The Journey of 1000 Miles

The Secret of Diets

2010-08-09T11:47:00.003-04:00

These past three weeks in our household have been an adventure of food. Actually, it has been an adventure of LACK of food, as we are trying to trim our waists. So hubby and I have embarked on a Diet. It is a severe thing, doctor approved, with sub-lingual drops twice a day. I spent a lot of time researching this diet and many others. As the restrictive allowance stretched along I became more and more interested in foods and their makeup. So I have found that among diets, there is a common list of KILLER FOODS, which must be avoided at all costs forever and ever or you will blow up like a balloon and be the size of 3 people. I thought you would be interested to see the list:

1. Hot Dogs

2. Italian food of any type, especially Killer Pizza

3. Chinese food
4. Popcorn

It struck me as odd that my four favorite foods of all time were on the Kill Bill list, so to speak. I am not a sweets girl or a chocolate person, although a cupcake is probably the food I crave and enjoy the most, but this list embodies the foods I would choose over all others every day of my life, over and over again. This speaks to me on many levels. First, I will never be able to eat the yummiest foods I love the most again. Second, it is amazing that I have made it this far and do not weigh an enormous amount. Finally, it is vividly clear why I have never been able to loose weight before this, since eating less of the Killer Foods was still prohibitive. So, now I am NOT eating Killer Foods and happily losing weight. I suppose that I can think about how good the Killer Foods once tasted, and how I enjoyed them so, and then mourn the loss of them and move on to my melba toast. Yay, melba toast!!!

Mary's First Scrapbooking Day!

2010-08-03T13:45:00.000-04:00

Just Mama and Mary time this afternoon!

Scrapbooking in a digital world

2010-08-01T15:45:00.000-04:00

Jim got all of the technology working fabulously and now I have my own
little enclave on a Sunday afternoon. Here I have decided to make mini
albums for the girls called "I Love You Today Because..."

Leaving Orlando

2010-07-03T13:12:00.000-04:00

And the kids are done!

Downtown Disney

2010-06-30T18:08:00.000-04:00

Taking some downtime in downtown!

In Orlando

2010-06-30T13:31:00.000-04:00

You will find Universal Studios. There you will find the Harry Potter
adventure. There you will find Hogsmeade, and some tasty Butter Beer.
In Hogsmeade you will find Honeyduke's candy store. There you will
find chocolate frogs ans these:

Princesses!

2010-06-29T15:40:00.001-04:00

Teacups!

2010-06-29T10:28:00.000-04:00

On the way to the Magic Kingdom

2010-06-29T07:54:00.000-04:00

Bus rides usually aren't very much fun, but you can really feel the
excitement here!

Lunch under the sea

2010-06-28T14:41:00.000-04:00

Nemo's friends as dining pals

Parasol Parade

2010-06-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

Emma, Mary, Fiona straight from China

Adventure

2010-06-28T10:53:00.000-04:00

Daddy and his little princesses!

Princess #1

2010-06-28T09:29:00.001-04:00

Belle!

Hello, Disney!

2010-06-27T12:14:00.000-04:00

Miss Mary's Math

2010-04-24T18:02:00.001-04:00

One afternoon, the kids on the block spent the beautiful evening
running sprint races, trying to beat each other on their respective
bikes, rolling in the grass, having cartwheel competitions, and
generally being kids and having fun. Meanwhile, Mary had found a lone
piece of orange chalk. She spent the entire time drawing on the
driveway. It wasn't the usual hopscotch and sunshine. Mary had spent
40 minutes doing math problems. When she is an actuarian, I'm SO
telling her this story!!!

Emma's Art

2010-04-24T17:47:00.000-04:00

District art show-Emma's "Angry Guy" sun made the cut. So proud of my
first grader!!!

Lovely

2010-03-28T11:42:00.004-04:00

It is cold and rainy here in the upper Midwest, Internet, and I would like to share with you what I saw as I walked down the sidewalk. I saw a couple of little girls in colorful rainboots and umbrellas on their way to a friend's house. I saw a lady walking her dog. I saw a couple holding hands in the rain. I saw somebody jogging. I saw a man fertilizing his lawn. The air smelled like clothes dryers and wet earth and the rain made soft puddle sounds. I saw little buds of hope pushing through he saturated ground. I heard at least 5 different types of birds' songs echoing off the sides of the houses. All of this despite the wretched weather.

This is my neighborhood, and I love it.

Reason #151 ...

2010-03-13T12:52:00.000-05:00

Not to bring an elephant to lunch.

Things one finds under the table

2010-03-06T12:10:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when we go to a restaurant and Emma gets bored...

Happy 7th Birthday, Emma!!!

2010-03-03T20:16:00.001-05:00

Snow Day!!!

2010-02-22T09:26:00.000-05:00

Weird

2010-02-16T21:32:00.001-05:00

You might not be able to tell, but the yellows are the same. And it's
Seinfeld, which was never before seen on a flatscreen- this is the
fake reunion. We spent so many Thursday nights watching them that this
was just weird!

Wii!!!!!

2010-02-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

Just like the commercials! New Fit Plus has great stuff!

Webkinz

2010-02-10T09:38:00.000-05:00

Snowsuits so the pets don't get cold or wet.

Daisys

2010-01-21T18:48:00.001-05:00

At Daisy Scouts, making swap pins ( that's the troop leader, not me!)

Healthiest yummy sandwich EVER

2010-01-19T12:27:00.000-05:00

Turkey with spinach, sprouts, and advacado.... YUM!

Cleaning

2010-01-08T18:22:00.000-05:00

I love that Emma wants to help me when I clean!

A dog and his Snuggie

2010-01-04T19:07:00.001-05:00

Well, someone had to fill the void left behind once we all went back
to work and school. And, so that you know, he is Most Definitely Not
Allowed on the Couch. See how that works?!

Onward, ho!

2010-01-03T09:22:00.002-05:00

I am celebrating today in a sweatshirt. This is not just any sweatshirt; it is one that was bought on deep discount in June from the school where I was working on my Master's degree, in part because it was on deep discount and in part because the air conditioning in the lecture room could not be turned off and we were all blue with cold. How far away that day is now, in the coldest, darkest part of winter at a cool 9 degrees Fahrenheit, my Master's degree all completed, and the heat keeping us all toasting warm despite the weather. This is also not an ordinary sweatshirt because it is the sweatshirt I search out when I want a comfortable, cozy, happy day. That is the reason it is on today. I have come to love this sweatshirt and the way it feels. I searched out this sweatshirt with this exact feeling in mind.

This is significant because tomorrow I go back to work. There have been stressful times there, Internet, and it has little to do with the 175 teenagers I see every day. Hard to believe, isn't it? While every job has its stresses, we have gone through budget cuts, layoffs, pay cuts, new administration, extended hours and increased class sizes - all of this since the school year began. So, even though I love what I do, it is hard to get up some days and face it with a smile. Tomorrow, 5:30 will come all too early. However, always moving forward.

My husband has started putting walls up in the basement in an effort to organize some of our space. I am inordinately happy about this progress, and in a few days he has managed to close in a storage area, a place for a bathroom, and his workroom. We are storing some things for a family member and all of those things filled up the bathroom to be, which got them out of the main area and made me, well, inordinately happy. Anyhow, the bathroom is not going to be finished off in short order so I am happy it works out to hold the other things. A few pieces of drywall and I won't even know there are things stored downstairs!!! So, as the new year begins, I am thrilled that we are moving forward with some basement organization.

My daughters are plowing ahead. Mary is 5 and got a loose tooth for Christmas. She is thrilled! Emma, in an odd coincidence, discovered (on Christmas day, no less!) her adult tooth poking through to begin filling in the large gap she has right in front of her mouth. With the New Year, Emma's 7th birthday is right around the corner. Every day she looks more and more like someone else's kid and less and less like the baby I once had. It looks like saying goodbye too 2009 is akin to accepting the changes and challenges that are inherent in moving forward.

