Koo

As my lovely and I layed our heads to sleep last night, we remininsced about how six years ago, Koo was born.

When he was born, he didn't make a peep. He was very quiet. Now, six years later, you can hear him from the other end of the house on a different level.

He has the best smile ever. I know I'm biased but the kid as a baby would stare a person down armed with a toothless grin until you reacted to it. He is a very happy kid.

He is also messy, quick, funny, and is quite a good dancer. He has guts. He needs his brother more than milk in this world. His first words in the morning is "where's S.E.?".

He has such a kind heart for his peers...always comes home with reports of who had a hard time at school today and how he helped make them feel better.

I'm so proud to be his mom. I'm grateful for getting to raise him and guide him this far. Happy Birthday to my little boy.

"Just because you've been hurt in the past, it doesn't give you permission to hurt others." -Dr. Laura.

I love this phrase. If we can all remember this and not become our hurt. I think included in this should be not continuing to hurt yourself.

Think about it.

You are what you say you are...or at least what you think you are.

I am a runner. Not a fast runner. My body does not look like something out of Runner's World.

But I am a runner. I like it. No, I really love it. So why do am I so insecure about it?

Years of not being confident in my abilities as an "athlete" have landed me right back in the realm of not believing my body could run.

As I reflected on the past year, I realized my ill-health had taken a HUGE toll on my outlook on running.

I am not as fast and have gained almost 10 lbs. back and I'm afraid. I'm afraid of running long and being stuck somewhere far from home because my body couldn't continue. This happened last year 6 miles from home. I was shaky, dizzy, and felt like someone strapped 10 lb. weights to my legs. What I didn't know then was I was in the throws of mononucleosis. So I pushed and pushed my body until I got home. Mentally, I don't think I have fully recovered from this incident.

The expectation that once I've ran a marathon, I should be able to just run and run. But the setbacks are not all physical. My health has been improving. Now, I've just got to get my mind to follow.

I love to run. I should just run. One tool I will use on my long runs besides water is my cell phone. Physically I can do it. Mental-strength tells me if I just go do it, it will follow.

Poke Mom?

My boys hit the motherload this past Christmas in terms of Pokeman cards. Loads of them and the boys were having a difficult time carrying them around or keeping them organized enough to play with them.

Oh did I mention these cards cost a lot money? Like $4 for 10 cards. Well, I never. Okay, I did it twice as a reward for chores, being a good friend to each other, and just because I was in a rare mood to treat them.

What I needed were card-holding books. We went to four different stores in our little town and the surrounding areas and it was a no go. Not surprised. Well, there were baseball card sleeves that fit into a big binder. No good for little hands and travel. Not to mention it was $8.99 for six. Outrageously priced.

Enter cheap, 4 x 6" photo albums-if I sewed up the middle of the albums, each sleeve could hold four Pokeman cards. Ta. Da. Took me two hours to sew and organize nine albums. Oh the best part, I got each album for $1 which holds 72 cards. Yes, each boy filled four albums. I made an extra one for a friend.

Oh I'm a gummi bear...

Without intending to, yesterday became my "cheat day". Why? I started with the gummi bears. Innocent enough to eat five. But it's a gateway mystery food that sends my brain into whack-o mode.

I begin to think I'm hungry. So I ate a little. Then a little more. Now, forget Friday as my cheat day this week. I've been tackled by squishy, sweet little bears.

What about you? What's your gateway food that sends mixed messages to your brain and tummy you need more?

The Biggest Loser season 13

How much fun was the Biggest Loser last night? I loved that the show addressed what all of us having been saying all last season: Dolvett is a fox and a half.

He looked even more fit and his hunger to win a weigh-in cracked me up. His description of his team: "We've got a Golden girl over here, and Santa over there".

I'm excited it's back and I hear the excuses are the same as ones I've had/have when I don't make time to workout or take better care of myself.

"No excuses" is the theme this season. I got the memo. I'm not going to let not having enough time to get other things done in my life stop me from taking 30 minutes to run or pop in a DVD.

Happy New Year!! Sorry to not have posted in awhile. I've been baking, visiting, and eating. So, now I am 9 lbs up from goal weight and I've got to get back in the game.

I really don't have an excuse other than eating too much and not exercising enough.

I feel so grateful my hubby and children have not been sick (Koo had a 24-hr stomach incident on Christmas morning...Merry Christmas to us) and we've been able to spend a lot of time together.

As for my two specialists doctors' appointments: the Dermatologist can't figure what is going on with my skin so she referred me to an allergist. I went to an allergist/internist and after the prick test for just about everything, I'm not allergic to anything and referred me back to a dermatologist.

So, as I am doing relatively better, I am just going to try to relieve my stress this year, exercise, and continue my nutritional supplements of amino acids, probiotics, vitamins, and immunoboosters from my Naturalpath because she's the only one I'm seeing results from without being injected with steriods or heavy-duty ointments.

Hope you are stay healthy.