I am excited about tomorrow! The weather is supposed to clear up and we'll actually get to go outside and do something! I think that we will boil the eggs for dyeing first thing in the morning and then we will head over to school parking lot for bike riding!
Typically, my kids are allowed to go play in the rain if they choose. And they usually choose to do so. However, with myself, Joe and Sam a little sick, I wasn't going to chance us going out in cold rain to play. Joe and I seem to be on the mend, but Sam just can't kick his cold. This poor kid seems to have the nose that runs forever.
Sammy was so excited because he won two of the Candy Land games that we played today. I lost all of them, and not on purpose! I got smoked!
We've done lots of puzzles and coloring the last few days, but I really want to get out and do something outside. My kids just have too much energy to be stuck in such a small space inside. Even with really competitive games of Simon Says, we just need more movement than our little house will allow.
Here's to tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Spring break
This week is our official spring break. Joe doesn't go back to school until the 6th and Tom doesn't go back until the 7th. In other words, lots of time home with Mommy. That's okay. I've got a plan. Of course, that was before Joe got sick on Saturday and I am under the weather a bit as well. Joe is better today, but I may be down the rest of today. We'll see.
Our plans for this week include dyeing eggs, making lollipops, Air and Space Museum, library, picnic in the park, a hike, and bike riding. My mom bought the boys some new bicycles so they have something to ride. They will be decorating them and riding in the Long Boats Estate Easter parade on Sunday. They had a lot of fun riding in it last year so we'll do it again this year.
We will be adjusting our plans according to the weather and sickness, but overall, we'll be doing something just about everyday. I'm looking forward to an enjoyable week.
Our plans for this week include dyeing eggs, making lollipops, Air and Space Museum, library, picnic in the park, a hike, and bike riding. My mom bought the boys some new bicycles so they have something to ride. They will be decorating them and riding in the Long Boats Estate Easter parade on Sunday. They had a lot of fun riding in it last year so we'll do it again this year.
We will be adjusting our plans according to the weather and sickness, but overall, we'll be doing something just about everyday. I'm looking forward to an enjoyable week.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The house that built me
I heard a song yesterday for the first time. It actually made me tear up a bit, which is sorta odd as I never react to songs that way. The song is called "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert. (If you want to hear the song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlXpUhAWRWs )
I grew up on a farm in Southeastern Ohio. When I was about 3 years old, my dad started building our house. (Before he started, we lived in a converted two car garage). It took nine years of every spare moment of good weather for my dad to build our house. We lived in the completed house for only about a year before my dad lost his job. He could only find a job in Indiana, about 8 hours away. For about 6 months, he drove home every weekend, but as soon as school was out for the summer, we moved.
The move was pretty hard on me. Besides the house, there was the farm. I went on a school trip about 1 month before moving and my mom gave away my horse. I didn't even know she was going to do that. There had been some talk of moving my horse with us and boarding her. I spent almost every waking moment outside. The woods, fields, streams, barn...where ever. Even when I was supposed to be in my room, I would sneak out the window and take off.
I miss how I used to feel on the farm. I am not a "crowds" kind of person. I like more open space. So when Miranda Lambert sings about feeling broken and thinking that a trip back to the house that she grew up in... I get it.
I grew up on a farm in Southeastern Ohio. When I was about 3 years old, my dad started building our house. (Before he started, we lived in a converted two car garage). It took nine years of every spare moment of good weather for my dad to build our house. We lived in the completed house for only about a year before my dad lost his job. He could only find a job in Indiana, about 8 hours away. For about 6 months, he drove home every weekend, but as soon as school was out for the summer, we moved.
The move was pretty hard on me. Besides the house, there was the farm. I went on a school trip about 1 month before moving and my mom gave away my horse. I didn't even know she was going to do that. There had been some talk of moving my horse with us and boarding her. I spent almost every waking moment outside. The woods, fields, streams, barn...where ever. Even when I was supposed to be in my room, I would sneak out the window and take off.
I miss how I used to feel on the farm. I am not a "crowds" kind of person. I like more open space. So when Miranda Lambert sings about feeling broken and thinking that a trip back to the house that she grew up in... I get it.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A night away and a misplaced purse
So, we decided to use our gift certificate that we won during the silent auction on Friday. I called very early in the week and got a reservation. My parents agree to babysit, but we had to drop off and pick up. I drove the kids over on Friday and then drove straight back. I really dislike doing that, but I was pressed for time. I checked into the hotel before picking Jay up from work. It seemed like a very nice place and the room seemed nice, though it was right next to the ice machine and the closet room to the elevator.
I picked Jay up and we went to Hellas in Millersville for dinner. Jay had gotten a gift certificate to this restaurant for Christmas from work. We'd never eaten there, but I think we will go back. I'd looked online prior to going and had seen rave reviews about their crab cakes. Jay and I each had crab bisque for a starter and Jay gave me the side salad that came with his entree. I would have been just fine with that. Unfortunately, I'd already ordered before eating my starters. I ordered a crab cake sandwich and Jay ordered a steak, topped with a crab cake and cream of crab. The crab cakes were very very close to the size of a standard softball. Holy Cow! Excellent food, but there was just no no way I could have eaten it all. I only made it through about 1/2 my sandwich and none of the fries. My sandwich was so tall that even after squishing it down, I couldn't fit it in my mouth. Jay made it through his main dish, but didn't even touch his mashed potatoes.
Our air conditioner started squealing in our room so we couldn't have it on. The hotel was full so we couldn't move. It was very warm and hard to sleep. It seemed like ever time I would drift off to sleep, a very loud group of guys would get off the elevator, talk very loudly in the hall for awhile and then get back on. These guys would come around about every 45 min to a hour with their last visit around 3 in the morning. I didn't get much sleep. Still, a night away is a night away.
Jay and I filled the trailer with stuff and took it to our storage building over by my parents house. We ate dinner there and brought our kids home. Of course, I discovered that I had left my purse at my mom's house. While I can live without my cell phone, I have a hard time living without money and a check book. I am really irritated at myself for leaving the purse and now I have to drive all the way back over there to get it. 3 trips in 3 days. Yuck!
I picked Jay up and we went to Hellas in Millersville for dinner. Jay had gotten a gift certificate to this restaurant for Christmas from work. We'd never eaten there, but I think we will go back. I'd looked online prior to going and had seen rave reviews about their crab cakes. Jay and I each had crab bisque for a starter and Jay gave me the side salad that came with his entree. I would have been just fine with that. Unfortunately, I'd already ordered before eating my starters. I ordered a crab cake sandwich and Jay ordered a steak, topped with a crab cake and cream of crab. The crab cakes were very very close to the size of a standard softball. Holy Cow! Excellent food, but there was just no no way I could have eaten it all. I only made it through about 1/2 my sandwich and none of the fries. My sandwich was so tall that even after squishing it down, I couldn't fit it in my mouth. Jay made it through his main dish, but didn't even touch his mashed potatoes.
Our air conditioner started squealing in our room so we couldn't have it on. The hotel was full so we couldn't move. It was very warm and hard to sleep. It seemed like ever time I would drift off to sleep, a very loud group of guys would get off the elevator, talk very loudly in the hall for awhile and then get back on. These guys would come around about every 45 min to a hour with their last visit around 3 in the morning. I didn't get much sleep. Still, a night away is a night away.
Jay and I filled the trailer with stuff and took it to our storage building over by my parents house. We ate dinner there and brought our kids home. Of course, I discovered that I had left my purse at my mom's house. While I can live without my cell phone, I have a hard time living without money and a check book. I am really irritated at myself for leaving the purse and now I have to drive all the way back over there to get it. 3 trips in 3 days. Yuck!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A long night and my diet.
