Motivation Monday: New Year Edition

 

So technically this isn't the first Motivation Monday of the year, and I was going to do one of those end of the year posts but decided otherwise.  This Motivation Monday is all about goals for the new year.  Not resolutions because those are too easily broken.  But goals. 

 

 

My first goal is to spend more time with my family.  T and I are making it a point to do at least one date night a month so we can spend some time just the two of us.  Too often we get so caught up in the week, work, day-to-day stuff, so we're making it a point to spend more time together as well as more time as a family on the weekends.  Despite the fact that snow storms suck, being stuck at home has been really nice just getting to play around with Aubrey and T.  I'd like to have more time to do things like that.

 

 

My second goal is organization.  I keep telling my staff "2013 is the year of organization!"  I'm not an organized person by any means, and it's catching up with me at work, at home, with Mary Kay.  So I have asked T for help, and together we are going to make me more organized.  He's even put together a handy dandy spreadsheet for me so that I'm not scrambling come tax time like I will be this year.  And utilizing my planner at work and maybe, just maybe, experimenting with the online calendar thing so that my staff actually knows what I'm doing and where I am, not left to wonder because I failed to write down in the office calendar what was in my personal one.  (I'm notorious for this.)  My desk at home looks like a landmine hit it, and my office one isn't much better.  I know it'll be a process, but I want to get it started.  2013 is the year of organized Nain. 

 

 

I want to maintain my weight loss, not necessarily lose more weight.  Keep up the good eating and healthy habits that I have already started and make it a point to keep those going. 

 

 

Lastly, my Mary Kay business.  I've run it for 3 years, but I'm still not running at a profit like I'd like.  I'm facing a bit of a "make it or break it" year.  If I can't get it to the point where I'm feeling comfortable and making the time and effort profitable, I think I will need to pull the plug at the end of the year.  And I don't want to do that.  So I'm going to schedule more appointments, try to reach out to my current clients and make new ones.  I'm going to do all that I can and bust my butt so that come December I won't be closing shop.  I enjoy being a part of Mary Kay too much to do that. 

 

 

 

So those are my goals for the new year.  And I'm motivated to get started.  So let's do this...2013, bring it on!

 

And I am retroactively linking up to Gretchen at Second Blooming's Spin Cycle.  Stop by and see what other goals people have for the New year!

 

     

Sick little girl

I know they say it's a good thing that kids go to daycare and get sick because they do develop an immune system, and that's all well and good.  But the constant getting sick thing gets old.  And I find myself resenting other mothers in Aubrey's room who clearly bring their very sick child into daycare so that he/she can infect every other baby in there.  Thus was the case with our Christmas.  Said child was brought into daycare the Thursday before Christmas break.  We saw the kid and the mother leaving the kid in the room.  And I swear I remember saying to T, "Aubrey better not get sick."  Well...poor little girl has been coughing and stuffy for well over a week.  Coughing all through the night to the point where she makes herself cry.  I imagine it hurts after awhile.  So I took her to the doctor today after the cough turned into wheezing.  My Mommy instinct was telling me something was up and that it was more than just a "cold." 

 

 

So I now have a sick little (teething) girl who has croup and two bad ear infections.  I hate croup.  We have a humidifier going in her room, her head propped up on a pillow, you name it, but she coughs.  All...freaking...night.  And other than putting her in a steaming room or in somewhere cold, there is no other remedy. 

 

 

With the New Year, we'll be bringing Miss Aubrey to see an ENT because this is now her fifth ear infection (second double ear infection).  My money is on the fact we'll be getting tubes in her ears in 2013.  It'll be Aubrey's turn to rack up the high medical bills.  (I wonder if 2014 will be T's year?) 

 

 

I had a scare later this evening, too.  Remember her incident at the E.R. with intussuseption?  She suddenly woke from her afternoon nap screaming, very similarly to when she had that.  And I swear years were added to my life as I held onto my screaming child, praying that the pain would subside.  I believe she just felt like all over crap, but my heart stopped just thinking about having to take her to the E.R. 

 

 

However, my heart did melt this evening, as I was rocking Aubrey to sleep before bed.  She was eating her bottle, lights off in the room with the noise machine on, and I leaned in to kiss her forehead and said "I love you so much, sweetie."  She pushed the bottle out of her mouth, looked me right in the eye and grabbed my cheek, leaning in and kissing me.  It's moments like those that make all of those times where I get a few extra gray hairs from worrying about her so worth it. 

 

 

God, I love that little girl, croup and all.

