Mike's New Toy

They say you can tell the men from the boys by the size of their toys...or was that the price of their toys? Either way, Mike finally got his way and purchased a John Deere riding mower. It is pretty spiffy, I have to admit. It can practically turn on a dime and mows the lawn in about 1/4 the time it used to take. Not that I really know since I stopped mowing the lawn after the first time. Forget it! We have almost two acres and I am not sweating that much! Despite the exercise benefits! Jonathan thinks he's pretty cool being able to drive around the yard on the mower. Sammy just loves to ride!

A trip with Dad

The kids just returned a week ago from a trip to Colorado with Mike. They drove all the way to visit Mike's parents near Colorado Springs. While they were there they did tons of fun things, but the pictures they brought home mostly showed the beautiful scenery. They visited the Garden of the Gods, went on several hikes, and walked around his parents' property. Take a look at the slideshow below to see some of what they encountered while visiting Colorado.

Trip to Colorado

Things Dad Would Never Say

The top 20 things you'll never hear your dad say:

1. Can you turn up that music?
2. Go ahead and take my truck. Here's 50 bucks for gas.
3. I LOVE your tattoo. We should both get new ones.
4. It's OK that you're late. The curfew is only a suggestion.
5. Well, how 'bout that?... I'm lost! Looks like we'll have to stop and ask for directions.
6. You know Pumpkin, now that you're thirteen, you'll be ready for unchaperoned car dates. Won't that be fun?
7. Here's a credit card and the keys to my new car -- go crazy.
8. What do you mean you wanna play football? Ballet not good enough for you, son?
9. Your Mother and I are going away for the weekend ... you might want to consider throwing a party.
10. Well, I don't know what's wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies-you know-that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.
11. No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring. Now quit your bellyaching, and let's go to the mall.
12. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.
13. Here, you hold the remote for a while.
14. Can I do the dishes tonight? Please?
15. OK, girls, just keep talking. The ballgame will be over in a few minutes.
16. Now that you're 16, hey, feel free to take the car anytime!
17. I don't want to go to the hardware store! Let's watch the Lifetime Channel tonight!
18. Does this outfit make me look fat?
19. Boy, that George Clooney is a fantastic actor!
20. Oh, let me iron that for you.

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY!

Choices

How do you choose a paint color for your walls?
I love the names.

Not brown, but Sauteed Mushroom.
Not pink, but Love Bird.
Not gold, but Safari Sun.
Not cream, but Quiet Hush.
Not purple, but Iced Violet.
Not biege, but Toasted Almond.
Not tan, but Pony Tail.
Not green, but Crocodile Tears.
Not off white, but Crescent Moon.
Not maroon, but Raspberry Jam.
Who comes up with these?

Today I painted my bedroom a pretty light blueish-grey.
Ghost ship. Moondance. Nordic Blue. Dockside Haze.
The color I chose was April Sky.

good cop, bad cop

When you think of torture, you probably think of a chair with nails all over it. Or the rack. Or the machine from "Princess Bride" that sucks the life right out of you. Or any number of horrible devices. But, do you ever think of the bathroom scale? I honestly believe that the scale and the full length mirror are two of the world's worst torture devices for someone who is desperately trying to improve their figure.

Here's why...
Every morning, I wake up at 5:30am and head to the basement to work out. (Dedicated, I know.) Then I climb two flights of stairs to take a much needed shower. After showering, I stand in my towel looking at the bathroom scale beside the toilet. "Hmmmmm. Did that workout make a difference today?" I try to convince myself that the numbers don't matter and that it's how I feel inside that does. It's an internal battle for several seconds. Then I turn to leave the bathroom, confident that I can carry on my day without stepping onto the scale. I am actually able to leave the room sometimes. Ah, but inevitably I return before getting dressed and climb onto the scale, all the while hoping it will register at least a pound lighter than yesterday. If it does, I am overjoyed. I am sure that these early morning workouts are worth the effort. But, if the number is higher I am depressed for the day.