Today, for a minute, I am going to enjoy the last day of vacation. Sure, I've left some lesson plans to the last day - who wouldn't?? And yes, I have to go out into the freezing tundra to do some grocery shopping for the week. Tomorrow I will be glad to see my students and hear their stories about sleeping in and family meals and other fabulous tales of what we enjoy most about time off. I will be glad to laugh with my colleagues at the copier and in the hallway. I will smile to see my girls get off of the bus and recount what all of their friends got for Christmas. I will be happy to chat over dinner with the family about things that happened during the day while we were all at our separate lives. I will even be glad to put on my work clothes; the smooth dress pants, the fitted button down shirts, the pretty necklaces and matching earrings, and even the cute little heels that click on the tile floors. The Concordia sweatshirt from today will be relegated to the closet shelf for another, different kind of day. Tomorrow, I will need to be moving forward.

Welcome, 2010!

And Then There Were None,,,

2009-12-30T22:28:00.002-05:00

Today I unexpectedly took down my Christmas trees, stairway, mantle and hallway garland, and any vestigial decor that was put up with Christmas in mind. Unexpectedly, you say? I was more than willing to leave the mass of it up until the end of January, but in the end opportunity presented itself in the form of additional help and so we dove in. While I am immensely glad for the renewed space and cleaner look, I am also sad to see it go. This is new, Internet! I have never, EVER been sad to see it go! I am always just twitching around the edges to be able to vacuum in this corner and dust that mantle... so what is different?

It is my girls, my friends.

Emma is suddenly a little girl. Well, she has ALWAYS been a little Girl, but now she is a completely separate personality - becoming her own person, so to speak. Mary, too, is blazing her own path into autonomy. And suddenly, like no other time, I want everything to come to a screeching HALT. Taking down decorations only means that a New Year is starting. That bgets more birthdays and further subtle changes in the baby faces I once cherished. Oh! Those babies!!! That soft skin and gleam in their eyes! And yes, the poopy diapers and sleepless nights.. but those are nearly a blur now, here at 5 and 6 years old. I have forgotten the dragging and sludging through the baby and toddler years. Or maybe I am just afraid of the years to come. A bit nostalgic, a bit afraid. That is what makes up regret at moving forward.

But either way - here I am. The decorations are piled in the basement (labeled neatly and clearly, of course!), the cookies are all eaten (although I am determined to make just one more batch!), and the snow is falling lightly, erasing the traces of today and bringing us a clean slate on which to move forward. It's the letting go of today that is the hard part...

Spritz cookies!

2009-12-25T17:52:00.000-05:00

A cookie caulk gun, as Jim explains it, but a fun present!

Christmas card help

2009-12-21T17:40:00.001-05:00

Christmas pics

2009-12-20T19:57:00.001-05:00

Because Science is AWESOME, no matter where you do it!

2009-12-06T16:26:00.002-05:00

There are things about me you may or may not know. Things like, I used to hate all forms of pink, but now I will wear it just because I get so many compliments. Or, I've always wanted to play the violin because one of my best friends in High School played it and later I discovered that my grandparents met BECAUSE of the violin! Lastly, that same High School friend is the most brilliant person I know and does fabulous Homeschooling things with her children. Once a year, she calls on that old friendship forged over cafeteria lunches, boy issues, and 9th grade biology class to do a bit of lip service to the incredible people who support her in her quest to educate the young with her bare hands. So, read on, Internet, to discover more about these intrepid businesses that are willing to give a hand to homeschoolers! And here is what Lydia wrote:

Thank you to the following homeschool-friendly businesses for supporting the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair and the young scientists of Hampton Roads!

Green Olive Tree is an internet company based in Portsmouth, Virginia and owned and operated by a homeschooling family. They offer a broad range of internet services, from reliable web hosting to corporate infrastructure solutions and server administration.

SKS Science supplies homeschoolers and other educators with all the science supplies you need to turn your dining room table into a proper laboratory. Browse their site for test tubes, bottles, face masks and other lab supplies and books.

Book Exchange is the largest used bookstore in Eastern Virginia. Unlike most musty and confusing used stores, this one is clean, bright, inviting, and has a huge selection of used homeschool books. There's always an interesting curriculum find on these shelves!

Folkmanis Puppets makes the most delightful animal puppets available outside Santa's workshop. Meet their most unusual creations like llamas, Chinese dragons, ostriches, flying squirrels. Unusual materials create realistic textures, and they all move in very realistic ways. Irresistible.

