A new little...

project. I found this blog through another P's blog. And she taught a class titled "a deck of you". She used a deck of cards and on each card she has the response to a prompt. So she's doing it again and so are some other people so I decided to join in. Here are my cards so far. I'm just cutting cards to be 3x4. I using all scrap pieces of paper.

The first prompt was Something you are proud of.The second prompt was What is powerful to you...And the third prompt was to finish the statement I am...

On a sour note the scroll ball in mouse is not working. I am rather upset about this as I use that feature all the time. I need to take it in to be replaced but I can't do it until I get my AppleCare box in the mail and register that. Then it will be back under warranty. I almost bought a new mouse last night at Target. They have wireless ones that are compatible with a MAC but I like that my mouse matches my computer! And I'm not spending $45 for a new wireless Mighty Mouse. So I am scrolless!

No sun today...

Yesterday the sun was actually shining! But not today. I think that tends to have an adverse affect on my mood. I like to have a little sunshine and here in MN those days can be few and far between in the dead of winter.

The 2P's challenge for today is: Do you live more in the past, present or future?
I would say I live in the present. I frequently don't know what time it is or what day it is! So I can't be looking ahead if I don't know where I am! I have occasional bouts of nostalgia but not very often. I think my living in the present has a lot to do with staying home and being a mommy. I used to live more in the future. Not that I didn't enjoy what was going on while it was going on but I always had a plan for something in the future. I think that's the nature of being a teacher. You always have plans. Either for the day, week, month or quarter. Teacher's are planners. And I was always working and thinking on a schedule. I had to know what time it was because I needed to get a certain amount of material in during a period of time or get my class to where they needed to be on time. I just don't have to function like that anymore. It was a difficult adjustment at first. And I still have a schedule and a routine but it's not a strict. So it's also part of who I am. But I like to just enjoy what the day brings. Sometimes Owen is happy all day. Sometimes he's a fussbucket. But I want to enjoy everyday with him because he's growing so fast. I have a journal that I keep were I write to him. Tell him what he's doing and document how he's growing. So someday he can read all about himself. And I can look back in it and see what he did when. And for when he's an unpleasant teenager and I need to remember what a sweetheart he was!
When I was younger I spent a lot of time planning my future and simultaneously mulling over the past. I wasn't very happy. So I try not to do things I will regret and plan in a way that makes me happy. And I also try to be happy with the person I am. That way I can enjoy each day I have.

Finally...

Morgan decided on a new year's resolution! Not that everyone needs to have one. I don't think he gets into that the way I do. But last night we were talking, he was talking, I was mostly asleep, and he said his resolution for the year was to stop thinking crazy! I told him it was great that on January 23rd he had found his goal for the year.

Morgan is a thinker. Always busy in the head thinking about something. And sometimes they are what he calls "crazy thoughts". Irrational, obsessive, and just a bit out there thoughts. This happens when he gets a little overwhelmed by work or his projects or when he doesn't get enough exercise. Yes, he's one of those people who goes a little bit nutzo if he doesn't get his workout in.
I think OCD runs in his family. His sister struggles with this on a serious level. Morgan tends to be a little bit low grade. And his mom, well, they get it from her.
So Morgan's new philosophy is "no regrets". No shoulda, woulda, coulda thinking. No crazy thoughts! I hope it works out for him. I'm sometimes not much help! Being that I'm the worrier!

Here is my new T-shirt. I found it at Target. Seasonal wear! $7. And it's a soft shirt. Usually the seasonal shirts are poor quality cotton and not soft at all. But this one is soft. It has 3/4 sleeves for my 3/4 length arms! I love it when I can find clothes that don't need some altering! It's a bit big, I can never tell for sure how shirts will fit and I didn't have time for a trip to the fitting room. Oh, and the best part. It has sparklies on it!! I LOVE that!
The 2P's challenge for today is to write about a tattoo you would get. Well, I think I'd probably get one of these. The claddagh. Morgan gave me a sterling silver bracelet for a wedding present that has them on it. It's a rather timeless design. I would be okay with it on my body when I was 70. It's not trendy or tacky. However, I am a pansy when it comes to needles so I do not and will not have a tattoo! Oh, and i would probably have it on my lower back or hip. I had a sorority sister in college who had dolphins around her navel. I wonder what that looks like now!?

The first day...

of baby class! Owen and I went to our first ECFE (early childhood family education) class today. I was skeptical of taking one because I really thought they were for people who didn't know what they were doing. But my friend Pam spoke very highly of them and another girl in my book club said it was the highlight of her week. Since Owen and I spend most of our time with just each other I thought it would be good for us to get out and be with other people our own age. Him with the babies and me with the grown-ups. Oh, and it turns out, they are for people who don't know what they are doing. And that includes me!! Because Owen didn't come with a manual.
So our class is for 6-11 month old babies. Owen is the oldest by about a month or six weeks. Although he wasn't that much bigger than the 7month olds. A lot of them were sitting up though and that bothered me. Because Owen still doesn't sit up much on his own. But I have to keep in mind that he is developing at his pace and doing what he needs to do. Another mother, who has 2 older children, said he may just bypass that and start walking. I just want to be sure I'm doing all the things I can so he grows and developes appropriately.
There are 10 other mothers and babies in the class. More boys than girls! Hooray! In my book club there are a bunch of babies and Owen is the only boy. We did introductions, had a little free play and then split up. Mommies on one side babies on the other. Neither Owen nor I had a problem with this since he's been around lots of other people for his whole life now. And we were only on the other side of the room. Our mommy discussion was introductions and a little bit about ourselves. It was fun to get together with other people who are in a similar place in their lives. I think many of them were around my age too! But I'm not a good judge of that. It reinforced for me that other woman are having children when they are older.
So the class went well. Owen didn't crawl over anyone. He did manage to snatch someone's toy but we gave it back. No fits either. Normally he would have been napping at this time but we got a quick nap in before we left for the class. I had to wake him from his nap but he didn't fuss about that either. Some days I marvel at how easy going he is now considering what a fuss bucket he was for the first 3 1/2 months. The only part I had a hard time with were the cute songs. I am licensed to teach grades 1-6. I do not have an early childhood degree. For good reason. I am not an early childhood person. Little kids scare me. I know this sounds silly but I'm just not so good with kids under, well under age 8! Owen is the exception, he's mine. So it's a stretch for me to sing all these cutesy songs! But I will get better at it. Owen seemed to really like a few of them. Especially the ones with movements. I'm also looking forward to making some new friends. Not that I don't love my current friends. Because I do. It's just that they can't come over and play during the day!
Now since Owen is down for a nap I'm going to go have a little creative time! I haven't had any projects to post recently!

