Home again!

Grace and I had a (thankfully) uneventful trip back home today to Texas.  She did pretty well on our 9-hour road trip watching movies, reading her books, and playing with dolls.  The “Bear Necessities” song from Jungle Book is hopelessly stuck in my head…I can’t stop singing it after hearing it, oh, 37 times today in the car.

When we got home, Todd had cleaned house and lit candles to make everything really nice.  He even had dinner for us!  That all scored major points.  I thought that I would be up late cleaning house since we have a new realtor coming to visit in the morning, but instead I took my time unpacking and relaxing.

I get to spend one week at home before packing up and heading off to Tennessee to visit Todd’s family!  We’ll really be putting the miles on our car (and portable DVD player).  For me, road trips mean endless Disney movies, answering “How much longer?” questions, dirty McDonald’s bathrooms, Tigermart cappuccinos, and crossword puzzles.  Good times.  I really enjoy arriving at my destinations, but I don’t particularly enjoy the journey.  Impatience, I guess!

We had a bit of a crisis at bedtime tonight.  Lambie was nowhere to be found.  In a brief moment of panic, I thought maybe we had left her in Louisiana, but Grace assured me Lambie was in the house.  After we divided and conquered the house, grid-by-grid style, Lambie was still MIA.  I ended up putting Grace to bed, who tearfully prayed that God would help us find Lambie and protect her while she was alone.  Todd kept looking and eventually found Grace’s cuddly companion under our bed.  Grace was still awake, so Todd was the hero when he proudly delivered Lambie back to her arms.  Thankfully we can all sleep tonight knowing Lambie is safe.  (Question to parents with older kids:  When will the “Lambie” obsession end?)

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Out With The Old

Last night mom and I stayed up pretty late cleaning out her closets.  It had been years since she really went through all her stuff, and she decided it needed a good purging.  Grace and I sat on the bed and watched her pull everything out one at a time, giving our enthusiastic nod of approval or pointing to the donation pile. 

It was actually quite hilarious to see some of the stuff she still had (and occasionally wore).  My favorite mom quote of the night was said after I told her a particular outfit needed to be donated, “But that was my favorite outfit in 1993!”  Um, mom, that was 16 years ago.  She had stuff from the mid-80’s as well as a few moth-eaten things from the 70’s.  Imagine my delight when my middle school/high school wardrobe was lovingly pulled from the back of her closet!

I love lists, so here are a few of the things I was able to convince her needed purging:

• several pairs of stirrup pants in a rainbow of colors
• tons of lovingly sewed tea-length wrap skirts with buttons all the way up the sides
• Chic jeans (“But they actually fit me again!” mom declared.  Um, mom, those are classic “mom” jeans.  “What are ‘mom’ jeans?" she asked.  sigh…)  For a great explanation of the “mom” jean, click here.
• Outback Red shirt collection, complete with a brocaded upholstery vest
• tons of walking shorts from the 80’s (i.e. short culottes)
• sweatshirts with appliqued apples and hearts, complete with matching sweatpants with the elastic band around the ankles
• baggy linen blazers from the 80’s with huge shoulder pads and roll-up sleeves
• puffed-long-sleeve dresses that have tiny buttons running from neck to tea-length bottom
• circa-1986 polyester pleated slacks with tapered legs in a variety of colors
• baggy “boyfriend” shirts/sweaters that were worn with stirrup pants or Gloria Vanderbilt jeans

We had a lot of fun reminiscing about various items of clothing.  She seriously could open a vintage clothing store.  But now she has extra closet space and a healthy donation to a local charity. 

Shopping Trip

Mom and I had so much fun yesterday at the Tanger Outlet mall shopping for clothes!  We left early and got there around 9:30 in the morning.  Five hours later, we left tired and hungry, but happy to be able to buy clothes that were 2-3 sizes smaller than the last time we saw each other at Christmas!

