Fit in 40 days: day 3

I am thankful I can laugh at myself and the things I do! Today was Jack's last day of 4th grade. He has had such a rotten year and has done so well at his new school, that when he asked for a Pizza Party to celebrate, I was not going to say no.

You know he's the baby in the family, right??

So they boys had pizza for dinner (I had a buy one get one free coupon, so at least a small victory there!) and I had this:

Salad with light ranch and 3 oz of crispy chicken. You can almost imagine how fantastic that tasted up against a nice, gooey, greasy pizza....so I may have had a couple pieces of pizza. But not many.

Got my run in today, too. Hitting Aldi tomorrow and Kroger on Friday. Busy weekend of friends and family coming to visit. Should be another good weekend to kick off Summer!

Speaking of grocery shopping: I watched the Rachael Ray show on Tues and they did a grocery budget swap with two families: One family used to be on food stamps and now sticks to a strict $60/week budget for a family of 4. The other family has no budget and can spend close to $600 (HUNDRED) a week in groceries. The guy is a chef and buys only the highest quality ingredients. So she had them swap. The $60/week gal didn't know what to spend her money on so she bought a lot of meat/poultry. She said that after just a couple days of eating such rich food, they felt horrible. She said they felt better when they had beans or rice or pasta a couple times a week. The $600/week family lasted about two days and then resorted to take out. The guy could not stand cooking just regular ground beef for a meal.

How much do you spend on groceries a week for your family? What will you splurge on? Our family of 5 spends about $110/week. That does NOT include the $100 we spend at our meat market every 6-8 weeks. I am pretty good at making the good stuff stretch but really want the kids to eat more meat/poultry/fish than processed stuff. So that meat bill will be going up this summer. And that's ok if it helps them develop better habits.

Would love your feedback on your grocery bills and where you scrimp and where you splurge.

Thanks for reading!

Cat

Fit in 40 days: Day 2

I am happy to report, so far so good. I managed to get my act together enough this morning to include apple slices with the kids waffles. They had carrots and orange pepper strips with their grilled cheese tonight (not a very adventurous meal for the kids but we have baseball tonight). I, however, made some delicious Chinese turkey meatballs.

Started with about a pound and a half of ground white meat turkey, grated in a couple carrots, some ginger and some onion. I love to grate the onion  bcz you get the juice and no big chunks of onion. Added some hoisin and siracha and lots of black pepper. Baked them at 375 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. They went great with the broccoli slaw I made yesterday. Always looking for ways to spruce up some ground turkey!!

I didn't add any salt and should have. But other than that, they are really moist and pretty tasty. I can eat them all week and not feel bad about it.

Got my run in today and though my time was pathetic, I was just glad I didn't die of heat stroke. 4pm on an 85 degree day may NOT have been the best time to run. But I am 2 for 2 so far in this challenge.

This was my official last day of work for the summer. YAY! I truly love my job and my co workers are the greatest group of people you could hope to work with. Just nice to take some time away from the kids and cooking for 6 hours and just relax.

Have a great Tuesday!!

Cat

Fit in 40 days: Day 1

I am often a hypocrite in that I talk a BIG game about nutrition and exercise and though I may follow my own advice, I do not do the same for my family. There have been lots of Donut parties of late as a way to keep Jack plugging thru school. On the weekends and during the week, there are often trips to the drive thru's because we are on the run constantly.

I hate what I am feeding my family. I hate that they don't know what portion control is. I hate that it can be DAYS in between having a fruit or veggie.

And that is too much hate to be carrying around.

My neighbor/friend invited me to join Runners World 40 miles in 40 days challenge which starts today and ends July 4th. I have just gotten back into running, am doing a 5k in the Fall with some friends, and I usually put on a good 7lbs over the summer. This is a terrific incentive for me to get off the couch/lounge chair and keep moving.

Then I thought: If I am going to endure this torture, er I mean, healthy lifestyle, my family should, too!!! More water, more fruits, more veggies, more fresh food. This doesn't mean there won't be a frozen pizza, mac and cheese, or grilled cheese days, it just means I am taking a very active role in getting my family to eat better in the next 40 days.

And to make sure I am accountable for it, I will blog about it every day. It is hard to not get sucked into the lure of the drive thru, but it is so expensive and just so bad for them. And knowing I would have to blog about it may be enough to keep me away!

So join me on this 40 days of lots of miles, healthy eating, and happier family members!!

Thanks for reading,

Cat

The end of Spring Break

Dear Yoga Pants (pairs 1, 2 and 3),

It has been a glorious 13 or so days together but I am afraid it is time to part. It's not you, it's me. See, I have lunches packed, eggs hard boiled, smoothies made, and the coffee pot is set up. 

To go off at 5:15am. 

Do you see why we must part? We would lounge in bed until 11am or so, eat a little something (though I do have to thank you for a decent weight loss: sleeping thru breakfast significantly cuts my calories for the day), then maybe tackle laundry or some other trivial house keeping task, take a nap, then do carpool duty. Dinner, then back to bed. Lord that was nice.

I thank you for your undying loyalty, though there were days I did not shower and I took you out while not looking my best. You are a trooper. You deserve better.

The upside is: the weekend is only FIVE days away. We can rendezvous again on Friday afternoon. If you want. I can meet you in the closet.

Friends always,

Cat

Now that I got that out of my system, how are you all??? I have literally been to work 2 days in the last two weeks and I cannot WAIT to go back tomorrow. Being home is good, I have slept more this last week than the last decade but I am bored and want to do something. Emily was in AZ with her dad and step mom and Jack was at school. So it was me and Griff for a week. We were going to eat our way thru Columbus for lunch and we went local the first two days. Then he started sleeping till 1pm every day and we didn't go out. Ho hum, at best.

Here are some pics of me with Jack on his spring break:

We did all kinds of fun stuff, connected with a friend I haven't seen in years, just enjoyed our time together.

This is Spring Break with a 12 year old boy

Replay that scene every day for 5 days and you get what I was dealing with. It's all good, I caught up on a decade of sleep in one week.

I hope you all got the chance to do something with your families. Doesn't matter where you go (or don't go) but as long as you hung out together, it's all good.

I am in full swing with a weight loss challenge with my neighbors and have been logging in myfitnesspal.com. I have been doing really well and am hoping to keep it up when I go back to work tomorrow.

Spring is coming, I am sure of it. Right???

Would love to get to 20 followers, not begging....just saying...

Cat

Kids say the darndest things....

I have to laugh a little when I look back at this years posts and there is one from the beginning of Feb titled "A gentler me". Boy, that was a big lie. My life the past two years has been anything but gentle. I share this story in hopes that some, if not all of you, can identify and feel like you are not so alone.

Just about two years ago we received the diagnosis of Autism for Jack. I have made my mission in life to research everything I could to make his life easier. And in that time, I have spent a lot of time being really angry. Really angry with him, with schools, with busing, with my other kids, with my husband, but most of all with me. Some how, this was all my fault. All. My. Fault.

The last two years I have done nothing but abuse my body. Through food, alcohol, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, you get the idea. I felt like he was suffering so I should be too. And then Griffin said something to me this week that made me stop in my tracks.

He asked why I watch sad videos and cry all the time. My response was "Because I want to know there are other people out there going thru a rough time". Bingo. I clearly need some support. I literally would wake up every morning just pissed off at someone/something. That takes a ridiculous amount of effort and I would rather do something that makes me happy.

I am lucky enough to have a fantastic group of parents thru Jack's school and some very close friends (Beenie Weenie and Mighty Mouse) who have been instrumental in pulling me out of this dark hole. The stories they tell and the things they have been thru make me realize we all have hurdles and it is our job as parents to jump them. Someone has it harder than I do every day, but we all do what we can for our kids.

I have realized that Autism does not define my lifestyle, it is just a part of who we are as a family. We are so much more than that: We are acceptance into Zoo School for Emily next year: we are Big League baseball for Griffin who has been asked to be on several teams: We are a child who finally likes going to school: we are a husband and wife who are trying to do the best we can for each other and our kids. THAT is who we are. Together we are stronger as a whole.

In this path of not letting Autism define me, I am getting back into running, stepping away from people who don't make me happy, forging new friendships, and treating myself the way I should have been all along. I am stepping back from reading a lot about Autism and doing more reading to make me happy. These last three months at Jack's new school has shown me he will be ok, we will get to a good place.

And when I woke up this morning pissed off that Griff had stayed up till 1am on the computer, I laid in bed and thought of how I could deal with this. My instinct was to march down there and tear him apart but I laid in bed for a bit and calmed down. When I came down, I told him computer off at 10pm. Period.

He was waiting for the shit storm and I didn't deliver. I don't think he knows what hit him.

And that felt really good.

I have been from Fat Cat to Fit Cat to Fat Cat and am working my way back to Fit Cat. I hope you are all doing well, enjoying some kind of spring where you are and will reach out for support if you need it.

Thanks for reading.

Cat

A smattering of things I like and things I am over

Hello Winter Weary Friends!!

How is everyone? I am hoping you are all hanging in there with the longest winter in the history of winter's. With more to come this weekend. Geez. Enough. All. Ready.

I thought I would put together a brief list of the things I have really been enjoying lately. We can all use some good ideas, right? Some I have mentioned before but they are worth mentioning again.

*My local Meat Market (Mosley's for you locals). I bought $100 worth of meat and this is what I am getting (organic, locally raised)

2.5 lbs beef stir fry

3 lbs ground chuck

2.5 lbs boneless pork loin chops

2.5 lbs boneless pork loin roast

5 lbs bone in chicken thighs

2.5 lbs ground turkey

3 lbs ground chicken

2 8oz ribeyes

3 lbs boneless chicken breast

2 lbs bacon

We should be set for two months!! And what I really like is I ask them to split all the packages in half or what I want and they do. So all I have to do is freeze it all when I get home. Look into your local meat market. Support local business!!

*Haugland Learning Center. This is where Jack is going and it is a school for children with Autism. I cannot truly put into words what a difference this school has made in his academic, social, and family life. He is off medication and is happier than I have ever seen him. He WANTS to go to school every morning, despite the hour and a half bus ride. If you have a child that is struggling in school, there are a lot of alternatives and look into your County for funding for some of these alternatives.

*Nicole Curtis on Rehab Addict on HGTV. I have a lady crush on her. Nice to see someone care so much about old homes that would normally be condemned. Wish there were more people out there like her. And she's badass.

*Coconut oil: great to cook with but even better as a skin lotion! I use it everyday and keep a plastic container in my bathroom. Warm it in your hands and slather at will.

*Email classwork alerts: I love knowing, before my kids get home, that they have failed a test. Leaves me time to plan their torture...

*All the local business things on FB. Nice to use local people for handymen. I would rather support a local family with my business than a National chain.

*Tennis balls-keeps our new Shepherd rescue busy. He bats them around like a cat and will fetch them, too. I am hoping Play it Again Sports has some old ones we can buy, cheap.

A few things I can live without

*Potholes. They eat a chunk of my van every day.

*Weather "models". Please. No more charts.

*6th grade math.

*Ear infections. Jack had one so bad his entire ear swelled shut!!

*Hoodies. Wear a f**ing coat to the bus stop!!

*Our rescue Shepherd barking at Tom and Jack but not Griffin. UGH. I wish I had a dog speak decoder.

That's all the blabbering I have in me. If I could reach 18 readers, that would make my week! Stay warm and safe everyone. I have been saying that since October but I mean it.

Pray for Spring, friends.

Cat

January, please leave!

Hi friends! I hope you are all staying safe and warm in this crazy month. I, along with everyone I know, is ready to heave January out the door and welcome in February. Ok actually, we would really like to welcome June, but you know, the calendar thing is pretty solid on how the months go.

As you know, we put our dog Molly down almost three weeks ago and we decided a week ago to start looking for another dog. Teddy seemed really sad and we thought it couldn't hurt to start looking. I am very particular when choosing a dog as having a son with Autism brings a whole bunch of things to think about (texture of fur, how how pitch the bark, size, etc) and we were in no hurry.

Then I got a text from a friend who had a friend who's Aunt was being put in a Nursing Home and they didn't know what to do with her 6 year old white shepherd, Bear. Bear and a cat had been raised by this elderly Aunt, and though he spent some time with neighbors, Bear is NOT used to the chaos of three kids and another Shep/Lab mix. I knew he was good with kids and other dogs, but I didn't stop to think that he has not spent much time around MEN.

Griffin and I went to look at him and Bear was afraid to get out of the car. This raised some flags for me because he is BIG and the last thing I needed was a big, scared dog. But we brought Teddy out of the van and they seemed to get along ok, so we said ok, we'll give it a go.

He is at least 85 lbs of love and fur. For those of you who aren't familiar with German Shepherds, they are great dogs but very protective. Bear very much took to me as being the older lady in the house and he loves Emily, too. He is very wary of the boys, though seems to do better with the boys then with Tom. If Tom ignores him, he will lay down next to him. He will let anyone pet him but will only come to me and Emily. I know it will take some time but I know he will be a great addition to this family.

It's an ironic twist because Molly and Tom were inseparable, and now Bear has adopted me and Teddy has become Tom's buddy. Jack has been great in respecting that Bear is a little afraid but Bear lets him pet him all the time. Seems like a great fit.

And he needs to lose some weight. Join the club, Bear.

Did I tell you I quit my Assisted Living job? Well, I did. I really was not enjoying it and it was killer getting up at 5am on Sunday's. I am in the process of looking for restaurant work Fri or Sat evenings as that is the experience I am lacking.

Emily starts in school driving class next week. Just that much closer to getting her license. YIKES.

Boys are doing well. Jack is doing so well at his new school and I try not to think about how misplaced he was at his old school. It makes me so mad that I have to put it on a shelf. I am reading a great book called Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm. It is an easy read and will make you cry. If you have family who doesn't understand what is going on with your Autistic child, this is a great read.

I have been going to Aldi and Meijer to do my shopping and I definitely feel that Meijer is way cheaper than Giant Eagle and has a much better produce selection.

Doing anything for Super Bowl Sunday? Yeah, us neither. But I am making a truck load of food so we can have left overs all weeks. I bought baby back ribs and will have to find out how to cook them. I usually get spareribs so this is new territory for me. I like a challenge.

Tom and I are doing well. He has been a real trooper staying home with the kids when they are off and my district is not. I haven't put on any weight but haven't lost any either. Darn you the last 10 lbs!! Though I suspect my body knew how crappy this winter would be and urged me to keep the weight on.

That's my story anyway.

Would love to hit 20 followers this year. Spread the word.

Gotta get Bear off my feet, throw Jack in the shower and get the dinner dishes done. Oh, maybe I could throw the dinner dishes in with Jack and he could wash them while taking a shower?? Ok, ewww.. maybe not.

Stay warm and safe friends!

Cat