My week in a nutshell, and why I miss Cape Breton today.

Okay, so I didn't post my weigh in results on Monday.  By Tuesday morning my inbox was full, and it was pretty funny, most thought I didn't do a post because I had gained.  Let me tell ya, it's not so!  Fourteen weeks in a row this mama has lost!  Pretty good eh?  And then came this week.
It has been nine months since I suffered with a kidney infection, it's almost a record for me, but on Sunday I was hit, and I was hit badly.  When I get them this bad, I have an upset stomach to boot, and when I get that I don't feel like eating anything...until I start feeling better, and then I get terrible cravings, that usually include a trip to McDonald's.  What is it about their grease and an upset stomach?

Today I am almost walking upright again, as a mom that has a hubby who is out of town, again, I don't really have a choice to be sick.  Kids have to be fed, picked up, dropped off, changed, and fed!  LOL...with such a variety of ages in the house, I am like a mom of all trades!

But here my bigger challenge as the weekend draws near, both my hubby and I share the same birthday, and this year a celebration is in order after the rough year we have had, not to mention that we are hitting the big 4-0!  I am hoping he has some dancing built into his surprise birthday plans so that I can burn off at least of the few extra calories that I take in as we celebrate.  It is also my niece's first birthday this weekend, but I am getting a bit better when I go to birthday parties to prepare to resist any treats that I might want.  But going out for our birthday supper, with drinks, well, it will be harder to resist letting down my guard.  I am hoping to add in some extra walks if the weather cooperates, as well as my back, lol.  But since I could barely walk Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, I have not been adding in my exercise as I promised.  What do they say about the best laid plans?  I should have no excuse tomorrow, as I am up moving about better today.

And one last note totally off subject, but like many people from across the country today, I was so sad to hear about Rita MacNeil's passing.  As the morning went by I found myself listening to some of her songs that I liked, and of course, I listened to Matt Minglewood's version of Working Man.  It wasn't until a friend of mine posted "Home I'll Be" that I started crying, and like many Cape Bretoner's who find themselves living away, I have been lonesome for the rest of the day.  It would have been nice today to sit in my mom's kitchen and have a cup of tea while we listened to some of Rita's songs together.  Last year I had watched a special just around Christmas time that Rita did about her book.  I was so moved by her life story, many details that I had never heard before, that I emailed her.  And we exchanged a few emails, which touched my heart then, and again today I thought of how kind she was.   And then I thought, I bet many will remember her for her singing, but I am willing to bet that many more will first think of her kindness, and isn't that a wonderful legacy to leave this world?  Rest in peace Rita, you were a beautiful soul, and today is one of those days that I am proud to say I am from Cape Breton, just like you.

Oh boy, what did I get myself into?

Wow, when I asked you all to challenge me, I was expecting a few people to send some nice suggestions of things to try as far as exercise go.  Two days later, I am still receiving emails about activities and classes to try.

And since I publicly made the commitment, I will be sharing over the next few weeks about all the classes that I attend right here in the blog.  So far I have been challenged with Zumba, water aerobics, yoga, group kick, jogging, aquasize, swimming, and mentions of roller derby and belly dancing...although the last two, April and Melissa did not so much challenge me, and I do not have skates for derby, or the belly for belly dancing, so those two are in limbo for now.  But I will even go one step further, so to speak, and I am going to post every single night what I did for exercise on that day, and a picture.  Now if you know me, you know I do not like getting my picture taken, so it will be a picture of the class, or the building, or one of the scenery if I am outside...lol.

So, I will post every day on my facebook in the morning which class I am attending, or what I am doing for the day, and if anyone in Fort McMurray wants to join me, I would love the company, just try to control your laughter for the uncoordinated moves during some of the classes.  And if you know any classes that I might enjoy, keep em coming.

The only thing that I am committing to more than one right now is yoga.  Angela MacDonald is a woman whom I have long admired, and over the last two years or so I have watched her transform as she has started her own business here in Fort McMurray teaching yoga.  I don't think she has ever looked so good, she is radiant, and says it has much to do with yoga, and eating better.  I have known her since our early days in Mabou, and I trust her enough that when she says that I will be okay in her Saturday morning classes starting in May at Holy Trinity as a beyond green beginner.  She also assures me that I do not need to be flexible, and that is a myth, but practicing yoga will give me more flexibility.  So that is the one major thing I am committing to, her class starting in May...that will give me enough time too to find some work out pants, lol.

In the meantime, since I did not put a schedule together yet, tonight I will start with a good walk some time after supper, even if it is at 10p.m. when I can finally get out.  Watch for the picture!  And thanks again for the support, everyone who is reading this blog and sharing it are becoming wonderful friends, friends I never expected to have when I started this sharing.

The one other project that I started that I wanted to mention is a special one.  I am a believer in showing gratitude, writing what I am grateful for, and laying my life out for others to examine so that they can relate in some way.  I have written several blogs about things and people I am grateful for in my life.  But last night while writing something else, I came up with another idea.  Every morning I am going to find someone in my life and tell them why I am grateful for them.  I am starting with people on my facebook, but will reach out to others in my life randomly as well.  And I am going to challenge everyone that reads this to try it as well, even if it is for one single time, you don't know how you might lift someone's spirits.  It might sound mushy...but imagine if someone you haven't heard from in a while suddenly sent you a little message saying that they were grateful for you in their lives, it would feel good wouldn't it?  Why not pass it on?  I am sure some of my friends, and definitely some of my family might think I am getting light in the head and not just the body, but that's okay, and yep, I will share some of the good reactions I get when I catch someone off guard, but I will respect their privacy while doing so, it is just another way to make life a little sweeter.

Oh, I have a wicked idea!

Okay, so I may be a food addict.  I started thinking tonight, that I usually have my weekly suppers in my head at the beginning of the week.  I look up recipes, and read cookbooks just for fun.  I love having people over and cooking for them and I often feel like I have let the entire family down if someone does not like what I make, or heaven forbid I run out of time and make something quick and easy.  I can honestly say without a doubt in my mind I have never put kraft dinner on the table for Tim in our 18 years of marriage, and I don't think bologna is a meal.  LOL....no freaking wonder I had gained weight the last few years!

But tonight ladies and gentlemen, I am once again happy to report that for the 13th week in a row, I have lost some weight.  Over the course of the last week I lost 2.8 pounds!  And if you have been following this blog, you know what that means.....I am back in the 180's!  Officially the terrible number is still high, at 188.4, but I am just passing through the 180's, I don't intend to stay.

This last week, I tried to eat less bread, or substitute things like my crackers and cheese with fruits and gluten free products.  I still have not found time to start doing a regular routine of exercise, but on the warmer days(lol, not many lately!) I have been taking the younger two kids for walks.  But I am really starting to feel I need to find a class to take, or maybe even just go swimming a few times a week(although I am a terrible swimmer, I love the water).  Send me some suggestions of fun things to do, and don't say rock climbing because I cannot haul this large butt up the side of any wall, never mind that I am terrified of heights and would be dangling on a rope at MacDonald Island while someone called Tim to talk me down.  I am so beyond willing to try a yoga class, but that would entail shopping for an outfit, and then getting everyone to sign some kind of waiver that took the class that they would never repeat what they say me trying, and not able to do during said class.  Cheryl Arsenault, who hails from Mabou and now lives in Calgary has been a wonderful supporter of my blog, and tonight she made a comment about trying a class as well...maybe I will try one to match the one she takes....oh, yeah, that is a wicked idea, send me your idea...but you have to do it once as well, and I will match it!  Oh, I love it!  Again, no rock climbing, lol...or running 10km either, something that will not put me into a coma or heart failure...something doable!  Bring it on!

And I have another quick confession, I am still not making time with any friends for even a coffee.  I am a pretty organized person as far as my kids are concerned, but I lack motivation or the skill at taking time for myself.  This has been an ongoing issue for me since, oh, Mitchell was born.  Did I mention Mitchell is almost 16?  I found myself telling a mom tonight at Tops that she should take time for herself, she deserved it.  And on the drive home I was thinking, how can I give that advice, and then not think that I deserve the same?  Told you it was an ONGOING issue, lol...but I am taking some baby steps, and am challenging myself to blog some more about it this week, through some rants and one book that I plan to tell you about to see if anyone is interested in doing the things in this book with me, and I will once again, post everything of my experience here.  I think it will be fun, but for now, I better hit the sack as my new addition is challenging me with sleep deprivation the last few nights.

And if you read all the way to here, I thank you, and ask that you click on the "Mommy Blog" symbol to the top right...you guys made me number one for a full week in my category, and I moved to #55 overall on a list of 4500 bloggers!  And I can't believe the emails that I am getting from all over the world from people who are a) trying to lose weight or b) are going through a bone marrow transplant.  We can connect with so many, and it is always so astounding to find out that someone else feels the same way about things that they are going through, even when you think that you are all alone in your own little world....and it can be so comforting.

Thanks again, and here is a picture of me and Tim from when we got to meet Rick Mercer on the weekend...and yep, I will tell you all about that in the next day or two!  And yes, I know I look like I am in pain...I really am starting a countdown when I see my doctor tomorrow for when these GD braces come off!

So Excited!

This was a very, very hard week as far as weight loss goes.  I am at week 12 since I really started to pay attention to my body, and what I was putting into it, and this week I wanted to lose so badly I could taste it, and I did.  It was only .6 of a pound, but let me tell ya, I'll take it!  It was a stress filled week, as hubby was out of town, again, the hot water tank broke, and I was getting everything ready for Easter, by myself, again, lol.  Add in that we had friends over for a big meal one night, with wine, and the night that the hot water tank broke was definitely a pizza night.

I have also started making some subtle changes to my diet, and my body went into a massive craving, headache, just yucky all over kind of feeling.  I am hoping that the worst is over as far as that goes, except that I am still craving cheese.  I am trying to cut out dairy and white flour...to start, and have dramatically cut back on my sugar intake.  Years ago I had seen a naturopath and he had done several tests and had highly recommended that I give up dairy.  I did, for a while, but with kids, and a great love of cheese, I just could not keep it up.  But now that I want to be healthier, I want to give it another shot and see if it makes a genuine difference on how I feel physically.

Tonight, I feel strong, and ready to take on a new week, and a new month!  I am sitting at 191.2 tonight, and next Monday I desperately want to see that scale hit somewhere below that 190 mark, cheer me on and wish me luck!

What does drinking and driving get you these days?

There has only been one Tim in my life for many, many years, but as some of you know, last July, another Tim entered our lives and changed them forever.  On July 18th Tim Bland made the decision to get behind the wheel of his car, and drive.  He was driving on the wrong side of a divided road here in Fort McMurray when he hit my husband head on.  I will never forget the terror I felt that day in getting that call and making my way to the scene of the accident, less than a kilometre from our door step.  I will never forget bargaining with God that if he let my Tim be okay I promised to be a better wife, mother, whatever I could do....just let my husband be okay.  It was an unbearably long day waiting for surgery, and then waiting for him to wake up.  It was terrifying to bring him home when he could not walk, and had to rely on me for everything during those first few weeks.  And it was an experience that made us realize, once again, just how quickly life can change.

Well, today, fairly quickly from what we have heard, the other Tim was sentenced for his drinking and driving.  We did not know what to expect, but we were told over and over not to expect jail time.  And  in reading  verdicts in papers for other cases, we came to think that there would be no jail time.  So we were surprised today when he received a nine month jail term, to begin next month.  But on top of that, he will not have a license for three years, and will have nine months probation upon his release from jail.  I have to admit, thinking that he will be unable to drive for three years makes me feel a little better, and I can only hope that he will never take a drink again so that he will not make such a terrible decision again.  I also think that a nine month sentence was fair, although everyone seemed very surprised by the decision, as the judge said that she wanted to send a strong message to the community that drinking and driving on our roads in Fort McMurray is not okay.  I like that message, we have heard too many stories of people injured right here in the city since Tim's collision.  His time almost matches the time that hubby had to be off work.  I hope that when he is incarcerated he will think of how Tim suffered those months, and how much our lives all changed.

My Tim went back to work completely last Monday, and has already been out of town for meetings, lol, so some may think that he is back to his intense busy self.  But he still has pain, we don't know if his hip will ever be the same, as the pins that they put in may have to come out.  He is still doing physio, trying to gain his strength back in his leg, and he is trying acupuncture as well for some pain relief.  In typical Tim fashion today, he actually feels bad for man who caused him so much pain...I told him he was crazy, I hope that his life is better from here, but I don't feel sorry for him.  I saw my husband suffer too many nights and worry until he was completely stressed out about bills during the last few months, there will be no sympathy from me.

My only hope is that someone will hear our story, and if they have a few too many drinks some night, they will remember and call a cab, or stay where they are instead of risking changing many lives forever.  And I hope that judges continue to surprise people and give some sentences that will send a message that drinking and driving on the roads of Fort McMurray will not get you a slap on the wrist.

How is the weight loss going?

It's Monday, so here I am, telling you my weight again!  Let me tell you, this has been a humbling experience, and I want to thank every single one of you who has shared your story, sent encouragement or just told me I was crazy for posting my numbers here.  I have not gained once since I joined Tops in January, and tonight I was down another three whole pounds!

Of course, I am a bit nervous with the Easter weekend fast approaching.  I know that it will be hard to resist overeating all the good treats and of course, there will be wonderful meals with friends and family.  My goal is to just have really small portions, and stick with my no chocolate mandate.

I have to give credit to the new foster baby in the house, he has kept me running and on my toes the last two weeks.  I am sure that I am now fitting in more exercise with him than anything I was doing on my own, lol.  And I mean running, if there is an open space, like a school hallway, he wants to run....and laugh his head off because he knows I am running after him.  And Shayleen laughs at the both of us.

I feel renewed somewhat tonight, there was another Tops member that shared tonight, and if she loses a pound this week, she will be at her 60 pound mark!  Isn't that awesome?  I hope to check in with her during the week, because if I lose 1.6 or so, I will finally be into the 180's.  I am doing it, I am doing it slowly, but it is the little healthier choices every day that I hope to keep doing that will stay with me.  And with the weather looking up this week, I am hoping to finally be able to push the stroller down the sidewalk soon for some brisk walks.

Wish me luck for this week, I feel the challenge already!  Oh, and on my blog there is a little icon with a woman on it at the top right of the page, and it says "vote for us"....could you please click on it to vote for my blog?  I have not asked yet, and I am sitting at #14 in the rankings.  I am curious to see if you guys will push up my numbers....I am betting yes!  Thanks, and take a minute to check out some of the other blogs, some of them are awesome, and I am trying to figure out how they make the time to do it every single day!  So far my favorite is "Not your Average Mom", she is so hilarious!  Thanks again!

Chaos!

Before I forget, I will tell you about my Monday weigh in first.  After a vacation, where I was convinced I gained, as I seemed to eat and drink through some days, and then returned to Fort McMurray and total  chaos...to do my first weigh in tonight in three weeks, and I am down a pound.  That means that for every weigh in since Christmas I have lost.  I am pretty happy with that, but still have so far to go, but I remain on the right track.

So why chaos you ask?  Well, the night we returned our furnace was broken, and it was only today that the part came in and the fantastic furnace man came to fix it.  But chaos didn't really rule at our house, until a full 48 hours after we returned, when we had a placement with us on Friday.  So we are now "parents" to four children again.  All I can say is that it is an 18 month old.  Tonight was the first trip to the grocery store, and just let me say, I forgot how if there are no tie in straps on the cart, then they constantly try to stand up.  I also forgot if you go to close to the shelves, they will pull things at random onto the floor, and it is great fun to throw their sookie or anything else in the cart onto the floor.  I was breaking a sweat in the check out line as I tried to hang onto him and put the groceries on the conveyor...and there was no trip to the Starbucks line for me, and when I got home I was missing  five things off my list.  I will look at it as a retr aining session!  Next time I will remember and do better, lol.

As you know with fostering, we really don't know how long this placement will be...some that we would have happily kept forever left us far too soon, and others that we thought were for a weekend, like Shayleen, are in our hearts, and our home forever.  The adjustment period is the worst, where you are trying to figure out likes and dislikes, and a routine that is going to work for everyone, although tonight it was made perfectly clear that no peas will be eaten by this little one!

The one thing that always seems to go by the way side when I get busy with the kids in my house, my own, or foster, is my writing.  So I am publicly giving you all the right to ask me how the writing is going on any given day.  Ask me if I made the time, ask me if there is another blog coming, ask me how the work on the revisions to my book are going....give me the kick in the pants that I need to not give up that which I love. 

A painting called "Chaos" is a great way to imagine the way I have been running my butt off the last few days.