Today started out pretty well. I was only down 0.4 at Weight Watchers but at least I was down, right? I went for a great walk on a trail near our house and actually (are you sitting down?) JOGGED for part of it. Yes, I jogged. Pigs just might start flying by the window any minute, but I actually jogged. I'm planning on doing the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure in October and running the 5K route. I'm also planning on not passing out at the end of it, so it may require some training of sorts.
I got into the shower when I got home and when I got out I heard the little miss crying over the baby monitor. She wasn't stopping, which is very unusual for her. I went to investigate. I found Mr. Awesome comforting my baby girl and the little man lying on the floor "hiding" as he does when she is upset.
Let's go with the short version. There was a change table, there was some rolling, and then there was a lot of crying. Despite the title of this post, it was not Mr. Awesome's fault (it just makes for better reading). It wasn't even the little man's fault. It was only a split second of distraction and she was down. It could have happened to either of us. She seems determined to get moving, and sometimes that means vertically instead of horizontally. She has occasionally rolled off much lower items before, and always recovers within about a minute. She wasn't calming down this time, but we couldn't see any obvious break or swelling. She did settle down for a few minutes here and there but then would start back up again. Any other kid and we may have figured it was just your standard crying, but our little miss doesn't cry very much. (This is why I don't talk about her very often. I'm afraid I'll jinx it.) Even the little man, the one always guaranteed to make her smile, wasn't having his usual effect. We decided to take her to Emergency to get her checked out just to make sure.
One awesome nurse and one hot doctor later ("Adam" - we never got his "Dr." name. When did things get so casual? What have Grey's Anatomy and Scrubs done to us?), we were in X-ray and told that something looks suspicious. Sure enough, Adam came back to tell us there was indeed a break and she would need a cast. Go figure, the little man gets into trouble climbing various things on a daily basis and our six month old daughter is the one that gets the first cast.
She's such a trooper. Once the drugs kicked in she was back to her smiley self (okay, she was stoned but she was still smiley), even while the cast was being put on. I don't know if you've ever seen an infant in a cast, but it's so sad. It goes right around her pelvis to lock in her hip and make sure she doesn't move her leg at all. Her diaper has to go on top of the cast, which will make her first dirty diaper an absolute nightmare. Things will get into places I don't even want to think about.
So, my little muffin is a neon pink cast for approximately two weeks. I feel like a new mom again. I have to learn how to hold her in this contraption, and I have to learn how to soothe the crying (a magic mix of breastfeeding and Ibuprofen seem to do the trick). I have to figure out how to change diapers around a solid mass. Actually, that part is a little like the prenatal class where they make you change a hard plastic doll that does nothing to prepare you for changing a real infant. I never thought that would ACTUALLY come in handy.
When we got home I had her on her playmat (as I will NOT be leaving her on the couch again, even for a second) and she had her giant neon pink leg up and over she rolled. She didn't even try the "easy" leg, she hoisted the Fiberglas trunk like it wasn't even there. She did kind of get stuck there though, she can't push up like she used to. I'm sure she'll figure it out soon.
Kids just amaze me. They are so resilient. They can bounce back from just about anything. But, as we learned today, they can't actually bounce.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
I'm Having An Identity Crisis!
I thought it would be a good idea to register my domain name. When I first started blogging I searched on Blogger for "Finding My Weigh" as a user name but it was already taken by someone who has never posted ANYTHING but felt the need to register the blog name. This is why my blog address is http://imfindingmyweigh.blogspot.com, but as their page was absolutely inactive I didn't think twice about referring to mine as the shorter version, dropping the "I'm" from the title.
Why I didn't also search for the actual domain name at the same time, I will never know. I searched today and my first choice http://findingmyweigh.com is taken. By another blogger, no less!
This led me to a crisis of blogging identity. Do I change my name? I've already developed a wonderful list of followers and readers, and I'm happy with the attention my blog is getting. Under its current name it is listed as one of Vancouver's top 30 mom blogs...what would happen to all that if I suddenly had to re-brand and change my name? Plus I only just redesigned the look of my site and now I might have to change it again? I can't do that, people might not recognize me!! And what the hell would I change it to?
Yes, http://imfindingmyweigh.com was available and yes, I bought it. At some point in the next 24 hours, my new domain will be active and this crisis but a distant memory. You won't need to do a thing, as both the blogspot address and new address will point to the same place. But it still concerns me that it will be confusing if people come across the "other" FMW blog. Does it matter?
In the end, I figure it doesn't really. If someone ends up at her blog by accident, so be it. They might miss out on priceless gems like Potty Training #2, but then again, they might actually appreciate that. One can only take so much poop in a day.
Why I didn't also search for the actual domain name at the same time, I will never know. I searched today and my first choice http://findingmyweigh.com is taken. By another blogger, no less!
This led me to a crisis of blogging identity. Do I change my name? I've already developed a wonderful list of followers and readers, and I'm happy with the attention my blog is getting. Under its current name it is listed as one of Vancouver's top 30 mom blogs...what would happen to all that if I suddenly had to re-brand and change my name? Plus I only just redesigned the look of my site and now I might have to change it again? I can't do that, people might not recognize me!! And what the hell would I change it to?
Yes, http://imfindingmyweigh.com was available and yes, I bought it. At some point in the next 24 hours, my new domain will be active and this crisis but a distant memory. You won't need to do a thing, as both the blogspot address and new address will point to the same place. But it still concerns me that it will be confusing if people come across the "other" FMW blog. Does it matter?
In the end, I figure it doesn't really. If someone ends up at her blog by accident, so be it. They might miss out on priceless gems like Potty Training #2, but then again, they might actually appreciate that. One can only take so much poop in a day.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Shameless Plug - Please Vote for Me!
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I made the top 30 in the Ultimate Vancouver Mom Blog contest. Voting is now open to name the "ultimate" blogger, and I'd love your help. There is a great list of mom bloggers there, and the good news is you can pick up to five to vote for. You can vote once a day for up to five people until May 6.
Please click this image and vote for Finding My Weigh! THANK YOU!!
Please click this image and vote for Finding My Weigh! THANK YOU!!
Wow. I'm Not Perfect. Who Knew?
Oh wait, I knew that.
I just reread last night's post and started crying. I actually considered deleting the whole post but I started this blog as an honest look at motherhood and my life, and deleting it would be anything but honest. Those were the feelings I was having in that moment. This is not a blog about being the perfect mom - a) I don't think that's possible and b) I would never have anything to write. I also know that there are women out there going through the same sort of thing, and maybe, just maybe we can commiserate and not feel so alone in the struggles. I will never delete a post just because I'm embarrassed about the feelings I was having when I wrote it.
Our kids are the two best things we've ever done. We're still getting to know the little miss as she grows and learns every day, and the little man is an awesome kid. He's excruciatingly shy with other kids or in large groups, but when it's just us or with a few friends around he's hilarious. His observations and funny little mannerisms melt my heart every single day. My heart is on a constant roller coaster between melting from the cuteness and then freezing from the whining, but I tell myself the freezing phase has to end sometime. It will likely be replaced by a lasting and all-consuming panic as he starts to gain some real independence and wants to walk to school alone or God forbid one day drive the car.
I read the last post to Mr. Awesome this morning and he's in favour of paper plates and nudity all the way. Big surprise. While nudity is fine, the paper plates will just create a lot of garbage and I'm not ready for rats to move in while we're sitting around naked. That's just not good hygiene.
In an effort to get back on track and avoid the infestation, I've already done a load and a half of laundry and the little man now has pants. I went to unload the dishwasher and I was about 12 items in when I realized it didn't get turned on last night. I was putting away dirty dishes. I am awesome. I am a freaking goddess of domestic grace. Perhaps I need to just stop and take a moment before I'm serving raw chicken and uncooked spaghetti.
I am going to set myself some manageable goals for today. Here's a start:
So, like I said, I'm not perfect. I'm not even close, but perfection isn't very interesting anyway. I'm just a basket case so I can be interesting for you, my readers. Yeah, that's it.
I just reread last night's post and started crying. I actually considered deleting the whole post but I started this blog as an honest look at motherhood and my life, and deleting it would be anything but honest. Those were the feelings I was having in that moment. This is not a blog about being the perfect mom - a) I don't think that's possible and b) I would never have anything to write. I also know that there are women out there going through the same sort of thing, and maybe, just maybe we can commiserate and not feel so alone in the struggles. I will never delete a post just because I'm embarrassed about the feelings I was having when I wrote it.
Our kids are the two best things we've ever done. We're still getting to know the little miss as she grows and learns every day, and the little man is an awesome kid. He's excruciatingly shy with other kids or in large groups, but when it's just us or with a few friends around he's hilarious. His observations and funny little mannerisms melt my heart every single day. My heart is on a constant roller coaster between melting from the cuteness and then freezing from the whining, but I tell myself the freezing phase has to end sometime. It will likely be replaced by a lasting and all-consuming panic as he starts to gain some real independence and wants to walk to school alone or God forbid one day drive the car.
I read the last post to Mr. Awesome this morning and he's in favour of paper plates and nudity all the way. Big surprise. While nudity is fine, the paper plates will just create a lot of garbage and I'm not ready for rats to move in while we're sitting around naked. That's just not good hygiene.
In an effort to get back on track and avoid the infestation, I've already done a load and a half of laundry and the little man now has pants. I went to unload the dishwasher and I was about 12 items in when I realized it didn't get turned on last night. I was putting away dirty dishes. I am awesome. I am a freaking goddess of domestic grace. Perhaps I need to just stop and take a moment before I'm serving raw chicken and uncooked spaghetti.
I am going to set myself some manageable goals for today. Here's a start:
- Breathe.
- Play trains with the little man.
- Take both kids for a walk (if it's not raining).
- Finish the dishes.
- Get through two more loads of laundry.
- Make dinner.
So, like I said, I'm not perfect. I'm not even close, but perfection isn't very interesting anyway. I'm just a basket case so I can be interesting for you, my readers. Yeah, that's it.
Paper Plates It Is
About a week before we left for our vacation, and over the four days since we've been home, I noticed a definite change in our house. I was managing just fine, for the most part keeping up with the never-ending laundry, dishes and general tidying. It was a chore, but it was almost all always getting done by the end of the day. Okay, maybe the next morning. I was meal planning, and a healthful and usually somewhat interesting dinner was ready by 5:30pm. Things were working.
Something has changed. I cannot keep up. It's not the vacation stuff, we had laundry in the unit and came home with just a few items left to be washed. It's more than that. The dishes are not done, there are toys EVERYWHERE and the laundry is piling up to the point that the little man doesn't have a clean pair of pants for tomorrow. I'm not even kidding. The kid will be pantsless. Thank God I can't get it together enough to make any early morning plans where he might actually need to get out of his pajamas.
What has changed? Why am I no longer capable of managing my house? There is some insidious wave of chaos seeping into our home and I can't stop it.
We have entered a new phase. If the little man isn't whining and clinging to my leg in the kitchen while I desperately try to do some dishes so we can actually eat the dinner I've managed to cobble together at the last minute now that meal planning has gone out the window, he's...quiet. Too quiet. Crap.
This USED to mean he was in his room, either dropping a bomb in his underpants in private or making a mess of his books, Megablocks, or some other fairly manageable business. No longer. He's in the bathroom throwing around toilet paper, he's in the other bathroom flushing my hair pick, he's in the laundry room doing God knows what, he's on a chair at the sink splashing water, he's letting himself out the front door... I cannot have him out of sight for a second. How the hell am I supposed to get anything done if I can't take my eyes off him?! Laundry is a fairly in and out task, but dishes and cooking require a bit of time stuck in one area. If he's not right there with me, I'm hooped. Crap.
I love my little boy and for the most part he's a funny, awesome little man that makes us laugh every day. The whining and the clinging, however, are soul-suckingly frustrating. I relish the few minutes a day where he's happily occupied elsewhere, and "elsewhere" never used to be cause for concern. Now I have two choices: increase his attachment-to-Mommy issues by basically chaining him to my leg, or let the house go into complete disrepair, eating off paper plates and living naked while I... wait, in both scenarios the house falls apart. Crap.
Why don't I catch up on chores after he goes to bed? Well, for starters, I'm pretty damned tired at the end of a can't-keep-up-with-it day. But the main reason is the little miss. God bless her, she's a good girl and I am NOT complaining (about her), but she doesn't go to sleep until at least 10pm. She's six months old now and starting to notice when I leave the room, so I can't get much done then either. Not to mention the fact that she eats NON-STOP from about 6pm until bedtime.
Where is Mr. Awesome, you ask? Mr. Awesome runs his own business, which means he doesn't have a "regular" workday schedule. Most evenings he's either out at clients or locked away in his office, fixing computers or designing websites. He works damned hard and will come to the rescue if I need it, like if the little man has woken up with another sleep tantrum while I'm feeding the little miss. Again.
It's late and I'm frustrated. I'm a control freak who does NOT like it when her house is spinning out of control. I am grateful everyday for the health and happiness of my family. I know that tomorrow is a new day and I will make some headway (is that how you spell that?) on my long list of to dos. The dishes will get done, most of the laundry will get at least washed and dried, and dinner will be made.
I just needed a rant. If it's to be paper plates and nudity, so be it.
Something has changed. I cannot keep up. It's not the vacation stuff, we had laundry in the unit and came home with just a few items left to be washed. It's more than that. The dishes are not done, there are toys EVERYWHERE and the laundry is piling up to the point that the little man doesn't have a clean pair of pants for tomorrow. I'm not even kidding. The kid will be pantsless. Thank God I can't get it together enough to make any early morning plans where he might actually need to get out of his pajamas.
What has changed? Why am I no longer capable of managing my house? There is some insidious wave of chaos seeping into our home and I can't stop it.
We have entered a new phase. If the little man isn't whining and clinging to my leg in the kitchen while I desperately try to do some dishes so we can actually eat the dinner I've managed to cobble together at the last minute now that meal planning has gone out the window, he's...quiet. Too quiet. Crap.
This USED to mean he was in his room, either dropping a bomb in his underpants in private or making a mess of his books, Megablocks, or some other fairly manageable business. No longer. He's in the bathroom throwing around toilet paper, he's in the other bathroom flushing my hair pick, he's in the laundry room doing God knows what, he's on a chair at the sink splashing water, he's letting himself out the front door... I cannot have him out of sight for a second. How the hell am I supposed to get anything done if I can't take my eyes off him?! Laundry is a fairly in and out task, but dishes and cooking require a bit of time stuck in one area. If he's not right there with me, I'm hooped. Crap.
I love my little boy and for the most part he's a funny, awesome little man that makes us laugh every day. The whining and the clinging, however, are soul-suckingly frustrating. I relish the few minutes a day where he's happily occupied elsewhere, and "elsewhere" never used to be cause for concern. Now I have two choices: increase his attachment-to-Mommy issues by basically chaining him to my leg, or let the house go into complete disrepair, eating off paper plates and living naked while I... wait, in both scenarios the house falls apart. Crap.
Why don't I catch up on chores after he goes to bed? Well, for starters, I'm pretty damned tired at the end of a can't-keep-up-with-it day. But the main reason is the little miss. God bless her, she's a good girl and I am NOT complaining (about her), but she doesn't go to sleep until at least 10pm. She's six months old now and starting to notice when I leave the room, so I can't get much done then either. Not to mention the fact that she eats NON-STOP from about 6pm until bedtime.
Where is Mr. Awesome, you ask? Mr. Awesome runs his own business, which means he doesn't have a "regular" workday schedule. Most evenings he's either out at clients or locked away in his office, fixing computers or designing websites. He works damned hard and will come to the rescue if I need it, like if the little man has woken up with another sleep tantrum while I'm feeding the little miss. Again.
It's late and I'm frustrated. I'm a control freak who does NOT like it when her house is spinning out of control. I am grateful everyday for the health and happiness of my family. I know that tomorrow is a new day and I will make some headway (is that how you spell that?) on my long list of to dos. The dishes will get done, most of the laundry will get at least washed and dried, and dinner will be made.
I just needed a rant. If it's to be paper plates and nudity, so be it.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Bring on the Sunshine!
It's raining here in Vancouver and having just come home from Hawaii, I was jonesing for some sunshine. Lo and behold, I have received the Sunshine Award from Christie at Crazy for Cloth Diapers.
As a recipient of this award, it is now my responsibility to pass a little sunshine along to 12 other bloggers that I enjoy reading. In no particular order, here goes!
As a recipient of this award, it is now my responsibility to pass a little sunshine along to 12 other bloggers that I enjoy reading. In no particular order, here goes!
