Here I am, on the 2nd to the last day of January. As of midnight tomorrow I will have gone the entire month without sweets. No candy, no cookies, no chocolate... It's been a long month, to say the least.
I wish I could sit here and tell you that a month without treats has cured me of my massive sweet tooth. I want to tell you that my heart no longer races when I walk down the candy isle at the store. That the thought of a package of Oreos means nothing to me now. I want to tell you those things, but it would be a lie. And lying is wrong. The truth is that I want chocolate just as much now as I did 30 days ago.
Only time will tell whether or not this month off from chocolate has instilled in me a sense of moderation when it comes to the sweeter things in life. I think, for the most part, that I'm going to have to go forth into the remainder of this year with a 'Just Say No' attitude when it comes to sweets. Not to say that I'll never have anything, just that from now on a treat is going to have to be just that - a treat. I can no longer hold shelf space in my freezer for a pint of ice cream. Because if the ice cream is there, eventually I will eat it. Sweets are going to have to be reserved for special occasions.
The biggest thing I have going for me right now is my diet. I have lost 10 lbs this month, and it shows. My fat girl jeans are fairly loose on me now, and my not-as-fat girl jeans almost fit. I don't have to struggle to pull them on and zip them up, whereas at the end of December I did. I'm feeling really good about myself these days. I keep my diet very regimented during the week and that is going to be my best defense against all things sugary and sweet. My next 2011 challenge is coming up. February is the NO BOOZE month. I'm terrified of trying to go a whole month without a drop of alcohol, but I'm also excited to see how it will affect my weight loss goal, since I won't be spending my weekends throwing away the week's hard work on beer.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Party Time!!
Today I took Maron to the 3rd birthday party of her little friend Alyssa. Maron was very excited about getting to eat cake, and even more excited about wearing her sparkly tutu! Here she is, ready to go out and get her party on.
She had a lot of fun while we were there. She was kind of all over the place for a while, but when it was time for cake she was front and center. Apparently cake eating is where Maron really shines. While the other girls didn't even finish their pieces of cake, Maron took down a piece and a half and still wanted more. Here she can be seen shovelling cake into her mouth. 
Maron had a lot of fun running around and playing with the other girls, and she was even well behaved when it was time to leave. Normally when I try to take her home from a play date she whines and cries when I try to put her coat and shoes on. But today she took leaving with good grace (probably due to the bag of swag she got before walking out the door). She was a very good girl the whole time we were there. There was one minor incident where she incited a jumping-on-the-bed-a-thon...
but other than that she was perfect. I'm so proud of my little fidget, and I'm so glad she's made friends here in Kingston. And now I can't wait to throw her 3rd birthday party!!
Maron's BFF Roz was there, clad in an all purple tutu ensemble as well. I didn't think 2 year olds needed to coordinate attire for special occasions, but apparently I was wrong. :-)
She had a lot of fun while we were there. She was kind of all over the place for a while, but when it was time for cake she was front and center. Apparently cake eating is where Maron really shines. While the other girls didn't even finish their pieces of cake, Maron took down a piece and a half and still wanted more. Here she can be seen shovelling cake into her mouth.
Maron had a lot of fun running around and playing with the other girls, and she was even well behaved when it was time to leave. Normally when I try to take her home from a play date she whines and cries when I try to put her coat and shoes on. But today she took leaving with good grace (probably due to the bag of swag she got before walking out the door). She was a very good girl the whole time we were there. There was one minor incident where she incited a jumping-on-the-bed-a-thon...
but other than that she was perfect. I'm so proud of my little fidget, and I'm so glad she's made friends here in Kingston. And now I can't wait to throw her 3rd birthday party!!Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Marida Update
I think we have finally turned a corner as far as Marida's sleeping habits. She's been a good night time sleeper for a while now, but every night for several weeks running I would hear Marida start to cry at/around 7:00 am. When I would go in to get her I would find her on her side at the end of the crib, perpendicular to the direction I laid her down in, with both her legs wedged through the crib bars up to her thighs. I was usually able to free her pretty easily, but it would leave red marks on her legs like this
For the past week Marida has been sleeping in longer, and when she wakes up she is on her back or her tummy, but with no legs sticking out of the crib. This is a good sign of progress, and I hope it continues.
In other Marida news, at 8 months old she can sit upright, although she still can't get herself into a sitting position. I have to sit her up, but then she can stay like that for quite a while. She is not crawling yet either, but she is so close to crawling I can taste it. She gets up on her knees and rocks back and forth and even shuffles her feet behind her. If she could stop her feet from sliding out she would be good to go. Lack of crawling doesn't seem to be an issue for her anymore though, as she has learned to creep with a mighty vengence. She's quick as a pixie when she wants to be, and nothing left on the floor is safe nowadays.
Marida's 9 month checkup is in February, and I am very much looking forward to finding out how much my little monkey weighs! She's not so little anymore - she outgrew her infant carseat this month and we had to buy her secondary carseat this past weekend. Today she took her first trip in it and did very well. They grow so fast!!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Maybe I'm over thinking this whole motherhood thing, but...
So a couple of days ago I had an idea for a writing project for myself. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to write letters to people, and the idea of my project is to write a sort of ongoing letter to each of my children, chronicling their lives from infancy to adulthood.
Since before my kids were born I started keeping hard-bound journals on both of them to note the big to-do's such as height and weight at doctor's appointments, milestones hit (and when) and so forth. What I'm going to do now is in addition to the journals, and will be focused more on the personality of each child. What they were like on a day-to-day basis. Funny little anecdotes and such.
My reason for doing all of this is that someday, when my children and grown, they will very likely (if they are anything like me) stop at some point to look back at their lives, and they will want to know how it all began. What were they like as kids? When did they develop the quirks that they still have today? How did they person they were shape the person they grew to be? These are all questions that I have had and asked of my parents (and others), and no one has ever been able to answer my questions. I have no idea how old I was when I started walking, what my first words were, what my temperment was like as a baby, a toddler and a young child... Either no one remembers or no one was paying attention. I was the 3rd of three children, so by the time I came around first steps and first birthdays were old news. I don't want that to be the case for my children, and so I am documenting everything.
In addition to the journals I have kept for 3 years I have now started The Book of Maron (vol 1) and The Book of Marida (vol 1). I'm sure my efforts will pay off in the long run because I'm sure my children will grow to be inquisitive women (they are my kids afterall). But there is a little voice inside my head that wonders if what I am doing is more for them or for me. Is what I am doing now nothing more than an outlet for my own feelings of childhood neglect? I don't know. I don't think so, but I really don't know for sure. I'm going to do it anyway, regardless. Because even if as adults my children have no interest in reading the story of their lives, I will have the books to read through into my old age when my razor sharp memory for all things relating to my children has left me.
Since before my kids were born I started keeping hard-bound journals on both of them to note the big to-do's such as height and weight at doctor's appointments, milestones hit (and when) and so forth. What I'm going to do now is in addition to the journals, and will be focused more on the personality of each child. What they were like on a day-to-day basis. Funny little anecdotes and such.
My reason for doing all of this is that someday, when my children and grown, they will very likely (if they are anything like me) stop at some point to look back at their lives, and they will want to know how it all began. What were they like as kids? When did they develop the quirks that they still have today? How did they person they were shape the person they grew to be? These are all questions that I have had and asked of my parents (and others), and no one has ever been able to answer my questions. I have no idea how old I was when I started walking, what my first words were, what my temperment was like as a baby, a toddler and a young child... Either no one remembers or no one was paying attention. I was the 3rd of three children, so by the time I came around first steps and first birthdays were old news. I don't want that to be the case for my children, and so I am documenting everything.
