Stuck on an escalator

YO-YO QUEEN

That's me.  Master of the Yo-yo diet.  With a little help from Wikipedia I realize the analogies are endless.  There is the shape of the yo-yo: Imperial, Modified, and Butterfly, etc.  I'm not even going there on my yo-yo shape (including the weight distribution issue).  The yo-yo techniques caught my eye: more on that in a second.  The friction sources: how quickly the yo-yo returns to the hand of the player.  Performance accessories.  I might dedicate an entire blog to my performance accessories because they are endless.  Those accessories needed every time to succeed on my newest yo-yo journey, only to be left behind cluttering my closets and cupboards.  Your welcome Amazon and Target.

There are several yo-yo techniques with the basic one called sleeping.  How long the yo-yo can spin before traveling back up is the sleeping state.  On average however, I can spin for about 12 weeks before slowly climbing back up to my original weight.   I started this blog in January, of course, ready and willing to finally shed the weight.  You guessed it: I never wavered for a strong 12ish weeks.  Then I started my yo-yo journey back to my original January weight.  I succeeded with a bonus pound to boot.  Such an over achiever I am.  I am discouraged, sad, frustrated, but not without hope.  This month I am starting again. Praying I last longer than 12 weeks.  A lot happened this spring and summer and I hope to post a catch-up blog soon.  

So here I go again.  I'm starting slowly; taking one day at a time.  I am actually just trying to make it through today, and praying that will turn into a lot of successful days that turn into a lifetime of successful living.  I am healthy, here, blessed, thankful, and starting anew.  Thank God for new beginnings!!

Breaking News: Tomorrow is May

I realized in the middle of today that this is the last day of April.  Wow, I blinked and lost all of April and half of March.  So I pondered what important information to blog about on my one day of April blogging, and found myself overwhelmed with choices.  Do I update on the last 6 weeks, and if so do I start now and go backwards or start then catching up to now?  Okay, even that thought bores me.  So I'll wrap up the six weeks of non-blogging by saying they were very busy; hence no blogging.  I traveled on two college tours, hosted a lovely bridal shower, dealt with and continue to deal with a family situation,  entertained children for spring break, taught three grades, hosted Easter, hosted surprise out of town family, taught three grades, and generally tried not to get run over by the constant traffic of the revolving door in our house.

I am spending this week recovering from last Friday's event.  Seriously, I am getting old because a pound of work seems to require a pound of rest these days.   Just the memory of those hours of cleaning, shopping, ordering, cooking, organizing, and  NOT SLEEPING are making me tired this week.  So in honor of last weeks supermom impersonation, I am giving equal time to my slacker mom impersonation.  Lots of slacking and resting, which is probably wise considering there are 150 guests on the graduation party list for next week that will require me to dig out my supermom costume again.  I did think to myself and regrettably mention out loud to my better half that this place would be amazing if I worked that hard on a regular basis; I have got to learn to keep my thoughts to myself.

Anyway, what did happen last Friday?  Prom 2010.  32  prom kids plus parents at my house for pictures, followed by 26 prom kids staying for a fancy sit down meal prepared and served by parents.  I was a little doubtful we could pull it off, but it was delightful.  So much fun.  Lots of laughing in the promers area, and in the parental servers area.  My middle daughter even asked why so many parents stayed around long after the prom kiddos left for the big dance, and I thought she really doesn't see her mama hang out with friends enough!  Below are a few fun pictures of the event that consumed my week.  Oh, and my healthy journey progress?  I will try to post an update on that very soon!

The azaleas were picture perfect (see at top of blog), and my cleaning helpers were very excited.  What happens on cleaning day stays on cleaning day (especially from mom who is cleaning somewhere else.)

Here is my prom girl getting ready.  Below is how I still picture my prom girl getting ready. :)

The dinner tables were ready and waiting.

The pictures began; I'll spare you the 5 million and show you a few favorites.

Dinner is served.  My sweet daughter and her friend volunteered to serve dinner.  First they helped me make some fun salads.

Then everyone found their seats and began one of the loudest dinners I have ever witnessed.  Lots of singing and laughing involved.

Some cute sister pictures...one sister was gone for the evening.

And to end the pictures my prom girlie with her Toms for Prom.  She and her date decorated them the night before.

