I did it, I completed all 30 days. I might try to find batteries for the scale in the morning to see if I've lost any weight. But I must admit I don't feel like much changed this past month. It's hard to tell with the recent time change and cloudy weather. I have more interest in exercising, but that's because at least the weather has been warmer. So I don't know how I feel about this whole experience. I am looking forward to making some fun things for St Patrick's Day and having something different for breakfast the next few days. We'll see how I feel going back to some of the things I was eating before.
Breakfast - Eggs with salsa, spinach, clementines
Lunch - Leftover chicken soup
Dinner - English roast, cauliflower
By eating healthy foods, including eliminating wheat and most grains, enjoying time outside without gadgets, and teaching our children about the world, we hope to raise our children to enjoy life and be free of physical maladies. Follow us on our journey towards general health and a sense of well being.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Monday, March 14, 2016
Whole 30 Days 27-29
I've made it 4 weeks and 1 day! Officially in the home stretch, with 1 day remaining. I am starting to think that I might be losing weight, just little bits all over instead of all off my stomach like I would prefer. Saturday was a busy day. After making omelets for all of us in the morning, I supervised the kids cleaning their rooms. This proved to be incredibly challenging for James. When they finally finished we headed over to the library to return a couple books and grab others I had an hold. I talked to one of the librarians for a bit and she told me she had recommended me to reorganize the library at the school. She couldn't remember my name or my kids' names at the time though, so I'm "safe" unless I want to out myself to the assistant principal. From there we headed over to Carolyn's soccer, which ended up being fairly disappointing. Then I took the kids to Jon's track meet and we watched the final race. We can home for a late lunch, which proved to be too late for James. He fought us through the entire nap time. I laid down for a bit and ended up falling asleep, so Jon took the kids to church. We all had dinner together and then put the kids to bed. Jon and I watched Augie lose in the elite eight.
Yesterday was a pretty low key day. The kids played around the house, dancing to the Beatles (thank you kindergarten teacher), a little reading, and some random art projects. We had a family nap time and I fell asleep for a bit. I haven't been sleeping the greatest at night, so I've been really tired. The time change certainly isn't helping with this. Carolyn had her second to last basketball game, we had dinner, and then put the kids to bed. I played soccer last night and got in a good workout playing center mid. I discovered I can score a goal on the kick-off. I guess my ankle must be pretty well healed. I hate playing at 9:15 though, I didn't fall asleep until close to midnight.
I've been exhausted all day today. I had to wake both kids up. I struggled through 4-5 hours of work, volunteered at the school, and then went for a run to try to wake myself up. The cloudy day didn't help wake me up any either. Hopefully we can get some sun soon, as I know that will help greatly. The run helped to wake me up mentally, but of course now my body is tired. James had his last day of acting class today. I got to in and watch a bit. It was fun, but I think he might be ready for something more. Depending on schedules next year we might look into them doing some sort of play. Although they kind of already do that at school, so maybe not. I got back and forth on kids' activities. There is a part of me that wants to just cancel everything and play more. I might not feel that way with giving up gymnastics though. No practice/game will now be longer than 1.5 hours. So the days we have practices won't be as long and we should have some time to play before heading out. We'll see how this Spring ends up playing out.
Saturday
Breakfast - Omelets - spinach, pepper; Fruit
Lunch - Leftover casserole
Dinner - Leftover casserole
Sunday
Breakfast - Fried eggs, clementines, spinach
Lunch - Beef jerky, fruit (ran out of leftovers)
Dinner - Over roasted pork chops (new recipe), sweet potatoes cooked in ghee, broccoli
Today
Breakfast - Fried eggs, spinach, fruit
Lunch - Beef jerky, pear (not real hungry)
Dinner - Chicken soup - broth, chicken breast (I should probably do thighs next time for a higher fat content), carrots, celery, zucchini, red/green peppers, onion, herbs/spices. This ended up turning out really well.
And now, I think I'm going to go take a bath and relax before heading to bed a bit early. It feels much later than it is.
Yesterday was a pretty low key day. The kids played around the house, dancing to the Beatles (thank you kindergarten teacher), a little reading, and some random art projects. We had a family nap time and I fell asleep for a bit. I haven't been sleeping the greatest at night, so I've been really tired. The time change certainly isn't helping with this. Carolyn had her second to last basketball game, we had dinner, and then put the kids to bed. I played soccer last night and got in a good workout playing center mid. I discovered I can score a goal on the kick-off. I guess my ankle must be pretty well healed. I hate playing at 9:15 though, I didn't fall asleep until close to midnight.
I've been exhausted all day today. I had to wake both kids up. I struggled through 4-5 hours of work, volunteered at the school, and then went for a run to try to wake myself up. The cloudy day didn't help wake me up any either. Hopefully we can get some sun soon, as I know that will help greatly. The run helped to wake me up mentally, but of course now my body is tired. James had his last day of acting class today. I got to in and watch a bit. It was fun, but I think he might be ready for something more. Depending on schedules next year we might look into them doing some sort of play. Although they kind of already do that at school, so maybe not. I got back and forth on kids' activities. There is a part of me that wants to just cancel everything and play more. I might not feel that way with giving up gymnastics though. No practice/game will now be longer than 1.5 hours. So the days we have practices won't be as long and we should have some time to play before heading out. We'll see how this Spring ends up playing out.
Saturday
Breakfast - Omelets - spinach, pepper; Fruit
Lunch - Leftover casserole
Dinner - Leftover casserole
Sunday
Breakfast - Fried eggs, clementines, spinach
Lunch - Beef jerky, fruit (ran out of leftovers)
Dinner - Over roasted pork chops (new recipe), sweet potatoes cooked in ghee, broccoli
Today
Breakfast - Fried eggs, spinach, fruit
Lunch - Beef jerky, pear (not real hungry)
Dinner - Chicken soup - broth, chicken breast (I should probably do thighs next time for a higher fat content), carrots, celery, zucchini, red/green peppers, onion, herbs/spices. This ended up turning out really well.
And now, I think I'm going to go take a bath and relax before heading to bed a bit early. It feels much later than it is.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Whole 30 Day 26
I am fully in the home stretch now. No more meals to plan even, as I will be done by the next grocery shopping day. At that point I'll probably need to make some of the family favorites that were eliminated during this time. Today was a pretty good day. I got in some work this morning, started a batch of beef jerky, through in the laundry, and went to MOPs. It was a fun meeting getting to listen how other moms are meeting this year's theme - celebrate lavishly, enjoy rest, and notice goodness. I think I've been doing a pretty good job with these lately as well. I have particularly made it a point to notice goodness in the last couple months. I find myself pointing out flowers when I'm on walks with my kids. And I am trying to just enjoy being with them.
This afternoon I had a quick lunch and then went for a walk. After my first lap I ran into a neighbor. She was taking her dog for a walk, so I went with her and we talked for a bit. It was pretty nice to talk to someone I haven't seen in a bit due to the construction this fall and then the cold winter. That's one of the nice things about Spring, it's brings everyone back outside again to see each other. We're having a neighborhood Easter egg hunt next week which should be fun as well. When the kids came home we played in the back yard for a bit. I restrung the rebounder and they kicked/threw balls at it. I sense it will get a lot of use this Spring/summer/fall, so long as we are sure to have some time at home. We finished up the night at James' soccer, where he always has fun. Next week is his last class though as we prepare to play AYSO and be outside again.
Breakfast - Eggs, spinach, orange
Lunch - Leftover casserole, banana
Dinner - Leftover chili, beer jerky, tea
Time to embrace some rest and go to bed. Hoping the rain stays away tomorrow so we can enjoy some time playing.
This afternoon I had a quick lunch and then went for a walk. After my first lap I ran into a neighbor. She was taking her dog for a walk, so I went with her and we talked for a bit. It was pretty nice to talk to someone I haven't seen in a bit due to the construction this fall and then the cold winter. That's one of the nice things about Spring, it's brings everyone back outside again to see each other. We're having a neighborhood Easter egg hunt next week which should be fun as well. When the kids came home we played in the back yard for a bit. I restrung the rebounder and they kicked/threw balls at it. I sense it will get a lot of use this Spring/summer/fall, so long as we are sure to have some time at home. We finished up the night at James' soccer, where he always has fun. Next week is his last class though as we prepare to play AYSO and be outside again.
Breakfast - Eggs, spinach, orange
Lunch - Leftover casserole, banana
Dinner - Leftover chili, beer jerky, tea
Time to embrace some rest and go to bed. Hoping the rain stays away tomorrow so we can enjoy some time playing.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Whole 30 Days 23-25
I am hanging tough. This has been one busy week! Tuesday night was Carolyn's first reconciliation. It was an awesome service and the kids did so well. My favorite part was the song they all sang together twice. I could listen to little kids sings all day long I think. The asst principal commented on Carolyn's leadership during the service as well, saying she was the first to start singing and the first to step into the aisle when they all needed to go up together. It is so awesome to see the adults at her school recognizing her talents and abilities. Both kids have crashed quickly the past 2 nights to make up for being up late on Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon the weather was beautiful so I got to play ball with James in the yard while dinner cooked. It's interesting to hear the things that wander through his head while playing catch. He even started to learn some multiplication since he was asking about it.
