Jack Sprat Could Eat No Fat

We'll get to the title in a minute.

Yesterday was basically a waste of a day here at work.  We had a vendor visiting and spent pretty much the entire day with them.  This included a lunch out.  I didn't do too bad but not great either.  I ate about half of my burrito and called it good.  It was pretty yummy though.  I did not go to Zumba last night.  A little backstory:  I'm having my windshield on the car replaced and the guys messed up the scheduling, thinking I was available until 2 pm when, in fact, I wasn't available until AFTER 2 pm.  So I need to reschedule.  I was going to Zumba because the guys should've been done by the time the class started at 5:45.  Well, once they cancelled I didn't want to sit around and wait for the Zumba class.  So, instead, I went to the gym straight after work and got my sweat on.  I keep changing up the workouts just a little to keep it interesting.  Yesterday I decided I would do 30 minutes on the treadmill and however far I went, I went.  I made it 2 miles.  Then did my weights for the upper body, back and core which is what I so desperately need to work on for the Warrior Dash.  Felt pretty good and I hit a new PR for sit ups.  24!  Doesn't sound like a lot but it's an improvement and I've updated my goals to the right.

So the title?  Well, my eating has been atrocious this week!!!  Now I'm not one to say fat is bad...honestly, I've read enough about paleo and inflammation and all that jazz to know it isn't.  It's the sugar and processed crap that does us in.  Unfortunately, they didn't make up a little nursery rhyme about sugar so I went with Jack.  I'm thinking of doing some kind of sugar fast to kick the cravings and get my mind in the right place.  I'm mulling it over...we shall see.

So it's Friday.  Yay!  When you dislike your job as much as I do, every Friday is a blessing.  Tomorrow we're taking the girls to the circus and then Hubby and I are going out for an adult celebration of my birthday.  Several friend are meeting us at a bar and there'll be drinking, eating, and general merriment.  It'll be a good night.  My mom's awesome and is watching the girls overnight so no curfew for us this time.  :)

Hope you've all had a good week!  A little Friday Funny to send us off to the weekend!

More News...

Yep...I guess it's a Two Post Thursday...

FDA approves drug to treat some obese, overweight adults

Supposedly, this drug triggers the part of the brain that allows you to eat less and feel fuller.  Here's the part that gets me...

In trials, 47% of patients without type 2 diabetes lost at least 5% of their body weight. By comparison, 23% of patients treated with placebo lost at least 5% of their weight. In people with type 2 diabetes, 38% of patients on Belviq lost at least 5% of their body weight compared to 16% on placebo, according to the FDA.

These results are not game changing!  I mean...there isn't a big difference between those who had the drug and those who had the placebo.  Also, it's not as effective for those with Type II Diabetess but whom the article states earlier that the drug is marketed for.  There was also no mention of this being available over the counter.  With rising costs of doctor's visits and prescription drugs, it seems a product like this would better serve the public if sold over the counter, especially since the benefits seem pretty minimal.  

It also says to use it in combination with a healthy diet and exercise.  Did the people in the trial do this?  If so, THAT could account for the weight loss more so than this pill!

Warning to consumers:  There is no quick fix to obesity.  5% of your excess weight is a great start but you're already on medication for Type II Diabetes, high cholesterol or blood pressure or heart disease.  Do you really want to add yet another pill to that mix?  

I'm not saying people shouldn't try it.  I'm obviously not one to judge medical intervention for obesity.  If you really think it would work for you, give it a shot but go in with eyes wide open.  The stats here aren't that encouraging.  

Have you noticed anything interesting in the news lately?

In the News with Panda 6.28.12

First, thank you all for the warm birthday wishes!  It was a good day.  I got home, feeling pretty sore and worn out so instead of the gym, I took a nap.  I figured a rest day is good.  Tonight, I'm hitting my first Zumba class in a year!  Had goulash and some fantastic oreo thingie for my birthday dinner with my mom and family.  It was a nice evening.  So moving on...


Found this little gem...good, bad, and just plain dumb.  

Ways to Torch 200 Calories

Full article is here.  Here we go with my thoughts....

Good suggestions

Dancing - 37 minute dance party - The only thing dumb about this is they suggest doing it at your house.  No one lets loose when there's 5 of you.  Go to a club!

Make over your house - painting walls, etc.  Totally believe this.  Always sore after painting a room...you feel it in your arms.

40 minutes of badminton - I just like saying the word "shuttlecock."  :)

Putt Putt - I love me some miniature golf!

Yardwork - oh yeah!

Hopscotch & trampoline - PLAY with your kids!  Seriously...I like this one not only for the physical benefits but for the bonding with your children aspect as well as teaching them to be active and healthy in a fun way so they don't struggle with their weight as so many of us have.

Yoga - this is fair but I thought the point was to find things outside of working out?


Dumb Suggestions
Sex - OK...I know this always sounds like a good idea but read carefully - "Hit the gym with your mate for a healthy dose of exercise—you burn about 100 calories in 30 minutes of weightlifting—then dive between the sheets and torch another 100 with an hour of foreplay and vigorous sex."  Yes...I put the whole description up there.  First...who wants to hit the gym for an hour and then go have sex??  Especially if you're married with kids and second, an HOUR????  I don't know about all of you but I can rarely keep the heart rate up for a whole hour if you know what I mean.  It's late, I'm tired...Notice how young the people in the picture are?  Just sayin'.  This is NOT an effective way to burn calories unless you're Draz and Rambo (yes...totally just called you out because I know of no other married couple that do it as often and as exciting as you two).

70 minutes playing darts at a bar.  This is stupid because we all know you're drinking at that bar and will  most likely stay for more than hour, probably consuming more than 200 calories while you're there.

Shop it off
Hit the end-of-summer sales—you'll torch 11 calories for every outfit you try on. - Whatever...this is assuming you eat NOTHING all day and are power walking to every store.  And you have to try on 20 full outfits to get the benefit.  Whatevs.

Charades - this is stretching it as you only do it for a couple minutes and then sit.  It has to be really ACTIVE charades...


And just "Really???" kind of suggestions:
Furniture moving...for 30 minutes.  Really???

"Scrub-a-dub
Throw a barbecue, but first vacuum, sweep the patio, and straighten up."  Here's what bugs me about this.  Cleaning your house...great idea!  Eat a bunch of bbq food after that to negate everything you just did?   Really???

2 hours of Scrabble??

Fidget...that's right...according to this, fidgeters burn 350 more calories than nonfidgeters.  Maybe but come on!

So what about you?  What are you favorite nonworkouts?

I'm 31

I turn 31 today!  So it's not a "biggie" birthday I know.  But you know what feels great about 31...is that I fit into a dress I wore when I was 18 years old.  That's an incredibly awesome thing about being 31.

You know what else rocks?  When you're 31, you get to roll around on your floor and be goofy with kids and it's OK.

Being 31 means I've been with Hubby for 13 years.  That's pretty cool.

Being 31, I've already settled into a career.  And yes, folks...I can't deny it any longer.  While I'm hating my job right now...it's a career.  It's career money and career responsibilities and it feels like I'm a full blown grown up!

It's also the 10th anniversary of my 21st birthday...and what an awesome birthday it was (no pics of this...no one must ever see the evidence...).

I'm 31 and was excited to go to the gym yesterday.  I wasn't excited to do that at 18.  I was excited that my 1 mile "run" was less than 15 minutes.

I was excited that once I finished my 1 mile and did my weights I realized that I had only worked out for 45 minutes so needed to do more so I hopped on to the elliptical to do another 10 minutes and the stretching machine.  31 year old MandaPanda loves the stretching machine.  28 year old MandaPanda never would've gone back for those 10 minutes

31 years has finally brought me a better sense of "me" and I feel more confident and less socially awkward than I have in years.

Yep...being 31 is shaping up to be pretty good all in all.  Happy Hump Day everybody and Happy Birthday to Me!

Ran Into An Old Friend

Truth be told, I knew she'd be there.  It's been almost a year since we last spoke or saw eachother.  Maybe I was avoiding her this whole time, making excuses not to see her or having to reminisce about how much time we used to spend together.  When you've got kids and work and a LIFE, sometimes it all just gets in the way.  

We fell right back into our routine.  We took an hour to catch up and it was as if no time had passed at all.  I had forgotten how much we have in common.  We both LOVE trashy TV (in small doses).  We love music and movies.  We like taking classes and mulling over today's politics, culture wars and current events.

It got me wondering how we had ever grown so far apart in the first place.  How had I not made her a priority in my life?  Someone so supportive...always there when I need her...always waiting for me to show up whenever I feel like it.  She wants me to be stronger and healthier and wants to actually help get me there!  She doesn't ask for much in return. That's better than half my other friends put together. So I resolved yesterday to make more time for my friend and reap the benefits of having a friendship that in essence really is the easiest friendship I've ever had.  

Yes...I ran into an old friend yesterday...the GYM!  And good Lord it was awesome to be back!!!

OK...so a bit dramatic???  Maybe.  But it did feel REALLY good to be back at my gym.  It was seriously almost like coming home.  It felt so comfortable and so RIGHT.  Outside of the pathetic work out I did, it was so nice!  So how bad was the workout?

There you have it.  3.1 miles in 46 minutes.  And I seriously felt like I was going to puke.  Amazing how out of shape I've gotten compared to just one year ago.  So I'm re-evaluating my work out plan.  I was going to go as often as I can doing 3 miles on the treadmill and then weight training.  Well, my friends... not gonna happen YET.  So I'm starting off slower.  Still going as often as I can but alternating days where I do 3.1 miles cardio (and that's it) and 1 mile cardio with weight training after.  Then fitting in classes where I can.  Until I'm back up to "Full Strength" I think this is a good approach.  Oh!  And as a side note, I forgot my ear buds yesterday so I ran without being able to HEAR the TV or listen to my own music.  So that right there is pretty good.

My gym bag is packed for another day! And I am so ready!

So my question for you...is there an old friend that you need to visit???

Weekend Pics - None of Me

Whew.  What a weekend.  So the visit with the inlaws was fine.  It was civil and that's kind of the best I can say about it.  I don't have pics of the girls playing at the kids' play thing on Saturday as Hubby took them while I got some other things ready but they had a good time, went to their friends' house for swimming, hotdogs and cake.  All was well.  Yesterday was a bit more of the same.  We took the girls to see Brave first thing in the morning.  Great movie!   Some scene were a little intense and the girls covered their eyes (they're kind of wusses though.  lol) but it was a great "girl power" kind of movie.  I highly recommend it...one of the better Disney Pixar flicks I've seen recently.

Here are some pics from the weekend.

Lori hamming it up - don't know what she's so bright!

The Birthday Girl

The big gift - a gokart from her uncle

Candles

Skateboard  :)

Banana Split Cake

Some details on the cake.  Each "scoop" is a different kind of cake (strawberry, white and chocolate) and instead of frosting, they were dipped in chocolate to create a smoother look (milk chocolate for the chocolate cake and white chocolate for the other two).  The "whipped cream" is buttercream frosting and the "bananas" are rice krispy treats.  So yummy!  Maddie loved it and that's what mattered most.  As for today, my gym bag is packed and I'm ready to go.  Heading there straight after work.  Very excited to get ready.

Short post today but gotta get workin'.  Monday DEMotivator:

Friday's Letter Link Up?

So There's a Friday Letters thing going around, so thought I'd try it out.

Dear Ladies At Work:  The first stall's toilet does not flush well.  So if you put stuff in it, give us an extra courtesy flush.  Mmmmkay?

Dear Mother-in-Law:  While I am extremely relieved that you decided NOT to join your husband for this trip, I think it's incredibly selfish and narcissistic of you.  You may have your family and friends fooled but I know that the reason you didn't come is so you can say we didn't let you see the girls while we let your husband which is a load of bull.  It's all so you can still be the victim.  Well...who's really the victim?  If you ask me, it's my six year old daughter who last night told me "I wish Nana would've come but I'm sure she had a good reason."  It took all the restraint I had not to tell her "No pumpkin.  She did NOT have a good reason.  She didn't come so she can get sympathy from people in Ohio and have those people who we don't give a rat's ass about hate us."  Instead I said, "Yes baby.  I'm sure she did."

Dear Father-in-Law:  Well done at being civil yesterday.  I DO think there are some health issues going on and if there are, I hope you'll be honest with your son about them and we both noticed you weren't entirely "with it" but the girls were so surprised and happy to see you.

Dear 6 Year Old Daughter:  You and your sister asked me to push your beds together to make one big bed.  I did because both of you usually wind up sleeping on a tiny kids' couch anyway.  And two nights in a row now, you have come into my room at midnight complaining that your sister has rolled on to your bed.  Enough.  Next time she does, just get in HER bed.  Between the two beds, it's bigger than a california king...that is certainly big enough for two little girls who do not weigh more than 100 lbs COMBINED!  Also, thank you so much for being wise beyond your years and so well adjusted that even though you're upset that your nana didn't come for your birthday, you still look to the bright side and give her the benefit of the doubt.  You're a better little person than I am.

Dear Hubby:  We suck!  We were supposed to go grocery shopping on Monday but didn't and have yet to make it there.  On top of everything else, I need to buy stuff to make Maddie's cake and we're hosting two lunches over the weekend.  We must go to the store today!! (and yes, this is an indication of how often we've eaten out this week too.  UGH!)

Dear God: Is it possible for you to give me a couple extra hours in the day today?  As mentioned before I need to go grocery shopping and start making my daughter's birthday cake today and see my father in law and I really just don't know how I can fit it all in...

Dear Boss Lady:  You return from vacation on Monday.  Can you please NOT suck big fat donkey balls when you get back?  I've seen what this job could look like without you and it's really not that terrible.  However, once you return...well...It just sure is different when you're here.

Dear Mom:  Thank you for asking me what our cake theme is going to be for Maddie's birthday.  Makes me feel special that you take notice of how much effort goes into these.  Also, you gave me a fantastic idea of how to make it even better.  For all those reading, we're going with a Banana Split cake.  That's right...a CAKE that looks like a banana split.  Should be interesting.

Dear Candyland Players:  Thank you so much for all the support this week (and always).  The pain is still there but is getting better.  I'm exhausted but that won't get better until next week.  I also found 2 new blogs that are kind of fun - BandedIceGirl and A Beautiful Mess.

This weekend will be lots of fun.  Tonight, Maddie gets to pick where she wants her first birthday dinner to be (We always go out for one birthday meal and the birthday girl/guy gets to pick...we also do birthday weeks/weekends so we're talking DAYS of celebrating.  LOL).  Tomorrow we're taking Maddie, Lori and 2 of their friends to a kids' play thing (Makutu's Island for the locals) then to their friends' house (which happen to be Hubby's fraternity brother's house) for grilling and swimming and cake.  Then Sunday, we start the day with a viewing of Brave (at least that's the plan), then to my parents' house for a family gathering of food we haven't decided on yet at a time we haven't decided on yet and cake and presents.  Maddie'll love it.

For now, I leave you with a Friday Funny!

Turning It Around

Yes - 2 posts in like an hour.  Who am I?  But I was looking at that last post and the whining going on and I've decided to turn it around ala "Holly style."  All part of the looking for the silver lining and working towards contentment. New comments in Blue.

Wow...I've posted every day this week.  It's been awhile since I've done that but I'm happy to be getting things out there again and so happy that I have people who follow along and leave me comments and email me...makes me feel loved.  

My daughter's early kindergarten assessment went alright I think.  I'm really lucky to live in a school district that wants to make sure that kids that go to kindergarten early have the necessary skills to be successful and that they're so willing to provide some guidance to parents like me who really don't have a clue.  

So remember the pain that took me to the ER back in March?  Well, it came back last night.  I didn't want to go back to the doctor as they never really figured out what caused it the first time.  The doctor had said all they could see on the MRI was some irritation around the band.  So I'm assuming that's what it is again.  So I took a Tylenol with Codeine and promptly fell asleep on the couch.  I'm so lucky that I still had some of the left over meds from my procedure last month and insurance allowed me to have it checked out earlier so I know it's nothing too serious.  Also, my couch is suprsingly comfortable for a clearance center buy!   Did I call in today?  Nope.  I'm really dedicated to my job and my work.  I've been here 8 years and overall, my company has been pretty good to me.  While I have sick days I can use, I prefer to save them for when my kids need me.  I'm lucky to work in such a flexible group taht if I start feeling worse later in the day, I can just go home.  


So since joining the gym, I have gone zero times.  But I joined...that was step 1.  I'm doing my best. 


It was a really great week to JOIN the gym as Hubby had the money to pay for it.  Next week will be a great week to GO to the gym. This week is so busy!  Between the cable guy (I'm so lucky to have internet and cable again...I admit I missed it for the year or so we went without it), the assessment, the birthday shopping (I think I picked out stuff Maddie's going to love this year!), the inlaws (Maddie will be so excited they made it here for her birthday!), and the birthday parties this weekend (So blessed to be able to give my daughter 2 fun filled days for her birthday!). 


Things are already looking up, yes?

Stress = Pain?

Wow...I've posted every day this week.  It's been awhile since I've done that but I'm happy to be getting things out there again.

My daughter's early kindergarten assessment went alright I think.  It's really impossible to tell.  We got to the administration building and the secretary gave her a name badge and then walked her and another girl into a separate room where a teacher was in there and watched them interact for a few minutes and asked them questions.  Then a separate teacher takes them individually and asks them letters, counting, parts of the body, colors, etc.  Then they walk them out.  Took about an hour.  We'll find out in 2 weeks whether or not she can go to kindergarten in August or if we'll wait another year.  The teacher didn't let on about anything at all (Fantastic poker face) and the only details I got about the assessment itself was from the 4 year old so you gotta imagine the details are a little skewed.

So remember the pain that took me to the ER back in March?  Well, it came back last night.  I didn't want to go back to the doctor as they never really figured out what caused it the first time.  The doctor had said all they could see on the MRI was some irritation around the band.  So I'm assuming that's what it is again.  So I took a Tylenol with Codeine and promptly fell asleep on the couch.  Once I made it up to the bedroom, I slept off and on all night.  Then I woke up with a headache this morning and I'm absolutely exhausted.  Since the codeine makes me sleepy, I took ibuprofen instead this morning.  Headache is now a dull throb as opposed to sharp shooting, the same with the pain in my side.  :(  Did I call in today?  Nope.  I'm here at work, muddling through.

It got  me thinking though.  First, it's not fair that I have irritation around my band.  I haven't done anything wrong!  I haven't had any carbonation (it's not the carbonation type pain but still), haven't eaten past satisfaction or until I was in pain, and I can't even remember the last time I PB'd.  It's just not fair.  So I was trying to think of what else happened in March to cause it that may have caused it now.  The only thing I can think of is stress.  My grandmother was dying in March (I actually received the news of her passing while I was in ER) and I was trying to figure out how to get out there and the money and the flights and everything.  The girls were on Spring Break so I was worried about what to do with them.  Things were kind of a mess.  Well, there's been a lot going on here the last week or so...very busy at work, at home, the in laws, the birthday.  While I haven't been feeling particularly STRESSED (except about the inlaws), just busy....maybe that's all it takes to send my body and band into some weird painful place.  I don't know.  It's the only theory I've got going on right now.  So I'll be self medicating the next couple days...glad I have some pain meds left from my procedure I had last month.  If it gets worse, I'll call my lapband doc and see what he says.