The Happy Scientist, Robert Krampf, hosts an online wonderland for budding scientists. With online science lessons, experiments to try at home, a science photo of the day, and new content added all the time, you'll love setting your kids loose on this site.

Mad Science is Hampton Roads' premier provider of science enrichment classes for children. Summer classes include "Crazy Chemistry" and a space camp developed with NASA! New homeschool science classes are being offered in Norfolk and VA Beach, with more planned for fall.

Moore Expressions is a homeschool bookstore in Virginia Beach, VA. They sell used and new homeschooling curriculum, host a support group, and publish a newsletter called the Bayith Educator. They are the premier source for homeschooling books in the Hampton Roads area.

Norfolk Karate Academy offers classes in Tang Soo Do (Korean karate) and Gracie Jiu Jitsu (Brazilian grappling and self-defense). With classes for children, teens, and adults, it's a great way for anyone to get in shape and kick things in a socially acceptable way!

Brooks Systems offers standalone software and web applications that check legal compliance in all municipalities in all fifty states, and create truth-in-lending documents for residential lenders. Using Brooks for your automated mortgage compliance, you can be sure your loans are safe.

Virginia Air and Space Center was host to the homeschool science fair this year, and delivered awesome science classes for homeschoolers from their education department. The VASC is the educator resource center for the NASA Langley Research Center.

Feild trip

2009-12-05T10:32:00.000-05:00

Girl Scout day at Natural History Museum

Holidays are here!

2009-11-28T20:10:00.000-05:00

Getting Ready...

2009-11-26T13:03:00.000-05:00

I made those!!!

All I Want for Christmas....

2009-11-20T17:31:00.000-05:00

Halloween Dance

2009-10-23T19:05:00.000-04:00

Snow Fairy, Fall Fairy, and Indiana James dress up for the Daddy-
Daughter dance.

Puppy Love

2009-10-13T16:28:00.000-04:00

Emma's best friend.

Emma's Book

2009-10-08T19:16:00.001-04:00

Emma dominates Daisy's with the book she is writing and a friend is
illustrating.

Homework

2009-09-28T19:16:00.001-04:00

She wasn't smiling until she knew I was taking a picture.

Lesson Day

2009-09-26T10:27:00.001-04:00

Emma and her fabulous teacher.

Fish department

2009-09-05T14:43:00.000-04:00

Impromptu teachable moment at Meijer's.

Sisters

2009-08-20T20:10:00.001-04:00

Watching Daddy

Family walk

2009-08-20T19:48:00.000-04:00

Going to violin lessons

2009-08-20T15:58:00.000-04:00

Fish

2009-08-07T09:54:00.000-04:00

Mary showing Marlin all of her fish as Emma looks on.

Where in the world?

2009-08-05T12:43:00.001-04:00

Mary's got a clue...

At the Natural History Museum

2009-08-05T11:38:00.001-04:00

One of the girl's favorite places to go.

For Mum (so Im told)

2009-08-03T13:41:00.000-04:00

Mary on the carousel

Greenfeild Village

2009-08-03T11:35:00.000-04:00

Requisite fountain pic.

Day's End

2009-08-01T21:21:00.000-04:00

Characters

2009-08-01T13:49:00.000-04:00

Mary/Emma

On the way to the art fair...

2009-08-01T13:43:00.000-04:00

Jim became a Prince for Snow White while the girls played Dwarves.

Carnival

2009-07-29T20:18:00.000-04:00

Roller coaster at Harbor Days festival.

Sand Dune Results

2009-07-29T16:08:00.000-04:00

Out cold!

Maritime museum

2009-07-29T15:01:00.000-04:00

Sleeping Bear point

Sleeping Bear Point

2009-07-29T14:21:00.000-04:00

Lake Michigan

Day 2

2009-07-28T11:08:00.000-04:00

Beach and coast guard festival day.

Travel girls

2009-07-27T12:39:00.000-04:00

Arrived in Grand Haven. Heading to Michigan Adventures next!

Road Trip

2009-07-27T09:57:00.001-04:00

Passing thru Lansing

Riding

2009-07-25T15:42:00.001-04:00

On our way home from a birthday party.

Choices

2009-07-24T14:37:00.001-04:00

Nemo

2009-07-22T21:54:00.001-04:00

New Nemo (and his reflection) for Mary's fish tank.

Birthday Dinner

2009-07-21T18:14:00.001-04:00

Our 5 year old birthday girl!!!

Teacher Camp

2009-07-17T12:31:00.000-04:00

American Materials Society camp for science teachers at U of M.

In U of M Bell Tower

2009-07-17T12:20:00.000-04:00

North campus with the bells.

Making nylon

2009-07-17T10:02:00.000-04:00

The beaker holds liquid.

Material Science Camp

2009-07-15T11:10:00.000-04:00

Harold the glass blower at U of M.

Material Science techer "camp"

2009-07-13T08:31:00.000-04:00

U of M north campus, where I will be spending the week.

Nemo, completed!!!

2009-07-10T14:03:00.000-04:00

Thought about making bubbles but I don't have the right tip. Or the
right patience! So it is DONE!

Nearly Nemo

2009-07-10T08:56:00.000-04:00

Just have the fins to frost!

Nemo in progress

2009-07-09T12:50:00.000-04:00

You looking at me, kid?

The building of a Nemo cake

2009-07-09T09:01:00.000-04:00

The paper templates with a football shaped cake under the body. Now to
bake fins!

Writing

2009-07-08T10:09:00.001-04:00

How many cups of frothy tea does it take to write a paper?

Bike ride

2009-07-07T15:58:00.001-04:00

Going to get ice cream.

New hair!

2009-06-30T11:52:00.001-04:00

Emma's new do!

Sticky bun fun

2009-06-27T16:33:00.000-04:00

Mary and Mum at IKEA

Lab cleanup Part 2

2009-06-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

Organized

What I did on summer vacation...

2009-06-17T19:20:00.001-04:00

Chemical inventory day part 1.

Tragic consequences

2009-06-17T19:18:00.000-04:00

What happens when people fight over who gets the pink bowl. Yes,
that's scrambled eggs on the table.

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

2009-06-14T17:33:00.000-04:00

At Red Robin with the family.

Going to a Party!

2009-06-13T14:24:00.001-04:00

Emma's Betrothed

2009-06-05T15:05:00.000-04:00

Lucas and Emma outside of school. Emma has talked about her
"boyfriend" all year long, detailing elaborate plans for dates to the
movies and the beach. For a while he "called" her every night on the
toy cell phone to make plans. Here you can see the little flower in
Lucas's hand that Emma dug out of her backback to give to him.

Emma

2009-06-05T14:47:00.001-04:00

Kindergarten end of year celebration. That hat is a flower hat they all made for the "Flower Song" they sang when we came- I loved how it matched her dress. As Emma put it, they got to go "UP STAGE"!!!!

Fishbowl

2009-06-02T20:44:00.001-04:00

Nemo's new fishbowl is a princess teapot. I don't think Disney ever
foresaw that combination.

Fountain at Greenfield Village

2009-05-25T12:46:00.000-04:00

Lunch!

2009-05-25T12:06:00.000-04:00

On our way to Greenfield Village we stopped at a fun Burger King.

Garden Helper

2009-05-23T13:39:00.000-04:00

In a fashionable bathing suit!

Sweet Snack

2009-05-17T16:03:00.001-04:00

Mary is thrilled with her chocolate covered cone!

At lunch

2009-05-16T12:24:00.000-04:00

Ikea!

Reflecting

2009-05-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

Commencement Day!

Easter Cookie

2009-04-12T14:17:00.000-04:00

The girls were very proud of the cookies they decorated yesterday.

Mary

2009-04-04T17:18:00.000-04:00

Mary meets a little lamb, fleece as white as snow...

Easter bunny!

2009-04-04T13:01:00.000-04:00

Treat Time

2009-04-03T16:35:00.000-04:00

Mary/Mama time.

Playing

2009-04-02T18:10:00.000-04:00

Sweet sisters swinging

Lovely Ladies

2009-03-23T18:30:00.000-04:00

Dress up!

Shopping

2009-03-21T12:58:00.000-04:00

Spring dresses in style!