Pamela- I am so impressed with all you have done today already, when I've pretty much brushed my teeth, made coffee and here I am. I'm glad you are keeping a positive attitude about the scale, and not getting frustrated. It will come back off, once those dang hormones finish with you. Wasn't yesterday beautiful? Hope you'll be seeing some grass in your yard soon.
I'm a morning person, so while I get plenty done in the morning, don't look for me to be doing too much after 6 or 7 pm!!
Trying HARD to keep the positive attitude.
It was actually not too beautiful where I went yesterday (Exeter). I planned to walk outside between swim events, but it was SO cloudy and raw and cold, I quit after just two 12 minute laps! My ears and nose were freezing! I was anticipating a day like Friday and it just was more like a mid-Feb. day! And I only had on jeans, t-shirt, and lightweight hoodie! By later it was sunny, but still cold. Today is nicer. No grass really yet, but near the foundation where the furnace vents there is a flower bed with some perennial buds coming up!!
[We went out for a bike ride yesterday, and I have decided I need to follow ds's lead on exercise after work every day. He wanted to ride to my brothers house, and I thought it was too far, and hilly and didn't think he'd be able make it all the way back without melting down, but we did it, and he was fine.
It's it great how active our kids can be! DS isn't terribly active on his own, but if I suggest a bike ride or a lap around the neighborhood on his
scooter, he is raring to go! He and DH just left for the ski mountain in fact! He never got to use his free bonus day this season, so this is the last weekend! Hopefully he doesn't get too wet!
I'm on call today and tomorrow 7-7, so we're hanging close to home. I'm waiting for pamela to pop into my head and get me cleaning and organzing my messy home. Just one more cup of coffee before you pop in.
Did I pop in??? Hope I was encouraging enough!
>>Do you have a significant item of clothing that you are hoping to fit into at some point?<<
Nothing truly significant- I do have 1 more shirt I bought on clearance cause I loved the color and the only size left was an XS.. Still a few weeks away but getting there

On the reverse side- though I do hang on to a pair of shorts I remember I bought because "One day I may fit in those" they were size 12. I was an 18/20 at the time. I now am a 4
OMG! A size 4 is spectacular! What color is the shirt??
Good Saturday morning Team DOnald. I have been up for a while but I just got a chance to post.
Ds's went to NY to the Bronx zoo. I don't know what time they will be home. They left at 8 this morning and the zoo closes at 4. Dh went to an early movie. He goes before 12 on Saturday since it is cheaper. I think he was going to a new sci fi movie and I decided to stay home. I am leaving in a little while to go visit the new Trader Joe's that opened last weekend. I was going to go one afternoon this week but my knee was bothering me so I skipped it.
There was a QOTD the other day about having something special to lose weight for. I just got it the other day. My older son was asked to be an usher in his cousin's wedding. We didn't know that they had set a date but they have. June 1st, 2012. Then I remembered that ds2 graduates from college a few weeks before that. So I guess I do have something to look better for.
Dh asked me the other night when we were going to start to plan our next trip to DW. I am leaning toward next year also so it may be a very busy year.
LUCKY!!! DH would NEVER suggest a trip to WDW.... he just doesn't love the place. In fact, during our 2008 trip, he actually went back to the hotel room several times mid-day.... claimed he was "tired" or "hot", but I think he went back and worked on his laptop. It frustrated me a great deal because #1.... we paid for that stupid park ticket!! and #2... it was supposed to be a FAMILY vacation.... not a "Mom and Kids" vacation where Dad pops in for the occasional parade or meal!! Plus he was on VACATION!! The dang company ain't gonna fold without you for one stinking week!! (Okay.... can you tell I was a bit upset about it!!??

)
Will you do a big party for DS's graduation??
MERGER UPDATE
Thanks to everyone who volunteered to coach! If you thought about coaching, but didn't get a chance, keep it in mind for the summer challenge.
3/25--3/31 tggrrstarr(Kelli)
4/1--4/7 lisah0711
4/8--4/14 keenercam
4/15--4/21 tigger813
4/22--4/28 mommyof2Pirates
4/29--5/5 mikamah
5/6--5/12 donac
5/13--5/20 Rose&Mike
On Friday, 3/25 we will start chatting on the main thread. That is where Kelli will post the first combined QOTD. Please let me know if you have questions.
Whooops.... I never sent you that PM... did I?? SORRY! I was at school that day and didn't get a chance to get back on the computer.... and then, of coures, totally forgot about it. Keep me in mind if you need a substitute at any point in time!!

