Caffeine, Sodium and All Things about BP

So, what do I mean by BP? Well, that would be blood pressure. Since having E, my BP has been borderline high and hasn't really come down on its own. So, 4 years later and an annual visit to the dr., it is even higher. I am now monitoring it daily, and will go on meds if it doesn't come down with exercise and diet. I KNOW that making changes will impact not only my BP, but other ailments along the way. I could stand to lose a lot of weight - like 40-50 lbs, but will start with a smaller goal. Let's start with 5 or 10 and go from there. All of the time, knowing that it needs to be more. Small steps. When I told the dr. that I didn't want to be on high blood pressure meds at 35 years old, he then replied "so you would rather have Mark go home and tell your two children that their mom has had a stroke?!" OK, so he played the children card with me and it worked. I do NOT want to take meds at 35 but even more, I do NOT want to have a stroke. So, I need to work hard to get it lower! Much lower - along with my weight. Two mornings now....and it is not down. I keep telling myself that this is only day 2 of watching it and trying to make changes, right? Only day 2.

Today I am drinking decaffeinated coffee. That is a big deal. And do you know how much sodium is in food? Prepared food, I guess I should say. A LOT!

Old Times and Holiday Decorations

I had such a great evening catching up with a friend. Wendy & I were co-counselors in Unit A4. Cook Springs, Alabama - Alabama's WMU GA & Acteen camp. That was in 1994. We couldn't remember the last time that we had seen one another. It has been at least 12 years - at least. It was fun talking about camp and catching up with where we have been and where we are now. Two kids later for both of us. It was just a fun time for me to have dinner with her. I wish I had taken a photo and could have posted it here. We were the two women enjoying conversation with loud laughter from time to time...such fun.

After dinner, I decided to run into Hobby Lobby to get some paper that I needed to pick up. I rushed through the "holiday" or "seasonal" section of the store. The first aisle that I could see from the door was adorned with red, white and blue. Not surprising, as the 4th of July is just around the corner - right? One more aisle and I am past the VBS foam crafts. The next aisle is what took my completely by surprise - FALL DECORATIONS!!!!!! Orange & brown artificial flowers, leaf garland, pumpkins, harvest items!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then I made my way past the 80% home accent section - which by the way, I need to go back to. I didn't have time to look a lot tonight. Once past this area, I was again in a "seasonal" area that was Garden. Not too scary, right? WRONG!!! Only clearance items and then...I don't even know if I can put it here....it really couldn't have been what I saw with my eyes. CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am NOT kidding, Christmas decorations, wreaths, garland, balls, foam crafts, and various other items are already on the shelves of Hobby Lobby for you to purchase. Really?!? It is June 15th isn't it? It was 100 degrees here today - HOT, HUMID, Alabama day in June. How can one wrap their mind around Christmas when they are just trying to keep up in this heat? Well, it is there. If you want to take yourself to a place that gets you in the Christmas spirit, go to Hobby Lobby. I do not normally decorate our house for Independence Day. I am considering it this year though. Just to buy something from the filled shelves and to NOT buy something for November or December occassions. As you can tell, I am taken aback by the things I witnessed tonight. I finally made my way to the paper aisle - my original destination. At 7:45 pm someone announced that the store would be closing in 15 minutes "please make your final selection and find your way to the register". So, I found the cardstock and made my way to the front - via a different route. I didn't want to see fall foliage and Christmas again - not yet...it is too early.

Summer So Far

As I type this post, I am exhausted. Really exhausted. Which is a good thing, I guess. We have played hard, been swimming a lot, and traveled many miles (Mark and B). In the first two and a half weeks of summer, we have been busy. I love being busy and having things to do, places to go, laughter from my children to hear and smiles to see. But, I think the body needs rest too. This weekend will bring much needed rest for the family. I am sure the smells of chlorine will fill my nose at some point, but not at the extent that it has this past week. I hope that we all sleep until noon, stay in our pjs most of the day, and eat pancakes at 12:30 for brunch on Saturday. With my early risers (no matter how tired they are, nor how late they go to bed) this will most likely not be the case. Below is a summary (in photos) of what we have done so far this summer. It has been great fun so far. We have spent some wonderful time with such great friends!

My kids

I have had a wonderful weekend with my family. We went to the beach with friends of ours, the Donalds. It is lovely...they have a son who is B's age and a daughter who is E's age. They all four play well together, so it makes for a nice time when we are with them. We got to the beach Friday evening and spent a wonderful day in the sand yesterday. We left this morning for Mobile to have lunch with Mark's mom & his sister's family. It was very yummy!! Then we hit the road for the 3 hour ride home. Always glad to be home. After unpacking, putting things away and beginning the laundry, things slowed down. The four of us went to Olive Garden for dinner, my choice, and it was nice. The kids were behaved and the food was very good.

Sometimes, it is still strange to think that I am a mom. Me? Yes, me, I am a mom. How could this amazing job have been given to me? It was and I am. Right now, I am sitting on the landing at the top of our stairs which is in between the kids' rooms. While I love hearing them talk and ask questions, this is when they ask funny things and they should be going to sleep. This was our most recent conversation tonight while I am sitting here:

B: "Mom, what is Noah's last name?"

Mom: "Noah who? Noah in the Bible?"

B: "Yes, I don't think we know another Noah do we?"

Mom: "No, but we don't know his last name. So, GO TO...."

We were interrupted by:
E: "Mom, what is 5 +5?"

Mom: "10 E, you really need to get quiet and GO TO..."

B: "Do I hear dad downstairs?"

Mom: "Yes, putting the groceries away, GO TO...."
E: "Mom, what is charcoal?"
B: "It goes in a grill!!!!" (LOUD)

E: "WHAT?"

B: "Mom, how is charcoal dangerous?"

Mom: "You guys need to go to SLEEP!"

B: "But you told me it is dangerous"

Mom: "Yes, and now is not the time to talk about the dangers of charcoal"

E: "My walls are green and Maddy's, at Mrs. Anitra's house, her walls and her stuff is green too. Not her toys and not her lamp though"

E: "I saw an elephant that was really cute"
Mom: "GO TO SLEEP!!!"

I have gotten to where I do not normally sit out here, but I like to hear them settle down and listen to them sleep. Tonight is a night I want to hear them. Now she won't stop talking, so I guess I need to go downstairs to keep her from talking. In the last few minutes, B has fallen asleep.

While the job of being a mom is more than a challenge some days, I do love it. I love these two more than I could have ever imagined loving anyone - much less two of them!

EDIT: I started writing this post on Sunday, April 19th...

Three hours in a car, by myself, music up loud, and yes - me siging along. Not much else like it. You know the feeling....alone, singing songs you love, no one can hear you, so you sing as loud as you can, you don't care that the cars passing you (going at least 80 mph) can see you singing. Mark suggested that I drive the car home and the kids rode with him in the van - with a/c. Not having a/c wasn't an issue at all for me driving home. Window rolled down, singing to the top of my lungs, who cares about a/c.


We have been in Mobile since Wednesday evening. Well, Mark has been there since last Monday, the 13th. The kids & I drove down after school was out on Wednesday. We buried Mark's dad Friday afternoon. We visited with his family, that we haven't seen in some time. Unfortunately, this happens. You know the scene. Family members that you never talk to or see and then you are visiting with them at an unfortunate gathering of sorts. Mark's words over the course of last week were "the only thing worse than a death is attending a funeral with those left behind." I love this, very true. These are the things I wish I could wrap my mind around and make sense out of them. There are so many mysteries to the past that would answer so many questions, yet we do not ask these questions. Why not? Wouldn't life make SO much more sense if we knew what happened that formed/paved the way for what is happening now? We have family members who visit the town we live in - frequently, from what I understand - and we never hear from them. Not that we need to see or hear from someone EVERY time they visit our little part of this very big world, BUT so very strange that we could be tailgating right next to family and not know it until plates were prepared and food was being consumed. My dear husband said that he just tries not to think about it. Just the way it has always been, but I wonder if that is the case. My family just never comes this way at all anymore. ha ha So, no worries of running into any of them at the grocery on the weekend. I think I must just be nosey...wanting to know what all happened in the past to make things the way they are now with many family members - not just Mark's family, but mine as well. I think there are many secrets in this world of ours.

Mark has had a busy week since returning from Mobile. He said last night, that the stress of the last several weeks is pressing down on his shoulders. He is on his way out of town this morning for several days. I know it won't happen, but maybe some rest can be found for him while he is on this leg of his journey. Mark's mother will be here this weekend with me & the kids. I think we will go to a gathering in our city on Saturday morning. I want to work in the yard some this weekend too. I hope to get a lot done (and I need to see about making some curtains for a friend! I must talk to her about it this weekend!). We will see what all I get done..

And so the birthday season is over for our family for this year. Our season begins in February with E's b'day and is then rounded out in April with B & Mark's birthday just one day apart. This past weekend we had a great time with B's friends. We had a star wars/clone wars party. Mark and I were going to dinner on Saturday evening for his birthday. This plan was changed as he needed to make a trip to Mobile. We will re-schedule our dinner to another night.

Mark's dad has had many ups and downs over the last 5 weeks (yes, 5 weeks in ICU - surgical and then to medical ICU). Some time this morning, he is to be moved to another facility that is a place transition for physical therapty, etc. This is in hopes of recovery to move home at some point. A book could be written about the last 5 weeks.

Baseball season kicked off last Friday night - on B's birthday. Two years in a row that his first game was on his actual birthday. He is playing on the Orioles.

E is in gymnastics this quarter - was in ballet/tumbling. She loves it after two weeks. We go once a week. She would rather do cartwheels than walk to where she needs to go.

Small update on us....no deep thoughts these days, guess I don't have time to think deep thoughts.

Positive Update

I received the most positive update on Mark's dad today thus far. He was sitting up (in bed) watching television. He was responding to questions with shakes of his head and moving his mouth to 'speak'. He asked about our nephew, Ryan (14). Angie (Mark's sister & my wonderful SIL) is going to take Ryan to visit at the 5:30 visit. I hope and pray that the updates continue to move in this positive direction.

Prayers Needed

For a couple of issues:

Mark's dad continues to be in ICU and not doing well.

McMama - blog link on my blog to the right - baby, Stellan and their family. You can read an update here:
http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

Thanks.

Home Alone

I don't think there will be as much trouble around our house as in the movie, but I am home alone. Yesterday afternoon, Mark and the kids left for Mobile. They will be there until Sunday.
I am excited to have this time to myself, but still wonder what to do with this time. I have a list a mile long, but today is already spent, tomorrow left to figure out. Maybe some weeds wil be pulled tomorrow and maybe a book started this evening.

Mark's dad is still in ICU and has not done very well since his surgery. One thing after another has happened. The outcome is very uncertain at this point. He was doing well the day after surgery and then things began to go down hill. Sometimes it feels he is moving downhill much faster than others. Not much climbing back to the top right now. Mark is going to the ICU visits (some, at least) while he is there. The kids are playing with family.

Last summer he took the kids to Mobile and I had a project - the bathroom rennovation. He asked me to promise him that I would not start anything while they were away this time. I do have a guy coming in the morning to give me an estimate on a fence, but that is the extent of that kind of project this time around. My to-do list is much more manageable this time....pull weeds, rake leaves, cut grass, clean house, return B's pants, shop for me....oh, and should I remind you that I have tomorrow left of this fun time?

I left work today and met a friend for a pedicure. That was fun. Then I headed off to some retail stores to look around without a deadline or time limit on my excursion. It is very rare that I go anywhere without needing to be home at a certain time - that sounds like a curfew. Hey, maybe that is what I should just call it. Name it and be done with it!

OK, off to enjoy more of the quiet - and turn on music so it isn't so quiet.

More of AnnaM

I can't get enough of her. We were able to see her this past weekend. Here are a few photos of her and our kids.

9 weeks old


cousins....


eyelashes

cheeks

sweet love....