- Dry as Toast
- Coffee Mugs and Sippy Cups
- Adventures in Mommywood
- Diminishing Lucy
- Prior Fat Girl
- Mommy Has to Work
- Suburban Turmoil
- Motherhood Uncensored
- Blissfully Domestic
- Work, Wife, Mom...Life!
- Mommy Brain
- Honoring My Health
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The Magic Number
When I started Weight Watchers last December I thought about what I would set as my goal. I thought back to eight years ago, the last time I was in WW. I thought about the weight I reached before I fell off the wagon. I thought about why I fell off the wagon (more on that in a separate post to come), and I thought about how I felt physically at the weight I reached before I fell.
I had lost 25lbs and I felt great. Back then I was about 170lbs at my fittest, maybe a bit lower but I can't remember for sure. For my height, the top of the BMI range is 164lbs but the thing is, I'm lazy. I don't want to have to work out every day of my life and deny myself the occasional small treat to maintain my weight. I am confident that this lifestyle change is for well, LIFE. Something has clicked in my brain and I know I can live like this forever, but not if I have to work like a maniac to make it happen. I'll be happy working out three times a week, and I want to make sure I set a reasonable goal that I will be able to maintain.
I've been sitting here for about 30 minutes writing and rewriting this paragraph, trying to decide whether or not to actually put my weight in print, but what the hell. Like my "fat clothes," that's a place I don't ever intend to go back to so what does it matter? A goal of 170lbs represents a 53lb weight loss. For those not good at math, I started WW on December 18, 2009 at 223lbs.
I currently weigh 182lbs - that's 41lbs lost so far. 12lbs to go to my goal. Thanks to my workouts, points tracking and the wonders of breastfeeding, I am losing weight pretty steadily. I gave myself until the end of August to reach it, leaving a month and a half to practice maintaining before I return to work in October. Given that timeline 12lbs does not seem daunting, which has me wondering if I should go for the brass ring - 18lbs to actually be within the BMI range for "normal." I've broken out of the "obese" range, and am now smack dab in the middle of "overweight." Could I actually one day reach what some Belgian mathematician in the 1800's considered "normal?" Does it matter?
I guess the answer is that it really doesn't matter. If I feel good at 170lbs, great. I even have a doctor's note stating that 170 is a reasonable goal in case I get an argument from my WW leader. If I feel I can go further, I will. Either way, it will be what's right for me.
How do you set the "right" weight loss goal for you? What's your magic number?
I had lost 25lbs and I felt great. Back then I was about 170lbs at my fittest, maybe a bit lower but I can't remember for sure. For my height, the top of the BMI range is 164lbs but the thing is, I'm lazy. I don't want to have to work out every day of my life and deny myself the occasional small treat to maintain my weight. I am confident that this lifestyle change is for well, LIFE. Something has clicked in my brain and I know I can live like this forever, but not if I have to work like a maniac to make it happen. I'll be happy working out three times a week, and I want to make sure I set a reasonable goal that I will be able to maintain.
I've been sitting here for about 30 minutes writing and rewriting this paragraph, trying to decide whether or not to actually put my weight in print, but what the hell. Like my "fat clothes," that's a place I don't ever intend to go back to so what does it matter? A goal of 170lbs represents a 53lb weight loss. For those not good at math, I started WW on December 18, 2009 at 223lbs.
I currently weigh 182lbs - that's 41lbs lost so far. 12lbs to go to my goal. Thanks to my workouts, points tracking and the wonders of breastfeeding, I am losing weight pretty steadily. I gave myself until the end of August to reach it, leaving a month and a half to practice maintaining before I return to work in October. Given that timeline 12lbs does not seem daunting, which has me wondering if I should go for the brass ring - 18lbs to actually be within the BMI range for "normal." I've broken out of the "obese" range, and am now smack dab in the middle of "overweight." Could I actually one day reach what some Belgian mathematician in the 1800's considered "normal?" Does it matter?
I guess the answer is that it really doesn't matter. If I feel good at 170lbs, great. I even have a doctor's note stating that 170 is a reasonable goal in case I get an argument from my WW leader. If I feel I can go further, I will. Either way, it will be what's right for me.
How do you set the "right" weight loss goal for you? What's your magic number?
A New Look
I've been thinking about freshening up the site for a while, and I got an email from Blogger announcing they had come out with a new Blogger Template Designer. I liked the clean, fresh look of this template, so played around with a few header ideas. I was using GIMP as I can't put Photoshop on my netbook and I'm not really used to a different program. Took a few tries to figure it out!
What do you think?
What do you think?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
There's No Whining in Paradise!!
This was my hope when we boarded the plane from Vancouver to Maui. I mean, it's Hawaii, right? The land of pools to splash in and beaches full of sand just ready for digging. It's a toddler's dream!
Well, yes. The little man does love the pool and he does love the beach, but it doesn't seem these things are enough to end the whining phase of our child-rearing journey.
Mr. Awesome and I had some delusional notion that traveling to Hawaii with a three year old and a six month old would still be a VACATION. Well, it seems that word's definition has changed a little in our family dictionary. We leave Maui tomorrow and we've done just about everything we wanted to do but it hasn't been exactly restful. We're not a sit around all day type of family anyway, but we REALLY could have done without the tantrums and whining 90% of the waking hours we spent in the condo. Literally, the second we stepped in the door. Every time. It's like our house, and whatever vacation accommodation we choose, seems to have a whining force-field imperceptible to the parent's eye.
Our typical day was an activity or beach in the morning and then back to the condo for lunch, praying for nap time, then a swim in the pool before dinner. Here are some of the highlights:
On the second day of our trip, while we were still waking up three hours ahead, we got up at 3am and drove the 10,023 vertical feet to the top of Haleakala crater to watch the sunrise. It was spectacular. Freezing, but spectacular.
