happy new year!

As we move into the year 2008, I want to wish everyone well. May the coming year bring you much happiness, prosperity, good health, and personal growth. If you make resolutions, may you be successful at keeping them. Have a fun, safe time tonight, and happy New Year!!!

a blast from the past!

The coolest thing happened today: the phone rang, and it was my ex-boyfriend Rick, whom I hadn't seen or talked to in over 10 years! He was actually the last boyfriend I had before Brian, and I had always wondered what happened to him. It's such a small world - he actually lives close by to us. He has family in the area, so after moving around a lot, he ended up here about 4 years ago. I guess he wondered what happened to me, too, because he looked me up online, saw that I live here, and decided to give me a call. It was so awesome! After I got over my initial sputtering astonishment, we had a really long, good conversation and got pretty much caught up with each other. We decided that we'll have to get together soon. He's a really good guy, and it's nice to be in touch with him again. Wow! Quite a big surprise in the middle of an otherwise humdrum day.

the 3 of us

I have finally gotten all of the Christmas pics off the camera and onto the computer. Below is a picture of Brian and me taken at his battalion Christmas party, and a picture of Nick taken while he was opening presents at Uncle Tim's house on Christmas.

Soon, I will be sending an email to those of you on my list with a link to an online album with even more pics!

two steps forward, one step back

As I expected, I did gain weight this week. I knew I would, and I know that I shouldn't be too upset by it, but it's hard not to be. As you can see, I weigh pretty much the same now as I did 4 weeks ago, which means that in a month, I really haven't gone anywhere. That's hard to swallow. I know that I should be happy with how far I've come, and I am - it's just that I want to be done with this!

OK - enough whining. You probably want to kill me by now. :) Here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to jump back into exercising, count calories again, and get 'er done. I'm going to reach the 30-pound mark again and never look back. Come summer, I'm going to be one hot mama. Wish me luck!

we're back from springfield

We got back a couple of hours ago, and we're getting unpacked, processed, and resettled. It's really good to be back in my cozy home. We had a great time in Springfield - fun with family and friends, lots of presents (way too many for Nick!), ridiculous amounts of decadent food. My weigh-in tomorrow will most certainly not be pretty. :) But, I'm gonna get right back into the swing of things as far as diet and exercise.

The day after Christmas, I did a bit of shopping and snagged some great deals, like VSmile cartridges for 1/2 off, Christmas cards for 1/2 off, wall calendars for 1/2 off, etc. I love great deals!!! I also finally got a desperately-needed haircut, and it was great to visit with Tracy (my hairdresser and good friend).

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed right now with everything I have to do: get all the presents dealt with and put away, process a ton of digital photos, get rid of some of Nick's toys to make room for the new, clean my house, do laundry, take down the Christmas decor, etc. Whew! I know I just need to take it one day and one task at a time, but it's hard not to think about it all at once and get anxious.

I don't have much else to say right now. Not feeling too gabby. I think I'm just going to chill out on the sofa for awhile, in fact. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas...

a wonderful day with my best friend

Tim and his mom arrived here around noon and left around 7 p.m., and we had a wonderful day together! We didn't really do much of anything exciting, but we just had a great time talking and laughing, and Kathie and Tim enjoyed spending time with Nick. We went out for Chinese for lunch, and then went to the commissary (the grocery store on post) and WalMart. The day left me feeling very warm, fuzzy, and loved. It left Nick very wired and spastic, but then, what's new? :)

I didn't end up going to Brigitte's for caroling. I'm just too tired, and the weather has gotten kind of nasty - cold, very windy, and rainy, with a chance of snow. So, I'm in for the night.

Tomorrow morning, I have more laundry to do (again - what's new?), and we're going to get all packed up and head to Springfield tomorrow late afternoon/evening. There will be much to pack in the car - in addition to the usual, we have a surplus of Christmas gifts, plus ingredients and equipment for the stuff I'll be baking, etc. When we get all settled in Springfield, we might go out and drive around looking at Christmas lights - that would be a great way to end the night!

Monday, I will be making nutty chocolate bars and mint chocolate peppermint bark, and generally helping my Dad get ready for Monday evening, when the whole family will descend for the familial Christmas celebration. The kids will all open their gifts from the aunts, uncles, and grandpa, and there will be much consumption of cookies and other decadent fare. After singing at the 7 p.m. service at National Avenue Church, Tim will come over and he and I will have our own gift exchange. Then, we'll probably hang out and maybe drive around looking at lights again. There are a few "famous" homes in Springfield where the owners really go all out.

Christmas morning, Nick, Brian, and I will open the gifts from each other and from Brian's parents, and then we'll probably just hang out all day, not doing much, until we go to Tim's house for Christmas dinner. Yum!

On the 26th, I have various objectives, including visiting friends, getting a much-needed haircut, doing a bit of shopping, etc. We'll finally head home on Thursday. Brian will be off work all next week and the following week, so we'll have lots of time for togetherness and domesticity. :)

We don't really have any plans for New Year's Eve - we'll probably just have a couple of people over, and my niece might drive up from Springfield and spend the night - yay!

That pretty much sums up my holiday plans. I probably won't post tomorrow, so this is my last pre-Christmas post.

I hope everyone has an absolutely wonderful Christmas!!! Travel safely, and have fun...

only 3 days until christmas!

First and foremost: Happy birthday to you; happy birthday to you; happy birthday, dear Patty; happy birthday to you!!!

Well, the results are in. In losing 30 pounds, I have lost a grand total of about 22 inches in my arms, bust, waist, hips, thighs, and calves. Wow! That's pretty amazing, when you think about it. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, women need to have a waist measurement of under 35 inches, and I'm almost there at 35.5.

The gift-wrapping last night was really fun, and quite crazy at times! Right when I got there, we were slammed, and I literally wrapped non-stop for the first 30 mins. As I had predicted, there was plenty of witty repartee and banter, and we really had a good time. In fact, the time flew by, and I was really bummed when it was over. We extended the evening a bit by getting something to eat at the food court afterwards - I was starving!

Today, Tim and his mom are coming for a visit, which should be nice. His mom absolutely loves spending time with Nick, and the feeling is mutual. Brian is now on leave until January 7, which makes him very happy! So, it's all good...

30 pounds!

I've finally made it to the 30-lb. mark! Yay! I'm a little concerned that by the end of next week, I'll have gained a bit back, but that's OK - after next week, I'm really going to buckle down again. I've gotten away from my food journal, and from counting calories, and I think that if I get back into that, I'll be able to get right back on track after Christmas. I'm so proud of myself! Tomorrow morning, I'm going to have Brian help me take my measurements, so I'll know the total number of inches I've lost. I'll let you know...

Not much else to say today. I just exchanged gifts with my neighbor, Angela. She gave me these beautiful silver and onyx earrings and necklace. What girl doesn't love jewelry? :) Nick and I are just chillin' at home for the rest of the day, and then tonight, I have the gift-wrapping. I'm looking forward to that. I'll be wrapping with some zesty peeps, so there should be some good convo and laughter.

Everyone have a great weekend!

we made it to springfield, after all

So, after all but resigning myself to being stuck here this weekend, the big snowstorm turned out to be a non-event. Boy, those weather-peeps had egg on their faces! We got maybe a couple of inches in all, and Springfield got less than an inch, I'd say.

So, anywho, we set off on Saturday morning and got to my Dad's around 11:15. Soon thereafter, I had to leave to attend the rehearsal at the church where I was to sing the next morning. The rehearsal went well, and my solo stuff sounded great. We did some really pretty choral stuff, too. In the meantime, Brian and my Dad took Nick to Bass Pro Shop to get his picture taken with Santa. They had to wait an hour and a half, during which time Nick was apparently really well-behaved! But, just as it was his turn to go up to Santa, he pooped! He didn't want to sit down on Santa's lap then, since he hates sitting after he poops (who wouldn't?), so in the picture, Nick is standing and Santa is kind of leaning in. It's still pretty cute.

After the rehearsal, I stopped for a quick bite at Panera and then met my peeps at the ice-rink, where we watched my 15-year-old niece skate in the winter ice show. Nick was rather squirrelly, and wouldn't sit still, but he didn't make any noise or cry or anything, so we chose to let him roam around a bit. At one point, the announcer introduced the next skater, named Kayla, and Nick shouted "Kayla is beautiful!" When a skater named Natalie was introduced, Nick yelled "Go, Becky!" :) He really enjoyed the popcorn that Aunt Mary bought him - that actually got him to sit still for awhile! My niece did a great job, and after the show, I got some great pictures of my nieces and Nick. Tim and I had been planning to go to a concert that evening, but ended up deciding against it - we just weren't in the mood.

We all went to Mr. Yen's for dinner (Fun! We got our own private little room.), after which Tim and Caitlin came out to Dad's house to bond with us. We had fun chatting and playing Christmas carols on the piano. In the meantime, we didn't realize that even with the small amount of precip, Dad's streets had gotten very bad. His neighborhood has always been very treacherous, and you have to go uphill to get out of it. Anywho, to make a long story really short, Caitlin couldn't get her car out of the hood when she and Tim finally left, and Tim ended up having to give her a ride home. Worse, when my Dad drove out to try and help them, he ended up sliding into some mailboxes and completely ripping the driver's side power mirror right off his car, in addition to some other damage to the body. :( It was not a good way to end the night.

I ended up getting to bed later than planned, but still had to be up bright and early at 5:30 (blech!) to get ready for my church services. Dad ended up taking me, and he managed to get out of the hood OK, but not without some slipping and sliding. The services went great (save for some bad playing on the part of the organist)! Between the two services, Tim, his friend Jennifer, and I went out for a bite, which was really nice. My "bite" was a decadent piece of French Silk pie - see how my diet goes out the window when I'm in Springfield? I think I've gained a bit more weight back - must get back on track! But, I digress. Dad and Brian came to the second service so Brian could videotape. They left Nick in the nursery, much to his utter devastation. :) It was really a lovely morning of singing, and I got a nice paycheck, to boot. That's always a good thing!

After church, Tim dropped me off at the mall so that I could do some power bargain-shopping (The crowds sucked, but at least I didn't have to find a parking space!). Due to my masterful combining of sales and coupons, I got some majorly great deals at Bath & Body Works, Yankee Candle, and JCPenney. For instance, at JCP, I got two shirts (one is all silvery and fancy) with a combined sticker price of $38 for....drum roll, please.....$5! Getting deals like that gives me such a high - I think I'm a little addicted to it.

Dad picked me up and took me back to his house (By this time, the sun and higher temp had all but melted the ice off the streets.), where Brian and I packed up our stuff. We headed to the Christmas program and dinner at Holy Trinity (my siblings' church), after which we were leaving to drive straight back home. My two younger nieces were in the program, and the 15-year-old sang a solo. (She is multi-talented.) The program was weird, disjointed, made no sense, and was just plain BAD. But, I had fun making fun of it with my 20-year-old niece, and singing the Christmas carols! Nick wore his Santa hat, as he had been doing all weekend, and looked really cute. And, he sat very nicely on his Aunt Gayle's lap during most of the program. The dinner, when it finally got started in a very tardy fashion, was yummy (And, in keeping with the ways of Catholics, it involved free wine!), and I had fun chatting with my family, all of whom were there. Brian and I got away around 7 and were home by 8:30 p.m. yesterday, and here I sit!

Tonight, our friend Mike is coming over for dinner. I'm making baked rigatoni and cheese, so I guess I'd better get off the computer so that I can get my butt in gear...

black friday :(

Well, I certainly seem to be rather manic lately, don't I? Up and down. I guess that's life. First of all, I'm rather disheartened that I gained 1/2-lb. this week, because while I may not have been eating in the best manner possible, I also worked my butt off exercising. I am so close to the 30-lb. mark, but just can't seem to quite get there. I guess I'm going to have to lay off the Christmas cookies entirely.

Secondly, the main reason for my black mood is the impending snowstorm we're supposed to get tonight into Saturday. If you'll look at my upcoming events in the right-hand column, you'll notice that I have several things going on in Springfield this weekend. This storm could obliterate all my fun in one fell swoop (not to mention my paycheck from National Avenue Church). I have been looking forward to this weekend so much! I was excited about singing, about seeing my nieces in their ice show and pageant, and I was really glad to be able to spend some time cheering my oldest niece up and just bonding with all of them. I had also been planning to use some coupons I have for mall stores that will expire before my next visit, and to get Nick's picture taken with Santa. I'm just so bummed that the snowstorm has to happen on THIS particular weekend. Grrr. All of my plans just wiped out. I know there's no point stewing over it, since it can't be controlled and none of my plans were life-or-death, but if you know me, you know I'm a stewer. Just call me "Stewy." :) Sigh. It looks like our area could get several inches of snow, so I'm already resigning myself to being stuck here this weekend. I'm trying to accept it, but my brain is resisting.

Nothing really going on today - I just have to pay bills and do laundry, and then tonight, we're going to see Brian in the Army Band concert.

a much better day!

First of all: Kreativemix, who are you? Are you just a random person who commented on my blog, or do I know you? I'm intrigued.

Now, on to my day. Today has been very full and lovely. This morning, I dropped Nick off at preschool and then proceeded to my MOPS meeting. I could only stay at the meeting for a brief time, but I wanted to go anyway, since it was the last one of the year, and I wanted to wish all of my peeps a merry Christmas. Even in the brief time I was there, I had some lovely chatting with various people, and I got a compliment on my weight loss, which never gets old. :) I also got an invitation to a party on December 30, which pleases me to no end. You see, I'm one of those people that is very happy DURING the holiday season, but then comes crashing down on December 26. I always get major letdown and blues when Christmas is over, so any fun thing to look forward to after Christmas is a godsend! Thank you for the invite, Jeannie!

After wishing everyone happy holidays, I beat a hasty retreat not from my lair, but from MOPS. Knowing me, I probably DID do it with adjectives. :) On the way to Nick's preschool holiday party, I talked on the phone with my 20-year-old niece. She's having a tough time right now, and it felt great to talk to her and give her some Aunt Amy Lovin'. LOVE HER! (Love all my nieces.) I arrived at the preschool for the party, and Nick greeted me with a huge smile. I sat with the other moms while the kids sang some cute Christmas songs. Nick was one of two kids who refused to sing a single word. :) But, he did look super-cute in his little reindeer headband thingy. Then, he presented me with a glittery Christmas card and an even glitterier ornament with a photo of him in it. So cute! My first Nick-made ornament for my tree! This is what it's all about. I love my gorgeous ornaments, but I will also proudly hang any raggedy thing that Nick gives me right beside them, in a place of honor.

After the non-singing, we all sat down for some yummy cookies and punch. Santa was visiting the preschool this morning (This Santa was a FAR cry from the faboo one at the library, though - very lame beard, and sneakers! I mean, really.), and I finally got Nick to sit on his lap by bribing him with candy. For a few minutes, I really thought it was a lost cause, but I prevailed! I snapped a photo, and it's OK. I still want to try at the mall in Springfield, because this Santa was just too cut-rate to qualify for THE Santa photo of the year, you know what I mean? :)

After Santa, the kids played while the Moms talked, which was nice. I really like some of the other preschool moms, and we shared some nice chitchat. Well, while we were chatting and Nick was playing with some boys, he got bitten! Yup. The scary part is that the kid bit him through a thick fleece top, and STILL left teeth marks and scraped his skin. Can you imagine the damage that would have occurred on bare skin, or through a thin shirt? Mylanta. Thank goodness for fleece. He was pretty upset, and we got some ice to put on it. Apparently, they've had lots of problems with this kid, and this wasn't the first biting incident. When they put the kid in a time-out, he proceeded to throw a major tantrum for about 10 minutes. It was lovely. Miss Ulla (the main teacher) told me that she would watch the videotape (because of course, classrooms have cameras in every corner nowadays) and write up the "incident report" after class was over. It kills me how much CYA goes on now. It's so different from when I was a kid. I guess it's not all bad, though.

After the party, Nick went to daycare for an hour while Jutta and I went to a supremely lame craft bazaar. The lameness didn't really matter, though, because it's always nice to hang out with her and bond. It was quite bittersweet, because that was the last time I'll see her before she leaves for Germany on Sunday, and she won't be back until JANUARY 14!!! I'll simply die. To make matters worse, Rebecca is gone right now, too. I won't see her until after Christmas. Next week shall be rather lonely and uneventful.

I picked up Nick and came home, and found the most fabulous, lovely, wonderful message on my answering machine from my Patty-friend in Illinois. At first, I thought she was calling to tell me something awful had happened, because she sounded all teary. But then, I realized that she was teary in a joyful way. She had just received my Christmas package, and went on about how wonderful it is. Well, that completely made my whole day! I mean, anytime I make someone that happy, it just about knocks me over with joy. I've got a huge grin on my face just thinking about it. And if anyone deserves a delightful surprise, it's my Patty-friend. She rocks! Patty - I'm glad you love your treasures, girlfriend! It was absolutely my pleasure.

After talking some more to my niece, here I sit, typing whilst my laundry agitates. I'm feeling quite content and happy today...

one of those days

I haven't had a good day. Nothing earth-shatteringly bad has happened, and I know that compared to people with real problems, I shouldn't complain, but in my own opinion, my day has been rather disappointing. First of all, I had nowhere to go this morning, so the morning was rather long and boring. This, in itself, isn't horrible, but anyone who knows me knows how much I can't stand just sitting home with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

After Nick's nap, I finally got out of the house, when Nick and I went to the library on post to get his picture taken with Santa. Nick was really looking forward to this, as was I, mainly because it was going to be a free picture with Santa, not a ridiculously-priced one like we usually get at the mall. So, off we went with high hopes. Well, when we got there, they were on #24, and we were #108. Suffice it to say, we didn't stay. What made it even more disappointing was that the Santa and Mrs. Claus were very nice-looking - not cheesy in the least - and the backdrop was lovely. It would have been a really GOOD free picture with Santa. Harrumph! Nick and I then went out for dinner with Jutta and Bryan, where Nick was awful. He just wouldn't sit still, wouldn't obey me, wouldn't eat, etc. By the time we left, I was totally frazzled and sick of my child. Double harrumph.

So, on the way home, I finally got our mail out of the mailbox, and what did I find in the mailbox? I found one of my Christmas presents from Brian. This made me totally, irrationally livid (in fact, I'm still in the midst of this lividity [is that even a word?]). I mean, here's the way I see things. Even if I've told Brian specifically that I want a certain item, and even if I'm 99.99% sure that he's getting it for me, the fact is that I don't KNOW I'm getting it until I actually get it. Do you know what I mean? Even if I'm pretty sure he's getting it for me, there's still that element of surprise, suspense, anticipation. I think I'm getting it, I wonder if I'm getting it, but I don't know for sure, and I'll be totally delighted when I actually get it. I mean, look - I'm 33 now. Christmas and birthdays just don't hold much magic or excitement anymore. Is it too much to ask that my husband keep my gifts from me until he gives them to me? I've told him before to have stuff shipped somewhere else - he could use his office, my Dad's house, a friend's house. He's got options. So, for some reason (hormones?), I'm just insanely angry that he had it sent to our house, knowing that I'm the one who gets the mail every day. I put a lot of effort into making sure he never sees his gifts ahead of time, so why can't he? I just feel so deflated right now. Now, I know I'm getting this gift, so all the fun and anticipation is just gone. Does anyone out there know what I mean and think that I'm not totally crazy? If so, please let me know - you'll provide me with immeasurable comfort. I just feel like any small amount of excitement that I had for Christmas, any sense of the unknown or of anticipation that I felt in relation to my gifts, is all gone now. I mean, how unromantic and lame is it to pluck your own Christmas gift out of the mailbox on December 12? I know I'm overreacting and rambling, and I know that I should probably get over it and get my priorities straight, but right now, this evening, I'm angry about it, and I'm going to be angry about it for a while, dammit!

That's all I have to say right now (at least, it's all I have to say without just repeating myself over and over).

a lovely soiree/blasted weather - bah! humbug!

Last night was my little soiree with Jutta and Rebecca, and it was lovely! Brian took Nick away, so it was just us chicks. :) We had all manner of conversation, in the free-associating way that only women can, covering everything from Sex and the City to C-sections to social differences between Europe and the U.S. Jutta brought a pot of delicious goulash, and I had made a batch of dark chocolate peppermint bark. We had a little gift exchange, and the gifts were loved all around. It was such a nice evening! It was so great to just sit around and talk uninterrupted, and there was much laughter and female bonding. I really like these two women.

As they were leaving, Rebecca said something that totally made my night. At the choral concert in Rolla, Rebecca and Jutta sat with my Dad. Well, Rebecca said (and Jutta confirmed) that during the concert and my solo, my Dad had totally been bragging about me and saying how proud he was, how much I sound like my Mom, etc. That just about blew me away, because I never would have expected that of my Dad. You see, he's not the kind of man to be demonstrative towards me in any way. I mean, he tells me he loves me, but he never really hugs me, and he never really praises me or tells me that he's proud of me. So, I couldn't believe what they told me! It made me feel all warm and glowy. I don't care how old we get - we still want our parents' approval, don't we?

Now, on to my next topic. I am totally bummed, because it looks like the weather is going to ruin all of my weekend plans. We had been planning to go to a Christmas parade about 30 miles away this evening, but it's all wet and cold and yucky outside, so I think we're going to pass on that. I'm only a little disappointed about that, but what really has me bummed big-time is the demise of the girls' roadtrip to Hermann tomorrow for its Kristkindl Markt. Tomorrow, there is going to be freezing rain, so it just doesn't seem wise to make the trip. Boo hoo! You have no idea how excited I was about this trip. First of all, I sort of couldn't believe that I actually got everyone to agree to it in the first place. I mean, a roadtrip to someplace 2 hours away to attend a market that may or may not be fabulous, when we all have kids, was kind of a long-shot. But, everyone said "yes", and it actually worked with everyone's schedules, which was an amazing feat. I have been looking forward to it so much - it seemed so "Thelma and Louise"! :) I knew that we'd have a lot of fun and probably buy some nifty stuff and eat some yummy food in Hermann. So, I'm very down. I mean, we have to wait a whole year to have another chance at it. :( Now, my exciting plans tomorrow will include such stellar things as wrapping presents and perhaps cleaning a toilet or two. Alas. That's always the irony of this time of year: there are more plans and fun things to do now than at any other time, yet there's also the greatest chance of plans being foiled by weather or illness. Bah! Humbug!

OK - I've had my rant. I'll be OK.

a very worldly brunch/first snow of the winter

This morning, while Nick was in preschool (and daycare after that), I accompanied my friend Jutta to a brunch at her friend Brigitte's house. I know Brigitte a little through Jutta, but had never been to her house before. It's very lavishly and beautifully decorated! The brunch was pretty large - I'd say close to 20 people. Apparently, Brigitte likes to do this sort of thing pretty regularly. Her kids are adults, so she has time for stuff like that! :)

It was a very cosmopolitan gathering of women - the vast majority were German, and then there were an English lady, a French-Canadian lady, a couple of Korean ladies, and a handful of us Americans. The amount of food was staggering! I ended up eating too much savory stuff, so I had no room for dessert, which is a shame, as the dessert table was groaning under all the decadent German goodness. :) The bad part was that while we got there at 10:00, no eating occurred until after 11:00. I should have known - Europeans are very leisurely about these things. I was so starving that as 10:30 came and went, my hunger was all I could think about. When we finally ate, food had never tasted so good!

Another woman there happens to be a pianist, so we were asked to perform a bit. It was very informal, and people sang along with the Christmas carols, so it wasn't really a big deal. I did sing "O, Holy Night" pretty much as a solo, which was nice. And, we sang "Stille Nacht" ("Silent Night" in German). At one point, we did a German carol I had never heard of, and it was somewhat taxing to read the unfamiliar music AND the unfamiliar German lyrics at the same time! I was chagrined when I had to leave to get Nick, but I had been there for 3 hours! I got the impression that some of the women would linger much longer. I hope to get invited to her house again.

And the coolest thing happened! As we were singing carols, we noticed that it had started snowing for the first time this winter. It was such a picturesque scene, looking out of Brigitte's picture window at the swirling flakes. It was almost magical that it occurred while we were singing. We Americans immediately decided that a rousing rendition of "Let it Snow" was in order. We sang lustily while the foreigners sat confusedly, chiming in only to sing the words "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" :)

The snow (and even some ice!) hasn't amounted to more than a dusting, but that first time is always lovely, no matter the amount. We were going to go to the Christmas on the Square tonight, but given the bitter cold and yuckiness outside, we'll probably skip it. Oh, well - a cozy, warm night in is fine with me!

oh, mylanta!

Just updated my list of upcoming events, and OMG! It's pretty stunning to see it all listed like that. To say that my dance card is full this month would be a gross understatement. I guess I'd better gear up for a busy few weeks. I'm looking forward to it all, but it also could prove to be pretty exhausting and stressful. Oh, well - after all, 'tis the season! :)

the concert is over...

...and it went OK. A couple of the songs had some issues, but we made it through. And my solo (O, Holy Night) went very well. I got lots of kudos, which is always nice! My Dad and my friends Jutta and Rebecca came, which made it even more special. After the concert, we all enjoyed some cookies and punch at the post-concert reception, and then Mike (Army band member who sang in the choir as well) went out to dinner with me, Brian, Nick, and my Dad. It was a lovely, if tiring, day. During the evening, I worked on my Christmas cards and just relaxed and watch Desperate Housewives. I'm really looking forward to slipping 'twixt my delicious flannel sheets...

bye-bye, 180s!/random acts of kindness

First of all, I lost 3 more pounds this week, putting me into the 170s. Whoo hoo! I can't believe how far I've come. I can't remember the last time I weighed 178 pounds. I can't believe I'm in a size 14 jean. Boy, that's a lot of negatives for a girl in such a positive mood! :) Happiness. That's all.

Now for my second topic: random acts of kindness (RAKs). Recently, they discussed RAKs in Nick's preschool class, and the teachers sent home a sheet where they wanted us to record 5 RAKs performed by our child. That was pretty easy, as Nick is a sweet boy. These included such things as offering me a bite of his food, telling me he loved me out of the blue, etc.

This got me to thinking about RAKs. I remember years ago when that phrase became popular, putting a specific label on something that all of humankind should be doing naturally. I do my best to perform little RAKs most every day - things like telling someone I like her earrings, sending an email to a friend just because, etc. If I'm at WalMart and I see something that I know a friend wants or needs, I'll just pick it up for her. Stuff like that. But, I've always wanted to up the ante a little bit - kick it up a notch, if you will. Do something a little more off-the-wall and truly "random." For several years now, I have harbored the idea of paying for the person behind me in the McDonald's drive-through. I've wanted to do this for the longest time, but it seems like I never think of it when I'm actually IN the drive-through - just at other times. Well, today, I finally thought of it when I was actually there; I'm sure that this was caused in part by the warm, fuzzy Christmas spirit that has fully bloomed within me over the past week. Anywho, I got to the window and paid for my food, and then I said "I want to pay for the next person." The employee said "The woman in the van?", and I said "Sure!" It took her a minute to catch on - at first, she thought that I knew this person. I explained to her that I didn't know her from Eve and was just performing a holiday RAK. She acted like that was the coolest thing she'd ever heard of. I told her to just tell the woman that I said "Merry Christmas," and that I hope she'll pay it forward (Jill - you and I are of a similar mind lately!) by doing a RAK for someone else. Here's the best part: I looked in my rear-view mirror as the woman pulled up to the window. She held out her money, listened for a second, and then got a huge grin on her face. She waved at me, and I waved back, and then it was time for me to drive away. She didn't know who I was and will never know, and that is so cool! It wasn't about recognition - it was just about making someone's day. And I'm not going on about this in my blog to get kudos for it - honest! I'm going on about it because it felt even better than I thought it would. I have had my own grin pasted on my face ever since I got home, and I still get a rush just thinking about it.

So here's what I say to everyone reading this post: I challenge you to perform your own truly random act of kindness ASAP, whether it be the drive-through thing or something else. Be creative! Then, comment on this post and tell me about it. Let's start a sensation!

Merry Christmas to all.

last choir rehearsal

Last night was the last rehearsal before the Rolla Chamber Singers concert on Sunday. Let's just say that there will be some good moments and some very tenuous ones. I'm a bit concerned about some of the pieces. But, we've reached the point where there's nothing more to be done, and we'll just have to see what happens at the concert. Sometimes, that "concert adrenaline" can work miracles. :) And this is certainly the perfect time of year for one of those!

I also rehearsed my solo ("O, Holy Night") in front of the choir, and it went OK. Again, it had a couple of places that I wasn't happy with, but hopefully, I'll have it ship-shape by Sunday. I always love singing this song at Christmas, so I'm glad to have the opportunity.

Our director recently announced that this will be his last concert with the RCS, as he is stepping down. It was quite a shocker, and I have mixed feelings about it. My main concern is that the choir will fall by the wayside. The choir president said that we won't do a concert next semester, but that a new director will be found and we will resume next fall, but I have to admit that I'm very dubious of this. The choir has dwindled over the past couple of years, and many of the members are older people. There just doesn't seem to be much passion for it among the members, and I fear that this loss of our director will be the fatal blow. I also think that it will be a tall order for them to find another director. Basically, I'm expecting that we will not resume, so that if we do, I'll just be pleasantly surprised. While this choir is admittedly not fabulous, it's still a choir to sing in, and it's the only one available to me here. So, if it is over, I will be quite sad and bereft of a singing outlet. :( Only time will tell...

Nick is at preschool, so I'm off to make the most of the next 1.5 hours!

whew! the decorating is finished...

Well, I'm finally done festooning the house for the holidays, and it looks lovely. As usual, it's rather overdone, but what can I say? I like it that way. Yesterday, I started at 11 a.m. and worked until 9 p.m., stopping only to eat, pee, and get online briefly. My saint of a husband kept Nick occupied away from the house all day so that I could work uninterrupted. I got the mantel and entertainment center all done, as well as the other interior decor, and got my "secondary" trees up and decorated. During Nick's nap, Brian helped me put up the big tree, and I got it all fluffed and ready to decorate. I chatted with Tim on the phone whilst I fluffed, which made the chore much less onerous. Today, I put all 8,541,236 ornaments on the big tree (it's really very out of control), and we did the outside stuff. And hallelujah - we're done! We can now enjoy the beauty for 5 weeks or so, until it's time to dismantle it and pack it all away again. Sometimes, I wonder if it's worth it, but then when I get it all up, I remember that it most definitely is.

Exercising went by the wayside yesterday, for the 4th day in a row, but tonight, I'm heading down to the basement to walk and ellipse :) while I watch Desperate Housewives.

Here are some pics of my wonderland:
1) my kitschy white kitchen tree, with glittering balls of colorful goodness
2) my real aluminum tree from the 1950s, with various balls in shades of blue
3) the big living room tree - no theme - just ornaments that I love or that mark particular events in our lives
4) my mantel
5) my entertainment center, which has my Santa collection in addition to pictures with Santa, including two from MY childhood!

christmastime is here; happiness and cheer!

This morning when Brian went into Nick's room to get him up, Nick said "This is terrible! My car is under my bed yet again, and yet again, I must go under the bed and get it!"

As you can see, I only gained a pound from Thanksgiving, which I find to be a happy surprise. The way I ate left me believing that the damage would be much worse. :) A pound I can handle! This week, I should be able to exercise and eat well with no problem, so hopefully, I can lose that pound and maybe a bit more.

Thanksgiving was lovely. My Dad and I had a bit of snarkiness with each other as we tried to prepare the turkey (neither of us had ever done one before), but you have to understand that with us, snarkiness is our language. It's how we relate, so really, it was nothing out of the ordinary. It's our way of sharing our love. :) Our friend Mike (from the Army band) drove to Springfield to join us, and my entire family descended upon the paternal home. We had ridiculous amounts of sumptuous food, including all the classics and 3 kinds of pie! My sister made my Mom's sausage stuffing, as she always does, and it was faboo as usual. Everything was great, really. I really enjoyed getting to bond with my nieces, as that doesn't happen nearly enough. And Mike brought some delicious wine, so some of us were really feelin' the love! :) I'll admit that I got pleasantly tipsy. Later in the evening, Tim stopped by to visit, much to Nick's delight. All-in-all, it was a heart-warming, lovely day.

Yesterday, we didn't do much. I went to see the movie "Enchanted" with Tim (after stopping by his house for a lunch of leftovers), and we liked it! It was cute and funny, and quite refreshing. I recommend it. We came home yesterday evening, stopping for dinner at Steak 'n' Shake on the way. Yum!

Now, it's Saturday morning, and as soon as I am all caught up online, the Christmas decorating shall commence...

happy thanksgiving, everyone!

We're leaving for Springfield this evening, so I wanted to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. Though not my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving is something I cherish, because there's no gifts or hoopla - just a day with family, eating good food and reflecting on all of the blessings in our lives. There's certainly something to be said for that! I hope that everyone has a good day tomorrow, and let's all remember to be thankful for what we have. We'll have about 14 or so people at my Dad's house, so it's sure to be a rip-roarin' good time! :) On Friday, I'm going to just relax - maybe go to a movie. I will most certainly NOT be hitting the stores - no bargain is worth it to me to go out shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. Will you be shopping that day? If so, where will you go?

We'll be back on Friday evening or Saturday morning, and then the Christmas decorating shall commence...:)

how bazaar!

Went to this craft bazaar thing today with friends Jutta and Rebecca. It was much less lame than I thought it would be. I'm such a skeptic. :) I only spent a few dollars, but what I got was really zesty and a great value! Can't reveal - it's a Christmas present for a couple of my peeps. I just had a nice time chatting with J and R - they're both quite lovely. Rebecca has sarcasm to rival mine, which makes me very happy. We spent quite a bit of time just walking around, and then we went to Jutta's house, where we were plied with tea and German baked goodness (and great music being played on the computer by Jutta's husband!). I got home much later than I had anticipated, and I'm feeling quite guilty, because I had all of these domestic chores that I was going to do which have gone undone. I did work out this morning, though, thank goodness! I realized that out of the past 10 days, I'd only worked out 3, which will NOT do. So, if I only did one thing today, I'm glad that I did that.

Nick quote for the day: "I'm going to call Handy Manny so he can fix my train. Yeah, he'll fix it - or maybe Oprah will."

:)

i'm halfway there!

I almost can't believe it! In 17 weeks' time, I have come halfway to my weight-loss goal. It's a great feeling. One little caveat, though: I'm thinking of adjusting my goal weight from 155 down to 150, in which case I'll have to lose another 2.5 pounds to be halfway. But, that's just a small detail. The reason for the adjustment would be that 150 would truly put me at a "normal" BMI, whereas 155 would put me more at the cusp of normal and overweight. But, I'm still unsure about this, because BMI doesn't take into account one's frame, and I have a large-ish frame. So, I'm just going to see how it goes and see if I think those last 5 pounds are necessary when the time comes. I've been feeling so good about myself lately that even at 170, I'll probably think I look great. For my health, though, I really want to stick it out all the way to my goal. And I'm still right on track to be done sometime in March (barring a long plateau), which is amazing! I mean, I can't believe that in 4 months' time, I could be all svelte! Just in time for Nick's 4th birthday, and for spring and summer. It's almost more than I can handle. OK - I'll stop gushing now. :)

Went to the Army band family gathering last night. It wasn't very well-attended, and the snacks were kind of lame :), but it was nice to finally meet Brian's new commander - she's very nice, and is quite excited that I sing! She is apparently a big fan of classical music and opera. It didn't quite come together for me to sing with the band this year for Christmas, but I have a feeling that I will be doing so next year. Brian is going to take a CD of me in for her to listen to. I also met a couple of other really nice band-members. I had a great, funny conversation with a guy named Greg. It's so weird, because my brother's name is Greg, and this guy's sister's name is Amy! Spooky.

Today is a pretty low-key day. I might talk Brian into going out for dinner when he gets home. I'm sure I won't have to twist his arm! I absolutely have to exercise this evening, because I have been such a slacker! I feel really guilty about it - I don't know what my deal is; I just seem to have lost some of my motivation in that department. I've still got my eating under control, though, which is good. I'm bound and determined not to let the exercise thing get out of hand. Besides, I've got much more Sex and the City to get through, and I'm totally hooked. :) So, down to the basement I'll go...

We don't have much planned for this weekend, really. We have various domestic stuff to get done, and I need to go to WalMart, but sadly, that's about it. Anyone around here got anything fun going on?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

....and a squirrel on my deck!

While Nick and I were enjoying our breakfast this morning, so was this squirrel on our deck table!



Cheeky little critter, but it was too cute for me to be upset. And, I was sort of happy that it was getting a nice, full belly. I have officially helped a little woodland creature - yay! :)

P.S. By the end of the day, a posse of squirrels had pretty much reduced the pumpkin to nothing. Tomorrow, they'll probably hit the big one next to it!

you take the good, you take the bad

Well, the weekend was not all I expected it to be, but it was fine. We got to Springfield around 1:00 on Saturday, and later in the afternoon, I left to run an errand, after which I went over to Tim's house. Tim and I went to Panera for dinner (yummy French onion soup!) and then on to Drury University (my alma mater) to see my niece, Caitlin, play violin in an orchestra concert. The concert was good, but we ended up leaving at intermission, because it was going to last longer than we thought, and we were both very tired and had early mornings to prepare for. I did get to see my college voice teacher, which was nice. I don't see him nearly enough any more.

I got to bed pretty early Saturday night, but when I woke up on Sunday, I felt quite ill. At one point, I had to sit down as a wave of nausea washed over me, and I was very clammy and sweaty. I thought "Oh, great - that will really please the church if I have to cancel at the 11th hour!" You see, when it comes to my singing, I consider myself an utmost professional, and would never cancel unless I deemed it absolutely imperative. I ate breakfast and didn't throw up, which I took to be a good sign. :) I still felt very weak, sweaty, and strange, but I got ready, warmed my voice up, and headed for the church. This was the first time I had sung there with their new music director, who happens to have been my choral director my senior year in high school. So, I hadn't seen this man in about 16 years, and wanted to make a good impression on him, so that he'll want to keep having me back. I soldiered through, and sounded great at both services. Between services, Tim took me to Panera again (I know - we're boring!), which was nice. During the second service, I was feeling very tired and weak and clammy, and I couldn't wait to get home. I had also developed a splitting headache. Kevin (the music director) was very happy with my singing, and it was great to talk to him and catch up. He's great! He's having me back to sing on December 16 - I'll be doing some recitative from Handel's Messiah, and singing with the choir as well. One bit of disappointing news: I had expected to sing "O Holy Night" and "I Wonder as I Wander" at the 11 p.m. service on Christmas Eve, just as I did last year. Apparently, though, they're not going to have an 11 p.m. service this year - they're just doing the 7 p.m. one. And there's no way I can sing then, as my family does Christmas on Christmas Eve. :(
Alas. I'm a bit sad about it, but at least I've got the 16th.

Anywho, I got home, and my dear Daddy kept watching Nick so that I could crawl into bed. I slept from 1-5! The rest of the evening, I just sat around feeling pathetic. My Daddy (so sweet!) went out and got me some Excedrin and also got us Chinese for dinner. I never seem to totally lose my appetite when I'm sick, and was quite hungry by then, as I hadn't had lunch. I ate my Chinese and watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Desperate Housewives, and then took some Nyquil and went to bed. So, the weekend didn't go anything like I'd planned. I had some more errands I wanted to run on Sunday, and had hoped to spend more time with Tim, but it just wasn't in the cards. Also, there was another concert that my Dad and I had wanted to go to on Sunday, and we had wanted to go out for dinner, so my Dad's weekend was rather compromised as well, but he was very sweet about it.

The good news is that I woke up this morning feeling much better! Nick and I came home, and here I am, catching up on my computing. I guess that was a pretty boring story, but it's the story of my weekend nonetheless. Now, on to another week...

stasis

Well, I stayed the same weight again this week. Poop! You know, it really doesn't make sense to me. On weeks when I pig out for a day or two, I lose weight, and then on a week (like this one) when I'm really good every day, I don't lose any. I just don't get it. I'm going to Springfield this weekend, so I guess I'll pork down and see what happens. :) I feel really guilty that I didn't exercise today, since I know I won't be exercising all weekend, and probably not Monday, either. If I go 4 days without, that will probably be the longest hiatus since I started this whole thing. I just hope I can get myself going again come Tuesday. Wish me luck!

On a happy note, I had to go and and buy myself new jeans and cords today. I got a size 14 jean and 12 cords! Wow. That's pretty exciting. I'm not very excited, though, about the fact that I just realized this evening that I have nothing to wear for my singing gig on Sunday. After Nick goes to bed, I'm going to have to run to WalMart and look for black slacks that fit. I won't have a chance tomorrow, so it's tonight or never. I know I shouldn't be complaining about needing smaller clothes, but it is becoming a bit depressing to look in my closet and realize that all my pants and dress clothes are too big, and that before long, I'm going to have to just get rid of everything and start all over. That's such an overwhelming, expensive thought, especially for someone who hates shopping for and trying on clothes. The thought of having to buy new bras is enough to make me want to just hide out in my house forever. :) I've bought several new shirts lately, so I'm pretty good for those, although come spring, I'll have to start from scratch. I'm happy about it, but upset at the same time - does that make sense? Patty - surely you know where I'm coming from on this. How have you dealt with that? The whole thing just seems so wasteful, expensive, and time-consuming.

I'll stop bitching now. :) I have so much to do this evening, and then I'll be gone all weekend, so the earliest I'll probably blog again is Tuesday. Wish me luck at my singing gig. The song is pretty easy, so I'm not too worried. Although, having to sing well at 8 in the morning is never a pleasant prospect. While I'm in Springfield, I'll also be attending a couple of concerts and spending time with Tim, so it should be pretty fun.

Over and out...

lazy sunday

I still don't really have anything of import to say, but I'm a bit bored, so thought I'd blog just for the heck of it.

How is everyone's weekend? Did you remember to fall back? I love falling back. It's so nice to realize, at the end of the evening, that you have a whole extra hour!

Yesterday, I went out solo for some shopping. I started at the Hallmark open house, where I enjoyed some punch and a cookie, and even won a drawing - I NEVER win stuff, so that was pretty amazing. My prize wasn't something I particularly adore (an ornament), but the winning itself was nice. I got some greeting cards, thank you notes, and a couple of other things.

Then, I moved on to Dollar General and Dollar Tree. I got a couple of Christmas gifts for Nick at the former, and nothing at the latter. After some chicken nuggets and a baked potato at Wendy's, I finished up at WalMart. Didn't get anything overly exciting there - just some stuff I needed. Oh, I did get a cute hoodie (in a junior size L, no less!).

So, there you have it. That is pretty much the pinnacle of excitement that can be achieved here in my small town. Rather sad, isn't it? It WAS nice to be out and about by myself, though, and to be able to take all the time I wanted. Brian is so sweet that way - he never begrudges me these things. The same could not be said for all husbands, to be sure.

To round out the day, I did laundry, sang, exercised, cut Brian's and Nick's hair, bathed Nick, and changed all the clocks. A fairly accomplished day, I guess. Today, there's not much to do, really. Or I guess I should say that there are things I COULD do, but I don't particularly feel like it. I'm doing some more laundry (when am I NOT doing laundry?), and we checked all of our smoke alarms. I need to put all of my Halloween decor away in the basement, but am avoiding it like a champ. :) At some point, I will definitely sing and exercise, because those are non-negotiable (the singing is a must because I have a gig in a week). And later, we're going to put the sumptuous flannel sheets on our bed - mmmm! So, that's my day!

the sound of silence

Dear Readers,

I have been unusually silent this week. I'm not sure why - I just haven't felt like blogging, and like many things (cleaning, trying on clothes, doing taxes), you really have to be in the mood, ya know? Sorry for my absence. I'm still not feeling really talkative, but maybe next week!

I am happy about my continued weight loss this week, even though my exercise record has been abysmal. I'm back in the saddle tomorrow - no excuses!

i'm feeling somewhat better...

...about my cholesterol situation after talking with my faboo Patty-friend on Saturday morning. I'm so glad she called! LOVE her. I'm just not going to worry about it too much until I talk to the doctor on Wednesday.

Had a nice visit with my aunt and uncle on Saturday as well. They were only here for about an hour and a half, but it was nice to see them nonetheless. I wish we could get together with them more often. He's my mom's brother.

Got to Springfield Saturday evening in time to meet my Dad for dinner at this out-of-the-way restaurant we'd never tried before. It was good! Best of all, the waitstaff were all dressed up for Halloween, much to Nick's delight. Our waitress was dressed as a pirate, and Nick just called her "the pirate." He fell in love with her, and had to tell her everything of import that entered his mind. :) He also caught a glimpse of someone dressed as Spongebob, which just about sent him over the edge.

On Sunday, I had a wonderful, 3-hour reverie at the mall (all by myself!), and scored some amazing deals. I got a really nice pair of suede boots at JCPenney. They were originally $60, but due to a sale and two coupons used in tandem, I got them for $28 - shut UP! Then, with another coupon, I got two shirts for Nick absolutely FREE. Got myself a cute shirt at Faux Baby (that's Old Navy to normal people) for $9, did a spot of Christmas shopping for a friend, and got $28.50-worth of stuff for $6 at Bath & Body Works. I am quite the bargain-shopping, coupon-using fiend, if I do say so myself! After the mall, I went to Target, where I got Nick this faboo sweater that's argyle on the front and striped on the back (on sale, of course). I also stumbled upon an awesome Christmas gift for another friend that was half-off! A stupendous bargain. So, as you can see, I had quite a bit of retail therapy over the weekend, which never fails to boost my mood. :)

Sunday evening was my older nieces' birthday party. Maddy just turned 15 and Caitlin will be 20 in a few days. My, how time flies. The party was nice, and it was good to see all of my familial peeps. After the party, Tim came over to my Dad's house and hung out with me for a few hours. He told me all about this guy he met online - sounds like it could be love! He certainly deserves it. And, of course, I would never knock an online pairing - it worked for me!

Now, I'm back home, and I finally got everything unpacked and put away. Whew! Nick is napping, and I'm catching up on online stuff now, since I'll be gone tonight to choir rehearsal. I'll be beat when I get back home tonight - can't wait to fall into my own delicious bed...

still chuggin' along

Lost another pound this week. Not huge, but I'll take it. I have been getting a lot of compliments lately, which is nice. If people think I look smaller, then I really must be losing weight!

Ironically, I just found out that my lipids have gone downhill in the last year. My total cholesterol number is within normal limits, but my good cholesterol is too low, my bad is too high, and my triglycerides are pretty alarming. :( It doesn't make sense! I have an appointment with the doctor next week to discuss this. I'm pretty upset and anxious about it.

I've been pretty quiet (as far as my blog) the past few days, and I'm not feeling really talkative today, either. I have a lot of stuff turning over in my brain, but I just don't feel like typing about it. Sorry to disappoint!

Have a great weekend, everybody...

i've lost a foot!