How can a little thing like the bathroom scale have so much control over me? Well, because I let it. I wonder what would happen if I chucked it into the trash and gave up this personal method of torture...

The other day Mike said he hated the scale in our bathroom. I assumed that it was for similar reasons. Well, he surprised me by saying it was actually because every time he got on it said a different amount. (Big surprise, right?) Except he meant that even if he stepped on, stepped off, and then stepped right back on again it would be different. Time to experiment. He was right. It actually changes each time I get on the scale.

This led me to think about our old scale. It had a similar problem. But also a positive side effect. The old scale always read about 5 pound lighter than the new one. So in my upstairs bathroom I weigh more than in the guest bathroom. Interesting! It's sort of a good cop, bad cop thing now. If I need a little boost, I will weigh in downstairs. If I want a closer dose of reality, I weigh in upstairs.

Mike suggested we purchase a more accurate scale...
Why bother when torturing ourselves in this way has become such an art?

Memorial Day Weekend

Yesterday we spent the day at Spring Mill State Park. The weather was amazing! Breezy and warm. We hiked on a trail that went around a small lake. We wandered through a pioneer village and saw several demonstrations about how life used to be (harder). We ate a picnic dinner. Jon and Mike played in the cold creek while Sammy played on the playground. Unfortunately, I decided to leave my camera in the car while we were at the pioneer village - it's pretty big and clunky - so I missed out on some great photo opportunities. I guess we'll have to go back again sometime!

Check out the pictures below...

Spring Mill State Park

Go Penguins!

I honestly don't even know the official name of Jonathan's soccer team this season. Everyone knew them as "The Penguins" - pretty fierce, I know. Mike coached again. He always does such a great job. The team played extraordinarily well together. week after week they defeated their opponents. They were so dedicated that 9 out of 10 players showed up on a freezing, rainy night for the end of season Jamboree. They played three 20 minute games in the pouring rain and mud. And won all three!


Highlight of the season? It had to be the parents vs. kids game at the end of practice one evening. It sure gave me a better appreciation for what the players are up against during their games each week. And it was fun - although I admit the parents did resort to some shady tactics to compensate for their lack of soccer skill (pinning players to the ground, pushing, holding, not taking the ball all the way back to center field before shooting, being off sides - always).

Happy Mothers' Day (to me)

Jonathan designs t-shirts.
Cute t-shirts.
Personalized t-shirts.
And for Mothers' Day this year he created a new design for me.
Isn't it so fun?

Amazing creativity. I don't know where he comes up with his ideas. Each one is so unique.

Why God Made Moms

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!

Just because...

Because she's so cute. Because she's getting so big. Because her mommy is way too busy to start her own blog. I felt I had to post this picture of Kate. What a darling smile!

Toppling Dominoes

My son.

He doesn't just play dominoes by the given set of rules.

Jonathan spends hours carefully setting up elaborate designs only to knock them down.

But I guess that's the fun part, right?

Here we go again...

Tonight while we were waiting for Jonathan's martial arts to begin, Jon and I realized that this was his 16th test at the studio! What dedication on his part! And every time I am amazed at his precision and focus throughout the test. Tonight proved to be no different. Jonathan executed each move with great skill. He is a very talented martial artist. I can't wait until the end of the summer when he will again test for his next belt.

Another test.

Another proud moment as a mom.

Sammy's Animal Service Club

Sammy spent a couple months volunteering her time at the Animal Shelter in town as part of the Animal Service Club. This was a program through Bloomington Parks and Recreation that provided younger children the opportunity to learn about, play with, and provide assistance to the animals at the shelter. They helped socialize young puppies by playing with them. They baked homemade dog treats for them. They created cute name tags for their kennels. And they watched some of the animals be adopted. (This was the hardest part for Sammy because she didn't want to see her favorite animals leave.)

After the program came to an end, Sammy decided that she wanted to start her own Animal Service Club at school. It was quite a process, but she was enthusiastic the entire time and really followed through on her ideas.

Sammy first went to the animal shelter and asked what type of items they were in need of. They told her they needed blankets and towels, wet and dry dog food, cat food, and dog toys. Next, she typed a letter to the principal, Mrs. Smith, asking permission to collect donations at school. After getting permission, she and I created a sign-up sheet for kids in the class who were interested in assisting with the service project. The group of students then made lots of signs to hang up around the school and decorated a huge box to collect donations in. Sammy then asked Mrs. Smith to make an announcement after the pledge one morning so that everyone at school would know to bring things in to donate to the shelter. They ended up collecting quite a bit of stuff. It filled the back of our Trailblazer and took many trips to carry it all into the shelter. They were so appreciative when we arrived. What a great project for Sammy to be in charge of!

April showers bring May flowers

Tulips are my favorite flower.

I love the way they look.
I love the way they smell.
I love the way they come up every year, again and again.
I love having a vase of them in the house.

Last fall Mike and I planted 140 tulip bulbs.
So it was very exciting when I finally got to go out and cut several for our kitchen.
Aren't they beautiful?

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Yesterday, we invited our friends, the Olers over to play outside. It was an incredibly beautiful day and the kids bounced on the trampoline for a really long time. I had this excellent idea that I would make homemade ice cream for everyone. Jen graciously stopped at Kroger and picked up heavy whipping cream and headed over for the afternoon.

Problem #1: I could not find the ice cream maker booklet that gave directions and recipes.

Solution to Problem #1: I called Jen and asked her to bring over the recipe book from her ice cream maker.

Problem #2: I forgot to premix the ingredients in the blender. Instead I dumped them straight into the frozen bowl.

Solution to Problem #2: I just poured the stuff out of the frozen bowl and into the blender (which led directly to Problem #3).

Problem #3: I had forgotten to check the blender to be sure the spout was in the closed position. It was not. The cream began pouring out all over the counter top and down the front of the cabinet and onto the floor.

Solution to Problem #3: I quickly closed the spout and used a cloth to clean up the mess everywhere.

Problem #4: While I was busy cleaning up my mess, the remaining ingredients in the frozen bowl began to freeze. So, after I mixed the ingredients in the blender, poured them back into the frozen bowl, and tried to put the mixing piece in, I realized that it wouldn't fit.

Solution to Problem #4: I determined that the reason the mixing paddle would not fit in the bowl was that I had inserted it upside down, so I removed it and put it in the other way.

Problem #5: It still wouldn't fit. And I didn't have my instruction manual to look at.

Solution to Problem #5: Jen suggested looking at the picture ion her ice cream maker manual for a clue at to how to assemble mine correctly. Hmmmm. Turns out I was right the first time. So, why didn't it fit?

Problem #6: Apparently the ingredients that had frozen on the bottom of the bowl were preventing the mixing paddle from sitting correctly in the bowl.

Solution to Problem #6: I used a spoon to scrape some of the frozen stuff out of the way.

Problem #7: When I placed the lid on top of the ice cream maker, the mixer would turn partway and then get stuck.

Solution to Problem #7: Leave the top off.

Problem #8: With the top off, the paddle would not turn to mix the ice cream.

Solution to Problem #8: I decided to just hold the mixing paddle by hand and try to mix the ingredients that way. So much for an automatic ice cream maker.

Problem #9: OK, can you actually picture me standing there mixing for an hour by hand? Me either.

Solution to Problem #9: I poured the ingredients out into a container and used hot water to clean out the frozen bowl.

Problem #10: Using hot water on something that is supposed to be frozen melts it. Gee, what a surprise. So the frozen bowl was no longer completely frozen and the ice cream would not harden correctly.

Solution to Problem #10: Give the kids Popsicles instead of ice cream. Put the ingredients in the freezer and hope it sets up before dinner.

So much for a quick and easy treat.

I'm just glad Jen is such a sweetie that she didn't get annoyed at me for messing everything up!

short and sweet

I have always tried to allow the kids some say in how they wear their hair. I figure that if they want a way to express their own style and personality, they could be doing it in much worse ways than with their hairstyles.

So, when Jonathan decided to have spikes coming out all over his head, I was supportive. Nad when he switched to a more "soft" look with much longer hair, I let him do it. And when Sammy continued to insist that she wanted "only a little trim" each time I suggested a haircut, I tried to be positive.

The problem is that with long hair comes massive tangles that lead to serious tantrums and tears. This time she finally let me cut it shorter.

Check it out! Doesn't it look so cute on her?

Who needs boy scouts?!?

Today was an absolutely lovely day!
While the kids and I were jumping on the trampoline, I thought to myself, "I wish Mike was home so that we could cook hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire!" Then I realized that there really was no reason that I couldn't just build a fire myself. So I did!

I followed all the directions that Jonathan's boy scout leader had given him the night he taught him to start a fire with only one match.

But...
I had to keep using more matches.

In my defense, it was pretty windy out. But I also didn't do as good of a job finding the perfect tinder. I was so hungry that I kept putting larger
pieces of wood on the fire (ultimately smothering it a couple times - ooops). Luckily I was able to get it going pretty well, and we had a great time cooking our dinner and roasting the perfect marshmallows. We even used the fire to defrost/toast our hot dog buns. Talk about resourceful!

Halfway there

Well, as I climbed onto the scale this morning for my "weekly weigh-in", I was thrilled to see that I have officially made it halfway to my goal (by the way, that's actually 3/4 of the way to my birthday goal). So, in honor of this amazing accomplishment - and because I loved this idea so much when I saw it on Natalie's blog - I am posting half of an "after" picture. (NOTE: I took my "30-day pictures" this week and can actually see the progress in some of my trouble areas. And there is no way that I will be posting those pictures!)

And for the remainder of the year, this will be my guiding theme:
You can be fit at any size, age or time of life. That's the good news.
And there are only two rules to achieving fitness.
1. Begin
2. Continue

Those of you who know me well know that I have struggled with my weight for what seems like forever. I have tried so many different diets (no sugar, reduced calories, high fiber, low carbs, etc). I have even dared to take diet supplements (which ended up messing up my liver functioning for a couple months - learned my lesson the hard way). And once - in desperation - I had my doctor prescribe appetite suppressants (I know, I know. But you have no idea how discouraged I was at the time).

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of resolutions.
One of my goals was to lose 30 pounds (at least 20 by my birthday).
And the part I did not specify publicly was that I had to do it "the right way". No crazy diets that I can't stick to. No herbal or medicinal aids. No starvation. Just good old fashioned exercise and healthy eating. (Yeah, Dad. It finally sunk in.)

January went pretty well. I ate better, only cheating on the weekends. I exercised regularly at the YMCA. And I lost 4 pounds - a decent beginning.

February was tougher. My life got busier (if that's even possible) and so did the kids'. I found myself having less time for exercise and less motivation for preparing healthy meals. I also found myself snacking late at night while I tried to get things done. Not the best way to lose weight. By the end of the month, I had gained back 2 of the pounds I had worked so hard to lose. Frustrating!

Then March came along. Spring break for those of us in Bloomington. Warmer weather. Less layers of clothing to hide the unsightly bulges. I was still hovering around my beginning of the year weight, and I was getting really depressed about it. The hardest part for me was the fact that I usually worked out for an hour at least five days a week. I taught intense fitness classes at the YMCA. I lifted weights. I ran. But I seemed unable to curb my eating habits. I started to feel like I had no willpower or self-control whatsoever!


This magnet hangs on my refrigerator.
I usually laugh at it.
Come on, it's pretty funny!
But I also feel sad.
Sometimes it describes me so well.


I found myself sitting at the computer late one night looking for a "quick fix" again. Shouldn't there be a pill you can take to make your body lose the extra weight? Or some combination of prayer, hope, and magic? Couldn't a genie grant me this wish? Isn't there some easier alternative to eating right and exercising? Hmmmm. Guess not.

What I did end up finding was a home exercise program (yeah, I had to give up the YMCA for a while) that included several boot camp style work-out videos and a guide to eating right (including "easy" and delicious recipes - ok, I read these but promptly put them at the bottom of the pile of things to do later).

Here's the thing. It wasn't so much the videos or the eating plan that helped get me over the first hill. It was the pictures. Not of other people, but of myself. The first thing I had to do for this exercise program was weigh myself, measure myself, and take "before pictures" of myself. The theory was that then I would really be able to see how far I had come by the end of the 90-day program. The reality is that it shocked me to see what I really looked like in a bathing suit! (When I told my therapist about the pictures, she said, "Kim, that's really more like torture, isn't it?" She's right, but I guess that's what it took for me.)

Honeycreek

One of the field trips that every fourth grade student in Monroe County gets to go on is a trip to a one room schoolhouse from the early 1900's called Honeycreek. Since Jon and Sammy are in a K-6th grade class, they didn't go in fourth grade since that was not the year they were studying Indiana history. The kids dress up in old-fashioned clothing and spend the day at the schoolhouse experiencing what it was like back in the "old days". My kids love to dress up, and I love to make costumes for them. So of course, when I heard that their class would be going to Honoeycreek I started working on their outfits. They turned out great!

Happy Easter!

Totally adorable, right?
I just love this picture!
I love the happy, smiling eggs.

This year, Easter was not as "grand" as it has been in the past. I didn't go all out. With the kids getting older, and life getting busier, and Easter coming much sooner this year, I just didn't take the time to do everything I have done in the past.

We did color eggs, though.
Which is sort of new for us.

For the past several years, I have been making egg-shaped sugar cookies that we've frosted and decorated instead of dying hard-boiled eggs. They turn out really cute, and they taste sooooo good. But this year I decided to let the kids participate in the fun tradition of dying Easter eggs. The kit I bought came with cute face stickers to add once the eggs had been colored. They turned out so silly looking!

Another would you rather...

Would you rather...
walk through all doorways as if you were in the heat of an intense limbo competition
OR
be compelled to make a hula-hoop motion whenever in the presence of police officers?

A day well spent

Take a look at us! I love that Jen and I were able to scrapbook together all day today. I was able to get so much accomplished (not actually completing more than two pages) but typing up a lot of journaling, which anyone who scrapbooks knows - takes a lot of time and energy to do!

While Jen and I had a great time, the sad part of the day was that our wonderful friend, Tracey, could not join us. Holed away in Japan, she is unable to share in our scrapbooking excursions until this summer - we hope - when she returns for a visit. But we will certainly carry on in her absence.

Miss you, Tracey.

What's so funny?

This week I discovered something...
Any rational adult will be instantly reduced to a babbling lunatic when confronted with a cute little baby.

Think about it. There is just something about a baby that makes you do silly things, talk in a silly voice, make silly faces. In a way it's sort of a challenge to get a baby to smile or coo or laugh. I find myself doing it at church during meetings sometimes. I do it when I am around friends' babies. And my adorable niece, Kate, was no different!


Singing to her, playing peek-a-boo, babbling about nothing (but in an excellent baby voice), dancing around, tickling her and rocking her. Anything to get a reaction from her. It was so much fun. And what a reward it was when she DID smile at me. It was so great - like I had just won first place in some unspoken contest.

The real winner of the week, however, was Sammy.
She absolutely loved having Kate around. She was fascinated by her. She wanted to play with her, touch her, hold her, feed her, share toys with her, and just be near her all the time. It was very sweet to watch, but probably a little overwhelming for Kate (and April) at times. But on the last day of their visit, Sammy was entertaining Kate by tickling her and Kate started to laugh. And not just a little laugh, but the kind of laugh that made her tiny body shake. It was so cute to watch. Sammy would tickle her and she would laugh. Then Kate would watch and wait for Sammy to do it again. Incredible!

So, of course I took a little video footage of this interaction.
Check it out below.