I lost the pound (and .2) I gained...

but that was last Saturday, so the question is, will I lose anything this week? Ok, ok, let me rejoice and remain positive!
I'll explain. It really was a miracle I lost anything last week though, because I was hungry every day, all day long, all week long. I didn't keep my food journal and I reluctantly went to my WW meeting last Saturday. I so very much did not want to go. I am convinced the only reason I lost that one pound was because the night before my Weight Watchers meeting my son had a 103.6 fever and I had just given him Tylenol an hour before I read the thermometer.
Have you ever had that sinking feeling when your child is sick? You know the feeling you get when what usually works really well to remedy the illness isn't working and you begin to realize you are moving into unknown territory, or at least territory you haven't visited since your child was 8 or 9.
Plus you realize at 15, your child is more like a young adult and a 103.6 fever is quite high for a young adult and you think back about how a week before you were in a foreign country and all these thoughts come into your mind in rapid succession-in other words, panic starts to set in. Have you ever felt that way as a parent?
Yeah, I was a little concerned, so I called the doctor at 10 PM last Friday, and I was pre-screened by the doctor's phone service. I respect that totally. And I noticed as I spoke to her my voice was shaking, then I remember thinking, wow I must be really worried. Then she asked me, "how did you take his temperature?" and when I replied with my shaky voice, " with a thermometer, I..." (I can laugh at my answer now) she said rather loudly and not so nicely, interrupting me as I kept talking, "ORALLY or RECTALLY?"
where upon my shaky voice disappeared as I morphed into Super Mom and I said, " ORALLY." but I said it in a tone that really meant, don't f#@&# with me now, just get the f-ing doctor on the phone, now please." & she did so and she did so very quickly. & I was relieved immediately because the doctor who was on call has seen my son a lot this year and she knew exactly what I should do and I did so and he is fine. God bless his doctor and her phone service screener person (and I mean that most sincerely).
Yes, he was fine about an hour after that call actually. Though I spent the next couple of hours in the bathroom evacuating everything in my bowels. This seems to happen to me when I get scared. Thankfully I don't get scared too much.
So, I am convinced that is how I lost a pound last week. So the ticker has been moved in the right direction! I guess every cloud has a silver lining.

thought you would enjoy a picture of her cuteness. please click on photo to see cuteness details up close and why she looks like a living breathing beany baby.

God only knows what else he is capable of.

There he goes my son, heading to the golf cart ready to take it for another spin. I had no idea he could drive. He went out for the first time with his Dad and a close family friend who insisted that Ian drive them out to the course. There was a whole line up of carts ready to leave and there was my son in the drivers seat. The cart seemed simple enough to operate. So as they drove away there sat my son looking confident when barely a second passed he turned to the right and drove directly into the line up of cars next to his! I tried not to look. The negative possibilities were endless, but since Ian was driving I felt like that in order for me to be a good parent this was one of those situations where it was essential that I be there whether I like it or not.
All the manly golfers behind them had to stop their carts and wait until Ian backed up his cart and straighten it out so there was, how shall I say, some beers before noon direction being given by the golfing men. In other words, lots of shouting and cursing by the men waiting to golf. Ian was climbing out of the cart trying to escape, but our family friend Tommy wouldn't have any of it. With a look of glee in his eyes Tommy insisted my son sit down and take his time backing up the cart (thereby etching a place in my heart forever) as Ian proceeded to floor it in reverse & crash into golfers behind him. By this time the manly golfers saw what was going on and perhaps sympathized a little as they recollected their own early driving days. The tension subsided as they more patiently began to laugh a little. Seconds later my son drove off acting perfectly capable and I imagine somewhat thrilled as if nothing had happened.
Let's face it though, a nearly fourteen year old can only watch four men golf for so long. Why drive them around having to stop and wait when he could drive his mother around the golf course uninterrupted?
Yeah, that was exciting and unexpected (for me). Let's just say I sprouted a few grey hairs that day, two when I had to grab the wheel and two more as I shouted, "Brake, brake!
At some point while driving his Dad and friends around Ian realized, yes, I can do this and I do it rather well. Ian came back from that experience somehow changed. Sitting beside him watching as he navigated the narrowly paved course the word fearless kept entering my mind. Ian is acting fearless I thought, and this scares me.
What concerns me though is how my son is now totally convinced he can drive. If I gave him the car keys so he could go run an errand for me, I believe he wouldn't think twice about obliging. I guess it's good, this teen spirit. If kids didn't feel compelled to move forward, life wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

Thanks Uncle Paul for lovingly watching over your nephew Ian.

isn't this beautiful?

