It's been a while since I have posted on here, not because nothing exciting has been going on (because it has) but because I have been so busy I have not had any time to blog lately.
My mother came to visit Saturday and we went to David's Bridal to meet with alterations for my wedding gown. This is my first fitting in my gown sicne the first time I tried on dresses here, so i'm nervous to see if it fits right! It's a size 2, and I am not used to wearing such a small size. When the woman tod me she was ordering a size 2 I stood there stunned, because I never believed I would hear those words.
I'm not a vain person by nature, I'm not very focused on body image as much as I probably should be. But I am a female, and I've had 2 kids. I can't really explain why this stunned me like it did, but it jsut did. I think it's because I wore a size 12 while pregnant and even after. I wore at least a size 10 or 8 before pregnancy. I think the last time I wore a small size (size 4) I was in high school. But for years after that I ahd always been careless with my weight and didn't put much thought into it, until the day I stepped on the scale at the doctor's office, 9 months pregnant with my first baby, weighing 207.6 pounds, that it hit me. I DID care. Suddenly I realized I was ina rut. I didn't want to be 207 pounds, or even remotely near it. I was so uncomfortable, I was constantly out of breath. I was tired all of the time, and when my babya rrived, is til had no energy or stamina to keep up with him.
It wasn't my body image that hit me. It defintiely wasn't the number on the scale either, although at the time I thought that's what it was. But it was my continuing to be disgusted with the shape my body was in, as in I was out of shape. I was exhausted. I was walking to the mailbox and feeling almost winded. I was sick of feeling that way. I wanted to get into shape for my health and for my system, not how I looked.
So, it struck me because I really hadn't been paying much attention to the actual size of my clothes. I just wore what fit. I know wedding gowns tend to run smaller, so it shocked me to hear those words even more, considering.
I suffer from this anorexia thing, I won't call it anoerxia because I don't have an eating disorder, I eat very healthy and get my nutrients and vitamins, but I ahve this imprinted image in my head, where I always SEE the fat me, ratehr than the body I've accomplished. In spite of all the weight loss and muscle tone, I still see myself negatively sometimes.
Welcome to my blog! I'm a mother, housewife and teacher.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Our Anniversary 2015!
Well, today my mom and dad came to stay with us for the weekend and babysit the kids so Tim and I could go out for our Anniversary. I can't believe it's been 4 years already! It actually feels like it's been about 8, because so much has happened in these 4 years we have been together. We found our dream home, we had our beautiful kids, and we have finally decorated our home and gotten some other things accomplished as well.
Tim got me gorgeous flowers and a sweet card, I love them so much! He is always doing romantic things like this, even for no reason. He is such a sweet, thoughtful person and I am so lucky he is my husband :).
Tim took me to one of my favorite restaurants for a delicious dinner and some yummy wine, but, of course, being out of our normal daily routine, we missed the kids haha. It was still ncie to get out and enjoy time to ourselves though!
I had a delicious Steak toscano dinner and Tim had a steak alfredo dish that looked yummy! Afterward, we had one of my favorite desserts....
BLACK SILK TIE PIE!! :)
Tim got me gorgeous flowers and a sweet card, I love them so much! He is always doing romantic things like this, even for no reason. He is such a sweet, thoughtful person and I am so lucky he is my husband :).
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Dan Simmons, Drood and The Fifth Heart
I am a book junkie, I read so much it's actually an addiction. I never go a day without a book in this house. Even if I already have about five or six books to read, I get more. I always worry about not having something to read, and I always have plenty of "back ups" just in case one book doesn't turn out like I thought it would.
I absolutely love my local library. It is my refuge. Seriously.
While browsing the catalog one evening (they have this new feature on there, where you click on a favorite book you have read or want to read, something you find interesting, and it will automatically suggest others related to that genre or story line etc) and this is how I was introduced to the wonderful novels by Dan Simmons.
I just finished Drood by Dan Simmons and am sad it's over so soon.
This is the first book I've read by Dan Simmons but it certainly won't be the last. I was drawn to this particular book because of my love for the works of Charles Dickens, but I knew I had to read it after attending a book signing where Mr. Simmons talked about the book and its "unreliable" narrator, Wilkie Collins. I was not disappointed!
