Uncategorized – Page 28 – Coffee and Inclusion

My Favorite Things

What is a blogger to do when she can’t think of anything to write? (This especially applies to the crazy bloggers who challenge themselves to post every day for a year.) She posts another list, that’s what.

And so, I give to you:

My Favorite Things
Favorite food: pizza (I mean, c’mon. It’s absolutely the most perfect food.)

Favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird

Favorite song: This is a tough one. I love music, and have an appreciation for all types. Just today, I was listening to this, this, and this; all similar, I suppose, thanks to my undying devotion to a local radio station (my kids rock out to the Ramones, Jake Bugg, and Alt-J because they have grown up with this station…way cool). There are really too many songs to consider, so I guess I will skip this one.

Favorite color: This is also a tough one. My favorite color to wear is black, and that’s just because I think I look nice in it. I really can’t choose just one color, so I’ll steal Addie’s answer to this question: rainbow.

Favorite tv show: Right now, we’re back to watching Mad Men (hellooo, Don Draper!), and I also enjoy watching Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. (All I need now is for Brian Williams to get a Sunday night program and I could watch all my television boyfriends on the same night!) I have no problem admitting that I have a sick obsession with watching reruns of favorite sitcoms (Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Big Bang Theory).

Favorite ice cream: Hands down, a trio of Jeni’s Salty Caramel, The Buckeye State, and Dark Chocolate. Perfection in a bowl.

Ok, I’m done with this. The more I write, the cheesier I feel, and I’m also realizing that I don’t really have strong favorites of anything (well, except for maybe ice cream). Do you have any favorites that you feel compelled to share?

If nothing else, I posted something for today, therefore keeping my streak intact. Go me.

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Track Meet

Today, Alex participated in his first Special Olympics track meet. What a day.

He was excited to go, but when we arrived, the chaos of a new place overwhelmed him a bit. By the time the coaches arrived with uniforms, he had no intention of changing his clothes. After some persuading, he put the uniform on (read: we gave him no choice but to wear it), but continued to insist that he wasn’t going to run. I had to escort him to the infield when his team entered the stadium (which, I’m fairly certain, is discouraged), and strongly suggested to him that he get in line with his friends (read: gave him no choice but to comply). They finally called his division and started lining kids up, so I have him a nudge and he got into line, and then I bolted up the field a bit.

For as much as he complained that he wanted to leave, the kid did a great job. He placed third in his division for the 50m dash, and fifth in his division for the softball throw.

I think the best part of the day, though, was seeing how proud he was of himself for his accomplishments. He and I went to the grocery store this evening, and he had to tell anyone who would listen that he “ran fast, got a medal”. His story was met with such enthusiasm from complete strangers, which just puffed him up even more. It was awesome.

Another meet is scheduled for Saturday, and I’m hoping he will be more cooperative at the beginning of the event. Probably a long shot, but a girl can dream, right?

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Date Night

Finally, a night out.

Of course, being a Saturday, everyone else is also out. I’m not a fan of big crowds; rude people in big crowds really set me off. Unfortunately, you’ll find both in a busy restaurant on a Saturday night.

But, our server is pleasant and the food is great. The break from the normal chaos is fantastic.

And so, I won’t complain.

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Weekend Anticipation

Friday. Finally. I mean, seriously, finalllllly.

It wasn’t a bad week, just very busy, and I’m ready for a break. With a late Easter, and a very early start of summer break (the kids only have 15 school days left!), I feel like we’re cramming eight weeks of activity into four. It’s exhausting.

But, I think it’s funny that I regard the weekend as a “break”. Welcome to May, where there is at least one activity already on the calendar for every single day. Weekends are no different. Tomorrow, we have Alex’s first baseball game of the season, a birthday party, a fairy garden workshop (that’s just a girls’ activity while the boys are at the birthday party), Al’s music lesson, and then Mark and I are getting out for the rare date night. Sunday is Alex’s first Special Olympics track meet, and if we’re still standing by that afternoon, we’re hoping to get some yard work accomplished.

I need a glass of wine just thinking about it (sadly, I ate all my WW points for today, so the wine will have to wait, ha!!).

I’m really not complaining; my kids are happy and enjoying all their activities, and it makes me happy that we can accommodate such a fun schedule for all of them. It just amazes me that this month will speed by as quickly as April did.

It will be July 4th before we know it…which is just the spring board into Birthday Palooza. Time really does fly…

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Dinner

Thursday evenings are especially busy in our house, with two of the three kids having dance class after school. Trying to get everyone fed and in bed on time can be a challenge.

Enter “Kids Eat Free” night at Earth Fare.

Seriously, this is one of the best deals that I’ve found. Eating out can be expensive for a family of five, but Earth Fare offers free kids’ meals with each adult dinner purchase of just $5. How amazing is that?!? The food is terrific, kid friendly, and consists of great choices. There is something for everyone on the menu. Tonight, the five of us ate for $22; it could have been even less, but we allowed the kids to choose root beer and lemonade (the kids’ meals include water, but not the other choices) and Mark enjoyed a huge salad from their awesome salad bar with his tasty sandwich (my meal, pizza and salad, was only $5!!).

So, a crazy busy night (this is picture week at dance) was made a little less stressful because we ate out and didn’t have to spend a ton of money (typically, a meal out, even at a quick serve place, is anywhere from $25-35!). Everyone has full bellies and is now ready for bed…whether they like it or not!

This post contains my own opinions and comments. I was not compensated for my efforts.

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Midweek Break

Tonight I had the rare opportunity to escape the chaos of the Kearns home for a few hours. My mom and I did a bit of shopping, had a beer, and won several great items at a fun Tupperware party.

It was a lovely evening, and now I’m definitely ready for sleep. It is way past my bedtime.

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Countdown

Summer is upon us! The kids only have 18 school days left for this year. As much as I dread the change of routine for Alex (there is never a seamless transition), I am more than ready to move on from this school year.

I’ve been thinking of all the fun things we should anticipate: summer reading programs at the library, the new exhibit at the zoo, evenings at the pool, relaxed bedtimes and morning schedules, all the fun day camps and VBS, and lots more! I also read recently that this summer could be cooler than usual, because the extreme cold this winter (something about the Great Lakes still being frozen??). I don’t know if that’s true, but I would love to have a less humid, pleasant summer (as opposed to the stifling hot and humid summers we typically get).

If we can hang on and get through the jam-packed schedule of the next few weeks, we’ll make it to summer break. I will soon have a fourth grader, a third grader, and a Kindergartner! Seems impossible.

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Loss

I’ve posted recently about reigniting my efforts to be more healthy. The whole “wellness plan” needed some more support, though, so last week I enrolled in Weight Watchers.

I’ve done WW in the past, with great success. It’s only been when I’ve let myself get sidetracked that I’ve fallen off the path and succumbed to my stress eating habits. I’m tired of that, though, and last week made a decision to try again.

I spent all last week counting points, and figuring out the best choices for filling meals, while carefully allowing points for small snacks or treats. After just one week, I’m happy to report a loss of just over four pounds!

Now, before you get all worried about such a big loss (1-2 pounds/week is expected), I’m quite certain it can be attributed to the fact that I drank a ton of water (eliminating my afternoon soda and/or Starbucks, except for a couple days, as well as choosing way more fruits and veggies over cupcakes and junk). It will level off eventually, but until then, I will most certainly enjoy this little ego boost.

Here’s the best part: last week, I had pizza for dinner one night, and Chipotle another. I counted all those points, though, to stay on track, but I was very satisfied after allowing myself those treats. I’ve tried other programs where there is little to no wiggle room on meal options, and found myself face first in a box of donuts after days of deprivation. The WW program obviously clicks with me, so I will stick to that.

I’m hopeful that I will continue making better food choices, manage stress through exercise rather than junk food, and set a better example for the kids. Wish me luck!

This blog post contains my own thoughts on the Weight Watchers program, for which I was not compensated in any way.

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Stellar Sunday

What a great day.

We started Sunday off by spending time with our King Ave UMC family. We celebrated a new baby, a baptism, and a marriage; we listened to wonderful music and heard a terrific sermon. You really can’t ask for much more out of your Sunday morning.

After church, we headed to a district-wide art show. My Addie was one of just 20 students at her school to have a piece on display in this show. We’re so proud of her! She was very excited to see her work displayed other fine pieces. There is great talent among the kids in our community!

For our next stop this afternoon, we were happy to visit a spring and summer favorite: the Miracle League field. Alex will play in his eighth season of ML baseball this year! He has come such a long way from his first season, and it is so awesome to see the joy on his face as he hits the baseball and takes his base.

After that, we made one more stop. We decided to surprise Mark at work so the kids could see his new store (he recently started a new job, and now manages a different retailer). The kids always think it’s super cool to see Daddy’s office, and Mark enjoys showing off the kids.

At that point, Al was over our adventures and ready to go home. The kids played outside, we had a nice family dinner, and played a couple games of Uno. Now the kids are tucked into bed, and I’m watching Parts Unknown while I wait for Mad Men to begin.

Yep. It was a fine Sunday.

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Springtime Saturday

We had a surprisingly low-key Saturday. A meeting with Alex’s behavior consultant, followed by some grocery shopping and his music lesson, some errands with the family, and then a quiet night.

We had to stop at Lowe’s today, and Alex and I excitedly looked at all the blooms and talked about which ones we will plant once we’re very certain that winter is truly over (this is Ohio, you know). We’re all anxious for gardens and flowers and sunshine and short sleeves and more cookouts…I could go on and on.

We paid our fair dues with winter. Welcome, Spring! We’ve been waiting for you.

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