Pat had the following conversation with Megan in the car on the way to the eye doctor. Seriously, she cracks me up sometimes.
The DJ on the car radio was talking to people who had undergone surgery for amputation. A gentleman called in who mentioned he had to have a leg amputated after he was wounded in the Gulf War.
Megan: Daddy, that guy had to have his leg cut off when he played golf. But, you play golf.
Pat: No Megan, he was hurt in the War, the Gulf War and had to have his leg amputated because of the injury.
Megan: How did he get home then, hop?
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
30 Day Challenge
A few weeks ago I won a copy of EA Sports Active for the Wii from my buds over at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. One of the stipulations of the contest was the participation in the 30 Day Challenge that it set to begin on Aug 31. As a participant in the 30 Day Challenge, here is my profile for The Sisterhood:
30 Day Challenge Profile
Name: Sue
Age: 37
Hometown: Olney MD
Family: Me, Hubby, 3 energetic girls (8, 5, & 1) and 1 large black lab (she's a girl too)
1) Complete the following sentence – “When I look in the mirror I see a woman in her late 30's who is running out of time to get in better shape.
2) What exercise do you take? What’s your current level of fitness? I walk and play with my girls, as well as hit the gym a few days a week. I love the elliptical machine as well as using the weight machines.
3) How do you relax? I wish I could say reading, but I rarely have the mental energy to read on the rare occasion I have the actual time to. Usually, I sit in front of the TV or flip through a magazine.
4) Do you watch your weight? I have always watched my weight. It has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. Of course, sometimes I don't watch it as well as I could :).
5) What’s your favorite body part? Since I'm still nursing my little one, at the moment, I love my boobs.
6) What’s your least favorite body part? without a hesitation, my booty! I am a pear shape with some definite junk in my trunk.
7) What’s your favorite way to workout? I like the fact that I can get a great cardio workout on the elliptical. I don't have a ton of time to workout, so I can hit the gym, spend 30 or so min on the elliptical, then spend some time on the weighs and be out of there in an hour.
Its time to work out, we’re most likely to find you decked out in? Exercise Capri's and an old t-shirt.
9) You’re due to workout, but it’s pouring rain. What do you do? I go anyway, I'll only be wet walking from my car to the gym, no biggie!
10) What’s the one item you wouldn’t be without when working out? Water!
11) What do you hope to get from the 30 Day Challenge? I hope to get myself into a better pattern of working out and increase my stamina for longer periods of cardio activity.
12) What are you apprehensive about going in? Being able to find the time every day to work out. September is my busiest time at work (I'm a high school counselor) and my kids exhaust me and don't let me have much time to myself.
13) How will you reward yourself after the challenge? thinking about a girls weekend or a massage.
14) Complete the following sentence – “I’m Active for … me and my girls!”
30 Day Challenge Profile
Name: Sue
Age: 37
Hometown: Olney MD
Family: Me, Hubby, 3 energetic girls (8, 5, & 1) and 1 large black lab (she's a girl too)
1) Complete the following sentence – “When I look in the mirror I see a woman in her late 30's who is running out of time to get in better shape.
2) What exercise do you take? What’s your current level of fitness? I walk and play with my girls, as well as hit the gym a few days a week. I love the elliptical machine as well as using the weight machines.
3) How do you relax? I wish I could say reading, but I rarely have the mental energy to read on the rare occasion I have the actual time to. Usually, I sit in front of the TV or flip through a magazine.
4) Do you watch your weight? I have always watched my weight. It has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. Of course, sometimes I don't watch it as well as I could :).
5) What’s your favorite body part? Since I'm still nursing my little one, at the moment, I love my boobs.
6) What’s your least favorite body part? without a hesitation, my booty! I am a pear shape with some definite junk in my trunk.
7) What’s your favorite way to workout? I like the fact that I can get a great cardio workout on the elliptical. I don't have a ton of time to workout, so I can hit the gym, spend 30 or so min on the elliptical, then spend some time on the weighs and be out of there in an hour.
Its time to work out, we’re most likely to find you decked out in? Exercise Capri's and an old t-shirt.
9) You’re due to workout, but it’s pouring rain. What do you do? I go anyway, I'll only be wet walking from my car to the gym, no biggie!
