Author of a Thousand Fails

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
And I love that you know St. Nicholas Day 😊 and fill stockings!
This year's tradition is a little different than other years because I'm including a whole other family, but the previous two years, I would buy my kids new pajamas and house slippers, and they would leave their slippers outside of their bedroom door for St. Nicholas and wear them starting on the 6th. It's the kick-off to our family's very own "Holy Week", with the final day being the anniversary of the day our family was made. :happy:

I really like the tradition of a "SURPRISE" box... I don't quite understand it, though. Feel free to message me further on the tradition! We do "Secret Santa" gifts the night before stocking stuffers in our home. Would that be similar? I love the tradition because it encourages selflessness among the children. They have to think about the person they are giving a gift to, and do so without expectations of anything, including recognition, in return. I also set a rule that the gift has to be white elephant, handmade, or under $5, to teach my kids to think outside of the box and exercise frugality.
 

NancyTree

Well-known member
Valkyrie from The Netherlands
Posts: 1,861
It sounds pretty similar! I love your pajamas and slippers switch 😊

The little kids believe St Nicholas will leave little presents and candy in/next to their shoes at night (like how santa will bring gifts under the Christmas tree). In some families the gifts can be pretty big, but I'm raised with him bringing little gifts. We have traditional St Nicholas candy: Kruidnoten, often mixed with other kinds of candy, like little sugar hearts or little meringue shapes, and 'tumtum' (there's no English page for any of those..)
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Tumtum:
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I still have a pajama 'St Nicholas' brought to my grandma. It was beautiful and really pleasant to wear. I think I was 4 or 5 years old.

With the traditional surprises, you have to pull a name out of a box with name cards (or use an online system that they have nowadays), and that's who you have to make your surprise for. The little gift inside is also meant to be something small but personal, most of the time under 5€ (or at least, it was in 'my time', 20 years ago 🤣 feels like I'm getting old...). On the night of celebration you have to put your surprise secretly with the rest so no-one will know which you made. The poem is on the surprise with the name of the reciever, it's traditionally in rhyme and with a funny or personal twist in it. Like 'OJJJEM got in a peculiar situation, when her daughter gave her an extensive evaluation'. The surprise can be something pretty, about something you like, or be something you have to figure out to get your gift (like an escape room puzzle), sometimes with really nasty stuff like shaving cream or something. I personally didn't like that, I liked the beautiful ones the most. Once a class mate used a fretsaw to saw the figure of a cat out of a wooden plate for me. I found it really awesome. And you can use any type of material, mostly cardboard boxes are used, but you can use papier-mâché, wires, threads, wood, paper, etc.
In the end you will all know who made your surprise.
It's not only done within your own familiy, we also did it with the whole class in middle school or with a group of friends. Some even with their sports club. So if you're 'lucky' you have to make 2 or 3 surprises.
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
@NancyTree thank you for sharing your old traditions with me. They sound similar to the ones I am trying to pass onto my children now. It looks like your "tumtum" is our "gumdrops".

I was very sick on Tuesday, but the kids had a good St. Nicholas day. Since I wasn't up to making dinner, we had a cook-off... Peanut butter waffles, oatmeal, and macaroni pasta was served with rootbeer floats... And that's how we kicked off our family anniversary week!

I slept all day today, too... Breakfast, which is dinner, is raspberries and pistachios... I may possibly have some chicken right before bed, too... I've been craving protein like crazy, which I think is attributed to the way the steroids are affecting my blood sugars.

Weight: 294lbs.
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
Finally up at a decent hour! One of my kids is sick, though... again! I went in to check on her and found her sleeping on a dirty mattress with no covers or bedsheets... I was like, WHAT THE HECK! YOU'RE 16 YEARS OLD!!! Well, I said it internally... I told her to get up, take some fever reducer, shower, and take a shop vac to her mattress before double lining it... NO WONDER SHE'S SICK! I have two questions: Who the heck dumped dirt on her mattress, and why the heck did she sleep in it? SMH

House update: Two roof inspectors... One says, "Yes," to shingles, which makes me question his sanity and wants $60k if I choose metal roofing. The other says, "No," to shingles, wants $27k for metal roofing, but refuses to work over my "green room", as we call it, because he feels it's not structurally sound. So, now, I'm looking at paying a preventative home inspector to just simply examine everything to find out what's safe and what's not so that I can either reassure the roof guy or spend even more $$$ to tear down and rebuild my green room. Fun stuff...

