"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A snowy parking lot

That's why my dental surgery was cancelled yesterday.
The roads were clear. The parking lot was not.

BOO.

Since I didn't have my wisdom teeth removed, I got to go to WW today.
Mind you, I thought I was going to be on a semi-liquid diet for a few days this week, and I ate with that in mind. :/

And for the weigh-in... I was up. Just a little. As in 0.6 pounds.

And it's all made of chocolate, baby. :)

Monday, December 27, 2010



This is my way of reminding you I probably won't be posting over the next few days because of the ole wisdom teeth.
Blurg.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Easy Santa's beard Advent Calendar

I meant to post this all December, but here it is on December 26th.

I made the easiest advent calendar this year:
1 Santa decoration from Dollar Tree
1 bag XL cotton balls
Glue of any kind
Total cost: $2.50.




All you do is take the $1 Santa and write the numbers 1 - 25 on the beard. Be sure and space them out well if you plan to use the XL cotton balls like I did. Every day you just glue a cotton ball over the date, and Voila! A super-cheap and easy, fun advent calendar for the kids. BigBoy loved it and it was cute on our pantry door. I had one like it as a kid and loved it.
I think this will have to come back next year.

A White Christmas Day too late

What we woke up to.


The backyard.
Snowhere else I'd rather be. :)
(yes, I AM a dork.)

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas from the "green house"! I can't wait for Christmas morning with a 4 year old and 1 year old!

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas and a fun New Year!

Cayce

P.S. It might be after the first of the year before I resume blogging, as J will be home all next week and I have my super-exciting wisdom teeth removal scheduled.

For the love of Glob

Last night while I was still on a post-workout endorphin high, I jumped in the shower to get cleaned up. I accidentally over-squeezed the shampoo and ended up with a wonderfully latherous (I think I just made that word up) head full of suds. What a difference it made! I have a lot of hair so it felt soooo good!
(I'm realizing I sound a little sad by saying this. hrmph. oh well.)
I then proceeded to ditch my usual bar soap and grabbed the body wash to shave with and did it again. I planted a big fat glob of body wash on that sponge. I felt like a queen! I'm usually so frugal that I have to make it all last as long possible. Why, though?? I have bottles to spare!

That simple indulgence was very much worth it.
I highly recommend making the globs in your life larger.



The nice globs, anyway. Nasty globules need not apply.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

WW Wednesday

So this last week didn't go so well in the healthy eating department.

I might have even raided Santa's stocking stuffer stash.

There was a small Christmas miracle on the scale today, though, because I somehow managed to lose weight in the last week.

In all honesty, I wish I hadn't. My behaviors should NOT have led to a weight loss. I really truly don't know how it happened.
I'm just going to take it and go forth with my renewed commitment, though. That's what I have to do every day, every meal even -- just make the healthy decisions.
Think small and results will be big.

My goal for the next week: Don't indulge in Christmas goodies on all the days that aren't Christmas. It's a holiDAY, not a holiWEEK!

Next Tuesday afternoon I am having my wisdom teeth removed so there won't be a WW Wednesday next week. Maybe a WW Tuesday, but we'll see how ambitious I am.

Thanks again for all the support. I really appreciate!!!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

BabyCupcakes

This is my last post about BabyCakes' first birthday, I promise!
I had to share some cake pictures, though!





I think she enjoyed her cupcakes. :)



After she was hosed down like a filthy creature lovingly bathed, Daddy gave her his present. (My present is unfinished.)






Yay for BabyCakes!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Little June Turns One

Back in June at BabyCake's half-Birthday, I took some photos of her in my pearl necklace. I talked about my plans to photograph her on her birthdays here.

BabyCakes has brought so much joy to our lives here in the "green house," as BigBoy refers to it. (Not to be confused with a greenhouse -- a place where plants actually live and thrive. Two out of 5 of my poinsettias are already down for the count and the Christmas tree is hanging on for dear life.)
'
Here are some things I have learned about her this year:

1. She is not a younger, female version of my first baby. She is very much her own person with distinct likes and dislikes. For example, she likes sleeping in her own bed in her own home.
She dislikes staying up late just because something or someone new or different is involved.
The girl enjoys her sleep.



2. BabyCakes is resilient. The child hardly cries. I've seen her pull barstools on top of herself with barely a whimper. She rolls with the punches. That child is tough and when you see tears, it usually means I haven't done my job and gotten her to her crib on time.


3. She shares her bother's mischievous spirit. Nothing seems to make them giggle harder than when I squeal that they are getting into something they shouldn't.


4. Her favorite past time is exploration. Toys, dolls, books -- nothing lasts long in her hands. If I were to let her loose, she could have every cabinet and drawer in the house emptied in half an hour.
Restricting her access to new areas to explore is the easiest way to make her upset. (Aside from putting her in a strange bed.)



5. I have no idea how we will get along in the future. Sometimes I worry that we are too different. Then I remind myself that she just now turned ONE. There is still so much to come from this wonderful child. Besides, she's soooo easy-going.

Happy First Birthday, BabyCakes! It's been an incredible year having you in it!

Good Morning, Birthday Girl!


That's right, BabyCakes, you are turning ONE today!



We're going to have cupcakes and everything!



(Jumping up and down - hence the blurriness) "It's my birthday! It's my birthday!"


"Okay, so when do I get my cupcakes?"

Friday, December 17, 2010

Photographic Inadequacies

Why can't I ever take a decent "special occasion" picture of my children?

Weddings? Nope.
Birthdays? Nope.
Holidays? Big. Fat. NOPE.

These are some of the BEST shots from today when I was trying to get a last-minute Christmas card picture out of them.


BabyCakes mid-jabber:


Oh Bigboy! Look here! Come on, people. Work with me!


Yes, lovely, son. Very natural. And, no. It doesn't look like your sister is twice your size. Noooo.


Ehhhhh.
This was the best of the day:



Oh well. I don't think anyone who reads this blaaaahg is confused about what my children look like.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Because we are bored





And my children are crazy.

Boo-freakin-hoo!

School was cancelled today. It was BigBoy's last day of preschool before Christmas.
I was looking forward to watching BigBoy fidget silently hearing his class sing Christmas songs.
I won't be taking pretty Christmas photos of my children in their red sweater and red dress.

Instead we have this:



And ugly weather.

Meh.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

WW Wednesday

It was 2 weeks since my last meeting when I walked in to WW today.
I had a birthday and went out of town in that time.

I lost zero pounds in that those weeks. I also gained zero pounds.

I'll take it.

Goals for this week: stay away from the sweets that seem to be flying at me from everywhere, and try to work more veggies into my diet.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

BabyCakes' Birthday Wreath

Yes, her birthday really is here! We're having a small small birthday party for her on Sunday.
I decided I wanted to make a little something to greet our guests.
I (of course) didn't want to spend any money, so I scrounged around and found a wreath form I bought at a yard sale for a quarter and then just added some baby toys.



What do you think? Weird and sad or cute and creative? :)



Monday, December 13, 2010

Top 10 Ways to Destroy a Holiday Inflatable:*


10. Serve it some punch. With your fist.

9. Hurl a copy of the HOA bylaws at it.

8. Cut loose the tie-downs with your stroller.

7. Give it a good cleaning -- with a pressure washer.

6. Take your family-friendly vehicle and get all Dukes of Hazard on its ass.

5. Hog tie it with one of the owners' strands of orange and purple Halloween lights.

4. BB Gun drive-by.

3. Coat inflatable in peanut butter. Apply birdseed liberally.

2. Three words: Sharpened Candy Canes.

1. Bottle rockets. The same house with halloween lights and huge inflatables is destined to have fireworks.


*I am in no way advocating violence, destruction of private property, or law-breaking in any fashion. This is meant purely as a joke.
No giant Santa's were harmed in the making of this blog post.
I actually only detest the huge ones. The others don't bother me so much, but I'll never admit it out loud.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

We're home.

The last couple weeks have been crazy around here:



grandparents and the dogs for Thanksgiving, then the other set of grandparents, then my sister... and then we drove to TN/KY at the last minute. Daddy was in the hospital (the above pic was taken while they were here in NC) for a week. He's home now, though.

I'm glad we went but now it's time to get back to work.

I have 13 loads of laundry to finish this weekend.
Oh and my children are insane.


Traveling, lots of grandparents, and lots of TOYS will do that to you, I guess.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Champagne and snowglobes

Yesterday I celebrated my Inaugural 29th Birthday.

:) Just kidding. I don't think I'm going to start lying about my age.
Yet.
I might have to see what Miss Clairol can do with these gray hairs, though.



It was a great day!
My parents had been in for a few couple days (they left after lunch) and then my sister arrived yesterday for a weekend visit.
My day was filled with flowers, cake (2 kinds!), champagne, dinner out with friends, and of course my beautiful babies and their daddy. They got me the snow globe

I have no problem with hitting the big 3-0 anymore.
That just means I get to spend another year with my favorite people in the world.

But I still might start coloring my hair.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

WW Wednesday: Post- Turkey(or ham in my case) Day Edition

I almost went to bed without my update... (yes, at 9:30)
We had a nice Thanksgiving with family in. I enjoyed our national day of gluttony.
Then I went to Maggiano's on Saturday and had lasagna.
And wine.
And chocolate cake.


And then came the weigh-in.

Guess what, though? I LOST. Crazy, I know.
This brings my grand total to 30 pounds lost -- almost the weight of BigBoy.

Thank you so much to those who have offered kind words and support. Keep sending it my way!

WW has just been overhauled for the first time in 13 years so I have some adjusting to do to the new plan, but I think it is going to help me make even healthier choices.

I would say "I'm pumped!" but then I would have to knock the pompoms out of my hands and say something bitterly sarcastic.

Goal for this week: Make good decisions eating out while more family is in town.