The child I have

Parent the child you have, not the child you were.  I read that somewhere last year.  It is heavy on my thoughts today.

Our son does not seem to care much, at this point, for sports.  And, oh, it is killing me.  I don't care if he is a super star or not, I just thoroughly love sports and what's better is when you are able to watch your own kids play them.

The boy does love to run.  He won't run with his dad (yet), but he loves to run in races with his peers and pushes himself hard to beat everyone.  He seems fast, but I'm not a good judge in that department (I think a fast walk is good enough).  We are hoping he will maybe take an interest in track when it is available for him.

For some reason it makes me feel like a failure as a parent.  I know it is not.  That is just my pride talking...but then I have that little voice that says somehow I/we have not instilled in him the desire for sports.

Lane is competitive though.  He can't stand to lose when we play games and enjoys winning games with his friends at church and school.  He doesn't really want to be the center of attention.  He would rather stay in the background.  One time a couple years ago when he was in a little basketball league, at one of the games he passed the basketball like it was a hot potato.  I mentioned it later, "Boy, you sure got rid of that ball fast."  His response, "Well, I don't want the ball."  Hmm, in basketball that is kind of the point...

I know he has the desire to win, but what I have to accept is that it may not be at basketball or football - something I want him to do.

When I step back and take a deep breath, I realize it is not really the end of the world.  He enjoys many things like hunting, farming, riding his fourwheeler, working with wood.  It's not like he is lazy or glued to a video game.  When I look over that list, I realize that those are things he can take with him into adulthood just like the skills and lessons you learn from participating in athletics.

It just doesn't seem as fun for me.

I suppose the cheerleader in me is afraid of missing out.  I take pictures and get excited when he has a successful hunt and love hearing him retell the story or show off his 'trophies.'  I guess I could stand in the yard and cheer him on as he zooms by on his fourwheeler...

I certainly do not want him to think I am disappointed in him.  I am not.  My problem is with how I feel I am missing something.  This problem is ME.

This week I attended my first scholastic bowl meet.  Madolyn is on the JV team and it was at home so I went.   It was very interesting.  The best part - they won.  They hadn't won yet so it was exciting...as exciting as a scholastic bowl meet is.  I sat in the back with another parent and there were a few times I could hardly keep from clapping (Madolyn answered 3 questions right).  When it was over, I congratulated the team just like I would if they had won a big game.

Regardless of what my kids are doing, I will support them and I will cheer for them - it just may be from my living room or sitting quietly in the back of a classroom with my hands clinched so as not to clap wildly out loud.

I remember going through this just a little bit with Madolyn and it has gotten better....mostly, after I realized she wasn't going to be a cheerleader like I had been.  I am slightly hopeful that in the future Lane will develop a desire to play more sports, but if he doesn't, I need to accept that and applaud him for whatever HE enjoys doing.  More importantly, I need to accept the child I have.  He is a great kid.

Lunchtime odd couple

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.  Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NLT)

During the cold months especially, I spend most of my lunch hours in a local church gym.  I should say, I spend about half of my lunch hour there, I do eat first and run quick errands if I need to.  Just recently it dawned on me how much I have come to love the peace and quiet I experience while there.  There is something about going inside that dark gym, flipping on the light and walking without any other interference.  Yes, I'm walking in a carpeted gym when I would really love to be outside on a beautiful day, but that is not an option right now.  Thankfully, this is.

I love it for many reasons.  One, I'm getting at least a half hour of exercise in regardless of what my evening consists of; two, sometimes (most of the time) I need to get out of my office and the courthouse and just be somewhere else - a mental refresher; three, I always take my Nook and read while I walk - yes, I know it sounds crazy, but really you can walk in circles and read without hurting yourself; four, regardless of rain, shine, snow or sleet (even crazy hot temps) I can still walk; and five, I've got an hour to kill.

