Week 3 of The Biggest Loser at work

For week 3 of The Biggest Loser Competition at work, I lost 3 lbs. 2 oz.--that's a total of 9 lbs. 4 oz. from the start of the competition. I did wear boots and a sweater for the first weigh-in and I take off my shoes now to weigh...so it's probably more like a 7 lb. loss, but I'm happy with the loss just the same. I'm wearing pants this week that I couldn't wear 3 weeks ago--so I'll keep plugging along. I have a workout DVD that I like called "30 Day Shred" by Jillian Michaels from The Biggest Loser show. I like it because you do three 6-minute circuits (3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of abs, and 1 minute of abs). There are 3 levels of intensity too-I'm still on Level 1 and it's good for me! I've said before, but I'll say again--I'm drinking lots of water, eating healthier choices, cutting out the snacks, and exercising about 3 times per week. I have one Diet Coke or one Diet Dr. Pepper a day. I do cheat on food choices too, but with moderation-I had a Hostess cupcake and a few bites of homemade vanilla ice cream for snack at school today, yesterday I had a small brownie, and I do eat a slice of cheese pizza about once a week. The competition is for 12 weeks--so I'm hoping if I keep posting about it on the blog, then I'll stay motivated!

Updates

Week 2 of The Biggest Loser at work: lost 12 oz. for week 2...I'm so thankful for the scale that includes ounces!!! My high school friends would always say they were going to "buckle down" talking about academics...so I'm "buckling down" for Week 3 for our Friday weigh-in.

New floors: Hubby worked hard on the floors today. He made good progress in the family room. Kitchen, breakfast area, and hallway are done. He's seeing the "light at the end of the tunnel." I did however throw up a road block to his light today when I mentioned that I may also want him to put hardwood floors in the hallway by the kids' rooms.

Have you joined Facebook yet? If you haven't, you should. There's a request going around on there where you list 25 randomish things about yourself. I've learned a lot about people through this "note." Here are my 25 things:
1. I always knew I would be a teacher. My sister and I played school all the time. We'd even schedule recess for our "classes" at the same time so we could go outside together. I tried to stray from my life plan in college---thought I'd be a business major, but then I got my 1st 2 Cs in one quarter in Economics and Calculus--I said ok God...gotcha--I'm going to be a teacher!
2. I have the BEST husband in the whole world! We'll be married 10 years this summer. We met in college my freshman year. I'd always see him on the college buses, and my heart would race!
3. I have the greatest kids too. My son is so busy...always figuring out how things work...we always say he'll be our engineer. My daughter tells it like it is...she's 4--going on 34--don't know where she gets that from! :) Tonight I asked her to pick up her toy to take to her room. She responded saying, "My arms are not available." Oh me!
4. I started a blog this year...couldn't decide if I wanted to blog about being a wife, mother, or teacher--so I hit on all three in my blog. It's fun! http://www.3sweetteasandme.blogspot.com/ 5. I have a dachshund named Brumby June--Brumby after my dorm and June after her birth month which was also the month hubby and I got married-June 1999. We just call her June.
6. In Jr. High, I'd make my sister so mad! She'd be studying, and I'd be in my room with AC/DC rocking the walls! We've always been close, and still are now!
7. My parents are the BEST. About 2 years ago, they moved into our subdivision and they help us so much with our kids! My kids call them "Dodo" and "EJ" just because that's what my son started calling them when he was little. They call my sister "E" for the same reason.
8. We lived in Madison when we first were married, and loved it there. My husband would move back tomorrow if he could.
9. I love being a teacher-a Kindergarten teacher to be exact! It's so exciting watching kids learn to read!
10. My daughter looks just like her Daddy and my mother-in-law. She looks like her Daddy and acts like her MaMa. By the way--I have super in-laws too! The kids call them Nana and Papa.
11. I have been diabetic since the 3rd grade. My dad came to pick me up from school one day saying we were going to the hospital. I asked..."who's sick?" He told me that I was! It was on Friday the 13th and I was in room 313 in the hospital. I remember asking..."will I still be able to have a baby?" Now I have 2 great babies--ages 5 and 4!
12. My husband is currently putting in new, raw hardwood floors in our house. We're living in a construction zone! Not sure how the sanding/staining portion of this project will go.
13. My friend, Shelly, and I almost got in a fight with a girl at Six Flags. You'll have to ask her about that! We lived at Six Flags in junior high.
14. I used to be very organized...nothing out of place, BD cards/wishes always on time, etc...but seems like when you have a family...organization starts to go out the window.
15. I like to figure things out on the computer-editing, new programs, etc.
16. My husband and I are trying to plan a 10 year anniversary trip...but can't get it planned.
17. I made 2 new year's resolutions this year--I usually don't make any--but made 2 this year: lose some weight (I've lost just over 6 pounds in 2 weeks) and read the Bible cover-to-cover. It's approaching the end of the month, and I've stuck to them so far!
18. Our favorite family restaurant is Truett's. Our kids' names are on the sign out front right now advertising that kids can make their own milkshakes like our kids--thanks B!
19. I had the same teacher for first grade and second grade-Mrs. Watson. I think she helped establish my love of learning.
20. My friend, Amie, and I were almost bit by a rattlesnake. :) (not a real one)
21. I've had 2 tickets in my life: one for a wreck and one for speeding--both have been in the past 5 years.
22. My favorite color is pink--always has been.
23. When I had my son, I went in to be induced. Started about 6am on one day. He was finally born by c-section at 12:04am on the next day. He weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. My daughter was born by scheduled c-section by 8:30am. She weighed 10 lbs. 6 oz.
24. I wear a size 7 1/2 shoe--that's a random something--can you tell this task is getting harder???
25. I think Facebook was made for people like me! I love re-connecting with people from every phase of my life. It's interesting to think how each person you meet shapes you as a person.

A Fun Day!

Today was the 100th Day of school. We celebrated by having the students and staff dress like they were 100 years old. We had the best time! Here are some photos:
My son this morning in his 100 year-old's outfit:

Me and my son-both in Kindergarten this year-one teacher and one student!

My good friend that I work with and an aunt of one of the student's who comes to volunteer--both in great costumes! I LOVE this photo!!! Makes me smile soooooooooooooooooo big!!!!

Here's my friend again--in costume on a scooter!!! It was a fun day!

Melt Your Heart

Last night before we went to bed, our son was working quietly in our bedroom. He emerged announcing that he had left a box next to daddy's side of the bed with a note attached. He said Daddy could only open it at 20 o'clock...which hubby told him translated to 8:00 military time. So after we put the kids to bed, hubby opened his surprise.

Here's the note on the top of the box:

"Don't open it until 20 o'clock. Love Daddy (he said that meant he loves Daddy). You can sleep with it."

Here are the contents of the box--all of our son's prized possessions (and some of his sister's too)-"Fluff Cat" (black and orange cat), "Charlotte" (the blue bear), "Walter" (the farting dog), plus a few more.

Does that melt your heart or what??? Hubby dumped the contents of the box at the foot of our bed so our son would see that Daddy did indeed sleep with his gift. This morning the first thing our son said when he woke up was..."Daddy, did you like your box?"

3 things that make you go "hmmm"

#1 I want to state for the record that it is MUCH harder to eat healthy and drink lots of water when I'm at home than it is when I'm at school. I'm thinking this 3 day weekend is bad for my weight loss. Seems like it would be easier--hmmmmm.
#2 Floor Update: The floors are coming along-hall and breakfast area are done, kitchen was almost done and then some water leaked on the sub-flooring when hubby moved the dishwasher...so have to wait for that to dry completely. His goal tomorrow after church is to finish the kitchen and start ripping out carpet in the family room--hmmmmmmmm
#3 I've failed to mention that while we're living in a construction zone in the kitchen/surrounding areas...we're also having to deal with showering in the kids' bathroom. Hubby fixed a leak in shower about forever ago...stripped out caulking in shower to replace it about a week ago...waiting for warmer weather to re-caulk so it dries correctly--hmmmmmmmmmmm.

5lbs. 6oz.

5lbs. 6oz....that's how much weight I lost for the 1st week of The Biggest Loser at school! Here's how I did it (besides eating pizza and The Varsity!!): drink lots of water...allow myself 1 DDP (Diet Dr. Pepper) a day, eat granola bar for breakfast, eat lots of veggies, fruit, and small amount of meat at lunch (our school has a great cafeteria that helps with good choices--no pre-boxed salads here where you have to beg for some fresh lettuce--everything is fresh and yummy!!!), eat reasonable dinner (ex: tonight I had bowl of taco soup and blackberries), and minimal healthy snacks. I FINALLY got one of my "wish list" DVDs a couple days ago, but didn't start this week...I've got to pace myself to lose over the whole 12 week contest--exercise starts for next weigh-in. Oh...and one more secret...this week I took my shoes off to weigh...last week I weighed in boots!! hee! But...boots don't weigh 5lbs. 6oz....right? :)

Hooray for Cousin Mark!

So...my husband has a cousin in IL that works for a tool company. So guess what he helped us get???? Right...a pneumatic nailer!!! Hubby's back on the floors...I'll post progress tomorrow! Cousin Mark ROCKS; Papa rocks too for suggesting we contact him!

I'm writing a book...

I think I'm going to write a book...it's going to be titled--How to Lose Weight by Eating Pizza and The Varsity. It's true...yesterday we ate at Fellini's for lunch and The Varsity for dinner, but I still managed to lose weight since my weigh-in on Friday for "The Biggest Loser" at school. Here's how you do it...eat a granola bar and water for breakfast...have a bite of apple during the day for snack with more water...eat 1 slice of cheese pizza, diet coke, and some salad for lunch and eat a chili dog, some fries, one onion ring, and 2 big glasses of water at The Varsity! :) Oh yeah...and do some manual labor at your sister's new condo--strip down wallpaper, vacuum (with a fire-hazard of a vacuum cleaner that has exposed wires), carry a new door around the block and down some stairs, etc! Do you think I'll have many readers of my book?

New Year's Resolutions

I usually don't make formal New Year's Resolutions, but this year I'm making two:

1. Lose some weight...At my school, we're starting our own version of The Biggest Loser. We all put in $5 and you pay $2 if you gain any week. So...I signed up! We weigh-in tomorrow for the first time...so everyone has been eating like crazy today. One girl's husband had the idea to put quarters in our pockets for the 1st weigh-in to make us heavier--I'm not naming any names! That sounds like a guy's idea...what woman wants to weigh even more? I don't think I need any help. We're doing it for 12 weeks, and the Biggest Loser wins the cash. We're on teams so the team who loses the most wins too. Here's my strategy--win by doing 2 things: 1. don't eat--who needs it? j/k and 2. I've got my eye on 2 new work-out DVDs. I'll keep you posted. If they're great, I'll post the names of them.

2. Read the Bible cover-to-cover. My friend gave me a calendar for the year where you read a few chapters of the Old Testament and a few chapters of the New Testament each day...it seems do-able.

So...there it is in writing...2 resolutions...hope you'll hold me to them! One way I'm more accountable is that my husband has the same 2 resolutions--we're in this together!

Do you have a New Year's Resolution this year?

Slow, slow, slower than slow we go

Have you read Dr. Seuss' Go, Dog, Go? Remember the line that goes something like...Slow, slow, slower than slow we go? Well...that's how hubby's feeling about the floor installation at the end of day 2. The good news is--they're looking great...the not-so-good news--he's not quite 1/2 through with the kitchen/breakfast area. Here are some pics:

Looking from family room into breakfast area

Drop cloths and rugs are covering sub-flooring in the foreground of pic.

Looking from breakfast area into kitchen:

Here's a faux-completed project pic. I took this one up closer to visualize how it will look when it's all down (still need trim added back, but the flooring is done in this area).

More on the new floors

We moved in our home about 5 years ago. When we bought it, we knew the house needed work and we knew that we wanted the floors replaced--starting with the kitchen. It has taken us 5 years to finally decide what floors to put down--no kidding--we've been debating it for that long--tile...wood...more linoleum??? Enough already...my husband went out and bought a pallet of white oak (enough for the hall, kitchen, family room, and maybe our bedroom). Why white oak?--because we already have white oak in our dining room and entrance hallway. So we've had the wood inside our house for about 2 weeks, and yesterday after much deliberation--my husband started the new floors--woo-hoo!! So here's how it's going so far--he ripped up the old, white, disgusting linoleum that we've been suffering with for 5 years-ugh! The sub flooring looked better already than what we had! He also pulled up all the quarter-round trim molding around the base board in the small hall and kitchen.

Meanwhile--thankfully he has lots of drop-cloths to put on the sub flooring with the kids running around. See the wood on the left--you can also see it under our bed, in the dining room, behind our sofa, and any other nook or cranny you can find--it's getting acclimated, you know.

Here's where he started...he was planning to start in the family room because that wall has the fewest obstructions (can you tell I'm learning a lot about floors too), but after looking at how the existing wood floors were done--he decided to start in this small hallway with lots of obstructions--5 doorways to be exact! You cannot imagine how long it took to get these pieces just right--he was analyzing it and analyzing it to make sure his first rows would be straight--so all the rest of it would be straight! I'm telling you--it took hours at this step. He even wanted to take the baseboard off on the starting wall to make sure it was straight. So after he finally got it right yesterday (we're pretty sure it's right)...he went to rent the nailer today.

He worked from about 1pm until about 7:30pm, and here's what's done--the small hallway! Wow--who knew it was this time-consuming. Hopefully, tomorrow will be faster--with fewer doorways and such. Doesn't it look great?--send him some love with a post comment!

The next big decision is--what color are we going to stain it? I don't think we have 5 years to decide! We're thinking a medium brown.

We had to get out!

Why did the children and I have to get out of the house today? Check this out...

A pneumatic floor nailer hooked up to an air compressor can be awfully loud...that's why! We're getting new floors-yippy!