goin' back to bed...

So, I'm sick. And pathetic. It all started yesterday morning, when I noticed that I had an enlarged and tender lymph node (and when I say enlarged, I mean freakishly so - you can see the hideous bulge in my neck!) in my throat with accompanying internal throat discomfort. Plus, I felt tired. Otherwise, I was pretty much fine all day, until about 7:00, which is when all hell broke loose. And of course, this was the evening when Brian had his final master's class and didn't get home until almost 9:00. Ack! By 7, I was feeling feverish and had chills, and just had that terrible "I'm sick and I feel REALLY bad" feeling. My throat was killing me every time I swallowed, and it felt like I had an obstruction in there, due to the lymph node. If I so much as pressed gently on the node, it killed! I could even feel the protrusion in my throat if I so much as turned my head - yuck. I also developed a pounding headache. Poor Nicholas was understanding, but I just felt terrible that I was a useless mom to him all evening. I was feeling so bad and sorry for myself that I even cried a little. I have a tendency to do that when I'm sick, because I get sick so rarely that when it happens, I just can't handle it. It completely destroys me! I left several desperate messages on Brian's phone, telling him to please get home as soon as possible so that I could go to bed, and ended up in a useless heap on the couch, shivering under a blanket as the fever/chills thing really got under way. I got Nick into bed and went to bed myself, which is where Brian found me when he got home, shivering under the covers as my head burned with fever. I had a pretty miserable night, but the fever finally broke somewhere in the wee hours. Today, I'm still feeling quite poorly, and the node is still larger than life, along with the throat pain. Luckily, Brian was able to take Nick to school and will also pick him up and bring him home. So, I'm going to go back to bed when I'm done here. I feel so guilty - this is the FOURTH day in a row I haven't worked out, which is unheard of! I just hope I'm better by tomorrow, as I have a lot going on. I need to go grocery shopping, Nick has his end-of-year school program, and I have to teach my sculpt class. Wish me luck!

an action-packed weekend

Nick and I had a really good time in Springfield this past weekend! Friday evening, we went with my Dad, my brother, and my 6-year-old niece, Gina, to Chuck E. Cheese's. Not to make you jealous, Rebecca, but it was rather empty at the time, and not too loud at all! And the pizza was actually pretty good. We three adults just sat at the table for the most part, letting the two kiddos run amuck. Amuck, amuck, amuck! :) Nick blew through his tokens with alacrity and had a blast. The rat made an appearance while we were there, and Nick rushed to give him a big hug. :) After leaving Chuck's, we walked a few stores down to the PetSmart, where the kids had a ball running around and looking at the animals. I really enjoyed spending some time with my brother and talking with him - doesn't happen nearly enough, and I always enjoy it when it does! After that, Dad, Nick, and I went to Target, where I found a cute pair of shoes for Nick. It's funny - buying new shoes for Nick is almost as thrilling for me as buying them for myself!

Saturday, we got going fairly early (for a Saturday, anyway) and made our way to Branson, where we went to the Dinosaur Museum. This place has life-size replicas of many dinosaurs, along with lots of facts about them. It was pretty cool! Nick's favorite part was the bounce-house, of course. After that, we started to make our way to the new Branson airport for this big air show they were having, but soon changed our minds as we saw the traffic headed that way (it was copious and stationary - not a good sign). In retrospect, we made the right decision, because the next day's newspaper had an article about the air show which said that at one point, it was taking people 2 HOURS to go the 10 miles from the highway to the airport. OMG. My sister and her husband went and they said it was amazing, but I still think we made the right decision. And all was not lost in that respect, which I'll get to in a moment.

So, when we decided to put the ix-nay on the air show, we figured we should do something else fun instead of just going home. We toyed with going to the IMAX theater, but then my Dad suggested the Branson Scenic Railway, which is a real train ride through the beautiful Ozarks countryside and into Arkansas and back. It takes about an hour and 45 minutes, and I'd always wanted to do it. We decided on that, and arrived at the station only to learn that we had just missed the 11:30 train and would have to to wait until 2:00. To kill the time, we went to Branson Landing, which is a beautiful new-ish shopping and dining complex on the banks of Lake Taneycomo. We rode the trolley which takes people up and down the brick promenade, walked around a bit, and ended up at Romano's Macaroni Grill for lunch. Because it was such a lovely day, we decided to dine al fresco on the balcony overlooking the lake. Lovely! The food was excellent and decadent, and it was a very nice, relaxed meal. We finished just in time to head to the train station for our railway adventure, about which Nick was virtually hyperventilating at this point.