It's NOT the Color of Your Hair!

The color of one's hair has nothing to do with the ability of person to think or reason properly. Re-telling this story is to provide laughter and entertainment at my expense. On Thursday, I woke up...opened the refrigerator to get out some biscuits to make for the kids. I knew they didn't feel very cold. Felt the canned drinks in there...nope, not cold either. Opened the freezer, meat was beginning to defrost. I 'looked' at the thermostat, it said cold. Closed the door, sad that it wasn't working correctly. Took the day - yes the entire day - to look for a new refrigerator. Had tried to call service repair shops, to no avail. Finally found one, a good deal too. Fast-forward to yesterday afternoon. I was getting the last things out before we got the new one. Looked up at the thermostat....it was on cold, but it should have been on coldest!!!!!!! OR at least on the factory suggested, middle of the road, setting. Yes, I searched and searched for a refrigerator, purchased two and have now returned two. It turns out that our 4 year old daughter likes to play with the thermostat dials in the refrigerator. So, I was/am embarrassed that I spent that much time, involved several people, and NEVER needed the new refrigerator to begin with!!!!! Thankfully, we don't need a new one. But embarrassing that I didn't actually check the thermostat to begin with! Geeze...

UPDATE #2: Surgery went well, will be in ICU until Sunday or Monday.

UPDATE: The surgery has been postponed until tomorrow morning - a rescheduling mishap...

Mark's dad is going into the hospital in the morning. He is having the 2nd of 3 heart surgeries tomorrow. The first surgery, several weeks ago, was to clean out one of his carotid arteries. This second surgery is to replace his aortic valve. After his recovery from this, he will have the carotid artery in the other side of his neck done. Mark is there, he left this afternoon. Obviously, this is a serious surgery. He has other health problems, so we are hoping and praying that all goes well.

More party pics.....

These photos are in no particular order because I do not want to re-arrange them now that I have put them here.

Party Re-cap

Let's go back to Friday night of last week. I had two friends join me in setting up for E's birthday party. A & HB helped out SO much. I wouldn't have had everything ready without their help. We had a great time hanging out and decorating on Friday night.

Saturday morning we began by getting last minute things done. Mark decorated the cupcakes while I took a few more things to the church. I asked a friend to take photos at the party and will have more photos to post soon. Our flash is broken (yes, this sounds like a broken record about our camera!) so the ones we took aren't great. But some to post here until I have the photos H took for us. Yes, this was a Pinkalicious party with a lot of pink. But there were dress up clothes for the girls to change into, shoes to be worn, and jewelry to be added.So, the next few photos are of her dressed in an aqua tutu on loan from HB. I love the ones of her looking in the mirror....even though a little blurry, I still love them.



I think the girls had a fun time. We read the Pinkalicious book, made foam crafts, ate pink & green food, played with balloons, danced to music, dressed in many different outfits and just had a fun time. I know that I had a great time with all of them and celebrating with our "baby" girl who turned 4 yesterday!

Monday

Whew...it is quiet in my house and has been now for about 20 minutes. It has been a long few days at work (great weekend in between). Today was no exception. Today is one of the days I sit and wonder why I am a mom. Today I didn't do such a good job of being a mom. I came home and worked at the kitchen table with B while he did his homework. I then parked both of them in front of the TV so that I could continue to work. I don't do this very often, but guilt doesn't begin to describe it when I do. I did actually make them "dinner". Tomato soup & a grilled cheese sandwich. Bath time was very quick and back to the kitchen table to work more. I am frustrated with this project at work, and I wasn't nice to my children.

Now I sit here on the landing at the top of the stairs...with my laptop. Still reading new e-mail at 9:00 pm on this project. But, it is quiet...I can hear them both breathing now as they sleep. What a beautiful sound. Not just the silence, but their sounds. I am blessed to have them and thankful for them. Wishing I hadn't raised my voice, had NO patience, thankful I apologized to them. Tomorrow is a new day, a clean slate. The good thing is they still love me when I am not the best mom.

I welcome tomorrow.