yet another recipe!

Hey, all! I just made this tonight, and it's pretty tasty:

Pineapple-Cheddar Corn Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 14.75-oz. can cream-style corn (I bought no-salt-added, so decided to increase the salt in the recipe to 1.5 tsp.)
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour a 9 x 9" baking pan and set aside.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt with fork. Set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture on low speed just until combined. Stir in corn, drained pineapple, and cheese. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake about 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack.

I also found another faboo-looking recipe that I plan to use for the next MOPS meeting - peanut butter & jelly bars. If it turns out well, I will share it, too!

Not a whole lot else to say. I'm really sick of this gloom and rain, and tomorrow looks dismal - it's only going to get up to around 50! Blech. Nick's school is having a carnival, but I think they'll move it inside if it rains, so I guess it'll still be a go. They're having a silent auction, and there are several things I'm interested in (like tickets to attractions and meals at restaurants, a night in a jacuzzi suite, etc.); wish me luck with my bidding!

After the carnival, we're going to a concert given by a cool children's musician named Jim Gill. Nick's teachers use Gill's music in class, and the kids love it! I think his CDs are available on Amazon - you should check them out if you have kids!

I was slightly cheered up today by the cute little skirt I bought for $14, but then I depressed myself by eating a totally unnecessary, evil chocolate muffin with a cream cheese center at Starbucks. Ack! I wasn't even hungry. So, it was a roller coaster of a day. :)

For anyone who watches Private Practice: How frustrating was that cliffhanger on the season finale? I can't believe I have to wait all the way until the new season to find out Violet's fate! It's killing me.

My 35th birthday is a mere 5 days away, and I'm alternately horrified and underwhelmed by the prospect. Bah, humbug! :)

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

gooey bars

Here's that recipe, for anyone who's interested:

Gooey Bars

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup (two sticks) salted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
chocolate chips or other topping, optional

Preheat oven to 300. Blend together with a hand mixer the cake mix, one egg, vanilla, and butter. Spray 9 x 13 pan with Pam. Pour mixture into pan and spread to all edges. In separate bowl, mix together remaining two eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar with hand mixer. Pour this mixture over cake mixture and spread to all edges. If desired, sprinkle chocolate chips or other topping on the top. Bake for 45-50 mins. or until toothpick comes out clean.

I will warn you - this dessert is very decadent and very addictive. Enjoy!

my first 5K: a personal triumph!

So, I've had quite a busy and exciting weekend. It all started on Friday evening, when Rebecca and I went for dinner at a new Japanese place here called Kyoto. We were seated at a tiny table in a corner. My view was down the hall to the ladies' room, and Rebecca got to look at a wall. :) It also took forever to get our food. But, when we did get our food, it was really good! We had bento boxes with such items as gyoza, shrimp and veggie tempura, chicken terriyaki, rice, salad, miso soup, etc. We also tried some fried tofu with a hot and sweet sauce. It was all pretty good. Our waitress also brought us out some extra free food - edamame and more tempura. We weren't sure if this is something they do normally, or if she did it for us because it took so long to get our food. Either way, we stuffed our faces until we wanted to undo our pants, and we had a great time talking and laughing. Love my Rebecca-friend!

