Two YEARS???? Unacceptable!!

I can't believe it's been two years since my last post.  Needless to say, MANY things have changed in the Snider house...in fact, our HOUSE has changed!!

Screen shot of our house from the real estate website

Picture taken from the back porch...that's DH and I at the far corner of our property!

We're HOME OWNERS!!!

We purchased our home in April of 2014 and have been busy with "life" ever since.  My oldest is now a high schooler - a HIGH SCHOOLER!!  How did that even happen?  I'm just glad we both survived middle school, because believe you me, it was touch and go there for a bit.  I was just absolutely positive that one of us was going to be a casualty.  I'm glad that was not the case.
Rox is in 8th grade and has joined the cheer squad - We've got spirit, yes we do!  We've got spirit, how 'bout YOU? - and is rocking all of her classes so far.  She'll go to high school with 2 credits, just like Eric (and her dear mother...where do you think she got her smarts from?  duh.) did.  "The Littles" are in 1st grade and Kindergarten at a brand new (to them) school!  My employee transfer was denied [insert dramatic music here], and so now they're Cheetahs.  We didn't want to be Mountain Lions anymore anyway.  Hmph!  We LOVE the new school!  Since it's the school we're zoned for anyway, the kids get to ride the bus everyday, which they're still young enough to get a kick out of, and we no longer have to trek across town to drop them off at that other school, which is something us parents love!  It's a win-win!!!
We're still involved with football, only this time on a slightly different scale.  Eric doesn't play football...he plays the mellophone (the marching band version of the French Horn).  I'm officially a band mom, and I love it!  We've been to all but one game so far, and I've got to say...my kid is good.  REAL good.  Also, because of Roxie's new-found love for all things cheer leading, we also are involved with middle school football once again.  So in the Snider house, we have football events happening twice a week, and then ALL.WEEKEND.LONG thanks to DH's attachment to College GameDay, Texas A&M (okay...that's an obsession of mine too), the Buffalo Bills, all things football, and attachment to the remote control.  It's okay, I'm a fan too...but I will admit that by the time the new year and all the college bowl games roll around, I am OVER IT!!
Let's see...what else has changed...OH YEAH!  I decided to start and FINISH school!  I enrolled in Texas A&M Central Texas for my very last year in college as an undergrad!  I began in January of this year, and am now very excited to say that I will graduate in December with my BS in Political Science.  Hahaha, yes, BS...Political Science.  The humor of that is not lost on me.  Had I known I was this close to being finished, I would have done it LONG ago!  Oh well, I'm there now, and it's just as exciting!  The Spring semester was pretty intense.  I was in classes Monday-Thursday from 6-9, which left me ZERO time with my family during the week.  It was really hard on me, and on the kiddos, but I just kept telling myself that it would be over soon.  That it was all for the best.  And I made sure that Friday-Sunday I was at home with the family.  I took the Political Science Capstone course which was all about decision theory, and a bunch of stuff that went WAAAAAAAY over my head, but I did my best, paid as much attention in class as I could for not understanding half of what was said, studied my butt off for the final, and squeezed out an A!  I also took The Administration of Justice, which was all about the Judicial system (A), Religion and Politics, which was all about the different issues our country faces with the separation of church and state as well as the history of our Founding Fathers (A), and Foreign Policy, which is exactly what it sounds like.  That one I got a D in...which I completely earned.  I was spent at the end of the semester and couldn't put any more effort into a 15 page paper on the relationship between the US and Cuba, so I turned in 4 pages.  It's laughable, but I was just sooo done.  I'm not super proud of the D, but I'll take it because it counts as credit!  In the summer semester I took 10 hours, 7 of which were online with a Race and Ethnic Relations class - which I think EVERYONE should take.  It was seriously an eye-opening, objective, informative class that was not only interesting, but applicable.  I got a B because somehow I confused my assignment calendar and forgot to take a quiz, which cost me major points.  The other class was just the opposite.  I needed one last science credit, so I had no choice but to take Environmental Geography.  It was hell...not that it was hard, it wasn't.  But the "professor" was horrible, had insane demands, and everyone in the class was absolutely miserable.  I don't even remember whether or not I got a B or an A, and quite frankly, I don't care.  I'm just glad to be out of that God-forsaken class.  Good riddance!  The one class I took in person was every Monday and Wednesday night, and it was Understanding Social Science Research - which, for the record, I do not. It was the same professor as my Capstone class, so I at least knew his grading policies, his quirks, etc., but I still felt like a good part of the time I my eyes were glazed over.  In fact, I posted this gif on a Facebook status once night:

