cinema.
After that, we went to Ruby Tuesday for lunch. I was good, only having the salad bar. Apparently, everyone else was super starved so by the time I ate my one small plate, they were done so it was time to go.
After lunch, my mom and I took MT and TB to the library. TB wanted to go to the Pokemon club. My mom took MT and entertained her for awhile. I sat with TB and tried to figure out the rules of the game and I'm fairly certain so that if I really tried to understand it, my head would explode! There are so many rules and special exceptions and conditions and all kinds of stupid nonsense. However, he was in hog heaven and the guy that runs it is very helpful. He spent a lot of time helping TB figure out strategy and learn some of the rules.
When we left the library and headed for brain awareness day at Lincoln Square. They had several brain themed stations set up, including one where you could make a play-doh brain. They also had a giant ant farm, showing how they work as a collective brain, they had a sea slug that you could hold (MT did TB wouldn't). But the big hit of the day was holding the REAL brains. They had real human brains out for the kids to see and touch. MT picked it up, hefted it, showed it to me, talked about it, etc. TB poked at it, looked at it and said he was done. MT can't wait to go to school tomorrow to tell the kids she got a hold a brain. TB doesn't want to talk about it.
When they had their fill of brains, we went to Target to buy him a Pokemon deck so he doesn't have to borrow one again next week. We came home from there and I helped him sort his cards and MT watched TV.
Then we went to dinner at Monical's. I was STARVING but I knew we were going to be there so I saved plenty of points for running wild. The problem was, when dining with my aunt and uncle and other uncle, one should never plan on eating in ay kind of a timely fashion. It forever to order their food, just like it always does. This was even at a restaurant that offers a gluten free option. I went with the foot long turkey sub, no mayo, one bread stick, a dab of cheese (thanks Quigs for looking up those points for me) and a big salad. I'm very full but I ended up 2 points under for the day, even with that big dinner.
We came home and the kids played for about 5 minutes before MT melted down completely and asked to come in the house and watch TV. As soon as her show was over, she crashed and now I'm sitting here on the couch, deciding whether I want to do a little scrapbooking of if I just want to go to bed. I'm worn out and I'm thinking bed might win.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
You were?
MT just came in the living room and we had the following conversation.
MT: I'm really brave
Me: Oh, you are? What did you do that was brave?
MT: I was beating up the guy with the thing that beats up and then I had to beat Inferno*. So that means I'm really brave. Can you turn on the TV for your brave little girl
Me: Uh, sure :)
*For those not in the know, Inferno is the final bad guy in Soul Caliber, which she was playing with Evan.
It constantly amazes me how technologically advanced she is. She can log herself on and off the computer, access her favorites, and play all the games without any help. She also plays video games like a champ on all the consoles we have. She often beats TB at some of the various games :)
MT: I'm really brave
Me: Oh, you are? What did you do that was brave?
MT: I was beating up the guy with the thing that beats up and then I had to beat Inferno*. So that means I'm really brave. Can you turn on the TV for your brave little girl
Me: Uh, sure :)
*For those not in the know, Inferno is the final bad guy in Soul Caliber, which she was playing with Evan.
It constantly amazes me how technologically advanced she is. She can log herself on and off the computer, access her favorites, and play all the games without any help. She also plays video games like a champ on all the consoles we have. She often beats TB at some of the various games :)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Do I?
Do I burn some extra points on some sweet snack? Not that I have any here but when I go to the store later? I'm averaging about 5 points under each day (and I'm not hungry) and I have yet to use any flex points.
WWers out there, suggestion for not so bad for me sweet/chocolate snacks?
WWers out there, suggestion for not so bad for me sweet/chocolate snacks?
Friday, April 17, 2009
Weighty issues
I joined Weight Watchers. Tomorrow is my first meeting and I'm a little freaked out about it. I have never in my life had a "weight problem". I put that in quotes because I've never been skinny but I never had a problem with it. I've always felt that I looked fine and didn't need anyone else's opinion. If someone didn't like how I looked, that sucked for them. I was always happy not to be some little dainty thing who would get blown over in a stiff breeze. I was healthy, I was strong and that was enough for me.