10) What’s the one item you wouldn’t be without when working out? Water!
11) What do you hope to get from the 30 Day Challenge? I hope to get myself into a better pattern of working out and increase my stamina for longer periods of cardio activity.
12) What are you apprehensive about going in? Being able to find the time every day to work out. September is my busiest time at work (I'm a high school counselor) and my kids exhaust me and don't let me have much time to myself.
13) How will you reward yourself after the challenge? thinking about a girls weekend or a massage.
14) Complete the following sentence – “I’m Active for … me and my girls!”
Saturday, August 22, 2009
It's a jungle out there
Literally!
Remember in the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch when the mad scientist is describing his Experiment 626 (Stitch) and how he was designed for mass destruction? Well, that is Emma. She is absolutely adorable, yet thoroughly destructive. She is the most daring, destructive an inquisitive of our three girls.
I feel like I am constantly going around and picking things up. She figured out how to pull the Child-safety caps off of the electrical outlets on her first try...months ago! When the other girls attempted to mess with them I'd yell, maybe a slight swat on the hand and a firm NO! and they never touched them again. Emma is attracted to them and is constantly messing with them. We must now upgrade to a more secure plug cover
Here you see how she has learned how to climb up on the chairs in the kitchen.
She managed to push the chair from the desk area over to the island, and then proceeded to push everything onto the floor.
If she had enough upper body strength, she would have probably climbed up onto the island.
She figured out how to climb on the table. She pulls herself up on the bench and then right up onto the table ALL.THE.TIME! Yesterday we moved the bench to the basement where it will have to stay for probably another year. We don't have enough matching chairs for the kitchen table at the moment, but it will have to do. Now if I can just get the big girls to push in their chairs, we should be able to keep Emma off of the table
I love to garden. It is a love that I inherited from my mother. Ever since I can remember she has toiled in her garden, planting tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, zucchini, herbs and I'm sure plenty of other things I'm forgetting. As a child she often let us plant our own beds to tend throughout the summer.
Well, in my adulthood, I have managed to continue the gardening bug. At each house we have owned, Pat and I have built a raised garden bed to make it easier to garden (our soil is so full of clay, it makes it hard to grow anything but weeds sometimes).
I don't know what happens to my garden every year. I start out with my plants so carefully spaced and end up with a raging jungle. I weed and tend, but the plants get out of control. 
Here you see them growing up and over the railing of the staircase to the basement door. This year, I planted even less seedlings than I normally do and I still have a mess. Part of the problem is that my cherry tomatoes keep re-seeding themselves and I can't bring myself to pull the volunteer plants out. We even have some tomato plants growing in the grass and at the bottom of the stairs to the basement!
Here you see them growing up and over the railing of the staircase to the basement door. This year, I planted even less seedlings than I normally do and I still have a mess. Part of the problem is that my cherry tomatoes keep re-seeding themselves and I can't bring myself to pull the volunteer plants out. We even have some tomato plants growing in the grass and at the bottom of the stairs to the basement!
Here are a few pictures of my garden about a week ago. One of the cherry tomato plants is starting to die and the zucchini is on it's last legs(Pat actually pulled out the zucchini plants about 2 days after I took the picture).
It might be messy, but it produces such yummy fruit
Friday, August 21, 2009
Stubborn
Megan, my middle child, is a stubborn child. I love her to death, but she will kill me I am sure! She is a creature of habit and has serious issues if things do not go her way. She is predictable in an unpredictable way. Or maybe I mean that the other way around. I never know when she is going to act up, but she usually does, but sometimes doesn't when I thought she would. Confused yet? Me too.
We finished daycare for her back in June and she was slated for 2 weeks of summer camp to begin the transition to being a "big girl" and getting ready for Kindergarten in the fall. Her older sister LOVES camp and looks forward to any camp experience with abandon. Megan, on the other hand, had convinced herself before even setting foot at the camp that it sucked and she didn't want to go. Well, she had no choice, "Mommy has to work and I've already paid for camp."
The first day of camp was a rough drop off for my dear husband. when I picked her up and asked her about her day, she melted and said she hated it (not a surprise). She told me she wasn't going to swim the next day at the pool either. When I picked her up on day two and asked her if she had fun, she told me no (meanwhile there was a teeny tiny smile on her face). The rest of the two weeks continued like that. I am pretty sure she had some fun, but would never admit to it and complain ALL. THE. TIME.
Then we began swim lessons. I wrote about it here. It was pure torture. I've discovered that this stubborn kid cannot be swayed easily at all.
Two weeks ago, my girls were invited by their Aunt to attend a week long evening Vacation Bible School at their church with their cousins. Sarah was on board as soon as it was mentioned. Megan wasn't sure. I didn't push it. They were having a party to kick off the program and Megan agreed, to my surprise, to go. She came home talking about moon bounces and games. On Monday, I asked her if she wanted to go and she said she would (not enthusiastically though). It was a little different when she came home that night, there was no moon bounce or Popsicles. I asked her if she had fun and was told,. "NO". I let her know that she didn't have to go again if she didn't want to and left it at that.
Tuesday night, I was hurrying Sarah along in getting ready to go when I asked Megan if she wanted to go. To my surprise, she said yes. Huh? Really? OK, lets go!
When she got home that evening I ask, "Megan, did you have fun?"
Looking down at the floor with a disappointed face, she sheepishly said "Yes".
We finished daycare for her back in June and she was slated for 2 weeks of summer camp to begin the transition to being a "big girl" and getting ready for Kindergarten in the fall. Her older sister LOVES camp and looks forward to any camp experience with abandon. Megan, on the other hand, had convinced herself before even setting foot at the camp that it sucked and she didn't want to go. Well, she had no choice, "Mommy has to work and I've already paid for camp."
The first day of camp was a rough drop off for my dear husband. when I picked her up and asked her about her day, she melted and said she hated it (not a surprise). She told me she wasn't going to swim the next day at the pool either. When I picked her up on day two and asked her if she had fun, she told me no (meanwhile there was a teeny tiny smile on her face). The rest of the two weeks continued like that. I am pretty sure she had some fun, but would never admit to it and complain ALL. THE. TIME.
Then we began swim lessons. I wrote about it here. It was pure torture. I've discovered that this stubborn kid cannot be swayed easily at all.
Two weeks ago, my girls were invited by their Aunt to attend a week long evening Vacation Bible School at their church with their cousins. Sarah was on board as soon as it was mentioned. Megan wasn't sure. I didn't push it. They were having a party to kick off the program and Megan agreed, to my surprise, to go. She came home talking about moon bounces and games. On Monday, I asked her if she wanted to go and she said she would (not enthusiastically though). It was a little different when she came home that night, there was no moon bounce or Popsicles. I asked her if she had fun and was told,. "NO". I let her know that she didn't have to go again if she didn't want to and left it at that.
Tuesday night, I was hurrying Sarah along in getting ready to go when I asked Megan if she wanted to go. To my surprise, she said yes. Huh? Really? OK, lets go!
When she got home that evening I ask, "Megan, did you have fun?"
Looking down at the floor with a disappointed face, she sheepishly said "Yes".
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday Weigh-In
Holding pretty steady for now. I did put on .8 lbs this week, but I don't care too much about that...It's just a number, right!
I am back at work this week and like 5 people have commented on how great I look. I don't think it is that noticeable, but I'll take what ever compliment I can get.
I do need to work on a schedule for getting my butt to the gym now that I' back to work and school is starting soon. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up a decent routine. The start of the school year is so busy, both personally and professionally, that it will be tough.
I am back at work this week and like 5 people have commented on how great I look. I don't think it is that noticeable, but I'll take what ever compliment I can get.
I do need to work on a schedule for getting my butt to the gym now that I' back to work and school is starting soon. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up a decent routine. The start of the school year is so busy, both personally and professionally, that it will be tough.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Stitch
Remember in the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch when the mad scientist is describing his Experiment 626 (Stitch) and how he was designed for mass destruction? Well, that is Emma. She is absolutely adorable, yet thoroughly destructive. She is the most daring, destructive an inquisitive of our three girls.
I feel like I am constantly going around and picking things up. She figured out how to pull the Child-safety caps off of the electrical outlets on her first try...months ago! When the other girls attempted to mess with them I'd yell, maybe a slight swat on the hand and a firm NO! and they never touched them again. Emma is attracted to them and is constantly messing with them. We must now upgrade to a more secure plug cover
Here you see how she has learned how to climb up on the chairs in the kitchen.