Yesterday I went for another run and my ankle felt pretty good. I skipped the brace since jogging is just a straight movement and I found my ankle felt better as I went. I completed nearly 2 laps, jogging for 1 minute, walking for 1 minute for 10 minutes and then jogging for 1:15, walking for 0:45 for the next 10 minutes. I felt pretty good afterwards, although I did ice when I got home. Last night I had a MOPs steering meeting and beforehand I was lamenting how I was on day 24 and didn't feel like I saw any change in my body. A couple people then said that they could see a change in my face. So perhaps if I bother to put batteries in the scale when I reach day 30 I will notice a change in weight. It was wonderful on Wednesday so I sent the kids outside to play ball while I finished dinner. Before that they both helped chop vegetables for dinner. It's so wonderful to see them helping more around the house.
Today was another good day. I worked most of the morning, took a nice bath with the epsom salts, worked some more, and then went for a 2 lap walk. It's nice to listen to KLOVE radio while I walk, streaming through my phone. Tonight I played soccer and while my ankle is definitely sore now, I was able to play pretty much uninhibited. I definitely need to keep running to get back in shape, but I think I'm pretty well beyond the injury stage, YAY! I am definitely ready for a weekend with not much to do though.
Tuesday
Breakfast - Eggs fried in coconut oil, zucchini, fruit
Lunch - Leftover stir fry
Dinner - Lemon chicken, sweet potato "fries", cauliflower
Wednesday
Breakfast - Eggs, fruit
Lunch - Leftover chili
Dinner - Tex Mex Casserole (new recipe that was okay, but not a huge favorite, likely not worth the effort again)
Thursday
Breakfast - Eggs, fruit
Lunch - Leftover casserole
Snack - Banana, cashews
Dinner - Chicken spaghetti w/ zucchini noodles for me
Looking forward to a low key day. Since I played soccer tonight I'm thinking I will not run tomorrow and instead walk and do some kettle bells. I did some on Wednesday and got tired pretty fast. Now time to crash and let my muscles recover.
Yesterday I went for another run and my ankle felt pretty good. I skipped the brace since jogging is just a straight movement and I found my ankle felt better as I went. I completed nearly 2 laps, jogging for 1 minute, walking for 1 minute for 10 minutes and then jogging for 1:15, walking for 0:45 for the next 10 minutes. I felt pretty good afterwards, although I did ice when I got home. Last night I had a MOPs steering meeting and beforehand I was lamenting how I was on day 24 and didn't feel like I saw any change in my body. A couple people then said that they could see a change in my face. So perhaps if I bother to put batteries in the scale when I reach day 30 I will notice a change in weight. It was wonderful on Wednesday so I sent the kids outside to play ball while I finished dinner. Before that they both helped chop vegetables for dinner. It's so wonderful to see them helping more around the house.
Today was another good day. I worked most of the morning, took a nice bath with the epsom salts, worked some more, and then went for a 2 lap walk. It's nice to listen to KLOVE radio while I walk, streaming through my phone. Tonight I played soccer and while my ankle is definitely sore now, I was able to play pretty much uninhibited. I definitely need to keep running to get back in shape, but I think I'm pretty well beyond the injury stage, YAY! I am definitely ready for a weekend with not much to do though.
Tuesday
Breakfast - Eggs fried in coconut oil, zucchini, fruit
Lunch - Leftover stir fry
Dinner - Lemon chicken, sweet potato "fries", cauliflower
Wednesday
Breakfast - Eggs, fruit
Lunch - Leftover chili
Dinner - Tex Mex Casserole (new recipe that was okay, but not a huge favorite, likely not worth the effort again)
Thursday
Breakfast - Eggs, fruit
Lunch - Leftover casserole
Snack - Banana, cashews
Dinner - Chicken spaghetti w/ zucchini noodles for me
Looking forward to a low key day. Since I played soccer tonight I'm thinking I will not run tomorrow and instead walk and do some kettle bells. I did some on Wednesday and got tired pretty fast. Now time to crash and let my muscles recover.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Whole 30 Days 21 and 22
I'm into the final stretch! Over 2/3 of the way done and 3 weeks complete. 8 days remaining at this point. I continue to be pretty disappointed by any effects to my body. I'm waiting for the amazing effects everyone always talks about. So I played soccer last night. Now the funny part is that I didn't realize the ankle brace I had ordered was delivered yesterday afternoon. I thought the box was just the epsom salts, but discovered today when I went to delete the email about it being shipped that more than 1 item was in the box. So I could have worn the brace last night, and probably played much better. I quit about 5 minutes into the second half. My ankle was just too stiff to make much of an impact. Although I did score a goal, so I guess that was good.
Today I tried to push my ankle a bit more and went for a run. This resulted in some definite soreness throughout the rest of the day. I kept it wrapped with an ace bandage, which mitigated a majority of the pain. I think taking a bath with the epsom salts right after running helped with any swelling that might have come. My ankle is definitely still quite loose and I feel a lot of clicking and popping as I moved around. Hopefully as I get back to exercising this will minimize and I'll have my regular ankle back - this is just too loose.
The number one disappoint through all of this has been my lack of energy. Tonight I am fighting to keep my eyes open as I type this - and it's 8:30! So while I could continue to write a bit more about how our days were, I am going to go clean up the kitchen and then head to bed.
Day 21
Breakfast - Eggs fried in coconut oil, orange
Lunch - leftover chicken soup
Dinner - Shrimp stir fry (cooked in ghee with zucchini, broccoli, carrots, onion, garlic, and 3 different peppers
Day 22
Breakfast - Eggs friend in coconut oil, zucchini, orange
Lunch - Leftover stir fry
Dinner - Chili (ground beef, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili powder, ground turmeric)
Looking forward to letting my head hit the pillow!
Today I tried to push my ankle a bit more and went for a run. This resulted in some definite soreness throughout the rest of the day. I kept it wrapped with an ace bandage, which mitigated a majority of the pain. I think taking a bath with the epsom salts right after running helped with any swelling that might have come. My ankle is definitely still quite loose and I feel a lot of clicking and popping as I moved around. Hopefully as I get back to exercising this will minimize and I'll have my regular ankle back - this is just too loose.
The number one disappoint through all of this has been my lack of energy. Tonight I am fighting to keep my eyes open as I type this - and it's 8:30! So while I could continue to write a bit more about how our days were, I am going to go clean up the kitchen and then head to bed.
Day 21
Breakfast - Eggs fried in coconut oil, orange
Lunch - leftover chicken soup
Dinner - Shrimp stir fry (cooked in ghee with zucchini, broccoli, carrots, onion, garlic, and 3 different peppers
Day 22
Breakfast - Eggs friend in coconut oil, zucchini, orange
Lunch - Leftover stir fry
Dinner - Chili (ground beef, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili powder, ground turmeric)
Looking forward to letting my head hit the pillow!
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Whole 30 Day 20
I am so close to completing 3 weeks. And yet, I honestly still don't see any changes to my body. My ankle has been feeling significantly better today, which is awesome. It likely helps that I wore gym shoes instead of my winter crocs for the majority of the day. I did a lot of walking, too. At rest time my hamstring was really bothering me. But as the day has progressed it hasn't been as bad. Fingers crossed, I'm thinking I might even be able to play tomorrow.
We started off today making toy wagons at Home Depot. If you have a store near you, check it out to see if they have the free kids workshops. The kids get to learn to use a hammer and then decorate what they made. We had not gone for about a year and both kids were excited to see that they could nearly do the entire project themselves (I just lined things up and they did the hammering.)
I had my first dress shopping experience with Carolyn today. I was amazed that even though 7yo girls don't really have "body types," some of the dresses just looked silly on her. She liked a couple of the dresses, but then put on the one she chose and her whole face lit up and she declared "I love this one." We got to the check out to discover a stain on the front of the dress, but luckily there was another one that was just fine. Taking her shopping made me think back to all the times I went shopping with my mom for special dresses. I know it will get harder from here, but this was a lot of fun. I have a very excited little girl now. She even announced the purchase to the priest tonight while jumping up and down. We will work on the veil for her over the next couple months.
After a busy day today, I am looking forward to relaxing tomorrow. All we have is a basketball game for Carolyn. I'm looking forward to seeing how the kids play with each other.
Breakfast - Eggs fried in coconut oil with salsa, beef jerky, strawberries, blueberries
Lunch - Banana, cashews, grapes
Dinner - Leftover chicken soup
We started off today making toy wagons at Home Depot. If you have a store near you, check it out to see if they have the free kids workshops. The kids get to learn to use a hammer and then decorate what they made. We had not gone for about a year and both kids were excited to see that they could nearly do the entire project themselves (I just lined things up and they did the hammering.)
