Better Days

I've been up this morning since 4 with a migraine and nausea. Somehow when I'm not feeling so hot, things look more bleak than they are... Because this morning I am really sick of this cold weather. The warm sunshine of summer I took for granted just a few weeks ago is gone, and I've been struggling with finding my happy place ever since.
I'm sure the fact that I haven't ran much lately has NOTHING to do with my outlook.
Actually, it probably has EVERYTHING to do with it.

Oreos are my friend

It's amazing.  Exercise, eating right, and weight loss are interlinked.   So I started wondering:  how about exercising a LITTLE bit, ALMOST eating right (except for the box of girl scout Samoas that I downed in one sitting)... that should count for something, RIGHT??  Apparently my pants don't think so... nor do my thighs... and my butt???  Don't even ask him.  I tell my friend Becky that it is her fault.  Her weight loss lately has been incredible.  I think she is secretly leaving those extra pounds in my classroom, and they end up following me home.

I have a disadvantage to begin with, I realize.  The past 5 years I began struggling with monthly  emotional chaos and depression (yes THAT kind of monthly), and ended up on medication to regulate it.  Two years ago, when I  started running, my body for some reason began thinking that running was now the medication to regulate this imbalance.  Because of this, NOT running is a double whammy for me.   A TRIPLE whammy, actually.  1) It makes my daily caloric intake remain higher than my output (thus resulting in unhappy pants).  2) When I don't run... my craving for all things sugary increases as well, and I don't mean a little bit.   That craving has been screaming lately for a package of double stuffed OREOS.  5 of them would do... with a nice glass of cold milk (because milk is HEALTHY, right?  And as long as you have "stuff" with something healthy it's all good).  And last, but definitely the most important: 3) Not running leaves me a blubbering emotional mess.  I am not a nice person as a basket-case. My 6th & 7th period classes can attest to this.

So... Hayden has been out of town on work for a few days, which leaves morning runs not possible.   I had to go shopping yesterday for a few essentials, and lo-and-behold... there were the Oreos calling my name.  Thank heavens the almost $4 price tag convinced me otherwise, but I did find these cookies that were TOTALLY calling my name.  $1.  Look... they even say that they love me on them.  I loved them too.  A calorie counting person could tell me how many miles I would have to run in order to burn off all of those calories... which is why I don't have any calorie counting friends.  So luckily for Hayden, he has missed out on the non-running, cookie eating, crazy woman the past 3 days.  He might be planning a job out of town again soon if I don't get in my running shoes again ASAP.

craftiness & a little football

I've been feeling crappy crafty lately.  And when I feel that way, projects tend to get started... and if I'm lucky, even finished. 

I have a HUGE addiction lately to following blogs.  It is a growing problem (takes me 30 minutes a day to go through all the newly posted SWEET creative ideas) and it is getting worse everyday.  Since I have discovered that cool little outfits can be put together without the bother of a pattern... I have been tearing it up in my newly set-up craft room.  I found an adorable shirt at a store in the mall last week and thought "oh my... I could TOTALLY do that for practically nothing!!"  

So I did.

Aspen found a picture of a skirt with hearts on the pockets and demanded that it be hers... so 1 hour later, it was.  To make a top that matched her skirt, I took some tulle strips, gathered it, and pinned it onto a shirt of hers that had stains on it.

Voila'!

The new heart outfit is definitely a huge hit.  So much so, that on the days when she wears it, we don't have to fight her to get dressed in the morning.

 

 After making such great progress with the heart outfit, I pulled a t-shirt out of the "trash" pile, and decided to do a little revamp.  Aspen had spilled fingernail polish down the front of it, and I didn't see any way to save it (even though she had only worn it ONCE!!).  Another NO PATTERN fix and she now has a new outfit in her closet.  This one, however, has not been deemed acceptable by the PRINCESS ASPEN, and so wearing this in the morning still requires a fight.  

Me being the victor... of course.  I have so many more sweet ideas underway, and several projects started.  Hey... when you feel crappy, having projects to look forward to is a MUST!

 

Super bowl Sunday was actually Frank's (my father in law's) birthday, so it was a no-brainer that there was a party to be had.  We went to Kari's new house (Hayden's sister) in Goshen for the event.  Aspen thought all the presents were for her, and had a horrible time resisting the temptation to open them.

Aspen has a Doug aversion.  Doug is Kari's husband and he has a large beard and moustache.  Apparently bearded people in cowboy boots are scary to 2 year olds.  Over the course of the past 2 years, she has managed to let him get remotely close to her... once.  So imagine our surprise when I look over, while watching the game, and she is LYING on Doug's lap.  

No trembling... no back peddling away from him.  

Just chillin'. 

Shocker.  

Our daredevil child now has conquered what had appeared to be her only fear.

Well, other than getting dressed in the morning, that is...

I think that one is a battle that doesn't end with the terrible 2's.