       

 

Aubrey's First Christmas

It's been a busy few days what with snow storm Euclid and Aubrey's first Christmas, but I have managed to upload pictures from our holiday.  We had a wonderful Christmas, spending time with my family on Christmas Eve, just the three of us Christmas Day and then T's parents arrive tomorrow.  They were supposed to arrive today, but with the foot of snow we got today, those plans were delayed.  But, here are the pictures! 

 

 

Mommy and Aubrey waiting to open presents.  I actually got Aubrey to look up at the camera.  This was a feat in and of itself.

 

 

Opening toys from Grandma.  We got so many toys we don't know what to do with all of them!

 

Daddy and Aubrey ready for church.  God, I love her in this dress...

Mommy and Aubrey.  Our camera can't do pictures with things in motion too well, but she's waving at the camera...

Christmas 2012 family picture  

After church, we had to feed her, so that meant off with the dress.  This is her new thing that my sister taught her.  She goes "oh my!" and puts her hands up on her head.  It's too funny. 

 

After she got a quick bite to eat, we stopped at my parent's neighbor's party, got her Christmas jammies on and headed home. We drove around our neighborhood for a bit and looked at the lights, hoping we could get her to sleep, but the poor thing was so sick over the past few days and couldn't stop coughing. So we ended up heading home for Santa to arrive...

 

She has a small tree in her bedroom, so we put a small gift in there for her to open when she first got up.  She was so excited when we brought her downstairs.  So many things to touch, she didn't know where to start.

Mommy and Aubrey opening up gifts.  She loved her Elmo cell phone Santa brought her.

Gifts from T's family out East...

Santa brought her a riding toy!  She's still a little small for it, but she liked it.

We made a big breakfast, pancakes, eggs, bacon, and Aubrey got to try pancakes for the first time.  I think she enjoyed them...

Afterwards we played with toys for the rest of the day.  She got this activity/ball table where you put the balls up at the top of this table, push a button and this thing starts playing music that I can only compare to some kind of video game music you would hear at the arcade at the bowling alley, and the platform on top rises, spilling the balls everywhere.  She loves this thing.  And I crack up every time it plays because it's like fist-pumping music. 

 

In between naps, T and I managed to pull off a big Christmas dinner.  T made an awesome honey-glazed ham, and we enjoyed some mulled wine and just laid around all day.  It was glorious.  Of course, we laid around the next day too with the snowmageddon 2012, so for two days in a row we got some good, qualify family time in.  Great first Christmas!

   

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!  Now to work on one of those "year recap" posts.... 

     

 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!  Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, enjoying time with family and friends!  Love, Nain, T and Aubrey

 

 

         

A Night Out

Not having a computer at home sure has made keeping up with blog posting extremely difficult.  I've been meaning to post these pictures forever, but...better late than never, right?

 

 

 

So last weekend T and I got some adult time.  We planned our annual celebration going downtown to have a night on the town.  My sister watched Aubrey for us, so we headed down early to walk around and check out the holiday decorations and just hang out.  So of course, that involved a trip to the Monument on the Circle.  He we are at the very spot where T proposed:

 

 

We hit up the South Bend Chocolate Factory for some delicious ho cho and just people watched for awhile.  It has a nice view, and I never pass up some nice dark hot chocolate made with Silk.  Well, I mean, it would have been better with Mint Chocolate Silk, but...

We had reservations to stay at the Omni, and we checked in early to relax some before heading out.  So we checked in, got our room key and headed to our room on the sixth floor.  Key worked just fine, but when we walked in the room we saw luggage, coats, and other items indicating that clearly someone was already staying in this room.  It was kind of funny, but at the same time, I had to think "does this happen a lot?  How many times have we stayed somewhere and someone has accidentally gotten in our room?"   So we headed back to the front desk, totally not pissed at all, and nicely told the lady there had been some mistake.  Seriously, we could have cared less because we were in no hurry and you know, accidents happen.  They were so apologetic and upgraded our room, gave us free breakfast buffets for the next day, and then had room service send this up to us:

 

 

That's water, a thing of popcorn and two local brews from Upland Brewery.  And apparently they are mind readers and new I like porter.  And it came with another apology note.  I mean, they totally didn't have to do that, but I never turn down free (good) beer!

 

 

Here's us all dressed up.  We clean up nicely, don't you think?  It's amazing how much time you have to dedicate to actually getting ready when you don't have a crying 10 month old in the background.

 

We hit the Claddaugh Irish Pub and ate entirely too much (my "off" day for the diet), and we decided to walk it off.  Pretty, isn't it?

