Weekly Randoms

Blurbs from the week:

1) AJ and I have sworn off carbs until vacation. Actually, I made the executive decision and am forcing him to go along with it. It's tough to take time and eat fresh veggies and good food, even in the summer, with two little maniacs running around. I'm making it a priority for us, and so far, so good. I am a little hungry and cranky, but I will persevere! I can already feel a difference in how my shorts fit, and it's only been 4 days. AJ is down 5 pounds. But, man - that first french fry or dessert is going to be H.E.A.V.E.N.

2) Ethan and I had a date on Tuesday - we went to see "Brave." He loves going to the movies, so I can bribe him with that. He did really well in this movie - sat perfectly content the entire time. He was a little scared at certain points, though - those bears were a bit much, but he was 'brave'. Of course, things were made easier because my mom got done with work in time to join us. He felt much braver on Grandma's lap :-)

3) Jack is a full-fledged walker. He still uses his zombie-like arms for balance, but we can see he is getting more and more comfortable each day. Trouble. He loves to walk - he will just walk circles from our living room to kitchen. He has recently started spinning in circles and thinks that is quite hilarious. What a trip.

4) I am finished with summer school - I oversaw English kids in an online program run by my district. It was a great opportunity to earn extra vacation money! It also gave me some quite time to get my grad school work done. That's right - I re-started my Master's program since my school is going to reimburse tuition money again (they had stopped last year as a part of a deal the teachers made - which included a pay freeze - to save jobs), so I should be completely done next summer or fall. They are online classes, which is SUPER convenient.

5) Books! I love books! I've gotten to read a lot lately, and I also got to buy about 15 books for a total of $1. Amazing! Our library had a big sale, and I hit the jackpot! Luckily, they had no kids books...we have WAY too many kids books in this house.

6) I started Christmas shopping. Crazy, right? I got a tip from a Facebook friend that Target had a TON of toys marked 70% off. I couldn't pass up at least looking, and I did great! Santa is going to be a bit stingier this year, given our upcoming Disney trip, so these sales were just the trick. Ethan did quite well for quite cheap. I got quite a few large set items for under $10/each - unreal! Must remember this every year...