Quick Takes vol #16

1. Tonight I am attending the graduation ceremony for the school where I teach.  I am so excited the see the students again (I only teach fall semester) and celebrate with them as they achieve this remarkable goal and begin their nursing career.
2. My nursing education has been the springboard to many wonderful & different jobs, I have worked as a floor nurse, visiting nurse, nurse-midwife, lactation support, childbirth educator, staff education, telephonic nursing and currently as a clinical instructor.
3. As Elisabeth becomes more steady, she is also becoming more adventurous.  Walking up to random people at the playground and saying "Hi"
4. Having not yet learned about personal space, she stood gazing expectantly at an older child ( I think she was hoping to hold hands crossing a somewhat wobbly bridge) until that child called out to her father "She keeps looking at me!"  
5. Signed up this week for a water class with E.  Our summer vacations center around the ocean and pools again this year so I wanted to start to introduce her to being a body of water bigger than a bathtub. Plus it just sounds like fun!
6. Car-trips always seem to be wonderful talking opportunities for DH and me.  Chatting about current events we also seem to reconnect, resolve minor injuries and sort out priorities going forward.
7. Weekend plans: working on some home improvement projects and enjoying the visit of friends.

Read and enjoy more at conversiondiary.com

Small Successes: May 28th

1. All of the laundry is done and (mostly) put away
2. Annual compentencies for work are done with paperwork turned in (at least for the moment, every year there seems to be more and more.)
3. Wrote a few notes and details in E.'s baby book.  She is changing so fast with new words every few days and new discoveries I've wanted to record before they mist away

Share your small successes over at Faith & Family Live today.

Body after baby: Week 4

• The bad news the scale is going in the wrong direction, up 2 pounds but I suppose after a birthday weekend and then a friends wedding this is to be allowed if not expected.  
  
• Now enough with looking back, I throughly enjoyed my birthday (and my husband's, since we celebrate them together) and it was a lovely wedding.  Beginning anew: 

1. I recommit to only drinking water during the day
   
2.     100 sit-ups or crunches a day the idea of three sets works, now work on making it daily
   
3.      Focus on choosing natural treats like fruit and nuts, I'm definitely inspired by                      all of you who have totally given up sugar but think I will start slow by first focusing on      refined sugars and processed treats
   
4.     Walking 30 minutes a day 5 of 7 days this week
   

• Okay, that's me...how about you?  To learn more and join the challenge check out Mama Notes at www.mamanotes.com

Quick Takes vol #15

Have been struggling again with the 'blues' and feeling as if I don't have anything to say, so please allow as I count some blessings.

1. Wonderful trip last weekend, E. did really well on the plane.  The flight was not full in either direction so we were able to spread out over three seats which also helped with the wiggles I imagine. 
2. We have a niece who is a little more than a week younger than E. and this visit was our first glimpse of what watching them play together may be like.  Obviously at fourteen months they don't so much play together as acknowledge one another and try and grab away the toy.
3. I love the ocean and so really appreciate my MIL arranging our routes throughout the weekend to include ocean views.
4. Acquired traits are generally assigned to one parent or the other.  Hard to tell where my great appreciation for lobster comes from, both my parents encouraged the habit and now luckily my husband (and his family) indulge me too.
5. E.'s birthday present to me: Finally saying "mama"
6. Mass was lovely yesterday, E. was content to stay in the pew, the homily was interesting and music was wonderful.  Okay I grant my thing for one of the guitarist might make me a little biased.
7. Have been invited to attend the wedding this weekend of one of the couples we worked with in Pre-Cana.   I feel so blessed for the chance to work with couples making plans for their marriage and life together, to then be invited to witness and celebrate with them as they make their vows is pure grace.

Enjoy more Quick Takes at ConversionDiary.com hosted by Jen

Quick Takes vol #14

1. Had a nice mother's day, but am looking forward to the time when E. realizes and can join in on the celebrating.
2. Have started referring to myself in the third person in the hopes of interjecting a few 'mama''s among the many 'daddy's.  I actually love what a Daddy's girl she is but how about throwing a girl a bone sometimes.
3. In an attempt to improve ab tone have been trying to do sit-ups throughout the day.  E finds this very funny and thinks it is an invitation to jump on me.  So I end up working upper body strength instead.
4. Better weather has meant more time outside, praise!
5. Approaching birthday, no anxiety!  Made my peace with being in my mid-thirties last year.  This year I just get to party!
6. First airplane ride for E. this weekend.  Hopefully she will view as an adventure and come to enjoy travel as much as her parents do.
7. Plans for the weekend: Partying with family and friends, and giving thanks for the promise of a new year.

Read more, and share your own at conversiondiary.com

Small Successes: May 14th

1. Joined the "Body after Baby Challenge" over on Mama Notes.  Tough to talk about body image issues in public but believe that accepting support and help when offered is a greater good.
2. Bought stuff to try-out two new recipes.  Again pushing myself to be less afraid of trying new things.
3. Remembered to take time out and play with E., to let her walk (part-way) to the playground.  Remembering the fourteenth month olds have no clocks to punch, nor should they.

Share (and celebrate) your own and other moms' small successes at Faith & Family Live!

Weekly Goals

Joining the challenge in week 2, I am grateful for the community and encouragement to hopefully get off this latest plateau.  I am 7 pounds and countless crunches away from my goal body.  So this week I will:

1.  Limit myself to one soda a day in the evening and drink water throughout the day
   
2. 100 crunchs or some variety a day done in three 30-35x sets
3. 3 30 minutes walks including hills (good tip Samantha)

And lastly, love, cuddle, and chase the best reason for a body altering experience around

Quick Takes vol #13

1. After 9 days in a row of rain and clouds, it is clear and sunny today.  Praise! Many errands to run but must find time to walk in the sun.
2. Am surprised to note how early role playing shows up but have enjoyed watching E. carry on long conversations with I'm not sure who on her play cell phone.
3. Lovely dogwoods in bloom.  Yet another sight to admire and enjoy.
4. Feel the sadness lifting, thank you so much to those of you who reached out and lifted me up.  
5. I continue to enjoy the checking in and touching base aspects that Facebook allows but also have a deeper appreciation for the time sink aspects.
6. Though I still think there is nothing more fun than finding in the mail an unexpected card or note from a friend.
7. Plans for the weekend: shopping for a dress for a wedding I'm attending later this month and giving thanks for the mothers in my life and the daughter who allowed me to join the club.  

Looking for the light

   Sunlight feeds me and lifts my spirit.  After several days of grey and the possibility of up to a week more, I'm finding myself having to find light in my daughter's eyes, my husbands laughter and the warm home I'm blessed to live in.  

   I will be so happy when the sun shines again, but I am grateful for the reminder that God has filled my world with light and loveliness if I have eyes and heart to see.

Quick Takes vol #12

1. It's May!  I love May, my birthday, Mother's Day, Mary's month!  When I was younger if the Lily of the Valley had bloomed in time I would find a sprig in my plate at breakfast.  
2. I coordinate Eucharistic Ministers for parish and have to send out an email with the new swine flu precautions, no chalice, hand washing before and after.  
3. My heart goes out to the family that lost their two year old to this flu, hopefully all these precautions across the country can keep the death toll down.
4. E. is learning parts of the body, mostly the face.  We stopped trying to teach her eyes for the moment..she kept poking herself in the eye
5. Need to get back to meal planning, twice this week I got home from the store to find that I had forgotten one thing
6. Third post this week, I think that is a record!
7. Plans for the weekend, time together as a family.  Yay, Daddy's not on call!!