Apple picking

Chris and I went apple picking this fall. After pulling a few choice apples off of the trees, we enjoyed some of the apples. The apples were so good we returned the following week to get more apples and we brought a few friends along with us.

Food diary

My mom and I have started to keep one another accountable for the food we consume. We tried it before but gave up after about two weeks. It is helpful because I know I will have to tell her what I eat and also because it is a great way to stay connected.

I just finished e-mailing my mom and before I hit send, I read to Chris what I had written because...well, because I was sort of proud. Self control isn't my strong suit. In fact, it is probably what I struggle with the most. But tonight, I was successful. No overeating. This is what I was thinking about when I read my food list to Chris. Apparently it wasn't what he was thinking about. His comment to my list: "Not exactly a prime example of the food pyramid." I couldn't help but laugh as I reviewed what I had eaten before the world wide web whisked away my e-mail to Chicago for my mom to read.

Breakfast: oatmeal (Pretty good start I would say. Heart healthy.)
Snack: almonds, cashews, cranberries (Lots of good protein in those almonds.)
Lunch: worked through lunch (Those darn mentally ill children always having a crisis at lunch time.)
Snack: jello with apple sauce (Sugar free jello, unsweetened applesauce. Very tasty. Will give recipe if interested)
Snack: peanuts with a few candy corn (Tastes like a candy bar and not too unhealthy if eaten in small amounts.)
Dinner: heart healthy pancakes with no butter and sugar free syrup (Chris makes the best pancakes.)
Snack: 90 calorie granola bar (I had oatmeal raisin so I worked in more fruit for the day.)
Dessert: 300 calorie white chocolate hot cocoa
small slice of chocolate cake (No redeeming qualities in my dessert other than portion control.)

Admittedly my list wouldn't win any awards from FDA but it is a small victory in terms of self control. I wonder how my mom did...?

Time off

For the first time in history, I have taken time off of work for no reason. I am not traveling home to Chicago. I am not attending a wedding for extended family out of town and it isn't a holiday. For once, I am taking time off just for me. I realized this last night as I was e-mailing my mom. I shared with recent discovery with Chris and he responded by informing me that I am nuts and a work a holic. He also forbid me to do housework since he knows I could fill my entire two days off finding some sort of cleaning to do around the house. He told me to sleep in and enjoy myself. I was very excited.

Of course I woke up at 5:45 AM this morning, the morning of my first of two days free from mentally ill children, mentally ill parents, and in my opinion, a large number of mentally unstable teachers. I tried falling back asleep. I tried pretending it was a Saturday where I normally sleep in a few extra hours. I closed my eyes, put the sheet over my head, and imagined it was only 2AM and I would regret if I didn't go back to sleep. It didn't work. What is the fun of sleeping in when I can't snuggle up to my husband in bed?

So here I am at 6:30 AM having given up on sleeping. I had to wait to get up until Chris left for work because I knew he would have given me a hard time. He already noted I was too awake for my first day off when he kissed me goodbye. I have already created a list of things I want to do today. I need to go to the library and return my book on tape and perhaps check out another one. I need to schedule a doctor's appointment and get a quick blood draw for which I am 4 months overdue. Let's check my list...change the sheets for my guest coming Saturday night, bake muffins for the bridal shower tonight, wrap my gift, check to see if the favors I ordered for the shower will be here by this afternoon, go to the gym, run to the grocery store, etc... Ah yes, a relaxing day indeed.