Update: Finding a Way Back to Goal

It’s been awhile since I blogged.  I type that after every blog break, so now that we have that out of the way….

 

Yes, I’m still bald, although I have grown some baby hairs on my head.  My Dad has some crazy medical term for them, which he throws around like everyone will remember and know what he’s talking about.  I can’t remember that term, so I just call them “baby hairs.” 

 

I quit Taekwondo.  I needed a break.  I’ve started taking Zumba, and it’s funny, because I thought I’d really miss Taekwondo but I don’t.  I do miss seeing my Taekwondo friends, but I don't really miss the actual art of TKD.  I guess it served its purpose for me at a certain time in my life and now it’s time to move on to something new and exciting!  In retrospect, Taekwondo did get me out of the house a lot and it kept me exercising.  Without it, I have to be a lot more self motivated. 

 

Sometimes I can motivate myself almost to the moon and other times I’m just so lazy.  I really like to be lazy, until I start feeling guilty about how lazy I am, and I start wondering if I’ll die of one of those medical terms my dad and sister are always throwing around because I just can’t get off my ass and I just have to watch one more episode of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” starring an old high school acquaintance of mine: Glenn Howerton. You know, medical terms like cardiac Infraction, thrombosis or sepsis.  Although, I don’t think you can get sepsis just from being lazy and overweight, unless you’re too lazy to go to the doctor or something. 

 

So now that I have all this time you’d think I’d be productive or something.  One day I did clean the whole house.  The downstairs has actually stayed mostly clean, due to my husband’s daily efforts.  I’ve noticed I clean when I get disgusted with myself or the way things look, but I’m not good at the everyday cleaning.  I’m good at the OCD, OMG, “this better be absolutely clean, and now I have to spend eight hours doing it, because if I’m going to do it then it better be perfect” type cleaning.  Then afterwards, it makes me unhappy and the rest of the family, because I freak when people don’t put things back where they belong, and I start to remind myself of my mother (she’s an absolutely wonderful human being, btw, but she’s an obsessive cleaner, and I don’t want to be one!!!). 

 

I should be editing or writing, or something along those lines but instead I’ve been to Zumba a handful of times, started, painfully slowly I might add, trying to run again, and watched too much Netflix.  I haven’t even read a book.  Maybe it’s the winter funk, or maybe everyone just needs a break now and then, but I’d like to find my way back to a goal…AND SOON. 

 

I did send a little essay off to The Ladies’ Home Journal on “The Best Decision I’ve Ever Made.”  The Ladies’ Home Journal seems so reminiscent of the 1950s, doesn’t it?  You can just imagine all the ladies sitting around exchanging recipes with their beehive hair-dos and their Tupperware parties.  Good times.  I didn’t follow the rules on my first entry, and even though it said “only one entry per person,” I resubmitted the entry again with the correct double spacing and identification information.  What can I say?  I’m a rule breaker, or maybe I’m just not so good at following directions.

 

I still hope to e-publish my novel on Amazon.  My brother has been super busy with his own life, so he hasn’t been able to finish the cover art.  Once it’s done, I’ll e-publish.  In the meantime, I need to get back to writing some more.  I finished the second novel, but I haven’t edited any of it.  It’s been hard for me to think about going back and reading it, as it was not a happy book.  I have two other novels in the work, but I feel blah about them, and I’m not sure why. 

 

I’m happy with my life, but I want to accomplish more, and I just have to find a sustainable way to do that.  I need to figure out how to go about publishing my work, gaining publicity, and getting to a point where I can write for the rest of my life and make a living off of it, plus be happy doing it!  I know these things take time, and I guess I’m just impatient.  I only JUST started writing again, and a lot of writing is about practice and making your writing better by simply doing it every single day.  My characters need more depth, more feeling, and my settings need more description without being wordy.  These are all things I stay up and ponder about, because I think about every single aspect of my life.  I worry about things, and I question myself, and I question my decisions.  I would love to be a risk taker and just throw myself out there and be confident that I’ll succeed.  That’s what it takes.  It’s just getting there.  

 

Goal Update and STUFF

It's been a week since I posted my goals, and that means I need to check off how I did, and I'll also blog about some seemingly random other stuff.

• Lose 1 Pound: I kicked this!  I lost 1 lb this week. I would have lost more if I didn't gorge myself on Mexican and chips, but losing weight is all about MODERATION and not DEPRIVATION, as I've tried to beat into your head many times.  I exercised EVERY.SINGLE.DAY this week (except yesterday-yesterday was my rest day).  I'm the type of person who NEEDS exercise.  It makes me happier and healthier, and I have to exercise to lose weight or else that fat just sticks to my bones or something. 

• Write 500 words: Sadly--I did not make this goal. I edited a little bit, and I started reading up about self publishing.  I spoke to some friends on one of the baby boards I'm on, and I have some good ideas.  I need to stop procrastinating, but I seriously HATE editing.  In the words of Nike: JUST DO IT, Lauren!!!

• Clean my Room: I feel like a little kid typing that, but the truth is I'm a horrible slob.  Mostly because there are more important things in my life I'd rather be doing (or not so much more important, but things I'd rather do).  I see this mentality in my kids already, so I really need to stop and just push myself to clean up.  I cleaned up HALF the room, so that counts for something.  I just haven't finished cleaning out the Ebay boxes, and now it's time to list again. 

• Blog: As you can see, I've been blogging again.  That's a no brainer.  I love blogging the morning.  I feel like it gets the wheels turning in my brain and sets me in motion for a productive and successful day.

Other things I've done this week:

• Taekwondo: Monday-Wednesday night.  I sparred and was punched in the head (quite by accident), but I had a nice little bruise where my eyebrows should be!

• Ran: I'm slowly building up again.  Today I did a 11 minute 22 second mile.  Then I walked.  The shin doesn't hurt, but sometimes the muscles around it seem tight so I have to back up.  Building up again is hard, but I know I can do.

• Worked with the Kids on Reading Skills: I've been a little bit worried about Number Two's reading skills.  I signed up for ABC Mouse, and we've been going through the curriculum, and I think his pre-reading skills are okay now.  It's been fun to sit and watch the kids go through the program and talk about it and ask them what sounds certain letters make.  We've really had some good one on one time doing this, and I love that!

Thirty Minutes a Day to Achieve Your Goals

I've been working really hard to stay motivated with my weight loss.  I think I mentioned I gained 10 pounds, and now I'm trying to take it off...AGAIN.  For me, for my lifetime, it will be a never ending battle. I am just not one of those girls who can eat whatever they want, exercise when they feel like it, and stay skinny.  I'm big-boned, which is really just a nice way of saying "thick." 

