tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60875825800742488382024-02-19T09:12:43.388-05:00Unscripted.Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom from a creative, hysterical, and often mundane life.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.comBlogger308125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-25278181975564715052015-04-28T09:14:00.000-04:002015-05-05T20:45:08.374-04:00Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my girlfriends invited me to a Girls Night at her house Saturday. I almost didn't go. At first I was excited about going. Fred keeps telling me to get out more and meet more people. And I agree 100%. I need to get out of the house and not just to exercise. However, when one of the girls cancelled last minute I felt that all too familiar urge to do the same. I found one excuse after another as to why I didn't feel like going: <i>It shouldn't be this cold in Spring, it is raining… again, I will only know one person there.</i><i> </i>As I sat depressed and bored on the couch, Fred hinting it was time for my Girls Night to start, I made a decision. <u>No more excuses</u>. I am tired of missing out on opportunities and experiences because of my anxiety. So, on this particular Saturday evening when normally I would have cancelled, I took a deep breath and walked out the door.</div>
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This might not sound like a big deal to most of you out there, but if you are someone who lives with anxiety you know the kind of courage that took. You see, anxiety causes you to live in a hyper-sensitive state. You are fully aware of everything around you. Every person, every noise, every movement, every object, every smell...therefore keeping you on high alert, ready to fight or flight. Because of this, seemingly simple situations, like attending a Girls Night, can be overwhelming. Especially when that situation threatens your comfortability. Now I am perfectly capable of stepping outside my comfort zone and having a good time. However, getting myself to actually do it, therein lies the difficulty. My whole life I have hated meeting new people and going out alone for fear of being judged not interesting enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, and thinking everyone will hate me. These self conscious thoughts fill my head each and every time I come into contact with another person. So maybe now you can understand the internal argument I had with myself on Saturday evening, and how much of a win it was to knock on her door and step through the threshold.<br />
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So as I mentioned, I am able to enjoy myself once outside my comfort zone which is exactly what I did Saturday night. I met some lovely ladies, drank some wine, and laughed so hard my face hurt. It felt really good. To be that comfortable amongst strangers and let go. I seriously cannot remember the last time I laughed that hard. This game we played, Cards Against Humanity, I had heard of it but never actually played it. If you have ever played Apples to Apples, a favorite amongst my family and some riotous fun itself, you understand the concept behind this game. Only, Cards Against Humanity is its own special kind of fun. The website describes it "as despicable and awkward as you and your friends (<i>so true</i>)…a party game for horrible people." Now I wouldn't go as far as that but it is definitely an ADULTS ONLY game and you need to have thick skin and a good sense of humor to play. Some of these cards are truly horrible (and disgusting) but that is part of the fun. Especially when you've had a glass or two of wine.<br />
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Many hours later, and in the wee hours of the night/morning, I made my way back to my car thankful for having stepped out of my comfort zone for the evening. No anxiety attack, no uncomfortable glances at my watch, or wishing I was back home. Just a much needed fun evening out.<br />
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So yesterday morning was probably one of the funniest mornings in a while. It started off like any other day. Morning coming to soon, me hitting snooze until I finally decided I couldn't anymore, and sleepily making my way downstairs. Mason, who I usually hear quietly making his way downstairs at around 5:30 am, was not far behind me and just as groggy. We went about our normal morning routine, albeit a bit slower; I took his waffles out of the freezer and into the toaster, then placed some chocolate chips in a bowl for the topping. I start my coffee, then go about putting his lunch together while he plays Minecraft on his tablet and eats. Once lunch is packed, I go through my mental list: homework worksheets in the purple folder, did I fill out and sign the reading log, word study notebook, math/science notebook, library books since it's Thursday, joke of the day packed in lunchbox. Check, check, check, and check.<br />
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It's been a while since Sophie made an appearance downstairs before Mason has left for school, but I hear this little voice, "Mommy?" as she sleepy walks into the kitchen. I know this will frustrate Mason as he does not like his little sister accompanying us to the bus. Big brothers, what can I say? I put her waffles in the toaster and get her a glass of orange juice as she settles at the table with her tablet, ready to watch Stampycat videos or Netflix.<br />
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7:15am the alarm goes off on my phone indicating it is time for socks and shoes, then out the door. Mason immediately turns to Sophie who is still in her pajamas and says, "you can't come with us." This stems from a few mornings ago when Sophie, desperately wanting to come with us to the bus stop, was still in her pajamas and we had to wait for her to change and ended up being late and missed the bus. Mason was angry and scolding her in the car all the way to school. As a result I instituted the rule that she had to be dressed and ready to go if she wanted to join us, otherwise she had to stay home with Dad. Sophie, aware of the new rule, turns to me and asks, "is daddy here?" Love my girl for always making sure the rules are followed and thinking about safety. Of course I would never leave her home alone, not at this age. As I was telling her, "yes he is home" Mason comes racing back into the kitchen practically yelling, "yeah he is home can't you hear him upstairs sleeping?" At this point he proceeds to make these snoring noises which sound just like Fred when he is sleeping. I tried, but I could not contain myself. A burst of laughter came forth and I looked over at Sophie who also began laughing. Mason continued with his impression for a few minutes and it was everything I could do not to snort my coffee.<br />
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"OK Mason, you need to stop now. We get it." I was afraid if he didn't I would not be able to stop laughing all the way to the bus.<br />
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I'm sure Fred would not be happy about me posting this, embarrassed at his portrayal and swearing that he does not snore. (He does. Many a night I have laid awake listening to that exact sound. Which was why it was so funny. Mason really did sound just like his dad.) However, this is one of those stories I will want to remember years from now. To get a glimpse of what our routine was like when they were small and be reminded just how hysterical Mason can be.<br />
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However my knees did act up the following day. I have patellofemoral pain syndrome, more commonly known as "runner's knee." It used to be excruciatingly painful after a run. To the point that sometimes I couldn't even walk. But I have worked on strengthening my thighs through circuit training, doing my stretches, and purchasing the right shoes. As a result, I have been running pretty much pain free for over a year now. Which is truly amazing since one doctor told me that since I am flat footed I would never be able to run again. Period. End of discussion. I'll tell you right now, it is all about finding a good doctor. Our current family practice primary care physician is the one who opened my eyes and my world to the possibility of really being able to run. He diagnosed me, printed out the stretches, and pointed me towards Potomac River Running. PRR fitted me for the right shoe which turns out is for high arches and a slight pronation. Flat-footed my ass. So anyway, I have been running for over a year now (March 10th was my anniversary of getting back out there) and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. However, in light of my knee pain fair up, I think 5K's might be about all I can do and that is fine by me. I have no desire to go run a marathon, mostly because a) I am sure to get bored running that long and b) my knees would not be able to handle that much pounding into the ground. I have come to terms with my running limits. I am fine with 5K's and the occasional 10K. I only have time for a quick 2-3 mile run during the day anyway. I mean, I am a stay at home mom. I have things to do, places to go, and no time to waste. I need to make it count. Which is why I limit my daily exercise to 20-30 minutes.<br />
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So back to my original point of this post, I am concerned that my exercise routine has become too routine. My body has become accustomed to the exercises and it is no longer benefiting me in such a way as to maintain my weight. Clearly since I gained three pounds!!! Can you tell I'm trying really hard not to panic and overstress the situation? No? At least I am still under my original target weight of 135 lbs. (but barely). So, what to do? Up my intensity? I pushed myself to do level 3 of the 30 day shred two days in a row and it just about killed me. Maybe the real answer is to lay off the wine and late night snacking? Hmm. I think maybe I'll have a glass of moscato and sleep on it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6087582580074248838" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6087582580074248838" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-92000201385518942112015-03-24T22:36:00.000-04:002015-03-24T22:37:21.752-04:00How To Have An Allergy Safe Easter Easter is only two weeks away. This should be a fun and exciting time, it means Spring has finally arrived and warmer days are here. It means more time spent outside and less indoors on tablets. Most of all though, it means the Easter Bunny will bring you lots of candy and treats.<br />
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While most families relish in the idea of trying to find the biggest chocolate bunny to put in their kids baskets or jellybeans and various shaped chocolates to hide in colorful plastic eggs around the yard, those of us dealing with food allergies find ourselves staving off anxiety and stress. I can't tell you how many times I have passed the "holiday" aisle while doing my everyday grocery shopping and either wanted to bawl my eyes out or go all ninja on the displays in a fit of anger. I struggle with wanting to give my kids all the traditional holiday experiences while at the same time knowing with these new limits they are no longer consuming so much junk. And that's a good thing. It's a constant battle. Traditions that were once safe are now potentially life threatening, and while I may feel that a part of their childhood, especially my daughter since she is the one who suffers from food allergies, is being ripped away from them, I try to remember that they don't know about these "traditions" that I am holding onto and therefore are not missing out.<br />
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Not that Easter was ever a big event in my childhood anyway. Of course, I have memories of sitting in the kitchen, an overpowering smell of vinegar filling my nostrils as we dyed our hard boiled eggs. I've seen the pictures, basket in one hand and holding up the egg I just found in the other. I can even remember how I would slowly savor each bite of chocolate from my bunny before returning what was left to the fridge for later. As we got older, my dad would leave bags of jellybeans and a card before he left for work. I would separate them by color and eat them in order of my least favorite flavor to the best. I would hoard the black licorice ones which was fine because no one else seems to like them but me.<br />
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Sure, we have dabbled with traditions in the past. The kids and I dyed eggs. It was messy, the kids got bored, and no one wanted to consume that many hard boiled eggs when it was all over. Lesson learned, I got over it, and we've stuck to plastic eggs ever since. If I am being truly honest with myself I will admit that my kids don't even remember it being any other way then how we do it now. So what's my point you may ask? That I shouldn't be focusing on what traditions my daughter can't have because of her food allergies, but instead embrace the new ways in which we celebrate these holidays. <br />
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I did find a new brand (Gimbal's) of completely peanut and tree nut free jellybeans (yay!) and plan to pick up a bag at my local Walmart sometime this week. If you aren't a food allergy parent, you can't imagine the complete excitement we feel upon finding a new food to add to our "safe" list. I can only describe it as euphoric when I find just one item that is traditional to a holiday, like candy canes for Christmas, that is completely safe for Sophie.<br />
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Other than the jellybeans, all the other items in my kids baskets will be non-food related and that's OK. I have gathered fifteen ideas that I have either used in the past, or plan to do this year to fill their Easter eggs as well as a few items to put in the basket itself. If you are new to food allergies and have no idea where to start, or you just don't want your kids consuming any more sugar for yet one more holiday, this list is for you. So here we go! Fifteen ideas for you to stuff into those pastel plastic eggs.<br />
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1. I am insane over little tiny figurines. Really, I tend to gravitate towards anything mini and they are just perfect for filling those plastic Easter eggs. Find something that your children like to collect. My kids used to collect the tops to commercial hangers that stated the size of the clothing. They called them tick tocks, I have no idea why, but something like that would be perfect. Some more ideas would be: mini lego men (the one pictured below is from World of Warcraft, a video game my son loves to play, and they happened to make lego sets based off this game), My Little Pony mini series, Minecraft or Hello Kitty blind bag figures, mini animals, etc. You get the point.<br />
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2. Little notes. You can handwrite a little note of "I love you" or "Happy Easter" to your child, or you could stamp an image like I did with the dog and cat. You could even write a small message and fold it up. Whatever you desire, as long as it is heartfelt and cute. </div>
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3. Small toys. This can be just about anything. A few ideas are: spin tops, silly putty, key chains, punch balloons (these area favorite in our house), matchbox cars, play dough, and mini bubbles. Other ideas, pictured below, can be: bouncy balls, stickers, tattoos, erasers (novelty erasers are such a hit with kids these days and they are functional too), and pom poms (which we call warm fuzzes thanks to their Kindergarten teacher. She hands these out each Friday with a hug before they get on the bus. Mason loved collecting them and now so does Sophie).<br />
