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. :)

always be careful at whom you flap your gums!

So, today, a friend and I took our kids to Cracker Barrel for lunch. It's very family-friendly and the food is always good. Our waiter was totally amazing! Such a nice man, and so attentive and great with the boys. My friend's son is 2, by the way. Anywho, when we get our sons together, the particular chemistry between them sometimes causes them to be very rambunctious, loud, and generally crazy. Both boys were being pretty disruptive, and we were horrified and doing our best to control them. My friend's son just so happens to have this incredibly high, piercing shriek, which he let rip a few times, much to his mom's utter mortification. (As an aside, I am so thankful that Nick never developed such a shriek. I really feel for anyone whose child can do that.) We figured that the people around us weren't thrilled with us, but we were doing the best we could, and we have a right to eat out, too, dammit!

After we paid, we looked around the gift shop a bit, and then my friend left a little before me. After his little friend left, my son calmed down a bit and was actually being pretty decent in the gift shop. We were standing there, and this older lady came up to me and said "He's such a well-behaved boy!" I said "Well, sometimes." (I was thinking "If only she had seen him a few minutes ago!") She then said "A little while ago, there was a child in the restaurant who had the most piercing shriek - he did it 3 or 4 times! It was awful." I looked her in the eye and said (go, me!) "Yes, that was my friend's son. She was doing her best to keep him quiet, but he's 2, so it doesn't always work." She just looked mortified and walked away. Just goes to show that you should always be careful what you say and to whom.

Now, don't get me wrong - I am the first to admit that when I was younger, I was easily annoyed by kids in public places. That was before I understood. :) Surely, given this woman's generation, though, she has her own kids, or at least nieces and nephews. Shame on her! It really bothers me that when people hear a kid being loud or disruptive in a restaurant, the first thought that enters their minds is "What an awful child, and why can't his parents control him?" Obviously, sometimes the problem IS negligent or overly permissive parents. But more often than not, it's a case of good parents who are horrified at the child's behavior and are doing their best to control it. The child is probably a pretty good child who is just acting out because he's in public. Anyone who has a small child knows that control is not always possible. I just wonder why people can't instead think "Those poor parents. They're probably embarrassed that their child is being so disruptive, and probably aren't enjoying their meal at all." I mean, come on, people - give us a break!

OK - I'll just hop down from my soapbox now. :) That was my rant for the day.

meet my little spider!

Our mini-pumpkin spiders turned out really cute! Here's mine:

I'm definitely starting to get into the fall/Halloween spirit. Boo! :)

what???!!!

I had the weirdest weigh-in this morning. Hopefully I'm not the only one who does this, but I normally weigh myself several times in a row, just to make sure that I keep getting the same reading. Paranoia, I guess. Well, this morning, I stepped on the scale, and it said 191.5 (which would be a 5-lb. loss). My response was to say "What???!!!" (Hence the title of this post.) You have to realize that this was a week where I only exercised 3 days, and mostly didn't keep track of my calories, though I did try to eat sensibly. Still, though, I was shocked. I figured that there was no way that could be right. So, I kept getting off the scale, moving it over a few inches (you know - in case an irregularity in the floor was affecting the reading), and stepping back on. The first 4 times or so, it said 191.5. Then, it said 194! The next 5 or 6 times (by this point, I was totally flummoxed!), it said 192, so I finally gave up and decided that 192 it is. I can't believe that I would have lost so much weight this week, and this makes me wonder if next week's weigh-in is going to "make up" for this week by being very disappointing. We shall see. Has anyone else had an experience like that, where your scale messes with your mind? It said 192 so many times finally that I guess I'll have to believe it. So, I have now (apparently) lost 14 pounds in 9 weeks - whoo hoo! I can't believe that I could be in the 180s soon! This definitely gives me renewed vigor to keep going...

I'm also excited because my Timmy-friend shall be here in a couple of hours, so this day is pretty faboo! He's spending the night and going home tomorrow evening. I have baked an apple pie in his honor, and am planning a craft for us tomorrow - we shall make spiders out of mini-pumpkins. If you're interested, all you do is paint the pumpkin and stem black, poke holes and insert 8 black pipe cleaners (I'm sorry - I just cannot get on board with this whole "chenille stem" crap!) and bend them to make legs, and stick on a pair of googly eyes. That's it! What could be simpler? I don't know what's up with me, but I'm feeling rather crafty this fall. I found another really easy idea for ghosts to line one's walkway, and I might do that in October. They involve wooden dowels, styrofoam balls, cheesecloth, etc. If I do make them, I'll take a pic and let you know how it goes. I'll be sure to take and share a pic of our spiders, too.