But, I don't mind.  I like my curves.  I like that I have hips.  Not very much of my weight is in my stomach, so I know that plays out well for me in regards to heart disease.  I eat well, and I exercise, and I sometimes splurge, so I know I'm setting a healthy example for my family.

I have been logging into MyFitnessPal every day and logging my food every day, in part from my sister who has been texting me every day if she doesn't see my Food Diary.  I love the accountability.  I actually think what her reaction will be if I ate a Super Size Cheeseburger meal and fries.  And, we tell each other when we cheat, the struggles we have staying within our points system, and our exercise achievements.

Speaking of exercise: I'm dying to go back to Taekwondo.  It hit me like a ton of bricks this morning.  I miss it so much.  I like the discipline, and I like having someone motivate me.  Plus, I miss my friends from there.  We all just have so much fun.

If I'm sitting at home, I can always find a "valid" excuse to avoid exercise.  I need to read, or clean out the closets, or play with the kids.  All of these are noble, but they shouldn't take the place of daily exercise.

Today, I jumped on the trampoline for 15 minutes with Darling Daughter.  I don't think that burns many calories, but I did hurkeys and toe-touches, and it felt great.  I also don't know whether I should be doing that with my leg, or whether it is considered "weight-bearing" exercise, but I would think not since you are not banging down on heavy pavement.  After that, I came in and did some strength training exercises with the medicine ball.  I did sit-ups and dreaded push-ups.  I don't think there will ever be a day when I LOVE push-ups.  They are just not for me. 

I felt so good to be using my body.  I can always feel a difference in my happiness level when I exercise.  I can always feel the benefits of it, no matter how little I do, and every time I exercise I think: why did it take me so long to recommit to doing this for my body?  There's nothing like looking at your body and feeling so good about coming so far and realizing the reason you achieved your goals was because you put your mind to it. 

And to top it all off: I stepped on the scale this morning, and I lost THREE pounds.  Tangible benefits.

So my goal is to do 30 minutes a day of exercise over the next week.  I have to build back up somewhere, and now that the bronchitis is exiting my body and my stress fracture is feeling better, I know I will achieve my goal.  I will just think of this guy, when I am sitting on the couch and trying to find someway to make up excuses...

The 30 minutes do not have to be in a row.  You can find exercise by looking for it: gardening, taking the stairs, CLEANING. 

Never Quit.  Achieve your goals.

The End of the World As We Know It

I couldn't sleep this morning.  I woke up in my bed, stared at the ceiling, cuddled with a little girl who won't stay in her own bed, then I set one foot on the ground and resigned myself to the fact that today is going to be a very long day.  I don't feel well. I went to bed early, which is why I woke up at 3 AM.  I had my coffee, but I want another cup. 

I'm having writer's block this week.  I don't think I'm necessarily getting discouraged, but maybe that's what it is.  Maybe I'm depressed since I can't run or do Taekwondo.  I don't know.  I am cycling, so at least I'm getting some exercise. 

I'm reading too.  A LOT.  I'm almost done with I Am Legend, which I started on Sunday.  The book reads fast, and you can just imagine Neville's solitude as he is the only person left alive in the world, fighting against something he doesn't quite understand.  I realized why reading it yesterday that I love end of the world books.  I loved The Road.  I loved On the Beach.  These are my favorite kind of books, and I wonder why?  Maybe because usually it is one person trying to triumph over a seemingly lost cause.  The underdog becoming the hero.  Naturally, humans are concerned with the end of the world, things as we know it changing completely, and our habitat becoming uninhabitable.  These thoughts and ideas bring up all sorts of questions, such as: what happens when you die, who or what will inhabit the world after we're gone, and then all the questions about how mankind will most likely be the master of their own demise.  Almost all of the end of the world books occur because of some war, some bomb, some human-made nightmare inflicting pain and hurt on others, as well as ourselves.  Human nature.

My Dad told me this joke this week, I guess he saw it in magazine or something, so I had to look it up.  Here it is:

 



 

It made me laugh, because it's so true!  Humans have a tendency to think they are invincible.  They are the strongest, the most powerful, but the truth is: if we destroy the earth, then we destroy ourselves.  Maybe there is a rhyme behind the reason though.  Maybe mankind is meant to make the world unlivable for themselves, thus making it livable for other species to come.  The dinosaurs died off to make room for the humans.  Maybe we're supposed to die off to make room for something else.  Hopefully not vampires, like in I Am Legend.  That would just be plain scary...

 

My thoughts at 4 in the morning are apparently pretty dark, but I do think this is something we need to think about.  It makes me sad that mankind, so much of the time, has so little regard for their habitat.  It makes me sad there are people out there who are killing themselves and others in the name of religion.  It makes me sad there are megalomaniacs in power who "get off" on touting they will nuke their neighbor, just to have some ego power trip.  Sometimes humans' minds are too powerful for their own good.  Sometimes I think it would be better if we were in a less-complicated world or time...

 

 



Injury Purgatory

Ok.  So, I'm injured.  I'd been sort of half-ignoring the nagging feeling in my leg since the end of January.  I mean, it HURT when I ran, so I took about a month off then started running again.  I think I went at it too quickly, full force, because after my 5K it started hurting all.the.time. 

The 5K was on Saturday, so I'm not talking weeks here, just days.  I'm sort of aware of why I felt like I was going to throw up after the 5K now...not because of adrenaline but most likely from the pain of the injury.  The few days of torture, pain, and the complete swelling of my leg to about twice it size after Taekwondo on Tuesday night finally sent me to the doctor.  Stress Fracture.  In my Tibia.  Most likely cause.  I declined being sent to an orthopedist just for them to do a bone scan to tell me so.  My doctor is a runner, and he has had one before, and he said all the symptoms I'm describing and the spot tenderness = stress fracture. 

He was nice though.  He didn't put my leg in a boot or cast.  He told me I couldn't run or do Taekwondo for at least six weeks, but I can cycle.  I think I'll be breaking out the old bike and trying to get my exercise in that way.  I've come too far just to completely stop exercising cold turkey.  I need the stress relief, and I need to burn calories so I can actually EAT.

Hubby looked at me yesterday, and he said, "I guess this means we really need to start watching what we eat again."  Um yeah. 

I do have to admit: Lately I've been horribly inefficient at watching what I eat.  I've been eating a lot more than I should, loving ice cream and brownies and all sorts of goodies that are actually terribly bad for you!  Plus...beer.  I love beer.  It is probably my downfall, and Hubby just bought me a whole pack of Sam Adam's from Costco.  I will have to put in some serious miles on my bike before I allow myself to drink those!!!