Grace did pretty well.  We rented a yellow taxi cab stroller, which lost it’s wow factor, oh, about 5 minutes into our trip.  I had packed an arsenal of snacks that I dreamed she would never get through which she consumed within the first 2-3 hours.  Just so you can see how I pass on my new healthy eating plan to my daughter, I’ll tell you what she ate:

• 1 Nature Valley Oats ‘N Honey granola bar
• 1 Fiber One Oats & Chocolate granola bar
• 2 frosted brown sugar and cinnamon Pop Tarts
• 7 packets of Welch’s fruit snacks
• 1 full packet of M & M’s
• About 3 servings of Teddy Grahams
• 1 green apple
• 1 20-oz. bottle of Coca-Cola Classic

Yes, this is what I will feed my daughter to ensure that I have the peace and quiet to try on cute clothes that I have earned by healthy eating.  From the outlet mall, we went to La Madeline’s for lunch where she ate a bowl of strawberries and drank a raspberry lemonade.  When we arrived home, I handed Grace over to her granddaddy while mom and I rushed to the ladies’ bible study at her church.  When I got home, I discovered that she had enjoyed throwing and catching Honey Nut Cheerios in her mouth with granddaddy most of the evening.  Needless to say, today we will be performing a sugar detox.

While shopping, mom was able to find the cutest kelly green (color of the season) bermuda shorts and sweater from Jones New York, a pair of white capris from Liz Claiborne, a pair of beautiful black cropped pants from Ann Taylor, and several summer shirts from Old Navy and The Gap.  I found some white capris and a cute orange shirt at The Gap and a nice pair of black cropped pants at TJ Maxx.  When we got home, mom discovered that three of the tank tops she had bought at Old Navy were too long, so she gave them to me.  (Thanks, mom!)  I also found some good deals on presents for other folks at Osh Kosh, Children’s Place, Haggar, and Old Navy. 

All-in-all it was a tiring but satisfying day. 

Oh, one more funny thing.  On the way home, we stopped at Hobby Lobby and I ran in to buy a particular sewing notion that I needed to make a present for someone.  What should have been a five-minute run-in and run-out turned into a marathon where I ran all over the store at the direction of not-so-knowledgable employees looking for said sewing notion.  One employee actually told me, “We don’t sell fabric stuff.”  Another employee directed me to the home decor section for sewing supplies.  Finally I found someone that showed me where to find the HUGE fabric section.  But, alas, the girl working the fabric section couldn’t tell me where my sewing notion was.  I finally found what I needed and waited in line only to be told “I’m closing…” when it was my turn to check out.  I moved to another line and finally checked out and made it back to the car where mom was waiting with Grace.  Fun times.

Anyway, here’s a picture of Grace at the beginning of the day.  Oh, how I wish I had taken a picture of how she looked at the end of the day!

Being An Only Child

Disclaimer:  This post is not meant to be judgmental towards families who have only one child.  There are a host of reasons why some couples either choose or find themselves in the position of raising an only child…many are happy and healthy families!  These are just my rambling thoughts on the subject…

Grace is an only child.  I have finally made peace that my childbearing years are behind me, although I’m sure Todd and I will always grieve the fact that we cannot bear more children.  On our journey, we have found that there are several parenting challenges that seem to be magnified by the fact that Grace has no siblings.

Many people who grew up as the only child will tell you that there are lots of benefits…more individual time and attention from parents, feeling special, not having to share possessions, more financial freedom for the family to do special things, etc.  

However, there are lots of drawbacks as well.  These became more apparent to me over the last week.  Here’s a few that come to mind:

1. Less opportunity for the parents to teach empathy for others.  Let’s face it.  When you are an only child, it’s all about you.  You don’t have to share a bedroom, a bathroom, or a playroom.  You get all of your parent’s attention, and while at times this can be good, it can also lead to an unhealthy feeling of entitlement.  When there are siblings, there are tons of opportunities for parents to reinforce loving others, caring for others, problem-solving skills, and sharing. 
2. Loneliness.  As I’ve talked with others (including my husband) who were only children, this has been the most-mentioned challenge.  I can (somewhat) relate since I grew up with brothers who were not interested in Barbie dolls or Easy-Bake ovens.  I always dreamed of a sister that would share my same interests.  When I’m busy, Grace is lonely and is forced to learn how to entertain herself.  (I guess that’s not entirely bad…)
3. Less developed social skills.  This is not true for all only children, but it is true for Grace.  Less interaction with children has been one of the factors in her insecurity/fear when she is placed in situations where there are lots of other kids (Sunday School, parks, mall playgrounds, parties, etc.).  We are trying to counter this by getting her around others as much as possible through church activities, play dates, and outings.
4. Less independence.  Since Grace is the only child, I’m much quicker to swoop in and solve her problems than I would be if I were balancing my attention among other children.  I am purposefully mindful of letting her struggle and figure things out for herself at times, but my tendency is to come to the rescue.  That’s not always a good thing.  A little struggle is good, so I know that I need to let her try, fail, and learn on her own in order to gain some independence. 
5. Caring for aging/dying parents.  I can’t help but feel bad that Grace is going to have to choose a nursing home all by herself.  She won’t have a sibling to share the burden of dealing with my impending senility!

There are other issues, but this post is long enough already.  I guess I’ve just been thinking about it more lately because we’ve been in situations where I’ve witnessed more of the above traits in Grace.  And it just gets me to thinking, which is always dangerous. 

I certainly don’t want to seem ungrateful for having only one child.  The good Lord knows how thankful we are after so many years of praying for a baby!  But there are certain challenges that are unique to raising just one child, and I think it’s important to recognize them and deal with them honestly.

Monday Milestones

I ate a little bit differently this week but I managed to stay on track.  Since we were away at the beach for four days, I wasn’t able to cook for myself and had to make choices at restaurants, etc.  I took a few HMR meals and continued to drink my shakes every day, and that seemed to help.  When we ate out, I ordered grilled chicken and steamed veggies.  I even splurged one afternoon and drank a real Coke float! 

This week I lost two pounds, which brings my total to 51 pounds in 20 weeks.  The number on the scale was definitely a milestone for me this week, and it’s nice to see myself getting closer to my ultimate goal. 

Mom and I have been exercising together every chance we get.  Our routine is to get up in the morning and walk briskly outside for 45 minutes.  We walk through the square of their little downtown area and look in the shop windows.  The old houses and scenery are beautiful, so the walk goes by quickly.  I’ve just forgotten how hot and humid it gets down here in south Louisiana…even in the morning!  I much prefer the dry Texas heat.  After walking, we go inside, cool down a little, then do The Shred with Jillian.  We’ve been switching back and forth between Level 1/2. 

I ordered a new scale on Amazon last night for an amazing price.  It’s a Taylor Body Fat Scale…regularly $49.99, on special this week for $18.90.    The reviews look pretty good and I’m looking forward to tracking more than just my weight.  It measures body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, hydration level, and weight.

Mom and I have really enjoyed cooking together this week, and we have eaten some amazing food.  Mom received a new cookbook as a gift that I ADORE by Ellie Krieger called The Food You Crave:  Luscious Recipes For A Healthy Life.  We made the Crispy Garlic Fries one night to go with Salmon patties.  We also made the Turkey Meatballs with Whole Wheat Spaghetti.  Her De-Light-Ful Ranch Dressing is pretty good, too.  This is an excellent cookbook with amazing recipes and practical tips for eating well. 

It’s unbelievable (and exciting) to me that I can eat delicious food and continue to lose weight. 

Good Times at Youth Camp 2009

This was a perfect week in so many ways!  Orange Beach was beautiful.  The weather was sunny.  The water was clear.  The fellowship was fun.  The camp teaching sessions and devotions were excellent.  The youth were well behaved.  The hotel was accommodating.  The food was delicious.  And everyone stayed safe while traveling on the road!

Here’s Grace (and Lambie!) all ready to leave on Monday morning:

We drove in the lead van with my parents.  Our caravan included nine cars and 54 people!  Grace stayed busy eating, talking, and watching movies for the 5-hour trip from granddaddy’s church to Orange Beach.

My responsibility at Youth Camp was organizing and teaching a little Bible school for the six preschoolers that attended with parents who were teaching or chaperoning the youth group.  We learned all about the 10 Commandments!

 

One of the things we were looking forward to the most was getting to spend some quality time with my sister-in-law and my sweet almost-4-year-old nephew, Vincent.  They roomed with us and the kids had so much fun together.  Grace’s tickle box was always turned on when she got to play with Vincent!

Grace and Vincent couldn’t wait to get to the beach on the first afternoon of free time.  They built sand castles, splashed in the water, hunted for seashells, and dug around in the sand with their shovels.

 

Vincent wanted to play with this beach toy, but Grace was too distracted to actually catch the ball in the net!

The kids’ favorite things at the hotel were the beautiful fish tanks with colorful sea creatures. 

Another fun activity was blowing bubbles off the balcony!

On Tuesday night, we ate at The Shrimp Basket.  We took a few pictures while waiting on our food.  Here I am (on the right) with my sweet sister-in-law Audra (on the left).

On Wednesday night, we ate at Lambert’s Cafe (Home of Throwed Rolls).  Vincent and Grace didn’t really want to catch the flying rolls…they were too hot…but they loved munching on the fried okra!  The servers gave them a toy to keep them occupied while waiting on our food.  It was a very real-looking mouse that jumped out of a box!

Here are some of the kids on Thursday morning right before our last Bible school time.

When Vincent found out that Youth Camp was over and we were going home, he didn’t want to take any more pictures…he was so sad!  He wants to live at the beach!  (Grace didn’t realize yet that we were packing up to leave).

When we got home this afternoon, Grace was so exhausted.  It was really a rough schedule with lots of activity and very little time to rest and nap.  But, she was so happy (most of the time!) and I know that she made lots of fun memories.  She already misses her cousin Vincent and was disappointed that he wasn’t at granddaddy’s house when we arrived home!

Monday Milestones

Grace and I are leaving on Monday morning for our trip to Orange Beach with my dad’s Youth Group, so I’m writing and posting this on Sunday night.

As of tonight, I’ve lost three pounds this week.  That brings my total weight loss to 49 pounds in 19 weeks. 

Since my 30-Day Shred challenge ended a few days ago, I’ve done a pretty good job of maintaining my workout routine, but this week will be harder since we’re on vacation!  However, I’m determined to get out and walk on the beach a lot this week.  And maybe even use the treadmill in the hotel gym. 

I had a monthly medical check-up on Friday, and my vitals continue to look great.  My doctor is very encouraging and has really been a positive motivator on this journey to healthier living.  She helped me set some weight goals and kept on stressing that things will slow down as I get closer.  I’m prepared for that.  As I’ve said before, my bigger goal is to be healthy and change my lifestyle.  I’m not going to get hung up on a number on the scale.  (Although that reinforcement is nice, too!). 

My goal this week is to simply maintain my weight and get as much exercise as possible while on vacation!

Safe Travels

Grace and I got to my parents’ home safely last night!  It took about nine hours, and Grace did great in the car.  She watched movies, read books, played with her dolls, and sang with some CD’s.  No sleeping, though!  She crashed pretty hard when it was bedtime, completely happy after seeing her grandparents.

We’ve been busy so far today…mom and I got up early and walked for about 45 minutes, then did Level 1 of The Shred together.  It was nice to have an exercise partner!  Then we got ready and went to…where else?…Wal-Mart!  And…wait for it…the Dollar Tree and Shoe Station!  Anyone surprised?  Bargain shopping is our favorite thing to do!  We picked up a few $1 things for our upcoming beach trip (sunglasses, floaties, flip-flops) and a few grocery items.

We ate lunch at our favorite restaurant, The Phoenician Cafe.  We enjoyed whole wheat pitas with hummus for an appetizer, then ordered a dish called Chicken Gabriel.  Oh, boy.  It was this tender, delectable grilled chicken over a vegetable rice pilaf with a light and spicy cream sauce.  There was a side of roasted zucchini, squash, broccoli, and cauliflower with herbs.  It also came with a small side salad with oil/vinegar and a sprinkle of feta cheese.  Everything was heavenly…the best meal I’ve eaten in months!  It was a “heart healthy” choice on the menu, so the calories/fat were quite reasonable, too. 

There was all this glorious Phoenician food, and Grace just drank a Sprite.  She was less than thrilled that her pita pizza arrived without cheese (annoying dairy-free diet!), so she just watched us eat and chomped on her ice.

Tomorrow we are worshipping in the church where my dad is pastor, then Monday we are leaving for Orange Beach! 

Preschooler Quote of the Day

Grace:  “Mama, I love granddaddy, don’t I?”

Me:  “Yes, we all love granddaddy.”

Grace:  “He’s so sweet.  He lives with Mimi, doesn’t he?”

