The deed is done; my hair is gone

I know you're just DYING to know if I got my hair cut and what it looks like. Here ya go.
This is what it looks like when I first get up in the morning, complete with scared face:

Here's what it looked like when I tried to straighten it, then went out in the Alabama humidity and got sweaty:

And here's my favorite way that I do it. It's just too hot to have ANY hair in my face, so I pull a little of it back. On this day, I used a bling pin:

Ambition in a List

TO DO LAST WEEK:

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 30 mins zumba + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 30 mins air climber + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 30 mins zumba (or similar) + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 20-30 mins walking+ 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 20 minutes circuit training + 5 mins abs

Record last video of home videos

Unpack car

Clean out car

Upload pictures to Snapfish, label, share

Read 3 World Magazines to catch up (only read 1)

Read 6 chapters of Acts

Catch up on reading friends’ blogs

Read pages 63-113 of In Defense of Food (got to page 100)

Check freebieshark.com, southernsavers.com, and moneysavingmom.com a few times

Earn 250 swag bucks (started at 1503) (got 245, that’s close enough)

Do some “homework” with Ethan

Weed garden

Write a blog post: Adventures in gardening

Email those two ladies about Paparazzi and see if they’re still interested

Jewelry to Lynette, Julie, and Perry

LIST FOR THIS WEEK:

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 30 mins zumba + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 30 mins air climber + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 30 mins zumba (or similar) + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 20-30 mins walking+ 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 20 minutes circuit training + 5 mins abs

Record last video of home videos

Clean out car

Take car to Columbus to check engine??? Have tires replaced???

Read two World magazines

Read chapters 20-28 of Acts

Make one homemade thing

Do one craft with the boys

Read pages 100-150 of In Defense of Food

Do some “homework” with Ethan

Email those two ladies about Paparazzi and see if they’re still interested

Jewelry to Andrea, Julie, and Perry

Adventures in Gardening

Earlier in the spring, I decided to plant a garden. I didn't do much research, and this is the first time I've ever planted things, so this has been a learning experience. I've already learned so much like

a) not to trust the back of the seed packets about when to plant them

b) that zucchinis are supposed to be planted in a mound, not in rows

c) that watermelons and zucchinis need A LOT more space than I gave them

d) that maybe letting my kids help put the seeds in isn't such a great idea because they end up putting 5 seeds in one spot, which leads to the problem stated in c) above.

and

e) that I should never bend over as much as I did when I was tilling the garden, which was the last straw for my sciatica and the reason for which I now have to go to the chiropractor 3 times a week. But all that is another story.

Here we are getting the garden ready. The kids LOVED the mud.

 Fiona really loved it: 

Ethan loved the pick axe: 

And I just couldn't resist doing a picture like this: 

mmmm, yummy.

Here's Ethan with the pick axe again: 

And Fiona still lovin' the mud:

And one last one of Ethan weilding his weapon:

Okay, now time for the actual garden.

I planted basil in the first two pots there, and tomatoes in the one on the right: 

And here's the garden. Have you ever seen a more lovely looking garden? No, wait, don't answer that. I know, I know, it's over-crowded. Like I said, I've already learned a lot. Anyway, I have cucumbers, zucchini, watermelon, broccoli, and dying onions. I don't know what I did wrong with the onions. 

I even have this lovely hibiscus plant that I haven't killed yet. It flowers most days: 

I tried to transplant a few of the watermelon plants so they'd have more space. Here they are. I don't know if they're going to make it or not: 

And here are zinnias that I planted at the front of the house. They're actually flowering! So exciting. I also planted marigolds, but none of them sprouted. I don't know what I did wrong there either. 

So, there you go. Gardening has been fun so far, and the kids have enjoyed watching things grow. I will, of course, check in later about whether or not we actually get any vegetables out of our garden. Here's hopin' we do...

To do this week

TO DO THIS WEEK:

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 30 mins zumba + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 30 mins air climber + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 20 minutes circuit training + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 30 mins zumba (or similar) + 5 mins abs

Work out 12 minutes surge training + 20-30 mins walking+ 5 mins abs

Record last video of home videos

Unpack car

Clean out car

Upload pictures to Snapfish, label, share

Read 3 World Magazines to catch up

Read 6 chapters of Acts

Catch up on reading friends’ blogs

Read pages 63-113 of In Defense of Food

Check freebieshark.com, southernsavers.com, and moneysavingmom.com a few times

Earn 250 swag bucks (started at 1503)

Do some “homework” with Ethan

Weed garden

Write a blog post: Adventures in gardening

Email those two ladies about Paparazzi and see if they’re still interested

Jewelry to Lynette, Julie, and Perry

Trip to Texas

We tried driving through the night on the way there, and it worked WONDERFULLY! I drove only about 2 1/2 hours, then went to sleep, and Chad drove another 7 hours while I fitfully slept. The boys slept till 6 am, and Fiona woke up only a couple of times and fussed minimally. It was GREAT. Now, it did take Chad the whole next to day to recover, but that's okay.

