RMS Snowdrop

I CAN do anything for 21 days, it's just hard

2010-01-11T13:22:00.003-05:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again – Losing weight sucks. I've learned I'm not very good at it. I am good at eating yummy foods, sitting on my butt, complaining about being overweight, eating yummy foods, being lazy, spending way too much time on the computer, and did I say eating yummy foods?

I do have a tiny update though. I lost 5 pounds. Woot. That only gets one woot because I should be much farther along. Rrrrrrrr!!!!! I don't wanna exercise! Actually, that's not true. Once I get up and start doing it I kind of enjoy it but it's the getting up part that I don't wanna do. I can't stand whiney weight loss blogs so I'll stop whining and let you in on how I lost 5 pounds. I started using the Wii Fit Plus – I told Hubby that Reyna (12 year old kid) wanted it for Christmas. At least I think she said she wanted it… that may have been me wishing hopefully. I don't recommend using it on carpet then switching to using it on wood floors. Somehow I gained 28 lbs in 9 days according to the Wii. Ummm, I don't think so. No wonder it said my BMI was way under! I only use it on the wood now. I like it but don't like how you spend 30 minutes on it but half of that is reading all the little tips and instructions and clicking around to the different exercises. I also don't like how every time I add a new exercise, it makes me do ALL the ones I just finished, Ok, so that's actually a good feature because I get a better workout, but still.

What else? Hmmm, oh, I cut soda out and I am back to booty shakin' when I clean and do laundry which is always fun except when my teen or tween walk around the corner. I also broke down and joined AnyTime Fitness since my free membership was up. It'll be a week tomorrow – guess I better drive over there soon and start using it. I love how, since I'm paying for it now, I can use any location across the US. So if I decide to go to Rhode Island and they have one I can swipe my little key and take my happy butt for a workout! Or, I can use the one downtown (9.1 mi away) when I workout with my fabulous trainer Douglas. Better yet, when I decide not to get my ass kicked I can travel a whopping 1.6 mi to the one right down the road. So no excuses right? Hahaha, I have 4 kids and ADD. I'm the Queen of Excuses. Oh, and I love that they don't have daycare. It gives me a few more minutes to myself where I can make a phone call or sing loudly with no interruptions or complaints.

We'll see how this goes especially since I have only 13 days till my Mom's Night Out where I want to look hot and 21 days till Jan. 31st. Think I can lose 17 lbs by then? Yeah, me neither but I'll give it a try anyway – kinda.

On a side note, my amazing sister-in-law has lost 30 lbs!!!!! All because I started this ‘lil blog about getting off my butt and losing weight. I'm very proud of her and knowing I gave her motivation makes my heart smile.

I can do anything for 27 days

2010-01-05T13:12:00.006-05:00

I started January with "I can do anything for 31 days". But, I didn't really do much but kinda watch what I ate. Oh, yeah, then there was the day Kelly wanted McD's breakfast and well, I just can't pass up a sausage, egg, and cheese bagel. I didn't eat much the rest of the day though! Why am I blogging about losing weight? Are you checking the year on here? Yeah, that's right, it really is January 2010 and I really am blogging about losing weight- again. Why? Because after winning Sexy by Summer I sat on my ass the other half of the year and it all came back . So, now I'm trying to lose as much weight as I can before January 31st. It took me, no that's not right, I took 6 months to get it off the first time and I refuse to take that long again. I know it's supposedly healthier to only lose 1 pound a week but if everyone followed that no one would ever get thinner till they had one or both feet in the grave. The contestants on The Biggest Loser lose 1-14 pounds a week and they're all ok! So, here we go again- speedy version this time. Below are my newest bathing suit before pictures. I know, they're disgusting and the only ones who will be completely honest about how chunky I've gotten are my two beloved sisters-in-law. For those of you who don't know me, this is HUGE for me. Normally I would look way cute and sexy in this bikini which, by the way, is the one I bought to wear after the Sexy by Summer contest. Nope, never got to wear it. So, you've had fair warning, look at your own risk.

I'm off to get my fat, chunky ass on my new Wii fit then head down to AnyTime Fitness to sign up for a membership. Hopefully since I'm paying for it I'll actually get off my butt and use it.

Back on the weight loss wagon

2009-10-26T14:36:00.002-04:00

After gaining back 13 of the 17 pounds I'd lost the first half of the year, I'm back on a meal plan and working out with my amazing trainer, Douglas. The meal plan he gave me this time is much more bearable and has more foods on it that I like. I still can't get him to put pizza, cookies, and Mc Donald's on there though. I'll keep trying.

Last Friday I worked out with him for the first time in about 7-8 months. He almost killed me. I did make sure, at the beginning of the workout, that he knew where the defibrillator was...just in case. I did a high intensity interval workout on the stair climber. My heart rate wasn't supposed to go over 170- um, yeah, I was a bit more out of shape than we thought when it reached 196. He almost didn't let me finish but I only had one more minute of the intense part and then I was free to cool down- or die, whichever came first.

The good news was my body would burn fat for the next 16 hours. How cool is that? So I'm headed to go jog around on the mini-trampoline for a bit before I head to the gym to have him kill me again. I only have 6 more days to look fabulously hot in my pink pirate costume. I'm not holding my breath.

I tried to order the body, too, but the shipping was too pricey.

Looking for a personal trainer in Tampa, Fl?

2009-10-16T18:39:00.001-04:00

Thank you,
Douglas Zimmerman C.E.S.
www.BodyByDouglas.com
800.637.8113

Give a kid a camera

2009-10-14T16:37:00.007-04:00

My kids love to walk around and take random pictures with their sister's cameras. Recently my oldest daughter's friend placed a camera in his tuba for the halftime show at his football game. It's pretty cool to see the show from the player's perspective. I thought I'd share some of the ones that made me laugh out loud. *disclaimer- this pics were taken by my kids or kids I know. They were not taken from random websites so do not belong in the Finds From the Web category.

Ride for diabetes

2009-10-04T09:48:00.002-04:00

I just received this email from one of my cousins and wanted to pass it along to the world:

Hey everyone, hope all is well. We just wanted to give you all an update on the benefit ride that we are doing. I'm sure most of you knew my father, Dennis. For those of you who don't, he was a wonderful husband and father. On September 12, 2000, he past away of diabetes. Again, for those of you who aren't familiar with diabetes, diabetes is a very debilitating disease. Diabetes is the number one cause of heart disease and blindness in the United States, among many other painful and heart wrenching problems.

So a couple of months ago, Ricky and I decided to do a ride (motorcycle) for diabetes. We've talked to the American Diabetes Association and they are having a walk for diabetes on October 24, 2009, and they want our ride to kick off their walk! We have gotten numerous merchandise donations from local bike shops for our raffle that we are holding for the ride. We are also charging a $10 per bike fee, and we are going to have a 50/50 raffle, and are having food and drinks. I have also gotten my college involved in this ride/walk. ALL OF THE PROCEEDS THAT WE RAISE ARE GOING TO THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION!!!!

The reason for this e-mail is to let you know what we are doing, and also to give you the link for our web-site if you would like to participate. We know times are tough right now, but every little bit helps. We are splitting what we raise between the diabetes children's camp here in Kentucky and the other half towards finding a cure for diabetes, it will all go towards research for finding a cure for this disease. For those of you who have already donated, we can't thank you enough! Not only does it mean the world to Ricky,me, and my family; but I know it means the universe to all of those with diabetes! I know what we are doing may seem small, but we believe that all the contributions we raise will make a huge difference. So please help us succeed in our dream. Thank you for you time, we love and miss you all!

Love, Jessica, Ricky, and Jilyian

And the link to our page where you can donate, or just to look around is;

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/StepOut/StepOut184308010?team_id=387509&pg=team&fr_id=6392

Diabetes is becoming more and more common. One of the best ways to help is to provide money for research and one day hopefully a cure. I encourage you to open your heart and donate or hop on your Harley and join the ride!

Today I'm taking my life back

2009-10-01T13:15:00.001-04:00

I'm sick and tired of having Adult ADD and letting it control my life. I'm tired of hiding behind it and using it as an excuse. I'm done. Rx or no Rx this is MY life. I refuse to let my ADD run it anymore.

My house and life are a mess because I can't ever finish anything. I say I'm going to do something then never do it. Adult ADD sufferers don't get personal assistants no matter how badly we need them. I have pieces of paper and notes in my phone for things I'm supposed to remember but forget to check them. I've gone into my kitchen more than 10 times this morning to clean it but wander out to do something else and forget to go back and finish it. I'm trying to do laundry, clean the playroom, the kid's rooms, the dining room, my room all at the same time. It's incredibly overwhelming. So much so that I usually wind up giving up. Not today.

Today I'm going back into the kitchen I still need to find Maggie's bottle. I'm going to wash all the glasses without stopping I need to clean the fridge out. I need to make my bed remember to get the trash bags out of Rach's room . I still need to go through the toys for the toy swap I need to clean the laundry room first so I have a place to put ugh the car port really needs to be swept. I'll just sit down and check my email really quick Rrrrrr, my desk is a mess and needs yikes! kids have started to take over my hutch which is the one place in the house I declared as mine man, I never did get to watch the Special Edition Titanic DVD Kai gave me for Christmas last year where did all my pens go? Carey needs to memorize another book to read since he's mastered the Hot Dog book.

Why all the colors? That's how my mind works in less than two minutes. Every color is a new thought, many aren't even finished before a new one starts. Many times it's even worse. Sometimes it's not being able to concentrate one minute to the next. This isn't just "where did I put my keys?" or walking from one room to another and not remembering why you were going there. For me, and parents like me, it's almost a disability. We feel alone, helpless, like we're the only ones going through this. Which is why I'm sharing.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, if someone you know is telling you about themselves having Adult ADD PLEASE do NOT say, "Oh, that happens to me maybe I have ADD!" and laugh. It's not a laughing matter to us. It's next to impossible to get a doctor to diagnose us with this. I heard "Oh, you're just a mom of 3" from three different doctors until finally someone listened when I was pregnant with my 4th. Now my life growing up makes so much more sense- my grades in school, my personality, and my relationships with others. I understand so much more now that I know I was growing up with ADD.

That being said. I'm going into my kitchen, putting a chair in front of the gate as a reminder to not walk out until it's finished. And I'm setting the timer for 20 minutes as well.

Today I'm conquering my ADD and I'm taking my life back.

Mom website-aholics 12 Step Program

2009-09-23T17:54:00.003-04:00

1. We need to admit that we are powerless over our mom website, that our household messes have become unmanageable- but we don't feel like it.

2. We should come to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore our sanity- but we don't want to, plus we enjoy our insanity.

3. We're supposed to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him- but God is too busy to plan play dates and Mom's Night Outs for us.

4. We may have to make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. But that would take time away from starting discussions and posting.

5. We will admit to our DH's, DD's, DS's, LO's, SO's, BF's*, ourselves, and to other human acronyms the exact nature of our wrongs- wait, it's wrong to be a mom website addict?

6. We are entirely ready to have God remove all the defects of character- screw that, we're happy with our defective addiction.

7. We could humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings but the keyboard doesn't have any more room for "F" buttons.

8. When we find the time, we'll make a list of all the persons we've ~~harmed~~ blown off and become willing to make amends to them all- as long as they agree to join our mom website.

9. When we're finished going through all our open tabs with discussions we must comment on we will make amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others- or if there's a chat and win contest going on.

10. We will continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it- then immediately start a new discussion to vent about it.

11. We'll seek through ~~prayer~~ discussions to improve our conscious contact with ~~God~~ our mom website as we understand it, ~~praying~~ commenting on our knowledge of ~~His will for us~~ our growing ability to navigate the site with ease and the power to become an expert poster.

12. If we ever decide to pull ourselves away from our mom website we'll have a spiritual awakening as a result of completing these steps- and a cleaner house. We'll try to carry this message to new members, to practice these principles in all affairs, and to drag whoever we can deep into the depths of the mom website addiction.

Adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc by Kaytii Angel

* DH- dear husband, DD- dear daughter, DS- dear son, LO- little one, SO- significant other, BF- boyfriend

History of the Hula Hoop

2009-09-17T23:16:00.002-04:00

Wham-O can't claim to be the inventor of the Hula Hoop. That right belongs to the Egyptians who shaped grape vines into circles. Children rolled them, tossed them, and swung them around their hips. The Greeks used them to lose weight. The British blamed back problems and heart attacks on hula hooping in the 1400's. The Japanese banned them comparing them to the improper Elvis's hip shaking. And Russia thought they were "the emptiness of American culture."

But what defined the popularity of the phenomenon? The 50's. Australian businessman Alex Tolmer started selling plastic hoops at his department store, Toltoys, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica. Wham-O bought the rights, trademarked the name and sold 20 million hoops in six months- for $1.98 in 1958. Thanks to cheap plastic and Wal Mart, you can still buy them for that price. Or you can spend a couple of dollars extra for a higher quality, sturdier hoop.

The Hula Hoop is making a comeback since it's extreme popularity in the 50's. It's become a fun cardio exercise as well as a way to tone muscles. Hooping groups are forming everywhere across the United States. I hate to exercise so I try to find things that intrest me. I love my dance DVD's and my stability ball. Now I love my Hula Hoop.

Buying one has not only helped me, it's helping my 12 and 15 year old daughter's as well. After telling Kelly, the older one, that I'd hooped for 10 minutes without dropping she issued a challenge. She wanted to see which of us could hoop longer. She beat me by two and a half minutes but only because I had to put my younger two to bed- after one hour of hooping. Yeah, that's right- one hour. After doing this research I discovered 600 calories can be burned in an hour. WOW! I'm sure it requires much more physical exerction than I did but it's very promising!

I'm looking forward to another fabulous adventure of toning and weight loss- but tons of fun. Care to go hooping with me?

Hula Hoop

The History of the Hula Hoop

A new fitness craze- Hula Hooping?

Open your hearts to a stranger

2009-09-11T18:09:00.014-04:00

I was recently made aware of a post on a site called MomsLikeMe.com. An excited mom, Shauna, posted a discussion on the Tampa Bay site announcing her engagement. She soon received many congratulations from several moms. It wasn't until Shauna posted that she wanted her friend, Angela, to be her maid of honor "if we can get her out here" that the moms realized Shauna lived in Texas. Originally, Shauna wanted to get married on 10/10/10 but since her fiance, Derrick's, best friend was being deployed overseas, they moved the date to 10/24/09. The date worked for the best man but not for the maid of honor. The final date was set for 11/1/09. With the date set, Shauna posted the following discussion on the Tampa Bay site:

I am moving up the wedding by a year due to Derricks Best Friend being sent to Afganastan. I REALLY want Angela out here for this day. Is there anyone who might have frequent Flyer Miles they could maybe spare so i can get her out here. I know its ALOT to ask but we are very strapped for money with moving this up. My Family really isnt helping out so we are doing everything. If anyone has ideas or can help in anyway that would be GREAT! Thanks again for everyones help!

Immediately ideas started pouring in for inexpensive flights. No one had any frequent flyer miles but one mom suggested setting up a paypal account for anyone who wanted to donate money. Moms quickly started sending donations each expressing how much they wished they could give more. Others started suggesting locations and ways to have a frugal wedding. Some had met Angela at various MomsLikeMe activities but none had ever met Shauna since she lives in Texas. These moms were opening their hearts to a stranger. One mom decided to take things into her own hands. Faith marched over to the Dallas MomsLikeMe.com site and posted this:

HI There,

My name is Faith and I am part of the Tampa Bay site and love it. I have had such a fun summer and have met some amazing moms and kids from our site. Recently, I read a post from one of your members, Shauna, who was so excited to be newly engaged and was planning a wedding for November 1st, 2009. Some of the amazing Tampa moms were willing to donate some money to try and get enough funds together to have Shauna's best friend from Tampa flown out for the wedding........

Well.... to cut a long story short, Shauna has decided to postpone the wedding due to lack of funds. I was thinking to myself..... surely there must be some moms/people/organizations willing to help out Shauna in her time of need. Is there anybody out there on this site in Dallas/Ft. Worth or through any connections that could help out Shauna with: Flowers, finger foods, photography in order for her still to have her wedding on November 1st, 2009 it would be amazing for her. The Tampa moms jump at the chance to help out their fellow site members and am hoping that there maybe somebody in Texas that would like to help out their fellow mom too. Thanks for taking the time to read my message. Please post if you are able to help her out... Thanks from Tampa - Faith

Hope you don't mind me jumping onto your site to post this......

The response was dismal. One mom offered to do a home party for the bachelorette party and a couple others suggested websites with tips for having an inexpensive wedding.

Then Shauna surprised everyone by posting the following:

Hi Ladies I wanted to update everyone on what is going on. We are putting off the wedding due to finances. Everyone should be getting a refund on the money you sent to send Angie out here. I thank you all for your help with this. Im sorry to have put everyone in a spot. Thanks again for everything!

Faith and the other Tampa Bay moms did not accept this new news. Another mom,Kathryn, suggested Shauna put the paypal account back up and see what could be done to get the wedding paid for plus fly Angela out. Faith started a new post on the Tampa Bay site to let them know the latest news of the account being reposted. Frustrated with the lack of help from the Dallas moms, Kathryn all but instigated a showdown between the two sites. Crickets were all that could be heard from Dallas while a noise level that would rival any rock concert was pouring from Tampa Bay. Money, dresses, flowers, guest books, cake toppers galore were being offered to make sure this wedding happened....for a stranger. Shauna and Angela were left speechless and humbled. After hearing about this amazing show of compassion, I knew I had to let the world know. There is so much evil and destruction going on in the world today. It seems negativity has taken over our newspapers, magazines, television, and the internet. It's these little stories of hope, love, and compassion that need to make the headlines. This gives people the warm fuzzy feelings that can ooze across the world if people choose to share, to care, and to give.

I implore you to join me and these selfless moms in a quest to make a dream come true. Oprah does it, Ellen does it, now we can too. Be a part of joining this couple, their family, and their best friends on a joyous day they will remember for the rest of their lives. No one is asking for anyone to go broke in donating. It's amazing how quickly $20, $10, $5, and even $1 can add up. In just 2 days, they raised $80 before deciding to cancel. The account is back up and ready for you to give if you choose.

Join me in opening our hearts to a stranger. Click- Derrick and Shauna- A lifetime of love.