When grandma was alive, I visited her during my lunch hour.  In the nice weather, I drive to the state park and sit and read, or drive around.  At least once a week, I do my grocery shopping over the noon hour to save time later.  Sometimes, when I don't want to leave the building, I walk circles in the courtroom - although it is not nearly as relaxing. During the winter months, I have to find something to do indoors and this has been the perfect solution.

This winter I've been sharing the gym with a young man who underwent a heart transplant a few months ago and is not attending school right now because of the risk of illness. He is there shooting baskets and doing some exercises and drills, probably to regain lost strength and to - like me, get out of the house! At first, I thought, this will be temporary once he realizes that I am here almost every single day during this time period.

Nope.  It really surprises me that he has not decided to change up the time he comes, but he doesn't.  I am not saying he comes specifically BECAUSE I am there - I know that's not the case - but he must not mind that I'm there.  At the beginning, I would continue to walk around the circumference of the gym and just dodge any stray balls.  After a while, I realized that it might be helpful if I would just stay on one side of the gym and he could stay on the other side (sometimes he has someone with him shooting baskets).

We almost never speak.  I usually wave at him when I arrive and when I leave, or give him a nod.  He is a teenager, and like so many of them, he has ear buds in.  I learned this by trying to talk to him and being ignored, only he wasn't ignoring me, he just couldn't hear me.  I accept that and do the wave and/or nod thing instead.

The very first time I saw him at the gym a few months ago, he was with an older gentleman and he was wearing a mask.  I can't remember how much time had elapsed since his operation, but it hadn't been very long.  I was very surprised to see him, and although I had never met him, I knew exactly who he was.  I asked the pair if they minded if I walked, they said no, and I told the young man that I had been praying for him (and still do especially now that I see him so often).

Selfishly, at times, I wish he wasn't there so I could have full reign of the gym. Why does he continue to come during my lunch hour?  I don't know.  Maybe he wonders why I don't switch up my time to avoid him.  Perhaps he is tired of being alone a large part of his day while his parents work and he would normally be in school.  And then again, maybe God put us there together just in case he would have trouble...

Baby oil & Dippity-Do

A while back Madolyn left her bottle of Skin-so-Soft baby oil in our shower.  This morning I decided to use it to shave my legs instead of shaving cream.  And the smell triggered my memories...

Grandma K always had baby oil in her bathroom.  Unless I'm forgetting something, I don't remember ever having baby oil at our house...so it kind of made me feel special to get to use it at grandma's house.  I can't even tell you what I would have done with it to be honest, but every now and then I would get out the bottle that was underneath her bathroom sink and use it.  I know this because I know that smell and it takes me right back to her house and that big bottle of baby oil.

Later on, she started buying the Avon Skin-so-Soft, but early on, it was just the plain ole baby oil that our local grocery store had in stock (because she didn't shop at Wal-mart at that time - and never really did that much).

That smell/memory then lead to another smell/memory from her bathroom - Dippity Do!  Oh my goodness, now that's a flashback!  If you are familiar with it, pretend to take a big whiff and you will smell it.  Oh funny, how I loved that stuff!  Again, I have no idea what I actually did with it...but it was fun to swirl my finger around in that cool, green gel.

 

Again, it was one of those products we didn't have at home, only at grandma's house.  I say that as if it were a treat - the green goo called Dippity Do!

I've talked about it before - how smells or a song are associated to specific memories.  I'm so glad.  It's good to remember things from way back when.  And you know, that oil sure does make my skin so soft...

Happy-go-lucky-dogs

Every single day as I pull up to the garage, my three dogs are jumping and barking and going to and fro.  They are so excited to see me they can hardly stand it.  Even if I leave and return home multiple times a day, they go ballistic with joy when I come home.  And Abby, now nicknamed Granny, (who can hardly get up without stretching first, and who, we believe, is partially blind and deaf) is even wobbling with delight as I arrive.  There are many days where I just laugh and shake my head thinking, don't they realize that this is the same scenario time after time?  Whether I'm gone 20 minutes or 8 hours, they act like they haven't seen me in days.  It's like the movie Groundhog Day.