Okay, so I stayed up way way way too late last night. I tried to sleep. I tried really hard for a little over an hour. Then I gave up and read instead. The biggest problem with the reading that I was doing...it's not a book I've read before. It was also interesting enough that I wasn't sleepy. Jay (who'd been asleep on the couch) came to bed around 1 and fussed at me. I thanked him for his advice (you need to go to sleep) and kept on reading. I finally forced myself to close the book at 3:03 am and turn off the light. I laid there trying to sleep until after 3:30 before finally falling asleep. Yes, yes, I know...you are tired of hearing about my sleep problems. Well, I'm tired of talking about it too, but it's a prominent part of my life right now.
Okay, so the book I'm reading...well, the book I was reading last night...Time Traveler's Wife. I was reading several books at once (which I NEVER do) and finshed Dune Messiah yesterday and TTW this morning. I enjoyed the books, but more about them later, in another post.
Okay, my diet. I got a comment and two emails about this. Here are the problems with my diet:
1) While we don't eat a lot of processed foods, they do sneak in. Things like crackers for our soup, white rice instead of brown, ketchup, salad dressing, pretty much any of the tex mex food I love, etc. None of these are good.
2) Fast food. I hate to admit it, but we eat this about once a week. Sometimes less, but still too much. None of this is good.
3) Caffine free Diet coke. I seem to have a problem with this. I drink about 2-3 cans a day. Occassionally, I cut it down to 1 and sometimes I try to give it up. When I try to go cold turkey on it, I suddenly start eating all kinds of crap, like chips and candy bars. While part of my brain says that caffine free diet coke is better than the other stuff, there is nothing good or healthy about this. I know that I will be able to kick it in Australia as the diet coke they sell has sugar in it and tastes too sweet (also has like 8 calories or something). I had some while I was there last year and hated it. Hopefully, I'll be able to break myself of this. Meanwhile, I just try to limit it to once a day.
4)Sleep. Jillian talks a lot about the sleep our bodies need. I don't get it. The End.
5) Organic. During the summer, we eat a lot more organic food than we do any other times. When stuff is not in season, we don't tend to eat organic. I just buy cheapest. Also, we don't buy organic diary or meat. I am going to try to do better now that I have read some of this book.
6) Fat free. While I eat a whole lot less of this stuff than I used to, I still do use fat free cheese and fat free salad dressing. Bad very bad... basically poison. Weight Watchers is pretty much based on eating fat free.
7) Seafood. We don't eat nearly enough of it. What we do eat, tends to be farm raised and not wild caught. Why, you ask...well, it's complicated. Wild caught is better for the environment, however, after reading article after article in National Geographic or Science News about how over-fishing is wiping out populations...I have a hard time eating wild caught.
8) Protein. We are supposed to eat protein ever 4 hours. I don't. I usually eat just a banana for breakfast and something for lunch, typically salad or soup with not much protein. I will do better. Promise
9) Breakfast. I am bad about this. I get my children a nice breakfast every day, but I eat a banana or nothing. Unless it is a weekend and Jay makes something for me.
Those are pretty much my problems.
Okay, so the book I'm reading...well, the book I was reading last night...Time Traveler's Wife. I was reading several books at once (which I NEVER do) and finshed Dune Messiah yesterday and TTW this morning. I enjoyed the books, but more about them later, in another post.
Okay, my diet. I got a comment and two emails about this. Here are the problems with my diet:
1) While we don't eat a lot of processed foods, they do sneak in. Things like crackers for our soup, white rice instead of brown, ketchup, salad dressing, pretty much any of the tex mex food I love, etc. None of these are good.
2) Fast food. I hate to admit it, but we eat this about once a week. Sometimes less, but still too much. None of this is good.
3) Caffine free Diet coke. I seem to have a problem with this. I drink about 2-3 cans a day. Occassionally, I cut it down to 1 and sometimes I try to give it up. When I try to go cold turkey on it, I suddenly start eating all kinds of crap, like chips and candy bars. While part of my brain says that caffine free diet coke is better than the other stuff, there is nothing good or healthy about this. I know that I will be able to kick it in Australia as the diet coke they sell has sugar in it and tastes too sweet (also has like 8 calories or something). I had some while I was there last year and hated it. Hopefully, I'll be able to break myself of this. Meanwhile, I just try to limit it to once a day.
4)Sleep. Jillian talks a lot about the sleep our bodies need. I don't get it. The End.
5) Organic. During the summer, we eat a lot more organic food than we do any other times. When stuff is not in season, we don't tend to eat organic. I just buy cheapest. Also, we don't buy organic diary or meat. I am going to try to do better now that I have read some of this book.
6) Fat free. While I eat a whole lot less of this stuff than I used to, I still do use fat free cheese and fat free salad dressing. Bad very bad... basically poison. Weight Watchers is pretty much based on eating fat free.
7) Seafood. We don't eat nearly enough of it. What we do eat, tends to be farm raised and not wild caught. Why, you ask...well, it's complicated. Wild caught is better for the environment, however, after reading article after article in National Geographic or Science News about how over-fishing is wiping out populations...I have a hard time eating wild caught.
8) Protein. We are supposed to eat protein ever 4 hours. I don't. I usually eat just a banana for breakfast and something for lunch, typically salad or soup with not much protein. I will do better. Promise
9) Breakfast. I am bad about this. I get my children a nice breakfast every day, but I eat a banana or nothing. Unless it is a weekend and Jay makes something for me.
Those are pretty much my problems.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Organic eating
(Three blog posts in one day!)
Okay, I am like the worst possible person when it comes to this. I thought we were eating an okay diet, not much was organic (some was, but not much), but we eat mostly unprocessed foods, i.e. food that is food. I am currently reading a book that I strongly recommend to anyone who is trying to lose weight. It is by the Biggest Loser trainer, Jillian Michaels and is called "Master Your Metabolism." Bascially the book is about how all of our metabolisms are screwed up from the foods we eat and the environments we live in. I know that I have a screwed up metabolism. I have hypothyroidism. And though it is supposed to be controlled by my medications, I have a normal body temp of about 96.7 degrees. That just can't be right. As I am reading this book, it has been a real eye opener. Hopefully, when I make these changes, things will change for me.
BTW, insomnia can be linked to a lot of these imbalances as well as acne and fatigue (which I have as well).
Well, back to reading my book!
Okay, I am like the worst possible person when it comes to this. I thought we were eating an okay diet, not much was organic (some was, but not much), but we eat mostly unprocessed foods, i.e. food that is food. I am currently reading a book that I strongly recommend to anyone who is trying to lose weight. It is by the Biggest Loser trainer, Jillian Michaels and is called "Master Your Metabolism." Bascially the book is about how all of our metabolisms are screwed up from the foods we eat and the environments we live in. I know that I have a screwed up metabolism. I have hypothyroidism. And though it is supposed to be controlled by my medications, I have a normal body temp of about 96.7 degrees. That just can't be right. As I am reading this book, it has been a real eye opener. Hopefully, when I make these changes, things will change for me.
BTW, insomnia can be linked to a lot of these imbalances as well as acne and fatigue (which I have as well).
Well, back to reading my book!
Pant repairs
So, whenever I go to a consignment sale or yard sale, I am very careful in checking over the clothes before purchasing them. Typically, at one local consignment store, I know the owner checks everything really well. I went to a consignment sale in Annapolis on Saturday and looked for some big boy clothes. There were several shirts, but the pants they had were all 10-12 dollars each. I can almost buy them new for that! So, I stopped by the local consignment shop and they actually had some boys' pants in size 7 and 8. I bought several pairs. Tom put on one pair this morning to wear and I noticed right before we walked out the door that there is a large tear in the butt of those pants. I paid $5.25 for them at the shop and now I have to repair them. Sam then noticed that his pants had a little hole in the knee. Add those to the repair pile. Then after school, Tom's button fell off his pants. Add them to the pile. Then, a seam unraveled on my pants. I haven't even had those pants very long. Thankfully, an easy fix. I guess tonight's job will be repairing pants.
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