Weekeeeeender

I may have ruined a perfectly good haircut. I got my hair cut on Sunday, and in the blur of that happening (the kids stayed at the salon while it was happening, and although Hubs was watching them there was a lot more to concentrate on then just my hair) I didn’t realize that she cut my bangs from the side but didn’t trim the other side to match. So …. Monday morning I trimmed that side myself. Ha. Hahaha. Damn.

I decided Thursday afternoon to take next Thursday and Friday off. Thursday is my birthday. Have I mentioned that? Yep, good ole 32. I’m not concerned, but it will be nice to spend quality hubby time since his firm is CLOSING for the holiday so he gets a 5-day vacation without even asking for it. Kids? Still going to daycare. Niiiice.

I’ve started reading Battle Royale again. I didn’t get very far into it last time I tried to read it because all those Japanese names were just so hard for me to keep track of! I’m making a concerted effort this time though. Hunger Games is really Battle Royale meets Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, so I think I will like if I can only get through the names.

Thursday night  I went out for wings and beer with a good friend from out of town. Not the best way to start Day 1 of a new diet, but yum! Still worth it. It was so good to see him again (he was also the reason for last weekend's grape salad get together). He's now living out of town, and I miss him so much.

Hubs then went out with him and another couple friend last night ... boys on the town, watch out! They went to ... wait for it ... a strip club. It was my out-of-town friend's choice, and he apparently really likes strip clubs. They're okay but ... well, I knew and didn't really care. After the initial shock of all those boobs, I really don't see the attraction but I'm not a guy.

It's so nice to have good friends. I usually consider myself as not having a "best friend". But I do. I met my friend Becky through blogging, probably about seven or eight years ago (I looked through my archives but I couldn't figure out exactly when). She lives a thousand miles away (not an exaggeration) but we've been lucky because due her job she's been able to visit down here a dozen or so times, and she's had sky miles to fly me up occasionally to visit with her as I wouldn't otherwise been able to afford it. We took a trip a few years ago together to NYC for a weekend, I came up for her wedding shower and the whole fam went up for her wedding. I can text her for any strange reason, and vice versa. I really am so lucky to have found such a great friend in adulthood. That's so hard! A few days ago she texted me to find out if I could come up soon, and by the end of the conversation the plane tickets were booked! And we're spending a few days over Thanksgiving with her and half a dozen of her closest family at Disney World. Fun times, dear internets.

We spent the majority of today gardening the front flower bed. It's pretty crazy when 30+ flowers and plants don't fill a flower bed to your needs. I want it to be full and pretty. It's pretty, but not full yet. I didn't take a "before" photo, but I'll post an "after" when I finish. If I ever finish.

My Cardboard Box

Last night I decided to join up with Lauren to start a new healthy-living/fitter-me diet. I have already been trying this during the past couple weeks, but it’s always good to be accountable to someone, right? I don’t have a cardboard box, per se. What has happened is this: Last year I lost a lot of weight. I went from a 14/16 to a solid 8. To keep myself in an 8, I got rid of all of my larger clothes. I’ve now as of this minute gained back 8lbs of what I lost. It’s not a ton, but my clothes are tighter, and a couple of my pants don’t fit (damn Lucky brand and their slim cut capris) and I just don’t like how I’m fitting into the clothes I do have. So here are my goals:

Goal 1: those pesky 8 lbs

Goal 2: a total of 15lbs, which brings me to my goal weight for the year

Goal 3: a total of 25lbs, which is my ideal weight overall.

I know that “numbers” and “weight” isn’t the best way to keep track of a “healthier you” but I have a hard time tracking other things. This is just a starting point. I really am not the type of person to get particularly down about a specific number on a scale; I just use it for reference.

I’m not a dieter. The moment you tell me I can’t have carbs, I’m huddled in my closet with a French baguette and a tray of brownies. I’m working on portion control and just consuming less. I don’t mind exercise after I’ve done it but I’m terrible about getting up the drive to do it. I have two small children and a husband who I like to spend time with, and a tv that I tend to enjoy and books that I’m a little obsessed with. Last year I found a balance between all of these things, although frankly I think last year the kids were a whole year younger and frankly, they were less needy then. I do still need to find a balance. I can probably count on my fingers how many runs I’ve gone on this YEAR. Last year I was regularly running three times a week. Somehow I need to get that back.

Weigh-in: 149.8 (I’m counting it as 150)

Exercise Completed: I can’t say I’ve done any formal exercise at all. Can I blame it on Tropical Storm Debby? Maybe a little, but there’s a gym at work and I haven’t been at all this week. Informally, I have been taking the stairs at work consistently and I mowed the front and back yard yesterday (which is pretty hard work, especially in this heat).

Splurge/Guilty Pleasure: Grape salad, grape salad grape salad. We had friends over for what was going to be a barbeque, but with the weather turned into an all-indoor party. I made pulled pork and macaroni and cheese and guac and jalapeno popper dip and grape salad and brownies. The majority of the food was demolished but I ended up with half a tray of grape salad (which is basically grapes and pecans in cream cheese icing and topped with brown sugar) which I’ve been eating all week. As of last night, it’s gone!

Success Story: No. 1: FINISHING THE GRAPE SALAD! No. 2: Joining this initiative.

Recipe(s): I have nothing really to share for you because I’ve been pretty lazy on the cooking front, but Tuesday night I made these little chicken and cheese pockets that were delicious from basically the contents of my fridge. I took a can of Pillsbury French bread dough and rolled it as thin as possible. Then I mixed some low-fat cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, diced chicken, a can of green chiles, and cilantro. Then I spooned little clumps onto the dough, folded it over and cut little pockets and pinched the edges and cooked them. I served them with some avocado cream: avocado, sour cream, onion, cilantro and lime juice. I made twelve and 3 was a perfect serving.

Photo: these evil things are my downfall:
 

If you want to join the Cardboard Diet, visit LfT! 

Indeed.

You would think because I go so long between blog posts that I’m very very busy.

 

Yeah, not true. I’m just embarrassed that my last post was a catalog of all the crap in my purse.

 

Well, it’s a little true. We’ve been a little busy. Busy playing in the kiddie pool. Busy with popsicles and watching Despicable Me 1,871 times in a single week. Busy reading (and reading and reading, and sometimes reading when I should very well be doing other things). I’ve tried to start a couple posts from my phone but that doesn’t seem to be working. I get a paragraph in and get sidetracked, and I’m pretty sure you don’t care that It’s Thursday! Especially when it’s the following Tuesday by the time I try again.

 

I don’t do Twitter, but I can’t seem to write anything longer than a facebook status. So here’s some facebook statuses (statii?)

 

-          Need a laugh? I forgot to pack socks in my gym bad and brought pj pants instead of yoga pants. Whoops!

-          It’s amazing how satisfying those nine minutes of sleep after hitting snooze can be.

-          So tired. Really need to stop bringing books to bed with me. I am not someone who falls asleep reading.

-          Just caught myself singing along with Taylor Swift. And then Katy Perry.

-          I should not make the guacamole before the rest of the meal. At this rate it will be gone before the enchiladas make it to the table (and I’m the only one sampling).

-          Me: I have the cutest little boys ever. Spencer: I have the cutest girl and boy that are taller than me and the girl is thirty-one and the boy is thirty-two and that is my mommy and daddy.

-          Hubby: Spencer, stop playing with your pee pee. Spencer: I need to shake it.

 

We’ve been putting the boys to bed at the SAME time in the SAME room and it’s going marvelously. I’m amazed, but they whisper to each other and then just go to sleep. Early, even!

 

A good friend is in town this weekend, and I’m having a cookout for him. You hear that, rain? STAY AWAY! I’m excited, and I’m making grape salad. Good god, grape salad. Yum! Along with ribs, burgers, guacamole, and jalapeno popper dip. And cut up watermelon. I’m very excited. I should get to the store. Or clean, or something!

Hubs has been working until 6pm every night this week, and rather than being exasperated about having the kids by myself while I try to get things done and dinner done, etc etc, I've been embracing it. I cleaned the garage one day, and gave them popsicles one day, and tonight it's raining so S is playing sports games on the Wii and H is watching "All About Monster Trucks" on Netflix. And farting and then saying "mama, ewww".

 

I have nothing else. I’m pissed that Nick got kicked off Around the World in 80 Plates (I’m friends with his brother, so I feel like I know him). I’m ho-hum about So You Think You Can Dance, and I’m faithfully watching baseball while I read.

Contents ... and other random stories.

Tonight I cleaned out my purse and this is what I found:

 

• four tubes of lipstick
• powder compact
• a jar of peanut butter
• (empty) urine sample container
• my Nook
• a Faith Fairchild book (thanks Jessica!)
• assorted medicines (5) and eye drops
• assorted toys (7)
• camera
• wallet
• keys
• coupons
• receipts
• a bill
• two change purses
• my Sirius radio piece
• a cereal-filled snack container
• a pair of kids sunglasses
• two wine corks
• two pair of earrings
• a bracelet
• a sunglass case that I keep tampons in
• my work badge

and I cleaned up and most of the items went right back in. It might be a maroon suede Cole Haan, but it's still a mom bag.

Coffee and kiddie pools

I feel like that's what I should re-name this blog sometimes. This is definitely the summer of the kiddie pool. We keep thinking about getting a swing set for the backyard, and I know they'd love it but this. This is so easy and they're having a blast. This morning Hubs had to work in the office from 4:30am until just now (9am) and while for some reason I'm always a little exasperated with the kids by myself when he's still in the house, this morning was fine. Near perfect, even! We had breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast (poached for me an Hubs, scrambled with cheese for the kids ...Spencer, Henry doesn't eat eggs), Spencer played Wii Sports for a bit, and now they are playing in the kiddie pool while I enjoy my coffee and you enjoy my company.

We built this deck last summer. I wanted a deck so bad, I told Hubs exactly what I wanted and he designed it online, and his dad's friends came over and built it for us. I was a little afraid that once it was built that we wouldn't use it that much. Ha! We are out here so much that we might as well be a la Scrubs and just have the deck. When we get home the kids run to the back door to go outside. Because it's fenced in and there's nothing out there that they can hurt themselves on, we can let them outside and do our own thing save for the occasional checking on them. When they're in the pool, I can sit on the deck and mess around on the computer or read, or have my favorite drink of the summer (wine spritzers).

What I'm saying is, this deck was a godsend. I sometimes wish we could move because we have such a tiny house, but I love our neighbors (who often accompany us to the deck) and I love our backyard, and right now I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy summer! (yes I know it's Spring, but it's 92 degrees. Happy summer indeed).

May Books

Wench - Dolen Perkins-Valdez ** If I had never read The Help I would have liked this so much more. As it was, it was excellent (although depressing). Not the humor of The Help but an intriguing look at the life of slaves who were kept as mistresses.

The Extra-Naturals - Kay Chronister (draft) Interesting storyline, needs some work fleshing out. Great start.

Pillow Talk - Freya North Delightful. Reminded me of Jill Mansell and Marion Keyes.

Shatter (Children of Man #1) - Elizabeth C Mock Loved it. Roughly edited being self-published but good enough that I recommended it to everyone that I know enjoys the genre.

 One Deadly Sister - Rod Hoisington Terrible. Really, truly ... bad.

 Render (Children of Man #2) - Elizabeth C Mock Just as good as the first. Well, almost as good as the first. Kinda upset that the third isn't out yet, to tell you the truth.

Graceling - Kristin Cashore (reread) LOVE THIS BOOK. I actually read some of the reviews online this time I read, and I'm not sure what some of those people are smoking because I loved it and everyone I know (and I forced it on everyone I knew who even slightly enjoyed YA supernatural) loved it as well.

Fire - Kristin Cashore (reread) See above. Love.

 Hollywood Scandals - Gemma Halliday I got this and the other two for 99 cents (boxed) on my Nook. Predictable but worth the buck for six hours and 2000 pages. Enjoyable fluff.

Hollywood Secrets - Gemma Halliday See above.

Hollywood Confessions - Gemma Halliday See above.

Awakening - Karice Bolton Just started ... it's full of cliches but it shows promise. I'll let you know next month what I think.

Better when we're together

A few things happen when my children spend a lot of time with my in-laws. One is that Spencer becomes unable to mention my FIL without discussing the new toy he will be getting the NEXT time he sees them. The second thing, apparently, is that Henry becomes unable to nap without someone sleeping next to him. Since he's still sleeping in a crib, you can see why this is an issue. I have taken to laying down with him in Spencer's bed until he's asleep, but he doesn't get a long enough nap that way because he wakes up a lot usually, and when he's not where he normally is he just gets up. But otherwise he won't nap on the weekends at all, unless we decide to go somewhere. Then approximately 90 seconds into the 5 minute drive, he's asleep.

This is not to sound ungrateful; I really am happy they are so willing to take care of the kids for us when we need them. But regular people understand that routines are there for a reason? I should be glad something works for them so they are getting sleep. Right? Right? Bueller?

Anyhow, don't mind me. I'm up past my bedtime and I'm not feeling sleepy. Maybe a little irritable. Worn, but a bit of insomnia is taking over and it's either this or starting a new book (which likely would mean I'd be up for two hours until I finished it. I didn't promise it would be a *good* book). I got a few things done I had been meaning to - I picked up canning supplies from Walmart to try this recipe, and new rechargeable batteries for the Wii since Spencer started playing at a friend's house and now wants to play at home, and a new boombox (ha!) for the kids' room because the CD player in there only plays two songs before messing up. The only way to keep any music on is to put a single song on repeat, so they usually sleep all night to the first track of Jack Johnson. I love Jack Johnson, but even I have had enough. Due to random gift cards, I managed to spend under $10 for the lot of it!

Laundry still not done. Work I brought home, still in the car. Made breakfast for dinner - eggs scrambled with spinach and mushrooms and cheese, fried potatoes, bacon, toast. Henry yelled for MORE of my toast (mooor! mooor!) so he got three pieces (mine, his and part of Daddy's) but he at least ate a mouthful of eggs/spinach before rejecting the rest of it. One day I will be able to stop putting handfuls of spinach in everything. Good thing I love spinach.

Tonight I made a list of all of Henry's words. 21. I keep saying that I don't worry about his lack of words because he's adding new ones, and I keep making excuses for his lack of speech because his brother  talks so godforsaken much. It's a lie. I'm concerned. He's so alert, and understands 99% of anything we say to him, directions we give him, questions we ask him. But words ... he babbles a little, but mostly he's content to stare out the window or hum along with music in the car, and watch people and other kids at the mall. He said "baby" today while pointing at a picture of a friend's kid and I didn't know he knew how to say it. Yesterday he pointed at the moon and said "moon". I know I shouldn't be concerned, that all children go at their own pace. Spencer was so far ahead of the curve that I'm not use to worrying about these things. He had full sentences at 18 months and I'm still pleading with Henry to say Daddy.

Okay, I'm going to pretend to sleep until hopefully I get there. Toodles!

**update: I went in to check if No 1 was still sleeping in the top bunk and ended up waking up No 2. He refused to go back to sleep and I ended up sleeping with him on the bottom bunk where he stayed up much of the night, tried to kick me off the bed when he did sleep, cried if I put him back in his bed and overall didn't let me sleep at all. It was marvelous.