6.13.2012

Lately

With only a few minor exceptions (mostly J's work stuff that's far beyond our control), things have been good lately.  Really good, in fact.

The girls are at a point where they can skip nap when we find something better to do, usually without earth-shattering consequences come bedtime.  It's nice to be able to do a few things differently every once in awhile.  With summer here in full force, I imagine we will take advantage of the option to choose adventures like the splash park or ice cream dates over naps when the mood strikes.

Addison & Mackenzie are interested in things they have never noticed before.  We spent nearly an hour out in the yard the other night, chasing and catching lightning bugs.  Their pretend games are longer and more involved than ever, and they can entertain themselves for the longest time with random objects.  Yesterday it was a roll of duct tape; today, a spool of thread. 

Jeremy and I are making a concentrated effort to change some of our eating habits, focusing on more real and natural (and low-carb) foods.  We are working hard to find new meals we both enjoy.

Personally, I have found myself eating a lot less meat.  I don't know if y'all know this or not, but the South is kind of a "meat & potatoes" kind of place.  Growing up, I didn't think you could have a real meal without meat.  Slowly, I'm learning that there are several meatless meals I really like.  Black beans, rice, and other vegetables and whole grains have become staples in my diet over the last few months, and I just realized today that I am now eating at least 5-6 meatless meals during the week.  I made and froze black bean quesadillas last week, and they make an excellent lunch.

The girls and I are taking lots of afternoon/evening walks.  They sit in the stroller, eating a snack and chatting their nonsense to one another while I jam to a Pandora station and focus on pushing 60+ pounds of kids and stroller up the hill in our neighborhood.  We saw the resident neighborhood peacock (yes, peacock!  No idea where he came from....) the other day, which was way more exciting for me than for A & M.  They did think it was really cool when I let them go out dressed like this, though:

Ready for a pre-bedtime stroll...complete with pajamas, rainboots, and cowboy hat
Evening stroll attire should always include pajamas and rain boots.  Cowboy hat and Nerf gun are optional.

Yes, things are going well around here lately. 

How about you?

5 comments:

  1. please post the recipe for your black beans :)

    And you sound AMAZING - girls sound like they're loving life and so do you.

    I would be so happy if I could lose some weight (I can't let y'all see me this heavy! ha!!!). I AM going to gym tonight - promise :)

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  2. I'm vegetarian - living in Texas, I know how you feel about living in meat & potatoes land.

    My girls have the same pajamas. :) I'm pretty sure ours are from the boy section. Sometimes, we get overloaded on pink, and head over for some blue puppies and fun superheroes.

    A&M are starting into the perfect age range... portable, inquisitive, self-sufficient for small periods of time, but still cute enough to call babies. Isn't it the BEST?

    And, being a Texas Aggie, I love that I get to use the initials A&M for Addison and Mackenzie. It almost makes me wish I'd opted for those initials for my girls. ;)

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  3. I wish my husband would jump on board the "No meat" meals. I could without meat every meal if I had to. He on the other hand is different.

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  4. I remember the first "one dish" meal I ate at a friends house and was curious why they were only having a side! Dinner is meat, starch, and veggie-DUH! So glad you're making a change for the better, I would love for DH to join that bandwagon!!

    I see no problem with that walking attire, some of the stuff I see people out in is downright scary! At least they're cute enough to pull it off!!

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  5. I wandered over here to your blog via TLC Book Tours website and your review of Saving Zoe. I was immediately taken with your blog's pretty colors and the adorable, funny picture of your beautiful twin girls. Their cute evening attire looks so comfy
    It sounds like your summer is off to a great start and Addison & Mackenzie are at a fun age, showing a real interest in so many different things around them. I think it's such a treat & fascinating to view the world through a child's eyes. They often remind us of how interesting even the smallest, seemingly insignificant objects, such as duct tape, can be in life.

    Good luck with your new diet. I understand what you're saying about meat. I grew up on the East Coast and red meat is an extremely popular dinneer entree and one favored by the men in my life, then and now. One of the things I like about summer is my husband and I eat a diet of lighter fare with a focus on salads, light pasta dishes etc.

    Have a nice weekend!

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