When is enough, enough

Lately I have been hearing a lot about older people who are receiving health care procedures, that I believe, they really should not be having. These procedures would include cancer treatments and other "life saving" procedures. I have heard of at least 3 older and by older I mean in their 80's and up individuals who have received cancer treatments in order to help save their lives. Why, are we trying to save the lives of 80 year olds who have lived their lives and seen the world and neglecting the fact that our children and our grandchildren very well could not have the opportunities to be healed if they are to get sick, because the older folks have used all the money allotted to health care. I am not a Kevorkian supporter or believe that the people should be killed, but really how much longer are they kept alive by these treatments, a few weeks, months, maybe a year if they are lucky. I understand that death is sad and hard and it affects everyone that knows that person, but at the same time I am concerned that if one of my children were to get ill that there would not be the resources available to treat them because they have been spent already. When is enough, enough and it isn't just the doctors who are being irresponsible it is the person seeking treatment because they are afraid to pass or whatever their reason. Honestly, it isn't just health care, it truly boggles my mind how selfish people are and how there are so many people out there who don't see that their actions affect the lives of others. That their carbon foot print will greatly affect our children and our grandchildren. That by using plastic bottles, paper towels and paper plates we are using vital resources such as trees that help clean the air we breath and basically polluting everything. I know that I am guilty of doing some of these things, but in today's world when there is more research and people are more knowledgeable about how their actions affect others, why are more people not willing to change? Change is hard, change is different, but it isn't always bad and it doesn't have to done all at once. Buy a bottle you can use over and over or if it is convenience thing, buy a few and just keep them in your fridge like you would plastic water bottles. Take your paper towels down for a week and find alternative methods of cleaning, don't use paper or Styrofoam plates or cups, start recycling any small thing you can do to help out is a step in the right direction. I fear for my children and what will be available to them in the future and I know that I am going to be more ambitious in my endeavors to make my foot print smaller and I can guarantee you that if I am 80, have lived my life and get sick I will not be seeking a treatment that could keep me alive a little longer, you can give that money to a child who has the rest of their life ahead of them!

Kids really do say and do the craziest things!

Lately Maddie and Natalie have really been cracking me up in the things they do and say. Their imaginations are huge and wild and I really never know what they are going to say. This was proven both yesterday and today when Maddie, had I been sitting at the time, would have had me falling out of my chair. We have had a bunch of doctor appointments this week between the three of us and I was trying to explain to them yesterday morning what was going to happen when I went to mine, so they would be prepared and better behaved. Well, when we walked in Maddie yells, "Mommy, is this where they are going to look at your boobies?" What an entrance I tell you. Then after a little while she informs me and everyone else in the waiting area that she has to go poop on the little potty. That would have been fine if she didn't hike up her dress and start taking her underwear off as she started running to the bathroom yelling, "I have to poop, I have to poop." There I am jaw on the ground trying to grab my bag and Natalie and get to her to help her out. Good times let me tell you. It was a good laugh after the fact, but it was pretty embarrassing while it was happening. Then today we were at the dermatologist and the girls were very good and we had almost made it out the door without any mishaps. Well, then all of a sudden Maddie trips and hurts herself somehow and I am not sure how, but she tells me her who ha hurts and I need to kiss it. I am quickly trying to usher her out the door as she is holding herself past all the other patients asking me to kiss it....ugh seriously, I tell you what I was completely embarrassed even though I understand that most people think it is funny and cute, but when it is your child, you get a little embarrassed. I guess from now on I will have to be more prepared and know that anything could come out of their mouths and try to teach them that it is not okay to run around screaming you have to go to the bathroom while trying to get out of your undergarments!

Hot, hot and hotter

I remember saying around February or so that when summer came I would welcome the warmth and wouldn't complain. Well, here I am getting ready to complain. I honestly would take the cold, frigid days of winter over this extreme heat and humidity. It is unbearable over 90 degrees with high, high humidity. It is crazy, so crazy in fact that I went for a run this morning at 8:30 and I could only go for a mile and a half because it was so awful. It is the kind of heat where you walk out the door and your breath is taken away, you start sweating immediately and it is just awful. I can't remember a summer like this where it was this hot already and I long for a summer where you can go outside and breath and enjoy the sunny days and do activities that involve movement without wanting to crawl into a hole. On days like this I sit and think about what it would be like to live somewhere else, somewhere less humid and closer to 4 seasons instead of the 2.5 Indiana has. When I was younger I never thought I would live in Indiana and I certainly didn't think that I would have lived here for 11 years and I have got the itch. The itch for new scenery, new activities and just everything new. I hope that someday in the near future we will be able to take our family and hit the road settle on the West coast somewhere or at least further West than the Midwest and closer to my brother and sister. Ahhhh, but for now I am just crossing my fingers that this heat will pass and the summer won't be so unbearable and we will be able to enjoy the outside and the girl's little oasis that we have built for them...good times to come and fun in the sun :-)

For the Love of Maine

There is something so great and relaxing about going on vacation and even more so going to Maine. Almost every year we head to the East Coast for a visit to my family's house in Maine. It is so nice and peaceful and the ocean sounds is absolutely great. The weather this week has not been ideal, but it is still Maine and the scenery and food are fabulous. I have been having a hard time eating the lobster this time around due to finding some of them pregnant, which has totally grossed me out and makes me want to become a vegetarian... ah well, at least I got it in twice before I totally got grossed out. But Maine is always fun to sit and relax and see family I don't always get to see and it is just a great relaxing place. The girls have been enjoying fishing and going on the rocks and playing with their Auntie, Uncle and Miss. Grace and of course their Yaya. It has been a good time and I cannot believe we only have a few days left. Why does vacation time go by so much faster than "real" time? Reality will be back soon, but for now, I am going to enjoy the time we have left here with the lobster and the ocean!

We are almost there

Potty training in our house is almost complete. I knew that Maddie would come around in her own time and so I didn't push her or really even ask her if she wanted to try. She would congratulate Natalie and tell her good job, but when asked if she wanted a diaper or big girl pants she always chose the diaper until this week. She just started sitting on the potty and saying she didn't want to wear a diaper anymore. She has only had a few accidents, and still needs to work a little on the number two issue, but all in all she has entered into the world of big girls. Natalie is 99% there minus a few accidents when playing in water outside, but all in all she is there. It does make planning outings a little more challenging, making sure there is a toilet available and remembering to take them every 45 minutes to an hour, but for the most part it has been a great and easy transition and one milestone I am happy to say is almost complete!

6 Words a Parent Never Wants to Hear from Their Child

"Mom, I tinkled in your bed!" Yes, you read correctly, my dear little Natalie peed in my bed yesterday! I would say if I had to give her a percentage she is 90% potty trained, but that 10% which she isn't can be a little of an inconvience, such as in my bed, or when we are out in public, like at my cousin's tennis match a few weeks ago, but for the most part she is doing a great job. It is taking a while because I am just not pushing the issue. If they want to wear big girl pants they do, if they don't okay then, fine with me. I know most parents would say when you are ready just do it, but I don't see the rush and when they are ready it will happen.
In other news their imaginations are taking off as well. Most mornings I am greeted by little oinks or puppy dog barks and I have to call them puppy Nat or little piggie Maddie. But this week they have been Cinderella and Dora. My mom got them so new nighties while she was here last weekend, Cinderella and Dora and they have been wearing them constantly. They minute we get home they have to put them on, Maddie especially and the other night she even sat on the floor of the laundry room crying while her nightie was in the dryer because I had forgotten to wash it before bathtime. You would have thought that it was the end of the world.
All in all Cinderella, aka Maddie and Dora, aka Natalie are doing extremely well and they are getting way to big!
All I ask is that you take with you the notion that when you are potty training keep a VERY close eye on your child when she is in your bed, or you too will hear, "Mom, I tinkled in your bed!"

30 by 30

In January I will turn 30 years old. I cannot believe I will be that old and that the girls will be 3 in October, but what can you do?! Anyway, in order to prepare for this blessed event I have decided that I am going to lose 30 pounds by the time I turn 30. Surly this should be possible, it is roughly 4-5 pounds a month, which is 1+ pounds a week...easy enough. Well, it will be easy enough after I get off my no high impact exercising orders! See I have a stress reaction, almost stress fracture from training for my half marathon yesterday. Which I ran, against Doctors orders, he said I could walk, but I just couldn't not run. Finishing time was 2:37, only 9 minutes worse than last year, but I am paying for it today and crossing my fingers that I will not end up in a boot later this week. If your doctor tells you NOT to do something, then don't do it. But I digress back to my 30 by 30. I have several reasons for wanting to lose weight, but really I just need to control my appetite and what I eat, but not just to lose weight. I soon will be going on Accutane to control my wonder cystic acne. Now this drug is a very powerful drug that can mess with your cholestrol and triclicerides, which I found out this week, mine are somewhat elevated already. So I have to eat low choloestrol, low fat now so that I can continue the acne treatment and basically just to be healthier. So I am going back to my semi-veggie ways, cutting out the red meat and going more organic, less processed and cutting out the fast food. I am not sure who this is going to be more of a struggle for, me or my family. Both Tom and the girls love them some good snacks, chips and cookies, but in reality none of us need it, so we will be cutting that out. The hardest part will be giving up my beloved daily Starbucks. I don't think that I can count the times I have tried to give up the Starbuck, but here I go again. So here is to eating healthier, lowering my cholestrol and losing weight!