The thousand mile hike

On Saturday we went for a hike.

We chose Ledbetter Point State Park and the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, near Long Beach.  It was a beautiful day.  We were prepared for the forecast-ed rain, and it ended up being sunny and warm and gorgeous.  The hike we chose was three miles (or 2.9, according to some sources).  It started out in the dunes.  We saw TONS of birds.

 

This heron greeted us, as we first stepped out of the forest, and onto the dunes.  We walked along the dunes for about a mile.  We saw heron, sand pipers, geese, American wigeon, canvasbacks, scaup, buffleheads grebes, and this guy.

 

He just watched us walk by.  Maybe he was wondering if we'd make a good snack?  At the point of the trail when we could have left the dunes, I decided we needed to add another loop to the hike.  The extra loop added 1.1 miles.  I thought a four mile hike would be good for us.  Kidlette would sleep well!  Ashley would be a happy dog.  G. would get his exercise.  I was doing a good thing!

 
So we walked another 1/2 mile up the dunes, then turned into the forest, for the last 2.5 miles of the hike, that would loop around and bring us back to our car.
 
I love how you just never know what you will run into on a hike.  I wonder how long this guy had been sitting there?

So there we were.  G., Aunt L., Kidlette, Ashley and Moi.  We had less than .5 miles to go.  We were very proud of ourselves.  We were hungry and planning on where to go for lunch.  And then we ran into this.

 

That is a flooded trail.  As far as we could see in all directions.  How did we miss this?  (From the website... "Be prepared to hike in water if you plan to enjoy Leadbetter during the annual winter flood season.", and on the big sign in the parking lot, and and and...)

We were not prepared to hike in water.  So we turned around.  And walked back around the loop.  Another  three miles. All in all the hike ended up between 6 and 7 miles.  Or as Kidlette proclaimed, one thousand miles.

And we all slept really well.

Weight Update

I'm still struggling with how to get past my current plateau.  I weighed in this morning at 250.  That is down from last weeks high of 254...  but I'm still above my current low of 241. 

I was doing really well last week - sugar is down, wine consumption has halted, portion control is good... I think this week I've been over indulging in cream in my coffee.  I have to scale back to 2%. 

It seems like every time I tackle one area, another one pops up.  And I know that this is all MY behavior... and supposedly I have control!  URGH!

I had coffee with my mom on Monday.  First time I've talked to her in over a year.  I'm not angry any more.  I've mostly forgiven her.  But I don't trust her.  It is what it is...  but the good news is that I didn't go eat a bunch of junk food or drink a bottle of wine after seeing her.  Yay for me!

It's Wednesday and the weathers fine.  How's your week going?

Weekend Update 2

What a nice weekend.  We got all of our chores out of the way on Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon we went to a family dance party at the local library.  They were kicking off the annual family read aloud campaign and had an hour long event.  G. is still sick, so Kidlette and I made our way down there and had a blast!  She was REALLY shy for the first couple of minutes.  Then she noticed the bubble machine...  and by the end of the hour she was jumping around, chatting with all the librarians, and having the time of her life.  We both got a good workout and had a lot of fun.  Events like these are great reminders that we should all support our local libraries!

Sunday we (Kidlette, Ashley and moi) headed out for a nice long walk.  We walked four miles and had a great time!  Kidlette was wonderful, and Ashley was in doggy heaven.  After, we hit Red Robin for a tasty burger and then went home and had a nap.  Last night I made chicken cordon blue, steamed artichokes, asparagus, salad and garlic bread for dinner.  Yum!  I was feeling like some decadent dessert, so made this awesome chocolate cobbler from the Tasty Kitchen.  Wow...  I also made Applesauce Bread for Kidlette's class snack today.  Hope the kids enjoy it!  A day spent outdoors with my family, and indoors baking... the best of both worlds!

Timeline

Dinner:  "Mom, my tummy hurts"
7:30p: Bedtime
9:00p: Wake up, cry, back to bed
11:30p: Wake up, cry, G. -can you take her back to bed?
2:30a: Wake up, cry, I give up, come get in bed with us.
2:35a: I need my blankey.  Ok, go get it.
2:35:15a:  Puke all over the stair landing, wall, entry way and banister.
2:36a: Bath
2:45a: Tucked back in bed.
2:46 - 4:00a: Clean floor.  Clean landing.  Clean walls.  Clean banister.  Pull up carpet runner on stairs (wood floors).  Clean stairs.  Start laundry.  Steam clean everything.  Kidlette asleep.
4:00a: Give up.  Put on sweats and go do treadmill for an hour.
5:00a: Call in sick.  Get in the shower.  Feed the animals.
6:00a: G. off to work.  Sit on couch.
6:30a: Wake up with Kidlette standing in front of you.
6:30a - 4:00p:  Doze and cuddle on couch with Kidlette, who is clearly not 100%.
7:30:  Bedtime.

G. has been sick all week.  Kidlette was down for about 2 days.  She's doing much better today, and is back at school.  I am soooo glad this week is almost over.  I hate it when my family is sick.  Get better guys!

Weekend Update

I've been trying, this month, to not spend a lot of money.  Just our normal spending, was the idea... just to see where the money was going.

Then I got big, one time phone bills.

Then I got big, one time vet bills.

Then I got big, one time health care bills.

So what did I do this weekend?  Well, the good news is that I didn't make a cake, a batch of cookies, and an apple pie.  I did however spend more money.  But this is money we had been planning on, kind of.

I posted a while back about going hiking with my friend Aunt L.  I had so much fun that I've been dragging G. and Kidlette out every weekend since.

And the shock?  Kidlette LOVES it!  She's a natural!  But she had no shoes that would work.  As matter of fact, we were all hiking in our tennis shoes, and it was not a good thing.

So Saturday we went out and got myself and Kidlette a new pair of hiking boots.  G. has a pair, he just needs to bring them home from work. 

Can I just say... size 1 hiking boots are the cutest things ever!

In addition we got Kidlette and myself new day packs. G. has a good one.

And Sunday we went and broke them in.  FUN.

Boots:  (And two new pairs of much needed shoes for Kidlette): $176.83

Day packs and first aid kit and emergency whistle for Kidlette: $133.73

G., Moi, Kidlette and Ashley spending the day together in the forest?  Priceless!

Money Diet - Part 2

 I promised an update on the money diet, and how we are tracking this month's bills, so here it is.

In column one is our income.  You'll notice that Moi Income for the 25th is blank, as it only the 11th!

In column two I've broken out our Bills, Other (Various) and Groceries.  However, Groceries and Various are included in the total for Bills, so we can see total outgoing.

We switched G.'s phone from a Verizon plan to an AT&T iPhone last month, so we had to pay his last Verizon bill, as well as a hefty AT&T bill that included activation and pro-ration fees for adding his account to mine and changing mine from a single plan to a family plan.  They get you every time.  That will be about $170.00 that we won't pay next month!

We also had our annual vet visit for all three critters.  That was another $170.00 we normally wouldn't be paying.

In addition those two "special" cases, I also got all the bills for health, that we have to pay to meet deductible.  Now, for the rest of the year, we just have to pay co-pays.  So that's another $200.00.

Whew!  Over $500.00 of "not normal" costs!  No wonder I think money is flowing out of our accounts!

Our electric bill is way up... with the cold weather and snow from last month, that is not a big surprise.  We have a huge, drafty old house, which we primarily heat with wood, but we do keep the the pellet stove going in the evening and the electric heat tends to kick on if it gets too cold!  With warm(er) weather creeping up on us, hopefully we will see a nice drop in this bill as well.

You'll also notice a big restaurant bill... we had a date night at a fancy restaurant that we don't normally go to, and in addition to the dinner, we went to a movie and paid a babysitter.  A $200.00 dollar night, but we only do that two or three times a year...

We've been carpooling all month, so our gas spending is down.  And we haven't been to Costco (oh Costco, how I love you, but how you entice me to spend to save!)so the Groceries aren't too bad for almost half way through the month.

Income			Bills
G. Income	3216.49		Garbage	53.08
Moi Income - Phone	80		March Daycare/School	650
Moi Income - 10th	1843.34		Joint Credit Card	200
Moi Income- 25th			Gym	57.5
Total Income	5139.83		Car Insurance	200
			Swimming	45
Running Balance:	376.29		Mortgage	1429.6
			Elec/Water	316.94
			ATT	270.08
			Qwest	175.97
			Parking	25
			Groceries	278.73
			Various	938.57
			Home Equity Loan Interest	123.07
			Total	4763.54
			Various
			3/1/2011	40	(Cosmetic)
			3/1/2011	31.3	(Restaurant)
			3/3/2011	22.61	(Restaurant)
			3/3/2011	57.08	(Hobby)
			3/3/2011	35.52	(Gas)
			3/7/2011	146.45	(Health)
			3/7/2011	23.22	(Health)
			3/7/2011	70.66	(Phone)
			3/7/2011	36.71	(Gas)
			3/7/2011	25	(Cosmetic)
			3/5/2011	172.05	(Animals)
			3/4/2011	100	(Cash)
			3/4/2011	127.78	(Restaurant)
			3/4/2011	33	(Movie)
			3/10/2011	17.19	(Health)
			Total	938.57
			Groceries
			3/5/2011	219.48
			3/9/2011	59.25
			Total	278.73

Confessions of a PMSing Blogger

Full Disclosure:  It is Thursday, so it is all my fault.

I have PMS today.

I am grumpy.  I am emotional.  My back hurts.  I'm tired.  I'm cold.

It's 6:30am and I've already had a fight with G.

It's 6:30am and I've already had one tearful episode.

I have a huge zit on my chin that hurts.

I really, really, really want to go back to bed and ignore the day.

Instead I will go to work, try not to yell at anyone there, try not to cry if anyone looks at me funny, try not to inhale chocolate and carbs, and try to have a productive day.  I will go to the gym.  I will make dinner for my family.  I will read Kidlette a book (or three) and then I will go to bed (in approximately 15 hours) and tomorrow I will not have PMS.

Tomorrow will be better.

Damn PMS.  And I can't even blame it on anyone else.

Sugar, Sugar, everywhere...

The campaign to eradicate sugar from my life is ongoing.  I've pretty much emptied the house of any items considered "candy" and am attempting to wean myself for sugar-free items, like sugar free jello.  I've been having really horrid gas pains (sorry to be gross) and I think, from other reading I'm doing, that it is due to the sugar alcohols I'm eating in sugar-free foods.

I'm trying to eat about 1200 calories a day.  My typical day looks like this:

Breakfast   -24 oz water
                  -large coffee with splash 2% milk
                  -1/2 peach with 6oz fat free/sugar free vanilla yogurt and 1/4 cup
                    Kashi Go Lean Crunch
Lunch         -24 oz water
                  -1 piece Trader Joe's flat bread, 1/4 cup carrots and 2 tablespoons hummus
                  -2 cups salad with homemade vinaigrette
                  -1 sugar free jello
Snack         -large coffee with splash 2% milk
                  -1 sugar free pudding
Dinner        -16oz water
                  -large salad (3 cups) with homemade vinaigrette
                  -main dish (meatless spaghetti, turkey chili, eggs, chicken, etc)
                  -1 piece bread, corn bread, muffin (usually homemade)

If I could stop there, I think things would be fine.  However I don't.  After I put Kidlette to bed I start to graze.  A handful of chips.  A cookie.  A piece of toast.  A glass of milk.  This is where it seems to be falling apart for me.

One of the things I did last year when I was trying not to eat was work out at night (in a addition to my noon gym trip.)  30 minutes on the treadmill after Kidlette goes down, instead of sitting on the couch, eating chips, playing video games or watching TV.  I think I will re-instate this practice.  I need to kick start the weight loss some way!

School Daze

G. and I are engaged in a debate about what we are going to next year for school for kidlette.

Kidlette is 5, and will not be 6 until December 1.  This poses a problem for public schools, since they don't have to take her for first grade until she is 6.  Additionally, we work in a different town than where we live, and we would like her to be near us during the day.

She is currently in a private school, where she spent 1 and 1/2 years in the preschool and was moved into the kindergarten early because she was ready.  In her kindergarten class she is, according to her teacher, the leader in the class for most academic subjects.  So, while we could keep her in kindergarten for another year, I'm worried that she would be bored and that would not be good.

So here's where we are at:

1.  Kidlette is ready for first grade next year.
2. Due to age and location, public school is probably not a great option.
3. Her current school does not provide an option after kindergarten.

The town that we work in is not huge.  It's not tiny, but it's not huge.  Most people here are working class or middle class.  That being said, there are not a huge number of options for private school.  And the options that do exist are faith based. 

