The Arena Update

Take a Moment

2012-05-28T04:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Before you smother your brat with the fixin's or pour yourself another cold one or take a plunge in the pool, remember to observe what this holiday is all about. Seek out a soldier and say thank you. Send up a prayer for the families at home who are running the show without their partner. Visit a veteran.

If you don't know anyone who fits any of the previous criteria, allow me to introduce you to Stephanie Howell. Stephanie is a scrapbooking guru, doily junkie, and mom to four of the most gorgeous little girls you will ever lay eyes on. She's also the wife of a Ranger who is currently on his 8th (or is it 9th?) deployment. If you're looking for a way to take a tiny act of kidness this Memorial Day and turn it into something really special, take a couple minutes to visit Stephanie's blog and leave her a comment of encouragement. Thank her for her husband's service and sacrifies. Tell her she's doing a great job of raising those babies (because she really is). Let her know we appreciate what she and her family, and all those like them, do for our country.

P.S. Project Life Tuesday will be taking a break this week. After a couple days away from home, I've fallen a bit behind. We'll see you next Tuesday!

My Baby is a Ninja, Part Deux

2012-05-25T14:03:00.000-05:00

In case you missed the first installment of the My Baby is a Ninja saga, fear not. You can click here to get reacquainted with the awesomeness that oozes from a baby ninja. I tell ya what, Chuck Norris has nuthin' on my little powerhouse.

So there we were. Quietly going about our normal lives in our living room when we found ourselves suddenly surrounded by ruffians. Fiendish villains of the most diabolical sort had infiltrated our sanctuary, threatening to tickle us within an inch of our lives.

Thank goodness for BABY NINJA!

He kicks!

He tackles!

And he sure can pack a punch!

And when all hope seems lost and the vile ruffians seem sure to win the day, he goes to his super secret weapon....licking the shoulder.

And having a blast the entire time!

The city is safe once again, citizens. Until next time.....

Blog Your Heart - May

2012-05-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

Like many of my readers, I have a collection of blogs that I use Google Reader to keep up with on a regular basis. I scanned the list of new posts that had popped up today and the post from Stephanie on Just me My Soldier and our 4 little chicks was an answer to prayer. See, Evan and I had some time to sit out on our back porch last night and really talk. You know, the kind of talking when there are no other distractions and you actually listen to what the other person is saying. We discussed a lot of the things that have been weighing heavily on my heart, but I went to bed still feeling unsettled.

This idea of "Blog Your Heart" is just what I need! Here's how Stephanie describes it on her blog:

Here is the idea behind BYH:
1.Blog whatever is on your heart. It can be serious,silly,angry,happy,blunt,ridiculous. It can be ANYTHING but it has to be authentic (yes,there's that dang buzz word...but to be fair I've been a proponent of authenticity for a long time). The post can be long or short, doesn't matter.

2.No judging. No snarky comments, no making fun, no passive aggressive digs. If you are going to read the blogs linked in the comments, don't be mean.

So I'm giving this a whirl today. I'm not aiming for eloquent prose or anything. It's more about just getting it out there.

1. I've been self-sabotaging my weight loss. I've allowed the negative self-talk that has plagued me for so long to weasel its way back into my world. For a while there, I actually started to believe it when people were telling me how good I look, how I'm doing an amazing job at losing weight, how I've become an inspiration to them. And then the Enemy got right back to his old tricks and I fell for them....hook, line, and sinker.

People expect you to be better than this.
If you don't keep it up and lose weight every week, you'll be a failure.
You still have a long way to go, you know.
Even after all the weight you've lost, you are STILL FAT.

I confess I've been weighing myself every day, sometimes multiple times a day. I've allowed myself to become a slave to the scale, to use it as as the yard stick by which I measure my worth. If I gained .8 pounds since breakfast, I skip lunch. I'm not proud of it, but it is true. Instead of celebrating success and praising God for helping me get healthy, I have pushed the self destruct button. I need to turn this around and FAST.

2. Evan is going to China next month and he wants to make a big move to make the house sell FAST....right before he leaves. So basically, it will be up to me to keep the house in showing condition while living with all three kids....all by myself. I know I said I was going to try to be more positive about his trips to China, but this is making it difficult. I can already feel the weight of the stress pushing down on me. On the other hand, if it means getting the house sold, it's what we need to do.

3. I am absolutely, 100%, head over heels in love with that little 8 month old scooting around my house right now. I cannot even begin to describe how much he makes my heart leap when he giggles and smiles and chatters at me with his "Mamamama" baby speak. It's still a little hard to accept that he's my last baby, but I'm becoming more and more at peace with it as time goes on. That being said, I really really hate it when people assume that means there is a vasectomy in our future and then ask me when we're going to do it. TMI, anyone???

4. Even though this is supposed to be a raw, authentic representation of what it on our heart, I still cannot bring myself to type out the words of what is really bothering me at the soul level right now. Why? Because the person it concerns reads this blog and so does the person who is causing the turmoil right now. Without naming names, pointing fingers, or anything else that could get me into hot water, I will say this. You know who you are. I know what you're trying to do to my family. Stop it. Stop it NOW.

5. I'm freaking out a little bit with summer approaching. So many moms out there have their kids in T-ball, dance classes, swimming lessons, soccer, and countless other activities. Heck, Pinterest is covered with these great ideas for summer checklists painted in bright colors on a canvas that you check off as you hike in the mountains, run a lemonade stand, go horseback riding, and swim with the dolphins. I feel so inadequate. I have NOTHING on our schedule. No organized sport, no vacation, no encounter with an aquatic mammal. Instead, we're trying to do things like survive Daddy's trip to China, sell our house, find a new house, move to said new house, and survive Mommy's jury duty in July. Some summer, huh? I feel like I'm depriving my kids of the incredible childhood that all their friends seem to get to have, but we just don't have the money to do all the "stuff" and be involved in all the "things" and we certainly cannot take a week long vacation to some beach resort, Hawaii, or Disney World right now. They'll just have to settle for watching Cars 2 for the millionth time, blowing bubbles that smell like GAIN dish soap, and running foot races around the house.

