Catching Up

So weight watchers continues for me...I've stuck to the plan like glue this week but havn't lost anywhere near the weight i did last week...i dont know why...just hasn't happened. I'll be happy with ANY loss at weigh in tonight. But the good news has to do with my fasting bloodsugars. My new year's resolution was to get them under 200...today i took it at 150! For me that's amazing. Granted, i am taking meds too, but i was then too...so maybe one day i'll actually get off the meds. That would be amazing to the nth degree!

The kids are at Vacation Bible School this morning and John is in the living room watching Dora the Explorer. I just got out of the bath. Aaaah. feels nice. I'm attaching a picture of the kids i took this weekend when we spent the day at Janice's pool.

weight loss beginnings

so after almost a year of doing low carb dieting, i've switched teams. Christine & i joined Weight Watchers last Monday night and i've been sticking to the plan like glue. The weight is falling off this week. Now i'm sure if i'd stuck to Low Carb as well as i'm sticking to this diet plan it probably would have come off too, but I was so burnt out on it! WW seems so easy right now because of the variety. Wish me luck as i weighed in at a whopping 298 pounds!!! Below is my before picture...(ignore the hat..we were at a tea room that required hats) But i hate the picture! i can usually push double chins in or hide in the back of pictures and be ok with the way it looks...not this time.

guilty as charged

So we're riding in the car last night coming home from a nutritious dinner at TACO BELL talking about snacking etc...Elizabeth our 6 yr old chimes in, "i've seen you & Dad DOING IT" she exclaims in a very loud voice. Dale & i look at each other a bit worriedly. "Doing what?" we ask..."She excitedly says, "i know what you do after we go to bed! You eat ice cream and lie in bed and KISS!".....Yup...guilty as charged.

I chose Wisely

You know that scene in Indiana Jones #3 where they're seaching for the Holy Grail? He looks around at the huge selection of possible cups that could be the Holy Grail and chooses a humble looking container. The old man Sir Stephen i think it is says, " you chose wisely" in what i think was the most classic understatement in cinema history...well today i had an overwealming feeling of "i chose wisely"

In the last couple of weeks, i've run into two ex'es...the first was Rusty...and then today Greg. Both are now married and of course so am i...and i'm looking at my husband and thinking, I CHOSE WISELY. A friend recently said to me at a party i went to that i looked so terribly happy and "glowing" and i just replied that i've never been happier.

My birthday in History

So a friend showed me this site...you go in and type your birthday(not year) in the Search box and it gives you a list of events and birthdays on your day in history. Since i'm a big history buff, this was right up my ally. www.wikipedia.org


JULY 8

1099 - First Crusade: 15,000 starving Christian soldiers march in religious procession around Jerusalem as its Muslim defenders mock them.

1776 - The Liberty Bell was rung to summon citizens of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the reading of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress.

1932 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches its lowest level of the Great Depression, bottoming out at 41.22.

1997 - Mayo Clinic researchers warn that the dieting-drug "fen-phen" can cause severe heart and lung damage.

BIRTHS

1839 - John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1937)
1958 - Kevin Bacon, American actor
1961 - Toby Keith, American singer
1967- ME

DEATHS

1822 - Percy Bysshe Shelley, English poet (b. 1792)
1967 - Vivien Leigh, English actress (b. 1913)
2004 - Paula Danziger, American author (b. 1944) (i loved her books as a teenager! she wrote My Cat Ate My Gymsuit and other great ones like that!)

Let's Go Fly A Kite!!

It's been a sunny blustery windy day (the kind i mentioned to Dale that would be perfect for flying a kite) but a really great one too! And what day WOULDNT be great that starts with sex? Grins...and then Linda canceling the visit. Then the kids playing awesomely all morning with arts & crafts while i took a leisurely bath, Dale got a shower and i did some work. Then lunch at McD's with the kids playing on the playground then Brewsters for ice cream...only blemish on the day was the fact they no longer sell the Low-carb ice cream!!! Isn't that AWFUL??? So Dale goes down to Kroger and buys me some low carb ice cream bars and while he's down there, he picks up a Kite for me!! (one with Bart SIMPSON on the front! LOL) So i came home put it together and took it outside for a spin. Perfect! I was VERY impressed. Kids watched Peter Pan on video, i made soft tacos for dinner...and now they're in bed and we're chilling out in the bedroom. Like i said...a great day!

Sundays

Since i was a kid, Sunday nights are my favorite day/night to write in my journal. I got the idea for keeping a journal from a Judy Blume book i read in the 3rd grade. The name of the book was IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. The girl in the book's parents were getting a divorce and she kept a journal to get thru it. Additionally, she graded her days as you would on a report card...always striving for A+ days. So i took up the habit...I only graded for a few years, but my journal habit has lasted all these years. The individual journals are spread about and i would like to gather them all together in chronological order. Thinks it will help me when i finally write my Great American Novel...QUEENS COVE. (after King Rd...the road i grew up on)

I suppose Sundays are like my New Year's Day...a chance to start over again each and every week. A chance to reflect on the past week and look ahead to the next one. A good friend of mine dreads Sundays like the plague. She thinks they're depressing since the next day is MONDAY. Back to work. Funny thing is that she has every opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom and turns it down each time. Even when i was in the "corporate" world, i didn't dread Sundays...just a new opportunity to do better, find cuter outfits, lose weight, make new plans etc. Rainy Sundays are my favorite. An excuse to do nothing. A time to sleep late, read the newspaper, watch football games, sort thru my closet, watch sappy old movies, make love languidly (in the days prior to having 3 kids anyway!! ) or just heat up macaroni & cheese and snuggle in with a good book. Those kind of days i covet. They come very rarely these days.

There's a country music song about what Sundays are supposed to be about...and while i relate to it somewhat...it talks more about what you do as a family on Sundays...i have always thought of Sunday as MY day...maybe that's why i resent Linda and the "visits" each and every Sunday. Invading MY time. It's not that i'd even have the day to myself if we didn't do the visit...but still. And if i wanted to bow out of the Sunday visits, I'm sure Dale would be ok with it. But he would only be OK...i think he wants my company for the visitations...We usually drop the kids off to visit with Linda and we take Sheena with us. And it's not that he can't communicate or handle Sheena...but Dale's not much of a talker. So it helps things when i'm along. Plus we usually have a long drive to take the kids etc. And sometimes when the kids go to the park, Sheena likes to stay and enjoy the visit with them....and Dale and i get a free day in Athens. We go and see a movie and have lunch or do whatever...I keep telling him we need to get a condo in Athens so we can escape there! grins.

So my Sunday is coming to a close i'm just out of the bathtub (another Favorite Sunday treat!) and i look forward to next week. Another week to make changes (gonna stay on my diet!), plan errands (gotta register John for Pre-k & take Joshua to doctor, make dentist appts for kids & return some clothes that Linda bought the kids) and sort thru my wardrobe (bout time to bring spring/summer clothes to the front of the closet).

Hope you have a good week also!

Jinxing myself

So i'm probably going to jinx myself since it's only 3:17pm...but it's been a good day so far. The kids are doing really well. We got up this morning and after i got off work at 9am we all had breakfast and headed to the gym. We didn't stay as long as we usually did and that probably helped the kids some. Came home and the kids watched FREAKY FRIDAY which i'd bought off Ebay for them and it came in the mail today. They seemed to really like it...especially Josh. I think he has a thing for Lindsey Lohan.

I fixed lunch (hamburgers, fries, & apple slices & milk to drink) (the kids are finally getting used to having milk at every meal as the doctor mandated) and they lay down for "naps" but of course Elizabeth didn't sleep...but that's ok...she lay there quietly, read her books and didn't bother anyone. That's all i require during naptime. Her behavior has come sooooo far since this time last year...regarding her naps & sleep at night. Plus, she really seems to be improving at school too...She's had 6 out of 7 good days at school. But sure as i say this, i'll jinx it!

We have another busy weekend coming up...Cousins Stephanie & Courtney are coming to stay with us...They're not bad...just makes for a busier household.

All for now.

Just stuff

It's a Saturday night...do you know where your kids are? Well since mine are 4, 6 & 7 i happen to know they're in bed...not yet asleep. We had a good day i think...Got up this morning..had breakfast then the girls (Sheena is staying with us this weekend & first part of next) & i went and got our hair cut and to get groceries. The boys went to get Joshua's hair cut and to bank & post office. We met back here for lunch, play outside and naps. Then we went to Monterey's for dinner (love me some Mexican food!) and to Home Depot to pick up some ant killer. Home again home again jiggity jig. Kids watched some George of the Jungle 2...went to bed and Sheena is hopping in the shower. So nothing exciting...just nice being together & apart as a family.

