Going for the Gold

The Olympics are coming and I've got the fever! The Yarn Harlot announced her Knitting Olympics and I was intrigued but not enough to enter. The more I read about it on the blogs, however, the more interested I got. I finally succumbed and added my name to the ever growing list of athletes. (2130 strong at last count!)

I'm not sure how much knitting time I will have for my project - I'll be away for nearly a week. My 'event' is a lace stole. I do have a pattern in mind but I'm not 100% committed to it yet. I still have some time to figure it out. (Hmm not quite as much time as I though! February is creeping up awfully fast)

One of my goals for this year was to explore my creativity and not to doubt my own talents. I think this is a small step in the right direction.

4 Things

I've been tagged for a meme by Jamie. It's my first! I've seen quite a few memes around the blogs and some I'm not too keen on answering. This one, however, looks interesting so here goes. (answers are in no particular order)

Four Jobs You’ve Had In Your Life

1. Preschool teacher (current)
2. Administrative assistant
3. Florist
4. Hardware store sales person

Four Movies You Could Watch Over And Over

1. The Thomas Crown Affair
2. Anything with Jackie Chan
3. The Santa Clause
4. True Lies (love the scene with Jamie Lee Curtis trying to dance seductively!)

Four Places You’ve Lived
WOW! Where do I begin?? I've moved 40-some odd times in my 36 years!

1. Enterprise, Alabama
2. Illisheim, Germany
3. Portsmouth, New Hampshire
4. Milford, Connecticut (current)

Four TV Shows You Love To Watch

1. NCIS
2. Monk
3. CSI(all 3)
4. Two and a Half Men

Four Places You’ve Been On Vacation

1. Virginia Beach, Virginia
2. Salzburg, Austria
3. The Poconos, Pennsylvania
4. Cape Cod, Massachusettes

Four Blogs You Visit Daily
There are so many!

1. Red Current
2. Angry Chicken
3. Jamie's Journey
4. The Blue Blog

Four Of Your Favourite Foods
Oh man, only 4?! I love food!

1. Popcorn
2. Moroccan Tomato Lentil Soup
3. Cheese Enchiladas
4. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes

Four Places You’d Rather Be

1. On vacation - anywhere! (no 'to-do' lists hanging over my head)
2. Having lunch with my Mom
3. In a cabin in the mountains. (This winter has been so rainy. I'd love to be some place with a little snow)
4. In the cozy chair in front of the fireplace at the coffee house with a warm mocha and a hot book. (and a whole lot of quiet)

Four Albums You Can’t Live Without

1. Big and Rich - Horse of a Different Color
2. Barry Manilow - Ultimate Manilow
3. The Soundtrack to Chicago
4. My Smooth Jazz mix


Four Vehicles You’ve Owned
Can you believe that I have only owned 2 cars!?

1. 1990 Silver Hyundai Excel
2. 1998 Black Toyota Sienna (current)

"Kiss of the Dragon"

Every time Chris and I watch Kiss of the Dragon I can't stop thinking about the shrimp chips. Jet Li makes them and Bridget Fonda eats them. They just fascinate me! Little crispy puffs of pink, blue and yellow.

This really isn't unusual for me. When ever we travel, I love to visit the local grocery store and pick up a few "souvenirs" - foods that aren't sold in our area. Food is such an important part of culture and I just love learning about other cultures!

Anyway, once again I am obsessed with the shrimp chips. Chris, apparently mentioned it to one of his co-workers and she so very kindly put together a little "care package" for me! (She is so sweet! While we have never met in person, I have talk to her on the phone and I've heard so much about her from Chris. I am just sure that she and I could be friends where we to have the opportunity!)

She sent two kinds of shrimp chips one baked and one fried. It was so hard for me not polish off the entire bag once I opened it! They are exactly what I had imagined. There is also a bag of seaweed crackers which have always been a favorite of mine. She also included 3 packages of Pocky - 2 chocolate and 1 strawberry. This is something I've not heard of before but once we opened them, I had to hide them or the boys would have devoured them all! The strawberry is the hands down favorite. I like them both - the chocolate ones are not overly sweet so, to me, that makes them even better.

Thanks so much, Coco! I really appreciate it and you really made my day week!

Do You Sudoku?

(Wow! January is slipping by almost as quickly as December did. I really must try to get the posts out of my head and on to the blog!)

One of my goals for this year is to exercise my mind and I thought logic type puzzles would be a great way to do it. I got several suggestions and they were all the same - Sudoko. I'd heard the word but didn't really know what it was. I did a little research and it seems that Sudoku was just the thing for me.

I got a book, found a website, and discovered that my daily paper (which is delivered sporadically) contains a puzzle. I am HOOKED!

If I only have a few minutes for a "quickie", I do an easier puzzle. A little more time or if I am looking for more of a challenge, I move up to the demanding puzzles. The kids are even getting in on the fun!

Right now I have a pencil tucked behind my ear and a puzzle calling my name.....

A New Year!

I love this time of year! The New Year brings us a blank slate and a chance to make a fresh start. It's a time of looking forward while carefully reflecting on the past.

December was such a busy month here. Lists were written but not completed, activities were planned but then cancelled, pictures were taken but never mailed. Sickness swept through the house and then decided to settle in for an extended visit. However, in the spirit of the New Year, we all seem to be on the mend. (thank goodness!)

And now to look forward...

Each year I sit with pencil and paper and make a list of my goals for the coming year. Not really resolutions but more of broad goals towards being a better person. Each month I make some more specific goals for the month that will help me work towards my bigger goals. (higher rate of success this way!)

Emily’s Goals for 2006

Body:
~ Maintain my goal weight
I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am. I’ve lost a total of 62 pounds since Topher was born and I’d like to keep it off. I am going to plan healthy well balanced menus each week. I am going to keep healthy snacks on hand and minimize the amount of “junk food” in the house. I am going to make sure I drink plenty of water and take a daily vitamin and calcium supplement. I am going to think about what I am eating before I eat it.

~ Tone up, shape up and strengthen my body
I’m going to exercise a minimum of 15 minutes each day. I’ll walk on my treadmill at least 4 times a week and the other 3 days will vary between things like weights, stretch bands, Yoga, etc. I’ll make sure I have a selection of magazines or audio books on hand so I don’t get bored.

Mind:
~ Exercise my mind
I will turn off the TV and engage my mind more. There are many “classics” that I would like to read and I plan to take advantage of the library more often. I’d also like to work on puzzles more - word puzzles, logic puzzles, etc.

Spirit:
~ Explore my creativity
I will set up my own “studio” space so I have a place for ongoing projects. I will surround myself with things I find inspirational and I will not doubt my own talents.

~ Reconnect with the Church
Once you miss going to church, it seems so natural to continue to miss going. I want to get back to church and get the boys back in to Sunday School. They enjoy it and I think it is important for them and for me. I am going to plan on Saturday to get to church on Sunday.

Home:
~ Build my routines
I want to continue to establish my routines and habits. I will make sure that my routines are up to date and always on hand. I will have a habit builder each month to help maintain focus and I will continue to work on a list of realistic household jobs for the boys.

Relationships:
~ Focus on fun
Each week I will make sure we take the time to have some family fun. Whether it is a family game night, a trip to a museum or a picnic in the park, we will promote “family”

~ Nuture my marriage
I will make sure we have regular “Date Nights” - both at home and away from home with a babysitter.

~ Strengthen friendships
I will set aside time each week to reconnect with old freinds and far away friends. I will work on establishing better friendships locally by putting myself out there more instead of withdrawing.