I've running an experiment on my kids. I know that may sound bad, but I'm with them all day, why not experiment on them? lol. For the best, of course. This summer I've relaxed a bit when it comes to sugar intake, morning cartoons, and TV dinners (against my better judgement). It's been a full summer with a lot of "circumstances" that took priority, and so I would just stick my kids in front of a movie and take care of my own business. And I would bribe them with candy just to take a nap each day. And that's just not my style. I don't do stuff like that. Well, I didn't, until recently. And my kids have turned into wild monkeys that whine all the time and if they don't get their way, throw a fit. So I am in search of a cure. Don't tell me to read the latest parenting book or pray about it, I've done all that. And I've learned a lot. But there's more to it. There needs to be action.
So this week, the kids are on a "break" as I'm calling it, from sugar and from television/movies. I want to see if there's a difference in them. What's interesting to me (it's only been 2 days since we started this), is that they haven't missed it yet, like I thought they would. Tristan asked once why we didn't have a picnic lunch on the living room floor (which means movie time), and Kira begged to watch Super Why while I cooked dinner, but I answered them plainly, and gave them options for a different activity and they were fine.
What's MOST interesting, is my involvement. When the television is off, I naturally am spending more time with them. Playing "hide-and-go-seek", coloring, reading books, reading more books, playing with dolls, trains, letting them "do" my hair, letting them help me clean and cook, etc...etc... For the first time in the 3 years of my daughter's life, I have found her occupying herself. If I'm busy cooking or Tristan is playing in the backyard, Kira will wander up to her room and play with her dollhouse and ponies for hours. I didn't even know she was capable of occupying herself!
So, the cure is on it's way. 2 days in, and I'm seeing success already. I hope it continues. But I am leaning towards the real cure, which I believe is TIME. The time I am spending with my kids now is quality. Simple. Fun. Priceless. I can't wait to see how closer we have become at the end of this week, and how happier and less whiny this household can be.
If you feel your kids are out of control and whining all the time, I suggest you try this. For a week. See what happens. You'll be surprised. It may be the hardest week of your life, but it will be the most rewarding. And if your kids ask why they can't have a cookie for finishing their dinner, you say, "It's because in this house, we eat our dinner no matter what. We don't need a reward to do what is right". :-) They'll catch on. Mine have already, and it's only been 2 days.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
What I've heard ...
I haven't blogged in a while, as usual ... it's been a crazy, challenging, busy, awesome, tiring, depressing, inspiring, and educational (and the list goes on) summer. ;-)
As soon as I've had time to clear my thoughts and REALLY sit down and write, I have some good stuff to blog about, but for now, since I'm still trying to catch back up on life after vacation, here are some things I thought were entertaining.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What I've heard this past week from the mouths of my children:
Tristan: "Mom, let's play doctor. I think you need to come see me in my office, and I need to take your blood pressure, because you're really losing it" (his exact words, no joke!!!). "And if you don't weigh enough, you may need to be shot." (in which he proceeds to give me a "shot", lol)
Kira: "Mama, the CD's are falling off of my dress!" (we bought her a little pink dress in Puerta Vallarta at one of the street vendors, and it's covered in silver sequins. Apparently, she thought they were CD's.
Tristan: "I want a snack, but please no crack". Me: "What did you just say?"(trying to stay calm). Tristan: "I want a snack, but I'm tired of crackers, I want something else". Me: "Oh ok, please say the whole word next time, otherwise people will think you mean a different word". Tristan: "Oh like they might think I mean cookies?". Where do kids come up with these things?
Me: "Kira, it's time to sit down for dinner". Kira: "I'm just not ready".
Tristan: "Mommy, you forgot to spank me after I disobeyed you at our friend's house."
Me: "Kira, would you like to go in the bouncy house?" Kira: "I'm too big for the bouncy house".
