Confessions of a Former Fat Girl: July 2008

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Thursday Thirteen - 8th Edition

Thirteen Things about Becca

This week's theme is :

13 Songs Last Downloaded from iTunes

1. I've Got the Joy - Go Fish

2. Our Time Now - Plain White T's

3. The Middle - Jimmy Eat World

4. Hicktown - Jason Aldean

5. 7 Things - Miley Cyrus

6. This Ain't a Scene - It's an Arms Race - Fall Out Boy

7. Slide - The Goo Goo Dolls

8. Shiftwork - Kenny Chesney

9. Mr. Mom - Lonestar

10. Shake It - Metro Station

11. Shine On - Needtobreath

12. If You Leave - OMD

13. Live out Loud - Steven Curtis Chapman

Thanks for peeking!

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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Cheap Laughs

Ian and Kyra were playing on the patio today when all of a sudden, I armed myself with some leftover dollar store silly string from a Bible study lesson. I just love getting silly with those two!

Monday, July 28, 2008

A Big League Weekend

Wow! That was a busy weekend! It began with Relay for Life on Friday night. It was very tiring, but I am so glad to have been able to participate. Of course, I spent most of Saturday recovering from the lack of sleep. Then, on Saturday evening, Ian played in his baseball league's championship game. They were playing the one team that they have not beaten all season (and said team was also undefeated). Unfortunately, they couldn't get their bats going and lost but they came in second place during the regular season and second place in the tournament and therefore got two trophies for their efforts! Rich says Ian now has more trophies than he ever received in his lifetime.

Sunday, however, was the BIG day. Ian's coach entered the team in a lottery to be able to play a game at Helfaer Field. They were selected and it was such a neat experience for everyone involved. We started at 10:00 a.m. with a caravan to Miller Park and a pre-gam tailgate party. Kyra was mesmerized by the stadium but it wasn't until we entered the gates that we realized she was looking for the "park" (i.e., slides, swings, etc.). Oh well! We had great seats overlooking left field with a great view of Bernie the Brewer who was of great assistance keeping Kyra occupied throughout the game. Rich "almost" caught a ball thrown by the Brewers left fielder but it got knocked out of his glove and into the lap of one of Ian's teammate's grandmas. The Brewers did end up losing, but we still had fun.

After the post-game/pre-game tailgate party (can you see a theme here?), we headed over to the field for warm-ups and the game. The boys were so excited and they played a great game! Ian ended up getting hit twice while at bat, grounded out (but drove in a run) and played one inning at second base where he made the final out to end the inning. They ended up winning 8-0.

So, now that I have bored you with the details, here are some pictures of the festivities:

For those of you non-Wisconsinites, this is the "world famous" Sausage Race.

(by the way, Chorizo won)

Menu Plan Monday - July 28, 2008

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura. Kind of a generic week around here but I haven't been grilling lately, so I plan to remedy that this week. Here's the menu:

Monday: Soyaki Marinated Steak (a Trader Joe's mariende)
Tuesday: Italian Chicken Burgers
Wednesday: Marinated Pork Chops
Thursday: Shrimp & Veggie Salad
Friday: TBD

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Thursday Thirteen - 7th Edition

Thirteen Things about Becca

This week's theme is :

13 THINGS I BOUGHT AT TARGET TODAY (can you tell I have no imagination this week?)

1. Cube puzzle from the Dollar Spot

2. 2 "hair pretties" from the Dollar Spot

3. Curious George underwear (for Kyra, not me - though I wonder what would go through Rich's head if I found some "mommy" sized ones?)

4. Whitie Tighties for Ian

5. Socks for Ian (yep, he's hit another growth spurt)

6. Pantene Detangler

7. A metal compass (Ian's most cherished school supply; it's a "new" item this year)

8. Dry erase markers (of course, the school specifies "low odor" - we wouldn't want our kids sniffing the pens now, would we?)

9. Finding Nemo Fruit snacks

10. Erasers

11. Pencil Box

12. Pencil Sharpener

13. Stainless steel coffee mug set (such a bargain and I was needing a new one!)

Thanks for peeking!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Tackle It Tuesday

Yeah, it's been a while since I've actually tackled anything let alone on a Tuesday. I actually started my "tackle" on Sunday night since the boys left for cub scout camp and after Kyra goes to bed, I can actually tackle without having to worry about making too much noise. Honesly, I don't evne have "before" pictures because I was too embarassed by the mess that was my scrapbook room. HOWEVER - I am making giant strides in taming the wild beast and even went to Menards today and got some shelving. I am going to try to at least get everything set up tonight (I have to because the boys arrive home tomorrow morning). The sorting might have to wait until another day, but by this weekend, I may actually have a place to scrap again!

Tackle It Tuesday is a weekly meme on 5 Minutes for Mom. Even though I haven't participated lately, I hope to try to get to this more often.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Toddler logic

Yesterday, Ian and Rich left for cub scout camp leaving Kyra and I to have some "girl time." Though Rich has been gone traveling an awful lot in the last few months, Kyra is definitely not used to having both of her "boys" gone. She repeatedly will ask me where Daddy and Ian are and I tell her they are at camp and won't be home for a few days. So today we are eating lunch and she agin asks where are Daddy and Ian. I told her she has two more night times to get through and they will be home. She thought about this for a bit and then looked at me and said, "But I miss them!" If only that were reason enough to bring them home! (and just for the record, I miss them too - it's awfully quiet around here!)

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Menu Plan Monday - July 21, 2008

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura. Does this menu look vaguely familiar? If you are tending to think so, you are probably right. Rich had to go out of town last week on short notice, so our menu plan did not go according to plan. Now, the boys are at Cub Scout camp until Wednesday afternoon. Really, it would be silly for me to have a "plan" for Kyra and myself seeing that she will probably opt for her traditional staple of Kraft Mac n' Cheese. So, here's the menu (again):

Monday: TBD
Tuesday: TBD
Wednesday: Souper Roast Beef
Thursday: Asian Chicken Roll Ups
Friday: Relay for Life - not sure what the dinner will be

Re-inspiration

After Rich got back from his trip to Chicago early Friday afternoon, I set off myself for the fair city for the annual summer CHA show and dinner with my friends from Lifetime Moments. Traffic was quite a bear once I hit Illinois and dinner had some service issues, but we still had a lot of fun. On Saturday, we hit the show floor and did a couple of make-n-takes and then just wandered around looking at all of the new products getting ready to hit the market. The industry has come quite a long way since I first began scrapbooking almost 10 years ago but seeing some of the great projects actually has me inspired to organize my scrap room and get back to the business of creating stuff.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

That was LOUD!

Today after lunch, we were just having some down time before taking Ian to his Lego class. Kyra was watching Dora and all of a sudden, the smoke alarm went off. I guess I've never been in the house when Rich has tested them, but was it ever LOUD! Needless to say, even though it only went off for maybe a maximum of 10 seconds, I was sufficiently freaked out. After checking every possible square foot of the house for any trace of smoke, I decided to check the detector itself. I think it's mysterious discharge was its final parting shot. It does not respond at all when tested. Of course, now Kyra is very leerie of the smoke detectors. She clung to me for a good half hour after and reminded me that the alarm went off and it was "verwy verwy verwy scarwy!" (and once again, all this occurs when Rich is out of town!)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Berried Delight

A friend of mine was looking for a lemon dessert recipe to take to a party last weekend and I remembered I had this one from a gal at church who made it for one of our Bible study brunches. It is so easy and just giving it to Ms. M, I realized that I needed to make it myself for today's Bible study. As a bonus, it's a no-bake recipe, so no heating up the house!

Berried Delight

Crust:
1.5 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c sugar
1/3 c melted butter

Filling:
8 oz. soft cream cheese
1/4 c sugar
2 T milk

Topping:
8 oz. cool whip
2 pkg lemon pudding
3.5 c milk

Combine crumbs with sugar & melted butter. Press into a 9x13 pan. Chill 15 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and milk until smooth.

Fold in 1/2 the cool whip to cream cheese mixture. Carefully spread over crust.***

Prepare putdding using 3.5 c milk (do not refrigerate). Pour over cream cheese layer. Chill several hours or overnight.

Before serving, spread remaining cool whip over pudding. Garnish with berries if desired.

***If you want, you can add a layer of fresh sliced strawberries or blueberries.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Menu Plan Monday - July 14, 2008

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura. I went to the grocery store this morning with my menu basically set, but they had a thing or two on sale that I didn't realize, so I changed it just a bit. Here's the menu:

Monday: Soyaki Marinated Steak (a Trader Joe's mariende)
Tuesday: Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin and fresh peas
Wednesday: Souper Roast Beef
Thursday: Asian Chicken Roll Ups
Friday: Dinner at
Carlucci's with the LM gang

Sunday, July 13, 2008

A small victory

Yesterday, I ran in the Heart & Soul 5K. I finished in 26:50 with a pace of 8:38/mile. I was extremely happy with that. I was 36th overall, 8th amongst female finishers and 2nd in my age group. Next race is in 3 weeks!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Ok, I'll admit it - that wasn't so bad

After fretting over the recent departure of my hairstylist, I got an e-mail reminder yesterday of an upcoming appointment for today. I really like those e-mail reminders - especially when I keep misplacing those little appointment cards. My mind began to panic because (a) I didn't have a sitter lined up, (b) this person definitely wasn't Michael and (c) what if she screwed up my hair and I hated it? I'm such a worry wart sometimes. As of this morning, I still didn't know what I was going to do.

So, I've been studying John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted and this week's chapter is on prayer. One of the items that struck me the most was a section on simple prayer. In my own words, I summarize it as telling God what's on your mind even if it seems selfish. Guess what I did? Yep! And you know what? I got a good haircut and my two kids sat on the couch like angels with nary a peep between the two (I'm sure the girl thought I had drugged them). Not only that, this new girl is making some nice changes to the salon - including creating a children's play area in what is hopefully the near future.

The moral of this little rambling is (a) don't fret over change and (b) take it to God, no matter how small or insignificant it seems.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Mmmmmmmmmm!

Don't they look good? Strawberry season has finally hit up here. It's a lot later than last year, but then again, I'm glad because I just would not have had time to get out had it been any earlier. I had a sitter come this morning for a couple of hours and went out to Wilfert Farms and would up picking just over 22 pounds of berries. Kyra was ecstatic when I brought in the buckets. I'm surprised I got her to eat anything for lunch besides strawberries! Actually, she has been quite the little helper getting them cleaned and ready for freezing.

Thursday Thirteen - 6th Edition

Thirteen Things about Becca

This week's theme is :

13 BOOKS I HAVE READ/AM READING SO FAR THIS YEAR

1. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

2. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

3. Change of Heart - Jodi Picoult

4. Certain Girls - Jennifer Weiner

5. Rules - Cynthia Lord

6. Marley & Me - John Grogan

7. Quiet Strength - Tony Dungy

8. Snow Flower & The Secret Fan - Lisa See

9. Skinny Dip - Carl Hiassen

10. Breathe - Keri Wyatt Kent

11. The Life You've Always Wanted - John Ortberg

12. Lord, Teach Me to Study the Bible in 28 Days

13. The Almost Moon - Alice Sebold

Thanks for peeking!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

A Moment of Fun in the Sun

July has finally brought some warm weather! After Kyra's nap yesterday, I decided to get industrious and finally set up my Target bargain from the end of last season. Ian kept Kyra occupied while I inflated the thing and once I was finished, the two of them could not wait to get out there! Admittedly, it is quite baby-ish for someone Ian's size, but he found ways to have fun nonetheless. Alas, the inlfated dolphin ended up biting the dust by the end of the afternoon due to an industrious collaberation of the two of them but for only $7, I couldn't really complain. Of course, they were bugging me this morning already to set it up, but considering the temperature has dropped into the low 70s with a very chilly wind, I think the sprinkler is out of the question for the day. But, here's a few more pictures of the afternoon:

Ms. Kyra in her "rainbow".

Silly big brother on the soon-to-be deflated dolphin (but it wasn't the weight that did him in!)

Have a great day, everyone!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

It's the end of the world as they know it!

Most of you know that I'm a die-hard Bears fan and sometimes that means living near the "metropolis" of Green Bay, that we are annoyingly bombarded with football news from the-team-that-shall-remain-nameless. Of course, I am taking great enjoyment at the latest report. May I particularly call to your attention the following quote:

"King is exceptionally plugged in when it comes to Favre and the P******, so I believe him when he writes that Thompson and McCarthy are sickened by the prospect of Favre potentially succeeding elsewhere - possibly as a starter for the Chicago Bears or Minnesota Vikings, both bitter NFC North rivals - while Aaron Rodgers tries to prove he's a worthy successor to the most beloved athlete ever to perform in Green Bay."

Oh, I am just laughing here!

Monday, July 7, 2008

May the force be with him . . .

This morning, I dropped Ian off at the library for a Star Wars marathon. They are showing the first three episodes (prequel) as part of their "Young Adult" summer reading program. I packed him a lunch and he met one of his friends there. I am kind of nervous leaving him for the whole day, but I also have to acknowledge that he is getting older and I was doing similar things when I was his age.

Update: he (and I) survived! He had a little more soda than I told him he could have, but it averaged out to one can per movie, so I guess that isn't too bad. He came home with a huge box of Junior Mints and a toy light saber. Kyra quickly commandeered the light saber. Somehow, a precocious 2-year old and a blunt object don't seem like a good combination!

Menu Plan Monday - July 7, 2008

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura. Back from our trip to Indiana and some consistency in the food we eat! Here's the menu:

Monday: Grilled marinated pork tenderloin
Tuesday: Grilled Tilapia
Wednesday: Sirloin Steak Patties
Thursday: Citrus Marinated Chicken
Friday: Dinner Out

Have a great week!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Some pictures from the long weekend

Well, it was a very busy weekend and I can't say that I ever want to be in a car for that long again for a good while. Now that Kyra is fully potty trained, there's even more stops in between making for close to a 6-hour trip one way. We are home now - physically and mentally exhausted. Here are some pictures from the weekend though:

Kyra enjoying the 4th of July cookout at Grandma Pokey & Grandpa Tiger's house

Ian and my nephews chilling out after playing "running bases" most of the day

Swimming at the hotel after a long day was a great way for the kids to unwind before bedtime. I just love Kyra's expression in this one

Cannonball!!!!

On our last night, Kyra got "brave" and attempted to swim all by herself. I swear she is smiling while she is partially submerged as she was so proud of herself.

And, to appease Ms. Arlyn, here is a picture of me. No visit "home" would be complete without a visit with my two best friends from high school.

I am crushed!

Aside from my husband, the only other long-term committment I have ever attempted to make would be that of the one with my hairdresser. So, when we moved here and I found Michael, I was happy as a clam. The man just knows hair and what to do with it. Since I am basically fashion-impaired, I would just like someone to take my hair and just know what will look good on me. Michael fit the bill to a T!

Imagine my surprise when we came home today to a nice stack of mail. As I sorted through, I came across an envelope from my hair salon. ACK! Michael is leaving me!!!! Seriously, I am ready to cry here. I know a couple of the other stylists at the salon but do I trust them with my hair? The thought of trying to find a compatible stylist is seriously leaving me in hives!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Scent of my childhood

Since we are visiting our hometown, I snuck out this morning for a run. It's actually disappointingly chilly weather for July, but it was great running weather. Anyhow, as I was running a local trail, I kep smelling a smell but I couldn't place what it was. On my way back, I noticed the ground was strewn with fallen mulberries. We used to have a huge mulberry tree in my parent's back yard and I remember eating them by the handfuls with my brothers. Funny that I could still vaguely remember that smell.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Bubbles, bubbles everywhere!

Uncle E & Auntie L sent Ian and Kyra these cool little bubble shooters in their Easter baskets. I just got around to opening them and putting batteries in yesterday so it made for a fun afternoon. Had I known it would have kept them so occupied, I probably would have done it months ago (oh, wait! That would have meant we would have had to have had spring-like weather!) Anyhow, they are simple enough for Kyra to use with ease and very little mess. Here's some pictures: