Pizza Lure

To my family in Virginia. Imagine this at the end of a rope...pulling you back to New York. Mmm Mmm Good.

Saturday's - The List

So I had left aside Saturday's to update or write about my accomplishments on what turned out to be my bucket list. I do not enjoy calling it my "bucket" list so I am going to rename it my Life List. Having a list definitely keeps you focused on certain goals. It can also make you somewhat overwhelmed knowing that many of the goals can only be achieved when other things in your life, like going back to work and making money again, happen first.

So what have I been doing?
#1o- Read a novel in November. This is not too hard for me other than the fact that it gives a specific time that I must read the novel in. (I'm pretty strict with my own guidelines). I just started reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini who also wrote the Kite Runner. It takes you through certain events in Afghanistan during the past 30 years using two main characters. It is very readable and I am surprised by how much I like it. This is one of the benefits of the book club that I go to. I have been reading books that I never would have chosen for myself AND I enjoy them. For example: One Thousand White Women. Never ever would I have picked it on my own but loved, loved it. So I am starting on #10 and hope to be finished with it by the end of November.

#86- Lose 5 pounds from prego weight. I was 142. Yes, I said it out loud. Now many would say oh that's not that too bad. But 142 for a five foot person is really not that good. lol... Now heres the thing. I am going to average that to 140 for my "list" purpose and because I am friggin ANAL! So the goal here if you are confused now is to weigh 135. Today I weighed myself and I am 136. (It's kind of freeing telling your weight to the world...or my 3-5 readers lol). 1 more pound baby!

So that is all...other than the occasional searching of the web for my Upstate/Getaway home. I really can't wait till that one comes to fruition. I can just imagine myself sitting on the porch watching the kids play, not worrying about a thing, drinking some coffee with my feet up while reading. Ahhh...the good life!

HH

*I apologize in advance to my male readers for having to read about this and then I say what the heck you might as well have to read it since you never have to go through it!
HH. This used to mean Happy Hour to me but right now it means Holy Hormones! I don't know what is going on but I may have to pay my OB a visit. I also may have forgotten what happened after having Brooke...meaning the shift back into normalcy. This past month I have been losing soooo much hair, getting night sweats, and feeling very PMS'y body wise(cramps, bloated, yada yada). Its feels like my body is pushing out the last of the prego hormones and its nuts. If I didn't just have my friend I would almost think I was prego again (bite my tongue!) or that I am going through early menopause!!!!

I need me a love tree right now!
( you might only understand this if you read www.morecheese.typepad.com)

Oh So Proud

This time it is not with my kids- it is with my friend Chrissy. I have to say I do believe I was the one that started running a year back on the treadmill and got us started. I pushed through all the profanities you were yelling because I wanted us to run and you didnt want to...and here you are. Little runner girl. Running her first 5k and WINNING!!! I am so proud. (Plus now I have a record to beat besides my own lol)

Routine Business

So I have been home for 5 months now and I have been slowly but surely working on some things in our home to make everything run better. Some days I feel like I'll be happy if I get things to just run at all! One thing that I have realized is a need, a must with children is routine. I knew this with Brooke but it was somehow (even though I had more to do) easier to keep a routine when working. The day was more scheduled when we HAD to wake at a certain time, had to be somewhere. But when you stay home it is very easy for routine to be the first thing to go.

Since I had Lucas, I found myself when I was busy with Lucas (feeding, changing, bathing, etc) saying to Brooke "just go play" or "go find something to do -you have so many toys". This was hard for her and the whining would begin. I know from school and teaching that yes, you can have 'free time' but if you want it to work you have to teach the kids how to actually do 'free time'. She sometimes just does not know what to do with herself. (Meanwhile in my head I'm thinking give me 10 minutes free time...and boy what I can do!)

I also was finding mysself so frazzled in the morning. I would think "how could this be" I stayed up all night settling the house, I know what they are wearing...WHY is it taking me so long to get everyone ready? I was just talking to a friend on the phone when she was saying the same thing. She just had a baby and was asking me WHY it took her two hours to get out of the house for the baby's dr. appnt. It happens.

Well having a routine and perfecting that routine and being organized with that routine can make for a happy unfrazzled mom and happy, calm kids. I am STILL working on pefecting and making my routine more smoothe but have still seen the positives just from the little changes I've made. I should probably note that
'"perfecting" anything with a newborn and 2 year old is most likely unachievable but heck we all have to have a goal now dont we?

Sooo...

What do you think of my new layout? Too confusing? Too much? or jusssst right?

Frustrating

So all I hear now is get the swine flu shot, don't get the swine flu shot, blah blah. We've decided to go through with the shot for ourselves and for Brooke only if it doesn't contain the mercury. Now that we have decided that we would get the shot, we can not find a facility that has it. I can not get the mist because of my asthma plus I don't want to get anything 'live' with Lucas being so young. So what do you do?

Finger-Lickin Good

I'm thinking Lucas is teething...

Okay now...

So my step out and challenge yourself list really turned into my own personal bucket list. I am actually going to keep it that way as I think everyone should have one. I have also been thinking of some things to add so I will do that today. Wish me luck because that is some hefty list...and yes I will add 5k to it. Sipping tea with Queen Elizabeth I don't know...for one I don't like tea and 2 what the hell would i say? lol

P.S...don't be surprised if I ask you to join me or help me in some or better yet you can let me know which you would like to join me or help me with!

Saturdays Step Out and Challenge Yourself (EDITED)

So I watched an episode on Oprah recently that got me thinking. The whole episode was about living your life to the fullest and stepping out of your box or comfort zone. There were four women that challenged themselves to do different types of challenges and they all chose to "step out of their box" for different reasons. Some of them take getting rid of your fear of heights and some involved getting rid of the fear of showing anyone other than your significant other your gut. The whole purpose being to become more empowered and to realize that there are other things that you can and may even enjoy doing that you weren't aware of.

The Daredevils include four strangers from around the country who are bonded only by their desire to break their routines, overcome their fears and step out of their boxes. The challenges were : Roller derby it is like football on skates—women skate around a rink, and every time they pass an opponent, they score a point. For their second challenge, Ali(A correspondent on Oprah's show) and her team of women arrive at another mystery location. This time, they're trading in their roller skates for parachutes because they're all going skydiving. For the final challenge, the women didn't wear knee pads, parachutes or...anything at all. As Ali starts to strip down on the beach for the skinny-dipping challenge, the women are all in shock.

So what I am asking you to do is to help me compose a list of things that would be considered "stepping out of your box" or a "challenge". I might add it to my personal list which then you will see on the next post or this post edited. Big or small. I would also love to see if you would accept one of the the "step outs" or "challenges" and then join me on Saturdays to note some progress or if we even tried or attempted one. I'm thinking what someone might add to their challenge could be easy or hard for someone else so no judging!!! :). So think of things...wacky, or not, it may be just something you wouldn't normally go out and do on a weekend but have thought about...add them and lets try to do them...or one or two!

Here are some I came up with. I found some on the internet and chose the ones I like. I have also added some that I have already accomplished that I feel should be added to the list. :
1. Road trip by yourself (more than two hours away)
2. Sleep in your backyard in a tent.
3. Go rough it "camping" on a campground.
4. Eat at a different type of restaurant that you normally wouldn't.
5. Go rock climbing
6. Do a duoathlon
7. Go skinnydipping
8. Ride a horse
9. Learn to play chess
10. Read a novel in November (National Novel Writing Month)
11. Travel to Canada
12. Travel to a state you haven't been to before.
13. Get rid of clothes that you haven't worn in 6 months (seems weird but a HUGE challenge)
14. Make your goal weight
15. Write a letter a month to someone/anyone.
16. Take a knitting class
17. Take a golf lesson
18. Go white water rafting
19. Go kayaking
20. Go canoing
21. Make a room in your house into a "yoga" or "meditation" area
22. climb a mountain
23. Hold a snake
24. Grow your own vegetables
25. Sleep on an overnight train
26. Go backpacking
27. Run a Marathon
28. Try Surfing
29. See one of the great waterfalls in person - Victoria, Niagara, Iguazu
30. Visit the birthplace of my ancestors
31. Walk on a beach by moonlight
32. Get your portrait drawn or painted
33. Play in the mud
34. Get married (done)
35. Have children (done)
36. Go through labor (done)
37. Buy your own home (done)
38. Appear on television or in a movie (was on the news)
39. Visit the Great Wall of China
40. Start your own business
41. Take a martial arts class
42. Visit someplace I never thought I'd visit
43. Volunteer to help the needy
44. Go to church at least once a month
45. Buy flowers for myself for no reason
46. Fly in a helicopter
47. Go waterskiing
48. Swim with dolphins
49. See the Grand Canyon
50. Visit the White House
51. Watch Goodfellas
52. Watch Casablanca
53. Watch all the Godfathers
54. Watch Citizen Kane
55. See the Iguazu Falls in Brazil
56. Watch the launch of a space shuttle
57. Give your mother a dozen red roses and tell her you love her.
58. Be a member of the audience in a TV show.
59. Send a message in a bottle.
60. Plant a tree.
61. Take a ballroom dancing lesson.
62. Stay on Disney property with kids and go to all parks
63. Make a new tradition for the kids.
64. Drive across America from coast to coast.
65. Spend a WHOLE day reading a great novel.
66. Learn a new magic trick.
67. Donate money and put your name on something: a college scholarship, a bench in the park.
68. Spend three months using a personal trainer.
69. Attend one really huge rock concert.
70. Go deep sea fishing and eat your catch.
71. Lie in bed an entire day.
72. Climb a tall tree all the way to the top.(or until its not safe...lol)
73. Eat Thai Food
74. Make 5 new recipes from any cookbook
75. Buy an expensive pair of jeans ( to me this is anything over 60!)
76. Go four wheeling in my truck
77. Make a piece of art and hang it in my home
78. Run a 5K - DONE
79. See Oprah
80. Ride a Motorcycle down to Port Jeff on a nice day
81. Run a 5K in less than 34 minutes
82. Run a 5K in less than 33 minutes
83. Run a 5k in less than 32 minutes
84. Run a 5k in less than 31 minutes
85. Stay in the city for more than 2 nights
86. Lose 5 pounds from prego weight
87. Lose 10 pounds from prego weight
88. Lose 15 pounds from prego weight
89. Change family primary care doctor
90. Get body skin scan
91. Make a piece of furniture by myself
92. Have one of my birthdays at a karoake bar lol.
93. Give some of my time to a children's hospital
94. Buy an upstate/getaway home
95. Polar bear club
Finish this list....