Tristan: "When I wake up in the morning, I want to see you sitting on the couch having your devotions and you can say to me, 'Goodmorning, Tristan! You woke up just in time to spend time with Jesus'." (Who's the parent here? haha)
As soon as I've had time to clear my thoughts and REALLY sit down and write, I have some good stuff to blog about, but for now, since I'm still trying to catch back up on life after vacation, here are some things I thought were entertaining.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What I've heard this past week from the mouths of my children:
Tristan: "Mom, let's play doctor. I think you need to come see me in my office, and I need to take your blood pressure, because you're really losing it" (his exact words, no joke!!!). "And if you don't weigh enough, you may need to be shot." (in which he proceeds to give me a "shot", lol)
Kira: "Mama, the CD's are falling off of my dress!" (we bought her a little pink dress in Puerta Vallarta at one of the street vendors, and it's covered in silver sequins. Apparently, she thought they were CD's.
Tristan: "I want a snack, but please no crack". Me: "What did you just say?"(trying to stay calm). Tristan: "I want a snack, but I'm tired of crackers, I want something else". Me: "Oh ok, please say the whole word next time, otherwise people will think you mean a different word". Tristan: "Oh like they might think I mean cookies?". Where do kids come up with these things?
Me: "Kira, it's time to sit down for dinner". Kira: "I'm just not ready".
Tristan: "Mommy, you forgot to spank me after I disobeyed you at our friend's house."
Me: "Kira, would you like to go in the bouncy house?" Kira: "I'm too big for the bouncy house".
Tristan: "When I wake up in the morning, I want to see you sitting on the couch having your devotions and you can say to me, 'Goodmorning, Tristan! You woke up just in time to spend time with Jesus'." (Who's the parent here? haha)
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Broken vs. Put Back Together
I had a revelation the other day ...
The kids were going crazy and begging me to see my bell collection. (Background: I grew up overseas, and collected little bells from every country I went to as a child). So, to quiet the kids down, I reached for one of my bells from my collection and was about to hand it to a child, when it slipped out of my hands and broke into pieces on the kitchen floor. I don't cry every often. And that made me cry. It was my Italy bell. I love Italy. I've been there about 3 times and would go again if I could. But the responsibility to my children reminded me that a trip to Europe wasn't in the agenda anytime soon. Oh and the recent development of my inability to even take part in Italian food ever again, brought those tears to my eyes.
I gathered up the pieces, and set them aside, as I went back to my energy-filled children, looking at me with their giant curious eyes, and we chose to do an art project instead. Hours later, (it felt like decades), when the kids were finally asleep for the night, I gathered up the pieces of my broken Italy bell in my hand and just stared at them for several seconds, until it dawned on me ... "I am a Mother. Therefore, I am Superwoman. If I can kiss 'owwies'(sp?) to make them better, replace batteries in 5 seconds or less to keep a child from screaming, hem a Karate outfit by hand to fit my toddler who doesn't even know what Karate is, brainwash my 2 year old into loving to brush her teeth, clean the ENTIRE house in under 10 minutes because I just remembered I had a playdate scheduled and I didn't want my friend to think I was a slob, and manage to transform from 'stay at home mom in sweatpants' to 'sexy wife in a sundress with lipstick, jewelry, and perfume on', because my husband called and said he's on his way home from work ... IF I CAN DO ALL THAT (and more, lol), AND STILL HAVE MY SANITY, I CAN FIX THIS DARN BELL. :-)
So I did. See pictures at right for proof of my amazing abilities.
After I did, as I placed that "put back together" Italy bell on my display shelf, THAT is when I had my revelation ... Here it is:
In a heartbeat, something can happen that shatters our world. We feel broken, a mess, unraveled. News about the death of a loved one, a deadline at work you know you can't meet, a national disaster that couldn't be prevented even if we tried ... and we're distraught, without a solution or remedy. Then, someone who cares enough, stares at the broken pieces of our hearts, and picks them up, one by one, with determination to put back together what once was shattered. And prevails. Putting back together the broken pieces and making them one again. It takes time, precision, determination, and patience. But it gets done. That is it's destiny. That Italy bell was made to be a bell. Not a bunch of pieces on the floor. Certainly, the pieces on the floor were used to teach a lesson, or to inspire this blog, but there was a destiny for this bell to be a bell. And to bring back memories of childhood and travels and faith in God. I would have never seen Italy as a child, if it weren't for my parents' faith in God to serve Him overseas all those years.