Steven Curtis Chapman, Bio Dad, and Me

2009-09-11T12:36:00.002-04:00

I recently discovered that blogspot counts "drafts" as posts. My 100th post was most likely 90-something. I'm getting close to 200 so today I decided to start going through my drafts to either finish or delete them. I'm not sure why I never posted this one as it was pretty much finished. This was a very special day for me that I will always remember:

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of spending the day with my biological dad. If this is your first time visiting my blog let me catch you up to speed (if you've followed all along bear with me for a moment). I was adopted when I was two days old. I started searching for my biological mother when I turned 18 and 17 years later, I finally found her. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever meet my biological father as most do not want to be found. A year later, we've developed a wonderful relationship and I am blessed to have him in my life.

I love, love, love Steven Curtis Chapman and was ultra excited when I found out he was coming to Glory at the Gardens at Busch Gardens. I sent bio dad an email and asked him if he wanted to come. He did! We got there early so we could walk around the park for a while. I got him on my favorite roller coaster, Montu, and it was a blast-at least for me. Then we wandered through the animals leading Kelly, my fifteen year old daughter, on a wild goose chase as she tried to catch up with us. She was there with a friend. Eventually she found us at the hippos which is my favorite animal. I could stay there all day (which you kind of have to if you want to see them doing anything exciting). The three of us wandered through the park giving bio dad a chance to get to know Kelly without my other three kids around. I don't know how to explain their relationship before then. It's not that they didn't get along they just didn't have an opportunity to really learn more about each other. On this day they talked and bio dad was able to watch the unique relationship Kelly and I have with each other.

On our way to the concert area we passed Sheikra, my second favorite roller coaster. Since I usually have the little kids with me I don't get to ride it often. Kelly convinced bio dad to ride it even though he thought he would have a heart attack and die. We only ride in the front so we can look down the 200 feet of track which is at a ninety degree angle. They dangle you like that for about 5 seconds then let you go. I scream the whole way down...every time. Bio dad liked this one, too.

Eventually we made out way to the concert area. We were a few minutes late but I now know that it was part of a plan God had. I'd mentioned in an earlier post that I'd said something that ticked bio dad off. We talked about it on the phone before he picked me up and touched on it a little while we walked around the park. Just after we walked in Steven Curtis Chapman started to sing a song called "God is God."

Here are the lyrics:

And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don't know

And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He's painting
God is God and I am man
So I'll never understand it all
For only God is God

And the sky begins to thunder
And I'm filled with awe and wonder
Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I

Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He's painting
God is God and I am man
So I'll never understand it all
For only God is God

Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through Him and from Him are all things

So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone

This touched us in a way I wish I could explain. It really puts your life into perspective. For those who think they know it all, can do whatever they want with out thinking about repercussions, who think only of themselves, who believe they are in control, you're not. God, or whatever higher power you believe in, that is who is in control.

Specific memories of that day have already begun to fade but the memory of walking into that field during this song with a man I never thought I'd meet and have come to love- that memory will be with me forever.

Taking a break...

2009-09-10T17:36:00.002-04:00

All this Alzheimer's research is doing a number on me. I'm exhausted and depressed both which are risk factors in developing the disease. Sooooo, it's time to do a little giggling!

I'm shifting through my notebooks, little pieces of paper, and "notes" app on my phone to put together funny little things that have happened in the last week. Well, at least I thought they were funny. You may read them and think they are dull. If that's the case, I'm sorry you and I don't share the same sense of humor. It just proves mine's better!

_____________________________________________________________

So, last night Kelly, my 15 year old, came in and asked me for help with her Algebra 2 homework- something about slopes. I looked at it and said, "Ugh. I'm not good at this kind of math." Kelly replied, "You're bad at everything that involves math." Well then why the hell did she ask me for help??

_____________________________________________________________

I keep looking at this note I wrote to myself- "takes few minutes to reset dates on bottom." Apparently it was important because I wrote it down but I can't, for the life of me, remember what the heck it means.

_____________________________________________________________

My five year old son, Carson, was mad because I didn't let him go through the baby gate to put his scooter in the living room (I did it for him). "Mommy yo-" he started to say. I cut him off telling him, "Watch your mouth!" To which he replied, "But I can't see my mouth."

_____________________________________________________________

Caron: Why is Daddy so grumpy?

Me: I don't know

Carson: Maybe he's got his feather's in a bunch.

_____________________________________________________________

Hubby and I were both kissing our three year old, Maisie, good night at the same time. "U bowff wuv me," she said, then "more kisses." We kissed her several more times. "Ok, that's enough," she declared. Awwww.

____________________________________________________________

I took Maisie on a play date to the mall yesterday with several of my friends and their kids. One of the moms said, "Kaytii, watch." So I turned around and watched Maisie holding hands with two of her friends on top of a giant hamburger. They counted to three and jumped off. Maisie landed on her face. I turned around to look at one of the moms and she's trying hard not to laugh. "I swear they did it perfectly three times just before!" Uh-huh. I kept watching to see the "perfect" jump I'd missed before. They did it three more times- unsuccessfully, with Maisie falling every time. Thanks for bringing that to my attention mommies! (Maisie was find, BTW) She thought it was hilarious.

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Yesterday morning, Maisie, demanded her morning bottle. Yes, I know, she shouldn't have one at age three but she's the baby so deal with it. The playroom is always a disaster so I spent 20 minutes picking up 60 Webkinz, Castle Mega Blocks, 10,000 Legos, and 20 Tinkerbell toys. No bottle. I checked the dishwasher. Found it. At least the playroom is cleaner now.

_____________________________________________________________

I've come to the conclusion that nothing in my house is ever where it is, except when it is.

Causes of Alzheimer's Disease

2009-09-10T11:06:00.002-04:00

Hmmmm, the first couple of websites I read were not very helpful when I started researching the causes of Alzheimer's Disease. "Visiting our site is a great step." "Scientists are still working on finding the cause." They say third times a charm- or three strikes and you're out. Luckily it was the latter.

Scientists are still researching the causes of Alzheimer's but they have uncovered risk factors which may be helpful.

The first risk factor is age. The older you get, the more likely you are to develop Alzheimer's which is the most common form of dementia. Several sites said the same thing- one out of every eight people over 65 have Alzheimer's. Once you hit 85 the chances jump to nearly one out of every two. "The probability of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s nearly doubles every five years after age 65." "Unless new treatments are developed to decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease, the number of individuals with Alzheimer's disease in the United States is expected to be 14 million by the year 2050." Very scary statistics.

The next risk factor is family history. This is going to be difficult to write about as my adopted grandma had Alzheimer's as well as my biological grandmother (and her mom). This means that my adopted mom, my two adopted sisters, my biological mom, my two biological sisters, biological brother and myself are all at risk. We are 2-3 times more likely to develop the disease than those with no family history. The more close relatives that have Alzheimer's the more the risk increases. Also, more women than men develop the disease. People who have suffered traumatic head injuries and those with less than eight years of education are also more likely.

Genetics are also involved as risk factors:

1) Risk genes increase the likelihood of developing a disease, but do not guarantee it will happen. Scientists have so far identified one Alzheimer risk gene called apolipoprotein E-e4 (APOE-e4).

APOE-e4 is one of three common forms of the APOE gene; the others are APOE-e2 and APOE-e3. APOE provides the blueprint for one of the proteins that carries cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Everyone inherits a copy of some form of APOE from each parent. Those who inherit one copy of APOE-e4 have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Those who inherit two copies have an even higher risk, but not a certainty. Scientists do not yet know how APOE-e4 raises risk. In addition to raising risk, APOE-e4 may tend to make symptoms appear at a younger age than usual.

Experts believe there may be as many as a dozen other Alzheimer risk genes in addition to APOE-e4.

2) Deterministic genes directly cause a disease, guaranteeing that anyone who inherits them will develop the disorder. Scientists have found rare genes that directly cause Alzheimer’s in only a few hundred extended families worldwide.

When Alzheimer’s disease is caused by deterministic genes, it is called “familial Alzheimer’s disease,” and many family members in multiple generations are affected. True familial Alzheimer’s accounts for less than 5 percent of cases.

Genetic tests are available for both APOE-e4 and the rare genes that directly cause Alzheimer’s. However, health professionals do not currently recommend routine genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease. Testing for APOE-e4 is sometimes included as a part of research studies.

Nothing can be done about the above risk factors but there are some things people can do to try to prevent or slow the onset of Alzheimer's. Avoiding traumatic head injuries early in life is one. Be sure to use seat belts in vehicles and proper head gear when playing sports. Also, take good care of your heart. "The risk of developing Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia appears to be increased by many conditions that damage the heart or blood vessels. These include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high cholesterol. Work with your doctor to monitor your heart health and treat any problems that arise."

Evidence is also mounting for the promotion of exercise and a healthy diet to reduce Alzheimer’s risk. Avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol consumption, staying socially active, and engaging in intellectually stimulating activities have also been shown to have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease.

Finally, there is a strong link between heart health and brain health. Those who are free of heart disease or related conditions are at a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s or another kind of dementia than those who have cardiovascular problems.

The more I research this horrible disease the more I learn and find to blog about. After this one I may have to take a break as it's been very exhausting and emotional. But if it makes others more aware and helps even one person then my messy house and lack of sleep is well worth it.

Resources used:

What Causes Alzheimer's Disease?

Risk Factors

Causes

Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet

Alzheimer's Disease

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's

2009-09-08T19:41:00.006-04:00

I remember when my mom brought my grandma from Indiana to Florida to live with us. Just before, Grandma almost transferred all of her money into a scam artists account. This was a big sign that her memory was deteriorating. My mom cared for Grandma at home as long as she could. Eventually the decision to put her in a nursing home had to be made. It was a very touch decision. Most people don't want to put the care of their loved ones into the hands of others but sometimes there just isn't any other choice.

There is a lot of support for the caregivers of Alzheimer's patients. With the help of the internet the options are almost endless.

Alzheimer's affects the brain in a way that the person loses their ability to remember things (both short term and long term), to think, communicate, and eventually simple functions like using the bathroom, walking, and talking. Grandma had to do physical therapy to help her remember how to swallow. Understanding the phases of Alzheimer's is important for loved ones taking care of and those visiting the person affected with the disease. Here are the three visible phases (the earliest usually isn't detected until 10-20 years after the onset):

Mild AD

As AD progresses, memory loss continues and changes in other cognitive abilities appear. Problems can include getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking longer to complete normal daily tasks, poor judgment, and mood and personality changes. People often are first diagnosed in this stage.

Moderate AD

In this stage, damage occurs in areas of the brain that control language, reasoning, sensory processing, and conscious thought. Memory loss and confusion increase, and people begin to have problems recognizing family and friends. They may be unable to learn new things, carry out tasks that involve multiple steps (such as getting dressed), or cope with new situations. They may have hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia, and may behave impulsively.

Severe AD

By the final stage, plaques and tangles have spread throughout the brain and brain tissue has shrunk significantly. People with severe AD cannot communicate and are completely dependent on others for their care. Near the end, the person may be in bed most or all of the time as the body shuts down.

It's important to talk to your loved one about their long term care before the disease progresses too deep into the mild stage. It will be very frustrating for them to learn that eventually they will have no control over their lives and decisions that they used to make for themselves. Make sure you do your research for the many questions you will have. Find a local support group for yourself and those close to your loved one. Having a place to vent with people who are going through the same things you're going through is important in taking care of your own needs. Find other family members who will be willing to help in the care. You can't do it by yourself. You will should to look into having home care if you plan on avoiding placing your loved one in a home so you can take time for yourself.

Eventually, however, most Alzheimer's patients need to be placed in a home. Before the Alzheimer's gets bad, you may want to look at different nursing homes and let your loved one be involved in the decision making. Do your research. Not all homes are what they seem. There are now lawyers that specialize in cases against nursing homes that don't take care of their patients. There are many more homes that provide excellent care, though. Take your time choosing the right one.

Learning someone you care about has Alzheimer's will bring about a whole slew of questions and emotions. Caregivers need to remember to not only do what they can to help their loved one but must also remember to take care of themselves.

Excellent resources:

Caregiving: Getting help from other caregivers

Understanding How AD Changes People—Challenges and Coping Strategies

Caregiving: Getting Started

Caregiver: Stressed Out? Advice to help you out

Caregiving: Insights for caregivers

Home and Family

Alzheimer's- a deeper look

2009-09-08T19:36:00.005-04:00

Scientists around the globe are striving to not only understand what causes Alzheimer's but how to slow it down and have hopes of curing it as well. I came across two articles from U.S. News which discuss scientists latest finds in researching the genes that may cause Alzheimer's.

Trio of Gene Variations That May Raise Alzheimer's Risks explains how defects in CLU, CR1 and PICALM genes may increase ones chance of developing Alzheimer's.

"Although the role of these two new genes [CLU and CR1] . . . is not yet known in detail, previous studies suggest that they may be involved in the elimination of the major component of amyloid plaques," explained Amouyel, the leader of the team that studied the CLU and CR1 genes. "Genetic variants at CLU, CR1 and APOE may influence susceptibility to late-onset forms of the disease."

The collaboration of scientists from all over the world plus more than 20,000 individuals that volunteered for the study has provided the biggest genetic breakthrough in over ten years. Finding the gene variants may help them discover new treatments to slow or cure the disease. Three Genes Linked to Alzheimer's Disease Risk is a similar article. Click here to read.

In another study, it is believed that colds and coughs may speed up the progression of Alzheimer's. It may be that infections cause inflammation in the body, which speeds up the damage caused by Alzheimer's. However, another explanation for the link is that people with worsening Alzheimer's are more vulnerable to infections.

In this study, 275 Alzheimer's patients spent six months taking a series of tests which involved memory, thinking, as well as measuring TNF-alpha (a chemical that helps create inflammation). This is what was found:

Their carers were asked to record any illnesses or injuries, such as coughs, colds, upset stomachs, urinary tract infections, falls, and bruises.

People who had higher TNF-alpha at the start of the study had slightly lower scores on memory and thinking tests after six months. People with low levels had a drop of about 0.8 points, compared with 2.4 points for people with high levels.

About half the people in the study had at least one infection or injury. These people were also likely to get poorer test scores. People who hadn't been ill saw their average score drop by 1.6 points, compared with 3.5 for people who had at least one infection or injury.

Although the researchers did find a bigger drop in test scores for people suffering inflammation, the differences were small. They amount to about 2 points, and the scale ran from 0 to 70. Doctors usually say that there must be a change of about 4 points on this scale before you'd notice a difference in the severity of someone's Alzheimer's.

How reliable are the findings?

The study did find a link between infections and worsening Alzheimer's, but it's impossible to be sure that these illnesses really caused the decline. It might be that as people become more ill with Alzheimer's, they're more vulnerable to infections and injuries. For example, research has shown that people who have Alzheimer's have a higher risk of falls. It's also possible that someone struggling to look after themselves might have difficulty with things like regularly washing their hands, which can increase the risk of colds and flu.

Another issue is that infections can make people confused. This could have led to lower scores in the memory tests, rather than worsening Alzheimer's. The researchers took cases of delirium caused by infection into account, but they might have missed milder cases of confusion.

In an effort to find a cure or to delay the progress of Alzheimer's researchers looked at a cancer drug that make it easier for neurons in the brain to manufacture new proteins in mice. Read more here: Cancer Drug May Fight Alzheimer's

Related Articles:

New Alzheimer's Gene Target's Found

National Institute on Aging

Participating in Alzheimer's Research

AD Clinical Trials: Questions and Answers

Related posts by RMS Snowdrop:

What is Alzheimer's?

Alzheimer's stole my grandma

Alzheimer's stole my Nanny

If I develop Alzheimer's: A letter to my family

What is Alzheimer's?

2009-09-08T16:37:00.003-04:00

In 1901, Aloi Alzheimer, a German physician, had a patient brought to him with symptoms he'd never seen before. Fifty-one year old Frau Auguste D. was having problems with her memory, a hard time speaking and understanding what others were saying to her, as well as suspicions her husband was cheating on her. Following her death in the spring of 1906, Dr. Alzheimer asked the family's permission to do an autopsy. This is what he found in Auguste’s brain, "he saw dramatic shrinkage, especially of the cortex, the outer layer involved in memory, thinking, judgment and speech. Under the microscope, he also saw widespread fatty deposits in small blood vessels, dead and dying brain cells, and abnormal deposits in and around cells."

The following November, Dr. Alzheimer brought this case to a scientific meeting. "In 1910, Emil Kraepelin, a psychiatrist noted for his work in naming and classifying brain disorders, proposed that the disease be named after Alzheimer."

From the introduction of What is Alzheimer's?:

Is a progressive and fatal brain disease. As many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. For more information, see Warning Signs and Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Is the most common form of dementia, a general term for the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 50 to 70 percent of dementia cases. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, mixed dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. For more information about other causes of dementia, please see Related Dementias.
Has no current cure. But treatments for symptoms, combined with the right services and support, can make life better for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s. There is an accelerating worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, or prevent it from developing. Learn more about recent progress in Alzheimer research funded by the Alzheimer’s Association in the Research section.

Currently no one knows what causes Alzheimer's to start but it is known that it begins in the section of the brain for recent memory then spreads. The disease destroys brain cells and starts anywhere from ten to twenty years before any symptoms are visible. Unfortunately the number of those affected by Alzheimer's will only increase as more and more people are living longer lives. How long they will live depends on when they were diagnosed, the sex of the person, and if there are any other health problems- anywhere from three to more than ten years.

Here is a more in-depth description of how Alzheimer's works-

From the National Aging Institute Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet:

Tangles begin to develop deep in the brain, in an area called the entorhinal cortex, and plaques form in other areas. As more and more plaques and tangles form in particular brain areas, healthy neurons begin to work less efficiently. Then, they lose their ability to function and communicate with each other, and eventually they die. This damaging process spreads to a nearby structure, called the hippocampus, which is essential in forming memories. As the death of neurons increases, affected brain regions begin to shrink. By the final stage of AD, damage is widespread and brain tissue has shrunk significantly.

The very early signs of Alzheimer's can mostly only be seen in brain scans. Reading the mild signs of Alzheimer's was scary because it sounds like how I am now at 36. My mom just told me that it's because I have four busy kids. I hope she's right! My biological maternal grandmother has it, her mom had it, and This is about the stage my grandma was in when we first noticed something wasn't right.

Mild AD

The next stage is:

Moderate AD

This may sound odd but I feel grateful that this is the last stage my grandma went through. The Saturday before she died my mom took her out to lunch and they had a good time. Grandma couldn't remember much from one minute to the next and according to my mom, seemed frustrated by that. A few days later she was rushed to the hospital where she died from bowel blockage. She hadn't gone to the bathroom for a while but told the doctor that she had. She didn't know who anyone was or where she was. Of course she didn't know if she'd gone to the bathroom recently. However, this prevented her from reaching the last stage which in my opinion was a good thing.

Severe AD

I hope that you have learned a little more about Alzheimer's and have a better understanding of this devastating disease. I know that I learned a lot.

Please visit my other posts on this subject:

Alzheimer's stole my grandma

Azheimer's stole my Nanny

If I develop Azheimer's- A letter to my family

Sites I used in this post:

What is Alzheimer's?

National Institute on Aging

Run for the Fallen- 2nd annual

2009-09-08T11:00:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, August 23rd at 9:00 AM I was among over 500 people ready to walk/run to remember Marines who have lost their lives T.A.M.P.A./Tampa Area Marine Parents Association was founded in April of 2004 as a support group for families located in the state of Florida who have a family member serving in the United States Marine Corps. Last year 266 walkers and runners participated in the event. This year there were over 500.

This is was not a fund raiser, just a commemorative event to honor each of the fallen heroes in the state of Florida for OEF/OIF. I participated to walk for those Marines who we have lost and for my half brother, Brian.

The following email is from a participant from last year's run and was read during the opening ceremony. Cyd, who organized this event with her family had to choke back tears while reading it. The entire crowd was silent and at the end I witnessed many wiping tears away, myself included.

My name is Coleen and I met you at the run 2 weeks ago------I am a volunteer with Deb's organization, Grateful American Coin, and introduced myself to you and also met your daughter that day.
I thought you would like to hear a follow-up story. I walked for Pfc Joshua Brown. When I got home I "googled" the name and found a few different articles about his passing a little over a year ago. I couldn't let it go at that so, although I couldn't find his family's address, I did find his home church in Michigan (his pastor was quoted in a few articles along with the name of the church). I sent him a letter asking him to pass along my condolences and also to let his parents know we are thinking about him down here in Florida through this walk, and how much we appreciate his service to our country. I also included the bib from the race with Joshua's name and a Grateful American Coin.

I received a letter from his pastor today. And a greater surprise was to receive a call from Wayne Brown, Joshua's father, tonight at home. He and his wife were calling from Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Mr. Brown called to thank me for the kind gesture. It was an extremely moving call. We talked for a few minutes and I reiterated what I had stated in my letter and how we in Florida had not forgotten.

I want to thank you and your organization for putting this together. Also to Deb for passing it along to me. As you can imagine, I have coined many people since I joined Deb's mission and I gotta tell you, this is by far the most meaningful experience for me to date. Although you touched many lives that day, know that you also touched the lives of Joshua's parents over a thousand miles away in Michigan. -Colleen

It was truly pleasurable to participate in such a wonderful event. I'm already looking forward to next year and know that I will be doing more than walking or running. I want to be a part of making it happen. Seeing the huge jump in participants from last year to this year I have a feeling they are going to need all the help they can get. My hope is that the number of people involved grows quickly but the number of those who are to be remembered does not. My prayers and thoughts go out to all the families and friends who have soldiers that have given their lives to defend our freedom and help countries in need. To all who are injured, I wish them a quick recovery.

In Loving Memory of Those We Personally Knew
Who Have Paid The Ultimate Sacrifice

LCpl Andrew J. Aviles, USMC - April 7, 2003 - OIF

Major Richard Gannon II, USMC - April 17, 2004 - OIF
LCpl Gary VanLeuvan, USMC - April 17, 2004 - OIF
LCpl Ruben Vadlez, USMC - April 17, 2004 - OIF
Cpl Christopher Gibson, USMC - April 17, 2004 - OIF
Cpl Michael Smith Jr., USMC - April 17, 2004 - OIF
Cpl Ronald R. Payne Jr., USMC - May 7, 2004 - OEF
LCpl Jacob Lugo, USMC - August 24, 2004 - OIF

PFC Roberto Baez, USArmy - October 3, 2005 - OIF

Cpl Joseph Bier, USMC - December 7, 2005 - OIF

Cpl Scott Procopio, USMC - April 2, 2006 - OIF

LCpl KunYoung Kim, USMC - April 2, 2006 - OIF

Sgt. Lea R. Mills, USMC - April 28, 2006 - OIF
SSgt Joseph Fuerst, USANG - June 24, 2006 - OEF

PFC Christopher T. Riviere, USMC - September 26, 2006 - OIF

SSgt Sandy R. Britt, USArmy - August 21, 2007 - OIF

LCpl Jordan C. Haerter, USMC - April 22, 2008 - OIF

LCpl Alberto Francesconi, USMC - January 1, 2009 - OEF

MINE!

2009-09-08T09:36:00.002-04:00

I've heard that word thousands of times in the last fifteen years of raising my kids. I understood when I was preggo with my oldest that I would lose certain things; time, sleep, boobs, my girlish figure. But there were other things I was unprepared to lose......like everything!

Sleep and time went first as Kelly was a very colicky baby. My images of a quiet, cooing baby went out the window the day we brought her home- she did NOT act like that the four days we were in the hospital! As I attempted to nurse, there went the boobs. This was followed by my favorite food, chips and salsa. Apparently this was not good for a new baby's tummy. Ok, I can live with that, too.

Four kids later nothing is mine. They've taken over everything. My oldest two daughters take my clothes, socks, make up, jewelry, even my sports bra! My youngest two take my drinks, food, even my toothbrush! My CD's, DVD's, TV, computer, paper, notebooks, pens, patience, time, girlish figure, my bed....all gone.

A little over a year ago, I started taking "me" time. I filled my big garden tub up with floral smelling bubbles, lit some vanilla or strawberry candles, found a juicy Harlequin Romance book and tried to relax. "MOMMY I'M HUNGRY!" "MOMMY I'M THIRSTY!" "MOMMY SHE HIT ME!" What the hell am I supposed to do about that while I'm nekked in the tub? This is MY "ME" TIME dammit!

A couple of months ago, I realized that not one square inch of our 2100 square foot house was mine. Not a one. Even Hubby had his office, it's a walk-in closet but still, there are no children or toys in there...ever. I looked around trying to find a corner. Bingo! My grandma's hutch. I spent half the day clearing out all the crap that was shoved in the drawers whenever we did the "oh crap, the in-laws will be here in twenty minutes clean up." I put all my romance books in there. My markers, crayons, and coloring books (which, yes, the kids have broken and colored in), are all stored underneath and in the drawers, my exercise magazines that I read but never use are lines up perfectly on the shelf....MINE, MINE, MINE!

So far it's safe. My bras, toothbrushes, food, boobs, time, sleep, and bath time all belong to my kids. But the hutch is mine.....and my underwear. But I'm sure even that will find it's way into the hands of my children eventually. As long as it's not my son's.

Don't Mess with SAHM's

2009-09-05T11:26:00.002-04:00

People often think that us SAHM's (stay-at-home-moms) have it easy. Here's the perception many people have of us:

We get out of bed and start the coffee pot. We gently wake our sleeping babes because we have all the patience in the world since we don't have to be at an office with big bad boss every morning at 8 AM, work clothes ironed, hair perfectly done, and make up applied to perfection.

We pour our coffee into a ceramic coffee mug and check on the kids. They are getting dressed in their ironed pants, crisp clean shirts, and matching socks. We gently move them along to eat their freshly-made chocolate chip pancakes, fresh squeezed orange juice, and perfectly toasted toast. Then it's off to the bathroom to brush and floss. After making their balanced lunch while finishing our coffee we usher them into the car, drive to school, and drop them off with lingering hugs and kisses.

Here's the reality- We grudgingly get out of bed in our rumpled pj's, hair in last night's pony tail, and yesterday's make up smeared across our faces. We make something that looks like coffee and dump it into a to-go cup. We run down the hall yelling, "Wake up! You're gonna be late!" Our kids grab clothes from under the pile that's been accumulating for the last several days, find two socks that don't even remotely match, and spend the next 10 minutes searching for a shoe. We put on ratty slippers from ten Christmas's ago, grab our cup of caffeine, a box of Poptarts, and a cup of milk for everyone to take one sip of (we don't have time to pull over for the Heimlich after all). We pull out of the driveway with kids pulling on shoes, buckling seat belts, and scarfing down Poptarts. We yell at at every idiot who dares to pull in front of us because we will NOT be that parent whose kids are late for school...no matter what stains are on their shirts and how many crumbs are on their faces. We pull into the car loop shove them out the door, tell them to run, then park to share our morning horror stories with the other moms standing their in their pj's with last night's pony tails, helping to unsmear yesterday's make up, drinking our much needed coffee, and scowling at all the perfectly made up working moms who are scowling at us for being in our pj's.

Then we come home, look at the incredible mess our wonderful children have made that resembles the aftermath of the hurricanes of 2004. We clean for about thirty minutes then quit because we've developed that "I'll do it later" attitude since we know how much extra time we have since we don't have to work in an office. We're grumbly and bitchy because our houses are a mess and we have no excuse since we're home all day. We chat with our internet friends, read a book, and watch exercise shows on TV (notice I said "watch" not "do") until it's time to pick the kids up and fill out the masses of paperwork each school thinks it's necessary to send home- so much for the country going green.

This brings me to the inspiration for this post. I love teachers....well most of them but man do I hate the beginning of school. As if we don't have enough to do trying to get the kids back on their school bedtime schedules and getting the house in somewhat of an order so homework assignments don't get lost in the first week- then we get hit with school supply lists. I think teachers work all summer on these to get us back for sending our kids for them to deal with for nine months. This year I had three very long, specific lists of school supplies since my son is a big kindergartner. Fighting other parents who crowded the aisles while dragging four grumpy kids to two different stores was not my idea of fun. And curse the companies who thought it would be fun to put designs and characters on the front of notebooks then quadrupling the price. Apparently, plain fifty cent spiral notebooks are no longer acceptable.

Apparently for this mom it wasn't fun either:

Dear Mrs. X:

In just over a week, you will be my son’s Grade 1 teacher. He is ever so excited to be under your tutelage. Why, since the last day of kindergarten, entering your class was all he could talk about. He gleefully thrust a piece of paper into my hand on that June afternoon, and said, “Here’s a list of the stuff I need for school next September!”

And I have to admit, I, too, was excited. I’m a school supplies geek from way back. And so, in early August, I set out to buy the items you’d listed.

It was on my fourth store that the realization began to sink in.

You’re a crafty b#tch, aren’t you?

This list was a thinly disguised test. Could I find the items, exactly as you’d prescribed? Because if not, my son would be That Kid, the one with the Problem Mother, Who Can’t Follow Directions.

For example, the glue sticks you requested. In the 40 gram size. Three of the little buggers. (What kind of massive, sticky project you’ve got planned for the first day of school that would require the students to bring all this glue, I cannot imagine.) But the 40 gram size doesn’t come in a convenient 3-pack. The /30 /gram size does. But clearly, those would be wildly inappropriate. So I got the individually priced 40’s, as per your instructions.

Another bit of fun was your request for 2 packs of 8 Crayola crayons (basic colors). The 24 packs, with their 24 /different /colors, sat there, on sale. I could have purchased /three/ of the 24 packs for the price I had to pay for the 8 packs. (Clearly, you’ll not be teaching the youngsters any sort of economics lessons this year.) Even the cashier looked at me, as if to say, “Pardon me, ma’am, but are you slow?” as I purchased these non-bargain crayons. But that’s what the list said. And I was committed to following the list.

But the last item, well, now, you saved your malice up for that one, didn’t you? “8 mm ruled notebooks”, you asked for. Simple enough. Except the standard size is /seven /millimetres. One. Millimetre. Difference. Do you realize, Mrs. X., exactly how infinitesimal the difference between 7 mm ruling and 8 mm ruling is? Pretty small, I assure you. The thickness of a fingernail, approximately. But that millimetre, that small bit of nothingness, made me drive to four different stores, over the course of three sweaty August hours. And when I finally, finally found the last remaining 8 mm notebooks, I took no pleasure in my victory. I merely shifted my focus. To you, Mrs. X.

You wanna dance, lady? Let’s dance.

Because I am just batsh#t crazy enough to play your games. And, in turn, come up with some of my own.

On show and share day, my son will be bringing the video of his birth. It will be labelled, “Ben’s First Puppy.” Enjoy.

He will be given a list of words, and daily, he will ask you what they mean. Words such as, “pedophile”, “anti-semite”, and “skank”. Good luck with those.

At some point, you will attempt to teach him mathematics. And I’m quite sure that, like most of your ilk, you will require my son to “show his work”. And he will.

Through interpretive dance.

Because that is who you’ve chosen to tangle with, toots. A stay at home mom who is not entirely balanced, and has altogether too much time on her hands. But is, most certainly, A Mother Who Can Follow Directions.

Sincerely,

Ginny

The above letter was passed on by a friend who got it from another website. I'd love to give this mom credit if I could. That's one bad-ass SAHM.

DonorsChoose.org

2009-09-04T15:53:00.003-04:00

While feeding my youtube addiction the other day, I came across this video:

Yes, I'm a big Adam Lambert fan. I still think he should have won American Idol...and so does my cell phone bill. The editing is a little annoying but the message is what matters. We can't rely on the government to help our schools. It's up to us to make sure our students have the materials they need for them to succeed. We can do that by making donations to DonorChoose.org.

I think it's great to see him hooking up with such a great organization as DonorsChoose.org.

How we started

DonorsChoose.org grew out of a Bronx high school where teachers experienced first-hand the scarcity of learning materials in our public schools.

Charles Best, then a social studies teacher, sensed that many people would like to help distressed public schools, but were frustrated by a lack of influence over their donations. He created DonorsChoose.org so that individuals could connect directly with classrooms in need.

Since launching in 2000, DonorsChoose.org has empowered more than 200,000 teachers and citizen philanthropists to become change makers.

Our vision is of a nation where students in every community have the resources they need to learn.

DonorsChoose.org works by you visiting their site, searching through projects that have been submitted by classrooms or schools and choosing the one that you're the most passionate about. Each project has an explanation and a "give" box where you can choose how much to donate. This box also shows you the amount left that's needed, the numbers of days until the deadline, and how many people have donated.

Ms. F.'s Classroom
High Poverty

Colorado

Exploring Community By Opening Doors On Homes In The World

It is imperative that students begin undertaking the task of placing themselves within our varied global society. This project offers them insight into the resilient and ingenious ways people survive...more

My students need 6 book titles, 1 large world map and 7 current giant world atlases.

Sam from Houston, TX

"What you're doing is important. Thank you for teaching and learning these important things."

Giving doesn't get much easier than that! There are pages and pages of projects to choose from. Teachers need books, science equipment, rugs, bean bag chairs, art drying racks, electric pencil sharpeners, camcorders, SAT booklets, dumbells, children's books and games, binders, art supplies, etc. They are not asking for overly expensive and lavish items, just every day things to help the students learn and help them do their jobs better.

DonorsChoose.org had even made it extremely easy to find the project that you want most to help out. You can search by location, subject, urgency, cost, and days left. They have really put a lot of thought into this site and project. It's one of the easiest to use sites I've ever seen.

They even have a gift giving card which would be great for birthdays and weddings where people want to use "in lieu of..." when they feel they don't need gifts for themselves. You buy the card, your friend chooses a project then hears back from the classroom after they've received the gift. Easy peasy!

Check out this video, which features Claire Danes and Zach Efron, further explaining the program:

I donated. Will you?

The Spirit of.....jumping?

2009-09-04T11:14:00.003-04:00

Well jumping and giving. I think I stumbled on Spirit Jump on twitter though I'm not sure who followed who first. Doesn't matter. What does matter is what Spirit Jump is. This is from the Spirit Jump blog:

How It Started:

In February 2007 Meaghan Edelstein, a law student at Shepard Broad Law Center in South Florida , was diagnosed with stage 3B cervical cancer. After being misdiagnosed for over two months the tumor was finally discovered by her doctors. She was told she had little chance of survival but Meaghan decided to fight. She was immediately flown to Boston where she received treatment at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. After receiving internal/external radiation, chemotherapy and numerous surgeries Meaghan was on her way to recovery. While in the hospital many people visited Meaghan, she also received many cards and gifts along the way. Meaghan credits these small touches of love with giving her the extra strength to keep fighting for her life.

Looking for a way to reach out to others Meaghan started a blog called I Kicked Cancers Ass where she wrote openly and honestly about her experience. Many began to find her on her blog and were able to receive answers as well as comfort. Realizing she was helping others began a healing process of her own. Wanting to make more of a difference she thought hard about what else she could do. Finally the answer came. Remembering the cards and gifts she received and how they lifted her spirits during a desperate time, Meaghan decided to match those who wished to give with those who needed support. Thus began SPIRIT JUMP.

The Spirit Jump Mission:

The mission of Spirit Jump is to provide hope and comfort to the many men, women and children battling cancer, one gift at a time. Spirit Jump strives to let each and every cancer fighter know that they are not alone in their battle and that there are people behind them as they fight. Spirit Jump's goal is to help cancer fighters fight strong by providing uplifting cards and inspirational gifts from our "Jumpers" to help fighters maintain the strength they need every day as they battle this terrible disease.

The Amazing Part:.

The amazing thing about Spirit Jump is that both the person giving a gift (Jumper) often has their spirit lifted just as much as the person receiving the gift (Jumpee).

Spirit Jump won the Cancer Fighters Award in 2009 for Best in South in the Regions category. It also won Best Charity Blog by Blogger's Choice Awards. But it's not about the awards, it's about the rewards. Helping others through an extremely tough time.

I remember when my sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago. She had the support from a slew of friends and family. When my friend Pat was diagnosed with cervical cancer, she too had a lot of family and friends supporting her. Not everyone has that. But Spirit Jump jumps in and makes sure they do. Even those with a lot of support can benefit from this. Sometimes it's nice to hear the words "I care" or "I'm thinking of you" or "Get well soon" from someone other than family or friends. Knowing that you've touched the lives of a stranger enough for them to send you words of encouragement can be uplifting in itself.

Today, I added their "I'm a Proud Spirit Jumper" button to my blog. I also signed up to be a Jumper. If you don't want to be a Jumper there is a place to donate money as well as stamps on their website. If you need support for yourself or a loved one you can become a Jumpee. Click here to see their list of Spirit Jump Shops (many offer discounts up to 20%) and Spirit Jumper Blogs. It's humbling to see the support Spirit Jump is receiving.

My daughter's weren't really old enough to understand that their aunt had cancer but they're old enough now. It won't be just me who will be a Jumper but my kids as well. I feel this is an important lesson for them to learn. We can always find a few minutes during our busy day to stop and do something for someone else.

I'd like to encourage you to visit Spirit Jump and I Kicked Cancer's Ass blog sites. Be sure to visit How Spirit Jump Works and read the amazing and inspiring stories of some of Spirit Jumps Jumpee's.

Open your hearts and give.

Aspartame Part 2: Prosecution

2009-09-03T19:17:00.005-04:00

Please visit Aspartame Part 1: Defense for the up side of aspartame. In this post I'll be sharing the down side with the information I've found on the internet. On the site Dorway to Discovery they suggest Which Sweeteners to Use:

Acceptable choices
The following are healthy choices:

Sugar – granulated, confectioner’s, or brown
Cane sugar crystals
Turbinado and various raw sugars
Honey, Molasses, Pure maple syrup
Rice syrup and similar syrups
Stevia (an herbal no-calorie sweetener found in the supplements section of your supermarket or a health food store)

Acceptable, but don’t overdo
When a sugar name ends in “ol” that means it is an alcohol sugar. Too much has a laxative effect.

Less desirable

Questionable

Acesulfame-k (Sunett, Sweet One)
D-tagatose (Naturlose)

Do not use

Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)
- Neotame
- Alitame
Cyclamate
Saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low),
Sucralose (Splenda)

Yup, that's good ole aspartame at the top of the "do not use" list. Aspartame: One Man's Profit Another Man's Poison is an extensive look into the history of aspartame. Janet Starr Hull has a great website full of information including the side effects of aspartame as well as a detox program. The side effects she lists are for eyes, ears, neurologic, psychological/psychiatric, chest, gastrointestinal, skin and allergies, endocrine and metabolic. Some of the scariest side effects listed are: Additional Symptoms of Aspartame Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all death irreversible brain damage birth defects, including mental retardation peptic ulcers aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets hyperactivity in children severe depression aggressive behavior suicidal tendencies Below are the steps that Janet suggests for people who suffer some of the above symptoms to live a healthier and aspartame free lifestyle:

Steps:

Remove all sugar-free products with aspartame from your diet.
Learn to 'read' your body. Begin recording any health changes.
Get a hair analysis.
Be happy with yourself.
Detoxify.
Restore depleted nutrients.
Exercise and get plenty of rest.
Eat 75% raw foods at every meal.
Drink water, water, water.
Get control of your life.

Click here to see the list of symptoms people have sent in the the FDA. Here are more links for you to do your own reading:

Aspartame: What you don't know can hurt you

321Recipes.com

FDA Should Reconsider Aspartame Cancer Risk, Say Experts

I know this was a lot of copy, paste, and links but I thought it was more important for you to read and form your own opinion than for me to try to summarize it and form my own opinion. I implore you to read both this and my Aspartame Part 1: Defense posts and see what you think. Feel free to leave your comments below.

Aspartame Part 1 Aspartame: Defense

2009-09-03T17:04:00.007-04:00

I like to look at both sides of things before making my own decision about what to do about it. I've been hearing a lot about aspartame, good and bad, and decided to look into it on my own. This post is about the positive facts I've read. I'll be honest though and tell you that I had to weed through a lot of negative web pages to find positive ones; most of which are companies that sell aspartame sweeteners.

The first site I visited was The Aspartame Information Service. This is the opening paragraph from their website:

Aspartame is a low calorie sweetener that helps people to control their weight. It is made from two building blocks of protein, just like those found naturally in many everyday foods such as meat, fish, cheese, eggs and milk. Aspartame is digested by the body in exactly the same way as these other protein foods and so does not bring anything new to our diet. It has been safety-tested in over 200 studies and has been approved for use in foods and drinks by more than 100 countries. People all over the world have been enjoying the taste of aspartame for more than twenty five years.

Under their Frequently Asked Questions, I found this:

What are the benefits of using aspartame?

Today, more than 500 million people around the world regularly choose products with aspartame. Calorie-conscious consumers like aspartame because it's low in calories and tastes like sugar. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar and can replace up to 99 percent of the calories in soft drinks. It also intensifies and extends certain flavors, especially fruit flavors. As a sugar-substitute, aspartame helps diabetics improve their quality of life by enabling them to follow nutrition recommendations and choose from a much wider variety of good-tasting foods and beverages. Aspartame is also tooth-friendly. It does not promote tooth decay and is endorsed by the American Dental Association.

Under their News section, according to Health Canada "there is no evidence to suggest that the consumption of foods containing this sweetener, according to the provisions of the Food and Drug Regulations and as part of a well-balanced diet, would pose a health hazard to consumers."

And under their Opinions tab they share this information:

American Dietetic Association evidence-based analysis puts questions to rest

April 2009

In 2008, the ADA undertook an in-depth analysis of a list of questions about aspartame using its "evidence analysis" approach, which systematically evaluates human studies (within specific parameters) related to defined questions. After the research analysis, conducted in this project by five registered dietitians (RD) chosen and trained by the ADA, is completed, a separate expert group of five RD's evaluates the work as it applies to the questions at hand. A conclusion statement is then formulated, with a "grade" applied to each conclusion statement to indicate the strength of evidence supporting that conclusion.*

The ADA project looked at the science around several questions raised by the media and others over recent years. The final analysis, posted on the ADA Evidence Analysis Library web site, puts these questions to rest. For example,

Some have claimed that low calorie sweeteners like aspartame could have a "rebound" effect that leads people to have more of an appetite or to eat more food. The analysis found: "There is good evidence that aspartame does not affect appetite or food intake." This consensus statement was given a "grade 1," the highest grade in the EAL scale.
Others have implied, despite the implausibility, that low calorie sweeteners actually "make" people gain weight. The ADA committee looked at studies in adults and concluded that using aspartame in the context of a reduced calorie diet either does not affect weight or is associated with increased weight LOSS. This body of research was also given a "grade 1".
For years urban myths about aspartame's supposed "negative effects" have proliferated on the Internet. The committee evaluated peer-reviewed research from the scientific literature on this topic and concluded that: "Aspartame consumption is not associated with adverse effects in the general population." Once again, the committee found that the support for this statement is "grade 1."

The ADA and Ajinomoto jointly funded the overall evaluation, with research analysts and expert committee members chosen by the ADA. For complete access to the full report, and to review all of the questions, along with access to summaries of the research that was considered for each, click here.

You can visit the Aspartame Resource Center for more information on debunking the "myths" of aspartame being harmful.

The Aspartame Information Center also has a slew of positive information on the use of aspartame.

Green Facts also has a break down on the facts of aspartame not causing health problems.

Calorie Control Council goes into detail on the following topics about aspartame:

So on this side of things, aspartame seems to not be the poison the internet and media have hyped it up to be.

Please read Aspartame Part 2: Prosecution

Meeting my daughter's boyfriend

2009-09-02T11:34:00.001-04:00

Wait, what? She's fifteen already? I thought she was two yesterday!

Ugh, I finally have to face the facts. My little girl is not a little girl anymore. If I wasn't such an over-protective mom, I'd post her beautiful face all over my blog to show her off. But I am so you don't get to see her. And, no I'm not biased. If my kids were ugly I'd say so.

Last weekend Kelly wanted to go bowling with some friends- which included her boyfriend. She'd met Frankie through a mutual friend at Busch Gardens. They mostly talk, well, text and have hung out at Busch Gardens at few times but I hadn't met him yet. When I picked her up from bowling she and Frankie walked out holding hands. I'm okay with that, anything else- not so much. She got in the car and after she introduced me, he reached over her to shake my hand. Points scored.

I didn't want to leave him there by himself so we waited a few minutes until his parents showed up. The more we chatted the more I liked him. I honestly believed him when he told me he didn't drink, smoke, or do drugs....something Kelly's last boy she liked couldn't have said honestly, though he was a sweet kid. More points. When Frankie's parents drove up he told them to park so they could meet me. In the thirty seconds we stood there and talked I liked them. More points adding up. It was great to meet a couple that was still married and obviously involved in their son's life- Mom got out of the van and was hugging on her poor embarrassed son (loved it!). He got extra points for enduring Mommy and not shoving her off like some kids would do.

I don't think I'm really ready for all of this boyfriend stuff but Kelly is fifteen so I kind of have to be. I've been pleasantly surprised that she hasn't had a boyfriend until about 7 months ago. I started a little earlier than Kelly and had a string of boyfriends that my parents did NOT like...some my mom were even afraid of! Oh, the rebellious years. I was the baby though and my two older sisters were the ones who helped pave the road for me. By the time I started having boyfriends it wasn't that big of a deal for my parents. Kelly is the oldest. I'm sure by the time her three year old sister, Maisie, starts dating Kelly will be annoyed at how relaxed we are. Someone has to break the mold, though, and Kelly has that unfortunate job.

In Kelly's eyes, Frankie is her fourth boyfriend. In mine, it's her first. I never met the two in the middle and the first, well, that was the trial period. This kid, is sweet, courteous, intelligent, grounded, and very easy to get along with. I don't know how this came up in the conversation but the fact that his mom and I both enjoy going out and taking long candle-lit baths are big giant checks in my book!

Overall, meeting my daughter's boyfriend was a breeze. I'm so glad that she's not one of those girls that thinks she's going to marry every boy she dates. She has a couple of friends like that and thinks they are stupid . Too many times, girls fall head over heels and get so caught up in love and romance not paying attention to the fact that most high school couples don't wind up getting married. Thank goodness for small blessings. Apparently I have done something right in raising my daughter. Yay!

Disclaimer- my editor left for Europe today so my apologies for any spelling, grammatical errors or severe ADD moments. Apparently I pay her much better than I pay myself since this is her third vacation this year...while I've had none! Ha, actually I'm lucky to have an editor who works for free.

Only best friends.....

2009-09-01T12:51:00.002-04:00

...would have conversations like these. And only mine would be stupid enough to share them with me knowing I have a blog.

Text 1: I have cramps so bad I want an epidural.

Text 2: Want me to seduce an anesthesiologist for you?

_____________________________________________________

Text 1: My uterus feels like it's going to fall out of my butt.

Text 2: Owwwww....take pictures!

_____________________________________________________

Text 1: Ugh, I need to poop.

Text 2: Oh, crap. That's shitty.

______________________________________________________

Text 1: Finally pooped! Thank goodness for Poopberry juice!

Text 2: Wahoooo! Betcha feel better. :)

_______________________________________________________

This one I've had sitting in drafts for a couple of days and am so glad I waited. This is between a friend of mine and her boyfriend. I changed their names because I'm such a good friend.

Angel and Chris were sitting in bed watching TV. All of a sudden Chris jumped out of bed and started looking around frantically.

Chris: Son of a bitch!

Angel: What's wrong?

Chris: I just got bit by an ant!

Angel: Where?

Chris: On my balls......twice!

Angel: (stifling a laugh) Are you okay?

Chris: No! ON MY BALLS!

Over the next two days Angel asked about Chris's bites to see if he was feeling better. It's a darn good thing she was sympathetic instead of sarcastic.....

Two nights after Chris got bit.....

Angel: Oh, huh uh!

Chris: What?

Angel: That is so uncool.

Chris: What?

Angel: I just got bit!

Chris: Where?

Angel:

Chris: Where?

Angel: (pointing between her legs) Right there!

Chris: Does it itch?

Angel: No! But it freakin' stings!

Chris: Guess that means no sex tonight.

Angel: (glares)

You gotta love Florida during the rainy season. Even the smallest creatures are looking for shelter...including horny ants!

Some things you just can't fake

2009-08-30T18:53:00.003-04:00

You can get fake hair color and even fake hair. You can get a fake nose, fake teeth, fake tans, and fake boobs. But there are some things you just can't fake.

While Googling another stupid blond D List celebrity female, I came across one of funniest videos I've seen in a long time. Having danced for seventeen years, I was literally about to roll off of the couch onto the floor and had to wipe the tears from my eyes. I'm not a professional by any means but I've taken enough classes to know when someone's got it and when someone doesn't.

Whoever decided it would be a good idea to have Heidi Montag perform at the Miss Universe 2009 contest should be fired. Or given a raise for their incredible sense of humor.

Home girl can't dance. She's got no rhythm. She's just plain bad. To make a bad performance even worse, Heidi can't sing either which is why she lip synced the performance- she vehemently denies this however. Plus there's that little cough at the end which she does to make sure someone has remembered to turn the microphone back on before she says, "Thank you." This is the oldest trick in the book. Oh, and does anyone recognize the outfit? Yeah, that's a redesign of Britney's 2004 costume. But at least Brit's pants fit in the crotch.

Well, at least she had fun and that's all that counts.

My Sexy by Summer Make Over Day

2009-08-30T13:43:00.006-04:00

In January several moms joined the Sexy by Summer weight loss contest on a site for moms. We all jumped in not even knowing what the grand prize was....we just knew we wanted to lose weight. After 6 months I'd lost 24 lbs and 17% body fat making me the winner. Here's how my day of pampering went:

This morning I set my GPS then took off to Largo to have my hair cut and colored at Sharp Image. Mary Knaus was very friendly but completely ignored the fact that I wanted to keep my hair long. I've tried very hard to get used to it but I still miss my long hair. She gave me a great cut, it's just not what I wanted. Mary added 2 shades of red highlights on the top and a little bit of blond above my ears- I love the color! The owner, Susan, was there also and I was very appreciative of their time and use of the salon. Along for the entire ride was Kelly Machbitz who can be seen on Channel 10 at 5 PM- for you Tampa Bay peeps. She was there to try to keep Mary on the time schedule (didn't work too well ), give her expert opinion and help me shop. After getting my hair chopped off it was off to Merle Norman Cosmetics in Belleair Bluffs to have my eyebrows waxed and make up applied. Kelly was great at taking before and after pics...even the wonderful pre-waxing pics (blech). Her team at her Merle Norman store was fabulous! I'm very thankful for the lovely ladies who waxed, plucked, moisturized, and purtied me up! They were all fantastic!

Next it was off to Dillard's to meet Mike the camera man. Poor guy had to lug his heavy camera all over the top floor following Kelly and I as we looked for dresses to try on. I tried on dress after dress after dress after dress while Kelly shared her opinion of what she liked and disliked for each one. Sorry to all the ladies who were trying to get in and out of the dressing room and trying to avoid being on camera! It was great seeing people's wide eyes and curious stares wondering why I was being followed by a camera. We also went on a scavenger hunt for jeans and tops since it's not really practical for me to wear dresses while crawling all over the floor chasing kids and cleaning toilets- oh the life of a stay-at-home-mom. Kelly got me to try on jeans I wouldn't normally wear and tops usually out of my price range. She was a great sport listening to me say, "Nope, don't like it. Nope, won't wear it." I think I was a bit of a challenge for her since she's used to 'casual' being a nice pair of dress slacks instead of a pair of pajama pants. I had to explain to her that my wardrobe was EXTREME casual.

So, what did I buy? Well, I really wanted the purple dress they showed on the TV clip but it was $155. EEK! I LOVED it but it just wasn't practical for a SAHM like me (I'm keeping my eye on it to see if it goes on sale). I did get a purple dress perfect for my BFF's graduation party this Saturday. The dress was originally $118 but with it being on sale PLUS Dillard's 40% sale going on right now I only paid $42. I also got a really cute top ($98- paid $35) that I can wear to a football game with sneakers then slip on a pair of heels and hit the town (after the sock marks go away)! My best find that day was a pair of dark jeans (that have to be hemmed for my short lil legs) that were originally $99- I got them for $17.82. Got a big High Five from Kelly for that one! I went back the next day and bought a pair of $80 jeans for $5!

I had a great day and had so much fun with Kelly. We got in some good giggles at me eating Subway while Bobbi was doing my make up. Thanks for lunch, Kelly.

NEW HAIR courtesy: Mary Knaus, Sharp Image (1886 West Bay Drive, Largo)

EYEBROWS & MAKEUP: Bobbi Barry, makeup artist & Nanette Barrows, Aesthetician

Merle Norman Cosmetics, 100 N. Indian Rocks Road, Belleair Bluffs

CLOTHES & NEW STYLE: Kelly Machbitz, Certified Image Consultant http://www.totalfashionmakeover.com/

I was also in another contest called Waist Watchers which was a three month long contest. I came in 3rd for that one. Both of these contests are the reason I started blogging. Below are some of my favorite posts from my journey to lose weight. I recently added a search box and am in the process of tagging my posts so you can easily locate subjects you're looking for. Feel free to read the ones I've chosen and to poke around RMS Snowdrop- you may learn some things you didn't know before!

Thank you to everyone who had encouraged me during these last several months. We're not finished yet though! We're now on our way to be Sexier by Halloween.

Official Weigh-In and Weight Loss Party- this was my last hoorah for junk food

The Dreaded Meal Plan- this helped me jump start my weight loss even though I hated it. Big thanks to Douglas for developing this plan for me.

Thing 1 & Thing 2- Ugh, these are my before bathing suit pictures

It's Working! It's Working!- my hard work was finally starting to pay off

Glass half full or half empty- typical ups and downs of losing weight, updated bathing suit pictures

Slacker Fattie vs Skinny Bitch- humorous struggle between who I was and who I wanted to be

What I've learned- taking time to reflect on what I've learned from losing weight

How I discovered I'd gotten too fat...for me- my wake up call that something in my life needed to change drastically

Second Weight Loss Contest Results- this ones kind of self explanatory!

My Weight Loss Journey- looking back on my weight and measurements along with my desire to keep going to meet my goal of 110 pounds...which I still haven't done.

Tight Scalp

2009-08-30T09:57:00.007-04:00

Yet another one of my issues which seem to be increasing as I get older. About a year ago I noticed a spot on the front on my hairline that was sore. It felt like an ingrown hair. I yanked the hair out thinking it would feel better. Over the course of a week I'd made a nice little bald spot right in front. Great! I decided to leave it alone. A few months later all was well...except I noticed a couple of other spots on the back of my head.

This is nothing gross like some of the stories I read after researching this (some people have some serious scalp issues!). Mine is simple. The last time I got my hair cut I mentioned my problem to the hair dresser, or hair professional- whatever the politically correct term for chick-who-cuts-my-hair is. I told her that most of the hairs that I plucked out were really kinky.

Tight scalp was her immediate answer. What the hell is tight scalp? Apparently one of the reasons hair chopping chicks/dudes/other massage your scalp when they shampoo your hair is to help relax your scalp. Yes, I have to go to a salon where my hair chopper has to wash the hair, too. Maybe one day my blog will take off and I'll able to afford to go to a salon that has hair washers- I wonder what their politically correct name is.

