A little catch up...

It's been quite a week...

Evan is still OBSESSED with Playdough, playing with it every chance he gets. His brothers joined him on Saturday morning, and got creative....
Evan made quite a few of these...not sure if this is a dragon or a monster...
My "eating clean" is going really well. I am really enjoying my food, and am trying things I've never tried before (almond butter, ground flax seed, bee pollen, wheat germ, Ezekiel bread, multi-grain wraps, tofu, avocado oil, Quinoa, brown rice...the list goes on). I am having fun trying new recipes, and can whip up a simple meal in no time. That's good because right now I am cooking mostly separate meals for myself and my family. (That being said, they are trying some of my foods, and are grabbing some of my healthy snacks without being prompted. My ultimate goal is to clean up their eating too.) I'm eating 5 small meals a day, all including a complex carbohydrate and a lean protein. Here's a couple of examples:

A multi-grain wrap spread with hummus, packed with grilled chicken, tomatoes, spinach and bell peppers, blackberries and raspberries, green tea, water

Quinoa topped with tofu, cucumbers, bell peppers with a dash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil

My favorite snack has been a honey crisp apple with a couple of tablespoons of almond butter. Breakfast is mostly oatmeal with a couple of tablespoons each of wheat germ and ground flax seed, 1 tablespoon of bee pollen, moistened with low fat plain yogurt and topped with blueberries. I drink a cup of green tea with breakfast too, and finish things off with a four egg white omelet.

I've been walking/running on my treadmill too. In my past life :) I was a fit and active person. I ran cross-country and track in high school, and continued my running into my young adult life before I had kids. I've tried to exercise and have been successful at times, but recently had some sciatic issues that derailed me for the past few years. I miss running, the runner's high and the feeling of strength that goes along with it. I see a woman running on the road, and I wonder if I could ever do that again. This week I have done some running on the treadmill, and it makes me feel hopeful. :) To give myself the best possible chance, I have been doing stretching and back exercises too to try and prevent irritation to my back.

Wahoo! I am down 8 pounds!

I've been getting in bed by 10 (or 9 :)) at night, and that is a HUGE improvement.

And see how well all of this is working? Don't I look great?! (HA! No make up, and hair styling by Caroline and Evan!)
Last, but not least, Evan got a brand new "BIG BOY" twin bed today!!! He seemed very excited about it, that is until we put it together and he realized that what we got was not a bunk bed. He was under the impression that his big boy bed would be just like Henry and Seth's bed, which are in fact, bunk beds. Once we got him past that disappointment, he started liking the bed more, especially once we put all of his cowboy bedding on it. :) He also likes that we can snuggle together in it when we read.
This picture is courtesy of Henry (or maybe Seth, I'm not sure). Evan and I were all ready to read when the paparazzi (Henry and Seth) arrived to take pictures of the big event (Evan's first night in his bed). Hee-hee! Like mother, like sons! :)