Friday, October 30, 2015

Holy Moly what a week!

It's Friday and as it turns out, the only day of the week that I've been able to get into the office at all.

I have been covered up with sick kids all week. I can't even believe how long a week it's been.

Backing up...

Last Friday I actually did manage to find a babysitter and get to have a Mom's Night Out with some of Ali's classmates mothers. It was great. So glad I got to go.

The girls went to a friends house for a play date with their daughter and we all had late nights. I didn't get them to bed until 10:30 and they were, of course, up at their regular 6:30 am.

Saturday we were on our own and I had a bunch of things to do, so I got everyone up, dressed and out the door to run errands. Half way through, Ali started telling me she was cold. I told her not to be silly, it was a beautiful day out. She kept telling me the stores were cold and I just wasn't listening at all. Finally I realized she was practically falling asleep in between the stops and it was only 11:30. I figured she was tired from the night before so said we would go home, have lunch and take a nap. Got home to find Ali was burning up. 102 degree fever, chills, shakes. Awesome.

Totally lost the mom of the year award.

She had it so bad. We were at the doctors office first thing Monday morning and it was just one of those nasty viral infections that you can't do anything about, just wait it out.

On top of that, I took Elle in at the same time and she had an ear infection! She wasn't really acting sick but hadn't been eating well and for her that's a big change.

It was so sad to see my poor Ali not feel good.

And, the cable went out on Monday, still not fixed.

And, the water heater sprung a leak and had to be replaced.

And, I'm supposed to be decorating a car for the schools Truck or Treat party, tonight and have had no chance to get ready for that.

And, I totally fell off the 30 day challenge wagon while I was home with the girls and I have somehow put several pounds back on which I am NOT happy about.

But, I'm trying to focus on the good things and there are a lot of them.

Ali is fine. She was never so sick that we had to run to the ER and is now back to her normal self.

The cable is out, but that just meant that Ali and I spent the mornings playing games and when I needed to get work done, we still had Netflicks!

The water heater bust, but our house was still warm and cozy during this week of cold rainy weather.

I didn't get any workouts in, but I did find an energy supplement that I like.


I've only been taking it for four days but at least this one doesn't gross me out. I actually mix it with hot water and it's just like a green tea, with some extra grit. Those last few sips are a little tough but in general it's actually pretty good. Hopefully a few weeks of this will see some easier mornings and hopefully will help stay healthy as we head into the winter cold season.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Babysitting Woes

This weekend is my husbands annual trip with his 'boys' for a Virginia Tech football game. It's been planned and on the calendar for months. They leave Friday morning and get to the rental house late afternoon and have a whole evening of traditions from where they eat, what they eat, where they go, all of it. It's so cute. ;)

A couple weeks ago I got an invite to go to dinner this Friday night with several moms from Ali's class.

My built in babysitter (i.e. my husband) isn't going to be around. Argh!

My back up babysitter (i.e. my mom) also isn't going to be around. She and my dad are heading to FL this weekend to visit one of my aunts. Argh Argh!

My back up - back up babysitters (i.e. my mother in law and sister in law) both can't make it down due to previous commitments. ARGH!

That pretty much leaves me out of approved babysitters.

And when I say 'approved' babysitters, I mean people that I know Big M isn't going to eat.

He is our major limiting factor when it comes to babysitters. While we are there he is mostly fine, and there are plenty of people who he is happy to see, but I'm not sure he'd feel the same if my husband or I weren't there. Women are better, but he really doesn't like most new men and especially large men. If we have anyone over who is on his 'bad' list, we have to put Big M upstairs where he cries and barks the whole visit but if we don't put him upstairs than we basically have to sit on him the whole time as he stalks our visitor waiting for an opportunity to pounce (I say pounce because it sounds so much less intimidating than 'attack', which is probably more accurate).

It's very frustrating. He is very, very protective of me and the girls. Everyone I tell that to always follows that statement by saying 'that's great, he should be protective of his family'. Yeah, but...it's easy for you to say when it isn't your dog.

