Weighing In

Agh! Today is our first public weigh in. Scary stuff here. But first...

If you are confused about why I would post about our weight, read this. Caught up? Great!

For the most part, I believe I have done alright with keeping with our menu plan for August. As always, we have been quite busy and a few meals had to be moved around or just plain didn't happen because we were traveling that day. But I am actually quite pleased with myself that I have managed to sort of keep with a schedule for a week. Yep. Success in my book! In case you haven't figured this out about me yet, I am a mess. Quite literally. So for me to even remotely stick with a planned out schedule is something. Let's not even discuss my propensity for laziness or my skills at procrastination.

In the midst of trying to plan meals ahead of time, we are also trying to put Mr. Man on a gluten-free diet. He has many of the symptoms for gluten sensitivity, so we thought why not give it a go? If it helps him to feel better, then great! For anyone who might care to ask, no we have not had him allergy tested, nor have we talked to his doctor about this. We are totally self-diagnosing here. I have my CPA license and he holds a Masters in the Art of Teaching, surely those are enough to qualify us to make medical diagnoses, right? Seriously, though, those tests are expensive and we do not have the money for them. And if it is something we can figure out on our own just by changing the way we eat and not having to pay for tests, then we are going to give it a go. It also works out great with the whole eating healthier thing we are trying to do anyways. So we figure we would give it a month or two and see how he is doing and then take it from there.

Speaking of how he is doing. He somehow gave himself food poisoning or a stomach bug, not sure which it is yet. The boy will do anything to have a better weigh-in number than me! Yesterday he came home from work and was sick the rest of the night, poor guy. All I could think to do to help him was to remind him to drink plenty of water and to make a joke about how much weight he'll lose while sick. I am the best wife. Ever.

We are definitely eating healthier than we were a few weeks ago, so this is good. I miss sodas, a lot. But I have stayed strong and it has been 2 weeks since I had a Coke, or Dr. Pepper, or Pepsi, or.... Let me tell you, it hasn't been easy. Just typing this is making me want one. I cannot imagine what people with addictions go through! We have cut the snacking way down and have cut the fast food down quite a bit. Unfortunately because we travel so much, fast food is very convenient while on the road, so we still get it on those occasions. Ultimately I would like to get to the point where we pack our road trip meals, that way it would be healthier and cheaper. But for now, baby steps.

Husband started working out yesterday morning. Starting a workout routine that we will stick to is our next big "get healthy" goal. I am sure I could find a way to work it into our homeschool curriculum. This would probably be a good time to remind you that I am lazy.

Okay, so on to the numbers! In the past 2 weeks the Man has lost 11.8 pounds and I have lost 1.6 pounds. Not much for me, but I'll take it. We will probably give updates every 2 weeks and hopefully next time I'll be able to say that we have stuck with eating healthy and that we have been working out.

Are you trying to be more active and eating healthier too? How is it going for you?

~Lisa

Say It Ain't So

She woke up. She woke up and needed a little love to go back to sleep. There is nothing unusual about that and nothing that my hand laying gently on her chest and a pacifier in her mouth couldn't cure tonight. But I had a flash forward, a memory of her big sister when she was a tad older than Little Bit is now. It struck me how different things are this time around.

With the first child we could not wait to watch her grow up. Every milestone was met with fanfare and we immediately looked forward to the next milestone. Neither of us really knew what to expect and it was all just too exciting. Would she ever get her first teeth? Why is she taking so long to crawl? Did you hear her first words? Hurry up and walk, already. :)

I know now what milestones are ahead. I know now that not every child reaches those milestones at the same time. I know now that I want time to slow down. I am no longer in a hurry to see what they will learn next. I am no longer in a hurry for them to grow up. I want to enjoy this just a bit longer.

Yes, there are those days when I want to pull my hair out and I wish these years were past me. But those moments pass and the realization sets in that in a blink of an eye they will be out on their own, building their own families, and awaiting precious milestones of their own little ones. So while temper tantrums and diapers have currently overtaken my life, it is temporary and I am beyond grateful to have this chance to watch them grow and mature into beautiful little beings.

Tonight I look forward to all the bumps and bruises we will encounter along the way. I eagerly await all the tickles and giggles we will enjoy. I simply cannot wait to see everything they will learn along the way, to be there with them while they learn, and to learn along with them.

She woke up tonight and needed me. She will wake up one night and need someone else.

I cherish tonight.

~Lisa

Sunkist, You Demon

There is an almost full bottle of Sunkist just sitting in the door of our refrigerator staring a whole through me every time I open the door. It is on that shelf that just last week I forgot even existed, the one on the very bottom that I usually only use when I've run out of room every where else in the fridge. It is on the shelf that suddenly has become the most important shelf in our refrigerator. Oh, the temptation! Today is my 6th day with no soda and other than that terrible bottle of Sunkist and every single time I get in the car, I haven't been craving it all that much. Blugh.

It may be time to dump the bottle of Sunkist.

One thing I have learned since beginning this transformation process a few days ago is that talking about transforming is exhausting. I just do not know how I will be able to manage when I actually start this life overhaul. One day at a time I suppose.

We already fell off the menu plan bandwagon, but I am not completely giving up, just being flexible. We had a very, read extremely, busy few days with the 4th Annual BTSOP Alumni Lectureship that wrapped up yesterday afternoon, so I just wasn't able to find time to make what I had planned for yesterday and today. That is okay though, cause if there is one thing that every parent knows, it is how to be flexible.

I briefly stepped on the scales this morning and I haven't gained any, so that is a good thing. I need to figure out how often we will update on our weight loss goals and start doing that. Even if we are having a bad week it will probably help to write it down so that we will be holding each other accountable. We will do this! We may kill each other in the process, but we will definitely get healthy!

May I just say how much it means to me to have so many tell me that they are not only reading my silly writings, but also enjoy them! I really do appreciate it. It makes my day every time someone says something encouraging to me, you are all so very sweet! I am sure that I do not express my appreciation in person as well as I could, I communicate much better in printed form than verbal form. I also really enjoy the tips and ideas I have been given. During the lectureship I got to talk for a very quick minute about menu planning with an elder from a congregation nearby (thank you for supporting the lectures!!!), he said he is the chief cook and bottle washer in their home. That warms my heart.

So I know I am a little bit all over the place today. I guess that is a glimpse inside the workings of my warped mind.

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday and that you will be sure to take time today to worship our Lord and Creator as He desires!

Off I go to rid this house of that terrible demon. I almost promise I won't drink it.

~Lisa

Menu Planning: What did I Get Myself Into?

Don't I already have enough on my plate? Figuratively speaking, of course. Well...

Please take a moment and join me in my food world, pre August 1st.

Breakfast: .....what's that?
Lunch: a frozen pizza
Dinner: Cheez-its
Random snacks: chocolate
Drinks: got sugar?

That pretty much sums it all up. See why I need to make a change? So I decided to immerse myself into menu planning almost a month ago. This is what I learned.

- It takes a lot of time. I am guessing the first month is probably the hardest and most time consuming.
- It takes planning. Duh. Right? It takes a lot more planning than I initially thought.
- It takes looking at a calendar. Especially when your family does a whole lot of traveling! What days will we actually be home this month?
- It takes a budget. This I have not decided on yet, should I buy everything I can at the beginning of the month or just grocery shop week to week. I am sure in time I will figure out what works best for our family.

For now I am just going to start with planning dinners, lunch and breakfast will have to come later on as I get a better hold on this. Here is the menu I came up with for August. Lots of repetition for now, but most of these are quite simple and that makes me happy.

How do you like that calendar? I found it here on No Ordinary Moments and here on Homeschool Creations. I have also bookmarked Homeschool Creations as it looks like a website that I will be visiting a lot in the future.

Now that I have a menu penned down it is time to start writing up that shopping list. That'll take another month.

Speaking of, where is your favorite place to shop for groceries? And by favorite I mean quality groceries that are fairly inexpensive.

~Lisa

Summer: Too Busy

Our summer has been busy busy, so far. Thankfully, it looks like the busiest part of it is behind us just in time for our life overhaul. When I thought we would make major changes in our home beginning August 1st I actually thought that meant I would have time to research, plan, and make smaller changes prior to August 1st. Instead we are 1 day away and the only thing I think we have done is... Okay, I can't think of anything.

Wait, I cleaned out his closet. That's something, right?

So here we are, 1 day away from starting homeschooling and we are not ready. Which is absolutely not a big deal, the girl is only 3 and at this age we do not need much. But I did want to be ready. What I have figured out is a make-shift plan and that I really could just have her watch Leap Frog videos on Netflix and call it a day. I am teasing. Sort of.

I have been working off and on, well thinking about working on a menu plan for weeks now. Yesterday I finally sat down and noted some easy-ish dinners and I am hoping that today I will be able to plan out the month and then plan a grocery shopping trip. Those are always fun. Side note: We bought a Boba carrier a little while back, and that thing is awesome! I get the most use out of it when grocery shopping. That way I can carry little one and the big 3 year old can sit in the shopping cart and I actually have a place to put groceries. I love it! End of side note.

The budget stuff that I planned to have ready will just have to wait until I am done with the menu planning. We do okay with a mental budget, but I really need it down in written form.

This past month has been trip after trip after trip for our family. The husband was gone a lot taking various out of town trips for work, Bible camp, and a dear friend's wedding. Then right after he was finished with his big trips, the girls and I left for a week visiting family with my parents. We saw family in Tennessee and Ohio. I got to meet my dad's biological mother for the very first time, which was pretty neat. Then we had an 18 hour drive home in one day. Can I just say how lucky I am to have 2 little girls that travel really well? Imagine 18 hours sitting in a car, now imagine being 6 months old and 3 years old and sitting in a car for 18 hours. They were rock stars! There was a little whimpering about 14 hours into it, but for the most part they were great. Come to think of it, the whimpering was probably from me.

So with 1 day left before I start forcing myself to make big changes, today I will just do little things and enjoy time with my girls. Starting with going back to bed. ;)

Hope you will enjoy your day too.

~Lisa

Weight For It

Oh the never ending battle with weight that most Americans are fighting. Too much yummy processed foods thrown in our faces and not near enough "time" to be physically active. As a part of our getting healthier plan, Sweet man and I have started the infamous 3 Day Diet this morning. After 3 days we will then, hopefully, start eating an overall healthier diet. We have all heard it a million times: It is not about dieting, it is about a life change. Change the foods we eat, change the level of our activity, and probably most important is to change our outlook on those two things. 

I mentioned to my husband that I was thinking about blogging on our weight loss goals and he was all for it. Let me just say though, that we are putting this out there for positive encouragement. We do not want that negative kind, you know what I am talking about. But if you are close to us and can offer an uplifting word every now and again, it would be much appreciated.

So the nitty gritty of it. The man's overall goal is to lose 162 pounds! This blows my mind because I have never seen him at his goal weight, but I am excited to help him reach that goal. My overall goal is to lose 25 pounds, this will put me below my 'pre-you babies made me gain weight' weight. My first goal will be the 15 pounds I need to lose to get to pre-baby #2. 

I am quite confident that just eating healthier will go a long ways in this struggle for both of us! When you really stop and think about all the junk we put in our bodies it should disgust us, but they make most of it taste so good that we don't think about the gross effect. Hmmm, so similar to the sin problem, isn't it?!? If sinful activity wasn't initially 'fun', most of us would not even come close to it. Just one little snippet about sin from the Bible:

Hebrews 11:24-26 (ESV) By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

If you care to follow along with us as we bumble along, I will try to occasionally update on our progress.

Have a fabulous day. If we cross paths soon and I seem grumpy, it is because I have not had any soda since July 29th. You've been warned.

~Lisa

New Beginnings

Come August 1st we will be attempting to make drastic changes around here. So much so that I have the feeling of a new beginning in the air for our family. As I have written about before, I am a mess. I honestly believe the only reason I can keep our children alive is because they cry when hungry. I have absolutely no idea how Fishy Baby the Red manages to stay alive, probably just pure stubbornness. And please, please don't ever buy me a plant, unless you enjoy the thought of a poor plant dying of starvation.

So August 1st will mean eating healthier, menu planning, budget keeping, ummm budget making, better housekeeping, and the official start of homeschooling (agh!). Feel free to join me in my journey of going from chaotic chaos to harmonious harmony. See what I did there? heehee Oh I should probably throw in there a more active lifestyle, you think?

Why August 1st? You ask. Because this month is just beyond crazy busy and I needed a deadline for my procrastination. Mainly the procrastination thing.

In the meantime I intend to start on the smaller aspects of the big picture and, if I think about it, I will attempt to entertain you with all the flops that are certain to happen. Maybe even the occasional success story.

Tomorrow I think I will work on a menu for August. Do you have any *easy* and healthy go-to meals you would like to share with me?

~Lisa