Sick and Tired

So, as I went to bed last night, I started to wonder who it was that I needed to contact in the morning so that I could call in sick. Then I remembered...my house doesn't have a Human Resources department. There's no sick day policy that comes with being a stay-at-home mom. When you're sick at this job, you've gotta tough it out. As my youngest woke up every two hours last night and my throat burned and burned, I realized that the rest that one needs when they're sick was not in my cards, so I started to daydream (thankfully my husband took care of the baby)...If I were at work, I would be entitled to 1 sick day a month. Now that means that IF I worked 35 hours a week multiplied by 4 weeks, it would be 1 sick day per 140 hours.

Okay, so IF I were paid to be a stay at home mom, my hours worked would be (on average) 16 hours a day (plus nights like last night where I was working overtime). So 16 hours/day x 7 days x 4 weeks is equal to 448 hours a month, which means IF there was a Human Resources department at my "work" I would be entitled to 3.2 sick days a month. Wouldn't that be nice? A full 3 days a month of no kids? No whining? No crying? No "No'ing"? No making dinner? A girl can dream right???

So what is a stay-at-home mom to do when she's as sick as a dog and has a very active pre-schooler and a 4 month old at home to watch? The answer, for me anyway...is TELEVISION. Now, I know I've just heard a multitude of you gasp (and I can just picture my favourite nemesis Gisele wagging her finger at me)...but honestly...what is the alternative? I can barely swallow. I'm hot and then I'm cold. My body aches. I know I should just suck it up and take the kids to the park....but I'm not going to. I'm going to open up the pull-out couch in the basement, grab all the pillows, a large glass of water for me, a sippy cup and snacks for my son and my remote controls. I'll bundle up my kids, sit them on the couch with me and turn on the TELEVISION. I've got movies...and lots of them (one of the benefits of having a husband that works in the film industry)...and we're gonna watch them. ALL OF THEM if we need to.

I know it's the easy way out, but I'm entitled to have ONE easy day, no? Can I be a little selfish on a day where a normal human being can stay at home, bundled in their warm, cozy bed with a nice cup of tea (no hot beverages in bed with two little ones) and hop themselves up on cold medication (another luxury a non-breastfeeding person has) and sleep and sleep and sleep? A day when a sick person would normally get to stay home and watch torrid television a la Maury Povich or a scary/violent/adult themed movie they've taken out of the library (not gonna happen with a two and a half year old)? So, sitting cuddled up to my two kids watching Toy Story over and over and over seems like the best alternative...and I'm not gonna feel bad about it.

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!

I'm a day late with my weigh in, but here it is nonetheless:

Starting Weight: 148.8 lbs

Current Weight: 142.4 lbs

Goal Weight: 130 lbs

Dream Weight: 125 lbs

I seem to have lost a little bit of weight this week. Nothing to write home about, but I suppose it's better than gaining it right? The best part of this week was walking into my local library and having the attendant tell me that I've lost SO MUCH WEIGHT and I LOOK GREAT (these words will be burned into my mind forever!). So, I decided to reward myself and eat FOUR (yes FOUR!) cupcakes (unfrosted, of course...I'm not a heathen!!!!). Needless to say I'm planning on staying away from the scales until weigh-in next week. Especially when there are more cupcakes to be had and NO EXERCISE IN MY FUTURE. Oh well...

C'est L'Halloween, HEY!

It's coming! My favourite holiday of the year! Hallowe'en is drawing near, and for any of you out there that took French Immersion in the 80s, you'll remember this little dittie from Matt Maxwell's Comment Ca Va?

I'm telling you, if you don't have children already, get on the kiddie bus! What better way to humiliate your offspring than to dress them up as ridiculously as you can just to blackmail them in the future??? AWESOME!


Now, Hallowe'en is my fave day of the year, and it's not because I like to torment children, nor is it because I spent ages 16-18 sleeping in a coffin (for those of you who don't know this story - pretend like you didn't read that...), but it's because I love to open the door and see how all the kids in the area are dressed up. And NO, I don't mean those beastly teenagers, who wear their pyjamas as a costume (if they even bother dressing up at all!!!). I mean the little 4 and 5 year olds who are just grasping the concept that they can dress up in fun costumes and go door to door demanding candy. Can there be a better holiday? HONESTLY???


This year our neighbourhood tried something a little different. I came home on Thursday night to find a lovely little gift bag stuck in my door. In that bag there was a note, a picture of a ghost and 4 delicious chocolate bars .

The note read as follows:

YOU HAVE BEEN GHOSTED

Now it's your turn to "Ghost" two other people in your neighbourhood.

You should "ghost" these people within 2 days of receiving your treat.

Hang the ghost on your front door so that everyone can see that you have been "ghosted" and will not ghost you again.

This will also let you know who you can ghost.

Fill 2 bags with candy and treats. Copy this letter and the picture of the ghost twice. Include treats, letter and ghost in your bag of goodies for the neighbours that you choose.

After dark, and only with an adult, "ghost" 2 of your neighbours.

Do not let the person that you are "ghosting" see you, for it adds to the fun of it all. Place the treat bag on the doorstep, ring the doorbell and run!

It will be fun to see how many ghosts will appear in our neighbourhood by Hallowe'en.

Please keep it safe and enjoy.

Has the best day of the year just gotten BETTER? UM... YEAH! So last night me and my son went out "ghosting". I loved the novelty of it and my little guy thought it was awesome that he was allowed to ring peoples' doorbells over and over and over and over again, so it worked out! The only issue is that a two and a half year old sure drags you down when you're trying to make a break for it! I'm pretty sure we were caught red-handed on each of the drop-offs, but it made for some super fun! Anyway, I am ultra keen to see how many ghosts end up on neighbourhood doors before Sunday. I hope it spreads. It was a great idea, and an awesome way to get everyone in the area out and about! You all should try it too!

Now, as previously explained I love dressing up my children. And one of the MAJOR bonuses of sending my son to nursery school is that I can send him in his costume for the Hallowe'en party, right? WRONG-O!!!!!!! I emailed the teacher to find out what the deal was and was promptly told that there would be no costumes for the party. Not sure if it's because costumes are hot and get the kids uncomfortable, or if maybe my son is right and nursery school IS NOT FUN... You can't tell me it wasn't awesome to get dressed up in your costume and go to school? Remember the kindergarten parade????? C'mon! AS IF! Anyway, I'm totally bummed that it isn't going to happen this year for us...I mean him...and we're missing the annual Hallowe'en parade in my home town just so he can go to school (and get peeled off me...yes, he's still doing the ol' kicking and screaming at the nursery school's front door game. It's SO fun!).

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO in the literal and figurative sense.


Now to change the subject and discuss how many mini chocolate bars I've actually eaten this week...Here's the weigh-in:

Starting Weight: 148.8 lbs

Current Weight: 143.8 lbs

Goal Weight: 130 lbs

Dream Weight: 125 lbs

A tiny smidgen of progress but not enough. I think this coming week is gonna be a write-off for me too (not that I'm making excuses...BUT...I'm making excuses.) Anyway, a little weight off is better than none, right?

I'll leave you with some photos to get you in a spooktacular mood!

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN ONE AND ALL!

***Hallowe'en 2010 Photos to follow! ***

A Silent Night Would Truly Be A Holy Night!

There is something in the air this week, I can assure you of that (and yes, I do realize it's only Monday!!!!) I know I'm about to sound obnoxious, and I KNOW that most of you out there will think I'm a HUGE JERK for complaining about this...

BUT

My three and a half month old is driving me BANANAS! She (brace yourself...) slept through the night for 5 weeks straight up until Thanksgiving weekend and now she's out of control. She gives us grief when she goes to sleep and she wakes up 2, 3, 4 times a night. Yes...I know, that's what 3 month-olds do. I get it. But please understand my frustration when she did sleep through the night for 5 consecutive weeks. Okay. I know I'm spoiled. What three month old sleeps through the night??? But I can tell you this for sure. She WILL NOT DO IT ANYMORE! Last night was a doozy. We made the mistake of putting her to bed early (and when I mean early, I mean we put her to bed at 10 minutes to 9:00pm). This time, she went to bed without issue...and then the beast awoke. She started screaming and screaming. There was nothing I could do to settle her. I tried feeding her, but she was disinterested. My husband rocked her and bounced her and finally...she fell asleep...for one hour! And then she was up AGAIN! When she wasn't waking us up every hour and a half, it was my son who must've decided to get in on the action too (he was probably woken up by the racket she was making). Needless to say the adults in our household are very tired and at our wits end.

