We're back.

We've made it back from West Virginia. I really want to write about that but I really also want to wait for my photos, so instead you get this.

Since my return, I've come to a few realizations:

1. I need to work on my housecleaning skills. Something about coming home to the stink of rotting baby feces made this an easy conclusion to jump to. Just because you tuck the poop into a diaper pail, doesn't mean it won't stink to high heavens in a week. Also, take note that carpet is ridiculously good at harboring odors.

2. Sometimes Jared is compelled to do weird things. Things I don't understand. I need to allow him to do these things,  assuming that, A.) he isn't going to break anything  B.) it doesn't make a mess for me and C.) it isn't against the law. He is currently and has been for the last 3 hours obsessed with picking a lock he found while on a walk this afternoon. I have been cleaning the kitchen, listening to the click click click of metal while Jared tries to shake it open. It is kind of driving me crazy, and he doesn't intend to stop at that lock. He wants to learn to pop open our doors, too.

3. I need to lay off the cookies. And ice cream. And cupcakes. Moving & traveling has not been kind to me. I had made good progress on weight loss front, but then while we were packing and moving and on the road... I just didn't have time or energy to make food. So we resorted to frozen pizzas. Cookies. Fast food. I kind of forgot that I was trying to be healthy. Today I stepped on the scale and my true reaction was: "Wow. That was fast. Kind of impressive in a depressing way." And then I checked to see if I had ripped myself any new stretch marks. (I hadn't.)

So! To deal with these three obstacles, I have devised a three part plan.

1. I'm going to try to follow FlyLady. Jared's mom told me about her, and  I'll see how well I do. It is a set of very simple steps that you do each day to keep your house clean. I can do simple. I can do babysteps. The website is really tacky but the content makes sense. I can stand by her mantra for overcoming the overwhelming feelings of clearing the clutter: "I'm not behind, I'm just beginning." Tonight I am going to bed with a shiny sink waiting to greet me in the morning.

2. I am going to get back to reading books. When Jared is doing weird things, I am just going to go in another room and pretend I don't notice. I get that he must do these things, but they tend to be things that drive me nuts. So,  I really think that would be a good idea to institute a don't ask don't tell policy around here. I've always been meaning to read more books, so while he is being weird, I will become edumacated. There are a lot of books I've been wanting to read, and this will give me plenty of time. Trust me. (I could have read War & Peace ten times over if you count the hours he spent using the laser level on our pictures.)

3. I'm getting back on the homemade food wagon. If I couple that with my cleaning activities and walking club twice a week, I should go back to making headway on the scales. The key is to remember that I can't eat what Jared eats, and that no one is here to scold me if I don't end up in the clean plate club.



P.S. Oliver would like you all to know that he is starting his birthday list early. He wants a ride-on toy (preferably with removable sides and push handle), something to hold bath toys (and a few more bath toys), 24 months clothing, and some exposed electrical outlets and/or sharp scissors to play with.

P.P.S. We used a gift card to buy him this Yookidoo bath toy, and it really is awesome. But beware! It may cause your baby to splash outside the tub and/or get a face full of water. Really is very cool though. Yookidoo makes a lot of neat toys, actually.