Night Night and Good Morning...

Okay so the first thing you hear so much about when you have an infant is SIDS. One of the major things they recommend you not doing is to keep a blanket in the bed. Well, what do you do if you your child WILL not go to sleep unless he is rubbing a blanket on his face or has it softly placed over his head? (I'm laughing to myself right now because this sounds insane but is positively true!)Here is a picture of how Lucas falls asleep each night. I promise you that he is breathing and able to breathe. I have the video and heart monitor on just in case plus, I go in after he falls asleep and I move the blanket away from his mouth/nose. He is so happy in the morning and always seems to have found that blanket again to place on his head somewhere!! Side note- Brooke has seen her brother do this and wanted to get in on the fun!

Here is how he wakes after a good nights sleep...too cute!

Aiding and Abetting?

At Aiding and Abetting: law, an accomplice is a person who actively participates in the commission of a crime, even though they take no part in the actual criminal offense.

I took a spin class this morning and it was very tough but at the same time the best class I have taken in a while. The teacher taught us how to listen to our bodies while also challenging ourselves to push past our own personal fitness levels. As we finished one set and were about to cool down to prepare for the next my eyes caught a female that was in the back of the class. I suddenly caught myself in the middle of an all-out stare. This girl was EXTREMELY skinny and what I would call anorexic. Actually, there is no doubt in my mind that she is what doctors would call anorexic. She was not one of those girls that is just tall and no matter what she eats is thin, she definitely worked at this. Her face was all drawn in and her arms and legs were thinner than Brookes. I am not exaggerating. She wore a sweatshirt with at least two shirts underneath and sweatpants.

So she caught me in this stare which forced me to make sure I didn't look back again. Even though I wasn't looking I couldn't get it out of my head that here she was working soooo hard to lose more or stay in the shape that she was in. During this class the instructor was one that walked around and assisted rather than bike herself. She verbally instructed us on what we should be feeling and when we should be pushing harder. I would take sneak peaks through the mirror to see how and if the instructor was maybe concerned in any way. She too seemed to keep an eye on the girl and kept asking her if she was okay.

Now this is my question/concern/thought...I feel that when you are teaching a class, any class, that you are responsible for the students in the class. You are setting an example. When the class was winding down the girl got off her bike before any of the stretching and left. She said, "thank you so much-that was great" to the instructor. The instructor looked down and made a small "thank you" grin but did not(i'm thinking could not) look at the girl. When she passed the instructor the instructor looked up and watched her walk out the door. Do you think there should be any type of policy that someone that is not "fit" to take the class should be told so? I know this is a fine and shady line but I feel like the gym and the teacher of the class are all contributing to this girls problem. The real problem is you are not really allowed to say anything...what would they say? Could they say anything? How and what would they say? I feel that the instructor was visibly disturbed by the fact that this student was in her class. But what do you do?

She "Cracks" Me Up!

Blog edited for Brooke's sake. Love ya babe!

Halloween Fun

It turned out to be a very long but successful day. It started at the fire department for a halloween breakfast. Brooke got to eat a donut with no hands. That was very entertaining for her. Then we went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood with the neighbors. That didn't last too long because it ran into nap time. We went home, took a nap, ate lunch and then headed to the Chapmans house for some more trick-or-treating. I never went to the Chapmans for their Halloween event which turned out to be entertaining for both children and adults. :) So here are some pics- Enjoy!

Fire Burning...

I apologize in advance for the rant....

Not on the dance floor but in my shoulders and back. This is what happens to me when I finally get the motivation up to clean and can't do it because someone has decided to discard of ALL scrubbers in the household. What the f&(&%#@! Seriously? There are two things that I make a point to purchase every shopping trip to Trader Joes- a hand santizer for 99cents and 3 packaged scrubbers. I have a thing about keeping one scrubber sponge on the bottom of the sink and one on the top. The one on the top is used ONLY for dishes. The ones on the bottom are used for any chemical cleaning in that particular room. (Hope this makes sense?) For example- scrubber under the sink in the kitchen is for the counters, the sink, frig. The scrubber under the sink in the bathroom is for the sink and counter in there.

Okay (deep breathe) so here I am scrubber less and very annoyed. I would like to know where oh where would one put my scrubbers????