Pippy Longstocking and Family Memories

Tonight, we had our annual Fall Fest at our church. A tradition that has been in place since I was a child. I have vivid memories of my mom and dad dressing up with us on this night several years ago.  I have a memory of going to Fall Fest as Pippy Longstocking (dating myself here). My dad put a coat hanger through my braided hair and made my pigtails stand straight out on either side of my head. I do not have a picture of this anywhere, to my knowledge, however, I have the memory and for the purpose of this blog, that is all I need.

 

I personally, as an adult, do not care much for Fall Fest. When I was single, it was more enjoyable because the only person I had to consider was myself. However, I am no longer single and have a family of 4 that I have to plan for. What are WE going to wear? Where am I going to get OUR costumes? All the questions that go with motherhood! So tonight, Mike and I divided and conquered.

 

He and Carson went as Lumberjacks.

And they are the cutest lumberjacks I have ever seen! I put my mascara on Carson's face so it looked like a beard. He was so proud that he looked like his daddy.( Like he needed a beard to accomplish that). Mike is not particularly into the dressing up for Fall Fest either however, tonight he outdid himself. He gave it all he had. He came up with the rope belt and the idea to tie the axe on their jeans. He picked out his own shirt from Goodwill and found his bright orange CAT hat (Thanks Uncle Sean) to match Carson. He was a good dad tonight!

 

When it came to Campbell... she didn't want to be Lumberjacks! Shockers. She wanted to be Repunzel. The first hurdle was the hair! What was I going to do for her long hair. Campbell sometimes walks around our house holding a jump rope her to head and lets it drag the ground like she has long hair. So I had to do something! I was walking through Hobby Lobby (the store that the Lord created) and saw a sewing kit for a Repunzel costume. I am TERRIBLE with my sewing machine! So making an outfit wasn't even an option. She would NOT have looked like Repunzel after I did damage to that beautiful material! However, on the package, it had a picture of Repunzel hair made with yarn! Now yarn I can do!

With her hair figured out, we now had the task of deciding what I would be. Obviously I wanted to match her because Mike and Carson were matching so it only made sense. I asked her what she thought I should be. She replied, "Mommy, you could be Mother Gothel". I told her I didn't want to be the bad villan who turns old rapidly and dies. She then told me I could be Maximus, the horse. Hummmm. Horse or Mother Gothel? I went for the mother.

There was no costume so I had to make one. We bought me a marroon graduation robe from Goodwill for 4$. I bought material to make the bell sleeves and gold thread to made the belt and piping down the center. After 4 hours with my hot glue gun,  I had created the Mother Gothel Costume! All I needed was the last remaining black wig at Wal Mart and I was set!

 

This is what we ended up looking like!

 

Not too shabby. I was pretty proud of us. As was my daughter. You know, if I hadn't had a daughter, I would never have gone through the trouble of making me a Mother Gothel Costume from scratch. I would have NEVER even been mother Gothel. But a thought occured to me as I was sitting on my floor with hot glue burns all over my hands... what if this is the Fall Fest that is her Pippy Longstocking? What if this is the one she remembers? She may not remember it, but what if she does?

What if she does?

When she is 32 years old and blogging, if she recalls the Fall Fest night that her mom dressed up like Mother Gothel and made her own costume to match her, if she remembers that her mom made her Repunzel hair complete with ribbons and flowers, it will be worth it.

 

I have no idea if that will ever happen or if I will ever know about it. I don't even think my dad knows that I remember the Pippy Longstocking night. But I do. And maybe my sweet girl will remember this one too.

 

As it stands now, I had 2 of the most precious children at Fall Fest tonight!

 

With smiles on their sweet faces, homemade hair wrapped around the floor and a sponge axe we got a Lumberjack show months ago in Pigeon Forge, we made a great showing at Fall Fest tonight!

I may not know if my kids will share in these sweet memories, but one thing I do know, I am enojying every single one of them!

 

I pray that you take the time to make memories. They always outlast photographs.

From our night of family memories to yours...

