qmwillcand's Journal

I can't wait until I'm done my days off and get back to work. I'll finally have a chance to sit and do nothing.
Nov 24 2009 08:24

I am really going to be running today!

I'm picking up 2 of the youth group teens after school to go do some painting at the church, then we're all coming back here for supper. Which means a few things

1. gotta have the meal ready in advance
2. gotta do that vacuuming today that didn't get done yesterday

My white sauce is on the stove thickening as I type, and I have to cut up my taters for potato scallop. I need to partially cook a pound of bacon too (for on top and throughout the scallop). The other slowcooker will contain sweet n sour meatballs with pineapple chunks. I was thinking about making an apple pie for dessert but I don't know if I'll have the time. If not, maybe I'll just whip up a cake from cake mix.

My other big project of the day is putting in a small load of wood, replacing the screen window with glass and winterizing the upper side of the house (it involves attaching plastic all along the basement cement for extra insulation).

And tonight is Awana.

Last night I told Keyto that I'd teach him how to play piano, starting today, not even thinking about how little spare time I'll have. Guess I'll take 10 minutes before putting him to bed to show him some notes.

His interest was sparked last night when I was at the piano. Our kitty, Molly, jumped into my lap as I was playing. I stopped playing to give her attention, and then she turned on my lap so she was facing the keyboard. So I did what any good kitty mommy would do- I taught her how to play chopsticks using her paws. She did really well too, except she didn't really want to spread her legs for the octave stretch.

And 1 hour left.
Nov 23 2009 14:02

Before the kids get home. If you want to get technical, I actually have 1hr and 15 minutes. Just enough time to get out of my jammies (pale pink sweats and huge baggy red/pink t-shirt), and into some walking clothes. Yes, I am going to go for an hour walk, the first since September!

Here's what I have to show for the day thus far:

• planned the youth group games for tonight
• did dishes
• make muffins
• did dishes again
• tidied up the kitchen and greater living room area
• made a birthday cake for one of the youth group helpers
• did more dishes
• 30 day shred

What I didn't do...

• sorted through clothes
• vacuum
• change oil in deep fryer

But that's ok, I can do that stuff tomorrow (as I have the day off then, too!)

eta

Eats:

• breakfast- raisin and spice oatmeal- 170
• snack- 2 mini muffins (160)
• lunch- 10" wrap (160), 1T PB (100), deli sliced ham (50)
• snack- granola bar (140), mini muffin (80)
• total in (as of 1530)- 860

Activity

• 30 day shred- 141
• 1hr walk- 200
• total burned (as of 1530)- 341

1534 (RMR)+ 341= 1875- 860= 1015- 500 (deficit)= 515 left for the day.

You're joking, right?
Nov 22 2009 14:26

Here are a few things I found out today:

• our church choir will be singing at an annual Christmas music community thing this Wednesday. What?? Don't they realize what date that is? The 25th (or close enough- I'm not going to bother with the math :P)...of NOVEMBER?? Noey and Keyto will be playing Joseph and Mary during the presentation. It will be fine, as long as Keyto doesn't touch Noey's head. She would say in a really loud voice: "don't touch me!!".
  
• our church choir is presenting our annual Christmas music thingy (for lack of a better word that's not coming to me atm) on December the 6th at 630pm. The same night as my husbands staff Christmas party, of which he is expected to attend. Normally I'd tell the choir director that I can't be there for the Christmas presentation and go to the party, but I'm singing a solo and have to be there for that reason. I predict this will not have a happy outcome.
• My son's Christmas party for cadets is December 12th at 6pm. So is my staff Christmas party, which will be held in our community this year (other years it's been in town at a restaurant but this year it's at the local Lions Club and is being catered). The parents of cadets are expected to assist with the donation of everything needed for the meal, set up, serving, and clean up. We can donate, but we won't be there for the rest. Hopefully my parents will be willing to not only take him into the party, but to watch the 2 littluns as well.

