Well, it's day 31 of my attempt to lose my sugar addiction. I decided to focus on my addiction to sugary treats and I banned them from my life. I didn't worry about gluten, white flour, fruit, dried fruit, hidden sugar in my breakfast cereal, milk, carrots, celery, or any other thing you are about to bring up that totally ruined my chances of getting rid of weight or my addiction so don't even go there! I decided I could only handle one bad habit at a time and I wasn't willing to eat nothing but Kale for the next 20 years of my life...not to mention, I get hungry and when I'm hungry I want carbs...not another beet greens and spinach "shake." So I just gave up sugary treats.
In the interest of honesty you should know that I did eat 1/2 the dessert at Alex's holiday party, 2 bites of Maia's Pinkberry, and 4 bites of Ikeda's Pie. Yes, I admit, I wasn't perfect so for those of you who bask in the righteousness of your gluten-free, all fiber, no flavor, "I'm so virtuous I must be going to heaven" "lifestyles"...mea culpa...I am not in your league. But to be honest, I didn't do this so I could be holier than thou in my food choices. I did it because I read that balancing your blood sugar better will help with that crazy dip in energy that happens in the late afternoon. And I wanted to see if it was true.
So far I have learned a few things:
1) I miss sugar in my coffee...all day...every day...every time I smell coffee, every time I think about coffee, every time I wonder what I want to drink...I miss sugar in my coffee!!! (Wait...did you just say you think maybe it's the sugar I'm craving and not the coffee...that's just crazy talk!)
2) I lost 4 pounds and I did it without being hungry all the time and without thinking of food day and night.
3) 4 pounds is NOT enough to get you into your skinny pants but it is enough to make your fat pants fall off...which is just plain irritating!
4) I don't crave sugary treats as often as I used to...but the cravings are still pretty strong...I gotta' say I get it why people need a 12-step program!
5) Deciding to ban ALL sugary treats turned out to be easier than trying to "cut down" Apparently I am an all or nothing type of gal. Give me a few sugary treats and it is WAY harder for me to say no to the next few that come by. (Hmmm...I think I heard that somewhere before...oh yeah it was from that AA meeting I should have gone to in #4)
6) I am more willing to give this another 30 days than I thought I would be at this point. And that's saying something.
7) So far I still have the energy slump in the late afternoon...but it seems to be slightly less often and less severe when it does happen.
And that's it so far. I'm thinking I will keep going with this for another little while...and if it ever gets easier (yeah right) then I'll think about another bad habit I want to break.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
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Monday, January 21, 2013
So I've learned over the years that I totally suck at taking photos of my Girl Scout outings. I never have a camera when I want one or I miss the action shot or...to be honest I get so involved in what I am doing I just plain forget that I own a camera even though it's hanging from it's handy dandy little strap right around my neck.
So this year I decided to take written snaps! And here you go, my top 30 (or so) moments from the trip in no particular order.
As I made this list in my mind I realized that there isn't a single girl on the trip who wasn't involved in one way or another in many of these memories. And those who got left off a specific memory, it's because they were moving so fast that their faces are blurry in every snapshot I have of them in my mind. I went into this trip really exhausted from all the details and how complicated the logistics of this one were...it just didn't feel worth it...and I came out of it loving my Scouts and realizing again that although "it" might not be worth it...They are definitely worth it. And I really can't ask for more than that!
So this year I decided to take written snaps! And here you go, my top 30 (or so) moments from the trip in no particular order.
Waking up at 8:30 on Saturday to find the 6th grade girls had cooked breakfast and were laying it out on a lovely little tray! (now if I could just train them to bring me coffee in bed!)
Emma R overhearing my little dream about coffee in bed and volunteering to learn how to make coffee!
The porcupine, bobcat and mule deer tracks in the fresh snow when we arrived at the cabin.
Telling the girls that we needed to be out of the cabin early and suggesting at the Saturday evening meeting that the girls might want to get their snow stuff together for the next morning. (Seriously I actually said "I suggest you might want to...") Then going around a half hour before bedtime to tell them they might want to start gathering their stuff for the next morning only to have them ALL tell me they already did it hours ago...and they actually had ALL done it!!!
The kickfight on the living room floor with Maia, Holly, Emma M, and a couple of the other girls which I joined in. (setting a bad example I know but totally enjoying a moment of pure goofy fun!)
The look on the girls faces when I joined in!
The fact that I could let my guard down and join in without worrying that it would escalate out of control and I'd have to go back to being the barky leader.
Teaching Madeleine how to do a "pizza turn" and watching her posture change as she started at last to feel she had a little bit of control over her skis! (This was one of those moments that makes it ALL worth it!!!)
