The little things I want to remember

So a little tradition we have at the Baker house is getting to pick a special restaurant to celebrate your birthday at. Will seemed hesitant to committ this year but around lunch time on Sunday, the day we were planning to celebrate, he said he wanted to go to Medieval Times. Well, we have been there just one other time when we were hosting out of town company and my recollection of the event was pretty dismal because I had a migraine through 3/4 of the outing. He said he had received an email inviting him to join the knights of the round table for a FREE meal if someone else paid full price. Mind you full price is $58.95 plus ticket fees and tax!

I went online and found a deal for $35/person when you bring 4 people. That was decent deal until... You add in those darn ticket fees and taxes. Our total at the online check-out was $163 and change and I was going to eat with my hands and likely get another migraine for whatever reason/trigger I had gotten the last one. Need I say that I did not supply my credit card info and we did not go to Medieval Times? Will was bummed but even as the birthday boy I had to draw the line.

Well, we talked about it, thought about it, and settled on going to Dave & Busters. Since we were going to spend so much less I even offered to let him bring a friend to join us. He called his buddy Tyler and we headed to D&B to take advantage of the Eat and Play Combos and have some fun!

Well, D&B has three levels of Eat and Play Combos. There are $15.99 meals, $17.99 meals and $20.99 meals. Fred, Nic and I chose $15.99 meals, Will chose a sirloin from the $20.99 menu and Tyler just wanted a burger and fries. I really worked out because I just gave my game card to Tyler and everyone was happy...

So dinner shows up and somehow we ended up with a platter of Cheese Sticks that we didn't order. Well, it was delivered whenI was away from the table so Fred jumped on them before I could tell him they weren't ours. Not like they could take them back so that was a special bonus! We all dug into our meals but Will's Medium Sirloin was pretty rare. He tried it but it was TOOOOO red. I found a wandering waitress and sent it back. I felt badly that Will had to wait for his food but the rest of us couldn't let our food get cold so we ate, he nibbled off of everyone's plates and finally his new steak came back. The manager proudly delivered the Medium Well Sirloin. Ooops, Will was a champ, a hungry champ and dug right in. I mentioned to the manager that it was suposed to be medium but he would eat it but since it was his birthday maybe Will could get a little brownie sundae or something. Brownie, ice cream, chocolate sauce. Simple right?

About 15 minutes later she returned with... a brownie SUNDAE! This thing had found brownie triangles, two huge scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, cherry and not just chocolate sauce but caramel and strawberry too! She was so proud of her generosity and I was just sure that Will would HATE it and not even try any. He is a less is more kind of guy. He gets that from me. I pulled of the cherry hoping we could move ahead and guess what? We did. Will saw the beautiful sundae, shrugged his shoulders and dug right in to the part that he knew he liked.

*********So a month went by and I forgot the little stuff. I MUST do better!!!! *******

6 for 7!

I did it again. I got on the treadmill and moved today. I mixed it up a bit and it felt really good. I ran for 1 minute intervals for the first mile then I upped the incline to three and slowed the pace for the next 1/2 mile then I ran again for another 1/2 mile. I kept looking out the window and feeling so grateful that we bought the treadmill in January. It is 100 degree outside and if I had to workout outside I would NEVER do it!

Well after the workout I spend some mindless time in front of the TV then it was time for a nap. Once I got that craziness out of my system I was able to shower and face the day. The day consists of not much in the way of productivity but enjoying the freedom of summer. I did read a little PTA stuff and head out with the fam for dinner. We are all home and off in our own little worlds again. I used to mind when we divided up throughout the house but I don't mind it so much any more. We are together enough and time apart is okay.

So the week ahead is big. I have to get ready for the PTA Summer Leadership Seminar in Austin Fri, Sat and Sun. I am excited to attend but am VERY nervous as well. This whole PTA President thing sounded easy at the start but there is so much to know and do. Thankfully I have a great team on the board but I need to find the balance of how much to expect, how much to do myself and how to manage and encourage others in their projects without taking it on myself. That is hard but I am getting better. Thankfully I have adopted the "less is more" mantra these last few years.

So I'm going to go read some news and try to come up with something a little deeper to write about tomorrow. Just updating the world on my life hardly seems blogworthy. Time to dig a little deeper!

Sunday

The boys are at a movie and the house is too quiet. Not sure if I like it.

Susan Baker
aka Mom
Sent via DROID on Verizon Wireless

I'm shrinking.

Yep, I really am. From November to last month I had lost 13 pounds but of course my Dr. wants me to lose 10 more in the next three months. I knew that I had lost weight but had forgotten where I started on the scale so I did not know how much. I did know that none of my pants fit anymore unless I added a belt. I had not NEEDED to wear a belt in a VERY long time. I was happy about the belt except on days that I forgot it and had to hike my pants up all day. Now I am struggling because I want to wear clothes that fit but I think if I lose 10 more pounds that will be another size smaller. If I buy clothes that fit now they won't fit in the fall. I could be so lucky right? So I bought two new pairs of capris today at Kohl's . Both at just a smidge snug so if I keep at it I should be really comfortable in them in a week or two.

So the plan for losing 10 more pounds in to MOVE! Dr. wants 40 minutes every day! I'm going to give her 40 minutes 6 days a week. Today, Sunday, is supposed to be my day off but maybe, just maybe, I'll be compelled to hit the treadmill for 30 minutes. It sure beats nothin! Which is what I had been doing for the last three months. We bought the treadmill in January and I did pretty well with it in Feb and March but then we folded it up when company came and it took a long time to unfold it and then I was too busy. Well, Fred and I are both back at it. He is only walking/running every other day but again, it sure beats nothin!

So here is my dilemma. If I continue to eat as I always have, (read - not very well) but I exercise like I NEVER have before will I lose weight? Can I shrink if I eat what I want? I have yet to find a vegetable that I love besides corn and from what I read that hardly counts as a vegetable.

Okay, I'll keep y'all up to date with my progress. Hopefully it will keep going in the right direction and maybe I'll need to go down 2 pant sizes by this fall. Maybe?

Clean up mean INSPIRATION!

SO I am cleaning out my email inbox that has WAY too many emails in it and as I delete I keep soming across notices of comments on my blog. These notices are from 2007 and 2008, which just tells you how many emails I have in my inbox. Now I delete the "junk" but those comments I kept. No need really, they are here on my blog, but I did. Well, as I look back at the comments I am reminded that I received those comments because I USED to write regularly and share things that people took the time to comment on. I wrote about funny childhood memories, anecdotes of my beautiful children and about the "happening" life that I once lived.

It is time to be INSPIRED and get back to writing! I heard from a friend recently that you can call yourself a writer IF you write every day. I am hoping that by the end of the summer I can call myself a writer and a walker/exerciser. Just one step at a time and I should get there!

It's not over. Perhaps it's just begun.

Wow! It's been awhile. Sorry about that. I'm here now. I have some stuff to write about. Some goals, some direction, not a plan though. Do I need one of those?

Well, summer is upon us. Boys are sleeping later, staying up later and eating on a very WONKY schedule. Actually at this moment Will isn't home. He hasn't been here for 4 days! Perhaps the longest 4 day so my life so far. He has been attending the Lonestar Leadership Academy in DFW but it feels like he is  a million miles away.

Nic has enjoyed being an only child for the week but I don't think anything special has happened because of this. I took him to lunch and to the library but I did the same with Will when Nic was in Houston a couple of weeks ago.

So the reason for getting back to blogging. Well, I guess I want to attempt again to document my journey through life. Things are racing by and I want to capture just a hint of it.

I'm on the cusp of 40. I am headed toward health and longevity. I am taking some steps toward physical health in the form of blood work, information, exercise, consults on hearing and the oft put off colonoscopy that is only 5 years overdue.

I am moving ahead as PTA President and Treasurer and am headed to Austin, TX next week to attend the Texas Summer Leadership Convention. I am learning and growing and changing and I'm happy. Really really happy. That is fun to say and I'm glad to be there.

The boys and I are departing on our first road trip for 2 solid weeks in 13 days. We are going to drive over 2500 miles and be in at least 8 states. It will be an adventure for sure and one I need to document.

In the past couple of years I have really let my scrapbooking lapse. I still buy stuff and create things occasionally but I need to put the memories and stories with the photos. Maybe getting back to the blog will help with the memories and stories part.

Okay, time to shuffle Nic off to bed and get my one more sleep before I get to see Will tomorrow. I miss my baby and having him away makes me so grateful for him and all that he adds to our family.