Have to be quick, in laws will be here in a few minutes. I took DD15 to get a pink stripe put in her hair this morning. She has been wanting to do it and DH and I figured why not? She works extremely hard at school, helps out a ton at home and is a really good kid. I just wanted it done by a professional. It looks really cute and she is so happy!
I'll bet it looks cute. I'd let DD do something like that if she wanted to.... it will grow out, unlike a tattoo or piercing!!
Picked up an ice cream cake for DD for her 2nd birthday tonight and a bunch of broccoli that I hope will leave me too full for cake! I am taking her and a few friends to Great Wolf Lodge to play MagiQuest for a few hours tomorrow.
Hmmmmm... broccoli or cake, broccoli or cake??? So hard to choose! 
I was skimming through the posts a little too fast and didn't read the quoted part. So of course my diet obsessed mind thought you were talking about something else! I quickly went back to see who was putting "frosting" on something.
Sorry.... didn't mean to make you think of the sweet stuff!!
Yep, I do know that somethings won't fit. DH and I have joked that I have somethings that even if you boiled me down to bones would never fit again!
AMEN!
No promising on photos though.
Pretty please??
I have some boxes of stuff in the attic that we are going to get down when things calm down a bit so I can go through them. I think a lot of it will probably go to Goodwill.
DH just gave me a bag of stuff for the Goodwill. He is usually TERRIBLE about going through is stuff and such.... I usually have to beg.... but I think he is feeling encouraged by his continued weight loss. But I have to laugh... everything he tries on he comments about how tight it was previously.... like I DIDN'T NOTICE??!! Honey, I was looking at you every day!!
You have such a great attitude!

for a great week and happy weigh in !
Trying to stay positive.
Have fun and good luck to DD at the swim meet!
Thanks... it wasn't a great day for her, no personal best times, but she held her own.
Is that all it takes??? I can certainly go have one more cup of coffee if it means I will get inspired to clean and organize!
Don't we wish!!
MIL noticed! We were sure she would. She actually noticed my loss but not DH's.
YEAH!!!

Thanks. I do think that being accountable here and wanting to chat with everyone has really helped. I have been looking forward to coaching-- glad I made it this far! DH and I were talking last night about how this is probably the longest I have stuck anything else with out any major breakdowns, cheats or just whining and complaining. I don't know why but something just feels different. I feel a full dedication and that this time I AM going to succeed.
I should be able to survive a week or two.

I just wasn't sure if it would be a month or so or how long the wait would be.
OMG.... I got GOOSEBUMPS when you commented about it feeling DIFFERENT THIS TIME!! I think it is too!! You ARE going to have success with this!!
I'm not disappearing with the merger. I'll be at the Cape that weekend.
I'm going to try to bring my laptop but I'm really supposed to be working on my scrapbooks. LOL
I'll miss you and be thinking about you scrapping away! Don't worry about us... we'll still be here when you get back.
It's the longest time I've stuck around too!!
we'll keep each other company until the next round!
WOOOHOO for you too!! You CAN do this.... you WILL do this!! We won't leave you alone during the break in challenges, I promise!!
Hi guys, I think I missed yesterday - darn
But I am here now. I was just spent last night - physically and mentally. But I still got to the gym for the last appointment with the trainer and she mapped out a great strength training workout for me to do
Sounds good... wanna share the details??First of all, thanks soooo much for all the encouragement re the trial. It was without a doubt one of the most stressful weeks I have had in a while. My job is very stressful at the best of times - but this week was exceptional.
I have practised law since June, 1982 and you would have thought I was a rookie

But the judge was known to be a bit of a bully, and she did not disappoint.
But I won the trial - a fantastic result for my client.
WTG!! I'm sure your client is thrilled to pieces!
We booked out trip to Iceland today

