Last Friday!

(see full image)

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Run

First run in three weeks. About a week and a half of that was rest for some heel pain, then I just let "life" take over.

Things always seem to be busier as we get closer to the end of the school year. We also spent a long weekend at the beach, and I didn't pack running gear because I was "packing light." I did swim a bit, but not enough to call it exercise, and our stroll on the beach was more for shell hunting and people watching.

I could have let life (laundry, meal planning, etc) take over this morning, but this time I decided to carve put some time for me.

I was slow this morning, and I didn't stay out for very long - but I was out there! Considering how the weather has changed during my break (it was already 75 degrees when I dropped my kids at school - and that was about the daily high three weeks ago), I was surprised that it was tired legs that got to me before the heat.

Already looking forward to my next run.

Fresh!

Took my girl along to the grocery store last week. She picked out some corn to serve with dinner, then helped me pull off the husks and silk. As you can probably imagine, she was mighty proud to get this one done!

153,000,000

We’ve heard several different estimates of the number of orphans in the world.  153,000,000 is just an average of those estimates.  It is a number that I cannot even begin to comprehend.  It is heartbreaking. 

Before we had ever heard this number, our hearts were moved to learn more about adoption.  And though we thought our family was complete, we’ll be adding to it after all.

Not quite so ho-hum lunch

We have fallen into a lunch rut around here. It's fine, as the kids are happy, eating most of what's packed, and not complaining. Today, though, M asked for popcorn. And we have blueberries. So I decided it was a great day to try a new "sandwich" too. Wraps aren't usually successful, but M has already tasted hers (she wants to eat everything in sight this morning) and declared, "Mmm!". I will consider that a success, even if she pulls it apart and brings home bits after school today.

Lighter

So many different meanings for this word - at least for me right now. 

Lighter.

Spring is turning into summer - the sun isn't setting so early.  It's still light outside when I run in the evenings.  It's still light outside when the kids go to bed.  After a cold winter with 6pm sunsets, I love this time of year.

Lighter.

I'm working on a whole-house de-cluttering and reorganization project.  Lightening the load for our home and for our spirits.  I am realizing just how much our 'stuff' weighs us down.  It's been a long process, beginning back when we were in Financial Peace University about three years ago and we took a tough look at our spending habits.  Then about a year ago, the work on the house began - slowly but surely.  I've had some great help from a friend, and just read some great inspiration from another friend today.  This isn't the only part of my life where these two women are allowing me to lean on and learn from them, either.  They are helping make life lighter for me.

Lighter.

After marriage and two babies, on whom I can no longer blame the baby weight, I'm trying to focus on myself a bit, too.  Yes, this is the literal version of 'lighter.'  I saw some nice results from the 5K training I began last fall, but I also realized that my eating habits still needed a change.  It's so hard, y'all.  I love food.  I just love all of the flavors and textures and aromas.  And I don't have very much willpower to curb those desires for more, more, more!  Sound familiar?  Yep, my house and I are both on a plan to lighten up.  Thanks again to a lovely, sweet, gentle, caring, meets-me-where-I-am friend, I am using Loseit.com to help me see the truth about how I eat.  Last weekend's results were not pretty - but that's ok.  Truth isn't always pretty.  It's how we react to it that's important.  So, I started Monday with a clean slate - and a bit of empowerment now that I can see where the calories come from every day.  I planned ahead for a dinner out one night, and stayed within my suggested calorie range - yeah!  I'm also able to track my exercise, which is a pretty big ego boost when you add that into the whole "net calories for the day" total!  I am patient but hopeful that I'll see some results - and feel the difference inside, too.

Lighter.

My Reading List

Sometimes I snap a picture with my phone, sometimes I jot down a title I read on a blog. 

