mandalei

Ben found out something kind of cool the other night.  As he was reading a book of ABCs to Jack for the 5th time in a row, he got bored and started asking Jack what the things were in the pictures.  The thing is, almost every thing in the book is something Jack can either say, or of which he knows the sign.  He has something like 100 words he can use now, spoken or signed, at 19 months.  Of course, some of them are more clear than others… and our interpretation.  I *heart* Signing Time, and no, I am not affiliated in any way.  One of the best things Jack has done recently is sign “penguin”, which is putting your hands down at your side, and doing a little side to side stepping motion.  I’ll see if I can swing some video of it.

So I started eating properly and exercising last Tuesday.  The results of last week’s efforts: down 2.5 lbs. I plan on keeping a weekly update on this.

I will say that I love the Apple app LoseIt!  If you have an Ipod touch or an Iphone, it’s free and AWESOME.  It gets your details at the begninng, and then calculates your calories based on the average amount of weight you wish to lose per week.  In my case, I said 1.5 lbs.  It told me how many calories I could have, and then I can enter my food and exercise into it (I am sure there is some fudge room in this, but whatever), and then it tells me how many calories I have left during the day.  If I exercise, it gives me more calories to eat, if I want.  I can choose to see how I have come in each day over the course of a week in a handy bar graph, even.  But today I found out the best part of the whole app:  as it tracks my weight, it readjusts how many calories I can have each day and how much I actually burn hen I exercise.  Fascinating, and oh so helpful!  (Chels, maybe something to keep in mind for patients?  Seems like something up your alley; in any case, have Chris load it, and check it out!)

I’m having a hard time parting with it.  I am dragging my feet, “just one more day,” i think, “it’s still got alot of life in it.”

I don’t want to, but I think it’s time: the Christmas tree has to go.  There are only so many days out of the year that the garbage company takes them for compost.

In other news, we have had a great New Year so far!  Ben and I got to participate in some Austrian traditions (my favorite involved melting lead trinkets over a butane torch and then dumping it into cold water to interpret the fortune for the next year), and then Jack got some stomach bug the following night around midnight (and I am just getting over it myself, although, fortunately, I didn’t soil my sheets x 2, sleeper x2 and sleepsack combo, and teddy bear x 3… I just felt stomach pain).

Pictures to follow.

I am so looking forward to this year.  Mainly because it is a blank slate and while last year was a good one for us and our little family, it also seemed very hard, for all sorts of other reasons.  Here’s to a better year.

I hope to post once a week (maybe even twice!) as one of my resolutions.

I hope to get on the healthy living kick and stick with it longer than a few months.

I hope to be more creative.  I know I have made a bunch of stuff, but it’s been other people’s patterns or tutorials.  I want to come up with the projects I do from start to finish (at leat a few of them!)

I hope to travel and see family and friends more.

I hope to finish painting and getting the house in order.

I hope to relax and laugh more, and enjoy the moment.

What are your wishes?