Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Obsessions

Are you an obsessive person?  I am.  My brain gets bored easily and I look for something to fill it.  Then I obsess.  Obsess, engulf, etc.  I don't even mean obsess in a bad way, but really that is what I do.  Now I am looking for a new obsession.  It would be awesome if cleaning my house, cooking or, as my husband suggested, container gardening could be my next obsession.  Unfortunately these suggestions are not hitting the mark.  I would say that the obsession actually chooses me and not the other way around.  After all, if I could choose it, then I would choose something healthy or financially rewarding.

Here is how the obsession usually works.  I develop an interest in something, talk about it nonstop, read everything I can about it, search the web insessently for information on it and think of it to the exclusion of all else.  The obsession ends when either it comes to its own conclusion (books, etc) or I feel I have learned all I need to know about it.  Then I move on.  I would actually call it a love of learning new things, but taken to the extreme.

Here are some of my past obsessions:
- Harry Potter
- Take Shape for Life Weight Loss Plan
- Homeschooling (I still homeschool, but the obsessive "learn all about it" phase has ended
- Various computer games
- Tupperware
- Dave Ramsey
- TIVO
- Vacuum Sealing
- Attachment Parenting
- Wedding Planning

Some obessions I am contemplating:
 - photography (I really want to do this one, but each time I start reading about it I zone out)
 - knitting
 - sewing

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Maggie's Mussings

The Easter bunny brought candy outside at Easter.  First I saw some eggs on the bottom of our treehouse and then I saw the basket up top.  Then I went in the house and told my brother that I found all the candy.  We both went outside and found what we got.  We got a sprinkler.

tylers awsome easter

on easter i got a sprinkler a toy wand and a cloak and candy bla bla bla easter is super cool!

Monday, April 25, 2011

The Simple Woman's Daybook



FOR TODAY Monday April 25, 2011

Outside my window... Blue skies

I am thinking... that I really need to find a new meme.  I feel like I type the same boring stuff each week in this one.

I am thankful for... the calm serenity and lack of drama in my life

From the learning rooms... We are finishing up a lot of our curriculum.  I realized T will be done with his LA very soon.  M has already finished math and we are just working on some misc workbooks I have laying around.  I am debating on buying her next math book now or waiting until the HS conference at the end of the month.

From the kitchen... the pot roast we were supposed to have yesterday, but we went to Bob Evans instead.

I am wearing... my pajamas

I am creating... kids' goal lists for next school year

I am going... to drive Jeff to the eye doctor if he is willing to accept my help ;)

I am reading... A Mom Just Like You by Vickie Farris (a homeschooling Mom)

I am hoping... that I can come up with a new project for myself

I am hearing... the kids playing Wii Fit and Jeff talking on the phone

Around the house... The living room is a mess because we have been using that TV as our temporary computer monitor until we can buy a replacement monitor.

One of my favorite things... the Wii telling me I LOST weight

A few plans for the rest of the week... girl scouts, cub scouts, park day, and no more dance

Here is picture I am sharing...
This is my favorite dress Maggie ever wore.
(PS I guess I need to take more pictures. I have nothing else to share.)



Thursday, April 21, 2011

Tyler's kinda awsome tusday

 I went to ohio and had a blast I played with my coisons I played with the dog it was the best week of my life!

Weight Loss Wednesday

This was my first week "back" on my plan and I struggled.  The initial 3 days off sugar wasn't as bad as the first time, but I am more hungry than in the past.  I also have been waking up very tired in the morning.  I can't think of any reason for this other than lack of calories.  I took a walk last night and was exhausted.

I did have a decent loss though: 2.5 pounds.  I was hoping for more, only because the first week usually means a big loss.  However we did take Maggie out for a "fancy" dinner and I did have dessert and a meal covered in gravy.  Not my best night, but overall it was a decent week.  I really need to regain some momentum and motivation.  I now weigh less than I have my whole marriage and most of my college days.  I am still just enjoying that feeling.  I think the thought of actually weighing what is considered my "ideal" weight is so far removed from my thought process that I can't even imagine it.  

