Life as a Drum

Busy!

2011-08-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

Whoa! Time is flying by and I'm slipping at trying to keep up with these blogs. So the logical thing to do is to start a third blog, right? Here is the address to my new kitchen blog:

http://myapronison.blogspot.com/

Things are going well, here. We're waiting to hear which preschool program Ewan will be attending in a few weeks. Holy moley! He's starting preschool soon! I'm equal parts relieved (for the time to bond with Feenie) and sad (for the time away from Ewan).

James is doing great with his weight loss! He's down almost 90 lbs already! He looks amazing and I'm so happy for him. It's so great to know that we are doing everything we can to extend and improve the quality of the lives of our children's parents.

Josephine is starting to sit up by herself, roll all over the place and is sporting a nice pair of turkey legs. Seriously, those thighs go on for days!

This weekend we plan to finish up a few projects and try to get some updated family photos. We'll see if either of those things happen. ;)

I will get organized, I will get organized, I will get orgnaized!

2011-07-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have to keep repeating that! lol I've really gotten lax with our schedule, budget, etc. lately and it's killing me. So. Yesterday I organized the fridge, freezer and pantry and filled in our family calendar for August. Today I'm going to tackle the schedule and finish up some laundry. Tomorrow my mother's helper comes (thank goodness) so I'll get a start on the basement. Saturday I have a shoot in the morning but the afternoon will be for budgeting & cleaning bedrooms. I can do this!

The kids are great. Ewan has learned to ride a 2 wheeler and thinks he's just the coolest thing on the planet. He's been a little whiney lately, but otherwise a good kid.

Feenie loves to be held...all the time. Which makes doing, ya know, ANYTHING hard but I do what I can, when I can (except for updating this blog when I should be folding laundry) and, even though it's hard for me, I try to remember that leaving a job half done until I can get back to it, is not going to kill anyone. ;) She is sitting up and standing with assistance. She LOVES her brother and daddy (and everyone else but especially those two) and her laugh is the best sound in the world!

I'm finally down 150 lbs and I'll see my doctor August 9th for my skin removal consult. Yay!

James is down 77 lbs and looks amazing. Now if I could just get him to quit wearing those big baggy clothes! That man must really hate clothes shopping! ;)

So that's what's up lately. I'm going to try to add blogging back into my regular schedule because I love the outlet and who knows, maybe someone else gets something out of it once in a while. :)

Introducing Our Daughter

2011-05-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

Introducing our daughter, Josephine Belle. She arrived 3 weeks early on April 16th at 2:03pm by emergency c-section. I'll spare you the details but it was a little traumatic, though everyone's doing just fine now.
Here are some photos from her one month session I did with her this afternoon:

Couple of things.

2011-02-02T16:21:00.000-08:00

1. I totally lost track of my food/exercise log. Not surprising considering I've got the worst case of pregnancy brain in history. At any rate, things are going well and I'm getting better at laying off the sweets and getting off the couch and moving.

2. Feenie's room is just about ready for her. I washed all of her clothes yesterday and now I just need to get them organized in her dresser. I also need to set up her changing area which is just the top of her dresser because, frankly, I don't understand the need for a changing table as long as the dresser is a good height, which it is. It's amazing to me how prepared we are for this baby. I really did picture us scrambling at the last second to get it all together and yet here we are, 3 months from my due date, ready for her!

3. We're taking our last only child trip this weekend. I have mixed feelings about this. Of course I'm really excited for Feenie to join our family...as are James & Ewan. All three of us are fully aware of how blessed we are, especially James and I since we've been down such a rough road to have this little lady join our life. However, life will never be the same as it is now. Soon we'll have two children to pack up everytime we go on a trip, whether that be a weekend trip or a trip to Target. Soon we'll have to check the 2 box for children in our hotel rooms or on the train/plane. Soon we won't be able to just hop in the van and head off for a day trip...we probably still will but I bet you we're going to end up buying spare outfits/swimsuits/bottles/diapers/etc everytime we go anywhere as I'm extremely forgetful! I think there's still a dollar store sippy cup somewhere in our minivan from one of the many times I had to buy something for Ewan to drink from while we were on a day trip.

Anyway, we're riding the Amtrak to Chicago, this weekend. Leaving Saturday (at flippin 6am!) and returning home around 1am Monday night/Tuesday morning. We're staying at a great hotel right on Michigan Ave with a huge indoor pool! We're meeting up with my dear friend, Lou, and her girls (and maybe her hubby) Saturday evening for pizza...you know, the deep dish kind. Mmmmm! I can't wait to catch up with her. She's due about a month before me so it's been nice to share our pregnancies with each other. She's having a boy after two girls and I'm having a girl after one boy so it's also nice that we'll be able to help each other through those new territories for each of us.

We're also planning at least one trip to Portillo's for delicious hot dogs & Italian beef sandwhiches. And, coincidentally, Monday happens to be free day at Shedd Aquarium! So since our train doesn't leave until 4pm, we're going to spend some time at the aquarium Monday morning which Ewan will love love love!

I'm really excited for this trip and I'm sure it's going to be a great time!

4. Yeah, we got some snow today. ;-) I think about 8 inches total which isn't as bad as they said it would be, but it's a pretty significant amount. It took James about an hour to plow our driveway and sidewalks this afternoon and due to drifting, it's pretty much covered over already. :-/

5. I don't really have a fifth point but I like to have three, five or ten points. :-)

Getting Back Into Good Habits

2011-01-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

Well, between vacation, the holidays and being pregnant, I've definitely swayed away from my good eating habits. This happened especially during the first trimester when I basically just ate whatever would stay down. However, next Wednesday starts the third trimester and I'm still eating junk! So. Today starts my good habits again and to help me I'm going to try to post everything I eat & drink for the next week right here on my bloggity blog! If you read this (and I'm panifully aware that I have very few readers) please feel free to keep me in check or add your own food log. I welcome accountability!

I also need to get back to the rec center. We've been twice in the last week but that's nothing compared to the five days per week that we were going before. So I'll be adding an exercise log here, too.

The third part in my 3-part lifestyle change is trying to live as stress-free as possible. I don't know how I can incorporate that into my blog but if I'm feeling stressed, I'll come here to vent. How's that? ;-)

Anyway, here goes!

01/27/11:
Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean Cereal with half a banana & 2% milk. EAS AdvantEDGE Protein Shake.

Does folding laundry count as exercise? lol

Lunch: Hummus & pita chips, fresh veggies (carrots, cauliflower, brocolli & green peppers) with a little ranch, grapes and water to drink. PS ~ Lunch is picnic style on the livingroom floor. ;) SO ready for spring!

Snack: Kellogg's Fiber Plus bar (chocolate chip) and more water.

Dinner: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, shells & cheese and brussel sprouts. Milk to drink.

Snack: Small slice of chocolate cake and milk.

Umm...second snack?: Chicken salad on crackers...and water.

Cabin Fever!

2011-01-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, it's that time of year again. We're stuck in the house most days and I'm trying to find stuff for a hyperactive 4 year old (Is there any other type of 4yo?) without completely tiring myself out. Here are a few of things we do to try to get through the cold winter months without pulling our hair out.

1. School. Ewan refers to it as "doing school". It's where we get out all of the workbooks and work through a few pages of three or four of each book. Today he learned how to write his name E-w-a-n, instead of E-W-A-N. He's also learning the days of the weeks and months of the year. His strength is definitely math, though...which worries me because I was never great at math and I fear he'll...ok WE'LL need a tutor by the time he's in grade five! ;-)

2. Crafts.
Coloring books
Play dough (here's a way to make your own http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Playdough-Play-doh/)
Painting (wooden shapes are $.10-.25 at Michael's and JoAnn's)
Stickers
Here's-a-bunch-of-craft-stuff-now-make-something (This is when he's feeling creative and I'm feeling tired. I just put the felt pieces, popcicle sticks, paints and whatever out in front of him and let him go at it.)

3. Hide and Go Seek. I especially like hiding under the covers in our bed...or even in Ewan's bed. ;-)

4. Build a fort. There's currently a blanket stretching between one end of our dining room table and our buffet. He loves to take a few books and a flashlight in there and read to his imaginary bunny. Ewan likes it too. Ha!

5. Library day! We recently started a weekly trip to the library. We go on Mondays but I'm open to checking it out on other days, too. I think they have a story time on Wednesdays starting soon. Maybe we'll switch to Wednesdays. There's something about reading a library book that's just...special. E has a pretty extensive book collection but the excitement of reading one that you have to give back eventually is fun.

6. Playing in the snow. Now, it's currently like 15 degrees with the windchill so we've not been out lately, but it's nice to get some fresh air and play.

7. Wii!!!! God bless games like Nick Jr. Fit and Just Dance Kids! I love a game that allows Ewan to release some energy while laughing and playing. Along the same lines, he got a Smart Cycle for Christmas and while there's no way to adjust the tension, at least he's moving and thinking and having fun while learning.

8. Picnic in the living room! We even go so far as to get out the picnic basket, pack up a lunch and spread out a blanket on the living room floor. Fun!

9. Lazy Date. Play Dates are great but it's also fun to have Lazy Dates! Invite a few friends over and have them bring a sleeping bag or blanket & pillow. Move the furniture out of the way and have everyone chill out on their sleeping bags. Make a ton of popcorn and watch a fun movie. I realize this probably didn't need instructions but I don't really have much else to do tonight. ;-)

10. It's not free, but listen, it's worth the $5-10 to have a few minutes to yourself while your kid releases some energy. BOUNCY HOUSE!!!! Our mall has a place with three or four inflatables and it's only $5 for them to bounce all day Monday-Thursday. I go straight there, let him bounce for an hour, we wander around the mall spacing out places like the Disney Store and Crazy8 in between the stores I'd like to visit, then (if he's been good) we hit the bouncy house on the way out.

So there are a few ideas but please feel free to leave your suggestions! I definitely appreciate any help getting through these next few months.

2011 ~ The Year of the House

2011-01-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, we're expecting a baby in a few months but that just seems like all the more reason to put all that nesting to good use and really make this house "ours"! We've lived here almost 2 years, now, and have done very little. We painted the watermelon room and touched up the trim on the front of the house but other than that, we really haven't done too much. So I decided my new year's resolution, this year, is to really make this place into the Drum family home.

I started off by making a lengthy, detailed list of all of the things I'd like to accomplish around here, this year. I'm not going to type out the list in its entirety but to give you an idea of some of our projects we need to do, I'll name a few.

Move bedrooms around. The den is becoming my mom's room so all of the office stuff needs to go up into our room which is HUGE so that's not going to impose on our bedroom space at all. Then the baby will go in my mom's current room, we still need pretty much everything as far as baby furniture is concerned so that's another project but heck, I don't mind shopping! ;-) So Ewan doesn't feel left out, we're switching his room from the current theme (sports) and wall color (blue/grey) to a theme (rockstar) and wall color (red...this will be tricky) of his choice.

We also need to paint the stairwell and upstairs hallway as they have never been painted and are still basically primer white. Same goes for our room, it needs color! And our bathroom, too.

One of the biggest projects is to refinish our kitchen cabinets and add white beadboard around the kitchen island as well as painting the kitchen a pale yellow color...I think.

There are lots of little things on the list like painting the baseboards on the main floor, finding window treatments for several of the windows in our home and painting the mantle in our livingroom.

It's an ambitious list, especially given that we're expecting a baby this year, too, but we've got a year to do it all and I'm not opposed to 2012 being The Year of Finishing the House. ;-)

To give you an idea of the watermelon room conversion, here are a few pics. Hopefully this will keep me motivated, too. =)

That's right, two green walls & two pink walls. Thus the watermelon room. But we conquered it!

And it turned out pretty great, in my opinion and (with a bit more decorating) will make a great nursery soon!

I think tomorrow we'll start by cleaning and organizing the den and our room and hopefully start moving office stuff upstairs. =) Wish us luck!

Menus!

2010-11-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

This week begins the holiday fun! We start on Wednesday evening with a holiday kick off party. It's very laid back; food, games, Christmas movies and eggnog punch! Mmmm! Here is my menu for that event:

Pickles (Claussen dill spears and bread & butter slices)
Olives (green & black)
An assortment of crackers (Wheat Thins, Garden Veggie Crisps, Ritz, Flipsides, etc.)
Kaukana Bacon Cheddar cheeseball (last year I could've eaten this entire thing by myself)
Cheese slices (Sharp Cheddar, Pepper Jack & Colby)
Ring Bologna (gag me but the Grands love it)
Smoked Sausage
Summer Sausage
Franks in a Blanket (I found a huge box of these in the frozen department at Sam's and boy did it make my life easier. I just pop them into the oven, no rolling out dough, slicing and wrapping. Woot!)
Taquitos
Popcorn Shrimp
Mini Corndogs
Meatballs (Any suggestions on which kind of sauce/gravy to use would be great. I'm just not sure how to prepare them this time.)
A mixed bag of Anytizers (Chicken fries, buffalo wings and nuggets)
Chips & Salsa
Either cupcakes or a Christmas tree shaped cake
Rice Krispie & Cocoa Krispie treats
Pumpkin Bread
Jello Salad (strawberry jello, a can of fruit cocktail and Cool Whip all mixed up)
Pop (Coke, Diet Coke, Sunkist Orange, A&W Rootbeer, Dr. Pepper, Cherry Coke & Sprite)
Apple Juice
and last but not least
Eggnog Punch! (Un-spiked) This is just eggnog, ginger ale & vanilla ice cream. Yummay!

So that's for Wednesday night! If you're around and able, please join us!

Our Thanksgiving Day pretty much consists of (In an effort to keep it real, I just took a break from blogging to go get some pickles which I was craving after writing out the last menu. lol) Anyway, where was I? Oh Thanksgiving! So we start out with a big breakfast while watching for Grammie and all of our church friends in the Detroit parade. The breakfast consist of:
Eggs (scrambled with onions, shredded cheddar & green peppers)
Bacon (probably the turkey variety)
Maple Sausage Patties
Biscuits & Gravy
Pancakes
Orange Juice
Milk
and
Coffee (with mint chocolate creamer for me)

Then pretty much I spend the rest of the day preparing our traditional turkey dinner. It goes a little something like this:
Turkey
Stuffing (with lots of sage and then a box of Stove Top for James who I am convinced is just a little less than right for choosing Stove Top over my delicious sage variety)
Gravy (here is where I cheat and use jars of Heinz because no matter how hard I try, my gravy never turns out right)
Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Greenbean Casserole
Carrots (slow cooked in brown sugar and a bit of butter)
Corn
Crescent Rolls
Dinner Rolls
Sparkling Grape Juice (red & white)
Pop
Milk
and
Pies (pumpkin, pecan & apple crisp)

We eat dinner around 3pm and then one TV plays Christmas movies while the other displays football...which doesn't really matter because most of us fall asleep within 30 minutes of clean up being complete. Some even earlier. ;-)

Around 6:30 or 7pm I'll get out all of the leftover appetizers and snack stuff from Wednesday night and we'll munch on that stuff and play games or watch old home videos (where I look like I got stung by a bee) and just enjoy being with our family.

So that's our plan. It doesn't always go smoothly...often we need to cut the blackened bottoms off of our dinner rolls or maybe the carrots are a bit crunchy, but it's fun and I am at my happiest when my home is full of family (friends are just our chosen family, right?)! Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Aww! My sweet guys!

2010-11-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

So this is our new baby. It's not a great photo as it comes from a quick scan in my OB's office on her hand-me-down machine. But it's our baby who is doing just fine and even opened & closed her* mouth for us like she was talking to us.

*We have just kind of resorted to referring to the baby as a she because everyone around here really wants a girl. ;-)

So something changed in my guys this weekend. Yesterday James and I registered for this baby. Now, we understand that it is unlikely we will have another shower but we have family and friends who'd like some ideas for gifts for the baby. Plus, Target gave us a free $20 gift card and a bag of freebies just for playing with a scanner for a while! At any rate, for the first time in this pregnancy, I saw some excitement in James' eyes. He was saying that he'd like to start picking up a pack of diapers & wipes each payday to get a good stash going. He also showed me a video monitor that he would like to get from Sam's club (he had taken a picture of it on his phone). It was very special for me to see that he's relaxed a little and is excited for this baby's arrival. I think because I'm the vocal one, people forget that HE lost the last three babies, too and HE worries about this baby, too. So yeah, it was a really nice time together.

Ewan. Oh sweet Ewan. He has suddenly become enthrawled with babies. I would even go so far as to say obsessed. He's spent the bulk of this day taking care of all of his babies (every stuffed animal he owns...including his Buzz Lightyear action figure). At one point, this morning, he came downstairs and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge exclaiming, "Whew! All of the babies have had their buh-buhs and now I'm thisty!" He's also spent the last 30 minutes or so up in his bedroom watching Wow Wow Wubbzy because "...the babies would like some TV time." I sent James a text telling him about this and he sent me one back reading, "Where are his guns? Send him outside to shoot something." lol I did, in fact, send Ewan outside to play with the boys down the street today. He came in about 10 minutes later to pick up his stuffed Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (aka his "baby reindeer") and put the animal in the back of his Power Wheels Jeep and took him for a spin.

So this is how things are going around here. Good times for sure!

Catching Up

2010-10-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

So yeah, it's been a while. I'm sure no one has noticed since this is really a blog more for me to lay things out there, not necessarily for anyone else. lol

Anyway, yeah, things have been awesome! We had a fantastic vacation that started with me finding out we're expecting another baby! The vacation was a LOT of fun and Ewan is still saying (today, even) "I miss our boat and my camp." (Camp Carnival). I cannot wait to go on another cruise although I'm sure it'll be another three to five years.

We're getting so excited for Halloween! We have a couple of events this week including a party at church and our own annual open house on Halloween. Yay! Ewan will be a Mexican wrestler at church and a dinosaur for trick-or-treating since it'll be too cold for the wrestler costume. I'll try to add some pictures.

Wow! It's almost November! That means the holidays will be here soon! James was able to get the three days off in between Christmas and New Year's which gives him 11 days off in a row! I'm SOOOO excited to have him home for so many days.

As for the pregnancy, it's (finally) going smoothly. Well, I shouldn't say that. The pregnancy has been going great. I, on the other hand, have been feeling AWFUL! But I've tried really hard not to complain. I am so grateful to even BE pregnant. The past two days, though, have been really good. I'm so glad to be able to do more for my family!

So that's about all for now. I say this every time, but I'd really like to try to write more often. So then, I'll be back in December. lol

Being a Happy Homemaker

2010-08-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks I've really been changing the way I go about my day, my jobs and my life, really. I've gained a new appreciation for my husband and for the life I am so blessed to lead. I am truly grateful to be a housewife, stay-at-home-mom and work-from-home-mom. My husband goes to work Monday - Friday to provide the means that allow us to live in this great home, 3 vehicles, take vacations and live a comfortable life in general. The least I can do is clean up and keep our child safe.

But I want to go above and beyond what is expected of me. I take pride in our home and enjoy hosting guests so I've been doing my best to not just keep it clean, but ready for unexpected guests, smelling wonderful and being organized so when I'm asked where something is, I can always provide the answer. I want our home to be the house where all of Ewan's friends would like to hang out. I love having company and invite anyone to come for a visit! =)

I've thoroughly enjoyed using my new (to me) KitchenAid mixer my mom got for me as an early birthday present. So far I've baked two cakes, banana bread and a coconut cream pie from scratch. I think tonight we'll make brownies or chocolate chip cookies. In addition to baking, I've been trying new recipes for dinner each night. I love being in control of how our food is prepared and what we're using as fuel for our bodies. Much better than eating out or making boxed/canned foods!

Another thing that I can do to show my respect & appreciation for my husband providing for us is to make and keep a budget. James & I sat down and worked out a good budget for us a few weeks ago and it's such a nice feeling of accomplishment when we actually stick to it! I also find great satisfaction in finding a good bargain. ;-) Thrift stores, garage sales and clearance sales have been very good to me lately!

I'm also starting to read more and listen to music (records, iPod, Singers & Swing channel on Comcast) and trying to stay off of the computer and not watch as much TV. Ewan has been showing a lot of improvement in his behavior by using his imagination, having books read to him and playing rather than watching TV or playing games on the iPod.

In general, we're all a lot happier living a little simpler and spending more time interacting with each other rather than sitting in the same room each on our seperate devices.

Oh! I'm also trying my hand at sewing, making a few aprons to start with and then maybe a simple dress at some point. Hopefully by the holidays I'll have some Christmas presents made! ;-)

So that's what's happening around here. We leave for vacation two weeks from today! It feels like it's going so slowly, but soon we'll be on the road to Miami for our cruise. We're all VERY excited! :-D

Getting excited!

2010-08-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

The excitement is building as we are just 23 days away from leaving for our vacation! I've been planning this thing since January and it's all coming together nicely. I've started making my packing list and soon I'll start packing the travel sized items that we don't need between now and when we leave.

For those who would like to review my blog entry about roadtripping with children, here is a link:

http://lifeasadrum.blogspot.com/2010/03/road-tripping-with-children.html

It provides many money saving as well as child appeasing tips. ;-)

Ok, about this summer weather. It's been really hot & humid here, this year and that makes me really cranky. ;-) I've found myself watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas songs, getting a jump on making some Christmas gifts, planning out our FOFFC (Fun Old Fashioned Family Christmas), trying to find great costumes for our family for Halloween and generally just spending a lot of time planning things for the fall & winter. It distracts me from the heat and cheers me up to think about those things. I also try not to complain about the heat when we do go out but now and then I let a little "Wow, it's really hot!" slip out. Heh!

The weight loss is slow going, this week. I had a good couple of days where I lost a pound per day last week but it has slowed down the past few days. It'll pick back up, I'm sure!

Ewan is seriously cracking us up these days! He comes up with some of the funniest stuff! Here are some of his funnier conversations the past few days:

(As we drove past the old train station where we took family pictures a few weeks ago.)
Ewan: Hey, ya wanna go over to that train station and take some photos?
Me: Not today, honey.
Ewan: What's your schedule look like tomorrow?

***********************************
Me: Ewan, please pick up your cars and put them in the bin.
Ewan: Mommy, please call me "Fah-ninja".
**************************************

Ewan: Can you please take something out of my ear?
James: Like what?
Ewan: Like a quarter and some pennies?

***********************************

You see? He says the funniest stuff! I'm a lucky mommy!

- 110 lbs!

2010-07-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

That's right! Down 110 lbs now! Woot!

Well, we had our big birthday/Christmas in July bash yesterday and it was SO FUN!!! And now I'm looking forward to the holidays even more. We're all pretty excited about hosting a fun old fashioned family Christmas this year. Are you coming? We've got plenty of room, plenty of towels! ;-)

Oh man! I'm a slacker!

2010-07-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

So yeah, I haven't blogged much...at all...lately! Sorry!

Ok, weight loss, I'm down 105 lbs and feeling amazing!

Ewan amazes me every single day. We've spent the past few days indoors because of this tremendous heat lately and he's being SO GOOD!!! I'm reall blessed!

I wrapped a few details regarding our cruise and roadtrip today. We're set to leave August 27th and return the day before Labor Day. I like to give James a down day before he has to head back to work. It also gives us an extra day if we decide to stay in a certain location an extra night.

We've decided to host a fun old-fashioned family Christmas, this year. It's a sweet week-long celebration of Christmas, New Years and full of new and old traditions. More to come on that as it approaches.

Conservatory and Music Camp were SO SO SO fun, this year! Last year was pretty miserable for me...it was just a bad time in my life altogether. But this year totally made up for it! I had a blast, Ewan had a blast and I'm pretty sure James enjoyed the break from us. lol

I just updated the photo blog with a couple of entries but I have some more I need to add. Seriously, this has a been a crazy couple of months and it just flew by! I'll try to be better about it, promise!

Ewan and I are returning to camp on Monday so I can teach the photography class for the character building camp. I expect it to be a little more laid back than the music camps and I'm looking forward to teaching my other passion. ;-)

Life's a little crazy!

2010-05-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, a LOT crazy! Things have been happening so quickly lately!

Ewan's getting bigger and more grown up by the minute! He stole the show at our youth music concert at church last Thursday. He was rockin out during the cherubs performance of "J-O-Y" and then ended the night by grabbing Grammies baton and leading the youth band's final march. lol What a character! He's also starting to come up with some really funny stuff. He'll change the lyrics to songs and crack us up. He'll talk to you like a grown up. And he'll do just about anything to make people laugh. I love him a lot!

My mom's slowly starting to move her things in. I'm excited to have her living in our home. It's going to be fantastic for Ewan and for our budget! ;-) Plus she's here most of the time anyway. Yay! It will be so excellent to be able to spend time with her and to have her help.

Cale's goign to put an offer on a house this afternoon. It's a great place with an awesome barn and almost 6 acres. I hope he gets it. Our realtor says there's another offer on the table, a cash offer actually, and so he probably won't get it but it doesn't hurt to try. And if not this house, than a better one will come along.

I've lost 85 lbs as of today! I could really use some new clothes but I'm making the ones I have work for now. We just don't have the money to be buying new clothes right now. And if anyone needs new clothes it's actually James. He loses his weight in his butt first, too and all of his pants are sagging badly!

I've been sick with this sinus business for about 6 weeks now. It's really frustrating and I hope it goes away SOON! The pressure in my head and especially my ears is killing me!

I think I'm going to go work on the plans for our summer vacation. I love working on that stuff. It really gives me something to get excited about!

Going Green, Kitchen Cabinets & Saving Money

2010-04-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Well this one will be an ongoing post, I'm sure. We're really trying hard to be eco-friendly. We're determined to leave a smaller carbon footprint so our son is left with a beautiful earth. Besides, we feel like it's our job as God's servants to take good care of what we've been blessed with.

So, we've eliminated paper towels & napkins, we're planting a garden (our seeds are all sprouting already!) and we've got a few other projects we're working on, too.

Here's my question: We've got this big BBQ coming up and we're wondering what to do as far as plates, cups & silverware. I think we're going to cave and buy some paper (NOT STYROFOAM) plates, plastic cups and plastic forks and then do everything we can to make sure our guests get their eatery into the recycling bin instead of the trash. I just don't have enough dishes to feed everyone off of. :-/

Ok, our kitchen cabinets. I really want to paint them white and put white bead board around our kitchen island. James isn't convinced yet but I think he's coming around. We've got lots of projects that need to be done around here and I LOVE it! We're really making this house our home!

A couple more money saving tips that I thought of: the toaster oven! Anytime something fits into the toaster oven, use it! It will save the money it would take to heat your whole oven.
As far as coupons go, it hadn't occured to me to buy multiple copies of the Sunday paper. You should, though! Then you get extra coupons PLUS you can use the extra newspapers as kindling for fires.

Ok, that's all I've got for now. Sorry I'm not a witty writer. I just tell you what's on my mind and sometimes my mind goes a million miles a minute. ;-)

Photos!

2010-04-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Just a random array of photos from the month of April, year 2010.

Geez!

2010-04-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry (to the three of you that read this blog) for not updating more often. Things have been a bit busy AND I've been sick again, this time Ewan and James got it too. We've all been a bit cranky.

Things are going well, though. I'm down to 275 lbs! We're getting ready for our big Tigers game/BBQ with our family and friends. My mom's going to be moving in with us in a month or so and we're all very excited about that! It will be another step in the direction of being green & thrifty...and hippies. ;-)

We've been taking more and more steps toward a simplified life. We've converted to cloth napkins and biodegradable sponges. Our garden is coming along and we'll be ready to plant our garden in a few weeks.

So life is going well...sorta boring...but great!

It's true.

2010-04-06T20:10:00.001-07:00

I'm a slacker. Things have been really busy but great around here so I've taken a bit of a break from the internet. I'll post some pictures and stories tomorrow. For now, though, sweet dreams!

Electronic Catch Phrase!

2010-03-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

How could I forget about these games? We have the regular version and the music version. These games rock when everyone's kind of sluggish and drowzy because the annoying beeping keeps everyone wide awake! We don't actually keep score, we just pick a catagory and pass it around. Fun times!

Road Tripping with Children

2010-03-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Road tripping season is coming up so I thought I'd post a few ideas here. We've been road tripping with Ewan since he was 6 months old. We've done a few trips to Chicago (5-6 hours), a trip to upstate NY (14 hours) when he was 9 months old, trips to KY each summer for James' family reunion and last summer we did our first Fun Old-Fashioned Family Roadtrip from MI to KY, TN, SC, DC, Philly, Cleveland and back home (I don't even know how many hours but we were gone for 11 days). Oh and this summer we're driving down to Florida, staying in Daytona for two nights, driving to Miami, going on a cruise, and driving back with stops in Savannah and at least one other undecided place. We LOVE roadtrips! Love them! And we're really blessed to have at least one of our parents accompany us on most trips, this summer both my mom and James' dad will be with us. We're also a family on a budget so in order to take these trips we have to find the best bargains out there. We also have an active 3yo boy so we need to have all kinds of tricks up our sleeves to avoid any stops at the psych hospitals. So the following are some of our ways to save money and sanity! I hope you find them helpful!

1. Leave in the evening. We have always left for our roadtrips right around dusk if not later, for a couple of reasons. A. It's cooler and you can drive with the windows down instead of running the air conditioning. This saves on gas and wear & tear on your vehicle while keeping you cool. Plus the fresh air knocks you out! B. Kids sleep at night! Duh! ;-) This makes for a peaceful start to your trip and less entertaining you have to do to keep your kids busy. C. Less traffic! And since, here in MI, we only have two seasons: Winter and Construction, there WILL be construction. Less traffic means you get through the construction areas quicker and saves on the gas/wear & tear of sitting idle in the hot sun while you wait for that bulldozer to do a 17-point turn and get off the road.

2. Unless your child had never had a potty accident while sleeping in the last year or so, put him/her in a pull-up or underjam before you leave. No one wants to ride in a wet carseat and who knows if you'll be anywhere near a rest stop when the feeling strikes. Better to be safe than sorry.

3. Planning and organizing: The notebook! Everyone gets a folder. Each folder gets a cost breakdown of gas money, food costs, lodging and any other expenses.
Each drive gets its own page. I choose to plan out who drives for how long and give everyone a schedule. For example, James drives from 8pm - 12am, pit stop, Mary drives from 12:15am - 6am, breakfast stop, Ange drives from 7am - noon, etc. This may seem controlling but it keeps the schedule going and allows everyone to plan when they will sleep or relax in preparation for their driving time.
Each destination also gets its own page. That page contains the day's schedule as well as different things to do and see (the schedule is usually VERY loosely set). It includes the hotel phone number, numbers and business hours for the different attractions/restaurants and usually a map of the area. We also carry our GPS with us...well, now both of our phones have GPS capabilities too so maybe we won't, this year.
There will be a sheet in the front of each person's folder with a list of everyone's phone numbers (including a couple of people who can be reached back home like our next door neighbor & our brothers), emergency plans and info (a copy of each person's insurance card & driver's license) and any other pertinent info.
There are also a couple of blank pages in the back of each person's folder so we can write down any reviews of places we visited or ideas for next year's trip.
If you'd like to see our schedule for this summer's trip (yes, it's already done) let me know and I'll email it to you so you can get an idea of how we plan a trip.

4. Cost: Using mapquest.com you can figure out approximately how much gas money it will cost to get from point A to point B. We use this tool, any oil changes that will be needed on the trip, an approximate cost of food and the cost of lodging and add it all together. We then divide by the number of people going on the trip (including Ewan now that he eats more than me lol) and that's what each person is expected to contribute. Thankfully, we are VERY blessed to have generous parents who will pick up a tab here or there to lighten our financial burden. Even if they didn't, though, it's always nice to have other people to travel with and share the finances.

5. Lodging: We love a bargain! And we don't mind camping or staying in a hotel that's less than 4 stars. You can often find tent camping for around $20/night (sometimes less at state parks). If you're only there for a night or two, it's so quick to just pitch a tent, blow up a few air mattresses and voila!
We also love to stay at hotels, though, too...especially if they have a pool! So we always stop at the nearest rest stop to our destination and pick up these little Room Saver magazines (they also have a website: http://www.roomsaver.com/). They have hotel rooms for discounted rates...like REALLY discounted rates. We got a great Marriot suite in a Chicago suburb for $50/night, we've stayed in a great high rise hotel in Philadelphia for $39/night and a questionable but safe motel in Niagara Falls, NY for $19/night. I cannot recommend this little Room Saver booklet strongly enough.
We also are members of AAA. The peace of mind that comes with having AAA is priceless but the savings on hotel rooms and attractions are nice too! ;-) If you're going to be booking any of your lodging or attractions ahead of time, use AAA. Totally worth it!
Oh and one great thing about staying at a hotel is free breakfast! The most important meal of the day and it's free! So never ever sleep in past free breakfast time or you'll waste money and no one wants that! lol

6. Food: Ok, we have this great cooler (it's actually my mom's) that plugs into a cigarette lighter in a vehicle. It's one of the best investments she's ever made and we're very lucky to benefit from it, too. It's a real money-saver because it needs no ice, we don't have to pay for meals at restaurants and it cuts back on water/drink purchases at rest stops and gas stations. We usually have the cooler stocked with just a few drinks and then replenish it each time we take one out. This leaves room for lunch meat, fruits, veggies, yogurt and cheeses...and any chocolate candies we might bring (Hershey's for s'mores, for example) so they don't melt.
We also bring a big storage tub in which we keep any other foods (bread, salty snacks, cereal, protein bars, etc.) and any cups, bowls, silverware and plates. In a smaller shoe box sized tub or zip lock bag we'll bring a small bottle of dish soap and sponge. We're really working hard to live a greener life as well as a frugal life so no more plastic/paper products for us! Dishes can be washed at rest stops, hotels or campgrounds for free!

7. Stops: When it's daylight outside, rest stops are the best. There are usually picnic tables and restrooms and that's really all you need. Stopping anywhere where there are restaurants, fast food, convenience stores and the like, only tempts us to buy prepared foods instead of just making sandwiches and saving our money. Our GPS will also show us parks so stopping at a local park is a good idea, too. In fact, it might be better to stop at a park so you're guaranteed a place for the kids to run and get that energy out. Although, most of the rest stops we've been to have a decent amount of space for him to run, too, now that I think of it. But it's nice to be off the expressway for a little peace and quiet.
If it's after dark, always use the bathroom in the buddy system, of course. If you're the only chick in the car, insist on a well lit gas station or restaurant pit stop.
If you're all tired and cranky and just need an hour in some air conditioning somewhere (and it's in the budget), a nice sit down meal might be just the remedy. In this case, try to order something that you are sure you can finish unless you magically have the space for left overs in your cooler...we never do. lol Maybe even split a meal with someone else and order an extra side if you think you'll still be hungry.
If you're tired and cranky and just need an hour in some air conditioning and it's NOT in your budget to eat out, wander around or sit and people watch in a mall or library or some other public place. This will give you a chance to unwind and relax a little as well as give the car/van a break and a chance to air out (leave the windows cracked, of course).

8. Activities: A. Here's a great site for some printables like car bingo: http://www.momsminivan.com/printables.html. You can also find lots of free coloring pages that you can print out. I like to give him some that have something to do with where we're going, like a beach ball, cruise ship and palm tree for this summer. You can also print out educational pages to sneak in there, too...like letters and numbers. ;-)
B. I will gather up different activities and little toys for Ewan and put them all into a shoe box sized tub. When he's awake, I try to have at least one different activity per hour. For example, 1pm - Toy Story toys, 2pm - an episode of Backyardigans or Yo Gabba Gabba on the ipod, 3pm - coloring, 4pm - hand held games. Now, none of these activities actually ever lasts a whole hour but at least it changes things up and keeps him (and me) on my toes. I put six or eight crayons in a toothbrush holder in the cooler so they don't melt.
C. Snack sacks. (This is partly a food thing, too, I know. But I think it fits into this catagory a little better.)
This is one time I'm ok with baggies but I will try to reuse them, I promise! ;-) For each hour that we'll be traveling, I put together one snack sack for Ewan. There is a juice box/pouch and one or two snacks (dried fruit, string or cubed cheese, apple slices, carrots, graham crackers, etc.). They are always on the top of the food in the cooler so they're easy to grab. Of course he doesn't actually eat each hour's snacks but just in case he's THAT hungry, they're on hand. Then each evening I make up any bags we might need for the next day.
D. Story time! I'm sure my guys have heard the story about my mom and I driving through Donner Pass about 15 times but it's one of my favorite road trip stories so I'll probably re-tell it again this year. Try to think of a story from your childhood that even your spouse hasn't heard. It doesn't have to be anything tremendously interesting, just so long as it gets you all talking. And who knows what kinds of memories it will spark and you could end up talking for hours!
E. James and I play a lot of 20 questions when on trips. It usually turns into a pretty hilarious set of questions and most times no one wins but again, it gets us talking.
F. Now that E knows his colors, we'll be doing some "I Spy" playing this year, too! And everyone loves a game of "Who can be the quietest the longest?"!

9. Cleaning & Trash: We've always had wipes on hand but I think this year we'll try to just keep some damp wash cloths in a little container in the cooler or food tub. We usually keep a garbage bag for trash and a seperate bag for plastic water bottles and cans from pop. This year we'll try not to use water bottles as much as possible since we all have reusable ones.

10. Packing: A. Suitcases: We have used, in the past, one big suit case and one backpack per person. My suitcase is very old and was starting to get very worn, though. (I've had it for years and it's been on several band tours and other vacations) So we recently found a huge suitcase on clearance. This year James and I will both share the big one and Ewan will use his little one that he's had since before he was born. We roll our clothes and are able to fit more in each case. For Ewan and myself, I put together outfits and roll them together. I try to do this with James but he never wears what I put together so I don't think I'll even try, this year. lol Each of out backpacks contains pajamas, the next day's outfit and all of our toiletries. These are packed up each morning as we return to our van. I take out the previous jammies and dirty clothes and place them in the laundry bag. Then I open the suitcases and re-pack the backpacks. This prevents having to take the big suitcases into the hotel room/tent and saves time, energy and space in the room. We always take cooler in and plug it into the hotel room outlets to save on draining our van battery and we pick a few snacks for the evening to take into the hotel room, too. I try my hardest to dry swimsuits and beach towels by hanging them overnight. Otherwise I might blow dry them to get them as dry as possible before putting them in the beach bag that is designated solely for beach towels and swimsuits.
B. Packing the Van: Now, in the past we've never had the back two seats in the van because we've only needed three adult seats and a spot for Ewan. So we've never really had to worry about packing tightly. This year, though, we'll take out the extra middle row seat and leave the back two seats (which stretch all across the back of the van) in. We'll leave the cooler and food tub and any games and activities in the middle of the van next to Ewan's regular seat. I think, though, that Ewan's carseat will be moved to one of the back seats of the van so someone will be able to sit next to him. Suitcases and backpacks will go in the back of the van behind the back seats.

11. Safety: A. I just saw this on the news last night. Always use cash when ordering any pizzas to your hotel room. Especially if it's a local place. I guess crooks have been making up these fake fliers for "Joe's Pizzaria" an sliding them under hotel room doors. Then when you order, they ask all your credit card info and immediately start charging up purchases online. Using cash eliminates this potential problem.
B. We have an extra cell phone on our family plan that is technically our business line. When we're going to be in a crowded area, we put this in Ewan's backpack or a pocket that fastens closed. He has no idea how to use it but in the event that we are seperated, we can call the phone and hear it ringing (always turn it up as loud as it will go) or someone close by will hear it and hopefully will help him. Ewan knows my phone number and hopefully we can teach him how to dial it by the time we leave for vacation this year.
C. Emergency card. I put either one of my business cards or one James' in Ewan's pocket. I write our full names & cell phone numbers on the back as well as the hotel in which we're staying at the time.
D. If we're in a location where our phones don't get reception, we have a set of walkie talkies that we'll split up between the group.
E. Always agree on a meeting place should you all be seperated and have no way of communticating. For our family, if you are lost, you always go back to the entrance you first came in and stay there!

12. Cameras: While I LOVE my camera, it's a pain in the butt to carry it around all the time...especially in summer. We got a great backpack that holds both of our DSLRs and all their lenses and accessories, our video camera, plus it leaves room for personal belongings in the front two pockets. It's a great solution but still a little hot. We're thinking of investing in a great point & shoot camera for days when it's just too hot to carry the backpack. No matter which camera we use, though, every single night we dump all of our photos and videos into a folder on one of our laptops and clean off our CF/SD cards so as not to lose our photos some how.

Ok, I think that's all I have for now. If I think of more, I'll come back and add it to this entry. I hope this is helpful!

Three-Part Entry

2010-03-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! So. I'm a slacker. Therefor, this entry will contain photos from the zoo, photos from St. Patrick's day and a few thoughts/questions I have.

Here are a few from our first trip to the zoo, this season:

These are from our St. Patrick's Day trip to the park:

Ok, and here are my questions/thoughts:
I'd like to plant a vegetable garden, this spring/summer. I have no idea where to start, what size to make it, what seeds to buy, anything, really. If you have some ideas or links to share, please feel free to add them in the comments section, here or email me. Thanks in advance for that!

I'm really trying hard to get organized (and stay organized) and live a healthier, greener life. If anyone has any recommendations in that regard, please please share those here, too.

Things are going so so well with my weight loss, right now! I've been going through a big losing streak and I'm so happy about that! I'm staying realistic and know that I'll probably slow down or hit a stall again soon, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts! =)

We're still praying about which church to attend, though, we're pretty happy where we are now. We're just struggling with the drive all the time and James feels uncomfortable having to sit by himself for the bulk of the service each week. Maybe we can get him involved in the sound and video ministry or something. Prayers are appreciated.

Thanks for anyone who actually reads this (Lou) and if you do, please feel free to pass along the link to anyone who might be interested in keeping up with our boring life. lol

Living on a prayer...er...budget!

2010-03-17T18:51:00.001-07:00

Living on a Budget

Here are some links to free stuff and coupons:

http://greedygals.blogspot.com/

http://www.thunderfap.com/

http://www.cellfire.com/

http://www.pgesaver.com/

http://www.sampleville.com/

http://coupons.com/

One thing I recommend is, if you're going to clip paper coupons or print coupons, get a 3 ring binder and some of those pages that kids keep baseball or trading cards in. You can organize your coupons there and the sheets are clear so you'll always know what you have. Totally worth the investment!

The hard part is, if you're trying to really eat healthy you shop the perimeter of the store and most of that stuff doesn't have coupons. That's why we shop at Sam's for meat. Oh and the paper coupons can be used WITH the e-coupons. I've gotten some stuff for free like that! =)

When it's in season we used to shop at those roadside fruit and veggie stands. Sometimes you can get them to round the price down since they're not set in stone. However, I'm going to give gardening a shot, this year and try to grow a lot of my own veggies. We'll see how that goes. HA!

Find out if any friends have a Costco or Sam’s membership and go shopping and split some of the bigger items I'm. I mean really, what normal sized family is going to go through two gallon sized jars of peanut butter before they go bad, right? ;-)

Let's see...well, as you know, craigslist is a great resource not just for selling but also for buying (and sometimes even picking up for free) the things that come up that you need. People sometimes skip over the free section and the wanted section but both are good to check out.

Thrift stores are almost always over-priced. You have to shop on days where a certain colored tag is 5 for $5 and then you have to hope that you can even FIND five things you want and can use.

I've found that clearance sections and places like TJ Maxx and Marshall's are often even cheaper than thrift stores and that stuff is new!

We're starting to try to cut out paper towels and disposable napkins. It's cheaper and better for the environment to use dish towels and cloth napkins and they take up so little space in the washer.

I'm guessing your fancy pants fridge (lol) has a water tap, if so, use that and some reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water, if you aren't already. Again, cheaper and better for the environment.

One thing I finally just had to put my foot down about was leftovers. I can't tell you how many times I had to toss out leftovers. I finally just said "We have to be honest with ourselves about leftovers. If we're not going to eat them, just leave them at the restaurant." and we no longer bring home fries or vegetables that are left over because they never ever got eaten. As far as leftovers from dinners that I make at home, well I have started to make WAY less of each meal. The way I look at it, each person gets one helping (I actually get less than that) and I don't make any more than that. If the guys are still hungry I'll pop another helping of veggies into the microwave or they can just have a snack before bed. The exceptions are things like chili, lasagna, spaghetti, things like that that can be frozen or that James can take to work the next day and feed his coworkers.

The crockpot is your friend! It’s quick, easy and cheap to throw some meat, veggies and broth in there and 6 hours later you’ve got dinner! At Sam’s they sell pork (and I think beef) roasts in two packs. I’ll split them and put one roast and the appropriate veggies in a freezer bag all together. Then, when I’m ready to make it I just empty the whole bag into the crockpot, pour a can of beef broth and some worcesteshire sauce over it and let it go!

Well, hopefully winter is pretty much over now but we have one of those digital thermostats that keeps it pretty cool in here during the day to save money. I'm telling you, just putting on the fireplace in the livingroom or basement will really warm us up. One thing we "splurge" on is air conditioning. James and I both agree that we'd rather be cooled off and happy when we come into our home in the summer than to be hot and cranky and risk divorce. lol

Vacations. There are some great state parks (Algonac is good but Lakeport is even better, imo) around here. They're super cheap and camping is something that I think your kids will really enjoy, if they don't already. Some of my fondest childhood memories are camping with my mom and brother. Ewan and I LOVE LOVE LOVE camping (so does my mom) and we go a few times each year but have said we'd really like to go more often his year. We tent camp and my mom's got this whole thing down to a science!

Also, if you're not already memebers of different hotel rewards clubs you can sometimes get a discount that way. We're also members of AAA so that gets us a good bargain here or there. It got us upgraded rooms on our cruise for free! And it’s rescued me with flat tires and tows a couple of times already. But the REAL bargains on hotels can be found in these little magazine thingies called Room Savers. You can usually pick them up at rest stops or visitors bureaus. We've gotten SO many great deals on hotels using those things. We got a hotel room in $19/night in Niagara Falls, a Marriot suite for $59/night in Chicago and a great room in Philly for $39/night using coupons from the room saver. They might even have a website, not sure, sorry.

Ok, I think that's all I've got for now but I'll be sure to let you in on any other secrets as I remember them. I hope this much helps, though, for now. =)

Beautiful Day!

2010-03-11T17:47:00.000-08:00

Ewan and I were able to spend a good part of the day with Grammie at the zoo. It was so much fun and such a great day for it!

Tomorrow is all about spring cleaning and deciding which project on the house is going to come first.

Zoo photos will be uploaded tomorrow.

The Renovating/Decorating Bug

2010-03-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

Oh man! I've been bit by the bug. All I want to do is clean, reno and decorate! This is a good thing but I don't know where to start.

Our main stairway needs painting...desperately. Our master bedroom and bath are both stark white and need some color. And honestly, I don't love the color of our livingroom or kitchen but they're a little further down on the list. I also would really like a patio or deck in the backyard. Oh an ALL of the baseboards in our house need cleaning and repainting.

James is taking a few vacation days (I think...I HOPE) at the beginning of the month around Easter. Hopefully we can get some stuff done, then.

Decisions decisions.

2010-03-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

So things have been a little rocky around here, lately. It's been a constant struggle for happiness and most days it seems like we're failing.

Today we (James and I) had a very long talk about some changes that need to be made in our household. We love each other very much and want each other to be happy so we're both going to try a few things to make this a more peaceful place to be.

Our life is good and we are blessed. We just need to keep those things in mind and try not to worry and argue about the things that are out of our control.

Prayers for our family would be appreciated.

FIFTY-ONE POUNDS!

2010-02-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

Down to 300 today and I'm pretty sure I'll be 299 tomorrow! Yay!

We're all feeling better, lately so that's good. Umm...the snow? Crazy! I'm so ready for spring!

Overall, life is good here!

Ugh! Illness!

2010-02-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

Ewan and I are both sick with bad colds right now. Unfortunatel we have different ideas on how to act when we're sick. He thinks one should just keep running, playing, eating, playing and running. I think one should sleep.

Snowman Day!

2010-02-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

Here's what we did for most of the afternoon:

Winter Blues

2010-02-16T07:01:00.000-08:00

Is it spring yet? I cannot WAIT to ride bikes, rollerblade, walk to the park, lay in the grass, draw with sidewalk chalk, blow bubbles and do fun stuff with my little monkey. When we're in the house all day it seems like I have to really put forth a LOT of effort to stay off the computer and come up with fun things to do with Ewan. I know, Mom-of-the-Year, right? But I also feel, as a woman, not just as a mom, that I'm so detached from everyone during the winter months and when I'm online at least I know there are other grown-ups on their computers somewhere.

I need to plan some playdates, for pete's sake! ;-)

The weight is still coming off albeit very slowly! I'm sure it'll come off quicker once I'm moving around more and getting more exercise. I haven't been very good about doing the Wii lately, either. I'm going to get down there today, though.

I'm also cleaning the fat clothes out of my closet today. I've got to get rid of them and add my new clothes in, soon. It's a pain trying to sort through everything everyday and trying on a bunch of different things to see what's too big or too small still.

Anyway, everyone have a great day!

Happy Sweetheart's Day!

2010-02-14T20:26:00.000-08:00

Ahhh...love. It's been such a nice day with my hubster! Ok, so I actually didn't spend the first part of the day with him. I let him sleep in while the monkey and I went to church. This afternoon we had a nice time of family snuggles and then Ewan went to Grammie's while James and I got to go out to dinner. We were planning on seeing a movie but couldn't decide on one we both really wanted to see so we decided to just come home and relax and watch 'Couples Retreat'.

So...I'm going to go watch the movie. Happy Valentine's Day! <3

Catching Up

2010-02-13T10:56:00.000-08:00

Sorry, got a little busy there for a couple of days.

I've got a little break here before I need to start making the food for chili and game night so I thought I'd get caught up in my blogging.

Things are going well! Ewan's surprising us with how smart he is, daily. Yesterday we got him a happy meal with a burger and fries. About half way through his meal he held up his hamburger and said "This starts with the same sound as hotdog but this (holds up his fries) doesn't." I do these little workbooks with him about letters and numbers and such and I often wonder if it's sinking in or if he's just too young for that kind of learning. Then he comes up with something like this all on his own and I'm so proud of my smart boy!

We've booked a room in Daytona Beach for the 2 nights prior to the cruise and I'm SO excited! It's got a balcony and it's right on the ocean. I might sleep on the balcony one night. ;-)

Umm...let's see...oh! I'm down to my pre-pregnancy weight! Woot woot! And I put on a pair of size 22 jeans the other day. I haven't worn a size 22 since college...like...early college. LOL

James has collected a few more computers that he's going to upgrade and sell. Let me know if you need a computer!

I think that's about it for now.

He's Coming Out of His Shell

2010-02-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

Whoa! Chachi and Ewan are running around the house like crazy! I love this!

This isn't my best work (I'm still learning how to photograph cats) but here are a few pics of Chachi:

Chachi likes to sit at the very top of the stairs and stick his head through the spindles. Ewan keeps saying "No Chachi, don't jump." so sweetly. And he also stands at the bottom of the steps and says "I'll catch you!" and puts his little hands out. I think we've made a great pair of trouble makers here!

Welcome Home, Chachi!

2010-02-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

So we adopted a cat today. His name is Chachi (Chachamo, technically but his old owners called him Chachi so that's what we'll stick with). If he ever comes out from behind the couch I'll take some pictures and post them. He seems pretty scared of James...well...and everyone else. I sure hope he relaxes and learns to love us soon.

We're trying to talk the New Haven Little League folks into letting Ewan play T-Ball this summer. I hate that his late birthday keeps holding him back from participating in things. I'll be glad when he's finally in school and it won't matter anymore.

I had a follow-up appointment, this morning, with my surgeon. According to their scale, I'm down another 10lbs since two weeks ago making my grand total, thus far, 29lbs. I like their scale since according to mine, I'm only down 25.

I made some pretty delicious chili tonight for dinner. Brown some ground turkey, dump it in a big pot. Mix in one chopped green pepper, half an onion chopped, a big can of chili beans (James only got the small can but I love the beans and the protein is good for you so go ahead and use a big can or two small cans), a can of diced tomatoes (if they're in season, just dice a fresh one) and a packet or two of chili seasoning (again, this was James' doing. I prefer to use chili powder from the can so I can use as much or little as I like). Simmer for 30 minutes or so and YUM!

I'm feeling bad because I think my guys are being deprived of baked goods, since my surgery. I'm going to see what I have in my pantry and try to whip them up something tasty. I had a couple little bites of brownie at my dad's super bowl party and it went down ok and tasted delicious so I'm pulling for a brownie mix, in there! ;-)

I Encourage Questions

2010-02-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

Please don't hesitate to email or leave questions for me in the comments section. Today I'll write about the most frequently asked question of me, lately. "How are you feeling?"

I feel great! For those who don't know, I had weight loss surgery four weeks ago (today, in fact). I had the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Physically I'm feeling very good. Emotionally I struggle a little bit. Food was my friend, not just my fuel. It's a little like going through a big break-up, I miss my friend but I know that it's for the best. I'm also at what we weight loss surgery-ers call a "stall". I lost 25lbs in the first three weeks and have not lost any in the last week. It's a little frustrating, to put it nicely. I have to constantly remind myself that, never in the history of this surgery, has anyone ever lost 25lbs and no more. I know it'll pick up again, soon.

The subsequent question I've received of late is almost always "What can you eat?" I am now to the point where I can eat just about anything. It is recommended that I consume 60-80 grams of protein and 48-60 ounces of fluid daily. That means choosing proteins first, THEN I can go for the vegetables. And lots and lots of water, but not until at least 30 minutes after I eat. If I drink too quickly it will wash the food out of my stomach and I'll not absorb the nutrients out of the food and I'll also feel hungry again sooner. Beef, caffeine and nuts will have to wait until about 6 months after surgery. Crunchy raw fruits and veggies as well as grain products have to wait until 8 weeks after surgery. It may seem like a lot of restrictions, at first, especially for someone who has eaten whatever they've wanted for 33 years, but the benefits far out-weigh the sacrifices.

As for exercise, for now, I'm pretty much relying on the Wii Fit Plus. If spring ever arrives here in MI, I'll get out and walk/jog/run and bike.

And now, while I'm here, let me just review our day: it was a rough one. Ewan is especially sassy, today. When I tell him to go to his room he stands with his feet apart and fists up like we're waiting for the bell to indicate the start of our boxing match. ***sigh*** I think tonight's a good night for a hot bath and going to bed early.

I'll Give It A Whirl!

2010-02-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

So, my life? It rocks! I'm the wife of an awesome guy, James. He's a videographer and techie. He is a little intimidating, at first, but is basically just a gentle giant. We have one son, Ewan who is three years old. He's such a blessing...even on days (like today) when he tests my patience. And I am a mom, photographer and musician.

I'm starting this blog for a couple of reasons. 1. I need to write to relax. Composing my thoughts and reviewing my day are a great stress relief for me so I'll do that here. 2. Sometimes my life is pretty entertaining and maybe someone will get a kick out of some of the experiences I have. 3. I'd like to think of myself as a fairly well-rounded person. I've gone through some pretty interesting ordeals in my 33 years and maybe something I share will help someone else who's going through something similar. And 4. Where else will I be able to post whatever I want and not have to worry about annoying someone? ;-)

Disclaimer: While this blog will likely contain photos, if you're looking for my photo blog you can visit:
http://angedrum.blogspot.com/.

So there you have it, my reasoning behind this blog. I hope you'll stick around!