Hi, my name is Heather and I am a scale-aholic. I admit it, I am. I weigh myself every morning. I get up, use the bathroom, strip down for the shower and weigh myself. The timing has to be just that because any "water" that was in my system from the night is now in our plumbing system, and I haven't gotten into the shower yet so no chance of water weight from wet hair or skin. Crazy, I know, but that's my routine.
I know that my weight can fluctuate greatly from day to day with the overall number still coming down, but I still weigh myself. Every. Single. Day. Before TCII, it would almost always backfire on me. If I saw a good number on the scale, then I would end up telling myself, "Heather, you're doing great. The scale was down this morning, go ahead and have that cookie." Or if it were up, then my inner voice is saying, "You screwed up again, you obviously can't even maintain so how are you ever going to LOSE. Go ahead, have that cookie, it doesn't matter anyway." See what I mean?
The other thing scale hopping did was had me way to focused on the number on the dial. And I know this sounds way cheesy, but that number on the scale is really just that...a number! I know that. I know that if I weighed 200 lbs, but still felt great and looked good and my clothes fit, who cares what my actual weight is???
This last point was driven home recently by our dexascan. This is a scan of your entire body that gives you your percent body fat, amount of muscle, etc. It was part of the TCII and I was really excited to see my results. Well, they were better than I expected. Yes, I have a high body fat number, no surprise there. What I was surprised by was my lean muscle mass. According to the scan, I have 117 lbs of lean muscle mass. That's not counting the other organs and tissues and such in my body. That's a LOT of muscle! LOL When I was in college I was 120 lbs, but all I ever did was run, I never did any strength training. So yes, I was trim, but I wasn't really strong or fit. Sadly enough for any of you college students out there, starving yourself so you have more beer money for the weeekend and running your butt off between parties to burn off the beer calories probably doesn't count as being fit. Sorry, don't shoot the messenger.
In any event, what does that scan mean? That scan means that I will likely never get even CLOSE to 120 again unless I lose some serious muscle mass. And I'm okay with that. I have to adjust my expectations of what being healthy means. That doesn't mean I can't be a size 7 again. I'm just going to be a much more toned size 7.
The good news is that since starting TCII, my need to find the nearest Scale Hoppers Anonymous meeting has been greatly diminished. Now, that's probably because I am showering 4-5 mornings a week at the gym and don't have access to my scale at home. But my goal this week is not to step on that scale at home (or at the gym) until my next weigh in on Thursday. Not even once. I am going to work my tail off and hope for a good number and hopefully be surprised with a great number. It's an experiment. All in the name of science, y'all. :) Wish me luck and I challenge you to do the same and see how you do on your diet and exercise routine this week.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Stop and Think!
I was at the gym bright and early this morning at 6 am for a “last chance workout” before our Weight Watchers meeting at 6:45. The poor gal that weighs us in always has to deal with half of us TC-ers coming in sweaty and gross from getting our cardio in beforehand. But she always has a smile on her face anyway. What a trooper! :)
I was proud of myself this morning because I ran the better part of the 30 minutes I was on the treadmill, only walking a few minutes, and I didn’t feel like I was going to have a heart attack! That’s a big improvement for me.
I’ve been inspired to start running again by my friend the amazing , the wonderful, the marvelous Miss M. We ran side by side on the treadmill last week and I noticed her doing “sprints” where she upped the speed for short bursts of time. My competitive side kicking in, I thought, I can do that. So I did. I didn’t get the speed up to as fast as she was, but fast for me. So this morning I did it again. And it felt good. I don’t think I’ll go back to a 6 days a week running program like I did long ago, but I will definitely start adding running into my cardio mix.
I’ve also hit spin class a couple times in the last week. My butt hurts so badly! And I’m not talking about the muscles, I’m talking a seriously bruised booty! But nothing burns more calories for me than a good spin class, so I’m going to try to keep hitting that once or twice a week, sore butt or no sore butt.
My hard work paid off this week. Even with the holiday, I lost a little over two pounds making my grand total 6.6 lbs. It might be lofty, but my goal this week is to really step it up and get as close to, if not over, 10 lbs as I can. That is another 3.4 lbs. Probably not doable, but I am going to try. If I try and get even halfway, I've still done well.
