Time is flying. Suddenly we have this little kid in our house. Full of opinions and preferences. Testing the limits of what he can and can't do. "No" is looked at as a challenge. Emotions are constantly changing. He can quickly go from full belly laughs to rolling on the floor screaming and crying because you picked up a box of crackers. Biting and pinching are still an issue.. and now with some added hitting. At least he is starting to realize when he does it and sometimes stops himself. If he doesn't stop himself usually a loud "OW!" will stop him, and he seems to feel bad and wants to talk about it when he knows he hurt you. We're working on it.
He has changed physically so much, too. I'm shocked to see the rollie pollie little baby he used to be. He's stretched out and doesn't have the full cheeks he used to. His mouth is full of teeth, He has more hair (that is usually wild by being filled with food, or sunscreen) His legs are stronger and he's walking and running around so well now. He loves to play chase.
He loves music. Dancing to it, playing it on the "tar", singing songs... mostly ones that involve baby bees and bitsy spiders. His nightly routine now involves rocking in the rocker, singing a few songs, playing with the ladybug light, drinking water from his sippy cup, chewing on his blanket and then "Ni ni".
So many words. Emmett wants to name everything. We are constantly shocked at how many words he remembers and repeats. He loves to talk and it seems like there is a constant dialog going on.
We are trying to keep the TV watching down. I'm trying to not even have the TV on for him during the week, tho some mornings or evenings when he is in a bad mood I'll have it on for a little bit. We went through some sick days where he watched a lot of TV and it seems like the more he sees it the more he wants to see it, so keeping it to a minimum is best. He loves Elmo and Curious George as well as the good ol' Lawrence Welk show. The other night we let him watch the LW Halloween special. I always thought it was the dancing and costumes that he liked, but he gets so excited to see the band play. That night he needed to drag out the "tar" to play along.
Other things he loves.... Garbage day "TRUCKS", naming body parts, entertaining guests, Beans, CHEESE, Wawa water (drinking it, playing in it), Outside, Pumpkins, Airplanes, Choo Choo, Moon, Balls, his little table and chair, Books, Pancakes, Bananas, Babies .. (talking about babies, looking at pictures of babies on phones, computers, cameras.. the kindle), horses, dogs, cats, giving hugs and kisses and saying "hello" and "bu bye" to everyone he sees. Of course Mama and Dada are on that list as well (usually whoever is not is site is the most important person.)
It's so exciting to see the little boy he is becoming.. at the same time I want to hold on to the little baby he used to be. It all goes so fast and I'm not ready to let go of all things baby.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
The Dreaded Final Weaning Step
501 days
The end is finally here.
Saturday it was decided to be the end of nursing. While I could tell that things were winding down, I expected some resistance to going to bed without nursing. What I didn't expect was for Emmett to say "nigh nigh" and roll over in his bed and go to sleep. That was it....
That was it!?! After all the pain and tears, the sleepless nights, the hours of being hooked up to that evil machine - pumping, the months of spending every lunch at daycare, the horrible bras, the sticky lanolin and breast pads, feeling so burnt out and tired, the teeth .. Urgh the terrible milk blister that lasted for 5 months! It was so, SO difficult. So this end feels.... odd..... but nice?
I suppose that means it was the right time.
A battle would have made me feel guilty and sad. This might be a little anticlimactic, but I am left feeling.. I don't know.... successful.
.. and maybe a little sad that my tiny, baby bear cub doesn't need me the same way anymore.
I can't believe I actually saw this to it's natural end.
The end is finally here.
Saturday it was decided to be the end of nursing. While I could tell that things were winding down, I expected some resistance to going to bed without nursing. What I didn't expect was for Emmett to say "nigh nigh" and roll over in his bed and go to sleep. That was it....
That was it!?! After all the pain and tears, the sleepless nights, the hours of being hooked up to that evil machine - pumping, the months of spending every lunch at daycare, the horrible bras, the sticky lanolin and breast pads, feeling so burnt out and tired, the teeth .. Urgh the terrible milk blister that lasted for 5 months! It was so, SO difficult. So this end feels.... odd..... but nice?
I suppose that means it was the right time.
A battle would have made me feel guilty and sad. This might be a little anticlimactic, but I am left feeling.. I don't know.... successful.
.. and maybe a little sad that my tiny, baby bear cub doesn't need me the same way anymore.
I can't believe I actually saw this to it's natural end.
Friday, September 16, 2011
MN trip highlights PART 2
Before we headed back to the Twin Cities, we walked around Duluth a bit more before getting back into the car for a long ride. It seemed to work. Emmett got to get a little energy out so he took a pretty good nap on the way home. I think his favorite thing to do was throw rocks into the lake.
Meanwhile, I stood in the windy walkway trying to keep the stroller from blowing out into the lake. Also, in Duluth, I think I could be a model!
On to Hotel room # 2. Another Residence Inn. This one didn't feel as nice as the first one, but it was still nice. Turns out Handicap rooms are a lot easier to childproof. Emmett was excited to see another Pack-n-Play.. and wanted to play the "nigh nigh" game again.
It wasn't as nice a room, but the people that worked there were INSANELY nice. Even the janitor woman was super cheery and cooed all over Emmett. Now that I think of it, I didn't see one male worker there. So maybe it was kinda creepy, like a Wicker Man type colony of female hotel workers, there to harvest kidneys. Or not. I also saw the entire Dairy Princess entourage in the lobby. If I had been more quick thinking, I woulda had them sign something. Like a Land O Lakes box.
That night we just chilled in the room, eating peanut butter sandwiches watching Elmo videos. Hoping to get some re-packing done and some sleep before our big day at the fair.
CABLE TV!
FAIR!!!
Things learned at the fair. Tiny Tim Donuts are not as good as Tom Thumb (duh). The Poncho Pup beats the Pronto Pup (an upset) Kiwanis Malt shop just may be better than the Dairy building. (how did we completely miss the dairy building?) Sweet Martha's Cookies doesn't make the cut when you really are not hungry (and you want to save your points for more important things like beer) Who knew... Brian loves Lefse so much. Too bad he never met my Grandma Ann. As soon as she would have learned he loved lefse, she would have made it for him EVERY time she saw him.
Oh man, I am obsessed with the lefse. Sigh. I think the worst thing I ate was the Big Fat Bacon, it was just a letdown of chewy bacon meat. I guess the name should've warned me. I do wish I had tried a couple more things like the Minneapolis Pie.
I think the fair was a hit with Emmett. He did get tired and really didn't get to walk around as much as he would have liked, which caused the occasional grump, but overall he was really good. This trip to the fair a bit more of a "highlights" tour. Quick trips through buildings, favorite foods.. We might not have spent as much time in places that I would have really liked, but we got a good feel of the whole fair. I'm excited to take Emmett back when he is a bit older. We were joined by Andre & Kim and the Kafkaseseses. Once again, so great to see them.
Sad we missed the Giant Slide.
I know! I think we thought of it on our way out the gate.
Our last night we stayed in the hotel. Picked up some salads and a Turkey sandwich for Emmett, which he seemed to enjoy. We packed, showered.. played "nigh nigh" and headed to bed early to get up even earlier to get to the airport. (I of course didn't sleep more than a couple hours... sigh)
It all went so quick. And it was ungodly early to get up and get ready, hahah.
Apparently, when we are tired and looking at a 4 hour flight with Emmett.. That first class upgrade is too good to pass up. It was great. I was pretty nervous about it. Before we had gone on this trip I was reading about how to keep kids entertained on planes.. and ran into a lot of things about how babies should not be allowed in first class. I imagined everyone being pissed at us. But, it did help (the Baileys coffees didn't hurt either) There was so much more room. Emmett was able to sleep pretty well, and he was easier to wrangle (and walk around when he needed) Totally worth the price. I suppose it will be our last for a long time. I think the next time we go on a flight we'll have to buy him a ticket so no more first class. We should have eaten 5 breakfast sandwiches and drank a lot more.
Upgrading to first class might have been the best decision I've made this year. The flight attendant coming by with the boozy coffee and the extra space was worth it. Yes, I wish I had eaten more! The worst thing, to me, about the whole flight experience was lugging around all the stuff. That stroller almost killed me!U
All in all I'd say it was a good trip. At times it was like pulling off a bandaid. A little painful, but something we needed to do. Now that we have this trip under our belt the next one will be so much easier (I hope). Emmett was a trooper. He traveled really well for a little guy. If he didn't have to be wrangled and strapped down so much (car seats, strollers) he would have been much happier. I think if we keep it up, he'll be able to travel really well when he's a bit older. For me it's always a little bittersweet to go back to MN. There are things I miss and things I am glad to be very far away from. Going back reminds me of the life we used to have. In some ways that life made me happier... in other ways this life makes me happier. I wish there was a way to have both.
I miss Minneapolis like crazy. But I have no idea if we could ever move back, no fantasy transition ever make a whole lot of sense. I agree that we should keep doing trips as Em gets older, it was great watching him in new places and meeting people!
Meanwhile, I stood in the windy walkway trying to keep the stroller from blowing out into the lake. Also, in Duluth, I think I could be a model!
On to Hotel room # 2. Another Residence Inn. This one didn't feel as nice as the first one, but it was still nice. Turns out Handicap rooms are a lot easier to childproof. Emmett was excited to see another Pack-n-Play.. and wanted to play the "nigh nigh" game again.
It wasn't as nice a room, but the people that worked there were INSANELY nice. Even the janitor woman was super cheery and cooed all over Emmett. Now that I think of it, I didn't see one male worker there. So maybe it was kinda creepy, like a Wicker Man type colony of female hotel workers, there to harvest kidneys. Or not. I also saw the entire Dairy Princess entourage in the lobby. If I had been more quick thinking, I woulda had them sign something. Like a Land O Lakes box.
That night we just chilled in the room, eating peanut butter sandwiches watching Elmo videos. Hoping to get some re-packing done and some sleep before our big day at the fair.
CABLE TV!
FAIR!!!
Things learned at the fair. Tiny Tim Donuts are not as good as Tom Thumb (duh). The Poncho Pup beats the Pronto Pup (an upset) Kiwanis Malt shop just may be better than the Dairy building. (how did we completely miss the dairy building?) Sweet Martha's Cookies doesn't make the cut when you really are not hungry (and you want to save your points for more important things like beer) Who knew... Brian loves Lefse so much. Too bad he never met my Grandma Ann. As soon as she would have learned he loved lefse, she would have made it for him EVERY time she saw him.
Oh man, I am obsessed with the lefse. Sigh. I think the worst thing I ate was the Big Fat Bacon, it was just a letdown of chewy bacon meat. I guess the name should've warned me. I do wish I had tried a couple more things like the Minneapolis Pie.
I think the fair was a hit with Emmett. He did get tired and really didn't get to walk around as much as he would have liked, which caused the occasional grump, but overall he was really good. This trip to the fair a bit more of a "highlights" tour. Quick trips through buildings, favorite foods.. We might not have spent as much time in places that I would have really liked, but we got a good feel of the whole fair. I'm excited to take Emmett back when he is a bit older. We were joined by Andre & Kim and the Kafkaseseses. Once again, so great to see them.
Sad we missed the Giant Slide.
I know! I think we thought of it on our way out the gate.
Our last night we stayed in the hotel. Picked up some salads and a Turkey sandwich for Emmett, which he seemed to enjoy. We packed, showered.. played "nigh nigh" and headed to bed early to get up even earlier to get to the airport. (I of course didn't sleep more than a couple hours... sigh)
It all went so quick. And it was ungodly early to get up and get ready, hahah.
Apparently, when we are tired and looking at a 4 hour flight with Emmett.. That first class upgrade is too good to pass up. It was great. I was pretty nervous about it. Before we had gone on this trip I was reading about how to keep kids entertained on planes.. and ran into a lot of things about how babies should not be allowed in first class. I imagined everyone being pissed at us. But, it did help (the Baileys coffees didn't hurt either) There was so much more room. Emmett was able to sleep pretty well, and he was easier to wrangle (and walk around when he needed) Totally worth the price. I suppose it will be our last for a long time. I think the next time we go on a flight we'll have to buy him a ticket so no more first class. We should have eaten 5 breakfast sandwiches and drank a lot more.
Upgrading to first class might have been the best decision I've made this year. The flight attendant coming by with the boozy coffee and the extra space was worth it. Yes, I wish I had eaten more! The worst thing, to me, about the whole flight experience was lugging around all the stuff. That stroller almost killed me!U
All in all I'd say it was a good trip. At times it was like pulling off a bandaid. A little painful, but something we needed to do. Now that we have this trip under our belt the next one will be so much easier (I hope). Emmett was a trooper. He traveled really well for a little guy. If he didn't have to be wrangled and strapped down so much (car seats, strollers) he would have been much happier. I think if we keep it up, he'll be able to travel really well when he's a bit older. For me it's always a little bittersweet to go back to MN. There are things I miss and things I am glad to be very far away from. Going back reminds me of the life we used to have. In some ways that life made me happier... in other ways this life makes me happier. I wish there was a way to have both.
I miss Minneapolis like crazy. But I have no idea if we could ever move back, no fantasy transition ever make a whole lot of sense. I agree that we should keep doing trips as Em gets older, it was great watching him in new places and meeting people!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Elephant in the Bathroom
I only heard the laughing from the bathroom, but apparently, while Emmett was taking his bath, he stood up in the tub, looked down at his weiner, raised his arm over his head and uttered his impression of an elephant noise, and started to pee. Then he giggled.
That's my boy.
That's my boy.
Monday, August 29, 2011
MN trip highlights PART 1
(Brian) - Of course, the night before we left, we started feeling sick. Not sure if it was a head cold, or symptoms from catching Em's hoof and mouth disease, but we were pretty miserable on the Friday flight.
(Jen) - I jinxed myself by making a joke that I would wake up at midnight and not be able to sleep the rest of the night... I of course woke up at 12:30 and didn't get back to sleep. This flight was going to SUCK.
(Jen) - I jinxed myself by making a joke that I would wake up at midnight and not be able to sleep the rest of the night... I of course woke up at 12:30 and didn't get back to sleep. This flight was going to SUCK.
Emmett did fairly well on the plane. He got fussy once in a while and wanted to get down and walk, but the distractions of the wrapped toys, the laptop loaded with Elmo, and the 2 teenage girls behind us helped him get through. (I think Jen's reactions to his occasional crying stressed me out more than him, hahaha)
In my defense I will say that I was the one who was wrestling the little bear cub for most of the flight. I felt like crap, hadn't slept, the flight was full and crowed, then I had to expose myself in public to nurse Em (uncomfortable for me .. as well as the stress that knowing some people have a very big problem with breastfeeding in public) Then always having to watch that Emmett didn't kick the seat in front (which was way closer than I expected) or chuck something at someone's head. Once he fell asleep I had to sit in a very uncomfortable position so I wouldn't wake him up. Also keep his feet in the seat so the carts wouldn't bump him. Most of the time the look on my face was a desperate look for help that (at the time) I didn't feel like I was getting a lot of...
In MN we drive a fancy mini van! Emmett also found sitting forward to be awesome. He was so good in the car (for short trips)
In my defense I will say that I was the one who was wrestling the little bear cub for most of the flight. I felt like crap, hadn't slept, the flight was full and crowed, then I had to expose myself in public to nurse Em (uncomfortable for me .. as well as the stress that knowing some people have a very big problem with breastfeeding in public) Then always having to watch that Emmett didn't kick the seat in front (which was way closer than I expected) or chuck something at someone's head. Once he fell asleep I had to sit in a very uncomfortable position so I wouldn't wake him up. Also keep his feet in the seat so the carts wouldn't bump him. Most of the time the look on my face was a desperate look for help that (at the time) I didn't feel like I was getting a lot of...
I love hotel rooms with a kitchen and a separate bedroom! We will always try to do this while Em is little. I was worried he wouldn't like the hotel pack and play.. but as soon as he saw it he was so excited to go "nigh nigh".. which was more of a game of sitting inside playing pee-a-boo. Wish we could have spent some time in the awesome pool! I guess we know for next time, when Emmett will be a bit older.
The party was a hit. We found the park and waited for Reva.. and waited and waited. I finally decided I had to pee, so I walked to the bathroom. Of COURSE, as I started back, Andy pulled up and they started to walk to the pavilion. I did my best sneaky lurk behind them until they made it to the tables and everyone yelled surprise, which Reva didn't understand for a moment or two.
It was fun to see and say hello to a lot of family I haven't seen in a long time. Of course there is never enough time to really talk to anyone. I really miss the days of spending a good chunk of time with some of them. As much as I dread some of the family fun.. I really do miss a lot of those people. A lot of my favorite childhood memories involve a lot of them, and it makes me more aware of how far away we are. I'm sad that Emmett wont have the same sort of relationships with his Grandparents, Cousins, Aunts and Uncles that I did.
Emmet LOVED Nancy Lee. Simon... not so much. There was a lot of competition between those 2 meatheads for attention and toys.
Bald eagle flying over my parents house!
We drove around Minneapolis to see all the old spots. Everything seemed so different, but we were still nostalgic.
This trip to Mpls was weird. I felt like a tourist. Things have changed so much it was a strange mix of the familiar and a whole new city. The first time I didn't always know where i was. This time it didn't feel like "home" and I found myself a little jealous of some of the great new things. It is easy to imagine what life would be like there.
This trip to Mpls was weird. I felt like a tourist. Things have changed so much it was a strange mix of the familiar and a whole new city. The first time I didn't always know where i was. This time it didn't feel like "home" and I found myself a little jealous of some of the great new things. It is easy to imagine what life would be like there.
We drank way too much Dunn Brothers.
We drank the perfect amount.
We drank the perfect amount.
Getting together with Kelly, Mike, Andre, Kim and the kids, the Kafkases, was amazing. We miss them so much. Emmett was insane and did his best to entertain everyone. Again, it was tough for him to share toys with Clara, but he still had fun. He cried and cried when we finally had to leave.
The visit with the gang was great. The first time I have actually been comfortable while at someone's house with Emmett. We took turns walking him around, watched that he played nice and didn't get too bullied. But he had fun with the kids.. and the adults. Everyone understood and it was just.. easy. Like it has always been easy with them. Just hanging out. I so so miss that.
The visit with the gang was great. The first time I have actually been comfortable while at someone's house with Emmett. We took turns walking him around, watched that he played nice and didn't get too bullied. But he had fun with the kids.. and the adults. Everyone understood and it was just.. easy. Like it has always been easy with them. Just hanging out. I so so miss that.
The drive to Duluth was ok. Jen's dad needed a lot of wrangling. The house was decent, and had an amazingly neat little path through the yard to the beach.. which was a huge trap set by the mosquitoes to drain the blood of dumb tourists.
The first day of the family trip was rough. I just about lost it with all of my Dad's "I'm not going to go... you don't want me to go... OK, I'm going to go... I'm not going". I could tell my Mom was really stressed out. I wasn't sure if springing this on her was a good idea. Andy was good about just taking care of things with my Dad. Big bottle of bourbon... Andy will just remove it. Emmett wasn't so happy to be riding in the car. I kept him busy with snacks and Elmo videos. The plane was a good lesson on how to just always keep him busy. Apparently if you want to keep my Dad happy on a car trip, just stop at every rest stop and Mc Donalds for a burger. The house was fine.. not totally what I expected. I had hoped we had better water access. The outside areas were not as hang out friendly as I had hoped. Emmett could not be trusted on the deck and the back yard was mosquito CRAZY. My ideal location would have been more up on the shore by split rock. Quiet little cabins on the lake, (I had a fantasy about every one having their own cabin) but this might have been better for the little ones. (and the old one) TV's were a good distraction (when someone could actually get them to work)
The first day of the family trip was rough. I just about lost it with all of my Dad's "I'm not going to go... you don't want me to go... OK, I'm going to go... I'm not going". I could tell my Mom was really stressed out. I wasn't sure if springing this on her was a good idea. Andy was good about just taking care of things with my Dad. Big bottle of bourbon... Andy will just remove it. Emmett wasn't so happy to be riding in the car. I kept him busy with snacks and Elmo videos. The plane was a good lesson on how to just always keep him busy. Apparently if you want to keep my Dad happy on a car trip, just stop at every rest stop and Mc Donalds for a burger. The house was fine.. not totally what I expected. I had hoped we had better water access. The outside areas were not as hang out friendly as I had hoped. Emmett could not be trusted on the deck and the back yard was mosquito CRAZY. My ideal location would have been more up on the shore by split rock. Quiet little cabins on the lake, (I had a fantasy about every one having their own cabin) but this might have been better for the little ones. (and the old one) TV's were a good distraction (when someone could actually get them to work)
The giant marshmallows! The weird little fat man in the grocery store with the sausages!
Train museum. Dad was much better on day 2. The morning was rough. I was up (again... like every night) for most of the night. Emmett needed a lot of comforting. He did OK in his tent bed, but he'd roll around so much and get caught up in the sides. I had a mini meltdown in the morning because I was just so tired. Once I showered and ate.. I felt much better. Earthquake hits the East coast! Getting out of the house was good. Too bad it was a rainy day, but it wasn't terrible. We still got out for a walk.
Skip to the end... hook for a hand!
Nancy loved Emmett. He loved her back. Simon wanted to punch Emmett. Emmett wanted to bite Simon.
Watching that Simon didn't just take everything away from Emmett (or slug him or knock him down) was tough. It added to all the things we needed to keep an eye on. Hopefully when they get older they will get along. I know he is only 2.5, but I was a little shocked that Simon really had NO interest in playing with Emmett. Emmett finally had it and chopped down on Simon. I don't really blame him, Simon was just making life as difficult as possible for him. But, I still didn't want him to hurt Simon.
Watching that Simon didn't just take everything away from Emmett (or slug him or knock him down) was tough. It added to all the things we needed to keep an eye on. Hopefully when they get older they will get along. I know he is only 2.5, but I was a little shocked that Simon really had NO interest in playing with Emmett. Emmett finally had it and chopped down on Simon. I don't really blame him, Simon was just making life as difficult as possible for him. But, I still didn't want him to hurt Simon.
Rick farts a lot.
... and you wonder why I don't think farts are funny
Did I mention Em loves hotel rooms?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
The count down
1 week to go until our big trip!
So nervous. I just have no idea what to expect.
The last week was tough. Teething has turned the little man into a little monster. But the last two days he's been back to his ol' goofy self.. and I think "maybe it wont be so bad". I know how one week it can all change. Teeth can start back up. I think we are only in the clear with one of them... 3 more to go. Colds can pop up, ear infections... pink eye... hand, foot and mouth disease! All things to turn our fun guy into the devil. The devil who will make 4 hours on a plane the longest four hours ever known to man.
I keep reading about things you can do to make the plane trip better. A lot has to do with paying off the people around you. Buying drinks, bringing little gift bags of candy and ear plugs or coffee gift cards. Seriously? Do people expect this now? Babies are babies. Unless the parents are completely ignoring them, I am pretty understanding that kids do what they do. I want a gift card from that jackass with the bad gas and BO. Or the person who keeps coughing on me and hogging the arm rest. (But he is my husband so I have to be happy with him getting me coffee some mornings... haha) With all the things I have to lug around to keep the baby happy, now I have to lug around things to make everyone else happy, too?
I am less worried about what to expect once we get there. This trip is a little different than the last. Family is different than childless friends. If Emmett melts down around family.. oh well, If we need to cut thing short so he can take a nap or eat they will understand. I'm not keeping anyone from having a good time. Or if I am... they can deal because they've kept me from good times plenty in my life :)
I'm excited to go to MN. To introduce Emmett to everyone. It seems so strange now that he is this HUGE part of our life.. and no one knows him.
So now the prep starts. Seems like a long time to work on packing.. but I know how motivated I am most nights at 9 p.m. I better get most of it done this weekend.
So nervous. I just have no idea what to expect.
The last week was tough. Teething has turned the little man into a little monster. But the last two days he's been back to his ol' goofy self.. and I think "maybe it wont be so bad". I know how one week it can all change. Teeth can start back up. I think we are only in the clear with one of them... 3 more to go. Colds can pop up, ear infections... pink eye... hand, foot and mouth disease! All things to turn our fun guy into the devil. The devil who will make 4 hours on a plane the longest four hours ever known to man.
I keep reading about things you can do to make the plane trip better. A lot has to do with paying off the people around you. Buying drinks, bringing little gift bags of candy and ear plugs or coffee gift cards. Seriously? Do people expect this now? Babies are babies. Unless the parents are completely ignoring them, I am pretty understanding that kids do what they do. I want a gift card from that jackass with the bad gas and BO. Or the person who keeps coughing on me and hogging the arm rest. (But he is my husband so I have to be happy with him getting me coffee some mornings... haha) With all the things I have to lug around to keep the baby happy, now I have to lug around things to make everyone else happy, too?
I am less worried about what to expect once we get there. This trip is a little different than the last. Family is different than childless friends. If Emmett melts down around family.. oh well, If we need to cut thing short so he can take a nap or eat they will understand. I'm not keeping anyone from having a good time. Or if I am... they can deal because they've kept me from good times plenty in my life :)
I'm excited to go to MN. To introduce Emmett to everyone. It seems so strange now that he is this HUGE part of our life.. and no one knows him.
So now the prep starts. Seems like a long time to work on packing.. but I know how motivated I am most nights at 9 p.m. I better get most of it done this weekend.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Road Trip Rookies
ADVENTURE!
So our first trip out of town is behind us. Our first overnight stay some place other than home.
The trip was a mix of a lot of things. Fun but difficult. The drive up was easy. Emmett fell asleep about a half hour into it and slept the whole way, which was great. We finally got to the hotel about 11:30, but then he woke up and wanted to explore the most awesome place ever! I finally got him back to sleep about 1:30.. but then he was awake at 6:00, so I didn't get much sleep. We had a really nice hotel room. It was a suite so we had a sep bedroom and 2 bathrooms. Lots of room for him to crawl around.
The tough part was being outside the hotel room. He never wanted to sit still to eat and I didn't have a kitchen, so meals were mostly quick snacks when I could get him to eat something and he didn't get to nap good. He was just too excited to check everything out. The second night was tough, he woke up a lot and was sort of upset. The air was really dry and he would start coughing which would wake him up. I think I got even less sleep the second night and then since Brian was teaching the class yesterday I was pretty much on my own with him. I had Rachael around which was a huge help, but it was still tough. I was the only one in our group with a kid, so I felt bad that we sort of had to do things around his schedule. I should have spoke up more about what he can and can't do, no one really knows what a one year old is like until you actually hang out with one. I tried to do things that other people wanted to do and it didn't feel like it worked out too well. Busy lunch places are not a good idea. Emmett was not into sitting around and let us all know by chucking whatever was in reach. I did a lot of walking him around while everyone else had lunch and I was pretty frazzled by the end of the day. (plus I had only had bit of breakfast and too much coffee) Then it was time for the 4 hour drive home! By then Emmett was already sick of the car, but he was sleepy so he took an hour nap. When he woke up he was not happy. We had to make a stop in Sacramento to walk him around. We bought him a toy, which worked for a little while. He wasn't really in a bad mood he just did not want to be in the car. I sat in the back with him and tried to keep him entertained. Finally I had Brian's computer and played an Elmo video which work so well I think I owe Elmo a million dollars. He finally relaxed and about the time we hit Berkley he was ready to sleep.
I was dreading having to change him to put him to bed, but he was super cute. He never really opened his eyes, but he was smiling and kept stretching his legs like he was happy to be home and being put in his bed. Later I heard him giggling in his sleep so he doesn't seemed too scarred by the day.
It was also fun! Yesterday was tough and I was saying I wished we had stayed home, but after getting a little bit of sleep, I'm feeling much better so I can see that it was a lot of fun, too. I just wish I could have a do-over of yesterday. I now know how I could have made that day a lot better. I'm feeling a bit embarrassed, I'm sure everyone could tell I was really stressed out ... and I think they felt bad or annoyed. Not knowing everyone (except Todd and Rachael) very well, I feel weird that that was sort of their first impression of me.
Oh well, learning experience. Now I just wish I had a week to sleep.
So our first trip out of town is behind us. Our first overnight stay some place other than home.
The trip was a mix of a lot of things. Fun but difficult. The drive up was easy. Emmett fell asleep about a half hour into it and slept the whole way, which was great. We finally got to the hotel about 11:30, but then he woke up and wanted to explore the most awesome place ever! I finally got him back to sleep about 1:30.. but then he was awake at 6:00, so I didn't get much sleep. We had a really nice hotel room. It was a suite so we had a sep bedroom and 2 bathrooms. Lots of room for him to crawl around.
The tough part was being outside the hotel room. He never wanted to sit still to eat and I didn't have a kitchen, so meals were mostly quick snacks when I could get him to eat something and he didn't get to nap good. He was just too excited to check everything out. The second night was tough, he woke up a lot and was sort of upset. The air was really dry and he would start coughing which would wake him up. I think I got even less sleep the second night and then since Brian was teaching the class yesterday I was pretty much on my own with him. I had Rachael around which was a huge help, but it was still tough. I was the only one in our group with a kid, so I felt bad that we sort of had to do things around his schedule. I should have spoke up more about what he can and can't do, no one really knows what a one year old is like until you actually hang out with one. I tried to do things that other people wanted to do and it didn't feel like it worked out too well. Busy lunch places are not a good idea. Emmett was not into sitting around and let us all know by chucking whatever was in reach. I did a lot of walking him around while everyone else had lunch and I was pretty frazzled by the end of the day. (plus I had only had bit of breakfast and too much coffee) Then it was time for the 4 hour drive home! By then Emmett was already sick of the car, but he was sleepy so he took an hour nap. When he woke up he was not happy. We had to make a stop in Sacramento to walk him around. We bought him a toy, which worked for a little while. He wasn't really in a bad mood he just did not want to be in the car. I sat in the back with him and tried to keep him entertained. Finally I had Brian's computer and played an Elmo video which work so well I think I owe Elmo a million dollars. He finally relaxed and about the time we hit Berkley he was ready to sleep.
I was dreading having to change him to put him to bed, but he was super cute. He never really opened his eyes, but he was smiling and kept stretching his legs like he was happy to be home and being put in his bed. Later I heard him giggling in his sleep so he doesn't seemed too scarred by the day.
It was also fun! Yesterday was tough and I was saying I wished we had stayed home, but after getting a little bit of sleep, I'm feeling much better so I can see that it was a lot of fun, too. I just wish I could have a do-over of yesterday. I now know how I could have made that day a lot better. I'm feeling a bit embarrassed, I'm sure everyone could tell I was really stressed out ... and I think they felt bad or annoyed. Not knowing everyone (except Todd and Rachael) very well, I feel weird that that was sort of their first impression of me.
Oh well, learning experience. Now I just wish I had a week to sleep.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Contagion, Threat Level Emmett
I'm home today with what has to be the 10th cold I've caught since he started going to daycare. He seemed to have a little runny nose and a cough, but seems okay now. I've spent the past 2 days trying to convince myself it was just allergies, but this morning it felt like I should just try and sleep it off, which clearly I am not doing a the moment. Or am I? Don't wake me, it's dangerous to wake a sleepblogger.
But I'd like to take this moment to give any future parents some advice: Most parents you talk to are going to tell you, "One good thing about sending a child to daycare is that he'll catch everything now, he won't catch any colds when he goes off to grade school!"
Come closer. I look ok from a distance, but now you notice the red rimmed eyes, the bits of Kleenex crust on my unshaven face, a faint scent of Ricola upon my breath.
Closer.
ACHOOO! Have some of my germs, sucker! Get used to it, because what they don't tell you is that YOU'RE going to catch it all too. You'll be doing the Sophie's Choice thing every month, trying to decide if you should really stay home and get better, or try to tough it out and save the sick day for your precious little cootiebag.
