recent pics

Here are some recent pictures, for your viewing pleasure:

my best friend, Tim, and me before Nick's birthday party

at the party (Also, see my new profile pic on sidebar.)

Nick, showing off his new "hangin' with my peeps" shirt (I couldn't resist!)

modelling his Cars birthday party shirt and the birthday crown he got at preschool

Tim and Nick at the party - blurry, but Nick's face is priceless!

change of plans

Well, it looks like we won't be going to St. Louis for Easter today. Brian has had a cold for the past couple of days, and today, he really feels terrible. And I'd rather not make the trip without him, so that's that. I'm disappointed, but on the bright side, at least I won't suffer any caloric damage today. :)

I'll just have to find ways to fill the day, which shouldn't be too difficult. I have stuff to do around the house, in addition to exercising and a WalMart run. And I'm toying with the idea of taking Nick to his first theater movie: Horton Hears a Who. We shall see.

Happy Easter, everyone!

a few more nick-isms

Here are a few more things Nick has said lately, for your reading pleasure:

When we took him for his check-up, the very first thing he said when the doctor walked in was "I'm not going to let you touch my penis!"

Last night, we went out to eat, and I ordered coffee, saying "with cream, please." Nick said (loudly and in the presence of the waitress) "with butt cream?" (That's what we call diaper rash cream.)

The other day, we were driving along, and that Gwen Stefani song came on the radio - the one that goes "whoo hoo; yee hoo". Nick loves that song, and recognizes it the instant it starts playing. He said "Mommy! It's Gwen Stefani! I love her. She's my girlfriend, because she's my favorite singer. I wish I could skidoo (a Blue's Clues reference) into the radio and sing with her."

another friday

Well, I lost another pound this week. I'm happy about that, though I wish the scale could have just given me another 1/2-lb., so I could have been at the 40-lb. mark. Maybe next week! I went ahead and measured myself again this morning, and I have lost 1.75" from each arm, 4" from my bust, 5.5" from my waist, 6" from my hips, 3.5" from each thigh, and 1" from each calf, for a grand total of 28 inches! Not too shabby.

Since there was no playgroup today due to spring break, I decided to hit the Friday fitness class. It was a killer! I sweated buckets, but I enjoyed it a lot. I really like the instructor who taught today. After class, Nick and I went to visit our friends Rebecca and Cooper (and baby Jack!). It was a nice time - the boys played pretty nicely, and I got to hold the baby, so it was all good. And I always enjoy some nice, sarcastic conversation with Rebecca - she's a lot like me!

I'm glad the weekend is upon us. We're going to go out to dinner tonight, and tomorrow will be fairly low-key. Sunday, we'll be driving to St. Louis to join a passel of my relatives for Easter dinner. I'm not really looking forward to the 4-hr. (round trip) drive, but the event itself will be nice. It's good to see these relatives, and it doesn't happen very often.

Have a spectacular weekend!

pick-me-ups

I realize that this post might come off as rather braggy and self-indulgent, but it's my blog, and, well, I don't care! :) It's just that during the past few days, there have been several instances where I've received compliments about my body's abilities and appearance, and I feel like posting about them, because they've put me on cloud 9.

On Monday, on my way out of Springfield, I stopped at Drury University's (my alma mater) bookstore to try to find a Drury t-shirt. When I was at the cash register making my purchase, I was chatting with the clerk, and I mentioned that I had graduated 11 years ago. She exclaimed "Eleven years ago?! But you look so young!" I promptly decided that she's my new best friend. :)

Yesterday in kickboxing class, the instructor complimented me on my form during one of our combos, and today, the same instructor complimented my form on a weight-lifting move. Later in the class, I asked her for ideas for exercises to whittle my waist. See, I'm loving my thinner body, but one thing that I don't like is how my waist appears "thick" in relation to my hips - there just isn't much waist definition going on. Well, in response, she said "It's going to be tough for you to get that look because you have such slim hips." What??? I have slim hips? Shut up! That was news to me. At another point during the weight-lifting we were doing, the woman behind me told me that I have great shoulders. At this point, I was about to pass out from sheer bliss. I mean, what a bounty of kudos!

Today, I took Nick to his appointment with the nutritionist, who, by the way, declared that Nick is not at all fat and that he has the best 4-year-old diet she's ever seen. It was funny - she had been given his height and weight info, and when we walked in and she saw Nick, she looked surprised and said "That's not what I was expecting - what are you guys even doing here?" That made me very happy. Anywho, I was telling her that in my family, we tend to be very solid and to weigh more than we look like, and I told her that I weigh about 170 lbs. She was incredulous, and kept asking me if I was sure.

So, as you can see, I have had many reasons this week to be flattered and thrilled, and I'm a very happy girl right now. Frankly, I don't even care that much what my weigh-in brings tomorrow. I'm sorry if you want to vomit or slap me now, but rest assured that I'm done. :)

did you know...

...that Sun Chips now come in cinnamon???!!! I just bought a bag today, and I can't wait to try them out! I'm beside myself at the thought of sweet, cinnamony goodness. I mean, the savory flavors are so good that these must be simply faboo! And amazingly, they have very little sugar. I'll let you know what I think.

nick's check-up

On this day of biblical amounts of rain (Seriously! It's been raining ALL DAY.), we headed to the hospital for Nick's 4-year check-up. It went fine, though he was a bit "spirited." I think he was wired because he was supposed to be taking his nap while we were there. We were really surprised to learn that he's only grown a couple of inches in the past year, because we have been thinking that he's gotten so tall lately, and felt sure that the difference would be greater. I mean, all of his jeans from this winter are too short already! He actually went down on the height percentile chart, from the 75th to closer to the 50th. Hmmm. We also found out that according to his BMI, he's overweight. That is somewhat alarming to us, although the more I learn about BMI and the more people I meet who have overweight BMIs despite looking perfectly fine to me, the less seriously I take BMI. However, we were offered a consultation with the nutritionist, and I'm not one to turn down free advice. So, off we'll go on Thursday to see what she/he has to say about Nick, and about what we could be doing better with his nutrition. I'm interested to learn how many calories he should be taking in each day. I don't think he overeats, but then again, I really have no idea how much he should be eating. He really doesn't look overweight to us, but I certainly don't want him to develop a problem. I'll let you know how that appointment goes.

After the check-up, we headed to the lab for a lead test. We don't really have any reason to fear lead poisoning (other than the fact that all toys are apparently full of lead!), but again, it was offered, so we figured it was wise to take it. Nick was so brave - he squirmed when he realized that they were going to stick him with a needle, but he actually didn't cry! The same was not true several minutes later, when we headed to the immunization clinic for the FOUR vaccinations he needed - DTAP, IPV, MMR, and varicella. Nick knows this place all too well, and he was on to us long before any needles were whipped out. By the time the moment was at hand, he was quite frantic and tearful. But, as always, he recovered very quickly.

I brought my poor poked-five-times baby back home and gave him some Tylenol and a snack to ease his troubled mind. :) And given the fact that all of the water in the world seems to be falling right here, we're in for the rest of the day.

back home

The whirlwind birthday weekend is now over, and I'm sort of glad to be back home. It was a great weekend! It started with my haircut on Friday. Tracy and I enjoyed a great visit, with juicy conversation and a glass of wine - that's my kind of haircut! :) Later on Friday evening, Tim came over to visit, and we had some nice conversation and bonding.