Happy 96th Birthday Memaw : Our Favorite St. Patrick's Day Girl

Isn't she a cutie?!  We love our Memaw, and are very blessed to celebrate her 96th birthday today.  She is an amazing woman: still lives alone, makes her daily cornbread and vegetables, and enjoys keeping up with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  She even enjoyed those two crazy boys posing with her as he opened her birthday Snuggie early a couple of weekends ago.  She is my handsome hubby's grandma, and I will never forget what she said to me 21 years ago.  I was 7 months new into the family, meeting all the family in South Carolina for my hubby's younger brothers college graduation, unsure of myself, pregnant and feeling seasick constantly, and trying to find an early morning breakfast table in the hotel dining area.  She called me over to her table, chatted with me non-stop, and told me,"Honey, you and I have something in common; we are both outsiders in this family, and so we have to stick together."  Now at that point she had already been an "outsider" for over 25 years, and now that I look back on her Matriarchal influence realize she was anything but an outsider, but at that time in my naive and young mind she couldn't have said anything better to make me feel included, loved, and secure.  I know, being an outsider shouldn't have really made me feel secure, but knowing she, the oldest and highly revered lady of the family wanted to cohort with me even in the realm of outsider made me feel ironically included; I had an ally.  To this day she still makes me feel like we are friends with something in common.  I have a funny feeling that everyone else in the family feels the same way about her.  Happy Birthday Memaw, and thank you for making my world a lot brighter!

2 Words: STOMACH BUG

While recovering from the horrible stomach bug this morning I saw this link over at Diane's fittothefinish.com.  She did this on her blog and I thought it was fascinating.  Anyway, if you go to www.wordle.net, and type in a web address it picks out the most commonly used words and prints them out randomly.  You can keep hitting the randomize button a million different times.  I spent way to long playing with this!  Thank you Diane for the fun tip!                              

Our family was hit with the super stomach bug this week.  Not fun.  I was hoping I was invincible, but found out Friday morning I was not.  I had not felt that bad in a long time.  Hopefully it is behind us, and we are all on the mend!  Today the weather is finally feeling springish, my children have gone outside, and hopefully the throw up buckets are retired until next winters flu bug hits.  Sounds like perfect circumstances to start getting my ten pounds off before Easter.  Now if my head will just stop spinning, I might think about the elliptical in a day or two.

Mental Muscles

I am giving credit to Stephanie from Nieniedialogues.com for the video above. Amazing and really motivating if anyone needs some new exercises for their daily routine!

I need some new exercises for my mental muscles. What I am gathering from my blog reading of late is that the bottom line is it is all in our heads. If our heads are right our actions follow. Of course if we can manage the right actions long enough, our heads get in gear and follow too. Back to the original chicken and egg debate I guess. Mental then action or action then mental. Ideally one should support the other. The stronger my mental muscle is directly affects my choices and decisions. BUT while I am growing and stretching that weak mental muscle, my actions of exercising consistently and eating healthy encourage and inspire the often times weak mental muscle.

Mental muscle workout: I want the evening unhealthy snack. If I give in I reinforce the instant gratification brain muscle and promote my normal cycle of defeat. If I stretch that mental muscle (review my calories, goals, long term desires) and push past the instant food gratification, I strengthen my mental muscle. When I do that I can almost feel my brain growing. I mean that in jest but wait- not completely. When I go to bed with my mental muscle strengthened and stretched my head feels like it is bursting with pride, accomplishment, growth, and peace. Defeat is such a discourager.

I am thinking out loud here, and almost confusing myself. Bottom line is this is my to me, myself, and I pep talk to get it together. NOW. During the month of February I lost ZERO pounds. ZERO. Let's see....at that rate I will get to my goal....in...a..NEVER. NEVER. Never is not okay. I have a little rose jacket waiting for me. Now is the time in my yo-yo history where I begin drinking hot cocoas (already begun), hang clothes on my elliptical, and model my stretchy pants. Okay the stretchy pants have not really ever gone away yet, but I dream of the day they do. So reality check before I gain the 14 pounds back. Yes they are still gone thank goodness. I also lost 12 inches since I measured on January 13, 2010. So 14 pounds and 12 inches gone are a great start, but I need to keep going forward!

This brings me to my goals.  I did not do very well with my February goals.  I did accomplish some of them.  I did journal my food and exercise more than not.  I did start my closet.  I did have family game night.  I have been debating to goal or not to goal for the month of March.  Debating for 4 days into March.  I know I need some goals, but I don't want my goals to stress me out giving me an excuse to give up.  So I guess I will say a few goals out loud that I am thinking and hope I find the metal muscle to make them a reality.  Today I will start journaling my food and exercise again.  I need to finish my closet before one of my children gets lost in there.  I need to lose around ten pounds to fit into my Easter skirt from two years ago.  Ideally I would like to do this by, yes, Easter.  That means ten pounds in the next 4 weeks.  Start working out mental muscles cause I am gonna need you!

