The "Texas" Deshazers

Duncan is 1!!

2011-12-15T18:21:00.001-06:00

I cannot believe how quickly this year has flown by, but it has and my wee mannie is one year old.

He was so small...

But he's gotten so big and learned to do so many things!!

Like his brother before him, he is a very physical child. He climbed before he learned to crawl. He is saying a few words - Mama, Dada and No being the most often used although we occasionally hear yeah and fishie. He loves to eat and insists on drinking from a sippy cup - forget the bottle!

His favorite sippy cups have straws, so we got him a couple for his birthday. Logan thought he would like this pink one, and he does!

He loves books, particularly interactive ones with flaps to turn or buttons to push.

He also is enamored of anything with wheels, particularly tractors and trains. If it has wheels and buttons to push, well that is just a bonus!

He's a very musical fellow and his favorite "toy" is the piano downstairs.

He has decidedly un-toddlerlike taste in movies. His all time favorite is Despicable Me, but he also really enjoys The Incredibles and Toy Story. He won't watch "baby" movies like Baby Einstein or Elmo. He despises Hello Kitty and cries whenever Myra asks to watch it. We're on the same wavelength with that one...

For his birthday, I made Minion cupcakes, which were a hit with all the kids (and the adults, too if we're being forthright).

They were yummy.

Walking!!!

2011-12-02T19:40:00.001-06:00

Duncan took his first steps on Thanksgiving. He's been slowly working up to real walking with a few steps here and there, but crawling is definitely faster! Today we caught his progress on video!

How cute is that kid???

Snow, and a big day for Logan.

2011-11-05T17:57:00.000-05:00

We had our first "real" Utah snowfall last night.

The backyard looked kinda like a Christmas card. We've had a few small snowfalls that didn't stick, so Logan has been asking me on a near daily basis when it was going to snow.

He was pretty stoked.

Myra was excited, too. They sat at the front window and just watched it fall. I suggested that they have some breakfast and get dressed so that we could play in it...

Snow is good to eat.

and it crunches when you walk on it. Can you see how deep it is? The weatherman said we'd only get 3 inches, but it is at least 6.

Duncan didn't know what to think,

but Daddy convinced him to give it a try.

Even the ducks at the Jordan River temple were enjoying the chill.
After we played in the snow a while, it was time for a haircut for Logan. That is a pretty traumatic event for him, so after surviving his haircut, we went to Ikea, and got Logan...

a big boy bed!!! He chose the frame and the bedding. He's so excited to have a new bed that I'm pretty sure he's forgotten all about the haircut, but doesn't he look cute?

It doesn't hurt that the house still looks like this. The kids are fascinated by the snow.

Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:34:00.001-05:00

Utah was kind to us for our first Halloween, and it was pleasant enough to wear our costumes without coats and mittens.

Here are my excited trick or treaters. This is the first Halloween that the kids have really clued in to the whole process, so they are really excited!

Myra's magic hair really did glow! It was the hit of the neighborhood, apparently. Yay!

Upwardly Mobile

2011-10-12T10:39:00.001-05:00

There's been an awful lot of this sort of behavior around here...

and some of this...

and lots of this...

Logan and Myra walked at 10 1/2 months. Duncan has 4 weeks... Think he's gonna make it?

Patty Cake

2011-10-01T20:23:00.003-05:00

They are just so sweet.

Duncan loves this SO MUCH!!!

Mobile

2011-09-25T17:03:00.001-05:00

He crawls!!

Time for some more advanced babyproofing...

Cinders and Ashes, Logan is 5!

2011-08-31T16:49:00.000-05:00

My big boy turned 5 yesterday, and we had a full day of fun! We started out with our first day back at gymnastics. Logan and Myra both have great classes with great coaches.

Upside down is Logan's favorite position. After gymnastics, we went to Target to pick up Logan's cake and have a treat. Our local Target has a great little snack bar and the seating area in the Starbucks is spacious and fun. From there we stopped at Sonic for drinks and then headed to a park we hadn't tried out yet.

It was awesome! It was a gorgeous day and the park has the most amazing view of the mountains.

Logan thought this rope bridge was the coolest thing ever.

Myra chilled out with her orange soda at the table, then she ran around with Logan. A couple of kids were there with their Nanny and the kids played together while I chatted. After prying the kids off the equipment, we headed home for a low-key afternoon. The best part of the day was when Daddy came home!! Mitch has been working insane hours this month and hasn't been home for bedtime about half of the time. We have all missed him, but Logan especially. It was so great to all be able to celebrate together. After we had a Logan friendly dinner of pancakes and fruit, it was time for presents!

Here is Logan's impressive haul. Yes, you should all buy stock in Thomas & Friends... We took a ton of pictures, the best of which can be found here. Click for all the details. After presents, we had cake. Logan broke with the traditional Lightning McQueen cake, and went with ... Thomas. I know, a shock.

I think the folks at Target did a lovely job. It is the first time we've gotten a cake at Target, and it was very good. Logan surprised us again by asking for chocolate cake. It was yummy!

Logan was really happy! He was so excited to see his name next to Thomas and the tracks!
After cake, it was time for bed. It was hard to pry Logan away from all the new toys. This morning it was imperative to break them in.

Still in jammies, and before even having breakfast, they had already built two different train tracks.

I convinced them to actually have breakfast by allowing them to share it with Woody, Buzz and Jessie. Those kids crack me up.

So freakin' cute!! (Warning:Seriously pic heavy)

2011-08-18T16:49:00.000-05:00

I recently made Duncan a little romper, for which I had a photo shoot for the sewing blog. He just so darn cute, I had to share some of the pictures here as well.

I think this one is my favorite, but they are all so adorable, I just can't decide.

And the birthdays continue...

2011-08-17T12:18:00.001-05:00

Poor Mitch sort of gets overshadowed for his birthday. Myra's is 4 days before, and then Logan's is a few weeks later (but he starts talking about it during the Myra birthday prep!) so he sort of gets lost in the middle. This year was especially challenging since he began his fellowship last month and has had very little discretionary time. Working 14-16 hour days 6 days a week doesn't leave much time for hobbies, fun or even sleeping. He did manage to get off work in time for a birthday dinner. Even Steven and Sylvia came! Yay!
Gifts were a wee bit tricky this year. I try to shy away from work related gifts, but he doesn't have time really for anything else.

Logan loves to open presents. This one is a pair of pants, yet to be assembled. it's a new pattern, so I need to fine tune the fit, so inside the box were the pattern and a muslin.

I know, a flash drive - so romantic. He broke his old one and he doesn't have time to shop for himself.

A book from his parents. He's excited about reading this one!

When I asked Mitch what he wanted for his birthday, he responded with some frustration, "I just want to have some extra tine to roast marshmallows with my little boy!" Maybe if the roasting is in the back yard, we can squeeze in more of it.

3!!

2011-08-11T11:58:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that my little princess is already three! She had one heck of a celebration, with a giant Rapunzel cake and an even more giant pile of presents. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The cake

Rapunzel!

The baby bed was too big to wrap, so we just brought it out, and she put baby down for a nap immediately.

Princesses from Oma and Pappy!

Jessie talks! Yee-haw!

Aurora!

Cupcakes to decorate from Grandma and Grandpa. She spent all evening feeding them to us and her dolls.

She loves books. Logan and Duncan got a kick out of this one, too.

No, Mom! You can't have my princess placemat!

In true princess style, she kisses the Handsome Prince(s)

Logan's favorites were the puzzles (natch.) and the Rapunzel figurines.

As soon as everything was unwrapped, Myra tucked in all the dolls.

She asked me to take a picture of Jessie.

Today, she and baby are wearing their matching Tiana dresses, and Myra is toting around an armful of new dolls. All is well in her kingdom.

Millcreek Canyon and a stop at the Zoo.

2011-08-07T19:02:00.001-05:00

Mitch was off this weekend, so although we have a ton of stuff to do around the house, we took a little time off of all the chores to enjoy some family time. Saturday evening we decided to hit the Zoo for a couple of hours. We got a membership when we first got here, and the kids LOVE it. Since we go all the time, I don't usually take pictures, but Myra made a new friend...

I don't know his name, but Myra insists that he is a Prairie Cat. That kid is cute.

Sunday after church we decided to check out one of the local hiking hotspots, Millcreek Canyon. We packed up a big picnic and headed out there. Logan was so excited to go climb a mountain!

They were both so excited to get there and see all the trees and streams! I also must deny responsibility for Myra's outfit. Midriff baring and leopard print - I see trouble in the teen years ahead.

We climbed some trees and threw rocks in every stream we passed.

There were waterfalls everywhere, and the kids had to stop at every one.

Myra wasn't sure she wanted to get any closer though. They spit!

Duncan had fun too. And how cute are those boys in their matching hats?! Of course, the plan was for Duncan to ride and Logan and Myra to walk...

Myra had other plans. It was really fun, and so beautiful! We all had a blast.

And after all that hiking, we're pooped!

Gymnastics!

2011-08-04T19:06:00.000-05:00

Logan has been having all the fun in gymnastics for the last 2 years, and now it's Myra's turn!!

Once we found a gym here in SLC that we liked, we registered them both. Myra was so excited!! The came the first day of class. Logan was in his element, but Myra had a little trouble getting adjusted.

But after 4 weeks, she is participating for the entire 45 minute class with only minimal mommy intervention. The biggest breakthrough was last week we she actually got into the pit!!

Doesn't that look fun?! It's the same concept as a ball pit, but filled with big foam blocks. The more advanced gymnasts do all sort of cool tricks off the trampoline or bars and into them. Myra was afraid to go near it, but I sat Duncan in there last week and she hopped in, too. Now it's hard to get her out...

