whoo hoo!

Another 2 lbs. have bitten the dust - yay! I still long for the days of 3-pound losses, but I'll take this. I do agree with my Patty-friend that the less weight you have to lose, the more slowly you lose it. It sucks that it has to slow down like that, but I guess them's the breaks.

I'm really excited, because I've discovered this zesty fitness center in town. My friend Leigh Ann works there, and she has given me a 14-day free pass so that I can check it out. They offer a different fitness class every morning at 9 a.m. and every evening at 5:30, and what's really amazing is that they offer childcare during the classes for only $1! So far, I've tried a muscle-toning class, a kickboxing class, and yoga, and I've enjoyed them all. They also offer pilates, core conditioning, step, etc. I think it's going to work out really well for me and be a great way to mix up my exercise so my body doesn't get too used to any one thing. On days Nick has preschool, I can drop him off and then go to class, and on Wednesdays, which are typically my one morning when I have nothing to do, I can take Nick with me and go to the kickboxing class. And, I can go to evening classes if I feel so inclined. Brian is happy to watch Nick while I go, and on the one evening a week that he has class, I can just take Nick with me! You can pay a really reasonable monthly fee and take unlimited classes, or you can even pay per class - I think it's just $2. I'm going to do the pay-per-class thing for a while, and then if I'm going enough to make it a better deal to pay the monthly fee, I'll switch to that. I really like the place - it's small and intimate, and all the women I've met there are really nice. It's very unintimidating. And the classes are hard enough to really get my heart pumping, but the moves aren't so complicated that I can't keep up. I think this is just what I need at this point.

I finally got to see Jutta, at long last, and she brought me some really neat presents from Germany. Love her! The best gift is this really unique Santa figurine to add to my collection. I'm so very glad she's back - I really missed her!

We were thinking of going to Springfield this weekend, but have decided to just hang around here, doing domestic stuff and taking it easy. We might take Nick bowling or rent some movies, and I might go to the theater and see "Juno." It's getting rave reviews, and is apparently something special. Tomorrow morning, we're going to Cooper's 3rd birthday party - he's my friend Rebecca's son. Birthday cake is always a welcome thing! Not great for the ol' diet, but if there is birthday cake in the room, I WILL be having a piece - that's simply non-negotiable. :)

American Idol is underway, so life is good. I must admit, though, that this year, I'm not as into the beginning part, where they show all the bad and weird auditions. I'm more impatient for them to just get to the good part, where they've picked the good people and we get to hear them sing whole songs. I think the whole "look at the awful, pathetic, freakish people" bit is getting a little old. I mean, this is the 7th season - we get it!

Well, I must stop babbling and go get something done. Oh, by the way - this is my 100th post!! How cool is that? I never dreamed, when I started this back in the summer, that I would get so into it that I would do 100 posts in about six months' time. Wow. I must really enjoy blogging. :)