It's been a week...

It's been a week since I started operation "A New Me". This last week I worked on losing some weight...okay I'm working on losing A LOT OF WEIGHT!, and this morning counted as 1 week since I began. In the last week I've lost 9.4 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited and very encouraged by this number.

• I started by changing the number of calories I could eat each day. I decided to go with a 1500 calorie a day diet...which after spending a week recording all the food I eat is probably half of what I used to eat every day. Of course I only had 2 days where my calorie count was under that, but I'm averaging about 1640 calories per day. I splurged on Friday...who knew that 1 meal at Qdoba would equal 1200 calories!!!

• The second change was exercise. I didn't really do enough in the last week, but I did throw in a 30 minute "Dancing to the Stars" routine that wore me out! and 2-1 mile walks around the park. Again those were tiring...not as stressful as the "Dancing" one though. I like walking better and the weather is getting to a point that I'll be able to do more of that now.

• Goals: Continue to eat 1500 calories a day and try to walk or exercise 4 times this week.
  

A New Me.

Now that I have both boys off to school for most of the day, I want to work on something I've been pushing to the back burner for the last 13 years...ME. I thank God that I have my boys, my husband and my health, but since I married Husband and had my Boys, I've let myself go...especially in the weight, looks and clothes department, and I want to change that so here are my goals:

1. Lose Weight! I need to lose 100 pounds. I don't know if I can do this and although I really don't want to post something so boring on here, I have to...I need something to hold me accountable.
2. Start wearing make-up again: not all the time, but I want to start helping my face age naturally and to enhance what I've got. I'm seeing the little laugh wrinkles at the corners of my eyes...I don't mind a few wrinkles (they're a sign of Wisdom!), but I don't want them to get out of hand either. I'm told I have a beautiful eyes (not sure I agree) and so I want to start enhancing them more, even out my skin a bit, add some color to my lips and I'm starting to feel like the me from my youth.
3. New Clothes: I have survived on jeans and t-shirts and 1 pair of sandals that are starting to fall apart. I need new clothes, but I can't splurge...my Husband needs good work clothes and the boys still need winter clothes, but I am going to start working on my image.
4. Activities: I can't sit here on the computer all day. I have to do something...but what? I've signed up to be a Substitute, but I might never be called in to do that, I will be helping with our local Cub Scout Pack as the Tiger Coordinator until we can get a Leader in there and trained, my Youngest's Kindergarten Teacher asked me if I could help her with a project this week...so I'm on that, this house is full of junk...CLEAN OUT THE HOUSE!!! My MOMS group is starting a lunch group that I want to go to and spend time with some wonderful Moms, and it looks like Fridays will be the "Do something special with my Mom" day.

So what have I done so far?

1. I went shopping with Mom last week and picked up a pair of pants and 2 shirts that coordinate with the pants. The outfits are nice and dressy enough that I can wear them when I'm substituting or when I'm out with my Mom.
2. Went to lunch with Mom on Friday. This was FUN! She ordered a sandwich, I ordered a sandwich and we split them. We both discovered that we do not like the MONTE CRISTO sandwich from CHEDDARS, but the Teriyaki Chicken sandwich is Yummy!
3. Bought some new make-up. Not much but I need to replace some of the stuff I've had for years.

This morning I started my new school day routine:

1. I exercised for 25 minutes and was worn out by the time I got half way done.
2. I started cleaning the boys' room, but there is still so much to do.

This is my plan, I hope I have good news for you next week.

1st Day of School!

Another school year is here and today is the 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

I can't believe it's here! We've kicked off another school year in this house. It's going to be different for me this year since both boys will be in school ALL day this year, so I've signed up to be a Substitute Teacher, I plan on shopping with my Mom, I need to lose weight and a new regiment will start on Monday, and I always have housework, but enough about me! Lets see the 1st day of school pictures:

My Youngest is in Kindergarten this year. He gets to go all day, have 2 recesses, learn reading and writing and math, science and social studies (although they really concentrate on the reading), lunch in the cafeteria (something he's really been looking forward to), computer time, snack time and music/P.E. every day. Whew, I wonder if THIS schedule will tire him out, nothing else seems too.
His new Teacher, she seems really nice and I've heard great things about her (to be fair, I've heard great things about all of the Teachers at his school and since my Oldest has had several, I believe the rumors that the Teachers are AWESOME!
My Oldest is in his second year of Middle School this year (he's a 7th Grader!!!) This year doesn't have the excitement and nervousness of his 1st year in middle school, but he isn't really jaded like he will be next year as a "top of the food chain" 8th grader. He was excited to get to the school this morning and spend time gabbing with his friends. Of course he wouldn't let me actually get out of the car and take pictures when I dropped him off, so I took these this morning and got both boys before school.

As a 7th grader he gets to take science (they will be discussing weather, the metric system and the body), social studies (world geography), algebra 1, language arts, band and home economics this semester and leadership next semester. Today he gets to spend all day in his Advisory class, and get his locker, learn the routines and (maybe) get his new laptop that the school purchased through a grant and which will be handed out to all the 7th and 8th graders for their use in the classroom and at home (this is both exciting and nerve wracking for his mother!)

Substitute Teacher...

I went this week and did something I haven't done in more than 13 years...I applied for a job. My husband and I made a decision when I became pregnant with my Oldest that they needed their Mom at home with them and I've really enjoyed the role of Stay-at-Home Mom. My Youngest goes off to Kindergarten in less than a week and he will be there all day. I will now be at home for hours on end without my boys and without anything much (other than all the house and yard stuff that has been pushed to the side) to do.

What should I do? I enjoyed being a Den Leader for my son's cub scout den before he went off to Boy Scouts, but I am sure I do not want a job I have to go to every day...that is too much change for me, so I signed up to be a Substitute at my Youngest Son's school. I don't know if I will ever be called, or if I will ever have a job, but it is a start. I will also be home when they are home, I will be able to do all of those jobs that have been pushed off for years, and I can start that exercise program that I always said I was too busy for, and still have a chance to bring in a little extra money.

Please wish me luck.

Swimming Lessons: 2010

Swim lessons have come and gone for another year. They grow up so quickly and learn so many new skills, I'm glad I've been able to document them all. This year my Youngest began Level 1 lessons in the big pool.

Level 1 is for beginning basics. Front and back float. Getting comfortable in the water.

Learning the front crawl.

Getting comfortable going off the diving board...with a little help.

And someone to hold on to at the bottom.

My Oldest has advanced over the years to Level 6 (the last level of lessons). At Level 6 you can:

Do the Elementary Backstroke

Front and Back crawl

Sidestroke and Butterfly

Breaststroke and Shallow Diving

And jumping off the high dive!

My Oldest is the Trailblazer, and my Youngest is trying to follow in his footsteps. It's amazing to me to see the different stages each boy is in and when watching my Oldest, know that his brother will be there one day. I remember the early days when my Oldest was a Level 1 and I see how far my Oldest has come in only a few short years. And my Youngest has so much potential to be as good as or better then his brother. It takes my breath away.

Thank you God

for giving me these 2 boys

My life would be so barren

without them in it.