Camping with the family!

This last weekend, we had a good time with the family. Bob, Teri and Haley came down to camp on Friday evening to Sunday. Carissa was excited about this fact. Then on Saturday Karen and the girls came out and stayed the night. Sue and Mark came out for dinner on Saturday but had a busy schedule for Sunday.

Everyone enjoyed dinner and we roasted marshmellows. Of course, we also had a clan of dogs to add to the confusion.

Brenna was a character of the night. When she first came the girls of course wanted to hit the swimming pool. The campground had not opened it yet for the season, but I had bought squirt guns and water balloons for entertainment. So, they arrive about 5 pm and John had just hit me with a whole bucket of water. I was trying to get him back unsuccessfully. So, when he was helping Karen park her car I was hiding behind the camper. He thought of this and tried to use Karen as a shield. I yelled to her to run away and did an okay job of getting John. Anyway, Alexis and Brenna wanted to get in on the fun. So, Brenna comes over and keeps taking my squirt guns because she quickly empties hers (usually on me). At this point, I suggest that Uncle Bob is way too dry. She goes after him and he is a good sport. He decides to pick her up and dunk only the tip of her head in the water because she will not give him the water gun. She gets back to her feet and yells "Your mean." I try to appease her with the fact that not to worry we are going to have cupcakes later. She immediately perks up and starts right back in squirting people.

The water fight goes on for another good 20 minutes and Brenna is right in the middle. At one point, Bob is still trying to catch up because now all of the girls are attacking him. So, he picks up the water bucket and throws it at Brenna and Carissa. Brenna yells at him "You ruined me!" She is wet from head to toe and was having a great time getting everyone else but did not appreciate Uncle Bob drenching her, that ended the fight but the adults all wished we had video taped it. She was so serious that she was ruined. It was funny.

She quickly made up with him when he took her to the park and bought a popsicle. I think everyone had a good time and we are hoping to schedule another camping trip soon. Karen is talking about coming out for the 4th of July.

Beautiful Month of May

Carissa's Birthday is this month and she is determined that the family get together. She had a whole speech on how she has not seen everyone since Christmas. So, we made some cards and delivered them to our local family. It looks like everyone is going to try to make it. We are going to have a BBQ, Marshmellows and camp. Carissa is excited.

We have also been working hard to open our pool. John and the girls have done a great job it took a little extra work because we did not open it last year. However, it is looking good and the girls can not wait for the really warm weather. They were hoping to get in today but it only got into the high 60's.

I had a great time in NYC with 4 other teachers. We had to drive down and it was a little tricky down in NYC but then we parked the van. We either walked, took the subway, and Friday night a cab. They really do drive crazy and I thought that was just a myth. We saw Time Square, Central park, Trump Tower and walked down 5th Ave with all the expensive stores like FAO, Tiffany's and SAKS.

Funny Things!

Yeah, it is Spring! Spring came early to upstate New York. I am glad because Winter came early and was long. The birds and flowers are out. It is easier to get out and take a walk or play some tennis.

This week I had a couple of funny moments that I would thought I would share. A little boy in my class has webbed fingers and has had some surgery. We have talked a lot in class about how people are different but still the same in many ways. This week as I was sitting with him to try to get him to settle down at rest time, he was doing everything possible to stay awake. He was holding on to my pointer finger at one point and starts to count my fingers. He only counted 4 because he was holding on to one of them. He says "Oh, no. You only have 4 fingers." So I ask him what about the one you are holding on too? He decided that I had 5 after that. Then he talks about my "big hands" compared to his small ones. He is a cutie but he can also push some buttons at times. He loves to sing and parrot me. He will repeat directions or other conversations. At first I thought he was trying to be a smart-Alec but now I think he is just hyper sensitive and it is his way of processing things.

Then yesterday, I asked John to help me take out the garbage. So, he did with some grumbling. After that he comes in to put in a new bag. He pulls out a garbage bag and starts to yell at me because it is too small to fit the can. I waited for him to finish ranting then asked him to shake the bag out. He does and laughs to say "Oh it is magic." I told him that I have bought the same bags for years and that now that he has finally figured it out he needs to practice more often. By the way, he just learned how to load the dishwasher soap and start that too.

Nutrition appointmet Update

I had a nutrition appointment and I have lost 11 pounds so far. Everything is going really well. I am not drinking soda, except for when we occasionally eat out. I am eating more balanced meals and writing all of it down. Plans are still set for the summer. Yeah!

We have had some really nice weather the last week or so. This last weekend we bought some cheap tennis rackets and we have been playing the last few days. The girls really enjoy going with me which is good for them too. John went with us once and he was funny. He kept trying to coach us but then struggled as much as we did with hitting the ball. We are able to laugh and enjoy it.

We are also looking forward to going camping. If the weather stays nice for the weekend. We are going to go out and start doing some spring clean up.

I am surprised but Brittany is excited about going out to camp. She often prefers to stay home on her own or do things with friends these days. I can not believe it but her 9th grade is almost at an end. I have an appointment tomorrow with the school counselor and Brittany to set up her classes for 10th grade. She has even more choices then I had back in school. They were encouraging her to look into a BOCES program but I am would prefer she does not and I think she agrees. We get some good time talking when we walk or play tennis.

February Break!!! Yeah!

It is time for the February Break. My class has been passing around several illnesses and now Brittany also succumbed to an illness this week. She is only doing a little better, but tonight her school had a Winter Dance and she did not want to miss it.


Brittany has been busy and this week she competed with her team in League Cheerleading Competition. The team did okay but the great news is Brittany made the 2nd team All-Stars. It is a great accomplishment for a Freshmen. She has a new coach and has been a little frustrated this season, but the hard work has paid off.

Carissa also competed in Solo Fest this last week. She was so nervous. She really did not want to do it but her music teacher encouraged her to try. We had more than a few tears the morning she had to play. I tried to tell her of a traumatic experience I had playing the piano for at church and then making a mistake. I thought the world had come to an end, but everyone was nice and told me I did well. She did very well also on her music and scored high. She was so glad when it was over.

Well, I also go back for a nutrition appointment on Monday. I am doing really well with my attempts to change my eating habits. I have cut out Diet soda except for the occasional soda when we go out to eat. I know I have lost weight. However, I still need to get in more exercise. I need to work on that part.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lifestyle changes

I went to my nutrition appointment today and I have a lot of work ahead of me. I found out right away that my insurance is requiring me to have 6 months of nutritional counseling, as apposed to the minimum of 3 months. So, it looks like the earliest I will be having the surgery is over the summer in late July or August. I am a little disappointed that it will take that long but it gives me time to adjust my habits.

I also have to cut our soda because of the carbonation and caffeine. I am also going to have to get used to not drinking with meals. I like water so it will not be a problem getting the fluids but I am accustomed to sitting down to a meal with a drink. I also have to keep a food journal and lose at least 5 % of my current weight. I know I can do that because I have done it before while on Weight Watchers.

There are a lot of little changes that they want me to start getting accustomed to, like chewing my food completely, take at least 30 minutes to eat, 3 meals around 400 calories and 3 snacks around 100 calories. I will also need to go low-fat and sugar free on almost everything. I also have to limit eating out because many fast-food choices are high in fat and calories. She also recommend that we look up Mindful Eating on Google.

I actually knew a lot of the things she was saying from other attempts at losing weight. As we all know there is no magic way to lose weight. It is all about eating less, eating good foods, and exercise more. I guess I am looking at this journey and the Lap Band as a way to help me make the changes that are hard for me to do on my own. I think that because it will restrict the stomach to a size of the walnut you have no choice but to make some initial changes and then the person has to do the rest for themselves.

Both the doctor and the nutritionist said that 1 in 5 people are still not successful even with the surgery at keeping the weight off. The only reason for this is human error, not a malfunction or a stretching stomach. It is physically impossible to stretch it and they have x-rays to back it up. The only way for a person to then gain it back is by eating high calorie foods all the time. Interesting!

Blogging my weight loss journey!

Okay, here I am this summer (6/2008) at camp. I am not happy with pictures and the way I look. I avoid it at all cost. However, I am beginning a new journey by attempting Lap Band Surgery to help me loose weight. I have the support of my Doctor and I have begun the process to have the surgery done.

I found out a few weeks ago that my insurance will cover a large portion of the cost of the surgery. At one point, I was not sure that I would qualify, but the lights are green and systems are a go. I now have an appointment with the nutritionist this Thursday and it looks like I should be able to schedule the surgery in about 2 to 3 months.

I know this is a life changing event and I will need to make a personal commitment. The surgery does not just take the weight off and some people still loose weight intially but then can gain it back. I will have to change my eating habits permanately and may have to cut out some foods althogether. I drink diet soda daily and I may have to cut that out due to the carbonation. I will find out soon.

Even with all of this, I am excited. I am looking at it as a chance for help in making some serious life style changes. It will not be easy but well worth it. I want to be able to hike with my girls and not be winded early. I would like to ride my bike for a few miles and go swimming without being embarrassed. I want to shop in normal retail stores. I will probably never be real thin but my goal is at least a size 14.

So, my journey begins and I would like to write about my experience and let you know how I am doing. Here we go!!!

New ----

Okay we had to break down and purchase a new washer and dryer. We were able to pay cash and that is important. In the past we would have run to Sears and charged the last, high tech model. We really can not complain because our old set lasted 14 years, but our dryer went out last week. We were using a washer that a friend gave to us when our washer broke. It was old and rocked around but got us through the last 6 months. I am glad to have the new set. It is a standard top-loader with just a few settings but our clothes are clean. The dryer takes less time then our older one, so everything is great.

I have also set up a new email address because my Road Runner account was set up on my laptop and that has not been working. I am able to get on my work computer, John's laptop, or the girls computer but I am not sure how to check the email. So, I have gone with yahoo and I will send the address out but be patient if you sent something to Road runner.

Holiday Break is Over!

Happy New Year. We had a fantastic holiday break. We were all lazy for the most part but the girls love their new I-pods and the WII. Now we are back to school and off to a new year. Hopefully this year will be a great year.