Random Writings

Today is a free flow "Stream of Consciousness" blogging day for me. Here we go....

OMG... Instead of exercising in the water today I WALKED. WTF was I THINKING? Well, lemme tell you. Exercising in the water is a great no impact work out, but it doesn't get my heart rate up or my respiration's. There's no cardiac work out for me with it at this point. I walked for all of 13 minutes... in 2 or 3 minute increments per time. I had to rest to catch my breath between but other than that it went well. My legs are EXHAUSTED right now. My knees, well, we're not really on speaking terms except when they YELL at me, but I feel good about having done it. I think I'll walk several days a week and only do the water exercises on the days its just too damn hot to walk. We'll see how it goes.

Weight Watchers Core plan... I LOVE IT. I know I've said this before but I really do. I eat ONLY when I'm hungry. It drives my mom bonkers because she feels like I'm not eating enough but I'm satisfied when I quit. Not full, yet not hungry. I feel better eating this way. No bloat (I'm not eating much bread), very little in the way of carbs except fruits and starchy veggies and almost no junk. Ok... I DID say ALMOST no junk. I do occasionally splurge and have a No Pudge Brownie or one cookie or something of that sort but that's just once in a while. (Hey, I'm SO not perfect....)

There's a young girl here at the lake named KT. I have a LOT of regard and respect for this 11 year old. She's doing the Weight Watchers Flex Plan. SHE decided to do it and SHE figures it out for herself. Her mom is encouraging her and so am I. I wish I had that sort of fortitude and drive to better myself at her age. Way to go KT!

Shecky had his first test yesterday. THIRD day of school and he had a test. It was vocabulary and he ROCKED IT! He got 105% on it. (Everything including the 5 bonus words! GO SHECK GO!) He also got 100% on a math paper the same day. He was SO proud of himself and I was THRILLED. THIS is what I'm trying to instill in him about school. I WANT him to be excited to do well and upset if he doesn't. He got to get a "prize" out of the Reward Bag for doing so well on his very first test. He was loved it. To top it ALL off... that was a pre-test for Friday's test. Since he scored a perfect score he doesn't have to retake the test Friday. This is gonna be a weekly thing. I have a feeling I'm going to need more "prizes" for the Reward Bag. Anyone have suggestions for smallish rewards for a 7 year old who's obsessed with Pirates of the Caribbean, Yugio, Star Wars and various other little boy things?

I hope you all have a great day! /end random thoughts.. for now

Hangin' By My Fingertips....

Today... I am tired. Bone weary. I have no clue as to why. I didn't exercise in the water. I didn't do much of anything. I helped with laundry, did dishes, helped Shecky with homework, hung out with him this evening upstairs watching him play games, watching TV with him and reading. Nothing strenuous. I took a 2 hour NAP today from 11am to 1pm even. Yet, I'm so tired I can barely think.

I've eaten some oatmeal with peaches in it and some soup with cabbage, tomato, chicken and zucchini in it. Its not like I'm not eating. Its not like I'm eating junk. However, my energy level just doesn't seem to exist on any REAL level. Meh.

I'm afraid after last weeks massive weight loss this week may be a gain. I'm not eating much but I'm not DOING all that much either. Sometimes this whole weight loss roller coaster is more than I can handle mentally.

Mom is burned out. She's not on plan right now and I can't really ding her for it. She's already DONE this and lost over 100 lbs.

I'm just really struggling mentally right now. Tomorrow will be better, Right?

Where the Eff is Mr. Sandman When You Need Him?

Anyone know how to get a 7 year old to go to bed WITHOUT World War III breaking out? I am completely exhausted after our nightly tussle. He whines, he cries, he pitches a fit. I've tried being understanding. I've tried being stern. I've tried cajoling. I've tried fussing. I've tried everything I can think of short of spanking him (Which, it seems to me would be counter productive by its very nature) and I'm out of ideas. I'm out of patience. I'm ... just... out. Oh wise Internets... HELP?

School Daze

Lunch Made-- Check
Clothes Ready-- Check
Alarm Set-- Check

Today was the first day of 2nd grade at the new school for Shecky. It was a whole new world. Parents, COUPLES, walked their kids into school and to their classrooms. THAT never happened in Houston.

