Note: I am aware that 'Where's your fingers/hands?' is not gramatically correct, however when you start with 'Where's your nose, mouth, etc.' you are just on a roll and 'Where's your fingers' comes out. I had to caption it truthfully!

Labels: Eating, Feeling, Kid-ing

The Story before The Story:

I was going to write a resolutions post, didn't get around to it. But a key component of that post was going to be about revisiting the past. I started down this trail as the year came to a close when I reunited with old family friends (more about that another time or we'll never get to the point of this post). These sorts of visits are difficult for me because I don't like to 'go there'. Inevitably my Mom will become a topic of conversation and it is still a topic I don't talk about very well. Anyway, I faced that fear and had a wonderful visit with dear old friends.

For similar reasons I generally dread going to storage because there are all these large pieces of furniture that I do not foresee ever fitting into our home, yet there they are collecting dust and I can't part with them so I just leave feeling conflicted and bummed. So when I innocently went into storage to find a particular photo of my Mom I wanted for our family room (I am working on a family photo display), I happened upon the past and I embraced it! I went rummaging through dusty boxes and came across all sorts of wonderful treasures that I didn't even remember were in there. Sadly the photo was not in the best quality and will not be able to be a part of our display, but here it is. I will find another one on my next trip!



The Story:

On my visit to storage I happened upon a box that had a stool in it that my brother and I used to use as children. I forgot I saved this and was so excited by the timing because Elliot is just now starting to use a stool to reach the sink for brushing his teeth or to get up to his highchair. How wonderful that he can use the same stool I used!

Another box that I happened up had one of the most amazing finds of all...an entire box of typed-written short stories authored my Grandfather, Paul V. Sheehan (my Mom's Dad). Paul V. (as my Mom liked to call him) passed away when I was around 3 (I believe he was in his 60's). He was a Professor of Journalism at Fresno State from around the mid-1930 to early to mid-1960's. On the side he wrote, and wrote and apparently wrote some more. My mom spoke of his short-stories, but somehow it got lost in my memory. It must have been a box that my Mom had in her storage shed that I just moved without really looking at because the writing on the box is hers. It feels like the first time I've ever seen these stories. I am going to see if I can find someone/someplace to scan them (page by page at home is not an option) to ensure they are preserved, but I cannot wait to read them in their glorious typewritten paper form! {Isn't the title of the one that was on top a little eerie?}

Some other noteworthy finds...my very first 'ATM' card known as a Versatel card, an authentic cassette tape, a grade school yearbook from when I was in Kindergarten, a box of paperbacks and one near the top was about MLK (strange considering it was days from his birthday as well as the Inauguration of Obama), a school assignment where I drew a pie chart of oil production in Asia (5th grade I think, I guess I was destined to be an excel super-user), an 'original' copy of 'I am a Bunny' one of my favorite books that I have convinced Elliot to love too (in a box with a ton more Richard Scarry books which might have been from when my Mom was a teacher, not sure).
And the final artifact that had me laughing and crying was a recipe that I wrote for my mom for Mother's Day when I was in the 3rd grade (I think):

Labels: Feeling, Thinking

OK, I am not exactly sure what happened here, but I gained a pound. I felt thinner, my pants felt better, I felt better and then +1 on the scale, yikes! I am not going to let it get me down, likely my body just went into shock and was just not quite ready to let it go yet and out of fear it held on to some of those calories. Except for the weight gain, it was a pretty good week overall. I made it to the gym two-times over the 3-day weekend! I brought my lunch a couple of days last week and even switched to short-lattes or chai's instead of tall ones. I am proud of the little changes I made this week and am sure I will be rewarded next week! {I am really trying hard with the positive self-talk} So what if there are now 21lbs and 19 weeks, I can still do it! Here's to a healthy week ahead!

Also, I was going to add a picture of a "scale" when I Yahoo'd "scale" to nab one from the internet and I discovered all of these pictures of steps, old ones that looked Italian (even before I noticed the Italian wording underneath the picture - ha!). I found an online translator and scale in Italian means a short flight of steps or a small stepladder. How appropriate! Sometimes journeys like this can seem arduous, but in all of my journeys of life so far (and those to come), this one really is a short flight of steps. Ciao!

P.S. Yay for President Obama!

