Monday Menu Planning

I haven't done a formal menu planning in a long time because Hubby usually does most of the cooking and/or things have been busy and we don't know what we are doing until we actually do it.  However, this week it will just be Baby Girl and I on our own, so it is up to me to get back into the kitchen!




Monday: Broccoli, Ham,and Cheese Casserole
Tuesday: Happy Birthday to Me!!  My friends are taking me out - Yum! :)
Wednesday: Salsa Chicken, Cucumber Salad
Thursday: Pita Pizzas, salad
Friday: Sweet and Spicy Sausage, veggie and ranch dip
Saturday: C.O.R.N*
Sunday: Probably grab something on the way home from the airport after picking Hubby up.

Way back when (When I actually kept up with my blog), I would reflect not only on my food choices but also my exercise for the past and upcoming weeks...so here goes:

Last week I didn't do much throughout the week with Thanksgiving and all -- plus I was tapering for a half marathon that was yesterday.  So I only did 2.5 miles midweek... then ran 13.1 on Sunday!

As for my workouts this coming week...I'm going to play it by ear.  I want to make sure my body has plenty of time to recoperate and heal from the half marathon yesterday.  I may do a few short, easy runs later in the week.  Once I feel back up to par, I want to start with my 100 pushups, 200 situps, and 200 squats programs again.  But that may have to wait unil next week!

*C.O.R.N. = Clean Out the Refridgerator Night

Space Coast 1/2 Marathon

 

This morning I did my first running event since finding out I was pregnant almost 2 years ago.

At the end of last school year, my friend and co-worker LeAnn came up to me and told me that one of her "bucket list" items was to run a half marathon and asked if I could guide her.  I did one better, I told her I'd do it with her...

and so our training began!

I started her off with the Couch to 5K program, and since I was so far out of the running loop as well, I did it too.  Then we progressed on to an actual half marathon training program....but I went and got SICK SICK SICK for 3 weeks leaving me only 2 weeks until race day.

Race day = TODAY!

It was a beautiful...albeit EARLY... morning!  LeAnn and her husband picked me up around 4:45am (Hubby and Baby Girl were going to meet us up there a little later) so we had plenty of time to stretch and get psyched up for the big blastoff (It was space themed for the SPACE coast...what do you expect other than a "3...2...1...BLASTOFF" kind of start?).

We were feeling fantastic and hit the halfway mark before we even knew it!  We even saw some dolphins jumping in the river which we took as a good luck sign :)

We were doing great until the last mile and a half...then all of a sudden my calf seized up on me in a massive cramp!!!  OUCH!!  I slowed to a walk for the first time just before the 12 mile mark, then stopped outright to give it a good stretch before toughing it out for the last mile.  LeAnn never stopped but did slow down enough for me to catch up to her (she was afraid that if she stopped, her legs would refuse to start again -- I can't blame her!!)

At the very end she and I broke into an all out sprint (which after 13 miles isn't very sprinty but we felt like it was!).  She finished seconds ahead of me (which I will publicly say is because of my calf, however the truth is I think she had more in her than I did at the end, plus she had the adrenaline of knowing her first marathon medal was waiting on her!).

It was an awesome run and I am so proud of LeAnn!!!  We have decided that we want to sign up for another one in late February!!

LeAnn and I with our new bling

Baby Girl and I after a sweaty reunion

Ten on Ten November

I took these on the 10th ...then got sick and didn't get a chance to post them so I am posting them now...On the 12th :)


There was a boil water warning in the area that my school is in so I took some of our Hurricane water to school for my kiddos to drink (Hurrican season is almost over anyway - only a few more weeks!)




Getting Dressed.  Since there is no school on Veteran's Day, we are celebrating today so of course I had to wear my Navy Bear pin! :)




The beads I wore (and played with) all day too.




In Social Studies we were talking about the Incas who used runners to deliver messages over long streaches of land.  To demonstrate it (and to just get outside for a while) I took my class outside to do a running telephone game where they all streached out and carried a question from me to the last person and then returned the answer to me.  While outsied one of my boys found a feather.




My husband, a Navy Vet, came to school to talk to the older kids about what it is like to be in the service, some of his experiance, and what Veteran's day and the flag mean to him.  Here, he is letting on of the girls try on his body armor.