First stop: Friendswood, TX to see Granmama and Grandaddy. We went blueberry picking:

  

and Grandaddy took the boys fishing with a homemade fishing pole:  

  

Ethan caught his first fish!!! And then caught another 4 by himself and 6 more with help.

I was there for awhile, but I wasn't quite so sure about the heat and humidity. I'll take some air conditioning, please: 

Benji had some koolaid and some cheetos. Here's the incriminating evidence: 

                                               We went to the beach in Galveston:

  

                                            and built sandcastles:

Next stop: North Richland Hills to see Grammy and Gramps.

Fiona had her first ice cream cone: 

                            uh ... this is Uncle Bryan licking his imaginary ice cream cone:

Benji was given a birthday party: 

 And we tried out darndest to get a good picture of all the kids smiling with the grandparents. Fiona didn't make it easy on us.

                                                    This is the best we could do:

                                                       and one with Great Grandma:

It took me several days to unpack and get everything put away. Here's Fiona trying on sunglasses to look like a cool chick while I'm trying to unpack.

                                                Is her belly not the cutest little thing?

To do list

Uh ... a little late on this, seeing as how the week is almost over, but better late than never.
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Goals for last week:

do blog post Confused by Food, part II

put an advert on WAHM.com

work out 4 hours this week (30 mins zumba, 30 mins pilates)

Record last video of home videos

Read chapters 6, 7, and 8 of Dawn Treader with Ethan (This is not working. Neither of us are feelin’ it. I think we’re going to try some “Magic Treehouse” books instead)

Do one craft with the boys (use googly eyes and pompoms that I have?)

Call Schools First FCU about putting off loan for the summer

Read 364-464 in Omnivore’s Dilemma (got to page 426)

Deposit checks at the bank

Call Jule Collins about Saturday art clubs.  334-844-3486

Call the Meat lab on AU campus 334-844-1566

Call preschools (Sonshine, Sonshine II, Holy Trinity, Bright Beginnings, Auburn First Bap, Lakeview, Hardy’s)

Call about advertising in Parents mag: 334-209-0552

Call Paparazzi about 2 necklaces 1-855-697-2727

Call Emma again to babysit

Make a 4-year appt for Benji

Do thank you notes for Benji’s birthday presents

Make flier and mail / email to people for jewelry party!!!

TO DO THIS WEEK:

do blog post Confused by Food, part II

work out 4 hours this week

Record last video of home videos

Get a Magic Treehouse (or similar) book to read with Ethan

Read 427-527 in Omnivore’s Dilemma

Read half of the book of Acts

Call about advertising in Parents mag: 334-209-0552

Catch up on reading friends’ blogs

Check freebieshark.com, southernsavers.com, and moneysavingmom.com daily

Earn 150 swag bucks (started at 1050)

Go through stack of papers with Ethan

Confused by Food, Part II

     I know you've all been sitting on pins and needles till I wrote Part II of this.
     After stressing the entire day after I wrote Part I, I came to the conclusion that stressing about it ridiculous.  Stressing about food is probably just as bad as eating bad food. So, NO MORE STRESSING about it.
     One way I will be taking it easier is to just realize that it's going to take me a long time to do all the research I'd like to about food. It's going to be a long process. Since I should never make learning about food a priority over my children, I'll just have to do bits of research here and there when I have a little time. I'm thinking this could be a year-long process of research and phasing.
     Another way I'll be taking it easier is to phase some things out and ease other things in. For example, we have one 12 pack of diet Cokes left in the cabinet. When those are gone, I plan not to buy sodas anymore. (But lest you think I'm an extremist, I will still have diet Cokes, maybe once a week ... that's a good goal). And we are moving towards only buying meat that we know has been ethically raised, not fed animal byproducts and other things unnatural to its intended menu, and humanely killed. I've found a farmer's market that starts this week, and if Randle Farms will ever call me back (Sheesh, they have the worst customer service!), I can start buying meat from them.
     Except for fish, still not sure what I think about farm-raised fish. Probably okay...
     In the meantime, it's been fun and challenging to make vegetarian meals. I've made a yummy frittata, a mushroom crepe cake (10 stars!!!, you gotta try it), portobello mushroom burgers, and green smoothies.
     In some ways, I have become one of those "willfully ignorant" people. I just can't think about certain things, and I pretend not to know what I know; otherwise I'd just have to retreat into a cave for the rest of my life. For example, at a cookout recently, I ate sausage and hotdogs. And chili. And it was all very yummy. But I didn't, and don't, want to think about what was in that sausage and hotdog. Nope, not thinkin' about it.
     So ... sometime in the future, perhaps a year from now, I will have all this sorted out. I will be knowledgeable and will have an action plan.

And here are some pictures of my adorable children to cheer you up and make this post a little more interesting: