And So It Begins

Today marks the start of my pre-op diet. Many surgeons have patients do a 2 week liquid diet prior to surgery.  My surgeon is not one of them.  I am very thankful.  My pre-op diet is very low carb but real food, except for the last day.  That day is a clear liquid diet to ensure the stomach is empty at surgery. 

The goal of the pre-op diet is to shrink the liver to make the surgery easier on the surgeon.  The liver has to be lifted out of the way to get to the stomach.  Overweight patients tend to have fatty livers.  The pre-op diet is designed to shrink the liver approximately 15%, thus making getting around it easier.

The last week or so, I've know that the pre-op diet was coming followed by surgery.  I have been having my last hurrah with all of my favorite foods that will not be on my plate in the future. I expected to really enjoy these meals, and some of them I really have.  But some of them have not been anywhere as delicious as I was expecting them to be.  I'm not sure if it is my mind make an shift or what.  I'm grateful though.  As it has made this next phase easier to enter. 

What was my last meal?  A PDQ Pimento Crunch sandwich and fries.  It was delicious.  I enjoyed the time with Ruby more than the food.  I love getting one on one time with each of my kids. We had errands to run and it was dinner time so we had a dinner date.  It was lovely.

 There have been some interesting conversations with my girls in the last week, the boy has been completely uninterested, I would even say oblivious.  But that is not surprising at all.  I've been open and honest with them about this procedure and my feelings surrounding it  One of my concerns from the beginning is how my doing this procedure will affect them.  I do not want to cause them diet or body issues.  That has always been a goal of mine and I'm sure I've already failed. 

I've always tried to talk about health, different body styles, embracing the body we have, taking care of the body we have, controlling what is in our control and accepting what is beyond it.  All of these themes continue.  I am honest with them about my faults - I'm an emotional eater, I eat more than I should, and I don't move my body.  I'm honest with them about my reasons for doing this surgery and my fears that I'll manage to screw it up.  We've talked about the fact that there will be some really rough days post surgery where I will probably wish I had never done it.  And we've talked about all my important reasons for doing the surgery.

 I pray I am handling this well with them.  I so want them to love their bodies. I know it is so hard for girls to do.  I want them to see how uniquely, beautifully, and perfectly made they are.  I want them to have confidence in themselves, to love themselves, to give themselves grace. 

If you see me this week and I'm a little less peppy.  Just know I just broke up with my life long love - food.  It's going to be a rocky breakup.  I chose it, but I will still miss the relationship and mourn it.  It is going to take some time to get to my new healthy relationship with myself that will ultimately replace the destructive one I had with my longtime love.  I'm on the right path. 

Jenn

Why Weight Loss Surgery?

Everyone has a different "why." And I'm writing about this not to justify it for anyone else but so I have my "why" written down somewhere.  I honestly don't need anyone reading to understand or to agree with me, but if you want some insight on how I got here feel free to keep reading.

I have never been thin in my life.  EVER.  And honestly, that is not my goal now.  I have always been the big one in the group from elementary school on.  Part of that is definitely genetics.  I look like most of the women on one side of the family.  We are naturally curvy with a larger butts, hips and thighs and no boobs to speak of, even when we are at a healthy weight.  When I am not at a healthy weight I am just, well, big.  

I came to appreciate my curves in my 30s and accept the genetic body I was given.  I got to and maintained a healthy weight and size for me multiple times through that decade.  That was the decade I actually liked my body.  Curves are good.  

The other part of the equation is I am an emotional eater.  Every emotion makes me want food.  Sometimes in my life I have dealt with this better than other times.  But controlling this is what makes or breaks where I am health and weight wise. 

I can lose weight and I can even maintain it for a period of time.  I've done this many times over my adult life.  However, something always comes along and derails me.  Yes, that something is ultimately me and how I deal with stress and crisis and change.  And I know I still have to do a better job of that going forward.  

I know that weight loss surgery is not a cure all.  It is a tool.  I can succeed or I can fail.  I am fully aware.  And it terrifies me that I will fail.  I also know that it is currently the best tool I have to maintain weight loss and not be back where I started a year, two years or five years from now.  

I know many people have many opinions about weight loss surgery.  Not everyone will think it is a great idea for me.  I ask that you support my journey and trust that I have done the research and the work to know what I'm getting into and what all it entails.  This was not a hasty decision.  It might seem that way to many who are just now hearing about it.  Just because you haven't heard about it until now doesn't mean it hasn't been in the works for months and honestly researched for multiple years.  This is the decision I feel is best for me.  That doesn't mean it is the best for everyone or that there aren't other ways to achieve a healthier body.  Trust me, I'm aware.  We all have to choose what is best for us individually.  Please respect my decision.  

I know, I'm already long winded.  But why am I doing this?  Well, I'm obese.  I've always been overweight but for the last 6ish years I've well surpassed overweight and hit full on obese.  And it has affected my health.  I have sleep apnea, high triglycerides, and weird headaches.  I have family history of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure.  I want to be around a long time.  The absolute best thing I can do to decrease my current health issues and prevent the others is lose weight.  Did I mention how much I despise the cpap machine?  I can not wait to kick it permanently to the curb.

I am worth the effort, work, blood, sweat and tears that I am putting into this next chapter of my journey with knowing and loving myself.  Is it going to be hard? Yes.  Am I going to wonder at times if I did the right thing? Yes.  Is it drastic? Maybe, but honestly probably not at this point.  I need to be healthy, for me, for my husband, for my kids.  This is the first step in the journey of getting back to a healthy me.  

Thanks for coming along on this journey,

Jenn

*****I know I am sharing my personal journey.  I ask that you be respectful and encouraging in any comments you may feel led to leave.  I want to be honest and open about this process.  I will remove mean or judgemental comments.  *****

New Chapter

Its been a long time.  I miss blogging.  Its always been my sanity.  I stopped mostly because my kids asked me to.  They did not want their antics available to the public.  I understood that and needed to respect that. 

There were a few downsides to not blogging though.  The biggest is not having the family history documented.  Even the kids regret this part.  The other is not having a place to process and work through my issues.  Writing really is how I best keep my emotional sanity.  And a journal just doesn't cut it for me. 

Life is to a point that I need to be writing again.  I am starting a new chapter and in true Jennifer fashion I feel the need to let it all hang out.  My hope is it will help me personally but it might also be helpful to others on the same journey.  No, I don't think I'm all that. But, I know I am not one to only talk about the positives or to show life only in the social media "best light." I'm hoping by chronicling this chapter honestly it will be useful. 

You are probably wondering what I'm talking about.  I'm having weight loss surgery, specifically gastric sleeve, on December 31.  I'm excited and terrified all at the same time.  It has been a long road to get to this point and I'm sure I'll get into that at some point.  But for now, that's the news - Weight loss surgery on New Year's Eve. 

Blog Bio from May 2016

I'm updating the blog bio for all of us, but after reading through the current one I decided I should post this one so that it did not get permanently lost.  Here it is:

This is what happens when two math geeks marry and have four kids!

Jenn
I am a stay at home mom. I love to quilt, sew, craft, blog and read. Sometimes I love to cook, sometimes I hate it, mostly because no one will help with menu planning but everyone complains about what I serve. I hate doing laundry and dishes. I love a good novel, but am not much of a non-fiction or literature reader . I love animals and rescue. In addition to our four two-legged kids, we also have three four-legged kids, plus an extra long term four-legged guest. Having a foster dog or two is not that unusual for us as I am a sucker for an animal in need. I love my kids and being a mom, except for when I want to run away from it all. In my next life I would like a clean house.

Michael
Our crazy leader. He loves all things Texas A&M (whoop!), college football, good beer, coaching kids sports, and his family. He even loves his wife enough to put up with all her crazy ideas, pets, and foster pets.

Sam-I-Am
Our firstborn Samuel Frank who died at birth in 1999. He was our gorgeous, curly, red-headed baby boy. He may not be with us on earth but he is still a big part of our family. We miss every day and love him very much.

Le President
Our oldest son Rehm. He is my walking encyclopedia. He loves politics, band, scouts, friends, school, learning, debating, leadership, and being right about everything, even when he's not. We affectionately call him Captain Oblivious because if there is something happening that he is not the center of he is completely clueless. He is currently binge watching The West Wing and mad that we didn't clue him in to the show ages ago. He only likes to read non-fiction, which I really don't understand.

Latte
Our oldest daughter. She is the most empathetic girl I know. She loves school, swim, dancing (even though she doesn't take lessons but will be part of the middle school team in the fall), performing, and all things social. She is loud and dramatic, mostly in a good way. She hates riding long distances in the car. She is as stubborn as her mother, especially when dealing with her mother.

Rubylicious
Our feisty second daughter. She is very dramatic. Her world is one of extremes. There is never any doubt about how Ruby feels about something or someone. She loves gymnastics, reading, friends, arts and crafts, making a mess, and her pets. Ruby is currently reading the Beverly Cleary Ramona series and the Junie B. Jones books.

DirtOur cautious third daughter. She is very sensitive and likes to do things in her own way and own time. She loves to play sports, any kind of competition, getting dirty, being tough, reading, playing with the neighbors, being in the middle of the action, choir, and scouts. She dislikes change of any kind for any reason. Eliza Claire is currently reading the Little House on the Prairie series and just finished the Percy Jackson series.

Updated May 2016

What is it They Say about Necessity and Invention?

Maybe in my case today it wasn't so much necessity as laziness.  I'll go with necessity and thinking outside the box though.

I have been working since we got home from 30 Days of Mayhem to get the new to me car titled and registered in Texas.  Today, I finally had all the documents and signatures needed to make it happen.  About the time I walked in the Tax Assessors office it occurred to me that I planned to mail the NC plates currently on the car back to my mom on my way home.  I did not bring a screw driver along to change said plates.  I decided to have a Scarlet moment and worry about it once I had the plates in my hand as I half expected to find out there was some hoop I had not jumped through that would prevent me from getting them today.

I only had to wait about 15 minutes to see the nice lady who could grant my wish of making my car a Texan.  Shockingly, I had everything needed and I walked out with Texas plates.  I still had no screw driver.  I stood in the parking lot and debated my options, for all of about 15 seconds.  I could drive home, change the plates and drive back to the post office that is maybe a half a mile from where I was currently standing.  I could run in the drug store across the street an buy a cheap screw driver that I would never use again.  I could go to the post office and hope I could use a coin or key to get the plates changed.  I chose option three.

You get lots of comments, offers of help and strange looks when you sit on the ground in a dress in the parking lot at the post office changing license plates on your car with a quarter.  I did have multiple people ask if I needed help.  I'll choose to believe they meant with changing the plates and not mental help.  The good news is it worked!  The NC plates are now on their way back to, well NC. They should even arrive a couple of days before they expire at the end of the month.

Note to self.  It might not be a bad idea to put a screw driver in the car.  You never know when you might need it.  But in a pinch a quarter isn't a bad substitute.

Jenn - the Improviser

What My Window Sill is Telling Me

It seems, unbeknownst to me, that I like to grow things. Who knew? Guess it is time to think about growing things outside instead of just by the kitchen sink.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

One Man's Trash...

Is another's treasure.

This morning on the way to drop off kids at school, I spotted a wooden box sitting out with someone's trash about a half a block from my house. It looked rustic and interesting. I thought if it was still there when I came home I might have to check it out.



I tried to talk myself out of going to get a closer look. But, I had something to mail and Pearl needed a walk so she would go potty. She is such a princess, she won't leave the patio if the grass is wet. It just so happened that the house with the box was the same direction as the mailbox.

As we passed the house I continued to try to talk myself out of the box. I mean what is the proper etiquette for taking someone's trash? Now, it's not like I was going through anyone's trash cans or bags. This was in plain sight and obviously part of their trash as it was sitting right up against a bag of trash.

Do you knock on the door and ask if they mind if you take their trash? Do you just grab it and go? I mean seriously, how awkward. I decided to grab and go.

Of course, I was walking so I had to carry it home. Nothing says trash re-homer quite like walking down the street with a wooden box, two dogs and a bag of poop.

I love it. I need to clean it a bit. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. My husband is going to roll his eyes and shake his head when he asks where it came from.












Am I the only one that checks out other people's trash and occasionally comes home with a piece?


Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

*the picture by the garbage cans is staged outside my house, even I'm not crazy enough to stand and take pictures of garbage outside someone else's house. You have to draw the line somewhere!

My Poor Husband

Michael is watching the Aggie game with me. My most recent comment was about how Stoops' sweatshirt makes him look like a random fan that wondered down to the sidelines and grabbed a headset. He doesn't look like a coach at all.

My comment prior to that was about not liking the helmet shields. I understand their purpose but if they are going to wear them they need to be antireflective so I can still actually see the players' faces instead of just the glare of the lights.

I've also complained about all the celebrating and showboating after any halfway decent play. It bugs the crap out of me. This is a team sport, not a "look how great I am sport." Granted this is as much a player coaching issue as a TV issue. If the stations didn't show it they wouldn't do it.

Now I have also commented on how well OU's offensive line is doing at protecting their quarterback and on the need for quicker and better tackling.

And it is only half time. I wonder what else I'll find to comment on before the game is over.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

A Few of My Favorite Things

My parents arrived a few days ago for a visit.  They brought with them some things from my grandmother's house.  Today I was finding places for a couple of them, 2 tobacco sticks and some well-worn flatware.

The tobacco sticks are very rustic and not really pretty at all.  Anyone who sees them will wonder what they are and why in the world I have them in my house. But, they remind me of what at the time I would have said was one of the worst experiences of my life and now look back on with nostalgia and longing.  I hated working in tobacco.  Getting up when it was still dark on a Saturday was just wrong!  It was dirty, and stinky, and sticky, and boring.  Now I think back to those times and find myself missing it and the people who helped out. 



The flatware reminds me of Sunday lunches with the entire family - grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  I was hand washing it this afternoon.  It felt so familiar to be washing and rinsing and drying these pieces.  Though I did think that to do it properly I should have been using two aluminum dish pans.

That is how my Granny always washed her dishes.  She had a farmhouse sink before it was the latest in kitchen decorating.  She did not find it convenient to wash dishes in.  She always set up two dish pans on the counter, one for washing and one for rinsing and did the dishes there.

On Sundays, someone would wash and a couple of us would dry.  Again, another dreaded chore.  And again, another one I miss.  I stored all the flatware in a flatware box that came with my current everyday flatware.  I have a goal to use it with some frequency.  I'm hoping we will get in the habit of using it at least weekly.






According the Mom the flatware was ordered using box tops off of "something."  She thinks it was cereal because that is the only packaged thing the bought regularly, but she can't believe they bought enough cereal to get all of the flatware.  She remembers helping fill out the order forms when she was a child, probably around the age of 10.

What I have realized with both items, it isn't the actual item that is important.  What is important are the people and memories they evoke.

Jenn

Rambling

Staring at the ceiling in the chiropractor's office while getting treatment on my neck. I'm bored and thought blogging might make the time go quicker.


Hmm, but what to write about. I'm going to go look at photos and see if anything sparks a topic.




Oh, this does. Do you know how thrilled it makes me to see Charlotte enjoying reading a chapter book independently? It is so huge for any child to find books that make them want to read. But I'm really overjoyed for Charlotte. She has worked really hard to get here. Her favorite chapter books right now are the Rainbow Fairies and Cam Jansen.




Laundry update. This is a typical view of Charlotte's clean laundry. Yes it drives me crazy. I'm learning to just close her door and not look.




This picture is from last week, I think. Poor Eliza Claire took quite a tumble on her scooter. Her poor loo was huge and ugly. Her gums were bruised and she had scrapes on her forehead, elbow and hip. She is all recovered now.

Table just turned off guess that means I should quit writing.

Jenn

Sewing

I got the crazy idea to personalize everyone's softball or baseball bag this season.  We've been playing baseball for seven years now.  I don't know why this season I felt the need for personalization.  It's not like we were losing bags left and right or anything.  In fact Ruby and Eliza Claire both got hand me down bags and the big kids got new bags.  Maybe that is what led to the idea.  I don't know. 

Ruby's bag

Charlotte's bag

Regardless, I got the idea to personalize each of the bags.  Off to Hobby Lobby I went.  I found stick/iron on lettering I liked for everyone.  Only problem was I knew I couldn't actually iron it on the fabrics I had as I knew it would melt.  Not to mention the fact that I like ironing about as much as I like sewing.  I'm horrible at ironing and never iron something without giving myself at least one awful, leaves a scar, burn.

 I was hoping that the stickiness would really be enough to hold it.  It wasn't.  So today I got out the trusty old mending box to sew the stupid things on.

Three stitches in to my first letter I had jabbed a needle all the way to the bone of my thumb and broken a needle!  That is when I remembered why I gave up sewing.  It's not that I don't know how to sew it is just that I don't do it enough to be good and proficient at it.  I grew up in a family with a mother and grandmother who were both great seamstresses.  My mother is currently shaking her head and disagreeing with my assessment of her talent, but she is underestimating herself.  I've never had to do my own sewing.  I don't enjoy it - I think because I always injure myself, or don't have what I need to do a job, or just don't do it frequently enough to have a good routine and work space.

I did not give up today.  I finished Ruby and Eliza Claire's bag.  And watch an episode of season one of Downton Abbey in the process.  I do have to admit that I kept thinking it would have made more sense to take them and have them embroidered but I guess there is some satisfaction in actually completing a project.  I guess...

I have not attached Rehm and Charlotte's lettering, yet.  I'm thinking I will take a Facebook friend's advice and give the old hot glue gun a try.  I can guarantee it will be much quicker.  And, burns are much better than puncture wounds. 



Here are some pictures from one of the treasures from my sewing box.  Yes, I'm sewing with needles from 1965.  Don't be jealous ladies, I also found a spool of thread that had a wooden spool - I'm sure it was even older than the needles.












I didn't make pictures of everyone's bags.  The twins will both be getting their monogram on their bags as I know they will be keeping the bags until the bags are trash.  The big kids are both getting their last initial with stars on either side.  That way when they outgrow the bags they can still be passed down to the little girls without anyone complaining about using a bag with someone else's name on it.  Yeah, I'm cheap and everything gets passed down.  God was even nice enough to give me two lefties and two righties so gloves and all get passed down.

Jenn- Posted from my iPhone

Discussions in the Car

Driving in the car I had a 20 minute 9/11 discussion with the three girls. That discussion was sparked by driving by the building that Joseph Stack flew into that is currently being rebuilt.

Rehm was reading the Blue Bonnet award winning book Out of Her Mind. It must be a really good book because normally he would dominate a 9/11 discussion.

Then this conversation took place.

Eliza Claire: Mom, did you go to college?

Me: Yep.

Eliza Claire: Really? And your still just a plain, old mom?

Me: Yep.


I'm sure I should have taken this opportunity to talk about all the different career choices I could be making. Or discussed the value of an education in and of itself. Or discussed the fact that I have had a career in the past and may have another in the future. Or discussed the fact that there is no such a thing as a "plain, old Mom." Or discussed the fact that I'm not old... You get the idea.

But today, I simply owned my choices and felt no need to justify or defend them. And, you know what? I'm perfectly happy being "a plain, old mom" right now.



Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

A New Approach to Eating

I've been trying for 5 years to loose my twin weight. I've tried several different things in that time all with various degrees of success.  No matter what I've tried I have not been able to lose the last 20 to 30 pounds.  I have tried doing it myself with just watching what I eat.  I have tried Weight Watchers multiple times.  I have tried Alli.  I have tried exercising.  I have tried ignoring it and doing nothing.

Finally after no success with any of the above mentioned plans I decided to try something different.  I decided to try Slow Carb.  It is the eating plan from the book The Four Hour Body. 

Now, if you go look up the book on Amazon you are going to immediately think that it sounds crazy, wacky even. And you are going to think the guy who wrote it must be certifiable.  I thought exactly the same thing.  The book kept showing up in the top 100 list on Amazon.  I kept reading the description and thinking, I just want to read this to see what it could possibly say, it sounds crazy - it's got to be an entertaining read.  Finally I broke down and bought it.  After reading about half of the book I still stand by my original thoughts that the guy who wrote it is crazy and there is a lot in the book that seems way out there to me.  But I kept coming back to the diet - even though on initial reading I thought it was crazy too.

Finally, since nothing else was working I decided I had nothing to lose and decided to try the Slow Carb diet for a day.  After a day, I decided to try it for a week.  At the end of week one I had lost five pounds.  At that point I decided to try for a complete month.  After two months, I've lost 16 pounds.  The most success I've had since having the twins five years ago.  I want to lose at least that much more and then who knows.

So what is the Slow Carb diet?  It is really very simple.  Six days out of the week you eat only protein, legumes and veggies. Since everyone asks, that really does mean no fruit, no starches like potatoes, and no dairy.  It also means very little artificial sweetener.  On day seven you eat anything you want.  Yes, I eat beans three times a day.  Yes, even for breakfast.  Yes, I only have at most one Diet Coke a day and many weeks none.  On my cheat day, Michael calls it my Jubilee Day, I truly eat whatever I want.  So far that consists of mostly pizza, cheese and chips.

After two months, I've found that I have a different relationship with food.  I'm not constantly trying to figure out what sounds good or thinking about the next thing I want to eat.  I'm not trying to figure out how many points I've eaten or how many I have left.  Food is no longer interesting to me, except on Jubilee Day.  This has stopped a lot of snacking or eating out of boredom or when stressed, etc.

I've also found that six days out of seven I eat much healthier than I ever have.  I now go out of my way to have veggies!  Those of you who know me know just how amazing that is for me. Food is no longer about what sounds/tastes good but is now simple about what is available that is on my eating plan. My parents just visited for two weeks and my Mom commented more than once about how crazy it was to see what was on my plate. 

The down side is that I don't really enjoy cooking anymore as it is now much less interesting.  This is a bummer for me as I love to cook but have no desire to now that food is just about not being hungry.  My family is missing all of the fresh baked bread and getting tired of chili.

Is this a magic combination of food?  Nope.  Do I think everyone should eat this way?  Nope.  Do I think it is better than any other plan out there? Nope.  At the end of the day, it is just another way to limit the calories you eat each day.  And right now, it is the way that is actually working for me. 

I have no idea how long I will continue to eat this way but for now I love the results, and by that I mean all of them, not just the weight loss.

Jenn

Reading the Bible in 90 Days? Seriously?

Over 350 people from our church are participating in The Bible in 90 Days program this summer.  When it was first announced I thought "no way!"  How in the world would I read the entire Bible in 90 days?  Over the summer no less, with four kids to occupy. 

I've made an effort in the last year to get out of my comfort zone and push myself physically and emotional.  I've also made it a priority to understand who I am and what I am capable of and stopped beating myself up about not doing everything.  In this year of self discovery, I've determined that I am very much the tortoise and not the hare.

I can't do things in a fast and furious manner.  Especially when starting a new habit.  If I do, I burn out in a week or two and then feel like a failure when I don't stick to the new regimen.  I have found that I do better to make small goals and build on them.

For example, I started doing the Couch to 5K program in mid-March. The first day I almost talked myself out of doing it because I truly didn't believe I could do it.  But I realized I would definitely fail, if I didn't try and trying alone was a success in and of itself. I should have completed the program as of this week.  I'm not quite halfway.  Do I feel like I have failed?  Nope, because I have tried something new and stuck with it for nine weeks.  Will I ever complete the program and run a 5K?  Probably, but if I don't, I have still been successful. I've tried something way outside my comfort zone and given it my best effort.  I'm slow, but I'm doing it in a way that works for me and who I am.  

My personal motto this year has become, "I am tortoise hear me...plod."  Yep, boring and down right anti-climatic, but completely and totally who I am.  Progress, no matter how slow, change, no matter how small, are my successes. 

How does someone who has embraced taking the slow and steady approach to the world end up committing to read the Bible in 90 days? I don't really know. My first response to my Bible Study group was, "I'm the tortoise not the hare and this is totally the hare's approach.  I'm scared!"

I am scared.  I am a tortoise.  I am a slow reader.  I don't do well with big change.  This is a big change, requiring about 45 minutes of reading every day for 90 days! I've never read the Bible all the way through.  I've read chunks but never the whole thing.  I've failed at so many projects that required me to jump in with both feet and do something different.

I'm also very excited.  I'm out of my comfort zone and I've learned this year that is a good place for me to be.  I am growing and stretching and challenging myself by attempting something I don't feel capable of doing.  I feel empowered by trying something new and by testing myself. 

I'm four days in to the reading.  I've completed Genesis.  All the stories were familiar but this is the first time in my life I've read every last single word in Genesis and I did it in 4 days!

Will I complete this journey in 90 days?  I intend to.  Will I be a better person for doing this? Yes!  I will have accomplished something that I didn't think I was capable of and I know God will stretch me spiritually through this process as well.  I am excited.  I am the tortoise but for the next 86 days I will be impersonating the hare.

Wish me luck and say a prayer for my endurance.  I'm sure I'll be posting more about it as the summer progresses.

Jenn

PS. I'll be posting on Facebook everyday when I complete my reading.  This is my way of being accountable during the process.

Grumpy Snakes Running Club

I call it a running club, but I use the terms running and club loosely.  About two months ago I decided to start the Couch to 5K program.  It is a nine week program that takes you from not running to being able to complete a 5k.  The program uses walking and running intervals to get you accustomed to running.  You start out alternating between running 60 seconds and walking 90 seconds.  Every week your increase the amount of time you spend running.  I had a couple of different Facebook friends who started this program before I did.  They kept posting their work outs and I decided I should give it a try.  If it were not for Facebook I would have never tried of doing this.

I downloaded an app for my iPhone (C25K).  I love it because it tells me when to run and walk - I don't have to keep up with anything and it allows me to make notes on each days exercise so I can see my progress.  I will say that I had been working out regularly for 6 or so months prior to starting the program and the first week I thought I would die!  OK, and the second week, too! So I don't truly believe you could go from being a complete couch potato to doing this program, maybe I'm wrong but I'm just giving you my experience.

I am currently stuck on week 4.  Actually I alternate between week 2 and week 4.  And honestly I still can't complete week 4 as it is laid out.  It has two different five minute running intervals and two that are three minutes.  I can't do the five minute ones so I cut them down to 3 or 4 minutes each.  I am making progress and I will complete week 4 this month!  But, I've decided that this is more a process than a goal. I do not see it as failure that I'm stuck.  I see it as success that I haven't given up.  Will I eventually finish the program? You bet!  Will I finish it in 9 weeks? Definitely not!  Am I enjoying the challenge and process? Wholeheartedly!  Will I eventually run a real 5K? I don't know.

I do my running outside on a wonderful local trail.  One of the things I love so much about the trail is all of the nature I see.  Wildflowers, Squirrels, scorpions, fish, cardinals, water birds, turtles and snakes seem to be the most common.  The snakes have one spot that they always hang out.  At least 75% of the time I can find at least one, sometimes several.  I hate snakes!  They give me the heebeejeebees.  But I love looking for them on my runs.  Luckily they are water snakes and are a good 20 feet or so away when I see them. 

Since my kids refer to my working out as "Mommy getting her grumpies out," and I always look for the snakes on my jaunts down the trail the name Grumpy Snakes Running Club seemed appropriate.  And you all know, I have to name everything.  Now I just need the t-shirt...

This series of pictures is of one of the skinnier species of snakes I see.  I happened to catch this one on the move.  

If anyone knows what kind of snakes these are please let me know.  I have no idea but am curious.

Jenn

PS.  These pictures did not come from a Grumpy Snakes outing.  One morning while doing Grumpy Snakes, I saw a big snake covered in moss or other green stuff.  I was so annoyed that I couldn't get a good picture of it with my phone, that when I got finished running, I came home and got my good camera with the good super zoom lens.  By the time I got back, the moss covered snake was gone or had washed off the moss and these two snakes were in its place.  In the course of taking these pictures my camera "broke," the manual focus/auto focus button literal came off my lens.  The pictures are not as good as I wanted them to be but the best I could do given the circumstances.  I wish my good camera wasn't so heavy so I could run with it every day and capture all the fun things I see.  I have taken my lens to be repaired and am anxiously awaiting its return.