Now, I went to private schools - academic schools, not faith based schools.  Actually the school I graduated from is about 45 minutes away from our work.  When kidlette is a little older, that will be our first option.  But at her age we want to keep her closer to us.

So right now that leaves us with a faith based school option.  This doesn't bother me too much.  I have a faith affiliation, though I don't attend church regularly.  However G. is very firmly atheist.  And he is freaking out.

We went and visited a very nice school yesterday.  I really liked it.  I'm not thrilled about the school teaching Intelligent Design, but they do teach Evolution as well.  Then again, I also believe that my child doesn't just learn things at school, that when she comes home we talk about and read about those subjects as well, so that no matter where she goes, she is not learning in a vacuum.

G. pointed out that religious families probably feel the same way about public school, that he is feeling about this private school, which I thought was a good insight.

We have about a month to decide, but we don't really feel like we have a lot of options here.  This school has sports and music, two programs that are disappearing from public schools due to budget cuts. In addition they actually have a schedule that has the kids in school every day, all day long.  Our local school districts have schedules that include two early release days a month, plus they have teacher training days once a month.  It seems like kids are never in school.  When I was a big sister in Austin, the girl that I mentored was in a year round school.  That I liked!  Why can't we do that? 

So, we are leaning towards a school that will give our daughter a very good grounding in education, but will also teach her some things that we disagree with, so we will be very involved parents and make sure we discuss those ideas with her.  We will also allow her to learn things that she won't learn at our house, and to try on different persona's and belief systems, to help her figure out who she is.


What do you think about public education?  What do you think about private education?  What do you think about faith based education?

Mini Me

I'd like to be mini me.  Or 18 year old me.  Whatever.

Not that I want to be 18 again.  I just like to have the waist I had at 18.  I've worked too hard to become the sort-of adult with some kind of moral structure and dash of responsibility.  I really don't want to have a "do-over" when it comes to personal growth.

Different times in my life have pushed me farther into adulthood.  Graduating from college/moving into my fist apartment/3000 miles away from my parents/getting a job that barely supported me.  Ahh, step 1.  Then moving back home, helping my only-child mother manage my grandparents as they went from condo to assisted living to nursing homes to death.  Sucky step 2.  And I still miss my Grandma.  Meeting G., getting engaged, planning a wedding, buying our first house, getting ahead in my chosen career.  Fun and freeing step 3.  Having a baby, becoming a mother, nurturing a marriage, managing a career.  How adult of me step 4.  Becoming estranged from my family, due to mental illness (not mine) and the desire to protect Kidlette from the craziness of my childhood, depression, weight gain.  Oh the fun of step 5.  Therapy, getting to know myself again, making exercise a daily priority, managing my weight and mental health.  Crap I really am and adult, step 6. 

This year I will be 40.  What will the next steps be?  Where will I be in 5 years?  

It is exciting, it is scary, it is fun, it is challenging.  Every morning when I wake up, I get to decide what in my life I am going to continue with, and what I can, will, want to change.

However, I don't think I'll wake up with the waist of an 18 year old.

Money Diet

G. and I have decided we need to go on a money diet for the month of March.

We currently have very little debt - we owe on our house, and we have one credit card with a balance, and then regular bills, like electric, water, phone, etc.  We own all three of our cars, and don't spend tons of money on much else.  Plus, we make pretty decent money.  But we run through every cent we make every month.  And I feel like, since the beginning of the holidays in November, we've run through money like it's water.

So.

We are going to try something new.

For the last 10 years I've been in charge of paying all the bills.  Not for any particular reason, but just because.  G. and I are trying to redistribute chores a little bit, as well as work on communication, so we thought we'd start to work on bills, budgets and all that together.

Starting March 1, we are going to track all $$ and cents that come in and go out, while watching what we spend things on, so we can get a baseline.  At the end of the month we will be able to see what we've been doing, and then hopefully we can start to plan what we want to be doing in the future.

At several points during the month I'll share the spreadsheet with you, so you can see how we are breaking it all down.  My hope is that we will then switch to using something like Mint, that will automatically update us on our phones (we both live on our iPhones) once we have it all set up and configured.  I've been playing with Mint for a couple of months, but I've never gotten it totally set up.

So what do you think?  How do you plan your budget?  What tools do you use?