Things are always changing, and you can't let it get you down.  I'm disappointed I have to take off from Taekwondo and from running for six weeks, but I just have to throw myself full force into my alternative and not feel sorry for myself or say, "Woe is me I can't do what I want to do."  I really think that is the key to feeling happy: taking a negative situation and turning it into a positive instead. 

Remind me in six weeks to start off slow, ok?  I can't just start running three miles again or doing crazy jump spin side kicks right away.  I have to build back up so I don't reinjure myself. 

An Update for the Weary

This week has been busy and hectic, and I haven't been writing.  Writing at all is better than no writing at all. I've been slowly editing my first draft of my book.  I'm not ready to send it anywhere yet.  I've been slowly working on my second work, plus a short story that seems to be going nowhere fast.  The key word this week: slow. I'm thinking about entering some writing contests too, but I haven't quite gotten there.  I receive emails almost daily from Writer's Digest about some contest or other, and I think maybe it would be a good way to get some recognition making it easier to be published in the long run. So what have I been up to if I haven't been writing or working out or blogging:

Mostly I've been reading.  I'm trying to finish Cloud Atlas.  I absolutely love this book.  Second great book I've read in a row, after finishing Heart of Darkness last week.  Apparently the movie, Apocalypse Now, is based on Heart of Darkness (Oh how I love Wikipedia!).  I'd like to see it, as I never have.  I spent some time with a friend from Taekwondo trying to pull it up on his Netflix, but alas Wi-fi failed us.  There's so much riding on technology these days: such as your next good flick! 

Also, at work I've been quite busy the last couple of days.  I didn't get home until almost 6:00 last night.  All hopes I had of an evening run were squashed, when I sat on the couch with an Amber Ale and I could not force my body to move.  It took all I had to walk up the stairs and read to the kids, much less eat, although Hubby did make some incredible enchiladas.

Speaking of kids, Number One was allergy tested yesterday.  It's about time!  He has dust mite allergies, tree pollen and grass.  Dust mites!  This is bad news for Hubby and me who are notoriously bad cleaners.  Have you ever looked at how much dust mite covers cost?  Gees!  So now Number One is on Flonase and a daily pill for his allergies.  Maybe this will rid him of his almost constant sore throats and headaches.  Here's hoping.  We'll probably wait to invest in dust mite covers until Number Two has been tested (next week).  We already know from experience that Number Two is allergic to cats and dogs, so we'll just wait for his back to light up like a Christmas Tree!!!

Running, I didn't have a good, witty lead in to this subject as it is getting me down.  My running days might be numbered. I want to do a 5K in April, and in fact I've already commited to doing one.  Taekwondo is on a short break this weekend, so I'll see how a few good runs feel on my leg.  I haven't run since last week, and my leg feels great.  I just keep reinjurying it every.time.I.run, and I've had some people (MY DAD) tell me that I should quit running and start cycling.  My answer to that, oh so maturely, is, "I don't wann!"  I love the way running makes me feel.  I love the accomplishment.  I've done the cycling thing before (in college), and I liked it but running just makes me feel different: liberated, free, like I'm flying.  I can't exactly explain the feeling, but it's wonderful. 

I'm sorry if there are misspellings in this edition.  For some reason Blogger Spellcheck has decided it's time to quit, even though I'm not done writing.  Not thinking there will be a weight loss or exercise edition this week, as I've been too busy eating Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream, thus not following my own advice!!!

Weight Loss Tips #17: Exercise is Essential

Wow I can't believe I've done 17 of these little weight loss editions.  Crazy!  Okay: onto the good stuff.

Remember, way back in the beginning, like edition 2 of my weight loss tips.  Okay, you have the visual picture now, good.  I said that weight loss is a lifestyle change and not the D word!  This is so true.  If you're changing your lifestyle to become healthier, then exercise should be incorporated in your life.  Exercise helps you burn off any extra calories you've eaten, it helps give you energy, and most importantly (to me at least) it lifts your mood. 

One of the things I hate to hear the most is people who say, "But I have no time to exercise."  It is simply not true.  If I can fit it into my schedule with work, Number One's gymnastic schedule, three kids, and a husband, plus trying to write and publish a book on the side, then you can definitely fit it into yours.  It may mean getting up a few minutes earlier, it may be doing short, simple exercises throughout the day, but any type of exercise is better than none. 

Let's get started, shall we?

1. Exercise FIVE times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes a day:  FIVE TIMES.  Are you trying to kill me, you might be saying.  First of all, the 30 minutes is a total.  You can do 3 10 minute exercises throughout the day.  You don't have to do it all at once.  And this is your goal, so you may need to build up to this, incorporating exercise into your day one or two days at a time, and then adding in a couple more days.
2. Interval Exercises: Interval training is BEST for weight loss.  Interval training is where you go hard for a few minutes, then easy, then hard again.  I HATE interval training.  Let me say that again: I HATE it, but it works and it is great for your body. This is also good news for those people who say they don't have time, because you can do interval training in 10 minute bursts! 
3. Find an Exercise that You Love: To me this is essential.  When I found Taekwondo, I knew I would be able to stick with it. I love the atmosphere, the people, the built-in accountability, and I love the sport.  If you find an exercise you love, then you are much more prone to stick with it.   
4. Track Your Exercise:  There are 5,000 tracking tools out there, and I know I've done a list before.  Endomondo is what I'm currently using, but there is Runkeeper, Nike+, Gyminee, MapMyRun.  A lot of these have the word "run" in them, but they do track other exercises as well.  Sometimes it helps to see the visual of how much you've exercised recently.  I'll give you an example, here's a chart of my exercise over the last couple of weeks:

Unfortunately, the legend didn't populate, but the beigy pink is martial arts (what I do most).  The green is running (was taking a break because of my leg), the purple is walking and the light pink is dancing.  What a cool way to track your workouts!  I love Endomondo. 

Remember: the more you move the more calories you'll burn, the more you'll lose weight and incorporate a healthy lifestyle into your life. 

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK'S EDITION RIGHT HERE!!!

 

 

 

Weight Loss Tips #16: Motivation!

Did someone say the "M" word?  If you haven't figured it out already, these weight loss tips are just as much of a reminder for me, as they are tips for you.  And lately, I've been having trouble with motivation.  I think it's because I moved away from my routine, in which my daily habits had dug themselves in, and now it's hard to get back to a motivated spot. 

So for today, I thought I'd give you all some great tips to motivate you to exercise and to eat right.  Maybe, I'll follow a few of these myself and get moving.  Packing my bag to run at lunch RIGHT now...(or not exactly right now, because I'm blogging right now but you know what I mean!).

Tips for Motivating Yourself to Exercise: 

• Time for You:  I'm putting this as # 1 on the list, because for me this is #1.  The #1 reason I want to go for a run is time for myself: not for kids, not to listen to my boss, husband, PTA Mom, Gym Mom, etc.  It's built-in time for myself, where I can go out and listen to music and be by myself, or do a TKD class with friends. 

• The Way It Makes You Feel:  Every time I ho hum about exercising I forget about how I feel afterwards. I'll be starting a run, and these thoughts cross my mind: "Why the heck am I doing this?  This sucks.  I hate running!," but by the time I finish I always feel refreshed, amazing, and I can't wait to go for another run (OK--to be fair, I can't wait to go when my shin isn't killing me!). 

• Reward Yourself: Especially when you're first getting started with any exercise regime.  If  you have kids, then you know ALL about the reward system: Sit on the potty and I'll give you a sticker, clean up your room for a week and you'll get an allowance, eat all your vegetables and I'll give you dessert.  Heck, if you have a job you know about rewards: sit in a cubicle for 40 hours a week and you'll get a paycheck!  Often times, when I exercise in the morning I reward myself with my cup of coffee when I get back, or a nap in the afternoon.  Do something to thank yourself for getting up and moving. 

• Reaching a Goal:  You all know I'm goal oriented, and there is NOTHING better than setting a goal and reaching it.  I'm going to run a 5K.  When I accomplish that goal I know I will feel great.  Goals are motivating.  Set some and motivate yourself!

Now that we have some good ideas for motivating yourself to exercise, what about eating healthy?

• Partner Up: I've said this about a 100 times, but having an accountability partner helps greatly.  I have one in my good friend, Miranda Grace, and also now in my husband who I've dragged over to the dark side of healthy eating and fitness over the last few years!  Having someone to brag to when you lose weight and to turn to when you have a rotten day helps motivate you.  They can offer encouragement, and in turn you can offer it back to them.  I think having an accountability partner is the single most important motivation factor when you're trying to eat healthy and eat less.

• Remember What Eating Healthy Feels Like:  If you have taken a binge of unhealthy eating for a day or two years, then try to remember what eating healthy feels like.  Overall, when you cut out the fried food, the overeating, etc. your body will feel so much better.  Try to remember that feeling and strive to feel that way again. 

• Health Benefits:  Think of the health benefits of eating better.  Living longer, lower cholesterol, healthier teeth and bones.  Use these thoughts to motivate you. 

• Enjoy a Splurge: In moderation!  Like I've said before, splurging in moderation is okay.  You can have a bowl of ice cream occasionally!  Just don't make it an every night treat. 

 

Check Out the Last Weight Loss Tips-->Right Here!

Baby Steps: Working Towards Injury Free

I attempted to run this morning.  I guess I woke up thinking that I would knock off 3 miles with no problem, and maybe my unrealistic expectations are what prevented me.  I could have kept going.  I could have walked for a few miles, but I was disappointed.  I did .42 miles in 5 minutes 20 seconds.  That's a whooping 12 minute 35 second mile, and I didn't even go a mile before my shin started hurting. 

It didn't start hurting badly, but I was afraid to push it.  It finally feels mostly better, and I don't want to re injure myself.  I just need to baby my way back into the sport.  Now I'm sitting in the blue recliner, that used to belong to my grandfather (Gipop), and icing the sucker, hoping it will feel completely better overnight. 

Tomorrow, I'm planning on going 1 mile. I know 1 mile was do-able, even today, but I freaked when I started feeling the least bit of pain.  There's always tomorrow.  I'll have to go to Taekwondo tonight to get my exercise, as 5 minutes 20 seconds is NOT enough! 

In the meantime, I'm trying to find some good ideas for my weight loss post, as it's been a few weeks since I've posted an edition.  Bear with me.  I'll try to blog one this week now that my computer is in tip-top shape again (or mostly, at least). 

I spent the weekend mostly stuck behind a book.  I finished Underworld by Don DeLillo, and I recommend it to anyone who's willing to commit to reading an 827 page book that takes a little bit of thought processing.  Now I'm reading Amsterdam by Ian McEwan.  It's short.  I'll finish it today, maybe even after I finish this post, but I have firmly decided that I'm not a McEwan fan.  His subject matter is interesting, but his delivery is boring, or his characters, or something about his writing:  BORING.  And it could be that my mind is still engrossed in all the little nuances of Underworld.  The book wasn't perfect, but sometimes when you finish a book that you're absorbed in, totally interested in, it's almost like a grieving process at the end.  You feel like the character's lives have come to an end, and it's hard to move onto a new book, a different writing style, and new characters.  

My Dad also celebrated his birthday this weekend, and my Mom came down for the party, taking a break from the twins.  It was so nice to have us all together, with my brother and his kids: talking and talking, eating, drinking, and just having a great time.  I really enjoy our time when we're all together, even if my boys were hyped up by the end!

Blogging in Safe Mode

I'm blogging in safe mode right now, as I try to download all my photos to Google + in a vain attempt to save them.  Luckily, I've downloaded most of them already (the best ones really) to Facebook.  For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook, you know I'm a photo posting fool. 

It feels SO good to be writing, even if it is only blogging at this point.  Our computer is on the fritz, and we have to restore to factory settings.  Hubby and I are trying to dump the data into anything we can get our hands on so we can save our precious pictures and videos of the kids.  I'm uncertain about the music.  It's on my phone, and I have the cloud.  Does that save it? 

This week has been good, but hectic as I'm trying to get back into the routine of three kids, a husband, work and life after a week of vacation.  Am I the only one who always feels a little bit down after vacation?  There's like a huge let down after coming back, a feeling of, "oh yeah, this is reality, not the life I was living last week." Although, I'm glad that my reality doesn't include six children and living in an one room apartment with two kids and sharing a bed with my Mom and sister.  That's the good thing about being home.  I do miss my family though.  It's always so good to have everyone in the same location (minus my brother this time and some of the kids). 

While I was in Nashville, I received a call from the Red Cross asking me to give blood.  I don't know if you remember, but I intended to give blood back in January, which didn't work out because my iron levels were too low (for their standards). So, I made an appointment and went on Monday, and SUCCESS!  My iron was high enough to give.  This is simply one of the easiest acts of kindness that anyone can do.  It took them SIX minutes to take my blood.  The questionnaire, etc. took longer, but once I was hooked up ONLY SIX minutes.  And that can save three people's lives. 