Even though I was still very stiff and sore on Saturday morning, I dragged myself out of bed, slathered myself in sunscreen, and proceeded to the 5K on post. It was warm and also freakishly windy! I was met there by my gym friend, Michaelle, who ended up being my savior. She is much more of a runner than me (I'm virtually a non-runner. I jog once in a blue moon, and have never gone more than a mile), and could have gone faster than me, but she chose to stay with me to be my personal cheerleader. I honestly don't believe I could ever have jogged the whole thing without her encouragement. I never even planned to jog the whole thing - I went into it thinking I'd jog about a mile and then walk for a while and see if I felt like jogging any more. Never in a million years did I think I could jog the entire 5K without stopping or walking, but that's exactly what I did! It damn near killed me, but somehow, I found the strength to keep going, one foot in front of the other, all the way to the end. There were times when I didn't know how I'd do it, but I did! And when Michaelle told me that we had gone over halfway, I figured that I'd never forgive myself if I didn't try my hardest to jog the whole way. Granted, I didn't jog terribly fast, but who cares? We don't know exactly how long it took us, because there was no time announced at the beginning or when we crossed the finish line, but we estimated that it took about 30-35 mins., which would mean I jogged about a 10-12 minute mile. Not too shabby for a non-runner! We were by no means the last to finish - people were finishing way, way after we did. The most amazing thing started to happen as we approached the finish line. This 5K, which had been something fun for me to do, a challenge for me to see how hard I could push myself, suddenly turned into something very momentous and meaningful to me. I actually started crying a little, and I said to Michaelle "Two years ago I was a fatty, and now I'm jogging a whole 5K! I just can't believe this!" I got very emotional, and though I had told Brian and Nick to stay at home, I ended up being really sad that they weren't sitting there to watch me cross the finish line and cheer me on. It also would have been really nice to have a picture taken of me with my number on right after I finished. When I rounded the bend to the final short straightaway before the finish line, I summoned up all my strength and sprinted - and I mean SPRINTED - to the end. I was running so hard that my feet were hitting my butt. I came to a stop and caught my breath, incredulous, while tears ran down my cheeks. And that is the story of my first 5K. I still can't believe I did it.

Tim and Jaimie showed up a little while later for their visit, and though I was bone-tired, we ended up having a very fun afternoon with lots of laughter and silliness. We went on post to shop and so that T and J could ogle cute soldiers :), and then we went out for dinner to Mizeki - another Japanese restaurant! Yes, I ended up eating pretty much the same dinner two nights in a row, with equal amounts of gluttony. I can't even imagine the amount of water I'm retaining right now, what with all the soy sauce I've consumed over the past couple of days. Oh, and in addition to that, we also baked up a 9 x 13 pan of gooey bars (an amazing, decadent dessert bar), the entirety of which we polished off before they left to head back to Springfield. Disgusting, I tell you. (I'm hanging my head in shame.) But, who cares? I jogged a 5K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, I slept in a bit and had a very slow, stiff morning. I headed to Walmart for some stuff, and have since been getting little things done around the house. In a little while, I'm finally going to watch the TV I recorded on Thursday night. And that's my weekend...

this and that

So, my quads are so sore today that it sometimes takes my breath away. That might have something to do with the 100 squats and 90 lunges (on each side) that we did in my sculpt class Wednesday night! :) I'm planning to do a 5K tomorrow, and I'm somewhat worried that this soreness will hamper me, but I'm still going to go for it - I just might end up walking more than jogging. But, it will still be fun and good for me! Because of the acute soreness and the 5K coming up, I decided that it might be wise to skip working out today and just rest and stretch my legs. My weight keeps flip-flopping between 142 and 144, which is kind of frustrating, but then again, maybe it just means that I'm right where I'm supposed to be and I shouldn't worry about it.

I ended up crazily teaching yoga class last night, because the regular instructor couldn't be there. I was petrified, but I put together a solid series of flows, and it ended up going really well. I did a "warrior flow", where you typically start facing one way and do it on one side, and then you switch sides and repeat the whole thing on the other side of your body. Well, I realized this morning that I forgot to do it on both sides last night! Oh, well. For all my students knew, I did that on purpose to avoid running out of time. And my class did end up filling the hour, plus a couple of minutes, even without the missing poses. There were a couple of other little mistakes I made, but all-in-all, I'd say it went very smoothly for a first yoga class. My transitions all seemed smooth and to "make sense", and I kept my composure and didn't do anything idiotic. :) So, yay!

I'm excited about tomorrow, because in addition to the 5K, we're going to an Earth Day thing on post, with vendors, food, and activities for the kiddies. And best of all, my Timmy friend and his zesty friend (and mine) Jaimie are coming up to visit us! Yay! We're going to go out for Japanese for dinner. I think I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese...

And can we talk about this fabulous weather? I'm completely loving it. Today, I'm wearing a sleeveless top, a skort, and sandals, and I couldn't be happier. Now, if only it could stay just like this instead of getting into the humid high 90s later in the summer. :(

That's about all for now, folks...

a very rainy day

It has been raining almost nonstop here today. Blech! We figured we had to get out and do something, so we decided to take Nick bowling on post. It was pretty fun! I did better than I thought I would, given how long it had been since I last bowled - I got a 135, which included one strike and several spares. Brian beat me by 7, and Nick held his own (with the help of bumpers) with a 74. He was very excited to go bowling, and apparently had a wonderful time! :)

We also went to Walmart and picked up all the pics I had developed (145!), in addition to a bit of shopping. I got a couple of cute tank tops, and we got a couple of tank tops and new shoes for Nick. We also picked up a new cordless phone, as one of ours was on the fritz. And, I picked up a new kind of wrinkle cream, in my never ending quest to stave off the ravages of time. :)

It was nice to come back home, though, to our nice cozy house. Since getting home, I've been putting photos in the album, reading the Sunday paper, talking to my Timmy-friend and wishing him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!, etc. After I'm done online, I've GOT to get to work on my next sculpt class - I'm totally slacking on that. Ack!

Hope everyone's having a nice weekend...

random babbling and a recipe!

Hey, folks! I guess I should do a bit of a "real" post, finally. I don't have anything really exciting to say, but I AM going to share the faboo recipe I made for dinner this evening.

I've ended up having a pretty productive day. I've washed all of our bedding and am still washing all the throws, bathmats, kitchen rugs, etc. We vacuumed and flipped our mattress, and put on a new zippered hypoallergenic mattress cover, to see if that helps me - I tend to wake up congested every morning, and I've decided that maybe it's because of dust/dust mites. We shall see. We also vacuumed under the bed and took down the heavy (and disgustingly dusty) drapes that are right behind our bed and laundered them. I don't know if any of this will actually help my congestion, but at least our bedroom will be cleaner! :)

I also talked to my friend Katherine today, which was very lovely. She always makes me laugh and lightens my mood. Thanks, girl!

Also, I got all of my latest digital pics on CD to take to Walmart for printing, and Brian vacuumed the whole house and I mopped the kitchen and bathrooms. Wow! I really have done a lot today, haven't I? There's something about seeing it all in print...

In addition to all of the above, I managed to find time to whip up a very quick, simple, delicious dinner: spinach and black bean egg rolls - they're sort of an east meets southwest kinda thing. I have two words for you: Me gusta! Here's the recipe:

Spinach and Black Bean Egg Rolls

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, drained (I left these out.)
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
20 egg roll wrappers
Pam
salsa and/or ranch dressing

1. In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Place 1/4 cup mixture in the center of each egg roll wrapper. (Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel while you work.) Fold corners in one by one, making an "egg roll" shape and moistening final corner with water before pressing down to seal.
2. Place egg rolls seam side down on cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Spray tops of egg rolls with Pam and bake at 425 for about 15 mins., until nicely browned and crispy. Serve warm with salsa and/or ranch dressing, if desired.

I mixed up the full amount of filling, but decided to just assemble and bake 10 egg rolls this evening. I refrigerated the remaining wrappers and filling, and that way I can make them fresh next time, instead of reheating existing ones. Seemed like a good idea! I thought they were very good - if you make them, let me know what you think!

Tomorrow, I shall do my usual Walmart run, and Brian and I are going to take Nick bowling and then possibly go to a couple of furniture stores and see if we can find a headboard for Nick's bed.
I also have to design my next class. It's shaping up to be a pretty good weekend! Hope yours is, too...

new photos!

I have added new photos to Facebook, in three separate albums. Here are public links to those albums (you can view them even if you're not "on" Facebook). Enjoy, and let me know what you think!:

Nick's 5th birthday

Operation Big Boy Bed

Miscellaneous pics from March/April

a good weigh-in

I'm very happy to be back in my target weight range, despite porking down last night on a big Southwestern salad with tortilla strips, sour cream, and pico de gallo. :)

I'm also happy to report that I'm finally in the process of processing the 100 digital pics that have accumulated on my camera, so I should be doing a post very soon with some new pics - yay! So, Rebecca, just hold on a little bit longer. :) I would ask you why you're not posting, but - oh, that's right! - you haven't even STARTED your blog, you wench!

Happy Friday, everyone...

we're back from easter weekend...

I'm just on here long enough to say that we're back home after our Easter weekend in Springfield. We had a very nice time, and my singing went well. Right now, though, I feel like I have 8 million things to do and I'm somewhat overwhelmed. So, I may not be posting for a few days. Bear with me! Hope everyone had a nice Easter...

a wonderful, moving true story

I just finished reading The Year My Son and I Were Born: A Story of Down Syndrome, Motherhood, and Self-Discovery, and I highly recommend it to anyone, not just parents or those who have a child with Down Syndrome. It's incredibly moving and eye-opening, and is just a wonderful read. I can almost guarantee that you WILL cry in certain parts, and from joy, not sadness! If you read it, let me know what you think. I checked it out from my library.

come on, amy - time to rein it in!

So, over the past two weeks, I've gained two pounds, and I'm now outside of my "comfort zone" of 140-143. Not by much, but this means that I've got to get my eating under control so that I don't keep going in that direction. Why I've gained those two pounds is no mystery - I've been eating fairly crappily, and it's got to stop! This weekend is already doomed, because we're going to a big Easter brunch, but come Monday, I've got to buckle down and get some discipline back into my diet. Wish me luck!

We're off to Springfield this evening. Tomorrow, I'm going to spend some time with my Timmy-friend and see his new house (!), and Sunday I'm singing at church and then brunching with my family. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend...

the end of an era

We just got done setting up a full-size bed in Nick's room - he is now the official owner of a big boy bed! It's a pretty big step, as he was sleeping in a "toddler bed", which was simply his crib with a side rail removed. But, he was just about too long for it, so we decided it was time for a bed! I didn't want to mess with a twin bed, because I feel that when he's a teen, it would be too small for his comfort (I remember how much I hated having a twin bed as I got older.), and I didn't want to have to start with one size and then switch to another. Plus, we already owned a full-size bed, which we were using as our guest bed. We simply gave it to Nick, and we will move our full-size futon back up from the basement to use as our guest bed. So, it works out great, and all I had to buy was new bedding for Nick. He's really excited to sleep in his bed tonight, so we'll see how it goes. I'll share pics eventually...

miscellany

Regarding the recipe for oat, almond, and cranberry breakfast bars - I just made another batch and substituted applesauce for the oil, and I would NOT recommend that. They're OK, but rather different and not nearly as good as with oil. I'm so disappointed! Alas.

Went to the dentist today for my check-up, and all was well. I finally asked about closing the gap between my bottom front teeth, and found out that I could have some bonding done, and my co-pay would be rather reasonable! Yay! So, it's scheduled for next week. I'm thrilled; I just wish I had asked about it a long time ago. The gap doesn't show when I smile, as it's on the bottom, but it does show when I speak or sing, so I'm pretty self-conscious about it. Wish me luck that the bonding turns out well and looks natural.

Because of my dentist appointment, I didn't go to the class at my gym this morning, but I had enough time between the dentist and picking Nick up from school to head there and use the treadmill for 30 minutes - better than nothing! I jogged for probably half the time, so I got a pretty decent calorie burn.

Today is Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (apparently), and one of the community centers on post hosted a free PB&J lunch. I picked Nick up from school and took him there, and it was fun! Granted, it wasn't the healthiest lunch ever (no whole wheat bread, natural PB or no-sugar-added jelly in sight), but it was free, and Nick loved it! We each had a sandwich and a bag of chips (Cheetos for Nick and Fritos for me), and a cookie for dessert. They had crafts for the kids to do, and Nick had a blast. The woman in charge happened to be the yoga teacher at my gym, and it was nice to sit and talk with her - we discussed the idea of me being able to sub for her when needed, and she thinks I'd do fine, which makes me feel good.

Brian was supposed to meet us for the lunch, but on the way, he suffered a flat tire (well, his car did, not him personally). :( The tire couldn't be fixed, so he had to have a new one put on. Ack! It wasn't too expensive, though, so all's well that ends well. He's had a pretty bad day on several counts, the poor guy, between the tire and some stuff at work.

We'll finally get to see him pretty soon, because Nick and I are getting ready to leave to head to Nick's school for parent-child night, where we'll meet up with Brian. They're having some sort of "multicultural" theme, and then there will be more free food :), including my underwhelming applesaucy bars. I hate to subject the other families to the results of my experimentation, but whatareyagonnado? I don't have time to make anything else. :)

That's all, folks! Gotta head out...

i did it!

