Jogging in June! - Page 9

[MelW]

Originally Posted by sparkletruck 
 I feel the same about the fat trope, like, really? That's so tired. What does it really mean to call someone fat, it means you want to feel superior and want to make someone else feel shitty and can do so in an easy, and utterly meaningless way. Lazy and insipid. Im so sorry she has to be the mature one, but at least she is.

Yes! Absolutely. Nic, hugs to your daughter. I hope she finds a comfortable sense of herself and a strong group of friends to carry her forward.

jo, I love your assertiveness. You're a star!

Geo, congrats to your dd on her first tri!

Plady, we have a sleep room and a play room for the kids and I love it. It works for us to keep toys/books and their related dust out of the sleep room (mostly) for allergy reasons, but also lets my earlier riser get up and play and provides lots more space for playing together. I'm sure at one point they'll ask for a different arrangement, but it's been working well for us so far.

Gaye, how terrifying. I'm glad you and your DS are both safe. congrats on the tri, too!

bec, yikes on the cold swim. 10 degrees warmer sounds hopeful....

NRR- We're finally going to our allergist/immunologist appointment tomorrow, which is a big organizational deal to go over the city as foot passengers on the ferry, co-ordinate rides/buses/ plus plans for the oldest who is staying here (final week of school) and packing breakfast/lunch for a day on the road. I haven't though as far ahead as dinner, but I suspect we'll end up eating yam fries on the ferry home. Wholesome for sure...

[Nickarolaberry]

Originally Posted by 1jooj 

 Also took something of a tongue lashing for being "intolerant" () by my (so memorably tolerant) mom. So I opened up half a can of whoop-ass and reminded someone that I arrived less than a month ago after flying 17 hours with Thing 1 and Thing 2, after moving all our $h!t into storage, after living in hell for a year, after selling all beloved animals and my dear farm, only to jump into the world of everyone-wants-us-all-the-time and needs our help, not even a good night's sleep between me and the first party, and etc. Things got quiet. Apparently the exact translation of "you're intolerant" is "I don't like it when you set and respect your own boundaries." It's OK, and I think I made things good.

You're a total rockstar. 

Originally Posted by Plady 

Sparkle - Tell your inner voices to shut it.  We love you.
 

This.

Originally Posted by sparkletruck 

Nic - I dont have much wisdom, except I agree with what everyone has said; finding something that she loves to do and is good at (i.e. self-esteem and belonging/community) is key. She needs a sense of self separate from body image, and then that confidence and self-love can help her make food and general health choices from a place of self-love. I had to have a talk with some older boys at DS's camp today about picking on him (the boys are ~ 12, DS is 7). I said, basically, "really? picking on a 7 year old is the best you can come up with to entertain yourselves? lame. do better." I feel the same about the fat trope, like, really? That's so tired. What does it really mean to call someone fat, it means you want to feel superior and want to make someone else feel shitty and can do so in an easy, and utterly meaningless way. Lazy and insipid. Im so sorry she has to be the mature one, but at least she is.
 

Yes. Thank you. I did try to express this to dd. I hope it gets through.

Yesterday had a really nice 7 miles with my new running pals...except for my stomach which was not so happy. But I managed to get through the run ok.

Today: taking dd1 an dd2 to overnight camp for 3 1/2 weeks. 

[1jooj]

Just had myself one of those runs where my stomach sort of comes along...admittedly because I think I did some feeling-stuffing last night. 

But had some good thinking en route, and I think what I said that put things over the edge was "Dr. Oz is full of ___ half the time." 

RR: 4.25 feeling AWE-some on the trail, sunshine and 60s, plenty of walking but a pretty good pace while running.  I love that I am loving running again.

[Plady]

Originally Posted by 1jooj  "Dr. Oz is full of ___ half the time." 

That's totally what I'd say to my mom if I wanted to start a war!

[Shantimama]

Geo - Wow for your dd!!

Jo - you are my hero in so many ways!

Nic - there is a lot of good wisdom here for your dd.

Mel - I hope the appointment goes well.

Plady - Oh no!! I hate it when kids's best friends move away 

Just coming down off of almost a week of in-laws being here for dd's graduation. I am fried, and not just because I worked in the kitchen (and bathrooms) like the hired help the whole time. Was another eye-opener of how much of the behaviour I am struggling with has been learned. Most important realization this week was that even though dh is so much better than the family he came from, that doesn't mean all is sunshine and roses. Just because something isn't unbearable terrible doesn't mean it is sweet and pleasant either. I am pretty drained after 15 house guests for a couple of meals and 5 - 10 the rest of the time while still working and doing the prep work for two big events coming up soon. I am catering a big party on Saturday and have most of the shopping done and have started the cooking - made the filling for samosas today and will make and freeze them tonight. I work tomorrow and the next day, have the party on Saturday and then work again Sunday and Monday. This is the long weekend (Canada Day) so it should be crazy at the cafe. I have a ton of yarn to die tab should have been delivered a week ago but absolutely must be ready for an event two weeks from now. After that things should ease off at least a little.

dd was amazing though - class valedictorian, citizenship award and several academic prizes. She gave an awesome speech that blew me away. I am so very proud of her but can't believe that she is off to high school in the fall. Lots of fun taking her for her first manicure, getting her hair done and seeing her in her special fancy dress for grad. Report cards came home today and both girls did very well in spite of missing all those weeks of school early in the winter. I am just so glad the school year will be over tomorrow.

ds is doing a little better. The new medication hasn't eliminated the seizures yet but my sense is that they are now mostly absence seizures instead of the more involved stuff we were seeing. He was fabulous around the sleep deprived EEG and then in being Playmate #1 for the little cousins who stayed with us for several days. 

[JayGee]

Originally Posted by 1jooj 

But had some good thinking en route, and I think what I said that put things over the edge was "Dr. Oz is full of ___ half the time." 

Amen to that, Jo! Glad you had such a good cleansing trail run.

Shanti - congrats to your DD on her many wonderful accomplishments! And glad the new meds seem to be working better for your DS.

I am so woefully far behind on personals, yet it is time to wake the crew for swim practice. Will hopefully be back later (maybe even with a little running to report!)

[1jooj]

MelW, I am super-interested in hearing how the allergist/immunologist appointment goes. I imagine I would be operating out of such a place of bewilderment, but you seem to be handling the situation with such brilliance. There are certainly worse things than sweet potato fries, right?

And we actually had rearranged in Dubai and made a sleeping room and a playroom for our two (ds11 and dd8). We are a very loose sleeping arrangement family, and bedroom does not seem to equal "need for privacy room." Dh comes from a culture with no bedrooms, so it works for us.  For now.

Shanti, I am glad that is over, and hopeful for ds. Fewer is a step in the right direction. And hoping for all the right doc visits soon. Reb has an appointment next week, so hoping good things for her, too.

Going out as soon as I get my coffee. Dental appointments were yesterday and they went fine. I'd say mine was the worst, as I have fillings older than my hygienist and a clenching habit. No work yet, but crowns in my future.  But I did get a chip filed out of my front tooth, and it looks way better. Today, orthodontist. I know, life in the fast lane.

[mommajb]

Jo, I am living in the same fast lane as you. Yesterday, 7 dentist appointments (all good), 3 swim lessons, homeschool park day with a quick run to Trader Joe's for dinner before glee chorus rehearsals. We were gone almost 12 hours and I was dead tired when we got home. Ds1 had friends over and they had been told they could stay until 10. I am not ashamed to admit I went to bed before they left and let dh stay up with them.

Shanti, You have so much happening in your life right now! I am glad some of it is good and I hope some of the personal discoveries bring you peace.

I am not running as much as would feel good but I am easing back. A friend has asked me to run a mini with her in Jan and I said yes then looked it up and it is $150! For a mini! Her hook was that she would fly out to visit me if I ran the race with her while she is here and I miss her so much I said yes without thinking. Money well spent if I get to visit and make myself run.

Time to start the day and get out the door if there is to be a RR.

[Plady]

 

JayGee - Hope you get a run in!

 

Real and Gaye - Thinking of you two as I see the news of the huge fire to your south.  Hope you all stay safe.

 

Originally Posted by mommajb 

 Money well spent if I get to visit and make myself run.
 

Run extra slow and get your money's worth!

MelW - Also thinking of you and dd and hoping for helpful reports.

RR: Going boxing in a bit.

NRR: X-rays of hips apparently normal.  Good news I guess, it means I go back to foam roller/stretching/ and those lame feeling little PT exercises. 

DRR: I'm wondering how I and dd are going to survive her puberty.  She called in tears from the bathroom last night to say that the other girls (friends of her moving-away-soon-bff) were teasing her, apparently she was changing for bed and someone in the group made a nasty comment about her being briefly naked which other chimed in on and she felt terrible but by that point the ferries were done for the day so nothing to do but try to be brave.  Her friend's mom called me to say she'd be keeping an eye on things and was going to plug them all into a movie so hopefully that was the end of it but it just breaks my heart!  I want a commune just for dinglets!

[Nickarolaberry]

Hi mamas!

Jo and Mommajb, you are awesome mamas for doing dentists. I actually did take the kids for dentist checkups a few months ago and all was fine, but now dd2 will need to see the orthodontist for a preliminary evaluation (she is only 8 and has only lost 4 teeth but has a huge underbite). I have not been for a cleaning/checkup in...hmmm...2 years?  Sigh. really need to do that. HATE going to the dentist.

Camp drop off...whew. We actually went first to visit my cousin who lives about 35 mins. from the camp who just had a baby a couple months ago. Babyswoon...  She is nursing beautifully and must not come from my side of the family because she sleeps at night, rarely cries, is happy and content, and put herself on a feeding 'schedule' (every couple hours). My cousin doesn't schedule her and feeds on demand but she demands on a schedule. I was like,  Really? There are babies like that?! I got some nice baby fix time and my babies held their baby cousin too. Which was adorable.

Then I got lost getting to the camp because my mapquest directions did not foresee a construction ramp closure at the last step and I do not have a GPS. Sigh. Eventually we made it there. After unloading and shlepping the bags, dd2 found her counselor (same one as the winter retreat) and her pals and said, "Mommy. I love you. I'm going with my friends now. Bye."  Dd1, in pure high-needs kid form, remained teary and attached at my hip for the next hour while we settled everything. Eventually her counselor (they hire awesome girls here, really incredible) got her involved in a decorating the bunk project, and gave her the run down of all the activities (she needs to know the schedule, etc....high anxiety). She really "got" my kid and was so lovely. When I finally left they were playing an Improv Circle game (dd1 was the first up, which she LOVED) and singing...I said bye to both my girls and they were both happy.

So what did I do? I slept in dd1's bed last night.   Who's the high needs attached person here? Hmmm.

I had a decent 6 miler this morning with hills. I am finding that my new vegan diet is disrupting my energy levels a bit and I need to work it out. Otherwise (and except for an unfortunate tempeh accident -- bought one that was cultured on barley which has gluten) I feel really good. The no dairy thing is huge for me. 

So...I am going to be one busy mama next school year. The principal called me today and I'll be teaching 5 full periods (4 different classes) -- two Bible classes (conducted in Hebrew, with Hebrew and Aramaic commentaries); Medieval Jewish History (which I don't really need to do much prep for as I've taught it so many times; just fine-tuning); American History/Government - 10th grade; and AP US History (11th grade). Whew. I can't wait and I'm sure I'm going to be wicked stressed out.

In that vein I think I will not plan for a fall full marathon. Maybe winter/spring. Too much on my plate (also dd1's bat mitzvah is in October). A few half marathons though -- yes.

ETA: Oh, Plady.  for you and dd1. I'm right there with you, mama. A commune for dingo mamas and dinglets, indeed.

Also, for my triathlon Dingoes: dh is starting one in Boston. July 28, 2013 -- Boston Warrior (half Ironman). Going to be awesome.

[sparkletruck]

We are all interesting trees!!!

I forgot about this! Last night as I was doing god-knows-what on the computer, I stumbled on this talk (see link below - it wouldnt hyperlink) by Eve Ensler of Vagina Monologues fame, which is worth watching on its own, but it reminded me of one of the best interpretations of the whole body-image issue Ive come across. It was in an interview with her I read years ago: she described talking to an African bush woman about body image, and the African woman was explaining how mystified she/her culture is by the notion that one body type is more attractive than another. She explained how they view bodies like trees, and you would never say "that tree is beautiful, and that tree is ugly" because all trees are unique interesting in their own unique way.

Ensler translated this as viewing women's bodies like this, like trees, as in "What an interesting tree!" I have done this a lot since, but most recently I thought about it when I saw the woman who rides her bike up my street every day. She has oddly shaped legs, like stumps almost, very stout and disproportionate to the rest of her body. At first I thought, whoa, and then I thought "what an interesting tree!", and she was transformed for me. There was beauty there and genuine interest in the uniqueness of her. I love that there is no perfect tree or ideal tree, they are all so interesting. So are we all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVA-0w9SEAI

[MelW]

Yes, we are all interesting trees! That's a great video clip, sparkle.

Nic, that sounds like a wild schedule for the fall. Stay sane!

Plady, I'm glad the hip x-ray but normal, but sorry there weren't any answers for you. And big, big hugs to your daughter.

Shanti, congrats to your DD on all of her impressive accomplishments. I'm glad that things are going better for your son, and hope that you survive your busy Canada Day weekend.

mommajb, what a busy day. I'd be in bed before 10, too :)

RR- Group trail run tonight. It's their week in the local trails, so a nice time to try out some new trails with a group.

NRR- Allergist/immunologist visit went well- he thinks that all of the allergen avoidance/rotation stuff we've been doing has been helpful in keeping the reactions under control and suspects we would have much more severe reactions if not doing this. We're also going to try singulair for a while to see if it helps in controlling her reactions and asthma and preventing us from developing more severe/anaphylactic responses.  She showed reactions to grasses and pollens, which he thinks relate to the food allergies- worse food allergies at the times that those pollens are active. The allergy tests (skin pricks) mostly confirmed what we knew with two surprises- no reaction to the corn, and a reaction to shrimp. Corn has always been her biggest allergen, though it's possible that she's allergic and still had a negative test so we'll continue to be very careful with it. And we ate sushi for lunch right before the appointment. The plan for shrimp (and all prawns/crab/lobster) is too keep it in her diet but in moderation/rotation. Nothing in the appointment was hugely revelatory, but confirmed that we're on the right path and not crazy. It's amazing how often when I rattle off the list of allergies that I get incredulous responses, and the general vibe about allergies being the product of neurotic parenting. I have been known to flash photos of my kid covered in hives to the doubters
 

[sparkletruck]

Nic - dont know how much you've read about vegan diets and training, and I havent actually even read what Im linking , but thought of you, in case there's anything worthwhile for you:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/can-athletes-perform-well-on-a-vegan-diet/

[1jooj]

MelW, I think a time ago I might have been among those incredulous ones. I am just baffled and befuddled by the whole thing. Mostly, though, I wonder about root causes of it all, and how some people are unaffected, or relatively unaffected, while others end up with those long lists. Anyway, you must at least feel pretty good about doing the right things. I hope she begins to outgrow them, and soon.

On the body talk, it was interesting (but not revelatory) to read this. (F-bomb warning) Just lots of commiseration, mostly, but I could have written much of it myself. And sparkle, I like the tree analogy. Isn't it funny how we appreciate varied colors and textures and weights and sizes of nearly everything, but for ourselves as a species, we act as though there is one ideal and it is the only one that matters? OK, not funny, but...sigh, you know.

Nic, dd has an underbite and will be getting an expander + headgear + appliances + (later) braces. And it ain't cheap, but insurance covers about a third. Ds got looked at and is OK for now, though orthodontist suggested we consider having 2 baby teeth pulled. I'm not going to do that. I explained to the kids, we're not fixing the teeth for perfection, but for good health. And I love seeing the dentist. I hate getting real work done, but love cleanings and have apparently passed this on to my kids. Dh, who had no access to dental care for his first 25 years, is a fan, too. Our 6-month checkups are covered, and we use the coverage. I feel like I've been really lucky with dentists, too. 

And mommajb, your fast lane is like two or three lanes to the left of mine. I  to you. I can barely keep it straight with TKD and dance.

I really want to jump in hardcore and do another Whole30, but then I don't. I've been really doing well, though, eating great, totally clean nearly 100% and moving and just feeling mostly good in general, until...I spent a full 24 hours with my mother and the next day my back was whack. Is this really possible? It's almost better, but I decided to try falafel for dinner today (yes, I know better, and no, it wasn't as great as I remembered it). My guts are complaining and tomorrow will be 100% clean again. And I have a massage scheduled for the afternoon. 

[tjsmama]

As usual, I've been reading along but not posting, thanks to work. Blah. Stupid work. Which I shouldn't really say, given that I do kind of love my job, but still. Work just gets in the way, ya know?

The fires are pretty scary. Fortunately, they are pretty far away from both real and myself. A little closer to real, who actually has open space that could catch on fire relatively close to her. If my home was threatened, though, it would be bad, bad news, since I'm right in the middle of the city. Still, it's sad. It was so smoky today that I could barely see the mountains until I was actually IN them. We could smell smoke INSIDE the hospital on Tuesday night. It smelled like a freaking campfire at the nurses station. No bueno. We need rain. The weather has improved a little (slightly cooler temps--as in 90's instead of 100's, and some thunderstorms, which hopefully bring rain and NOT lightning to start more fires), but not enough.

So, get this...I went in for a full physical on Monday, since it had been a long, long time since I had one, and because I needed to follow up on my high cholesterol. The doctor's office called me yesterday and 1) my thyroid is hypoactive. Hmm. Maybe this fatigue I've been having isn't just a side effect of working night shift. So, I started synthroid this morning, which is going to be a pain. It has to be taken on an empty stomach, and you can't eat for 1/2 hour to an hour after taking it. Not entirely sure how that's going to work with night shift...no more 5 am snacks, I guess. 2) My iron is high. Huh? What kind of female has HIGH iron?? I have been instructed to stop taking my mutlivitamin with iron (which of course, is from costco and I still have 2/3 of a bottle) and find one without iron. Weird, right? 3) My cholesterol is NORMAL. Yes, even though the hospital's lab told me that it was 220 just about a month ago and I have changed absolutely nothing in the meantime, my cholesterol is now 188. WTH. I guess I shouldn't complain, I should just be happy that it's normal, right? So anyway...here's hoping that the synthroid does the trick and I start feeling a bit more energetic soon. And maybe, you know, lose a little weight. I'd be ok with that!

DS and I are up in Glenwood Springs for the weekend for a little mini-vacation. I'm kind of choking on the cost of staying in a hotel (and eating all your meals out), but slightly soothed by the fact that we have a third paycheck this month...which will probably be taken care of by the trip, but oh well. DS and I have never been on a vacation just by ourselves before. The majority of vacations have been to go back to Ohio, and the few that weren't were with other family members. So far, so good. We got here around dinnertime, checked into the hotel, got dinner, and played a round of putt putt. I then argued with DS to go to sleep until I decided to just turn out all the lights in the room and not give him a choice. He's passed out now, so I could turn the tv and stuff on, but I might pass out, too. Tomorrow, we'll hike in the morning and then hit up the hot springs pool in the afternoon.

rr~Squeezed in a ride this morning before we headed out of town. I figured I better get something in, since the most exercise I'm likely to get over the next three days will be hiking at a 6 year old's pace. A friend and I rode up Lookout Mountain, which is a relatively steep, but short climb. We took the loop to add a little more distance. I remembered why I love riding my bike...it's so peaceful being out in nature in the morning. We had a group of about 4 or 5 young deer cross the road right in front of us. Ahh, I love my bike.

[MelW]

jo, that's a great article. Turkey bacon . And just do it with the Whole 30. You'll feel great once you start.

gaye, I'm glad that both you and real are staying safe so far. Enjoy the vacation with your ds. I have no idea why the swing in cholesterol would be that dramatic unless one lab was wrong. I hope the synthroid helps you feel be even stronger and faster in your tri training :)

NRR- I had my car in the shop yesterday for a new glove box and they found damage to the bellow that protects the wiring in the door. Little bites damage. Then they looked around and took out the mouse nest. No mouse in sight. I vacuumed a ton today and have a new "no eating in the car" rule. I'm debating about setting a trap for a few days just in case.

