Just A Curl

Words for the Weekend

2012-02-10T19:29:00.000-05:00

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions.

So what. Get started now.

With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”

~Mark Victor Hansen, creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series

BigBoy's Valentine's Day

2012-02-10T15:22:00.001-05:00

BigBoy is on a year-round school schedule and he tracked-out for 3 weeks starting yesterday.
His class celebrated Valentine's Day early so they wouldn't miss out on the fun.
Here are a few of the things he made in celebration of the ~~chocolateday~~ holiday:

This is a picture of him with his new girlfriend Sophia (who has blonde hair, not orange like in the drawing). I hate to admit it, but he says he is going to marry Sophia instead of Biz now.
Before you judge, he says he doesn't see Biz enough and he wants to "marry a girl I can play with at recess."
I guess I can see his point. :)

He made a Valentine for his hamster Rapunzel. We taped it to the outside of her ~~tower~~ cage so she can see it all the time.

He made a Valentine's mailbox with very little help from me. I mostly did the cutting and helped with taping/gluing. The rest of it was all him and he was very proud.

While I was in his room taking this photo, I also snapped a pic of one of his original lego creations.

He saw me taking the photo and said "Wait, let me turn the guns off. I don't want it to shoot you."
(He's clicking an imaginary trigger with his thumb)

He also made cards for me, J, and BabyCakes, but we already knew we had his heart.
(Sappy I know, but come on, it's Valentine's Day afterall.)

Adventures in Parenting

2012-02-09T10:56:00.001-05:00

Last night was rough.

It was so rough, in fact, that J and I were injured.

We have actual parenting injuries.

No joke.

Let me give you a little rundown...

12:30: BabyCakes wakes up crying. Why? Who knows. Soothe her, give her some water, and back to bed.

12:37: Pee.

12:38: Wake J up adjusting myself in bed.

12:39-12:49: Quiet the to-do lists in my head.

12:50: Drift off.

12:51: BabyCakes wakes up crying at her door gate. ~~Jump~~ Use my imaginary pulley system to get myself back out of bed and repeat the baby-back-to-bed routine again.

12:55: Climb back in bed.

12:56: Dang it. I forgot to pee and I MUST pee before I can go back to sleep.

12:57 - 3:30: REPEAT THE ENTIRE PROCESS CONTINUOUSLY.

3:31 - Check BabyCakes' temperature and determine she is not sick. What the crap, girl?!

3:35 - Decide to be a good wife and sleep on the couch so that my hard-working husband who has to get up all too soon can hopefully catch a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

3:36 - After peeing, drag blankets out of the linen closet to make up the couch. Trip on the baby gate I left open and roll my ankle. Curse the day I became a woman.

3:39 - Hear Rapunzel (the hamster) running in her wheel. Try to telepathically make her stop for the next 20 minutes.

4 freakin a.m. - Limp on sore ankle with hamster to kitchen. Pee. Back to couch.

4:03 - I still hear the hamster wheel. Now I'm hot. Hobble to switch for fan, then bathroom. Couch.

4:06 - 5something - Drift in and out of sleep having those freaky dreams where you think you are awake but then it turns out you were still dreaming. Finally decide BabyCakes is out for the count and hobble to bedroom and cozy up to a warm husband.

5something + 30 seconds - Hear the hamster who is now in the kitchen, much closer to our room. Put hamster back in living room. Climb in bed and have brief nightmare about hamsters, mice and rodents of all kinds taking over my house.

5something + Ihavenoclue - Hubs is up for work. His back is very sore. Try to massage some of the pain away but it doesn't help.

5:45 - BabyCakes is walking in my room. Don't move. Maybe she won't see me.

5:46 - Use what little energy I have left to pull her into the bed. She sucks her thumb and snuggles up in my arms.

5:47 - Realize having moments like this make the whole night worth it.

Well, kind of. ;)

Today, out of the blue, BigBoy said to me,

2012-02-08T19:26:00.000-05:00

"I love you more than cookies and Star Wars."

Sorry ladies, he's taken. At least until he's 7. ;)

WW Wednesday

2012-02-08T15:14:00.000-05:00

Well look at that, it's been a whole week since I blaaaahged about anything.
I'll try to get something more interesting than my s.l.o.w. weight-loss updates on here some time soon.
But while we're on the subject... :)

I had a nice weigh-in today. I wasn't sure I would because sick children last week and Kindergarten obligations kept me out of the gym. I used every single point I had for the week but I must have gotten more activity in than I realized, because I had a nice loss at the scale today.
Pollyanna nice.

After an undisclosed (because I don't want to go back and ~~cry~~ look) amount of time spent in this "decade" of numbers, I FINALLY broke through to the next lower set.
Barely.
Like, eat-a-tictac-and-it's-over barely there.

But I'm here!

You see, I didn't just sit still at the same weight all those ~~weeks~~ ~~months~~ seasons (maybe 2).
I would lose a few, gain a few, lose a few, gain a few. You know the drill.
It took me losing like 25 pounds to get 10 off. Does that make sense?
Maybe it wasn't that much, but like I said, I don't want to go back and ~~cry~~ look.

My goal is so close I could touch it.

In heels.

If I stretch...

Anyone want to set a goal for themselves and join me in my home stretch?

WW Wednesday

2012-02-01T14:26:00.000-05:00

Or, "Why I'm Glad I Stepped on the Scale Today"

This past week hasn't been easy.
Yes, yes, we can all agree that in the grand scheme of things, my "complications" of life aren't a drop in the bucket for millions and millions of people.
I get that.
I really do.

Moving on.

I've been in the house a lot lately.

And I might have turned to a candybar ~~or twelve~~ in the last week in a ~~blind sugar addiction gone out of control~~ moment of weakness.

I had a good excuse not to go to WW today. Both children were home with me and besides, I knew I had gained. I didn't get much sleep last night, either.

I wasn't going to go. Last night and this morning I ate like I wasn't going to go. I didn't eat a LOT, but I didn't eat with my meeting in mind, that's for sure.

But this morning it kept nagging at me.

GO.

Just GO.

YOU MUST FACE IT. YOU CAN HANDLE IT.

GO.

So I went, fully expecting a BIG gain. (well, as big a gain as you can have over one week)
You know what, though? It wasn't that bad at all. Perfectly manageable. Far better than I expected, in fact.

I walked in with the kids, weighed, and left -- we didn't stay for the meeting.

But I WENT. I faced my reality.

So you see, if I hadn't put on my big girl panties and stepped on that scale, I would have been completely convinced that I had gained several obnoxious, sugar-filled pounds. Then I would've had to try hard not to beat myself up over it, probably sabotaging the upcoming week's efforts.

So now you know "Why I'm Glad I Stepped on the Scale Today."
(Is that where the period goes?)

**Jana Hicks of A Bunch of Hicks took these photos of BigBoy when he was 3? months old. Sweet, aren't they?

Room Mom

2012-01-31T21:11:00.001-05:00

I received an email today from the "room mom" of BigBoy's class.
Now, the room mom coordinates the volunteer schedule, requests needed supplies, and generally spends more time in class than the rest of us mere mortal parents combined.

Well, apparently she takes pictures too.

She takes pictures of the field trips she chaperones, the trips to the nursing home she orchestrates, and the gingerbread-house-making for which I supplied store-brand gumdrops and canned frosting.

Yes, today she invited me to see her album of 534,000 (okay, maybe I exaggerate a bit here) photos of BigBoy's kindergarten class and all their antics.

I'm so glad there is a woman to do all that.
A woman with another child too young for school and yet is still able to volunteer as much as she does. (There went my excuse...)
A woman who made individual Christmas goodie bags for all the children.
A woman who helps my son open his milk at lunch and always wears perfume.

Really, I am.

Never has she even insinuated that I don't do enough for/with the class. She has been nothing but gracious and accommodating to me, and talks about how sweet my son is every time I ~~oh-so-infrequently grace the halls~~ see her.

I bet her blonde hair is even her natural color.

Damn her.

;)

Too Much Perspective

2012-01-31T06:08:00.001-05:00

Just when BabyCakes started feeling better, BigBoy woke up with a 104 degree temperature.

Let's hope The Jetsons can buoy his spirits a bit.

I hope the rest of you have a good day.
I think I'll be spending a good portion of mine cuddled up on the couch with my babies. :) :(

Perspective

2012-01-29T18:31:00.001-05:00

Babycakes has a virus. Her throat is covered in sores and she has had only a few sips to drink all day and a tiny bit of jello. She has barely left my lap.
My prayers go out to those whose children won't get better with time and cuddles...

My question to you

2012-01-27T21:05:00.000-05:00

Ultimately, Just a Curl is my blaaaahg. I know that.
From day one it has been an outlet for me and my whatever. It's also a way I keep family and friends out-of-state in on the normal happenings of my life.
Occasionally I have found myself questioning whether something I want to blog about would be of any interest to others. I know in the end it is, like I said, my blog, but I still like to keep my few-but-valued readers in mind.
So, here's my question: What do you like to hear about/see the most around here?

Pics of the kids?
Stories about our life?
Funny stuff?
Sentimental stuff?
Pics of my community/vacations?
Stories about going back to school?
Weight-loss tips or struggles?
Thrifty decorating ideas?

Any positive feedback is welcome. :)

WW Wednesday on Thursday...night.

2012-01-26T21:13:00.000-05:00

Yeah yeah, but I'm here now, okay?

I know what you're thinking, "Um, okay crazy lady, nobody really cares what you did this week so you can just slow your roll."

No? Just me?

Anyway, last week we had sickness hanging around this joint so you would think I didn't eat much.

Haha.

Snort.

Chuckle chuckle

tear... :(

:) I'm just playing around. I ate basically whatever I desired but in reasonable portions, I suppose, because I had a baby-sized loss at the scale. Hey, a loss is a loss, am I right?

So, now moving forward to next Wednesday like always. Get back to normal with the eating. (aka, Stay away from candy bars.)

Anybody else have anything they would like to contribute to this less-than-interesting edition of WW Wednesday?
(Sorry, my brain is a bit fried from classwork. I'm consumed with learning about the Peloponnesian war and also how not to hate my instructors--and not necessarily in that order. How bout we just enjoy a nice happy picture of BigBoy in footed pjs sitting in the sink of our little apartment bathroom?)

She's airborne in the last shot.

2012-01-24T06:15:00.002-05:00

The other night after baths, the kids were playing in Babycakes' room so I took the opportunity to snap a few photos.

Some of the their expressions were sweet, if not a little forced.

Some were a little more real.

And others just said "I'm a kid! Let's have fun!"

So that's exactly what we did.

On the mend

2012-01-23T07:35:00.002-05:00

Thanks to modern medicine and a little time, Babycakes is pretty much back to normal after her bout of pneumonia.

I look at this photo and into her eyes, and all I can think is "Don't worry. I've got you."

Good to know that primal maternal instincts aren't susceptible to viruses.

The Typing Dead

2012-01-20T07:45:00.001-05:00

Sorry to be dramatic, but that's how I feel this morning.
My neck is sore, my mouth is dry, and I'm pretty sure it's January. Friday, right?

BabyCakes had a coughing fit on Wednesday afternoon so I took her back to the pediatrician (who promptly stated that she believed I too had pneumonia instead of my previously-diagnosed bronchitis) for some time with a nebulizer.

She fought and screamed and cried and fought some more, so they didn't send it home with us.
Use 3 humidifiers? Steam showers? Meds and saline spray? Check, check, check.

Thursday night she slept soundly. She coughed some at one point but never woke up.
Whew, glad that's done!

Oh but last night. Last night she woke up around 1:00 -- I think. My secretary was off-duty -- and it was downhill from there.
The previous solution of pushing the ottoman against the couch and me cuddling up with her (uncomfortably) was not cutting it.
This led to more crying and more coughing.

I got up to pee at 4 and she was still awake and now diaper-less when I returned from my 90-second trip to the bathroom.

New diaper, more tears, more coughing.

Why did we move the hamster to the living room bookshelves? Why does she insist on running in that darn "silent" wheel?

Drift off finally. Hear the poor hubs moving around the bedroom getting ready for work at 4:30...or something. At least he insisted we get to bed early because he had an early day and in case it was a rough night with BabyCakes. Smart man.
Text him goodbye because I don't want to wake BabyCakes who is burrowed into my armpit.

Drift off and wake up at 5:45 to coughing.

But it's not BabyCakes.

"Mooooom, I feel sick."

-----------------------------

I am not sharing these events to complain. Times when my kids are sick I am even more aware of how healthy they really are and how lucky we are in that area.
But, if this blaaaahg is going to be even a halfway accurate depiction of my Curly life, I had to remember it. Hope you all are well!

WW Wednesday

2012-01-18T15:05:00.000-05:00

~~Wazzzup!~~

~~HI!!!! How are you today???~~

~~Yo, how's it goin?~~

~~Greetings and salutations,~~

~~Hey dare ho dare~~ (Anyone else remember the dog walker from Mad About You?)

Hey! I think I'm crashing off my caffeine now, luckily for you.

First of all, BabyCakes is starting to improve some, thank you all for asking! She only woke up once last night and I gave her a pedialyte-tylenol cocktail and she miraculously went back to sleep.

She's still irritable a lot throughout the day, but I don't blame her. She did, however, behave well during my WW meeting. We sat over to the side by ourselves. I wanted to be able to leave easily if she seemed the least bit uncomfortable. We settled in to the couch and I gave her a wet wipe she used to clean the surrounding tables. :) There also may have been some Smarties involved in her distraction...

Regarding my past week in healthy choices: it really wasn't so bad.

Because I was sick over the weekend and BabyCakes has been sick this week, I got in a fraction of the activity I did the week before.

You would think that with all this sickness going around I would not being eating much, but ohhhhhh my friend, if only that were true. When I am sick and tired is when I am at my weakest; I just want to comfort myself with peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes I suppose. (I think I just used that semi-colon correctly. Kelly?) Yes, I actually made and ate peanut butter and chocolate pancakes. I am in fact an 8 year old girl.

So, for the weigh-in: Oatmeal breakfast, normal/light-weight clothes (not the lightest possible) -- Down at the scale. I was hoping for/expecting a tiny loss but was pleasantly surprised. Let's just put it this way: Next week I could be in a different "decade" of numbers and it feels surreal.

I find myself using the word "surreal" a lot these days.

Thank you to those of you who have shown your support over the last year. Your comments and emails of support mean a great deal to me! Please let me know if there are any goals I can help you work toward achieving.

P.S. I didn't have any new photos to share today so I decided just to pick some random January 2010, 2011, and 2012 shots of the chitlins. BabyCakes might hate me for the last one some day, but I'm willing to risk it. ;) The pic represents her relationship with BigBoy right now very well!

BabyCakes' force field must be on the fritz.

2012-01-17T16:06:00.003-05:00

Hi, Cayce here just checking in for a moment during the last of BabyCakes' nap.

I thought you fine people might like a little update:

1. My classes are going well...ish. Nope, let me start over because it could be a lot worse. My classes are going well. Everything in life seems to get more complicated than we expect but in the grand scheme of things, these "complications" are merely making the whole going-back-to-school thing more interesting, you could say.

Anyone have a good idea for a research paper about an event affecting world history?

Anyone?

2. The weather it bat-crap crazy around here. Thirty two degrees one day and 64 the next, crazy. It's making everyone sick. And by "everyone," (is that where that comma goes, kelly?) I mean BabyCakes.

Poor thing has PNEUMONIA. What the ???? She's going to be fine, but that word sounds scarier to me than the idea of a ban on chocolate. (a situation that would also require medical attention in my case)

3. BigBoy is not sick. (knock on wood) He says his "force shield is protecting him from getting sick." Sometimes he coughs and then says "a plasma cannon hit my force shield but I fixed it so now I can't get sick any more." LOL. Skinny little nut.

**Update: When I picked him up from school I told him about BabyCakes and how he needs to make sure not to hug and kiss on her. He said "Yeah, because my force shield broke again and I don't know how to fix it this time." I said "Can't you just build a new one?" He replied, "No, but Teddy can. I'll tell him to get right on that."

My blaaaahg is worth the time if only to remember that conversation. :)

4...Ok so that's it. I only had 10 minutes to spend on the blaaaahg (again, I know you feel so special!) so I'm outtie!

(Yes, I just typed that and I've had enough caffeine today to not care.)

See you people tomorrow!

Forget-me-not Friday

2012-01-13T13:36:00.000-05:00

A little bit of my life, not nearly as glamorous as BabyCake's new shoes from Aunt Molly, ~~being worn on the wrong feet~~. (They light up too!)

Have a great weekend!

WW Wednesday

2012-01-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

Hi there!
I was trying to do work for my classes but Blackboard suddenly crapped-out (yes, that is the technical term for what happened) so I decided to mosey over to my blaaaahg for a bit. Well don't you feel special? :)

Today I was a bit disappointed at my WW meeting, to be honest. I got a lot of extra exercise last week and did not see the results at the scale I was hoping for. I had a loss, but not a loss like I was expecting.
I am still proud of my tracking all week and increase in activity, though, I think/hope the scale will be a little more accommodating next week.

My goal for this week is to continue tracking everything and keep the increased activity. Rainy days like this don't exactly inspire me to hit the gym, but some times you have to create your own inspiration.

That is the magnet BigBoy made in Art class. I think it is beauuutiful and I will possible copy it, enlarge it, and hang it in a frame on my wall.

Ok now, anyone? Motivational anything you would like to share???

Double Dino Trouble

2012-01-10T07:54:00.002-05:00

I mentioned recently how much I love the new dino-printed dress we got from Grandma and I promised to try for some pics of BigBoy in his pj's she made.
Here the two of them are together -- one still in pj's and the other already dressed but with hair big and natural, not yet (semi) tamed for the day.

They get a little nuts together. As BigBoy would say, "This is how we roll."

I hope everyone has a good day! This is how I got to start mine, so I'm pretty happy!

Winter White

2012-01-09T14:47:00.001-05:00

Hi there, everyone!
We are having a cold, wet, gray Winter day here at our home. Hopefully that means BabyCakes will take a niiiice long nap for me.

It's too bad today is so dreary because I really wanted to do her 2 -year "Little June" shots today.
Here, let me show you the dress Melissa made her:

Precious, right? When I mentioned to Melissa that I wanted to do these photos in a pillowcase dress so as to best represent who she is right now (and we all know she sports more than a few pillowcase dresses these days), she quickly offered to make it and I took her up on it.
I had an idea for what I wanted and after some collaboration (and much work on Melissa's part-- thank you!!), the result is beautiful!

The pink trim between the top and the bottom was her idea and the fabrics are so soft and beautiful!
The long pink satin bow is as soft as a baby's butt.

She knew I was looking for something a bit vintage-inspired and when she suggested the detailed fabric on the bottom, it was perfect. It kind of reminds me of my grandmother white chenille bedspread that she uses in the "girls' room" of their house -- a room I slept quiet country nights of sleep in as a child and even a teen.

I'm more than a little afraid to even let BabyCakes wear it. She's kind of a female, pigtail-wearing Pigpen. Don't get me wrong, I love this little lady more than any other "little lady" on earth, but she's just so dirty all the time. Crusty, sticky, poopy, snotty, slimy... I don't know why but it is always something.
She can have just had a bath and suddenly I find mashed banana on her person... really??
More than once I have said "Where the crap did this come from?" when something that was previously stuck to her got stuck on me.

I found a spaghetti noodle in her bed this morning.

I don't know, it's a rare talent she has to be so cute and yet so gross at the same time.

Or maybe it's all children. :)

In the mean time, here is a shot of the now-awake BabyCakes looking at her dress on the computer screen.

Yep, that's right, she's awake already.
Ten minutes into her nap, nature called -- with a bullhorn, if you know what I mean.

Fun times.

I told you she was dirty. :)

(Love you, BabyCakes! You know this is all in fun!)

WW Wednesday

2012-01-04T15:38:00.000-05:00

I had a pretty good week in the "healthy choices department" even with all the cupcakes around.
I got some exercise in. I would elaborate but I am crunched for time.

I had a nice loss at the scale today. :D

--------------------------------------------------------------

Almost my entire "work day" has been spent wrangling my online classes for this semester.

I even lugged BabyCakes to the main campus. It's a long story but all that matters is that I am enrolled for the English class I mentioned last night AND a History class!
Tuition is paid and everything!

Now I just need to buy my books and take a gander at Blackboard.

Wow. I really did it. I'm officially back in school even if it is just part-time.
I had to practically waterboard a department head to get here, and at times today I didn't know if it would happen, but here I am.

Wish me luck and be forgiving if/when my blaaaahging suffers!

~ Cayce

Interesting...

2012-01-03T22:41:00.001-05:00

The Biology class I was enrolled for was cancelled at the last minute.
It looks like one of the (very few) classes that still has spots remaining AND will fit my degree needs is an English course called "Expository Writing II." I think I might enjoy this class...

(Of course I'll need to finally learn WHERE THE HECK to put punctuation when quotation marks are involved.)

Unfortunately I can't register for the course tonight because my AP scores aren't showing up on my online transcript.
(Even though I've taken an English course beyond the Freshman level, it still says I don't have my pre-reqs fulfilled because of this one missing course.)

There are magically 9 spots left.

Cross your fingers that one remains open until I can talk to a registrar about lifting the flag for me in the morning!

Pretty please!?!
(This is BigBoy's "but-I'm-cute-so-can't-I-please-have-another-cup-of-hot-chocolate-with-247-mini-marshmallows-on-top?" face. It's the same one I will use on the phone with the school in the morning. Maybe I should just lug the kids up there with me. ;) )

Baby(Cup)Cakes' 2nd Birthday Party

2012-01-02T12:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we had a small party for BabyCakes. Just a few friends, pretty weather, and food.

I used a plate and some ribbon for a last-minute door decoration.

Streamers and Dollar Store mylar balloons are a staple of birthday parties around here.

As are yellow cakes with chocolate frosting. Yum!

I may have filled the funfetti cupcakes a little too full. I only got 14 instead of 24 out of the box. BigBoy said it just made more space to cover with icing, which was from a can like spray-cheese but tasted like buttercream.

BabyCakes wore the cupcake dress Grandma made her and of course had to rock the pigtails like only a 2-year-old can.

The usual suspects were there for the fun.

After pizza we broke out the cupcakes.

Emma snuck another one when no one was looking. Atta girl. :)

It's a shame BigBoy didn't enjoy them. ;)

Happy Birthday, sweet ruffian BabyCakes!

And Happy New Year to you, dear blaaaahg readers!

A New Year's Eve Walk

2011-12-31T19:51:00.000-05:00

Today the weather was beautiful so we took a long walk around the neighborhood with the children.

(Blue skies but no blooms -- don't worry, Cayce, they will be here before you know it.)

BabyCakes must have been afraid of the paparazzi when we left the house -- she couldn't leave without her shades and cell.

You think I kid but this is really how she pranced through the neighborhood.

Do you ~~hear what I hear~~ see what I see?

That's right, DEflated holiday inflatables.*

I may have mentioned a time or two that I don't care for this type of seasonal lawn ornamentation.

Now that Christmas is over they can take their place in the Christmas bin under the tangled lights.

~~HoHoHo~~ HaHaHa, enjoy your eleven-month burial, Mr. 9-feet-tall-Snowglobe!

Ok, I have to go. BabyCakes just texted me that she has a poopy diaper.

*I should mention that my children LOVE inflatables! Of course they do. They are fun and whimsical. I still want to drive my mid-size vehicle through one, though.

So Fresh So Clean

2011-12-30T13:50:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I love Spring.

The past two years (wow, I am coming up on two years blaaahging!) I have heralded its arrival with 10 choirs of angels. Maybe not explicitly, but it was pretty clear in my posts that I was happy to see the season arrive.

There are a few things I do to keep things fresh and happy around here when the days aren't so "fresh and happy" outside.

First thing every morning I open all the blinds throughout the house. Let in the light!

Next I try to keep surfaces cleared. Notice I say "cleared" and not "clean."

I hate seeing junk on counters, vanities, etc. It needs to find it's home or ~~get put in a pile that I will take care of later~~ be dealt with. I'm not always good at this one but I am actively striving to do better with organization.

Here are some examples of how I try to keep it "Springy" up in this joint:

Sheer curtains in the bedroom allowing for lots of natural light.

Tasty and pretty citrus fruit in the dining room/ middle of the house.

Plants (I can't kill) tucked away on bookshelves...

and in the kitchen.

Have friends over...

as much as possible.

Enjoy a perk of the current season.

And in between all the cleaning and organizing...

Play!

No Christmas Tree, No Christmas Tree...

2011-12-29T14:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we put away the Christmas decorations. Here's where the tree used to live:

Ahhh, much better. I feel like I lost ten pounds.
(At least something made me feel like I lost ten pounds because it certainly hasn't been that bitchy scale lately.)

I'm ready for Spring!

J informed me yesterday that it is not yet Spring like I wish to think, but instead just became Winter.
I thought that comment was totally unnecessary.
"Winter-shminter!", that's what I have to say about that.
(WHERE THE CRAP DO YOU PUT COMMAS WHEN YOU ARE DEALING WITH QUOTATION MARKS????!!! I can never remember. Is there a 4th grade English teacher in the house?)

Last year I told you how much I dread the gray days of this season so this year I plan to just skip over it completely.

I am going to embrace the colors I've surrounded myself with and move on to cleaning and organizing this place.

On a different note, today BabyCakes is wearing what might be my favorite pillowcase dress from Grandma yet. I bought this dino fabric to make a curtain for BigBoy's room but decided it was a little babyish for the long run so I gave it and a ribbon to her and asked her if she could work her magic.

She made this dress for BabyCakes and adorable pajamas for BigBoy (I'll try to get a picture).

I love that it is unconventional subject matter for a girls print and the red/orange/teal/lime colors are awesome.

Ok, back to the cleaning. I'm teaching BabyCakes and BigBoy how to clean the baseboards.

Hehe, they're so lucky I'm their mom.

WW Wednesday

2011-12-28T20:53:00.000-05:00

Oookaaaay just putting this out there before bed to get it over with.

Yep, I was up at the scale this week. I bet you were too if you stepped on it. ;)
I enjoyed every single bite (of chocolate) of that gain, too.

Moving forward-- you know the drill.

Start over.

Move more.

I am going to move past this plateau and finish the "losing" phase of this jooooourney.

A glimpse at our Christmas

2011-12-27T11:04:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!
It was a lego/babydoll Christmas morning around here.
J gave me an awesome new 50mm lens for my camera. It should make for better indoor and close-up photos. I played around with it some but I have a lot to learn and I can't wait!
Here are just a few shots that represent our fun-filled day:

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:04:00.001-05:00

Much love to all my friends and family, today and every day!

~Cayce

Putting the "Cake" in "BabyCakes"

2011-12-22T14:18:00.001-05:00

Tuesday we had a family celebration for BabyCake's 2nd Birthday. Her real party will be on New Year's Day. (Hey, you try planning a Christmas baby's party!)
We had store-bought cupcakes I lined up like a "K" for her name.

(It was evening when I took these pics, so sorry about the quality.)

She didn't even get her new purple tricycle because it was cold and dark outside.
Poor neglected child...

She did open a present from papa and grandma and now she's lugging around a sock monkey ballerina everywhere. :)

I think she had a good birthday.

These quick dusk (bad lighting) pics capture who she is at 2 right now (in an adorable dress grandma made).

But I can't wait to take her Little June photos in the dress Melissa made her!

WW Wednesday

2011-12-22T13:58:00.001-05:00

I'm starting to notice a trend with my WW Wednesday posts... they seem to be happening on Thursdays.
Oh well, sometimes plans change but that doesn't mean they have to be abandoned alltogether (altogether? all-together? Spell check gave me three options.), am I right?

Last week my goal was to track my points. Well, I did. And let me tell ya, it was NOT pretty.
(Imagine wide eyes and a scrunched wrinkle-inducing forehead here.)

I went waaaHAAAAY over my daily and weekly points allowances.
Like, never-came-close-to-having-those-points-in-the-first-place-and-never-gonna-repay over my allowance.

I think I even owe points to China now.

They sure tasted good, though. :)

Anyway, I ended up gaining half a pound last week.
Christmas miracle, indeed!

One more week of gluttony and then I'm back on the ball.

I kid, I kid.

No really, I am enjoying myself (within reason) through Christmas and then joining the masses of resolutionists who are committing to "eating right and moving more".

I'm not waiting till after New Year's, though.

Until next week, Merry Christmas!

TWOsday the 20th

2011-12-20T10:34:00.000-05:00

Hey BabyCakes,

Guess what today is...

Your Birthday!!!

You are TWO!

"Okay, so what's for breakfast?"

Christmas is this week!

2011-12-19T07:36:00.001-05:00

WW Wednesday & A Winner!

2011-12-14T14:23:00.000-05:00

Hi there!

Today was my WW meeting and BabyCakes is wrapping up a nap so let's get down to business, shall we?

I had a very nice weigh-in today.
Surprisingly nice.
Like double-cheesy-grin-because-I-don't-know-how-I-deserve-it nice. :D :D

I wasn't so sure it would go well at the scale because of my peppermint bark problem, but I guess I didn't do so bad after all.
I got a fair amount of activity in, too, so that seems to have helped. I'm now officially back at my lowest weight since starting! Woohoo! It took some time to get rid of -- then gain, re-lose, gain, and re-lose -- a few pounds I picked up over the last few months. Now that I've broken through that it feels great!
I'd secretly (or not-so-secretly since I'm writing about it here) love to hit the next "decade" of numbers by the first of the year. That would be a Happy New Year, indeed!

So, I committed to a friend that I would stone-cold track my points for the next few months. Hopefully that will be enough to see me to "goal." That is what I am committing to this week. I'm not saying I'm going to eat all fruits and veggies but I AM going to track it all and be conscious of my choices.

And now for the Winner of the 20 in 20 Challenge...
I assigned everyone who said they were participating in the challenge & has contacted me in the last month a number. I then used a random number generator and this was the result:

Number 3 was Casey! Congratulations, Casey!

You will be receiving a custom family tree print like the one pictured here:

The rest of the participants will receive a little something in the mail, too. :)

Thanks so much to everyone who participated or showed up for support!

"You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures."

~Charles C. Noble

The Quiet

2011-12-13T12:41:00.000-05:00

I haven't felt very creative lately. Not for a while, actually.
I have no witty remarks on life or sentimental remembrances about my small children.
All that adds up to less blogging.

Why is that?

Is it because something is wrong with me? Am I upset about something? Bored with something?

No, I don't think so. Perhaps it is because life is not a 30-minute sitcom once a week.

Things have been good/normal. I can't complain. It's my favorite time of the year and a runny nose, whining, and terrible-two-tantrums are pretty much the worst of it in my daily life.
That's probably better than good/normal...

I still self-medicate with chocolate on the whinier days.
Sometimes I even take it a little too far. (If you have never tried peppermint bark, do yourself a favor and DON'T! It is highly addictive-- at least for me.)

I am here at my computer in my warm, quiet house, toddler napping and in between loads of laundry -- and it is mildly unnerving. I thought I sought quiet more than anything. PEACE was so important.
But now that I have two healthy boisterous children, I find that commotion is more befitting to an interesting life.
BigBoy is at school and I miss him. (Am I really saying this?)
I miss his incessant talking and slamming the gate on his door too loud and forgetting his lunch box.
I also miss his soft cheek, spontaneous sweet comments, and never-ending affection.

BabyCakes is asleep and I miss her.
I miss her screeches and increasingly-difficult-to-detangle hair and her talent for making everything messy, even when you didn't think it was possible.

I also miss her puffy-cheeked kisses, butt-naked running around the house like a crazy woman, and laying her head on my chest while sucking her thumb when she is tired.

Maybe I am just hormonal today. I am not describing anything unique to me or my own children. Most days I look forward to and lovingly bathe myself in the rare quiet of this house.

Funny how it takes a moment of quiet to realize you miss the commotion.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Screech! Mommy! Crash! Bang! Louder screech!"

BabyCakes is up. Where'd I put that chocolate?

WW Wednesday: 5 Minute Edition

2011-12-09T15:47:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was the last day of the 20 in 20 Challenge.
Did I lose 20? No.
Did I continue on my joooourney for 20 weeks? Yes.

The rest of the 20 will come off eventually.
Lesson learned: When it comes to something so personal for me, a hardcore challenge doesn't quite work. I have to just be the tortoise in this race and keep pluggin along.

I had the BEST birthday weekend ever! My family was super-sweet to me the whole weekend. I was treated like a queen Friday through Sunday and enjoyed every bit of it. :)

I had a fantastic time out with my friends on Saturday! I would give more details but I don't want to. :)

All in all it feels great to be 30. Thank you to everyone who has sent birthday wishes! It has been a crazy/great year and I look forward to the next 30!

XOXO ~ Cayce

I'm still alive

2011-12-09T12:22:00.001-05:00

Hey, I am around and hoping for a real BabyCakes nap later so I can do a WW post and catch y'all up on things!
Off to the store...
Hope you have a great Friday!

8 Things

2011-12-02T09:40:00.002-05:00

Upon a friend's suggestion, here are a few things about me that you may or may not know:
(There are only 8 because I'm in a bit of a hurry.)

1. My toenails are always painted and usually they are a dark pink or purple shade.

2. I don't like much fish but I do like tuna. Only FRESH tuna steaks and not from a can or a pouch, though. I guess I'm a tuna snob. Sorry, Charlie. ;)

3. My Wii controllers live in a crystal bowl wedding present.

4. I learned the word "matryoshka" (nesting dolls you see especially at Christmas) from a then 2-year-old Biz. Yes, a toddler's vocabulary was stronger than mine.

5. I went on a 4-country tour of Europe in 10 days the summer after I graduated highschool. It was better than I dreamed it would be, and I did a LOT of dreaming.
I have almost no decent photographs and my only souvenir is a now-broken ornament but I have no regrets about that trip.

6. When I was a little kid I laid on the couch and dropped a very fine chain necklace down my nose and nasal passages. My mom found one tiny link exposed and managed to use tweezers to extract the entire necklace.

7. Of the many types of chocolate I enjoy, I believe the one that makes me the happiest to eat is none other than the hard-working Snickers Nutcracker, available only at Christmastime. The chocolate-to-Snickers ratio combined with a handlebar mustache is too much to resist. He tastes best after marinating in a Christmas stocking.

8. Toward the end of my healthy-eating BigBoy pregnancy (seriously, I was quite healthy) I took to dipping frosted strawberry poptarts in cherry koolaid... yum. I'm lucky he doesn't have 12 toes.

So, that's it for today. It is my 30th Birthday and I have to get moving and enjoy it before it's over! I hope everyone has a great weekend! I know I will!

WW Wednesday: Thanksgiving Edition

2011-12-01T06:58:00.000-05:00

Again, I'm late but I'm here. Sorry bout that.

Let's get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?
Surprisingly enough, my past week in my weight-loss joooourney was better than most.
Yes, I had seconds of my favorites at Thanksgiving, but I didn't regret any of my choices, either. We did some raking and mulching over the weekend which probably helped compensate from any increase in calories I ate.
All in all, I felt good walking in to my WW meeting.
(Of course a big reason may be because I snuck and weighed myself at the gym on Monday.)

So, I ate breakfast, wore normal clothes, and still had a nice loss at the scale. To be honest, it wasn't as big as I thought it would be, but still nice all the same. Felt good. :)

When I decided back in September of last year that this would be the last time I ever tried to lose weight, I told myself that if I just kept at it, I could feel and look better at 30 than I had in my entire adult life.

I turn 30 tomorrow.

For realz.

I am proud to say my prediction was true. My blood pressure is good, I feel strong physically, and I no longer fear that a diabetes diagnosis is just around the corner. I am not saying I am perfect (far from it) and have no room for improvement. I still have goals and many things to learn about living and sustaining a healthy lifestyle.
I am so glad that 15 months ago I didn't give myself a number or pant size to aspire to
(for the record, I've gone from a 16 in jeans to an 8/10 and from a 2x in shirts to a Large, and lost 60.6 pounds as of yesterday), only a challenge to not give up.

I am no different from anyone else and if I can do it, anyone can.

Like I said, my joooourney is not over, but tomorrow is a big milestone for me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On to some business, anyone who has been participating the 20 in 20 Challenge, please check-in this week. It is the last week of the Challenge and we'd love to hear if you've learned anything or (if you want to share- no pressure) if you've lost anything. Email me if you'd rather not comment.
From today until next week's WW post I will collect the names of people who participated in the Challenge and they will be included in the drawing for a prize next week.
Good luck to you all!

iWeekend

2011-11-28T14:38:00.000-05:00

BigBoy saved his allowance and bought a kid-friendly camera.

It doesn't take the best photos but it does take a beating well.

These are some iphone and kid-camera shots from this weekend.

(I left my nice camera at home on what was possibly the most photogenic day at the zoo we've had in a long time.)

We had a relaxing IHOP breakfast with well-behaved children who actually ate their food, a new experience for us.

They had fun in the mostly-empty zoo -- we all did.

I might not have had my Nikon but our family's moment in time was captured, nonetheless.

Cheers for the weekend

2011-11-26T17:44:00.000-05:00

Stopping in for a rare Saturday post... I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

We had a fun visit with my aunt and cousins, ate too much, and did some shopping.

I am very aware that I have a lot to be thankful for, but a holiday built around it is pretty cool.

Ok, so now that Thanksgiving is over... bring on CHRISTMAS!!!

WW Wednesday

2011-11-23T20:01:00.000-05:00

Well I'm late again but I'm here!

It's been a long, productive day and this is my first chance to sit down at the computer so let's get to it, shall we?

I had a good week for weight-loss efforts. I tracked via WW and kept a positive attitude. My feeling of starting over never went away, even as I stepped up to the scale today.

I had a nice loss.

I know I told y'all that I have 25 total pounds to go, but I think I'm going to refrain from the week-to-week details.

The big achievement for me today was the fact that I wore my jeans (aka, not-the-lightest-thing-in-my-wardrobe) and again ate breakfast before my weigh-in. You know, the healthy thing to do.

So, here are some strategies for Thanksgiving this year:

1. Give myself permission to go back for seconds if I LOVE a dish. Don't go ahead and dump a larger portion on my plate, because it's harder to stop eating what you have than it is to decide not to go back for seconds.

2. Sip my drink with the hand I eat with. Read: put down my fork and pick up my glass instead of using one hand to sip while the other is holding the fork, itching to get back to business.

3. Remember that it is a holiDAY. Not a holiWEEKEND! This is a biggie because I hate to waste those tasty leftovers. I'll just have to watch the portions.

Last year I actually LOST weight the week of Thanksgiving. If you look back at that post you will notice that I was at 30 pounds lost that week.
If you are keeping score you will notice it took me 3 months to lose the first 30 and a YEAR to lose the next 30. I am okay with that, though. I didn't give up and I am very proud of that.
That next 30 pounds is gone and that is all that matters.

Today I am very thankful for all the support I receive in-person and via my blaaaaahg.
Every. single. comment. helps and means so very much to me. Truly.

Happy Happy Thanksgiving, from me, J, and the chitlins!

Psst... How are my Challenge participants this week? Only 2 weeks to go!

Growing With Grace

2011-11-22T17:16:00.000-05:00

Today I want to mention a great family and raffle taking place over at Growing with Grace.

My old friends Amber and Nathan are trying to save a life. More specifically, the life of their future daughter Anna Gray, who currently resides in an Eastern European orphanage.

Because of her Down's Syndrome, a future in her country would mean a life in institutions.

With any luck -- and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears -- she will soon be in the arms of her loving family!

First, some background (stolen from Amber's adoption blog):

Amber decided she was going to adopt at the age of four years old.

When she and Nathan began dating as teenagers, she told him her plan and said he was either in or out… he was in! They were married eight years ago and blessed less than a year later with a biological daughter, Layla, who is now seven.

A couple of years later, they started the adoption process, ready to grow their family. About halfway through the process, they were told it was impossible for them to conceive- even though they had a healthy 2-year-old at home!

This news just confirmed that they were already doing what God has always planned for them to do. Before they could even complete their homestudy, Nathan and Amber were asked to parent girl/boy twins! The babies had already had four homes and three sets of names in their short six weeks of life. Brynn and Cale are now four years old and almost as tall as their favorite person (big sister, Layla)!

Just recently, Nathan and Amber began updating their domestic homestudy. They planned on another domestic infant adoption, but God had better plans! Amber was introduced to Reese’s Rainbow by another adoptive mother, slightly by accident.

After combing through the website once or twice, praying for the precious waiting souls, she saw Gracie. Little Cale had been praying for God to bring him “a baby with a mohawk” and he found one! All three of the children started asking, “When can she come home?” before Nathan or Amber ever mentioned doing just that! They took some time to pray about her, seeking God’s will for their family and felt very clearly that this was His plan for them.

They are all so excited to hold this little squishy and bring her home. She, and her “mohawk” , will fit right in!

And now for the raffle*:

The prize is TWO nights in an upgraded room at beautiful and unique Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort in Nashville, TN!

ALSO, dinner for two at Ravello, a delicious italian restaurant inside the hotel!

For my fellow Triangle residents, Southwest Airlines runs $59 flights to and from Nashville on a regular basis and the flight is under an hour and a half. Talk about a great weekend getaway!

You have until noon NEXT Monday, November 28th to enter the contest.

You can get ONE ticket for $10. Each additional ticket is $5. (i.e. 1/$10, 2/$15, 3/$20, etc.). Your name is entered for each TICKET.
Check out this post on Growing With Grace for the details!

Whether you buy a raffle ticket or not, please remember the West's in your prayers -- especially as they spend Thanksgiving so far from a child they love so dearly.

*As a side note, I hope I win this raffle! This is where the hubs and I spent our short honeymoon (I was taking summer classes) and the restaurant we ate at on our subsequent anniversaries.

We've been just raking it in!

2011-11-21T15:49:00.000-05:00

Leaves, anyway. ;)

Somehow raking leaves,

Became playing in leaves.

It was fun for some.

But for others the fun was in a thumb.

WW Wednesday: The Reboot

2011-11-17T10:58:00.000-05:00

Better late than never, right?

First of all, sorry I've been MIA lately. We had family in over the weekend and BigBoy is tracked-out of school so things have been a little off. I'm back now, though. :)

For the last several weeks I've been riding the weight-loss yo-yo up and down, up and down.
I was practicing weight maintenance instead of weight loss. That would be good except I'm still not at a truly heathy body weight.

So, since quitting is not an option, I decided to skip it and go straight to the "restart" portion of the joooourney.
Yesterday I ate breakfast, wore jeans and a shirt (instead of running shorts and a tank), and weighed in as a healthy me. Not a skipped-breakfast me. Not an oh-no-I-hope-the number-isn't-up-2-tenths-of-a-pound me, but a healthy me.

I asked the lady at the desk to write my weight on a new weight-tracker and not write down the difference gained or lost from last week. I then filled in my five and ten percent goals and saw my weight as a starting point in this phase of the journey. I will celebrate my first 5 pounds lost just like I did a year ago.

I might as well tell you right now: I have 25 pounds to lose. Yep, 25. Somehow seeing it as a new undertaking instead of the last stretch of a long run makes it feel easier.
(And for those of you who may be worrying that that is too much weight, don't! I won't be super-skinny or model thin, but rather at the top end of the healthy weight-range for my height -- a place I feel mighty comfortable and proud to have a strong, curvy body.)

So, that's where I am today. I'm tracking my food and activity via WW again.
I'm no longer complacent yet I am happy with how I feel and look right now -- healthy!

It is Week 17 of my Challenge. How are y'all doing?

This morning I was seeing red.

2011-11-11T11:44:00.000-05:00

I took some quick photos of Neighbor Sara and Emma, runny noses and all, in their pretty red clothes. :)

I have talked about them before on my blaaaahg.

The girls are wonderful playmates for my kids, especially BabyCakes.

They are sweethearts like their mama.

Oh, I hope someone can say that about me and my kids one day! ;)

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 16

2011-11-09T14:05:00.002-05:00

"Oooohkaay, so enough of that."

That's how I feel about my weigh-in this week.

Yep, you guessed it: I gained again.

Not much and in all actuality I might have broken even at the scale if it weren't for the slightly heavier garments I was wearing.
In fact, I told Melissa that I wouldn't be disappointed if it weren't for my Challenge. :)

But again, ENOUGH OF THAT!

I'm getting tired of this crawling and I'm ready to put on my big girl pants and roll through the rest of these l-b's!

I know maintaining a healthy weight won't be a walk in the park but I'm ready for THAT challenge.
Like antsy for it in an are-we-there-yet?-every-five-minutes sort of way.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I decided to take this process slow but I'm ready for this portion of the journey (baby barf with cheese on top) to be done.

(Yes, I just said "baby barf with cheese on top" in reference to my use of the word joooouuurney. Sorry 'bout the mental image.)

It's kind of like going on a long trip -- you can have a blast while you are gone but as soon as home is within sight you just want to be there. You know a massive amount of laundry awaits, but again, just to be there.

So, that's where I am today.

At least I've cured my craving for melted cheese on food.

Temporarily, anyway. ;)

Challenge, participants, let us hear from ya!

Forget-me-not Friday

2011-11-04T15:32:00.000-04:00

Like I mentioned earlier this week, I want to start taking the time to better document the little things in my life.
From now on I am going to attempt a Forget-me-not Friday where I include random, otherwise overlooked parts of my life that I want to remember in the future.
I may or may not write about the photos, I probably won't try to be witty or insightful. The point is that I take them. I think these are the things I will really remember one day. Or WANT to remember, anyway.
Moving on...

BabyCakes had a hard time going to sleep last night so BigBoy let her use his pillow. (See all the balls?)

This is him at only a month or so younger than she is now, inexplicably holding a shoe...

A lego dinosaur carcass.

Priceless artwork.

Reunited and it feels so gooood

2011-11-03T19:34:00.000-04:00

It had been too long.

BigBoy had not seen Biz since her birthday in June.

During our visit yesterday, they played hard and had a great time as usual.

Every time they are together, they laugh, love on each other, and almost never argue.

Biz' mother and I can't really explain it.

They can spend long periods apart.
They can make lots of new friends.

They can even have completely different interests and skill levels.

But the sweet friend they see in each other never seems to change.

Thank goodness. :)

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 15

2011-11-02T23:47:00.000-04:00

I'm barely getting this post in under the wire today!

It's late so I'll keep it short & sweet like me. ;)
(I can actually be quite mean if provoked. Remember my list of 10 ways to destroy holiday inflatables from last year? Oh yeah, I'm dark like that. lol)

I didn't push myself much this week. I kind of took the week "off."
It wasn't planned -- I just lived life and didn't really think about this whole goal of mine very often.
On top of that I may or may not have ~~unabashedly stolen~~ borrowed a fun size snickers ~~or three~~ from BigBoy's Halloween loot.

It showed at the scale.
I wasn't emotionally attached to the gain at all, though. Numbers are numbers, after all.
My self-worth can not be accurately measured and plotted on a graph. That is simply not what a scale is for.

I'll get with the program. I already have, in fact. I even worked out some holiday eating strategies today that I will share at a later time.

Challenge peeps?

Daily Details

2011-11-01T23:16:00.000-04:00

If this blaaahg is about me and my life, maybe I should take the time to remember some of the details of this life.
Remember not just the big stuff, but the little things as well.

Like how BabyCakes sticks her sippy cups in the water bottle-holders on our stationary bikes.

And how BigBoy wrote our family's names on a pumpkin in the charmingly imperfect way only a young child can.

And even wearing my very first scarf -- an act that had been firmly locked in the "I'm not cool/classy/stylish enough to try that" category.
Turns out it was just a scarf. A little fabric.
Nothing to be afraid of, by any means, and definitely should not be a statement on who I am as a person.

As a person, a whole, I am ( veryveryvery) not perfect. None of us are.

But sometimes the details can be pretty great.

Boo Humbug

2011-11-01T00:07:00.000-04:00

Oh yay. Halloween.

Give me a break, it was raining.

BigBoy didn't want to wear the mask that went with his Optimus Prime costume, and I didn't try to push it.

BabyCakes only had a pseudo-costume in the giraffe-print dress Aunt Jane made her (because I don't really care about Halloween and didn't want to spend $15 on an outfit she would wear once and never remember).

But ~~I faked it and pretended I was~~ we got excited about it anyway!
At least we went trick-or-treating, unlike last year.

BabyCakes got so excited that it took 3 hours for her to finally go to sleep.
Yep, she put the trick in trick-or-treat.

Boo humbug.

Now where are those fun-size Snickers BigBoy got tonight???

(Forgive the point-n-shoot shots. That camera was closest when I went for one.)

iWeekend

2011-10-30T15:41:00.001-04:00

A few glimpses into our weekend via J's new iphone...

On Saturday we enjoyed the best toy $4 could ever buy.

I found this Lego set at a yard sale last year, instruction manual and all. It is currently listed for sale on Amazon for $159.95.
We were only missing one piece and BigBoy dug through his stash until he found a replacement.

BigBoy visited a bigger T-Rex at the NC Science Center on Sunday (today).
He wasn't afraid of him like last time.

The tigers were prowling around up close and personal.

Usually they are lazy and reclusive, like much smaller cats. :)

It was a fun morning full of curiosity and whining in the car.

BabyCakes is napping.

Why am I typing?!

See-ya!

For the love of Fall

2011-10-27T17:45:00.000-04:00

More Fall 2009 (pre-blaaaahg & BabyCakes)...

Pumpkin (cutie)Pies

2011-10-26T14:29:00.002-04:00

"Hey kids! Miracle of all miracles, we are running ahead of schedule for school today! Let's take a few pics in your new Halloween clothes from Papa and Grandma!"

"Yes, pretty as usual, BigBoy."

"Much more natural."

"Is he entertaining you, BabyCakes?"

"I see you've learned from his example."

"Yes, yes you earned your stinker status long ago.

"It's okay, you'll see neighbor James tomorrow. Just wave bye-bye."

"You have BigBoy to ~~beat on~~ love on until then."

(How do you think he got those scratches on his face?)

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 14

2011-10-26T11:52:00.000-04:00

Good morning, beautiful blaaaaaahg friends of mine!
I'm up super-early and thought I would do things a little different today. Instead of letting my actual weigh-in/meeting experience color my post, I'm taking a crack at it with my (usually blindly naive) pre-meeting optimism.

The scale does not scare me in the least today. I know I had a good week -- with regard to food choices, anyway. Also, a great workout on Monday woke up some muscles that had previously been slacking off. (I'm talkin to you, glutes!)
No matter what the number reads today, I'm happy with where I stand in this journey. (Can you see me rolling my eyes and drawing out the word every time I say this? You should.)

Before I get to my results, I want to check-in on my Challenge participants. I haven't heard from some of you in a while, so let me hear how you are doing! No one is going to be disappointed in slow progress, least of all me! Goodness knows I haven't lost 14 in 14! The point is to just be conscious of where you are and what small changes can do to help you toward becoming a healthier you.

(Ok, I just typed that myself and STILL gagged at "healthier you." I sound like Dr. Oz instead of my chocolate-loving self. Forgive me, this hippy healthy talk is insidious.)

I had a nice loss at the scale today and I got my 50-lb medal (even though I'm actually at 62 if we're keeping track)!
But that represents what I did yesterday. Now for today.
As always, it's a new day.

P.S. I had what WW calls a "Non-Scale Victory" this week that I'd like to share.
I was hosting a birthday dinner and I was responsible for making the brownies for dessert. I called one of the guests and asked them if they could make the brownies instead, and I could take care of dips & pita chips -- foods that are much less tempting to me than brownies with extra chocolate chips.
I allowed myself to have a warm brownie a la mode at the party, but that was it.
No leftovers, no batter-eating, nothing. I haven't touched my dip leftovers but those brownies would have been breakfast the next day!
So, lesson learned, it is okay to ask for a change when you think you've encountered an obstacle. Your friends want to support your goals!

Photos are from a November 2009 stroll on Duke University's campus. I know they aren't very fitting for this WW post, but at least they are seasonal. :)

This is what happens when you ignore your momsense.

2011-10-25T19:03:00.001-04:00

When you temporarily disregard those thoughts of "Hmm...the little one is awfully quiet," and instead choose to think "I'm sure the hubs (who is in the shower) knows what she's doing," and continue fooling with the laundry for just a couple more minutes.

Just a couple more minutes was all that was needed, all right.

Oh well, I guess they both get ONE sharpie graffiti moment.

Duchess Marie

2011-10-24T14:44:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Duchess, J's beloved black lab of 16.5 years, passed-on.

A truly beloved part of the family, she was the first animal I thought of as a "person."
In fact, it was made very clear to me from the beginning of my relationship with J that if I didn't pass the test with Duch, I wasn't going to get far with the rest of the family.

I understood why very quickly.

She was smart, loyal, and cool. A dog, yes, but still smart, loyal, and cool. '
And pretty. :)

We love you and miss you, Duchess. It's the end of an era.

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 13

2011-10-19T15:02:00.001-04:00

Is it really week 13 already?

This past week has been okay for me in the healthy choices department.
Well, I take that back. I think I did well in portion control but maybe lacked in the nutritional department. J was out of town for work and I ate a lot of quick-and-easy foods which in my book is often the same thing as little-to-no-veggies foods.
I got in some low-impact exercise via neighborhood walks, but that's about it.

I felt good walking in to my meeting today. I wasn't sure if I would be up or down but I didn't feel any bigger.

I ended up being down a nice amount and it felt good. I was hoping to hit 50 for my meetings (they only count the weight you've lost from the first time you step on a scale in a meeting, not your home) but I wasn't there quite yet.
I will be back, though. I will see this through.

Speaking of seeing things through, I have to give a BIG shout-out to my girl Melissa for completing a half-marathon this past weekend!

She started running (for the first time in her life!) a mere 7 months ago.
Back then, she started with running 2 minutes at a time. She would run 2 minutes, walk, run 2 minutes, walk. You get the drift.
Look how far she has come! Her story and example is inspirational to me and should be to others.

I've learned in the last year that it's not enough just to know the path. You have to walk it. (Or run it, in Melissa's case!)

How are my Challenge members today?

Twin Turbos

2011-10-18T00:25:00.002-04:00

Today I met my friend Jennifer and her 5-year-old twins at a local park.

Jen has been a good friend to me and I was looking forward to trying my hand at capturing her and her fun (aka, very energetic) children on film. :)

We started at the playground. Nathan is laying on TOP of a tunnel all other children probably just crawl through. I doubt BigBoy would even think to climb up on this, let alone actually do it.

Nathan's pretty sister Elly hangs right in there with him.

I think she waffles back and forth between being a wild child and a mama's girl. :)

After the playground we strolled down to the lake front where they fed ducks and threw sticks for a lucky dog on a walk with his owner.

Right now these beautiful blondes seem to be the best of friends.

Like all siblings, they can argue and fight.
But in these precious fleeting years, they are just as likely to love and embrace.

"Not double trouble, but twice blessed." ~Author unknown

Straight Talk

2011-10-16T20:02:00.002-04:00

Today I had my hair styled straight. I can't do it at home because it is a long process of concentrated hair-drying, serums, and a flat-iron. I just don't care enough about doing it to put in the effort on a regular basis.

Today I went to Great Clips and they styled it straight for me. It should last a couple more days because my hair takes a long time to get oily.

Just thought I'd share these awful night-time-and-me-holding-the-camera-in-my-bathroom-mirror pics because I know most of you have never seen me sans-big hair.

I'm not using the flash so the pics were all are pretty grainy.

I think you get the drift.

I feel like a different person without my curls. Like I need a sign that says "Curly hair to return at:" next to one of those little adjustable clocks you see by the mall Santas.
Not that I think there is anything wrong with straight hair! Heck, I coveted it for years!

Anyway, I like it, I just don't feel like the same curl. ;)

I think that's okay for a couple days, though.

Food for Thought

2011-10-13T08:18:00.000-04:00

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 12

2011-10-12T14:56:00.001-04:00

Hello Hello! I'm here once again for WW Wednesday. Still not going anywhere and glad for it.

This past week I broke all the rules and lost weight. My aunt came for a visit and I did not work out or eat right, so I think I just got lucky.
Sometimes I have an unexpected gain and sometimes an unexpected loss -- just part of the game I suppose.

Today I feel good. I feel really good. I hit the 60-pounds lost mark today!

For those of you playing along at home, that's 4 months to lose the last 10 pounds.

wow...

That's why I don't give up.
Yes, it took 4 months but that doesn't matter in the end. All that matters is that I get there.

I could get there much faster if I was "perfect," but we are talkin sustainable weight-loss here, people.
In real life there is back-and-forth, ups-and-downs, and ~~appetizer-entree-dessert~~ everything in between.

So, where are the rest of my Challenge participants this week?

* Photos are from our Sunday drive to Kure Beach and the NC Aquarium at Ft. Fisher. Luckily I used my new point-n-shoot because my camera was flung into the water at one point!

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 11

2011-10-07T22:26:00.001-04:00

A lot of things are different this week:

1. It is not Wednesday (Friday night).

2. I went to my meeting but did not weigh-in.

3. I'm typing this in bed on my phone.

4. It is after 10 and yet both of my children are still awake in their rooms silently playing on their beds by the glow of their nightlight -- no matter how many times I tell them to go to sleep. Last night they were out by 7.

5. Not one person asked about my lack of a WW post this week and that was disappointing.

6. I am not clever after 10 pm.

So, how did my Challenge people do this week?

The babies and the bees.

2011-10-03T07:49:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was too gorgeous to be inside the house all day, so we decided to go to the zoo for a while.

The animals we attempted to see were mostly reclusive but we did see a new exhibit -- the BEES.

This was a replica of a honey comb BigBoy thought was cool.

And I thought was a little creepy. There were live bees we saw, too, but I didn't get any pics of them.

He saw some other kids take a picture on this stump and the little ham wanted to do it too.

BabyCakes wasn't really feelin it.

A nice lady saw us taking the the photos and asked if we'd like a whole-family shot, a VERY RARE thing for us.

BabyCakes is mid-screech, but it still ain't half bad, huh?

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 10

2011-09-28T14:35:00.000-04:00

Half way there!

Well it has been a crazy 10 weeks. I myself am not on track to lose 20 pounds by the end of this Challenge, but I have indeed lost.
When I started this journey 55 weeks ago, I never told myself "I want to lose X-amount of pounds by the time I turn 30."
Nope. I just told myself, "If you keep at it, you can feel and look better than you have in years by the time you are 30." That was 57 pounds ago.

Counting my slight gain today, I have had a net loss of 4.4 pounds in the last 10 weeks.
That is like 18 sticks of butter no longer sticking to my body. Yes, I could have done a lot better, but facts are facts and I'm moving forward.

As I said Monday, I'm not going to share my exact numbers every week from now on, but I will tell you what kind of week it has been. I might even share my total at the end of the Challenge. I might even do a Before & After picture if I'm not too chicken. :)

So, as for Week 10, I had a little gain. Nothing happened because of it, though. I'm still the same person. My clothes still fit. I look the same in the mirror. No biggie... it happens.
I'm so over over-examining this.

How are the rest of my Challenge participants doing? I'm ready to listen. Amber, where's my cheerleader?

(Aw, I miss Kodi.)

Putting words in her mouth

2011-09-27T15:01:00.001-04:00

We recently replaced our dearly departed point-n-shoot camera. This afternoon I took BabyCakes out on the porch to try it out. Please forgive the shamefully sappy/vomit-inducing faux-scripting of the events that took place. What can I say? I'm wearing a Hello Kitty t-shirt right now. I'm feeling a little corny today. Without further ~~embarrassment~~ ado...

"Hey Mom, What's that UPS man up to?"

"Maybe he has something for me in that truck."

"I've been really good lately. I think I deserve-- I mean, I've been really cute lately."

"I know that box is for me. I'm gonna check it out."

"Nope, I was wrong."

"Mom, How much longer till my birthday?"

MAKE IT HAPPEN Monday

2011-09-26T19:09:00.000-04:00

Better late than never, right?

To be honest I haven't done anything to further my educational goals this week.
I take that back. I made a decision that should make the task of going back to school easier.

For a while now I haven't done much with my etsy shop. I've let it sit and languish.
I have plenty of items in my closet and garage that I could list for sale (my husband can attest to that), but in the end it wasn't enough.
Yes, I enjoy the hunt and I enjoy taking the pictures of my items.
But the actual business of it all with writing descriptions, packaging, and shipping... notsomuch.

Now, I know that I'm fortunate to be able to say "Hey, I don't like this as much as I thought I would, so I'll just not do it anymore." But the truth of the matter is that at this point, the only reason I would continue would be out of fear of being seen as a failure or a flake.
And you know what? My other goals are more important than an irrational fear of what someone might possibly be thinking of me.

(That's my BigBoy's "think of me what you want" face for you.)

I had to try it. I learned from it. I didn't sit around wondering what might have happened.
Also, I see now that it was mostly a way for me to put off dealing with the larger picture.
Going back to school and getting a degree will serve my family more than the extra money I made from my shop.
Come next semester, there will be one less distraction for me to deal with.

In the spirit of making changes and learning from what doesn't work for me, I've decided to stop sharing my exact numbers gained or lost on the scale every week on my WW Wednesdays.
I'm returning to my old tried-and-true method of starting. over. every. day.
No matter how much I tried to convince myself that a little challenge was okay, the truth is that for me, it's not what I like or what keeps me on track.
The pressure of it threw me off and made it not fun. Getting healthier is supposed to be a good thing! Not something that causes you anxiety.

Of course I am still moving forward in my weight-loss efforts, but I'm going to stick with my "Any amount down is alright with me" attitude about it all.
Again, I tried it. I learned from it. Now I'm doing what's best for me instead of getting so off-track I can't see the path anymore.

So, come Wednesday I will share how my week has been, but not numerically. I'm sure I'll share my total around my big B-Day, though. :)

Challenge participants, please feel free to continue in your efforts!
I support you all in achieving your goals in ways that work FOR YOU.
Thank you for understanding that I had to shake things up for myself and my life, and please feel free to continue to share your progress in whatever manner you wish.
The only thing that is changing is that *I* am not sharing my numbers, nor am I holding myself to set number goals during the remaining 10 weeks of the Challenge.

So, anyone else MAKIN IT HAPPEN this week?

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 9

2011-09-21T14:25:00.002-04:00

Yep, it's Wednesday and of course that means I attended my Weight Watchers meeting.

Walking up to the scale today I felt pretty good.

YES, I ate out a couple times in the last week and NO I didn't get the steamed veggies on the menu, but I did pretty well balancing those heavier meals with modest normal-time (lunch at home with a toddler, etc.) choices.

I even got in a little exercise.

So, I stepped up -- no, wait a minute, let me back up...

So, I put down my bag and took off my flip flips and my sweater (I had a shirt on underneath - I'm not that desperate for fewer ounces on the scale), stepped up, and weighed in.

Down 0.8.

Meh.

I wasn't surprised.

I was a little disappointed but not a little surprised.

I think the main reason my weight loss feels so slow these days is because I'm really trying to go about doing it in a livable way. I'm not really "trying" to lose weight.

I know myself way too well to think that I could sustain a lifestyle containing zero fat. Or carbs. Or sugar.

I eat processed foods. I drink diet soda. I still ~~don't really like~~ never eat salads.

There are definitely things I could do to accelerate the process, but it's not worth it to me to hit "goal" a month or two sooner.

The biggest difference in my eating now is that I try to make sure it's "worth it."

Are the kids' goldfish worth it? No.

But a Dove bar on a bad day? HELL Yeah! (sorry, mom and dad)

(Interesting, I just realized that doves are often associated with peace and I often crave Dove when I am looking for peace. Kudos to their marketing people. I mean little "k" kudos and not big "K" Kudos since I don't think the Dove marketing staff would like a basket of Kudos in their chocolate filled ~~paradise~~ office. Hmm... I wonder if they are hiring? Wow, I am way off-track.)

Anyway, I am going to "try" to lose weight for the duration of the 20 in 20 Challenge, however.

Having a short-term goal that kicks you into gear isn't a bad thing, and I think I could use it.

I've been at this for a year now!

So, where my Challenge peeps at? ;)

Lookie Lookie!

2011-09-20T17:27:00.000-04:00

On the top right-hand side of my blaaahg, you can now enter your email address to have new posts sent straight to your inbox!

See y'all tomorrow for WW Wednesday!

BabyCakes' Nursery Changes, The Sequel

2011-09-20T15:36:00.001-04:00

Remember when I showed you how we changed BabyCakes' nursery around?

Well a couple days ago we decided to take it a step further. Upon the hub's urging, we broke out the toddler bed. It had been too many months of her waking up once or twice (or more) during the night and we had to try something different.

So we pushed the crib up against the closet and crammed in the toddler bed.

(Like the mess? I'll explain that in a bit.)

So much for access to my vacuum/ her clothes. :/

We wanted to be certain she was ready for her big girl bed before disassembling the crib.

After two nights of uninterrupted sleep (holla!), we were sold. She even napped well for me yesterday.

But then came today.

This is what I found during what was supposed to be ~~my therapy/chocolate time~~ her nap time.

At least she was thorough. Not one part of her room was spared. There were even dirty diapers (ewww!) on the floor.

Eventually she gave up after I lovingly yet firmly told her to stay in her bed 3 or 4 times.

And NOW she is asleep.

We have 10 whole minutes before we leave to pick up BigBoy from school.

The toddler bed is here to stay, but maybe the crib wasn't so bad after all.

MAKE IT HAPPEN Monday

2011-09-19T17:19:00.001-04:00

What did I do to work toward my educational goals this week?

I finished my application process for Community College.
Not too hard. It's basically a BOGO-class-free kind of school.

Not really. That was mean.

What can you expect when you install a drive-thru for Admissions, though?

Again, not really. Just being mean.

I think my blood sugar is low.
And the kids are fighting with each other.

At least I wasn't the mom who ran out of gas and had to leave her Cherokee in the carpool lane this afternoon.
That had to be embarrassing.
I saw her frantic note written in fading ink waving out her window as I slowly went around the vehicle.
It's the mom-o-elementary-aged-children version of wearing clothes in public that are secretly smeared with baby poop.
And spit-up.
With toothpaste on your shirt... if you even got to brush your teeth.

To run out of gas in the carpool lane, things have to be pretty hectic.
Not judgin, just sayin.

After all, I have that toothpaste on my shirt today... and it's not even mine.

Again... not really.

But I feel like I do. ;)

How are the rest of you making your goals happen?

This is her Panda Impression

2011-09-16T08:36:00.003-04:00

I don't think pandas usually have squinty-cheesy-toddler grins, though.

:)

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Double Trouble

2011-09-15T07:41:00.001-04:00

BigBoy and BabyCakes are really siblings now. Not just one child putting up with the other's baby needs. They play together, love on each other, and pick on each other.

They've held hands in the car before (their idea completely), so when I saw them doing it again yesterday I knew I would want a picture to remember it by. We came to a stop and I reached around with my phone. Luckily this is what I got.

After we got to our destination I snapped another. Aren't they sweet?! (Actually, I see them more as partners in crime.)

Goodness knows I'm going to need evidence of this one day. They are siblings, after all.

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 8

2011-09-14T07:59:00.003-04:00

Hi there my friends, family, and beloved blaaahg readers! Today is the day I ~~look forward to~~ ~~dread~~ know will come around at least once a week. :)
Yep, Wednesday is here and with it my Weight Watchers meeting and weigh-in.

If you've kept up with my blaaahg at all in the last year you know that I have worked to gradually change how I make decisions regarding food and activity level.
It hasn't always been easy but it has been interesting, sometimes fun, and always educational.
I've learned a lot about myself.

Like I said, some days can be harder than others, and some (increasingly rare) days I even have a pity party.
I wonder why I have to make a conscious decision to not do things like eat ice cream for breakfast.

I mean come on -- I'm almost 30!

Wasn't I supposed to grow out of junk food?
Why do I still struggle with making the responsible choices regarding food?
I pay my bills on time, make sure my kids are as clean as the little snot monsters (I say with love) can be, and almost never go over 5 miles over the speed limit.
Yet I still struggle with food...

"I thought, 'Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.' But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding." ~ Job 32:7-8

Yes, I have my days.

But then I get over myself.

There are real problems that real people in this world have to deal with. I am blessed beyond reason and I remind myself of that as much as possible.

My life is not perfect and if you catch at the right angle sometimes it ain't even pretty, but when you bring it in to focus, I'm clearly surrounded by beauty.

For a recap, this week was more difficult for me than others.
I've been treading water. Fighting back the urges hard. Not wanting to disappoint those taking part in my Challenge. Not wanting to disappoint myself or my family. Not praying but yet asking for help from mere humans, and being disappointed when people don't read my mind and send words of support on my blaaahg.

I very well might be up at the scale.

All the same, today I feel lighter in spirit, if not in pounds.

I'll take it.

I'll check back in the comments section after my meeting today... How did the rest of you do?

BabyCakes' Nursery Changes

2011-09-13T10:50:00.002-04:00

Before you read this post, please forgive the photos. The lighting was not great. If you'd like to compare her new room to her original nursery, you can see that post here.

In case you hadn't noticed, BabyCakes is quickly leaving behind the baby part of her nickname.

She's turning into a little girl. One of the things she learned to do a few months ago was reach over and turn the overhead light on while standing in the crib.

You can imagine that that caused some problems during sleep time.

Because the desk and dresser are attached with straps to the walls, my obvious solution was to shift the bed closer to the closet so she could no longer reach the light switch.

I did that, but after months of having six inches to retrieve her clothes and the vacuum I store in there, it got OLD.

So, I moved the bed again. I know it's not the prettiest layout but it's what works best for us right now.

(Notice the toys on the floor? I left those out for you to get a feel for how her room really looks.)

See! I can now fully open the closet door!

The basket on the floor houses all her babydolls.

I added a removable hook to the end of the crib so we can hang her outfit for the next day, her jacket, whatever.
Like those wrinkles? Just keepin it real, folks.

She still has lots of bows. Many have come and gone but we always find one to make it work. :)

Instead of the baby blankets that once lived here, we now have baskets to help keep toys organized.
(They are not this dark in real life. Again -- bad lighting.)

That's her play kitchen in the corner. There is actually still a lot more room than it appears and the kids have no problems playing in there.
Like I said, not the prettiest layout but it works, and that's what's most important.

Things have to change over time.

MAKE IT HAPPEN Monday

2011-09-12T15:35:00.002-04:00

I accidentally had the caps lock on when I typed the post title but I like it like that. So it's STICKIN.

As I said a couple weeks ago, I don't want goals in my life that I claim are important to fall by the wayside due to poor planning. This is where I am going to check in with my progress toward going back to school.

My goal for last week was to reapply for admission (I've taken a class there before) to Community College.
(I'm not naming names on here.)
Well, today I did that.. mostly. I filled out the online form to get the ball rolling and then was unable to actually log-in to my account so I could see where to go next. After cringing and calling tech support for help, I was told that their "system" would be down all day and I should log in tomorrow.

Really?

As the wife of an IT professional -- who worked at more than one university, I might add --I find it baffling that this would be acceptable.
A whole day? A whole day where no one has access to their school account. And they told me like they were telling me it was Fish Stick Day in the cafeteria -- no biggie.

So, shame on me for waiting until today to officially apply. I already contacted WKU for my transcripts, though, because it can take a week or so to get those.

So, this week I aim to finish applying and request my AP scores.

Ah, Community College. May your mediocrity flow over me like the dirty bath water it is.

Pssst... How are the rest of your goals coming along? Kelly? Melissa? Anyone else want to share?

BabyCakes-less Monday Mornings

2011-09-12T14:11:00.001-04:00

Today was BabyCakes' first morning in her PMO (Parents' Morning Out) at BigBoy's old preschool.

Every Monday from 9:00 to 11:45 will be MINE. Well, except for the one Monday a month I will volunteer in BigBoy's Kindergarten class.

I plan to do fun stuff like dental cleanings and yearly ob/gyn appointments during this time so I can't wait!

When we left for "school" I had no worries about separation anxiety or her behavior while she would be there. We've always had good experiences with the church nursery and the child care area at the gym.

BigBoy and I walked her in (it turns out he doesn't go back to school until Wednesday), said "Bye!", and she never looked back.

On the way out the door I saw parents taking pictures. Action shots of them walking into the classroom, shots of them playing with the toys, meeting their new teacher.

hmmm... never thought to do that.

After we picked her up from what was predictably a fun day for her with no crying or (thankfully) belly-bumping/bullying on her part, I saw even more cameras flashing.

Really?

I broke down and asked one nice mom if she would snap a pic of my poor neglected STRAWBERRY ( I can not emphasize enough that this is NOT a watermelon look she has going on) and email it to me.

She of course obliged and that's how you can she these gorgeous "mom the sun's in my face and I am hungry for lunch/ who is this strange lady taking my picture?" shots.

(That's my white mom-leg with the mystery dark spot on the knee. Also, BigBoy in his beloved Toy Story shoes.)

I'm not complaining. At least the kind woman swooped in and saved BabyCakes from another flare up of her Second Child Syndrome.

Playground Posse

2011-09-09T13:12:00.002-04:00

This morning we met Neighbor Melissa and her girls at a playground for a while.
It is BigBoy's last day tracked-out (he's in year-round school) before going back for 9 weeks, so I wanted it to be fun.

Unfortunately Sara is quite possibly turning into a bad influence for my daughter. ;)

Even though he was the oldest child there, BigBoy still had a lot of fun.

BabyCakes maneuvered the playground equipment like a seasoned pro -- no help needed or wanted from Mama.(Yay! Waaa? Depends on the day...)

She of course ran from the camera.
I don't blame her. I don't like having my picture taken either.

It was a gorgeous end-of-summer day.

You know, going to the playground is an activity I usually wouldn't photograph.

But these are the days I will probably want to remember the most.

Yes, we went to another zoo.

2011-09-08T18:26:00.001-04:00

I'm starting to notice a theme in the family outings I share with you.

What can I say? I'd take pics at Target but I think they'd frown upon it.

I don't think you care much about all the animals we saw so here are just a some random photos from our morning at the Greenville Zoo.

This is a small city zoo, perfect for people with toddlers that want to walk the whole time, or anyone who's not in the best shape.

Lions are always a crowd pleaser.

As are the elephants.

Of course BigBoy had to bring the stinker face in most of the pictures I took of him.

It didn't impress BabyCakes.

Notice the adorable bandana pillowcase dress from Grandma? BabyCakes was the one who insisted upon wearing her hat.

I love bamboo. It reminds me of how much I want to go to Asia one day.

There were also large trees providing beautiful shade. They just reminded me how much I want to see the redwoods of California one day. (I'm noticing another trend...)

I love that this zoo wasn't just a "clear cut cube farm" for exotic animals. It's parklike setting could have been such a peaceful place had it not been for the toddler tantrums we ~~enjoyed~~ endured near the end.

But then again, it's still a zoo. People there expect to see wild animals, right? :)

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 7

2011-09-07T07:42:00.001-04:00

Good morning!

FYI, I just took down my video post from yesterday. :(
I couldn't keep it from sitting at a close-up of BabyCakes' diaper every time you came to my page. I don't know why because that wasn't at the beginning or the end of the video. I tried editing it out but I couldn't without chopping off over half of an already-super-short video, so I just canned it.

Moving on...

Yes, today is my weekly weigh-in and Weight Watchers meeting.
I would say I'm not really looking forward to it but that's not completely true. I know I will enjoy my meeting and seeing all my WW friends, I'm just not looking forward to my weigh-in because I know I will be up today.
I indulged myself while we were out of town and I got no exercise other than walking in the last week. Yep, told you that 3.4 wasn't normal. I will check-in in my comment section after my meeting and tell you my results.

Neighbor Melissa said she was going to wear a new dress today so I am going to dress up a little more than normal too. If I'm going to be up, I might as well look good doing it, right?!

For now I leave you with this:

So, how are my 20 in 20 Challenge members this week?

Love for Greenville

2011-09-06T13:57:00.001-04:00

Good afternoon!

First of all, as it was a holiday and I was on the road, there was no "Make it Happen Monday" yesterday. My task is to officially apply for admission to the local community college this week.
Duke University it is not, but it has a lot of online and night class offerings.

This weekend we took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Greenville, South Carolina.
Thursday J suggested we go somewhere for our 4-day weekend. Hotels at the beaches were packed, so we decided to think outside the box a little. We didn't want a long drive because BabyCakes isn't exactly the best car-rider these days.
Greenville is 4 hours to the west of here. We knew they had a zoo and we picked a hotel with a pool. Our hopes were to see a new town and zoo, swim, and relax.

In short, I LOVED Greenville. Well, J and I both did.

Their downtown was revitalized over the last 30 years and it is completely beautiful.
It had tree-lined streets and inviting shops and restaurants.

The roads were easy to navigate and everywhere was clean and friendly. This place really knows a thing or two about maximizing their citizens' quality of life.
The old mixes with the new in a thoughtful, well-planned way that begs you to spend more time there.

BabyCakes alternated between sweetly holding hands with us (even BigBoy!) and wanting to be ~~lugged around like a sack of potatoes~~ carried.

We stopped in Marble Slab for some ice cream and ate in a cute loft area.

Then we made our way to a big part of the city's appeal: Falls Park on the Reedy.

It is an area of gardens, trees and small waterfalls lapping over stones, right in the heart of downtown.

A beautiful suspension bridge is at the center of the park.

New and old paths - brick, stone, and dirt,-- encouraging you to wander freely.

Extra-wide swings, benches, and chairs invite you to sit and stay a while.

Along the river there are shops, restaurants, and hotels.

Always with a view.

I have SOOO many more pictures and stories but I can hear BabyCakes jumping in her crib and an odor drifting down the hall and into my bedroom, letting me know that nap time is as over as the diaper she is wearing.

My friends, do yourself a favor the next time you are headed somewhere and find yourself near Greenville, South Carolina, and stop for a visit!

On the road again

2011-09-05T11:40:00.003-04:00

We are slowly making our way back from a little weekend getaway to Greenville, SC, a surprisingly charming town. More on that later... We've seen 9 cops on the road so far on the drive home and BabyCakes just now stopped being obnoxious in the car. Almost home!
Here's a quick pic J took with his phone yesterday.
Happy labor day!

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 6

2011-08-31T12:57:00.000-04:00

In my efforts to get this weekly post done during lunch time, it's probably going to be pretty short each week.
Keeping that in mind, let's move on.
I had a crazy week. No other way to describe it.

I actually hesitate to tell you what happened at the scale today other than I lost.
Like 3.4 pounds.

Yeah.

I'm really happy and honestly cranked up the exercise a notch or twelve, but I know that this week was not normal for my weight-loss journey (barf).
I don't want anyone to be worried that I'm over-doing it. Don't worry, I doubt a loss like that will pop up again any time soon. :)

So, goal for this week: Keep up my activity level and push the plate away when I'm no longer hungry. Sounds so simple, doesn't it?

How are the rest of the 20 in 20 Challenge members doing?

An update on my imperfection and new Mondays

2011-08-30T12:22:00.000-04:00

Remember this post where I said I was going to go back to school?
Well guess who messed around and missed the deadline to register for this Fall?
Yep, it was a couple weeks ago.
I'm not making any excuses, but I let it happen and I feel bad that it did. See, sooo not perfect. (As if anyone thought I was.)

Looks like I have plenty of time to gather old AP and ACT scores, reapply for admission (since it has been over a year since I attended at this school), meet with an advisor, and pick out my classes for next semester.

All the same, I'm doing it NOW. Before you know it the holidays will be here and opportunities for excuses will be bountiful.

So, since this is MY blaaaahg and I'm the queen, president, CEO, and loving dictator (dictatoress?) that I am,
(Imagine a short pointy-shoed man is reading this off a scroll...)

I hereby decree that Mondays are now "Make it Happen" Mondays.

This will be a place where we can track how we are turning goals and/or dreams into reality.
For now, it will be where I will check in with my progress toward my educational goals.
My husband has always had a very strong "Make it Happen" mentality about his future and I've finally understood what it takes to embrace a mindset like that.
You don't have to have the entire process planned out to start changing things.

So, please check in with your own progress toward a goal in my comments sections.
Take my 56-lbs-lighter-selve's word for it, accountability and support does wonders.

Want to run a 10k? (Or 5k for that matter)
Want to save up for a big purchase or vacation?
Want to gradually clean-out and organize your house?
Want to give up sodas?

No goal or dream is too big or too small to take a step toward achieving.

Reflections

2011-08-28T09:21:00.001-04:00

This morning I walked in my bathroom, turned on the water for my shower, and took off my clothes.

I stood there looking in the mirror and realized a few things about myself:

My belly may be soft and full, but my gut tells me I can achieve anything I work hard enough for.

My face may not be on magazine covers, but it is clear, bright, and looking to the future.

My hair may be not be smooth and shiny, but I see the same curly wildness in my beautiful daughter.

My eyes may need glasses or contacts, but when I look to God no correction is needed.

My feet may be big and flat, but they help me stand firm in what I believe.

My arms may not be toned, but they can lift others up and open wide enough to give with a generous spirit.

My breasts may sag from weight and child-bearing, but underneath are clear lungs and a healthy heart fueling my days.

My mouth may not always say the right thing, but it is quick to laugh, smile, compliment, and apologize.

My hands may have scars and unkempt nails, but they can protect my children and soothe them with a gentle touch.

My head may not have ever worn a college graduation cap, but my curious mind keeps me an eternal student.

My legs may not be long and lean, but they are powerful enough to take me anywhere I want to go.

No, my body is not perfect, but it is the body God gave me and it tells my story. And for this I am completely grateful.

Irene

2011-08-26T20:42:00.000-04:00

Per weather.com:

"Hurricane Irene is beginning to lash the Carolina coast with heavy rain and gusty winds. Buoys off the North Carolina coast were reporting waves to near 20 feet as Irene heads for landfall early Saturday. Irene’s fury is expected to deliver extremely destructive storm surges of 6-11 feet and torrential rains that could isolate the Outer Banks from the rest of the state. Strong winds will likely cause power outages.

Residents are urged to heed the evacuation warnings immediately. Ferry systems continue to run on a first-come, first-serve basis pending storm conditions. It is being recommended that residents secure emergency supplies such as water, batteries, medicines and other imperative items as widespread damage and power outages are anticipated. "

We have family in the Outer Banks and friends in Wilmington. Please keep them in your prayers.

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 5

2011-08-24T11:29:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody!

I'm checking in really quickly with my results for this week's weigh-in.

I was up 0.8.

Blah.

I deserved it, though. I had a big dinner out last night and there were burgers and milkshakes scattered here and there throughout my past week. In short, I didn't eat in a manner that would lead to a weight loss.

New day, new week, though!

How are the rest of my 20 in 20 participants doing this week?

Ein Gelber Ballon

2011-08-23T15:30:00.000-04:00

A bad cell phone picture...

can still provide a beautiful memory.

See you all here tomorrow for WW Wednesday!

It's about time...

2011-08-22T08:58:00.000-04:00

I got more etsy listings completed.

In truth I've only taken the pictures. Now I have the materials needed to do some listings during BabyCakes' nap, though.

She might be cute but she's not the most helpful business partner.

Back to the Gardens

2011-08-18T15:12:00.000-04:00

Today BabyCakes and I met up with our girls Miss Rachel, Biz, and LadyBug at the Duke Gardens.

We hadn't been there in over a year and unfortunately BigBoy was at school today so he couldn't go. :(
(Biz lives in a school district that uses a traditional school calendar, unlike BigBoy's year-round.)

The Gardens hold a special place in my heart because when we first moved to Carolina I would sometimes meet J for a picnic lunch there. We would lay out the blanket in the Asiatic gardens and eat our sandwiches. (He's a turkey man and I was all about some pb & banana while pregnant.)
After eating we would lay back on a beautiful Spring day, watch the clouds, and hold hands. It was this wonderful little break from the real world where he was in a new job and I was alone during the day in a new place with no one to call a friend but the two Labradors at home. We had each other and the baby in my belly and that was more than enough.

Anyway, back to the present day.
It turns out ducks will eat Cheerios. I actually thought to bring bread for the ducks but didn't think to get it out of the car.

LadyBug kept a close eye on me and my camera.

BabyCakes made her brother proud and ran from ~~many~~ most of my attempts to photograph her.

Lil Miss Independent had to march around like a big girl after Biz most of the time.

Ha! Got one!

BabyCakes and LadyBug didn't really have much to do with each other today.
This is a posed shot of sitting on a rock. Can you tell? :)

Speaking of poses...

There was a lot of construction and even more humidity, so today wasn't quite the relaxing stroll through a beautiful landscape that we expected, but I always enjoy our time with our girls.

And here as a bonus is the very rare shot of we Curls together, in all our sweaty, ~~pale~~ fair-skinned glory.

Oh how quickly things can change.

2011-08-17T15:55:00.001-04:00

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 4

2011-08-17T13:51:00.001-04:00

Good afternoon!
Let's jump right in to today's results, shall we?
I myself felt pretty good heading in to Weight Watchers today. I got more exercise than usual this week, and even though I had pancakes for dinner last night, I was pretty confident I had a loss coming at me.
I was right: 2 pound loss, baby! Woohoo! I'm making up ground for my slow start.
My loss also kicked me into the next decade of numbers. Numbers I haven't seen since I was a Freshman in college, I might add. Holla!

:)

Okay, for anyone annoyed by my rejoicing right now, I'm sorry but I'm not sorry.
You all know how long I've been at this. It's hard to believe that I've lost another 40 pounds since reaching out to my blaaahg readers for support. (Thank you all so much!)
It has been slow, meaningful work for me. No crash diets, no pills, no deprivation.
Some days/weeks/months have been harder but I never gave up. I'm not going to, either.
I still have a ways to go until I am at a "healthy" weight, but you too can start now and change the things that you are unhappy with in your life. If you don't know where to start, just ask someone you trust and say a prayer for peace and clarity.

"You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lesson learned this week: Fudge should not be in my house for more than 24 hours. I even finished off the chunk that my non-sweet-tooth-having hubs requested I save for him. Oh yes, yes I did. And no, I'm not proud of myself. Only oreos can live at peace in my pantry.

Goal for this week: Continue to enjoy the beautiful weather by going for more walks with the children. Try for 5 in the next 7 days.

So, my fellow 20 in 20 participants, how was your week?

~Cayce

(Insert Clever Post Title Here)

2011-08-16T13:46:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone is doing well. This week we have enjoyed the small miracle that is BabyCakes sleeping through the night THREE nights in a row!

The sky is bluer, the grass is greener, and I'm not craving near as much chocolate!

I'm looking forward to this week's weigh-in. Feeling naively optimistic, I'm afraid.

If you've had a less-than-stellar week with regards to healthy choices (like snacking on fudge you made for your grandfather every time you walk past it), just start over right now. No need to wait until tomorrow.

Until then, a little advice from a smart man:

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 3

2011-08-10T12:03:00.000-04:00

Hey there, I'm back in Carolina and ready to pick up where I left off in our 20 in 20 weight loss challenge.
How did everyone do with their goals this week?

I was out of town and around food a LOT this past week. I didn't weigh-in last week because we left before my meeting. My in-laws didn't have a scale and the one my parents have was made during the Eisenhower administration. Excuses, I know, but the fact is still that I didn't weigh-in.

Today as I approached the scale at WW I was a bit nervous. I was afraid I was up.
I don't want to let you people down. At the same time, I know you are my friends and understand that sometimes we handle life's difficult times by having a second (or third) piece of cake that is ~~10 feet away on the dessert table~~ RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU.

So anyway, the weigh-in: I was down 1.2. A nice surprise considering my past couple weeks but it means I am still behind overall for the past 3 weeks. I'm down 1.6 instead of 3, but that's okay. We're not "all or nothing" around here. Hopefully I'll make up for lost time in the next month, anyway. I'm one awesome weigh-in from the next "decade" of numbers and it feels a bit surreal.

Lesson learned this week: Two pieces of cake doesn't taste any better than one. It's just MORE. Whether you have one or two (or three), you're still going to have to walk away at some point, so you might as well stop while you are ahead.

Goal for this week: Plan my meals earlier in the week/day and incorporate healthier side dishes.

So, how was everyone's week???

Spit Bubbles and Barrettes

2011-08-09T12:54:00.000-04:00

This morning Neighbor Emma came over to play for a couple hours while her little sister had a doctor appointment.

Mostly the girls played with the hair barrettes I ~~stole~~ borrowed from my parents.

BabyCakes of course had to bring the stinker.

Not quite the Toddlers & Tiaras type, is she?

I'm so glad BabyCakes has such a great little playmate right next door.

Mmm mmm. Those cheeks! Those lashes! Those curls!

Just like BabyCakes, she may look cute, but she can be a mess.

That's good, though. Spit-bubble friends are the kind you keep.

Pigtails and Party Planning

2011-08-08T19:24:00.000-04:00

Today BabyCakes woke up with hair that was a frizzy, knotty mess. I really didn't want to go through our usual detangling battle, so I opted to let it be big for the morning. (And BOY was it big. Think blonde tumbleweed.)
It wasn't until this afternoon that I realized that I could try pigtails with her now straighter-than-normal locks.

Love it!

Can you believe BabyCakes is closer to her 2nd birthday than her 1st?

I've actually already started thinking about her party. I can't decide between a "Sock Monkey Second Birthday" or a "BabyCakes is Turning Two, Tutu Birthday."

She loves her tutu that she wore for Biz' 5th Birthday dance party, but her grandparents have started her a small sock animal collection and I could do that party with a vintagey twist.

Thoughts?

Thank You

2011-08-07T01:46:00.003-04:00

A sick BabyCakes is coughing in her crib on the other side of the half wall in our smokey mountain hotel room.
BigBoy, teddy under arm, is sleeping right through it, as is J (thank goodness. Someone has to drive).

The family decided to give me MeMa's pearl necklace. I didn't feel worthy. I will hold my head high when I wear it, though.

Neighbors back home have done everything from take out our trash to care for our hamster to hang up the wet laundry I left in the washing machine. Not to mention guest-posting right here on my blaaaahg.

Friends sent well-wishes from 5 states and some even took care of the children this week.

This week. It has been a hard week. I've always been one to love with my heart wide-open. That makes it easier to damage but it's how I'm wired, I suppose.
But all you people I love, who love me, have made this week just a little bit easier. To say I appreciate your support would be an embarassing understatement. For every email, phone call, card, blog comment, text, hug, prayer, pecan pie, word of sympathy, and selfless act of kindness my family has received -- I thank you so very much.
Again, Thank You.

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 2

2011-08-03T18:31:00.000-04:00

Today Melissa has been kind enough to take the posting reins in my absence.
Thank you so much, Melissa!
Without further ado...

I am honored (and a little nervous) to be doing this guest WW Wednesday post for Cayce. As you may have seen, her Grandmother passed away and she is traveling to be with her family and to attend her funeral. Cayce, your whole family is in my thoughts and I am so very sorry for your loss.

So, just a little bit about me - I started at Weight Watchers a few weeks after Cayce - she asked me if I wanted to go with her. I'd had a baby in August (coincidentally, today is her first birthday!). So we have been on this journey (I know how you love that word, Cayce) together. I've lost 48 pounds so far, including my weigh-in this morning. I'm proud of how much I've accomplished so far, but honestly, this morning, I was disappointed. I was expecting a big loss. I jogged 15 miles this week in addition to some other exercise classes. I worked so hard and expected it to show on the scale. Instead of a huge loss, I gained .2 of a pound. This reminded me that there is much more to this journey (sorry, Cayce) than just the number on the scale. I'm more fit than I've been in my life, I'm wearing smaller sizes, and most importantly, I've got more energy to chase my girls.

My goal this week is to stop thinking about finally getting to 50 pounds and to just focus on how great I feel. The weight will come off with all of the healthy changes I've made. The number is just another indicator of that.

Can't wait to see how all of you are doing this week. Stick with it - there are 18 weeks to go. You will be so happy you did!

A Heavy Heart

2011-08-02T07:47:00.000-04:00

I knew this post was coming but it doesn't make it any easier -- my grandmother died this morning due to complications of Alzheimer's.

Ruth Pirtle became my grandmother when I was in elementary school.
She and my grandfather were high school sweethearts. They went on to marry other people, live in different places, and have children of their own. Later in life after their spouses died, they somehow reconnected and made a life filled with large portions of love, family, and faith.

From the moment she met me, Mema adopted me as her own. I was very connected to my recently-diseased grandmother, and Mema, or "Miss Ruth" as I called her for many years, never tried to replace her in my heart. I had a big, open heart and plenty of room for another wonderful woman in it, though.

Mema taught me about living with a humble work ethic and a cheerful heart. She would prepare large feasts for her massive family until she was physically unable.
She worked for years in service as a nurse, one of the most thankless jobs in creation.
She believed in having a sense of humor about and taking pride in her work, her home, her life, no matter how modest or grande -- if only we could all thankful for our gifts.
A lot of who I want to be as a woman, a mother, is directly tied to her loving influence.

My grandmother may have died but she will live on in Heaven and in many, many hearts.