New Year's Eve

Here's my hero. Still safe, still alive. I'm counting the weeks til he comes home. 

Our first date was a New Year's Eve party in 1977.  My then boyfriend was being a flake and I needed a date for a party to which I had already RSVP'd.  My dear friend Paul was the only person I could think of that I could ask to be a place-holder on such short notice.  Thankfully, he didn't have other plans already and he took me to the party.  At midnight we kissed and that was it for me.  I was done, his kiss won me over and I broke up with my idiot boyfriend a couple of days later.  Paul and I didn't officially become an item until March, but we celebrate New Year's Eve as our first date/begin of relationship.

We've now been together for 28 years, and in all those years, this will be only the second New Year's Eve we will spend apart.  Pretty lucky, considering he's a soldier.  I did get a chance to IM with him today though.  He has been at a remote location the last two weeks and has been unable to e-mail.  I wish I could say his time in the remote had been uneventful, but it certainly was not.   An IED claimed the live's of two people he had come to know, as well as injured four other soldiers.  Paul's Apache was dispatched to escort the med-evac helicopter, search for the "trigger" guy, and later, to collect the remains.

My heart goes out to the families and friends of the dead soldiers.  I cannot imagine how incredibly hard it would be to receive this sort of news at any time, but especially during the holidays. 

Tonight my plan is to spend this last Holiday apart with our children, to kiss them and hug them.  I will light candles for the military members that spend this night in harm's way.  I will ask God to watch over them all and to give comfort and peace to their families. 

The merriment of after Christmas

We had rain for Christmas, but it started snowing here on Monday.  It hasn't really stopped since. There is an accumulation of about 3-4 inches outside now.  More snow is due tomorrow.  Cabin Fever could be horrible, if it wasn't for all the things I know I should be doing.  Tuesday I weighed in at 221.4.  Not bad considering I had no restrictions through the weekend. Still.. it's time to get back up and go, go, go.  Measured myself all over again on Tuesday.  Walked one mile on Tuesday and one mile today(wednesday).

roughly 11 weeks to go.

Christmas Questionaire

Found this fun questionaire at Mark's journal and I just had to do it too.  Thanks Mark for sharing this with all of us.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate, hands down.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the
tree? Santa wraps with Santa paper

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?  This year we have a fiber optic tree, and it has colored lights, but around our balcony we have white twinkle lights

4. Do you hang mistletoe?  Not since I left my parents house.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually during Thanksgiving weekend.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding
dessert)?    Dressing

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?  My mother making the turkey dance for us before it was cooked. (don't ask!)

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I can't remember a clear cut point, I'd say it was sometime in grade school though.

9. Do you open any gifts on Christmas Eve?   We usually open one gift, usually one from an extended family member.

10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for
him?  chocolate chip, with  milk 

 

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?  Love it, I always enjoy getting out with the kids and making snow angels.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but I'm better at roller skating

13. Do you remember your favorite gift as a kid?  My favorite Christmas started out with my only receiving one present on Christmas day.  I'm not sure what happened there, but after Christmas, my mom AND dad took me out on a shopping spree so I could pick out the rest of my gifts.  That turned out to be my most memorable Christmas.  I think my favorite gift was my 35 mm SLR camera I received when I was 15.

 14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays
For you? Being with Family, and singing Christmas Carols

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?  Green and Red Jello Cake.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?   We've always collected special ornaments along the way, so each year as we set up the tree, my husband and I tell the stories of the ornaments. 

17. What tops your tree?  This year, it's a star, usually it's an angel, but since we are in Germany... we left all our unreplacables in storage in the states.

18. Which do you prefer: Giving or Receiving? I think I get the most pleasure from giving when I know that what I've got for someone will be well-received.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol?  Mary, Did you know?

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?  I can take them or leave them.  They are so pretty on the tree though.

13 weeks to go- ACK!

Weigh in: 219.6

I've been walking, no separate strength training and no real diet to speak of.  But considering it's the holidays and I've been subjected to the usual temptations, I'm okay with the weight loss.  Kids are on break from school which can sometimes hamper my weight loss efforts. 

We've had snow falling for the last 3 days, and as I look out the window this morning, seems we have some sort of precipitation.  Not sure if it's ice, rain or snow, but it's coming down something fierce.  Supposed to be like this the rest of the week.  I'd say chances are high for a white Christmas.

15 weeks and losing time fast

Conversation with Paul this weekend suddenly makes me very aware that I have 15 weeks before he's home for good.  UGH!  and YEA!  LOL..  Thrilled to know that this long absence is almost over, but very frustrated to realize how much time I've wasted during his absence. 

WEIGH IN: 220.8

On the plus side, if nothing more happens, I've only gained 4 or 6 pounds since he left. On the negative side, I've wasted weeks and weeks of time that I could have been doing the simplest things just to feel like I'm making progress.

So today, since it's Monday and the clock is seriously ticking, I am ready to get started again.  My plan is to do a 30 minute walk M-F.  On Monday, Wednesday and Fridays I will do strength training of the upper and lower body.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I will work my abs.  Saturday and Sundays will be longer walks- lasting up to an hour.

Eating wise, I hope to continue the slow process of replacing old choices with healthier ones. Finally, I intend to take my iron supplements as well as my vitamins.  For help in the appetite area, I'm using my green tea pills.

No more excuses, no more "tomorrow."  Today is the beginning of the end and I want to be able to show progress at the end of 15 weeks.

Weekly Check In

Weight: 219.7

Difference from last week: -.6

Last week I walked 10 miles total. I also lost 5 inches total from various spots.  My plan for this week is to walk one mile a day M-Sat, and do the "start it up" workout from the Slim in Six series.  I've already finished my workout for today.

This morning while the kids were getting their breakfasts and making their lunches, Kimberly knocked a bottle of wine (full) off the refrigerator.  Wow, who knew that those bottles hold so much? LOL.  I have done the initial clean up, but I need to get back in there and really scrub the floor.  At the moment, it's as stick as fly paper.

I have signed up for "Family Readiness Group Leadership" training, which starts tomorrow and lasts the rest of the week.  I have no plans while we are at this post to be a leader of an FRG, but I figure the training will most likely come in handy at our next couple of posts.

Friday night

TGIF!  So far this week I've walked 6 miles.  Stayed up until 3 am last night talking with my next door neighbor.  We sat out on the balcony, drinking wine, smoking cigarettes and solving the problems of the world....too bad they don't stay solved.

 

Off and walking

Wt. 220.3

Fat percentage 45%

Fat pounds 99.5

Walked two miles today with strength training intervals.

Once more from the top

Well, after a month of planning to start back up the diet and exercise, I have arrived at a new month.   Yesterday I walked two miles.  Hey, it's a start.  Weigh in this morning was 220.1.  I'm hoping the motivation stays with me for awhile.  A group of friends here in the stairwell are hosting a "Party Hardy in the 80's" party on November 18.  I'd like to see some weight loss between now and then. It's going to take a lot of work, but I think I'm ready to do some.

I'm already trying to plan out my outfit for that night.  It's been a long time since I dressed for the 80's and I've been trying to get some ideas off the internet.. not too much luck there.

My basic plan is a black pin-stripe skirt with black tights, a tank top, covered by a "flash dance" style sweatshirt( in turquoise if I can find it), fingerless gloves and a ton of plastic bracelets.  One of girls is going to tease my bangs up into the classic "big hair" look.  I think the only thing I need to finish off my look is some face paint.