6. I started waking up an hour before the boys do just so I can pull myself together, get dressed in real clothes, enjoy my coffee and get ready for the day. I was really loving having the time to charge up, actually read the Word, and get centered before the kids woke up. Somehow, somebody told them what I was trying to do and they have been up and at 'em and interfering with Mom Time almost every single morning since I started rising early. Not impressed.

7. Evan and I really like watching Dexter after the kids go to bed. Thank you, Netflix! I'm dying for Season 4 True Blood to finally show up there so we can get caught up on that too.

Ok....I feel a little better. If that came across as whiny, I apologize. I'll try to get back to your regularly scheduled programming very soon. :)

If you are reading today, please leave a comment to say hi. This was a tought post to write and it makes me feel better if I know you can identify. Also, give me some feedback about whether you think this should be a recurring topic every month.

Linking up with Stephanie for Blog Your Heart.

Skinny Sloppy Joes

2012-05-23T04:30:00.000-05:00

Losing weight gets a whole heck of a lot easier when you don't feel like you're forbidden from eating some of the foods you enjoy. Sometimes it can be tough to figure out how to still indulge in a version of something you crave (like if you're just dying to bite directly into a stick of butter because you're kind of a weirdo), but most of the time it doesn't take much to slim down your favorite recipes.

The Weight Watchers website is an absolute treasure trove of such recipes and I want to start sharing some of my favorites with you because I know of at least two people who read this blog that are also on Weight Watchers and I don't currently cook for one of them. So perhaps she will enjoy seeing some new recipe ideas, right Jessica? :)

Anyway, here's the low-down on the super easy supper I made last week that went over really well, even with my picky four year old! That's always a big bonus in my book! I found the original recipe on the WW site, but I tweaked it slightly to suit my family's tastes and I ended up even lowering the point value! Nice.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium uncooked onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced (We like garlic.)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1 pound uncooked ground turkey breast (I used the 93/7 from Jennie-O)
1 cup barbecue sauce
4 Healthy Life wheat buns (Only 80 calories per sandwich bun!)

Instructions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, and mustard; let cool 1 minute.

Add the turkey and cook, stirring to break up the meal, until no longer pink. Stir in the barbecue sauce and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve on the rolls with a side of veggies. Yields 1 roll with 3/4 cup meat.

Prep Time: 8 min
Cook Time: 11 min
Serves: 4
Points Plus Value: 8

Like I said, these were a hit and I will definitely be making them often. Yum!

Project Life Tuesday - Week 20

2012-05-22T03:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to Project Life Tuesday! This is my third year of doing Project Life and I have found it to be so beneficial to have this post planned every week because then I have a standing deadline to get my photos done! Some weeks might have more photos than others, some weeks will be missing days, but the goal remains a simple one: To provide a glimpse of our life and preserve it. This isn't meant to be stressful. It's a wonderful way to simplify scrapbooking and memory keeping.

If you're looking for inspiration on what others are doing with their Project Life, you can check out my board on Pinterest and be sure to link up on The Mom Creative!

(Click on any photo to see it larger.)

I didn't get my layout done in time to take my photos with natural light, so I apologize for the stinky photos this week.

Two inserts this week: another 8.5x11 and a Design G.

Left Page:

I found a set of these banners back in the sale section at Archiver's and this "PLAY" worked out perfectly for this week! I've been wanting to put something on the date card for a while.

8.5x11 Insert:

I fell in love with this card that Isaiah made me for Mother's Day. The best part is the sweet drawing of our family on the left. I trimmed it down to 8.5x11 so it would fit in the page protector.

On the flip side, I tucked the bird Isaiah made at preschool in on top of the card. You can also see the front side of the Design G on the right there. That entire insert is devoted to Mother's Day.

Design G:

Right Page:

Lots going on here! The photo of Micah picking his nose just kills me and I love that I had the perfect sticker from Jillybean Soup to go with it.

Yup, I am posting a photo of me wearing a swimsuit. On the Internet. For all to see. I've officially lost my mind. But the video attached to that QR code with Isaiah reading the book is really quite charming. He has almost all of Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond memorized!

I'm definitely happy I decided to order a second Cobalt binder for the second half of the year because there would be no way to fit a full year's worth in one!

See you next week!

A Prayer for Whom my Heart Aches

2012-05-21T10:54:00.001-05:00

What do you do when someone you love is hurting? How do you find the right words to say when you can barely even remember to breathe? What can you say when you're just as worried about driving them away as you are about them hanging up or shutting the door forever? What steps can you take when you feel paralyzed out of fear for their well-being, when every option seems both right and wrong all at once. When the lies have become so thick, the hurt so deep, and the questions so overwhelming, where can you turn?

We pray.

But how can we pray when we can't even articulate what we need? How do we ask for help when we aren't even sure what help we seek? What request can we make of the One who knows everything about the problem when we have no clue about how to pursue a solution?

I'm going with this:

Source: rishikajain.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Lord, today I pray for the one who will probably be furious to read this post. I call out to you, Father, for the wisdom to know what to say and what to do. Please enter into the heart of the one for whom my heart aches and remind them that they are your precious and beloved child and deserve to be treated as such. Help them to seek you and to find the courage to ask the hard questions and make the right decisions. Guide them, comfort them, give them strength. Listen to my heart, Lord. Amen.

Isaiah and Charlie

2012-05-20T20:56:00.002-05:00

I sat there in awe the entire time I shot this video. Without a doubt, my mother will certainly tell me that I did this all the time - memorized a book so that I was able to "read" it aloud to people. But there was just something really incredible about the first time my own son did it.

Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond.
As performed by Isaiah.

Enjoy.

I'm such a proud mama!

Project Life Wednesday - Week 19

2012-05-16T15:02:00.001-05:00

Only a day late! Not too shabby. :)

Hello and welcome to Project Life ~~Tuesday~~ Wednesday! This is my third year of doing Project Life and I have found it to be so beneficial to have this post planned every week because then I have a standing deadline to get my photos done! Some weeks might have more photos than others, some weeks will be missing days, but the goal remains a simple one: To provide a glimpse of our life and preserve it. This isn't meant to be stressful. It's a wonderful way to simplify scrapbooking and memory keeping.

