My Trip to the Museum

Eric's class went on a field trip to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I had the privilege of going with him. We had a lot of fun in the Space Odyssey, planetarium, with the dinosaurs and mummies, and finally in the Discovery Zone.

I let him be the photographer. For the most part, he did a pretty good job. I forgot to get the camera out until halfway through the day, so he ended up taking more pictures on the way back to the school than at the museum.

Such a Girl!

I love having a little girl! She is go girly most the time. This morning she got her self dressed in an outfit that actually matched (she is getting better at this). For our walk to take Eric to school, she put on some of her well loved dress shoes and filled up her purse and put a "rainbow" in her hair and made sure to bring her baby with her so the baby didn't have to miss her mama.

She always wants to bring her purse with her anywhere she goes. Lately she has even been filling her purse before we go. When I look in the purse, I find the funniest things. One day she had a purse full of crayons. Another she had all of her hair bows and pony tail holders in her purse. Today, her little purple purse was filled with nothing but Weebles. I'm sure she does this because she sees me with a purse full of stuff. Unfortunately, mine is full of receipts and other junk. I think I would rather have crayons or Weebles.

I Said I Would Never Do It Again

I am counting calories again. My wonderful sister-in-law, Chris, told me about this great web site that helps me count the calories. It not only helps with the calories in, but the calories out as well. No more guessing. No more writing it down and adding it up at the end of the day hoping that I did well. It keeps a running total for me. All I have to do is type in the food and how much I ate. It is that easy. As far as the calories out, all I have to do is type in an activity and how long I did it (such as walking) and it calculates the calories burned. I can even count cleaning the house and dong laundry! The best part is, it automatically calculate the calories I burn just from being alive and adds it to the activities that I type in.

This web site give me goals for my calorie intake. I have yet to actually consume that little, but I am so hungry. I think I am eating the wrong types of food. I will keep trying, but as long as I keep my calories out 400 to 500 more than my calories in for the day, I am doing better than I was before.

I really hope this makes a difference!

Goal Check

It's time for me to be honest with myself and report my progress (or lack thereof).

When it comes to exercise, I did some form of exercise 5 days last week. That is counted walking to and from the school 3 times on Thursday as exercise and walking to and from the school 2 times plus walking to Melissa's house and the park on Friday as exercise. I have noticed that on Saturdays I seem to be more motivated to really work out. I don't know if it is because I am trying to get out of my house work for a day or because everyone is home most of the day or because John has been gone at night most Saturdays lately and I am exercising to keep myself from being bored. I guess it doesn't matter the reasons why. It just matters that I am getting up and doing it. I am going to aim for 5 days again this week. It seems to be a good number and I don't get stressed out if I miss a day because I have left room for that.

Journaling was done only 3 days last week. I may have to start doing this first thing in the morning again to make sure that it gets done. Just doing it when I find the time is not working. I am again making the goal of 5 days this week. I feel this is something too important to give up on.

We listened to the Book of Mormon 3 days last week. I did have the computer on, I guess I just forgot. I am going to go for 4 days this week. That is one more day than last week. I think that is a good goal.

Rewards

After reading through some weight loss blogs, I have been thinking of what I can do to motivate myself to lose weight. I have decided that I am going to reward myself. There are things that I don't do purely because we don't have the money. Things that I would love to do, but can't see spending money on myself in such a selfish way.

I have decided that I am going to use some of those things to motivate myself to lose weight.

1. When I lose 10 pounds I am getting a pedicure. I know that to some this may seem like a thing that one just does, but I have never had a professional pedicure. When the first 10 pounds are gone, I will go into town and have one done. I am really excited!

2. When 20 pounds are gone, I am going to register for the Boulder Boulder. Yes, I know the next one is only about a month away, but I can register for next year's if I don't make it by then (I'm fairly certain that I won't unless there is a miracle.)

3. When I drop 30 pounds, I am going to make hotel reservations and have a night out with John (hopefully his mom will understand my excitement and watch the kids for a night). I wanted to do this for our 10 year anniversary, but we ran out of money a bit before that and ended up having a quiet night at home instead.

These are my goals. I guess now I just need to stick to my exercise plan.

My Catepillar

Memories of King Tut come to mind.

How could anyone say that he was not the cutest?

Oh, yeah...there were girls too.

Eric and part of his class.

My Morning Walk

It was such a beautiful morning this morning, and Eric was actually ready for school on time! I decided that we would walk to school. This was a great idea! *pats self on back*

The way to school went quickly. The boys decided to race to each corner. They probably would have raced the whole way if I didn't have the silly rule of making them wait for me at each corner so that I can make sure that the cars are going to actually stop at the signs before they can go any farther. Noel got tired of running, and I had to carry her and walk quickly most of the way (only about two blocks, but she is not a baby anymore). I enjoyed watching my boys play with each other on the way. We left Eric with hugs and sent him on his way to the playground (right on time I might add).

The way home was slower and more peaceful. My arms were getting sore from carrying Noel, so I put her down and told her she could hold my hand. She was content with the idea since we were now walking at her pace (3 year old pace is quite slow). As we walked along the side walk home, Sean started to jump over all of the cracks. Noel thought that it looked fun so she did the same. There was a difference in their methods though. Sean would walk and just casually jump as he got to the cracks. Noel would walk until she got to a crack, line he feet up just right, and jump. I was enjoying this so much that I was smiling and laughing.

I really do enjoy and love my kids. I know I complain about them a lot, but they are sweet and fun. I am so lucky to be their mom!

I'm Hooked

I am not really the obsessive type, so this is as close as I will get.

John gave me Twilight for Christmas (just the first book) along with several other books because that is really what I wanted. It took me about 2 weeks to read the first book (which is fast for me considering the size of the book). I had to promise to read the other books he got me before I got the next book.

To my surprise, he brought home New Moon before I finished all the books I got. He just asked me to finish the books he gave me for Christmas before I started that one. I did. I even started on the book his mom gave me for Christmas.

When I went to Arizona, I decided to bring New Moon with me. I REALLY wanted to read it, and it was just sitting on my desk mocking me. It took me about a month to finish that one because I just wasn't as interested in it as the first one.

A few days later I ordered Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. It took a little over a week to get my books because I am too cheep to pay for shipping.

I started in my book the first day. It will probably take me a week or two to read it because I really don't get a lot of time to read, but I am absolutely LOVING this one! I can't wait to read the rest of it and read the next one. I am even considering reading the entire saga again once I am done. I don't usually do this. I usually wait at least 6 months so that it is at lest partially new again. I just don't know if I can help myself.

I did see the movie, but was terribly unimpressed. I would much rather read the book!

The Kindness of Strangers

Today, when I was picking up Haley, my van decided it didn't want to start. This seems to be a chronic problem with my poor, old van. I was so embarassed!

Haley's teacher tried to help me jump it, but that didn't seem to work. She had somewhere she needed to go, but she did get out a blanket for the kids to sit on and some snacks for the kids while I waited for what I thought would have to be a ride home. I called my good friend Melissa, and waited for her to come rescue me.

Melissa showed up, and we started the process of trying to jump start it again (I would like to point out here that the battery is only a few months old). While we were trying to get this figured out, a man who was in the area working on lawns stopped and came over to look at my van. He tried to start it, and said that probably the conection was just loose. He went to his truck and got some pliers and then tightened the nuts to the battery. Then he tried again to start it. It started right up! Yay!

He gave Melissa, her mom, and me a flier for his business. I am giving him some free advertisement for his help! (Double click on it to see a larger view.)

Goal Check

Yep! It is Monday again. That means it is time for me to report my progress on my goals.

As far as journals go, I did accomplish my goal of 5 days. Yay for me! That much was a struggle, so I am going to keep that goal. Journals are important to me, but I'm sure if my kids ever read them, missing 2 days in a week won't take too much away from them getting to know me.

Exercise...yes exercise. I accomplished my 3 day goal. I did however exercise enough on Saturday to count as 2 days, but since my goal has more to do with the number of days I am exercising rather than the time, I am counting that as one day. I am going to make the goal of 4 days this week. I need it.

When it comes to listening to the Book of Mormon in the morning with my kids, I got that done 4 days last week. I feel good about that. It was one more day that I was shooting for. I how could I not feel great about that. I am going to work on 5 days this week. Hopefully, my brain will cooperate and help me remember to turn on the computer when the kids sit down to breakfast.

I made myself a goal chart, so I don't have to depend on my memory when reporting my goals.

Getting Back Into The Groove

Starting in December sometime, I was in a good groove of working out. I really do enjoy doing it. As I look back it took me a few weeks to really get going, but once I was going, there was no stopping me. I wanted to loose a pound a week (not too unreasonable). Then, I started getting ready to go on vacation. I started exercising a bit less, but I was still exercising. Then, I went on vacation. I haven't exercised much since. At least that is how it feels to me.

I really do like the way I feel when I have done a good workout. I like the feeling of accomplishment when I challenge myself further and complete the task. I like the high that I get from exercising. I like when I have worked so hard that my muscles ache because I know I am doing something for myself and the sore muscles are a reminder of that. I LOVE that I was losing weight while working out.

I got sad news when weighing myself this week. I gained back all of the weight that I had lost over those few months. I didn't really start losing until I got back on my thyroid medication, but I lost 7 pounds. That's more than a pound a week. Now it is all back.

Even worse is that fact that those pounds redistributed in different places, making the pants that did fit just right, now tight and the ones that were a bit loose, fit just right. I feel like my tummy and legs must have gained more weight than that. I probably lost muscle mass, making the jiggly stuff more jiggly.

This is my new motivation. I want to fit back into my pants the way I did before. I got through 20 minutes on the Gazelle today by reminding myself of the slightly smaller body I could have if I continue to exercise.

Watch out world! By this time next year, I will be skinnier and sexier!

Would You Do This?

As some of you may know, I have been reading and doing the Love Dare for a little over a month now. I am happy to report as I learn and do the daily dares, my marriage is seems to be improving. The book starts out with the simplest dares and they get progressively harder. Today I am on Day 33.

"If at all possible, try to initiate sex with your husband or wife today (not a problem most days with my husband). Do this in a way that honors what your spouse has told you or implied to you about what they need from you sexually (again not really a problem). Ask God to make this enjoyable for both of you as well as a path to greater intimacy (problem)."

At first when I told my husband about this dare, he was rather excited. Then, I told him about the last part. He just cracked up. NO WAY! At least we agree on that.

Is it just us, or is it a bit creepy and perverted to pray for sex to be enjoyable?

More Cute School Stuff

First off I just want to say that Eric did almost no work at school this week. He was really frustrating his teacher. She told him that if didn't work his hardest today, he would have to have a meeting with her, the principal, and his parents. I guess that was all the motivation he needed because some how he not only finished all the work he hadn't completed for the week, he got to have time to do puzzles at the end of the day too. Yay! Whatever it takes!

Now for the cute things he brought home. I am going to spell and punctuate the way that he did.

On a rainy day I like to play with my LEGO racers because LEGOs are my favorite type of toys. Plus, the LEGO racers are the coolest type of LEGO. I already have three of them! I have 13 more to get! Then, my colletion will be complete! (He likes "excited marks.")

My hilarious bunny whacked his head on the wall undersea yesterday! What a silly bunny! (Like I said...)

I Need My Mom

My mom died August 30,1996, when I was 18 and only a week into my senior year of high school. She, my brother (who also died), and my mom's roommate were on their way to visit my aunt in Arizona. In New Mexico, around 5:oo a.m., my mom's roommate fell asleep at the wheel and hit a guard rail. My mom was crushed in her sleep. My brother, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown out the back window and died instantly from the impact. My mom's roommate got scrapes and bruises (a sore point for some). That was a day I will never forget, and it changed my life forever!

Today, I miss my mom. I go through days like this. This doesn't mean I am constantly mourning over their loss. I just have days where I want my mom to put her arms around me and hold me again. I don't have a person that can do that for me anymore. One time, at the temple, I could swear I could feel her arms around me, but that hasn't happened since. Yes, I have John. That is great. I do like to lay in his arms. It is just not the same.

I push away any mother figure in my life because I feel like I am disrespecting my mom. I really don't want to do that. No matter how long she has been gone, she is still my mom.
I know where her body is. That doesn't help. I could tell at the first viewing that she wasn't there anymore. Yes, going to the cemetery did help when I was mourning the most (you know, the first few years).

I get so jealous of other women and their moms sometime. When I read a blog about how someone misses their mom, I think, "At least, you can still hear their voice." I know that is heartless. I'm sorry. I know that you all do really miss your moms. I am just jealous. I'm not even sure I remember what her voice sounds like anymore.

When I was in Arizona visiting my aunt (the same aunt my mom was going to visit), we watched a video from a pool party that the family had sometime after my grandmas funeral. (Yes, I know that is strange, but that is just what happened. I don't think it was planned that way.) I saw my brother. He was 12. I heard his voice, knowing that was not how it sounded when he was 19. I was hoping to see my mom and hear her voice too. I did see her hair, I think. I didn't get to hear her voice.

My mom was bipolar. She didn't make great choices after my grandma died. My teenage years were hectic. My mom left when I was 13. We did get to visit her, but it wasn't the same. My dad did his best to raise us from that point on. Does that mean I love my mom less? No. I can't judge my mom for things that she did. I don't know what her state of mind was when she did them.

I wish she had journals I could read just so that I could know what she was feeling and when. Just so that I can know her as more than just my mom.

I'm sorry about all of the ramblings. Today is starting off as what I call a, "I need my mom day."

A Crumpley Easter

I guess Tara will should feel better now. I am a bit later getting around to getting my pics up. The only picture I have of John from Easter he was putting his finger up his nose. I posted it on FaceBook, but didn't feel it necessary on here.

Kids Lie...So Does Bank of America

To start this story off, I get a UPromise card last year and decided to use it to consolidate my debt a bit. It seemed like the perfect solution. It has been a pain in my butt ever since!

The card was originally through Citi Bank (a horrible company to work with when it comes to debt to begin with). They wanted their payment to be paid online. Ok. I can handle that. My husband gets paid on the 5th and 20th of each month. The payment was due on the 6th. Since my husband works for a small company, they do not offer direct deposit. We had to wait until the 6th to make the payment so that we knew the money was in the account (the responsible thing to do). About half of the time, I would make my payment that day, but it wouldn't post to their computer until the next day and sometimes two days later. That meant that I would have to call them a few weeks later and explain to them what had happened. They would, after a good yelling at, take off the late fees, lower my interest back down, and take off the over the limit fees caused by the other things.

The last time this happened was in February. (Ok. I will admit that I was actually a day or two late that month. I am human after all.) I decided to suck it up and pay as I could knowing that the card was being transferred to a new bank at the end of March (UPromise ended their contract with Citi Bank). I also decided to go ahead and get a new card through USAA and see if I could just transfer the entire balance over to that card so that I could have my lower interest rate back. (I know. Dawn is cringing just reading this.) The balance transfer did not go through before Bank of America took over my account. That means that it showed that I had only tried to make half of the payment in March. Bank of America (actually I believe it was an outsourcing company) starting calling me right away. I hadn't even realized that the account had already been transfer to them.

Last week, I claimed defeat. I called them and agreed to bring my account up to date. They told me the amount that I needed to do that, and I came up with the money on Friday. They also assured me that the next payment was due on May 3. That is next month. I figured I could get at least part of the balance transferred by then.

Today, I got an email from Bank of America saying that I now owed twice as much due on May 8. What in the world?! I called them immediately. I asked for the retention department. I was told I could not do that because my account was past due. What? On Friday, I was in good standing and my next payment was due in May. When I told her that, she just said, "Due dates change sometimes." Are you kidding me? So sometime between April 10 and April 14 they can just decide that my due date was supposed to be April 12? Where were these magic changes when I was having babies? She said that they could do some kind of "financial assessment" and put me on a payment plan. I really don't want that. Despite what they think, I pay my bills, and I care about my credit rating. I don't want them to decide what I can pay every month. Whatever it is, I am sure I can't afford it. I am on a tight budget. Do these people understand that just like them I have other bills that have to be paid? I repeatedly asked for a supervisor. She told me that she was an "account manager." I don't care I want to talk to the person you report to lady. Ugh!

ahh...I feel better now. Where is my massage Melissa?

Goal Check

I am going to make this one short and sweet (I think). I am getting better. I just need to remind myself of that.

Exercise- Yes, I do like to exercise. I just am having a hard time finding the time. I considered getting up at 6:00 instead of 6:30, but lets face it. I am not much fun to be around when I don't get enough sleep. I just need to make sure I make it a priority. I am committing to 3 days this week.

Journals- I did write in my journals 5 or 6 days last week. I am really getting back on track on this one. I decided Saturday that I am no longer going to be doing the prayer journal. I think my prayers were becoming too methodical. I am going to commit myself to at least 5 days of journal writing this week.

Book of Mormon- The was done 3 times last week. We had two doughnut days and the time was taken up by going to the gas station in the morning. This week my kids will have to deal with toast or oatmeal if we run out of cereal and I don't get to the store. I am committing to 5 days.

Eric the Pirate

My kids went to a birthday party today for their cousin. It had a pirate theme. This was perfect for my Eric!

I actually got to sit this one out. John took them to the party. This is him after they all got home. If he was this exhausted, I really pity our nephew's parents. (Ignore the candy on his chest. That is just a surprise I got for him.)

I Have Made a Decision

Yep. That is right. I can make decisions on my own without asking other people to make sure they are not offended. What kind of decision? You may ask.

I have decided, "Why eat a chocolate chip cookie if I can just get a handful of chocolate chips instead?"

Don't worry. I am not giving up the cookies, just taking a break from them for a while. After all, I can buy a bag of chocolate chips for about the same price or cheaper than the cookies (depending on the brand).

There you have it. I am a chocoholic and I am not afraid to admit it. The cheaper the chocolate the better! (I am on a budget you know.)

I Made a Bag!

I was getting a bit tired of the dishcloth thing. I decided to try my hand at making a bag. I looked for the easiest free pattern that I could find online. It didn't turn out great but not bad.

A Healthy Breakfast for All

Due to my lack of motivation to take 3 or 4 kids to the grocery store, we had to go to the gas station in town to get breakfast. Our choice was doughnuts (chocolate for the boys and powder for Noel and me) and chocolate milk. I know some mom's will just die seeing my kids eat sugar for breakfast, but I was a super hero this morning.

Goal Check

Last week I said that I was going to try to get back on track. I am doing my best. I guess that is all that can be expected.

When it comes to working out, I did some form of exercise 3 days last week. That's not too bad considering the week before I think I worked out once. Now that spring break is over, I should be able to get something at least 4 days this week. I really want to work hard on this one because I had the goal to lose 10 pounds by April 15 (at the time it was about a pound a week). I still have 5 pounds to go due to gaining some back when I stopped exercising for a while. I am going to have to work my self hard if I am going to lose 5 pounds in the next 9 days. It is a hard thing for the contestants on Biggest Loser, and they are working out all day and eating like rabbits. My work is really cut out for me!

As far as the journals go. I did a good job at writing in all of them for 4 days. I slacked a bit on my personal journal Friday and over the weekend, and the scripture journal over the weekend. I am counting this as a good week though. It was better than the week before. I will aim for 5 days again this week. I think I can make it.