This week was…not so good. Obviously. My low point was Thursday, when I fought with the kids nonstop all day, the house was a total wreck, and I was up more than 2 pounds at my weigh in. Looking back at my pictures I can see how out of it I felt that day, but the rest of the week wasn’t too terrible.

Sunday:

Potty training = pantsless toddler

These are most delicious fake-meat product ever

Ready for an emergency

Monday:

My doll house furniture is so vintage, it includes a record player

Damn you Christmas Tree Shops and your stupid siren song of the choochoo trains

I decided this is the right way to do puzzles. Because Little Evan says so.

Tuesday:

Suspicious of the baby in the mirror

He insisted he needed a bag for his Dora balloon

Caroline is making her Christmas list

Wednesday:

I almost lost my toddler in the fog at Stroller Strides

This is my thankful thing: I am thankful my kids are best friends.

She's annoyed I put the pillow there, because the game is SUPPOSED to be "fall on my face".

Thursday:

They put in new glass railings at the mall and they kind of freak me out. Also, there's a dog on that escalator. They bring them to the mall for bomb sniffing training.

Teething cranky baby demands more boob

I let Evan rip my purse apart so I could listen at my Weight Watchers meeting.

Friday:

Caroline is excited about Christmas decorations even though I'm ashamed I put them up at all.

11:11 on 11/11/11

They did this for 20 minutes. Best Friends!

Saturday:

Disaster Area

When Daddy dresses her, she ends up looking like a bottle of Pepto

I wasted a FOUR HOUR NAPTIME on a stupid craft that was supposed to take 10 minutes. Tutorial coming soon!

We don’t have any plans for this weekend besides catching up on all the chores I totally neglected all week…although I have a killer sore throat and laryngitis and I sort of feel like I’m getting sick (Which I am NOT because I REFUSE to be sick when I have another week of single parenting ahead of me). I’m just a little overwhelmed by life at the moment and the holidays are coming up SO FAST (as is Caroline’s first birthday but I also refuse to think about that because my baby is not allowed to be more than one year old) and I haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep in more than a year and…yeah. All that. But today I am thankful for sleeping in, new recipes that turn out amazing and kids who love each other.

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!

Despite the fact that this WASN’T a typical week (hellooooooo single parenting) it was about as typical as any of our weeks are. Stroller Strides, playground, errands, cooking, lots of sleeping babies. But we survived and had fun and no one’s eyes rotted out because of too much Nick Jr. or starved to death because all they ate was Goldfish crackers.

Sunday:

Yes, Hello, We will buy ALL the pumpkins.

The portabello mushrooms were really just a goat-cheese-face-delivery device.

Late night toddler party

Monday:

I ruined a beautiful morning by exercising.

Playdough playgroup

It is a universal truth that water from a faucet tastes better than water from a cup.

Tuesday:

Does this LOOK like the face of someone being naughty?

I refuse to let him even try the big kid swings. He's not allowed to not need me!

Bebeh toes

Wednesday:

Baconface

So close, yet so far away. Victims of a cruel mother.

Dreaming of a quiet bath of his own

Thursday:

No YOU were just dancing to the Olivia theme song

She loves this book.

Riding dirty (on the side of the shopping cart).

Friday:

Too busy playing dollhouse to get dressed.

I like this.

Fine, if you won't let me eat those Oreos you snuck into your cart I'll eat my shoe.

Saturday:

My husband brought me a nice healthy salad for lunch...

...and then I went shopping for CARBS AND MEAT. Caaaaaarbs.

Caroline says "Gimme the boobs or I'll pop a cap in you, Mama".

The coming week is going to be ALL CRAFTING ALL KNITTING ALL BAKING ALL HALLOWEEN ALL CLEANING ALL THE TIME. It’s E’s last week before he starts design school (spoken lots of time out of town in a hotel) and I have a Halloween party that miiiiight have gotten a little out of hand to prepare for. It’s going to be super fun (and super bad for my diet) and if you’re reading this you should definitely come too. I’m forcing my whole family to wear Halloween costumes. Come back on October 31st for some EPIC pictures.

p.s. I’m also probably maybe sort of thinking about upgrading my iPhone so these weekly roundups aren’t such a blurry mess. I think that would be a good way to end my FULL YEAR of iPhone photos.

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!

Actually, 21 pounds down, but who doesn’t love a nice round number? It also means I’ve lost more than 10% of my total body weight and I got a fancy key chain at my Weight Watchers meeting this week. To celebrate, I treated myself to shrimp cocktail for dinner and a giant bowl of ice cream for dessert – although both of which are things I eat regularly so they weren’t really treats as much as just food I really love.

I am now at my true pre-both-pregnancies weight (not the one on my doctor’s chart at my first appointment – I gained a full 10 pounds in those first 8 weeks with Evan) which is a great milestone. Unfortunately, I’m only a third of the way back to my wedding weight, although honestly I’d be pretty content if I just lost another 20. At my wedding weight, I was eating nothing but Slim-Fast bars and spending 2 hours a day at the gym (CRAZY BRIDE ALERT) and that’s just not a feasible lifestyle with 2 kids and a husband hanging around bugging me to feed them all day.

People are always curious to know how other people lose weight (Whole grains! Whole grains? Whole grains!!) so I thought I’d share what has been working for me. Of course, my first suggestion would be to join Weight Watchers – I’ve spent the last 7 years thinking about food during every single waking moment but still watching the numbers on the scale creepy slowly (and not so slowly) upwards. Now after 16 weeks on WW I think about food only when I’m hungry and have lost 20 pounds. I know I sound like a commercial and you’re probably rolling your eyes but if you’re not the kind of person who can just “eat less and move more” without some structure then it is totally worth the investment.

One of the major changes I’ve made is the number of fruits and vegetables I eat, especially grapes, apples, bananas, and veggies like brussels sprouts, eggplant, and squash. Grapes might be the best diet food ever – you can eat them mindlessly while watching tv and ALMOST feel like you’re eating candy. The vegetables I cut into pieces, toss on a cookie sheet with a little cooking spray and lots of salt and roast. Topped with Parmesan cheese I can eat them until I am STUFFED and still loose weight consistently. I also eat salad almost every day. Salad salad salad. Tons of salad. Usually also topped with cheese and light dressing, because although I like lettuce I’m not a masochist. Who wants to give up cheese?

I drink almost nothing with calories. I stick to water, Diet Coke, Crystal Light/fake Crystal Light and coffee. I use fat free creamer at home and order skim milk and 3 Splenda at Dunkin Donuts. It’s not worth using any of my points just for a latte that’s not going to fill me up for more than 5 minutes – although the Cafe Mocha K-cups are only 2 points and a nice alternative to hot cocoa and I will admit to more skinny frappuchinos at the Target Starbucks than an average person.

Other foods I eat consistently are Egg Beaters with hot sauce in a Mission Carb Balance tortilla, bacon (seriously! it’s low in points!), chunk light tuna with herbed light mayo in a Carb Balance tortilla, low fat string cheese, Joseph’s pita bread (the kind flax & oat bran kind) with hummus, low fat Wheat Thins, seafood (shrimp, fish, mussels), taco salad (with lots of lettuce to bulk up the meat and Fritos), a scoop of ice cream over a cut up banana, peanut butter on apple slices, and al fresco chicken sausage. So it’s a pretty good mix of real whole foods and diet/low fat stuff, which is a choice I’m comfortable with so I don’t have to give up ALL the stuff I love. I could never ever stick to one of those clean eating diets – I wouldn’t make it 12 hours without breaking down and shoving a whole bag of Goldfish into my face.

Besides diet, I also started pushing myself a little harder at Stroller Strides. Jogging instead of walking, doing planks on my toes instead of knees, push-ups on the floor instead of on a bench. I am reallyreallyreally sore almost every day, but it’s a good kind of sore. I can see the changes in my arms and my abs the most – I’m not going to be wearing a bikini any time soon (any time EVER) but when I see a picture of myself I no longer think “Whoa, why do my arms look so wide?” or run away from the camera.

I know weight loss might be THE MOST BORING subject ever to read about and you’re probably thinking “Where are the cute baby pictures?! I don’t care what you eat!” and I know. I KNOW. I am the worst. But I’m feeling pretty good about my too-big jeans and needed to pat myself on the back for a few minutes. Cute baby pics tomorrow, I promise.

Despite Caroline starting the week with a 103+ degree fever, we held things together pretty well. Since she never developed any other symptoms, I’m pretty sure it was due to the FOUR teeth that are trying to break through and making her miserable and sleepless, but we skipped Stroller Strides on Monday just to make sure. Then to make up for skipping we went ALL THE OTHER DAYS. I’m exhausted.

Sunday:

That's my favorite part of a workout too.

We stopped at a yard sale where I bought NONE of these things. I actually own that white tray in the front and mine is in better condition.

Sleepy baby

It looks like all I buy is junk, but I promise the fruits and veggies are under the soda

Monday:

I made a rookie mistake and left a tube of vaseline within reach of the toddler while I put Caroline down for a nap. SHINY!

CHOMPERS

6 pm - still in our jammies, playing angry birds

Tuesday:

I knit a cowl. I hate it. I ripped it out again.

Evan INSISTED on wearing his sandals with his socks. Maybe he thinks he's European.

Last pick up at our CSA

Whoa, check out my HANDS, MAN. They're so BIG.

Wednesday:

I was late for Stroller Strides because I was stuck on a 2 lane road while a pilgrim unloaded 40 kids from a school bus. New England is weird.

Handsome little man

I can't even stand it. WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BABY?

"Hey I found this in Mom's purse. Check it out." "Nope, no money in here. Guess we won't be running away today." "But she's buying BRUSSELS SPROUTS!"

Thursday:

So big!

Mama, I PUSH IT!

Halloween yarn wreath from @babybabylemon

Friday:

The line for the new iPhone at the mall. I resisted the urge to join them.

Chub

Modesty bubbles

Saturday:

Up with the baby. Again.

"Mom, mom, mom, mom, mama, mom, mom, mom, mommy, mom, mom, mom, mom,mom!" "WHAT?!?!" "......Hi."

No watch news, OK, mama? Watch TV! No news. Okay.

Entrelac. It's interestesting, but not very fast.

 The entire plan for today is to knit and to eat things, maybe with a nap thrown in for fun. If I get really ambitious we might go for a stroll this afternoon but only because then I can pretend I’m wearing sweat pants for a workout instead of just because I’m lazy. Tomorrow’s plan is exactly the same. Yah weekends!

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!

I went to bed at 9 pm twice this week but could NOT figure out why I was so exhausted. I mean, sure, the baby has been getting up twice a night while we transition her to her nursery. But why would that make me tired? I’m a stay at home mom! I obviously don’t DO anything all day. I must have gotten a super heavy box of bonbons this week.

Oh wait, or maybe I did a zillion and one things.

Sunday:

Splits!! And I just spent 15 minutes trying to remember what it's called when you do a split with your back leg bent like that. I still don't remeber.

I think he likes his hat

 Monday:

Caroline wants to know if Twist is actually ON meth or just ACTS like he's on meth

If you're wondering where I find the time to craft new decor for my upcoming Halloween party, the answer is "There's PLENTY of time in the day when the baby gets you up at 5 am"

Those are my teeths. Why does posting this x-ray feel like posting a naked picture?

Special lunch with a very handsome daddy

Tuesday:

My toddler can't hold his pee for five minutes until we get to a bathroom but he knows that Tuesdays are TRASH DAYS

I ran out of this red yarn to finish Caroline's fall coat, so let's just hope it doesn't get cold before next week.

Husband: What's for dinner? Me: I don't know. Let me go check Pinterest. Pinterest: Buffalo chicken rolls and parmesan fries.

Wednesday:

It's cute she's helping, until she grabs a knife. She ALWAYS goes for the knives.

I wore real clothes AND real bra. It gave me a mild case of mastitis. That'll teach me to be fancy.

This is the cart of groceries I had to abandon at BJ's because I forgot my wallet. AGAIN.

THE CUPCAKES.

Thursday:

And this is why my family is going to survive post-zombie apocalypse. We've got skills.

Friendly's for lunch??? NO WAY!

She plays with this toy correctly. It blows my mind that she understands it already.

 Friday:

Women's shoes and a guitar. Future rock star??

Evan almost got whiplash on this ride at the fair...and he LOVED IT.

Fair food, you are in me.

Pink cheeks from a long day of fun

Saturday:

Geez, what a lazy ass

Yes, those are my feet. Yes, I went for a run. Yes, I could have been sleeping. Yes, I am an idiot.

On my way home I found this in the trash. I carried it 5 blocks. Expect to see a LOT of play kitchen inspiration on my Pinteret boards.

And now it’s time to feed everyone lunch, read a little bit and then nap for AT LEAST three hours. Tomorrows plans are the same. You might call it boring and lazy, I call it saving up my energy so we survive the winter. IT’S SCIENCE.

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!