My new goal is to start making relying less on meat and adding some vegetarian options to our meals.  I just don't get that many dishes use a meat substitute.  My warped mind thinks "what's the point?"  I think a vegetarian meal should just be all alternatives and no substitutions.  But I am open to some new ideas, especially for the kids because at this point I really can't have most of what is even in the vegetarian cookbook.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Maggie's Mussings

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Trees are brown and green
The sun is yellow
Birds are blue
The sky is blue

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Weekly Wrap-Up: 4/16/11

Sunday:  A beautiful and relaxing day at home.  J worked in the garden.  I read Harry Potter.  The kids played outside with the neighbor.  Later we watched a family movie.  Great Day

Monday:  I had a little alone time during my first therapeutic massage appointment.  It was helpful, but different than a spa experience.  I was not expecting to undress!  I finished helping Tyler pack for his trip tomorrow.  Then we all went to dinner at our favorite restaurant.  I splurged in anticipation of restarting my weight loss plan tomorrow.

Tuesday:  Today we dropped Tyler and his Grandma off at the airport for their trip to Ohio.  My Mom had to fly home to take care of her taxes so she had planned to take Maggie with her.  Soon after that Maggie started having anxiety issues and we realized it was not going to work out for her.  So Tyler got to go instead (he also went a year ago for his birthday).  Anyway Tyler is very excited to see his Grandpa, the farm, the dog and his cousins.  After we dropped them off, M and I went to the outlet malls.  I was looking for a specific pair of shorts at Lane Bryant, but the did not have any.  I felt like it was a wasted trip, especially since I could not get anyone at LB to help me.  This was a unique experience for me as usually I have several people asking if I need help.  I am wondering if they reverse discriminate against smaller sizes?  Seriously, it was weird.  I do still fit in their smaller clothes, and I would have bought something.  Oh well.

Wednesday:  M and I spent most of the day catching up on school work and house work.  We headed out early afternoon to do some errands:  Wal Mart, eye doctor, etc.  Then we had a girl scout meeting.  We hadn't been in several weeks due to cancellations, rescheduling and vacation.  Maggie did not want to go and started crying in the car.  I always stay in the room with her so I didn't understand her issue with girl scouts.  We did go and she sat with me most of the meeting.  The girls just painted today so she was able to do that sitting at the table with me.  

Thursday:  We had been planning to go somewhere with friends today, but neither of us could come up with anything to do.  It seems like all the activities around our area cost too much money and, with the price of gas, the beach was just too far.  So we decided to just pick up some Happy Meals and spend the afternoon at their house swimming and playing.  M had a great time.  She didn't want to leave.  I explained to her that she can play whenever she wants, but she has to be willing to go to their house by herself.  She wants nothing to do with that idea.  Unfortunately we can't do these constant play dates with only little girls when we have Tyler along with us.  That is no fun for anyone.  But we had a great day today and Maggie was able to relax and play without any anxiety.

Friday:  M and I had another busy day planned with friends.  We got started early and headed off to our weekly play date at the park.  It was a beautiful day.  M did pretty good and actually played after she had some time to adjust.  This is an improvement over last week when she never did leave my side.  We had all planned to have lunch at the park also and ended up staying until about 2pm.  We were grateful for the warm, but not hot day.  We ran a few errands on the way home:  library, Aldi, Wal Mart.  Then, since we give another Mom and daughter a ride to the park, we stopped at their house for a quick swim on the way home.  I guess M had a good day because as we are leaving (after being away from home for 7 hours) she asks "What can we do next?"  I was thinking "nap" but she was not in agreement.  We headed home, unloaded the car, had a quick dinner, bath and bed.

