Lots of thoughts surrounding the terrible act of violence in Connecticut. This morning I was thinking how hard it must be for all parents to send their little ones off to school as usual. This situation, like many others, has stripped us of feeling secure in the places we should feel most secure.
I find myself mesmerized by the details that slowly emerge about Friday's incident. Its sickening and horrifying, and I hate to read it, but I find myself most drawn to the stories about the acts of courage and heroism. I try to avoid reading about the gunman, as if that will keep him from winning, from being glorified and celebritized. I feel like I owe it to the families to read about their sweet and innocent little ones; how they liked to make cards for their friends or how they were learning Portugese.
Listening to a press conference with the coroner, I was so irritated by one reporter's question, "Is this the worst you've ever seen?" NO SHIT. Of course it is you fool. It made me hate the media. I am struggling with the balance between what information our society needs to know, and what information is just being shared for the sake of having frequent updates. Each news outlet is sure to mention that this is the 2nd worse shooting in our history, as if its a competition and they are offering a challenge to other psychos out there.
You hear a lot about the need to re-evaluate gun laws or the need for tighter security in schools. However, I can't help but think that if there's a will, there's a way, and no legislator or metal detector is going to keep someone from acting out in the worst way possible. I have been humbled by the compassion our President has shown and his graceful words, and I know he is mighty, but he can't do it all.
I think the place we need to start is right in our very own homes. Are we raising children that respect all kinds of life? Are we holding ourselves accountable to check in on a troubled friend? Its much too easy to ignore the hard conversation of encouraging someone to seek help, or to just cross our fingers that our kids understand how very important it is to treat everyone with respect, but what if we took a more active role? What if we each vowed to do our part and to soften our hearts to the people we encounter each day. I think the changes we can make by plugging in to our own families and communities is much more powerful than any legislation or improved security measures.
While listening to the radio, I heard a phrase that really stuck in my mind: "Cover your children in prayer." How can we be sure that our loved ones will be safe throughout their day? We can't. But we can be sure to send our loved ones out the door with words that bless their hearts and protect their spirits.
Realizing that the power to change is in our very own backyards (not in Washington) gives me a little bit of hope that our society isn't doomed.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Safe haven
What an awful day for parents and children and anyone who wants to feel like a safe haven still exists somewhere.
So far in my pregnancy, I have been lucky to have virtually no issues, but like most, I do find myself worrying extra and finding the most extreme things to panic about. But, I remind myself that even when you make it through one milestone you were worried about, then its only on to the next. What good does it to do forecast potential problems and spend your day worrying about them...because the most unexpected and tragic things can happen in the most secure of places.
So, for now, I will find comfort in the little safe haven that my body has created, that my sweet little baboon can rest and be sheltered from the world...for now. And when my baby is here, and inevitably something tragic happens again, I will smother that little human with so much love, Mike will have to peel me off of them!!!
So far in my pregnancy, I have been lucky to have virtually no issues, but like most, I do find myself worrying extra and finding the most extreme things to panic about. But, I remind myself that even when you make it through one milestone you were worried about, then its only on to the next. What good does it to do forecast potential problems and spend your day worrying about them...because the most unexpected and tragic things can happen in the most secure of places.
So, for now, I will find comfort in the little safe haven that my body has created, that my sweet little baboon can rest and be sheltered from the world...for now. And when my baby is here, and inevitably something tragic happens again, I will smother that little human with so much love, Mike will have to peel me off of them!!!
Dreams
I guess it is a common thing to have no interest in hearing about people's dreams (as in, night dreams, not hopes and aspirations). I, on the other hand, think dreams are fascinating, and as such, I am constantly telling people, "Last night I dreamt..." and I don't even pause to let them say, "No thank you, this is not a story I'm interested in" because I don't even expect that reaction. I personally think I have the most interesting dreams and that it would be impossible for someone to not want to hear them.
I mean, where do these little mind movies come from?? Why do I keep dreaming about working at Otter Box and why do they have a fox running around with a very strenuous nature trail in their parking lot? The most random people pop into my dreams, and if we were all required by law to tell people when we dreamed about them, I would imagine we would get an email every day saying "I had a dream about you"...wouldn't that be so fun?!
Although, some of my dreams have changed my feelings towards people...like I had a dream that this guy that works in my building was trying to break down my door to attack me, and now every time I see him I'm like, HOLD IT RIGHT THERE MISTER!!!
Anyway, in my quest to make people be more interested in dream sharing, I will now attempt to share more of my dreams on this blog. And I encourage you to do the same! Dreams are crazy! Lets talk about them!!
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| Notice the "Hey, its ok..." near the bottom on the right...WHATEVA! |
Although, some of my dreams have changed my feelings towards people...like I had a dream that this guy that works in my building was trying to break down my door to attack me, and now every time I see him I'm like, HOLD IT RIGHT THERE MISTER!!!
Anyway, in my quest to make people be more interested in dream sharing, I will now attempt to share more of my dreams on this blog. And I encourage you to do the same! Dreams are crazy! Lets talk about them!!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Time to spill the beans
For some, this may be old news, but for others, this may be new news. I am pregnant!
I knew exactly when I could take a test, and so you better believe that morning I ripped open the test, peed on the stick, and then took what seemed to be the longest shower of my life. When I got out, I fumbled to put my glasses on and as soon as my eyes could focus, all I saw was PREGNANT. I immediately started to cry =)
I found out on our sweet little Addyson's birthday, so I will always remember the day. I wanted to tell Mike in a cool way, but I couldn't come up with anything and was too anxious to tell him, so I told him when I got home from work. He was like, yeah I heard you crying this morning, and I knew you could take a test today, so I was just waiting for you to tell me. Oh, okay great! Good thing I didn't go through with the airplane banner!
I knew we would tell my sister right away, and my best friend that weekend, but after that, I really enjoyed having a little secret. I realized I wasn't going to be truly alone for the next 9 months, and I felt really motivated to take care of myself and create a comfy living space for this little baboon.
The first few weeks were smooth sailing, then meals stopped being something I enjoyed. While sitting at work, I felt like I was one sneeze away from barfing in my trash can. I ate smoothies and crackers and cottage cheese. I liked the feeling that something was happening, but I didn't enjoy feeling like a zombie...going to bed at 7pm, not doing anything productive, etc. One night I freaked out and was like, THIS IS ANNOYING! I WANT TO BE A HUMAN AGAIN!! Mike was out of town and I was in bed, naturally, and I had just read on one of my pregnancy apps that "good news, only 6 more weeks of this!" That was 6 weeks too many for this mama!!
But then, as quick as a cat, my first trimester ended (on Election Day, of course!) and all of the sudden, I felt great!
We continued to keep it a secret, mainly because it was fun, but I also was not interested in sharing the news with my office, and was also not that into announcing it on Facebook. After a few doctors visits we started to tell more peeps. But, now its getting to the point where if I don't start telling people, in a few months when I start showing up places with an infant, they will think I stole it.
So now, comes the fun stuff!
Looking pregnant. (thank goodness for my pregnancy experts Britt and Jocelyn for giving me all of their maternity clothes!)
Acting pregnant. (should I cry today because my dad and brother can't come to my attempted gender reveal party? Sure! This obviously means they don't care!!!)
Buying baby stuff. (I think Mike has visited every baby website that exists to find the best deals on diapers and wipes. What a bargain shopper!)
Making myself fill out a pregnancy journal. (Sometimes silly, but I know I'll be glad I did!)
Finding out the gender! (December 18!!)
Halfway point! (Christmas Day!)
Due May 14 (the same day Mike and I had our first date 2 years ago!), Baby A!
I knew exactly when I could take a test, and so you better believe that morning I ripped open the test, peed on the stick, and then took what seemed to be the longest shower of my life. When I got out, I fumbled to put my glasses on and as soon as my eyes could focus, all I saw was PREGNANT. I immediately started to cry =)
I found out on our sweet little Addyson's birthday, so I will always remember the day. I wanted to tell Mike in a cool way, but I couldn't come up with anything and was too anxious to tell him, so I told him when I got home from work. He was like, yeah I heard you crying this morning, and I knew you could take a test today, so I was just waiting for you to tell me. Oh, okay great! Good thing I didn't go through with the airplane banner!
I knew we would tell my sister right away, and my best friend that weekend, but after that, I really enjoyed having a little secret. I realized I wasn't going to be truly alone for the next 9 months, and I felt really motivated to take care of myself and create a comfy living space for this little baboon.
The first few weeks were smooth sailing, then meals stopped being something I enjoyed. While sitting at work, I felt like I was one sneeze away from barfing in my trash can. I ate smoothies and crackers and cottage cheese. I liked the feeling that something was happening, but I didn't enjoy feeling like a zombie...going to bed at 7pm, not doing anything productive, etc. One night I freaked out and was like, THIS IS ANNOYING! I WANT TO BE A HUMAN AGAIN!! Mike was out of town and I was in bed, naturally, and I had just read on one of my pregnancy apps that "good news, only 6 more weeks of this!" That was 6 weeks too many for this mama!!
But then, as quick as a cat, my first trimester ended (on Election Day, of course!) and all of the sudden, I felt great!
We continued to keep it a secret, mainly because it was fun, but I also was not interested in sharing the news with my office, and was also not that into announcing it on Facebook. After a few doctors visits we started to tell more peeps. But, now its getting to the point where if I don't start telling people, in a few months when I start showing up places with an infant, they will think I stole it.
So now, comes the fun stuff!
Looking pregnant. (thank goodness for my pregnancy experts Britt and Jocelyn for giving me all of their maternity clothes!)
Acting pregnant. (should I cry today because my dad and brother can't come to my attempted gender reveal party? Sure! This obviously means they don't care!!!)
Buying baby stuff. (I think Mike has visited every baby website that exists to find the best deals on diapers and wipes. What a bargain shopper!)
Making myself fill out a pregnancy journal. (Sometimes silly, but I know I'll be glad I did!)
Finding out the gender! (December 18!!)
Halfway point! (Christmas Day!)
Due May 14 (the same day Mike and I had our first date 2 years ago!), Baby A!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Nail polish and restless thoughts
Yesterday I watched the girlies while Adam and Britt did some Christmas shopping. I really wanted to paint the girls' nails with festive sparkles so I brought over all my goods. They are so eager for their nails to be dry that we have to get creative with ways to sit still. This time I had them watch a timer on my phone and told them when they heard the dog bark alarm at the end, it was time...time to start the countdown again. I thought we were in the clear but I didn't expect Brynn to dig into her laughing cow cheese immediately after we were finished so as she was sucking cheese off of her finger she also ate her nail polish. I guess only re-doing one nail on a 2 year old isn't so bad!
Lots of transition happening in our life and the lives around us. It's making me restless and reexamine every little thing about me. Silly things like...Do I give good Christmas gifts? Is my house organized? Do I live functionally or do I just pretend to?? Bigger things like... Am i keeping in touch with friends as best as i can? Is my character strong enough to set good, lasting examples for the little babes in my life?? So I tried to make a good Christmas gift list and then ignored the rest for now.
In the coming weeks, a lot of things will be decided for our little family. I am anxious but excited. And I love going to sleep at night knowing that there is already a plan, we just have to trust in it. Stay tuned!
Lots of transition happening in our life and the lives around us. It's making me restless and reexamine every little thing about me. Silly things like...Do I give good Christmas gifts? Is my house organized? Do I live functionally or do I just pretend to?? Bigger things like... Am i keeping in touch with friends as best as i can? Is my character strong enough to set good, lasting examples for the little babes in my life?? So I tried to make a good Christmas gift list and then ignored the rest for now.
In the coming weeks, a lot of things will be decided for our little family. I am anxious but excited. And I love going to sleep at night knowing that there is already a plan, we just have to trust in it. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Baking Day
I was lucky enough to get Thanksgiving week off of work, and so I knew that I wanted to spend one of my free days baking a pie. A Dutch apple pie, to be exact! We bought apples from the farmers market last week while waiting for our table at Snooze, and I was slowly getting all the supplies I needed to make this delicious treat.
My cousin Nasime got a last minute flight to come for Thanksgiving, so while my sister was picking her up from the airport, I thought I was being super prepared and packed all my pie goods to take to her house for our baking day. i stopped at King Soopers for Britt's supplies, got some coffee, and I was really feeling like a hybrid of Martha and Giada all rolled into one.
I passed a horse pasture and caught a glimpse of the back of a horse wearing a coat, but for some reason it looked like someone had dressed up a scary figure and placed it in the pasture to scare people. I had just read some thing on pinterest about how to scare the hotel maids by making figurines out of towels, so I automatically thought, oh thats not weird to have a scary figure in a pasture, but then realized that people generally don't try to scare you during Thanksgiving, and no...its not scary, its just a horse with a jacket on. Moving on.
Then, the second I pulled into her neighborhood, somehow my mind realized I had left the pie dough I had so carefully prepared last night at my house. Come ON! So I unloaded all my gunk and told myself I would be back in 10 minutes. That's a lie. I have to lie to myself sometimes.
I called my mom on the way and after hanging up with her, I was just driving right along when I realized I had missed my exit. What the heck!! I do not live in a big city by any means. Traffic was not an issue. I wasn't talking on the phone. I just missed it. Now, something I realized today was that if you miss the Mountain Vista exit, the next exit is in SEVEN MILES. In Wellington. That's practically WYOMING. So I turned on my iPod and settled in for the road trip. Once I turned around, I speedraced back to my exit, and as soon as I was on Mountain Vista, there it was....a TRAIN. A freaking train. I blew half a tank of gas to speed up to beat it, but those dang arms came down (much too soon, in my opinion...I could have beat that train fair and square) and stopped me. Now this was a quick train, thank the good Lord. Otherwise I would have had dragon fire coming out of my mouth.
Anyhow, I got the dough. I baked that dang pie. And we had a super time doing it. I will be using that pie pan again...and maybe some new decorative crust tools that my grandma gave me? Look out, Christmas!!
My cousin Nasime got a last minute flight to come for Thanksgiving, so while my sister was picking her up from the airport, I thought I was being super prepared and packed all my pie goods to take to her house for our baking day. i stopped at King Soopers for Britt's supplies, got some coffee, and I was really feeling like a hybrid of Martha and Giada all rolled into one.
I passed a horse pasture and caught a glimpse of the back of a horse wearing a coat, but for some reason it looked like someone had dressed up a scary figure and placed it in the pasture to scare people. I had just read some thing on pinterest about how to scare the hotel maids by making figurines out of towels, so I automatically thought, oh thats not weird to have a scary figure in a pasture, but then realized that people generally don't try to scare you during Thanksgiving, and no...its not scary, its just a horse with a jacket on. Moving on.
Then, the second I pulled into her neighborhood, somehow my mind realized I had left the pie dough I had so carefully prepared last night at my house. Come ON! So I unloaded all my gunk and told myself I would be back in 10 minutes. That's a lie. I have to lie to myself sometimes.
I called my mom on the way and after hanging up with her, I was just driving right along when I realized I had missed my exit. What the heck!! I do not live in a big city by any means. Traffic was not an issue. I wasn't talking on the phone. I just missed it. Now, something I realized today was that if you miss the Mountain Vista exit, the next exit is in SEVEN MILES. In Wellington. That's practically WYOMING. So I turned on my iPod and settled in for the road trip. Once I turned around, I speedraced back to my exit, and as soon as I was on Mountain Vista, there it was....a TRAIN. A freaking train. I blew half a tank of gas to speed up to beat it, but those dang arms came down (much too soon, in my opinion...I could have beat that train fair and square) and stopped me. Now this was a quick train, thank the good Lord. Otherwise I would have had dragon fire coming out of my mouth.
Anyhow, I got the dough. I baked that dang pie. And we had a super time doing it. I will be using that pie pan again...and maybe some new decorative crust tools that my grandma gave me? Look out, Christmas!!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Beer at work and other important news
How to feel like you are drinking a delicious porter at work:
Get a cup of black coffee
Let it cool
Take a sip and hold it in your mouth for a second
(this part is crucial) Tell yourself, "This porter is kind of strong but soooo good!"
(bonus step) Hold your breath for as long as possible and you will feel like you have a (short) buzz
That is how you feel like you are drinking beer at work. It's so easy!!!
In other news, I only washed my hair once this week, and I believe it was a successful venture as no one has asked me if I am homeless. I already high-fived myself, practically every morning, so you can hang on to your high-five. Who's cool!
Looking forward to a Saturday of sleeping in, a Sunday of cornhole at Pateros Creek, and then a holiday week where I hope to bake my very first Dutch Apple pie and learn to knit a cowl scarf. If that doesn't sound cozy then I don't know what does!!
Get a cup of black coffee
Let it cool
Take a sip and hold it in your mouth for a second
(this part is crucial) Tell yourself, "This porter is kind of strong but soooo good!"
(bonus step) Hold your breath for as long as possible and you will feel like you have a (short) buzz
That is how you feel like you are drinking beer at work. It's so easy!!!
In other news, I only washed my hair once this week, and I believe it was a successful venture as no one has asked me if I am homeless. I already high-fived myself, practically every morning, so you can hang on to your high-five. Who's cool!
Looking forward to a Saturday of sleeping in, a Sunday of cornhole at Pateros Creek, and then a holiday week where I hope to bake my very first Dutch Apple pie and learn to knit a cowl scarf. If that doesn't sound cozy then I don't know what does!!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
How do I post on this thing again??
I have neglected this little blog ... I wish I had all the creative motivation and all the time in the world, and I would spend my days sipping americanos in a dim room, listening to folky music and blogging about all of my incredible opinions and such.
