Only a mom...

The following are small portions of conversations I've had with my children throughout today. Only a mother would hear things like this.

My 14 year-old son came to me this afternoon with a nearly empty box of chocolates he had received from his little sister for Valentine's Day.
Me (questioning the 5 year-old): Mac, did you eat his chocolates?
Mac: Only one.
Me: There are many more than just one missing. There are about 12 missing. Why did you eat so many of his chocolates?
Mac: Well, I wanted one with the pink stuff in the middle, but I kept getting ones with other stuff. I had to keep trying.

My oldest daughter, who now lives on her own, called while I was in the car a little while ago.
A: Mom, what's the non-emergency number for the police department?
Me: (I give her the number). Is everything okay?
A: Yea, a homeless guy just keeps pee'ing on the mailbox.

My son(earlier this afternoon): Mom, can I fry a hambuger patty? I mean, like deep fry it.

Mac: I love you mommy.
Me: I love you, too, ladybug.
Mac (giving me a big hug): You're the best mommy I've ever had.

Ah....children

Children. The ultimate daily challenge of one's patience and sanity.

Today is one of three days where we have scheduled things to do. We do things on other days, these days just have regularly planned activities. Today it was the gym for me and gymnastics for her (well, duh, I guess it'd be quite hillarious the other way around). Anyway, as I am getting myself ready, I tell Mac she needs to get dressed as well.

The rule is she is allowed to watch tv while getting dressed as long as she does the getting dressed part. I finish and walk into the room where instead of getting dressed, she is doing some five-year-old part roll/part climb on the couch. In her panties. In twenty minutes, this is all she has managed to accomplish. So, off goes the tv, out comes the screams - because apparently turning off the television in the middle of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is something akin to severing a limb.

Needless to say, we made it to the gym but not to gymnastics. Only because afer that meltdown, I needed some stress release.

Go Red For Women

In case you didn't know, February is American Heart Month.

Why should you care? Because heart problems can strike anyone..at any time.

On an early Saturday morning just over five years ago, our beautiful daughter was brought into the world via c-section. There weren't any seriously complications afterward, so with the exception of some serious water retention, I was ready to go home as soon as possible. On Monday afternoon, my husband drove me and our youngest daughter home from the hospital. We have an SUV and because of the swelling in my legs, climbing into the passenger side was very painful and difficult. The nurses all said swelling was normal after c-section and would go away in a few days.

That night, sleeping was tough. New baby, incision pain, swelling. I slept with two pillows under my head. The next night, same thing but a little worse. Wednesday night I couldn't sleep at all because I couldn't lay down. If I tried, I felt like the swelling in my legs was moving into my chest and within minutes, felt like I was suffocating. My heart raced. I thought I was having panic attacks made worse by sheer exhaustion. At about 5am, I had my husband call my doctor who told me to come to his office first thing in the morning.

I arrived at his office thinking at worst he'd send me home with a prescription for Xanax (or some other anti-anxiety medicine). Instead, he checked me, left the room for about 5 minutes, came back in and said "We are admitting you back into the hospital. You have post-partum cardio myopathy or heart failure caused by pregnancy."

What? Heart failure? I was 35 years old! Who has heart failure at 35? Apparently, I did. And what did he mean "caused by pregnancy"? That wasn't in any mom-to-be book I'd ever read.

I stayed in the hospital for almost 5 days - longer than when I was in for the c-section! I left with a lot less water retention, a ton of prescriptions, and a hatred of hospitals. I found out later from my cardiologist that my EF (ejection fraction - or the percentage of blood your left ventricle pumps out) was 17%. A normal EF is between 55-70%.

It's been five and half years, and until last January, my heath was terrible. I terified of working out, especially cardio, because I didn't want to strain my heart when just being over-weight was straining my heart already. See, the lovely little pills I've been taking since called beta-blockers help keep my heart rate and blood pressure down. They also make your metabolism slug. along. like. a. turtle.

