Hailey County Fair

This week is the local fair. Usually we go and do all the rides and exhibits and such.. but this year.. Hailey is representing our family at the fair. Yesterday she caught the talent show with us, then stayed until late. Tonight she also cruised the fair, scoring some free food from me working the Lion's Booth and tomorrow she plans to really spend some time with friends hitting the carnival. Amanda went one day and did rides with her best buddy. Sadly, they mostly did the adultish typed rides. She is growing up.

My health challenge contest continues. I truly am amazing myself with my ability to do this. (Shameless bragging I know). The key is the free day. It is keeping me going. This weeks free day was Tuesday.. I went to Bend and had a lot of junk food and Dr. Pepper. I have been so good Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with 64oz of water a day, no sugar, fruits and veggies, whole grains and exercise. I even baked whole wheat bread tonight. (and it turned out)... My next free day commences in 25 hours. Not that I am counting or anything.

I am noticing that I am feeling better overall. Some big headaches from caffeine withdrawal and muscle soreness... but without lots of sugar and caffeine I can read my body cues again. It's like when I was a little girl. I do credit my parents with my ability to eat pretty healthy without too much effort. I was raised eating pretty sugar free so it's not a stretch.. it's the dang pop.

Love it. Love, love, love pop. So hopefully at the end of this challenge pop can take a balanced place in my life again, instead of the front and center it had become.

Enough, I know. But it is such a struggle.

Speaking of struggles. The Lion's Booth tonight was a big struggle. All that fried food in front of me... not even a nibble. I was the courier... delivering fries and Lion Balls (fried biscuits rolled in sugar/cinnamon) up to the front. I also watched the grill guys cooking about 780 hamburgers/cheeseburgers. Wow, was I salivating. I work in the Lion's Booth during fair now, since they did give Stefani a super duper scholarship which pays 2000 dollars a year of her tuition. Thank you Lion's Club!

In other news... I have started a newish job.. I am hopefully going to start working in surgery one shift a week and the other shift will be a night shift(my normal gig). I work in surgery as fill in already so it's not too much of a transition. This week I did some fill in and it was fun! So nice to work a few hours while the kids are in school. Win/ win for all. And I figure my older body would appreciate less time working nights.

This blog post is really turning into a me me me experience. I guess blogs are self reflective in a way. I usually try to talk mostly about the kids because I know the grandparents read so I apologize for the amount of Christy figuring out her life that has been in my posts lately.

The other two big themes of this week have been the Family Budget and the Mom Aha moment.

Kris and I had a real meeting of the minds the other night and decided we need to be more deliberate in our budgeting. If you don't budget.. you are crazy!!!! We have realized that by not always being aware of our money it just disappears. So we've included the kids in on this new budget. They are responsible for spending their allotted monthly amount responsibly. This includes gas money for the car they might be driving and also lunch/sport and fun money. We are all packing more lunches, eating at home more and trying to drive less. We figured if we do this for a year we could really get ahead. (or so we hope) Get ahead seems to be a bit of a relative term as we thought we were ahead before the buy three car debacle.

The mom aha moment happened this week also. I realized how happy I am when I talk to Stefani on the phone. I'm so glad that she has never gone long periods of time with out talking to me. I have gone a few months without talking to my mom. When I think of how that would make me feel as a mom, it makes me so sad. How have I ever mistreated my sweet mommy? I've resolved to call her AMAP. (as much as possible). My mom is the best.

My other mom aha moment happened when Shelby gave me a little "Senior attitude" this week. She couldn't be bothered to stick around for our family night discussion. She had things to do. This was such a flash back from Stef's high school that this time I didn't panic. It is just a stage. She has to do this as part of growing up. It is an aha... it will be okay thing.

So,(back to our title) sadly the fair is happening without a lot of our involvement.. Way to Go Hailey for stepping it up and supporting the fair. Such a social girl.

This post is really lame. I know . But guess what. I don't care.. And on my blog I'm the boss. So there.