Happysad

I think I have reached every emotion on the spectrum in the last three months. I never thought that this year would be so conflicted. I always appreciate an adventure but sometimes adventures are difficult, and even tragic. I feel like I have been through the fires of hell and now I am bobbing around somewhere between heaven and hell. You know this song, perhaps. It feels very applicable these days.



So much to be happy about. So much to be sad about. Just keep on moving.

Metabolism Boosting Kitchen

I'm sure that you have heard someone tell you about some conspiracy theory with the government, or some myth or superstition and you nod politely while thinking, is this person really so stupid or gullible that he/she believes this? Yup. I have been there too. For years I have heard these myths. Usually they are from people who don't live in the USA. I was raised in a family where one of my grandmothers tossed salt over her shoulder and walked backward around a pole to avoid a fight with the person walking beside her and similar superstitions so I was not one to fall for silly ideas. I wanted to see the science behind it, the fact.

As it turns out, some of those myths are actually true. You may see companies posting labels like, "BPA Free" and nowadays, "PVC Free." You may see "Eco-friendly" non-stick pans, and see glass water bottles.

We wonder about the days when ma and pa used to work on a farm and people never got crazy obese from eating eggs and bacon. They cooked on regular steel or cast iron, they drank out of glass jars or ceramic cups. They didn't eat and drink every day from some source of plastic. They wrapped things in paper. Today we eat off of plastic plates, store food in plastic wrap or containers, drink out of plastic water bottles, cook on metal covered with synthetic coatings. We wash our dishes in plastic machines, cool our food in plastic boxes, and drive around in plastic covered machines. What we fail to realize is that some of these synthetics are actually making it hard for our bodies to work properly.

Teflon coatings on automobile parts, irons, pots and pans will put off toxic gasses when heated to 500 degrees or if they are damaged through scratches and regular wear. Most plastic water bottles, old plastic fillings, plastic wrap, and even plastic dishes heated in a dishwasher will leech synthetic estrogens.

Those who like to share this info often like to use the panic mode. That doesn't help people learn the truth very well when those sharing the info are bell ringers. I finally slowly started transitioning my kitchen over to a non-toxic kitchen. It isn't easy to let go of plastic spoons, plastic mixing bowls, plastic measuring cups and spoons, and tupperware containers. It is not easy to think about giving up stick-free pots, pans, and baking dishes. I recycle, but mainly because it is convenient. I am not looking for any awards in saving the environment. Plastic water bottles are CONVENIENT and keep me hydrated! I finally broke down and started using glass covered in a silicone wrap. I fill it up and reuse it. It is easy to wash and refill, but I have to think about it, and strangely, I notice a difference!

I already had stainless steel pots, pans and skillets, but then Jillian Michael recommended cast iron. Really? The last cast iron pan I owned is now used to scoop salt onto the driveway when it is cold! It is filled with rust and I can't imagine eating anything off of it. Well, I bought a pre-seasoned cast iron skillet. You can't wash them with soap, and I imagined I would spend hours scrubbing it. As it turns out, cast iron is just as good as non-stick! I cook the bottom of an omelet on the stove top, toss it under the broiled for a few minutes and flip a perfectly fluffy omelet onto a glass plate with not so much as a crumb left in the pan! Foods taste better. Meats have more flavor. If I do need to scrub a bit it doesn't happen very often and it comes off reasonably easily.

I purchased bamboo or wooden spoons, silicone (high quality without dangerous filler ingredients) spatulas and dish covers, metal or glass measuring utensils, and glass or steel mixing bowls. I purchased one eco friendly, teflon-free pan for my husband who likes to make breakfast for the girls sometimes, and even purchased plastic bags that don't leech into foods for those moments when a baggie is needed. I requested BPA-free fillings from the dentist to replace old toxic ones. I stopped eating foods made with chemicals as much as possible. Over time I have really noticed a difference and suddenly I am getting back to my high-school figure with very little effort on my part. Bear in mind that I exercise and eat right, but I also feel better when I avoid products sold in #1 plastics and other metabolism-hampering products. I know it isn't perfect, and many of the harmful, manmade  ingredients appear in everything from the electronic devices we use to our fingernail polish and shampoo, but it is a start and it feels good.

Bon jour!
A

A Few Words About Boxing

Step 1. Order some wrist wraps. 180 in length.

Step 2. Acquire a heavy bag. 60-100 lbs.

Step 3. Order some boxing gloves with gel padding. 12 oz, 14 oz, or 16 oz depending on your height and weight. http://www.glovesandhandwraps.com/glove/the-right-boxing-glove-sizes.html

Step 4. Watch some vids on how to wrap your hands.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYrybP5FZqQ
Step 5. Watch some vids on how to hit and move your feet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ_f6ENTFwk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_sdocwSpQw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnnsfQdUZ9w
Step 6. Get some good tunes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCVrC7Dg2qo
(Love this next song for boxing, but the video is VERY interesting...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktvTqknDobU)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-MkWIyxCI
Step 7. Have fun while getting in shape!

So What Have I got to Say for Myself?

For every post that makes it live on this blog, I have at least five that are just sitting unfinished. Such is the life of a twin mama. Every thought left unfinished. Every room left untouched by my little lovie whirlwinds. Every shirt left rightfully wiped by a wee one. I pick her up to wipe her little nose after a tearful burst and before I can reach the tissue box... Well, that's what mamas are for, right? Wiping tears and drying bottoms and noses, however that may come about.

Somehow I am resisting the urge to correct that fraction sentence. I can do it. Yes I can. This past week has been so full and this week is even more full somehow. It's good to keep myself busy, I suppose. Last week I was sick and the week before that the girls and C were sick, so I was grateful that there was a delay. It is easier to take care of healthy children when you are sick than to take care of sick children, I suppose. Once the sun started to spring through the clouds it was up with the tent in the backyard and up with the hammock! Hurrah! The backyard is alive with activity once again. We were concerned about the beehive... did I mention my beehive? I put it in the backyard because I was worried about fallout from the neighbor spraying fruit trees for bugs. Bees are fragile, you know. They are very busy and I am enjoying this new hobby. So far there has been no problem with the bees and the girls. They don't even know about each other,  so that is helpful. My little dancing fairies just tottle from the hammock to the tent where they dive in and eat snacks, read books, sit in their tiny Adirondack chairs, and giggle and play. In addition to our backyard adventures we had a birthday party last week where my little ones played with balloons and toys and ate lovely snacks with their birthday girlfriend.

We had a campfire picnic, visits to the park, a visit to the zoo and a farm, and a hike. We have read many books, played together, built towers and knocked them over, and my little ones always enjoy running errands with me and have the most fun trying to pull things off of the shelves as we pass by in the grocery cart. Those glass jars are especially enticing, but so far we have avoided any catastrophes. Mother's Day was delightful. It is amazing how all of those empty, sad mother's days melt away like the morning dew and all I am left with is tiny fingers and toes and sweet little voices that call for mama and that means me!

It's been a LONG year already...

Words can't express everything that has happened this year. Suffice it to say that challenges come our way when we least expect it. I think I have handled this one reasonably well, all things considered, but sometimes you think your life is on track and suddenly you find the earth crumbling beneath your feet and begin to wonder what was or is real anymore.

I have a family member who says things to me like, "Trials will come your way! Just wait!" I always silently muse because it is proof of how private I really am. This, too, will pass unnoticed, but I will hear those words again and smile to myself. Of course I have trials. I just don't make them everyone else's business.

At any rate some things have set me back this year, so I now have this big to-do list hanging over my head. I have turned down some amazing business and professional opportunities that I normally would never give up, but at this time it was simply the right thing to do. I am submitting to the human side of myself instead of turning on superwoman and trying to work miracles from a grain of sand. It has been a comfortable place, and a part of me is grateful that for once I am not pushing myself so hard.

You do that to sick kids?

There is something so sweet and vulnerable about sick children. Sure, they are tired, grumpy, weepy, clingy, and it's a lot of work to get them comfortable and feeling well. There are hours of worry and sleepless nights. Nobody wants to see a child miserable, and yet, I don't want to forget that sweet innocence as they relied on me for comfort, so I did it. I photographed them and even videotaped them. I captured the tears, the weariness, the sad little countenances because it helps me never take for granted the happy little faces of health.

Seven Hours

It is possible for a human being to cough for seven hours straight. I know from personal experience. Usually that also involves losing the contents of one's supper, but hey, I hit a record weight the next morning!

I think I have this whole weight thing down. I have only been able to exercise once this week, so I have cut out my snack and behold, I still lose weight! Hurrah! I lost 35 with Jillian's program before getting sick, so I am starting over again. I have another 15 lbs to go and I will be so very pleased to just maintain at that point. I will be swimsuit ready by summer if not earlier. I will say it again, it has been worth the journey, both gaining and losing. Nothing tastes as good as baggy clothes feel.

We sold our fitness center today. It was something that C wanted years ago and we bought it from a doctor who never used it. I have used it several times, but I have since learned that machines often don't provide the kind of resistance and muscle stability strengthening that can be had from free weights and plyometrics or metabolic training. I appreciate having the extra space to build a system that works better for me. We also sold the spin bike because I never wanted that either. Since C never uses our home equipment, this is my time to really build what I want since he had a great deal of say in what we purchased previously.

The past week has been a bit rough. We went to visit a family member two weeks ago and they failed to mention that one family member was very ill. We came home and due to weather didn't leave the house for a few days except to run some car errands. Within a few days Cricket sounded just like that sick family member! Grrr. Another day or two and Peanut had it, and then C and I. We have been to the hospital several times for suctioning to help them breathe and eat. Yesterday was very hard and today wasn't much better because of my all-night coughing and getting sick while trying to care for the little ones.

Well hello there, eyelids. You claim it is time to catch up on those lost hours of sleep over this past week. Okay, okay. Uncle.