Home again :)  And I wondered why my glasses always have little fingerprints on them!




One of the cute little birdies on one of my daughter's pillows




Dinner time!  Yummy cheesey chicken and noodles with peas




I love cheese!!



Bathtime!



Happy Veteran's Day

Please remember all the vets who have made our way of life possible. Without these brave souls, we wouldn't have may not have many of the simple pleasures we take for granted every day.

Ten over Ten on the Tenth of the Tenth of the Tenth (plus ten)

10 photos

over 10 hours

on the 10th day

of the 10th month

of the 10th year of this century
(plus 10 things I'm thankful for)
:)

(Want to join in all the Foto Phun?  Simply head over to 10 on 10,

 take ten photos on the tenth of each month,  and share them! 

Easy-peasy!)

1. Good Morning, Mommy! 7:30am



2. Scripture lesson at church 8:30am



3. Scripture lesson at Sunday School 9:30am



4. Yummy lunch of chicken, green beans, and Mandarin oranges :)
(Not sure why it is sideways) 11:00



5. Getting ready for a Dr. Seuss party that you
could not,
would not
want to miss! 
12:00pm



6. All the new shoes Daddy bought.  Notice the camo boots!  1:00pm

7. Shelf above the TV - Grandma and Grandpa (I hate that there is a glare over Grandma, she was a BEAUTIFUL woman, inside and out), Hubby and I on our wedding, and our nephew along with all of the Challenge Coins that Hubby has acquired.  2:00pm



8. Grandma's China (yes, a beautiful woman had beautiful things :) ) 3:00pm



9. Night vision caught Daddy napping and Baby Girl eating crackers in bed! 4:00pm



10.  Mmmmmmm  Sippy cup!  4:45pm



 Ten things I am thankful for:

My friend Elizabeth posted 10 things she was thankful for in honor of 10-10-10 and Canadian Thanksgiving so I thought I would too!

1. A wonderful year with my beautiful baby girl who is having her first birthday on Tuesday.
2. Finding a church where I feel welcome and "home."
3. A loving husband who does all that he can to support.
4. Having bills to complain about (If I had no bills then that would mean I would have no home, water, electricity, food, etc...so many in the world don't).
5. The wonderfully cool weather that has finally hit Florida.
6. Having not only one family but many incredible groups that I call family (in-laws, adoptive, biological, step)
7. My books.  I love being able to briefly escape into a world of imagination that isn't my real life.
8. Family and friends that I know will always be there for me no matter what.
9. My health.  So many don't have the luxury of good health.
10. Diet Coke...yummmmm  :)

Alzheimer's Memory Walk 2010

Granny Jo, Poppa Harold, and my Baby Girl

 My Granny Jo has Alzheimer's Disease.

That's a harder sentence to write than you might imagine.  It's hard to accept.

I haven't known my Granny Jo my entire life, in fact, I've not even known her half of my life yet (almost, but not quite).  I met her for the first time when I was 18 years old.

You see, I was adopted at birth because my biological mother was very young and knew that she didn't have the means to care for me.  Granny Jo is my biological mother's mother.  My biological maternal grandmother.

The fact that I have only known Granny Jo for not quite 15 years rather than my entire life doesn't change the way I feel about her.  She is a fantastic woman who is full of life and love, and a very healthy helping of wit. The type of woman I hope to become.

However, the Alzheimer's is changing all of that.  I have seen Granny Jo go from a sharp witty woman, to one who is forgetful and confused.  I have seen her distress over simple things that she knows that she should know, but can't quite figure out.  I have seen the pain on my Poppa Harold's face as he watches his beautiful wife change before his eyes.  I have seen the tears in my biological mother's eyes as she watches her loving mother slowly forget her life.



Image via Wikipedia

PET Scan of human brain w/Alzheimer's Disease

 I have seen the confusion in my Granny Jo's eyes as she looks at my baby daughter and tries to remember who she is.

It is painful for all involved.

My sister and I are determined to make a difference in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. By participating the 2010 Central Florida Memory Walk®, we're committed to raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer research, care and support.

Currently more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's, and 78 million baby boomers are at risk – unless we find a way to change the course of this disease.

Please take a few minutes to visit my secure donation website and make a small contribution.  Even a few dollars will go a long way towards helping to find a cure for this horrible disease.

More Information:

Image via Wikipedia

• Alzheimer's Fast Facts (lifescript.com)
• Hundreds join Alzheimer's 'memory walk' in Heaton Park (menmedia.co.uk)
• Children of Alzheimer's sufferers want to know their risk (cnn.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Super Saturday #13

Yeah, I guess I'm going to have to change Fitness Fridays to Super Saturdays because I just can't seem to find the time on Friday's to blog anymore.  I  love my job but I get so spoiled in the summer!
Weigh in:
Dear Bathroom Scale,
I suck, I know :(  I didn't come by last week and this week wasn't so great either.  The good news though is that I think I can see a light in the tunnel...  yep, it's there...I can see it...
Your pal,
Cole

The last few weeks haven't been the greatest on my get-back-in-shape goals.  Baby Girl got sick (strep throat), work was hectic, and a few more excuses.  Yes, I know most of them are just that...excuses... and there is no excuse for not taking care of myself, not eating right, not exercising...

The scale this morning was back up to 189 :(

Last week's goals:
Well, last week I didn't really have any goals so I'll go back to the week before last...

:-/ Since I did manage to go grocery shopping, I will bring healthy food for lunch Tues-Fri (Monday is an inservice day and 15 of us from my school are going to a science day at NASA so we are going to eat there) I can't remember last week, but this past week I didn't do so well on this.  I brought my lunch once, left it at work so I didn't have my lunchbox the following day, and one day I ran out so quick (running late) that I forgot to pack it, and one day I packed it but left it on the kitchen counter.  However, I mostly chose healthy foods in the cafeteria like spinach salad and tuna.


:-( Follow my training plan for workouts I walked a few time but I haven't run at all.  I planned to this morning but I woke up with a headache.  It's starting to let go so hopefully I can go run before it gets too hot.

:-( Do squats/sit ups/push ups for some cross training Didn't do these either.

:-/ Stop munching on the snacks that I give to the students (usually pretzels/crackers/etc but I will sit and mindlessly munch if I'm not careful) I decided to ease out of supplying snacks for my kids.  They can still bring in a snack to eat but I won't supply it for them.  This cut down on some of my snacking but I still have a bag of treats for the *extra special* rewards behind my desk.
 
This week's goals:
I'm going for the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) approach this week...
 

1. Exercise!
2. Eat right!

What I'm reading:


I finally managed to finish Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) and I am barely on the first few pages of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3).  Maybe I'll get through them all before the last movie comes out...maybe lol

Weigh-in:

Dear Bathroom Scale,
I didn't forget you this week...  I...  Uhhh... I thought I'd give you a break from having to put up with me.  Yeah, that's it :)

 I didn't weigh in this week, because, I honestly did forget until right now!  Oops. 

I guess though, that isn't really a bad thing.  It means that my weight isn't top priority in my mind.  I'm not dwelling on it and I'm not letting it bother me so much.  I'll weigh one morning soon...if I think about it ;)

Last Week's Goals:

:) My top priority this week is to GET WELL! Without that, the others just don't seem to matter as much. Well that is one accomplished!  I think everyone in the house is finally back to normal and the sickness has left the building!

:) If I am able to get better, I do hope to get in at least 2 runs this week.  I started following my 12 week training plan so I actually ran Tuesday (2 miles), Thursday (2.32 miles), and Saturday (3 miles)

:( as well as incorporate my sit ups, push ups, and squats again 3X's I didn't get in any squats/sit ups/push ups but I did walk several times this week with the family

:) Drink plenty of water I took and filled my water bottle several times during he day :)

:/ Pack/eat healthier foods I didn't pack my lunch at all this week - didn't go grocery shopping until Friday- but I did try to choose healthier foods in the cafeteria at lunch like Spinach salad with tuna 2 days, and baked chicken another...oh and there was that one day that I grabbed the veggie pizza (but hey, my choices were veggie pizza, pepperoni pizza, cheese pizza, or something-that-almost-looks-like-a-hamburger-if-you-squint).