That's what lead us to the "crying out" attempt. Yes, I know...it's bloody early to let your baby cry it out. You don't have to tell me. But we had tried everything in our power and it was a last resort! So, she cried. And I winced. And she cried...Now, she only cried for 4 minutes...but as most moms know, 4 minutes of a screaming child is like an eternity. She fell asleep. And she slept. BUT only for two hours, and then cried again. So I fed her. And she slept. For an hour. And then my husband bounced her. And she slept...and so on and so forth.

So, what I'm trying to figure out is if it's too early to actually start sleep training the little one. I've completely given up on my preschooler. I've lived with his terrible sleep routine for this long, so I'm not going to even bother trying to work out a new schedule for him. Anyway, I know there are many schools of thought on sleep training. Most sleep doulas won't even speak to parents until their child is 4 months old. Other people say that a baby's stomach isn't big enough for them to truly sleep through the night until they're at least 6 months old (that's obviously a fallacy because mine had no issue up until now), then you have all of the sleep training books that say that you should start training them from birth. There's also the possibility that my little girl is just going through a growth spurt and, although she doesn't appear to be hungry, she really is and her empty belly is waking her up every few hours for a top up. But if that's the case, how long does one wait for this "so called" growth spurt to finish? And how do I know that this isn't becoming her new routine? What should I do?

Now, although you may not sympathize with my current plight, I'm sure you all can sympathize with the feeling one gets when they're sleep deprived. It makes you crazy! So, any advice you can send me would be greatly appreciated!

And to add to my unfortunate circumstances, after 2 successful weeks of nursery school drop-offs, this is the morning that my son decided he didn't really feel like going. He was psyched to go all morning, but once we walked up to the door and he saw his teacher, he changed his mind. I tried to talk some sense into him, telling him that he loved nursery school and all of his friends were going to be there to have fun with, but he grabbed me around the neck and wouldn't let go. It took both me and the teacher to pry him off, while other mothers walked by with understanding in their eyes. It just seems strange that he's never had an issue before today. The teacher assured me that she would call if there was any problem (and I haven't heard the phone ring...yet...). I'm just wondering if it's all a symptom of his lack of sleep last night. (At least that's what I'm hoping).

Please tell me this week is only going to get better?

Now for my weekly weight loss report:

Starting Weight: 148.8 lbs

Current Weight: 144.4 lbs

(Ugh! Not even a ounce lost this week. I guess it's my own fault for going gangbusters last week. Looks like I should be celebrating Thanksgiving more often!!!!)

Goal Weight: 130 lbs

Dream Weight: 125 lbs

Tonight is my first night back on Kickboxing after my tragic neck incident. Hopefully I don't puke! And hopefully my next week's weigh in will be a little more eventful than this one. Otherwise my Christmas dream is never going to happen.

PS - It looks like I'm not the only one suffering from this...but it also appears that there isn't a heck of a lot to be done about it either...Please click here to read an article about babies and their fickle sleep cycles

I'm Gonna Wash That Hair Right Outta My Hair

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! If you're like me, you spent the long weekend EATING, chatting and enjoying the AMAZING fall weather with family and friends. Thanksgiving is always a special time as fall is my favourite time of year. Putting on a sweater and jeans and walking outside with a slight cool breeze? Nothing beats it! Much better than sweating/freezing your butt off! (don't send me hate mail if you disagree...)

So, my hair is pretty long. Long enough that I can get away with washing it only once or twice a week (lucky for me, because my free time is few and far between these last three months!). Because I knew we were getting together with family over the long weekend, I thought it best for me (and the others - no one wants to sit beside the greasy-headed lady) to wash it before we set out for our trip to our Aunt's place. Now, I knew that at some point it was going to arrive...it happened a couple of months after my son was born and it blew my mind...so every time I wash my hair now, I wait with bated breath. And this time it happened. As I was rinsing the shampoo from my "locks", I pulled out a clump. Then I "repeated"...and I pulled out another clump. Then finally I applied and rinsed out the conditioner. CLUMP AGAIN!!!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen...The hair loss has begun! One of the only wonderful things about being pregnant (other than carrying your child, of course) is that you get beautiful, thick, glossy hair. It makes it look moderately okay when someone's holding it back while one's puking ones guts out with morning sickness. But of course, once the baby is born, everything goes south: the belly, the boobs, the hips, the thighs, the butt and of course, the MOP! As if we weren't punished enough...the powers that be thought to himself..."How do I make it worse?...Yes! The hair!"...Anyway, let the balding begin, I say. I mean, if Sinead O'Connor and Natalie Portman can do it, then I can certainly pull it off (YEAH RIGHT!!!!). With my luck, I'll look like this...

Anyway, there's not much I can do about it, other than just let it happen. I'll deal with the wisps that will find themselves at my hairline and tickle me CONSTANTLY. Those silly hairs that won't go in a ponytail and stick out like a sore thumb...Hopefully my husband won't kill me when he has to pull an entire head of hair from the drain. I'm trying my best to catch them before they get there, but I'd love a little understanding, okay?

Now, from one torture to another... This past week's weight loss progress:

Starting Weight: 148.8 lbs

Current Weight: 144.4 lbs

(Yes, I stepped on the scale THREE TIMES because I didn't believe it myself. I didn't do an ounce of exercise AND it was Thanksgiving weekend. I think someone was sending their good thin vibes to me...and whoever you are I thank you profusely. I can't guarantee that I can pull numbers like this again...! But this does give me hope that sooner than later I'll be able to wear pants that don't have elastic waists!)

Goal Weight: 130 lbs

Dream Weight: 125 lbs

So, with my neck back in order (thanks Balance Health Centre!) and no JUNK FOOD in my house (I ate the last ice cream sandwich last night) I'm hoping that this is only the beginning of my thinnification. Maybe I can hit my goal weight by Christmas??? Santa can you hear me???

School Daze

So, the day is finally here. My son is all grown up! Today was my little guy's first day of pre-school. Where does the time go????? My husband and I have been prepping him for the past couple of weeks talking about nursery school and reading him stories about first days and such. I think we did a pretty good job of making it seem like a lot of fun. He was very excited to start, and even had a little trouble sleeping last night (nothing like a 4am wake up cry begging to go to nursery school!). The fear, of course, is that one preps their child for this first experience and once they walk into the classroom, even the most independent child becomes a stage one clinger, so I was very, VERY wary as we entered the room.

We were even warned by some parents exiting the building that there were lots of T-E-A-R-S. I got my camera out and snapped a shot for the photo album before we got in (just in case). As soon as we entered, the teachers were there to greet us. He has his own hook with his little name and photo above it. He ripped off his jacket and started in...but then hesitated. "Uh-oh", I thought to myself. He grabbed my husband's arm and said "Daddy come too?"...but my husband and I both said, "we've gotta go home, but we'll be back soon." My son said "Later!" and ran off to play. EASY PEASY! Phew! Now, of course, knowing that my husband is abandoning me for work, I will be on my own for the dreaded pick-up. I wonder how many tears will be shed when I have to drag him away from the toys and the sand box. I'm crossing my fingers that it will be an easy transfer...but I'm not convinced that will be the case! Here's to hoping, right?

This past week has been a challenge to say the least. It started off swimmingly. My friend and I had our first kickboxing class and it was exhilarating! The teacher was just as I remembered him: EVIL. There were points where I couldn't continue, but he pushed...there were points where I thought I was going to faint, but he pushed...and there was even a point where I wanted to puke (but didn't!). When I got home I wanted to die, but I also wanted to go back and do it again. Then Tuesday night I had a date with Jillian, and although she didn't kick my butt, she still worked me hard. I weighed myself on Wednesday and lost a whopping one and a half pounds!!! IN TWO DAYS! Then, trouble hit. Over the past month my neck has been bugging me like CRAZY. I blamed it on poor breastfeeding positioning. I went to my chiropractor and she made it all better. Instantly! But when I woke up on Wednesday I felt a little bit funny. By Friday I could barely move my head from side to side. Saturday morning I woke my husband up crying because I was completely paralyzed. I couldn't move an inch. Thankfully, he was able to help out around the house on Friday (by coming home early), and did most of the work around the house on Saturday and Sunday to give me a bit of a break. That being said...all I did was sit (or lie down) and EAT. And no exercise and lots of eating makes me a fat girl.

Here is this week's progress (if we can call it that...)

Starting Weight: 148.8 lbs

Current Weight: 148.2 lbs (yes, the same as last week. So much for losing all that weight only to gain it back in three days! UGH!)

Goal Weight: 130 lbs

Dream Weight: 125 lbs

So, looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me. Unfortunately I'm still in excruciating pain, so I have to skip tonight's kickboxing class. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I, do, however, have an appointment with my chiropractor again tomorrow, so I'm hoping that I'll be back to my "workouts" by tomorrow night and I can catch up with my Jillian Michaels DVDs.

Again, I'm hoping that my neck gives me a bit of a break (in the non-literal sense) so my ass can shrink a little more...But I do know this...Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and although it is a time to be thankful for what we have in life, I also know it's a time to EAT and SIT, um...and did I mention EAT? So I've got to make a point this weekend, to keep my portion sizes down and try my best to be as active as I can. At this point, all I can hope for is that I don't GAIN weight for next week's weigh in...Wish me luck!

The Terrible Twos Have Landed...

I thought after 31 months, I was in the clear. But CLEARLY I was wrong about that. I thought I had missed those terrible twos that I'd heard SO much about, but it looks like it was strictly wishful thinking on my part. I'm hoping that the past two weeks have just been a phase rather than a sign of what's to come. I'm sure most mothers can relate to the yelling, crying, whining and straight-up defiance that most kids show at this "wonderful" age...but I wasn't prepared for a constant battle with it. My son's favourite word is no. But if only it ended there. No is usually accompanied by foot stomps and high pitched screaming (usually about a millimeter from my face). This happens at home, at meal times and especially at stores. I'm pretty sure my son hoardes his worst behaviour for long lineups in busy shops where there are lots of people rolling their eyes. And have you ever tried to pick up a tantruming kid? It's like trying to grab a slick eel soaked in oil. I'm not sure how they learn the shark death roll tactic at such a young age, but as soon as a parent grabs them, the arms go up and the body goes rigid. Parents' arms just end up sliding right off. Anyway, I suppose I should just drop my potential purchases and run for the shelter of my car (shelter from those judging eyes), but I just can't bring myself to do it. It's almost a waste of good shopping time (considering that kinda time is few and far between when there are two kids to cart around), so I stick it out, much to the chagrin of those in the lineups around me.

At home we have the naughty chair and the threat of sitting in it USED TO BE great. I would warn once and then the second time the bad behaviour reared its ugly head I would count down from three and by two the behaviour stopped. Lately, I'm not so lucky. Most days there's the potential that my child sits in that chair in the corner of the dining room for half of the day. And of course, all hell breaks loose when he gets there. Screaming, hitting the wall, hitting himself...and then come the tears and the I'm sorries: "Mommy, I'm sorry for hitting", "Mommy, I'm sorry for yelling", "Mommy, I'm sorry for not listening" and of course I hug and kiss him and take him off the chair, and sure enough, he's up to no good minutes later...like he's completely forgotten that he was JUST PUNISHED...

Anyway, I know I'm not the only one out there dealing with this particular challenge, but I'm so curious how one can successfully nip this bad behaviour in the bud before it spirals out of control. Please send me all of your tips, as short of beating my child, I'm willing to try anything.

Okay, so now it's confession time... I've officially finished week number one of my weight loss challenge and how did I do?

1) I didn't curb my eating (Of course this should be number one on anyone's list of things to do to lose weight...but I figure, why curb my eating? I'm exercising and that should be enough, no?)

2) I did Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (half hour of weight training and cardio). Now this is okay...better than nothing, but really I should be doing it more often. I won't even bother giving you excuses. It is what it is and I promise to do better this coming week

3) The proof is in the pudding. Because of my lack of effort on both the food and exertion front, I only lost 0.6 of a pound. Not great. Not good. Not acceptable. Again, I'm going to try better this week. And this is how I'm going to attempt to do it. I'm going to cut my portion sizes and I'm going to make an effort to exercise more often.

Tonight is my first night of kickboxing. Hopefully I don't die, and more so, I hope that it motivates me to get my ass in gear. Jillian Michaels and I will be attached at the remote and we have a date set every night this week with the exception of Wednesday and Friday night (I have to trade her for a date with my two kids....). I'm hoping to do better next week, because at the rate of my current weight loss I'm going to be 55 before I'm back to my goal weight.

So here it is:

Beginning Weight: 148.8 lbs

Current Weight: 148.2 lbs

Goal Weight: 130 lbs

Dream Weight: 125 lbs

Please send me all of your good weight loss vibes. I know I'll need them!

It's Time To Walk The Walk

Okay... it's getting to the point that I can't procrastinate anymore. I talk about it all the time...yet, I sit on the couch and eat my chocolate chip cookies and do NOTHING about it. Now it's time to start...and the straw that broke this camel's back happened this weekend. And straw it was. Literally...a stick...of a woman...I was at a two year old's birthday party and in walks a family with two children in tow. The one child was a little younger than my oldest but I couldn't see the other, who was buried in a car seat under a blanket. A friend of mine leaned over to tell me that the baby was only 2 days older than my youngest. And that's when my eyes veered from the baby straight to the mom. What did this broad look like (hoping that I wasn't the fattest girl in the place). BOY WAS I WRONG!!!!!!!!! This lady was gorgeous...and that's not an exaggeration. She was cute, blond with a stunning hair cut and she was thin. And when I mean thin, she was thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin...like as a human she was thin...not as a woman who gave birth two months ago thin. She was what every woman wishes they looked like two months after they have a baby or what every woman wishes she'd look like...period.

And that's when I wanted to die. Although no one said anything I KNOW that people were looking at her and then at me, making comparisons...one of these things just doesn't belong here...if you catch my drift. I know if it wasn't me, I'd be making those comparisons too. So, GISELE BUNDCHEN is laughing from her high horse no doubt. There really are women out there who can get their figure back AFTER a kid...even AFTER TWO, and it doesn't take a whole year.

So, what this boils down to is this...I need to lose weight. I've hit this terrible plateau (mainly self induced...with no help from my insatiable appetite and my lack of motivation in the exertion department) of post-baby weight loss and there's nothing left to take the weight off except exercise and a change in my diet. So goodbye Aero bars, adios gummy coke bottles, auf wiedersehen chips and dip, and ciao gelato. Kickboxing officially starts one week tomorrow and what better place to be accountable than online, in front of tens of people. When it's in writing it seems so much more...um...terrible. So, beginning today I will track my weight each week, whether I've lost any or not, for that matter. This is the kick in the pants that I need. Jillian Michaels, her exercise DVDS (including Shred-It With Weights - if interested, please see your local store for these titles...I'm still waiting for "6 Week Six Pack" to come in...) and I will become best friends and more likely worst enemies...but I don't care. I'm tired of these wobbly-jobbly thighs, these sad sack abdominals and my grandma chicken flab arms. I am also tired of talking about how fat I am (as I'm sure everyone around me is equally as repulsed). It's time to do something about it.

Here it is:

Beginning Weight: 148.8 lbs

Goal Weight: 130 lbs

Dream Weight: 125 lbs

Why do I hear Rocky's Theme in my head "trying hard now...getting strong now..." Yes! There I am...running up those steps...I've almost made it...My arms are raising above my head...You can see it too, right?