On my way to work, I stopped at Edna Valley to pick up some water. As I was walking in, I thought, "I'm starving! I had a great weigh-in, I'm going to reward myself with one of their coffee cakes!" I went in and had every intention of getting one. I would journal it and yes, it would use up a lot of my points, but I could still probably stay within my totals for the day and certainly for the week.
Then I stopped and thought about it. Do I want the changes I am making to be permanent or temporary? Do I want to eat healthy and exercise every day or just on the days that it "counts" i.e. closer to weigh in? Do I want to do the best I can for my weight loss and fitness regime or do I want to just get by and just do enough? The answers to all those questions is the first option. This is a PERMANENT change for me. It has to be, otherwise, I'll slide right back into where I was and trust me, that is not a good place to be.
Can I allow myself to have something I really like and have been craving without going completely off program? Certainly. But if I make it a regular occurrance, like getting a coffee cake every time I have a good weigh in, then what happens when I reach my goal weight? "Oh, I'm at goal, I can have a coffee cake a couple mornings a week." I know myself, I am a creature of habit. If I start doing that, I will eventually go back to stopping there every day of the week on my way to work, picking up a coffee cake and a soda. And even if I didn't gain any weight back, I wouldn't be giving my body the nutrition and fuel it needs and deserves.
Another thing that this got running through my mind is how I use food. Is food really a reward? Or a comfort? Or a way to entertain myself? Because I have been guilty of using it as all of those things on occasion. Or should food be a way to fuel my body? It should be the latter, of course. If I can stop using food as a reward, then next I can work on my emotional eating, etc. Does that also mean I will never turn to food for comfort or as a reward? Heck, no! But I can make better choices in my "comfort food" and "treats." And I can use food in those ways much less frequently.
Long story short, I walked away from the coffee cake and went straight to the water case. I went to work and ate my breakfast of cereal, milk and fruit and I am off to Trader Joe's on my lunch hour to restock my work "pantry" (file cabinet drawer) and fridge for today and tomorrow. I should be poised for another good week. Check back next time to see if my change in attitude helped!
I was proud of myself this morning because I ran the better part of the 30 minutes I was on the treadmill, only walking a few minutes, and I didn’t feel like I was going to have a heart attack! That’s a big improvement for me.
I’ve been inspired to start running again by my friend the amazing , the wonderful, the marvelous Miss M. We ran side by side on the treadmill last week and I noticed her doing “sprints” where she upped the speed for short bursts of time. My competitive side kicking in, I thought, I can do that. So I did. I didn’t get the speed up to as fast as she was, but fast for me. So this morning I did it again. And it felt good. I don’t think I’ll go back to a 6 days a week running program like I did long ago, but I will definitely start adding running into my cardio mix.
I’ve also hit spin class a couple times in the last week. My butt hurts so badly! And I’m not talking about the muscles, I’m talking a seriously bruised booty! But nothing burns more calories for me than a good spin class, so I’m going to try to keep hitting that once or twice a week, sore butt or no sore butt.
My hard work paid off this week. Even with the holiday, I lost a little over two pounds making my grand total 6.6 lbs. It might be lofty, but my goal this week is to really step it up and get as close to, if not over, 10 lbs as I can. That is another 3.4 lbs. Probably not doable, but I am going to try. If I try and get even halfway, I've still done well.
On my way to work, I stopped at Edna Valley to pick up some water. As I was walking in, I thought, "I'm starving! I had a great weigh-in, I'm going to reward myself with one of their coffee cakes!" I went in and had every intention of getting one. I would journal it and yes, it would use up a lot of my points, but I could still probably stay within my totals for the day and certainly for the week.
Then I stopped and thought about it. Do I want the changes I am making to be permanent or temporary? Do I want to eat healthy and exercise every day or just on the days that it "counts" i.e. closer to weigh in? Do I want to do the best I can for my weight loss and fitness regime or do I want to just get by and just do enough? The answers to all those questions is the first option. This is a PERMANENT change for me. It has to be, otherwise, I'll slide right back into where I was and trust me, that is not a good place to be.
Can I allow myself to have something I really like and have been craving without going completely off program? Certainly. But if I make it a regular occurrance, like getting a coffee cake every time I have a good weigh in, then what happens when I reach my goal weight? "Oh, I'm at goal, I can have a coffee cake a couple mornings a week." I know myself, I am a creature of habit. If I start doing that, I will eventually go back to stopping there every day of the week on my way to work, picking up a coffee cake and a soda. And even if I didn't gain any weight back, I wouldn't be giving my body the nutrition and fuel it needs and deserves.