Then they gave me this nifty tee-shirt, and the friendly nurse even gave me two shirts for my kiddos!

 

 

I was glad to have helped, and it was a good feeling to give something JUST TO GIVE. 

In other news: My week off of running has come to an end.  My shin splint feels completely heeled.  We'll see how it feels after I run at lunch today.  It was hurting when I walked on it, but I haven't felt it at all in the last couple of days.  If it hurts while running today, then I'll take another week break from running and just stick to Taekwondo.  I want to make sure it heals completely so I can do my 5K in April. 

I am also officially a brown belt in Taekwondo!  I'm so excited.  This week we did some jump, spin, side kicks, and it was so much fun.  I feel like my balance and coordination has improved immensely since I started taking Taekwondo TWO years ago!

I hope to be able to blog a weight loss tips tomorrow.  Until then...

A Long Trip

I'm back!  I took a break to go to Nashville to visit my sister and attend a ballerina party for my 3 year old niece.  Good times! 

My other sister came down from Massachusetts, and we had a great time hanging out.  It's always good to get home though, and I loved sleeping in my own bed last night.  I missed writing so much while I was away.  I felt a little directionless.  Now, I have to start revisions on work number one.  Today is the day to begin.  I am a little overwhelmed by the thought of this, but I know I can do it! 

While in Nashville, my sister Kels and I ran around the Greenway.  It's a 3 mile run.  The first time, I did it with minimal walking.  I DO NOT LIKE HILLS!  We don't really have hills in Alabama, and the hills killed me.  The first day we did the run in 32 minutes.  We skipped the next day, and then tried to go Thursday, but my shin was killing me (on my left foot), and I overcompensated by turned my foot a little bit.  So when I go to 1.5 miles, I stopped and let Kels go on without me.  I walked fast, and I still made the 3 miles in 38 minutes, so not bad.  Then I came back to Ali's house, and iced my leg.  I think running is out for two weeks, so I can try to heal it. In the meantime, I'm going to go to taekwondo, work on my strength training and walk.  I'm disappointed, because I was really getting to the point where longer distances were becoming much easier for me.  I'm still going to run the 5K in April.  I just need to let my leg rest, and then hopefully hit the ground running again (pun intended). 

We had an absolutely amazing time in Nashville though.  The twins have grown by leaps and bounds, and they filled the weekend with their smiles and laughter.  The ballerina birthday party was fantastic.  The little girls were so cute in their tutus. 

Number Two and I were able to escape one day and go to the movies.  We saw "Escape from Planet Earth," which was actually better than I expected it to be.  Kels and I took the little ones down to Vanderbilt on a freezing cold day and then we ate SATCO, which Number Two refused to eat because he was obsessing about Subway.  Big Daddy ended up taking him to Subway when we got back to Ali's house.  It was nice being with my sisters and my Mom and Dad, despite the fact that all the kids were just loud and noisy most of the time!  We missed my brother though.  It would have been nice to have EVERYONE all together. 

Darling Daughter and my sister's daughter get along splendidly.  I can't even believe how well they share and how sweet they are to each other.  My Dad described Number Two and my sister's oldest son as a pack of wolves!  I think that was a great description!

Hit the Road

I'm leaving for Nashville in about three hours with the Littles.  I was going to run this morning, but it is FREEZING cold. Yes, I'm making excuses.  Plus, I haven't packed yet.  I'm always procrastinating packing and cleaning.  Those are the two things I can't stop procrastinating about! 

I'm excited to go to Nashville and spend time with my sisters and my Mom (and my Dad too).  I can't wait to see how much the twins have grown and see my other niece and nephew.  My niece is having a ballerina party today, and I can't wait to see all the little girls in their tutus!

I'm also glad this is my last trip in the forseeable future.  I've been traveling too much lately, with meet season, and seeing the twins, and I'm ready to spend some weekends at home: resting and writing and spending time with the family.  I've always liked traveling, but there is a limit to how much I like it!

The coffee is still brewing, and I'm in bad need of it.  I had a major allergy attack last night, right before I tested for my brown belt.  My nose was running, my eyes were watering, and I was sneezing. 

Speaking of testing: it went really well!  I was nervous about my form for some reason.  Maybe it's because it has a ton of spins.  It is an easy, quick form, but I couldn't remember the name of it last night.  I know it now: Do San! 

At lunch yesterday, I went to the park and ran.  I did 1.90 miles in 20 minutes.  It was a beautiful day-no clouds in the sky and 67 degrees, and I like how the trail there has some small hills.  I need to really work on hill running, because I find it so hard.  I think it's because Montgomery is mostly flat. 

When I get home from Nashville next week, I'm going to work on revisions on my novel.  Plus, I am about 50 pages into my 2nd novel, and I need to keep writing it so I don't lose connection to my characters.  This will take up a lot of my free time, and I may not have as much time to blog. 

Weight Loss Tips #13: Scheduling and Consistency

I woke up today with the strangest memory.  I had this memory of going down to the Alabama River with my parents when I was a kid, sitting on the big steps and eating a huge Wendy's cheeseburger. (This is probably because my husband left Wendy's coupons in the kitchen for some unknown reason!)  My parents used to take the four of us down to the river on Sundays a lot.  It was one of the only times we would be allowed to have fast food and SODA!  We would picnic, watch the boats on the river, and then play on the long-since gone wooden playground near the Silos.  Some of my best memories are from those Sundays spent with my family. 

Of course the portion sizes back then, even at Wendy's, were smaller than they are today.  So my huge Wendy's cheeseburger was (maybe) an appropriate size for a seven or eight year old girl wearing turquoise overalls covered in butterflies.  Oh the 80's! 

Anyway--I'll get to the point of this blog, because apparently I just love to change subjects.  One of my co-workers yesterday said this to me, "I don't know how you do everything, Lauren."  That little statement got me thinking, because you know, I just love to spin the wheels in my brain. 

What does it take to lose weight?  It takes a REALISTIC schedule and CONSISTENCY!  I have a little bit of an obsessive compulsive personality, and when I started out I wanted to workout every single night.  I wanted to go to Taekwondo no matter what else was going on in my life.  This was not REALISTIC!!!  For one thing, I was missing out on my children's lives.  Another, I was not giving my body the time it needed to rest.

So, when you're starting a workout routine you need to ask yourself: How many days can I feasibly workout?  What times can I go?  When can I fit this into my schedule?  You need to do this and still make sure you have time for yourself, time for your spouse, time for your kids, and time to rest.  So, if the only times you have to work out are at 5 AM, then I suggest finding a morning Boot Camp, or finding a really good video that you know you'll stick to.  I, for one, really like a class because of the accountability factor, but classes are not for everyone and will not fit into everyone's lives as easy as they have into mine. 

