First, let me give a big Happy Bday shout out to my mother in law, Esther. It's a "big bday" for her today. She's a great woman and a great mother in law (I know some people are stuck with bad ones) and we admire her, love her and appreciate her very much!!! Ok, mom, after that wonderful tribute, now don't be mad that your card/gift is sitting under my planner pad and never got mailed so you'll get it a tad late.... :)
Second, thank you to those faithful readers who check every day for new posts. I know you're out there! I apologize for my lack of posts this week. Time just got away from me. I also apologize that I still haven't posted the photos, videos and Kids Konnection articles -- I'll get to them, I promise, I just don't know when.
Second, let's get the weight loss update out of the way. Nothing extraordinary this week - just 1.2 pounds, but it's better than nothing. It's frustrating when it's slow little after I worked so hard all week on my exercise and haven't had a single bite of food in 11 weeks, but then I remind myself that I'm still averaging about 5 pounds a week, which they say is incredible and that losing faster than that would be bad for my health anyway. So I won't get discouraged and will keep plugging along.
And both of those two things leads me to the real message of today's blog -- I just have to look at the glass as being half full, not half empty, or I'm going to go crazy. With respect to life in general, I am so overwhelmingly busy. I am trying to juggle way too many balls, wearing way too many hats. I'm trying to work significant hours (and have some exciting work projects "in progress" that I hope to share with everyone soon, all related to my work with Patti and our litigation prevention package of services), keep up with our daily household (which in and of itself is a full time job), exercise daily, work on my writing (and have I many ideas for books, articles and other freelance writing work that I just need time to pursue), household projects, and Bar Mitzvah planning. There are so many things on my list of things "to do" that I often feel overwhelmed and discouraged at the end of the day when I realize all of the things that I didn't get to. But then I think about all of the things that I DID get to, all of the things I got done, all of the progress I did make, and that feels good. So, to preserve my sanity, I just have to think of that glass as being half full, not half empty. I'm sure it would be a good motto for everyone and if any of you have any "tips and tricks" about ways to do that, please share a comment!
It applies to the weight loss too. I was a little discouraged that I only lost 1.2 pounds this week. All my hard word, all my depravation and that's all I lost? But then I have to remember that I lost 6.2 last week and I've lost 57.8 in only 11 weeks. And I have all of these news tools and skills that I've learned that will help me keep it off. And although I wouldn't say I "enjoy" not eating, I do very much enjoy the group that I attend and have met some wonderful people there and I enjoy how good it is making me feel that I am losing this weight. So, again, the glass is half full, not half empty! It's all a matter of perspective.
Ok, enough of the philosophical stuff. A few interesting things going on to share:
-Jacob was asked by the UCI Director of Theater and Drama to be the "young Tony" in their upcoming big production of West Side Story. He "heard about him" from someone he knows. It's a big production in the big UCI Barclay theater (where his dance shows are) and runs for 8 shows over two weeks. He doesn't have a speaking part, but the director said he and the young Maria are highly focused and the main parts of the first and last scenes of the show. It'll be fun for him and a good experience and he'll enjoy doing theater with college and graduate students and it might open the door for future opportunities for him and even possible for Harrison and/or Michela. It's all in the month of November, so he'll be a busy boy!
-Michela's soccer season is over. Her team finished first in the regular season, but, unfortunately, because we didn't have enough "referee points" (parents reffing other games), they can't go on to the playoffs. We actually had NO ref points. I was "team mom," so I felt like I did my share, but we, or someone else, should have stepped up to the plate and now the girls are disappointed. We all learned a lesson. We have a fun end of season party coming up Nov. 15th at our house.
--Harrison's soccer team remains undefeated even in playoffs. They're still going strong. I think the coach almost hopes they lose one just to humble them because they're getting pretty cocky. They've won something like 16 games straight. The games are fun to watch.
--Basketball will start for both of them soon.
--Dance is going well for Jacob
--School is going well for all three of them. Report cards come out next week. They all have big projects they're working on.
--Work is good for Marlon, just busy as usual.
--Midnight is a happy boy. The person who stayed with him when we were on our trip invited him to a Halloween party at her work yesterday. Everyone was bringing their dogs so she asked if he could come. When I told Marlon that she called to ask if he was free, he said "of course he's free. He's a dog. He doesn't usually have plans!" Midnight found that whole "he's a dog part" offensive - he doesn't view himself that way. He went to the party and had fun!
--Last be not least, don't forget to vote and give some serious thought to voting for Obama if you aren't already! tuesday should be a very exciting day. We're going to hit the polls early with the kids so they can feel like they're participating (they sure wish they could vote) and then we'll probably let them stay up late to watch the exciting election returns. They're very into it.
That's all for now. I'll try to get all the photos, videos, kids konnections and all that posted soon.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
6.2, woo hoo!
I was very pleased with last night's results at the scale-- 6.2 more pounds down, for a grand total of 56. In 11 weeks. So I'm still averaging about 5 pounds a week, which is awesome. My "core" class (the first 12 weeks) ends Nov. 13th (remember I did two weeks in a different class, so my class is actually on week 9) and I will be transitioning to an "ongoing weight loss" class, which will be basically the same. I'm hoping to still have my health educator and hoping that some of the same people in my class with be in the same class.
Thank you to everyone who has read Marlon's post, and especially those who have commented and emailed. Of course people have differences of opinions and thoughtful discussion and dialog is great.
Have a good day!
Thank you to everyone who has read Marlon's post, and especially those who have commented and emailed. Of course people have differences of opinions and thoughtful discussion and dialog is great.
Have a good day!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Guest Post With Political Commentary -- Why We Support Barack Obama
Everyone, please welcome my guest blogger, Marlon, with an excellent summary of why we support Barack Obama - and why you should too. Comments welcome, let's get a dialogue going here!