Having Daisy and Alexandra talk to me in Spanish while Belle talked to me in French and Katie looked at us all like we'd lost our marbles! (I don't speak either French or much Spanish by the way.)
A lot of laughing girls.
Watching Jayme and Yuval come screaming down the terrain park with these HUGE grins on their faces! (and yes I do mean screaming!)
Skiing with Sarah who once again proved herself to be plucky and resilient!
Watching the joy on Emma M's face as she skied for the first time (and did her 400th faceplant) A new substance to smear on her face!!!! She was one happy camper!
Clara: This hot chocolate is cold (with a totally affronted look on her face)
Me: That's because you put cold water in it...you can't blame me for that.
Me: (peeling an egg really badly) Now look what you did to my egg...This is payback for the chocolate isn't it???
Clara: Pause...little grin growing into full fledged impish smile!
Standing at the top of the terrain park with Maia and Allison for their very first time attempting it, totally unsure...and getting to be there for the moment they both decided to go for it!
Running into Ashlyn (Holly's Cousin who was with us for parts of the trip) who had given up on her lesson because it wasn't working for her and she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to ski again. Then getting to see the look of triumph on her face when she came back at the end of the day and she had managed (with the help of her dad) to conquer her fear!!
Me: Madeleine is very cerebral.
Seeing Eden, Savannah, Jo, and Emma R head off to ski all by themselves at the top of the mountain! And having them be responsible enough to get back on time for both lunch and the end of the day!! What a long way these girls have come!
Amanda asking me if she could help pretty much every time she saw me.
The girls making up whole other Eskimo lives they were living and making snow bowls, cups, spoons and other utensils....and then ending up making "snow Rubber Duckies for the baths we (Eskimos) don't take" and "snow Heart Shaped Bowls for Valentine's Day which we don't celebrate."
Claire and her crew working so well together.
Lynn telling me she always does something that is a bit scary on my trips and she's always glad she did it!
Holly wandering through the cabin with her penguin feet because the pants I gave her were about a mile too long...and it didn't bother her at all!
Bright jumping out of the car with her carsick bag and running across the parking lot laughing and showing everyone that she threw up in the car...kind of gross, totally funny and VERY Bright! I wanted to suggest she bring it to her classroom for "Show and Tell"...but I restrained myself :)
Realizing how far we all have come together and how much easier all our trips are now that the girls are starting to understand how important they are to making them work!
Emma R overhearing my little dream about coffee in bed and volunteering to learn how to make coffee!
The porcupine, bobcat and mule deer tracks in the fresh snow when we arrived at the cabin.
Telling the girls that we needed to be out of the cabin early and suggesting at the Saturday evening meeting that the girls might want to get their snow stuff together for the next morning. (Seriously I actually said "I suggest you might want to...") Then going around a half hour before bedtime to tell them they might want to start gathering their stuff for the next morning only to have them ALL tell me they already did it hours ago...and they actually had ALL done it!!!
The kickfight on the living room floor with Maia, Holly, Emma M, and a couple of the other girls which I joined in. (setting a bad example I know but totally enjoying a moment of pure goofy fun!)
The look on the girls faces when I joined in!
The fact that I could let my guard down and join in without worrying that it would escalate out of control and I'd have to go back to being the barky leader.
Teaching Madeleine how to do a "pizza turn" and watching her posture change as she started at last to feel she had a little bit of control over her skis! (This was one of those moments that makes it ALL worth it!!!)
Having Daisy and Alexandra talk to me in Spanish while Belle talked to me in French and Katie looked at us all like we'd lost our marbles! (I don't speak either French or much Spanish by the way.)
A lot of laughing girls.
Watching Jayme and Yuval come screaming down the terrain park with these HUGE grins on their faces! (and yes I do mean screaming!)
Skiing with Sarah who once again proved herself to be plucky and resilient!
Watching the joy on Emma M's face as she skied for the first time (and did her 400th faceplant) A new substance to smear on her face!!!! She was one happy camper!
Clara: This hot chocolate is cold (with a totally affronted look on her face)
Me: That's because you put cold water in it...you can't blame me for that.
Me: (peeling an egg really badly) Now look what you did to my egg...This is payback for the chocolate isn't it???
Clara: Pause...little grin growing into full fledged impish smile!
Standing at the top of the terrain park with Maia and Allison for their very first time attempting it, totally unsure...and getting to be there for the moment they both decided to go for it!
Running into Ashlyn (Holly's Cousin who was with us for parts of the trip) who had given up on her lesson because it wasn't working for her and she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to ski again. Then getting to see the look of triumph on her face when she came back at the end of the day and she had managed (with the help of her dad) to conquer her fear!!
