Da da da da!!! Superbuds!!!

Hey Superstar here with word on some of my best buds! Well, all of my best buds, actually, but still.
More...
There's Natalie, or Nat, Nattie, or Nate, as i sometimes call her. She is a year older than me but I love her anyway. She is an actress and singer like me and she sings everywhere, all the time, no matter how many onlookers there may be. She can NOT and I repeat NOT have caffiene or it will have a "Hammy Effect" as I like to call it. In other words, she will basically be so hyper that to her, the whole world stopped moving.
There's also Alex, who, basically is the freak with all the wierd nicknames. But, again, I love her anyways. She texts me ALL THE TIME!!! I love it but some people in my family might find it annoying. I basically live on my cell phone and I've only had it for, like, a month!
Here's another one of my texting buddies. Megan. She had blonde, curly hair but dyed it red!! She and I are going to a charter school next year instead of the same school my other friends are gonna go to. Stupid parents! They got me to go by bribing me with a cell phone!
That's my best friends for ya!! I'll be back later with a movie review or something. SEE YA!!!!!!!!

Day One...Again

I planned to put in my weight each week...for one, to show my courage (and idiocy), but mainly to truly show my progress, but I need a digital scale first, so tomorrow I will purchase a new scale and tell the world the scary truth. When I get the courage to go back to Weight Watchers...hopefully this week...I will let you know the weight their scales report as well.

I get 22 points a day. It may seem like a lot but when your favorite foods have a high points value, the points dwindle away quickly. Fortunately, over the years, I have found several wonderful tricks that work like a charm. You have probably heard the saying that if you want to be a wealthy person then you have to do what the wealthy people do. The same principle applies to "skinny people". They are not just magically skinny no matter what they eat. They have to be careful about the calories they consume, just like the rest of us. Here are a few tricks I have learned from them to help me feel satiated:

First of all, NEVER deprive yourself. Never say "I can not have that." It is impossible to be successful at anything, for me anyway, if I feel deprived or cheated. I end up quitting. But when I want something to eat, I just do a few things FIRST.

I drink at least 16 ounces of water and I eat a large salad or some other kind of vegetable. Then, I have whatever it is that I wanted. I am still able to enjoy my guilty pleasure without feeling cheated...but I trick myself. After the water and the veggies, I feel too full to eat a whole piece of cake, or a large piece of lasagna, for example. IT WORKS. I kid you not!

This is what has worked for me for the last three years. When I put 20 pounds back on, I was not drinking my water or eating sufficient vegetables. Of course, writing everything down that you eat or drink also helps tremendously to keep you on track.

Today I did well. I ate a veggie filled egg-beater omelette, 1/3 of a grilled chicked sandwich, and a small piece of cherry cheesecake. I ate delicious tasting food and felt satisfied, and was still able to enjoy a little endulgance. ( I drank LOTS of water today too...I had to use the potty four times in a two hour period...That is the only minor problem to the water issue. ha ha. It's worth it though!) I am happy and so hopeful about getting back on track again!

Hi I am the Super-staaaahr

Before I begin, my alien friend wants to make a few comments:

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I had to edit that because it was not appropriate for a family website.

Now, on to more important things.....
I am, as my title so clearly states, The Super Star. Like my daddy said, I love to act and sing. It WILL be my future career . . . no matter what those annoying peoples say!!! And by the way, if anyone reading this works with a T.V. company or movie producer, look me up!
I've acted in LOTS of different plays, performed in choir concerts, sung in talent shows, and, believe it or not, when I was in third grade, I starred as Mowgli in "The Jungle Book"! As you can see, I am a TOTAL diva!!!
My name is Emily or Emmie or Em, or Emmie lou (my grandparents call me that). My favorite of my nicknames, though, is what my daddy calls me. Peetyswie, or Pete, for short. One of my very best buds, Alex, calls me these wacky nicknames like Cheez, Bill, Jeff, well, you get the idea. I have athsma, which is a disease where it makes it harder for you to breathe than others. I have to use a rescue inhaler if I really need it. If my athsma gets bad enough, I could end up in the hospital. The last time I was in the hospital was around January 29. I'm thirteen, which means my vocabulary mostly consists of boyz, boyz, and more boyz, and a little bit of chocolate and cookie dough!! And, to comment on what my wierd older brother said, I LOVE ZAC EFRON AND HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!!!!! And it's spelled Z-A-C, not Z-A-C-K, Mr. Smarty-pants!!! Well, I'm gonna end this saying JONAS BROTHERS ROK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And don't any of you deny it!!!

You Know Me...First...and Maybe Last...Post...Hee hee...

I'm not nearly as witty as Loggrad98 (aka Chad)...especially at 12:30 am...and I really want to go to bed so I can hit the YARD SALES first thing in the morning! Yippee! I LOVE yard sale season! Nonetheless, here I am saying howdee!...hmmm...Ok, I got noth'n...Told ya I'm not witty...and I AM tired...Ok, ok, my life in a nutshell...'Up-and-at-um' bright and early' (Wish I could say first thing I did was exercise...I tried the 5 am exercise thing...WHATEVER!)...No, I sleep in until the last possible moment...My daycare parents probably get a little nervous leaving their babies with a WITCH-look-alike...(wink).

I do like my job. My favorite are the babies. Gosh, I just love'um! The little ones are loving, trusting, cute, and fun...while the older ones are just bossy and demanding...No, they aren't that bad...but I definitely enjoy the little ones best. In fact, next year I will not be taking school age children at all. I did enjoy this past year, but putting several children in and out of car seats several times a day gets quite tedious, not to mention, it is not very fun for them either.

(Chad made the logo in CorelDRAW....he amazes me sometimes, but most of the time he is just a big pain in the butt (J/K sweetie...muah), oh, and that is Annie in the middle =)

Time for a HUGE celebration! As of today, I am the proud (and very relieved) parent of NO MORE KINDERGARDNERS! Kindergarden is a hard year...You drop the older ones off, go home to clean up breakfast and fix lunch, take the kindergardner to school, go home to play with and read to the babies and toddlers and then, very gratefully, put them down for a brief nap...just to have to wake them up (big sigh) and go pick kids up from school...

More...I REALLY admire all of you amazing moms out there who work outside your home and somehow, still manage to have the energy to cook and clean for your family and fit in a work out each day. Man, in my pre-full-time job days, I really thought I was all that getting the kids off to school and then hitting the gym for a two-hour workout five days a week. Now, I can see that I am just a GREAT BIG WUSS! Here are a few of my excuses..."I'm too tired! I don't have time! The evenings are just too busy with homework, dinner, dishes, and bathes! I never get to relax!"...and so on... But I am truly ready to get my Kaboose back in gear!

I joined Weight Watchers in June 2005. I lost 65 pounds and became a lifetime member in June 2006. I put 20 pounds back on in 2007. And I am trying with all my might to get that 20 pounds back off in 2008. I think I will create a Label entitled Weight Loss Progress to let you all know how I am doing and what I am doing to get my body in shape. Maybe that will motivate me to keep on track. And if any of you have any tips or delicious low-cal recipes, etc., please respond on my blog.

Well, I do what I can...and then collapse into bed each night...much later than I planned...Se-la-vi...(Is that how you spell that?). All-in-all, life is good...BUSY, definitely busy...but good.

All About Vetteman93

Hi, I am Jordan aka JJ aka vetteman93. I like candle light dinners and long walks in the park. But who cares about that! No but seriously, I do like dinner. Well let me tell you all about the most important person I know, ME, I like to play guitar hero. I own #2 and 3 and I can play all songs on medium and I am working on hard. I don't mean to brag but I can beat my dad at PingPong also known as table tennis. I love to play basketball even though I am not very good at it. I can make a three pointer and I am a good ball handler but thats just about it. I am pro at bowling on the Wii and I love tennis. I love to play Halo and Call of Duty 4 on xbox 360. I own a van and I think it is the coolest thing ever. I have my learners permit and love to drive every where. I especially love driving now because I don't have to pay for gas. I listen to every type of music besides opra. I can do the mocarana in 10 seconds. I love to play racing games like Gran Turismo and Corvette Racing. Smallville is the best show period. Hillary Clinton is insane, and I wish Mitt Romney didn't drop out of the race. Chess is the best board game, and I can finally solve a rubix cube. I like to play bloons tower defence and onslaught on the internet. The best videos on youtube are Muffins, My hands are bananas, and Charlie the unicorn 1 and 2. I Hate High School Musical and Zack Efron. Mr. Woodcock is a hilarious movie and it isn't real. My dad is spoiled because he has to have the best everything when it is brand new (and the most expensive.) Corvettes are the coolest cars ever invented and I would love to own one some day. Peas are discusting. My hair looks better when it is long. Ms. Applonie is the craziest unmarried middleaged woman I have ever met. My best friend in the entire world is Zack Mattheus. And his mom is really cool but not as cool as my mom. Sushi is the best food ever, I don't care if you disagree, but if you have never tried it then you don't have room to talk. Iron man is awsome. I like to watch spongebob square pants and if you don't like it you are crazy. Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Salena Gomez, and Miranda Cosgrove are hot.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I am proud of it.

More...I love swimming. Maximum Ride is the best book series ever, well it's behind Harry Potter. I have a PSP and it is way better than a stupid Nentendo DS. PS3 is dumb. Xbox 360 is the coolest game consol ever. The Matrix trilogy are the best movies ever. I love to play Manopoly but nobody else in my family likes to play it. Fernley, Nevada is the best city in the entire world times two. I have my own cell phone with unlimited texting but not unlimited munites. I will give you my number if you ask really nicely, and, if you are a girl, if you are cute too. I will give you a hint to my number: 14 is the day my mom was born on and 29 is the day I was born on. If you can guess it from there, you are a genius. I can't skateboard but I am really good at the Ripstik. I want to get above a 4.0 gpa for high school. I am going to be an oncologist. That is a doctor who specializes in cancer stuff. I am going to the Northern Utah Acadamy for Math, Engineering, and Science, aka NUAMES. It focuses on getting an early start in college. Thats all I can think of at the moment so good buy and I am sure you will hear alot from me in the future.

The Drive Home - Friday Edition

I commute from Clearfield UT to Salt Lake City UT on a daily basis. Generally speaking it is about 30 minutes one-way, but with the construction going on in the I15 corridor through Davis County, it gets pretty ugly.

They are working on a new route through the county from the US 89 and I15 interchange in Farmington and IMHO it cannot be finished soon enough! It looks to be quite scenic, only allow 55 MPH max, and no big trucks. It is only 2 lanes each way but there are times I could kill for 2 extra lanes on the afternoon commute.

I would not mind one bit if the ones to go were some of those idiots driving SUVs, running at full speed right up behind people, cutting folks off to force their way into other lanes who have no clue what that extra little stalk on the left of the steering wheel is, all while talking away on the cell phone glued to their ears - in other words, 80% of Utah drivers.

More... I have driven all over the western U.S. We have lived in Portland OR, San Bernadino CA, Reno NV and visited nearly every major city that lies between them all. I have also driven around such cities as Atlanta GA, Melbourne FL, Seattle WA, Detroit MI, Twin Cities MN, Cincinnati OH and others.

I can say that, again IMHO, Utah has the WORST drivers I have ever encountered. I have never seen such a bunch of street hogs and inconsiderate jerks all in one place before. I am honestly surprised there are not horrendous accidents all over every day I drive home. I think we have just been lucky so far.

I get the biggest kick out of those people who think weaving in and out of traffic, causing all kinds of problems for other drivers, will really get you there faster.

A few weeks ago I left work a little early and had a relatively easy commute. Passing through North Salt Lake, approaching Bountiful, a small red sports-car-wannabe came up on my butt so fast I thought it was a flying suppository. As I braced for impact, he flew by me in the next lane, sraping some dirt off my back fender, causing me to nearly soil myself. I mumbled something about what a jerk he was, but I know he did hear me because his cell phone had become part of his head.

In about 1/4 mile, we encountered some heavier traffic. I could see the Jerk up ahead, about 4 or 5 cars, forcing his way into spaces not big enough for motorcycles. It seemed like every chance he had, every opening he found, he felt the need to change lanes. And it is a good thing he was not signaling, someone may have discovered his dastardly plan and attempted to thwart it!

I lost sight of him when he drove UNDER a semi (well it looked that way to me) and disappeared.

Another 3 or 4 miles go by. We are passing through Centerville. Guess who shows up...now in my REAR VIEW MIRROR. Yes, indeed, it was the Jerk. He again tried to give me a little red sports-car-wannabe enima, then swerved at the last second and slammed on his breaks hard enough that I heard them cry. I thought he would nail that guy for sure, but somehow he didn't. Next opening, he shot through again. Again, I lost sight.

I am approaching my exit in Clearfield. All this time, I have had cruise control on at 64 or 54 in construction. I purchased a Toyota Prius last year, and I am determined to save money on gas (so yes, I am that slow gray car you are swearing at as your roar past in your SUV talking on your cell phone, and I am also that slow gray car that just drives past you as you pour your life savings into the beast...heh heh)

I am sitting at the light, waiting to turn left, and guess who shows up, 2 cars behind me. You know who...SANTA CLAUS...alright that is not true. It was the Jerk (I guess Santa may be a jerk too, but that is another post). After all that weaving and dodging and proctology near-misses, and attempting to kill everyone in his path, I beat him to the exit in my little slow gray Prius.

Funny what kind of things can make your day. That sure made mine.

Welcome one and all...probably just one.

I wanted to kick this off myself, since I created it and all. I thought long and hard about having a blog site where my family could maintain a presence on the Web and provide for family (quite a few) and friends (at least 1 or 2) who are spread far and wide to get a glimpse of the happenings in our lives.

Therefore, welcome to the inaugural edition of the Todd Blog. We are the Todds (there are 6 of us) and these are our Blogs (likely to be 6 eventually, but don't hold your breath).

Let me introduce everyone:

First, and most importantly, there is....drum roll please....ME!!

Not.

Let's start at the top, see if you can guess the order of appearance of our bloggers.

1. Glynna (aka...has yet to pick an aka....wife, mother, picker of the nightly restaurant)
2. Chad (aka LogGrad98...creator of the almighty blog, eternal smart-alleck, picker of the t.v. channels)
3. Jordan (aka...has yet to...well, you get the idea...eldest son, newest driver, hence frightener of the mother)
4. Emily (ditto...eldest daughter, star of stage and screen, resident singer)
5. Duncan (again...youngest son, irritant to the eldest brother, collector of random things - but mostly knives and things found by the train tracks)
6. Analysse (same...youngest kid, otherwise known as the Spoiled One, and Irritant to All...although she is dang cute)

So that's the gang. We enjoy driving around the country, although recently it is cheaper to, well, do almost anything else. This year we went to Reno, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam (or Darn as the kids insist on saying), the Grand Canyon, St. George, and back home again.

We also really go for movies, so watch for our reviews. And, as you guessed I am sure from Glynna's brief description, our most favorite past-time is making restaurant owners RICH RICH RICH (again, watch for reviews). As a group we love chinese buffets, McD's (of course), and...best of all...SUSHI. Even Emily, who hates fish, will eat sushi.

See? How bad could it be.

That is enough to get started, I guess. I will let all the others introduce themselves in time (and probably force any of them that waits too long =), and give your their aliases...because I insist on aliases for all!

Bu-WAH HAH HAH HAH!!