Just for shrieks and gigggles

This week has been one that is both full of joy, and a real test on my patience.  

Let me start this by saying - I love love love being a mom.  I do, and I love the time that I spend with my daughter.  And there are things that happened this week that have really helped to prove that.  

For example:  Earlier today I lay down and took a nap because I had an awful headache.  Cassidy was also napping, and my husband had just gotten home from lunch out with a friend so I knew he'd take care of things when she woke up.  And he did - but a couple of hours later I woke up to a little voice at the door saying "Mama?" When I opened my eyes and she saw I was awake she came barreling into the room at full speed to jump up and down til I picked her up all the while saying "Mama! Mama!"  When I picked her up she gave me a sweet little kiss and snuggled in for one of her rare hugs.  And that one moment (temporarily) blocked out the fact that we'd had a rough morning, a rougher church service, and that I still had a huge headache.  

And there are lots of moments like that.

But we're going through a separation anxiety stage (so late I thought we'd missed it entirely) and she refuses to be away from Mama.  

Examples:

Last week at church when I took her to the nursery so I could teach Sunday School she spent the first 20 minutes banging on the door and screaming "Mama, Mama, Mama".  She was so loud that I heard her from all the way down the (very long) hall and through two sets of closed doors.  And I had to go get her because she was upsetting the other children in the nursery.

Yesterday Daddy tried to take her to the store.  She screamed the whole way from the house to the car, but we thought "Oh she loves the store, she'll calm down when she gets there."  Wrong.  My poor husband had to drag a screaming, crying toddle through the grocery store.  She kept trying to get away and when he put her down on the ground she ran to the door (of the store) screaming "Mama! MAMA!"  And so he brought her home, forgetting to get half of the groceries and having to go back to the store.  

Thats not to mention that his feelings were (are)  very hurt.  

I know this is normal - but it's not normal for her!  Cassidy is one of the happiest, most social children I've ever met - and she always has been.  SIGH  I suppose we'll get through this too - but I hope it passes quickly!

P.S. In other news I've lost another 1.5 lbs for a total of 6.6!  It's slow going, but it IS going so 6.6 down 78.4 to go (I tell you I can't wait until the first number is bigger than the second!)

Cheat Day = Epic Fail

So as you may remember from my post here this week was a momentous one for me in that I jumped on the Weight Watchers bandwagon and dedicated myself to that lifestyle change that is weight loss.

If you don't know how Weight Watchers works you can check their website out.  But, the basic premise is that food is assigned points based on certain criteria (fat, carbs, fiber, and protein).  You have a certain number of points you can use each day (based on your weight, age, gender, and whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain your weight-loss).  You also can earn extra points for the activity (exercise) that you do.  Also you have 49 points each week that you can use for extra treats - or as many of my friends do on their diets - to have a cheat day.

So far, so good.  I've been feeling really positive about my choice, and haven't really felt that I've really had to give that much up.  I have to admit that I've been almost fanatical about keeping track of the food I eat and making sure that I stick strictly to my daily points.  I decided early on that when I started this I would need to be fanatical about it in order to make sure that I stick to it.  I knew if I wasn't exacting I would fail - I'm kind of an all or nothing type of girl!

I also felt that in order for me to not get frustrated or feel cheated or just want to give up I would need to be able to eat the "junk" that I like.  So I decided that I would (like so many others) have a "cheat day" each week where I could use the 49 weekly points (being that my daily balance is currently 37 - this is more than doubling my allowance).  This week I decided that I would have my cheat day today!  I knew I was going hiking in the Carlisle/Mt. Holly area - the location of my all time favorite pizza place.

Somehow, I have failed at cheating!  And its a cheating that is acceptable and even encouraged!

I DID go to the pizza place, and I DID get pizza AND chicken strips and fries (to split with Cassidy).

I did NOT however go over my daily points value.  At least not yet!  I ate only a little bit while I was there and brought the rest home, so I guess its possible that I'll want to eat it later.  But unlikely.

Who FAILS at eating whatever they want in a 24 hour period???


On a side note - tomorrow is the big day - where I weigh in for the first time.  Cross your fingers and hope that I lose weight (even if it's just a little)!