It's a good thing we have gymnastics to distract them. If they had their way, this is what my little couch potatoes would do all day long.

On the move...

2011-08-01T17:44:00.000-05:00

While once content to sit hang out sweetly on the floor and smile,

How sweet is that little face??

Duncan has discovered the power of movement! At the moment, he's just rolling wherever he wants to go,

Here I go!

but it won't be long before he's chasing Logan and Myra!

Pushup or Yoga plank?

Crawling will commence soon... I'm' not sure we're ready.

Brothers

2011-07-29T13:38:00.000-05:00

Logan and Duncan are the best of friends. Logan is so sweet with him, which is amazing as he is constantly abusing Myra. He loves to make Duncan laugh.

He also is really good about sharing toys and books with him.

Logan actually brought this one over just to read to Duncan. They share a deep love of Thomas the Train.

Summer Reading

2011-07-28T15:31:00.000-05:00

I finally got the books unpacked. It took a while. We have a lot of books. Myra has enjoyed rediscovering her old favorites.

And she's found some new ones to love. The Red Badge of Courage piqued her interest today.

Here is a clip of her reading it to baby. The end is my favorite part...

After she finished reading it, she shared it with baby.

And this has nothing to do with anything, but holy cow, that baby is cute!! And cross-eyed. But still cute. He loves Tigger.

Trains

2011-07-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

When you have 4 train sets, you can make really cool tracks.

I helped a little with the execution, but Logan designed this one himself.

Still here...

2011-07-25T17:38:00.001-05:00

Untitled
Originally uploaded by kid_md

I just realized that I haven't posted anything in nearly a month. We're still here, but Mitch has been working insane hours and I'm trying to get the house into some semblance of order. How does it work that we move into a bigger house and still don't fit! Aaargh! The kids are settling in well though. As you can see, we found their toys...

Bouncing Boy!

2011-07-08T17:05:00.001-05:00

I unpacked the bouncer today and thought I'd try it out on Duncan. The other two kids merely tolerated it as babies, but Duncan is definitely a fan!

How cute is that giggle??

ETA: He likes it so much that while I was writing this post he actually fell asleep in it!!

Rolling along

2011-07-04T13:19:00.000-05:00

Since we don't have much in the way of furniture, we've all been spending a lot of time on the floor, and Duncan has been practicing his rolling.

He can get all the way across the room. I think this time his goal was the blocks.

He made it!
He has also sprouted his first tooth!

You may have to click to blow up the picture. It's just a wee little nub at the moment.

Train!

2011-06-28T08:18:00.001-05:00

We're getting close to Mitch having to head back to work, and there is still a ton to do, but we're trying to sneak in some fun as well. Some friends from Temple were in town, so we got a chance to see them yesterday. We met up at Liberty Park and we were having so much fun that I totally forgot to take pictures! The park is totally awesome. The kids played in a water element based on the canyons around the area. There was also a small fair with rides, duck ponds and big hills to climb. I did manage to get a picture of all the big kids feeding the ducks. So cute!

After wearing the kids out at the park, we came home for FHE. Earlier that morning, we found a cake pan that made little train shaped cakes. Since Logan and Myra both love trains, we decided to make that our activity and treat.

Here is the engine and coal car, before decorating. Aren't they cute??

The kids had a blast decorating. Logan was really good with the frosting, and Myra applied M&Ms like a pro. Some of them even managed to make it onto the train.

The sprinkles were Logan's favorite. Everything on his end of the train got a liberal dusting.

Here is the finished masterpiece. Once it was done, the kids wouldn't eat it! Although perhaps that was the result of the masses of candy they consumed while building it...

Utah

2011-06-24T09:03:00.000-05:00

Aside from the fact that our moving truck is STILL in Texas, we are trying our best to settle in. Since we don't have any furniture or personal belongings, we're mostly trying to stay out of the depressingly empty house. Fortunately, there is a ton to do around here!

Of course, the obvious thing is Temple Square. That temple is BIG.

For reference, here is Myra posing against one of the doors.
We also went to the zoo, which the kids really enjoyed!

There were lots of animals to climb and animatronic dinosaurs all over the place. There is also a train, which Logan LOVED. We'll likely be spending a good bit of time there.

Even the grocery stores here are fun! Logan and Myra were loving the pint sized carts. I enjoyed not having to push the big one.

Even though my kitchen stuff is still in Texas, Myra managed to make brownies.
Of course, a new house and no stuff means a couple of trips to Ikea.

Myra looks ready to crash out on this bed! She was so sweet and when she saw Mitch lay down to check out the mattress, she found a pillow for him and brought an extra for herself.

No trip to Ikea is complete without a stop at the cafe. Myra likes the chocolate cake.

On our first trip, we got a futon for the kids' playroom. Look, we all fit!

At our second trip, we thought it was pretty funny that both kids made beelines to the computer desks. And yes, Myra is wearing the same dress. She loves that dress, and so does everyone who sees her in it.

Even though he doesn't eat much, Duncan likes the Ikea cafe, too!
We also celebrated our first birthday here - mine!

Logan chose the cake. He's so awesome. I had a great day. Mitch was home, and we chilled out in the morning. I did a bit of sewing. In the afternoon, I went fabric shopping. When I got home, we did presents since the kids (and Mitch) couldn't wait any longer. They're so cute. After that, we went out for Thai food, which I have really missed while we lived in Temple.

Isn't it lovely? The food was great and the service excellent. They brought the kids bananas before the meal (which was ready so fast we really didn't have time to wait!), and had an excellent fruity fried rice dish that Myra liked.
Now, if only our stuff would get here from Texas... We finally got a semi-straight answer from the moving company and apparently the truck will be leaving Texas on the 1st, to arrive here on the 6th, which will make it exactly a month from the day they packed us up. For the record, we will NEVER be using North American to move again. They have been impossible to work with.

Preschool graduation!!

2011-06-17T14:37:00.001-05:00

This post is long overdue! Logan had his preschool graduation program on May 24th. He loved his preschool class. His teacher, Ms. Lynda, was amazing and all of the kids got along well. We'll really miss them all.

Here is his class. Joshua, Logan, Aniella, Jonathan, Karis, Cayden and Bannock.

Logan took his walk down the aisle very seriously. This part was so cute! They played Pomp & Circumstance as each child walked up to the stage. Even the little 2 year olds were in on it.

Ms. Amy gave them their "diploma". Logan's not sure what to make of it.

Here is Ms. Lynda. She was so wonderful with Logan, and we miss her already.
After the graduation, the kids had a presentation for us. They sang several songs, but this one cracked me up. It also explained some strange singing Logan had been doing.

The other two songs they sang are here and here.
We loved this preschool so much! Logan learned a ton and really grew over the course of the year. It was amazing.

Yum!

2011-06-13T11:51:00.000-05:00

There has been a lot of this sort of behavior at dinnertime lately,

"That looks yummy! I want some!"

so we decided it was time for Duncan to enter into the world of solid foods. Well, semisolid anyway. He doesn't have any teeth yet. When we were at the store a couple of days ago, I let Logan pick a baby cereal for Duncan to try.

Yum, oatmeal!

He wasn't too sure about it at first,

What is this stuff?

and he needed a finger break.

I'm thinking about it!

But by the end, he was definitely a fan!

Yay!

He really wanted to work that spoon himself.

This is fun!!

For the video minded, we caught a few moments of the fun. He still has to work on the smiling while eating...

This is the place.

2011-06-12T16:46:00.000-05:00

We're here in sunny Utah!! After three and a half days on the road, we made it at last.

Here is our little bungalow. It's bigger than it looks (thank goodness!).
The drive was not fun, but there were interesting things to see. I always seem to forget how big Texas is. More than half of our drive was to get out of the state.

Here is the route we took to get out of state. It was long and boring.

Logan left his mark on the state line...
We skirted the corner of New Mexico, which might have been the ugliest part of the drive, although Wyoming was pretty nasty, too. No pictures, just imagine barren flatlands and nasty roads.
Colorado was another story.

This is a mountain "Scenic view" in Colorado. It was beautiful! Denver was a bit of a pain though. We're used to frontage roads on the highways. They don't have them there. Thank goodness for GPS. Also weird was the utter lack of gas stations near the freeway. What's with that? As we left Denver, Mitch expressed a desire to never return. After that we got to visit with friends in Fort Collins. I stayed up late talking sewing with my friend Beth and our kids had a great time playing together. It was the highlight of the trip!

Then we got to Utah. Look at the mountains!! They're everywhere! This is the view from the car as we were coming into the Valley from Park City.

And a few minutes later, heading through the Pass. The mountains are amazing. They're literally everywhere you turn. It's actually a little distracting when driving around the city. You turn a corner and see...

big snow-covered peaks! I'm sure I'll get used to it.

The kids seem to like it. It's much cooler, so playing outside is much more fun. The grass is soft, green and fire ant free!

Here is the backyard. It's really beautiful, with flowers and trees everywhere. The kids love it! I wish it had a fence.

Myra's favorite feature is the water dispenser on the fridge. She can do it herself!

Sitting!

2011-06-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

Yay for the beginning of independence!

Sitting up gives him a much better vantage point when Logan reads to him. Aren't they sweet?

Memorial Day weekend

2011-05-31T14:23:00.000-05:00

We leave the great state of Texas in one week, but before we left, we had the chance to head up to my parent's house in Carthage. My Grandfather (who had not yet met any of my kids) came up from Florida for the weekend, so it there was extra motivation to be there. sadly, Mitch had to work, so it was just me and the kids. It was a very full weekend, and we got to see lots of family that it's going to be hard to see as often once we get to Salt Lake.