In the past year, I've changed to eating about 60% organic food, I go to the gym 3-4 days a week, and after getting a Wii Fit last October, I try to do that several times a week also. I've lost about 20 pounds, as well, but still have more to go before I'm satisfied. Most importantly, when I first started doing cardio bicycle, my heart rate would jump to 160 in about 3 minutes. Now I do about 40 minutes at two levels higher and my heart rate stays about 145. So, my heart is getting better. My goal isn't just weight loss, I want to be off the beta-blocker.

So, I remind you again. February is American Heart Month. And here are some great sites you need to visit:

http://www.goredforwomen.org/

http://www.americanheart.org/

What are you doing to keep your heart healthy?

Thanks to some PWO friends, another obsession is entering these blog giveaways!

Some Free Giveaway contests I came across today- either through PWO, or clicking links at other Blogs:

Leather Necklace http://www.lifestylewithlove.com/2009/02/g-is-forgiveaway.html

Assorted summer-y things http://zapoldesigns.blogspot.com/

Newest obsession: Writing

Ok, so technically it isn't a new obsession since I've been writing off and on for many years. However, since I took a hiatus about three years ago, and haven't written anything substantial, creative, or worth publishing, I'm calling it new. For three years, I lost my writing voice and it really felt like I'd been stiffled. Is there anything worse than self-inflicted writer's block?

So, here I am. The beginning of a new chapter.

Let's see what happens.

Hockey Mom, part 2

Several years ago my son played hockey for about two years. While he mostly played inline, he did play one season of ice. The cost to play ice hockey here is outrageous! He has since moved on (and through) fencing, football, and is currently involved with the ROTC program at his high school.

I figured my days of being a hockey mom were behind me. This saddened me because out of all the various sports the kids have been involved with, I think I enjoyed watching hockey the most. However, with him being involved with other types of activities, and the youngest being a girl, I knew my chances were extremely slim.

Then, last weekend, all of us went to watch our local hockey team. This was the first game we'd attended in about 4 years.

Now, it seems the hockey bug has bitten not only my son, but my youngest daughter, also.

It is too late for either to play this spring, but it's possible by the summer, I could have two hockey players!

Obsessions

I think since I posted about my passions, it is only fair to let my obsessions have equal billing.

Currently , I only have two obsessions.

My first obsession is iTunes. I knew when I opened the purple iPod at Christmas, I was going to be addicted to downloading.

And, I am.

I download songs. I download podcasts. I listen to them while I workout at the gym. I walk and listen to tutorials on photography. I learn about finance and listen to Dave Ramsey talk about budgeting. I have song after song of 80's music, 90's music, new artists, old artists. And of course, my song list would not be complete without the entire Twilight soundtrack, plus some additional Muse songs.

Which leads me to my other curent obsession.

Yes, I am totally 100% addicted to the Twilight series. I have read all four books. I've read everything on Stephenie Meyers webpage. I've read the online chapters for Midnight Sun. I've seen the movie. And now, I'm re-reading the entire series.

Why?

Because, after blubbering like a love-sick, heartbroken teen at the beginning of New Moon, I read through the rest of the book, and then the first half of Eclipse, so fast, I felt like I really had missed out on some important parts of the book. Plus, I love the characters and I just flat wasn't ready to put them away yet. So...I'm re-reading and I'm currently halfway through New Moon, and I am glad I'm going back through because I did miss out. While I'm still not a huge fan of Jacob (he just really annoys me), I do understand his character more.

Passions

I figure since this is my first entry on my brand new blog, I should mention some of the things I'm passionate about. This isn't a complete list by any means, just the things I can think of right this minute at this late hour and the movie "Something About Mary" blaring from the other room.

My passions:

• My children - all three of them equally, even though they would argue this until they lost their voice.
• My husband - although sometimes, I admit, I entertain fantasies of plotting his untimely demise. He puts up with me (mostly) and that's a good thing.
• Writing - I really need to get back in a daily writing groove.
• Photography - While I hate being in pictures, I take the camera almost everywhere and will shoot just about anything that looks interesting.
• the color Purple