I had my first dress shopping experience with Carolyn today. I was amazed that even though 7yo girls don't really have "body types," some of the dresses just looked silly on her. She liked a couple of the dresses, but then put on the one she chose and her whole face lit up and she declared "I love this one." We got to the check out to discover a stain on the front of the dress, but luckily there was another one that was just fine. Taking her shopping made me think back to all the times I went shopping with my mom for special dresses. I know it will get harder from here, but this was a lot of fun. I have a very excited little girl now. She even announced the purchase to the priest tonight while jumping up and down. We will work on the veil for her over the next couple months.
After a busy day today, I am looking forward to relaxing tomorrow. All we have is a basketball game for Carolyn. I'm looking forward to seeing how the kids play with each other.
Breakfast - Eggs fried in coconut oil with salsa, beef jerky, strawberries, blueberries
Lunch - Banana, cashews, grapes
Dinner - Leftover chicken soup
Friday, March 4, 2016
Whole 30 Day 19
And another day is in the books. Today was filled with a lot of work, MOPs Bible study, and some time with the kids. I was very thrown off this morning when the bus appeared. Today there was not supposed to be bus service, so we were having a more leisurely breakfast and I was slower at getting lunches together. James was still in his PJs when the bus pulled up. I've never seen him get dressed so quickly! But I git in work, threw in the laundry, and then headed to bible study. I ended up not really eating lunch today as I was being lazy and not all that hungry. The good news is that my ankle seems to be doing much better today. I think part of my problem is likely some electrolyte/mineral imbalances. So I added a banana in today, at more cashews, and ordered the epsom salts that I've used previously. My left calf has been cramping a fair amount overnight, so I need to work on getting that to relax. I've been massaging my right calf throughout the day and it feels really tight too. I should probably try to remember to add more salt to food too, since I know when I eat healthy the only way I get salt is by adding it myself.
I am ready for the weekend. Not too much going on, which will be nice. Carolyn has 1 soccer game and 1 basketball game. We also might go make toy wagons at Home Depot. But we'll see how everyone is doing in the morning and what the weather looks like.
Breakfast - Omelet with green pepper, strawberry, blueberry
Lunch - Banana, beef jerky, grapes
Dinner - Zucchini noodles and leftover meatball stew
Getting close to the final week, only 11 days left!
I am ready for the weekend. Not too much going on, which will be nice. Carolyn has 1 soccer game and 1 basketball game. We also might go make toy wagons at Home Depot. But we'll see how everyone is doing in the morning and what the weather looks like.
Breakfast - Omelet with green pepper, strawberry, blueberry
Lunch - Banana, beef jerky, grapes
Dinner - Zucchini noodles and leftover meatball stew
Getting close to the final week, only 11 days left!
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Whole 30 Day 18
Another successful day! I finished the majority of my work in the morning so after helping the 3rd graders I headed to the library. I got the kids a new load of books and myself some too. I stopped at the bank to order a new debit card since my replacement never arrived back in October. And then I made it to Athletico. The trainer did a bunch of different things to my ankle. She used a vibrating tuning fork to check for a fracture. That was interesting, but I think I get how it would work. Part of what's strange about this injury is only one motion really hurts. I can turn my ankle in and out, I can pull my toes up. But I can not push with much force. We even pinpointed that pushing with my big toe causes the most pain. I've had a lot of sprained ankles in my life, but never pain in this manner. She did say it makes sense that the air cast doesn't help much since the pain is forward/backward sensitive. The ultimate decision is that this is muscle based. So the solution was some kinesthiology tape for a little support, using the ace bandage as needed, and starting strengthening exercises. I will start those tomorrow as tonight I'm in a bit of pain. I think my gait has changed and as such muscles in my entire right leg are aching. Carrying all of the library books probably didn't help either. It's looking like I probably won't be able to play soccer this weekend either. Hopefully I'll start to see improvement now since I have an idea of what I'm dealing with.
I received the results for James' Northwestern testing today. With everything else going on I had forgotten I was expecting them! When the email came in I was surprised. And then I opened the attachment and I was even more surprised. James scored in the 99.8 percentile for both math and reading on the KTEA! No wonder he reports being a bit bored during math and reading lessons at school. I kind of already knew this, but it's nice to have it verified. He has been so excited this week to work on math homework that is challenging for him. He finished a page of 3-digit addition and subtraction (no regrouping/borrowing) in about 15 minutes. The smile he had on his face afterwards was awesome. And he was so determined to get it done. His KBIT score is pretty awesome too. It's going to be fun to see where these 2 kids end up, knowing they both have a very good start.
I am officially ready for the weekend!
Breakfast - Eggs fried in coconut oil, beef jerky, strawberry, blueberry
Lunch - Leftover offal meatloaf, sweet potato fries, brocolli
Snack - grapes
Dinner - Chicken Tortilla-less soup
I received the results for James' Northwestern testing today. With everything else going on I had forgotten I was expecting them! When the email came in I was surprised. And then I opened the attachment and I was even more surprised. James scored in the 99.8 percentile for both math and reading on the KTEA! No wonder he reports being a bit bored during math and reading lessons at school. I kind of already knew this, but it's nice to have it verified. He has been so excited this week to work on math homework that is challenging for him. He finished a page of 3-digit addition and subtraction (no regrouping/borrowing) in about 15 minutes. The smile he had on his face afterwards was awesome. And he was so determined to get it done. His KBIT score is pretty awesome too. It's going to be fun to see where these 2 kids end up, knowing they both have a very good start.
I am officially ready for the weekend!
Breakfast - Eggs fried in coconut oil, beef jerky, strawberry, blueberry
Lunch - Leftover offal meatloaf, sweet potato fries, brocolli
Snack - grapes
Dinner - Chicken Tortilla-less soup
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Whole 30 Day 17
I have had another successful day. It is very tempting to grab a little bit of sugar from the kids' Valentines stash at this point. When I needed something of a different taste I grabbed a prune today. I have to say that the longer I go in this the more disappointed I'm becoming. I don't feel a change in energy and my clothes aren't fitting any looser. With 13 days left I am wondering if there are any changes that are even happening. But I will stick with is in case something is just not visible yet. It doesn't help that my ankle is still not better and it has turned super cold again. I made an appointment for an injury screening at Athletico tomorrow to see if things are worse than I originally thought. I continue to have pain at the front of my ankle and could barely walk last night. Today I have used a combination of the ace bandage and air cast to get me through the day. If I walk with my ankle nearly locked I don't experience pain. But this is very difficult to do for any amount of time and the muscles quickly tire. So we will see what a professional has to say.
Not much exciting went on today. I didn't have a ton of work, so I nearly finished it before going grocery shopping. I finished up this afternoon as I was given a new mentor on my team. I found some time to make sweet potato chips. They didn't some out as crispy as I had hoped. So I think I will try baking them in the oven next (I had used the dehydrator.) I am considering trying to make some dried fruits, maybe some bananas or something. These could be really good to pack for our plane trip this summer and/or even for the kids to take in their lunches for school.
Breakfast: Eggs fried in coconut oil, beef jerky, orange
Lunch: Leftover offal meatloaf, cauliflower, sweet potato fries
Dinner: Meatball stew new recipe from Frugal Paleo Cookbook over zucchini noodles (kids had corn based pasta). This meal took a lot longer to prepare than I thought it would, but everyone loved it and both kids have declared they want it for lunch tomorrow. So this will go into our rotation for days I have more time to prepare a meal.
Time to go put together a library list so Carolyn can have some new things to read!
Not much exciting went on today. I didn't have a ton of work, so I nearly finished it before going grocery shopping. I finished up this afternoon as I was given a new mentor on my team. I found some time to make sweet potato chips. They didn't some out as crispy as I had hoped. So I think I will try baking them in the oven next (I had used the dehydrator.) I am considering trying to make some dried fruits, maybe some bananas or something. These could be really good to pack for our plane trip this summer and/or even for the kids to take in their lunches for school.
Breakfast: Eggs fried in coconut oil, beef jerky, orange
Lunch: Leftover offal meatloaf, cauliflower, sweet potato fries
Dinner: Meatball stew new recipe from Frugal Paleo Cookbook over zucchini noodles (kids had corn based pasta). This meal took a lot longer to prepare than I thought it would, but everyone loved it and both kids have declared they want it for lunch tomorrow. So this will go into our rotation for days I have more time to prepare a meal.
Time to go put together a library list so Carolyn can have some new things to read!
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Whole 30 Day 16
I've made it through another day. The weather was pretty crazy today and we now have a dusting of snow on the ground. But not quite enough to actually play in still! Today ended up being pretty busy. This morning I payed the bills, got in some work, and started laundry. Then I headed over to the school. I had another wonderful meeting, this time with the principal and Carolyn's teacher. First the principal wanted to check in how things were going for James. This was great for him to even ask, since the meeting was about Carolyn. I let him know things seem to be improving. Once Carolyn's teacher joined us we went over the plan for the rest of the year. With each unit, Carolyn will complete the pretest and if she already knows the material she will go the third grade classroom for math that day. This will allow her to stretch what she knows and do more problem solving activities. The school is to planning to get new math materials this summer, which does put the whole system in a bit of an awkward spot. But the plan seems to be to have some pretests ready for Carolyn to take late summer to determine what the best system will be for her at that time. Carolyn is very excited about this opportunity, so we will see how it works.
I came home after helping in third grade, had lunch and worked the rest of the afternoon. After dropping Carolyn off at gymnastics, James and I had a nice afternoon together. We read some books and tried some of his new math packet that came home today. He finished over 4 pages, one of which was double digit addition and subtraction (no regrouping)! He really amazes me sometimes. We did a little of mobymax tonight as well and he does a nice job using their strategies to see the different ways to learn the basic facts. It will be interesting to see where he is at by the end of this school year.
My ankle was doing fine for most of today, but suddenly started really hurting about 30 minutes ago. It's so strange as it's still the front of my ankle that hurts. I'm starting to worry that this is going to be an injury that takes a long time to heal and flares up at random. Hopefully tonight is just a fluke and with some rest tonight I will be better tomorrow.
Breakfast - eggs fried in coconut oil, beef jerky, orange
Lunch - hard boiled eggs, clementines
Snack - beef jerky
Dinner - New meatloaf recipe from the Frugal Paleo Cookbook (will not make again), baked sweet potato fries, cauliflower
The recipe I tried tonight had liver in it. I was hoping to be able to hide the taste with the ground beef and bacon, but even I didn't like it. I will eat the rest of it for lunch this week, but this will not be a new recipe in our rotation. Liver is supposed to be a super food, but it's not something that seems will fit into our family tastes. You live and you learn!
I came home after helping in third grade, had lunch and worked the rest of the afternoon. After dropping Carolyn off at gymnastics, James and I had a nice afternoon together. We read some books and tried some of his new math packet that came home today. He finished over 4 pages, one of which was double digit addition and subtraction (no regrouping)! He really amazes me sometimes. We did a little of mobymax tonight as well and he does a nice job using their strategies to see the different ways to learn the basic facts. It will be interesting to see where he is at by the end of this school year.
My ankle was doing fine for most of today, but suddenly started really hurting about 30 minutes ago. It's so strange as it's still the front of my ankle that hurts. I'm starting to worry that this is going to be an injury that takes a long time to heal and flares up at random. Hopefully tonight is just a fluke and with some rest tonight I will be better tomorrow.
Breakfast - eggs fried in coconut oil, beef jerky, orange
Lunch - hard boiled eggs, clementines
Snack - beef jerky
Dinner - New meatloaf recipe from the Frugal Paleo Cookbook (will not make again), baked sweet potato fries, cauliflower
The recipe I tried tonight had liver in it. I was hoping to be able to hide the taste with the ground beef and bacon, but even I didn't like it. I will eat the rest of it for lunch this week, but this will not be a new recipe in our rotation. Liver is supposed to be a super food, but it's not something that seems will fit into our family tastes. You live and you learn!
Monday, February 29, 2016
Whole 30 Day 15
And so we begin week 3! I spent part of last night preparing my first fully homemade beef jerky. And today it dried in the dehydrator for 4 hours. What's weird is that it doesn't have much taste. So next time I will increase the amount of spices. But everyone likes it and I like knowing exactly what is in the beef jerky. Because I made it myself at home, I also know that it is definitely Whole30 compliant and I don't mind the kids eating it since there is no sugar in it. I wonder how fast we will end up eating it. Should be an easy way to get a little more protein into the kids' breakfasts even when they won't eat eggs.
Today was a pretty low key day but my ankle was really hurting. I hobbled to the bathroom this morning and then put my air cast on when I got up to make breakfast. That didn't seem to be helping so I wrapped it in the ace bandage for the rest of the day. I'm starting to worry that the injury might be worse than I initially thought. If it's still bothering me by Friday I think I might try getting an injury screening at Athletico when James has his soccer. I finished all my work before heading to the school today, which was nice. Because my ankle was hurting I wasn't able to do anything very productive this afternoon. I did clear off the top of my dresser and then I watched 2 episodes of Fuller House. I really miss the old, wholesome shows that were on when I was kid. Everything these days is honestly just junk. I might let my kids watch a little more tv if things like Full House and the Cosby Show were still on. This probably makes me sound old, complaining about how things used to be, haha. The kids had a great afternoon with James at his acting class and Carolyn at softball. It will be interesting to see how she does in a real game this Spring. She almost caught a fly ball another girl batted tonight even. There are 4 more weeks left of this class.
Breakfast - eggs fried in coconut oil, blueberries, strawberries, green pepper
Lunch - Leftover Mahi, broccoli
Snack - beef jerky
Dinner - Slow cooker Italian beef (everyone really liked it, but next time it needs a side with it or more vegetables)
Tomorrow I meet with Carolyn's teacher to see how she did on her testing and figure out the plan going forward. It's so wonderful to have a responsive school.
Today was a pretty low key day but my ankle was really hurting. I hobbled to the bathroom this morning and then put my air cast on when I got up to make breakfast. That didn't seem to be helping so I wrapped it in the ace bandage for the rest of the day. I'm starting to worry that the injury might be worse than I initially thought. If it's still bothering me by Friday I think I might try getting an injury screening at Athletico when James has his soccer. I finished all my work before heading to the school today, which was nice. Because my ankle was hurting I wasn't able to do anything very productive this afternoon. I did clear off the top of my dresser and then I watched 2 episodes of Fuller House. I really miss the old, wholesome shows that were on when I was kid. Everything these days is honestly just junk. I might let my kids watch a little more tv if things like Full House and the Cosby Show were still on. This probably makes me sound old, complaining about how things used to be, haha. The kids had a great afternoon with James at his acting class and Carolyn at softball. It will be interesting to see how she does in a real game this Spring. She almost caught a fly ball another girl batted tonight even. There are 4 more weeks left of this class.
Breakfast - eggs fried in coconut oil, blueberries, strawberries, green pepper
Lunch - Leftover Mahi, broccoli
Snack - beef jerky
Dinner - Slow cooker Italian beef (everyone really liked it, but next time it needs a side with it or more vegetables)
Tomorrow I meet with Carolyn's teacher to see how she did on her testing and figure out the plan going forward. It's so wonderful to have a responsive school.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Whole 30 Days 12-14
This has been a long but fun weekend. I went to bed early Friday night to snuggle under the covers and read. Friday was a great day where I had time to do some cleaning around the house which let us enjoy the warm weather even more. The kids had a good afternoon playing with a balloon after their snack until we went to James' soccer.
Breakfast - Tea with lemon
Lunch - 3 eggs fried in coconut oil, leftover steak, orange
Dinner - leftover sauce with zucchini noodles
Snack - Banana
Saturday we spent the morning at the park. I was hopeful that my ankle was on the mend and was able to kick around with the kids for a little bit. But as the morning went on I felt some twinges and quickly realized it wasn't as good as I thought. Carolyn had an indoor soccer game and then we spent the afternoon at a winter carnival at the church where I attend MOPs. The kids had a blast and we think we'll head back there for their egg hunt in a few weeks. They'll actually hide the eggs so it should be more fun. We then went to church and out for dinner before I headed out from my MOPs MNO. I brought celery and guacamole there so I would have something to munch on. It was a lot of fun to talk with other moms and just hang out. It made me miss the moms' group I was a part of before we moved. I hope that we'll start to make friends with some of the other parents at the kids' school and maybe start to hang out with some other families as our kids get older.
Breakfast - Omelet with avocado, green onion, cilantro, green pepper
Lunch - Apple with almond butter (ground in store, no additives), something else that I can't remember now
Dinner - Meatheads burger on lettuce with tomato, pickle, mushrooms, and mustard
Snack - celery with guacamole
Today was another awesome weather day and we spent nearly the whole morning at the park. I played catch with Carolyn for a bit. She can catch! It was so awesome to be able to play catch and have her actually catching the ball in her mitt consistently. The kids also took turns hitting and they're both getting pretty good and hitting a live ball. This Spring should be a lot of fun for both of them. After lunch we had quiet time and James and I both feel asleep. Since I was up late last night and we spent the morning outside, it was what I needed. My ankle has been really hurting for most of the day and I have had to wear the aircast. So I decided to skip soccer tonight in hopes it'll be fully healed by next week. It's a weird pain at the front of my ankle and rec soccer isn't worth taking any chances.
Breakfast - 3 eggs friend in coconut oil, bacon, orange
Lunch - 3 hardboiled eggs, celery with guacamole, apple
Dinner - Mahi, new recipe (that Carolyn asked for seconds on) with brocolli
Nearly 2 weeks into this I have to be honest and say I'm a little disappointed. I don't feel like I've lost any weight or inches. I don't feel like I have any more energy. I was hoping to notice some sort of difference at this point. But I am committed to keep going in hopes that at some point something in my body will reset. I'm thinking I'm not seeing any major changes yet since I do typically eat pretty healthy and gave up wheat years ago. We'll see where this takes me!
Breakfast - Tea with lemon
Lunch - 3 eggs fried in coconut oil, leftover steak, orange
Dinner - leftover sauce with zucchini noodles
Snack - Banana
Saturday we spent the morning at the park. I was hopeful that my ankle was on the mend and was able to kick around with the kids for a little bit. But as the morning went on I felt some twinges and quickly realized it wasn't as good as I thought. Carolyn had an indoor soccer game and then we spent the afternoon at a winter carnival at the church where I attend MOPs. The kids had a blast and we think we'll head back there for their egg hunt in a few weeks. They'll actually hide the eggs so it should be more fun. We then went to church and out for dinner before I headed out from my MOPs MNO. I brought celery and guacamole there so I would have something to munch on. It was a lot of fun to talk with other moms and just hang out. It made me miss the moms' group I was a part of before we moved. I hope that we'll start to make friends with some of the other parents at the kids' school and maybe start to hang out with some other families as our kids get older.
Breakfast - Omelet with avocado, green onion, cilantro, green pepper
Lunch - Apple with almond butter (ground in store, no additives), something else that I can't remember now
Dinner - Meatheads burger on lettuce with tomato, pickle, mushrooms, and mustard
Snack - celery with guacamole
Today was another awesome weather day and we spent nearly the whole morning at the park. I played catch with Carolyn for a bit. She can catch! It was so awesome to be able to play catch and have her actually catching the ball in her mitt consistently. The kids also took turns hitting and they're both getting pretty good and hitting a live ball. This Spring should be a lot of fun for both of them. After lunch we had quiet time and James and I both feel asleep. Since I was up late last night and we spent the morning outside, it was what I needed. My ankle has been really hurting for most of the day and I have had to wear the aircast. So I decided to skip soccer tonight in hopes it'll be fully healed by next week. It's a weird pain at the front of my ankle and rec soccer isn't worth taking any chances.
Breakfast - 3 eggs friend in coconut oil, bacon, orange
Lunch - 3 hardboiled eggs, celery with guacamole, apple
Dinner - Mahi, new recipe (that Carolyn asked for seconds on) with brocolli
Nearly 2 weeks into this I have to be honest and say I'm a little disappointed. I don't feel like I've lost any weight or inches. I don't feel like I have any more energy. I was hoping to notice some sort of difference at this point. But I am committed to keep going in hopes that at some point something in my body will reset. I'm thinking I'm not seeing any major changes yet since I do typically eat pretty healthy and gave up wheat years ago. We'll see where this takes me!
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Whole 30 Day 11
Still going strong and my ankle is healing. I made it all the way until 6pm before putting the air cast back on. My ankle just started throbbing so I put the brace on to get me through dinner and bed time with the kids. I did get in a 2 mile walk with my neighbor and stood for almost all of James' 45 minute basketball class, so that makes sense. I'm still debating whether or not I will play soccer on Sunday.
Speaking of James' basketball class, the teacher is driving me crazy. I'm not the only one and we have started talking to the park district supervisor, so I am not just complaining here. This coach is trying to use running as a punishment with kindergartners. And it's not even because they are doing something wrong. Today they started with passing - 10 minutes late because there was a problem with one of the baskets and the coach left for 10 minutes. If a kid dropped the ball, the entire class had to run. There was no instruction given on proper passing or catching technique. Then they moved on to shooting. There were 8 kids there today and they stood in line watching each other shoot. The coach made a big deal about how they needed to make the shots, but again gave little instruction on how to shoot. The only direction was where to stand - which shouldn't matter since in basketball the goal should be to shoot from everywhere on the court. Then they did laps. A few of these involved the kids dribbling, which was excellent. I am not one to think that 5-6 year olds need conditioning though. Running a lap with the ball over your head isn't appropriate at this age. Just running laps isn't needed either. They finished with everyone lined up on the baseline and 1 kid at a time was chosen to shoot. If the shot was missed, the whole class had to run. I signed James up so he could learn how to play basketball - how to dribble, how to pass, how to shoot - not how to stand in a line or how to feel bad when he misses a shot. I have informed the park district we will be cancelling our enrollment for next session if a new instructor is not found. James has never complained about any activity I have put him in, but he actively doesn't want to go to this class.
Breakfast - 4 eggs fried in coconut oil, orange
Lunch - Leftover roast, green beans, potatoes
Dinner - Zucchini "noodles", Meat sauce (Kids and Jon had corn based pasta) James enjoyed using the slicer to make my noodles though
I am really looking forward to tomorrow. I have minimal work to do and nowhere I have to be. I finally will have time to work on some things around here, maybe I'll find places for the things the kids got for Christmas!
Speaking of James' basketball class, the teacher is driving me crazy. I'm not the only one and we have started talking to the park district supervisor, so I am not just complaining here. This coach is trying to use running as a punishment with kindergartners. And it's not even because they are doing something wrong. Today they started with passing - 10 minutes late because there was a problem with one of the baskets and the coach left for 10 minutes. If a kid dropped the ball, the entire class had to run. There was no instruction given on proper passing or catching technique. Then they moved on to shooting. There were 8 kids there today and they stood in line watching each other shoot. The coach made a big deal about how they needed to make the shots, but again gave little instruction on how to shoot. The only direction was where to stand - which shouldn't matter since in basketball the goal should be to shoot from everywhere on the court. Then they did laps. A few of these involved the kids dribbling, which was excellent. I am not one to think that 5-6 year olds need conditioning though. Running a lap with the ball over your head isn't appropriate at this age. Just running laps isn't needed either. They finished with everyone lined up on the baseline and 1 kid at a time was chosen to shoot. If the shot was missed, the whole class had to run. I signed James up so he could learn how to play basketball - how to dribble, how to pass, how to shoot - not how to stand in a line or how to feel bad when he misses a shot. I have informed the park district we will be cancelling our enrollment for next session if a new instructor is not found. James has never complained about any activity I have put him in, but he actively doesn't want to go to this class.
Breakfast - 4 eggs fried in coconut oil, orange
Lunch - Leftover roast, green beans, potatoes
Dinner - Zucchini "noodles", Meat sauce (Kids and Jon had corn based pasta) James enjoyed using the slicer to make my noodles though
I am really looking forward to tomorrow. I have minimal work to do and nowhere I have to be. I finally will have time to work on some things around here, maybe I'll find places for the things the kids got for Christmas!
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Whole 30 Days 9 and 10
I'm 1/3 of the way done with this challenge! I continue to do well on it. I don't notice any weight coming off though, which is a bit of a bummer. The good news is that my ankle seems to be healing pretty quickly. I was able to do all the grocery shopping today with no brace. I decided to put the air cast back on for the rest of the day though as my knee was starting to bother me. I must have unconsciously been walking differently but now that I'm using the brace my knee is fine.
It's been snowing here since about 10am, but there's barely a dusting on the grass. I was hoping this was the big snow we've been waiting for. With the temperatures forecasted in the 50s this weekend it looks like this snow may be void of any playing in the snow. I suppose the Spring sports are likely excited about the early warm temperatures!
Day 9
Breakfast: Eggs fried in coconut oil with salsa, Blueberries
Lunch: Leftover chicken stir fry
Dinner: Beef roast, sweet potato "fries", green beans
Day 10
Breakfast: Eggs fried in coconut oil, orange
Snack: Banana (at 12 since I wouldn't get lunch until after 1)
Lunch: Leftover chicken stir fry
Dinner: Tacos - new recipe for the meat from The Frugal Paleo Cookbook which got 5 star reviews from both kids. Kids had theirs in corn tortillas topped with tomato and cheese, I had mine in romaine lettuce topped with tomato.
It's been snowing here since about 10am, but there's barely a dusting on the grass. I was hoping this was the big snow we've been waiting for. With the temperatures forecasted in the 50s this weekend it looks like this snow may be void of any playing in the snow. I suppose the Spring sports are likely excited about the early warm temperatures!
Day 9
Breakfast: Eggs fried in coconut oil with salsa, Blueberries
Lunch: Leftover chicken stir fry
Dinner: Beef roast, sweet potato "fries", green beans
Day 10
Breakfast: Eggs fried in coconut oil, orange
Snack: Banana (at 12 since I wouldn't get lunch until after 1)
Lunch: Leftover chicken stir fry
Dinner: Tacos - new recipe for the meat from The Frugal Paleo Cookbook which got 5 star reviews from both kids. Kids had theirs in corn tortillas topped with tomato and cheese, I had mine in romaine lettuce topped with tomato.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Whole 30 Day 8
Another day completed. I sprained my ankle at soccer last night, so I did not sleep well. I have kept it wrapped in an ace bandage, under ice, or in my air cast all day. I spent a chunk of the morning trying to remember where I put the air cast. Funny enough, I had put it somewhere I would need it most... in my soccer bag! I could have put it on last night and probably walked a bit better. I have wonderful teammates though that helped me to the front desk, where we got a rolling desk chair, and then a teammate drove my car home while someone else followed. I am feeling significantly better today and will ice one more time before bed.
Despite the pain of my ankle today, it's been a decent day. I managed to complete all of my work this morning before heading to the school. So this afternoon I spoke with Doris (my late grandfather's girlfriend) for a while and then worked on Carolyn's scarf. It was really nice to hear from Doris - so mentally aware for 98, she was working on her taxes! The scarf is coming along nicely as well, 2 of the letters completed and then it will go more quickly. I might finish before winter ends. The kids had their activities this afternoon - acting for James and softball for Carolyn. Carolyn is really enjoying the classes and the coach has suggested she try out for the fastpitch this fall. We'll see how things continue to progress. I did find out about some possible summer opportunities for her to play which actually sound like they fit into our schedule pretty well.
While Carolyn was in her class, I sat with James and read some books. He picked up one and I asked him to try it. I had to ask him if it's a book he's read before as he was reading it SO well. He has progressed so much this school year with his reading it's amazing. I was shocked to see the words he was able to read without even sounding them out.
I started the kids working a bit on mobymax again. It's interesting as both seem to love the science portion of the site. It talks them through some lessons and then has them answer questions. They are both working through their math facts as well. Carolyn finished the addition in 2 days and is over 30% of the way through subtraction. This was kind of expected and she's excited to move on to multiplication soon. James again has really surprised me is at 52% for the addition already. I do give him 10 seconds compared to Carolyn's 6 seconds as it takes him longer to find the buttons to push. Plus I'll probably reset his account at the start of next school year and move the time down then to be sure he knows them all. I am really interested now in what his NU CTD test results are going to look like. Both of these kids continue to amaze me on so many levels.
Breakfast - 3.5 eggs fried in coconut oil, green pepper, blueberries
Snack - tea with lemon
Lunch - Leftover chicken stir fry
Snack - cashews and brazil nuts
Dinner - Chicken "nachos" - I pulled my portion out and put the chicken over romaine lettuce then added the avocado, cilantro, and green onions - the rest of the family I put corn tortilla chips into a pan, topped with the chicken and then melted monterey jack cheese on top, topped by the avocado, cilantro, and green onions. This has become a new family favorite and is quite easy to prepare.
I got a spiralizer in the mail today. I can't wait to give it a try. So much so that I think I might change up our meal plan for the weak and do pasta on Thursday, giving myself zuchinni noodles instead. I am excited to use it for making stir fry as well. I have a feeling the kids will enjoy use it too.
Despite the pain of my ankle today, it's been a decent day. I managed to complete all of my work this morning before heading to the school. So this afternoon I spoke with Doris (my late grandfather's girlfriend) for a while and then worked on Carolyn's scarf. It was really nice to hear from Doris - so mentally aware for 98, she was working on her taxes! The scarf is coming along nicely as well, 2 of the letters completed and then it will go more quickly. I might finish before winter ends. The kids had their activities this afternoon - acting for James and softball for Carolyn. Carolyn is really enjoying the classes and the coach has suggested she try out for the fastpitch this fall. We'll see how things continue to progress. I did find out about some possible summer opportunities for her to play which actually sound like they fit into our schedule pretty well.
While Carolyn was in her class, I sat with James and read some books. He picked up one and I asked him to try it. I had to ask him if it's a book he's read before as he was reading it SO well. He has progressed so much this school year with his reading it's amazing. I was shocked to see the words he was able to read without even sounding them out.
I started the kids working a bit on mobymax again. It's interesting as both seem to love the science portion of the site. It talks them through some lessons and then has them answer questions. They are both working through their math facts as well. Carolyn finished the addition in 2 days and is over 30% of the way through subtraction. This was kind of expected and she's excited to move on to multiplication soon. James again has really surprised me is at 52% for the addition already. I do give him 10 seconds compared to Carolyn's 6 seconds as it takes him longer to find the buttons to push. Plus I'll probably reset his account at the start of next school year and move the time down then to be sure he knows them all. I am really interested now in what his NU CTD test results are going to look like. Both of these kids continue to amaze me on so many levels.
Breakfast - 3.5 eggs fried in coconut oil, green pepper, blueberries
Snack - tea with lemon
Lunch - Leftover chicken stir fry
Snack - cashews and brazil nuts
Dinner - Chicken "nachos" - I pulled my portion out and put the chicken over romaine lettuce then added the avocado, cilantro, and green onions - the rest of the family I put corn tortilla chips into a pan, topped with the chicken and then melted monterey jack cheese on top, topped by the avocado, cilantro, and green onions. This has become a new family favorite and is quite easy to prepare.
I got a spiralizer in the mail today. I can't wait to give it a try. So much so that I think I might change up our meal plan for the weak and do pasta on Thursday, giving myself zuchinni noodles instead. I am excited to use it for making stir fry as well. I have a feeling the kids will enjoy use it too.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Whole 30 Day 7
I made it a whole week, woohoo! I have almost officially finished 7 days. Just have to make it through tonight without eating anything off plan. Today I have really wanted something sweet and I'm not sure why. I am starting to miss honey in my tea. I don't really like the taste of tea without it. I am going to look for some other options of flavors this week though.
Today was a laid back day for the most part. Spent the morning cleaning up a bit and then the kids built with their tinker toys for a while. I got a little further on Carolyn's scarf while they were planning, which was nice. then we did the first of our Spring planting! I started the onions. I am going to try putting seedlings in egg shells this year. We certainly have enough of them and it is supposed to make them super easy to transport, plus adds some good nutrients into the soil as they decompose. I also filled the pot I got for Christmas with soil and we planted some herbs and spices. We'll see if we can get anything to grow.
This afternoon we went to Kids Science Lab and the kids had a blast. We finished up at Carolyn's basketball game and then came home for dinner. Both the kids helped prepare dinner tonight by slicing peppers for the stir fry. They love helping, so I need to find more ways for them to be able to help prepare meals. It's never too early for them to learn the skills they'll need to feed themselves as they get older!
Now I'm trying to figure out the best way to have the energy to play soccer at 9:15 tonight. I will more than likely play the entire 40 minutes since we only have 1 sub. So hopefully I can make it.
Breakfast: 4 eggs fried in coconut oil with salsa, blueberries
Lunch: Romaine lettuce, tomato, tuna, grapes
Dinner: Chicken stir fry (kids had this with rice) - chicken, onion, garlic, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, green/yellow/red peppers, carrots, zucchini
Ready to tackle week 2! I think I might spend time looking over my Frugal Paleo book for new recipes to use in the coming weeks.
Today was a laid back day for the most part. Spent the morning cleaning up a bit and then the kids built with their tinker toys for a while. I got a little further on Carolyn's scarf while they were planning, which was nice. then we did the first of our Spring planting! I started the onions. I am going to try putting seedlings in egg shells this year. We certainly have enough of them and it is supposed to make them super easy to transport, plus adds some good nutrients into the soil as they decompose. I also filled the pot I got for Christmas with soil and we planted some herbs and spices. We'll see if we can get anything to grow.
This afternoon we went to Kids Science Lab and the kids had a blast. We finished up at Carolyn's basketball game and then came home for dinner. Both the kids helped prepare dinner tonight by slicing peppers for the stir fry. They love helping, so I need to find more ways for them to be able to help prepare meals. It's never too early for them to learn the skills they'll need to feed themselves as they get older!
Now I'm trying to figure out the best way to have the energy to play soccer at 9:15 tonight. I will more than likely play the entire 40 minutes since we only have 1 sub. So hopefully I can make it.
Breakfast: 4 eggs fried in coconut oil with salsa, blueberries
Lunch: Romaine lettuce, tomato, tuna, grapes
Dinner: Chicken stir fry (kids had this with rice) - chicken, onion, garlic, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, green/yellow/red peppers, carrots, zucchini
Ready to tackle week 2! I think I might spend time looking over my Frugal Paleo book for new recipes to use in the coming weeks.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Whole 30 Day 6
Another awesome day with beautiful weather! It was unseasonably warm today and we took nearly full advantage. At 9:15 this morning, we got out the door to head to the park. Of course, first we had to put air in the bike tires and raise James' seat. Then we spent the morning at the park, playing soccer, playing basketball, and the kids poked around in a puddle for a while. A couple of our neighbors met us there which was nice too. At 11 we hurried home to change clothes and pack up for the rest of the day. It was hard to pull the kids away from just playing with their friends. But Carolyn had soccer at 11:45 and 12:30, then service buddies at the library at 2:30. In between we had a picnic at the park and the kids played a bit. James stayed at the park until 3:15. It was so wonderful to be outside in the fresh air. I am hoping this leads to great sleep tonight. We finished the day with Carolyn singing in the children's choir for the 5pm mass tonight so bedtime is a bit late. Fingers crossed!
Food was a little challenging for lunch today, so I chose just go on the lighter side.
Breakfast - 4 eggs fried in coconut oil, orange
Snack - Banana
Lunch - cashews, brazil nuts, 2 clementines
Dinner - pork chop, carrots dipped in guacamole
Almost completed a full week! Tomorrow is a laid back day so staying on track should be pretty easy. The first week of something new is supposed to be the hardest, right? I did realize today that when it comes to playing with the kids, I am incredibly out of shape. Carolyn is pretty fast on the basketball court so I need to get back to regular exercise so I can keep up. Hopefully this change in diet will reset my body and I can lose weight will regaining some strength as the year goes on.
Food was a little challenging for lunch today, so I chose just go on the lighter side.
Breakfast - 4 eggs fried in coconut oil, orange
Snack - Banana
Lunch - cashews, brazil nuts, 2 clementines
Dinner - pork chop, carrots dipped in guacamole
Almost completed a full week! Tomorrow is a laid back day so staying on track should be pretty easy. The first week of something new is supposed to be the hardest, right? I did realize today that when it comes to playing with the kids, I am incredibly out of shape. Carolyn is pretty fast on the basketball court so I need to get back to regular exercise so I can keep up. Hopefully this change in diet will reset my body and I can lose weight will regaining some strength as the year goes on.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Whole 30 Day 5
I made it another day! Yes, I think I might just celebrate each day that I'm successful. Rejoice in the small things, right? Today was a bit harder and I found myself thinking I wanted something sweet. I turned to grapes to take the edge and it worked for the most part. I work up this morning with calf cramps. I have been plagued by these since I stress fractured both shins playing college soccer (even 19 yos should not overtrain jumping on/off things). I know that cramping can be due to dehydration and a lack of magnesium. So today I had a bit more water and ate some cashews to try to help balance things out. I do feel like my body is starting to try and flush some things out, so I should probably drink even more water than usual. Perhaps a mug of tea before bed once I'm done with work.
This was really a great day though. At MOPs we found our creative side and painted small canvases. It was a lot of fun and I think I could get into it regularly if I had time. I might start stocking up on some paints. I was thinking that maybe I could buy a big roll of paper and the kids could decorate it and then we could use it as wrapping paper. So much more fun than the store bought stuff, right? And the kids could have an artistic outlet at the same time, and maybe even me. The goal was to make a deeper connection with God. I've being doing well with that lately so this was a really enjoyable meeting for me. Can see the "ENJOY" and butterfly? I love the bright colors and the subtleness of the word and butterfly make them feel lighter to me. I've never really considered myself an artsy person, but I might be developing into more of one as I get older.
I dropped my car off for an oil change and walked home after the meeting. First part of my workout for the day. I had lunch, worked, and switched the laundry before going back to get my car. The kids came home shortly thereafter and James snuggled in my lap for a long while before we headed to his soccer. I also got in 2 sets with my 10lb kettlebell. I think I might feel it a little tomorrow. Carolyn tried to join in with the 5lb one, she is amazingly strong for a 7yo! After soccer we came home for dinner and bedtime. Carolyn just came out a few minutes and I want to record this interaction.
A little background... the interrim pastor is working with her class since they are making the First Communion this year. He promised a full size candy bar to anyone in the class that could memorize the 10 commandments and write them down in order. On the first try Carolyn got them all right but switched the order of 2. So of course on the second try (the next day), she got them all right. Today they had their next meeting with the pastor and she brought home her candy bar. She got up from bed to tell me the candy is in her backpack - a big Reeses Peanut Butter cup. She asked if she should take it out as she wanted to give it to me to share with Jon. I was quite confused by this and in light of currently during the whole 30, quickly trying to figure out how to refuse the candy without making her upset. I asked why she would give it to use when she received it for her own hard work. Her response? "You and dad helped me, so I was thinking I would give it to you." I actually had tears in my eyes. I told her the idea was very sweet of her but that she should get to keep it and if she wanted she can share it with James. This kid has a heart of gold I tell you, just amazing.
Breakfast - 4 egg muffins, blueberries, cashews
Lunch - Leftover pepper steak
Snack - cashews
Dinner - leftover pork chop, pear
25 more days to go, I can do this. Oh, and with a crazy twist of fate, I won a huge jar of coconut oil today at MOPs - it was handed out to anyone doing a Whole30. Although I wonder if the person that handed it out has read this at all, haha. Time to go fully relax before heading to bed!
This was really a great day though. At MOPs we found our creative side and painted small canvases. It was a lot of fun and I think I could get into it regularly if I had time. I might start stocking up on some paints. I was thinking that maybe I could buy a big roll of paper and the kids could decorate it and then we could use it as wrapping paper. So much more fun than the store bought stuff, right? And the kids could have an artistic outlet at the same time, and maybe even me. The goal was to make a deeper connection with God. I've being doing well with that lately so this was a really enjoyable meeting for me. Can see the "ENJOY" and butterfly? I love the bright colors and the subtleness of the word and butterfly make them feel lighter to me. I've never really considered myself an artsy person, but I might be developing into more of one as I get older.
A little background... the interrim pastor is working with her class since they are making the First Communion this year. He promised a full size candy bar to anyone in the class that could memorize the 10 commandments and write them down in order. On the first try Carolyn got them all right but switched the order of 2. So of course on the second try (the next day), she got them all right. Today they had their next meeting with the pastor and she brought home her candy bar. She got up from bed to tell me the candy is in her backpack - a big Reeses Peanut Butter cup. She asked if she should take it out as she wanted to give it to me to share with Jon. I was quite confused by this and in light of currently during the whole 30, quickly trying to figure out how to refuse the candy without making her upset. I asked why she would give it to use when she received it for her own hard work. Her response? "You and dad helped me, so I was thinking I would give it to you." I actually had tears in my eyes. I told her the idea was very sweet of her but that she should get to keep it and if she wanted she can share it with James. This kid has a heart of gold I tell you, just amazing.
Breakfast - 4 egg muffins, blueberries, cashews
Lunch - Leftover pepper steak
Snack - cashews
Dinner - leftover pork chop, pear
25 more days to go, I can do this. Oh, and with a crazy twist of fate, I won a huge jar of coconut oil today at MOPs - it was handed out to anyone doing a Whole30. Although I wonder if the person that handed it out has read this at all, haha. Time to go fully relax before heading to bed!
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Whole 30 Day 4
I made it through another day. I felt like I had lot of free time today. Things didn't start out so great as I discovered at breakfast that the special tea I bought was the wrong stuff and it smells and tastes like coffee. If you know me, you know I strongly dislike both. So I guess this will become Jon's tea from now. He's been stealing my plain green tea at night for a while anyway. I'll have to look for something different when I head to the store next week. With the weather warming up I don't really need it at the moment anyway. I fit in all of my work before heading to the school.
At the school I was caught off guard by 2 things. First, I usually help with math but today was handed a reading packet. Um, okay, but that's definitely not my specialty. We made it through. While I was working with the kids the principal came in and acknowledged he had forgot to update me on the math things for Carolyn. He assured me they were working on it and asked if I could stop by on my way out. Last week was a 4 day week ending with an institute day and this week is a 4 day week. I totally get how things get lost. He was genuinely apologetic. So when I was done tutoring, I stopped by. Turns out, testing for Carolyn and another child in her class started just after we discussed doing so. So as not to overwhelm, it has been broken into chunks and she wasn't even aware that she was being tested. This is good and bad. Carolyn tends to not even try when presented with a challenge. She was told to leave things blank if she couldn't figure it out. To my child that means "if you aren't sure of your answer, don't give one." We'll see how the results turn out once they're done and determine what to do in the next couple months and then next year. I love how wonderfully flexible the school is being. And I think it's awesome that another child is benefiting from my relentless question asking. We also talked about James a bit. I relayed the experience of our conference last week, that did not go as well as I had hoped. He agreed to speak with the teacher to see what we can do. It will be interesting to see what happens here. I mentioned that was a little surprised that James scored so well on his NU CTD tests, as he is just harder to get a good grasp on than Carolyn was at this age. There's a little more immaturity from him and there's also a whole lot of boy that she's obviously missing. I was surprised with the praise for James that the principal offered, saying that he wasn't surprised that he scored well. This principal is very involved in the school and supervises recess multiple times a week. If you know my kids, you know they are often drawn to adults and like to share a lot (earlier this week Carolyn shared about me being sick and the teacher signed her out for me - a little crazy.) He commented that James is able to carry a conversation and discuss things much more in-depth than a kid his age. I'm interested to see what the scores come back as. And now I wonder what it would be like to be around a typically developing child on a regular basis. Although, is any child really considered typical? I think the water is really muddied here. I am just so glad we found a place where the school wants to work with us to ensure that each child is challenged. That's all I've really ever wanted - stretch their brains.
This afternoon I had a chance to go for a walk twice around our neighborhood and finished up James' scarf. The kids each had their activities and then James and I came home. After reading for a bit, he got ready for bed and we read another story. He's really into this old Sesame Street Bedtime Stories book that is from my childhood. All my favorite characters and wonderfully silly stores. Big bird is not an ugly mud monster! We finished before Jon and Carolyn arrived home so he asked to snuggle. Snuggling turned into him clapping my hands and them a silly game. I love listening to him laugh and I think I could do it all day. I know moments like these will get fewer over the years and I really took a minute to cherish the time with him. I'm looking forward to Carolyn being done with gymnastics so we can have more relaxed nights with her as well.
Breakfast - Egg "muffins" (bacon, green pepper, mushroom, egg), blueberries, banana, tea
Lunch - leftover mahi, carrots with guacamole
Dinner - Pulled pork, cauliflower
The cupcakes are almost gone and tomorrow I'll give the kids some more of my Valentines candy in their lunches. I am looking forward to the warm weather we're supposed to have tomorrow and Saturday!
At the school I was caught off guard by 2 things. First, I usually help with math but today was handed a reading packet. Um, okay, but that's definitely not my specialty. We made it through. While I was working with the kids the principal came in and acknowledged he had forgot to update me on the math things for Carolyn. He assured me they were working on it and asked if I could stop by on my way out. Last week was a 4 day week ending with an institute day and this week is a 4 day week. I totally get how things get lost. He was genuinely apologetic. So when I was done tutoring, I stopped by. Turns out, testing for Carolyn and another child in her class started just after we discussed doing so. So as not to overwhelm, it has been broken into chunks and she wasn't even aware that she was being tested. This is good and bad. Carolyn tends to not even try when presented with a challenge. She was told to leave things blank if she couldn't figure it out. To my child that means "if you aren't sure of your answer, don't give one." We'll see how the results turn out once they're done and determine what to do in the next couple months and then next year. I love how wonderfully flexible the school is being. And I think it's awesome that another child is benefiting from my relentless question asking. We also talked about James a bit. I relayed the experience of our conference last week, that did not go as well as I had hoped. He agreed to speak with the teacher to see what we can do. It will be interesting to see what happens here. I mentioned that was a little surprised that James scored so well on his NU CTD tests, as he is just harder to get a good grasp on than Carolyn was at this age. There's a little more immaturity from him and there's also a whole lot of boy that she's obviously missing. I was surprised with the praise for James that the principal offered, saying that he wasn't surprised that he scored well. This principal is very involved in the school and supervises recess multiple times a week. If you know my kids, you know they are often drawn to adults and like to share a lot (earlier this week Carolyn shared about me being sick and the teacher signed her out for me - a little crazy.) He commented that James is able to carry a conversation and discuss things much more in-depth than a kid his age. I'm interested to see what the scores come back as. And now I wonder what it would be like to be around a typically developing child on a regular basis. Although, is any child really considered typical? I think the water is really muddied here. I am just so glad we found a place where the school wants to work with us to ensure that each child is challenged. That's all I've really ever wanted - stretch their brains.
This afternoon I had a chance to go for a walk twice around our neighborhood and finished up James' scarf. The kids each had their activities and then James and I came home. After reading for a bit, he got ready for bed and we read another story. He's really into this old Sesame Street Bedtime Stories book that is from my childhood. All my favorite characters and wonderfully silly stores. Big bird is not an ugly mud monster! We finished before Jon and Carolyn arrived home so he asked to snuggle. Snuggling turned into him clapping my hands and them a silly game. I love listening to him laugh and I think I could do it all day. I know moments like these will get fewer over the years and I really took a minute to cherish the time with him. I'm looking forward to Carolyn being done with gymnastics so we can have more relaxed nights with her as well.
Breakfast - Egg "muffins" (bacon, green pepper, mushroom, egg), blueberries, banana, tea
Lunch - leftover mahi, carrots with guacamole
Dinner - Pulled pork, cauliflower
The cupcakes are almost gone and tomorrow I'll give the kids some more of my Valentines candy in their lunches. I am looking forward to the warm weather we're supposed to have tomorrow and Saturday!
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Whole 30 Day 3
Another pretty easy day. I found myself feeling stuffed the majority of the day. This is probably due to eating nothing on Monday. I am making it a priority this year to enjoy my kids and take time to get them outside. Since it was sunny, we went to the park this afternoon. I spent time swinging on the swings with them. I pretended to play on one of the zip line type things but I'm nowhere near strong enough. I am tall enough to touch the ground though and the laughter from both the kids was wonderful. I can't wait until the weather gets a bit warmer so we can go without being all bundled up. I'm looking forward to spending large portions of the day at the park this summer playing on the structures as well as in the open fields with soccer, softball, and baseball things.
Breakfast: 3.5 eggs fried in coconut oil, orange, mushroom, a few raspberries (finished the kids' meals after they went to school)
Lunch (Late, after 1pm): Leftover mahi, broccoli
Dinner: Pepper steak (kids had this over rice)
As I was making dinner I discovered the can tomatoes had sugar in them. What is with that? Oh well, I'm doing the best I can here, right? On the right rack at least!
Breakfast: 3.5 eggs fried in coconut oil, orange, mushroom, a few raspberries (finished the kids' meals after they went to school)
Lunch (Late, after 1pm): Leftover mahi, broccoli
Dinner: Pepper steak (kids had this over rice)
As I was making dinner I discovered the can tomatoes had sugar in them. What is with that? Oh well, I'm doing the best I can here, right? On the right rack at least!
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Whole 30 day 2
Another pretty easy day as far as eating. I seem to be fully recovered and can eat what I want again. The cupcakes on the counter are calling my name a bit but the kids will eat them up soon enough.
Breakfast - 3 eggs fried in coconut oil, orange and 1/4 of an apple my daughter left on her plate
Mid-morning - Tea to warm up
Lunch - 1/2 lemon chicken breast, 3 large carrots dipped in guacamole
Dinner - Mahi where I left off the mayo we usually used so had lemon, onion, garlic, salt and pepper with steamed broccoli. Kids had some rice with it.
I am feeling quite full today and after working for over 7 hours quite exhausted. The good news is that I am caught up with work, so tomorrow I can return to my regular schedule.
Breakfast - 3 eggs fried in coconut oil, orange and 1/4 of an apple my daughter left on her plate
Mid-morning - Tea to warm up
Lunch - 1/2 lemon chicken breast, 3 large carrots dipped in guacamole
Dinner - Mahi where I left off the mayo we usually used so had lemon, onion, garlic, salt and pepper with steamed broccoli. Kids had some rice with it.
I am feeling quite full today and after working for over 7 hours quite exhausted. The good news is that I am caught up with work, so tomorrow I can return to my regular schedule.
Awesome Kids, Whole 30 Day 1
It's been a LONG time since I wrote here. A lot of life has happened and we've been very busy. We have had a rough start to this year as far as health is concerned in our home. We started off with Carolyn having pneumonia. Once she started antibiotics, it was a pretty quick recovery. But when we took her in her oxygen level was down to 84, which was quite scary. A week after she recovered, I developed bronchitis. That took a while to go away. This past weekend James was up most of Friday night sick and spent all of Saturday in bed with stomach pains and a fever. I then woke up Sunday night with the same thing and spent yesterday in bed. Thankfully I am feeling much better today and have even been able to eat.
I have to spend some time talking about how amazing my kids are. Jon left for a track meet yesterday at 5:30, so when the kids got up at 7:30 and 8 for a day off, they were disappointed to hear I was sick. Luckily, we had planned to spend the day at home. For breakfast they pulled the leftover oatmeal from the fridge and microwaved it themselves. They then played nicely together all morning. When Carolyn decided at 10 that she needed some space from James, she went to read in her bedroom and he did some building. It was absolutely amazing. At 11:30 they made themselves some lunch by taking out the leftover pizza from Sunday. At 12:30 they both went into their rooms for quiet time and I took a nap. While I am fully aware that James did not nap as I asked him to, they were both quiet until 2pm. Then my MIL came over and kept them entertained. I can firmly say that because my kids did such an awesome job of letting me rest yesterday I am feeling much better today.
I had decided a while ago to start the whole 30 the day after Valentine's day. Being sick again within a month only served to magnify that my body needs some sort of a reset. Day 1 was pretty easy since I couldn't really eat. So here is what I had:
Orange
Banana
Leftover Chicken Soup - this didn't work out for my stomach
Pear
Tea - no honey
Jello - homemade, but slightly cheating since it was made with juice. I needed something though and I was fairly certain this would stay down.
I have to spend some time talking about how amazing my kids are. Jon left for a track meet yesterday at 5:30, so when the kids got up at 7:30 and 8 for a day off, they were disappointed to hear I was sick. Luckily, we had planned to spend the day at home. For breakfast they pulled the leftover oatmeal from the fridge and microwaved it themselves. They then played nicely together all morning. When Carolyn decided at 10 that she needed some space from James, she went to read in her bedroom and he did some building. It was absolutely amazing. At 11:30 they made themselves some lunch by taking out the leftover pizza from Sunday. At 12:30 they both went into their rooms for quiet time and I took a nap. While I am fully aware that James did not nap as I asked him to, they were both quiet until 2pm. Then my MIL came over and kept them entertained. I can firmly say that because my kids did such an awesome job of letting me rest yesterday I am feeling much better today.
I had decided a while ago to start the whole 30 the day after Valentine's day. Being sick again within a month only served to magnify that my body needs some sort of a reset. Day 1 was pretty easy since I couldn't really eat. So here is what I had:
Orange
Banana
Leftover Chicken Soup - this didn't work out for my stomach
Pear
Tea - no honey
Jello - homemade, but slightly cheating since it was made with juice. I needed something though and I was fairly certain this would stay down.
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