What happens when Mom takes a nap

I fell asleep sitting on the couch after the bigs got home from school. I heard someone put something in the microwave and assumed they had decided to have popcorn for snack. A few minutes later I smelled burning popcorn. I rushed to the microwave to get it out and found this.





This used to be two turkey hotdogs. Someone decided to cook them for snack. Said child set the microwave for TEN minutes. I'm not sure how long they actually cooked. Needless to say we have several windows open and our house stinks. The child in question has been reminded that they are only allowed to cook with adult supervision. I'm just glad nothing worse happened.

Sad thing is I'm still sleepy and now a nap is out of the question.


Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

New Do

I finally got around to getting a much needed hair cut last week. My stylist did a fabulous job. So glad to have a regular stylist I love again.
Before



After



Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Another Laundry Update

After the initial reading of the memo and the initial round of questions, all four children decided to sign the memo to show that they understood the changes.  I don't know why they decided to do this, I did not ask them to.  I do know it was Charlotte's idea.

That first night when preparing clothing to go in the laundry I got several questions on how to turn things right-side-out (from the twins) and asked to check that they had done it correctly.  Rehm came up and said, "you don't mean socks, right?"  I responded, "if you want me to wash them I do!" 

Eliza Claire had an accident in the middle of the night.  She came in our room crying, not because she had an accident but because she couldn't get her wet pajama pants turned right-side-out for the laundry! 

From all their reactions to these new laundry rules you would think I had yelled, screamed, burned laundry in the front yard, or done something else spectacular to get their attention.  It is amazing what a simple direct note can do.

I do have a small pile of rejected laundry in the laundry room but for the most part they are doing a great job complying with the new rules. 

Jenn

In an Effort to Avoid Hypocrisy

When the kids were babies and pre-verbal they would change their schedule or needs in some major way with no warning leading to a difficult period while I tried to figure out the changes. During these times I always longed for my working days when major changes in my job responsibilities or working conditions would be, at a minimum, preceded by a memo explaining the coming change. I always lamented that "I wished I had received the memo" during these times with the the kids.

Today while doing laundry I realized change was in order. In an effort to not spring something on the children without warning or without my expectations clearly stated I created this memo today.




And I placed it in a spot they can't miss it when they come home from school.




Why don't I think they'll appreciate my efforts for full disclosure?
Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

PS.  I've added a new door mat to my shopping list.

The problem with being an ostrich

I know I'm not the only one who does this or the only one who knows better than to do this. It is never a good idea, so why do I do it? You know, ignore a problem. The kind of problem that you know is a problem but since you don't know the solution to the problem you ignore it and hope it goes away? Tell me not the only one to do this.

Current problem: moldy passports, wills and birth certificates!

How it happened: I don't know!

Cause: the last two passports we received.

After receiving new passports in 2005 and 2006 we did the responsible thing and stored them in our fire proof box with our other important documents. The next time I had to get something out I noticed a little mold on the two new ones and thought it was strange but not knowing really what to do about it threw the passports in a zip top bag and put them back in the box. Then I promptly forgot all about the problem.

Last week I opened the box to look for birth certificates so I can register Ruby and Eliza Claire for kindergarten and found this mess. One I can no longer ignore.









Luckily, I have a dear friend who is an archivist. I sent her pictures and pleaded for help. Why I didn't do this when I first noticed the mold is beyond me. Thanks to her advice all the documents are now sitting in pans with kitty litter to dry out and then be cleaned. I still don't
understand why the new passports had moisture in them or how something molds in an airtight box. So annoying. Almost as annoying as realizing my "new" five year old passport has never been used. That must be rectified before it expires!

Oh, I didn't find the girls' birth certificates which means I never ordered them when they were born. Just one more thing to add to the to do list. Good thing kindergarten registration is still a month away. Oh, I need to remember to get their immunizations, too.

Does the to do list ever quit growing?
Jenn - Posted from my iPhone