Am I Thinner Yet?

Between January and May I lost 30 lbs. Then the kids got out for summer break. I can't keep it up while they are off. I can't walk in the mornings like I do when they are in school and I absolutely can't eat right when they are home all day long.  I managed to do pretty good though and only gained a couple of pounds over the summer. As soon as they started back to school I started back to my routine of walking and exercising but I couldn't get my eating back under control but I managed to lose the few pounds I had gained. Then I got Mono and now I'm back up 10 pounds. I need to get myself started back in at least a small way. So today I went for a walk, only about half of what I was doing but it felt pretty good. Until now. I feel like my legs are going to fall off.

What has my toughest parenting challenge been?

This is not an easy post for me to write. It is something that I have struggled with a lot lately as both a mother who really cares about the adults my children will someday be and a Christian. Trying to raise a daughter in this world that we live in is not an easy task at all and I find myself feeling that I have done her a huge disfavor. We have to teach our daughters from a young age to be careful about who they trust, to protect themselves from the dangers this world can hold for them but I'm starting to feel like that has done damage. She is too guarded and too critical. Some days I feel like that isn't my fault, that it is just her personality because she is a lot like her daddy in that regard. There are days though that it breaks my heart and I feel like I have failed her. How do we walk that line and stay on the right side of it? How do you know when it's enough and when it's too much? How do you teach them that they shouldn't let anyone make them do something they are uncomfortable with but not teach them to be completely uncompromising? How do I teach her to be an independent woman but also teach her that a Christian wife should submit to the Godly decisions that her husband makes? I hope that the example I set makes a difference but I have no doubt about how much I have failed in that area. I strive daily to do better but people, even (or maybe especially) our children, tend to remember the bad that we have done and not the good. My daughter is a wonderful person, so very responsible and mature and I want so much for her but more than any of the things I would hope for my children, I hope for their happiness. I'm afraid she will let that pass her by out of shear stubbornness.

Can I try on your pants?

I have a new obsession in my struggle with my weight. I find myself really wanting to try on your pants. I know how crazy it sounds but I have a feeling that I am not alone in this. When I see someone close to my size I find myself thinking "Am I bigger or smaller than you?" Then it comes, the thought that man I would love to try on that outfit you have on and see how it fits me. I'm not proud of it but that is how my mind is working at the moment. I have never had a realistic view of my size and for many years I didn't even realize that. Now that I truly know and understand that, it leaves me struggling to find a realistic view. So sometimes I would love to just try on your pants and see how my size truly compares to yours. Sorry!!

Can I make a Cabbage Roll?

My first attempt at making Cabbage Rolls.

I only got 6 full leaves off of the head of cabbage but I think I learned some good things to do next time to get more. So I made the extra meat into "meat"balls and cooked them in with it. Other than that I think it was a complete success. I will do a few things different next time but I'm not too worried because this is how the pan looked at the end of the night.

How I made them

Parboil the head of cabbage for 6 minutes in salty water. (Next time I will do 4 or 5 minutes, take it out and get off the first few and then put it back in for a few more minutes. This made the leaves very easy to work with and a great consistency when they were done but I couldn't get enough leaves off easily with just doing the whole head for 6 minutes.)

Meat mixture

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. rice( I did the same as I do for stuffed peppers, I used Premium Minute Rice and did not precook it.Yes that's may lazy streak showing through. I actually do like the texture in the end better though doing it this way.)

3 T. of a can of tomato soup

3 T. of a can of diced tomatoes

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. brown sugar

1 package of Lipton Onion soup mix

     Mix together and split between 8 cabbage leaves. (I only came up with 6 good pieces so like I said I made the rest into "meat"balls) Roll the cabbage leaves around the meat creating a seam across the top

Sauce

Mix together the remainder of the tomato soup and the diced tomatoes. Put this in the pan first and then lay the cabbage rolls in it. (Next time I think I will use a can of tomato sauce too so that we will have more of the sauce.)

Will you bring me some chips,please?

Mr. Perfect(ly Stubborn) wouldn't listen to my advice Saturday night so Sunday morning he couldn't even stand up straight because his back was hurting. He made it to church Sunday Morning but couldn't hold out through Sunday night. I was a little worried about him so I kept my phone in the pew with me rather than leaving it in my purse (something I don't normally do). As a result these were the texts I saw during the service.
   
     *Will you bring me some chips,please

     *Have I told you lately how much I love you

     *Need milk

     *Lee and Tiffany are coming on

     *High low

I would look at the screen thinking something was going to be wrong but no, not once. Just his craziness. Next time he will be suffering in silence.

What's the latest, greatest thing my kids are involved with?

CAP

Civil Air Patrol

This is the opportunity that it brought them today.

At this point the way they found their way to this organization is a little bit of a sore spot for me because I ended up feeling used but I'm not sorry because it is awesome for them. It is sponsored by the Air Force and is held at our local airport, which is barely an airport. They are learning so much and I am so proud of them. Getting to see them march in the Veteran's Day Parade today was a wonderful experience. 

Hats Anyone?

Everyone loved the Hat that I made to go with the Daisy blanket  but I had never attempted to make an adult hat so I had something new to learn. I found a few patterns online and some guidelines to go by for sizes but I couldn't find anything that was exactly what I wanted it to be. So, I worked with it until it was what I wanted. I'm actually starting to like making my own patterns up. They aren't amazing or awe inspiring but they are what I want them to be and work better for the way I like to crochet. Once I got the basics of what I wanted down I started trying to give people what they wanted.

A light colored one with a big red flower.
I must say it looked absolutely fabulous on
it's owner.

And a Celtics hat. I really had a blast figuring this one out.

I can't wait to do more in the future. I absolutely love this Hat thing!!