Long update in quick snippets –
Abby –
Has had a cough for a week, but only when she is sleeping or laying down. She does this about three times a year when the seasons change drastically, as it has done here over the last ten days. I’ve slept on the couch with her a lot so that she is more upright.
Loves her school. Raves about it every day. She is getting into “projects” and brings stuff home at an alarming rate. The sorting is easy for me – has to be really special to her and she has to talk to me about it a few days later to be considered. We are really happy with the creativity and fun they are having together.
I don’t know if I have mentioned here, but she is the only girl there. BIG change from last year! She is getting to be braver, which is good for my little scaredy cat, especially on playground equipment and such. We have seen a difference when we are playing together outside of daycare, too. Abby was scarred by big kids toppling her over like two years ago on playground equipment, so this is a big development for us and one that we are welcoming!
Anny –
School is in full swing and it seems that she is really enjoying herself. I am proud of her for trying to be better at this school about participating in things that Abby and I can be invited to, like football games. That being said, we have not gotten to any just yet. Oy! We’ll get there, I am sure. Hockey season is just around the corner, and her school has a team, so we will likely go to some of those. (Wanted to go tonight, but I will only stand in the rain to watch someone that shares my last name!)
It’s a strange thing for us to not be cooking every night, every week. For those who have not read, we developed a calendar called “Operation Dinner In” on our Google Calendar. It is where we keep track of what we are going to be eating for about three weeks into the future. This helps us plan for groceries (buy a bigger tub of feta and spread it across several meals) which helps us save money. Since we are still living with the very gracious Paul and Sarahlynn (never enough THANKS! for this!), we have taken to alternating weeks. It’s fun beyond my imagination as we get to try some of their favorites and get to share ours, as well as journey to new foods together.
Anny has also taken up running! She is a very dedicated runner, she gets up early to go out for a run before work, then does a long one before the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings. I think she has a goal of running a 5K on Halloween weekend, but I have not heard details as of yet. I’m disappointed a bit though. Anny has not asked for new running shoes yet, and I LOVE shoe shopping and want to convince myself into a new pair!
Me –
I’m doing well. I am not used to working so late in the evenings, which is one reason that blogging is suffering. I’m trying to figure out times that can work while still hanging out with everyone.
Work is going exceptionally well. I’m feeling like this place is a good fit for me. I am comfortable here, and people seem to like me, even without having brought brownies to the office yet! I hope to do that on Monday, if I can find time this weekend to bake some. I guess I could store buy, and I just might, but it’s a fun project to do with Abby as well.
I am still quite fat. While Anny runs I sleep. I have been partnering with her to do bedtime more, but that is when I should be out running the streets and am not. I would start tonight, but it’s raining. (I’ll say that again tomorrow!) I am genuinely eating better, in part because my desk is front and center as you walk into our office – I can’t sneak food all day long. I’m sure that if I put a little effort in sometime it would be different, so maybe I will. Maybe.
And that is my update. Hope that your world finds you well!
Livestrong.com, sweetie. You have no idea how many calories you're eating if you don't keep track. I thought I had a pretty good diet before. Turns out I was eating like 1500 calories a day worth of CONDIMENTS! Ranch, sour cream, butter - all that stuff adds up, and it adds up fast. A few simple substitutions, and I didn't really ever feel deprived at all. Fat free sour cream, low fat ranch (or better salad dressings entirely), olive oil or butter spray in place of butter... All that adds up too.
ReplyDeleteCarefully watch portion sizes so you've got an accurate calorie count. Half of a chicken breast is one serving, for example. Once you get used to it, you'd be amazed at how full you can feel on half a chicken breast when you eat it slowly with a small baked potato (fat free sour cream or better yet salsa!) and lots of broccoli (butter spray).
Also, give up all soda - diet and regular - and watch the pounds melt away. You've read my rants about HFCS already. Turns out that diet soda tricks your body into thinking you've eaten something sweet, and you dump a bunch of insulin into your bloodstream, but it can't find any sugar (because it's artificial sweetener instead) and eventually you get type 2 diabetes. It's poison. You don't need anything other than tea, coffee, water, and the occasional lemonade. (They can pry my iced tea out of my cold, dead hand. I put two packets of real sugar - 32 calories - into a 32 ounce cup. I figure I burn that much off just lifting the cup to my mouth!).
I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. BJ started losing before I did, and it wasn't until he weighed less than I did that I got really motivated. I caught up for a while, and now he weighs 165 at 6' 1" and I weigh decidedly NOT 165 because he got me pregnant. He totally cheats. Anyway, I know exactly what it's like to watch your spouse get healthy and to feel overwhelmed and envious and everything else. The only solution is for you to get healthy too, and you can. You don't have to run. I lost 50 pounds without ever really getting into a good exercise routine. You just can't eat as much as you can when you exercise. Eventually you might want to start exercising, just so you can eat more. That's what I did for a while, but a lot of days it was just easier to skip it and eat less.
Love ya, you can do it!
It's good to hear from you! It sounds like you guys are having a good time. I'm trying to focus on getting into shape too. I'm young, I look fantastic but my blood pressure, while not sky high, is threatening to go that route. So, I've been prescribed diet and exercise aaaand I'm getting to it. We're kind of planning a move to so I keep telling myself that I'll get to it as soon as we've settled down somewhere. I've got to stop with the excuses and buckle down already.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see an update from y'all! Please give Anny a big hug and tell her how proud I am of her running. Did I tell y'all that I'm getting certified as a distance running coach? I just need to get CPR and First Aid certified and I can call myself a real coach. I'd love to help out (if you want it) on a running plan!
ReplyDeleteI feel you on that last part. I've made some major changes myself. A mix of drugs and being a slacker on my part conspired to mess things up for me. Good luck to you.
ReplyDeletePei Pa Koa (www.geocities.jp/ninjiom_hong_kong/index_e.htm ) is one of the few Chinese natural cough remedies that have been scientifically studied. it's something like herb plus honey, and it's sweet, thick and black in color. If you have a cough, look for it! It used to be one of my favourite natural cough remedies.
ReplyDeleteif your cough persists, seek professional help such as traditional Chinese medicine physicians - I have had very good experiences with them.