Saturday morning was Nick's portrait session at JCPenney, and he did great! He was so cute and cooperative, and we couldn't believe how tall and grown-up he looked. I was forced to buy several sheets of various poses, because they were all so darn good! Drat. Luckily, I had a coupon and got a great deal - just a little over $3 per sheet, and no sitting fee.

After the portrait session, I did a little shopping in the mall, but really didn't spend much - just got two shirts and a small backpack for Nick and some hand wash at Bath & Body Works. Then, I met Tim for a quick lunch at our fave Japanese place, and it was time to get back to Dad's to prepare for the big bash. We got the party-room all decorated with Cars stuff, and Tim arrived with the fabulous Cars cake that he had ordered for the occasion. My Dad went for pizza, and the party got underway. There were a total of 17 people, and we had a blast! There was much eating of pizza and drinking of punch, and lots of laughter and cuteness on Nick's part. He got way too many gifts, but got some neat stuff. And he got more clothing than usual, which was kind of refreshing! He'll certainly need new clothes this summer, and everything he got should fit him well and is really cute.

The party wound down, and we got the birthday boy to bed, after which I retired as well, since I had to get up early on Sunday to go sing. The singing went fine, and I then returned to Dad's house to change and relax for awhile until it was time to go to Target with Tim and our friend Jennifer. I was very excited about the Target trip (who wouldn't be?), but unfortunately, I was pretty tired by then, and my stomach felt awful - I'm not going to go into the gory details here, but suffice it to say that I ate like crapola all weekend, and I think that my stomach just couldn't handle the abuse, since it's not used to that anymore. I only ended up buying a couple of small things, and was glad to be out of Target and back home. We decided to nix our planned trip to Sam's Club, since I just wasn't feeling up to it. I spent the rest of Sunday evening chilling out at Dad's, and Dad got us Chinese carryout - yum! By 9:30, my exhaustion had really caught up with me, and I was just dead tired. I actually went to bed at 9:45, and fell asleep the instant my head hit the pillow. I slept for 10 glorious hours! I don't get to do that very often anymore.

Today, we got up, got ready, and came home. On the way out of Springfield, I stopped at the bookstore of Drury University, my alma mater, to check out their apparel. I bought myself a really cute Drury t-shirt; I had been wanting a Drury garment for some time, so I'm pretty pleased about it! When fall comes, I might get Nick a Drury hoodie or something similar.

Today has been all about unpacking and processing all the birthday gifts, etc., and I've finally taken some time to relax and get online. Soon, the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars will be on, and we're planning to check that out - we're particularly interested in Marlee Matlin.

So, there you have it. Now, it's back to the regular weekly grind. Nick's checkup is tomorrow, but other than that, it's a pretty quiet week. We might go to St. Louis on Sunday to join some relatives at their Easter dinner - we still haven't decided.

headin' in the right direction

I'm thrilled to have lost two pounds this week! Maybe I'm done with the 170s for good now! I'm a little worried about this weekend, since I'll be eating out and having pizza and cake for Nick's birthday and not working out, but hopefully if I start hitting it hard again next week, I'll undo the damage. And I can't believe that if I lose just 1.5 more lbs., I'll be at the 40-lb. mark! Wow. I'll have to take measurements again at that point to see if I've lost more inches.

Went to playgroup this morning and had some lovely chatting with my peeps. It's a great social outlet! Now, Nick and I are back home, and I have to pack our stuff and get ready to leave for Springfield in a couple of hours. So, I'm over and out until next week. Have a great weekend, everybody!

i've been tagged!

First of all, I heart yoga! It just leaves me feeling so stretched out and relaxed. Happy sigh.

OK, my Patty-friend has tagged me to complete a personal quiz, so here are some facts about me that you may or may not give a hoot about:

10 years ago, I was.....
...living in Japan, having joined my new husband there about 4 months before. I was still getting used to my unfamiliar surroundings, but was soaking up the language and really enjoying exploring my new home. I don't remember if I had started my two jobs of teaching English as a second language and administrative assistant for the Girl Scouts yet, but I had those jobs while living in Japan. I also sang with the Army Band numerous times while living there.

7 things on my to-do list today:
*buy new black pants
*attend Nick's preschool birthday party
*laundry (when is that NOT on my list?)
*work out
*pay bills
*sing
*bathe Nick

my favorite snacks:
*cottage cheese
*Crum Creek Mills soy bites
*Edy's Slow-Churned ice cream
*Gnu Bars
*Skinny Cow mint ice cream sandwiches
*Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt w/ frozen berries

If I suddenly became a billionaire, I would...
*buy a house in Springfield, MO
*go on a super-long European vacation
*go on an Alaskan cruise
*visit various places in the U.S., like San Fran, New England, New Orleans, etc.
*sock away money for Nick's college and our retirement
*help deserving family and friends
*donate to causes that resonate with me
*fund a voice scholarship at my college
*buy a brand-new car

3 bad habits of mine are...
*being a control-freak
*never emptying the lint trap (luckily, my husband takes care of this)
*being negative, though I have made great strides in this area, I think

Jobs I've had, in no particular order:
*worked at a CD store and Blockbuster Video
*took care of animals at a vet's office
*professional singer in various forms
*wrote obituaries for the Springfield (MO) News Leader
*admin. assistant for the Girl Scouts
*teacher of English as a second language
*medical assistant for a podiatrist
*teller/member services rep. at a credit union
*wife and mother

5 things most people don't know about me:
This is a hard one for me, because I tend to be pretty open. Therefore, most people that know me pretty well know everything that I care to share, and the stuff that I don't want anyone to know is nothing that I'm going to type here! I'm thinking...
*When they first meet me, most people don't know that I'm a classical soprano,
*or that my mom died over 10 years ago.
*I can yodel
*I can juggle, albeit not terribly well
*I'm really afraid of certain bugs
*bonus - I can't stand the sight of body hair on the floor or in the tub

OK - Jillies, you're it!

king for a day

Today, I took cupcakes to Nick's preschool, and they had a little birthday celebration for him. It was cute! He got to wear a green construction-paper crown with his name and the number "4" on it, and he also got to pick a couple of trinkets from the "birthday box." Miss Ulla took his picture, and he got a birthday certificate. When it was cupcake time, everyone sang the birthday song to him, and when it was over, Nick said "That's right!" :) I got some really cute video footage and pictures.

On an interesting side note, there is one girl in his class who hates chocolate. Seriously. Won't eat anything chocolate. I'm very concerned for her. :) This girl's a hoot - she's very "princessy". She went to the bathroom today while I was there, and when she was done, she stood in front of the mirror for several minutes fluffing her hair and preening. Made me happy to have a boy!

Get this: even when a parent brings birthday cupcakes, the teachers still have to serve the prepared snack for the day. Well, today's snack was a "volcano", consisting of a bowl of chocolate pudding with an ice cream cone standing up in the center. In the ice cream cone were whipped cream and red icing (the "lava"). I'm wondering if all of their snacks are this nutritionally hideous! So, these kids had a volcano PLUS a cupcake. All of the parents probably rode out the sugar high with much resentment. :) I'm ashamed to admit that in addition to the cupcake I had at preschool, I also downed a second one after we got home. :( Sweets are my major weakness! I hope this doesn't blow my weigh-in tomorrow...I'll just have to see.

After preschool, I had to drag Nick to Rolla (25 mins. up the interstate) on my quest for black pants that fit for my singing gig on Sunday. The ones I had were too big, and the WalMart here didn't have my size. So, off we went to the Rolla WalMart - luckily, they did have my size. I also picked up some new lounge pants and a cute summer shirt for Nick. And we had lunch at McDonald's, something we do far too often. My only consolation is the fact that Nick always eats a hamburger, apple slices, and milk, which is pretty darn healthy by McD's standards. No fries for him!

I am now preparing to pay bills and do laundry, among several other things that I need to get done in preparation for our trip to Springfield tomorrow. I'm going to take a break from all the TCB and go to yoga class tonight, because I really enjoy it and find it relaxing. And I deserve it!

I might do a short post tomorrow regarding my weigh-in, but then you won't be hearing from me again until Monday or Tuesday.

pearly whites/bronze glow

Nick and I had our dental checkups today, and we both passed with flying colors! Nick did great - it gets easier each time we take him. There was one funny moment: The hygienist was cleaning Nick's teeth, and explained to him that the suction thingy was like a little vacuum that would suck the spit and toothpaste out of his mouth. She finished the top teeth and said "OK, now I'm going to do the bottom!" Nick replied "No - don't vacuum my bottom!" :) Tee hee.

Had a kickass kickboxing class this morning. It killed me! I was drenched in sweat, and there were several moments when I thought I might die, but I loved it! I know - it's a little weird. Sometimes I wonder if I could be getting addicted to exercise, but I don't think it's an issue just yet. :) Jutta came with me, and I think she enjoyed it, too. Afterwards, Jutta and her son, Bryan, came over to our house, and the boys played outside, enjoying the beautiful 70-degree weather. They were joined on the swingset by Angela's (our neighbor) two boys, and the four kids had a high time.

Now, Nick is napping, and I'm getting caught up on such lovely things as laundry and online taking-care-of-business. Oh, one cool thing that's going on in my life right now is that I have been using that Jergens Natural Glow daily moisturizer (the one that causes a tan to develop after a few days of use), and I have to say that it's working! I have developed quite a nice bronze glow, and I'm a huge fan. It'll be nice to have some color for summertime.

That's all she wrote today.

???!!!

I'm stunned! I'm just stunned! "Stunned" is the only word I can think of to describe just how...stunned I am! (For those of you who don't know, this is a Blanche quote from the Golden Girls). Here's why:

Today, when I was picking Nick up from preschool, Brian surprised us by showing up - he had some free time and decided to drop by for the pick-up. Yay! As we were walking out together, one of the other moms turned to Nick and said "Is this Grandpa?" My jaw pretty much dropped. I mean, come on! Does my husband really look old enough to be Nick's grandpa? And if we spin this out to the next level, does this mean that she thought he looked old enough to be MY DAD??? He's only 9 years older than me, for Pete's sake!

Even more shocking to me is that Brian told me that this was about the third time that has happened to him. I just find the whole thing depressing. I swear that Brian doesn't look like he could be Nick's grandpa, but the fact that other people seem to think so is shocking and sobering. And I'm sure it doesn't thrill him too much, either.

He took it in stride, cheerfully saying "No, I'm his Dad!", and I could tell the woman was mortified. She tried (very lamely) to save herself, mumbling "Oh, I didn't mean to age you - it's just that some of the other kids have had Grandpas visiting lately." What?

Harrumph!

pure friendship

Went to a Pure Romance party at Angela's house last night. It was an intimate gathering - about 8 of us. To be honest, I wasn't that into it at first (sorry, Angela! - nothing personal). I just didn't feel like drinking, and I knew I would blow my diet with the party snacks. And, I had been to one of these parties not that long ago, so I already knew the whole product spiel and everything. But as the evening wore on, I ended up having a really good time! All the ladies there were nice and fun, and we shared lots of laughs and bawdy conversation. :) I ended up having a long, involved conversation with my friend Heather - we started talking about body issues, and somehow moved on to religion (don't ask me how that happened!), and I felt like I got to know Heather better; we even shared some cackles and snorts. :) I really like Heather, and I think that we could be good friends. Sadly, she's moving away this summer (same old story), so I'm pretty bummed about that.

It sort of sucked that when I got home, it was really an hour later than the clock said, due to the switch to Daylight Savings, but I was still in bed by 11:30, even on the new time. I didn't end up drinking much, though I was duly impressed by the staggering array of alcoholic products that Angela had stockpiled for the evening. And the snacks were rather yummy, too! Yes, I did blow my diet, but I'm back on track today, so it's really no big whoop. The upshot of it is that I ended up having a lovely time last night, and I'm glad I went to the party. Thanks, Angela!

oh, good lord

I just looked in the mirror and realized that I have been wearing two different earrings all day. Yeah. I'm such a dork. I can't believe I did that! I just grabbed what I thought were a matching pair and stuck them in my ears this morning, and I never looked in the mirror (until just now) closely enough to realize that they were different! Not wildly different, thank God, but different enough for anyone who looked to realize that they didn't match. All of my peeps probably noticed at playgroup this morning, but didn't say anything either because they didn't want to embarrass me or because they thought that I was misguidedly trying to revive an 80s fashion statement. :) I guess I should just be thankful that my zipper hasn't been down all day, as well!

tgif!

Well, I lost a pound this week, and frankly, I'm pretty impressed! During the 4 days that Tim was here, we ate out several times, and I consumed no fewer than 3 decadent chocolaty desserts. So, I felt sure that I would gain weight! I probably owe my salvation to the fact that I didn't slack off on working out. I'm really proud of myself that I kept up with it whilst he was here, because in the past, I would definitely not have had the willpower to do that. When Tim and I spend time together, we tend to adopt a "f**k it" attitude and just veg and eat whatever we want. So, though I didn't lose a lot of weight this week, I still consider it quite a victory. This whole eating better and working out thing must really be getting ingrained in my mind - it's almost becoming second nature. Yay!

I must say, though, that given the way my weight has been going up and down lately, I won't feel truly comfortable unless I lose more weight next week and become more firmly entrenched in the 160s. Right now, my footing in the 160s is tenuous at best, and I fear another swing back up into the 170s. I really want to avoid that, and to just keep my weight going down from here. I'm sick of the 170s! It's time to bid them a fond adieu for good, so wish me luck on that front.

Some of my friends have been pointing out to me that one reason for my slow-down in weight-loss lately could be that I've been building up muscle, which weighs more than fat. I'll have to admit that they could have a point. I mean, I can definitely tell that I'm a lot more muscular all over my body (I mean, I can just see the taut muscle bulging and rippling under my skin - ha!), so maybe there's something to that theory. It offers me small comfort, though, as I still want to see the actual number on the scale going down. I could handle it if I'd been losing inches, but I really haven't budged in that department, either, except a tiny bit in my waist.

Let's all keep our fingers crossed that I can get out of this holding pattern once and for all!

In other news, I found out today that yet another person I know is pregnant. There must be something in the water! It seems like lately, everyone is pregnant or has just had a baby. It gives me little pangs occasionally, but for the most part, I don't have a strong desire to have another. I think that most likely, we're done. Nick is such a huge personality that he's as good as two, anyway. :)

Brian's current Thursday night class has ended, and his next class will be on Wednesdays, so I can finally start going to yoga every Thursday evening (They don't offer childcare during the evening classes.). Yay! I'm really excited about that, as I really enjoy yoga. I just find it to be very centering and relaxing, in a way. And I just love the names of the poses, like Goddess, Cobra, Warrior, etc. I can do some better than others, but I hope to improve.

Speaking of improving, I really need to dust off my vocal cords and start rehearsing, because I have two gigs coming up in short order, and I really haven't sung since my last gig in December. Neither piece that I'm doing is terribly difficult, but I'm quite a perfectionist when it comes to my singing, and won't settle for anything less than perfectly polished. I'll be singing Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" and "I Know that my Redeemer Liveth" from Handel's Messiah. I've done them both a million times (well, maybe not that many), but as I said, it's been awhile. I'm really excited to sing again, because it's what I love to do more than almost anything. And, I'm always really well-received and appreciated at the church, which makes me feel good. And the money doesn't hurt, either! :)

Well, I've probably blathered on enough for today. Happy weekend, everyone!

spared!

Well, the snowstorm spared us! Yay! It would seem that it sort of split into two sections - one to the north of us and one to the south. Those areas, including Springfield, got lots of snow (8+ inches in Springfield!), but we got virtually nothing. So, Nick had preschool today, and I was able to go to my strength-training class.

Tim and I are enjoying our time together. We're not really doing anything stupendous, but are just hanging out and laughing a lot. Yesterday, we did some shopping in Rolla (I bought a bathing suit - Lord, help me), and today, he came with me to pick Nick up from preschool, after which we ran some errands locally. Now, we're just relaxing in the living room and watching Dr. Oz on Oprah. :)

Yesterday for lunch, I gave Nick fish sticks with ketchup and apples with peanut butter. He proceeded to dip every fish stick in peanut butter and every apple slice in ketchup, and he ate every bite. Furthermore, he said he loved it! Different strokes...

I'm excited, because tonight is Idol. And tomorrow is kickboxing class - my favorite! But I am bummed that Tim is leaving tomorrow. I'll miss him! I'll get to see him again in 1 1/2 weeks, though, when we go to Springfield for Nick's birthday weekend.

That's me.

old man winter needs to get the heck outta dodge!

Seriously - I don't know how much more I can take. We were teased and taunted by a high in the 70s (!!!) yesterday. I even went to Walmart and bought a skirt and some tank tops in a fit of springtime glee. And like most women, when I buy new clothes, I want to wear them immediately, if not sooner! But today, it's in the 30s, and we have more winter weather moving in as I type. We're going to get anywhere from 3-12" of snow by the time it ends tomorrow, apparently. Fantastic. I would tear my hair out, if I weren't having such a good hair day. :) At least my Timmy-friend is here to keep me company and provide comic relief. Thank goodness for that! But, Nick will probably miss his third day of preschool in as many weeks, and I will yet again have to miss my beloved fitness classes. Curses!

frustration/could winter be over?

I know, I know - I should quit my bitchin', but I'm just so frustrated lately! I have been in the 170s for THREE MONTHS, which is just wrong. I just cannot seem to get out of them! I was briefly teased by the 160s, but then they were cruelly snatched away from me. And this week, I have remained static yet again. I mean, before Christmas, I lost weight at the rate of 6 lbs./month, and to have it come to this virtual standstill is making me want to tear my hair out. Since before Christmas, I have only lost 5 additional pounds. Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhh! Something's really gotta change soon, or I'm afraid I'll lose all hope of losing any more weight.

In happier news, we finally have a sunny, relatively warm day!! That makes me so incredibly happy - it's something we've been desperately needing here. And it's only looking up from here in the forecast. The next couple of days are supposed to be in the 60s! Shut up! It's almost more than I can bear. :) Nick will get some much-needed time in the park, to just run off his energy and have a blast. Could this winter of our discontent finally be on its way out the door? I can only hope...

My Timmy-friend will be here either tonight or tomorrow morning, and I can't wait!

idol-watchers will appreciate this

During tonight's Idol episode, when Danny Noriega came out to sing, Nick asked "Is that a man or a woman?" :)

I am LOVING little David Archuleta! I can see him totally winning this thing, actually. What do you think?

I'm tired, and I'm off to bed. That's all.

my son's steel-trap, slumber-proof brain

So, we have been using this sticker chart to motivate Nick to poop on the potty. After every five poops, he has been getting a prize. Last night, he completed his chart, and we have officially retired it - he's a bona fide, card-carrying potty-pooper! This morning, we took him to the Dollar Tree to pick out a few items for his final prize, and one of his choices was this 5-pack of chocolate lollipops. He was, of course, rather excited about them, and wanted one immediately. I told him "no" and said he could have one later. He kept asking throughout the day, and we said he could have one after his nap. We put him down for his nap at 2:30, and at 5:00 (!), I finally went into his room to wake him up. I softly said his name, and he groggily lifted his head up and immediately said "Now can I have one?" :) It killed me!

In other news, my Dad's visit today was very pleasant. After the Dollar Tree (where I found a cute kitchen towel to fuel my odd obsession), we had a cheap-o lunch courtesy of the Wendy's 99-cent menu (gotta love that!) and proceeded to the commissary for our customary shopping trip. It was really crowded, but we made it through in one piece. After putting Nick down for his nap, I played chess with Dad, and he thoroughly kicked my butt! He's really sneaky-good. And since I'm a beginner still, I basically don't have a chance against him. After Nick woke up and had his lollipop, we went to dinner at Cracker Barrel, after which Dad left for Springfield. Now, we're sitting here listening to the Lawrence Welk show. Well, Brian and I are listening, while Nick runs around in a sugar-rush-induced blur (we had some chocolate cake after dinner).

All-in-all, a lovely day!

grumble

This week, I have had the single largest weight-gain I've had during this whole weight-loss journey, barring the week of Christmas. Plus, something's wrong with our water heater, and I ran out of hot water halfway through my shower. Growl.

deja vu

Well, we're having some more winter weather, so once again, Nick and I are staying home from preschool and the fitness center. His preschool wasn't cancelled, and right now, the roads aren't too bad, but I didn't want to risk it. There's supposed to be more precip moving in, and I wouldn't want to take him to preschool, only to have conditions become really treacherous by the time I have to pick him up at 11:30. So, another boring morning at home it is!

Normally, I don't wish for spring to come, because spring is the gateway to my least favorite season: summer. This winter, however, I wish spring would get here posthaste! I'm really getting sick of being stuck at home and having stuff cancelled!

movie review

I promised I'd tell you what we thought of the four movies we rented:

A Mighty Heart: depressing and pointless; would not recommend
The Queen: interesting perspective, good acting; would recommend
Babes in Toyland (old, live-action musical version): acid-trippy, but sort of fun (but boy is Annette Funicello's singing awful!)
Shrek: funny and heart-warming; three thumbs up!

mini-roadtrip

Today, we decided to pile in the car and sally forth to Osage Beach (about an hour away) for some shopping. We started at Target (also known as "The Wonderland of Joy" or just "Nirvana" for short), where I found two really cute fine-gauge knit tops on clearance, plus a pair of watershoes for Nick. We also enjoyed a treat at Starbucks (manna!). Then, we went to a nearby pet store to let Nick look at the animals, but when we got out of the car, we noticed that the right rear tire was quite low, and saw a piece of metal sticking out of it. This was not good. The best-laid plans of mice and men, eh? But, it turned out OK. We found an automotive repair place very nearby, and they patched the tire up and had us back on the road in short order. The place was very clean and nice, and they really treated us well. They even had couches in the waiting area! Nick enjoyed watching through the window as they raised the car up and lowered it back down. When they were done, we drove off to Steak 'n' Shake for some lunch, but when we got there, we discovered that we had left our backpack at the car place. Grrrrr. So, back we drove. When we drove up, the guy came out with our backpack - more great service! Then, we really did leave the car place for good and went and had our lunch. After that, we went back to the pet store, where Nick had a high time viewing the mice, guinea pigs, birds, fish, etc. I really liked the mice - they were so cute and active, and looked hilarious running in their wheels! It almost made me want one. Almost. Anywho, by the time we left the pet store, we were sort of tired and didn't feel like doing too much more. We drove to the outlet mall there, and I ran into the Children's Place outlet and bought a cute summer shirt for Nick for $2.99, and then we headed on home. And here we are.

I'm looking forward to starting our "normal" week tomorrow. And to more Idol!

the kid is cracking us up!

Brian and Nick were getting ready to go out and run a couple of errands, and Nick announced "Well, I'm all ready to go! I have on my hat and my penis." (And really, what more does one need?)

p.s.

Nick is really milking this "vagina" thing for all he can! This morning, I was discussing my weight-loss with Brian, and he said "Wow! You weigh less than me now." I said "Well, I'm supposed to - I'm a woman!", whereupon Nick said "and you are having a vagina!" :)

i hereby officially...

....surrender any pretense of understanding this whole weight-loss thing. Don't get me wrong - I'm ecstatic at my freakish loss this week, but I just don't get it! There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason - any science at all - to it. Maybe the small amounts of strength-training I've been doing for the past few weeks really have boosted my metabolism. Needless to say, I'm on cloud 9, as I've suddenly jumped into the 160s. Yay! And to celebrate, I will go out to dinner with my husband tonight and eat until I have to undo my pants. :)

happy love day!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. It's not a holiday I care too much about, though I do love the color red, and candy and chocolate are nothing to sneeze at, either. Brian and I exchanged cards, and we're planning to go out to dinner tomorrow night. That's about it, but it's nice.

I'm beside myself, because I finally left the house today, for the first time since Sunday!!!! Never have taking Nick to preschool, going to the fitness center, going grocery-shopping, or renting movies been so exciting. The kiddies had a little V-Day party today in preschool. They got to frost and besprinkle their own cupcakes, and they exchanged Valentines (or, in Nick's case, "Valentimes") and got some candy. So, he's been hopped up on sugar all morning, which might help to explain the incident that I'll tell you about in a moment.

We rented "The Queen" and "A Mighty Heart" for us, and "Shrek" and "Babes in Toyland" (the live-action one) for Nick. I'll let you know what we think!

So, with Nick, there's never a dull moment, and you just never know what's going to spring forth from his mouth. For instance, today whilst he was having his lunch, I innocently began to whistle (quite tunefully!), whereupon he exclaimed "Mom - don't whistle while I'm eating!"

But that's nothing. Because today in the commissary, he pointed to a nearby woman and shouted "Mom! She's a GIRL! She has a va-GI-na!" I'm not pulling your leg. I know it's a cliche, but it really did happen. Luckily, the woman had a well-developed sense of humor, so it was much less mortifying than it might have been. Frankly, I thought it was very funny, but I had to keep the extent of my amusement under wraps. See, the other day, Nick asked me if I had a penis, and I wasn't going to lie, so one thing led to another, and I had to let the word "vagina" out of the bag. Mind you, I never would have taught him this word yet if he hadn't pressed the issue. I took pains to explain to him that we only talk about penises and vaginas at home, and not out in public, but I knew (I just KNEW!) that this knowledge of his would come back to haunt me sooner or later. Turns out, it was sooner!

So far, my V-Day has been much more about vaginas than Valentines. :)

i need to rant!

I am so frustrated and blue! We got lots of ice/sleet yesterday, so there was no playgroup and Nick and I didn't leave the house. One day was boring, but do-able. Well, school was cancelled today, so there was no fitness class this morning (If there's no school, they automatically cancel classes at the fitness center.), and I didn't take Nick to preschool - even if it was still in session (I didn't bother to find out.), the roads here are still terribly treacherous, since it has been way too cold today for any sort of melting. To get out of our 'hood, you have to take an uphill curve, and it's just not worth risking. It's now 5 p.m., and I'm about to go insane. Nick and I have just been sitting in the house for two days, being bored and stir-crazy. And rather than getting anything useful done, I haven't felt like doing anything at all! Today during Nick's nap, I just flopped on my bed and watched TV and read. Well, I just found out that school is cancelled again tomorrow, so again, there will be no fitness class!! And it's supposed to warm up a bit tomorrow, but I still wouldn't risk going anywhere until later in the day, if at all. So, I'm looking at day 3 of being stuck at home. I think I'm going to lose my mind! I feel so down because I don't get to go to my fitness classes, and I doubt I'll lose any weight this week. Yes, I can walk and ellipse here at home, but it doesn't give me near the workout that the classes do. And I need to get groceries and go to the library, and I'm just getting major cabin fever! To get to work, Brian has been hiking up out of our 'hood and getting picked up on the main road that leads to our 'hood by a friend, and today when he walked home, he fell three times because the roads are still just sheets of ice. Sometimes, I really hate these MO winters!!! I just needed to get on here and vent my frustration. I think I'm done. For now.

ice, ice, baby!

Say hello to my new little friend! I have an affinity for gnomes, and I really liked the look of this little guy, so I brought him home from Target, courtesy of a Christmas gift card from my in-laws. I really like his tall, pointy red hat.

So, right now, we're getting some pretty serious ice here in my neck of the woods. It would seem that February is making us pay for the lack of precip in January. Brian went in to work this morning, before it all started, but he was released early and got home around 11. We have a little front-wheel-drive car that we don't trust on the curving downslope into our 'hood, so our faboo friend Mike brought him home and dropped him at the entrance to the 'hood. Brian walked home from that point, and made it back in one piece. Needless to say, we're in for the remainder of the day! And, rather than get anything truly useful done, here I sit, blogging away. Isn't it ironic that on a day like today, when I'm stuck at home and could get all kinds of stuff done, I don't feel like doing a darn thing?

Went to my young niecelets' birthday party yesterday. It was nice to see all the familial peeps, and a good time was had by all. The cake was delish, and I got a big blue frosting rose, which turned my tongue dark blue! It was pretty cool. :) It's always nice to see my brother, and it doesn't happen nearly often enough. I kind of feel like we've drifted apart over the years and don't have the relationship I'd like us to, but hope springs eternal. I feel very strongly about the importance of family ties, and I hope that once we live in Springfield, my brother and I can grow closer and develop a deeper fraternal bond. I also really want our kids to be close and to grow up together. That's something I never had as a child - extended family around me - and I really want it for Nick. Nothing is more important, in my book.

Last night, I went and visited my friend Rebecca and saw her gorgeous new son, Jack Andrew. Stupidly, I forgot my camera! He's truly beautiful, with a head full of dark hair and such well-formed little features. I held him for a long time, during which he never woke up. But, right before I left, they finally got him to wake up long enough to show me his lovely dark eyes. He's a keeper! And so far, his big brother, Cooper, seems to like him. :) They're a great family, and I'm so happy for them. Rebecca's mom is here for a couple of weeks helping out, which I'm sure is a great comfort to Rebecca! It'll be nice when she starts coming to playgroup again and brings the baby - she'll have plenty of baby-holders to give her a break! :)

As per usual when I go to Springfield, I ate like crap and didn't exercise for 3 days, but also as usual, I'm back on it today. That's the key - even if I get off-track for 2 or 3 days, I just have to make sure to get back on the horse, and then I'm fine. I really hope I can at least lose a pound this week - I really need some progress to keep me motivated!

How was YOUR weekend?

good news all around!

Hallelujah! I lost weight this week! :)

Congratulations to my Rebecca-friend (and her Andy-husband), who just gave birth to her second son, Jack. He tipped the scales at 9 lbs., 1 oz., and is 22 inches long. And, he's got quite a lot of dark hair! I can't wait to meet him.

Nothing deep to say today. I have odds and ends to get done about the house, and then we'll be gone over the weekend to Springfield. We're going mainly for our nieces' birthday party, but I'm also getting a haircut and visiting my fave stores. And washing the car (Springfield has a particular car wash that bests anything we have here.). And playing chess with my Daddy.

"See" you next week!

all of a sudden, i'm a little freaked out...

...by how fast my baby is growing up! I mean, there's too much going on all at once. He's totally pooping on the potty now (We've made major progress, seemingly overnight!), we just switched from convertible to booster car seats, he just got a more "grown-up" booster seat for the dining table, he's all into watching movies, etc. And the icing on the cake (no pun intended) is that he will celebrate his 4th birthday in about a month! I almost can't handle it. I just want to slam the brakes on and freeze time right here. Don't get me wrong - I'm looking forward to seeing him grow and develop and do new things, but at the same time, I want him to be my baby forever. It kills me that with every passing day, he's becoming less and less my baby and getting closer and closer to leaving me. I know that sounds melodramatic (or is that mellow and dramatic, Patty?), but if you have kids, surely you can relate. I mean, lately, each time he lavishes me with kisses and hugs, I realize that the day will come when he won't want to kiss me or hug me, or at least not nearly as much. Being a parent is so bittersweet sometimes. I guess I'll just have to make time each day to soak him up and breathe him in and get my fill, before it's too late.

my fave new filling snack

I really like McDonald's fruit & yogurt parfait, and wanted to come up with something similar at home, and I did! If you put 1/2 cup Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt and 1/2 cup frozen or fresh mixed berries in a bowl and sprinkle it with 1/8 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal, you've got a healthy, substantial, delicious snack for under 100 calories!! Try it...you'll like it.

the big downside of military life

I'm totally bummed, because today I found out that my friend Mike will be leaving in six months to move to Ft. Hood, TX. :( I mean, I knew that he'd have to leave eventually, but I didn't think it would be this soon! It's just so depressing - you meet someone zesty and befriend them, and then they leave. Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it to reach out to people and make friends. But, in the end, I realize that it most certainly is. I hope that Mike will stay in touch with us and our friendship will continue from afar. That's just not the same as hanging out together! He's going to come over this evening to hang out, watch the Superbowl, play chess, and have chili and margaritas, which should be fun! I guess I'll just have to make the most of the next 6 months and enjoy the time I get to spend with him. He will definitely be missed...

the fierce bargain-huntress strikes again!

After yesterday's events, I decided that some retail therapy was in order today, so off I went to Rolla, the "big town" up the interstate that has a KMart (ooh!) and a JCPenney (aah!), among other useful stores. First off, I found birthday gifts for my niecelets at Rolla Books & Toys, which always has neat stuff you can't find everywhere else. Also, they offer free gift-wrapping! No real bargains per se, but I got them zesty stuff. Then, the real bargain-hunting began. I got Nick some jeans for $3.50 at KMart, but the real treasure was to be found at JCP. I found myself two new bras that would have retailed for $56 altogether. They became mine, however, for the low-low total of $21.50. But now for the piece de resistance: I found Nick a REALLY nice nylon puffy parka in a bright red color. This thing is really poofy and thick and warm, and has a scrumptious fleece lining with a nice high collar. It's got all kinds of zippers, velcro, adjustable straps, bells, and whistles, and a detachable hood. I bought large, so that he'll be able to wear it for at least the next couple of years. It was originally $80 - that's how nice it is. But how much did I pay for it, you ask?

$8.50!!!

That's what I'm talkin' about. I'll be riding this high for several days at the least. :)

update

First of all - thank you, Patty and Christie! I love you guys.

I'm feeling a bit better now. When Brian got home from work, I sort of fell apart all over him and cried and emoted and blubbered, and he was very sweet and understanding. Then, I declared that I didn't care about my diet today and I wanted Domino's pizza, Coke, and a cheese danish. :) This might not be exactly the "nice thing for myself" that Patty had in mind, but it seems to be what I needed today, however ill-advised. I was also helped by the fact that my Timmy-friend finally called me after a too-long hiatus, and we had good, juicy talkies. He gave me some lovin' and agreed that as destructive as it seems, eating some "forbidden" foods for one night might be just what the doctor ordered. So, off my dear husband went to get the much-coveted foodstuffs, and I am now full of tummy and calmer of mind. I do feel somewhat guilty for eating that stuff, but I also feel like "to heck with it! I wanted those things tonight, and that's what I needed to feel better, and that's that!" :) I will definitely resume eating well and exercising tomorrow, and see what happens this week with the weight-loss.

Also, Nick just pooped on the potty for the third time! And this time, there was minimal trauma. Progress!

I think I needed a pity party today, but I'm snapping out of it...

sick and tired/bad day

Well, I've had a bad day, and I'm really feeling downtrodden and ready to give up. The main thing is that I didn't lose an ounce this week. It really shocked me, because I have really busted my ass this week, going to different classes, working out almost every day for an hour...I have sweated buckets this week, and I'm sore all over my whole body. Plus, I ate like an angel all week. And what do I have to show for it? Nothing. I'm starting to wonder what's the point. I mean, why should I work so hard and deny myself the joy of eating what I want, when it's all for naught? If this is what it would take to just maintain my current weight, then I'm totally screwed. I don't really know what more I can do at this point. I'm just so tired. I need the cosmos to throw me a bone here. I have absolutely no motivation to continue as of this moment.

Secondly, Brian got his car stuck in our neighborhood this morning, after sliding down a hill. That mostly sucks for him, but it sucks for me by association.

Thirdly, I clogged the toilet this morning. Badly. Now, I know this may be TMI, but it's just another brushstroke in the complete painting of my day, to help you get the picture.

Fourthly, when Nick and I were playing outside in the snow, he informed me that he had to pee. He had just peed before we went outside! He was already covered in snow and soaked, so I didn't think we had time to get him inside and get everything off. So, I told him I would just pull his pants down a little and he could pee in the snow - one of the main plusses of being a boy! Well, for some reason, this idea totally freaked him out, and he refused to let me do it. So, he then proceeded to pee, A LOT, in his pants. I mean, you could see the steam rising from his crotch, and the pee soaked his pants and started pouring from his jeans. It was disgusting. When I finally got him inside and undressed, amidst amazing amounts of caterwauling, I discovered that one of his socks was soaked because the pee had totally run down into his brand new snowboot. Now, how the hell am I supposed to clean the pee and/or the smell out of the inside of a snowboot? I don't see any way to do that.

Fifthly, Nick was crying so much and I was so frustrated and already upset about the other stuff that I ended up totally losing it with him and overreacting and yelling at him, and I feel like a total failure as a mother and a human being. I could see the fear and shock in his eyes as I yelled at him, and I've probably scarred him for life.

I don't know what my problem is today. I'm just feeling like a failure - like an unhappy, fat, bad mom. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. Sorry if I've brought you down...

storm's a-comin'

Apparently, we might get 5-10" of snow tomorrow. Yippee. For us, it won't be such a big whoop, as we have no big plans to be ruined. Tomorrow night, Brian's class and my yoga class will probably be cancelled, as will Nick's and my playgroup on Friday morning, which makes me a bit sad, because I consider that precious socializing time. Mostly, if we do get that much snow, we'll just be housebound and bored. There are worse things. I'll let you know what goes down (or in this case, what comes down).

Our friend Mike will be here soon to watch Idol with us (well....with me, since Brian doesn't give a hoot about it). Over and out...

seriously...

At noon, it was so temperate outside that I didn't even wear a jacket, and now, it's snowing cats and dogs. Only in the midwest!

one step forward, two steps back

Last night, Nick pooped on the potty for the second time, with only slightly less trauma than the first time. But this morning, when I arrived at preschool to pick him up, I was greeted with the plastic bag of shame - he had pooped in his pants! Oh, what fun I had washing out his undies and jeans. Sigh.

In other news, I went to a muscle-toning class this morning and had a nice time chatting with my friend Leigh Ann. And now, it's so incredibly, scarily, freakishly windy outside that I fear meeting the same fate as Dorothy!

American Idol tonight.

a nice day with my daddy

My Dad arrived this morning around 10:30, and we had a nice time! The first thing we did was head to the commissary to get some groceries. He always likes to go there to see what he can get a good deal on. After we got home and got everything put away, he taught me how to play chess! Why he never taught me before is a mystery to both of us. I guess he never thought of it, and I never asked. :) Anyway, I really like it! It's fraught with complicated strategy, to be sure, and will take a long time to really master, but it's right up my alley. It calls for much anticipation and analysis, and an eagle-eye. Now that I know the basic moves and how to play, I can work on polishing my skill. We bought a super cheapo set for me at WalMart, and I'm even going to try to teach Brian. Does anyone around here know how to play? I can see myself getting sort of obsessed with it, because it's just so "meaty" - does that make sense? It puts my other love, backgammon, to shame. I mean, compared to chess, backgammon is child's play!

After the chess and Nick's nap, we headed to a newer restaurant here that we'd never eaten at - Miller's Grill. We actually had a great experience there, which is hard to find around here! We all liked our food, and we had good service. Nick's hamburger was supposed to be well but came with a pink center, and they quickly brought us a new one when we pointed that out. So, we really couldn't complain! We'll definitely go there again.

After dinner, we stopped by WalMart, where we got the aforementioned chess set, and Dad bought a Buzz Lightyear toy and "Toy Story 2" for Nick for his birthday. Then, Dad headed home, and we have just been lounging about our living room for the rest of the evening. Nick has been rather turdly, and he finally got so intolerable that we banished him to an early bedtime. Poor kid. :) Hopefully, tomorrow he'll be calmer. One thing that should help is that it's going to be so freakishly warm here (close to 60!) that Brian is planning to take Nick to the park so he can run off his energy - the poor kid really needs that. It's been so cold here that I can't remember the last time he played outside.

I'm feeling rather guilty about my eating today, and about the fact that I've only exercised one out of the past 3 days, so I'm all over it tomorrow. No rest for the weary...

P.S. As I predicted, the fact that he pooped on the potty once served in no way to make Nick more willing to do it again. We went through minor trauma once again today, and for the sake of logistics and timing, ended up letting him use a diaper. :(
We're going to get medieval on him again tomorrow, though.

frustration....and a breakthrough (two bits)

I gained a half pound. Grrrrr. Just can't seem to get any momentum in the right direction. I'll have to be extra super good this week. Let's get this show on the road!

So, last night, my almost-4-year-old son.......drum roll, please......pooped on the potty for the first time! I won't go into all the gory details here, but rest assured that it's not as neat and tied-up-in-a-bow as it sounds. There were hours of back-and-forth, angst, and frustration, culminating in a very traumatic showdown whereby Mama had to open up a big ol' can of tough love all over her son. I was alternately proud of myself for my tenacity and fraught with guilt, but I did stick to my guns. (I wouldn't put a diaper on him, and he's too uncoordinated to put one on himself, which worked in my favor.) When things had reached their frantic, desperate climax and I was sure Nick would be scarred for life, he finally made a doody in the potty. Eureka! I pretty much broke down at that point and cried, torn between pride and utter mental exhaustion. In no way do I fool myself by thinking that it's going to suddenly be easy from here on out. This is really only the beginning, but it's a start.

As we had promised him all along, we bundled ourselves into the car at 8:30 p.m. for a prize-gathering trip to WalMart. Nick got to eat a pretzel at the Subway inside the store, and then he got some candy, a pack of new undies, and some cheapo toys. Once he recovered from the sheer terror and trauma of the whole experience, he seemed pretty proud of himself, so maybe he'll give us a repeat performance today. I can only pray.

jeepers creepers

Nick has got great peepers! (not that we had any reason to think otherwise) He did very well at his eye checkup today. He was a little squirrelly at times, but all things considered, he was actually quite calm and cooperative, not to mention cute! As you probably know, with small kids, the eye charts involve pictures instead of letters. Well, each time he identified a picture, Nick didn't think it was enough to just say what it was; he had to add a little extra information. Like "It's a phone - ring, ring!" or "It's a birthday cake with small, tiny candles!" or "It's a car - vroom, vroom!" You get the idea. It was actually pretty amusing. :)

My eyes are unchanged from a year ago - 20/20 on the right and 20/30 on the left. With the exception of Brian, we're a pretty well-sighted little family!

very clam puppies

This was in a local ad I saw. I assume they meant "calm." :)

a not-so-stellar day

Today was just one of those frustrating days. It started very promisingly: Brian didn't have to be in to work until 9, so he was able to take Nick to preschool, giving me the ability to sleep in a little.

