Swimsuits, smiles

Grateful, refreshed

1. For the first time in a long while, I think, I returned to work feeling truly refreshed after our vacation. Even though keeping up with the two kids -- not to mention managing my guilt over leaving them with the grandparents all the time -- makes for a BUSY vacation, I feel like we still got some down-time. I read 2 books, drank some adult beverages, ate well, and somehow feel really good this Monday morning.

2. I'm grateful for nice co-workers who invited me to a welcome-back lunch today.

3. I'm grateful for my wonderful family. Cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, and spouse. Here's hoping they, too, feel refreshed and happy after our reunion.

4. We actually got most of the laundry done! (And by "we" I mean "DH.") Thank you, honey!

5. My two little munchkins both give me such joy. KT, with her explosion of language over this past week ("da wa-wa?" [the water?], "dohhhhh!" [Joe, her Papa Joe], and all her other new words!) -- and AJ, growing by leaps and bounds and growing my heart with him, even in the trying moments... I am so, so grateful for having them in my life and for being "Mommy."

Hot by thirty-five?

So. I have made it to (almost) Beach Week. I have also recently made it to age 35. Back in February or so, I declared I was going on a diet, and would BE at goal weight by these two milestones.

Well... I'm not.

I'm not too far off, but in the last month I just gave out. Not that I was so exhausted from only eating broiled fish and almonds, by any means, but I quit measuring and Fit-Day-ing... and exercising. I told you my company has this cool program where anyone could do a walking video from 11:30 - 12, right? And I had been doing that, but then we had our national sales meeting and so the walking room became, instead, a conference room for a week, and that was the end of that.

So anyway. Did you know my company also makes swimwear? I just scored a free bathing suit, in fact. It looks... okay. I'm not exactly svelte but I just read something at Some Pig --which I have not been reading very faithfully because I don't think it had an RSS feed! But now it does, and praise heaven! I love Caroline's style!!-- Click over. I think it sums up my feelings at this moment.

I'm fine. I have the perspective of a 35-year-old, and it tells me that a glass of wine or a chips and fresh salsa snack are not forever verboten. If I don't look like a bronzed, taut teenager this year at the beach, it's because I AM NOT A TEENAGER. There's still the little matter of getting my BMI into the "healthy" range and I'm determined to do that. I want to retest my cholesterol and see if it's improved any. We'll tackle those after we get back.

But for this week? I'm good. I'll definitely be hot... temps are in the 90s and that sand reflects the sun, after all. Pass the chilled vino and the crab dip.

Lunch and other sundries

Today I get to have lunch on the corporate AmEx at a Mexican restaurant. I will say, one of the lovely things about this job has been lunches on the corporate AmEx. I'd say at least once every 3 weeks, and probably more than that, I get a free lunch.

It's the little things, you know?

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I found a bag I love. It's a black "work-tote," with hot pink interior. It's Ha-Yuge. Opens up all the way to the bottom and has a padded pocket if I wanted to carry my laptop in it. I've got room for my small purse, plus room for a file folder if I needed one, diapers and wipes if I needed those... it's perfect. I got it at Target, naturally, and although I kinda wanted something a little more name-brand and sophisticated, I adore this bag. Got a new wallet, too. Total score.

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Spanx.

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KT is 16 months old! This amazes me. TWO WHOLE years ago, we arrived at the beach with news that I was pregnant with her! I'm happy that I'll get to remember that arrival every summer for the rest of my life - it's an anniversary now, as well as a vacation. :) But, OHHHH, are we going to have fun this year with her. Last night in the bathtub, she was just babbling to herself, picking up squirty dolphins and pouring out water onto them and just talking away -- so busy. I just can't wait to add sunglasses and a floppy hat to that scene. (Well, and a swimsuit.)

Make My Happy Face

Yatt is moving!! Not out of town, but we're re-org'ing the office layout and she and her team are being shifted way out of earshot. There goes my entertaining blog fodder! But I can stop being so mean, which is probably a good thing. Anyway, I'll try to store up some good tidbits this week and then we will officially close this delightful story arc.