Cough update: I am no longer coughing when I breathe, peeing when I cough, and cramping when I pee! I am officially out of diapers (*sings* "I'm a big kid now!" jingle) I still have a frequent cough, but it's not giving me whiplash. Last day on steroids for the cough and no call back from pulmonologist... Had to call in for another week's prescription. Doctor said that if I don't get a call within two weeks of my original appointment, I'm to call her back and let her know so she can speak on my behalf... I'm halfway to that point.

Anyway... FOODSTUFFS:
Breakfast - chicken and waffles
Dinner - Tuna salad on romaine salad and pistachios

FITNESS:
Truthfully, I slept all day again... Like, started this check-in at 10, ending at at 5:30... I've been sleeping all day and only waking up to eat something high-protein... then I fall back asleep... This is... day 3? At least I'm finally kicking whatever the heck is making me sick... So, no workouts today, either... I long for the day when I am back to a regular fitness schedule! I almost cry for it...

Weight: 294lbs
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
Today is a busy one... My friend and I ran her errands together. Then, I took her kids for the afternoon so she could finally get some sleep through her preggers exhaustion.

Foodstuffs:
Breakfast: clementine, pecans, cheese
Lunch: friend bought me a green smoothie and chick-fil-a sandwich
Dinner: Husband brought home free pizza from the workplace

Fitness: I was up and about all morning, if that counts for anything... I feel like it won't be long before I can start working out again. I managed to go one more day without coughing myself inside-out. However, since I'm still super tired and really seem to want chicken non-stop... I'm gonna guess that I'm still trying to heal from whatever's making me sick... As much as I hate to admit it, if not for the steroids, I'd still be a hot mess right about now.

New roof guy... gave a 26k estimate and is willing to work over the green room and reinforce unstable areas. Now, I just need to find a way to convince people to support my GoFundMe... My side of the family's all like, "We love and support you. Here's $20," while my husband's side is all like, "We cannot help you because (insert conspiracy theory here)." At first, I was like, "What the heck!" Now, I'm just laughing my head off about it all. I'm very hopeful, even if I don't get any help, I know that I will somehow find a way to replace my roof and fix the effects of the water damage... somehow...

Weight: 296lbs

I found an old post that I made on Facebook a while back... One of my sisters saved it and shared it with me recently... Then it was forgotten again... And I just recently came across it... Anyway, I wanted to share it with y'all... so be ready for a long-winded speech.
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
I want to write about how grief feels... I hope this will help those who are going through it grasp the situation they're in a little better, as well as provide understanding to those who have never experienced this. I am breaking my grief experience into parts, not like the "stages of grief". I'm breaking it down in intensity.
Your life is like a beach. Usually, you get to walk along a sandy shore, but sometimes, life puts you on a rocky path, where you're surrounded by waves crashing in all around you. If you're lucky, the beach you walk on is full of life and treasure: Gulls, shells, etc. Every so often, your beach gets littered, and you have to clean it up. Your emotions are like the ocean. Some days appear calm. Other days are choppy, and some days, you just have massive waves beating against the shore in rapid succession. There are also people casting their nets. Most people are good at heart, but at some point, you'll run across a "well-meaning fool". We've all had one, and we've all been one. These are people with good intentions that just simply say or do the wrong thing. Very rarely will you run across a net caster who is actually trying to harm you, but those exist, too.
When you are grieving, it's like one of those massive waves has just knocked you off your feet and into the ocean. The water rolls you under and beats you against the rocks over and over again. If you're lucky, you'll have a person in your life who sees your struggles and can cast a net out for you to grab ahold of while he or she pulls you back to shore. You'll most likely have at least one net caster who carelessly traps you under the net, though. As if the waves weren't enough!
Eventually, tired, beaten, and ready to give in, the waves will lighten up, just enough for you to catch your breath, but another wave will push you under, and you'll struggle to come up for air once more. For most people, all throughout this process, there will be a net caster whose net you can grab ahold of as you are slowly pulled to shore, but when you are struggling just to breathe, you cannot see the net casters around you, and you cannot grasp the net. You are fighting just to stay alive. You are suffocating in your ocean, and you cannot even breathe to ask for help, only to fight to surface long enough to catch your breath and choke on the water as the waves pull you back down. The waves have lighten up just enough so that you can stay alive, but not enough for you to realize that you will live.
Even though the waves are beating you against the rocks, they will slow down enough for you to catch your breath properly. You know you are going to survive, but you wonder if you want to. You are still being tossed about and occasionally buried under the waves again, but you can see that the sun is shining. It's blinding, though. You feel sick just looking at it. During this point, you can see the net casters and identify who's been casting what nets. With each net cast, you can identify who to swim towards and who to pull away from. However, this you can only do if you look up, which is hard to do when you have photophobia. Sometimes, you make a mistake and swim towards poor casters, while others, you reject good ones, because it's so hard to really see clearly.
You'll soon be able to keep your head above water, but the waves are still beating you against the shore. You slowly become accustomed to the light again, and you've also begun to move towards people who know how to cast a net your way without hindering your progress. You feel strong enough to do it yourself sometimes, and other times, you grasp for even a small piece of the nets being cast. They pull you along for a while until you feel strong enough to let go again and find a decent hold of the rocky shore with your own strength. Throughout this entire venture, there will still be people casting nets that pull you down, but the waves are a little gentler, and you have grown strong enough to quickly overcome those. The nets drag you down, and you feel trapped, it hurts to hold your breath while you try to break free, and you fear drowning, as with the previous times.
Finally, you have found a place where you can climb out of the water, and usually with the help of a net cast for you to grab ahold of and climb up with, you make it out of the water. Just as you think you've got your footing, however, another wave comes crashing, knocks you into the water, and you have to grasp the rocks and climb back up... This will happen for a while, but the waves have been getting gentler and gentler throughout this entire process. So, you can have your footing a little longer each time, but the waves are still knocking you back. It's frustrating. You also find that with every knockback, it's getting easier to recover your footing. Until, finally, the waves die down, and you are able to stand up, stay up, and look back at the ocean. From that point, you can't return to where you fell from, but as you look around, you see that there are nets for you to cast, just like there were at your original location, and having found stability once more, you can start casting your nets again. Only this time, because you're stronger, and because you've experience the situation yourself, you know exactly how and where to cast your nets.
This is not how grief happens for everyone, but I've found this is how it is for me, and I can't think of a better comparison to this process than drowning in an ocean. There have been times when I've simply been knocked down and had to get back up, but there was a time when I spent a VERY long time floundering in my emotional torment. During this time, I couldn't see God's net, but I saw my husband's. At first, he cast the net just as poorly as the dozens of other "well-meaning fools" claiming that they were there to help me. Some weren't well-meaning at all. It took a long time for my husband to learn how to cast a proper net and for me to see God's net. Even after I got up, a wave would knock me back into the ocean or flat on my face, or a caster would knock me down with a poorly cast net. I spent even longer trying to maintain my footing than I did trying to get it. It took many years. Some people with depression may recognize this process, and that's because depression is a common symptom of grief. It can be over quickly or seemingly take forever.
Experience has taught me how to cast a decent net in certain situations, but I'm still learning when to stand aside and let someone with more experience do the casting. I hope that this analogy helps someone, and that I have been able to avoid being a "well-meaning fool" through this post.
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
Today's supposed to be a busy day, but everyone got such a late start that I ran out of umph and ended up sleeping four hours... My body's been in "healing" mode for several days, though, which means sleep and high-protein cravings... And if I eat something not on my body's "cravings" list, I feel very sick... No, I'm not pregnant.

Breakfast: egg sandwich (only wanted the egg, though, and got sick)
Dinner: chicken and lentil curry over quinoa and rice... I gave it a mild Indian twist... Usually, most Indian food is too strong for my nose and taste buds (whitest white girl on the planet here), but today, my body was saying, "YES!!!!!" So, I listened to it. It was heavenly.

Fitness: Only healing today. I was supposed to go over to my friend's house and help her out, but by mid-morning, my entire body was crying out against me. So, I collapsed into bed and didn't leave til dinnertime... (which I'm eating now while typing this out)... after which, I will go to bed.... Man, though, this dish is REALLY hittin' the spot for me! Soooo heavenly right now!

Weight: 293lbs
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
@NancyTree It was an old post, and the waves of that moment have settled for some time. I am well-acquainted with grief, and I wrote that post several years ago, around the same time that my dad died. Believe it or not, the grief I felt there is nothing compared to the grief that I had to battle for many years before his death. However, at that time, I was watching my mother, who suffered most from my father's death. I became aware of others' grief as well... There is SO MUCH grief in the world! I realized that there are many people who don't understand grief... Those who haven't grieved can't comprehend what the griever is feeling. Even those who are experiencing it in the moment can't easily articulate it to the world. Everything's so overwhelming when it happens. I wanted to put it to pen and paper... to give it a body. I wanted the griever to have a voice and a road map through their pain that they can follow and rely on... I wanted the ignorant to understand so that they can avoid casting foul nets as well... Truthfully, even when you learn to understand grief, you'll still have moments where you cast a foul net... but some life lessons aren't learned on a dime, I guess...

I have another post you may like... There was a time when I used Discord, and any time I sounded too "old-fashioned", the kids would call me a boomer... Technically, I'm a millennial... I was also called "Karen" a lot, though, for speaking out against inconsiderate behaviors, so... teens, right? HAHAHA! Fun fact: Karen means "pure, unsullied".... Well, that's quite a name to use when describing a horrible woman... frankly, most of the "Karen" outbursts I've seen simply looked like menopausal moms having a REALLY bad moment... a few autistic meltdowns were captured and captioned as "Karen" moments, too... which kinda pissed me off... Anyway, here's my response to "BOOMER". I've written many things, but few of them have been salvaged... My apologies if it's hard to read.
ckNXjhgCUpF2CTL3IXGKjNWMd7ab1HUSzCaJRv3f8KtUe7eolsBk0Vb0MTjwGw83r3t2r7lDAm6oLfmtRd9CyZzQOyDZMSmtdgA2V4KdEbNZ9B-iZRzQDwktLXGKvmTPd-FPbwFTNw29O7jqwtc7OfxjDsMxnpjpSXpxy23r_NUqVc075U7SuEpXDzli

My mother's hand was the model for this image.

Anyway... Today's a day of rest... not that it's any different from any other day this past week... I've avoided going outside today like the plague due to the cold temperatures (not freezing, but chilly enough to worsen my bronchitis).

Breakfast: Leftover Christmas party foodstuffs that my family brought home for me because I couldn't stay awake to attend.
Dinner: Leftover chicken and lentil curry over quinoa and rice

*snackstuffs: peanuts, chocolate chip and zucchini muffins, some Christmas party goodies

Fitness: Just my basic mobility stretches. However, I feel like I'm coming to the end of my long sleep... So, I hope to take a mid-day walk when the weather's over 50 degrees and clear... that gives me 3 or 4 days this week to get some fresh air.

Weekly "at least I did something productive" goals (decided to do this on days that I feel like I can't do anything but sleep):

Make my bed
Get myself a decent breakfast at a decent hour (with how much I've been sleeping, a lot of my breakfasts haven't happened until the afternoon)

Weight: 291lbs

And, finally, le Piece de resistance (French people, forgive my lack of accents):

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If I had known she had a part, I'd've dragged myself outta bed and drugged myself to stay awake... kinda kickin' myself for not doin' so... anyway, she's supposed to be one of the three wise men, but this seems more suitable to her personality (For the record, this is the child that keeps defying death and feels the need to give me an end-of-year evaluated):

Fact: I have a massive hole in my orchard to prove it.
 
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NancyTree

Well-known member
Valkyrie from The Netherlands
Posts: 1,861
I do indeed like you boomer post and it is very true.
Grief got me writing too, I've written a lot of poems and texts as a teenager until halfway my 20s. It's in Dutch so I can't really share anything without messing with the flow, but it has really helped me to express myself.

Cool that your daughter played a wise man 😊
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
Today's going to be a busy day... Mold inspector is coming over, and I'm babysitting again. Fortunately, I'm capable of staying awake for a change... Cough's improving a little more every day. I've been off the steroids for a few days, and it hasn't gotten worse. So, they did their job. If the mold inspector finds issues, insurance may actually change its mind, and I'll be able to get my roof taken care of! Well, it's a dream I have, at least.

