Weighty matters part 3

Ok, honestly, the weight is still the same as 3 months ago. I've lost and gained the same 3 pounds half a dozen times. That's not why I'm writing. I firmly believe that part will kick up again. I just need to get used to eating for this weight for a while, and then I'll be able to cut some more calories out and the weight will go to.

No, what I'm writing about is the exercise part. It ROCKS!!!!!!!
I can not believe the energy I have. I am now running 1.5 miles in a row several times a week. Sometimes Hubby takes our only car to work (usually when he has to leave at 4 in the morning), and I will bike the 3 miles pulling the kids in the bike trailer. This involves some major hills. I did it this morning and didn't have to walk my bike once!!!!!! I felt GREAT when I was done.

There is such a difference in my life when I remember (aka force myself) to exercise. I'm much more likely to tell myself that I don't actually NEED a cookie. Or that an apple would be an adequate snack instead of chocolate. Or that I should have an extra helping of salad instead of a big dessert. I have more energy to run around with my kids, or play games, or clean the kitchen!

The biggest thing bugging me right now (other than my thighs . . .) is why I let myself talk me into NOT exercising for so long. Really, for years I was depriving myself of this energy, this life, this fun by just being plain lazy. I hate that about myself. I don't like that I'm naturally lazy. That I'd much rather curl up with a book for HOURS than walk out side and get the mail. But it's changing. I'm getting better. And as I grow stronger, my will grows stronger, my faith in myself grows stronger, and that in turn makes my whole life better. Sorry, that sounds like I'm bragging. But really, my life is good because I say it is.

Now I have to go stop my children before someone draws blood (but that's a different post all together)

Wow, I'm cool!

Ok, so now people might actually click on this thing once in a while . . . . The pressure is on to sound cool!

As I've written before, one of my favorite blog sites is Momformation.com. I love the down to earth honesty, the fun ideas, and the chance to chat with some other moms about real life topics. I made a comment a couple of days ago about one of my favorite websites - Starfall.com, on an entry, and yesterday it was reviewed. She even linked to my blog! Wow, I might let some of this go to my head. . . .Not that anyone reads me anyway!

I LOVE starfall. It's very educational without any preachiness or stupid ads all over it. My 4 year old loves it just as much as my 2 year old (and Buddy is even starting to be able to find his way around it by himself!) Anyone with pre-readers to early readers should check it out. It really is fun.

Now excuse me while I go do my little happy dance at being recognized!

Contests!

I'm a bit obsessed with contests. See, I actually have decent luck - as in I win things sometimes. But I think that makes it more addicting - like I have to enter EVERYTHING to try. I think it's a good thing it's against my religion to gamble, or else I'd be in big trouble! I love the ones where I just have to talk about it and I get more entries! Hooray!

So here's some contests I'm entering right now.

There's a give away for a cool diaper bag at Delicious baby.
http://www.deliciousbaby.com/journal/2009/feb/16/giveaway-baby-sherpa-diaper-backpack/#comments
That would be SOOO nice to have for plane rides!


Also, this fun Yoplait bag from Monkey Giggles:
http://monkeygiggles.blogspot.com/2009/02/yoplait-giveaway.html

Yummmmm. Yogurt!

Love it!

MIA

Yes, I'm back. I know I've been MIA for too long . . . and there's a good reason for that. You see, I'm going to let you in on a dirty little secret - I'm one of "THOSE PEOPLE". You know, the ones who prepare so far in advance everyone looks at them as if they have three eyeballs. I've been busy . . . crocheting. Random, I know, but it's like an obsession. I'm working on Christmas presents - not late ones, but early ones.

This year I decided to crochet 6 afghans for Hubby's side of the family. Yes, 6 in one year. And yes, before this year I've crocheted a total of 1 afghan in my life. Nothing like a challenge to step up to! My goal is to finish one a month - so either I'll be done by July, or I'll be far behind, but still able to kick it into high gear and finish before New Years! And it's working. I've already finished the first one, and I"m 32 rows into the second.

See, I also have an obsession with reading - and I figured out a way to read while I crochet. If I sit on my bed with a hard back, I can lay it on the bed and stick my toes on the corner of the page (so they don't flop everywhere), and crochet and read at the same time. So I get to be totally useless, indulging in my favorite pastime, but still feel productive, since I'm working on presents for others . . . .Of course this charade isn't working so well around my house.

The dishes only get done because we run out of spoons to eat the cereal with - I'm tempted to just go buy more so I could wait longer. Dinner each day doesn't even get started until after the time we usually sit down to it (my kids are loving all the cold cereal!) I don't have a clue how long it's been since I cleaned my bathrooms, and with Buddy currently toilet training, that's really not a pleasant idea. Even though the highs today are in the 70's, I still have flannel sheets on my bed. And don't even get me started about the rest of my kitchen.

And yet . . . .I hear the yarn calling my name. My book sits just out of eyesight, my eyes naturally straying in that direction. Just a few more rows won't hurt anyone. Really, I only have a few more months of work left and then I can be a normal person again. The kids are healthy -ish. Just slice up some apples to go with the lucky charms. That works, right?

It's a catch-22. On the one hand, I know I should be being better about the house work stuff. On the other, I love the idea of being so on top of the Christmas rush. And I do take lots of breaks to play with the kids, so I'm not actually ignoring them, just the house. Sigh. Someday balance will be a better part of my existence.

Now if you excuse me, there's a new skein of yarn just waiting to be unraveled. . . .

Going from normal to giddy to bugged in 30 minutes

Do you ever hate hormones? Like really loathe all the changed pinging around in your body? Like how you can change at the drop of a hat (or drop of a jug of milk) from a normal regular person to a hormone crazed lunatic?

What? No, I'm not talking about any one in particular. And certainly I didn't vacillate between being on top of the world to depths of despair to raging lunatic back to giddiness in 30 minutes yesterday. No, of course not. My hormones are completely regular . . . . and the doctor didn't call yesterday with some lab results saying I need to go on some very important medication that HAD to start Tuesday morning and promise she would call it in right then and then 3 hours later when I make it to the pharmacy they of course didn't have my prescription anywhere in the system but the doctor's office was already closed so I couldn't do anything about it. . . . nope. Of course none of that happened around my house.

No, my house is full of sweetly singing children, who hold each other's hands as the skip peacefully off to their beds at night, while butterflies flitter by and the moonlight spills through gracefully flowing muslin curtains in our own little corner of perfection.

And apparently the sarcasm fairy also likes to visit at certain times of the month around here too, sprinkling her joyful attitude around the whole crew.