So since joining the gym, I have gone zero time.  That's right...zero, nada, zilch, zip.... We'll see how the pain's doing tonight and whether or not we're visiting with the inlaws and I'll try to make it.   If not, I'm not beating myself up over it.  I joined...that was step 1.  It was a really tough week to expect to get to the gym too much...between the cable guy (who for some reason has to block out HOURS for you to wait around for him), the assessment, the birthday shopping, the inlaws, the birthday parties this weekend, etc.).  I'm doing my best.

I'm sure this could've been listed out in a Ten Thing Thursday but was feeling more like free flowing today.  Hope y'all are having a great Thursday!

The Busy Week Continues

So I sign up for the gym but I haven't actually GONE to the gym.  I realize that simply joining the gym will not make the lbs melt away...I really do.  However, I was so gung ho about going back and ready to take the leap that I forgot how busy this week really was.  Hmmmm... But it's OK.  Looking at classes now and might go tonight.  We'll see.  Moving on....

Cable guy came yesterday...AGAIN...and replaced the same effin' cable that the last cable guy replaced last week!  WTF????  (I guess this'll be my WTF Wednesday post...thanks Draz).  I mean...seriously?  Then even though I haven't touched the damn thing, the guy's looking at me as if I'm the one who tucked it under the carpet where there are nails that could go through the stupid cable.  Ummmm...no....that was your buddy who was here last week you giant douchecanoe.

So after work today, I'm taking my youngest daughter for her early kindergarten assessment.  Have I explained this?  I don't remember and don't want to go back to check.  Basically, if you turn 5 between September and December, you have to be assessed to see if you're ready to go into kindergarten early.  No, I don't think my daughter is a genius or anything.  But after having gone through public school kindergarten with my oldest, I'm concerned that if we wait another whole year, she'll be bored and she's definitely the type of kid that will get into trouble if she's bored.  So we're having her assessed.  If they say she's ready, great!  If not, it's another year at preschool which is just fine and dandy too.  The only thing that annoys me is that the assessment is at 3 pm.  Even kids that have already been through kindergarten are cranky and uncooperative at 3 pm!  Here's hoping she gets a good nap today...

My inlaws get into town tomorrow.  I've never gone into too much detail about them as they are the spawn of the devil and I don't want them sic'ing their minions on me.  Basically it's been 2 years since Hubby or I have even spoken to them.  They get notes from the girls, pictures, a phone call on holidays.  But it's always the girls.  Hubby and I don't participate.  This could get very ugly but hoping it stays civil.  You just never know with these people.

I didn't sleep worth a darn last night.  I've been having night terrors ever since I got word those people were coming to town.  Combine that news with the general busy-ness of this week and the stress creates bad news for MandaPanda's subconscious.  Last night, I was totally exhausted, thought I'd finally get a good night's rest but wound up not even really laying down to sleep until 10:30 (I wake up at 4:30) but then there was this BANGING coming from the neighbor's wall (townhouse...we share walls).  But it sounded as if someone could be banging on the door.  Dear Hubby who was already mostly asleep when this happened just grunted "What's that?" in an almost accusatory tone as if I was the one banging.  (In his defense, with the night terrors, I am often the one who's making noise and keeping him up) but seriously?  When I tell him I have no idea, does he get up and investigate?  Does he grab a bat Mike-Brady-style and head downstairs to "check it out"?  Or better yet, grab that gun I know he keeps just in case someone tries to kill us and see what's what?  Oh no.  I got up and went downstairs (unarmed, mind you...I'm an idiot) and checked the front door...even opened it to make sure someone wasn't begging for help or something...checked my phone (as if a burglar would call first?  What the what?)...checked on the girls (because if I heard it and am scared, they must be terrified.  Nope...fast asleep)...then finally crawled back into bed.  But it totally messed with my psyche for the rest of the night.  Not good.  So today is a high caffeine day.  Embrace the caffeinated beverages my friends! (uncarbonated of course).

So where does all that leave us?  On a Wednesday.  It's Hump Day my merry followers!  And every Hump Day should have a Happy Thought because without those, it's just another day.  However, I'm finding it hard to be inspired or have many deep thoughts today so in honor of my inlaws...you get this...

Yep. I Joined The Gym

And it wasn't cheap.  Ugh.  It wasn't way out of the ballpark I was expecting to spend but it was higher than I was hoping for.  With all these trips and birthdays, I honestly couldn't afford it on my own.  So my dear sweet Hubby bought me my gym membership (for the whole year) as a birthday present.  So we did it.  I'm signed up and ready to go.  Honestly, I'm really excited to get started again.  I've got a workout plan pretty much figured out.  The Warrior Dash is 3.31 miles plus obstacles.  So I'm starting off with cardio.  I'm setting the treadmill to the 5k setting with changes in incline.  After I've done my three miles, it's off to weight training.  I'm looking to spend a half hour working on my upper body strength...core, back, chest, arms...  It seems the Dash will have me climbing up and over things quite a bit and I am seriously lacking in the upper body department.

For accountability, I'll be posting my 5k training times here and any extra exercises that make their way into this routine (Zumba, step, circuit, etc.).

Just a quick post today.  Hope y'all are having a great Tuesday!

A Gym Decision

Well, not officially yet.  But definitely this week.  I've made the decision to go back to my old gym.  If left to my own devices (aka working out at home), I just never will.  I need the financial impact to guilt me into going at first.  Also, my support group to Vegas is growing.  Before I get into my gym ramble (because that's really what it's going to be), let's talk about the weekend.

