More Junior

He thought I wasn't taking enough pictures of him in the snow. He gets his drama from his sisters.

730 in 365

Amy over at The Finer Things in Life is having a challenge to get rid of clutter.

I attract clutter.

I can't part with anything because I have the unfortunate sometimes amazing ability to remember the stories behind it.

Isn't it genetic?  It has to be.  My brother was here and walked into my basement over Christmas and told me I was just like our mother.  Seriously?

I can think of worse things to be, but I do save everything.  I have a ton of books.  Tons of toys.  Tons of stuff I don't use, so I am going to take Amy's challenge to eliminate 760 things in 365 days.

Can I do it?  I hope so.
It's only two things per day.  Do I really need to keep stuff just because so and so gave it to me?  Okay, honestly, it depends on who that so and so is. 

How hard can it be to get rid of two things a day?  (Might help if I stop bringing stuff in the house too, but that's a whole other issue.)

So, if it doesn't make me happy, doesn't serve a use, isn't functional, it is gone.

Don't worry mom, I won't get rid of anything too sentimental and if I find anything really good, I'll save my crap I mean treasures for you.  (Don't worry, my sisters and mom and I get together and call it the great "crap" exchange.  See, it has to be hereditary!)

More Sledding

Since our three inches never materialized we won't be doing any of this over the weekend. We bought these cheap sleds over Christmas and they work great!

Taken in St. Elmo, Colorado.

No more boxes

Gunner made boxed mac and cheese for Abs yesterday that was gluten free.  I couldn't even eat it, it was so horrible.

So I bought some gluten free noodles and some soy cheese and we will try it that way.  Maybe it is just the noodles?  Is there something else to use in place of noodles?

I bought the book The Kid Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook at the recommendation of her OT.  Tonight we are having meatloaf with veggie puree from our juicer.

Since we are just getting into this, I am realizing how much I don't know, and how much "crap" we have that she can't eat.  At least not yet.  Her OT, her pediatrician and her psychiatrist all said to get her going on this diet and then we'll add a few things back in and see how it goes from there.

Maybe it will make no difference.  Maybe all the difference in the world?  Even soy is controversial, but her doctor said to leave that in for now since we know she will eat cheese.  She ate chicken last night which is a first in a long time. 

Anyone have any good recipes?

We're off to hit the pool and the hot tub!

Priceless Gift

I know I have blogged before about my parents and their love of the Triumph car.  They had one when they were married, but you can't exactly cart around 4 children in the back of one safely, so they traded up for bigger (not better!) cars.  When I was in junior high my dad purchased another one and had it restored.  My mom and dad traveled all over the United States attending car shows in their speedy red car and collected tshirts at each event. 

When my dad passed away, we were sorting through his clothes and we came across the pile of tshirts.  We told my mom she should keep them and make a quilt out of them....someday.  When I was calling my mom before she left for The House of Love and Joy, she was madly sewing and wouldn't tell me what it was.  It drove me nuts! 

The four of us unwrapped a priceless gift from my mom this year.

She used all of my dad's tshirts to make the four of us each a quilt.

My brother holding up his.  One of the shirts used in his quilts was one that my dad wore to work on the car all the time, so there are even small spatters of oil on it.

I still miss my dad and think about him every.single.day.  I can't even put into words what this quilt means to me.  Thanks Mom, once again you have given us a priceless gift and I can't thank you enough!

Day 2

I am trying to kick my diet coke habit.  I was going to do it a long time ago, but sometimes I just need that pick me up.  I also drink too many monsters, so that's going to the wayside as well.  I'm trying!

Gunner and I hit the gym this morning, and he doesn't like me training him.  Can you imagine????  Maybe I am a LITTLE intense.  Just maybe though.

My gigantic blister prevented me from running, but I did hit the stair climber and did core and legs.  I also hired a trainer for Gunner while we were there.  He really wanted one, and the price at the Y is dirt cheap.

We've decided where we are going to visit this weekend, after my sister and my mom and nephews stumbled across it on their trek back to Texas. 

I hear music blaring from the basement, and since it is not Justin Beiber, I assume Gunner is working on the basement, which is where I should be. 

Yesterday Gunner and I stopped in this health food store that I keep meaning to checkout.  I have been doing a lot of reading about the benefits of a gluetin/casein free diet for children with ADHD.  I've started stocking up on things that I will need to make the conversion, and Abs knows that it is coming.  I bought a package of gluetin free/casein free/egg free/everything free package of cookies to try.  I showed them to Abs and her response was "sounds like taste free to me". 

This morning we didn't hear her get up, but we did find the entire package emptied except for 4 lonely cookies.  Gunner caught her before she managed to shovel those in as well.  Guess they weren't so taste free after all.

Whew

Found the best deal on the baseplates.  Best to go direct sometimes.

Left the kitchen for a second and Junior wandered in there and started mouthing raw porkchops.  We washed his mouth out with soap and are hoping for the best.

Abs was playing wii fit and I looked over at her, and she was doing the running portion by lying on the couch and shaking the wii remote really fast.  The wii fit can really help with her balance problems and core muscles--if done correctly. 

Sammy is getting groomed on Friday.  He's looking like a hairy beast.  I love the way he smells after he is groomed.

The dog threw up.  Fun times in the Gunner household!

Our hot water heater has to be the size of a small thermos.  It's getting old.

I will never be completely caught up with laundry in my entire life.  Ever.

Gunner and I are hitting the gym together tomorrow.  He hates to go with me because he says I am too competitive.  Whatever.  I.will.win!

Tonight I juiced carrots, part of a beet, part of a cucumber and some carrots.  I liked it.  Gunner couldn't get past the beet.

Just a few more days that the kids are home from school.  I can hardly wait.

I really hate when doctors cancel appointments.

Gunner will deploy this year.....he can't leave unless the basement is cleaned out.

I bought a pile of books today.  I'm addicted to military memoirs, books on the Middle East and women who live there, and finding Magic School Bus books for Junior.  Abs is into Animorphs, and Em is into....Twilight, what else.

I started reading Twilight.  I know there are a lot of people who love it, and a lot that hate it.  I'm afraid I am falling in love with the story.  I love how descriptive she is.  Last night our power went out and Gunner and I sat in bed reading....until the lantern went out.  Then we had no choice but to sleep.  It's the first time I have been to bed by 10 in forever.

A picture of my SIL Tia teaching Junior to ski.  My sister Kr took this photo.

Monday Musings

I hit the gym this morning and ran 3 miles, worked my abs, and my arms.  Tomorrow is legs day and a run or a ride, but I have a massive blister on my foot since I mistakenly wore my old running shoes instead of my new ones.  Never run in old shoes!  Maybe if I didn't continue to buy the same style, color, etc., it wouldn't be a problem.  I am a creature of habit.

I wanted to get a lego table for Abs and Andrew, since that is what they do all the time.  I decided to make one using a coffee table.  IKEA would have made my life easier.  So I sent Gunner out to the thrift store, and he stumbled on a new kitchen table for us in GREAT condition--our old one was half dead.  He brought that home and we decided to make our old table into the lego table.

Then my brother sent me a link to one made out of PVC pipe.  Looked much easier, but then I would be stuck with all these tables, and since I can't seem to purge anything (thanks mom!) we continued on our current path.  (Hint--Go for the PVC pipe one!)  So then we needed to find baseplates to nail glue to the table.  We can't find them.  The ones online are outrageously expensive.  I am a bargain shopper, so I will continue looking.  We actually have quite a few already, but not enough to do the table, so we will figure something out.

I did the wii fit, and it was so nice to remind me that it was 244 days since I last worked out.  It still groaned when I stepped on the board, and I got a little miffed, but then it did it when Abs hopped on, and I felt better since Abs is a little thing.

I actually remembered to take Abs to PT today.  We have missed twice, and are in danger of being dropped if we miss again.  I'm thinking about moving her to the location where she has OT so I have fewer things to remember.

Gunner actually took Abs to PT today and will take her tomorrow.  (I'm sure he'll find out by reading the blog!  Hi sweetie, thanks for taking her!)

I've been considering Crossfit after getting an email from Andrea. 

I did nothing productive today.

I really should cook dinner.

I leave you with a picture of this....I love Aspen trees....

Siblings

My brother.

My sister-in-law.

My sister.

I can't believe I didn't get any closeups of my little sister. She's in this one standing up to the left. Sorry shrimp!

Juicing Fool

I bought myself  Gunner bought me a juicer for Christmas.  Yesterday I had my children drinking celery, apple, collard greens, and carrots.  This morning they didn't want to drink my apple and celery concoction.  I thought it tasted better than the first one I made!

I haven't had a chance to research more, but if you have any passable recipes that my kids will choke down great recipes for drinks for kids....or for me...then I'm all ears. 

I was going to hit the gym this morning, but it doesn't open till 12.  I hate that.  I want to get in bright and early after I made myself get out of bed at the crack of dawn.  I have a meeting for a few hours this afternoon for one of my new "projects" that I am helping with for the new school that Abs will be going to, hopefully. 

I guess this means I will have to unpack today.  I'm out of excuses. 

Sledding

We did a lot of sledding, and even took a trip to checkout a sledding site at Breckenridge to see if it was worth the drive. We opted for something closer to home.

Resolutions--Did I complete my goals for 2009???

Heck yeah, I did a pretty good job!  Last year's resolutions are found here. 

1.  I lost the weight before Gunner came home.  Yea!
2.  I only wanted to do an adventure race, a triathlon and a 40 mile bike ride?  I did the urban adventure race.  I did two triathlons.  I completed a 50 mile bike ride with Gunner.  I also did 3 10 k's and 7 5 K's. 
3.  I only cleaned out the garage because we moved.
4.  I made straight A's in all of my graduate courses--5 of them.


Numbers 5, 6, & 7 never happened.  Oh well, I have this year, right?


Let's see....
1.  Get back in fighting form since I was drowning in school work this semester and let things slide.
2.  Do 2 triathlons and motivate at least two friends to do them with me.  I'd like to do at least one sprint, and one Olympic distance.  We'll throw a bunch of 5 k's and 10 k's for good measure.
3.  Another long bike ride.
4.  See at least 20 new things in Colorado.
5.  Clean out my basement, and since I am not moving, I will have to do this one.
6.  Continue making straight A's.  Wish I had made straight A's in my undergraduate career.  I'm sure my parents did too!
7.  Get Abs squared away and have her complete OT, PT, and VT.
8.  Learn a new skill.
9.  Use all this material and scrapbooking stuff that I have.  Heck, I need to polish off some of this yarn too!  (remember all that yarn we bought Erin?  I haven't touched it!)
10.  I have a bunch of other stuff that I want to accomplish and achieve, but I won't bore you with all of that.
11.  Survive & thrive during Gunner's 5th year long deployment.  Ugh.

So who wants to do the triathlon with me?