Overheard statement by High School Kid : "I don't know. I've never gone to this school before. Its different. Everyone is so FRIENDLY!"

There was no organized pick up after school. No line of cars picking up their kids as the teachers funnel them to the appropriate car. Just a mingling of parents and kids, cars parked here and there, where ever they could find a spot.

Shecky found us IMMEDIATELY, a huge smile on his excited little face. "I had a GREAT Day! I was GOOD on my first day of school!"

He enjoyed himself immensely. We got home, he did his homework and predictably HATED it lol. His old school didn't believe in homework. (Which I HATED BTW. I never knew what they were working on or how he was doing unless I got a report card.) But, he was a trooper. Got it all done... and then RAN out the door to play. I have a feeling this lil country school... is gonna be a GREAT thing for him.

WEIGH IN DAY UPDATE

I weighed a day early this week. Today is Dad's Birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!) and we are all going out to eat. Mom, Dad, Husband, Shecky, myself, and my brother and his family. We're going to a Cajun buffet place. We baked Apple Pie and made Dad's favorite addition to it... Homemade Cinnamon Ice Cream. I'm eating what I want today. Hence, the day early weigh in.

::Does Happy Dance In My Chair:: I lost NINE pounds this week. That's right, 9 pounds!!!! I've lost a total of 40.6 pounds to date. I'll hit 10% of my body weight lost in 6 more lbs. I'll have lost 50 pounds shortly after.

THIS PLAN IS WORKING!!!!! For the first time in DECADES, and that's not an exaggeration, I feel hopeful that I can actually loose this weight. That it is POSSIBLE to loose this huge amount of weight on my own. (When I say on my own I mean without surgery. I couldn't have come even THIS far without a lot of love, support and help from family and friends.)

I... yanno... I almost have no words to describe how I'm feeling right now. I KNOW I have a long way yet to go but I've come a long way in just 7 weeks. Its one Hell of a ride so far. I can't wait to see what's around the next corner...

The Right Stuff... Or... Not?

I have a hard time understanding the trend I'm seeing in parenting.

Granted, I live on a lake. Yes, its a very laid back lifestyle. However, I am noticing that the parents of the children that live here are taking VERY little interest or hand in what their children are doing.

Let me back up a bit. In our VERY small community there are 4 families with children. There will be 9 kids from here going to the same school. They range in age from 5 to 11. We pretty much have K-5 covered. I keep track of Shecky. I know where he is and what he's doing almost all the time. (No one EVER knows what their kids are doing all the time, I'm not naive enough to think that.) He carries a walkie-talkie with him when he's out in the neighborhood and reports in to me if he goes to someones house or goes riding or what have you. I don't allow him to go into the woods or swimming without adult supervision. He still has the freedom of being able to play pretty much anywhere else he'd like. He has a set bedtime, even in the summer. (Yeah I know, I'm not anal about making him stick to it in so far as being ASLEEP but he does have to be in bed.) He has to stop playing outside or with his friends by 7pm. He has to shower and get ready for bed at that point.

The other kids that live here... have NO such restrictions. They go wherever they want. Do whatever they want. By their own admission, their parents don't have a clue what they are up to or where they are a great majority of the time. I actually had a parent tell me yesterday, "They just do their own thing. I usually just say go!" Several of these kids, (all but one or two) aren't in the grade they are supposed to be in. They've either failed a grade or been held back... or both. School isn't a priority in their families. The parents don't put any emphasis on it. The kids have virtually no desire to attend.

The kids are defiant and disrespectful of their parents.

I. Don't. Get. It.

Its not like these women work full time jobs outside the home. They have an opportunity and a RESPONSIBILITY to shape these kids into who they are going to be as adults. Do they not SEE that? Do they just not give a damn?

I've already started a "Reward Bag" for this school year. Shecky points out things all the time that he wants. I buy them up and when he does well in school he will be rewarded with an item from the bag. The stuff ranges from Yugio Cards to Pirates of the Caribbean Figurines to DVD's to PS2 games. Depending on the achievement he'll receive a reward of appropriate value. If he does POORLY in school, gets bad behavior reports, fails tests or God Forbid, gets a D or an F on his report card he'll get penalized. He'll be grounded from SOMETHING depending on how bad the infraction.

