Healthy Habits: Enough Sleep

Sleep

Bad Habit: Staying up late, and never getting enough sleep.

Sleep is a reservoir of strength!

Strength of will!

Strength of character!

And increased energy!

One of my earlier posts was titled Beauty Sleep, so if you struggle with getting enough sleep at night, I recommend reading that post and the book that shares it's title.

“It’s not so much that if you sleep, you will lose weight, but if you are sleep-deprived, meaning that you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or good quality sleep, your metabolism will not function properly,” explains Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep and the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Ariz.

On average, we need about 7.5 hours of quality sleep per night, he says. “If you are getting this already, another half hour will not help you lose 10 pounds, but if you are a five-hour sleeper and start to sleep for seven hours a night, you will start dropping weight.”

Exactly how lack of sleep affects our ability to lose weight has a lot to do with our nightly hormones, explains Breus.

Three hormones are key in this process are ghrelin, leptin, and cortisol. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.”

Sleep deprivation also raises cortisol levels in your blood, which makes your body hold onto it's fat reserves, and also makes you crave high fat, high sugar, and highly caffeinated foods.

“You are eating more, plus your metabolism is slower when you are sleep-deprived,” Breus says.

More ghrelin and more cortisol plus less leptin equals weight gain.

When I added a full night's sleep (7 1/2 hours for me) to my weight loss plan, I was amazed by the drop in my sweet cravings, by the amount of self-control I gained, and by how much happier I felt about everything in life. Sleep is a FANTASTIC weight loss tool.

Family Friday: April 29th, 2011

Last Friday

Max's "Daddy Donut's Day" was held last Friday in Max's kindergarten class. Matt arranged to be in town for it, and they had a BLAST. The Dad's got a quick review of what the kids have learned this year and donuts were served. Max showed his Dad around his classroom and introduced him to his friends (Matt's comment: "Boy! Max has a LOT of friends." - But of course, I'm convinced that everyone must love Max :D) and then they went outside and had recess together. So FUN! Max has been looking forward to this for weeks, and Matt came home delighted. 

As we drove home from our Spring Break Trip on Sunday, we were listening to conference talks in the car, and we heard Elder Oaks talk about "Good, Better & Best." He spoke about a family who had some wonderful BIG experiences (kind of like our trip,) but when the father asked his son what was his favorite thing about that summer the boy said, "I loved it when you and I looked at the stars and talked." Elder Oaks was pointing out that nothing beats one-on-one time with a parent, and I think that Daddy Donuts Day was that kind of moment for Matt & Max.
Matt said, "I'm SO glad I made arrangements to come." Me too.

The Hunt!

Saturday: Easter Celebration

At our house, the Easter Bunny visits on the Friday before Easter. That way we keep the fun, egg hunt part on Saturday and focus on the real meaning of Easter on Sunday.

Max takes after me because Easter is his FAVORITE holiday. 

He LOVES to color eggs, eat eggs, and who

doesn't love a treasure hunt for CHOCOLATE!

When I was a kid, these were my favorite things about Easter, 

but now it's my favorite holiday for it's REAL meaning in my life.

Coloring Eggs & Zach's Egyptian Chicken Dance

Easter Sunday
was spent as a family.
After church, we had a simple dinner and later that night we watched a really fascinating documentary titled, "Dragons or Dinosaurs." It's a series of interviews with these scientists (geologist, chemist, biologist, sociologist, historians etc.) who also are Christians, and they talk about the scientific evidence that supports the idea of creation instead of evolution, evidence of Noah's flood, and evidence that dinosaurs co-existed with humans and are really the dragons spoken of by historians and in the Bible. It has slow in the beginning, but it gets really interesting! I highly recommend it.

Max was throwing up throughout the night,
so I begin the rest of this whirlwind week with little sleep.

Monday & Tuesday:
These days are a blur of activity. Matt flew to Atlanta at 1 am on Monday, and I was SWAMPED with lots of cleaning and laundry, sick Max and building Zach's pinewood derby car.
We had to have the car ready for the weigh-in on Tuesday night.

On Tuesday afternoon, Lauren called me from school to ask permission to run for Student Body Vice President. Oh yah... and the campaign ran from Wednesday to Friday. So, can you guess what we were doing into the wee hours of the night? That's right, making posters, flyers and stickers. This is the campaign slogan Lauren came up with: Next year will be SWEET with Lauren as Vice President! And she passed out candy as she met people and asked for their vote.

Grandma Hunny was heaven sent when she showed up to watch Max's soccer game Tuesday evening. She ended up taking him to his game, so I could finish the derby car with Zach, get it weighed, throw dinner together and move onto the campaign prep.  Gma Hunny even donated huge bags of candy for the campaign ... boy, we're happy she works for Hershey's candy company.
Thanks Again, Gma Hunny!

Wednesday
I spent the morning preparing decorations and the pre-race activities for the pinewood derby.
 I picked the kids up from school, and drove the boys straight to piano lessons. Lauren's first day of campaigning went well. She needed more stickers to pass out so we made more of those and I raced across town to pick up pizza and the boys.
While I was busy with Lauren, Max had asked to play with Britton and Talon, so he'd been gone for an hour when I called their house to have Max come home...
NO MAX!!! In fact, they claimed they hadn't seen him.
He wasn't at Benjamin's...
Not at Tyler's...
Not at Michael's....
Who's left in the neighborhood?!?!?
Adam and Spencer's? He's never gone there before.
Sure enough. That's where he was.
So this panicked mother saw to it that he made it home and started dinner, while I ran to the church to set  up for the Derby. (Oh, and Max is grounded from friends for a while)

I admit it. I'm a nervous wreck at the Pinewood Derby's.
I put so much time and work into these cars.
Zach and I have studied Derby Guides,
and spent hours choosing the design, filing axles, polishing wheels, baking and
cutting wood, and working to achieve the perfect weight.
This is Zach's last race as a cub scout, and he REALLY wanted to be among the top 3. He wanted it even more when he saw that for the first time, the top three racers would be getting trophies.

His first heat... 1st place

Second Heat... 1st place

Third Heat... 1st place

Fourth heat... 1st place

They identified the 4 fastest cars and those cars raced each other 4 times....

Final result: Zach's Car "The Reflection" wins third.

YAY!!!!

There was only 1 point difference between the second and third place cars. So close!
Zach also recieved a slew of awards he's been earning since becoming a Webelos.

Zach wanted to celebrate with a trip to Krispy Kreme and upon arriving home, he said, "Oh, by the way Mom, I have a book report project due tomorrow."
WHAT!?!?
I'd had him write the book report on Monday, and simply thought it was due on Friday. Oops!
So another late night was spent getting the poster and his presentation ready. sigh.

Will I ever get some sleep?

Thursday:
You heard my flat tire sob story on Thursday. We piled in the van and were pulling out of the drive way when I had that sinking feeling AGAIN... we've got a flat tire. The bolt was still in the hole, so the leak was slow enough that I could refill the tire and take the kids to school. On the way back from school, I stopped at Macey's to pick up 3 dozen donuts for the school's Birthday Club Celebration I was running that afternoon, and drove straight to Discount Tire Co. The waiting room was swamped. I've never seen it so full, so Jared and I walked the strip mall for an hour as we waited for them to fix the tire. They finished in just enough time for me to run home, grab the B-day club supplies, drop Jared off at the sitters, and arrive at the school without a second to lose. Whew!
After Birthday Club, I took Max and Jared home, put them straight the shower ('cause Jared had really enjoyed the sandbox at Lisa's) and put them down for naps.

Much to my surprise, my neighbor Marie, arrives on my doorstep. She's moving and prepping a yard sale, but was offering me any baby girl clothes I'd like, if I would just come look through the boxes at her house. HOORAY!!! I had twenty minutes to go through 6 boxes & bags of fun clothes and take what I'd like. It was SO fun! Baby girl things are adorable!
Thank you! Thank you, Marie!!!

Zach & Gabe both had soccer games that night. Grandpa & Grandma Hunny came to watch too.
The boys always love playing for an audience.

After tucking the boys in bed, Lauren and I were working on her campaign speech which turned into a skit. And Matt arrived home, late that evening.

Friday:
I went to the school, to help Lauren set up for her skit and show some moral support.
She got a lot of compliments on the skit, but alas...
She didn't win the race. sigh.
She's handling it like a champ though. She said her favorite parts of the experience were,
meeting new people, passing out candy, and doing the skit.
Matt and I are so proud of her for trying.
I hope we have a family culture that says, "GIVE IT A SHOT!
Win or lose, we still love you, and there are great things to learn not matter the outcome."

My friend Stephanie and I were talking about how this time of year is more insane and jam-packed than the Holidays. INSANELY busy is a fair description for this week, but it was still filled with good things.
I have to run now. We're still doing our Friday Clean-up,
and I have to bake something for the Boy Scout Bake Sale tonight.

Thank You Discount Tire Company!

I've had to take my car into Discount Tire Company three times in the last 3 months!

Once, I hit a pothole on the freeway and had a bulge in the side of the tire. It was on the verge of exploding - DTC replaced it free of charge.
Next, I ran over a nail and they patched the tire - free again.
Today, we piled in the van to drive to school and found that we had a HUGE BOLT stuck in the front tire. It was TOTALLY flat. I managed to inflate it and get the kids to school and then drive straight to Discount Tire company for another patch-up - again, free of charge.

They're always so nice! I don't have to bring in receipts and warranties, they just look up my phone number and then cheerfully fix the problem, check the air pressure in all the tires, and then rotate and balance all the tires while their at it. All FREE with their service.

Flat tires are a major pain! But when faced with this morning's fiasco, it helped for me take a deep breath and think, "I'll just take it in and they'll take care of me.  We'll get through this... again."

Anyway, I'm thankful for nice people, and good service, and companies that stand by their promises.


Thank you Discount Tire Company!

Our Desparate Stand-by

This week is chaos!!! 

That's an understatement - Somebody call FEMA!

So, this is what's for dinner....

It's hot. It's ready. It's cheap. 

And the kids can eat it in the car as we race from one appointment to the next.

I should be buying stock in this company. 

Some months, I swear we single-handedly keep them in business.

Big School Projects & Displays

As parents we often end up helping or supervising our kids when they're faced with a BIG project at school. Lauren worked an a country report for two months followed by a country fair that was held for more than half of the school day as parents and fellow students paraded through. This is the first major project I've watched my kids undertake (excluding the science fair,) so as I walked through the displays I took some mental notes and some photos to help my kids make engaging displays in the future. I think it's a matter of engaging as many senses as possible...

1) FOOD: Everybody loves samples. One of the kids who chose Italy was handing out Gelato - Yum! Some people even had local spices to smell.

Hummus for the Egypt display 

My cute girl with her samples of Swedish Fish

2) MUSIC: The girl who studied Jamaica had Bob Marley playing on the CD player and this Calypso drum on display - so fun! People were dancing in front of her booth and sampling the delicious jerked chicken.

3) CLOTHING: a lot of kids dressed the part, from the Irish Dancing girls, to this Egyptian headdress or this Mexican traditional dress.

4) ETHNIC ITEMS: The girl who studied Uruguay had the most things on display by far! Traditional crafts, copied artifacts, books, cookware, artwork, postcards and modern products of industry. Most displays were 6 to a table, but this girl needed an entire table to herself. (Sigh... I was no help to Lauren in this department. I've never set foot in Sweden.) Because Lauren didn't have any THINGS to display, she printed a lot of photographs of interesting sites like the Ice Hotel, bridges, castles, and modern marvels.

5) ENGAGE THE MIND: The following two displays had interactive panels. The girl doing Canada had you pick a number and then she asked a corresponding questions. You lifted the flap to see if you got the answer right. The Italian display had pictures of famous Italians and you would lift the flap to see if you guessed the name of the person correctly. Well prepared kids were ready to talk to people about what they studied in a way that didn't bore you to tears. Kids, here's a tip... don't tell people about the longitude and latitude of the country... tell people what you thought was the most interesting, weird and exciting thing about your country or project.

All in all, it was a fun afternoon and we left with lots of ideas for future projects. Jared left with a full stomach, since he made friends with pumpkin-cake-boy, juice-girl, and the chip-kids. I think he sampled everything twice, but no one seemed to mind sharing with the grinning-two-year-old.

Well done, Lauren! It's not easy being the oldest and having to learn the hard way by being the "first" to do everything.

7 Tips for Daily Decluttering

I ranted last Thursday about decluttering two rooms in our basement, so with clutter-killing in mind, I'm sharing the following tips. I pulled this straight from a blog called "Simple Up." One woman's journey of decluttering the childhood home she inherited still filled with her family's things...


1. Make time, and dig in. Even 10 minutes a day of decluttering can make a big difference, and once you get things started (and see how much better you feel afterward!), you'll be more motivated to keep going. Another way to tackle clutter would be to weed out a set number of things each week--say, 6 items of clothing you don't wear anymore or 6 things in the kitchen that you never use or have too many of. I usually leave a "donations" box out for additional items that I find throughout the week.

2. Let go, already. If you've been holding on to something just because you *might* need it, consider how long you've had it without needing it so far, and how likely (or unlikely) it is that you really will need it in the future. Is it really worth the space it's taking up? If you've been holding on to something for sentimental reasons, realize that letting go of a thing is not the same thing as letting go of a memory--you can get rid of Grandma's antique tea set without losing or disrespecting your memory of her.

3. If you still can't let it go, it's ok. Find a place to keep it that is worthy of the object's value to you. Put it on display in a prominent place in your home, or keep it tucked away in proper storage (*not a musty box in your garage). Don't just cram it in anywhere--if you have to, make room for it by getting rid of something else.

4. Organize as you go, putting like things together. That way you can figure out what exactly you do have, what you have too much of, and what you shouldn't buy any more of.

5. Visualize what you want your home to look like. What do you want each space to be used for? Move, or get rid of, the things that don't belong.

6. Keep purging (and organizing) until your stuff fits in the space you want it to fit in. If it is taking a lot longer than you expected (and these projects usually do), hang in there! Take time to appreciate the progress that you're making, however slight it may seem.

7. After a space has been successfully cleared; keep it that way. Say no to knick-knacks and free junk. For that matter, you may want to look at all of your spending habits and figure out if what you're buying is really helping you or if it's just adding to the mess.

Healthy Habits: Overcoming Obstacles

"There's a boulder in the road! How am I supposed to deal with that?!"

Bad Habit: Giving up when you encounter obstacles.