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4. Money. You can never go wrong putting money in an Easter egg. Whether it be a few quarters or a folded up dollar bill this one is sure to be a hit!</div>
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5. Small game cartridges. If your child has a LeapPad from Leap Frog the game cartridges fit perfectly in the plastic eggs.<br />
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6. Movie tickets. You can get cheap prepaid movie tickets at Costco and use them to take your kids out to see the latest Disney film, or let your kids use them to go by themselves with a group of friends.<br />
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7. Jewlery and hair accessories. My daughter can't get enough of these cute hair clips and pony tail holders. She also loves the novelty rings you can find in the dollar bins at Target. If you have an AC Moore they sell these adorable rings like the one pictured below that would be perfect for an older girl or teen to add a little bling. Necklaces like the Sophia the First pictured below work perfect. Even the mardi gras type beads work, just throw a few various colors into one egg and voila! Jelly bracelets or those silicone bracelets that are popular nowadays fit very well in here as well. Better yet, dump a package of rainbow loom rubber bands into one or make a bracelet on the loom and put that in. I could go on for days giving you examples for this category.<br />
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8. Nail polish or lip gloss goes over real well with any girl. Opi is my go to brand, but we have also used Bon Bons and Tweets. For little ones you will want to go the non-toxic route. For those you can use Hopscotch Kids, Piggy Paint, Play Laugh Love, or Crayola mini which comes 8 in a set.<br />
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9. Washi tape is all the rage right now. Even I am obsessed with the stuff. It comes in various colors, sizes, themes for you to decorate just about anything. If you have a Monster High fan you can get a set of 30 decorative tapes they call tapefetti for only about $13. They come in their own mini holders. Aren't they totes adorbs?<br />
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10. Ribbon bookmarks. If you have a child who loves to read, I recommend making or purchasing a few of these to put in their eggs. (I apologize for the photo quality, these were hastily taken with my phone.)<br />
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11. Confetti! Simple and easy to make. I just punched out a bunch of various shapes such as hearts, circles, stars, etc. from colored paper and filled a bunch of eggs with it. My kids had so much fun opening each egg, wondering if would be a small toy or full of confetti.<br />
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12. A pair of Earbuds would be great too. Not just for everyday use but for your little athlete as well. Yurbuds are my go to brand.<br />
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13. Shoelaces. My son goes through shoelaces like crazy. I don't know what he does but he manages to tear them to shreds on a regular basis. If your kid is like mine this may be a good choice. You can get all kinds of shoelaces, such as: camoflauge, glow in the dark, Pete the Cat, or to show support for your favorite cause. Buy one in every color in you want. They can change to match their mood, clothes, or shoes.<br />
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14. Stamps. For those crafty kids, getting stamps will make them smile. You can choose between the foam version, the wooden block, or the clear acrylic. A good place to start would be Michaels or AC Moore. They usually have some kid themed ones in their clearance section.<br />
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15. Lastly, we have infinity scarves. These are also all the rage right now, especially with teens. You can make one by cutting up an old t-shirt or just buy one at the store, scrunch it up, and shove it in the egg.<br />
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As for filling up my kids baskets, I like to give them one kinda big gift each year. This year Mason will be getting a joke book for kids and Sophie will get a new pair of headphones. If you would like to go this route as well, I recommend thinking of things your kids like to do the most. A new Skylanders character would be great for your video game enthusiast. To go along with the bookmark for your book worm or emerging reader, give them a book in their favorite series or one you think they might enjoy. A new purse or a rainbow loom would be good choices for girls. I would even consider a DVD of their latest movie obsession or TV show.<br />
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Included in the basket along with these big ticket items I like to sprinkle in a few smaller ones, maybe some educational and maybe something personal. These items could be any of the following that are just as fabulous as any chocolate bunny, and last a lot longer.<br />
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I like to make my kids personal certificates for things. For example, I made a certificate for my son that entailed him to 3 hours of uninterrupted Wizard 101 playtime with me. He loved it! You could make ones for the following: staying up 20 minutes passed bedtime, kids choice for dinner, get out of chores for a day, one download from iTunes or Google Play store for an app they want but limit the dollar amount, a day out with mom/dad doing whatever they want, dessert or candy pass, extra time on tablet/computer/video game play, movie night, trip to the dollar store, bake cookies/cupcakes or make homemade ice cream and the enjoy a sampling, etc. You can get real creative with these.<br />
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My kids love to help me bake in the kitchen. If you have a fellow baker you can purchase some baking tools designed just for kids. <a href="http://curiouschef.com/shop/cooking-type/baking-desserts" target="_blank">Curious Chef</a> is a brand I see all the time at our local Wegmans, or you can just mix and match on your own and make it a "theme" basket. In it I would include an apron, mixing and measuring spoons, spatulas and whisks, cupcake liners, sprinkles, a box of safe mix or a recipe card, and oven mits. Place into a pastel colored mixing bowl and be sure to fill with Easter grass to make it complete.<br />
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Those EOS lip balms are already shaped like eggs so they are perfect for Easter. Hint: they even sell mini ones that you could use to fill the eggs as well. If your kids love little stuffed animals like mine, those TY Beanie Boos are super cute. Last year I got Sophie Carrots the Bunny and Mason Spells the Snowy Owl.<br />
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If you have an artist or crafter, I recommend getting them a set of watercolors with a pad of watercolor paper, or a coloring book with a pack of crayons. You could also include the egg-shaped sidewalk chalk and some Mandela stencils. A journal or notebook would be ideal for the budding writer or even those just learning to spell. If you have a teen scrapbooker, I recommend a Smashbook for them to collect memorabilia, stories, and whatever they want from their school year or summer vacation.<br />
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For some family fun, you can include card games like Slamwich, Go Fish, or Uno. Other games such as Jenga, Boggle, or Spot It are also good choices and still small enough to fit into the basket. Anything that encourages family togetherness is top notch in my opinion and this is a good way to increase your inventory for family game night.<br />
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I hope these ideas gave you some starting off points while at the same time proving that you don't need to stuff your kids full of candy and junk to have a happy, fun, and memorable Easter.<br />
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That might not sound like such a significant accomplishment to you but, as I come up on my one year anniversary for getting back out there and exercising on a regular basis, I have this overwhelming feeling of pride. For no other reason than I managed to overcome my internal fear and negative stigma of daily exercise. I managed to push myself to do something, whether it was a run, 30 minutes on the elliptical, or a Jillian Michaels workout, at least three days every week for the last tweleve months. That is an incredible feat for me. So forgive me as I revel in this celebratory moment, with a pat on the back, fist bump, and quite possibly a glass of wine.<br />
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Okay, so back to what I was saying. Oh, yes this horrid winter… well thankfully the Horae, greek goddesses of the seasons, haven taken pity on us mere mortals and deemed that it is time Spring FINALY arrived on the East Coast. Temperatures have been in the 40's and 50's all week and even hit 60 degrees today!! Can you tell I am just a bit excited about this? I stepped outside on Saturday into 52 degrees and was all, "Screw my coat, it is gorgeous outside!!!" I was even able go for a run outside last Wednesday and again on Monday afternoon. Yup, you heard that right. OUT. SIDE. Can you believe it? I'm feeling so relaxed just thinking of the fresh air that I got to breathe. Ah-mazing!<br />
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Please pinch me because this does not seem real. Can this really be Spring making its appearance or just another tease before the next snowfall? Just this morning walking to the bus stop Mason and I commented on how warm it felt. It was 43 degrees, and I found myself questioning whether I actually needed my coat at all. I guess this is what Oprah would call an A-ha moment. This winter has ruined me! I used to find 40-50 degrees so cold, and now here I am contemplating t-shirts and tank tops. This change has not gone unnoticed by Fred either. While eating breakfast he commented on how I used to tell him he was crazy for running in 40 degree weather and how under no circumstances would I get out and exercise in that low of a temperature. Now here I am overjoyed that it's 40 and itching to get outside for a nice long run. Oh, and now that it is daylight savings time that means more light in the evenings. I think it's time I commit to the pub run on the 27th.<br />
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And before I forget, in case you are curious I got a chance to do the abdominal portion of the Kickbox Fast Fix, and wow! It may not look it but that is a workout. Phew! I am breathing hard and sweating so bad by the end and seriously I feel my abs getting the workout they need. Only after about two weeks of this I am already starting to see some definition come back. So if you are looking for a quick 20 minute exercise that will get your mid section in shape, this is it. I absolutely recommend it. After seeing my results I told Fred I was contemplating a bikini. What?! I know. The endorphins from all this exercise must really being doing their job. Not sure I am 100% ready for that just yet, but its always nice to know that I could if I wanted.<br />
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How is your progress coming? I want to know. What motivates you? What has the potential to derail your efforts? Better yet, do you have any exercises you'd recommend?<br />
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<a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-73213743702897464872015-02-26T16:31:00.000-05:002015-02-26T16:35:40.360-05:00Valentines Day 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Handmade Valentine cards</span></div>
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And just like that a year flew by and another February come and gone. Well almost. It's the last week of the month and I couldn't be wishing March, and hopefully warmer weather, would arrive any sooner. </div>
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Valentines Day this year was just like any other day. Nothing special. I spent the morning rushing to make Valentines cards for all three of my sweethearts before Sophie headed out to spend the day with my mom and sister, thrilled that it was her weekend to go to Grandma's. As we always do, we made plans to meet them later for dinner. IHOP, one of Sophie's favorites. The snow began to fall as we were finishing up our meal. I had decided to try something new with the double blueberry pancakes and quickly came to the conclusion they were not for me. Next time l'll stick to my tried and true, plain pancake combo. It was a wonderful surprise that my dad joined us, it happens fewer and fewer these days and before I know it, it's been months without having seen or talked to him. I was happy to get a chance to catch up and talk books. He is so much faster at reading that I am, going through one or two books in a weekend. Oh to be able to read that much in my lifetime. My excitement quickly turned to worry as my gaze turned to the window. The snow had begun to fall faster, harder, and whip around like a blizzard. I looked around the table and sensed the same feeling in everyone's eyes, maybe we should hurry this up before it gets too nasty out there. </div>
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We stepped out the door and were immediately blasted by the frosty air. I turned to my sister, trying to shield my face from the snowy whirlwind surrounding us and said, "doesn't this remind you of that time when dad was in California and that terrible blizzard came through?" "We were driving home from that small convenience store, High Up, in the rusty old Monte Carlo and mom missed the turn into our neighborhood off Crestview, the visability was so bad." We practically finished in unison, laughing. We were not much older than Mason is now, and still that story is shared almost every year we have a horrible winter.</div>
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It was getting pretty dicy out and I worried my dad would be unable to get into the car safely. These are things I constantly worry about now, ever since he had his stroke and can no longer walk without a cane. We said quick good-byes and slowly made our separate ways. </div>
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That storm dumped only a few inches on us, but with the windchill and temperatures continuing to drop, the kids were out of school four of the five days, with one 2-hour delay, the following week. We all made it home safely that night but it had me thinking. Winters like this aren't normal in Virginia. We keep saying that, yet it seems more and more this is becoming the new norm. Even as I sit here writing this post and wallowing in my winter woes, my mind wandering as it always does, I took a look back at Valentines Day last year and found this:</div>
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<i>…with the winter storm that had just dumped 13+ inches on us, closing schools for the 10th time this year (no, not the school year, I'm talking about just in 2014 our kids have missed 10 days due to snow. This does not include all the holidays and teacher work days that happened to coincide with those snow days. But don't get me started on that. How I feel about the lack of school my kids have attended since we rung in 2014 is a whole story in and of itself).</i></div>
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Ha. Ha. I had to laugh because the reality was just so sad I seriously wanted to cry. Here we are a whole year later and facing the same situation. Kids have missed I don't know how many days of school, probably at least 10 at this point. We just had another storm dumping around 10" of snow. Thank the lord it only resulted in a two hour delay on Monday and the kids have been back to school as normal the rest of the week. *Enter foot in my mouth. After putting this post away for the evening, I would surely have time to finish tomorrow while the kids were in school, good ol' Wayde called me this morning. Yup, schools are closed again today. I didn't even bother to inform the kids. Just hung up the phone and went back to bed. As excited as I am at the prospect that this horrid weather is quite possibly killing off the remanding population of stink bugs, one can only hope, I am so over this winter! Honestly, I can't be the only one craving some sense of a routine around here.</div>
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With all this winter weather advisory hoopla, at least the kids got to have their classroom Valentines parties. Unfortunately they were both scheduled during the same time on the same day. Ugh! Problems I am sure I will encounter more and more as the years go on. This meant I could only attend one party. This meant I had to let one of my kids down. I agonized over this for weeks when I found out. I hate having to chose between my kids. I love them both equally and don't want to let either of them down. Ultimately I decided I would try to share my time. I've heard other parents talk about doing it all the time. It would be easy right? However, as always, I was running late. </div>
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I had signed up to make the cupcakes for Sophie's Kindergarten class. Mostly because of her food allergies and I don't trust other parents to make homemade food without fear of cross contamination. Sorry if that offends you, but after you watch your child almost die you take this shit seriously, and don't leave anything to chance. Most parents, and shockingly to me even ones who have children with food allergies, don't know or either don't care enough to understand the dangers of cross contamination. So many times I have seen the eye rolls and heard the sighs when mentioning the extra precautions that need to be taken, or special brands of ingredients that have to be bought in order to ensure the food is safe for ALL kids to consume. As if it is just too much work for them to buy the Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips. Because of this, I just don't bother to ask anyone to provide safe foods for my daughter. I always make sure I have a safe alternative on hand for her wherever we go. </div>
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Being a mom of a child with food allergies I am super sensitive to other kids with food allergies, and there are quite a few in Sophie's Kindergarten class. I am no expert on food allergies, in fact I have freaked out a few times over the milk allergy. It's harder to avoid then you think. At first I figured I could just pick up a box of the Cherrybrook Kitchens fudge brownie mix. I soon discovered that you need to add butter. Guess what butter contains? You got it, milk. Now I could have purchased the vegan butter and been done with it, but the cost of that butter was more than the box of mix and we are on a seriously tight budget in my household. Not wanting to be defeated, I went to task scouring Pinterest for a recipe that is not only peanut and tree nut free, but also free of eggs and milk. That is when I happened up <a href="http://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/stories/chocolate-cupcakes-with-strawberry-filling-vegan" target="_blank">this</a> vegan chocolate cupcake recipe with strawberry filling. I had most of the ingredients already on hand so it was perfect. </div>
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I do not claim to be any baking expert, far from it in fact. I have no idea the difference between raw cane sugar and regular sugar. So as I stood in the baking aisle at Wegmans I thought, I have regular sugar at the house, and if it's not a major difference I think I'll just use that because when am I ever going to cook with raw cane sugar again? In case you are wondering, the regular sugar worked great. </div>
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I made the cupcakes the day before so I wouldn't be rushed. I must have been craving some chocolate because I licked the hell out of that bowl and spatula, glad the kids were at school and I didn't have to share. I chose to substitute the strawberry filling with store bought strawberry preserve. I am all for baking from scratch, in fact those tend to be my favorite, but sometimes you just need to simplify when possible. However stuffing the cupcakes with the preserves was not as easy as the author of the recipe made it sound. The reality was so much harder, and messier. I ultimately decided to use a cookie cutter and partially cut a heart shape in the tops, removing it to spoon in the strawberry preserve before squishing it back into the cupcake and sprinkling with powdered sugar. I would have made it on time to the party if not for the powdered sugar having absorbed into the cupcakes and needing to quickly sprinkle more on before rushing out the door. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The kids Valentines Bookmarks and the vegan cupcakes</span></div>
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The parents who tried the cupcakes all said they were very tasty. Yay! During the Valentine exchange portion of the party I snuck out to Mason's class for a bit. I arrived just as they were in the middle of enjoying a snack. I was disappointed when he told me I missed the skit they put on earlier, but what can you do. Your a mom of two kids in public school and as much as you hate to admit it out loud, you can't do everything. Noticing the time, it was just about dismissal, I raced back to Sophie's classroom. (All this running around, I was sure to get my 10,000 steps in for the day.) All 30 cupcakes that I had stuffed and powdered were gone. Yes! Less cupcakes I would feel obligated to consume over the weekend. We packed up and headed back to Mason's classroom just in time for his exchange of Valentines and clean up.<br />
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In public school if you are going to hand out Valentines you have to hand them out to everyone in the class. This means you have to get around 26 cards times two classrooms, that's a total of 32 cards at $4 a box, and each box only contains around 10-12 cards so you have to purchase at least two or three. If my math is correct, that means I would need to spend possibly around $20 for silly little cards that are going to get thrown away as soon as these kids get home. No thank you! I knew I could do this better, cheaper, and give the kids themes they really wanted.<br />
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Both kids agreed to the bookmark idea for their Valentine cards this year. Simple to make, and you can use it again and again. Each kid was heavily involved in the decision making process. Sophie was very adamant about the pink background with her Monster High ghouls, even though I felt a white background would be better. Hers read, I like you so much its scary Valentine. Mason was more particular about the image he wanted and finally settled upon Deathwing from World of Warcraft (WoW). His read, You melt my core Valentine. Fred made some comment about using Deathwing to say Happy Valentines Day. I mentioned these are second graders and would probably have no idea who Deathwing is, it's just a cool dragon to them. <br />
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After all was said and done it cost me a grand total of around $8 for 36. Now that's a win. I suppose you could say my kids have an advantage with me being so crafty and willing to create custom valentines for them. To that I reply, such is life. We all have our weaknesses as well as our strengths. Mine just happens to be a love for crafting, and any excuse to do cute things during the holidays. Especially if it involves the kids and making them happy. I guarantee you no one else was going home with more than one WoW Deathwing valentine in their bag that day. Couldn't say the same for TMNT though.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D6087582580074248838%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D7321374370289746487%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fi40.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fe239%252FRachey628%252Fcc880f38-b15e-41a5-9ea0-adf4de3a2c5d.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 75px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D6087582580074248838%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D7321374370289746487%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fi40.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fe239%252FRachey628%252Fcc880f38-b15e-41a5-9ea0-adf4de3a2c5d.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 75px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-28307235961109797872015-02-25T08:08:00.000-05:002015-02-25T08:09:15.041-05:00Weigh-in WednesdayHappy Wednesday Folks!!<br />
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I know you are probably mentally scolding me at this moment for missing my weigh-in post two weeks in a row. But here's the thing. I'm in maintenance mode right now and though I am still working hard, and finding it extremely difficult, probably even more so than losing the weight (have you ever heard a teacher say that its harder to keep and A than to earn one? Same concept), my weight doesn't fluctuate much from week to week. So rather than bore you with a post each week about how my weight stayed the same (yay for me!) I thought I would make it an every other week thing. This way, I am not flipping out and feeling like a failure because I dropped the ball on posting for the week as well as it giving me time to come up with a more interesting discussion for that particular Wednesday. More than, "Hey guess what? I am still 130lbs. Toot toot!" By the way, as I said two weeks ago, I am back up to 130.2 lbs. as of this morning. In case you were at all interested and that is why you continue to read my blog. That said, what I have planned to discuss tonight are my setbacks, my motivation, and my review of a new exercise DVD I started.<br />
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So these last few weeks have been especially rough. Scratch that, this whole winter has been especially rough. Once the temperatures dropped below 40 degrees, and stayed there, my running started to dwindle. I don't like to run when my body parts feel like they are going to freeze off, and the treadmill makes me feel like I just downed a whole bottle of wine on an empty stomach. When the forecast calls for snow, ice, or a median high of somewhere in the teens you can bet my little butt is staying inside, unless I have to walk my kids to the bus, and then I bundle myself up like Randy from <i>A Christmas Story</i>. This, my friends, has been the state of affairs here in Virginia for oh, the last three months. It's been miserable. To top it all off, this dramatic drop in temperature led to me developing acute bronchitis, which I suffered through since late November, and ultimately rendered my exercise routine kaput. It was admittedly arduous, this sudden stop in being active after habitually maintaing a workout schedule of 4-6 days a week. I fretted this newfound laziness would undo all my hard work. Dreading the number on the scale each week, convinced it would reach absurd heights. This undoubtedly lead to the stuffing of my face with all the foods I knew would only lead me to the one thing I dreaded. I know that sounds counter intuative but once again we are dealing with a mind that is anything but rational. Just ask my husband. This momentary hiatus with fitness lasted only a few weeks, when finally sometime in January I was able to reintroduce cardio without erupting into uncontrollable fits of hacking up a lung, but the damage was already done. I was used to spending my days sitting on the couch reading; my mornings sleeping in (because the kids have yet to experience an unaltered week of school! Damn snow days.); and my evenings snacking on chips and candy late into the night. Follow that up with excuses as to why I am unable, or unwilling, to cook a meal while suffering through this ungodly weather, and we were consuming McDonalds on a schedule I should not have been comfortable with. This brings me to my current state of being.<br />
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I no longer had a viable excuse to keep from exercising daily. Yet I was petrified that I wouldn't be able to do it without feeling like I wanted to die, and then subsequently give up because that is what I have always done whenever I hit an obstacle. I am the queen of throwing my hands up in the air and screaming, "I give up!" whenever things get too hard. And it had gotten hard. I had let my eating habits run amok and tried in vain to deny the bulge that now peaked over the top of my size 4 skinny jeans. The slow emerging proof that I was a failure. So began the daily tongue-lashing I always manage to inflict upon myself. I manage to beat myself up far worse than anyone else ever could. Stripping myself of any confidence I might be harboring, believing the words I've repeated in my head so often, aware of the power they had to break me down time and time again. I'm my own worst enemy. This time though, I was faced with the plain and simple truth that I didn't want to be that person anymore. Hadn't I proven to myself these last 10 months that I was more than able? That I had the commitment and strength to stick to it even on the days when my muscles ached, my body screamed at me, and I thought I would pass out? I wasn't a failure. Surely someone who could start, and survive, a rigorous fitness routine after sitting on her cushy ass for months, and turn it into a habit which resulted in a drop of 3 pant sizes and 20+lb. weight loss could not be described as a failure. I metaphorically slapped myself across the face and did my best to keep control as I inwardly screamed, "Do. not. give. up."<br />
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I'm not gonna lie. It was painful. It was tough. I thought I was going to die. And I had only completed one day of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Level 1. Ugh! I wanted to curl up into a ball, cry, and pass out. Though not necessarily in that order. Only I didn't. I regained control of my breathing and said out loud, to no one in particular as I was was the only one in the house, "I. did. it." Yes, my muscles ached in places they hadn't for months and I could barely get through the cardio without, as Jillian puts it, gargling my heart, but the point is that I did it at all. And then I did it again, and it was a little bit easier.<br />
