Diet Time

It's not so much a diet as a complete change of lifestyle.  Ronnie has had high triglycerides for a while now.  He's changed his diet and started working out.  He's running at least three times a week.  We do try to eat healthy around here.  Most meals are made fresh, no pre packaged meals and lots of fresh veggies.  It wasn't enough.  At his last check up the triglycerides are higher than ever.  And now it's time for a complete change.

We've cut pork from our diet.  Good bye bacon, my friend, I will really, really, really miss you.  Also gone are most of the starches, red meat and sugar.  We're now on a diabetic, heart healthy diet around here.  We're going for more of a natural change instead of a medication induced change.  The medicines have too many side effects.  A change of diet and more exercise will give make all of us healthier.

And let's be honest here.  I'm not going to be following Ronnie's diet completely.  Bacon?  Bacon is still my friend.  Paige is not giving up her bacon completely either.  I still drink my 1 can of Coke a day.  There's no way I give that up.  I tried once.  By the third day a coworker put a Coke and told me to drink it before he poured it down my throat.  Mommy needs caffeine.  But I will follow it pretty closely.  Hopefully we can get a little healthier. And just maybe I can lose these last 12 pounds.

It finally happened

The day people probably said my husband would enjoy: I have no voice.  It's the result of yelling, screaming, and singing for 2 1/2 hours Sunday night along with Jimmy Buffett.  Monday was a day of recovery for me.  I took the day off from work and literally lounged around the house.  I only got out of my jammies long enough to take Paige to daycare and then pick her back up.  I have absolutely no energy.

Thanks to Dr. Google I know what I have is hoarseness not actual laryngitis.  That's good, it means I don't need to go to my doctor or get antibiotics.  The old saying of gargle with salt water?  Dr. Google says that won't really work.  Dr. Google says to rest my voice.  After a day of resting it today, it's still no better.  All phone conversations were held by text message.  I haven't quite resorted to pen and paper to hold a conversation yet.  Of course after Paige got home that went away.  There's nothing like a 4 year old to get you chatting, whether you want to or not.

I also spent my day hydrating.  I've been lethargic all day.  Even after drinking as much water in one day I usually drink in two, I still don't have energy.  I'm hoping it comes back to me very soon.  I have to go back to work tomorrow.  I don't see me taking very many phone calls.  Hopefully things will be back to normal soon.  For now, I'm not sure if Ronnie is enjoying this or not.  He seems a bit frustrated by my lack of being able to actually speak.

Buffett was Awesome!

I could spend a lot more time trying to figure out a more clever title.  Or, I could go with the simple truth. All of my highs and lows of getting and not getting tickets became obsolete Saturday afternoon.  A good friend, Tim, called with the best news.  Tim had scored 4 VIP wristbands to the concert.  Tim is a member of the National Guard who was activated on May 1st.  He's been down on the beaches working to clean up the oil since the beginning.  I'm not sure who's idea it was to give the National Guard guys the VIP tickets, but I can tell you they enjoyed themselves.

We took a little road trip down to Gulf Shores with a van full of Parrotheads.  Deciding what to wear was the hard part.  Something comfy, and cool, but still provide coverage so you don't get too much sun.  I finally decided on my average beach attire: sarong, tank top, and flip flops.  Ronnie went with a Red Shirt from Think Geek and shorts.  Red was a good choice.  With his height, 6'3, and a red shirt, he was easy to spot.  Pig tails for me completed the outfit.  Being the OCD person I am, I packed extra sunblock, emergency rain ponchos (predicted 70% chance of rain), and chap stick.  I was ready for the day.

Once we got to the concert we found out what VIP wristbands meant:  We had a special barricaded off section close to the stage.  We were about 40 years from Jimmy Buffett.

That was a wonderful thing.  We were very close to the stage, with lots of room around us.  Not a lot of people were in the VIP section so there was room to dance and move without bumping into other people. We were in a larger group of other National Guard members and their guests.  But, the very best part of VIP wristbands?

That building you see?  That's an actual bathroom.  With stall doors, sinks, everything you would expect in a bathroom.  Yes, no port a potty here.  We got the real thing.  Is it sad that a bathroom at a beach concert made us all so happy?  Ronnie and I had a great time.

The concert lasted the full hour and a half broadcast live on CMT.  Jimmy Buffett then took a 5 to 10 minute break and came back out.  He played for another 45 minutes to an hour just for the 35,000 fans on the beach.  Some people have complained on Facebook about there not being other big name acts like Kenny Chesney or The Zac Brown Band.  These people have said they were disappointed in the concert.  I can say as a Parrothead, I was going to see Jimmy.  He did have some big names: Allen Touissant and Mac McAnally and Jesse Winchester may not be names that were recognized by the average concert goer.  But, they were recognized by those who like jazz (Allen Touissant is a New Orleans musician), country fans ("Down the Road" was a hit duet by Chesney and McAnally), and we all knew the songs written by Jesse Winchester, even if we didn't know his name before.  I can say that I was not disappointed in the least.