Just like every three year old boy on the planet, the little man is very into trains, Thomas, etc. This meant we were pretty much obligated to take him on the Sugar Cane Train. Okay, he's three and probably would never have known the difference but being the fantastic parents we are, we decided to go for it.
He fell asleep. 
The little bugger won't nap for any level of bribery, but we shell out $40 (with the coupon) to get us all aboard and HE FELL ASLEEP! He slept the whole two hours we walked around Lahaina and then did manage to wake up and enjoy the return train ride. It was a pretty cool little excursion in the end, and I would definitely recommend timing it with a stop for walking around Lahaina.
One morning while we were still staying on the West side of the island, we decided to bend the rules of the rental car company (I swear, they never explicitly said not to do this) and drive around the West Maui mountains. This was probably my favourite part of our entire trip. It's not a long drive distance-wise, but 75% of the drive between Kapalua and Kahului is single-lane, brushing the bushes on the side of the road, praying another car doesn't come in the opposite direction, thrilling.
PLUS, there is this awesome little bright green stand on the side of the road selling knock-you-down delicious banana bread. (Definitely worth the extra WW points that day!) I have driven the road to Hana before, but I actually enjoyed this more. It was shorter, which was great for the kids, and making a full circuit around that end of the island is actually enjoyable, unlike the back side of the Hana trip (which also violates rental car contracts...I'm such a badass). Most people turn around just past Hana and do the same 3hr drive back the way they came. Boring! On a trip a few years ago, my mom and I decided to keep going past Hana, and all I can truly remember is the numbness in my hands from gripping the steering wheel over miles and miles of unpaved road. I only found out this trip that if Mom and I had broken down out there, there is no cell service and tow trucks will not come get you on that side of the island. NOT something I want to experience with two small children.
It turned out two of our friends were on Maui with their 8.5 month old at the same time as we were, so among other get-togethers we all went to the Hyatt Regency Kaanapali for the Drums of the Pacific luau. This one was recommended to me by the representative at our timeshare and I have to say she was right, no matter what kickbacks she may have received (I'm such a skeptic). The food was good, the drinks were unlimited, it was a pretty darn good show, and the fire knife dancer was awesome. The little man LOVED it, and didn't stop dancing or clapping the whole night. Totally worth it.
Our trip included a lot of "When the kids are older we'll do this again" conversations, as some of our activities were rushed or cut short because of the sleeping babes in the back seat (the one place the little man will consistently nap). One such instance was when we drove through Up Country Maui, something I would definitely recommend.
We started in Paia, home of Mama's Fish House, Charleys (Willie Nelson's favourite restaurant) and some of the best wind-surfing beaches on the island. It's a funky, eclectic little old plantation town and we will return one day to wander the shops, have a meal and explore a bit. Apparently Mama's Fish House is the best restaurant on the island and the seafood is "three hours from ocean to plate," according to the lady at our timeshare. A definite must-do for next time. From there we drove through (again, no stopping for us on this trip) Makawao, an old ranching town. It looks like an awesome little place with some cute boutiques and great galleries, but it was gone in a blur as we continued on our way.
We visited Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm but it's not blooming season for the lavender. They do have lovely gardens but we didn't explore too far with the munchkins in tow. They also have a nice gift shop, so we're taking home some smelly treats.
Next stop on the Up Country trip was Surfing Goat Dairy. We will likely go back here next time (notice a trend?) and do the full tour, but we arrived 30 minutes before the next one and the little man wasn't in a place to wait around. We did buy some goat cheese that they SAY will last through the flight home, so we'll hopefully not unpack to find a mushy rotten mess. We ended the day at Tedeschi Winery to buy some pineapple wine - YUM. We also picked up a bottle of their raspberry dessert wine - DOUBLE YUM. Holy cow is that stuff delicious. One word of warning: No matter what your GPS says, there is no road back down to Wailea or Kihei without going back through Kahului. Trust me on this. Our GPS tried five times to make us take various non-existent or dead end routes, insisting we U-turn at every intersection. It would be nice if there was, but no.
One excursion that was a wee bit disappointing was the Iao Valley. Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely beautiful, but there really isn't much there outside the 100m paved loop and the lookout to view the Iao Needle. We did find out later that there are some great hikes past the main area, but we weren't exactly in a position to go exploring. Again...next time! I think if we'd only planned for a short visit instead of expecting a morning's activity it would have been better. But again, extraordinarily beautiful scenery.
We head home this evening on an overnight flight. This could either be very good or very, very bad. The little miss will will likely be fine in her scary airplane bassinet (see picture), but it's the little man I'm worried about.
We check in in just over an hour and we still haven't fully decided if we're going to put him in his car seat or not. I think he'll sleep better without it, but it's anyone's guess.
Yes, we've been very busy this trip but it has been an awesome vacation. And as you can tell, we have a heck of a lot to do next time we come here!
Wish me luck on the flight. See you in Vancouver!
Well, yes. The little man does love the pool and he does love the beach, but it doesn't seem these things are enough to end the whining phase of our child-rearing journey.
Mr. Awesome and I had some delusional notion that traveling to Hawaii with a three year old and a six month old would still be a VACATION. Well, it seems that word's definition has changed a little in our family dictionary. We leave Maui tomorrow and we've done just about everything we wanted to do but it hasn't been exactly restful. We're not a sit around all day type of family anyway, but we REALLY could have done without the tantrums and whining 90% of the waking hours we spent in the condo. Literally, the second we stepped in the door. Every time. It's like our house, and whatever vacation accommodation we choose, seems to have a whining force-field imperceptible to the parent's eye.