I see myself as that bell. This past year, I feel like I've been suddenly dropped. Broken into a bunch of pieces on the floor. And without help, there's no way I could put myself back together again. It's been a hard year. One crisis after another, one challenge after another, one disappointment after another. If it weren't for my faith in God and His Divine Hand orchestrating my life, and making sure my destiny be fulfilled, I would still be those broken pieces on the floor. But now, I feel his steady and patient hand, putting me back together again, one piece at a time. And now, as I am coming out of this broken season, I am ready to be whole again, as an example of what love, determination and patience can do to a little broken bell! :-)
It's late, and this may not make sense to anyone, but I just had to share it. Hope it encourages you. And also, I really wanted to share in my accomplishment of putting my Italy bell back together, all by myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The kids were going crazy and begging me to see my bell collection. (Background: I grew up overseas, and collected little bells from every country I went to as a child). So, to quiet the kids down, I reached for one of my bells from my collection and was about to hand it to a child, when it slipped out of my hands and broke into pieces on the kitchen floor. I don't cry every often. And that made me cry. It was my Italy bell. I love Italy. I've been there about 3 times and would go again if I could. But the responsibility to my children reminded me that a trip to Europe wasn't in the agenda anytime soon. Oh and the recent development of my inability to even take part in Italian food ever again, brought those tears to my eyes.
I gathered up the pieces, and set them aside, as I went back to my energy-filled children, looking at me with their giant curious eyes, and we chose to do an art project instead. Hours later, (it felt like decades), when the kids were finally asleep for the night, I gathered up the pieces of my broken Italy bell in my hand and just stared at them for several seconds, until it dawned on me ... "I am a Mother. Therefore, I am Superwoman. If I can kiss 'owwies'(sp?) to make them better, replace batteries in 5 seconds or less to keep a child from screaming, hem a Karate outfit by hand to fit my toddler who doesn't even know what Karate is, brainwash my 2 year old into loving to brush her teeth, clean the ENTIRE house in under 10 minutes because I just remembered I had a playdate scheduled and I didn't want my friend to think I was a slob, and manage to transform from 'stay at home mom in sweatpants' to 'sexy wife in a sundress with lipstick, jewelry, and perfume on', because my husband called and said he's on his way home from work ... IF I CAN DO ALL THAT (and more, lol), AND STILL HAVE MY SANITY, I CAN FIX THIS DARN BELL. :-)
So I did. See pictures at right for proof of my amazing abilities.
After I did, as I placed that "put back together" Italy bell on my display shelf, THAT is when I had my revelation ... Here it is:
In a heartbeat, something can happen that shatters our world. We feel broken, a mess, unraveled. News about the death of a loved one, a deadline at work you know you can't meet, a national disaster that couldn't be prevented even if we tried ... and we're distraught, without a solution or remedy. Then, someone who cares enough, stares at the broken pieces of our hearts, and picks them up, one by one, with determination to put back together what once was shattered. And prevails. Putting back together the broken pieces and making them one again. It takes time, precision, determination, and patience. But it gets done. That is it's destiny. That Italy bell was made to be a bell. Not a bunch of pieces on the floor. Certainly, the pieces on the floor were used to teach a lesson, or to inspire this blog, but there was a destiny for this bell to be a bell. And to bring back memories of childhood and travels and faith in God. I would have never seen Italy as a child, if it weren't for my parents' faith in God to serve Him overseas all those years.
I see myself as that bell. This past year, I feel like I've been suddenly dropped. Broken into a bunch of pieces on the floor. And without help, there's no way I could put myself back together again. It's been a hard year. One crisis after another, one challenge after another, one disappointment after another. If it weren't for my faith in God and His Divine Hand orchestrating my life, and making sure my destiny be fulfilled, I would still be those broken pieces on the floor. But now, I feel his steady and patient hand, putting me back together again, one piece at a time. And now, as I am coming out of this broken season, I am ready to be whole again, as an example of what love, determination and patience can do to a little broken bell! :-)
It's late, and this may not make sense to anyone, but I just had to share it. Hope it encourages you. And also, I really wanted to share in my accomplishment of putting my Italy bell back together, all by myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Questions From My 4 Year Old
It's been a very interesting week full of discussions with my 4 year old son ... some of these have made it to facebook and some have not. Just to give you a glimpse of how entertaining parenting can be, here are his questions:
1). Why is Jesus God?