The richness and depth of Mr. Simmons research and prose is exquisite. It is the sort of book one must immerse one's self into. I nearly felt the stays of my Victorian corset poking my ribs it is so spectacularly reminiscent of the writing styles of the period. The story is redolent with details sorely missing from more modern twenty-first century works. I particularly like the way it left me with things to think about for days and days after reading the last pages. Each reader gets the ending they want, really. It's brilliant the way Simmons doesn't tell the reader the ending, but lets you imagine your ending. I would venture a guess that if you asked ten different people the ending, you would get then different answers. That, is true artistry.
Since I discovered Dan Simmons and his novels, reading Drood got me hooked. I love his style and how he puts a story together and how he lays out the events. Some people have said the books are too long. I disagree. I think for some that get into this book expecting a big edge-of-your-seat-thriller, they just go into it with the wrong expectations and feel let down once the story carries out into events that will only appear banal (but really aren't).
It's all in your expectations and how you approach this story. I can't say anything for his other novels, I am just starting the Fifth Heart tonight, and I am very excited for this story!
I will defintiely update whne I get further into it and, of couirse, after I finish it. :)
I absolutely love my local library. It is my refuge. Seriously.
While browsing the catalog one evening (they have this new feature on there, where you click on a favorite book you have read or want to read, something you find interesting, and it will automatically suggest others related to that genre or story line etc) and this is how I was introduced to the wonderful novels by Dan Simmons.
I just finished Drood by Dan Simmons and am sad it's over so soon.
This is the first book I've read by Dan Simmons but it certainly won't be the last. I was drawn to this particular book because of my love for the works of Charles Dickens, but I knew I had to read it after attending a book signing where Mr. Simmons talked about the book and its "unreliable" narrator, Wilkie Collins. I was not disappointed!
The richness and depth of Mr. Simmons research and prose is exquisite. It is the sort of book one must immerse one's self into. I nearly felt the stays of my Victorian corset poking my ribs it is so spectacularly reminiscent of the writing styles of the period. The story is redolent with details sorely missing from more modern twenty-first century works. I particularly like the way it left me with things to think about for days and days after reading the last pages. Each reader gets the ending they want, really. It's brilliant the way Simmons doesn't tell the reader the ending, but lets you imagine your ending. I would venture a guess that if you asked ten different people the ending, you would get then different answers. That, is true artistry.
Since I discovered Dan Simmons and his novels, reading Drood got me hooked. I love his style and how he puts a story together and how he lays out the events. Some people have said the books are too long. I disagree. I think for some that get into this book expecting a big edge-of-your-seat-thriller, they just go into it with the wrong expectations and feel let down once the story carries out into events that will only appear banal (but really aren't).
It's all in your expectations and how you approach this story. I can't say anything for his other novels, I am just starting the Fifth Heart tonight, and I am very excited for this story!
I will defintiely update whne I get further into it and, of couirse, after I finish it. :)
Good Riddance, Not-so-helpful Potty Training Book
It's another yucky, rainy day outside, cold and damp. I am grateful for the rain we are getting in spite of my kids' obvious boredom and the fact that their short attention spans are going to drive me crazy for the next week. (I say that with humor) in case someone reading this doesn't know me well enough to get my sarcasm or my humor.
Recently, I've begun the journey of potty training my boy. It's been pretty hectic these days with just that alone. It's just me doing it because my husband works long hours, by the time he comes home we have dinner and put the kids to bed and that's pretty much it. The kids go to bed by 7:30, so we get down time to ourselves at least, but the whole potty training thing has been insane, and I don't have anyone here helping me with it most of the time. If ever.
Don't misunderstand that last part. This isn't a rant or a vent. It's a simple fact. It's a part of my life that's been keeping me super busy and on my feet with a can of Lysol and a clean rag. Following a toddler around all day and sitting them on the potty isn't as easy as it sounds. It's very time consuming when you do this all yourself.
