Happy Birthday Lillian!

You Are an Extra Point

You are reliable, steady, and a good team player. You may not take risks to get glory, but you always deliver on what you promise. When it comes to what you're good at, you know your stuff. You have years of practice to thank for that. Your success rate is unmatched. If you say you're good at something, it's likely you're the best.

What Football Scoring Method Are You?

You Are "Time After Time"

If you were transported back to the 80s, your life would be all about reflecting. You're a serious, earnest person - and you couldn't help but think a lot about how things were back then. You'd spend a lot of your time writing, researching, and learning. You would either become a social anthropologist - or a crazy guru with a knack for predicting the future.

What's Your 80s Karaoke Song?

Your Ideal Island Vacation is Fiji

On an island vacation, you prefer to get the full beach experience. And for you, that means staying somewhere with few people and lots of beach. With over 300 islands, you can find your own private spot in Fiji. Relax by the crystal clear water, or venture off to find a waterfall.

What's Your Ideal Island Vacation?

You Are a Cartographer

You have a wide range of knowledge and you're very detail oriented. You have a photographic memory, and you remember places very well. Like a middle ages cartographer, you're also very adventurous and curious about the world. In modern times, you would make a good non-fiction writer or scientist.

What's Your Medieval Profession?

Lillian is learning knock-knock jokes. I know all you parents can relate to this joy.

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Poopyhead.
Poopyhead who?
HAHA! Get it!?

"Tell me another."

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Poopyhead goop.
Poopyhead goop who?
GET IT!? (Accompanied by peals of laughter.)

"Tell me another."

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Poopyhead...um...spikes.
Poopyhead spikes who?
Haa! Get it?!?!

Some circus pictures...thanks again SO MUCH to the Wilsons for the tickets!

You Are Empathetic and Impassioned

You are responsible, detail oriented, and fairly conservative. Some people may even say you're a bit uptight. You are a very creative and innovative person. You dream big and rarely do something the same way twice. You're fun loving and playful. You never take life too seriously. You seek identity in your life. You are constantly figuring out who you are.

The Sandwich Cookie Personality Test

Anyone have experience with spider bites?

Last night I leaned over on my mattress to do something and putting weight on my left elbow HURT! Today I looked and there is a huge red circle and it is very swollen and kind of mushy. I assumed it was just a bruise, though I don't remember hurting it. (I'm kinda clumsy and that isn't really unusual for me.) But the more I think about it some of the less likely possibilities...namely a spider bite or maybe an abcess of some sort...are seeming a little more likely. Not yesterday but the day before (I think) the same elbow started itching really badly and then kind of stung afterwords.

So what do you think? Spider bite? Just a bruise? Or maybe I'm just a whiner?

You Are a Hat With Flaps

You are fun loving, cheerful, and even pretty cute most of the time. You use fashion to play. You never take style all that seriously. You're the type most likely to wear a funny t-shirt or goofy hat. But when it comes time to clean up, you clean up nicely.

What Winter Hat Are You?

You Are Blueberry Pancakes

You prefer flavorful, fresh foods that are well seasoned. You shy away from anything plain or overcooked. It's not likely someone would find a lot of cheap convenience foods in your kitchen. Instead, someone might find a wide array of spices, herbs, and flavorings.

What Kind of Pancakes Are You?

Good news/bad news on the dieting front. The bad news is, I went way over my calorie allotment today. The good news is that I think it is really okay because after just two days back on the diet I was pretty much back down to my pre-holiday weight! I weighed in at 146-something today and I don't think I'd been much below 145 back in November. Now my pattern with weight loss has all along been two steps forward, one step back so I realize that this doesn't necessarily mean all that much...but it is most definitely a step in the right direction and was very encouraging. Most importantly, I can feel the difference. So, now I know that it isn't as horrible as I feared it might be to get back in the swing of things. When I was at 145 before I was at the point that, while I was still logging all my food, I wasn't worrying much if I went over. I felt okay at the weight I was and wasn't in a big hurry to lose the last five pounds, I just was willing to let them drop slowly off. At that point, just the act of logging my food kept me aware enough of what I was putting in my mouth that it worked out okay, kept me honest, ya know? (Well, I suppose that, along with having developed more reasonble habits, and being able to realize that one moment of indulging myself didn't mean I had to scrap the whole thing and pig out for the duration.) Anyway, I HOPE that is where I am again. Able to indulge in a cookie today without turning it into four cookies, and knowing that tomorrow it will all even out.

Your Word is "Peace"

You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of. Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you. While you can't stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life. You promote harmony and cooperation. You're always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway.

What's Your Word?

What is this? Two blog entries in one day?

I just had to share a few completely unrelated things. First...



C.O. Bigelow Lip Shine from Bath and Body Works. Ridiculously overpriced but worth every penny. I have the spearmint but the girls have other flavors and from what I can tell they are all marvelous.

My second find to share is a website called Library Thing. It is similar to Good Reads, where I typically 'hang out' for this kind of thing, and a couple others I'm not real familiar with. But Library Thing has a lot of features not currently available at Good Reads. I've registered and added my library so far but will most definitely be checking it out more in depth...if you are a reader who likes to keep track of what you've read, find suggestions for things you might like based on your previously read books, or discuss books with others, I encourage you to check it out as well!

And last but not least, is the blog of my friend Dale. This one you just have to check out because I can in no way do justice to his writing. Just take my word for it and go read a few random entries, and then sign up to make sure you don't miss any more.

In the Interest of Full Disclosure...

I wanted to enjoy the holidays so I allowed myself to go completely off my diet from about Thanksgiving until now. Even though my goal weight was 140 I found that I felt okay once I hit about 150 so my hope was to remain in that range as a general rule. So...I told myself that for the holidays I would just try to stay under 150. I almost made it! Interestingly, I only got up to about 147 all the way up until about a week before Christmas (having started at about 145) so I think that I let that go to my head and must have really let go the last couple of weeks! I did notice that even my "splurges" were tame compared to what they'd become, probably just by being more aware of what I was putting in my mouth. I've had periods of feeling really down on myself for regaining this weight...but lately I've decided to put a positive spin on it. I know now my limits, how far "off" I can go without paying for it too much. Anyway, as of yesterday I'm back on the bandwagon myself. I am finding it easier than it was the first time around (though we will have to see how it goes around bedtime snack time!) I am finding that having to write down everything that goes in my mouth really makes me think twice and is probably my biggest "trick" as far as weight loss. Anyway, good luck to all of us who are starting back on the bandwagon but remember, as a friend of mine said, be kind to yourself on your diets!!!

You Are Doted On

You are sweet, sensitive, and a bit anxious. You are likely to have some health problems. It's likely that you will have four or more children... whether you use birth control or not! You are not easily moved. You are very stoic and not though of as an emotional person. You are very detail oriented and tidy. Some may even call you obsessive. You are quite conservative. You are neither a flirter or a flaunter.

What Does Your Belly Button Say About You?

Alright, sadly, I've given up on being able to post our actual Christmas show here...so I'm doing the next best thing and posting the original skit that the kids copied for the end of the show. Julia played the main girl and Laura was the party girl that comes in later. And completely seriously, not being prejudiced, but ours was every bit as good as this, not some cheap imitation! We had some minor changes so as to not freak out all the visiting grandmas and grandpas who thought they were there to see little Susie playing a sheep, ya know? (Primarily by toning down the gore and making our person in black a drug dealer offering pills rather than a knife and a gun.) But we, quite literally, made grown men cry. With all the rehearsals, etc. I've seen this performance (both the one linked here as well as our own) a gazillion times, and it still gets to me. A lot.

So turn up the speakers, watch, and if you happen to know my kids, picture Julia as the girl in the black t-shirt. Dare you not to cry.

Some odds and ends...

New Year's Eve was a blast...we think we had 43 people here, including our own family, if we counted right. I think everyone else had a good time as well and we didn't have to sick the rabid orangutangs on any of the children. Here are a couple photos.

Playing Catch Phrase:

Right after midnight:

Unfortunately, about 4 AM New Year's morning, Lillian woke up and threw up. Fortunately, it was just the one time and she actually seemed to feel fine the rest of the day. I guess we just got our first 2009 puke out of the way early.

Laura is gone to Camp Barakel this weekend. Julia has gone a couple of times but this is the first for Laura. She is there with some of her friends so I know she will have a great time despite the cold!

Finally, I thought I'd share a layout I did today. So, the blog format cuts off the right hand side of the layout. You aren't missing much but you probably should know that this is "My Briday Shower" and not "My Brid Show." Anyway, I won't say how old these pictures are, but if they were human they could legally purchase alcohol. My sweet Lillian was looking at the pictures, pointed at me, and said "I can tell that is you." But when asked when I looked better, she said "Now." Love that girl.