Hello Again

I know it's been a while since I've last posted, but I've been busy! I've been trying to get myself back on the road to healthier things. I started back at weight watchers and with my trainer at the gym. The trainer wasn't an expected thing, but rather, an added bonus for me right now.

I've been working hard for a few weeks and I'm already down over 6 lbs! Hell yeah... that feels good :o) I will also be running a 5k in about 4 weeks, so I'm pretty nervous and excited. I will be conquering a hill that took me down big time in high school. It's funny, I think back to high school and I remember being in great shape... just figured that I was a bad runner. Come to find out I was in awful shape, just really strong... lmao!

So now, I am working on the strength, the speed, the endurance, and the nutrition. I am going to make it to my goal weight and I will stay there!! If you want to check in to see how I am doing, feel free to stop by my other blog. I have been much better at posting over there. I blog about workouts, weigh-ins, and most importantly - recipes!! The healthy type!

Anyway, we are expecting company soon. I hope that everyone is having a great night!!

Valentine's Day

I know it's a little late, but I felt the need to talk about Valentine's Day. I've almost always loved Valentine's Day. When I was younger, my mom would get us cards and even mailed them to us in college. In college, I had the boyfriends, and immediately following grad school, I met my husband. I have many valentine's memories... most of them, however, include totally stressing about what to get my loved one.

Has anyone else been dragged down by this guilt, this pressure?? Each year, I try to find the perfect card (ok... I always forget and then end up getting the most perfect leftover... lol) and the most perfect gift. Seriously, I usually end up in VS because it's the least brain power required and it's something that I know my hubby will appreciate. Yes, I know, pathetic, and Elizabeth will be shaking her head saying TMI... but it's the truth!

This year my mom said something and at first I was skeptical. I mean, during a conversation, she said straightfaced, "I hate Valentine's Day". Wow... that just struck me. Who the hell can hate the day of love?? But then she continued with, "If you need to set a day aside to tell me you love me, what's the point?" She's right!!

All year my husband and I get each other cards, or cook that special meal, or have a special night. Why do I get so stressed out about this one stupid "declared day of love"??? He knows I love him. My kids know we love them. What the heck were we thinking? So we decided that we weren't going to exchange cards or gifts, or anything. It was freeing!

Then my mom offered to take the girls overnight Saturday. Sweet! We had a night out at a nice restaurant and were able to chat and flirt and have fun. It was so cool... then we pretty much crashed when we got home. Chef Hubby had to go to work the next morning and I was going to spend the day with the girls and my mom. But, unexpectedly, the week before.... I found the "perfect" card, so I had to get it! Wanna see...

I

love

being

with

you

I love how we continue to

learn from each other...

grow with each other...

and

challenge each other

to be the best person

we are meant to become.

I don't know about you, but that's us :o)

In the Kitchen...

Portugese Natas...

Holiday Trays that I was asked to do... me! Not Chef Hubby... hehe. I think they came out pretty :o)

Oreo fudge, Brownies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies,

Fluffernutter Fudge, Mini Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

Snow Day!!

So today we are having a snow day. Well, I had a snow day, the kids and Chef Hubby actually had a half day. Last night we chatted and decided that the kids would have a snow day too! Yay! Gotta admit, the whole sleeping late thing was very exciting to me :o) Typically, I have to be up at 6am and then get things ready to get the kids up and ready by 6:55 so that we can be out the door and in the car by 7:38. (I don't know why it's 7:38... it just always seems that that's the time on the dashboard about 98% of the time, so that's my goal now... lol)

So anyway, I woke up at 8:45... hehe. The girls were playing in Payton's room, and very well, I must say. I wondered to the kitchen and grabbed some coffee that Hubby had already set up. Asked them if they wanted breakfast. Both said they didn't want to eat, but wanted to play their Leapsters. Hey, why not.

Since I had the time, I decided that I would make a muffin tin for breakfast. I love muffin tins! I haven't been making them as much as I used to; probably due to time, but today I threw it together... hehe

grapes, corn bran cereal, mini pancakes, hash brown potatoe, ketchup, bacon

Payton has been slightly obsessed with the whole mini pancake thing lately, so I've been going with it. I use my mini cookie scoop to drop the batter and it makes it a lot easier. I also discovered that I can make baked mini pancake muffins! These totally rock for weekend breakfasts. I throw some mini chocolate chips in the batter, use my medium cookie to drop the batter into my mini muffin pan, cook for about 18-20 mins at 350 degrees and serve with syrup for dipping! mmm mmm... they come out super light and fluffy if you make the batter ahead of time and let sit for at least 10-20 minutes before portioning into tin. The same goes for if you are making them on the stovetop.

Well, I have tons to fill you in on, but right now I think I should go play a game, or start cutting some butterfly bodies for the girls to decorate for Valentine's Day. PBS Kids is entertaining and all, but hey, I need to make the most of our snow day, right?!

One of those weeks...

So this week has been one of those weeks. I've been running from one thing to another and feel like I can't catch up.

Monday started by bringing the kids to school and being asked to teacher Physical Education for the day. I definitely wanted to do it, I mean seriously. It's a great opportunity to see if it's for me. Try to figure out the kids, etc. But I had no idea what to expect. I ran home and showered. Then I prepped one workout that I could modify for grades 2-8. I survived. It was actually kind of fun too!

Then Tuesday I had to cover some Basketball games at school. That morning I finished most of the molding in the bathroom. I think that I'm getting a little quicker and better with my cuts. I'm becoming one with the miter saw. I should post some pics of the bathroom soon. I think I will have to have a photo day to catch you up on everything I've been doing. Anyway, I headed to work at the High School. Then I found out that Chef Hubby needed to go to his night job, which meant that I found a high school student to watch the kids during the game while I worked.

It was going well, until we had an injury. Blood on the floor and no towels in sight. That was cleaned up. When Hubby came to get the kids and bring them home, apparently they told him all about the blood everywhere in gruesome detail - nice!

The next day Payton woke up sick and wasn't able to go to school. She had a fever and slept a LOT so I called into work and let them know I wouldn't be coming in. It was a slow day and the teams should be set. BUT I was planning on being there Thursday... yeah, well

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray...

Payton woke up sick again, but she seemed a little better. We were all set. She ate a little for lunch. She was drinking liquids like a champ. She even put herself down for a 2 hrs nap. When she woke up she seemed really warm, so I decided to be safe and give her some more meds. She had other plans. Like how about a spat of hysteria that resulted in her puking all over me, her, and my BED!!! NOT COOL... then we picked up Phoebe from school, and went HOME.

As soon as Hubby got home, I had to run to Parent Teacher Conferences. That was cool. My kids are normal. Well, as normal as my kids can be. Payton is really witty and doesn't get spacial descriptions (ie. front of, back of, right, left, etc) which could be part of her problem. She keeps getting yellow tickets, which means she's had a no so good day.

Phoebe is in the middle of the road on reading, and she doesn't have to go to reading club anymore, yay! She's been doing so well. She's very independent in the classroom, but unfortunately, she is a follower when it comes to friends. She needs to learn that she has to obey the rules whether her friends are, or not! ugh.

Then I headed over to cover a track meet... I like track meets, don't get me wrong, last night it seemed to drag. Man oh man.

Today was good. Payton went to school. I got to go to lunch with Chef Hubby, at his work. I like doing that, because it's like a little date. No kids (besides his students) and a little time to talk. Anyway, I have games tonight. Another game tomorrow morning and I think that I am going to watch my director do a show tomorrow night so I can get back into the swing of things with the Pampered Chef.

Wish me luck!!

Can't Get Anything Done

Am I the only one who has the attention span of a flea?? I was trying to explain to my husband what goes on in my mind while I am trying to do projects in the house. Here is an example of a day where I am trying to be super productive and end up getting nothing done...

So, now I am going to do the molding in the bathroom...

1. I clean up the magazine rack in the bathroom and bring the ones we can use as references into the sunroom.
2. Sort and store the magazines, then start to move the items in the sunroom that I took off the rack the other day, into the attic.
3. Once in the attic, I start to sort through items that need to be thrown away or sorted to stay.
4. Go back downstairs to once again try to work on the bathroom molding.
5. Head into the basement to get the molding and the miter saw. Then I start to sort the stuff on a shelf downstairs because I want to make the basement more welcoming to workout in.
6. Start to sand the table that I want to stain and finish. R
7. Realize that I will be downstairs for a while and go back to get some laundry.
8. Start 2 loads of laundry and sweep the floors of the basement.
9. Go back upstairs (without the molding) for a cup of coffee and start cleaning kitchen.
10. Remember that the new spout for the faucet still doesn't fit and I need to bring it back to Lowe's to find an adaptor. Put that and the receipt into my coat in the bedroom.
11. Make the bed.
12. Sort the clothes that I folded the other day.
13. Bring Phoebe's clothes into her room.
14. End up vacuuming.
15. Bring Payton's clothes into her room.
16. Try to figure out how to reconfigure the bedroom so that I can set up a TV because she's peeing in the potty like a "Big Girl" and has been promised this FOREVER.
17. Realize she has too many pieces of large furniture and decide the bookcase in the sunroom would fit better than the larger bookcase she currently has.
18. Back in the sunroom where I empty the CDs and stuff out of the bookcase and bring them upstairs.
19. Realize it's almost time for work and I have to get ready.
20. End up forgetting clothes in the washers. Haven't touched the bathroom. Don't have time to go to Lowe's for the spout. Haven't even finished sanding the table.

I seriously don't think that this is normal... and I swear I am not even remotely making this up!!! It's soo frustrating. UGH!!

Kids are great...

So I was across the house and heard some bickering going on at the computer. I let Phoebe and Payton play Nick Jr while I made some pizza dough for dinner. All of a sudden Payton is crying and Phoebe is screaming...

Me: "What's going on in there?"

Phoebe: "Payton hit me!"

Me: "Why did she hit you?"

Phoebe: "Because I slapped her, because she wouldn't listen to me!"

Man... I bet it doesn't stay this simple, does it?! Gotta love it when they tell on themselves, right.