Goals

The topic for this week is to discuss your goals for this upcoming month:

Diet/Exercise:

 I have been doing great with the number of days I work out, but really need to run more.  I have definitely fallen off the running wagon in a big way.  I want to run a 5 miler this Thanksgiving, and defiantly could not do that right now.

As for my eating, carbs are sneaking their way back into my daily consumption.  I need to get a handle on this and put an end to it.  Battling this demon has been way harder than I would have ever expected.  I am defiantly addicted.

Knitting

I have a bunch of holiday monsters to make, and I would like to finish at least one of them this month.  I also want to get started on a gift for someone who might read this, so I am going to keep that mum.

Adult Stuff

No not, sexy adult stuff... geez.  I need to figure out how to pay for the kids college tuition, and if I am going to get a job to do that I need to get cracking on that task.  I have some ideas about that, but am not ready to share them yet.  I would like to take the first step to exploring my idea this month.  This is probably the most important thing I plan to do this month.

That's about all... hopefully this month goes well.  Want to see what the other ladies have on tap? Check them out at: Froggie, Momarock, and Merrylandgirl

Cooking... my way

Cooking... that is the topic this week.

When I go to the grocery store I am always amazed at how much processed food people buy, frozen meals, convenience foods, etc.  But, that doesn't even tip the iceberg.  Hannah reported to me that our family is weird because we only eat out 1 or 2 times a month.  Most of the kids in her class eat out 1 or 2 times a week. 

Wow is all I have to say.   We never eat out because it is expensive and for the most part not that good for you.  We eat home cooked meals.  I will admit that since I have started cooking for kids, the complexity of our recipes has diminished significantly.  No more fancy foods, just a simple protein, veggie and salad.  I try and make enough for me to have some for lunch.  That is harder than you might think.  It is inexpensive, healthy and gets the job done.

When we moved here and I was showing the estimator from the moving company around our old house, he opened my pantry and said, "you cook don't you?"  I was curious how he could tell.  He said it was because I had ingredients in my pantry and not pre-made food.

I don't always like to cook dinner, but it is healthier, cheaper and tastier than the alternatives.  Looking for some quick recipes?

Better than your Momma's brisket

1 can cola (not the diet kind)
1 packet onion soup mix
2 packs of mushrooms (pre-sliced if you are pressed for time)
1 brisket

Put everything in the crock pot for the day and enjoy!  I like to serve with potatoes, either mashed or roasted.  Don't scoff at the odd ingredients... it is better than your Momma's!

Fish Tacos

6 4oz Talapia filets dipped in breading mixture (below) and cooked in oil in a frying pan.  Use enough oil to lightly coat the pan.  We aren't fryin' chickens here.
sweet peppers sliced thin
cilantro
avocado
corn tortillas
salsa

layer all the of the above in the tortillas and enjoy!

breading mix:

2T flour
1T chili powder
1/2T onion powder
1/2T oregano
1/2T cumin
1/4T pepper
1/4T cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)

My kids love this.  Talapia is very mild and not fishy.  This is a good starter fish for kids to try!

Just a few ideas.. if you have any questions about them, let me know. 

Want to see how the other ladies cook it up?  Check them out at: Froggie, Momarock, and Merrylandgirl

 

Great Spanking Debate

Topic for this week is spanking.  Based on this article.
 http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/canadian-experts-call-nationwide-ban-spanking-180200392.html

What are your thoughts on this??? This certainly can apply to any of us, since our parents may have or might not have spanked us as kids.

Spank, don't spank.  Breast feed don't breast feed.  Drink 32 ounces of soda, don't drink 32 ounces of soda.  At the end of the day, it comes down to choice.  I choose to spank, breast feed and drink 32 ounces of soda.  You might not make those choices.

A bit more about my choice to spank.  When my kids were toddlers, I spanked them.  The eldest looked at me and said, at the tender age of 2 1/2, "That didn't hurt Mommy.  Is that all you got?"  After I scrapped myself off the ceiling, I realized that spanking this kid wasn't going to work.  Taking away television on the other hand worked like a champ.