In addition to the journals I have kept for 3 years I have now started The Book of Maron (vol 1) and The Book of Marida (vol 1). I'm sure my efforts will pay off in the long run because I'm sure my children will grow to be inquisitive women (they are my kids afterall). But there is a little voice inside my head that wonders if what I am doing is more for them or for me. Is what I am doing now nothing more than an outlet for my own feelings of childhood neglect? I don't know. I don't think so, but I really don't know for sure. I'm going to do it anyway, regardless. Because even if as adults my children have no interest in reading the story of their lives, I will have the books to read through into my old age when my razor sharp memory for all things relating to my children has left me.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Longest Month EVER
So for those of you who don't know, as part of my 2011 weight loss plan, I decided that I would give myself one challenge for every month of this year. For one month, I will stop eating/drinking/doing something I do but shouldn't or start eating/drinking/doing something I should but don't. Each month is a new challenge to take place for the length of that month only. Should I continue a trend past the end of the month it will be entirely optional. The goal of all this is to relearn the concept of moderation. Here is a brief history on the origin of this challenge:
When I was younger (18 or 19) I used to drink pop all the time. No, really, ALL THE TIME. I was addicted. I couldn't go to sleep at night unless I drank a Pepsi before bed. So one day I decided that I didn't want to be addicted to pop and that I was going to give it up entirely for one month, just to see if I could do it. It was a very hard thing to do, particularily since I was working at a movie theater at the time and pop and popcorn were the only things employees got for free. But I did it anyway. And by the time a month had passed I not only broke myself of my crazy need for pop, but I'd also lost 20 lbs. Yes, I drank THAT much pop.
In the case of the pop challenge I felt (and looked) so good after a month without it that it was almost a year before I drank any pop. But once I did start imbibing it again, I was able to do it with a sense of moderation. It is with that idea in mind that I go forth into this year of challenges.
So what's the first challenge, you ask? I'm glad you asked. For the month of January 2011 I am cutting out all sweets and treats. No candy, cookies, chocolate, etc. Anything that is even remotely dessert like is out of the question. I'm not even allowing myself hot cocoa. So far I am 10 days into this challenge and they have been the 10 LONGEST days of my LIFE!! I WANT CHOCOLATE!!! I WANT COOKIES!! But I haven't had anything. Not so much as a Jelly Belly, which my husband left half a package of lying on the bookshelf since Christmas. I finally reminded him of them this weekend so he would eat the damn things and remove the temptation. I thought about doing the same thing with the partial package of candy corn, the bag of mini-marshmallows (perfect for the hot cocoa I'm not drinking) and the giant bag of chocolate chips in the cupboard. But that doesn't really teach self control, does it? So I have said nothing, and continue to look at the fist-sized bag of candy corn that is all that remains from Halloween, telling myself that I am stronger than my desire for sugar. I don't even like candy corn, but that is how badly I am jonesing for sweets right now.
For those of you wondering what other challenges 2011 has in store for me, here is the schedule I have come up with so far...
January - No Sweets
February - No Alcohol
March - No Bread or Pasta
I have nothing planned out beyong March, because I think that trying to go for a month without bread or pasta (not counting the noodles in my Progresso Light) of any kind might actually kill me.
So does anyone out there have any ideas of what would be good future challenges? Assuming I live to see April 1st that is...
When I was younger (18 or 19) I used to drink pop all the time. No, really, ALL THE TIME. I was addicted. I couldn't go to sleep at night unless I drank a Pepsi before bed. So one day I decided that I didn't want to be addicted to pop and that I was going to give it up entirely for one month, just to see if I could do it. It was a very hard thing to do, particularily since I was working at a movie theater at the time and pop and popcorn were the only things employees got for free. But I did it anyway. And by the time a month had passed I not only broke myself of my crazy need for pop, but I'd also lost 20 lbs. Yes, I drank THAT much pop.
In the case of the pop challenge I felt (and looked) so good after a month without it that it was almost a year before I drank any pop. But once I did start imbibing it again, I was able to do it with a sense of moderation. It is with that idea in mind that I go forth into this year of challenges.
So what's the first challenge, you ask? I'm glad you asked. For the month of January 2011 I am cutting out all sweets and treats. No candy, cookies, chocolate, etc. Anything that is even remotely dessert like is out of the question. I'm not even allowing myself hot cocoa. So far I am 10 days into this challenge and they have been the 10 LONGEST days of my LIFE!! I WANT CHOCOLATE!!! I WANT COOKIES!! But I haven't had anything. Not so much as a Jelly Belly, which my husband left half a package of lying on the bookshelf since Christmas. I finally reminded him of them this weekend so he would eat the damn things and remove the temptation. I thought about doing the same thing with the partial package of candy corn, the bag of mini-marshmallows (perfect for the hot cocoa I'm not drinking) and the giant bag of chocolate chips in the cupboard. But that doesn't really teach self control, does it? So I have said nothing, and continue to look at the fist-sized bag of candy corn that is all that remains from Halloween, telling myself that I am stronger than my desire for sugar. I don't even like candy corn, but that is how badly I am jonesing for sweets right now.