Faith Journey:
Choosing to See - Mary Beth Chapman (just won this in a blog contest!)
Radical - David Platt

Reading for Pleasure:
Eats Shoots and Leaves - Lynne Truss (already have it, just need to read it)
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - Rhoda Janzen
Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert (loved the movie, so I'm pretty well guaranteed to love the book!)
The Help - Kathryn Stockett (just bought it - now slowly working my way through it)
Ten Habits of Happy Mothers - Meg Meeker
Blacks Heels to Tractor Wheels - Ree Drummond
(There are actually about three times more books on this section of the list - usually the cover catches my eye and I jot down the title.  But these are the ones that I am most interested in reading.  You know, when I have the time.)

Cookbooks:
Our Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen - Sara Wells, Kate Jones
Cooking Light - pretty much any version that's for families, that's quick and easy, and that's tasty
Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer - S Martinez, V Howell, B Garcia (and they also have another one, I think it's Don't Panic, More Dinner's in the Freezer)
The Good Neighbor Cookbook - Sara Quesenberry and Suzanne Schlosberg
No Whine with Dinner - Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex

Books about Running:
Hot Sweaty Mamas - Kara Douglass Thom and Laurie Lethert Kocanda
Mile Markers - Kristin Armstrong
Train Like a Mother - Dimity McDowell and Sara Bowen Shea (coming soon!)
(More books about running on my list, too - but these are the ones that I consider 'musts.')

So, have you read any books lately that I should add to my list?  What's on your list - that you may or may not get to read any time soon?

Dinosaur upon request

Sorry you have to turn your head to see the dino!

On the left, M's lunch:
Salt-and-lime popcorn - we love the little bags, which we can share between two lunches with a little left over for Mom - or for second breakfast for the not-so-littles
Dino sandwich - one piece of bread + dino sandwich cutter = two nearly matching sandwich halves, onto which I put soy butter and grape jelly, as requested.
Strawberries - to add a bit of variety since I purchased 4 pounds of grapes earlier in the week
Cucumber slices - the 'veggie of the week' plus a few grapes.

I just realized that I packed forks, but forgot to pack napkins.  Oops!

One the right, J's lunch:
Turkey and cheese on a everything bagel (his current favorite) - cut in half because I believe a sandwich is better that way
Salt-and-lime popcorn - he got a bigger portion because he's pretty well eating everything in sight right now

Strawberries
Cucumbers with Italian dressing for dipping
A few grapes on top of the fork, because there was room (you know, since I forgot the napkin)
Cashew granola bar for snack time in the afternoon

Each kiddo also got a Thermos filled with water (I love that they choose water!).  Stay tuned for the makeover of Miss M's Thermos, coming soon!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We took a little trip this weekend and had a lot of fun - including the zoo, basketball, Mickey and friends, grass stains, and birthday cake!  Happy birthday, Daddy!  (And thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!)

What I'm Reading

I'm working my may way through Hinds Feet on High Places with an every-other-week study group.  I love that I have plenty of time to get through the reading for each session.  I also love that it's the perfect time for me to be reading this particular book.  And I love that since it's an allegory, I feel kind of smart for enjoying it and understanding it.  (Just being honest there....)

image from here

We met in small groups for the first time last week, so I'm looking forward to getting to know the ladies in my group a bit more as we continue to meet and study together. 

"Custom" Snack Mix

The color really does look better on my phone, but that doesn't make it look any better here....

Today the kids had:
Soybutter and jelly sandwich - Again.  By request. (Have I mentioned how sad I am that W@l-M@rt doesn't seem to be carrying their house brand of soybutter anymore?)
Grapes - yum!
Carrot sticks with ranch dressing
"Custom" snack mix - We just toss a few things into that compartment of the lunch box as we pack.  Today's mix was Cheez-Its (and I don't care how bad they are for you, they taste so good!), Craisins, Cinnamon Cheerios, and Strawberry Yogurt Cheerios. 
Mister J also took a banana for his afternoon snack.

I haven't eaten the cinnamon Cheerios yet, but they sure smelled good.  And now I'm hungry, so I think that's what I'll have for lunch.

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Jonah's EB Auction

OK, folks - it's starting tomorrow night!  Be there or be ... Well, you know!

You don't want to miss Jonah's EB Auction! 

There are lots of awesome items up for auction (I've got several on my radar), and here are the details (shamefully lifted straight from their blog):

What: An ONLINE auction to raise money for EB research and advocacy (all proceeds go to DebRA)
When: Thursday February 24th @ 8pm until Sunday February 27th @ 8pm
Where: Right here at www.jonahsebauction.blogspot.com!  You can bid on lots of fabulous items from the comfort of your own living room!! If you want to see how bidding will work (or get a little practice bidding for your favorite item!) you can do so here.

And, as I've said before, if you haven't met Jonah, Patrice, and Matt - get thee to their blog posthaste!  When she's not getting Radical, showing off her too-stinkin-cute Jonut, and fundraising for DebRA, you can find Patrice here, too.

Packed in a hurry

Whew - the color is terrible!  But here's what's inside:
Soy butter and jelly sandwich
Tangy Carolina Barbeque chips (so good!)
Carrot sticks (no dip for Miss M, hummus for Mister J)
Sliced up mozzarella cheese stick and craisins
Mister J also got a clemetine for his afternoon snack

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My Week - and I'm still Thankful (also Thursday Thanks Tank #25)

It's been an interesting one, for sure, but I still have a lot for which to be thankful.

We had lunch at school with the kids on Monday.  Our Valentine treat to them was bringing in Chick-Fil-A!  With the "lunch in the classroom" arrangement of their school, we aren't sitting in front of the preschool or K1 classes with our 'special' lunch - we get them from their classrooms all sit together at a special table.  We typically have some really fun family time when we do this, and Monday was no exception.  Have I mentioned this is a great treat for Mommy, too?  No lunches to pack!  And with the "free milkshake when you buy two meals" special that was running that day, Daddy got his favorite cookies-n-cream shake for dessert!  Thankful for a fun Valentine's Day (even though I forgot to get pictures)!

The interesting part of the week started when I picked the kids up from school that afternoon.  Miss M, who'd been feeling great at lunch, had a sore throat and her voice was hoarse and squeaky-sounding just a few hours later.  As a precaution, I took her to the pediatrician on Tuesday.  Turned out just to be a virus (thankfully!), but since she had laryngitis she also needed vocal rest.  Miss M on vocal rest?  That's funny.  So I kept her home on Wednesday as well - to be sure she didn't make things worse before her class field trip on Thursday.

Did I mention that I was scheduled to chaperone the field trip?  And did I mention that around midnight Wednesday night/Thursday morning Miss M vomited?  On the carpet?  And that we are scheduled for company this weekend?

Both kids woke up due to the ... event.  Which resulted in midnight bath time and early a.m. laundry.  And also carpet cleaning - as well as I could, at least, for something that really needed professional attention....  Thankful that Mister J got back to sleep pretty quickly and that the guest room was easily made ready for Miss M to relocate for the night (that's not always a guarantee, especially when clothing exchange season is on the horizon!).

Big J saved the day by working from home since Miss M could not go to school and arranging for the carpet to be cleaned approximately 12 hours after the event.  (Rock star, he is!)  Miss M woke up on time, hungry, and wanting to limbo (I'm not joking).  It wasn't a stomach bug, just a case of church supper not sitting well. Thankful on all of those counts, too!

I still chaperoned the trip, which was a good thing since two of Miss M's classmates got sick while we were there.  Then I came home and cleared out Miss M's room and the landing at the top of the stairs so the carpet could be cleaned.  I figure if it's getting cleaned, then we might as well have it cleaned to the corners!  So thankful for a local company that can come out and clean carpets on the same day you call.  They were already near our neighborhood.  Also, the cost was less than we expected - the bonus for being a repeat customer (yes, there have been other carpet cat-tastrophes - not a typo). 

With all of these surprises, I've managed to stay relatively calm - surprising even to me!  How am I maintaining my sanity?  Perhaps yesterday's walk with a friend was preventative medicine.  I'm so thankful for that spur-of-the-moment opportunity!  Now if I just had some spur-of-the-moment movers to help me get the upstairs back in order....  :)

Valentine's Day!

We did things a little differently around here for Valentine's Day 2011 - no gifts!  And we still had a lovely day!

In the past, I've gotten the kids books or music - usually something small - to celebrate.  I think I spent the most ever for Valentine's Day last year - I spent about $35 on two beanbags for the kids' rooms.  It was usually around $16 for childrens' books in previous years. 

Today, I spent about $25 - on all four of us!  I brought Chick-Fil-A lunch to school, Daddy met us there, and we all had lunch together.  It was actually a nice bit of family time, since we get to eat a table away from the activity of lunch in the classrooms.  The kids are always excited to have us come for lunch, I got a day off from packing lunches, and Daddy got a cookies-n-cream milkshake for his treat!  (CFA was running a buy-two-combos-get-a-shake special today!)

Also - the weather was gorgeous today, and the next session of 5K training began this evening.  My goal is an all-running 5K in the spring, and I ran 1.25 miles tonight - no intervals!  That's the longest distance I've ever gone without intervals - woohoo!

Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and running shoes today....  Miss M came home from school sounding very hoarse and even a bit squeaky (sad face).  Mister J has had a nagging cough, too.  So, with both kiddos sick, there was no basketball practice for Mister J tonight.  Miss M will be home with me tomorrow, and we've had to cancel our after-school doughnut date with a friend.  (sigh)

That's just life, though, you know?  Thankful that I've got these three to share it with - the ups and the downs.

Hope for Anton

My bloggy friend, Patrice, has embarked upon a mission to change the life of a little boy - and she needs your help.  

This is Anton.  He has Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Please go here to see how her mission began.  Here, here, and here to read a bit more.  And here to see more ways you can help. (Passionate?  Yep.  And it's infectious - in a good way!)

And, while she's doing all of this, she's also celebrating her own little boy's birthday in a spectacular way. 

If you haven't "met" Jonah, Patrice, and Matt, you really owe it to yourself to hop on over and say hello. 

I'm planning a bit of blog silence for a few days, but I'll be back to promote Jonah's EB Auction!

Mmmmm......

I'll try to rotate this if I can (grr...)

Pink box - salt and lime popcorn, applesauce, carrots, crackers with mozzerella slices (just a sliced-in-circles cheese stick) and mini turkey pepperoni, strawberry heart marshmallows

Blue box - cinnamon-raisin bagel with cream cheese, mozzerella slices, salt and lime popcorn, apple sauce, carrots with dip, strawberry heart marshmallows

Boo on the pre-packaged applesauce - but at least the preschool classes reuse the cups, and the K-1s collect and recycle them.  I did remember to tuck a spoon under the marshmallows after I snapped the photos!

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Calling It Like She Sees It

We aren't big sports fans around here, but we do watch the Super Bowl - for the commercials. I doubt that's a new idea to you, though most folks probably watch the game, too.
A good friend of mine is blogging about the Super Bowl today, with a perspective you might never have considered. Stop by and see what's on her mind today.

Bagels and Blueberries

What an awful ,shadowy photo -  but I don't usually break out the fancy cam for lunchboxes anymore. 

On the left - Mister J's lunch.  Blueberries, carrots with dip, strawberry heart marshmallows in the flatware section, and a Costco-sized cinnamon-raisin bagel with cream cheese.  He added a container with Cheez-Its and craisins for snack time. 

On the right - Miss M's lunch.  Half of a Costco-sized wheat bagel with a slice of American cheese, blueberries, celery with dip, a few Cheez-Its, and strawberry marshmallows.

Two things pictured above I wish I could remove from our diet?  American cheese and Cheez-Its.  The one I don't think I can even part with (though I can reduce my consumption)?  The Cheez-Its.  And no, nothing else melts on a grilled cheese like American, but I can pass it up for something healthier (and tastier).

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Adventure Girl!

Miss M was recently invited to a birthday party at a local indoor play area. She got to play video games and skee ball, go bowling, and more! The highlight for her may have been racking up 150+ tickets when we hit the jackpot on the 2nd game we tried, but I was pretty thrilled that she gave the climbing wall a shot. She pronounced herself, "probably not very good at this," when she was done, but she wasn't disappointed at all.
I love my adventure girl!
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