The tradition we kept - Christmas Eve dinner and new jammies at Poppy's house

Here it is, January 6^th and the tree is still up. The kids’ new toys are still scattered around the living room. I know I should put the mess away, take down the tree and start thinking toward the next big event of the year – K’s birthday, coming up in a month.

But for some reason, I can’t.

I’m having a tough time letting go of the holidays, even though we’ve all been back to work and school since Tuesday. The routines are falling back into place, yet I can’t seem to accept that Christmas is over.

We broke from our usual tradition this year and stayed home on Christmas day. In the past, we only spent part of the day at home and then went to my aunt and uncle’s house for dinner. This year, being that the kids are at an age where separating them from their new toys is a bit of a chore, we decided to just have a more relaxed Christmas at home.

It was definitely the right choice for us and for the kids, but I can’t help but wonder if that’s part of my problem with letting the season end. I’m not sure. Is it that a piece of my “normal” holiday puzzle was left out?

I’m not a person who deals well with change, even when it’s my own decision. I find myself clinging to the familiar and fighting for what I’m used to. It’s just who I am. I know that it’s time to create our own memories and traditions with the kids, but letting my own childhood traditions go is hard. Christmas has been a constant struggle since I lost my mom and I feel like this is what I need to do to heal, but it’s still hard.

Maybe I’ll let Christmas go today…or tomorrow…or maybe next week. I just don’t know.

Have you ever made the decision to break from tradition and start something new with your family? Did you feel the same way that I am right now?

Happy New Year! There’s something so refreshing about putting up a fresh, new calendar…a blank slate, wide open for new adventures, unending possibilities of what the New Year could become.  Even though 2011 was an amazing year for me, with fabulous experiences that outweighed the drama, I was excited to see it come to an end so I could see what 2012 had in store.

Over the past few years, I’ve mostly written here about my kids and things that I was asked to do. While there will still be a bit of that, most of my space on the web is about to become MINE. 2012 is going to be the year of ME. Narcissistic, I know.

I feel like I’ve become stale and have fallen off from blogging because of it. I lost my identity a bit. I’ve been so focused on myself as a mom, I’ve forgotten that I am my own person, with my own interests. A problem I’m trying to overcome both online and off. The kids are getting older and by September, D will be off to Kindergarten and I’ll have the biggest part of the day to myself.

It’s time to get back to being me. I’m ready to remember who I am and what I like and reconnect with the girl who used to do more with her day than wipe butts and build Legos. If I don’t, I’m going to be lost in a few short months.

I hope you’ll join me throughout 2012. Watch me grow, find out what makes me smile and hopefully we’ll become even better friends along the way.

What’s your focus for 2012?

Special thanks to Tara at Skippin’ Rope for taking this picture for me!

I’m going to do a dual purpose post here, being that it’s Thanksgiving Eve and my kitchen is already buzzing with activity.

First, I want to wish all of my friends and family a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. I am truly thankful to be surrounded by so many loving and supportive people, both online and off. Each day I thank God that you are a part of my life.

Second, while I have your attention, I wanted to remind you all that an important part of being safe this holiday season is making sure that you and your guests stay smart and sober while driving this weekend. In 2009, there were 411 motor vehicle traffic fatalities on our nation’s highways during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Take a moment to watch this video and see just how one poor decision can change many lives.

Take the pledge at the Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving website and ask your friends and loved ones to do the same. You’ll be thankful that you did.

Happy Halloween! We hope that you and your trick or treaters have a safe night out! Please remember that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving this (and every) evening, so be sure to designate a driver if you are attending a party or event where alcohol is being served.

If you’re holding an event where you will be serving drinks to your guests, make sure that you have some non-alcoholic options on hand for those who must drive. The Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving Facebook page has collected some fun drink recipes that you can try. You can also find alternative ride services to help your guests who might have had a bit more than they should to find a safe way home!

Please join us in taking the pledge never to drive buzzed at the Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving website and spread the word to your friends and family to take the pledge, as well. You could be saving the life of someone you love!

