Friday Randomness

Yes, I weighed in today. I gained 1.2 pounds. That's not the direction I'm going for! Oops! I was sick all week and definitely did not make good food choices, and didn't track what I was eating. On to a new week and a weight LOSS next Friday.

Yesterday Caris said, "I'm so lucky!" I asked why and she said, "I don't know, I just feel so lucky. I have a nice mom, I got to be in that play . . . " I forget what else she listed but man, how's that for gratitude? Would that we would all feel so lucky over the little things in life! This is a girl who literally suffers every day with itchy, broken skin and lately her tummy hurts every day, and she feels lucky anyway. Lord, please heal my sweet daughter!

My husband was so sweet today. He called to check on me when I'd been gone longer than he expected, and when I got home he had to explain some paperwork to me (not my favorite thing). He asked why I looked stressed out and I told him I had too much to do. He asked how he could help, and would I like him to drop off some paperwork for me? HECK YEAH! Then, even better, he offered to take the boys to guitar so I wouldn't have to wake Caris & Canaan from their naps. Praise the Lord!

That Financial Peace University class we started last week? I can't even tell you how great it is. It is boosting our marriage in a way I could never have seen coming. I don't want to speak for Alif too much, but I'll just say that for him, it has made him think of our finances in a totally different way, and beyond finances, I see him stepping up in our marriage in such confidence. It's amazing to see him so empowered! I prayed for years that God would make him the spiritual leader of our home, but during those years I think I felt like I was the tool God would use to make Alif the way I wanted him to be. It was once I shut up and let God take over that He was able to start really working on Alif's heart, and watching him grow in this way has been such an adventure. I can only hope that he is seeing the same growth in me as a wife!

As for my heart and FPU, well, God is already doing some major construction there too. I was driving around the other day and suddenly had this overwhelming feeling of being a team with Alif. For our entire marriage I have not been trustworthy with money. I have spent without asking Alif, spent money we didn't have, charged things he specifically told me not to - you get the picture. I felt like it was me against him all the time. Every purchase I wanted to make felt like a competition between he & I, and every time he bought something that wasn't completely necessary I begrudged him for it. I'm sure I still have a lot of learning and growing to do, but feeling like - dude, we're on the SAME SIDE here - that's huge for me AND for Alif. What a gift!

Sick isn't all bad

Well, Tuesday night I got a sore throat before going to bed. Alif and I joked about which one of us got it first but no matter, we were both sick and that was that. We had a busy few days coming up so we just went to sleep hoping for a miraculous recovery overnight. Well, Alif did more than hope - he took Nyquil, which he swears is a cure-all. I did not feel well when I woke up. He was feeling pretty fine.

Wednesday night we were scheduled to start a class at a local church and there was no way I was going to miss it. I have been looking forward to this class for months and we were going to be there. The church had arranged for my kids to take part in their Awana program, which was really nice of them since my kids are already active in our own church's program. The commander let me know that it was stack-a-t-shirt night, which meant that the kids could wear as many t-shirts as they'd like, layered.

Can I give you some unsolicited advice? If you have two pre-teen boys, do not send them into their room alone to get ready for stack-a-t-shirt night. Malachi wanted no part in this madness so he donated all of his t-shirts to Graham's cause, and when they came out Graham couldn't even lower his arms to his sides, he had so many shirts on. Over 35 of them, in fact. Just as we were leaving he looked a little flushed and said, "I can't get a deep breath." I realized that he had so many shirts on that they were crushing him, even if only slightly, and he literally couldn't breathe properly. I removed about 5 shirts and he seemed a lot better.

It took some doing to get him buckled into the car and I have to admit that I was nervous. He was being way too quiet in the back seat and about halfway there I asked how he was doing and he said it was getting harder to breathe. I pulled over and stripped about 12 more shirts off and he was fine. I was thinking of suggesting this cute idea for our own church's Awana theme nights but that experience was too scary for me. No kids suffocating on my watch, please!

The class was so great. Dave Ramsey is smart, funny (!) and inspiring. The first video was an overview of the program and despite my sitting there feeling absolutely miserable, I was really glad we went. Alif & I are both excited about making some very positive financial changes.

Today was my weigh-in, and I lost THREE POUNDS!! Ya-hoo babuy! I'm now down 19.8 total and I can really feel it. As a matter of fact, I went right after my weigh-in to buy a size smaller jeans, because the ones I'm wearing today are so baggy they literally fall down as I walk. Major yay!

I'm going to wash those jeans and put them on eBay. I loved them for the few times I wore them, but I'm very happy to be moving down to the same jeans in a smaller size!!

And finally, a portrait taken by Canaan the other night. He kept saying, "smile mommy! cheese! picture!" He took like 20 pictures of me, Caris, the floor, his toys . . . kinda fun to see the world through his "eyes". Oh, and he's such an ego-booster - after each picture he'd say, "cute!" LOL

Sleepy Day

On January 5 Graham had an appointment with a neurologist. I went into this appointment knowing that Graham has Tourette Syndrome, but wanting to avoid leading the doctor in that direction, just in case I was wrong and something else was going on. I wasn't wrong. The doctor kept us waiting for over 2 hours, but he was so lovely that within a minute of meeting him my anger melted away. He was great with Graham and listened carefully, asked lots of questions and spent his time examining him. Then, as if announcing that he prefers butter over margarine, he declared that my son has Tourette Syndrome. Just like that. We discussed some testing, medication, scheduling a follow-up appointment and he was on his way. He had a doctor shadowing him that day. I gathered my children and belongings and as I opened the door, I heard our doctor telling his shadow that Graham is textbook Tourette's - classical.

I didn't have a good day that day. Like I said, I knew going in that we were dealing with TS. It didn't come as a surprise to hear him officially diagnosed - it just came as a big, fat punch in the gut. My son is textbook, classical Tourette's. There's no doubt in the doctor's mind. Since I started suspecting this in Graham, and doing research, and discussing it openly, I have heard countless friends say that they never noticed that I have TS. You can't even imagine how this shocks me. Since I was around 7 years old, I remember feeling like an oddball, trying desperately to hide my tics and often failing. I had a frog sound that annoyed my family. I had a lip-curling tic that the clarinet section noticed in band. I had so many tics that I tried to disguise, which I now learn is a great coping mechanism for TS sufferers.

So when I heard that doctor pronounce my son's official diagnosis, years of discomfort built up in me. Parents want better for their kids. We don't want our kids to suffer. We don't want them to feel weird. We want them to be comfortable in their own skin, to be well-liked, to excel.

I've done fine with TS, I really have. According to others. Many of my tics are what we call "internal", meaning that they require me to tense my muscles over and over. It isn't comfortable. I still have tics that make me feel that I appear odd to others, whether or not they actually notice. The mental energy that goes into TS for me is indescribable to someone who doesn't deal with this.

Ohhhhh, I hate this for Graham. He, however, doesn't seem terribly upset . . . on the surface. When I talk to him about TS he seems pretty open about it. He asks questions, talks pretty openly. I'm worried, though. I've noticed a few things that are cause for concern that I want to talk to the doctor about when we reconvene to discuss the results of his testing.

Speaking of testing, he had an EEG today. That means that last night Alif kept him up until 11, he got to sleep from 11-3, I got up with him from 3-5 and Alif took over from 5-7. His test was at 8. I couldn't imagine that he would be able to sleep in that office, sitting in a recliner, with an electrode-filled cap strapped on, plus electrodes on his arms and earlobes, with a technician and me both staring at him. Well, he did. I couldn't believe it. He did just great! I think this test was just to rule out seizures.

So - his next appointment is next month. We'll see where we go from there.

Happy Day to You!

Canaan, all big-boy-ed out in his car seat on our way to church.

Alif started a soccer season with our friends from church last week. OMGosh how cute is he in his soccer gear?? And do you see how he is sucking air big-time? As our friend Mike noted, skinny apparently does not mean fit. I hope this means Alif will start walking with me!!

We inherited this headboard from my Grandma and Grandpa, and I love it so very, very much. It's just so - them.

Daddy does not like it when I do Canaan's hair this way.

About my outfit . . . I'm so, so sorry. And I'm even sorrier to tell you that I went to Target like this. Oh my gosh, someone help me with a major wardrobe makeover! But I lost 1.2 pounds last week, which brings the grand total to 16.8 pounds. Weee!

After we made brunch on Sunday, Alif and I sat at the table and talked while the kids played outside. I looked out there and said, "oh my gosh, the kids totally match! I have to take a picture!" I tried taking a little video too but within like 3 seconds someone said something rude and I gave up and came inside to chat with my husband.

One day Caris was sleeping a little too long at naptime so I went in to wake her up. She woke up cheerful and she was so pink and giggly and I was lying on my bed looking up at her sitting next to me, and I fell just a little more in love with her. She is my tiniest little best girlfriend and I adore her.

My 2 Favorite People!

My bloggy friends obviously know I'm losing weight. My family and a few IRL friends know. Everyone who knows has been SO super supportive and encouraging!

But yesterday, TWO people who don't know that I'm on Weight Watchers noticed that I have lost weight!! Sunday morning at church, S asked if I have lost weight, and oh I got so excited! LOL I told her that she was the first person to notice and she was so happy with me. She said she can see it in my face, and she was really encouraging about my losing the rest.

At Awana, A said that she can tell that I have lost weight. Wait a minute, I actually think I did tell A that first week that I was going to try WW. So hmm I guess only one person who didn't know a thing about it - but anyway, A said I look narrower all over. HOORAY FOR THAT!!

Another girl made a comment too about seeing my pics on my blog (thank you K!!) and made my evening!

God knew I needed some heavy-duty encouragement and boy did he send it!!

Photo credit: http://www.lisavictoria.net/Images/Fantasy/Full/toothfairy.jpg

In totally non-related news, Caris has her first loose tooth!! She woke up from her nap two days ago and came bounding down the stairs, wiggling that tooth for all it's worth. My big boys were a full year older than this when they first lost teeth so it was a big surprise to hear this big announcement from Caris! She keeps saying, "I am SO EXCITED that I have a loose tooth!" and then she will glance at me and add hastily: "but a little bit sad too, because I'm growing up so quickly." LOL My girl knows her Mama's heart!

For your laughing pleasure

Malachi and Graham take my weekly weight-loss-documentation photos, and they do a good job! Thanks, little guys! This week though, Mommy was just not at ALL photogenic. It was so bright outside (yippee!) and apparently I couldn't keep my eyes open for more than a millisecond. Also? I wondered what do I look like sitting down these days. Yeah. I'll be doing more standing. And sucking in that belly. Geez. And one more thing: maybe I should have done this BEFORE I wore this Frumps 'R' Us outfit IN PUBLIC. :-X

BUT - I lost 1.8 pounds this week, and unlike last week, I am THRILLED with that this week. My Mom and I went out of town last week and I didn't do very well with point-counting. We had a blast together though, and I did eat pretty well. It just goes to show how bad my eating was before, that even on a "bad eating" week I am losing weight! I can't wait to see what next Friday holds! I'm down 15.6 total now. Still lots to go.

It always comes back

I love to watch Biggest Loser, and I am so excited that it's coming back for another season next week! It's a great motivator for me mid-week, and then I have my WW meetings on Fridays. Good timing! When I watch Biggest Loser, I always roll my eyes a little at the contestants who lose 2 or 3 pounds and act like they are total failures. Give me a break, I think, you lost a great amount of weight! Well, guess what? I only lost 1.8 pounds this week. I weighed this morning on my scale, which I thought was totally the same as the WW scale, and according to my scale I was down four pounds, so to see 1.8 at the meeting was kind of depressing. Depressing - geez, I'm rolling my own eyes at myself. 1.8 is great! 1-2 pounds a week is the Weight Watchers standard, and if I lose at that rate I will reach my goal weight around the end of summer. I'm gonna have to just keep plugging along, be patient and celebrate along the way. I exercised almost every day last week and stayed within my points for the week and those are great things. So - moving onward!

One of our New Year's Eve traditions is to let the kids bang pots and pans at 9:00. This year we pulled some party poppers too. It was especially fun when my father-in-law wandered over from across the street to see what all the commotion was about. :-)

We also make s'mores for NYE. We don't normally make them using mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. LOL It was fun to change it up a bit, though.

We also like to do a craft in the evening. This year we started a pocket book about the four seasons. Here's Graham's cover.