It's been rather eventful! I took a wonderful 6 days off of work to spend with my family... and had a bad cold all 6 days. But I didn't let that get me down!
Not enough time to write a long, detailed post, so I'll cut to the highlights:
My brother came in town for a few days with his new girlfriend (who is awesome). It was great to see him!
Lovely Christmas Eve dinner with The Man's family.
Beautiful Christmas Eve Mass, quiet Christmas morning at home opening tons of presents.
Fun, awesome Christmas Day with my family opening tons more presents. (I think I had too much fun, I had to spend most of Monday in bed recovering, and was treated to delicious homemade turkey soup.)
First two days of Rank Camp Monday and Tuesday (I am SO SORE!)
And today we welcomed The Man's first grandchild to the world! She's precious! I can't wait to go meet her... I have to wait till all my cold symptoms are gone. And no, she will not be allowed to call me Grandma. Not if I can help it.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Red Decided
That's it. My last color belt. The next belt I earn will be Sho Dan Bo (black recommended).
This time I learned that there is always room for improvement. My last two promotions felt great. I felt strong and confident and like I performed well. For this one, I feel like I want a do-over. I was out for two weeks of the cycle with a knee injury, and I didn't practice nearly as much as I needed to. I knew the material in my head, but that just isn't enough. I have to practice, and then practice some more.
But I passed, and that's the important part. I will always have more to learn and I will always have techniques I need to improve, and each step of the journey isn't necessarily going to be forward.
I'm really proud of Little Man. He did an outstanding job in his promotion. Much better than his mommy. His focus and technique have improved so much from hours of practice at home, and I'm so proud of him for sticking to it. That's an incredible feat at 5 years old.
The week after Christmas I'll be doing Rank Camp again (yes, I am crazy, thanks for asking). What I think is really neat about this one is that The Man earned his Sho Dan Bo with a Rank Camp, and now I'll be doing the same thing, years later. Then it's just two more months to black belt. I can't believe I'm this close. It has felt so far away for so long.
This time I learned that there is always room for improvement. My last two promotions felt great. I felt strong and confident and like I performed well. For this one, I feel like I want a do-over. I was out for two weeks of the cycle with a knee injury, and I didn't practice nearly as much as I needed to. I knew the material in my head, but that just isn't enough. I have to practice, and then practice some more.
But I passed, and that's the important part. I will always have more to learn and I will always have techniques I need to improve, and each step of the journey isn't necessarily going to be forward.
I'm really proud of Little Man. He did an outstanding job in his promotion. Much better than his mommy. His focus and technique have improved so much from hours of practice at home, and I'm so proud of him for sticking to it. That's an incredible feat at 5 years old.
The week after Christmas I'll be doing Rank Camp again (yes, I am crazy, thanks for asking). What I think is really neat about this one is that The Man earned his Sho Dan Bo with a Rank Camp, and now I'll be doing the same thing, years later. Then it's just two more months to black belt. I can't believe I'm this close. It has felt so far away for so long.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Remembering Gratitude
I've been working on it lately. Because it's too easy to get caught up in the stress that life can create, I'm trying every day to remind myself how lucky I am.
To even have a car that can get broken in the first place, because so many people have to make do without one.
To have so many family members whom I love dearly.
To have a warm bed, and enough food, and a place to call home... because the poor lady who lives under the bridge near where I work doesn't have that.
So when tires go flat and radiators get broken and bills come in and turn our budget upside down and kids drive us crazy... we're still incredibly blessed.
To even have a car that can get broken in the first place, because so many people have to make do without one.
To have so many family members whom I love dearly.
To have a warm bed, and enough food, and a place to call home... because the poor lady who lives under the bridge near where I work doesn't have that.
So when tires go flat and radiators get broken and bills come in and turn our budget upside down and kids drive us crazy... we're still incredibly blessed.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
What I Want for Christmas
Even though my sisters like to tease me about being the girliest member of the family (they're right), when it comes to gifts, I don't think I'm all that girly. Of course I'm dazzled by pretty sparkly things, and sometimes they make perfectly acceptable gifts, but when it comes down to it I would rather have something useful. A close friend once noted to me that her spouse would be in deep do-do if he gave her a kitchen appliance for her birthday instead of a piece of jewelry. Honestly, I would be thrilled with a new blender.
And there are other things I want that no one else can give me, like:
More time with my family. My Christmas gift to myself is to take all of my available PTO and have nearly a full week off for the holiday.
And these shoes: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-KSO-Womens.htm (my brother will be so proud), and these: http://www.zappos.com/gabriella-rocha-farmer-black-suede.
I'd love to have the set-up equipment for my spring container garden (how many women do you know who would actually ask for a big bucket for Christmas?), and a pull-up bar, and frames for my Grandpa's paintings so I can finally hang them on the wall.
Mostly, I want to see the joy of the holiday in my son's eyes, to spend the days with people I love, to have what I need to continue to make our lives better. I don't want to stress over shopping, or have other people do so for my benefit. I would rather have your company than another pretty thing to put on the shelf.
And there are other things I want that no one else can give me, like:
More time with my family. My Christmas gift to myself is to take all of my available PTO and have nearly a full week off for the holiday.
And these shoes: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-KSO-Womens.htm (my brother will be so proud), and these: http://www.zappos.com/gabriella-rocha-farmer-black-suede.
I'd love to have the set-up equipment for my spring container garden (how many women do you know who would actually ask for a big bucket for Christmas?), and a pull-up bar, and frames for my Grandpa's paintings so I can finally hang them on the wall.
Mostly, I want to see the joy of the holiday in my son's eyes, to spend the days with people I love, to have what I need to continue to make our lives better. I don't want to stress over shopping, or have other people do so for my benefit. I would rather have your company than another pretty thing to put on the shelf.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thanksgiving 2011
So much to be thankful for. So many loving family members, so much good health, so much good food and a roof over my head and my beautiful child and days filled with joy and love and silly arguments that end with kisses and sleepy mornings on the back porch and going home to a house filled with the smell of dinner and the sounds of family.
We've come so far, and we have so many new adventures to take on.
Thank you, God, for putting me on a path I couldn't predict.
We've come so far, and we have so many new adventures to take on.
Thank you, God, for putting me on a path I couldn't predict.
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Next Step
This past week, The Man spent many hours taking grueling written and physical tests for his next promotion as an instructor, and I'm so proud of him. Not because I know that he passed, because we won't know that for several weeks. I'm proud because of the dedication and commitment it took to get to this point - the years of work, the months of preparation, the hours of studying that he put in. Watching him teach is one of my favorite things - I love seeing the joy on his face and the way he interacts with the students, especially the young kids.
There are two types of rank in our organization - belts for students, which takes about two months to earn, and collars for instructors, which is much more difficult and can take several months or several years, depending on the level you are attempting.
When I first started this journey, I didn't even think about getting my black belt, let alone becoming an instructor. But the closer I get to my black belt, the more I think this might be my next step. I'm a little intimidated by the process, especially watching him, and my dad, and all the other instructors go through this week, but it's exciting to think about also.
He is encouraging me to do it, of course, but I know that if I am going to commit, I have to come to it on my own. The main thing driving me to the decision right now is the belief that teaching can make me a better student.
There are two types of rank in our organization - belts for students, which takes about two months to earn, and collars for instructors, which is much more difficult and can take several months or several years, depending on the level you are attempting.
When I first started this journey, I didn't even think about getting my black belt, let alone becoming an instructor. But the closer I get to my black belt, the more I think this might be my next step. I'm a little intimidated by the process, especially watching him, and my dad, and all the other instructors go through this week, but it's exciting to think about also.
He is encouraging me to do it, of course, but I know that if I am going to commit, I have to come to it on my own. The main thing driving me to the decision right now is the belief that teaching can make me a better student.
Friday, November 4, 2011
6 grain-free, low-carb weeks
Lost:
12 pounds (to bring me to my December goal weight more than a month early) UPDATE: Make that 13!
2-3 blood sugar crashes a day
Urgent, post-lunch need for a nap and/or caffeine infusion
Adult acne
Bloating and irregularity
PMS-related moodiness and cramps (I'll need a few more months to know if this is permanent or a single-cycle fluke)
Gained:
Energy!
Clear skin
Normal hunger (not sugar-crash induced feed-me-now craziness), and the ability to feel hungry for a period of time without panicking
Looser clothes
Yep, I'm sticking with this. :)
I've been doing quite a bit of reading and research here: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/, and here: http://www.westonaprice.org/, and on the abundance of links to other studies provided on both. It all makes sense, but really the most important piece of research for me is my self-experimentation and finding how much better I feel.
At first I wondered why I feel so much better this time than I did the last time I tried a low-carb "diet" to regulate my blood sugar. Then I realized that my focus is different this time - the first time, I focussed narrowly on reducing my carb intake, and relied heavily on processed, soy-heavy supplemental and convenience foods. This time I'm doing my best to return to real, whole, fresh foods.
12 pounds (to bring me to my December goal weight more than a month early) UPDATE: Make that 13!
2-3 blood sugar crashes a day
Urgent, post-lunch need for a nap and/or caffeine infusion
Adult acne
Bloating and irregularity
PMS-related moodiness and cramps (I'll need a few more months to know if this is permanent or a single-cycle fluke)
Gained:
Energy!
Clear skin
Normal hunger (not sugar-crash induced feed-me-now craziness), and the ability to feel hungry for a period of time without panicking
Looser clothes
Yep, I'm sticking with this. :)
I've been doing quite a bit of reading and research here: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/, and here: http://www.westonaprice.org/, and on the abundance of links to other studies provided on both. It all makes sense, but really the most important piece of research for me is my self-experimentation and finding how much better I feel.
At first I wondered why I feel so much better this time than I did the last time I tried a low-carb "diet" to regulate my blood sugar. Then I realized that my focus is different this time - the first time, I focussed narrowly on reducing my carb intake, and relied heavily on processed, soy-heavy supplemental and convenience foods. This time I'm doing my best to return to real, whole, fresh foods.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)