Ever eat a pine tree?

Neither have I but I have been eating Phase 1 of the South Beach diet since Thursday and I'm hopeful. I have done this plan before with great success until the Christmas cookies yelled louder than the South Beach Fairy and I consumed a year's worth of sugar in about a day, fell into a deep winter's nap, and then all bets were off.

How will this time be different? who knows. I'm at the half way point of my teaching program which means in a year and a half I'll be on the job hunt and shopping for professional clothing is more fun when you can see your toes. Maybe that will motivate me. I'm also 10 and a half years past the last baby so I can't get much sympathy by calling it "baby weight." That opportunity stops when the baby is walking.

The weather is really nice- and its only March, which means the shorts and tank top season will be extended this year. That's always a good motivator.

I watched Stephan King's "Thinner" on Friday. I don't know how that will help but it was interesting. Maybe I just need to find a gypsy to curse me...no, that didn't turn out well in the end.

Maybe I'll just stick to it because its the right thing to do and a tasty way to do it.



Only, oats are banned from Phase 1 of my diet...but you get the idea.

Geez, Louise Tate!

I am SO spent. I feel like I have been in a constant battle since I walked in the door yesterday afternoon and guess what? I have! Last night it was time for a total meltdown by oldest offspring...over what? I can't begin to remember- it just got ugly. It got to the point that youngest, the pets and I were locked in my room while she screamed her lungs out on the other side...that is until I informed her if she screamed until she threw up (there were coughing fits between screams so I felt it was coming) she would be cleaning it up. Anyway, then she went off to stay with her dad today (only she's home now...) to get away from things...so then it was youngest's turn up to bat and I found myself in the damn checkout line in Target - the cart held coffee, string cheese and three pair of shorts for said ingrate and one shirt for the same...she wanted more...I said no- she kicked me- really she KICKED me- and snottily told me that I don't control her legs- the woman in front of us turned around, horrified as I said, "but I control mine" and I left cart and child and walked out the door. Oh there were "I'm sorrys!" and "Please go back in, I'll do anything!!" but to the car I went and drove home in silence.
Later I asked that child to take a garbage bag to the family room to pick up her debris trail and got a big old, "no- I'm not going to do that." fast forward to me in the car on the verge of tears and I went to pick up Oldest...now I have been rendered speechless, useless and deadpan as I try to figure out how to deal with the sudden mutiny of my crew. I have an idea.
Thanks, Endora!

A new syndrome has been discovered!!

Now pay me lots of money!! What is this syndrome, you may ask? Well, it is called, Random Conversational Interjection Syndrome. My youngest has it. We stopped by a friend's house yesterday and while he and I were reminiscing about the good old days of jr. high...she was busy saying show stoppers like, "I like Tacos!" when nothing Mexican was being spoken of. Or, "I can do the splits!" Now, if I find a cure I can make some serious cash, right?

6pm on Sunday and I'm all out of news

Or at least, I'm out of ideas for getting my school work caught up. I have had a productive day but not the caliber I needed. I still have some stuff to do but not the motivation...what's new?

I am all about Tuesday this week. Tuesday and the promise of 50 degrees. 50! I can almost taste 50 degrees...it is just about as delicious as 60 and about half as tasty as 80 even though mathematically that doesn't add up. I really want to live in a temperate climate. I would love to head to California- that's the place I oughta be...I'd pack up my pets and kids and move to Beverly, Hills that is. But alas, I haven't yet won the lottery so here I sit.

I can't complain about the winter because I've only shoveled once and only used the snow blower once. That is unheard of and I probably just jinxed us into a foot of snow on Tuesday instead of the beloved 50 degrees- oh weather gods, I wasn't bragging! The weather gods hate smug more than anything else.

I bought myself a bike lock this weekend. I intend on parking the car in the garage as much as possible. Gas is getting too dear for me. It doesn't help that my car is a tremendous pig - 94 Explorers aren't known for their delicate appetites. So I have myself a lock and now all I need is a good stretch of weather. I'm not a hardened biker yet- I know that many people do it all winter and I will work towards that, EVENTUALLY. I think I've established my disdain for cold and so biking in the chill winter winds is not appealing. I'll work on it, I'll work on it.

Semi-snow day

We had the tinky-tinky rain storm ALL night long- it was loud and kept waking me up. Thankfully, we got a two hour delay today so I made up the lost sleep when I normally would have been up and racing out the door. Funny how two hours can make such a difference.

The outdoors is covered with that very sloppy, heavy snow and sleet crap that falls this time of year. We did end up with a little snow on top of the tinky-tinky rain so it is very wet out there. I refuse to lift a shovel though.

Just one little change.

Is all I'm trying for right now. School takes over my life and I haven't been able to find that balance. My kids need me to make dinner. I really don't like making dinner but they seem intent on having it. Tonight I managed to make taco salads. I even got those very greasy little bowls you bake yourself. You lay them over some paper forms you assemble and pop them in a hot oven. Boy- it feels like you're cooking!! At least my youngest thought it was when I had her help me. And isn't that great that these are the cooking skills I'm passing on?

Well, the time for true confessions is here- I am not a good cook, I'm adequate when I need to be but given my choice I'd order in every night. That is not really very realistic...for now.

Someday I'd be happy to sell off all my cookware, dishes and silverware in exchange for a decent Thai place that delivers. I could keep clothes and craft stuff in the drawers and cupboards instead of pots and pans. I'd save money because I'd never need to use my dishwasher again, or turn on my oven...and if I order right I could live without the fridge and build a closet there instead. I think I'm on to something!

We have a new family member

Charlotte the baby violin. Ingrid starts violin lessons tomorrow and we picked up her violin last night. They measured her and she got a 1/4 sized violin. It is so cute we had to name her. As is the trend in my home...a string has mysteriously been damaged...I have NO idea how these things happen. We'll hope that the teacher can fix it.