I yelled and screamed so much that I have no voice at all today.  Paige heard me talk and asked what happened.  I try to explain it to her.  She just looked at me and said, "Silly Mommy.  Next time remember to put your voice back in your mouth!"

Highs and Lows Updated

And for another high:

WE GOT TICKETS!!!!

The same guy who was going to sell them to us offered them again.  The other people decided they just couldn't pay the $50 a ticket he was asking.  He offered them to us for $25.  We said yes.  Aunt Wii is lined up to watch Paige Sunday afternoon.  Mommy and Daddy will be headed to Gulf Shores, Alabama for the Jimmy Buffett concert.

Check for pictures on Facebook! Yes, I'm very excited.  I haven't seen Buffett in probably 7 years now.  I need a live Buffett fix.

Back to being parents

We picked Paige up from Grammy's house this afternoon.  She said she didn't want to come home with us, she wanted to stay with Grammy.  She only cried for us once the whole weekend, and that was only because she thought she was in trouble.  Paige had pulled something from the back of Granny's computer.  My mom, Grammy, didn't know how to fix it, so she told Paige they would have to get Uncle Kenny.  Paige was afraid he would be mad at her and started crying for us.  Once he told her she wasn't in trouble she happily went back to playing and didn't want to go home.

Ronnie worked yesterday and I enjoyed my day to myself.  I spent the day reading, relaxing, and just recharging my batteries.  This would have been better if my arthritis was under better control and I wasn't hurting quite so much.  I finished one book and started on another.  Ronnie got home last night and we just spent the evening watching a movie and enjoying the quiet.  This morning, we did something we don't normally get to do.  We slept past 6 am.  I can hear the other parents of small children wishing for the same thing.  We slept till 8:30 this morning.  And a big thank you to Ambien for that pleasure.  Our anniversary dinner got moved to an anniversary lunch.  Ronnie got home from work too late to grill last night.

This morning we relaxed more and watched another movie.  Our Netflix que is completely caught up for the first time in a long time.  We had a leisurely lunch of rib eyes with grilled asparagus and Brussels sprouts and sauteed onions and mushrooms.  After eating we went to get Paige.  We missed her and were ready to get her back.  We get to the store to pick her up and she was happy to see us, then let us know she wanted to stay with Grammy.  Of course she did.  She gets away with so much more at Grammy's house.  After the evening we had I'm sure she would like to go back.  Paige had an issue with talking back and sticking her feet in my face.  After some reinforcing of the rules around here, we're back on track.

Tomorrow morning it's back to the normal routine around here.  Paige will go to school while Ronnie and I go back to work.  We have a meeting Tuesday night about Paige staring K-4 in the fall.  I can't believe my baby is already starting school.

Happy Anniversary

It's our 6th anniversary today.  Paige is still at Mom's house; we'll pick her up later.  First we plan on celebrating with a really good lunch.  We're having rib eyes, baked potatoes, and grilled asparagus and Brussels sprouts.  One of our favorite meals of all times.  We wanted to have a meal of just adults before our little munchkin comes back.

Ronnie and I met in junior high.  He was my very first boyfriend.  Paige was born 20 years almost to the day, after we first met.  In between he and I married other people and traveled. We each divorced our spouses just after 5 years.  We're celebrating making it to 6 years and still liking each other.  Looks like the others were just a practice, and we got it right this time.

Happy Anniversary, Ronnie!

Reunions

The past few weeks have seen several reunions for us.  First, I'm not sure it counts as a reunion if you have never meet in person, but I did meet several ladies from my Mommy board.  The circumstances, the death of a 21 month old child, were horrible.  The chance to meet in person MinneMom, Sandy and Erin was great.  Seeing Jessica again was nice, if heartbreaking.  I consider it to be my reunion of friends I hadn't meet in person.

Last weekend we were over in the town where Ronnie & I grew up.  We stopped by a grocery store to pick up a few things to go with our dinner.  As we were looking in produce we ran into Jason.  We hadn't seen Jason since 1992 I think it was.  I had found him several years ago, then both of us kinda dropped off.  We reconnected on Facebook a few months ago.  He was back in our hometown, and Ronnie & I are 45 minutes away. We talked about getting our families together when things calmed down work wise for all of us.  We didn't get to meet his wife and kids, but at least we got to see Jason.  I always laugh at those people in Walmart having the reunions and blocking the aisles.  Suddenly I was one of them.  Only Rouses isn't as busy and has larger aisles so we didn't block anyone.

Tonight we spend our evening with Dana, Jim and their girls Emily and Sami.  You've read about my BFF Kim on here.  She and I were joined at the hip through junior high and high school.  Ronnie and Dana were the same way.  I haven't seen Dana since 1991 when I graduated from high school.  It's OK, I'll wait while you do the math.  Got it figured out?  Good.  They live in Texas and aren't really close enough for dropping by.  But, stopping back on the way home from a vacation in Florida, it was perfect.  Ronnie had last seen them about 8 years ago.  I had never met her husband Jim, and neither of us had met her girls.  Our three girls played so well together.  We all made homemade pizzas, played with Moon Sand, and caught up.  It was wonderful.  Then, before they left, we got a group picture of the girls in their pajamas.