Breakfast: Leftover chicken and lentil curry (it was good enough that my kids wanted me to make another batch)
Dinner: Chicken and veggie soup over rice
*snackstuffs: I drank my friend's homemade applesauce, and it was worth the regret (I'm allergic to apples), carrots, celery, and cheese

Fitness: Morning and evening stretches. I took a brief morning walk. It was good to get some fresh air, but it was still too cold for me to do much. So, I will return at mid-day when it's a bit warmer.

"At least I did something productive today" goals:
Make my bed
Get a decent breakfast

Weight: 293lbs
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
Mold guy came. Says it looks like I have black mold and took a sample to be tested... IN MY HVAC UNIT OF ALL PLACES!!!

Also, this is why I buy Babybell cheese instead of the inexpensive block cheeses:
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#5 made it using the cheese wax. Snack and crafting supply all in one! <3
 

lofivelcro

Well-known member
Hunter from the sticks
Posts: 593
"Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today"
Ooh, I liked playing with babybel wax, too. Had to do it in secret under the tabletop, though :LOL:
Tbh, I find the news with the potential black mould scary. I think mould is fascinating, but not in the house :eyes:
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
Anniversary yesterday. Celebrating it today. <3

Breakfast: red grapes and colby jack bites
Dinner: Spaghetti with Italian sausage
*snackstuffs: hot and spicy brothy soupstuffs if the local Japanese restaurant has it, charcuterie board

Fitness: Daily mobility stretches, mid-day walk (YAY!)

Weight: 294lbs

So, today, for my anniversary gift, my husband is rearranging my bedroom the way I want it. :D He also attempted to clean the mold out of the hvac unit so that we can have heat at night without relying on the fireplace while my lungs are still sensitive. As grateful as I am that it's finally cleaner, the process of cleaning out super dusty places really agitates both my lungs and my allergies. So, today's a bit of a struggle... also, if there is black mold, I'd feel much safer just getting a new unit, as much as it pains me to admit it (It pains him more $$$).

GOOD NEWS: I HAVE A JOB! I am hoping that my efforts will ease the financial burden on my husband's shoulders, especially with our current house issues... Though, the financial relief we need is kinda more urgent than my getting a job will allow for, I'm hopeful that it'll make up the difference throughout the upcoming year.
 

Fremen

Well-known member
Shaman from Italy
Posts: 3,183
"“Keep an eye on the staircases. They like to change.” Percy Weasley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone."
Happy anniversary and congrats on the job :worried:
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
No walks today... I babysat and helped my friend unload trash. Went through inventory of damaged goods and created the company's new logo, which was accepted!!! :D Fun story behind that: Facebook deleted the business page without warning or explanation... So, we had a meeting and decided that it was time for a new logo and a new community manager... Guess who (temporarily) got the position! Fact: I have NO real business experience here, just some basic education and a few good ideas. I'm totally just winging it and praying that my boss likes my feathers...

Anywho...
Breakfast: Clementine, two pieces of cheese (and I'm not gonna lie... some Reese's chocolates)
Dinner: A delicious abomination combining spaghetti, alfredo sauce, shredded cheddar, and Italian sausage
*snackstuffs: veggie straws, grapes, carrots, pecans, chocolate coconut tip candies

Fitness: Morning and evening mobility stretches. No walk. No workouts

Weight: 295lbs
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
Another busy day today... Brainstorm sessions, page updates, trying to finish inventory list of all old and damaged products, preparing for a trip to Virginia to get my family out of the house while mold issues are being treated and repaired (still nothing from insurance, which means we're on our own in a project that needs immediate attention and lotsa $$$ that I can't exactly pluck off my money tree)... Fortunately, I can work remotely during that time... Aaaaand BABYSITTING! I am watching my friend's kids again while she goes to a doctor's appointment. Anyway... fun day...

Breakfast: I misbehaved and ate two donuts, but I ate it with a celery rib... so, I only mostly feel guilty.
Dinner: Chicken pot pie
*snackstuffs: blueberry muffin, cheese stick, grapes, celery

Fitness: morning and evening stretches. Putting myself in uncomfortable positions that require me to engage my core but make me regret because it will undo all of my mobility work. Wet weather, but warm. So, mid-day walk.

Weight: 296lbs (going up?)
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
So, update time... I'm going out of town til after the new year, if not longer... Hopefully, my home can be taken care of over winter break, otherwise, my kids'll be starting school in Virginia, and my mom will probably die from the overload... Anyway... fingers crossed. I'll likely not get on again til I get back. Lates!
 

Fremen

Well-known member
Shaman from Italy
Posts: 3,183
"“Keep an eye on the staircases. They like to change.” Percy Weasley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone."
Happy New Year
:fireworks:
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
I am back! Obvi...

Mold test came back... Found out how God's been keeping my lungs clear throughout my lung spasms... Turns out, my home has a very high penicillin count. HAHAHA! There are three other types of mold in my home, none of them black mold, all of them at a count at least 5x higher than what's outside. I've now officially got 3 air purifiers in my home, all of which need to be changed every other week (they're not meant to be changed more than every 3-6 months). My windows are being taken care of, my roof is getting some TLC (not replaced, but covered with a material that will last anywhere from 2-5 years) until we can afford to get a new roof. GUYS! I WENT TO MY MOM'S HOUSE AND COULD BREATHE AGAIN!!! I came home and I was able to breathe better, but I'm still having some issues and major inflammatory responses. So, whatever's in my house, I am definitely allergic to. My husband scrubbed every moldy nook and cranny (with limited protective gear, which pisses me off because it made him horribly sick, too) so that I can breathe again. So, good news: no black mold. My mom will not have to take us all in. Bad news: No black mold. There's a chance my insurance claim with this report will be rejected. Ah, funny news: One of the molds hasn't been studied enough for us to know how it affects the human body. So, they couldn't say anything good or bad about it.

In other news: I was able to turn a small profit selling unsellable products at discount prices (like a large skein of yarn for only $0.85 type discount). I also got to see the big warehouse on Thursday, and didn't realize that the "metal" heart beads that I picked up were actually hematite until yesterday... the rock hound in me nerdgasmed... As if finding purple jasper wasn't cool enough, right!?! *sighs* I love my job!

MOVING ON...

I changed my menu plans... They're swapped out every two weeks now... So, this week, all meals will be consistent, but still have a wide variety of food. So, the following will be laid out on my buffet counter every day this week:

MENU

Breakfast - Fruit basket, boiled eggs, Scrambled eggs, shredded cheese and crushed bacon for egg toppers, a bread basket with buttered toast on one side and English muffins on the other, cream cheese and pears to top the English muffins, a bowl of pomegranate seeds, pomegranate and cranberry juice, and my tea tray and kettle
Lunch - Sloppy joes with shredded cheese and buns, homemade tortilla crisps, apple bites, orange sections, and grapes with chocolate-strawberry yogurt dip, and milk
Snacktime - Tortilla crisps, homemade cheese sauce, and salsa, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cinnamon cookies, tea
Dinner - A bowl of apples, veggie stir fry AND chicken and veggie stir fry, rice, carrot and broccoli veggie spread bites on toasted squares, apple juice, sparkling juice, tea

Granted, what I eat from day to day will change, but it will be SOMETHING from this this list... this is just my planned spread for my kids. Naturally, when my friend's kids come, I have to plan for 2 or 3 extra snacks. So, I still get to put together little charcuterie boards in between meals to keep them from raiding my fridge outside of mealtimes... I forgot how much my kids ate at that age, but the way her kids act, it's all bringing back memories... my kids were major hosses who required just as much, if not more, including a meal right before bed because they'd metabolize it and wake up with their bones protruding and people thought I was starving them. HAHAHA! My kids had NO fat at that age, and neither do hers!

FITNESS

Morning stretches and walk
Mid-day GETTING BACK INTO THE PROGRAM! Vitality, Day 1, 1 set only
Evening stretches and walk

Weight: 295lbs (MY MOM FED ME SO MUCH THAT I'M SO FREAKIN' SURPRISED I DIDN'T GO BACK OVER 300LBS!)
Weight goal: 285lbs
 
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OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
So... I overdid it yesterday and am resting today. My Achilles tendons are so swollen that it looks like I have heels growing on my heels, and my core is spasming, which scares me because last time it did this I split a LOT of major seams and had to be in bed for a whole year over it! Yesterday was actually supposed to be a restful day for me, too, but life happened. Ah, I also lost grip in my hands today. Typing is really hard right now. My entire body is all like, "Inflammatory Response Activate!" If only it came with some cool Gundam-like transformation or something... The pain would totally be worth it...

So, for today, I am only resting, and I wish I had more hopes and dreams for my future over the next 24hrs, but healing is the only thing on my mind... and finishing my potholders... and learning how to make heart appliques so that I can teach my kids... and helping my boss make rice heating pads for her crafting business that her supply business feeds... Basically, she has a business, that feeds her business, that feeds her nerd niche, that feeds her family... I'm totally hoppin' on this wagon... HAHAHA!
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
Another rest day. I had a clementine and peanut butter protein balls for breakfast. I have no clue what I'll be given to eat for the rest of the day, but at least I know I won't starve now... My inflammatory responses are in full swing again... Something's so very wrong with my house, because at my mum's house, I was feeling GREAT. A week back home, and everything's flaring up again.
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
OK... I'm going to take a moment to NOT do a check-in, and just share a little bit of my day... I just finished untangling a shrieking 13yr old who was TANGLED IN A YARN WEB that my 12yr old constructed OVER HER BED because she slept in and my 12yr old didn't think it was fair that SHE had to get up and go to church while her sister got to lay there because her OCD little brain couldn't get past "not having anything to wear" and it crippled her to where she couldn't even function outside of falling apart into tears, so her dad told her to just go back to bed... WHERE THE HECK DID SHE FIND THE TIME TO DO THIS!?! Only last week, did I post THIS to my sister-in-law who had mentioned her son's alarm system booby trap... Guys, THIS IS MY LIFE IN A NUTSHELL!!!

"I wish my kids' booby traps were that basic... I once walked into [#6's] room, which she had trigger-rigged for my kitchen knives to come up and stab someone's feet with, which she had hidden meticulously under scattered articles of clothing here and there in the guise of dirty laundry. One step, and I saw a steak knife pop up and nearly stab me... then I walked a little further and followed a "hidden" yarn string to another one rigged to fly at me when I walked through it... I gave up and grounded [her] to her minefield until all of my knives were back in their block."

If I wasn't so busy admiring and trying to simply survive my kids' creative potential, I'd be bawling my eyes out... Why, oh, why do my youngest two wish to kill each other? All of my other kids get along so well! Do I laugh or do I cry? Granted, I laugh at everything in hindsight...
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Yup, my first two seem to hate the third, who came almost 5 years later, wishing he'd never been born. He, in return, says that he's glad they're older because they'll move out soon! And then they go and do something that is just so sweet, I wonder if they are the same children...
 

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 583
Well, I woke up feeling much better. Then, #5's OCD demanded I PICK HER UP and carry her like a baby and wrestle her like a toddler, and she's STILL not in school. So, I'm in pain again... HAHAHA! Life... *sighs* I don't think this is going to be her week... The girl's almost as tall as me... I cannot keep carrying my freakin' SIX+ FOOT GIANTS around like this!!! Oh, the life of a mother of special needs children... and I was fortunate enough to BE ONE, MARRY ONE, and have SIX of my own! BAHAHAHA! I guess, I got what I put into the world.
Menu: Breakfast was a clementine and some pecans for me... Easy grab'n'go foods are great when you're in too much pain to function... Dinner will once more be hit or miss with my kids being in charge of it, and #5 can make her own food... She's fully capable and will come out of her rabbit hole when she's no longer frozen by her emotions.
Fitness: Wrangling #5 for nearly an hour is my workout for the day... it was a full-body workout with emphasis on endurance and core and upper body strength... I'd give it a lvl2 difficulty because she's still a featherweight...

@Fitato inspired me... BEHOLD! MY MOM WINGS AND MY HERNIATING FOOD BABY! Love my body as much as I love my fingerprinted mirror! They're evidence of my greatest contribution to society: HUMAN LIFE!!!
Weight: 295lbs
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