* * *
Election Day is less than two weeks away, but the Obama campaign only has a few days left to determine where to deploy crucial resources. Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania said today that he thinks that state might be closer than the polls show. I just made a donation, to be sure Obama can get his message out.I've been meaning to write and send my own thoughts about why I support Obama, but have not gotten around to that. I offer some brief reasoning below. I encourage you to donate, if you can, or to talk to your friends. Let me outline why I support the Obama-Biden ticket.
Senator Obama has a viable health care plan that will preserve employer-paid health insurance while moving to cover more Americans. Health care is a crisis of fairness and of economic competitiveness, and Obama's approach is a more effective way to make progress. McCain's health care plan will likely reduce the number of Americans covered and will tax employer-paid health benefits for the first time ever. Obama's tax plan will likely need to take cognizance of the coming recession, and I would not be surprised if tax increases (only proposed on income above $250,000) would be delayed. But I agree with the principles of that plan -- to move toward balancing the budget through modest increases in progressive taxation, a tenet of the tax code for a century. This would reverse the Bush tax cuts, which provided large tax breaks to the very wealthy, and would restore top rates to the levels of the 1990s. Obama's response to the current economic crisis is thoughtful, while McCain has admitted that economics is not something that interests him.
The environmental, infrastructure, and security challenge of the next several decades will revolve around reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Normally I am skeptical of large government-led efforts at innovation, preferring market-led growth. Yet Obama's energy plan is correct in its two core philosophies. First, Obama wil put all options on the table, nuclear power included. Tomorrow morning I fly to Washington D.C. for a meeting of a National Academies study committee on Land Use, Vehicle Miles of Travel, and Energy, on which I sit. After more than a year, we are crafting our conclusions and recommendations. One thing is clear: Progress on problems of climate change will require that all options be on the table, but also that some options will deliver more "bang for the buck" than others. The most effective options do not include increased drilling, even if that must be part of an overall strategy. Second, government must play a role in promoting transformative technology, through subsidies that make alternative energy sources economically competitive and through policies that directly address the issue of climate change. These two tenets are central to Obama's approach.
More generally, Obama appears to be dedicated to governing seriously, and if we've learned anything these past eight years it is the perils of anything less than a serious, steady approach to governance. Beyond that, I believe the nation seems ready to leave behind the divisive culture wars of the 1960s and 1970s, and engage in the important business of rebuilding our infrastructure, education system, and uniting as Americans. As someone who came of age in the era of Nixon, when politics pitted American against American, I longed for the sense of earlier eras, when Roosevelts (both), Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy united Americans of differing ideals and perspectives behind a common cause. Political eras tend to last about two generations, and I have hope that the country is turning the page on the politics of division and seeks to work to strengthen our entire country. I know many persons who are much more conservative than I. They love America, they are patriots all, and they care about building a better future for their children. All the things that slightly left-of-center (yea, liberals) like me desire. There is much common ground to be found in a philosphy of pragmatic problem solving. Obama will not work miracles, but he has a leadership approach that I believe is right for this moment.
The U.S. is the greatest country on earth because, at times, we have reshaped our polity in ways that are more supple than any other nation, past or present. Those reshapings have always been from the bottom up, from the strength of citizens seeking to perfect this union, to respond to challenges, or to right past wrongs. Those reshapings of our polity have also been accompanied by leadership that gives voice to that moment. Senator Obama will not be the only leader for this moment, but he is one. Senator McCain has served our country honorably throughout his lifetime, but I believe that Obama is best suited to the challenges of the future.
Watch a video message from Barack and make a contribution to support the campaign's final push:http://my.barackobama.com/page/ic/ya4x3lji7ge9wl/SgFTVAcID1oAHkZcVQBc Better yet,watch this clip of Colin Powell explaining why he will vote for Obama for President.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27265369/
Thanks for reading!
* * *
Election Day is less than two weeks away, but the Obama campaign only has a few days left to determine where to deploy crucial resources. Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania said today that he thinks that state might be closer than the polls show. I just made a donation, to be sure Obama can get his message out.I've been meaning to write and send my own thoughts about why I support Obama, but have not gotten around to that. I offer some brief reasoning below. I encourage you to donate, if you can, or to talk to your friends. Let me outline why I support the Obama-Biden ticket.
Senator Obama has a viable health care plan that will preserve employer-paid health insurance while moving to cover more Americans. Health care is a crisis of fairness and of economic competitiveness, and Obama's approach is a more effective way to make progress. McCain's health care plan will likely reduce the number of Americans covered and will tax employer-paid health benefits for the first time ever. Obama's tax plan will likely need to take cognizance of the coming recession, and I would not be surprised if tax increases (only proposed on income above $250,000) would be delayed. But I agree with the principles of that plan -- to move toward balancing the budget through modest increases in progressive taxation, a tenet of the tax code for a century. This would reverse the Bush tax cuts, which provided large tax breaks to the very wealthy, and would restore top rates to the levels of the 1990s. Obama's response to the current economic crisis is thoughtful, while McCain has admitted that economics is not something that interests him.
The environmental, infrastructure, and security challenge of the next several decades will revolve around reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Normally I am skeptical of large government-led efforts at innovation, preferring market-led growth. Yet Obama's energy plan is correct in its two core philosophies. First, Obama wil put all options on the table, nuclear power included. Tomorrow morning I fly to Washington D.C. for a meeting of a National Academies study committee on Land Use, Vehicle Miles of Travel, and Energy, on which I sit. After more than a year, we are crafting our conclusions and recommendations. One thing is clear: Progress on problems of climate change will require that all options be on the table, but also that some options will deliver more "bang for the buck" than others. The most effective options do not include increased drilling, even if that must be part of an overall strategy. Second, government must play a role in promoting transformative technology, through subsidies that make alternative energy sources economically competitive and through policies that directly address the issue of climate change. These two tenets are central to Obama's approach.
