IWADD

Say what? That would be International Wear a Dress Day, and although I read about it last week at A Dress A Day I forgot to put it on my calendar.

Fast forward to today. After two (2!) days without internet, the tech guy came over this morning and all is well again. Phew! This afternoon I was finally catching up at Bloglines, and there it was again. Today, October 29, 2009, is International Wear a Dress Day. I immediately started laughing and here is why:

In case you’re wondering, while I do wear skirts every day, this is the only everyday dress I have for fall weather. And Twirly Girl alternates between pants and dress or skirt. So it was a bit of a coincidence for us both to wear dresses on the same day. . .and quite a coincidence that we picked today!

Lions and–oh my!

At church yesterday morning, we found out that a mountain lion has been spotted in a yard in our town. . .less than a block from our house. Oh my!! Drama Boy and I did some online research to find out a little more about the habits of mountain lions, in the interest of preparedness. They tend to hide in areas of heavy vegetation and are mostly likely spotted at dawn or dusk. We also learned that deer are among their favorite prey–well that makes sense, being as mule deer boldly wander our local streets–and thus feeding the deer in turn can attract mountain lions. Oh dear. So our neighbor’s habit of feeding the deer not only means unwanted “fertilizer” in our yard, it could also be the reason the mountain lion has been in our neighborhood.

It’s still there

The snow, I mean. It finally warmed up enough today to start melting, but it still looks like winter out there. Our forecast for the rest of the week shows highs above freezing, so I am hopeful the rest will melt soon. I don’t mind snow, in its season–bitter cold is another matter altogether. But I do mind it taking over my favorite season of autumn!

And this autumn, our second in Wyoming, is making me realize there are a few things which I miss about the Midwest besides family and friends. I miss the fall color; last year there was only a little bit of color before all the leaves turned brown and fell, and I imagine this year’s early snow will not help the matter. There are fewer trees here to be colorful, anyhow. And that brings me to the other thing I really miss: apple trees, or more specifically, apples. Apples from the orchard are so much more delicious than their grocery store counterparts! I miss being able to buy fresh apples by the bushel for applesauce, pies, crisps, or just to enjoy them raw and crisp and juicy. . .

To whom it may concern

Twirly Girl and I already noticed that she has five brothers and no sisters. It is what it is, and does not require pity.

In the same vein, if you’ve never lived with six guys and are concerned about the noise emanating from my home, it might help if you compare it to a boys’ locker room.

Finally, although this should go without saying, it isn’t neighborly to let your dog out after dark to do its business in my yard.

Fitness goals

This morning, while engaged in the mindless activity that Wii Fit calls Free Step, I started to think “why am I doing this?” There are certainly plenty of reasons to exercise more or eat less, but here are mine.

• Weight. So who invited the 8 lubs that have showed up since Baby Boy weaned a couple months ago? I suppose after thirteen years of the pregnant-nursing cycle, I’ve evidently forgotten how to eat for one. Once I figure that out (and get rid of those sneaky lubs!), my goal is simply to maintain my weight. I’m not that concerned with a specific Number, so much as the way my clothing fits (or if it fits).
• Endurance. This is probably my biggest long term goal. I’d like to be able to keep up while walking or hiking with my kids (eventually, grandkids). And I’d like to be able to continue my moderately active lifestyle (perhaps even increasing my activity level).
• Flexibility. Having once been an amateur dancer, I’d like to maintain my flexibility and possibly regain some of what I have lost since the last time I was able to take a ballet class. I like being able to paint my own toenails! Not that I often have the time, but that’s irrelevant.
• Strength. My lower body is strong enough for my purposes, but sometimes my upper body wimps out on me. There are a handful of things I’d like to be able to lift or move myself, especially when I no longer have a 12 year old boy around to do it for me.

What motivates you?

Wordless Wednesday

Wii frustrations

I’ve finally managed to resume the habit of using the Wii Fit on a regular basis, but I’m getting frustrated with it. With all the scoring and ranking and encouragement after each exercise, it takes me at least an hour to log 45 minutes of exercise. That’s an extra 15-20 minutes that I could have stayed in bed!

I also get frustrated doing the exercises in the yoga and strength sections. The trainer seems to talk nonstop, always saying the same mildly encouraging things. Sometimes it is meant to be feedback on how I’m doing, and it isn’t terribly accurate. Other times it reminds me to correct something I am doing right. Also, I would rather not be able to tell by looking that the computer generated trainers are anatomically correct. If real people wear their spandex that snug these days, I am glad I am unable to exercise at a gym!

And that brings me to one of the things I do like about the Wii Fit: I don’t have to find time (or money) to go to the gym to exercise. In part because it is keeping track of me, I am more consistent than when I’ve tried to use other exercise at home routines. With my background in dance, I don’t mind that I’m mostly working with (or against) my own body rather than using weights or other machines or that I only get as much out of the workout as I put into it. The variety of exercises is decent; some days I am fine using what is there and other days I wish there were more options.

In case of emergency

After our little vehicle-buying adventure last month, Larry and I agreed that we needed to pack an “emergency” bag to keep in the back of the Suburban. Living in Wyoming, we sometimes take long day trips that could easily turn into overnight trips. . .and then there is that matter of winter travel and closed roads that could force us into an unplanned overnight trip.

We included a change of clothes for each family member (shirt, socks, undies) plus a few extra diapers for Baby Boy. I decided against including any consumable personal items that could be ruined by extreme temperatures, such as toothpaste or soap, figuring it would be better to purchase those when and if they were needed. I did include toothbrushes for all as well as a contact case for me–buying 8 new toothbrushes isn’t cheap.

Everything fit into an old Lands End diaper bag that is too big for me to use as a regular diaper bag; in fact, I had room to stuff in a roll of paper towels that I am sure will come in handy. Then I tossed it in the Suburban, next to the first aid kit: now we’re ready for almost any adventure!

April showers, WY style

Evening worship

Although it may put us in the minority, we have always taught our children that what we wear to church is one way we show respect for Whose house it is. Even newest of babies usually has one outfit that is reserved for Sunday morning and other special occasions; and by the time our kids are out of baby shoes, they have a pair of dress shoes in their closet. This works well on Sunday morning, when everyone gets up and dresses for church; afterwards we come home and change into play clothes. Somehow, it never works quite as well in reverse, when worship is at the end of the day rather than the beginning.

Over my twelve years of motherhood, I’ve tried everything. We’ve changed clothes late in the day, a rather chaotic event for some reason. We’ve worn our church clothes all day, but that has gotten harder on the clothes as the boys have grown. We’ve even hung out in pj’s half the day and then changed, which is a sure way to get the doorbell to ring!

Finally, we settled on a revised dress code for evening services: collared shirts (or a sweater) and jeans (not sweats) with no holes for the Lost Boys and a dress or skirt for Twirly Girl. That works very well for Advent and Lenten Vespers. . .the kids look respectable and there’s no extra laundry or wear and tear on their Sunday morning clothes. But some evenings it is a Divine Service, such as Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, or Christmas Eve. On those days, we end up changing before church. It just seems irreverent to approach the Lord’s table in our everyday clothes, especially when they might have a fresh grass stain on the knee or a dribble of soup on the front.

(Remember, please, that I am talking about my family; I have no way to know what is in the hearts and minds of others as they dress for worship. I always appreciate your comments, but please do not tell me how you cannot afford a second pair of shoes for your kids, or that you think we are rigid because the girls in our house do not wear pants to church. Every family has their priorities, and these are some of ours.)