Me: Madeleine is very cerebral.
- Kerensa: What is cerebral?
- Me: It means you need to think about things and understand them before you do them.
- Leigh (my co-leader): Kind of like you Kerensa
- (5 minutes and many topics of conversation later)
- Kerensa: Perhaps I am a bit cerebral.
- (Leigh laughed so hard she snorted!!!)
- (Twice!!!)
Seeing Eden, Savannah, Jo, and Emma R head off to ski all by themselves at the top of the mountain! And having them be responsible enough to get back on time for both lunch and the end of the day!! What a long way these girls have come!
Amanda asking me if she could help pretty much every time she saw me.
The girls making up whole other Eskimo lives they were living and making snow bowls, cups, spoons and other utensils....and then ending up making "snow Rubber Duckies for the baths we (Eskimos) don't take" and "snow Heart Shaped Bowls for Valentine's Day which we don't celebrate."
Claire and her crew working so well together.
Lynn telling me she always does something that is a bit scary on my trips and she's always glad she did it!
Holly wandering through the cabin with her penguin feet because the pants I gave her were about a mile too long...and it didn't bother her at all!
Bright jumping out of the car with her carsick bag and running across the parking lot laughing and showing everyone that she threw up in the car...kind of gross, totally funny and VERY Bright! I wanted to suggest she bring it to her classroom for "Show and Tell"...but I restrained myself :)
Realizing how far we all have come together and how much easier all our trips are now that the girls are starting to understand how important they are to making them work!
As I made this list in my mind I realized that there isn't a single girl on the trip who wasn't involved in one way or another in many of these memories. And those who got left off a specific memory, it's because they were moving so fast that their faces are blurry in every snapshot I have of them in my mind. I went into this trip really exhausted from all the details and how complicated the logistics of this one were...it just didn't feel worth it...and I came out of it loving my Scouts and realizing again that although "it" might not be worth it...They are definitely worth it. And I really can't ask for more than that!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
OK everyone looking for a rant, look away now...it's gonna' get mushy in here!
We had our 6th Grade Cadette Girl Scout meeting this week and we were focused on Peer Pressure. One of the questions that we asked the girls was if they thought it was OK to go to a party when the parents of the kids in the house were not there the whole time. I was totally surprised to find that their answer to that question was entirely dependent on which parents knew what. They pretty much said "we think it's fine as long as the adults know what is going on and set some limits to keep us safe." I kid you not. I was floored by that!
I always heard that pre-teens (and teens) want limits but that they would never tell you that...but apparently they not only want limits, they actually know that they want limits and, if you ask them, they'll TELL you they want limits....How cool is that?
I didn't really get it how important those limits are for making our kids feel safe...but the girls sure did!
So here's my thought for the week: giving your kids really clear boundaries gives them freedom. They feel safe and that lets them go out and explore their world. Personally, I think that is something I need to learn in my own life. Maybe if I could give myself some really clear boundaries (particularly when it comes to work) I could give myself more freedom to explore my world! And how cool would that be!
We had our 6th Grade Cadette Girl Scout meeting this week and we were focused on Peer Pressure. One of the questions that we asked the girls was if they thought it was OK to go to a party when the parents of the kids in the house were not there the whole time. I was totally surprised to find that their answer to that question was entirely dependent on which parents knew what. They pretty much said "we think it's fine as long as the adults know what is going on and set some limits to keep us safe." I kid you not. I was floored by that!
I always heard that pre-teens (and teens) want limits but that they would never tell you that...but apparently they not only want limits, they actually know that they want limits and, if you ask them, they'll TELL you they want limits....How cool is that?
I didn't really get it how important those limits are for making our kids feel safe...but the girls sure did!
So here's my thought for the week: giving your kids really clear boundaries gives them freedom. They feel safe and that lets them go out and explore their world. Personally, I think that is something I need to learn in my own life. Maybe if I could give myself some really clear boundaries (particularly when it comes to work) I could give myself more freedom to explore my world! And how cool would that be!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
I am a HUGE Disneyland fan. I think that Disney does families better than anyone else on earth and I love the creativity and whimsy in all their rides.
On the other hand...I hate free fall. Rides with enormous long drops scare the Bejeezus out of me. So for many, many years I avoided Splash Mountain. And the longer I avoided it, the scarier it became in my head. Now normally that's not an issue because I don't give a rat's rear end about the rides in most amusement parks. If I never go on the Loopdy Loop Roller Coaster of DOOM (or whatever it's called) I can live the rest of my life quite happily. But I REALLY wanted to see the ride part of Splash Mountain...I really really wanted to. All the bits before the long drop show the tale of Bre'r Rabbit and I was totally curious about that because I don't know the story very well and I thought it would be a treat to see a lesser known Disney story come to life...