We boarded the train and got to sit in one of the VistaDome cars. This is a car with a lower and upper section, and the upper section has windows that wrap up onto the ceiling, thus giving one a fabulous view. All the cars in the train were built in the 1950s or so, and were really neat! Nick had an absolutely wonderful time, and Dad and I really enjoyed the ride as well! And here's the reason that all was not lost as far as the air show - we actually got to see some of it from the train! This almost blew Nick's mind. :) We actually had a wonderful view of a stealth bomber, and even got to see several stunt plans doing twists, spirals, and loop-de-loops. It was great! Not as great as seeing the whole air show, to be sure, but the best of both worlds, in my opinion. The train ride took us through a couple of tunnels, which Nick loved. He charmed the heck out of all the older folks on the train with us - he just chatted with them the whole time, and was quite entertaining. The best part for Nick, though, came when the conductor came through our car to punch our tickets. He took Nick's ticket and held it behind his back, pretending to punch it there, and then he punched a letter "N" in it, a la The Polar Express. Nick about died! It was the icing on the cake of a perfect day.

By the time we got back to my Dad's house, we were all pretty exhausted. I needed to do a bit of shopping, though, so I headed to the mall to do just that. As usual, I scored some amazing deals at JCPenney by combining sales and coupons. I got a $36 pair of jean shorts for $3.69, and I got two shirts for Nick for $6 total. At Bath and Body Works, I got $50 worth of stuff for $24 - not bad! They have a new scent, white citrus, which is very nice. I got back to Dad's in time to put Nick to bed, and I followed not long thereafter.

Sunday morning, I ran out briefly to get the car washed and gassed, and then returned to Dad's house, where I gave the car a really good detailing - beautiful! In the early afternoon, we met my sister, brother-in-law, and two older nieces for a Chinese buffet. It was yummy, and it was wonderful to see my nieces and talk with them. Caitlin, the oldest, will be moving to Florida in a couple of weeks, which makes me very sad. I'm happy for her as she embarks on her dream to become a marine biologist, but I'll miss her sorely!

After lunch, Nick and I headed straight home, and here we are! It was a wonderful, whirlwind weekend, but it's nice to be back home. And we'll be heading back to Springfield this weekend for Caitlin's college graduation. Meanwhile, my baby "graduates" from preschool this week, and I have my last MOPS meeting of the year - it seems to be a week of endings, and of new beginnings...

happy mothers' day!

Well, Nick and I are going to head to Springfield this afternoon, and I'll be offline all weekend, so I wanted to go ahead and wish all the mommies who read my blog a very happy Mothers' Day! You all deserve to be celebrated and pampered, so I hope you get your due!

For anyone who's wondering, we survived the severe weather that passed through here this morning. Nick and I were actually at the gym, and we had to take shelter in the bathroom, but all we got there was heavy rain and strong wind. No damage to our house, our cars, or ourselves. It made for quite the interesting morning, though!

Now, we're back home and preparing to get on the road. The weather has passed over, so our trip to Springfield should be uneventful. Brian is going to stay home this weekend and work on his master's project and some stuff around the house. Nick's and my plans in Springfield include a visit to Chuck E. Cheese's, a drive to Branson to go to the Dinosaur Museum and possibly the air show at the new airport there, seeing loved ones, and a bit of shopping and dining out. :) Should be a nice weekend!

My weight holds steady - yay! I've decided that 142 must really be my "happy weight."

Have a great weekend, everyone...

my "surprise class"

Since I had to teach a class on my birthday, I figured I'd use my birthday as a gimmick for the class - seemed like a good idea! So, after we got warmed up, I turned to the class and announced that today was my birthday. I then said "Since no one has ever thrown me a surprise party, I decided that you guys are going to give me a surprise class!" I had each student, in turn, name a body part to work, thereby making the class a surprise even to me. It worked out really well! And I made us do 35 reps of everything, thereby working the birthday gimmick even more. And, we did a couple of 35-second cardio bursts. We ended up working the whole body and getting a really well-rounded workout, and the students really seemed to like the format. In fact, I only had to come up with a couple of ideas myself, because in addition to just naming a body part, most of them named an actual exercise to do, taking all of the work out of my hands. I was even able to work in a few age-related quips. For instance, when we were getting ready to do shoulder presses, I cautioned them to use lighter weights, since the shoulders tire so easily and 35 reps is a lot, saying "I would hate for anyone to get injured because I'm so old." :) I also told them that I expected a cake at the end of class. The other benefit to this class format was that I memorized all the students' names, which is great!