Anyway I decided to hit up Google to see what I could find. The only thing that came up on the first page that seemed relevant to me was this article on Scalp Relaxation by Lynne Chapman, Hair Editor for BellaOnline The Voice of Women:

Scalp Relaxation

Are you overwhelmed by the business of life? The stress of it causes you become tense and even your scalp becomes tight. That tight scalp inhibits circulation and is hindrance to healthy hair growth. For years hairdressers have known the best way to relieve stress and to relax the scalp. That’s why every salon visit starts with a shampoo and thorough head massage. This massage increases circulation, stimulates nerve endings, frees knots of muscle tension, relaxes connective tissue and feels great. Professionals are trained in the pattern of manipulation for the most beneficial massage, however, it is a simple process to perform on yourself with almost the same relaxing and healthful results. Using the following technique will get you started on taking better care of your scalp. You can create yourself by using a good conditioner and adding a few drops of essential oil. Try using lavender oil, chamomile or jasmine for anxiety and stress relief, or use grapefruit to uplift the spirits. Be aware that the essential oils are too strong to be used alone so be sure to mix them with the conditioner. Use slow, steady movements for enhanced relaxation or vigorous massage for more energy. Rinse your hair with warm water, and then wrap the hair in a warm towel to remove about 50% of the water. Loosen the hair and apply a massage lotion. All of the manipulations will be performed with the pads of fingers and under the hair. Start by placing both hands at each side of the back of the head, fingers pointed up. Slide the fingers firmly upward until they meet at the top at the head. Next, repeat the movement, except move the fingers in one-inch rotations as they slide towards the top. Repeat this several times. Now, place your hands in the front, palms on the forehead, fingers toward the top of the head and repeat the rotating motion while sliding the fingers toward the crown. Repeat this motion several times. Next, place the fingertips at the sides of the head just above the ears. Use the same circular motion as you move your fingers toward the top of the head. Repeat several times. Finally, place the fingertips at the temples and massage in slow circular movements. Finish by firmly running the fingers of both hands from the front hairline to the back. Repeat this several times. Remove the oils with a shampoo and condition to leave both scalp and hair in top condition. There is no need to wait for a trip to the hair salon for all the therapeutic benefits of a wonderful scalp massage. All you have to do is spend a little time pampering yourself.

I'd also like to share this hair mask posted by my new friend Kelly Machbitz who was my fashion consultant on my Sexy by Summer make over day.

Homemade Hair Mask

Mix one ripe avocado with equal parts mayonnaise. Apply with fingertips from root to ends, cover with plastic shower cap and leave on 15 minutes. Wash with shampoo and rinse clean, dry and style as usual. This mask will leave your hair shiny and healthy looking.

I tried it and my hair felt amazing afterwards! Happy Home Spa-ing!

I'll bet you a strawberry

2009-08-28T22:29:00.003-04:00

With four kids it's difficult to have quality one on one time with each of them. I have to admit that Hubby and I are pretty good at it, though. We take turns running errands with each kid and everyone gets equal tickle time...we'll not so much Kelly anymore since she's too cool for tickling. She just asks for money instead.

On Sunday, two days before school started, Carson came into my room and laid down on the bed with me. He snuggled up and told me he didn't want to go to kindergarten. We'd been dealing with this all summer and Carson recently declared that he wanted to go to firefighter school instead of kindergarten. I reminded him that Uncle Mike told him all firefighters had to go to kindergarten before they became firefighters.

Carson was convinced that he wasn't going to have fun at school. I told him about using his new Transformer's backpack and his matching lunch box. We talked about how he'd eat in the cafeteria and how I would partially open his Cheetos and gummy snacks so he didn't have to ask for help. I told him he would get to color, play games, learn to read and write and make lots of friends.

"Can I have strawberries in my lunch?" was what he asked after I said all of that.

I laughed and told him of course he could have strawberries.

I gave him a big hug and kiss. "I'll bet you a strawberry that you'll have fun," I suggested.

"A strawberry?"

"Mmmmhmmm. If you don't have any fun then I'll owe you a strawberry. If you have fun then you owe me a strawberry. Deal?"

"Deal."

The first day was a little rough since he was still groggy and sore from his shots but by the third day he came out with a big smile, holding his friend Angelina's hand, and saying that kindergarten was great!

My big boy owes his mommy a strawberry.

But I'll give him one instead.

Alzheimer's stole my Nanny

2009-08-28T11:03:00.003-04:00

In March of 2009, after seventeen years of searching for my biological parents, I was reunited with the woman who had to give me up for adoption the day after I was born. It was a happy occasion for bio mom's entire family. There was one exception. Bio mom's mom, Nanny, has Alzheimer's. The only thing that would have made our reunion perfect would have been if Nanny could remember her daughter having me.

After watching my grandma deteriorate from Alzheimer's I didn't think I could see Nanny. It seemed like a cruel twist of fate that I was given the second chance at having a grandma again only to find she, too, would not know me. I remember the first time I met Nanny. PaPaw, bio mom, and my four kids all went to the nursing home. A nurse brought Nanny into the room and bio mom knelt down next to her. She asked Nanny if she remembered when she was pregnant and had to give the baby away. Nanny just looked at her. Bio mom told her that I had found them. Nanny looked at me and just grinned. She stared at me almost the whole time we were there. We would like to think she understood but with my experience with Grandma, my best guess is that Nanny thinks I'm bio mom when she was younger.

The biggest difference between Grandma and Nanny, other than Nanny doesn't talk much at all, is visitors. Grandma just had me and Mom- occasionally my sisters and my dad would visit but that's it. PaPaw has dinner with Nanny every night. Bio mom sees her every time she comes to town. My cousins, aunt and uncle all go see her on a regular basis. My cousin Melanie painted Nanny's nails last weekend.

It's beautiful to see the love and support Nanny has. Yet it's so sad that she doesn't seem to be able to appreciate it. I've been told that Nanny always had her hair fixed, always did her make up, always dressed nice. I wish I could have known her then. I wish I could have met her before Alzheimer's stole her. I wish she knew who I was.

Maybe one day they'll find a cure and end the heartache families have to endure.

If I develop Alzheimer's- A letter to my family

2009-08-28T10:44:00.003-04:00

To my loving husband, children, friends, and family,

If I follow in Grandma and Nanny's footsteps and develop Alzheimer's I have a request.

If Alzheimer's steals my thoughts, my dreams, my memories- please check me into an inexpensive but safe nursing home. I don't want a lot of money spent on a place I won't remember from one moment to the next.

Under no circumstances are any of you to visit me. Drop me off, kiss me goodbye, let me call you each by your name one last time- then leave. Don't come back. Don't come check on me. Don't visit. Ever.

I've seen what it does to loved ones who visit Alzheimer patients. I don't want that for you. I don't want you to remember me sitting in a chair staring at the wall. I don't want your heart to break when I call you the wrong name or worse- don't call you anything at all.

I want you to remember me as vibrant and carefree. Remember my goofiness, my ability to make you laugh hysterically, even the times I made you extremely angry. Remember the words of wisdom I passed on to you, the silly things I did to get the frowns off of your faces, the times I made you roll your eyes. I want you to think about the trips we took, the places we went, trips to the grocery, and the mall. Think of all the happy times we spent riding roller coasters and watching the animals at Busch Gardens.

Remember those times. Remember that me. Remember because I won't be able to.

To Hubby, I won't know who you are. I won't know who I am. I won't remember any of the houses we lived in, where we got married, when I gave birth or even if I did. I won't remember the special places we went- just you and me. I won't remember my favorite cocktail, my favorite vacation spot, or even my favorite color. I won't remember sleeping next to you, the feel of your hand in mine, or the love I'm sure you felt for me.

Goodbye my children. Goodbye my friends and family. Goodbye my love.

You may come back when my time on earth is finished. Until then, live your lives. Be happy. Be free.

Alzheimer's stole me from you but I'll be fine. One day I'll remember.

I'll be free.

I'll be

I'll

I'll

I'll..........

Alzheimer's stole my grandma

2009-08-28T08:56:00.005-04:00

Grandma lived by herself since before I was born – Grandpa passed away a few years before. I saw Grandma once a year when she flew down to Florida for Christmas or when my parents stuck my two sisters and me in our avocado green van and trucked up to Indiana to play in the snow. Grandma always had a big ceramic jar of chocolate chip cookies to spoil our dinner with.

When I was about twelve, Mom and I started flying up to see Grandma during the summer. We would spend a week making sure everything around the house was okay and just spent some quality time with my only grandmother. We'd visit my cousins and great aunts and uncles (both of my parents are only children). Pop, Dad's dad, would come over for spaghetti and then we'd sit on the porch while he smoked his pipe and told us stories. One year we painted the front porch so Grandma wouldn't try to do it herself – she was in her 80's. We'd walk to the grocery store and church just how Grandma did when we weren't there. We'd fill her in on what the rest of the family had been up to and hear her tell stories about when she was growing up. I loved to hear Grandma tell about driving her sisters and brothers around in a buggy – she was born in 1901.

I was fifteen the last year we flew to Indiana. On the fourth or fifth day Mom and I noticed that Grandma kept telling us the same stories over and over. This was before Alzheimer's was as well known as it is now. We met a woman who was helping care for one of Grandma's elderly neighbors. Zelda was a pleasant woman and offered to check on Grandma for us. We left feeling a bit apprehensive but relieved to have someone looking in on her.

Several months later on Easter weekend, my mom got a call from Grandma's youngest sister, Aunt Mim. Grandma called Aunt Mim to tell her she was transferring all her money into an account for Zelda. My mom and dad dropped me off at my sister and brother's-in-law apartment in Orlando and were on the next plane to Indiana to bring Grandma to live with us.

Shortly after, Grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. We tried to care for her at home but eventually she needed to be moved into a nursing home. Mom visited her almost every day and she hated when meetings would prevent her from going. The nursing home was minutes from my high school so I went as often as I could between work, the dance team, and homework.

One of the last times I saw Grandma I went with a guy I'd been dating for a while. Jimmy and I walked in and I said, "Hi, Grandma!" She looked at me and asked, "Who are you?" I told her, "It's your granddaughter." "Oh, yes," she replied. We chatted for a little while and then she looked at me and asked again, "Who are you?" I gave Grandma a hug and kiss then mumbled to Jimmy, "I have to get out of here." I ran out with tears streaming down my face.

The last time I saw Grandma alive she was in the hospital. She looked so beautiful and peaceful sleeping in the bed. The next morning, just before my high school graduation, Mom came into my room to wake me up for school and told me Grandma passed away a few hours earlier. I cried for a while, got dressed, grabbed my backpack and drove to school. My friends all thought I should be at home but I knew that would leave too much time for me to think about how devastated I was.

I tried very hard to stay composed at Grandma's viewing. It was my first time seeing an open casket. Grandma never wore makeup. She used Noxzema every day and had beautiful skin. To see her lying there with all that makeup on her, so still and lifeless was more than I could take. My cousins tried to talk to me, console me, but they still had their grandma. Mine was gone.

That was eighteen years ago. It still makes me sad to think of Grandma looking at me and not knowing who I was. It still hurts that my only grandma is gone. But, Grandma is in a better place. She's with her brothers and sisters. She's with Grandpa and her only grandson, Brian. She has her memory back. She knows that Mom is her daughter and not Aunt Mim. She knows who my Dad is. She knows who my sisters are. She knows who I am.

Alzheimer's stole my grandma for several years but she's okay now. Her mind is whole again. And she remembers everything.

Texting while driving can be deadly

2009-08-27T18:42:00.003-04:00

I've been sitting on this post for about a week. Now that's it's hit big I'm wishing I hadn't procrastinated so much. No matter. This post will be for those who haven't seen this video. I need to warn you that the content in this video is very graphic.

I'll admit that I've texted while driving. I'll also admit that after seeing this video I'll never do it again. What some people don't understand is that this is a short film about what could happen if someone is texting while driving. I've heard of people who think this is a real film. Unfortunately, it is exactly what is happening all over the world. We've stopped paying attention to the fact that we're driving around in 1-4+ ton vehicles which in a sense are killing machines. We need to stop applying make up, eating a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, looking for a lost shoe in the back seat, shaving, reading newspapers, reading books, programming GPS gadgets, and now texting. Yes, I've seen all of these things while driving around Tampa.

Our lack of attention to the road is killing and severely injuring thousands and the numbers will continue to climb. Laws against talking on cell phones and texting aren't going to do much at all to stop accidents from occurring. We need to take it upon ourselves to change our behavior. We need to get back to not multi-tasking while driving. My oldest daughter will be sixteen in December. She passed the learner's permit test in April but we've yet to take her down to pick up her permit. We're scared. Not of her ability to drive and follow the rules and laws of the road but of all the other careless drivers.

Pay attention to driving. Pay attention to the road. Keep both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road. Is making that 2:45 meeting or appointment worth risking killing yourself or others around you? Think about that next time you step into your vehicle.

The change starts with you. Make the change.

Sexier by Halloween

2009-08-27T17:50:00.005-04:00

I just realized that I never posted about my day of pampering after winning the Sexy by Summer contest that I won in June. I'll get that out after I finish this post.

Halloween is fast approaching once again. I remember last year at this time wanting to lose weight and tone up to look hot and sexy in my Angel costume. I kept thinking I had time and was disappointed in myself when I was finishing the final touches on my costume Halloween night knowing I'd done nothing to look how I wanted to in it. I'm not allowing that to happen this year.

Since winning Sexy by Summer I've not done much exercising at all. I'm afraid to get on the scale. With my four kids home all summer it was difficult to make the time to exercise. I say "make" instead of "find" because I had plenty of time- no need to find it. I simply chose not to make time. I did keep myself busy enough to keep most of the 24 pounds off that I'd lost, I hope.

Now that three of my four are in school I can pull out my Core Rhythms, Crunch Go Go Dance, and my new Buns of Steel DVD's. I can pull up my favorite youtube mini workout clips and Fitness Magazine toning sessions. I can bounce on my stability ball while blogging and jam to my iPod while doing dishes and laundry. I'll play Shimmy, All Star Workouts, and Namaste on the DVR. Why couldn't I do this during the summer? The main reason was because we were very busy. Between camps, play dates, trying to stay on top of the messes a family of six makes there wasn't much energy left for exercising. The other reason is my older kids really don't want to see mommy shakin' what her mamma gave her.

So, here we go again! I was going to call this Sexy by Halloween but Hubby corrected me by saying, "Sexier by Halloween." What a wonderful spouse I have.

This time there are no big prizes, no make overs, no shopping sprees. This time it's just me and my desire to look amazing in my Halloween costume this year. Look for an starting point bathing suit picture coming soon! I was hoping to have the final picture shortly after winning Sexy by Summer but, well, I got lazy. So hopefully in the next several weeks I'll be able to put on and be happy in my new bathing suit. Until then, we're stuck with the itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini!

I'll do my best to post what exercises I do for anyone who wants to join me. I'm ignoring the "I should eat healthier, too" part of losing weight for the time being. But, don't yell at me if I forget or get delayed- those of you who have been following me for a while should be used to my ADD ways.

Let's do this shit!......again.

Tweet away drunk drivers, tweet away

2009-08-26T16:03:00.008-04:00

I was working on another post related to drunk driving but saw Blog to Eliminate Drunk Driving's post and thought I'd submit this first. One of the blogs I follow is Blog to Eliminate Drunk Driving. I started following it around the time I signed up for Walk Like MADD. Today's post made me smile. A few weeks ago the topic they blogged about enraged me. I was listening to the radio and listeners were calling in to the radio station letting people know where the DUI check points were. I couldn't believe that the station was supporting this! Why let the drunk drivers know where the check points are? Don't people want them to get caught? Don't we want them pulled over and placed in jail? Don't we want them off our streets so they can't kill us or our loved ones?

But, Blog to Eliminate Drunk Driving had a much better take on this after they discovered people were tweeting to alert the drunk drivers. Here's their post:

August 26, 2009 Twitter Used to Spread the Word about DUI check points In Arizona this past weekend, cops were out doing their job by conducting DUI checkpoints to help deter drunk drivers. That's right, I said deter drunk drivers. Twitter users thought they would give other drivers a heads up, thereby thwarting the officer's efforts. However, what they did was actually help the officers achieve their goal. MADD has long supported high-visibility law enforcement efforts. In fact, it is part of its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. However, what most fail to realize is that the point of these efforts isn't to catch drunk drivers, but rather to prevent drunk drivers from getting on the road at all. The idea is, if a driver hears about a DUI checkpoint, then they might make safer choices when it comes to drinking and driving. Bottom line: People are less likely to get behind the wheel of a car if the perceived risk of getting caught is heightened and that is a good thing. So tweet away ...

I hope that they aren't being naive about this. In a perfect world no one would drive drunk. Not everyone will hear about check points and think, "Hey, maybe I should call a cab or have someone come pick me up." In my opinion most will think, "Great, now I know where not to go so I don't get a ticket or wind up in jail." Of course, they won't be thinking very coherently anyway so let's hope the latter makes more sense in their jumbled drunken mind. Drunk driving is 100% preventable.

For those of you who have followed RMS Snowdrop for a while, you'll know that I've lost two friends to drunk drivers. One was eight months pregnant. I'm all for a night out on the town. But be sensible and get a cab or have a designated driver. It's not usually the drunk driver who is killed or injured; it's the innocent people on their way home from work, the families on vacation, and the mom running out for a gallon of milk.

The next time you want to go out for drinks, please think of your friends, families, the innocent lives you could take, the relationships you'll ruin just for a few hours of a good time.

I would like to encourage you to read this post which I wrote last May just before I did Walk Like MADD Drunk Drivers Killed my Friends. I hope that the story inside touches your heart as it did mine. I just read again and was unable to stop my tears.

I also encourage you to follow Blog to Eliminate Drunk Driving. MADD would love to be out of business. This would mean we've succeeded in clearing the road of drunk drivers and saved the lives of those we love.

Below are more heart wrenching stories of lives permanently changed in the blink of an eye because of a drunk driver's choices:

Dedicated to Save a Life

Parents of Hit and Run Victim are 'numbed'

DWI News Information and News Blog

The Drunk Driving Masses This little boy was killed when he was four months old by a drunk driver. His family was on their way home from having pizza on Thanksgiving. This is the families second drunk driving fatality.

Student Leader, Athlete, Cherished Son and Brother
Killed by an Underage Drunk Driver

Read their stories. There are thousands more like them. Drunk driving is 100% preventable.

Blogging for Dummies

2009-08-26T10:36:00.006-04:00

I should have known that if they have a Breastfeeding for Dummies that there would be a Blogging for Dummies (come on women! We've been sticking our boobs in babies mouths for thousands of years. It's not rocket science.).

Apparently I need to buy the book- not the breastfeeding one, been there done that many times. I need the Blogging for Dummies. Like, seven months ago. Just after starting my baby RMS Snowdrop I lost it. Not mentally, I literally lost my blog. I spent two days trying to find it. Hubby and my friend Beth also tried to help me find it. We looked under the bed, in the closet, behind the washer, nothing. My editor was in Austria at the time and I really didn't want to interrupt her vacation by telling her that her computer illiterate friend lost her blog. I even wrote a post about losing it- the blog, not my mind. Oh where are thou blog? was one of my first posts on BloggersBase and for several months held an amazing 9.0. Then some meanies decided to go vote it down. Ppplllbbb! Feel free to go help get it back up! Oh, and here's the update from Oh, Where Out Thou Blog; Recently Crowned Queen of the Dorks which wasn't as well received. (Here's the link on BloggersBase)

Ok, I'm way off track (vote! vote! vote!). So, Kris gets back from vacation and I have to tell her I've lost my blog. I've tried to log in several times and it tells me I have no posts. It's there, somewhere in Internet world but I can't log into it. She tells me to hang on, she'll try to find it. I wait patiently.

Kris: It's right there!

Me: Where?

Kris: I typed in kaytiiangel......and there it was.

Me:

Me:

Me: Ummmm, oh. That's the email address I used for my blog!

Who the hell allowed me access to a computer? Didn't they know a severe Adult ADD sufferer shouldn't be allowed to use such a complicated machine?

I recently left this comment to this post Top SEO Forums: If I understood what SEO's were I'd say that's a great list! LOL

A fellow blogger-Dajjal- who obviously has not had billions of brain cells sucked out after giving birth five times left me this very helpful comment: SEO is tactics for maximizing the search engine rank of your web site or blog. It is based on analysis of search engine algorithms. It involves the use of headers, meta tags,key words, image descriptors and links. Download Web Ceo and try it on your blog.

In the words of Marlin the Clown fish from Finding Nemo- "It's like you're trying to speak to me, I know it." I'm trying to get it, honest!

Fortunately BloggersBase has related posts underneath. I see one that says Intro to SEO Tuesdays by thejimgaudet. I read the post then left this comment: I feel like Marlin when Squirt is explaining how to travel in the East Australian Current in Finding Nemo. Do they make meds for computer illiteracy???....

Using Finding Nemo quotes, take a humorous look inside my tiny brain:

Marlin- Look, you're really cute, but I can't understand what you're saying. Say the first thing again. This is how I feel when anyone tried to explain directions to me...for anything.
Crush: Dude? Dude? Focus dude... Dude? I swear I try to focus. It's like I need glasses for my brain.

Crush: ... First you were all like "whoa", and we were like "whoa", and you were like "whoa..." That's about all I hear when you try to explain something foreign to me...like directions to anywhere- except the mall, those I would get.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim. What goes through my head when you're on Step 2.

Bob: Hey Marty, calm down.
Marlin: Don't tell me to be calm, pony boy.
Bob: Pony boy?
Bill: You know for a clownfish, he really isn't that funny
Ted: Pity Ok, I added this one just because it has Ted's name in it- our only true comedian on BloggersBase.

Dory: I remembered what it said! I usually forget things, but I remembered it that time! P. Sherman, 4...
Marlin: Wait! What does that mean?
Dory: I don't know. But who cares! Ha ha! I remembered! P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney. I remembered it again! How I'll feel if I ever do happen understand the innards of blogging.

Bubbles: Bubbles. Bubbles. My bubbles. Oh, sorry, you were saying?

You can talk about Finding Nemo and not mention this scene so this one is purely for giggles:

Nemo: What's that?
Tad: I know what that is. Sandy Plankton saw one. He called it... uh... he said it was called a "butt".
Pearl: That's a pretty big butt.
[swims out a little]
Sheldon: Oh, look at me. I'm gonna touch the butt.

Sheldon: [gasp] He touched the butt.

Hmmm, how to wrap this up.....well the point was to poke fun at myself about being computer illiterate on the innards of blogging while including quotes from one of my favorite Disney movies that I've watched thousands of times thanks to having four kids.

So, be honest, did it make you laugh? Giggle? Smirk? Upward twitch?

I'm off to attempt to understand SEO's, key words, tags, mega somthing-or-others, HTML's, URL's and any other complicated mumbo jumbo I'm supposed to understand to get RMS Snowdrop off of page 4,567,231 of Google.

No, I didn't actually take the time to see if it was that low of the totem pole-that was just a random number. :)

Being self pay in an insurance world

2009-08-25T18:50:00.003-04:00

I've recently had a discussions with my friends about health insurance so I figured I'd let you all in on how my side of the conversation goes.

We don't have any insurance. Zip. None. Nada.

Why not? Hubby owns his own business and is the only employee. We would wind up spending WAY more on insurance than what we pay on medical bills. That includes the five children we've had.

How is this possible? No, we're not rolling in money so check that off your list. We're just a typical American family, except we've have twice the average 2.5 kids that the typical American family has. We've simply discovered a way around the system quite by accident.

When we had our 15 year old, Kelly, we were young, broke, college students. Fortunately we had a lot of help from our families. The hospital bill alone was $4,5000. Keep in mind, this was not a normal birth. I had complications and had to stay four days instead of the usual two. Kelly was released after two days but when they told Hubby he could take her home, he looked at them and laughed. So she stayed in my room. Because we were "self pay," when we got the bill we went through it with a fine toothed comb. They charged us four days in the nursery instead of two. There were a few other charges that weren't correct and when we called the hospital, they gladly took the charges off.

The next baby was completely different. The pregnancy was normal until my 7th month when I went into labor early. We had test after test for two months before Jacob was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. Had we had insurance, the bill would have been astronomical. We had several advanced ultrasounds, one with five doctors from five different specialties all in the same room. We had an amniocentesis, appointments with a geneticist, plus six visits to the ER to receive a shot to stop my labor. I have no idea what our bill would have been if we'd had insurance. Our OB/GYN gave us a discount because we paid in cash. The hospital removed several charges because we paid cash. Our geneticist didn't charge us at all. We received a severe discount on the amnio. And the brand new advanced ultrasound performed with the team of doctors? Free. Yes, a lot of this was because they felt sorry for us that our son would not live long even if he made it through delivery. But many of the discounts were due to the fact the hospital/doctors didn't have to wade through mounds of paper work and wait months to be reimbursed by some over inflated medical insurance company. They were getting cash without having to bill us.

We used the same doctor's office when I got pregnant with Reyna. They continued to be wonderful giving us a discount once again. We even got a discount on the amnio which thankfully came back normal. After having Jacob it was highly suggested we get an amnio for every pregnancy to screen for chromosomal disorders. We did use medicare in my last two months of pregnancy with Reyna. She was our first baby born in Florida where the other two were born in North Carolina. The previous seven months, we paid cash to our doctors in North Carolina. We used Florida Kid Care for Reyna and Kelly until we moved back to NC a year later. So, for a short time, we accepted help from the government. They tried each time we went into the office to push food stamps on us. We were perfectly capable of providing our family with groceries and continually declined. Others are greedy and will take whatever the government offers them whether they need it or not. We didn't feel comfortable taking advantage of the system.

The pediatrician in NC that we used for the girls gave us a discount because we paid in cash. If they needed a prescription, they looked through their samples first before writing one we'd have to pay for.

We looked into insurance when we decided to have another baby. We would have had to wait up to two years before I could get pregnant. I wanted a baby now. When I wanted one. I didn't want some money hungry company telling me when I was allowed to expand my family. So we opted to not get insurance. When we finally got pregnant with Carson, we used a doctor's office that was highly recommended. It was crap. The whole experience was horrible. They treated me like trash because I was self pay, though they did give us somewhat of a discount. When we hit a snag for two months and were unable to pay them, they told me I would have to go to the Health Department for the last two months of my pregnancy. We paid them as soon as we could, refusing to go anywhere else. We paid cash for my epidural and received a discount.

Oh, and sometimes it's all in who you know. We paid in advance for a private room. One was not available after I was finished in the delivery room, so I was placed in a room with a horrible couple who apparently didn't care that I could hear everything they said on the other side of the paper thin curtain. They spoke, loudly, of how bad their last experience was when the mother had to share a room. My visitors could hear them. Both of our nurses could hear them. Their nurse apologized several times. I couldn't take it anymore and started to cry. I looked at Hubby and pleaded with him to take me home. He grabbed someone out in the hall, told them who he knew in the higher ups of the hospital, and I was quickly whisked off to a private room and given a steak and shrimp dinner compliments of the hospital. The other couple's nurse even found me and apologized again. The day Carson and I were released from the hospital, billing called up to my room and asked if Hubby could come down and speak with them. They told him if he paid the whole bill right then, they'd cut it in half. Yup, in HALF! Which, by the way, had nothing to do with who we knew. They'd rather be paid something right then, then have to waste paper and time billing us over the next several months and not know whether or not they'd get paid.

We had the same experience when I had Maisie (though we chose a different doctor's office and they were phenomenal). Cha ching, discount from the doctor. Cha ching, discount from the ultrasound specialist. Cha ching, discount from the hospital. We even got a discount for my tubal ligation. Yes, we're finished. Even though Carson has been begging for a little brother. I told him, "Tough luck. I'm done."

Our family doctors do the same thing for us. I tell them we're self pay, the doctor himself writes how much he's charging us on our chart. If they have samples, they give them to us.

We've been very fortunate and have had healthy kids aside from Jacob. They have an occasional sinus infection, injury, yearly check ups, and sports physicals, but we pay MUCH less out of pocket than we would paying for insurance every month. I noticed that our family doctor's office has started asking for co-pays before patients see the doctor. With us, we get charged after we see him. Sometimes we make a partial payment and are billed for the remainder. They always get paid and without all the headaches and hoops they have to jump through with insurance companies. We can see what ever doctor we choose. We don't need to get referrals. If we do have to go to the ER, we don't have to check and make sure the doctor that sees us is covered by our insurance plan. If we are unable to make the payments, we can't lose out cars. They can't take our house. They can't garnish wages. They must accept the loss. Would I feel bad not paying for the service I received? Yes. But I wouldn't move my family out on the street because I was unable to pay for a severely overinflated medical fee either.

After sharing the above with people, I always get the same reaction. Their jaws hit the floor and they are speechless. When they are finally able to form words again, the first question they ask is "In half?" Most people are unaware of how much money the insurance companies are making and how much they overcharge. Once upon a time, there was no health insurance. Office visits didn't cost $100. It didn't cost $10,000-$30,000+ to have a baby. Surgeries and ER visits didn't put you in financial shock. I shared this with my friends and some are now rethinking paying for insurance.

I've recently began to look into catastrophic insurance a little bit.

The following is from Catastrophic Health Insurance

Everyone knows how important it is to have health insurance, but what about coverage for events such as a bicycle or auto accident, dog bite, appendectomy or emergency root canal? These events are unpredictable, traumatic and expensive since they often require an emergency room visit. Below are the estimated costs of a selection of emergency treatments and surgeries:

Minor Car Accident: $15,082
Major Car Accident: $814,251
Appendectomy: $15,850
Severe Dog Bite: $4,622 - $6,842
Broken Limb: $1,000 - $2,000
Root Canal: $1,000

A catastrophic plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida for a nonsmoking 21-year-old female, with a $250 deductible and $2,500 out-of-pocket limit after exceeding the deductible, costs $29 per month.

This is something I may look into sometime but for the time being we're perfectly content being self pay.

Put a little love in your...pj's?

2009-08-21T15:34:00.003-04:00

I was recently made aware of The Pajama Program through a website I'm a member of. The Pajama Program provides NEW warm pajamas and NEW books to needy children across the globe. Many of these children are not fortunate enough to have a home much less pajamas and books to call their own. Some have dreams of being adopted others hope to be reunited with their families.

One of the mom's hosted a play date/pajama party today and 30 brand new pairs of pajamas, 24 new books, 3 new back packs, and some school supplies were donated. Also, the venue where today's event was held sold chocolate chip cookies 2/$1 then donated 100% of the proceeds to The Pajama Program. On top of that, they matched what they sold and presented the mom with a check for $100. That will buy a lot of new pj's!

The pajamas, books, and money collected today will benefit Raising Hope. Here is their mission statement:

"Raising Hope, Inc. was established to take an active role in ensuring that the at-risk children in Pinellas County are afforded opportunities to live happy, healthy, stable, and productive lives. This will be accomplished through fundraising and developing partnerships that give members of the community an opportunity to support children living in crisis situations. All money raised and resources acquired will be channeled toward services and products that support the healthy development of children."

Raising Hope cares for children and their needs from newborns to age eighteen. A variety of support is needed for them to help as many children as possible. Please click here to see some of the many ways they need help.

When I first heard about The Pajama Program, I was already incredibly interested but after viewing the clip from an Oprah show I was even more ready to jump on board.

Please take the time to watch the videos on here. I guarantee you that you will be moved. I was.

If you would be interested in donating pajamas, books, or money for our next pajama drive Sunday September 20, 2009 please send me an email at rmssnowdrop@yahoo.com.

World Alzheimer's Day September 21

2009-08-20T21:07:00.001-04:00

September 21 is World Alzheimer's Day, when Alzheimer organizations from around the world work together to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease.

We're asking friends like you to demonstrate your support for World Alzheimer's Day by shopping for the cause!

Make a powerful World Alzheimer's Day statement and show your support for advancing essential Alzheimer research and care programs by purchasing these products and wearing purple today!

Alzheimer's Association

Duodecaplets Mother a Fraud

2009-08-19T18:20:00.005-04:00

Earlier today I submitted a post on a mother who claimed to be pregnant with twelve babies- six boys and six girls- Make adoption an option. I am thrilled to find that it was a fraud. After the research I did last night I was deeply disturbed by what I found. It's becoming more and more common to become pregnant with multiples then capitalize on that by accepting freebies from several companies and/or landing your own television show.

But what about the health of the babies? Any pregnancy can have it's difficulties but the more babies a mother carries the greater the risk to her and the unborn children. In researching medical problems with multiple births I found these to be the most common issues, due sometimes to prematurity: bleeding on the brain, intestinal problems, developmental delays, learning disabilities, low birth weight, underdeveloped lungs, mental retardation, blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, and even death.

The babies aren't the only ones at risk. Mothers of multiples have a high- 43%- of developing Postpartum Depression which can be severe if left untreated. Nausea, heartburn, insomnia, fatigue, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, twin to twin transfusion, pre-term birth, cesarean section, and placenta previa.

Are the risks really worth it? To many, yes it is. But I'll say it again. Make adoption an option.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/rest-of-world/Woman-pregnant-with-12-babies-a-fraud/articleshow/4913091.cms

http://news.uk.msn.com/odd-news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=149235953

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/twin-pregnancy/PR00120/NSECTIONGROUP=2

But I don't wanna go to kindergarten!

2009-08-19T11:54:00.003-04:00

My five year old son Carson doesn't want to go to kindergarten. He won't say why, just that he doesn't want to go. We've tried telling him how much fun he'll have, all the new friends he'll make, and the wonderful things he'll learn. Nope. Still doesn't want to go.

A few days ago he told me he wanted to go to his uncle's fire station instead of going to kindergarten. The day before that, he said he wanted to go to fire school instead of going to kindergarten. Hmmm, wonder who his hero is? Thankfully, my Uncle Mike explained to Carson that all firefighters had to go to kindergarten before they went to fire school. He seemed to buy that.

We have yet to tell Carson that on Monday, the day before school starts that he has to get four shots. I can imagine how well that's going to go over. This is the kid who let the dentist numb his mouth and then refused to let him fix his tooth.

For any other parents going through a similar situation, here's how we got our son more interested in school. I took him to Target and let him pick out whatever backpack and lunch box he wanted. He chose Transformers for both... even though he's never seen the movie. At Payless, since it was buy one get one 1/2 off I let him choose two new pair of shoes. He chose Transformers and G.I. Joe...even though he's never seen the movies. Are boys just drawn to shoot ‘em up movies? Regardless, he's a little more excited about going to school. Especially after I took him to get a haircut and the barber told him he was ready to make the little girls go crazy!

Carson also got a kick out of me reading him these kindergarten jokes/funny stories:

Summer vacation was over and Little Johnny returned back to school.
Only two days later his teacher phoned his mother to tell her that he was misbehaving.
"Wait a minute," she said. "I had Johnny with me for three months and I never called you once when he misbehaved!"
________________________________________________________________

A little girl came home from school and said to her mother, "Mommy, today in school I was punished for something that I didn't do."
The mother exclaimed, "But that's terrible! I'm going to have a talk with your teacher about this ... by the way, what was it that you didn't do?"
The little girl replied, "My homework."
___________________________________________________________

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."
______________________________________________________________

Teacher: Why are you late, Joseph?
Joseph: Because of a sign down the road.
Teacher: What does a sign have to do with your being late?
Joseph: The sign said, "School Ahead, Go Slow!"
______________________________________________________________

The child comes home from his first day at school. Mother asks, "What did you learn today?"
The kid replies, "Not enough. I have to go back tomorrow."
_______________________________________________________________
Little Johnny wasn't getting good marks in school. One day he surprised the teacher with an announcement. He tapped her on the shoulder and said, "I don't want to scare you, but my daddy says if I don't start getting better grades, somebody is going to get a spanking!"
_______________________________________________________________

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

http://www.broadcaster.org.uk/section2/jokes/schooljokes.html

Make adoption an option

2009-08-19T10:20:00.007-04:00

Yesterday a new multiple baby pregnancy made the news. This one has to be the most disturbing one, yet. Please note that I am purposefully not mentioning the most recent mom by name who gave birth to eight babies and now has her own show which many people are boycotting because they believe she became pregnant with multiple babies to get her own show, as do I and am disgusted. Moving on....

I read four articles (see below) about the Tunisian teacher, pregnant with twelve babies, who is in her 30's. No that's not a typo – she has 12 babies growing inside of her. Six are boys and six are girls. None of the articles knew exactly what type of artificial means she used to become pregnant. She had suffered two miscarriages in the last two years which is why they chose to use medical intervention.

"I don't want to dampen her enthusiasm, but the chances are she will deliver at twenty weeks. I wouldn't even give her a one in 100 chance of even one surviving. It's frightening," Peter Bowen-Simpkins, a fellow at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists told the Daily mail.

According to the guardian.co.uk, the record for multiples was set in 1996. A Greek Cypriot woman was pregnant at age 23 with eleven babies. Doctors aborted nine of the babies so that two of them would have a chance to survive.

In another article, last May Nuala Conway, from Dunamore in Co Tyrone gave birth to sextuplets when she was 26. She delivered four girls and two boys. One of the girls died.

The Sun posted that in 1971, a mother in Australia became pregnant with nine babies. Every single one died.

And yet another mom, this time in Britain was pregnant with eight babies. Doctors advised her to abort some of the babies but she refused. All eight babies died when she went into labor at twenty two weeks.

I understand a woman's incredibly strong desire to feel her own baby inside of her and experience birth, but at what cost to the babies? When do we draw the line? There seems to be a competition to see what doctor can successfully implant and deliver the most babies. Kate Gosselin has shown the world how difficult it is to raise eight children, six being the same age. As a mom of four, I can't imagine raising multiple children of the same age.

I was adopted at birth and brought a lot of joy to my parents (most of the time). Once they got me home, when I was two days old, they never thought of me as belonging to anyone else. I was theirs just like my sisters were. One of my sister's and her ex-husband weren't able to have children. They adopted my niece from China. GK is a very happy, healthy, well-loved little girl.

I've heard that some moms who are having difficulty getting pregnant get angry when people suggest adoption. I don't understand why it's such a dirty word to people. Thousands of babies and children need loving homes. People who can't have kids could accept them into their lives and love them as their own. I understand they want to have a biological child. But sometimes other options can be explored – other than risking the health of the mother and the tiny, helpless unborn babies.

I know that many people have strong opinions on these things and I understand everyone is entitled to their opinion. As a happy adoptee and mother of four children and one Angel, I just feel that adoption should be considered more than artificial insemination of multiple babies. I know I've carried my babies so I don't know what it's like to not be able to get pregnant. But I ALSO know what it's like to be raised by a wonderful family who treated me like their own. Not all adoptees are as lucky as me, but I believe the majority are. When Hubby and I decided to have baby number four, we had a hard time. It took over two years. Adoption was never far from my mind during my struggles.

Justine Simmons gave birth to her daughter, Victoria Anne on September 26, 2006. Victoria was premature and passed away two hours after she was born. Longing to have a little girl to love, she and her husband Rev Run decided to adopt. I love Justine's outlook on her adopted baby girl, Miley. In an article on bnet Justine said, "There are other women out there who can't have babies and they keep trying. They get so caught up with 'I gotta have my own,'" she states. "I forget sometimes that Miley's adopted. If people knew that they would get that feeling from adoption, I think more [couples] would adopt and not go through the heartache of trying and miscarrying."

One day while doing some research on adoption of older children for a friend, I came across pictures of children available for adoption on adoption.com. I scrolled through every picture and wanted so badly to bring every one of them into my home to love as my own. There are currently 751 children in need of a loving family on adoption.com. My hope is that more people, childless or not, make adoption an option.

Open your home.

Open your heart.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/18/12-babies-tunisian-pregnant

http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/18/woman-pregnant-with-12-babies-will-any-survive/

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2592012/Woman-due-to-have-12-babies.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,540023,00.html

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_3_114/ai_n27970746/

Proud Stranger/Sister

2009-08-19T09:19:00.007-04:00

I have five sisters and three brothers. I love them each in their own way – even the ones I met just last year. My two oldest sisters have been in my life since the day our parents adopted me. The other three sisters and my brothers I met after a long search to find our parents – my biological parents. I'd never let myself think much about having siblings as it was just too hard. Finding out I had six was unbelievable.

My relationships with each one is unique. Never having a brother I was excited to learn I had three. Only one greeted me with open arms. It's difficult to describe the feeling of being rejected by someone, but I know it isn’t because of me. And, after receiving emails from bio dad's sons, I have a better understanding as to why they choose to not have a relationship with me.

My kids and I were able to meet bio dad's youngest son, Shawn, and he was cordial. Ryan on the other hand was in Iraq when I found bio dad and he thought the news about me was a clever April Fool's Day joke. Surprise! I sent Ryan a few messages through MySpace and received one back. It wasn't easy reading the words he wrote. He wasn't mean or malicious, just straight forward.

Not all biological siblings are comfortable with reunions and I knew that. Even after getting his message I tried a few more times to contact him. I realized I was being selfish. I had to step back and stop trying to make this person like me; after all I was a stranger to him. I've since left him alone but made sure he knows that if he ever changes his mind, I'll be right here.

Since you're not in my shoes you may not understand the rest of this post. Even though I've never met Ryan, I'm still very proud of him. He's in the Marines fighting for the freedom American's are proud to have. His mom and bio dad keep me updated on where he is and how he is doing. While he was in Iraq, I prayed for him to come home safely and was so relieved when he did!

I know you're probably thinking I'm insane. How could I care so much about someone I don’t even know? I don't know how to answer that. Blood is thicker than water? The bottom line is that we are related. Biologically, he is my brother. Because of that simple fact, I not only care about him, but part of me loves him, too.

Joining the military is not an easy decision. It's a demanding, extremely difficult and dangerous job. But my brother does it.

To Ryan, I'm just a stranger. To me… I’m a damn proud big sister.

Ooh-rah little brother.

The Gummy Bear Song....Part II

2009-08-18T09:51:00.008-04:00

OMG! I'm so excited. Some anonymous person left a comment on my The Gummy Bear Song on BloggersBase.com :

"ok but this isnt the question people have for you. there not concerned whether ur daughter can be on youtube. were looking for an article explaing WHO MADE UP the song. not people who search the song"

Apparently they were Googling The Gummy Bear Song and stumbled upon my blog post. But that's not what I'm excited about. I Googled it myself to see if I could find the answer, because I'm such a nice blogger. I was shocked to see my post was listed on the SECOND PAGE! Wahhooo! I'm so proud.

I was excited and ran into to tell my 12 year old and her friend (who found the song in the first place) to Google it. They were proud! My 15 year old didn't have the same reaction, though. She was less than enthusiastic so I called her a dork for not being excited that her mom was on page two of Google for the dumbest post she ever wrote. As I closed the door I heard, "And you think I'm a dork?" Ahhh, how I love my kids.

So for those of you in search of who "MADE UP" the song, here you go – courtesy of Wikipedia which is currently on page one if anonymous had been paying attention:

I am Your Gummy Bear (The Gummy Bear Song)" is a novelty dance song by German composer Christian Schneider and released by Gummybear International that received international and internet meme success, in part, due to its corresponding 30-second video clip. The song has since been released in at least seven languages and has virally spread worldwide with more than 150 million plays of the corresponding videos on YouTube and MySpace. With the song ready-made for ringtone use one critic commented "he's the ultimate cross-platform, cross-cultural phenomenon YouTube was designed to unleash."

Here's the link where the original The Gummy Bear Song post came from. I'd be even more proud if it was RMS Snowdrop on page two but I'll take what I can get. Thanks to everyone on both websites for reading my posts! Keep it up!

Yes, now I've written two posts on this stupid but extremely silly song.

For you die hard Gummy Bear fans, here's their website: Gummibar

and you can follow them along with RMS Snowdrop on Twitter imagummybear

Nap time for a blogging mom of 4

2009-08-18T08:00:00.007-04:00

Text to Kris: Nap time!

Text from Kris: Sweet dreams

Inner me: Deep breath, relax the toes

Thought: I really need to repaint my toes.

Inner me: Relax the heels, relax the ankles, relax the calves, relax the knees

Thought: I need to remember to ask my doctor about my knees again, they're really bothering me.

Inner me: Relax the thighs

Thought: When school starts I need to get back to exercising. I'm starting to gain ba-

Inner me: Relax the butt

Thought: Rrrr, when I get up I'm not going to forget to buy Buns of Steel on ebay. When I used to do that my butt looked gr-

Inner me: Relax the hips, relax the stomach, relax the chest, relax the shoulders, relax the jaw , relax the face. Breathe. Deep breath.

Thought: I'm cold. I just made the bed though. I really don't want to unmake it.

Inner me: Clear the mind. Deep breath. Deep breath.

Thought: I should do a post on napping. President Bush took naps and people made a big de-

Inner me: Focus. Breathe....

Outside bedroom door: Kids are playing with the loudest toy they own.

Inner me: Relax. Ignore kids. Breathe deep. Sleep.

Outside bedroom door: GET OFF! She hit me! Leave me alone! Stop it! That's mine!

Inner me: Relax. Ignore the kids. Breathe deep. Sleep.

Thought: I need to finish that post about Grandma.

Inner me: Deep breath. Deep breath. Sleep.

Thought: Hmmm, I forgot about doing the research for that po-

Inner me: No mind blogging. Sleep.

Outside door: I'm going to get mommy! SHHHHHHH! MOMMY IS TRYING TO SLEEP! NO! Don't go in there. Do I need to get Daddy?

Inner me: Block it out. Clear the mind. Sleep. Deep breath. Deep breath.

Thought: Ugh, I hate that I haven't been blogging everyda-

Inner me: Clear the mi-

Outside door: AHHHH!!! BLAH BLAH BLAH! SCREAMS!

Inner me: Clear th- Oh, forget it.

Flinging door open: OK! I'm up!

In real time, this lasted an hour. Lesson learned – moms are not allowed to take peaceful naps.

Stability Ball

2009-08-13T19:15:00.002-04:00

Some of my followers from the start have asked me to share with them some of the exercises and equipment I used at home during my six month weight loss contest.

One of my favorites is my stability ball that bio mom bought me for my birthday last year (just what every 35 year old wants- just kidding, I picked it out). I use my ball a LOT. The first step is to make sure your ball is properly inflated according to your height. Simple Fitness Solutions has a great list of guidelines for stability balls and exercise bands (many balls come with the bands).

You have your ball properly inflated, now what? There are an endless number of activities you can do on your stability ball. Some of my favorites can be found on Fitness Magazine:

Our Top 8 Stability Ball Exercises

Naomi Campbell's Butt Workout

Insider's Guide to Stability Balls with added exercises and tips

When I first started using my ball I used it mainly for sit-ups and using hand weights. After I discovered the exercises on Fitness Magazine I was on the look out for more ways to use it.

Oh, how the angels of Heaven began singing at the introduction of youtube. Here are my top five youtube stability ball exercises (I had to put a cap on it otherwise this would be a never ending post):

Lunge with weights

Toning your outer thighs

Strengthening abs

Upper body workout

V-Ups

My all time favorite way to use my stability ball is to sit on it and bounce while I'm on the computer. It provides a little cardio (depending on how much I bounce), is great for my abs since I have to have good posture while sitting on it (otherwise it doesn't do any good), and is also fantastic for butt and thighs when I concentrate on squeezing those muscles.

Yes, believe it or not they make special chairs for stability balls for people like me that enjoy a good workout while getting computer work done at the same time! What a fabulous Christmas present idea!

What are you waiting for? Go grab your ball and get fit!

Bulimia

2009-08-13T08:54:00.005-04:00

A few months ago I wrote a post about anorexia. Since then I've been gathering information on bulimia and have finally decided to sit down and share what I've found.

Bulimia is an eating disorder in which the person eats large quantity of food in a short period of time (binges) and then rids themselves of the food to avoid weight gain (purges). They may purge by vomiting or by using laxatives to make the food leave their system faster so less of it gets absorbed. People with bulimia may also abuse diet pills and/or exercise compulsively in order to avoid weight gain.

Friends and family can look for certain signs but not all can be detected even by those closest to the bulimic sufferer.

Signs and symptoms:

Secret binge eating (many times with large amounts of carbohydrates)
Excessive exercising
Over-eating to the point of having stomach pains
Excusing self during meals
Suffering from guilt and shame at over-eating
Fluctuating weight
Constipation, diarrhea, nausea, gas, abdominal pain
Dehydration
Lack of/or irregular menstrual cycles in women
Tooth damage from vomiting
Bad breath
Depression and/or self mutilation
Over-eats with no weight gain
Hides food or won't eat in front of others
Frequently discusses their body image and dieting
Swollen cheeks or teeth marks on hands from inducing vomiting

The causes of bulimia are similar to those of anorexia. It's most common in teenage girls, though boys can be affected as well. There may be a genetic link. It's more likely to occur in families with high expectations for their children. Many have low self esteem, are unable to control impulsive behaviors and have the inability to express emotions. Some are sexually abused, have OCD, or even substance abuse problems. Culture and the media are sometimes blamed for contributing to people becoming bulimic. This is especially common among athletes and dancers. Other causes can be having obese family members – a fear of becoming obese themselves, anxiety disorders, high stress-home, school, job, failed relationship, or the death of a loved one.

Long Term Effects

As mentioned in Signs and Symptoms, the acid from vomiting can cause tooth decay and gum disease. Bones can become thinner and brittle from purging. Kidneys can become damaged, and heart problems can develop as well. What many do not realize is that bulimia can also result in death.
Statistics

Affects 1-3% of US adolescents
5-15% are male (mainly wrestlers and gay males)
In a study, 70% of 6th grade girls said they started to worry about their weight between ages 9 and 11
Becoming more common among elderly women
64% are near normal weight range
Cases possibly tripled between 1988 and 1993 (no clear facts)
Children as young as six have developed bulimia
More than 1 in 3 normal dieters progress to severe dieting. Frequent dieters are eighteen times more likely to develop an eating disorder
The average model is 5'9"-6' and weigh between 110-118 pounds. The average American woman is 5'4" and weighs 142 pounds
44% of middle school girls who frequently read articles about dieting are twice as likely to develop an eating disorder
Eating disorders are 100% curable if sufferers seek help in time
150,000 women die every year from dieting or related diet related causes

http://bulimia.emedtv.com/bulimia/bulimia-statistics-p2.html
http://www.bulimiahelp.org/book/bulimia-overview/bulimia-statistics

Treatment

Some forms of treatment are psycho-therapy, family and individual counseling, and sometimes prescriptions for anti-depressants. Psychiatrists must help bulimic sufferers address all aspects of their life in order to conquer the disease. Digging down deep to find the root of the problem can be very difficult but is necessary to begin the road to recovery.

If you or someone you know suffers from bulimia, please seek professional help. It could mean the difference between life and death.

Bulimia Treatment Center

Cheers, Pat

2009-08-12T18:21:00.005-04:00

Every once in a while someone suddenly comes into my life and makes it better. And sometimes, unfortunately they leave just as suddenly.

Eleven weeks after my son Carson was born, I met Pat who was the new secretary at the school my girls were going to. She and her best friend Judy came to a PTO event and fell in love with Carson just as quickly as he and I fell in love with them. Pat and I became great friends. Because of this, I spent a LOT of time volunteering at the school to get to know her better. Eventually she became Granny Pat to my kids and Judy became Aunt Judy.

I shared a lot of laughter and even a few tears with Pat during the two years she was in my life. She helped me through some frustrating times with my oldest daughter (turns out we were both normal). If I ever needed anything, Pat was there. I could cry on her shoulder, count on her for some incredible laughs, always enjoyed her motherly hugs, and had a blast making fun of her Boston accent when she did announcements over the intercom.

Pat and Judy watched all three of our kids sometimes so Hubby and I could have some grown up time. We also shared the occasional rum and Diet Coke while hanging out at their apartment with their one friendly cat, one not so friendly cat, and Pat's soul mate dog, Lizzie.

Even when we decided to move the girls to a different school, Pat and I kept in contact. We still visited her and Judy at their apartment and loved hanging out at their pool with Pat's grandson, Matthew. Pat became like a second mother to me. She was one of the first people I told when I got pregnant with Maisie. She had UV phototherapy appointments for her psoriasis right next to my OB/GYN and we made our weekly appointments on the same days and times so we could chat.

She was one of the few people I knew I would miss when we decided to move across the state to Tampa the summer of 2006. I'll never forget getting a text message from her shortly after we moved: "I have colon cancer". She called me a few minutes later and after I spent five minutes yelling at her for texting such devastating news, we both cried. It was bad. The cancer was being stubborn and there wasn't much hope. Pat stayed as strong as she could and was determined to beat it.

Unfortunately with her getting so sick and me raising a fourth child plus getting settled in a new city, we lost contact. Pat was never far from my thoughts, though.

In December of 2007 my best friend Rachel got married. I was sitting at a table with our friend Terry catching up when Terry mentioned her kids went to the same school my kids were transferred out of. Pat's name came up and I was so anxious to hear how she was. Terry had no idea how close Pat was to me. In the middle of the reception, on my best friend's happiest day, I learned that Pat has passed away. I tried so hard to sit there and keep it together. Thankfully, Hubby was right there. He squeezed my hand and that was all it took for me to break down. I ran out of the reception hall leaving him to explain to Terry how much Pat had meant to me.

I remember running past the bride's mom, her friends, and everyone else standing outside. I collapsed on a pool chair and sobbed uncontrollably. Suddenly I saw a pair of black shiny shoes standing in front of me. I looked up and it was the best man. I choked out what I could about what just happened. He put his arm around me and told me how sorry he was for my loss. He also said there was a time for grieving and since he knew how close Rachel and I were, he gently explained this wasn't the time. Hubby came out and led me up to our hotel room so I could wash my face and fix my makeup. I took a few minutes, some deep breaths, and made my way back down to the reception. I had a smile on my face but inside my heart was broken. I walked to the bar and ordered a rum and Diet Coke in memory of my dear friend Pat.

Soon after, I contacted Judy and she felt horrible that I found out the way I did. She had emailed after Pat passed away but I never received it. She kept it and sent it to me again.

I have some wonderful memories of Pat and Judy. I loved them both very much. A little bit of Pat will always be with me, deep in my heart.

Cheers, Granny Pat. May there be an endless supply of rum and Diet Coke in Heaven.

Lighten Up People!

2009-08-11T18:16:00.005-04:00

Here's the link to my last post: I think I spend too much time on the computer

It was meant to be humorous but some people took it a little too seriously. It makes me feel good to have complete strangers care about my well being, though.

I received this comment on RMS Snowdrop:

Anonymous said...: There have been messy houses long before computers. The question is if you didn’t have a computer would you be cleaning house, or would you be watching TV, reading, or anything else to avoid cleaning house? I think identifying whether the computer or the cleaning is the issue is the first step to solving your dilemma and becoming a productive member of society again.

And this one on BloggersBase.com:

I have the same feeling, we are becoming internet addicts without noticing, as is funny and at the same time easier than going out and running around the block, something our health will thank us in the near future. You should make an effort and exercise. If you get sick there will be no time for the internet. Also, you are losing the chance of socializing with others face to face, this is not healthy for your psicho either. And do not think many people do it, many people do drugs and that is wrong

I am not psycho and I don't do drugs....ok, I do but only because for some stupid reason people consider alcohol a drug. Obviously these two people are new to RMS Snowdrop and haven't been along for the voyage of me becoming Sexy by Summer (you are both forgiven ). I hope you enjoyed my last post enough to go back and see all the different ports we've docked at (you like those ship references dontcha?).