I finally went through my closet and got rid of the remainder of my too-big, unwanted, outdated clothes! Yay! It was quite the bloodbath. :) Now, everything in my closet is something that fits and that I will actually wear. And no, there's not much, but that's OK - now, I can start building it up again. You wouldn't believe the amount of empty space in that closet now. I feel so liberated and unencumbered. In addition to two large garbage bags full of clothing, Brian will also be taking one bag full of hangers to Goodwill - it's insane how many hangers I had!

I had a fairly accomplished weekend, all-in-all. I went through my next sculpt class, working out the kinks and finalizing it for Wednesday, went to Walmart (got some new tank tops, nail polish, lip color, etc.), did laundry, cooked and baked, dusted the house (somewhat), cleaned the toilets, rehearsed my Easter solo, painted my toenails, gathered and packed up a bunch of kid clothes and toys to take to a resale shop, ordered a new bed-in-a-bag for Nick, gathered the documents Brian will need to have our taxes done, etc. Whew! When I see it all in print like that, I really feel like I got a lot done. Brian was also quite helpful this weekend - he set up our new printer (The old one finally gave up the ghost, but we had had it for 10 years!), vacuumed the house, took stuff to Goodwill, and generally kept Nick occupied while I got stuff done.

The week ahead is busy as usual. I'll be chauffeuring Nick to school, working out, going to a Love and Logic class, doing laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills (including the first payment on the Caliber - blech!), teaching my class, going to the dentist, attending parent-child night at Nick's school, going to Rolla, etc., etc. My niece is supposed to be visiting next weekend, which I'm looking forward to very much.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and I wish you a good week ahead...

more yummy goodness!

I just made these today, and they are absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS! I highly recommend that you make them as soon as possible. :) They do have oil, honey, and sugar, so are not exactly health food, but they're also full of really wonderful, healthy things, like oats, almonds, wheat germ, and whole wheat flour, if you use that. Also, I would imagine that you could substitute applesauce for the oil - I didn't have any, so I didn't try that. Enjoy!

Oat, Almond, and Cranberry Breakfast Bars

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 lg. egg
2 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
3/4 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup Craisins or raisins
3/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13" baking pan and set aside.
2. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, stir oil, honey, vanilla, and egg until mixed.
3. In a large bowl, with fork, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, wheat germ, Craisins, and salt until combined. With a rubber spatula, stir honey mixture into dry mixture until blended and moistened; scrape into prepared pan. With a wet hand, pat mixture evenly into pan.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

chicken and spinach stromboli (serves 6)

I made this recipe for dinner tonight, and it turned out great!

1 lb. chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into strips
1 pkg. (11 oz.) refrigerated Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Crust
1 cup pasta sauce, divided
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup shredded Colby/Monterey Jack cheese blend
milk
grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 400. Boil a cup of water in a large skillet, add chicken and return to boiling. Cover and simmer 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool, then chop.
2. Spray a large cookie sheet with Pam, and unroll pizza crust into a 12 x 14" rectangle on the cookie sheet. Spoon half of the pasta sauce down the center, leaving 3" on either side. Layer spinach, chicken, and shredded cheese over sauce. Cut 12 strips on both sides of crust. Fold strips over filling so that they overlap in the middle. Brush with milk and sprinkle with Parmesan.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. Serve with remaining pasta sauce.

utter and total mortification

OK, so I'm not going to go on quite as much about tonight's class, because I don't want to annoy anyone. :) Suffice it to say that it went great - I was confident, poised, and in control, and I led my students through a very good strength workout. I had 18 (!) students, and I even stood around after class and talked with a few of them. So, there I was, feeling the endorphins again, really happy with how the class went, feeling very good about myself. Then, I came home, and my husband kindly pointed out to me that I had A HUGE CHUNK OF SPINACH STUCK BETWEEN MY TEETH. Seriously. Could I be more of a cliche? A really big chunk of bright green spinach, right there, front and center. While I stood in front of 18 people for an hour and taught a class. While I talked with people after class, in close proximity. In that moment, when Brian told me about the spinach, I absolutely wanted to die. It was as though I were a balloon and someone had stuck a pin in me. I completely deflated, and I was horrified. Now, my memory of that class is completely tainted, and I am red-faced even now as I type about it. I mean, why does no one tell you when you have spinach in your teeth? I ACTUALLY WANT SOMEONE TO TELL ME! But no one will, because they don't want to embarrass you. Instead, everyone was just probably inwardly amused the whole time, and felt embarrassed for me. Aaarrrggghhh! I know I'm making a really big deal about this, but it's how I feel, however ridiculous that makes me. I wonder if they think I have questionable personal hygiene. I'm just so incredibly embarrassed. What I really need right now is for someone to say something to me to make me feel better about this. Please?

i was a rock star!

Brace yourself. I'm going to sound very full of myself in this post. But. I. Don't. CARE!!!! My step class was frickin' amazing! I cannot get over how perfectly it went. It was virtually flawless. I never once lost count, lost my place, or had a misstep. I never forgot to cue or cued late. I never lost my cool. I had the class by the balls the entire time, from start to finish. The whole thing went so smoothly and I had such poise! I did a really good warm-up and then got into the stepping, and a couple of minutes into the first combo, I just knew it was all coming together. Between step combos, we did one-minute bursts of intense cardio, and they loved it! I was sure to get their heart-rates down properly, and I always made sure to show low-impact options, as I had a couple of older ladies in class. At the beginning of each combo, I demonstrated the less basic stuff (Charleston, I-step, mambo-cha-cha-cha, for example, for those of you in the know). I explained things as we went and explained what body parts we were stretching at the end of class and made sure everyone had proper form to get a good stretch. It was just all good. People, do you know what a feeling of power it gives you to tell people to do something unpleasant, like jog really hard for a minute, and they actually DO IT? Just because you told them to? Shut up! It's awesome! :) You have probably guessed by now that I'm on a serious high. It's almost like I've done drugs or something (not that I'd know). I just can't get over how well that went - way better than anyone's first class should ever go. You know - I realize that the second time I teach, I might completely screw up, and right now, I don't even care! Right now, I'm on top of the world. OK - I think I'm done. Oh, one more thing - after class, a couple was being shown around the gym, and I started talking to them and telling them about the classes. It was so cool to shake the lady's hand and say "I'm Amy. I'm an instructor here."

what am i thinking???!!!

I have apparently gone insane - I just hope it's temporary! :) I have volunteered myself to sub for the step instructor at my gym (she's got strep - she's a streppy stepper) and teach step class tomorrow night. This is happening before I even teach my first regular body sculpt class on Wednesday! Part of me is excited and part of me is terrified. But, I think it's going to be good for me. The head instructor jokingly said to me this morning "Wanna teach step class tomorrow night?" We had a good laugh about it, but as the day went on, I couldn't get this niggling thought out of my mind - "Maybe I DO wanna teach step tomorrow night!" I think I know what I'm doing enough to get through a simple class, and if I make it through, then my first regular sculpt class will be a cake-walk. I think I'm looking at this as a way to prove myself and to stretch myself and work through my fears. So, wish me luck!

it's official!

I am now a certified group fitness instructor! This certification was a sort of "quickie" one, done through an online test, in order for me to begin teaching this body sculpt class next week. In the fall, I'm going to be completing a much more rigorous certification workshop, which I'm really looking forward to! I might even complete a kickboxing certification. We shall see. For now, though, I'm legit to teach, and I'm really excited about getting started. I think I'm going to do a good job, and as I'm very passionate about women doing strength-training, this class is right up my alley. I've got my first class all ready to go...wish me luck!

just a tidbit

I have not even been home today until just now, and I feel like I have a million things to do and my life is spinning out of control. You know the feeling? Why on earth did I think it would be a good idea to take on tap class, teaching at the gym, etc. all at the same time? I'm most stressing about the fact that I have to teach my first class in 8 days, and need to finalize my class plan! Wish me luck.

Anywho, Nick had his 5-year checkup today, and it went fine (except for his behavior). He has a small heart murmur which is apparently nothing to worry about, and he seems to manufacture way too much ear wax. :) Other than that, he's all good. He weighs 47 lbs. and is just under 44" tall, putting him in the 70th percentiles for both. The nurses spent a really long time irrigating his ears, for which I was thankful. He was pretty awful, especially anytime we were alone in the room. At one point, I chastised him quite harshly, and he broke down, exclaiming "You're a monster! I don't even know who you are anymore!" :) Thought that might make you smile for the day...

