Hello, Dearies!!!
Have you missed me? Been worried sick? Sent out the Rescue Rangers to save me? Life has decided to make me stronger lately (more below...) I wish it would *STOP* that!!! I'm strong enough!!! Just stop!!! (What do I have to do to get charma-cly downgraded to "beautiful but helpless maiden who needs constant rescuing and protection" in my next life??? Seriously, show me which puppy to kick, and I'm there!!! Enough of the superwoman life!!!) But I'm not dead, so there's that... While we breathe, we hope!
Motivation Monday- Last week a cashier asked me if I was participating in Senior Citizen Day... So apparently I look 55? (Dude, I *JUST* turned 44... ) So yeah, that happened...
Tuesday- Well, as far as balance goes... I don't care much for cupcakes OR pants... but DD12 demanded a special cake for her birthday (which I made...) then we were too tired/stuffed/busy to eat it for 2 days after her birthday... so I *DID* actually eat cake yesterday... while wearing stretchy pajamas... so I guess it's salad and gym for me now? Salad maybe, gym, no way, no time right now, but I've been pretty active doing chores and housework and such, so it's not a total loss.
Woohoo Wednesday- The new couches arrived yesterday. Hooray for that being OVER!!! (I don't like them much, and they feel too big for the room, but oh well, they are here and it's done. I'm sure I'll get used to them...)
Thankful Thursday- I am thankful for a lot tonight... which is ironic, because things are rough right now for some family members and I'm racing the clock trying to help them as much as I can with their situation. *BUT* Nobody has died. Although one was hospitalized 2 weeks ago, he is recovering very well. The bigger situation is a big mess, and it will be a mess for some time to come, but everyone should be alright in the long run... And while my own life is complicated/messy by most American standards, each day when I've come home from helping my family, my house feels like a haven of peace by comparison!
DD12 was harrassed by a boy at school today, and I am so proud and thankful that she had the courage to turn him in. I feel deeply for the boy's mother, because the vice principal actually told me when they informed me of the situation that the mother wanted us to know how sorry and horrified she was... so tonight she is in my thoughts, it can't be easy... But I am thankful that although BOTH of my daughters have been in that type of situation now, that BOTH of them were smart enough and brave enough to get help and not suffer in silence like so many of us did when I was that age...
I am thankful that although things are a mess with my family, the situation does not directly involve me... and that I am in a position to help somewhat, but that I am old enough now to know about healthy boundaries, and I am working hard to make sure that I don't get sucked down into the quagmire too much.
I'm thankful that my kids are safe in their beds. That's a 2-part-er... (1) They are here and safe and with me... (2)DD12 is actually in her own bed, not out here fussing to sleep with me. (She's a cuddle bug and I love it, but she's wayyy to big to sleep with/on me anymore... there's just not room!!!
I'm thankful that I get paid tonight at midnight (since the 1st is on the weekend, the money comes early...) Things seem to be tight each month lately, and DD12 has a strings concert tomorrow night and I try to always get her flowers for performances, so the timing is good. Meanwhile, I'm thankful that I put money away years ago, so it is there for me now. (When we bought the new van last November, the plan was always to cash out the investment to pay for it lump-sum... but I've been lazy and we've been paying monthly, and that plus a bunch of other little things have just been pecking us to death... so we did the paperwork last week (finally) to sell out that fund, and when the money comes, there will be one less thing to worry about each month...
For Foodie Fridays, it's honestly hard to remember with all that's been going on... I've definitely been eating like garbage the last few days, but before that I did try Shiritake (probably spelled wrong) angel hair noodles... This will sound gross, but basically they are made of indigestible fiber... something from yams, I think... so they are like 10 calories per serving... I tried them in ramen broth, which was iffy, since the noodles were kind of crunchy-chewy, and didn't absorb the broth flavoring like regular noodles do. I think next time I'm going to heat the noodles first, then drain and sprinkle with the seasoning, no real broth so the flavor is more concentrated... and for those who are wondering... no, they DID break down and did not "come out" still looking like noodles, because how gross would that be????
Also, I found fiber gummies... they are 10 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and (for those of you in Europe who know what I'm talking about) they actually taste a LOT like jelly babies, although the texture is more like softish gummy bears... So my brain thinks candy, and my gut thinks prebiotic...
I'll have to look back to see what my goals this month even were! But the last time I had a chance to weigh myself, I was down a few ounces, and at my lowest so far this year... My tracker says I'm down 15 lbs since the beginning of the year, but I can't stop beating myself up for regaining in the first place, for losing so slowly, and then just not having the focus to really push hard right now... I'm hoping that stress and exhaustion will help when I have that 16-credit semester this fall!!! ;P