The end of week 2 brought a couple more pounds off. I was down 10.4 lbs, but up a couple this morning after a cheat day yesterday. But I'm not worried about it, and back at it today.
I'm really proud of myself after this weekend. We had back to back days at colleges, where they fed us lunch. On Friday, it was catered, so there wasn't really any options. (Salad, pasta, chicken and dessert) I ate a small amount of pasta, but definitely didn't over eat. On Saturday we ate in the dining hall. College dining halls have come a LONG way since I was in college. I had a burger (no bun, and skipped the fries), and a big salad from the salad bar. It was so good. I felt like I really kept my eating under control where things really weren't in my control.
As far as goals:
1.) I will eat clean 90% of the time:
Still happy with this goal. I had a cheat day yesterday, but it's been the only one. I have had an occasional treat once or twice, but that is part of the 90%.
2.) I will exercise more.
This one on the other hand was bad this week. We did an hour walk around campus on Friday, but other than that, there wasn't much.
3.) I will be less lazy.
Still doing pretty well with this one too.
Feeling pretty good about life right now.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Saturday, January 10, 2015
One Week
Tomorrow will be the end of the first week of really working at things. I'm excited to see where I'll be. I've been working pretty hard, and while I could amp up the exercise, I have been doing some, and trying. I'm happy with myself this week.
1.) I will eat clean 90% of the time:
I am very happy with myself and this goal. I've been tracking on My Fitness Pal, and I think it helps a lot. The only "off plan" thing I ate this week was one monster cookie, and I made it so I know what was in it (and there is no flour).
2.) I will exercise more.
I think I made it 3 days this week. (Maybe 4?) I want to work on a plan, but the treadmill is SO boring!
3.) I will be less lazy.
The dishes got washed every day this week! I'm a little behind on laundry, but I'm doing much better with this goal so far.
The other 2 are not really updatable at this point.
We missed 2 days of school this week due to the cold, and snow on Friday. I won't complain. I didn't get a lot accomplished, but it was nice to be home. I went down to school today to finish putting up some decorations. My good friend drew an almost life sized Elsa and Anna for me over break. I colored them, cut them out, and now they're hanging on the doors of my room and the gym. Olaf is on the bulletin board across from my room. It says "Some people are worth melting for", and I've asked the teachers to have their classes come sign the bulletin board. I also hung snowflakes from the ceiling in the hall. I think it looks pretty good, and the kids will love it.
About a month ago we started going to a new church. After about 37 years of going to the same church, there were things going on that I didn't agree with, and that I couldn't get over, so we decided to leave. It really started about a year ago with my kids wanting to go somewhere else. It just took me awhile to do it. It's SO hard to just walk in to a new church to "try it out". We like the one we've been going to for the last month. I will admit that my favorite part is the music. They have a band, and it's kind of like being at a concert during the music. I love live music, so it's great. They have a good youth group for the kids too, but they haven't started going to that yet. I hope they show in interest in it soon. It's part of the reason they wanted to find somewhere new, and particularly this church. (The only downside is it starts at 8:30, and we're used to church starting at 10:30)
1.) I will eat clean 90% of the time:
I am very happy with myself and this goal. I've been tracking on My Fitness Pal, and I think it helps a lot. The only "off plan" thing I ate this week was one monster cookie, and I made it so I know what was in it (and there is no flour).
2.) I will exercise more.
I think I made it 3 days this week. (Maybe 4?) I want to work on a plan, but the treadmill is SO boring!
3.) I will be less lazy.
The dishes got washed every day this week! I'm a little behind on laundry, but I'm doing much better with this goal so far.
The other 2 are not really updatable at this point.
We missed 2 days of school this week due to the cold, and snow on Friday. I won't complain. I didn't get a lot accomplished, but it was nice to be home. I went down to school today to finish putting up some decorations. My good friend drew an almost life sized Elsa and Anna for me over break. I colored them, cut them out, and now they're hanging on the doors of my room and the gym. Olaf is on the bulletin board across from my room. It says "Some people are worth melting for", and I've asked the teachers to have their classes come sign the bulletin board. I also hung snowflakes from the ceiling in the hall. I think it looks pretty good, and the kids will love it.
About a month ago we started going to a new church. After about 37 years of going to the same church, there were things going on that I didn't agree with, and that I couldn't get over, so we decided to leave. It really started about a year ago with my kids wanting to go somewhere else. It just took me awhile to do it. It's SO hard to just walk in to a new church to "try it out". We like the one we've been going to for the last month. I will admit that my favorite part is the music. They have a band, and it's kind of like being at a concert during the music. I love live music, so it's great. They have a good youth group for the kids too, but they haven't started going to that yet. I hope they show in interest in it soon. It's part of the reason they wanted to find somewhere new, and particularly this church. (The only downside is it starts at 8:30, and we're used to church starting at 10:30)
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
It's been awhile. I was just going to start a new blog, but decided since this one is already here, I'd just pick up and start here again.
So much has happened since I last posted. The biggest change is that my mom lost her battle with cancer in November of 2012. Even though it's been over 2 years, it still affects me daily. This past Christmas season was really hard. I thought it would get easier each year, but for some reason this one was unusually tough. While I usually love the holiday season, I'm glad they're over this year. But a great friend did remind me that our parents made the holidays really special for us, and I need to remember to do that for my kids.
I'm starting again because I want to stay accountable for the things I want to accomplish. It's easy to sit down and make goals (or resolutions), to never actually write them down, and then after a few weeks, let them fall by the wayside and go back to old habits. I'm going to do better this time. I feel like I'm mentally and emotionally in a good place. I like me, I love my life, and I'm a generally happy person. Now I have to make that happy person a healthier person too.
1.) I will eat clean 90% of the time.
We did a challenge at work in October, and I cut wheat out of my diet. (It started out as carbs, but turned out to be mostly wheat, as I still ate oatmeal and such.) I felt TONS better, had a lot more energy, and wasn't drop dead tired when I got home from work. My main goal is to eat very little processed food, and as little wheat as possible. (I will still have the occasional pizza, as it is my favorite food!) I'd like to cut out soda, and will drink, at minimum, 8 glasses of water a day.
2.) I will exercise more
My main goal under this is to run a 5k with my oldest daughter (a color run) before she goes to college in the fall. To be able to do this, I want to start the C25K running program (or something similar) this week. I also need to do some strength training. (Joining a gym is not an option, so it's really hard for me to stay motivated with this on my own.) I've been using a pedometer app on my phone, but am considering getting a fitbit or something equivalent to stay on track. I will be going back to DC in the spring of 2016 with my daughter (on her 8th grade class trip), so I want to be in shape to do all that walking again.
3.) I will be less lazy!
I will keep up with the housework. I will do the dishes pretty much every night. (Sometimes I'll let this slide when there aren't very many from the day, but I know it's easier and less time consuming to do a few every night than to let them pile up and have to do them all at once. I will do better with this!) I am also going to go through the house and get rid of the stuff we don't need/use. I'm tired of clutter! When the house is clean and in order, I feel so much better.
4.) I will budget my income tax return and stick to it. I didn't do very well with this last year, and am scraping by until I get mine this year.
5.) I will treat myself to a one day bus trip to NYC at Christmas time when I lose 50 lbs. I love that city, and want to see it decorated for Christmas so badly. Guess it's a good motivator, knowing how badly I want to go.
Hopefully if I come back and read this every day, I'll stay on track and get to the place I really want to be.
So much has happened since I last posted. The biggest change is that my mom lost her battle with cancer in November of 2012. Even though it's been over 2 years, it still affects me daily. This past Christmas season was really hard. I thought it would get easier each year, but for some reason this one was unusually tough. While I usually love the holiday season, I'm glad they're over this year. But a great friend did remind me that our parents made the holidays really special for us, and I need to remember to do that for my kids.
I'm starting again because I want to stay accountable for the things I want to accomplish. It's easy to sit down and make goals (or resolutions), to never actually write them down, and then after a few weeks, let them fall by the wayside and go back to old habits. I'm going to do better this time. I feel like I'm mentally and emotionally in a good place. I like me, I love my life, and I'm a generally happy person. Now I have to make that happy person a healthier person too.
1.) I will eat clean 90% of the time.
We did a challenge at work in October, and I cut wheat out of my diet. (It started out as carbs, but turned out to be mostly wheat, as I still ate oatmeal and such.) I felt TONS better, had a lot more energy, and wasn't drop dead tired when I got home from work. My main goal is to eat very little processed food, and as little wheat as possible. (I will still have the occasional pizza, as it is my favorite food!) I'd like to cut out soda, and will drink, at minimum, 8 glasses of water a day.