More generally, Obama appears to be dedicated to governing seriously, and if we've learned anything these past eight years it is the perils of anything less than a serious, steady approach to governance. Beyond that, I believe the nation seems ready to leave behind the divisive culture wars of the 1960s and 1970s, and engage in the important business of rebuilding our infrastructure, education system, and uniting as Americans. As someone who came of age in the era of Nixon, when politics pitted American against American, I longed for the sense of earlier eras, when Roosevelts (both), Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy united Americans of differing ideals and perspectives behind a common cause. Political eras tend to last about two generations, and I have hope that the country is turning the page on the politics of division and seeks to work to strengthen our entire country. I know many persons who are much more conservative than I. They love America, they are patriots all, and they care about building a better future for their children. All the things that slightly left-of-center (yea, liberals) like me desire. There is much common ground to be found in a philosphy of pragmatic problem solving. Obama will not work miracles, but he has a leadership approach that I believe is right for this moment.
The U.S. is the greatest country on earth because, at times, we have reshaped our polity in ways that are more supple than any other nation, past or present. Those reshapings have always been from the bottom up, from the strength of citizens seeking to perfect this union, to respond to challenges, or to right past wrongs. Those reshapings of our polity have also been accompanied by leadership that gives voice to that moment. Senator Obama will not be the only leader for this moment, but he is one. Senator McCain has served our country honorably throughout his lifetime, but I believe that Obama is best suited to the challenges of the future.
Watch a video message from Barack and make a contribution to support the campaign's final push:http://my.barackobama.com/page/ic/ya4x3lji7ge9wl/SgFTVAcID1oAHkZcVQBc Better yet,watch this clip of Colin Powell explaining why he will vote for Obama for President.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27265369/
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Busier than Usual Weekend
I just realized that I forgot to post yesterday! I was so busy working and being productive that it completely slipped my mind.
We had a great weekend, but it was busier than even our usual busy weekend. Friday night was the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, so we went to synagogue for services outside in the Sukkah followed by a pizza dinner and the kids hanging out in the youth lounge. Movies at home afterwards rounded out the evening.
Saturday Michela and Harrison's soccer games were at the exact same time, so I went with Michela and Marlon went with Harrison. They both won, Michela's team 5 to 1, Harrison's team 5 to 0. It's a huge bummer, though, because although Michela's team is ranked first among the other teams, they are probably not going to be eligible for the playoffs because they have no "referree points," meaning no parent from the team referreed other games. There was a pizza party for Harrison's team afterwards because it is the end of the regular season, but now they go into playoffs. (they have plenty of ref points.)
Jacob was at dance from 11 to 6, as usual, but enjoyed his day there. he has breaks and all his dance friends are there so they hang out, buy and eat lunch, get Yogurtland, etc. It's a very social place.
Harrison went to an overnight retreat at the temple sat night for the 7th graders. They had a great time doing ice breakers and activities, watching movies, eating, etc. and then got up at 6 a.m the next morning to perform their first of 5 "social action" mitzvah project days, which was helping hand out water at the Lung Asso Walk. I made dinner for Marlon, Jacob and Michela and then we played board games, they practiced their instruments, did some reading and went to bed.
Sunday was an extremely day and I basically shuttled kids back and forth. Jacob and Michela had auditions for the Hip Hop Production Group from 9 to 11. Then they told the kids which ones made it and which ones didn't. There were about 70 trying out and they were taking 36. Jacob made it. Michela didn't. She was fine with that, didn't really expect to make it. Jacob would have been upset, but fortunately he made it. Some of the kids were pretty upset, though and there were lots of tears from those who didn't make it and cheers from those who did.
Jacob was then there for the rest of the day til 6:30 for an all day rehearsal for the group. They had a lunch break where pizza was brought in about 3 p.m and Marlon took over grapes I had bought for the whole group and said "hi" to Jacob.
I took Michela to her basketball evaluations (basketball starts in mid Nov) and then dropped her off at a bday party of one of her friends from school. Then I went home to get Harrison, who Marlon had picked up, and took him to basketball evaluations. He skipped his baseball game b/c he was too tired. We picked up Michela, stopped at the dog park because Midnight deserves some fun, and then went home. After Jacob got home, we had dinner, the kids watched some tv to relax and then went to sleep.
Not much else new . I have been working as much as I can on the work I do with Patti and also have some great ideas for ways to further my career as a writer, I just don't have time to do it all. Bar Mitzvah planning is going slowly, but it's going. I have a pile of paperwork in the office waiting to be filed and several rooms to straighten, but I'm keeping up with the daily exercise and doing the best I can to get everything done in each day! :)
I know I promised to put the Kids Konnection articles up. I'll do that tonight, hopefully. And I have pictures and video still do download. One of these days.....
We had a great weekend, but it was busier than even our usual busy weekend. Friday night was the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, so we went to synagogue for services outside in the Sukkah followed by a pizza dinner and the kids hanging out in the youth lounge. Movies at home afterwards rounded out the evening.
Saturday Michela and Harrison's soccer games were at the exact same time, so I went with Michela and Marlon went with Harrison. They both won, Michela's team 5 to 1, Harrison's team 5 to 0. It's a huge bummer, though, because although Michela's team is ranked first among the other teams, they are probably not going to be eligible for the playoffs because they have no "referree points," meaning no parent from the team referreed other games. There was a pizza party for Harrison's team afterwards because it is the end of the regular season, but now they go into playoffs. (they have plenty of ref points.)
Jacob was at dance from 11 to 6, as usual, but enjoyed his day there. he has breaks and all his dance friends are there so they hang out, buy and eat lunch, get Yogurtland, etc. It's a very social place.
Harrison went to an overnight retreat at the temple sat night for the 7th graders. They had a great time doing ice breakers and activities, watching movies, eating, etc. and then got up at 6 a.m the next morning to perform their first of 5 "social action" mitzvah project days, which was helping hand out water at the Lung Asso Walk. I made dinner for Marlon, Jacob and Michela and then we played board games, they practiced their instruments, did some reading and went to bed.