This is where all the children sat at their graduation dinner. Parents of one of my son's fellow classmates were kind enough to decorate the school for the occasion. It is really inspiring to see how so many parents donate their time and energy to all of the children that their child goes to school with. It really is beautiful.

Look at This!!!

This week is finals week for our son and this is what I found when I walked into our spare room last night. Not that I haven't seen this before. It's just that I can't get over how much information the students in his 8th grade class are expected to digest and retain. It seems like a ton.
As my husband sat in the car, about to leave for the golf range, Ian suddenly yelled out the window, "Mom I know my final is important but so is spending quality time with my Dad, so I think I better go with him." I couldn't find an argument for that. I mean exactly how much time is he supposed to study? I trust him to know for himself or at least give him the space to find out through his own experience.
Please say a prayer for all the children who are under pressure these next few weeks as they prepare for their finals. Please pray for them so that they can deal with whatever the outcome may be. They need our support, especially the ones who don't have any support.

Ian's Audition for the Glee Club

I thought I would pick Ian up a little early from school yesterday so he could prepare himself for his audition. I didn't want to be rushed. I wanted him to have some moments to himself to shed his school day and try and relax. Plus he had to practice his songs a bit.
As he sat next to me in the small space of our car and started to practice I started to worry. I wouldn't say he sounded bad, but he just didn't sound like himself. His voice sounded tired. Panis Angelicus always sounds pretty when he sings it. As angelic as Ian sounded yesterday, it sounded like something was missing. Was it his energy? I couldn't put my finger on it. The principal at his school was telling me all the kids have been overtired lately. They think it's the allergy inducing air tiring everybody out. Ian's DR said last week that this Spring in NY has been the worst allergy season he has ever seen. Great- I thought, the timing for this audition is just not good at all.
We had to wait for another student to finish his audition. I started talking with God. I know when I am talking with him because I start to feel an inner calm. I start getting reasonable thoughts in my brain that I don't believe would be there in such circumstances unless God was there to comfort me. Like for instance, I started to realize that you know, whatever is going to happen is going to happen. Why not just let God's will unfold? I prayed a simple prayer taking me out of my own head asking God to please let his will be done, bless Ian and the other people involved with the auditions today. Help them all to follow your path Lord. This always makes me feel noble when I pray for all those involved. I think God likes it when I start to think of others and what they may be going through in our shared set of circumstances. It always makes me feel better when I remember to do this.
Yes, this teacher is about to decide something important for our son, but you know what? In actuality God is the one making the decisions through this wonderful teacher. ( I could tell he is wonderful because he is so into it.) In other words, if Ian doesn't get in the glee club, that means he's not suppose to be there.
As I was waiting for my son as he auditioned for the glee club at the high school he will be attending in the Fall, I was completely overcome with emotion. It happened all at once, it was worse than getting choked up. It felt like that type of soul wrenching feeling when you just know without a doubt that God gives us many gifts. Like when you see our creator busy looking for opportunities to let his light shine through us so completely so the world can feel his presence. I believe God created music for precisely this reason. It breaks down all barriers, it's sole purpose being to unite all of us.
I turned to face the row of lockers to avoid eye contact with two students passing by.
Outside the open doorway we could clearly hear Ian in the middle of singing Hey Jude. The students stopped in their tracks one asking the other, "Who is that, hey do you know him?" Watching this my happy tears turned to laughter thinking to myself, I can't wait to tell Ian about this!
Towards the end of his audition I started to get the feeling the teacher was making it a lengthy one so that he could continue to hear him sing. To make a long story short Ian got in the glee club.
The only problem now is he has to decide between either the glee club or the orchestra. The teacher told him to follow his heart.
OK God, it's me again...