 

 



First Fire and Family Fun

     So! My cute son is doing so well with his potty training! What a blessing! Beyond words blessing! I haven't cried once! I haven't wanted to kill anyone or jump out the window. I don't hate anyone. I'm not in a terrible mood, crying myself to sleep every night, questioning my entire existance as a mother! This is such a new experience for me! God knew I needed this experience to be this way!

     Also, tonight I made 2 Vegan recipes I got off Pinterest. I haven't ever made anything from Pinterest yet and tonight, I put it to the test. Dinner was fresh herb and dill dumplings! WOW! Mike LOVED it! I served it with cornbread, (not Vegan) but still, so yummy! For desert, I made a chocolate and cherry cake with a chocolate glaze. To top off the evening, we built our first fire of the season.

     We enjoyed our first fire of the season! It was chilly, overcast and the perfect night to be in our PJ's in front of a roaring fire!

     He is still such a cute member of this family! He was my family before the other 3 ever came around!

     Playing on the floor with daddy is the best part of our evening! I love hearing the laughter and watching my kids play with my husband. This is one of the great parts of my day!

     Here is a family pic that Max actually made it in!

     This is what started it all! Everytime I look around at my beautiful home, my wonderful kids, the fire in my fireplace, the yummy dinner on the stove and the laughter and fun that fills my house, I am reminded that none of this would be mine if it weren't for my choice in a husband. I feel blessed to be married to my best friend. This is a good life and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

    Kids are in bed, Mike and I are sitting in front of the fire catching up on Texas Country Reporter and I am going to enjoy my chocolate cake! Good night to all.
I pray that your life is as blessed as mine and that during the beautiful season, you are able to see the beauty in your own life.

Confessions from the...Vegan?

Dear readers,
     It is with a heavy heart that I write this blog... I have a confession to make. Tonight, I ate a sandwhich with cheese on it. Not just a little cheese, alot of cheese. I didn't order it that way, but, I did eat it that way.
    
    I ordered a Veggie sandwhich. In a momentary lapse of judgement, I forgot that Vegetarian does not, in fact, mean Vegan. When the sandwhich came, I saw that it was loaded with cheese along with the veggies. My hunger spoke louder than my...well...anything else and in about 5 huge bites, it was gone. The sandwhich had dissapeared. After it was over, I had a very full belly and a very uncomforatble nagging in my soul. What had I done? Why had I done that? Why did it taste so delicious? O the deliciousness! The flavor, the meltiness, O man! There are no words. Of course, if I had known I was going to just flat out cheat, I would have done it with big piece of chocolate cake or cheesecake with chocolate sauce or a....... well...... you know where this is going. I would have choosen something besides a little cheese on a sandwhich. Either way, I enjoyed it.
  
     I am sure that I have eaten dairy and meat without knowing it. Butter on popcorn, bacon fat in green beans, I mean, without a personal chef, a million dollars and the resources of  a celebrity, I do feel like I have done the best I can. Tonight, however, it was just a flat out choice and I chose poorly. I am not falling off the Vegan wagon. I committed for one year and I will succeed in this endevour, no matter how difficult it may at times.

     I learned a lesson tonight. Several actually:
One - No matter how strong I think I am, severe hunger will always win out.
Two - Never let myself get to the severe hunger point.
Thirdly - One mistake is not reason enough to fall off the wagon. The wagon is still rolling, I just have to jump back on it. On it, I am.

     It has been about 2 hours since my cheese filled sandwhich disappeared into my stomach and I do feel heavier than I have in last few months. I'm not so sure the cheese is sitting well with me. Wouldn' that be an interesting a lesson learned? After months of not eating it, I am no longer able to... Hummm. I guess we will see.

     Well, thanks for sticking with me, for listening to my confessions and for well, enojoying the food I  long to enjoy. March 28th.... let's get here!

Potty training... round 2

First, quick calorie counting update: Been counting calories for 2 weeks and been doing a cleanse, as well as being Vegan... gained 3 lbs! Which is about right! Moving on...

It is that time again... "What time?", you may ask. Time to potty train my son. Dum Dum Dum
Potty training my daughter almost killed me. No! I'm not joking. Literally almost killed me. It took me 18 months from the pit of the hell to train her. I have never cried so hard, screamed to loud, gotted so frusterated, been so close to loosing my ever loving mind as when I attempted to potty train Campbell. I'm actually not sure what happened. It could be a factor of several things: She wasn't ready. She didn't understand what I was doing. I wasn't ready. I didn't understand what I was doing. OR, it just might be a combination of all of the above. I almost didn't have another child just because I would have to potty train them one day. This is true. I wish I was just trying to make you laugh, but alas, I am not.

So, at first, I just thought, it's not really that big of a deal. He will eventually be potty trained. He won't go to college still needing a diaper change. However, it was in my head to just let him get it when he gets it. I mean, how badly does one actually NEED to be taught to use the bathroom in the potty? Is it truly necessary?

These are all questions that I have been dealing with for months. But, it has been brought to my attention that most children around his age are being potty trained. So, I don't want him to be left behind and yet, at the same time, I want to maintain some sort of trait of a normal person through this whole ordeal. So, yesterday, I went to Wal Mart, with an ulcer in my stomach and tears in my eyes, and bought a Thomas the Train potty seat. Then, I purchased candy and put the candy in mason jars that now sit on the back of the toilet.

If in 18 months, he is still not potty trained, this blog will be shut down and you will find me in a mental hospital seeking psychiatric attention. Prayers are valued...

Challenged for a better day...

     So, today was a much better day! I planned better, ate better, cooked better and as a result, feel better! I believe that any time one begins something new, it takes a while to learn how to make it work for you.

     One of my biggest battles has always been breakfast! I have never liked breakfast. The reason is because I don't like breakfast food. I have never been a fan of eggs. Even before I became a Vegan, I have never liked eggs. I think it has something to do with the texture. I have always thought them to be a little spongy. I don't care for biscuts and jelly. I have never liked sausage. Pancakes are ok but a little sweet for my taste. I prefer savory to sweet any day of the week. Oatmeal is fine but that's really all I can say about it. It's fine. I have never been a cereal person either. Once or twice a month I get a hankering for a bowl of cereal. So, there you have it, my 32 year long delima with breakfast. In high school I had a bowl of rice, every single morning. Served with butter and sometimes with soy sauce! Yummy!

     Today, I had a salad. A Greek salad at that! It was amazing! I found a great recipe in a 200 calorie or less cookbook a few days ago. I made it for lunch yesterday and even served it to my dad. He loved it as much as I did. I am not sure that he liked it enough to have it for breakfast but I did. It was a very flavorful start to my morning. This breakfast came in at 185 calories. Not too bad. I usually prefer to stay under 100 so that I can save them for the rest of the day but I learned today that under 200 keeps me feeling full for longer so I don't need as many during the rest of the day!

     For lunch I had 2 guacamole hard tacos, spainish rice and refried beans. This lunch clocked in at 362 calories. It was delicious! And I was so full! I LOVE feeling full!

     For dinner I had a Boco Flame Grilled Burger patty, a baked potato, squash and zucchini. This dinner cost me 334 calories. It was so tasty. What I loved most about this dinner was that my plate was full! Actually, my plate was full every single meal today! So, today, I ate 881 calories. Which is way below the 1200 I am suppossed to maintain but I'm satisfied for today. I may enjoy a bowl of cereal with soy milk for a small snack in a few moments but for now, I am at peace!

     As I sit on my couch at the end of this day, I am feeling good about this new chapter. I enjoy being challenged. It's sometimes exhausting and everyone needs a break but at the end of a challenge, I feel accomplished. I am challenged every year to write a better Christmas Play than the year before. I am challenged by my children to be a better a mom. I am challenged every summer to be a better Camp Director. Challenges are a way of life for me. I am constantly expecting myself to outdo myself. In every area but my health. This is the first time in my 32 years of existance, that I have challenged myself to change my health. This has been the longest lasting challenge of my life, other than parenting of course. At times it seems like the end is so far away but then I remember how glad I am that I'm in the middle of this journey and not still needing to begin it.