The Easter Bunny delivered masses of candy last night, and a wonderful chocolate-filled care-package came from Grandma Barbara today too.  Everywhere I look, there's delicious temptation. I confess that I had chocolate covered almonds in my mouth, when I sat down to write this post.
The point is...there are ALWAYS obstacles to weight loss!
They happen seasonally, because of social issues, health issues, and some people argue that there are financial issues too.

YES, you will hit roadblocks! 

NO, you don't have to give up! 

You can work around every obstacle!

Seasonal Obstacles:

• HOLIDAYS: Easter will keep happening. So will Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
• PARTIES: Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or any celebration that includes food.
• WEATHER: Rain, cold & snow make it harder to get outside and exercise (especially if you don't have a gym membership.)

Seasonal obstacle are probably the easiest to work around, because you KNOW when they are coming. There's time to make a plan and follow it through. One woman from our Weight Watchers group went on a week long business trip at a hotel with great food. She looked over the menu and realized that there were two dinners with desserts that sounded divine. So she made a plan. She ate reasonable portions and chose healthy meal options throughout the week. She skipped all the other desserts except the two that were part of her plan. She enjoyed those desserts without any guilt, and she tried to compensate for the extra calories by skipping the dinner rolls. By the end of the week she found that she still lost one pound and felt great about herself, her planning and the food she chose to enjoy.

You can make a PLAN for your holidays & parties. You probably have a pretty good idea about what's being served on Holidays, and a little forethought and planning can help you walk away feeling good. For instance, I love the stuffing recipe we have at Thanksgiving, but it's loaded with butter and sausage. I can PLAN to have the stuffing I love, and skip the roll and the creamed cauliflower I don't love. And I choose not to guilt myself about it, because I only eat this stuffing once a year. I also find that if I brush my teeth after dinner, then I'm less tempted to keep picking at leftovers. I have a fresh taste in my mouth, and I don't want to be bothered with brushing again.

When at parties, find good conversation! Enjoy the talking or entertainment away from the buffet table. Literally turn your back to the food, and let the out-of-sight-out-of-mind principle work FOR you. Another party tip is to eat fruit and vegetables before you go, along with a glass of water. That way you don't arrive at a party starving and surrounded by fatty horderves and desserts. You can take it easy on the buffet and remind yourself that you ate before you came.

As for the weather obstacles. If walking is your primary exercise, go walking in the mall. Or buy an indoor piece of exercise equipment, or exercise DVD to do. They even rent exercise DVD's at the library.

Social Obstacles:

• "Aunt Carol gets offended if I don't have a seconds of her food!"
• "My husband rolls his eyes and groans whenever I serve a healthy dinner."
• "My kids REFUSE to eat fruits and vegetables, so I feel like I'm wasting time and money if I buy them."
• "My friend went on and on about the dessert she's bringing tonight, she's expecting me to eat it."

These obstacles seem like a mine field. Especially when dealing with loved ones. You CAN work through around them though. My first suggestion when it comes to eating healthy is to START WITH YOURSELF. Trying to change YOUR eating habits, and your spouses, and the kids, and your parents, and your best friends all at the same time is a recipe for disaster. Make a plan for what you are going to eat and do, and carry it through quietly and cheerfully. Some people will notice and some won't. Some will make comments that are discouraging.  Some people say disparaging things because they feel threatened or criticized when they see others making healthy choices that they secretly feel they should be doing too. If you are working to lose weight, just smile sweetly at the nay-sayers and say, "Oh, I'm just trying to take better care of myself."  You can tell 'Aunt Carol' that the food was still "delicious as always" or find something else positive to say.

When it comes to changing your families health habits, LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Cultivate your own healthy habits, and the kids will naturally follow. Be patient. Remember that with kids, it may take 10 or more attempts over several months to introduce a new food. Studies suggest that involving children in meal preparation is an important first step in getting them to try new foods.They're more willing to sample something that they helped to make. Nagging and badgering aren't effective ways to change habits, so be cheerful, and show the family that eating healthy makes you feel happy. People who love you will want to see you happy - you're nicer to be around. And that happiness and healthy living can be contagious.

Physical Obstacles:

• "I have a bad (knee, foot, shoulder, whatever) and can't exercise, so there's no way I can lose weight."

I've mentioned my friend Vickie in other posts. She'd joined Weight Watchers and was having success when she was involved in a HORRIBLE snow mobile accident. Multiple bone fractures, surgery, months of recovery, but she was determined not to let this tragedy knock her off course. Caring neighbors and friends wanted to bring in meals, so she and her husband politely asked that any food given be simple and healthy (baked chicken, fruits and vegetables.) People happily complied, and Vickie lost 65 pounds over the course of that year, and she did it all without exercise.

I've had my own health obstacles. Over a year and a half ago, I developed some serious problems with my feet. I have plantar fasciitis, bursitis and heel spurs. I was being fitted for orthotics (special inserts in my shoes) when I began my weight loss journey last year. The process of adapting your feet and legs to the orthotics takes a month. During that time, the doctor told me that I could not exercise. He said, "Don't even walk your dog, if you have one." I thought it was a crushing blow to my weight loss plans, but it turned out to be a blessing. That first month of Weight Watchers, I was forced to concentrate on the eating aspects of the plan, and I think it helped me to not get overwhelmed. After a month of developing better eating habits, I was ready to incorporate exercise.

I have to thank my sister, Kelli, for what followed. She'd participated in a beginners triathlon and was encouraging me to join her for a second. I had always used running as my primary form of exercise, but the triathlon broadened my horizons. I rediscovered how much I enjoy swimming. My husband loved the chance to go biking with me, and these two new forms of exercise took the pressure (and pain) off of the heels of my feet. I participated in two triathlons last year and hope to do some more after this pregnancy. If my feet are giving me trouble, I mix up my exercise routine with swimming, biking and weight lifting. There are so many forms of exercise out there, that even if you are limited in one area, I'm sure you could find something else that will work for you.

Financial Obstacles:

I was watching a news story about "Health in America," and I was shocked to hear some people claim that they couldn't afford to eat healthy. They said that chips and soda were cheaper than fruits and vegetables. They also showed this same family eating fast food for every dinner, and having to pay for diabetic medication and testing supplies.

HEALTHY LIVING COSTS LESS NOW & LATER! This family could easily satisfy their hunger better with produce than empty chips and soda. Eating fast food is twice as expensive as simple home cooked meals that truly nourish the body, and the need for diabetic medication could be eliminated or significantly reduced by healthier living. Yes, there are a lot of products out their that charge exorbitant prices because they are organic or try to claim unusual health benefits, but I'm convinced that regular fare in your produce department will give you what you need at a reasonable price. Wash fruits and vegetables well and stick to those simple close to nature foods. Think of the money you're saving yourself in future health costs! Think of how you improve your chances of avoiding diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer, and all the expenses that go with those painful diseases. Living healthy saves money and increases your joy in life.

One final note: Don't give in to an all-or-nothing mentality. Just because you overate at lunch, doesn't mean that your day is ruined, and you should abandon all restraint at dinner. If you find yourself colliding with an obstacle, get up and dust yourself off. Get back on the path. If you over eat at one meal, go lighter on the next. Don't give up on healthy habits or on yourself.

Expect Obstacles, so when you encounter them, 

you're ready to find the best detour. 

You'll soon find yourself happily back on track. :D

Spring Break Surprise!

Weeks ago, Matt and the kids were seated around the breakfast table on a Saturday morning, when Matt threw out this question, 

"So kids, where would you rather go for Spring Break? 

a) to San Deigo to spend time with Grandma Barbara and go to Sea World, the Beach and the Zoo?

or

b) to Disneyland for 3 days?"

I'm standing in the kitchen flipping pancakes and thinking, 

"What!?! We haven't discussed this? What are you talking about?"

You see, this is the way our family works... 

Matt is "Fun Daddy"... Idea Man... Visionary...

And I'm the researcher, planner, detail-oriented cog-turner, 

who usually brings the vision to reality.

I need him to lighten me up. He needs me to keep us anchored.
Somehow, we manage to balance each other out.

Matt likes to throw ideas out for discussion.

The kids debated.

Matt conducted a vote. 

I flipped pancakes and picked my jaw up off the floor.

The decision was NOT unanimous, but San Diego won.

San Diego became the "PLAN."

Matt called his Mom (Grandma Barbara) to make arrangements.

I booked a hotel, priced out attraction tickets, read up on touring tips and made a budget.

Matt is this strange personality mix of Yellow and then Red.

He's methodical with his career work, but he likes to go big and be spontaneous with his fun.

The Color Code says, "If you want to reward a yellow... give him a vacation."

Or in this case... watch him hatch a vacation surprise.

 I don't know the exact date and time he hatched the NEW "secret plan," 

but it turned out to be one of the funnest things our family has done.

Matt let me in on the "secret plan" shortly before the trip.

"You know what I really want to do?" he said, "Let's do both vacation plans... We'll go to San Diego as planned, and then surprise the kids with a few days in Disneyland, and take 'em to Universal Studios too!"

Me: "Can you take that much time off?" 

Matt: "I've already talked to Gellis and made arrangements."

Hooray!!! We get more MUCH NEEDED family time!

I felt like a kid at Christmas.

Here's the Reader's Digest Version...
(*You can click on photos to view them more closely.)

Friday, April 8th

The kids and I drove to St. George and spent the night at my parents house.

Saturday, April 9th

We were back on the road early to reach San Diego in the afternoon. We met Matt shortly after his flight arrived from Atlanta, and then we headed for the beach. The weather was NOT nice. The locals at Coronado Beach were dressed in long pants and coats, while we played the role of the crazy tourists who showed up with 5 kids in swimsuits and goggles. Jared and I sat shivering on the shore bundled in towels while Matt the older kids dove into the crashing waves. The good news is that they weren't cold for long, because the human body goes numb VERY quickly in that kind of water. ;D
(Everyone survived without hypothermia.)

You'll notice rock-climbing-Gabe, Kelp-lassoing-Lauren, and Body-surfing-Zach (bottom corner)

Sunday, April 10th

We found a local ward for Church, and then had family downtime at the hotel.
Grandma Barbara joined us that evening.

Monday, April 11th

San Diego Zoo!

Gorgeous, fun, fascinating and so guest friendly!!! 

This zoo is littered with shady benches, and there are sky trams, buses and escalators to take you around the zoo, and ease your feet from the acres of walking. 

It was a perfect day!

Notice Jared's face (top right corner)

Skyfari Tram offered a spectacular view of the Zoo and San Diego itself.

Petting Zoo

A few of our Favorite Animals

Just Monkey-ing Around

 Tuesday, April 12th

Sea World!!! I've always loved Sea World, and I've wanted to take the kids there for years. The first order of business was to feed and pet a baby dolphin named Kally, then see the shows, exhibits, rides and playgrounds. Another FABULOUS Day!

Wednesday, April 13th (The BIG Surprise)

We've told the kids that we're going to spend the entire day driving home, 

when low and behold. We've gotten "LOST!" 

Yikes! 

Wait... What is that "Hollywood" sign on the mountain?

Where ARE we?

We pull up to the gates of Universal City and announce to the kids that we really aren't lost...

We just arrived at Universal Studios for the day.

WIDE EYES! 

"Really?!" they cry.

Cheers start erupting from the back of the van... Woo Hoo's!!!

Then a flood of questions about the things we can do at Universal.

"Will we get to see JAWS!" Max asks with a grin. 

"YEP!" I say.

*And he even had the PERFECT seat for it.

Universal is shutting down and we're walking toward the gates.

Zach: "Hey, we're going to have to get a hotel, 'cause there's no way we're driving home tonight!"

Matt: "Should we tell them now?"

Me: "Sure!" and I break out the 3-day passes to Disneyland.

WIDE EYES!!!

"Really?!" they cry.

BIG CHEERS & DANCING IN THE STREETS!!!

I tell the kids that they should thank Dad for this fun surprise - he orchestrated it.

The kids are chanting in the van, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! DADDY!!!!"

Thursday, April 14th - Saturday, April 16th

Disney, California Adventure & more Disney!

Matt hate this picture of himself, but we
both think Lauren's face is priceless!

Gabe Quote: (after five days of walking around theme parks) 

"Mom, I just don't BELIEVE in walking all day."

He sure didn't want to stop having fun, though ;D

Jared Quote: (BEGGING to ride California Screamin') 

"Mom, I go train! Train! Train! I go upside down." 

*I can never convince any of the older kids to take on this roller coaster with me. I finally have a child who wants to ride it, and I'm pregnant and Jared is 20 inches too short!

Sunday, April 17th

Driving and Driving and...

Basking in the glow of a GREAT, SUPER, AWESOME,
FUN-TASTIC, FAMILY VACATION!

Thank you sweetheart! What a spectacular surprise!

Enough Stuff!!!

As a child, I was a HORRIBLE pack-rat.
I hoarded papers, toys, magazines, letters, ticket stubs, and just about anything I touched for more the 5 minutes. ;D And then I fantasized about all the STUFF I wanted to have when I grew up.

Moving away to college necessitated my first big PURGE. You can't pack much into those shared apartments, and my parents wisely didn't want my stuff lying around for years.

After Matt and I were married, we moved 8 times in the first 10 year of our marriage. I'm convinced that packing and moving that often will cure anyone of their attachment to STUFF!

I learned very quickly that if I hadn't looked at or used something in a year's time, then I didn't really need it, and I REALLY didn't want to pack it! In the process of all that moving, I've had a lot of time to philosophize about the nature of STUFF.  I've come to think stuff has a life-force of its own.

Stuff begins to own you instead of you owning it.

In fact, the more stuff we have, the more I feel like a slave to it. I have to clean it, organize it, keep it in good repair, and clean it up again and again.

The challenge I face these days has to do with the fact that we have a big family. Kids just propagate stuff, and five kids (soon to be 6) drag stuff into the house exponentially. Of course, we all need clothes, shoes, and some personal items, but much of the stuff they bring home is just junk. I've become the sneaky mother who tosses the happy meal toys and dollar store trinkets that trickle into the house incessantly. I think I've become an expert on noticing which stuff is getting played with and used, and which stuff is just littering the floor. I like to keep a few quality samples of school work and artwork, but not every scrap of paper that they bring home. I've learned that the import part of most assignments was the EXPERIENCE not the finished paper product. In fact, my attitude towards gift giving has turned toward giving great experiences, and wanting to minimize the STUFF that flows into the house. (I like to take pictures to preserve the memories and then store those digitally!)

We're coming up on our 6th anniversary of living in our current house. The longest we've ever stayed in one place. When this baby is born, half of our children will have joined our family in this house, and I'm about to undertake the colossal task of cleaning out the storage room and the craft room to create an additional bedroom for the kids.  Some things will be moved to the new "barn," but I'm hoping to donate or dump the rest.

Six years is a lot time to accumulate STUFF in these two rooms, in spite of my best efforts. I guess I'm using this post to vent some steam as I stare into the jaws of this beast and prepare my plan of attack.

Some organizing books say to toss anything not used in 6 months, but that standard won't work for the Christmas decorations. So I think I'll give things a year if they're holiday related and everything else should come in handy at least seasonally. I'm pretty sure that the water storage needs to be dumped and refilled, and I KNOW that the food in the 72 hour kits is outdated. I'm starting to feel like every tote in that room will send me on a tangent for a full day, and I think there are nearly 90 boxes, bags & totes in those rooms. Ugh! And I shudder at the thought of all the scrapbooking supplies.

I better stop typing and just get cracking or I won't be finished before the baby gets here.
"STUFF ...  this means war!"
Wish me luck.


How do YOU like to manage the flow of STUFF at your house?

Fondue Night

The Melting Pot restaurant makes absolutely scrumptious food at outrageous prices.
Their "Big Night Out" feast will cost 2 people about $100. Which is definitely out of our typical date-night budget. Consequently, I hunted for delicious recipes to help me duplicate the fondue experience for our large family at a fraction of the cost.

The meal is still not cheap because of the gourmet cheese it requires, but it is infinitely less expensive than the restaurant, and our family LOVES the result. This is a rich meal that we reserve for special occasions. We usually have it for our family Valentine's Day dinner, or Matt will request it for his birthday.

We also discovered that we don't really miss having the standard second course of meats. We just like warmed ham cubes dipped along with standard cheese fondue fare. 

This meal has two courses: 

     1) Cheese Fondue Main Dish

     2) Chocolate Turtle Fondue Dessert

It's also become a family tradition to prepare the meal together. The kids stem strawberries, cut vegetables, or warm up the ham. After all that family preparation, it feels so natural to gather around the pot of molten-cheese-bliss and dig in together too. :D

CHEESE FONDUE MAIN COURSE
Cut the following into bite size cubes for dipping. Use any combination you like:

• French Bread
• Celery
• Carrots
• Granny Smith Apples
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Red Bell Pepper
• Ham Steak

Basic Cheese Fondue

• 1 lb. of Gruyere Cheese, Shredded
• 1/2 lb. of Emmanthaler Cheese, Shredded
• 1/2-1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cup White Grape Juice (*White wine is used traditionally, but we've been concerned about the alcohol not burning off, so we just go with white grape juice. We also found that the subtle sweetness added by the grape juice makes it even more delicious!)
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 1-2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• dashes of nutmeg
• dashes of pepper 

TIPS:

1. Don't CHEAT on the cheese! We've experimented with a variety of less expensive cheeses, and I strongly advise you not to waste your time and money. You can get away with substituting the emmanthaler with a block of swiss, BUT there is no substitute for real Gruyere!  It MAKES this dish, and nothing else will get the job done. Be careful not include too much of the cheese rind in the mixture or it will give the fondue a sharper flavor. We usually slice off anything that looks waxy or overly hard. 
2. Cheese fondue is not difficult, but there is definitely an art and science to it. Because we don't use alcohol, the acidity of the fondue is altered and it needs the acidity of lemon juice or white wine vinegar to breakdown the cheese proteins. The cornstarch does wonders in smoothing the texture. And blending fondue is best accomplished by stirring in a figure eight motion - I don't know why, but it's TRUE.

 INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the Fondue pot to about 225 degrees.
2. Sprinkle the garlic in the bottom of the pot and allow to sizzle for a half a minute.
3. Add the White Grape Juice.
4. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice & cornstarch so there aren't any lumps. Add to pot.
5. Slowly sprinkle in handfuls of cheese, stirring in a figure eight. Keep sprinkling until all the cheese is incorporated and melted.
6. Add nutmeg & pepper.
7. Keep stirring until everything is well blended and smooth.
8. If the fondue still needs a thinner or smoother texture, add a tablespoon of lemon juice or cornstarch and stir for another minute.
9. Check the heat as well to make sure the pot is warm but not overly hot. The cheese should NOT be boiling, but if your fondue starts to thicken or solidify then you need to raise the temperature a bit.
10. You will also need to stir the pot periodically while everyone is eating to keep the fondue smooth.

Chocolate Turtle Fondue Dessert

• 2 cups Real Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Caramel Ice Cream toppings (Hershey's is great. It's inexpensive, and it pours & blends easily.)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
• FOR DIPPING: Strawberries, bananas, apples, brownie bites, pound cake, rice crispy treats. *We've come to prefer just fruit for dipping with this course to contrast the richness of all the cheese and then chocolate. 

1. In a second fondue pot or double boiler, melt the chocolate over low heat (no higher than 135 degrees.) Stirring constantly. *There's no going back if the chocolate gets burned, but don't worry, this course is simple and always a hit. ;D
2. Stir in the caramel sauce and nuts, and serve immediately with fruit and desserts for dipping.  

Enjoy!

Just Plain Braggin'

Where are we?
I can barely comprehend what day of the week we're on...
We just got back from a 10-day whirlwind trip to California for Spring Break, and I think it's Tuesday, so I should write about parenting. The Spring Break Trip will have to wait for another post, because I spent Monday polishing up the Taxes, and today is about stocking the fridge, unpacking and doing laundry. Plus, there are a million pictures and video clips to wade through before I can blog about the trip.

However...
I just read this great (very brief) article about my husbands company, and dog-gone-it,
I have to share!

I just love to see all of Matt's painstaking work, and the company that he and Gellis are building get some deserved recognition.  It takes about 90 seconds to read the article...


"When I Grow Up I Want to Work for Keystone Solutions" by IQWorkforce

Well done, Matt - We're so proud of you!

Peeling Kiwi

My son, Zach, LOVES Kiwi!!!

It's one of his favorite foods on the planet.

However, peeling big piles of little kiwi with a vegetable peeler was a  huge pain!

Then I discovered this simple trick in the "Tip-a-day Guide to Healthy Living."  My husband and sister were so enthusiastic when I shared this trick with them, that I'm passing it on to you...

*Special thanks to Gabe for being my "Camera-man." :D

How to Give a Chicken a Bath

1. Our Chickens like to perch on the sides of their brooder because we don't have a lid on the top. One bird happened to be nestled right below a perching one, when a runny brown surprise rained down upon her... YUCK!!!! At any rate, I had to learn how to give a chicken a bath. I found this information on wikiHow.com.
2. Prepare the tubs! Obviously, you want to check the weather to see if it's good to wash the chicken outside or inside; you wouldn't want to wash and get a poor chicken all wet in the cold weather! You're going to prepare 3 tubs; plastic trash cans work well. You'll want it just wider than the chicken, but deep enough to be half full and still submerge them entirely, except for the head. This keeps the bath water from displacing and spilling over. A narrow container also restrains their flapping.
   • In the first tub, you pour Ivory Liquid or Liquid Castile Soap or cat shampoo if your chicken has mites or fleas. Then pour in the water (so it gets nice and foamy.) Use warm or lukewarm water unless it is a very hot day. Adding 1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax to the bath makes it more effective, especially if your chicken is light or white.
   • In the second tub, just pour plain old water. This is the tub where you rinse the bird. Don't be afraid to add a dab of bleach (half a teaspoon per gallon). Really. This also helps control mites.
   • In the third tub, pour in a mixture of vinegar and water. (2 cups of vinegar to a gallon of water). You might also add a tablespoon of glycerin for an extra 'poultry show shine'.
3. 2
   Pick the chicken you're going to wash. This is the one that needs to be clean, or is the dirtiest.
4. 3
   Put the chicken in the first tub, slowly. If they've never had a bath before, this tub is where they'll freak out. By tub two, they will hopefully be too tired to struggle. Gently agitate them up and down in a gentle plunging motion. Do not scrub or rub or you will break their feathers. After they're soaked through, pull them out and hold them over the tub to 'drain'. They will have soaked up a surprising amount of water! If you have an assistant, this is a good time to have them use a washcloth to clean their feet while they are 'draining'. If the vent feathers are matted with poo, you may need to soak for a few minutes to dissolve it with light agitation of the water. Any scrubbing of matted feathers must be done with utmost care, and only in the direction of the feather tips. Be patient, as poo usually dissolves in warm soapy water. Don't leave chicken unattended! Always keep the head above the water, because they can easily drown.
5. 4
   Transfer them to the second tub and gently plunge up and down again to get all of the soap off.
6. 5
   In the third tub, just make sure the vinegar water gets all over their body. This will make their feathers shinier.
7. 6
   Dry your chicken! Drain them by holding them over the rinse tub until they mostly stop dripping. If it is a warm day, you can towel-dry them carefully by putting a dry bath towel over them and pressing without rubbing. Do the same under each wing. If it is cold, you'll want to bring them inside and blow dry them completely on the lowest setting so the blow-back does not break and frizz the feathers. (Best not tell the wife what you did with the blow dryer.)Warning: This can smell a little funky. You'll also want to keep your hand between the blower and the chicken. If it's too hot for you, it's too hot for the chicken.
8. 7
   Trim their beaks and nails if needed. Do their beaks or nails need to be trimmed? If so, then start trimming! You'll only want to file back obvious over-growth so it returns to a natural shape. On the nails, cut tiny bits at a time and watch the blood line! (That's the little red line you may or may not be able to see in the nail.) If your chicken has dark nails, you'll want to cut teeny little bits at a time. If the nail starts bleeding, dip it into a powdery substance, like flour or baking powder. Roosters may need their spur nails trimmed and filed blunt to limit damage if they get into a fight with other roosters.
9.