Swimsuit Shopping

This weekend Josie and I went shopping for swimsuits.  Being only three hours from the ocean means we will be going to the beach.  Now I know that I have put on 20 pounds from the Hashimoto's, but being a size 8 I really didn't think that there would be too many issues getting a swim suit, that was age appropriate, for a reasonable price.  I was wrong....so wrong.

Six Wal-Mart suits that Josie, nor I could fit in

Use to be that I could walk into Wal-Mart, pick a swim suit in the appropriate size and walk out. 30.00 tops!  As I am almost 40, and have a little bit of a gut, I currently am not comfortable in a bikini.  The stretch marks and tendency to burn in the stomach region also always make me think twice about the one piece/two piece debate.  Josie and I quickly realized that those cute triangle tops were doing nothing for our C and D cup chests.  At first I thought trying on the larges would be a hit to my self esteem, which it was when I couldn't pull it up over my hips, but then I had Josie try on the bathing suits.  Guess what?  She couldn't get them up over her hips either and she's a size 6 if we push it.  We moved to some two pieces in hopes that we were weirdly constructed, but even with a extra large top, neither one of us were covering the top half.  The bottom half wasn't working either.  I'm not sure what Wal-Mart is thinking in its stock of bathing attire, but I'm on the small size for Wal-Mart's average customer!

Round I forget!

Our Wal-Mart fiasco behind us, we figured we could find something at the mall.  We both found two pieces, but I'm not about to pay 120.00 for a bikini!  I even found a one piece that promised to make you look ten pounds lighter!  That one will set you back 150.00 and for that much I'll just continue to look fat!  We went to four different stores!  Finally found a two piece for 28.00, for Josie in Old Navy.  I on the other hand had to continue to look because my D cup check has now morphed into and extra large top size at Old Navy.  Wow!  Magically overnight my breast have grown to extra large status!  My husband will be so happy!  Finally ended up at Penny's where thank GOD they were having a sale!  Normally priced at 50.00 and up I was able to find four suits that would cover necessary body parts, without looking like something my grandmother wore in the 20's.  Of the 10 bathing suits I tried on that day, only two met the requirement of covering items that need to be covered!  The suit was originally 80.00 but since I like to stay married I was thankful that it was on sale for 56.00.  That is still more than I have ever paid for a swimsuit and guess what?  My husband was unhappy that it was a one piece!  I'm not ready for another battle, so he'll just have to pretend he likes my new swimsuit for awhile!

My husband unhappy about a one piece!

11 Years and Still Going Strong

Me and My Hubby

Today marks a milestone, I have been married to my husband for 11 years!  God bless him for hanging in there this many years.  Today, people at work were asking why I had not posted a picture of us on our wedding day.  The truth is there wasn't a big fancy wedding.  Brian and I ran up to Tennessee with three kids in tow to tie the knot.  I wore a blue dress and a white sweater.  Brian did wear a shirt and tie so, I guess he was dressed up.  I'm pretty sure the two oldest boys were in sweater vests and my daughter was in a dress.  When we said our vows, the children proceeded to role down the aisle.  When we were done, we loaded back into the car and drove home to Atlanta.  That friends is how a marriage was started!

Brian was present at my first wedding which was a pretty big affair.  In fact he was in the wedding party.  There was a white fancy dress, men in tuxes and I even drove away in a classic Rolls Royce.  That marriage did not last for a variety of reasons, but this one has.  No fancy wedding, or honeymoon to a fancy place.  Three kids that are biologically not his, mountains of debt, migraines, seizures, car wrecks, college degrees, moving-he signed up for this voluntarily and has stayed!

Brian has been one of my best friends since I was 15. He was my partner in crime whenever I wanted to take a road trip to the beach.  When my first serious relationship hit the rocks, he held me while I got snot all over his pants and then went shopping with me to help cheer me up.  The first day of my senior year he brought me pizza and a coke just because.  He suffered a 24 hour car ride with my mother and sisters to make sure I was okay at Mercer.  When I went into labor with my oldest, Brian went to the emergency room with me and then drove in a blizzard to pick up my son's father.  There has never been a time that if I needed Brian that he has not come to my aid (usually with a coke, pizza, cupcake or donuts).  I have never had a truer friend than Brian!

There are times that I wish Brian and I had started our romantic relationship when we were younger.  Life probably would not be as complicated as it has been if, I had not overlooked what was right next to me when I was 15! I'm sure God had his own plans and things happened just how they needed to happen.  There isn't a day that I'm not thankful to be married to my best friend.  He knows me better and loves me more than words can express.  While we have only been married for 11 years, I can't imagine sharing this crazy life with a more wonderful person than my husband!  Here's to more years of going strong!

These Kids!

PJ's for Free Ice Cream!

Elijah loving his dog Noah

This week was spring break for my kids (my break isn't until the end of April) and unlike the other awesome mom's, I went to work.  Other people at school were in the same boat as I was, but managed to take a day or two to spend with their kids.  Some left early to do something special, but my poor kids are stuck with me as their mom so, they played XBox, watched You Tube and just hung around the house.  I'm sure that they ate junk and screamed at each other, but I wasn't here to police it so it didn't really happen (right)?

I'm not a doting mother. Most days I feel pretty guilty in my mom skills after looking at Facebook, Twitter, Pinetrest.  Hell, just going to work and listening to all the wonderful things people are doing for their kids makes me want to cringe. I don't cut up their food, or clean their rooms, or buy all organic food for them.  I don't censor everything that they digest physically, or mentally. I do check their grades twice a day in part because there is no way that we will be able to afford to pay for their college.  All of them can cook, because some nights mom isn't.  These kids, my kids, are independent in part because they have to be.

Colin as Student of the Month

Josie in her chorus dress

While I spend a pretty good bit of time feeling guilty at how much I suck at being a mom, I have to admit it's not all bad not to be super mom.  Due to these kids independent nature, you never know what they are going to do, or what is going to come out of their mouths.  My oldest, Stephen, cusses like a sailor and calls me crazy lady (a title I'm sure I have earned over the years with the grey hairs that he has put on my head), but then will surprise you by taking a kid to the ground at school because he was trying to attack a teacher.  Zeke will have a dramatic fit over an XBox controller, then get up early on Saturday and make everyone cinnamon rolls.  Josie will scream how unfair it is that she has to wash the dishes to the entire neighborhood, but will patiently work with one of her brothers on a project.  Elijah will tell everyone in Wal-Mart that he's going to host People of Wal-Mart, live, on his You Tube channel, then blow my mind in the car when he recognizes Lindsey Stirling music and then goes on to discuss the merits of integrating classical violin with electronic music.  Colin will cry for thirty minutes because you told him he couldn't play electronics, then turn around and bring me a washcloth, coke and a kiss for my migraine.  These kids are independent, loud, fun, crazy, and silly.  These kids are a little lazy one day, then work their fingers to the bone the next.  These kids are sassy and confident that their opinion matters (even when their mother wishes they wouldn't share in the middle of Wal-Mart).  Despite their mother's lack of mom skills, these kids are pretty amazing (most days)!

Zeke bowling

Stephen trying to have a thought

Take It Easy

I would love to be writing about a beautiful 6 mile run I was supposed to take today, but instead all I have to write about is an exciting day of bed rest. Yes, my body failed me again! Apparently,  no one informed it that I had plans. Running plans, baking plans, shopping plans, laundry plans...well I can always pass on laundry plans, but I really planned on my body keeping up with my to do list this weekend.

My body attacks itself. Fatigue is not new to me. I am a mom to 5 busy kids. I'm familiar with joint pain, usually from physical activity. Random swelling, otherwise known as edema of my ankles was a new experience.  That's the Hashimoto's main weapon, random attacks on my joints. Sometimes it's my hands, sometimes my hips, sometimes my knees and maybe if I've been particularly bad my digestive system. I take four different vitamins to assist my body with fighting the urge to attack itself. I follow sleep guidelines, and the laundry list of things I should not eat is longer than the list of things I can eat.  I try to play by the rules so my body will do what I need it to do when I need it to do it. This weekend my body had other plans.

My feet hurt Friday so I went to bed early. 5 am wake up Saturday for Josie's volleyball tournament went fine until I couldn't comfortably fit my feet into my sneakers. Flip flops it was for the tournament.  JROTC Military ball that evening and by 430 my right foot and ankle were three times their normal size. I  put my rather large cankles in some heels and stood in the receiving line, unable to feel my foot any longer. Really thought I was heading to the emergency room, but I made it home where my darling husband demand I sleep with my feet above my head and take it easy all day Sunday.

For the most part I followed husband's orders. I took a nap and then reviewed paperwork on the couch under the direct supervision of the dog. Knowing how much I hate taking it easy, my husband ran me a bath and cooked supper. My ankles and feet are still swollen,  but looking more like feet than marshmallows.  I'm sleeping in compression sleeves in hopes of wearing dress shoes tomorrow to work. There's only so much take it easy this girl can take without a beach to lay on!

He's A Keeper

Elijah in the goal.

Almost three years ago one of the most athletic little boys in the world fell off the bus and broke his arm.  Thus began our journey with epilepsy.  The fall off the bus was a blessing, as it led us to find Elijah's epilepsy before it could do major damage to his brain, or he had a more severe accident.  At the beginning of the process there were lots of tests and lots of questions.  The forced watching of Elijah did not sit well with his independent nature.  Can you imagine being told that you can no longer take a bath or swim by yourself because you could have a seizure and drown?  How about not climbing trees and playground equipment because you could have a seizure and get hurt?  How about being told no soccer, no baseball, no wrestling, no nothing where you can take a head shot?  Oh, and your an 8 year old little boy who loves to do all those things, unassisted and with full abandon. 

That was Elijah when the epilepsy diagnosis was handed down.  While I was busy researching causes, and treatments, Elijah was busy trying to find a way to live a less independent life with a condition that he could not control.  Did I forget to tell you he's wired like his mother and independence just runs in our genes?  While I was creating his 504 and seizure  plans for school, Elijah was getting used the side effects of seizure meds, medical alerts and questions.  Lots of questions on why he couldn't do all the things he use to be able to do.  Knowing that Elijah needed control, he learned to take and manage his seizure meds.  He knows as much about the type of the seizures he has as I do.  While he couldn't play all the sports that he use to, or be left alone, Elijah helped organize the family to form Team Lili to raise money for the Georgia Epilepsy Foundation.  Paired up with his older brother, Elijah has completed several 5k's, but running is a poor substitute for a kid who use to thrive with team sports and contact.

Chasing the ball and giving directions to the defense in his 2nd game

This fall, Elijah was given medical clearance to return to team sports as long as it was not one where his head was in danger.  This eliminated diving, football, wrestling, baseball and pole vaulting.  Soccer was given approval as long as Elijah does not head the ball.  Before his seizures were diagnosed, Elijah had played soccer and was a keeper.  He was pretty good for a little kid.  Aggressive, good hands, not afraid to get in front of a ball, or a kick, or just plan plow a kid over to get a ball was how he played before the seizures.  The kids in his age group were bigger, the goal was bigger and Elijah, well he's a small kid who still has seizures from time to time.  That independent nature of his and his natural tendency to study problems until he finds a solution that works, aid him well in managing his epilepsy and those skills did not fail him when he went back to soccer this spring.

Making a save!

Clearing the ball!

Elijah's coach was a little skeptical that one of the smallest kids on the team could be the keeper.  He was made a believer the first game!  Elijah was rusty, but aggressive against even the big kids,  which are pretty big since 10-14 year olds are playing in his age group.  Few of the kids on his team have played soccer before, and even though it had been three soccer seasons since Elijah played, he was the highlight of the first game.  Very few of the people who watched him that day knew this was his first game back since falling off the bus.  Few of them know that a head shot from a ball, or a high kick probably will mean a week of seizures.  What they saw was pure happiness!  A little boy happy to be on a field, doing what little boys are supposed to do.  The crowd, or the referee, or the other team, or the other team's coaches did not see a boy with epilepsy, but a keeper!  A really good keeper who got lots of congratulations for a job well done (despite losing). Wish I got a picture of those dimples and smile from ear to ear when the high school referee stopped Elijah and told him "Good game Keeper!" but I didn't because I was trying to not cry at how far our little keeper has come!

Throwing the ball out

Learning New Things

This is my first year as an Assistant Principal.  I spent 16 years in the classroom teaching students with disabilities.  Occasionally, I have conversations with people from my teaching past that ask me questions about how life is on the admin side of education.  I do get lots of questions about how I feel about my new job.  Many days I just don't know how I feel about being an Assistant Principal.  More days then not I wonder if I'm doing anything right and every day I learn something new.  Here are a few of the things that I have learned since becoming an Assistant Principal.

1. Don't plan on getting paper and pencil tasks done while teachers, or students are present in the building.

2. Cell phones, dress codes and candy are just as much as a headache as they were when you were a teacher, only now your the person dishing out the consequences.

3. No one like consequences for their actions if they are negative, but if someone else needs negative consequences they better get them.

4. There is always too much work to do and too little time to get it done.

5. Food is the greatest motivator!

6. I know that teachers have better things to do then go to another meeting, but I still have to have one.

7.  When in doubt, smile and nod.

8. There's never enough supplies or money to get the things done that you want to.

9. Sometimes there is not a right answer.

10. Smiling, saying "hello, I'm glad you're here" and really meaning it can make all the difference. (Even if you say it to the new Assistant Principal)

The new AP demonstrating appropriate dress code.  Yes I wore the suspenders all day to prove a point!

First Half Marathon of the Season

Home post race

Last weekend about this time I arrived home from my 6th half marathon. The Snickers- Albany half marathon in my new home town.  It was a beautiful day and a flat course.  Two things that should make for a wonderful half marathon.  Of course nothing goes as planned around here, which is what I guess makes things so entertaining.

Where a lot of the money goes!

I had been sick for about a month.  I missed two of my long runs due to a sinus infection and busted ear drums from double ear infections.  Ever try to run with busted ear drums?  Not only can you not hear your awesome play list, but that balance thing actually turns out to be very important to staying upright.  Anyways, the carefully Jeff Galloway constructed training plan didn't go as planned.  When I woke up that morning, I really didn't feel up to the race, but as my darling husband pointed out before he went to work, I did pay money to run. Lots of money to run.

A selfie after the race

I finished the race in 3:13:20. It was also my first solo race.  My husband had to work so I finished with no support at the end of the race.  It was odd to be one of the few people there without family to congratulate you (or carry you back to the car).  Since there wasn't any husband or children to take pictures of me running I managed to take on of myself overlooking the river at the finish. I have spent the rest of the week recovering. I didn't get the regular 11 mile cramps and the ladies in my running group kept me motivated throughout the run.  I have already made plans for the next half marathon in May.  I'm hoping to stay healthy through training this cycle, even if it is one of the busiest times of the year.  Wish me luck! (Oh and the next race my husband will be there with me to carry me back to the car)