Another thing that this got running through my mind is how I use food. Is food really a reward? Or a comfort? Or a way to entertain myself? Because I have been guilty of using it as all of those things on occasion. Or should food be a way to fuel my body? It should be the latter, of course. If I can stop using food as a reward, then next I can work on my emotional eating, etc. Does that also mean I will never turn to food for comfort or as a reward? Heck, no! But I can make better choices in my "comfort food" and "treats." And I can use food in those ways much less frequently.
Long story short, I walked away from the coffee cake and went straight to the water case. I went to work and ate my breakfast of cereal, milk and fruit and I am off to Trader Joe's on my lunch hour to restock my work "pantry" (file cabinet drawer) and fridge for today and tomorrow. I should be poised for another good week. Check back next time to see if my change in attitude helped!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Transformation Challenge II - week 2 and 3 summary
I promised to post a brief summary of how the TC2 has been going so far this go 'round. All in all, it's been going well. I was fortunate to have a friend of mine from TC1 join in this year as well as a friend of mine that I have known for years. We were grouped with another amazing gal to make our team of four. I am so blessed to have this team. We are all so supportive of each other, so committed to this challenge and we make each other laugh. That last bit, I feel, is very important! And the trainer assigned to our team is Lauren - yay! She's scary hard, but in a good way. And while we won't be working out with her on a regular basis (other than in boot) I know she expects a lot from us and will be a wonderful source of support and knowledge through this all.
The first week of TC2 was "orientation week." We did our medical screenings and tests (curl ups, push ups and 3 min step test), got measured, weighed, etc, etc. We also had our first WW meeting where we got the rundown on how it works, how to measure food and calculate points, etc.
The WW part, at least, is old hat to me having been a repeat offender over and over again in the last 10 years. That is a bit of an advantage and a disadvantage. An advantage because I already know what I'm doing and don't have to figure it out. It's a disadvantage because I think I took these first two weeks a little too casually when it came to food. I journaled, I tallied points, etc, but I didn't attack it with the renewed vigor of a true WW newbie. It also didn't help that it was unfortunate timing with my hormonal cycle so these first two weeks of WW, I only lost 0.6 total. But it's a LOSS, right? And I am going to kick that scale's behind next week, for sure.
Boot camp is every bit as challenging as I remembered it. Natalie is doing the Monday boot, Lauren the Wednesday and Friday will be various classes the gym normally holds at other times of the day/week. I think this is a great idea because it lets people try out some of the classes and see which ones they like.
I am trying to get my cardio in before boot due to my work schedule, but that means, 5:30 AM cardio sessions. Which means getting up at - brace yourself - 4:30 to be out the door by 4:45. That's AM people! A!!!! M!!!! Ugh. It hurts my brain to even type those numbers out. I have been semi-successful at this so far. I caught a nasty cough/cold thing from the kiddos that has hindered my efforts there a bit, but I am trying to adjust to this new start time for my day. Wish me luck!
I am really liking the cardio class on Fridays at 5:30 AM and the RPM class on Mondays at 5:30 AM so I will definitely be getting in to those every week. Wednesdays I might try the Body Flow class before boot. I love Body Flow and while it's not considered cardio, it burns some good calories and I think it's a good recovery class to take once a week. I'll squeeze my cardio in after boot on Wednesdays.
Tuesdays I am thinking I will hit the 6:45 AM RPM class most weeks and Thursdays will be cardio on the treadmill or elliptical before our WW meeting.
Whew! I think that's all my workouts. In the afternoons, if I can get a walk or bike ride in with the kids, great. Same thing on the weekends. If I can get a hike or something in, that's a bonus.
So there it is - my summary, my workout plans. Please, hold me accountable. Part of the benefit of writing it out here is that i have to face those few people who read this blog and they will hopefully ask how it's going. And that is motivation right there! I don't want to have to hang my head in shame when I see you all at the gym or around town, so you can bet I will be busting my hiney!
Have a good week all!
The first week of TC2 was "orientation week." We did our medical screenings and tests (curl ups, push ups and 3 min step test), got measured, weighed, etc, etc. We also had our first WW meeting where we got the rundown on how it works, how to measure food and calculate points, etc.