For those of you wondering what other challenges 2011 has in store for me, here is the schedule I have come up with so far...
January - No Sweets
February - No Alcohol
March - No Bread or Pasta
I have nothing planned out beyong March, because I think that trying to go for a month without bread or pasta (not counting the noodles in my Progresso Light) of any kind might actually kill me.
So does anyone out there have any ideas of what would be good future challenges? Assuming I live to see April 1st that is...
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Who Dat? Seattle Dat!
In light of the astonishing 41-36 victory the Seattle Seahawks had over the New Orleans Saints yesterday, I feel it's my duty (as a die hard Seahawk fan) to mention them on here.
I love Seattle. I love the Seattle Seahawks. I'm no 'fair weather fan', I love them rain or shine. I loved the Seahawks back when loving the Seahawks would get you beat up in a dark alley.
That being the case, I am SO FREAKIN STOKED about yesterdays victory!! I admit that when I was discussing the game with Steve (my husband) yesterday morning I was expecting the worst. I mean really - us against last year's Superbowl champions? With the season we had? Right. But I was still hopeful. As I told Steve, I expected the worst but hoped for the best. And the best is what we got baby!!
Speaking of Steve, we are in constant disagreement about whose football team we will teach our children to love. I'm a Seahawk fan, and while Steve likes the Seahawks too, he is a Charger fan first and foremost. He thinks the girls' should be Charger fans, but (seeing as we live right by Seattle) I disagree. Seahawks all the way! So I wonder - is there a fair way to solve this? Should we flip a coin to see whose team spirit we will inundate our daughters with? Or should we each take one daughter into our team-loving fold? Raise one kid to love the Seahawks and the other to love the Chargers. That seems the best way to do it, save for the possibility of furthering future sibling rivalry. But if we did it that way, how do we decide which child to foster team love in? Who gets Maron on their team's side and who gets Marida? What do you think?
I love Seattle. I love the Seattle Seahawks. I'm no 'fair weather fan', I love them rain or shine. I loved the Seahawks back when loving the Seahawks would get you beat up in a dark alley.
That being the case, I am SO FREAKIN STOKED about yesterdays victory!! I admit that when I was discussing the game with Steve (my husband) yesterday morning I was expecting the worst. I mean really - us against last year's Superbowl champions? With the season we had? Right. But I was still hopeful. As I told Steve, I expected the worst but hoped for the best. And the best is what we got baby!!
Speaking of Steve, we are in constant disagreement about whose football team we will teach our children to love. I'm a Seahawk fan, and while Steve likes the Seahawks too, he is a Charger fan first and foremost. He thinks the girls' should be Charger fans, but (seeing as we live right by Seattle) I disagree. Seahawks all the way! So I wonder - is there a fair way to solve this? Should we flip a coin to see whose team spirit we will inundate our daughters with? Or should we each take one daughter into our team-loving fold? Raise one kid to love the Seahawks and the other to love the Chargers. That seems the best way to do it, save for the possibility of furthering future sibling rivalry. But if we did it that way, how do we decide which child to foster team love in? Who gets Maron on their team's side and who gets Marida? What do you think?
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thus It Begins
Welcome one and all! My name is Micah Haag, and this is my blog.
The purpose of this blog is expression. This is going to be about me, my life, my hopes and dreams, etc. Included in all of it will be my kids and my family and my love of (and semi-jaded view of) life. By reading this blog you will be subjecting yourself to all of the loving, hateful, outrageous and irrational thoughts that go through my head. Like viewing a stream of consciousness - Micah style. So if you think you're up to it, great! Sit back, relax, and let's GO!
~M
The purpose of this blog is expression. This is going to be about me, my life, my hopes and dreams, etc. Included in all of it will be my kids and my family and my love of (and semi-jaded view of) life. By reading this blog you will be subjecting yourself to all of the loving, hateful, outrageous and irrational thoughts that go through my head. Like viewing a stream of consciousness - Micah style. So if you think you're up to it, great! Sit back, relax, and let's GO!
~M
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