Our typical day was an activity or beach in the morning and then back to the condo for lunch, praying for nap time, then a swim in the pool before dinner. Here are some of the highlights:
On the second day of our trip, while we were still waking up three hours ahead, we got up at 3am and drove the 10,023 vertical feet to the top of Haleakala crater to watch the sunrise. It was spectacular. Freezing, but spectacular.Just like every three year old boy on the planet, the little man is very into trains, Thomas, etc. This meant we were pretty much obligated to take him on the Sugar Cane Train. Okay, he's three and probably would never have known the difference but being the fantastic parents we are, we decided to go for it.
He fell asleep. 
The little bugger won't nap for any level of bribery, but we shell out $40 (with the coupon) to get us all aboard and HE FELL ASLEEP! He slept the whole two hours we walked around Lahaina and then did manage to wake up and enjoy the return train ride. It was a pretty cool little excursion in the end, and I would definitely recommend timing it with a stop for walking around Lahaina.
One morning while we were still staying on the West side of the island, we decided to bend the rules of the rental car company (I swear, they never explicitly said not to do this) and drive around the West Maui mountains. This was probably my favourite part of our entire trip. It's not a long drive distance-wise, but 75% of the drive between Kapalua and Kahului is single-lane, brushing the bushes on the side of the road, praying another car doesn't come in the opposite direction, thrilling.PLUS, there is this awesome little bright green stand on the side of the road selling knock-you-down delicious banana bread. (Definitely worth the extra WW points that day!) I have driven the road to Hana before, but I actually enjoyed this more. It was shorter, which was great for the kids, and making a full circuit around that end of the island is actually enjoyable, unlike the back side of the Hana trip (which also violates rental car contracts...I'm such a badass). Most people turn around just past Hana and do the same 3hr drive back the way they came. Boring! On a trip a few years ago, my mom and I decided to keep going past Hana, and all I can truly remember is the numbness in my hands from gripping the steering wheel over miles and miles of unpaved road. I only found out this trip that if Mom and I had broken down out there, there is no cell service and tow trucks will not come get you on that side of the island. NOT something I want to experience with two small children.
It turned out two of our friends were on Maui with their 8.5 month old at the same time as we were, so among other get-togethers we all went to the Hyatt Regency Kaanapali for the Drums of the Pacific luau. This one was recommended to me by the representative at our timeshare and I have to say she was right, no matter what kickbacks she may have received (I'm such a skeptic). The food was good, the drinks were unlimited, it was a pretty darn good show, and the fire knife dancer was awesome. The little man LOVED it, and didn't stop dancing or clapping the whole night. Totally worth it.Our trip included a lot of "When the kids are older we'll do this again" conversations, as some of our activities were rushed or cut short because of the sleeping babes in the back seat (the one place the little man will consistently nap). One such instance was when we drove through Up Country Maui, something I would definitely recommend.
We started in Paia, home of Mama's Fish House, Charleys (Willie Nelson's favourite restaurant) and some of the best wind-surfing beaches on the island. It's a funky, eclectic little old plantation town and we will return one day to wander the shops, have a meal and explore a bit. Apparently Mama's Fish House is the best restaurant on the island and the seafood is "three hours from ocean to plate," according to the lady at our timeshare. A definite must-do for next time. From there we drove through (again, no stopping for us on this trip) Makawao, an old ranching town. It looks like an awesome little place with some cute boutiques and great galleries, but it was gone in a blur as we continued on our way.
We visited Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm but it's not blooming season for the lavender. They do have lovely gardens but we didn't explore too far with the munchkins in tow. They also have a nice gift shop, so we're taking home some smelly treats.
Next stop on the Up Country trip was Surfing Goat Dairy. We will likely go back here next time (notice a trend?) and do the full tour, but we arrived 30 minutes before the next one and the little man wasn't in a place to wait around. We did buy some goat cheese that they SAY will last through the flight home, so we'll hopefully not unpack to find a mushy rotten mess. We ended the day at Tedeschi Winery to buy some pineapple wine - YUM. We also picked up a bottle of their raspberry dessert wine - DOUBLE YUM. Holy cow is that stuff delicious. One word of warning: No matter what your GPS says, there is no road back down to Wailea or Kihei without going back through Kahului. Trust me on this. Our GPS tried five times to make us take various non-existent or dead end routes, insisting we U-turn at every intersection. It would be nice if there was, but no.
One excursion that was a wee bit disappointing was the Iao Valley. Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely beautiful, but there really isn't much there outside the 100m paved loop and the lookout to view the Iao Needle. We did find out later that there are some great hikes past the main area, but we weren't exactly in a position to go exploring. Again...next time! I think if we'd only planned for a short visit instead of expecting a morning's activity it would have been better. But again, extraordinarily beautiful scenery.We head home this evening on an overnight flight. This could either be very good or very, very bad. The little miss will will likely be fine in her scary airplane bassinet (see picture), but it's the little man I'm worried about.
We check in in just over an hour and we still haven't fully decided if we're going to put him in his car seat or not. I think he'll sleep better without it, but it's anyone's guess.Yes, we've been very busy this trip but it has been an awesome vacation. And as you can tell, we have a heck of a lot to do next time we come here!
Wish me luck on the flight. See you in Vancouver!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Addicted to the Scale
I admit it. I have a problem. Well, I have many, but this one has just shown its ugly head to me while we've been on vacation. I am addicted to the scale. Not in a do-anything-I-can-to-lose-weight way, but I do weigh myself an inordinate amount. I wake up, I weigh myself. I feed our daughter, I weigh myself. I pee (yes, I went there- did you expect anything less from me?), I weigh myself.
Don't get me wrong. This is not an all out mission to watch the scale creep ever lower with each check. I eat like a normal person. Since I'm still breastfeeding, I actually eat MORE than the normal Weight Watchers member. I just find in fascinating to see the effects of each meal, sleep, feed, etc. I don't get freaked out if it's higher than my last WW weigh-in, because I am a card-carrying believer in the system. If you track your points and stay within the limits, work out at least 3 times a week and then pray like hell to whichever god/idol/Elvis statue you choose, you will lose weight. I have been steadily losing weight since I started, so why would a little spike on the scale freak me out?
It does do one thing for me. It helps me to go to my weigh-in/meeting confident in the outcome, give or take a few ounces. Here's the thing. I have been on vacation now for nine days, and it's been ten days since my last weigh-in. I'm using one of my "free week" coupons as we were away for last week's weigh-in, but I have a weigh-in coming up 28 hours after we get home and I have NO IDEA what the scale will say. I haven't been able to weigh myself for over a week. I am petrified!
I have been pretty damned good this vacation, staying within my points limits almost every day and I've been to the gym three times plus walking everywhere. (Don't boo and hiss me just yet - tonight I enjoyed three glasses of wine and a piece of cheesecake. Four points over and worth every one.)
I'm sure it's not COMPLETELY healthy to weigh oneself that much, and I know "it's not about the number it's about how you feel," bladdy bladdy blah. I really do just get a kick out of analyzing the effects of a day well lived. Let's call it scientific research. Or being a complete and utter control freak.
It definitely does remind me to stay on track, and this is where I am a little worried. I set myself a goal before we left. I'm currently at 36.6lbs lost and as I'm missing one week's weigh-in, I believe it's possible that I could indeed reach the big 4-0 at my next weigh-in. 3.4lbs over two weeks is completely doable, right? Right?
Oh well, if I'm not there this week I'll get there next week. I'm not worried. And I will NOT use my other "free week" coupon to avoid a bad weigh-in.
After all, it's not about the number, etc etc ... although Weight Watchers doesn't hand out "I fit into my wedding dress again" charms for your little keychain. Maybe they should.
Don't get me wrong. This is not an all out mission to watch the scale creep ever lower with each check. I eat like a normal person. Since I'm still breastfeeding, I actually eat MORE than the normal Weight Watchers member. I just find in fascinating to see the effects of each meal, sleep, feed, etc. I don't get freaked out if it's higher than my last WW weigh-in, because I am a card-carrying believer in the system. If you track your points and stay within the limits, work out at least 3 times a week and then pray like hell to whichever god/idol/Elvis statue you choose, you will lose weight. I have been steadily losing weight since I started, so why would a little spike on the scale freak me out?
It does do one thing for me. It helps me to go to my weigh-in/meeting confident in the outcome, give or take a few ounces. Here's the thing. I have been on vacation now for nine days, and it's been ten days since my last weigh-in. I'm using one of my "free week" coupons as we were away for last week's weigh-in, but I have a weigh-in coming up 28 hours after we get home and I have NO IDEA what the scale will say. I haven't been able to weigh myself for over a week. I am petrified!
I have been pretty damned good this vacation, staying within my points limits almost every day and I've been to the gym three times plus walking everywhere. (Don't boo and hiss me just yet - tonight I enjoyed three glasses of wine and a piece of cheesecake. Four points over and worth every one.)
I'm sure it's not COMPLETELY healthy to weigh oneself that much, and I know "it's not about the number it's about how you feel," bladdy bladdy blah. I really do just get a kick out of analyzing the effects of a day well lived. Let's call it scientific research. Or being a complete and utter control freak.
It definitely does remind me to stay on track, and this is where I am a little worried. I set myself a goal before we left. I'm currently at 36.6lbs lost and as I'm missing one week's weigh-in, I believe it's possible that I could indeed reach the big 4-0 at my next weigh-in. 3.4lbs over two weeks is completely doable, right? Right?
Oh well, if I'm not there this week I'll get there next week. I'm not worried. And I will NOT use my other "free week" coupon to avoid a bad weigh-in.
After all, it's not about the number, etc etc ... although Weight Watchers doesn't hand out "I fit into my wedding dress again" charms for your little keychain. Maybe they should.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Perfect Kick in the Pants
Holy crap! I was absolutely thrilled to find out that Finding My Weigh was named one of the "30 Ultimate Vancouver Mom Blogs" by Vancouver Mom website. There are some phenomenal ladies on that list and I highly recommend checking them out. I am so honoured to be included and could gush for hours, but I know you would get bored and leave me faster than I can type...well, anything really. This is also the perfect kick in the pants I needed to get back to blogging regularly. Poop, dishes, vacation planning...nothing should keep me from this activity that I enjoy so much - or at least not for more than a few days. Poop really does have a way of overriding all other activities.
Thank you Vancouver Mom for kicking me in the pants. :)
Thank you Vancouver Mom for kicking me in the pants. :)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Where the Hell Have I Been?
My whole family is currently sleeping which is the only way this will ever get written, so I have to do it fast. I'll try and tend to typos but apologies in advance if they happen.
I'm sure some people are afraid that my last post, Potty Training #2, and its ensuing aftermath buried me in poop and rendered me unable to blog ever again. This was indeed almost the case, but I clawed my way out and have found a smidgen of time to get back to writing. Here's the brief rundown on my last 2.5 weeks.
There is an actual condition (I Googled it) called "Toddlers Diarrhea", caused by your little darling drinking too much juice. Ninety percent of the time we give the little man less than an inch of juice in his cup and top up the rest with water, but SOMEWHERE (cough, cough, grandparents, cough) he got his hands on the good stuff.