The WW part, at least, is old hat to me having been a repeat offender over and over again in the last 10 years. That is a bit of an advantage and a disadvantage. An advantage because I already know what I'm doing and don't have to figure it out. It's a disadvantage because I think I took these first two weeks a little too casually when it came to food. I journaled, I tallied points, etc, but I didn't attack it with the renewed vigor of a true WW newbie. It also didn't help that it was unfortunate timing with my hormonal cycle so these first two weeks of WW, I only lost 0.6 total. But it's a LOSS, right? And I am going to kick that scale's behind next week, for sure.
Boot camp is every bit as challenging as I remembered it. Natalie is doing the Monday boot, Lauren the Wednesday and Friday will be various classes the gym normally holds at other times of the day/week. I think this is a great idea because it lets people try out some of the classes and see which ones they like.
I am trying to get my cardio in before boot due to my work schedule, but that means, 5:30 AM cardio sessions. Which means getting up at - brace yourself - 4:30 to be out the door by 4:45. That's AM people! A!!!! M!!!! Ugh. It hurts my brain to even type those numbers out. I have been semi-successful at this so far. I caught a nasty cough/cold thing from the kiddos that has hindered my efforts there a bit, but I am trying to adjust to this new start time for my day. Wish me luck!
I am really liking the cardio class on Fridays at 5:30 AM and the RPM class on Mondays at 5:30 AM so I will definitely be getting in to those every week. Wednesdays I might try the Body Flow class before boot. I love Body Flow and while it's not considered cardio, it burns some good calories and I think it's a good recovery class to take once a week. I'll squeeze my cardio in after boot on Wednesdays.
Tuesdays I am thinking I will hit the 6:45 AM RPM class most weeks and Thursdays will be cardio on the treadmill or elliptical before our WW meeting.
Whew! I think that's all my workouts. In the afternoons, if I can get a walk or bike ride in with the kids, great. Same thing on the weekends. If I can get a hike or something in, that's a bonus.
So there it is - my summary, my workout plans. Please, hold me accountable. Part of the benefit of writing it out here is that i have to face those few people who read this blog and they will hopefully ask how it's going. And that is motivation right there! I don't want to have to hang my head in shame when I see you all at the gym or around town, so you can bet I will be busting my hiney!
Have a good week all!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
She MUST be crazy, right?
Apparently people, I am. Crazy, that is. Insane. Seriously, out of my mind. Why, you might ask? Because I signed up for the Transformation Challenge again this year. Yep, I'm going back to 6:30 am workouts and killer trainers, journaling every bite that enters my mouth and drinking enough water to fill my kids' wading pool each day. I remember how hard it was last year. And when the alarm went off at 5 am last Monday, I thought to myself, "dear God, why did I do this again???" But as I was creeping down the stairs trying not to wake the family, sneaking out the front door and driving down to SLO in the pitch black of the pre-dawn hours, I remembered how good it felt at the end. How much better my body felt, how much improved my attitude was and how it changed my life.
So if it changed my life, why do I have to do it again? Apparently, I'm a slow learner. I let some of those changes fall off over time. I let myself become my own lowest priority after about six months. But I swear that I will not let that happen this time around.
If you want to refresh your memory on what the TC is all about, read my post from last year here. This year, EQ has added an element to the challenge that I am really excited about - they have teamed up with WW to help us with the food and nutrition side of things. We have a weekly WW meeting just a few doors down from EQ and I am looking forward to the accountability and support these meetings will provide.
So wish me luck. I am behind already on posting, but I'll try to put up a weekly update. If I have time, I'll do a week 1 and 2 summary later this week, then a week 3 wrapup this weekend.
So if it changed my life, why do I have to do it again? Apparently, I'm a slow learner. I let some of those changes fall off over time. I let myself become my own lowest priority after about six months. But I swear that I will not let that happen this time around.
If you want to refresh your memory on what the TC is all about, read my post from last year here. This year, EQ has added an element to the challenge that I am really excited about - they have teamed up with WW to help us with the food and nutrition side of things. We have a weekly WW meeting just a few doors down from EQ and I am looking forward to the accountability and support these meetings will provide.
So wish me luck. I am behind already on posting, but I'll try to put up a weekly update. If I have time, I'll do a week 1 and 2 summary later this week, then a week 3 wrapup this weekend.
