So you know those times when you think, "Yeah, I've got enough to write a blog update" but then somethings coming up and you think "I'll add that in" and so on.... that's where we're at so we're cutting it off here & now and this is the update you've all been waiting for!
Ok, so the diet ended March 1st - Jessica did not approve of the last blog calling it "too negative", others did approve calling it "a return to form". To answer the critics dieting is supposed to be difficult, it will make you unhappy, because you're doing something you don't enjoy and not doing the stuff that you DO enjoy, therefore the tone was correct because it was crappy - especially in the first week.
Which is why Jessica wants us to do it all again...... and I've agreed because I'm utterly stupid wonderful! The good news is we ended up a combined 27lbs down, and not much of it has gone back on in the meantime. She did want to start immediately but I suggested she could do one with 3 birthdays coming up!
The first delay to that part of the follow up was created because GrandParents came visiting and after 10 days with Hannah they needed another break.... so they went home! The good news is the weather was ok, having snowed before they got here, it only rained a little bit and they dodged crap weather back home so all was good. The usual DIY tasks were instigated by Jessica and a couple of local bottles of wine were sourced in return. We didn't get to travel too much, but hopefully should they come back next year the kids (1 in particular) will have settled down and be fit to go visiting certain places.
Ryan is doing well at school, he just scored highly on the COGAT test (think I have that right) and the progress in his reading & comprehension is actually outstripping expected annual development rates so in other words, he's catching up and closing the gap which is great. He's also begun his Spring Soccer schedule in very garish yellow boots. Bonus of those is we'll never lose him on the pitch.
Hannah continues to be confident and cocky, the picture is one of her admiring the beauty of her fruit snacks. She's looking forward to playing soccer too, I envision her in the midfield enforcer role making the other team punt it long for fear of getting into the same zip code as her zone of terror.
As for the rebate part, well as we've now been house owners a year we decided to celebrate by cracking open a purchase on a new HVAC system with water heater due to the AC deciding to munch on the compressor. Granted given the age of the units (as old as the house) we were under no illusions that it wasn't going to be long before it took a hit, but it of course picked the one day when temps were in the 80's... consequently so was the house, and poor BlueyII only survived because someone (me) dumped enough ice to damage a ship into his tank to cool it back to a survivable temperature. Fortunately the temps are back in the 60s and its quite comfortable right now for the next week until we get the new system installed. We even managed to see the same salesman who sold the unit last year into the house we rented, that might have been played up a touch to get a little more trade in value :)
Ok, next time will probably be a round up of birthdays and fun events.
Have a good one!
J, J R & H!