Me:  “Yes, they are married and they live together, remember?  Right by granddaddy’s church.”

Grace:  “Well that’s perfect!  Because I want to go see both of them!”

Grace and I are leaving in the morning to visit my parents.  (Unfortunately, Todd has to work and go on a business trip.)  The long-awaited, much-anticipated, answering-fifty-questions-a-day-about-it trip is finally here!  And I’ve still got so much to do to get ready to leave including:

• wash clothes
• pack clothes
• pack books, movies, toys, exercise stuff
• pack food/snacks
• pack toiletries
• fully charge and pack the camera, cell phone, DVD player, and laptop
• pack stuff for the beach (floaties, towels, beach toys, etc.)
• load the car
• vacuum/sweep
• cook and freeze meat for Todd’s meals for while we’re gone
• pick up a prescription at the pharmacy
• make sure I leave everything clean (kitchen, bathrooms, etc.)
• clean out stuff Todd won’t eat in the fridge so I don’t come home to science experiments
• get a good night’s sleep before driving 9 hours tomorrow!

I’ve got a monthly check-up appointment first thing in the morning with my doctor, then we’ll be off!  Now I’d better get off the computer and get to packing.  Hopefully when I post tomorrow I’ll be showing pictures of Grace and me with my folks!

30-Day Shred – Day 30

I made it!  I’m officially a Shredhead!  The past several weeks have started to convert me into a person that (somewhat) enjoys exercise.  Actually, I enjoy what exercise does for me.  I still hate to sweat, but I’ve learned that it’s worth it!  

Anyway, on to the results.  I’m notating my body measurement changes over the past 30 days.  I’m not publishing my real measurements for two reasons:

1. I’m not that brave.
2. Since each woman is so different, I’m not sure it’s wise to compare yourself to my measurements, but I think it’s worth sharing my changes over the past 30 days to show that The Shred WORKS!

Body Part	Measurement
Neck	lost 1 1/2 inches
Left bicep	lost 1 inch
Right bicep	lost 1 inch
Chest	lost 2 1/2 inches
Rib cage	lost 1 1/2 inches
Waist	lost 1 1/2 inches
Hips	lost 2 inches
Left thigh	lost 1 inch
Right thigh	lost 1 inch
WEIGHT	lost 8 pounds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In summary, over the past 30 days of doing The Shred and treadmill work (I worked out 27/30 days), I lost 8 pounds, 13 inches, and 1 dress size.  Although I’ve shredded inches all over, the most dramatic change has taken place in my upper body around my neck and chest. 

 

I totally recommend Jillian’s workout.  I hope to eventually build up my endurance to the point that I can work Level 3 into the rotation.  Ideally, I would like to do The Shred 3-4 days a week, at least once on each level. 

 

*Note:  Jillian is CRAZY, so if you have knee problems, or any other physical reason why you are not able to jump or bounce, you will not be able to do any of the three levels in their entirety.  As the levels progress, so does the amount of jumping and stress on the joints.  Of course, many of these exercises can be modified, but much of the fat-burning potential will be lost.

 

Overall, I’m so glad I did this!  And although I probably won’t continue to do it EVERY day, I really want to maintain this new muscle.  It will help my body burn calories more efficiently and lose inches faster. 

 

Thanks for following me on this journey, and I’ll continue to update my progress maintaining my workout routine on my weekly Monday Milestones posts.  I sure have appreciated the encouragement and support I’ve gotten from my family, friends, and blogosphere!

Apparently math skills are not a pre-requisite for this job…

Today I went to Albertson’s grocery store to pick up a few items.  My total was $13.41.  I always like to get rid of change if possible (especially pennies), but I didn’t have the exact .41, so I gave the cashier $20.01. 

She took my money, then held up the penny and asked, “Did you mean to give me this?”  I said, “Yes, I like to get rid of my pennies.”  She continued to hold the penny with a puzzled look on her face, examined the total price again, then looked back at me.  I felt further explanation was needed, so I smiled and said, “I would rather get back $6.60 than $6.59.”  She shrugged her shoulders and punched $20.01 into the cash register.  When the amount of change was displayed on the register, she had an “Ah-ha!” moment.  “Oh, that’s so cool!” she exclaimed, happily giving me my change. 

