Dear Kid Saturday - Drama Girl

Welcome to this week’s installment of Dear Kid Saturday, my weekly love letter to my girlie girl. Here’s what we’ve been up to this week:

Dear Drama Girl,

It SNOWED this week! Can you believe it? And not just a little snow like you’ve seen a couple of times before. This was like a foot of wet, fluffy, snowball-appropriate snow, and you officially LOVED it. Thursday morning you came running into our room shouting “YOU GUYS WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS!” There were big, fat, pretty flakes falling and you just couldn’t get enough. At preschool, you guys went outside and made snowballs and a snowman – two firsts for you! After school, we dried off, had some warm drinks and watched from inside while the snow just kept falling and falling and falling.

The next morning we got a big surprise. Overnight the snow had piled up on our big backyard tree and it cracked right in the middle and fell over! The tree was blocking our driveway and had broken our back gate. We were trapped! You were very, very concerned about that situation and headed straight upstairs to inform Dad that he needed to take some action. We all headed outside for some tree-chopping, snowball-making and wacky winter fun. After we got our cars free, you and Daddy made a big snowman in the front yard. You couldn’t stop giggling, and I sure am glad. When we move to Colorado, you’re going to see some SERIOUS snow. Don’t worry, though – next time we need to dig or chop our way to safety, we’ll be equipped with better tools!

Speaking of the move, you’ve been dishing out some serious drama lately. Top-notch performances, girlfriend. I know there are real things for you to worry about – like having a new room in a new house, going to kindergarten in a new state, and making new friends – but the stuff you’re coming up with is cracking me up. The other day you let out a big sigh from the back of the car and said, “I’ll never EVER be able to go back to our gym’s pool…” I told you there would be pools and gyms in Colorado, but you said, “They probably won’t be as good.” You goof – you hate going to the gym with me! And a pool’s a pool as far as you’re concerned. You’ve also started bringing up all the people you’re going to miss. Only you never seem to mention your current friends. You say you’re going to miss your cousins M & T (ahem – they live in Seattle) or that you’re going to miss your friend Duncan (who, incidentally, moved to Alabama a year ago). I’m glad you’re lightening up about it, though. The fact that you’re adding drama for effect means you’re dealing with the real stuff well. I knew you would.

You had some pretty deep thoughts this week, so I thought I’d share a few of my favorites:

"Mama? Did you know there's sooooooo much red? On jewelry, on hats... and especially on blood."

“I think it’s just awful that girls can’t be knights.”

“Mom? I don’t think my head is attached to my body appropriately.”

“When I squeeze my belly, it looks like a jelly hot dog!”

“Animals love me… I’m very special, you know.”

Yes, you are.

You’re very excited about Valentine’s Day, and you’ve changed your mind about fifty times as to who your valentine will be. First you said that a boy named Nathan was going to be your valentine (“Because he’s just so cool!”), and then you said you’d decided that “being valentines” with your whole class was a better idea. Yeah, I agree. As of yesterday, though, you’d decided I’m your valentine. And let me tell you, I’m flattered. You said it’s because of my “beautiful hair and sweet face.” I love you, baby girl. Tomorrow we’re going to let Daddy be both of our valentines and make him a special dinner. Instead of doing something fancy, we decided that the three of us would go to a hockey game on Monday afternoon. Can’t wait to hear you cheering those big hockey boys on again!

You’re fabulous.

Love,
Mommy

WW - Valentine's Day Loveliness

Free Printable Valentines - Just in Case...

I have to admit that I assumed Little Miss would want Hannah Montana valentines or some such thing this year. Last year I went the handmade route, but she thought the store-bought versions the other kids brought were MUCH cooler. We've been so busy that I decided I'd give her just one preschool holiday that didn't involve something handmade by Mom. But this morning (I get misty just thinking about it) she informed me that she wanted to individually make valentines for each person in her class - all 26. Yikes! And naturally the deadline to bring them to school is tomorrow.

Luckily she's pretty easy to please, so we found some cute color-able black & white cards at Kaboose, I printed them four to a page, and she's currently camped out at the kitchen table with a pile of crayons.

But this isn't my first time at the rodeo. Although I'll certainly encourage her to finish cutting, coloring and signing all 26 cards, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. Juuuuuuuust in case...


Super cute birdie printable available at The Long Thread.

Adorable sweethearts printables courtesy of Bunny Cakes.

Sweet printables by The Rubber Punkin.

As for our cut-and-color versions... I'll let you know how it turns out. In the time it's taken me to put this post together, Little Miss has slowed down considerably. Let's see, three down... 23 to go...

Dear Kid Saturday - Super Fast Girl

Welcome to this week’s installment of Dear Kid Saturday, my weekly love letter to my girlie girl. Here’s what we’ve been up to this week:

Dear Super Fast Girl,

This week was crazy, right? I have more pesky health stuff going on, and you’ve had to deal with a super sleepy mama. To make matters worse, Daddy’s been sick, so you’ve been boooooooooored.

Thankfully, you’re pretty good at entertaining yourself. This week you’ve been all about superheroes, which has been pretty convenient for me. I’ve found that Super Fast Girl gets ready for preschool in record time, especially if I give her a “mission” and set a timer. You’ve also been doing an amazing job cleaning your room and doing your chores - I’m going to have to find some more things you can help with!

Last weekend you and Daddy went to the Daddy’s Little Sweetheart dance. You felt like such a princess! I could tell you loved having Daddy’s undivided attention and, even though you guys didn’t stay very long (Dad said you told him, “OK, we’ve done everything - let’s go!”), the dance meant a lot to you.

Lately you love anything and everything new. You’re always coming up with great ideas for new activities. Most of the time, they’re pretty grandiose (“I know! Let’s invent an ice cube that never melts!”), but on Thursday you said, “Hey! Let’s make applesauce!” Now that one I could handle. We peeled and cut the apples together, and then you helped me stir and smash once we had them cooked. You were so excited because our “experiment” turned out just like the one on Sid the Science Kid. You shared your portion with Dad and he thought we were pretty amazing cooks.

Yesterday you had to go to the doctor with me and we were there FOREVER. I expected you to get a little impatient (after all, I was), but you were so awesome! I brought you some activity books and you totally surprised me by reading lots of the words. You read “you,” “draw,” “color,” “princess,” “school,” and “mermaid.” Wow, dude! You were also super sweet about me not feeling well. When the doctor said, “I’m going to order some more labs,” you said, “It’s OK, Mom - don’t be scared.” You are one tough cookie sometimes. You got right up close to the “lab lady” and watched me “get bleeded.” You know it’s annoying for me, but you’re pretty fascinated by all this doctor stuff.

Today you’re going to Chuck E. Cheese with your cousin and you’re SUPER excited. Right now you’re playing with Polly Pockets in the bathtub and singing at the top of your lungs.

I adore you.

More next week, girlie girl.

Mommy

In the Interest of Transparency...

I have a confession to make. I fell off the wagon.

Just a few weeks ago, I came to you with this grand proclamation - I wasn't going to use food and inactivity as "rewards" or crutches anymore. I was going to get healthy for the sake of being healthy - not because I wanted to see myself in my high school jeans. I was going to make smart (not "diet") choices and add meaningful, goal-oriented activity into my life and simply allow my body to reshape itself accordingly.

Well, that worked... for exactly two weeks.

As of last Friday, I'd lost a total of five pounds in two weeks. FIVE! I literally went down a pants size and I was feeling great. I'd started my Couch to 5K runs again and felt like I was really on to something. I wasn't starving myself. I was, like I said, simply making better choices. And I was absolutely sure I was making changes I could stick with.

Last weekend, though, everything came to a grinding halt. I stopped caring, got mad and gave up. And you know what did it? One stupid meal. One stupid, giant restaurant meal that I just wasn't strong enough to say "no" to. So, basically, I decided I'd blown my entire week already so I might as well enjoy myself (rather, punish myself) until my next weigh-in.

Despite the fact that I've woken up every morning determined to work my way out of this rut, I haven't been able to get past the feeling that the damage has already been done. And so, in the interest of transparency, I'd like to share with you what has occurred in the past five days. My food transgressions have included:

1. One giant cheesey Mexican dinner followed by three large margaritas at home
2. Chinese take-out
3. McDonald's (ugh...)
4. A ridiculous amount of late-night snacking
5. Too much stupid calorie-laden wine in general

My exercise transgressions have included... well, not exercising.

So now, as of this morning, my hard-fought five pound weight loss has been reduced to a two and a half pound weight loss. Yes, I know - it could be worse. But I promised myself to take the high road this time around and not fall victim to these awful psychological pitfalls. Oops.

So, what's next?

Well, first of all, I'm not going to let the ENTIRE week be a fiasco. I've been weighing in on Fridays, so I still have today to turn things around (so far so good). Once upon a time I heard someone smart (Oprah, maybe?) say, "All you have is today and a choice..." So let's hear it for today and good choices.

Next, I'm going to need to take a good hard look at what got me so off track to begin with. It wasn't just the one meal, if I'm being honest with myself. There were other stresses involved this week. I felt victimized in other areas of my life, so I apparently gave myself permission to ignore my common sense. That shouldn't happen. If I'm frustrated, I need to find ways to deal with the frustration rather than wallowing in it with a huge chunk of cheese and big glass of Merlot.

OK, there you have it. I 'fessed it, I'll fix it. It's all about accountability, baby.

Consider me back on the wagon.

Quick, Healthy Dinners - One Week at a Time

Mommies, I've been meaning to share this link with you forever. I read about Aviva Goldfarb and The Six O'Clock Scramble several years ago in "O" magazine. Designed for busy moms, the Scramble is a simple, affordable weekly meal planning service. And, girlfriends, it rocks.

Here's how it works.

Once a week, you receive a meal plan, including both main dishes and side dishes, along with a shopping list. The shopping list is organized into grocery store departments - produce, grains, dairy, etc. You make a single trip to the store and you're set for the week.

Here's the best part. All of the recipes take 30 minutes or less to prepare. And they're healthy to boot! I used this service when I was just learning to cook and I was absolutely thrilled with the variety of styles and flavors. Not only did I learn loads about cooking; I also never had to come up with an answer to "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Fabulous, right?