When I got pregnant with The Boy, I gained 50 lbs and tipped the scales at over 200 lbs. I was unhappy that I had to buy all new clothes but I didn't feel like I was that heavy and it still didn't bother me. Over the last year, I've made various attempts to start a regular exercise routine because while I didn't have a problem with the way I looked, I had a problem with the way I felt. I was always sick, could barely breathe, couldn't walk quickly without getting winded, etc. Through various circumstances, none of those attempts have been that long term and with summer coming on, I imagine this one will go down the drain as well. In January, we got the Wii Fit and I made a serious attempt to do it every day. When I started, my weight was 206. April 1st, my gym started a program called "resolution renewal" to get people back working out on a regular basis. If I go 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time for the entire 8 weeks, I get a $30 when I'm all done. In addition to that, I had to fill out a food and exercise log and turn it in each week. At the beginning of the program, I said that my goal was not to lose weight but to feel better. Because of that, the food log was irrelevant and I made most of it up on Monday morning right before it had to be turned in. My first day one the new program, I weighed myself, just to see how I did with no food effort. I made a real effort on the exercise, logging an hour (instead of the required half hour) most days, which included both cardio (5 minutes at 3 mph on the stairs and 35 minutes at 4 mph on the elliptical) and strength (arm and leg machines) most days. When I was strapped for time, I would just do the cardio but I've been there 3 days a week for at least 30 minutes every week since April 1. I weighed in at 210, 4 pounds heavier than I was in January. Fine, no biggie. Over the last 6 weeks, I have added another 8 lbs, putting me at 218 lbs, which is a gain of 12 lbs in 4 months time or 3 lbs a month. Every week, I watch it creep up and creep up. None of my clothes fit right anymore. I put on my shorts from last summer today and I could barely button them. These are the shorts that, last summer, I had to be sure to tie the drawstring on or they would fall off. This is not cool. So I decided that something had to change and obviously I can't exercise the weight away so I'm going to have to change the way I eat.
The problem is that I eat like your basic 2 year old. Plain meat, plain potatoes, very few veggies. Deep fried, covered in cheese, giant bowls of ice cream, etc. I do eat raw veggies occasionally and I'm absolutely addicted to green beans. In fact, I'm trying to figure out how many green beans I can eat every day without having to count the points. Quigs says that 1 pound is 2 points. :) I also have no idea about portion size or even the beginning of figuring calories and points. I need this to be easy. I don't want to spend every spare moment of my day, shopping for food, prepping food, cooking food and writing down food. What is going to end up happening is that I'm going to figure out the points for a handful of items and that is all I will eat. That way, if it is always the same, I don't have to think about it. The other thing I'm sure I'm going to do is, instead of learning to eat new things, is just not eat. For example, tonight we had ribs. I ate my fill because I'm not counting points until tomorrow. In the future when we have ribs, I will eat my point limit and be done. If that is one rib, then that is one rib and I'll end up being hungry. And pissy, but that is nothing new.
I imagine I'll spend my time being hungry because of my lack of flexibility, so if I bite your head off for no good reason, feel free to tell me to eat something and STFU. Also, I am stubborn and obstinate and if someone tells me that I can't do something it makes me more determined that, by God, I damn well will do it. I kept my old busted down couch for years past it's lifespan simply because my MIL made such a big deal about how I needed to get rid of it. If she had just shut up, I probably would have gotten rid of it long before I did LOL So, if you see me, please don't tell me that you think I can do it. If you want to talk about it, you need to be telling me that you are sure that I'm totally over my points for the day and that it is obvious I'm destined for failure. You could also point out the sheer amount of money I'm throwing away and the time I'm wasting for good measure :)
My starting is 201.5. I'll let you know when I get there.
When I got pregnant with The Boy, I gained 50 lbs and tipped the scales at over 200 lbs. I was unhappy that I had to buy all new clothes but I didn't feel like I was that heavy and it still didn't bother me. Over the last year, I've made various attempts to start a regular exercise routine because while I didn't have a problem with the way I looked, I had a problem with the way I felt. I was always sick, could barely breathe, couldn't walk quickly without getting winded, etc. Through various circumstances, none of those attempts have been that long term and with summer coming on, I imagine this one will go down the drain as well. In January, we got the Wii Fit and I made a serious attempt to do it every day. When I started, my weight was 206. April 1st, my gym started a program called "resolution renewal" to get people back working out on a regular basis. If I go 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time for the entire 8 weeks, I get a $30 when I'm all done. In addition to that, I had to fill out a food and exercise log and turn it in each week. At the beginning of the program, I said that my goal was not to lose weight but to feel better. Because of that, the food log was irrelevant and I made most of it up on Monday morning right before it had to be turned in. My first day one the new program, I weighed myself, just to see how I did with no food effort. I made a real effort on the exercise, logging an hour (instead of the required half hour) most days, which included both cardio (5 minutes at 3 mph on the stairs and 35 minutes at 4 mph on the elliptical) and strength (arm and leg machines) most days. When I was strapped for time, I would just do the cardio but I've been there 3 days a week for at least 30 minutes every week since April 1. I weighed in at 210, 4 pounds heavier than I was in January. Fine, no biggie. Over the last 6 weeks, I have added another 8 lbs, putting me at 218 lbs, which is a gain of 12 lbs in 4 months time or 3 lbs a month. Every week, I watch it creep up and creep up. None of my clothes fit right anymore. I put on my shorts from last summer today and I could barely button them. These are the shorts that, last summer, I had to be sure to tie the drawstring on or they would fall off. This is not cool. So I decided that something had to change and obviously I can't exercise the weight away so I'm going to have to change the way I eat.
The problem is that I eat like your basic 2 year old. Plain meat, plain potatoes, very few veggies. Deep fried, covered in cheese, giant bowls of ice cream, etc. I do eat raw veggies occasionally and I'm absolutely addicted to green beans. In fact, I'm trying to figure out how many green beans I can eat every day without having to count the points. Quigs says that 1 pound is 2 points. :) I also have no idea about portion size or even the beginning of figuring calories and points. I need this to be easy. I don't want to spend every spare moment of my day, shopping for food, prepping food, cooking food and writing down food. What is going to end up happening is that I'm going to figure out the points for a handful of items and that is all I will eat. That way, if it is always the same, I don't have to think about it. The other thing I'm sure I'm going to do is, instead of learning to eat new things, is just not eat. For example, tonight we had ribs. I ate my fill because I'm not counting points until tomorrow. In the future when we have ribs, I will eat my point limit and be done. If that is one rib, then that is one rib and I'll end up being hungry. And pissy, but that is nothing new.
I imagine I'll spend my time being hungry because of my lack of flexibility, so if I bite your head off for no good reason, feel free to tell me to eat something and STFU. Also, I am stubborn and obstinate and if someone tells me that I can't do something it makes me more determined that, by God, I damn well will do it. I kept my old busted down couch for years past it's lifespan simply because my MIL made such a big deal about how I needed to get rid of it. If she had just shut up, I probably would have gotten rid of it long before I did LOL So, if you see me, please don't tell me that you think I can do it. If you want to talk about it, you need to be telling me that you are sure that I'm totally over my points for the day and that it is obvious I'm destined for failure. You could also point out the sheer amount of money I'm throwing away and the time I'm wasting for good measure :)
My starting is 201.5. I'll let you know when I get there.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
I've been thinking
I've been thinking about doing something "more" with my time. Lots of my friends have work from home jobs or volunteer posts or other things besides tending the house and the kids, full time. Working really isn't an option, until MT is in school full time and even then I'm not sure. There are so many things that go on at school that I want to be part of, that I couldn't if I worked a regular job. Plus, I'm insistent that I be home in the afternoon with the kids. Fortunately, my ECE education lends itself pretty well to that kind of alternative schedule. Still, not the right time for all that yet.
Volunteering would be something to consider but I don't really want all that commitment. Last year, I spent a lot of time in TB's classroom and by the end of the year, I was completely burning out doing it. Going in each week was drudgery and I don't want to feel that way about something that is supposed to be good.
I really want something I can do at home that doesn't require a ton of time. I would like to do some kind of writing or something. Maybe a monthly newsletter or product reviews or something. I write my "Freaky Travels" blog and I really like doing that. However, I just can't afford to travel far and wide enough to make it be what I want it to be. I could expand it to general product reviews or TV show reviews or something but I don't know what kind of readership there is for that.
I read The Full Mommy and want to do something like that. Anyone know of any review sites that are looking for contributers? Or groups that need newsletters written? I promise to proofread and spell check better than I do here :)
Volunteering would be something to consider but I don't really want all that commitment. Last year, I spent a lot of time in TB's classroom and by the end of the year, I was completely burning out doing it. Going in each week was drudgery and I don't want to feel that way about something that is supposed to be good.
I really want something I can do at home that doesn't require a ton of time. I would like to do some kind of writing or something. Maybe a monthly newsletter or product reviews or something. I write my "Freaky Travels" blog and I really like doing that. However, I just can't afford to travel far and wide enough to make it be what I want it to be. I could expand it to general product reviews or TV show reviews or something but I don't know what kind of readership there is for that.
I read The Full Mommy and want to do something like that. Anyone know of any review sites that are looking for contributers? Or groups that need newsletters written? I promise to proofread and spell check better than I do here :)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Random anger and a few good things
It makes me really angry when people lie about the time they spend working out. RF's work has a gym, it costs 1/10 the amount of most gyms in town to go to so I do. Occasionally, they run contests for gifts cards to various places for participating for a certain amount of time. They aren't competitions since anyone that completes the program gets a gift card. That is what got me back in the gym this time. They are giving away a $30 Best Buy gift card for working out 3 times a week for 30 minutes per time for 8 weeks. I've already spent the gift card in my head so I have to complete the challenge to get get my stuff. I realize that what other people do has no bearing on my progress (which is 6 minutes at 3 miles an hour on the stairs right now) and "they are only hurting themselves", but when they screw around I want to yell at them. A lot of people fudge their in and out time on the log. I will be in there, 10 minutes into my time on the elliptical and someone will come in, sign in, ride the bike for a few minutes, sign out and leave. Their sign in time is almost always listed as before mine and their sign out after. There is a prox card sensor/lock on the door that you have to scan your ID to get in but I don't know how often that log gets compared to the written one. The other thing they do is come in, piddle around reading the fit facts, do a couple of reps on the weight machines, spent 10 minutes sipping water, do a couple more reps, watch some TV, a couple more, chat with the other people, etc. So they may actually be in the room for 90 minutes but they are only working out 20 minutes of that time. Lame. I think in addition to the door being locked, all the machines should have codes on them and you should have to input your code to turn it on. Then it would log the amount of time, under your account, that you worked out that day. Then no cheating. I've been told I'm the only one that cares and as long as people pretend to complete the program, that is all they care about.
Something else that irritates me is book series. This used to be basically a Sci-Fi thing, where books would have 27 books in the same series. Never bothered me until it bled over into mystery. Of course, I love the hold system at the library and have many series on hold but if it isn't a Champaign book, you might get your hold in 2 days, you might get it in 2 weeks, your book might be working on the first solo hike around the world and you might never get it. So I still end up browsing the shelves, looking for something to fill time until my next book comes in. Of course because everything is a series, you can't just wonder down the aisle and pick up something that looks interesting anymore. If you do, you might end up with the 2nd, 10th or 50th book in the series. RF says "research it before you leave and find the first book" I say, "since I pick books that have interesting covers, that doesn't work, besides even if I did, there is no guarantee that the first book would be on the shelf and then I would back in the hold system again". I'm fine with the concept of series because I like getting to know the characters better and I like knowing that I have more to read. I just don't like not knowing where the book is in the series. Name your book whatever cute, funny, punny title you feel the need to call it. Then in large print, somewhere on the cover say "the 3rd book in the Britt Montero" series (the series I'm currently reading) so I don't end up with book 2 and 4, thinking I have 2 and 3 and wondering WTF is going on when I crack open 4 and it is talking about stuff I have no idea about, leaving the book to languish on my counter for over a month while I wait for book 3 to come in (which is what happened to me with the last bunch of books I got)
We got our new fridge yesterday. We have been telling the landlord since we moved in that that thing was on it's way out. It has always made these horrible creaking and groaning noises whenever it kicked on or off. Recently, it has started having different temperature zones in it. Some areas are a little warm, leaving my pop less than pleasant. Other areas are so cold food is freezing. I can't tell you how much stuff I've had to toss because it froze (stuff that isn't supposed to freeze, like tomatoes). They left the old one so the new one had time to get cold and we could take our time switching the stuff over. I left it plugged in all night and started moving food this AM. We are going from a side by side to a top and bottom. The fridge part is about 4 inches wider than our old one, which I great. It has 3 shelves, instead of 2 and it is taller. The freezer, on the other hand, is teeny, tiny. I fit about half the stuff in our freezer in it. A lot of it was stuff that has been in there for ages (some frozen fruit from when I made smoothies for breakfast when I was working, before I got pregnant with MT) so I threw a lot away. But I also knew that this is about the emptiest the freezer is going to be because grocery shopping is Tuesday. I called the landlord and asked if we could keep the old fridge and put it on the porch. She said sure, they couldn't do anything with it. So they are coming sometime early next week to hook up the water line (new fridge has an ice maker in it) and haul the old one to the porch. I'm going to use it for freezer space and for drink and other stuff that temp doesn't matter in the fridge. Now to clear off the porch to make room for it.
Finally, does it make me a bad mom that I declined to sit upstairs and watch "Bedtime Stories" with my kids because my dad i up there? I did promise TB that I would watch it with him again tomorrow afternoon but I couldn't bring myself to hang out up there all night. Plus, it sounds like they are jumping off things and generally running wild and I'm rather glad I'm not up there right now.
