Gosh I feel like facebook has become my sounding board and this blog has severely taken a back seat!
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12.28.2010
12.18.2010
busy, busy, busy...
Ahhh... so much going on this time of year I can hardly see straight.
I am busy with work... these kids always keep me on my toes. I am in the process of hiring an assistant which is SO awesome! I am thrilled that they are allowing me to do it because it will take a little bit of the stress of the job off my shoulders and will allow me to share it with someone else! :) I've had 2 excellent interviews and one more on Monday. I believe it is going to be a tough decision.
I have been home sick since last Sunday. Monday I seriously thought I was going to die. I had a fever and was achy. I had a terrible head/chest cold and could not stop coughing and sneezing. It was so bad that Greg slept on the couch for 3 nights! He didn't even want to be near me.
Monday was the WORST though because I had the kids home with me. That is THE worst thing ever for a parent. Having to take care of kids when you are sick yourself. I only wanted to lay on the couch. I cried all morning. I was so angry at Greg's work for not allowing him to have the day off. Ugh. I hate days like that.
Tuesday he was able to call in and stay home, thank God. Ellie had a parent breakfast at preschool and I just new I couldn't take her and I also felt terrible that she would have to go alone. So Greg was able to go and had someone else watch Cooper while they were there. I had the entire day to myself to lay in bed and rest. It was beautiful!
Wednesday we took our first trip out of the house in 5 days (!) to Trader Joe's. I instantly fell in love. I wish we had one closer. I'd be there every other day. We bought so much food and 10 bottles of wine for $38! I'm going back again on Wednesday and can't wait. I think it is going to become a weekly habit and my main grocery store. Everything was so much better than the stores in the town I live in. It's well worth the 50 mile drive.
Since my last post we had Ellie's preschool screening. She did excellent. She is such a smarty pants. I am so proud of her. I'm a bit nervous in that she will be starting Kindergarten and will have to go all day 5 days a week. Preschool is only 2 days a week for 2.5 hours. It is going to be culture shock for her and I'm so afraid of what it will be like. She still needs a nap or is a wretched brat by 4 pm. I can't imagine what she is going to be like at 3 pm when I pick her up from a day of so much stimulation. Ugh. I am dreading this change. I know it'll all work out, am just worried. And honestly it'll probably be harder on momma than her. :)
Oh and all this snow is just ick. I am so over it already. They are saying another storm is coming Monday which will bring 6 more inches. I think 20 is already enough. I need May to get here FAST. We got rid of our 4 wheel drive vehicle this fall in order to have enough room for a 3rd baby sometime in the future. Foolish. I could have crammed 3 car seats across couldn't I have?
What a jumbled mess of a post.
Bread making is going well. I am looking for a recipe for something not quite so dense. Anyone have one? I'd like something light and fluffier for sandwiches. I am going to try a new one right now but am open to other suggestions.
Time for naps and more bread making. Have a good weekend all!
I am busy with work... these kids always keep me on my toes. I am in the process of hiring an assistant which is SO awesome! I am thrilled that they are allowing me to do it because it will take a little bit of the stress of the job off my shoulders and will allow me to share it with someone else! :) I've had 2 excellent interviews and one more on Monday. I believe it is going to be a tough decision.
I have been home sick since last Sunday. Monday I seriously thought I was going to die. I had a fever and was achy. I had a terrible head/chest cold and could not stop coughing and sneezing. It was so bad that Greg slept on the couch for 3 nights! He didn't even want to be near me.
Monday was the WORST though because I had the kids home with me. That is THE worst thing ever for a parent. Having to take care of kids when you are sick yourself. I only wanted to lay on the couch. I cried all morning. I was so angry at Greg's work for not allowing him to have the day off. Ugh. I hate days like that.
Tuesday he was able to call in and stay home, thank God. Ellie had a parent breakfast at preschool and I just new I couldn't take her and I also felt terrible that she would have to go alone. So Greg was able to go and had someone else watch Cooper while they were there. I had the entire day to myself to lay in bed and rest. It was beautiful!
Wednesday we took our first trip out of the house in 5 days (!) to Trader Joe's. I instantly fell in love. I wish we had one closer. I'd be there every other day. We bought so much food and 10 bottles of wine for $38! I'm going back again on Wednesday and can't wait. I think it is going to become a weekly habit and my main grocery store. Everything was so much better than the stores in the town I live in. It's well worth the 50 mile drive.
Since my last post we had Ellie's preschool screening. She did excellent. She is such a smarty pants. I am so proud of her. I'm a bit nervous in that she will be starting Kindergarten and will have to go all day 5 days a week. Preschool is only 2 days a week for 2.5 hours. It is going to be culture shock for her and I'm so afraid of what it will be like. She still needs a nap or is a wretched brat by 4 pm. I can't imagine what she is going to be like at 3 pm when I pick her up from a day of so much stimulation. Ugh. I am dreading this change. I know it'll all work out, am just worried. And honestly it'll probably be harder on momma than her. :)
Oh and all this snow is just ick. I am so over it already. They are saying another storm is coming Monday which will bring 6 more inches. I think 20 is already enough. I need May to get here FAST. We got rid of our 4 wheel drive vehicle this fall in order to have enough room for a 3rd baby sometime in the future. Foolish. I could have crammed 3 car seats across couldn't I have?
What a jumbled mess of a post.
Bread making is going well. I am looking for a recipe for something not quite so dense. Anyone have one? I'd like something light and fluffier for sandwiches. I am going to try a new one right now but am open to other suggestions.
Time for naps and more bread making. Have a good weekend all!
12.08.2010
frugal living
While I just can't seem to grasp the concept that a latte for $4 is to much to pay for something of the sort... =) I am trying to scrimp in other areas. I recently have been researching recipes for making my own laundry detergent. I am going to give that a try on Sunday. Wish me luck! Another way I am trying to save is when it comes to buying bread. Our family goes through 3 to 4 loaves of bread a week. My kids LOVE toast and Greg takes sandwiches to work almost every day. You can view the complete instructions here: "the simple dollar."
So today I made my first loaf. It was a process, I'm not gonna lie. It took hours because in between mixing and beating and beating again you have to let it rise twice, for an hour each time. I was so excited to get started that I blew through the first few steps before I realized, dang it, I didn't take pics for my blog. So let me catch you up to the pictures.
The ingredients:
The dough waiting to be beaten =)
Ellie beating the dough for me...
while Coop had a snack.
In the bowl for the first round of rising...
It grew a bit after that first hour...
More beating/kneading and then flattened into a rectangle...
Rolled up and placed in a loaf pan set out for another hour to rise.
After another hour of rising.
After baking at 400 degrees for 30 minutes...
Beautiful! I think my first loaf turned out so good! I can't wait to try it at dinner and see what the real judges think. =)
Although it did take some time it was very easy, much cheaper and much, much healthier than a loaf of bread from the store. I am also looking to learn some variations in flavor. Garlic, wheat, parmesan, etc.
So today I made my first loaf. It was a process, I'm not gonna lie. It took hours because in between mixing and beating and beating again you have to let it rise twice, for an hour each time. I was so excited to get started that I blew through the first few steps before I realized, dang it, I didn't take pics for my blog. So let me catch you up to the pictures.
The ingredients:
The dough waiting to be beaten =)
Ellie beating the dough for me...
while Coop had a snack.
In the bowl for the first round of rising...
It grew a bit after that first hour...
More beating/kneading and then flattened into a rectangle...
Rolled up and placed in a loaf pan set out for another hour to rise.
After another hour of rising.
After baking at 400 degrees for 30 minutes...
Beautiful! I think my first loaf turned out so good! I can't wait to try it at dinner and see what the real judges think. =)
Although it did take some time it was very easy, much cheaper and much, much healthier than a loaf of bread from the store. I am also looking to learn some variations in flavor. Garlic, wheat, parmesan, etc.
I'm back.
And totally happy to be. I really missed my blog and the correspondence here with everyone. Just had some issues come up with extended family not real happy with what I had posted after my grandpa's death. I have since deleted the post at the request of my mom. She's just to darn nice and doesn't want to cause a ruckus. I prefer to not be a pushover. But whatever.
I will not talk about this again, just wanted to give you all a reason for my absence the last few months.
On to bigger and better things.
Welcome back my friends =).
I will not talk about this again, just wanted to give you all a reason for my absence the last few months.
On to bigger and better things.
Welcome back my friends =).
11.11.2010
more about milk
Ellie: "Mom, my milk is having a party in my belly."
Umm... ok. But it made me giggle!
Umm... ok. But it made me giggle!
11.10.2010
11.09.2010
Pump pump it jam, pump it up...
I have started working out.
I can't believe I just typed that sentence. And yes, you read that right. I worked out 4 times last week!
Even more unbelievable is that I LOVED it!
I tried 3 different fitness classes last week and they were so much fun I cannot wait to go back tomorrow!
First I gave Jamlates a shot. It is a mixture of dance, martial arts and kick boxing. I'm sure I looked like a fool because I just couldn't catch on to everything they were doing at the speed they were going... but I tried to be forgiving of myself and have fun with it. And that's exactly what I did.
The next day I did a class called Body Blast Express. It was a brief 30 minute strength training class. And might I add that 30 minutes was PLENTY! I was hurting bad the next day. I used way to heavy of weights for my first time.
I gave it a rest for a day and then went to Willpower and Strength which is described as barefoot training fused with cardio and power yoga. WHOA. I thought Body Blast hurt the next day. I couldn't even lower myself to the toilet after W&S. I had to literally start to crouch over the toilet and then fall the rest of the way. I got up from sitting in a chair like an 89 year old. It was miserable.
But what did I do with all that muscle pain? I woke up the morning after and went to Jamlates again. Hoping that it would maybe loosen me up and make me a bit more comfortable. And really it worked. I felt very stiff again after Jamlates but by the next day I was feeling good.
I've now taken 3 days off in a row but plan to do Jamlates again tomorrow. Take Thursday off, do W&S on Friday and try Zumba for the first time on Saturday. That should be interesting. Me doing Latin dance inspired fitness... I'll let you know how it goes.
I have not worked out consistently for over 10 years. I have tried to start this or that and nothing has ever stuck. The one thing that has stuck is the continued weight gain. My goal in all this is not to look at the scale and restrict food to loose a bunch of weight quickly. I want to have fun, exercise in a way I enjoy, eat healthier, be healthier and feel better.
So far I love it and with the support of my sister and a couple awesome coworkers who go to class with me I think I will actually stick with it this time. I have worked at the Y for over 7 months now and feel like I have no excuse. I am there at least 5 and sometimes 6 days a week. Work is CRAZY and I sometimes feel like I don't really have an hour to give to a fitness class but I have to start doing something for ME. It is just forcing me to manage my work time better and work more at home which is fine but challenging.
If you have the option of trying a fitness class in your community I strongly recommend it. They are a blast! Our instructors are so kind and supportive I have not felt self-conscious or embarrassed once. I have felt silly for goofing up but they are constantly telling the class to listen to your body, do what you can, offering low and high impact options and telling us to be forgiving of ourselves.
Ultimately I am looking forward to being healthier for my family. Go me!
I can't believe I just typed that sentence. And yes, you read that right. I worked out 4 times last week!
Even more unbelievable is that I LOVED it!
I tried 3 different fitness classes last week and they were so much fun I cannot wait to go back tomorrow!
First I gave Jamlates a shot. It is a mixture of dance, martial arts and kick boxing. I'm sure I looked like a fool because I just couldn't catch on to everything they were doing at the speed they were going... but I tried to be forgiving of myself and have fun with it. And that's exactly what I did.
The next day I did a class called Body Blast Express. It was a brief 30 minute strength training class. And might I add that 30 minutes was PLENTY! I was hurting bad the next day. I used way to heavy of weights for my first time.
I gave it a rest for a day and then went to Willpower and Strength which is described as barefoot training fused with cardio and power yoga. WHOA. I thought Body Blast hurt the next day. I couldn't even lower myself to the toilet after W&S. I had to literally start to crouch over the toilet and then fall the rest of the way. I got up from sitting in a chair like an 89 year old. It was miserable.
But what did I do with all that muscle pain? I woke up the morning after and went to Jamlates again. Hoping that it would maybe loosen me up and make me a bit more comfortable. And really it worked. I felt very stiff again after Jamlates but by the next day I was feeling good.
I've now taken 3 days off in a row but plan to do Jamlates again tomorrow. Take Thursday off, do W&S on Friday and try Zumba for the first time on Saturday. That should be interesting. Me doing Latin dance inspired fitness... I'll let you know how it goes.
I have not worked out consistently for over 10 years. I have tried to start this or that and nothing has ever stuck. The one thing that has stuck is the continued weight gain. My goal in all this is not to look at the scale and restrict food to loose a bunch of weight quickly. I want to have fun, exercise in a way I enjoy, eat healthier, be healthier and feel better.
So far I love it and with the support of my sister and a couple awesome coworkers who go to class with me I think I will actually stick with it this time. I have worked at the Y for over 7 months now and feel like I have no excuse. I am there at least 5 and sometimes 6 days a week. Work is CRAZY and I sometimes feel like I don't really have an hour to give to a fitness class but I have to start doing something for ME. It is just forcing me to manage my work time better and work more at home which is fine but challenging.
If you have the option of trying a fitness class in your community I strongly recommend it. They are a blast! Our instructors are so kind and supportive I have not felt self-conscious or embarrassed once. I have felt silly for goofing up but they are constantly telling the class to listen to your body, do what you can, offering low and high impact options and telling us to be forgiving of ourselves.
Ultimately I am looking forward to being healthier for my family. Go me!
I'm here, really.
Oh my gosh there is still a Halloween background on my blog. Hello. I've been slightly busy with work to say the least. I have lots to blog about! I will be back soon... first I am going to change my background!
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