When I bought his school clothes I made sure they were dressy-ish. 3 button shirts with and without collars etc. Pants. Shorts and Logo Tee shirts are for playing in, not going to school. Its to help him realize School is different. Its important. Its SPECIAL.

I THINK about these things and when I talk about it to these other parents or when their kids hear about it I just get these blank looks. These, goggle eyed, WTF is she TALKING about looks.

I'm I thinking too hard about these things? Am I being a helicopter mommy? Is it WRONG for me to put the emphasis on this stuff? Should I be more lax? Am I doing all this wrong? I have no clue. I just know the kids in these other families... they choose to hang out here with the rules, with the family atmosphere, with adults that TALK to them and LISTEN to them. They're starving for attention and that really pisses me off.... and wears me out.

WalMart Is Teh EEEEVILLLLL!!!

Ok, I think WallyWorld and I need to come to an understanding. I spent 3 HOURS in there today with my mother and my 7 year old son. Why is it that EVERYTHING in WalMart is irresistible to a child that age? He had to touch EVERYTHING.

Shecky: Momma, what's this? Wanna buy it? Why not? What does it do? What does it taste like?

Me: I have no idea. No. Because we don't need it. We just don't. It makes Mommas eye twitch. A snakes butt cooked in monkey brains....

And then... AND THEN... they put the frickin' Yoogie-OhNOYouDin' Cards at the frickin' check out lines along with candy, gum, cookies and fifty trillion OTHER things he doesn't need that he HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS to have.

Walmart... you are the Devil! Shecky... you are a marketing man's best friend.. sigh.

Tale of Wal-Mart Woe

Well... walking through Wallyworld was NOT as successful as I had anticipated. I managed to walk half way through the store and then my back started cramping and my legs started shaking. Mind you, that's not half way AROUND but THROUGH. I wanted to cry. My expectation was that I'd be able to make that shopping trip on foot. We only needed a couple of things. Stitch Witch, Poster Frames and a Belt for Shecky. That was it. I couldn't handle it.

Today, my knees are KILLING me with each step. My back is very sore and tires easily. Damn it. I got a huge reality check last night with this foray through the store. I really thought I was doing better than that.

I realize I'm doing well. 31 lbs in 7 weeks is NOTHING to sneeze at. Its a significant weight loss. I'm moving more. I'm climbing the stairs more. I'm exercising in the water. I still have a long, LONG way to go.

Sunday I managed to cook dinner for Mom, Dad, Shecky and I. It was good. I was exhausted after. I DID manage it though. Baby... steps. I need to keep reminding myself its all got to come in baby steps.

Too bad when they were handing out patience I thought they meant PATIENTS ... and hid... heh.

Weekly Update

Today was weigh in day. I LOST 4 more pounds! ::Does happy dance:: I was SO worried this week because I really wasn't careful about getting in all my fruits and veggies... or my water... or... well... my dairy. I was sure I was going to gain. Can I say how pissed off I would have been if I HAD gained? lol

I ate much less food this past week than I had been. Which is partly, why I didn't get in all the fruits and veggies and the dairy. I have no excuse for the water. I just don't drink much and I prefer Fresca or Diet Vanilla Pepsi to ... Water. Bleh.

Tonight is the real test. I've lost 31.6 lbs in 7 weeks. Tonight, after we have dinner together as a family (Husband, Shecky and I) for the first time in ohhh... 2 months... we are going to Wal-Mart and I am NOT going to use a cart. I'm going to walk that sucker as long as I can and see how long it takes before I NEED the cart of doom! Wish me luck!

One of THOSE Days

Have you ever had a day where you just wanted to PINCH your child's head off? Not LITERALLY mind you but... well... close! Shecky drove me NUTS today. He wasn't listening AT ALL. He's a great kid usually but today and tonight I had to repeat things 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 times! I know, I know... I have PMS. I KNOW I'm overreacting to him but my GOD he was stomping on my last nerve with steel cleats! And then... then my MIL sends me some pictures of Shecky and his new baby cousin Sleepy! I got all gooey and fuzzy inside when I saw them! I would post them here but I can't figure out how to do it in the BODY of the post rather then with the title. It doesn't make much sense to post them up there!!!


Tomorrow Husband will be here for a visit. He'll come in around 9am and stay till sometime Tuesday evening. Shecky is THRILLED. He misses his daddy something fierce but he also can't wait to get his PS2 and his Game Cube hooked up. (Mommy is an electronics idiot... I am not even going to ATTEMPT to hook that schiznit up. DVD player, 2 game platforms and a Satellite Receiver? Hells no! Switch box??? WTF? I am not blowing up ANYTHING!)


Tomorrow is also weigh in. I'm a little apprehensive about it this week. Mentally, I haven't been on top of my game. I've been feeling very bleh... a lil meh... and even a bit... FEH! I haven't been making sure I get in all my dairy, fruits and veggies or my water. Its been a very off week for me. Hopefully I haven't done any damage to my progress or my program. If I post a weight gain I've got no one to blame but myself.


I'm making a New Week Resolution right now. Starting tomorrow I'm going to be more proactive. I'm going to pay more attention to WHAT I'm eating and not just how MUCH I'm eating. I'm going to exercise with more intent and more enthusiasm while bitching and whining less. Let's see how I do!

Complete This Sentance

I'm running ______________________. I can only end it one of two ways "To The Bathroom" or "On Empty". Its not been a good day for me health wise. I'm not sure if I've caught some sort of stomach bug or my supper last night decided to LITERALLY beat the crap out of me but something is afoot... and I'm NOT happy about it. Its been going on since last night. I still managed to get my water exercise in today but it was ... scary.

I've been perusing the Weight Watcher message boards today. They've got some fantastic people there who are supportive, friendly and have great tips and recipe's they're willing to share. I like it lots.

Shecky story for the day:

He came in around 4PM today looking like he's rolled in a mud pit, rolled in a sand pit, and THEN rolled in a pig pen. OMG the MUD! I asked him what he'd been doing and his response was "Fishin'" ... Ummm Ok... ::Blink Blink::

Sorry I'm not more chatty today... I have to Run... again... sigh.

That Shattering Sound You Hear...

Is Shecky's 7 year old heart breaking. We went school clothes shopping today. That, in and of itself, is enough to traumatize the poor child. HE HATES CLOTHES SHOPPING. (Ok, who am I kidding he hates clothes in general.. lil nudist in training) However, we had to buy his pants in the Husky size. The moment he realized that he was crushed. He whined, cajoled and begged not to have the Husky ones.

(Let me back up a bit here in the timeline of life. Shecky was visiting his grandparents across state for the last month. He gained almost 10 lbs while gone. He chunked up quite a bit while there. Hence, the need for the Husky sizes.)

God, THAT about broke my heart. I remember all too well being a young girl and having to buy the "Chunky Girl" sizes. The clothes weren't cute but worse than that, I felt HORRIBLE about myself for needing to get my clothes from that section of the store. I tried hard to figure out what I could do to cheer him up a bit. I gave him a big hug and told him that if he keeps active and eats the way I tell him too we'll get some more jeans in the regular size at the holidays. That worked a little. Not a lot though. Then... we saw something that made his little face LIGHT up with delight! I couldn't NOT buy it! Adorable lil bulldog slippers. (He even made me buy a pair for his grandpa so they could match heh!)

I worry though. I don't want him to experience that feeling of being so different. That awkward feeling that everyone KNOWS you can't wear the same thing they can. That you're so big you can't compete. Yeah... I know. Project much? Its still a real concern. What would you do to reassure your child in that situation?

Welcome World! It's Weds!

Hey everyone. I'm in a MUCH better place today. (No, not a tropical paradise :P ) Dad, surprisingly, didn't say anything about having bought the car. I guess he figured what's done is done.

On a lighter note, I had the following conversation with Shecky this morning:

Shecky: Mommah, I had good dreams and bad dreams last night. The bad dreams didn't scare me though.

Me: Well that's good! I'm glad the bad dreams didn't scare you this time. What were the good dreams about?

Shecky: Ummmm... (LOOOOOOONG pause) The bad dreams were about good dreams and the good dreams were about bad dreams.

Me: ...