I don't put too much stock in taking my measurements, because it's so subjective and prone to error - I mean, it all depends on where you put the tape and exactly how tight you pull it, and the only way to put it around you in the exact same place every time would be to draw lines with permanent marker. :) That being said, though, I did take my measurements back when I started all of this, and since 3 months and 20 pounds have gone by, I thought I'd take them again today. Allowing for error, I seem to have lost 12" combined (around my arms, bust, waist, hips, thighs, and calves). Most notably, I've lost 2.5 inches in my waist and 2 inches in my hips. Whoo hoo! Not too bad.

Tim will FINALLY be here in about 20 minutes, so I'm off....

a lovely day

We did end up going back to the pumpkin patch this morning, and Nick had a great time! We were there for about an hour, and the weather was just great. He picked a couple of little gourds (his "maracas") to take home, and now it remains to be seen how long they'll last under his constant abuse. :) Today, a package arrived from Grandma and Grandpa in VA, containing a cool pair of pajamas, a couple of race cars, and a black cat flashlight that meows. Cool! Nick was very pleased about that. What a lucky kid, to get random packages full of love.

The rest of our day was pretty lazy. I checked the tires and fluids in the cars and exercised (after lots of procrastination and a fierce internal struggle, but what's new?). Brian put together the computer desk chair that we recently purchased at Target, and I sat in it and immediately realized that it was uncomfortable, so he has to disassemble it and we'll return it. It makes me so mad - in the store, the "floor" model was bolted up onto a shelf, so there was no way to sit in it and see if we liked it. I was loathe to buy it without trying it out, but we liked the look of it and decided to take a chance. Won't do that again. How lame is that - to sell things like desk chairs and not even give people the chance to sit in them? Grrrrrrrrr. Logic apparently has no place in this world anymore.

Our big fun this evening consisted of a pajama party: we all put on our PJs and ate popcorn together whilst watching Lawrence Welk. Mock us if you must, but that's our idea of a good time! :)

I'm pretty pumped, because Tim is finally coming tomorrow! Yay! He'll stay until Tuesday or possibly Wednesday, so we'll still have a pretty substantial visit. We don't have any big plans besides the choral concert in Rolla - we might cook/bake something yummy, and I'm thinking of making these neat ghosts to line the sidewalk. I'm sure we'll make at least one trip to WalMart, as that's the main form of entertainment here. :) I'm also going to enlist his help in crafting a Christmas present for a friend of mine who shall remain unnamed.

That's about all I have to say tonight. Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

still goin' strong!

I have officially hit the 20-lb. mark! And it DOES feel more real to me now. I still don't think I look like I've lost that much weight, and it makes me dubious that my pants still fit OK (I mean, they're a bit loose, and I need a belt, but I would have thought that I'd totally need new ones by now.), but I'm definitely on my way. Almost halfway there - wow. According to my calculations, if I continue at the same pace, I could be finished by sometime in March, which would be amazing. Next summer, I could take my son to the pool, which would be such a huge thing for me. And I could wear shorts! Shut up. It almost boggles the mind.

Tim did not come today, due to the fact that his grandma died earlier this week. Her funeral was Thursday, and he has been spending time with family and dealing with the aftermath of her death. He's doing OK. Her death was not unexpected, and she had lived a long, full life - she was 95! So, he's sad, but dealing. And the silver lining for him was that he got to see and talk to a lot of family that he hasn't seen in a while, which was nice. He has strengthened familial bonds and gotten to know some of his cousins better. He is still hoping to come up here either tomorrow or Sunday, so we can still have part of our weekend together. If he comes, he will join me at the choral concert in Rolla.

This morning, I joined my friend Jutta and our new friend Tim (a different Tim), and the three of us took our 3 little boys to Happy Hollow, a recreational/outdoors/nature area on post. We went on a long, lovely walk and really enjoyed the sunshine, beautiful sky and trees, and crisp fall weather. It was wonderful! The boys had a great time, and we were all tuckered out when we got back. Nick and I went to McDonald's for lunch on the way home, and when we got home at 1:30, we found that Brian had gotten the afternoon off and was waiting at home for us! What a happy surprise. We all ended up taking a nap this afternoon - delicious. Brian and I both feel like we're coming down with something, and my speaking voice is rather compromised. We went out for Mexican for dinner, and tonight, I'm looking forward to chillin' on the couch and watching the Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy that I recorded last night (while perhaps getting my feet rubbed). Bliss! It really doesn't take much to make me happy. :)

This weekend, we might go back to the pumpkin patch, and of course, there's always domestic chores to be done, but there's not too much on the agenda, so I'm looking forward to a low-key weekend.

And that's all she wrote.

my little wizard wanna-be

Nick was watching the first Harry Potter movie (for the 1000th time), and he said "Can I go in the TV?" Brian asked him why, and he said "I want to go to Hogwarts." Brian again asked why, and Nick said "because I want to be a wizard!" Brian told him that he couldn't really be a wizard, and Nick said "Well....OK." About 20 minutes later, Nick was in the kitchen having his snack, and his lower lip started to quiver and he looked like he was about to cry. Brian asked him what was wrong, and he sobbed "I really wanted to be a wizard - I'm so sad!" Does that melt your heart or what?

this is, quite possibly, the funniest thing nick has EVER said!

Cars is one of Nick's favorite movies. He was attempting to sing a song from it entitled "Life Would Be a Dream", but apparently, he wasn't quite clear on the lyrics, because this is what he sang: "White boobie dreams...."!!!! I'm not kidding you. Shut up! Brian and I laughed till we cried over that one. Maybe he misses breastfeeding!

punkins

Here are a couple of pictures from the pumpkin patch trip:

Nick and his little buddy, Bryan

Nick and me!

another one bites the dust!

Dude. I totally cannot believe that I lost a pound this week, given the obscene way I ate (and didn't exercise) over the weekend. I'll take it, though! Normally, "only" losing a pound would probably be a negative to me, but it's all about perspective. This week, it's a miracle! :)

I'm getting really excited as I approach the 20-lb. mark. For some reason, I think that that's when this weight-loss will really seem "real" to me. It's hard to explain. I mean, I can tell I'm a bit slimmer, and people tell me that they can tell. But somehow, I still feel like a weight-loss fraud, or like it's all too good to be true, or like I'll gain it all back. I think that when I can say that I've lost 20 pounds, it will seem like a real, legitimate weight-loss, and like I'm really on my way. I know that my feelings don't make sense, but there's no accounting for the weird ways we see things, I guess. I just can't wait to lose 2.5 more pounds! And then when I get to 180, I'll be halfway done, which will be a major cause for celebration.

Went to the pumpkin patch this morning. The weather was beautiful, though overcast much of the time. Nick had a blast with his friends Bryan, Matt, and Kyan - running around, going through the corn maze, riding the tractor out to the pumpkin field, etc. They had this set-up where kids could jump off a high stack of straw bales into loose straw, and I even took a leap! It was pretty fun. Nick had a blast doing that, and got all covered in straw. Then, he managed to get his hands on a bucket of water and dumped it over himself, so that he was soaked from head to toe, on top of the straw and dirt. He was a disgusting, yucky mess! I had to strip him down and put on a new diaper (This may be TMI, but the kid had straw in his buttcrack!) for the ride home. Then, it was straight into the bath. I didn't really mind, because he had such a great time!

The rest of my day should be much more tame...

what a weekend!

Ahhh....I finally have a chance to relax in front of the computer and blog about my weekend. (Brian is off today, and he has taken Nick to preschool and stayed on post to get some stuff done. It's just me, my coffee, my computer, and Regis & Kelly.) :)

We arrived in Springfield Friday in time to meet my Dad for dinner. We went to Red Robin, where I had a big, obscene burger with chipotle BBQ sauce, bleu cheese, and onion straws on the burger. This was just the beginning of my disgusting eating endeavors, which have happily ended today. Friday night, we drove to Branson and attended Bodies The Exhibition. It blew my mind. I kept exclaiming "Shut up!" much to the amusement of others nearby. It wasn't as extensive as I had thought it would be, but what there was of it was pretty amazing. In a nutshell which doesn't begin to do it justice, this is an exhibit of real, preserved human bodies and body parts, in various stages of dissection.

