Five Years?
I can’t believe it’s been five years
since you came to us
in that wild, winter ice storm…
J on his birthday (Christmas Eve 2004)
J on his birthday 2009
On Mommy Tummies and 20 Year Reunions…
My honey and I started a “diet” this week. I must start by saying that I do not believe in diets in the traditional sense. We really are just doing this: I’m just writing down everything I put in my mouth, trying to only drink green tea or water, and mainly veggies. The hubby has done something crazy (to me- thinking of him) he has gone vegetarian. If you know him and his moanings because we eat no red meat in our house this is amazing to you also. I think the spur of activity might be because our 20 year high school class reunions are coming this summer.
I’ve never really had a weight problem. Lucky genes I guess. I always was VERY active until the past few years. In high school I was a total adrenaline junkie- run, swim, body surf, swim, lift weights, run (all in one day.) Now I’m active chasing kids but not doing regular exercise, and that plus the fact that 40 is getting closer and closer has made my tummy start to sag. (Well, maybe babies have had something to do with it also.) My last doctor’s visit I found out my blood sugar is almost diabetic.
“What does that mean?” I asked the doctor.
“Well,” he said, “that you will be diabetic in a few years probably.”
That, coupled with the fact that both of my grandma’s developed diabetes after 40 made me a bit worried. After researching, I found out that women with P.C.O.S. have a really high chance of getting it anyway. Great. So, now I’m trying to get my BMI, which is normal but on the higher end of normal, down to low normal (which equals about 12 lbs.) Hopefully that will get my sugar in check and keep me from becoming diabetic.
I found a neat iPhone application called “Lose It!” that keeps track of all the food you eat, the exercise etc. I think it is mainly helping me keep from eating an entire pan of brownies by myself (which I’m thinking about right now but I’d have to enter it and then see the guilt in two places, my bum and my phone. 🙂 Trying to utilize the Wii my kids are so fond of too, but Wii Fit is a bit slow- all that clicking between things.
Anyone know of any better games for it?
On Funerals for Hamsters and Spring
My boys are very sensitive and a bit morbid at times I think (maybe that’s just a boy thing.) J has started the “I don’t want you to die Mommy” thing and asking about death and dying and God etc. that happens when kids turn four (at least in my experience.) So today, Choo Choo train is truly dead and we had to have a hamster funeral. I expected real tears, but there were none. Max was really sad and made up a little “burying the hamster” song to sing at the service, Jac joined in and it was very touching (except for the almost 12 yr old sister laughing in the background.) Then- “Let’s go jump on the trampoline” could be heard.
Here is the grave they made for his furriness…
Spring is making it’s entrance, and it is a beautiful day (even for a hamster funeral.)
Recipes and Planning…
I am a horrible menu planner. Could explain the recent increase in our credit card bills due to eating out a bit too much this past month… I am trying to do better. If I make a plan I tend to stick with it. My friend Alison is a fantastic cook and plans her meals in a neat planner she made. She also posts her weekly menu on her blog- and I thought maybe I could at least do that to keep me in line. (See the bottom of the blog for my menu this week.) I have been better about grocery bills- clipping major coupons and saving from $25 to $50 each visit. Making a list and sticking to it has been helping. I’ll keep you posted on my progress!
On a sad note, our little Choo Choo Train (Max’s hamster) died last night of a mysterious illness I couldn’t cure (and didn’t want to spend $300 at the vet for.) He had tumors that came up all over his body. The first time it happened I managed to keep him living awhile by spraying him with a medicated spray daily and wiping them with tea tree oil. He got his fur back and was doing well, then last week he got the tumors and lesions again and went blind overnight. I tried my previous remedies to no avail. So long, Choo Choo. We will miss you little furry one.
****Okay, I told Max about the hamster when I picked him up from school. He was sad and we came home to bury him. I started to pick him up and he moved! Crazy! He was BARELY alive and I bathed him again with hot water and tea tree oil, made a hot pack for him to sit on (he was so cold) and now he’s even opening his eyes! Call him the miracle hamster. I’m so glad I didn’t bury him!
When to Say “NO?”
The topic of volunteering and how it can eat your life up seems to keep coming up. Suzy Ormon (that money lady from Oprah) says you shouldn’t ever volunteer when you could get paid, but I really don’t agree. I have always felt that volunteering is extremely important, whether it be in an organized setting or just helping a neighbor, and have always tried to do everything I can to help. But, that being said, how do you know how much is too much, and when to say “no?”
Last year about killed me and I vowed this year I wouldn’t do as much and would learn to be forceful and say “NO!” Scott says I have a big “Sucker” stamp on my forehead and that makes people ask me to do everything- maybe I do (I’d have to look in the mirror for that.)
My calendar this month has 21 days with volunteer “to do’s” scheduled, and I don’t think I wrote them all down. We have Girl Scout cookie sales going on, lots of school parties and trips, and Boy Scout (and Girl Scout) Pinewood Derby in the next two weeks. I don’t know if I want to add up all the work I do, because I might not do it all if I did. (Probably realize I could have a full-time job!) Does anyone else feel that way?
Now, I know I sound like I’m whining, and I’m not really… I don’t think I could give up any of the things I do now without feeling regrets (except MAYBE for the Capri Sun bag recycling!) We even were looking at a volunteer vacation but the kids are still too young. My poor little guy (and my mom) is always being dragged around for something or another, but it doesn’t seem to have hurt him. Everyone knows his name and he’s getting to be a good cookie salesman! I want my children to make a difference in the world and maybe by seeing how little things matter will help them achieve that.
So, I’m not going to look at next month’s schedule and get cracking around this place while I have a free moment… (yes, I have about four hours of “work” today I signed up for!)
I’d really appreciate your thoughts on how much is too much!
It’s Easy Being Green (sometimes)…
I am a greenie-mom. I admit it. In college my friends called me “Hippy Chick” because I just tend to slide to the natural side of things. I recycled and composted before it was easy to do. I try and shop responsibly, organic, and local. Saying this, my kids new school has gotten me in a dither.
THEY DON’T RECYCLE!
I personally think this is one of the worst sins considering how easy it is to do in our county. Little Rock and North Little Rock both have curbside recycling programs that are fantastic (North Little Rock started it of course.) We have containers and can recycle pretty much anything now- plastics to #7, aluminum (which I actually take myself and get the cash for,) tin cans, paper…
I signed the school up for a program called “The Drink Pouch Brigade” by Terracycle where we collect the drink bags from Capri-Suns, Kool-Aid, Honest Tea, etc. They make neat purses, wallets, and pencil pouches from them. In three days I collected two huge garbage bags full! The point is that the plastic is kept out of landfills, AND the bonus is that Terracycle gives the school $.02 for each pouch we send in. Not too bad, except that I am sticky from washing little Capri Sun bags and smell like apple juice (which I am very allergic to.) I also signed us up for cookie bags (Oreos, Cakesters, etc.) but haven’t gotten that started yet.
Well, better get counting juice bags…