YIKES! Cuteness Abundant!

This little thing WORKED the pumpkin patch we were at yesterday, taking only this quick minute to have her picture shot by her favorite photographer, Mariah.  I had to share. :)

I do need to check in...report on how my plan is going/went...next week I'm sure... :)  For now, preparations for our compliance audit are in full swing.  Yah!

Planning to Plan...or Plan to Succeed...or something like that

If I have a plan, I can accumulate the necessary elements to follow through with the plan, and the plan has a higher chance of being carried out.  Right.  It sounds all fine and dandy, and all the magazines tout it's success rates and you know how I love success. :)  So...I'm going to post some "plans" for the week in the hopes that I will follow through because I made it public (well, posted to you, my dear friends, who in all actuality, will give me more crap for not following through than strangers!). :)

Dinners
Monday--stuffed zucchini
Tuesday--something small, make soup for Wed night (girl's night--just Abby and I so I eat light)
Wednesday--Chard/sausage/potato soup
Thursday--pasta with homemade sauce (lots of veggies) and garlic bread
Friday--pizza with some kind of toppings...
(wow--it looks like I'll do anything to one-pot cook, doesn't it?  Everything has the veggies in there already so I don't have to make/dirty/whatever another dish)

On another food tangent, I'm trying something for breakfast and lunch.  I'm cooking up an egg, melting a little cheese on top and putting it on top of a slice of toasted bread.  For an am snack, if I get hungry for one, I have apples and peanut butter.  For lunch I'm having burritos (I make, refried beans/rotel/cheese) and salsa OR a piece of protein (today it's a hamburger patty) AND fruit and/or veggies.  I read somewhere that if you have the same thing everyday, it takes some stress away because that's not one more decision you have to make.  And I don't have too much trouble with needing variety.  I figure it's worth a shot. :)

Fitness
Monday--C25K
Tuesday--video on NetFlix
Wednesday--C25K at 530am (this is going to be hard but if I only make myself do it one morning a week...wish me luck!)
Thursday--Stroller Strides
Friday-Sunday--do C25K or something VERY active (not gardening Katie!) for 1/2 hour.

OK...what's your week look like?
Happy Monday!

Friday Five

As I develop this blog, I know that I will copy things I've seen and liked on other people's blogs.  And I do like the idea of a "this-happens-on-this-day" situation because...well, you know...it allows me to obsess and have a "rule." :)

Mary (http://amerrylife.com/) does a Friday Five.  It's usually multiple lists of five things each.  I'm going to start with one list of five and build from there.

5 Things That Made Me Smile Yesterday

1.  My sweet kiddos face--she played, she ran, she laughed and she got shots yesterday--and her face still makes me smile every time I see it (this is going to be a problem when she's really in trouble and I'm trying to be serious, I'm afraid).

2.  New babies--twins in fact--who are healthy and happy...and don't keep me up all night long. :)

3.  Dear friends--one who took Abby and I to the new yogurt shop, which culminated in the tasting of an AMAZING cucumber tart yogurt that is still on my mind, and one who called out of nowhere to remind me that I'm important to her.  I hope she knows how important she is to me too!  Struggles seem easier when you know you're not alone and she did exactly that last night.  I feel lucky to have such great friends who fill my life.

4.  Birthdays--we celebrated one today.  And they're always fun.

5.  A dear hubby who came home with a smile on his face, good bowling scores, and a kiss for his wife.  Life is good.

Weekend plans--I think it's pumpkin patch time!  I bought a groupon a while ago for a pumpkin patch out in Wilton so I think the Wilmot's will venture out sometime this weekend.  Yah for the fall!

Happy Friday!

Wow...A Week!

The good part is that I thought it'd been WAY LONGER than that since I posted something.  The bad part is it has been a whole week.  And I wanted to do better than that.

I'm thinking of starting something...Wednesday Week In Review (WWIR?  Wednesday WIR?)  Obviously still working on the idea in my head...

Last Thursday Abby and I tried a new route to Stroller Strides that did indeed help us to escape some traffic so if that continues to be the situation, we'll continue to go.  I love the workouts, know I would not do as good of a job left to my own devices, and it's fun.  Then we raced home and hosted some kiddos and their parents for an afternoon of crafts, which really ended up with the kids playing and us talking.  It was nice.  Friday night Jason, Abby, Mom and I went out to Esparto for Homecoming--all I can say is that the halftime routine KICKED MAJOR BUTT!  Great great job!  Saturday Jason kept Abby so I could have an adult breakfast with the bugs and then Carrie, Abby and I hit Vacaville and did some damage.  That night Jason and I had a date night in--watched Bridesmaids and ate pizza and ice cream.  It was awesome.  Sunday I helped Mom clean out her garage--her birthday gift was my assistance and she cashed in.  Her garage looks AWESOME.  She's very happy.  Monday and Tuesday were...well, Monday and Tuesday.  Nothing exciting to report.