2). If Jesus is in my heart, does he swallow the food that I eat?
3). When does the Easter Bunny die on the cross? (This one gave me a heart attack!!!)
4). When I'm as tall as Daddy, then I will eat all of my dinner, okay?
5). Why do I stink?
6). Are those kids screaming because their mommy didn't teach them how to be quiet? (said very loudly in a public place, lol)
7.) When will Kira ask Jesus to come into her heart so that she doesn't have to be scared at night?
8). Who is babysitting me this time mommy, and why do you always eat dinner somewhere else? (he's referring to a busy weekend of dinner dates/birthday parties that Drew and I went to in the evenings)
9). Why are you always cleaning everything up?
10.) Does God poop?
1). Why is Jesus God?
2). If Jesus is in my heart, does he swallow the food that I eat?
3). When does the Easter Bunny die on the cross? (This one gave me a heart attack!!!)
4). When I'm as tall as Daddy, then I will eat all of my dinner, okay?
5). Why do I stink?
6). Are those kids screaming because their mommy didn't teach them how to be quiet? (said very loudly in a public place, lol)
7.) When will Kira ask Jesus to come into her heart so that she doesn't have to be scared at night?
8). Who is babysitting me this time mommy, and why do you always eat dinner somewhere else? (he's referring to a busy weekend of dinner dates/birthday parties that Drew and I went to in the evenings)
9). Why are you always cleaning everything up?
10.) Does God poop?
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Life is a Party
It's been exactly a month since my last post. And here's why ...
** I've been on a gluten free, dairy free, curry free, and caffeine free diet, which has made me a new person. I have all my energy back, my symptoms are gone, my pain is gone, and I feel like I can finally be the wife and mother God has called me to be. So the reason why this has kept me from blogging, is because I've been out and about doing fun things with the kids, having play dates again, and enjoying life outside of the home for the first time in 2 years.
** We had some fun dinners out with friends of ours. Bowling, Homemade Fajitas with Peach Cobbler for dessert, Thai Food and Miniature Golf. Also, we attended kid birthday parties, had a night out with my mom for pedicures, and sister night going through old photos from childhood. Such a great time. So blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.
** Kira developed a ruptured ear drum, and was in so much pain, that she wouldn't eat or sleep or even play. It was horrible. It wasn't until her ear was oozing, that we realized what was wrong, and immediately took her to the doctor. 14 days of 2 different antibiotics, she finally could say with a smile on her face, "My ear all better, mommy". Thank God. That was the worst.
** My baby sister turned 21! I planned a Birthday Brunch Cruise for her and all her friends and all our family, on board the Hornblower. And it was a blast! So fun and entertaining, and SUCH good food. What a memory we made. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH my baby sister is 21!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
** I went to San Francisco for 4 days! I decided to join my husband on his business trip up north, and left the kids home with all the grandparents. I got to tour around the city on my own, try out new restaurants, meet interesting people while I asked them to take my picture at every landmark (lol), and got quality time with the love of my life. So refreshing and worth it! Everybody needs to get away from time to time. It helps bring perspective and appreciation when returning back home.
** My son Tristan turned 4 years old! We had a little family birthday dinner for him on the night of his birthday, with a Toy Story themed cake, made by the most incredibly talented Mary Thompson, friend of mine. Then we took off and spent 2 days in Disneyland with Drew's parents. The kids LOVED IT. For them, it really was the happiest place on earth. The weather was perfect, the lines were short, the rides were awesome, and the time spent together as a family meeting Pooh Bear and friends, was priceless.