If you're looking for inspiration on what others are doing with their Project Life, you can check out my board on Pinterest and be sure to link up on The Mom Creative!

(Click on any photo to see it larger.)

This was a big week! We had a pretty high profile recall election on Tuesday and then I just ended up taking too many darn good photos of my kids mid-week and we had some events on Friday and Saturday. All that adds up to two inserts - a 8.5x11 by WeR Memory Keepers and another one with six 4x4 pockets, also from WeR Memory Keepers.

Left Page:

Evan got a shot of me planting one of my flower boxes and I was so proud that I managed to accomplish it without it looking terrible. In the lower right corner is a photo of the headline from the Madison newspaper with the results of Tuesday's election.

Someone is fixing to crawl!!

These are both templates from Cathy Z that I just love, love, love. I find them so useful!

8.5x11 Page:

I wrote a blog post about how the big boys have started to show the effects of Daddy being gone so much for work. This is such an important aspect of our life right now that I thought it was important to document it. I cropped the photo to 8.5x5 and then copied and pasted my blog post beneath it.

On the other side of this page is a collage of photos I created in Picasa from our night out on Friday with my sister-in-law. I realize now that my Thickers are a bit crooked, but oh well!

WeR Memory Keepers Page:

My photos didn't turn out so well because the photo paper I printed them on is absolutely horrific. That's what I get for buying it cheap from St. Vinnie's. Anyway, all the photos are cropped to 4x4 except I put two on that last spot, so those are each 2x4.

I cut one of the 4x6 journaling cards from the Core Kit down to 4x4 and rounded the edges. Then I added some washi tape and some Thickers to create the title before writing my journaling.

For the flip side, I included photos from our Reduced Fat Man's Easter celebration on Saturday! I used the trick I learned from Jessica of numbering the photos (using stickers from the Cobalt Core Kit) and then journaling on one card. Easy peasy!

Right Page:

This side is more "everyday" stuff.

I really like how this card turned out! An Instagram cropped to 2x2 combined with a 3x2 screen shot from Evan's iPhone after I ran a 5K for the first time. Washi tape, Thickers, BAM!

Before we headed out on Friday night, my mother snapped this photo of us. I really liked how it showed our progress on our weight loss journey so far, so I used it in THIS POST about how we've lost 110 pounds so far! The journal card is from a SMASH pad.

And all three of these photos make me smile. Isaiah jumping on the big bubble wrap that came with my Project Life gear and making a big POP!, my wedding rings right before we took them in to the jeweler to finally get them finished, and Thomas eating his toes. Just happy stuff there, folks.

Better late than never, right? Off to link up at The Mom Creative! See you next week!

We're Winning at Losing!

2012-05-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

*DISCLAIMER!!* (Be warned here, people. I am not, nor will I ever be, an expert at weight loss, nutrition, exercise or anything as such. What I know is what has worked for us and that's what I'm going to share with you today because I think most of what we're doing is pretty universal stuff that will help just about anyone with their weight loss goals. Disclaimer over. Moving right along....)

Let's face it. Nobody is ever really going to be in the perfect position to lose weight. I'm a stay at home mom of three young boys and I work at a restaurant part time on the weekends that serves biscuits & gravy and jumbo french toast. My husband drives four hours to and from work every day and has to eat out at restaurants for lunch almost all the time. That adds up to a lot of challenges, folks. But you know what?

It CAN be done.

There is no perfect formula or magic spell you can cast to make it happen, but all it takes is some serious dedication, a whole lot of support and love, and it is most definitely possible. We are just two regular people who got fed up with being overweight and unhealthy and we decided to do something about it once and for all. For our own health and for our kids' future, it was time.

Before I go any further, I want to make sure you understand that we are not done. As of this writing, I have lost 50 pounds and my husband has lost 60 pounds. As you can probably tell by the photo above, these are NOT our goal weights! We are still on this journey, still working every day to make good choices and adjust to living a new lifestyle. It doesn't happen overnight, but what I can share with you is what brought us to this point....110 pounds in under 5 months!

My "before" photo: Thanksgiving 2011, 202 pounds

My baby boy was four months old on New Years Eve 2011. That night, I decided that 2012 would be the year I took control of how I felt about myself. I wasn't going to allow myself use the "I just had a baby!" excuse for the whole year! I stepped on the scale that night and the most terrifying number flashed in my face....202 pounds. How could I have let this happen? I signed up for Weight Watchers Online that very night. My husband joined me 9 days later.

Evan and I together on Thanksgiving 2011

1. BE READY

Evan and I have been married for just shy of 8 years and were together for 5 years before that. In all 13 of those years, Evan has struggled with being overweight and it has always put strain on our relationship. I would nag and beg and bribe and nag some more. I would cry, lay guilt trips, offer rewards, do anything I could to try to convince him to try to lose weight. His family even gave him a membership to a gym and offered cash rewards for weight loss milestones. If this sounds familiar to you, I can offer you this one piece of wisdom I have learned: They/You must be READY. You cannot force someone to undertake a life change. And that's what this is - a life change. It is not a diet or a fad. You need to be ready to change your life and that's HARD. Pray, ask for encouragement, and then pray some more. When the time comes and you're really ready, jump in with both feet and never look back!!

2. TOOLS!

For us, Weight Watchers Online was the tool we needed to succeed at losing weight. I had been able to lose some in the past just by cutting out fried foods and easing up on my desserts, but I never could have achieved this kind of success without help. I love how WW gives you a new way to think about food and it's so easy to use the program wherever you are, whatever you're eating. Find what works for you, whether it's Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, hiring a nutritionist, or whatever. Just remember this is a long term goal, not a quick fix solution!

3. ASSEMBLE A TEAM

I've often heard it said that if you have a goal you want to achieve, share it with the world. Putting it out there, shouting it from the rooftops makes it more real and helps keep you accountable. If you can get a partner in your weight loss journey, awesome! We have loved being able to do this together and be each other's biggest cheerleader. I post my weekly weigh-in results on Facebook because I love the positive feedback I get from my friends when I've lost weight. It's so motivating! Use social media as a tool to keep you going. Now, Evan's not a social media kind of guy, but he did make sure his family and his close buddies knew he was doing Weight Watchers. They were so stoked for him and it makes it much easier for him to make wise food choices when he's around them. So, share your goal! Get a support team and you'll be amazed at how much easier it becomes to stay on track.

4. PORTION CONTROL

Invest in a food scale and use it. I was amazed at how out of whack my portions were once I actually started weighing my food before I ate it. Talk about an eye-opener. Use measuring cups and spoons too. What you think is a tablespoon might actually be a whole lot more and it makes a big difference.

5. COMMIT TO THE LONG HAUL

There is no quick fix. Losing weight the right way takes a lot of time and even more patience, two things I don't really have! :) For the sake of full disclosure, I can tell you that both Evan and I have lost weight faster than we're supposed to on Weight Watchers. The program is designed for you to lose 1-2 pounds per week and we have both averaged above that. Still, even if you think about 2 pounds every week, that adds up to be more than 100 pounds in a year! Amazing! Plus, if you want to keep the weight off and make it easier to maintain, it is so much better to lose it slowly.

6. GET YOUR BUTT MOVING

Still smiles after running a 5K for the first time! May 9, 2012

Shocking, I know, but exercise actually does help you lose weight. Turns out The Biggest Loser is on to something. Starting to be exercise can be so overwhelming and can actually be what makes you quit if you're not careful. Don't jump right into a PX90 boot camp if you've been sitting on your butt for years! In my first couple weeks on WW, I did nothing. Then I started using my Wii and the EA Sports Personal Trainer game to do easy, low impact workouts a couple times a week. Then I got crazy and started running. It took me 7 weeks to work my way up to it, but I actually ran a 5K for the first time on one of my runs last week and....news flash....I didn't die. If you're not comfortable getting active yet, that's ok. Work on getting your nutrition under control, lose some weight, then start moving when you're ready (see #1). Want to know a secret? Evan hasn't even started exercising yet and he's lost 60 pounds! But as a result of dropping that weight, he is doing things he never did before: chasing after the boys, playing Frisbee with them, going for walks with them. It's incredible!

P.S. I use an app called Ease Into 5K to guide my running. It's available for iPhone and Android.

7. EAT BREAKFAST

It jump starts your metabolism and helps you not to feel ravenous by the time lunch time rolls around so you're less likely to over-eat. My go-to breakfast is a bowl of quick cook oatmeal (1/2 cup uncooked) with blueberries or strawberries and a tablespoon of chopped walnuts. Even if you only have time to eat an english muffin or a banana, it's better than nothing.

8. DRINK WATER LIKE IT'S YOUR JOB

I carry around a Camelbak water bottle like it's surgically attached to my hand. Shoot for about 64 ounces of water every day. Get rid of soda (yes, even diet sodas!) if you can and if you're a coffee person, try to ditch the creamer.

9. PLAN ON SPLURGES

There is no way I could give up sweets forever and ever. My sweet tooth is just too strong! The good news is that you can still eat the foods you love and lose weight too, as long as you're smart about your splurges. I keep low fat ice cream treats in the house and I start planning earlier in the day if I want to have one at night. Craving pizza? Have one slice with a huge salad. Or even better, whip up my quick and easy mini pizzas for only 5 points per serving! It's possible, people. Just plan ahead, be smart about your portions, and you can still enjoy pretty much any food.

10. SNACK SMART

Keeping a jar of M&Ms on the counter is NOT snacking smart. Believe me, I know. I filled a glass jar with a bag of those cursed things because the colors looked so nice in my dining room and we were staging our house to sell. Next thing you know, the M&Ms are gone and my points were being eaten alive by those darn things! Keep almonds, apples, carrot sticks, grapes, bananas, and other healthy snacks on hand. Get rid of things that trip you up.

11. SET SMALL GOALS

Nobody just wakes up and says, "I think I'll run a marathon today!" and just goes out to run 26.2 miles without ever having run before. It's just crazy and not safe! The same goes for setting weight loss goals. If you focus on the fact that you have 100 pounds to lose (or whatever your number is), it's easy to get overwhelmed at the task and quit before you've even begun. Instead, set mini-goals of 5 pounds, then 10 pounds, then 10% of your body weight, and so on. Before you know it, those mini-goals add up to BIG success!!

There you have it! Nothing earth-shattering or brand new, just some common sense principals that have worked well for us so far. Coming up, I will share some of the recipes that have become big favorites in our household since we started our weight loss journey. Stay tuned, folks. We both have a good deal of work to do before we achieve our goal weights, so this adventure is far from over. Looking forward to celebrating new milestones with you!

Are you working on losing weight? Or maybe another goal that seems daunting? Shout it out in the comments and let's get some cheering going!!

PL Tuesday Coming Soon!

2012-05-15T13:11:00.001-05:00

No Project Life post today, simply because I couldn't get it done in time. I finished the editing and cropping of photos last night around midnight and Evan should be picking up my prints for me on his way home from work. If all goes well, that means I should be able to assemble and get everything put in the album tonight and then take photos tomorrow and get post up!

So, my apologies for no Project Life goodness over here today. If you're jonesing for some inspiration, check out The Mom Creative and visit those who linked up!

Mother's Day Monday Musings

2012-05-14T10:06:00.001-05:00

There are definitely days where it isn't a picnic, when I wonder what the heck kind of crazy got into my head to make me think I could be a Mommy to three boys. But every day is a gift. I'm blessed beyond measure to have these little monkeys and I'm so incredibly grateful that I get to be the one to be home with them full time, to enjoy them, laugh with them, cry with them, and cuddle with them. It's the hardest job in the whole world, being a mother. Make no mistake.

But that's why God made them so cute. And also why he invented wine.

Thank you to my boys, my man, and the rest of my family who joined us yesterday and made my Mother's Day something truly special.

Happy belated Mother's Day to all the mamas out there!!!

P.S. My weekend was a hot mess, so I'm VERY overwhelmed with photos to go through and edit, laundry to wash and fold, floors to scrub, and about a dozen other assorted tasks. More than likely, Project Life Tuesday is going to be out of the question this week. I'll get it done as soon as I can though!

