Updates on my OK to do's

Since there aren't many other things to write about, I figure I can at least update on my OK to do list...

1) I've yoyo'd the same 4 or 5 pounds the entire time we've lived here. I get very motivated for a week and then I fall off the wagon. We are still trying to develop routines and so far exercise hasn't found its way into the routine consistently. There's still time, though!

2) Maverick is pretty much potty trained! He had some poo poo set backs last week, but has done well on all fronts (or backs) lately. He is lazy and doesn't always want to go immediately when he needs to, but he'll get there! I'm impressed that he's done as well as he has with this process.

3) I haven't even touched my Article and Recipe Organization process except for purchasing notebooks, sheet protectors and other supplies to get the project going! Hopefully I can start working on this one very soon since I have some recipes that I want to use that happen to be buried in the pile of loose articles.

4) As far as eating meals together, we're doing fairly well. We aren't always eating the exact same meals, but we've gotta start somewhere, right! The boys are eating more of a variety of foods then they have in the past. It often takes bribery and a little bit of negotiating! Sometimes it takes a little friendly competition between the boys to see who can finish first or who is going to get the after dinner treat and who isn't.

I do have a few other little things I want to get done in the next couple of months so we'll see if I can take advantage of my time and be productive!

While In OK #4

Our lifestyle for the past several years has not given us the opportunity to eat meals at the table together. Honestly, in our house in El Paso, the only time we ate at our table was when we had company! We usually just stood in the kitchen to eat or sat at the stools at the bar. Bailey has noticed several times that the 'whole family' is sitting down eating dinner together. Very rarely in the past did I even attempt to have everyone eat the same thing. Talk about short order cook! I'm trying to get away from that mentality, which brings me to my #4 goal I'd like to see accomplished here in Oklahoma.

I'm trying to get the children, the boys mainly, to get out of the box and experience new food even if it's just one or two bites. I've done alot of this already and with tiny bits of success. Maverick acquiesces more willingly than Bailey does. A few nights Bailey has sat at the table acting like he's going to gag, refusing to even attempt some things, even things I know that he's eaten before with no issue! To make it even more laughable is that there are foods that Bailey will eat that are almost shocking like tuna salad sandwiches and raw carrots. He does refuse Kraft Mac and Cheese, which I find just strange! What kid doesn't like Kraft Mac and Cheese?

The good thing is that I've found they'll eat ground beef or turkey as long as it's not charred. This gives us a few options for things like hamburgers, meatloaf, meatballs, etc. They'll eat spaghetti so I'm thinking about trying some other pasta dishes with red sauces to see how they react to that.

I'm not at the point of sneaking vegetables into things that I cook, yet. If I felt like they weren't eating a variety of foods I would be more concerned and start sneaking mashed vegetables into random dishes.

Do you have any foods that your children love that you think I should try? Leave a comment and give me the scoop!

As I've reread this, I'm starting to wonder why I've decided to tackle some of these difficult tasks now. I guess there's no time like the present or a time when I feel like we're just on a detour and passing through.

While in OK #3 - - Article and Recipe Organization

Progress on #1 of my things to do in OK is definitely a challenge, but I have time, right?

Progress on #2 is going well. Mr. Mav is even starting to be aware of when he needs to go and can hold it if he needs to, at least with the pee pee part. The other, well, it needs lots of work!

#3 is more of a tangible, can be accomplished with visible results, type of goal. For years, I have been collecting articles, recipes, decorating ideas, and other random stuff from magazines. The hubs has accused me of being a borderline hoarder and this is one of those areas where I've given him ammunition for his accusations!

I did a good job before we left El Paso of getting rid of the actual magazines and only keeping the articles of interest. Now I have a huge pile of file folders that are very broadly labeled and organized. While I'm here and it would appear that I have time on my hands (I have 3 small children on my hands, too) to accomplish a better organizational system for these things. I would love to be able to go right to the recipe for cinnamon rolls or chicken fried steak that I ripped out of a Cooking Light magazine. Currently, that is not feasible. I haven't decided what type of system I'll use for this and am open to suggestions or ideas. My first thought is notebooks for various categories and the articles in individual clear sheet protectors organized alphabetically by some system of subcategories. See, this isn't as easy as it sounds like it would be.

After I get this one accomplished, or maybe when I actually start, I'll post pictures of my progress.

While in OK #2

My #2 project is actually about a week in the works already and that is getting Maverick out of diapers! He voluntarily took off his diaper last Tuesday and traded it for underwear. He's only wearing diapers at night right now because I'm too lazy (depressed, bored, incoherent at 7:30am) to get up and make sure he goes to the potty as soon as he gets up. He is doing very well. He's had few #1 accidents, but hasn't grasped the #2 thing at all. Every time I have to clean up a poopy pair of underwear I remember why I haven't been too gung ho about starting this whole process. That is just one of the nastiest things in the world to have to do! I feel like I can smell poop all day on my hands no matter how many times I wash them. Hopefully I can say when we leave here in 6 months that I have gone a few days or weeks or months without cleaning poopy underwear!

While in OK #1

I've been thinking recently about things I want to accomplish in these six months that we will be residing in OK. Most are pretty petty, but are tasks or goals I'd like to accomplish nonetheless. The time we spent in El Paso was extremely busy, yet fulfilling for me personally. I really am looking forward to having a few months of 'down' time to focus on some of these projects or tasks that there just wasn't time or energy to do with the schedule we had been keeping until a few weeks ago.

So for my While in OK #1 - - Lose 10 pounds!

I really have no excuses not to focus on this one. For the most part I have total control over the foods we eat and bring into the house (apartment). I also have 24 hour access to the fitness center here at the complex. I did a great job of getting most of my baby weight off while CMC was deployed. After he came home I got too relaxed and actually gained about 8lbs! I've managed to get most of that off, but have about 10 more pounds I'd like to lose before I become content with my weight. I had a goal of weighing 135 on my wedding day and I think that's the only day the scale has ever read those numbers since then. I want to be there again even though my body is much different after having 3 babies in 5 years!

Stay tuned for more of my While in OK posts.