Sickies

Hi friends.  We've had a couple sick kids here the last few days.  Tadpole's been managing quite well, but poor Turtle has a horrible cough and fever and his breathing sounds awful, so we're going to the pediatrician to see if he might have bronchitis or croup.

I am not going to finish all my October goals for sure, but I am feeling happy that I've managed to do a few of them!  It's good to have a list to look at, to keep me motivated.

I joined the gym and I've been swimming a few times.  I also took advantage of my free personal training appointment, and that backfired badly.  I was so sore for four or five days that I couldn't go to the gym, couldn't work in the garden, could barely walk.  It was a good wake-up call for how out of shape I am, but it was tough to lose so many days of productivity.  Now with the kids sick, I am probably not going to the gym for at least another two days, and I'm not sure I am ready to go for a jog yet (but maybe it's time to give it a try and see if the hip pain is gone), so it will be more than a week without working out.  So much for that goal!  I need to figure out how to challenge myself at weight-lifting without repeating the last week, because I was really non-functional, and as a very involved Mamma and keeper of my home and garden, I can't be physically incapacitated for days at a time.

I have been working on crafts, though!  It's been so much fun.  I made Tadpole a fairy skirt, and I made three magic wands (an extra for one of their friends).  I will post pictures at some point.  I've also been finally doing a bit of cooking.  Yesterday I made up a recipe for an absolutely delicious and easy savory pumpkin (or winter squash) soup.  I want to try making it again soon with a few additions.  Now that the weather is cold, I'm happy to eat soup every night.  I'm not sure my family agrees, though.

I sent off my substitute teaching permit application, but it looks like they are several months behind in processing, so I doubt I will be able to try teaching until after the New Year.  Which is fine, I've got a lot going on right now.  

I'm doing great not drinking coffee.  Weight loss is not going on at all, but I am getting a bit better at being more mindful of what I'm eating.  I'm not sure that losing those 5 pounds by the end of the month is realistic at this point, but I really need to make a much more serious effort.  My pants are just uncomfortably tight, and I don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe over 5-10 extra pounds.  We are going on a really expensive weekend vacation mid-November with a few friends, which will involve beautiful scenery, staying in a fancy tree-house at a resort (so excited!!!!), eating at exceptional restaurants, and perhaps enjoying hot tubs on cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  I want my clothes to fit by then, and I want to feel better about myself, so I'm giving myself the next month to work really hard and have the vacation be my reward.

Speaking of weight loss - if anyone has read this far - how do you measure?  My home scale seems really inaccurate, and my weight fluctuates 3-5 pounds depending on the time of day and various other factors.  Just before lunch now I weigh 3 pounds less than I did yesterday afternoon, but I know I didn't lose 3 pounds in less than 24 hours.

Anyway, today, besides taking Turtle to the doctor, I need to clean up the house a bit, fold laundry, chop and freeze the last tomatoes from the garden, and make a nice dinner.  Doesn't sound too bad - hopefully I get it all done.  Which means it's time to get moving.