Lost and Found

Sparky is our 11 year old oustide guard dog; the one who would play ball with an ax murderer, a band of robbers, the weed sprayer man, and the stranger who knocked on my back door by mistake recently. He lives to chase the tennis ball; it is his destiny and he doesn't deny it.
Guard dog Sparky decided he needed an adventure yesterday. His two acres were stifling him and the weather was finally perky. His lovely red shock collar in the photo above was laying in the garage, and he only needs about a day until he starts singing FREEDOM when that collar comes off. If you want a silly dumb dog or a dog that sits still, do not buy a Jack Russell Terrier.
When I realized he was missing last night I was so sad. My oldest son, Mr. Bodybuilder, drove around looking for him until I called him and told him to come home. Search and rescue would have to resume in the morning. My hubby thought maybe he would show up at the back door in the early sunrise. It was cold last night, Sparky hates the darkness, and I did not sleep well. I kept staring at his bed where he should be. This morning I kept looking at the back door where he is usually looking back in at me. No guard dog.
Long story short to save you the details, we were reconnected to Sparky through a couple of angels late this morning. A sweet dog loving lady found him up and boarded him overnight at a vet. The younger boys and I picked him up; there was lots of rejoicing, laughing and Little Ceaser's Pizza (for the boys, not Sparky or me).
Now I am staring at the back door and he is staring in at me. I am counting my blessings, and thanking God that Sparky is spared another day to chase his destiny. To chase it with his shock collar on that is!

Please Pray for Layla Grace

Please pray for Layla Grace and her family.  You can read her story at www.laylagrace.org.  She is only two and losing her battle with cancer.  My heart is heavy, and my cheeks are wet, and I am humbled and ashamed of myself.  Today I will not whine, eat mindlessly and selfishly, ignore my children, or waste time playing stupid spider solitaire.  Today I will pray for this sweet family suffering so much, live in every moment thanking God for my blessings, read books to my children, hug my children, and most of all be thankful for now instead of worrying about next.  So now I will exit my computer and not look at it again today, in honor of this sweet family enduring so much pain and heartache.  I am dedicating this day in praying for them and living in the moment with my family.  Please join me in supporting them in prayer.

What's Up Wednesday

Because my closet is halfway destroyed and pulled out all over my entire bathroom, I decided to take a break and post a few of my latest reviews.  I am trying to step out of my box and do and eat some of these ideas you fellow healthy bloggers blog about.

First up is the fun world of Zumba.  Back when the world  was spoiled and the economy was delightful, we were members of a gym.  We dropped our membership not only due to the economy, but getting there consistently while keeping up with a family of 9 was just too challenging.  During my days at the gym however, I was always intrigued by the signs for the Zumba class.  Well, if we are creative, exercise does not have to be expensive or involve gym memberships!  A church near my house advertises free Zumba and free yoga classes on two little signs I drive by regularly.  I keep seeing those signs in my sleep...they haunt me day and night. Zumba, zumba, zumba.  So I did a little research by way of you tube.  Last night I asked my girls who wanted to support me in this endeavor.  They all seemed a little supportive until after the you tube Zumba preview.  My fun and perky creative game girl (see pretty girl with post it on forehead in game night post) was game to go with me.  I was way out of my comfort zone.  These questions almost stopped me from going: Who would be there? Ages? Sizes? Friendly? Hostile? Could I keep up?  I pushed the questions and my sanity to the back of my head and waddled out the door.  I know, this is a lot of intro for what did I discover.
What I discovered: A gym full of people (well over 50 at least), all ages, a few men but mostly moms, daughters, groups of friends, and even a few younger children.   All sizes including lots of people like me working on getting fit.  Lots of visitors like myself, and lots of smiling friendly faces.  No hostility there!  It is hard to be hostile when the big room is booming with very very loud bouncing music.  Music that brought out the jiggles and smiles.  It was fun; lots of fun.  The entire 48 minutes really went by fast, and my calorie counter said 311 calories burned.  Not bad.  Could I keep up?  Are you kidding.  When I looked around the room to catch some help on a move from other Zumba girls...well neither could most of the others.  We were all moving and shaking even if none of us really looked like the instructors.  I am glad I tried it, and hope to try the yoga soon also.  Confidence from stepping out of my box and trying something new: priceless.

