GIVING IN TO THE PRESSURE

The demand and pressure has been great to post an updated picture of myself. So here it is. (the expression says it all - I wasn't feeling well this morning.) I'm almost half way to my goal weight. New weight and inches lost will be posted on Monday. This is one of the new shirts I bought. I was feeling quite self conscious, but Brian literally pulled my sweater off me before I went to work. I got a lot of compliments at work - people are really starting to notice a change.

By the way - this pair of new jeans is already starting to become loose on me. Hooray! Maybe I should have titled this post "Bragging Rights!"

OF COURSE THEY TAKE AFTER ME!

Judging from the title you can probably guess I am talking about our kids and their report cards. LOL. Today was report card conferences at school. Seeing that we work there we conference with the teachers all the time, but today we got their report cards. Everything was as I expected. They are certifiable geniuses. Naomi had almost straight A's. Gym was her lowest mark (1% below an A), I think this may have been due to the headaches she has been struggling with this year. Math - 93%, L.A. - 93%, Writing - 95%, Science - 92%, Socials - 91%, computers - 95%,Kaska - 94%, and P.E. - 85%. All her percentages were up so nothing to complain about there. I know it is obvious from this report that she is just like her Mom. Hannah also did well. She doesn't really care about school, but she still managed to get all A's and B's. I am really proud of her, all her marks have shown improvement. Josh also brought home a wonderful report. He has a real mix of A's and B's too. All his academic subjects are A's (except writing) and things like Art and planning he has B's. So, they are all doing very well at school. Tomorrow both Naomi and Hannah have math tests. So, we will see if they make the 80% mark or end up spending more quality time with us every evening.

Here's a little story just to prove that they take after me. The other day Brian wanted some Tums. I had just given the last one from the bathroom cupboard to Josh though. But I was sure we had some more. Brian wasn't so sure. "I am sure there are no more," he said convincingly. The next day we were at the store and he said "be sure to buy some more Tums." I dutifully did this and we brought them home. Later that day he went to get changed and guess what he found in his cupboard in the exact spot he keeps his watch - a full bottle of tums. Ha! Ha! We had a good laugh. But the best was yet to come. The next day Josh was looking for something in the box I keep all the medicine in. Guess what he found? Another bottle full of Tums. Maybe we should just open a drug store or something.

DREAMIN'

Just thought I would share a little dream I have. Wouldn't it be great to look like this???

TAKING A LOOK BACK IN TIME

I was looking through some old photos today and I came across these.

Here I am in grade 6. I am the one with the striped socks in the front row.

Now, let's take a jump ahead 6 years to my graduation. (Sorry it's such a big jump, all my other photos are at my parents or in the hands of my sister.)

Here are my parents looking very spiffy!

Here I am with my brother and sisters.

Those really take us back a few years don't they.

HOORAY! I'M OVERWEIGHT!!!

Now, I am sure you are all wondering why I would cheer at that. But I have gone from being obese (over 30% body fat) to just being overweight. According to a couple different websites I have anywhere between 27 & 28 % body fat now. It's getting there. Hey, when you are looking at losing so much weight, you have to enjoy every little accomplishment.

MORE MAYHEM AT MY HOUSE

Recently we have had a little excitement around our house. A new pet tried to adopt us, but we had to be cruel and do away with him.

Here is the real meanie with his "trophy".

A close up of our "pet".

Actually, I was the one who bought the traps and said we must do something. There is a funny story with this. I have been hearing "noises" at night for about a month now. But no one else heard them, so I thought that maybe I was just hearing things. Then about a week ago Brian heard it. On Thursday morning (I want to say Wednesday night because it was 4:00 in the morning) I heard this scampering sound. I got up, totally fearful that a huge rat would run over my feet, and whipped open the closet door, but the sound stopped and I couldn't see anything. So, I went back to bed. About 45 minutes later I heard it again. I got up and went to the closet, but didn't open the door. Then I was yelling "Brian, there's something in the closet and it's freaking me out." He jumped out of bed, grabbed the flashlight and whipped open the closet door. Nothing! So, he started looking around for evidence and found mouse poop. Ewww! I don't mind saying it sounded like a massive 20 pound rat in the middle of the night. Anyways, the problem seems to be dealt with, now I can sleep in peace. Today is the day of doing a massive clean-up in my room.

Now for some other news. We have been getting out of school early all week because the native language teachers were at a seminar. So, to make sure the teachers all got their prep time, the students were sent home at 2:40 every day. This past week I came home and when I walked in the door thought "what is that funny smell?" I didn't have to wonder long. When I walked in the kitchen I found 4 girls in the middle of colouring their hair.

Hannah went with a real red colour - it picked up great in her streaks. Here she is after they played with their new curlers.

Naomi had a beautiful auburn colour before and decided to dye it dark brown. She said she will probably dye it back in a few weeks. Her friends attacked her and put the curlers in her hair. I must tell you - I have tried curling her hair many, many times before and let's just say she is destined to have straight hair, it just doesn't hold a curl.

NEWS WORTHY ITEMS

Yesterday ended up being a very interesting day. The old, abandoned house (aka walmart from when we were working on our house) beside us came down yesterday. They have been working on it for a while, but yesterday was the big day. There was a big cat there with the scoop bucket thingy on the front just pulling up to the house when we came home from work at about 3:30. They started pulling it apart at about 4:00 and were done by about 8:30. It was amazing to watch. It looked like a big t-rex devouring it's prey. They had a huge fire to burn everything. Actually the fire is still going strong this morning. It looks a little strange with a big empty space there. But on the bright side (my kids hate this one), I can keep an eye on them when they are at the big toy or the swings with their friends.

Hannah is going to Whitehorse with a group from school. Tim, the local pastor, is taking 6 kids to a workshop on drugs and alcohol. It is put on by the Whitehorse PARTY program (prevent alcohol and risk related trauma in youth). It is basically a way to educate students about the consequences of drinking and driving, and other risky behaviour. I am really excited that Hannah gets to go. I think that the best weapon anyone can have is knowledge. I want my kids to be fully aware of the consequences of certain behaviour. They are at the age where they are making their own decisions more and more. So far we haven't had any problems at all with our kids. They are not interested in smoking, drinking or drugs. They all have great friends that are not interested in that stuff either. Anyways, Hannah will be leaving on Sunday and returning Tuesday night.

I have started going to the gym. They have a workout room in the youth centre that I can use for free. I talked to the guy who runs it and he said I could go anytime and that he would keep the door locked so the kids couldn't come in. So, I've started taking Naomi and Josh with me. Both of them have been getting sick a lot, so I want to get them more active. It is a great thing to do together too. They have a t.v. and satellite dish there too, so we put that on while we are on the bikes or the treadmill. The government has just donated money through the diabetes awareness program for them to buy new equipment. So far there are 2 new treadmills, a gazelle machine and they have ordered a new universal gym. After Easter they are going to start a ladies workout time, so I will probably go to that. The really good news is that my inches are still going down. I lost another 2 1/2", for a total of 17 1/4".

A LITTLE ADVICE

I came across this on Sparkpeople and thought it might be something useful to print, enlarge (a lot), and post on the fridge or other prominent place. LOL.

It is entitled:

"A MAN'S GUIDE TO WORDS WOMEN USE"

1. FINE - This is the word women use to end an arguement when they are right and you need to shut up.

2. FIVE MINUTES - If she is getting dressed this means 1/2 an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3. NOTHING - The calm before the storm...This means something and you should be on your toes. Arguements that begin with "nothing" usually end in "fine".

4. GO AHEAD - This is a dare NOT permission. Don't do it.

5. LOUD SIGH - This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means "she things you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing" (**Refer back to #3 for the meaning of "nothing" **)

6. THAT'S OK - This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. "That's ok" means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7. THANKS - A woman is thanking you. Do not question...OR faint. Just say, "you're welcome".

8. WHATEVER - Is a woman's way of saying, "Screw You!" [EDIT]

9. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, I GOT IT - Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking, "what's wrong". (For the woman's response refer to #3)

TOO TRUE

Considering the family I have married into, I really shouldn't laugh too hard at this. It may be one of those things that is just too true. (LOL)

Honey... Pumpkin... Sweetie...

A guy was invited to an old friends' home for dinner. His buddy preceded every request to his wife by endearing terms, calling her Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc. The guy was impressed since he knew the couple had been married almost 70 years, and while the wife was off in the kitchen he said to his buddy, "I think it's wonderful that after all the years you've been married, you still call your wife those pet names." His buddy hung his head. "To tell you the truth, I forgot her name about ten years ago."

JOSH'S PRESENT

Josh's birthday present finally arrived today. He was so excited. We got him Lego Mindstorms. It is a lego kit for making a robot that you can program on your computer.

He was home sick from school, so he spent the afternoon building it. Now they just have to program it.

MY BABY'S GROWING UP

One of the sure signs of growing up is choosing a grown-up hair style all by yourself. Hannah has gone from this, scraggly one long layer cut:

to this cute layered bob:

This look really suits her. The blond streaks left over from her purple streak phase really show up. She just looks so grown up.

That is one of the results of our trip to Whitehorse. Naomi and I also got our hair done, but no drastic results to share. While we were in town Brian and I went out on a date. We went to a great restaurant for supper, Giorgio's. Even the name sounds so classy. I had even brought a nice skirt to wear, but it was just too cold for that much class. Then we went to a movie. It is a very rare occasion that I get to see a film on opening night. But it actually happened. We went to see Premonition. I have been dying to see this movie since I first saw it advertised months ago. I enjoyed it, but I think they could have done a much better job of it. Sandra Bullock was great. But the storyline left a lot to be desired. It was a great idea, but could have been developed better. (That sounds so much like Brian it's scary.) Brian wanted to know why there were so many nipple shots of her. Trust him to notice that! Anyways, I liked it but once was enough. I guess after all the hype and promotion it just didn't quite measure up.

Hannah went to the orthodontist and is happy to have a purple chain on her teeth. I think it just breaks the monotony of the braces. She just has a few more months left.

Naomi went to the chiropractor, who was happy with the progress she is making. She gave her some exercises to do until she sees her again. Hopefully the headaches will start to diminish soon.

Josh just hung out and shopped with us. He bought himself a new xbox game with his birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa.

So, another successful trip down. Oh yeah, we saw 2 moose on the way home. I think it was a mother with a yearling. The smaller one stayed at the side and we didn't get a good view, but the other one was huge. I drove by really slowly and she stopped just in the ditch so we got a great look. Hannah said we should have shot it. Too bad it wasn't hunting season. Speaking of which, the Native Studies class went hunting last week and brought back a caribou. All the classes helped to cut it up on Thursday. Anyways, we will basically be staying her now until the end of April which will be good for the diet. Oh, I almost forgot - I managed to get up the courage to go clothes shopping for myself. I was actually pretty scared to go - I hate trying on clothes. But I was so excited to discover that I have gone down 4 sizes. WooHoo!!! Watch out California, here I come!

AND WE'RE OFF

Just thought I would let you know that I will be away in Whitehorse for a few days. I guess that makes me incommunicado. We will be leaving after school tomorrow and returning late Saturday afternoon. Lots to do there - optometrist, chiropractor, hairdresser and loads of shopping. My cupboards are bare once again and crying out to be filled. So, I will try and come up with something great to post when I return. Adios amigos!

JUST A LITTLE OBSESSIVE

O.K. I know I am obsessing about my weight, but I had to let you know that I was able to pull out a couple pairs of pants from my drawer that I haven't worn in a few years. And they look fabulous. Maybe the new wardrobe won't cost so much after all. I will just keep pulling out old clothes. LOL.

JUST A LITTLE HUMOUR

The Dublin Duo Two men were sitting next to each other at a bar. After a while, one guy looks at the other and says, "I can't help but think, from listening to you, that you're from Ireland." The other guy responds proudly, "Yes, that I am!" The first guy says, "So am I! And where about from Ireland might you be?" The other guy answers, "I'm from Dublin, I am." The first guy responds, "Sure and begora, and so am I! And what street did you live on in Dublin?" The other guy says, "A lovely little area it was, I lived on McCleary Street in the old central part of town." The first guy says, "Faith & it's a small world, so did I! And to what school would you have been going?" The other guy answers, "Well now, I went to St. Mary's of course." The first guy gets really excited, and says, "And so did I. Tell me, what year did you graduate?" The other guy answers, "Well, now, I graduated in 1964." The first guy exclaims, "The Good Lord must be smiling down upon us! I can hardly believe our good luck at winding up in the same bar tonight. Can you believe it, I graduated from St. Mary's in 1964 my own self." About this time, another guy walks into the bar, sits down, and orders a beer. The bartender walks over shaking his head & mutters, "It's going to be a long night tonight, the Murphy twins are drunk again."

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AN EMAIL FROM GOD One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the evil that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to Earth to check it out. So he called on a female angel and sent her to Earth for a time. When she returned she told God, yes it is bad on Earth, 95% is bad and 5% is good. Well, he thought for a moment and said maybe I had better send down a male angel; to get both points of view. So God called a male angel and sent him to Earth for a time. When the male angel returned he went to God and told him yes, the Earth was in decline, 95% was bad and 5% was good. God said this was not good. He decided to E-Mail the 5% that were good and encourage them, a little something to help them keep going. Do you know what that E-Mail said?

