A different WW post

Today I'm going to post about WW. Not the usual Wordless Wednesday that you see here on a semi-regular basis. Weight Watchers.

I first joined Weight Watchers when William was my baby. I wanted desperately to shed the postpartum mommy body. I did fairly well but never quite reached my goal weight. I ended up quitting because Life got in the way. And I think I was pregnant again at the time. (My memory gets kinda foggy about some things sometimes...)

I rejoined WW well over a year ago. Nora was merely a couple months old. I reached my goal weight last May and have maintained since then. Only twice did I ever get more than 2lbs over my goal, at which point WW charged me and I quickly (within a week) got back to my goal weight and became a free lifetime member again.

Mom has been a WW member for as long as I can remember. She is my inspiration -- even after a slipup, she gets right back to square one and gets back to working the WW program. She has been a lifetime member at goal for FIVE YEARS now. How's that for motivation?!?!

Keep up the good work, Mom, and thanks for all of your encouraging words and well-placed reminders whenever I've been tempted to grab a bad-for-me snack or two!

Family Time

Although this picture is more than a week old, this is what you'll find at our house on most any given Friday night. We do pizza and movies on Fridays. I LOVE how all of the kids get cozy together on the couch as they drift off to imagination land and watch a movie or two.

Comments on WW post

I wanted to comment to both Amy and Pauline about their comments on my Wordless Wednesday picture...

Pauline -- yes, Nora seems to be getting into makeup already. I use a powdered mineral foundation, so whenever Nora sees me putting makeup on, she insists on using one of my brushes to swirl all over her own face just like me. I have to say, it reminded me of when we first came to KY and Dianna was my little toddler....do you remember her drawing all over her face with an inkpen while you and Dad were taking us on a tour of the countryside?

Amy -- YES, thankfully those were the new washable markers Nora got in her stocking at Christmas! They washed off completely!

Wordless Wednesday

More pics -- Mom's Expedition

Gordon was working on Mom's Expedition. To get to the parts he needed to replace, Gordon had to practically GUT the front interior. Below are some pictures Gordon took. Mom, if you're looking at these, remember that it's not like this now -- Gordon's put it all back as it should be!

here's some pics

::AHEM::

It has been brought to my attention by more than one person that I'm slacking in the blog department. You'll all forgive me, right?!?

Maybe if I post a few pictures for you to view it'll distract you sufficiently....

Here are a few pics I took at Grace's basketball game a little over a week ago. I need to work on getting better shots with low lighting. I was trying to not use my flash.

I have a few more pics to upload and post here but it's time to head off to the school to pick Grace up from practice. Check back later, k? (I promise not to take almost two weeks again before posting them!)

Spirit Week

The elementary school is hosting School Spirit Week this week. Monday was Hat Day. Yesterday was Crazy Hair Day. And today is Pajama Day.

Will, my little non-conformist, refused to wear a hat on Monday. I packed one in his backpack anyway. He never took it out.

As a boy, 'Crazy' hair isn't easy. But I had an idea! I suggested to Will that I pull out the clippers and clip just one strip on his head. It would be an absolute win-win because Will does really need a cut anyway. At first Will said it was a good diea, but then he didn't want to actually do it. So he went to school with the same, regular hair cut and style that he always has.

TODAY, with Pajamas the theme, I was sure Will would want to participate. So sure, in fact, that I didn't really give him a choice. When it was time to get him dressed, I grabbed a clean pair of jammies instead of pants and shirt.

I don't know off the top of my head what the themes are for tomorrow and Friday. Maybe I can convince William to participate in at least one more day's worth of festivities. He'll thank me for it later...

May Wonders Never Cease....

Just when I think it's absolutely impossible, Dianna shocks me. Dianna is our resident Picky Eater. I use capital letters for a reason. She doesn't take being a picky eater lightly -- to her, it's a full time occupation.

Remember when I posted about Dianna's reaction to the homemade chicken nuggets? You can go back and re-read the post by clicking this link if you want to refresh your memory.

Anyway, last night we had chicken legs and thighs for dinner. Because Dianna is such a good Picky Eater, I don't often give much thought about whether or not she'll like what I'm cooking or how it's cooked. Well, except the homemade chicken nuggets.

So I didn't try to think of a creative way to cook these legs and thighs that might entice Dianna to taste a bit. I simply seasoned them with a pepper and herb rub and baked them. Nothing fancy schmancy or out of the ordinary.

Imagine my absolute surprise when Dianna decided she'd try a drumstick. Once that thought is firmly planted in your brain, imagine my SHOCK when Dianna announced that she liked it -- ESPECIALLY the crispy chicken skin!

No, I didn't topple off my chair in shock, though I should have. Instead I did a rather good job of not making a big deal at all -- hardly even acknowledged that she was behaving out of the ordinary. I waited until dinner was almost over to comment that I was very proud of Dianna for trying something new and was so happy that she'd found something else she likes.

I'm too much of a seasoned mom to expect this to turn into a new trend for Dianna, but I'm happy nonetheless. And proud. And feeling just a *little* bit of 'I told ya so!'

Grace plays basketball

I already posted about Grace's newest endeavor back in early November. You can go back and refresh your memory or you can take my word for it. Either way, it all boils down to Grace now plays basketball.

Basketball practice is every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, directly after school. Since practice is right in the gym at the elementary school, I don't have to bring Grace to practice. I just need to pick her up at 5:00pm. How great is that?!?!

The team practiced through November before their games started in December. Since then, Grace has had practice on Monday and Wednesdays still with games almost every Saturday. This week the team had practice Monday and Wednesday, a makeup game Friday evening, and her regular game this afternoon.

After going to the first two practices, Grace said she didn't really like basketball and no longer wanted to play. I talked with Grace about it, explaining that she had made a commitment to the team and I fully expected her to see that commitment to the end. I also explained to Grace that I really felt she needed to give it more time before deciding she didn't like the game. Really, how could she come to such a conclusion after only two practices and NO games?! (Personally I think Grace was frustrated because she was still early in the learning-the-game stages and wasn't feeling like she was playing well)

Now that Grace has had more time to learn the game and actually play a few games, I have to say that she really seems to be 'getting' it. She plays rather well, if I do say so myself. She enjoys herself while she's playing and really gets energized while cheering her teammates on from the sidelines. I wouldn't be surprised if she wants to join the team again next year.

And even if she doesn't, she's learned more than just another sport. She's learned about keeping one's word after making a commitment. She's learned not to give up right away if she isn't the best when trying something new. And I'd like to think that maybe she's learned that Mommy sometimes knows what she's talking about. (Yes, yes...I fully realize that chances are good she won't learn that one until she's married and a Mommy herself.....one can hope, right??)

Biting -- OUCH!!

Our resident toddler is now at the stage where she knows what she wants. She wants what she wants, when she wants it, and she wants it NOW! When she doesn't feel that she's getting what she wants, she has started to vent that frustration out by exacting her own form of retribution. For a few weeks now, my day was filled with ear-drum-piercing shrieks that anyone within a square mile can hear. Those who unlucky enough to be in the same house often develop a headache within seconds.

This morning Nora added a secondary action plan to getting her point across, in case the first doesn't result with the outcome she feels appropriate. She now bites. HARD.

She has bit both William and Dianna already. William's bite was hard enough that the teeth imprints left behind were detailed enough that a dentist could have used it for a mold to make a mouth-guard.

I hope to nip this nasty habit in the bud asap. If there's one thing I hate the most, it's children who bite. It might have something to do with the fact that I was bit when I was a child. One occasion sticks clearly in my head to this day. It was such a memorable experience that I refuse to allow MY children to behave in such a barbaric manner.

Trust me, if I cannot get Nora to understand that this sort of warfare is unacceptable, I will resort to my own tactics. I'm sure one taste of the bar of Dove soap will help Nora to see the light. I just hope it doesn't take that drastic a measure for our sweet girl to realize the error of her ways.

Back to basics?

Am I the only one who thinks washing dishes can be cathartic? I don't mean tossing dishes into the electric dishwasher. I mean literally filling the sink soapy water and literally getting your hands wet.

These last couple of days I've handwashed every single dish that has been dirtied here at the Crazy House. With six people in residence, that translates to a lot of dishes. Even so, I have been reminded that I really enjoy hand washing. It gives me a chance to just let my mind wander. I can sort through thoughts swarming around in my mind. Best yet, when one or both of the big girls help me by drying the dishes, it gives me the opportunity to really get to chat with the girls and find out what's going on in their minds.

Sure there are probably more than a couple of you who say it simply takes too much time to handwash dishes. I honestly don't think I've spent much extra time standing at the sink. Of course, when it comes to using the electric dishwasher, I'm one of those people who practically wash their dishes BEFORE putting them into the machine.

This works for me, for now. I'm not sure how much longer this latest fad of mine will last, but for now I'm going to continue.

Pictures from our week in VT

We didn't do much -- mostly just hanging out and relaxing.....

Nora reading a Thomas the Train book
Danyel eyeing up the mechanical Santa
Becky learned a new craft -- knitting!

Alyssa showing off a silly face

Anthony and Will were trying to hide from the camera....

Alyssa and Dianna

Nora

Dianna showing off her crocheted-chain creations....I wonder if there's a market for her 'ear rings'?? She might make a mint if she patents them!

Danyel picked up a new craft too -- Dianna taught her how to crochet a chain (notice she's also sporting one of Dianna's 'ear rings')

Even Alyssa got all decked out in chains...

Gathered around the kitchen island for a snack....

Will grabbed Anthony's hat and RAN

Time for an update

Eleanor, William, Dianna, and I took Mom and Anthony with us to Vermont for the week after Christmas. The plan was to leave sometime Sunday afternoon/evening or early Monday morning. Mom and I were both leaning towards waiting until Monday.

Then she called me early Sunday to say that the weather wasn't looking good for Monday, so we quickly decided we'd do best to leave Sunday. We were expecting Mark, Lisa, and Marli to come over Sunday afternoon to celebrate Christmas with them, so I told Mom we would have to wait until after that.

The drive up was really not bad. We ran in and out of fog. Some really heavy and thick. All in all, though, it wasn't bad.

Gordon called me early Monday morning to report Grace had been up most of the night vomitting. He said to be on the lookout. As luck would have it, I didn't have to wait long for the bug to find us all the way in VT. Nora got sick in the car while I was out running to the grocery store Monday morning, trying to stock up on milk and bread before VT got slammed with snow.

The good news is that the bug was a short-lived one, lasting no longer than 12 hours. The bad news is that Will took his turn next starting Wednesday morning. Dianna decided to wait until after we'd returned home Saturday to have her shot at it. (Thank goodness!! I don't know how we'd have been able to manage if she'd been sick the whole ride home Friday!!)

Though we'd originally planned on heading home Sunday, we had to cut our trip short. Knowing that we were smack-dab in winter, staying in a state that can have heavy snowfalls from time to time, Mom and I were checking the weather forecast every morning. Wednesday & Thursday's forecasts called for not much than a dusting each day through the weekend. Friday morning saw that forecast suddenly change. Now the weatherman was saying the area east of Lake Champlain (where we were staying!) would be getting upwards of 16-18" by Sunday evening.

Mom and I knew to get out of Dodge right away!!

So we returned home Friday. It was a lovely day for travelling. Nice and sunny. Not a lot of traffic.