My middle son, would look at me and through the biggest veil of tears you have ever seen, seriously Niagra Falls is mini in comparison, and say "I'm sorry Mommy, don't hit me."  I had to spank him once and just the suggestion that I might have to do it again caused him to change what he was doing.

My daughter, she needed a few spankings here and there and sometimes still does.  It will work better than anything else.  But, I can count on one hand the number of times I have spanked her in the last year.  Again, a trip to her room or taking her monkeys away is usually all that is needed.

Do I abuse my kids?  I don't think so.  DCFS will not take away your kids unless they feel that you are acting outside of what is reasonable.  They would constitute what I have done in the situations I have done it reasonable.

Now that they are older, I wouldn't dream of spanking the boys.  It is just inappropriate.  Besides, I have much better things I can do like take away the phone or video games.  Do my kids think that I abuse them?  Probably, they don't have any ice cream in the house right now and they need to clean their rooms this weekend.  For all their faults, my kids are fine.

What we need is for government to STOP telling us what to do.  Let's let adults make adult decisions.  We don't need government to regulate everything.

Want to hear what everyone else has to say?  Check them out at:  Froggie, Momarock, and Merrylandgirl

History Lesson... again

This weeks topic is on pregnancy and education, specifically:

There is a charter school in Louisianan that requires students suspected of being pregnant to take a pregnancy test. If the student refuses, or test positive they have to be home schooled. Here is a link to one of many articles about this controversy.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hjVH1yWjOjUn0EPS6b10Y2etxR8Q?docId=a8e7fa91ef734274a662a662e6833dd9
 

You may be wondering if they can do that. In legal terms the answer is, NO. In fact this policy is in complete violation of the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities. According to Title IX and its regulations schools cannot exclude any student from an education program or activity, “including any class or extracurricular activity, on the basis of such student’s pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy or recovery therefrom.”  The fact that not one of the families who send their girls to this school has uttered a peep about this is surprising to me.  But, it is a clear violation of the law.

If I understand what one of the Republican Politicians said,"women are pregnant before the conceive," all girls of childbearing age are pregnant.  As such, no girls can receive a public education in Delhi, LA.  Interesting way to control your education costs.

Ultimately, our country is at a crossroads.  We have a VERY conservative christian right that wants to impose their morality on everyone.  Situations like this are just examples of how that extremest group has started to infiltrate our culture.  I feel like this needs to stop.

Let me go back to the reason folks jumped on boats and cruised out of England, it was for religious persecution.  The dudes that founded the country wanted to be able to practice their religion anyway they wanted.  The constitution says there is no national religion.  This country supports the idea that your path to G-d is just that, your path.  So, why do these right wing Christian politicians want to change that?  You go be conservative on your own time, and I will be over here having abortions and a pregnant teen OK?

I need government to STOP telling me how to live my life.  Leave these kids alone.

Check them out at:Froggie, Momarock, and Merrylandgirl.

When I get older...

Today's topic is what scares you the most about getting older.

I have watched a lot of my mother's friends age.  For some of them it hasn't been pretty.  A close family friend smoked for probably 15 years before she quit.  Now, she has COPD.  It is going to shorten her life.  Even though she hasn't smoked in probably 50 years.

It is the choices that I made when I was younger that I worry about.  What did I do when I was fearless that will come back to bite me?  My choices about food have already done that.  If I want to walk when my kids graduate and get married, I need to change the way I eat.  That sounds dramatic.  Especially when you see me running down the road.  But, if I allow myself to continue to be obese and allow my weight to continue to creep up, I will most likely have a hard time moving around when my kids are starting their families.

My mother was older when she had me.  I believe that my younger brother and I kept her young.  I have always assumed that my kids would do the same for me.  But, if I want to be like my mom, taking off on trips to where ever into my 80's, then I need to make sure I make good choices about my body today.  When my kids have kids, I will likely be in my 60's and 70's.  I don't want to be so physically unable that I can not be a part of that.

If running, doing push-ups and keeping myself strong and healthy will allow me to see my grandkids, walk down the aisle with my daughter when she gets married and climb up to the top of the stadium when they graduate from college, then I guess that is what I am going to do.

Want to see what the other Ladies have to say about it? Check them out at:Froggie, Momarock, and Merrylandgirl.

Me?!

The topic for Thursday was:

It's all about self-love...
Compliment yourself (as many or as few compliments as you want) OR tell us about something nice you'd like to do for yourself (if money and time were unlimited). You can even do both if you want, but not required.
 

I have struggled with this, because I am sort of frustrated with things right now.  My van died, well didn't die per say, but started to make an expensive noise.  When we got home from getting a new van the house was hot.  The A/C unit no longer works.  We also just got a quote to fix the damage from the storm a couple of months ago and some rotten wood.  Needless to say, we are going to be spending a whole heap of money. 

The kids started school and that means all the activities have fired up.  I feel like am running at full tilt without a warm-up.  We have had teacher luncheons, soccer tournaments, soccer practices, games, kids fighting and all other manner of craziness.

I am frustrated because the weight isn't coming off as fast as I would like.  No one seems to be noticing the "new and improved" me.  I am getting tired of trying.

With all of this going on, it is hard for me to find time to say something or even do something nice for myself.  Right at this very moment in my life it is all about getting it done and making it through.  I do recognize that I have very big first world problems.  We are not sick or unhealthy.  We have the resources to weather this storm.

So, in the spirit of completing the assignment, I am capable of getting it done.  I am resourceful and I will figure it out.  I also think I am loyal and honest.

I asked the kids to say something nice about me (I am a good delegator) and they said:

• Mom is awesome
• Mom is pretty
• Mom is the best mom
• You are a very supportive mother.

I asked my husband to say something nice about me:

• Kind, looks out for everyone, she is very patient.

So there you have it... feel free to add to the list.

Just as I published this blog post, we got some not so good news about a close family member's health.  Really Universe, it is time for you to go and dance the Salsa on someone else's spleen.

Want to see what the other ladies have to say? Check them out at: Froggie, Momarock, and Merrylandgirl.

Olympics

Topic for this week:  Olympics wrap up...

I feel like it could be summed up with a few words, cheating, bad sportsmanship and bad behavior.

Cheating.  It irritates me to see these athletes cheat.  I realize that the Olympics are a big deal, but these athletes are not any lessor role models than professional athletes.  If you are going to do it, do it right and don't cheat. 

::tangent::  I read an article about recreational runners that cheat in marathons, 10Ks, etc.  Most people don't cheat enough to win prizes or anything.  Then why do it?  I guess I could see if you are trying to qualify for Boston or New York.  But, nothing other than bragging rights?  How does it feel to tell people you ran a marathon, but to know you cheated.  Idiotic.  :: end tangent::

Bad sportsmanship.  When the runner who tripped, curled up into the fetal position and then stormed off, I was devastated.  I was willing her to get up and finish.  She knew she was going to loose, but to not finish?  It seemed like she was setting the wrong example.  We finish what we begin.  She would be remembered for finishing in a positive way.  Now, she is just a sore looser.

Bad behavior.  I think this was mostly exhibited by the press.  Wassup with Gabby Douglas' hair?  I really could care less.  She is an amazing athlete and her hair looked fine to me.  I never understood that.  Or all the hoopla when Jordan Weaver didn't make it to the all-around competition.  She is still an amazing gymnast.  I am sure she is disappointed, and she showed amazing poise in a stressful situation.  Let's remember these are young kids, let them be!

That is all I have to say about it. Want to see what the other ladies have to say? Check them out at: Froggie, Momarock, and Merrylandgirl.