** Tristan had his first sleepover. His best friend from birth spent the night last week. It was awesome! The boys had SO MUCH FUN! And I got a glimpse of what it would be like if I had three kids. As fun as it was, 24 hrs was all I could handle. I don't know how you moms of 3+ kids do it! It took me 2 days to recover. lol. I think I will stick with the 2 kids that I do have. :-)
** I planned a big birthday party for my mom. It was SO MUCH FUN! I love party planning. I made a gluten free carrot cake from scratch, with my own frosting, and planned games for the crowd ("over the hill" bingo, lol), and a raffle fundraiser (the highlight of the evening!!!), and it was all a success! Everyone had such a great time, and it was so much fun. Did I say that already? Yeah, I'm pooped. And it may take me just as long to recover as it did from Tristan's sleepover, but it was worth every minute. I had the best party planning team, and it was awesome. The kids were exceptionally good with a house full of 25 adults!!!! Actually, they were angels. I couldn't have asked for better kids. I love them so much. My husband rocked. He took out the trash 3 times and took the kids outside when they needed a break, and he even beat all of us in the Ping Pong tournament. What a great day.
** Just a few more family birthdays this season, and then hopefully things will settle down to a normal pace.
There's the recap of the last 30 days for all my blog followers. :-) Thanks for reading!
** I've been on a gluten free, dairy free, curry free, and caffeine free diet, which has made me a new person. I have all my energy back, my symptoms are gone, my pain is gone, and I feel like I can finally be the wife and mother God has called me to be. So the reason why this has kept me from blogging, is because I've been out and about doing fun things with the kids, having play dates again, and enjoying life outside of the home for the first time in 2 years.
** We had some fun dinners out with friends of ours. Bowling, Homemade Fajitas with Peach Cobbler for dessert, Thai Food and Miniature Golf. Also, we attended kid birthday parties, had a night out with my mom for pedicures, and sister night going through old photos from childhood. Such a great time. So blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.
** Kira developed a ruptured ear drum, and was in so much pain, that she wouldn't eat or sleep or even play. It was horrible. It wasn't until her ear was oozing, that we realized what was wrong, and immediately took her to the doctor. 14 days of 2 different antibiotics, she finally could say with a smile on her face, "My ear all better, mommy". Thank God. That was the worst.
** My baby sister turned 21! I planned a Birthday Brunch Cruise for her and all her friends and all our family, on board the Hornblower. And it was a blast! So fun and entertaining, and SUCH good food. What a memory we made. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH my baby sister is 21!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
** I went to San Francisco for 4 days! I decided to join my husband on his business trip up north, and left the kids home with all the grandparents. I got to tour around the city on my own, try out new restaurants, meet interesting people while I asked them to take my picture at every landmark (lol), and got quality time with the love of my life. So refreshing and worth it! Everybody needs to get away from time to time. It helps bring perspective and appreciation when returning back home.
** My son Tristan turned 4 years old! We had a little family birthday dinner for him on the night of his birthday, with a Toy Story themed cake, made by the most incredibly talented Mary Thompson, friend of mine. Then we took off and spent 2 days in Disneyland with Drew's parents. The kids LOVED IT. For them, it really was the happiest place on earth. The weather was perfect, the lines were short, the rides were awesome, and the time spent together as a family meeting Pooh Bear and friends, was priceless.
** Tristan had his first sleepover. His best friend from birth spent the night last week. It was awesome! The boys had SO MUCH FUN! And I got a glimpse of what it would be like if I had three kids. As fun as it was, 24 hrs was all I could handle. I don't know how you moms of 3+ kids do it! It took me 2 days to recover. lol. I think I will stick with the 2 kids that I do have. :-)
** I planned a big birthday party for my mom. It was SO MUCH FUN! I love party planning. I made a gluten free carrot cake from scratch, with my own frosting, and planned games for the crowd ("over the hill" bingo, lol), and a raffle fundraiser (the highlight of the evening!!!), and it was all a success! Everyone had such a great time, and it was so much fun. Did I say that already? Yeah, I'm pooped. And it may take me just as long to recover as it did from Tristan's sleepover, but it was worth every minute. I had the best party planning team, and it was awesome. The kids were exceptionally good with a house full of 25 adults!!!! Actually, they were angels. I couldn't have asked for better kids. I love them so much. My husband rocked. He took out the trash 3 times and took the kids outside when they needed a break, and he even beat all of us in the Ping Pong tournament. What a great day.
