Overwhelmed

I always put too much on my plate and try to do everything all at once. One of my classes this semester is completely and totally overwhelming. My instructor goes a mile a minute and expects a lot. :( Boo. And I'm trying to be social w/ gracie's playgroup, so that keeps me busy. I guess that is a choice, but it's been great having friends to hangout with and girls nights out etc. Also, trying to keep up with the gym is proving difficult as Gracie doesn't like to be left in the daycare and screams and screams until they have to come get me from my workout. So I have to try to go around Mark's schedule - which sort of defeats part of the purpose of going (being able to go and have something fun to do during the day!). And last but not least, I've been trying to eat more vegetarian/vegan. It's a slow transition as it is a lot of information to take in. Reading "Skinny Bitch" was just the start. The USDA and FDA scare me when I learn about the ridiculous, asinine, grievous deeds these companies allow to come to pass as they look the other way and put people in danger.

I went grocery shopping yesterday and I literally almost threw up when I passed the ground beef, ground turkey and ground chicken section of the meat department. Ground turkey in particular used to be a staple in my kitchen.

Like I said, it is overwhelming to rethink and retrain your whole way of thinking. I have to learn new recipes and combinations. Change my grocery shopping habits and all the staple ingredients I keep in my pantry. Vegan obviously means you can't eat anything that is derived from animal products (so no gelatin, whey, caesin, etc...) That is why it is a slow transition. I believe my mind and body will reap the benefits and it will all be a worthwhile journey. This is just one of the things that is part of my journey of happiness. eating healthy makes me happy. I don't think it's so much that I disagree with the idea of eating meat at this point, its more that I don't feel its necessary or even safe. Even free-range meat products and organic meat products still have to be slaughtered. which I know is part of the food chain, but I know our ancestors didn't eat meat the way we do now. They butchered animals to help get through the winter, and men went off to hunt as occasion allowed while the women toiled in the garden (blah blah blah), but again, they killed game (if they were lucky) and ate it fresh w/ out hormones, anti-biotics or harmful chemicals and detestable ways of killing.

I found this somewhere online...sorry i can't give proper credit.

Anyway, got a little off track there. I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed tonight. I'm tired and I have a long list of things to do. I guess I better get going so I can see my pillow sooner than later.

Little Dancer

Edward Degas, in Bronze. In person she is beautiful.

My version...charcoal. My first attempt - I was sitting on the floor to avoid the glare so I had a different angle than the picture shown. wish I could have spent more time at the gallery with her. I drew her legs a little short, and I couldn't figure out her hands because i had to finish at home. Otherwise, I'm proud of her.

Thought I'd share.

Valentine Happiness

so I decided to stop calling gracie miss monkey or miss princess or whatever and actually use her real name...who cares. and mark is mark. and i'm katie. there you have it, i've come out of hiding. Now I need to venture out to other blogs and start making blogger friends. I've done it in the real world - only recently - and now I need to try it on here.

Gracie had a fun valentine party today. we had two actually. The first one was with our playgroup and the second one with my neighbor (we just had lunch together). She was clingy as always at the playdate and screamed as soon as I set her down and walked out of sight, but she was so cute in her little outfit and playing with the other kiddies. She does so much better with just one or two people and babies. If it gets too crowded she flips. She's freakin hilarious lately...always cracking me up with the funny laughs and noises she makes. She's been sleeping from 10 PM to 10 AM and I've been thrilled. So no more morning nap since she sleeps so long and usually just an afternoon nap.

Life's been good to us. My little family is happy, healthy and looking forward to so much this year! I forgot to take my camera to the playdate so I was only able to take a pic of all of gracie's valentines when we got home. I'll start posting more pics of her and us soon.

Random thoughts:
I've been reading Skinny Bitch...I'm thinking of trying to go Vegan after reading about how animals are treated and killed in slaughterhouses and about how full of hormones and crap it all is. I try to eat healthy anyway, and I actually eat a lot of beans and legumes and leafy greens, but my meals always center around a meat. this week i've tried to not focus our meals around meat, but we've still had some here and there.

I've been going up to the national gallery of art in D.C. for a drawing class on saturday's. There's nothing like a sunny saturday morning in DC. I'm thankful for my mom (affectionately called MiMi) being able to come over and watch Gracie for Mark and I. Since mark doesn't have off regular days or nights, this has been such a blessing!

I love the freedom Mark gives me with making choices. he works so hard and provides well for gracie and I. He bends over backwards to make sure I can come and go as I please and do things that keep me sane. Not that I'd be insane because of being a mom...not yet anyway -i only have one baby and she's so easy going, but just because I'm a busy body and like to go and do things and do girly things and go to the gym and etc., etc. I hate being stuck at home and most all of the responsibilties of house and baby fall on my shoulders because mark is gone all night most every night 6 or 7 days a week and he is asleep during the day. Yet he goes out of his way to stay up longer and wake up earlier so I can do things for me. It makes me feel selfish, but at the same time very grateful.