It isn't a terrible thing in theory, but when it really limits your ability to leave your house, go on vacation, have a date night without having a doggie approved babysitter, it gets old.

He's lucky we love him so much.

Meanwhile, I'll be home this Friday night. With the girls and my very protective dog.


Monday, October 19, 2015

30 Day Challenge - Day 16

I am officially more than half way through!

This is the longest I have managed to stick to one of these 30 day challenges.

I am rather proud of myself.

This is the first time post-pregnancy that I've really concentrated on toning my body and things are definitely feeling it. My abs are sore, my thighs are sore, my rear end is sore, all good pain though.

In addition, I have consistently exercised (run, cardio, yoga) for at least 5 days each week for the last two weeks. Ok, to be fair I'm counting Saturday's trip to the corn maze as a workout since I carried Elle in a pack on my back through the thing. Totally counts as a workout, 25 lb monkey.

AND while at the corn maze on Saturday, I wore pre-Ali SKINNY JEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They weren't perfect, but they buttoned and were comfortable enough to wear and even sit in, so take that muffin top!

I've had those pants in a bin under my bed since I found out I was pregnant with Ali. That's my 'wishful' bin. There's still a pair of jeans in there that I refuse to part with but aren't anywhere close to being worn again.

My weight hasn't changed all that much, which is a little frustrating but I know it takes more time than two weeks to really start seeing the results.

I've got my running clothes with me today and will head out of work a bit early to get a run in before picking up the girls.

Yummy chicken enchilada soup for dinner tonight.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Texas Superfood update

As it turns out the Texas Superfood supplement is not for me. After four or five days of attempting it, I could not find a method of consuming it that did not make me want to vomit from the smell, flavor or texture. It was not pretty.

So, back to square one I guess.

I have been feeling better lately, still tired but not as run down. I have also been exercising regularly for almost two weeks and watching my diet/alcohol intake...so there's that.

Definitely supports the idea that lack of exercise and excess of alcohol disrupts your body's ability to deal. Which I knew. It always seems like I forget that fact when I'm in the middle of the blues.

Yesterday I went for a run after work, before getting the girls, and did 2.34 miles in just over 30 minutes. Which is pretty cool for me these days. My second mile was even faster than the first and I'm not all that sore today, which is even better.

I am on day 12 of my 30 day Beach Body Challenge and am feeling pretty good about that too. The exercises are getting a little easier and I'm feeling stronger. Which is probably all in my head since 12 days really isn't enough time to start feeling anything other than annoyed that I've been good for 12 days and still have a roll around my middle. :)





Monday, October 12, 2015

Day 9

I am nine days into my 30 day challenge and doing well. I did not get my second cardio work out in last week, I managed to oversleep by an hour the morning I was supposed to do that and never actually recovered from the late start.

I did walk this weekend with the girls, which may or may not count as an actual workout since it involves a lot of stopping to watch the geese, or the plane, or pick up the stick/flower/rock/trash/thing on the ground that should probably be left there. Although I do have to give Ali a lot of credit for her cleanliness fixation, she picks up all the litter from the picnic table area whenever we walk down to that part of the neighborhood.

I've done my Beach Body Challenge and my Arm Challenge every day and have managed to drop the vacation weight, which isn't usually too hard to do, a week back on a normal diet and most times I can get back to pre-vacation weight.

Today's plan is to run before picking up the girls. Their dinner is done, I'll have to cook something for us adults in the house but that can be done later.

Feeling pretty good.


Wednesday, October 7, 2015

(another) 30 Day Challenge

I have not done well at these things so far and while I've started several, have never finished one.

Come to find out 30 days is a long time!

However, while on vacation last week on our way home from a wonderful seafood dinner, my precious little sanity sucker reached her beautiful little hand up, patted my very full and satisfied belly, and asked "Mama, is there a baby in your belly?"

She's so sweet.

She's four, she doesn't know. I know.

"Um, no honey, that's just the fried flounder I had for dinner."
And the calamari.
And the crab dip.
And the wine.

Good lord the wine.

That's always my gateway drug.

Anyway. That finally spurred me into a new round of commitment and this time I've taken on some accountability. I have a coworker doing one of the 30 Day Challenges with me (I'm doing two actually) and every day when I complete a challenge I post it online for several friends and family members to harass me about if it doesn't show up one day.

I'm doing the 30 day Beach Body Challenge, which I realize is just a little late as I have just left the beach, but my anniversary is on Nov 1st so maybe I'll have a hot beach body in time for a nice evening out with my husband. I'm also doing the arm challenge. Out of hte two, the Beach Body one might actually kill me before I finish. It is ROUGH! I had to do 50 burpees yesterday which was only day three of the challenge! I can't tell you the last time I did one, much less 50. If you don't know, look it up, they suck.

I've also been back on MyFitnessPal logging my food and I've cut out wine for three days a week, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. I will have one glass on Wednesdays (tonight!!!!!) after the girls are in bed and my weekend drinking will be significantly cut back. I honestly don't want to share what that 'normal' is. It's not good. Or normal.

So, this is all nice big talk right now, four days into a program, but I'm making this one work. I REFUSE to gain weight this Holiday season and to make it through I need to have the foundation in place now.

I'm also running three days a week and doing a cardio workout two mornings a week.

So, that's the new deal. And this time, I will lose the pooch.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Vacation run down

What a great trip. I feel guilty that I was so hesitant to take the girls to the beach this year. I cannot describe to you the level of fun these two silly little things had.

Last year we rented a condo in St Augustine and had a nice time. We left there knowing it was unlikely we'd return. The beach was beautiful, pristine and very private. Gated access, not a huge crowd. The condo was ok. Not the cleanest, the furniture wasn't great and while it was ocean view, it was not the most comfortable of places. Overall it was very commercial, very overgrown, kind of overrated.

This year we went to Hilton Head Island and can't wait to go back, even to the same unit. It was not ocean view but it was spotless, comfortable and the prefect mix of proximity to ocean and to amenities (i.e. grocery store and restaurants) without being at all commercial. Hilton Head apparently has some pretty serious regulations on building size and style.

It was a public stretch of beach and surprisingly full for 'off season' but not terrible and we had a ton of fun.

We arrived on Saturday and after checking out the house and unloading, we headed down to the beach to go for a walk...and walked straight into a frat party...yep. Complete with police officers who had apparently been called recently to tone down the festivities. That was a little strange, and I have to say it's a little odd having a slightly drunk college frat boy tell you how beautiful your daughters are....'umm, thanks.'

Elle dove in.

Literally. Just jumped in the ocean. Fully clothed and loved it.

Walking out to the beach.


And straight into the water.

This grin could not get any bigger!



The next day was our only tough morning. It was raining and we kept putting off going to the beach and finally gave up at 10 and went out even though it was still drizzling. We walked straight into a Susan G Komen race for the cure 10k.  Yep, no such thing as a quiet beach around here apparently. It ended up being highly entertaining for everyone. Elle sat in her little beach chair waving at everyone and they all waved back!

Playing in the sand.




We quickly discovered that the tides were against us and at high tide, there was no beach so the next morning we went for a walk instead.

Great side walks just outside our community.

Picking 'flowers' from the side of the road.

I love this girls hair!!! 



We did end up back on the beach and I have to apologize because I really only have pictures of Elle. My husband and I did the 'divide and conquer' approach to vacation parenting and he and Ali were frequently walking up and down the beach chasing birds and looking for shells. Elle and I sat in the water or sand and played.
We like the mud.

And the surf.

I love this one.



We had a few playground trips and did a little island touring including stopping at the lighthouse.

But mostly we spent as much time at the beach as possible. By Wednesday afternoon Ali looked at me and said 'I'm ready to go home,' which was well timed as we were leaving Thursday morning. My husband really would have like to stay the extra day, but as it turned out, Thursday was the start to the rain that has managed to leave most of SC under water. We escaped right in time.

It was a wonderful trip and I can't wait to do it again next year.