70

Today it hit 70 degrees here in the Springs and it was absolutely glorious! The kids were running around outside in t-shirts and flip flops, riding their bikes pell mell through the cul-de-sac. K and CED played many rounds of Horse after K fixed our wind damaged basketball hoop. I had a great time just sitting outside watching everyone and talking to my very happy kids. Little people came in tonight covered in dirt, but happy as little clams. We are going to continue with similar weather - upper 50s/low 60s - for the next few days and we are going to relish every minute of it. Tomorrow we shouldn't freeze our heinies off at outdoor soccer practice - yay! I hope you are having better weather wherever you are at this moment. Get out and enjoy a little respite from the cold winter weather!

Reading

Tonight MED sat down and read an entire picture book to her daddy. She sounded out the big words (words like sometimes!) and breezed through the 20+ page book in no time. She just took our breath away. We have yet another reader on our hands. Soon I won't be able to spell things out loud anymore because she will figure that out, too. Ugh! All my tactics of doing things on the sly are slowly being taken away from me.

MAD also 'read' to me tonight as I was walking on the treadmill. It was the Bible according to MAD. I don't remember some of the Bible stories being what she was telling me, but hey - it worked for her. She was so animated while 'reading' and I was quite entertained. Though I may have to go back and re-read a few stories to see where it says, "You're a meanie-head!" That must be a new interpretation that has just recently come out...

I think this weekend I just may spend a minute or two being read to instead of the other way around. Happy Friday!

Twenty

Earlier this year, back in January, I wrote this post and mentioned how I wanted to get control of my weight again. Well, I have started and as of today I have lost 20 pounds. My father-in-law inspired me to join Weight Watchers (I'm doing the online version) and the program is really working for me. The great thing is, I can eat as many fruits and vegetables as I want so I'm not always starving. I can eat 'normal' food - nothing is prepackaged to be bought from them - and I'm relearning portion sizes. Of course, it's still hard when some of my favorites are around - pizza, pasta, bread... but I'm learning how much I can have to 'treat' myself and not break the bank. I have a great friend, J, who has been encouraging me along the way and who will get out of her warm house to walk with me in the frigid cold at outdoor soccer practice. I'm finally starting to notice the difference in my clothes and I can't wait to fit into clothes I haven't been able to wear in 2+ years. It's a process, that's for sure, but I feel like I'm finally on the right track and in control. Hopefully I can continue to give you updates as I go... my next goal - 10% of my body weight - is only 2.3 pounds away. I have more energy already and will hopefully soon have more confidence in who I am (it will also help when I find a new job where I'm not constantly being put down!). Now, I'm off to walk.

Concussion is the Word of the Day

I took the day off from school today to take CED to the doctor. Monday night at her soccer game she ended up taking a ball to the head (she was going for the header, but the ball winged a bit at the end and hit her in the temple), which then knocked her off her feet. She finished playing the game, but complained immediately of a headache. The headache has lasted since then and she has been taking ibuprofen like it's going out of style. I really wasn't going to worry about this as she had no other major symptoms, but then CED went to the nurse at school yesterday complaining about her head hurting after PE class. The nurse then called me at school and basically called me a horrible parent for not taking her to the doctor. Guilt. It's a beautiful thing. So, off to the doctor we went today. To hear what I already knew - it's a very mild concussion and we need to do exactly what we've been doing. Wow. I just paid how much to hear that? All because I felt guilty? Ugh. Next time, I'm sticking to my guns.

I did learn something interesting about concussions today, however. People make them out to be so much worse than they really are. Now, I'm not saying that every person that has suffered from a concussion has not had lasting effects. We have all seen (those of us that are old enough) Muhammad Ali and the effects of constant blows to the head and concussion after concussion. This is not what the doctor is referring to. He was telling me that people who panic about concussions really have nothing to worry about unless there is visible confusion immediately, and even days, after the injury. People who are knocked unconscious are really just fine as long as there is no memory loss or confusion. Even nausea and vomiting isn't something that is very worrisome as long as it's not - say it with me - accompanied by confusion and memory loss. Now this is not to say that repeated concussions are okay, because they're certainly not. But I am certainly not going to be guilted into going to the doctor if this ever happens again. What we were doing - rest, sleep, ibuprofen - is exactly what the doctor has prescribed.

Home Again

We've received another gift of a day at home today. Every school district in the Springs has shut down, once again, due to the subzero temperatures. At least today it's not as dangerous as yesterday was with its -25 degree windchill. Today we are warming up to a balmy 2 degrees. I talked to family this morning back in the Midwest and they are just getting hammered. Entire states are telling their residents to stay put and not go out because emergency road crews won't be able to reach them if they become stranded. That's just crazy! Hundreds of flights are being canceled - much to my sister's chagrin who was anticipating her husband coming home from California today. Both of my parents have the day off work. Highway 94 in Wisconsin has been shut down both ways for a good 40 miles. Highway 70 has been shut down in Kansas. What crazy weather! I will enjoy my day, however, and do what I feel like doing... which amounts to much of nothing. Stay warm!

Blue Card

I always thought the first blue card (a foul in indoor soccer, for those of you who aren't familiar with this exciting sport) would go to JAD. I was wrong. CED has won that honor. Of course, she had said up until Monday night's game that she would just blow it off if it ever happened. Well, it happened. And she didn't blow it off. She cried. And boy, was she angry. The card came as she slid to save a goal from being scored against her team. It was beautiful! Our normal keeper wasn't at the game, so CED's job as sweeper was even more important - be a defender and protect the goal at all cost. She did her job beautifully. Normally a slide in outdoor soccer wouldn't even garner a glance from the ref. However, the rules are oh-so-different in indoor and sliding, under ANY circumstance, is not allowed. Her coach was very proud of her and said he would take a blue card any day (which carries a two minute penalty - think hockey) over a goal being scored. Now I'm waiting for JAD to join her ranks. He's been 'awarded' several warnings in outdoor and even a yellow card at the ripe ol' age of eleven, but has yet to get a blue card. That's okay. His time is coming. He's too hot-headed to go much longer without one.

Snow Day!!!

Or Cold Day, whichever you prefer. I really don't care which one you'd like to use, just as long as I can stay in my jammies and sleep past 5:15 am. Tomorrow we have a day off due to weather. Shockingly, our district was the FIRST to cancel school for tomorrow (a record, I'm sure!) and I am NOT complaining! At this point, we haven't gotten all that much snow, but the windchill tomorrow is supposed to stay at a steady 25 degrees below zero. Can you say insane??? I guess I'll take the day or so of bitter cold... it's much better than what Wisconsin and my parents are getting in the next couple of days - almost 2 feet of snow. Yuck! I don't miss that in any way, shape, or form. I am quite happy knowing that just days from now, the weather here will have rebounded back into the mid 40s and what little snow we currently have will disappear rather quickly. Anyway, tomorrow the kids and I will happily stay ensconced in our home, with the heat cranked up. Oh, happy, happy joyfulness!