Super Bowl Sunday

I have to pat myself on the back because on Super Bowl Sundy, I made a promise to myself not to overeat. I made guacamole, bean dip, and salsa...I went to put some chips on my plate, when I happened to look at the serving size and it was 9 chips! Who can only eat 9 tortilla chips??? I started to panick wondering what I could use to eat my dips with...when I got online to the WW website and made my own tortilla chips! I was able to have more chips for less calories! They were really good! This is my Super Bowl Sunday plate (everything was carefully measured out!) As for the weight loss, it has been slow... I am noticing progress though. My friend Maureen gave me a lot of her clothes before Christmas and I was lucky to get the pants up to my knees...and now I can wear a couple pair. And the most exciting news is that I was able to get on a pair of her Banana Republic size 10 jeans!!!!!! Yipee!!!! I am taking it one day, one meal at a time....

Being Sick and the Daddy Daughter Dance

We had a nasty stomach virus come through our house and it was a TERRIBLE week for us! It first started with Olivia, she was fine one moment and the next, she was vomitting all night! A week later, Rebecca and Chris got sick on the same night! They were both miserable and the next night was the Daddy Daughter Dance at Rebecca's school that she had been so excited for weeks about! The dance was at 6 and both Chris and Rebecca got ready at 5:45. Chris was a trooper, as sick as he was he got out of bed, took a shower and dressed up for the dance. Rebecca won a mini radio and she was so excited! The next night, my stomach started rumbling and I got the stomach virus! I would not wish this virus on anyone or on anyone's family! Now we are just getting over having colds. Hopefully the sickness season is almost over :)

On the Horse!!!

Rebecca had her 2nd horseriding lesson and remembered a lot from the first lesson! She really wanted to get on the horse, then when it was time to get on, she was scared! With a little coaxing (and bribery...) she got on! She was scared to be up so high, but then Caitlyn got on with her and they took "baby steps" and they ended up riding in the arena for about 10 minutes! When Rebecca got off, she had a huge smile on her face and she told me in the car that she could have ridden on the horse all day! I am glad that she enjoyed the lesson!

Olivia the Dancing Queen

Olivia loves to dance, as long as you don't watch her! There are 2 prominant things about my middle daughter: 1) She has wild hair and 2) she is incredibly shy. If someone she is unfamiliar with tries to talk to her, she pretends that they don't exist. She has told me for a few weeks now that she wants to dance. I have seen her in Rebecca's room with the Hairspray music blasting, dancing away...until she knows you are watching her. Then she freezes! Today, I decided to let her try a dance class and wasn't expecting too much. I knew that we would get there and then she would be too shy to participate. All morning I told her what was going to happen, we would get there and she would need to go with the other girls and listen to the teacher (all part of the "mental rehearsing" I leaned in Weight Watcher meetings...) When we got there, she went with the other girls to the bar, and had a smile on her face the whole time we were there! She was even able to follow all of the dance steps that her teacher was teaching them! When the teacher paired her up with another girl in the class, Olivia took her hand, and danced! She was so happy! I was worried about her being the youngest girl in the class, since she's still 2 and everyone else is 4, but the teacher said that she was able to keep up and she's fine. Olivia wanted to stay in her dance outfit all day long so that she could show Rebecca her dance moves. I was so proud of her today and I am glad that she was so excited to dance!

Saturday, we went with the Brownie Troop to the fish hatchery. It was a really fun time and the weather was so warm! The girls got to look around at all of the cool stuff! They learned about the salmon and how they swim to the ocean and then come back to the hatchery. They got to play and feed the baby salmon that haven't been realeased yet! They fed the salmon ALOT of food! Olivia and Isabella enjoyed it, too!

Happy New Year 2009!

Wow!Our new year has gotten off to a quick start! It took us a week, but the kids are back into the groove of the daily routine! Rebecca's happy to be back at school, as well as Olivia...and Isabella is happy to have the house to herself again on Mondays and Wednesdays! This is going to be a BIG year for us! Chris and I turn 30 this year!!! I have cracked the whip, and am going to lose 30 pounds before my birthday! Olivia is going to be 3 this year, Bellie 2, and can you believe that Rebecca's going to be 7??? We are looking forward to a GREAT 2009!
Rebecca and Olivia were the make-up artists behind Bellie's new look. I think she wears the blue eyeshadow well, don't you?

She practicing for a career as a dump truck driver.

Rebecca and the Missing Teeth

Rebecca had six teeth pulled on Monday! I have noticed over the past 6 months (as her adult teeth have been coming in) that there hasn't seemed to be enough room for them. At her last cleaning, I brought this up to the dentist and she referred me to an orthodontist. I did not feel comfortable with the (lack of) information that orthodontist was giving me, so I called the orthodontist who straightened my teeth 15 years ago! Yes, he is still practicing, and hasn't aged! Dr. Ulrich was just the same as I remember and he was full of information. He said he remembered me and told me the comparisons between Rebecca's teeth and my teeth. My teeth were one of his more "challenging" mouths. If you've seen my smile, then you know, that it speaks volumes of Dr. Ulrich's work. First, he said that Rebecca does have severe overcrowding and has no room for her adult teeth.....so he recommended that 6 baby teeth be pulled! I was filled with anxiety, remembering how it was 22 years ago, when I had my teeth pulled....We booked the appointment with the oral surgeon (Dr. Lee) for December 29th, and just wanted to get through the holiday before we told Rebecca, so that she would not have to worry about having her teeth pulled. The night before her surgery, we briefly told her and she said, "okay". She is so brave for being only 6. Monday morning, I was more of a mess than she was! I had to keep my anxiety in check, and Rebecca was just worried about not being able to eat breakfast and what the tooth fairy was going to bring her! Chris took her to the oral surgeon's office, and waited while they put her to sleep to perform the surgery. Chris said that when Dr. Lee spoke with him after the surgery, she said that Rebecca was the bravest patient she had had all morning...better than the college and high school patient she had had earlier in the day! We are so proud of her! She has been healing very well, and has not been in pain at all!

Rebecca and her full mouth of teeth before she went to Dr. Lee.
One last cute smile with all her teeth.

After she came home with her missing teeth.
Here's her teeth ready for the Tooth Fairy. Look at the roots on these teeth! One of the teeth was a fused tooth, it looked like 2 teeth, but it only had one root. The Tooth Fairy left 6 -$1 bills. Today after looking at every store in the mall, Rebecca spent her $6 on a kalidescope for her and her sister at the Learning Express store.