it's nice to see results!

As most of you know, the science of weight-loss is anything but scientific, and often our efforts are met with inexplicable stasis or, even worse, weight GAIN. Well, I'm happy to report that my efforts over the past couple of weeks have actually worked, and I am once again down to my "happy weight," having lost 4.5 lbs. over the past two weeks. I put myself on a 1500-calorie diet and wrote down my calories, and stepped up my workouts a bit, and it did the trick! I think I'll stick with the 1500 calories for another couple of weeks and see if I can drop another pound or two, and then I'll take it back up to 1800 or so to maintain. It's nice when X + Y really DOES = Z!

update

So, just by mentioning my lack of babysitter in a status update on Facebook, I got one! What a happy surprise in the middle of a poopy day. :) Thanks to Brandy and Brianna...

aaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh!

So, I had a very frustrating morning with Nick. See, he's sort of a pansy when it comes to getting in the pool, getting his face wet, etc. He's rather afraid of it all, more than other kids his age. It's probably our fault, because whereas neither of us are afraid of the water, we are both non-poolish people - we can go the whole summer without getting in a swimming pool, and that's just fine with us! So, we've probably done Nick a disservice by simply not exposing him enough.

So, we did the Level I lessons last summer - this was just a 5-day thing, 45 mins. each day. He didn't do very well, so we repeated them earlier this summer. Brian took him to those lessons, and said that Nick did OK. So, we decided to go ahead with Level II lessons - this session lasts 10 days for 45 mins. each day, and therefore costs twice as much as Level I. Today was the first lesson, and it didn't go well AT ALL.

[Before I get to the story of the aborted swimming lesson, I have to tell you about the embarrassing/hilarious thing that happened at the pool. We got there and walked out next to the pool. Nick had on sandals and swim trunks. I took off his sandals, and then turned my back and walked over to a chaise lounge to put our stuff down. When I turned around, Nick was standing behind me, COMPLETELY NAKED! Mind you, there were quite a few people there, and they all witnessed this. When I realized he was naked, I was just incredulous, and exclaimed rather too loudly "What happened to your trunks??!!" He said he didn't know. I asked a couple of people nearby if they saw what had happened, and they said they hadn't. His trunks were lying several feet away. He swears he didn't take them off, so I don't know if they just fell off or what! (This is a distinct possibility, as they had been riding rather low on his hips.) It's still a mystery. A lifeguard saw the trunks and brought them over, and I got them back on Nick as fast as I could.]

OK - back to the lesson from Hell. It's time for the lesson to start, and the teacher has all the kids get into the 3-ft. end of the pool and line up against the wall. Nick is the last one in, and it takes FOREVER. He doesn't want to get in, and he totally holds up the lesson for probably 5 minutes. He's the ONLY kid with a problem. Then, when the lesson finally starts, Nick is the ONLY kid who won't do what the teacher is asking - putting their heads under the water, an assisted front float, etc. He just refuses. Then, after about 10 minutes, he gets out of the pool and refuses to get back in, so we leave. I was so angry, which I know is irrational, but I couldn't help it. We had gone straight from the gym to the pool, so I had spent time last night thinking of everything we needed and getting all packed up, and then I lugged all this stuff to the gym. Then, at the gym, I spent all this time getting us into our swim gear and getting us all coated in sunscreen (which I hate!). Then, I drove us on post to the pool where the lesson was supposed to be, only to find a sign telling me to go to a different pool. So, back into the car we got and drove to the other pool (thereby wasting even more gas) and waited around for the lesson to start, all for NOTHING! When we got into the car to leave the lesson, I just ripped into Nick, putting him on a total guilt trip. I know, I know - it's awful! I know that! I was just overcome by my frustration, and it was not a proud moment. He was pretty upset, but still says that he wants to quit and not go back again. I'm going to let him quit, because frankly, I don't want to waste another morning like that. I don't know if we can get our money back, so there's $30 down the drain. Grrr. I'm feeling calmer about it now, but I feel pretty guilty for the way I handled it. I just don't understand why he's the ONLY kid who can't deal with it and who can't just get in the water and do what the teacher asks. Why does he have to be so afraid? I'm ashamed to even admit this, but I was kind of embarrassed that the other parents were seeing my child be the only child to refuse to cooperate and to quit the lesson. It was just very frustrating.

Then, when we got home, I found out that the two people I had asked about babysitting for me this coming Saturday can't do it, so I'm back at square one with no babysitter. (There's a membership drive "event" at my gym that I need to go to, and Brian has a gig at the same time.) I hope I can find someone, but at this point, I'm not banking on it. And ya know how when you're already having a bad day, the tiniest, most inconsequential thing can just be the icing on the cake and totally piss you off, even though it completely doesn't matter? See, Nick had this toy bin with suction cups in the tub, but it kept falling down. So, yesterday at Walmart, I got a different one that had more suction cups and seemed like it had a much better chance of staying up. Well, when we got home today and right after I found out that I didn't have a babysitter, I discovered that the new bin had fallen already! That just about put me over the edge. Ridiculous, I know, but I have a feeling that you guys will understand.

So, today has not been great so far. But, I'm calmer about the swimming, and I know that none of it really matters in the greater scheme of things. In fact, just writing this blog post has helped to put it all into perspective. Hope you enjoyed my asinine ranting! :)

not very bloggish lately...

Hmmm...I've realized that I've not been very bloggish lately. I don't know what's up with that. I wonder if the ability to do quick little status updates on Facebook has made me lazy in regards to my "real" blog. Could be. Summer probably has something to do with it, too. Just not as much to talk about.

But, here I am, blogging today, finally! It's very gloomy outside, which is putting me in a rather melancholy mood - never fails. In a couple of hours, I'll be leaving to go to Springfield for the weekend by myself (!). I'm going to do some shopping and mostly spend a lot of time with Tim, working out, talking, making dinner together tomorrow, etc. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll miss my boys, but it's only for the weekend!

I'm still up about 4 lbs. over my "happy weight". I'm not freaked out about it, but I do want to drop those pounds. After everything I've accomplished, I know that I have the capacity to do something about it, and I need to just buckle down and do it. So, my plan is to resume counting calories next week. I figure that if I do that, I can easily knock those 4 lbs. off within a month. Wish me luck! It really sucks to count calories, but it's what works. It's going to be hard to discipline myself and feel hungry, given the way I've let go lately and overindulged, but I know I can do it! After losing 65 lbs., 4 ought to be doable. :) And who knows? Maybe I'll drop a couple more and actually get under 140. We shall see. Baby steps.

And that's pretty much all I have to say right now. Catch ya next week!...

more fun than should be legal!

We drove up to Fenton, MO yesterday afternoon to spend the day with some of my relatives on my Mom's side of the family. The main family involved were the Klinglers, and I love them! Uncle Jim is my mom's brother, and then there's Aunt Karen and my cousins Jessica and Brian and John and Sarah. There were various other peeps there, including another cousin of mine named Mike who is a serious hoot. We were also joined by Tim and his friend Brian (three Brians at the same party!), which served to seriously ratchet up the hilarity level. :) I don't think I've had so much fun since college! At one point, I was sitting at the basement bar with "the guys" and Jessica, and we were all being so incredibly bawdy and laughing so hard that I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I'm so glad we went. Nick had a great time playing with his little cousins Claire and Evan (whom he called "Kevin" for most of the day), and we just all enjoyed the family, good food, and good times. Ironically, we didn't really get to partake of the fireworks, because by the time those were started, we were all exhausted and Nick was rather scared of the loud noises. So, we decided that we should go ahead and make our way home, since it's a drive of an hour and 40 mins. We didn't get home until almost 11:30! We poured Nick into bed and then poured ourselves into bed for blissful slumber. What a long, great day! Hope everyone had an equally faboo 4th of July!

And now (drumroll, please) for the quote of the day (when discussing the merits or lack thereof of various kinds of underwear): "I don't mind a gentle wedgie, such as the one I'm experiencing right now..." - Amy Hoogstraet ;)

skirting the issue :)

So, I had a couple of embarrassing moments during the trip, which I thought I would share with you. I have this skirt that I got for $14 at the PX (Post Exchange, for those of you who aren't military), and I have really fallen in love with it. It's just a simple soft knit flouncy knee-length affair in a goes-with-anything grey color, and it's beyond comfortable. I decided to wear it on the drive, because it's just so comfortable, non-binding, and "easy." It didn't give me any trouble on the trip to VA, but for some reason, on the way home, I had some issues with it. First, we had stopped at a rest stop to go to the bathroom. I did my business and came out of the restroom to wait for Brian and Nick. An older lady who was passing by me on her way into the restroom tapped my shoulder and said "Your skirt is tucked up in the back, dear." !!! Yes, my skirt was tucked up into my granny panties! I wanted to die. Thank goodness that woman told me before I had gone on that way any longer. The second incident happened at a gas station, and I was once again wearing granny panties. (I do actually have cuter, sexier panties, but didn't see the point in wearing them on the trip and was only concerned with comfort. ) It was quite blustery, and despite my attempts to gather up my skirt in my hand and hold it against myself, the unthinkable happened. I was squeegeeing the windshield, and a gust of wind came along and completely blew my skirt up, exposing my granny panties (once again) to everyone at the gas station. I quickly retreated into the car, red-faced. :) Thought those anecdotes might brighten your day - after all, what's the point of an embarrassing moment if you can't laugh about it and share it with your friends?