This smiley little man was a universal favorite.

He smiled for Great Grandpa Colley,

even Great Grandpa Jones couldn't resist him. He NEVER holds babies.

Fergus tolerated him nicely. He's a pretty nice kitty.
The big kids had fun, too. Uncle James and Aunt Lindsay brought cousin Brody for them to play with.

They had watermelon together.

They colored, and played with trains.

And they hung out on the stoop.
Myra is becoming the master of the "look", isn't she?

This one is my favorite. Can't you hear the sarcasm? Especially compared to Brody's sweet smile.
We spent a lot of time outside, even though it was pretty hot.

Logan is a monkey wherever he goes.

And this pile of lawn clippings was endlessly fascinating.

As were Duncan's toes.

Sticks of all shapes and sizes were available for poking and prodding.

Sometimes it's nice just to chill on the porch.
Inside, the kids found lots to do as well.

Logan "helped" Pappy organize his food storage. He is endlessly entertained by the cans rolling down the "tracks".

Pappy's elliptical machine was fun, too. Look at that happy face!

Myra finds accessories wherever she goes.

Oma and Pappy's bed was fun, too. In fact, that was where Myra took her naps each day.

On Saturday, Oma kept her company.

And on Sunday, Fergus kept her cozy.
We all had a truly wonderful weekend. We are going to miss our family so much!! I can't believe we are moving in just a week. Yikes!

Gymnastics!!

2011-05-23T20:24:00.000-05:00

For the last 2 years, Logan has been taking gymnastics at Heart of Texas gym with his beloved Coach Melissa. He loves it so much! Each year they put on a program.

Dudes flash with one arm.

On the little beam, jumping on the bugs.

And the BIG beam!

He loves the rope swing.

And all manner of bars

Here is a video of their program. Coach Melissa is leading them.

More videos, for those who might be interested, can be viewed on our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/kdeshazer

The third child

2011-05-22T10:35:00.000-05:00

For the first baby...

toys are carefully selected for maximal stimulation and encouragement of visual development.
For the third baby...

that toy from the kids meal doesn't have THAT many pokey parts.

For the first child...

a blanket or quilt is carefully spread over the spotlessly clean carpet prior to any time on the floor.
For the third child...

I'm pretty sure I vacuumed this week.

But some things never change.

Daddy always loves to snuggle.

Otto 03/2011-12, Happy Animals tee

2011-05-18T10:48:00.001-05:00

Otto 03/2011-12, Happy Animals tee
Originally uploaded by kid_md

Myra loves her little brother! She was thrilled to have a new shirt to wear when he wore his new shirt. So sweet!

The new 'Do

2011-05-13T15:16:00.000-05:00

For Mother's Day, my sweetheart sent me off to the spa for a much needed hair cut and facial. I decided it was time for a serious change.

It's not a huge departure, style-wise, but it is shorter than it has ever been in my adult life. I love it, but it's going to take some getting used to. And I may have to learn how to use my blow dryer.
I was surprised and pleased that I had enough to donate again! I cut off 10 inches. Not bad for a little over a year of growing.

San Antonio Zoo

2011-05-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

On Monday we had to say good bye to Rina, and since we were already headed to Austin, we decided to just go the extra hour and take the kids to the Zoo in San Antonio. Man, these kids love the zoo!

As soon as we got there, they wanted to see this guy.

On the way, we checked out the komodo dragon,

checked out the aquarium,

How cute are these guys? The kids loved them!

We ran from some goats,

and made friends with some birds.

We even rode the train! The kids totally loved that!

Duncan had a blast, too. He's such a happy dude.

They were pretty tuckered out by the time we headed home. It was such an awesome day!!

Easter fun!!

2011-04-24T19:58:00.000-05:00

We had such a fun Easter! We started by dying eggs together on Saturday. I didn't get any pictures, mostly because I was monitoring cleanup...
Sunday Mitch had to work, but he finished just in time to church. We had a lovely time at church, with some wonderful, inspiring talks. The kids had fun as well. After church, we had our traditional Sunday dinner of scrambled eggs, but added some ham as a nod to a real Easter dinner. Then we "found" a couple of Easter baskets for the kids.

Logan likes to organize his candy...

Then we had an egg hunt.

Myra caught on pretty quickly.

Mitch may have gotten in on the fun as well...

Logan had a blast! Myra was so cute - she kept saying "Thank you!" every time she found an egg.

Peeps and milk are serious business.

Duncan was a happy dude, and then he gave us a great Easter present by rolling over for the first time! The coolest part was that we happened to be on Skype with Mitch's parents! They are far enough away that we don't get to see them nearly as much as we'd like, so it was awesome to get to share that moment with them.

Bluebonnets!!

2011-04-17T20:42:00.000-05:00

One of my ~~ornery rugrats~~ sweet angels brought home some viral nastiness, to which I succumbed this morning. Mitch was off, but had to give a talk in church, so he took over kid duty for most of the day, up until time for Sacrament meeting, at which time I took over for the hour. When he came home, he mentioned that he saw a perfect patch of bluebonnets near a park. I had noticed that they were starting to fade, so I cowgirled up, found some lipstick and we got our last bluebonnet pictures.

Of course, Logan completely refused to wear the cute gingham shirt I made him to match the other kids. Sigh. After playing in the flowers, we hit the playground.

Fun was had by all.

Unexpected fun

2011-04-16T13:36:00.000-05:00

Selling our house has given us the opportunity for some interesting impromptu outings, since we have to vacate the premises for a showing. Today was awesome, because we had 2 showings! One was in the morning, and we were notified of it the day before, so we planned for breakfast at IHOP. When we got there, we discovered that they had some people making balloon animals for the kids!

Myra requested a princess crown. Isn't the heart balloon the cutest!

She gazed at it adoringly for some time.

Logan's is a blue rocketship.

Blast off!! The balloons were brilliant and kept the kids entertained while we waited for our food to come. They are always happy once the pancakes and eggs show up, but the wait can be a little hairy...
After IHOP, I had an errand at the Post Office. Behind the Post Office is a horse pasture. I know, small town Texas. Anyway, usually the horses are in the back field, but today they were close enough to touch,

and Logan did! The horses were a little too big for Myra's taste, so she contented herself with picking flowers that were out of reach of the grazing horses. While we were there, I got a call that another realtor wanted to show our house in an hour, which put it right at lunchtime. After consultation with the powers that be, who really wanted to go to the Chick Fil-A with Oma and Pappy, we compromised by going to the local Chick Fil-A. Longview is a bit of a drive.

Here is what Logan looks like at Chick Fil-A. Always in motion. He does pop over to the table to get a quick drink of juice or some fruit, then back to the playland!

All the while, my ladylike princess double fisted the fries. That girl can eat. She did eventually visit the playland, and fun was had by all. Mitch worked on his talk for Sunday and I knitted on a dishcloth.

Duncan slept through much of it, but he was all smiles the rest of the time. He's such a happy (and wiggly!) little guy!

Now if only someone would put in an offer on the house... It's a great house!!

Big Sister

2011-04-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

I was worried about jealousy issues with Myra when I was pregnant with Duncan. She's very possessive of me.

Since he's been with us, she hasn't shown even the slightest inclination for jealousy or rivalry at all. On the contrary, she loves her Baby Duncan and want nothing more than to make him happy.

If he fusses, she finds a binky or bottle for him.

When she's reading or playing, she shares with him and reads to him.
She loves to give him hugs and kisses. She is the best big sister!

Super fun, no documentation...

2011-04-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

This weekend we had a super fun time at my parents's house (Oma and Pappy to the kids), and I'd love to tell you all about it. I even brought my camera, but the only thing I took pictures of was my sewing. I know, I suck, right?
I did capture a few pictures with the phone.

Myra is ready to go with sunglasses on and Cheetos in hand! We were at a stoplight when I took the picture. Safety first!

It was a lovely weekend, and we spent a lot of time outside. The kids love the backyard - plenty of sticks and piles of dirt. Logan ate a LOT of watermelon. He calls them triangles when cut this way. Much of our food now has shape related nicknames.

The front porch was fun, too. The kids loved Oma's elephants. They're just right for sittin'. I'm not sure who is reading to who here.
It was a great weekend, but I definitely went a little overboard, food-wise. I gained several pounds (grr!), but I think some of it was just water, as 2 of those pounds have already come back off. Salty snacks help keep me awake while making the 5 hour drive.

On the plus side, I haven't been able to button this blouse since Duncan came along. Yay, it fits again!! It's one of my favorites.

ZZZZZZZZZ

2011-03-29T16:36:00.000-05:00

Logan

Myra

Duncan

Sweet sleepy babies. They have beds, but when you're only 3 months old, you don't care.

A Day of Rest

2011-03-27T19:20:00.001-05:00

It seemed appropriate to post this on the Sabbath, since it has to do with the importance of taking a day off. When I last posted about my weight, I was frustrated, overeating constantly and naturally, I wasn't having much success. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try taking a day off of the diet. I've read about that in several places, and it is an integral part of the Body for Life program that Mitch had success with in the past. So, 2 weeks ago, I took a random Tuesday off. Totally off. I didn't log my food, weigh myself or track progress in any way.

And what do you know, I broke out of the plateau! In fact, as of today I am only 1 1/2 pounds away from my goal weight!!

