Boo Humbug

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

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

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

Pumpkin (cutie)Pies

"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

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.

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

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.