Labels: Flourishing

I need a goal. Twenty pounds in twenty weeks, that ought to do it! Seriously though, enough is enough. I love to eat & eat and I have been riding on the coattails of pregnancy and motherhood for too long. You didn't do a very good job of keeping me honest the last time I made a declaration to change (over a year ago now!). But I know this time you'll do better, I'll do better. I was trying to take a picture of Elliot's shadow the other day and mine kept getting in the way! I have re-joined the Weight-Watchers program they have at work and though I don't care too much to sit around and share 'diet-woes' with co-workers, it's nice to be able to quickly weigh-in each week without having to drive someplace else. And having someone else weigh me (because of course I weigh every day at home) is very motivational. We quite have enough people signed up yet, so cross your fingers a few more straggle in, I really need this! Even though today was not the official start, I did 'weigh-in' and have my 'starting' weight, so here I go. And I realize 20lbs sounds like a lot, but is only 1 pound a week which is a very realistic goal. Wish me luck!

Labels: Flourishing

I know it is only 'natural' for 'grassroots movements' to hit the mainstream marketing scene. And I realize that it is an overall good thing that they do, but it can be quite annoying. I have been bothered by 'Natural' for quite sometime, but today at the gym when I saw a Pizza Hut commercial it sent me over the edge. Pizza Hut has a new 'Natural' Pepporoni Pizza, yes, 'Natural'. The crust is 'whole grain' and the sauce does not use any high-fructose corn syrup. Again, I know that overall this is a good thing that "unnatural" ingredients are coming to the mainstream consciousness, but it is still annoying. Seriously, I mean, what are they really saying about their existing product line? They are essentially admitting that the rest of their products are 'unnatural'. What is even crazier is that we buy into these labels of 'Natural' and the FDA isn't even really regulating that term. And as much as I am indeed a proponent of 'Natural', I think it is clearing being abused. And really, if I am going to eat at Pizza Hut I would not worry about it being 'Natural', it's Pizza Hut!

Labels: Flourishing, Thinking

Last Year:

Last year I had a plan. Well before December I had ordered Elliot some green-striped pajamas, red booties, got lucky that his favorite toy already happened to be some sleigh bells, bought some fake snow at the nearby craft chain and viola it was the cutest darn Christmas card!


This Year:

This year I had no plan. As Thanksgiving weekend came to a close we picked up our pug from his weekend away (boarding at the vet). When we arrived at his hotel (the vet) there was a photographer in the lobby (the waiting room) offering to take photos Christmas photos of your pet at a nominal fee (totally overpriced). I made the mistake of asking if children could be in the photo and in a moment of desperation (knowing I did not yet have a plan for Christmas cards) I said I'd leave the pug here to have a bath, take the baby home for a nap and come back to take their pictures. So we did. And they were not quite what I imagined they would be in my last-minute overly optimistic state of mind.


Notice the cheesy chaise lounge, the curtain for dramatic flair, the fake presents and the stupid scarf on Thomas (they put these on the dogs after baths and I forgot to take it off!). We didn't decide immediately that we were not going to use this photo as our card, but we didn't go straight home and start assembling either.

Almost two weeks ago we took Elliot to see Santa. While he napped in the morning I brought up the brilliant idea of us taking the photo as a family and that could be our Christmas card. Dale agreed and we got busy trying to find any clean clothes that coordinate but didn't look too matchy-matchy. We decided on gray and though it was matchy-matchy, I do believe it was understated. Unlike last year, the photographer elf was rushing and didn't really give us an opportunity to take a good picture and of the ones they took she gave me all of 5 seconds to decide on 1 pose for a nominal fee (extremely overpriced). And again, they were not quite what I imagined they would be in my last-minute overly optimistic state of mind.


Though I must say this Santa is the real-deal (though his elves were off their game this year!) due to our unseasonably warm weather he was wearing this "interesting" shirt instead of his snugly warm coat. But I don't blame Santa, it just didn't work out. Again, we didn't decide immediately that we were not going to use this photo, but we weren't "pulling the trigger"on making the cards either.

Last weekend we decided to do what we should have done all along, what we did last year, to take our own Christmas photo. We started out thinking we would set-up the tripod and take a overdue family photo in front of the tree. As usual we were/are behind on everything and it was just going to take too much energy we didn't have to pull-off the family photo, so the family part was not going to happen AND the tree wasn't exactly decorated yet (except for the lights) so I quickly looked around and realized the fireplace would work perfectly. And viola, the Christmas card was born.

Labels: Adventuring, Kid-ing

Oh my, it has been over a month since I have said anything! I have had many thoughts at the gym, in the car, at work, and more...just haven't had a moment to type them out. These days a not-so-clever facebook status is about all I can muster up. I am sure that you (my five readers) are just all broken-up about this, but don't despair I'm not gone for good.

Labels: Thinking