I missed reporting in last week due to being ridiculously busy and yesterday got away from me, but I’m still here and still working hard!

I tried on the offending dress that kicked my butt back into gear and am liking how it’s fitting a little better now, but still have some more work to do. But I’m not done when this dress fits. By the spring, I want to be back in the tankini that I wore on my honeymoon .

I’m going to work my way to a better body, one piece of clothing at a time.

Yeah, I know I said no numbers, but I couldn’t help it. I’m down 8 lbs total since my return to Mamavation and expect that to tumble even further now that I’ve discovered EA Sports Active 2. I think I might be in love.  Why did y’all not tell me? Oh wait…you probably did.

Just over two weeks from now, I’ll be in L.A. hanging out with @Bookieboo and @ResourcefulMom, so I need to step up my game. I wonder how close to 15 down I can get by then….we shall see!! But first, I’m gonna break the 10 lbs mark by next week. Game. On.

Congratulations on your first 5K!!!

It’s Monday again and I’m sticking with my promise to myself to get back on track. Still not focusing on numbers, but I did note that I dropped 4 lbs from last Monday’s weigh in. Being that I did not work terribly hard on exercise last week and I did splurge this weekend a bit, this confirms my original thought that I had been retaining water after a weekend of a little too much drinking and eating while I was away in NYC.

This week, my goal is to get in more exercise. While I did work out a couple of times, I was not on my game in that case the way I really wanted to be. The current objective is to look and feel good enough to wear the offending LBD at Blog World in 4 weeks. I’m not 100% confident that I can pull it off in time, but I’m going to go down swinging.

I’m stepping up the exercise game this week, to try to get at least four one-hour-long workouts into the mix. Will I pull it off? Here’s hoping!

In fact, I’m off to start the first one right now!! Wii Fit, I will OWN YOU.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind! Starting with our weekend away in Lancaster, PA for the Day Out With Thomas event and other fun local attractions (a whole series of posts about that bunch of awesome coming this week) and continuing through the SheStreams conference last weekend, I’ve been an on-the-go gal. Finally this weekend I’m finally getting a few minutes to digest all of the excitement and settle back into routine.

On Friday afternoon, A came home a little early from work and we set off on our adventure. It’s only about a 2 ½ to 3 hour drive to the Lancaster area for us, so unlike our Disney road trips, there was no need for an early start. The boys could barely contain their excitement, as they knew we were headed off to visit an old and dear friend – Thomas the Tank Engine.

We checked into the hotel for the evening (more coming about that later) and grabbed a bite to eat. I was bribed into taking the kids for a short swim in the indoor pool/water playground and then brought them back for bed. We needed to get some rest before our big day!

They were up with the sun, as usual, and we headed toward Strasburg, ready for an exciting Day Out with Thomas.  Our first stop was the Choo-Choo Barn, which was a perfect warm up for our upcoming train rides. It was too cool for just a paragraph, so it’s getting its own post tomorrow.

After spending some time marveling over the awesome model train layouts and popping into the Thomas store there, it was time to head up the road for our turn to ride the True Blue Engine! While the boys have seen and ridden Thomas once before, the excitement level when they first laid eyes on him this trip was the same. “There he is! It’s the REAL Thomas!”

He's a really useful engine!

We arrived on site around 11:30, but weren’t scheduled for our turn on the train until 1:45. We picked up our tickets and decided to venture across the street to the Train Museum as our first stop. If you attend a Day Out with Thomas event in Strasburg, DO NOT skip this museum. While it is not part of the event itself and is an additional cost, it is well worth the expense if you’ve got train lovers in your family.

After checking out all the engines, coaches and train cars on display at the museum, we strolled back outside to spend some time enjoying the Day Out with Thomas extras. The hand cars are probably our #1 favorite thing to do, beyond riding the train itself. The best thing about the cars if you ask the boys? Bumping each other. Go figure.

Catch me if you can, big bro!

