I survived!

     OK, so I survived the weekend, just barely :) Seriously, it was busy and MOSTLY fun! And, I even squeezed in a walk yesterday morning!!
     Prom was a blast. I am the herald who announces each person who arrives, and it is the best job ever.
     However, I was totally emotional when Cody came through. He was so handsome in his all white tux.
     I admit it, my voice cracked, the tears welled up, and I realized I am in big trouble come graduation. SIGH.
     My youngest looked so dang handsome, too, and I was able to get some very cute brother pics of the both of them on their first and only prom together.
     Other news for the weekend, we SWEPT the Pioneers in baseball. And, Jordie played some good defense.
     Then yesterday, I exercised (woo hoo)! After that we decided to go for a motorcycle ride.
     I love riding on the bike. I just feel so free. Well, we barely drive from Omak to Okanogan, and how lovely is this, I was stung by a bee (maybe a yellow jacket, I don't know).
     For real, and it was stuck in the side of my face and my hair! I tried to get it out (all the while riding on the motorcycle), and all it did was sting my finger, too.
     Rick had to pull over and get it out of my hair. I didn't cry, but OOOOOOOWEEEE, that sucker hurt.
     My finger doesn't even hurt or really have a mark anymore, but the side of my face, by my ear, is still sore!
     The ride rocked the rest of the way; the weather was nice and everything is turning so green!
     So, now I am readying myself for anothe BUSY week that is captialized on Sunday by Cody's 18th birthday!!
     I feel like I should make myself a shirt that says, "I survived Cody's senior year!"

TGIF!!!!

     I am so excited that today is Friday! This closes one exceptionally busy week for me. OK, well, it doesn't really close it entirely, see me on Sunday :)
     I still do have two baseball games, one soccer game, soccer pictures, and two boys off to prom, and that doesn't count any grading, planning for next week either.
     But, the really GREAT news is that I feel much better today. My head doesn't feel like it is inside of a fish bowl!
     My cough is still lingering, but it is not nearly as nasty. Do I dare say that I actually feel better??
     I am just hoping for a little extra sleep somewhere this weekend, even if just a short nap on Sunday.
     Next week is a bugger of a busy one, too, with an exciting highlight...Next Sunday, May 6th, my baby will be 18!!!! SIGH.
     Somebody download some energy for me, OK?
     I want to close on a VERY serious note. Please, everyone be safe out there for prom! Make good choices, and remember that all of your choices have real consequences. Love to all!

Cold and busy

     I love going to the chiro. I cannot believe how much better I feel already, and I don't think it's all mental.
     I also sent Cody there yesterday, and we found out some interesting stuff about his body, too.
     He has been in tons of pain all year. Sports have been rough on his body, but thankfully we didn't KEEP putting it off because all the damage he has is reversable.
     Now, if I could just shake this nasty cold, which has officially moved into residence in my chest, I would be a happy camper.
     I am glad it's not a head cold any longer, but this chest bit poses some difficulties like BREATHING.
     And, I think I have finally lost the fever, which makes me super happy because I was tired of all of the chills and sweats.
     I have not exercised in I don't have a clue how long. I am drinking more water (the one thing I am VERY proud of). I am also taking all of my vitamins, and my eating...
     Well, let's just say that I am doing fine in the morning and at lunch.
     Dinner, on the other hand, OH MY GRAVY!! I have done more fast food drive bys this past week than I have in the past TWO YEARS all added together! UGH!
     This is an excuse, I know. BUT, it's true nonetheless. I am not home until 8 p.m. I need to get the crock pot out!!!
     I do have dinner planned for Rick tonight, so he is in charge of cooking, and we are NOT going to any fast food shack no matter what. I AM DETERMINED.
     The hardest thing for me right now is that I keep thinking..."Oh, next week will be better." But, it just seems like each week is either just as busy as the week before or even more!
     Balance, balance, balance. I need UBER balance!

Excuses, excuses

     So, I am feeling tons of guilt because I have not been even blogging. Partly because I feel like I don't have much to "weigh in" on, and partly because my life is ever psychotic at the moment.
     Seriously...here's is what yesterday looked like. I woke up (with a nasty cold by the way), had to go to Safeway to buy Jordie a bleach stick to erase his grass stains on his baseball pants, so he could play.
     Normally, this would be no biggie, except that Jordie told me as we were going out the door to head to school.
     As well, I was ALMOST late to a meeting before school, but I just slid in under the bell.
     Then I taught all day, which is, of course, the highlight! Even though I feel poopy, I do LOVE teaching!!
     Then after school I went to pick up my step-daughter, but with some confusion, nobody knew where she was...yeah, talk about heart attack city!! I thought she had been abducted, SERIOUSLY scary!!
     Once all that was squared away and my heart returned to a somewhat normal beat, I took Jordie to his job interview.
     He is applying for a summer job with the Ecology Youth Corp, and yesterday was the ONLY day the guy was coming up from Yakima.
     Then once his interview was over, we rushed up to the house (because he forgot his baseball belt), and then off to Tonasket for his game!
     We arrived at his game at 4 (it started at 4:30), and as I was waking up my step-daughter, I shut the door and locked my keys in the car!
     Yeah, baby! In the end everything worked out. A parent on the other team (and strangely enough a high school sweetheart of mine) managed to pop the lock open by wedging a piece of wood in between the window and door.
     Then I watched the baseball game for about thirty minutes before I drove back to drop my little one off to her mom, and then head out for cheerleading practice.
     Our cheerleading practice was SUPER, even though I was dying (couldn't stop coughing), and my head hurt sooo badly!
     Then I caved in on the way home and we went to a local fast food grease pit for dinner. GEEZ.
     I watched American Idol and then went to bed. I had a tough time sleeping (coughing, plugged up nose, etc.), but I am up and going this morning!
     So...there you have it. A day in the life. SIGH. Today won't be nearly as nutso, thank goodness!

Best appointment ever!

     Yesterday afternoon I had the best appointment ever. It was a chiro appointment, and I have not been to one since I was pregnant with Jordan (now 14).
     Anyhow, I learned sooooo much at yesterday's appointment. Really, I went in for one thing, and then found out much more about my body.
     Given who I am, what my personality type is, and what's going on with my body, my chiro believes that I have Adrenal Fatigue.
     Crazy! I learned so much, and it all rings TRUE! I then came home and read more about it all, and it was amazing that every checklist of symptoms looked like someone had observed me!
     I have had a long history of thyroid problems, and it turns out that really that could end up being an ancillary sort of condition.
     I am now taking vitamins for my adrenal glands and my liver. Who knows? Maybe eventually I won't need to take my thyroid pills because once my liver and adrenal glands are happy and healthy, my thryroid will recover, too.
     I think one of the best things about my appointment yesterday is that my chiro told me that it is OK to be who I am. That I do thrive on stress, but I need to have a support system in place that will deal with that.
     In other words, eating well, drinking water (she told me half of my body weight!), exercising, and making sure that my adrenal glands and liver are supported as well.
     I think the best question my chiro asked me is that if I was a doctor would I be a doctor in an office or would I want to be an emergency doctor?
     Without a doubt, I would be an emergency room doctor! That is definitely my personality.
     It's really OK to be someone who thrives on stressful situations and who likes to do TONS of stuff.
     My chiro said that I don't have to apologize or change who I am, I just need to find the balance and support to live the life that I want to live.
     What a great appointment!! Stay tuned to see how things are going!
     Oh, and what I originally went there for, an adjustment, that happened, too.
     Hasta!

Bad breath?!

     Happy National Garlic Day! I am a MAJOR garlic lover!! I use it in my cooking regularly.
     I have yet to attend the Garlic Festival in Tonasket, but really I should considering my fondness of the herb/vegetable.
     What surprises me most is all of the benefits of garlic (OBVIOUSLY its taste) besides, of course, warding off evil spirits.
     Garlic has been used for medicinal purposes for just about forever.
     It's believed to protect from heart disease and some cancers (many studies out there, especially by the National Cancer Institute), lower cholesterol and blood pressure, fight off colds and the flu, and has even been used as a cure for toothaches, acne, and warts (in the homeopathic world).
     OK, so its only really drawback is the bad breath and the smell you have when it leaks out of your pores (for gi-normous amounts of consumption).
     I am thinking about trying to grow some, and apparently it's not too late if I start this weekend!
     Hey, so yesterday was National Juggling Day, and if you missed it, well you could go buy three garlic cloves and juggle them to celebrate both days! HA!
     I am outta here!
     P.S. Eating was swell yesterday, water not enough, and I did go for a "stress-relief" fifteen minute walk yesterday afternoon.

     OK, so I am running LATE this morning :) This will be a shortie, and I DO mean brief.
     Yesterday was National Cheeseball Day!! All I ask is how does that happen?
     I did not eat a cheeseball or any cheese for that matter. I did eat well yesterday, under my calories.
     I did drink enough water, too! I have this gi-normous "smart" water bottle.
     I did not work out. I did run errands, but that doesn't really count because I was not actually running, but rather driving. SIGH.
     I am thinking about buying a pedometer (my old one is broken), so I can track my unintentional exercise and shoot for the 10,000 steps!
     I had a really yummy breakfast this morning, so now I am ready to go and deal with this crazy busy day!!
     Later!

From one thing to another, always

     Yesterday started off as a really good day. I was so GLAD (happy, full of rejoice, energized) to return to school!!
     I really do love my job and appreciate how lucky I am to have it. I love the kids and what I do!
     So, everything was rolling along just fine even though we are on a wacky schedule because of WASL testing.
     Anyhow, about 7th period my throat and neck started hurting. My glands are swollen from my neck to my ear.
     I had shooting pain in my ear and near my eye everytime I swallowed anything.
     Not good, not good at all. I don't know if it is a climate change thing or just being run down or what.
     By the time I returned home last night after Jordie's game, I thought I was going to cry. Seriously, I considered going to the ER because it hurt so bad.
     I took some sinus medicine and went to bed. This morning I feel much better, but it does still hurt a little when I swallow.
     My fear is that it will be much worse as the day goes on. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it won't.
     Jordie was not so funny last night when he said that I sounded like he felt when he had MONO.
     My eating was OK yesterday, no exercise, but I did drink enough water.
     Thank goodness I had met my water consumption goal earlier in the day because I would NOT have been able to drink any last night.
     SIGH.

Hello, old friend.

     WOW! It has been such a long time. This is the absolute longest I have gone without blogging.
     I have been out in Iowa City for a week, and you can also add on a travel day to both ends.
     It feels like I was away from home forever. I am VERY glad to be home and back to my normal busy routine.
     Yesterday, I was catching up on family time especially. We went up to Green Lake with a picnic and to race Rick's remote control hydroplane.
     What a relaxing time. The weather was really nice, and I just reflected on all sorts of things.
     Then when we returned home, I decided to open up my planner (which I have not looked at for around 10 days) to see how busy this upcoming week is going to be.
     Yup, right back to normal, BUSY.
     As for my trip to Iowa City, besides work, I did squeeze in some "me" time.
     I did not workout in the gym, but I did go on at least one long walk a day, out exploring. I even walked on the days it snowed!
     Eating...YIKES! As a group we went to really nice (fancy smancy) restaurants each night, and I did not make good choices. I also drank a beer with dinner each night, and I tried different kinds, as they had some regional microbrews that I had never had before.
     Lunch and breakfast were catered in, and mostly I made good choices there.
     I have not weighed in in so long, I don't know how much I even weigh. AND, I am being very honest...I DON'T WANT TO KNOW AT THIS POINT.
     I do know that I have gained some weight, as my clothes feel tighter, and I feel less comfortable in general.
     But, the good news is that I am on a different time schedule right now. So, this morning I woke up on my own at 4:30 and then I went back to sleep.
     I should take advantage of that and tomorrow go to the gym.
     I have read a lot over the past two weeks, lots of interesting health articles that I will share in the upcoming days.
     I also have a chiro appointment this week, which I am very excited about! My first one, but, boy do I need to go!
     Well, more tomorrow.

OXYMORON

     My girlfriend (she's a teacher, too) and I were just last night working at the school late on stuff we needed to catch up on. We went late, so that our kiddos could all be with their dads.
     We were both talking about how on a week that we don't even have school, we feel like we are not getting as much done. SIGH.
     I know that I have been super busy this week, too busy, actually. And, I have finished a ton of things that I have wanted to, but still it does feel like there is not enough time in the day, and technically I am on vacation!! HA!
     It reminds me of how I feel in the summer that I will do all of these things that I want to do (especially workout), and then somehow I just don't end up having the time.
     It definitely feels like I have more time when I am SUPER busy. Is that one giant oxymoron for you?? Free busy time? LOL.
     It's one of those questions to the universe, I think. One that I won't ever know the answer.
     Today has a gi-normous to do list, and I leave tomorrow to head to Wenatchee, and then Seattle, and then Iowa.
     The good news, though, is that I have a massage appointment today!! Woo hoo!! Boy, do I need it!
     Off and running. But, before I go, here are some tidbits for you.
     April 6th is National Carmel Popcorn Day! I love those Quaker carmel mini-rice cakes!!
     Also, April is National Soft Pretzel Month. Check out a yummy recipe for an alternative: http://www.hungry-girl.com/tuesdaypreview.php?newsletterid=107
      OUT!

Spring Break, Baby!

     I can hardly believe it is already Wednesday of my Spring Break! I also cannot believe how busy I have been.
     I have actually been to school both on Monday and yesterday, and I will be going for a bit this afternoon, too.
      Lots of stuff to do and organize before I am gone all next week to Iowa.
     I have also already accomplished some big goals around the house. We had a huge "honey do" (but, what I like to call the "cantalope") list!
      First, on Sunday we hired some of the baseball players from Jordan's team (the best fundraiser any group runs ever!) to come and help clean-up and whatnot.
      That just inspired us to do all those things we never felt like we had enough time to do.
      Then I completely organized my step-daughter's room, and also started the boys off in their room.
      So, since Sunday, I have definitely burnt a ton of "extra" calories working out in the yard and house.
      I have not gone to the gym. I am soooooo frustrated with that because I know I need to; I just seem to be avoiding it...denial, sabotage, all of those things.
     Besides the fact that I am irritated on a physical level of not working out, my pocketbook doesn't like it much either.
     It's not that I can't afford it...it just feels like such a waste of money, and I am usually pretty frugal.
      This morning I woke up and did aerobics, and I had a really good workout. I don't know why I won't go to the gym, though.
      What's the deal?

It's about time

     So, here's the update. I did not go to the gym yesterday, and I am disappointed. BUT, I did accomplish many other things on my massive "to do" list.
     And, I am planning on going in this afternoon. I even shaved my legs, so I mean business!
     All sorts of things have been happening lately, and I have lots to catch you up on, so this could be a long one.
     We went to a wedding last night, a beautiful wedding. I really could relate to the ceromony's message of "It's about time."
     I get that on so many different levels. And, you would have to know the story behind the couple to understand it's literal meaning last night.
     In my own life, "It's about time" means so many things. It's about time that I take care of myself the way I deserve to take care of myself.
     It's about time I start paying attention to those around me and seeing the messages I am being sent.
     I have three women friends who have all recently suffered some major medical problems.
     One of my friends was diagnosed with diabetes about five weeks ago. She has the Type II that doesn't require daily shots, but she does have to take daily medicine.
     She is eating healthy and really taking care of herself in hopes that she will eventually not have to take the pills anymore.
     Another friend is going in for a hip replacement! She is very young (40ish), and she lives in such pain right now. I can't wait for her to have some relief.
     And, then another woman that I know recently suffered a mild heart attack. She, too, is in her 40s. I was freaking out when I heard, especially because she is very fit and athletic.
     I don't think there is a history of heart problems in her family, and I don't know if it's the sort of heart attack that is related to stress or not.
     It's about time. It's about time women start taking care of themselves FIRST, so they can take care of everyone else around them.
     It's about time that I start giving stuff away. I am doing this, and I am proud of doing this.
     I have planned on several activities that I will not be running anymore. I have started to really think about my life and determine what is really important.
     I had a reader comment about the things I do and why I do them, and the reader wondered if some of the things I do are for acceptance and proving myself worthy to others.
     That really resonnated with me. I have done some major self-reflection about what I do and why.
     To be honest, sometimes I do things ONLY because I think I can do them better than the way they are being done.
     I am really examining what matters and why I am doing whatever I am.
     It's about time that I find some balance. I have also decided that if I choose to do anything new that I must give something away, since I do too much.
     And, I am accomplishing that! It feels really good. It feels right. It's about time.
     It's about time that I realize that which I can control and that which I cannot.
     Then even more importantly, I am realizing that I should not even care about things I cannot change or control.
     That takes a ton of stress out of my life. Don't worry be happy. Don't sweat the small stuff. All of those.
     Last night at the wedding, the comment was made that we spend our first half of our lives learning and the second half living.
     Ahhhh...I get that, too. I am ready to live.