Working hard...

I don't mind working hard. I've been doing it for a long time. I tend to work hard at whatever I do. It's the best way I know to do a good job. What I don't like is when it is so difficult!

As you know I decided I needed to get back in shape this year. And I've been working hard at it. I workout 6 times a week. If not 7. Sometimes I take Sunday off but for the most part I try to workout everyday. I also keep track of my calories in a journal most everyday and try to stay within a certain number of calories. I try to eat good things and get lots of vegetables, fruit and healthy carbohydrates and protein. I eat three good meals a day plus two snacks and drink at least 8 glasses of water. I don't mind doing this. I enjoy running. I am happy that I am making my body healthier. And my mind too. I feel good about myself and what I'm doing. What I don't like is when the working hard is HARD. I don't want to feel hungry. I don't want to have cravings for things I should not be eating. I enjoy the challenge of running and working out. I do not enjoy the challenge of nourishing my body. I have always had difficulty with food. I am not a person who can have candy or sweets of any kind in the house and just have a few. I will eat them all. Whatever it is. I will make sure it is eaten! That's the part I don't like. The struggle with food. Still, even after working so hard. I want to eat to fuel my body and stay fueled until the next meal and lose the 2 pounds a week. I don't want to get behind. And I am. That bothers me. But I'm not going to stop. Stopping doesn't do any good. My goal is to lose the extra pounds by May. Owen's birthday. And I'm not doing anything else between now and then so I might as well keep at it. So everday I make a choice. I choose to care for myself. So I can care for Owen and Morgan. And keep up with them both!!

The daily challenge...

Blog about what got you started in scrabooking and what keeps you in this wonderful hobby.

One day my friend BJ and I were out for dinner down in Apple Valley. That's where she was living at the time. We happened upon the Archiver's store that had opened not to long before. This was their first store. I had been stamping and making cards for several years before this and had also done a variety of other arts from the time I was little. So we wandered in not sure what we would find and the rest as they say is history. I had swore I would not start scrapbooking. I was not interested in doing that. I didn't really think I had anything to scrapbook. But I was wrong. Sometimes it seems more like a paper collecting obsession though. I love paper. The embellishments and such are nice but I LOVE paper. And stamps. I started stamping because drawing was a very slow process for me but I like adding color to the images and putting images together. So I started stamping. For awhile I worked for the original owner of Inky Antics rubber stamps. I made the stamps and packaged the stamps and made samples for the shows and worked the local shows. It was a lot of fun. And now I like to scrap and stamp with others and share ideas and such. That's why I decided to become a Close to My Heart consultant. So I could share my ideas. I am not a good sales person though!

Last night we had dinner at my friend BJ's. She has a daughter who is a year older than Owen. Her birthday is May 8th, Owen's is May 5th. BJ is my best friend from college and the only sorority sister I keep in touch with. We don't get to spend enough time together so it's always fun to see them. She and her daughter are the ones I made the bags for. They loved them. She made me a set of coasters that have pictures of Owen in them. So cute! I did not eat well for dinner last night. Well, that's not completely accurate! The food was fabulous! Just not low fat! And today I have not been too careful either. So hopefully I did not ruin all the hard work I did this week.

Have you seen this website? Bless This Chick? I created this cartoon version of me there! I really like her crown!

Isn't it amazing...

where life can take you when you let go of the expectations you have of it? I was just thinking on my way home from work that I would never have expected to be a mortgage planner's assistant. But here I am. I also didn't think I'd be a mommy. Or married to Morgan.
At one time I thought I would go to law school after college. Then I decided I was going to be an industrial hygienist. But failing trigonometry put a kabosh on that! Then I somehow decided I was going to be a teacher. I love teaching. I just decided I would teach here at home for awhile. Maybe someday I'll go back. But right now I am happy with my life. Yes, we live on 1 income but it's working out. I've learned to get by one less scrapbooking stuff! And selling a little CTMH stuff and a few handmade things on the side provides a little play money.
I think what I'm most surprised at sometimes is my marriage. I was not good with boys for a long time. Well, mostly I couldn't decide! It turns out the indecision didn't have much to do with them. It was mostly me. I was trying to be someone I wasn't. And that's what I love about Morgan. I can be myself with him. I don't have to pretend to be funny all the time or clean and dressed up all the time. He loves me even if I'm still wearing my pajamas when he comes home from work. And he accepts all of my quirks and flaws. Which are many!
He's not the man I thought I was going to marry. That man is probably still trying to make enough money to be happy. And I'm guessing he's still not happy. Which didn't have anything to do with me either. I was engaged when I was 22. A junior in college. Very naive. Idealistic. And still a little impulsive. My mom was very upset by this and didn't talk to me for almost 2 weeks I think. But the thing about being engaged was that we never really discussed planning a wedding or being married. Now that I look back on it, and hind sight is always 20/20, we were both looking for something the other couldn't give. We had to find it in ourselves first. And when we broke up I wasn't really sure where my life would go. I couldn't envision myself with him, but I couldn't envision myself without him either. But I found my way. And I have to say that I am a stronger, happier, and more content person because of it.
Vee had this quote on her blog:

We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
— Joseph Campbell

I am a planner. It's hard for me not to do it. I had all kinds of ideas about how my life would be when I was younger. And now the idea is mostly that I want to be happy. Do something that pleases God. And be a kind and forgiving person.

And that's enough deepness for me! Now I think I'll finish watching Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. Where I can just gaze at the beautiful Josh Duhamel!

Tonight...

Morgan is working late. He is in charge of the newsletter for the Toast Master's chapter that he is a member of. I can't remember the last time I spent a night home alone. It hardly ever happens. So I got to catch up on some blogs! Soon I'm going to go downstairs and work on some thank you cards and birthday cards that need to get done. It's funny how a day can be so crazy and then at night everything is so settled. Mostly because I know that Owen is down for longer than 2 hours!

Ali Edwards Ezine for this week is about Essentials. What supplies do you consider essential. Here's my top 10 list of things I need to have to scrap or create.

1. My see-thru grid rulers. I LOVE these. I have one that is six inches long and two that are 12 inches long. I cannot scrap without them. I'm pretty good at lining things up but sometimes I need to be exact. And just for measuring! They are just great rulers.
2. A mechanical pencil. Not a regular pencil. I need to have a mechanical pencil.
3. My bone folder. Not so much for scrapping but definately for card making.
4. My paper trimmer. I love my new fiskars one.
5. Scissors. I have 3 pair of Close to My Heart scissors. They are small and super sharp.
6. Adhesive. I use a variety of adhesives for various purposes. For wet glue I use the close to my heart pen type one. For dry adhesive I use a tombow tape runner mostly but I recently discovered glue dots and love those for harder to stick items like embellishments.
7. Paper. This is a given right? I like neutral colored papers. My favorite probably being the kraft color. And then shades of neutrals.
8. Photos. This is tricky. Since we've gone digital I don't always get pictures printed in a timely manner. So when I want to scrapbook I need to plan ahead.
9. Some good words. I have a constant narration in my head but I need to work on writing it down more often. Otherwise the words end up disappearing!
10. Time.

2 more...

bags! I jus finished these for my best friend and her daughter. Matching bags! The big bag is about 12x16 and the little one is about 8x12.

A bud...

My orchid has a bud on it! My friend Nikki gave me a beautiful white orchid as a going away gift when I left school last April. It has about a dozen flowers on it at the time and then slowly they all fell off. Then the stem started to dry up a bit. I didn't really know what to do with it. My MIL gave me so orchid information and I read that but didn't really understand what it was telling me so I just continued to water it off and on, they don't need much water, and left it alone. Then it began to grow another leaf and now there's a bud! I'm so excited about this! I always wanted an orchid. I think they are just beautiful flowers. The conservatory at the zoo here has an orchid room. It's my favorite room. But I thought they would be difficult to care for and in the last year and a half I've mananged to kill off about 7 plants. It's turned out to be sort of a blessing since it's less for Owen to get into. But I still felt bad. So when I discovered how easy this orchid was to take care of I was very happy!

My mom stopped by yesterday to visit and she brought the bags she had made. So I took pictures to share will all of you! Neither she nor my sister follow a pattern. They both just make them up! The nice thing about felting the bags is that it will hide a lot of flaws. That is a good thing for me! That way I feel a little more comfortable experimenting with them. My sister just finished one that is grey with an orange skull on it! I will take a picture of that one on Thursday. The 2P's challenge for today is:Blog about your exercise regimen. Do you have one?
Yes I do. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I run. Sort of run. I am following a thirteen week walk/run program. Basically you increase the amount of time you run over the course of 13 weeks from mostly walking to all running. This is how I started running. And while I may not need to go all the way back to beginning I decided it would be a good way for me to ease back into it after being pregnant. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I do 10 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weight and resistance training. Sunday I take off or I do a video or just some sort of outdoor exercise with Owen and Morgan. For my T,T, S cardio I walk on the treadmill or do a video. I recently got the Turbo Jam DVD's and they are pretty good. I haven't done all of them but they are high energy and incorporate strength training, which I like. I also like the Denise Austin DVD slim your female fat zones. She's a bit crazy but it adds some variety to my routine. When it's warmer out I like to inline skate, walk with my girlfriends at Lake Harriet, bike, or hike with Morgan and Owen.

Here is the second page of my Word Journal. It is the Marianne Williamson quote.
I have three people interested in doing a circle journal with our words. If anyone else is interested please post in the comments and I will contact you. I'm going to get a journal set up for this and get it going by the 1st of February!

Brrrr....

it is COLD outside! Our current temp is 4˙ and I think the windchill is well below zero. I guess last night was the coldest night of the year thus far. Yesterday we woke up to 3" of snow! Morgan stayed home to avoid the roads, get some work done, and go skiing! Supposedly it's going to stay cold for awhile now. It's nice to have a little snow finally. It covers up all the brown and gray!

I weighed and measured myself yesterday. I lost another pound and 3 1/4 inches! I guess all the sit ups I'm doing are working! I can actually get my old jeans on again. I'm kind of finicky about how my clothes fit though so I would wear them yet! I don't like things the least bit tight. Unless there's some stretch in them.

2P's challenge for today: This winter, what do you do that means comfort to you?
Snuggle up with my big blue blanket. It's super warm. I have it on our bed most of the time. But when I'm watching TV or reading I drag it out and wrap up in it. It's actually a quilt that my grandma made a long time ago. One side has long blue stuff, almost like stuffed animal fur. I always loved it growing up. It was my favorite blanket at my grandparents house. When my grandma was cleaning out stuff one year she gave it to me. All of my room mates in college loved it too. I would frequently find of my sorority sisters curled up under it. So the blanket itself is comforting but so are the memories that go with it.

A little bit to share...

I found this quote today and thought I'd share it. It just reminded me how fortunate I am and how fortunate many of us are, and we don't really even stop to think about it most of the time.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive the week. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back,a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75 percent of the world. If you have money in the bank or in your wallet, you are among the top 80 percent of the worlds wealthy. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not. Author Unknown

And I thought I'd also share these pictures of Owen enjoying his lunch. I tried out some little pasta rings today. He enjoyed playing with them. Didn't get any in his mouth on his own but ate the few that I gave him. I tried to get him blowing his lips together but he wouldn't do it while I had the camera out.

And below is what I was left with! As I was picking him up he burped and of course a little came up on both of us. So I wiped it off my shoulder , gave him his bottle and put him down for a nap. As I was checking my e-mail I couldn't figure out why my shoulder was wet. Well, I got more on me than I was aware of!

Tis' almost...

done. Here is the main part of the bag after felting. I think I'm going to put a lining in it after all. That way I can use it for small things too. I rarely go anywhere without a writing utensil anyway. I actually have no idea what I'm going to do with this bag. I just thought it would be fun to do. Since my sister was doing this! She starts something and then my mom and I get on board too. Can't seem to get her to scrapbook though! Maybe I'll sell it. After the handles are attached of course! Here is the before picture so you can see how much it shrunk up. Pretty cool what wool does!? I'd love to make a pair of mittens this way.
Hoping to get out to Maple Grove and do a little shopping today. Just to get out. I need to stop at the Vet and get toothpaste too. Yes, we, well Morgan, brush Ludwig's teeth. Greyhounds have terrible teeth. So they need to be brushed daily. I don't do it mostly because after we got him I was a bit afraid of being that close to his mouth. I had been attacked by a rotweiller about a year before and was still a bit leary of new dogs. Now I wouldn't have a problem with it but Morgan just does it. So I'm not stepping in to take over!
I also want to make a little something for one of the ladies at church. She is moving to Pennsylvania next week. She is 86 and has been a memeber of our chruch for 50 years. She is a wonderful little lady. She calls everyone on their birthday. EVERYONE! It won't be the same place without her.
No headache this am so hopefully if I eat well, drink my water and don't eat anything sweet I'll be good for the day! I did get my workout in this morning and that didn't produce a headache. Sometimes it does. Too much blood flowing to the brain I guess. And is it possible to be in love with shoes?? I LOVE my running shoes. Unfortunately I left my old pair in MT. My MIL is going to send them along with O's Christmas gift that was too big to pack. But they haven't arrived yet and they are the ones I wear just out and about.

And just a little wondering for Wednesday... When I was in college I had a friend from Australia. He did not like peanut butter. He said Australian's don't like PB. It's gross! WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?? So are there other countries where they don't have PB and have the same dislike for it? Or can anyone who is from Australia explain this to me? My FIL doesn't like cheesecake. This I cannot understand either. Just a little off topic thought for the day!

Ugh...

I hate headaches. I've been getting them a lot lately. I'm not certain why. In the past I would get headaches due to stress. Like when I was student teaching and had a headache for 18 weeks. About seven years ago I started getting migraines. The first one I went to the emergency room because I had been seeing spots and the pain was so bad. Well, I didn't know it was a migraine until later and the spots were an aura. I don't get the auras anymore. I'm not sure why not, but I don't. Just a bad headache. I've been eating well. Getting exercise and drinking PLENTY of water! So one would think that the headaches would not be here.
Headaches to me are like having a paper cut on your index finger. They get in the way of normal functioning and everytime I bend down or turn on a light I'm painfully reminded that I have one. Of course the pain is worse but just as annoying. And they tend to bring out my inner demon. The one who likes to eat chocolate by the fistful. Or since we don't have any in the house peanut butter sandwhiches. The demon is the one who decides it's better to watch TV or read blogs than get a workout in. Or something else productive. The demon is also the one who had two boyfriends, at the same time, in college. So the headaches bring out my split personality. I think that's most annoying!
Owen has started climbing. Add that to rolling, crawling and up plugging electrical cords and you get a mommy who can't leave the room. Even to pee. Did I mention all the water I've been drinking. You name it, he's into it. My mom asked me the other day what I had expected he would be like? Well, maybe a little bit slower! He likes to climb on stuff so I got out a bunch of pillows for him to climb around on. Thinking he would LOVE it. Yep. For about 2 minutes. Then it was back to the dog bed and the electrical cords. None of which are plugged in but I still don't want him getting the impression he can chew on them.
Did I mention that we still have our Christmas tree up? We do. Hopefully we will have time to get it down tonight. That's another source of temptation and entertainment for Owen. Sometimes I get tired and think I should just let him do whatever he's doing but then I remember all of my good teacher training and redirect him. I came to the conclusion a long time ago that teaching and learning are all about consistency and repetition. Children will consistently and repeatedly do what you don't want them to do even though they've learned not to and as a teacher or parent you have to consistently and repeatedly redirect and continue to teach them what they are to do. Somedays I can't believe I taught a class full of children everyday. I can hardly keep up with Owen! Thankfully I did not have to change diapers while I was teaching.
On a creative note. My felted bag is done. It's drying. I took a before and after picture. I have to attach the handles and I think it might need a lining but I will decide when it's dry.

The first page...

of my FEAR journal. Just the word. I will put the Marianne Williamson quote on the next page and do a little journaling about it.
Now it's off to the treadmill. I lost 1.6 pounds last week and 2 1/4 inches!

There's a reason...

why a camera has a setting for kids & pets. Neither of them are still long enough to take a decent picture! Unless of course they are sleeping. I was taking pictures of Owen the other day. He turned 8 months old on Friday. I frequently use the tripod when I take pictures of him but now I need to set up the camera and tripod across the room from where he his and then take them as he's coming toward me. He loves the camera and tripod. The tripod legs are great for sharpening that tooth! So here he is after he got to me. I had taken the camera down by this time to get down to his level.

Here is a better shot of him. We are practicing sitting up. He can do it pretty well. It's just that sitting doesn't get him anywhere and he prefers to move. I 'm getting the impression that he's going to be walking before he is going to sit up on his own. I just can't believe he's 8 months old already.
A couple days ago the 2P's challenge was to blog about a craft or hobby you would like to take up. Well, I don't really need to take up a new one. I already have too many. I love crafts and art and all the stuff that goes with them. My sister has made a couple of felted bags and on Saturday we went to the Yarn Cafe in Maple Grove. A neat little shop with lots of yarn, books, helpful people and a cafe. I bought some wool and found a pattern and am making a little bag. Below is the first part. I am working on the other square. I'll post a picture when it's all done.

I found my word...

when I was reading Cathy Z's blog this morning. She had this quote on there.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ---Marianne Williamson.

My word is Fear. I am afraid of a lot of things. I always have been. When I was a child I was afraid for a long time that my grandpa would die. And when I was 24, he did. And I was okay. The fear didn't serve a purpose. And I know this about fear. Her post and her quote made me realize that I hold back a lot because I am afraid. I need to stop. So this year I will work on that.

I've got one person on board so far for a Words Circle Journal. Anyone else??? Noelia? Aimeslee?

An idea...

so I've read several blogs with people discussing Ali Edwards Ezine from this provoking us to choose a work for the year. If you don't get this you can go to her website (see link in my blog log) and check it out.
I thought it would be fun to do a circle journal of these words? Anyone interested? I'd be happy to get us going. If you are interested post a comment and I will put together a list and contact everyone.
Now, I need to preface this by telling you I have never done a circle journal before!!! So it would also be an experiment!

It turns out...

I wasn't done. That's how most of my projects go. I do something and think it's done but in my mind I see something else. Or something more. And have to keep working on it. Playing. Tweaking it. So here it is. Again. Unfortunately you can't see the glitter I used on the letters. I was going to post about the 2P's challenge but I have to stop. There doesn't seem to be anything slowing Owen down today. Well, only the 4 walls of the house. And why surge protectors need a shiny red light on them I do not know! Talk about temptation!

Right now...

I'm supposed to be making soup. But the thing is, I don't like to cook. Yesterday I boiled pasta for the salad Morgan made. Technically that was cooking. So here I am, on the computer, waiting for O to wake up. And now he is. Perfect timing! Little stinker. And if I'm right about his BM's there will probably be some stink. I just wanted to ramble a bit and post this funny picture of O. He is playing with the packaging of some toys my mom has at her house. I suppose it's how all babies are. Curious. Into everything. Fascinated. I guess that in turn fascinates me. Today while I was feeding him lunch he was swung his arm up at the same time I was coming in with a spoonful of green beans. The beans and the spoon ended up all over the table. The funny part is the look he gave me. Waiting. He was waiting for my reaction. You know when you've done something that you probably shouldn't have and you wait for the reaction of another person? That. I smiled and said something, I don't remember what. And then he smiled. I don't want to be the mom who gets upset about messes. Life is too short for that and he's too darn cute!And speaking of cute. Here's my hot husband on New Year's Day. He likes to make funny faces for the camera. He's a bit of an odd ball but I think I'll keep him. If I don't I may starve. Because he DOES cook! I just love these boys!

What a...

DISASTER! Yes, my craft room has been declared a disaster area. Morgan never sees it when it's neat and tidy. Even though I made a point of showing him. But he always notices when it looks like this. "What happened in there??" He always asks! Nevermind that in a few short days our storage space will become his wax room for the ski season and also as slick as ice! This year he said he's putting down cardboard!
It's 10:30am right now. Owen just woke from his early morning nap and so far he's logged in 2 poops! Who poops that much!? He usually averages 3-4 a day. Mostly before Morgan gets home. Lucky Morgan! I'm just amazed at home much this kid goes. And he is one busy baby. He is into everything, all the time. I guess that's why he's gotten to be such a good sleeper. So I shouldn't complain, right!?
Dinner last night with my girlfriends was great. I love those three. They are nuts. I didn't get to bed until 11pm. I slept good though!
I decided to forgo my workout this morning and do it during nap number 2. Instead I did some laundry and started my All About Me album. I ordered one of those kit albums by Lisa Bearenson. I even stared it in the midst of the chaos! Which I hardly ever do. I usually have to clean up in order to start something new.
So I got out all the supplies and organized the little packages that are arranged according to pages and started. I even got a layout done! Here it is!
And lastly, I apologize for the disorderly arrangement of my post. I managed to set all the pictures to the left when I meant to center them and I didn't want to have to reload them all!

Hump day...

is here. This used to be a big deal to me when I was working. I only know it's hump day today because my girlfriends are coming over for dinner and I had to remember that it was happening on Wednesday! It can be somewhat annoying to not know what day it is but if I don't have to be anywhere it works out fine.

Tonight Maggie, Lori, and Nikki are coming for dinner. I haven't seen them all together for a while. I miss seeing them everyday. That is the hardest part of staying home. I have a little present for them too! A late Christmas gift. But getting late presents is nice. It's like celebrating all over again!

The 2P's challenge today is:
What is one thing you wish you could relive or do over from your school days?
I don't think I would ever wish to relive those days! I miss college from time to time but I wouldn't go back and relive it. There are things I would do differently but I also tend not to dwell on things like woulda, shoulda, coulda. That said... if I knew then what I know now I would have kept dancing. I took lessons from the time I was about 3 until I was in high school. Then when I started on the danceline in high school I stopped taking lessons. At one point my dance teacher also told me that I was getting to fat. Yes, you did in deed read that correctly. AND this was from a woman who was overweight herself and I think had probably struggled with it her entire life. She had gastric bypass not to long ago. Or stomach stapling or something like that. Her opinion of me really affected how I saw myself and what I could do. It shouldn't have. I loved to dance. I still do. Someday maybe I'll take lessons again.

Have any of you seen Little Miss Sunshine? I love how Olive, the little girl in the movie, is not the typical beauty pageant sort. And it doesn't matter. She doesn't care. She just loves doing it! We all need to approach life like that. Do what you love, regardless of what others say or think. As long as it's not harmful to yourself and others that is!

Happy New Year!!!

And what a New Year it is! We have snow! Yes, really! We have snow. It began yesterday as rain and then turned to snow last night. I think we've got about 3 inches. Morgan is very happy. He might be able to ski after all. Unfortunately, the lack of snow has hindered his ski racing. He hasn't be able to train and he hasn't entered for any races as we can't really count on the snow. The fees are non-refundable and we can't afford to waste the money.
Last night we went bowling with my family. My mom and sister bowl on a league so they are considerably better than Morgan and I. We had fun though. We just passed Owen around and he had a good time too! He is never lacking attention when his Grammie and Auntie Sissy are around.
Then we spent the night at my mom's house. My uncle was there also. We ate, watched some tv, played a game and rang in the New Year. We had breakfast in the morning and just hung out. It was a nice New Year's.
Today is the beginning of getting back to being healthy. I started my running program. I have a treadmill so I am able to walk/run in the winter when it's cold or dark. I always feel so much better after I've had a good workout and I am baffled by how easily I drift so far off course sometimes. I guess being pregnant and adjusting to parenthood and being a SAHM contributed. But I'm putting my evil chocolate eating ways behind me and making a fresh start. Chocolate isn't bad. I just need to learn some moderation. That's why I can't keep it in the house.
I am hoping to live up to my full potential as a runner. I was a dancer for many many years but I did not do a sport (even though I considered dancing a sport!) while I was going to school. So as an adult I took up running as my sport. My goals are simple. Finish and don't be last. So far so good. This year I'd like to be faster. Truth is, I couldn't get much slower!
I'm not good with team sports. Mostly because I think there are too many silly rules to most of them! And I've always thought I was too short to play most of them. Now, I know lots of small girls who play sports, but I wasn't one of them when I was in school.
I have lots of other resolutions and goals for this year. That's what I love about a new year. The potential for new and better things.

It's nice to be...

HOME! We got back into Minnesota at 12:15 pm on Tuesday. What a week! I am not much of traveler. I don't like sleeping in a different bed or using a different bathroom for too long. We arrived 4 days before Morgan's brother and sister and their families. That was nice. We were able to spend some time with just Morgan's parents and they were able to spend some time with just Owen. They have only seen him once and that was in June. After the rest of the family got there it was rather hectic and I get tired of so many people being around. My SIL children are also a bit undisciplined and that is always tiring!

On Thursday we went skiing in West Yellowstone. There is always more snow there than in Bozeman.Morgan pulled Owen in a Chariot that had a ski attachment. He had wanted to get one for our Chariot but now that he's used one he thinks he can do without until Owen learns to ski on his own! I had not skied in a few years and I was rusty. A combination of extra weight (my own!), crusty snow, and poor technique!
Here is a view from Morgan's parents house. They live south of Bozeman just a ways and the view is always beautiful. This is a sunset and the clouds that were rolling in that night. One day we took Owen for a hike while it was snowing. He loved it. I got lots of great pictures. Nature is always the perfect back drop for pictures.We also took him on the tobbogan one day. He loved that too. Just giggled and giggled. He was a very good little traveler. Slept well in the pack and play and didn't fuss on the airplane. He was fussy Christmas Eve though. He got a tooth! And today I discovered another one. So now Owen has his two bottom teeth.

Todays 2P's challenge:
The New Year is almost here.. thinking of any resolutions?? What do u hope to accomplish in this new year of 2007??? Blog about your goals and aspirations.

I like to write resolutions and goals. I also like the beginning of a new year. It's a time for me to start fresh. I always liked that about teaching too. A new week. A new quarter. A fresh start. So I have a little notebook I'm writing my goals in. My first goal is to get rid of my excess weight. I've got a plan. I need to lose it by Owen's birthday. So I have four months. I also want to get our house back in order. I want to get rid of the things we don't need, want or use. This is a challenge for me and Morgan. We are both collectors. Those are my two big goals.

Wishing you...

a Merry Christmas! We are leaving tonight for Montana. I have been remiss in my blogging lately. Just too much to do to get ready for our trip. Here is the picture I sent out in our Christmas letter. Merry Christmas to you all. I'm sure I will have loads to blog about when I return!

Isn't it...

cool! Here is my new vacuum cleaner! I love it. It's a Eureka Altima. Sounds like a car doesn't it?? It does have a headlight. It's a bagless and that's really the part I was happiest about. That way all the dog hair doesn't sit in there and stink. Ludwig is going in for a bath tomorrow so that should help his stinkiness. He's also shedding a ton. The vacuum has a cup that collects all the stuff and when I first used it I couldn't believe all the hair! That just proved what a poor job the other one was doing. So now with a new washer, a new iron and a new vacuum I'm in domestic bliss! Morgan would love it if I learned to cook but I don't think all the cool appliances or gadgets in the world would help me in that department.

I got my hair cut last night. It's a bit shorter with some choppy layers. My stylist straightned it with a flat iron and flipped the ends out. I don't have a flat iron so I just dried it and used my round comb iron to do the ends. Then I pulled it back! She also put a lot of product in it and I don't use "product". It makes me itch!

Last night after my haircut I went to Bonnie's studio party. What fun! Her studio is beautiful. So full of inspiring things. Lots of sparkly things. I love that. I thought I had a lot of supplies. My stash pales in comparision to Bonnie's! She is such a sweet person and her hubby Greg was there helping with all the details.
Now I need to go and work on the book bags for Nikki. I also need to work on some ornaments for my nephews and niece and some other little things. I'll post some pictures of my creations when I'm done.
Oh, one more picture...
This is Baby Evel Knievel. Owen's newest stunt is to roll over on the changing table and then scoots up to the edge and bite down. Then he will just lay there looking over the edge. I don't know what he's contemplating. Today I ran and got the camera. I strapped him down first :) But it's just the funniest thing to see. He just chomps down on the edge (I have a heavy, padded cloth diaper on the edge) and looks down at the floor or the garbage can or whatever toy he's tossed overboard. Such a funny little guy.

Just a quick...

jot! I have not be able to blog in 3 days! I had a crop this weekend. It went well. I did not get enough done though. I need to work on my MIL's album. Two Christmas's ago I did a grandchildren album for her and she wants me to update it for her for Christmas this year. Sure, no problem. I'm not done with my pregnancy album, our family album isn't up to date, and I have one page done in Owen's album, but I'll get right on that!
I decided the nephews and neice aren't getting handmade gifts. I was too stressed out about it. So the little ones are getting an outfit, the big one a Nebraska Huskers T-shirt. That relieved some pressure.
2P's challenge for today...Re the shopping frenzy at this time of year.. what do you do? Do you do the majority of your shopping in stores, make your own handmade items, or shop online??? blog about it!
I like to shop. I just want to know what people would like. Morgan's easy. He usually has a list a mile long. Everyone else in our family isn't easy! I like to make things but I usually get started too late and get stressed out. I would shop online, if I knew what I was buying!
Today I get a haircut! Yippee! And then I'm going to Bonnie's Studio Party!

A few...

holiday questions. These are taken from Bonnie Rose's Blog.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate! With marshmallows and a little Bailey's please!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa always wraps our presents.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White lights. We don't do any exterior lighting but the lights on our tree are always white.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope.

5. When do you put your decorations up? The weekend after Thanksgiving. Or I try to. Last year it was later since I was pregnant.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I love going to the Cheesecake Factory with The Girls and having Pumpkin Cheesecake!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Going to my grandparents house Christmas Day. Most of my best childhood memories are set at their house or with them.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? One year I got a dollhouse for Christmas. My mom assembled the whole thing. She was working on it in a back bedroom that we didn't really use for anything but storage. I was probably 7 or 8. I went in there looking for something, I don't remember what and found the dollhouse. When it showed up under the tree on Christmas day I knew Santa wasn't real. I was so upset. But I didn't tell a soul. I didn't want my mom to know I had found it! So I kept it a secret. For about 10 years!! We still do Santa.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. With my family we usually open gifts from one another on Christmas Eve and then gifts from Santa on Christmas Day.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? With white lights, green and red bows, and a mish mash of ornaments that have some sentimental value or that I just love. I particularly like old fashioned looking glass ornaments. And a little glitter never hurts!

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love the snow. As long as it's not super cold and I don't have to drive in it. In Minnesota it's hard to get enough snow at one time anymore to slow people down too much. It's kind of sad really.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes. I used to skate all the time when I was a child.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? From childhood the above mentioned dollhouse and a quilt that my grandma gave me. Now it would be the handmade gifts my sister gives me.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with my family. Remembering the gift that we were given in Jesus. The warm fuzzy feeling of the season.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pumpkin pie. But I love all the cookies too!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Spending time with my family. I'm looking forward to Morgan and I establishing some of our own traditions with Owen. I also enjoy going to the Christmas Eve service with my mom at the church I grew up in. There is a man who sings Oh Holy Night like you have never heard it before!

17. What tops your tree? A gold wire angel. She's got glitter!

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I love giving the handmade gifts I've crafted for people. But I like to receive too!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Oh, that's a tough question! I love Frank Sinatra's Christmas Collection. But I also love so many of the traditional religious Christmas songs. Amy Grant has a wonderful Christmas collection that I play over and over.

20. Candy Canes? They are pretty. I eat about 2 a year. That's enough for me. They are great for stirring hot chocolate!

Here are two more of my favorite ornaments on the tree. Every teacher needs a little school bus right?? And I just love Betty Boop!

Baby...

it's cold outside! That happens to be one of my favorite holiday songs. The Dean Martin version. But it really is COLD outside! My dashboard forecaster says 2˚. Brrrr! Too cold for me! I've been listening to Christmas music almost non-stop. There is a station here that plays holiday music round the clock beginning before Thanksgiving.

I've been busy working on gifts. I'm doing 3 library bags for Nikki to give as gifts so I'm working on those right now. I gave up on the doll for my niece until I can get the right kind of fabric for the heard. Maybe I'll do that tonight. I don't have much to do at the office tonight so maybe I won't go it. I also have to take Ludwig to the vet for his check-up this afternoon. It occurred to me that I don't have Morgan's car today (a wagon) so Miranda and Owen will need to stay here while I take him because we can't all fit in my car. What a scene that would be. 1 baby and 1 very large dog crammed into the back seat of my Galant!

The 2P's challenge for today is to blog about your perfect hairstyle. Ugh! Hair. My hair was so wonderful while I was pregnant. It was full and obedient and didn't fall out hardly at all. Now it begs to be washed every other day and it comes out in clumps! Oh, and it doesn't do a darn thing! So my perfect hairstyle would be one that was easy, easy, easy! I would love to have it short again but Morgan so politely says it makes me look like a little boy! I also can't afford to have it cut once a month. However, it has been 6 months since my last cut. I have an appointment for next Tuesday to have it done. I wear my up most of the time because if I don't Owen will pull it. There was a chunk that had come loose yesterday and he was reaching for it. So it normally looks like this. I did manage to wash it today! That was the other thing about my hair while I was pregnant. It didn't need to be washed as frequently. That was great. I don't mind the washing part. It's the drying part that takes so long. I don't like to use a hair dryer because it makes my hair dry and dull. But I don't like running around with a head full of wet hair until it's dry either. So I clip it up and it dries on the outside and then later I have to let it down so the rest can dry.
I've also been known to let it grow and grow and grow. Until I found my current stylist I would get my hair cut about once a year because I was so afraid of what they would do to it. I had a few bad hair cutting incidents in my life. Now I keep it about shoulder length, sometimes a little shorter, but it has been waist length several times too. That's too much hair when you're only 5 feet tall!

The 2P's challenge for the other day was to blog about quirks in your family or things that drive you nuts about people in your family around the holidays. I decided to just let that one go! I don't need more stress while I'm preparing for our trip to MT!

So much to do...

so little time! I was incorrect in thinking that since I'm not working I would have all kinds of time to make holiday presents and cards. I was mistaken. I started working on a doll for my niece today. I like to sew. Especially since I got a new sewing machine. But this doll thing is a pain in the ass! It's a pattern in the Martha Stewart Holiday magazine. Well, I couldn't find all the right materials for it so I improvised. Most of Martha's recipes or projects don't seem to lend themselves to improvisation. Ugh! So I had to redo part of it and it's just turning out like crap! CRAP! I made a list of all the things I want to accomplish in the next two weeks before we leave for MT and it was long. Too Long! Ugh!
One bright spot in the week though. Morgan cleaned the kitchen floor last night. This is the second time in as many weeks. This is HUGE! That is more than he has cleaned the floor in probably the seven months that we've had Owen! He also bought me a new iron last night. He went to Target alone, which he never does, and came home with a new iron for me! I was so excited to use it today.
And today is Owen's 7 month birthday! I can't believe it's been seven months! I also can't believe I still haven't lost my pregnancy weight! I actually think I've gained a bit since I've had him. Ugh! Just to shake things up he decided to pull his mobile down today! I was hearing weird sounds while I was in the bathtub this morning and thought "OH NO! Someone's in the house!" So I quietly get out, dry off and open the door to listen. The noises are coming from Owen's room. So I go in and there he is with the mobile in his hands! This is not a small mobile either and it's mounted to the crib pretty tightly. He must have used all his strength!
Now I'm off for some cocoa and some thinking on this pain in the ass doll!

It's up!

Our tree is up. We put it up last night. I was able to get 5 strings of lights on it! This year we borrowed a tree from my mom. She has a newer Douglas Fir that is nicer than the really old tree I have that was my grandparents. I feel bad about not putting it up though. I was able to get 5 stings of lights up on the new one though. I'm going to watch after Christmas sales and see if I can get a new one with the lights already on it. Putting the lights on is my least favorite part. But this tree was so much easier to do than our old one. I love the look and smell of real ones but I can't bear to kill a tree just to put it up in our livingroom for a few weeks. And since we are going to MT for a week we wouldn't be able to enjoy it for as long. When Owen is older we will get a real one.
Owen was napping when we started putting the tree up. He was fascinated when he got up and saw it though! We didn't hang any ornaments on the lower limbs because he will be able to reach them. I also left of the white beaded garlands I usually put on. Our tree doesn't have a theme. Just a lot of treasured ornaments. I don't put them all up either. Some I just like to take out and remember where they came from. Here are some photos of Owen and my favorite ornaments.The star ornament I've had for a long time. I got it when I was little. It's my favorite ornament. The pudding cup with the little pipe cleaner santa in it I made in preschool. The ruby slipper is for the Wizard of Oz, my favorite movie, and the mushroom is just dang cute! It reminds me of gnomes. Which I love. I don't have any gnome ornaments though.
Now I need to tend to my wiggly guy and work on some projects today. Time is quickly slipping away from me and I have a lot of projects!

Ah...

Saturday. When I'm not the only parent at home. I also got to sleep a little bit longer. That's always nice.
Today my mom, sister and I are going to the No Coast Craft-o-Rama craft fair at the Midtown Global Market. If you are in the MN metro area check out the website and come on down. It's a great fair. Not your usual crocheted pot holders and frilly doll dresses craft fair.

Then we are going to the Picture Show Studio Sale. Here is that information if you are interested in going to that. They don't have a website so I scanned the post card I got in the mail. It's a great little sale. It's in an old house in St. Paul. My mom and I have been going for about 3 years now. They are the only rubber stamps I still buy. They have mounted and unmounted. I buy all unmounted. I mount them on foam with a cling back so I can use my acrylic blocks with them. And if you use acrylic stamps and don't have CTMH acrylic blocks you need to have a few! They are the best blocks I've seen. Shaped like a wood block but in acrylic. They have funky images. Some vintage like. A bunch of really cool alphabets. I love alphabets. I need to use them more.

My book club party last night was fun. There are 4 of us with babies and two more expecting next May. The babies are all within about 4 months. When we started the book club 2 years ago there was only 1 baby!
It was fun to see Owen playing with the baby girl who is 8 weeks older than he his. She is sitting up now and crawling and Owen isn't. He's doing his scooting but she gets around much more efficiently. He was chewing on her feet and trying to head butt her! She was definitely going to be the winner in that wrestling match though. I think she had a good 5 pounds over Owen! She's a little bruiser! One of the other girls whose baby is 4 months was saying how she was really enjoying the CEFE class that they go to. I think Owen and I may need to do something like that. I was resisting because I didn't want to commit to something that may interfere with his schedule but he would probably be okay. He is probably getting to a point where he should have some contact with his peers. And I can make some friends with women who have children besides all my bloggin' buddies!
Have a great Saturday everyone!

I needed...

a change. So I put up an alterego picture. I didn't really like my profile picture and I can't get Morgan to take any pictures of me so I decided I would find a cartoon one. This one is from a Wheat Thins ad. I scanned it, Photoshoped it a bit, and her she is! I am! She just looks a little more fun than the old picture! My hair used to be a bit like that and the color is similar so I thought I could pull it off.

The 2P's challenge today is List 5 things you enjoyed today. It's only noon but I'll see if I can come up with some!

1. Breakfast. 2 wheat toaster waffles with PBJ, peaches (canned) and milk. Owen was very patient while I ate.
2. A nap.
3. A card from Maggie that came in the mail. (Thank you Maggie! That was very nice!)
4. The sunshine! Even though it's rather cold out the sun decided to shine and that always perks me up.
   
5. A little time in my craft room after my workout. I'm doing a Christmas Journal. Vee posted on her blog that she is taking back Christmas. I thought it was a fabulous idea. So I'm making a little 6x6 journal to do this too! Thanks Vee!
6. Vacuuming. (I like to clean!)
7. A snuggle with my little man.

That wasn't so hard! Speaking of my little man. Have I mentioned that he is in the beginning stages of crawling!? Watch out world here comes Owen! He started scooting the day before Thanksgiving and he'd been spinning around on his tummy before that. So he put that all together. Now he's getting his little legs up under him and up onto his hands! Then he does a little rocking back and forth. This morning Morgan brought him into my craft room so he could get ready for work. I have my workout mat on the floor in there with some toys so he can scoot and play while I work a bit. Well, he was not staying in one place! I had a drawer full of stamps out a ways from where he was but he go to them in no time. Had a stamp clutched in his hand when I got to him! Then he scooted over to a bag that I had emptied from JoAnn's! Needless to say it was time to get have some breakfast!

Here are a few photos I took of him yesterday. He was much to interested in the camera and the loop handle on it to stay still for a photo! He just kept getting closer and closer to me!
Well now that he's down for his afternoon nap I'm going to go and work on my Christmas Journal! And wrap the book I need to take for the book exchange at my book club holiday gathering tonight.

Watch this...

I found this video while I was blog hopping yesterday. It made me cry. First in a sad way and then in a happy way. It's a good little view for when you think our society is going to hell in a handbasket. And one only needs to turn on the daily news to get that impression.

Here's the Video Description

Sometimes, a hug is all what we need. Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.

In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

As this symbol of human hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness is the true spirit of humanity come together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.

In the Spirit of the free hugs campaign, PASS THIS TO A FRIEND and HUG A STRANGER! After all, If you can reach just one person...

Music by Sick Puppies. (Visit http://sickpuppies.net or http://myspace.com/sickpuppies for the music)
-----------------------------------

Thank you Aimeslee for telling me how to post the video!!!

Since today is December 1st I've decided it would be a good day to rededicate myself to losing the rest of my pregnancy weight. I don't want to wait until January 1st because that's too cliche. I think I should get a headstart on the new year. So if anyone else wants to shed a few unwanted pounds I'd be happy to have the company! Now I'm going to go get on my treadmill and then lift a few weights. My goals right now are to exercise everyday and drink 64oz of water everyday. I'll tackle my chocolate obsession next week! But since I ate the rest of the chocolate chips yesterday we don't have any chocolate in the house anymore!!! That makes it a little easier!