Saturday:  I have been dreading Saturday and the return of the disastrous dance class.  The last time we went to dance Maggie got very upset and would not participate at all.  Today I tried to help her by taking her early and telling her to just have fun today and not worry about the future, etc.  She was doing ok in the lobby but when another class started talking about the recital she started crying and clinging to me.  I did make her sit in dance class but she would not participate.  I am at my wits end.  I am trying to be supportive but, to be honest, my motivation for her to attend this recital is very low.  I had a lot of reservations about signing up for dance class because of the recital and now all those issues I have are resurfacing.  I really have a great aversion to putting my kid in a lot of make-up and dropping her off alone at the performance center where I feel like my kid is being held hostage until they decide to return her.  I do understand the other side of this issue, from the studio's viewpoint.  However the whole experience is just so contradictory to my views as a mother and a person.  I am trying not to let my aversion show, but it is not helping my motivation to have her perform.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Garden Update for April






Sharing our garden progress. The annual flowers in Maggie's garden have bloomed and look very pretty. Looking forward to the tomato and zucchini harvest assuming the bugs, sun, and drought don't get to them first. Enjoy.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Maggie's Mussings

I don't want to go to Girl Scouts or dance.  I don't know why I signed up.  I am shy to dance in front of people.  I don't want to go to Girl Scouts because I like my house.

Weekend To Remember

A few weekends ago,  J and I attended Family Life's Weekend to Remember conference.  This was our second conference.  About 2 1/2 years ago we attended one at Sanibel Harbour Resort.  At the time I was in a very angry place in my marriage and, although I wanted to go, I was mainly hoping the conference would show my husband all the errors of his way.  I thought maybe it would teach me how to better communicate to him the things he was doing wrong.

Well, of course, that is not what it did.  I don't remember all the details of what I learned at that event, but I do know I was inspired to do the work to create a great marriage.  After that our marriage began to improve, mostly because we each stopped trying to change each other and instead started changing our own attitudes.

Fast forward a couple years and we had the opportunity to attend another Weekend to Remember.  Jeff actually brought up the idea and kept asking me to make a decision.  I was reluctant just because I didn't want to spend the money and my mom wasn't very firm on her commitment to babysit.  Eventually we just decided to go and then at the last minute also decided to book a hotel room.  The conference really was not that far in distance, but once we added in actual travel time and the price of gas, we just decided to enjoy the weekend.  That was a great decision.  It was definitely worth the time and money we alloted.

The biggest difference between the first and second conference was that our minds were open to the lessons.  We didn't have to spend the time trying to feel less angry or more loving and could instead focus on learning the underlying lessons on communication, respect and togetherness.

Here are the lessons that impacted me most for the weekend...

  • Acceptance of our spouse should NOT be based on performance.  "You do your part, and I'll do mine."  This is definitely something I have struggled with in the past.
  • "Sheath your sword" by offering your offending spouse grace instead of anger
  • Our children have their whole lives to pursue their dreams.  We as parents don't have to fulfill them all now.  Our time is better spent giving them a loving home and modeling a strong and healthy relationship.  (This wasn't actually something that was taught, but an epiphany of sorts I had during the weekend)
  • Your spouse in NOT your enemy.
Overall it was a wonderful weekend.  We met a few other really nice couples.  We also encountered a lot of couples who were in crisis.  I hope this weekend was able to give them hope and enable them to begin the healing process in their marriages.

Monday, April 11, 2011

The Simple Woman's Daybook


FOR TODAY Monday April 11, 2011

Outside my window... Well it seems like all I can say is it is either sunny or rainy.  Today it is sunny and warm.  

I am thinking... that my house is a mess and my kids are not cooperating and I am starting to get irritated

I am thankful for... my husband's frugality and sane spending habits

From the learning rooms... Tyler is off to Ohio so Maggie and I are planning some fun activities for the week.  Well, fun for her at least.

From the kitchen... my Mom will be here for dinner and requested a trip to the local steakhouse.  Delicious!  I won't be cooking much this week with Tyler out of town, Maggie not liking anything, and myself going back 100% on my weight loss plan.

I am wearing... my pajamas

I am creating... a household notebook in an effort to motivate myself

I am going... to the chiropractor and out to dinner.  I really need to go pick up my contacts, but for some reason I hate driving toward that area.

I am reading... I never did manage to read Nanny Returns.  I did just finish the newest book by Jodi Picoult Sing You Home.  I didn't really feel like reading it, but so glad I did.  The was one of her best books.

I am hoping... that I can motivate myself

I am hearing... the kids playing and quoting lines from the movie they watched yesterday.

Around the house... I feel like my house is a mess and needs a good spring cleaning.  But I hate to clean, so I am in a quandary.  I did completely clean out my refrigerator yesterday.  

One of my favorite things... coffee and flavored creamer

A few plans for the rest of the week... Tyler leaves for Ohio tomorrow.  Maggie and I are planning some play dates, girl scouts, park day and lots of cuddles.

Here is picture I am sharing...
my sous chef



Saturday, April 9, 2011

Weekly Wrap-Up: 4/02/11

Sunday:  After a week of visitors I really needed some alone time.  We had planned to go visit a Strawberry farm for some treats (shortcake and strawberry shake) and also to visit Dino World.  My DH was nice enough to let me stay home while he took the kids, his sister, and nephew.  They had a good time and I had some much needed recuperation.

Monday:  My Mom is staying for a few days this week so Jeff and I went together to my chiropractor appointment and then enjoyed a date afternoon with lunch and a stroll through the antique store.  It was a nice relaxing afternoon and we enjoyed the alone time together.

Tuesday:  After a week of spring break the kids were not thrilled to be back to the daily school grind.  We have lost our motivation and we need to find a way to reinvigorate our studies.  I am hoping the upcoming homeschool convention will give me a much needed attitude refresher.

Wednesday:  One of Maggie's good friends was had invited us to her birthday party today.  Tyler was lucky enough to get to stay home with Nanny and not have to spend the day with little girls.  Maggie, who is currently experiencing some anxiety/separation issues decided at the last minute she did not want to attend.  I knew she was just feeling anxiety so we headed off to the party anyway.  When we arrived the only guests were the 5 little girls Maggie goes to the park with every week.  Still, she would not play and stayed glued to my side.  Finally after over an hour she managed to venture out of my sight and have some fun.  She even got to hold the brand new baby sister of the birthday girl.

Thursday:  It is always a good day when the kids start off the morning cooperating with each and playing together nicely.  I had to interrupt their game to go to my chiropractor appointment.  After the appointment, I took the kids to lunch and then we spent way too much time trying to find a new ice cream store I had read about.  We never found the location so we just went to Dunkin' Donuts and got ice cream there.  We finally made it home and finished up some school work for the day.

Friday:  Our weekly park day has moved to mornings now that Florida is starting to heat up.  We were all glad of the change today because by the time 12:00 pm hit everyone was pretty warm.  It was a weird day at the park.  Tyler was actually having a great time and didn't want to leave.  This is a total contradiction of our normal Friday.  Maggie spent most of the time sitting beside me and generally not leaving my side.  I hope the poor girl gets over this anxiety soon.

Saturday:  The kids voluntarily started playing outside this morning so that was a plus.  We have some friends coming to visit this afternoon so it should be a good day.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Tyler Taranchala

today was kindiof nice i played legos with my freind what cold posobley go wrong?

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Maggie's Mussings

I went to Dino World yesterday and I saw a dog.  I went there with my cousin, my Aunt, my Dad and my brother, but not my Mom.  We fed some fish.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Simple Woman's Daybook


FOR TODAY Monday April 4, 2011

Outside my window... a lovely sunny and warm FL day

I am thinking... about how we can save some extra money in April

I am thankful for... having a helpful, supportive husband who understands my idiosyncrasies

From the learning rooms... just trying to get back in the groove after taking a week off while family was visiting.

From the kitchen... leftovers after a full week of cooking every night

I am wearing... cropped exercise pants and a t-shirt

I am creating... our homeschool plan for the week

I am going... nowhere, but I just returned from the chiropractor and lunch with my hubby

I am reading... Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I am hoping... that my back really starts to feel better and I can gain some strength so I stop having these issues

I am hearing... sweet silence

Around the house... my SIL just left after visiting for a week.  Now it's back to school for us and some recovery time for the two introverts 

One of my favorite things... my Well Planned Day homeschool planner

A few plans for the rest of the week... another chiropractor appointment, birthday party, cub scouts, park day and dance class