Yes, it’s “cool” to be able to add and subtract.

Works For Me Wednesday – Shoe Box Surprises

We Are THAT Family is hosting a “Mom-I’m Bored” carnival today for all those moms that are suddenly finding themselves with kids out of school and not much to do! 

Here’s my little trick.  I have a couple of old shoeboxes that I keep hidden in the kitchen cabinet.  When I am out and about at the Dollar Store or the $1 Target bins or the $1 Michael’s bins, sometimes I’ll run across cute little craft/art projects or books or toys that I’ll sneak in the cart and purchase.  When I get home, I hide them in the shoebox, then pull it back out at those times when my daughter is “bored.”

She is always delighted and stays entertained for a while!  Last Saturday, when I was browsing through the Michael’s $1 bins, I realized that everything was 50% off!  I got some fun stuff for 50 cents each including:  paint-by-number, make-your-own bracelet, diary with matching pen, phonics flashcards, puzzles, and stickers. 

For more ideas, head over to the carnival, bookmark the site, then pull it up when you need some fresh ideas!

30-Day Shred – Day 28

I babysat all day today, so I didn’t get my workout in until after Grace’s bedtime.  I did 45 minutes on the treadmill (and bumped it up a notch on the incline), then I did Level 2 of The Shred.

Only TWO more days!  Then I still keep going…

30-Day Shred – Day 27

I did my 45-minute treadmill work this morning, then put off The Shred because I was actually dreading it for some reason.  Maybe the lunges?  Anyway, when Grace went down for a nap I knew it was then or never, so I rolled out my exercise mat and grabbed my hand weights. 

I decided to do Level 2 today and I even managed to add in a few “Natalie” moves.  Probably because my mom informed me this morning that she was following Natalie, and the competitive side of me decided that I couldn’t be outdone by my own mom, although I wish her all the success in the world!  She also informed me that she was RUNNING, which almost made me choke on my morning coffee.  Before this, I thought the only thing that could make my mom run was a cockroach sighting, but apparently Jillian has the same effect! 

Monday Milestones

 

This was an encouraging week for me.  I utilized Calorie Count and kept a really good record on their food journal.  It analyzed my diet and told me exactly how much protein, fat, fiber, etc. I was eating and gave recommendations to improve.  For example, I was trying to eat at least 60 grams of lean protein every day, but the nutritionist recommended 80 grams to help maintain the muscle I am gaining from The Shred!  The nutritionist also said I wasn’t eating enough calories, so I bumped up from around 1200 to about 1500 per day. 

When I weighed in this morning, I had lost 2 pounds, which brings my total to 46 pounds in 18 weeks. 

My Shred challenge will be finished on Thursday, and I really want to keep a good thing going, so I’m joining another 30-day exercise challenge with my blog friend Kim, which starts today.  Her challenge is to get at least 30 minutes of activity in each day through walking, running, aerobics, weight training, basically anything that gets your heart pumping.  She’ll be using her new Wii EA Sports Active game.  If you want to gain some accountability in your exercise routine (which totally works for me), go join in the challenge!

Grace and I are leaving for Mimi and Granddaddy’s house this Friday (woo-hoo!) for a short visit before we head to Orange Beach, AL for Youth Camp!  Unfortunately Todd can’t go because he has an education conference in Austin, but Grace and I will enjoy the time with family, friends, and good biblical teaching.  Because several of the camp speakers and counselors have young children, I’ll be helping to coordinate a mini-Vacation Bible School for the preschoolers.  I did it last year, and it was a lot of fun, and this year we’ll have twice as many kiddos! 

Our family will spend the majority of June traveling around the Southeast to visit relatives (that’s what happens when the closest family member lives 9 hours away).  But, although that means I won’t be able to do The Shred every day, my goal is to get SOME sort of daily activity in over the next few weeks. 

Also, traveling to visit relatives presents challenges with what I eat.  I want to be appreciative of the hospitality we receive, but I also don’t want to “fall off the horse” so to speak with my diet.  The key for me this summer will be bringing plenty of my HMR shakes and entrees on the road and using portion control when I choose to eat something that is provided.  If I can get home in July without gaining any weight, that will be good enough for me.