Now let's switch gears to the humans.  Do you know people who have a not-so-pleasant reaction when you see them?  For instance, when you walk into some sort of office or appointment and you are 'greeted' by the most blah person on the planet, as if you're bothering them by showing up...honestly, can you at least pretend to be pleased to see me?

My dogs are happy to see me regardless of what time it is or how the weather is outside.  They don't care if I come bearing gifts or if I am empty-handed.  They love me. They would be terrific greeters at Walmart or church...other than the fact they might knock you down as they attempt to greet you.

I want to exhibit that kind of joy when I see people, don't you?  Not, "Oh crap, there is so and so," or, "Man, I'm so not in the mood to talk to him right now."  And I know that a lot of times, those are the things that are going through my mind and probably written across my face.

Yes, sometimes I want to ram my car into one of the dogs because they will not get out of the way so I can pull in the garage, and there are times when I'm trying to get out of the car and they are bouncing up and down, knocking into the car door, me, my bags...they are blocking the steps to the house or the door...oh yes, a lot of times I'm swinging something at them or shooing them with my foot to get them out of my way...but I do talk to them and at least acknowledge them.  They are so happy to see me...regardless of what I have to say or what I can do for them.

I need to be more like my happy-go-lucky-dogs and make every interaction with another human being a good one.  Life it too short to be grouchy.

Candida what?

Okay, so raise your hand if you have never heard of Candida.  Both my hands are in the air.  I had never, ever in my life heard of such a thing.  And now, after reading and watching and searching, I can clearly see that Candida is a HUGE part of my problem.  And my problems aren't even major in the big scheme of things.  So if my little problems are most likely linked to Candida...I'm thinking that others with big problems are inclined to have Candida problems as well.

I'm so mad at Candida that I am no longer going to capitalize the word from here on out.  It is just an all-around pain in my rump.  It does not deserve a tall C.

So what is this candida I speak of...candida is a fungus, form of yeast, and a very small amount of it lives in our mouth and intestine.  Its job is to aid with digestion and nutrient absorption, but when overproduced, it breaks down the wall of the intestine and penetrates the bloodstream, releasing toxic byproducts into the body and causing leaky gut.  (Thank you www.mindbodygreen.com for that definition.)

I took the online questionnaire and got a high score.  Usually you're happy with high scores, but not with this test.  I was on the very, very high end of the spectrum for candida symptoms.  Going down the list I think, hmm, I never would've guessed that this or that could be related back to something like a yeast/fungus...and I can't for the life of me understand why I have never, ever heard this word out of a doctor's mouth.

Why are we treating all these diseases and conditions with prescription medications when quite possibly the secret is a probiotic that can get the candida in check?  I have spent the last four or five months reading and watching videos on this subject matter.  I have to believe these people are telling truths when they say they have had life-changing results from the Plexus products.  There are just too many of them saying amazing things not to believe it.

Just this morning I read an article about how researchers are finding if young children with peanut allergies take a very good probiotic, their systems can handle the peanut(butter).  Amazing.  What else out there is linked to this fungus yeast that we don't know about?  WHY ARE ON EARTH ISN'T EVERYONE BEING TOLD BY A PHYSICIAN TO TAKE A PROBIOTIC?  Here is the thing, if a probiotic is only good for you, can't hurt you and might possibly assist in wiping out something that attacks our bodies, then what is the harm in taking one?

Why is the Plexus Probio 5 better than any other probiotic on the market?  Simply because of this one ingredient - Chitosanase.  It's what specifically pokes the holes in the Chitin layer (not the protein layers) of the fungal cell well.   Chitin is like the eco-skeleton of a bug.  Digestive enzymes are not able to penetrate this layer.  That's what makes it so difficult to kill fungus.  Look at other enzyme products, even 'candida control' products, how often do you see Chitosanase in them?  You need that ingredient in your probiotic.  If it's not in there, throw it in the trash.  It is worthless against the candida battle.

And that's why I'm forging ahead in my quest to conquer candida and its friends and family that have taken up residence in my body.

Joel O Channel 128

We have recently discovered Joel Osteen Radio on our Sirius radio, Channel 128.  It is FABULOUS. I heard my parents talking about stumbling across it on their way home from Michigan and then Jay tuned in and we've been ever hooked since.  I don't even want to get out of my car.  Our kids think we're nuts, but that's okay.  The other morning on the way to school, I had Joel on and Lane said, "Oh, I heard this one yesterday with dad."  Hmm, so he listens...

Every half hour he begins a new message with a joke.  They're always funny, clean and a good intro for his topic.  I look forward to hearing those funnies.  Yes, he does have repeat messages, but sometimes it's a good thing to hear one over.

Today's message on the way to school/work this morning was great stuff.  The topic was not letting others take your power away.  He talked about the fact that there will always be people in your life that won't understand you or how you think, and there will be those that you will not be able to please regardless of how hard you try, among other things.

You know you have someone or several in your life that fall into this category.  It seems like you cannot get this person to like you or see eye to eye with you on anything (even if you know you are right).  Or the situation where you have obviously done something to upset another but for the life of you, you cannot remember or think of what it could possibly be.  How about in the parent/child scenario?  The child cannot seem to get one thing right no matter how hard they try to please the parent (or so they think).

We all have had those experiences.  And I don't know about you, but these situations stress me out, cause me to carry around a dark cloud and it literally makes me have a pit in my stomach.  Finally, I'm at the point in my life where I have learned that I must turn it over to God.  I have to pray for my heart to be in the right place, ask God to point out any wrongdoing on my part, pray for the other person and then let it go.  It is very hard to do at times because I like control and I like to be right.

But the message that Joel was bringing this morning on this subject was that stewing over these situations only causes that person to claim our joy, rob our sense of peace and take away our power. We should not let that happen.  We also cannot let ourselves stoop to their level, which can be very difficult.  I like to have the last word sometimes (or most of the time), but there are times when you just have to bite your tongue and walk away.  Smile and wave, as the Penguins of Madagascar would say.

He had a funny analogy about this related to birds.  He said something like, You are an eagle.  They are a crow or sparrow.  Fly high like an eagle where crows and sparrows cannot reach.  Soar above so they cannot find you.

He said if we persist in being peaceful, doing the right thing no matter what the circumstance and continue to act out of kindness, God will notice.  If the person you are praying for peace on doesn't accept your peace, God will pass that peace onto you so you can enjoy it.  Ahh,  Isn't that wonderful?

If you have access to Sirius radio either in your car or online, I urge you to try out Channel 128, Joel Osteen radio.  It is so uplifting and encouraging.  I'm not a big fan of TV evangelists, but this guy's messages are great.  He will definitely give you something to think about.

Accelerator, Boost & Block

The next three products, in my opinion, are basically directed at weight loss.  They are designed to be used in conjunction with the Slim.  You would take either the Accelerator+ or the Boost, not both.

The Accelerator+, when taken with the Slim, helps speed up weight loss and/or helps overcome weight loss plateaus.  The Accelerator+ works synergistically to help lose weight fast and easily.  It also increases energy and acts as a further appetite suppressant.

The ingredients in Accelerator+ are natural substances and are considered safe for everyone, although it is not recommended for those taking blood pressure medicine.  And as always, you should consult your doctor if you are unsure.

Features & Benefits:

•        Boosts weight loss safely and effectively

•        Proven ingredients — to boost metabolism, suppress appetite and accelerate weight loss Increases energy

•        Suppresses appetite

•        Speeds up weight loss in fat and inches

•        Synergistic benefits help increase the effectiveness of Plexus Slim

•       Gluten Free

Ingredients:

• Niacin (as Niacinamide) 10mg
• Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) 15mg
• Vitamin B12 (as  Methylcobalamin) 250mcg
• Folic Acid 2 00mcg
• Calcium (as Calcium Glycinate) 25mg
• Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate) 750mcg
• Proprietary Blend 475mg contains: Yerba Mate Leaf Extract (liex paraguariensis); Higenamine; Hordenine; Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) Leaf extract; 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophane from Griffonia simblicifolia Seed Extract); Green Tea Leaf Extract (Camellia sinensis)

The 5-HTP listed just above is one of the key ingredients in the Accelerator+.  It may reduce eating behaviors, reduce caloric intake and promote weight loss.  It has been said that it helps with insomnia and can help lower the risk of heart disease.  Because 5-HTP regulates moods and helps treat anxiety, the lower risk of heart disease is as a result of less anxiety and a more peaceful state of mind.

Boost -  Looking to turn up the heat on your weight loss? Plexus Boost is an alternative companion to Plexus Slim, formulated to energize your life! The thermogenic blend of ingredients in Boost contains Caralluma Fimbriata, an edible cactus that has been traditionally used by tribal East Indians for years to suppress hunger and enhance endurance through increased energy. It has now been clinically proven to suppress appetite, reduce body weight and increase energy intake. Plexus Boost also contains Yerba Mate which has been shown to be a stimulant, diuretic and it may assist with weight management. The Higenamine used in Plexus Boost, sourced from Tangerine Peel and Lotus Seed, has been shown to increase energy. Plexus Boost is sure to live up to its name, helping deliver the weight loss results you want and the energy you need.

Features & Benefits

Boosts weight loss safely and effectively

Proven ingredients — to boost metabolism, suppress appetite and accelerate weight loss

Increases energy

Suppresses appetite

Speeds up weight loss in fat and inches

Synergistic benefits help increase the effectiveness of Plexus Slim

Gluten Free 

Ingredients in a 2 capsule serving:

· Niacin 20mg

· Vitamin B6 30mg

· Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin) 500mcg

· Folic Acid 400mcg

· Calcium (as Calcium Glycinate) 50mg

· Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate) 1.5mg

· Proprietary Blend 900mg

Proprietary Blend contains: Caralluma Fimbriata Extract, Citrus Reticulata/Nelumbo Nucifera blend (Higenamine from Tangerine Peel/Lotus Seed), Yerba Mate Extract, Green Tea Extract

 Additional Ingredients – NuFLOW

Personally, between the Accelerator+ and the Boost, I prefer the Accelerator+.  I tried the Boost, but it made me jittery.  I also cannot handle taking two of the Accelerators at once.  I take one with my Slim and one at lunch.  I think they help me control my appetite, and hey, if they help me sleep and be in a better mood...why not?

Their newest product is called Block.  It blocks starches and sugars from converting to glucose in the body, thereby promoting healthy blood sugar levels. I take 1 Block capsule 30-40 minutes before my two biggest meals of the deal, normally lunch and supper.  The hardest part with the Block - remembering to plan ahead and take it.  I leave it in my purse for that reason.

Features and Benefits

·         Helps reduce glycemic index of ingested foods

·         Beneficially modulates starch and table sugar digestion/absorption

·         Inhibits enzymes that convert starches to glucose

·        Slows conversion of glucose to fat

·        Promotes healthy weight control

     Minimizes free radical damage/oxidative stress

Ingredients:

Proprietary Blend contains: White Kidney Bean 10:1 Extract, InSea2 Brown Seaweed Blend (Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus vesiculosus standardized at 20% polyphenols)

Other Ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, gelatin, magnesium stearate, Silicone dioxide.  InSea2 contains naturally occurring Iodine

I can honestly say that within three weeks of adding the Block, I lost three inches off my waist.  Just like that.  I didn't lose any extra weight, just the inches. Some people like to refer to it as a chisel, chiseling away at your body and face.  There are some great before and after photos of people who did the trial run with the Block before it was released to the public.