Ohhhh... So you didn't get one either!

PULL-ON PANTS

I made an awesome discovery today. I discovered that my jeans have converted into pull-on pants. I only have one pair, so I don't even have to specify which ones. I can now easily just pull them on and off. Think of the time I will save. One more pound and I will have lost 1 large bag of flour - that's a lot of weight. 19 pounds so far and counting. Congratulations to me!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH

Guess who's turning 13??? Josh is 13 today.

Here he is just minutes old. He weighed in at a whopping 9lb, 14 oz. At the hospital I was known as "the lady with the big baby". LOL. I totally expected that I was having another girl, so I was very surprised when they announced that we had a boy. He was so strong that he was rolling from front to back when he was only 2 weeks old. Remember that, Mom?

A very proud Grandpa holding his first grandson.

Here he is at about 9 months old with his 2 older sisters. When he was really little Naomi used to lie on the floor beside him and "read" to him from Grandma's bible. Wasn't he cute?

These pictures are from when he was 3. The fire hydrant looks suspiciously like the one he walked into (he has a scar on his ear to remember that by). Just before we moved to Kitimat he was riding one of those push along bikes and decided to ride it down the stairs - it's a good thing there were only 4. Still, he ended up having stitches in his lip. That was quite an experience.

Now, he is almost taller than me and is a wonderful son. He brings so much joy to our lives (and a little frustration). He excels at school and we are so proud of him.

Happy 13th Birthday Josh.

We love you lots and are very proud to be your parents.

LOOKING DOWN

I am very excited today. I weighed myself and am down another pound. That's 14 pounds and 15 3/4 inches in total. That one small pound gives me the motivation to keep going. I even ordered myself some new clothes yesterday. I whined and complained to Brian about my boring, old (very old) clothes. So we went through some catalogues and looked online and ordered some new tops. Can't wait until they get here. They aren't fancy, I needed things that are practical for work.

(This one is actually coming in pink)

(Don't worry, I've ordered this in white with black, NOT apple!)

YAY! TIME FOR ANOTHER FASHION SHOW

I thought I would share the girls newest fashions with you. They just received another order from Daizymaze. They order a lot of their clothes from there since all they have to shop at in Whitehorse is Walmart. As you might well know, teenage girls are not usually too keen to do their clothes shopping there. Also Daisymaze offers cute clothes at really good prices.

Naomi models a wonderful, mauve printed t-shirt.

Hannah shows off her new crop top. (forgive the tired, worn out look - I think she was feeling slightly tired.)

Naomi models a cute white t-shirt with a fabulous blue print.

Naomi shows us her green top paired with her new jeans, which, by the way, have really cute embroidery detail on the back and they have the torn look which costs more. (There's a comment that really shows my age. lol)

Hannah models her new camo pants (her favourite) and a blue on blue print shirt.

They also ordered swimsuits, but wouldn't let me photograph them.

LIVING HEALTHY

Tomorrow I start on another fitness incentive. The Yukon Parks and Recreation Department sponsors a program called "On the Right Path". It is one of those programs where you walk a certain number of kilometers that represent a chosen trail. Our group will be walking the Silver Trail - a distance of 204 kilometers. We were fitted with pedometers so all the steps I take will be counted. I am excited about joining - I need all the incentive I can get. Actually I was adding up the number of miles I have walked since I started keeping track in mid-January. I have walked/ran/skied a total of 97 miles - that 156 kilometers! I am feeling pretty proud of myself today. I have lost a total of 13 pounds so far and 10 inches. (I've hit a plateau, so I have to keep telling myself that I am doing o.k. and it's working.) What I am really looking forward to is buying myself some new clothes. I have a pretty boring wardrobe right now. Actually I have one t-shirt in 5 different colours, I vary them at work. But I think all my co-workers will be equally glad to see me get some new clothes. I am sure they are also getting tired of looking at the same clothes day after day.

JUST TAKING IT EASY

Here is Oscar just taking it easy. He just lay there staring at me! Oh to live such a life!

Actually there just isn't a whole lot else to do right now. It was -45 when I got up this morning. I just keep waiting for this cold snap to end. You can just imagine how jealous I am that Gary & Sonya are in the Dominican!

THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEKEND!