Heard Around the House #34

Texting with Gerald (because he is the car man). I finally send him pictures of the new cars. This is what follows:

Just more proof that Lyla is a mini Em!

Memorial Day Weekend = No Rest ;)

We started the weekend Friday evening with going out for pizza & ice cream plus lots of grocery shopping to prep for the next couple weeks. 

Saturday morning Becca & Angie came to our house for a slumber party. I was so proud of all three girls!  They were so well behaved & everyone even got a good nights sleep!

Today we got up & got ready. I dropped Lyla off to play with Becca while Gary & I spent the day at the car dealership. We have gone back to a two car family. It's the end of an era but we are really excited!  

When we got done we went and had dinner at Amanda & Justin's. Busy busy but at least it was productive!  Now we are looking forward to the short work week & the arrival of Baby Jones!

WLW - Week #18

Starting Weight:  155 lbs
Today’s Weight:  134.6 lbs
Total Loss:   20.4 lbs

I have changed up my breakfast this week.  This is the first I have ate anything other than key lime greek yogurt in like 4 years for breakfast..... lol.... Its good though and I think I will stick with this change for a while.  I keep seeing things online for recipes to make "overnight oats".  Now I hate oatmeal.  But there are a lot of reasons to eat it for breakfast.  I have tried to like it, many times and I just can't do it.  But I had the stuff so I figured, why not, I will give this a try.  Here is my overnight oats recipe - warning, I'm now obsessed with them!

1/2 Cup of Oats
1/2 Cup Reduced Sugar Vanilla Almond Milk
1 Container of Blueberry Greek Yogurt
1/2 Cup of Frozen Blueberries

Mix it all together in a bowl that has a lid and put it in the refrigerator.  In the morning stir it up and its ready to go!  I've also been adding 1/4 Cup of All Bran Buds to mine in the morning.  I always added those to my yogurt too, keeps up your fiber intake for the day!

My Fit Bit Pedometer finally came.  That's a real eye opener!!  They say to aim for 10,000 steps a day.  The most I have done so far are 8,702 steps on Sunday.  And that included a half hour on the treadmill.  Other days I'm averaging around 5,000.  I definitely need to up my game a bit!

WLW - Week #17

Starting Weight:  155 lbs
Today’s Weight:  135.6 lbs
Total Loss:   19.4 lbs

Here is what is going to happen with Weight Loss Wednesdays for a while:

It has been wonderful checking in weekly to keep myself motivated.  And I still plan to check in with my current weight each Wednesday.  And if there is any interesting information from that week, I can report that also.  I like the weekly check in, its way cheaper than Weight Watchers and it keeps me accountable. 

I came to a revelation this past week.  I think I have hit a good place to try and just maintain.  I know just last week I was talking about losing 10 more pounds by the end of summer.  But Friday I cleaned out my closet and got rid of all the clothes that don't fit and then I went shopping to get some things I can actually wear.  Everything I bought was a small.  And I bought size 4 jeans.  The 2's went on without any problems, but they weren't as comfortable.  I don't need to be smaller than a 4.  I'm happy and healthy at a 4. 

So for now I'm going to continue the 1200 calories a day until I get to 130 pounds.  Then I'm just going to try to maintain.  I'm happy where I am right now.  But I haven't been doing as good a job at watching what I'm doing on the weekends.  SO I am thinking I if I can get to 130 that gives me the extra 5 pounds to play with.  I will just make sure to keep it between 130 and 135.  135 will be my number I don't go over.  I think that is a heck of a lot better than where I was! 

My pedometer is supposed to come in the mail tomorrow.  (Side Note - what in the world happen to Amazon, things used to come so much faster... real disappointed with them lately.)  I'm looking forward to getting it and having that motivation to stay moving throughout the day. 

Lyla will be done with soccer in a month.  Its been great for her and I'm so happy we signed her up.  Its important for her to get the exercise and get outside and make new friends.  Its been great for her - but its really killed my exercise routine.  So it will be nice when that's over and I can try to get back into my stuff again.  Or we can do things as a family where we are all out and moving. 

Anyways, that's where I stand at the moment.  Today I'm at 135.6 pounds.  I've fluctuated a lot in the last week though.  Its bounced between 134 and 136.  We'll see where I fall next week.  :)

Mothers Day

Today is Mothers Day.  The biggest day for flowers and going to eat brunch all year long.  Also a day to reflect and think about what your mom means to you or what its like to be a mom yourself.  Or if you think like me, just another Sunday!  I've never been one to get caught up in all the Mother's Day or Father's Day hoopla.... but whatever.  I guess some people need a reminder to tell their moms thank you for all that they do. 

But, it being Mothers Day has me thinking a lot about what it means to be a mom.  Does giving birth automatically make you a mom?  No, I don't think so.  I know plenty of women who have given birth, but haven't earned the title of "mom".  Does not having a child make you not a mom?  No, I don't believe in that either.  I have lots of women in my life who are excellent "moms" without children of their own.  What if you have lost a child?  Then where do you fall into the scheme of things?  

I think being a mom is a complicated thing to define.

To me, a mom is a women who gives of herself for the better of others.  A mom puts everyone elses needs before her own. 

Moms are strong.  Moms quite often look back on things they have experienced and wonder how in the world did I survive that?  But they always do. 

Moms are full of love.  They are all just looking for someone to project all of that love on.  Consider yourself lucky if you are on the receiving end!

I wish a Happy Mother's Day to all the women I know that I think fill the "mom" label!  Beginning with my mom who has always been my rock.  It took me a very long, long time to start to make decisions without first saying "Let me call mom and see what she says."  I still always get her input for big stuff and even when I don't ask, I still think to myself, well mom would say _______.  I think I have just asked enough times that I already know the answer now!  My mom has raised me to be my own person and for that I can't thank her enough.  She is always there when I need her to be, but she also  pushed me to be able to be out on my own.

Happy Mother's Day to my sister who is just as much a mother as the rest of us.  She gives Lexi as much love as she possibly can.  And little Gummy is going to be such a lucky little guy!  Not to mention all of the motherly love she gives to Lyla.  She is an amazing Auntie Em!  She is always thinking of things for Lyla.

Happy Mother's Day to my best friends who are raising their own kids.  I love that we can compare notes on what we do with the kids.  I love the funny stories we share!  I love having the shoulders to lean on when having kids just isn't easy.  I love having the ears that listen and don't judge because maybe we do things differently.  We are all just getting by the best we can, doing whatever works.  

Happy Mother's Day to all of the women who want children of their own and it just hasn't happen for whatever reason.  You  all are some of the most motherly people I know.  From taking care of your friend's kids, your nieces and nephews, the kids at daycare... Even your pets!  You still share the love of a mother, just in a different way.

And Happy Mother's Day to my Lyla. Obviously she isn't a mom but she makes me a mom. And by making me a mom she in turn made me a much better person. Having her has changed the way I see the world & the way I live my life. Because of her I'm the best me I can possibly be. It's not about me anymore. It's all about her and what kind of example I am setting for her. 

WLW - Week #16

Starting Weight:  155 lbs
Today’s Weight:  135.4 lbs
Total Loss:   19.6 lbs

Diet

There have been a lot of celebrations and reasons to be more relaxed with my diet this past month.  So on Sunday I really buckled down to get back on track.  I'm back to calculating every single thing that I eat.  Back to weighing and measuring.  I really want to lose 10 more pounds by the end of summer.  I know I can do it, I just have to work at it. 

Exercise

I'm focusing mostly on my diet right now and just trying to be active and not sit around.  I had time to do the treadmill on Sunday, but I haven't had a chance any other day.  Not that I don't want to, life is just busy right now.  I did order a pedometer that I'm excited to get.  I'm really looking forward to keeping track of how many steps I take.

Lifestyle
We have an appointment to get pictures taken Saturday morning.  This is the first professional picture of the three of us since Lyla was 6 months old!  And I'm so excited to be getting it taken now versus 20 pounds ago!   

Heard Around the House #33

For the record, let me just say – Kids are Gross!  If I had a son I guess I would expect some of these types of things, but not from my sweet girly daughter who wants to dress up and be a little princess! 

The Scene:  Last night after work we were in a hurry to get out the door to soccer.  I was getting Lyla ready and was starting to brush her hair so I could put it up in a ponytail. 

Me:  Lyla, hold on … there is something IN your hair….  It’s a circle…. Its blue….  What is in your hair…..  eww… its gum…. There is gum in your hair.  How did you get gum in your hair?  Were you chewing gum today?

Lyla:  No… I didn’t chew gum today.   ……   …..

Me:  Well we need to get it out. 

Then I drag her to the kitchen while I’m holding out the piece of gum hair.  I pull out the jar of peanut butter and a spoon.  I slathered the gum in peanut butter and was able to work it through.  Then I have her back up to the sink while I’m using the sprayer to try to rinse the gum and peanut butter out of her hair and off of me.  Keep in mind we are now late trying to get out the door.  And the whole time I keep asking her how in the world the gum got in her hair.  She isn’t talking.

I love my daughter and I love how she tells stories that she thinks are going to get her in trouble.  She doesn’t lie (not yet anyways), but she likes to come full circle with the story.  She starts from the outside and works her way in.  I think she hopes we will get lost in the journey of the story and forget to get mad at her! 

Lyla:  Did you know that people throw their gum in the parking lot at work?

Me:  Yeah, that’s really gross.  People shouldn’t do that.  You should put your gum in the garbage. 

Lyla:  I Know!

Me:  So is that how you got gum in your hair?  Were you laying in the parking lot?

Lyla:  No.

Me:  Ok…. so how did the gum get in your hair?

Lyla:   So this one day me and Hanna found the gum in the parking lot.  And we just had to show Becca and Lena. 

Me:  Did you find the gum today or a different day?

Lyla:  A different day.

Me:  Ok

Lyla:  So it’s a secret.  We don’t let the teachers know but we play with the gum.

Me:  That’s gross.  So how did it get in your hair?

Lyla:  Well we were playing today and Hanna and me were the bad guys.  And we were on the ground playing dead. 

Me:  And you laid in the gum?

Lyla:  No.  I was laying on my back, holding the gum up like this (she shows me) and I dropped it.  And I couldn’t find it anywhere.  It was missing!!!

Me:  Well now we know where it went……

SO the gum conversation continued on and off all evening.  She doesn’t care that the gum was chewed in somebody else’s mouth.  Doesn’t care that we don’t know whose mouth.  She definitely doesn’t wash her hands after playing with the gum.  And she has no idea why I’m so grossed out.  Oh and she is pretty sure Hanna got gum in her hair too…….