Once again, she captured some great shots of the kids. If you are looking for family photos, she is worth checking out! If you book with her, please use my name as a reference!
It's the final countdown for summer. Regent’s exam week. Proctoring hell. I already finished my end of the year paperwork since today only had morning exams scheduled. It's going to be a long two weeks. I still have to create next year's student schedules but I can't even touch that until the master schedule is completed. I had my best running time for a four mile run (9:48 avg pace). I felt pretty good about that. I have a five mile run tomorrow and seven miles on Saturday, with some three milers sprinkled in between. Laurel is meeting me tomorrow morning for our five miles. All of this running for a 15k race I'm not even participating in. Laurel and I talked about moving ahead to a half marathon training plan after this. It's only a few more miles. There is a half marathon in Rochester in September, that both Laurel and Emily are urging me to do, but really, I'm not sure I could do it anxiety wise. I'm a freak, what can I say? There's also one in Lake Placid that seems MUCH more intriguing. What's not to like in Lake Placid, except for some hills? There's also a half marathon scheduled in Syracuse the same weekend...lots to think about. I'm considering it.
The end of the school year is near...just fifteen and a half days left! I end the year at noon on the 25th. Yes, I count the final days, just like the students. You must be kidding yourself if you don't think teachers are as excited for summer break as the students. Actually, I'm might even be more excited than some because I don't work during the summer. If you ask me what my summer plans are, I'll tell you, "Playing with my kids." Lydia will be going to her pre-k summer program for 3 half days, along with a week of vacation bible camp through our church, and a 4-day camping trip with mom at CampCasawaso! Jonny will have the excitement of hanging with mom all summer. My father is coming in for a visit in July and he'll be able to join us for the annual Fine camping trip our family takes with my brother's family. I'm really excited about that since dad is the reason we started taking that annual trip!
My running is going well. I started training for a 15k with my friend Laurel, even though I have no intention of running the Boilermaker Race with her. Actually, the race is the weekend I'll be out of town on our Fine camping trip. We should also quietly ignore the fact that I hate racing. I have terrible racing anxiety so it makes completing a race absolutely no fun at all. I should really try another race, just to see if I still have the anxiety. I did enlist my friend Emily (the PE teacher I run with a couple times a week) to run 15k with me. I still want to run the distance but I want someone with me so I don't crap out and walk some of it. It's so easy to do when running alone and no one is looking. I love my runs with Laurel and Emily. I'm glad I started the Learn to Run clinic with my mommy group because I would have never met my new running friends. Thanks Laurel, Cheryl, Mary, Kien, and Kiersten!
I have mastered the yogurt making but honestly haven't made the bread in a few weeks. I need to get another batch going. It made some fabulous naan bread for the chicken gyros I made a few weeks back. With our recent diet change, Pete has lost 18 pounds and he looks fantastic. Cutting out processed foods makes a huge difference.
Jonny update: He's working on his 8th tooth. I wish it would hurry up because it has made for some cranky nights and tired parents. The boy army crawls forward and backward, and scoots on his butt. He still won't crawl. His personality is coming out. I originally thought he was going to have a much calmer and quieter disposition than Lydia, but the more he expresses himself, the more like his sister he actually is! The other night he woke and just started babbling. I swear he was complaining about his tooth. I think he said, "Ma, I just wish this darn tooth would come in and stop bothering me. I want to sleep!" Lydia update: She LOVES her gymnastics class and has the body strength to actually do really well at it. The girl is so stinkin' strong. You should see her on a playground. She can pull herself right up to the top of a fireman's pole. She can hang with the best of them on the monkey bars or parallel bars. She is amazing. I am so excited to spend the summer with her. We're going to have a blast.
Pete update: He is attending his St. Bonaventure College reunion this weekend. He is really excited to see his friends again, especially his friend Nevin who is traveling from England for the reunion. He fishes when he can but I think the season is quieting down a bit for the summer. He loves to take Lydia fishing and they have been out as a twosome a few times this spring.
I'll end with a few recent photos~ Summertime is near!!
Right now Lydia has raised $305 in donations for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital! Check out her page. If you donated, you should see your name in the donation name scroll. It's not too late to donate! Thank you to all who have donated to such a great cause!
Oh, by the way, Petar also passed his second broker test! He is very relieved that it's done and out of the way now. I will admit that I thought he looked very cute being all studious when he was preparing for his test.
Today I made a sandwich on it. It was freaking good! I found the bread recipe on one of the many blogs I visit and ended up ordering this cookbook.
I couldn't believe how easy it was to make! I did the whole wheat recipe which, at first bite, Lyds rejected, but is now eating it since she has watched everyone else in the family, including Jonny, eat it. I think she figures, if it's good enough for Jonny, then it must be good enough for her! It's dense bread however, so I think I'm going to lighten up the next batch with some unbleached bread flour. I imagine that's why Lydia didn't care for it at first.
I am continuing with the yogurt making and added some dry milk to the skim milk to thicken it up a bit. It helps but it still isn't as smooth as Pete's mother's yogurt. I'm guessing that must be the difference between the skim and whole milk recipes. I'm going to make it with 2% milk tonight to see how that comes out...along with a new batch of bread dough! I'm really getting into this 'clean eating' and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I made some chocolate banana "ice cream" using frozen, sliced bananas, milk, and cocoa powder.
I am just about finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It's a great book. It's well written and quite intriguing. I learned about her book from Michael Pollan's, In Defense of Food. As I'm reading these books, I'm learning about other books on similar topics. It's been a nice cycle of self-learning.
One of the best results of our new eating habits is Pete losing 15 pounds! He decided to make his change after watching the Food Inc documentary with me. He looks fantastic!
Lydia is participating in a Trike-A-Thon on May 22nd to raise money to help St. Jude Children's Research Hospital find new treatments for cancer, sickle cell and other diseases. You too can help St. Jude continue its life-saving work against pediatric diseases with your donation. Check back often and see her progress. Thanks for helping her reach her goal for the kids of St. Jude!
I went for a nice neighborhood run on Sunday. It made me feel like I'm getting my running groove back. I was a little worried it wasn't going to come back after the pregnancy.
Jonny is mad teething again, which makes for sleepless nights. Apparently, I didn't even realize I was hitting the 4am snooze until 5am....thanks Jonny. Since I have found my running groove, I am not complaining of my missed morning workout. I'll just have to get a quick run in at 3pm. Hopefully, I can dodge the rain that the sky looks to be promising at some point today.
We had a really nice family day yesterday...a picnic in the park, some pond fishing, and a walk along an Erie Canal trail. We finished with a stop for ice cream on the way home.
I made an attempt to make my own yogurt. It didn't come out too badly. It doesn't look as smooth as a store yogurt, but it does taste just as good as the store bought plain yogurt. I brought some with sliced strawberries for lunch today. I make mine with skim milk and I read that adding some dry milk to it, helps with consistency. I'm going to pick some up today and try it with the next batch I make. I don't sweeten mine but you can. I just do the plain because I like to use it to cut the mayo when I make salads, or as a sour cream, or even just sweeten the plain a little with sugar and vanilla to add as a topping to a fruit crumble. I have found so many amazing ways to use Greek yogurt that it really makes sense to start making my own. The store bought variety is expensive! I'm going to try making some yogurt cheese next.
Ah, the nice weather! It snowed on Wednesday. Granted it was only for a few minutes, but it snowed! Today we were close to 80.
This morning I had a lovely run along OnondagaLakePark trail. Afterward, I hit the Regional Farmer's Market for our weekly produce supply. I also bought some more meat from Sweet Grass Farm. We are set for groceries for the week, minus a few miscellaneous items I'll need to get at the grocery store.
We went to our neighbor Andy's (and Melanie) surprise 30th birthday party. Lyds had a blast playing with all the kids. It was a great day for an outdoor party.
Tomorrow I'm going to get in a neighborhood run instead of heading to the gym. I want to enjoy the nice day, ignoring the chance of rain in the forecast. If the rain holds off, we'll probably head to the park after church. Lydia was a little perturbed we didn't go to the park after the birthday party, even though she just finished swinging and playing with kids for two hours. Is it even possible to satisfy a 4 year old's need to play?
That's my teaching assistant. We celebrated her 60th birthday earlier this April. I made her wear a red hat for the "Red Hat Society." I've been working with her since February 1998. She certainly earned the surprise party I planned for her. I invited her husband, which she didn't expect. Nancy was truly surprised!
Jonny is now the proud owner of six teeth! WOW! His two eyeteeth have finally broken through and have given him some relief from the teething pain. Lydia is testing some new limits and has seemed to enter the dramatic temper tantrum stage. The drama from last night could have earned her an Academy Award! Perhaps I should have signed her up for drama instead of tumbling!
We had a nice Easter weekend. I'm really enjoy the holidays and love being able to experience them through a 4 year old's eyes. It's magical. I made homemade pierogis and bought some real kielbasa from Park Ave. There is nothing like good kielbasa. Actually, between then and now, Pete found a local deli that sells the same exact kielbasa right up the road from us! It will be easier to get than I thought!
After that nice bout of warm weather in early April, it's been a whirlwind of weather ever since. Warm days, cold days, windy days, rainy days. It even snowed for a few minutes on Wednesday this week! It's been crazy weather!
I'm hosting a Couch to 5k meetup with my mommy group. We're meeting twice a week. It's very similar to the Learn to Run clinic that I took a couple years ago using run/walk intervals and gradually building up the running interval, until you are able to run for 30 minutes. The girls seem to be enjoying it thus far and it's nice to get out and run with them a couple times a week. I also just started running with a PE teacher I work with. She has a small group of girls that run after school twice a week. They're not very fast, which is perfect for my turtle running pace and it was nice to run the whole time, minus the big hill that's on their route.
My diet has changed significantly in the past few weeks. I've been doing some reading and information gathering on "Clean Eating." I also watched the documentary Food Inc. that has forever changed the way that I view the meat industry. It's amazing and if you haven't watched it yet, you should. I have some books from the library on clean eating, as well as some more books on our food system (how it's processed, factory farming, etc.). The librarian must think I'm a nut, or possibly studying extensively to be some sort of nutritionist! If I ever decided to change professions, I'm sure it wouldn't surprise anyone that I would pick something in nutrition or fitness.
Pete has been studying for the past few weeks to for his Federal and State Mortgage Broker tests. They have established new guidelines and now the brokers must take and pass these exams to maintain their license. He has one test tomorrow and the other next week. Good luck honey!
Happy Spring! We had some nice weather recently, however, I am going to ignore that my car thermometer said 28 degrees this morning. There's no snow and it will warm up again. Right outside my window, I see a tree with some green buds just starting to show. Spring is near, despite the cold today.
Self Challenge: I'm back on track and going strong this week. I had a very lenient last week, with all the birthday celebrating going on...
...and what a great birthday it was! I am happily 39, content with where I am in my life. My thirties have been very good to me. The first couple years were rough but led me to a great crossroads in my life. Some good things resulted from some the bad, and for that I am thankful for the lessons I learned. It led me to my wonderful husband, with two healthy and spunky kids, living in a nice home in the suburbs. I think the only thing we're missing is two cats in the yard. Frankly, I've always asked why two cats would be in the yard anyway? The lyrics to that song should be kids, and those I have. :)
Lydia has decided that ballet AND tap were too much. She said she was "tired" and only wanted to do ballet. The next session for ballet is full so we're going to try a tumbling class instead. If she likes tumbling, we'll stick to that, otherwise, we'll go back to ballet, and I'll make sure we get registered early enough this time!
Jonathan is the proud owner of four teeth now. I think he's grown a few inches too. It truly seems like he added a couple of inches overnight. Last night Pete and I were marveling at how long he is now. We swore he was going to jump his way right out of his jumperoo. He is making a lot of sounds, discovering squeals and screeches. He even does this fake cough that he thinks is pretty hysterical.
Easter is around the corner so the Easter festivities have begun. I still have to get the house decorated this weekend. Lyds is very impressed that the "Easter Bunny comes at night, when we are sleeping, just like Santa!" This evening we have a mommy group Easter party at one of the bouncy places. Bouncing, pizza, and an Easter egg hunt. What could be more fun? Tomorrow we have another egg hunt at one of the local parks. Hopefully it warms up a bit for it. Lydia also has a "Safety First" (stranger danger) seminar to go to. She is one busy girl.
I'm having a hard time with people telling me not to lose more weight. I am 141 and my goal, which is reasonable for my height and bone structure, is 130. I seem to take that comment personally. I lost this pregnancy weight (Lydia) the first time around with Weight Watchers, and while I was eating fairly healthy then, I am actually eating healthier now, incorporating more whole foods and eating less processed food. I stopped buying "diet" foods because most of those have added sugar and chemicals in them, which mess up your metabolism. Do I eat processed foods still? Yes, I am human after all.
I have yo-yoed with my weight since my early twenties. I remember seeing a photo of me when I first realized I had gained about 20 pounds. I did the gym, I dieted, and up until I started Weight Watchers, I probably wasn't that healthy about it. At the same time, I never really ever lost the weight. I just lost, gained, lost, and gained. I had a nice thin period that I call the divorce diet, but that didn't last once I met my current husband and became happy again. (Thanks a lot honey.)
Since I am currently "dieting," I work on teaching my children about being healthy so they can have a good relationship with food and exercise. I hate the word diet and I push "being healthy" at home. Lydia knows that she has to eat healthy food before she can have junk food. She actually prefers apple slices to fries with her happy meal. Yes, we eat at McDonald's. She likes to "workout." On occasion, she will eat a Boston Cream doughnut with mom at the kitchen table. We share the love for the same doughnut. It really is all about balance.
So now, I'm on my last venture to lose weight (thanks Jonny) and I intend to keep it off this time around. Weight Watchers gave me the tools to know how to do it successfully this time. I have read a few books that gave me insight to how food choices affect your body, which has taught me how to make better choices with what I do eat. I can ensure you that I do eat. I eat three balanced meals a day, with snacks. I don't eat like a bird. I eat real meals. Trust me, my non-breakfast eating friends can tell you how I tell them breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Do I count calories? Yes, loosely, so I can make conscious decisions about my food. I try not to eat mindlessly. I have a nice balance at the gym. I go most days of the week, but I'm not a freak about it. I'm at the gym for an hour or so at a time. I don't feel like I'm a failure if I don't go. I learned that it is key for me to workout in the morning if I intend to make it to the gym that day.
So for those that tell me I don't need to lose any more weight~ Thank you for thinking I look good, but really, when you say that to me, I feel that you are saying that you don't think I am healthy and you don't think I have a handle on my weight loss. Ironically, I am healthier than I've ever been in my life. I don't think of myself as being on a diet. I am exercising and making healthy balanced food choices, all within a very reasonable calorie range. I know what my body is capable of and what I can maintain in lifelong terms. I promise you that I intend to annoy you with healthy living tips for a very, very long time.
I think I found a project for myself in the next week. I have the perfect wall in the kitchen, with a great view from the family playroom to make this great chalkboard! Lyds, and eventually Jon, will just love this. I like the chair rail boarder too. This is a fun blog to follow too. She has some really creative home projects!
I will get a workout in today. Working out is NOT optional. I have a treadmill at home so if I can't use the fitness center at work later today, I can use my treadmill and weights at home. I will get a workout in today. Working out is NOT optional. I have a treadmill at home so if I can't use the fitness center at work later today, I can use my treadmill and weights at home. I will get a workout in today...
Food has been going well. I'm reading The Beck Diet Solution...the cognitive approach to weight loss and maintenance. It's has some good tips, especially if diets have failed you in the past. It's not about the diet, it's your approach. It's a good read. Go check it out from your local library...and while you're at it, also check out Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. I haven't had diet soda since reading that book. It has certainly changed my view on "diet" foods. I won't be following the plan exactly as the book described, but it will change my approach to my food choices and the things I put in my body.
I'm also giving myself a 6-week challenge to get buff arms. A fellow blogger developed her arms after a leg injury that kept her from her regular workouts. I want buff arms too. I had them once, I'll have them again. I just need to dedicate some strength training to them. Six weeks brings me to mid-April which is just in time for some nice springy arm showing shirts!
Good lord this has been a long week. I was going to say, "Another week gone," thinking that I hadn't written since last week (excluding the photography entries), but it's only been three days. I guess that must mean it really has felt like a long week.
Self Challenge: Still going strong. I'm logging my food and workouts. I need to get my mornings together and get to the gym earlier so I can include the strength training. I'm having trouble getting my strength in because I'm only getting to the gym early enough to include my one hour of cardio. My food has been mostly good. I'm staying on track better than I had been. I think this challenge was the kick in the pants I needed to lose the final weight.
Jonny: Still teething like a mad, cranky babe.
Lydia: Still wants to be 16. "Mom, when I’m 16 I can take a school bus, but that's a long, long time away." She said this as she spotted a yellow school bus on the drive to preschool. I had to giggle to myself because I'm thinking, "When you're 16, you won't want to take the school bus anymore because you'll want to drive." Lydia wants to picnic in the park this weekend. Yes, she wants to picnic in the snow. I'm thinking we'll have to find a compromise. Eating in the snow does not appeal to me. Perhaps I can convince her, a picnic in the family room, to be good enough.
Petar: Going snowmobiling this weekend. Hopefully it stays cold enough so the snow doesn't melt on him.
Me: I have another "Mom's Night Out" tonight! Guitar Hero. Ha. That should be a funny sight. I'll have to remember to get a photo or two. I am not musically inclined and I will pretty much stink at it. Four of the girls I usually hang out with will be going. It should be a fun night!
I had an eye exam earlier this week. I have a new prescription so I ordered a new pair of glasses and sunglasses. I was really ready for new style sunglasses so I'm excited. They're ready to pick up today. I'll have to take a few pictures of the new glasses. They actually told me I needed a mild bifocal for reading. Yikes. They did say that I could wait on it since it is so mild so I did. Boy, do no-line bifocals add to the cost of your lenses! They want to see me every year now, instead of every two.
We have an incredibly busy week next week~ dance, car appointment, pediatrician for shots, a play date, and a hair appointment and massage (my birthday gift). 12 more days until my birthday. I think I'm the only one my age that still acts like they're two when it comes to their birthday...and I'll be 39 this year. Happily, I am not someone that turns 29 for the next 20 years.
Go to the link and put in Bojlevski for the password. (It is case sensitive.) She really has a nice gig here. You can view the slide show and order directly on the site. Very convenient!
Nice work Cyndi!
Most are photos you've already seen but there are a few new ones in the slide show.
Here are a few more from Jon's photography session last week! I love them! I will be a tough decision choosing which photos to order.
Her blog link is below if you wanted to visit her blog or get more info on her photography or comment on any of the photos!
If you decide to have some photos done with her, please use my name as a referral. What's really nice is that she comes right to your house to shoot the photos. Her prices run similar to the last photographer I used, which seems to be the typical rate for photographers with this style.
Jonny's second tooth is starting to break through which has made for some long days and nights with an unsettled boy. Poor little guy. I thought we were golden since he really didn't fuss when the first one broke through, but it looks like we are not so golden with this particular tooth. I am very tired today.
It's March! Woo hoo. My birthday month. I won't make my goal weight by my birthday--it was a lofty dream, but I have lost 3 pounds since starting the Self Challenge. I am motivated because there are still a few pieces of prepregnancy clothes that are a wee bit tight. I will get there, just not by March 17th. The good news is that I will get there before the warm weather strikes!
Speaking of warm weather...Pete was all excited with the snow that we had last week, only to be disappointed with the above 30 degree weather that followed. He got back into a bit of snowmobiling this winter. I was excited for the snow because we had two snow days out of it! Seriously, teachers get just as excited as students about snow days.
Lyds and Grandma Lenga made Lydia and Jonny snow people this weekend. They were very, very cute. Lydia always has a grand time with her grandma.