I got up, got ready, and set off for the morning muscle toning class at the fitness center. When I got there, though, the class had been cancelled. Aarrgghh! So, I went back home and did my cardio workout instead. There was supposed to be another muscle toning class this evening at 5:30, so I figured I'd do my cardio at home and then go back for the evening class. Well, when I arrived there this evening, I found out that they had just switched the class schedule around a little, and the class this evening was going to be a step class. I really didn't want another hour of cardio today - I had expressly wanted to do the muscle toning, since that's the area where I've really been lacking, and I've been really excited about getting some of that at the class. I know I should have just stayed for the step class, but I was disappointed and just didn't feel like it. So, I headed back home - two wasted trips to the fitness center in one day! I know this really isn't the end of the world, but hey - it's my day, and I'm free to complain about it in my own blog! :)

To top it all off, Nick has been El Turdo all day long. I mean, we're talking crying, whining, talking back, disobeying - the works! It's been a very exhausting day in that respect. He's been telling us we're stupid and he doesn't like us (in between kisses and hugs), and just generally being very defiant.

Nick is now in bed, though, and it's blessedly quiet here. Well, aside from the TV, which Brian is watching. I can handle that, though. :) Tomorrow, Nick and I have eye checkups - I hope he's in a better mood and can behave for his appointment. We shall see!

a coupla things

1. Earlier today, Nick said to me "You, my friend, are a little cutie."

2. Chew on this:
"All we ever have is now. If you can't look around now and see the abundance in your life, you won't be able to notice it in five years either, no matter how thin [insert any other adjective you please] you are. Happiness is not about changing your circumstances but changing the eyes through which you view your circumstances." - Geneen Roth, international teacher, speaker, and writer on emotional eating

That really speaks to me! How about you?...

my sweet-smelling little boy

This evening, we gave Nick a bath, and afterwards, I was holding his naked body, breathing in his delicious, clean-little-boy scent. I said "Oh - you're so warm and clean and fresh!", whereupon he farted, quite loudly, right on my arm. :)

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. :)

from the mouth of my babe

Nick has been saying/doing some cute stuff lately, so I thought I'd share. Yesterday evening, after we had taken down the Christmas tree, we went out for dinner. When we arrived home, I was bemoaning the fact that there were no longer Christmas lights twinkling in the window, and Nick piped up from the back seat with "Oh, Mom - you'll live!"

Later in the evening, I told Nick that I didn't want him to turn 4, because I wanted him to be my little baby boy. He said "Hey, Mom - I have an idea! I can be 4 and still be your little baby boy at the same time!" What a wise young man!

Today, we were meandering through Big Lots, and we were walking past the greeting cards when Nick suddenly said "Hey - can I pick a card to send to Grandma and Grandpa (in VA)?" I said "Sure - why don't you choose one?" I figured he'd go for some kids' birthday card or something, but he actually chose a totally appropriate card - it has a pretty flower on the front and says "thinking of you" inside. He was SO excited that he picked this card all by himself to send to his grandparents. He said that he thought they'd like the pretty flower. I wrote a note in it, and this evening, I'll let him scribble something in it. They'll love it!

Kids are so funny, sweet, and thoughtful! If you have any, give yours a hug. :)

so long, christmas cheer

Today, I took down the Christmas tree, which was our last remaining vestige of holiday decor. :( Kind of sad, but it's nice to have the space back in the living room. The room just looks so bland and colorless now! It's funny, because I realized today that for someone who loves color as much as I do, my living room decor is somewhat lacking in that area. I'll have to see what I can do about that...

This coming week promises to be a good one. First of all, my good friend Jutta is returning from Germany at long last!! I'm beside myself. And then, of course, we have the premiere of American Idol. Tomorrow, Nick and I are going to go up the road to Rolla for some shopping and to visit the train table at the bookstore. While Nick's at preschool on Tuesday, I'm planning to go to a class at a local fitness center that I've been meaning to check out. Brian has a 4-day weekend next weekend, due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so we might go to Springfield for a couple of days. We're also going to the 3rd birthday party of a friend's son. Should be a lovely week!

30 lbs., take 2

Well, here I am, back at the 30-lb. weight-loss mark again. I'm happy to be back up to 30, and I'm really hoping that I'll keep going like gangbusters from here. It's a little frustrating to look back over the last couple of months and see what a small net loss I've had over that time period. Before then, I had been averaging about 6-7 lbs. a month, but that has gone quite out the window. If I can achieve that average again from here on out, I can still be done by around my birthday in May. That's really what I'm hoping for! I know that by now, you're probably sick of my whining, and don't understand what I'm even whining ABOUT, considering that I've lost 30 lbs.! And to be honest, I sort of agree with you. :) I'm just such a perfectionist, and I hold myself up to very stringent standards. All I know is that I want to see those 3 and 2-lb. losses that I had been having earlier, but I'm having a hard time getting back to that pace. To me, one pound a week just won't cut it! I'm incredibly impatient, if you hadn't already picked up on that. :) But seriously, enough about that.

Trivia for the day: The first person who can tell me which movie has the character Truly Scrumptious wins a prize! I don't actually have the prize right now, mind you, but will commence looking for it as soon as I have a winner.

Don't have much on tap for the weekend. I'm going to finally finish taking down my Xmas decor and do some other domesticity, and I might go to a movie. I also need to watch the new Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy that I recorded last night. Yay!

That's me...

a nice lunch

Patty - I'm really afraid of tornadoes, too. I had a very scary night as a young teen, when my parents were out of town and I was home alone during severe weather. A tornado passed near our house, and I've never forgotten it. I'll sometimes have bad dreams involving tornadoes. Those and bugs - eek!

Had lunch with Rick today at Cracker Barrel. It was nice! We just chatted and filled in some more of the past 10 years for each other. Our waitress left something to be desired, but that's neither here nor there. :) Nick was a pretty good boy, but got to the end of his patience before Rick and I did. We would have been happy to stay a bit longer, drinking coffee and talking, but Nick got rather antsy, so we made our way home. Now he's napping, and I'm looking out the window at another incredibly gloomy, rainy day. Harrumph! I'm so not motivated to do anything. I really need to exercise today, though, since I didn't yesterday. Hopefully, the siren song of Sex and the City will be enough to lure me down to the chilly, inhospitable basement. :)

weathering the storms

As you probably know, there was some very dicey weather in MO last night. A series of storm systems moved right up the I-44 corridor, one after another, in a relentless march. There were lots of tornadoes, and 2 people were killed. Everyone in my family is fine, though my Dad is without power right now. There were some scary moments for us - we heard tornado sirens and went to the basement - but everything missed us. We had rain, thunder, lightning, and wind, but the centers of the storm systems seemed to all pass just north of us. Some communities, such as Strafford and Republic, got hit very hard and sustained much damage. Our hearts go out to those people affected by these storms. Nature is certainly amazing and frightening in its random power. Let's not take anything for granted.

i'm so tired today!

I don't know if it's because Brian went back to work today, so I couldn't sleep in for the first time in two weeks, or because I'm PMSing, or because it's so gloomy outside. It's probably all three, evilly conspiring to make me want to climb between the sheets - and it's only 3 p.m.! It's gonna be a long evening...