In search of a smaller Lenae.

Unfortunately, my 2-year-old has declared a strike on naptime. He's a glorious child, full of laughter and smiles and other humorous facial expressions, but when the clock strikes 1 pm, alarms -or bells, rather... bells of relief- start ringing in my ears. Naptime = A hallowed chunk of time for Mommy to recharge for Round 2 of Gabriel-induced Pandemonium. But alas, as I shared in the first sentence, he'll have none of it. As I type this, I can hear him jumping gleefully on his bed, yelling at who-knows-what.

He was my superstar this morning, however. In an effort to shrink a little (or maybe a lot) and be healthier, the hubby and I have decided to streamline our diet and start exercising more often than the month right before a PT test. I made a modified "green smoothie" for breakfast this morning (with A WHOLE CUP of spinach -I yam what I yam... ha ha, strawberries, and a frozen banana). I expected something beautiful like what I see on other websites with smoothie recipes; instead it came out slightly chunky (was it me? Or the blender?), and all the spinach was in tiny confetti-ish pieces. Anyhoo, I didn't think it tasted that bad for a first go at it, and more importantly, my kid drank a bunch of it too!

me & Eli's Vogue cover
I've been tracking my nutritional/fitness/weight-loss goals at SparkPeople. This afternoon, as I logged what I had consumed today, I came to a sad realization... I really must get rid of this caffeine addiction. I have no idea why I love soda so much. I didn't grow up in a house where it was stocked regularly. I hit 16, acquired a driver's license and a job, and decided that yes, caffeinated, carbonated beverages were definitely the best items to blow my paychecks on. But seriously- I'm addicted. If I go a day without drinking a soda, I congratulate myself like I've accomplished something grand. Other than the embarrassing fact that I'm carrying on a love affair with Dr. Pepper, it's also laden with calories. My calorie total today was looking so good until I added in the huge Coke I felt I "deserved" at the mall (Arrived safely with two little kids in tow? Buy yourself a drink!) Oh yes, Dr. Pepper, I love you, but not enough to let you steal huge portions of precious, daily calories.