2.) I will exercise more
My main goal under this is to run a 5k with my oldest daughter (a color run) before she goes to college in the fall. To be able to do this, I want to start the C25K running program (or something similar) this week. I also need to do some strength training. (Joining a gym is not an option, so it's really hard for me to stay motivated with this on my own.) I've been using a pedometer app on my phone, but am considering getting a fitbit or something equivalent to stay on track. I will be going back to DC in the spring of 2016 with my daughter (on her 8th grade class trip), so I want to be in shape to do all that walking again.
3.) I will be less lazy!
I will keep up with the housework. I will do the dishes pretty much every night. (Sometimes I'll let this slide when there aren't very many from the day, but I know it's easier and less time consuming to do a few every night than to let them pile up and have to do them all at once. I will do better with this!) I am also going to go through the house and get rid of the stuff we don't need/use. I'm tired of clutter! When the house is clean and in order, I feel so much better.
4.) I will budget my income tax return and stick to it. I didn't do very well with this last year, and am scraping by until I get mine this year.
5.) I will treat myself to a one day bus trip to NYC at Christmas time when I lose 50 lbs. I love that city, and want to see it decorated for Christmas so badly. Guess it's a good motivator, knowing how badly I want to go.
Hopefully if I come back and read this every day, I'll stay on track and get to the place I really want to be.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
End of Week 9
I am so failing this challenge big time. :( But, I did lose a couple pounds this week. Its too bad I feel like I've lost the same few pounds over and over the whole time. Sigh...
Goals for the last week will be rough again. We have tomorrow off school, then one last day. (I'm already done...I took a personal day Tuesday to go watch my daughter's 8th grade graduation.) Tuesday will be spent at the awards assembly at the elementary school in the morning, then at 8th grade graduation in the afternoon. I'll go back to the elementary at the end of the day for the 6th grade "Clap out".
Then Wednesday morning we'll meet my dad and the rest of the family (step mom, great aunt, brother, half-brother and sister-in-law, their 2 kids (which includes a niece I havent met yet), and sister) at Cedar Point for 2 days. I'm so excited. I haven't been there for probably 6 years, and my kids have never been there. This will probably be our vacation for the summer. We're taking most of the food, and I'm planning on plenty of water too.
That leaves Friday to get ready for the yard sale on Saturday. Its also our school auction/raffle/bbq (our one and only fund raiser), so I'll have to work at that for a bit. Saturday evening I'll finish getting the house ready for my grandpa's 90th b-day party which will be here next Sunday. Oh, I also have to make all the cupcakes for that too.
Then I hope to have a little time to relax a bit. I am taking a class the following week for 3 days at our high school, and need to take some college classes this summer, but I really hope things will slow down some.
Hope everyone has a great last week!
Goals for the last week will be rough again. We have tomorrow off school, then one last day. (I'm already done...I took a personal day Tuesday to go watch my daughter's 8th grade graduation.) Tuesday will be spent at the awards assembly at the elementary school in the morning, then at 8th grade graduation in the afternoon. I'll go back to the elementary at the end of the day for the 6th grade "Clap out".
Then Wednesday morning we'll meet my dad and the rest of the family (step mom, great aunt, brother, half-brother and sister-in-law, their 2 kids (which includes a niece I havent met yet), and sister) at Cedar Point for 2 days. I'm so excited. I haven't been there for probably 6 years, and my kids have never been there. This will probably be our vacation for the summer. We're taking most of the food, and I'm planning on plenty of water too.
That leaves Friday to get ready for the yard sale on Saturday. Its also our school auction/raffle/bbq (our one and only fund raiser), so I'll have to work at that for a bit. Saturday evening I'll finish getting the house ready for my grandpa's 90th b-day party which will be here next Sunday. Oh, I also have to make all the cupcakes for that too.
Then I hope to have a little time to relax a bit. I am taking a class the following week for 3 days at our high school, and need to take some college classes this summer, but I really hope things will slow down some.
Hope everyone has a great last week!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
99 Things
I saw this on another blog and thought it was neat. Its funny how some things are just so different for each of us.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
unless we count rockband or marching band :)
4. Visited Hawaii
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland DisneyWORLD
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightening storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightening storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
playing the guitar (badly so far)
15. Adopted a child
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
next year I will do this!
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
when my kids are sick
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
32. Been on a cruise
an overnight cruise from Italy to Greece
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
I live in the middle of amish country
36. Taught yourself a new language
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
No but I want to pay for someone's order in the drive thru soon
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
46. Been transported in an ambulance
Not for me but with my daughter
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching -
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching -
63. Got flowers for no reason -
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
No but just went to the Holocaust museum in Washington DC
67. Bounced a check
67. Bounced a check
by accident
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
73. Stood in Times Square
will do this when in NYC next year
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
not inside
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
4 actually
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
That was fun. :)
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Washington DC (and end of week 8)
I'm home from DC and exhausted. It was a most fabulous trip!
We had to be at the middle school at 5am Wednesday morning. Holy early wake up! Got all the luggage tagged, buses loaded and pulled out at 6am. Brenna and I were on the first bus, which was boys and girls. Girls (all 8 of them) sat in the front, then chaperones, then (smelly) boys in the back, lol. I wouldn't trade that for anything. We had the 2 staff members who plan the trip on our bus, so we got the inside scoop to everything. They were super informative and told us what to make sure we saw when we got to each place. They'd also tell us stories about the places we were while we walked through or waited in line.
The first official stop (after a bathroom break and lunch in Breezewood) was Gettysburg. I'll start out by saying that I am in no way a history buff, or even remotely interested in reading about it. But I could have stayed several days there. We picked up a tour guide and he told us all about the battle of Gettysburg. We drove around as he talked, and we'd stop and get off the bus in certain places. The first place we got out was where the first attack happened, and where General Reynolds was killed (only a few minutes after arriving there). He pointed out the high points that the union army tried to occupy so as to keep the advantage.
We saw other significant places like Little Round Top (above), Devil's Den, Mead's farm, the peach orchard, etc. We got to walk around the national cemetery. This was the place Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. The first person buried there was a guy from Ohio. There are over 900 graves there of unknown union soldiers.
We had the tour guide for about 3 1/2 hours, and the time just flew by. I hope the kids were paying attention, because I learned SO much. History is just so much better when you can see and feel and "live" it than when you just have to read about it in a history book.
Then it was time for dinner. We took 150 people into a really nice restaurant where we had a buffet dinner. Yep, buffet. This was the second one of the day.
After dinner we had some time to just walk around the town of Gettysburg. We walked over to Jennie Wade's house. She was the only civilian to be killed in the Civil War. There are still bullet holes in the house where she was killed.
Then came the interesting part. We went on a ghost walk around town. We had a guide that took us to different houses/buildings and told us of sightings there. While we didn't get to experience anything of the paranormal, it was still interesting to hear the stories.
Time to head to the hotel for some much needed sleep. Of course, we had to wait for the kids to get done journaling/blogging so we could take their phones and keys, so it was at least midnight until we got to bed. Then up early to be at breakfast by 6:30. (Yeah, there was not much sleeping on this trip.)
(Breakfast was yet another yummy buffet. Sigh...)
We started day 2 on the bus to DC. I think a lot of us took advantage of the 2 hour ride to get a little more sleep in. Even though we were on charter buses, I didn't think they were all that comfortable, especially for sleeping. I started the day with a headache, and dozed a bit on the bus, so at least I felt somewhat better by the time we got to DC.
Our first stop was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. We didn't have a lot of time at any of the places we stopped, so we tried to hurry to see as much as we could.
We left the museum and headed to Arlington National Cemetery. What an emotional experience. We walked through the Arlington house (which was where General Lee once lived), then over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We saw the changing of the guards---its crazy how much they have to go through for that. The middle school always gets to lay a wreath there. If the kids would like to do it, they put their name in a drawing. Four kids are chosen to do it, along with 3 alternates. They have to dress up, and they inspect them before they're allowed to do it. (Hence the alternates...in case of sickness or inappropriate dress) Brenna was chosen as one of the 4 this year. They didn't go to Arlington house...they went with another teacher to get their instructions and be inspected. Brenna said it was a little unnerving at first...they were questioned and such, but the guard ended up being really nice and chatted with them before it was time to go out.