Saturday was really nice.  Woke up, had breakfast (Hubby's biscuits & gravy which is absolutely TO DIE FOR, albeit beyond fattening).  Then around noon, I went to BFF's house for a lady's lunch and drinks around her pool.  One of her other friends joined us and I had a wonderfully relaxing time.  Her friend is coming to Vegas in October too so should be fun.  I drank way too much and add in the sun and I was...well...about ready to go crash into bed when I got home.  But that was not in the plans.  We had been invited to dinner with another couple that night.  It was with Hubby's exroommate (the roommate he had when we first started dating) and his wife.  Honestly, I never really liked this guy when I first met him but over the years, he's toned down quite a bit and I've mellowed out so now I think we get along quite well.  His wife is really nice and very down to earth which makes it easy to talk to her.  Anyway, we had a lovely dinner/drinks out with just the adults while my mom watched the girls.  Very relaxing day and desperately needed after the hectic workweek I had prior.

Sunday was Father's Day so it was Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast (I know, I know).  Hubby opened his cards, store bought and home made.  He gushed appropriately at the girls' artwork.  Then we we headed over to my parents' house so I could see my dad before he went to work.  I got my dad a new garden hose and for some reason, this was like the gift of a lifetime or something.  He told my mom later that he was excited to get something he really needed.  *sigh*  Men.  Hubby got a new smoker (think bbq on this one).  He's very excited to start smoking some meat.  :)   So once we left there, we went for a swim, then to lunch and later dinner.  Watched the movie Cars with the girls, practiced Maddie's lines for Wizard of Oz that her camp is putting on at the end of the summer.  She's Glinda and is very excited.  Nice, relaxing day  overall.  That is until I had a small breakdown over our internet going down for the second time in as many weeks.  The cable guy is coming out on Tuesday...AGAIN...to fix the internet...AGAIN.  This is the third time in 2 months.  I'm getting pretty freakin' sick of it.

We have firmed up our Disneyland trip.  We'll be there October 10-12...the tail end of my daughter's fall break from school.  The Halloween decorations will be up at the time too which is kind of neat.  This seems to have inspired Hubby to make a big push for weight loss so that he can do the all the rides without worry.  To show my support of this effort, I cleaned off the rarely used treadmill that's sitting in the office.  We'll see if he uses it.  I hope he does.  And that leads me to my gym rant.

I know I'll fit in the rides at Disney.  I know I can walk around all day at Disney without a problem.  Those are 2 HUGE NSV's for me.  However, I've known this for awhile now so that novelty has worn off.  For me, my motivation is not Disney.  It's the Warrior Dash that's a week later.  I have not trained the way I need to and this stops this week.  My BFF and her husband are coming to cheer me on.  Truth be told, we've told everybody and anybody that if they want to meet us in Vegas, they're more than welcome but I haven't really been inviting people to the Dash because well...what if I suck?  BFF did the 3 Day with me and saw me when I was just sore, worn out and hurtin' and strugglin' so it's a not biggie that she'll be there.  Now HER friend, Barb (not changing the name to protect the innocent, lol) is coming as well.  We discussed this at lunch on Saturday and I told her if she wants to sleep in and not come to the Warrior Dash, that was fine and that I'm totally fine meeting up with her later.  She said "Nonsense! (not really but I can't really remember what she said)  I'd love to come cheer you on!"  Ummmmkay.  Well...now we're talking about somebody who doesn't know me that well and I don't want to look like a wuss in front of her.  So gotta kick it into full gear as to not make a poor showing.

I'm going to back up a bit more.  When I began training for the 3 Day, I joined a gym.  I had a routine, I started trying out different classes and I began to LIKE it.  I worked out religiously for 13 of the 15 months I had that membership.  As motivation sometimes does, it waned, I burned out, whatever you want to call it so I let my membership lapse.  And I just haven't had that exercise mojo since.  A couple weeks ago, I made a bold goal of working out every workday once I got home from work.  The girls are at camp so I can spare an extra hour to take care of ME.  What have I learned?  That if left to my own devices, I will do ANYTHING except work out at home when I'm there by myself.  I'll do laundry, I'll do dishes, I'll play on my phone (hanging head in shame)...ANYTHING but work out.  For some people, the convenience of working out at home is very motivating for them.  For me, it's TOO convenient.  If I have to pack a bag and GO, then I'll do it because it's dedicated time to MY goals.  It's what the time is set aside for.  It's totally a mental thing and I know this but it's a mental thing that I can't seem to get past.  So, today after work, I'm rejoining my gym.  I'm going to talk to them about pricing and I'm joining.  I'll try to get the best deal I can but honestly, it's not going to matter too much as I need to just suck it up and pay for it and start going again.  And I will.  So there you have it.  I'll check in tomorrow to let you know how it went.

So a very rambly Monday morning post, indeed.  We'll finish off with a Monday DEMotivator:

Sharing is Caring

Just thought I'd share a few links to occupy your time this morning.


New Blogger Alert!!  This is a new blogger who was banded in April.  She's lost 40-some pounds already and is doing great but I know she'll benefit from all the advice and support we get around here.  Here blog is here.


Another link I was given is this one. It's called Diet Spotlight and basically it's a rundown of every diet/supplement/exercise regimen/fad/cleanse out there.  In full disclosure, I was asked by one of the people who own the site to post this link.  But I went and checked it out and it's kind of interesting.  I think it's handy if you've already got something narrowed down to a few products and want to compare them.  However, I get the feeling the site is paid to promote some products over others.  For instance, one of their top picks is the flex belt.  Really?  Sending signals to the nerves in your abs for a work out.  This thing has been around FOREVER and if it really gave you sixpacks, EVERYONE would have one.  But if you want some basic info between products (price, shipping costs, return policy, etc.), it's a pretty useful site.  I would take the reviews with a grain of salt though.


Here's a fun one.  The 50 Fattiest Foods in the U.S.  Some of these are just absolutely repulsive.  My top pick for yummiest is the deep-fried pastry appetizer stuffed with crabmeat and cheese.  My top pick for most obscenely disgusting is the Fried-brain sandwich.  Enough Said.  Another favorite was the donut burger - Ground-beef patty, topped with cheese and bacon between two donuts instead of a bun.  I guess Paul Dean added her flair to this "classic" but topping it off with a fried egg.  Eeewww.  Fun Fact about this one from my very own home state - the Quadruple Bypass Burger.  Two people in the last year have actually HAD heart attacks while AT the Heart Attack Grill.  Wow...how are they still open?  So the list is here and it's broken out by state.  What is your home state famous for fat-wise and What are your favorites? 


So that's the entertainment I have for you today.  Things are holding steady here.  Not great, not terrible.  Found out my inlaws are coming to town next week.  *sigh*  This means drama.  Overall, this week is about getting through this on-call stuff with minimal disruption.  How I loathe this little phone!  I haven't worked out at all this week but am determined to get some kind of exercise in today.  Will report back tomorrow.  OK...gotta get back to work.  Happy Thursday everybody!

In the News & Other Stuff

First the other stuff...I haven't worked out yet this week and I don't plan to today either.  Night terrors have reared their ugly head and lack of sleep has caught up with me.  Hoping to have an early night and get on the work out train tomorrow.

I weighed myself for the first time in awhile last night.  I was at 156.  1 lb above my lowest but 2 down from my last impromptu weigh in.  Given how I've been eating, I'm OK with it.  I haven't been putting in 100% so I'm not getting a good return.  That's just the way it works.

Things are just crazy busy here the next couple weeks and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.  (I know you can be overwhelmed and you can underwhelmed but can you ever just be 'whelmed'? I think you can in Europe...10 Things I Hate About You...anyone? anyone?) I haven't opened those medical bills yet.  I know I need to bite the bullet and do it but I feel like it's one more thing that's going to bog me down.  Hubby and I got into a spat last night but ended on a good note but it was still exhausting.  I'm "on call" at work this week for system assurance stuff and I can't think of anyone less qualified to do this than me.  This stupid one-step-above-a-zach-morris phone is causing me all kinds of anxiety.  My internet isn't working at home so I get to sit around, waiting for the cable guy to show up this afternoon.  My nephew had surgery yesterday on his spine (all went well, no worries) but it's his birthday tomorrow (I think) so I'm picking up a gift on my lunch today and running it to the hospital tomorrow.  I'm also dropping off a crib for a friend of mine tomorrow.  We are finally giving away our girls' crib.  I'm a little sad to see it go but there's really no reason to hold on to it at this point.  We're dog sitting this weekend and I'm pretty sure there was something else I was supposed to do.  I'm hanging out with BFF and another friend at BFF's house/pool on Saturday which will be a nice respite.  Sunday is Father's Day.  I'm not sure what we're doing yet but the gift is all ready to go and I think he'll love it.  I'll post what it is after since Hubby reads the blog.  Next weekend is my daughter's birthday and we haven't planned anything yet.  I'm pretty sure the circus is next weekend too but I can't remember.  My youngest daughter has her kindergarten assessment on the 20th.  My birthday is the 27th.  One of Hubby's friends has offered to have a little gathering at a bar for me for my birthday on the 30th which should be fun.  Then there's the 4th of July, the wedding on July 7th, and finally our trip to SC on July 18th.  My head is spinning with all there is to do the next few weeks and then work on top of everything else.  Definitely looking forward to my vacay in July, if only to have a minute to breathe.

So what else?  Oh right...it's time once again for "In The News with Panda..."  This edition features a ridiculous study about how babies born via cesarean section more likely to be obese.  Article is here.  I'm not going into too much detail about this one because I just think it's so absurd to make sweeping statements like this conclusion.  A couple things not taken into consideration:

1. Since more and more babies are born via c-section, doesn't it make sense that more of them will be obese, just looking at the growing obesity problem and doing the math?
2. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to have an induced labor which leads to more c-sections, could it be the GD that leads to childhood obesity as opposed to method of delivery.
3. Is it just me or do these microbes mentioned in the study sound made up?  Seriously???
4. As if to defend it, they compare it to studies that have found babies born via c-section are more likely to have asthma too.  What the what?  Seems to me, maybe they need to be taking a look at WHY women are having c-sections to begin with.  What other factors are going into these kids rather than, in my opinion, arbitrary delivery methods.  Ugh.  

Things like this just really bug me.  I know women who have suffered actual depression because they didn't get to deliver "naturally" and felt they had somehow failed.   Do we really need to add to why women may feel this way?  I understand wanting to discourage unnecessary c-sections but people should be discouraged from doing that anyway, in my opinion.

OK...finished with my rant about that.  Needless to say, I'm feeling a bit... off... today.  I'm not "down" or "sad" or anything like that.  I'm actually pretty happy that I'm maintaining.  I'm not limiting myself to anything and not working out enough so to not be gaining is awesome.  I'm just feeling really busy.

So...a Hump Day Happy Thought, yes?

And for anyone who didn't get the reference, this is a Zach Morris phone.

Weekend With Bandster Lunch

The weekend was good, albeit much too short.  I got my water fun in Friday afternoon.  I tread water for a good 20 minutes and then did water sprints in the shallow end with the girls on my back to create more resistance.  I think it was a pretty good workout.

Hubby left for Vegas early Saturday morning so it was just me and the girls.  I spent the morning cleaning the living room and the girls' room.  Then I dropped the girls off at my mom's and set out to Pita Jungle to meet to fabulous AZ bandsters, Jenn and Jen.  Here we are...

Beautiful blondes...Which one of these isn't like the others? Which one of these isn't quite the same?

I admit.  I was pretty nervous.  I generally don't do that great meeting new people but this was totally different.  It's like you already know these people so well by their blogs that it doesn't feel like meeting them for the first time.  I talked too much (When I'm excited, I either get real quiet or REAL chatty...need to find balance...lol) but I had a great time.  Both ladies are just so fantastic and fun and it was a good mix of seasoned bandster meets newer bandster for conversation.  Anyway, I highly recommend that if you find some bloggers near you, meet up sometime.  Totally good experience!  It also made me want to go Chicago even more so I can meet more bandster bloggers in real life but alas the budget still does not permit.

So after a lovely lunch with lovely ladies, I went back to my mom's, went for a swim, had dinner with her, fed the cat I'm pet sitting and headed home.  I watched some Harry Potter and then went to bed.  I didn't sleep particularly well as I always get nervous when Hubby's not there at night.  Then Sunday, my awesome daughters let me sleep in until 8 which was so sweet (and I'm sure very difficult) of them.  We cleaned the kitchen and did 8 million loads of laundry.  We had lunch, went for a swim (you'll see this common theme of being in the water during the summer here in AZ as it's hot as balls outside).  Hubby made it back while we were there and he joined us in the pool.  We had dinner, fed the cat, watched a little "Mystery Diners" that featured a local place by my work and caught "Couples Retreat" which was better than I thought it was.  Off to bed as Hubby was exhausted and I had to be up early for work.  Didn't sleep well again...not sure why.

So now I'm pretty tired this morning but it was a nice weekend...just sad it's over already.  At some point this week, I need to get my daughter her skateboard for her birthday (yes...very scary) and some comic books for my nephew.  He's having surgery this week and he'll be in the hospital over his birthday so trying to find things for him to do that aren't video game related.  I'm also committing to working out every workday again this week.  I made it 4 days last week (perfect since I started on a Tuesday) so I'm aiming for 5 this week.  Hope y'all are having a good Monday!

How about a little DEMotivation?

Almost Slipped

Special thanks to Jennxaz for texting me yesterday afternoon. Just knowing that she'd be checking in kept me motivated to get my work out in.  And get it in I did.  I did the 30 Day Shred again.  I gotta tell ya...it's a pretty tough workout for somebody who hasn't really worked out in so long.  It wasn't quite as intense as the day before as I was already sore and once I got into it, my muscles were SCREAMING at me to stop but I didn't. I pushed on, did it and felt really good about it.  That's 3 days in a row this lady's worked out and it feels good.  I'm thinking some water aerobics with the kiddos after work today...maybe some treading water and throwing the kids around.  I like the sound of that.

My after workout "glow" (it's so wrong that I think my hair looks better after sweating on it than first thing in the morning)

So I almost slipped yesterday.  I went to my favorite little gyro place for lunch.  I usually get the combo when it's on sale...a gyro with some hummus and a drink.  They don't have any regular iced tea so I usually treat myself to a raspberry iced tea from the fountain.  It's sweetened but no carbonation.  Well, that one was out of order so only soda left.  I filled my cup with Coke and stared at it.  "It's just one cup," I said to myself.  I didn't take a sip.  I figured I'd let the fizzle get knocked out of it on my way back to work.  I get back to my desk and took 2 sips and it was like the sweet heavenly nectar of the Gods!!!  And then an alarm went off in my head.  "Amanda Marie Johnson!!  What exactly do you think you're doing?  It's like giving 'just a little' smack to a crackhead and expecting it to be fine.  Is this cup of sugar (and let's face it...not much else) really worth the possible 3 days of pain you're going to be feeling for that carbonation?!?! I don't think it is."  So I threw the cup away...full.  I drank my water with my lunch and it was just fine.  Crisis averted.

The week is almost over and a crazy workweek it's been.  Next week's going to be even worse as Boss Lady is on vacation and I'm her back up.  Both of my partners are out today.  One gets back Monday but she's been out all week so she's got some catching up to do.  For some reason, Boss Lady's boss has been paying me some compliments lately so that's probably a good thing.  I'm also on call for System Assurance next week.  That's 24/7 that I've got to have a cell phone on me and handle any issues that come up.  I've never done this before...it's a fairly new process for our group so I'm a little anxious about it.  My luck has been historically bad when my boss is out of the office and my having to handle crises as they come up.  I handle them fine but things always seem to blow up.  I don't know why but just adding in this 30 minutes of exercise after work has totally screwed up my housekeeping schedule.  Must find way to keep house clean and work out at same time.  That will be my goal for next week.  I'm doing a big clean this weekend and then hopefully will figure out how to maintain it without being exhausted next week.

This weekend will be fun.  Hubby's going to Vegas...quick turn and burn...he leaves tomorrow morning and gets back Sunday night.  I think I'll take the girls to the splash park again...they really liked that.  We'll probably do some swimming my parents' house.  And of course I have my bandster lunch tomorrow!  A little nervous meeting people in person...the whole awkward in social situations thing but I think it'll be a lot of fun.  I'm also catsitting which is just an odd thing since I don't really care for cats that much (I'm allergic and am just more of a dog person in general).  The hardest part about this is to remember to actually go feed the darn thing.  I'm trying to remember now how I got myself into this.

I picked up my Disney tickets yesterday.  So excited to actually be able to use them this year!  We're thinking October or near Christmas.  We shall see.

So there you have it.  The exciting life and times of MandaPanda in Candyland.  And without further ado, our Friday Funny:

Ten Thing Thursday 6-6-12

1.  Jillian Michaels is the devil.  OK..Maybe not the ACTUAL devil.  But I'm pretty sure she's trying to kill me.  Day 2 of the "Work out after work" plan was a success.  I went home and did the 30 Day Shred, Level 2.  That's right...I said Level 2.  It hurt and I'm super sore today.  I can actually FEEL my abs...like there are actual muscles to be sore there.  Go figure.  

2.  I have entered a motivational agreement with Jennxaz.  I'm texting her every afternoon to tell her to get her butt to the gym.  In doing so, it guilts me into working out as not to be a hypocrite.  So far, so good.

3.  Today is a challenge..more of a mental one than anything else.  I'm working a half hour late today and then going to a friend's house to get the 411 on taking care of her cat for the weekend and pick up the key.  I'm guessing it's going to be 3:30 or so by the time I get home.  So I'm faced with the scheduling crunch.  I won't finish working out until 4, meaning I'm not picking my girls up until quarter after...gotta make dinner, clean up, etc.  But I'm not letting a busy day interfere with my plan.  So my girls will stay at daycare a little longer today.  It's not going to kill them.

4.  I bought my airline tickets to SC today.  My mom is coming with me to help with flying with the girls and, of course, visit her long distance grandkids.  We'll be gone July 18-25.

5.  I'm sure we'll have a good time (I grew up in SC so probably won't be doing much of the touristy stuff - I'm guessing more beach and boat) but I'm a little nervous about flying with the girls.  It's a long flight and then we have a 2 hour drive once we reach the state.  Getting there and coming back is NOT going to be fun.

6.  Interesting stuff happening at work.  Lots of movement, org changes, rumors.  It makes me a little nervous.

7.  My house is a wreck...seriously...deep cleaning required.  I'd like to say it's getting done this weekend but with Hubby out of town, it's probably not going to happen.  We'll see.

8.  So new insurance plan at work this year = a stack of bills sitting in my desk.  I'm afraid to open them.  I really dislike getting billed later for the medical services.  Every single trip to the pediatrician, minute clinic, lapband doc...everything gets billed later and by the time I get it, I've forgotten what it's for.  I'm not organized enough for this.

9.  Next Monday I'm opening all of them and getting them paid (or on a payment plan, depending on the amount).  It's time to bite the bullet but I can't bring myself to do it this week.

10.  Stephanie posted this article on her blog about Chris the "650 lb virgin" who regained 300 lbs after losing 400.  Sobering reminder of how hard this battle is, even with seemingly endless resources.  This guy had a free personal trainer, supportive girlfriend, and free plastic surgery to take care of the skin.  It's still a struggle.  I hope he's able to lose it again.

Are We That Evolved?

Interesting study done with Capuchin monkeys.  Full article is here.  But basically, they gave monkeys tokens representing monetary value and wanted to see what would happen.  The monkeys could trade the tokens for grapes.  What they found is that yes, monkeys figured that out pretty quickly (as would be expected) but what may have been unexpected for some, the monkeys exhibited very human like behavior when it came to trying to STEAL the tokens in one case and in another, trading a token for sex with another monkey wherein that monkey immediately traded the token for a grap.  Hmmm...sounds like what a lot of men would do in my opinion.  I also found this little tidbit interesting...

‘The capuchin has a small brain, and it’s pretty much focused on food and sex,” said Keith Chen, a Yale economist who along with Laurie Santos, a psychologist, are the two researchers who have had made the study. ”You should really think of a capuchin as a bottomless stomach of want,” Chen says. ”You can feed them marshmallows all day, they’ll throw up and then come back for more.”

They may have a smaller brain than humans but I gotta tell ya...I love me some marshmallows.  :)

So what else is going on in Panda's world other than reading about (and listening to Hubby talk about) capuchin monkeys?  Not a whole heck of a lot.

I worked out yesterday.  Yes, ladies and gents...I WORKED OUT.  I created my own little version of circuit training in my house.  Didn't really have a plan.  Just brought out the kettle bells, hand weights and pull up bar and incorporated some cardio in between all of it.  My cardio was running up and down the stairs and doing jumping jacks.  Gotta tell ya, it was pretty intense and my arms are a bit sore this morning.  The good kind of sore.  Also, I realized how out of shape I am already.  I could barely lift the medium kettle bell and that used to be my bell of choice.  I'm thinking the 30 Day Shred today.  We shall see.

I won tickets to Disney Land!!  My work raffled of some and I actually won 2 free tickets.  Now...I had mentioned in a previous post how we were thinking of doing a trip to Disney this summer or fall.  Well, we had pretty much decided not to.  I'm planning a trip to visit my sister in SC in July, we're going to Vegas for the Warrior Dash in October and we just got informed of Hubby's brother getting married in November in Atlanta.  That's a lot of money for trips for two people who never go anywhere.  But with these free tickets, we may just have to make it work.  I'm VERY excited!

Trying to get through the week here.  Hubby is going to Vegas this weekend for a bachelor party.  I'm so glad he decided to go as he's definitely due for some time away.  It's only overnight so it's not much time away but at least it's something.  I'm cat sitting for a friend this weekend (just going in and feeding it...she says to be surprised if I even SEE the cat).  I'm also meeting up with some AZ Bandsters on Saturday!!!  This is the first time I will meet people from Blogland.  I am so excited!!!!!!!!! (Is that enough exclamation points?  Are you really FEELING the excitement?)

So that's what's happening in Candyland this week.  And now for a Hump Day Happy Thought to get us through til Friday....

Today is the Day

I forgot to weigh in again today.  A fluke or something else?  A subconscious on-purpose accident?  I'm not sure.  I feel that I haven't gained but I also know I haven't lost.  I could expound upon why but we all know why.  Too many "treats", no exercise, no food planning.  Getting caught up in the day to day that led me to this place to begin with.

So new plan?  Yes and no.  It's the old plan...the same plan.  The eat healthy and exercise plan.  It really is so simple, isn't it?  We all have the same plan so why is it so difficult to stick to it?  Part of it is planning.  I gotta tell you...meal planning, cooking, tracking, etc.  It's all a lot of effort.  I don't mean to sound lazy here but seriously...the idea of it all is exhausting to me.  Exercise is a whole other thing.  I love the IDEA of exercise but actual execution eludes me.  Well, at least on the exercise front...that stops today.

Somehow, I had no issues putting myself first the first year I was banded.  I had no problem going to the gym almost every day and "training" for my walks and my 5k and any challenges.  For some reason, I haven't had this.  I have a major event (for me...easy for other people) coming up in October and have not trained AT ALL.  It's not that I don't think I need to.  I most certainly do.  My performance in my last 5k's have proven it.  So what has changed?  Why am I not putting my fitness first anymore?  I'm not sure how the priorities got shifted...it's not like I'm not a good mom when I'm working out or that my kids can't go an hour without me.  They probably actually prefer it.  So what's the deal?  I'm not sure.  I'm grappling with it and hope to figure it out soon.

This summer, I have been blessed with being able to have both my girls in a summer program.  What does this mean?  It means...I have NO excuse not to exercise after work.  None.  So starting today...that is what I'm going to do.  Leave work, go home, work out, and then pick up my girls.  At least 30 minutes Every single work day.  That is the goal.  Obviously, yesterday wasn't really a part of this as I didn't have the plan in my head then.  So I could put it off until next week, saying that it's always best to start a plan on a Monday and that way I'd get a FULL workweek my first week but let's face it.  That's just procrastinating.  An old way of thinking that never gets me anywhere.  So today it is.  I'm committing to it.  Putting it out here for accountability so I expect tons of comments first thing tomorrow morning asking if I did it.  And my answer will be yes.  My answer will be "I went home and did 30 minutes of exercise."  No reason I can't.  No more excuses.

Dear Avenue...

Dear Avenue,
I am sorry I couldn't continue to support your goal of providing fashions to the overweight.  I realize that I always contributed a good portion of my annual income to keeping large florals en vogue and overpriced tents in stock.  However, you no longer carry what I need so I had to say goodbye.  I'm hoping this is an indication that many others have had to say goodbye as well.  I'll be honest.  I'm not going to miss you.

So the weekend was pretty good!

Friday night, we went to happy hour to welcome one of Ron's friends back to town.  Drank too much but didn't eat a whole lot.  It was nice to get out.

Saturday, my youngest had a birthday party so it was up to me to entertain my oldest.  We went to the mall, found a dress for a wedding, bought some sparkly stuff for my daughter, treated us to some chocolate from Popcornapolis and she got her first mani/pedi.  She loved it and we had a good time.

This is the dress I got.  Don't mind little hanger loops...and the fact that I'm not wearing a bra or spanx...I think  it'll come together nicely with all the proper support.  ;)

Then we met back up with the rest of the family, had lunch and went for a swim.  Sunday, we hit up a Splash Park with the girls and did some swimming in the afternoon.

Maddie's feeling a bit poorly this morning but hoping it's just a summer cold and doesn't linger.

So a Monday DEMotivator: