Happy Fall Y'all!

Since the beginning of the school year, our days and weekends have been jam packed with activities. We have had soccer, bake sales, the Barnyard Blast, the Fall Festival, field trips to the farm and the Peter Pan play, a school spaghetti dinner, book fair and more. Three months ago, I thought we would never fall into our new routine, but we are really thriving. I think our new routine has been good for all of us. I love being involved with his school and have already met a few new mom friends. Brady is doing an amazing job. He can read beginner books and is already learning about anatomy, plant life cycles, and math. He’s made tons of friends and loves his school. 

In the middle of all this, we celebrated Halloween. Fall is my favorite season and I always enjoy planning costumes and decorating the house. This year, James finished up a two month school and returned home just in time for Halloween. Since he would be joining us this year I decided we would do a family costume. So we went as characters from the Wizard of Oz. We had a fantastic time and of course got lots of candy.

Speaking of James, he was in Yuma, AZ completing the WTI (Weapons and Tactics Instructor) course. It was a big deal that he was selected to go to the course in the first place. You have to be a Captain, but they waived that requirement so he could go. He is now qualified to be an instructor there, and he was chosen to take over the position of the current instructor. This means we will be moving west to sunny Yuma sometime in the near future. I’ve been busy planning and researching neighborhoods and schools. He will return to Yuma for two months this coming spring, so that will give him an opportunity to scope things out.

We attended the Marine Corps ball last weekend. I haven’t been in a few years so it was nice to get all dressed up with my Marine and have an evening out. He surprised me by reserving a room at a bed and breakfast that we stayed at many years ago. I love downtown New Bern and the historic buildings and there was something so romantic about the whole evening. Of course I was up at 6:00 AM and ready to get home to my babies. The day of the ball, my mom surprised Brady with a trampoline at her house. It was given to her by a neighbor whose kids had outgrown it. We just needed a new mat and a few replacement springs and Brady was the happiest kid on earth. A trampoline is a perfect outlet for kids with extra energy. And the nets that are now required make it much safer and less stressful!

Brady had another big surprise last weekend. He went to his first sleepover! His best friend is my cousins son, Sam. Sam and Brady are the same age and attended preschool together. They go to different elementary schools, but we still try to get together often. I was nervous about the sleepover, and I honestly didn’t sleep a wink that night. But of course, he had a blast and everything was fine.

As fall is coming to a close, I find it hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. It will be our last Christmas at home for a while and I plan on making it the best ever. We took down the Halloween decorations yesterday and I am gearing up for Cecilia’s big 2^nd birthday party Saturday. After that, Christmas decorations will be going up and we will eat, drink, and be merry with friends and family until the new year. 

My Beachbody Journey: The Beginning

 In February 2014, I decided I needed to make a change. I was still hanging on to weight I had gained while pregnant with my second child. I was tired, cranky and unhappy with myself. After my first pregnancy, the weight literally fell right off. I didn’t understand why I didn’t lose the weight this time. I decided it wasn’t going to happen unless I did something about it.

I had recently become friends with one of James’ high school friends on Facebook. She kept posting status updates about a new program created by Beachbody. Despite the fact that I thought “Beachbody” was a cheesy name for a company, I was intrigued by the program. It was called the 21 Day Fix and it was aimed at portion control along with 30 minutes of exercise per day. The challenge pack included DVD’s with seven, thirty-minute workouts, portion control containers, a nutrition guide, and a one-month supply of Shakeology. Shakeology is a formula comprised of whole foods and nutrients. I ordered the chocolate flavor and let me tell you. Blended with almond milk, ice and a little banana, it tasted just like a milkshake! I was hooked. I had a shake for breakfast, completed my workout of the day, and used the handy containers to measure my food.

The 21 Day Fix doesn’t mean you’re “fixed” in 21 days. Studies have shown that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. After the 21 days, a habit of healthy eating and exercise is established. I agree with the concept, and by the end of the three weeks I had a new routine. I did the Fix for 2 cycles, and grew tired of doing the same workouts over and over. I was looking through our DVD collection one day and realized we had P90X. All I knew about P90X was that my husband did it when we lived in Vermont. I recalled hearing him jumping around and grunting in our basement, then emerging tired and dripping in sweat. This probably wasn’t going to be for me, but I decided to give it a shot. The first day was all push-ups and pull-ups, neither of which I could do. But I carried on, even if it meant doing push-ups on my knees. The other workouts in the program were a more for me and I enjoyed Tony Horton’s humor. Alas, finishing the program just wasn’t meant to be. I had my tonsillectomy in June and after the month it took to recover, I was back at square one: weak and inactive.

To get back in the game, I began the 21 Day Fix yet again. I just wasn’t seeing the additional weight loss results I wanted. My coach suggested Shaun T’s Focus T25. It was the program that started her journey and she got incredible results. I set a little money aside for a couple of paychecks and finally ordered it.

I am currently on week three of T25 and I LOVE it. It is very challenging, but at the end of the 25 minutes you are exhausted, yet energized, and dripping in sweat. That’s the kind of workout I need. In the three weeks since starting, I have lost 2 pounds and feel so much stronger and more motivated.

I must mention, a huge part of being successful is staying accountable and motivated. I do this by being part of Beachbody challenge groups on Facebook. I have met many wonderful people who are also on their fitness journeys. We share recipes, discuss workouts, and are a basis of support for each other. When someone doesn’t feel like working out, had a bad day, or ate too many cookies, we are there to set that person back on track and offer an ear to listen. It is truly an amazing support system. At the urging of my coach, I finally felt ready to sign up to be a Beachbody Coach. I am part of a great team of coaches and I look forward to embarking on the next level of my fitness journey.

