“Stop comparing yourself to others. Your goal should be about achieving the upper echelons of your awesomeness, not someone else’s.”

From the No Meat Athlete blog.

I feel so jaded lately. Like there’s a fog over my head I just can’t lift. Probably post holiday blahs. Or something. In particular, I’m totally jaded with thinking about food. I know I’ve mentioned this before. Many times. You’re probably jaded of reading about it. Talk about first world problems, right? Struggling to deal with too much food! I haven’t been to Weight Watchers since early December when I stopped going. I was totally stressed out and taking a break from it really helped. Honestly, it did. I gained about 5lbs during that time, but at least I wasn’t a wreck. Now it’s January and time to get back to it.

I had a nice chat with Alan the other day because I wasn’t sure how to proceed. Weight Watchers (which I’ll be paying for again until I get back to my goal weight) or on my own, or try a new program I’ve looked at. This woman, Susan Reade, helps you create a more balanced life, with a focus on healthy eating. Not necessarily weight loss, but I suspect that comes from healthy eating and a balanced life. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it. My friend has been seeing her for a few weeks and is really happy with it.

Rosy was up this weekend and we talked a lot about health and nutrition. She told me about a Dr. Oz show that had Alton Brown and his four lists that helped him lose 50lbs. He also made a “low calorie chocolate pie” on the show. We call it a tofu cream pie. Yum!

Tonight I printed the four lists, plus the Mayo Clinic’s list of Super Foods that I found on this blog. I’m going to check things off each day/week as I eat them. Still do WW and track points, but try to get all the good foods as well. I like the idea of focusing on what I SHOULD be eating, instead of all the things I shouldn’t be eating. Susan Reade’s program operates on the same principle.

Something new to try anyway. Mix things up a bit. Get my ass back in gear, ’cause right now my stomach hurts from the crap I put into it this afternoon and evening. Why do I torture myself so?! Rhetorical question, of course.

I hope you all are enjoying 2012 and I’ll try to come up with more exciting posts for the future. Right now I have to go pay attention to my kids. It’s bedtime!

We have had such a quiet day today. For the past hour Eve has been up in her room (I sent her up to get dry pants and clean up her room… haven’t seen her since!) and Lex has been in the office playing with Legos. Alan is working on the computer. I read the paper, had some tea, checked my email… now a little blogging. Weird, but nice. :)

MY camera has issues downloading pictures sometimes. I didn’t want to fight with it last night, but I figured it out today. Here are a few more pictures from the bowling alley. I know the five photos and two videos I posted yesterday weren’t nearly enough to keep you all satisfied! Here are a few more…

Eve likes to bowl with the ramp. I think it slows things down having to get the ramp set up each time. I asked her why she likes to use it and she said, "So I don't have to bend over." Is that the LAZIEST thing ever!??!

"Where do you start your letters? At the top, top, TOP!" (and you thought she was cheering for pizza!)

Eve has a unique bowling style.

This is the photo from the first game that I remember taking. Lex whooped us all with his 70 points! :)

Alan does the YMCA. Oh yeah, we're hip!

Like I said, a unique bowling style. Often involving yelling at the ball and then dropping to her knees in... prayer? You never know what's going on in that head of hers!

Ok, I guess they were mostly pictures of Eve. You never can have enough pictures of Eve! :) Off to make some dinner I think. It’s dark out so it must be nearing time… One more vacation day than we’re all back to routine.

Good bye 2011, hello 2012. Welcome to a whole new year! Sounds exciting, right? I hope everyone is ready for a good year.

I’m not one for resolutions but this week I started reading a great book called Simple Parenting and I’ve decided that January will be our month for simplifying. What better way to spend a dark, dreary month, than by cleaning up and cleaning out and preparing for a fresh start! I haven’t mentioned it to Alan yet and the kids are less than excited, but I think everyone will get on board and everyone will feel more at ease and calmer when we are done. Or well underway, as I know the process of simplifying will be an unending project.

I enter this year with mixed emotions. I think it will be a year of changes for us, the four of us here and the extended family as well, but I’ll let them tell that story. Lex and Eve will turn seven and five, both growing up so fast. This new stage of awareness and independence is fun, but I miss the babies terribly. Eve starts Kindergarten this year (not to rush things, I know it’s still eight months away!) and that will begin a new phase of my life. Most likely one involving full-time employment, something I’ve been thinking about (or obsessing about, depending on who you ask) for years. We will also clear our bankruptcy this year, bringing with it a new sense of financial peace and independence.

We start the new year in good health (excluding these nagging coughs that Lex and I can’t seem to kick) and happiness, blessed with stable employment, fully cabinets, and a sturdy roof over our heads. Life is good. Happy New Year!

Kids are enthralled with the video game on the big screen!