Turns out, with all this election hoopla, I really have a tough time forming an opinion about hard core things...I hope thats okay. Mike says that later in life when I become a Republican (jigga whaaaa?) that I will have some opinions like his...but I don't see that day ever coming =) I guess I just don't like to debate things and I just like to let people think what they want to think, then let them change their mind if they want. I'd rather spend my time cuddling all these new babies that have entered our world and watching football on Sundays and scouring Pinterest as if I'll actually ever do any of those incredibly crafty things.
This weekend, we celebrated a year of true wedded bliss. Even though we got "public" married in April, we got "legally" married last year on 11/11/11 (who's cool!) right before we moved in together (and by moved in together I mean lived in a place together where there was space other than my bookshelf for Mike's clothes and other random necessities). It was a super secret for a while, but now its kind of fun to say, we've been married a year! He sent me some lovely roses at work (that will never get old) and then we went to Jay's on Saturday night for a feast of all feasts. Mike really does know how to dine out and I sure do enjoy that about him. Wine for each course. Soups and salads. Dessert. Sub "this" for "that" cause "this" sounds better. We originally had reservations for 7pm, but then it was snowy and he remembered that I have the bedtime of a geriatric so we moved it up to 6pm...and we were in bed watching Netflix by 8:30! Now thats what I call an anniversary.
Now that I'm back to being bored at work, I think I'll have more time to collect my thoughts and blog more. Remember Ashley, remember why you started blogging in the first place...to REMEMBER!
Peace out.
Turns out, with all this election hoopla, I really have a tough time forming an opinion about hard core things...I hope thats okay. Mike says that later in life when I become a Republican (jigga whaaaa?) that I will have some opinions like his...but I don't see that day ever coming =) I guess I just don't like to debate things and I just like to let people think what they want to think, then let them change their mind if they want. I'd rather spend my time cuddling all these new babies that have entered our world and watching football on Sundays and scouring Pinterest as if I'll actually ever do any of those incredibly crafty things.
This weekend, we celebrated a year of true wedded bliss. Even though we got "public" married in April, we got "legally" married last year on 11/11/11 (who's cool!) right before we moved in together (and by moved in together I mean lived in a place together where there was space other than my bookshelf for Mike's clothes and other random necessities). It was a super secret for a while, but now its kind of fun to say, we've been married a year! He sent me some lovely roses at work (that will never get old) and then we went to Jay's on Saturday night for a feast of all feasts. Mike really does know how to dine out and I sure do enjoy that about him. Wine for each course. Soups and salads. Dessert. Sub "this" for "that" cause "this" sounds better. We originally had reservations for 7pm, but then it was snowy and he remembered that I have the bedtime of a geriatric so we moved it up to 6pm...and we were in bed watching Netflix by 8:30! Now thats what I call an anniversary.
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| I love shopping for cards for him cause they all make me cry and I have to hide my tears in the middle of the store. Good times. |
Now that I'm back to being bored at work, I think I'll have more time to collect my thoughts and blog more. Remember Ashley, remember why you started blogging in the first place...to REMEMBER!
Peace out.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Click
My days lately have been dominated by work. Its not all bad, only because I know in a few short weeks, it will all be over...but I can I just share a pet peeve real quick before I go ignore my dirty dishes to lay in bed to catch up on all the new shows...
I have been training our election judges on how to use our electronic pollbook. This involves a computer. And even after lifetime judges challenge me on new information ("Well in 2008, ...), even after the guy eating popcorn snarfs his popcorn but is sure to leave a popcorn trail all throughout the building, even after the 60-something's shush each other...my main pet peeve will still be this: When people don't know whether to click once, or to doubleclick on something. Maybe I should just get over it and count myself lucky enough to be born into the generation that just gets it. But COME ON. If you hover and you see an arrow, click twice. If you hover and see a hand, click once. Its that simple. Am I right?? These sweet volunteers are clicking their hearts out, getting lost, finding screens they should never even find, getting impatient, etc. Meanwhile, I am thinking, thank you Jesus that my children will never not know how to operate a computer.
Night night!
I have been training our election judges on how to use our electronic pollbook. This involves a computer. And even after lifetime judges challenge me on new information ("Well in 2008, ...), even after the guy eating popcorn snarfs his popcorn but is sure to leave a popcorn trail all throughout the building, even after the 60-something's shush each other...my main pet peeve will still be this: When people don't know whether to click once, or to doubleclick on something. Maybe I should just get over it and count myself lucky enough to be born into the generation that just gets it. But COME ON. If you hover and you see an arrow, click twice. If you hover and see a hand, click once. Its that simple. Am I right?? These sweet volunteers are clicking their hearts out, getting lost, finding screens they should never even find, getting impatient, etc. Meanwhile, I am thinking, thank you Jesus that my children will never not know how to operate a computer.
Night night!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Saters Strike Again
I love the babies that my sister and her husband make. We, like so many others, are so blessed to have sweet children keep appearing in our lives.
Britt was due on 9/22, but a few of us had a little inkling that the magic would happen on 9/20. So when Britt called me on Wednesday night and said "Don't freak out. But, I think you should spend the night tonight, just in case something happens in the middle of the night," I practically leapt home, threw my crap in a bag (then took a brief, weird nap...I am in a senior citizen phase) then Mike and I headed to Camp Sater for as long as necessary.
The days when Britt has babies are my absolute favorite. With the other two baboons, my mom comes up from Denver, I take time off of work, then we shop and cook and clean and take care of the big sister(s). As soon as the baby arrives, we huddle around our phones and spread the good news. We get the big sister(s) ready for the first hospital visit and have such a fun time snuggling up the little baboon while Britt tells us her labor tales.
Now, I say this all like she has had 14 children. Let me be clear that this is only (only?!) her third, but these births have been such super family moments that they melt my heart into a puddle and make me feel so cozy.
Wednesday night came and went, so Thursday morning, I went with Britt to see her doctor, and he assured her that today was the day. She has a cool relationship with her doctor, being that they are colleagues, and modesty is not a condition that they are aware of. No messing around happening there!
We went about our day and tried to get as much done as possible. Target. Eye brows waxed. Lunch. Laundry. Bags packed. Beds made. Around 4, Britt's contractions were getting just intense enough that Adam needed to come home and I needed to get the girlies out of the house so they would stop watching her hunch over on her exercise ball and moan every 10 minutes. (And I felt weird too...do I help? Do I leave the room? Am I helping? What does that FEEL like???) So, I decided to take the girls to the park while we waited for Adam to get home. Addy chose her bike as her method of transportation to the park, while Brynn chose the "Pooh-Choo". Let me be clear about the Pooh-choo. This Winnie the Pooh train is not meant to go long distances. It is meant to be driven in small circles on driveways and decks. But, this was Brynn's choice...so about 10 feet from the house, she needed to be full-on pushed. Does the Pooh-choo have good steering? No. So, I am crouched down, pushing her on the 'choo, using one hand to steer, the other to hold her on it...Man, the things we do for these sweet children. Just as we approached the park, Addy announced, "I see a snake!!" As I tried to get investigate if the snake really existed, while trying to not actually see the snake if it did exist, while trying to not instill my fear of these nasty slithery creatures in the girls, thanks to the good Lord, Adam pulled up before the snake could be found. He threw us, and the damn Pooh-choo, in the truck and whisked us home.
Ten minutes later, Adam and Britt were off to the hospital, and Gigi and Mike were on their way to the house after work. We made big sister tutus and all squealed (was Mike in on the squealing? Maybe I did enough squealing for the both of us) with delight when the text arrived at 9pm that Reese was here!
The Saters Strike Again! We love you Reese Harlynn Sater!!!!!
Britt was due on 9/22, but a few of us had a little inkling that the magic would happen on 9/20. So when Britt called me on Wednesday night and said "Don't freak out. But, I think you should spend the night tonight, just in case something happens in the middle of the night," I practically leapt home, threw my crap in a bag (then took a brief, weird nap...I am in a senior citizen phase) then Mike and I headed to Camp Sater for as long as necessary.
The days when Britt has babies are my absolute favorite. With the other two baboons, my mom comes up from Denver, I take time off of work, then we shop and cook and clean and take care of the big sister(s). As soon as the baby arrives, we huddle around our phones and spread the good news. We get the big sister(s) ready for the first hospital visit and have such a fun time snuggling up the little baboon while Britt tells us her labor tales.
Now, I say this all like she has had 14 children. Let me be clear that this is only (only?!) her third, but these births have been such super family moments that they melt my heart into a puddle and make me feel so cozy.
Wednesday night came and went, so Thursday morning, I went with Britt to see her doctor, and he assured her that today was the day. She has a cool relationship with her doctor, being that they are colleagues, and modesty is not a condition that they are aware of. No messing around happening there!
We went about our day and tried to get as much done as possible. Target. Eye brows waxed. Lunch. Laundry. Bags packed. Beds made. Around 4, Britt's contractions were getting just intense enough that Adam needed to come home and I needed to get the girlies out of the house so they would stop watching her hunch over on her exercise ball and moan every 10 minutes. (And I felt weird too...do I help? Do I leave the room? Am I helping? What does that FEEL like???) So, I decided to take the girls to the park while we waited for Adam to get home. Addy chose her bike as her method of transportation to the park, while Brynn chose the "Pooh-Choo". Let me be clear about the Pooh-choo. This Winnie the Pooh train is not meant to go long distances. It is meant to be driven in small circles on driveways and decks. But, this was Brynn's choice...so about 10 feet from the house, she needed to be full-on pushed. Does the Pooh-choo have good steering? No. So, I am crouched down, pushing her on the 'choo, using one hand to steer, the other to hold her on it...Man, the things we do for these sweet children. Just as we approached the park, Addy announced, "I see a snake!!" As I tried to get investigate if the snake really existed, while trying to not actually see the snake if it did exist, while trying to not instill my fear of these nasty slithery creatures in the girls, thanks to the good Lord, Adam pulled up before the snake could be found. He threw us, and the damn Pooh-choo, in the truck and whisked us home.
Ten minutes later, Adam and Britt were off to the hospital, and Gigi and Mike were on their way to the house after work. We made big sister tutus and all squealed (was Mike in on the squealing? Maybe I did enough squealing for the both of us) with delight when the text arrived at 9pm that Reese was here!
The Saters Strike Again! We love you Reese Harlynn Sater!!!!!
Friday, September 14, 2012
Lesson learned from Starbucks
This morning, the kid in front of me at Starbucks was having an issue paying for his coffee. The barista explained to him what payments he could accept, and this made the kid fly off the handle, throwing the lid off of his coffee and storming off while saying, you can keep your f-ing coffee. It was so rude! After a second, the barista went outside to the kid and tried explaining to him again why he couldn't accept whatever it was he was trying to pay with. They walked back in together, with the kid apologizing and the barista saying, i just want to have an honest conversation with you. I don't want your money! I just want your respect.
Wow!
Isn't that what we all want? Just a little genuine conversation and some dang respect?
Perfect timing for me to witness this incident. Yesterday, after a coworker went over my head TWICE and overturned two decisions i had made, I finally had it and responded to her quite rudely. Tsk tsk.
Lesson learned. We are all going to find ourselves in situations where we don't like how we are being treated. But, instead of exploding (ex: Ashley), we can speak to the perp with respect and genuinely explain why we are frustrated (ex: barista).
Goal for today: preserve dignity by maintaining respect, no matter how irritated I become in the next 8 hours :)
Wow!
Isn't that what we all want? Just a little genuine conversation and some dang respect?
Perfect timing for me to witness this incident. Yesterday, after a coworker went over my head TWICE and overturned two decisions i had made, I finally had it and responded to her quite rudely. Tsk tsk.
Lesson learned. We are all going to find ourselves in situations where we don't like how we are being treated. But, instead of exploding (ex: Ashley), we can speak to the perp with respect and genuinely explain why we are frustrated (ex: barista).
Goal for today: preserve dignity by maintaining respect, no matter how irritated I become in the next 8 hours :)
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
President Obama at CSU
We left work early yesterday to see President Obama speak at CSU. What an experience!!
Because I am so eager for fall to arrive, I wore tights under my skirt...but I did not anticipate it would be so hot outside!! After an hour or so, I knew that to prevent a heat-induced bad mood I needed to get the tights off of my body. So very nonchalantly, while standing in line, I discovered that I am capable of removing tights without making a scene. Phew! Instantly my body temperature regulated and I felt relieved that I would not have to be removed from the scene on a stretcher.
As we went through security, I forgot about the tights until I saw the security guard holding them in his hand as he went through my purse. Good thing he was wearing gloves.
We got to the quad and found a nice shady spot with a decent view of the stage. Well, we thought it was decent until Jared Polis came on stage and we realized there was a teleprompter-looking rectangle that perfectly blocked his face...and Hickenlooper's face...and Ken Salazer's face...and President Obama's face. But we had a super view of the snipers on the rooftops!
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Erin and I found ourselves standing among some children, who were about the same height as us. We blended in so well, I'm surprised we didn't get swept into their family van after it was over and taken home for chicken nuggets and macaroni.
At one point, the media turned their cameras from the stage to the audience, and at that moment I was embarrassed of our cellphone-obsessed society. Every single one of us had our phones out, holding them up in the air, trying to snap the perfect picture or get a clean, crisp video of the President. I'm sure we all looked incredibly silly.
I am not a die hard Democrat, but listening to our President speak was such an inspiring experience, and I loved hearing him veer off of his speech every now and then to crack a joke. When he would mention his "opponents", the crowd would boo...and his response was, "Don't boo! Vote!" If he doesn't get re-elected, I think he has a future in motivational speaking fur sure.
He is a very clever, reasonable fellow and I am proud that he is our President!
Because I am so eager for fall to arrive, I wore tights under my skirt...but I did not anticipate it would be so hot outside!! After an hour or so, I knew that to prevent a heat-induced bad mood I needed to get the tights off of my body. So very nonchalantly, while standing in line, I discovered that I am capable of removing tights without making a scene. Phew! Instantly my body temperature regulated and I felt relieved that I would not have to be removed from the scene on a stretcher.
As we went through security, I forgot about the tights until I saw the security guard holding them in his hand as he went through my purse. Good thing he was wearing gloves.
We got to the quad and found a nice shady spot with a decent view of the stage. Well, we thought it was decent until Jared Polis came on stage and we realized there was a teleprompter-looking rectangle that perfectly blocked his face...and Hickenlooper's face...and Ken Salazer's face...and President Obama's face. But we had a super view of the snipers on the rooftops!
.JPG)
Erin and I found ourselves standing among some children, who were about the same height as us. We blended in so well, I'm surprised we didn't get swept into their family van after it was over and taken home for chicken nuggets and macaroni.
At one point, the media turned their cameras from the stage to the audience, and at that moment I was embarrassed of our cellphone-obsessed society. Every single one of us had our phones out, holding them up in the air, trying to snap the perfect picture or get a clean, crisp video of the President. I'm sure we all looked incredibly silly.
I am not a die hard Democrat, but listening to our President speak was such an inspiring experience, and I loved hearing him veer off of his speech every now and then to crack a joke. When he would mention his "opponents", the crowd would boo...and his response was, "Don't boo! Vote!" If he doesn't get re-elected, I think he has a future in motivational speaking fur sure.
He is a very clever, reasonable fellow and I am proud that he is our President!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Thoughts for a Monday
I love Ben Rector
Big miracles can come in small packages. Welcome to the world lil Charlee Aalborg! You are so loved and I can't wait to snuggle you up!!!
The misuse/overuse of the word "disenfranchise" makes me want to barf. I know I can be an overly dramatic gal, but come ON people!!! If you are eligible to vote, let me assure you, we will practically bend over backwards to get you a ballot. With a cherry on top.
I love a good morning coffee buzz.
Every time the season is about to change, I think, THIS is my FAVORITE season!!! But really, I really do think fall is my favorite. Delicious latte flavors, football season, cool mornings, soup recipes, scarves, tights, boots, no A/C or heating bill...yippeeeee! In the words of Tony from P90X, BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT!!!
Countdowns can be annoying, but here we go!
71 days until the Election
6 days til B & B become Mr & Mrs
5 days til Erinbear and Tom Tom Tom arrive for the B & B wedding festivities
Big miracles can come in small packages. Welcome to the world lil Charlee Aalborg! You are so loved and I can't wait to snuggle you up!!!
The misuse/overuse of the word "disenfranchise" makes me want to barf. I know I can be an overly dramatic gal, but come ON people!!! If you are eligible to vote, let me assure you, we will practically bend over backwards to get you a ballot. With a cherry on top.
I love a good morning coffee buzz.
Every time the season is about to change, I think, THIS is my FAVORITE season!!! But really, I really do think fall is my favorite. Delicious latte flavors, football season, cool mornings, soup recipes, scarves, tights, boots, no A/C or heating bill...yippeeeee! In the words of Tony from P90X, BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT!!!
Countdowns can be annoying, but here we go!
71 days until the Election
6 days til B & B become Mr & Mrs
5 days til Erinbear and Tom Tom Tom arrive for the B & B wedding festivities
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Aftermath
What happens when you have one too many beers after the kickball championship...
(note. we did not play in the kickball championship. whoops!)
You tell yourself its okay to go to work with wet hair
You break your "no-pop" streak (thank you, co-workers, for not drinking my Diet Squirt that I had neglected for so many weeks!!!)
You eat Taco Bell in your car at lunch while watching Aziz Ansari YouTube videos
(note. we did not play in the kickball championship. whoops!)
You tell yourself its okay to go to work with wet hair
You break your "no-pop" streak (thank you, co-workers, for not drinking my Diet Squirt that I had neglected for so many weeks!!!)
You eat Taco Bell in your car at lunch while watching Aziz Ansari YouTube videos
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Harold and Kumar vs. President Obama
When I heard President Obama would be visiting Fort Collins on Tuesday, I was like:
"Oh, cool!"
When I heard Harold and Kumar would be visiting Fort Collins on Friday, I was like:
"Hold all my calls cancel all of my appointments find me a new outfit where would be the best place to park should I call in sick on Friday should I say I'm going for work I wonder if they are spending the night where do you think they will have dinner WILL NEIL PATRICK HARRIS BE HERE TOO!!!!??"
"Oh, cool!"
When I heard Harold and Kumar would be visiting Fort Collins on Friday, I was like:
"Hold all my calls cancel all of my appointments find me a new outfit where would be the best place to park should I call in sick on Friday should I say I'm going for work I wonder if they are spending the night where do you think they will have dinner WILL NEIL PATRICK HARRIS BE HERE TOO!!!!??"
The Peacock and her Flock
We celebrated Brynnie's upcoming wedding with a bridal shower and a bachelorette party last weekend in good ol Laramie.
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| What what! |
Bridal shower highlights:
Bacon wrapped dates. Raspberry lemonade moscato punch. Adorable games and lots of funny story telling.
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| Delicious is right. |
Bachelorette highlights:
Peacock hair pieces made by the very creative Kenna of Quirk Shop. Trolling around Laramie like we had never left college. Taco Bell (some things never change, like my ability to snarf cheesy gordita crunches, no matter the occasion or the hour)
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| Ain't she a beauty! |
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Anyone else?
Would anyone else rather wash a shirt again than have to hang it up?
Anyone else get extreme pleasure out of throwing your disposable contacts on the counter when you're done with them and letting them dry up to shrively little discs?
Anyone else out there using one of those food diaries...and anyone else let yourself believe that your bud light limearita can is actually 8 ounces instead of 16 ounces?!?
Time to put on the denim, people...pay day Friday has arrived!
Anyone else get extreme pleasure out of throwing your disposable contacts on the counter when you're done with them and letting them dry up to shrively little discs?
Anyone else out there using one of those food diaries...and anyone else let yourself believe that your bud light limearita can is actually 8 ounces instead of 16 ounces?!?
Time to put on the denim, people...pay day Friday has arrived!
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Letter X
Its not that I hate the letter X, I just think its unnecessary. We could remove it from the alphabet and there would be no consequence.
Any word that contains this so-called "letter" could be spelled instead with a "Z" or "CKS".
See for yourself!
Xylophone = Zylophone
Sex = Secks
Exam = Ecksam
While I understand that the ecksitance of this "letter" saves us about .0024 seconds per day, I would venture to say by the year 2075, no one would even remember it ecksisted. You'd be sitting on the porch reading through your old yearbook and you'd read some perp's comment about "Hope you have an exciting summer!" and you'd be like, "what the HELL......the letter X! I'm SO GLAD they got rid of that dang letter."
I challenge any one of you...if you can come up with a word that ABSOLUTELY cannot survive without this "letter" X, I will let you be the Mayor of an up-and-coming town, Bosler WY (more on that venture later).
Any word that contains this so-called "letter" could be spelled instead with a "Z" or "CKS".
See for yourself!
Xylophone = Zylophone
Sex = Secks
Exam = Ecksam
While I understand that the ecksitance of this "letter" saves us about .0024 seconds per day, I would venture to say by the year 2075, no one would even remember it ecksisted. You'd be sitting on the porch reading through your old yearbook and you'd read some perp's comment about "Hope you have an exciting summer!" and you'd be like, "what the HELL......the letter X! I'm SO GLAD they got rid of that dang letter."
I challenge any one of you...if you can come up with a word that ABSOLUTELY cannot survive without this "letter" X, I will let you be the Mayor of an up-and-coming town, Bosler WY (more on that venture later).
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| Thank GOODNESS! (http://society6.com/brianwjones | ) |
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Panic is no picnic
I am a panicker. I find it easy to work myself up and make a situation go from "La-di-da, just getting on an elevator" to "You are going to be trapped in this elevator for the rest of your life and no one will ever find you!!!!!!!" When I was younger, I watched a movie about a little boy who got some terminal illness and INSTANTLY I panicked that my little brother would get the same illness. I made myself so panicked I literally had to get up and walk around the house to try to calm my panic.
I used to be so scared that I would get stuck in the bathroom in the house I grew up in that I would look at the space between the door and the floor and wonder if they'd be able to slide some survival food underneath the door should I get trapped in there??
I got locked out of a hotel room once because my sister and cousin "pretended" to leave me in the hotel room - I was so scared of being left alone that I ran out after them in a panic and I forgot to grab the hotel keys. Did I mention I was in a swimsuit so then I had to go find my parents in the dining room to get their key...not sure why but my mom was so furious about the situation!!
I used to harbor the same panic about finding my husband. It would keep me awake at night sometimes. A simple thought of, "Hmm I wonder if I will meet him this year?" would turn into "You will never meet him and you will be lonely the rest of your life and you will just have to keep watching your friends get married and you better hope that your nieces take care of you when you're an old woman because you will still be single and you will die alone." What IS that?!
The other day I saw a little boy crossing the street with his mom. As he hopped on the curb he did some silly twirl that his mom didn't acknowledge. I thought to myself, is she annoyed at him, that's why she didn't giggle at his twirl? Or did she just not notice? Then I panic: When I have children, will I get so used to having them around that I start to ignore what makes them unique and interesting? What if I only think other people's kids do cute things and what if I forget to appreciate my children? What if I don't even get to have children?!?! Panic, panic, panic.
I am having an incredibly dumb week at work...and I panic that my unhappiness is created by my own professional flaws - that its ME, not the environment. But I have to remind myself that "not now" does not necessarily mean "never". I know that happiness at work (or a new job) will come when I least expect it. I know that children will come into my life when we're ready for them. I know that whatever the weather, there is good to be found, and that good will calm the panic, when the panic surely comes =)
I used to be so scared that I would get stuck in the bathroom in the house I grew up in that I would look at the space between the door and the floor and wonder if they'd be able to slide some survival food underneath the door should I get trapped in there??
I got locked out of a hotel room once because my sister and cousin "pretended" to leave me in the hotel room - I was so scared of being left alone that I ran out after them in a panic and I forgot to grab the hotel keys. Did I mention I was in a swimsuit so then I had to go find my parents in the dining room to get their key...not sure why but my mom was so furious about the situation!!
I used to harbor the same panic about finding my husband. It would keep me awake at night sometimes. A simple thought of, "Hmm I wonder if I will meet him this year?" would turn into "You will never meet him and you will be lonely the rest of your life and you will just have to keep watching your friends get married and you better hope that your nieces take care of you when you're an old woman because you will still be single and you will die alone." What IS that?!
The other day I saw a little boy crossing the street with his mom. As he hopped on the curb he did some silly twirl that his mom didn't acknowledge. I thought to myself, is she annoyed at him, that's why she didn't giggle at his twirl? Or did she just not notice? Then I panic: When I have children, will I get so used to having them around that I start to ignore what makes them unique and interesting? What if I only think other people's kids do cute things and what if I forget to appreciate my children? What if I don't even get to have children?!?! Panic, panic, panic.
I am having an incredibly dumb week at work...and I panic that my unhappiness is created by my own professional flaws - that its ME, not the environment. But I have to remind myself that "not now" does not necessarily mean "never". I know that happiness at work (or a new job) will come when I least expect it. I know that children will come into my life when we're ready for them. I know that whatever the weather, there is good to be found, and that good will calm the panic, when the panic surely comes =)
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Noogies
Who doesn't love a good noogie! After looking through some pics on my comp, I realized I have a tendency to give them. A sign of affection, I suppose!
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| I know Emily does. |
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| Erin does after 5 drinks. |
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| I don't think this particular Erin loves them but she is a good sport. |
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| Nick LOVES them. For sure. |
Monday, August 6, 2012
Snapshots from our weekend with the girlies
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| Uncle Mike snuggling sweet baby Brynnie |
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| Getting crafty for the new baby room! |
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| Deck fishing in their undies. They are so carefree...I love it!! |
Weekend.
Friday eve: Learned how to play racquetball. I think my version is more a combination of racquetball and dodgeball.
Saturday morning: Had a fabulous facial by my sweet Connie. She has the touch of an angel!!! Followed by a strong coffee and people watching in the Oak Street Plaza. Made me never want to leave Fort Collins.
Saturday eve: Made pizzas on the grill with the Saters and the Aalborgs, then played telestrations while we ate mini bundt cakes. That game is always a hit!!
Sunday: Went to Blackhawk with my dad, brother and uncle. Is it considered playing craps if I only roll the dice? Okay, great! Blew through $20 in roulette and then watched Olympic volleyball.
Sunday eve: Finally reconnected with the Dorr-Hvidstons over dinner and laughs and talks of their upcoming wedding. On the trip home to their new house they timed it from our door to theirs...35 minutes! Hip hip hooray!!
I love weekends like that. DUH!
Saturday morning: Had a fabulous facial by my sweet Connie. She has the touch of an angel!!! Followed by a strong coffee and people watching in the Oak Street Plaza. Made me never want to leave Fort Collins.
Saturday eve: Made pizzas on the grill with the Saters and the Aalborgs, then played telestrations while we ate mini bundt cakes. That game is always a hit!!
Sunday: Went to Blackhawk with my dad, brother and uncle. Is it considered playing craps if I only roll the dice? Okay, great! Blew through $20 in roulette and then watched Olympic volleyball.
.JPG) |
| Neck and neck in the competition of who could get more wristbands. |
Sunday eve: Finally reconnected with the Dorr-Hvidstons over dinner and laughs and talks of their upcoming wedding. On the trip home to their new house they timed it from our door to theirs...35 minutes! Hip hip hooray!!
I love weekends like that. DUH!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The Babysitters Club
Mike and I are watching our nieces Addy and Brynn this weekend while my sister and Adam are in Denver celebrating their anniversary. We've watched the girlies before but its possible that this time around may be the most exhausting. Their energy level is incredible. Brynn is constantly all up in my business, touching everything, and most of the things she wants to touch are dangerous. I don't know how she just happens to find scissors, nail clippers, knives, etc...The girl is drawn to danger and to whatever is "off limits". Addy is pretty obedient but she is starting to reallllllly observe things and to say things that make me LOL and/or squirm. For instance:
A conversation between her and Mike:
Addy: What kind of poddy do you have?
Mike: The same as you!
Addy: No you don't, you have a penup!
(not sure if his "samesies" answer was the best but come on, people without kids just don't know the right answer to these questions.)
Her attempt to "talk shop" as we pass Auto Zone:
"Not too many cars at the car store tonight..."
I hate this one...I knew she was going to say something as an overweight girl walked by our table at dinner...and she sure did say something...
"That girl has a BIG tummy!!!!"
Then later:
"I mean that girl has a really big tummy!" (complete with hand motions and all)
Brynn says equally ridiculous things, but what makes her most adorable is that most of the weird stuff has been said while she is sitting on the toilet and I am pleading with her to pee.
"I love all people."
Bathroom negotiation at Panda Express:
Brynn: "I want some fried rice!!!!"
Me: "If you pee, I will buy you some fried rice."
Brynn: "Sounds like a deal!"
I thought I had successfully put her to bed about an hour ago, and all of the sudden she comes flying down the stairs saying, "Hey-rrrroooo!!!!"
But no matter how exhausting these girlies are, I am obsessed with them. They are the light of my life!!!
Night night!
A conversation between her and Mike:
Addy: What kind of poddy do you have?
Mike: The same as you!
Addy: No you don't, you have a penup!
(not sure if his "samesies" answer was the best but come on, people without kids just don't know the right answer to these questions.)
Her attempt to "talk shop" as we pass Auto Zone:
"Not too many cars at the car store tonight..."
I hate this one...I knew she was going to say something as an overweight girl walked by our table at dinner...and she sure did say something...
"That girl has a BIG tummy!!!!"
Then later:
"I mean that girl has a really big tummy!" (complete with hand motions and all)
Brynn says equally ridiculous things, but what makes her most adorable is that most of the weird stuff has been said while she is sitting on the toilet and I am pleading with her to pee.
"I love all people."
Bathroom negotiation at Panda Express:
Brynn: "I want some fried rice!!!!"
Me: "If you pee, I will buy you some fried rice."
Brynn: "Sounds like a deal!"
I thought I had successfully put her to bed about an hour ago, and all of the sudden she comes flying down the stairs saying, "Hey-rrrroooo!!!!"
But no matter how exhausting these girlies are, I am obsessed with them. They are the light of my life!!!
Night night!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Test of character
I usually really enjoy the work I do. But the past week I have felt overwhelmed and like I will never get caught up or ever be on top of things again.
I feel like we are planning a party for 230,000 people. Some are RSVP'ing, but some won't tell me they are coming until the day of the party. Some have told me they want chicken, but when they get to the party, they'll actually want fish. Some will have told me they want chicken, and I can prove they requested chicken, but will show up to the party demanding fish. Some people will have a cocktail, but I am not able to track how many cocktails each person will have, so I just have to make a spreadsheet and hope that I find a way to accurately track people who drink. Then after the party, the host will ask me to give them a detailed report, broken down by gender, of who used which toilet and who used a fork vs. a spoon.
I feel like I have a really fun, really energetic co-workers but they don't remember specific things I've trained them on and they don't quite understand the importance of not serving peanut butter to a person with peanut allergies.
I told Mike that I think my character is being tested and that I don't think I'm handling it very well!!!!
I feel like we are planning a party for 230,000 people. Some are RSVP'ing, but some won't tell me they are coming until the day of the party. Some have told me they want chicken, but when they get to the party, they'll actually want fish. Some will have told me they want chicken, and I can prove they requested chicken, but will show up to the party demanding fish. Some people will have a cocktail, but I am not able to track how many cocktails each person will have, so I just have to make a spreadsheet and hope that I find a way to accurately track people who drink. Then after the party, the host will ask me to give them a detailed report, broken down by gender, of who used which toilet and who used a fork vs. a spoon.
I feel like I have a really fun, really energetic co-workers but they don't remember specific things I've trained them on and they don't quite understand the importance of not serving peanut butter to a person with peanut allergies.
I told Mike that I think my character is being tested and that I don't think I'm handling it very well!!!!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
7 Day Cleanse - Day Four, Five & Six
Work has been busy and interfered a tad bit with my cleanse. It happens! Oh well.
Day Four
Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities.
As I mentioned on day three, I was suuuuuper pumped for this day. And it didn't disappoint! I forgot how delicious a nice glass of ice cold milk is. (Note to self. Drink milk before taking vitamins otherwise you will want to barf.) I probably ate 6 bananas and had 3-4 bowls of soup. It was fantastic. The kale was my favorite part of the soup...and the asparagus was my least favorite. Even though it was a hot day, I ate a nice steamy bowl before our kickball game that night. I have a suspicion that it was the super soup that allowed me to get on base that night. Woo woo!!
Day Five
Today is feast day. You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.
I am not a big meat lover. So when it came to day five, I was sort of stumped on how to thrive. I ended up buying a 4-pack of hamburger patties and then bugging Mike for cooking instructions as he was headed out the door... "Cook them in the grill pan?? For how long on each side? What seasonings? How do I know they are done?? HELP MEEEEE!!" etc. Luckily I barely had any time to think on Thursday so this was the perfect day to have the meat day. I took a hamburger patty to work and as I was microwaving it, Mike called to tell me he was at Snooze with a friend for lunch, so I put my tasty (nasty) little patty on a plate and met him other there. This was sort of a mistake...not only did I look like I dug my lunch out of a trashcan, I was also trying to conceal its weirdness by covering it with a napkin so the servers kept trying to take it away. Not to mention Mike and Erin were sipping on delicious grapefruit juice and debating pancakes vs pot pie. I have no clue where this week's self control came from, but normally I walk right in and don't even have to look at the menu before I am barking my order "SWEET POTATO PANCAKES, STAT!!!!"
Needless to say, I was glad when day five was over.
Day Six
Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your hearts content.
Bad news people. I totally lost my love for the cleanse after day five. I just did. I think the meat killed it for me. I just don't know how to prepare meat that looks or tastes good. I ate the rest of the super soup for lunch, and then.....................met Mike for chorizo queso fundido (double chorizo, por favor) at El Monte. I won't even tell you how many ounces of strawberry lemonade icee we had when we went to see Rock of Ages later that night...Woopsies! Needless to say, day seven did not exist either.
HOWEVER. I liked this cleanse! I think moving forward, I will adapt it to be a vegetarian cleanse that only lasts 5 days. I mean come on...who wants to cleanse on the weekends??? Not this food lover, thats fa sho.
Day Four
Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities.
As I mentioned on day three, I was suuuuuper pumped for this day. And it didn't disappoint! I forgot how delicious a nice glass of ice cold milk is. (Note to self. Drink milk before taking vitamins otherwise you will want to barf.) I probably ate 6 bananas and had 3-4 bowls of soup. It was fantastic. The kale was my favorite part of the soup...and the asparagus was my least favorite. Even though it was a hot day, I ate a nice steamy bowl before our kickball game that night. I have a suspicion that it was the super soup that allowed me to get on base that night. Woo woo!!
Day Five
Today is feast day. You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.
I am not a big meat lover. So when it came to day five, I was sort of stumped on how to thrive. I ended up buying a 4-pack of hamburger patties and then bugging Mike for cooking instructions as he was headed out the door... "Cook them in the grill pan?? For how long on each side? What seasonings? How do I know they are done?? HELP MEEEEE!!" etc. Luckily I barely had any time to think on Thursday so this was the perfect day to have the meat day. I took a hamburger patty to work and as I was microwaving it, Mike called to tell me he was at Snooze with a friend for lunch, so I put my tasty (nasty) little patty on a plate and met him other there. This was sort of a mistake...not only did I look like I dug my lunch out of a trashcan, I was also trying to conceal its weirdness by covering it with a napkin so the servers kept trying to take it away. Not to mention Mike and Erin were sipping on delicious grapefruit juice and debating pancakes vs pot pie. I have no clue where this week's self control came from, but normally I walk right in and don't even have to look at the menu before I am barking my order "SWEET POTATO PANCAKES, STAT!!!!"
Needless to say, I was glad when day five was over.
Day Six
Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your hearts content.
Bad news people. I totally lost my love for the cleanse after day five. I just did. I think the meat killed it for me. I just don't know how to prepare meat that looks or tastes good. I ate the rest of the super soup for lunch, and then.....................met Mike for chorizo queso fundido (double chorizo, por favor) at El Monte. I won't even tell you how many ounces of strawberry lemonade icee we had when we went to see Rock of Ages later that night...Woopsies! Needless to say, day seven did not exist either.
HOWEVER. I liked this cleanse! I think moving forward, I will adapt it to be a vegetarian cleanse that only lasts 5 days. I mean come on...who wants to cleanse on the weekends??? Not this food lover, thats fa sho.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
7 Day Cleanse - Day Three
Day Three
"A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today."
Nothing too exciting to report from this day. Mainly because I spent the whole day being excited for day four (soup, bananas, milk!!!) I am still feeling really energized and I even thought to myself something incredibly euphoric like, 'this is the best week everrrr!!' If eating this way makes me happy, then I don't know why I would ever stop!
I am most surprised at how satisfied I am after a meal of just fruits and veggies. This really makes me think about why I include carbs in almost every meal. Obviously, I don't think this is something I could do day-in, day-out, but I know I can definitely start to rely less on carbs. Even though they are the most delicious part of the food pyramid EVA.
Still drinking coffee black. I am able to drink more than one cup of coffee now that is isn't bogged down with the usual sweet creamers I usually dump in there.
Last night, I had some mashed cauliflower and I vowed to use those more often. They look exactly like mashed potatoes, and so I wonder who I can trick into eating them because of this? With the right herbs and spray butter, they taste good too, so I think this new wonder is here to stay.
I also made my soup for day four before I went to bed. I took a picture I was so excited (will post it tomorrow!). I think I even did a soup dance as I walked away from the simmering pot. Cauliflower. Kale. Green beans. Asparagus. Mushrooms. Tomatoes. Corn. I will devour the entire pot, I am sure of it.
Tomorrow, Day Four...pretty sure this day is going to be my fave!!
"A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today."
Nothing too exciting to report from this day. Mainly because I spent the whole day being excited for day four (soup, bananas, milk!!!) I am still feeling really energized and I even thought to myself something incredibly euphoric like, 'this is the best week everrrr!!' If eating this way makes me happy, then I don't know why I would ever stop!
I am most surprised at how satisfied I am after a meal of just fruits and veggies. This really makes me think about why I include carbs in almost every meal. Obviously, I don't think this is something I could do day-in, day-out, but I know I can definitely start to rely less on carbs. Even though they are the most delicious part of the food pyramid EVA.
Still drinking coffee black. I am able to drink more than one cup of coffee now that is isn't bogged down with the usual sweet creamers I usually dump in there.
Last night, I had some mashed cauliflower and I vowed to use those more often. They look exactly like mashed potatoes, and so I wonder who I can trick into eating them because of this? With the right herbs and spray butter, they taste good too, so I think this new wonder is here to stay.
I also made my soup for day four before I went to bed. I took a picture I was so excited (will post it tomorrow!). I think I even did a soup dance as I walked away from the simmering pot. Cauliflower. Kale. Green beans. Asparagus. Mushrooms. Tomatoes. Corn. I will devour the entire pot, I am sure of it.
Tomorrow, Day Four...pretty sure this day is going to be my fave!!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
7 Day Cleanse - Day Two
Day Two
"All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato
for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter."
This was much easier than I initially thought it was going to be. I actually went to bed on Day One thinking about how much I would enjoy having a baked potato for breakfast, and I really did love every bite (even though I ate it in my car on the way to work and spilled the last couple of bites into my lap ... on white pants. Oopsies!) It is funny how we (or I?) think of what is or isn't a breakfast food. Baked potato? No way! Hash browns? Sure!
For lunch I had a pretty tasty salad with tons tons TONS of veggies...cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, etc. I was even pretty pleased with the dressing I was allowed (olive oil, red wine vinegar, and then random herbs). Dinner was a shmorgisboard of green veggies...broccoli, asparagus, zucchini...and some mushrooms thrown in for fun. I was pretty hungry when I got home so I was cooking in a hurry and probably could have prepared the veggies to taste better, but I was a woman on a mission!!
I might be exaggerating, but I already feel energized, and almost happier. This could be the result of other factors, but I would like to say its because of the clean eating and hydrating that is taking place! Realistically this is not a program that I could do more than a few times a year, but I am happy to have a cleanse that is easy to stick to and makes me feel good.
Stay tuned though...its only day 2. I could be a raging, hungry biatch by the end of the week.
Next up, Day Three...fruits AND veggies!
Monday, July 9, 2012
7 Day Cleanse - Day One
Thanks
to Pinterest, I stumbled upon a 7 day cleanse that seemed reasonable
enough to try. I liked it because this cleanse has you actually eating
real things and not just sucking down a bunch of weird concoctions all
day long. It also details each day's purpose, which I really enjoy.
And of course, the promise of more energy is very appealing...these
days, around 1:30pm, I am plotting ways to take a desk nap without
anyone noticing. (I think if I wasn't a snorer/sleep-talker, I could
pull it off.)
Day One.
"All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe."
I wanted to follow the advice and stick to melons, so I started my day with tons of watermelon. I forget how much I like this delicious fruit! And I even grew up in the dang Melon Capital of the World!!! (it does exist) I should be giving melons more love. Around noon I started to get a headache and feel super hungry (I was also on a cleaning streak, so I knew that the success of day one depended on how I handled the next few minutes). I knew I had a juicy peach in the fridge so I hopped off the melon train and ate the peach. Chugged some more water. All good! Later that afternoon I sliced up a honey dew and a cantaloupe. After having some black coffee (the more I drink coffee "black and nasty", the more I like it and the hipper I feel!) we settled in to our Big Love marathon and I ate like 3 bowls of melon.
I went to bed a teensy bit hungry, but I also felt a good full from eating produce all day. I was also pleased at how drinking a lot of water made me feel.
Day one went great, with the exception of our trip to Blockbuster where they had FREE HOT DOGS outside. Come ON!! Of all the days. I lectured myself on strengthening my self control and was able to say "No thanks" with only one teardrop.
I can already tell that this cleanse will be helpful in trying to push good habits into my daily routine: drinking more water, eating more fresh produce, and having more self-control.
Note to self: Eating fruit is not a punishment. It is tasty and makes you feel better than eating an oatmeal creme pie. Most of the time.
Next up, Day Two: Vegetables!
Day One.
"All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe."
I wanted to follow the advice and stick to melons, so I started my day with tons of watermelon. I forget how much I like this delicious fruit! And I even grew up in the dang Melon Capital of the World!!! (it does exist) I should be giving melons more love. Around noon I started to get a headache and feel super hungry (I was also on a cleaning streak, so I knew that the success of day one depended on how I handled the next few minutes). I knew I had a juicy peach in the fridge so I hopped off the melon train and ate the peach. Chugged some more water. All good! Later that afternoon I sliced up a honey dew and a cantaloupe. After having some black coffee (the more I drink coffee "black and nasty", the more I like it and the hipper I feel!) we settled in to our Big Love marathon and I ate like 3 bowls of melon.
I went to bed a teensy bit hungry, but I also felt a good full from eating produce all day. I was also pleased at how drinking a lot of water made me feel.
Day one went great, with the exception of our trip to Blockbuster where they had FREE HOT DOGS outside. Come ON!! Of all the days. I lectured myself on strengthening my self control and was able to say "No thanks" with only one teardrop.
I can already tell that this cleanse will be helpful in trying to push good habits into my daily routine: drinking more water, eating more fresh produce, and having more self-control.
Note to self: Eating fruit is not a punishment. It is tasty and makes you feel better than eating an oatmeal creme pie. Most of the time.
Next up, Day Two: Vegetables!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I Feel Petty
Today I am reminded of how I need to always consider what struggles people may be having, whether they are widely known or not. And I need to be nice, not just because I know someone is having a tough time (although I should totes kick it up a notch when I know someone is down on their luck) but I should just be nice because I don't want people to be miserable and/or annoyed and/or sad after encountering me.
I feel so fortunate that my struggles are my struggles...because seeing what other people are dealing with, I feel petty that I even call them struggles.
How many times can one person say struggles...is it starting to look like a non-word yet?
So, lesson learned-ish. I may not be a born-again sweetheart, but I do know that tomorrow morning I will wake up with a little bit more of a grateful heart than the day before, and I will hand out some extra love...because you just never know what my fellow humans may be dealing with!
I also ran over a bird today so...I may also be feeling a tad bit of guilt for that too.
Summer kickball starts tomorrow...wish me luck!
I feel so fortunate that my struggles are my struggles...because seeing what other people are dealing with, I feel petty that I even call them struggles.
How many times can one person say struggles...is it starting to look like a non-word yet?
So, lesson learned-ish. I may not be a born-again sweetheart, but I do know that tomorrow morning I will wake up with a little bit more of a grateful heart than the day before, and I will hand out some extra love...because you just never know what my fellow humans may be dealing with!
I also ran over a bird today so...I may also be feeling a tad bit of guilt for that too.
Summer kickball starts tomorrow...wish me luck!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Marriage, Muck, and Monday funny
A question I get quite frequently now is, "So how is married life??" I hope that I am not disappointing anyone when my response is, "Same as before, I guess!" The only difference is that we don't have silly wedding crafts and to-do lists chipping away at our free time. But, yes! Being married is fantastic and a lot of times I have to remind myself that I am now married, and I get excited all over again! But I would say that my favorite part of marriage is knowing that Mike is now my boyfriend for life, and besides death and zombie apocalypse, there is nothing that will separate us...no struggle, no argument, nothing. Being a child of divorced parents, I really have such strong feelings about getting married and staying married, even before meeting Mike. And after I met him and saw how love can be a whirlwind and you have no control over when it hits, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I was made to be his wife.
It's been a tough week in the Atkinson household, but this is a time when I am so thankful that, no matter how much muck there is, I have my boyfriend for life to work through it all with.
And lastly, I'm not sure why its taken me so long to visit the someecard website...I CANNOT get ENOUGH. Impossible. I wanted to send a workplace card to my gal pal Mel Mel, but a) I was LOL'ing so hard that I had to leave the room so Mike could get real work done and b) ALL of them were relatable to our office environment...I couldn't just pick one! Why can't I find something so simple yet hilarious to invent. Sigh.
I'll be LOL'ing over this one all day tomorrow. Yup.
It's been a tough week in the Atkinson household, but this is a time when I am so thankful that, no matter how much muck there is, I have my boyfriend for life to work through it all with.
And lastly, I'm not sure why its taken me so long to visit the someecard website...I CANNOT get ENOUGH. Impossible. I wanted to send a workplace card to my gal pal Mel Mel, but a) I was LOL'ing so hard that I had to leave the room so Mike could get real work done and b) ALL of them were relatable to our office environment...I couldn't just pick one! Why can't I find something so simple yet hilarious to invent. Sigh.
I'll be LOL'ing over this one all day tomorrow. Yup.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Nostalgia-lover
Anyone else wayyyyy into nostalgia? I am, for sure. I'm not sure if its because I like to have little things to celebrate, or if its because I have a good memory (for silly things....not for important things like quadratic equations and such), but nonetheless, I love to remember things and celebrate them.
I left on September 23, 2006 for a semester in Wales. Now every year on September 23, I get a little emo and think about how long its been since I was there and how I wish I kept in better touch with my old flatmates.
I remember on July 25, 2009, my sister and Adam telling me over lunch that Britt was pregnant again. Of course I cried like a baby in the restaurant, and just as I started to cry the waitress spilled a glass of water on me and then thought I was crying because of her. I will always think about our sweet little Brynnie in July.
This past year has been so fun for me and my nostalgia, as it was the year I met and fell in love with my sweet friend Mike. We are (I am) constantly saying, "Today was the day we first met!" ... "Today was the day of our first kiss!" ... "Last year on this day, you told me you loved me!" ... And even though it may get a teensy bit annoying, I don't ever ever ever want to forget all of the fun milestones along the way. We celebrate a few anniversaries and I hope we continue to foreva!
I spent this past week delivering ballots to nursing home residents and at one point we had to pass through a 'memory care' unit to get to another section of the nursing home (these places are HUGE!!). We happened to walk by a room as a nurse was leading a resident out to a table. The nurse said, "Here he is! Here is your husband, Marvin!" That absolutely broke my heart. Will there ever come a day when my mind is lost and I can't even remember that Mike and I shared a life together? I brought that sadness back to the office and had a quick chat with a co-worker, who gave me great perspective when she spoke of a family friend who had lost all functionality of her body, but her mind was all there and felt trapped in her mind, and that she wishes it was the other way around. I suppose that it is just probably harder for us the observers, to see these sweet folks not remembering the special people in their lives, than it is for them.
So if by chance, I happen to lose my memory someday, I guess this is why I have my blog! Better start writing more frequently!!
I left on September 23, 2006 for a semester in Wales. Now every year on September 23, I get a little emo and think about how long its been since I was there and how I wish I kept in better touch with my old flatmates.
I remember on July 25, 2009, my sister and Adam telling me over lunch that Britt was pregnant again. Of course I cried like a baby in the restaurant, and just as I started to cry the waitress spilled a glass of water on me and then thought I was crying because of her. I will always think about our sweet little Brynnie in July.
This past year has been so fun for me and my nostalgia, as it was the year I met and fell in love with my sweet friend Mike. We are (I am) constantly saying, "Today was the day we first met!" ... "Today was the day of our first kiss!" ... "Last year on this day, you told me you loved me!" ... And even though it may get a teensy bit annoying, I don't ever ever ever want to forget all of the fun milestones along the way. We celebrate a few anniversaries and I hope we continue to foreva!
I spent this past week delivering ballots to nursing home residents and at one point we had to pass through a 'memory care' unit to get to another section of the nursing home (these places are HUGE!!). We happened to walk by a room as a nurse was leading a resident out to a table. The nurse said, "Here he is! Here is your husband, Marvin!" That absolutely broke my heart. Will there ever come a day when my mind is lost and I can't even remember that Mike and I shared a life together? I brought that sadness back to the office and had a quick chat with a co-worker, who gave me great perspective when she spoke of a family friend who had lost all functionality of her body, but her mind was all there and felt trapped in her mind, and that she wishes it was the other way around. I suppose that it is just probably harder for us the observers, to see these sweet folks not remembering the special people in their lives, than it is for them.
So if by chance, I happen to lose my memory someday, I guess this is why I have my blog! Better start writing more frequently!!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Sunny Saturday, Olive Oil Sunday
Some weekends are just ho-hum, not much to write home about. Other weekends have high expectations and fall short...but this weekend was just terrific!
My brother-in-law turned 30 this past weekend and we had been planning his celebration for what seemed like months! My sister had bought him a kegerator as a surprise gift, and after buying one online, receiving it and finding out it was a piece of crap, selling it on Craigslist, then thinking we accidentally gave the Craigslist buyers the custom tap handles but then later found them in our basement, buying a new kegerator, spending a couple afternoons getting it set up, we finallllllly got to the fun part where he got to receive it. It was perfect! We drank delicious Sunshine and Fat Tire all afternoon. We ate crab/shrimp boil, played with Mike's new cornhole boards, and soaked up the sun with family and friends. Cheers to a new decade, Adam!
On Sunday, after a full morning of lounging, I got motivated to do some domestic things in the kitchen while Mike was working...after reading a blog on kale chips, I knew I needed to try it out myself. And while I was at it, I figured I might as well make some hummus too. A quick trip to King Soopers and I was all set up in the kitchen to get cracking. The kale chips were incredibly easy and even more delicious. Crunchy salt that is also good for you? Yes please! The hummus is a tad bit weird, but I bought the most adorable mini bell peppers to dip in it, so its hard to care what I'm dipping into when the veggie is so darn cute.
Sunday night we were off to the Taste of Fort Collins. The air was eerie from the High Park Fire, but the good people of Fort Collins were still out enjoying the town. We ate a shmorgisboard of food and then found a nice patch of grass to listen to Mat Kearney. He put on a great show and then we were home in time to get ice cream and watch a creepy movie (We Need To Talk About Kevin). Luckily I was administering Mike's weekly pedicure so I was able to dodge some of the horrifying moments of the movie but not all.
Welp, see ya!
My brother-in-law turned 30 this past weekend and we had been planning his celebration for what seemed like months! My sister had bought him a kegerator as a surprise gift, and after buying one online, receiving it and finding out it was a piece of crap, selling it on Craigslist, then thinking we accidentally gave the Craigslist buyers the custom tap handles but then later found them in our basement, buying a new kegerator, spending a couple afternoons getting it set up, we finallllllly got to the fun part where he got to receive it. It was perfect! We drank delicious Sunshine and Fat Tire all afternoon. We ate crab/shrimp boil, played with Mike's new cornhole boards, and soaked up the sun with family and friends. Cheers to a new decade, Adam!
On Sunday, after a full morning of lounging, I got motivated to do some domestic things in the kitchen while Mike was working...after reading a blog on kale chips, I knew I needed to try it out myself. And while I was at it, I figured I might as well make some hummus too. A quick trip to King Soopers and I was all set up in the kitchen to get cracking. The kale chips were incredibly easy and even more delicious. Crunchy salt that is also good for you? Yes please! The hummus is a tad bit weird, but I bought the most adorable mini bell peppers to dip in it, so its hard to care what I'm dipping into when the veggie is so darn cute.
Welp, see ya!
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