This Week's Goals:

1. Since I did manage to go grocery shopping, I will bring healthy food for lunch Tues-Fri (Monday is an inservice day and 15 of us from my school are going to a science day at NASA so we are going to eat there)
2. Follow my training plan for workouts
3. Do squats/sit ups/push ups for some cross training
4. Stop munching on the snacks that I give to the students (usually pretzels/crackers/etc but I will sit and mindlessly munch if I'm not careful)

Currently Reading:
I'm still working on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2).  I just haven't had time to read much this week.  However, I am starting to be able to see over the mountain of paperwork on my desk and there is a light at the end of the tunnel - and the tunnel is ending pretty quick

Here is a 2 sentence teaser from the page I am currently on:

" 'If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work,' said Ron, tipping a stack of books onto Hermione's bedside table one evening.
     'Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up,' said Hermione briskly.' "

12 week 1/2 marathon training plan

A friend of mine and I have decided to run a local 1/2 marathon in November.  It will be her first 1/2 marathon so I am trying to help her out with the training.  I am NOT a coach, just a friend with a little bit more experience than she has at running endurance races, so I came up with this 12 week 1/2 marathon training program (OK, so I modified it from one I found online to suit our needs)

I appreciate any advice/criticism/critiques from any more experience than I:

Week- Monday- Tuesday -Wednesday -Thursday- Friday -Saturday -Sunday



1 (Sept 6-12)- Rest -2 mi- Rest- 2.5 mi- Rest -3 mi -2 mi EZ


2 (Sept 13-19)- Rest -2 miles- Rest- 3 mi- CT or Rest- 4 mi -2.5 mi EZ


3 (Sept 20-26)- Rest- 2.5 mi- CT- 3 mi- Rest -5 mi -2 mi EZ


4 (Sept 27-0ct 3)- Rest- 3 mi- CT- 4 mi -Rest --6 mi 3 mi EZ


5 (Oct 4-10) -Rest -3 mi- CT -3 mi- Rest -7 mi- 3 mi EZ


6 (Oct 11-17)- Rest- 4 mi- CT- 4 mi- Rest- 8 mi- 3 mi EZ


7 (Oct 18-24)- Rest -4 mi -Rest- 4 mi- CT- 9 mi- 3 mi EZ


8 (Oct 25-31)- Rest- 4 mi -CT -3 mi- Rest -10 mi- 3 mi EZ


9 (Nov 1-7)- Rest- 5 mi -CT -4 mi- Rest -11 mi -Rest


10 (Nov 8-14)- 3 mi EZ- 4 mi- Rest- 3 mi- CT- 12 mi- 3 mi EZ


11 (Nov 15-21)- Rest- CT- Rest- 3 mi -CT -5 mi- 2.5 mi EZ


12 (Nov 22-28) -Rest -2 mi- 20 minutes -Rest- 20 minutes- Rest- Race Day!


Thoughts?  Comments? Advice? 

Fitness Friday #11

Weigh-in:

Dear Bathroom scale,
It's been a while, my old friend.  I've seen you often as I've run to and from the bathroom but I have not had the time to spend with you lately.  We have to catch up!  I promise I won't get you sick...I'll spray you down with Lysol!
Your Pal,
Nicole

187.9

WHoooo HOooo!!  I've lost again, though again, it wasn't the way that I had hoped to lose.  I have been off and on sick for the past 2 weeks - had to call in to work again this morning.  Baby Girl and I seem to be passing the same bug back and forth which makes for a very unhappy momma! I didn't always eat right as I was usually wanting comfort food and I didn't exercise AT ALL because well... I couldn't do much other than print to the bathroom :(

Last Week's Goals/Results:

I didn't do Fitness Friday last week due to being ill so I have no goals to report on.  I did however, manage to survive...which is always goal #1!


This Week's Goals:

My top priority this week is to GET WELL!  Without that, the others just don't seem to matter as much.

If I am able to get better, I do hope to get in at least 2 runs this week

as well as incorporate my sit ups, push ups, and squats again 3X's

Drink plenty of water

Pack/eat healthier foods

Currently Reading:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  I finished The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5) which concluded the Percy Jackson series and moved on to my  OCD reading of all the Harry Potter Books prior to a new movie coming out.  I have to get them all done again by the time the first of the last movies comes out on November 19, 2010 :)

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