Me during PLSK 330 every week

I did manage an A in that class as well, which was pretty sweet...
Fast forward to this LAST semester!  I'm in 6 hours currently, but begin another 6 hours in 2 weeks.  Right now I'm taking Political Ethics and Terrorism and Political Violence.  Both classes are pretty interesting and have been easy to keep up with (Political Ethics is every Monday night, is pretty much discussion lead, and there are only papers, no exams; Terrorism and Political Violence is online, discussion lead, and there will be no papers, only a final exam), but I'm a little more apprehensive about adding another 2 classes to my course load...we'll see how that goes.
I'm still crafting and building and painting - usually when I should be doing homework - but not as much as I would like to...something had to give with our crazy schedule.
We did add to the family by a few since I last posted too.  Before we bought our house, DH surprised me with a new Basset puppy.  We named her Brienne of Tarth after our favorite show: Game of Thrones.

Sweet little Brienne of Tarth...is not this little anymore!

 We also decided to dive into the world of backyard chicken raising!  We bought 4 chicks this past spring, built a killer coop during Spring Break, and all was going well until our lovely Basset Hound, Beaux, decided to break into the coop.  There were no survivors - not even feathers left behind - which is why we think a hawk scooped in an took them once he was done "playing" with them.  It was a sad, sad day.

Our "Egg-cellent" coop!  

We decided to try again, and I fortified the coop with another layer of fencing material, and we brought 5 new girls home in April.  We named them Rose, Dorothy, Blanche, Sophia, and Betty White (she was the only white chick in the bunch).  We're down to three chicken now  - Rose was the victim of another attack and Betty was a victim of the ruthless Texas heat...RIP, Girls - but Dorothy, Blanch, and Sophia are still going strong!  In fact, Sunday I collected our very first egg, and I collected our 2nd egg this morning!  The Snider house it all abuzz!  AND since they're Ameraucana chickens, the eggs are BLUE (and lower in cholesterol)!

Our very FIRST blue egg!!!

The Girls enjoying their free-range time in the backyard.  That only happens when the dogs are inside the house...

If you've made it this far, you're a saint and deserve a cookie!  I'm sure there's TONS more that could be updated, but this will have to do for now.  Let's hope that it's not another 2 years before my next post!!  (I'm betting it won't be)

Challenge Day 16: in which I no longer want to eat my office supplies

Day 16 and I'm 9 lbs down.    I don't feel like I'm starving all the time.  I'm not looking at my pencils and post-it notes with hungry eyes anymore.  Go ahead, sing the song...I'll wait...
This is nothing to sneeze at.  It's kind of a big deal for me.  It's been hard work, with LOTS of practice in will power and self-control, thanks to the fact that my dear hubby doesn't seem to have either one of those things.  ;)  Do you know how hard it is to come home hungry only to find 2 Papa John's pizza boxes on the stove, and not dive in?  That's okay, no good deed goes unpunished, and since no one put the leftovers away that night, they sat out and had to be thrown out the next day.  HA!  Now NO ONE can eat the pizza!!  Fast forward a week and there's a Freddy's Frozen Custard burger box on the counter...really?  Then he's eating the ice cream on the couch RIGHT NEXT TO ME and says, "wanna bite?"  "nope. (that was a lie...I did want a bite, I just SAID I didn't)"  "come one, one bite won't kill you!" 
One bite might not have killed me, but I already know that if I had allowed myself to give in - not on my cheat night, 'cause really, you SHOULD allow yourself a break every week - it would have changed my whole attitude.  One bite turns into one soda, which turns into another soda, which turns into a #5-Super-Sized-plus-Mac-Sauce-Dr-Pepper-&-Sweet-&-Sour-Sauce-for-my-fries every week or so.  I made a joke on a Facebook thread a week or so ago that soda was my "gateway drug."  It's true though.  I'm fortunate enough to never have had a serious addiction to drugs or alcohol, but I would liken it to offering a glass of wine to a recovering alcoholic.  (Which reminds me of an Elvis Duran Morning Show Phone Tap I heard the other morning where they were pretending to be a Whiskey company wanting to sell to someone's dad who was a recovering alcoholic...and boy did he get MAD!!!!)  People in Drug/Alcohol rehab aren't supposed to hang out in bars or around people who drink because it's super stressful to be tempted so blatantly - and people who are trying to adopt healthy eating habits aren't supposed to surround themselves with unhealthy choices.  Makes sense, right? 
And speaking of temptations, I was invited to go out to lunch with our department for a Boss' Day celebration yesterday.  The restaurant of choice was Razzoo's Cajun Cafe.  If you've never heard of/been to Razzoo's, you're missing out.  It's a fun, lively atmosphere of lights, zydeco, Cracker Barrel-meets-the swamp type decor on the walls and ceilings, and fried food.  Deep. Fried. Food.  Which is usually served with some kind of yummy, starchy side like corn on the cob, rice, slaw, or Cajun seasoned French Fries.  There are 2 salads on the menu.  Two.  One's a Caesar salad, the other a Garden Salad topped with cheese, bacon, egg, and fried onions.  I've eaten at Razzoo's several times since it's opened in Harker Heights, and I have never once ordered the "Rabbit Food."  Why go to a Cajun restaurant and NOT get a shrimp po' boy?  or fried catfish?  or gumbo?  or etouffee?  It just doesn't seem right!  Well, yesterday was a different story.  I knew I'd have a challenge on my hands.  My cheat day was the night before, so I had to stay on track.  So while everyone ordered the grilled chicken etouffee and the popcorn shrimp, I ordered a garden salad.  With no cheese.  And no bacon.  And no fried onions.  And if you read my first challenge-related post, you also know that I nixed the cucumbers, and ordered my balsamic vinaigrette on the side.  I did opt for the addition of blackened chicken on top, just so my salad wasn't so miserable looking and dull.  I'm glad I did.  I ate my salad...probably a little faster than I should have...but the point is that I survived lunch when I thought for sure it was going to be impossible.    
You always have temptations.  As I type this I'm surrounded by temptation in the form of my son's band fundraiser chocolate bars I'm trying to sell for him.  Am I tempted to see how much I could stuff in my mouth with one bite?  Possibly.  Am I tempted to test their title of "World's Finest" chocolate?  Who wouldn't be???  I mean, come on..."World's Finest?"  That just begs to be tested!!  I posted this on Monday and it's true.  There are always temptations, but there are also always choices. 

120 Day Challenge Day One: in which I stare at my cucumber water

A few weeks ago, I saw a shout out on FB calling any women who had at least 30 pounds to lose to join a 120 day challenge, which would include recipes, grocery lists, tips, and encouragement.  I thought about the latest numbers on the scale and did the math.  According to the dreaded BMI chart, I did have "at least" 30 pounds to lose, so I signed up. 
I ordered my Alkaline shake powder and waited...then the shopping list was posted.  I've gotta admit, there were things on there I couldn't pronounce (Quinoa, by the way is pronounced "Keen-wa?"), and even stuff I had never heard of before.  Tahini?  Turmeric? Coconut Yogurt?  Where would I even find that stuff?  Let's face it, Killeen/Harker Heights isn't exactly the hub of all things organic and healthy.  The nearest Whole Foods is in Austin.  Sure, there's a Natural Grocers in Temple, but that's like, ALL THE WAY IN TEMPLE!!!  Who wants to drive 20 miles to shop for groceries when there's a perfectly good HEB down the road?  Hmmm...maybe this whole "laziness" thing is why I have "at least" 30 pounds to lose in the first place.  But I digress...
I had a really bad morning yesterday.  Like, stressful, silent-cry-at-your-desk type morning.  It's pretty common for me to project that mood onto whatever situations I happen to be in.  Example: If I'm having a bad day on a derby practice day, I usually convince myself that I want to quit.  I've never liked derby.  I'm too old for that, and the coach is a jerk anyway.  Of course when I go to practice, I always figure out that those weren't really my thoughts - well, maybe the coach can be a jerk - it was just my bad mood affecting how and what I thought about everything.  That being said, I honestly thought about backing out of this 120 day challenge yesterday.  Who wants to start ALL OVER with their grocery shopping, especially when you know you're ultimately going to be the only one on this crazy diet?  Groceries for a family of 6 isn't cheap, and throw in the words "organic" a few times on that list and you need to sell plasma or extra kidneys to foot the bill!  And who has time to cook, like, 3 meals a day?  We've got football, and dance, and football, and choir, and football, and full time jobs!  And FOOTBALL!!!  I can't cook breakfast for myself every morning - I can barely remember to do my hair before I walk out the door!  (true story)

To add insult to injury, turns out that I can't read, and the challenge was supposed to start YESTERDAY!!  Not October 1st as I had originally thought!  (I don't even want to think about all the mini-candy wrappers that the janitor had to empty out of my trash can last night.)  I hadn't gone shopping for the free-range-organic-cancer-free eggs!  I didn't have almond "dairy-will-probably-kill-you-or-give-you-cancer" milk!!  Oh dear God, don't let kale be on that list...
Fast forward to 8pm.  Our Growth Group was over for the night - which by the way, had met at a local burger joint instead of our normal host home, and I had a Rocky Road milkshake that was pretty darn good - and I knew there was only one thing left to do: Go grocery shopping.
I have never been more sad to shop in my life.  I'm pretty sure that people passing me by thought for sure my dog had just died.  I was literally on the verge of tears the entire time I was searching for fresh cilantro and gluten free pizza crust.  I bought cucumber for Pete's sake!  I HATE cucumber!!  Whose great idea was this???  Oh yeah.  Mine. 
I searched and read labels for about an hour by myself, which was probably a lot better than my dear husband coming with me and sneaking empty-calorie-GMO-laden-cancer-wafers (you might know them as Oreos) in the cart.  I came home and started to put my sad depressing healthy food away.    This is when it got really interesting.  My dear husband decided to laugh help put away the groceries and the looks on his face were priceless.  I mean, the man can barely pick celery out of a veggie line-up, so artichoke hearts aren't exactly on his radar either.  He asked how and when I was going to prep everything (see?  He knows me!).  I told him I was gonna do it then.  He asked what I was planning on eating for lunch.
"Probably something easy like apples and nut butter."
*Guffaws* "Nut butter?!?!?  That sounds like something I have to wash off after the gym!"
Needless to say, that did NOT make today's lunch menu...
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner was prepped last night. *pats self on the back*
Dear husband got me up this morning so that I could make my alkaline breakfast shake.  It was pretty yummy, I must say.  I was even excited about lunch...until I started eating it.  I've had salads before, but they're usually paired with some kind of dressing.  About 1/4 of the way through it, I decided I could eat around the fresh cilantro...and the romaine lettuce...and the baby spinach.  So basically I had an avocado and a tomato for lunch.  That's not exactly upsetting to me.  I love those two fruits!  Now I'm sitting and staring at my water jug.  That's right.  Staring.  I can't bring myself to drink.  You see, in an effort to branch out and embrace different things, I bought 2 cucumbers last night.  You have to know how much I hate cucumbers to know what a big deal this is for me.  Even as I type this, I'm making that face you make when you walk into the bathroom after someone has just let loose.  You know the face...you're probably making it right now, aren't you?  Uh huh - THAT face!  
Cucumbers are supposed to aid in detoxing the body.  They're supposed to be really good for you.  I happen to like them in their pickled state...which is not so good for you (again, "at least" 30 pounds to lose).  So in an effort to "help" my body and my progress, I sliced about half a cucumber (still making the face as I type that word!), sliced 2 limes, and grabbed some fresh mint from my garden.  I think I've taken 2 sips in the 8 hours I've had it.  I can't do it.  I grab it, I set it right back down. 
Okay I just took a drink....*full body shiver*...I don't know if I can do that again. 
I signed up for 4 months of change, healthy eating and exercise.  I've birthed 4 children!  I've finished a triathlon!  I PLAY ROLLER DERBY...and a cucumber is going to end me!  This is going to be a LONG 4 months.