I bought (regrettably) this book called Potty Training Sucks! I thought it would be humorous, great. The book itself sucks more than the potty training, to be totally honest. For one thing, it's extremely contradictory, and in turn only renders it totally unhelpful and pointless to read.
The author drones on and on about hugs and kisses and praise not being enough to help your kid figure out using the potty is good. But turns around, in the same chapter, and starts bashing the parents who give their kid an M&M for using the potty and then says "hug them instead...." What a load of crap this book is!
Needless to say it went straight into the garbage. I wouldn't even give this book away to the Goodwill because why should another parent like me have to suffer while reading over such a stupid dialog of misinformation and bias?
The M&Ms and suckers have been working just fine, thank you very much.
If you let your kid be a kid, like, you know, be active enough, you shouldn't be too worried about them getting obese by eating a dum dum sucker. Or a skittle. I really hate that book.
So far I let the kid run around in sweatpants without a diaper. I tell him to go potty every 15-20 minutes, give or take. It's "working" but as far as him understanding to hold it before he gets to the potty is a whole other ball game entirely, and that I believe is the challenge here. Getting the kids to figure this part out can change the entire process of potty training. Once he gets this I think it should be smooth sailing (at least as smooth as it can get for the time being) rather than having accidents all day long, mommy cleaning up all the "accidents," plus taking care of the 1 year old crying child while potty training the other. Yes, parenthood is insanity.
But it's a good insanity, and it is one I would do all over again and again, because I love kids. I am definitely crazy! But I am a Virgo so it's kind of my department anyway ;)
Recently, I've begun the journey of potty training my boy. It's been pretty hectic these days with just that alone. It's just me doing it because my husband works long hours, by the time he comes home we have dinner and put the kids to bed and that's pretty much it. The kids go to bed by 7:30, so we get down time to ourselves at least, but the whole potty training thing has been insane, and I don't have anyone here helping me with it most of the time. If ever.
Don't misunderstand that last part. This isn't a rant or a vent. It's a simple fact. It's a part of my life that's been keeping me super busy and on my feet with a can of Lysol and a clean rag. Following a toddler around all day and sitting them on the potty isn't as easy as it sounds. It's very time consuming when you do this all yourself.
I bought (regrettably) this book called Potty Training Sucks! I thought it would be humorous, great. The book itself sucks more than the potty training, to be totally honest. For one thing, it's extremely contradictory, and in turn only renders it totally unhelpful and pointless to read.
The author drones on and on about hugs and kisses and praise not being enough to help your kid figure out using the potty is good. But turns around, in the same chapter, and starts bashing the parents who give their kid an M&M for using the potty and then says "hug them instead...." What a load of crap this book is!
Needless to say it went straight into the garbage. I wouldn't even give this book away to the Goodwill because why should another parent like me have to suffer while reading over such a stupid dialog of misinformation and bias?
The M&Ms and suckers have been working just fine, thank you very much.
If you let your kid be a kid, like, you know, be active enough, you shouldn't be too worried about them getting obese by eating a dum dum sucker. Or a skittle. I really hate that book.
So far I let the kid run around in sweatpants without a diaper. I tell him to go potty every 15-20 minutes, give or take. It's "working" but as far as him understanding to hold it before he gets to the potty is a whole other ball game entirely, and that I believe is the challenge here. Getting the kids to figure this part out can change the entire process of potty training. Once he gets this I think it should be smooth sailing (at least as smooth as it can get for the time being) rather than having accidents all day long, mommy cleaning up all the "accidents," plus taking care of the 1 year old crying child while potty training the other. Yes, parenthood is insanity.
But it's a good insanity, and it is one I would do all over again and again, because I love kids. I am definitely crazy! But I am a Virgo so it's kind of my department anyway ;)
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Happy Easter!
Easter 2015 was so much fun! I absolutely love that the kids are older and able to understand and do more this time. Lukas definitely had a blast. Teaching him to hunt for the eggs was pretty awesome.
Yes, I do celebrate both the holidays as well as observe all of my sabbats. ;)
And of course because I love taking pictures and our family time, here are some memories of our Easter 2015!
Yesterday we dyed the eggs. Haylie had already gone to sleep, so we did them before Lukas went to bed.
He definitely loved this part!
Then in the morning, the kids got us up and we went Easter egg hunting! Haylie isn't quite old enough to really get it yet, but she tried following her brother's lead! They made quite a stash of eggs.
Haylie was really packing the candy away like it was going out of style! She especially loved the Starburst jelly beans! :)
Tim said his family has a tradition that every Easter they eat the ears off of the chocolate bunnies. It has carried over into our household tradition I see! Haha
And this little man was absolutely ecstatic! Both kids were on a sugar high after this morning, so we went for a walk and burned some of it off. The kids even crashed asleep on the way back. Once we had them settled into their beds we did some resting of our own.
Yes, I do celebrate both the holidays as well as observe all of my sabbats. ;)
And of course because I love taking pictures and our family time, here are some memories of our Easter 2015!
Yesterday we dyed the eggs. Haylie had already gone to sleep, so we did them before Lukas went to bed.
He definitely loved this part!
Then in the morning, the kids got us up and we went Easter egg hunting! Haylie isn't quite old enough to really get it yet, but she tried following her brother's lead! They made quite a stash of eggs.
Haylie was really packing the candy away like it was going out of style! She especially loved the Starburst jelly beans! :)
Tim said his family has a tradition that every Easter they eat the ears off of the chocolate bunnies. It has carried over into our household tradition I see! Haha
And this little man was absolutely ecstatic! Both kids were on a sugar high after this morning, so we went for a walk and burned some of it off. The kids even crashed asleep on the way back. Once we had them settled into their beds we did some resting of our own.
I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!! :)
Friday, April 3, 2015
Spring has sprung!
The weather has been absolutely gorgeous for the past week! We had our first thunder storm Monday night, which felt awesome, just sitting in bed, reading a good book with my coffee, and relaxing with my hubby right next to me. It was perfect! The kids are well worn out, too.
The kids and I spent all day outside, it was so nice. We have all had a serious case of cabin fever, with the long, cold winter we have had it's not surprising(after all, we had snow since end of October this past year).
We played games and I put together some activities for them that they really enjoyed. I've been really into the sensory play stuff, which I found some ideas from Pinterest, but most of the activities I just thought of on the spur of the moment, to be totally honest. I guess I must be a kid at heart! Haha
I let them play with the plastic mixing bowls and a big soup pot filled with water. I added koolaid to them to make thew water colorful, which they thought was super cool. I added pasta, which colored in the koolaid,and some big gummy fish and bath toys. They put rocks in it and whatnot. I was just happy they had fun and were able to enjoy some sunshine with me! I am sure these above 'activities" sound drab to a lot of people, but it sure made my kids' day and seriously, it really doesn't take much to keep kids happy. Mine love doing the goofiest things, and things that I would otherwise find banal they find fascinating, and end up spending hours occupied with.
I always want to take those opportunities to show them new things, tot each them things, and to help them learn and grow. This time of year a lot of new things are coming out, like bugs, insects, animals, things are growing and blooming, the weather changes, and I love all of those things and hope one day my kids will grow to love and appreciate them like I do.
I always want to take those opportunities to show them new things, tot each them things, and to help them learn and grow. This time of year a lot of new things are coming out, like bugs, insects, animals, things are growing and blooming, the weather changes, and I love all of those things and hope one day my kids will grow to love and appreciate them like I do.
We also went to the park and went on some walks, so I've been feeling really great, getting out of the house more often than not has really brightened my mood. It's so hard to not fall into that seasonal fatigue. I have had a major case of it. It's great getting rid of that gloominess and being able to get some extra energy and enjoy the beautiful weather. :)
Today it's cold and looks like rain, though, so it's indoor activities for us!
We went to the library twice this past week, so we stocked u on books and movies and stuff in preparation for the yucky rainy days ahead this week.
I am HUGE advocate for libraries. They are my godsend. I absolutely love them. Its where I get all of my books and the kids love going to the activities there and playing and exploring new things. It's been a huge help this past winter (well, all year round, really) as I do get a lot of the kids' school stuff there, and they love the books and reading with me. :)
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