Busy, busy....

Busy, busy.... that's me, these days. Between directing & producing the spring musical for the Kaleidoscope Children's Choir, and helping to coordinate our summer Work & Witness trip to Dominica, I'm meetin' myself coming and going. Toss in taking care of Kenzie 2 days a week, and normal household stuff, it all makes for a very busy life right now. For a season.

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My sprained ankle is healing. I'm able to walk on it with no problems. Just can't turn it quickly and I have to be careful with it. Still really bruised and a bit swollen, but I will survive.

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I started a diet. Last Friday, I went to a diet doctor over in Overland Park. I was interested in doing the HCG diet, where you get a shot of this hormone that pregnant people produce, and it works to burn off the belly fat, well, any excess fat. But, the NP said because of my history with breast cancer, I'm not a candidate for this program. So, instead, I'm doing a liquid fasting diet. I slapped down a buncha money and got my "supplements," gave them some blood, counseled with them, and away I went. So, Saturday, I started the diet. I'm supposed to drink 6 shakes a day, along with 64 oz of water. It's all a mind game with me. I love to eat. So much of life is around what we're eating. We celebrate stuff with food. I love to eat. But.... not at the moment. Saturday, I was like obsessed with not 'chewing' anything. Sunday, I was obsessed with not 'chewing' anything. By Wednesday, I knew I'd made a mistake. I was dying to have something to eat, chew on, and taste, other than chocolate or vanilla. I'd lost 5 lbs so far, but I was in a state of panic, fearful that I'd once again failed a weight loss program. So, I called Don. No answer. I made a sandwich. Two slices of whole grain bread, a schmear of mayo, some mustard, and 2 fried eggs. MMMmmmm.... but, I could hardly finish it. I felt soooo full. Then I called Misha, the counselor. She calmed me down and said that this is very normal. She said I needed to eat along with the supplemental shakes. So, now, I can have 4 - 6 oz of either chicken, fish or turkey, grilled, broiled or baked, and 2 cups of cooked green vegetables. In addition to that, I will be having 4 of those supplemental shakes a day. I can deal with this. I also take lots of vitamins & omega 3 fish oil caplets. I can have diet soda if I want. I don't drink diet sodas, well, haven't in months. And I won't drink regular sodas right now either. But yesterday, before choir rehearsal, I drove thru Sonic and got myself a large diet cherry limeade. OMGosh, I felt like I was really treating myself! Yum... Tomorrow I go back to the doctor to weigh & get more supplements & counsel. Their goal for me is to lose 60 lbs. I thought I needed to lose 80. They said for me to get to 60 and see how I'm feeling before losing any more. That for my age, body type & height, that I needed to weigh *** lbs. which is 20 lbs more than I was figuring... So, we'll see. I hope to be at a good weight before we go to Dominica in June. Encouragement. I need encouragement. The extremely low calorie diet that this is puts me into a ketotonic state, where my body will burn the extra fat and leave the muscle. Hmmm... I'm not hungry, tho. They said that I wouldn't be, because of the fat being metabolized and burned.

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Next week, I will add back in exercise. I'll start walking, or riding my bike. I'll also get out April's yoga dvd. I have to watch it, tho, since my calorie intake is so limited right now. So, I'll do walking, which the np recommended, and some weight training. I may get on the bike. But we do have hills, so, the bike may have to wait until I get more weight off first.

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Mackenzie is a little dollbaby. She's making motor sounds with her mouth now, which is too cute. And she's eating solids. Today she had oatmeal for breakfast (organic, of course), peas for lunch which I made for her, and peaches that Meg bought for an afternoon snack. Tomorrow, after my dr. appt., I'll take my vitamix machine over to Meg's house and we will be whipping out some homemade baby food. We'll be making peas, carrots, peaches, prunes, and possibly green beans. Meg will freeze them in ice cube trays, and then pop them into freezer bags once the food cubes are frozen. The vitamix is perfect for pureeing the foods. I love the feeling that I'm needed. Meg says that she's freaking out a little about having to make Kenzie's food. She's afraid she won't know how. So, she asked me to come over tomorrow to do it with her. Fun times....

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The phone rang the other day. "Hello?" "Hello, Grandma." Christian just wanted to call and chat. I loved that. He was telling me all sorts of stuff, most of which I couldn't understand. But I loved it anyway. He's growing up so quickly. He's no longer a toddler, but a little boy. I love how he's so creative, and he uses his logic and thinks about stuff. He is sooooo good, and I'm not biased! He's the perfect grandson!

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Lily is such a little doll.... she's growing so quickly! She's standing on stuff now, and ya know what that means.... soon she'll be walking. And she's only 9 months old. Oy... She is just adorable tho. The other day, I was watching all 3 grandkids, and since Kenzie was in the crib, Lily didn't get her nap, until she fell asleep in my arms. I loved that.... She's just such a good, happy, peaceful little girl....

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Cali is the protector. Whenever Kenzie is over here, and napping up in the nursery, and starts to cry, Cali makes sure I know about it. And she runs upstairs and stands outside of the nursery door until I get in there. And she loves kissing the kids. All the time. And when they're on the floor playing with their toys, she brings her own toys over to play with too. Cute, but sometimes aggravating! She does love those babies, tho...

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Don is so supportive of my new diet. I don't know whether it's just because he loves me and wants to see me succeed, or if it's because he's just tired of having an overweight wife! LOL At any rate, he cooked my chicken and green beans tonight, since I was wiped out from a day of Kenzie not sleeping. Whatta guy.

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Our tax problems are still hanging over our heads. We need to get this taken care of ASAP. Hopefully tomorrow, I can give that lawyer a call. I want this over. Done. Zapped.

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And that's my life so far...