the winds of change are blowing...

...and sending a frisson of excitement down my spine! This just seems to be a year of new things and progress for me. I'm thrilled to have gotten almost my whole house purged, and I've gotten a very respectable start on getting my holiday decor into plastic tubs (This might not sound very exciting, but for the likes of me, it is!). And of course, I just got a new car, which I like more every day. I finally have some great sunroof weather, and I'm lovin' it! And, though I hate to spend the money, I'm sort of excited about buying yet another new spring/summer wardrobe and showing off the "finished product" of my weight-loss to the world. I've been cooking more and really enjoying it (not the clean-up, though) - tomorrow evening's dinner will be spinach tortellini with beans and feta. Even though it will be somewhat expensive, we've pretty much made the decision to visit Brian's parents this summer, and they will be thrilled! Nick and his grandparents need a chance to spend time together. We may have to sacrifice a trip to Germany this year, but that's OK - this is more important.

The biggest excitement for me, though, lies in the fitness arena. I'm just loving my classes, and excited at the prospect of having some personal training, and I also think it's really cool that Brian is going to be joining me for yoga from now on. I was thinking about taking a tap class, but it would make me miss yoga, and I've decided that for now, yoga is more important to me. There will always be another chance to take tap, at a time that doesn't interfere with something else I love. I'm so thrilled lately at the sculpting and definition that I see in my muscles - particularly my shoulders and arms! I just feel very strong and vital, and like I could take on the world. The most exciting development lately is that it looks like I might be getting my fitness instructor certification and teaching a lot sooner than I thought. I had been planning on putting it off a little longer, but my gym really needs someone to fill in for the Monday night cardio/core class and the Wednesday night strength class, and it's possible that that person could be me! I need to get certified quickly, which I'm looking into. So, I could be teaching really soon! It's scary, but also very exciting. I'll keep you posted...

not exactly the response i was looking for...

Whilst Nick ate his lunch today (fish sticks with ketchup, canned peaches, flappy dairy, and Goldfish, in case anyone was wondering), we were talking about his impending birthday. I said "Just think - you'll have birthday cake at your SpongeBob party at PaPa's, and then two days later, you'll have a birthday cupcake at school!" His response? "My butt itches."

in case you were wondering...

It snowed heavily all day yesterday, from about 9-5, and we ended up with about 10 inches! We couldn't get out yesterday or this morning, but we got plowed later this morning, and Brian just left to sally forth to Walmart for a few things. He hasn't come back yet, which I take as a good sign. I'm really ready for spring!

it's snowing!

Last night was our MOPS Moms' Nite Out at mentor mom Jeannie's house, and it was fun! There were 7 of us in all, and we just sat around eating, playing games, eating, and eating. I am, once again, SO ashamed. :) Susie made this amazing focaccia bread, and Leigh Ann came by with another of her decadent cakes. I was helpless to resist their power.

I ended up not getting to bed until 12:30, which just does NOT fly with me anymore. I slept until 9, and I'm still feeling groggy and draggy. I have absolutely NO motivation to do any of the things I should, like dust, mop, fill Xmas tubs, etc. Furthermore, we're getting quite the snowstorm, and that always makes me just want to sit there staring out the window and drinking hot cocoa. I'm pretty sure that today will not be a day of much accomplishment for me. But, I guess that's OK. I do plan on calling some of my peeps and catching up, and that is certainly not without value! Enjoy your snow day, my local peeps...

my man's a good daddy

Brian came home from a week-long Army Band trip to Chicago on Wednesday, and he brought Nick one of these. It's awesome! The concept is great, and they are so well-made. And if we were to get him one or two more, he could take them all apart and mix and match the pieces. I highly recommend this toy, for girls and boys. Brian also visited the Chicago Symphony gift shop and got Nick a t-shirt that says "treble maker." :) He brought me a couple of neat magnets and some musical notecards. What a thoughtful husband and dad!

btw

I forgot to mention that Brian did really well in yoga class, and enjoyed it! For a beginner, he was markedly non-dorky, and did most of the poses really well. He plans to keep coming every week, so yay! It'll be something we can do and enjoy together, and Nick loves going to the childcare room at the gym, so it's a win-win-win.

the end of an era

As you may have noticed, I decided that the time had come to retire my weight-loss ticker. Since I've basically reached my goal, there didn't seem to be much point in keeping it any longer. I will, however, keep posting my weekly weigh-in on the sidebar, for two reasons. First, it will be a black-and-white reminder of how far I've come, and second, it will continue to hold me accountable as I work to maintain my weight and keep it from creeping back the wrong way. Retiring the ticker seems like such a small thing, but in a way, it's a pretty big deal to me!

finally!

You were probably beginning to wonder if I'd ever post again, weren't you? I was, too! I just hadn't been inspired until today, and like trying on clothes or cleaning your house, ya gotta be inspired!

We had the MOPS baby shower this morning. About 1/2 (seriously) of my MOPS group is currently prego, so we thought it fitting to throw them a shower. It was really nice! Our mentor moms did wonderful decorations and punch, and came up with really fun games for us to play, and the food was scrumptious. Leigh Ann, who is our coordinator and also happens to be a dessert caterer, made this amazing two-layer cake. The top was chocolate and the bottom was white/chocolate marble, and it was so gorgeously decorated that I hated to see it cut apart. Between all the hors d'oeuvres and the cake, I was a disgusting pig. I'm pretty ashamed. But, tomorrow's a new day, I guess. My spinach balls turned out really yummy, so here's that recipe:

Spinach-Stuffing Balls

2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Use fresh if you can!)
1 large onion, finely chopped (I used dried minced onion.)
2 cups herb stuffing mix
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tsp. salt
10 Tbsp. butter (1 stick + 2 Tbsp.), melted

Squeeze water out of spinach through colander until it's just about dry. Beat eggs in large bowl, then add spinach and rest of ingredients. Mix well with hands, then cover bowl and refrigerate until mixture holds together (at least an hour)*. Preheat oven to 350. Shape mixture into roughly 1-inch balls and bake on lightly greased cookie sheet until just browned and crispy, about 30-35 mins. Sprinkle with some more salt if desired.

*When I started forming the balls, I was concerned, because the mixture didn't seem to be adhering very well, and it was hard to make the balls. I pressed on, though, and they came out just fine. So, don't worry if it doesn't seem "sticky" enough.

After the MOPS meeting, I headed to the DMV to transfer my plates and pay the title fee and sales tax on the new car. It was about $600 - ouch! I hate that part of buying a car. Speaking of the car - I know I haven't shared pics yet. I really want to wait until I can wash the car (it's currently filthy), but it keeps raining. So, be patient! I'm still really enjoying it, and am quite pleased with my purchase.

It's very gloomy outside right now - it seems like a storm might be blowing in. Blech! It makes me want to crawl in bed and take a nap.

This evening, Brian is actually going to come with me to yoga for the first time ever! I'm not sure how he'll do, but it's great that he wants to come and give it a try.

That's all for now...

off to springfield again, tally ho

Nick and I are going to head out in a couple of hours to spend the weekend in Springfield. I'm looking forward to taking the new wheels on the road and showing them to my Springfield peeps! I'm going to try to get 'er washed and take some pics to share with you. So far, I'm really enjoying the car! I was somewhat aghast to note, though, that it has 17" tires, which are going to be significantly more expensive to replace than the 15" ones on my Malibu. Oh, well. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it...

Still haven't had a chance to employ the sunroof, between the rain, gloom, and cold, but I'm hoping for a nice, sunny, warmish day soon. Can't wait to enjoy that!

This weekend, I'm going to be taking care of some shopping, as I had exactly zero time for that when we were in Springfield last weekend. Tomorrow night, Tim and I are going to see The Music Man, and Sunday morning, I'm joining him to sing with the church choir at Christ Episcopal. He used to be employed in the choir at NACC, but has recently moved to CEC, following our college choir director there after he switched churches. It'll be great to sing with Tim and under the direction of "Big Al" again. :)

After church, we're heading to my new fave restaurant, Arris' Pizza, for their lunch buffet. They have the most amazing pizza crust! OMG. I love it love it love it.

That pretty much sums up my weekend. I'll catch you next week, hopefully with car pics! Have a great weekend, everyone!

mama got a new car!

I got a new car yesterday - a 2008 Dodge Caliber SXT. It's light silver, and has a sunroof! I really like it, and we got a good deal. I'll share pics eventually.

friday the 13th

Well, I guess it's only fitting that on Friday the 13th I have gained weight for the second week in a row. Harrumph. :( Even though I'm just quibbling with a few pounds at this point, that sort of alarms me, because it's literally the first time in my entire weight-loss endeavor that I have gained two weeks in a row. As you can see from my sidebar, I've just been dinking around with my weight lately, and I'm now right where I was back at the end of October, with nothing to show for the past 3.5 months! Don't get me wrong - I'm thrilled with my body and my progress, but at this point, it's just mental. It's the principle of the thing, you know? I want to weigh 140, dangit! So, I've decided that after Nick's birthday party in mid-March, I'm really going to buckle down and count calories again and see if I can't do just that.

Gearing up for a very busy weekend. I have all manner of chores to do today, and then tonight, I'm going out for dessert and chatting with Rebecca. Tomorrow morning, it's more domesticity, and then I'm heading to the gym for the aerobathon. Later tomorrow, we're heading to Springfield and attending a little soiree at Tim's house. Then, it's early to bed since I have to get up so early for my marathon day on Sunday - singing at church, birthday party, and concert later. Whew!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!...

what is up with all this excess?

Since when did Valentine's Day turn into Halloween? Nick's class had their VDay party today, and he came home with a ridiculous haul of candy, given to him by his classmates. I mean, when did VDay become like that? When I was a kid, you made your box and you brought your Valentines, which were made of paper and had no candy involved. Then, you exchanged your Valentines and called it a day. There was no candy, no treat bags (or entire plastic treat cups, full to the brim with different temptations). You would not believe what he brought home - two plastic cups full of stuff, several of those cellophane treat bags full of stuff - candy, lollipops, Cheetos, you name it! In addition to all the candy, he got little toys, like a top, pencils, etc. I guess I'm a complete slacker mom, because I didn't send any treats at all for the other kids - just paper Valentines. What are all these moms thinking? Do they really think it's necessary to do this on Halloween, Christmas, AND VDay? Doesn't anyone else find this all rather excessive? When Nick came home, he was on such a sugar high that he ended up being totally rude to me and then having a complete meltdown when I disciplined him. Sorry to go on so much, but I just think this whole thing of making elaborate treat bags for kids for every possible occasion has gotten way out of hand. What do you think?

a gloomy, rainy, blah day

It's totally yucky outside today! I'm planning to go to the evening strength class at the gym, and it's going to take every ounce of fortitude I have to force myself to leave my cozy, warm house. But, I must go. Let's just say that in the process of baking Valentine cookies today, ten a couple of them made it into my mouth. I'm telling you, cookies are my major weakness, above all other foods. I am completely powerless when faced with them. It's pathetic, I know, but true. And you'd think I would have had my fill today, but I'm sure I'll be powerless once again at my MOPS meeting. Alas. I've been fairly good this week otherwise, though, which gives me some solace. Perhaps after Nick's birthday party next month, I'll finally buckle down again and start counting calories so that I can lose those last few pounds. How happy I'd be!

a very enlightening day

I learned a lot and expanded my horizons today! There's a little yoga/dance/martial arts studio in Rolla called andFLEW!, and they offer a free community class on the first Saturday of every month. Today, the class was yoga - specifically, the entire class was devoted to fine-tuning one's sun salutation, which is a particular "flow," or series of poses. I've done lots of sun salutations, but never had it broken down and "nitpicked" so much before, and it was actually really great! I learned a lot, and feel like I can really do a proper salutation now, with a much greater understanding of the key points of each pose. And it was really quite a workout - anyone who has ever held plank or hover for any length of time knows that doing them over and over really works out one's core and arms. After the yoga class was over, some teachers and students of bluegrass music were going to "jam" in the studio. I chose not to stay for that, because I was hungry, so I went around the corner to a neat pizza/Greek join and enjoyed a chicken gyro for lunch. I then returned to the studio, where I caught the end of the bluegrass (not really my kind of music, though I certainly appreciate its toe-tapping appeal) before participating in a......are you ready?.........LINE DANCING class. Yes, that's right, folks. If you know me at all, you know that "Amy Jane" and "line dancing" aren't two phrases that would normally be paired. I didn't even know that there was going to be a line dancing class until the end of yoga, when the instructor asked me "Are you going to do the line dancing class?" I thought about it for a second and said "Why not?" It's not something I ever in a million years would have thought to do, but I'm always up for learning something new. And now I finally know what my sister has been up to on so many Saturday nights. :) It was actually pretty fun! We learned the electric slide and the achy breaky heart, and I picked them up really quickly. So, I can now hold my own in line dancing - well, those two dances, at least. The studio offers ballroom workshops, and I'm hoping to be able to participate in the next one, which will start at the end of March. It's not Brian's thing, but the instructor told me that I can come alone. I'm totally pumped about it! I love ballroom dancing - especially the Latin ones like rumba and salsa. And I seem to be able to pick up the steps quickly, so it's fun for me. So, today was pretty great, all-in-all! How is your weekend going so far?

my little sage

After our visit to the commissary, I was bemoaning the fact that they were out of several things I needed, and Nick said "Mommy, when they don't have what you need, you just have to face it, because if you don't face it, it'll just make it worse."

busy day!

Whew! I left the house this morning at 8:15, and didn't get home until 2:15 - it was one of those days. I took Nick to preschool, and then headed to the gym for step class. It was the first class in the new location, and it's so nice! It's a huge improvement over our old place. I love it! Class was really good today - I got a good workout. Then, I stayed to attend a free tutorial given by one of the personal trainers - he's showing people all the different ways to use the various weight machines. He really knows his stuff, and it's nice to learn my way around the machines. Right now, I only have a class membership (no access to the equipment), but I'm thinking of expanding my membership so that I can go use the machines there for strength-training. We shall see. Then, I ran to Walmart for a quick return and purchase, then got Nick from school. We then headed to Brigitte's house for one of her famous, food-laden soirees. Nick was actually really well-behaved, and we had a good time. I ate way too much, but as always, I had a great time visiting with all the women from various countries, and there was some piano-playing and singing, as usual. And now, we're home and Nick is napping. That's my day so far! The rest of it should be pretty tame in comparison. When Brian gets home, I'm going to run to Hallmark for some upcoming greeting card needs, and then it's going to be a pretty lazy evening around here. I'm looking forward to it! Then, tomorrow, it's back to the grind with preschool, kickboxing, etc.

gee...thanks for choking it down!

For dinner this evening, I made really yummy herbed chicken with orzo and zucchini. Nick actually ate some of it, which was amazing and wonderful! Later in the evening, I thanked him again for trying my dinner, and he replied "Well, it wasn't easy, but I did it." Little rascal!

yet another blog post

1. Could I BE blogging more often? I can't seem to stop lately!

2. I'm terrified of tomorrow's weigh-in. What with all the cooking I've been doing (see below) and my abysmal exercise record of the past week, it's not going to be pretty. I've got to find a way to buckle down again and re-tighten my resolve.

3. I cooked again tonight! I know, I know. I can't believe it, either. Perhaps I have been kidnapped and replaced by a culinary doppelganger. :) I made the following, and it's GOOD!

Mushroom Stroganoff

8 oz. wide egg noodles
1 lb. pre-packaged sliced mushrooms
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 8-oz. tub sour cream (Light sour cream is fine, too.)
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
fresh or dried parsley (optional)

1. Cook noodles according to package. Drain and keep warm.
2. In extra-large skillet, cook mushrooms and garlic in hot oil over med-high heat 5-8 mins. or until tender, stirring occasionally. (Reduce heat if mushrooms brown too quickly.) Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and keep warm. Leave "juice" in skillet.
3. For sauce, in bowl combine sour cream, flour, paprika, and pepper. Stir in broth until smooth. Add to skillet. Cook and stir for several minutes, until thickened and bubbly.
4. Serve mushroom mixture and sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Serves 4.

Tomorrow night, it's herbed chicken with orzo and zucchini!

4. Here is what Nick said to me in the car today, apropos of nothing: Mommy, what am I going to do? I love Jen (Luley, a 30-something friend of mine who has since moved to Germany, but for whom Nick still pines pitifully) AND Tara (the teen girlfriend of my step-nephew). I can't love two girls, can I? (I interjected "No - that's usually not a good idea.") If I love two girls, I'd have to live in two houses. I guess I'm going to have to break up with one of them. But which one? I don't know what to do. (Here, I pointed out that Jen already has a husband, so maybe she's not a good candidate for his love.) Jen has a husband? Where can I meet a girl who doesn't already have a husband? ("Preschool?" I offered.) I don't like the girls at preschool - I only love Jen and Tara!...

He went on in the same vein for awhile. I'm not sure if he ever solved his dilemma, but it was sure entertaining! :) I tell you, this kid's a grade-A hoot.

would i like some cheese with that whine?

I know that all I've been doing lately is bitching about being housebound, etc., but I feel like bitching just a leetle bit more. Nick and I did get to the commissary today, and it sucked! First of all, Nick begged me to use one of those specialty kid carts (not exactly a car cart, but similarly impossible to maneuver). That was a huge mistake, because in addition to it being hard to maneuver, it also barely had room for my groceries, and there wasn't room for my coat, which meant I had to keep it on. By the time we were done, I felt like I was in a sauna! It was so warm under my coat, fleece top, and shirt that I thought I would die. Plus, the commissary was very crowded, and we had to wait in line forever. And Nick was so incredibly annoying! He wasn't misbehaving, per se - it was just that he could not seem to be quiet for even two seconds. And the icing on the cake was the phone call I got from my kickboxing instructor, informing me that the gym would be closed until Monday (It's finally moving to its new location.) Don't get me wrong - I'm excited to get into the newer, bigger, better gym, but this means that I will have only gone one time this whole week, and I'm not good at all at motivating myself to work out at home. Bah, humbug! OK - I'm done bitching for now. :) I'll be glad when next week arrives and things are back to normal.

housebound: day 3

Grrr! I was very surprised last night when I saw that school was cancelled AGAIN today, which, of course, means no fitness classes either. And I'm assuming that Nick's soccer will be cancelled this evening, too. Brian did have to go to work today, though. I guess the school cancellation was a good call, because Brian couldn't get his car up the hill to get out of our 'hood today. Apparently, that uphill slope is just a sheet of ice. So, he came back home in defeat and called a fellow bandsman with a 4WD vehicle to come and get him - Brian hiked up out of the 'hood and met him at the main road.

I was hoping to get out of the house and go to the commissary today for groceries (and sanity), but Brian's failed attempt to escape pretty much means that I'd have the same fate. So, Nick and I are stuck at home, AGAIN, for the third day now. And we don't even have Brian to keep us company! Wah! OK - enough whining. I know my problems aren't really problems. I'm just getting a pretty bad case of cabin fever. :)

My goals for the day include working out, maybe a bit of purging, and just hangin' with my boy. We might even enjoy a rousing round of Famished, Famished Frogs! :)

P.S. Here's a quiz (Tim, you're not eligible): Name the sitcom in which this last name is mentioned: Gerklechnerbeigen-Hofstetlerfrau.

feelin' good

1. I actually worked out today! A half hour on the elliptical and a half hour doing strength-training.

2. I sang today.

3. I purged my socks, getting rid of a good two dozen pairs.

4. I filled up my first two plastic Xmas tubs.

5. I cooked dinner - gnocchi with Prego and frozen squash.

6. I went outside to play with Nick, and I bundled up so much that it actually wasn't too bad! And Nick had a complete blast.

housebound: day 2

Well, this has turned into a much bigger storm than the weather-peeps initially anticipated. We started with the ice pellets on Monday late afternoon, and that continued, with just a few short lulls, until late Tuesday afternoon, whereby it began to snow. And it's still snowing now! We've gotten about 4-5", I'd say. It's beautiful, but being stuck in the house with an energetic, bored little boy is not the greatest. :) And, I'm totally bummed at missing my fitness class for two days running! And did I work out at home yesterday? No, of course not! I have also discovered that being housebound in a winter storm is not good for my eating - it would seem that my subconscious feels like that gives me license to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. Ack! I am bound and determined to do some sort of exercise today, even if it's only for 30 minutes.

I had to cancel my eye check-up this morning - no big whoop. And, I was able to reschedule for Saturday - I think it's very cool that they're open on Saturdays. School is cancelled and post is closed today, so both boys are home again. And Brian's class this evening is cancelled, too.

Nick really wants to go out and play in the snow today, and who can blame him? To a kid, it's beyond exciting. To me, though, it's beyond distasteful. :) The last thing I want to do is go outside, where the temp is in the teens, and get freezing cold and damp playing in the snow. I wish I were one of those adults that actually enjoys playing in the snow with her child, but I'm just not. It's about the last thing I want to do. But, we'll soldier through, for Nick's sake.

Other than working out, my second goal for the day is to fill my first two Christmas tubs. Wish me luck!

iced in

We've been having an ice storm since yesterday evening, so we're all home today. School was cancelled, my kickboxing class was cancelled, and Brian doesn't have to go in to work. Luckily, it's not freezing rain, which is the most dangerous. When it comes down as water and THEN freezes on trees and power lines, that's when you've got trouble, right here in River City, and that starts with "T", which rhymes with "P", which stands for "pool". This stuff is falling as dry little ice pellets, and just building up on the ground. But, I'm sure the roads are pretty slick, especially in some of the outlying areas. It's kind of nice to have a "free day", though in typical Amy fashion, I'm sitting here feeling guilty about all of the things I "should" be doing instead of blogging - things like purging, putting Xmas decor in tubs, working out, etc. I really, truly, deeply wish that I were the kind of person who could just do nothing for a whole day and actually be OK with that, ya know? Nick is having a blast watching the PBS shows that he usually misses while he's at preschool, and I think that Brian is glad to have an unexpected day off, and neither of them feel compelled to get things done! :)

some more nickularity

This evening, I was in the guest bedroom, vocalizing and singing through the song for my upcoming church gig. When I came out of the room, Nick greeted me with "Mommy - your singing was very impressive!"

I swear, our young son is morphing into a teenage girl right before our very ears. :) He has become so melodramatic!! (Patty - mellow and dramatic). At bedtime tonight, we were forcing him to limit the absurd amount of "friends" he wanted to take to bed with him, and he finally got so upset that he cried "This is TOTALLY ruining my life!"

how do i do this?

OK, blogging friends - I need some tech help. I've noticed some of you using the neato form of humour whereby you type one word that has a line through it followed by another "replacement" word. Such as "I will now subject (this word has a line through it, but can still be read) treat you to my thoughts on the matter." How do you put that line through the word? Please share...

the great food purge

I actually did it today! I did the massive food purge that has been a long time comin'. I filled 4 kitchen trash bags with expired/freezer-burned/stale food from my fridge, freezer, and pantry. I'm ashamed to admit that a few pantry items even dated back to the turn of the century. :) It seems like we hardly have anything now! It's so nice, though, to look in the fridge and pantry and know that everything there is current and something that we will most likely use. I feel somewhat guilty at throwing out so much food, but I know I'm not the only one to let such excess occur, and to keep food so long past its expiration date. On some of the "dry" food, I'm pretty sure it would probably still have been OK, but I had to draw a line somewhere, and I figured that even if it was still edible and safe to eat, the fact that we had had it for so long and hadn't eaten it probably meant that we would never eat it. So, out it went! It was incredibly cathartic - I highly recommend this, readers! :) I also threw out all of my expired pharmaceuticals.

So, the purging continues. At this point, I still have the office closet (I dread this, as it will be time-consuming and fraught with tough decisions.) and Nick's and my spring/summer clothes. I can't believe I've gotten so much done already!

I bought the first two tubs for Christmas decor, and I'm not looking forward to getting into that, but it must be done, and baby steps are the key. Wish me luck! Oh, and I finally got all of my discarded books out of the house. I garnered a paltry sum for a few of them at a used bookstore, and donated the rest to the library.

better than anything on tv

This evening as we were trying to get Nick to bed, he was misbehaving and being disciplined by Brian, and he ended up just falling apart and having a total meltdown of epic proportions, which was actually pretty hilarious. I tried not to let him see me laughing, because I didn't want to scar him, but he was so over-the-top. At one point, he was screaming "It's not fair!" If I closed my eyes, I could swear he was a teen girl. The best part, though, was when he said "It's not all about YOU, Daddy! It's not all about ANYBODY in this town! It's all about ME!" We finally got him in bed and I was trying to get him calmed down, and I said that he and Daddy should "kiss and make up." He replied "But make-up isn't for boys!" :) That was just the icing on the cake. What a show!

hmmm....i'm not sure!

In preschool this week, they've been talking about outer space, planets, aliens, etc. Yesterday, on the way home from school, Nick piped up with "Mommy - do aliens have penises?" :)

still chuggin' along

Tonight, I actually made soup for dinner! It's called Italian wedding soup, and only has 4 ingredients - chicken broth, Italian meatballs, pasta, and spinach. Yum! And while I was cooking, I actually listened to one of my CDs - Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem! I love that work, and it had been way too long since I gave it a listen. Yesterday, I actually baked a dessert called Bananas Foster bread pudding. It was just OK - I don't love it. But, at least I'm trying new recipes!

I've really been making progress in my basement. Yesterday, I transferred my solo sheet music to plastic tubs, organizing and consolidating it in the process. I have it divided into genres - sacred, opera, art song, musical theater, Christmas, and jazz/pop. Now, I need to do my choral music, which won't take nearly as long. I also went through my Easter decor today, purging the vast majority of it (I'm just not into pastel bunnies and frou frou anymore!), and only keeping a few things, like my marble eggs, a basket for Nick, kitchen towels, etc. Oh, I keep forgetting to mention that I've been selling some of my books and DVDs on half.com. I highly recommend this - it's very fast and easy. I've already made close to $100, minus the cost of mailers.

This afternoon, I closed myself up in our office and sang for awhile, vocalizing and working on the song I'll be singing at NACC in February. I sounded pretty good!

So, I've really had success in working toward various goals over the past few days. Yay! It's a little disheartening that one's work is never done, but I just keep reminding myself how far I've come already, in less than a month.

We're having a nice, lazy Monday evening here at Chez Hoogstraet/Jungen. I think I'll go cuddle with my Nickadoo...

my weekend so far

This morning, I went to Rolla with a couple of fitness instructor buddies to get my CPR/AED certification. The course and instructor were pretty darn lame - that woman should NOT be an instructor! She was just so random and disjointed, and could never seem to actually answer a question - she would just talk in circles. And we were disappointed to find that we were not covering child/infant CPR, but only adult. Oh, well. At least I got my certification, and a yummy lunch at Panera.

So, last night, we took our good friend Mike out to dinner to bid him a fond adieu, as he is moving to Ft. Hood, TX. We went to this amazing restaurant called Sybill's, which is about 30 miles from here. It was WONDERFUL! Brian and I had eaten there before, but Mike never had, so it was great that he got to experience it before he left. The bad news is that I ate enough calories for several days. (On a side note, we discussed the unfairness of that. Say you normally eat 1500 calories a day. If you eat a 3000-calorie meal, then, why can't it be that you wouldn't be hungry again until two or three days later? Wouldn't that make sense? But no - I woke up this morning just as hungry for breakfast as I always am. ) The good news is that all of our food was amazing. We had simple but scrumptious bread and butter to start with, and we also ordered spinach artichoke dip with crostini to dip in it. We bought a bottle of yummy local red wine, and enjoyed delicious salads - mine had Romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, bleu cheese, etc. Brian had pork chops, Mike had a chicken dish, and I had this amazing ravioli that was stuffed with portobello mushrooms and various cheeses and surrounded with olive oil, spinach, sweet peppers, red onions, feta cheese, etc. OMG. It was so rich that I simply couldn't finish it. Actually, I was proud of myself, for though I did eat a staggering amount of food, I actually left part of everything on the plate, even the peanut butter pie I had for dessert! (Brian had peach cobbler and Mike had lemon raisin bread pudding.) This restaurant is very ambient and posh, and our waitress was amazing - she really knew her stuff and was very attentive. Here's how fancy the place is - when she brought out our bottle of wine, she actually poured a little into my glass and then stood there waiting for a second, and I realized that I was supposed to do the whole "tasting" thing! I was rather embarrassed, as that's a bit over my head, but I think I pulled it off pretty well. I picked it up, swirled it around a little and sniffed it, and then took a sip, swirling it around in my mouth before swallowing and pronouncing it delicious. :) The total bill ended up being in the triple digits, but it was well-worth it, in my opinion. It was a once-in-a-blue-moon occasion, and the perfect way to send off Mike, who is quite the foodie.

Mike left today, and I'm pretty bummed about that. I'm really going to miss him! He was a good friend and such an interesting, layered person. He never ceased to surprise me, and we had the best conversations, and various interests in common. And the great thing about him was that unlike all of my other friends here, who have families, he is single, so he was almost always available and willing to "hang out" with us, even on very short notice. That was rather refreshing, and will be missed. I know we'll keep in touch, but it's not the same. I wish him the best of luck, though, and hope he has a great experience in Texas! And I hope that he'll visit us sometime - he'll always be welcome.

This afternoon, after a short nap, I commenced (finally!) about taking down the Christmas tree. I've got everything off of it, and after I'm done blogging, Brian and I just have to take the tree apart and shove it in its box. Yay! It'll be good to have that monkey off my back. And, true to my goal, I did manage to purge several ornaments as I was taking them off the tree.

Well, I guess I'd better go and get that tree down. How's your weekend going?

update on progress toward goals

First of all, we're having the first snowfall of the winter here (finally). It's very dry and powdery, and probably won't amount to much, but it's pretty to watch it falling! We were going to head to Rolla today for some errands (Brian has a long weekend for MLK Day), but we decided to stay home, because it's so cold and unwelcoming outside. :)

OK - on to my goals. I'm still doing pretty well! I am down another 1/2 lb. this week - inching ever-closer to my goal. And frankly, even that small loss surprised me, as I didn't exactly eat like an angel. As for continuing to tone my body, I'm really happy with the definition I'm seeing, and I've even been getting compliments lately, especially on my upper body. I have pretty rockin' quads and calves, too. :) And I'm looking forward to my CPR certification tomorrow. I'm hoping to have my fitness instructor certification by this summer.

As for cooking more, that hasn't been happening so much, but I DID make those muffins yesterday, so I guess that counts. Something else that hasn't been happening is listening to my CDs - I guess you can't win 'em all, eh? And, there's still lots of year left, so ya never know!

I'll be singing at my church in Springfield in mid-February, so I'm really looking forward to that. Unfortunately, I won't be able to join the community choir in Rolla this semester either, because they rehearse on Monday nights, and Brian has to take a Monday night class later in the semester. :( Alas.

I'm happy to report that all of my fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving decor is now in plastic tubs, along with my paltry little pile of Valentine's Day decor! Yay! Next, I'm going to do my sheet music and Easter decor, and leave the Xmas decor for last. But, I'm slowly but surely getting it done, which feels great. The purging has slowed down somewhat, but hasn't come to a complete halt. I'm still pumped that I emptied my bookcase, and now I just have to get the books out of the house. I think that the next phase of purging will be to do the kitchen, one cabinet at a time, over the course of a couple of weeks.

So, there you have it.

my son ate zucchini!

Of course, it was grated and baked into a muffin. :) I'm pretty proud of myself, as Nick never eats vegetables. He's pretty stubborn! I'm just hoping his daily multivitamin will pull him through until his palate matures. Anywho, here's the recipe, and they're really good - very moist and just the right amount of sweet.

Zucchini Bran Muffins

1 box (18.25 oz.) raisin bran muffin mix (My Walmart didn't have ANY bran muffin mix, so I had to substitute 2 7-oz. boxes of Jiffy oatmeal muffin mix. Not as healthy, but the best second choice. I didn't add any raisins, as I don't love them.)
1 medium zucchini, grated
3/4 cup apple juice
3 egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1-2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 and spray Pam in a 12-muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients until combined. Spoon batter into muffin pan so that cups are almost full, but not quite. (I actually had a little left over - maybe enough for one or two more muffins.)
3. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool muffin pan on wire rack before removing muffins.

Enjoy!

my sweet little boy

I just had the best time with my son! You know how some days they're total turds, and then some days they're just in such a good mood, all sweetness and light? Well, today is a sweetness and light day (so far). I took Nick to preschool this morning, and Brian picked him up and took him to lunch and then brought him back to me, and Nick was all excited about this tiny plush puppy he got in his Happy Meal. She's a girl, according to Nick, and her name is "Dog." From the moment he got home, he was so agreeable and considerate, and then we ended up cuddling on the couch together and reading books - just me, Nick, and Dog. We stayed there for a good 45 minutes, and it was heaven! And then when I told him it was time for his nap, off he went eagerly, taking Dog to bed with him. Sigh of contentment. Why can't all days be just like this?

And the day only promises to get better, because Idol starts tonight! Yes. Our friend Mike (the one who's leaving forever in 4 days) is coming over to watch it with me.

state of the amy address

I have been felled, yet again, by some kind of sinus thing, and I'm quite miserable. I was, as you may recall, exhausted for the entire latter half of the week - my theory is that my immune system was fighting this illness. Well, apparently my immune system lost, because I am stricken with relentless sinus pressure and congestion, and I'm just wiped out and in a fog. I took a nap mid-day - I just felt like I had no other choice. Needless to say, the Christmas tree will be with us for another week. :) Alas! I just hope I feel well enough tomorrow morning to go to the gym. We shall see.

I wish to share the following with my readers in hopes that you will be as indignant and disgusted as I: Yesterday around noon, Brian took a whole bunch of stuff to Goodwill. Among the items was a rather nondescript brown teddy bear of Nick's. He had had this bear since before he was born, and had never shown it the time of day, aside from one random week, months ago, when he was sort of attached to it. So, I felt rather confident that we could get rid of it with no ramifications. Apparently, I was wrong. Mind you - this bear had been in our basement for a couple of weeks before Brian took it to Goodwill, and Nick hadn't missed it. But amazingly, just a few hours after Brian donated it, Nick suddenly started asking about "Teddy." He just had to have him. He missed him, especially his sweet smile. I dodged his questions and feigned innocent confusion - "I don't know where he is, honey. He must have gotten lost." But Nick wouldn't drop it, and started to get really upset, to the point of tears. I know that he would have eventually been OK and forgotten all about it, but mommy guilt got the better of me, and I decided to run by Goodwill to see if I could rescue Teddy. After all, Brian had dropped him off just a few hours before. I went in clutching Brian's proof-of-donation slip and spoke to a woman who was not at all sympathetic, and really no help whatsoever. I described the bear, but she just looked at me blankly and claimed that there was no point in looking for it, because they had had a lot of donations during the day, and everything was just piled up willy-nilly in the back. There was obviously no way she was letting me back there to search. I mean, come on! You'd think she would have taken pity on my poor little boy who missed his bear! I asked if it could already be out in the store, and she said no. Well, just to be sure, I went back to the stuffed animal section and looked, and there it was, along with the other stuffed animals Brian had donated. I grabbed it triumphantly and made a beeline right back to that woman, telling her that the bear had, indeed, been out already. She then informed me that I would have to PAY FOR IT. Seriously. How grubby and low-class can you get? I mean, this bear had just been dropped off earlier that same day, and it was obviously mine - how could I make that up? And why would I? So, I had to go up to the counter and give Goodwill their precious $1 so that I could spring Teddy and take him back to Nick. Blech. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. The good news is that Nick was overjoyed, and has been clutching his bear lovingly ever since. :)

yay!

Those 3 holiday pounds are gone, which is great! I'm not so great today, however. I've just been really exhausted the past few days. I feel like my immune system is fighting something off, and it's just wiping me out. After today's workout, I felt glazed over with tiredness. Consequently, I don't have anything scintillating to say right now. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Wish me luck - I'm planning to take down my Christmas decor...

first step

I have signed up for a CPR and AED (automatic external defibrillator) certification course on January 17. That's my first official step towards becoming a certified fitness instructor!

P.S. I have weeded over 100 books out of my bookcase! It looks quite desolate now, poor thing. Now, I just have to figure out what to do with all those books.

any suggestions?

I have a $25 gift certificate for Amazon MP3 downloads. What should I get?

thanks for indulging me :)

Wow - it's nice to see what can be accomplished with a little whining. And I'll be the first to admit that I'm not above seeking pity-comments (obviously)! So, thanks to those who commented - it actually did make my day.

The purging continues, though sadly, it has eclipsed the taking down of Christmas decor. Who knows when I'll do that? Sometimes I have a hard time prioritizing.

I took Nick to our credit union today to open up his own savings account. When he was born, my friend Christie sent him this lovely gift-box-shaped bank, and we've been putting extra change in it ever since. It was finally so full that I couldn't squeeze in another dime, so I figured it was a good time to deposit it! That bank had $40 in it! I had no idea it was so much. Add to that $5 more from me and $20 in Christmas money from Brian's brother, and Nick had a hefty little initial deposit for a 4-year-old. And our credit union's reward system for kids' accounts is such that he came home with not one, not two, but THREE prizes! A foam football, a little foam rocket-shooter, and a calculator. Not bad! Quite a big day.

blah blah blah

First of all, I'm going to be petulant and selfish for a moment and say that I'm kind of bummed that no one has been commenting on my blog lately. Wah!

Here's something ironic: Yesterday, I met my friend Katherine at a local cafe to have coffee and chat. We would have enjoyed sitting out on the front porch to enjoy the 60-degree day, but we had to stay inside, because people were smoking out there. The smokers drove us inside!

I am ecstatic to report that my progress has continued today. I have really caught this purging bug, people! Yay! Today, I finished purging the entire living room. Mind you, that was by far the easiest room in the house, but I feel accomplished to have finished one room. I quake in fear at the thought of such areas as the kitchen, office closet, bookcase, etc., but the more purging I get under my belt, the more I feel ready to tackle. I even purged unwanted files and bookmarks from my computer and unneeded papers from my file drawer. This might be TMI, but I'm so into purging now that whilst I was sitting on the toilet today, I actually purged a cabinet in the bathroom. That's multitasking for you. :)

I'm also happy to say that per my plan, I bought two plastic tubs at Walmart today and filled them with Halloween decor. I would estimate that I probably still need another couple of dozen tubs for all the seasonal decor, but hey - at least I've gotten started! So, I'm basically on cloud 9 at this point.

My happiness is currently tempered, though, by the fact that my poor little son is lying on the couch right now, listless and feverish. He's obviously been stricken by a virus, and he's really pathetic! We're doing our best to take care of him and keep him comfy, and he's watching Thomas, which he finds very soothing. I really hope he's better in the morning, since it's his first day back to school. Wish him a speedy recovery!

progress report

Well, I'm pleased to report that I've already made a bit of progress towards a couple of my goals. I actually dusted the house a couple of days ago (not a totally thorough job, but still!), and today, I purged a few small items! Purging really does feel good, and the key is to just take one small area at a time. See, my problem is that I have such an "all-or-nothing" mentality that I feel like if I'm going to do something, I have to do it all at once, or it's no good. So, I end up just being paralyzed by the thought of how big a job is, and doing nothing at all. I know I need to get over that, and I'm really trying. Today, I went through the little cabinet that holds my stationery, the coffee table drawer, the coat closet, and my small movie collection. Of course, I feel like I need to keep going, but I'm not really in the mood. I need to get over my internal struggle about it and realize that it's OK if that's all I do today. I think that the key to success is going to be picking one cabinet or shelf each day (or a couple of times a week), and realizing that it's OK to stop there. Same goes for transferring all of my seasonal decor to plastic tubs. The thought of going to Walmart and buying dozens of tubs at once, and then moving all of the stuff at once, is rather paralyzing. So, I've decided that maybe twice a month, I'm going to buy two tubs and then fill those. If I keep that up, I should be done within a few months, and it will be relatively painless! Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted on how it's going...

holiday damages

I'm up 3 (!!!) lbs., which totally sucks. It just seems like I'm skirting so close to 140, but can never quite get there. But, you can bet your bippy that my next weigh-in will show a loss. It's time to just bring this frickin' train into the station, ya know what I mean?

christmas pictures

Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Springfield:

Christmas Eve at PaPa's house

Christmas morning at PaPa's

Christmas Day evening at Uncle Tim's (in the first pic, Nick is playing the harmonica he got for Christmas)

happy new year, everyone!

I just want to wish everyone a very happy 2009. What did you do last night? We had a friend over for dinner, but we were in bed by 11:00. We're just not very exciting people anymore, honestly. And today, I feel like I've been beaten about my entire body with a big stick, thanks to my workouts this week. :) So, I'm going to keep a low profile today and try to get a few things done around the house. I'll post again when I actually have something interesting to say!

quick post

I'm embroiled in the Christmas aftermath (laundry, processing gifts, getting rid of old toys, etc.), but I just wanted to jump on and tell everyone that we had a very nice Christmas. It was great to spend time with family and friends, and to see Nick's delight at his gifts. And yes, I ate way too much decadent food. :)

It's good to be home, but I feel like I have a million things to do and can't quite catch up. I doubt that I'll be taking down any Xmas decor this week or weekend - maybe Jan. 10 and 11?

I hope you all had wonderful holidays, and are fully recovered. :) As you can see on the sidebar, I have set several goals for 2009. What are YOUR goals?

happy christmas eve!

