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October 26, 2009
Refreshed
How is it that 2 minutes after we left the airport to drive home, our vacation already felt like a dream, like it happened so long ago I can barely remember the details?
Good thing I took a ton of pictures. Too many to even want to start sifting through, so many that for some events, I nearly have a video of stills.
When we walked in the door, we were appropriately loved, and then tossed over again for Grandpa as though we had never left. I hear that means my children are independent and well adjusted and confident in our love.
I'm glad they're so well off.
When Owen had his customary fit this morning over Rex taking Jamie to school and leaving him behind, then ran past my open arms to fling himself at my dad, I was about crushed. For the rest of the morning, he treated me like the visitor.
So I punished him by taking him for his repeat flu shot, and he fell right back into my arms again. I guess he likes the tough love.
I'm glad the kids enjoyed their time without us. We got glowing reports for each of them, and they've offered no complaints of their own.
And I'm glad that Rex and I enjoyed our time without them. Much of the time, I didn't even really miss them, although I was past eager to get home and hold them again.
There's something to be said for time apart, even from the ones you love the most.
Posted by me at 7:51 PM | Comments (0)
October 24, 2009
Wednesday weigh-in: Week 7 wrap up
This was written on Wednesday, but I couldn't find a single free wireless connection from our hotel no matter how I held the laptop.
I've been up by a pound or more since last week's weigh-in. I did some crazy exercise (after which I woke up a pound heavier), but I haven't been great about what I stuff in my pie hole. Not horrible, but not all salads and shredded wheat, either. Add to that it being Wednesday, the day the scale like to fuck with me most of all, and I was totally shocked this morning to find myself down two pounds from yesterday, and right around my starting weight, also known at The New Goal.
We're in San Francisco now, so why I'm going to try to be conscious of what I put in my mouth, and I'm sure I'll get plenty of accidental exercise sightseeing, I'm not going to stifle my vacation by trying to find a gym, or skipping any meal that I get to eat without serving someone else while simultaneously catching flying sippy cups and trying to coax Owen to eat something besides french fries without screaming his head off.
I fully plan to take up some form of exercise when I get home. I'm not sure if I'll be as hard core, but I still want to try running on the road instead of in place, and I think the shred really does have something to offer. I might not try to do them both in the same day, though! I really do think I'm more fit, and that some parts of me jiggle a bit lessened I suppose that's more important than a number on a scale.
The end:
- The last time I Wii ran, I managed 4 miles in 20 minutes. I was hauling ass, and I'm not sure I can do it every time, but it sure felt good to do it once. I'll probably try alternating with the shred.
- I'm going to try to keep the eating under control, but not quite as strictly as I was. I think that kind of deprivation leads to backlash in the form of eating entire pies and such.
- Owen is weaned! Goal accomplished!
- I didn't lose 5 pounds. I didn't even lose 1. I managed to get back to my starting weight, though, so yay! on that.
- 9/3 139.4
- 9/9 140.6
- 9/16 140.8
- 9/23 140.4
- 9/30 139.8
- 10/7 140.2
- 10/14 140.4
- 10/21 139.4
Posted by me at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2009
Texas State Fair 2009
Posted by me at 10:34 PM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2009
Mmmm, fruit!
A couple weeks ago, Rex and I walked into an Apple store and walked out with two MacBook Pro's, two printers (free after rebate) and a subscription to MobilMe. The printers and MobileMe were afterthoughts: we don't need new printers, (certainly not two of them) but I'm not one to turn down free, and the sales guy just wouldn't let go of the idea that no one's life is complete without MobileMe.
We've already found a new home for the printers: our PTA can make use of at least one of them, and may use the second as an auction item to raise money. MobileMe wasn't such a good fit. It was nice to sync contacts and calendars between computers, but not necessary. I don't have use for the gallery, and it was a sucky way to sync pictures. And I don't have an iPhone (yet!) so the ability to access my "cloud" is mostly moot.
On Wednesday, I took MobileMe and my on-again-off-again (it was on that particular morning) Mighty Mouse back to the Apple store, expecting to hear a "Sorry, not our problem!" on the webspace, and hoping for a "No problem! Here's a new mouse!"
