9 pounds...

I've lost 9 pounds so far. I need to lose 36 more to get to my first goal.

Now that I think about it -- I think I need to revise that. I need to lose 16 more to get to my first goal, 36 to get to my "real" goal. (If hit that first goal -- I'll be back down to where I was before I got pregnant with Georgia last spring.) If I ever see that end weight, then there are 10 more behind it that I could stand to lose, but I doubt I ever see that one happen.

It feels good and when I met my friend for a walk this morning she said "You've lost weight, huh? I can tell." That's always a good thing -- I think it's just depressing thinking about what darn hard work it has been just to get those 9 off -- and to put 36 more on top of it? Ick. My mom said to have that be my goal in the next year.

A YEAR????

I know that's realistic but the thought of it just pisses me off. I want to be thinner NOW. And I want to be able to eat ice cream, chips, cake, etc. So basically I want to lose a lot of weight quickly but not work for it.

I went for an hour and a half walk this morning -- 15 min in the middle to let Mitchell play at the park, but the rest was a briskly paced walk. Ummmm--guess what? All of my butt muscles HAVEN'T disintegrated after all -- in fact, they're all extremely upset with me right now. Owie.

I guess thinking about fitting into the clothes I want to wear sooner and being healthier and more energized for my kids is good motivation -- I just don't have a will of steel. It would be nice right now. I think I need something like "Biggest Loser" motivation to get me going. I'm competitive so that would probably be a good show for me.

Okay -- random off topic before I go. At the park today, it was really weird and I got kinda creeped out. We walked up (my friend had headed home already) and this woman was walking the perimeter of the playground and was TOTALLY staring at us as we walked up. I mean not even trying to hide it, bugging eyes out, turning head as she's walking a different direction staring. Mitchell got off of the stroller and ran over to the playground and she watched him the same way. (She was on her cell phone and speaking a foreign language of some sort, by the way.) There were like 5 kids on the playground already -- 2 about 5 or 6 years old, 2 about Mitchell's age and 1 in between. I kept looking for a parent - usually there are moms or dads hanging out on the benches. Well, then it dawned on me that she was probably their nanny.

Mitchell wanted to swing, so I parked Georgia (who was sleeping) in the stroller near the swings. The kids that were there were playing nicely at first but they were really spread out. I think it must be the teacher in me, but I found myself trying to keep an eye on them. This lady sure as heck wasn't doing it!! I watched her and the only children she paid any attention to were MINE. She didn't bat an eyelash at the little one who was wandering off to smell the flowers in the little bushes. She didn't ever even GLANCE at the playstructure to make sure the older boys and girls were playing safely. She just kept doing her laps, chattering away on her cell phone, pausing to stare at my children when she got near.

Creeped me the heck out.

So, anyway -- Mitchell had already put up with an hour walk and was SOOOO good. I didn't feel like I could say "Hey, let's go home" since I'd promised him some time at the park. When he was done swinging, I went with Georgia and the stroller to a bench near the play structure and just watched. One of the little girls looked SAD. I don't mean like someone took her doll -- I mean like emotionally sad from the inside out. She walked with her head down the entire time, stayed by herself and was instantly physically defensive/agressive anytime any other kids came near her. (She was the flower smeller.) It made me really, really uneasy. Another little girl was sad (but more like, I'm bored! Pay attention to me! sad) and was trailing after the nanny. She was (I think) saying her name and sort of whining/crying, but this nanny didn't even have a clue in the world that the girl was trying to get her attention.

Meanwhile -- on the play structure, one of the older boys was playing with Mitchell. No big deal, taking turns on the slide, asking him about his Thomas shirt, stuff like that. Well, after about 2 minutes he says "Come on, let's play. We're killer whales. Let's go kill her whole family." OMG -- what the heck is that about??? Mitchell just kind of looked at him like "Huh?" and ran the other way to go play this little piano thing. Well, two seconds later, the older girl and two older boys are playing what I guess was the "killer whale game" and the girl completely PUNCHES this one kid in the eye. Like just hauls off and punches him in the eye. I was like "whoa". Of course he starts crying and the girl says "Sorry. It was part of the game." I

t takes nanny woman about 2 minutes before her ears hear anything besides that blasted telephone conversation. She doesn't say let me call you back, instead she stands there with the crying kid and says "what happened" about 3 times. Then she finally says she'll call the person back. Mind you, Mitchell is on the other play structure (thank goodness -- there are two of them), but I had a ring side seat and watched the ENTIRE thing. Nanny woman is looking at me with this REALLY nervous look because obviously I'd been paying 110% more attention to those kids than she had! Anyway -- the older boy who didn't get hit reports that the older girl punched the other boy. The older girl instantly denies that she did anything. Nanny woman calls her a liar (she was, but still) and the older girl says "I didn't do it -- ______ did" and points to the really, really sad little girl who doesn't say a word. She just looks at the lady with those sad brown eyes and doesn't say a word. Older girl takes off running and throws herself on the grass to pout about the whole thing. By this time, the sort of sad little girl has finally caught up with nanny woman and goes over and clings to her leg. It was SOOOO obvious this girl just needed a "Hi sweetie" and a hug. You know how 3 year olds are -- they just need that every once in awhile. It took all of my strength not to go scoop her up. Her and the other little one -- I wanted to just cuddle that little cutie and tell her she was special. Anyway, nanny woman shooed the sad one away from her leg and she started bawling.

I was like "oooookay -- we are OUT of here." I called Mitchell over and the two older boys looked at me -- I think they knew. I said "Honey, we need to go now." He of course wanted to stay, so I did what any mother needing out RIGHT then would do -- I bribed him. I asked him what video he'd like to watch while I made lunch and he hopped right on.

It was a nutty 15 minutes, but man did it make me sad. Sad for those kids because two of them just seemed so -- well, SAD. One seriously just had a look about her like something just wasn't right. Can't put my finger on it, but it was just "off" somehow. But I wanted to follow that lady to whatever home she went to and then wait for each of the parents and tell them what my experience was. I can't IMAGINE having my kids with someone like that!!! I bet these parents all think they have a competent, loving, caring, responsible woman watching their kids. In the span of 15 short minutes I saw her ignore, push aside, namecall, and neglect these kids. Maybe she was having a bad day, I'm not sure -- but ick. Just gave me the creeps and I haven't been able to get my mind off of it all day.

I'm SOOOOOO glad I can stay home for this exact reason.