The Dieting Duo

Well, it's winter and with winter comes weight gain. It rains constanly here so our time out doors walking is limited... infact we haven't been on a walk in a couple of months. So, I felt like I was gaining a few pounds and decided to loose them before spring arrives. You know, back in the day I remember thinking to myself "I wish I had tried to loose weight back when I only needed to loose 20 lbs."... Well, I'm at that point now. I lost all the weight I gained when I had Hayden rather quickly and kept if off for a long time but in the last couple of months I've added about 8 lbs to that number. Also, I never got down to the goal weight I had originally set for myself so I figure now is a good time to do it.

So, I've started weight watchers. I've also joined the local gym. I'm very proud of my motivation and am really confidant this will work for me. My original goal is to loose 20 lbs but my ultimate goal is to loose about 25-30.

Also, Mike went on a diet himself last year in May after a terrible kite flying accident. He lost about 52 lbs. Well, he's gained about 20 of it back so he too has decided to get on the wagon and loose the pounds he gained back and another 10 to reach his weight goal. He has a definately different approach than I so we will see who reaches their mark first. We do have a bet however the "reward" hasn't been determined yet.

I'll keep you all up to date as my body melts away... :) The hardest thing so far is just resisting the temptation to snack so much. I am guilty of eating out of boredom and I've also been known to nibble on the kids food too. I think both of these habits have been key to my biological growth. So, those bad habits are out the door!

Anyway, wish us luck!

Hayden The Climber

Well, he's gone and done it. In one day Hayden managed to figure out how to climb out of both the playpen and the crib! The first incident was the playpen. Whenever I take a shower I put Hayden into his playpen and let him watch some cartoons. Usually he is quite content to sit and watch Dora The Explorer or Go, Diego, go. So, when I heard a noise in my bedroom I thought perhaps Mike had come home for lunch as he so often does. Suddenly the door opened and in walks a very proud Hayden! Later, the very same day while Hayden was napping I heard him chattering which he usually does upon waking. I listened again to make sure I heard him and suddenly I hear a big "BOOM" followed by cries. I knew instantly what had happened. I ran as fast as I could to get to him and found him sitting on the floor of his room very pissed off. No harm done during either endeavor but I will now need to remove all his beloved stuffed animals from the crib and toys from the playpen. We have deduced he has been using these items to climb upon assisting him with his escape.

We have had no other attempts as of yet so for now this is working.

Funny thing is Michael NEVER once even attempted to climb out of the crib. (He wouldn't have anything to do with the playpen however). Even after Michael turned two and got his "big boy" bed he still never even got out of bed in the AM without calling for me to come get him. It's like it never even occurred to him he could get out of bed even if he wanted to.

Well, that's a day in the life...

Daddy's Gone! Pros and Cons

Well, my dear hubby Mike left today for Menlo Park on a work related trip. He will be gone for 4 nights and right now that seems like forever... not the kind of desperate forever like you used to feel in high school with your first love, but a forever that you know will really go by quick but you just wish it was over already.

There are pros and cons to his absence... Pro numero uno... I sleep like a baby. Mike is a dear but he is a snoring one. I always sleep so good when he's out of town. I wake up refreshed and happy. The con is I don't feel as secure... you know, he's the one who checks the locks before bed and he's the one who gets up to check the perimeter if you hear noises in the night. When he's gone it's up to me to do that and I kinda like having him around to keep us all safe and sound.

Pro numero dos... dinner time is easier. I don't feel the need to make full on meals like when he's home. I'm happy eating kid food with the boys which is quicker to prepare and easier to clean up.

Pro numero tres... the house stays cleaner... it's not that he's messy it's just that he isn't contributing to the mess and I think I pick things up more often in his absence because I know he's not here to do it which ironically makes absolutely no sense at all because he doesn't pick things up anyway (although he will clean the bathrooms for me (awww...:)... I can't really explain it but really, the house does stay neater and the laundry gets caught up.

The biggest con of all is it's lonliness... the boys want him to tuck them in and I like having him near by at night when we watch tv and settle down. His absence makes me realize how empty our life would be without him. He's funny and a good friend in addition to being a great husband and father.

So, Friday will come soon enough... Absence makes the heart grow fonder so I'm told. :)

Book O'the Month

Well, being the avid reader that I am I have decided to add a book review here and there. Also, it's my blog and I can put what ever I want in it. Ha!