This was actually the most emotional part of the trip for me. What an honor to get to lay a wreath at the tomb. Yes, I cried. Thankfully it was a beautiful sunny day, so I had sunglasses on. :) After they laid the wreath, another guard played Taps. Amazing.
When that was done, we walked over to see where JFK and family are buried. Then it was time to head to the next place. On the walk back to the buses, we passed a "hearse". There were 8 large horses carrying 3 soldiers. They were pulling a cart with a flag-draped casket on the back. Such a touching and personal thing to be able to witness. (We were told they do 28-35 funerals a day there.)
The next stop on the trip was the Library of Congress. By far the most beautiful building we were in. I didn't get any pictures inside. The security is pretty tight there, so I just left my camera on the bus. We didn't have a lot of time here, so we spent most of our time looking at Thomas Jefferson's library.
Then it was off to the WWII memorial. Every year the middle school raises money to buy wheelchairs to give to the memorial. When they built it, they had one wheelchair that veterans could borrow. Since then, our middle school has donated every wheelchair they have there to date. This year we took 2, which the ranger told us was great timing because they were getting ready to order 3 more. Such a beautiful memorial.
It was time for dinner. We went to yet another buffet. They let the chaperones go first (since we seem to take so much longer to eat, lol), and when the kids were done, there was a small game room they could entertain themselves in for a bit. Then they got their glow in the dark shirts from the ghost tour, and we were off for the lighted monument tour.
Once we were on the buses, the leaders handed out glow-necklaces. Each bus was color coded so we could find our group easily. (We were red) The first stop was the Korean memorial. As we were walking up the sidewalk, a fox ran in front of us and off the other direction. It was funny to see wildlife like that in the city.
I've seen pictures of this memorial, and for me its just creepy. The engraved wall is pretty cool, but the statues in the garden really just give me the creeps.
Next was the Lincoln Memorial. Unfortunately the reflecting pool is still under reconstruction. At our elementary school, the 6th graders have to memorize the Gettysburg Address. Then they recite it for an unknown judge, and the winner gets to recite it at the community Memorial Day service. When both the older girls were in 6th grade, they were chosen. To have a picture of the speech as it is engraved is neat, but to get the full effect of just how huge it is, I took a pic with Brenna standing under it.
We also did the tourist thing, lol.
We walked across the street to the Vietnam Wall. Again, I had seen pictures. It wasn't what I expected though. It really is a moving sight to see. My dad's best friend was killed in Vietnam, so we really wanted to do a rubbing of his name. We could only find 2 books there, and the page we needed was missing from both, so we found a ranger and got the location. We were running late, but the teacher was standing behind us and said she didn't interrupt because she could tell we were there with a purpose.
Next we went to the Jefferson Monument. This was the only time we got to see the White house. (When we went to see it Friday night, it was on lock down, so we couldn't get close.) It was neat to see it lit up across the water though.
We went from there to the FDR memorial. This was one of my favorites. I just liked how you had to walk through it, and the waterfall told a story of his presidency in itself. There were also neat statues and quotes on the walls. The only thing that I didn't like was that by now it was quite dark, and things weren't lit very well in there.
We walked around the water to the MLK memorial. This is brand new. It was interesting, but I thought he looked really mad in the carving.
Then it was off to the hotel. We stayed at a really nice hotel. I found a sticker in the back of the closet with the prices for the rooms. They started at $799/night! I sure hope we got some kind of deal. If not, I'd suggest we stay somewhere cheaper and cut the cost of the trip! It was nice, but not that nice. (We couldn't even lower the temp on the a/c!)
It was another late night by the time the kids were done journaling/blogging and back to their rooms. ***Yawn***
Up early again on day 3 to be at breakfast by 6:30. Today we started at the Capitol building. We had tickets to the House of Representatives. We sat in the balcony, and this is one of the few days they were actually in session. We heard people requesting amendments, and then they finally voted on one. There is a timer and yea/nay that shows up on the front of the balcony, and the names of all the representatives appear behind/above where the Speaker of the House sits so you can follow what is going on. It tells you who voted how. When we got there, there were maybe 10 people in the room. As the voting started, there ended up being over 400 people in there. It was very interesting to see how it all worked, even if I didn't understand what they were voting on. Someone walked in late, and everyone started chanting, "Vote, vote, vote, vote...". It turns out this guy is usually one of the first ones to vote, and always rushes people along so they can get done. This day he was late and they harassed him. :) (No pics allowed.)
We also had tickets to the Senate, but they were closed.
We went back outside to meet our representative on the steps of the capitol to have a class picture taken. That was kinda cool.
From there we went to the Smithsonian American History Museum. We were late leaving the Capitol, plus we had to have lunch in the museum, so we only had an hour to look around. Brenna really wanted to see the Star Wars stuff, but that exhibit was under reconstruction so we didn't get to see it. It was recommended by our leaders to see the Star Spangled Banner exhibit (no pics), and I'm so glad we did. It told the story of the first flag, and its on display there. Very cool.
Our next stop was the Holocaust museum. We had been closed out of that, but at the last minute they had a cancellation and could get us in. Wow. The museum is very well done. Its all in chronological order...you start on the top floor in 1933 when Hitler became chancellor, and work your way through WWII. Some of it is really graphic. Some is really sad. There was a room full of shoes that were left behind in the concentration camps. What I noticed most about that is the smell. There were actual bunks from Auchwitz. Just a really moving experience.
Then it was time for a little shopping. There are many street vendors and souvenir shops on the same street as Ford's Theatre (where Lincoln was shot). We got to see that (and the house where they took him where he died), but we didn't get to go into either.
The National Archives was the next stop. We had to wait in line a long time, so we had to rush through. The only things we saw were the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution/Bill of Rights. I'm not sure what else we would have wanted to see in there, but that was really neat to see such pieces of history.
Then it was time for the kids to have a little fun. They charter a boat and the kids eat dinner on there and they have a dj and dance. The chaperones got to go into town (Alexandria, VA) for dinner. Then it was back on the bus to see the White house (on lock down) and Iwo Jima. We didn't get to get out there, but we drove around it a couple times. I was under the impression it was a life size memorial, so I was incredibly shocked to see just how huge it actually is.
So there is the trip. It went so fast. We didn't get to do anything in depth, but at least the kids got a taste of many things. What a great trip!
Now on to week 8. Nothing spectacular. TONS and tons of walking. On Thursday we walked up and down more steps than I think I've walked the entire rest of the year so far. My legs are sore! Food was so so. I did pretty well on water, as it was hot and we needed to stay hydrated.
For week 9 my plan is to do SBD phase 1. I'm going to try to be pretty strict this week. We'll see how it goes. Still busy...3 more days of school for me, 6 more for the kids.
I have to take the oldest daughter for an abdominal u/s this week as well, as she's still having some health issues.
We had to be at the middle school at 5am Wednesday morning. Holy early wake up! Got all the luggage tagged, buses loaded and pulled out at 6am. Brenna and I were on the first bus, which was boys and girls. Girls (all 8 of them) sat in the front, then chaperones, then (smelly) boys in the back, lol. I wouldn't trade that for anything. We had the 2 staff members who plan the trip on our bus, so we got the inside scoop to everything. They were super informative and told us what to make sure we saw when we got to each place. They'd also tell us stories about the places we were while we walked through or waited in line.
The first official stop (after a bathroom break and lunch in Breezewood) was Gettysburg. I'll start out by saying that I am in no way a history buff, or even remotely interested in reading about it. But I could have stayed several days there. We picked up a tour guide and he told us all about the battle of Gettysburg. We drove around as he talked, and we'd stop and get off the bus in certain places. The first place we got out was where the first attack happened, and where General Reynolds was killed (only a few minutes after arriving there). He pointed out the high points that the union army tried to occupy so as to keep the advantage.
Then it was time for dinner. We took 150 people into a really nice restaurant where we had a buffet dinner. Yep, buffet. This was the second one of the day.
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| Bullet holes in Jennie Wade's house |
After dinner we had some time to just walk around the town of Gettysburg. We walked over to Jennie Wade's house. She was the only civilian to be killed in the Civil War. There are still bullet holes in the house where she was killed.
Then came the interesting part. We went on a ghost walk around town. We had a guide that took us to different houses/buildings and told us of sightings there. While we didn't get to experience anything of the paranormal, it was still interesting to hear the stories.
Time to head to the hotel for some much needed sleep. Of course, we had to wait for the kids to get done journaling/blogging so we could take their phones and keys, so it was at least midnight until we got to bed. Then up early to be at breakfast by 6:30. (Yeah, there was not much sleeping on this trip.)
(Breakfast was yet another yummy buffet. Sigh...)
We started day 2 on the bus to DC. I think a lot of us took advantage of the 2 hour ride to get a little more sleep in. Even though we were on charter buses, I didn't think they were all that comfortable, especially for sleeping. I started the day with a headache, and dozed a bit on the bus, so at least I felt somewhat better by the time we got to DC.
Our first stop was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. We didn't have a lot of time at any of the places we stopped, so we tried to hurry to see as much as we could.
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| Laying of the wreath |
This was actually the most emotional part of the trip for me. What an honor to get to lay a wreath at the tomb. Yes, I cried. Thankfully it was a beautiful sunny day, so I had sunglasses on. :) After they laid the wreath, another guard played Taps. Amazing.
The next stop on the trip was the Library of Congress. By far the most beautiful building we were in. I didn't get any pictures inside. The security is pretty tight there, so I just left my camera on the bus. We didn't have a lot of time here, so we spent most of our time looking at Thomas Jefferson's library.
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| WWII Memorial |
Then it was off to the WWII memorial. Every year the middle school raises money to buy wheelchairs to give to the memorial. When they built it, they had one wheelchair that veterans could borrow. Since then, our middle school has donated every wheelchair they have there to date. This year we took 2, which the ranger told us was great timing because they were getting ready to order 3 more. Such a beautiful memorial.
It was time for dinner. We went to yet another buffet. They let the chaperones go first (since we seem to take so much longer to eat, lol), and when the kids were done, there was a small game room they could entertain themselves in for a bit. Then they got their glow in the dark shirts from the ghost tour, and we were off for the lighted monument tour.
Once we were on the buses, the leaders handed out glow-necklaces. Each bus was color coded so we could find our group easily. (We were red) The first stop was the Korean memorial. As we were walking up the sidewalk, a fox ran in front of us and off the other direction. It was funny to see wildlife like that in the city.
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| Korean Memorial |
Next was the Lincoln Memorial. Unfortunately the reflecting pool is still under reconstruction. At our elementary school, the 6th graders have to memorize the Gettysburg Address. Then they recite it for an unknown judge, and the winner gets to recite it at the community Memorial Day service. When both the older girls were in 6th grade, they were chosen. To have a picture of the speech as it is engraved is neat, but to get the full effect of just how huge it is, I took a pic with Brenna standing under it.
We also did the tourist thing, lol.
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| Being a tourist :) |
We walked across the street to the Vietnam Wall. Again, I had seen pictures. It wasn't what I expected though. It really is a moving sight to see. My dad's best friend was killed in Vietnam, so we really wanted to do a rubbing of his name. We could only find 2 books there, and the page we needed was missing from both, so we found a ranger and got the location. We were running late, but the teacher was standing behind us and said she didn't interrupt because she could tell we were there with a purpose.
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| Jefferson Monument |
Next we went to the Jefferson Monument. This was the only time we got to see the White house. (When we went to see it Friday night, it was on lock down, so we couldn't get close.) It was neat to see it lit up across the water though.
We went from there to the FDR memorial. This was one of my favorites. I just liked how you had to walk through it, and the waterfall told a story of his presidency in itself. There were also neat statues and quotes on the walls. The only thing that I didn't like was that by now it was quite dark, and things weren't lit very well in there.
We walked around the water to the MLK memorial. This is brand new. It was interesting, but I thought he looked really mad in the carving.
Then it was off to the hotel. We stayed at a really nice hotel. I found a sticker in the back of the closet with the prices for the rooms. They started at $799/night! I sure hope we got some kind of deal. If not, I'd suggest we stay somewhere cheaper and cut the cost of the trip! It was nice, but not that nice. (We couldn't even lower the temp on the a/c!)
It was another late night by the time the kids were done journaling/blogging and back to their rooms. ***Yawn***
Up early again on day 3 to be at breakfast by 6:30. Today we started at the Capitol building. We had tickets to the House of Representatives. We sat in the balcony, and this is one of the few days they were actually in session. We heard people requesting amendments, and then they finally voted on one. There is a timer and yea/nay that shows up on the front of the balcony, and the names of all the representatives appear behind/above where the Speaker of the House sits so you can follow what is going on. It tells you who voted how. When we got there, there were maybe 10 people in the room. As the voting started, there ended up being over 400 people in there. It was very interesting to see how it all worked, even if I didn't understand what they were voting on. Someone walked in late, and everyone started chanting, "Vote, vote, vote, vote...". It turns out this guy is usually one of the first ones to vote, and always rushes people along so they can get done. This day he was late and they harassed him. :) (No pics allowed.)
We also had tickets to the Senate, but they were closed.
We went back outside to meet our representative on the steps of the capitol to have a class picture taken. That was kinda cool.
From there we went to the Smithsonian American History Museum. We were late leaving the Capitol, plus we had to have lunch in the museum, so we only had an hour to look around. Brenna really wanted to see the Star Wars stuff, but that exhibit was under reconstruction so we didn't get to see it. It was recommended by our leaders to see the Star Spangled Banner exhibit (no pics), and I'm so glad we did. It told the story of the first flag, and its on display there. Very cool.
Our next stop was the Holocaust museum. We had been closed out of that, but at the last minute they had a cancellation and could get us in. Wow. The museum is very well done. Its all in chronological order...you start on the top floor in 1933 when Hitler became chancellor, and work your way through WWII. Some of it is really graphic. Some is really sad. There was a room full of shoes that were left behind in the concentration camps. What I noticed most about that is the smell. There were actual bunks from Auchwitz. Just a really moving experience.
Then it was time for a little shopping. There are many street vendors and souvenir shops on the same street as Ford's Theatre (where Lincoln was shot). We got to see that (and the house where they took him where he died), but we didn't get to go into either.
The National Archives was the next stop. We had to wait in line a long time, so we had to rush through. The only things we saw were the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution/Bill of Rights. I'm not sure what else we would have wanted to see in there, but that was really neat to see such pieces of history.
Then it was time for the kids to have a little fun. They charter a boat and the kids eat dinner on there and they have a dj and dance. The chaperones got to go into town (Alexandria, VA) for dinner. Then it was back on the bus to see the White house (on lock down) and Iwo Jima. We didn't get to get out there, but we drove around it a couple times. I was under the impression it was a life size memorial, so I was incredibly shocked to see just how huge it actually is.
So there is the trip. It went so fast. We didn't get to do anything in depth, but at least the kids got a taste of many things. What a great trip!
Now on to week 8. Nothing spectacular. TONS and tons of walking. On Thursday we walked up and down more steps than I think I've walked the entire rest of the year so far. My legs are sore! Food was so so. I did pretty well on water, as it was hot and we needed to stay hydrated.
For week 9 my plan is to do SBD phase 1. I'm going to try to be pretty strict this week. We'll see how it goes. Still busy...3 more days of school for me, 6 more for the kids.
I have to take the oldest daughter for an abdominal u/s this week as well, as she's still having some health issues.
Monday, May 14, 2012
(Are we ending week 7?)
End of the week update.
I did better this week. I lost a couple pounds finally. But then I've been moving more. Its funny how those 2 things work together. :)
I didnt count calories. I'm having a hard time with that, but I am still weighing and measuring most things. I'm also watching portions.
While I didnt get any organized cardio in, I did do crunches on the ball several days, as well as an arm workout. (The one someone posted from youtube.)
This week is going to be interesting. I'm not going to set any real goals. I'm leaving Wednesday at 4:45 am (yikes!) to chaperone the 8th grade trip to Washington DC. I'm SO excited! I've never been there, so I'm probably more excited than the kids.
We've already been warned that we'll do a TON of walking, which is good by me! The only downside is food. I have NO control over what we eat. Everything is already paid for, including lunches, so it is what it is. I can however control how much I eat of whatever it is we get. So that is my goal. And LOTS of water.
Hope everyone has a good week!
I did better this week. I lost a couple pounds finally. But then I've been moving more. Its funny how those 2 things work together. :)
I didnt count calories. I'm having a hard time with that, but I am still weighing and measuring most things. I'm also watching portions.
While I didnt get any organized cardio in, I did do crunches on the ball several days, as well as an arm workout. (The one someone posted from youtube.)
This week is going to be interesting. I'm not going to set any real goals. I'm leaving Wednesday at 4:45 am (yikes!) to chaperone the 8th grade trip to Washington DC. I'm SO excited! I've never been there, so I'm probably more excited than the kids.
We've already been warned that we'll do a TON of walking, which is good by me! The only downside is food. I have NO control over what we eat. Everything is already paid for, including lunches, so it is what it is. I can however control how much I eat of whatever it is we get. So that is my goal. And LOTS of water.
Hope everyone has a good week!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Just a quick post...
Tonight was the "pops" concert at my daughter's high school. It was GREAT! The directors do such a great job with the kids. I learned one thing though...I'm going to be a blubbering mess when my kid is a senior. I teared up tonight during senior recognition, and I only know a few of them personally! Sigh...
But, even better than the concert is----> I wore a pair of pants to work today that I'm going to have to put in the donation bag. It was really awful. They were literally falling off all day. I can stand with both arms at my sides and fit them in the waste of my pants. They're really baggy everywhere, and I hope I didnt look foolish, lol.
Ok, off to work the arms. (Didnt have time last night...only did abs then.)
But, even better than the concert is----> I wore a pair of pants to work today that I'm going to have to put in the donation bag. It was really awful. They were literally falling off all day. I can stand with both arms at my sides and fit them in the waste of my pants. They're really baggy everywhere, and I hope I didnt look foolish, lol.
Ok, off to work the arms. (Didnt have time last night...only did abs then.)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Thinking...
I've been reading some blogs about people doing the No Weigh May thing. I'm wondering if I could do it too. Its not like I've been making changes if I dont see something I like... I'll have to think about it for a day or two...
I have another thing I could use as an indication: I was looking through my dresser over the weekend and found an outfit I bought at least 3 years ago. It was still in the package (I ordered it online). I didn't even take it out because I knew it wouldn't fit. But I was curious now, so I took it out. And put it on...cute blue and white plaid seersucker capri pants with a blue shirt. And they fit. Well enough that I could consider wearing them for a short amount of time to somewhere like church or something, but not for any length of time. The pants were still just a little snug. (Squatting could be an issue...and since I work with kids and am on their level often, that might be a problem.) So, I'm hoping by the end of this challenge that I can wear them comfortably for as long as I want, wherever I want. :)
Tonight I have a meeting at the middle school at 7. I don't really want to exercise before that because I don't want to get all sweaty. But once I get home I want to do the arm weight exercises and crunches. I'd really like to start C25K too, but not sure I can pull that off as well. We'll see how long the meeting is. I slept terribly last night and am planning on going to bed early.
I have another thing I could use as an indication: I was looking through my dresser over the weekend and found an outfit I bought at least 3 years ago. It was still in the package (I ordered it online). I didn't even take it out because I knew it wouldn't fit. But I was curious now, so I took it out. And put it on...cute blue and white plaid seersucker capri pants with a blue shirt. And they fit. Well enough that I could consider wearing them for a short amount of time to somewhere like church or something, but not for any length of time. The pants were still just a little snug. (Squatting could be an issue...and since I work with kids and am on their level often, that might be a problem.) So, I'm hoping by the end of this challenge that I can wear them comfortably for as long as I want, wherever I want. :)
Tonight I have a meeting at the middle school at 7. I don't really want to exercise before that because I don't want to get all sweaty. But once I get home I want to do the arm weight exercises and crunches. I'd really like to start C25K too, but not sure I can pull that off as well. We'll see how long the meeting is. I slept terribly last night and am planning on going to bed early.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
End of Week 6
Ugh! 6 weeks in and I dont have much to show for it. (Hoping you will have another challenge through the summer when I'm hoping to have more time and energy to put into it!) :)
Weight: Lose 2+ lbs (I think thats what it was) No, but I'm ok with where I am for the week...I'm about the same as last week
NSV:
Nutrition: Count calories. No. How do you do this when you make up your own concoctions? I can do the recipe calculator, but I dont know how many servings I get out of a lot of things. I'd just like to know how many calories are in a cup of it or some such thing. I did pretty well with portions though
Exercise: Do something. Yes, I did... Not a lot, but a little. Worked abs one night, then yesterday we went skating for a friend's daughter's birthday, then played laser tag. So fun. I even did better than I thought I would at skating. (Got free passes to go another time, so hoping to do that in the next couple weeks) Also worked arms and abs last night.
While it wasnt a great week, it wasnt as bad as some have been.
Week 7:
Weight: lose something
NSV: Keep my head above water
Nutrition: Back to salads for lunch. My aunt took my salad dressing home (she brought lunch last week) and I didnt have my favorite for the week. I miss it! Calories and/or portion control.
Exercise: Just do something
This week is going to be crazy. First, my mom has been in the hospital in Columbus again since Tuesday. She went for a check up and they kept her. I thought I was going to go pick her up today, but she said they wouldnt release her and maybe tomorrow. (Thats what we've heard all week)
Second, this coming week: Monday thru Thursday is softball for someone. Monday I have a meeting for the upcoming 8th grade trip to Washington DC (second daughter and I will be going next week). Tuesday is the high school concert (band and choirs). Wednesday I have a dinner for a teacher retiring from our school. Thursday is actually open (besides softball). Friday is another high school concert, this time the boys and girls elite choirs. I'm already tired.
The next week is the middle school concert on Monday, Tuesday I'll have to pack because we leave at 5:30 Wednesday morning for DC. We'll get back early Saturday morning.
I'm SO ready for summer break! Have a great week.
Weight: Lose 2+ lbs (I think thats what it was) No, but I'm ok with where I am for the week...I'm about the same as last week
NSV:
Nutrition: Count calories. No. How do you do this when you make up your own concoctions? I can do the recipe calculator, but I dont know how many servings I get out of a lot of things. I'd just like to know how many calories are in a cup of it or some such thing. I did pretty well with portions though
Exercise: Do something. Yes, I did... Not a lot, but a little. Worked abs one night, then yesterday we went skating for a friend's daughter's birthday, then played laser tag. So fun. I even did better than I thought I would at skating. (Got free passes to go another time, so hoping to do that in the next couple weeks) Also worked arms and abs last night.
While it wasnt a great week, it wasnt as bad as some have been.
Week 7:
Weight: lose something
NSV: Keep my head above water
Nutrition: Back to salads for lunch. My aunt took my salad dressing home (she brought lunch last week) and I didnt have my favorite for the week. I miss it! Calories and/or portion control.
Exercise: Just do something
This week is going to be crazy. First, my mom has been in the hospital in Columbus again since Tuesday. She went for a check up and they kept her. I thought I was going to go pick her up today, but she said they wouldnt release her and maybe tomorrow. (Thats what we've heard all week)
Second, this coming week: Monday thru Thursday is softball for someone. Monday I have a meeting for the upcoming 8th grade trip to Washington DC (second daughter and I will be going next week). Tuesday is the high school concert (band and choirs). Wednesday I have a dinner for a teacher retiring from our school. Thursday is actually open (besides softball). Friday is another high school concert, this time the boys and girls elite choirs. I'm already tired.
The next week is the middle school concert on Monday, Tuesday I'll have to pack because we leave at 5:30 Wednesday morning for DC. We'll get back early Saturday morning.
I'm SO ready for summer break! Have a great week.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Quick Update
Thanks for all the kind and encouraging words. I'm really sorry I havent had time to comment more to all of you. I'm barely having time to read right now.
I did however take some advice and did crunches on the exercise ball last night. At least it was something. Tonight I'd like it to be something involving arms...pushups or resistance band at least.
Thanks for the nudge. ;)
I did however take some advice and did crunches on the exercise ball last night. At least it was something. Tonight I'd like it to be something involving arms...pushups or resistance band at least.
Thanks for the nudge. ;)
Sunday, April 29, 2012
End of Week 5
I am epically failing my first challenge. I'm no farther along than I was when I started. I like the quote from this week...on to plan B...or C, or ZZZZZZZZZZ
Last week:
Lose 2 lbs: no, although I didnt weigh this morning, so I'm not positive about that.
NSV: Take pics and post meals: no. Not even one
Nutrition: count calories...stay between 1200 and 1500. Only tracked one day I think
Exercise: 3 days. No.
See, epically failing. I'll get there.
Week 6.
Lose something. Anything.
NSV: Going to try pics again. Its harder than I thought it might be.
Nutrition: Healthy eating. Count calories.
Exercise: Yes. Something. I'm feeling the need to do something strength wise to work on my arms. We had sign ups for our church softball team today and I need to be ready.
Things are rough. I'm not sure when I'm going to make it to the grocery store this week. My mom is doing a bit better, so that helps. But my bathroom is still torn completely apart. I did finally get it primed today, so hoping to have some time to paint tomorrow. Then maybe I can tile the floor...Wednesday (or Thursday if I'm not working). (I have a meeting Tuesday evening, so it wont happen then.)
And then there's the hubs. We've been separated for 2 years. We are amicable...he stops when he wants to see the girls, will help me with stuff that needs fixed here, etc. We're better friends now than we were when we were living together. We filled out dissolution papers awhile ago, but neither of us has the money to file them. He stayed with the girls on Friday while I went out with some ladies from work. When I got home, he wants to talk. He said he's done a lot of growing up, and a lot of thinking, and he'd like to work on us and see if we can save our marriage. I dont know what to think. I certainly didnt go into my marriage intending to get divorced, but things happen. But I did spend a lot of time getting myself to the place I am now after he moved out. And I'm happy. I'm probably willing to give it a try, but I'm so guarded...I dont want to get hurt again.
Just add another chapter of stress to my life... :)
Last week:
Lose 2 lbs: no, although I didnt weigh this morning, so I'm not positive about that.
NSV: Take pics and post meals: no. Not even one
Nutrition: count calories...stay between 1200 and 1500. Only tracked one day I think
Exercise: 3 days. No.
See, epically failing. I'll get there.
Week 6.
Lose something. Anything.
NSV: Going to try pics again. Its harder than I thought it might be.
Nutrition: Healthy eating. Count calories.
Exercise: Yes. Something. I'm feeling the need to do something strength wise to work on my arms. We had sign ups for our church softball team today and I need to be ready.
Things are rough. I'm not sure when I'm going to make it to the grocery store this week. My mom is doing a bit better, so that helps. But my bathroom is still torn completely apart. I did finally get it primed today, so hoping to have some time to paint tomorrow. Then maybe I can tile the floor...Wednesday (or Thursday if I'm not working). (I have a meeting Tuesday evening, so it wont happen then.)
And then there's the hubs. We've been separated for 2 years. We are amicable...he stops when he wants to see the girls, will help me with stuff that needs fixed here, etc. We're better friends now than we were when we were living together. We filled out dissolution papers awhile ago, but neither of us has the money to file them. He stayed with the girls on Friday while I went out with some ladies from work. When I got home, he wants to talk. He said he's done a lot of growing up, and a lot of thinking, and he'd like to work on us and see if we can save our marriage. I dont know what to think. I certainly didnt go into my marriage intending to get divorced, but things happen. But I did spend a lot of time getting myself to the place I am now after he moved out. And I'm happy. I'm probably willing to give it a try, but I'm so guarded...I dont want to get hurt again.
Just add another chapter of stress to my life... :)
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Like the pictures?
For those of you that post pics of your food, how do you remember to do it? Or better yet, how did you start out? I cant remember to even get the camera out! (I carry it in my purse so I always have it with me) So yeah, no pics so far this week.
Its another one of those stressful weeks. I feel like I'm getting nowhere on the bathroom remodel. I mean, I am, but there are too many holes to patch (from when they blew insulation in the walls, so they're big) and its not working like I was hoping, so I'm still waiting on it to dry.
Then my mom is not good again. She has the drain in and was doing pretty well the first couple days, but has taken a step backwards now. So I've been spending time down there helping her.
Thankfully I'm not turning to food or anything, but I'm also not accomplishing my goals. Ugh! I. am. stressed. I'm supposed to spend the day tomorrow with my friends but I feel like I should stay home with my mom. I guess I'll see how she feels tomorrow. I'd just like to get out for a bit. Sigh...
Its another one of those stressful weeks. I feel like I'm getting nowhere on the bathroom remodel. I mean, I am, but there are too many holes to patch (from when they blew insulation in the walls, so they're big) and its not working like I was hoping, so I'm still waiting on it to dry.
Then my mom is not good again. She has the drain in and was doing pretty well the first couple days, but has taken a step backwards now. So I've been spending time down there helping her.
Thankfully I'm not turning to food or anything, but I'm also not accomplishing my goals. Ugh! I. am. stressed. I'm supposed to spend the day tomorrow with my friends but I feel like I should stay home with my mom. I guess I'll see how she feels tomorrow. I'd just like to get out for a bit. Sigh...
Sunday, April 22, 2012
End of Week 4
This is SO not going as I had hoped. I need to make permanent changes in my life so when life gets in the way, my eating and exercising and everything else dont get pushed to the back. Sigh... It was a super rough week, and super busy, but that is going to happen in life (probably more often than I'd like in mine), and I need to learn to deal with it!
So, last week:
Lose 2 lbs: No. I actually think I'm up about 3 maybe. Yep, there it is.
NSV
Nutrition: Portion control: sort of
Exercise: At least 3 days. Geesh, I did this one week and lost 4.6lbs...and no real exercise since then. Grrr.
Week 5...the half way week:
Weight loss: AT LEAST 2 LBS! No excuses not to hit this this week!
NSV: Take pics of what I eat and post them to stay accountable!
Nutrition: Count calories~~Stay between 1200 and 1500. No sweets until Sunday. (Lent was so good for me on this one!)
Exercise: DO SOMETHING. I havent been to softball practice with the girls in a week and a half with all the appointments and such going on, so I havent been walking. It makes me feel so good when I do. I'd really really like to start the 30 day shred this week, but I'm not sure thats going to happen. If not, then next week.
I need to make my health a priority. (Its just so hard when my mom is in the hospital 2 hours away and my daughter has appointments in the opposite direction 1 1/2 hours away. At least all that is over for now!)
(Oh, and I'll post bathroom remodel pics hopefully tomorrow. Its just the beginning stages so far, but I hope it doesnt take longer than this week to get it done!)
So, last week:
Lose 2 lbs: No. I actually think I'm up about 3 maybe. Yep, there it is.
NSV
Nutrition: Portion control: sort of
Exercise: At least 3 days. Geesh, I did this one week and lost 4.6lbs...and no real exercise since then. Grrr.
Week 5...the half way week:
Weight loss: AT LEAST 2 LBS! No excuses not to hit this this week!
NSV: Take pics of what I eat and post them to stay accountable!
Nutrition: Count calories~~Stay between 1200 and 1500. No sweets until Sunday. (Lent was so good for me on this one!)
Exercise: DO SOMETHING. I havent been to softball practice with the girls in a week and a half with all the appointments and such going on, so I havent been walking. It makes me feel so good when I do. I'd really really like to start the 30 day shred this week, but I'm not sure thats going to happen. If not, then next week.
I need to make my health a priority. (Its just so hard when my mom is in the hospital 2 hours away and my daughter has appointments in the opposite direction 1 1/2 hours away. At least all that is over for now!)
(Oh, and I'll post bathroom remodel pics hopefully tomorrow. Its just the beginning stages so far, but I hope it doesnt take longer than this week to get it done!)
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The good, the bad and the ugly
I think I need to make a change. I'm thinking to be more accountable, I should start posting what I eat. I see pics and lists of what some of you are eating, and being really honest, and maybe thats what I need to do. I've been doing badly again this week. Its not entirely my fault, but when eating out, I could make better decisions. Its just been a long hard week. I think one of my goals for next week will be to do pics (maybe) and post what I'm eating. I think that will help me choose better. :)
The good things from the week:
My oldest has a healthy heart! The cardiologist thinks she is living in a state of dehydration, and needs extra water/fluids to increase her blood volume. So we're trying to make sure she drinks plenty. (Non caffeinated, which isn't really a problem at home since we rarely have soda.) She stands the whole time she is in choir class, so the doc told her to shift her weight and flex her feet. Keeping her muscles moving will help keep the blood circulating and stop it from pooling in her legs, which is probably causing the black outs. So overall, good news.
I also brought my mom home from Columbus yesterday. She has a drain in her liver right now, and will have it until May 1st when she has to go back and probably have a stent put in. But her lovely yellow color is slowly returning to normal. Thankfully no surgery at this point.
And then there's always the bad:
When I picked my oldest up from school, she ate lunch here before we left for her appointment. She was in the basement and called me to come down right away. There was water pouring out of the ceiling of the new bathroom down there. AAAARRRRGGGGHHH! At first it was thought to be the wax ring around the toilet in my bathroom, but it turns out to be more than that. (Well, that might have been it, but the subfloor was all rotted in my bathroom.) So the ex pulled up the sub floor for me and put down a new one today. I ran to Menards today and got a new sink (I've wanted to change out the vanity and sink to a pedestal one) and flooring and paint. This bathroom needs redone something terribly (its really ugly, and the floor is awful), but I dont really have the money to do it now. Unfortunately, I have to. I will take off the wallpaper and paint it yet today (I hope), then put down the tile tomorrow and grout it Monday. Then hopefully Tuesday the new sink can go in, and I'll have to make a decision about a new toilet or the old one. I'm not replacing the medicine cabinet yet, and I need to figure out what to do with the shower. But at least this will be a beginning and hopefully stop the leaking.
My legs will get a good workout tiling. I did the main bathroom last summer, and was really sore by the time I was done. At least something will get exercised!
The good things from the week:
My oldest has a healthy heart! The cardiologist thinks she is living in a state of dehydration, and needs extra water/fluids to increase her blood volume. So we're trying to make sure she drinks plenty. (Non caffeinated, which isn't really a problem at home since we rarely have soda.) She stands the whole time she is in choir class, so the doc told her to shift her weight and flex her feet. Keeping her muscles moving will help keep the blood circulating and stop it from pooling in her legs, which is probably causing the black outs. So overall, good news.
I also brought my mom home from Columbus yesterday. She has a drain in her liver right now, and will have it until May 1st when she has to go back and probably have a stent put in. But her lovely yellow color is slowly returning to normal. Thankfully no surgery at this point.
And then there's always the bad:
When I picked my oldest up from school, she ate lunch here before we left for her appointment. She was in the basement and called me to come down right away. There was water pouring out of the ceiling of the new bathroom down there. AAAARRRRGGGGHHH! At first it was thought to be the wax ring around the toilet in my bathroom, but it turns out to be more than that. (Well, that might have been it, but the subfloor was all rotted in my bathroom.) So the ex pulled up the sub floor for me and put down a new one today. I ran to Menards today and got a new sink (I've wanted to change out the vanity and sink to a pedestal one) and flooring and paint. This bathroom needs redone something terribly (its really ugly, and the floor is awful), but I dont really have the money to do it now. Unfortunately, I have to. I will take off the wallpaper and paint it yet today (I hope), then put down the tile tomorrow and grout it Monday. Then hopefully Tuesday the new sink can go in, and I'll have to make a decision about a new toilet or the old one. I'm not replacing the medicine cabinet yet, and I need to figure out what to do with the shower. But at least this will be a beginning and hopefully stop the leaking.
My legs will get a good workout tiling. I did the main bathroom last summer, and was really sore by the time I was done. At least something will get exercised!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Sigh...
So I ate badly yesterday. I only ate twice, both meals out, neither great. I felt downright awful last night when I got home. They could hear my stomach rumbling from across the room. (Ate at BK on the way home...I cant tell you the last time I ate something like that, even before I started "eating healthy".) It was not nice.
I was so happy to have my salad for lunch today. I think my body thanked me. :)
Tomorrow I'll eat dinner out. My oldest has her appointment with a cardiologist, and I can eat breakfast and lunch at home, but will take her out for dinner afterwards. (Its nice to be able to do that with just one sometimes.) I'm not sure where she's going to want to go, but I will definitely make a better choice than I did yesterday. I dont want to feel like that again.
There has been no exercise so far this week. I was taking care of my mom on Monday, didnt get home from the hospital until almost 9 last night (left at 8:30 am), and had a meeting tonight after work. Sigh... Maybe tomorrow morning since I'm not working. I need life to slow down just a bit.
And then there's stress. I've tried to call and text my mom today, but no answer or reply. My aunt has a call in to the nurse, but she hasn't heard back from them either. Ugh! If we dont hear from anyone tonight, my aunt is heading down at 8 tomorrow morning. I would think someone would have let me know if there were complications, but I think my mom would have called me if she was ok. So I dont know what to think. I hate that she's so far away for things like this. (2 hours, but it was just a "we do it every day" procedure!)
I'm really tired, so I'm heading to bed early. I'm just wearing out this week.
I was so happy to have my salad for lunch today. I think my body thanked me. :)
Tomorrow I'll eat dinner out. My oldest has her appointment with a cardiologist, and I can eat breakfast and lunch at home, but will take her out for dinner afterwards. (Its nice to be able to do that with just one sometimes.) I'm not sure where she's going to want to go, but I will definitely make a better choice than I did yesterday. I dont want to feel like that again.
There has been no exercise so far this week. I was taking care of my mom on Monday, didnt get home from the hospital until almost 9 last night (left at 8:30 am), and had a meeting tonight after work. Sigh... Maybe tomorrow morning since I'm not working. I need life to slow down just a bit.
And then there's stress. I've tried to call and text my mom today, but no answer or reply. My aunt has a call in to the nurse, but she hasn't heard back from them either. Ugh! If we dont hear from anyone tonight, my aunt is heading down at 8 tomorrow morning. I would think someone would have let me know if there were complications, but I think my mom would have called me if she was ok. So I dont know what to think. I hate that she's so far away for things like this. (2 hours, but it was just a "we do it every day" procedure!)
I'm really tired, so I'm heading to bed early. I'm just wearing out this week.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Stress
My nerves are getting the best of me today already, and its only 7am!
Thanks to all of you for the kind words. Its tough right now. We're heading out in about an hour to see the surgeon. My mom ended up coming home Sunday evening, and her appointment in Columbus is today. We dont know if its just a consultation, if they'll end up keeping her, or even if there is anything they can do. I think I'm more nervous about this visit than I have been the previous times we've gone. This surgeon is awesome, and he's done SO much for my mom, but I'm worried after what I heard the ER doc say Friday night. I know there's no used getting worked up right now, since I have no idea what he's going to say, but...
I took yesterday and today off work. Since my mom is living here now (she has her own apartment in the basement, but she's still "here"), I stayed home to "take care of her." I wouldnt have had to, and I know that, but I didnt need the added stress of everything going on at work. The downside... I do SO much better with my eating when I'm at work. I'm really going to have to step it up, pay attention, and not eat out of stress and comfort! I'll be gone all day today, who knows about tomorrow, then Thursday with my daughter. We're leaving a little early this morning because my mom wants to go out for breakfast. I'll try to make good choices and drink lots of water!
Wish me luck this week... Sigh....
Thanks to all of you for the kind words. Its tough right now. We're heading out in about an hour to see the surgeon. My mom ended up coming home Sunday evening, and her appointment in Columbus is today. We dont know if its just a consultation, if they'll end up keeping her, or even if there is anything they can do. I think I'm more nervous about this visit than I have been the previous times we've gone. This surgeon is awesome, and he's done SO much for my mom, but I'm worried after what I heard the ER doc say Friday night. I know there's no used getting worked up right now, since I have no idea what he's going to say, but...
I took yesterday and today off work. Since my mom is living here now (she has her own apartment in the basement, but she's still "here"), I stayed home to "take care of her." I wouldnt have had to, and I know that, but I didnt need the added stress of everything going on at work. The downside... I do SO much better with my eating when I'm at work. I'm really going to have to step it up, pay attention, and not eat out of stress and comfort! I'll be gone all day today, who knows about tomorrow, then Thursday with my daughter. We're leaving a little early this morning because my mom wants to go out for breakfast. I'll try to make good choices and drink lots of water!
Wish me luck this week... Sigh....
Saturday, April 14, 2012
End of Week 3?
I'm not sure how much I'll be around in the next couple days, so I'll post today.
As of right now, I stayed the same. I also only "officially" exercised 2 days, but spent today and yesterday moving my mom. We remodeled the basement, and we moved her in. Unfortunately, there's more to the story (later).
I did ok with eating too, but didnt count calories...just tried to watch portions and such.
Next week I hope to lose 2+ pounds.