More later.

a super-lame post

Hey, peeps! We survived the big wedding/birthday party/portrait weekend, and it went great! I'd love to tell you all about it, but for some reason, I seem to have 8 million things to do this week. So, posting might be sparse for a bit. Bear with me! Life is very good, but very busy. Should calm down a bit mid-April. :)

two funny things nick said today

1. We were in the car, and all of a sudden, Nick started asking about Santa Claus, out of the blue. He asked how he can fit down chimneys, even when they're really small, and I said "Santa can fit through any space, even tiny ones, because he's magical." Nick replied "I find that hard to believe." :)

2. A little while ago, I told Nick to do something, and he said "Yes, your majesty!"

interview with my son

People have been doing this quiz on Facebook, and I did it and then thought it would be fun to post it on my blog, too. I'd love to see the answers from some of my readers' kids! Grab your kids and do the quiz...

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you.

2. What makes mom happy?
when I hug her

3. What makes mom sad?
when Miss Jutta went to Germany

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
by making silly jokes

5. What was your mom like as a child?
a princess

6. How old is your mom?
13 (I'm all about seeming younger than I am, but come on!)

7. How tall is your mom?
Nick was very scientific on this one. He made me stand up and then he went and got his little tape measure. I had to hold one end at the top of my head and he pulled it down, but it wasn't long enough. So, he asked his Dad, who told him the correct answer: 65".

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
hug me

9. What does your mom do when you are not home?
paint her toenails

10.If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
for being a princess

11. What is your mom really good at?
measuring things

12. What is your mom not good at?
flying up in the sky

13. What does your mom do for a job?
working out at the fitness center

14. What is your Mom's favorite food?
frozen dinners

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
when she fixes things

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Wanda on Fairly Oddparents

17. What do you and your mom do together?
play games

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We have the same painted eyeballs (We both have brown eyes.)

19. How are we different?
She's big and I'm small.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
because when she's mad at me for doing something bad, she still loves me

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
They're friends.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
bowling (What??? We do this maybe once a year.) :)

miscellaneous pics

Here are some miscellaneous pics from the past couple of months. The first is from our first significant snow, at the end of January. I love the way Nick is imitating his snowman!


This picture was taken in the library at Nick's school last month. There was a "pajama party", where we wore our PJs to the library to read books together and eat popcorn. Nick had a blast!

Here is a picture of the 9-10" snow we just got last Saturday. Of course, today our high temperature was in the 80s. Gotta love the Midwest!

Nick had a blast playing in all the snow last weekend in his new winter coat.

my new wheels

Here, finally, are some pics of the new car. I'm really enjoying it! It's got a distinctive look about it, and I like the shape and lines of the exterior. The interior is a comfortable fit for Nick and me, and I like that it sits higher than most sedans. I love the sunroof, and the hatchback is great, too.

in my family, sarcasms kicks in at a young age

Earlier today, I emitted a little burp, to which Nick responded "Oh, Mommy - you're such a charmer." :)

I finally washed my new car and took pictures of it, which I will be sharing here in the very near future. Stay tuned!

For dinner tonight, I made the following recipe. It's really good, and couldn't be easier! It's not exactly low-cal or low-fat, but it's high in fiber and protein and contains some nutrition power-houses. And rinsing the beans cuts down on the sodium.

Spinach Tortellini with Beans and Feta

1 9-oz. package refrigerated cheese-filled spinach tortellini (I used Buitoni Spinach Cheese Tortellini.)
1 15-oz. can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed (My store didn't have these, so I substituted great northern beans.)
1 4-6 oz. package crumbled garlic-and-herb flavored feta cheese (I had to substitute tomato-basil feta cheese.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large tomato, chopped
ground black pepper
1 bag fresh baby spinach leaves

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and return to cooking pot. Add drained beans, feta cheese, and olive oil to the pot, and stir gently until cheese is melted and beans are hot. Add tomato and cook 1 more minute. Sprinkle with pepper to taste. Place desired amount of spinach on 4 dinner plates (I didn't use all of it.) and top with tortellini mixture.

Enjoy!

i forgot one!

Another change that I'm really pumped about is that I hope to be getting my second tattoo within the next few months. I want a cascade of stars on my right shoulder blade, but I hadn't been able to find a design I like. So, my niece, Madeline, is working on a design for me! How cool will it be to have a tattoo designed by her? She's even going to work her signature into it. Lately, it just feels like Christmas, ya know?

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...