Next try was the Fage ridiculously thick (their words) Greek yogurt.  I can't go a week without seeing this somewhere out there in blog world.  I spied it in my Costco in a Costco size container.  I loved it.  The thick consistency is like pudding, and the protein total is fantastic.  Unfortunately it is a little pricey AND my oldest son, Mr. Bodybuilder, loves it also.  I had one serving and he poured the rest down his throat in record time. So if I continue to buy this I might as well just deliver it to his room when I walk in the door.  Maybe I can hide it in a container marked dog treats. Just kidding Mr. Bodybuilder.  Today they have a 50 cent off coupon on their website to help with that pricey issue.

Thank you Kashi models: my two favorite brother stooges.   Mr. Peter was even willing to take a few moments out of his report on Brazil to try a little modeling.  I think he would clean out the garage to take a break from writing.  Kashi.  It seems like lots of healthy bloggers are eating it.  I see it everywhere.  I did not like it a while ago, but overcome by the popularity in blog world, I found it in my Costco cart in (of course) Costco size.  This Mr. Bodybuilder has not touched, and Mr. Bodybuilder please give it a try.  It tasted okay.  It was a little like sawdust with skim milk on top.  I can get over and push through the gastronomical  issue; the intestinal issue is something I cannot sacrifice.  For at least 10 hours after my bowl of sawdust cereal my intestines felt packed, and I will spare you the details of the constant gas explosions.  I don't usually have gas issues, and I do eat a good amount of fiber most days.  I have to live around a lot of people, so I think they will all thank me when I do not give Kashi a second try.

Winner winner chicken dinner!  A big thank you and shout out to Roni at Ronisweigh.com.  I won these pretty little spices from her giveaway, and they arrived this morning.  My first giveaway win!  They came with a sheet full of spice ideas.  I cannot wait to start baking and cooking with them.  I think I see a pot of soup in my near future.  What are some of your favorite fitness tips or items?  Please leave me a comment and give me some new ideas!

National Pancake Day

My ten year old Peter informed me early this morning that it is National Pancake Day.  His informing turned into begging.  Lots of begging.  Pleeeaaase can we go to IHop and get our FREE three pancakes.  Since I complete my funner than fun husband (see last post), I promptly told him absolutely no, not under any circumstances was I going to wait in line with the rest of West Tennessee for pancakes.  More begging followed by me adding that they were not really free.  No one eats pancakes without buying at least drinks to go with them I told him.  He had me there when he quickly and happily informed me that they were also serving butter milk  for us to drink.  Now I know what is on my funner than fun hubby's agenda this weekend: two little brother stooges, one long drive to Ihop, and buttermilk pancakes galore.    

Sing With Me...It's Gonna Be a Good Night

FAMILY GAME NIGHT...OH YEAH.  My two youngest boys were so pumped all week.  We discovered a new game thanks to some friends who brought it over on New Year's Eve.  My boys love it.  My five year old doesn't even really get it, but LOVES it.  Abby's group of friends played it late Friday evening.  It really is a fun game for all ages...more on the new mystery game in a second.  

We started out our family night playing It's Gonna Be a Good Night ; Aidan had been singing it all afternoon in anticipation, so my funner than fun hubby indulged him in the car on our drive to dinner.  Our little spot in the world just opened one of these, and the waiting lines are long.  We headed there early to miss the crowds. 

My oldest son was working and could not join us.  We were all entertained by my Mr. Wonderful who had been out of town last week. I am blessed to have such a great entertainer for my children.  He really enjoys spending time with his children, and they know it.  You just can't fake that kind of stuff.  




I got to sit by my favorite two stooges.  This is the entertainment I had on my end of the table.
They take after their daddy.

We needed to walk off the 500000 calories of pizza; the boys needed to walk off the coke.  We strolled nearby and did some window shopping.  I forgot I gave daughter #3 the camera.  I was think'in I looked hot sharp for our family night out.  Not so much.  I have a LONG way to go. Can you see the Coke jumping boys?  Obviously I had water.  

Now for the part you have been waiting for...back at home game night.  The newest game on the block that we all love so much (drum roll) is:

All ages, all fun, all the time.  My boys would play this every day if I did not hide it.  It is sort of trivial pursuit meets roulette.  It involves guessing, writing, numbers, chips, deep discussions, and lots of laughing.  My five year old partner would not let me help, never really got the total idea, but had a blast.  

We ended the night with my oldest daughter's suggestion of  playing guess who I am in twenty questions.  She is modeling her character in these pretty pictures.

It was a really good day and night.  On the diet horizon I did over 90 minutes of yard work for my exercise, and did not count calories in honor of family night.  ugh.  After viewing the window shopping picture though, I hope to be back on the ball by Monday....of course.   Right now I am off to clean up sticky notes littering my kitchen with names on them.