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January 18th I joined my first, Moms Run This Town group run. I was nervous and wanted to back out, especially when I walked out the door. This would be my first run since my bronchitis diagnosis and it was cold. Frost covered the ground, and not just the grass. Parts of the sidewalks were slippery with it. I wanted to turn around and go back inside with every step I took and every puff of white cloud that emerged as I breathed. I didn't. I walked all the way to my neighbors where we rode together to the coffee shop to meet the group. The more women that showed up the more relaxed I felt. Before we ran they made sure everyone had a running partner for their pace and off we went. Starting off slow, unsure of how fast I would be able to run, and slowly realizing I could do more. At the halfway point (15min.), I had made my way to the small cluster of women out front. We talked about the different races we'd run, the best place to purchase workout gear, and our goals for the year. When I lagged behind a bit near the end, one of the ladies stayed with me encouraging me the whole way. By the time we made it back I felt on top of the world. Thirty minutes of running in the books for 2015, a total of 3.2 miles at a pace of 9:34/mi. Not my fastest, or where my average was the previous month, but not bad by any means. I am so glad I went. I did much better than expected, proving to myself that even though I took a month off to heal, and stuffed my body with crap, I still had it. It didn't hurt that I got to enjoy a warm cup o' joe while sitting down to chat with everyone who stayed. On the way home I mentally noted to make these Sunday morning Coffee Runs a regular occurrence on my future fitness schedule.<br />
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While I have yet to attend another group run, they keep getting cancelled due to arctic temperatures, I have continued to stay on track. I even sucked it up and have run on the…dun dun dun…gulp treadmill. Ah! I know, but my god it is way too cold and I just need to run somedays. A few weeks ago, after one of my circuit training days with Jillian Michaels, Fred mentioned that I should look into getting some new DVDs to try out. You know, so I don't get bored. He had a point. I was coming up on the one year mark of having started my fitness regimen and though I switch up my cardio somedays by having started to use our elliptical again (thanks again for the machine Mike and Dani), I haven't changed my circuit training to anything but the 30 Day Shred. While I was sure I wouldn't get too bored as I still had not come close to being able to do level 3 for more than a day or two, and not in succession, it had me thinking and one particular trip to Target I found myself perusing the fitness aisle for a new DVD. Having stood there for what seemed an eternity to my kids based on their whines of, "can we go home now?" I took the advice of my son and purchased Jillian Michaels Kickbox FastFix.<br />
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This workout consists of three 20 minute kickboxing routines: the first focuses on your upper body, the second tones your lower body, and the third zeroes in on your abs. I started with the first workout, choosing to focus more on my upper body, as I had lost the tone and definition in my arms. I found myself getting frustrated during the routine, sometimes even stopping to rewind and try the move again. By the end I was huffing and puffing as I always seem to do with a Jillian Michaels DVD, though I didn't feel like I had received a satisfyingly hard workout. I moved on with my day having only 20-30 minutes to devote to exercise and didn't think too much about it. That was until I woke up the following morning and went to get dressed. I pulled my arms above my head and, ouch! My muscles were definitely sore. Apparently I had received a decent workout after all, it just took a day for it to hit my body. The next day that I decided to do the Kicbox DVD again I first watched the tutorial video that is included on the DVD intended to get you familiar with the moves and perfect your form. Funny how when I took the time to learn the moves and practice them before doing the workout I performed much better. These workouts are not so much a, feel it at the time hard core cardio type of workout but more of a, that was decent enough and I'm gonna feel it tomorrow type. If you are looking for a less impact workout I totally recommend this one. You get to tone your muscles without all the jarring to your knees, which comes in really handy for someone like me who has runner's knee, also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome. I think this is one I will work on perfecting and ultimately use as a supplement to my regular routine.<br />
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For now though, I'll grab my regular morning cup of coffee, bundle myself up on the couch while checking email and maybe sneaking in a chapter of two before its: D<i>id we get our homework done today? Put on warmer clothes its only 15 degrees outside, are you crazy!? What would you like for lunch? Juice and Pirate Booty OK for snack today? Did you hear that? The alarm went off. Let's go, let's go. Shoes, socks, backpack… </i>and somehow hope that I don't freeze to death before this winter is over.<br />
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Today was my day to be Story Reader for Sophie's class. I do so enjoy coming in to read. Ever since Mason's first year at Golden Pond, if there was an opportunity to volunteer reading to kids I was the first to put my name down. I may have mentioned before that my Mom worked in the public library, and I grew up accompanying her to work and helping out with Summer Reading Programs. My childhood was filled with nights sitting on my bed listening to her read us chapters from <i>Redwall</i> and <i>Indian in the Cupboard.</i> It fostered a great love for books and reading. I suppose one could have predicted, that when I became a mother, I would be the one sitting down with a carefully chosen book; who uses different voices for each character, and thrives on hearing the laughter of children; who watches them listen intently as I read, their eyes wide with excitement leaning in to grasp my every word.</div>
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Today was my third day as Story Reader. Unlike my first day, I knew what to expect. The kids would stop whatever they were working on, gather around me on the carpet and recite the rules for being a good listener, "Hands are still, feet are quiet, lips are closed, eyes are watching, ears are listening." I would open the first book and begin to read. And before I am even ready, it would be time to pack up and say good-bye. A fleeting interlude. From the moment I sign in at the front desk, to the moment I am in my car and driving away, is a total of 12 minutes. Some might say not worth my time, but then again maybe I haven't introduced myself properly. I am the Mom who pulls out the volunteer calendar from the friday folder each month, quickly enters my assigned days into the calendar, and then impatiently waits for it to arrive.</div>
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Today I picked out what I hoped would be two engaging reads. I had to compete with: <i>A Monster at the End of the Book, Another Monster at the End of the Book, </i>and <i>Pigs Make me Sneeze. </i>I know right? Some of the most funny, yet classic books for kids. I could only hope <i>Drummer Hoff </i>and <i>Pete the Cat and his Magic Sunglasses</i> would compare. Although, I had to ask myself, would they even remember those earlier books, or that I was the one who read them? I have no delusions about how the school year will play out. I am prepared that this will not be the year where I know the names of each and every child in the class. Nor would they know who I was without the teacher telling them, "Sophie's Mom is here to read to us today." Yet, secretly I harbored the hope that somehow, at some point during my mere 12 minutes in their presence, I might reach into the hearts of these kids and make a difference. I should never doubt the capacity of a child's mind.</div>
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Today I walked into Sophia's Kindergarten classroom, waved hello to the teachers as I made my way to that familiar rocking chair where I would unload my coat, purse, and library tote filled with the day's selections. Mid stride, I was stopped by one of the girls as she was making her way across the room. She leaned in as if to tell me a secret. "I love all your books!" she quickly told me, before rushing to put her things away and take her spot on the carpet. I stood there for a brief moment, caught slightly off guard, absorbing her words. Once I began to move again, I cracked a small smile and went about my task of story reading with a renewed sense of pride. It was such a simple thing, only five little words. I was reminded of the quote, "Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in our hearts." Driving home, I wondered if she knew how much she brightened my day.</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-21210022232259414612015-01-28T23:55:00.000-05:002015-01-29T08:50:07.688-05:00Weigh-in WednesdayOnce I started working out on a daily basis, I signed up to receive the newsletter, <i>Losing it with Jillian Michaels, </i>to help keep me motivated. Back in September I opened my email to read the title, <i>Should you weigh yourself everyday?</i> Ah ha! I will finally get the answer to this health debate. I clicked on the link and eagerly awaited my enlightenment.<br />
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Let me first start by saying, I have struggled with my weight, and have serious self image issues that I have been working on since college. I was obsessed with my weight after gaining around 30lbs. my Freshman year. This, after a lifetime of being skinny and never worrying what size I wore. I mean I wasn't about to go strutting around in a bikini (in fact I recall one particular pool party where my friend convinced me to wear her bikini and I refused to take off my t-shirt until I was fully submerged in the hot tub. I then subsequently lost said t-shirt. It was my favorite at the time), but I also wasn't hating my body either. I was self conscious, what teenage girl isn't? I just never fully understood the real issue with women and our weight until I was called fat for the first time.<br />
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It was Homecoming, and while on the phone with an ex-boyfriend I swear he just flat out said, "so I heard you got fat!" I wasn't in any denial that my now size 15 body was vastly different than the size 7 that had just graduated from these halls not four months prior. But to have it smacked right in your face was such a cruel lesson. Six simple words and my whole body image crumbled. My 18 year old self never fully recovered, and here I am at 35 still looking in the mirror and pointing out any minute flaws. It's a work in progress. Though, seeing where I am now, if I could tell my 18 year old self anything it would be to stop stepping on the scale so much. You see, I was obsessed with the damn thing. I would check it everyday, sometimes twice or more in a single day. It got worse over the summer. I'd wake up, weigh myself, go for a 1 hour walk around the neighborhood, come home and step back on that scale. Oh how I willed the damn thing to move, and the more it didn't the more I felt like giving up. My relationship with food became an unhealthy one and eventually I developed an eating disorder. Despite my best efforts to binge and vomit, I still didn't lose the amount of weight I wanted. So I sought out group therapy and eventually stopped my bad eating habits. I wrote down everything I ate for months and went over them in detail with the campus Nutritionist. I hated having to sit there and admit that I ate 20 cheese blocks at Mrs. Greens, rendering my healthy salad obsolete. Looking back, if anything came out of those sessions it was a belief that I still live by to this day. You see, she didn't tell me to go on a diet. In fact she said diets don't work and she hates the word. Her philosophy was not about denying yourself foods but about limiting them. The key was not to "diet" but to change my eating habits. And with her help, I eventually did. I gradually worked down to putting only 10 cheese blocks on my plate. I learned to stop eating when I was full, even if that meant the majority of my meal was still on my plate. Most important of all, I stopped weighing myself.<br />
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Such small changes, but when you added them all up it did the trick. 3 years after graduating college and a few months before my wedding, I was back down to a size 8 and looking and feeling great. I had not set out to lose weight, in fact I was pretty comfortable in my body at that point. Funny how it seemed that the less I tried, or even thought about it, how easy the weight eventually just came off. All without even stepping on a scale. So for me, I would say weighing yourself everyday does more harm than good. And Jillian agrees.<br />
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Do we need to weigh ourselves every day? Put simply, no. Our weight fluctuates throughout the day, whether it be from excessive fluid intake or lack thereof, and it is this variation that freaks us out. Been there done that. Which is why I try to judge my success by how I feel and how my clothes fit. I had no idea just how much weight I had lost this past year until one day in June, I tried on a pair of my favorite capri pants which had been devastatingly too tight as of late, and they fit. It was such a great feeling, as well as a huge motivator to keep at it. However, I want to point out that this does not mean you should never step on the scale. Jillian recommends that you do it once a week, at the same time, wearing the same clothes and using the same scale. This is the best way to judge your success, or failure as the case may be, as you will give your body time to adjust to the changes you are making.<br />
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And this my lovely readers is how weigh-in Wednesday came to be. I admit I took the idea straight from Jillian's newsletter, but it's catchy and easy to remember. Like Sangria Sundays, or Taco Tuesday. I even put a reminder on my phone to insure I do it at the same time each week. You know just in case my mommy brain takes over. A little ding goes off every Wednesday at 6:45am, just after I wake up. It's so much a part of my weekly routine now, even though I have met my goal, that I continue to do my weekly weigh-ins as a continued maintenance of my overall health.<br />
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This morning I hit a record low of 127.8lbs. You might be going, "well damn girl. You overachiever." I won't lie, seeing that number on the scale felt good, but what you don't know is that I just came off a weekend of feeling ill and not eating for two days. (see fluctuation!) I'm sure by next week I'll be back to 130lbs. where I have been comfortably hanging out for the last few months. But it's just fine with me. Cause I hit my goal (woohoo!) and then waved as it faded in my rearview.<br />
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I know this might sound like I am pounding my chest but I want to show those of you out there who might be struggling and feeling like giving up, that I've been there. I've tired and failed, and succeeded and relapsed, and given up, and then tried again. It's supposed to be hard. Change doesn't happen over night. It took me the better part of 3-4 months, and I did it while still having to raise two kids. It was hard as hell. But. It. Is. Possible. Don't give up. If you stick with it, you'll be happy you did and I'll be there with you each and every Wednesday to step on that scale and virtually high five your achievements.<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="left" src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/Blog%20Stuff/d8cecf7f-4b8f-411b-a216-578f81cb4ac9.jpg" />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-42520186922422251972015-01-27T23:59:00.000-05:002015-01-29T00:16:11.752-05:00Right NowRight now I am sitting in my office listening to a new playlist I created in iTunes called "writing." I am hoping it brings some inspiration for my return to blogging.<br />
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Right now I am wishing it wasn't Tuesday so I didn't have to spend the evening alone. Fred works really late (like 3am late) at Novalabs on Tuesday evenings. The kids love it because they usually get a special dinner like waffles (what they had tonight), or McDonalds (if I am feeling really lazy and worked my butt off running a personal record for 3 or 4 miles, or managed to complete level 3 in Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred). I usually get excited for tonight too because its the one night I get to have to myself. Where I can watch non-stop episodes of Criminal Minds on Netflix, or get some more chapters read in my current book selection. But tonight I am feeling like company.<br />
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Right now I am praying to every God I can think of that the kids will have school tomorrow, and not another snow cancellation. They have yet to attend a full week of school since before the winter break. Getting back into a routine around here has been impossible.<br />
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Right now I am reading <i>Interpreter of Maladies</i> by Jhumpa Lahiri. I was looking for <i>Lowland</i> but it wasn't available at the library, so I checked this one out instead. <br />
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Right now I am wishing Mason's teacher would email me back so I know if he only has one test on Native Americans tomorrow (the Pueblo), or is she expecting him to take the one on the Powhatans tomorrow as well. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Stupid snow days.)</span> I hope not. We haven't studied them yet. After missing a week of school right before the winter break, due to a combo of pneumonia and an ear infection, he has had a lot work to make up. Four tests on the Native Americans more specifically. He took his first on Friday (the Lakota) and I am anxiously awaiting to find out how he did. Second grade is exceedingly more work than first grade.<br />
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Right now I am realizing that we are now two days behind on Sophia's homework. <span style="font-size: x-small;">*sigh* </span>Yes, Kindergarten has homework. If I didn't think it would wake the kids I'd be banging my head against the desk.<br />
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Right now I am wishing I exercised today, as I grab a late night snack of chips with cream cheese and salsa dip. I am justifying it with the excuse that I missed dinner. We'll just overlook the fact that it's almost midnight.<br />
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Right now I am struggling to stay positive that I will ever find a job that works around both my kids and my husbands schedules. (am still bitter that I didn't get that perfect remote customer service job in which I totally rocked the interview. I would have excelled in that position. Everyone says I should remind myself that it is their loss. Easier said then done when you're the one left wondering how you are going to pay the bills.)<br />
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Right now our Christmas tree and all the decorations are still up around the house. I know I need to take them down, but the house always feels so empty after its all gone. I find I am happier when the house is decorated. Maybe if I wait long enough I can just switch them out with Valentine decorations? Or is that taking it too far?<br />
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Right now I am telling myself to GET OFF THE DAMN COMPUTER AND GO TO BED ALREADY. I know I am really going to pay for it in the morning, staying up this late, surely if there is actually school tomorrow. One can only hope. I mean, miracles have happened right?<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="left" src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/Blog%20Stuff/d8cecf7f-4b8f-411b-a216-578f81cb4ac9.jpg" />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-91045776553618494872014-02-17T19:05:00.001-05:002014-02-17T19:06:58.586-05:00Valentines Day 2014I tried to get back into the spirit of decorating our house with each holiday/season and not just Christmas. Usually it puts me in the spirit of things, and let me tell you I've needed a massive pick me up after this miserable winter we've been having.<br />
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I started by making a new wreath for the door. The one we had was looking pretty sad, and every year we would lose a few more of the flowers. So it had to go. Now we we have a lovely red rose heart in its place.<br />
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Then I went throughout the house decorating the mantel, walls, and coffee table.<br />
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The <i>LOVE </i>blocks I bought from Target a few years ago, and I reused the red candle holders from Christmas. The heart doilies were an impulse buy at the dollar store. </div>
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Fresh flowers really liven things up. The ones on the mantel (on the right) are also real. They lasted much longer than these beauties though.</div>
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This year I also tried to implement a wall where we would write little notes of appreciation and love to one another throughout the month. So far I am the only who has participated. I thanked Fred for my fresh flowers, I told Mason I was proud of him for earning the Helping Hands award at school, and told Sophie that I loved her thoughtfulness of others, especially her brother (making sure I get him one of whatever it is she is getting). This was just my wanting to do more than say, "I love you" on one day, but more of a monthly celebration of the little bits of love we show every day, that tend to go unnoticed sometimes. Maybe next year.</div>
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I think as we get older, our expectations of Valentines Day tend to lessen. Or that could just be me. With two young kids, a husband who works from home (so that means he works 24/7), and schedules that are anything but predictable, it's hard to make any kind of plans. Much less ones that involve just the two of us. So, when V-day came around again this year, I had no high expectations. Especially with the winter storm that had just dumped 13+ inches on us, closing schools for the 10th time this year (no, not the school year, I'm talking about just in 2014 our kids have missed 10 days due to snow. This does not include all the holidays and teacher work days that happened to coincide with those snow days. But don't get me started on that. How I feel about the lack of school my kids have attended since we rung in 2014 is a whole story in and of itself). Moving on. Oh yes, V-day is here and once again my kids are home ALL DAY LONG. This is exactly how I wanted to spend the day. I mean wouldn't you too? (she says dripping with sarcasm). Thank God for good friends who willingly took my kids for a few hours for a much needed playdate. That and Fred having left with my sister to get his Grandparents truck so he could help her move out of her apartment this weekend left me with a few stolen moments to myself. Ahhh. What to do? Sit in front of the TV and watch back to back episodes of Law and Order: SVU, or catch up on my reading of the Game of Thrones series. I did a bit of both. It isn't everyday I get total peace and quiet to enjoy a good book. Let me tell you how hard it is to concentrate on the words you are reading when two tablets are running in the background: the first of which is streaming Power Puff Girls at the loudest level possible, despite my repeated requests to turn it down and the other is playing some ninja game or that seriously addictive Cut the Rope, in which I get the phrase,"can you just help me with this one level Mom, PLEASE!" like every 5 minutes. Is it really too much to ask that Mom gets 20 minutes to herself where no one needs her for anything? Apparently. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the dead quiet in the house that never happens. It was almost too quiet but I managed to get a few chapters read before it was time for chaos to reign once more.<br />
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Around 4pm Fred arrived home with this lovely bouquet of flowers for me. Sometimes he can really get it right without the help of the kids.<br />
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We exchanged cards before I picked up the kids and had Moby's for dinner (no way was I cooking anything tonight). After putting the kids to bed we cuddled on the couch eating strawberries sprinkled with sugar and watching Modern Family. It might not have been the big romantic dinner that everyone expects us to have, but it was enough. It fit us where we are right now in life. Simple, yet sweet.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-91770707280764257012013-12-09T20:40:00.000-05:002013-12-09T20:48:16.586-05:00Haul out the Holly… (December Daily Day 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I swear, every year I get more and more disgusted when I see Christmas decorations filling the aisles of my local stores before Halloween, and hear Christmas music booming from their speakers weeks before Thanksgiving. Seriously?! I'm sorry, but I cannot even think about Christmas, much less get into the mood of the holiday, until after I've had my big family dinner giving my thanks for the year. And don't get me started on the pre Black Friday deals. Christmas has become so commercialized these days that it is now taking over our other holidays just so we can be the first to get the latest and greatest gizmo, toy, blah blah blah for the so called "greatest deal of the century!" Ugh. I can't stand it. But enough about how much I hate the commercialization of my favorite holiday.<br />
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Every year I strive to have the decorations at least drug out of storage, if not all put up, by the first week of December. This is probably the first year we have ever had the tree up, ornaments on, and the majority of the inside of our house decorated for the holidays on the very first day of December. I really can't take credit for being totally on the ball though. Let's just say I had some motivation. In the days after Thanksgiving, and leading up to December, this was the conversation.<br />
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<i>Mason: "Mom can we put the tree on Sunday."</i><br />
<i>Me: "Sure Mason."</i><br />
<i>Mason: "Yes! I can't wait."</i><br />
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Come Sunday morning the conversation went a bit more like this:<br />
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<i>6am, Mason: "Can we put up the tree yet?"</i><br />
<i>Me (grumpy and sleepy, mumbling into my pillow): "Not yet mason, it's still early."</i><br />
<i>7am, Mason: "Can we put up the tree now?"</i><br />
<i>7:30am, Mason: "Get out of the bed! I want to put up the tree!"</i><br />
<i>Me: "Mason, go downstairs. I will get up when I get up! We can put up the tree after I've had my coffee and breakfast."</i><br />
<i>7:45am, Mason (in his best whining tone): "Mom, you promised we could put up the tree today."</i><br />
<i>7:50am, Mason: "MOM! Come on, GET OUT OF BED! Please! Seriously, can we put up the tree now? MOM!"</i><br />
<i>8:00am, Mason: "Mom…"</i><br />
<i>Me and Fred: "MASON!" </i><br />
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Actually, this is how a typical weekend morning sounds. The kids getting up way too early and then bugging us every 10 seconds to get out of bed and get them breakfast, or play with them, or whatever nonsense they start begging for starting at the but crack of dawn. I don't know about you, but this Mama is <span style="text-decoration: underline;">so</span> not a morning person. Not a good combination, young kids and an anti-morning persona. Especially with Mason, who needs constant stimulation as he tends to have the attention span of a gnat. It's exhausting. Probably another reason I need to have my cup of coffee in the morning before I can function. Trust me, you do not want to encounter me on a day I have not had my morning cup o' joe. It's like that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSB7bI5F978"><span style="color: #042eee;">Tempur-Pedic commercial</span></a>, which is all too funny (mostly because it's true).<br />
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Seriously though, we got the tree up and all it's ornaments on in record time. Usually I am still decorating while dinner is cooking in the background. This year we were all done by the afternoon. It is unfortunate that our tree is having a bit of a short out with a strand or too, so we have some dark patches on our tree when it's lit. I suppose it is the perfectionist in me that is having the most problem with that. I swear I start to twitch each time I look at these pictures and walk by the tree at night. But I am learning to let it go. This is the new me, fresh off my breakdown, and being easy breezy. (Hahahaha. I'm sure Fred is reading this right now and screaming, "liar!) OK, so I might not be all easy breezy but I'm getting better at it. Take for example the ornaments. Usually I am very particular about spreading them out and making sure it all looks even. This I just let the kids go for it. I handed them ornaments (the non-breakable ones) and they put them on the tree. It was a big cluster of beauty from about the middle of the tree down. The top, totally empty. I had to stifle a giggle when I turned around. Lucky I had all those breakable ones to fill in the top and even it all out. They did a great job though.<br />
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That evening I found them sitting in the front of the tree looking at all the ornaments, admiring what a great job they had done and pointing out which ones they had made. It was too cute of a moment to pass up. I'm always on the lookout for a good photo op. Once they caught me taking pictures though, they had to pose in from of the tree and even at one point shouted, "did you get that shot of us with our arms around each other?" Such posers these too. But I suppose that just comes with the territory when your Mom is a photographer.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-66609612327102370822013-12-02T10:34:00.000-05:002013-12-02T10:36:33.508-05:00I'm still here, I swearSo I trust that all of you out there in the blogosphere had a happy Thanksgiving. Ours was spent with my immediate family enjoying a short, but intimate dinner. We managed to get ourselves well enough to break some bread between episodes of the Modern Family marathon and whatever football game was being played. Fred made some deliciously good chili, and fruit salad. I tried to make some homemade rolls, but we had issues with our yeast and I ended up buying them last minute at the store. Mason and Sophie got a peak of how I spent a lot of my childhood by playing some really old board games like; Fun City, Clue, and Rack-O with Grandma and Aunt Jenni. My dad and I talked (I love just talking with my dad) about t.v. shows, health, and what we've been up to lately. It was all very last minute and though it wasn't the big family dinner of turkey, stuffing, ham, etc. that we have become accustom to, thanks to Grandma Veda, I am thankful we got to see family at all.<br />
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Ok, so you are probably sitting there all, "Woah Rachel! You've been silent for the last eight months and just suddenly pop up with, this is how our Thanksgiving was, and that's it?" LOL. Well, no. I do owe an explanation as to my absence since much has happened since April and here it is.<br />
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I have spent the last few, ok has it really been eight months, noting stories and events from our lives in my many notebooks strewn throughout the house and I have about 7-8 drafts in my post section that I just never got around to finishing. I have the best intentions, but lack the followthrough. I always figured once the kids got older I would have more time to do the things I want, despite the warnings this was most likely not to be the case. Still, all summer, I anxiously awaited the beginning of the school year. Why? you ask. Well, 2013 marked the beginning of ALL DAY SCHOOL, for at least one child.<br />
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Yes, Mason is now in first grade. FIRST GRADE! <i>Gulp. </i>Sophie is in her last year of preschool, <i>sniff sniff,</i> and I have 5 mornings a week with no kids. NO KIDS! (<i>Insert happy dance, fists pumping in the air.) </i>I will have three whole hours to myself to get some scrapbooking done and to actually sit down and write a blog post, I told myself. In my ideal world, I would spend those three hours being able to read, check email, write on my blog, make some cards, finish a few scrapbooks, and still have time to clean the house, do a load of laundry, run errands, get groceries, and take a shower. How productive I would be with my newly established kid free time. Snap back to reality, and three hours is really not as long as you would expect. I maybe have enough time to get a few things done before that alarm on my phone goes off, indicating it's time to leave<i> </i>and pick up Sophie. Most days this means I only get the grocery shopping done, and maybe a few minutes to send out an email or two; or I have just enough time to get in a run and take a shower; and on Wednesdays its spent volunteering in the classroom or shelving books in the school library. All that free time I had open for endless possibilities, I managed to fill with new opportunities and obligations. Leaving my clearly over-achievable goals of productivity to plummet, along with my hopes of finishing all the things I've been putting off creatively.<br />
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In essence, this was a very lingual way of saying, I've been busy and my blog failed to earn a space on the top of my priority list. I really have no excuses. I should make the time to write down the stories of our lives, especially for those family and friends who actually read this blog and live so far away. I know I've said it before, but I am really going to make a conscious effort to re-prioritize my time and make sure that telling our life stories is, once again, high on that list.<br />
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Not sure how well this will go, I do tend to have a little bit of an attention deficit problem when it comes to being on my computer. I mean all those alluring craft projects, recipes, and home decor ideas waiting to be "liked," or "repined" over on Pinterest; not to mention the status updates of my friends, (<i>oh they are so distracting), </i>because honestly who doesn't want to be all up in everyone else's lives. Seriously, it's only because our own is so overly mundane. Or maybe that's just me. Either way, if you are still reading, or if you are new (<i>Yay! </i>and<i> Welcome</i>.) stay tuned for some catch up posts on what we have been up to lately. Also, it's December already. Aye! IT'S DECEMBER ALREADY!!!! So that means the return of December Daily, a sneak into our lives during the holiday season. I just love this project. You know why? Because as I was decorating yesterday, I pulled out my album from 2009 and started to look through it and really loved seeing how we spent the holiday, how the house was decorated, how young the kids were, and what we did on a daily basis. So much fun.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-1677845515405797882013-04-24T16:37:00.000-04:002013-04-24T16:37:30.502-04:00We got spirit, yes we do. We got spirit, how about you?The end of the school year is approaching with lightning speed and I realize I have yet to write anything the kids have done in school so far this year. Epic fail on my part. No excuses, It's really just a lack of prioritizing blogging into my daily schedule. I'm working on it though. I have re organized my office, bought a planner in order to keep track of events and daily happenings that I want to blog about, and am going through my daily routine to determine the appropriate time to set aside for writing. I won't promise that I will start writing every day, but I will do my best to write more often than I do now.<br />
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Two weeks ago, Sophie's school had spirit week. I could never get Mason to participate in any of the themes while he was attending and really hoped Sophie would let me convince her to take part in at least a day or two. Surprisingly she participated in each day. She wore her Redskins jersey on Monday, mismatched her socks on Tuesday, and donned her school colors of yellow and blue on Wednesday. My favorite was Crazy Hair day on Thursday.<br />
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Sophie picked the outfit out herself, but she let me do up her hair however I wanted. I put two ponytails on top with her frilly hair ties and then braided the bottom in four different braids. It was a bit harder since her hair is shorter now than it used to be, but I think it came out good. She added the tiara, but then decided to leave it at home before heading out the door. I had walked her in that morning so I got to see all the teachers and her classmates equally crazy hair dos. Some had pony tails sticking straight up, one teacher had Mr. Potato Head stuck in her hair, and a boy in her class came in wearing a tin foil hat. There was lots of giggling, pointing, and showing each other their crazy hair. I was surprised to see her hair still in its crazy do when I picked her up, as she usually tends to take out her braids or pony tails by the time I roll into car line. I believe Friday was her favorite day because she got to wear pajamas to school again. It was really fun to see all the school spirit throughout the week. I'm thinking next year I just might participate too.<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-91147380021830991652013-03-03T22:47:00.000-05:002013-03-06T14:49:20.451-05:00Simple Things Sunday: through the eyes of a child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last night while I was doing an emergency load of laundry, Sophie decided to stay in the mudroom and watch as her beloved ladybug blankie got washed. You see, it's the end of the world when her blankie gets dirty, and then I have to listen to her scream at bedtime when she doesn't have it. I try to pick my battles and this is not one of them, for I dearly appreciate sleep. Especially when my kids are doing it.<br />
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Fred was working on some code for his GPS's and I returned to coloring Wizard 101 characters at the table with Mason. We happened upon a section of their website that has a sampling of their characters to print out and color. Mason has been on a coloring binge ever since. I haven't really minded because coloring was a favorite past time in my childhood and something I still enjoy to this day. Coloring is probably one of the few activities that I can do with my kids for hours. After a few moments Sophie started to yell out to me, "Mommy! Mommy I need you." I half sarcastically replied, "When do you not need me?" She didn't get my humor and was only more persistent that I come and see this RIGHT NOW. As much as I knew it wasn't anything serious, the excitement in her voice had me curious.<br />
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I was just finishing up coloring a section, so I could see what she wanted, when I heard her yell, "Mommy come look! Come look, Mommy! The clothes are having so much fun!"<br />
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And that folks, is the wonderful mind of a three year old. When you can take something as simple as a load of laundry spinning round and round in the washing machine and turn it into something exciting, there is something special in that. I hate laundry, but I'm starting to wonder, if I tried to approach it like a three year old, would it be more enjoyable?Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-44087063662877684062013-03-02T19:03:00.000-05:002013-03-03T15:05:54.966-05:00I'm not usually one to pray but...It's already March and I am starting to think we may never get that one big snowfall I have been praying for. It's been cold enough on more than one occasion, yet the most significant snowfall we've had was only a dusting that barely covered the grass. Such a disappointment, as I hoped we would get the chance to make at least one snowman and take a few trips down the small hill on the side of our house in the sled. I mean really, the northeast has gotten buried among 2-3 feet of snow, Utah is having record snowfall, Texas had a blizzard, and Arizona, did you hear that, even Arizona got snowfall. But each storm has managed to just miss us here in Virginia. Where's the love?<br />
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There are reports of a snow storm making its way to the east by Wednesday, but as the many snow storms before it, the prediction is that it will just miss our area by a hair. I heard on WTOP the other day that the last significant snow we had in March was 1999. I suppose it is time to admit that this may be my only chance to post any pictures of the kids having fun in the snow this year.<br />
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January 24th, I was awoken by a phone call from the Public Information Officer stating that school was on a two hour delay. This is a new concept that I haven't quite gotten used to yet this year; getting a phone call from the county letting you know when the school is delayed or closed due to inclement weather. How far we have come from the days when I was in school. The kids were biting at my heals to get outside, jumping up and down, and screaming that it snowed.<br />
Above, Sophia is making her best snow angel out of what little snow there was. After much testing, it was decided the driveway was the best spot.<br />
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They loved chasing each other around the yard, and up and down the hill. It was the most insignificant snowfall but you couldn't tell that to these two. You would have thought they found Heaven on Earth. Although it could have cabin fever that caused their eagerness to get their snowsuits on and be outside- to play, jump, slide, throw, roll, run, and laugh in the glorious white landscape.<br />
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Just look at those smiles. Wouldn't you wish for an inch or two just to experience the rush of adrenaline and pure excitement that is the ultimate snow day? Ah, to relive my childhood; to feel alive and enjoy the day without trepidation. If I could get just one day of that, it will have been worth all the headache of stock piling essentials while dodging the masses at our local supermarket, enduring the boredom of missing school, and the labor intensive task of cleaning off cars and shoveling the driveway. Snow Gods, if you are out there, please hear my prayer and send us some snow.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-52245932890966463762013-02-18T19:41:00.000-05:002013-02-18T19:44:53.759-05:00I {heart} Valentines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Valentines Day didn't go exactly as expected. Not that I ever really expect much. I mean, to be honest, the day of "love" has always been that day I secretly anticipate, yet equally loath all at the same time.<br />
In my younger years, I never really cared too much for the day as my coupledom status hardly ever seemed to fall on this commercially enhanced holiday. And when it did, the guy never remembered.<br />
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Looking back, my most fond memories of Valentines Day are not about some guy I had a crush on and skipped 5th period math just to watch as my singing valentine was delivered to his lunch table. No, I fondly recall my father sneaking into my bedroom before heading out to work at the ungodly hour of 5am. I'd lay there in bed, eyes closed, pretending to be asleep as we would leave me a gift on my night table. Usually I'd wait until I heard his car engine start and then fade, as he drove down the street, before turning on my light and searching for what he left.<br />
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It was usually a bag of candy hearts or a box of chocolates, something Valentine related, and an envelope with my name on it. You know guys are not usually the mushy, talk about your feelings type. My Dad is different. I could always go to him with anything that was on my mind. It is a unique trait that I have always cherished in my relationship with him. Still, sometimes you just can't get out what you want to say, so a perfectly picked card would do the trick. And my dad always was the best at picking out cards that touched the heart. I suppose this is where I got my habit for giving cards and little gifts to those I love.<br />
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But I digress.<br />
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Valentines 2013 was a morning when I hit the snooze button longer than I should, foiling my plans to get up before the kids and have some spectacular Valentine breakfast waiting for them to devour before school. Instead, it was the same old routine of struggling to get Sophie dressed and down the stairs. Breakfast wasn't anything more than cream cheese on a bagel, orange juice, and gummy vitamins. Then I hurriedly threw together the day's snack while my much needed cup of joe was brewing.<br />
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The day before, I spent all afternoon in the kitchen baking (and all evening decorating) heart shaped cookies for a bunch of Kindergartners. You see, I felt I was neglecting Mason's school year by not having signed up to be a room parent in his classroom as well. So I wanted to do my part and felt cookies were innocent enough. I made a cream cheese sugar cookie recipe I found online. Next time I think I will stick to the timeless sugar cookie recipe, as I had to improvise on this one just to get it to be dough like, and the cream cheese added a little too much tartness for my taste. But in a taste test with the kids, they got a thumbs up.</div>
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Don't they look yummy? After all my hard work, I was anxious to get them to the party but at the moment, my only thought was to devour my hot, delicious cup of coffee, so I could stay awake long enough to make it till the afternoon. </div>
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It was just before the first alarm, letting me know that Sophie had 5 minutes to scarf down whatever food was left and get ready for carpool, that Mason mentioned he didn't feel so well. He said he was dizzy and I could tell he was a bit pale as I approached him. His skin was on fire and I told him to sit on the couch as I went to the medicine cabinet for the thermometer. <i>101</i>. I checked two more times for good measure, but as much as I wished it to, the number on the LCD didn't change.<br />
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<i>Woo. Hoo.</i> Taking care of a sick child wasn't exactly how I wanted to spend my Valentines Day, yet oddly, it was enough. Fred had a meeting in Winchester, so the kids and I spent the afternoon watching Disney Junior, decorating our Valentine mailboxes, and attempting to rest. The process of getting my children to sit still and rest when they have a fever is a bit like telling a dog not to bark. Still, I managed to get them both down for a nap and had a few quiet moments to handcraft some Valentine cards.<br />
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Soon Fred arrived home with a gift from the kids.<br />
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Truly the most unique roses I have ever received. Mason has always been the best at picking flowers, in fact he gets super upset if Fred buys me flowers without him. Clearly the phone call they shared earlier was regarding which roses to get me, and Mason made the perfect choice again.<br />
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Fred also bought me another beautiful Orchid.<br />
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Purple of course. Isn't it beautiful? Having flowers in my house, and longer than the average two days or so that roses tend to last (a green thumb I am not), really brightens up the place. I smile every time I walk into the kitchen.<br />
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For dinner, I had planned to make a lovely roasted chicken with homemade rolls but with Mason under the weather we enjoyed tacos and red wine instead. After an early bedtime, Fred and I settled down for another viewing of the West Wing series. Every few months or so, we watch the entire series of West Wing because really it is that good.<br />
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It might not have been the traditional, overly romantic evening that hollywood has us dreaming about, but as each year passes, I find it doesn't matter what we do: spending a quiet evening at home curled up on the couch with popcorn, Twizzlers, and maybe a beer or a glass of wine, watching Big Bang Theory, or having a nice dinner out at Ruth's Chris--together is always enough.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-62628438202064136372013-02-12T19:22:00.000-05:002013-02-19T11:00:01.758-05:00Celebrating 90 yearsFred's Grandfather, Grandad Briggs as we call him, turned 90 years old this month.<br />
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We celebrated with a small get together of family and friends. What an amazing thing to have lived for 90 years. The things he has experienced, lived through, and accomplished are truly fascinating. I love hearing all the stories and feel so honored that me and my family get to be a part of his current and future stories. <br />
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After a delicious lunch of Grandma Vedas famous chicken chalupas, we enjoyed some cake made by Lisa, their neighbor. They are a lovely family whose two boys are allergic to peanuts as well. (An interesting tidbit, out of the five kids at the party, four have a peanut allergy.) It's been nice to able to get together, where there is a delicious home cooked meal, and not have to worry about the food causing a reaction. Equally, it has been nice to chat with a fellow allergy Mom, whose kids are older, sharing stories, giving support, and exchanging tips we've learned along the way. </div>
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After catching up with everyone and playing a few rounds of table tennis, (the boys always have to battle, and as of this trip, Uncle Keith had yet to be beaten in a game. That was until Chris, the neighbor, dethroned the champion to a chorus of applause), it was present and picture time. </div>
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Recently the microwave in Grandad's workshop, where he heats up his coffee, broke. Needless to say his favorite gift was a brand new microwave. </div>
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We joked that our future relatives will look at this picture and wonder why in the world Grandad was posing with a microwave?</div>
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Here is the man of the hour with his wife, Grandma Veda. Aren't they just so cute? I look at them and think, this is where I want to be at their age. So incredibly happy and content with life. They are the model of marriage, love, and friendship.</div>
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Here they are with their kids and their spouses. </div>
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Unfortunately this one is blurry, but here is the Briggs clan. Four Generations. </div>
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And the entire gang. Here we are, all of us: me and my family, including my mom, dad, and sister; Uncle Keith and his wife, Janie; Aunt Janet, Uncle Eric, and Amanda; My father-in-law, his wife, Heather, and their son, Aiden; Heather's parents, Grandma and Grandad; and the neighbors, Chris and Lisa, and their two sons. </div>
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I feel so blessed to have so much family living this close that we can have moments like this, celebrating milestones in each others lives, and being in the company of those we love. </div>
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Happy 90th Grandad!!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-4344726561631738372013-01-14T22:30:00.000-05:002013-04-24T16:41:03.896-04:00January 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2013 was rung in with our good friends, the Butlers. They hosted a small get together at their home. It is always a treat spending time with them, as Mason and Sophie get along so well with their girls, she has three. Her youngest, about 7 months at the time, is such a happy baby. She would scream with excitement, to which Sophie would cover her ears and Mason would laugh. Veronica was truly entertaining.<br />
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The kids brought over their LeapPads, and lets just say that was the BEST IDEA EVER! Mason, Sophie, Genevieve, and Aubrey disappeared almost immediately and non-stop played with the LeapPads all night. I think Shelly and Gabe have a new purchase to make. <br />
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The adults spent the night drinking, laughing, and reminiscing till it was time to count down. Poor Aubrey and Mason were passed out by 10pm, while Sophie and Genevieve were still rockin'. I totally thought Sophie would make it till midnight. Then at 11:50pm we looked over and there she was looking so cute fast asleep on the couch. 10 minutes, she had only ten minutes left! Oh well, there is always next year.<br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-80042402491802688402012-11-10T22:55:00.000-05:002012-11-13T21:30:45.477-05:00November Thankful: The 10thToday I am thankful for the warmer weather. The kind of weather I love, when all you need is a sweatshirt. It really felt like Fall today, instead of the early onset of winter. Fred, Nana, Mason, Sophie, and I walked the short distance to the courts in our neighborhood. Happy to be outside, breathing fresh air, and the chance to have a family fun day playing tennis. Oh, how I have missed spending my days like this, and how I hope to have more of them in the future. Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-80989173236494088532012-11-09T23:08:00.000-05:002012-11-11T12:54:05.506-05:00November Thankful: The 9th<br />
I was talking to my father on the phone today and he told me a wonderful story that I wanted to share with you.<br />
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<i>It was election day. My dad slowly made his way into the polling station at the local elementary school, my elementary school. He went to stand in line and very soon realized that the line wrapped around the building a few times and would be hours before he got to vote. He knew he would not be able to stand that long, having suffered a stroke 5 years ago and dealing with physical disabilities as a result. After about 10-15min. the people around him began to see him struggle. They offered to have him sit on the buckets they had been sitting on, but they were too low to the ground. He would never get down or back up. Then the young man standing behind my dad asked if he could get my father a chair from the principles office. The young man was excited to be voting for the first time, a recent graduate of my high school alma mater as well as a former student at the elementary school they were standing in now. The chair in the office has wheels and that would be perfect for my dad. So the young man disappeared into the office for a few minutes, returning not with the rolling chair, but a wheel chair instead. The young man than proceeded to push my father through the long, winding line around the school until they reached the sign in table.</i><br />
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As I listened to my father tell me this amazing story, I felt some tears well up in my eyes; tears of unexpected gratefulness. In that moment, I said a silent prayer; thankful that there are people out in this world who are still compassionate, decent human beings, considerate of others.<br />
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I am also thankful for the very rare opportunity to get dressed up and go on a date night, enjoying a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant with my handsome, loving husband. (*Thanks Nana, for letting us have this special night. It really meant a lot to us.)<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-73450001897079363582012-11-08T22:27:00.000-05:002012-11-11T12:29:22.475-05:00November Thankful: The 8th<br />
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Today I am thankful for the opportunity to volunteer in Sophie's classroom. Originally another mother had signed up for this day, which I wanted, but at the last minute needed to go out of town. Luckily I had walked Sophie into school this morning and was asked if I still wanted to volunteer. Of course I did! It really worked out great, because Nana is in town and able to watch Mason, so Fred could work and I could volunteer. </div>
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Interacting with the Ducklings and seeing how things run in the classroom has been a memorable experience. It really made my day to see the smiles on the kids faces as we played monster in the dollhouse, searched for and counted out the colors of bears at the sensory table, and was served tea and various other foods in the dramatic play area. Sophie had a little bit of a hard time letting me leave in the end, but soon joined the rest of the class in the circle, singing the "go wash your hands" song before snack time. She loves to sing, a trait I am certain she gets from me. </div>
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I was really nervous to help out in the classroom at first, you never know how the kids will react to you. It seems silly, but I care whether or not I have the approval of a classroom of three year olds. Especially a group of three year olds who interact with my daughter on a daily basis and could potentially be candidates for play-dates. I guess I had nothing to worry about though, because it was a wonderful experience and especially rewarding when I got a hug from one of the girls, for the second time this year when volunteering in the classroom. I was kneeling on the floor in the dramatic play area when she just came right up and gave me a big hug. It was so unexpected, and I got that knowing look from the teacher as she walked by, observing this interaction. My lips instinctively curled up into a smile and I melted into a puddle on the floor. To know that I have made a positive impact on a child's day really makes my day that much brighter. I walked around the rest of the day with a bounce in my step. I never noticed before, but these children, especially my own, really make a positive difference in my life as well. This is the reason I became a parent, why I love working with children, and am so incredibly thankful for everyday that I get to have moments like these. </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-35725655790897256692012-11-07T17:38:00.000-05:002012-11-11T12:30:09.228-05:00November Thankful: The 7th<br />
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OK, so I know I have been totally neglecting this little blog of mine. I don't really have an excuse. Simply put, I underestimated how busy I would become, and how little "me" time I would get with two kids in school on opposite schedules. That, and I have been trying to focus on taking care of myself better.</div>
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In addition to all the things occupying my time, I am getting over a serious cold, where I lost my voice just in time for Mason's birthday party, and am recovering from what I call my minor breakdown. If I am going to be truly honest, I have been suffering from some pretty severe anxiety over the last month. After finally recognizing that I needed help, I am on my road to recovery. I feel healthier, stronger, and have more energy. I am happier than I have been in a really long time and the change is noticeable.</div>
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With this new me emerging, I am hoping to get back to blogging on a regular basis. Making it a priority to write things out and once again document our lives. To start, I thought I would bring back November Thankful. It being so fitting with my life path right now, and it being the season of giving thanks and all. So here we go.</div>
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Today I am thankful to wake up and be reaffirmed that Obama was re-elected president, and that I was brave enough to get the haircut that I really wanted. It's short but I like it and am slowly getting used to it. Sophie runs around calling me Tangled. I believe this is mostly due to the fact that I took inspiration from the movie and showed my stylist a picture of Rapunzel's hair from the end of the movie. </div>
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I felt really silly bringing in a picture of a cartoon, but apparently someone else had brought in an American Girl doll asking for the color hair of the doll. LOL.<br />
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Most everyone says they love the new look. I think it makes me look older, more mature. Which I like. Now I just need to learn how to style my hair the way she does.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-18480845529841107872012-08-28T17:30:00.005-04:002012-09-10T08:03:31.735-04:00Maryland Renaissance Festival 2012<a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61372.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 570px; height: 428px;" src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61372.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />On August 25th we went to the Maryland Renaissance Fair with my Mom and Sister. It happened to be opening weekend, but it was the only time we would be able to go before the kids start school. We have been able to go to the Renn Fair every year since Mason was about a year and a half, except last year. We missed last year and it was a total bummer, so Mason was excited to find out we would be going again. Sophie doesn't remember going since she was only a year old the last time we went, but she took her cues from Mason and was jumping up and down the night before. I too, was excited about going back. It's such a family friendly, fun place and I really enjoy dressing up. Only, this year I was also real nervous about going. Having a food allergy to manage makes outings like this a real stressor. You have to plan, plan, plan and then hope for the best.<div><br /></div><div>In the weeks leading up to opening day, I contacted the MDRF staff asking about their food vendors and ingredients, letting them know our situation. They recommended that I bring our own food as they could not 100% guarantee the safety of their foods for those with severe food allergies. That made sense and I was glad to know they allowed outside food in their venue (most places don't and you are just screwed). So I planned accordingly, packing lunch and snacks for both the kids. Mason made it easy when he asked to have his lunched packed too. He really looks after his sister these days, never wanting her to be left out or feel different than the rest of us, and I love that. <div><br /></div><div>I ended up taking the backpack diaper bag; it comes in handy at festivals, parades, and other events, because you can pack a lot of stuff and carry it easily. I made sure to pack a change of clothes; the portable potty seat, as they only have porta potties and no way am I letting my kids butts touch those nasty seats; Benadryl and Epipens; baby wipes for hands and lysol wipes for tables and seats. People may think I am totally paranoid when they see me wiping down chairs, tables, and benches, but when your child runs the risk of having a reaction after touching any surface with traces of peanut and other nut residue, you would be doing the same.<br /><div><br /></div><div>The weather ended up being really nice. After the scorching Summer, it wasn't too hot and only raining towards the end of the day, but not too hard; especially not hard enough to spoil the kids fun. Sometimes I miss the simplicity of childhood and not having to worrying about adult issues. We arrived around 10am and didn't leave until around 4pm; having had a fun filled day. Here are a few of the highlights throughout our day.</div><div><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60652.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60652.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div>The Rouges celtic band. They are awesome and so much fun to hear play. </div><div><br /></div><div>After The Rouges the kids were hungry, seeing it was 11:30pm and their usual lunchtime. We packed lunchables for the kids and made sure we bought food that was the least likely to be made, or have come into contact with nuts, for ourselves. Pizza seemed the least likely to be contaminated and of course I made sure we all wiped our hands with baby wipes afterward. </div><div><br /></div><div>After lunch we headed to the clothing stores to take a peak. We have never been able to get Mason to dress up, despite that fact that Grandma, Aunt Jenni, Fred, and I ALL dress up. I thought especially with Fred dressing up that he would concede, but so far, no such luck. Sophie is a different story. She immediately picked out a dress or two that she liked and we tried them on. After finding one in her size and a color she liked, she wouldn't take it off. Then we bought a matching head piece and Sophie was running around the rest of the day saying she was a Princess. I knew we would be able to get my little girl to dress up. </div><div><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/MarylandRennFair1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/MarylandRennFair1.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 407px; " /></a></div><div>This is Sophie in her garb just after Grandma bought her and Mason a sword and shield set. She, of course, got a bejeweled purple sword and a shield with a Purple Unicorn painted on the front. Mason picked out a black sword and a shield with a phoenix painted on front. </div><div><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60882.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60882.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60892.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60892.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60922.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60922.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div>These photos crack me up. How fierce Sophie looks here. </div><div><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60952.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_60952.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div>Fred and I in our garb. </div><div><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61002.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61002.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61022.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61022.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 640px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Waiting for jousting to start, we took the kids through the maze. Fred and I both thought this was going to be an easy walk through, but still fun for the kids. We quickly learned that it was not going to be that easy to find our way through. Each turn around a corner was met with excitement that this would be the way out followed by laughter when it wasn't. After a while Fred and I began to get really nervous we would never find our way out. Mason suggested that Grandma start yelling so we could follow her voice. Eventually we found the exit; all smiles and laughter, happy to finally be out. It really was fun, especially watching the kids run ahead of us, laughing and smiling, hoping to be the one to find the way out. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61072.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61072.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 380px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61112.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61112.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sophie and I then rode an elephant. Being opening day, I totally expected there to be a really long line, but we got to ride immediately as there was no line at all. Woohoo! Sophie loved it and I was glad that she would actually remember it this time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61312.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61312.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61302.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61302.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mason was really into the jousting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61402.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61402.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">During the joust was the only time I seriously got nervous and paranoid about Sophia's food allergy. I was sure to steer clear of the Roasted nuts stand, as there seemed to be only one. However, at the event, there were vendors walking around with packages of roasted almonds, cashews, and the such. Sophia tested positive to a severe allergy to cashews along with peanuts and as the vendor made it's rounds I fixated on each of the people sitting around us, praying that none of them bought a bag. We got real lucky. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We shared a treat of strawberry flavored Italian ice stuffed into a hollowed out orange. I remember Sophie devouring the thing, her face stained red the rest of the day. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/MarylandRennFair.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/MarylandRennFair.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 407px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The kids got knighted and princessed. (If that is even a word.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61452.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61452.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Had some fun in the many picture cuts outs. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/photo-22.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/photo-22.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 640px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The adults enjoyed the local brew.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was then that it started to rain, and I mean really pour. It didn't deter Mason from playing in the pirate themed play area. He loved it, running in the rain. Sophie sat in the stroller, snacking, while we took shelter under the trees and archway. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61632.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61632.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61592.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61592.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">After the rain stopped we took the kids for pony rides. Mason was old enough to ride on his own this year and absolutely loved that. Because of the rain, there was a small line and the kids got to ride (for free) three times. This was Sophie's favorite part. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61752.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/IMG_61752.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 570px; height: 428px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Before leaving we got to see Squire on the Wire. This guy was walking this tightrope directly over the crowd, in the rain. It was amazing. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We had a great time and look forward to next year!</div><div> </div></div></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6087582580074248838.post-37666453687422977242012-08-18T22:42:00.001-04:002012-08-19T00:08:39.865-04:00Stylish, Homemade Drawstring Bags<a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/ChildrensDrawstringBags22.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 570px; height: 190px;" src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/ChildrensDrawstringBags22.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>Back in July, I found <a href="http://nicholmagouirk.typepad.com/things_that_really_matter/2012/07/stuff-ive-made-drawstring-backpacks-.html">this post</a> in my google reader and they looked so cute, I decided to make the kids their own bags to carry with us to our various Summer outings. However, they looked a bit beyond my skill level so I searched for some simpler designs. I settled upon three and they can be found <a href="http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2008/09/tutorial-reversible-patchwork-bag.html">here</a>, <a href="http://ihavetosay.typepad.com/randi/2010/08/step-1-cut-two-17-12-by-15-inch-pieces-of-your-main-fabric-my-main-fabric-is-woodland-chain-in-pool-then-cut-one-8-12.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://kitschycoo.blogspot.com/2010/08/tutorial-drawstring-gym-pe-kit-backpack.html">here</a>. The first I used only for reference of the patchwork, the second one I liked how she sewed the holes for the drawstring much better, and the third I liked her step by step pictures. I am such a visual learner. Each tutorial is easy to follow and the bags came together quickly and quite nicely. I tried to document my process to give you all a tutorial of my own, but alas, due to my lack of sewing skills (and unable to read directions when I am tired) it was 2am when I finally finished Sophia's bag and the photos came out terrible. There is little to no light in my craft room, or the dungeon as I refer to it sometimes, as my craft room is in the basement with one tiny window in the top corner, and the track lighting we installed is just not getting the job done. So I apologize, but if you follow the tutorials from the links above you should do just fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once I had my plan written down, Mason went with me to JoAnn's (I had a coupon) to pick out fabric. He was insistent on the flame fabric as soon as he saw it. Such a boy he is, I swear. Finding fabric for Sophie was a bitter harder. I know she likes pink, but wasn't sure what she would like beyond that. I finally decided upon a set of flowery fat quarters in pinks, blues and greens. I also purchased cheap white linen for the liner. I then went to AC Moore and bought parachute cord to use as the drawstring. Though, nylon cord from Home Depot would work just a good. </div><div><br /></div><div>I used a 3/8" seam allowance and calculated that into my measurements, so I ended up with my final bag measuring 13"x11". Perfect for small children. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Supplies for Mason:</b></div><div>1/2 yard of flame fabric cut into 2 - 15"x12" pieces</div><div>Liner fabric cut into 2 - 15"x12" pieces</div><div>16ft. of black parachute cord cut into 2 - 21" lengths (about)</div><div>Grosgrain ribbon cut into 2 - 2" pieces</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/ChildrensDrawstringBags1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 640px;" src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/ChildrensDrawstringBags1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Supplies for Sophie:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">4 fat quarter pieces cut into 4.875"x3.875" strips</div><div style="text-align: left;">Liner fabric cut into 2 - 15"x12" pieces</div><div style="text-align: left;">16ft. of white parachute cord cut into 2 - 21" lengths</div><div style="text-align: left;">Grosgrain ribbon cut into 2 - 2" pieces</div><a href="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/ChildrensDrawstringBags.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 570px; height: 428px;" src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e239/Rachey628/ChildrensDrawstringBags.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Aren't they such cute models?)</div><div><br /></div><div>The kids are super proud of their bags and couldn't wait to start using them. I couldn't have gotten them done at a more perfect time as they came in very useful for our second trip to the Free Summer Movie Fest. It was the day after Sophie's trip to the ER and I was uber paranoid about her eating anything that I couldn't read the label. <i>Yes, this included popcorn and all candy sold at the theatre.</i> My plan was to use them to bring our own food. I packed two juice boxes, some fruit snacks, goldfish, and gummy bears in each of their bags. (I ended up caving and buying some popcorn once we sat down and it was fine). We have since used these when going to see other events like Reptiles Alive at the mall (packing snacks like grapes, raisins and goldfish), going to the allergist (I packed it with some books and toys), and one more trip to the movie theatre (this time I made our own popcorn). The kids insist on bringing these with us just about anywhere we go now. I'm glad they are getting good use, and holding up to the wear and tear. I had also intended to use these for going to the pool. Kids could pack snacks, goggles, toys, a change of clothes, etc. in their bags and it would be less for me to carry. But we haven't made it to the pool much this summer. I just had an idea; if I lined the fabric with vinyl it would be perfect for the beach. <i>Note this on my list for future projects. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>I had planned to post this back in July, shortly after I finished making them, but recent events pushed this to the back burner. I have found it hard getting back to normal, and writing about projects or crafts have just felt so trivial. I know blog posts have been sporadic at best and sometimes just random, but it has been an incredibly rough and emotional few weeks. Most days I can't even find the words to write, or it all comes out sounding so disjointed (a bit like this post is sounding right now). I am slowly getting back into the swing of things and will hopefully be blogging regularly again soon. In the meantime, what do you think of the changes to my design? I even created, and added two new blog buttons, so if you haven't already, grab one for your website or blog. </div><div><br /></div><div>As always, thanks for reading. </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537034389656193743noreply@blogger.com0