C25K has made no progress.  I've felt slightly achy--I don't know why--so I've easily (and I mean EASILY) talked myself out of doing my next workout, which consequently is also the last time in week one.  Am I scared to move onto week two?  If I wait too much longer, I'll have to start over.  This weekend is looking good for getting back on track.  Maybe I'm achy BECAUSE I haven't done anything...

Eating has been HORRIBLE.  Recognizing the problem is the first step.  YIKES.  But I need to figure out something because we are upon the holidays and if having a bowl of candy out at work and at home is going to be my downfall, I'm in big trouble.  I'm trying something today so we'll see.  I was very tempted to go get something yummy and bad for me but in the end, I resisted and ate what I brought and felt satisfied.  I wonder if food-journaling would help right now...?  Maybe that could be a tact I try...

Overall, I'm so lucky.  If the worst things I'm working on in my life are getting enough exercise and over eating, well, I'm a lucky girl.  I'm thankful.

It's Wednesday! Yah! :)

First, let me share this shot:

Thanks Jackie!

This was Abby helping to prep for her first retirement party for our dear friend Berta.  I guess she was hugging these bears and kissing them and once everyone started running for their phones to take a picture, she was easily distracted by what everyone was doing. :)  That's my girl!  (And I'd like to observe--she was obviously helping with the "dirty work" going on--look at those feet!)

Last night was girls night at our house.  Jason has singing so Abby and I tear it up...we walked through all the yards on our way to get the mail, which we never did get because we got distracted at Aunt Kimmy's house.  We rocked bath time, put on our new Minnie Mouse pjs, kicked some Good Night Moon and Ladybug Girl butt and went to sleep without a sound.  She was a tired cookie.  So was I--I fell asleep reading a book before Jason even got home.

All this leads me to a discovery I've been thinking through.  I seem to be falling into a routine and if you know me, you know this is making me a happy girl.  Monday nights I walk after dinner, Tuesday nights I girl time it with Abby (pedicures in our future?), Wednesday nights I get to hang with Jason and get things ready for whatever plans I've made for our Thursdays.

The only bad part is I'm realizing that I'm only leaving myself minimal times for working out.  If I want to stay true to the day of rest between each workout, and I walk on Mondays and have SS on Thursdays, then I should get another walk in on Saturday.  That's not really a problem but I think I need to figure out how to get planned exercise (because lets face it--chasing a toddler IS exercise) on my schedule.

OK...and I made another goal to go dessert-free.  This time my goal was until October 31--so 20 days.  That lasted about 15 hours.  UGGG!

I write this and realize...if these are the issues that are plaguing my brain, life is pretty darn good.  I'm a blessed girl!

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday--o sweet Tuesday!

So...I'm reading this while the Today show is reporting on the chick who ran and finished the Chicago marathon hours before giving birth to a baby.  OMG!  Really?  I would love to be a runner, would love to experience that precious runner's high, but I could barely walk when I was that pregnant.  I'm really speechless.  Eat a freakin' box of cereal and act like a normal pregnant lady, will ya?

Last night I went on my fifth trip through week one.  I speed walked most of the circuts but did finish with a jog.  I chatted a little with my friend who went to the running clinic and she shared that one of the things she learned was to run on the balls of your feet rather than heal-to-toe (like walking) because that sends the shock up the muscles instead of the bones.  I tried to pay attention to that.

I also was finally successful in locating the stretching poster that I always used at the gym.  For some reason, my mind can not/will not memorize these stretches so I printed it out and put it in the drawer where I keep my ipod.  Last night I stretched really good after my walk and have felt so much more limber and less tight since.  Yah! :)

Thanks Pinterest!

On other notes, while Abby had one of her most tantrum-y weekend ever, Jason and I also introduced her to the park, which she cannot get enough of now.  Yah! :)  It's so cute.  And the plastic slides make her hair stick up with static, which is so cute.

Happy week!

Deklan! And C25K Week One AGAIN!

First, let me share this:

That right there is the cutest boy in my world!  He makes my heart sing.  And he's such a big kid--growing up without me.  I need a transporter NOW! :)

Last night I did my walk--IN THE RAIN (which actually was AWESOME)--and instead of running, I just kicked it up a couple notches and got into a crazy-lady-speed-walking mode.  It was kind of cool.  I definitely felt the workout and it was very similar to when I run except for the wobbly-ness.  I felt more in control and like my core was strong and powerful.  There were a couple times I could feel my body want to start to run and while I didn't stop myself from that, I also didn't ever kick into a run.  So maybe I just needed a couple weeks to get myself into better shape before I start trying to run...?  We'll see...I'm up for an experiment of sorts. :)

Lastly, eating is my next challenge.  I have a terrible entitlement issue--I worked so hard last night that I "deserved" a treat this morning.  That's just bad.  And I've pretty much decided that ice cream in my house has a very short shelf life so it should stay away.  I'm working on an idea of making a somewhat limited list of what should be in my house for healthy eating and slowing adding to it things that are good for us.  We'll see.  I read an article this weekend that said that if you eat the same thing for breakfast every day (of course, choosing healthy components), that it will reduce your stress.  I guess most of us stress about what/when/how we're going to eat breakfast so if you just have the same thing every day, it takes that stress away.  I can see that...makes sense to me.  And I am totally one of those people who can eat the same thing everyday.  I'm going to try it.  And I'm going to give myself the weekends off but weekdays, I'll have my standard.  Now to decide what...cover the food groups...  When I was pregnant, I had a piece of toast, a fried egg with a slice of cheese on it and an apple every morning.  And it lasted me to lunch.  Maybe that's the ticket...

Happy Tuesday!

Ms Abby

Because I'm terrible at taking pictures, downloading pictures off my camera, printing pictures...OK, EVERYTHING to do with pictures...at times, if you follow my blog, there may be a crazy surge of Abby-ness that may take over.  Forgive me and we'll be fine. :)

Here's Abby back in August (I think) at Zachary's birthday party.  Please don't mind the boogie crusties.  Oh, and those eyelashes we totally credit my dear dad with.  Pair them with those eyes from her daddy and we're in trouble.  Big trouble.

Then these pictures are from yesterday, visiting at Gma and Gpa's in Lodi.  In this series, Abby goes from coy to mischievous in four quick pics.  Too fast for her mother's liking.

Here she is, looking all innocent and cute.  Man, I'm a sucker.

So...Abby LOVES her Camelbak.  The only thing she loves more is mine.  So this happiness exhibiting isn't because she is drinking from her favorite "cup"...



Yep...you probably saw it coming.  She is squirting mouthfuls of water.  And I have to admit, it was funny!  And it didn't help that there were seven adults sitting around her, laughing at her antics.  (oh...and her dad called to let me know that she did the same thing with her milk at breakfast.  Oooppps!)

But really--what can be wrong with anything that makes your baby girl laugh like this?  I'll tell you--NOTHING! :)  (Is it bad that when I was looking at this picture, I realized that she finally broke through that last bottom front tooth?)

So that's the Abby update.  Glad to pass along the joy of a munchkin who's really got life by the...umm...goldfish. :)  Happy Monday!

Week One Down

So...yesterday I did my third installment of the C25K program.  It took me a full week because I allowed a day of rest after Stroller Strides (lunges=dead butt muscles).  I think I'm going to do another round of week one.  There is a spot in the podcast I listen to where he says "you should be feeling the effects of your running but should not be out of breath."  I am totally out of breath at this point.  What does that mean?  I am thinking that I just need to do another week and reevaluate.  I will be the first to admit that I am starting at a less-than-fit place.  Maybe it'll take me another week to be at that "not breathless" place?  And if not, well, I'll figure it out then.  And you'll probably be part of that. :)  Don't worry...the suspense is killing you, I know! :)

I'm also finding that I don't LOVE running like I thought I would.  I am definitely feeling stronger in my running and the 60-seconds don't feel so terrible.  These last two walk/runs have been/felt much different from the first one.  So that's a plus--I'm getting stronger already.  But running...I don't feel graceful or fluid or even fast.  I feel floppy and uncoordinated and discombobulated.  But I appreciate that the intervals of running and walking is what burns the calories, and that was the reason I decided to try this...to jump start...well...something.

So.  For this second week of C25K, I'm going to speed walk during the running parts.  I walk pretty fast but I know I can kick it up and I think that would give me the increase in heart rate that running does without all the...well...floppage!  I'll let you know...today's my day of rest! :)

So...the plan for the C25K is to do week one again, speed walking instead of running during the intervals.  Hey--every neighborhood needs some crazy lady fake running around to make fun of, right?

Hasta!  Lodi-bound today.