P.P.S. I plan on writing a whole post updating you all on our weight loss project, but I'm just too excited about this that I have to let the cat out of the bag right now. I hit my 50 pound milestone over the weekend!!! Yahooo!!!

Gotta go switch the laundry over and get the Crock Pot started. Have a wonderful Monday!

They Miss Him.

2012-05-10T04:00:00.000-05:00

Evan stated a fact tonight that has been rearing its ugly head for some time now, but that I've been a bit too reluctant to admit. I got home from my run, all jacked up (more on that later), and asked him how bedtime went.

"Isaiah's really having a hard time with me being gone, isn't he?"

Yes, dear. He is. Micah is too. Both the big boys are really starting to show the effects of missing their Daddy. He spends four hours in the car driving to and from work most days, so we usually don't see him until about 7:00 at night. Considering the boys go in to read their books and get ready to hit the sack at 7:45, that really doesn't leave much time for them to really enjoy their time with Daddy as they would like. He's actually started taking over the reading books and bedtime duties on most night simply because it's one of the few times they get him just to themselves and quiet frankly, I am usually DONE by the time Evan finally rolls in at night.

The mornings aren't much easier anymore. For the last week or so, I've had to start off each and every day by calming down Micah's hysterical screaming as he comes into my bedroom and wails, "Where Daddy!? Where Daddy!?"

Both of them have really started to act out as well. For example, today Isaiah got up from his nap and immediately asked for fruit snacks. For one, we don't have any fruit snacks, so it was a pretty easy call for me to say no. He started stamping his feet and launching into a fit, screaming "But I WANT some!!" Try as I might to explain that the fruit snacks were all gone, he insisted that "Daddy lets me have dem all da time!"

Great. By the time we were done and he was in his room to calm down from his tirade, I was dying for a can of Diet Pepsi or perhaps something deep fried and smothered in chocolate. And this wasn't an isolated incident either. Micah's been on the war path as well, but I don't want this to end up being a list of complaints.

I'm just glad I'm not the only one who has noticed what a toll this is starting to take on my sons. They miss their Daddy. They miss him so very much. All day I field questions about whether or not they'll be able to play Mario Kart with Daddy when he gets home or maybe go outside and play Frisbees with Daddy. They just love him to pieces and are absolutely craving time with him.

And now we have another trip to China coming up. Seventeen days without Daddy home. God help me. I promised Evan I would make a concentrated effort to be more positive about his China trips because I know that these trips are part of his job and I am extremely grateful for his job. I understand that he really has no control over it and that they aren't exactly easy on him either. It's not like he's thrilled at the idea of leaving his family to travel to the other side of the world. The last thing he needs is for his wife to be whining about it and making him feel guilty just for doing his job. That being said, I am more concerned for this upcoming trip than I have been for any of the ones in the past. Add the boys' behavior lately in with the fact that we're in crunch time for selling our house and toss in that Micah is now starting to show interest in potty training and I'm reaching the really tough part of my 5K training and it all adds up to a hot mess of crazy.

Oh yes, and there's one more thing:

I promise I'll try to be positive about it from now on, but I just had to throw that out there. If your prayer list is a little short as of late, would you consider throwing my family on there? This is going to be a significant challenge for us that I know I cannot handle on my own.

Don't Sweat It.

2012-05-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

Image source: http://aflyonthewallspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/11/night-time-running-safety-tips.html

Raise your hand if you ~~hate~~ dislike exercise. Oh yeah, definitely waving my hand up in the air over here. I used to joke that the only way you'd find me actually running down the street is if someone (or something) with fangs, claws, or a chainsaw were chasing me. And don't even get me started on the shiver that goes up my spine when I watch Bob Harper on The Biggest Loser putting his contestants through hours of grueling horrors every single day. I've come to hate burpees simply by living vicariously through those poor souls....from the comfort of my couch, of course.

Exercise and I are not friends. But I'm in a battle here, folks. I'm fighting for a goal that is only possible if I get off my butt and get moving.

Right after I began my journey with Weight Watchers Online on January 1st, I finally put my Wii to use and started doing some easy workouts with the EA Sports Personal Trainer game I have. I'm embarrassed to admit how red my face was every time I would come back upstairs after even the easiest of workouts. Really, it's shameful how out of shape I let myself get.

Fast forward about four months and here I am in my sixth week of training to run a 5K. It still makes my tummy flip a little just to write that sentence. I lace up my running shoes and hit the pavement at least three times every week, sometimes more. The app I use to help me, Ease Into 5K, started me off with just short spurts of running with a healthy dose of walking in between. Every day the bar was raised just a little higher and a little higher until last night I hit my first milestone - a run of 20 minutes straight.

And I didn't even die.

Here comes my problem. I probably would have felt like I was going to die, or at least pass out or puke, if it had been just a couple degrees warmer. I run at night because it's the most convenient time for my family and our schedule, but also because it's so much cooler. I returned home from a run on a pretty warm night last week and told Evan, "I think I'm in trouble. I'm not going to be able to do this."

The 5K I'm planning on running is scheduled for September 1st at 9:00 am. It's going to be rather warm.

And I don't sweat.

Yup, you read that right. I don't sweat. Now before all my female readers start hollering about how amazing that would be, I'll concede that it certainly does come in handy to know that I'm not going to get all slimy and funky no matter how high the temperature and how strenuous the activity. However, it can also be very problematic.

*TMI Warning!*

Really, for as long as I can remember, I haven't been able to sweat normally. I might get a little damp under my arms, along my spine, and on the nape of my neck, but that's it. My forehead and face stay bone dry and I certainly don't have the.....ummmm....output of sweat that a normal person has. I still remember having to sit on the bench for most of our T-Ball games as a young girl because our uniforms had black shirts and black hats and I would just faint in the outfield if I got overheated, which was easy to do. Not exactly an easy thing for a 6 year old to deal with.

I just can't get rid of the heat. In college, I went on a quest to find a white Badger cap to wear to football games because I would end up overheated without it. My dark hair just acts as a sponge, the heat has nowhere to go, and down I go.