Monday, November 30, 2009
The missing piece of the puzzle
Since school started in August, I have become low man on my own totem pole once again. I am a bit confused by it as it really seemed like through the Transformation Challenge earlier this year, I had really changed my lifestyle. I was making healthier choices in my food, my daily life and exercise had become a very good habit…going to the gym was a given, almost every day. Packing my gym bag was just part of my daily routine without giving it any thought. And while I hadn’t managed to lose any more weight from the time the Challenge wrapped up to the time school started, at least I hadn’t gained which was a biggie for me.
Then school started and I think every mother can relate to the craziness that is shuffling kids to and from school, working (at home or out of the home, it’s still work!), housework, laundry, lunches, sports practices, etc, etc.
I think what added to my chaos this year was our attempt to save some money by not enrolling Grace into the afterschool program we had previously paid $400+ a month for. We just couldn’t afford it any more. Between friends, family, Girl Scouts and adjusting my work schedule, we manage to get her picked up every day from school. But it adds to the stress and the time constraints that were already in my life. I do question whether the stress and time is worth the $400 a month, but it’s not really a question of that at this point. Money is tighter than ever for us and we just flat out can’t pay it this year. It’s not a choice, unfortunately.
Add to the changes in my work schedule (somedays working 6am to 2pm, other days working 9am to 7pm) my doctor put me on Yaz for PMDD. Boom! 10 lbs gained, the first week, without changing anything else in my life. Whoa! What is THAT all about??? Talking to friends, they all had the same phenomena occur. Lovely. So when I see my OB on December 21st and she asks why my weight isn’t down as she had talked about at our September appt, I can tell her because of the stupid Yaz, that’s why!
Ok, so enough background on the why’s of my being back to within one pound of my heaviest weight - which also happens to be the weight I started out the Transformation Challenge at back in March. What am I going to do about it? Why can’t I put myself first consistently for more than just a couple months? I think to get this weight off and make it stick, I really need to look at the reasons why I eat and the reasons why I obviously don’t feel I deserve to be thin or happy.
Really, my life is pretty darn good other than my weight. My marriage is stronger than ever and our sex life is still pretty happenin’ despite three kids and my weight gain. My kids are blessings, each and every one. My job is good – good pay, decent benefits, flexible and understanding about sick kids and field trip chaperoning. I have wonderful family and friends who are always so supportive and loving. It seems that being thinner and healthier would be the last piece of the puzzle to make it all complete. I just need to find that piece...you know, the one that you can't find, that you swear must have never been put in the box at the puzzle factory, that you look for and look for and look for in the shag of the carpet, or blame your husband for accidentally throwing it away or worse, hiding it from you on purpose. That piece that finally turns up right where you were looking all along.
My mission is now not just to lose weight and get healthy, it's to find that missing puzzle piece and make it all fit and make sense. Today, I start this weight loss journey for what will hopefully…nope, gotta be more positive than that…for what WILL BE the last time! Wish me luck!!
Then school started and I think every mother can relate to the craziness that is shuffling kids to and from school, working (at home or out of the home, it’s still work!), housework, laundry, lunches, sports practices, etc, etc.
I think what added to my chaos this year was our attempt to save some money by not enrolling Grace into the afterschool program we had previously paid $400+ a month for. We just couldn’t afford it any more. Between friends, family, Girl Scouts and adjusting my work schedule, we manage to get her picked up every day from school. But it adds to the stress and the time constraints that were already in my life. I do question whether the stress and time is worth the $400 a month, but it’s not really a question of that at this point. Money is tighter than ever for us and we just flat out can’t pay it this year. It’s not a choice, unfortunately.
Add to the changes in my work schedule (somedays working 6am to 2pm, other days working 9am to 7pm) my doctor put me on Yaz for PMDD. Boom! 10 lbs gained, the first week, without changing anything else in my life. Whoa! What is THAT all about??? Talking to friends, they all had the same phenomena occur. Lovely. So when I see my OB on December 21st and she asks why my weight isn’t down as she had talked about at our September appt, I can tell her because of the stupid Yaz, that’s why!
Ok, so enough background on the why’s of my being back to within one pound of my heaviest weight - which also happens to be the weight I started out the Transformation Challenge at back in March. What am I going to do about it? Why can’t I put myself first consistently for more than just a couple months? I think to get this weight off and make it stick, I really need to look at the reasons why I eat and the reasons why I obviously don’t feel I deserve to be thin or happy.
Really, my life is pretty darn good other than my weight. My marriage is stronger than ever and our sex life is still pretty happenin’ despite three kids and my weight gain. My kids are blessings, each and every one. My job is good – good pay, decent benefits, flexible and understanding about sick kids and field trip chaperoning. I have wonderful family and friends who are always so supportive and loving. It seems that being thinner and healthier would be the last piece of the puzzle to make it all complete. I just need to find that piece...you know, the one that you can't find, that you swear must have never been put in the box at the puzzle factory, that you look for and look for and look for in the shag of the carpet, or blame your husband for accidentally throwing it away or worse, hiding it from you on purpose. That piece that finally turns up right where you were looking all along.
My mission is now not just to lose weight and get healthy, it's to find that missing puzzle piece and make it all fit and make sense. Today, I start this weight loss journey for what will hopefully…nope, gotta be more positive than that…for what WILL BE the last time! Wish me luck!!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Christmas is a-comin!
I know many of you have little ones (kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, you name it) to buy for so I thought I'd pass along these great deals! Coupons.com has some amazing Hasbro coupons on a whole slew of toys. Many of them are for the toddler and younger set, but if you have someone buy for in that age range, this is a great savings opportunity.
1. Go to www.coupons.com
2. Select "toys" from the list on the left of the page
3. Click the coupons you are interested in
4. Click print
I have printed two copies of a few of these so while I know there is probably a limit to the number of copies you can print, I know it's more than two. And no photocopies because IF the clerk is paying attention, they aren't supposed to take them without the little polka dots on the expiration date which don't come through on a xerox. :)
Other tid bits:
- A lot of these coupons are for $5 off and some even for $10 off!!
- Target has a lot of the toys, but not all of them are in-store so you're dealing with shipping, etc
- If you aren't opposed to shopping at Walmart (personally, I hate the place, but would go there for some of these deals!) then you can save even more. Their prices are more reasonable than Target or even Kmart most of the time. But in this case, it might pay to do some research on the web before you go. You can check for in-store availability on both the Target and Walmart sites.
- Coupons don't expire until January 2010
Example: Playskool Step Start Walk n Ride for my nephew
Target price: $20 plus shipping
Walmart price: $16 in store (they have these in the Paso store - yay!)
Coupon: $10 off
Final price: $6!!!
Crazy low prices, ladies and gentlemen. Have fun saving!!
1. Go to www.coupons.com
2. Select "toys" from the list on the left of the page
3. Click the coupons you are interested in
4. Click print
I have printed two copies of a few of these so while I know there is probably a limit to the number of copies you can print, I know it's more than two. And no photocopies because IF the clerk is paying attention, they aren't supposed to take them without the little polka dots on the expiration date which don't come through on a xerox. :)
Other tid bits:
- A lot of these coupons are for $5 off and some even for $10 off!!
- Target has a lot of the toys, but not all of them are in-store so you're dealing with shipping, etc
- If you aren't opposed to shopping at Walmart (personally, I hate the place, but would go there for some of these deals!) then you can save even more. Their prices are more reasonable than Target or even Kmart most of the time. But in this case, it might pay to do some research on the web before you go. You can check for in-store availability on both the Target and Walmart sites.
- Coupons don't expire until January 2010
Example: Playskool Step Start Walk n Ride for my nephew
Target price: $20 plus shipping
Walmart price: $16 in store (they have these in the Paso store - yay!)
Coupon: $10 off
Final price: $6!!!
Crazy low prices, ladies and gentlemen. Have fun saving!!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Why I love this crazy roller coaster ride we call motherhood
Scott had to go to work early on Friday so we could not share the drop off duties like we do on a lot of days. We are fortunate and there is only one day (Wed) that all three kids need to be in three different places, luckily not all at the same time! In any event, I was dropping off all three kids, only in two different places on Friday - yay! :)
The morning was going relatively well....we all got out the door early - a tremendous feat in itself - so I told the kids we could stop for donuts since they ate their healthy breakfast and we had a little extra time. Got to the donut shop, got all their requests processed and ordered and got us seated, relatively calmly in the tiny little Templeton donut shop without too much disruption to other customers. Averted a small crisis when Ian almost burst into tears because he thought I forgot to get him his chocolate milk. No, no, my little man, it's right here, buddy, Mommy wouldn't forget.
Partway through our morning treats, Gracie has to use the restroom. No big deal, right? Well, except the bathroom in this particular establishment is way back, past the counter, through the kitchen and around the corner with some very narrow passageways between the donut making equipment. I look at Ian and Daniel calmly eating their donuts. I can't imagine either: a. traipsing back through all that with the three kids in tow, or b. leaving the boys out front alone to cause complete chaos in my absence. "Gracie, can you wait until we get to school? It will just be a few minutes?" Nope. Note to self: NEVER leave home without everyone using the restroom, even for the 15 minute trip to the donut store. "Do you think you can go back by yourself if I ask the lady if you can use the restroom?" Yes. Whew! Ok, crisis #2 averted. I'm feeling pretty good.
Everyone finishes their donuts, we clear off the table and throw away trash, walk out onto the lawn of the donut shop and there is a HUGE delivery truck which Daniel is so excited to see. Grabs my hand and pulls me closer saying "big tuck...big tuck!" Major warm fuzzies on that one. Load everyone in the car uneventfully.
Get to school, get everyone out and onto school grounds, then let Daniel down to "run free." He loves Gracie's school playground. He runs around in and out of the sandbox and the walkways babbling to himself and using his new words: whoa! and wow! So fun to watch! Get Gracie into class successfully and start heading back to the car with the boys. On the way back, Daniel is scuffing through the sandbox, laughing at the cloud surrounding him, looking like pigpen in miniature. He gets to the edge of the sandbox and the step down is large enough to make him hesitate for just one second. Before I can even begin to move in his direction, there's Ian, playing the good big brother, holding out his hand to help Daniel down. Major warm fuzzies!
Do you think my day could continue to go this smoothly? Well, of course not.
Daniel does not want to leave. Nor does he want to be carried. Or hold my hand in the parking lot. So what started out as a blissful morning turned into my carrying my youngest child out to the car kicking and screaming the whole way with other mothers looking at me like I'm an abusive parent because their kids were obviously old enough that they'd forgotten what it was like to deal with a toddler or apparently had never had tantrums when trying to be forced into their carseats. As these moms wander off to their cars with their well-behaved children, but of course not without a glance our way with that "what is she DOING to that child?" question on their faces, I continue on in what feels like my final exam in baby wrestling 101. No toy or sippie cup of milk, no brother playing peek a boo or mommy saying, "C'mon! We're gonna go see Grandma!" is going to calm this child. Oh, no. He is behaving as if he were a vampire and that car seat were made out of garlic. I start to think his skin will actually melt should it come in contact with the Britax.
But alas, my will is stronger than his and he succumbs. He does melt...but only into a limp, crying, snotty, sweaty little boy. He begrudgingly allows me to buckle him in and screams at the top of his lungs as I wipe his nose and face free of tears and snot. Then, when the entire parking lot is cleared and no one else is there to witness my success, to hear the silence, he picks up the travel magna doodle I'd been trying to appease him with for the past 10 minutes and starts happily scribbling away, babbling and laughing. Seriously, kid? I kiss his cute little sweaty head and get in the car.
Of course, it has been uncharacteristically humid lately and I am now a big sweaty mess myself. With snot on my shirt. And smeared donut glaze I must have missed with the baby wipes when cleaning Daniel's hands. And I just realized I forgot to put deodorant on this morning because I was interrupted by one of the three kids when trying to get ready. Nice. Going to be a lovely day, I can tell.
But as I was driving to Grandma's to drop the boys off, I had one of those moments that makes you realize that it really is indeed all worth it. Ian and I have a game we play, trying to see who loves the other one more. I love you more than all the stars in the sky! I love you more than all my hot wheels! No, all the wheels on all my hot wheels! That sort of thing. So Ian starts this up while I'm driving away from the school. We banter back and forth and as I'm getting on the freeway he's trying to think of something to top my, "I love you more than all the sand on all the beaches in the whole world!" I hear "um....um...I love you....um...." He's thinking about it. Finally he blurts out, "I love you more than all the boogers in my nose!" Stifling back the laughter, I conceded, "Okay, you win, buddy, you love me more."
Yep, it's going to be a lovely day after all!
The morning was going relatively well....we all got out the door early - a tremendous feat in itself - so I told the kids we could stop for donuts since they ate their healthy breakfast and we had a little extra time. Got to the donut shop, got all their requests processed and ordered and got us seated, relatively calmly in the tiny little Templeton donut shop without too much disruption to other customers. Averted a small crisis when Ian almost burst into tears because he thought I forgot to get him his chocolate milk. No, no, my little man, it's right here, buddy, Mommy wouldn't forget.
