My birthday present to myself.

It's my birthday. Yippee. haha I don't really care for birthdays. But I do know that hiding in my husband's car is the first season of gLee on DVD for me...well at least I'm pretty sure because I told him I don't care about anything else today, just that! No special dinner or flowers or a party...just that!! hahaha :)

This is what I WANT to look like again. I love my thin face, so unround and un-plate like. (haha!) I will get there again.


This is what I look like now...(Ugh.)

Actually, this was in November. That's like 2.5 pounds ago! Woop!

This is my present to myself. A year long committment to a better lifestyle. I will give myself that FACE again by summertime as a present to myself.

Happy Birthday, Kate. GET EXERCISING! :)

Sick, sick and more sick.

Today was not a good day for my diet. Actually, that's not true. It was half good, half bad. I ate breakfast and had milk with it, ate a nice healthy lunch (whole wheat pasta with Country Crock, green beans with a sprinkle of parmesean cheese) and got in ALL my water. But I blew it on dinner (Pizza! Ugh!) and am not doing my Jillian DVD tonight. I feel awful. I've been battling a cold on and off since before Christmas and today I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Not to mention, Rory is sick and needs to go to the doctor tomorrow. I think there's an ear infection hanging out in the nursery upstairs...Ugh. It's just been a long, cold day. I know I am being too hard on myself. It's absolutely okay to have 2 pieces of pizza once in a while. And it was Little Ceasar's so it was small pieces with only cheese and pepperoni. Fine. I could have eat a lot worse (Chinese, cough cough) but I didn't. And I did get all my water in, which is my big goal of the week. Plus, I am terribly congested and lost my breath walking up the stairs today. Did you know I have seasonal and sports induced asthma? I do! So exercising probably wouldn't be wise. I was moving around quite a bit at dance today, so it wasn't like I just laid around all day.

This leads me to my next point.

Why am I, why are we, why are WOMEN specifically, so hard on ourselves? I had a half good, half bad diet day. FINE. There's no shame in that. It could have been an all day bad day and it wasn't. I have tomorrow to try again. I know I will do better and having pizza won't throw me completely off track. I'll toss in an extra workout, maybe go for a walk if it ever gets above 20*. It's really not the end of the world yet I sit here beating myself up for it.

I am going to resolve to think more positively about my goal and especially about my body. Perhaps tomorrow or Wednesday I will go shopping and buy myself something nice to wear out on Friday for my birthday celebration. I need to be realistic, but there's no sense in beating myself up. Ugh. Being a woman is rough!

Say a prayer for Ro. Poor kid is all congested and feeling pretty yucky, I think. We're off to the doctor tomorrow. She's been pulling at her ear for a day or two now.

Until tomorrow,
Kate

P.S. Memory Monday will start next week. Yippee.

Survey Sundays!

I've decided that each day of the week is going to have a different theme here at 567Kate. Drum roll please...

Survey Sunday
Memory Monday
Recipe Tuesday
Wishful Thinking Wednesday
Accomplishment Thursday
Fabulous Friday
Week in Review Saturday

So there you have it! :) I am also giving myself a free pass once a week to skip a theme, fyi. I make the rules so...I win! :)

On with Survey Sunday...This week's survey is (of course) a Year in Review.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Gave birth! Bahahaha. Well technically, I didn't really do that, since I had a c-section. So how about this? I had my very first c-section.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and you make more for next year?
I did!! It was to keep better track of ALL my money, and I did. I saved 97% of my reciepts/bank statements/ATM reciepts, etc. The ones I don't have are either cash (doesn't matter then) or just got misplaced by accident. My '10 New Years Resolution is to increase my saving and decreasing my spending AND live a healthier lifestyle. I will succeed!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my 3 best friends from high school all had babies! Well, Allie actually birthday Carter, Andy and Rob's fiance/wife gave birth to their babies for them. haha

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not someone I am close with, but I am very close to his family and knew him quite well when he was a kid.

5. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
I'd like to have less weight on my body!

6. What countries did you visit?
The USA. Boring year for us!

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why:
May 6, 2009! Happy Birthday, Rory!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Managing my money is HUGE for me. I am also pretty proud of becoming a mom and being pretty good at learning the ropes. I also produced the recital one month to the day after Rory was born. Tough stuff.

9. What was your biggest failure?
My eating habits.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I was sick a lot because of being pregnant. My biggest injury was my abs after the section and my back/shoulders/neck are all messed up.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Steelers Tickets for Dave for Christmas. :)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Allison Emer! No longer a loud mouth in class. haha And Rory learned to sleep through the night and nap! Joy! Joy! Joy!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
That's private.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Gas, Formula and Bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Rory! And the recital.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Hmmm...Father Abraham. :) And anything from Glee.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier!
ii. thinner or fatter? Ugh Fatter.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer, actually.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spending time with my family of 3.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it with my family in the morning and Dave's family in the afternoon. Nice.

21. Name one random thing that people would be surprised to know about you.
I am almost constantly worrying about something.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
With Glee! :)

24. What was your favorite TV program?
GLEE.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hmmm...I only hate 1 person. I know I shouldn't but I do. Oh I do.

26. What was the best book you read?
This year? Hmmm...The Shack.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Lady Gaga. I was a fan for FOREVER now! Thanks to my hairdresser. He got me hooked on her in 2008.

28. What did you want and get?
I wanted a KitchenAid and I got one for Christmas from my Dad!! :) We also replaced both our cars with safer, newer (and nicer) vehicles.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Night at the Museum 2 and Up.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 24...I had a date night with my husband. I was pregnant and covered with PUPP so I wanted to do nothing and wanted nothing. He got me flowers. I went to the spa a couple weeks later. That was perfect for me.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Hmmm...I'm not really sure, actually.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Tired New Mother.

34. What kept you sane?
Rory's laugh and Chelsea and Nikky and Britt.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Zac Efron. OMG.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Do NOT get me started.

37. Whom did you miss?
My college friends, especially Jesse.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Well I've known them for a few years but I just really got to know Cary and Jason this year. I'm so thankful that we have them in our lives.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Babies will sleep eventually. And this moment is just that...a moment. It will pass and I will survive.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
One day you're gonna want to go
I hope we taught you everything you need to know
Gracie girl

And there will always be a part of me
Nobody else is ever gonna see but you and me
My little girl
My Gracie girl

-Gracie by Ben Folds

Callapitter Blog

I think I need to call everyone's attention to an important blog.

http://callapitter46.blogspot.com

This blog is written by Amy Ambrusko about "the story of (her) life and journey after the death of (her) children."

Basically, she had two great kids, Peter and Kate, that were tragically killed in a car accident in April. They were driving back to Buffalo with their father when he had a siezure and passed out while driving. They were killed in the crash, he survived.

Holy crap.

I can't even imagine, waiting around for your ex-husband to call and say they got to his house safely, and instead recieve a call that says "The kids are dead." That would be the worst possible thing imaginable, I think. Her kids didn't get cancer. There was no illness. No hospitals visits, no medical explanations to cling to once they were gone. They were both poof gone in an instant, taken from her before she had a chance to really watch them grow up.

Her blog is so painfully honest and cathartic. I have been reading her faithfully for the last month or so, after PittGirl (www.thatschurch.com) wrote about her. Amy's latest entry reviews the last ten years in her life, as the last decade came to a close. What a LIFE she has had! Good, bad and in between. Married, 2 babies, moved to Pittsburgh, then she found our her husband was gay (imagine!!), divorce, ex-husband moves back to Buffalo and then bam. Death of her two kids.

How she isn't crazy by now I'll never know. I highly recommend reading along her journey. She's a writer among writers, if you will. Please read her blogs then say a prayer for her. I'm sure she can use it.

Right now...

Right now, my husband is tickling the baby on the floor with a stuffed cow, while we are watching "Up," with a fire in the fireplace.

Really people, that's the picture of happiness for me. I don't need much else in this world. Give me this scenario and some room to dance and I'm good.

For once, I glad I wasn't wearing heels.

Last night was New Year's Eve! (Surprise surprise, I bet you didn't know that.) For once, Dave and I left the baby with my Aunt Barb (thanks, A Barb and U Tom!!) and met up with our friends about 2 hours away from where we live. We went out to dinner at Chili's then went to a dance club to ring in the New Year. It was a BLAST. Dave and I aren't big club go-ers by any stretch of the imagination but it was nice to have one night where we got a little dolled up (okay I did!) and got to have a different date than just dinner and a movie. It was a really fun time! I was glad we went.

Until.

We.

Tried.

To.

Go.

Home.

Dave assured us the buses would be running, so we didn't drive downtown. It would have been crowded and with the inevitable champagne we'd drink at midnight, no one was comfortable driving. (Yay Us!) Well Guess What?! The buses weren't running! Okay, fine. I called for a taxi. And called 46 more times and NEVER got through. We met up with a kid headed our way were going to split a cab. He called and actually got through. The lady told us a cab would be there for us in 20 minutes. Fine, no prob! We could handle that.

Nope.

Never showed.

So we started walking. Our friends live about 4 miles from the downtown area where we were. We made it about 1/2 a mile and were standing in front of a really nice hotel and my husband suddenly became a GENIUS. He called a cab company, got through on the first time and told them we needed a cab at the hotel. The lady said someone would be right there. A cab was there in FIVE minutes, because we weren't down in the drunk part of town! Genius, Dave, genius. We made it home safe and sound, thank the good Lord.

What a night! I have to say though, I kind of enjoyed our adventure. I haven't had an adventure like that in YEARS and it was kinda exciting. :)

Hope you all had a great New Year's Eve and New Year's Day! I can't wait to eat pork and sauerkraut tomorrow. (We're a day late this year.) May God bless you richly in the year to come!

2010 is looking gooooooooooooooood.

Farmville

I am addicted to Farmville on Facebook. I can't help myself. I started playing around Halloween because my friend needed more friends on Farmville. So I thought I'd start it up and then let it go.

So not true.

Omgoodness.

Farmville is seriously the greatest game. It's pretty pathetic actually that I am dedicating an entire blog to my love of Farmville, but it's my greatest discovery of 2009. It's relaxing and addicting. PLUS at Christmas, you got all these "gifts" under your Christmas tree. It was like a little digital surprise.

Please don't think I'm nuts. Try it. You will looove it. :)