Homemade Healthy Granola

Recently I have stumbled across many recipes I wanted to recreate, but have been unable to find the ingredients to do so. Here in New Bern, NC, our shopping is limited to Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, and the over-priced Harris Teeter. I would have to travel almost 2 hours to shop at Whole Foods, so I decided to place an order through my trusty Amazon Prime. I ordered some bulk items and some obscure items that I have wanted to experiment with. One of the items I received was a big bag of hemp hearts. I have been reading about the health benefits of these little gems, but didn't really know how to incorporate them into a recipe. So I decided I would make a granola. I browsed Pinterest and other websites and pieced together a recipe that suited my taste. This recipe was inspired by http://ohlardy.com/granola-our-breakfast-cereal/.  It is really good, easy, inexpensive to make, and yields a lot!

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup coconut flakes

1 cup cashews, chopped

1/2 cup hemp hearts

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup pure honey

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup dried reduced sugar cranberries (Crasins) 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Mix together the oats, coconut, nuts, hemp hearts, salt, cinnamon, honey, dried fruit and coconut oil in a large bowl.

Spread the granola evenly on a baking sheet.

Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for 40 minutes.

Let cool.

A few notes:

Unsweetened coconut flakes would be healthier, however I could only find sweetened at my grocery store.

Any type of nuts could be used. I used cashews because it’s what I had the most of on hand.

Instead of hemp hearts, you could use your choice of seeds.

Any type of dried fruits could be used.  I have been on a dried cranberry kick lately.

I have been enjoying this granola by the handful for a snack, or with almond milk for breakfast.

On another note, I am in the process of completing my package to become a Beachbody Coach! I'm very excited, so please stay tuned for more healthy recipes! 

Cecilia's First Days

With her second birthday approaching and having recently read about a friends experience with her newborns being in the NICU, I have been thinking about my Cecilia’s first few days. It was a very emotional experience for me and I tried to shut it out of my mind and never think about it. To this day (until now, I guess) only a handful of people knew that this even occurred. But it happened, and I have come to realize that other families may be comforted knowing that others have been in the same boat.

I gave birth on Thanksgiving, after being induced the previous day. It was a miserable labor and delivery and I once again hemorrhaged, had my placenta manually removed, and narrowly missed ending up in the ICU myself. By Friday I was beyond ready to go home. Cecilia seemed perfect, but I thought she was very lethargic. I don’t think she woke up (except for feedings) the first 24 hours of her life. I was concerned but the doctors told me it was because I had an epidural and it made her drowsy. I had to stay until Saturday to have my blood counts monitored but when it was time to go I was up bright and early with my bags packed. Cecilia was in the nursery for her final examination and I kept requesting that she be returned to my room. I hadn't seen her all morning. The nurses kept stalling and telling me she had to be checked by the doctor. I was getting impatient and called for 3 hours. When a pediatrician finally came in, he didn't look right. I knew something was wrong and grabbed James’ hand. The doctor informed us that he and three of his colleagues believed our baby had a heart condition, known as aortic coarctation (CoA), which is basically a kink in the aorta. He said if she didn't get to a cardiologist soon, she might not have much time. He went  on to explain the condition, but all I could hear was “heart surgery” and “not much time.” I kept thinking about how lethargic she seemed. I later understood that there are some criteria they look at to diagnose the condition. One is the presence of a heart murmur and the other is differing blood pressure in the upper and lower portions of the body. Her pressure was very weak in her lower body. 

More information can be found at:

http://ask.healthline.com/health/coarctation-of-the-aorta#Overview1

Our beautiful baby girl! 

Ready to go home! 

So with that news, we were told she would be getting on a chopper and heading to Duke Children's Hospital for evaluation. I experienced a feeling of pain and sadness that I had never felt in my entire life. My brand new baby had to go on a helicopter with strangers, and face the possibility of heart surgery, or worse. I had to fill out forms allowing the flight nurses to intubate her during the flight if needed. She was hooked up to monitors, IV’s and placed in an incubator and wheeled off by the flight crew. I didn't know how I was supposed to handle a four hour drive to get to her. My mom had gone home to be with Brady and my dogs and I called her in complete panic. We raced home and got a couple of changes of clothes. I didn't even know where we would be staying. My mom took Brady to my cousin’s so she could go with us to Duke. I don’t remember the drive but I do remember stopping at a Bojangles to use the restroom. An elderly employee asked me why I looked so sad if I was about to have a baby (if you don’t know, you still look pregnant a few days after giving birth.) I broke down and cried to her and she promised she would pray for my baby. For some reason I will never forget that.

When we finally arrived, Cecilia had already been there a few hours. We had to scrub up and put on smocks before being allowed into the Intensive Care Nursery. It was strangely quiet in there. There were two rows of incubators, each occupied with tiny babies with so many tubes and monitors on their little bodies they were barely visible. Some were born as early as 25 weeks and some weighed less than 2 pounds. When I finally saw my baby she was covered in those tubes too but she was wide awake now. And she was angry. The flight nurse told me she “raised hell” the whole way there. I felt then that she might just be OK. While we waited for a doctor the nurses tried to find an outfit to fit “Ms. Fat and Sassy,” as they called her. We had to get special clothes because they had nothing for an almost 9 pound baby. I hadn't even thought to bring clothes for her, besides her coming home outfit! I felt better seeing her and knowing we were all together. If something happened she was at one of the best hospitals in the state. We found a room at a creepy sleep study hotel run by the hospital. We ordered pizza and I tried to rest (I was still weak and in pain and very emotional). I ignored all the texts and calls congratulating us on her birth. I just didn't know what to say.

The next day the doctors informed us that she did not appear to have CoA and only had a heart  murmur. They did several tests and echocardiograms and went over all of the results with us. She was going to be fine! She would, however, have to follow up with cardiologists at ECU for the next 6 months. We were overcome with relief. I think even James shed a tear of happiness. We could take her home the next day. While my excitement was through the roof, I was still very sad. I was sad for the small, sick, babies in that room. I was sad for their parents who had been visiting for months. I was sad for the families who lived out of town and couldn't visit often. I was sad that these babies would be here for many more days and weeks. To this day, I don't know what happened. I'm not sure how three pediatricians believed she had this heart condition and a couple of days later she did not. Maybe they were mistaken, or maybe the aorta "un-kinked" itself somehow. Maybe it was just a miracle. It was at that moment that I thanked God for blessing us with a healthy baby and reminding me, over that Thanksgiving weekend, that I have so much to be thankful for. 

I didn't take many pictures during her stay at Duke. 

One last bottle before heading home!

Reunited with big brother! 

Kindergarten Kraziness

Well we've made it 3 ½ weeks into the school year. Let me tell you, it is not all stickers and snacks. Our routine has been completely turned upside down. I thought I was tired before, but now I know what exhaustion is.  I’m pretty sure I’m going through a pack a day now too (of K-Cups, that is.)

It all begins with waking up so early. If I haven’t said it before, my children and I are not morning people. Daddy can get up at the crack of dawn without effort. But for me, I must set 4 different alarms and set the first one an hour before I actually need to get up. Once I get up (at 6:15) I stand by the Keurig until I've had my first cup of coffee. Then I have the energy to wake the children. Brady is hit or miss. He either jumps up asking for cereal or has to be dragged out by his feet. Cecilia usually wakes from the racket we make and is just sitting in her crib happily. We get dressed, have more coffee, and the kids have breakfast.

School starts at 8:00. In order to avoid sitting in the carpool line, we leave at 7:25 and arrive at the school about 10 minutes later. Brady is assisted out of the car by a teacher and enters the school. Cecilia and I return home at about 7:50. That’s too early to spend the entire morning at home so we started taking an hour long walk. By then it’s 9:00 and we watch Disney Jr., have a snack, play and read. We go on about our day until it’s time to pick Brady up. School lets out at 3:00. But the carpool line is worse in the afternoon so we leave the house at 2:20 and sit in the line (which is already about 50 cars long) until 3:00. Then we wait for all 50 kids ahead of us to get in the car. I have begun conducting phone calls and sorting mail in my car during the wait. Cecilia sits in the back and eats snacks and fusses. By the time we return home it’s 3:45. When we walk in the door, both children are starving. I spend the next hour in the kitchen fixing snacks and cleaning up. Then comes the homework drama. It’s not like the teacher is asking for a research paper. A typical assignment, so far, is to write the letter D five times uppercase and five times lower case. Then draw a picture of something that rhymes with “dig.” It takes another hour to get Brady to complete his homework. By then they are starving again. This goes on until bath time. After baths, they are hungry (yet again!) so we must do one more snack before bedtime. At 7:30 Cecilia gets in bed, followed by Brady at 8:00. Then it is time for me to find some dinner, feed the dogs, clean the kitchen, pack lunch and snacks, lay out all our clothes for the next morning and then fall into a coma. And these are the nights we don’t have soccer practice.

All this is in addition to our “old” life of laundry, housework, grocery shopping, paying bills, doctors’ appointments, veterinary appointments, hair cut appointments, grooming appointments, errands, exercising, cooking, etc.

Many moms thrive on being busy- hustling around from one activity to another. I don’t think I’m one of those moms. I like slow-paced quality time; I would rather spend our time doing a few things that we enjoy together. Sadly, now that Brady is school-aged, we don’t have the option to spend our days as we please. He is growing up- I cannot believe how fast these first five years went by. I think I am growing up too, in a way. I feel like I have entered a new “mom stage.” And upon entering that stage, I have realized something else. I have a whole new respect for mothers that work outside the home and still accomplish all of their “home life” tasks and obligations. I know I am not doing anything special. All us moms are in the same boat. But I am finally feeling the accomplishment of having raised a little person to go off to school on his own, while still maintaining my household. Moms do a pretty amazing job if you think about it. Overall, I suppose we are getting used to our new routine. And while I don’t believe I will ever be a morning person, I am confident that we will get homework done, lunches packed, and arrive at school on time. For the first semester, anyway. 

Kindergarten

I have known this week was coming for a long time, and I knew it would be bad. August 25 has been marked on the calendar since sometime in February. Every month since then I would flip the pages forward and stare at the date, count the months, then weeks, then days until the Big Day.

Anyone who knows me knows my children are my entire world. I have had many ups and downs with Brady over the past 5 years, but I wouldn't change a single thing. I love that child so much it hurts. I am admittedly an overprotective parent and trying to prepare myself for him going to Kindergarten has been a struggle.

I hated the first day of school when I was a child. I was always nervous to start a new year, a new schedule, and meet new people. Once I am in a routine I don’t like to change it. After a couple of weeks I would get used to it though, and everything would be fine. I kept telling myself it would be the same when it came to my own children.

Monday, August 25 came out of nowhere. I had spent the weekend packing and unpacking his book bag, organizing his clothes, and double-checking his school supply list. Sunday night I went to bed early so I could get up extra early to make sure everything was perfect. That first day the parents were to accompany their children. We went to the classroom and the kids left to take a tour of the school. While they were busy exploring, the parents stayed in the classroom, filled out paperwork, and learned about the class schedule and curriculum. I was amazed at the things they would be learning throughout the year. It is a far cry from Kindergarten in 1988! After this orientation, we were free to go. Brady had a great time. I was still in shock and was ready to get home and go through the huge folder of information we were given. James was fine. Brady was fine. Cecilia (besides crying because she didn't want to leave Kindergarten) was fine. I was absolutely not fine. While everyone else was checking out the library and media center, I was checking for security cameras and fire exits.  How was I supposed to drop my baby off at a curb and feel confident that he made it inside to his class? How did I know he wouldn't get in a strangers car in the afternoon? Why were all the Facebook parents so “excited” about that first day? Surely, I couldn't be the only one worried about those things.

When you’re a parent you can’t freak out in front of your child. I was the picture of calmness on the outside but I was a wreck on the inside. I couldn't let Brady see my fears and anxiety so I carried on as normally as possibly. I made his lunch last night, making a little tear on the corner of the string cheese (what if he couldn't open his own cheese?), putting the thinnest layer of peanut butter possible on his sandwich (what if he chokes and no one notices?), and putting his crackers in a sandwich bad so it would be easier to open. He’ll just have to take his chances on the juice box because I didn't think to get a thermos.

Dropping him off this morning was hard. Really, really hard. When it was our turn in the carpool line, I wanted to help him out of the car. The teacher outside was hurrying us along and I didn't even get to hug him. People behind me were getting impatient so I pulled away, straining to see him in my rear view mirror. Just as I feared, I didn't see if he made it inside. His teacher assured me there would be plenty of teachers outside helping usher them in to their classes but I needed to see it. The tears began to flow and I had to pull over at Food Lion. I cried. It was the ugly cry, complete with snot and hyperventilating. I turned to look at my daughter and saw her staring at me like I was a lunatic. Maybe I am. But I remembered my own rule that I can’t freak out in front of the kids. So I pulled myself together and went inside to do some grocery shopping (since I was already there.) We came home, unloaded the car, went for our walk, and had breakfast. Now, here I sit, counting down the hours until I can see my boy’s happy face and hear about the wonderful day he had, and wonder what the hell I was so worried about. 

Our 2014 Summer Vacation

We try to take a family vacation every year. Sometimes it’s hard to plan due to James’ schedule, but I can usually put together a fun weekend trip. We really wanted to take a Disney cruise this year. James and I used to travel frequently and really enjoy cruises and the Caribbean. I wanted to do something that the kids would enjoy and the Disney cruise seemed to be the perfect compromise. Unfortunately, I only knew James’ schedule as of the summer and the summer rates were just too costly for our family right now. So, instead of skipping vacation altogether, I planned a long weekend and packed as much fun into it as possible.

I knew I wanted to go to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. James and I both went there frequently as children and we have great memories of the amusement park. During the Spring, I began seeing commercials for Great Wolf Lodge. It is a rustic, cabin style resort with a large indoor water park and many other amenities such as restaurants, a spa, an arcade, bowling, mini golf and more. Basically, it is a kids paradise. I began doing some research and decided that it would be great for our family. I booked a long weekend a couple of weeks before the start of school.

We headed out early in the morning and drove straight to Busch Gardens. It is about a 4 hour drive with kids. The kids had a blast. Brady had never seen anything so awesome. He went on every single ride that he was tall enough for. He was upset that he was too short for the big roller coasters, but he got to go on one in Sesame Street’s Forest of Fun. Cecilia loved the Forest but Brady concluded that it was for babies and that he would rather explore the rest of the park. If you’ve never been to Busch Gardens it is divided into different “countries.” There is Italy, England, France, Ireland and Germany. Each country has different themed rides, shops and restaurants. My personal favorite is Germany, but they are all fun. We ate lunch in Italy and I don’t think I’ve ever seen my kids devour food the way they did! It was a hot day but there are plenty of places to cool off in the shade. Cecilia and I didn’t go on many rides so we were thankful for those shady spots!

After spending the day at Busch Gardens, we headed to the hotel. We weren’t even out of the parking lot before the kids were asleep. Great Wolf was only a couple of miles away so I sat in the car while the kids napped and James checked in. Upon check in, you receive cute wolf ears and bracelets. The bracelets unlock the door to your room and also serve as your pass to the water park. We got a pizza and by the time we toured the lodge, it was almost Cecilia’s bedtime. So James took Brady to the water park until closing time, and I set out to get Cecilia to sleep. On a side note, she got out of her crib last week. I took the Pack ‘n Play hoping she would sleep in it, but she was too excited. I put her in the big bed with me and turned the lights off but she ended up staying up until 10:00.

The next morning the kids were up, as Brady called it “at the crap of dawn.” This was 6:00 am. The water park didn’t open until 9:00 so we watched TV and got Dunkin’ Donuts while we waited. We were the first ones at the water park and I was able to grab a table right in front of the toddler pool. James and Brady went off to do surfing and the major water slides. Cecilia had a blast splashing and playing in the water fountains. Once he started getting tired, Brady came over to play with her. He showed her how to go down the small slides and she was right behind him. She was the littlest one on the slides, because she has to do everything big brother does. We went back to the room for lunch and a little quiet time.

After our break, Brady wanted to play mini golf. He has always loved golfing and loves a chance to check out a new course. We (tried) to golf, but Cecilia thought it was her job to retrieve the balls after each person’s turn, so there wasn’t much point in keeping score. Although, I kept track in my head and I did beat James J After golf, Mama wanted some outside pool time. I got a lounge chair, a giant frozen drink and slathered on some sunscreen. James played in the pool with the kids and helped Cecilia with the outdoor water slide. As they were playing, a kid about Brady’s age reached for a Cheeto and fell through the slat in his lounge chair. I immediately started laughing (hey, he didn’t get hurt and he was laughing!) but the kids mom didn’t think it was so funny, so I decided it might be time to pack up and head in.

I had been researching restaurants and decided I wanted to eat at Food For Thought. It got great Google reviews and the menu sounded good. Seafood is my favorite and I had narrowed it down to a couple of dishes. So we showered and headed to dinner. If you are considering going to The Great Wolf Lodge, I would highly recommend taking a hair dryer. The website states that they come standard in the rooms and in an effort to prove James wrong about my supposed over-packing tendencies, I was determined to pack all my stuff in ONE backpack. The hairdryer wouldn’t fit, so I thought I would use the one in the room. Wrong. There was a hole in the wall where it had been removed. After requesting one 4 times, and never receiving it, I had to go to dinner with wet hair in a ponytail. Yuck. With what we paid for the room, someone should have come in the room and personally styled my hair! Anyway, that was the only disappointment of the trip.

On the way to dinner, the kids fell asleep. We once again sat in the car to let them nap. By the time we went in to the restaurant, there was a long wait so we waited outside and chatted with other families. There were a group of ladies that drove 45 minutes every week to eat there. They even gave us a discount card and offered opinions on what to order. Once our name was called, we browsed the menu and placed our orders. James got shrimp and grits, I got a crab cake served on a spinach and cheese stuffed portobello and the kids got mac and cheese and a cheeseburger. While we waited, they served sweet potato corn bread. Yes, you read that right! Talk about melt-in-your-mouth. The restaurant was so good and I highly recommend it to anyone.

After dinner, we went to the arcade. Brady loves some arcade games and I have to admit, so do I. Cecilia loved all the lights and sounds. Brady ended up trading in his tickets for an airplane, a bracelet for himself and a glitter bracelet for Cecilia. We headed up to bed and this time we all slept like babies.

The next morning we had to check out at 11:00, but you can use the water park all day. We headed to the park hoping to get some sillies out before driving home. Brady talked me into going on a crazy slide with him and Cecilia went on the little slides about 50 times. By 10:30 or so, they were ready to go. So, we had an early lunch and packed up the car. Cecilia had picked out an Abby Cadabby t-shirt at Busch Gardens and Brady still had to pick out his souvenir. He browsed the gift shop carefully before choosing a snow globe. He’s funny like that-he doesn’t want toys or t-shirts. He told me he wanted a special keepsake. So we got the snow globe, checked out, and headed back to the great state of North Carolina.

We had a fantastic time and would love to return some day! Busch Gardens and Great Wolf Lodge are great destinations for families who like excitement and adventure. 

Like a fine wine...?

There are some words I just dislike. For example, "dye." Doesn't "color" or "highlight" sound more appropriate when it comes to one's hair? How about "cheap." I prefer to use "affordable," "less expensive," or "frugal." Then there's cobbler. I have nothing against the dessert, I just don't like the word.

I have recently discovered another word I dislike. "Old." And anything to do with the word, including words like "aging," "fine lines," and the horrendous "wrinkles." I don't wear make-up often and when I do, I use the same brand of foundation I have used for many years. L'Oreal True Match, N3 (Natural Buff).

Here is the description of my youthful make-up, from the L'Oreal website:

With patented color technology, True Match™ Makeup precisely matches your skin’s tone and texture and coordinates perfectly with True Match™ Powder, Blush, and Concealer. Formulated with Precise Match™ Technology so you can control coverage and fine-tune it. Ultra-pure formula contains no oils, fragrances, or pore-clogging fillers, so all you see is beautiful, radiant, flawless skin. With Vitamins A and C, wheat germ and grape fruit extract to keep your skin nourished, protected and healthy.

Finish: Natural
SPF: 17 (select shades)
Coverage: Light to medium
Skin Type: For all skin types. Oil-free.

Available in 33 skin-true shades

I splurge for Clinique when it comes to eye shadows, mascaras and blush. But I have come to rely on good old L'Oreal for my foundation needs. Note the coverage and skin type in the description. So imagine my surprise when I applied my normal amount of foundation and still looked bare-faced. This was "natural finish" and "light coverage" all right. I went to Target and perused the make-up aisle and eventually decided I didn't need a different make-up. Maybe I had a defective bottle. Maybe I just needed to apply a little more. I went home and dabbed a little more under my eyes and on my forehead. Nope. No difference, it just felt like I had on a lot of foundation (which I hate!) So back to the store I went and settled on L'Oreal Visible Lift. Here is the description:

Introducing a breakthrough in age minimizing makeup. Only Visible Lift^® Serum Absolute features an age reversing serum of 5 ingredients in 1 luminous makeup. New Visible Lift^® Serum Absolute Makeup instantly evens skin tone with a luxuriously lightweight formula that doesn’t settle into lines and wrinkles. In four weeks, the potent formula addresses 5 signs of aging to visibly transform skin to smoother, firmer, brighter, even, flawless.

5 Proven Results:

• 45% more even skin tone
• 72% saw more youthful skin
• 75% reduction in fine lines and wrinkles
• 79% saw fewer imperfections
• 90% saw smoother skin

Lift your standards of what an anti-aging makeup can do.

Finish: Luminous
SPF: 17
Coverage: Medium 
Skin Type: All skin types

Available in 12 shades.

Surely this Visible Lift Serum Absolute would give me my youthful glowing skin back? There are proven results! I noticed that this foundation is much thicker and feels much more like "foundation." It does make my skin appear noticeably smoother and younger, but it also feels dryer and tighter. While Visible Lift is an improvement, I think my search for "mature" make-up will continue. I really like the bare-faced feeling of my True Match but maybe this is just something you have to get used to. Just like the maturing process itself. I don't think I will wake up one day and be ok with it all, but in the meantime I try to adhere to the saying "like a fine wine we grow better with the years." And you better believe I'll be on the lookout for silver, sparkly hairs. 

Backyard Makeover

When we bought our house, the backyard left much to be desired. Sure, it was spacious, and on a corner lot, but there were parts of it I knew we had to work on. I knew we would need a fence, for starters. After living here for 2 years we finally got our fence. It was one of the best investments of my life! I no longer have to walk the dogs and I feel more comfortable with Brady playing in an enclosed space. It also gave our property "definition" and provided a bit more privacy.

There was also a section of shrubbery, weeds and vines on the right hand side of the yard that I hated. I referred to it as "the jungle." I am terrified of snakes and I felt like the whole thing was a snake den. While James was gone in the spring, my parents came over with an arsenal of tools and tore the jungle down. It had almost regrown by the time James returned but he spent several more weekends on it and it is now gone!

One of the other things I was not fond of was the monstrous fort left here by the previous owners. While sturdy, it was old and a bit too high off the ground for my accident-prone son. I had planned to tear it down this summer until my mom had a great idea. Instead of hauling it away, she suggested, why don't you cut the bottom half off, paint it, and make it a playhouse for the kids? What a great idea! It was so big and heavy we had to wait for an occasion where multiple people could help tip it over to cut the bottom off. That happened when we had a cook-out with some friends. It took 5 Marines, but they did it!

On the right, you can see the fort and "jungle." Don't mind the mess, it was a birthday party! 

After it was tipped and James sawed off the bottom, we took a family trip to Lowe's. We couldn't agree on a color to paint it, of course, and ended up choosing yellow for the house and gray for the roof. I also picked up some color changing solar garden stakes and ordered string lights from Amazon. I spent a couple of weeks sanding, priming and painting the playhouse. It was a slow moving process due to rain and kids. 

Before I even started on the playhouse, I had ordered a fire pit from Amazon. I decided it would go nicely in our new space. I wanted to put some rocks around it to prevent the kids from getting too close to the flame. Here is my "go-by" from Pinterest: 

Nice and simple! 

I loved the design, but as I tend to do, I went a little overboard. I figured, why not construct an entire patio? James, as he tends to do, rolled his eyes but loved the idea! He enlisted one of our friends to help, in exchange for a few dinners. The weather was not on our side, but after a couple of weekends we had a patio!

The day the guys finished it! 

I loved the addition of the river rocks. 

The almost-finished playhouse. 

The husband surprised me with chairs I wanted! Now all we need to do is put out some grass seed. 

Pretty lights at night. Loving our new space! 

We plan on keeping our New Bern house, even though we will be moving in the near future. I love my home and it's location. I enjoy these projects and trips to Lowe's. I wouldn't trade our time spent together for anything. I look forward to great memories and future years spent at our house by the lake. 

New Traditions

One of my favorite memories of growing up was our Friday family nights. Every Friday we would go out to dinner as a family, and then go for ice cream or rent movies for the weekend. It was so fun deciding where we would go, discussing what movies were out, and planning our weekends. My mom, my dad, my sister and I did this as a family until I was probably 20 years old. Then I met James and my parents were busy with their shop. James and I still went out every weekend, but this time it was with friends and while fun, it was just different. Once we had Brady we stopped going out to restaurants altogether. It was fine when he was a baby, but once he got older he just wouldn't have it. We lived in VT and there were only a couple of people who were able to baby sit. We managed to get out once in a while, but I never completely enjoyed it because I always missed my son.

Thinking back through the past 3 years, I would say we have been to a restaurant maybe 7 or 8 times total. It's not just the kids- I have grown to love cooking. It is one of my favorite things to do and nothing makes me happier than pleasing my friends and family with their favorite dishes. Last weekend a male friend even told me that before he would ever get married, his fiancee would have to spend a week with me learning how to cook. That was one of the best compliments I have ever received, and he now has a permanent dinner invitation at my house!

James called me from work last Friday and said "Hey, do you want to go to Buffalo Wild Wings tonight?" I told him I would have to think about it. After all, I have grown skeptical of other people preparing my food. What if they are sick? What kind of ingredients do they use? How many calories are in their menu items? Then I began wondering how the kids would be. They can barely sit down for a quick dinner at home. I decided to ask Brady what he wanted to do. After all, our experience would probably depend mostly on him. We all rode to pick him up from school at about 5:00. This was late, but we only wanted to make one trip to town and if we were going out I wanted to go before the dinner crowd. When I asked him, he gave me an enthusiastic "yes!" (as long as they had chicken nuggets and fries, that is).

We arrived at the restaurant and didn't have to wait. The kids got hats and coloring pages with crayons. We placed our orders, the service was fast, and the kids loved their food. Cecilia ate a fruit cup and an entire bowl of mac and cheese. Brady ate chicken tenders and fries. Daddy got wings and I had a wrap (which I later made the mistake of looking up the nutrition facts of online. People, read the nutrition facts BEFORE ordering if you are watching your weight!)

The kids were having so much fun we took them across the street to Books-A-Million to pick out a new book. By the time we got home it was Cecilia's bedtime, and she went right to sleep. I felt full, happy and relaxed. No tantrums, crying, spills, refusing to eat, or unhappiness of any sort. They had a blast. And it made me realize: why can't we carry on my family tradition? The kids are old enough, James isn't home often and there is really no reason why we shouldn't get out more. I can look up restaurants online ahead of time to check out healthy options and view kids menus. After all, why not let someone else do the cooking and cleaning a couple of times a month? I could use the break :)

Decisions.

When Cecilia turned one, I began seriously considering having another baby. She was such a sweet, happy baby and her baby days went by far too quickly. We discussed it and began looking at James’ travel schedule, when we would be moving, where we might go, etc. I started imagining a new baby (it was a boy for some reason) and thinking of baby names and sleeping arrangements.

Then something happened. My old boss contacted me in December and asked me to come in and talk about possibly coming back to work. His office manager/lead paralegal was retiring and he needed to get someone in the office soon. I love my old boss and loved working for him. It’s hard to find someone (especially in the legal field) who is a genuine family oriented person. I knew he would work with me when it came to my family obligations and other circumstances regarding James’ frequent travel. I got excited about my interview. I bought a new outfit (he’s family oriented, but I didn't want to show up in my daily uniform of yoga pants), I talked to our daycare about Cecilia starting there, and started studying up on everything I've missed since being unemployed for so long. I started thinking of ways to save time on chores and writing down quick and easy recipes for week-night meals. There was something nagging at me though. Because I love my old boss so much, I needed to be totally honest. When the kids have a check-up, it’s an all-day affair on base. When someone is sick, I am the one who takes care of them. My husband has been spoiled on home cooked meals and a clean house. Even my dogs rely on me. I started thinking of the mornings spent with Cecilia cuddling and reading books. And my afternoons with Brady- snacks and board games and silly cartoons. What was I doing? And what about my possible baby and the opportunity to do it all over again?

I ended up sabotaging my own interview. I gave him more reasons why he should not hire me than why he should. I explained that I would be moving soon and he would have to train someone else in a year. I left his office, went home, put my yoga pants back on and played with my kids. I knew I didn't get the job and felt a huge weight off my shoulders. It came as no surprise when he emailed me that he decided not to hire anyone at that time (he was probably just being nice, because that’s how he is) and that if I came back to the area he would love to have me. I told myself that by then, I would be ready. The kids would be in school and I would be itching to get back to work. I love the law and my boss, but I am right where I need to be right now. And that baby? Who knows? I may end up making a career out of being a stay-at-home mom. The reward of making my family happy far outweighs any paycheck I could earn.

Saying Goodbye

Today we said goodbye to our last boxer, Stogie. Stogie has been battling cancer for seven months now. It’s really a miracle that he’s made it this long. He had an inoperable tumor, which did not respond well to medication and made it difficult for him to go to the bathroom.

Stogie was my mom and dad’s dog, but he has been in the family for about 10 years. I still lived at home when my mom adopted him. We have always had a love for boxers. Actually, we have always had at least one boxer at home since I was a baby.

My first boxer was Ginger. We got her as a puppy when I was a baby. I don’t remember too much about her, but I recall that she was loving and playful. That is the nature of boxers. They are fun-loving family dogs who love kids and love to play.

Me and Ginger, my first boxer.

Our next boxer was Zack. He was born July 1, 1993. I remember going to pick him up. Out of all the puppies playing outside, he was the one lounging under a bush. He was too cute. We couldn't decide on a name, but in the midst of “Saved By the Bell” mania, we all agreed on Zack. He was such a cool dog. He was fun and silly yet had the most serious face. He also had his trademark blood-shot eyes, which gave him his distinctive look. Zack lived a good life and moved with us from North Carolina, to Indiana, to Pennsylvania, and finally back to North Carolina. He was 12 years old when he passed away in 2005.

Zack was down with anything.

Shortly after getting Zack, we wanted another boxer. We were lucky enough to find a sweet little girl and called her Lacy. Lacy was born April 1, 1994. She was the dog-love of my life. She was playful and so loving. We actually nicknamed her “Love.” She was very girly and just wanted to spend time with the girls- my mom, my sister and myself. She was wary of men and I always trusted her instinct. She was a great family protector. Lacy loved having her nails painted. I even painted her nails the day she passed away in 2007.

Me, my sweet Lacy girl, and my buddy Kiser.

Zack and Lacy had two litters of puppies when we were living in Indiana. The first litter, born July 1, 1995, produced just two puppies. We named them Doc and Blizzard. Blizzard was a rare all-white boxer with blue eyes. Blizzard went to a good home and we kept the male puppy and named him Doc.

Doc, sitting in a tiny dog bed.

Doc was definitely a special boxer. One of my favorite things about our boxers was that they were not just pets- it may sound weird but they were more like my siblings. I would get mad at them for chewing my stuff up. I actually had to tell a teacher once “my dog ate my homework.” I will never forget it. It was a constellation spinner for 7^th grade science class and Doc turned it into his own personal chew toy. Doc also ate my leather jacket, and when I say “ate it” I mean there was nothing left but the zipper. Doc wasn't the only troublemaker.  I remember the time I had just met James and saved up my paychecks from the law firm I was working at to purchase a Tommy Hilfiger handbag I had been pining over. James and I sat on the couch and I placed my new purse on the floor next to me. The next thing I know, Zack hiked a leg and peed in my new purse. It and all its contents were ruined. At first I was mortified and wanted to cry, but James looked at me and started laughing hysterically. I followed his lead. Looking back, it was pretty dang funny. The dogs weren't always causing trouble. When I was upset over boys, school, work, etc., my dogs were the first place I would turn for hugs and to shed my tears. They knew all my secrets, fears, and joys.  

As I was saying, Doc was something else. He was huge and goofy and always getting into something. If you wanted a hug, Doc was right there. He was so happy you couldn't help but grin whenever you saw him. Doc’s life was cut far too short when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The veterinarian didn't give him much time and he passed away in my arms on December 12, 2003 with James by my side. That was one of the saddest days of my life. I am so thankful I was there with Doc and James was there with me. The only positive thing about that day was that it showed me what kind of man James was. I couldn't have made it through that night without him. Doc passing before his parents, Zack and Lacy, was heartbreaking. Animals can feel the loss of a loved one the same way humans can. It took us all a long time to get over losing Doc.

After Doc left us, we moved into a new home and settled in. It wasn't long before my mom came across a skinny young boxer in need of a home. Being the animal lover she is, my mom brought him home to see what Zack and Lacy thought of him. I would be remiss not to mention we also had a lhasa apso named Corkey. We got her when I was 5 years old. Corkey was a loner. We loved her dearly but she would rather be left alone most of the time. Corkey paid the boxers no mind. With Zack and Lacy’s approval, the little boxer passed the test and we welcomed Stogie into our home. He was a bit skittish for a while, but once he felt safe he was right at home. He fattened up and quickly became part of the family.

Stogie at around 10 months old.

After we lost the other boxers and Corkey, Stogie was the last boxer. My mom vowed not to adopt any more boxers due to their propensity to develop cancer. I read, and confirmed with our veterinarian today, that boxers are 50-70% more likely to develop cancer than other breeds. Indeed, cancer is the number one serious health issue for boxer dogs, according to www.allboxerinfo.com. All of our boxers had some sort of cancer at one time or another. It’s hard to give your heart to one of these gentle giants knowing that there is a high probability that they will be diagnosed with cancer. Luckily, with the exception of Doc, all of our boxers exceeded the average boxer lifespan.

Fast-forward 10 years and many memories. We have known for 7 months that Stogie’s time was short, but there was no way to tell how short. We decided to keep him comfortable as long as we possibly could without him being in pain. Minus the tumor, Stogie was completely happy and lucid. He still ate well, played, and had the same gentle disposition. Unfortunately, last week, the tumor became so large that he was simply unable to go to the bathroom anymore. It was time. With Hurricane Arthur looming, today, Friday, July 3, 2014, had to be the day. My mom works at our dogs’ veterinary hospital, so we were able to take our time saying goodbye. My dad, James, Brady, Cecilia and I went to the clinic this afternoon. My mom was working and Stogie was already there with her. He was so happy to see us. I took some pictures outside (too bad the humidity caused several of my pictures to have a fuzzy appearance.) We spent about an hour together playing, petting him and telling him how much we loved him. Before we knew it, the doctor came into the exam room. James took the kids to the car and my mom, my dad and I kneeled next to Stogie and held him as he went. It was peaceful and sad all at once. It felt very surreal and it broke my heart to see my parent’s tears. My throat was on fire (from my recent tonsillectomy) as I was trying to hold in my own tears and be strong for them.

Stogie is the fifth dog we have lost. It never gets any easier and I don’t think it ever will. My only comfort is knowing they are all together now, in a place where there is no pain and suffering. It will hurt for a good long while, but time will go on and each of these dogs will hold a special place in our hearts forever.

My Tonsillectomy Experience

The morning of my tonsillectomy I was remarkably calm. I had stocked up on soft foods and drinks, cleaned the house, prepared some freezer meals, laid out my comfy surgery-day clothes, filled out all necessary paperwork and taken an (approved) Xanax. I was ready to do this thing.

James took Brady to school and my mom came over to watch Cecilia. We left for Jacksonville at 8:30 on the dot to be at my 9:45 appointment. On the way, the surgery center called and asked if we could get there early, as the doctor was running ahead of schedule. “Of course!” I happily answered. This was good news to me- I didn't want to sit around a waiting room getting my nerves worked up.

When we arrived, I answered questions and signed more papers at the front desk. I didn't even sit down before a nurse came out to get me. James waited in the lobby while I went to change and get settled into pre-op. I put on one of those gowns with the lovely open back and was glad I opted for leopard print undies instead of a thong. The nurse helped me into a bed while asking a million more questions. I was connected to an IV (I absolutely hate needles) and was relieved when it was in. At this point, James was allowed to come in. The anesthesiologist came to talk to us, followed by my doctor who would preform the surgery. James was trying to make me laugh because he could tell I was getting nervous- my blood pressure was going up- and before I knew it a nurse came by and told me he was going to “slip me a mickey” to calm me down. Within seconds I was giggling and wanting James to take selfies with me. Yeah, I needed to get into surgery before I made a fool of myself.

Minutes later I said goodbye to James and they rolled me to the operating room. I vaguely remember asking if I could see my tonsils after they removed them (I did the same thing when I had my appendix out!) and the nurse laughed. Before I could say anything else a mask went over my face. I thought it was oxygen but I guess it was the anesthesia because I don’t remember anything else.

I was getting pretty nervous! 

I woke up in the recovery room and was really confused (yes, I was crying) until I remembered where I was. The nurse told me everything went well and asked if I wanted a Popsicle. Apparently, I said no and asked for a frozen margarita, no salt (which I did not receive.) That got a laugh out of the nurses, but I was probably serious. The pain was pretty bad at first and they gave me a couple of pain injections until it eased up. I started sipping some iced water and James came in. Shortly after that the nurse came in with a jar containing my tonsils. I had a good look and she took them away before I could think to ask for a picture. I know that seems weird but I have been obsessed with tonsils and tonsillectomies since I scheduled the surgery. And a lot of people get pictures of their tonsils. So I’m not that weird. I had to hang out for a couple of hours to make sure everything was going well. It wasn't until I tried to stand up that I realized I had a reaction to the anesthesia. I could barely move a muscle. When I stood up my legs hurt so bad I didn't think I could walk. I found out that there is a certain drug in the anesthesia that can cause severe muscle soreness for 2-3 days. Well that was an understatement. Muscle soreness and the inability to move turned out to be the worst part of the first couple of days after surgery.

Waking up from surgery and feeling confused. Where's my margarita??

The nurse helped me to the restroom while James pulled the car around. Armed with a barf bag and 1,000 papers we started the journey to New Bern. I was scared to death of throwing up. A lot of people are sick after surgery but the thought of vomiting with my sore throat was too much to bear. I kept dozing on and off until we reached the drug store. It was going to take 15 minutes to get the prescriptions filled. Ugh! I just wanted to get in my bed! So James drove next door to Zaxby’s to order some lunch. He asked if I wanted some fries (wasn't he listening to the doctor?? Only cold liquids for the first few days!) and I said no. Then I dozed off again and awoke to him eating CHICKEN WINGS in my new car. I kindly asked (demanded) that he stop eating chicken wings and go see if my prescription was ready. Luckily it was and we went home.

 

I got in bed and prepared myself for the pain. I knew it was going to be bad. My nurse had just told me she had hers out at age 28 and it was the worst pain of her life. She told me the narcotics would barely take the edge off the pain. I kept hearing similar stories but felt that maybe my pain tolerance wasn't as bad as I thought. I’d had multiple bouts of strep, tonsillitis, sinus infections, migraines, and went through an unmedicated childbirth. Surely I could handle a tonsillectomy. Kids get them out every day and are back to school the next week. Right? WRONG. This has been the worst pain I have ever experienced. I am on Day 5 and the pain is supposed to increase until day 8 or 9 and then gradually taper off. I have had my cool mist humidifier running non-stop, I keep ice packs on my throat and ears. I set my alarm for every hour during the night to take a sip of water so my throat doesn't dry out. I have been sleeping upright. I take my medication on a strict schedule. I think that doing these things have helped immensely. I know things could be worse. I've read stories of people being hospitalized for dehydration, or bleeding profusely and having to have the area recauterized. I am bound and determined that I will not let that happen. I remind myself daily that the pain is only temporary and soon this will all be a memory.

Recovery Day 2- I tried to drink a protein shake, but it wasn't happening.

Gatorade with crushed ice is pretty much all I've had in 5 days. 

Recovery Day 4- Winston hasn't left my side since I came home.

 I am trying to keep my spirits up by planning things to do when I feel better, reading celebrity magazines, browsing Pinterest and just being lazy. The kids are happy and Cecilia (thankfully!) is having a blast with her dad. I was a bit worried after doing the math and realizing James has only been home 3 months out of the past 12. I thought spending so much time together would be awkward for James and Cecilia but they are hitting it off and acting like they’re best friends. So with my mind at ease, I know I can sit back and let nature take its course. After all, there’s no rush. There’s still plenty of summer left.