I must admit that so far, this Christmas Eve isn't so great. I feel really miserable with my cold, and on top of that, I'm now completely exhausted and spacey, because I was up no fewer than 8 times last night, unable to breathe. But, we're going to stick with our plans to head to Springfield this afternoon, because hey, it's Christmas! Needless to say, I haven't exercised yesterday or today as I had planned to, and will be going a full 6 days without working out, which is unheard of! But next Monday, I'm going to get right back in there. It'll probably kill me, but it'll be good to be back in my routine. In happier news, I decided to weigh myself a couple of days early since we won't be here on Friday, and I was at 141! Yay! That certainly cheered me up.

Yesterday, I went back to bed after breakfast and slept all morning, but then I got up around 1:00 so that I could get some stuff done. I made a couple of fruitful phone calls - I switched trash services, saving us $45/year, and I also upgraded to a faster Internet speed. Joy! Then, I set to work making my Christmas treat - cranberry-almond bark. It also has coconut and Rice Krispies, and I made both a white chocolate and a dark chocolate batch. It's really yummy! I was exhausted and felt terrible by about 7 p.m., so I went to bed at 8.

This evening, my whole family will descend upon the paternal home for Christmas Eve festivities, and then tomorrow morning, Brian, Nick, and I will have even more gift opening to do. We plan to visit some friends tomorrow and/or Friday, and tomorrow evening, we'll be going to Tim's for Christmas Dinner. We're also going to try to squeeze in that visit to the Titanic museum that keeps getting put off. And of course, I have a few things to shop for in the after-Xmas sales, such as wall calendars, Christmas cards, etc.

So, this will be my last post for a few days. I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, and I hope you are all surrounded by family, friends, warmth, and good food this holiday season. Ho ho ho!

just a mini-post

#1: I definitely have a cold, and I feel pretty wretched right now. Ack. I have a strong feeling that trying to sleep tonight is going to be pretty miserable. Wish me a speedy recovery.

#2: We got a Christmas package from Jutta today! We're saving most of the gifts in it for Christmas, but I opened one tiny box, which contained a little salamander pin! How clever and thoughtful of her. I love it!

#3: Notice my new poll on the sidebar, and vote! Also, notice my list of goals for 2009. I thought that this would serve as a good visual reminder for me of the things I want to accomplish next year. I will probably add to it as time goes on.

happy....

...birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, dear Patty;
Happy birthday to you!

I don't honestly have much else to say. We had a very lazy, uneventful weekend, which was fine with me! I do feel like I'm coming down with a cold, which is to be expected, as I think I held it at bay through sheer will until after I was done singing. I got all my gifts wrapped last night (yay!), and now, I just need to make some cranberry-almond bark, which I'll do tomorrow. Hope everyone's having a good Monday!

pics from nick's christmas program

Here are some pictures from last night: Nick during the program, with his teacher Mrs. Tate, with his teacher Miss Proctor, and with his girlfriends Riley and Sarah. :) Look at that beaming smile on his face in the last picture - he is the consummate ladies' man!

finally - a chance to just take a deep breath

We just got home for the evening, and......it's all over! All the craziness of this week is now behind me, and I can just chill out and relax. Granted, I still have plenty to do, like wrap gifts and other stuff around the house, but I don't really have any actual plans, and that's awesome. From now until the 24th, there's just not much going on, and that's fine by me. On Sunday, I'm just going to sleep until I wake up (can't do that the next two days because I must go to fitness classes), and it's going to be glorious!

So, this evening we attended Nick's preschool Christmas program, and it was absolutely precious! I will admit, at the risk of being mocked, that I got a little teary. Hey - it was my baby's first school program! The kids were on risers on the stage, and they all had on these Xmas sweatshirts that they had decorated with fabric paint, and they sang (OK - yelled) a selection of cute Christmas songs, complete with hand motions. Nick did OK - he sometimes lost his focus and spaced out, but for the most part, he did the words and hands. This one girl, Sarah, was hysterical - she was completely into it, and did everything not just perfectly, but with such alacrity that it cracked me up the whole time. At times, she even looked angry because she was so focused on yelling the correct words, and all of her hand motions were extremely exaggerated, yet still accurate. After the program, I got a really cute picture of Nick flanked by Sarah and Riley, another classmate. I will share that pic, along with some others from the program, soon. Brian videotaped the whole thing, and his parents are just going to eat it up! Absolutely priceless.

alrighty, then!

I just asked Nick if he thought he would like to go see The Tale of Despereaux, and his reply was "Well, if I were a mouse, I'd go see it, but I'm a boy, so - no, I don't think so."

good times

At today's MOPS meeting, we had our White Elephant gift exchange, and the gift I ended up with was a box full of hotel soap, shampoo, and conditioner - hilarious, and so useful! I will totally use it, and I won't have to buy those products for ages. There's like 10 shampoos, 10 conditioners, and a dozen little bars of soap. :)

Nick had his school Xmas party today, and came home with a bunch of loot. I guess all the moms (me included) thought that Xmas pencils were a good idea, because he had 10 of them! Lots of erasers, too. And of course, plenty of candy, which will be rationed out over the next several days.

My Dad spent the night here last night, and after MOPS and preschool, the three of us went to the commissary to get groceries. Right now, Dad and I are chilling out while Nick naps, and Brian should be home soon. This evening, all 4 of us are going to Nick's school for his Xmas program (should be so cute!), and then out to dinner, after which Dad will head home.

And tomorrow, all the busy-ness stops! Yay! I can't wait to just take a deep breath and sleep in.

Oh, I have to share this: The other night, Nick and I were cuddling before he went to bed, and he looked into my eyes and said "Mommy - without you, I'd be sad." I pretty much melted into the floor.

post-performance high

I'm too tired to think right now, but I just had to jump on the blog and say that tonight's concert was awesome! Not just my solos, but all around. The band sounded incredible on everything from the rock and jazz numbers to the Nutcracker. And yes, my solos went great and were miked the whole time! I couldn't be happier. Yay!Goodnight, Dick.

pics, as promised

last night was interesting...

Tim got here just fine, and I went ahead to the theater, leaving him with Nick. They had dinner at McDonald's together before proceeding to the concert. My friends Katherine and Brigitte also attended the concert last night - it's so nice to have peeps sitting out there! As a whole, the concert went well - the privates loved the music, and the band sounded great, minus a few isolated issues. Unfortunately, when I went out on stage to sing my first number, "Man with the Bag," there were technical issues and my mike wasn't on for the whole first half of the song! I just kept singing as though nothing were wrong (because what else could I do?), and halfway through, someone walked out and traded mikes with me, handing me one that actually worked, so at least the end of the song was audible. I must say that I looked quite smashing in my red dress and silver shoes, and I was having a great hair night, thanks to the wonders of the flat iron. :) The whole mike debacle was disappointing, but I really didn't stress too much about it - I mean, at least no one could blame me for it, and I just carried on and did what I was supposed to do. Luckily, the mike was just fine for "O, Holy Night," though the tempo was way too slow. I'm going to have to talk to the commander before tonight's concert and hope that she picks up the pace tonight. The guy who served as the "MC" last night had some hilarious gaffes, such as saying "Mannheim Stroller" and saying that "Man with the Bag" was sung in the 1950s by Karl Starr (it was sung by Kay Starr). Everyone had a good time, though, and spirits were high. After the concert, I hung around visiting with my peeps, and we even took some pictures, which I'll share soon.

