Maine...the way life should be??

Playing fetch with Nakita

     I am currently in Maine visiting family. My husband and I usually take the trip up here with the kids once a year to visit my dad, step-mom, my siblings and nieces and nephew. The weather up here is usually gorgeous this time of year, at least compared to the scorching temps I'm use to in North Carolina, and there always seems to be an event of some sort that our trip is planned around.

Michelle and Brent 6/25/11

     This year my family, and many others, are gathering together to witness and celebrate the marriage of my sister, Michelle and her fiance Brent. The wedding is tomorrow and from the preperation I've seen thus far, it is going to be beautiful. I wish them nothing but the best and a long and happy marriage. I can't say enough about Michelle and Brent. They are that couple who's relationship is what everyone should have. They are the real deal...

Using my car to show how wet Maine is...

     The one thing that I did not wish for them, is the weather we are having up here. Maybe it is my fault for not checking the forecast before I left North Carolina, but it has been nothing by cold and dreary here. It has rained for the past two days, and rain is in the forecast tomorrow as well. The rehearsal dinner this evening and the wedding is being held outside. Fortunately, it is a slow misting rain and there is a tent for the dinner, and the weather should be a tad better for the wedding. The downside?? I did not pack for 50 degree rainy Maine weather. Yes, I know it can get chilly here at night and I did pack a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, but that is the extent of my cold weather gear. Our dresses for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding are better suited for 80 degree blue sky type weather. I feel bad that I'm gonna look like a bum at the dinner tonight because I refuse to wear my yellow sundress.

Dad and Hubby building
 a fire in the rain

     Besides the weather, I am enjoying my short visit here in Maine. Maine...the state I was born in, where 50% of my immediate family lives, the state where their mottos consist of "Vacationland" and "The Way Life Should Be." I'm not agreeing much on the latter of those mottos at this point in time. Maybe if the sun decides to show itself and the temperature rises at least 30 degrees. Nonetheless, it is an absolutely gorgeous state, and I am enjoying the scenery as well as my family.

Dad's side yard... pretty

My New Additions...

Four weeks ago, I brought home four new additions to my flock. Two White Rocks and two Araucanas. When they were 1-2 days old, I picked up my girls at William's Farm and Garden. They have adjusted well, and have given me and my family joy every day since.

That was until at 2.5 weeks of age, my brooder lamp fell and seriously injured one of my Araucanas, Rozella, and she passed away four days later. It was a very sad time and for those few days, Rozella spent her final days in my bedroom. I fed her with a medicine dropper and spent a lot of time with her to try to make up for her being isolated. I knew from her behavior that she suffered major brain trauma. She passed away on her own, which was somewhat of a relief because I dreaded having to cull her.

Although we lost, Rozella, she will not be forgotten. My kids talk about her almost every day. They express how much they miss her but also discuss how cute, loveable and fun she was in the short two and a half weeks we had her. It is very sad, but at the same time, it is also a teaching moment for my children. A small lesson about life, death, love and appreciation. Its a lesson that touches the heart a bit better than flushing the goldfish down the toilet.

The other three are doing very well and getting big. They are now hanging out closer to us when it is play time outside. They seem very happy and healthy, and they are so much fun to be around. Just yesterday, I was watching them play in the back yard, and Stella was the first to fly up onto my daughter. It was cute. I forgot just how well the little buggers fly when they are small.  Of course, once one does something, its not long after the others follow.


I love them, and can not seem to say enough to express the excitement I have about each and every one of my girls. I am  lucky to have Krisann to share the excitement with. She herself has just introduced three of the cutest Auraucanas to her flock as well as two Black Copper Marans she adopted from S and S Poultry. It is these amazingly gorgeous Black Copper Marans that will be providing me my next additions when it is time (refer back to my "Chicken Math" blog if you are shaking your head right about now).  I am also looking forward to when I can introduce my new girls to my original flock. When I take them out to play, I bring them over but away from the older girls. I do this so they can see and slowly get use to each other. Then, when it is time to join them, it won't be a complete shock or hard adjustment, and hopefully they will be welcomed with opened wings.

I am a little concerned that one of the she's just might be a he. It is way to soon to tell, but there are subtle signs that GG might just be renamed to Gustave or "Gus Gus".  His/her feathers are very slow to grow in. The other girls look as if their feathers have completely come in while GG looks quite ragged. Other signs are the size difference, chest bumping, and the slight domination he/she has over the others. There could be other explanations for these signs, but nonetheless, the concern is there. Who knows, if GG is Gus Gus, maybe just maybe, Polly will have a boyfriend and baby White Rocks will be in their future... I said maybe.

So, say hi to GG, Stella and Polly. I hope to keep you up to date on their growth, progress, and if GG really is Gus or not. I haven't been the greatest about keeping up on the progress of my other girls. They are fantastic and I promise they haven't had any lack of attention because of the new additons. I look forward to posting more stories and pictures in the near future. Untill then...

Epic Failure....

Okay... So accountability doesn't work for me. I guess I really don't care if you think I'm fat. Just kidding. Honestly, I think I set myself up for failure. When you have so much on your plate at once, you are bound to drop something. Obviously, it wasn't the weight that dropped. I'm blaming school and stress. I'm at the end of the semester and finals are creeping up. It will all be over in less than three weeks. Yeah, yeah, yeah... excuses.

