When the winner of "Who is your favorite human?" leaves the country...

When he wasn't travelling, Superman loved to begin his days at home playing "Who's your favorite human?" as he would dole out treats to the dogs...

Jack is a pretty boy!

Jack, our youngest at only three, has taken the end of the game hard...despite the fact that Superman was, in fact, really just a close second to Jack's true favorite:   Buttercup.  Jack loves Buttercup the most, but the same day Superman left was the day classes started at the college for Buttercup, so she's gone all day this week, too.

Buried in his Minion blanket...Jack is sad.

Even his Minion blanket isn't cheering Jack up...

Poor Jack!

Poor Jack.

 

 

Neglected, but not forgotten...

My blog has been neglected for the past two years (at least!), while I got on with navigating this thing called life.  Before my eyes, my children went from children to adults (almost completely) and what they wanted and, importantly, needed from me changed drastically.  There were growing pains for us all.  Here's the thing:  I've loved being a stay-at-home mom.  I know not everyone does and that's okay, but for me, I've loved it.  I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be and where I wanted to be.   I never resented the opportunity costs associated with staying home. 


Change is inevitable and unavoidable and, if I'm honest, to be desired.  After all, if I've done my job correctly, my children will be independent, capable individuals who will not need me to wait in the wings, managing their lives from the shadows.  And, if the past few years have been any indication, I've done a terrific job.  My children are fascinating individuals, each charting a different path, as they wind their way toward adulthood.  I couldn't be more proud of them for bravely charting their courses (and I'm pretty proud of myself for letting go of the reins so they could!).  They've taught me so much...I continue to be transformed by the privilege of raising them.


A quick recap of the kids, and then they won't be here much (adult privacy and all that!):  Charming has been living out of the house for almost 6 years and will be 25 next month.  He's a terrific person who is teaching himself piano and programming in his free time...oh, and he's getting ready to run his first half-marathon.  Valiant is going to be 20 next month and is a Junior at EWU with a goal to finish with two degrees (one in Mechanical Engineering and one in Physics)...yeah, he didn't get that from me.  When he's not at school or work, he's contemplating Descarte or religion and is active in his church.  Buttercup will be 17 in two months...she's attending both the local junior college (through Running Start) and our local high school, where she throws javelin and does all sorts of creative things with pottery.  When she's not at school or work, she can be found tooling around in her little truck, most likely headed to or from one gym or another, or headed off to a sporting event.  (Oh, yeah, she's pretty darned pleased by the Carolina Panthers right now...she's a fan.)


So, back to my blog...now that you know where I've been, I hope you'll forgive my absence.  I have been doing so much, I'm eager to get back to sharing it with you.  Random thoughts, sewing projects (I'm pretty proud of my progress!), my CrossFit fails (a shoulder injury a few years ago seriously derailed me...still no pull-up, darn it!!), mostly grain-free recipes (Amish Baked Oatmeal is still a morning favorite--haven't given up oats entirely!), DIY, and anything else that occurs to my blogging mind.


Anyway, to the people who asked (last year!) where I got the wheels for my New Craft Table, my husband just found them at Home Depot.  They're nothing special, you could use any that will support the weight of your table.


That's it for now...have a great day!

Grain-free Dark Chocolate Cookies

My daughter is constantly on Pinterest pinning divine-looking desserts.  Most of them just stay on her boards, never again to see the light of day.  This recipe from Divine Baking, however, piqued my interest enough that  I gave it a second look.  It met my grain-free criteria and looked like it could be adapted to work with what I had on hand.  A few batches and tweaks later, we had a winner. 

Amazing Flourless Dark Chocolate Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips!

My husband and son think these are amazing and say they taste like truffles.  Seriously, these are good enough that my son asked for them for his birthday INSTEAD of a cake.

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from this recipe from Divine Baking

Makes approximately 24 cookies.

Ingredients:

6 oz of Baker's Bittersweet Chocolate
3 large egg whites
1 cup powdered sugar (plus 1/4 cup for coating)
1/2 of Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat or spray your baking sheet with non-stick spray.

2.  Melt the bittersweet chocolate in the microwave and set aside to cool slightly.

3.  Whisk together 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, dark cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in bowl and set aside.

4.  In medium bowl, beat your egg whites to soft peaks.  Gradually beat in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.  Continue beating until your egg/sugar mixture looks like marshmallow cream.  On low speed, add in sugar/cocoa mixture.

5.  Add in lukewarm melted chocolate.  Add in chocolate chip minis.  At this point, your dough will start to stiffen as the melted chocolate cools.  Don't worry about it!

6.  Put your 1/4 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl and roll 1 rounded teaspoon (I used my small Pampered Chef scooper) of dough into a ball and roll in the sugar, then place on the baking sheet.  Repeat and don't worry as your dough gets stiffer and stiffer.  These cookies do not spread much at all, so you don't need to leave tons of room between them.

7.  Bake until puffy and the coating cracks (approximately 10 minutes).  Cool and serve.

Don't they look fabulous?

No flour and lots of chocolate...what is not to love?  These are a fabulous little cookie.  Buttercup definitely had a good eye when she pinned the recipe that inspired them.

Back to Blogging after a Four-Month Hiatus!

It has been four months plus since my last blog post.  You know how people always say things like, "Oh, I can't believe how much time has passed?"  Um, I am not going to say that!  I can completely believe it.  We've had a crazy busy past four months and I'm actually glad that things have finally calmed down enough that I have the time to blog again. 

Let me catch you up:

Superman is home for good!  Woot!  Yes, indeed!  After almost three years (!) of contracting overseas, Superman came home.  Best of all, we managed to "sneak" him home a month earlier than the kids expected!  We pulled off the last, best suprise of the journey.  The kids thought their dad was coming home on December 1, so imagine the surprise when the two younger kids registered the sound of my car pulling into the garage, registered the sound of the door opening, didn't even look up when someone walked up the stairs, and then caught sight of their dad!  It was amazing.  We kept the surprises going by inviting Charming to meet up with us for dinner and got to see the look on his face when he walked into the restaurant and saw his father!  Seriously, being able to surprise your adult and almost adult children is NOT easy and oh-so fun...

The spider knew my secret!

The next night we had dinner at the house and the boys decided to play around with Nagle family deadlifts.  (Seriously, Crossfit families are just weird!)

Boys will be boys...the hardest part?  Holding on to the bar!

Charming deadlifted Superman...

"I've got you, Dad!"

Then Valiant stepped up to deadlift Superman...

Valiant was up next...

Then Superman deadlifted little Buttercup.  With...

Buttercup had no problem holding on!

...and without the bar!

But she found it a little more difficult to be the bar!

Then life began to settle back into normal-for-us Nagle5 craziness.  Man, it is good to have Superman home!

I hope you'll enjoy the ride as I fast forward you through the holidays and the projects and the other good stuff that makes up a normal life...I'll give you a few hints of what is coming up:  Scrabble, stairs, bed, hearts, and frames!

Life in the Nagle5 Household

Superman is suffering from "short-timers" in a bad way.  As he counts down the days and continues with his job search (trying to land a job from 12000 miles away), he is often frustrated and impatient.  (Let's be real...he's not finding the Middle East to be a garden spot in the best of circumstances and these days, we're not seeing the best of circumstances!)  My job right now is to keep him upbeat and positive and distract him from the days oh-so-slowly turning on the calendar.  To that end, I try to share the humor and chaos of life at home.  Everything from the cats bringing live birds into the house (two this month (!), both of which we saved from an unsavory end) to tales of life in high school to my failed attempts at mastering a handstand (grr!) have become the language of life in the Nagle5 household. 



Who knew earbuds were so vital to daily life?

It seems the artists who draw our favorite comic strips have doubled down and joined the effort to keep Superman smiling.  So many have struck me, that I started cutting them out and adding commentary for Superman.  We get the local paper (comics are a great way to introduce your child to reading the newspaper!) and  I'm linking to the comics directly and sharing these with you here because Superman struggles to get internet that allows surfing websites and he'll get this as an email.  Here is a sampling of what I've cut out:  Our favorites these days are Baby Blues (no babies here anymore, but these guys obviously live what they draw...three kids are exponentially more than two, I tell you!), Zits (I haven't found the hidden camera that keeps capturing Valiant, but I know it is here), and Off the Mark (definitely our weird sense of humor.)

Life with Valiant:

Seriously...where is the hidden camera in my house?

Life with Buttercup:

After raising two boys, I feel qualified to say that girls are
different...no better, no worse, but definitely different!

(And don't you think Charming is relieved to have moved out of the house so I don't compare his life to life in the comic strips?)

What a Difference an Hour Makes...

