"Take your vitamins"

After our big scare in December, I was a tad nervous for Goose to get sick again.  Within 3 weeks after William getting out of the hospital, he was sick 2 times.  He was able to fight off each of the sicknesses like a champ.

When we went into the doc for the final check I asked the doc "Will his nose run all the time???"  

His response - "Expect him to get sick every 3 weeks."  

Um okay (with a nervous laugh)...

Sure enough every 3 weeks he has been sick and he has fought everything off like it was no big deal.

I have figured out some tips to keep us all healthy and ways of getting the vitamins down.

The basics to stay healthy:  Drink lots of water, sleep full nights (and naps), eat healthy and exercise.

The more difficult ones with a toddler:

1 - Take your vitamins.  Toddler taking a liquid multi-vitamin is not easy...  Mixing it with Odwalla Superfood saves the day.  And I give it to him at the beginning of a meal - he drinks it so fast I don't think he even notices that it taste a little funny.

2 - Freeze Plain Organic Kefir yogurt in extra mini ice cube trays.  Oh my this is the best treat ever and great teething relief!  At about 12 months old, little Goose decided he didn't like ANY pureed food and yep that included yogurt. I find that he benefits from yogurt so much from digestion to diaper rash, When he decided that yogurt was not yummy anymore, I came up with this little idea and it has been a huge change (and a fabulous dessert option). 

3 - Brush thy teeth (and tongue).  William went to the dentist for the first time last week and she taught us some new tricks to brush Gooses teeth.  The number one trick - hold the chin down while brushing.  I am able to get all teeth and the entire tongue - Yippee!  Sounds easy, but if you have a wiggle worm, then a little distraction and/or being held down a tad by another person helps tremendously.  Oh also another thing dentist said was for juice and milk - only 3 times a day for no more than 5 minutes - check.

Last week William ended up with the icky cough and snotty nose thing going around.  I called the nurse help line on Sat morning and she told me that the cough will last for 3 weeks and the nose will run for about 2 weeks.   It is amazing for a little guy who sounds so awful - how can he still have so much energy??  What a tough guy with an awesome immune system!

Watching the rain with Kee-Ka

Defeat

I think today was the first day I felt defeat, but I have this way of brushing it off my shoulders.

Today, was a tad different.  I have been running around, trying to catch my tail for the last three months: at work, at home, with Goose, with my husband, with me.

Yesterday, I got to work and took stuff out of my file cabinet to work on, thinking about my nice, beautiful long list of all the things I needed to get done at work by the end of the week....  Beep, beep (the best intercom noise I can make) "I need an override..." or "Can you help me?" or "How do you do this?"...

The other scenario was:  I took stuff out of my file cabinet to work on, and some one walks in and says oh I need to talk to her... Pointing at me...

The files I just took out was slowly being put back into my file cabinet  and locked (needs to be locked up every time I leave my desk or if I have a client there...).

This is all I accomplished yesterday - OH and telling one of my employees to QUIT telling me I was stressed!  I didn't feel stress, I felt EXTREMELY annoyed that all I was accomplishing was unlocking my drawers, taking files out, putting the files back in and then locking my door! 

Yesterday, was a day I wished so hard I had a door, could close it and get everything done productively!

Today...

I felt like someone didn't think I was doing a good job, from my understanding even complained!!!  I could NOT believe it!  I come to work early I leave at the same time everyone else does.  I chase my tail all day, go home, think of a plan for the next day, wake up re-energized, and chase my tail again.  All at the same time doing this at home too!!

DEFEAT!

I do a good job, my employers would not have done what they have done for me this last year, if I didn't do a good job.  Yes, I may not get my entire list done, but that is what tomorrow is for!

But this is the reason I brush it off and start over again:

I love you my boys!

Just a tad difficult

I am having a hard time with my new list.  Maybe I feel I am failing since there are a few things I am having a hard time with, so lets focus on the positive!

• I have made 2 appts with the dentist - one for a teeth cleaning and the other for a cavity(ies) I might have.  I also got in the swing of things - found a great dentist for Goose and made an appt for him too!  I have been using my Sonicare and flossing like crazy - BTW - I love Listerine! 
• I have been visiting my chiro and tomorrow is my first massage!
• I put together a podcast to teach me about meditation.  What a perfect place to do it - at work!!  Lets see how that goes tomorrow... ;0)
• I have increased my water intake, but my decrease of coffee has gone to a "large" cup of coffee (got to start somewhere - right??)

My routine is the most difficult thing to break!!!  I think that is the toughest part of my list of goals.  Maybe I need some sort of reminder - like a pinch to the arm or something like that...  

That is about it, but here are a few photos of Goose which make me smile:

A reminder spring is just around the corner - Yes, Goose is not in the picture...

Just a little kiss from Kee-Ka

Never leaves his side

A shadow!  Oh we adore the sun!!!

My new favorite new photo...  Sweet Goose - What a trooper this last week!!!  I am so proud of you!

Let Me Introduce Goose's Buddy... Kee-Ka

Sucia is Kee-Ka to our little one.  About a month ago we were hiking up to Fragrance Lake and for the first 30 minutes Will kept repeating "kee-ka, kee-ka, kee-ka."  He fell asleep and woke saying the same thing.   We didn't put two and two together until we told Sucia to jump into the car and Goose got so excited and screamed - "Kee-Ka!!!" 

So Sucia got a new name...

Sucia is our patient, gorgeous, sweet two year old, golden retriever.  I always wanted to have a golden named Sucia - after my most favorite island in the San Juan Islands. 

Goose has become the best of buddies with Sucia (Kee-Ka).  Here is a day with Will's most favorite buddy in the whole wide world...

"Lets see can I lean on you?"

"OR maybe I can climb over you?"

"Kee-Ka, maybe one day I can ride you - what do you think....?"

"Um - Goose that hurts... Just a little!!!"

"Oh I could eat you up Kee-Ka!!!"

"Goose, I am bored, lets do something..."

"Kee-Ka, lets go for a walk... Or maybe we should go mess with the chickens? Roosters? What do you want to do??"

"

"Goose, how about we go outside and run circles??  Or we could go outside and I could tackle you?"

 "Kee-Ka what is 'tackle'???"

"How about I show you - Goose...  Um...  Just kidding... 
How about you grab my nose again!" 

An Idea From the Past

A few days ago I woke up with a chink in my neck.  I flashed back to the day I had an awful experience with my neck cramping up like a charlie horse.  I stretched, drank water and babied it for the day.  The next morning I woke up the same, but my jaw was hurting too.  And the next same, and the next worse... So I broke down and called the chiropractor. 

Last night I was thinking, "What is wrong with me???"  I have been sick 4-5 to times since last November.  My neck is killing me.  My jaw has this dull pain.  I have headaches.  I feel just gross inside.  And then I realized something as I was making this mental check list in my head - My body is screaming at me!  It was telling me that I needed to take better care of myself - NOW!

As I was thinking about my realization, I just could not help but realize the excuses I kept coming up with - I didn't have time (more like it I wasn't making time).  In all reality, I haven't since I had my little boy.  

For me to start taking care of myself, I needed to change my behavior. 

Suddenly, I flashed back to huge life changing event in my life.

The event I am talking about was one that lots of people in this country deal with - debt.  I had the worst spending habits and I felt like I just could not keep my head above water!  I broke down one night and showed my husband (who at the time was my boyfriend) what kind of mess I was in.  It was a huge deal for me, but also for him.  I started paying it, but it wasn't going as planned and my behavior continued. 

One day, at the dinner table, I got the best advice of my life from my now mother in law: 

• Live on one income and save or pay off debt with the second income 

Between the two of us we had quite a bit of debt - manageable, but annoying and frustrating for both us.  We went home that evening and devised a plan.  The cards were long gone, so no need to cut them up, but we totaled up everything we owed and made a very detailed plan and budget.  It was hard and trying at times, but very exciting!  When we paid off the first card we just about had a party.  Then the next and the next and finally it was all paid off - car, tractor, and credit cards all a zero balance.  We were amazed at the road we took and what we accomplished (and what we are still accomplishing)! 

So, when I think about the change I need to make in my behavior on taking care of myself I look at it in the same light I did a few years ago. 

I need to make a MAJOR change to my behavior.  

I have a nice long list of thing I need to do, so I think I will tackle them one step at a time.  We paid of each credit card/loan as we went, so I will need to do the same here. 

First, I need to get to the dentist.  So my first goal is to set an appointment with them to get my teeth clean and checked.  If I have any cavities, schedule an appoint right a way.  Plus, consistently care for my teeth - floss (once a day), brush (2xs a day), Listerine, etc. 

Second, go the chiropractor regularly.  It is amazing the pain I feel, I can see in my scan and my x-rays - my back is a mess and that needs to get fixed.  That will include stretches and strengthening daily.  Plus, massage weekly for one month (especially since my insurance will cover it - Yay!) and then every other week after that.

Third, take care of my lungs.  I have asthma.  And I really don't care for them like I should, which I will pay for when I get older.  So, I need to use my medications like I should and get my asthma back under control. 

Forth, drink 80 oz of water a day (10 - 8 oz a day).  And stop drinking things that will dehydrate me - coffee, beer, etc.  Maybe one glass of red wine - ever once in a while...

Fifth, exercise.  I am going to start out with 2-3 times a week, plus the one hike a week we do as a family.  My goal is to exercise at least 5 times a week, so I am going to start out slow and move up.

Sixth, find 30 minutes 3 times a week to meditate.  I want to master meditation.  

6 changes are good to start out with.   

Yippee!