Sunday tomorrow should be one of the good ones...NO VISIT. God i so dread those things. I admit to my loathing of deadbeat Linda. She has no place in the kids lives anymore. They dont need her. She's not their biological mother. She doesn't hardly know them anymore. And doesn't make the effort to. God i wish she'd just fade into the sunset. Ok...so i'm a bad person.

Diet is going pretty well. Low Carb is definitely the route for me...it keeps my blood sugars down and allows me to eat the foods i want. I'm down 15 pounds in 2 months...Not great...but certainly better than the alternative. 295 was where i started, i'm at 280 now...my goal is to fit in my jeans again. Grins. We'll negotiate from there.

Dale and i are going to start investing in stocks this coming week...it's a bold move for us because we have so many financial obligations...but we're paying all bills and investing the leftover. Wish us luck.

musings

Bad headache this morning...sitting here working at 652am when i should still be asleep. It's been hard rolling out of bed the last few morning because of the kids being out of school so Dale gets to sleep later than me. But he's a sweetie, he still gets up and fixes me a Diet coke to get my morning started.

Mom is in the hospital, i went to be with her yesterday as they did tests and then admitted her. She has an infection in her pancreas & gallstones & and a gall bladder that needs to be removed. Was weird being with her last night...flashback to my having that Cyst burst and removed thing. I'm sure she'll be ok...was weird spending time with her again tho. She and i really need to re-connect...she's been gone so long and changed so much since she lived here. I want to make the effort..especially since she and Steven are again on the outs. It's just that our timings are off. I have so little free time these days.

my inner rock chick

You Are Ani Difranco!

Honest, real, and well liked.You're not limited by any boundaries."And you can call me crazyBut I think you're as lazy as white paint on the wall"

Who's" Your Inner Rock Chick?

Welcoming In 2006

Someone said to me today that she hoped that 2006 was better than 2005. Heck...if that happens, my life might burst at the seams! But we can only hope that life continues to improve. Sure there are always areas for improvement..in our case, finances. But we're keeping our head above water...and we will continue to do so. My relationships with the kids seem to be improving.

We made our New Years Resolutions today...

Mine are as follows:

Organize & Keep Neat my bedroom/office/bathroom

Get my fasting blood sugars Under 200

Get BACK into my jeans

So wish me luck.

We had Jeff & Christine & AJ over last night for New Year's Eve and while we may not have party hardy, we still had fun. 90's version of Trivia Pursuit. Champagne @ midnight. Kiss with my man.

a panic attack

There's nothing else that can really be said to describe what happened to me i guess. It started Christmas day morning...we had unwrapped the presents and were getting ready to clean up and get ready to go to Athens for the kids to visit with Linda. I started having these chest pains everytime i took a deep breath. Sometimes they went high up into my throat...sometimes as low as my mid chest. They slowly went away during the drive and after the kids were dropped off. Stayed gone until we were at the Siler party ...and they started up again. So bad i started crying. Felt so bad. They went away after the party when i lay down and rested. They havn't come back the past two days.

I've thought and read about so many things it could be...but stress seems to be the constant...I felt so stupid for letting stress get to me that way. Felt like a hypochondriac. And it's not fair to Dale for him to have the added responsibilities when i fell apart like that. God, i hope i can keep it together in the future.

Christmas Tug-O-War

I recently read in a friend's blog about the tug-o-war he was experiencing with his family and his girlfriend's family. How sad it is that we allow these special Christmas times to be marred by petty grievances. It's ONE day out of the year...one day that everyone wants to spend with that special someone. My husband's family is the most easy going about it as any family i've ever seen! They rarely spend the actually holiday with us family...they spend it with whomever they might have other obligations with and then we pick a day close to the holiday to spend together. Noone is ever upset or hurt.

This year, the "drama" came to me from two different fronts. We made all of our plans shortly after Thanksgiving and thought everything was set. Then a week or so ago, the "ex" tells Dale that she wants to have the kids for her family's Christmas party on the same day we're having the King Party...well Dale told her no because we had other plans. She gets snippy...wanting to know who's side of the family it was...his or mine. GRRRR.

Then...my father calls a couple of nights ago and says they're changing the Siler party to 2 hours earlier...well this totally threw off the precarious schedule we'd built for Christmas day that included the kids visiting with "Mommie Dearest" in Athens. I lost it. He lost it. Words were exchanged...then we made up...etc...i gave in...said we'll just be late then. THEN, he calls the matriarch...Grandmother Siler..(hereafter referred to as GMS..not to be confused with GMK (Grandmother King) ) and she says NO...we said 4pm, and 4pm it will be. hehehehe...so i got my way...thanks to GMS...but still.

And now it's John's Turn

It's John's birthday...we spent the morning at DMV & tag office then took John out to lunch at Fatz cafe...VERY GOOD by the way with some GREAT low carb meals. We gave him his gifts this afternoon (and he seemed to love them all!!) Dale & i got him a radio controlled car (and i now know the difference between radio controlled and remote control ...remote control has a string attached that you have to follow behind and drive it with ...with RADIO, there's no cord) a snoopy outfit, a set of tools, and a ball yoyo. Granddaddy Siler sent him a new ball & glove and Great Grandmother Siler sent him a stuffed alligator)and i fixed his favorite foods (Salisbury steak, corn on the cob & mac & cheese with Bananas for fruit & sprite to drink) and then we got out the Bob the Builder Cake :)

Happy Birthday Elizabeth

She turned 6 today..and to be honest, she's been a heathern all week! But today, she made the turn around and was good at school and at home. I had a great time getting all her gifts wrapped and kinda decorating the house. I made these little signs and put them around the house...one welcoming her into the house of a 6 yr old girl...one on her chair saying, "this is where a 6 yr old girl sits" and one on her door to her room saying "this is the room of a 6 yr old girl" she seemed to really like them. Additionally, i lit all the small votive candles around the house (there are a LOT) which made for a festive air. For her birthday, we got her a Care Bear poster and a Cinderella light up barbie. From Josh & John, she got Hello Kitty stickers and scissors and a pair of cheerleader pom poms. From Granddaddy Siler & Nana Lynne, she got a Care Bear DVD. She got money from her grandmother and from Janice, so we took her this afternoon to Toys R Us and she bought a Pegasus doll. Then they all three had coupons for free dinners at Burger King, so we went there. Then home for a Strawberry Shortcake cake from Ingles.

She's really grown up in the little over a year she's been in my life (or I've been in her's)! Not just physically either! (Although she's probably grown 3 inches.) but today she sat down and read a book to me!! Now i had to help her with some words...but she READ it to me. I was very proud!

She's going to be so beautiful! I just try to instill in her that beauty isn't everything...The old addage that "beauty is as beauty does" I sooo dont want her to grow vain. But she is maturing more each week it seems. I feel she's maturing more quickly than is Joshua (who's a year older) and will probably surpass him soon.

I really look forward to growing up with her.

a break

Yesterday was Veteren's Day and Dale, John & i headed up to Dahlonega to take a gander at the fall leaves and just get away for a while. We dined at the Smith House (YUMM) and just enjoyed the day. We walked around the town, partook of some fudge and then headed back home. Was very nice!

Dale said the SWEETEST thing to me the other night. We were watching TV (Oprah of all things!) and Dale told me to pause it. He says, " You know, i love you. In you, I feel like I've found a best buddy on top of everything else." That meant the world to me.

a funnyism

So while watching BOB THE BUILDER with John this afternoon, i see the character Wendy...i ask John if Wendy is Bob's girlfriend. He answers, "yes." "Are they getting married?" i ask. "No" he replies..."She's not wearing a ring." giggles again.

Overheard today

John and Elizabeth were playing restaurant...John gave his order..."I'll have a cheeseburger and a pair of dice with heinz 67 and french fried potatoes" we'll be glad he didnt get to the cold draft beer!

So we had to Run to Ingle's today

And I told John while we were at Wal-mart that we'd need to run into Ingle's also. While we were walking around Ingle's, he says, "Mom, you said we had to run into Ingles...but we didn't...we walked."