You may recall that I mentioned buying a computer desk last weekend in Springfield. Tim is bringing it with him today, and soon, we'll have our computer in our living room instead of the guest bedroom. I have mixed feelings about this. I don't exactly love the look of a computer monitor and printer in the living room, but I have finally gotten so sick of being sequestered every time I'm on the computer that I think I'm ready to compromise. I hate the fact that if I want/need to get online, I have to abandon Brian and Nick and go be alone in the "office", away from my peeps. This way, I can be on the computer and still be in the thick of things, and after Nick goes to bed, Brian can watch TV while I get online, but we'll still be together. So, I think we're really going to like it, once we get used to having the computer in the LR. To do so, we have to sacrifice our futon, which we'll really miss. We actually have it in its open, flat form, and we all love to sprawl upon it. But, something had to give! We'll just store it in the basement - we hope to buy a house when Brian retires that has a huge living room, so that we can fit in both the computer AND the futon! The only other little problem with this new arrangement will be training Nick not to destroy the computer. :) Hopefully, after a few days and some tough love, he'll get the message.

I can't believe that I just went on for so long about moving our computer. Could I BE more boring? I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. :)

We have decided on the darling dragon costume for Nick. I'm so excited! He's very cute in it. I think I'm going to have his portrait taken in it. I know - I'm absurd. :)

We're going to have a cable run into our basement soon, so that I can watch my new fall shows while walking on the treadmill. Yay! Right now, I can only watch DVDs, and that's OK, but it would be nice to get to kill two birds with one stone by exercising and watching my shows at the same time. These shows include Til Death, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, and Desperate Housewives. I'm also going to check out the new Back to You, Private Practice, and Pushing Daisies. Yes, I know I watch too much TV. And you know what? I'm OK with it! :)

Apparently, I would ramble on all day if I allowed myself. So, I'm going to put an end to this right now! Over and out...

as you can see on the sidebar,....

...not only didn't I exercise in Springfield, but my little vacation seems to have been extended. I have such a huge problem with motivation! But, I'm bound and determined to end the vacation this evening. I'm going to do my fave workout video, this dance one with Denise Austin. It's so fun! Wish me luck as I attempt to get back on track...

back home, safe and sound

Well, it appears that I spoke too soon about the delights of fall. :( The high temps are back up around 90 now. Grrrrrrrrr! Why can't fall just come and stay awhile?

We had a very full weekend in Springfield. We arrived Saturday evening in time for Tim and his mom to come over and join us for pizza. Nick is like a nephew to Tim and like a grandson to Kathie, so they always love getting to bask in his utter cuteness. (Nick quote: "Old McDonald had a problem, E-I-E-I-O!") After dinner, Tim and I went out for a spot of shopping in his faboo new vehicle (a 2004 Buick Rendezvous). We found a Halloween costume possibility for Nick (a dragon), and also got a new computer desk for our living room.

Nick had been sickly and coughing, and we ended up taking him to the ER at 11:30 Saturday night. After waiting for 2 hours, he was finally seen and diagnosed with croup (the hallmarks of which are gasping for breath and a cough that sounds like a seal barking). It was very scary when he had an "attack," so we finally decided to take him in. He got a breathing treatment and a steroid shot, and he is now doing much better. Still not quite himself and a bit sedate, but no more barking or gasping. And of course, he charmed everyone in the ER. Every nurse we saw commented on his cuteness and loquaciousness. He loved getting to play with everyone's "stefoscope." We didn't get home until 3 a.m., so needless to say, we were all quite tired on Sunday.

We decided to go to Cider Days nonetheless, and had a nice time walking around and looking at the vendors' booths, etc. Nick was quiet and wanted to be carried a lot (lovely, except for the fact that he weighs 40 lbs.!), but he enjoyed seeing and petting all the dogs there. I actually ran into a college professor of mine, which was quite a surprise! I hadn't seen him in over 10 years. We had a really nice chat, and he enjoyed meeting Nick.

After Cider Days, Brian and I went out and did some shopping. Among other things, we found another Halloween costume possibility for Nick (a monkey), a new pair of walking shoes for me, and some fall clothes for Nick. After the shopping, we returned back to my Dad's house and Tim came by again for another visit.

After a deliciously long sleep on Sunday night, I got up this morning refreshed and went to get my hair cut by my longtime hairdresser and friend, Tracy. We had a great time chatting, and my hair is all freshened up!

Now, we're home again, and I've been getting some stuff done around the house. Tonight, I have choir rehearsal - yay!

So, that was our weekend. It's always fun to go to Springfield, but it's always quite busy and tiring, too. That's why I always love getting back to my own home and returning to my routine. Starting tomorrow, I can resume exercising and eating better, and just generally get back into the swing of things. (contented sigh)

Hope all of you reading this had a great weekend!

bravo!

Rebecca and I went to see the local community theater's production of the comic farce "Moon Over Buffalo" last night, and boy, were we impressed! This was the third production of theirs that I've seen, and the first comedy. It was so good, and so uproariously funny! The comic timing and delivery, not to mention the physical comedy, of all of the actors was just top-notch, and much better than I expected. It just goes to show what amazing things can be accomplished (even in a small town!) when like-minded people get together and pour their hearts into an endeavor. I would even consider going to see it again next weekend, which is a very rare compliment from me - I'm not a repeat-performance kind of person. So, I just want to say "Bravo!" to the Pulaski Fine Arts Association.

my busy week is almost over

First of all, I'm going to use my blog to give a shout-out to two of my favorite peeps in the whole world.

Patty, I love you! You are so steadfast in your reading of and commenting on my blog, and you have no idea how much I appreciate it. And it means so much to me that I have a kindred spirit who appreciates my vocabulary. A lot of people just seem puzzled by it. :) It's a small thing, but it really puts a smile on my face to know that you enjoy reading my blog. I miss you!

Amber, I want to thank you for your comments, too. I feel guilty, because I know that I haven't been very good at keeping in touch with you lately. Please know that it's not for a lack of affection. I really missed you at the meeting yesterday, and felt quite a twinge as I looked at last year's roster and saw your name. You have no idea how much it means to me when I see that you have commented on my blog, and how happy I am that we're still in touch. I do look at your dropshots page often, but I'm just lazy about commenting on it. Mea culpa!

I just love you two, and I wanted to make sure that you know how much you're appreciated and how highly you're regarded by me. I'm so lucky to have friends like you!

OK, on to more mundane things. We went to see my niece play volleyball against the local high school last night. She didn't get much floor-time, which was disappointing, but it was a rousing match, and her high school (my alma mater) thoroughly spanked the local school. Go, team! The annoying part was that we had to pay $4 each to get in to a freshman high school volleyball match! That seems rather extreme, and it got me thinking (and opining to Brian) about the fact that when I was in high school, people never had to pay to get into our choral concerts. What's up with that? The music department needs (and should demand) money, too. It just seems like a rather egregious double standard.

Tonight, I'm going with Rebecca to see the local community theater's production of the comic play "Moon Over Buffalo." I don't know anything about it, but productions I've seen them do in the past have been pretty good for community theater! I'm sure it'll be a fun evening. We're stopping by a cafe beforehand for some libation.

As you can see, my weight-loss has screeched to an almost complete halt. I'm rather discouraged. I started off like gangbusters, but I just can't seem to keep the momentum going, and it's starting to really get me down. :( To make matters worse, I'll be in Springfield over the weekend, so it'll be really hard for me to stick to my diet and exercising. I'll just do the best I can, and then try to get right back in the saddle next week. While in Springfield, I'll be attending a local fall festival, doing some shopping, and getting a haircut. Due to the trip, I probably won't be posting again until next week, so ciao for now!

tgif (thank goodness it's fall!!!)

The extent of my love for fall simply cannot be overstated. And this week, I'm beside myself, because for me, this week is truly the first week of fall.

You have to understand something about me. I hate to overuse a phrase, but the extent of my dislike for summer simply cannot be overstated. :) I hate heat, I hate humidity, I hate sweating, I hate bugs, I sunburn like nobody's business, and I won't wear a bathing suit or shorts that go above my knees. In addition, summer means no MOPS, no choir, and not seeing some of my favorite people. So, what's to like? Summer, for me, is like a terrible, hot, muggy exile. It's something that I struggle through, counting the days until glorious fall returns, with its crisp air, tolerable temperatures, lack of humidity and bugs, more flattering fashions, and most importantly - MOPS and choir!! Both of those things started this week, so I'm happy as a clam (Are clams unusually happy? What's up with this simile?).

The first choir rehearsal was nice, and we're doing some pretty Christmas music. I think that a couple of my peeps are going to join me in the choir this fall, so I'm pumped about that. And, I get to sing! Yes, it's only a community choir, but I'll take that over nothing any day.

And the first MOPS meeting was today. What a great time! We have a really fun group of people, and there were 3 zesty new people today (Two of them were there thanks to yours truly.). We played some fun games, which led to a surplus of laughter and jollity. And I was so happy to be back in my element, chatting with my peeps and being the social butterfly that I am. And there were some truly yummalicious snacks today! Of course, I totally blew my diet, but if I only do that two days a month, it's no big whoop. I got the best compliment out of the blue today. One of the other women in MOPS told me that she had read my blog, and she said that I'm a really good writer. That made my day! Listen, people - if you ever think something nice or complimentary about someone, open your mouth and tell them! It's amazing what a great ripple effect that can have. I always try to compliment people whenever I can - it just makes everyone involved feel warm and fuzzy.

So, to sum up, I'm just in a really good mood today. The temps are in the high 70s, I'm back in the swing of things, and life is good. Hope you're feeling the same way!

patriots' day

I don't think it's right to say "Happy Patriots' Day!", because it's not exactly a day to celebrate, given what it commemorates. Rather, it's a day for us to be mindful and aware, and above all else, a day to be thankful for our freedom, which is hard-won and never to be taken for granted. We our so lucky to live in this country and to take for granted things that other people can only dream about (or maybe can't even imagine). The dark side of this freedom that we have is the fact that it had to be fought for and that it continues, ALWAYS, to have to be fought for. I know I don't come off as an overly patriotic person, but I love my country and I realize what it means to be an American. When we were at the parade in St. James the other day, every time a group of veterans rode by, tears actually came to my eyes. It was very powerful to hear everyone applaud as they went by. When I think of all of the men and women in the history of our country who have fought for our freedom and the freedom of others, it fills me with awe and humility. I'm married to a soldier, and though he has never been in a war, the fact remains that he signed up to go to war if so called. That makes me very proud of him. Someone has to do it, and my husband is (potentially) one of those someones.

I'll stop rambling now. Today, please stop and think just for a minute about the freedoms that we have here, the freedoms that others in the world want to destroy. Think about how lucky we are, and how brave and selfless are the people who have fought and who continue to fight for America. And if you see a member of our military, please thank him or her for serving.

We are all so incredibly blessed!

a lovely saturday/the calm before the storm

My Dad came up yesterday, and we decided to make the 30-min. drive to nearby St. James to check out their annual Grape and Fall Festival, which has apparently been going on since 1934. (The "Grape" refers to the existence of the award-winning St. James Winery, for whose delicious wines I can personally vouch.) They were having a street market, which was nice enough to wander through, although there was nothing there that was really "me." Mostly country stuff. Nick had a great time running around and petting all the dogs, though. We bought some kettle corn, but it was decidedly underwhelming. I was tempted by the funnel cakes, but decided to take the high road. :) They had free face-painting, and Nick got the cutest turquoise snake with red stripes painted on his cheek. He was very proud of it, and was careful not to rub his cheek all day!

The highlight of our morning was the parade, which lasted nearly an hour! We kept thinking that surely it was over, but we'd look down the street and see that it was still coming. I'll admit that I had a preconception that it would be a "dinky, small-town parade", and while it was somewhat dinky, it was also a lot of fun!! There were all manner of classic cars and tractors, horses, clowns, cheerleaders, several middle- and high-school marching bands, floats, etc. An old Army plane even flew over a couple of times. The best part, as far as Nick was concerned, was all the candy that was thrown to him. He thought it was great fun to get to collect the candy off of the street, and he ended up with quite a haul. It was a good ole small-town parade, in the best sense of the phrase. We declared that it shall have to become an annual tradition.

After the parade, we headed back towards home, stopping in nearby Rolla to have lunch and do a bit of shopping. I got Nick some jeans and cords at KMart for $3.50 each, and a faboo plaid flannel shirt for $4.80. Can't beat that! It was amazing - the rain that had been threatening all day held off for us during the street market, the parade, and all of our shopping, and didn't start until we were heading home from Rolla. How serendipitous is that? Poor Nick didn't get a nap, and he simply couldn't keep his eyelids up on the drive home. As soon as we arrived home, though, he was rarin' to go again. :)

When we got home, I made homemade chili (yum! - thanks, Angela!), and we ate it with green salads. A great dinner for a rainy, gloomy day. All-in-all, it was a really nice day, and we all had a good time.

Today has been very lazy, which is good, because you can see on the sidebar that I have a very busy week coming at me. The busiest week I've had in recent memory, really! I'm sort of looking forward to it, but I know it'll be crazy. I'm worried that it'll be harder for me to (make the effort to) fit in exercising, so I'll have to try really hard to be good. I always do pretty well when life is going along at a normal, manageable pace, but as soon as a busy, "out-of-the-ordinary" time comes up, exercising is the first thing to go. I hate that I'm not more disciplined! :(

Hope everyone had a great weekend and has a good upcoming week...

i need my mojo back!

Well, as you can see, I didn't lose anything this week. Drat! I admit that I cheated earlier in the week and weighed myself, and at one point I weighed 196, but today the scale said 197, so that's all she wrote. I'm not really surprised, since I didn't exercise for most of the week due to my illness. I'm really worried, though, because the double-whammy of the two colds has really knocked me for a loop, and I feel like this time, I've totally misplaced my motivation to get back in the saddle and exercise. I did exercise the past couple of days, but it was half-hearted at best. I just don't feel that zest for it anymore, and I need to get it back, fast! Otherwise, I'm afraid that this will end just like all of my other failed attempts at weight-loss: in failure! After so many weeks, I'm disappointed that I haven't even broken the 10-pound barrier. It's just so slow and agonizing, and I'm getting so sick of having to constantly think about what I should and shouldn't eat, counting calories, denying myself, forcing myself to exercise when I don't want to. It's sucking all the joy out of my life! I don't know - maybe I'm hormonal today or something. I'm in a really foul, defeatist mood. If anyone can say anything to snap me out of it, I'd be much obliged. I really feel like throwing in the towel.

In other news, this morning turned into a bit of an adventure. I was mere moments from arriving at playgroup when my cell phone rang. It was my friend Jutta, and she had locked herself out of her house! She couldn't get into her car, either, and she and her son were stuck outside in the pouring rain. So, I diverted from playgroup and went to get her. She finally got someone from the housing office to let her in to her house, and we went inside for our own private playdate. The boys were both total handfuls - pushing, grabbing, yelling, etc. It was exhausting! We had a nice enough visit, but it could have been much nicer if not for the children. :) Nonetheless, she plied me with her wonderful homemade baked goods and some tea. Going to her house is always dangerous, although not as bad as it could be, as Germans bake with much less sugar and oil than Americans. Everything she makes is absolutely delectable, and I always feel pampered when I'm there. Today was no different.

This afternoon, I got to chat with both Rebecca and Tim, so I've had a rather social day. I still just can't seem to shake this funk I'm in! Help!

back from the dead

I've literally been in bed for the vast majority of the past two days, feeling absolutely miserable, but today, I've turned the corner! I woke up this morning and felt so much better! I'm out of bed, and have even been somewhat productive, cutting the boys' hair, processing photos, and doing other little putzy things around the house. One nice thing that I did whilst in bed was to watch The Sound of Music on ABC Family. What a classic. I love Julie Andrews, and Christopher Plummer cut such a dashing figure in that film! :)

Not much to say, really. Just wanted to shout from the rooftops that I'm getting over my blasted cold!!!

Hopefully by tomorrow, I'll be back in the swing of exercising again.

you take the good, you take the bad

As you can see, I have amended yesterday's weigh-in. Last night, I went back and looked at Thursday's food journal (the day before the weigh-in), and realized that my sodium intake was sky-high. Usually, it's within the proper limits, but for whatever reason, I just happened to choose foods on Thursday that added up to a whole lotta sodium. So, I wondered if my .5-lb. loss was just a function of water retention. I decided to break my weigh-in rule (Thou shalt not weigh more than once a week!) and weigh myself again this morning. I was right! I weighed 197 rather than yesterday's 198. I decided that I would take the liberty of changing yesterday's weight to 197. :) So, a 1.5-lb. loss is way more palatable. Go, me!

Yesterday, we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner, but I was really proud of myself. I chose a salad with fried chicken in it. Yes, the chicken was fried, but I very mindfully chose to "sin" in that fashion. To counteract that, I got my shredded cheese on the side and only sprinkled a small amount on the salad. Also, I gave several pieces of the chicken to Nick and Brian, along with half of the hard-boiled egg. I eschewed croutons. And I mixed full-fat and non-fat ranch dressing to make my own lite dressing, and used my best calorie-control trick of all: Don't put the dressing on your salad. Rather, dip your fork in it before spearing each bite of salad. You'll get a taste of dressing with each bite, but you'd be absolutely amazed at how little dressing you end up using! You should try it if you haven't already. The salad was really good, and when I was done, I felt satisfied, but not overly full.

Here are a couple more pictures for your viewing pleasure -

That was the good. The bad is that I am now afflicted by yet another full-blown, miserable cold. Gah! It's just unfair. I guess this is what's going to happen to me now that Nick's in preschool. I'm going to go back to bed...