Sunday was an extremely day and I basically shuttled kids back and forth. Jacob and Michela had auditions for the Hip Hop Production Group from 9 to 11. Then they told the kids which ones made it and which ones didn't. There were about 70 trying out and they were taking 36. Jacob made it. Michela didn't. She was fine with that, didn't really expect to make it. Jacob would have been upset, but fortunately he made it. Some of the kids were pretty upset, though and there were lots of tears from those who didn't make it and cheers from those who did.
Jacob was then there for the rest of the day til 6:30 for an all day rehearsal for the group. They had a lunch break where pizza was brought in about 3 p.m and Marlon took over grapes I had bought for the whole group and said "hi" to Jacob.
I took Michela to her basketball evaluations (basketball starts in mid Nov) and then dropped her off at a bday party of one of her friends from school. Then I went home to get Harrison, who Marlon had picked up, and took him to basketball evaluations. He skipped his baseball game b/c he was too tired. We picked up Michela, stopped at the dog park because Midnight deserves some fun, and then went home. After Jacob got home, we had dinner, the kids watched some tv to relax and then went to sleep.
Not much else new . I have been working as much as I can on the work I do with Patti and also have some great ideas for ways to further my career as a writer, I just don't have time to do it all. Bar Mitzvah planning is going slowly, but it's going. I have a pile of paperwork in the office waiting to be filed and several rooms to straighten, but I'm keeping up with the daily exercise and doing the best I can to get everything done in each day! :)
I know I promised to put the Kids Konnection articles up. I'll do that tonight, hopefully. And I have pictures and video still do download. One of these days.....
Friday, October 17, 2008
Money lost, life lessons found!
I decided to turn the negative situation around to a positive and glean some "life lessons" out of it and turn it into my Kids Konnection column article for the next issue (which will be early Dec. - the November issue is about giving thanks.) I was going to post the article, which I just wrote, here, but that's probably not ok with Orange County Jewish Life to post it before it's published by them, so I'll post it the second it comes out and you can read about the life lessons we've learned from this experience.
In the meantime, here's the basic situation: I had $1200 in an envelope to go to the bank. It was in my tote bag with other "errand" stuff. Somehow it fell out of the bag and out of the car at one of my stops. The envelope and the two checks that were also in it got turned in, but the cash was gone.
So, we're out $1200. A lot of money to lose. Not going to "make or break" us, but not fun. You can imagine how upset Marlon was at first. I, too, was very upset with myself - I should have put the money in my purse.
Of course we need to "recoup" that loss - what message would it give the kids about the value of money if we just let it go without having any negative consequences? So we need to make some cuts that will total up to $1200. Short of taking on a part time job when I can barely handle the work I already have or selling my getting-thinner body, there weren't too many options. I decided to make some budget cuts on things that were mine or for me because, after all, the burden should rest on me since I'm the one who lost the money!
In any case, I certainly learned my lesson and will be much more careful about where I put things. Hopefully whoever found it really needed it to feed their family or something and isn't just greedy.
In the meantime, here's the basic situation: I had $1200 in an envelope to go to the bank. It was in my tote bag with other "errand" stuff. Somehow it fell out of the bag and out of the car at one of my stops. The envelope and the two checks that were also in it got turned in, but the cash was gone.
So, we're out $1200. A lot of money to lose. Not going to "make or break" us, but not fun. You can imagine how upset Marlon was at first. I, too, was very upset with myself - I should have put the money in my purse.
Of course we need to "recoup" that loss - what message would it give the kids about the value of money if we just let it go without having any negative consequences? So we need to make some cuts that will total up to $1200. Short of taking on a part time job when I can barely handle the work I already have or selling my getting-thinner body, there weren't too many options. I decided to make some budget cuts on things that were mine or for me because, after all, the burden should rest on me since I'm the one who lost the money!
In any case, I certainly learned my lesson and will be much more careful about where I put things. Hopefully whoever found it really needed it to feed their family or something and isn't just greedy.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Rotten day with a capital R
Well, today was a pretty rotten day. First, I only lost 1.8 pounds this week. I know that some weeks will be lower than others and I've been losing 5-6 pounds a week for at least a month, so I was bound to get a lower week, but it's annoying all the same. My average is still about 5 lbs/week, though, so that's good. I just work so hard at it and am so good about staying in the box that it's frustrating when the results are not as good as I expect.
Second, Jacob didn't make the 2 honor/competition groups that he was hoping to make, so I have to deal with his disappointment. Not the end of the world, I know, but in his world it was important. He is an "apprentice" to those two groups, which means he gets to go to those choreography classes every week and has been doing so for a couple of months, working hard and hoping to become an official member of those two groups. We found out tonight that he's not quite ready to compete at that level, so he should continue to go to them all year (free of charge) but he won't get to ever perform those dances with those two groups. He has lots of other groups, but he had been working hard to try to get in, so it's disappointing to him.
And I saved the best for last and this one is a doosy. I lost $1200 today. No, I don't mean in the stock market or in a missed work opportunity. I mean I really LOST it - cold, hard cash in an envelope on the way to the bank. There then gone. Let me tell you, it is NOT fun to lose $1200. About the only thing I can think of that's worse than losing a large amount of money is telling your husband that you lost a large amount of money. Not fun at all. It's a long story and I've got thoughts in my head of ways to turn it in to my next Kids Konnection article, so I'm going to write it up and then will post it so you'll see the whole story. I can tell you this - it was carelessness on my part and totally my fault. Although I'd love to blame someone or something else - and I did go through that - it was my fault and I'll deal with the consequences (there's a plan for that too - I'll elaborate later.)
Anyway, I'm going to bed now before the day gets any worse.
Second, Jacob didn't make the 2 honor/competition groups that he was hoping to make, so I have to deal with his disappointment. Not the end of the world, I know, but in his world it was important. He is an "apprentice" to those two groups, which means he gets to go to those choreography classes every week and has been doing so for a couple of months, working hard and hoping to become an official member of those two groups. We found out tonight that he's not quite ready to compete at that level, so he should continue to go to them all year (free of charge) but he won't get to ever perform those dances with those two groups. He has lots of other groups, but he had been working hard to try to get in, so it's disappointing to him.
And I saved the best for last and this one is a doosy. I lost $1200 today. No, I don't mean in the stock market or in a missed work opportunity. I mean I really LOST it - cold, hard cash in an envelope on the way to the bank. There then gone. Let me tell you, it is NOT fun to lose $1200. About the only thing I can think of that's worse than losing a large amount of money is telling your husband that you lost a large amount of money. Not fun at all. It's a long story and I've got thoughts in my head of ways to turn it in to my next Kids Konnection article, so I'm going to write it up and then will post it so you'll see the whole story. I can tell you this - it was carelessness on my part and totally my fault. Although I'd love to blame someone or something else - and I did go through that - it was my fault and I'll deal with the consequences (there's a plan for that too - I'll elaborate later.)
Anyway, I'm going to bed now before the day gets any worse.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Unwelcome Excitement Last Night, Weekend Update
First, I am very behind on posting the video and photos I have for you, plus I have a ton of new video to download from the birthday party this weekend, so I'll really try to get to that early this week. (Don't worry - I'll only put a few short video clips on the blog.)
Second, I am so, so, so far behind on posting my Kids Konnection articles from Orange County Jewish Life. I will do a post about that tomorrow (FOR SURE) with links to the various articles. I haven't posted the ones from June, July, Aug., Sept or Oct and I really love for people to read them and I know many of you enjoy reading them.
Third, we had some unwanted excitement last night - we were in a car accident. We're all fine. It was just Harrison, Michela, Midnight and I. We were driving to Harrison's soccer practice. (Marlon was picking Jacob up at dance in his own car.) We were at a complete stop, waiting to turn left into the soccer field parking lot, signal on, and this idiot ran right into us. He told the police "I just didn't see her." How could he not? Anyway, apparently the motorcyclist behind him couldn't stop in time, so he ran into him and flew off his bike. So although we weren't hurt and there isn't THAT much damage to our car, it was a pretty significant accident. I called 911 and within minutes we had three police cars, an ambulance and a fire truck there. The guy was ok, just banged up a bit. They treated him at the scene and of course we had to do all the witness statements, etc. The police officers said that the liability will be on the guy who hit me, the other two of us didn't do anything wrong. The police officer walked harrison across the street to his soccer practice and Michela and I stayed for all the cop stuff. She was a bit shaken up by it, but we're all fine. Now we just have to get the car bumper repaired....
Finally, a quick weekend recap. Friday night was Jacob and Michela's bday party and it was great. Kids are still talking about it and saying it was the best party they've ever been to. We had this guy who owns this company called The Game Squad come with huge screens that he set up for Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Wii and Dance Dance Revolution. The kids had so much fun for two hours. There were about 35 kids here. Marlon and I even got into the action and I got the highest score of the night on Rock Band vocals singing Eye of the Tiger. Woo hoo! After the video games, they watched a movie and had dessert. It was a "ten's" theme because Jacob and Michela turned 10 and the party was on 10/10/08, ending at 10 p.m. We had 10 things on the dinner buffet and 10 toppings on the frozen yogurt bar. All in all, the night was a TEN! :)
Saturday Harrison's soccer game was great - closer than usual, which made it more exciting. They still won 3-2, and are still the only undefeated team in Irvine. Michela's game was also exciting - they won 7 to 1 and Michela made one of the goals. Jacob didn't have dance this sat b/c the choreographers are all in New York previewing costumes, so he and Michela had a whole-afternoon-long playdate at a friend's house.
A friend from temple gave us her elyptical machine because she wants to turn that room into something else and it was taking up space. We got it saturday afternoon and it's in our bedroom. The whole family has been using it. I use it about 5-6 times a day, but only in 5 minute increments because that's about all I can do at one time. It's tough. But the time adds up to a lot of calories burned. And I can do it naked if I want! :)
Sat night Harrison went to hang out with friends and the rest of us were just home, playing board games.
Sun. we were at temple all morning from 8:30 to 2:30. Jacob and Michela had private instrument lessons with the band director and Harrison did homework while I did some actual work on my laptop. Then, while the kids were in religious school from 10:30 to 12:30, there was a meeting about Bar and Bat Mitzvah dates for Jacob and Michela's year (can you believe that?! We haven't even had Harrison's yet!) and a study session with the Rabbi about Israel. Then I worked some more while Harrison was at youth group and Jacob and Michela were at youth band rehearsal.
In the late afternoon, we went to Harrison's baseball game, then out to dinner at the Elephant Bar with a good friend of harrison's from the team and his parents.
The kids went back to school yesterday -- yay, I get my life back! I love having them home on break and spending time with them, but it's hard to get things done, so it's nice when they go back.
That's all for now. Check back tomorrow for the articles!
Second, I am so, so, so far behind on posting my Kids Konnection articles from Orange County Jewish Life. I will do a post about that tomorrow (FOR SURE) with links to the various articles. I haven't posted the ones from June, July, Aug., Sept or Oct and I really love for people to read them and I know many of you enjoy reading them.
Third, we had some unwanted excitement last night - we were in a car accident. We're all fine. It was just Harrison, Michela, Midnight and I. We were driving to Harrison's soccer practice. (Marlon was picking Jacob up at dance in his own car.) We were at a complete stop, waiting to turn left into the soccer field parking lot, signal on, and this idiot ran right into us. He told the police "I just didn't see her." How could he not? Anyway, apparently the motorcyclist behind him couldn't stop in time, so he ran into him and flew off his bike. So although we weren't hurt and there isn't THAT much damage to our car, it was a pretty significant accident. I called 911 and within minutes we had three police cars, an ambulance and a fire truck there. The guy was ok, just banged up a bit. They treated him at the scene and of course we had to do all the witness statements, etc. The police officers said that the liability will be on the guy who hit me, the other two of us didn't do anything wrong. The police officer walked harrison across the street to his soccer practice and Michela and I stayed for all the cop stuff. She was a bit shaken up by it, but we're all fine. Now we just have to get the car bumper repaired....
Finally, a quick weekend recap. Friday night was Jacob and Michela's bday party and it was great. Kids are still talking about it and saying it was the best party they've ever been to. We had this guy who owns this company called The Game Squad come with huge screens that he set up for Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Wii and Dance Dance Revolution. The kids had so much fun for two hours. There were about 35 kids here. Marlon and I even got into the action and I got the highest score of the night on Rock Band vocals singing Eye of the Tiger. Woo hoo! After the video games, they watched a movie and had dessert. It was a "ten's" theme because Jacob and Michela turned 10 and the party was on 10/10/08, ending at 10 p.m. We had 10 things on the dinner buffet and 10 toppings on the frozen yogurt bar. All in all, the night was a TEN! :)
Saturday Harrison's soccer game was great - closer than usual, which made it more exciting. They still won 3-2, and are still the only undefeated team in Irvine. Michela's game was also exciting - they won 7 to 1 and Michela made one of the goals. Jacob didn't have dance this sat b/c the choreographers are all in New York previewing costumes, so he and Michela had a whole-afternoon-long playdate at a friend's house.
A friend from temple gave us her elyptical machine because she wants to turn that room into something else and it was taking up space. We got it saturday afternoon and it's in our bedroom. The whole family has been using it. I use it about 5-6 times a day, but only in 5 minute increments because that's about all I can do at one time. It's tough. But the time adds up to a lot of calories burned. And I can do it naked if I want! :)
Sat night Harrison went to hang out with friends and the rest of us were just home, playing board games.
Sun. we were at temple all morning from 8:30 to 2:30. Jacob and Michela had private instrument lessons with the band director and Harrison did homework while I did some actual work on my laptop. Then, while the kids were in religious school from 10:30 to 12:30, there was a meeting about Bar and Bat Mitzvah dates for Jacob and Michela's year (can you believe that?! We haven't even had Harrison's yet!) and a study session with the Rabbi about Israel. Then I worked some more while Harrison was at youth group and Jacob and Michela were at youth band rehearsal.
In the late afternoon, we went to Harrison's baseball game, then out to dinner at the Elephant Bar with a good friend of harrison's from the team and his parents.
The kids went back to school yesterday -- yay, I get my life back! I love having them home on break and spending time with them, but it's hard to get things done, so it's nice when they go back.
That's all for now. Check back tomorrow for the articles!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Reflective Yom Kippur, weight loss, and other things
Yesterday, as most of you know, was Yom Kippur. We spent the evening before and most of the day yesterday in synagogue and really enjoyed our services. The melodies that the cantor and adult choir chant and sing are so beautiful and the prayers of repentence, hope, and reverence that the Rabbi leads us in and that we say responsively are so meaningful when you really read them and think about them. I grew up in a conservative synagogue with "old style" prayer books and the special Yom Kippur prayers where you ask God to forgive you for your sins were so archaic. I don't remember them exactly, but I know the words didn't make sense in modern times. The more prayer book that we use has *real* sins that we all commit today and in modern language that we can all understand, even the kids. I was very proud of our children - our services are long (about 2 1/2 hrs each) and, at their age, they are expected to sit quietly in shul with their parents, not attend special children's program like they did through 3rd grade or play on the playground like their many orthodox friends do at their services (I figured out awhile ago that that is why they love to go to the two nearby Orthodox shuls with their schoolfriends.) I also expected them to fully participate this year, reciting the prayers they know, trying to read along with the hebrew ones they don't know by heart (they can all read hebrew fluently now), reading the English responsive prayers. I was very proud that Harrison participated fully and completely without any prodding (and even fasted all day!) and Jacob and Michela only needed a few pokes and reminders.
The Rabbi's sermon's words were also motivating and inspiring and made us think about how we can be better people in the coming year. Wed night he talked about how important it is to be kind to people, not only strangers (by practicing random acts of kindness) but especially those we love because when times are tough (as they are right now with the financial crisis) the ones we love the most are the ones to whom we tend to be less kind. Yesterday he talked about labeling and how we all tend to label people unnecessarily and how hurtful that is.
Even though it was a holiday, I went to my weight loss class last night because that is my highest priority right now and I'm not letting anything interfere with it. I lost another 4.4 pounds, which was great because I didn't exercise as much. So my total is 48 pounds, which is amazing for only 2 months. I'm still averaging 5-6 pounds a week, about .7 pounds a day! At this rate, I'll certainly reach my February goal! I'm glad I went because the information was very important and practical for maintenance.
Then I joined the family at our friend's the Varkels (she's the caterer for Harrison's whole Bar Mitzvah weekend) for a break-the-fast get together. They all said the food was great (I didn't eat it, of course), the kids played, and we enjoyed meeting new people and having great conversation.
Looking forward to the upcoming weekend with the beach today, Jacob and Michela's 10's bday party this evening (it's 10/10!), soccer games tomorrow, some playdates this weekend, hebrew school and youth group on sunday and then Harrison's baseball game sun afternoon. Around and in between all that I need to straighten up the house, write an article for the magazine I write for, handle some correspondence and paperwork, do a few hours of work-work, and get organized for the week ahead - the kids go back to school so I can go back to being even more productive and boy do I have a lot on my "to do" list! (And hopefully I'll remember to download that video from last week!)
Have a great weekend - what are YOU up to? How was YOUR Yom Kippur? (Feel free to comment.... I love it when you do!)
The Rabbi's sermon's words were also motivating and inspiring and made us think about how we can be better people in the coming year. Wed night he talked about how important it is to be kind to people, not only strangers (by practicing random acts of kindness) but especially those we love because when times are tough (as they are right now with the financial crisis) the ones we love the most are the ones to whom we tend to be less kind. Yesterday he talked about labeling and how we all tend to label people unnecessarily and how hurtful that is.
Even though it was a holiday, I went to my weight loss class last night because that is my highest priority right now and I'm not letting anything interfere with it. I lost another 4.4 pounds, which was great because I didn't exercise as much. So my total is 48 pounds, which is amazing for only 2 months. I'm still averaging 5-6 pounds a week, about .7 pounds a day! At this rate, I'll certainly reach my February goal! I'm glad I went because the information was very important and practical for maintenance.
Then I joined the family at our friend's the Varkels (she's the caterer for Harrison's whole Bar Mitzvah weekend) for a break-the-fast get together. They all said the food was great (I didn't eat it, of course), the kids played, and we enjoyed meeting new people and having great conversation.
Looking forward to the upcoming weekend with the beach today, Jacob and Michela's 10's bday party this evening (it's 10/10!), soccer games tomorrow, some playdates this weekend, hebrew school and youth group on sunday and then Harrison's baseball game sun afternoon. Around and in between all that I need to straighten up the house, write an article for the magazine I write for, handle some correspondence and paperwork, do a few hours of work-work, and get organized for the week ahead - the kids go back to school so I can go back to being even more productive and boy do I have a lot on my "to do" list! (And hopefully I'll remember to download that video from last week!)
Have a great weekend - what are YOU up to? How was YOUR Yom Kippur? (Feel free to comment.... I love it when you do!)
Monday, October 6, 2008
NEWSFLASH.....
This just in... as of 1/2 hour ago... my doctor said that everything is significantly better and... I CAN SWIM AGAIN! I'm very excited - never been this excited about exercise before. I've really missed my swimming all week.
There's only one spot on the back of one thigh that he still wants to keep an eye on, but he said if I promise to put hydrogen peroxide on it right after swimming (like the second I get out of the pool) and promise not to go in the hot tub (which has even more germs), then it's ok.
There's only one spot on the back of one thigh that he still wants to keep an eye on, but he said if I promise to put hydrogen peroxide on it right after swimming (like the second I get out of the pool) and promise not to go in the hot tub (which has even more germs), then it's ok.
Great weekend
I seem to be in a pattern of updating on mondays and thursdays, so I figured it was as good a time as any to do a post right now. Jacob and Michela are at a writing workshop with several of their friends this week - just Mon, Tues and Wed for 1 1/2 hrs each time. They're writing their own mystery stories. Harrison is working on an extra credit project for social studies. I must admit, he's not self motivated to do all the extra credit work that he does. Let's just say it's "highly encouraged" by me. I'm trying to instill in him the DESIRE to want to do all the extra credit, but right now it's very much that I tell him he should do it. Once he gets into a project, he enjoys it, but he doesn't always take the initiative.
We had a great weekend of just normal activities, but nice family time. Friday night was family services at temple and all three kids played in the youth band. I took some video snippets so hopefully I can post that tomorrow. It was a nice service and we enjoy talking to our temple friends after services and the kids hang out in the youth lounge, which is a privilege for the 4th-12th graders.
Saturday Harrison had his soccer game and it was the battle of the undefeated teams and his team won 5 to 0, so that was great and very exciting. After their 5th goal, the ref came over to the coach and said something like "enough's enough, have the kids pull back." They DID pull back and didn't play hard after that, but the other team still couldn't score. Michela also had her game and they won SIX to 0. Michela got one of the goals and was an integral part of several of the others, so lot's of good soccer fun.
Jacob was at dance for his usual 6 hours on saturday. He loves being there, though, and it is a very social place. He hangs out during his couple of breaks with all his dance friends and says there isn't any place he'd rather be. I feel bad that he spends so much time there at the studio, but he really and truly loves it there and is as happy as he can be.
Harrison had a friend over sat afternoon/evening and they hung out and played and then we all had dinner together when Jacob got home. I made a nice dinner of lasagna with homemade fresh bread and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Both were extremely difficult to handle and smell, but I did it. I feel like I can't deprive the family completely. :) After dinner, we played some board games, then we watched College Road Trip which was a great movie even though it was rated G (and our kids tend not to like G movies anymore.) I highly recommend it, even for adults. Very funny.
Sunday, the kids had hebrew school and then youth band rehearsal. Then we had a Chavurah (small friendship group from temple) event at a nearby park, which was really low key and fun. The adults talked and ate and the kids played soccer and on the playground. There are a lot of kids in the group so they were able to have a full soccer game and one of the dads who coaches a team had pennes and cones in his car, so they had a real game going!
When we got back, Jacob and Michela rode bikes with their friend Gaby who lives on our street, ended up at her house, got invited to stay for dinner and didn't come home until 10:30 p.m. (remember, we're still on break!) Harrison and Marlon enjoyed watching the Angels/Red Sox game that went on for hours. I decided that it would be a good opportunity to work, so I worked for about 4 or 5 hours, even though it was a sunday evening!
That's about all that's new. I'll post the video tomorrow and then another update on Thursday. Thanks for checking in and let me know what's going on with YOU.
We had a great weekend of just normal activities, but nice family time. Friday night was family services at temple and all three kids played in the youth band. I took some video snippets so hopefully I can post that tomorrow. It was a nice service and we enjoy talking to our temple friends after services and the kids hang out in the youth lounge, which is a privilege for the 4th-12th graders.
Saturday Harrison had his soccer game and it was the battle of the undefeated teams and his team won 5 to 0, so that was great and very exciting. After their 5th goal, the ref came over to the coach and said something like "enough's enough, have the kids pull back." They DID pull back and didn't play hard after that, but the other team still couldn't score. Michela also had her game and they won SIX to 0. Michela got one of the goals and was an integral part of several of the others, so lot's of good soccer fun.
Jacob was at dance for his usual 6 hours on saturday. He loves being there, though, and it is a very social place. He hangs out during his couple of breaks with all his dance friends and says there isn't any place he'd rather be. I feel bad that he spends so much time there at the studio, but he really and truly loves it there and is as happy as he can be.
Harrison had a friend over sat afternoon/evening and they hung out and played and then we all had dinner together when Jacob got home. I made a nice dinner of lasagna with homemade fresh bread and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Both were extremely difficult to handle and smell, but I did it. I feel like I can't deprive the family completely. :) After dinner, we played some board games, then we watched College Road Trip which was a great movie even though it was rated G (and our kids tend not to like G movies anymore.) I highly recommend it, even for adults. Very funny.
Sunday, the kids had hebrew school and then youth band rehearsal. Then we had a Chavurah (small friendship group from temple) event at a nearby park, which was really low key and fun. The adults talked and ate and the kids played soccer and on the playground. There are a lot of kids in the group so they were able to have a full soccer game and one of the dads who coaches a team had pennes and cones in his car, so they had a real game going!
When we got back, Jacob and Michela rode bikes with their friend Gaby who lives on our street, ended up at her house, got invited to stay for dinner and didn't come home until 10:30 p.m. (remember, we're still on break!) Harrison and Marlon enjoyed watching the Angels/Red Sox game that went on for hours. I decided that it would be a good opportunity to work, so I worked for about 4 or 5 hours, even though it was a sunday evening!
That's about all that's new. I'll post the video tomorrow and then another update on Thursday. Thanks for checking in and let me know what's going on with YOU.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Scary incident, but great scale results
I had my regular Thursday weight loss class tonight. The good news is that I'm down another 5 pounds for a total of 43.8 in 52 days, so I'm still averaging almost a pound a day and about 5-6 pounds a week, which is fantastic. I'm very, very pleased with my progress. I was worried about this week because my exercise was down due to the infections (see previous post). I'm hoping to get back into my exercise in the next day or two.
I'm thoroughly enjoying my daily entree. The food is actually really, really good. Seriously. Everything is made with natural ingredients and is tasty. They are actually pretty filling even though they are small, or maybe that's because my stomach has shrunk. One entree and a cup of soup at dinner leaves me quite full. Having something to actually eat (besides the oatmeal which I still love) and some variety has made a world of difference.
Ok, now for the scary incident. I got stuck in the elevator tonight going up to my class. I've never gotten stuck in an elevator before and it was really scary. I was with two other people from my class, so I'm glad I wasnt' alone. One of them was the loudmouth guy with the strange personality (remember him?) and he was so calm and reassuring -- go figure the one with the attitude turns out to be a hero! It was completely pitch black, I mean you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, and the phone didn't work. I was on the verge of total panic, but he reassured me that they knew we were in there, they were getting help, we wouldn't run out of air and it would be fine. He said, "let's just sit down and tell ghost stories." After about 10 minutes, the lights came on and the elevator shot down to the basement, but still nothing happened. We pushed "door open" but nothing. I suggested that we push the "basement" button since that's where it said we were and the door opened. We had to walk up 2 extra flights of stairs to get where we were going (should've taken the stairs in the first place, but I was carrying a heavy bag!) and then we were ok. NOT a fun experience.
On other news, we had a nice Rosh Hashanah holiday this week. The kids are enjoying their break. Jacob and Michela have been enjoying a cooking camp in the mornings (except not Rosh Hashanah) with their friends and lots of playdates. Harrison has hung out some with his friends, is doing some extra credit and hanging around. We've also been doing some Bar Mitzvah stuff and he finalized a plan for his Mitzvah project, which is exciting. He's going to be helping underprivileged elementary kids with their reading at a place called The Family Resource Center in Santa Ana. He's going to go once a week for about an hour. There are other things he's thinking of incorporating into the project as well, like fundraising to be able to provide the funds to send one of the kids he works with to summer camp.
That's all for now!
I'm thoroughly enjoying my daily entree. The food is actually really, really good. Seriously. Everything is made with natural ingredients and is tasty. They are actually pretty filling even though they are small, or maybe that's because my stomach has shrunk. One entree and a cup of soup at dinner leaves me quite full. Having something to actually eat (besides the oatmeal which I still love) and some variety has made a world of difference.
Ok, now for the scary incident. I got stuck in the elevator tonight going up to my class. I've never gotten stuck in an elevator before and it was really scary. I was with two other people from my class, so I'm glad I wasnt' alone. One of them was the loudmouth guy with the strange personality (remember him?) and he was so calm and reassuring -- go figure the one with the attitude turns out to be a hero! It was completely pitch black, I mean you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, and the phone didn't work. I was on the verge of total panic, but he reassured me that they knew we were in there, they were getting help, we wouldn't run out of air and it would be fine. He said, "let's just sit down and tell ghost stories." After about 10 minutes, the lights came on and the elevator shot down to the basement, but still nothing happened. We pushed "door open" but nothing. I suggested that we push the "basement" button since that's where it said we were and the door opened. We had to walk up 2 extra flights of stairs to get where we were going (should've taken the stairs in the first place, but I was carrying a heavy bag!) and then we were ok. NOT a fun experience.
On other news, we had a nice Rosh Hashanah holiday this week. The kids are enjoying their break. Jacob and Michela have been enjoying a cooking camp in the mornings (except not Rosh Hashanah) with their friends and lots of playdates. Harrison has hung out some with his friends, is doing some extra credit and hanging around. We've also been doing some Bar Mitzvah stuff and he finalized a plan for his Mitzvah project, which is exciting. He's going to be helping underprivileged elementary kids with their reading at a place called The Family Resource Center in Santa Ana. He's going to go once a week for about an hour. There are other things he's thinking of incorporating into the project as well, like fundraising to be able to provide the funds to send one of the kids he works with to summer camp.
That's all for now!
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