The Challenge Update

Today is my 4th week of being in The Challenge, and with my 2 pound loss this week (yes! you read that correctly), my grand total is up to 8 pounds. I am so excited. That's an average of 2 pounds a week. I still have 9 pounds to go, but it feels like a milestone to be under the 10 pound mark. So much more feasible! Can you tell I'm excited??

Monday, February 2nd, will mark one month that I have been on Weight Watchers. That also means it will be time for me to take more pictures. I have to tell you, I'm pretty scared to see those back pictures, but they can't be as bad as before.

What about you? Is anyone still doing this with me?

Friend of Jesus?

You probably need to have a Facebook account to understand this post, but tonight I received a friend request from "Jesus OfNazareth". Seriously! I think it's weird, but Mom is a believer and is friends with Jesus. She said, "He's nice. He told me He loved me." And, I said, yes, He told me that too when I was having my quiet time this morning."

Mom says she is going to stay being his friend because she likes his answers. I ask her what kind of answers. This is the funny part...She asked him who he really is and he replied, "I am who I am". No he did not. (And I must tell you, I am really thrown as I am typing...do I capitalize the H or no???...I'm going with no, because I don't think it's really Jesus)

What other things did he tell her, you ask. Well, he told her he is watching her. And, I said, "yes, he's that pervert across the street peering through your window."

Just thought it was funny. Daniel and I have been chuckling all night at the "I am who I am" comment. Hope it provided you with a good laugh. Let me know if you are friends with him too.

Grumpy Old Men

Why do old men get grumpy? And why are they following me around? And why are they getting grumpy with me?

Case in point: a couple of weeks ago I was filling up my car with gas, minding my own business when the grumpy old man next to me said, "you know, you are putting us all at risk when you don't turn your motor off while filling up." I sarcastically, yet politely dangled my keys in front of me and said, "my car is not running." The grumpy old man says, "oh, my mistake."

Today, after taking my black lab on a 5 mile jog when we were at the pond by my house that was completely deserted, I let her off her leash so she could jump in the water to cool off. It was 80 degrees and muggy outside and she was hot. A grumpy old man comes out of his house, holding his coffee cup to the back of his wrought iron fence and says, "did your dog escape the leash?" I kindly reply, "oh, I let her off so she could cool off in the water." Grumpy old man says, "you know, we have a leash law." PMS girl replies, "yes, and she has been on her leash for 5 miles. I just let her off so she could get in the water and cool off." Grumpy old man says, "what about regard for other people?" PMS girl doesn't turn around or reply, but wants to shout at the top of her lungs, "THERE ARE NO OTHER PEOPLE!!!!!"

Whew. PMS girl feels much better now. Grumpy old men need to find a hobby so they will leave me alone!!!

Life Is Short

When I woke up this morning I had plans to write an amusing little blog entry. That all changed when I read a friend's blog. I actually clicked through a friends to another friend and that's when I saw it. She talked about her friend Kathy dying suddenly and leaving behind (and I'm thinking, no please don't say it) 3 daughters. OH NO...how many Kathys live in Tulsa and have 3 daughters that go to Jenks. I started a frantic search on the internet and found out it was a sweet friend of mine. She was 48 years old and died suddenly.

I first met Kathy when I was pregnant with my youngest...over 6 years ago. She and I had an instant bond because of the 3 daughters connection. She was so sweet with me over the years. She always encouraged me and really showed me the kind of Mom I hoped to be. Her life is cut way too short. She leaves behind a loving husband and 3 sweet daughters, parents and inlaws and siblings. My heart is breaking for her daughters today. They range in age from senior in high school to 9th grade. Life is short. And precious. And should never be taken for granted. We take comfort in the fact that she trusted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and is in a much better place.

Thanks, Kathy, for the life that you lived.

Finally Friday

I know, I know! I'm posting this on Saturday, but my WWeigh in day is technically Friday. So, finally I get to report another weight loss. I only lost half a pound, but it is still a loss. I am up to to a total of 6 pounds since January 2. I have been giving myself this little peptalk the last few days. Let me know if I'm leaving anything out.

At least I'm not gaining weight. If I continue to lose half a pound every 2 weeks I will eventually get to my goal. I have 10 and 1/2 pound to lose, so basically this could take the rest of the year, but at least I am headed in the right direction.

Most of you are probably hoping for a romantic gift for Valentine's Day: chocolate, roses, diamonds, etc. I am actually hoping for a new scale! Don't laugh...I am serious. I want a scale that also measures body fat. I am working out a ton, so I have to believe that I am losing some body fat. Since I am not losing pounds, it would be very encouraging if that changes too!

In one short week I have to take my 2nd month pictures. I am dreading that. I thought I could lose at least 8 pounds in the first month. I guess slow and steady will have to win this race!

WOW!

What a whirlwind day. We got nearly 1,000 hits on our new website. Not only that, we received full rights to http://www.lazymoms.com/ today. NO MORE DASH. I know this is minor to you, but it is a big deal to us! So, my new e-mail does not require a dash amanda@lazymoms.com We received a ton of positive feedback. It was the most exciting day! I loved everything about it! Leslie and I went out to celebrate. Hop on over to our site and go read all about it.

Big things were offered to us today. We were asked to be on a local Houston morning show around Mother's Day and we were also asked to be on a local radio talk show in early February. We are so passionate and excited about being a Lazy Mom that it is almost ridiculous! Still waiting for that book offer!!!

From Dreams to Reality

Remember when I posted about my childbirth dreams? Well, today I am excited to tell everyone what I have been working on. My friend, Leslie, and I have launched a new website at http://www.lazy-moms.com/ . I am so excited for you to go over and check it out and leave lots of funny comments. We have big plans for our idea. We can't wait to turn the site into a book and the book into a movie. I hope you will visit us often. Leave a comment and let me know if we should visit Regis and Kelly first or Hoda and Kathie Lee first. Enjoy!

Inauguration

I had all these great plans to watch history in the making and then blog about it. Well, my cable went out a few minutes before it started and didn't come back on until this afternoon. I have to say, I am a bit bummed. I am proud that the kids were able to watch it at school. Even my youngest watched in her kindergarten class. Here are some VERY random thoughts about it:



-Michelle Obama's dress was just ok...I was expecting more out of her.

-I feel SO sad for Ted Kennedy. It's bad enough to have a seizure, but then to have it on a national stage at lunch. And poor Sen. Byrd. It just kept getting worse (so I hear!)

-The crowd booing Bush...that's just WRONG!

-Bush handled the transition so beautifully and respectfully. What a way to go out!

-Bush looked 10 years younger when he landed in Midland. No matter what you think of his politics, he is a genuinely nice guy and I wish him the best!

-I wonder how long the honeymoon will last for Obama???



Would love to hear your thoughts on it...no matter how random they may be. Did I miss anything good? Did you pick up on anything random? How was the speech? How did the little girls look? Thoughts?

I'm A Snob

I admit it. I am high maintenance. I am not sure when it happened, but it did. When did I require manis and pedis and eyebrow waxings? Once you start these things it is very hard to stop. So it goes with highlighting your hair. And, boy, was I overdue for a highlight. I have been going to my hairdresser in Tulsa since I was a teenager. I even went twice this fall when we were back in Tulsa. I had not yet HAD to find a hairdresser in Sugar Land.

One day, I am at the mall with my friend and I find myself making fun of the hair salon in the mall. I mean, who would want to go to the mall to get their hair done. Evidently, my friend used to. Oops. And then, I start asking for referrals for a good hairdresser. I get not one, not two, but THREE recommendations for the salon at the mall. So, I decide to brave the mall salon today.

As I am sitting waiting for my hairdresser, I make a mental note to never come back. There are stylists with nose rings and tatoos and the music is WAY too loud. This is not my kind of place. But, alas, I REALLY need my roots done and I need them done NOW. So, I press on.

My hair looks GREAT! I am amazed. And, it wasn't cheap either. I thought it would be less than I was paying in Tulsa, but it was substantially more. Crazy!!!! New dilemna...do I go back? My hair looks good, but it was not a relaxing environment at all. To highlight or not to highlight...that is the question!!!

Grocery Stores

When we found out we were moving to the Houston area, we had several people comment on how much we would LOVE the grocery stores. I thought this was kind of a strange thing to comment on. There are plenty of other things to love about this city and grocery stores were at the top of the list? I mean, for starters The Galleria, the broadway shows, the museums, and I could go on and on. I was excited about being able to purchase wine in a grocery store, but didn't really understand what the fuss was all about. Even my Mom, who used to live in Texas, said, "Oh, you are going to have fabulous grocery stores."

Well, my small town friends, the grocery stores do not disappoint. They are amazing compared to what I was used to. The produce is amazing. They have the hard to find things that Wal-Mart never had, but Reasors would get on a special order. They are just there on their shelves waiting for me. They have LIVE MUSIC on the weekends. Yesterday, they had a James Taylor knock off, complete with guitar just for my shopping pleasure. Oh, and Whole Foods....WOW! It was like an organic shopping mall. I don't even know how to describe it.

Oh, the simple things in life...

Follow Up Friday

Well, this week isn't nearly as exciting to report as last week. This is usually the "weigh" I do WW. One good loss followed by a small loss or nothing at all. So....I lost nothing this week. But, I did manage to maintain. I am expecting a good loss next week. Plus, I have a whole new set of points handed to me today. I am feeling like my workouts are starting to pay off. Feeling a little less muffin in my top. I need a loss next week to keep my motivation! But, here are my thoughts about The Challenge at the end of week 2:

Why am I not skinny yet...I have stayed on point 2 whole weeks!!!
Why doesn't wine count as a fruit??...it's made from grapes!
Why don't my jeans fit?
Why do the pounds go on so quickly and come off so painfully slow?

I'm ready to hear from YOU! Hello out there...support please. Linda, Fran, Allison and the list goes on....tell me how you are doing. Are you struggling? Is this easy for you? Have you cheated?

American Idol

It's that time of the year again! Time for American Idol. I love this show for several reasons. FIrst off, it's just plain good! Secondly, it's one of the few shows on television that my whole family can watch together. My kids are so in to American Idol. I have thought about sending them a thank you note.

Dear American Idol, Thank you for your show. On the nights your show airs, I have no problem getting my kids to take their bath, finish their homework or brush their teeth. Thanks for making my job a little easier. Signed, I use the tv as a babysitter Mom

We first started really watching the season that Carrie Underwood was on the show. We were originally drawn to watch because she was an Oklahoman, but soon we were hooked on the show.

Last season, though. Last season marks the year that Ellie Grace, our youngest, became obsessed with American Idol. She was barely 5 years old and she became addicted. One night, she missed part of the show and she asked me, "Has the cute boy gone yet?" And, I said, no, he's up next. The "cute boy" I thought she was referring to was the cute Australian guy. (cant remember your name now guy...guess your 2 minutes are up??--oh yeah, Michael Johns I think) Anyway, when David Archuleta came on the screen she declared, "He's my cute boy!" She had the BIGGEST crush. She watched all season. She even had discussions at school with her Pre-K teacher about her cute boy. Anyone that was close to us knew about the cute boy!

Fast forward to the night of the finale. She could hardly wait for her cute boy to be declared the winner. And then, it happened. The winner was DAVID COOK! She dropped to her knees and bawled like she had lost a loved one. Honestly, I am not exaggerating. She ran up the stairs and said, "I'M NEVER WATCHING THIS STUPID SHOW AGAIN!!!!" (mind you, stupid is a bad word at our house...so she was really ticked!)

Low and behold, she has recovered and we are all watching again. I wonder who her favorite will be this year??!!

American Girls

Last night, our local Chick Fil A had "American Girl Night". Little girls were invited to bring their dolls to the restaurant, get their dolls hair styled, go for a limo ride and register to win prizes, including the newest American Girl doll. We had basketball practice, but headed that way as soon as we finished. It was so cute. As you can imagine, the restaurant was packed full of girls running all over the place. The girls were starving after basketball, so we ate first (which should make Chick Fil A very happy!!!) We took our dolls to get their hair styled. Super cute!!! Next stop: limo ride! Look at this super cute limousine. So precious that I could not resist riding along. It was as girly inside as it is from the outside. The t.v. was blaring with a Hannah Montana concert. I totally embarassed Ellie Grace by singing along. She finally put her hand over my mouth and said, "STOP". Ok, I get it. I am so not cool!!! We topped the night off with some ice cream and headed home. Thanks, Chick Fil A, for a fun night!!

It Snowed!!!

Well, sorta. It did snow, but only on our church property. Our church brought in a snow machine and we had a snow day for the kids to get to play. They have been so excited about this for weeks. We bundled the kids up and gathered up our friends and headed off to church. When we pulled it the parking lot we immediately saw snow. They put snow in all of the flowerbeds too, so you really felt like it had snowed. The kids got to play during their Sunday School hour, throw snowballs, build snowmen, whatever they wanted. This is one church tradition they will look forward to each year!

Smitten

Our kids have been begging for a puppy for about a year. The problem with this is that we already have 2 adorable labs. But, they are outside dogs and the girls really want a lap dog and a puppy to sleep with them, etc. They even put it on their letter to Santa on Christmas Eve. We have been telling them that when one of our dogs goes on to doggie heaven we will get an inside dog. They even have it all planned out. They want a white puppy and they want to name her Sugar since we moved to Sugar Land.

Friday morning I wake up to an e-mail that has been forwarded a couple of times with pictures of adorable Shih Tzu puppies that are looking for a good home and are a bargain price. I am toast. I am absolutely smitten. I can't explain it. I have received these e-mails before and have no problem deleting them, but this felt different. I HAD to get my hands on one of those puppies.

I called the friend who sent me the e-mail and we litterally spent ALL day trying to track down the puppy Mama. She did not include any contact info in her e-mail. FINALLY, at 5:00 they call me and tell me they have 2 females left. I jump in the car with squealing kids and go to look at the puppies. It was really hard to just pick one, but good grief, I can't have 4 dogs!!!

This puppy is soooooo cute. Although not solid white, we still went with the name Sugar because she is sooo stinkin' sweet! And, even though Daniel is trying very hard not to like her, it is becoming increasingly more difficult. She is in LOVE with him.

I almost titled this post "Sucker"!

From Flab to Fab Friday

It's officially been one week that I have been on Weight Watchers. I weighed myself this morning, and guess what??? I am down (drumroll please) 5.5 pounds. Yippeeee....I am so excited. 11.5 more pounds to go. The best part about today? It's a new WW week and I get a whole new set of points to play with.

I am anxious to hear from you all. I have heard from 2 of you that you have lost so PLEASE post a comment and let everyone know how you are doing.

Don't forget to check out Nicole's site on Mondays for her WW report.

Have a great weekend!

Handy Mandy

The house we moved into was built in 1991, and not much has been done in the way of updating, so we are working through that process. My project today, was door knobs. I ordered them online and they came today. I was so excited that I couldn't wait for Daniel to put them on, so I did it myself. I love it...what a huge difference a little knob can make!

Here is a before shot with a lovely, shiny brass knob:

Here is the after shot with a venetian bronze lever:

Fat Hog

Ok, so I wasn't planning to do this yet, but scroll down to see my before picture...

Ok, so that's not really me. That is a dead, wild hog on the side of the road near my house. And you Oklahoma girls thought dead possums were gross????

Lousy

If you read to the left of this post the section on Why I Blog, I declare that I am going to blog about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Well, today is the ugly. I can't believe I am going to blog about this, but it will provide you with a good chuckle for the day and that will make it worth it.

First of all, let me tell you that I am a germ freak!!! I am constantly checking my kids for lice and pinworms and any other yucky creatures that kids pass around. Last night, while one of my daughters was eating dinner, I was picking through her hair (as I do about once a week) and saw something. Uh oh!!!!! I called my bff who has been down this road and she immediately came over and confirmed my diagnosis. I told her she was performing the modern day washing of the feet, by looking through my hair and helping me wash my child's hair. The good news is, my neurosis paid off. I caught it extremely early. We all went to the nurse's office this morning at school and got the all clear! WHEW.

For all of you who are is freaked out by lice as I am, a couple of notes. First of all, it's not NEARLY as gross as I thought it would be. The worst part about the whole thing is doing all the laundry. I am probably on my tenth load. Washing all of our sheets, blankets, towels, jackets and so on. Secondly, you find out who your good friends are. I had to make the call of shame and call a friend because our daughters had played together. She was so sweet. Her response, "well, they say they like clean hair, so you must be keeping your daughter's hair too clean!" So sweet. My other friend, looking through my hair...that's a friend. Thirdly, this took over my night and I never ate dinner...woohoo!!! That helped me stay on point today.

On a totally different note, you must go to this website. This is my high school friend who has joined the challenge and even challenged her readers. Here's looking forward to a weight loss this week!

Dreams

I have been having the WILDEST dreams lately. Mostly my dreams have been about pregnancy or childbirth. I was wondering if I kept having these dreams because my tummy is getting so big. I mean, I have gained 17 pounds. I only gained 23 pounds with my first 2 pregnancies. By all accounts, I should be about 8 months at this point! Anyway, I asked my Mom, who is a self-diagnosed dream analyzer about my dreams. I later confirmed what she told me by looking at this website for dream interpretation. To dream that you are pregnant, symbolizes an aspect of yourself or some aspect of your personal life that is growing and developing. You may not be ready to talk about it or act on it. This may also represent the birth of a new idea, direction, project or goal. BINGO...my friend and I have an idea that we are both excited about. It has kind of snowballed into a really BIG idea. And, as the dream dictionary suggest, we aren't quite ready to talk about it. Whew...maybe I am not pregnant fat, just fat.