Instead, I got a pleasant surprise. They refunded the MobileMe membership with no problems, and some guy tried to demonstrate how to clean my mouse. He tested it out and cleaned it some more while I was doing the return, and then did one last cleaning when I went to get it back from him.
And broke it.
At which point, I got my new mouse.
If I weren't already an Apple convert, I would be now.
Posted by me at 7:58 PM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2009
Wednesday's curse
I've started to fear Wednesday's. No matter how low my weight has been over the last week, on Wednesday, it's right back up there.
At the end of last week, I was actually starting to think this whole diet and exercise gig was producing some results, finally. The low weight actually stuck around for three days, before I ate one little meal out and it jumped. And then jumped again. And then after a really good day with some heavy workouts, it stayed up there.
We leave for San Francisco in a week.
Last week:
- The shred is turning into more of an every other day workout. Between life and sore muscles, every day just wasn't working. I am, however, running most days, including the days I shred. Granted, it's Wii running, but I'm up to almost 3.5 Wii miles in 20 minutes.
- I've backed off the ice cream again, but I think I'm eating a little more real food. Not a ton more, but enough that I think ice cream would be overkill. And it seems like the scale agrees.
- Owen still asks for boobie, but I'm slowly trying to convince him that the word he needs to use is "hungry." He gets the concept now, but hungry still isn't his go-to word.
- At this point, I'd settle for hitting my starting weight before we leave. So, one pound, one week.
- 9/3 139.4
- 9/9 140.6
- 9/16 140.8
- 9/23 140.4
- 9/30 139.8
- 10/7 140.2
- 10/14 140.4
Posted by me at 8:47 PM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2009
Sorry, plain flavor only
It's been 3 weeks since Owen consumed his last human dairy product, and I'm still producing at least enough milk to cream your morning coffee. Apparently all his nipple poking and boob cupping is keeping his pump primed, just in case I decide to give in.
Posted by me at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2009
Photo shoot
I've been planning to give Jamie my old point-and-shoot camera for a while, but I haven't really had the occasion (and I missed a chance I should have taken). When she asked me where her old Fisher-Price camera was (in a drawer because it keeps oozing something oily), I handed her my old camera, showed her where the power and shutter buttons were and sent her upstairs to take pictures of her Littlest Pet Shop creatures.
Here's what I found when I uploaded the pics:
Posted by me at 9:49 PM | Comments (0)
October 10, 2009
This is what I get for making use of a church preschool
A couple days ago on the way to gymnastics, Katie told me that when you put your hands together, you're talking to God.
This morning, as we were getting in the van to go for a haircut, she said, "As soon as I get buckled, I'm going to pray."
I'm starting to think she lacks confidence in my driving.
Posted by me at 10:52 PM | Comments (0)
October 9, 2009
He coulda been a contender
Posted by me at 8:38 PM | Comments (0)
October 7, 2009
Wednesday weigh-in
This diet and exercise thing is killing me.
On Saturday, I woke up the lightest I've been in probably months: 138.0. I figured it was an anomaly, and that my weight would go up at least slightly the next day, but it would still be real, honest-to-goodness weight loss. Also, seeing a nice, low number on the scale is good motivation to eat better, and I haven't had that in a while.
Sunday I woke up, saw the expected flux, and decided that today would be a good day to start the 30 Day Shred. I had no idea what to expect, but thought it shouldn't be too bad, since I'd been doing some form of exercise for the last month.
Ouch.
I made it through Level 1, barely. I only had to stop to catch my breath or ease my muscles a couple times, and the ab work felt almost good. Rex did it with me, and with the exception of the push-ups, I think I might have done a slightly harder workout than him. I saw this only because he works out at TKD 3 times a week, and so I expect him to be in fairly decent shape.
Holy hell was I sore on Monday. I powered through, and did the Shred again, although I had to rest more and skip more movements. I had some honest doubts about my bodies ability to support me a few times.
Yesterday, I could barely move. My chest hurt so bad from the flies and push-ups that I wanted to scream every time Owen poked me. And the fronts of my thighs were so sore, I almost screamed when he bonked his head on my leg. I can still barely make it up the stairs, and I don't sit on the toilet, I fall upon it.
I took last night off, figuring if I hurt this bad, I needed some recovery time. I'm still crazy sore today, but I think it's abated enough to try again tonight.
Oh, and in spite of the salad I had for dinner last night (I passed on McDonald's fries! And a fountain Coke! My favorite things!) I managed to gain a pound overnight.
To sum up:
- I'm feeling guilty giving up the running, but I just can't handle it right now with the Shred. And since the Shred is about killing me, I figure it must be a good workout, so I'm going to try to do it daily until we leave. Unless I die first.
- I may have been going a little heavy on the nightly ice cream this week. Time to dial it back a bit. Otherwise, I've done fairly well resisting temptation (fries!)
- Owen is still poking me in the boob regularly, but I'm holding strong. Here, have a cracker!
- Lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks, without amputation. Ha!
- 9/3 139.4
- 9/9 140.6
- 9/16 140.8
- 9/23 140.4
- 9/30 139.8
- 10/7 140.2
On the upside, I noticed this weekend that I'm starting to look tighter, which is really the whole point of this torture, right? I just wish my pants didn't feel tighter, too!
Posted by me at 11:32 AM | Comments (1)
October 6, 2009
Life just got busier
Last week at her regular gymnastics class, Katie caught the eye of her coach (and her coach's dad, the co-owner of the gym) with the first really good cartwheel I've seen her do. Between that, her freakish flexibility and her willingness to listen and follow directions, they decided to invite her to join the pre-team class.
The downside of the invitation is that instead of one, one-hour lessons a week, the new class is two, two-hour lessons a week. Two hours seems like a lot for a 4 year old. And that's four hours a week I have to entertain Owen at the gym, that while child-friendly, isn't exactly a playland. Jamie is easier to entertain, but it's a lot of extra time for her, too. I wasn't sure if the skill level was going to be too much for her, either. And there's the extra money (which was a bigger deal when I thought tuition was more than doubling for one extra hour, but I just misunderstood the number of lessons).
Luckily, at least one of the days, I think Rex will be able to swing by and pick up Jamie and Owen, so they'll get some fun Daddy time and a relatively normal dinner. And I don't really mind waiting for Katie (alone) at the gym, since there are real live adults to talk to, I can read a book without worrying about Owen tearing apart the pro shop, and in a pinch, they have computers with free internet access (although strangely, no free wireless.) Katie was thrilled at the opportunity to hone her skills, and didn't seem fazed at the extra time she would have to put in. And the money just isn't that big a deal.
So we decided to give it a go.
Katie did great, loves her new coaches, and handled the extra hour just fine. Owen was the expected pain in the hiney. Jamie got to play the iPod Touch to her little heart's content. And while Rex couldn't take the boy home, he did stop by and help me entertain him for a while.
So much for our lazy afternoons and family dinners at home.
Posted by me at 8:54 PM | Comments (0)
October 5, 2009
Now that's gratitude
I finally finished this quilt for Owen, and he loves it so much he threw a ten minute tantrum when I tried to get a picture of him with it. He finally crawled over, cried on it for a while longer, and then lay nearly comatose while I snapped a few pictures.
Posted by me at 7:49 PM | Comments (0)
October 3, 2009
Happiness is...
Walking into the Apple store, and walking out with two MacBook Pros and a couple of free printers.
Posted by me at 6:39 PM | Comments (1)
October 1, 2009
Not losing (motivation)
Well, look at me! I'm only a half a pound heavier than when I started this whole thing, 4 weeks ago.
As for the goals:
- I'm up to 20 minutes of running in place, and I don't feel like I want to die anymore. I bought a Nike+, sewed a shoe pouch for it myself, and got an armband for the touch, but I haven't actually had a chance to leave the house to try real running. I'm doing a total of 30 minutes of aerobic activity every other day, and still doing the ab stuff the other days, but usually no more.
- I had a few bad eating days this past week. One of them seemed to have no effect on the scale, but two in a row killed me. I'm still trying to recover.
- Owen is totally boob free. He hasn't stopped asking for it yet, but he doesn't flip out as often when he's told no.
- Lose 5 pounds in 3 weeks. Possible, but really, look at my track record.
- 9/3 139.4
- 9/9 140.6
- 9/16 140.8
- 9/23 140.4
- 9/30 139.8
Posted by me at 9:09 PM | Comments (0)