These Kids Are Driving Me Crazy

We are on blessed Fall Break. Not along one. Just 4 days (including the weekend). But still, it is so nice to know that we don't have to go to school for a few days.

This is a great thing for so many reasons, including the fact that I just needed a break. But also because I am at the end of my Educational Specialist Degree and my research study is coming to an end, which requires me to do a mountain of work (probably means I need to stop blogging and get started!)

However, Fall Break is something that could cause me to go off of the deep end because These Kids Are Driving Me Crazy! My oldest girls have always gotten along well, almost to the point where I felt a sense of pride when people asked me if they got along. This has not been the case lately.

In fact at this exact moment, they have already been banned from playing 3 different things because all they did was fuss about the music or the crayons or the blocks! I can now hear my 4 year old sitting outside my 7 year old's room crying because "Aubeee won't let me pay wiv her!" And she just yelled, "Bad Girl!" through the door at her! (I am quite sure that showed her!)

They are driving me to the point that I am thinking of running far, far, far away...or at least to the nearest nail salon for a pedicure. How can 2 kids who profess their love for each other all the time be so mean to each other. I know why! Because they have spent entirely too much time together over the last 3 days.

Therefore, I think I will have to change my intro statement from Blessed Fall Break to Dreaded Fall Break because These Kids Are Driving Me Crazy!

Sweet Potatoes for My Sweetie

It has been over 4 years since I have had to think about baby food. I know parenting is like riding a bike, but I do seem to forget things. I guess I should have kept a better record with the first two. Of course at the time, we were knee deep in sleep deprivation, stinky poo poos, and slobbery kisses. So I guess I can understand the lack of record keeping.

Over the last 2 weeks we have started introducing our sweet darling to solid food. She has been eating rice cereal for over a month, but now comes the fun stuff. I could not remember the rules about starting solid food but my doctor said to go ahead and introduce it at 5 months.

Being the researcher that I am, I read everything I could about starting solid food. Of course there were lots of conflicting information but there were also some constants:

1. Start anywhere from 4-6 months.
2. Introduce one new food at a time waiting anywhere from 3-5 days in between to check for a reaction.
3. Stop when they seem full.

So I started cereal at 4 months and others at 5 months beginning with squash (I like the smell of it!). Then I could not decide how long to wait, so I stuck with the rule "3 and Free!" waiting 3 days between each new food. So far she has eaten squash, bananas, and sweet potatoes. The latter being her favorite!

I try to stop when she seems full, but all of the signs they tell you to look for (closing mouth, turning head, loss of interest) just don't seem to be happening. In fact, if you stop feeding her she gets a little peeved. So I am feeding 2 containers: a vegetable and a fruit.

She seems to really like it! She is now eating cereal at breakfast time (something that has caused my husband to have to get up 15 minutes earlier) and 2 things of baby food at supper. Not real sure when to start lunch. Guess I will have to get to Googling!

One things for certain: Sweet Potatoes for My Sweetie sure make for some not so sweet diaper changes!

It Is On!

It has been so long since I have posted my progress. I am quite certain that my lack of posting has only little to do with my busy life and a lot to do with the fact that my weigh ins have resulted in no progress. Not only have they resulted in no progress, they have also generated much depression as the scale crept slowly back up.

I haven't gained much. Only a pound or two, but still when you are trying to lose weight and the scale starts going the opposite way one does tend to get a little depressed. I know I should not focus on the scale (I did listen to you Kathy!), however, the inches aren't coming off either. The belly is not flattening. The thighs are not slimming. The jeans are still not buttoning!!!

I have determined the problem to be three fold:
1. I am not running any more. Okay, okay there is a reason other than the fact that I hate exercise. I got sick and had no energy for 2 weeks. Therefore, I go out of the running habit and back into the sleeping an extra 30 minutes habit. Heck, I can't blame myself. This kid is still not sleeping through the night!!!

2. I am lazy. Not only am I lazy about exercise, but I do not like getting up and fixing my lunch. It was not such a big deal when I was doing my Fresh Express Salads, because they are so easy. But our local Wal-Mart (which sucks to high heaven) does not carry these and during football season I hardly have a chance to get to Publix over in the next town. So therefore I am eating in the lunchroom, which any weight conscious person can tell you is a big NO-NO!!

3. I like food! Have I said this before? I am quite sure, because as much as I hate exercising that is how much I love food! But I know that food is not the enemy. It is my friend. It is my very, very, very good friend. One that I should spend a little less time with.

So I really must get back on the ball, maybe even the exercise ball. (Never mind, I am the clumsiest person ever. That thing would buck me off before I could ever even sit down on it and then not only would my children get a kick out of my butt being kicked by a big rubber ball of air, but I wouldn't be able to exercise because of injury.) But I MUST exercise and eat less.

I am serious this time! Really! I mean it!!! It is on!! It is on like Donkey Kong!!