WWYD

First, a huge thanks to those of you who commented on {l}'s glasses. She knew I was putting the picture of her on the blog and kept asking "Did anyone comment on my glasses?", so THANKS to those who did. 

Today's post is a WWYD (what would you do)? A few weeks ago I was at the YMCA for the girls gymnastics and met a lady who was both new to homeschooling and new to the Catholic Church. I spoke to her for about 5 minutes when the lady next to us (not Catholic) said "I homeschool too" and basically took over the conversation. They stayed where they were so I did overhear some things regarding the new Catholic:

*they haven't found a church (her husband isn't Catholic) but they "are very spiritual and don't feel you have to go to church to have spirituality"

*she said "I've forgotten some of the stuff like ::rubs fingers together:: those bead things"

Clearly her RCIA was lacking. Since this wasn't our usual gymnastics time, I didn't see her again for a few weeks. We now have a different class time, the same class time as her son, and I have run into her a few times but hadn't had an actual conversation with her until yesterday. We were talking about homeschooling (she is waiting for her stuff from a program that isn't Catholic) but she did mention wanting to possibly find an authentic Catholic curriculum. I told her about Seton and some of the other things out there. Then she told me that they are looking to schedule in vitro towards the end of the year. Ack. What would you have done? I just looked at her. Obviously she is ignorant of the Church's stance on fertility treatments but I don't actually know her (I don't even know her name) so I didn't know what (if anything) I should say. See, I am not as mean and blunt as many of you think I am. If I know you or am directly asked a question then sure, I'll speak up. But, if I don't really know you or am not asked a question then I tend to hold my tongue. 

I'm sure I will see her again and I think I'll give her my number (and ask her name) but what would you have done right then?  

Huh meme

Paula and Barb both tagged me for this fake meme. To be honest I wasn't entirely sure what to do but after clicking back to find others who have done it I think you are supposed to show a picture of your purse and show an impromptu (taken right then) image of yourself. Normally that is a meme I would say thanks but no thanks to (ack, a picture of ME) but luckily I read somewhere the one exception: The exception to posting a picture of yourself is if your oldest daughter got new glasses yesterday. Furthermore, they have to be new glasses AND her very first pair. So, if your daughter received her very first pair of glasses, they are new, and she got them yesterday...you may put an image of her in place of yourself. phew.

Luckily my purse isn't as neurotic and was willing to pose for a pic.

OH YEAH, Paula also listed the contents of her purse so...

* one wallet with 2 checkbooks, a safeway card, an alberstons card, a sears portrait super saver card, an invalid sams club card, 2 identakid cards (L was 4, R was 2), an invalid debit card, a library card, an invalid costco card, a barnes and noble gift card that i am pretty sure has nothing on it, 2 debit cards, my drivers license, a pen, 2 shot records, 4 ymca towel cards, a group picture of the kids from before {s} was born, membership cards to the washington state museum and to the point defiance zoo, 5 health insurance cards, 2 credit cards, and a punch card for fun kuts

*{l}'s new glasses prescription

*4 different lip glosses/balms (softlips vanilla~use it, ripe red currant bath and body works lip balm~dont use it, lancome juicy tube~dont use it, aveda lip glaze~use it)

*a pack of orbit sweet mint gum (dont like the flavor)

*3 barnes and noble gift cards

*another fun kuts punch card

*another pen

*an unopened pack of orbit spearmint gum (i do like this flavor)

*2 bobby pins

*1 paperclip

*.29 (one quarter, 4 pennies)

*spare (valet) key to the van

*just found one more bobby pin and .11 (one dime, one penny) in the cell phone pocket

WoW-3

Overall I must say this has been a good week. I did relatively well sticking to Phase I of SB, though I did have some brown rice when I went to Heather's house last Friday. Actually, that statement might be false. I did well restricting my carbs BUT I tend to go more Atkins and eat higher fat proteins, instead of the lower fat SB ones. I do eat some low fat proteins but am not above having a double cheeseburger sans bun from Burger King (didn't this week though).  And why bother with low carb if I can't have sausage and eggs for breakfast?