Something else that irritates me is book series. This used to be basically a Sci-Fi thing, where books would have 27 books in the same series. Never bothered me until it bled over into mystery. Of course, I love the hold system at the library and have many series on hold but if it isn't a Champaign book, you might get your hold in 2 days, you might get it in 2 weeks, your book might be working on the first solo hike around the world and you might never get it. So I still end up browsing the shelves, looking for something to fill time until my next book comes in. Of course because everything is a series, you can't just wonder down the aisle and pick up something that looks interesting anymore. If you do, you might end up with the 2nd, 10th or 50th book in the series. RF says "research it before you leave and find the first book" I say, "since I pick books that have interesting covers, that doesn't work, besides even if I did, there is no guarantee that the first book would be on the shelf and then I would back in the hold system again". I'm fine with the concept of series because I like getting to know the characters better and I like knowing that I have more to read. I just don't like not knowing where the book is in the series. Name your book whatever cute, funny, punny title you feel the need to call it. Then in large print, somewhere on the cover say "the 3rd book in the Britt Montero" series (the series I'm currently reading) so I don't end up with book 2 and 4, thinking I have 2 and 3 and wondering WTF is going on when I crack open 4 and it is talking about stuff I have no idea about, leaving the book to languish on my counter for over a month while I wait for book 3 to come in (which is what happened to me with the last bunch of books I got)
We got our new fridge yesterday. We have been telling the landlord since we moved in that that thing was on it's way out. It has always made these horrible creaking and groaning noises whenever it kicked on or off. Recently, it has started having different temperature zones in it. Some areas are a little warm, leaving my pop less than pleasant. Other areas are so cold food is freezing. I can't tell you how much stuff I've had to toss because it froze (stuff that isn't supposed to freeze, like tomatoes). They left the old one so the new one had time to get cold and we could take our time switching the stuff over. I left it plugged in all night and started moving food this AM. We are going from a side by side to a top and bottom. The fridge part is about 4 inches wider than our old one, which I great. It has 3 shelves, instead of 2 and it is taller. The freezer, on the other hand, is teeny, tiny. I fit about half the stuff in our freezer in it. A lot of it was stuff that has been in there for ages (some frozen fruit from when I made smoothies for breakfast when I was working, before I got pregnant with MT) so I threw a lot away. But I also knew that this is about the emptiest the freezer is going to be because grocery shopping is Tuesday. I called the landlord and asked if we could keep the old fridge and put it on the porch. She said sure, they couldn't do anything with it. So they are coming sometime early next week to hook up the water line (new fridge has an ice maker in it) and haul the old one to the porch. I'm going to use it for freezer space and for drink and other stuff that temp doesn't matter in the fridge. Now to clear off the porch to make room for it.
Finally, does it make me a bad mom that I declined to sit upstairs and watch "Bedtime Stories" with my kids because my dad i up there? I did promise TB that I would watch it with him again tomorrow afternoon but I couldn't bring myself to hang out up there all night. Plus, it sounds like they are jumping off things and generally running wild and I'm rather glad I'm not up there right now.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Time to vote
Back in October I wrote about my support for 1% sales tax increase. Unfortunately, it didn't pass in the fall, probably because of a lack of education about what it involved in the outlying districts (this is county wide so not just our school district).
It has been put on the ballot again this election. Again, I encourage everyone to vote YES for more school funding. This increase is a good way to support our schools because it allows us to take advantage of the huge student population, in a way that property tax just doesn't. In Unit 4, this money means a new school in Savoy, a new building for BTW and a new addition for Garden Hills (which fulfill the consent decree requirements of more strands north of University). In addition, it means a reduction in property taxes and building improvements for most of the other elementary schools in the district.
I don't know the specifics of what other districts are doing, but I do know that many of them are pledging property tax reduction as well.
Just to reiterate, please vote YES for a 1% sales tax increase to support school funding on April 7th!
It has been put on the ballot again this election. Again, I encourage everyone to vote YES for more school funding. This increase is a good way to support our schools because it allows us to take advantage of the huge student population, in a way that property tax just doesn't. In Unit 4, this money means a new school in Savoy, a new building for BTW and a new addition for Garden Hills (which fulfill the consent decree requirements of more strands north of University). In addition, it means a reduction in property taxes and building improvements for most of the other elementary schools in the district.
I don't know the specifics of what other districts are doing, but I do know that many of them are pledging property tax reduction as well.
Just to reiterate, please vote YES for a 1% sales tax increase to support school funding on April 7th!
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