No, what I really want to talk about today is Age Four. Four is trying to kill me dead, with one re-usable phrase, and one alone:

"Make my happy face come baaaack!"

It's all my fault, too. I... maybe during one of AJ's early four-year-old tantrums, I was feeling bold and asked him, "Aww, buddy, where did your happy face go?" To try to get him out of his funk.

EPIC BACKFIRE. EP-IC. Now he turns that damn phrase back on me every time he feels the least bit dissatisfied. What he wants, usually, is for me to "fix it" by telling him a knock-knock joke. Because I tried THAT one time, too. Always with the deflecting techniques. Perhaps I should immediately say TIME OUT. I can be a real idiot, I guess. But I swear to pants, when he is pitching a fit and screaming/whining to "please tellllll me a joke or sumthin'! PLEEEEEASE MOMMY..." the very LAST thing I feel like doing is telling jokes. Rrrrrr! I've tried to explain to him that he is responsible for his own attitude, not me, but he doesn't get it. I've tried to ignore him. I've tried Time Out. (Time Out is, lately, actually the only threat that gets his attention.) I just... sigh. I am really tired of hearing "Make My Happy Face Come Back." I feel like it's one of those ultimate manipulative things kids do. He's the one pitching the fit, and I'm the one getting blamed for making his face go sad. GAH. Did your rotten four-year-olds ... I mean, darling cherubs ... ever pull this crap on you?

Calm, Pleasant, and Relaxed

I saw this today at Parenting by Trial and Error, in a list of 10 ways to make time with your kids meaningful:

6. Try to keep in mind what sort of childhood you’re creating for your kids. Is it calm, pleasant, relaxed? Or is it stressful, rushed and upsetting? Make sure that they’re getting those doses of CPR (calm, pleasant and relaxed) every day. You want them to enjoy being in their home.

An excellent thing to strive for. I really HOPE my kids don't feel rushed, stressed, or upset when we're home!

We had a great weekend. Saturday AJ and I bought his school uniforms for Kindergarten. What fun (for me) to go to the uniform store and see all those different plaids lined up on the racks! (I kinda can't wait for KT to start school now! The boy uniforms are slightly boring in comparison!) Then we had lunch at McDonald's, and he played in the play area, climbing all the way to the very top-top of a big curvy slide (not usually his deal - he's often too afraid).

Sunday the DH overexerted himself doing yardwork (cutting down branches, yikes), and made me nervous, but thank God for him, once again. I am (sort-of) looking forward to a time when KT's a little older, and I can safely leave her playing to help him with that stuff again. And the kids and I fingerpainted, played outside, played inside, folded laundry, and ate popcorn for a snack.

Those are my favorite kinds of days.

Please don't read this post.

This will sound like bragging, and so it's not meant for an audience. It's just for me, to go back to sometime when I need a little pick-me-up. My manager told me this morning that my 2 press releases received compliments from our new Public Relations firm. They said that "of all the press releases they've ever read, those were 2 of the very best," most well-written, etc etc. It is so nice to get an A+ sometimes. I just want to remember it.

Spending and Listening and Counting down, oh my!

I've been spending money. Birthday money, specifically, at TJ Maxx and Marshall's. I still have about $200 left (my parents and in-laws are so generous!) but so far I've bought 4 tops I can wear to work, 1 pair of capris, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 swimsuit, 1 pair of striped flip-flops, and some new underthings. I have held out on spending money for a long time, it seems, so this is fun, not to mention I'm doing it with our BEACH TRIP in mind, so that makes me very happy. (10 days until! I've been trying to withhold the annual COUNTDOWN for your reading benefit, but heck -- half the people who read will be there with me or were just there last month, so wheee! Vacation!)

By the way, the drink of choice this year wants to be a Mojito. I've found recipes that use raw sugar, and others that suggest powdered. I'm leaning towards powdered because it's handy.

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I am trying so hard to NOT say anything at work, or even to my husband, about Yatt. Because if you can't say anything nice... you know. BUT ZZZOMMMMMGGGGGG!!! Using Constance the First's logic, I may say how she is making me crazy right here on my blog. So let us begin. Yesterday:

--She spent, ohidontknow, about 3 hours cumulative, during the day, telling her team about her recent skin biopsy results. They're pre-cancerous. Now, I am not going to be completely rude about a cancer diagnosis -- I'll allow her that is a scary thing to hear, and I don't wish it on anyone nor begrudge her telling her story about it (loudly), but

-- She then had to SHOW her team (also loudly) all of her previous terrible biopsy scars. ......um..... Seriously? I peeked over and she was leaning down into a cubemate's desk area, pulling her shirt sleeves down off her shoulder, to show them some of the scar tissue where she'd had stitches. Number one, NO. We don't pull our clothes down in any way during work hours, and Number two, COME ON. Little scars from little biopsies? Not that INTERESTING to people, Yatt, hate to tell ya. All the while she's yak yak yakking. It's just too much, you know? I mean, sure, tell your friends about an ailment. Okay. But she never just TELLS -- she INSTRUCTS everyone about it. And somehow she never quite ENDS the sentences. She finishes a thought, then, "Ummms..." until the next thought begins. And keeps adding more and more information. Did I mention? ...Loud. Ly.
-- Right now she's saying to a co-worker, "Now, you have a right-hand desk, which means all your workspace is to your left. You see what I mean? But I am left-handed..." AS IF THIS LADY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND the concept.

I do wonder how her cube-mates deal with her. But none of them is terribly quiet (like I would be -- I would just have to shut my mouth completely if I sat over there and she was talking in and around me); and none of them snips back at her with the things I would WANT to say, like, "Okay, Yatt, do we really have to talk about your personal body again today? I'm kind-of trying to concentrate."

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It really is perfectly fine to complain, on my blog, with like-minded friends who understand.

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I am looking to spend the rest of my birthday money on either a stylish laptop bag/briefcase, or a new, larger, structured purse. The line is blurred -- both of those things might actually be the same, which makes is REALLY hard for a non-decision-maker like me. I could get by with my current purse selection (I have a smaller spring bag that I adore) if I had a bigger, more professional-looking bag to put it in. Because I could keep all the myriad PAPERS I carry around in the big bag, freeing up the purse for essentials: wallet, phone, pen, lipstick, gum, and unused coupons. I ALSO want a pretty but small "portfolio" thing that I can use for a wallet. One that kinda opens up like a book, you know? Holds business cards and all? My manager uses one and it looks so grown-up. Haven't found the right thing yet.

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Wow, this whole post is completely shallow, isn't it?! Well, Book Club is tonight -- maybe I'll have some intellectual thoughts one of these days soon. But... don't hold your breath.

Friday Quick Takes

1. I am feeling "meh" about work. On the one hand, I am finally – finally! – feeling like I've got my feet under me, like I know the basic tenets of my responsibilities and when they show up on the calendar, and how to accomplish them. This is a GOOD feeling – these last three months have been, to say the least, a bit wobbly as far as me knowing what the heck I'm doing. And now, to know that on Mondays I need to update the location database for website #1, and that when I need a Flash element, I email Such-and-Such in our Raubling office, and to make edits I need to use the "X" Spreadsheet and include screen shots – all of these bits of knowledge are very comforting and make me much less wobbly than I was before. I also have been doing some writing for work and getting good reviews on that, so, SCORE! Press releases, woo! HOWEVER. There are still many things that I don't feel authorized to do, and it makes me feel small and kind-of stupid for always having to ask permission, and my boss… well, my boss. I like her, and I think she's ambitious and young and single so good for her, but it makes it hard for me, who just wants to DO a job and then GO HOME.

And it's weird to me that every morning in the shower, I think about work. And I think about it at other times, too. Work is ALWAYS in my mind.

That's the job update.

2. I wrote a great press release!

3. I had a peach margarita with my birthday dinner. Actually it was mostly a glass of peach margarita mix. Which was kind-of disappointing. Especially because AJ whined the ENTIRE TIME we were at dinner.

4. He made up for it. This morning we were having our morning snuggle-time before his breakfast, and he said, "Mommy? I was kinda sad because I didn't get you a present for your birthday." Isn't that the saddest/sweetest thing you've ever heard??

5. This weekend is almost totally free and clear of commitments, and I'm so glad. We have some things to do, but I'm hoping that one thing can be a mani/pedi for me.

6. A dear friend of mine is moving into a brand-new beautiful house, and now I REALLY WANT one, too. One with a nice fenced, flat backyard so I can let the kids loose and sit on the deck with my iced tea and a book while they play. I feel like we may NEVER have another house besides this one, and I know that's another first-world whine, but DH and I tend to take the "do we NEED it?" approach to small purchases – like new bath towels and mats – and therefore we are using VERY OLD TOWELS. And that worries me, as far as bigger purchases like ever having a new house are concerned.

7. People are whispering in the office behind me. I'd better go so I can more effectively eavesdrop.

More quick takes here!

No NO, Mama.

I had to take down my previous post. (For anyone who read it before its mysterious disappearance, my friend DID feel really bad - so bad she almost shed tears once she realized - and it made ME feel bad. So. Lesson learned. No-NO.)

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KT is learning words at amazing pace. I love the stage when Mama and Dada can bascially have a real conversation with a baby, but anyone looking in from the outside can't understand a word.

KT: Where's my paci, mama? (Ba-pah?)

el-e-e: It's right there, Baby, can you get it? GOOD!

KT: Guh!! Ba-pah!

KT: I'm hungry. Can I eat something? Like a big cup of milk? (Eeee? Bah-bah?)

el-e-e: Want your bottle? Okay.

KT: Awesome! I love that bottle, Mom! (Bah-bah! Bah-bah!)

you: How are you getting any of this?!

I'm loving the sign language, too. The other day she surprised me with "Please." They're learning these things in school, as well as us teaching her the basic ones at home. It's adorable. She puts her whole heart and soul into "More." She'll put down her sippy cup, carefully point her fingertips toward each other, and say, "I love these cookies! May I have another mouthful?" ("Moe?")

The other one she's learned well at school is "No." Or specifically, "No NO." Emphasis on the 2nd "no." She tells the dog "no" all the time, words and sign together. Yesterday I saw her looking at him disdainfully, wagging her arm up and down.

It is so cute. That's about all I've got for today!

In the cool of night

I have been going to the grocery store at night, after the kids' bedtime, for about a year now; it's become mostly the norm around here, the only good time to do it efficiently, without "helpers" and with time to think it through. Sometimes DH does it, which I also appreciate very much.

But for me, the best part is that on nights like tonight, when the sun goes down and allows cool night air to breeze into Georgia, I get a few quiet minutes in the car, with the windows down. I drive slowly. It's less than a mile to, and from, the store.

Cool night air, a little drive, alone. I am thankful for those minutes.

First thing in the morning

I come in to my desk, Starbucks in hand, ready to greet the rainy day with a SIGH and a pep talk to myself -- "Okay now, this can be a productive, nice day..." -- trying to gear up, you know, instead of being grumbly... and Yatt is next door telling her cubemate all about the history of her bladder infections. First thing in the morning. She got up to pee, and then, not one minute later, she had to pee again, and she thought, "This is a bladder infection." I'm sorry, but GROSS. I don't want to hear about that. Seriously. I'm sorry boutcha, but gah. Of course she uses some herbal remedy that is wwwwwwuuuuunnderful, because she is so smart.

I have a pair of yellow earplugs at my desk that I employ frequently.

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I woke up this morning at 5:30 thinking of work. Remember a filing system that we used to use at my old job, and that I had intended to put it in place here. That stupid work-thought wouldn't let me even wait the 6 minutes until my alarm went off.