And now for the big one: BE CONSISTENT!!!  Once you start eating well and exercising right make it a part of your life.  You know how they always say the key to disciplining a child is consistency.  Well the key to disciplining yourself is exactly the SAME.  Once you've committed to going to the gym three days a week: GO!  Stop making EXCUSES!!!  It will take weeks and weeks before you actually want to do it, so just drag yourself out of the house with the negative talk going in your head, until one day you just get in your car and drive there and realize this is now a part of your life. 

The same goes for eating well.  Yes, eating a big Wendy's burger every once in a while, will not derail you, but once you've changed the way you eat you need to try to stick with it.  Go to the grocery store and make the right food choices.  Read labels, and see if you're eating actual food or just STUFF with salt added.  Gravitate towards natural foods and try to eat whole foods more often.  Soon, you'll notice that instead of that candy bar for snack you'll want some carrots, a banana, or some nuts. 

 

If you missed last week's edition: HERE IT IS!

 

*Artwork found on Google

 

 



Moving Through The Week

I slept until 6:15 AM this morning, the latest I've slept in a long time.  Some of our friends took Number One to spend the night with their son last night.  And...wait for it...Darling Daughter slept through the night in her own bed for the second night in a row!  I've probably jinxed myself by writing this, but this is a small miracle in my life.  Now, if only we could get her fully potty trained, and I'd have three kids in their own beds and three kids out of diapers!  That will be an amazing day for me. 

I'm letting Hubby sleep in, and the kids are non-ideally parked in front of the television watching Ninjago.  My boys love Ninjago. Darling Daughter likes it too, but her favorite is Mickey Mouse.

Today RunKeeper says I need to do a 45 minute SLOW Jog/Walk.  I've never run 45 minutes, so this will be a challenge but I'm looking forward to it.  I ran a lot this week, and I went to TaeKwonDo three times this week.  I'm still sore from Taekwondo, all the way up my arms and on my chest and back.  We killed the push ups this week, and I have terrible upper body strength although I am making strides in that department.

Last week I ran 6.8 miles at a snail's pace according to RunKeeper, but that was my goal with my training program.  There's nothing wrong with a snail's pace!  By the way that was 11 minutes 25 seconds average miles per minute.  I'm slowing my time to achieve longer distances.  This works wonders.  Usually by the time I make it to 20 minutes I don't feel like stopping.  Hopefully this means 45 minutes will be easy for me.


I enjoy running so much.  I love the way it makes me feel.  I feel like I own the land I run on.  I know that's sort of a crazy phrase, but when I drive the roads I run I feel like I've accomplished so much. Running in the morning is amazing too, watching the sun come up is like greeting every single day.  I feel like I've already started my day on the right foot (pun not intended) when I begin my day with a run.

Weight Loss Tips #3: Adding Exercise

Adding Exercise

I wasn't going to blog about exercise quite yet, but thanks to one of my avid readers, Mike, I've decided to jump the gun! 

I truly believe that losing weight and maintaining your weight is attributed to two things, a) health eating and b) incorporating exercise in your life.  I think a lot of people hate the idea of exercise.  In the back of their mind, it's almost like going to another dreadful job.  They feel it is something they have to do, not something they want to do.  Exercise can change your life though, once you get into a routine.

Here are a few exercise tips:

• Pick an Exercise you Enjoy: When I was starting out Number One had just started taking Taekwondo.  Miranda Grace asked me to take with her.  I didn't want to.  It was out of my comfort zone, something I thought I'd never do, but I let her pull me into a class with her.  Now, I love it and I've stuck with it for almost two years now!  Doing something you enjoy will make it easier to actually go and do it!

• Stick to It: It takes 3 weeks to make a habit.  In the meantime, stick to the exercise because if you don't it won't become a habit.  I had weeks of dragging myself out of the house, complaining about going to exercise, not wanting to do it. Then one day, I woke up and it just clicked, I went. I never complained again.  Automaticity has a way of taking over, as humans are creatures of habit.

• Start Out Slow: Start out slow and easy, so you don't get hurt.  If you start out slow, then you can increase your endurance, add different types of exercise, and add more hours later as your body gets more fit. 

• Stretch: Stretching is so important, both before and after exercise.  Lack of stretching leads to injury.  I had one injury when I started out.  I tore my calf muscle, attributed to lack of stretching and stop and go exercises. I was out for almost two weeks because of this little injury.  Stretch well beforehand and you limit the possibility of injury.

• Have an Accountability Partner: If you have someone who is encouraging you to exercise, then you are more likely to stick with it.  When I started out Miranda Grace was my accountability partner.  She would hound me if I didn't come to TKD.  She doesn't take anymore, but we still tell each other about what type of exercise we've done during the week.  Also, with TKD, I chose a sport with built in accountability. If I don't show, someone's bound to text me or call me and ask where I am.  Accountability is essential for incorporating exercise into your life...one step at a time.

Exercising allows you to consume more calories during the day.  After all, the key to weight loss is expending more calories than you've consumed.  As I mentioned in last week's post, don't eat all your extra exercise calories.  If you eat the extra calories, then you're sabotaging yourself and your new lifestyle change.  People often exercise so they can reward themselves with food, and this is the wrong mentality.  (I'm guilty of it too).  If exercise affords you 900 extra calories a day, then simply eat 300 or 400 of those calories, preferably with healthy foods: lean meats, complex carbs, fruits and veggies.  By doing this, you'll lose the weight more quickly and your body will become toned more quickly.  Also, you won't start craving those bad-for-you foods if you stay away from them or only treat yourself occasionally.  Plus, recent research shows exercise actually suppresses your appetite, but humans have made a habit out of rewarding themselves with food, even if they're not hungry.  Food for thought (pun intended). 

Check Out Last Week's Weight Loss Tips: Gaining Momentum

The Goal Post

The Goal Post

This week has been hard.  I've been fighting a cold, and of course it is Halloween.  Halloween equals candies and treats and bad goodies to eat!  And eat, I did.  Plus, with me fighting this horrible cold I haven't worked out the way I'm used to.  I feel like a sludge.  But, I did a pretty good job making my goals this week, and once I'm a 100% better I'm going to jump into my goals for next week.

 

• Run .75 miles: And I did.  I had two runs where I ran an actual WHOLE mile!  1 mile!!! My first run I did in 9 minutes 50 seconds, and the second I cut the time to 9 minutes 43 seconds.  I'm getting there.  I really need good running shoes though, and I have had thoughts of taking my boys out running.  We'll see if they'd like it!
 