(10 minutes later)

Shecky: Mommah! I remembered one of my good dreams. I was swimming in a BIG bowl of Macaroni and Cheese and I ate my way out!

Me: ::Blink Blink:: ... Are you trying to tell me you want Mac N Cheese today?

Shecky: (Huge grin and a silly giggle) Ummmm yep!

Guess what I'm making for lunch today ::rolls eyes::

I have to wonder. Did he REALLY dream that or did he just come up with it as a cute and funny way of letting me know he was hungry for it? Not that it matters mind you. THAT will crack my shit up all day long! My GOD but I adore that kid.

STREEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I am, no so quietly, freaking the frick out! I mentioned yesterday that I quit my job. I also mentioned that our car is falling apart and Husband wants to buy a new car. (Not a NEW car mind you but a New to US car) This in and of itself isn't HORRIBLE. Its stressful, sure, but I can handle it.

My father believe buying the car is the WORST decision EVAR! He's been talking to me off and on all day about it trying to convince me to tell Ray not to buy it. While I see his point about the money, and the interest, and yanno... the MONEY... I also see Husband's point. He drives daily through Houston Rush Hour. If he breaks down he's more likely to get hit by another driver than not. He drives to Dallas/Ft. Worth every month for USAF Reserve Duty. He has to travel 3 hours to see Shecky and I. He needs something RELIABLE and that he's not going to have to keep sinking money into every month to repair... WHATEVER. (Since the beginning of the year we've sunk $3000.00 or more into it for various repairs.)

I've given him all the arguments against buying it and told him to do what he thinks is best. Yeah... I'm a LOT of help aren't I? Bleh. I'm seriously stressing over this. If he buys the car my father is going to drive me bonkers with his attitude and his "input" about a subject that he really has no say in. If he DOESN'T buy the car, gets it fixed (Another $600.00 in repairs) and the sucker breaks down AGAIN while he's traveling I'm going to feel like a complete bitch for talking him out of buying it. I'm so screwed.

What decision would YOU guys make in this situation? I'm just curious. I like to know I'm not alone...

PS Sorry for all the ranting the last few posts. I'll be more myself tomorrow!

PSPS He bought the car! ::Cringes:: I'm going to bed. :P

UPDATE!!!!

Man, today has been BUSY. Husband called. The water pump on the car is D-E-A-D. Lovely ay? He's now looking for a new vehicle. We keep pouring money into this one every month. We have no car payment but what's the diff if we have to repair it every dang month. Might as well get one that has a monthly payment that's reliable. Bleh.

Of course... this comes on the heels of my GIVING MY TWO WEEKS NOTICE at work. Yeah...

The weight loss program is working well. Down another 1.3 this week. That's REALLY good considering its my TIME, ifyouknowwhatimeanwinkwinknudgenudgesaynomore! I've lost a total of 27.6 lbs in 6 weeks time. My short term disability at work runs out in 2 weeks. It was time to make a decision.

I really enjoy my job. The company I work for is fab. My boss and HIS boss are both supportive and amazingly helpful to me throughout my tenure there. My health has been suck for a long time but they stood by me and did everything they could to make it possible for me to keep my job.

Unfortunately, this is a long term project for me. I DO NOT WANT to have a Gastric Bypass. I just don't. I was considering it when I felt I had no other options. I considered it when I feared nothing else would work. What I'm doing IS working though. It will take a couple of years for it to make enough difference but its better than the invasive, dangerous, scary as hell surgery. I just can't do it AND work. There's not enough time in the day or energy in my body.

I have quit my job. In two weeks, my full time job will be simple. Loose weight. Get more mobile. Burn calories. GET HEALTHY. As a bonus for being a great employee, I get to be a SAHM and raise my child the way I've always wanted. Holy Hell... I'm scared. Hold me?

The Pitter Patt...

of little feet. Oh how I have missed thee! Shecky is home! I'm trying to retrain him after all the spoiling he received at the grandparents across the state! Wow! Did they do a good job! Heh.

Actually, the kid is doing great! He's behaving like a lil angel... well.. mostly. His horns keep displacing the halo at odd moments but otherwise its great having him home!