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I have decided that DH and I deserve, and need, a cleaning service. Not this week, maybe not for a few months until we take care of some other financial things (BTW, we just paid off our 2004 Highlander. Woo! Now if the old one can only last another year, we can really make some headway in our checkbook balance). But sometime this year, I think we should explore hiring someone to do the vacuuming, dusting, bathrooms and kitchen once a week, or maybe every other week. I am documenting that thought here. DH is even on board with it. I believe it would not only help our cleanliness, but also our relationship. I think we both stress about the house not being clean, and it really wears on us. Isn't that weird? That a little dust and dog hair can take its toll on a marraige? But I really think it can, and does for a lot of couples in different ways. I can't believe it's taken me this long to figure out a possible solution for us. I'm anxious to start price shopping. Where do I do that? Craigslist? Does anyone use a house cleaning service regularly? Please advise. :)

Pre-holiday weekend, Pre-K graduation

This morning Yatt is talking about POLITICS. She seems to be slightly opinionated. She presumes, I think, that all her cube-mates share her views. And maybe they do... but maybe I don't. Guess no one ever told her that talking politics is not what we do in POLITE COMPANY or PROFESSIONAL SETTINGS. Also -- Harry Potter! Oh Noes!! It turns out that one of the things that bugs me the MOST about Yatt is that she and I share an interest in certain topics. iMacs, Steve Wozniak, for example, and now HP, too?? Is it because she's the polar opposite but EXACT SAME as me that I dislike her so much?? Am I pointing a mirror at MYSELF? ohhh, too much psychobabble for a Friday morning and holiday weekend.

Hello, how are you? I've been swamped this week, I guess, or more than that, uninterested in sharing what I have in my brain. But last night we went to Pre-K graduation and it warmed my little heart. I mean, just look at this:



Kills you dead, right? DEAD. CUTE. And he got the certificate for Best Reader. :) I knew that's what he'd get. He IS the best reader EVAR. *mom pride* *preening*

What upsets me is the anticipation of having to go through this whole "graduation" thing again 3 more times before we're out of high school. I know they'll have Kindergarten graduation, further proving (like we don't already know) that the bay-bees are growing UP!!! ...and then 8th grade graduation, THEN a real graduation from high school! Crazy. I only feel worse for MY parents, who had to do 6th grade and THEN 8th grade, because we moved to a new town in between the two. (Although they didn't have to endure the little kid versions. I think those MUST be the hardest. Well, no, I take it back -- high school graduation will probably be AWFULLY HARD as they'll (hopefully) be leaving the NEST, zOMG... we can't even think about that yet.)

New Topic!! We're going to (great) grandma's house! Leaving tonight or tomorrow, I can't decide and it's been left up to me. It depends on whether I can get all my laundry done, and then packed, before 5 pm today. I'll leave work early today, attend Kindergarten Orientation (how neatly that lined up!), then take the kids home and attempt to wash, fold, and pack everything up while they destroy the place. Then we'll sic them on Nanny's house and they'll likely destroy IT, too! I tell you what, we leave a TRAIL wherever we go these days. There are always THINGS -- toys, shoes, fridge magnets -- decorating the floor at our house. ALWAYS. Here's an example -- don't mind the adorable moment in the foreground, I'm uploading this to show you the MAYHEM behind them:



And that's nothing -- you should see the kitchen. Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

Trader Tuesday - Kung Fu Panda Noodle Bowl

Tried a new recipe last night that I had seen in Southern Living. Of course, I didn't have all the right ingredients so I substituted and modified, actions my husband usually fears. Last night it turned out pretty good, though. We told AJ we were eating "Noodle Bowls, just like on Kung Fu Panda." So that's what I'm naming the recipe. It was SUPER-EASY since I had cooked the chicken a couple days ahead of time.

KUNG-FU PANDA NOODLE BOWLS
(serves 2)

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1/4 cup-ish Teriyaki marinade
several shakes of the bottle of light soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil

Marinate chicken breasts in a ziploc bag with Teriyaki and soy, for 30 minutes or several hours in the fridge. When you're ready to cook them, sautee chicken and marinade in olive oil on medium-high heat. The sugar in the sauces puts a lovely brown coating on the chicken. (Somehow I managed to cook it long enough without going too long.) Slice. There will be PLENTY of chicken for your noodle bowls, and probably enough for a salad the next day, too.

Noodle Bowl:
2 pkgs Oriental-flavored Ramen noodles
2-4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2-4 Tbsp chopped green onion (or substitute white onion like I did)
1 cup sugar snap peas (or sub fresh broccoli like I did)
chopped peanuts

In a large saucepan, combine 4 cups water, 2 flavor packets from the Ramen noodles, cilantro, and onions, and bring to a boil. Add noodles, and snap peas if using. Boil another 3 minutes. (If using broccoli, sautee/steam it in a bit of water, soy sauce and teriyaki).

Assemble noodle bowls with noodles, broth, broccoli then chicken. Garnish with chopped peanuts (we even subbed honey-roasted, because that's what we had).

This was yummy and felt virtuous. The cilantro came through sometimes but didn't overwhelm. It's definitely going in my rotation. Thank you, Southern Living!

7 Quick Takes Friday

1-- I think I'm fully conditioned to the demands of my job, finally. Know how I know? I'm back to my normal amount of (too much) time reading blogs. Ha! And, hooray!! It was awful when I felt so overwhelmed that even 10 minutes in the morning was too indulgent/guilt-inducing!

2-- I know you're disappointed, but my friend Yatt has been mostly out of the office this week. I think she was sick. Unfortunate. Your entertainment will just have to wait.

3-- I read a whole book last weekend. It was "Happens Every Day" by Isabel Gillies, which I thought was going to be a good book to review for my job (we recommend books to our audience of women). It's not a good recommendation, though. We try to showcase uplifting or informative books. This book was interesting -- I definitely dove into it and ignored my children to flip its pages last Saturday -- but uplifting? No. It's about a divorce-in-progress. I was mad at the main character because she never lambasted her jerk husband the way she should have. ANYWAY, I'm back into reading books, too, I think. This weekend I'll be reading three if I can manage! I just started "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch; Book Club's next selection is "Edgar Sawtelle," which I'm anxious to buy, maybe today; and I need to read "Nordie's at Noon" for work. I think all three are going to be awesome. ALSO on my list for the next month or so: some of the great books I got for Christmas, and one that SDW lent me AGES ago! I have big dreams of 28-hour days, apparently. Buth hooray for reading!

4-- My very LEAST favorite part of being a grown-up is managing health insurance plans. First-world whine, I know, and even in the U.S., so many people don't even have insurance, or have red-tape Medicare/caid... I really shouldn't complain. But because we both work, we're always having to compare plans (see, one-working-parent-families? Betcha didn't think of that bonus - no analytic work for insurance, just fill out the forms of your one option!). Currently we're all on DH's insurance. But I'm now eligible for my company's plan. Naturally, Open Enrollment is not conveniently scheduled at the same time of year for both companies, so the problem becomes: Do we switch in the middle of the year? I feel like we're always on new insurance anyway lately, with the way businesses are having to renegotiate rates every year because health care's so expensive. But all the COMPARING of PLANS. GAH. HAAAAAAATE. I'm apt do the easy/lazy thing and just stick with what we have, and not even investigate which plan is the most cost-efficient for us. (That loud THUD you just heard is my Dad falling out of his chair in dismay... sorry, Dad.)

5-- This is a Trader Tuesday item but I can't wait 'til then. I have a low-fat trick for great-tasting green beans (canned of course). Simmer them with 1 cube of bouillon. To me, they taste every bit as rich as when you cook them with butter and S&P. But -- no fat! Does everyone know that or is it just my genius mother?

6-- 138 today and I have been hungry a lot this week. But I'll take the loss!

7-- Does anyone else like Chadwick's? I do, but their prices seem higher than they used to be. I mean, $29.99 for a blouse (sleeveless, no less)? That feels to me like a Talbot's price, not a Chadwick's price. Disappointing.


More Quick Takes here. Happy weekend!

Prophecy

I posted yesterday about Julia simply because I hadn't read her in a while, and when I took the 10 minutes to do so, I was happily reminded how awesome she is. That sentence in particular made me laugh out loud.

AND THEN KT WAS AWAKE FROM 11:51 LAST NIGHT UNTIL 2:00 AM AND I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE SHE HAS MORE TEETH COMING IN.

So now evolution and intelligent design also owe ME an apology, because my alarm goes off at 5:40.

ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

A snippet from Julia

I state now for the record: the process whereby baby humans acquire teeth is seriously flawed and as far as I am concerned both evolution and intelligent design owe me a written apology. --Julia L.

She's bar none the best sentence-put-togetherer on the planet, as far as I'm concerned.

In lieu of a good mood

I've been grumpy (stupid pms) the last 2 days. For no good reason. SO instead of wallowing in wordy, whiny words here, which is what I was dying to do a while ago, let's post something cheery.

Like a SWIMSUIT GIVEAWAY! Go and enter and you can win a Lands' End swuimsuit. For FREE. Then wear it at the beach or the pool with sunscreen and a cute floppy hat!

Now, THAT's a good mood.

Thanks to Nicole for letting me know about it!

More about Biggest Loser

I can't say enough about how this show inspires people. Most of this season's contestants were previously inspired by watching the show, and that's fantastic. I think it's a service NBC is providing to Americans, for sure. (I know that on Wednesdays, I'm guilted into working out after spending two hours watching every Tuesday! Sometimes I even lift hand weights while watching, I'm so guilted!) And I'm always glad that they show the doctors and ensure that everything they're doing is safe and medically sound. Basically the contestants are taken from couch potatoes to professional athletes in just a few months, for those of you who don't watch.

So, I know it's about the drama, and that the contestants are obese, not just a little overweight, and it's the visual impact of the stunning before and after photos that makes the show so compelling. But I wish they'd spend some time emphasizing that not everyone has to have such dramatic results like these. They need to remind the average couch potato that just taking a walk every day will HELP THEM, will improve their health and lengthen their lives. It's not just about being skinny. And that most of us won't have 6 hours a day dedicated to working out -- and SHOULDN'T, unless we're medically supervised.

I haven't done a lot of looking around on the BL website, but I hope they have sensible advice for regular people. I'm sure they do. I just wish they'd say those things on the show a little more.

An update on my own "weight removal journey" -- I saw that recently and thought it was great. If it's a "weight loss," there's the possibility of finding it again! "weight removal" seems more permanent -- Anyway, I am 7 pounds away from my weight goal. And I can TOTALLY remove another 7 pounds. I haven't been logging calories in a long time. And I haven't been doing cardio as regularly as I should. BUT if I start this week and really try to lose 1 pound per week, I can do it by Beach Week. Wouldn't that be awesome?! Isn't this the looooonnnnngest stupid 15-pound weight-loss-journey that ever WAS??

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Yatt's BAYBEE is in da house!! (I will reluctantly admit that she's a pretty cute baby, AND I'm slightly jealous because she is named "M e gan," which is a name I love but DH wouldn't let me use. On the other hand, now I have a reason to like the name slightly less.)

Note 1 and Note 2

I go to bed every night completely and utterly exhausted. So much that I usually miss getting to kiss my hubby goodnight, even. I sort-of hate that. And I can't decide if it's because I'm Living! Life! To the Fullest! or if I'm just not Getting! Enough! Exercise!

Speaking of exercise, Biggest Loser! I'm a total sucker for the before and after pictures, I guess, but MAN, do I love that show. Amazing people. I'm voting for Mike if I can get on the site today. I was excited to see him wearing a Something Catholic High School sweatshirt on last night's episode. They're that awesome and Catholic, too? Nice. I have more comentary on the show but will save it 'til tomorrow. Note 1 has gotten awfully long.

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Yatt's topic of the day: Istanbul (used to be Constantinople) -- because no one but Yatt has ever heard the song by TMBG.