Random Thoughts in my Head

This is how my brain works:

• Last night we were watching Suits on USA (we often refer to it as "Harvey Specter") and there was this bit of drama between Mike and Rachel - he broke things off last week before things really got started even though they are perfect for her because Harvey told him to because he wanted to tell their secret about him not going to law school, etc. (wow, run on sentence anyone?) But this week, he was saying really sweet things to her, etc. so she's all "what's with that? why can't we be together?" - and I start philosophizing about the concept of sex in a relationship without love and trust. I might be able to deal with sex in a committed relationship without marriage (even though I still believe that is the best choice!) but how can you sleep with someone without love and trust? And then, if it's the beginning of the relationship - WHY do you have to spread out all your secrets from the get-go? Shouldn't dating/starting out be about finding out things about each other and getting to know one another? Why do people think they need to go from 0-60 in 2 days? I obviously need a life if I'm spending this much effort on the relationship of 2 fictional characters on a TV show.
• I have a few hours to myself this afternoon with which to run errands. I'm practically singing the hallelujah chorus! 
• It's been a rough week. My husband has been working extra hours, I've been sick, the weather was bad at the beginning of the week so we couldn't get out much... etc. I'm grumpy and I need to get past it. 
• I'm down another couple of pounds, but I have got to get back to exercise. There is no way I'm going to lose as much as I need to in the time frame I had planned if I don't add in more activity.
• I was really hoping my "fat pants" would be falling off my hips when I put them on this morning, not so much! 
• I closed my biggest party to date yesterday and have another small one closing today. I have parties booked for the next couple of months and I'm psyched!

Seven Years - no itching.

I need to write. I need to sit down and focus on finishing (or at least developing) the story I was working on so tirelessly for awhile there. Why am I so stuck? I even kind of know what I want for the ending, but I have no idea how to get there!

Fuss is in VBS for the 2nd week in a row - and even better? My SIL is picking her up and dropping her off every day, so I don't even have to do that part! I did take her this morning, for her first day, but I think that's it for the week. I'm a little bummed that I'm going to miss her performance at the end of the week, because I scheduled a Thirty-One party for that night long before I knew this was happening this week. But still, I know she's having fun and it's AMAZING how much easier it is to function efficiently when you only have ONE kid to tow around instead of TWO!

Today is our anniversary - seven years of wedded bliss. I couldn't have imagined seven years ago how amazingly happy I am today. My amazing husband, my beautiful children. Marrying my best friend, the love of my life was the best choice I ever made, and the best day of my life! My husband is the most wonderful man in the world and I could not ask for more.

Self-Improvement

My husband is on this self-improvement streak - he's listening to all these podcasts, reading books on marriage, parenting, leadership, business. And I guess it's contagious because I'm doing too. I'm dieting. I'm working out (something I truly hate, but I'm adjusting my attitude), I'm reading the parenting and marriage and budgeting books, I'm listening to podcasts and such on how to improve my business. It's sort of funny, since this is totally not how I saw myself at all. But it's fun to think that I can improve upon myself. It's fun to think that I year from now, I'll be a better person overall.

My one frustration right now is the exercise. And it's not so much the doing it, but I'm getting weird resistance from my husband! He wants me to exercise, he's encouraging on that, but he won't let me sign up for the gym until we "check the budget" even though I've used up my 2 free passes already! And I need the gym and its childcare or I'm not going to do it, you know?

Whirlwind of activity!

Wow. June is turning out to be as busy as May!
On Saturday, we went to Fuss's best friend, Gracie's, 4th Birthday Party. Everyone had a great time. Then we all came home and we all had a nap. Mine was short, though, because I had a Thirty-One party that night and I had to finish packing up for that (since I hadn't quite finished unpacking from our trip yet. Oops!). I had a great time partying with some great ladies and made a new friend!

Fuss started her first VBS of the year (there will be THREE this year!) this morning and had a great time learning and singing and playing with her friends (this one is at Gracie's church and their third little friend is also joining them.) I got some stuff done (errands and a visit with my Gram) and tonight we will be going to cheer on Aunt LP, Auntie Amy, and Uncle Nate at a softball game!

This week is also my MIL's birthday, so this weekend we will be celebrating that on Saturday during the day with the family and then, Saturday night, my wonderful husband and I will be celebrating SEVEN years of wedded bliss on a date night while the kids stay w/ Aunt J (and then Fuss is going to have her first aunt-sleepover and hang out with her Aunt J overnight). Sunday is Father's Day and also the performance of the VBS kids at Gracie's church (we haven't exactly figured out how to schedule all this yet) and a baseball game with my step-dad's side of the family, and dinner with them at my mom's house. And next week is Fuss's SECOND VBS of the summer, with Aunt J!

I also found out that my newly-discovered sister's birthday is this week and I need to make sure to acknowledge that and pester my dad to do so as well. I'm HOPING that some time soon my dad will be going up to his old home town and meeting her face-to-face and I'm really hoping things will work out so the kids and I can go with him and see my aunt and meet said sister. I haven't mentioned it to her yet, though. I don't want anyone to get their hopes too high!

On the diet front, I was very discouraged with my situation when according to the scale at Publix (our local grocery store) I'd actually GAINED 2 pounds this week, but I was encouraged when my mom assured me that the accuracy of that scale is questionable and we bought a scale of our very own that comes recommended. According to that one, I'm a little lower than I was, though of course, you can't really count that since I don't know what I was on that scale at the beginning. Here's hoping. I also used a free pass at the Y this weekend and spent half an hour on the bike. I can totally do the bike thing, but I learned that I really need new athletic shoes! 

Photo post: Post-vacation!

My week really hasn't gone as planned. And now I have lots of chores and still a ton of things to do outside the house, too!

So you get some pictures today instead of a lot of writing. Love these vacation photos.

Weigh Down

I started Weight Watchers this week and I've been doing really well. I love that I can eat what I want on this diet - it's really just a matter of budgeting my points, etc. Of course, my body is trying to doom me from the get go - it never fails that I start a diet and then get my period. And this time, I thought I'd outsmarted it because at the end of our trip, I got my period 2 weeks early! So I was thinking - "oh, good. Now I won't have one at the usual time, I can just go along and I'll be fine." BUT my body is giving me the PMS signs - the daily headaches (including a severe migraine yesterday that had me wondering if I was having a stroke it was so painful) and the mood swings have begun. So it looks like I might just get a bonus period this month. Oh yippee.

Right now, I'm dying for a Coke. But I already had my Coke for the day (I'm allowing myself one a day with my breakfast) and since they are between 5-8 points depending on the size (I had a larger one yesterday because of the headache) I can't really drink an extra one if I'm going to have a sensible dinner, you know?

And I still haven't made it to the Y to sign up so I can get going on some exercise. Monday I swam, but yesterday saw me in bed most of the day (thanks to my MIL who came and watched the kids all afternoon and then started dinner for us) with little activity at all.

I don't mind diet foods, but wow, do I want my sodas! And I know that my addiction to them is likely a large contributing factor to my weight gain. (see also: anti-depressants)So I have to be good. I have to stick with it. I have to. I'm sick of looking like a cow - or a hippopotamus.

Article: Mommy do your best

Recently read this article about motherhood - and how there are things you should STOP doing to be a happy mom and WOW was it right on the money! It's so funny how caught up we can be in the competitiveness of motherhood/parenting and how we judge each other so harshly sometimes! For me, rule number one for parenting is to do your best - whatever that entails, whatever that means for you and your kids.