Kids are finished school/pre-school, and we went bowling to celebrate and then to the library to sign up for the summer reading program. Bowling was their choice that I accidentally agreed to while I was checking email this morning and not really listening well. It was fun for the first two or three rounds, though my 3 year old needed some help to stop her balls from getting stuck in the gutter. After that she was bored and it was kind of annoying. The library was much more fun.

RR- Trail run yesterday was great, though I think I'll move up to the faster group next time. And today was the final bootcamp of the year (though they're running twice weekly hill climb runs, but minus the childcare...). There were just three of us plus the trainer, and I was the only woman. We went out to the trails and did hill repeats and the guys killed me! Then back to the gym for a ton more leg work. I might be a bit wobbly tomorrow. Add in the bowling and the lawn mowing I did earlier in the day, and it was a pretty physical day.

[1jooj]

MelW, I would set a trap under a seat. But also consider where the car is parked and whether there's a constant threat of intrusion. We have had trouble in the past with chipmunks and mice making their way in and trying building nests between the dash and the engine. It must feel great to want to move up a group in the trail running. Great job on that! And ps, I HATE bowling. Really, really hate bowling, and also bowling alleys.

Gaye, I thought the same as MelW, as in, maybe one lab was off? Although, maybe the thyroid could impact other hormones that impact your total cholesterol? Also, where was the decrease, HDL or LDL or both? And is it possible that hypothyroid just might be related to the transition to working night shift? Regardless, I hope the synthroid puts you in a place of health and that your fatigue goes away. It has to be hard to feel so draggy and have to do so much. And while I am thankful you and Real are both safe, I've also been thinking of you ladies every time I see a headline. Keep safe.

I think there should be a Dingo Massage Scholarship fund. I went yesterday, got my trigger points worked, got the foam roller talk, and left feeling so. Much. Better. And pre-booked two more, each 4 weeks apart. Preventive care, and worth every penny (and about half the cost of something similar in UAE). All you ladies deserve the same kind of decompression.

I also ran/walked 6 miles yesterday and it felt great. I could have gone 10, I think. Calling today a rest day, and going to go down to the studio and do some yoga. Kids are going to sleep in.

It's now looking like it will be Sept before we see dh. I am not worrying the kids with the changing logistics; every time dh tries to set a date, a new job-related thing comes up, so for now, September. Which will have us moving back to the Gulf maybe at end of Sept? And dh also wanted to go to Morocco in October, so autumn could be exciting. But it is clear that I am going to have to handle getting them enrolled in school and start with schooling all well in advance of seeing dh. Which is weird but OK. I'm considering suggesting a rendez-vous somewhere in Europe in August: is that crazy?  Four days in Paris or Amsterdam or something? Or save the money and try to get to India over winter? India, right? 

In other news, dd gets an expander and headgear this month, and we're going to work with the orthodontist to coordinate her treatment over two summers, using placeholder retainers in between. I hope it works out.

[sparkletruck]

Jo - I could do with a massage like that. I've been having mystery back pain for about 5 days now. First of all, I dont think Ive ever had back pain, and second, I didnt do anything to spark this (no lifting a heavy box, and an "oh!"). At first I thought I slept on it weird and that it would just go away, but I suspect its a trigger point b/c I can find the exact spot [that then refers to the whole region that hurts] and when I push on it with my thumb my knees almost buckle. I also suspect it's emotions related
Well done on the self-care!! and the good runs, and diet and all of it! You really do sound almost 180 degrees better. As for the expander for dd, it was an adjustment for my dd (as in, she couldnt swallow saliva for a day - that was pretty - and couldnt swallow food with it in for about a month), but now its pretty much a non-issue, so if M is miserable for a bit, tell her it is short lived ... and stock up on Arnica

MelW - On the upside, the little guy didnt get cooked in your engine I heard of that happening on an episode of car talk, where someone couldnt get a wretched smell out of their car and it turned out to be a critter in their engine Have fun with all your early summer activities. I remember those We're almost 6 weeks in...

Gaye - sheesh, if you rocked that Tri with no training and a sluggish Thyroid, watch out CO!

RR: Yeah, uh huh

NRR: not good. my mental state is not at all good. I'm riding it out, as I dont really know what else to do (I have some ideas but my superego has prevailed on those, probably a good thing... at least for my kids). The book Wild really rang my bell, in a good and bad way. I think you all would enjoy it.....

[Plady]

Morning!  Shhhh! My kids are still asleep!  How awesome is that?  Am I getting all the things that I thought about doing at 5:15 after tossing the vole that my cat brought in to play with on my bed out the window? No.  But whatever.  I'm catching up on important Dingo time and TED talks. 

Gaye - Yeah, sounds to me like one test is effed up.  Hopefully the thyroid stuff is going to help though.

Sparkle - You've got a ton of transition happening right now, could that be tossing your psyche around too? 

MelW - I'd set traps.  Good job on kicking it with the boys.

Jo - Loved the post and yeah, still no answers here either.  I finished the Taubes' book but was frankly really disappointed that he never asked or attempted to answer, if the science continually refutes the theroy of calories in/calories out and proves that a low carb diet/lifestyle is healthier for basically every marker of health why did/is the low fat/high carb diet still being pushed as the best?  Who is getting rich here and when did they buy the system for themselves?  Obviously we can see who is getting rich on the industry of low fat processed foods and the entire culture of diet drugs and programs that depend on us believing that we're all just too lazy and lacking in willpower to overcome our basic gluttony.  But who was the mastermind?  Did this entire spectacularly profitable industry really spring up nearly overnight just by chance?  I'm really having trouble believing that.  Am I really just too cynical? 

Nic - That's sweet about snuggling in dd's bed. 

That said I'm now going to learn how to make some fancy coffee rings for some potlucks tomorrow.  And then later I'm going to prep the house for us to go off the well for who knows how long while we pull the effing pump out again in an attempt to keep our water running by the time we've got a houseful of guests in three weeks.  Oh, and if any of you have any clever ideas of how to let my chickens be moderately free-ranging and yet protect their stupid eggs from the very smart crows who keep flying off with them, please share!
 

[JayGee]

Plady ~ I think wheat, corn and soy subsidies have a huge role behind the scenes in not promoting a lower carb way of living.  Fresh veggies and fruits are not a huge moneymaker the way huge, grain crops are.  I think Omnivores Dilemma goes a long way to explain the role of government in farming, especially huge grain/corn/soy farming.  I know I feel 1000x better without grain (or sugar) in my diet.  I don't know much about chickens, but my SIL has a laying barn for hers where they lay their eggs and just roam the yard the rest of the time.

sparkle ~  hope you can find your way back to the good mental place soon and that your back feels better too.  I was thinking of you and your climbing coach crush the other day as I ogled the 18 yo butterfly phenom on our swimteam!  And then I realized that I'm friends with his Mom .

MelW ~ great job on the trail run and hanging with the guys!  Hope the allergist can shed some light on your DD's issues.

Shanti ~ so happy your DS is responding well to medication. 

Gaye ~ I think one of those cholesterol values is suspect too (hopefully the former one).  Hope the synthroid has you feeling full of energy again.  Enjoy your vacation with DS!

jooj ~ I'm on Day8 of another Whole30. Come, join me!  And I love that article you posted too.  DD1 has been called "fat", which she is SO not.  And for heaven's sake, she was 6 years old at the time!  Luckily, it seemed to roll of her back.

RR ~ sadly, none.  It's been 105, 108, and 107 over the last 3 days. Today is 106 and tomorrow 102.  Sorry, not running.  I've been burning the candle at both ends between swim team practices and swim meets. It's fun, but I will be happy when the season is over on July 21.

NRR ~ My sister and her son are visiting this weekend.  We're planning on a lot of swimming!  DS and DD1 are having a great swim season and both are considering the year-round team at the Y for this fall.  Luckily, they don't practice in the morning.  DD2 had an awesome time at art camp and wishes she could do another one.  What a change from my super-attached, extra-clingy girl of last summer!  I guess they make their way in their own time.  I am having issues with another Mom as swim team who likes to put my kids down.  I think I need to sit away from her at practices, because I might punch her.  Seriously!!!!