waiting on 100, what we’re eating, what we’re learning…posted!

1. I’m pretty sure I neglected to mention that I gained a couple of pounds last week. I’ll blame it on hurting my knee resulting in lower intensity workouts and no running. Oh, and then not adjusting my calorie intake to account for that lack of activity. I was back down a half pound (which is kind of staying the same, right?) this past Friday. I wasn’t expecting anything spectacular. In the preceding week I had spent a long weekend at my parents’ house, which included one really fabulous cheat day and then a few days of some decent self control. And then I had Fat Tuesday…which was yummy. Since Wednesday, I’ve been really good at sticking to my Lenten fast (no meat, dairy or sugar)…but a few days of eating healthy plus two cheat days just isn’t enough for weight loss. HOWEVER, minus a couple of slip ups…I’ve been following my self-imposed rules for Lent, which results in no cheat days or even any real cheat meals. Plus, my knee is much better…I’ve done a couple of runs and don’t have to modify near as many exercises at the gym. I’m looking forward to Friday’s weigh in to see how close I am (again!) to the 100 mark. Ready to blow past it!!

2. I’ve managed to make it five (and a half!) days of no meat and no dairy…but I did end up with a little sugar intake. Not a single bite of grilled cheese sandwich or pizza or Italian chicken sandwich. No brownie bites or m&m’s or Oreos. (Yes, these are all things I brought into my house voluntarily this week!) The sugar happened because the almond milk we had contained evaporated cane juice in it (see also: sugar). I have since replaced it with unsweetened almond milk, which mostly contains almonds and a few other things. Someday I may attempt to make my own almond milk…but we’ll see! I also ate pita from Zoe’s Kitchen last night. It was soooo good. I’m not positive it contained sugar, but most breads do. Oh, and I was excited that while my kids Veggie Straws do contain sugar, pretzels do not. Until I read the label again and saw corn syrup listed. Boo. And finally, I found a great vegan pumpkin muffin recipe. I made it this morning for the kids and myself. It called for 1/2 cup brown sugar and I substituted with baking stevia, which actually includes some sugar. I will probably play around with the recipe a little bit and see what I use to replace sugar totally. You can find the recipe here. I subbed whole wheat flour for the white flour and used quinoa flakes instead of oats. I cooked the apples in coconut oil. Everything turned out delicious. The cooked apples were really a treat. I think I’ll try them in other muffin recipes and will probably switch to cooking in just water instead of oil.

3. I do a letter of the week curriculum with my kids. Found here. Some weeks are filled with activities and some…are not. We’re doing a little better sticking to a routine these days. I have a lot of fun with the kids when we do school activities, especially when I supplement the curriculum with my own stolen from Pinterest ideas. This week is letter P week and honestly, there are not enough days to do everything I want! We started this morning by having a picnic. (Super fun way for me to avoid clearing the kitchen table for breakfast.) We had pumpkin muffins, bananas & milk. We had planned a play date at the park, but cousin Mary wasn’t feeling up to it. And so our previously planned peanut butter & jelly sandwich picnic at the park has been postponed until this evening when we will play outside until Papa comes home. The weather should be perfect! For lunch today we made pasta salad with peppers and provolone cheese Daniel poked the plastic to open the pepper package. He was so proud! We’re also planning a pizza party, movies with popcorn, pancakes on pajama day, polish sausage, pork chops, potatoes, p’sketti, pineapple, peaches, pretzels, pudding, potato chips and pie on Friday, March 14…because I am nothing if not a math nerd. (see here if you do not happen to share this love for numbers). I hope to make some penguins (maybe by painting with potatoes?) and we’ll be learning about the plagues. I found a great site to help me incorporate bible stories in our schooling. She shares links and even lists food ideas. Click here to see what we’ll be studying this week.

4. And…my thoughts have been totally interrupted by a dying laptop battery and kids that are dying to go outside. Occupational Therapy is finished, I’m packing our picnic and we’re headed outside until sunset.

Happy Monday, friends!

Day One Ramblings

(My grandmother kept a daily journal for about 30 years.  Most of her writings are about what she did that day.  It is great fun to read what she wrote on the day I was born and the day I left for college.  I can hear her voice as she writes about checking cattle with my grandpa or getting a postcard in the mail from a relative.  Sometimes I want my writing to be encouraging, funny, thought provoking.  And sometimes I just want to write about everyday life.  See below.)

So….I made it through one day of no meat, no dairy, no sugar.  It actually wasn’t too tough of a day because I was limiting my food due Ash Wednesday.  Officially Catholics (aged 14-59) are required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  Fasting defined as one full meal and two smaller meals (if needed) not equaling the size of one full meal.  I kept my eating light today and didn’t have to think a lot about what to eat.  I hope to plan out some meals for the next couple of weeks and stock up on a few things this weekend.  I think I am going to attempt 15 bean soup on Friday.  I’m also going to need to find some nut butter without sugar.  I have almond butter but it has added sugar.  My vegan brother gave me the name of a couple to look for or I can make some fresh almond butter at the grocery store.

I mentioned that I want to read meaningful things…today I spent time reading an actual book and a book I bought on Kindle.  It’s a bit embarrassing to admit I don’t remember the last (non-children’s) book I read.  Or at least I can’t remember reading very many of them in the last couple of years.  I’m feeling confident that I’ll make my way through several in the coming weeks. Today I began reading Clutterfree with Kids by Joshua Becker.  He writes at becomingminimalist.com and I like what I’ve read.  I’m also reading Love & Logic Magic for Early Childhood by Jim Fay & Charles Fay.  If you are a parent or a teacher and you haven’t tried Love & Logic…you simply must! Visit loveandlogic.com for a quick peek at what they are about.  I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to implement more of those practices in my parenting. I hope I can be more consistent in using their tools.  Today I tried some out on Michael and he totally fell for it they worked!

We had a pretty normal day at home with a little sleeping in due to Tuesday’s (the day, not the kid) late night movie fun.  (We let the kids stay up and watch Despicable Me 2, mostly because we treated ourselves to a quiet afternoon by putting them down for naps!)  We are learning about the letter O this week, and even though we’re not totally in sync with real life events…we did make Olympic brownies today.  Which reminds me, an example of how serious I am about keeping my Lenten fasts in check…I have an open container of frosting in my refrigerator and an open bag of M&M’s in my pantry.  That is usually high temptation for me, but I feel confident I’ll keep out of them.  And frankly, if I get too tempted I’ll make Rob hide the candy and I’ll throw out the frosting!

We planned to take the kids to mass tonight. I was a little anxious about their behavior since it didn’t start until 7:00.  However, late this afternoon, Daniel got sick.  The poor kid can’t throw up because of a surgical procedure he had when he was a baby.  He can still be sick and feel sick and look sick…but he never actually throws up.  I’m not sure that’s necessarily a good thing.  Anyway, Rob ended up staying home with all five kids.  Because if I was a little anxious about behavior with Daddy right there in the pew with me…I was certainly anxious about taking any of them with me alone!  Turns out Ash Wednesday mass is about as popular as Christmas Eve mass.  I ended up parking more than two blocks away from church and sat on the floor for a while because all of the overflow chairs were full.  Super glad I didn’t have any littles with me!  So, somewhere there’s a spiritual and slightly profound post about why the church is full on an evening dedicated to the beginning of Lent…a season for returning, repentance and preparation.  It’s close to my bedtime so I’m not able to bust out anything spiritual or profound at this point.  But maybe soon.

I don’t have any specific blogging goals in mind for the next several weeks, but probably more everyday life ramblings. Hope your everyday life is splendid!

 

Lent…why I’m doing what I’m doing

Matthew 6:16-18
 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Lent begins tomorrow and I’m embarking on a journey that is unlike previous seasons.  I’m not exactly sure why it feels different this year, but it certainly does.  I’ll share a little here, just as I have shared a little information with some others.  My husband will likely be the only one who knows all of my Lenten “goals”…he can help me with accountability and I can keep from being too much of a hypocrite or a boastful person.

In general, I have a desire to live a more simple life.  I want to be more disciplined (I’ve got 5:00 am bootcamp down…time to move on to some other areas of life!).  I want to be less dependent on or distracted by social media.  I want to spend my time participating in enriching activities that make me a healthier person, a better teacher to my children, a more devoted and attentive wife.  I want to have routines that help me keep better order in my home.  I want to connect with friends in real life more often.

I want to write something meaningful and I want to read something meaningful.  For now, that means less facebook updates and more blog posts.  And it also means more books and less facebook comments.  Seriously, am I alone here? It’s really not the Facebook statuses that trip me up…it’s the fact that I click to read comments.  I don’t mind if you post a status I don’t really care about…I’m certain I do the same to you.  But what compels me to click on the comments of a status I don’t really find interesting?  To read what other people (often people I don’t even know) have to say about an article or a picture or a status? Time waster, that’s me.

Since I write about my fitness and healthy eating on here, I wanted to share about what dietary changes I’m making during Lent.  I’ve decided to give up meat and dairy…so pretty much vegan, but I’m not promising I won’t eat honey.  What else outside of meat and dairy breaks the vegan rules? Oh, I’m ill-prepared, I’m afraid! I’m also giving up sugar….pause for dramatic effect…..sugar will be the hardest for me, I think.  I already eat plenty of meals without meat.  I do eat dairy on a regular basis..mostly in the form of plain Greek yogurt or Laughing Cow cheese.  Oh, and my protein powder is whey-based.

(Pause to order vegan protein powder from amazon.  Thanks Megan!)

And, there’s definitely some sugar eating going in my world.  I try to check labels, but sugar seems to be in everything! I don’t do artificial sweeteners, so it’ll be interesting to see what I have to leave out of my regular diet by eliminating sugar.  Ahem…Starbucks. Clif Bars, Luna Bars. Gum?! Uh…I’ll have to think about that one!

And typically, Friday is my “cheat” day.  Or my “treat” day. Or the day I eat whatever I want and I don’t count calories at all. (See also: gluttony) In the Catholic faith, we abstain from eating meat (with the exception of fish) on Fridays during Lent.  This is an extra sacrifice to make, helping us to keep the focus on Christ’s sacrifice for us.  So…feasting on a bunch of junk on a Friday doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice to me.  Plus…my weight loss isn’t where I want it to be so cheat days don’t make much sense.  I might allow myself a “treat” during Sunday school.  I typically have a protein bar (to avoid the donuts!) with my coffee…and I may still do that.  Some Catholics break their Lenten fasts on Sunday, because technically the Sundays aren’t counted when you count the 40 days of Lent. And Sunday is always a celebration of the resurrected Christ.  But…I’m sticking to the plan from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday.

Most of you have traveled here via Facebook…so you already know I’m taking a break from that as well.  I hope to return and participate in connecting with friends via the internet in a more balanced manner.  (See also: I won’t check Facebook just before I fall asleep every night and just as I wake up each morning.)  But for now, I know that a season of logging off is most beneficial.  My blogs will still link to facebook automatically, but you can also subscribe to my blog and you will get an email when I post something new.  If you “like” or comment on facebook, I won’t see it until after Easter…so feel free to leave a comment on the actual blog if you want me to see it right away, or if you want a reply. 

One more item to mention, Pinterest.  Oh the mixed feelings! Eh, I don’t actually get all that caught up in thinking/feeling anything specific about Pinterest.  However, in the spirit of being simple and productive and participating in enriching activities…I’m not going to pin anything new during Lent.  I think I’ll just browse the nearly 3000 pins I currently have if I need a little crafty or kitchen-y inspiration.  More doing, less looking.  Gasp! But what if I need a new vegan recipe?! I guess I’ll just use the ol’ fashioned cookbook.  Or maybe…google.  Yep.  Pinterest is the new google, right? Like a picture dictionary of sorts.  Maybe I’ll actually save and print the recipe…and not just pin it to be lost in the wonderland of my account.  Yep.  Maybe so.

So I’ll sign off now to finish my Fat Tuesday feasting…on sugary, meaty, dairy goodness.  And maybe some more pinning of vegan foods…just because.  And I’ll be on Facebook right up until bedtime, when I delete the app from my phone.  And……freeeeedom! : )

Are you observing Lent this year? Feel free to share your ideas for this season of preparation.  And, if you don’t observe Lent…maybe it’s still a good time to evaluate priorities and focus.  Or…if you’ve got everything figured out and life is in perfect balance…please share your insight!

 

7 posts in 7 days

I’ve been enjoying blogging more frequently lately and hope to keep the streak alive! I got a ton of new readers when I linked up to Kelly’s Korner on Friday and posted about infertility.  I used to write a lot about our adoption journey. Then the kids actually came into our lives and blogging while mothering and working full time was simply not in the cards.  I fell out of the habit but would like to keep this new found energy for documenting and sharing our lives via the written word.  Another favorite blog of mine is Conversion Diary.  She’s a hilarious writer, former atheist, Catholic mom of 6. She’s hosting 7 blog posts in 7 days and I’m joining in on the fun!

Back when our kids were in our home but before the adoption was finalized…I gave them code names for my blog and for facebook.  I was (still am?) a little cautious about sharing many details with the world and still like to keep a little privacy for the kids’ sake.  Some of you will remember my code names were days of the week…so, in honor of those Fab Five…I’ll be posting about them individually on their days this week.

Stay tuned for Monday (7 year old son) Tuesday (7 year old daughter) Wednesday (6 year old son) Thursday (6 year old daughter) and Friday (5 year old son)

I’ll mix it up a little on Saturday and Sunday…giving a weigh loss update, homeschooling update and/or how I think I should be spending my time on Sundays. Oooh…and maybe a little preview of what I think Lent will look like this year.

Come along for the ride…and join in with your blog!