How Stuff Is And Things

It's always hard for me to write something "real" (not that illustrations of gnomes isn't hardcore blogging) after a long break because I feel like you have no idea what's going on in my life and why would you want to hear about our experience observing a PRESCHOOL when the last time I wrote my kid was barely walking?

So here are some completely random udpates. It makes me feel like I'm clearing the decks to write more stuff later.

I will also number these updates for no reason.

1. Townsend is a delightful baby. He is happy ALL OF THE TIME.
   
   
   
   
   
   Unless he's cutting teeth AND sick at the same time, which of course is happening right now. The amount of snot that can crust over a baby's nose in the middle of the night is astounding. And if you're not a parent, NOW YOU KNOW THAT. Still, I'm pleased that he will soon have 3 visible teeth. Eve spent 4 months of her life with only one tooth poking out from below.
   
2. Oh, hey! Boys and girls are different! Based on my extensive knowledge of having had exactly one (1) girl and one (1) boy, I am now an expert. Eve was hesitant to crawl, hesitant to climb, thoughtful about her physicality. Towns wants to run despite that he can't yet stand on his own. He tries to climb and mount everything in his path. He crawled up a flight of stairs yesterday. Also, banging. He bangs. LET'S BANG THINGS INTO OTHER THINGS. So, boys.
   
   
   
3. I am still 100% hellbent on losing weight and will resume posting videos AS SOON AS I get back to the weight I was pre-holidays. I took November and December "off" because I felt like it. I gained a little weight back.
   
   Now I'm trying to settle into the mentality that the best approach is one that isn't 100% all-or-nothing. Medifast works REALLY REALLY well when you're on-plan completely. But here's the reality: it still works well even if you're not on-plan at all times every day forever and ever.
   
   BTW, watch this "Shit Dieters Say" video immediately:
   
   
   
   
   I say this because one of the worst things I do, and have always done, is think if I go "off" the diet/plan at one point during the day, then the whole day -- or, let's be honest, weekend -- is shot. I'm trying really hard to stop that dangerous thinking and be more trade-off oriented. I know WW is well suited for this, but I think Medifast can be, too. I just need to be smart and realistic about myself.
   
   
4. I read The Hunger Games because everyone told me I had to. I don't really know what to make of them.
   
   By way of comparison, I haaaaaaaaated Twilight mostly because I didn't especially enjoy being a conflicted, forlorn, overly ridiculous teenaged girl when I WAS one, and adding sparkly vampires to the mix doesn't make it more bearable. (I prefer my conflicted, ridiculous girls to be adults on reality television shows.) So Hunger Games is way better in that regard.
   
   But while THG is thoroughly engrossing and page-turny, it's also horrifyingly bloody and gory and gray and awful. And humorless. And post-apocalyptic. So really not my thing. And plus there's like no sex at all, not even with vampires. So somehow murderous teenagers are compelling, but sexually active teenagers is totally over the line.
   
5. The holidays have come and gone and this year was a doozy, in the good way. Both of my sisters came to visit, which has never happened before in the whole ten+ years I've lived in California, and we had a wonderful time being silly, drinking wine, and carrying on.
   
   We* took lots of pictures. (*My sister, Sam.)

Eve @ Ravenswood Winery

Us @ Ravenswood Winery

My kids, niece & nephew, and Grandma & Grandpa

Healy @ William Hill Winery

Mike (my Brother-in-law) @ William Hill

Charlie, Evie & Towns @ our backyard

Samantha @ our backyard

Also, yesterday was a bit unfortunate, sports-wise. 

But what she doesn't know won't hurt her.