However, and you HAD to know there was a however coming, I seem to have acquired 3 other lil sets of little feet. Today, while exercising in the water, 4 kids between the ages of 5 and 10 went "swimming" with Mom and I. I have to admit, the time passed MUCH faster. We even stayed in a little longer than usual to play with the kids. We then had them all over for lunch... and they're still here. Heh. Shecky is having a blast with his friends and I'm having a blast watching them!

I would kill for more of my own... What are the odds the 3 Amigo's parents would let me adopt em???

OK SOMEONE STOP ME! I think I've lost my mind! I can barely handle one kid much less more! What is it about being around good hearted kids that makes my mind go... kablewie!?!?

Allll Aboard! HaHaHa! Crazy Train!

They say... "Insanity is hereditary. You get it from your kids." I know its supposed to be some cute lil saying but, there's some truth to it. It IS hereditary.

My paternal grandmother, "Granny", was certifiably bat shit crazy. God Rest Her Soul. She was Bi-polar with a splash of paranoia according to the doctors. She took medication for the Bi-polarity but often times the paranoia would flare up and she would be convinced that her lithium was actually poison and everyone was trying to kill her. She'd stop taking it and the manic/depressive swings would begin. She was a tortured woman with a mean streak a mile wide when she wasn't stable on her medication. Conversely, when she WAS on her meds and stable, she was a sweet lil ole lady with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Unfortunately, the older she got, the more the Bi-polar condition took her over. The longer she lived the more pressing the paranoia. I wasn't around her much at the end. I was living my life of a young, newly married 9 hours away, but I could see her worsening when I came home to visit.

I now find myself in an interesting situation. My father seems to exhibit much of the same behavior. The misplaced aggression. The mood swings where everything is either PERFECT or absolutely NOTHING is right. No middle ground. He often speaks to others in a tone that is... well... implies that they are worth less than a piece of crap on his shoe. Its hard to explain WHY I believe that he's showing symptoms of Bi-polarity. You'd have to know him and experience it first hand to really understand. I'm not the only one in the family that sees it. However, NONE of us know what to do about it.

Mom has talked to him about it. Has tried to get him to see someone and get diagnosed but he refuses. He states, EMPIRICALLY, that NOTHING is wrong with him. That's its everyone else that has the problem. The rest of us are hesitant to approach him on the subject because we don't want to be on the receiving end of his righteous wrath. (He's a very scary man when he looses his temper. Its like its an entirely different person who has no control over his anger or what he says or HOW he says what he says. He's intentionally hurtful. Like goes for the jugular verbally.)

The longer I live with my parents the more I see how bad the situation between them is. Mom can't say or do anything right. Dad completely looses his shit over the smallest things and just wails on her verbally. (Yesterday it was because she distracted him while playing a game on the computer and it caused him to loose a life.) Mom reacts to him much like a battered woman. Shrinking back, saying little or nothing for fear of making him angrier. He usually feels like crap after and is nice to her for a while... but it always happens again. He's not PHYSICALLY abusive to her but verbally... that's a whole other kettle of fish. Emotionally as well. (I actually witnessed him bellowing at her "Its like I don't exist to you. You don't exist either. Without me you don't exist." )

So, my question to you is this. How am I supposed to sit back and just watch this happen? Do I press for him to get help and tempt his rage? IS it a mental health issue? Is it just flat out abuse due to the abuse given to him by his mother when she was having fits of crazy as a bed bugishness? Is it truly none of my business even though I'm here in the house bearing witness to it all?

Help. Me.

Tales of the Weird and Unknown

Yesterday I was tagged by the lovely and funny Katie over at Le Petie Chic tagged me for a MeMe. Today I will be telling on myself as a result! Heh.

The rules for this MeMe are pretty straight forward. Once you've been tagged, you must write post with ten weird, random things, little known facts or habits about yourself. At the end choose at least 10 people to be tagged, list their names and why you chose them. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you've been tagged' and tell them to read your latest blog.

10 weird things... that shouldn't be terribly difficult! Heh.

1. I am a Customer Service Nazi! I've been in the Customer Service field for 10 years now. Poor Customer Service makes me INSANE! Just yesterday my pharmacy made me loose my mind. I got so bent out of shape I looked at my mother and actually said THESE words "Does the WHOLE world NOT realize I HAVE PMS and today is NOT the day to start with my ass????" Sad thing is ... I kinda meant it.

2. I have an AWFUL temper. It doesn't go off frequently but when it does Holy Rusted Metal Batman.... you better run for the door!

3. I came very close to dying when I gave birth to my son. I never dilated past 3cm and my blood pressure went crazy high. The Dr. thought I was going to stroke out and did an emergency C-section. I had preclampsia and diabetes (not gestational) and was sick the whole pregnancy... The weird part... I'd do it again in a heartbeat if my husband wouldn't kill me first for putting him through all the worry again. Shecky was SO worth the sickness and the problems.

4. I sang in a national Karaoke contest in the finals. Yes... I'm one of THOSE people.

5. I love lap dogs... until they start yappin and barkin. Last. Nerve. Severed. They're yappy lil selves drive me insane but when they're NOT barking. LOVE!

6. I rarely use the word Cute. My husband has determined that from ME... that descriptor is a curse and causes the individual to immediately become so annoying that they are intolerable. Its a gift.

7. I'm 38 years old and I live with my parents. Yeah its for a really good reason but... STILL. Lo-ser!

8. I sing whenever the mood strikes. I could be at the grocery store, swimming in the lake, at BlogHer... it just wouldn't matter. I'd sing it out then hide. Impulse control... why have you abandoned me?

9. I cuss like a sailor. A lot. Frequently. I dunno why it just kinda ... happens. If I'm tired or really wound up especially. Thankfully I have enough presence of mind NOT to do it in front of Shecky but... my parents? Bwah! Fair Game.

10. My favorite word is Onomatopoeia... its just fun to say!


Bonus: My family owns and runs a Daylily farm. We cross different flowers trying to produce something different and beautimous that everyone will want to buy! We're in year 2 and we have planted, just this year, well over 7800 SEEDS.

Ok. I'm tagging the following peeps... Ree, Beth, MetroDad, Jessica, Redneck Mommy,
Mrs. Chicky, Amy, Lena, IzzyMom and GreyMatterMom! I love all their blogs and read them faithfully so they get the tags. I know a lot of you are super busy so no hard feelings if you don't do the MeMe. They're supposed to be FUN not a chore! :)

Dog Days of Summer

We are taking a day off from our exercise routine today. Mom is exhausted and I'm in some rather... intense pain. Instead, we're going to town. Going to shop at Wally-World, Walgreens, then moving furniture up stairs and cleaning it to get that area ready for the new beds being delivered this weekend...

Yeah.. Day off my arse! lol. Why does it seem there's ALWAYS something more to do.

You would THINK living at a lake, in the country, with my retired parents, would be... peaceful. Relaxing. Dull even. Ummm you would be WRONG. Dad has been busier since he retired than he was when he worked full time! He built this house on the lake. He runs a Daylily Farm called Dolollies Daylilies. He's constantly making work for himself. Mom runs the house and stays very busy with that. There's ALWAYS something to do. Its amazing how active these "old" folks are!

Every morning, around 9am, the community starts to come alive. You see couples walking for their daily exercise, kids riding golf carts, 4-wheelers, Rangers, bikes... whatever they can get their hands on. Often, instead of birdsong and other nature sounds you hear hammering, electric saws, tractors... its amazing. I thought it would be quiet, boring maybe. That'll teach me to think.

Doin' the Time Warp

I just spent the last hour on the phone with Prom Date. We've been communicating through MySpace (shut it!) for a few weeks. His lovely wife... umm... Wife of Prom Date... gave me their phone numbers very early into our correspondence. I set a mini weight loss goal for myself of 25 lbs. Once I reached 25 lbs I would call them and talk on the phone. I reached my goal yesterday. So... I called them. Wife of Prom Date is adorable. She's funny, friendly, bubbly and very open. I felt like I'd known her all my life. I called her this afternoon when I knew Prom Date would be working. I wanted to talk to her first just to be sure she was still OK with my calling. We ended up talking for over an hour.

Anyway, I called PD and it felt a little... odd. I was apprehensive and weirded out a bit and I'm honestly not sure why. The second he started talking it was like we'd never lost touch. We talked about our parents, siblings, nephews and nieces. We discussed where were were in life and how we got here. Man... I've missed that friendship. We spoke of our kids meeting and playing together. That. Would. ROCK!

Yanno... His daughter... is the same age... as Shecky... Hmmmm... Arranged marriage anyone?

26.3 Less of Me... 6% of Me MISSING!

YEEEEEAAAAH! I love the WW Core Program. It just works so much better for me than Flex. I posted a loss this morning of 3.3 pounds. I've lost 6% of my body weight. :Does the dance of joy!:

I went to the doctor in Houston Friday. Gave her my numbers and she was suitably impressed. She was pleased with my progress and wants to see me for another check up in 6 weeks. (They played vampire and took blood as well. Going to have my A1C, Cholesterol and Iron checked.)

I know this is all sort of dry for you but I am STOKED! Progress, Progress, PROGRESS! I am a happy, happy Cajun girl! I had a good loss this week and Shecky comes home this coming weekend. :Bounces in Chair: Ahhhh... Life doesn't GET any better than this.

Looking Into the Mouth of ...

Living with my parents as an adult is... odd.

I am an independent thinker. I'm NOT shy about expressing my views. I take NO shit from anyone... and yet... around my parents I turn back into that awkward child/teen that I was.

Let me explain. My father is a very... forceful personality. He likes to bellow and create drama anytime ANYTHING doesn't go the way he wanted or expected it to. (Boudain links not being defrosted when he wanted to grill ... Holy Hell... it was an explosion of temper like you've never seen) He's ALWAYS right. Its NEVER his fault. He's loving. He's fun loving. He's intelligent. He's a hard worker.

This is my father. He's been like that my entire life. I love him with the intensity of a thousand suns. When he gets angry he gets... irrational. Frighteningly so. My father is a man of reason, a man of science. Yet, at times, my mothers mere PRESENCE can turn him into a raving, obsessive, very scary man. I remember all this from my childhood. Arguments between my parents aren't new.

As an adult, I should be able to handle these... outbursts of temper and irrationality. Unfortunately, after today I realize that isn't the case at all. When he's irrational like that I get very, very nervous. He's never been given to violent acts but when he anger bursts out like it did today, many times today, I fear that fact could change.

How do I keep this from effecting me?

I had the urge today to snack. I wasn't hungry. I KNEW I wasn't hungry. I didn't give into the impulse but my GOD how I wanted to. Suddenly, I realized that behavior, that snacking due to being anxious or nervous is something I've done all my life... to cope. Even when I was a child it was my comfort when I felt that buzz of anxiety start.

The better question is this.

How do I keep my fathers fits of temper from giving my child the wrong messages? I don't want him to believe that ANYONE deserves to be spoken to the way he speaks to my mother... much LESS a spouse. I have to wonder if coming back here, living with my parents, is going to be the best thing for Shecky. God willing, it will be.

School Daze, School Daze

I cannot BELIEVE that school starts in a few weeks. This summer has just flown by. I got Shecky registered for school. It was a MUCH different process than last year. It was very casual, one form to fill out. That was it. I was SHOCKED! Last year we filled out a whole reams worth of forms and a lot of it was redundant! Bleh. I got the school supplies list when I registered him and got all the supplies bought and labeled. Shecky was all excited when I told him about it. He made me list off everything I got him. Messenger bag, Pirates of the Caribbean spiral notebook, Crayola Crayons, Crayola Markers, Crayola Map Colors, Pirate Pencils, Fuzzy Pencils, Regular Pencils, Pirate themed erasers, brightly colored erasers, Elmer's Glue, Binder, folders, the list goes on and on and on. He was tickled that I'd gotten some special things for him rather than just the generic plain notebooks and pencils. =I= was tickled that he was so excited.

Later that night Shecky called at almost 10PM. I was like... WTF?!?!?!?! He said "Mom? MOM! Did you remember to get me SCISSORS????" Me: "Yes hon. I got everything on the list. I even got you some neat scissors with like... flames on them and stuff." Shecky: "Oh! Thank GOD! I gave myself a HEART ATTACK thinkin' you didn't get my SCISSORS!" Me: "A Hear... Son... get to bed!"

Oh... Mah... GAH! That child does have his moments. A heart attack... over SCISSORS! I've now heard it all...