Cannot wait, but gotta get training - doing a 10k there.
JEALOUS!!Have a great evening and Happy Spring guys.
This time last year, I was in the hospital unable to eat or walk. Yeah for health!
I second that!! Without your health, you don't have much!!
QOTD for Sunday
pjlla shared her before and after photos with us. Have you taken any photos or done anything to document your journey?
I wish that I had taken a good "before" photo. I have our photos from Christmas but in most of them I am sitting down and they aren't great to really show everything. I did take photos last week and also took a picture of the scale the other day. I would like to try to remember to take pics for every 10 from now on (190, 180, 170 etc). I am also writing the weekly weight in my journal.
I only had that "before" photo by chance. I would NEVER have quietly agreed to having my photo taken at that weight, but this was at a Christian Mother/Daughter retreat and it would have looked bad to grab the camera away from the lady and smash it on the floor!!
Plus the girls needed the photo for a craft project the next day. oh well... what was I to do??
I am really pleased that I took a photo of the scale the day I broke into the 130's.... wish I had done it sooner. And I took another photo in 2009.... just a neck down photo in exercise shorts and sports bra.... it is my "photo of the day" for that day in my Project 365 book.... and my journaling reads...." Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - I know some day I will either wish I was this size again or be GLAD I'm not this big! 153 pounds."
When I did start this journey on 01/02/2008, I started my daily food journaling as sort of a diary/food journal and I did it on my laptop. But I found it too inconvenient and time consuming and by May I had resorted to simply journaling my food with the occasional note or two, in spiral notebooks. And that is what I have stuck with since then. That said, it is interesting to read back to those first few weeks/months of this journey and see what I was saying, thinking, and eating back then!
Good morning donalds! It's a quiet weekend here, but on the positive side, that means I can catch up easier.
I went out to run/walk with my friend Karen who is in much better shape than I am, and really encourages me to push myself, so I renamed her jillian yesterday. We did 5 miles, , a 1.7 mile loop 3 times, and there was one killer hill, and I ran up it all 3 times. She was funny, telling to run with my core and my legs won't even hurt. Yeah, right. I felt really good after that I pushed.
My sister stopped by last night, so we ordered out, and I got a grilled chicken salad, no feta, but then ate a piece of the kids pizza. Otherwise, my day was pretty good eating wise. After dinner we went down the beach to watch the moon rising. It was so beautiful.
Glad you got a good walk/run in. Karen sounds like a good friend!
One piece of pizza will not a disaster make, right?? Lucky you could walk down to the beach.
Thanks for sharing the pictures. I know I've seen the one of you on the seesaw.... but is the other one in your Princess half running outfit?? So cute!!! Love the sparkly skirt and tiara!! You are rocking it!!
Good Sunday morning Team DOnald
Just a short post. I still have to finish putting groceries away and then it off to see ds2. he belongs to the religious group on campus and we were invited to a family event this afternoon. We could stay for mass but since I had to read at 7:30 mass this morning we may not stay. I would love to stay to hear him play his flute but then we would not get home until 9 and that will make for a very long day.
Hi to everyone. I am off
Have a happy and healthy day.
Wow.... and I thought we did good to get to the 9 am service today!! Since our church is 45 minutes away, I can't imagine we would make a 7:30 am service too often!! I didn't know your DS played the flute. DD did a long time ago and she is thinking of taking it up again.... yet one more thing to add to the schedule.... Flute lessons!! Nice that he can play at church. DD has a good swim friend who plays the violin and will play at church occasionally. I LOVE to hear him play... it is so beautiful... he is hugely talented. Please know that there are people out there who enjoy your son's flute, just like I enjoy DD's friend's violin. Your DS has a talent and it is nice of him to share it with others.
Well friends.... day has been crazy so far, but DH agreed to take DS up to the ski mountain, so I can at least take a deep breath here!!! DD is off to an all-afternoon birthday get-together with friends. But I haven't hit the TM yet today and the house is a disaster.... so no rest for now!
We (some swim families) had dinner at Applebee's last night and I was SO disappointed to find that they no longer have ANY Weight Watchers items on their menu. I checked the NI and got an "under 550 calorie" meal (teriyaki shrimp pasta) that I thought I would eat half of.... but the portion was so small that I ate the entire thing. And imagine my SHOCK when I got home and discovered it was 9 POINTS!! Half of my day's points!! In the past I was always able to order a nice WW meal for 5 or 6 points. I am going to send corporate Applebee's an email and just voice my disappointment, but I can't imagine it would change anything.
Partially my own fault for not having my Points slider with me to figure it out while I was there...... and I was thinking it would be a high number.... but I was figuring about 7. Live and learn. Applebee's will no longer be my "go to" restaurant..... especially since the family isn't overly fond of it.
Well.... I need to run (well...not literally!).........TTYL.............P