Hopefully the scale agreed with me!

Weekly Goals:

Keep on keeping on

Stats:

Regina: -4

Paula: ±0, keep trying

Renee: -2, good job

Amy: -2.9, you're smokin'!!

Jessica: -1, very nice

Erica: -5, ROCK ON, great job

Laura: -1, yeah...step it up a notch ok

Michelle (rosetta): +2, you'll get back on track

Angela:±0, dont give up

Christine: ±0, slow & steady wins the race

MIchelle (WA): ±0, dont give up

Juli: -.6, a loss is a loss~be happy!!

Keri: -1.5, way to go

Shelly: -12 (3 week total) AWESOME!!

Cecilia: +1.5, good job working out 

Michelle (sil): ±0, dont give up

Lori: -5, great job!!

If I have left anyone off, please tell me via comments and I will add you. Remember, anyone can join at any time!

There's nothing quite like

doing a zumba class and thinking "I look alright. I'm keeping up and not missing any of the moves. I used to dance  all the time, I can still 'get low' like the instructor said." Then the lady in front of you moves over slightly and you get a full floor-to-ceiling mirror view of yourself and you realize nope, that hop wasn't the 2 feet of air you thought you were getting (more like 2 inches) and grey sweatpants don't do much to curb your elephant look-a-likeness. 

Who in the world thought floor-to-ceiling mirrors were a good idea?

A First

Hmmm, I suppose it is half a first. Maybe 3/4 of a first. For my sister's birthday I was making her socks...my very first pair. I have run into a problem~they are tight on me and my sisters foot is WAY bigger so no socks for her. I could keep going and give them to {l} but I don't really like the pattern (burning rings of fire) and am basically no longer interested.

Renee, here was your birthday present which you won't be receiving...what is it that they say? Something about it being the thought that counts?!?

OH YEAH, KATY OF KATYKNITS, PLEASE INVITE ME TO YOUR BLOG. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR WORK AND GET TO KNOW YOU!

Bernie's Birthday

Happy Birthday to my awesomely awesome sister Renee (back left; aka auntie nee). 

For those of you living in Albuquerque, you should totally hit her up for babysitting! She has nothing else to do and I bet she would do it for relatively cheap. 

Oh and for those of you around the world, she is single and 34...can you find her a nice, Catholic, dude?

Becoming IRL friends

Today was finally the day my friendship status with  Heather changed. Instead of just blogging buddies we are friends 'in real life'. I think we have been planning to get together for, ohhhhhhhh about 2 months, possibly longer. Seems every time our schedules worked children got ill or mother nature decided to forgo global warming for a bit longer and send an amazing snow storm. Most recently that same silly mother decided our area needed a humongo flood and Heather was actually stuck in her house for a bit because the road to her house was flooded. I did remember to take my camera but I forgot to take pictures while we were there. Heather and I were too busy chatting it up and going over knitting patterns.  I did, however, snap a few pictures on our ride there (it is a little over an hour drive each way, yes I am driving, yes I am the one taking pictures, yes it is totally safe...totally). 

And this is that river that flooded. The road we are on was completely under water. 

The only picture I actually got of the kids was when her little guys ran out to greet us upon arrival. Her littlest guy, who is {j}'s age, ran over and grabbed him by the hand then lead him into the house (you can just see the top of {j}'s head by the hood of the car)...it was so sweet. 

I snapped this last photo just as we were leaving because 1)it is absolutely gorgeous at her house and 2)I know my sister in law likes seeing pics of our area. 

Thanks again Heather for having us over. We all had a great time!!

I'm starving

Actually, I am relatively certain that I am, in fact, not starving...but my mind sure is playing some awful tricks (like suggesting I should go eat that carton of Cold Stone ice cream in the freezer). I think I have weighed myself 13 times today and, so far, no change. Well, there was one change and it showed me down about 7 lbs but when I stepped off it said error then on my re-weigh there was again, no change. What gives? I thought you lost like 26 lbs per day while in Phase 1 of South Beach. 

Annoying.

Off to eat some cheese and almonds, yum. 

WoW-2

Mother of pearl, is it seriously only week 2 and I have to post a gain already. ONLY WEEK TWO. Bloody hell.

Technically I don't know if I have to post a gain as, once again, I am writing this the night before. I can assure you that it hasn't been a good week. I have gotten in all my exercise (at least 30 min/day*6 days/week) but eating wise it has not been pleasant. Well, it has been pleasant, but it hasn't been WoW worthy (like the delicious Red Robin burger I had for dinner last night...yum). I think I will start South Beach like you other losers (literally). Ah yeah, I still haven't had Dr Pepper~and likely won't so I won't update on that again unless I actually drink it. 

Weekly Goals:

Start South Beach

Continue exercise 30 min/day * 6 days/week

Stats:

Regina: ±0, it's a Christmas miracle

Paula: clean slate

Renee:

Amy: -3.7, fantastico

Jessica: -2, awesome work

Erica:+.2, but after eating breakfast so likely ±0 at most

Laura: ±0, um yeah you are training for a 

marathon~go you superwoman

Michelle (rosetta): -2, good job

Angela:-2, very good job

Christine: -1, muy bueno!

Michelle (wa): -3, amazing

Juli:-3.4, great job!!

Keri: +1, good job though with your exercise

Shelly: not weighing in yet, whoopsie 

on leaving you off

Cecilia: starting this week 

If I have left anyone off, please tell me via comments and I will add you. Remember, anyone can join at any time!

Great new video

and it is short so go ahead and click play

h/t:shelly (though our homeschool group sent an email with this link, but I never clicked through so I saw it first via shelly)

Twitter Tuesday

*i am not on twitter. i don't really understand it. 

*aren't all inaugurations historic? historically the person being inaugurated has  never been president before. 

*blog designer not-so-extraordinaire

paula trina laura (header only) michelle

*lacking motivation to do any schoolwork

*lacking motivation to do any housework

*lacking motivation to do any bodywork 

*the laundry is done

*i shall follow those who follow

Hi followers

I must start this post with a heartfelt THANKS to those who met the challenge and became a follower of the blog. I must also confess, that post was kind of a dare from a friend~I guess she didn't think I had the guts to do it but there ain't no shame in my game. 

Today I am helping another friend with her blog design and {l} and {r} wanted to write a post so I let them on my test blog. This is what {l} wrote:

I am a girl, a beautiful bride

I am a girl, a generous kind.

I am a girl, a smile so wide

I am a girl, a book by my side. 

I thought that was sweet (except the bride part~hello, you're 8).

Hello, is this thing on

Shameless self promotion alert

I am having a contest with a 'friend' to see who can have more followers, so far she is winning. See, I haven't had the little 'follow me' link on the sidebar cuz, well, just cuz. Recently someone wanted to follow me but couldn't (or wasn't smart enough to figure out how to do it on the dashboard, thanks to the 8 of you who did) so I have now added it; which means you all can see how few followers I have. Anyway, will you please follow me so I can win the awesome prize (though I am not sure what it is since I am making all of this up).  And, yes, I know I am not your follower but that is just because I don't follow anybody, so really, it's not you~it's me.

Oh, and if you choose not to follow me (which is totally your choice) could you at least leave me a comment explaining why? I am nothing without your comments. Thank you.

Won't you please, please won't you please, please won't you be my follower

Finally Finished

I think after the Christmas rush my knitting mojo waned a bit.  This GGYR (as I have dubbed the hybrid) took far longer than it should have but it is done and will be heading to my aunt in El Paso (you know, where it is about 100 degrees all year long) soon~along with a matching hat for my uncle. Instead of any cable work, I just did row after row after row of knitting (garter stitch). 

WoW-1

Aaaaahhhhhh, one whole week has come and gone. It is funny how it can seem so long, but so short at the same time. This was a relatively successful week. I have had no, zip, zero, nada Dr Pepper since last Tuesday night (so a whole week, yeah) and the first 2 days I had the headaches to prove it. I am basically over it and don't crave it at all so yippy (now to never touch the stuff again). Michelle sent me an email with a link to sparkpeople.com (which I think someone else spoke about earlier in the WoW business but I don't remember who/when and I am too lazy to go back and find it). I have been using that the past 2 days to track food/exercise. It is nice because you can enter your goal weight and by when you want to reach that goal. They then tell you how many calories to eat and how much to exercise, even giving you an exercise plan (which you can customize if you want). You can enter your food info (calories/fat/protein/carbs etc) to make it an online journal. I am a bit of a creature of habit, eating the same things over and over and over again (except dinner, Tug doesn't like the same dinner over and over and over again) so it now is pretty quick since I have my foods set up. Calorieking.com is another place where you can find the caloric value of just about anything (I used to use that site but it seems sparkpeople has pretty much all I need). Oh, sparkpeople and calorieking are both free (though there are portions of calorieking that have to be paid for but finding caloric values is free.)

I am writing this on 1/13 night since some of you are Eastern Time, I will check backwith my results which I fear is not going to be the 5lb (hit it out of the park) loss I had initially hoped for, but it should be a loss which is a gain, right? Leave your results in the comments. 

Last Week's Goals:

food log-started doing on Monday so not entirely check

exercise 30 min day/6 days week~check

no more dr pepper ~check, check, CHECK 

This Week's Goals:

Continue exercising 30 min/day 6 days/week

Track food every day

Don't weigh self again until next Wed (so I don't get discouraged, I know this sounds like a silly goal but when I am trying to lose weight I tend to weigh myself daily and get annoyed)

Stats:

Regina: -1.5

Shelly: still on SB, good job sticking to it!

Paula: -6 woo hoo, nice work

Renee: -3 great work

Amy: -2.3 super great

Jessica: -2.5 nice work

Erica: starting this week, will weigh in next week. 

Laura: -11 holy crap, AWESOME job. 

Michelle (rosetta): -2

Angela: -0 good job still working out at Curves

Christine: (you can make wow mean whatever you want ;) +1, you'll get there next week!

Michelle (filledwithjoy): -0 GREAT job on no Pepsi

Juli: -1.2 great job, woo hoo

Keri: -0, good job getting your exercise in

If I left anyone off please let me know, leave a comment and I will add you. Remember, anyone can join at ANY time!

Little Ol' Me~Interview

I saw this over on Paula's blog and thought, sign me up. I don't know what I was thinking since she gets to pick the questions and subject me to all sorts of ridicule, but she was actually quite nice. Here ya go...

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me".
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

1. Have you always had the personality you have -- or has it progressed with time, through high school, college, marriage, etc? In other words, were you like this as a child, or were you timid and shy and didn't come out of your shell until you were older?

To what do you refer, my amazing charm? I have pretty much always been this way. In high school my mom would introduce me to people and literally say something along the lines of  "this is Regina, she is a bitch." For the reals, no jokes people (thanks mom). My parents are divorced so Tug asked my mom for my hand in marriage and she said, "Are you sure, she can be a real bitch sometimes" (thanks again mom)~so I guess it was a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy. Actually, though I am a bit of a smart ass (a wee bit), I really am not mean spirited (a true bitch) and, if you are a friend or I know you, I would do just about anything for you. So, yeah, I guess I have always had this winning personality (Tug certainly wouldn't take any credit for it even if I tried to give it to him). 

 

2. Your wedding picture is beautiful. How did Tug propose, how did you accept, and where were you married? Describe.

Thanks, Tug did a grand job in the proposal area. We were, um, playing house our senior year of college so when we went out to dinner all looked normal (oh this was on our one yr dating anniversary but I had known/worked with him for about a year and a half prior). So we went to eat then we went out for ice cream then headed back home and he had me go in first. I opened the door and there were red and white balloons all over the place (some with helium so up high, some without so on the floor), candles all over and on the stereo "To make you feel my love" was looped. I still thought this was just for our anniversary because I had teased him saying he wasn't going to do anything for me since we rarely went on actual dates. He swore he would never use a credit card (ha, ha if only we would swear that now) so, while I thought we would eventually get married, I didn't think it would be before college since he wouldn't have had the money for a ring. He then had me go into the kitchen and on the table were some roses and champagne and 2 glasses. I sat down then he got on his knee and pulled out a ring. I, obviously, said yes (he gave some friends of ours keys to the house, money and the idea and they ran with it). We were married 10 months later (and after college graduation) in a tiny, little (very ugly) church in my hometown (it was kinda our church growing up and I made my First Communion there in El Paso, TX). This year will be our 10th anniversary.  

 

3. What is your favorite part about being Catholic?

Ack, a Catholic question, my great fear. I think what I like best is its uniformity. Aside for the homily, what you hear in Mass day in and day out  it is the same no matter where you are. Also, I like the authority of it...the Bible isn't left up to individual interpretation (therefore making every one's interpretation simultaneously right and wrong). I also like that it dates back to the time of Christ, which can be researched and verified. I guess, most important, I like that it is the one true Church.  

 

4. Do you have a favorite Saint? Why that particular Saint?

Oh no, not only a Catholic question, but a saint question. I don't do much with the saints so I don't know if I really have a favorite. My mom's favorite saint is St. Jude so I used Jude as my confirmation name. I really like St. Benedict crosses so I suppose he could be my favorite saint. {j}'s middle name is Benedict...I like that he (St) was hardcore. I am totally not, more like the dreaded luke warm, so maybe I can aspire to be more like him. 

 

5. Why did you start to blog?

Jessica told me she had started a blog and I thought it would be a great way for our far away family (we live miles and miles and miles away from our family) to keep up with us so I had her show me the ropes.  She showed me her 2 favorite (at the time, might have changed) blogs which were totally (and still are) inspirational Catholic homeschool blogs, which are great, but so not me. My first few posts I tried to follow the mold and had some crafts we did and pictures of tea time. I realized I was being a boob and instead just went to posting about us and being myself. I am (obviously) not inspirational to people in their faith or their homeschooling days (I'm more of the refuge for when you feel like an inadequate mom looking at others' blogs), but I am true to who I am and have 'met' some pretty cool people because of it ( some who I hope to meet later in the year). And my mom is able to see pictures of the kids which was the original intent. I constantly think of stopping though~no real reason, just kinda bored with it. 

Thanks Paula, now come visit me!

Wanna join? Just leave a comment asking to be interviewed but remember, I get to ask the questions and I am not one of those demure, cheeky Catholic homeschooling bloggers. Got the nerve to play along?

They did...aubrey, sara, keri, 

Tangent~In case you haven't be sure to go back to my music meme post (below) and try to now answer with the cheats...it is bugging me that some are left unanswered, poor little questions. 

Memmmmmmeeeee~UPDATED

UPDATE: All the songs that have not already been correctly identified now have cheats. Click play to hear that part of the song. Sorry but 12, 14 and 16 I had to record while playing since itunes wouldn't let me load them into garage band (something about right protected) so they sound horrible and slightly distorted and 1 got cut off for some reason but you get the gist. Hope this helps (Laura). 

A few days ago Jessica emailed me a link to this meme which she thought I would enjoy. I used to think I was good at this game but am finding I am only good at lyrics if I can hear some music to go along. Anyhoo...from that link I clicked on Mimi's comment to see if I knew any of hers and, alas, I have decided to play too...

1~Put your music player on shuffle

2~Post the first line (unless it reveals the title) from the first 25 songs that play {I am going to put ** in place of the title of the song if need be)

3~Strike thru the songs when someone guesses BOTH title and artist

As usual I can't really follow directions so here is roughly the first stanza to give you a fighting chance. If I used the song in the last similar meme and it came up on shuffle I skipped it to have all new songs, and there are no repeat artists. 

WOWZAH: Mimi has knocked it out of the park already. I will have the answers in a lighter gray and not strike thru so you can still read them if you want to.

1. Well I guess you left me with some feathers in my hand

Did it make it any easier to leave me where I stand?

I guess there might not be too many who would stand beside you now

Where'd you come from? Where am I going?

Why'd you leave me till I'm only good for...

Waiting for you

aubrey got that it is counting crows but not the name of the song

2. I want ** to share

Share the rest of my life

Share my innermost thoughts

Know my intimate details

somebody, depeche mode (mimi)

3. Show me, show me, show me

How you do that trick

The one that makes me scream she said

just like heaven, the cure (mimi)

4. Reluctantly crouched at the starting line, 

Engines pumping and thumping in time. 

The green light flashes, the flags go up. 

the distance, cake (jessica)

5. Now here you go again

You say you want your freedom

Well who am I to keep you down?

dreams, fleetwood mac (paula)

6. Like anyone would be 

I am flattered by your fascination with me

Like any hot blooded woman

I have simply wanted an object to crave

But you, you're not allowed

You're **

An unfortunate slight

uninvited, alanis morissette (jessica)

7. She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes

She can ruin your faith with her casual lies

And she only reveals what she wants you see

she's always a woman, billy joel (jessica & jedi sue)

8.  You think that we connect

That the chemistry's correct

Your words walk right through my ears

Presuming I like what I hear

spiderwebs, no doubt (aubrey)

9. I keep hearin you're concerned about my happiness

But all that thought you're givin me is conscience I guess

If I was walkin in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none

While you and your friends are worried about me, I'm havin lots of fun

flowers on the wall, statler brothers (paula)

10. Sorry is all that you can't say

Years gone by and still

Words don't come easily

Like sorry,  like sorry

baby can i hold you, tracy chapman (aubrey)

11. Caroline laughs and it's raining all day

She loves to be one of the girls

She lives in the place in the side of our lives

Where nothing is ever put straight

pretty in pink, psychedelic furs (mimi)

12. **, who'd a thunk sittin drunk on a wagon to Mexico

Ah well, what a chump, well my head got a bump

when I hit it on the radio

13. I'm coming out of my cage 

And I've been doing just fine

Gotta gotta be down

Because I want it all

mr brightside, the killers (jedi sue)

14. I've got another confession to make

I'm your fool

Everyone's got their chains to break

Holdin you

15. How can I explain

When there are few words I can choose

How can I explain 

When words get broken

chains of love, erasure (mimi)

16. Don't do it darlin

Don't you dare look in there

You said you didn't want to see me

But you've been lookin for me everywhere

here i am, patty lovelace (laura)

17. You spend all your time waiting for that second chance

A break that will make it ok

There's always a reason 

To feel not good enough

And it's hard at the end of the day

angel, sarah mclachlan (jessica)

18. Well, I know it's kinda late

I hope I didn't wake you

What I gotta say can't wait

I know you'd understand

Every time I tried to tell you, the words  just came out wrong

i'll have to say i love you in a song, jim croce (paula finally gave in and realized i was right)

19. Ever second counts

When I am with you

I think you are a pig

You should be in the zoo

I guess I should have known

I'd end up on my own

20. Shakedown **, cool kids never have the time

On a live wire right up off the street

You and I should meet

21. I'm your only friend

I'm not your only friend

But I'm a little glowing friend

But really I'm not actually your friend

But I am

birdhouse in your soul, they might be giants (mimi)

22. Day after day, I will walk and I will play

But the day, after today, I will stop, and I will start. 

add it up, violent femmes (mimi)

23. Alone, listless 

Breakfast table in an otherwise empty room

Young girl, violins

Center of her own attention

daughter, pearl jam (mimi)

24. It's not time to make a change

Just relax, take it easy. 

You're still young, that's your fault, 

There's so much you have to know. 

25. **, baby, don't get crazy

Detours, fences, I get defensive.

I know you've heard it all before

So I don't say it anymore

I just stand by and let you 

Fight your secret war.