• Lose 1 pound: I lost two pounds this week.  I'm so excited.  I've been at a standstill for a long time, but I think it's because I religiously logged into MyFitnessPal and tracked my food. I'm going to keep that up to lose this last thirteen pounds!
 
• Work on My Novel: I did not achieve this.  I pulled it up and looked at it...once.  I just don't have enough time in the day.  Plus, Darling Daughter is having a sleeping strike right now, and she wants me to lay down with her, and I usually end up falling asleep!!!  Excuses, excuses, excuses.  Must do better next week!

 

Goals for the Upcoming Week

• Run 1.25 miles: I'm going to go out Friday at lunch and buy new running shoes, so I'm thinking this weekend I should be able to up my total time running and do a 1.25 mile stretch without stopping. 
 
• Perfect my Yul Guk Form: I probably just butchered the spelling of my form.  I'm a third degree blue belt now, and for some reason this form just gets me.  It is mostly hand movements and not so many kicks.  I need to really work on it at home a bit and perfect it. 
 
• Work on my Novel:  I'm going to include this on the list every week, until I actually finish my novel.  Completion would be great!!!

Eddy in a Tidal Pool

Life has taken over once again, and my blog has become quiet.  I think about blogging every morning, but I have yet to actually do it until today. 

The last few weeks have been quite busy, both physically and emotionally.  A lot of changes are going on in my life right now.  I've been writing about them, but not posting publicly.  Some things are better kept to yourself, or only to a few trustworthy people.

Last weekend, I enjoyed a wonderful weekend with some of my great girl friends from childhood.  I went up to Birmingham, and we ate and drank wine, and we talked.  We didn't go to any crazy parties or go to bars.  Everything was low key, and it was so much fun to see them and reconnect with them.  I have wonderful friends who will be in my life forever, and that is so amazing. 

This week, Hubby has been out of town. The kids have been wonderful, with Son Number One thoroughly enjoying his first week of summer.  I swear he's going to be a lawyer when he grows up.  He argues with every single thing I say!  Here's Number Two with his first grade teacher at the end of the year.  I'm going to miss her so much!

Son Number Two helped me clean the downstairs bathroom.  He is the biggest helper.  Always willing to lend a hand when you need one.  I also picked him up from daycare the other day, and the cap had fallen off his tooth.  We had an emergency trip to the dentist the next morning, and they filled it.  He said, "I can't eat ANYTHING hard.  Crackers are too hard, Mommy!"  The filling will continue to fall out until they can actually pull the tooth.  They want to wait until he's five to do that though, so we have about ten months of wait and see.  Number Two smiling for the camera:

Darling Daughter's vocabulary expanded again.  There's nothing like being able to hear.  She has also developed a great imagination.  She likes to pretend she's a dog.  Every morning she's been getting up, coming downstairs to eat her "oatmeh," and then crawling around on the floor, barking.  She actually pants sometimes.  It totally cracks me up.  I took the kids to Chick Fila yesterday, and she was barking inside the play area.  I said, "Good dog, baby!"  This little boys looks at me and says, "She ain't no dog!"  Cracked me up.

In other news, I'm now a blue belt!  I earned my new belt my testing on Wednesday.  I was super nervous, but apparently my form looked sharp!  It should, as I've been doing the same form (green belt) for six months.  Now to learn a new form!!!  I braved taking all three kids to Awards last night.  Luckily my good friend, Miranda Grace, brought M&Ms to feed my kids so that helped (until they ran out)!!!  It went over amazingly well, except Number Two kept running in front of the seated parents.  After a few threats of no Chick Fila, he settled down though!

Finally Friday

The title says it all.  This week has been super busy.  Fun, but super busy.  I am really ready for it to be Suddenly Sunday afternoon.  I'm ready for all of the "events" to end and to get on with my normal life. 
Overbooked is the word of the week.

On Tuesday night, Hubby and I went to a Cake concert. I used to listen to Cake in high school and then later on in college too.  I love their song, Short Skirt/Long Jacket.  They gave away a peach tree, and we were vying for it, but unfortunately didn't see the peaches until after some guy named Russell pointed out they were there!  He won the tree, needless to say.  Hubby and I had one drink.  His Achilles tendon was knocked into several times.  He wasn't the only one with crutches, and we met some fellow parents sitting right next to us, enjoying their wedding anniversary.  Overall, it was an enjoyable night.

Here's a photo of Cake.  Hubby took this when the mass onslaught of people rushed up to the stage during the Encore.  The rest of the time the MPAC (Montgomery Performing Arts Center) security reined down on people like Nazis, threatening to kick them out for taking photos and for dancing in the aisles.  Dancing in the aisles is a fire hazard, you know?

He still sang as well as he did in the 90s.  I've seen some older musicians before, and honestly, sometimes they are not nearly as good as they used to be.  Not the case with Cake.  And, we were happy Montgomery finally has some good live musicians coming.  This has been a long time coming.

On Wednesday, we had more of a down day.  I was so tired from the concert the night before.  We came home to celebrate Son Number Two's birthday.  He had a great time, and he loved his cake.  Not Cake the band, just plain chocolate cake with butter cream icing.  Oh, and Cake the band derived their name from "caked on" not from cake the food (Just a little tidbit of trivia for you!).

Here's a little video of the kids on Son Number Two's birthday.  Darling Daughter was singing his birthday song to him.  I thought it was so sweet.  Her vocabulary is starting to explode, thanks to the fact she can finally hear after receiving tubes (long overdo in my opinion!).

Yesterday I went to work, and I thought I would barely make it through.  I had some projects to work on, but I have a kidney stone right now trying to work it's way out of my body and it is never pleasant.  I was in a lot of pain yesterday afternoon, but I think I finally passed the darn thing.  I love genetics!  I always end up having the strangest ailments. 

After work, we had awards for taekwondo (TKD).  I earned my third level green belt.  I'm so excited.  I'm making progress.  My goal is to, eventually, earn my black belt.  I was excited to see all my TKD buddies move up in rank.  We also had several students earn their black belts last night, including some Junior students, and their parents made great speeches about them, which was so inspirational. 

Afterwards, the fun night continued at Jalapenos for some Mexican food and fun.  I spoke Spanish to the waiters, and they loved it.  I've been trying to dig my Spanish out of the recessed of my brain recently.  I find I can understand almost anything people speak to me, but speaking back is harder (and we all know in English I don't have a problem with that!).

With TKD testing and Awards, TKD has been closed and my exercise has gone down to non-existent.  Hubby emphasizes the fact I danced on Tuesday night!  Not the same.  I'm excited to get back in my TKD groove on Saturday.  I need the exercise, as I feel it helps me with the little stresses of the day.  I also think it helps me feel less tired normally.  I don't have a whole lot of natural energy, because a) I have three little kids, b) I have a jam packed schedule, and c) I don't always sleep a ton!  I feel TKD helps with that.

This weekend, the activities continue.  I think on Sunday, I will just fall into bed and be so glad the week is over and look back and wonder how we ever made it through!

Third Level Green Belt Testing

On Friday, I had taekwondo testing.  All day long, I felt nervous about it.  My stomach flip flopped, as I thought about side kicking through a blue board.  I had done it before, in our last classes, usually on the second try but for some reason I was scared I wouldn't be able to pull it off during testing.

I arrived at the church where our testing took place and stretched out with friends.  I practiced our new Ho Am progressive form.  I felt like the form was natural, except for ending in a back stance, which I kept having to remind myself about. 

After stretching, my friends held the boards for the kids and we watched them break.  They all did an excellent job.  One of my friends' wives commented that it's just so much easier for kids than adults.  They get out there and aren't nervous are all.  They just do it.  She's right.

They called us out, and we did our form.  I always feel like the form goes fast, and it's just rote by the time testing comes around.  Friday, though, I questioned the last two moves in my head so I slowed down a bit as I did them and then ki-uped at the end. 

Then we had to do our contact skill.  I was testing for my third degree green belt, so my contact skill is a side kick.  My side kicks are very similar to my round kicks.  I don't know why.  I have a hard time, and I tend to get them confused in my head.  I also usually forget to pivot my back foot, but luckily I practiced doing that beforehand.  I pivoted and kicked the focus pad several times.  Then I attacked one of the white belts so he could do his escape skills.

After contact skills, we put our sparring gear on and we sparred FOUR lengthy rounds.  I do believe these were longer than the average a minute and a half.  I was kicked pretty hard in the forearm by one particular friend, but that's the price you pay when you spar sometimes.  By the end of sparring, we were all dripping sweat and breathing heavy.  I started coughing, as I've been fighting a cold or allergies or bronchitis all week. 

We removed our sparring gear, and we watched while the higher ranks sparred, including one session on two on one sparring.  I hate two-on-one sparring.  It freaks me out!

Then it was time to break.  I watched while my friends went up there and broke with ease.  I was so nervous.  I kept visually picturing my foot going right through the board.  Think positive, and it will happen I told myself.

Finally they called me up.

I practiced lining up and hopping together to put my foot through.

My instructor said, "State your name."

"Lauren, sir.  Permission to break, sir?"

He nodded.  I turned around, got in a sitting stance, hopped together, bringing my leg up at the same time, and my foot went right through the board.  I was shocked.  All my friends on the sidelines clapped and cheered. 

I'm also shocked when my foot goes through, and a lot of times I forget to pull it back.  I find myself looking at the board, and then looking at my foot and wondering how it broke so easily.  A side kick is a powerful move. 

Goal Post and Other Updates 04/10/12

This past week was Easter.  I ate and ate, and I ate some more. I managed only to make it to taekwondo on Tuesday and Friday with kisado on Wednesday.  Hubby went out Monday and taekwondo was closed on  Saturday for Easter. 

I thought with the lack of exercise and the extra eating I'd be up a lot.  Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scales on Sunday night, and I was only up one pound.  This morning, I stepped on the scales, and I was down two pounds.  I actually lost my one pound this week, despite the extra eating.  I have been replacing my attitude with a calm optimism that I'm going to lose this weight, and I'm going to be strong.  I feel it coming off, and I know I've changed my whole outlook on life this year.  I feel better about myself, more confident and happier. 

Here's a photo of me with Darling Daughter on Easter.  I think I'm looking so much thinner (and stronger!  My brother commented on my muscular arms.  They're getting there!)

Looking at this photo is funny to me.  The thing I notice the most is my lack of eyebrows.  I'm starting to think of having them tattooed on, but I recently saw a woman who had it done, and it looked horrible.  I also could draw them on, but I just don't have time for that in my life. 

I actually am starting to like the way I look bald, better than the way I look with my wig on. I've thought about just shedding the wig and being completely bald all the time.  It is who I am.  I'm not sure my co-workers are ready for it though.  Here's a photo of me and Darling Daughter from March, and I'm au natural!  Lack of eyebrows when you're bald looks more "normal" to me!

My other goal for this past week was to make dinner, at least once a week.  I succeeded.  I made a Mexican/Cheesy/Casserole.  I found the recipe on Pinterest.  God, I love Pinterest!  It was delish, but a little dry.  Next time I might try to add more liquid to it and also make it a bit spicier.  We will be eating on it all week, since the kids didn't really eat it and even though portion size said 5 servings, those must be portions for giants or something!

I didn't complete the taxes this week, but Hubby did!  Thanks to Hubby for that.  It was so nice to have it done. 

In other news, Darling Daughter had tubes put in her ears today.  The surgery went well.  They took her back, screaming and kicking, put the mask on her and she was out, and the tubes were in within a matter of minutes.  The doctor said her left ear looked horrible.  She had pus and an active infection in that ear.  She'll have antibiotic eardrops to take this week, as the ear drains.  Hopefully this will give our sweetie a little relief. 

She came home and slept for about three and half hours, as the anesthesia wore off.  Then she woke up in the best mood, and she sat on my lap reading me books and having me read books to her!  She's such a sweet baby.  She gave me kisses and said, "I love you Momma.  I love book, Momma." 

I didn't write this week. I was preoccupied with stuff going on in my life.  I need to work on my novel this weekend.  In fact, that will be a goal for next week: Write 5 pages.  I've written 20.  My characters are stuck in lalaland waiting for me to come back.

I hope to lose 2 pounds next week.  Maybe I can do a big jump, but I'm not counting on it.  I'd love to lose 5 pounds and be down to my next middle number!  I only have either 19 or 29 pounds more to lose (depending on how I look and feel once I get down 19 more pounds!) I will never be one of those skinny little girls, and I will always have to work to keep my body fit and the weight off, but that's fine with me!

Also, taekwondo testing is Friday (the 13th!), so another goal is to get my third degree black belt.  I have to break a board this time, and do the new Ho Am form.  I'm a little nervous.  Yesterday at taekwondo we sparred, and I thought I was going to die at the beginning of my third round.  It is amazing how something you only do for a minute and a half at a time can make you so out of breath.  I guess I'm still not in wonderful shape!