Let's get real

About a week ago I posted about setting a goal. I DID register for that 5K. It will be in less than 2 weeks. I am no where near prepared to run a full 5K, but I'm going to do it anyway. I'm going to do the best I can. The next 5K I register for (which I will decide shortly after I complete this one), I will plan to do better.

While I'm still in the goal-setting mindset, I have another goal that I've decided to set for myself. I am setting a goal today to be MUCH closer to my goal weight by the first of the year. I am planning to lose 15lbs by the first of the year. I realize that is a lot. It calculates to an average loss of 1.5lb/week.

Goal setting makes me think of Weight Watchers (and my favorite WW leader, Katie!). It has been a while since I've talked about Weight Watchers on here. I reached my goal weight and maintained for six weeks in order to reach Lifetime Membership status. I enjoyed becoming a Lifetime Member. I was proud of my accomplishment. I was happy with how I looked AND what the scale was telling me. I was proud to have been able to maintain my goal weight for approximately two years.

AND THEN, I allowed myself to slip. I stopped making the time to go to meetings. I told myself that I could handle one little nibble here or a taste there. I avoided the scale at home too. I stopped exercising regularly. I got lazy. I stopped taking care of ME.

All that is going to stop. RIGHT NOW.

I don't know if/when I'll be able to make the time to start attending WW meetings again, but I can still get back to goal. I just need to commit myself to it. I AM committing myself to it.

Happy (Snowy) Halloween!

Here's to a Happy, SNOWY Halloween!

I don't think I've ever experienced snow like this on Halloween. Hopefully we'll stay warm while we trick or treat tonight. Good thing I've got hot cocoa on hand.

Snow? In OCTOBER??

Along with most of New England, we got hit with an early winter storm yesterday. I wasn't expecting much accumulation. I guessed we were in for 3-4" max.

Apparently I was wrong.

That's more than 9"!! I wonder how we'll be able to trick or treat tomorrow evening. We just may need to make some last minute adjustments in the costume department -- I'm not sure how well snow pants and boots will go with the kids' costumes.

End of Soccer Season

We're finally winding down for soccer this year. Dianna has one last game today. Grace also has a final game today, but her team is participating in a Jamboree next Sunday. Once the Jamboree is over, though, we're DONE.

We're expecting some real nasty weather today. As in 3 or more inches of SNOW. Not my idea of soccer weather.

One of the other moms from Dianna's team has suggested that she can run to Dunkin Donuts to pick up a box of hot chocolate and a box of joe for everyone to enjoy at the end of the game. I offered to bake cookies. I'm sure our end-of-season celebrations will be on the short side -- noone will feel like hanging out in the cold for very long after watching a soccer game for over an hour. At least the celebrations will be sweet with cocoa and cookies. :)

New Furniture!

I finally convinced Gordon that it was time for a new sofa.

Last week, while in the area for an appointment, Nora and I went to the furniture store with Gordon. The company he works for owns one. It is located right next to his shop. How convenient, right?

After looking around a little, I found THE PERFECT sofa. It was set up with the matching loveseat. The set was on sale!!

It was love at first sight. For me, at least. For Gordon, notsomuch. He was having a hard time seeing past the fact that the furniture was green. I must have done a great job of convincing him though, because he said he'd talk to the store manager to see about buying the set. (Note that we were looking for a SOFA and ended up buying a SET.)

Adam and Ike, the delivery guys, brought my new furniture this afternoon. I LOVE it! Now, all that I need to do is re-paint the livingroom and the entire room will be perfect!

See how the green picks up the green in the rug?!? And it ties so well with the burgundy of the glider rocker. It was meant to be!

Late Bloomer

At the end of the scouting year last June, my troop held a special ceremony. The girls were flying up from Junior Scouts to Cadettes. When we were almost done with the ceremony, the girls had a surprise for Tracey (my co-leader) and I. They presented both of us with a couple of gift certificates and a rose bush.

At first I didn't know where to plant my bush, so it sat in the pot for a few weeks. By the time I finally figured out where to plant it, it had become almost forgotten. I worried that it wouldn't surprise.

Luckily, it did!

I never got any blooms from the bush over the summer. I assumed it may not bloom until next spring. Imagine my surprise when I noticed there were not one, but TWO buds on the bush just a week or so ago!

I cut the first bloom off and brought it into the house. It now sits in a bud vase in the livingroom. I think it is the most beautiful rose I've ever seen!

Look at that coloring!

Crazy Hair Day

Grace's school had Crazy Hair Day the other day. Grace decided she wanted to go with a BOLD crazy look. She dug through the Halloween supplies I'd picked up last November (at a seriously low clearance price!) and came up with this beauty:
I really should ask her if her hair was the craziest of all.

Halloween Party

I took Grace to our church on Saturday evening to participate in the annual Halloween Party. The younger three stayed home with Gordon.

Here's a picture of Grace all dressed up. She's a greek goddess this year.
The kids enjoyed ghoulish treats...

...and played some devilish games....

...and, finally, gathered for a group photo after they 'trick or treated' all around the pews in sanctuary.

I think it's safe to say that everyone had a GREAT time!

Baking with Momma

Eleanor helped me bake cupcakes one day last week. I couldn't resist snapping a picture when we were almost done. Nora was experiencing the best part of baking with Momma:

Flash Mob video

Click below to see an aerial video of the Flash Mob I participated in. I'm very happy to say that collectively, we Zombies raised almost $1,700 for the Sandy Peszynski Breast Cancer Foundation!!! A big THANK YOU to everyone who supported me in this fundraiser!

Setting a Goal

Did you read yesterday's post about the Foggy Morning? If not, don't worry about going back to read it now. I'll fill you in on the part that's relevant now.

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that I decided to walk Nora to school even though I really didn't want to. I confessed that I've been slacking in the exercise department. I also admitted that I realize I won't ever get back to my goal weight if I don't find some sort of motivation to keep myself moving.

Last night I decided what I need to do. I need to set a goal. DUH!!

If I sign myself up for a 5K, I'll HAVE to get out and run. I don't want to look like a sloppy fool amidst all the 'real' runners. To prevent looking like a slug on raceday, I'll have to plan my training accordingly.

I've been looking online at race listings this morning, trying to find a 5K that I can sign up for. I think I've found one. It's not too soon, not all the way across the state, and I *think* my calendar is still clear for the date! I printed out the info sheet & will be talking to Gordon about it this evening.

As long as Gordon confirms that we don't have anything going on that particular day, I'm going to register online. Once I've paid the money to register, there's no backing out. I'd HATE to waste my money by paying for registration and not going!

Foggy Morning

This morning has been rather foggy, drizzly, and dreary. I was *this* close to choosing to drive Nora to school when I decided that exercise is exactly what I need. I've been slacking in the exercise department a LOT lately. I'm never going to get back to goal if I don't motivate myself to move!

Anyway, this morning wasn't the first foggy or drizzly morning we've walked to Nora's school. I'm telling you this because I want you to know that today isn't just a fluke. My gripe is a legitimate gripe.

What's my gripe?

That people don't put their headlights on when they're driving in crappy weather like today!

Seriously, people. When you can HEAR the cars/trucks long before you see them and it's NOT because they're coming around the bend, visibility is bad. TURN ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS so people can see you!

In case you're curious, no I don't have headlights on the stroller. When we walk on days like this, I wear my bright orange rain jacket. Nora's rain jacket is an electric pink. NOBODY is going to not see us out there!

Bonding with Girlfriends

Remember the Flash Mob I blogged about a couple of weeks ago?

I invited a gal I know from church to join me in the Flash Mob. She's a music teacher who loves to perform. I just KNEW she'd be up for the fun of a flash mob.

I was right, by the way. ;)

I also hoped it'd be a great way to get to know her better. She has two girls. One is about Dianna's age. They've been friends at school for the last three years. The other is only a couple of months older than Eleanor. They play together at church on Sundays.

Because the Flash Mob practices are in my old hometown almost a half hour away, "B" and I have been riding to practice together. It's given us a chance to chatter and get to know one another better. With practices twice a week, we've covered a wide range of topics in our conversations.

Tonight's discussion? Pregnancies and deliveries. You KNOW that a friendship is heading in a great direction when you bond over stories of the delivery room.

Soccer sideline pictures -- random shots from yesterday

We arrived at the field Grace's team was playing at yesterday to find this sign:

Ummmm....SERIOUSLY?? Did they hear I was coming? Didn't they know that I do not know how to sit on the sidelines and NOT cheer our girls on??

I'm proud to say that I did pretty well. With the exception of when a particular teammate of Grace's scored a goal. This girl tries *so* hard to play well but still struggles. The rest of the team spent most of one entire quarter trying to set this girl up to make a goal. When it finally happened, I couldn't help but shout loudly!

For most of the soccer games we attend, neither Will nor Eleanor actually pay attention to the action on the field. They much prefer to play with toys. As long as they stay off the field, and don't get into trouble, I'm good. Here is a picture of the two of them playing with the cousin of one of Grace's teammates yesterday.
This is a random shot I took of Nora yesterday. I just love it. I couldn't NOT share it with y'all!

Soccer pictures -- Grace

Pictures from Grace's game yesterday.....

Grace doesn't normally play goalkeeper. I think this was the first time I've seen her in the goal during a game since she first started playing soccer! Normally her coach has her play defense. She's darn good as a defender, and she really enjoys the position. I don't know who was more shocked to see her in goal -- me or the coach's wife!

Soccer pictures -- Dianna

Some pictures from one of Dianna's soccer games I took. For those pictures where you can't see her face, she's jersey #12.

Dianna gets overheated rather easily. When that happens, she gets a headache which is quickly followed by vomitting. In an effort to prevent her heat sickness, we pack a cooler full of ice that has wet towels she can drape around her neck to cool herself down. This particular game, she thought to grab the white canvas hat that Nana had given her earlier this year.

Pictures from Vermont

I'm finally sitting down to upload all of the pictures I took while we were in VT last week. There weren't a LOT, mind you. Mostly just pictures I took on the ride home.

We encountered a train on Route 103. I never noticed before now that there were still railroad crossing signs that do NOT have the bar that comes down when a train is passing. This crossing doesn't have one!

Tropical Storm Irene did some major damage to some of the areas we drive through on our way to Mom's Vermont house and back. I took some pictures of the damage while we were driving, but my battery died before we got to the REALLY BAD areas.

Counting the Days

We're halfway through October. Normally I don't try to rush time, but this month I am. We've got so much going on that we don't have much time to just sit and relax. Even last week, while Gordon was home on vacation, we didn't get the chance to stop long enough to just SIT.

Next month looks to be a bit slower in the activities department. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the calendar doesn't mysteriously fill itself for next month. ;)

Vermont Sunrise -- picture!

Here is one of the pictures I took Tuesday morning in Vermont...

This Little Piggy...

This little piggy went to Market....



This little piggy stayed home....



This little piggy had roast beef....



This little piggy had none....



And THIS little piggy....

....had a run-in with the lawn mower.

Sunrise in VT

The kids had a four day weekend this past weekend. They had Monday off in honor of Columbus Day. There was no school Tuesday because of the teachers' Professional Development Day.

Even though the big three all had soccer on Saturday, we still took advantage of the long weekend by going to VT. We headed north first thing Sunday morning. We returned home yesterday, in time for the big girls to get to soccer practices.

While in VT, Grace was up with the birds both mornings. She almost always is, actually. Whether she's at home or in VT.

Monday morning, Grace reported to Gordon and I that the sunrise that morning was AMAZING. I was sort of sad that I'd missed it. Lucky for me, Grace was up early again Tuesday. Once the sun started rising, she came into the bedroom looking for my camera. She wanted to take a picture or two of the sunrise.

I ended up getting up at that point. I grabbed the camera and shot a couple of pictures of the pretty pink sky. I'd love to share them with you, but my camera battery died. It's charging now. I'll be sure to share those pictures with you as soon as I can!

Eclectic Outfit

This is the picture I took of Grace last Saturday. She had gotten herself all dolled up for her first rec dance. She even asked me to paint her nails!

Flash Mob

Have you ever heard of a Flash Mob?

There are different types.

There are those where everyone goes to a specific place at a specific time and then just 'freezes' in place for a set amount of time. Once that time is up, they continue on as if no time had elapsed whatsoever. Very confusing for the general population who happens to be passing by at the time.

Then there are also dancing and/or singing Flash Mobs. People once again plan to be at a specific public place at a specific time, just milling about and looking normal. Once the set time arrives, everyone breaks out in song and/or dance. Sometimes the dance starts out with just a handfull of people and then others join in as choreographed throughout the song.

The biggest idea behind a Flash Mob is that everything is secret. Noone knows when or where one is going to occur. Noone expects to find a flash mob at the mall, town green, or grocery store. They just happen.

(I always think of that cell phone commercial where the one guy starts dancing in the middle of a train station, only to find that he didn't get the text saying the flash mob was moved to a later time.)

You can do a search on YouTube for flash mobs and see all sorts of examples.

Why am I blogging about flash mobs, you ask?

I'm blogging about flash mobs because I'm going to be IN one! That's right -- I'm participating in a flash mob.

Aren't I blowing the whole secrecy factor, you ask?

I'm not telling you where or when it is, now am I?? ::winky face:: See -- I'm sneaky like that. I'm so very excited to be a part of this flash mob that I just want to share my joy with all of you. For me the BEST part of this particular mob is the fact that we're doing this as a fundraiser for a great cause!

HOW can a flash mob be a fundraiser, you ask?

It's simple, really. As I share my excitement over getting to participate in such an event, my friends and family are bound to be curious. They're probably going to ask me when and where it is going to be. THIS is where the fundraising aspect comes in to play. For the truly curious, you CAN find out. Simply make a $5 tax-deductible donation to the Sandy Peszynski Breast Cancer Foundation (I'm collecting the money in person). I'll give you a card that lists the date, time, and place of the Flash Mob I'll be participating.

Clever, no??

Tales from the Coop

Early one morning last week, Grace noticed that a couple of the chickens had gotten loose from the coop. She and Gordon went out and quickly herded them back into the fenced-in area before heading to school and work.

It wasn't until later the next day that Gordon and I put two and two together.

We had found chicken poop on the bulkhead and patio by our back door. Lots of chicken poop. More than should be there if they'd just been wandering around after getting loose. Gordon declared that the two chickens that had been loose early the morning before must have been out of the coop all night long. They were probably roosting on the bulkhead all night long, which totally explains the amount of poop there.

Upon further reflection, I have to say that Gordon's declaration MUST be correct.

I had let Lexi out on her cable that same night, just before I went to bed, so she could do her 'business'. When she's done outside, Lexi usually barks and/or scratches at our back door. That night she didn't. Instead, she was whimpering. When I went to the door to make sure everything was ok and let her in, she was staring in the direction of the bulkhead. I had to call her name rather loudly a few times to get her attention.

I bet Lexi was trying to let Gordon and I know that the chickens were loose.

Dances

The local Recreations department hosts regular dances for the 6th, 7th, & 8th grade students throughout the school year. Tonight was the first one for this year. It was also Grace's first dance.

HOW can my baby girl be big enough to be attending dances?

WHEN did this happen?

She was so cute earlier today. She peppered me with questions about what dances are like. She sought out my opinion on her outfit (I answered that it was very 'eclectic' and very HER -- I took a picture that I hope to get posted on here tomorrow or Monday). I could tell she was a tad nervous, but didn't want to admit it.

All went well. When I picked her up, she declared that she had a LOT of fun. She danced a lot. There were only 4 or 5 slow dances, but she didn't dance to those ones.

She's looking forward to next month's dance. I've volunteered to chaperone for that one. Should be interesting!