Author Archives: Jen
Fire + blanket + my legs + Maggie
This is what happens when you lay on the beanbag in front of the fire and Owen puts a blanket on your legs.
I just ran a mile.
I haven’t ran a mile in, um, EVER?!
I got on the treadmill tonight for my usual mile walk and at about .75 miles I thought “Hey, let me try running the last quarter mile.” I’d run two, walked two, run two, etc., a time or two before, but it was always hard and not enjoyable in the least.
But tonight I felt good and I wasn’t winded so at the one-mile mark, I thought “Hey, let me go to finish out a full 20 minutes” (a mile would have been about 18 minutes, so I was adding another two minutes of running.)
At 20 minutes I was still feeling good so I just kept going. And then I thought “Hey, what if I ran a mile? NAH. I can’t run a mile. But what if I did?” I had a good song on repeat so I just. kept. going.
So tonight I walked .75 mile and ran one mile.
I’m gobsmacked.
Like brother, like sister: Saturn!
May 13, 2011:
Hugs for Charlie
I’m starting over with Week 1.
A bunch of friends that have been doing Naturally Slim for awhile now have decided to “start over” as if we were on Day 1 of the program again. We’ve all been sort of stalled (maintaining, if you will) or slightly gaining over the holidays and have decided a refresh is in order. And I’ve always said that if what I’m doing isn’t working I will go back to ALL the basics to get started again. (I’ve been following most of the rules, but have gotten a bit slack over the past month and especially slack over the last two weeks.)
As you know, I really wanted to make 100 by Christmas or the end of the year but after this past week I’m pretty sure I’ll have gained two pounds this week (I’ll find out in the morning) and I want the fluff gone before it turns into real weight…so I might as well start ASAP. I was originally going to start with them on January 3, but today thought “Why wait? Why give myself permission to splurge for another whole week?” Which means tomorrow I’ll be starting fresh for my next 30-40#.
I need to do everything by the book, just as I said I’d do if things stopped working.
- I’ve been eating too fast.
- I’ve been eating too much.
- I’ve been eating too much off-schedule sugar.
- I’ve not been drinking enough.
- I’ve not been keeping up with my exercise.
- And I’ve been eating when I’m not hungry.
I tried to have a last glass of wine tonight and it didn’t even taste good (but it was box wine that’s been open for a month) so I dumped it all out. I did splurge on a few peanut M&Ms and caramel corn, but even that splurging wasn’t a quarter as much as a previous splurge would have been.
HERE WE GO!
P.S. Also on my mind? This happened a few days ago on Twitter:
Whoa. So I have extra motivation to GET. IT. DONE!
Family Movie Night: Harry Potter
Preparing for the behemoth.Â
I told Owen he should start with the easier set so he did his Minecraft set in preparation for the 2700+ piece behemoth (The Sea Cow).
And then he wanted me to send this picture to Mason, the friend that introduced him to Minecraft! So I posted it on Facebook. 🙂
Katie’s favorite part of Home Alone
Katie playing with her new stuff.
Sofia/Barbie Supergirl
Flying around the house.
Watching a movie in her new sleeping bag…with her old backpack, of course.
Putting all her new princesses in her new dollhouse.
You’ll notice two of the princesses are “wearing Crocs” — she hung the Croc keychain on their heads. 🙂
September, October & November pics are online!
Our first trip to the ER!
Why not have it be Christmas Day? 🙂
So last night, Owen was being Owen and dove into the big beanbag in the living room, but then…rolled off? fell off?…and somehow landed wrong on his arm. Tom missed it, I missed it, and Uncle Rob barely saw it so we’re not entire sure what happened. All we know is that he was complaining that it really hurt. Tom looked at it and moved it around and there wasn’t any screaming so we were pretty sure it wasn’t broken. So we iced it and gave him some Advil. Of course, Owen being Owen, he continued playing around and bumping it and saying it hurt, so we made him sit still in the chair. He seemed to be fine overall and making cookies for Santa took his mind off it so we didn’t think much else about it.
So this morning we opened presents and he still hadn’t mentioned it. I had honestly forgotten about it. But then he was trying to put some Legos together—and was complaining that he couldn’t because his hand hurt. Hoo boy. Tom tried to move it around some and it seemed more painful than it had last night, so we figured since he has a high threshold for pain it must REALLY hurt, so we decided to have Tom take him to the ER.
Thankfully they were the only ones there and the whole thing went very quickly. But he had taken his new Minecraft characters just in case. 🙂
Apparently when you visit the ER on Christmas you get to pick a toy!
He picked this for Katie! Awww!
And??? It wasn’t broken. Just a sprain with some bruising that Motrin should help. PHEW!
Christmas Day
My new Michigan State tee from Grannie and Papa (since I don’t have one that fits anymore)!
Our Princess Sofia!
“I have an amulet!”
Anna/Sofia lining up all her princesses in her dollhouse.
Maggie loving her squeaky lobster!
Christmas Morning!
Santa was here!
“It says Barbie Dreamhouse!” (Every time she sees Barbie she thinks it says Barbie Dreamhouse since that’s a show she watches on Netflix.
Santa knew Katie liked Sofia the First and brought her a crown (and amulet and gown, which you will see later)!
“It’s a tutu!!! With a Michigan State helmet!!!”
“Look at all the new princesses!”
“Anna! Now I have Anna and Elsa!”
Grannie knew she liked Sofia, too!
As he was starting to open it, “Look! Two dice!” And then was amazed to see ALL the dice!
She does this with every piece of clothing. 🙂
Opening a family gift from Santa!
Done at at 8am on the dot! (But then we realized we hadn’t done stockings!)
Maggie REALLY enjoying a bully stick from her stocking!
A cutie amidst the mess.
Christmas Eve!
Getting ready to bake cookies for Santa!
Fresh-baked cookies and a Christmas shooter (vanilla egg nog) for Santa!
Owen wanted to put his new Lego creation out for Santa.
Christmas jammies and Santa hats…
Along with lots of outtakes!
One good family picture out of about 15 attempts!
Uncle Grob!
And then a ticklefest ensued.
Christmas movie day!
A Charlie Brown Christmas (and then Frosty the Snowman)
Arthur Christmas
Elf
A moment of calm
How do they look SO young just one short year ago?!
Candyland!
They each won one!
Cool. I’m a Unicorn Mom!
This was shared on one of my favorite mommy blogs today. I thought it was perfect.
Through the years with Christmas Bear
This ornament has been around a loooong time… It started on Grauntie Marge’s tree in Grayling.
I’m guessing this was 1974, as I wouldn’t have been standing at three months. 🙂
2009 – Troy, MI
2010 – Troy, MI
2011 – Jacksonville, NC
2012 – Jacksonville, NC
2013 – Jacksonville, NC
(She LOVED the bear!!! And somehow I missed a pic with Owen?!)
2014 – Lorton, VA
(Somehow I completely missed both of them!)
2015 – Lorton, VA
Owen’s Skeleton Teeth
Owen had to go back to the dentist this morning to get his 6-year molars sealed. Yeah, I didn’t know that was a thing, either.
They also had to take a panoramic of his mouth. They called it his skeleton teeth and he LOVED it.
I’m surprised she didn’t sleep in it.
We split a Lego set.Â
It was on sale at the Lego store so I told Owen we’d split the cost. He hasn’t built something big in awhile so he was excited!
Kidisms 21
Katie: Mama, I broke my foot.
Owen: Mom, I told my friends I had two special things today. One, Uncle Rob is coming. Two, I had a ham and cheese croissant.
I’m glad he was that impressed with his hot lunch today.
Dentist: What kind of dog do you have?
Owen: Maggie.
Yep, they wore their hats to the dentist.Â
They love their new hats!
And sharing them, too!
We Skyped with Gramma Jean and Grandpa David today to have the kids open their presents! They loved everything, but the hats seemed to be the big hit!
Family Walk
Katie dressing herself sometimes makes me laugh.
This is how she came downstairs this morning.
Pony Painting
Tom stole a Melissa & Doug painting Kit in the white elephant gift exchange at the party last night since there wasn’t really anything else we needed (or could steal). We knew Katie would love it. (On a side note, who puts a kids gift in an adult exchange? Really?! The other part of the gift was a huge rubber duckie…which the kids also got.)