So, a few years ago, I finally plucked up all my courage, waited in the hour long line and got on the ride...to be honest I don't remember much about the inside of the ride because I was so busy being terrified of the long drop coming up at the end of the ride. And let me tell you it was AWFUL. It went on for about 6 years and I thought it would never end...I seriously thought passing out might be a great way to deal with the whole experience. And I SWORE Never again.
But fate has a way of intervening on those things you swear about...so this trip we were walking by Splash Mountain at about 9pm...it was cold so the line was only 10 minutes and Maia (who is even more scared of big drops than I am) said..."I think I want to try it."
"You ratfink!!!! I was counting on you to save me from ever having to go on that ride again...and now I have to act like I am the grown up! I HATE it when you do that to me!!!"
But I plucked up my courage again and off we went. This time though I decided that I needed to just allow myself to die during the big drop. So I rode the ride and actually saw the story and enjoyed the Disney-ish-ness and when the drop came, I closed my eyes and opened my mouth and just let go...and it was over before it even started...what was I so dang scared of???
And as we walked away from the Mountain I realized that the first time I went on that ride, I tried to control the giant drop with the power of my mind...and I know you'll be SHOCKED to hear this, but it turns out I'm not very good at mind control...the second time, I just let it be what it was and it turned out to be fun...
So here's why Splash Mountain is like life:
1) You can't control the ride with the power of your mind.
2) Even though you know the big drop is coming...you might as well enjoy the scenery along the way. The big drop won't be less awful if you spend all your time anticipating it.
3) Bre'r Rabbit is sort of classist and racist and doesn't make much sense...but it sure is colorful when you Disney-fy the heck out of it!
4) If you decide you are going to die and you are going to be OK with that outcome you gain some amazing perspective on all the little stuff.
5) I'm probably not a fun person to go to amusement parks with...I'm at the point where even I wish I would shut up, stop philosophizing and just get on the damn ride!
On the other hand...I hate free fall. Rides with enormous long drops scare the Bejeezus out of me. So for many, many years I avoided Splash Mountain. And the longer I avoided it, the scarier it became in my head. Now normally that's not an issue because I don't give a rat's rear end about the rides in most amusement parks. If I never go on the Loopdy Loop Roller Coaster of DOOM (or whatever it's called) I can live the rest of my life quite happily. But I REALLY wanted to see the ride part of Splash Mountain...I really really wanted to. All the bits before the long drop show the tale of Bre'r Rabbit and I was totally curious about that because I don't know the story very well and I thought it would be a treat to see a lesser known Disney story come to life...
So, a few years ago, I finally plucked up all my courage, waited in the hour long line and got on the ride...to be honest I don't remember much about the inside of the ride because I was so busy being terrified of the long drop coming up at the end of the ride. And let me tell you it was AWFUL. It went on for about 6 years and I thought it would never end...I seriously thought passing out might be a great way to deal with the whole experience. And I SWORE Never again.
But fate has a way of intervening on those things you swear about...so this trip we were walking by Splash Mountain at about 9pm...it was cold so the line was only 10 minutes and Maia (who is even more scared of big drops than I am) said..."I think I want to try it."
"You ratfink!!!! I was counting on you to save me from ever having to go on that ride again...and now I have to act like I am the grown up! I HATE it when you do that to me!!!"
But I plucked up my courage again and off we went. This time though I decided that I needed to just allow myself to die during the big drop. So I rode the ride and actually saw the story and enjoyed the Disney-ish-ness and when the drop came, I closed my eyes and opened my mouth and just let go...and it was over before it even started...what was I so dang scared of???
And as we walked away from the Mountain I realized that the first time I went on that ride, I tried to control the giant drop with the power of my mind...and I know you'll be SHOCKED to hear this, but it turns out I'm not very good at mind control...the second time, I just let it be what it was and it turned out to be fun...
So here's why Splash Mountain is like life:
1) You can't control the ride with the power of your mind.
2) Even though you know the big drop is coming...you might as well enjoy the scenery along the way. The big drop won't be less awful if you spend all your time anticipating it.
3) Bre'r Rabbit is sort of classist and racist and doesn't make much sense...but it sure is colorful when you Disney-fy the heck out of it!
4) If you decide you are going to die and you are going to be OK with that outcome you gain some amazing perspective on all the little stuff.
5) I'm probably not a fun person to go to amusement parks with...I'm at the point where even I wish I would shut up, stop philosophizing and just get on the damn ride!
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