Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

~Pretty~

Sausage & Sweet Potato Hash

YUM!

~Happy~

~Funny~

~Real~

See you tomorrow

I had chemo today.  I went to bed early yesterday and am worn out and going to bed early tonight.  I'll post tomorrow.  To get you through until then..

Rory showing off her limbo moves.  I told her she had to walk under the stick not just bend while they moved it over her.  She gets pretty low and can't walk.  Maybe if she practiced.  I'll keep you updated. Until tomorrow....

St. Joseph's Feast Day

I was teaching my Religion class last Friday and asked them all if they did anything special for St. Joseph's feast day last Wednesday.  They proceeded to tell me how they watched TV and had dessert after dinner, and I sat there confused.  "How does this celebrate St. Joseph's Day?" I asked.  Apparently, during Lenten Feast Days, you are allowed to have whatever you have given up because it's a "FEAST" day.  I don't know about you, but I grew up with a whole 40 days of Lent where you weren't allowed whatever you gave up AT ALL...not even this Sunday business.  Did you know that one?  You're supposedly allowed to have whatever you've given up on Sundays.  Nope, I didn't have that either.  Moving on to our feast day.

We got this idea from Amongst Lovely Things.  We are trying to pick certain saints to celebrate during the year.  We purchased fancy dishes and try to have an afternoon tea in their honor.  Unfortunately, St. Joseph is the first one we've gotten to, but I think we did a great job our first time out of the gate.  

I didn't have Joseph from our Nativity set because he's packed away.  This was the best I could do.  Our gluten free treats were Paleo 2.0 bread with Nutella and Grape jelly, crackers with cheese, blackberries, blueberries, and lemonade.  We all enjoyed ourselves.  We prayed to St. Joseph, and we prayed for daddy.  

Then we played St. Joseph's memory game, which is just like memory, but uses pictures of St. Joseph's life.

I think it was a success, and the kids seemed to enjoy themselves.  

Throwback Thursday

I completely forgot that I never showed you guys Rory's project from last year for science.  Since it was such a feat for Kevin and Uncle Brian, it can't be missed.  I think Rory worked on it some too.  ;)

Fitness Paleo Update

So you may have heard that the competition is over at the health club.  Our team had the lead, but it hasn't been announced officially who won yet.  I see in Kevin's comments that he told you I lost 14 pounds, but Saturday morning I weighed myself, and it was 15.  I'm vain and have to throw that out there because it is a rounder number than 14.  14 seems lacking, 15 is better.  My goal is within reach, so we'll see how much longer it is until that.  Don't worry.  I'm not pushing it.  I'm just trying to get to where I was before I gained it all back last time.  

As far as the workouts go, Kevin and I have been pretty steady.  We've discovered spinning, and oh my, let me never look back.  I've never been much of a workout sweater.  I sweat, but I've never had the whole dripping with sweat, shirt sticking to you sweat like I've seen on other people.  There was one time in zumba where 50 of us were crowded into the room, and even steamed up the mirrors, but I attribute that to all the people in a little room.  When I spin, sweat has been known to roll off my face and hit the floor before I can towel (that's right!  I have to have a TOWEL) it off.  That's what keeps bringing me back.  It's a brutal, not fun at all, workout, but the sweat keeps bringing me back.  Plus it's something Kevin and I can do together, and I like that.  

I'm still chugging along with Paleo.  I need to get back to a more clean Paleo.  I've discovered some gluten free granola bars that I've become dependent on, and I need to get rid of those.  I think Holy Week will get me back on track.

I'll try to find some then and now pictures, but I don't know if you'll notice much.  

This Month in Bucys - March

KAELYN

-is chugging along with work and school.  Work is getting difficult as people are quitting because of poor management.

-has been suffering from our gluten free ways of eating, but says that she's losing weight because we have no food.  ;)

-has given up soda and Ledo's for Lent.  Considering she works there and often works through dinnertime, I would think this would be the cause of weight loss and not our new eating habits.

RORY

-is turning out to be just as creative and artistic as older sis.  Did you see that lion's mask?  Her art teacher at co-op asked if Rory would show her how to make it, so she could make it an assignment for the classes.

-has made a new friend through a blind date.  My friend said she knew someone that reminded her of Rory that home schools in the area.  We got them together last night, and they immediately liked each other.  Yay!

-has more attitude lately than I care to mention.  Is it that time?  Ugh.

-is teaching herself how to embroider with a needle, thread, and some old fabric.  So far everyone in the family has a piece of fabric with his/her name on it.  She listens to her kindle and embroiders.  :)

-is adjusting to being gluten free well...better than the others.  She loves meat, but not eggs, so we're just making sure we make things with meat and eggs.  (Hamburger omelet anyone?)

LOGAN

-has his first shiner.  He ran into one of his co-op mates.  It's changing colors beautifully.

-is excelling at school at this co-op.  His growth has been nothing short of amazing.  He has mad memorization skills, just like Rory.

-loves the gym and any outside time he can get.  He has so much energy that we have to really make sure he blows it off or else he keeps Rory up all night.  

-wants to play the piano so bad that I'm going to have to start scheduling it into the day.  I have books to teach him, but the thought makes me so tired.

MARLEY

-is such a caring soul.  She runs around here making sure everyone has everything they need and especially takes care of Logan, who eats it up and takes advantage of it.

-has decided that she, too, wants to school and learn to read, so Marley and I do school now too.  I took Logan's old curriculum from preschool and am tweaking it to teach her reading too.

-loves co-op.  Next year we're moving to a new building and there's talk of being her kindergarten teacher.  :O

-has a date set to get her teeth done in the O.R.  Can you send up some prayers starting now?  I'm really anxious about it.  Logan is so laid back, and while he had issues, Marley is really high strung.  I don't see her handling it that well.

-By the way, this is a classic Marley look.  She does it all the time.

That's all in the Bucy household.  The end.

Checking In

Happy Lent!  I'm sorry for my absence, but I did it again.  I thought I was superwoman and tried to do too many things at once, juggle too many balls, and they all came crashing down.  Something had to give, and for a while it had to be this blog.  I'm back now and will strive to get back to my regular postings.  For now, here are some things you've missed.

It's day 2 of Lent and I'm already failing.  I forgot to make our sacrifice crown of thorns, so that will be happening in the near future.

I made the kids gluten free yesterday, and I'm already regretting my decision.  I keep screaming, "It's only 40 days!  You can do it!  This is suffering!"  It's not so easy when your kids are refusing everything you offer unless it's the junk food you bought because it said it was gluten free.  *sigh*  I'm sure I'll get the hang of it, but it's a lot harder when you have to worry about what you're going to eat too.  I should've just made the kids Paleo too and then they wouldn't eat ANYTHING!  

Speaking of Paleo...here are some recent additions to my cooking repertoire.  
-Gumbo
-Crustless Broccoli Bacon Quiche
-Warm Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates, and Almonds

I made the quiche before at my in-laws, but I did it on my own this time.  The warm kale salad wasn't bad, but I've never been a salad person.  I really wanted to like it.  It was just the same taste over and over again.  I needed something to break it up.  The gumbo is being made again this weekend, which means it was a total winner.  I'm excited to have it again.

Time for some pics...

Free pancakes at Ihop for Fat Tuesday sponsored by Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.  Win/Win.  

Rory, Logan, and Marley are performing a skit about St. Jerome and the Lion tomorrow (provided Marley's feeling better).  Rory's the lion, Marley's the donkey, and Logan's St. Jerome.  That lion mask was quite the ordeal, and Rory did just about it all by herself.  I think she did a lovely job.

Well, have a good weekend.  We are touring a new school building, celebrating Nana's birthday, and having dinner guests on Sunday.  We're serving gumbo!