The best moment came, though, before I had revealed my age. I was about to reveal it, and said "I'm not very happy about this birthday..." and one woman, Laura, said "Are you 30?" When I said I was 35, her jaw totally dropped and the look on her face was priceless. I LOVE HER! Totally made my day. :)

So all-in-all, I've had a very nice birthday, what with the cards, the phone calls, the good class, and the disbelief at my age!

so, this is 35

Well, I'm 35 now. Hmmm. Don't love the number (or the wrinkles), but I still feel like I'm about 25. And according to Rebecca, I have Linda Hamilton (in Terminator) arms. :) So maybe the arms cancel out the wrinkles somehow - that's a comforting thought!

I've gotten so many cards, Facebook wishes, emails, and phone calls that I'm feeling very warm, fuzzy, and loved right now. I have the best family and friends! You all know who you are, and I love you.

Not really doing anything special for my Bday. Brian gave me a card and some mint chocolate truffles this morning, but other than that, my day has been pretty ordinary. I am teaching my class tonight at the gym, just like any Wednesday. I guess you reach a point where birthdays are just no big whoop (BTW, Rebecca - your card is a SCREAM! Every time I read it, I laugh out loud. Thanks for that!). OK - now that I said that, I guess I should share, so you're not all like "What is so funny about this card? What does it SAY?" So, it's got a picture of a doleful-looking basset hound wearing a party hat on the front, with a thought bubble that says "It's your birthday. Whoop-dee-freakin'-do." Then on the inside, it says "When they took his testicles, they took his spirit." :) :) :) If that's not funny, then I don't know what is.

Happy Birthday to me!

it's certainly been a day

Today is.....different. First of all, I'm exhausted. I haven't been sleeping very well lately, and I'm not sure why. I keep tossing and turning and just generally not sleeping. And last night, the overly bright clock display on our new VCR/DVR didn't help. Ack!

This morning was marred by a (thankfully brief) scare about my Dad. The man is 73 and lives alone, and my siblings couldn't get ahold of him, on either of his phones, this morning. You have to understand that this is very unusual, and caused us all to jump to the worst kind of conclusion. I was going out of my mind, thinking my Dad was dead! Finally, my sister called to tell me that he had left the house early (unheard of!) to help pack up after a Friends of the Library book sale. And of course, he left his cell phone in his car. He just doesn't get how worried we get if we can't reach him! When my sister told me he was OK, I just started crying with relief. And this was all before noon.

With a much lighter heart, I went to get Nick from preschool, whereupon we ran around signing him up for summer school and then going to a different school (long, boring story) to register him for Kindergarten in the fall. Nick was very good while I filled out the endless paperwork, so I treated him to lunch at Wendy's. Oh, I also found out that I did win something at the carnival auction after all, since the winner turned it down and I was next in line: 4 tickets to the St. Louis Museum of Transportation for $10! This place is very cool - we've been once before, and Nick loved it. So, we will definitely make use of those tickets.

Now, here I sit while Nick naps, and I'm really hitting the wall and wishing I could just curl up and sleep for a good long time. I only hope that I'll be so tired tonight that I'll sleep well. Wish me luck!

a nice day, despite the persistent gloom

We have had a very nice day so far! First, we went to Nick's school carnival. It was sort of lame from an adult perspective, but Nick had a blast playing all the games and winning piles of cheap crap that will litter our home. :) He also enjoyed the bounce house - what kid doesn't? Plus, he got an awesome SpongeBob SquarePants tattoo on his cheek. We had a cheap and oh-so-healthy lunch there, consisting of a hot dog, Doritos, cookies, and Capri Sun. Sheesh. I didn't end up winning any of the silent auction items, because I'm simply too cheap! :)

We then proceeded to the Hampton Inn, where child development specialist and children's musician Jim Gill gave an intimate, interactive concert for a small but very appreciative audience. Nick had the time of his life! He smiled and laughed more than should be legal. :) Jim is incredibly animated, silly, and energetic, and the kids (and parents, too!) just ate him up. Nick and his classmates from Mrs. Tate's class were already familiar with several of Gill's songs, as Mrs. Tate uses one of his CDs in class. Everyone had a blast dancing, singing, jumping, and clapping. We ended up buying one of his CDs and getting it autographed, and we got a picture of Nick with Jim. They had door prizes, and we won a free two-topping pizza from Papa John's. Given that the day is already a nutritional bust (see lunch description above), we decided that we shall get said pizza tonight and just write off the whole day. I will start afresh tomorrow, and plan to be good for the remainder of the week.

Now, we're back home having a quiet afternoon and chilling out. Tonight's plans include eating pizza :), watching Lawrence Welk, and working on my next body sculpt class - I'll actually be teaching on my birthday, so I have to come up with a good way to torture my students so that they can suffer right along with me. :)

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.