It's been a long week - February 17, 2012

This past week is one big blur - because preschool has been out all week.

Look, I absolutely adore my daughter. I think she's stunningly gorgeous and extremely brilliant. I also find her emotionally and physically draining so much of the time, and preschool gives me a bit of a break. I can get work done. I can get play done. I can read a book or catch up on TV. I can do...something. I can't do anything when she's home. She won't play independently, she has attention-seeking behaviors that are dangerous (and infuriating), she won't sit and watch a TV show or a movie with me. It's just a fact of our lives and I hope someday she'll grow out of this. We had fun some of the time - she demonstrated to me that she can read, which was something I knew but it was so cool to see, and we played and we sang songs. We also had...a really hard time.

This week was Valentine's Day. Nobody in my household particularly cared. We used a Scoutmob deal to get a half-price lunch at a fun restaurant. A certain someone (not me. not my husband.) had a whiny flinging tantrum while we were waiting for our food. (The restaurant was crowded but the waiter brought her a special extra treat while we waited. It didn't help.) Once she calmed down, we actually had a nice time.

This week I also accepted a giant copyediting project. Next week is going to be busy, but that's a good thing.

This week I also became a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers. This means that I maintained my weight loss for six weeks (I actually lost a bit more within those six weeks, but that was while following the program and not doing anything extra, I promise - I'm very happy where I am and have no desire to go further in a deliberate way) and now I can go to meetings for free and use the online tools for free as long as I maintain and weigh in once a month. I'm so proud of myself. (I am also annoyed with myself that I let things get to the point where I needed to join Weight Watchers, but life happened.) My husband and kid came to the meeting at which I got my tiny gold key charm (squee!) and everyone clapped. Plus I wore a dress I bought when I was in college, studying abroad in London. In 1994. A dress I held onto because it is a classic style and because I loved it so much even though I was sure I'd never fit into it again. It fits now. I hope to find many occasions to wear it.

I have been thinking about what I eat now. I still go out. I still eat cupcakes. I still frequent food trucks. I still eat chocolate (too much, probably). I just manage my portions. I don't always order dessert even if I'm full to bursting. I don't order appetizers either. I drink water. (These things save me money too. Win!) I don't buy ice cream to have in the house. Beyond that? I'm just going along eating normally, I think. I've never really felt like I was on a OMG DIET. And I never had a backslide. The only time I gained any weight was during maintenance, when I was already below my goal and was messing around with eating. I think I was lucky in that regard. And with that, I'm done talking about it (probably) except for checking in on occasion to tell you that I'm maintaining. Not if. That I am.

This week I completed the third week of the Couch to 5K program and I am getting a tiny glimmer of understanding why people think it's fun to run. I couldn't run the full three minute stretch any of these days, but I also kept moving through the entire workout no matter what. Today as I ran/walked, I'd set goals - I just have to run to that mailbox and then I can walk. I can walk for the count of 20 but then I have to run until I pass that parked car. That sort of thing. Having good music has helped (someone pointed me to pre-made, timed podcasts so I use those and it's fun to have surprises come up as I run). My first 5K is in March and I'm going to plug my donation page in just about every post until then because I'm raising money for my kid's school and because I'm very close to my fundraising goal.

And finally, my husband lost our Ekobrew this week. My post about the Ekobrew is the most-read post of all my blog, but I also...adore that little gadget. (It's a reusable cup for my Keurig - I have almost completely stopped buying K-cups at this point because while they are fun and easy, they are just too expensive to justify anymore. Boo.) Today we replaced it - I was going to buy my replacement Ekobrew from Amazon (where they are inexpensive! and in any case I got my original for free for review purposes...) but I found them at Whole Foods and decided to just buy it when I saw it rather than ordering...waiting...etc. Hooray. For the record, I used my Solofill while deciding how best to replace the Ekobrew. It's just fine, it does absolutely what it needs to. I just prefer the Ekobrew. (Both the Solofill and the Ekobrew cost about as much as one box of K-cups, FYI.)

Coming next week: A product review of something kind of interesting I was sent by a company. I love when that happens. COMPANIES SHOULD SEND ME STUFF TO REVIEW. AND STUFF TO GIVE AWAY. Yup.