Still yet to plan:

• Church Christmas get-together. Maybe December 19th? Maybe have a Chinese food potluck meal, board games and a Christmas movie? Whatever it is, it's always lots of fun and laughs.
  
• Christmas party for the church youth group. Maybe December 18th? I imagine it'll be the same as it always is: pizza, pop, chips, holiday sweets, games, maybe a movie. They're all asking for a sleepover, but after the last one (in June), I think not. They remember it as awesome, but it was not awesome at all! lol- If they really think that we'll have another all nighter, that says 1 of 2 things; either they think I'm crazy or they are crazy! Kinky wants to have it at the church with this big production and a big screen movie of 'It's a wonderful life'. Right!

I've been meaning to share this for awhile (but have always forgotten): it appears I may have kicked the Coke Zero habit! I used to have at least 1 can a day (for the past year+) but I haven't had a can for 3 weeks now! Mind you, I'm still hopped up on Crystal Light, but one vice at a time.

Staring into the pan of KD
Nov 20 2009 11:21

KD is Kraft Dinner, aka Macaroni and Cheese, for my American friends :)

Yes, last night was a lazy supper night, made KD. I don't know about you guys, but it usually doesn't interest me much at all. It's just silly empty calories that doesn't even taste that great. Why eat it when there's so many other tasty ways to blow a diet?

But last night, the noodles were cooked to perfection (al dente), and I put just the right amount of milk in...it looked very tempting. I actually had this thought:

"I could sit down in front of the tv with this whole pot of KD and eat and eat and eat"

Of course, I didn't, never would. At least, these days I never would. Back in a day I would have without a second thought. Those were the days I could eat everything and anything in large quantities and occasionally step on the scales and say "oh gee, would you look at that! I lost a few pounds. huh!"

And would I go back to those days if I could? Heck yes!

I have a little secret to share...I don't really care that much about eating  healthy. If Whoppers and Big Macs had the same calories as salmon or broccoli, guess what I'd be eating? Hint- the only green food I'd consume would be the lettuce on my burger.

But I do eat healthy. Ish. Most of the time, anyways. And I do it because I can eat more healthy stuff than garbage food.

Shred update

19 torture sessions workouts in. I believe I have missed 4 days (2 after day 1 because I was so sore and short on spare time) and 2 days in the past week I think.

This morning while I was doing it, I started to sweat, so I decided to take my shirt off (I was alone and wearing a bra). I made the dreadful mistake of looking down at my belly while I was doing plank jacks. My belly fat hanging down and jiggling was spectacularly awful looking.

No more shirtless sessions for me!

So warm, yet so cold!
Nov 16 2009 15:26

The weather is unseasonably warm here. Highs of +9. Yet my hands are like ice! It's warmer outside than in the house :/

Hard to believe Christmas is zipping closer and closer. I'll have the tree up in 2 weeks time...not sure yet how I feel about that.

Today was my one free day this week, and I spent it in town, shopping. I had many wonderful plans, and then about 10 minutes before the kids left for school, I asked Keyto why he didn't eat his breakfast- he said that he was still full from last night. That is NOT typical for him. When I probed a little deeper, he told me that his tummy hurt a little and he thought he might be sick. So we went to town, the 2 of us. His belly came around and he ate lunch, but he wasn't quite himself. He'll be back to school tomorrow.

One stop that I planned to make was to the tattoo parlor to look at jewelry. I really debated stopping in with him in tow, but in the end decided to. So in we go. The place has lots of pictures of bleeding skulls on the walls, and he was like "wow mom, look at those". The guy then comes out of a back room, and he has some face piercings, good sized tunnels in his ears, piercings on his outer wrist, tattoos on his arms and head, and a mohawk.

Keyto was pretty quiet the whole time I was talking with the man, so after we left, I asked him if he was ok- he said "yeah". I said "you weren't scared?" and he said "no" in the tone of voice that said "why would I have been?". He's a cute kid. A good kid.

I started learning a new song on the piano last night- "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"- it's a beautiful arrangement. Hard as all get out, but when I have it down it will sound so incredible.

I had a hard time getting interested in doing the Shred last night...but I did it! I worked through an asthma attack afterwards, but 15 minutes later it was gone. I can feel my core getting stronger, see it looking flatter, firmer. No difference in my clothes though.

Got a call last night from a friend. She asked me if my hub and I had been on a date recently, to which I said yes. She said "good! now we can have a date!" (we meaning her and I) hehe. For our hot date, she wants to scrapbook or play video games lol.

May I never:
Nov 13 2009 13:13

Do any of the following ;

T minus 1 and counting...liftoff, we have liftoff.
Nov 13 2009 12:16

When I was doing my last journal entry, I heard Dear saying in the living room "mom's gonna be mad". So I yell in, asking what I'd be mad about. Keyto sat on the slowcooker box, breaking it. No big deal, since I planned on burning it anyways. I told them I didn't care, and just to clarify, they asked if they could break it and I said yes.

So a short while later I heard this weird, crumbly sound coming from the living room. And at that moment, it dawns on me- there was styrofoam packing sheets in the box. I went in, and sure enough, there was styrofoam crumbled all over everything and everybody (because of the static). They said "sorry, sorry" like they always do, and I freaked a bit.

So, I get out the vaccuum to clean up the mess and find that the sucking really sucks. Turns out the bag is FULL. So I start looking for where I put the vac bags the last time I bought some. I don't have a specific place where they belong, so when I get them, I always say to myself "here's where I'm putting them, because it makes the most sense and I'll be able to find them quickly and easily the next time I look".

Turns out there's lots of good places to put them that make sense. Because I searched. And searched. And searched. And had bad words in my head. And finally found them. Yay! Now to vacuum.

When I turn the vacuum on, it still doesn't suck, which sucks. So I try looking through the pipe thingy and pull out a little piece of molded plastic. Since my kids vacuumed a couple of days ago, I informed them that they can't suck big stuff up, only little stuff like crumbs.

Then I go back to the vacuum and look again, just to be sure... and see a piece of black fabric. Pulled it out- it was a hat! A freakin' hat! Did some more informing.

Vacuumed the carpet, the chairs, pillows, walls, everywhere those little staticky things went (which was actually EVERYWHERE). Did I mention that my vacuum has some issues? The main part doesn't suck well, so I have to get on my hands and knees and scrub the carpet with the hose. No biggie, been doing it for the past 10 years. What bugs me though, is the little plastic thing that locked it in an upright position is broke off and now when I pull the hose, the vacuum tips over and bonks me on the head. ouch.

Put the vacuum away. Keyto asks me for something to eat, decides to have a bowl of cereal. Fine by me. Away he goes and a few minutes later comes back saying "it was an accident! it was an accident!". He spilled his cereal and milk. On and INTO the furnace grate.

Holy crap.

On a related matter, I now have quite a number of grey hairs. I wear them like a badge.

Tonight is date night. I'm either going to be a horrible date, all moody and mad, or a horrible date, all loco and stuff. Gonna try hard for normal with a dash of fun spontaneity, but I ain't feeling it atm.

<p>end rant</p>

Emotional Eating? Don't mind if I do!
Nov 13 2009 10:47

Just got back from parent-teacher interviews with 5 of Dear's teachers. He got C's and D's on his report card. Every teacher said that either his mind is in the clouds or he's reading when he should be participating in class.

This is good pie. The base is Oreo cookie crumbs/margarine, then a layer of melted chocolate mixed with sweetened condensed milk. Next layer is coarsely crumbled Fudgeos. Then a layer of milk chocolate pudding, mixed with a cup of melted PB, a package of cream cheese, and a cup of whip cream. The works is topped with fluffy mounds of whip cream.

There's one piece left, and the way I felt when I got home, I was going to eat the whole thing. Instead I limited myself to 1 piece.

I shouldn't have had any, since my cals will be higher today due to date night fare.

And while I know  that "if food isn't the problem, food isn't the solution", boy, do I feel better after eating that pie! yes I do.

Christmas wish list
Nov 12 2009 13:11

The other day hub and I were talking, and I mentioned about something I'd like to have. He said to write it on my wish list. I've long forgotten what it was that I said I wanted, but there are a few things that I wouldn't mind having;

• earrings- the silver pair or these are nice too
• rook piercing
• laptop
• tattoo (as an aside, tell me this isn't totally hot! not that I'm gonna, but I so could!)
• maybe some books, like from Nelson DeMille or Terry Pratchett
• wouldn't mind having a cell phone, but it's doubtful. Besides, I don't really need one.

Not much on the list, but expensive :/  My parents don't yet know it, but they'll either be getting me a laptop or tattoo & piercing.

Slow cooker, Shred, Wood, and RCAC
Nov 11 2009 13:18

Slow cooker

Hub bought us one last year at Christmastime. This morning I got it out of the box for the first time.

Last minute meals consisting of chicken nuggets, hot dogs and KD were bugging me, so I just threw out the question yesterday to my coworkers "does anyone here use a crockpot?". Turns out, the answer was a resounding "YES!". Everybody. I asked them what exactly you can make in it, and how, and they all started plowing me with recipe ideas.

This morning I put some pork chops, veggies, cream of chicken soup, pepper and seasonings in it and let it do it's thing.

Smells good :) Excited to see how it tastes.

Shred

I have done level 2 for the past 2 nights. The first night I thought I was going to keel right over. The second night was a teensy bit better, but I did the modified movements for some of the moves, such as the plank-jacks and the double jump rope.

Weighed myself this morning and the scale is my friend. Today. I'm only one choco binge fest away from it not being my friend though, so I'm trying to keep it under control.

I'll be donning my bikini the end of this month for an evening of swimming with the youth group. Call me vain or whatever you like, but I don't fancy the idea of having my lower belly stick out further than my boobs when I'm swimming with a bunch of 12-17 year olds. For that matter, I don't fancy donning a suit in front of any age group, if I don't feel like I'm rocking it. (I'll have a t-shirt on over top anyways, but y'all know what it looks like to have a shirt cling like a second skin to a pudgy belly...it almost looks worse than seeing the bare skin!)

Wood

Yeah.

Still not in.

Supposed to finish it today. I'm sure I have motivation in me somewhere, just got to find it. And if I can't find it, I'll have to just suck it up and do it anyways.

RCAC

Royal Canadian Air Cadets. That's what sonnyboi is in. He and his friend were part of the Remembrance Day ceremony at our local Cenotaph this morning. He took it very seriously, no casual walking, always walking in the cadet way. His friend was a little less enthused...she was nervous and I think felt a teensy bit embarrassed about the way they are supposed to march, so hers was toned down a lot.

It led to a conversation when we got home between hub and I. What if Dear wants to join the Air Force when he's grown? He mentioned it the other day, I said nothing to encourage or discourage, just listened.

Can you imagine how very scary it must be to send off a son (or husband or father or brother etc) to be deployed? Just thinking of it causes an unpleasant feeling in the depths of my being. Just typing about it is causing me to feel very nervous, jittery, and nail-bitey.

Is it really any more hazardous to ones health though, than say, being a civilian truck driver or an electrician? No, my logical self says. But the side of me that says "military = greater chance of death in the line of duty" takes over and turns me into a mess of jello on my insides when I think about the possibility of my child walking down that path.

I'm sure like any kid, he'll want to be a dozen different things as a grown up before he settles on something (and look at all of those who never settle on something!), so I'm trying to just not dwell on it. After all, he's only yet 12.

But, my baby...in uniform...

*takes deep calming breaths*

:S