Partway through our morning treats, Gracie has to use the restroom. No big deal, right? Well, except the bathroom in this particular establishment is way back, past the counter, through the kitchen and around the corner with some very narrow passageways between the donut making equipment. I look at Ian and Daniel calmly eating their donuts. I can't imagine either: a. traipsing back through all that with the three kids in tow, or b. leaving the boys out front alone to cause complete chaos in my absence. "Gracie, can you wait until we get to school? It will just be a few minutes?" Nope. Note to self: NEVER leave home without everyone using the restroom, even for the 15 minute trip to the donut store. "Do you think you can go back by yourself if I ask the lady if you can use the restroom?" Yes. Whew! Ok, crisis #2 averted. I'm feeling pretty good.
Everyone finishes their donuts, we clear off the table and throw away trash, walk out onto the lawn of the donut shop and there is a HUGE delivery truck which Daniel is so excited to see. Grabs my hand and pulls me closer saying "big tuck...big tuck!" Major warm fuzzies on that one. Load everyone in the car uneventfully.
Get to school, get everyone out and onto school grounds, then let Daniel down to "run free." He loves Gracie's school playground. He runs around in and out of the sandbox and the walkways babbling to himself and using his new words: whoa! and wow! So fun to watch! Get Gracie into class successfully and start heading back to the car with the boys. On the way back, Daniel is scuffing through the sandbox, laughing at the cloud surrounding him, looking like pigpen in miniature. He gets to the edge of the sandbox and the step down is large enough to make him hesitate for just one second. Before I can even begin to move in his direction, there's Ian, playing the good big brother, holding out his hand to help Daniel down. Major warm fuzzies!
Do you think my day could continue to go this smoothly? Well, of course not.
Daniel does not want to leave. Nor does he want to be carried. Or hold my hand in the parking lot. So what started out as a blissful morning turned into my carrying my youngest child out to the car kicking and screaming the whole way with other mothers looking at me like I'm an abusive parent because their kids were obviously old enough that they'd forgotten what it was like to deal with a toddler or apparently had never had tantrums when trying to be forced into their carseats. As these moms wander off to their cars with their well-behaved children, but of course not without a glance our way with that "what is she DOING to that child?" question on their faces, I continue on in what feels like my final exam in baby wrestling 101. No toy or sippie cup of milk, no brother playing peek a boo or mommy saying, "C'mon! We're gonna go see Grandma!" is going to calm this child. Oh, no. He is behaving as if he were a vampire and that car seat were made out of garlic. I start to think his skin will actually melt should it come in contact with the Britax.
But alas, my will is stronger than his and he succumbs. He does melt...but only into a limp, crying, snotty, sweaty little boy. He begrudgingly allows me to buckle him in and screams at the top of his lungs as I wipe his nose and face free of tears and snot. Then, when the entire parking lot is cleared and no one else is there to witness my success, to hear the silence, he picks up the travel magna doodle I'd been trying to appease him with for the past 10 minutes and starts happily scribbling away, babbling and laughing. Seriously, kid? I kiss his cute little sweaty head and get in the car.
Of course, it has been uncharacteristically humid lately and I am now a big sweaty mess myself. With snot on my shirt. And smeared donut glaze I must have missed with the baby wipes when cleaning Daniel's hands. And I just realized I forgot to put deodorant on this morning because I was interrupted by one of the three kids when trying to get ready. Nice. Going to be a lovely day, I can tell.
But as I was driving to Grandma's to drop the boys off, I had one of those moments that makes you realize that it really is indeed all worth it. Ian and I have a game we play, trying to see who loves the other one more. I love you more than all the stars in the sky! I love you more than all my hot wheels! No, all the wheels on all my hot wheels! That sort of thing. So Ian starts this up while I'm driving away from the school. We banter back and forth and as I'm getting on the freeway he's trying to think of something to top my, "I love you more than all the sand on all the beaches in the whole world!" I hear "um....um...I love you....um...." He's thinking about it. Finally he blurts out, "I love you more than all the boogers in my nose!" Stifling back the laughter, I conceded, "Okay, you win, buddy, you love me more."
Yep, it's going to be a lovely day after all!
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