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Showing posts from May, 2010

Running Is Therapy

I stress and push to much. I am to competitive. I don't celebrate my own victories. I am a general pain in my own butt. That being said - I think I found a way to enjoy my running a little more, despite my painfully slowly increasing pace. I was coming home on Sunday in the last mile of my first 5 miler in 2 years, and while I felt accomplished at having finished and not walked, I was irritated at my overall time. It was muggy and hot on Sunday morning, so I brought water with me AND should have expected slower time. But and hour and 13 minutes for 5 miles?? Yuck. People can walk faster than that! As I was mentally slicing myself to ribbons, I got this little tug at my heart. For some reason I thought of my Dad. Then I started to wonder if he could see me from heaven. I pondered that this September it will be 5 years since I quit smoking. Dad died from lung cancer caused by a lifelong cigarette habit. If the old man knew I got up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning to run 5 mi

Mulberries

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Our 8 year old daughter was very excited to see the mulberry tree already producing tastey treats.

My Friend the Calorie

I have learned a great deal through my dieting years about the quality of a calorie. While it's mostly true that a calorie is a calorie, that's not the whole story when it comes to how your body uses them. If you want to have a 350 calorie meal, you have a lot of options. Some may be better than others. Some may taste better, and some (a few) may fill you up longer. I used to have a turkey sandwich on light bread, fat free light yogurt, and an apple for lunch nearly every day. This comes in at around: 366 calories 8g fiber 21g protein It's in my calorie budget, albeit a little blah. But, after this type of lunch, I would be hungry by 2pm and require at least 200 more calories to get me through till I tore into supper. I have learned to trick those calories into meaning much more. I want to keep the fiber and the protein, but lets get crazy and TRY to live a little. Lunch now looks like this some days: High Fiber Tortilla with 1/4c. spicy fat free refried beans and 1/

Life is Like That

After flying high on the week that nothing could poo-poo on, today I got the mother "load". Suffice it to say that my shockingly adorable nearly 3 year old made nap time a no-go for the other kids. She fussed, she had "to potty" about 14 times, and in the end - she won. What 'cha gonna do? At 3 she doesn't understand long term consequences. Threatening her with not watching TV in the afternoon is about like telling her she can't go to her Senior Prom. I can't put her in time out when she won't lay down, that's what she wants - to get up. It's really just a mess when she does this - her 1yr old brother can't get HIS nap and that just makes for a poopy time all around. So. On to the Y tonight for swim lessons. Of course, being home schooled, our children have ample time to pack their bags and make sure they have everything they need for lessons. Including their suits. I reminded them both several times today. Of course, we get

More Twinkle

Wow. This day has proven to me that I really am healthier and more fit than I was a year ago. I can't believe I survived it all! First of all, let me say Thank You Lord for allowing me to get a full nights' sleep again last night. Without that, I'd have been sunk. The day started before 6 and went a little like this: Up and out the door for 3 miles, home to shower, make breakfast, serve 8 kids, (chug coffee/inhale my breakfast). Break up multiple fights between 2 school agers and wonder why I home school. Read stories, change diapers, put babies down for naps. Clean kitchen, wash dishes, get babies up, serve snack (apply makup /curl hair). Clean, clean, clean, read books, play with blocks. Make lunch, feed babies, coax toddlers to try something new, clean everyone up, change diapers, put down the first set (sing nigh-nigh songs), then the second set, then the third. Get kids all up from naps, sweep and vacuum before they start tearing up the living room again, br

Messy Mind Messy Room

Why is it that our bedroom is constantly a mess? I do my best to follow FlyLady and when it's the week to be in the Master Bedroom Zone, I just cringe. And when I say "mess", I'm not talking about a health hazard or anything. It's just clutter! I mean folded clothes needing to be put away, important paperwork stacked on the dresser, random toys and DVD's that were confiscated, shoes needing to be thrown in the closet, etc. There's a lot of head issues that go along with the bedroom being a mess. One being "out of sight, out of mind." I have a home that is also my place of business. When my clients drop off their children in the morning, I want the living room, kitchen and bathroom to be clean. What happens to that basket of clothes that I started folding? Yup. Tossed in the bedroom. My dresser is still the tallest place in the house that I can still access. Things that I don't want to lose get tossed up there. Things that I don'

Something Grew!

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My first yummy treat from the garden!  I suspect there are many more...but its muddy out there.  ;o). Will put on 'grubbies' and harvest them later.

After the New 'Do

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So I had my fabulous Stylist, Mindy @ Audacious, cut it and highlight it.  I brought her a picture and she did exactly what I wanted.  I'm so happy!!

Before the New 'Do

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I decided that I needed to do something with my mop.

Perseverance Prevails in All Things

I'm finally reaping the rewards of my stick-to-it-iv-ism with nap time here at the Morton Crazy Daycare. I've been working on it for 6 months - ever since the babies were about 6 months old. At that point, I decided to try to get them on the schedule of everyone else. I knew it would take time - but good grief. This week, I have sang the songs, tucked the blankies , kissed the foreheads, and said nighty -night. I didn't hear a thing and all slept for almost 2 hours! Normally, I lie on the couch and close my eyes for the glorious few moments that all 4 of them are asleep at the same time. Well, after we finish Math and Science, that is. Today I actually fell ASLEEP on the couch and had a dream!! Sigh...it's the little things. :o) Went to the Y with the fam and got my miles in. I was having a hard time and couldn't really understand what was going on. After we were done, my husband said the same thing - noting that it was especially hot in there. Pretty su