When we got back to my house, we discovered that school had already been cancelled for today, which is completely inexplicable, considering that we really only had negligible precip yesterday, and the roads are totally fine. Go figure. The disappointing thing is that Nick's class Xmas party was supposed to be today, and Tim and I were going to attend. I'm assuming that they'll have the party tomorrow, but I won't be able to go, because I have a MOPS meeting. Alas. :(

Tim will be leaving after lunch today, and my Dad is going to come and take Nick with him to tonight's concert. Dad will then spend the night and come with us to Nick's Christmas program tomorrow evening. Should be fun!

Wish me luck for tonight - hopefully the technical glitches will have been worked out! I just hope my voice holds out - I'm feeling a bit hoarse this morning. I'll be so glad when the concert is over tonight, and then I can just relax, and it won't matter if I get sick or lose my voice!

wish me luck!

Well, the weather is holding pretty well here. We didn't get the snow that was forecast for last night, and there is just a light freezing mist happening now, but the roads are pretty good. So, Tim has decided that he will go ahead and come up and take Nick to tonight's troop concert. He should be here by 4:30 or so, and I have to leave about an hour later to get some dinner and head to the theater for sound check. I'm starting to feel nervous, but I think it'll go well. And assuming tonight goes well, then I should feel much more confident tomorrow night, for the "main" concert. Hopefully, the weather will continue to behave so that my Dad has no trouble coming up tomorrow. So, say a little prayer for both the weather and my voice, and wish me luck!

my weekend, in a nutshell

I'm a bit short on time today, but wanted to do a brief post about my weekend. I started off my visit to Springfield by accompanying Tim to the historic, beautifully restored Gillioz Theater to see White Christmas on the big screen. I had actually never seen this movie (I know, I know!), and I absolutely LOVED it! What a great way to spend the evening. ("Sisters, sisters....")

Saturday morning, I accompanied my sister-in-law, Gayle, to the Y, where we jogged a mile and then took a step class. It was a good workout! Saturday afternoon, I had a rehearsal at NACC, and Saturday evening, my Dad and I did a very small amount of shopping and had big, sinful burgers at Red Robin.

Sunday morning, I was up bright and early for the first service at NACC. Both services went very well - both the choral music and my solo. So, I was pleased! My Dad and niece came, as did my friend Katherine, who lives in my town. I was so honored that she travelled to Springfield to attend the service. After the second service, Dad, Maddy, Katherine, Tim, and I went out for sushi, and then Dad and I went to see the Springfield Chamber Chorus in concert. This group is absolutely outstanding, and has the highest standards of musicianship, tone, etc. Suffice it to say that I cried several times during the concert (certain moments in choral music make me spontaneously tear up) - at the end of one particular piece, I just had tears rolling down my cheeks. I plan to audition for this choir when we move to Springfield! The city has always needed this type of choir, and I'm thrilled that it finally has it.

After the concert, I got packed up and returned home just in time for Brian to leave to play for a troop return. This morning, I had some flu-ish stuff going on, but soldiered through a dress rehearsal with the Army Band. It went fine. I'm feeling better now, and we're planning to attend Brian's battalion Xmas party tonight, despite the single digit windchills. Tomorrow night is the first of our two concerts (weather permitting) - wish me luck! The next three days are going to be insane; I can't wait until Friday.

i'm off!

I'll be leaving in a little while to head to Springfield for the weekend, so you won't be hearing from me until next week. And, I gotta warn you that posting next week could be quite spotty, as it's going to be an insanely busy week for me! (see my schedule on sidebar).

So, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

whoo hoo!

I just saved $200/year by switching my auto insurance from GEICO back to Progressive! What a ridiculous game this auto insurance business is. But, I'm glad to be saving some money. BTW, if you're in the market for auto insurance, I have to say that Progressive's online quote process is amazingly fast and user-friendly. And, if you want to talk to an agent, you can just click and enter your phone number, and they will call you immediately! It was pretty sweet. It was a very painless process.

hump day

We had some freezing rain last night, and the roads are fairly slick, so school has been cancelled. So, no preschool for Nick. We're just going to stay home all day. Brian got to work OK, thank goodness. I hate days like this, but I guess they're part and parcel of living in MO. :(

In funnier news: Nick has this tiny flashlight, and today he took it apart. After I successfully put it back together, he pronounced me "the magicalest woman"! What an endorsement!

It's 10:00. Another few hours, and I'll probably be climbing the walls. Wish me luck!

someone's sleeping on the job

So today at Big Lots, I bought Nick a knock-off on Hungry, Hungry Hippos. It's exactly the same as the aforementioned game, but with frogs. Are you ready for the stellar, exciting name of this game? Ready? Ready?......................................
Frog Game. Uh huh. Frog Game. I've decided to call it Famished, Famished Frogs.

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Not much exciting to say today, so I just figured I'd ramble a bit. :) I'm happy that I maintained my weight this week - yay! Lately, I'm feeling rather tired and frazzled, but it's the holiday season, so who isn't? I just feel like I have a million things to do, and I can't stay on top of it. I even cancelled my plans to go to a play tonight, because I just wanted to stay home and get stuff done around the house and chill with my boys. I'm REALLY dreading the week of December 15, because after getting back from Springfield on the 14th, I'm going to be launched into 5 days of extreme busyness, including Brian's battalion Xmas party, two Army Band Xmas concerts, Nick's preschool Xmas party, a MOPS meeting, Nick's preschool Xmas program, etc.! I'm really looking forward to Dec. 19, actually, because after that it should be smooth sailing through Christmas.

Today, I had to take Nick to the hospital for a "sports physical." Yes, to do a little soccer workshop thingy, even a 4-year-old has to have a physical beforehand. So, it was a pointless appointment to begin with, and to make matters worse, we were at the hospital for almost 2 hours! Grrrrrrrrrrr. Nick was incredibly charming and loquacious, and the nurses and doctor loved him, which helped take the sting out of the long wait. At one point, someone said the word "dehydrated," and Nick said "That means you need to drink some water!" The little smarty. Nick is healthy as a horse. His only problems were an almost imperceptible heart murmur and excess ear wax, for which we got drops. :)

Well, it's time to go and get to work. I think that I can finish my Christmas cards tonight, which will be nice. Then, it's on to gift prep, etc. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

the hilarity continues

So, Nick is quite spazzy, and has a tendency to flail his limbs and propel himself violently into people near him, which has caused us untold numbers of injuries (none serious, so far!). We are constantly telling him to be careful in this regard, but our words seem to fall on deaf ears. Earlier this evening, he flailed his leg and came this close to kicking me in the face, and I got angry with him, yelling "Nick! When are you going to learn to be careful with your arms and legs around other people and stop hurting us?" His reply was "In a couple of days."

my santa baby

If you're not already in the Christmas spirit, maybe these pictures will help: