Christmas Recap 2011

Santa left lots of goodies

A great Hyzy Christmas yet again.  It was just us, which is the way we like it,  There are lots of rules... I mean traditions... that we follow on Christmas.  For instance.. the kids are not allowed to wake us up before 7am.  Then we all go down together, get coffee and tea made and the kids get ready to open stockings.
We open stockings, one gift at a time with everyone oohing and aahhinng over everything.
Once stockings are done we take a break eat some real breakfast so that then I don't have to worry about all the junk that will be consumed.  Then the kids take turns playing Santa and we open the gifts under the tree.  Again, one at a time, with everyone watching and exclaiming in delight!

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 This was a great year for gifts for everyone.  Highlights - Brenna....
Iphone 4, Harry Potter Page to Screen book and movie.
Zack... 3 Xbox game - Skyrim, Skate 3, and something else involving gratuitous violence, some cool hoodies.
John - racquetball racquet, hockey shin guards and my personal favorite - a desk organizer complete with all his own office supplies so he'll STAY OUT of MINE!
Me - Star Trek 40 years vault book, Wizard of Oz dolls, water floss pic, and a bracelet that says "Love you more" <3.  It was a wonderful Christmas... very quiet... very calm and relaxing.

About 5 we went over to the neighbors and had an embarrassing huge dinner.  Ham, 2 turkeys, numerous sides and desserts!

And we finished the evening off with Wii - Just Dance, the perfect dose of humble and humiliation!  Especially when the neighbors 2 year old can rack up a better score than you can!

You can never have too much Harry Potter

We are so blessed and so lucky.  We have wonderful friends, wonderful family and a wonderful life.  I am looking forward to seeing what 2012 has in store for us!

I got everything I asked for!

Lots of goodies

No more little boy shinguards for Johnny

Cul-de-sac dinner

Just Dance

Christmas Eve

Traditional Christmas Eve PJ's are opened and on... pictures are taken.  Gonna watch a movie and then hope my children got to bed before Santa collapses and doesn't remember to visit our house!  It's tough once the kids can outlast the adults.  

Let the celebration begin...in a minute..

Happy Christmas Eve!  We are celebrating in rare style... Zack is in the bathtub, John is watching football, I'm "resting" in my room with the pups and Brenna is at work.  Hopefully we'll all rendezvous at 9pm when Brenna gets home, the kids will open their "Christmas Elf" packages and then we'll all snuggle and watch Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  If that doesn't say Christmas I don't' know what does! :o)

Christmas Letter 2011

Here's our Christmas letter that I tried to get out in a timely manner, but was less than successful.  So here it is instead...

Goodbye 2011 – Hello 2012

         Happy whatever holiday is closest to the time you receive this letter.  At this point all bets are off and I’m not even going to predict.  Just know the Hyzys hope you enjoy it to the fullest.

            It’s been a big year in the Hyzy House.  The Wonder Child graduated from high school this year and has transitioned very successfully into her freshman year at college.  She is happily ensconced down at Radford University in southern Virginia.  She loves her roommate, loves the area and loves most of her classes.  Chemistry…not so much, but let’s be honest who really loves Chemistry.  We’re getting used to the house being a little quieter and a little lonelier.  We text daily, call a couple times a week and Facetime at least once a week – so there is still plenty of contact.  She was one of only a couple freshmen accepted into a Tropical Biology Study Abroad Program and will be spending her Spring Break “studying” in the Virgin Islands!  I know, it’s tough to be a college student.  My mother always told me (during the dark years) I just had to be patient and eventually we’d like each other again.  It’s true – she has become an amazing, funny, delightful young woman and we are so proud of her.  I think her new moniker The Wonder Young Woman is very fitting.

            The Zackman has hit his stride and is going full force through 8^th grade.  While I don’t want to jinx myself, he seems to be coming out of the “obnoxious middle school boy” stage and we see glimpses of the entertaining young man he’ll become.  His voice is starting to change and I swear you can see him growing daily.  He’s taller than me and the pants I postponed buying until Sept are already too short.  He’s doing great in school including taking 2 classes for high school credit. For the most part we are enjoying him – when we can pry him off the Xbox.

            John and I are doing fine.  He’s working harder than any human should and still having to contend with his hellish commute.  He breaks it up with forays into the wilderness.  2 deer so far this season and he’s deep in the planning of a 10-day adventure back to Alaska.

            I continue to sub at the elementary school, vainly trying to help fund all my family’s exciting adventures.  I spend more cumulative hours at the high school than most people who actually work there and have taken on additional responsibilities with the Crew Team.  Maybe the biggest change… I’ve been caffeine and soda free for 5 months!  I know! Right!?

We are wishing you all a happy and healthy 2012!

                                               

Hark! Herald the Hippo Sings...

Nothing and I mean NOTHING says Christmas like....

Herald my Christmas Hippo!  I love him beyond all imagining.  And the BEST part... his hat and scarf are removable so Herald NEVER has to go away.  He can be the New Year's Hippo, the Valentines Hippo, Easter Hippo, Veteran's Hippo and on, and on, and on.... I can't wait!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree Where for art thou?

Another successful tree hunting year.  We finally have this thing down to a science.  First and foremost we ALWAYS get a real tree.  For years we were all about the "family bonding,"  the "let's make memories."  Until we smartened up.  We have searched out our trees in every way possible.  We've gone out into the woods and hunted and cut down our own tree, while dragging children in snowsuits and sleds.  We've gone to Tree farms and tramped around the semi- wilderness, still cutting them down ourselves - with children fighting over who gets to use the sharp pointy weapon.  We've visited many a tree lot, some good, some shady.  One year I even sent John out with the children on his own while I stayed home and manned the home front.  By the way, that is the one and only time I've ever seen John so angry he lost his temper, yelled and slammed a door!  Just like most "family outings," during our Christmas Tree outings,  someone always cried, someone always got mad and someone always ended up sulking...until we moved to Woodbridge and discovered our little nursery.  Now, we troop 5 minutes up the road to the nursery, mom stands by the bonfire or in the gift shop, John and the kids roam, narrow the trees down to the top 2, call mom, we all vote.  BAM! DONE! Home in 30 minutes!  It's worked for 5 years and it worked again this year.  We had to wait to get the tree until Brenna got home so it was a little last minute.    This year Brenna took over the tree lighting.  For years John and I have decorated the tree separately - it just works better that way.  John always did the lights, and the kids and I did the decorating.  But this year, Brenna did the lights and then the kids did the decorating all on their own and it turned out beautifully if I do say so myself.              

She's here....almost

Brenna gets home today for Christmas break and will have her first semester of college successfully under her belt!
Tonight is Fear Factor Family Night, because nothing says good family bonding like a night watching the NEW Fear Factor with totally list-worthy Joe Rogan!
Then tomorrow, the traditional tree picking out and our holidays will begin in earnest!  It will be nice to have all my chicks back in the Christmas nest!

Rice Crispy Treats, the new Crack!

In one day I have single handedly wiped out any good I did with my cleanse.  I took dinner to some friends tonight.  Yesterday I decided to make rice crispy treats for their dessert and since I was making one batch I might as well make two batches since I didn't want any of the rice crispy cereal to go to waste.  I am trying to be a good citizen and not wasteful.

Now...I can't stop eating those freaking things.  I had some for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, after dinner snack and just because.  I will eat them until I throw up and then because my stomach will be empty I will eat some more!  I am now at the "might as well finish the entire pan and then they'll be gone and won't tempt me anymore" stage.  I need help... I need a rice crispy treat Intervention!

I made it... I did it... Pizza here I come...not really...but something here I come...

It's done, it's over and I'm glad.  I really didn't mind it.  I was amazingly only passingly hungry during most of the time.  My main problem.... yesterday was boredom!  I was SICK to death of drinking stuff.  I didn't particularly want to eat something, but I thought if I had to make another smoothies or juice another batch of juice I would poke my eyes out!
I don't think I'll put the blender and juicer away just yet.  Probably not a bad idea to incorporate more of those into my regular diet, but going to take a couple days off first.
I don't know that I feel particularly "cleansed" but I know I must be?  Maybe I wasn't very dirty?
About 830pm... I made the decision and I ended the fast with a Subway veggie sub. It wasn't that I was crazy hungry, like I said I just couldn't bear to drink anything else.  I will say the sub was very tasty!
Today, back to my new normal ( I hope), going to try and make better food choices and move forward. Yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch and we'll see about dinner!
Glad to say I did it, glad to have it over.

We're all still in the land of the living...

Day 2 completed with a minimum of pain.  I was definitely hungrier yesterday than the first day, but still not terribly so.  Maybe around 7pm when I was sitting and watching TV I got a little cranky as that is my prime "munching" time.  But I persevered and made it through just fine. Athough watching Chopped and Top Chef was probably not my best choice.  Never before have I been tempted by squid ink pasta or a sardine salad with spinach and rice cakes!  I'm not really missing the eating part, as a matter of fact it's sorta nice not eating - not having to figure out what to eat and then make it, not having to cook, but I am totally BORED with drinking... and with the peeing every 30 minutes... and with the cleaning of the juicer and blender 6 times a day.
Here's my menu for Day 2:

730a - Water with lemon
830a - Greens with apple juice
1130a- Blueberry/pineapple rice milk smoothie
230p - Pineapple/raspberry/mint rice milk smoothie
6p - Spinach/blueberry/apple/lemon juice
9pm- Strawberry/mango rice milk smoothie

I was supposed to be drinking nut milk - made with ground up cashews, coconut oil, water and vanilla...but that shit was disgusting!!!  It sorta smelled like you were trying to drink suntan lotion, but I with chunks.  Frankly I think I would have preferred suntan lotion.  So no nut milk in this house, I just saved my last smoothie for before bed.

 I will say my stomach is definitely flatter after 2 days of not eating, but I'm sure that's short lived. :o)  I do feel like after this it will be easier to start eating healthier, although I'm not sure I'll ever be able to restrain myself totally when a tasty gummy bear dances in front of me...oh and that Papa John's double layer pepperoni pizza...  I'm definitely getting me some of that....

No one is dead yet!

No one is dead, no one is injured, no one is mad and no one is even crying yet! 14 hours into my cleanse and it's going fine.  Here's how it's gone...

600am - hot water with lemon

930-11am - 1st green juice - blueberry, apple, lemon and spinach

130-3pm - 1st fruit juice - Mango Strawbery with rice milk 

5-630pm - 2nd fruit juice - Mango Cherry with rice milk

800pm - 2nd green juice - Greens with apple

It hasn't been bad at all.  The fruit juices are more like smoothies so I quite enjoy those.  I actually have one more fruit juice and a nut milk I'm suppose to drink before bed and I don't think I'm going to be able to do both.  You have to wait at least an hour between drinking.

I actually haven't been horrifically hungry at all today.  It's amazing to me.  I have had some twinges of hunger, but then it's time to drink another drink and I can go a little longer.

I will say - I don't think anyone realizes how many FREAKING commercials about food there are until you aren't eating!  It's crazy and of course everything looks stunningly tasty. :o)

Overall, very successful day.  I'm a little more nervous about tomorrow because I plan to stay home and work on Christmas decorations so there won't be as many distractions as there were today so it might get a little more difficult.  But we'll see.

I must say I'm a little impressed with myself.  I don't think I've ever gone a full day without eating - minus food poisoning or the flu... so yeah for me!

Hangry or not, here I come...

I went to Trader Joes today and stocked up on things like rice milk, organic coconut oil, raw cashews, kale, spinach and all sorts of organic fruits and veggies.  Now I've spent so much money that I have no choice but to cleanse away.  I feel like I should be enjoying my last meal tonight.  I kinda want to run through the house stuffing everything I shouldn't be eating into my mouth, but I know that defeats the purpose so I am trying to be mature and adult... but I don't like it very much.

I just lost my virginity.... my juicing virginity that is!

I just made and consumed my first official Jack Lalanne juicer juice!  I thought I better do a practice run before the big kick-off tomorrow!  I made Spinach-Blueberry-Apple-Lemon juice.  It was actually pretty tasty, pretty tart but that's okay for me because I love sour - a normal person might find it a little daunting. It sure smells healthy and tastes pretty fresh.  Not sure how 3 days of these juices will go, but I'm going to give it the old college try.  I'm a little worried considering the time between my yogurt breakfast and my salad lunch was only 4 hours and I was about ready to eat my sweatshirt.  You know it's bad when the Yam Sticks you bought for the dogs Christmas stockings are calling your name out of the back seat.   I'm not making any promises, but I really feel like I need to jumpstart myself out of the "2 pieces of apple pie aren't so bad especially if you only have one scoop of ice cream" or "taquitos make a great breakfast, they have CHEESE in them!" mentality.  So, tonight is my last hurrah before I jump on the healthy bandwagon.  I sure hope they play a lot of rocking' music on that bandwagon, cause I'm pretty sure I'm going to be cranky as hell! :o)