Good luck, and g'bless you.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Adventures in Slow Cooking #1 ...er #2 Taco Soup
In an attempt to making dinners easier I am going to try to use the slow cooker more often.. perhaps even ONCE A WEEK. We'll see... Slow cookers are a bit hit or miss with me. Meats.. not so great, soups.. pretty good. I'm going to try and try again, to build up our recipe rotation.
#1 was actually "red cooked chicken" which was, good. I'll be trying it again. I'm hoping since you save the sauce to use and use again it will get better with time. I'll be adding more spice the next time, as well. Sort of poaches the chicken and the meat can be eaten straight or maybe used in another way.
#2 Taco Soup. Verdict.. Not bad.. not great. Makes a TON so we'll be eating it for a while. I froze half for later down the road. Maybe I'll make it again, with some changes. But then maybe it just becomes a chili? The thing that makes this "taco" soup is it uses Taco seasoning, which makes things sort of easy.. but then you are also at the mercy of whatever is in that taco seasoning. This recipe also uses a powdered Ranch dressing mix.. which gives it sort of that Dorito "cool ranch" sort of flavor.. which I can do without. It just all becomes a salty/fakey sort of taste. Hmmm... maybe this means I will not be making this again. Maybe I will make it again.. but use only the taco seasoning. Sigh... Maybe I'll just try something else.
#1 was actually "red cooked chicken" which was, good. I'll be trying it again. I'm hoping since you save the sauce to use and use again it will get better with time. I'll be adding more spice the next time, as well. Sort of poaches the chicken and the meat can be eaten straight or maybe used in another way.
#2 Taco Soup. Verdict.. Not bad.. not great. Makes a TON so we'll be eating it for a while. I froze half for later down the road. Maybe I'll make it again, with some changes. But then maybe it just becomes a chili? The thing that makes this "taco" soup is it uses Taco seasoning, which makes things sort of easy.. but then you are also at the mercy of whatever is in that taco seasoning. This recipe also uses a powdered Ranch dressing mix.. which gives it sort of that Dorito "cool ranch" sort of flavor.. which I can do without. It just all becomes a salty/fakey sort of taste. Hmmm... maybe this means I will not be making this again. Maybe I will make it again.. but use only the taco seasoning. Sigh... Maybe I'll just try something else.
Friday, July 15, 2011
FF week 6
Almost 6 pounds gone. Wowee! Of course 5 pounds doesn't seem like a whole lot, but it is enough to start noticing a difference. Mostly in my pants. They are just looser. Some too big even. I never thought 5 pounds made that much difference at least I always told myself that when it was 5 pounds the other way.
The eating hasn't been that hard really. There are times when I want something and I tell myself "no", but even that hasn't been too hard. For now I have things to look forward too. The State Fair.. New York. That might not always be a motivator, but it works for now. Both places I expect to enjoy sampling foods I don't get to have other times and it's easy to tell myself that dry looking piece of cake in the cafe wont be as good as those mini donuts.. so wait for the mini donuts... or those bagels
During the week it's fine staying away from wine and too many treats. Nothing that work serves is really worth the points. The usual salad/sandwich lunch is fine and I don't really feel like I am missing anything. I am trying to pick the entree every now and then, if it sounds good and is a little different but most days I stick to the salad. The weekends haven't been super difficult, but they do get a little sketchy because I have to think about and make every meal and that gets to be difficult when time is limited and energy is low. I've started to try some pre-made sides from Trader Joes. I'd like to stay away from processed foods, but that isn't as easy these days. Trader Joes seems to be pretty healthy and as long as we keep an eye on portions I think we'll be OK. It really does help make things feel like a real meal and you can't beat the ready in 3 minutes.
What we need to get used to is not cutting things out.. but limiting the amount we have. 1 or 2 mochi icecreams add up in points and I know I can't eat 4 (but I sure would like to) Also, we now have to make a bottle of wine stretch 3 nights instead of the 1. (I guess it all saves us money).
I'm not sure if it's all in my head, but I do feel pretty good. At least I notice when I really don't feel well (after eating that greasy burger) I don't regret eating that burger, but I know I don't want to eat it all the time either.
so anyway... on we go. I hope the next 5 come off as easy as the first 5.
The eating hasn't been that hard really. There are times when I want something and I tell myself "no", but even that hasn't been too hard. For now I have things to look forward too. The State Fair.. New York. That might not always be a motivator, but it works for now. Both places I expect to enjoy sampling foods I don't get to have other times and it's easy to tell myself that dry looking piece of cake in the cafe wont be as good as those mini donuts.. so wait for the mini donuts... or those bagels
During the week it's fine staying away from wine and too many treats. Nothing that work serves is really worth the points. The usual salad/sandwich lunch is fine and I don't really feel like I am missing anything. I am trying to pick the entree every now and then, if it sounds good and is a little different but most days I stick to the salad. The weekends haven't been super difficult, but they do get a little sketchy because I have to think about and make every meal and that gets to be difficult when time is limited and energy is low. I've started to try some pre-made sides from Trader Joes. I'd like to stay away from processed foods, but that isn't as easy these days. Trader Joes seems to be pretty healthy and as long as we keep an eye on portions I think we'll be OK. It really does help make things feel like a real meal and you can't beat the ready in 3 minutes.
What we need to get used to is not cutting things out.. but limiting the amount we have. 1 or 2 mochi icecreams add up in points and I know I can't eat 4 (but I sure would like to) Also, we now have to make a bottle of wine stretch 3 nights instead of the 1. (I guess it all saves us money).
I'm not sure if it's all in my head, but I do feel pretty good. At least I notice when I really don't feel well (after eating that greasy burger) I don't regret eating that burger, but I know I don't want to eat it all the time either.
so anyway... on we go. I hope the next 5 come off as easy as the first 5.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
getting ready for some real adventure
Travel...
I have to say a lot of our life this last year hasn't been so much about adventure outside the house, it's been about the big, life changing adventure of life (inside the house) with a baby. But now we are getting ready to take the next step, to go out into the world with this baby. I'm terrified. I shouldn't be, but I am.
We have 2 trips coming up. A weekend driving adventure and then a long week, 4 hours by plane adventure. I am actually dreading the car trip more. The plane there are people (which he loves) and we can pay attention to him, let him walk a little, distract him with treats and toys. The car he faces the back of the car and he's strapped in .. for 4 hours. The horror... the horror. It's the trial run. It might be scary, but I'm glad we have it. We'll get an idea on the things we need to bring and things we don't need to bring along with us on the plane. Will he be OK sleeping in new places. Will we figure out the important parts of our routines? What can slide, what can not. Hopefully this will all make the longer trip go a lot smoother.
I know I can't plan everything, but I am trying to be as prepared as I can. I want to streamline so we aren't bringing unnecessary things, but also have the important things so we're not buying all those things we forgot.
The research has started
I have to say a lot of our life this last year hasn't been so much about adventure outside the house, it's been about the big, life changing adventure of life (inside the house) with a baby. But now we are getting ready to take the next step, to go out into the world with this baby. I'm terrified. I shouldn't be, but I am.
We have 2 trips coming up. A weekend driving adventure and then a long week, 4 hours by plane adventure. I am actually dreading the car trip more. The plane there are people (which he loves) and we can pay attention to him, let him walk a little, distract him with treats and toys. The car he faces the back of the car and he's strapped in .. for 4 hours. The horror... the horror. It's the trial run. It might be scary, but I'm glad we have it. We'll get an idea on the things we need to bring and things we don't need to bring along with us on the plane. Will he be OK sleeping in new places. Will we figure out the important parts of our routines? What can slide, what can not. Hopefully this will all make the longer trip go a lot smoother.
I know I can't plan everything, but I am trying to be as prepared as I can. I want to streamline so we aren't bringing unnecessary things, but also have the important things so we're not buying all those things we forgot.
The research has started
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
FF week2
Slowing down already? only .4 of a pound down this time. Sigh, This IS going to take a while. Still it's going in the right direction.. and right now that's all I can ask for. It's frustrating to not be able to control when I eat.. or if I can get in any exercise at all. I know in time it will come back, but for now I see all these things that I'd like to do.. or things that need to get done and there is nothing I can do about it. The problem with when I eat is I get SO hungry if I wait too long. I get dizzy, shakey, grumpy, tired.. then maybe I eat too much.. or not enough, eat too late (right before bed), which I hear is bad to do.. It upsets your sleep. My sleep needs no more upsetting.
But what can I do?
I can put some weekly meal plans together, so thinking of things to make for the week and shopping will be easier. It might get a little old cycling through the same plans over and over, but I'm sure I can come up with enough of them that it wont seem too bad. In the meal plans I will try to plan for leftovers.. either made into something new or else just night 2 of the same thing, which we don't seem to have a problem with. As much prep that can be done on the weekends the better.
.... I'll get right on that...
I suppose to keep myself from getting too hungry, I need to think about snacks, work them in at the right times. Have them actually available and ready to just grab and eat easily while I am feeding the kid/feeding the cats/unloading his bags/making his lunch for the next day/beginning dinner prep. Or if dinner is leftovers.. maybe some nights I can just eat with the kid (not that he lets me do much of that)
Exercise.. it's crazy how much I miss the work out until you are sweaty workouts. But, there is no time for that. Not right now. I guess I'll have to just try to get in more walks. During the days for lunch, on the weekend.. try to figure out how to fit it in at night (I like the thought of that.. but it hasn't been easy.. just when will I actually make and eat dinner?... 11PM?)
Blahh boring boring boring... I feel like so much of my life these days is about things I can't or shouldn't do.
But what can I do?
I can put some weekly meal plans together, so thinking of things to make for the week and shopping will be easier. It might get a little old cycling through the same plans over and over, but I'm sure I can come up with enough of them that it wont seem too bad. In the meal plans I will try to plan for leftovers.. either made into something new or else just night 2 of the same thing, which we don't seem to have a problem with. As much prep that can be done on the weekends the better.
.... I'll get right on that...
I suppose to keep myself from getting too hungry, I need to think about snacks, work them in at the right times. Have them actually available and ready to just grab and eat easily while I am feeding the kid/feeding the cats/unloading his bags/making his lunch for the next day/beginning dinner prep. Or if dinner is leftovers.. maybe some nights I can just eat with the kid (not that he lets me do much of that)
Exercise.. it's crazy how much I miss the work out until you are sweaty workouts. But, there is no time for that. Not right now. I guess I'll have to just try to get in more walks. During the days for lunch, on the weekend.. try to figure out how to fit it in at night (I like the thought of that.. but it hasn't been easy.. just when will I actually make and eat dinner?... 11PM?)
Blahh boring boring boring... I feel like so much of my life these days is about things I can't or shouldn't do.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Salad Days are Here Again
Yep, we're on the Weight Watchers, or as I like to call them "Calorietologists". One week down and I've lost 2.5 pounds, which is great, but this all depends on my two least favorite things: Being hungry, and tracking details.
BAHHHHH. Still, I'm glad to be doing it to try and shed a few pounds. I just wish I could get in some exercise too, but the job is a bit of a time suck.
BAHHHHH. Still, I'm glad to be doing it to try and shed a few pounds. I just wish I could get in some exercise too, but the job is a bit of a time suck.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
FF week 1
So one week and one pound down! One pound? Oh yeah, this is going to take a while. I suppose it's not bad, really. That being only watching my eating and not working out. Plus - the weeks add up and if I can keep up with one a week, things will be great.
I'm still getting the hang of this tracking thing and trying to figure out portions. I think with more practice weighing and measuring at home it will get easier.
What is starting to sink in, is the thought that this never ends. Of course the goal is to change the way you eat, so that you aren't always having to think about it and track every little thing .. but really eating the way I imagine myself eating in the future is the difficult part. Sure when it is part of a project it isn't too hard to pass up the treats.. or cutting myself off when I really don't want to. It's sort of fun to test yourself or work towards a goal. But I can already see as the weeks go on, it's going to be harder to be as focused as I am right now.
One thing that might help stay on track is to come up with some weekly routines & some EASY staple recipes that we can make during the week. Maybe making a large salad on Sunday to last us a few days into the week, so we alway have a veg ready. I'm finding dinners during the week to be really difficult. There is just too much to do with the baby as soon as I get home. He doesn't leave me any time to prep for dinner. Then by the time he's in bed I am starving and want something that can be ready as soon as possible with very little energy to make. Frozen pizza has been a go to these days, but seeing the point value on those.. they need to be used less. That doesn't mean we can't make one every now and then with some of those salads we will have ready.
I'm still getting the hang of this tracking thing and trying to figure out portions. I think with more practice weighing and measuring at home it will get easier.
What is starting to sink in, is the thought that this never ends. Of course the goal is to change the way you eat, so that you aren't always having to think about it and track every little thing .. but really eating the way I imagine myself eating in the future is the difficult part. Sure when it is part of a project it isn't too hard to pass up the treats.. or cutting myself off when I really don't want to. It's sort of fun to test yourself or work towards a goal. But I can already see as the weeks go on, it's going to be harder to be as focused as I am right now.
One thing that might help stay on track is to come up with some weekly routines & some EASY staple recipes that we can make during the week. Maybe making a large salad on Sunday to last us a few days into the week, so we alway have a veg ready. I'm finding dinners during the week to be really difficult. There is just too much to do with the baby as soon as I get home. He doesn't leave me any time to prep for dinner. Then by the time he's in bed I am starving and want something that can be ready as soon as possible with very little energy to make. Frozen pizza has been a go to these days, but seeing the point value on those.. they need to be used less. That doesn't mean we can't make one every now and then with some of those salads we will have ready.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Newlins go on a diet
OK - ok... so it's time to get back to watching what I eat. I thought once Emmett was born, I wouldn't worry about things for a while. After being SO restricted while I was pregnant I even thought I'd let myself go a little nuts if that's what I wanted.. and OH... I wanted! Plus there were so many new baby things to think about, I didn't have time to focus on what I was putting into my mouth (that's what she said)... but now a YEAR and 8 pounds later, I guess it's time to get that focus back. I know things are going to be slow going. There just isn't enough time in the day to really get the exercise in that I need. For now I'll try to mainly focus on what I am eating.
I thought one of the best ways to do that was to join the weight watchers group at work. The thought of being so public about it sort of creeps me out, but if I am going to be real about it.. then I might as well not hide it. Having the weekly check-ins and a "plan" will hopefully give me the push I need to focus. I do well with projects, so for now my project is tracking what I eat. I forced Newlin to join me in this project. If I'm going public.. so is he! Maybe by the time we go to New York we will be looking all fancy in some new, smaller clothes.
The toughest part is going to be portions. Unless I am measuring everything out, I have a tough time guessing how much something is. How much salad dressing did I just pour on? How much peanut butter did I just use? I tend to think I don't put a lot on... but is that true? I can measure and weigh things at home, which is what I'll try to do... but what about work? Do I have a set of measuring cups and spoons here too? Do I want to be that crazy person?
Exercise is another tough one.. and I honestly don't know how I will fit much in. But my blood pressure is telling me I really need to find a way to fit it in. It's time to bring back the lunch time walks when we can. I'm also going to TRY to get in a couple week night walks with Emmett now that it is staying lighter later in the evenings. Maybe we'll plan a couple nights a week.. when we are eating leftovers so there is no cooking to worry about. Get Emmett fed and bathed.. then pack him up in the stroller and head out for a walk. If we are lucky he will fall asleep and all we have to do is chuck him in bed once we are home.
I suppose there is another element that I didn't really think of here. We are also turning forty. FORTY!!!!! How the hell did that happen? A couple health exams told me that it's not as easy to be in the all clear as is used to be. For the first time ever I've had high blood pressure. I had gestational diabetes. These things are warnings. I don't want to be one of those Moms who can't do things with their kid because their body can't handle it. There are too many things in life that we still need to do! We need to get out and see the world. All that time when we were younger and had jobs to focus on and money to try to make, kept us for getting out on adventures. It's time for adventures and I sure don't want health problems keeping me from doing the things we want to do.
So here we go.. Day one of the Fuck Forty Diet!
The weight watcher notes for this week said we should take some "before" photos. I believe we may need to take some good ones! Where's that lovely swimsuit I wore at the Madonna Inn?
I thought one of the best ways to do that was to join the weight watchers group at work. The thought of being so public about it sort of creeps me out, but if I am going to be real about it.. then I might as well not hide it. Having the weekly check-ins and a "plan" will hopefully give me the push I need to focus. I do well with projects, so for now my project is tracking what I eat. I forced Newlin to join me in this project. If I'm going public.. so is he! Maybe by the time we go to New York we will be looking all fancy in some new, smaller clothes.
The toughest part is going to be portions. Unless I am measuring everything out, I have a tough time guessing how much something is. How much salad dressing did I just pour on? How much peanut butter did I just use? I tend to think I don't put a lot on... but is that true? I can measure and weigh things at home, which is what I'll try to do... but what about work? Do I have a set of measuring cups and spoons here too? Do I want to be that crazy person?
Exercise is another tough one.. and I honestly don't know how I will fit much in. But my blood pressure is telling me I really need to find a way to fit it in. It's time to bring back the lunch time walks when we can. I'm also going to TRY to get in a couple week night walks with Emmett now that it is staying lighter later in the evenings. Maybe we'll plan a couple nights a week.. when we are eating leftovers so there is no cooking to worry about. Get Emmett fed and bathed.. then pack him up in the stroller and head out for a walk. If we are lucky he will fall asleep and all we have to do is chuck him in bed once we are home.
I suppose there is another element that I didn't really think of here. We are also turning forty. FORTY!!!!! How the hell did that happen? A couple health exams told me that it's not as easy to be in the all clear as is used to be. For the first time ever I've had high blood pressure. I had gestational diabetes. These things are warnings. I don't want to be one of those Moms who can't do things with their kid because their body can't handle it. There are too many things in life that we still need to do! We need to get out and see the world. All that time when we were younger and had jobs to focus on and money to try to make, kept us for getting out on adventures. It's time for adventures and I sure don't want health problems keeping me from doing the things we want to do.
So here we go.. Day one of the Fuck Forty Diet!
The weight watcher notes for this week said we should take some "before" photos. I believe we may need to take some good ones! Where's that lovely swimsuit I wore at the Madonna Inn?
Monday, June 6, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
DIY and Recipe Rehab
Curse you Dish Network! Free DIY.. just when my HGTV jones was going away. We spent the whole rainy weekend (and the past week's sick days) watching the "free" (remember that $20 access fee?) DIY network. While I think I've just about had my fill of yard/home/bath Crashers, what I can't get enough of is the Rehab Addict show. It has everything I like. Old homes, restored/updated while keeping the original feel of the history of the house, someone who puts in the hard work to do the work right (no crazy, cheap design choices and questionable work a la Flipper shows) plus it's all in MN/Minneapolis. I love getting little bits of recognition of where they are. All while dreaming of the life/house we might have had.. had we stayed in MN.
It's not that I regret moving to CA. Not at all. The show just feeds that side of the brain that wonders what our old life might have looked like. (shoveling snow and all) Plus to see those big, cool, old houses .. for those little prices!!! DAMMIT. You'd never find that here.
DIY is teasing me with this next season.. I know I'll never see the finished houses. GAHHH
Recipe tried this weekend.
It's not that I regret moving to CA. Not at all. The show just feeds that side of the brain that wonders what our old life might have looked like. (shoveling snow and all) Plus to see those big, cool, old houses .. for those little prices!!! DAMMIT. You'd never find that here.
DIY is teasing me with this next season.. I know I'll never see the finished houses. GAHHH
Recipe tried this weekend.
Sausage, Chard, and Lemon Lasagna (I used Kale in place of Chard)
Prep: 20 minutesTotal: 1 hour
Prep: 20 minutesTotal: 1 hour
A layer of refreshing lemon slices brightens every bite of this lasagna made of sweet Italian sausage and Swiss chard. Instead of tomato sauce, the dish is made with a creamy and cheesy white sauce. Ingredients Serves 4.
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 cups whole milk
* 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 5 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard (about 1 bunch)
* 1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
* 1 lemon, very thinly sliced
* 6 no-boil lasagna noodles, preferably Barilla Directions
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in flour; cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in 3/4 cup cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in chard.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook sausage in a skillet over high heat, breaking up pieces, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
3. Cover lemon slices with cold water by 3 inches in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.
4. Spread 1/4 cup sauce in an 8-inch square nonreactive baking dish. Top with 2 noodles, half the sausage, and 1 cup sauce. Repeat. Top with a layer of lemons, 2 noodles, then remaining sauce and lemons. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, for 27 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Heat broiler. Uncover lasagna; top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Broil until bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 cups whole milk
* 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 5 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard (about 1 bunch)
* 1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
* 1 lemon, very thinly sliced
* 6 no-boil lasagna noodles, preferably Barilla Directions
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in flour; cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in 3/4 cup cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in chard.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook sausage in a skillet over high heat, breaking up pieces, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
3. Cover lemon slices with cold water by 3 inches in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.
4. Spread 1/4 cup sauce in an 8-inch square nonreactive baking dish. Top with 2 noodles, half the sausage, and 1 cup sauce. Repeat. Top with a layer of lemons, 2 noodles, then remaining sauce and lemons. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, for 27 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Heat broiler. Uncover lasagna; top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Broil until bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.
Verdict:
Maybe make again. I liked it. It was different and easy enough that it would be good for a dinner party. Not sure if it is one of those recipes that I will think about a lot and keep going back to.
For some reason I had it in my head that the recipe called for kale not chard. I think besides a slight texture difference, it wouldn't be much different with the chard. The lemon added a nice "bright" flavor. I cut them super thin and they sort of fell apart, but I'm not sure if I would have liked getting bigger chunks of lemon. I think I'd keep them thin like that.. with maybe a couple thicker slices on top if I wanted to make it look nice.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Science of (Lack of) Sleep
Month 9- The kid is on a new kick of waking up at least once in the night, crying almost inconsolably until Jen comes in and nurses him. We're sure it's a combo of his new teeth coming in plus the fact that he's decided that drinking from a bottle is B.S.
Where is the quiet little lump that used to fall asleep fuss free at 7:30 and sleep straight through till at least 6 am? It's actually not TOO bad, but man, as a guy who's accustomed to a nice night's sleep, it's a little rough. I never understood movies where the hero or heroine would go off on a full night adventure, never once feeling the effects of sleep deprivation. If it was me, the world would be doomed because I would try and catch a nap on the park bench while the villain read the Necronomicon down the block.
Where is the quiet little lump that used to fall asleep fuss free at 7:30 and sleep straight through till at least 6 am? It's actually not TOO bad, but man, as a guy who's accustomed to a nice night's sleep, it's a little rough. I never understood movies where the hero or heroine would go off on a full night adventure, never once feeling the effects of sleep deprivation. If it was me, the world would be doomed because I would try and catch a nap on the park bench while the villain read the Necronomicon down the block.
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Verdict
So... we're going on 2 months now with no cable. I was expecting this to be a bit more dramatic, but what I found is I just don't really care. There isn't the time to watch much TV anyway. Sure there are times that I really do miss the other channels. Times when I am stuck nursing.. or playing in the living room with the baby (which usually means sitting with him to make sure he doesn't do any damage to himself or the house). Maybe when he's a bit older we can actually spend that time in a more productive way.. or play in a more of an interactive way by playing games or reading books. Right now, you pretty much sit and watch him roll around and then hand him things that are out of his reach. It would be nice to have something playing that wasn't an infomercial or This old house reruns .. but it's not that big of a deal. I don't feel like I am missing much. Our Winter, weekend routines have gotten to be pretty funny. Saturday night Dance party with a little of the old L Welk show mixed in there. How long that will last, I'm not sure.. but it will make for some pretty funny memories later on.
Do I feel all different and productive with the new free time? No. The baby is eating up all our time anyway so really it all just comes down to this...
Saving $50 a month =$600 a year on TV we aren't watching anyway.
perhaps we are even turning the tv off more.. saving a bit of change in the electricity bill..
In the big picture, that isn't a ton of money, it's not going to buy us a new house. If down the road we feel we want the cable back I'm not totally against it. We don't spend a lot of money on entertainment, so it's not about the money. I was hoping to feel a bit more freedom with the cable gone but that just hasn't happened, yet. Perhaps when the weather gets nicer.. and Emmett gets a bit older, we'll start to get a bit more adventurous with our time. Right now, it's still the weeknight routines of dinners, baths and bedtimes with little time after to do much of anything.
Do I feel all different and productive with the new free time? No. The baby is eating up all our time anyway so really it all just comes down to this...
Saving $50 a month =$600 a year on TV we aren't watching anyway.
perhaps we are even turning the tv off more.. saving a bit of change in the electricity bill..
In the big picture, that isn't a ton of money, it's not going to buy us a new house. If down the road we feel we want the cable back I'm not totally against it. We don't spend a lot of money on entertainment, so it's not about the money. I was hoping to feel a bit more freedom with the cable gone but that just hasn't happened, yet. Perhaps when the weather gets nicer.. and Emmett gets a bit older, we'll start to get a bit more adventurous with our time. Right now, it's still the weeknight routines of dinners, baths and bedtimes with little time after to do much of anything.
Friday, February 11, 2011
My Rebuttal- OK, I kinda miss HGTV too
Yes, there are things I miss about cable. HGTV is one of them. But overall, I've been pretty happy with out it, and still convinced we could go all the way to an antenna, with maybe Hulu or Amazon on Demand to fill in the gaps. It's been nice to turn on just background stuff like Laurence Welk (hahah, don't you DARE judge us!) and turn our attention to entertaining Emmett.
However, I don't disagree with The Lady that the househunting bug has bit us. Recently a coworker (albeit one with a super lucky rich Google lawyer partner) purchased an AMAZING house with 3 acres in the Santa Cruz hills. It looks like a freakin Spanish manor.. with a guest house bigger than our house! Of course we can't afford that, but it sparked off another round of wishful thinking and looking at listings. I just want a bit more space for Emmett to roam and feel bad that his play area is a 5 foot square in the corner of the living room. Sigh, someday. For now, we can ask our friends what House Hunters has been up to.
However, I don't disagree with The Lady that the househunting bug has bit us. Recently a coworker (albeit one with a super lucky rich Google lawyer partner) purchased an AMAZING house with 3 acres in the Santa Cruz hills. It looks like a freakin Spanish manor.. with a guest house bigger than our house! Of course we can't afford that, but it sparked off another round of wishful thinking and looking at listings. I just want a bit more space for Emmett to roam and feel bad that his play area is a 5 foot square in the corner of the living room. Sigh, someday. For now, we can ask our friends what House Hunters has been up to.
The 4-5 week itch
It started.
Last night I had my first attack of missing HGTV. I blame Brian. He sent a house listing that had my imagination running. I started dreaming about kitchen renovations, family/movie rooms, landscaping and gardening, fruit trees (and what I would do with all that fruit), hot tubs, cozy patios, plus a guest cottage! My mind starts racing over all the things I would do to make that house ours. Not having the money to do any of this (let's not even think about the time) I started to think about HGTV as a way to see, not my own, but someone's projects completed. I love before and afters, I love to think about what I liked and what I might do differently.
People give HGTV a bad rap for convincing people that they have to be always remodeling, keeping things from being outdated... making them think that in order to buy a house.. or sell a house it has to have granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances! Let's all run out to Lowes because ... OMG, our bathroom has 1950's pink tile! Sure, some of that is true. But for me, there is something satisfying in seeing these project completed, to see inside of people's homes, to see how they live. Maybe imagine what our lives would look like .. there, in that house, in that town, in that country.
I'm still thinking about the latest house Brain sent.. and all the previous houses that have gotten my imagination going. I feel like I have all these ideas with no place to put them. HGTV was a way to temporarily scratch that itch.
Last night I had my first attack of missing HGTV. I blame Brian. He sent a house listing that had my imagination running. I started dreaming about kitchen renovations, family/movie rooms, landscaping and gardening, fruit trees (and what I would do with all that fruit), hot tubs, cozy patios, plus a guest cottage! My mind starts racing over all the things I would do to make that house ours. Not having the money to do any of this (let's not even think about the time) I started to think about HGTV as a way to see, not my own, but someone's projects completed. I love before and afters, I love to think about what I liked and what I might do differently.
People give HGTV a bad rap for convincing people that they have to be always remodeling, keeping things from being outdated... making them think that in order to buy a house.. or sell a house it has to have granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances! Let's all run out to Lowes because ... OMG, our bathroom has 1950's pink tile! Sure, some of that is true. But for me, there is something satisfying in seeing these project completed, to see inside of people's homes, to see how they live. Maybe imagine what our lives would look like .. there, in that house, in that town, in that country.
I'm still thinking about the latest house Brain sent.. and all the previous houses that have gotten my imagination going. I feel like I have all these ideas with no place to put them. HGTV was a way to temporarily scratch that itch.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I don't WANT to be the angry, crazy, pushy lady
Why does everyone want me to become a rude, angry person?
I am not a mean person. I usually trust people. I believe people when they are doing their job, that they will get the job done. I don't like confrontation. This attitude seems to bite me more and more these days. Doesn't it seem wrong that I have to beat myself up for being a nice, trusting person? Everything I have been taught, everything I believe and appreciate in other people.. it is used against me. Why does the world only seem to work for the people who make problems? Why do I (so often) regret being nice??
I understand that people forget, that people make mistakes, we're all human. But I swear people don't listen anymore and they don't seem to follow through with anything they say they will. Maybe they don't take their jobs seriously? I swear I take my job a lot more seriously than a lot of people I deal with these days.. and I make freakin' cartoons. CARTOONS! No one is going to lose their house or end up in the hospital if I don't get something done... yet I STILL make sure I follow through and get the things done that I am expected to do. ... and if for some reason I cannot? I let the people who are counting on me know!
I'm going to have to start using a notebook when I go to appointments or make phone calls. I need to ask a million questions and write everything down. If I have to rely on anyone to do anything I need to ask when to expect things to be done and who I should talk to if it is not done by that time. If (by phone) I am being passed to any other person.. expect that that person will have no clue as to why I am calling. Make sure I have all the information about what they expect this new person to help me with.. BEFORE they pass me off to the next person. Take everyone's names and how I can reach them before they pass me off.
I am also going to try to make it a point to really thank the people that do help.
I am not a mean person. I usually trust people. I believe people when they are doing their job, that they will get the job done. I don't like confrontation. This attitude seems to bite me more and more these days. Doesn't it seem wrong that I have to beat myself up for being a nice, trusting person? Everything I have been taught, everything I believe and appreciate in other people.. it is used against me. Why does the world only seem to work for the people who make problems? Why do I (so often) regret being nice??
I understand that people forget, that people make mistakes, we're all human. But I swear people don't listen anymore and they don't seem to follow through with anything they say they will. Maybe they don't take their jobs seriously? I swear I take my job a lot more seriously than a lot of people I deal with these days.. and I make freakin' cartoons. CARTOONS! No one is going to lose their house or end up in the hospital if I don't get something done... yet I STILL make sure I follow through and get the things done that I am expected to do. ... and if for some reason I cannot? I let the people who are counting on me know!
I'm going to have to start using a notebook when I go to appointments or make phone calls. I need to ask a million questions and write everything down. If I have to rely on anyone to do anything I need to ask when to expect things to be done and who I should talk to if it is not done by that time. If (by phone) I am being passed to any other person.. expect that that person will have no clue as to why I am calling. Make sure I have all the information about what they expect this new person to help me with.. BEFORE they pass me off to the next person. Take everyone's names and how I can reach them before they pass me off.
I am also going to try to make it a point to really thank the people that do help.
Monday, January 24, 2011
3 Weeks down - do I miss it?
The answer to the question is Yes.. and No.. I don't know. Sure I miss it but at the same time I don't. It's more of a "dang we don't have any channels" and "oh well".
So far, it hasn't changed life very much. We are still finding our ground in "life with baby" and I'm seeing that TV wasn't very easy to watch as it was. I do miss the Daily Show and Colbert. (tho it's been a little nice to remove myself from all the political craziness) It seems right now, we are just replacing the shows we used to watch, with different show. I expect that will last for a little while longer, until we get sick of those replacements. (or until the sun actually stays out later and we can enjoy some of the evening outside) Wouldn't it be nice to take an evening walk? Maybe Em's bedtime routine could involve a walk a couple nights a week. We'll see. Maybe we'll get that garage in order and start some projects. I'd also like to read some books this year.
One thing I want to be careful of .. it's so easy to add in all sorts of other viewing options. Hulu, amazon, netflix etc...etc... It all just starts to get messy. I don't want to just add a million options of more crap to watch. Especially if those extras have more charges or subscription fees. Sure it would be great to be able to watch Mad Men.. but we've waited to watch them on dvd before.. we could do it again if we have to. Right now, I want to simplify. I think in a year or two, some of those online/streaming things will settle down and we'll see who is still around and worth it.
Until then, we'll make due with Oprah, Martha, Dance Party and Lawrence Welk
Now.. do we make the leap to antenna? Do we stick with dish and their IFC, Syfy Bravo? I do really like the DVR option. I suppose we could dig out the ol' VCR. Why do you have to pay monthly for a DVR? Do they have DVR's you can pay for once and just hook up to an antenna?
So far, it hasn't changed life very much. We are still finding our ground in "life with baby" and I'm seeing that TV wasn't very easy to watch as it was. I do miss the Daily Show and Colbert. (tho it's been a little nice to remove myself from all the political craziness) It seems right now, we are just replacing the shows we used to watch, with different show. I expect that will last for a little while longer, until we get sick of those replacements. (or until the sun actually stays out later and we can enjoy some of the evening outside) Wouldn't it be nice to take an evening walk? Maybe Em's bedtime routine could involve a walk a couple nights a week. We'll see. Maybe we'll get that garage in order and start some projects. I'd also like to read some books this year.
One thing I want to be careful of .. it's so easy to add in all sorts of other viewing options. Hulu, amazon, netflix etc...etc... It all just starts to get messy. I don't want to just add a million options of more crap to watch. Especially if those extras have more charges or subscription fees. Sure it would be great to be able to watch Mad Men.. but we've waited to watch them on dvd before.. we could do it again if we have to. Right now, I want to simplify. I think in a year or two, some of those online/streaming things will settle down and we'll see who is still around and worth it.
Until then, we'll make due with Oprah, Martha, Dance Party and Lawrence Welk
Now.. do we make the leap to antenna? Do we stick with dish and their IFC, Syfy Bravo? I do really like the DVR option. I suppose we could dig out the ol' VCR. Why do you have to pay monthly for a DVR? Do they have DVR's you can pay for once and just hook up to an antenna?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
2011 recipe #1
Mapled Chocolate Chip Cookies
This was an easy cookie recipe that sounded.. maybe slightly healthier than the usual, since they used whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Another strange and interesting part was it called for cheap salted butter. Said it was important to the texture or something. Perhaps the higher water content helps the whole wheat soften.. not sure.
I think they were good. I'd like to try them again. The maple took the place of the brown sugar and vanilla and added a nice slightly burnt sugar taste. They had a good crispiness that I like, but also stayed chewy. I did notice the whole wheat a couple times, nothing bad, but there was a little more of a grain to it that hung around in the mouth longer than usual cookies.. but with the crispiness I didn't mind.
Due to the stomach virus, we ended up giving most of them away.. so I think I'll have to make them again to form a better opinion. (I bet adding walnuts would be even healthier)
The verdict ... Make again! A nice way to experiment with different sugars and flours which may be a tiny tiny bit healthier... maybe.
This was an easy cookie recipe that sounded.. maybe slightly healthier than the usual, since they used whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Another strange and interesting part was it called for cheap salted butter. Said it was important to the texture or something. Perhaps the higher water content helps the whole wheat soften.. not sure.
I think they were good. I'd like to try them again. The maple took the place of the brown sugar and vanilla and added a nice slightly burnt sugar taste. They had a good crispiness that I like, but also stayed chewy. I did notice the whole wheat a couple times, nothing bad, but there was a little more of a grain to it that hung around in the mouth longer than usual cookies.. but with the crispiness I didn't mind.
Due to the stomach virus, we ended up giving most of them away.. so I think I'll have to make them again to form a better opinion. (I bet adding walnuts would be even healthier)
Mapled Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes: About 2 dozen
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (1 cup) cheap salted butter *for some reason the "cheap" part was important.. I think it has a higher water content*
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup real maple syrup (I used B grade)
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats and set aside.
Whisk the flours and baking soda together in a small bowl, and set aside.
In the work bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 1 minute, until well blended. Add the egg and maple syrup, and mix to blend. Add the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips, and stir with on-off pulses just until the mixture comes together.
Arrange 1 1/2” balls of dough at even intervals on the baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, or until the cookies are light golden brown. Let cool on sheets for about 15 minutes, then serve warm.
The verdict ... Make again! A nice way to experiment with different sugars and flours which may be a tiny tiny bit healthier... maybe.
2 weeks - 2 bad
A time it would have been nice to have to have some tv viewing choices... when you have a horrible stomach virus and can't do anything but lay on the couch and you are looking for something .. anything to distract you from how horrible you feel.
I guess the one good thing was.. it just forced me to try to sleep. But, those wee hours, when I know I can't close my eyes because a sudden trip to the bathroom is just around the corner. A couple options that I can watch and fall asleep to would have been nice. Infomercials are not comforting or calming. Luckily I found a few hours of "I love lucy". Surprisingly we still have IFC, my usual late night go to (since they don't break up their movies with commercials.. I can usually casually watch and fall asleep) But this night was a kung-fu action movie that made my stomach churn with every quick cut and flash.
So "I love lucy" it was. I can't say I knew what was going on at all in the show. I had the sound turned down so low. I just kept praying the famous chocolate episode was not up next.
I guess the one good thing was.. it just forced me to try to sleep. But, those wee hours, when I know I can't close my eyes because a sudden trip to the bathroom is just around the corner. A couple options that I can watch and fall asleep to would have been nice. Infomercials are not comforting or calming. Luckily I found a few hours of "I love lucy". Surprisingly we still have IFC, my usual late night go to (since they don't break up their movies with commercials.. I can usually casually watch and fall asleep) But this night was a kung-fu action movie that made my stomach churn with every quick cut and flash.
So "I love lucy" it was. I can't say I knew what was going on at all in the show. I had the sound turned down so low. I just kept praying the famous chocolate episode was not up next.
Monday, January 10, 2011
One week down
Well, we've made it a week. So far we are OK!
I can't say we have made it to the walk away from the TV part, yet. But I think we have watched less TV... or at least I am noticing we are watching less TV. (I have a feeling the amount we actually watch has been less since we've had the baby.. but it was always on in the background.. at least now we are paying the price we were for background noise) We are going to have to work up to actually being productive with our time. I feel a little bit like we are cheating. for some reason a few of the channels I thought would be gone are still around. Bravo, Syfy, IFC... Not really channels I wished we had, but still something. Of course Bravo is the channel that made it very clear to me that cable sucks (all housewives all the time) I'm a little afraid that I will now replace my HGTV addiction with reruns of top chef. (too bad they lost Project Runway)
I'm wondering if the cable company is leaving those channels as little temptations. We're not out of the spiders web completely. It's making it harder to totally break away. We could get an antenna, but would we still have these channels? I have to admit we were a little excited to see some unexpected channels. Makes it feel like you are getting away with something (but not really, we are still paying $30 for basically the free channels) Is bravo and IFC really worth $30? Is being able to record on the DVR? (I still don't get why we had to buy the dvr.. if it only works with their setup. They should supply that. What are we going to do with the dish and the boxes?) The extra channels are little reminders of the world of a million channels... Come back.. remember when you used to watch Project Runway on Bravo? Now it's on a channel you don't get. What about Mad Men? The Walking Dead might be good next season.. and you always looked forward to Always Sunny...
** I'd also like to add that I have no problem with paying for TV. The problem I have is when you pay for programing that stinks. The few shows that I feel are quality are just too few and far between to make the cost actually worth it . And $30 for local free channels? Crazy. I'll pay $30 for the local and say 3 or 4 channels of my choice. That would be great!
I can't say we have made it to the walk away from the TV part, yet. But I think we have watched less TV... or at least I am noticing we are watching less TV. (I have a feeling the amount we actually watch has been less since we've had the baby.. but it was always on in the background.. at least now we are paying the price we were for background noise) We are going to have to work up to actually being productive with our time. I feel a little bit like we are cheating. for some reason a few of the channels I thought would be gone are still around. Bravo, Syfy, IFC... Not really channels I wished we had, but still something. Of course Bravo is the channel that made it very clear to me that cable sucks (all housewives all the time) I'm a little afraid that I will now replace my HGTV addiction with reruns of top chef. (too bad they lost Project Runway)
I'm wondering if the cable company is leaving those channels as little temptations. We're not out of the spiders web completely. It's making it harder to totally break away. We could get an antenna, but would we still have these channels? I have to admit we were a little excited to see some unexpected channels. Makes it feel like you are getting away with something (but not really, we are still paying $30 for basically the free channels) Is bravo and IFC really worth $30? Is being able to record on the DVR? (I still don't get why we had to buy the dvr.. if it only works with their setup. They should supply that. What are we going to do with the dish and the boxes?) The extra channels are little reminders of the world of a million channels... Come back.. remember when you used to watch Project Runway on Bravo? Now it's on a channel you don't get. What about Mad Men? The Walking Dead might be good next season.. and you always looked forward to Always Sunny...
** I'd also like to add that I have no problem with paying for TV. The problem I have is when you pay for programing that stinks. The few shows that I feel are quality are just too few and far between to make the cost actually worth it . And $30 for local free channels? Crazy. I'll pay $30 for the local and say 3 or 4 channels of my choice. That would be great!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Boob Tube Rube
So as Jen's been writing about, we made the decision to reduce our tv channels down to the bare basic local networks, and fill in the rest as best we can with Netflix.
It's been a bit of trial and error and figuring out how to do this the best way. Mostly I wanted to reduce the amount of time that I personally spend just flipping channels instead of doing something constructive, like playing with Emmett or writing ideas, like I always say I'm going to do more of.
I think this experiment is going to be tough on both of us, but maybe more on me than Jen simply because I'm more prone to waste time than she is, but it's certainly revealed a few flaws in the plan. I think we need to research a bit more about Hulu or Hulu Plus or a web connected tv streaming option, so we at least have access to the handful of shows we really do want to watch. But it's also going to be a painful process of really letting go of the idea that we always need the tv on, which seems almost impossible in my mind, we've both gotten so used to having it just on in the background.
Hopefully with some time and research, we can come up with a combo of internet streaming service and antenna package that will let us watch a few good things, and we let go of the desire to just have crap on the rest of the time. It's going to be tough, but in the long run I'm hoping it pays off and we set an example for Emmett that surfing the 500 channels on cable isn't the way to spend a day.
It's been a bit of trial and error and figuring out how to do this the best way. Mostly I wanted to reduce the amount of time that I personally spend just flipping channels instead of doing something constructive, like playing with Emmett or writing ideas, like I always say I'm going to do more of.
I think this experiment is going to be tough on both of us, but maybe more on me than Jen simply because I'm more prone to waste time than she is, but it's certainly revealed a few flaws in the plan. I think we need to research a bit more about Hulu or Hulu Plus or a web connected tv streaming option, so we at least have access to the handful of shows we really do want to watch. But it's also going to be a painful process of really letting go of the idea that we always need the tv on, which seems almost impossible in my mind, we've both gotten so used to having it just on in the background.
Hopefully with some time and research, we can come up with a combo of internet streaming service and antenna package that will let us watch a few good things, and we let go of the desire to just have crap on the rest of the time. It's going to be tough, but in the long run I'm hoping it pays off and we set an example for Emmett that surfing the 500 channels on cable isn't the way to spend a day.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Time and space
Day 1.2-2.0
Today I'm still feeling a bit weird about this whole no cable business. I really don't understand why I am feeling grumpy about the situation. Last night was really not very different from any other night. I did the usual evening routine which the TV usually stays off. Once we settled down for the night the TV came on and we quickly found nothing to be on.. which it nothing new. So it was off to netflix to watch more episodes of pushing daisies before we headed to bed.
Even if I know there is nothing on, it's difficult to feel like I'm not missing something. Something COULD be on and we're going to miss it. I expect just like any habit, it's not going to be easy to break and there will be some withdrawal. I also expect we may watch some crummy TV for a bit (or else watch more movies) instead of walking away from the TV to do other things. We still have a lot of viewing options and haven't put much thought into what other things we can realistically do with that time.
One thing to think about is the fact that we are pretty beat by 9:00 these days. I don't want to do much other than relax on the couch and watch TV. Wish we had a better bathtub. I nice bath every once and a while would be wonderful. I'd love that time to work on art work, sewing projects or whatever, but space is also an issue. I don't want to drag everything out, setup.. and then have 10 min to actually do some work, before it all needs to be put away again. Maybe we should rethink the garage space. Section off a storage area and then make a real space for projects. We have the bones, but maybe we just need to really think about and separate the storage section to free up a work space. The actual work space might not be as big as we'd like it, but it would be a space. A place we could lay out the projects we are working on and not have to always keep it put away every night (to prevent choking or stabbing or however else little Mr Grabby could send himself to the emergency room) Maybe if we keep a big bottle of vodka in the freezer down there, we'll use the room more?
Sigh... if we could only afford a larger house, right?
But getting back to the subject.... I think the hardest part about not having the TV to fall to, is it forces yourself to be conscious of how you are using your time. It's easier to be lazy, it's comfortable. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with that, but when it's too easy you forget to do anything else. Now when there is nothing on, we'll have to think about what we want to do. Continue to watch an rerun episode of Family Ties or think of something else to do. Right now, I like the idea of that.. but when it is actually 9:00 and I'm tired and just want to veg, it's not going to be easy to get motivated.
Today I'm still feeling a bit weird about this whole no cable business. I really don't understand why I am feeling grumpy about the situation. Last night was really not very different from any other night. I did the usual evening routine which the TV usually stays off. Once we settled down for the night the TV came on and we quickly found nothing to be on.. which it nothing new. So it was off to netflix to watch more episodes of pushing daisies before we headed to bed.
Even if I know there is nothing on, it's difficult to feel like I'm not missing something. Something COULD be on and we're going to miss it. I expect just like any habit, it's not going to be easy to break and there will be some withdrawal. I also expect we may watch some crummy TV for a bit (or else watch more movies) instead of walking away from the TV to do other things. We still have a lot of viewing options and haven't put much thought into what other things we can realistically do with that time.
One thing to think about is the fact that we are pretty beat by 9:00 these days. I don't want to do much other than relax on the couch and watch TV. Wish we had a better bathtub. I nice bath every once and a while would be wonderful. I'd love that time to work on art work, sewing projects or whatever, but space is also an issue. I don't want to drag everything out, setup.. and then have 10 min to actually do some work, before it all needs to be put away again. Maybe we should rethink the garage space. Section off a storage area and then make a real space for projects. We have the bones, but maybe we just need to really think about and separate the storage section to free up a work space. The actual work space might not be as big as we'd like it, but it would be a space. A place we could lay out the projects we are working on and not have to always keep it put away every night (to prevent choking or stabbing or however else little Mr Grabby could send himself to the emergency room) Maybe if we keep a big bottle of vodka in the freezer down there, we'll use the room more?
Sigh... if we could only afford a larger house, right?
But getting back to the subject.... I think the hardest part about not having the TV to fall to, is it forces yourself to be conscious of how you are using your time. It's easier to be lazy, it's comfortable. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with that, but when it's too easy you forget to do anything else. Now when there is nothing on, we'll have to think about what we want to do. Continue to watch an rerun episode of Family Ties or think of something else to do. Right now, I like the idea of that.. but when it is actually 9:00 and I'm tired and just want to veg, it's not going to be easy to get motivated.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Worse than crack
New Years seemed to be a fitting time to finally start our experiment of turning off our cable TV. It wasn't going to be a New Years resolution, but it seemed like an easier time to break the habit after the holidays, when the weather was going to be crappy and we had no real plans of leaving the house. 1/3/11. we were going to be back to work and we wouldn't know what we were missing.
In the past we've talked about the idea of turning off the cable as a way to save money. But I always came back to the reasoning that it didn't save us a huge amount of money.. and if we were going to cut out other things, we would want to have the TV around as entertainment Plus anything of quality worth watching seemed to be on channels you had to pay for. But now I am starting to see it in another light.
Now with the kid we are starting to pay attention to just how bad the programming has gotten. I don't want Emmett to grow up being glued to the TV. I want him to get out and see the real world. I don't want him to idolized the idiots who all seem to have their own reality show or fall for the slick commercials and to just spend his life consuming. I don't want him to mindlessly waste his days in front of a television. If we don't want that for him.. then we have to set the example.
I have to admit the idea is a little scary to me. I really do like to watch TV. Even just having it on as background noise. But when I really started to think about what shows I would pay for (if we paid per show we watched) a lot of things I was wasting my time on where things I'd never pay to watch. So WHY am I watching them? Why am I wasting my time... time with Emmett and Brian? Why waste one bit of life on crap? Time that I always say I don't have. I'm excited to see what else we can do with that time. I hope we find other things to do and not just fill it up with our other tv options (watching even crappier tv.. or just a bunch of movies) Plus, we'll be saving money. Maybe we should plan something fun to do with that money. Save it for a trip or adventure? How fitting would that be?
I want life to start being more about quality and quantity. That is my theme for the year. Food, clothes, entertainment.. time.. all (or most of it anyway) quality. So here we go....
Day 1
1/2/11 - 9:30 PM Brian made the call. Down to basic, local channels. Instantly we lose what we are watching. We learn there are plenty of fees to make the "free channels" $29 a month. Seems crazy. I get that they want you to bump it up to basic cable.. but really, don't they want to keep any business they can get? If this goes well, we'll invest in that antenna.. and really start saving money. I'm starting to have the same evil corporation feelings about cable companies that I do about banks. I don't want give any of them my money any more. I have a small panic attack. It's been a long time since I've lived life cable free. I've also grown used to having the DVR watching shows almost commercial free ... what will we do if we go to antenna? Brian sets up the channels .. we have maybe 19-20 channels.. 10 which me might actually watch every now and then. We watch the end of the wonder years. I notice how little Fred Savage is. He looks so young. 1990... 21 years ago? Crap where did all that time go?
In the past we've talked about the idea of turning off the cable as a way to save money. But I always came back to the reasoning that it didn't save us a huge amount of money.. and if we were going to cut out other things, we would want to have the TV around as entertainment Plus anything of quality worth watching seemed to be on channels you had to pay for. But now I am starting to see it in another light.
Now with the kid we are starting to pay attention to just how bad the programming has gotten. I don't want Emmett to grow up being glued to the TV. I want him to get out and see the real world. I don't want him to idolized the idiots who all seem to have their own reality show or fall for the slick commercials and to just spend his life consuming. I don't want him to mindlessly waste his days in front of a television. If we don't want that for him.. then we have to set the example.
I have to admit the idea is a little scary to me. I really do like to watch TV. Even just having it on as background noise. But when I really started to think about what shows I would pay for (if we paid per show we watched) a lot of things I was wasting my time on where things I'd never pay to watch. So WHY am I watching them? Why am I wasting my time... time with Emmett and Brian? Why waste one bit of life on crap? Time that I always say I don't have. I'm excited to see what else we can do with that time. I hope we find other things to do and not just fill it up with our other tv options (watching even crappier tv.. or just a bunch of movies) Plus, we'll be saving money. Maybe we should plan something fun to do with that money. Save it for a trip or adventure? How fitting would that be?
I want life to start being more about quality and quantity. That is my theme for the year. Food, clothes, entertainment.. time.. all (or most of it anyway) quality. So here we go....
Day 1
1/2/11 - 9:30 PM Brian made the call. Down to basic, local channels. Instantly we lose what we are watching. We learn there are plenty of fees to make the "free channels" $29 a month. Seems crazy. I get that they want you to bump it up to basic cable.. but really, don't they want to keep any business they can get? If this goes well, we'll invest in that antenna.. and really start saving money. I'm starting to have the same evil corporation feelings about cable companies that I do about banks. I don't want give any of them my money any more. I have a small panic attack. It's been a long time since I've lived life cable free. I've also grown used to having the DVR watching shows almost commercial free ... what will we do if we go to antenna? Brian sets up the channels .. we have maybe 19-20 channels.. 10 which me might actually watch every now and then. We watch the end of the wonder years. I notice how little Fred Savage is. He looks so young. 1990... 21 years ago? Crap where did all that time go?
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