     For those of you who are challenging yourself to a better... whatever... keep up the fight. You may starve for a moment but the more you learn, the better you become!

Challenges

     Ok, updated on my Vegan status? Still going strong. Yep. I am still committed to making it to March 28th. I'm not even worried about the Holidays. I have found enough Vegan recipes that I know I can handle it. It will just take planning and preparation on my part. But, I can do that!
     I have added a new level to my quest for health. Although my Vegan lifestyle has done WONDERS for my health, it has not done much for my weight. I have always said that weight is not the goal and it isn't. I still maintain that position, however, I feel like I'm in the middle of this journey and I might as well make the most of it. So, last week, I started adding calorie counting to my already Vegan choices... this has proven to be the toughest thing I have done so far.

     I have always been honest in this blog and if I am to continue that trend, I must say, this is tough. I have counted calories before and had tremendous success on it. In fact, this was the first course of action recommended by a nutritionist and by my family practitioner back in Feb when I started this journey. It works very well, however, pairing it with being Vegan is much tougher than one might think. My options, as a Vegan are already limited, adding calorie counting to the mix cuts way down on the already limited!

     I have been seeing the reason why I'm not loosing weight, however, I have never realized how many calories I take in during the course of a single day. For instance, Taco Bell is a Vegan fast food gift from the Almighty! Been Burritos, Black Bean and Rice Burritos, Cantina Bowls and Burritos! I'm telling ya, has saved my life on more than one occasion! However, I would order 3 been burritos. It's fine because it doesn't have meat or dairy, so , technically, it's ok to eat. I just recently found out that a single Fresco style been burrito has 350 calories. 350 x 3 is 1050! Thast' right! And my daily calorie allottment is 1200. So, in just on sitting, I was injesting over 1000's calories! That's INSANE!

     Insane and sobering all at the same time. Since I have been holding myself accountable for every bite, I am eating alot less. And as a result, I'm starving! Yes! I really am. Starving! 2 Tbs of peanut butter has 190 calories in it, that doesn't include whatever you put the peanut butter one to eat it! I am forcing myself to get creative once again, which is always a good thing. I feel challenged and I will conquer it. I am interested to see my weight loss at the end of this. If I have lost any at all.

    Honestly? Honestly, I'm very hungry, all the time, I am a little grouchy because I'm not eating until I'm so full I can't feel my extremidies! I'm just believing that. once again, my labors will not be in vein. Health depends 100% on what I eat, so I'm an eating the right things! Weight loss depends 100% on how much I eat, so I'm eating alot less.

     This has been a good journey with all it's ups and downs. Even in the hardest days, I know down deep in my knower that I'm doing what I'm suppossed to be doing. Thank you for taking it with me. Thank you for cheering me on! I will be on the other side of this trip at some point... and I'm pretty sure, when I get there, the first thing I'm going to get is an Arby's Giant Roast Beef sandwhich!!! I'm not even going to be sorry!

     Make your difficult decsion, jump in your new life, get rid of old habits, become accountable for what you eat, say and do. Whatever it is, just go for it! We will all reach the other side, no matter how challenging the journey may be, I am worth it and so are you!

There will always be...

There will always be lunches to make
There will always be floors to vaccum
There will always be laundry to wash
There will always be clothes to fold
There will always be toys to go through
There will always be diapers to change
There will always be sinks to clean off
There will always be toilets to scrub
There will always be dishes to do
There will always be sheets to wash
There will always be windows to windex
There will always be dinners to be made
There will always be tile to mop
There will always bathtubs to empty
There will always be emails to return
There will always be decisions to be made
There will always be Christmas plays to write
There will always be camp to prepare for
There will always be phone calls to return
There will always be kids who need chocolate milk
There will always be dogs to be fed
There will always be uniforms to iron
There will always be flowers to water
There will always be beds to make

But tonight... Duck Dynasty is on...