It was so wonderful to see our kids playing together.  Especially since we didn't know if this day would happen.  See that cute little hear no evil on the left?  That 6 year old is tougher than a lot of adults I know.  She's already beaten cancer.

Our reunions weren't really planned.  They just sort of happened.  Some were bitter sweet, and others, like our 3 little monkeys, were just what I needed.

Mommy is So Proud

We all hope that we'll raise kids who are like us.  We want them to be good kids who enjoy the same things we do.  Somehow I managed to get a little girl who loves pink and can be the ultimate girly girl in her ballet clothes.  I love lime green and my biggest girly indulgence is my pedicures.  We both love shoes, but that's to be expected, right?

First I'm proud that the washing her own hair concept is getting better.  That could be because of the bribe I offered, but I'm not positive.  Well, I am positive that's why, but I'll take what I can get.  If Paige can listen to us, and wash her own hair for a week with no screaming fits, we'll take her to Chuck E Cheese.  She's been begging to go for a few months now.  We've managed to put it off until now, so I think we did good.

Second, I'm so proud that she's starting to be like little versions of Mommy and Daddy.  I'm seeing some of our likes coming out in her.  What I'm seeing now makes me think she'll be a pretty cool kid to hang out with in a few years.  Yesterday we were driving home from daycare.  I had the radio on to a station that plays what they want.  It's mostly 70's, 80's, and 90's rock.  Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train came on.  I looked in the rearview mirror to catch Paige head banging.  She's been working on her head banging here and there, and it's the first time I've seen her do it to the right music.  Although, I will say that watching her bang her little head to Rascal Flatts is hilarious!

Then tonight on the way home, Paige started talking about a new toy she would like.  She said she really, really needs a pair of vampire teeth.  Paige has announced she likes vampires.  She wants to see a vampire movie now too.  I wonder if I can find a vampire movie she can watch.  I think there was a child vampire movie with the kid from Jerry Maguire.  She's definitely not ready for Bram Stoker's Dracula, or Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire.  Twilight?  I enjoyed the books, but not really the first movie.  I haven't seen the second yet; it doesn't come out on DVD until next week.  Besides, vampires don't sparkle in sunlight, they burn up.  Everyone knows that.

It looks like there are some ways that Paige is like us.  She's enjoying the same music we do, and is showing some interest in our types of movies.  I wonder if this has anything to do with the first book I ever read out loud to her: Stephen King.  What can I say?  She was a newborn and he had a new book that had just come out.

Saturday Funny

Paige: "Daddy, does McDonald's take your card?"

Daddy: "Why, Paige?"

Paige: "Because I want French Fries."

How can that not make you laugh?  At the ripe old age of 4 Paige has figured out the debit card.  I'm sure it was bound to happen.  This is the child who learned how to use my iPhone as soon as I got it.  And is great at computer games.

Oh, and yes, she got her French Fries when Daddy stopped laughing.

They're home!

Ronnie and Paige made it home this afternoon.  I'm sure there are pictures to come.  I'm getting all the details now of the trip.  Mardi Gras in New Orleans is always fun.  Family and friends come in from all over.  I do know that Paige got sick.  Nothing big, just her sinuses.  Poor thing inherited my sinus problems.  But for now they're home safe and sound.

Taxes, Mardi Gras, and a sick little girl

The title about sums up my life these days.  First, it's tax season.  I know all of you getting your tax refunds and spending them are enjoying this season.  As an accountant, yes and no.  This is our busy season, which I enjoy.  There have been weeks last year where I've searched for things to do.  That's definitely not the case here.  I've been working 10 and 12 hour days, 6 or 7 days a week, and I'm still not even caught up.  The stack on my desk is getting smaller, but it's still there.

Mardi Gras is this coming weekend.  Ronnie and Paige will be making the annual trip to New Orleans without me again this year.  I did get to go 2 years ago, but I usually miss it.  Why do I usually miss it?  See the above paragraph please.  I'm very jealous this year that I can't go.  You see, I've made some good friends on a Mommy board.  Some of them will be coming in from places like Houston and New Hampshire (I think- I know it's somewhere up there) to New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year.  Ronnie and Paige will get to meet them, but I won't.  And yes, I do find it odd that my husband gets to meet the girls from the Mommy board before I do.

Finally is a sick little girl.  Ronnie got the call from daycare yesterday that she had thrown up.  After a few more episodes last night she's all better now.  Of course, she can't go to daycare today.  Ronnie and I are switching off the day: I'm home the first half and he'll be home after lunch to relieve me.  I'll be working late tonight to try to get caught up.