I need to exercise at least 3 days (this is going to be iffy)
Count calories (again, iffy for this week)
And here is why things will be a bit iffy. As if things weren't already stressful enough... we took my mom to the ER last night around 8. She came to my house yesterday and was really really jaundiced. (For those of you new to my blog, my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer 5 years ago. She's had 4 surgeries, chemo, etc. The last surgery (last year in Feb) was really hard on her, and its been a rough year. We know she still has some spots on her liver.) So I was getting worried. She slept all day, barely woke up to eat or talk...so after much begging, b!tch!in, pleading and crying (me), she finally went. Her bloodwork came back great, except her potassium...it was critically low. So they started her on IV potassium. She also had a CAT scan and x-ray. The scan showed a big change since the last one, and the ER doc told us it's usually pretty bad at this point. He didn't want to tell my mom that yet, he wanted her to talk to her oncologist and a surgeon to see what they had to say. She called today to say they're sending her to Columbus (that is about 2 hours away). She's had all her surgeries there, so they want her to go back there for the consultation. I'm waiting to hear from here to see when she's being transferred, and when I should head down. So I dont know when I'll be eating, what I'll be eating, where I'll be eating/staying if necessary. Everything is a little up in the air.
Oh, and my daughter has her appointment with a pediatric cardiologist on Thursday afternoon (about 1 1/2 hours away near Cleveland). Yes, I live in the middle of nowhere.
But to end on a bright note... We put out an email to our church family on Wednesday saying we were moving Mom today. We had about 35 friends and family show up to help, with about 8 trucks. The first truck pulled in at 8:10 am (she's only moving a mile up the road), and the last truck was done at 10:15 am. I scrambled to finish an early lunch so everyone could eat, and then many stayed to start unpacking boxes and putting things away. They washed and scrubbed and put away until about 4:30pm. There are only a few boxes left my mom will have to sort through. It will be so wonderful for her to come home to a house all put together. I am so blessed. Its been a bit of a rough ride lately, but knowing there are so many people out there that love us and pray for us and are there for us makes it a little easier.
As of right now, I stayed the same. I also only "officially" exercised 2 days, but spent today and yesterday moving my mom. We remodeled the basement, and we moved her in. Unfortunately, there's more to the story (later).
I did ok with eating too, but didnt count calories...just tried to watch portions and such.
Next week I hope to lose 2+ pounds.
I need to exercise at least 3 days (this is going to be iffy)
Count calories (again, iffy for this week)
And here is why things will be a bit iffy. As if things weren't already stressful enough... we took my mom to the ER last night around 8. She came to my house yesterday and was really really jaundiced. (For those of you new to my blog, my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer 5 years ago. She's had 4 surgeries, chemo, etc. The last surgery (last year in Feb) was really hard on her, and its been a rough year. We know she still has some spots on her liver.) So I was getting worried. She slept all day, barely woke up to eat or talk...so after much begging, b!tch!in, pleading and crying (me), she finally went. Her bloodwork came back great, except her potassium...it was critically low. So they started her on IV potassium. She also had a CAT scan and x-ray. The scan showed a big change since the last one, and the ER doc told us it's usually pretty bad at this point. He didn't want to tell my mom that yet, he wanted her to talk to her oncologist and a surgeon to see what they had to say. She called today to say they're sending her to Columbus (that is about 2 hours away). She's had all her surgeries there, so they want her to go back there for the consultation. I'm waiting to hear from here to see when she's being transferred, and when I should head down. So I dont know when I'll be eating, what I'll be eating, where I'll be eating/staying if necessary. Everything is a little up in the air.
Oh, and my daughter has her appointment with a pediatric cardiologist on Thursday afternoon (about 1 1/2 hours away near Cleveland). Yes, I live in the middle of nowhere.
But to end on a bright note... We put out an email to our church family on Wednesday saying we were moving Mom today. We had about 35 friends and family show up to help, with about 8 trucks. The first truck pulled in at 8:10 am (she's only moving a mile up the road), and the last truck was done at 10:15 am. I scrambled to finish an early lunch so everyone could eat, and then many stayed to start unpacking boxes and putting things away. They washed and scrubbed and put away until about 4:30pm. There are only a few boxes left my mom will have to sort through. It will be so wonderful for her to come home to a house all put together. I am so blessed. Its been a bit of a rough ride lately, but knowing there are so many people out there that love us and pray for us and are there for us makes it a little easier.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Week 3 Day 1
Today was decent. I ate ok, didnt think I'd get any exercise in, but really felt the need. (Really? Is this really my way of thinking now???) So I did 40 minutes of Just Dance 2 with my girls. So fun, and I was sweating and my arms and legs were getting a workout. The girls laugh at me, but I told them I didnt care, I just wanted to burn calories. If I remember, I'm still going to do some crunches on the ball before bed.
In other news, I left work an hour early today to take my daughter back to the dr. She had another episode yesterday at sunrise service. But this time she got an awful headache afterwards (like right after), and that hasn't happened before. I didnt feel like I should wait until Friday to take her back. So we went this afternoon. She noted her BP to be a little low, but after the tests the other doc did last week, she said she didnt really have anything left to do in the office, so she wants her to see a cardiologist to have an echocardiogram. My daughter just turned 15. How can she need this???! The doc is thinking her heart is healthy, but they just want to be sure its pumping correctly. They're not sure why her bp is dropping so much, but its not as concerning since its not happening during activity. They'll call me tomorrow with the appointment time. I'm not overly worried yet... I'll wait to see what we find out there first. I just want to know how we can keep the episodes from happening.
It feels like today has been such a long day!
In other news, I left work an hour early today to take my daughter back to the dr. She had another episode yesterday at sunrise service. But this time she got an awful headache afterwards (like right after), and that hasn't happened before. I didnt feel like I should wait until Friday to take her back. So we went this afternoon. She noted her BP to be a little low, but after the tests the other doc did last week, she said she didnt really have anything left to do in the office, so she wants her to see a cardiologist to have an echocardiogram. My daughter just turned 15. How can she need this???! The doc is thinking her heart is healthy, but they just want to be sure its pumping correctly. They're not sure why her bp is dropping so much, but its not as concerning since its not happening during activity. They'll call me tomorrow with the appointment time. I'm not overly worried yet... I'll wait to see what we find out there first. I just want to know how we can keep the episodes from happening.
It feels like today has been such a long day!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
End of Week 2
Well, lets just say week 2 was WAY better than week 1. There's a lot to be said about people stopping by to see how you're doing, lol.
WL: At least 2 lbs Yes! Actually, I lost 4.6 lbs this week. Woohoo!
NSV: Get some things done around here. We're on spring break, so I should have time Hmmm, I suppose I did get some things done, but it was really busy for being on break!
Nutrition: Count calories 6/7 days (I dont count on Sundays) Yes. There were some things I couldnt count, but I took a decent guess. Paid off anyway. :)
Exercise: Yes. At minimum 3 times! Again, being on spring break should leave no excuses! Yes! 4 days actually.
So, for next week:
WL: I'd like to keep it at 2 weeks, but I know after a really good week like this past one, its usually a disappointment.
NSV:
Nutrition: My body really doesn't like me to count calories two weeks in a row. I know this is going to sound really dumb, but I can expect to lose 0 if I do exactly the same thing as last week. So for this week I'm going to watch portions, but not be as tight on calorie counting...or watching wheat/carbs.
Exercise: I'm leaving this at 3 days minimum again. Would like to find other things to do when I cant get outside (and just to change things up). Any suggestions for a good (but cheap) yoga video? Or some other fun dance/aerobic video? Hmmm, we have 3 dance games for the Wii that I need to remember too. Love those (even though the girls make fun of me...yet I still beat them!).
Have a great week 3!
WL: At least 2 lbs Yes! Actually, I lost 4.6 lbs this week. Woohoo!
NSV: Get some things done around here. We're on spring break, so I should have time Hmmm, I suppose I did get some things done, but it was really busy for being on break!
Nutrition: Count calories 6/7 days (I dont count on Sundays) Yes. There were some things I couldnt count, but I took a decent guess. Paid off anyway. :)
Exercise: Yes. At minimum 3 times! Again, being on spring break should leave no excuses! Yes! 4 days actually.
So, for next week:
WL: I'd like to keep it at 2 weeks, but I know after a really good week like this past one, its usually a disappointment.
NSV:
Nutrition: My body really doesn't like me to count calories two weeks in a row. I know this is going to sound really dumb, but I can expect to lose 0 if I do exactly the same thing as last week. So for this week I'm going to watch portions, but not be as tight on calorie counting...or watching wheat/carbs.
Exercise: I'm leaving this at 3 days minimum again. Would like to find other things to do when I cant get outside (and just to change things up). Any suggestions for a good (but cheap) yoga video? Or some other fun dance/aerobic video? Hmmm, we have 3 dance games for the Wii that I need to remember too. Love those (even though the girls make fun of me...yet I still beat them!).
Have a great week 3!
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