Everyday Life

I have a picture on my kitchen wall with the caption:

"How we spend our days is how we spend our lives."

True. 

The days seem to be speeding by with my having nothing to show for them.

It's easy to get down on yourself when you're a stay-at-home mom. 

A homemaker.

One of the professions that isn't considered a profession.  Raising children. 

A nearly thankless job sometimes.  You are on call 24/7.  Day and night.  Week in, week out.

I have to remind myself that the time I've had with my girls has gone remarkably fast already. 

When they are graduating high school and getting driver's licenses and getting married it's going to seem like a dream. 

Where did the time go?? 

My parents took them for an overnighter (my hubby was on a trip with the guys) this past weekend.  As I sat enjoying the silence and the ability to eat my meal without having to jump up and get things, it occurred to me that when they leave home I'm going to have so many days like that and the silence is going to be so lonely. 

I alternated between wanting to smile and wanting to cry the whole time they were gone.

Just remember your babies are only small for a short time and everything else can wait until
tomorrow.

New Ways

As tempting as it is to step on the old weight loss resolution train again, I think this year I'm going to forgo the pleasure.  After 35 years it's time to try something different.  I think where I go wrong is that I go whole hog; low calories and lots of exercise.  I lose weight but I also burn myself out and then I don't give a crap anymore.  So this year I'm thinking moderate exercise ( I really do want to start running again but only a couple times a week plus a little bit of toning to keep some of my muscle) and higher calories (more like 1800 calories instead of 1200).  So we'll see how it goes.

Well, I've bit the bullet and joined a group to help me with my Bulimia.

It's hard to admit it out loud.  I don't want people's view of me to change, but something has to change so I can get past this.  I've been doing it far to long and it is getting increasingly hard to hide from my daughters.  They're so inquisitive. 

One day at a time, one hour, one minute until I can say I'm recovered.  Fully.

Mommy, are you fat?

My oldest daughter recently asked me, "Mommy, are you fat?"
I replied with a resounding, "NO!".  Then asked her, "Do I look fat?"
She said, "No, but when your shirt comes up your tummy kinda is."
Ah, stretch marks.  Gotta love 'em.
Well honey my tummy is never going to look smooth ever again there's always going to be that pooch there unless I get some work done.

Then, the other day we were all laying in bed together, my hubby and the two girls and the toy poodle, and I had my legs propped up against the head board because I suffer from varicose veins.  I was wearing shorts because we are in the middle of our once-a-year heat wave and my DD#1 says, "Your legs are jiggly."  Jeez, give a girl a break all ready.

Granted I could stand to lose ten pounds but still it's tough to hear when your kids start to notice your jiggly parts.  I'm also trying to not be on a "diet" but to focus on healthy foods and exercise to keep our hearts and muscles strong to help my daughters.  I've been on a diet since I was in elementary school and I don't want that for my girls.

So here's to little girls with inquisitive minds who are encouraged to voice their opinions, and to a future of girls who aren't dieting but are strong in mind and body.

Newest Distractions

My hubby surprised me by buying a couple little pygmy nanny goats.  He insists that he hates goats.  Hmmm.  My tough guy doesn't seem to dislike them as much as he says he does.  Me thinks he protests too much...
Besides who could hate something that is so darn cute.  You be the judge.

Popper and Bella

Bella

Popper

I had Pygmy goats when I was a kid and they were great pets so I'm sure my girls are going to love them. 

Rain Rain Go Away

Good grief I think it has been raining for a week, that's most likely an exaggeration but it sure would be nice to see the sun.  I have fencing and outdoor work to do and I don't have proper rain gear.  I guess my winter coat would work but I don't want to rip it on barbed wire when I'm stapling up fallen wires.  It can wait, I suppose, since the cows aren't coming until the end of June but I feel so guilty when the hubby is out getting soaked in the rain and I'm watching from the window drinking a hot cup of tea.  But it was his idea to move the fence out.  He gets bored when he's home, he's not the type to sit on his butt day after day.  So he makes projects for himself and I somehow get drug into them.

My garden is in under the protective covering of the greenhouse and is growing so nice.  Most people around here haven't even got their gardens in yet since it's been a bit chilly and wet.  The only problem I have now is with the ants that have taken up residence, they seem to think the greenhouse is an ideal place to be.  So I've been digging out the worst of them and drowning the rest every time I go out.  I'm trying to make life as unpleasant for them as I can without resorting to poisons, hopefully they get the hint.

The DH has also bought a couple pygmy nanny goats.  I had pygmy goats when I was a teenager and I loved them.  A dog ended up killing most of my small herd and it broke my heart.  I didn't ask for them though I really think it's going to be nice getting some critters again.  The girls should love them too.  The hubby just keeps saying, "I don't know why I'm doing this, I hate goats!"  How can anyone hate something that is so cute.  They should be weaned mid-June and now we have to get them a pen and shelter.

My DD#1 has been hounding me to go bike riding.  I remember bike riding a lot as a kid but it sure hurts the rear end now.  The upside is it should help with the weight loss efforts.

So despite the rain it is nice to look out and see the green grass growing and the new leaves on the trees. 

Yogurt and Kefir and Quark, oh my!

Well, I have decided to undertake making my own yogurt, kefir and quark. 

I received my yogurt maker on Monday.  So far it's been trial and error.  Mostly I need to be patient and let things incubate a little longer.

I ordered some kefir grains and I'm quite excited to see how that goes.  They should be here next Monday.  Kefir is supposed to be really good for getting your internal flora back on track and I need all the help I can get with that.  Since I had the flu back at Christmas things have just not been the same. 

Kefir contains Lactobacillus Caucasus, Acetobacter species, and Saccharomyces (yeast), all known for their ability to get through the lining of the digestive tract.  They colonize the intestinal lining, and "escort" the harmful intruders potentially residing there.   So as a result it should be easier for your body to ward off internal pathogens like intestinal parasites and E. coli. (taken from Home Dairy with Ashley English).

As for the quark, I think I will go back to my old way of just incubating butter milk and then straining it ( How to make quark cheese ).  I've got a new gadget that I'm absolutely loving.  No more strainer and cheesecloth, it's the Cuisipro Donvier Yogurt Cheese Maker.  I found mine on Amazon.ca