Leap Day

In writing a comment on Facebook to reflect on the previous Leap Year and the forthcoming one, I went a little too far, so you get to read the full scoop here:

In Feb. 2008, I had a 15mo old sweetheart who didn't like to sleep. N and I shared drop-off/pick-up responsibilities and we mostly still ate dinner after Bit "went to bed." I was 27 (the supposed ultimate age); N was 30; Newb wasn't a sure thing yet, but I contemplated dates/spacing an awful lot.

Looking at my g-cal for fun, we were watching LOST, getting our carseat professionally installed/inspected, having our first night away from Bit (Valentine's Day overnight), actively househunting, and I had a standing chat date with my college BFFs. I was also gaming and using Let's Dish for meal planning. I had lost 9.2 lbs in January and weighed 181.6! It was my first time in the 180's. In early March, we were lucky enough to celebrate my grandma's 85th birthday with her.

On 2/28/08, I wrote someone this story about Bit (heart-melting):

I'm taking Bit to daycare most of this week so that N can get into work early and recoup some of his lost time. This morning I misjudged how cold it was and brought Bit to the frigid car, strapped her in and got it started to warm up. She kept fussing and I could see her breath. (In the carseat she can't wear her winter coat, so she just had a fleece jacket.) I thought 'oh my, this will NOT do!'

So I got Bit out of her seat and opened up my jacket (putting hers on is a pain sometimes) and I cuddled her against me. Then we sat in the driver's seat to wait while the car warmed up. It was so nice to just sit there with her and enjoy the morning sky lighting up. She spotted a bird and said "Bir" (her new favorite word, besides "go go"). To my surprise she didn't squirm at all. We just cuddled and warmed up. I even waited an extra minute to continue enjoying the experience. Soon she'll be too big for things like that. Bittersweet sigh!

Also, N made her a toaster waffle this morning (she got up early, ugh!) and when it popped up from the toaster, she said "Uh oh". Just so cute and funny.

My e-mail signature was:

--
Buffy: Does it ever get easy?
Giles: Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after.
Buffy: Liar.

Today, Feb. 2012, I have a 17mo old sweetheart who is a great sleeper and loves to chew on her shoes. I have a bright, beautiful 5yo who lives with zest and still doesn't like to sleep. I drop-off/pick-up the kids and Bit has just started helping me make dinner. I am 31 and N is 34.

Life according to g-cal: we are too busy with dr appts, date night, and 2 active kids to watch much TV (but let's not overlook the brilliant happiness of Roku technology!). We no longer have our carseats professionally installed/inspected. Overnights at GranB's (for the kids) are commonplace! We've been homeowners for 4 years. Sadly I don't talk to my college friends much, but I have developed some great mom-friendships. I have stopped gaming more or less and have been using Emeals and Pintrest for meal planning. I gained some weight at the end of 2011, but still weigh less than 180! I have been out of the 200's since 2007, not counting pregnancy. I am hoping to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday with her next year, though it will require traveling this time around.

On 2/29/12, I wrote this story about Bit (heart-melting):

Here's a cute story from last week: I was in the car with Violet and we were listening to Allison Krauss's cover of "Baby Mine" (a song about loving your baby from the Disney movie Dumbo). Bit was really quiet, then I heard a sniffle. I realized she was crying...tears running down her cheeks! I worried that I had upset her or she was thinking about her mommy (since the song is sung by a mom to her baby). But no...I held her and talked to her and found out she was crying thinking about her baby sister and how sad she'd be if something ever happened to her. Isn't that just so precious??

My e-mail signature is:

--

"A goal without a plan is just a wish."

Antoine de Saint-Exupery
French writer (1900 - 1944)

Feb 2016: Who knows?

I will be 35; N will be 38; Bit will be 9; Newb will be 5. The girls will both be in elementary school, which hopefully they will enjoy. I hope N and I will both still work at places we enjoy. I hope I will have maintained my weight at a healthy level for several year. And we ought to be out of debt or close to it. I'm sure there will be changes I can't even fathom...I pray there won't be any grief or loss, but those things are inevitable in life. I just hope for the best and pray for the strength to rise to the challenges put forth to me.

Thirty-one

It's been a fantastic birthday so far. For starters, I got a bagel bucket this morning. Bagels are possibly my favorite food. Then I took Newb to the Farmers Market and happily spent my $48.73 in cash. I even got a deal on my final item--local honey because I only had $6 and some change left. The lady sold it to me despite the asking price of $8.

I felt kind of restless when I got home and the other two (N and Bit) were done with baking my cake, waiting for it to cool. So I took off on my own for a Target trip. I had been buying more bulk rice and stuff, so I wanted to get some containers to store it. I got the containers and after lunch, N put up the shelf in the dining room that I've been wanting to put up. And I washed and filled my containers. I'm quite pleased with the result. I just need a few more containers for couscous, beans, and sugar.

My cake is ready and I'm chilling, awaiting our parents so we can try the vegan carrot cake (nut free) and go out to dinner at my favorite local vegetarian restaurant. Whee!

o hai

I have been incredibly busy--which is not surprising for a mom of 2 with a full-time job and myriad other responsibilities, not to mention a semi-active social life. The holidays were hectic, but enjoyable. My poor N is just glad they're over so things can get back to normal.

I have made several resolutions, among them getting back to my goal weight (and free Lifetime member status with WW) and making sure I include N in my planning of our lives. I'd also like to work on our debt and do some work on the house if we can get a loan.

I started the Couch to 5K program today and it was tough! But I kept thinking, I want to run a 5K when I'm 30 (which I am until September) and show my kids how they can live a healthy, active lifestyle. The most important thing I learned on this first 29 degree run...wear gloves! Wish me luck as I continue the program!

We made a Christmas!

That was the quote of the year. We had such a good time despite the fact that all 3 of us were clearly incubating colds all week. I didn't crash until Saturday night (with my cold/cough) and at last check the other two are still functioning at nearly full capacity.

Bit left her pacifiers for Santa on Christmas Eve and he left a plush Nemo as her "big girl" (no more paci's) gift. The big gift from the Man was a play kitchen, set up in a recently cleared nook of our dining room. Bit loves it! Especially the cordless phone that didn't leave her side all throughout breakfast. We had crockpot oatmeal.

Then we had stockings and opened a few presents before the grandparents started to arrive. The Princess graham crackers (Teddy Grams) were a big hit, as well as the snack pouch. Papaw arrived first, then Granny Mary, then GranB. We opened lots of presents, including a new wardrobe from Granny Mary, Disney movies and an Ariel doll from GranB/Papaw.

Lunch was good: beef roulade, mashed potatoes/cauliflower, mixed veggies, and cranberry crumble (though Papaw missed that since he had other plans). Nap was refused, but we had fun hanging out the rest of the day with the grandmas. And bedtime without a paci went off without a hitch!

I usually experience a post-holiday let-down, a feeling of depression that things are over and "now what?" Maybe we've been too busy for that feeling to set in...the day after Christmas was spent at my mom's, then on Saturday we traveled several hours to visit with other family members. But I think I won't have the post-holiday depression this year for a simple reason: I got what I wanted, not alot of junk, not an excess that left behind an undefined emptiness, I had a truly fulfilling Christmas with my family. I can't think of a better Christmas...and I'm truly deeply grateful.

A Girls' Night Out

My mom has gotten some scary medical news recently, so we have been talking alot. She just rejoined Weight Watchers and is all fired up to make her success last this time. I am 100% behind her because I know the program works. It worked for me. I lost over 100 lbs. and I'm keeping it off!

So I suggested that I meet her for her weekly meeting and we have dinner together afterward. I could tell she was excited by the tone in her voice. I was excited, too. Once I found the center, the meeting was good. I bought a few treats and shared a little of my story. I got 2 star "Bravo" stickers and a free "Lose for Good" tote bag for my trouble. It was great! It actually inspired me to go to meetings again on my own.

Then Mom and I had a lovely dinner at Applebees (with their WW friendly menu) and we chatted for what seemed like hours. I can't wait to do it again next month!

Do you have organizational clutter?

I have realized that one of my problems in tackling my to do list is... my to do list. I have a couple of lists of projects scattered around and they are quite lengthy. I get so overwhelmed by the sheer number of things I need to accomplish that I don't do anything. Sometimes I even make a new list.

This is madness!

Nassir suggested taking a short view and tackling one thing at a time. I think he's entirely right. (It's amazing how often I discover that he's right these days; it's like learning to appreciate my parents' wisdom all over again. Ooh maturity...) Anyway, so by taking on a reasonable task for the amount of time available, I will actually start accomplishing things. I may not be crossing items off a to do list, but I will have real results instead of broken dreams and unfulfilled wishes.

"People are finding that their homes are full of stuff, but their lives are littered with unfulfilled promises." - My hero, Peter Walsh

Time article @ The 100 Thing Challenge

When men become fathers

I dare you to read this and not (at least want to) cry: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/04/25/the-longest-night/

It's about one man's realization that his financial outlook had to change for his dreams to come true, including the life he wants for his son. Over the weekend, N and I got into a discussion about parenting. We both grew up being told we could do whatever we wanted with our lives and a friend recently told me that she felt like she was lying to her son when she said that. I quickly tried to assure her that such statements don't need to be literally true; that they build a foundation of self-esteem and self-sufficiency that is crucial to anyone's ability to actually achieve their dreams. I discovered that N feels very strongly about sending this message to our child(ren), so much that it nearly brought him to tears just talking about it. I really believe that having a child brings your emotions to the surface and men are much more susceptible to emotions and hormones than they let on.

That wasn't the main reason for this post, but it seems like a good place to stop and reflect. I am a lucky woman and I don't want to forget that.

Fortunate Events

I was about to walk across the street and get something bad for me for an afternoon pick-me-up, when one of my coworkers stopped to compliment me on my weight loss. She rarely speaks to me, so it was nice to hear something so positive from her. And after that how could I possibly go buy junk? But I wanted to got over there anyway, so I just got my diet coke and came back. I'm still hungry, but I can dig up a low fat snack at my desk. ^_^

There's something I need to tell myself:

You do not weigh 200 lbs. Your weight starts with a 1. You are not 200 lbs anymore!

I literally keep forgetting this...

And just something I wanted to write, not really a poem:

Today I went for a walk.
It inspired me to take my family on a picnic.
It inspired me to play a romantic song for my husband, perhaps over dinner for two.
It was nice to just wander through my thoughts without the confines of walls around me.
To feel the warmth on my skin and the breeze in my hair.
Walks are for love and family and thoughts.
Most of all, they are for me and I am for them.