It was pretty nasty there for a while. I'm ashamed to admit it, but the little man is now back in Pull-Ups, or as we call them "underpants". While he now sees the benefits of pooping on the potty, his three-year old logic was just no match for his explosive bowel. Luckily he doesn't seem to grasp the difference between the Pull-Ups and regular underwear, so we haven't had the major setback I was fearing.
Two weeks later we're completely juice-free, and he's totally accustomed to water only. We have just reintroduced yogurt and milk ("they" recommended limiting dairy for a while) and thank goodness things are shaping up (literally) a bit. I think we will be back in underwear soon, given that grenades are much easier to deal with than...I'll spare you the description.
The poop issues are just part of why I've been AWOL from blogging. The little man seems to be into everything right now, and won't sit still for a minute. He's always been really good at keeping himself entertained when necessary, but lately the entertainment he's pursuing has me pulling my already hormonally-challenged hair out. He's at the sink splashing water, he's climbing bookcases, he's knocking over dressers, he's spraying Folex all over his room... (In a not-so-awesome move, Mr. Awesome left it out where the little man could get it. Thank God it's non-toxic.) Not to mention the fact that the little miss is almost six months old now and getting very excited about what the world has to offer!
Then of course there is the pursuit of my weight loss goal. Mr. Awesome is indeed awesome when it comes to giving me time to go to the gym. I'm now down 36.6lbs and hope to reach 40lbs by the time we get home from vacation.
That's the other reason I've been away...I've been away. Don't hate me, but I'm writing this from Maui. It's our first real trip since the little miss arrived and as primarily road-trip travelers we don't pack light. It required a hell of a lot of planning and prep work to get the four of us here and I still forgot the little man's toothbrush.
It's been a great trip so far, with the exception of the whining. It seems that when the little man is out of his comfort zone the whining gets worse. Not all the time, but a lot of it. Yes, he's only three and yes, the time change wreaked havoc with his sleep schedule for a few days, but COME ON, we're on vacation!! Doesn't he realize there's no whining in paradise??
He reminds me of Joey in the Friends episode where they went to London and he missed everything about America and kept talking fondly about home. Our little homebody keeps listing the things we have at home. "Crayons...at home. Movies...at home. Books...at home." (We brought all these things with us.) Even though we brought half our house with us to Hawaii, it would apparently all be much better at home.
Whining aside, we are having a fantastic time. I will try and find some time to write about the trip in the next few days, now that I've brought you all up to date. For those of you that were truly worried about my welfare, thank you and I love you. For those of you that didn't notice, no big deal. For those of you that actually hoped I had been buried in poop, why did you read this post all the way to the end?
I'm sure some people are afraid that my last post, Potty Training #2, and its ensuing aftermath buried me in poop and rendered me unable to blog ever again. This was indeed almost the case, but I clawed my way out and have found a smidgen of time to get back to writing. Here's the brief rundown on my last 2.5 weeks.
There is an actual condition (I Googled it) called "Toddlers Diarrhea", caused by your little darling drinking too much juice. Ninety percent of the time we give the little man less than an inch of juice in his cup and top up the rest with water, but SOMEWHERE (cough, cough, grandparents, cough) he got his hands on the good stuff.
It was pretty nasty there for a while. I'm ashamed to admit it, but the little man is now back in Pull-Ups, or as we call them "underpants". While he now sees the benefits of pooping on the potty, his three-year old logic was just no match for his explosive bowel. Luckily he doesn't seem to grasp the difference between the Pull-Ups and regular underwear, so we haven't had the major setback I was fearing.
Two weeks later we're completely juice-free, and he's totally accustomed to water only. We have just reintroduced yogurt and milk ("they" recommended limiting dairy for a while) and thank goodness things are shaping up (literally) a bit. I think we will be back in underwear soon, given that grenades are much easier to deal with than...I'll spare you the description.
The poop issues are just part of why I've been AWOL from blogging. The little man seems to be into everything right now, and won't sit still for a minute. He's always been really good at keeping himself entertained when necessary, but lately the entertainment he's pursuing has me pulling my already hormonally-challenged hair out. He's at the sink splashing water, he's climbing bookcases, he's knocking over dressers, he's spraying Folex all over his room... (In a not-so-awesome move, Mr. Awesome left it out where the little man could get it. Thank God it's non-toxic.) Not to mention the fact that the little miss is almost six months old now and getting very excited about what the world has to offer!
Then of course there is the pursuit of my weight loss goal. Mr. Awesome is indeed awesome when it comes to giving me time to go to the gym. I'm now down 36.6lbs and hope to reach 40lbs by the time we get home from vacation.
That's the other reason I've been away...I've been away. Don't hate me, but I'm writing this from Maui. It's our first real trip since the little miss arrived and as primarily road-trip travelers we don't pack light. It required a hell of a lot of planning and prep work to get the four of us here and I still forgot the little man's toothbrush.
It's been a great trip so far, with the exception of the whining. It seems that when the little man is out of his comfort zone the whining gets worse. Not all the time, but a lot of it. Yes, he's only three and yes, the time change wreaked havoc with his sleep schedule for a few days, but COME ON, we're on vacation!! Doesn't he realize there's no whining in paradise??
He reminds me of Joey in the Friends episode where they went to London and he missed everything about America and kept talking fondly about home. Our little homebody keeps listing the things we have at home. "Crayons...at home. Movies...at home. Books...at home." (We brought all these things with us.) Even though we brought half our house with us to Hawaii, it would apparently all be much better at home.
Whining aside, we are having a fantastic time. I will try and find some time to write about the trip in the next few days, now that I've brought you all up to date. For those of you that were truly worried about my welfare, thank you and I love you. For those of you that didn't notice, no big deal. For those of you that actually hoped I had been buried in poop, why did you read this post all the way to the end?
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