Once they had their turn there, it was almost time for the train! We walked around for a couple more minutes while we waited for the line to open up for our session, deciding what we were hitting next and then got in line for Thomas, just in time for the sky to open up and pour on us.

A little rain couldn’t dampen our spirits though! We still climbed aboard with a spring in our step and settled in to a coach that the boys decided was “Clarabel”. If you attend a Day Out with Thomas event, be sure to take advantage of the photographers who wander through the train snapping family pictures. While the prints are a little pricey($20 for 2 4×6 prints with novelty cardboard display frames), if you’re like me, pictures that include everyone are few and far between.

Excuse my drowned rat look...like I said, the sky opened up on us right before we boarded.

Once we finished our Thomas ride, we had about an hour left to take advantage of the other events that were offered on site as part of our tickets. We took a spin on the mini steam engine (so cool!!), got Thomas tattoos, spent a little time playing on the train and Mega Blocks tables that were set up under the big tent, and of course, did a little souvenir shopping. There were other train rides, plus photo opps with Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt, however we choose to skip these due to lines and the time crunch.

D's getting inked!

Coolest little mini steam engine!

We finished our day with a second train ride on the regular Strasburg Railroad steam train (not included in our Thomas ticket), which was the perfect way to relax for a few minutes before heading back to the hotel to change for dinner.

Told you someone needed a little downtime before we went back to change...

The Day Out with Thomas events are definitely a crowd-pleaser for families whose children love Thomas or any kind of train. There is plenty to do that is included in the ticket price, plus lots of other extras at-cost. My only complaint was that the free offerings closed at around 3:30. I wish we’d had more time to squeeze in a little more! I hadn’t realized that when I decided to do other things first. I am so happy that we had another chance to spend a day with Thomas. Once again, we made memories that our boys will treasure forever.

Interested in attending a Day Out with Thomas Event yourself? Visit the Day Out with Thomas website to see dates through the end of the year (it will return to Strasburg in November) and keep checking back for information about next year’s tour!

Disclosure: We received free tickets to the Day Out with Thomas event in Strasburg, PA in exchange for this post. All opinions are our own.

It’s been awhile since I’ve shown my face around a Mamavation Monday. Earlier in the year I was kicking butt, dropping pounds and feeling great about myself. Then one day, something happened. I lost my mojo, stopped really caring about eating well and got lazy and complacent about exercising.

Fast forward to this weekend.

I sat in NYC, having an amazing time, with amazing people (including an ass grab from our beloved Bookieboo herself) and on Saturday night, I put on a little black dress. I took one look in the mirror, fought back tears, and took it right back off in favor of pants and a fancy top.

Why? Because when I looked at myself in that dress, I was right back where I started. I haven’t yet looked at the numbers. I may not for awhile. I’m going back to work on me first and numbers aren’t what is going to make it happen.

Starting tomorrow morning, it’s time to start remodeling my body once again. This time, it’s about that little black dress. And when I like how I look in that, I’ll move on to the next piece of clothing that just makes me feel MEH about myself.  I have a couple of other little black dresses in the closet that could definitely be contenders for “round two.”

It might be awhile before I even think about reporting any losses or even start caring about the numbers on the scale. This time, it’s about how I feel. I don’t want to ever again feel the way I did when I looked at myself in that dress.

While my boys are all out of car seats and into boosters (and old enough to drive, as the case may be), child passenger safety is always an important subject to me. Though we’re past the days of the LATCH system and the five-point harness and into the phase of “Yes, you MUST sit in the booster and NO, you cannot just sit in a seat belt,” so many of the people we care about are not.

I wanted to make sure to spread the word to all of my friends here that this Saturday, September 24th is Seat Check Saturday. Stop by the NHTSA’s Child Passenger Safety site to get more information on car seat installation and check out their inspection station locator to find out about events in your area.

Take a look at your own car seats and make sure that they’re in good shape, haven’t expired and are the right size for your child’s age, height and weight. Making sure that our children are safe as possible while riding in the car could very well save their lives!