Now here I am trying to lose all this weight (48.4 pounds and counting, by the way!) and running has been crucial to my success. I set a goal to run this sonofafricking 5K, but the first time I had to run in any kind of warm weather, my body got MAD. My face turned hot and blazed a fire engine red, my head started to swim, my stomach lurches, and I could feel the tingles of hot fire tickling all over the skin on my extremities. It was all I could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other without having to stop and faint or puke.

Just to be clear, I am NOT quitting. I am going to run that race, so help me God. What I'm going to have to let go of is my original hope to run it in less than 30 minutes. If it is any kind of sunny or warm out, I am going to be hurting just to keep going, let alone to keep up a pace that puts me at the finish line in that kind of time. I'm just going to have to give myself some grace and understand that the time isn't the most important thing. I'll never cross the finish if I end up passed out in the second mile, for goodness sake.

Yet another thing that makes me a weirdo, I know. Anyone heard of a problem like this before? Any runners have any advice for me? Of course, eventually I would like to start actually "working out" in a gym to maintain my weight (once I hit goal) and work on toning my body, but I'm almost scared to do it because of my problem.

Help me out here, friends. What's a girl to do when she doesn't sweat?

Project Life Tuesday - Week 18

2012-05-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to Project Life Tuesday! This is my third year of doing Project Life and I have found it to be so beneficial to have this post planned every Tuesday because then I have a standing deadline to get my photos done! I'm doing things a little different this year and instead of the Photo a Day approach I've done for the last 2 years, I am approaching this year on more of a Layout Per Week basis. This means that some weeks might have more photos than others, some weeks will be missing days, but the goal remains the same: To provide a glimpse of our life and preserve it. This isn't meant to be stressful. It's a wonderful way to simplify scrapbooking and memory keeping.

If you're looking for inspiration on what others are doing with their Project Life, you can check out my board on Pinterest and be sure to link up on The Mom Creative!

(Click on any photo to see it larger.)

I got a little carried away taking photos of the boys this week so I had to throw in a Design G page protector.

Left Page:

I finally got to upgrade my printer to a wireless all-in-one, so I had to take it for a test drive by scanning this photo I had on my desk of my friend Marissa and me from our freshman year of college at UW-Madison, circa 2001. That printer spit out a print that looked even better than the original!

I got a box of books and flash cards to start helping Isaiah learn some sight words and he's been really focused on trying to learn them. I think it's going to prove to take a good deal of patience on my part, but he's pretty excited. He's doing well with the word "jump."

Design G:

We were just hanging out in the living room and Thomas was just looking so scrumptious that I just had to grab the camera. He ended up getting the entire front side all to himself.

In the same sitting, I followed the Bigs around to be sure they also got their due.

Right Page:

I had a little fun with this one. :)

I used a Cathy Z template to include 3 photos from our visit to the doctor for Thomas' checkup along with the QR code for a video I took of him. If you need a good laugh, scan it. It's really cute.

I love these two black & white photos of Thomas. They make me happy. And look at my big boy. Just loungin'.

I busted out one of the flip pockets I bought a while back so I could include three photos of the boys in the bathtub. I added the text in Photoshop and then slapped on an arrow from the Core Kit.

And when you flip it up:

I love this project so much. It's so funny watching Isaiah flip through the pages and say "And this is me and this is Thomas and Thomas and Micah playing and me eating my supper and Daddy and this is you and this is your feet and these are your stars and this is my lightsaber and LET ME TURN THE PAGE ALL BY MYSELF!!!"

It's all worth it, folks.

He's a Natural!

2012-05-07T10:43:00.000-05:00

We've known since he was about 4 months old that Micah would be a football player someday. That child has just been so BIG for so long! He's a very rough & tumble kind of boy too. In fact, his version of "cuddling" involves mashing his face into yours. Sure, it doesn't sound so bad until you remember that Micah has a wrecking ball for a head. Seriously, he is just intense in everything he does, including his displays of affection.

But that's not what this post is about.

I just couldn't resist sharing these photos with you because I was cracking up the entire time I was shooting them. Poor Isaiah was trying so hard to get Micah to try to toss the football back and forth with him, but Micah was clearly more interested in learning a different aspect of the game. After watching this display, we're fairly certain that Isaiah will be our soccer player and Micah is going to be a Pro Bowl defensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers.

I like that you're getting low son, but you have to watch out for grabbing the jersey. That will get you the 10 yard holding penalty if the ref catches you!

Isaiah managed to escape long enough to try convincing Micah to catch the football.....

....but unfortunately he was sacked behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 12 yards. That's gonna force 'em to punt.

But wait! The quarterback is a little slow to get up! Perhaps he was hit a little too hard? Let's check the replay.

Yup. Twisted his helmet clean around on his head. The crowd boos as the ref tosses the flag and reports the 15 yard penalty for Roughing the Passer. Looks like the offense gets a new set of downs and the drive is revitalized! Isn't it such a shame how they baby the quarterback?

So back at it they go. First and ten.

FUMBLE!!!!

So, so happy. He just played the game of his career and all he wants is a Popsicle.

If any college scouts are reading this, there's a "Contact Us" link at the top of the page where you can reach me. I'm telling you, you need to start recruiting this kid now. He's only 2 years old now, but he's going to be a BEAST in about 10 years.

I'm so proud.

Thomas - 8 Months

2012-05-04T10:26:00.003-05:00

Look at that little stinker.

Don't you just want to squeeze him? I know I do. I spend a good portion of my day kissing those rosy cheeks and tickling those chubby thighs. It's an addiction.

Thomas is such a unique baby. He wants nothing to do with being on his tummy, but he is content to sit up like this for most of the day. He's learned how to scoot across the room on his butt and he gets into mischief already! Poor kid is a victim of Third Child Syndrome because he certainly doesn't have a big stock of his own special baby toys. Instead, I just set the basket of his brothers' cars within his reach and he ends up being pretty happy.

The reason his looks so shiny in that photo is because I had just lubed him up from head to toe with Aquaphor because the poor child inherited his mother's dry skin to an extreme degree. Sorry, buddy.

We went to the doctor for a follow-up appointment on Wednesday night and Thomas is right back to where he should be in regards to his fine motor skills. He can now pass things from one hand to another, grab things with his fists, and shove finger foods into his mouth. His language development is right on track too, as you can see demonstrated in this video.

As far as teeth go, he now has two on bottom and is working on busting out those two on top. They haven't reached the surface yet, but the redness on his cheeks combined with the faucet of snot that keeps gushing out of his nose leads me to believe they're coming soon. Having teeth has definitely seemed to help with his eating struggles. He has to have some finger foods to munch on at meal time, but at least we can now get him to eat spoonfuls of food if we sneak them into his mouth in between bites of his puffs, diced carrots, or potatoes.

Love you so much, little boy! Happy 8 Months!

I Like to Move It, Move It.

2012-05-03T10:12:00.002-05:00

It's time to go, people. No, we didn't sell the house so I am unfortunately not referring to moving our physical residence yet. With God's help, I'm hoping to be able to announce that news soon. Today is not that day.

It is, however, time to move this blog. Blogger (the platform I use to create this here blog) has been driving me batty for some time now and the latest post where I tried to show you the video of Thomas sent me over the edge. Code not working, photos not uploading, hard to navigate tools, and multiple bugs have just pushed me to the point where I'm ready to part ways and try something new.

So, to WordPress we go.

Here's the plan. I have been chatting with a gal on Twitter who is hoping to help me out with this transition, including a new blog design. The name and URL should stay the same, so using www.thearenaupdate.com should still bring you here. Of course, the big difference will be that it takes you to a brand new site. Where things get tricky is when it comes to packing the "baggage" and bringing all that with me. I don't want to lose any of the content that I've written on here in the past 4 years, so I need to figure out how to transfer it. My comments might be lost forever. I remember that when Jessica at The Mom Creative made the jump to WordPress, she had professional developer people who were struggling to save her comments from Disqus. Well, I don't have "people." I have me and I have KK. I'll be lucky if I'm able to pull this off with some semblance of grace.

Moral of the story....changes are a'coming. I'm going to get to work on the new site as soon as I can so that it can go live as quickly as possible. Of course, since we're in the middle of trying to sell the house and I have three little monsters running around all day, who know when that will actually be. :)

By the way, do me a favor and start thinking of "The Arena Update" in a more metaphorical sense, ok? Like....the "arena" of parenting. Think Gladiator. But without the blood, guts, and killing. Ok, there might be some blood. I am the mama of three BOYS after all.

Anyone out there reading this have any advice for this transition? Any tips or trick you can offer to make it as painless as possible?

Talking to Mama

2012-05-03T09:03:00.002-05:00

Despite the fact that Thomas follows me with his eyes every time I make a move, it would appear that he has a preference for speaking about one of his parents over the other.
I had tears squirting out of my eyes when I watched this the first time. So funny.

I don't know why the embed code isn't working, but I can't get the video to show up here in the post. My technical difficulties continue! Anyway, here's the link to the video: VIDEO OF THOMAS!

Oh baby. I will figure out how to get you to say "Mama" eventually!

Project Life Tuesday - Week 17

2012-05-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for inspiration on what others are doing with their Project Life, you can check out my board on Pinterest and be sure to link up on The Mom Creative!

(Click on any photo to see it larger.)

Ended up with another pretty simple week and somehow I ended up with a pretty Thomas-heavy collection of photos. Just one insert - a 6x12 from American Crafts.

Left Page:

I used a QR code on the lower left photo to link up to a video of Thomas showing off his new teeth. Then I used three photos from a teeny little photo shoot to capture the relationship between Isaiah and Thomas. I love those faces!

6x12 Page:

The first side of the insert has a collage of photos from the boys' visit to the Madison Children's Museum on Sunday thanks to my sister in law. I was stuck at work while they got to play, so thank you Ashley for hooking me up with your photos!

The flip side has a summary of our week using a Cathy Z template plus the program from the high school play I attended on Saturday night.

Right Page:

Toddler mechanic, sick boy, superhero T-shirt, and cold dinner. Just a regular week in Project Life.

Enjoy some fabulous inspiration over at The Mom Creative! Happy Project Life Tuesday!

Unplugged and Itching to Sell

2012-04-29T21:49:00.001-05:00

The last four days have been spent checking and un-checking boxes in the Control Panel of my computer, unplugging, moving and resetting my modem in the hopes of re-establishing our Internet connection. I sat on the phone with three different customer service reps over the course of no less than four phone calls. Two different techs visited our home and replaced our modem twice.

But I think we might finally have our Internet back.

Granny Smith apples make a really pretty centerpiece on our table.

The other good news is that there is some activity to report on the house! Last Sunday, we had a showing at noon followed by an open house in the afternoon. We had three buyers come through and the one who requested the showing gave us some good feedback. They said the home was in "Excellent" showing condition and that it suited their needs. As to whether they were considering putting in an offer, the response was "Maybe." As much as I appreciate that a "Maybe" is a heck of a lot better than a "No," it just left me with more questions than answers. Our agent followed up with the buyer and found out they definitely had "some interest" in our house! Of course, this turned me into a rabid obsessive constant email-checking freak of nature. I was convinced that an offer was going to come at any moment. Alas, it turned out that the buyers had accepted an offer on their house that still had some contingencies to work out, so they are currently unable to place an offer on another house until those are settled.

Dangit.

So, it's back to the waiting game. Who knows? Perhaps these folks will get those loose ends tied up quickly and will be itching to buy our house soon.

In even better news, we just got an email tonight requesting another showing for tomorrow morning! I've already scrubbed the floors, cleaned the kitchen, wiped down the bathroom, washed three loads of laundry, and dusted and vacuumed the whole main level. Just a few things to finish up in the morning and we'll be making ourselves scarce in the hopes that we can pique the interest of another lucky house hunter. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Say a prayer for us, ok?

Off to change over the laundry....again.

My Baby is a Ninja

2012-04-26T03:38:00.000-05:00

Every mama thinks her baby is amazing. But not every baby is a ninja.

Just sayin'.

Thomas has Two Teeth!

2012-04-25T03:31:00.000-05:00

Try saying that title ten times fast. Yikes!

