Tuesday, February 7, 2012
50 Questions for Married Dates Pt 1
It should come as no surprise that I am a complete Pinterest addict. I currently have 37 boards filled with 2,446 pins. (That number will probably change quickly.)
One board is dedicated to my partner-in-crime, the mustard to my fries, the potato chips on my tuna sandwich, the one who yelps when I put my cold feet on the backs of his knees in bed, the one who finishes nearly every one of my Simpsons quotes...my husband.
*pause for awww*
There are date and present ideas. There are reminders of why he's such a stud bagel. (I'm not a muffin fan.) Some are serious and most are wonky. One idea that I snagged was a link to 50 Questions to Ask Your Spouse on a Date Night. I was excited since most of our date nights begin with us backing out of the driveway vowing not to mention the kids only to find ourselves discussing Gideon's weird rash over the appetizer.
How Pinterest works is you "pin" these ideas to your board to remind yourself to come back and look at it when you have time. As a SAHM, time is limited so this is a Godsend. By the time the kids are in bed and I've collapsed on the couch, my brain is mush and I can barely remember what to call the refrigerator much less that awesome website I wanted to check out.
You think I'm joking? Ask Ben how many times I've asked him to put the milk back in the Hoodle.
Back to the list. I began reading through these "conversation starters" and well...they sound like a great way to get into an argument by the time the entrees get to the table and divorce papers will come with the cheesecake. Maybe you that shows how immature Ben and I can be or that we just don't want to face difficult discussions.
Maybe we just don't want to discuss what songs we want played at our funerals while grabbing ice cream and then going to see The Avengers.
So, dearies, I am going to give you my list. These questions are much more light-hearted but should still invoke conversation between you and your shmoopy.
One board is dedicated to my partner-in-crime, the mustard to my fries, the potato chips on my tuna sandwich, the one who yelps when I put my cold feet on the backs of his knees in bed, the one who finishes nearly every one of my Simpsons quotes...my husband.
*pause for awww*
There are date and present ideas. There are reminders of why he's such a stud bagel. (I'm not a muffin fan.) Some are serious and most are wonky. One idea that I snagged was a link to 50 Questions to Ask Your Spouse on a Date Night. I was excited since most of our date nights begin with us backing out of the driveway vowing not to mention the kids only to find ourselves discussing Gideon's weird rash over the appetizer.
How Pinterest works is you "pin" these ideas to your board to remind yourself to come back and look at it when you have time. As a SAHM, time is limited so this is a Godsend. By the time the kids are in bed and I've collapsed on the couch, my brain is mush and I can barely remember what to call the refrigerator much less that awesome website I wanted to check out.
You think I'm joking? Ask Ben how many times I've asked him to put the milk back in the Hoodle.
Back to the list. I began reading through these "conversation starters" and well...they sound like a great way to get into an argument by the time the entrees get to the table and divorce papers will come with the cheesecake. Maybe you that shows how immature Ben and I can be or that we just don't want to face difficult discussions.
Maybe we just don't want to discuss what songs we want played at our funerals while grabbing ice cream and then going to see The Avengers.
So, dearies, I am going to give you my list. These questions are much more light-hearted but should still invoke conversation between you and your shmoopy.
Monday, February 6, 2012
It's Not a Diet...
...It's a lifestyle change.
I have heard this said about Weight Watchers for years. Anyone who knows me knows that I have always struggled with my weight. At my heaviest, I was over 300 pounds. That was about 7 years ago. I weigh close to 280 whenever I'm pregnant. My "normal" weight is close to 275. After I had Milly, I became very active by running after 3 little ones. In November of last year, I noticed that the scale had started to move down.
I've tried diets before. I just never stuck to them. I dabbled with Atkins, I drank Hydroxycut and I even bought outdated Weight Watchers books and tried to do it myself. I just never wanted to ask anyone for help. I went to a gym for a season and then stopped when it became inconvenient. Whenever I moved to a new apartment with a gym room then I would tell myself to utilize it. I would go once or twice and then make excuses.
It wasn't until Milly and seeing 260 on the scale that I really wanted to do something about this.
My best friend has been doing Weight Watchers and told me about a January special. I could do everything online. The Points system has changed so I can eat most veggies and fruits to my heart's content for no points. There are phone apps to help track everything. Another girlfriend had a Facebook group where we could encourage each other and exchange tips and recipes.
So I held my breath and joined.
Today begins week 3. I stood on my scale and forced myself to look down. I began this journey at 259. Today I weighed 249. It's the first time I've weighed under 250 pounds in over 10 years. I nearly collapsed and cried.
I'm not going to lie; this is TOUGH. I'm having to stop and think every time I reach for food. My shopping list looks very different. I've given up my 9 - 10 daily Dr Peppers / Pibbs for one Dr Pepper 10 a day. I drink at least 2 bottles of water a day. I'm researching new recipes and learning how to cook differently.
I'm also having to come to terms with the fact that I "eat my feelings". Doesn't that sound hippie-ish and psychodramatic? Basically, when I get upset, I reach for the chips. Now I can't do that. Since I've also quit smoking years ago then I actually have to do something healthy and DEAL with my problems!
It is WAY easier to eat 2 rows of Oreos.
This is all to say that it truly is a lifestyle change. It's making me look at all aspects of my life. I'm better hydrated and that's helped my chronic migraines. I'm trying out pilates and yoga which should eventually be a stress reliever. I'm taking a vitamin every day and I'm making sure that my kids take their vitamins. Drinking fewer sodas and buying more fresh produce has drastically lowered my grocery bill. When I get stressed, I listen to music and read my Bible for direction. I have a whole new group of girls to laugh with when we despair over the Dunkin' Donuts commercials and husbands who eat Jack in the Box tacos right in front of us. We cheer each other on when smaller pants fit and when the scale moves. We encourage each other when things stall or slip.
It works.
I have heard this said about Weight Watchers for years. Anyone who knows me knows that I have always struggled with my weight. At my heaviest, I was over 300 pounds. That was about 7 years ago. I weigh close to 280 whenever I'm pregnant. My "normal" weight is close to 275. After I had Milly, I became very active by running after 3 little ones. In November of last year, I noticed that the scale had started to move down.
I've tried diets before. I just never stuck to them. I dabbled with Atkins, I drank Hydroxycut and I even bought outdated Weight Watchers books and tried to do it myself. I just never wanted to ask anyone for help. I went to a gym for a season and then stopped when it became inconvenient. Whenever I moved to a new apartment with a gym room then I would tell myself to utilize it. I would go once or twice and then make excuses.
It wasn't until Milly and seeing 260 on the scale that I really wanted to do something about this.
My best friend has been doing Weight Watchers and told me about a January special. I could do everything online. The Points system has changed so I can eat most veggies and fruits to my heart's content for no points. There are phone apps to help track everything. Another girlfriend had a Facebook group where we could encourage each other and exchange tips and recipes.
So I held my breath and joined.
Today begins week 3. I stood on my scale and forced myself to look down. I began this journey at 259. Today I weighed 249. It's the first time I've weighed under 250 pounds in over 10 years. I nearly collapsed and cried.
I'm not going to lie; this is TOUGH. I'm having to stop and think every time I reach for food. My shopping list looks very different. I've given up my 9 - 10 daily Dr Peppers / Pibbs for one Dr Pepper 10 a day. I drink at least 2 bottles of water a day. I'm researching new recipes and learning how to cook differently.
I'm also having to come to terms with the fact that I "eat my feelings". Doesn't that sound hippie-ish and psychodramatic? Basically, when I get upset, I reach for the chips. Now I can't do that. Since I've also quit smoking years ago then I actually have to do something healthy and DEAL with my problems!
It is WAY easier to eat 2 rows of Oreos.
This is all to say that it truly is a lifestyle change. It's making me look at all aspects of my life. I'm better hydrated and that's helped my chronic migraines. I'm trying out pilates and yoga which should eventually be a stress reliever. I'm taking a vitamin every day and I'm making sure that my kids take their vitamins. Drinking fewer sodas and buying more fresh produce has drastically lowered my grocery bill. When I get stressed, I listen to music and read my Bible for direction. I have a whole new group of girls to laugh with when we despair over the Dunkin' Donuts commercials and husbands who eat Jack in the Box tacos right in front of us. We cheer each other on when smaller pants fit and when the scale moves. We encourage each other when things stall or slip.
It works.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Change
My verse for January has been written on my heart.
My verse for February is Philippians 4:8
"Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you."
It's a good verse to write on my heart this month because we have some serious changes happening here in the Dyer house. On Monday, we took Sophie to see a developmental doctor. We've had the appointment for months and I've been hoping and praying to hear "speech delay" and "moderate behavioral therapy" and "nothing time can't fix".
Instead we heard this;
"Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is one of the autism spectrum disorders and is used to describe individuals who do not fully meet the criteria for autistic disorder or Asperger syndrome. PDD-NOS may be thought of as “subthreshold autism," or a diagnosis one can give a person who has “atypical symptomatology.” In other words, when someone has autistic characteristics but some of their symptoms are mild, or they have symptoms in one area (like social deficits), but none in another key area (like restricted, repetitive behaviors), they may be given the PDD-NOS label."
- Autism Speaks
So now we're reading books and websites about how to communicate with our daughter. We're making appointments with medical doctors to have her records updated so she can be seen by Special Education programs. We're reading other parents' stories and realizing how much they sound like our baby.
There are a lot of tears. There is fear that makes my hands shake. There is a quiet panic that I can't let my extra-sensitive daughter see because now I know how much it can affect her.
So I go to my verse.
I praise God for Sophie's health. She's an active little girl with no motor skill delays.
I praise God that Sophie is good and pure. She loves her family with all of her heart and is keen to our joys and pains.
I praise God for what is true.
I am Sophie's mother. I am the one who carried her in my body for 34 weeks. I am the one who stayed up on the futon in the living room while Sophie slept in the baby car seat, wailing if I stopped rocking it in my sleep deprived haze. I am the one who strapped that baby to my chest with a sling and marched all over the house. I am the one who sang lullabies to her in the NICU. I am the one who sat with a cranky toddler in a government office waiting for my turn to speak to someone about food stamps. I am the one who wipes the tears off of her face when she is scared and the poop off of her butt when she's stinky.
I am the one God gently reminded that this was His baby given to me to care for only a short period of time on this Earth when I was still pregnant. He trusts me with His child.
I will focus on these things and I will feel God's peace.
My verse for February is Philippians 4:8
"Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you."
It's a good verse to write on my heart this month because we have some serious changes happening here in the Dyer house. On Monday, we took Sophie to see a developmental doctor. We've had the appointment for months and I've been hoping and praying to hear "speech delay" and "moderate behavioral therapy" and "nothing time can't fix".
Instead we heard this;
"Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is one of the autism spectrum disorders and is used to describe individuals who do not fully meet the criteria for autistic disorder or Asperger syndrome. PDD-NOS may be thought of as “subthreshold autism," or a diagnosis one can give a person who has “atypical symptomatology.” In other words, when someone has autistic characteristics but some of their symptoms are mild, or they have symptoms in one area (like social deficits), but none in another key area (like restricted, repetitive behaviors), they may be given the PDD-NOS label."
- Autism Speaks
So now we're reading books and websites about how to communicate with our daughter. We're making appointments with medical doctors to have her records updated so she can be seen by Special Education programs. We're reading other parents' stories and realizing how much they sound like our baby.
There are a lot of tears. There is fear that makes my hands shake. There is a quiet panic that I can't let my extra-sensitive daughter see because now I know how much it can affect her.
So I go to my verse.
I praise God for Sophie's health. She's an active little girl with no motor skill delays.
I praise God that Sophie is good and pure. She loves her family with all of her heart and is keen to our joys and pains.
I praise God for what is true.
I am Sophie's mother. I am the one who carried her in my body for 34 weeks. I am the one who stayed up on the futon in the living room while Sophie slept in the baby car seat, wailing if I stopped rocking it in my sleep deprived haze. I am the one who strapped that baby to my chest with a sling and marched all over the house. I am the one who sang lullabies to her in the NICU. I am the one who sat with a cranky toddler in a government office waiting for my turn to speak to someone about food stamps. I am the one who wipes the tears off of her face when she is scared and the poop off of her butt when she's stinky.
I am the one God gently reminded that this was His baby given to me to care for only a short period of time on this Earth when I was still pregnant. He trusts me with His child.
I will focus on these things and I will feel God's peace.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Ppppbbbbllllttt!!!!!!
Gideon is the only one of my children who loves stomach zerbets.
He climbs onto the couch beside me, lurches over, raises his shirt with a giant grin on his face and then plasters himself on my face.
His meaning being "ZERBET MY TUMMY OR SUFFOCATE. MAKE YOUR CHOICE, MAMA!"
He climbs onto the couch beside me, lurches over, raises his shirt with a giant grin on his face and then plasters himself on my face.
His meaning being "ZERBET MY TUMMY OR SUFFOCATE. MAKE YOUR CHOICE, MAMA!"
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Prayers and Lessons
I haven't really posted about any resolutions for 2012. There are not too many things I want to do this year. OK, that's a lie, there's a ton of stuff I want to do. This is one of the most important things.
I want to learn a new Bible verse every month.
Now when I say "learn" I don't just mean memorize the words. I want to write those words on my heart. I want to dissect the verse and truly get to the bottom of what God is saying to me through that verse.
January's verses are Romans 8:38-39
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life; neither angels nor demons; neither present nor future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation shall separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Now I'll admit that I wrote that by heart and them immediately checked You Version. I left out the part of "nor anything else in all creation". I'm still getting there.
The part that hooked me today is that God never mentions the past. He states that "neither present nor future" will separate us but the past is not in there. One could argue that the past is lumped in there with anything in all creation...but God is specific in His words.
I guess the reason this caught my attention was because there are still parts of my past that I haven't settled. There are people that I still have to wake up and daily ask God to put forgiveness in my heart for them. There are choices that I made that still shame me. There are people I pray over only because God puts them on my heart and I know that I'm supposed to do what He tells me to do. Before I pray, I ask him to search my heart for Black Spots and cleanse me. Then I ask Him to only let me pray with a clean heart. Sometimes it takes a long time. He brings up people that have hurt me. He brings up someone that I used to call my best friend until they cut me out of their life. He brings up people whose lifestyles I don't think are Godly.
Then He always reminds me that I'm not perfect. I still make mistake after mistake. However, just as He promises in Romans, because of the decision I made when I was 10 then I will never again be separated from the love of God. He reminds me that these people need these prayers. They need to know His love. They need His conviction.
So I pray. First for cleansing and then for whoever God brings to my heart.
Because I am convinced.
I want to learn a new Bible verse every month.
Now when I say "learn" I don't just mean memorize the words. I want to write those words on my heart. I want to dissect the verse and truly get to the bottom of what God is saying to me through that verse.
January's verses are Romans 8:38-39
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life; neither angels nor demons; neither present nor future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation shall separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Now I'll admit that I wrote that by heart and them immediately checked You Version. I left out the part of "nor anything else in all creation". I'm still getting there.
The part that hooked me today is that God never mentions the past. He states that "neither present nor future" will separate us but the past is not in there. One could argue that the past is lumped in there with anything in all creation...but God is specific in His words.
I guess the reason this caught my attention was because there are still parts of my past that I haven't settled. There are people that I still have to wake up and daily ask God to put forgiveness in my heart for them. There are choices that I made that still shame me. There are people I pray over only because God puts them on my heart and I know that I'm supposed to do what He tells me to do. Before I pray, I ask him to search my heart for Black Spots and cleanse me. Then I ask Him to only let me pray with a clean heart. Sometimes it takes a long time. He brings up people that have hurt me. He brings up someone that I used to call my best friend until they cut me out of their life. He brings up people whose lifestyles I don't think are Godly.
Then He always reminds me that I'm not perfect. I still make mistake after mistake. However, just as He promises in Romans, because of the decision I made when I was 10 then I will never again be separated from the love of God. He reminds me that these people need these prayers. They need to know His love. They need His conviction.
So I pray. First for cleansing and then for whoever God brings to my heart.
Because I am convinced.
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