In Flight Entertainment

On Wednesday, almost a week ago, we flew into Salt Lake. Even under the best of circumstances flying with children is hard. It tries the patience of even the best of parents. Luckily for us it went pretty well. Fiona, true to form, was very active and loathe to sleep during our travel, not being her familiar crib. We had to fly to Atlanta first which is really frustrating since it doesn't actually get us any closer to our destination, only more South. So after 4 or 5 hours of traveling we were still no closer than we were in Charlotte. It was as though our trip was just beginning. Both of the kids did wonderfully as we tried to keep them constantly entertained. Fiona was the most difficult since she doesn't have her own seat, she refuses to sleep, she can't color, watch anything for an extended period of time etc... Things that always work: food. Timm crushed the delicious hard buttery cookies they give you and spoon fed them to her. AS you can see, she was delighted.
Bella was a great sport throughout the whole day and was rewarded with a visit to the cockpit of our first flight. I'm not sure she actually looked around once she was there as she was posed for the picture and quickly ushered out. At least she can study the details retrospectively in the photo.
This was a huge mural in the Charlotte airport that I had never seen before. I loved it! It was right up my alley- a beautifully painted pastoral scene, layered and collaged with numbers, texture and the like. It was in two parts, and super long! It was positioned right under the moving walkway and I snapped these pictures between passengers.



It reminded me of Shell, thinking she would appreciate the art. All in all, the trip was better than I thought it would be, but I did have Timm's assistance and two fairly happy girls. The trip back will be more complicated...
Updates of the trip to come.
Currently broadcasting from Fairview/Bird's Eye, Utah.
Over and out.

Day 2- Sugar Mintuea for my own records-

Today went pretty well.
Most notably, my mood and energy levels were even all day. That is huge- that is my main complaint and the leading reason for me to give up sugar in the first place. I took a nap this evening because I could but not because I felt like I had to. I felt fairly motivated throughout the day and was not eye-crossingly sleepy at any time. (I usually am on any given day at any given time.) I was able to do some light housecleaning (let's not get carried away-), do errands with the girls, play with the girls, do bath times and go running after they were in bed. Most importantly, I didn't get frustrated or irritated repeatedly.
I still haven't had/made the time to plan meals, or had any money to go grocery shopping for that matter, so my food choices may not be ideal or balanced, but it worked for today. For breakfast I made a smoothie, my breakfast of choice on most days. I made it with cooked sweet potatoes, banana, skim milk, protein powder and oatmeal. Oh and lots and lots of ice. 2 trays I think. Don't knock the sweet potatoes, it's really good. Bella loves it too. So I got my fruit, vegetable, good carb, protein and fat-free dairy. Then for lunch I had a quick bowl of brown rice, canned chicken and whole peas. I had a snack of cheese later and plain shredded wheat with skim milk for dinner. After my run I finished some more of my sweet potato smoothie and some Triscuits. Kind of random, but ZERO sugar or flour today. I feel good. AND- our home teachers brought us a box of Dunkin Donut's donut holes, and I abstained. Of course, they're still on the kitchen table so Timm better get eating.
To answer a repeatedly-asked question, I am doing this before vacation because if I didn't I would probably come back 50 pounds heavier. I have already been reading about it and thinking about doing it and I figured I had better get a head start before I enter the lion's den. The lion's den is a diet-free zone where I am not in complete control of the menus, the food selection and will be buffeted with sweets and treats on every side. If I didn't have some sort of buffer ahead of time I'm afraid I would just eat my way through 3 weeks, come back heavier than before i started Weight Watchers and in a downward spiral of weight gain. So I'm heading it off at the pass.
I (briefly) tried to quit sugar a few years ago, but I think it was based on some noble and lofty ideal. This time it is because I have long suspected that sugar has something to do with my mood swings, depression and chronic fatigue. This time I am doing what I do best, reading all I can about the subject, so I am backed with scientific evidence and horrific nutritional facts. This time I am approaching it from a holistic viewpoint as a way to help treat the depression and other nagging complaints I have been plagued with for years.
As for couponing, you raise a good point, kind of. For one thing, I really believe there can be benefit for anyone to coupon, no matter what you buy or eat. For instance, it will still enable me to get toiletries for free or nearly free. I still buy rice, oatmeal, couscous, frozen and canned veggies, meat, cooking ingredients, whole-grain cereal, yogurt, cheese, milk...I have coupons for all of these things. Plus, the only better deal than a really great deal is not buying it at all. It's true that I do not get coupons for some things which is regrettable. I haven't quite figured out what to do about that. For instance, I wish we could eat salmon twice a week but we can't afford it. We don't even eat t once a month, but we all love it. I am planning on starting a garden and growing it as large as I can handle eventually, doing lots of canning and preserving so that will help cut down on the budget. It's too bad that eating well frequently costs more than poor nutrition.
I do have an advantage that I have been 'dieting' for 5 months already, having lost 33 pounds, so these new restrictions are not totally foreign. I have been in training for a while now. If I were going from my previous eating habits straight to no sugar and flour I would have hurt many people by now, day 2.
So we continue.
And really, check it out- Sugar Shock!
p.s. I went to the high school tonight for the first time. I only felt like doing 9 laps instead of my intended 12 to make 3 miles, however I only walked 1.5 of the 9 laps! Yay me!

One down.

Day One without sugar.
Not good.
but I did only eat a very nominal amount. Very. I had a bowl of Cheerios, which has about a gram of sugar, a few baby banana cookies which each have about a gram and some Cool Whip Free that has that high fructose corn syrup nonsense in it even though it only has 15 calories. I wanted to go totally cold turkey, but that's pretty close. I did have 2 Coke Zeros, which I also wanted to nix but I'm not sure I can do sugar and crack at the same time.
This latest book I'm reading called Sugar Shock is very interesting and informative. I will be highly recommending it to everyone, so get your arsenal of defense ready if you don't want to be swayed.
I wish I owned the book (it's a library book) because I want to mark it, highlight it, dog ear it... I have to keep reminding myself that it will get easier the longer I abstain from the villainous sugar in all its forms. I have to wait and allow my body to detox. Right now my body, my blood, my brain screams for the white stuff, but it will abate in time. I just need to hang in there and be patient. One of the hard parts is figuring out what to eat- since I'm avoiding sugar in all of it's forms, as an ingredient in any product as well as white flour and it as an ingredient it eliminates a lot of things. I have to think protein, and I've never been especially drawn to protein. i don't do well hungry so I better find some things to eat. That's going to mean eliminating most packaged foods and a lot of planning on my part.
Day One down.

In short

I went on my first preschool tour today.
I have to find a part-time job to pay for preschool. (As well as fill in some persistent gaps in our budget-)
I am reading my second book on sugar, sugar addiction and its detrimental effects.
I have gained approximately 8.5 pounds in the last 3 or 4 days. Reading about my beloved, disgusting sugar and giving it up is sending me into a swirling vortex- the desperate binges of a co-dependent lover continually going back to her abuser, who while ultimately cruel is also temporarily sweet and buoyant.
Despite this, once I kick the habit I may become an ardent preacher of the no-sugar gospel.
We leave for Utah on Wednesday. I'm excited and stressed. We'll be flying to Utah, staying at Michelle's for a few days, then going to Timm's family reunion for a few days, then back to Michelle's for a few days before I take Fiona to Denver for a few days, then back to Michelle's for a few days before we then fly home. See why I'm a bit nervous? We tried Dramamine when we went to the Outer Banks last month and it did not go well. It seemed to have the opposite affect, actually.
In my recent readings diet soda has been referred to the 'new crack', reminding me of a former coworker exhortations that my (then Pepsi One) habit was "Not helping" my dieting efforts- "At all." Apparently it also 'slows you down', which then wasn't such a concern, but now that I'm running is actually a valid deterrent.
Jon Stewart makes me laugh even though I don't always agree with him. Much to my father's chagrin, I'm sure.
So You Think You Can Dance is some of the best stuff on tv in modern times. It furthers my desire to put Bella in dance classes. Or gymnastics. Hence the job search...
Bella had her first swim lesson yesterday.
We have -$1.82 in our bank account. Timm doesn't get a check from CMS (the school district) until Sept. Woohoo!
I am ordering a hybrid bike (comfort meets road bike) soon with my birthday money. I can't wait and the only reason i haven't ordered it already is because we are leaving town soon.
I have too many swirling thoughts to pin any one subject down lately. I need to try and write daily, or at least more often than I do now.
That's all I have to say 'bout that.

Documentation

Best for Last

When I began running a couple of months ago I knew it would be a process. I knew it would be hard, that it would take resolution, and there would definitely be some embarrassment involved. I actually prefer running in the early morning or at night to secure as much solitude as possible and avoid said embarrassment while relishing the time alone. As I started thinking about races I wondered and worried about coming in last place but thankfully dismissed the notion since many people walk the entire course, giving me some room for accomplishment.
Well, it happened.
I was last.
Dead last.

And actually, it wasn't so bad. I crossed the finish line smiling while every other race participant looked on, cheering. It was however, my second race of the day. The kid's fun run I did with Bella after my own 5k on the morning of the 4th, of which while close, I did not come in last.
Bella has been vying to join me on a run and in a race since I started telling her about my first 5k. Since she can't make it down the block without lying prone on the sidewalk I seriously doubted her commitment or ability to either of these endeavors, but not wanting to quash a worthy ambition I indulged her and paid the $10 to register her for the 'Fun Run'.
From the onset there was an abundance of complaining to which I responded by informing her of my impromptu first rule of running: There is no whining in running. I told her that running is hard and everyone knows that running is hard but we can do hard things. Apparently my pep talk didn't have much of an impact on her because not more than a few yards in she lost the capacity to voluntarily propel herself. The rest of the race consisted of me holding her hand, more or less pulling her along, continually telling her she was doing a great job, asking if she was ready to try running again, reminding her that there was no stopping during a race all the while observing kids of every age running past us. At some point a bribe of chocolate milk was offered.
By this point we are secured in our hindmost position, nearing the finish line with everyone watching from the sidelines. I try to inspire her to finish strong and somehow, perhaps motivated by he crowds, the cheering, the promise of chocolate milk, she runs. Everyone who has participated in the event and the event planning is standing on the sidelines cheering, singularly for Bella. An older gentleman reaches his hand out to give her high-5. The announcer calls her number and congratulates her. Hundreds of people, from young children to seniors are all clapping, calling, and cheering for this one little 4-year old as she pushes herself and those little legs over the finish line. I lope along just behind her, a bit sheepishly but mostly blissful as she crosses and a medal is bestowed upon her neck, a prize awarded to all the kids in the fun run. As she receives this commendation she aptly responds by declaring 'I never dreamed of this!'
After this she doesn't seem to have any recollection of being last, only of finishing. Only the applause and the award. We stop at the grocery store on the way home for our hard-earned recovery chocolate milk and she wears her race bib and her medal through the store frequently telling me she 'can't believe she got the first medal!' Why would I correct her?
I doubt she'll remember this for very long, having the fickle memory of a 4-year old. I hope she will participate again so she can experience the thrill of victory, the triumph of effort and the sound of hundreds of voices raised in chorus of praise for her alone, if only for a moment.
How often do any of us get to appreciate that?