For those of you who don't know I am in a book club. We meet once a month to discuss each months selection. I always wanted to join a club and I'm glad I did. It's really interesting how differently people "read" books. There are books out there that I absolutely LOVED and others have hated. Case in point, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez... wonderful book in my opinion but many people hated it. Although I tend to believe they are the minority since the man won a Nobel.

So, our January selection was "Mary Called Magdalene" by Margaret George. I couldn't stand this book. I suffered through the 600+ pages and finished at 1:00 AM the night before the meeting. Even Mike commented that I have never taken so long to read a book before. Usually I can read a book in a few days if I enjoy it but this book was long and drawn out. It's on the NY Bestsellers list but I believe it has only gotten there due to the fact it is written by George who typically writes really good historical fiction.

The problem with "Mary" is there is simply not enough known fact about her to fill 600+ pages. The personal story was pure ficton because no one knows who Mary really was. George crafted a very realistic "what could have been life" for her leading lady based on the little known information out there and the rest was really a laymans writing of the Bible and the Apostles' journey with Jesus... the one thing the book did do was give me a perspective on the people who started Christianity and how in today's world Jesus would be considered a Cult leader and those who literally dropped everything and everyone in their lives just to follow him would have also been considered crazy.

Our next book is Anne Tyler's "Digging to America". Hopefully it will be better. :)

For those of you who do like Historical Fiction and are interested in a good read I must reccommend what I believe to be the best books I've ever read... Sandra Gulland's "Josephine B" trilogy. The first book "The many lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B" begins the series. Get ready to go to France and live the Revolution and the French Terror though the eyes of one of histories greatest women.

Go Hillary!

I cannot tell you how relived I was to see Hillary win the NH votes yesterday. My eyes are swelling with tears as I write this. This country is wounded and at an all time low. With that in mind I believe a woman, a MOTHER, is just what this country needs in order to heal and re-group and hopefully regain some "Bush-whacked" respect from the world. I knew from the beginning I was going to vote for Hillary. I'm a woman and I want to see a woman in office... thank god she's on the Democratic side because I really would have had a hard time voting for a Republican, male or female.

Barack Obama scares me. (I wont even begin to tell you what Huckabee does to me) I know he's popular and has a real shot at winning the ultimate election but truthfully I believe he is nothing but eloquent. Yea, he can talk and smile nice for the camera but really, what is he capable of? He can speak of change and all the great things he plans on doing in office, but he, and the rest of them for that matter really have no clue what they are actually capable of. Hillary has been there. She's seen first hand what none of the others have even come close to seeing. Her promises are realistic, while some candidates promise the world and may get the votes for it; her promises come with a realistic foundation to base them on and although she isn't standing on a platform promising to reform health care in the first six months in office, it isn't because she doesn't want change, it's because she KNOWS what is possible and what is not.

Although I've known for a long time now I would cast my vote for Ms. Clinton I am even more confirmed in my mind after seeing Hillary show a bit of emotion the other day. She spoke from her heart and I felt it. Obama only hurt his chances when he mocked her and said the White House needs strength not tears.... shame on him for chastising her for showing she is a real person with real feelings. All he did in my eyes was show he was a jerk of a man. I think women who may have been on the fence between the two were most likely swayed to Hillary's camp because of his male egotistical remarks.

Go Hillary!

Light

As we have been anxiously waiting to hear what Hayden has to say he finally uttered what I consider to be his first word. LIGHT. For months and months he has been pointing at all the lights in the house saying what sounds like "was tha?" and we have been responding with "LIGHT!" so finally the other day he pointed at the light and very proudly exclaimed "LIGHT!".

I can't wait to hear what he says next!

Poop for Dinner

So, it's happened. While I sat watching Michael and Hayden play with the slurry of bath toys floating in the tub, one of my children tried to eat poop. Michael made it through this stage with out ever seeming tempted to take a bite but Hayden decided to give it a go. In an instant Hayden scooped something small from the water and popped it in his mouth. I jumped in a flash and opened his mouth just as he was making a face of disgust... I'm sure had I not evacuated the poop he would have done so himself because the face gave me the distinct impression that was not the tastiest morsel in the house.

Anyway, had to share as it was at least a little bit funny. Actually, the funniest part was when Michael suddenly jumped at the word "POOP!" and stood on the side of the tub until it was properly emptied and rinsed. At least one of them is showing signs of genius!