Trick or Treat through J-land

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Welcome to my page for Halloween.  .

We celebrated "trick or treating" tonight (Oct 29) here on Stork Barracks.  The kids were out and snatching up candy as fast as their little legs could carry them.  (the neighbor kids that is).  The community had a haunted house set up, which I heard was pretty intense, but I did not attend.  I don't much care for people jumping out at me.

Now that my kids are teens, they tend to celebrate a bit differently.  They dress up ( their costumes are much scantier now) and they go to a few houses to trick or treat and collect up their friends.  This year, they hit the haunted house after the trick or treating and then they went to the movies. The movie was "Skeleton Key", which I thought was a perfect movie for Halloween.

In our stairwell, all of our neighbors sat out on the front stoop and passed out candy from there to keep the kids from having to climb three flights of steps.  We drank mulled wine and ate bratwurst while admiring all the costumes.  All in all, a fun but quiet Halloween.

Irony

My hubby asked for the girls' sizes and measurements so that he can pick up some local fashion for them.  Kendra is very much like her dad, she has a very slender frame and long limbs.  Kimberly, while being much taller, has a similar body build to mine.

I can't count the number of times I have wished to have either of their bodies, but especially Kim's because I think it would be easier to maintain.  Anyway, in taking her measurements last night, I realized her waist and hips measure the same as mine did when I was 17 years old.  The irony comes in knowing that when I was that size I thought I was fat!! and  how much I wish I was that size now.

Why is it that as females, we seldom are satisfied with our bodies?

Counting Down

Weigh in: 219.1

Measurements

Taken 10/4/05

  Chest: (under the boobs) 39.5   Waist: 41.5   Belly Button: 43.5   Hips: 49   Thigh: 28.25   Calf: 19.25   Neck:15.5   Biceps: 16.75   Forearm: 11.75   Wrist: 7.25   First Goal is October 14.

Self Challenge

I've been invited to a promotion party with a theme "Captain Caveman".   We are all supposed to come in Caveman costumes. I have two weeks to do the best I can with my diet and exercise so, here I go.

Starting again- taking up my personal challenges

Well.. here it is Monday again and time to start the ritual first day.

I'm participating in a challenge regarding inches lost, but not sure how long that challenge is going to last.  However sometime today I will need to do my measurements and get them to the "keeper of the measurements".

I have to use a communal laundry room in the basement.  No biggie, except for some reason my key won't open the door this morning.  I'm pretty sure I have the right key, but.. it just won't tumble.  I'm going to need to borrow my neighbor's key in a bit.  I think I may end up having to get new keys made. At any rate, it's sort of annoying to have so much laundry to do today and no way in (at the moment) to the machines.

I'm also working on getting my 90 days of iron supplements in.  I have been anemic for a while and the doc wants me to take supplements for 90 days and test again.  If the test is still low, then he will explore other reasons why I might be anemic.

Well, I guess that is all for this morning.

Birthday Central

September is a busy month for birthdays at our house and within the larger family frame.  Paul's mom's birthday is this month, and my dad's was the 13th. Kimberly, my middle daughter celebrated her 14th birthday on the 15th, Kendra my oldest daughter turned 17 today.  My niece, Tina was 27 on the 11th.

The picture is of Kendra and Kim, during the summer at WaterWorld in Phoenix Arizona.

Kimberly came into this world at 4:30 AM on September 15, 1993.  She weighed 9 lbs and was 22 inches long.  She is now 5ft 6 inches and shows no signs of being done growing vertical yet. :)  She is a beautiful girl, both in body and soul.  I see the potential that lies deep within her still.  And I am enjoying watching her become.

Kendra came into this world at 1:28 AM on September 20, 1988.  She weighed 9 lbs and was 21 inches long.  She is now 5 ft 4 inches and it looks like this may be the final height for her.  I can't believe that my oldest baby is just one year from being a "legal" adult.  She is everything I would hope that she'd grow up to be.  Smart, Independent, trustworthy, loving, and most definitely NOT afraid to stand up for herself. I have great faith that she will achieve her goals.

 

just plain tired

There just aren't enough moods to choose from in this set up.   I am about to die I am so tired.  Once the kids are out the door this morning I am going back to bed.  I spent yesterday getting my kitchen organized again.  Chopped up my veggies and I am good to go to grab and eat healthy foods for a while.

My sleep patterns have become so messed up.  I stay up each night until almost 1 or 2 am and then I have to get up by 6 to get the kids going each morning. Saturday and Sunday mornings without an alarm are starting to look very good.

Army Standards

I've been doing some research this morning.  I would like to be able to achieve Army standards for physical preparedness and weight.  I've been looking up the numbers so that I can begin setting goals.  You know, check where I fall now on the "scale" and make plans on how to improve those scores.

According to the Army for my heigh (5'2") my "ideal" weight is 115.5 lbs. 

The P.T. Standards for females between the ages of 42-56 is as follows:

2 mile  run

100%-17:24 /  90%  18:54 / 80%    20:30 /  70%    22:06         

  Sit Ups (to be done in 2 minutes) 100%   72 / 90%     62  /80%     52 / 70%      42     

   Push ups (to be done in 2 minutes) 100%   37 / 90%   31 / 80%   25 / 70%    18

  I need to double check on the time allotment for the sit ups and push ups, but I think two minutes was the standard.  So I think I have my work cut out for me.

Friday's Dining In

Friday night our Brigade put on a Spouse's Dining In.  This event was to award honorary spurs to the spouses that survived the spouses "spur" ride in August.  The Calvary has a longstanding tradition of having the soldiers earn their spurs.  This can be accomplished one of two ways.  1. is to earn them through battle. 2. is to earn them through a "spur" ride, in which their nettle, strength, and intelligence are tested.

Often an abreviated Spur ride is created to allow the spouses an opportunity to learn some of the more intricate parts of their soldiers military service.  I myself have earned my own Air Assault Badge by going through a Spouse's course. :)  I did not get to participate in this spur ride since I was on vacation.  But I did go to the celebration of the event.

Friday evening we all dressed up, high heels, long dresses, etc.  Everyone looked so lovely.  We gathered for the cocktail hour and then proceeded to the formal portion of the evening.  We toasted the United States, the President and the First Lady, We toasted our soldiers, We toasted the spouses who have experienced our worst fears.

Then we gave out awards.  Dinner followed.  After this, we created the "grog".  The grog is a concoction of innumerable spirits all mixed together and used as punishment throughout the night whenever someone forgot their manners, etc.  Needless to say, there were a lot of drunk spouses by the end of the night. 

We did skits, and finally. . we danced.  Although this was an all spouse group, we danced and enjoyed the evening.  The comraderie created amongst all us women (and a few men) was awesome.  It is a reminder that we are not in this alone.  We merely need to look to the left or the right and there we can find strength.

the 7

Well, I've been seeing this list of questions showing up in everyone's journals, so I thought I'd play too.  Hope no one minds.

7 things I would like to do before I die:

1. Meet my weight goal

2. Take an Alaskan Cruise

3. Finish a wedding quilt for each of my kids BEFORE their weddings

4. See all three kids graduate from college

5. travel leisurely through the British Isles

6. Become truly fluent in one other language

7. Own my own home- for good this time.

7 things I can do:

1. shop and order food in german and french, cuss in spanish

2. break the ice in less than 3 minutes with new people.

3. believe that my kids are the best things since sliced bread

4. walk two miles in 30 minutes

5. bake and/or cook a new recipe and have everyone rave.