The new plan:

I'm going to do what has worked for me in the past and create a journal. Also, I'm going add some calculations that I've learned in my nutrition classes. I'll blog more about this soon, but I am going to take these three weeks to prepare. Once school ends for the summer, there are no more excuses. The obstacles, stress, time, and all my other excuses are not there. We will see. I've decided not to use this for accountablity because obviously this doesn't work. However, I'm not going stop blogging about it. If by chance I am successful in finding what works for me, I might just also find what works for someone else. There might be someone who stubbles upon my blog and relates to my struggles, stresses, and successes.

My biggest fear:

I fear that I'm going to start my fall semester out at my current weight, without creating any new healthy habits over the next 3.5 months, so by the time December comes around, I end up weighing even more. I can not teach people how to be healthy if I'm not doing it myself!

So... In no way, shape or form do I think I'm going turn myself into some super model. I am realistic. I just want to be healthy and tone, and I will get there.

Week 1- Progess...

Well, I feel I did okay this week. I definitely failed in the exercise department. First, I'll give you a quick run down on how my week went:
Sunday- 3 mile walk with the dogs. It was a beautiful day. Ate well and drank a fair amount of water. Can do better though...
Monday- Ate well and drank a fair amount of water. Did not exercise.
Tuesday- Ate well. Had a tall mocha lite at Startbucks. Fat free but about 120 calories. Of course, did not exercise.
Wednesday- Same as Tuesday.
Thursday- This was the worst day. Sabrina brought home her left over St. Patty Day cookies. These cookies are those big sugar cookies with the glob of icing on them you buy in the bakery department of grocery stores... ummm yeah, ate three of those. Aaaaand of course, did not exercise.
Friday- Did  not have to go to school (YAY!), so I spent the majority of the day outside working in the yard. Nothing strenuous, but it is something. Did not eat badly because I was occupied, but didn't drink enough water either.
Saturday- Going for my three mile walk once I'm done with this. Eating fairly well so far. I have to go grocery shopping also, so I'm going to eat something filling yet healthy, so I don't splurge at the grocery store.

Now that I've got that out of the way. Let's see if the scale agrees with how I feel...

Scale weight:         154     =  2   lbs lost!!! YAY!!  I didn't do nearly as well as I wanted to, but just staying away from the fast food places on the way to school (notorious for a large sweet tea and fry), and drink a bit more water than usual, I was able to get the 2 lbs. It's probably water weight, but hey, its something.

Goals for week 2:
(Same as week 1)
- lose 2lbs
- drink more water
- exercise 5 x week (I'm working my way up to this, but its a goal)
- pack lunch/snack for week (did well with this- however didn't need the Starbucks)

End of Day 1...

Ok. Day 1 is over. I finish the day strong with a salad and some root-vegetable hash. I'm going to try to limit my bread and pasta consumption because it is a weakness. Also, I am thinking I might just have a gluten allergy, but that is for another topic to discuss in the near future. I was having a sweet-tooth craving attack around 8pm. I decided to curb it with a cup of Honey Rice Chex cereal. It worked. So, good start to day one. I have to make a plan for the week.


Lets start with this weeks Goals:
- Lose 2lbs
- Increase water consumption
- Walk/Run 3 miles 5 days per week
- Pack lunch/snack for school

That last goal is going to be hard. I am at school all day. I have to park my car in commuter parking and take the bus in. This means I must carry everything with me all day. This includes all my books for that day's classes AND my lunch. This is going to be a pain in the ass. Not to mention, packing healthy lunches/snacks that won't spill, spoil, smash, or smell... this is going to be fun!


Tomorrow:
I will take time to plan out my lunches and how to pack them. This is going to be time consuming. However, once I get this down it will be a piece of cake (poor choice of words, I know) for planning in the future.

I need to get my butt up in the morning and walk/run. I need to do this before school or else I won't do it. Tuesdays will be impossible because I have to be up so early as it is to get to my 8am class. Thursday and Fridays I do not have an excuse because I do not leave the house until at least 10am. Mondays and Wednesdays I have to leave the house by 7:30am. I'll have to be to workout by 5:30am in order to be home in time to get ready. These days will be the hardest for me. Thursday-Sunday are 4 days that are definitely doable. I have to commit to making sure I workout Monday or Wednesday...

So stay tuned to see if I sail or fail...

Accountability

Ok... I am at my fattest EVER! I got on the scale this morning and I thought it was broken. It said 156lbs! I haven't seen 156lbs since my second trimester of my last pregnancy!  What is worse is that I'm going to school to be a Dietitian. What kind of example am I setting?

The main problem is that I'm in school full time and since I started ECU last fall, I haven't paid attention to my diet and exercise habits one bit.  What is the best way to get back on track?? BLOG IT!! This will give me some accountability because I'm putting it out there for the world to see. Hopefully,  the thought of publicly failing should be enough to keep me going long enough to establish healthy habits.

The Plan:
To write on a semi-daily basis on how my day went, how I am feeling, and maybe some tips I'm learning along the way in school. Also, I will post weekly updates on my progress. Maybe I'll get a few tips from my readers as well. I will have them all neatly tagged under my "Diet & Exercise" page so they can all be viewed on one. 

So, lets start this thing off right!

Today I woke up and ate the last two homemade chocolate chip cookies... had to get rid of them! Now, that the temptation is out of the way,  I had some scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee w/ skim milk and truvia sweetner. Then I went for a 3 mile walk!! Pretty proud of myself.  Not that I have the abiblity to walk, but the fact that I took the time to do it. My goal with this is to work my way up to a 3 mile run... Think I can accomplish by June?? I think so...

Ok... Now that I've got this ball rolling I hope I don't live to regret it. Worse case senerio... I delete the posts and pray no one read them. I need to stay accountable. Hopefully this is the way to do it. I will finish my day's progress tonight and layout the plan for the week.

WISH ME LUCK!

And you thought algebra was confusing???

     Well, try chicken math! That's right... chicken math. I know what you are saying right about now... "That crazy chicken lady is off her roost." Nope. It is well known amongst us chicken enthusiasts, and it will even have the nerdiest of math lovers scratching their heads. Any attempt at understanding chicken math, will put any confusion of algebra to rest.

This is basically how it works:

    First of all, 1 chicken + 1 chicken NEVER = 2 chickens. At the bare minimum, it equals 4. Second, a dozen chickens = 16. Just like a baker's dozen = 13 (so the baker has one to eat), a chicken owner will mailorder a dozen chickens which will have 12 + 4 ''packing peanuts'' (16). Third, if you go to your local farm and garden store to buy 6 day old chicks, it is guaranteed that you will leave with at least 7. Why you ask?? Don't know... it is just how chicken math works.

  Lets take my situation for an example. Last summer, I decided I was going to purchase my first, and at the time only, flock of chickens. I thought long and hard about how many I wanted and decided on 3. Yet, when I placed my order, I got 5!  This was my first experience with chicken math. However, at the time, I was new to the whole chicken experience and was still pretty skeptical about this chicken math everyone warned me about.

    Then the neighborhood dog came by and snatched 1... down to 4. Ok ok. That math is correct. 5-1 does in fact equal 4. The difference is, whenever one chicken is lost it is replaced by at least 2. Now, remember I said just a moment ago that the intended 3 that I ordered (which somehow turned into 5) was going to be my ONLY purchase. If the neighborhood dog never ate my Edy, things may have stayed the same, but since I lost her, chicken math intervined. Now, I have 4 more chicks coming Thursday... which, in fact, was only going to be 3!

   Still skeptical?? Fine, that is perfectly normal. Like I said before, I was once a disbeliever. So, try and prove me wrong. Go get yourself some chickens and see what happens. It might not happen instantaneously, but it will happen.

FYI... before my chickens, my daughter was failing algebra. 

I rest my case.

Organized Chaos

  

   I live a very busy life. The five kids alone is enough to keep me on my toes. However, being a full time student, reservist, wife, maid, cook blah blah blah... I am constantly running. When people ask me how do I do it, I say, "It's just organized chaos." 

     From the outside looking in, I may look like I'm on top of everything and I have everything running smoothly like a well oiled machine. Actually, this is the furthest from the truth. There is always something that gets pushed to the back burner while I try to juggle three or four other things. None of which get 100% of my time. I can only imagine how great they all would be if each task/obligation had individualized attention. For instance, I am maintaining a 3.5 GPA at school. If, I had no other obligations or distractions, I am more than certain my GPA would be a 4.0.  I also can 'if' things to death, but like my step-father always says, "...and if a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass when he hopped." Whatever that means. 

     A part of me thinks that I thrive off of stretching myself thin. I always have to be doing something or I get into a funk. Four years ago, I tried to be a stay at home mom when my last child was born. It was heaven for maybe the first 3 months. Then I started going stir crazy and ended up in a depressive funk. I went days without getting out of my pajamas. When I would finally decide to shower, I would just put a clean pair of pajamas back on. I didn't cook and clean like I imagined the perfect house wife would do, and I wasn't the greatest person to be around either. 

     Yes, I have a lot on my plate. There are all the house projects that does not include my yard work and gardening adventures. There is school, which of course take a lot of my time if I want to maintain a decent GPA. However, I think I spend more time traveling to school than actual class time (I live 1.5 hours from my college). Then there is the every day chores such as cooking, cleaning and my chickens (It is the cleaning that gets put on the back burner the most). Lets not forget my homework and making sure the kids have theirs done as well. The kids are my #1 priority of course, but sometimes I think they get the short end of the stick. 

     I try to take time every day to reflect on my day in order to stay present and appreciate the moment. This is an absolute requirement of the day or else an overwhelming drowning feeling sinks in and all the future goals seem out of reach. Its amazing how well this works. It brings everything into focus and makes the big things not so big. I think of my family each and every day. They are the 'why' behind it all, and the saying "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all" rings true each and every time. 

     So, yes my life is busy and it can look like I do it all with ease. The truth is, the only thing organized about any of this... is the chaos.