Author: Carrie Spritzer

That was an unexpected break.

I can make excuses.

We’ve had two sets of house guests: one of David’s good friends from college and my aunt who was in town for a retreat.

I’m working on a freelance website design job for a friend from college.

Miss Leyba is teething. She now has four teeth about to break through, poor girl.

We’re possibly buying a second car… a very impractical but super cheap and cute red convertible that belongs to a family friend. David gets to drive it to work.

And I saved the best for last. In three weeks we’re saying goodbye to suburban sprawl and heading to a little town in wine country. We’re renting an itty bitty house three blocks from dear friends, we’ll be able to walk to town (restaurants, bar, post office, bike trail) and be just 5 minutes from our yoga classes (instead of 20!). We’ve been wanting to move there for about two years, so saying we’re excited is a bit of an understatement.

Yeah, we got a little bit going on.

But all you really want is a photo of Miss Leyba, right?!

Well, I’ll give you three.

Check out Miss Serious. This is her concentration face.

I now need to rig some sort of locking mechanism on my purse. Unloading it is the new, every day activity. I suppose I should just be pleased it occupies her for 30 15 minutes, instead of dwelling on the fact that she strews the contents across the house (currently in three rooms). Excuse we while I go locate my wallet. And my checkbook.

This is what happens when all three of us are sick and no one picks up the house for a week:

Actually, this is what our house look likes at the end of every day prior to the massive pick up right before David walks in the door. He calls from work on his way to car and I know I have about 12 minutes to clear the floor.

This morning I cleaned up for the first time since Sunday and, yep, it took quite a bit longer. In fact, in the time it has taken me to write this post I’ve noticed Miss Leyba has started messing things up again.

Excuse me, I’ve got books to pick up. We have house guests arriving tonight!

Today I was thinking about how learning new bits of information has shaped my eating habits. After reading that aspartame breaks down into formaldehyde in low pH environments, I broke my diet coke habit (formed in college; oh, how things have changed!).  A few weeks ago I read about how BPA is present in canned goods (except for Eden Foods — that’s why their products are so much more expensive) and we’ve now cut all BPA out of our diet.

Granted these choices seem small in comparison to one my grandparents made in 1964. The day the Surgeon General spoke out against smoking, declaring its possible link to cancer, my paternal grandpa and grandma quit smoking. They quit that day.

It blows me away and so inspires me.

Little changes can have big effects.

In politics, in communities, in family life, in terms of my health.

On March 15th I am cutting all gluten and processed sugar out of my diet. I know I feel better when I avoid both of these things, but I am addicted to them. I know they make me feel tired and grouchy, that they aren’t great for my health, but I crave them and want more, more, more. I am not good about moderation. If it’s in the house, I eat it.

So in less than a week I am saying goodbye to them for good.

It may even help me lose weight. (I HOPE it helps me lose weight!)

In the past I’ve avoided them for around two years… We’ll see how this time goes. I’ll keep you posted.

Wish me luck!