It's Inevitable

We started school last Friday. I know! It is early, but on the upside we get out half way through May. I personally like it better because football season has already started and we can't go any where any way and it is so freaking hot I would just rather be indoors. May is such a nicer time to be outside.

Anyway, it's inevitable that at some point in time during the first month of school my household is going to get sick. Usually by the end of the first month I am so hoarse I can barely talk. I mean, how can you not get sick what with all of the germs flying around an elementary school on any given day. So, my oldest started first. On Monday she woke up sneezing and with a runny nose. Gave her some Benedryl...in retrospect probably should not have given her the full dose due to the fact that she was heading to school. Needless to say, she was pretty out of it for the majority of the day. Went and got some Claritin after school.

On Thursday when I picked my tiniest munchkin up from the sitter she informed me that my darling's nose had been running all day and she had a hard time sucking on her bottle. Hmmmm...sounds like an ear infection to me. Of course, that was inevitable too seeing as both of the other girls had tubes before they were 18 months. In fact my middle child was so fraught with ear infections that she had tubes before she was one! Luckily, my mother-in-law was coming to keep her the next day and was able to take her to the doctor...enter first ever round of antibiotics at the rip old age of 14 weeks!

Now if two of your three tiny people are sick it's inevitable that the third is soon to follow. The first indication was when she came into our room at 2:45 this morning saying she couldn't sleep. The second indication was the rasping coughing that ensued this morning. And finally, the 100.6 degree fever that she woke up from her nap with. Seriously!!! Well, I guess it is good it is the weekend.

Now my husband and I just need to wait for our turn. I mean, it's inevitable...right?

Hot Pineapple Casserole

Here is one of my munchkins' favorite side dishes. It is oh so yummy!

Hot Pineapple casserole

Ingredients:
2 cans of pineapple chunks (drain one completely and drain the other only half way)
3 T of all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
1/2 stick butter melted (I leave this out a lot)

Place pineapple and juice in a 2 quart dish. Mix flour and sugar together in a separate bowl and then sprinkle over pineapple. Sprinkle cheese on top. Top with cracker crumbs and drizzle butter over top. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

It is so good that I normally have to double it!

And We're Off

So if you read my previous blog you know that the time has come for me to get serious about losing weight. My main motivation. . . fitting into my jeans. Every Friday is dress down day at school, and I can't dress down because my jeans won't zip even with the age old lying down and using pliers trick!! It has time for me to get serious about losing weight.

A few weeks ago I started monitoring what I eat. . . kind of. I have a hard time with sweets and things that are salty and bread . . . and . . . pretty much all food. I do love it so! But I, at least, started limiting my portions.

It is hard to train your stomach to eat less, especially when you have just finished being pregnant and are used to eating large portions. One of the most important ways I do this is by using a salad plate at meal times instead of a regular sized plate. This forces me to get smaller portions and even if I go back for seconds I still only end up eating what would have equaled a regular size plate. This way I almost feel like I am getting more to eat!

I am also trying to eat slower, which is definitely hard with a baby because you have to shove everything into your mouth just to make sure you have time to eat. I am also eating all of my vegetables before anything else in order to feel up on the items that are better for me. Two other things that are
proving successful:
1. Drink a full glass of water before I start to eat.

2. When I am finished with my plate and think I want more I drink another full glass of water. If I still want it then I get some more.

And finally I started exercising this week. This is a BIG deal! I hate to exercise. I mean absolutely despise it. I think people who love to exercise are stupid and just have some innate desire to torture themselves. I hate to sweat. I hate to get up earlier at 5:30 in the A.M. (which I have to do because of the kids). But most of all I HATE to do anything that is hard for me and makes me feel like I can't do it well, and exercise is soooooooo hard for me. Especially running which is the kind of exercise I must do in order to really do some damage to this flab.

So how is it going? Well I weighed in last Wednesday at 155.2. This morning before I weighed I felt quite certain I had gained weight. I mean, it just looked like it to me, but lo and behold I weighed in at 151.3. That is almost a four pound loss! I am pumped, inspired, and finally motivated. I am working and it is working. "And We're Off" (as they say) on this adventure to a healthier, thinner, toner, and happier me, who can fit in her jeans again!!