Long Post Thursday. (I just made that up)

There are a few things that I need to cover today ... the first of which is this book.  I downloaded it on my Ipod so that I could listen to it while walking, but am winding up listening to it in the car on the way to and from work because #1) I don't get the Margaritaville satellite station; #2) when TV went all digital, they took my local ABC station off the radio (SUX - I cannot keep current with GMA or my local news if I leave before 7 a.m.); #3) I am tired of listening to people complain about the "state" of our State (NJ) on NJ 101.5 radio station; and ... I haven't been walking so there.  I said it. 

Anyhow, I bought this book on a whim and I had NO IDEA what it was about.  I could see the picture and thought it looked kind of spooky - Stephen King kind of spooky - so I "picked" it up from itunes.  Boy oh boy am I so far away from a Stephen King kind of book than I have ever ventured before -- in my life!!  I generally want to read "spiritually uplifting" books or books that are "self-help" but I can never get through them. I have all good intentions but then just get bored and the boys are laying on the bottom of my closet floor under a pile of dust an inch thick or out in the garage in a paper bag - waiting - (for me to finish them?  to yard sale them? to finally just give them away?)  This book is about GOD.  The Holy Trinity:  The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.  This book details them embodied as humans and reaching out to one particular man who has suffered the horrible loss of not only his youngest daughter but is losing himself and possibly his older daughter to what he refers to as "the great sadness".  At the point I am in the book, the main character "Mac" is currently seeking the truth of the "why" questions that have been haunting him for so long.  I LOVE IT.  I have never had spirituality explained in quite this way before.  It is uplifting and invigorating and at times quite confusing.   I am amazed!  It is definitely a book that I recommend and I'm not all the big on recommendig books (except to Traci who I sit next to at work!)  And, although I am a church goer, I am definitely not a pusher of my religion on others ... I am a quiet Christian ... who is finding more about those who "are" in this book. 

Next on my list:  My Journey from MuffinTopped-ness:

Click on the button and join in the weight loss journey with a few others and share your stories.  Each week, shortmomma encourages and asks questions to be answered on the journey from Muffin Top to Skinny Jeans.  This weeks questions are: 

How do you handle a gain or the feeling of knowing your didn't do as well as you had hoped?  My first thought is to run straight for the vending machine for a Twix because, what's the freaking point?  I have a whole week to work another small weight loss off - PLUS THIS TWIX.  Wrong, I know, and I haven't done it yet but I've thought it a million times.   

What kind of effect does this have on you?  The feeling of not doing as well as I had hoped or the feeling of wanting to run to the vending machine?  LOL  They both make me beat myself up.  Know why?  I know that I didn't give it 100%.   Reason being???  Laziness?  Craziness?  Being totally busy with the kids, dogs and other schedules we've got going on???  Maybe a little of everything? 

Is there something constructive you can do to reward yourself for small steps?  I am open to suggestions!!

And how are you doing this week? ??  I will have to go weigh in later, but I was down a pound as of last Friday ... that is 8 all together since I started on March 19th.  I'm pretty sure that I've at least held steady.  I've not had any ice cream this week.  (Have I?  I don't think so!)  I've not put any candy in my mouth and I even still have Easter baskets out (horrible I know. I will put them away this evening.)  I had hoped to get down to one diet soda a day but yesterday had 3.  I haven't had any yet today, so maybe I can achieve that goal today.  I haven't done a sit up all week, even though that was another one of my goals.  I will bring my exercise ball up from the basement tonight when I take the Easter Baskets down (a  win, win siutation.)  And, I haven't meal planned at all this week.  We're flying by the seat of our pants.  I did make a WW "breakfast burrito" on Tuesday for me and the Hubs and took them to DinoBoy's baseball game because we were totally pressed for time that night. 

What were your challenges?  I think more than anything, my challenges are the same as everyone else's...how to get so much more done in a day.  I so need my sleep and am exhausted after a day at work, running to practices/games and holding SweeTart after she cries and cries for her bottle which has been thrown away.  Not so much physically exhausted but mentally exhausted.  I am asleep almost as soon as I hit the pillow -- although I do think that the Hubs beat me to LaLa land last night.  :-) 

I can come up with a super meal plan -- I have to take the first steps though to follow through with it after making it - like making a grocery list for the plan and trying to pre-prepare for the plan as much as I can.  Whether that takes place on the weekend, mornings before work or after the madness of  our evenings, it doesn't matter.  It is just something that needs to be done.

The Baba that is in the TRASH

Finally - SweeTart has the 5ths disease.  And an ear infection.  And she has gained a lot of poundage so says the doctor since her last visit two weeks ago.  Her bottles MUST go per the doctor's demands yesterday.  I knew from our previous visits that it needed to get done, I have even blogged about it.  We even bought all the new sippy cups and everything but we just couldn't stand to do that to her.  But last night we stood strong.  I threw the stinking bottles in the dirty trash cans.  Bottles are for little babies and she is a Big Girl.  (in more ways than one!)  Oh, the fits she threw last night.  And this morning.  But little by little, I think she is going to be okay with it.  I think the hardest will be today when she comes home from preschool but her poor Grandmom is going to have to deal with that one.  I can't be sure that bedtime tonight will go smoothly either but I'm praying that it will.