6. finish lap size quilts in a reasonable time

7. read and interpret most medical jargon.

7 things I can't do:

1. start a sentence and finish it in the same language! (other than english)

2. ignore someone who is suffering

3. accept anything below a B on a report card (mine or someone else's)

4. keep my house clean on a day to day basis.

5. say NO when asked to help out

6. refuse the opportunity to address a crowd

7. ever live in Phoenix full time again.

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex:

1. dark hair

2. witty conversation

3. intelligence

4. education

5. physique

6. a wry sense of humor

7. full lips

7 things I say most often

1. "if you leave my house realizing that 'life isn't fair', then I've done my job" (said to the kids when they wail "That's not fair!")

2. I don't think so.

3. as if

4. clean your rooms

5. Did you brush your teeth?

6. The fact of the matter is...

7. I love you

7 celebrity crushes ( and this is all about the "hubba hubba" factor!)

1. Keanu Reeves

2. Sean Connery

3. Josh Hartnett

4. Harrison Ford

5. Cary Grant

6. Brad Paisley

7. Orlando Bloom

 

 

 

So far, so good

Today I'm including pictures of me (this was taken in Feb, 2005 at Madame Toussards Wax Museum in London).  Also a pic of my husband, Paul.  His was taken just before he deployed in March.

I am feeling on top of the world today.  I have stuck to my exercise plan for this week.  I've walked 2 miles every day since Tuesday.  My eating plan is slowly coming "on line".  I do great during the day when the kids are gone, but by dinner time I find myself going the "easy" route and getting fast food.  So next week I'm going to focus more on home meals.

Next week (monday) I'm going to begin my Slim in Six program.  This comes from beachbody.com and is a six week program of progressively longer and harder workouts.  I've started the program before and had some really good results with it before I plummetted.  I'll be taking "before" pictures on Monday so I can see the visual difference after 6 weeks.  I'll try to post them here to help me stay on track. 

I'm also using a combination of WW points and the pocket diet. You can find out more about the pocket diet at www.pocketdiet.com .  This diet uses pita pockets to assist with portion control.  Since our commissary actually carries pita pockets that are perfect for this diet, I decided to try it.  There are a ton of good recipes out on the internet.  You just have to be careful about calorie counts.  Although, it's easy enough to make adjustments with the ingredients.

 

Back in the saddle

I think I'm back on track!  Weighed in yesterday at 216.3 and got all my measurements.  Tried to stay on track with my eating, may have been a bit off, but I did get in two miles of walking.  We are back on our way.

I am using a topical OTC cream to help burn fat.  I'll keep you all informed on how that goes.  You put it on a small area where you want to release fat from your fat cells and then you exercise 30 minutes later to burn the released fat before it can redeposit somewhere else.

Diet plan is low calorie with special emphasis on high fiber, low fat.  I"m trying to remember to take my iron pills daily for the next 90 days so that I can be tested again for anemia. Guess that's all to report for now.

Once more .... from the top

Affirmation for this week of RELEASE - "I no longer carry the past around me like a cloak. Instead, I cast it off via internal cleansing and outward action so I can move boldly into new adventures."

 

The little ones are still sleeping. Everyone went back to school this week.  My oldest daughter has been home for the last couple of days due to a fierce UTI.  We were back in the ER last night since she's not had any relief with the original antibiotic.  They changed the meds and have asked us to return to the clinic on Tuesday. (holiday weekend).

It's time to get serious on this weight issue.  I have 7 months til Paul gets back from Afghanistan. Even at a modest rate, I figure I can be at least 28-35 lbs lighter by his arrival at the end of March.

According to my astrology, this is a good time to begin new projects.  I want to take advantage of that positive energy and start moving forward again.

On that note, I weighed in this morning at 216.9.

Official start weigh in- post vacation

Well, today is the "start" of my program.  I weighed in this morning at 216.3 lbs.  Up two pounds since before vacation, but all things considered, not bad.  I'm starting this week with simple movement, i.e. walking, for my exercise. Next week I'm going to start my "slim in six" exercise program.

Getting back on track eating may take a bit longer.  My stove is broken at the moment and I'm not sure when the repair people will be able to make it to fix the stove/oven.  Until they do, I'm limited on my food options.  I'm trying to keep a handle on them, choosing high fiber cereals and other such "better for me" fare, but it doesn't always go as smoothly as we would hope.

 

Home again, Home again, jiggedy jig

Well, the kids and I arrived in Frankfurt on Tuesday, August 16.  Dealing with jet lag, but hoping to be on here soon to discuss some of the more interesting aspects of my travels and share some pics.

Mother In Law

I have always thought that my mother in law and I had a pretty decent relationship.  Guess I was just fooling myself.  I don't know.

Prior to our arrival in Phoenix, she wrote to my husband in Afghanistan asking that while he was in Phoenix, we stay at their house. (both my mother and his parents live in Phoenix).  I agreed when Paul asked me. Usually we stay at my mother's.  In the past she has had more room for all of us to stay there.  The one time we stayed with Paul's parents, they put Paul and I on a twin bed to share! (Paul is 6 ft 2, and I was chunky at the time).  It was a hoot, uncomfortable as hell and I vowed I wouldn't stay there again if I couldn't at least have a double bed.

Anyway, this time I agreed because they have moved into a larger home and actually have a guest bedroom. 

So during my second week at my mother's, my friend Lisa came into town to visit (she lives in Ohio).  Towards the end of the week, I asked my MIL if she could watch the kids one morning so I could take Lisa to the casino with my mom and my aunt.  She (the MIL) said no... her other son and his wife were visiting for two days.  No biggie.  I was a little disappointed, but really it was my own fault for forgetting that M and his wife would be in town.  I said nothing about it in my emails to Paul because it was not a big deal. 

Well, (so sue me for being nosy), I got into Paul's email account today and there is this long note from his mother whining about how she hasn't heard from me in a week (she knew I was coming up to Colorado to visit my sister), and she hopes that I understand she didn't want to watch my kids when her son and his wife "who's only visited twice since they got married and only had two days in town." I had not mentioned it at all to Paul because frankly, I did understand, it was not THAT big a deal to me, and I don't think that he needs to be worrying about petty stuff like that.

Now I don't want to stay at her house.  UGH. I'm half tempted to bring Paul back to my mom's house for at least the first couple of days he arrives because my mother tends to give us a lot of breathing space whereas Paul's mom wants to plan every moment of our time when we are with them. But I'm gonna suck it up because this is not worth the fight.  I'm just regretting that Paul, the kids, and I are not going to really have much time to reconnect as a familyduring this break.

Traveling about the country

Been in the U.S. now for over three weeks.  While in Arizona, visited the Grand Canyon and Sedona. I am now in Colorado Springs, visiting my sister.  I go back to Phoenix on Sunday and then Paul arrives sometime the week of July 11.  I am so looking forward to seeing him.

Weight has stayed the same. Not much new in that department.

Learning to love oneself

Love begins at home with learning to love ourselves. This is not trite psychobabble. You Geminis are quite capable of saying the right thing at the right time. You can often get the love you need. But now it's time to stop and nurture your own self. Not only will it feel good, but it can also deepen the way you love others

This was my horoscope for yesterday.  But I think it speaks volumes to everyone of us.  Generally speaking, we give so much of ourselves and our time to others, leaving very little for our own needs.  I think there is something to be said that first we must fill ourselves and then we can give more freely and openly to others.

Waiting to hear

Paul flies the Apaches.  When I read these reports I wonder if he is one of the responding helicopters.  I know he is not stationed at the camp that was attacked.  But I also know he's flown out to hunt for the attackers in the past.   I also know that this means it will be a few days before I hear from him.  UGH!  the waiting and not knowing is so frustrating. 

I feel for the families of the soldiers involved. It is never easy.  Waiting to hear the news if your soldier was involved, waiting to hear from your soldier if he/she wasn't.  Communications are limited until the next of kin are contacted.  Now, I have another 2-3 day wait til I hear from him.

KABUL, Afghanistan (June 8) - Rebel rockets struck U.S. troops unloading supplies from a helicopter in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing two and wounding eight in one of the bloodiest assaults on American forces since insurgent violence picked up in March.

The killings came a day after the Afghan government warned that Taliban and al-Qaida fighters are waging a campaign of violence in hopes of undermining legislative elections in September, although the rebels failed to disrupt last fall's presidential vote.

After the explosions at the base in Shkin, 4 miles from the border with Pakistan, U.S. warplanes and attack helicopters rushed to the scene to search for the attackers, but found no trace of them, Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara said.

The U.S. spokesman said four rockets hit the base.

''This was a serious attack against coalition forces,'' O'Hara said. ''Security is not as good as it should be. But when you look at it over the course of months, incidents are on the decline. But that doesn't appear to be the case today.''

O'Hara said the Shkin base is part of an operation along the border to prevent ''foreign fighters from entering into this country to derail the peace process.''

Weekly Weigh in

I don't know how.. lol.. but I am losing again.  My exercise has been sporadic at best, with so many changes happening on a daily basis.  And my eating has not been as on target as I would like it to be.. but in the last 7 days , I've managed to lose 2.2 lbs.. WOO HOO!   We are set to leave on Monday.  We're taking the train up to Frankfurt on Sunday, and staying overnight at a hotel near the airport.  I didn't want to leave the car in the parking lot for two months (can you imagine the fees!!).  Our plane takes off about 11:30 am and with the new rules about check-in.. I'd have to have us on the train Monday morning by 4:30 to get to Frankfurt in time.. decided it would be less hectic if we just spent the night up in Frankfurt.  This way.. I can leave my house pretty clean and with the beds all made and dishes all done.. a first I think for me when it comes to traveling.   I've been busy on E-bay this month.  Selling a lot of the homeschooling curriculum I used this past year.  So much of it was in such great shape, it seemed a shame for it not to get used again.  I made enough money to subsidize a good part of my "mini-vacation" with my sister.  She's meeting up with us mid-july, about the same time that Paul is due in.  I am leaving him with the kids and taking a 3-4 day breather with my sister.  As much as I hate to miss those days with Paul, I have to be honest and say that I'm looking forward to NOT being "mom" 24/7.    Paul's dad is scheduled for surgery on June 14 (the day after we get there).  The doctors are pretty confident at the moment that the tumor is inclusive and has not had the chance to spread.  I hope the surgery bears out what all the early tests are saying.   I'm sending my computer out in the mail tomorrow so I can have it at my mother's .. LOL.. how addicted is that?  It would probably make more sense to just buy a cheap one at Walmart once I am there, but I am so not interested in having to set it all up.  Rather just have mine arrive and plug it in. I have 24 hours to make a final decision about this.  The plus side of sending the computer (actually it's the kids) is that it is already loaded up with all their favorite games so they'd have a few things to do at Gram's.   The rest of this week, I'm trying to plan out menus for while we are at my mom's.  I think I mentioned before I intend to take over cooking duties while we are there.  So I want to go armed with some recipes and menu plans.  But I want to keep it a bit open as well... I have to admit that I have a lot of excitement, anticipating all the new products that have been out since we've arrived in Germany.   I've also decided that while I'm in Phoenix I will go to WW meetings in person. I figure I can get 8 weeks worth under my belt while I'm there.  I am hoping that the meetings will give me that extra boost of "gotta stick with it" that I've been sorely lacking lately.   Am also trying to help my son, Mac get his weight a bit more under control.  He's been mentioning he wants to lose weight.. I don't think he needs to lose much, but what I really think he needs is to get out and play more, as well as think about portion control.   Okay.. this got longwinded and I didn't mean for it to.. sorry :) 

I missed his call

Yesterday the kids and I went up to Wuerzburg PX to do some shopping.  One of the things I needed to do was buy ink for the printer but I forgot that.  I really need to make lists.

When we got home there was a message on the phone. Paul tried to call and we weren't here.  I actually played the message over a half dozen times just to hear his voice.  I can't believe I missed a chance to talk to him. I hope he tries again over the next few days.

My oven is broken.  Something happened Saturday night... I'm not sure what, but now only the upper coil will heat up.  I was going to make Chocolate Chip cookies to send to Paul, but now I'm concerned that the cookies will burn. I have to make a decision about that in the next hour or so though.  Post office closes by three here, so If I want him to have these before the weekend, they must go out today.

On the "good news" side of the house, My weigh in this morning was down.  Not as much as I hoped, but considering that I had a hard time staying on a good eating plan, YEA!   I weighed 14.4 lbs... down 1.3 lbs from last Wednesday.

This week is going to be a flurry of activity but I'm hoping to keep to the diet.  Monday next we take off for Phoenix.  My FIL is scheduled for surgery on the 14th. The kids are anxious to see him before he heads under the knife.

All for now.

 

Saturday

Mackenzie is having a few friends over tonight for a sleep-over.  I was in a very good mood when I agreed to this. This morning we got up and started cleaning.  The house gets a bit trashed between Monday morning and Friday evening.

Everything is finished now and I feel like I've been on a cleaning marathon.  I've done 7 loads of laundry (three still in the dryers) already today.  I think I'm done with laundry for the day.  All the public rooms look fantastic.  I still need to do my room, but for the moment I'm taking a breather. 

Today I'm also trying to focus more on a "liquid" diet.  I've been using the slim-fast shakes as my meals and eating fruit for snacks.

I have 5 window boxes of flowers outside.  Two of them are thriving and three are dying from neglect. 

My Back's Against the Wall

This is it. Time to "start it up"  My "official" weigh in this morning is 215.7.  I have 13 weeks for this first part of my plan.  My goal is to be down to 189 by August 30.

Generally speaking, I'm going to be following the WW flex point plan. Specifically, I'm trying to keep my calories between 1200 and 1500 a day. Water consumption needs to go up.

Exercise, it's going to be a 2 mile walk a day (WATP) and I'm using the beachbody.com program "Slim in Six" for my weight resistance training.  This program ramps up as you get more fit.  The starting program is about 34 minutes long, by the end of the 1st or 2nd week (going at your own rate), the program is about 57 minutes long.

As added "bonus" exercise, I'm going to encourage more "play time" with my kids.  Last year at this time we were playing tag in the playgrounds after school, and trying to make it to the gym once or twice a week.  I think it's time we start that back up again.  I may not pursue it too heavily here, since only two weeks remain, but once we are in Phoenix and school is out.. I'll convince them they need to help "me". :)    I have already found one laser tag gym in Phoenix, something we all enjoyed in CO. Springs.

Swimming lessons will be a "must" while we are in Phoenix.  Hopefully, there is a "Y" near my mother.

The Diet Minder and other ramblings

It's been some crazy days lately.  Mac's Science Fair Project came together very nicely.  The fair was last Thursday and Friday.  Guess I'll hear how he did overall by end of today.  Friday the 6th graders went to Geiselwind, an amusement park near us.  I went as a chaperone and had Mac and his friend Michael with me.  All my children take after their dad.  They do not care for rollercoasters, nor other rides that are fast, upside down, etc.  So, Michael and I rode a lot of the scarier rides together.  I think my new favorite are the drop rides.  The ones where they take you to the top of a tower and then drop you down.. sort of a controlled "bungee" jump.   But I sidetrack....

Today my oldest daughter, Kendra is going to Geiselwind with her "Renaissance" group.  This is the reward program for those kids that not only excel in schoolwork, but also manage to have few, if any excuses absences. I hope she has a good time.

Kimberly, my middle child, has a geography project due today.  She has to finish it up this morning before school (nail biting suspense on that one), so I'm waking her about 1/2 hour earlier than usual.  Here's hoping she did not grossly underestimate the amount of time she needed for this project.

Okay... so.. finally I'm ready to discuss the Diet Minder.  This is a neat journal. I heard about it somewhere, and after much debate (and finally filling my theme book) I decided to try this as my diet diary.  I like to track the good days, what I eat, etc. One of the reasons I wanted to try this food diary in particular is that it has space for listing your supplements.  I take a few and it would be nice to be able to see if they do make as much a difference in my overall plan as I think they do.

To learn more about the Diet Minder and the company's other products, you can go to their website at www.memoryminders.com .  I am going to begin using my new food diary tomorrow (june 1).  It allows me to track things for 91 days, which should work out just perfect for my trip to Phoenix.  I'm going to put my "before" pictures in there to help keep me motivated.  I have 14 days here before I leave for Phoenix and I have 4 weeks there before Paul joins us.  The heat is on!

 

THE CHALLENGE TO LEAD

THE CHALLENGE TO LEAD
Plants lean to the Sun seeking growth. They can also wilt in submission to the intensity of the heat. Use the feedback in your life. When people set themselves against your will, you're probably driving too hard a bargain. If you want what you want, there's no sense irritating those people you need along the way. Try including and sharing as techniques. What you can render opens the door to what you receive.

Spiritual Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss, I'm beginning to think that I need all the ammunition I can get.  Someone within the aol journals community listed Spiritual Weight Loss as a favorite link.  In exploring the site, I am finding much to get excited about.  I wanted to take just a couple of minutes here and list ten things I am grateful for.

1. My husband and family- that they love me as I am, in my current form and think I am beautiful.

2. I am thankful that thus far, I have no health complications due to my obesity.

3. My friend Lisa, she makes me laugh and she listens when I need a shoulder.

4. I am thankful that I enjoy exercise, even if I can't always find time for it.

5. The continued good health of my extended family.

6. The opportunity to go home for 2 months this summer.

7. That I'll get the chance to visit with my two best friends, Lisa and Leigh while I am home.

8. That Paul continues to be safe while he is deployed.

9. That I will get to see Paul in July.

10. That I know the rest of our lives together will be content and happy. I am grateful that we are in a place in our lives where we are in sync with our goals and dreams for the future.

Focus on the Process

I am back to focusing on the process.  Sort of ... :)  I weighed myself this morning and I came in at 214.2.   I really don't like to weigh myself daily, too easy for the number on the scale to effect my mood and my progress for the new day.  But in this case it was nice to see that things are "looking up."

I have to drive to Wuerzburg today.  Mac's science fair project is due tomorrow and we need to have film developed to include pictures with his project. The closest American one hour photo shop is in Wuerzburg.  I'm gonna try to fit in my workout before I leave. Today it's two mile walk and butt PHH.

The End of a Good Day

It is close enough to the end of my day (7:45 pm) that I am calling it a "win."  My calories stayed under 1300 calories.  I did a two mile walk and I did the Power Half Hour Arms workout.  I planned just enough ahead to keep from binging.

For breakfast I had a slim fast, mid morning snack was cottage cheese and nectarine. Lunch was a ham sandwich on low cal/hi fiber bread with lettuce and tomato and one ounce of tortilla chips with salsa.  Mid afternoon snack was a South Beach Diet Cereal Bar.  Dinner was a Turkey Burger with lettuce, tomato and a half cup of baked beans. Water was all I drank today.

One day down, 20 days to go before I leave for Phoenix.

Get Good Information

I wish I could say I had a successful week.  Well, I could say that, but it wouldn't exactly be truth.  Not even close to the truth.  Last week was one long excuse not to get back on the program and make some forward progress.  In fact, last week was such a long excuse that my weigh in this morning is 216.1.  Yeup... I'm up two pounds from last week.  Not exactly a stellar performance.

So now it's time for me to re group and come out slugging. FAT BE GONE!!!  I'm working on putting together some good information.  One of my goals for the next 3 weeks is to put together a diet plan with menus to follow while I am at my mother's.  Some basic guidelines that will keep me closer to "on target" than if I just went unprepared. 

This morning has started on the right track so far.  It's still early.  I had a slim fast when I first got up.  3 points on the WW plan.  A light taste, so that I can still jump up and do my exercises as soon as a moment presents itself, but enough so that I can hold out before I have breakfast.  I'll report back at the end of the day with my food points and my exercise points.

Not so focused

Not as focused as I hoped to be yesterday.  In fact, I'd have to call yesterday a bust. No exercise, no watching the food intake.   I'm not making too much better of a start today. <sigh>

Focus on the Process

FOCUS ON THE PROCESS, NOT THE OUTCOME.  All you can control is what you do today; for instance, what you have for lunch and how much you exercise.  You can't control whether you lose two pounds this week or not.  People who focus on the process have a higher chance of attaining their goal.  Those who focus too much on the outcome ("I have to be a size 6 before the class reunion") generally fail.  Plus, be focusing on the process of reaching your goal, you create a way of life.

Weight: 212.9

I'm prepared to slowly work through things, to stay focused on the process.  I think that is where so many of us tend to stumble.  It's so easy to feel overwhelmed, even when making progress, by the number of pounds still left to be lost.  I know I am guilty of thinking beyond the moment.  "I want to lose X pounds by end of the month"  And I keep thinking that way even after a week where I haven't lost enough, or when I've gained.. so there I am with an even bigger amount to lose "by the end of the month."

I'm going to try this time to stay focused on today, this moment.  What can I do today to improve my health? Let's see how this works for me.

 

The Right Attitude.

Quick update before I go into my usual stuff.  My father in law has been diagnosed with cancer.  I do not know the severity of it, nor the treatment plan at this point in time.  -E

I've decided to give myself the rest of this weekend to regroup and I'm going to head back into the plan tomorrow morning. I think I'm going to use the Power Half Hour for the next 4 weeks as my strength training, along with Leslie Sansone as my "aerobics."

  The kids and I will be in Phoenix, AZ from June 13 until Aug. 15.  I haven't heard much else from Paul's parents at this point.  But Paul was able to re-arrange his R & R leave so that he can be in Phoenix about mid-July as well. I'm pretty excited, but that means I'll be seeing him in about 8 weeks and I was so hoping to be farther along on this weight loss journey than I am. Okay.. the first thing I have to 'fess up to is my starting weight for this new plan of mine.  I weighed in this morning at 214.1.  That is 22 lbs over my low weight of 192.3 from November.  I am SOOOO not happy about that.  But more importantly.. I am ready to do something about that. I would like to lose at least that by the time I see Paul.. and should the diet gods care to smile upon me, I'd really like to lose closer to 30 lbs... We'll see how all that goes..   I found an article in the May 31, 2005 edition of Woman's Day.  About "How to stay on your Game."  If you all don't mind, I'm going to share it with you here.  

 

People who succeed in transforming their bodies need, above all, the right attitude.  According to Todd M. Kays, a psychologist specializing in sports and performance and director of the Athletic Mind Institute in Columbus, Ohio, all of us can apply these tips to help stick with a fitness plan and achieve our personal best: GET GOOD INFORMATION.  Consult an expert, such as a reputable dietitian or trainer.  Be sure this person is as committed to your goal as you are. FOCUS ON THE PROCESS, NOT THE OUTCOME.  All you can control is what you do today; for instance, what you have for lunch and how much you exercise.  You can't control whether you lose two pounds this week or not.  People who focus on the process have a higher chance of attaining their goal.  Those who focus too much on the outcome ("I have to be a size 6 before the class reunion") generally fail.  Plus, be focusing on the process of reaching your goal, you create a way of life. EXPECT SETBACKS.  They happen, so plan on them.  One week you may be faithful to your diet and still gain two pounds, or maybe you were able to jog three miles last week, but this week you can't get past two.  That's part of the journey.  Cut yourself some slack.  The greatest athletes aren't those who have never had a setback, but those who persist through adversity. PUSH THROUGH PLATEAUS.  When progress stops, and you can't seem to gain fitness or lose weight, ask two questions: Are my goals realistic, or am I expecting too much too soon?   Do I need to change my program?  Athletes, for example, often over train.  Building in more recovery time could get you over the next hurdle. FIGHT HEAD GAMES WITH HONESTY. When people start to give up, the rationalize: "I'm fine the way I am.  This is just how my body is meant to be.  I can't run a marathon.  What was I thinking?" Such self-talk buffers disappointment, but it doesn't get the job done.  Take your emotions out of the picture.  Be brutally objective and tell yourself the truth:"I'd be healthier if I lost 20 pounds." Or, "I'd increase my chanced of living longer if I worked out consistently." When you define your issues objectively, they become a problem to solve, not a criticism of your self-worth. DO IT FOR YOURSELF.  Don't try to improve your body simply to please another person.  You can never control another person's view of you.  While getting your dream body may, in fact, please others in your life, you have to do this for yourself.

Pet Peeves

Weigh in: 212

Considering how quickly my week went downhill, that is not too bad.   Not the direction I wish to be heading in, but not too bad.

So.. my pet peeve this morning is simply this.  I wake up at 6 am to wake the kids to get ready for school.  The girls have to catch a bus at 730 and Mac walks two blocks to his school at 7:45. None of them take their showers in the morning, so technically they only need about 45 minutes to get dressed and eat in a leisurely manner.  My PEEVE is that I get up early because that is when they WANT to get up, but what really happens is that I spend the next 45 minutes to an hour telling them to get up.  I could be sleeping for that brief period of time, but no.. I have to keep going to the rooms and tweaking covers or toes to get them moving.

Anyway, Mother's Day was a pretty good one.  The kids and I went to Cinnabon for breakfast where I had a minibon and chocolate milk. We did some shopping at the "big PX" and then did a bit of commissary shopping and then had lunch at Burger King. I had a Whopper Jr and a med. fry.  I also splurged and had real Dr. Pepper. YUMMY! 

Kimberly, my middle child, made dinner last night of waffles and she made a lemon cake for dessert.  All very tasty.

This morning it's back to the point watching.  It's also "Post clean up day" which means I'll have an opportunity to burn a lot of calories raking, weeding, sweeping, etc outside our building.

I've mixed up my eating plan a bit, using some of the Jorge Cruise thought process and I'm planning meals every 3 hours.  Last week doing this seemed to really help.  BUT.. I also allow for the idea that I might not need every snack I plan.  I make a plan, but I allow hunger level to rule if I truly need the sustenance or not.

New at the commissary this weekend: Post Carb Well High Protein Cereal Bars Cranberry Almond. 140 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g fiber. 3 pts.  Nice taste, very satisfying.

Also new: South Beach Diet High Protein Cereal Bar Chocolate by Kraft. 140 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g fiber. 3 pts.  Haven't tasted them yet.

I'm going for "easy" right now on this diet.  I want to have as little time to THINK about what I'm going to eat as possible.  The way for me to accomplish this is to have quick snacks to grab once in a while.

Weekly Weigh In

The kids have headed off to school and I am here just catching up a few things.  As soon as I finish here, I'm going to begin my workout.   Weigh in this morning: 211.3

I'm finally getting out of my slump and heading into new territory.  Getting back to exercising has really helped my depression.  I think talking in IM with Paul more regularly is helping too.

News from home has not been great.  I'm waiting to hear the results of some tests my inlaws have taken to detemine whether the kids and I should head to Phoenix for the summer.

Oh.. I went to the PSTA Bingo game Saturday night with some of the other spouses from our unit.  I had one bingo, and I won a very nice "americana" pottery piece.   It's a lasagne dish.  Polish pottery is all the rage among the military spouse at the moment.  I'm not sure exactly why.  It's nice, but ... not like we don't have such things in the states.  Unless it's the patterns.  Which I've seen a few I like, but nothing that I can't live without. 

 

Still, this pottery dish will look nice for pot lucks.

We are out of the starting blocks!

Weight: 212.5

I sat down yesterday and made up a menu plan for the next 8 days, then I went grocery shopping. Today, I've stayed to the menu plan, even when my mind was tempting me to eat something not on the menu.  But I resisted. :)  So at 3:41pm local time.. I am still good to go on the diet.  That is a big plus.  Here recently, I've been eating practically non-stop from lunch until dinner. No exercise today, but we're talking baby steps to get back up to speed, so I'm okay with no exercise.

 

Picking myself up, and dusting myself off

Today is starting off well.  I've done 44 minutes of  TaeBo and I've done 6 loads of laundry.  I am heading off for the shower now.  Even though today is cloudy and rainy, I still feel more up than I have in a long time.

Talked to my honey

Paul and I had a good conversation via IM this afternoon.  I really needed that.  I am feeling much better now and think I'm ready to get out of my funk and start making things happen for me.  Diet and exercise have been on hiatus long enough.  Tomorrow is a new week, and I am recommiting myself to doing a better job.

Depression

I think I am suffering from a mild depression.  I am not cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking meals.  I have got to get out of this funk.  It's not just me that is being affected by this.  My kids are too.

 

kids, illnesses, and registering for school

It's been a busy 7 days.  Mac was sick early last week.  Then Kendra and Kim started getting sick over the weekend. Kim has missed school all this week, but Kendra managed to get back yesterday.  This is a short week of school.  The kids are off Thursday and Friday for school registration and teacher conferences.

I called the school yesterday early in the morning to have Kim's homework collected up for her.  But the teachers never responded with her assignments.  Now she is afraid to go into school today "unprepared."  This sort of thing really pisses me off.  We try to do our part in this, but when the teachers don't or can't cooperate, it's the kids that get burned.  ARGGGH.

At any rate, I've got all the forms filled out for registration.  They have early registration here at the local elementary school so I don't have to make the trip to Katterbach.  I'm just not sure how successful I can be.  Kim and Mac have lost their ID cards and I am unsure how important this is to the process. All the kids were enrolled last year, but apparently this is something that must be done each new school year.  We'll see.

My oldest daughter

This is my oldest daughter with her daddy in his helicopter.  The year is 1991, the location Ft. Polk, LA. 

I post this picture here because this pic is very special to both of them.  Since her dad has left, Kendra has posted this pic, along with one of her daddy in our living room, on her bulletin board.  She frames both pictures with her rosary.  This is a special rosary that she picked up at Notre Dame in Paris during our visit there last fall.

She is an incredible child.  Smart, emotional, creative. I remember when she was five years old, we took her and her siblings to Gettysburg.  This was Paul's trip, he had been wanting to visit the battlefield and see the museum.  So one weekend, we packed up the kids and drove north (we lived in VA at the time).  What I will always remember about that trip is Kendra's reaction as the reality of that war began to sink in.  There was one room set up with little lights on a light board to represent the killed in action over the course of the battle.  At the end, the little lights that were on practically lit up the whole room.  Kendra asked about the lights and I explained what they represented.

We moved on, and in another area of the museum, there was a diorama set up of how the tents and such were set up.  The men were shown, around campfires and such, when they were not on the battlefield.  Suddenly, Kendra just sat down and put her hands over her face.  When I asked her what was wrong, she said "All those men, mommy, dying. Such a lot of men to lose."  I was taken aback at her sudden comprehension of all that was lost in that battle.

I wonder now, what she thinks about her daddy and the job he is doing. I know she is proud of him. She wears a special bracelet that our PTSA created to support the troops we currently have deployed.  She says she will not take it off until daddy returns. She is very much a "daddy's girl" and they are so similar in thought and view points, I sometimes think she misses him more than the other two, who have always been more connected to mom.

Each morning as I straighten up her room, I see her little "shrine" for her dad and I pause and I say a prayer.  I pray for his safety, I pray for the ones fallen, I pray for the countries involved... and I pray for my children, that even though I can't shield them from what their daddy does... that God give them understanding and faith and hope.  I pray that they continue to realize daddy does all this because he believes in his country, in the constitution and that he believes what he does matters.

 

Illness spreads

Mac is now at the beginning of his cold cycle.  I am keeping him home today because he does not feel well enough to go to school.  I am still tired and listless.  Sleeping and waking throughout the night. houswork is piling up.

And I thought the silence was due to the accident

So It's been days since I heard from my hubby.  There was an accident involving a Chinook on Wednesday in Afghanistan.  I figured communications were limited while they were contacting next of kin.  Well... yes... that was going on, but my hubby apparently was out flying when the weather changed as well.  His group of aircraft had the chance to set down before an accident could occur.  He had to wait out the storm for a day, and then wait again until someone could come out and give his aircraft a "jump start" when the engine wouldn't start running. 

I am not so sure I can be as complacent again when I don't hear from him for a few days.  This is such a tough line to walk.. to be so sad for the service members we've lost, to feel the pain of their loved ones left behind and yet be thankful that -this time- my soldier is still safe.

It reminds me a bit of a short story I read called "The Lottery."

I'm sick

There are not enough options on the mood list.  I am not sure that sad really covers my mood, but of the choices, it came closest.

I started feeling ill yesterday.  Sore throat, achy body and stuffy nose.  I took the kids to Kristall Palm Beach, a water park near us for part of the afternoon.  The place was steamy and hot.  I did not go dressed to get in the water, so I spent most of my time sweating something fierce.  I just kept feeling weaker and weaker as the day passed by.

This morning I knew I had to clean house.. it had gotten pretty messy in the last few days with me being gone most of each day.  Kendra has a date tonight and I did not want her date being frightened when he picked her up by how the house looked.  The kids were so good, they jumped up and helped me.  We had all the public rooms done in about an hour.  When they jump in like that to help without fuss and muss, I feel so blessed.

Well, her date just picked her up.  She is going to an JROTC ball tonight with a friend.  It's not a romantic date.  She looks so nice in her ball gown, when I get the pics developed, I'll post one on this site.

Now it's time to just relax and take care of me. :) 

Thursday madness

Still going strong on my walk/strength training.  The exercise is easy to do each day and I feel so much better for doing it. I'm having trouble with the eating though.  Seems I can't stay as focused on that. I think I'm going to try using more of the diet frozen entrees so I have less reason to go scavenging for food.

I've lose some pictures that I was supposed to send my mother in law.  Now I need to retake them first thing in the morning and go up to Wuerzburg to get them printed at the two hour photo shop. <sigh>  this messes up my plans to take my kids to a water park tomorrow. Mac is really disappointed, but the pics need to be to my MIL by next week so I really don't have much choice in this.

The helicopter accident in Afghanistan is part of the task force that my husband is involved in, although none of our task force members were involved in the crash.  I hate that so much of what is going on there I hear through the news before I hear it through "official" channels.

Still on schedule

Managed to stay on track for my exercise. Today I danced a latin beat for 30 minutes, did an upper body workout for 30 minutes, abs for 5 minutes, and stretched.  I'm pleased that I kept up with the program.  Definitely need to keep the workouts to the morning though, doing it in the afternoon allows for too many opportunities to blow it off.

I've hidden my scale under my bed.  I am trying to keep myself to one weigh-in a week.  After the end of May, I will try to only weigh in once a month. I am currently working on a challenge that requires weekly weigh-ins, but that ends on May 30.

Tuesday's surprise march

Yesterday my 7th grade daughter had her "outdoor education" final.  The teacher had asked for parent volunteers to help out and I signed up to help.  Before leaving home yesterday morning I did my leg workout as per my fitness calendar.  No walk planned for yesterday as it was to be a "rest" day.

When I get to school, I find out the teacher is not going with us, another adult is leading the groups through the final.  The group Im assigned is a mix of males and females, totally 7.  The first start of the "exam" is a series of puzzles for them to solve.  Each puzzle requires teamwork and cooperation from the group in order for them to be successful.  The first puzzle was fitting the whole group on a 2 foot by 2 foot wood platform.  Called for close quarters but the kids managed to get this done quick! Then they had to move across an area from a large platform to a smaller platform and finally to a large platform again, using only two blocks of wood and a slender stick to cross.. without touching the ground.  They had several "do overs" on this before they finally completed the task.  5 more puzzles were done during the course of the morning.

After our lunch break, we set off on a hike!  The kids learned how to take compass headings and along the way we had checkpoints where they had to answer trivia questions.  Kim's group amazed me with the overwhelming knowledge they had over a wide variety of subjects- the only question they could not answer was "Who was the author of 'Pride and Prejudice'. "   The only answer they got wrong was about the famous swamp in Florida (everglades), they chose to go with "okeefenokee swamp."  The walk was about two and half miles long.  Difficult for me to judge, since we had frequent stops for the questions, but it felt a bit longer than two, but not so long as three.  Still.. a very nice walk with lots of inclines.  Guess my day of "rest" didn't happen this week, but that's okay.. I loved the walk and the time with the kids.

Estela

Out of the starting gate at last!

I am officially back "on."  Today I did all the exercise I had planned out for me.  I ate 6 servings of fruits and vegetables. I got three servings of dairy in.  I used 3 flex points, but I earned 10 activity points in the WW system.  So it's all a good thing to me.  I finished eating about 6:30 pm and by the time I go to bed I should be in "fat burning" mode.

Life is feeling pretty satisfactory to me!

Sunday's relaxing mood

Future entries will most likely be added at the end of the day.   Yesterday (Sunday) the girls and I spent some time on the patio, planting our window boxes with new flowers we picked up on Saturday.  The patio is now a beautiful display of spring flowers. We also planted an azalea bush, which looks lovely on my new plant stand.  I like the changes we've made to the patio, although I'm still working on trying to figure out how to make the hangers for the window boxes work. I actually pondered making them dual sides, so that the weight of the window boxes would balance out.

Today starts my marathon training.  Here are the stat's I'm willing to share at the beginning of this journey.  My weight this morning was 210.3, my fat percentage is 43.5, and the total fat lbs are 91.5. My exercise goals for today are 1. two mile walk 2. upper body strength 3. abdominal workout 4. stretching

Since my weight is well above 200 again, I've decided to increase my WWpoints back to 26.  I figure I can work with the extra couple of points for a couple of weeks until I get back into complete control.  Time to dedicate to this program and give it the time it needs to work. 

Cake walks

It's Saturday, no alarm and I was up by 7 AM.  <sigh>  This weekend is the civilian spouses club Bazaar.  I had to make cakes for the cake walk for the kids.  I made coconut cake and chocolate cake.  I have to bake more for tomorrow.  I'm making yellow/ with chocolate frosting and lemon cake.

The kids and I are heading up to Wurzburg to the "big px" to do some shopping.  Paul can't get his pert shampoo at his little px downrange, so I am picking some up for him, along with his favorite bath soap.

Tomorrow is the "official" start of my marathon training.  Sundays will be a 20 minute walk for the first few weeks.  Mondays I walk 2 miles, Tuesday is my "rest" day, Wednesday I crosstrain, Thursday I walk, Friday I crosstrain, Saturdays I walk for distance.  Seems a simple enough plan.  I'm kind of goosing it just a bit.  The plan in the Prevention magazine I believe are for people that have not done much in the way of walking before.  I've been walking fairly steadily now for a year or so, so I think I can bump mine up just a bit.  We'll see.  The important thing is to not injure myself.

 

The Bizarreness of datelines

Noting all my old entries, I find it bizarre that they reflect a late night entry, but in actuality they were typed in the early morning hours in Germany. 

Paul is very good about getting to the internet cafe as often as he can.  I've been lucky enough to get daily updates from him.  But whereas in the beginning they were arriving at my email box first thing in the morning, the last two days thay have not arrived until late afternoon.  The first day this happened it made me feel a bit aprehensive.  Although you learn the concept of "no news is good news" being a military spouse, the truth is.. sometimes you can't help but worry when routines change.  It didn't help that just before going to bed Wednesday night I read two articles about things happening in Afghanistan.  Most people assume we are "done" there, and while it most definitely is safer than being in Iraq, it is by no means a picnic. There were two ambushes this week on military transports. No units were identified in the news brief I received, so it was kind of a panicky thing not to have my early morning mail from Paul.

I believe I'd know in my heart if something ever happened to him.  During the course of his career in the military, I have accurately predicted three accidents within the units to which he was assigned.  It's kind of scary when you have such certainty about things, and yet a little comforting as well because I believe I'd know before anybody could come to me with the bad news.

Thus far, all is well with him.

Family Night

Last night was Family Night at our house.  We normally do this on Thursday nights, but Kim has a concert tonight to play in (clarinet), so we moved it to Wednesday for this week. 

We keep a jar filled with activities to share together on family night. Some examples includes bowling, crafts, spades, watching a movie, dinner at a restaurant.  For the things we do at home we usually include a special dessert.  Last night we had coke floats.

This is something new for us. A night that brings us all together usually without video interruption.  My hope for these evenings is that it will keep us together as a family and maybe give the kids a relaxed time when they might share concerns they might not otherwise.

Last night we watched "A Wrinkle in Time" and afterwards we sat around and talked and laughed.  I told them about the ultrasounds I had done with each of my pregnancies.  They loved hearing about those early days, when we were still waiting to see who would be joining the family.  We laughed and shared.  I told them about the names that we had picked out ahead of time.. how if Kendra had been a boy, her name would be Fletcher.  And how if Mackenzie had been a girl, we'd have used "Rose" for his middle name.  The kids laughed so much when I told them about Kim's ultrasound, she was so tightly wrapped upon herself there was no way she was sharing her sex prior to birth.  And how Mac was an exhibitionist during his ultrasound... legs splayed and his penis whizzing all over the place.

The evening really was a success as far as bonding together goes. :)  It made my heart sing to see them laughing all together and being in harmony for a few hours.

Another sleepless night

It's 5:45 am here and the kids are still sleeping. I couldn't sleep last night.  I had a headache, I've actually had this one now for over 24 hours.  I 've taken pain relievers and sudafed, but still no relief.  I actually almost fell asleep about 10 pm last night, but then I heard the cat tossing up a hairball and all I could do was think.. sheesh, now I have to get up and clean that up.  All sleep fled with that action.  I laid back down about 3:00, but my alarm was set for 4:30 this morning because I needed to do laundry so the kids would have something to wear this morning.  I normally don't leave off my laundry so long, but yesterday was just that kind of day.

I imagine today is going to be another such day.  We are having our family evening tonight.  I have some errands to run in conjunction with the plans for tonight.  We want to have rootbeer floats for our treat while we watch dvd's.

I think dinner tonight will be something simple and easy like macaroni and cheese for the kidlets.  I think I'm going to need to fit a nap in here somewhere.

Taking on a new challenge

Well, I've decided I need a serious physical challenge, one that is attainable, but broken down into easy enough steps for me to handle.

The April issue of Prevention has a 26 week training program for walking a marathon.  I have decided that this is the challenge for me.  Everything is laid out so very nice.  I just have to glance at my book and start my walk.  I am hoping that at the end of this training challenge I can find a marathon here in Europe to participate in.  But if I can't there is one in Surprise, AZ in Feb 2006 which I might be able to make. 

Early Morning Routine

My day starts about 530 every morning.  I get up, fire up the computer and spend about a half hour reading my email and looking up things for my dieting.  Then about 6 am I wake up the kids. Some mornings they bounce out of bed ready for the day.. other mornings, they grumble and pull the blankets up over their heads and procrastinate for another 1/2 hour before rising.  This morning it seems I have a mix response.  My oldest, Kendra, is going on a field trip with her school today and she's pretty excited about it. So she bounded out of bed.  Mac and Kim are not as excited, for them it's a regular school day.. they are lagging today.

Once I get the kids in motion and they seem to have hit that auto-pilot setting, I get ready for my day as well.  Most days starts with me doing a workout.  Usually a two mile walk, followed by strength training for one part of the body or another.  I'll be doing that today in a bit.

When they are all out the door, if things have gone well, my exercise is finished and I can hit the shower and then go take care of whatever business I have.  Today I have to go to Bad Windsheim, a small town near us and pick up my apothecary cabinet that is being repaired. The cabinet was a gift my hubby brough me back from Korea, the move to Germany caused some damage to it.  It is my sincere hope that they are able to repair it well. We'll see.

Checking in

Hi Everyone, I'm Estela and this journal is meant to document the next 365 days.  I live in Germany and my husband of almost 23 years is currently serving a tour "down range."  I'm holding down the home fort with three kids in tow.  This is also the year I intend to get back into shape and lose as much as I can.  I follow the weight watchers flex point plan for my eating and for exercise I use "Power Half Hour" for strength training and "Walk Away The Pounds" for my aerobic conditioning.

The pic here is me on February 22, 2005 while I was visiting the Wax Museum in London.  My starting weight for this program is 209.6.  My goal is to lose 1-2 lbs a week.

Hubby arrived down range on March 17 (more or less).  He's an Apache pilot and has already been up and flying for convoy protection.  Well, I guess that is all for this brief intro.