She managed to push the chair from the desk area over to the island, and then proceeded to push everything onto the floor.
If she had enough upper body strength, she would have probably climbed up onto the island.
She figured out how to climb on the table. She pulls herself up on the bench and then right up onto the table ALL.THE.TIME! Yesterday we moved the bench to the basement where it will have to stay for probably another year. We don't have enough matching chairs for the kitchen table at the moment, but it will have to do. Now if I can just get the big girls to push in their chairs, we should be able to keep Emma off of the table
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday Weigh-In
I’ve been doing a Low-Carb diet for a smidge over a week now. It is hard, but it has gotten easier. I never realized how much my diet consisted of carbs until I couldn't eat them. I miss my milk products (thank goodness I can have the cream for my coffee though-go figure) and crunch snacks and FRUIT! It is weird not to be able to just pick up what I want and eat it with moderation (what I've been used to). I can say that right before I started this two-week program, I had regained a few pounds I had lost. So total I've lost (doing low carb) 7.6 lbs, but since last weigh-in 4.8.
I am very pleased with the results. There were a few days where I re-gained a pound and I think it was because I ate too many tomatoes (they are a fruit after all.) I can have some, but not the amount I was eating. My garden has been pumping out the tomatoes, especially the super sweet and yummy cherry tomatoes that I’ve been eating a ton of daily!
As of this morning, I’ve lost 11lbs since I started checking in with the folks at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. It has been a slow process, but I am thrilled to have FINALLY earned my 10lb button!
I am SO THRILLED to have won a copy of EA Sports Active for the Wii through the Sisterood and will now be particpating in the next challenge beginning Sept 1!!
I am very pleased with the results. There were a few days where I re-gained a pound and I think it was because I ate too many tomatoes (they are a fruit after all.) I can have some, but not the amount I was eating. My garden has been pumping out the tomatoes, especially the super sweet and yummy cherry tomatoes that I’ve been eating a ton of daily!
As of this morning, I’ve lost 11lbs since I started checking in with the folks at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. It has been a slow process, but I am thrilled to have FINALLY earned my 10lb button!
I am SO THRILLED to have won a copy of EA Sports Active for the Wii through the Sisterood and will now be particpating in the next challenge beginning Sept 1!!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Two weeks
My weight loss journey has brought me back to where I was before my vacation almost 2weeks ago! But I feel as though I have hit a wall. My girlfriend at work has been frustrted that she hasn't lost all her "baby weight" either. She has encouraged me to do a 2week low carb diet to jump start things.
I've never been a fan of the low carb or fad diets, but I figured it couldn't hurt. This is day two and it has been pretty manageable. Except for the fact that we had dinner at my parents and I couldn't even eat the dishes I brought (Zucchini casserole and a peach tart). The plan is to do this for 2 weeks and that slowly and MODERATLEY return carbs back into a reasonable and low fat diet. We shall see. I'll keep you posted.
I've never been a fan of the low carb or fad diets, but I figured it couldn't hurt. This is day two and it has been pretty manageable. Except for the fact that we had dinner at my parents and I couldn't even eat the dishes I brought (Zucchini casserole and a peach tart). The plan is to do this for 2 weeks and that slowly and MODERATLEY return carbs back into a reasonable and low fat diet. We shall see. I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
outer banks
Our week vacation was incredible. We spent the week at the very end of the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Hatteras Island. Believe me, it was not an easy trip to make (it took 12 hours when it should have only been 7), but well worth it.
We have vacationed on the outer banks once before, and loved it then. But, to be honest, living only 2 hours away from the Delaware beaches, it's very hard to find the rational for driving such a long distance.
Well, last week totally reminded me why it's worth it. The beach house was amazing. 6 bedrooms and plenty of living space. Unless it's meal time, you didn't even realize that there were 23 people living in the house. We had a large bedroom and our own bathroom. Emma slept with us, but the big girls slept dorm style with the other kids on bunks down stairs. There were plenty of TVs and a pool table on the bottom floor. I was able to get some reading done on the decks and the loft area. A bonus was that the house (as many here have) had a pool. It was not large, but it worked for us and the kids. Megan, who has never been a beach bum, enjoyed hanging out at the pool (especially since we got her a life vest to wear..she can now swim all over the place). Emma enjoyed both the beach and the pool. She showed no fear of the water and actually enjoyed digging in the sand as much as she liked jumping into the pool. I swear, she thinks she can swim and tried to squirm out of my arms all the time. She wanted no parts of her "baby float" but wants to swim like the big kids.
The beach was awesome. It is actually part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. There are not a gazillion people around and you don't have to worry about someone stealing your prime spot on the beach. One drawback is that there is also no lifeguard (something I do wish we had, especially with the rip current that seemed to hang around for a few days mid-week). On Wednesday, the water was so clear, it was amazing. You would have though we were in Florida or the Bahamas. I tried to capture it with a few pictures, but I am not sure that it really translates the way it should. The kids all had such a ball trying to catch the fish that you could see swimming in the tide. Amazing!
The company was wonderful. We managed to get invited to join a group of Pat's family that goes on vacation every year. The group includes Pat's Uncle Ralph and Aunt Ann, their two kids, Dee and Dennis along with their families, us and my in laws. The boyfriend of Dennis' oldest daughter and the girlfriend and Dee's oldest son were there as well. It made for 23 people total. I know that sounds like a daunting group, but it really wasn't bad at all. We already knew that we got along well with everyone, we had just never been together for longer than a day with any of them. What helped is that all the kids seem to get along as well. There were a few squabbles, but they were usually between siblings.
All in all, it was a great vacation and we would absolutely do it again, if we are invited back. Pat and I have spent the last week trying to figure out if we can afford to do both a Delaware trip (and include my mom) as well as an Outer Banks one. If we start saving now, we just might be able to do it.
We have vacationed on the outer banks once before, and loved it then. But, to be honest, living only 2 hours away from the Delaware beaches, it's very hard to find the rational for driving such a long distance.
Well, last week totally reminded me why it's worth it. The beach house was amazing. 6 bedrooms and plenty of living space. Unless it's meal time, you didn't even realize that there were 23 people living in the house. We had a large bedroom and our own bathroom. Emma slept with us, but the big girls slept dorm style with the other kids on bunks down stairs. There were plenty of TVs and a pool table on the bottom floor. I was able to get some reading done on the decks and the loft area. A bonus was that the house (as many here have) had a pool. It was not large, but it worked for us and the kids. Megan, who has never been a beach bum, enjoyed hanging out at the pool (especially since we got her a life vest to wear..she can now swim all over the place). Emma enjoyed both the beach and the pool. She showed no fear of the water and actually enjoyed digging in the sand as much as she liked jumping into the pool. I swear, she thinks she can swim and tried to squirm out of my arms all the time. She wanted no parts of her "baby float" but wants to swim like the big kids.
The beach was awesome. It is actually part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. There are not a gazillion people around and you don't have to worry about someone stealing your prime spot on the beach. One drawback is that there is also no lifeguard (something I do wish we had, especially with the rip current that seemed to hang around for a few days mid-week). On Wednesday, the water was so clear, it was amazing. You would have though we were in Florida or the Bahamas. I tried to capture it with a few pictures, but I am not sure that it really translates the way it should. The kids all had such a ball trying to catch the fish that you could see swimming in the tide. Amazing!
The company was wonderful. We managed to get invited to join a group of Pat's family that goes on vacation every year. The group includes Pat's Uncle Ralph and Aunt Ann, their two kids, Dee and Dennis along with their families, us and my in laws. The boyfriend of Dennis' oldest daughter and the girlfriend and Dee's oldest son were there as well. It made for 23 people total. I know that sounds like a daunting group, but it really wasn't bad at all. We already knew that we got along well with everyone, we had just never been together for longer than a day with any of them. What helped is that all the kids seem to get along as well. There were a few squabbles, but they were usually between siblings.
All in all, it was a great vacation and we would absolutely do it again, if we are invited back. Pat and I have spent the last week trying to figure out if we can afford to do both a Delaware trip (and include my mom) as well as an Outer Banks one. If we start saving now, we just might be able to do it.
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