Friday, February 27, 2009

Another week down...

Thank you, Beryl, for reminding me that I started this blog for a reason - to BLOG! :) I shall try harder to keep my posts fiber filled (ie: regular). I know, that was lame, but hey! it's Friday and it's me. Anyone who knows me, knows how random and strange I can be at times, so I won't apologize for saying lame things... :-)

It's been a fun week at our house. I started officially teaching Casey her ABC's. My goal is to spend an hour a day doing "school". It will help add a bit more structure to her day, rather than just letting her run wild and play all day. Plus, it's fun for me to come up with different ideas every day. I love being creative like that, and hopefully she'll learn something in the process. And NO, I am not planning to homeschool! No offense at all to the many wonderful homeschool moms out there. It's just that it is not for me. Preschool is one thing - beyond that, I don't want the responsibility. We have a wonderful school system up here and I intend to take full advantage of it! Of course, I plan to volunteer and help out as much as a mom can, but I'll let the teachers at school do what they do best! :)

Today we went mattress shopping for Casey. She's only 3, but at 39.5 inches, she's basically outgrown her crib... along with many other things, namely clothing and shoes!!! We were trying to decide if we should go with a twin or full size, and finally decided on a full size. It really isn't much bigger than a twin and doesn't cost that much more - only makes sense. Now I need to figure out what to do with the crib, because we aren't going to need it again. :)

I loved the nice weather this week! It really made me ready for spring. But then, I was ready for spring last November... Casey and I went for walks on the really nice days. Casey had a blast splashing in the puddles and sending leaves floating down the street. It was fun watching her - so carefree and happy - I can learn a lot from her.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Random Post Wednesday

I hope the "newness" of FaceBook wears off soon, because I've been spending way too much time there... That's totally the reason this dear blog has gotten neglected. And I do feel bad about it. Really.
This is going to be a random post. In fact, I think I shall officially dub Wednesday as "Random Post Wednesday". Doesn't that sound nice? Eh, whatever... It's nearly midnight and I'm not really responsible for what I write at this point...Since Casey turned 3, a little over a week ago, we have entered what I can only describe as - The Terrible Threes! Where did this child come from? Who knew that things could take a turn so quickly! She's demanding, self-reliant (or so SHE thinks), bossy, naughty, disobedient and many more which my tired brain isn't recalling at the moment. Either way, it's set me back on my haunches just a little. I'll figure it out, I hope. I guess I shouldn't make her sound so terrible, she does have good moments...My upstairs bathroom is nearly done! It's so small, it's hard to get good pictures, but I hope this will give you an idea of what it looks like. I'll post more when it's completely finished. For as small as it is, there is a ton of storage, which I love! The linen cabinet is deep and easily holds my extra bedding and towels and then some. We're going to put some shelves up over the toilet, too. Oh, by the way, when you're sick, you can sit on the toilet and throw up in the sink - don't have to worry at all when it's coming out both ends... Isn't that a lovely thought?That's all for my random thoughts today.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

She's officially 3

We have officially finished celebrating Casey's 3rd birthday. We've had 3 parties over a one week period - do you think that's enough? It's been fun, and not just for her. She loves being 3. And she loves birthday cake - we've had cupcakes, a small birthday cake and a large strawberry cake. I'm afraid she will be disappointed that she has to wait until Chris' birthday for more cake... (I can't have cake around all the time or I'll eat it...) We went to Chuck E Cheeses with Grampa Miller & Gramma Dee; Nana came up on Casey's birthday; Grampa & Ganna came from Michigan - it's been a fun and busy time. I also took her to a new doctor for her 3 year well-child check up. She's in the 95th percentile for height and weight: 39.5 inches tall!! and 38 pounds! My little girl is growing up so fast.

Some of the milestones of the past year:
*Started singing - and carrying a tune!
*Fully potty trained in October - yippee! (after 7 months...don't ask)
*Figured out how to make her tricycle move - and fast!
*Can open most doors by herself
*Speaks in full sentences - lots of full sentences...
*Jumps all over the place
*Likes to give her mommy instructions...

I'm loving every minuted of it! I can't wait to see what happens this year :)

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Winter and Loaner Cars

Today was Mops and I had the fortunate experience of driving a "loaner" car there. Now, I hope everyone has had the distinct opportunity to drive the "loaner car" at some point in their lives. It's always an adventure, because you never really know what to expect out of it or from it. I've often wondered how a vehicle from a mechanic shop could have so many "issues"... I really have no complaints about the one I drove today. It got me where I needed to go and back home again. However, it wasn't my own vehicle and that's probably why I never really cherish the "loaner" moments.

Interesting, that makes me think about my life... Do I sometimes treat myself as a "loaner"? Hmm. I like to think that I don't, but as I look at my life...I do. What a great reason to let God be in control. Let Him keep me cleaned up and fix what's broken. Because when I try to do it myself, I'm turning myself into a "loaner" - it's never quite fixed, just patched up so it won't break down right away - it's never quite as clean as it should be, just enough to get by. I don't want that. I want the new car. The clean car. The car I can depend on.

Wow. That was random.

Today was COLD again. I don't like winter and I don't like cold. I'm glad that Casey doesn't mind it. But I hate that I have to go outside with her because it's cold out there! But before you think I'm a terrible mom - I DO go outside and play with her when it's not sub-zero. And I will admit, that it's good for both of us - even if I despise the cold.

I had to throw this picture in because it reminds me that winter only lasts for a season. It may be a long season. But it's only for a season. (I'll keep telling myself that!) This was taken in Mexico in January. What a great group of friends, and what a good time we had! ;)

Summer is coming!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Whining. Not a fan.

Well, I've entered the world of FaceBook... And what fun! I've found so many people that I just figured I had lost touch with forever, but no! I found them on FB. So cool. Anyhoo...

I've been feeling like a bad mom. How did I let my daughter become such a whiny child? Now, I have to go to disciplinary lengths to overcome this problem - and I don't like it at all. When she was 1 and 2, I could just distract her, but not so now! And that's what I've been trying to do and it's given me this child... I've been trying so hard the past couple of days to nip it. But I could sure use some suggestions from others who have "been there, done that". Or maybe I'm the only one! Yikes! Then I would feel like a really bad mom! Aside from the whining, I have a sweet and happy child. I just can't believe how quickly she's growing up. I need to post some more pics.

Weight loss musings:
I lost 1 pound last week! I know, it's not much, but the scale went down, and that's what matters most to me. Now I have a reason to try hard this week so I can have the same results next week! I really tried to cut back my portion sizes, and for the most part I did very well. Exercise? Bleck! So not a fan. Give me warm sunny days (75 degrees +) and I'll be outside everyday - playing at the park with Casey, mowing lawn, working in my garden. But keep it cold like this, and you'll find me indoors wishing for Mexico!!

Wow! I really rambled today, didn't I?
;)

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Weekend Babbling

Why is it that even though I know what I need to do to lose weight, I struggle so much? It doesn't matter how many different diets I try, or how many exercise dvds I buy, or how many "magic" pills I pop, it all boils down to this very basic truth: To lose weight, one must eat less and move more. How much more simple can it get!? I mean, seriously!

With that said, this week went fairly well. I've been trying to watch my portion sizes and to drink a lot of water. I figured out a way to make sure that I drink enough water every day - I fill a milk jug every morning and it needs to be empty by the time I go to bed. I've also been trying to "listen" to my stomach, so that when I'm full, I stop eating. Drinking plenty of water each day has really helped me with that! I've also been trying to get some exercise in every day - that's been the hard part. I finally decided that I don't like to deliberately exercise. Even with having Julie to motivate me, it's a struggle. So I've been trying to run around the house with Casey, walk to the library, go up and down the steps as much as I can during the day. Basically, I try to keep moving. With nearly one week under my belt, I'm feeling pretty good about myself. Hopefully the scale will reflect that on Monday... I'm going to try to add a little more fiber into my diet and see if that helps, too. I'm sure I'm not getting enough on a daily basis. That, and sleep. I'm terrible at getting enough sleep. I guess these are my add-on goals for next week: Keep moving, More fiber, Get enough sleep.

On a different note, I've decided to stop selling Creative Memories products. I never thought I would get to this day, but it's funny how changes in our lives effect the things we do... *duh* I'm a little melancholy about it, but I also feel a sense of relief to be out from under the consultant obligations. I've done so very little since we moved, and it just doesn't make sense to continue right now. Plus, I've hardly done any scrapping in the last year and a half. I'm so far behind! I love to scrapbook - I especially love the finished product. I hear my pictures calling my name!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Where's the willpower??

Ah, the weight loss battle has begun. And what a battle it will be - with myself! I keep trying to tell myself that it would be so much easier if the weather were warm and sunny - ie: 75+ degrees... yeah, right. If I can't do this when it's cold, then I may as well lasso the moon... Ok, so that didn't make any sense, but it's also 12:30 at night and I should be in bed, but I'm sitting at my computer typing a message that I will probably want to delete after I read it in the morning.

If anyone does read this blog, besides me, let me know if you are trying to lose weight and if success is finding you. Or maybe you've already lost it, weight that is, and you'd like to share how you did it. I'd love to hear some encouraging words and advice. The more the merrier, you know. I've decided to do it without pills and crash diets, I'm trying this the old-fashioned way: portion control, exercise and general lifestyle changes.

I can do it!!!