Saturday, I went out on a shopping quest all by my lonesome, while Brian stayed at Dad's house with Nick. I got several fall shirts for Nick, along with some Hallmark ornaments and bath and body stuff. Partway through my shopping, Tim met up with me, and we had a lovely time at Target and Pier 1. Target is such a wonderland! Oh, how I wish we had one here...

Saturday evening, Brian and I had our anniversary dinner at Nakato, a fabulous Japanese hibachi restaurant. We ate so much food that we needed to be rolled out to the car. :) It was yummy! I love that place, but it's rather pricey, so we only go once or twice a year. After that, we stopped by Barnes & Noble for a sweet treat to go, and went back to Dad's to spend some time with Nick.

Sunday morning, we took Nick to JCPenney to have a portrait taken in his Halloween dinosaur costume. He wasn't overly cooperative, so the shot we ended up with isn't great, but it will do. I'll share it when I get it back from the studio. We did some other random errands, including the car wash of horror (Nick was very terrified this time - it comes and goes.), and we bought a new desk chair at Target.

Sunday afternoon after putting Nick down for his nap, we packed up our stuff and left to stay at the Walnut St. Inn, "our" B&B in Springfield. We have stayed there many times, starting with our wedding night. It's wonderful! We stayed in the Jewell Room, which has a king-sized bed, a chaise longue, gas fireplace, jetted tub in the room, and bathroom with shower. We enjoyed our complimentary cookies and a bottle of champagne that we picked up on the way. It was a lovely, relaxing, fun evening! We actually just stayed in the room and ordered pizza for dinner - we figured that we'd stay in the room every minute, to really get our money's worth! :) In the morning, we enjoyed our in-room breakfast of French toast, fresh fruit, bacon, OJ, and coffee. Yummy! The best part is that we've racked up so many stays there that after one more stay, we get a free night!

We went back to Dad's Monday morning and spent a lazy, rainy day hanging out until after Nick's nap, when we finally left to come back home. We got home last night around 7 (after stopping for dinner at Cracker Barrel, just to cap off the weekend with one more disgustingly caloric meal!), and it's nice to be back in the swing of things again.

So, that was my weekend. How was yours?

i'm back, better than ever!

We're back from our big anniversary weekend in Springfield! It was great - I'll tell you all about it in the next day or two, but right now, I need to catch up on email. You'll just have to wait...

the big weekend

As my eagle-eyed Patty-friend already noticed, I lost another 2.5 pounds! Yay! (Patty - thanks for all the comments and the yummy wrap recipe. I'll have to try that!) I'm thrilled to be in the 180s now. I just hope the trend continues. It feels pretty great. I know I'll get off-track this weekend when we're in Springfield, but that's OK. I know I'll pick it up again next week. BTW, this will be my last post until probably Tuesday.

We're going to have a pretty full weekend. We're leaving today after Nick's nap, and we'll probably just have pizza for dinner at my Dad's. We might drive down to Branson tonight (just 35 mins. from my Dad's house) to see Bodies, the Exhibition (www.bodiestheexhibition.com). I'm pretty pumped about that - it's right up my alley! Tomorrow, I'm going to gad about Springfield doing various shopping - I'm looking for fall clothes for Nick, Hallmark ornaments, a small bench or ottoman, a new computer desk chair, etc. Tomorrow evening, Brian is taking me out to dinner. I don't know where, but I have a pretty good idea! I'm really looking forward to it. On Sunday morning, we have an appointment to have Nick's portrait taken in his Halloween costume, and then Sunday afternoon, Brian and I will be checking in to "our" B&B (www.walnutstreetinn.com) to spend the night in the lap of luxury. :) I'm really going to feel guilty about leaving Nick so much, but hopefully it won't weigh too heavily on my mind. Monday, after Nick has his nap and I have my hair trimmed, we'll head back home. Whew! It will be quite a whirlwind.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'll be back on next week to tell you all about mine!

to my sweetie

Happy 10th Anniversary, Mack Daddy! I love you. Here's to the next ten...

who needs spooky halloween decorations...

...when you've got this in your backyard?:

By the way, this is my 50th post, which I think is pretty cool. I must really love blogging! Not much else to say today, really. I've got all my fall decor up, and my home is very cozy and rife with the color orange. It makes me happy. I'm really enjoying having the computer in the living room - we definitely made the right choice.

Oh, if you can find it in your local store, Edy's (Dreyer's) Slow-Churned light pumpkin ice cream (limited edition) is incredibly yummy! Only 100 calories per half cup.

Yoo-hoo, pumpkin lovers!

If, like me, you look forward to autumn's abundance of pumpkin-y foods (pie, ice cream, butter, etc.), then this is a tip for you! I got this from www.hungry-girl.com, which is an awesome website full of tips and tricks for eating well without sacrificing taste. It's full of wit, humour, and great ideas, so check it out! Anywho, here is the "recipe": take a Jello-O sugar-free (made with Splenda), 60-calorie vanilla pudding cup, and stir in 1/4 cup of pure canned pumpkin. Top with a bit of Reddi-Wip if desired. The whole thing (minus the Reddi-Wip) only has 80 calories, and is really yummy! And pumpkin is such a "power food" - really good for you. Try it and let me know what you think....

I'm off to pay bills and exercise.

sigh

I didn't lose any weight this week. I had rather been expecting it, given my freakish loss last week, but it's still disappointing, especially as I had done pretty well with exercising and eating right. Back to the grind! I really hope I lose at least a pound this coming week. Wish me luck...

3 1/2-year-old boy for sale. comes with supplies. make offer. financing available.

My child is really testing me lately, and sometimes, I'm flat-out failing. Ya know what I mean? Potty-training has totally gone by the wayside. He doesn't even go on the potty at all anymore - he just doesn't care. Having a pantload of poop or pee doesn't even phase him. I know that he knows what to do and how it all works, but what do you do if your child just can't be bothered? Grrr. And now he has this new lovely thing where he'll poop in his pants and not bother to let anyone know. At home, this is not a problem, because I'm quite attuned to the telltale odor. At preschool, however, it's proving to be much more of a problem, and it's making me rather unhappy with both him and his teachers. I don't know if his preschool has some weird "can't look at a kid's private parts" policy or what, but there seems to be this pattern forming where he'll poop in his pants, the teacher will think she smells something, will ask him, and he'll say "No." Then, rather than actually checking for herself, she will just send him into the bathroom all alone to try to go on the potty. Nick goes into the bathroom and attempts to pull down his poop-filled pants, resulting in a huge mess everywhere and the immediate need for new pants. Now, wouldn't you think that the teacher herself would want to avoid this scenario? Apparently not. I'm going to have to have a talk with them, I guess. I just never wanted to be the "bitchy mom" - the squeaky wheel, the one who seems to think her child should get special attention. It's bad enough that he's the only one in his class that isn't potty-trained. I hate to make him even more of a special case - I mean, I know that they have like 14 other kids to worry about, too. But, I know that I need to get over that. I'm not thrilled with this preschool, but because he's not potty-trained, it's my only option.

OK - enough about pee and poop! Sorry about that. Yes, I have turned into one of those people who sits around talking to anyone who'll listen about her kid's urine and feces. I hate to admit it, but it's true. :)

Let's just move on to his other frustrating behavior, such as constantly being defiant and telling us "no." Or acting like a lunatic if I so much as make a phone call. Or being generally destructive, spastic, and irrational. (Yes, I know that he's 3 and that irrationality is not abnormal at this age. However, that doesn't mean that I can't vent about it!) Or dragging his toes on the asphalt when he's on the trike at preschool, the result of which is that now 2 new pairs of shoes are just about worn through at the toes. Or the fact that no matter how many times I prep him before preschool, going over the ideas of peeing in the potty, telling when he poops, and not dragging his toes, he never actually does any of those things!! :( Sorry - I'm just incredibly frustrated today. Can you tell that this has been a bad day with him? Thanks for "listening"...

P.S. Did have a good MOPS meeting today, so it's not all bad. :)