I would post a video of me exercising but I'd hate to push my friend Ted to 2nd place in the Humor category on BloggersBase. Yes, it would be that funny. There's a reason I've gained back a few pounds since having my kids home for summer break. Teens really don't want to see mom shimmying, go-going, shakin' hips, or booty dancing. I know this because they told me. Love you, too....brats.

So, to those who are picturing a 400 lb woman sitting at a computer desk with fat drooling over the sides of a chair in a house full of take out containers and pizza boxes, relax. I'm a very active mom who did two loads of laundry, a load of dishes, and scrubbed popsicle off the counter all before touching my computer this morning. I haven't been off of it since but at least I got a few things done first. (kidding....sort of) I took a nap, shhhhh.

For everyone else who already knows I'm a hot little mamma, here are some Finds From the Web to keep you lauging....after all LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE...and much more fun than exercising:

From the eloquent queen of comedy, Ellen DeGeneres:

I don't understand the sizes anymore. There's a size zero, which I didn't even know that they had. It must stand for: 'Ohhh my God, you're thin.'

My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is.

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, 'Let there be light!' And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better.

Lighten up people....remember Hot Dogs Cause Cancer.

Go ahead and laugh, it's ok that your co-workers will think you're insane.

No smiley faces were injured in this post.

I think I spend too much time on the computer

2009-08-10T18:45:00.007-04:00

My computer is always on. This is probably not good for it or my electricity bill but, well, I'm a bit obsessive about being online. Here are a few....ok, several reasons I think I spend too much time online:

I'm a member of a website for moms. On more than one occasion, I've spent 3-4 hours straight reading and posting to discussions. I once started roll call (daily, what the hell are you supposed to be doing but are actually doing today?) at 2:00 AM because I didn't anyone else to start it before me- hey, it was my big make over day!

I check my email at least twice an hour...usually a LOT more. When I'm sick in bed I long for a lap top so I can lay down and still have computer access...no matter how bad my belly hurts or how much I'm throwing up.

I don't know how many times I've thought of something to look up...only to get on the computer and find 20 other things to look up instead...completely forgetting why I got on in the first place. I've learned to write my thoughts down on my way to my desk.

My left elbow always feels raw from the way I type.

When I let my kids get on to play their games, I long for a lap top.

I've been known to kick my kids off so I can "check my email really quick" which usually turns in to at least 30 minutes. Fortunately they can't tell time- yet.

When I can't sleep, instead of taking something to help me sleep or reading, I hop on the computer for a bit...which can be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. Shhhhhh!

Blogging has become such a big part of my life that I've learned to keep a pen and paper in my truck, purse, by the bed, in the kitchen, next to the bath tub, and in the bathroom. And for back up I always have my cell phone with the cool 'notepad' feature. At any given time there are at least 10-15 blog ideas in there.

When I fill in important events in my kid's baby books I have to refer back to my blog posts.

The biggest reason I know I spend too much time on the computer is......I'm a stay-at-home mom who is home all the time yet my house is always a mess. I'm very grateful to have such a loving and understanding Hubby....until he has no clean clothes to wear, dishes to eat off of, and can't walk through the playroom to get to the thermostat.

Here's the inspiration for this post emailed to me by bio mom:

Cleaning Poem

I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'computering',
And I had to answer 'yes.'

He told me to get off my fanny,
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up...
The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick....
I was just admiring my good work.

I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops - I found
A real absorbing site
That I got SO way into it -
I was into it all night.

Nothing's changed except my mouse.
It's very, very shiny.
I guess my house will stay a mess....

While I sit here on my hiney.

PS The "office" picture is not really in my house (really, I have burgundy carpet)....but we do own that many computer towers and I have that exact same printer.

Here's the caption for the cartoon: "Whoever said 'There's a time and place for everything' never saw this closet."

So what's your opinion...do you think I spend too much time on the computer?

Caress Evenly Gorgeous Body Wash Product Review

2009-08-10T10:34:00.005-04:00

I received a sample of Caress Evenly Gorgeous Body Wash recently and the first thing I noticed about it was the packaging. Under the gold colored cap was a clear, hourglass shaped bottle allowing the gold exfoliating body wash to be seen. Tiny particles of burnt brown sugar floated in a warm vanilla/cocoa butter scented silky liquid. Think of taking a bath in a pastry shop, yummy!

I use a loofah every day with whatever body wash I happen to be trying at the moment. I noticed a definite difference with the Evenly Gorgeous Body Wash. It left my skin much smoother than other body washes I've tried that don't have an exfoliate. It also didn't dry out my skin but left it feeling moisturized. Hubby, too, noticed a difference in how smooth my skin felt. That's always the best test for me.

Normally, companies have a simple boring explanation of their product on the back of the packaging but not Caress Evenly Gorgeous Body Wash. I loved what they wrote:

"Ready to reveal your darker side? Flaunt your gorgeous even skin tone with confidence. Caress Evenly Gorgeous Body Wash with burnt brown sugar and karite butter gently exfoliates and lusciously moisturizes to reveal beautifully even-toned skin. Go ahead, be daring! For Luxurious, Silkening Shower or Bath squeeze onto a poof (you judge the dab). Lather, breathe deep and relax. Ignore any knocks at the door."

I couldn't have said it any better myself (karite butter is also known as shea butter). As soon as my sample was gone I ran out to the nearest drug store and bought a full size bottle for about $7. It was well worth it! Caress Evenly Gorgeous Body Wash is now a permanent part of my nightly bath time.

Click here for a $1 off coupon.

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What you don't see

2009-08-06T20:43:00.002-04:00

What you don't see is the sparkle in my eyes as you tease and play with our children.

What you don't see is the little smile spread across my lips as I watch you sleep.

What you don't see is my hand inches from your back, that longs to reach out and touch you when we argue.

What you don't see is the pride bursting inside me with each goal you achieve in your career.

What you don't see is the pure joy in my heart when you tell me you love me.

What you don't see is the pain inside me when I know I've hurt you.

What you don't see is my desire to be the wife that you deserve.

What you don't see are all the things I wish you could see.

Even grown-ups can be funny

2009-08-05T12:11:00.003-04:00

Usually my humor posts are kid related but sometimes it's the grown-ups who provide the funnies, too.

I used to laugh watching my mom when she first got contacts. She had to wear her glasses to put them in.

My entire house is usually a complete mess, but my hangers are always organized.

My friend Kris can't believe I admit this:

Hubby lights incense on occasion usually to cover up various animal or kid smells. The other day he lit two then came out to check on me when he heard me coughing. When he asked if I was alright and if my coughing was because of the incense he did not expect my reply.

"No," I said. "I leaned over to pick something up and swallowed while standing back up. My spit went down the wrong way." He just looked at me and shook his head.

Here's another just to show you I'm completely comfortable laughing at myself: I spent ten minutes looking for my electric can opener a few days ago. Then I remembered it broke and I threw it away. I spent another five minutes looking for the hand held one I'd bought to replace the electric one. It was next to the stove where I'd put it five minutes earlier.

I love teasing my kids especially my fifteen year old Kelly. She just came in and asked what time we were going to the AT&T store. I said, "1:06." She asked if I could come up with a more random time. I replied, "1:06 and thirty seconds. No, wait, 1:06 and thirty point 2 seconds." She accused me of being a bigger brat than her.

Hubby and I were watching Cops a few nights ago. A police officer came upon a suspicious looking couple and was having trouble getting to the truth. Finally the woman said that the man didn't have any money so she wouldn't do anything with him. She followed that with, "I may be a ho but I ain't no crack ho." At least she has some morals.

Stress=laughter

2009-08-05T10:57:00.004-04:00

Kids can add a lot of stress to our already stressful adult lives. But in-between the stresses are the greatest moments. Those moments when no matter what is going on at the time you just have to tilt your head back and laugh.

The other day I went outside to get something out of The Bus. I came back in thirty seconds later and heard this from three year old Maisie: "Mommy, you home! I so miss you."

Carson (age 5): I want that! (pointing to the latest toy infomercial)

Me: What is it?

Carson: I don't know.

Me:

Maisie has been into super heroes lately. One of her favorites is Batman. Several times a day you can hear her yell, "I That Man! To the rescue!"

Maisie loves The Heffalump Movie. She's watched it so many times that she not only knows the words but the actions, too. There are always little hand prints on the lower right hand corner of our TV screen from her "helping" Tigger clean Pooh's goggles.

Since Carson was gracious enough to teach Maisie how to open the baby gate, I sent her to ask fifteen year old Kelly if she had any dirty laundry. Ten seconds later I heard Maisie knock on the door then yell, "Kewwy, you got any stinky cwows?"

The in-laws were coming over to our house and the little kids needed a bath. Hubby sent Carson into his room to get undressed. Five minutes later he finally came out of his room naked... one hand covering his butt and the other over his little boy parts. Maisie walked in and ten seconds later we heard, "Ok, I ready!" as she stood butt naked dancing around the room doing her "I'm takin' a baff" dance. Oh how different two kids can be.

Carson has been potty trained for two years. As an experienced mom I understand accidents will happen. I walked out of the bedroom yesterday into a puddle. I glanced at Carson who looked up at me very innocently and said, "I forgot I had to pee." How do you forget you have to pee?

To any new or potential moms, don't ever take small children into dressing rooms with you. I learned this the hard way. While trying on a pair of jeans Maisie very loudly announced, "I see your peep!" Before you ask, I did have the proper undergarments on.

Gilette Fusion vs Schick Quattro Titanium Product Review

2009-08-03T09:55:00.004-04:00

Yes, I'm fully aware that these are men's razors but I'm the one that requests the freebies and checks the mail so I get to tryout everything.

The first thing I did after I opened the packages was laid the two razors side by side to compare the design. The handles are pretty close in terms of size and shape and both are easy to hold. Both blades were really simple to change as well. Simply press the button to pop the old one off then place the handle in the new one and pull it out of the plastic case. Both razors had moisture strips, too. These usually go away after only a couple of uses so I've never paid much attention to that feature. That was pretty much where the similarities ended.

I don't have a mustache or beard (thankfully) so I tested both razors out on my legs, and no you don't get pics of them. I probably should have done the test blind folded since I've been a Gillette user for sixteen years, but shaving while not looking may have resulted in a product review for Band-Aid vs Nexcare bandages. I used Caress Evenly Gorgeous body wash with a loofah to exfoliate before shaving. Exfoliating the dead skin cells before shaving allows for a closer shave....and sexier legs (or face).

Left leg, meet Schick Quattro. I lathered up with shaving cream and prepared to use the Quattro. It felt smooth but reminded me a little bit of the days when I used disposable razors. I was a little nervous gliding over the sensitive knee area but it did pretty well – no nicks or cuts! I only had to do a once over which was nice. When using cheaper or disposable razors I usually have to go over some areas two or three times to get a smooth result. The Schick Quattro was a decent razor with a decent shave. Nothing spectacular.

Right leg, meet Gillette Fusion. I've used Gillette's women's line after borrowing Hubby's razor shortly after we got married and am always anxious to try out their new products. I've used the Gillette Fusion for about a year but wanted to try it against Schick's Quattro. I lathered up and started shaving. The biggest difference I noticed was the flexible blades on the Fusion. I wasn't nervous at all when it got to shaving my knees which is the big nick zone for women. I wasn't sure how much of a difference the extra blade on the Fusion would make against the Quattro's four blades but in my opinion there was definitely a difference. Again, I only had to go over once.

The final test was to have Hubby check to see which leg was smoother. He didn't know which razor was used on which leg so the 'test' was completely unbiased. Gillette Fusion won hands down over Schick Quattro. Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to do an important test, Hubby!

By itself Schick Quattro is a great razor. In my opinion, they've always been a step or two behind Gillette's technology but seem to be doing fairly well compared to other brands. Comparing the Quattro next to the Fusion, however, it falls short. The extra blade combined with the flexibility makes the Fusion a much better razor.

One other important comparison is the price for which I chose Walgreen's. The Schick Quattro Titanium is $9.49 and refills are $12.50 for four cartridges. Gillette's Fusion is $9.99 and refills are $23.00 for eight cartridges. Both are a little pricey but for a few cents more, to use the Fusion for ultra smooth legs it's definitely worth it! Here's a little bargain tip I just discovered while researching prices. By joining http://www.afullcup.com/search you can find hundreds of coupons including some great discounts on Gillette and Schick products. I signed up very quickly!

I'm grateful for both companies for supplying me with free products to try. I love to stay on top of what's new for several different companies. I look forward to trying new razors from both companies in the future.

So You Think You Can Dance

2009-07-29T18:45:00.005-04:00

After being a dancer from age 3 until age 19 I feel like dancing is in my blood. Even though I haven't formally danced in 15 years (darn kids) I still love to put on some music and dance around the living room, kitchen, shower, wherever I can move my feet.

I have a love/hate relationship with Fox's show So You Think You Can Dance. I love to watch it and see the amazing, talented dancers show off the amazing, talents of the choreographers. I hate it because it makes me miss dancing so much. I have tears in my eyes during every show.

I didn't exactly suck at dancing but I wasn't the best in my classes either. I quit taking formal dance lessons when I was 15 but took an elective dance class all 3 years of high school. When I was little I took dance lessons taught in Mrs. Brigg's garage, I was near the top in terms of ability. Even though we practiced in her garage, we still learned a lot and had a recital at the local college every year. We wore the lovely fringe and sequenced dance costumes and tapped, balleted, and jazzed around to the best of our ability. I remember taking lessons at Erica's for two years on top of Mrs. Brigg's classes. This is when I learned I was passionate about dance but not enough to have someone yell at me for not doing a step perfectly. After the recital I promptly quit Erica's and stuck with the loving, grandmotherly Mrs. Brigg's.

High school dance classes were a hoot. For some reason in my sophomore year there were several seasoned dancers that laughed when we were told we would have to take Dance I. We wriggled our way into Dance III which meant the school had to make up classes for our junior and senior years (Dance Choreography I & II). Our teacher, Mr. S, was obviously on the feminine side and would fit right in with Mia and her contemporary ways. I'll never forget the one legged dance we had to make up- yes we were graded on it. At least Mr. S let us choose our own theme for the winter and spring dance concerts. I remember doing A Chorus Line, The Little Match Girl (my idea thank you very much- didn't get to be the Little Match Girl, though), and The Little Mermaid (I kid you not, our Algebra teacher looked exactly like Ursula the Sea Witch). Ugh, a horrible memory just floated back of wearing MC Hammer pants and dancing to a rap Christmas song. Oh, and wearing gray sweats meant to look make us look like mice for a shortened version of The Nutcracker.

I quickly learned how great of a dancer I was not that first semester. Some of the girls I danced with? Um, those were the ones who took from Erica's and actually stayed. Oh, to think of the dancer I could have been. Oh, well. They were patient with me, encouraged me, and were kind enough to not laugh when I attempted leaps. I'm even still friends with some of them. One now owns her own dance studio where she attempted to teach my two oldest daughters to dance. Apparently they got their mom's lack of intense drive.

One of my favorite memories of dancing was one of the last times I performed on a stage. I attended a youth conference in North Carolina just after graduating high school. On the last night there was a talent show. Feeling confident after being guided by some very patient girls for 3 years as well as the love shown to me by Mrs. Brigg's I decided to do a solo for the show. It was a very emotional dance. My only grandma had passed away two months earlier after a long struggle with Alzheimer's. The dance was for her, in her memory. I chose Mariah Carey's I'll be There and danced harder than I ever had in my life. I remember breaking down the minute I left the stage. Wow, I just realized that was the only time my grandma was able to watch me dance since she lived in Indiana. I don't know why I never thought about that before.

It looks like it's time to pass the torch to my youngest daughter, Maisie. She's only 3 but tells us several times a day that she wants to go to 'ballerina school'. She watches So You Think You Can Dance and does a pretty darn good job at copying the dancers. Grandma will get to watch her, too.

Darn you, John! I was going to write a short, quick post so I could mention a contest in hopes of winning So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit DVD's. One of the requirements was to mention the contest in a blog, on Face Book, or My Space. I never intended to take trips down memory lane and end up short circuiting my keyboard from tears. I tweeted the contest, joined the email list, and just needed to mention the contest here and leave a comment. Forty minutes later I've poured more of me onto the computer and wound up with a stuffy red nose. I better win those DVD's dammit! If not I better start making some money blogging so I can buy them on ebay. I need to make money anyway so I can take my oldest daughter to SYTYCD in Tampa soon. This better count!

One last thing. Dance not only gave me an outlet for my emotions, much like writing has, but I also got one of my very best friend's through dance. Along with taking dance as a class I was also on the dance and drill team. This is where I met Kris. I wasn't sure I'd like her at first but we quickly became good friends. By the time we were seniors we were inseparable. Twenty years later she's one of three friends I've kept in contact with ever since graduation (one other I met on the dance team, too. Love you, Shana!). We talk, email, and text every day. Many times I wonder what I'd do without her. I'm grateful to have met her through dance and feel blessed to have had her in my life for the last 20 years (dang, we're getting old!).

I'm off to watch tonight's episode of SYTYCD!

Her First Paycheck

2009-07-29T17:32:00.001-04:00

I'm sure this has been floating around cyberspace for a while but my cousin sent it to me and it was too cute not to share with all of you. Enjoy!

Here's a truly heartwarming story about the bond formed between a little 5-year-old girl and some construction workers that makes you believe that we CAN make a difference when we give a child the gift of our time...

A young family moved into a house next door to a vacant lot. One day a construction crew turned up to start building a house on the empty lot.

The family's 5-year-old daughter naturally took an interest in all the activity going on next door and spent much of each day observing the workers

Eventually the construction crew, all of them gems-in-the-rough, more or less adopted her as a kind of project mascot. They chatted with her, let her sit with them while they had coffee and lunch breaks, and gave her little jobs to do here and there to make her feel important.

At the end of the first week they even presented her with a pay envelope containing a couple of dollars. The little girl took this home to her mother who said all the appropriate words of admiration and suggested that they take the two dollar "pay" she had received to the bank the next day to start a savings account.

When they got to the bank, the teller was equally impressed and asked the little girl how she had come by her very own pay check at such a young age. The little girl proudly replied, "I worked last week with the crew building the house next door to us."

"My goodness gracious," said the teller, "and will you be working on The house again this week, too?"

The little girl replied, "I will if those assholes at Home Depot ever deliver the damn sheet rock..."

Stories like this just bring a tear to your eye.