I swear this diet is making it so much harder for me to consume too much of anything.  Even after the walk, the thought of drinking a beer was just too much.  So we kind of relaxed and holed up at the Slippery Noodle Inn, which is a jazz bar, the oldest bar in Indiana.  Listened to some music, watched some old men try to score with these two young blond girls, watched the young blond girls flirt with them enough to get free drinks.  It looked like one of the guys was getting somewhere at one point.  There was hair twirling and she was laughing at everything he said, but he must have said something stupid, as is so usual with most men, because he left alone.  But it was still very entertaining.  Almost more so than the music, actually. 

 

These two old people managed to make it until midnight.  Oh gone are the days when we could actually stay out until closing time.  On the way back to our hotel, we did get to see two rather intoxicated douches get arrested.  That was fun.  It was great just getting spend time with T, just the two of us, not worry about a thing and just hang out.  I think in the new year, this is something we definitely need to do more often. 

 

 

So that was our little Christmas celebration!  I have Santa pictures of Aubrey to post, and I definitely will post them this weekend.  I get the new laptop today!  (Yay!)  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

   

Inadequate

Everyone has their own faults.  No one is without them.  But me...sometimes I feel like a huge part of who I am is a fault.  That sounds harsh as I write this, but it's something that has been weighing on my mind lately.  My faults. 

 

 

When T and I first started dating, and I slowly started to get to know him, I saw how organized and put together he was.  Seriously, this guy had his shit together.  Almost to an anal retentive level, but it was something that made me jealous.  Organization.  With me, I am the epitome of disorganization.  Everything is a cluttered mess.  My house is clean, don't get me wrong.  When you walk into our house, it's pretty clear of clutter, but it's not the house per se.  It's things like my purse, my dresser drawers, my car, my office, my desk at home...there's just no rhyme or reason.  It's not for trying either.  I'll get something cleaned out and all organized, I'll be all proud and then a week later, it's back to the clutter and disorganization. 

 

 

Aubrey's dresser is the same way.  I try to fold them neatly but they always seem to get messed up when I pick outfits out for her.  Our linen closet, our pantry, etc.  T will complain, I'll feel bad and organize it.  But then I can't keep it that way.  It's not I purposefully do it.  It's just how I am.  I think it's a lack of being careful.  I'm klutzy, I do things quickly so that it is done but not necessarily don't perfectly.  But I feel just awful about it sometimes. 

 

 

I always say "Okay, I'm dedicating time for this," but the tasks are huge and many.  And the time is limited.  But I add them to my "to do list" and there they stay. 

 

 

They say opposites attract, but I have to admit that I do worry about how much it gets to T.  He would shake his head and tell me I'm wrong if I say this, but I feel like a disappointment at times.  He took me for who I am, for better or for worse, but what if the "for worse" are the things that feel like dominate?  I brought debt into the marriage, I can't organize to save my life, and my money skills are limited at best.  I just feel like I fail. 

 

 

I don't mean to be a downer, and really, this is me being about as open and honest as humanly possible.  I guess that's the whole point of having your own blog.  It's what you do with those honest thoughts that matters.  Perhaps this is a new years resolution that needs to be made.  Perhaps I need to hire one of those personal organizers.  Or take it one thing at a time.  Who knows? 

 

 

But for now, that's what I see.  Inadequacies. 

   

Light distractions

Quick.  Someone tell me what to write about.  Sitting here, Monday night, trying to think of something...anything to write about.  All I can think of is "damn, my throat hurts, I don't feel well, my head hurts and I better not be getting sick."  And then my mind wanders to the tragedy from last week and the heartbreaking news that two of the little boys that were murdered last Friday were buried today.  And I'm worried about the fact I have a hearing and will be in court since forever.  All heavy thoughts.  So I need some positivity. 

 

 

So thinking about what things make me happy...the first thing I'm currently enjoying right now.  Silk Chocolate Mint. Hot.  It's pretty delicious.  And it makes me feel pretty damn good, helping the sore throat just a tad. 

 

 

Kisses from my girl.  And playing with her.  Just the little things.  I had her on the floor in her nursery tonight, and she would toss a diaper out of her diaper box, I would throw the diaper back in, she would look at me and smile and throw it right back out, I threw it back in, we both giggle and so on.  Memories I will always cherish. 

 

 

Laughing with T over inside jokes, no matter how inappropriate. 

 

 

Resting my head on T's shoulder as he puts his arm around me. 

 

 

Excitement over the fact that tonight is, in fact, the series finale of Gossip Girl.  It is being recorded on DVR as I type.  Yes, I am that girl.  Deal with it. 

 

 

Brian Williams.  I heart Brian Williams. 

 

 

Christmas cards - I love this time of year, that we get mail that doesn't make me sad or freak out over the "balance due." 

 

 

Silk Chocolate Mint.  Damn.  It's good. 

 

 

So those are just a few things.  No, it doesn't take away the weight of all of the hardships out there.  But it's the little things.  They keep you sane. 

 

 

Now let me enjoy the rest of my Silk Chocolate Mint. 

     

A different kind of motivation

So I had written an entire post about motivation for getting in shape, losing weight, and what not.  However, in the midst of that, I listened to the President's address during the Interfaith Service for the victims and community of Newtown, Connecticut.  I finished the post and looked at what I had written.  It just didn't seem appropriate. 


My motivation this week is twofold.  One, I will take more time to truly appreciate the blessings in my life.  Ever since reading about the shooting on Friday and keeping updated on the news and media on the horrific tragedy that occurred that morning, my thoughts have gone out to those parents.  And to Aubrey.  I don't know what I would do, how I would cope, how I would even function if anything happened to Aubrey.  The President said it best in his speech when he said that being a parent is similar to having a part of your body on the outside.  She is so much of who I am and who T is.  I hugged her and kissed her that much more when I picked her up from daycare on Friday.  When I walked into that daycare, she beamed up at me, clapping her hands.  So full of innocence.  She knew nothing of the horrible events of the day.  She doesn't know anything about evil.  I want to keep it that way.  I kissed her on the forehead as I put her in her car seat and said "Mommy will never ever let anything bad happen to you ever."  She just smiled at me, no idea what I was saying and no idea why Mommy had tears in her eyes when she said that. 


T and I are so blessed with the angel God has brought to our lives.  And I can imagine each and every parent who lost their baby that day wishes they had said I love you just one more time before sending their child to school that day.  Or kissed them once more.  Or got one more look at their innocent and beautiful face.  I will make a point to take these mental pictures and appreciate them that much more.  Because they are just that - blessings. 


On another level, being mindful of those around me, acting out of kindness and not irritation.  I too often do this, but tragedies like this make you realize how important it is to be considerate and kind to your fellow man.  And I pray for those parents and families and the entire community.  And I will use this senseless event as a reminder that life is fleeting.  And it's too short to not appreciate others around you and to let them know that you do.  And to smile.  And be nice to that stranger you meet in line at the store.  Life is just too short.


So yes, I totally deleted the entire post I had written, but I think I like this one better.  It's Sunday night as I write this, and once I hit publish, I think I'm going to take one more tip toe into Aubrey's room and just watch her peacefully sleep for just a little longer. 

Christmas memories

   

This week's Spin Cycle is on Christmas's past.  Growing up, I had a lot of good memories from the holidays.  We lived in Alabama, so we always got to play outside with our new toys.  It was really never colder than 50 degrees out so that was always great.  That is, until we moved to Indiana.  But...that's neither here nor there. 

 

 

Back in 2010, I wrote about the best Christmas present ever:  My O'Jenny Doll house.  Now, this isn't my computer so I can't save the picture and repost, so you will just have to go to the 2010 post (but promise to come back!) I always wanted a doll house so when I saw that Santa brought me one, I was one happy little kid.  Of course, it took my poor father hours to put together the little decals, furniture and stickers for the thing, but it was so worth it.  I played with that thing for hours.  Still have it, too.  Some day, I think I'll let Aubrey play with it, but only if she promises to not break anything. :-)  So in terms of best Christmas presents, that would be it. 

 

 

Other than that, I don't have one particular Christmas that stands out.  I always loved when we got to see my Grandma and Grandpa after the holidays for a Christmas get together.  All 14 of my cousins would be there, there would be a ton of food, cookies, laughter, and just good times all around.  My Grandma was an amazing cook, and she never failed to put out a good spread.  And the cousins would all congregate in the den of the house and play cards or just goof off.  Those are seriously some of my fondest memories.  The Christmas after Grandma passed, it was noticeable how much things were different, but I still carry those memories in my heart.

 

 

Another Christmas that comes to mind was the first one T and I shared as a new couple in 2008.  We didn't actually spend the holiday together, as he went up to be with his family in Michigan, so I worked so hard in creating this care package for him to take with him.  I made him a card for every day we were apart, and I also made him a CD to listen to on his 5 hour drive.  (God, wasn't I the best girlfriend ever?)  I just remember missing him so damn much while he was gone.  It wasn't the same as when I had dated in the past.  I really genuinely missed him, and it was this time when I realized that this was it - this was the real thing.  So I treasure that Christmas, as well, even though we weren't together. 

 

 

I am so excited to start Christmas traditions of our own as a family and to give Aubrey memories she can treasure forever. 

 

 

So those are my favorite Christmas memories. what are yours?  Stop by Gretchen's to see what other Spinners have to share!  Have a wonderful weekend.

 

Post-less

No post yesterday...my bad!  I have reasons, of course.  The first being I decided Sunday that it would be a stellar idea to spill water on my lap top.  I mean, it wasn't much water, but....RIP Nain's computer.  I'm currently using a work one for a whole other reason...but...writing blogs might be a little difficult until the new one arrives. It's my Christmas present for the years 2012-2015. 

 

 

Anyway, why do you have the computer from work with you, you say?  Well, Nain is working from home today.  Because the lil' one has caught the pink eye.  Yuck.  I had to pick her up from daycare early Wednesday because of gunk coming out of her eye and sure enough...yep, pink eye.  Spreading to both eyes.  She's in otherwise good spirits, other than the teething pain.  (Parents of the year here failed to notice she got a third tooth this week - whoo, go us!)  I just hate seeing her beautiful eyes all pink and goopy. 

 

 

But I promise to try to post as much as I can.  Maybe write ahead while I have this computer....hmmmm.....

 

 

Until then I'll be following my nine month old around with a can of Lysol and trying my damnedest to not touch my eyes and ignore the phantom itching in my right eye. 

 

 

Oh children....I guess it could be worse.  It could be lice.  Oh shit.  Knock on wood.  Totally don't want to jinx myself there.

 

 

And no, my right eye is not itching.  Nope.  Not itching. 

 

 

Where's my Lysol?

   

Inadequate

Lately, I've been beating myself up over my capabilities as a mom.  I know that each baby is different, and I know that I can only do the best I can...but yet, I still feel like a failure occasionally.  I compare myself to other moms in the blogosphere, as well as on Facebook, and I think "Man, am I doing enough?" 

 

 

For instance, crawling.  Our doctor has sworn up and down to us that crawling isn't necessarily a milestone and that some babies go straight from scooting to walking.  And Aubrey does get around...she seems to scoot herself from place to place.  But crawling?  No way.  The daycare teachers have talked to us about it, and they want us to work on this with her at home when we can.  Force her to support herself on her hands and knees, despite how much she fusses and fights us.  But the thing is, we get home from work after a 45 minute commute just in time for dinner and then bed time.  There's hardly enough time to fit that in, too.   The daycare teacher told T when I was out of town that Aubrey seems to get frustrated that she 1) can't pull herself up like the other babies and 2) can't follow the other babies her age when they crawl around.  She wants to crawl.  I can tell by how she moves around, but she can't.  And I see her get frustrated, and it just breaks my heart.  Monday, for example, I sat her down on the floor next to one of the other babies in daycare when we dropped her off, a baby who is a whole month younger than Aubrey.  And off that little baby goes crawling.  I just wanted to cry. 

 

 

Aubrey is a smart cookie, though.  She constantly amazes me at how she figures things out, but with this physical stuff, she just struggles.  And even at nine months, I hate watching her just get so frustrated with herself.  Did I not do enough tummy time?  Maybe I shouldn't work as much as I do and be home with her more often.  

 

 

I see other moms on Facebook posting these adorable holiday pictures with their babies in their beautiful dresses.  Should I be doing this, too?  I have her dress, but should I be posing her in front of the tree all cute and putting these pictures up on Facebook?  Shouldn't I be taking her to Target to get Christmas portraits?

 

 

And the moms out there who post pictures of all the fun stuff they do with their kiddos on the weekends.  I don't take Aubrey to museums or the zoo.  We take her when we run errands, and it seems like we're constantly doing something but it's not really child-friendly stuff.  It's stuff we have to get done.  Suck. 

 

 

And I feel so bad about leaving her for those three days when I was in Washington, D.C.  She now has major separation anxiety and won't let me out of her sight.  If I'm not there when T picks her up from daycare or if I'm not at the house when she comes home, she gets sad, looking around for Mommy.  With obligations I have, I can't always be at her side 24-7, but I feel like she's worried I'll abandon her again.  I didn't mean to in the first place.  I would have much rather have been home with her during that time. 

 

 

So today, as I write this (on Monday, of course), I feel like a failure.  I know all moms have these moments, but I'm definitely have a moment of inadequacy.  I just feel like I should be doing more or that I'm letting her down. 

 

 

 

     

Motivation Monday: Success!

Happy Motivation Monday all of you out there!  I hate Mondays, but at least this is one that is on the final countdown to a holiday and a break from the monotony of work.  And it's a good Motivation Monday because.....


I have reached my goal weight!!!!


Whoo!  Happy dance!


Seriously, it feels pretty freaking awesome.  I'm not going to say exactly what that goal weight is, but let's just say it's close to what I weighed my junior and senior years of college.  So I'm pretty happy because I haven't been this size in awhile.  According to the doctor I've been working with, I've lost a total of 25 pounds of fat.  The water weight fluctuates daily of course, as it does with anyone.  She wants me to go down 5 more pounds just so I have a cushion so I am still working towards that. 


The thing I'm focusing on now is body composition.  I need to build more muscle mass in relation to fat in my body.  With my heart condition, I can't really do any heavy lifting so resistance training is something I'll need to add to my routine.  That and the dietitian has recommended I increase the amount of protein I consume during the day.  Right now I'm eating one in the morning, usually after my workout, and the one that was recommended to me is pretty tasty - Pure Protein:  Revolution.  The thing looks and tastes like a Snickers bar, seriously.  And it does fill you up.  So I'll have that immediately after my workout and then have my smoothie on the way to work.  I did worry that having a protein bar would add too many calories and cause me to gain weight, but I've been assured (and read the label showing the calories are low) that it won't.  So let's see how this works. 


On another note - I need to go shopping!  Hoping I get gift cards for Christmas because my pants are hanging off of me, and I don't consider that to be a bad thing...but, I do need to dress for work.  So I guess I better hit the stores, then! 


Excited but very motivated to keep up the progress and maintain the weight as it is.  What's your motivation for this week?

All I want for Christmas

   

This week's Spin Cycle, brought to you by Gretchen at Second Blooming is a letter to Santa on what you want for Christmas.  I've been so focused on what I want to get Aubrey as Santa for Christmas that honestly, I couldn't even start to think about anything I'd really want, but I did, and here's a list of what Nain would love to have for Christmas:

 

 

1.  A personal assistant - I cannot keep track of things or keep myself organized for the life of me.  I need someone whose job is to do that 24-7.  Not a nanny or anything like that...just someone to help out with daily stuff that just seems to overwhelm me. 

 

2.  In the event I cannot have a personal assistant, I would LOVE to have maid service.  I've already requested this to T for my birthday/Mother's Day gift.  Just one month of not having to clean the house.  That's all I ask. 

 

 

3.  New clothes - in fact money for a new wardrobe because many of my clothes just don't fit me anymore.  Plus, what woman wouldn't want new clothes? 

 

 

4.  A lobster tail or cannoli from Cake Boss.  They deliver but not everything just yet.  Ever since the show came on, I have wanted nothing more than to try one of their lobster tails.  My God, just thinking about it makes me want to break my diet.  And I would, just for that one day. 

 

 

5.  GPS watch - now that I'm running, I'd love to have a watch like T's that monitors how far you've gone, your pace, calories burned, etc, and then it maps your run out for you on Google Maps so you can see just exactly what your run looked like.  We talked about buying one for me for Christmas, but not so sure it's in the budget for now...

 

 

6.  Aubrey's two front teeth.  I swear to God, the kid has been teething on her top for what seems like an eternity now. 

 

 

7.  Time to relax, read a good book, and maybe write - when I was on my way to D.C. and on my way back, I finished an entire book.  Shocking for me.  I can't recall the last time I actually finished something I started reading.  And I enjoyed the hell out of it.  I'd love to be able to do that more often, so if I could have just a wee bit more time in my day, that would be super.

 

 

8.  Plane tickets for T and I to go back to Dublin.  ASAP please!

 

 

Okay, so there you have it.  Think any of those are possible?  Pretty please? :-) 

 

 

Check out what other Spinners have to say about what they want for Christmas!  And have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

   

Change in perspective

Back in my pre-baby days, certain things would irritate the crap out of me to no end.  Families with crying babies in restaurants, fussy little kids on airplanes or kids who would fuss during church.  I have a pretty short patience threshold, so this shouldn't surprise any of you.  But as a mom of a 9 month old, things change.  Instead of irritation...it becomes a sense of understanding and...well....pity.  Because I've been there. 

 

 

I see that mom in line at Target, her two year old child crying for pretty much no reason at all, out of exhaustion or because she didn't get the toy she irrationally wanted, I don't see a screaming child.  I see a mom at her wit's end.  I see a mom trying to do everything in her power to distract the child and apologizing to those around her.  At the airport last week, I saw the looks people gave parents of younger children who joined us at the gate, waiting for the flight.  It was like they automatically assumed that those kids wouldn't behave on the flight.  I'm sure the parents saw the looks, too.  And I know someday T and I'll be dealing with the same thing. 

 

 

It's the looks we get from people at church when we try to actually sit in the sanctuary with Aubrey, but we end up taking turns taking Aubrey out into the narthex where she can fuss.  She's a baby,   people, she cries.  Get over it. 

 

 

It's funny because those things don't irritate me the way they do.  It's like a sense of camaraderie.  Rather than give the parents an annoying stare or roll my eyes, I give them a look of "dude, I feel ya" or try to make the little one smile with a silly grin.  It's just funny how things change, isn't it? 

 

 

I mean, don't get me wrong.  If the child is old enough and is clearly a little shit, I can see right through that.  And believe you me, I can spot a little shit from a mile away. I have very little tolerance for that. 

 

 

But that's beside the point - for those parents out there whose kid goes from happy to exorcist in 60 seconds?  I feel ya, brother, I feel ya. 

 

 

Next thing you know I'll be empathizing with my parents....shh...don't tell them...

   

Country mouse

Remember that Aesop fable "City Mouse Country Mouse?"  After the city mouse went to visit his cousin the country mouse and scoffed at his simple lifestyle, the country mouse came to the big city to see the city mouse only to feel very out of place, missing the safety and peace of his country home?  Well, while in D.C., I could not have felt any more like the country mouse. 

 

 

I love the idea of the big city.  I love all of the buildings, the beautiful architecture and history of D.C.  It's "cool" to say "Yeah, I'm going to D.C. for work."  But I felt like a fish out of water while in D.C.  Here are just a few examples:

 

 

I had no idea how to navigate the city.  I got the grand idea in my head that I would go for a run outside the first day there.  So the night before, I tried to map my route, only to give up when I couldn't figure the damn streets out.  Fortunately I made that decision not to go because apparently my hotel was not in the best areas.  God knows what would have happened had I decided to do this. 

 

 

When my cousin came to get me for dinner, he walked the streets of D.C. like he owned them.  Walking fast and crossing streets with such confidence, and I felt like a little puppy just following behind him.  We rode the Metro, and I had to buy a ticket to get on and off the train.  Somehow along the way, my ticket demagnetized and I wasn't allowed out.  My cousin argued with the guy until he gave in, but I just stood there thinking "why the hell would I need a ticket to get out?"  What if he didn't let me out?

 

 

And taxis in D.C. don't all take credit cards.  The reason I found this out?  After dinner, my cousin hailed me a cab, and I got in.  About half way there, I asked the driver if he took credit card, to which he told me no.  Scared shitless, I looked at the neighborhood around me wondering if he was going to just drop me off, leaving me to get mugged and shot, left for dead.  The liar did actually have a credit card machine but got charged for using it.  I was a little pissed off about that. 

 

 

The first day of our conference, we were told that the building would be having fire drills during the day and to just ignore them.  Annoying, yes, but whatever.  So at lunch, I'm sitting there in the lobby enjoying some peace and quiet and the alarms go off.  Everyone ignores them until staff rushes over and says to evacuate.  A bomb threat had been called in.  And we were ushered outside and left there for two freaking hours.  I didn't have a coat, so I tried to hole up in the lobby of a random building but was pushed out by security.  So I walked around a CVS, walked around outside, sat in the cold, just watching police and bomb sniffing dogs surround our building.  And I seemed to be the only one genuinely bothered.  Apparently bomb threats are a daily occurrence.  (A side question - who the hell calls in a bomb threat to a Hilton Garden Inn?  It's not like it was some government building.)

 

 

On my way to the airport at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, again I was in a taxi (the only one near my building at that time of day), and I discovered that yet another taxi didn't accept credit card.  So this guy drove me from block to block trying to find an ATM.  We found one that worked after three freaking efforts.  I withdrew money and paid him upon delivery at the airport.  But seriously, credit card?  Come on, people. 

 

 

I couldn't have been happier to come home.  Yes, Indiana isn't exactly the big time, but it's home to me.  And I was ready for my safe and peaceful home after my venture in the "big city." 

   

Fun in the city

Normally when I travel for business, it's pretty lonely.  I go to my work conference and then either eat somewhere by myself or order room service.  But this most recent trip, I was lucky in that I actually knew people in the city where I was.  Both my cousin and one of my good friends from law school live in the D.C. area so when I knew I was heading to D.C. for work, I had to make plans to see them both. 

 

 

My cousin cracks me up in that he is such a city person.  He comes strolling into my hotel to pick me up all dressed in his suit, brief case and all and is a complete natural in the city.  Here I was just following him around, looking like a deer in head lights as we navigated the Metro.  We didn't have a ton of time for any tourist type activities, but we did have to make a stop to see this: 

 

It was so cool to see it at night, and it's as beautiful as I remember it from high school.  It was also cool because they were setting up for the inauguration so the pavilion was partially constructed.  After stopping at the White House we went to dinner at a place across the street called Ebbitts Grill (I believe this was the name, but honestly, I could be wrong).  Crazy busy place with really good food and totally a city atmosphere.  And the place had Secret Service everywhere, so I'm not sure who was there.  I was hoping it was Biden, but my cousin assured me if it was Biden, there would be a lot more Secret Service there.  Damn.


The next day I met up with a good law school friend of mine and headed to Chinatown.  I've never been to New York City so I don't have a good comparison, but I thought it was pretty cool. 

 

 

We ate at a really cool tapas restaurant and consumed a pitcher of Sangria while catching up.  I hadn't seen her in over four years so there was a lot to talk about, and it was just really nice to see her again.  Plus, I have to admit, I enjoyed this work trip a great deal more having people I knew to hang out with while there.  A lot less lonely. 

 

 

 

 

Of course, I was so ready to head home by the time Friday night hit.  I missed T and Aubrey so much, and I couldn't wait to see them on Saturday at the airport.  I'll have more about my trip in later posts about some of the "oh shit, I have no idea what I am doing" things, too.  I had a lot of those, trust me!

   

Motivation Monday!

Good morning, and happy Motivation Monday!  I'm back from the thriving metropolis that is known as Washington, D.C., and I couldn't be happier to be home.  As much as it is exciting to travel for work, I hate having to leave T and Aubrey and miss them like crazy when I'm gone. 


Anyway, so I tried my best to eat as healthy as possible while on the road, and I succeeded for the most part.  My hotel was right next door to a fresh market, so when I got in on Wednesday, I picked up a salad and chili for dinner and bought supplies for breakfast for the next two days.  And I followed my dietitian's advice and had protein bars and carrots for lunch since lunches were on your own, and I didn't feel like juggling the whole eating healthy while eating out thing.  But dinners were the tricky part.  Both Thursday and Friday I went out to eat - the first night with my cousin who lives in D.C., at a restaurant right across from the White House that is famous for its crab cakes.  Of course I had to try them, though I'm sure crab cakes aren't exactly the healthiest food.  They were delicious, however.  The next night I met up with a friend from law school and ate at a Spanish tapas place in Chinatown.  And proceeded to consume a picture of sangria with her.  Oh well :-)


It isn't to say I didn't try.  I did utilize the hotel gym and ran on Thursday morning and did the elliptical on Friday.  So I did do that.  (Go me!)  However, I'm scared to weigh myself after this trip.  Last week I was just three pounds away from my goal weight, and I definitely don't want to deter myself from that. 


Perhaps I'm being too hard on myself.  I mean two meals aren't going to take away months of progress and a huge lifestyle change, right?  Regardless, though, I'm getting back to eating healthy this week and will work hard to exercise as much as I can.  We are getting a recumbent bike on Tuesday so I'll be able to mix it up with my workouts. 


So that's my motivation for the week - what's yours?

Spin Cycle: Cookie Deliciousness

 

For this week's Spin Cycle brought to you by Gretchen at Second Blooming, I am recylcing a post that I wrote back in 2010.  She has asked that we share our favorite cookie recipes in the spirit of the holidays.  Now, I'm not much of a baker.  If I "make" cookies it usually involves those premade, pre-cut ones you get at the grocery store.  Occasionally I'll get the bug and make a pie or something like that.  But each Thanksgiving and Christmas I do make a habit to make these cookies - Pumpkin chocolate chip.

 

 

When I first heard the name of these cookies I thought it would be disgusting, but trust me, these are delicious.  They have a cake-like consistency, and they are always a hit at holiday parties.  So here's the recipe:

 

 

Needed ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 cup of softened butter

15 oz can of pumpkin puree

2 tsp of vanilla

4 cups of flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

What you need to do:

Preheat oven to 375

Mix sugar, butter, pumpkin and vanilla together in large bowl

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and cinnamon together

Stir in the flour mixture into the creamed mixture

Stir in the chocolate chips

Drop by tsp onto a non-greased baking sheet

Bake 12-15 minutes

Enjoy! (after they cool, of course, but they are pretty tasty when warm)

 

 

Back in 2010 I ended up making a TON of these, and actually last year I made so many I had to freeze a bag of them.  And even thawed a year later they were still delicious.  I made fresh ones for T's family at Thanksgiving, though.  So here's the picture of the final product I took back in 2010:

 

 

 

So there you have it - my one holiday cookie recipe! 

 

 

Stop by and say hi to Gretchen and see what other delicious cookie recipes bloggers have to share!