Here is this week. Notice the lack of red... Another thing that taking a day off has helped me with is controlling my appetite a little better. I think some of this may be psychological. I know that there will be a day coming when I can eat what I want, so it is a lot easier to put down the cookie when I know I can have it if I want in just a couple of days.
Another funny thing... You know how people who follow a strict diet, like vegetarianism for example, notice that when they eat something that isn't a part of their diet they feel ill? Well, I always sort of poohed that phenomenon, but on my last day off, it totally happened to me! I had a lot of junk, since that was what I felt like eating, but after dinner (which was actually sensible, since Mitch wasn't taking the day off), I started to feel ill. It took me a full day to recover! And I'm definitely not looking to have another cookie dough binge any time soon. Mitch and I were talking this morning about how much better we are both feeling when we eat healthful, whole foods, as opposed to mindlessly eating junk. I'm thrilled with the weight I've lost, but just learning about what eating well really means for me has been such a great part of this journey. I really feel like a new person! A healthy person! And remember the skirt that started this? I wore it today, and it's a little big! But still cute.

Oh, the giggles!!

2011-03-22T22:47:00.002-05:00

Mitch cann always make him laugh! We've been blessed with a seriously happy little guy.

Zoo!

2011-03-18T08:07:00.000-05:00

By some amazing luck, Logan's Spring Break happened to coincide with Mitch's week off this month, so we were hoping to do something fun. We tossed around ideas - Houston, San Antonio, camping - then all of our ideas were for naught when Logan started throwing up last Wednesday night. We hoped for a 24 hour bug, but three days later, he was still sick, and Myra came down with it as well. We all survived. In fact, Mitch, Duncan and I were miraculously spared (perhaps because we hadn't shared the toilet water Myra was playing in a few days earlier - yuck!), but our fun holiday was pretty much a bust. Myra was finally mostly herself again a week later, which gave us one day for some family fun.

We decided to take a day trip to the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco! Logan is mesmerized by the squirrel monkeys while Myra admires the red birdies.

There are a couple of cool playspaces at the zoo. Logan loves the slides!

Mitch convinced Myra to go down this one. It passes through the otter habitat and they swim around you as you slide. Super cool!

Myra ad Mitch mostly stuck to more low key activities since she wasn't quite up to her usual self yet.

They both thought the chimes in the Asia exhibit were cool. They ring when you jump on them! Mitch is taking a peek underneath to see how they work.

They also enjoyed the teepees outside the bison habitat.

We saw lots of fishies! Logan was pretty sure he spotted Dory, but Nemo was nowhere to be found.

The giraffe is always my favorite. They are so graceful for such large animals.

Logan peeks through the fence to get a closer look at the brown bear.

Even Duncan had a pretty good time. It was his first stroller ride!

Peek-a-boo! I hope we get a chance to go again before we leave Texas, although we might not get a better day. The weather was just perfect! It was a great day!!

Plateau

2011-03-12T12:31:00.000-06:00

I've hit a proverbial wall in my weight loss journey. For the last 2 weeks or so, I've bounced between 129 and 132 pounds.

Here's my graph. As you can see, it's been flat for a while. I don't have to look very far to discover the etiology of my problem though.

Those are my last two weeks worth of calorie logs. The red bars are where I have gone over budget. Note the large number of red bars... Entire batches of cookie dough are not good for my calorie budget.

Please no one hate me for this, but this is the first time in my life that I have really tried to lose weight in a healthy way. A couple of times in my life, I have made some weight loss attempts, but found myself somewhat pathologically fixated on controlling my intake. I suspect that should a psychiatrist have evaluated me during those periods, there would have been serious concerns. In the past, I've always been slim and eaten whatever I want, barring the aforementioned episodes. I think this is the difficulty I'm having. I've never learned the importance of self control and moderation in my eating. If I felt like an entire box of Little Debbies, I'd go for it. Obviously this isn't a healthful way to live, and more than the weight coming off (although that's great!) I'm really grateful that I am finally learning a few things about self control. I really feel that at it's core, the Word of Wisdom is all about making healthful choices with regard to how you treat your body, and I'm learning a lot about how to do that better.

Weighty Matters

2011-02-24T08:07:00.000-06:00

I haven't updated about my weight goals in a couple of weeks, although if you are on Facebook you are probably tired of hearing about them... I actually have really appreciated all the support from my friends and family both on Facebook and LoseIt. It has made a huge difference and is really keeping me motivated.

This is the other thing that is keeping me motivated. It's working!!! As of today, I have lost 12 pounds! I'm nearly to my goal weight! I can even zip up my favorite jeans, although since my baby belly isn't completely gone, they still aren't quite right, but that is just a matter of time. I've learned a lot over these last 4 weeks. Especially about how easy it is to eat Way Too Much without realizing how many calories you've eaten. I realized that I have been doing a ton of mindless. boredom eating. I've also found ways to make better food choices to get the best nutrient bang for my caloric buck. I really think that I'm getting a lot more out of this journey than just jeans that fit, and I'm really glad I'm doing it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T19:54:00.000-06:00

Myra's been waiting all week to wear her Valentine's Day dress. Isn't she cute?! We hope you have a happy, snuggly and cute Valentine's Day!

An impromptu formal dance.

2011-02-09T17:01:00.001-06:00

While we've been busy painting and flooring to get ready to sell the house, I've been a bit homeless during the day. There isn't a whole lot to do in Temple with three kids, and while we did take a trips to Waco and Austin, we still had a lot of time on our hands. Several of our friends were kind enough to adopt us and let us hang out with them for the afternoon. The kids thought this was the coolest thing ever. They got to hang out with their friends and play with a new set of toys. It was a bit of a hassle being out of pocket, but I enjoyed hanging out with friends as well.

Here the kids are playing dress up and having a little dance. The picture isn't very good, but here they are on video.

They were so cute!! And a big thanks to everyone who let us disrupt their homes!!

Ponytails!

2011-02-08T12:15:00.000-06:00

Those of you who see Myra every day will be shocked to see that I am actually capable of putting up her hair.

Isn't she cute?? They even lasted all the way through church before she pulled them out.

Christmas Catchup

2011-02-07T16:37:00.001-06:00

So, obviously Christmas has come and gone without any bloggy notice. Needless to say, with a newborn around, we were a little busy. We had a lovely time anyway, and it was great to have family around! This was the first year that we weren't able to get the whole clan together, but we did manage to have all the Deshazers here, which was great. Not too many pictures were taken, but here are a few.

The tree, with presents in various places.

We put most of the gifts up high out of reach. It started out as a kid avoidance measure, but we thought it looked pretty cool as well.

Logan enjoys the scooter Oma and Pappy got him. Seriously, he loves this thing! He rides it around the house chanting, "I can do it myself!" So cute.

The stockings are discovered...

Myra plays with her new princess castle.

Can you see Logan back there? A big Mack and Lighning McQueen kept him busy for quite a while.

This cool puzzle took two grownups with Engineering Degrees to put together, but it was totally worth it! Can you see how giant it is? Logan loves it.

Logan and Alan bonded over the color changing cars. This made a huge mess on the floor (the cars change color with hot or cold water) and is now a bath toy much beloved of both kids.

The addition to the train set was also a hit. Logan and Alan are buddies!

Logan asks to make houses often still. Total highlight of the fun!

Mitch got all architectural.

The finished products.

Checking in

2011-02-06T08:24:00.001-06:00

I've been such a slacker blogger. I know you all are more interested in pictures of the cute kids, so there will be more of that soon. First, I promised some weight loss updates. Hopefully this will help keep me on track.
The plain facts -- I have lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks, although the first weight was on a different scale, so I can absolutely claim the latter 3.5 pounds.

I really like the LoseIt.com program! It's really convenient having it available on the phone, (although it is super easy to update online as well) and I love getting realtime feedback about what I'm eating. It's amazing how easy it is to eat way too much! I think that the biggest benefit of this program is that it helps me to be more aware of what I'm eating. It also does a nutritional analysis, which I think is pretty awesome. After all, just because a food is low in calories, doesn't mean it is actually meeting your needs. In fact, I think it is even more important to be careful of a nutrient balance when following a calorically restricted diet.
It has also been really awesome having friends and family following on LoseIt. I find it motivating that I'm not the only one seeing what I eat. It is also really great having the feedback from them. As you can see from the chart, the slope hasn't always been downward, and it was nice having some encouraging comments, even when the numbers went up a little. I've been weighing daily, just because I like to have a lot of data points to follow a trend. I realize that day to day variability is only to be expected, but it is nice to hear it from others, too.
So, Mitch suggested that I post my favorite picture of me, pre pregnancy, as a reminder of my goal.

Mitch took this for my sewing blog. Those are my favorite jeans and right now, I can't even zip them. But I will!!

Accountability

2011-01-27T13:55:00.000-06:00

So, I just made a skirt. That in and of itself is no shock to anyone, I am sure. It's a rocking awesome skirt, easily one of the best I've made. My problem is this - it fits, but not the way that my skirts are supposed to fit. I didn't realize the extent of my displeasure until Mitch took my blog pictures. The skirt has a cute flounce in the back, so I wanted a shot of it.

This isn't even the most unflattering. And I'm sucking in. I know, I had a baby 6 weeks ago, but I don't think that lets me off the hook. Here it is. I need to lose about 10 pounds. It isn't a lot, but it is the difference between an awesome fitting skirt, and one that I can't tuck a shirt into. I've had troubles in the past with getting a little overzealous with my weight loss goals, and lately I've done a lot of eating to keep awake, so I'm posting this as a way to keep myself from going overboard, but also as a way to keep myself on track.

Here's the plan. I'm not an exerciser - I don't enjoy it and so I won't make time for it. I am planning to cut down to about 1500 calories per day, which I'm tracking via LoseIt.com (and the associated iPhone app). I'll do weekly weigh ins, which I will post here, perhaps on Saturdays. I may even do some measurements, depending on what seems to be motivating me.