I know I never got around to writing a 7 month post for Thomas and I feel like such a slacker mommy for it. Thank goodness I have Project Life to be able to remember all this stuff! The highlight for the little guy right now is that he has two teeth on the bottom that have busted through and and ready to play! You can always tell when he's working on teeth because his cheeks get super-red and irritated. Poor boy.

Enjoy this video of my little man showing off his chompers!

Project Life Tuesday - Week 16

2012-04-24T03:00:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for inspiration on what others are doing with their Project Life, you can check out my board on Pinterest and be sure to link up on The Mom Creative!

(Click on any photo to see it larger.)

I was pretty occupied with trying to get our house staged for our Open House (I wrote about this on the journal card with the Instagram photo), so my photo volume was pretty light this week. Still, I love how this project still allows me to give a good glimpse into what we were up to.

Left Page:

Nothing too fancy here. I used my trusty Ali Edwards day stamps, some Tim Holz journaling stickers, and some letter stickers for the "Micah" card. If you have a moment, read that little gem about my Micah. It's a hoot.

Right Page:

I love the photo of my Sesame Street Zombies in the top right corner. Cracks me up.

There you have it! Like I said, I was way too busy with working on the house to really do anything too overly exciting, but I love that still ended up with a need spread in my album for this week. Be sure to check out The Mom Creative for fabulous Project Life ideas!

Mini Pizzas - My New Go-To Meal

2012-04-23T19:30:00.000-05:00

When I first started Weight Watchers Online at the beginning of 2012, I was under the wrong impression that it meant I couldn't eat some of my favorite foods. The beauty of WW is that you CAN eat the things you love! I've since learned how to experiment with recipes and lighten them up and also how to put together my own healthy meals. Now, I'm no expert and I certainly don't have a ton of time to mess around in the kitchen. I do have three small boys demanding my attention all day, after all.

But this little gem. This easy peasy, quick and simple, delicious mini-meal just begs to be shared. It's a no-brainer, so I really don't know why it took me so long to figure out how to do this.

Mini Pizzas - Points Plus Value: 5

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat English Muffin
2 Tablespoons pizza sauce
6 slices of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
1/4 cup Fat Free shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Oregano or Italian Seasoning

Turn on the broiler on the oven. Cut the English muffin in half and toast in the toaster. Smear 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce on each half and the sprinkle the cheese on top. Add three pepperonis to each half (I used only two on each when I took the photo, but I changed it because I like pepperoni.). Sprinkle oregano or Italian Seasoning on top. Place mini pizzas on a baking sheet and cook under the broiler until cheese is melted and sauce is hot, about 3-4 minutes.

So quick and simple and so yummy! It satisfies my craving for pizza without socking me a boat-load of points and the kids just LOVE them. Talk about an easy lunch for the boys!

Designed to Sell

2012-04-23T15:04:00.005-05:00

Guess what? It's quiet in my house right now. And you know what? I'm not feeling pressured to utilize that quiet to scrub a floor, paint a wall, pack a couple boxes, or clean a closet. It's kind of nice! Sure, I still have photos to edit, emails to reply to, and numerous other things I "should" be doing, but at the moment I am kind of enjoying being able to finally sit down and blog for a couple minutes. Be warned, however. Micah was still messing around in his room when he's supposed to be sleeping when I checked on him about five minutes ago, so goodness knows how long this little venture into sanity will last.

What's been going on? The short answer - A LOT.

Basically, I spent the majority of last week whipping my house into shape in preparation for our first Open House with our new Realtor. As you recall, a stager came by and walked me through a whole litany of things I could do to make the house more "sellable" to the average buyer. Considering we've been on the market for a grand total of 299 days now, Evan and I were willing to give pretty much anything a go. We rented a storage unit and have moved numerous van loads of stuff out of our house. I've made three trips to St. Vinnie's to donate things we didn't really need. We painted our entire living room and the dining room accent wall. We changed out a light fixture, most of our lightbulbs, replaced a closet door, bought patio furniture, and cleaned and scrubbed and cleaned some more. I felt like Cinderella by the time Friday rolled around (before she got to wear the fancy dress and go to the party, that is) and I got an email that someone had requested a showing for Saturday at noon! Yahoo!!!

But drat. That meant one less day to finish everything.

A frenzy ensued. Dusting, vacuuming, boxing, spraying of Febreeze. And then they rescheduled for an hour before our Open House on Sunday. Okidoke.

So, Sunday rolls around and I'm on pins and needles at work while Evan took the boys (and the dog) to Madison to leave the house vacant. The good news? We had three prospective buyers with Realtors come through the house yesterday. The feedback was positive and one said the house was in "Excellent" showing condition and that it met his buyers' needs. As to whether they were considering an offer, the response was "Maybe."

Maybe is not a No. I'll take it.

So, we wait. We wait to see if an offer is indeed going to come from our hard work and patience. Really, all the patience is coming from Evan's end. I'm really struggling not to freak out about this whole thing, to be quite honest. Thank goodness he's got enough patience for the both of us.

Just so you can get a sense of what we've been up to, here are some before and after shots of our living room:

BEFORE -

AFTER -

BEFORE -

AFTER -

Quite the difference, huh? Sure, I do miss my blue wall. It's very "blah" right now, but it does look brighter and bigger and those are two things we need our buyers to see when they walk in the door. I do still need to get some new shots of the dining room since we replaced the light fixture and painted the accent wall in there too, but that just hasn't happened yet. I can show you these little teasers though:

So, that's the house update. I also have videos to share with you of Thomas and his new teeth, a story to tell you about Micah and a nun, and of course some Project Life goodies on tap. I promise to try to get it all in this week. See ya later!

P.S. Here is the link to the official listing for our home. If anyone reading this happens to know someone who is looking for a home in the area (Arena, Spring Green, Mazomanie, Sauk Prairie), would you consider passing this along to them? Anything we can do to drive some traffic to our home would be a good thing. Share on Facebook, pin it on Pinterest, send it in an email. Whatever! It's all good and I would be so grateful. And hey, if you just want to check it out and send me some happy "sell that house" happy brain waves, that would be nice too!

http://www.restainohomes.com/homes/1650946-113_Thomas_Pl-Arena-WI-53503