Before:

Barely awake, but oh so excited.

After:

Much more awake and a mouth full of metal...

Yes, I'm happy to report that the third and final of our three children has her braces.  That means we're in the home stretch of Nagle5 orthodontics.  Woot!

Phase 1 of our "Big" Kennel Project is completed...Day 116 of our Productivty Project

A few days ago, I left Superman a hair raising status update on FB detailing how I'd spent the afternoon and evening in the garage playing with just about every power tool we own, plus paint.  I think he nearly had a heart attack, especially after I wouldn't tell him what I'd been working on.

Phase 1 - Finished!

I've finally done the last of the painting, so I can say we've finished Phase 1 of the Big Kennel Project and I'm ready to share the pictures of our progress to date.

This is where we began:



Dog kennel:  Unfinished dry wall, exposed insulation (thanks to Lucy!)
Unfinished fence boards to protect the drywall from the chewer (aka Lucy).
Basically, it was a terrible eyesore.

Honestly, the dog have never complained, but it was certainly an eyesore.  I've been promising Buttercup that I'd do something about it for more than a year and my productivity project seemed to have been the perfect motivation.  Still, we had the self-imposed constraint of using stuff we already had laying around to manage our transformation.  This had to be a completely free project.

Step 1 - Buttercup was itching to get painting, so I handed her the "mango madness" left from our formerly "Macaroni & Cheese" basement and set her free.

Buttercup makes quick work of the painting.

She made quick work of it, even with it needing two coats.  (We didn't primer first.)  After that, I got to work with the "construction" part of the project.

This wall needed to be insulated, so I used a box
cutter and a knife and cut a piece of rigid insulation to fit.

Since my plan was to use the leftover wainscoting from our bathroom project, I added 1x1 for structure.  The nails needed somewhere to go, right?

After that, I pieced together the wainscoting and installed it all.   The fiberglass insulation was fine, it just needed to get tucked.

It was hotter than heck in that get-up, but those are my "grungies", so that
is how I geared up for this project.  (Plus, I used my nifty work gloves my
sister sent me...they really project your hands, but your exposed fingertips
make working in them a breeze!

This is how the wainscoting part of the project turned out.  Doesn't it look fabulous?

Finished wainscoting and trim board...

After that, I added some trim boards and moulding, painted the fence boards, and added a decal for fun.

A few coats of paint did wonders for these boards!

 Phase 1 finished and we did it all with scrap materials we had in the garage.  It was a great way to get more familiar with all of our power tools.  Phase 2 will be astroturf, a new food dish holder, and a new dog bed.  Oh, as I'm looking at the picture, I'm thinking ceiling paint should be added to the list, too!

Phase 1 is Finished, but Phase 2 is bouncing around in my mind.

116 Days and counting til Superman comes home.  I'd say we get to count this one as productive, too, wouldn't you?

Days 8 & 9 - 30 Paleo Challenge - A New Driver's License, A Climber, and Some Egg Salad!

My computer has been having issues the past few days and with my IT guy still a little more than a month from being home on leave, it is making me crazy.  That doesn't mean we haven't been doing the 30 Day Paleo Challenge, though...some of us are still going strong.  (Some of us, not so much!)

So, let's get going!  First things first...my second child now has his driver's license...what a mixed bag for Mom, right?  Seriously.  I gave Valiant his last stern warning the day before he tested, as he was giving me a bit of attitude (your 16-year old son doesn't give you a bit of attitude?  really? hmmm...I'm not sure I believe you).  I finally looked at him and said, "Look...you are asking me to give you the power to kill yourself and/or others and the tool to do it with, so you're just going to have to deal with me being concerned.  This is the biggest act of faith your parents have had to go forward with, so cut me some slack."  I'm happy to report that gave him pause.  The next morning, he passed his driving test and became the proud possessor of a driver's license.  He's pretty darned tickled and I confess to being really happy to have another driver in the house.  Let the next parenting challenge begin!

In the meantime, while my Valiant is keeping me on the edge of my seat with visions of automobile disasters, my beloved little Buttercup (not so little, but still little to me) decided to jump in the fray with Women's Climb Night at REI.  Now, you need to understand something.  I've never thought of myself as afraid of heights and I don't really think I am.  However, I've never been one of those people who sees a rock wall and thinks to herself, "Man, I'd love to climb to the top of that...just to see if I can."  Seriously.  That is not who I am.  Ask me if I can lift something heavy and I'll be intrigued with the possibility...climbing, not so much.  But, because God has a sense of humor, that is exactly who Buttercup is.  Off to the rock wall we headed...

Making it look easy!

...and look who climbed all the way up her first try!  You guessed it:  my little Buttercup.  Sigh.

Listening to the belayer at the bottom...how can she hear her way up there?

She wasn't content to do it once, either.  Nope.  When her turn came around the second time, she scrambled right up.  She was frustrated we couldn't stay for her third run, but Valiant still needed a ride home from work, as this was BDL (Before Driver's License)...she really was itching to go again.  (I wonder if there is mountain goat is Superman's side of the family?)  Honestly, she was amazing.  I was in awe of her confidence and her mad skills.  Crossfit has been so good for her...I am so thankful we found it and a box opened near enough to our home to make it worthwhile.

 I didn't want to let her down, so I tried my hand at it.  Honestly, I didn't love it.  I'm not sure I'll ever love it.  Maybe it is just not my thing.

This was far enough for me...my arms were shaking...this is hard!

Still, I made it two-thirds of the way up before I was done.  Not bad for 48-years old...maybe next time I'll make it up to the top.  Oh, please, you know I'll have to go back and try again...now that I've failed, I have to make it up to the top at least once.  Sheesh...

Now on to the food!  Remember a few days ago, I made homemade mayonnaise?  Well, on Day 8 I used some of that wonderful mayonnaise to make some egg salad  (using my pressure cooker hard-boiled eggs) and it was phenomenal.  After sitting all night in the refrigerator, the mayonnaise was just, well, mayo.  I was worried that I'd taste the lemon and I didn't.   It really was better than "Best Foods"...who knew?

Dinner Day 8 was CORN: Clean Out Refrigerator Night.  We used up all the little bits and pieces left from the previous week and had a Paleo feast.  Dinner Day 9?  We had dinner with friends who did their very best not to undermine our challenge:  Steak, Salad, and Fruit Salad for dessert.  (They had potatoes available, but we declined.  Pretty cool, right?

Oh, and I made it to the gym both days...had pretty decent performance, too.  Got a new PR (personal record) for my 3x Deadlift on Monday and had a not-embarassing time on the scaled Diane (which was also a PR, but when it is scaled, I don't really count it much...I can't do a handstand, let alone a handstand push up, but, hey, they're on my CF to-do list!).    Rowed 2000 meters in under 9 minutes on Tuesday...pretty cool, right?

Day 2 - 30 Day Paleo Challenge

Day 2 of our 30 Day Paleo Challenge!  You know what that means?  Only 28 more days to go!  Yes, it is like that...we're already counting down. Valiant is having trouble with this challenge...he broke on Day One and had a cupcake! A cupcake!!   On the flip side, Buttercup held firm, even in the face of spaghetti and garlic bread!  I was so proud of her.  To add to our commitment, Superman has let me know that he's giving up coffee for 30 days in solidarity.  Isn't that the sweetest? 

This morning was tough.   We had a hectic day that started really early and all anyone could think about was how limited they're feeling.   Throw in some serious stress and I really, really wanted some comfort food or, at the least, a Diet Coke.  I drove by my dealer, um, I mean, the gas station, where I normally get my Diet Coke fix and I just kept driving.   Valiant really, really wanted me to pull in, but I held firm. 

I even managed to make it to the gym to get my point for doing the WOD.  I didn't do really well, but there were aspects of my workout that thrilled me.  I am getting so close to being able to do a real pull-up.  I don't know if I'll make it before our one year anniversary at the gym (May 13), but I'll sure be close.

Dinner tonight was an experiement that turned out pretty well.  The kids prepared themselves for gross and were pleasantly surprised.  I used Superman's new wok (it was great, Honey!) to throw together some chicken stir-fry using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.  (Soy sauce has soy and wheat...both are paleo no-nos.)  Next time I make it, I think I'll add some beef broth for some depth of flavor, but I was really pleased with how it all came together.

Quick Chicken Stir-Fry

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts - cut up into small pieces
2 Zucchinis - cut into chunks
2 Yellow Squash - cut into chunks
a bunch of Broccoli florets
a cup of Baby Carrots - cut into chunks
Baby Bok Choy - chopped
4 Mushrooms - sliced
1/2 yellow onion - sliced into large chunks (so my daughter can pick them out!)
Sesame Oil
Chinese Five Spice seasoning
Coconut Aminos
Minced Garlic
Salt *  (I think that beef broth would make this unnecessary)
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
(Beef Broth)* - next time, I'll be adding this!

Get your pan (wok!) onto the stove and add the sesame oil.  Throw in the chicken, the onion, garlic, and a generous bit of coconut aminos and begin to cook the chicken.  As the chicken absorbs some of the liquid, add the beef broth, the five spice, and pepper until the chicken is done.  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. 

Using the same pan, add in all the vegetables, a little of the coconut aminos (a tablespoon), and some beef broth and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.  Cook until the vegetables are done and then add back in the meat.

That is it...once everything is cooked, you just serve it up.  As I said, this wasn't perfect, but it was pretty darned good and I'm inspired to try it again soon.

30 Day Paleo Challenge - Day 1

Our Crossfit gym is hosting a 30-day Paleo Challenge that begins today.  In our wisdom, Buttercup, Valiant, and I decided participating in this challenge would be a good idea.  (This was obviously made in the haze of caffeinated happiness.)  To read the specifics of our challenge, you can head to the site here, but in a nutshell:  no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no sugar, and pretty much nothing processed. 

Now, this little subset of Nagles has already given up grains, legumes, and most dairy, but, we've really struggled since the holidays (four months, I know!) to get the sugar back out of our diet, thus our willingness to embark on this little journey.  We spent a week cleaning out our kitchen and getting rid of stuff that would tempt us.  I even ordered a dehydrator to make my own beef jerky (it arrived today)!

Which brings us here to Day 1...a day full of "whine".


Don't get me wrong, we're all committed.  No one wants to be the one to mess things up and do something that costs us points.  Still, the caffeine withdrawal headache has been horrible.  Buttercup has a nasty cold and can't taste anything, so she's craving processed food, and Valiant?  He's just hungry and is stubbornly refusing to eat fruit.  The games have begun...

Friday, the kids and I all had our weight and body fat % measured...it was a good/bad reality check.  This is what I wrote in my log book following that experience:

Of course I had to make my log book something cute!

"Reality checks are a difficult thing to deal with.  While my weight was a happy surprise, I have to admit that I was dismayed by my body fat percentage. All these weeks of slippery nutrition have taken their toll or, at the very least, slowed my progress tremendously.  Today's numbers helped my resolve to give this challenge my total commitment.  I'm curious what can be accomplished in 30 days of strict adherence."

It will be an interesting ride, don't you think?

Lawn Mowing Barbie

When one is a 13-year old girl with a lawn-mowing job, the execution of your duties presents the possibility for sartiorial splendor. 

Unlike her brothers before her, who quickly wilted in the heat of the day, my Buttercup decided to give the sun a run for its money in the brightness category, all the while, maximizing the potential for a little bit of a tan. 

I tell you, despite the fact that she's now lived more than half her life in Eastern Washington, this young lady is definitely a Southern California girl.

An hour and a half later, she had pink cheeks and her shoulders and arms had definitely been kissed by the sun.  Mission accomplished in style.  Between you and me, I think she got lucky that she didn't end up with a tan line from her knee socks!

Just in Time for her Birthday...

I thought I'd show you Buttercup's Christmas present.  It all started with this bathroom makeover.  Buttercup fell in love with the paint color I'd chosen: Water Sprout.  After that, she was convinced her life would be perfect if only her bedroom was painted Water Sprout.  Well, I've been down this road a few times with my beloved daughter, so I made her a deal.  If she still wanted her room done over, we'd do it for her in January.  That gave her four months to mull it over and four months to convince me this wasn't a whim.

Once she'd convinced me, I talked it over with Superman.  While he was a bit dumbfounded when I told him her dearest wish was to have her bedroom done in Water Sprout, he was all for it when I suggested that rather than making her wait until after "Daddy went back to work after Christmas break", we surprised her with Daddy and Mommy doing it for her as her Christmas gift from us.

 With a little help from Santa in the form of a new dresser, Daddy and Mommy redid Buttercup's room to her exact specifications.  (And yes, it was done in January before Superman headed back to work, I just haven't found the time to write a post about it.)

So, this is what it looked like before:

And this is what it looks like now:

We removed the shelving in the niche under the window and, instead, put her bed in the niche.  (Interestingly, we offered the girl a double bed, and she turned it down...so, this is the same bed.)  She wanted to be part of her project, so she used her own money to buy the comforter and pillow sham (clearance at JC Penney - she got a steal).

Superman made a padded headboard and added these little corner shelves on each side of the bed to serve as a bedside table.  I had the extra-long sheer curtains from our California house and they worked beautifully here...just used a shower curtain rod to hang them.

With leftover fabric from the headboard project, Superman cut down an old bulletin board we had, covered it in the fabric, and added some decorative moulding to make it tie in with the rest of the room.

Finally, I used another scrap of the fabric to cover a cork board that Buttercup uses for her jewelry, bringing the fabric all throughout the room and tying it all together.  (A totally simple project with fabulous results.)

So, there you have it Buttercup's Christmas present...pretty cute for an almost 13-year old, isn't it?

PS.  Green really has taken over our house, hasn't it?



Drawstring Backpack

I did a little bit of sewing last week and I must confess to being tickled with how it all turned out.

I used KwikSew Pattern 2379 to make the bag.  Buttercup is a crazy-cat-lady and picked out this adorable cat fabric, plus I had some red vinyl at home.

It was a pretty easy pattern to follow and all the sewing was straight lines.  Honestly, the most difficult part was figuring out how to make holes for the grommets. 

Buttercup really likes it and is wearing it everywhere.  The bag is fully lined (in bright green) and has an outer pocket with a zipper.  The best part is that when you're wearing it, the top is closed and can't be opened without you know it.



"Bun - James Bun"

While Buttercup wanted it in lieu of a purse , it is also a great bag for bringing along your stuff animal du jour.

"Honey the Hamster"

While I still plan to make the bigger backpack included in this pattern, I am so glad I made this one first.  She's getting a lot of use out of it and it was a terrific one to start with. 

Think Two Years Doesn't Make Much of a Difference?

Have you noticed how, as you've gotten older, time sees to fly at a pace even faster than you remember it going by?  Have you put off things for a few months until you realize its been two years?  Let me give you an example:  You say to yourself, "Maybe I should clean out my closet.  There are some things I haven't worn in a few months."  Still, it isn't high on your priorities and so you put it off.  One thing leads to another and you end up with clothes in your closet you haven't worn in ten years.  On the one hand, it is no big deal.  On the other hand, how many things like this happen in our lives?  We're going to start eating better, we're going to start working out regularly, we're going to read more books, watch less television.  We're going to tackle "that" room or our finances, we're going to write this letter or call that person, and we don't quite get around to it.  After all, life is busy...and it really is.  So, we think we'll do it next week...next month...next year.  Before we know it, a few years have gone by and, since there is no such thing as "staying the same", we're actually falling behind in our own lives.
Think it doesn't matter?  Think two years doesn't make a difference?  I can show you just what a difference a few years can make.

Here is what our two younger kids looked like when Superman began contracting overseas in January 2010.

Here is what they looked like when he headed back to work this month (January 2012), exactly two years later.

Valiant has lost that "little boy" look and has gone from being substantially shorter than Superman to actually being taller than Superman.  Buttercup has transition from a little girl to a young lady and has grown at least five inches, too.  Time has marched on...and measuring the changes in our children help us mark its passage more clearly than anything else I can imagine.

Still think you can afford to let years past without making progress in your life?  I beg to differ.  Your life is happening right now.  Make sure you're participating fully.

Some things never change...

Nine years might have passed, but some things haven't changed as much as you'd think.

Buttercup, circa March 2003 -Sitting in Mom & Dad's bed with a broken left wrist.

Buttercup, circal January 2012 - Sitting in Mom & Dad's bed with a broken left wrist.  (This time, she threw in a broken right wrist for good measure.)

Nine years ago, she amused herself by opening birthday presents her Auntie Eveline dropped by for her 4th birthday.  (Yes, this was her birthday.)

This time around, she amused herself with Beans, who really didn't seem amused.

Nine years ago, she didn't let a little thing like a cast get in the way of rocking her new two-piece.

 
This time around, she didn't let a little thing like a cast (and a rigid brace) get in the way of some serious gym-time as she rocked her Vibram Five Fingers.  (And, for those of you who worry, please know she had a trained professional guiding her entire workout...she's in good hands, I promise!)

No, my little Buttercup doesn't let much get her down...she even flashed me a bit of attitude.

It really does seem that some things never change.