Weight: I'm Falling!

You know those moments when you want to crawl under a rock and die of embarrassment? I should have had one of those moments the other day, but I didn't. Why didn't I? I guess because I can acknowledge the truth.

This week someone asked me if I was expecting. And before you even give that another thought, let me just remind you that I have triplets. And now, I will assure you that the answer is NO! No, I am not having another baby. The truth is, I'm just getting fat.

At one point in my life I would have been mortally wounded by someone suggesting that I had put on a few. The truth, however, is that I can acknowledge that I do indeed need to lose some weight. I could give any number of excuses, starting of course with the fact that I did carry a set of triplets (how could anyone forget what that does to a body?!). But the truth is, I just haven't put any effort into it lately.

So, I guess it's that time once again. Time to lose a few pounds. Luckily, I had already decided to make a change, but thanks for the added incentive!

You might have noticed my SkinnyR graph at the bottom of this page. I am going to post my progress. Is this an effort in self-humiliation? Yes, yes it is. I am hoping that by knowing there is a possibility that someone is watching, I'll try harder. So please be supportive. And no laughing!

So here's the deal: I will weigh myself several times a week and post the results. I will not fudge the numbers (mmmmm, fudge). But I am not agreeing to weigh myself on days when the Fall weather gets the better of me. For instance, if (by chance) I make a batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies I will eat one (OK, I'll eat more than one) and I will not be posting a weight check the next day! My weight chart--My rules.

My goal is to lose a total of 27 pounds. I am taking suggestions, recipes, tips, and encouragement. And just for the record--Red Mango is a diet food. It's yogurt and fresh berries. So you can still feel free to bring one over!

There's a New Treat in Town

OK--I have a confession. My name is Bonnie, and I'm an addict. It's been six days since I last indulged. . . .

I went to New York this summer and ordered my first Pinkberry. Everyone told me it was amazing, yeah right. Yeah Right! That stuff is addicting! One night we walked to the Pinkberry from our hotel only to find that the yogurt machine was broken. Can you believe that we walked to the end of the block, hopped a subway, rode two stops, walked to the end of another block, then stood in line for 15 minutes??? Addict!

Now that I'm home, I've been having serious cravings for the Pinkberry. What's an addict to do?

Enter: Red Mango. The Red Mango sign has been up for a while, but it wasn't open. The doors finally opened, and I decided it was worth a shot--of course it couldn't be as good as my Pinkberry, but I still had high hopes that it would be better than everything else I had tried in an effort to relieve my cravings.

I walked in and tried to keep my hopes in check. The styles of Red Mango and Pinkberry are very similar, hmmm, interesting. The furnishings are contemporary and clean. The offerings are basically the same: original (plain) yogurt or green tea flavored--again, very similar. The berries and other toppings are fresh and colorful--I'm hopeful, this could be it!

And then the big mistake--I mention the similarities and the girl at the counter says "yea, Pinkberry copied Red Mango."

What?! Oh -- no you didn't, you did not just slam my Pinkberry! How could that be??? My beloved Pinkberry! OK, I'll forgive that slander for the moment. . . . you're young (and probably wrong). I'll just take my Red Mango now and be going (still hoping for the best).

RED MANGO! I found it! Pinkberry, you were my first, and still possibly my favorite, but Red Mango is in UTAH!!! I know that distance is supposed to make the heart grow fonder. In my case, the heart learns to love what it can get! And I love Red Mango! I know, it makes me seem fickle. But this is really good! And now I won't have to suffer until I get back to New York next summer!

Now I'm embarrassed by how many times I've been back to Red Mango. I'm considering sending my kids in to order for me next time. If you come to visit me, will you please bring me a small regular yogurt with all the berries?! And Shelly, I will meet you there on Tuesday!

Camera Ready

The Eldest and I decided to take the camera for a spin to see what we could do with it. The results are mixed, but we did get some good shots. I think I'm getting the hang of this camera thing. Of course, I really should try to make it to one of the photography classes offered by Ritz. I got free classes with my camera purchase--bonus! And yes, reading the full manual would still be helpful.

The canyons in the neighborhood are filled with changing colors, so we used them as our background. My boy was a (mostly) willing model and we got some great photos. On the way back, we took photos of some wild flowers that were growing roadside. It's amazing how much beauty is around if you just look for it. I expect to have many more great scenery shots as the Fall colors continue to propagate across the hillside.

We couldn't agree on a photo of him to post. I'll post his pics as well as pics of the other kids later.

The Blue Team

The little boys are playing soccer this year for the first time. A soccer team of kindergarteners is certainly a sight to behold. At this age, we're told not to keep score. We try not to count goals, but really, it can't be helped. We scored several goals in the game this past weekend. Don't tell the other team, but I'm pretty sure we won!

The boys are having fun, and the parents seemed to enjoy this last game a little more than usual. I guess when parents are involved there really is more to it than playing for fun. And I admit--I enjoyed seeing them do well, too.

Zeke seemed to get the hang of things a little more this weekend. This photo shows him really going after it. JJ and Max are coming along, too. I'm sure their coach (dad) will help them to continue to improve throughout the season. Good Luck Guys! Go Blue!!!

Stutter Bug

I have made my first faltering steps into the world of real photography. I broke down this week and bought a high-end digital camera. It's a Nikon S90 and I'm pretty sure it's smarter than I am. In the past, I have always opted for the point-and-shoot type camera. It's hard to go too wrong when you're making no decisions of your own as far as shutter speed and ISO setting. I knew there would be a steep learning curve with this camera, but I wasn't prepared for the encyclopedia of info that accompanied my purchase. I spent a whole evening just getting through the Quick Start Guide. Someday I hope to get to the whole manual to figure out all the buttons and settings--I'll let you know if that ever really happens. . . .

I spent the afternoon shooting everything that moves (and some things that don't!). So how the heck do you convince that auto focus to focus on the flower and not on the bark chips below it? I'm sure there is a reason why my super-smart camera wanted to focus on the bark, I just wish I could get it to rethink that a little. Maybe I really should read that manual.

I'll upload my photos tomorrow and see if I have anything worth sharing. I'm just happy not to have to pay for processing for all those photos. I think the best thing about going digital is the delete button!

An Intro to Crazy

I often hear the words "you must be a saint." No, I am sure that I'm not a saint, far from it. I am the mother of five-year-old triplets, a busy tween, and an active teen. I'm not sure if being a saint would help in my calling, but I can assure you that being a little crazy does! Chances are that if a person wasn't crazy upon commencement of this adventure, they certainly would be by the end.

The Eldest is a Senior this year and is looking forward to getting even more freedom next year. He wants to be independent and is rushing toward adulthood. I wish he would slow down and enjoy the ride a little.

The Princess is in the 7th grade and keeps incredibly busy. HRH is dancing at TDC where she is on Teen Company. We travel all across the country to conventions and competitions. The Princess works hard at school and at dance and excels at both.

The triplets (aka The Buddies) are the source of a lot of household chaos. Kindergarten is a blessing in my life right now, it gives me a couple of hours to try to repair some of the daily damage.

In true random order (don't ask who was born first, we don't tell anyone!):

Zeke (not his real name) is our helper. He is so good to help me or his brothers whenever he is asked. He loves to be the first one done so he can move on to the next thing.

Max (maybe his real name) is our dreamer. He is so smart and funny, but he certainly moves in his own world. He doesn't get flustered or bothered, but you're wasting your time if you try to hurry him along.

JJ (probably not his real name) is mischievous. If he can't find trouble, he'll recruit his buddies to help him find it. If it can be unplugged, turned on, dumped out, or smashed, JJ will find the way to do it.

The Mister and I never planned to have five children. Our life was a smooth ride until we decided to try for that third child. We joke that is was a requisitioning error: we asked for three kids, not three more! Oh well, it can't be undone, and we wouldn't change anything if we could. We are happy, healthy, and most certainly a little crazy--but it all works out in the end!