So, if you see me falling off the wagon, please call me out!! I promise I won't get offended, and I'll really appreciate the support. Also, if you have a LoseIt.com account, please add me as your friend and we can keep track together!

Smile!

2011-01-04T13:08:00.000-06:00

That is one happy little dude!

He has arrived!

2010-12-13T04:17:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the world, Duncan Seth Deshazer!!

Chocolate

2010-11-20T20:26:00.000-06:00

I've been doing some experimental cooking this last week. Today was chocolate cake. I know, twist my arm... The recipe I tried today was from here, except that I used brown rice flour in place of the white rice flour, and substituted almond milk for the cow's milk.

Isn't it pretty? We had it for dessert tonight to absolute universal acclaim. Seriously, this is a freaking amazing cake.

The kids both really enjoyed it. Myra found some additional uses for it...

Ren Fest!!

2010-11-14T12:40:00.000-06:00

We went to the Renaissance Festival yesterday and had such a blast!! There was so much to see, do and eat.

Here we are all together, before we had a chance to get messy (which we did!!). We're all wearing outfits I made this year. I think that is a first!
We started the fun at the carousel.

We met up with some friends, and watched the parade. Myra was entranced with the princesses and fairies all around! One of the princesses even stopped an gave her a flower.

After that we went to my favorite show - the belly dancers!!

Then we all went walking in the garden. It's a little less crowded back there, and the kids love to climb on all the sculptures.

After that we went to see the elephant. Logan was a little nervous about it at first, but once he got closer, he couldn't get enough of it! After admiring it for some time, he was ready to ride!

The other animals were a little tame after that, but the petting zoo was still fun.

After that, we took another cruise through the gardens to do some climbing on dragons,

took another spin on the carousel, (Myra had crashed out by this point!)

and then headed back to Temple. It was a long, fun filled day, and totally worth it, just for this happy face.

Halloween!

2010-11-04T08:06:00.000-05:00

I was a total slacker on Halloween and took approximately no pictures...

Fortunately, one of the talented young couples in our ward took family photos at the Halloween party, so there is some evidence that Halloween happened. The kids looks very concerned in this picture.

But they figured out pretty quickly what it was all about...

Now they ask daily for more Halloween.

Playing dress up

2010-10-23T08:37:00.000-05:00

Myra has gotten to the stage in life when she plays dress up. I like to encourage this sort of imaginative play, so she has quite a collection of dress up dresses, shoes, scarves and other accessories. I even knitted her a crown...

Cute, eh?

So, with all of these choices, what does she dress up in?

My favorite apron. At least she's cute.

Trains!

2010-10-13T20:59:00.001-05:00

Logan has developed a great love for trains lately. Building a big long track is a daily morning time ritual, then the rest of the day is spent running his trains along his constructions.

Here is one of his more impressive tracks. It spans part of his room, the hallway and comes into the living room.

Once upon a dream

2010-10-03T19:21:00.000-05:00

Myra's very favorite princess is Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. As follows, this is her favorite song.

She isn't wearing anything for the protection of her wardrobe. It was dinnertime and she is an unbelievably messy eater.

My monkey

2010-10-01T08:29:00.000-05:00

My mom made Logan some new monkey jammies, which was a very good thing, since the last pair I made him were seriously too small. I attempted to get some cute pictures of him wearing his adorable new jammies. This was the only pose I could coax him in to.

This is so his Uncle Dan's fault!

Singing Along

2010-09-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

Our most recent movie acquisition has been Beauty and the Beast.

You can see that Myra has wasted no time learning the songs...

It's a....

2010-09-14T12:27:00.002-05:00

BOY!!

Isn't he cute?!

Logan is 4!

2010-09-07T11:40:00.002-05:00

I don't know why it has taken me so long to sit down and write this post, but there it is. My big 4 year old started Preschool today, so I am home with a less rowdy house, thinking about my sweet boy-o and hoping that he has stopped screaming and let himself have fun.

Logan turned 4 last week! The fun started with a package from his Grandma and Grandpa. Logan LOVES packages, even when they are not for him, and this one was not only for him, but was enormous!! Seriously, if you want to make Logan's day, send him a package. It doesn't even have to have anything in it - he just wants to cut it up.

Cutting open the box is his favorite part. Check out that intense concentration!
After the box, Mitch and I blew up balloons for his party.

My funny little boy had to collect them all on the couch...

then hide them all behind the rocking chair in his room.

We kept the festivities pretty low-key, as Logan doesn't like crowds of people very well. I think he gets that from his mommy... We had a few friends over for BBQ, and Oma and Pappy were able to come, which made Logan's day! The kids all loved the pinata!

Here they are enjoying the spoils.
Then we opened presents.

That was Logan's favorite part! After presents, we all had cake and ice cream.

Yes, Logan chose the same cake he had last year, although he did elect to go with the blue border this year rather than the red. A bit of a surprise from my somewhat resistant to change boy. We spent a lot of time putting Lighting McQueen and Mater back on the cake...

Myra (and the floor) enjoyed the cake, too.
After all the cake was cleaned up, Logan broke out his new train sets and all the kids got together and played. We didn't get any pictures of that, which is too bad. They were so sweet!
We were so happy to celebrate out sweet guy and to have friends and family there to help us! Thanks so much to all those who were able to come and enjoy this special day with us.

Silly

2010-09-06T11:35:00.000-05:00

I'll get around to posting about Logan's awesome birthday soon. 'Til then, here are the cuties being silly.

More presents!!

2010-08-20T06:27:00.000-05:00

I love the age of online/mail order shopping, since it means we get to spin out our birthday's even longer. Both Mitch and Myra have been enjoying a near daily trickle of more presents!!

Myra is in princess heaven in her new princess pool. It was high noon when the package came and WAAAAY too hot to go outside, even with water so we blew it up in the living room.

It works great with water as well. Yum! Dirty sprinkler water!

Oma also sent this sweet dress that she made. You can't really tell from the picture, but there is fine silver glitter all over the fabric. Myra loves it! She keeps asking for her 'parkley dress.

But what is a new dress without new shoes? Every little Texan needs some boots. Myra's are pink, of course. She adores them and has been wearing them everywhere, matching or not. It's a good thing 90% of her wardrobe is pink. Yesterday we had a true Texas moment, as we took her to the Walmart wearing a dirty white "wifebeater" style tank top, shorts and naturally, her boots. I was hoping for a spot on People of Walmart, but she even does white trash with style, and everyone thought she was adorable.

Birthday

2010-08-17T09:17:00.006-05:00

So Aug 14th was my birthday, and an active one at that.

Those of you who know me, or have read of my running escapades in the past, might have predicted that I would go for a little jog on my birthday.

And you'd be right.

The Birthday Loop

The above is a combination of two loops I have run many times in the past, with a little dogleg here noted at miles 6 or so to stop for a water refill at Lion's Park. It ends up being 13.75 miles, or more than a 1/2 marathon, for those counting.

Of note, as of today (Aug 19th), I've put in 53.7 miles since Saturday. Other than the day of the boards (and Sunday, as I never run on Sunday) that's not bad mileage. And I still have a few days left to run.

In more important news, I did have a blast on my birthday. Pictures are on the previous post, I will not reproduce them here.

Lots of good stuff for the birthday. As previously noted, I am fascinated by anything Lance, even now that he's become more Hollywood than Texan. The cycling game looks good, and if I ever figure out how to put the pictures on the electronic frame it will be fantastic. Just not enough physical space for all of the wonderful pictures we have. My folks got me a "Don't Tread On Me" tshirt, and yesterday a running belt came, which has been tested and approved.

I felt some leeway in doing just what I wanted to do, which unfortunately included studying for my boards. Nasty stuff, that, but if I pass (and I think I probably did) I don't have to take it again for at least 10 years and maybe not ever. I hate standardized tests.

Mitch

2010-08-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

On to our next birthday in the August lineup... Mitch celebrated another year yesterday! And I learned my lesson about too many cameras, so photo organization was much easier this time. Besides, grownup birthdays aren't as photogenic as kid birthdays.

I think Mitch still had a good day. He got a chance to run in the morning, did some studying (His boards are tomorrow, so wish him luck!) and we celebrated with chocolate fudge cake and ice cream, as well as some of his favorite foods for dinner.
Then it was time for presents!

Logan helped, of course. Mitch was excited about his digital frame and iTunes gift cards!

Then it was time to open presents from my parents. Logan started tearing in, and I mentioned that these were for Daddy from Pappy and Oma. Logan immediately stopped opening the package and said, "No!" We were so confused! Did he want Mitch to open them? No, not that... What was wrong? Eventually Logan told us, "I am waiting for Oma and Pappy!" Awwww!!

Eventually we talked him into it, but Myra had to open one.

Mitch immediately set to reading his new book about Lance, and Logan closely examined the new game. It looks like fun!

Happy Birthday, Myra!

2010-08-14T12:51:00.000-05:00

It's taken me a while to organize all of the pictures and video for this post. Getting together two iPhones and a camera...

On Tuesday, our little princess turned 2! It's hard to believe so much time has gone by. She's grown so much in the last 2 years, and has definitely developed into her own person, with her own very decided opinions.

She had a great birthday, with as much pink as a little girl could wish for.

She's really not sure what to do with this pile of pink princess presents.

Logan was a good big brother and showed her the ropes.

Then she supervised while he opened the rest of the pile.

She played princesses with Daddy,

rode her new bike,

and fed baby her cereal, while dressed as Princess Aurora.

After all the princesses had been put to bed,

it was time for cake and pink ice cream!

How did she get so much green out of a pink cake?? (And how freaking adorable is that pose for the camera???)

After significant cleanup and jammies, she insisted that she wear her "pretty dress" over her PJs while we got ready for bed.
I'd love to say she slept well, but I think all the excitement (not to mention the cake and ice cream) had both kids pretty wound up. It was a super fun day, and we were all glad to be able to celebrate our little princess.

Princesses

2010-08-10T11:38:00.001-05:00

Today is Myra's second birthday, about which there will be more posting to come. That means she gets to do whatever she wants today. This morning, she wanted to watch Sleeping Beauty (not an uncommon request), while sitting in her wagon.

Logan joined the party, of course.

And, as you can see, Prince Philip, Aurora, Maleficent and the good fairies weren't far away. I guess Myra thought they should watch their own movie...

Faces

2010-07-27T12:02:00.001-05:00

When you ask Logan to smile for a picture, you're never really sure what you'll get...

sometimes this,

or this.

Occasionally we get a big cheesy grin.

But he pretty much always does his own thing.

The Disney Store

2010-07-21T15:37:00.000-05:00

We had a free morning today, so we decided to head down to the Round Rock outlet mall to get Logan and Mitch some new Crocs. For those in the know, you'll realize that this meant we had to walk by the Disney store...

Did I say walk BY the Disney store?? Of course, I meant go in and spend too much money on kids who have birthdays in less than a month. Logan likes his new Cars.

And Myra now has the entire cast of Sleeping Beauty to dance around with. Including the dragon, which she is particularly excited about.

Happy kids. And I did manage to sneak in some birthday shopping, too. Now if only the Crocs store had had something in Mitch's size, we might have actually gotten what we went for.

Princess...

2010-07-18T15:01:00.000-05:00

Myra really is her Daddy's little princess.

If you listen closely, you can hear her singing along.

Girlie girl?

2010-07-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

Myra has in the last few months, become the girliest girl on the planet. She loves pink, princesses, fairies and anything makeup or cell phone related (especially if they are pink and feature princesses). Mitch has been a little worried about this, but last night she showed us her man skills.

If you look closely, you can see that the screwdriver is poised in the correct position for removing that screw. Now we just have to teach her "left loosey, righty tighty" and she'll be ready to build! Once she learns her right from her left...

And lest you should think that our other child was sold to the gypsies; here is Logan, doing what Logan does best -

Hanging out upside down.

Sideways is cool, too. He's such a little monkey!

Potty, day 2

2010-07-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

Myra isn't really sure what all this potty excitement is about, but she's happy to sit on the little padded seat and eat candy. If she occasionally produces something, it's pretty much an accident that happened in the right place. I think we'll keep on for today and see if a light bulb comes on. If not, that's OK. She's not even 2 yet.

She has one thing figured out though...

Potty attempt - part 1

2010-07-07T15:29:00.000-05:00

With Logan (mostly) potty trained and Myra wanting to do everything that Bubba does, we decided that this would be a good time to introduce her to the potty.

I'm not sure if she's more a fan of her new Princess underwear, or of the candy she gets for sitting down... We'll see how this goes.

Happy Birthday to Me.

2010-06-24T15:59:00.001-05:00

As of yesterday, I'm older. I'm not sure that really bothers me, though. At 33, I am firmly entrenched in my 30s, and since my 20s were not my favorite decade, so far this seems to be an improvement. That said, having a weekday birthday and a hubby who works a lot means that celebratory opportunities were limited. I really miss the childhood rule of "No chores on your birthday." My birthday started with dishes and ended with cleaning up after the kids. Although Mitch put them to bed. Thanks, honey!

We did still do a bit of celebrating!

My "big" present was my big spa package, but Mitch surprised me with a coupon "book"" with fun things like "a sewing day" and "a night off of kid duty". Awesome! We went out to dinner and although Logan had a minor meltdown, he settled down and we had a pleasant time.

Then we came home and had cake! It's supposed to be zebra stripes, but the HEB baker is apparently not all that artistic. The idea is there... And it has that HEB frosting that I LOVE.

And yes, black frosting IS an unbelievable mess...

Even on the kid who doesn't eat frosting. Eeew. Black tongue!

Potty time...

2010-06-23T19:57:00.000-05:00

Logan has been a real champ when it comes to peeing in the potty, but he has a total block for "#2". Our current positive reinforcement scheme is that for each poo-poo that he has in the potty, he gets a stamp on his chart (and on his hand/leg/foot-whatever), and after four stamps, he gets a car. Well, for weeks we've been looking at the same stamp... So early this week when he developed a GI bug, I was looking forward to some serious messes.

Boy, were we surprised when he hit the potty!! He had to go so often that the stamps just started adding up and he really wanted that car! You can see that he is a generous soul and wanted to share the stamp love with Daddy. Let's hope this is the start of a new Logan.

"Me" Time!

2010-06-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

For our anniversary, my sweet hubby gave me a spa package, and even set it all up. All I had to do was show up! Yesterday he took the kids to the Splash Park and sent me for a massage, haircut and pedicure. It was FABULOUS!! I decided to go a little crazy (for me) with the hair and had Kirsten do piecey layers and straighten it.

I LOVE IT!!

Here's the back. I guess I'll have to go buy a flatiron...

And here are my pretty toes. I still have a facial coming up that I am totally looking forward to, but this was such a great day. It is amazing how rejuvenated I feel, just after a little pampering and alone time. After the spa, I stopped at Target (because we needed milk), and it was so fun to wander around kidless and feeling great. Thank you, sweetheart! You couldn't have given me a better present. (Well, except for the nine years. Oh, and all of the rest of them!)

My version

2010-06-19T19:24:00.008-05:00

Ok, let's be honest: the post immediately below this one is the most important news in the last 2 years or so.

However, it's nice to have something to report other than running. Katie let the cat out of the bag--we're going to Utah for Pulm/Critical Care!

And I'm really excited. Why?

Exhibit A:

And yes, it really does look like that. The U of U campus site on the eastern border of the city, which in this picture is the transition zone between city and mountain, just about where the snowline is on the righthand-most mountain. From there you have nearly 50 miles (as the crow flies) of uninterrupted mountains and trails. Those of you who know me at all know that mountains exert a peculiar siren call to me, and the chance to live amongst them is extraordinarily exciting.

Exhibit B:

This is the newly constructed flagship hospital for Intermountain Health Care, a combination health plan/hospital system. This system was recently mentioned in the same breath as Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, and the Cleveland Clinic as one of the shining stars in terms of delivery of high quality health care. As that's a particular interest (both from a research and a practical point of view) of mine, I am really, really excited to work there.

Katie did mention that U of U was not my first choice. That's technically correct--but it wasn't really my second choice, either. I selected San Antonio as my first choice, as I felt that it was a more family friendly program, with ample opportunity for time off, moonlighting, & etc. Decent research in COPD, good lung transplant program, neither of which are particularly interesting to me. Solid, familial feel between the fellows, which was the tipping point for me. Honestly, however, nothing exciting about the program, nothing about the system that makes me sit up and say--I want to be a part of that. Ho-hum, blah, we'll get you board eligible, khaki pants and drab polo kind of training.

San Antonio

Exact opposite is true for the U of U program. Firstly, it gets us out of Texas. Not that Texas is a bad place, and I'll always be Texan, much to the dismay of all lesser states. However, the 95 degrees for 8 months is a bit trying, and Utah provides a climate more agreeable to me and the missus. The program itself is more rigorous, in terms of research, clinical work, and expectations--all of which I suspect I will look back on with appreciation, and hate in the midst. Moonlighting, by the few reports I have heard, is somewhat limited, requiring me to spend extra time this year working to save up the $$. HOWEVER: I want to be part of this system. I want to know that I am being trained somewhere on the cutting edge of the science. I want excellence. I want a little bit of rock star. And that's what I'll get at Utah.

Utah

And yes, this is probably the first time anyone has compared Utah to Jimi Hendrix.

More Big News...

2010-06-19T07:16:00.000-05:00

Not only will be heading to parts unknown next year, it seems we'll be doing it with one more Deshazer in tow. He or she should be coming to live with us some time in December. My due date is Dec 31, but if my first two are any indication, I suspect we might have a little visitor before Christmas.
So far the pregnancy has been medically uneventful, although this first trimester is really taking it out of me. Perhaps that has something to do with the two busy children that I chase all day... Either way, I've been pretty sick and tired this last month or two, so I'm really looking forward to putting this whole first trimester nonsense behind me!

For those who might be interested in a fuzzy grey ultrasound image, here is the little peanut at 8 weeks - taken about 4 weeks ago. All of the appropriate parts are present and accounted for.

And the Deshazer family will be moving to....

2010-06-16T12:26:00.001-05:00

Salt Lake City!

Mitch matched to the fellowship program there at the University of Utah. It was our second choice, but by such a small margin as to be insignificant, so we are really happy with it. The program is really excellent and we are looking forward to the climate change. We won't be leaving Temple just yet. The fellowship starts July of 2011, so we'll be here for one more year before the big move. It will be really hard to leave Texas, where we have so much family and such good friends.

Naptime

2010-06-11T15:44:00.000-05:00

Logan doesn't really nap anymore, but I still send him to his room for an hour or so of quiet time every day. Usually he just plays quietly in his bed. Sometimes, he falls asleep!

Apparently playing with his computer was too much for him today!

9 years!

2010-06-09T06:48:00.000-05:00

Nine years ago today, Mitch and I braved the biggest flood to hit Houston in a century in order to be sealed for time and all eternity in the Houston temple.

The intervening years have been full of fun, laughter, joy, sadness, tears, trials, changes, children and lots of adventure.

I wouldn't change a thing! (Except maybe my hair in this picture...)

Black pots

2010-06-08T19:52:00.001-05:00

Some of you may know that my Dad is an avid Dutch oven cooking enthusiast. I, too have been known to cook up some chili and cornbread over a bed of hot coals in a big cast iron pot. Apparently, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

or in this case, the campfire.

"What, I'm making breakfast here!" She tells me that she was making eggs. I'm glad I have a skillet that's just her size.

Big Girl Bed!!

2010-06-06T07:25:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, when we got our tax refund, we decided to spend part of it on Myra's Big Girl bed. She wasn't (or we weren't!) ready for it then, but we decided last weekend that perhaps the time was ripe. So, Mitch hauled out all the boxes to assemble it, and found that the headboard was cracked. Grrr. A check of Ikea's website had no mention of this particular bed (besides, how long ago did I throw away that receipt??), so we decided to fix it ourselves rather than make the long drive to Austin to see about an exchange or something. We're resourceful that way. Anyway, it meant waiting another week as glue dried and cured. So, yesterday we were ready! Until about halfway through the assembly when we realized that we were missing the support slats that are packaged separately from the beds. Grrr, again. Should we try for a fix ourselves, or was it time to make the drive south?

We decided to try to support the bed with plywood slats that Mitch cut. Here is Myra testing it out. As you can see, it seems to have worked!

No problems getting in or out.

The side rail seems sturdy. Thanks for helping with the quality assurance there, Logan! Unfortunately, after a bit of aggressive jumping on Logan's part, it became clear that our slats slid around and would allow the mattress to fall between them. Sorry, I should have taken a picture of that! Don't worry - Logan wasn't injured. Anyway, that meant that we were going to HAVE to head to Ikea to get the missing part.

Naptime came first, though. Then we headed south, got the missing slats (and a sheet that fit the new mattress), had a great dinner with Dan at Katz's, then came home, to reassemble the new bed.

And have a picnic, Check out that awesome sharing!! Good job, Logan. Myra slept well on her new bed last night, but it doesn't seem to have occurred to her that she could get out if she wished. Perhaps we'll let her figure that out on her own...

ROTD 6/5/10, half marathon, and the search for the One True Shoe

2010-06-05T20:08:00.005-05:00

Dear reader, after unavoidable absence, I return. In full form. I have haphazardly run 3 miles a day, hardly worth a blog entry, and dealing with unlooked-for problems at work. Back with a splash today:

As you can see, this is a familiar loop, but I added a mile before, an easy mile afterwards, and a mile of "speedwork". All told, nearly 12 miles. Took about 2:10.

Which is important, since next weekend I signed up for the Chasing Lions at Twilight Half Marathon. That's 13.1 miles, and with today's run under my belt, I'm feeling good.

Still on the lookout for the One True Shoe. I went so far as to email the guys at New Balance, looking for a wide width trail running shoe. They only make one:

I'm not yet ready to drop the coin yet, because I'm waiting for that first paycheck. Then I'll really be feeling good. For an excellent interpretation of that, please see below:

Happy running!

Hats!

2010-05-31T06:56:00.000-05:00

Myra has developed a bit of an obsession recently with headgear. She loves to point out when anyone is wearing a hat - particularly if that person happens to be a princess wearing a crown. With regards to her own headgear however, she is a bit more flexible...

Hats are good.

Cowboy hats are better!

A tiara is perfect!

But hey, a bowl full of Banana pudding works in a pinch!

And if nothing else is available, a mailing envelope will do!

Who needs a bed?

2010-05-29T18:44:00.000-05:00

We spent much of this morning cleaning the carpets in the kids room. Potty training was messy. This necessitated the removal of most of the furniture and toy boxes into the living room. Logan's bed ended up in the entryway. Of course, all this novelty made for fun times in new places. Logan decided to curl up in a couple of toy boxes and take a rest.

That just doesn't look very comfortable to me, but he obviously doesn't mind. You know, they'd have a lot more room to play with one less bed in there...

Gymnastics "recital"

2010-05-25T06:43:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm not really sure what to call it, but Logan had a performance sort of Open House for Gymnastics last night. He learned a routine and was able to show us all of the moves and skills that he has been learning this year. It was really fun and he was so cute!

Logan doing warm ups on the floor.

Here is a tiny clip of the end of his routine.

Jumping on the trampoline

Swinging

Climbing

The rings are his favorite!

More swinging

And getting his medal at the end! He had so much fun! He really loves gymnastics.

The Limo...

2010-05-22T16:12:00.000-05:00

We have a new (to us) car!!

Isn't she pretty? I know, a minivan, but whatcha gonna do? We have a bunch of kids. It's amazing how much space two carseats take up. Anyway, she is a 2007 Honda Odyssey Touring Edition. For those who don't speak Honda, that means that she is totally tricked out!

Here's Myra in the middle row captain's chair. Yes, we went with the leather interior - a big thanks to those of you who convinced me of it's merits! It also has a built in DVD player, GPS, rear camera for backing up, parking sensors, automatic lights, seat heaters, power EVERYTHING - you name it, this car will do it for you.

Here is the GPS getting me out of Austin without getting us lost. (Don't worry, I was parked when I took the picture.) I think this may be the fanciest car I've ever driven. Hence the name; we're calling her the Limo.

Catch and some crafty fun

2010-05-14T10:23:00.001-05:00

Logan and Myra love to play catch with Daddy. Here is their way...

The video is a minute long, but cute!! The black spots on Logan's hands (and face, and legs) are the result of the kid's latest hobby - stamping.

I took the kids to Hobby Lobby and let them each choose a stamp and stamp pad. Logan chose a Mater stamp and a black ink pad and Myra brought home Ariel and a pink pad. Much fun was had, and the stamps were mostly contained to paper and themselves. It's washable ink either way, so no permanent damage was done.

Bleh.

2010-05-10T18:31:00.004-05:00

Those of you who have spent a bit of time running will recognize The Position: hands on knees, head down, gasping for air; the posture of the completely spent, blown out runner.

Not that I have gone running today. Nor yesterday, nor the day before. Ah, the return to Real Work Hours (which in doctor-speak means, oh, about 70 per week). Devastating to psyche and spirit. Somehow, I just can't convince my body that getting up at 4 am to "get a run in" is a great idea.

Doesn't help that the little ones still haven't grasped the concept of sleep. While they are cute when playful at 11 pm (and 12 pm, and 1:37 am, 2 am, 2:35 am, 3 am, 3:15 am, 4:02 am, and 4:27 am) it is somewhat disruptive to adequate recovery for both me and the missus. The Kids have finally broken us, and we both lie about like dishrags.

On another note, one reader requested a comment about shoes, I presume of the running variety. I note well that the asker is both female and quite the connoisseur of shoes; I doubt my ability to add significantly to her knowledge within that realm.

Katie tells me these are nice. Suck to run in, though.

This is what I know: the more you run, the more fit and function have to dominate over looks. At some point, a shoe will tell you it isn't actually a perfect fit--it just may take 15 miles to do it. Should you never approach that threshold, you never have a problem.

My feet are more square than rectangular, and thus require very wide widths. This essentially limits me to New Balance brand shoes, with the occasional Asics or Mizuno thrown in.

That's ok, there's plenty to choose from. They get the job done, but are mostly ugly, as seen below.
Right about now, I'm really ready to drop major $$$ for a pair like this, as my feet are telling me that my $95 Mizunos don't fit, with a threshold of about 10 miles. And I'd like to run further than that (as my goal is to run a marathon). The really crappy part, of course, is that it took a few 10 mile runs to find that my major shoe investment is worthless. Grrr.

Air Show!!

2010-05-02T16:55:00.000-05:00

After 3 years of living in Temple we finally made it to the Central Texas Air Show! As you might imagine, Logan was in heaven! We all had a great time.

As soon as we got there, Logan spotted the yellow Life Flight chopper that he toured last summer, and had to go see it. They let him hang out in the cockpit!

Myra got in the back.

Then he had to see the Firetruck, but we couldn't get him to hold still long enough for a picture.

Check out this tire!

It belongs to this B-25 bomber.

Myra found one that was her size.

Then we got a "ride" in a Huey.

Logan drove...
It was super fun, and the kids had a great time. Myra's been talking about "airplanes" ever since!

Nap of the Day, 5/1/2010

2010-05-01T13:44:00.003-05:00

Didn't run today, dear reader. Didn't even walk. The reason, however, is not what you suspect.

Last night Logan had attacks of what sounded for all the world like whooping cough. It wasn't--it was just snot running into the back of his throat, and making him miserable. Prevention entails him sleeping essentially upright, which requires one of us to hold him. So I did.

Problem is, I can't sleep while holding him in that position. During the night, I got perhaps 3 hours of sleep, until my wonderful wife came at 4:30 (?) and let me sleep until 8.

Typically I don't need much sleep, but that's a bit excessive. Way excessive, after a 3 hour run.

On a separate topic, I am completely blasted still from that run. No reason it should have taken that long. And my lower legs are really hurting, telling me that I lost the form I had two days ago that helped me.

In addition, I am again cursing the running shoe gods. I currently run in this:

Mizuno Wave Ronin

which is essentially a racing flat. I have been looking for a good flat shoe (ie, forefoot to heel height difference of zero) but such does not exist. Problem being, I have very wide feet, and now I think I have a bone bruise on my left foot as this shoe is too narrow on that foot, too roomy on the right. Annoying.

I may have to go to REI or something similar and just buy a really ugly, really wide shoe. I always say fit comes first, but occasionally I'll push the point for looks. Now I am nursing some very sore legs and swear on a stack of Bibles that I'll never do that again.

Happy (although slightly grumpy) running!

ROTD 4/30/2010--long and tough

2010-04-30T13:00:00.003-05:00

Today, dear reader, is a mystery to me. The Bermuda triangle of running. I ran the route below, which is just 2.8 miles longer than my previous long run. Those took 1:30 or so, this took nearly 3 hours. Obviously I was going slower, but it did not feel much slower. Strange. And really tough.
I can feel it now in my feet and legs. Seems I lost the focus on impact just behind my center of gravity. I actually lost focus on nearly everything, just trying to fit in a 3 hour run. Don't know why it was so hard. I did finish, however.

I think tomorrow will be a nice, easy, short jog. Say, 6 miles or so. Need the recovery.

Projected weekly summary:
Monday: 8.9 miles
Tuesday: 9.8 miles
Wednesday: 7.9 miles of hill repeats
Thursday:9.2 miles
Friday: 12.8
Saturday (projected): 6

Total: 54.6 miles this week. This promises to be the only week I can put in these kinds of miles, as Medicine Wards start next week, and I start on call. It will be ugly.

Happy Running!

The Zoo!!

2010-04-29T14:12:00.000-05:00

This is Logan's last month of pre-school for the year, so we are doing a few field trips and field day - fun end-of-the-year stuff. Today we took the kids to the zoo in Waco. Super fun!! It's been quite a while since we'd been, and Myra never had.

Here is most of his class. We missed Anna, as her baby sister was ill.

The kids were transfixed by the komodo dragon! I think it sort of freaked Myra out. I've never seen one this active!

After the reptiles, there was this cool Asian-ish themed play area. These plates are chimes that ring when the kids jumped on them. So cool!!

Logan "rode" a pony,

and practiced his rope swinging.

The lion was unimpressed...
We wandered around looking at all the cool animals (and making appropriate animal noises - so funny!!), then broke for lunch at the park in the zoo.

Myra liked climbing in the snake.

Logan liked climbing ON the snake.

and the balance beam. That gymnastics stuff is really sinking in!

We had a great time! Both kids crashed out in the car on the way home. They needed the sleep after a busy day at the zoo!!

ROTD 4/29/2010--exploration, nice places

2010-04-29T10:49:00.004-05:00

Dear reader, today continues the search for the perfect run. Long, some hills, few cars, nice views. I think it's coming together. The neighboorhood just north of Midway is surprisingly nice: large, older homes, great trees, immaculate yards.

I am proposing the following run for tomorrow. It's only 2.8 miles longer than my current runs, so it shouldn't be too much of a bump. That will be my long run for the week; Saturday we are taking the kids to the airshow, and I don't want to be blasted for that.

I'll have to take something more than the amount of water I currently carry; one bottle will be insufficient. I also have no time goals--I don't want a focus on time to distract me from pain-free running. Yesterday my plantar fascia acted up. Today (knock on wood) I haven't had much, if any, problems.

There were only a few parts in today's 9.2 miles where I felt that my form came apart. I am still in the stage where it's ok to stop and take a breather and reset--not the win-at-all-costs go-go-go mentality that dominated my triathlon years. I like my current mindset better.

Happy Running!

ROTD 4/28/2010--Hill repeats and vampire bites

2010-04-28T08:58:00.010-05:00

Today, dear reader, was a rather difficult workout: hill repeats. One I probably won't repeat soon, as it really bothers my left foot. But I digress. Map/elevation below (click to enlarge, full details here):

The loop at the park is almost exactly 1 mile, and it is fairly steep to my eyes. However, it only represents 118 feet of elevation gain, packed into 0.4 miles, an average of 295 feet of gain per mile--which ain't much. Feels like it, though. I was able to do the loops in about 11 minutes, which is just a minute off my normal pace, so it wasn't too bad.

HOWEVER, this really killed my left foot. I have a chronic case of plantar fascitis, which is the vampire bite of running--it never really seems to go away, and it can be so painful you can't really walk. Today really flared it. So I won't be doing hill repeats for a while, as this injury is what kept me from running for 2 years.

The ChiRunning website has some tips, which I intend to incorporate. Can't let this running streak be broken by a silly injury.

Happy Running!

ROTD 4/27/2010--use the Force

2010-04-27T11:04:00.005-05:00

Today, dear reader, I ran a route familiar to me (full details here). This route is almost exactly 10 miles long:

I continue in my quest for a relaxing route to run, and am nearly there. However, today is not the day for exploration with its inherent uncertainties about duration of run or time of arrival--as I had to go to work today. Bleh.

There are two forces in play when running. The first is gravity, which of course pulls your center of gravity straight downwards. The second is the force of the road pushing up against you.

The Force of gravity is of course what we all have to overcome to stand upright. However, this force can also be used to propel you. If you hold an erect posture, and engage in a slight forward lean, then the difference between your center of gravity and the site of foot impact translates into a forward propulsion--that is, you are falling. Properly harnessed, this results in free forward motion, with no muscular energy expended at all.

The force of the road is rarely helpful, and in fact can be quite damaging. This is the force that produces injuries if your technique is not sufficient to learn how to cooperate with the force of the road coming at you. This is primarily done by ensuring that the foot lands at least underneath, and preferably behind, your center of gravity.

Proper running form requires that your feet strike the ground behind you. This is more difficult than it sounds, as your body rightfully interprets this as a fall and bends you in such a way as to avoid it. I was able to do this today as well, and I can tell an enormous difference today vs yesterday.

Happy Running!

ROTD 4/26/2010--Return to Exploration

2010-04-26T11:18:00.006-05:00

One of the niftiest things about running, dear reader, is the chance to explore. I don't live in an area much amenable to true exploration, as I suspect every nook and cranny of Temple, Tx is well known. However, it's fun to try out new routes. (click to enlarge, full details here). This run took almost exactly 90 minutes.

Admittedly, it's not running the Salt Lake Basin. One of the reasons I applied there for fellowship is because the mountains are my "cantante" (singers, for all of you who have not applied yourself to the Twilight saga). Please compare the pic of the Lake Mary trail in the Wasatch Mountains below to the route above (photo by Todd Keith) and it becomes immediately clear why I would prefer to run someplace else:

Wow.

But beggars and choosers, and whatnot. I am looking for a good long run, with decent shoulders and a nice, flatish surface (alternatively, traffic low enough that I can run in the middle of the road). Miles 1-5 of the above route were great, but Midway Road (miles 5-7 above) would not represent what I am looking for. There are too many spots where the sides are either too tilted, or covered in brush and I have to run in a car lane (with heavy traffic).

That said, I did manage to run today with minimal effort. Seems that the time I spent with Heggie's book did wonders for how well I can perceive what I am doing. I have gone a long way to fixing my right leg's alignment problems. Today's 9 miles felt relatively good, and I clearly could have gone another 4 or 5 miles without problems.

Happy running!

Sorry, no running.

2010-04-25T18:24:00.000-05:00

Because I don't. I sew.

But I do have cute kids.

who actually play together. Nicely even. It was a good day...

ROTD 4/24/2010 and cravings

2010-04-24T12:06:00.005-05:00

Today, dear reader, I actually ran. Not nearly what I wanted to, but something like this (click to enlarge):

Full details here.

I also had to sneak it around a thunderstorm or two this morning. Real heavy rain, but just for 30-45 minutes or so.

The focus today was on keeping my vertical alignment properly engaged, which is not as easy as it sounds. For further details of why this is important, please see the simplified running video (and a thanks to reader David, who directed me thusly).

I also must mention the cravings of the last 48 hours or so. Long time readers (here, about 2 weeks) know that I am interested in addiction neurobiology (see here and here) and specifically the addiction of food. Mostly because I am addicted to food.

Hi, My name is Mitch, and I'm a junkie. I'm quite serious about this. Most people look at me and laugh. I have never found it funny.

Two days ago Katie baked a small batch of these:

No picture can capture just how yummie Katie's cookies are.

I was having a bad day--feeling worn out, hadn't run that morning, everything hurting, kids didn't let us sleep. All of these weaken my already low resistance. I gave myself permission to "just have 1 or 2".

To an addict, or anyone with any compulsive behavior, there is no such thing as "just 1 or 2." You have let your guard down, and until you manage to reset, you are firmly in the grip of your compulsion.

This is what my compulsive self has me do when I lose control: I ate 3 cookies worth of uncooked dough. Then I had 7 or 8 cookies that night. I then had 5 slices of bread with peanut butter and lots of honey, two bowls of Fruit Loops, and some of the kid's candy. The next morning I was still craving hyper-palatable foods and ate another bowl of Fruit Loops, 4 more cookies, 4 more slices of bread with peanut butter and honey, 2 more with butter and honey, two large pieces of cheese, the remains of all the pasta in the fridge, 1 package of lunch meat, a chocolate brownie Cliff bar, and then when we went out that night, two large scoops of ice cream.

Felt a bit like these guys:

There might have been more. I lose count because once this takes hold, I eat without realizing it, and only in retrospect grasp how much has gone down the pie hole.

Fortunately, I did run today. Oddly enough, running is what resets my cravings back to something approaching normal. Today (as of 1 pm) I have had: one Cliff bar, 1 salad with chicken, and a banana. Very different than the above, don't you think?

Running for me is more than just a way to let stress out, fight bad moods, get in shape, and spend some time in nature. It resets my cravings, and helps me be human.

Happy (and healthy) running!