Catch Up Day

I have been MIA this week and I wish I could say that I got a bunch of stuff done. I've been handwashing dishes, cooking meals that no one wants to eat and picking up after everyone. Grace has been getting up in the middle of the night for a potty run, by YELLING for me from her bed. I have night lights everywhere and she still won't get up without me. This morning she woke Tristan up a few minutes after 7 am and they were up for the day. I don't think I've gotten a good night's sleep in a week. I've cut out caffeine again. It was making me jumpy and nauseous in the afternoons, even if it was hours since I drank coffee or soda.

Last night, I went to the neighbor's Close To My Heart party. It's stamps and scrapbooking, much like Stampin' Up. I had a good time and met a bunch of other Mom's that were really nice. They are all Mormon and get together every week and scrap at their church. Unfortunately, it's the same day that I do my bible study at my church and the times overlap. I guess that makes my decision easy.

We have the Fall Carnival at church tomorrow night. Grace is going as Snow White and Tristan will be a prince/knight. I'll be pulling my hair out by mid-afternoon due to the "Is it time yet?" questions I'm sure.

Halloween is my least favorite holiday and I'm always relieved when I make it through another one. We were limited as kids to Trick-or-Treat at 10 houses. They had to be people we knew and the candy that we did get, was rationed one piece a day until it was gone. There was one house we always tried to avoid and she gave out peanuts. Every Year. By the time I was 8, I was too old to go out, even though my brother would go with friends and come home with a pillowcase of candy, from the rich side of town. Oddly, my reasons for really disliking the festivities into adulthood are not religious, but from humiliation I suffered as a Jr. High student.

I was always in dance (ballet for years, plus dabbling in jazz and modern later) and the dance studio would rent the costumes, that we used for our recitals, at Halloween to anyone in town. One year I was a "Can-Can Girl" (complete with the leotard, ruffled skirt, feathers and fishnet tights) and I still blame my mother for not foreseeing that I would be called a "Saloon Slut" all day long. Anyway, it ruined what was left of the holiday for me.

Anyway, I'm trying to make the best of it and I just make sure the kids have cute costumes.

I've got to get to bed at a reasonable hour and that means before 10 pm tonight. Have a good weekend and take lots of pictures to share on Monday!

Wednesday Lessons

• Having to handwash dishes is a pain, unless you break out the supply of plastic utensils.
• Large knitting needles make a huge difference in the amount of yarn it takes to make a scarf from thin yarn.
• I can make a scarf in about 6 hours now.
• In the scheme of bad ways to handle stress, I would rather be fat, than drunk.
• No matter what the bribery is, I can not convince the kids to take an afternoon nap, at the same time, so that I can get sleep too.

Blah's

Exactly how I feel. Run down, tired and headachey.

Skipped church on Sunday - slept until 10 am - and then cleaned while I had the help.

There's a leak somewhere in the upstairs bathroom and now there is a hole in the downstairs bathroom ceiling, where Joe accidentally poked his hand finger through to see if it was wet. It was/is and when I called the property manager, I was told that someone would be out yesterday to look at it and so far, I haven't heard a peep.

There really was an error on my voter registration form - I put my year of birth as 2004. Oops. I get to vote for President/Vice President and that's it. I'm really having a hard time seeing the point of even doing that right now.

All of the pieces of the drill have been located and the battery is charged again. I even found the air pump and my Jogger is back in road-ready condition. Whack, Whack!

I talked to a good friend last night and she actually has a need for a new scarf. I feel better knowing I can send her one (she'll love it and use it) and then I can make more without guilt!

Well, I have to go figure out what to make for dinner - Yipee...

Happy 30th Birthday!

To my Dear Husband!

He is having a great day so far. His gift this year was a PlayStation2, with wireless controls and a total of 5 games. It's the first year in a long time that I've been able to buy something big for him. He's going to need something to keep him entertained this winter and as a bonus, I get the computer back when he's home!

We also bought a new 27" TV for the living room and the old one (20") is now downstairs for games. We got a new 20" for the bedroom (flatscreen!) and retired the 13" I got at a garage sale last summer. These have been on the "when we have the money list" for, oh I don't know, 5 years or so. Grand total on the TV's - $300. Almost the exact amount of the Proceeds Check, from the sale of the house, that we got in the mail yesterday.

This should be the last of the shopping/spending spree until Christmas.

I've been cleaning, re-arranging and organizing today. The kids are happy Dad is home and are playing alone, which means I get some of my stuff done. I found the drill and battery yesterday, in the Easter box (?!?!?), but haven't found the charger yet. It must be somewhere even stranger.

Grace told me this morning at breakfast that I MUST be a famous cook...Because THIS was the BEST French Toast EVER! She also told Joe that he was a famous race car driver. heehee!

It's All Good...

• So far the tone for the weekend is Relaxed.
• The storm that was supposed to come through last night and dump 2-4 inches of snow never materialized.
• Car shopping in a snowstorm is foolish and we wouldn't have gone today.
• Frozen rain isn't much better, but it should melt by the time Joe gets up.
• I bought a bathroom cabinet on Wednesday and as soon as we find the drill, I'll be able to put it up.
• All pain is relative after giving birth. Piercings are a breeze.
• Grace decided that she doesn't want any ear piercings or tattoos. (Way to teach that lesson Mom! heh.)
• I could stay inside all weekend and not run out of fun things to keep me busy or food to eat.

Hi, I'm Heidi...

and I am addicted to Mountain Dew. Again.

Wow! The energy I have - unbelievable! It's after 9 pm and I'm still going strong.

The kids and I did the following today:

~Went to Costco. $187 - not to shabby!
~Got the oil changed in the car - waaaay past time to do that!
~Went to Fred's - found (and purchased) the elusive Jasmine Doll we have been looking for FOREVER!
~Got the remote exchanged and now we can flip happily on both digital boxes.
~Got the mail, mailed a package and bought stamps. Also right before a line of a gadzillion formed. Go me!
~Went to the drive through at the bank to deposit the LARGE check from the Relocation Folks - Very nice!
~Got Subway for lunch - I was having a serious craving for the Chicken Bacon Ranch Whatever that's running on the ads right now.
~Came home for lunch - Yummy.
~Played Tickle Giant - Ummm, that would be me (Giant) and them (running and laughing), no better cure for what ails Momma!
~Called my parents to let them know a large check was coming soon. This time from Us to Them. heh.
~Took Grace to Cubbies and then,

Tristan and I:
~~went back to Fred's for RAM (computer runs much better now, thanks) and De-Icer (the front stairs are a death trap.)
~~went to Payless Shoes for more shoes for the Amazing Growing Footed Boy. Up another size in 2 months. He got tennis shoes (just like the ones he has now), dress shoes (picked them out himself) and a new pair of snow boots (black, with straps!)
~~went to Claire's and got my ear pierced. I now have 2 holes on each side, instead of the 90's fashion, one in the right, two in the left.
~~raced back to the church and got Grace on time.

Now I've installed the memory and the kids are watching the new Dora video I bought today. We'll leave here for our 5 minute trip to the airport in about 10 minutes.

However, it will be a miracle if I actually fall asleep before midnight tonight. :o)

Feeling Productive...

What a difference!

We took Joe to the airport this morning for a 7:20 am flight. I got out of bed at 6:05 am and we were one of two (2) cars at the unload zone at 6:40 am. I heard the plane takeoff at 7:23 am. We were out for a grand total of 30 minutes, including the time to let the car warm up. Much better than the 4 am departures from the house in Seattle and the crowds/traffic to deal with. Nevermind the 3 hours in the car.

Oh yeah, besides being freezy, it snowed last night! We have a skiff on the driveway and a bit on the trees. Grace wants to go make snow angels, but there isn't enough on the grass to show up.

So, I have the car today and we will be getting some stuff done. I have a Costco list and I need to find a place to get the oil changed. I need to find a birthday gift for Joe too. I've got packages to mail, that have been ready for a couple of days and I need to exchange one of the remotes at the Cable place. Grace has AWANA tonight from 6:30 - 8 pm and Joe needs to be picked up at the airport at 9-something. I see naps for the afternoon agenda!

Frozen Tushy Day...

It's cold. 20* this morning. Near record cold actually. But...

The sky is clear, the sun is coming up on the mountains and it is beautiful! I really missed mornings like this. Growing up in a climate where it snowed by Halloween every year, it shouldn't take me long to get re-adjusted. The biggest difference is the altitude, which also affects the humidity.

I need to find a heavier coat before we venture outside to my bible study after lunch, since we will be walking. I do get to wear my heavy sweater today. There is also snow in the forecast for later this week.

It seems like I didn't do much yesterday because I spent most of the morning catching up in my workbook for class today. I spent every other moment with the kids, giving them the attention I realized I get to busy to give. There is a big change in their moods when I stop telling them, "Just a minute."

Grace's new pop-up tent arrived yesterday (replacement for the one damaged in the move) and she was so excited that she slept in it last night. Somewhere there was a mix-up and two tents were sent, so I need to check on the charges to my account and it's possible that Tristan could have one too.

Weight Update: I've lost 5 pounds so far this month. With two weeks to go in the month, I'm sure I can lose the other 5 for my goal.

Gotta run...Tristan is into the powder and making it snow.

Alaska Day...

Also my bestest friend from high school's 30th Birthday! Happy Day Amy!

The weekend was quiet.

Tristan lost all of his toys Saturday night. He refused to pick up and then told Joe that there were, "more downstairs." I took them all out to the garage and they're going to be there for a while. Grace is getting better with her backtalk, or I'm getting better about punishing her for it. I worked on some quilt blocks and some applique, instead of knitting. Joe bought me a toaster oven, which wasn't the one on clearance, but it is white and matches everything else! I used it twice yesterday alone.


We didn't go to church yesterday (Joe had to work) because I was not feeling very well and the temperature at 9 am was still close to freezing. I realized that I don't have a good winter coat and my fleece jacket just wasn't going to cut it for the walk over to the church. I had to go to the store last night to get groceries and I came home in a fog. The store was crowded and the milk and produce shipments are wiped out by Sunday night. I managed to get most of the stuff on my list, but there is still a trip to Costco for meat in my near future. I'll post the receipt tally later. I'm incredibily excited that there is food in the big freezer now too.

I stopped and got the mail at the Post Office while I was out, only to discover that there was an error on my voter registration and I'll only be able to vote for President on an absentee ballot. AARRGGG!

Joe works late tonight. I'll be pushing for an early bedtime, especially since Grace was up during the night to go potty and Tristan was up at 6 am. He climbed in with us, but he's such a squirmer! We were up for the day by 7:45 am, when Grace got up. Somehow going to bed at 10 pm and getting up after 7 am is still not giving me enough sleep. I've got to go infuse my system with some evil Mountain Dew. I haven't had one yet, but I bought a 24 pack last night. My lack of caffeine probably explains my lack of energy and general fatigue by 6 pm. :o)

It's Friday!

Which really doesn't mean much around here, besides being Payday. *winks*

I finished the Angel Hair scarf last night before I went to bed.



Grace is calling it my Movie Star scarf. Haha.

I had to call our Crappy Realtor yesterday and find out if the house was going to close. Turns out it had closed late Wednesday night and we are officially free! I called the gas and electric companies, as well as the city about the water, so that I could get the accounts closed and have a final bill sent here. I need to call our insurance company this morning and have them cancel the homeowners policy.

My next step is to embrace the reality of living in Alaska. So far, I'm not doing a great job. I still have moments that I think to myself that I'll just run down to Target... Not going to happen. Joe is going to Anchorage next week for a day (actually an hour!) of training and he will be going "Shopping in the Big City" while he's there. I'm working on my list of things for him to bring back.

I had a moment last night (as I was frantically checking the computer for the checking account balance) that I realized I am in the habit of panicking over money. We actually have money in the bank now and the bills are all paid, even though I've been shopping and spending like a mad woman. (Well, at least a lot more than I am used to.) Our budget when we bought the house was so tight it didn't even have room to squeak. I allotted myself $20 a month for my fun stuff-- like fabric and chocolate. Most months, I didn't spend it and we still were behind.

This month alone, I bought clothes for myself and the kids, we replaced some stuff broken in the move and we bought the sofa and chair. Nothing was financed and there was still money in the bank. I don't think I will ever not be frugal, but it is very nice to know that I can spend $12.98 on yarn on a Wednesday (which I was in a cold sweat over and put back the other 2 skeins I was going to get) and not overdraw the account before payday on Friday.

I got a special treat last night. Joe came home with a new set of pots and pans for me. It's THIS set, minus the 4 Qt sauce pot, for less than $50. Tonight, he should be bringing home a stainless steel toaster oven. The last elusive kitchen appliance I don't have. Haha! And then I'll start collecting the attachments for my Kitchen Aid.

I've got to go eat some breakfast and get some packages ready to mail, before I get cozy with the sewing machine this afternoon. I am working out a schedule for my hobbies. :o)

Have a great weekend!

Nothing Much To Report

I'm here, there's just not much to share. I've had a crappy week so far. My period started Monday night, so that explains most of my mood.

The house should close today, it was delayed again Tuesday. *Edited to add: Joe just called to say that the Relocation Folks are cutting us a check today for $5700 - half of the commission fees. It will be going straight to my parents.

I managed to buy some more yarn last night - Angel Hair from JoAnn's. The stuff is very snuggly and I think I'll make this scarf for me.

I have been going through the last of the boxes in the garage and I still can't find the drill. Or the flashlight, battery or charger that completes the set. I have the air pump nozzle, but can't do much without everything else.

I'm scatterbrained too. I washed a load of laundry and forgot to add detergent - had to restart it. The kids are running around in undies (diapers) and I really don't care today. My pants that were fitting great? I lost 3 pounds and now they are falling off. Go figure.

I hate to watch TV in the evenings anymore because of the constant political ads. I know who I'm voting for and my mind isn't going to be changed because someone approved the fricken message.

I'm off to inspect the living-room-picking-up duties and then to curl up somewhere warm and knit for a while.

Rant, Rant, Rant...

Between the computer issues last weekend and the software problems I had until Tuesday evening, I have gotten out of my daily addiction habit of blogging first thing in the morning. I thought, when I started noticing very whiny posts late in the day, that I would be fresh (and happy) first thing in the morning and that would be better for everyone. Lately, I've been waking up in a not so great mood and blogging about all of the crap that happens between rolling out of bed and getting downstairs to the computer isn't much fun either.

I'm edgy about everything it seems. My day has started about 5 am, with Joe flipping on the overhead light to look for his belt. Three days in a row now. I'm lucky if I can get back to sleep before the kids are up a half-second after 7 am. Today they got up at 8 am, but only because they went to bed at 9 pm. Eleven hours or 8 am. Which all in all, isn't a bad gig. I'm usually not up during the night and I get about 7 hours of good sleep. Problem is that I need about 9 to make it through the day without caffeine support.

I really lost my temper on Tuesday. Joe had declared it "Must Clean the House Day" before bed on Monday night. Translated, that means, "I think the house looks terrible and since I will be sleeping in, you need to get right on that in the morning." So I was ticked before the day even started. I got up with the kids (as always) and had done 4 loads of laundry and cleaned the kitchen before he got up at 10 am. I was supposed to go to my bible study at 12:30 pm, but everytime I asked about his plans, he didn't answer. He sat with Grace for over an hour talking about "Memories" - something she loves to do since we moved. I was trying to print a single piece of paper off the computer so that they could extend the sale of the house. Again. That's where the software issues came in. I didn't go to my class and that made HIM mad. He said he assumed I was going to my class and that any plans he had talked about we would go do later. That is also because he won't take both kids to run errandswhile he is alone. Never has. But he expects me to do it on a regular basis - including my OB/GYN visits and to the dentist.

I'm tired of doing everything by myself. I've done most of the paperwork for selling the house. I spent all summer taking care of getting it ready to sell, as well as raising the kids and doing all of the normal everyday stuff. I cook all of the meals, do all of the cleaning and most of the parenting. I take out the garbage and haul it to the street every week. I put gas in the car and take care of all the oil/coolant issues. I take Grace to AWANA everyweek (while the Boys stay home and play games). I do all of the shopping and I take care of paying the bills and looking after the finances. I do all of the laundry and put it all away. I do all of the ironing and any mending. I do all of the family corospondence - thank you notes, Christmas letters, mailing pictures and phone calls. I even order the pizzas and make all of the reservations because he hates to talk on the phone to strangers.

In my spare time, I quilt, scrapbook and now, knit.

I know that I've brought this upon myself by not making him do more. I've come to terms with my being a control freak. The fact still remains, he doesn't want to do any of it and the fight to get him to take on a chore/responsibility is huge. I've told him many times that if he wants to help out (which he sometimes says he does) then he needs to take care of that thing all of the time. He wants to pick and choose what he does and when he does it. I end up doing all of it anyway because it's got to get done.

Sunday, he got miffed because there were some containers sitting on the counter that would have overfilled the trash can. I told him I just hadn't gotten to them yet and if they bothered him so much he could take out the trash. He stormed off with the trash stating that he would take care of the trash this week. Fast forward to Tuesday morning. (I've said before that the trash is supposed to be out by 6 am. I can't put it ot the night before because of the bears. Anyway, I learned the first week that the trash truck comes around sometime after 10 or 11 am. I get up and take the cans down to the street between 7 and 8 am.) I was messing with the computer and the trash truck pulls in front of the house. He jumps up in a panic, thinking the cans are still in the garage. He then asks me if the cans are on the street... Ummm, yeah. Right now, there is an extra bag of garbage by the back door in the kitchen. I'll end up taking that out too.

Yesterday was the icing. He calls from work about some clearance stuff. A new set of Stainless Steel pots and pans - about 75% off? Oh yeah! A toaster oven? Hell yeah! It didn't come home with him because he had forgotten to activate his credit card when it came in the mail. The activation was a fiasco too.

I was in the shower (at 6 pm) and he tried to come in, but the drawer was in the way. He needed our zip code. We have two - one for the PO Box and one for the house. I gave him the one for the house, since I didn't know what was going on. That sent him to the fraud department because the address for all of the bills is the PO Box. He actually argued with them until they told him he needed to prove that he was the actual owner of the card.

Photo Requests

It was Joe's day off and there really isn't much to say about how today went. So, I'll share pictures!!!

For Katie --

The Sofa:



And the Chair:



For Pez --

Grace and her Scarf:



And the second one (maybe for Tristan) almost done:



For everyone --

Fall colors and mountains, also known as the "View off the Back Porch":



And fall colors and clouds, as has been the norm lately:



Are there anymore requests? Let me know and I'll do my best, within reason. :o)

Computers...

***Back to regularly scheduled blogging***

I spent the weekend involuntarily disconnected from the internet. I guess there was a "Broadcast Storm" here and I was one of many that was shut down (by the ISP) to get the system back under control. I finally got through to a tech this morning and they told me what to do to get back up and running. I have all of the necessary firewalls and virus protection, so I'm still not sure what was happening.

Anyway, in my absence from the cyber world, I have learned how to knit. Yep, I bought a How-To kit and taught myself Wednesday night. Thursday, we had a playdate here and I got some more tips from my friend - who knits. Friday, I ripped out most of a completed hat and started over on a scarf on Saturday. Last night, I finished the short scarf for Grace and started one for Tristan.

In other news, we bought a new sofa, chair and ottoman on Friday. It was delivered on Saturday and I'm still surprised when I walk into the living room. We got the futon downstairs after church yesterday, moved the couch and chair to their new positions and also got Grace's dressser up into the kid's room.

I have a bunch of stuff to get done today. Joe works until 9 pm tonight and I plan to use that time for myself. It's already 11 am and I've only messed with the computer. I also tried to sleep in, but only made it until 8:30 am.

Like a Glove...

*in my best Ace Ventura, Pet Detective voice*

The only thing that could have made yesterday better? Two pairs of pants I ordered online fit like they were custom made for me! I can count on one finger the number of times that has ever happened, even trying on clothes in the store. The two other pair fit everywhere except a gap in the back and I say, "No to Crack." I tried wearing them this morning and I will be exchanging them for another pair each of the other styles.

Snap, I do have a new appreciation for the "yardwork in hiphuggers" comment you made way back though. ;o) You may title my experience, "Laundry, with crack." heh.

I'm on a cleaning roll this morning. Dishes are being done, both in the dishwasher and by hand. There are 4 baskets of laundry to do - yikes! I am not used to everyone having a different basket. With the washer and dryer in the garage, (where I never go) I also don't have the visual reminder to swap out the loads and I forget about it. I'll wash the bedding today too and just get it over with. I need to vacuum and pick up a couple piles of papers that migrated upstairs. Joe's bathroom needs some serious attention too. Dinner is in the crockpot (a whole chicken with garlic marinade) and the kids are behaving. And it's only 10 am!!

It's a New Day

I'm blaming yesterday on the Mt. St. Helens eruptions. My kids are back to their normal get-along-and-play-together-well selves this morning. They slept through everything* this morning too. We all got up about 7:45 am!

*The phone rang this morning (at 4:55 am) and when I answered, the man on the other end was very surprised that I was not a hospital. He apologized and hung up. Not two minutes later, the phone rang again. I jumped back out of bed, ready to rip this guy a new one and discovered it was someone else entirely. He wanted me to connect him to "7771" or the operator. No can do, sorry. The odds of the phone ringing twice at 5 am, when it doesn't ring all day? Evidently pretty good here. Ten minutes later, Joe's alarm went off and he had to get up for work.

Yesterday, I called our Phone Company and complained about the two-day dial tone problem, as well as my general dissatisfaction in their month long connect time and 5+ day repair time. I received a credit equal to the bill due this month and a $25 credit toward next months bill. So in all, they have credited me $76.47 this month alone.

I also called to find out about a Women's Bible study that just started at the church. I will be able to go to the class on Tuesdays from 12:30 - 2 pm because they will have child care! I only have to walk around the corner and across the street, so I don't need the car either.

My calendar for this week is slowly filling up with activities. Thursday, we have a playdate, probably in the afternoon because Joe works late and Friday, my neighbor wants me to go to a play gym in the morning.

I hung pictures in the living room yesterday, so it looks like we live here now. I called the Escrow Company and all our papers and the wire transfer arrived safely. I talked to our Crappy Realtor and he was actually doing what I wanted to do, with the counter offer for the late fees from their delay. We should know more today. I ran to the Post Office and then the bank to make a deposit from the Relocation Folks. The kids played before bedtime and I actually sewed for a little while.

Today, I'm waiting for the Fed Ex person to deliver my new pants. It is Trash Day, so I got all the inside cans emptied and the two large cans out to the street. (And killed a huge spider that was hanging out on the Jogging stroller.) We didn't need the third can this week and I bet if had the recycling services here, like we did in Washington, I would have only needed one can. We'll be heading over to the church after lunch for my first class and after that my day is free!

No TV Day...

for the kids.

They were fighting over which video to watch 5 minutes after getting up this morning, so I took away the TV privilege. The attitude has continued and each has a prize toy (this just in: Grace now has 2) that has been taken away. (Oops, now make that a full bin more.)

I'm tired of the eye rolling and the backtalk, so there's a new sheriff in town today. Grace will be lucky if she has anything left by lunchtime. The timeouts and spankings don't work with her anymore, so I'll start taking away her "treasures" and see if that shows a change in her attitude.

We made it to church yesterday and came home only to get into a HUGE argument. For once, I kept my head and made my point without saying something really mean. I even got a little bit of a nap before ordering pizza for dinner.

I'm taking to today to clean up and organize more of my stuff. I'm working on the laundry and I think I'll hang some pictures. I'm waiting for news about the house and keeping a close eye on the kids. I've invited friends over to play on Thursday, Joe has Friday off and I want to have my To Do list done by Wednesday, so I can relax those two days.

I weighed myself over the weekend and the 2 pounds I lost have been found. I have been drinking more water and have cut out all caffeine too. I called about the rain cover for the stroller and I have to find someone in the lower 48 to have it shipped to (and then have them ship it to me) because, according to the customer service person, Alaska is not in the United States. I knew it felt like that, but come on. My new pants should arrive tomorrow and that should provide some image boosting.

The kids are working on some alphabet workbooks and I might make some headway on my projects now.

TGIF!

I'm better today. I think.

The Bank of Mom should be wiring money shortly. The closing documents are on their way via Fed Ex. The closing has been delayed a week. There will be more money owing because of the delay. If we make the seller pay the charges, due to her delay, and she refuses, we could lose the sale on the house. There have been no other offers, which you could also read as Crappy Realtor has not done his job. Joe got a nap and I ended up completely stressed out.

I did get 2 more pages done for my scrapbook. I found my journal and was able to fill in the last two months of the year. Now, I want to go back and fill in anything else that didn't make it onto the calendar. 2000 was a crazy year for us and the things that happened really put everything that is going on right now in Joe's family into motion.

Today I slept in. I've got to be by the phone this morning, in case my mom needs help with the wire transfer. I plan on taking the rest of the day off and enjoying the weekend. I've got projects to work on and the kids to play with! The house can wait until Monday.

I'm also working on the new weight loss plan. I'm down 2 pounds so far this week.

So, starting info:
Sept. 24 th, 2004
Height 5'7"
Weight 179#
Size 16

My 2004 goal is 30 pounds by Christmas - 149#
My October goal is 10#
My Final Goal is 130 by February 2005.

I was down to 169# before this move and all that eating out in August did me in. I weighed 165# when I got pregnant with Grace and was down to 155# (and finally in a 14) when I found out I was pregnant with Tristan. I weighed 135# (size 8-10) when I got married in 1997 and that was up from 115# (size 3-6) in high school.

I've been wearing my pedometer to motivate me to move more. I stopped drinking Mountain Dew. I've been eating regular meals, with smaller portions. I've been going to bed at a reasonable time. We haven't been eating out.

I need to work on my stress management. I need to watch my depression. I need to figure out how to get (cardio) exercise everyday. (I found a rain shield for the jogger yesterday and I have to jump through the hoops now to order it, but once it gets here I'll be able to walk all winter.) I need to start using the weight bench. I need to eat more fruits and vegies. I need to drink water.

My major mental roadblock has also been removed. I was afraid to lose a lot of weight because I would have nothing to wear and there was no money to replace what would be too big. If it wasn't for Mindy, I would have 2 pairs of pants still and the holes in one are bigger than quarters. I just ordered new pants last week and retired the holey ones when they came through the laundry. Baby steps!