** Just a few more family birthdays this season, and then hopefully things will settle down to a normal pace.
There's the recap of the last 30 days for all my blog followers. :-) Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Saint Patrick's Day
When I think of Saint Patrick's Day, 2 things come to mind: the color green and the story of Saint Patrick, according to Veggie Tales. A must see, it's hilarious. You can find it on YouTube if you search under "VeggieTales St. Patrick". :-)
So often we observe all the little American holidays by wearing green, flying the American flag, or handing out valentines, or letting off fireworks, or having BBQ's at the beach, or taking a moment of silence in honor of lost lives, but how many of us REALLY know what these "holidays" mean or where they originated? Does anyone care who Saint Patrick really was? I may be one of the few, but I sure do! I've always loved history, especially Biblical history or Christian history.
So here goes and do bear with me, I think God's call on Saint Patrick is very interesting:
He was born in the 4th Century in Roman Britain, into a very wealthy family. He father and grandfather were both deacons in the church. When he was 16 years old, he was kidnapped by the Irish and taken back to Ireland as a slave. God told him in a dream to leave, so he escaped and returned to Britain where he studied to be a priest. Then God called Patrick back to Ireland (I think it's interesting that God called him back to the place where he was a slave, where he was most probably mistreated), to teach the Irish people about God. The legend has it that he used a shamrock to teach the people about the Trinity (that God exists as three persons, but in one divine being, also called the Godhead.) After 30 years of ministry in Ireland, he died and was buried there. And to this day is still highly esteemed by the Irish Church. (according to Wikipedia).
So, Saint Patrick's Day IS a religious holiday. Over the years of course, since it is celebrated all over the world, has become more of a secular holiday, with lots of drinking and green traditions. But really, it should be a day in honor of a priest and missionary who brought the truth of God to Ireland.
You may be wondering how all this came about ... A sweet neighbor of mine dropped of these Shamrock Cookies today and I was reminded of their meaning (as her and I discussed the Trinity). A three leave clover (or shamrock) is one little plant. But it has three parts all connected. Three in One. Each part is equal, though separate, yet also connected. Very much like The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. All three are GOD, but separate persons equal in power. I am no theologian, but I love this concept, it makes so much sense to me.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone! (Yeah, I know it's tomorrow, just thought you all might need a heads up so as you celebrate tomorrow, you are celebrating the REAL meaning of St. Patrick's Day).
So often we observe all the little American holidays by wearing green, flying the American flag, or handing out valentines, or letting off fireworks, or having BBQ's at the beach, or taking a moment of silence in honor of lost lives, but how many of us REALLY know what these "holidays" mean or where they originated? Does anyone care who Saint Patrick really was? I may be one of the few, but I sure do! I've always loved history, especially Biblical history or Christian history.
So here goes and do bear with me, I think God's call on Saint Patrick is very interesting:
He was born in the 4th Century in Roman Britain, into a very wealthy family. He father and grandfather were both deacons in the church. When he was 16 years old, he was kidnapped by the Irish and taken back to Ireland as a slave. God told him in a dream to leave, so he escaped and returned to Britain where he studied to be a priest. Then God called Patrick back to Ireland (I think it's interesting that God called him back to the place where he was a slave, where he was most probably mistreated), to teach the Irish people about God. The legend has it that he used a shamrock to teach the people about the Trinity (that God exists as three persons, but in one divine being, also called the Godhead.) After 30 years of ministry in Ireland, he died and was buried there. And to this day is still highly esteemed by the Irish Church. (according to Wikipedia).
So, Saint Patrick's Day IS a religious holiday. Over the years of course, since it is celebrated all over the world, has become more of a secular holiday, with lots of drinking and green traditions. But really, it should be a day in honor of a priest and missionary who brought the truth of God to Ireland.
You may be wondering how all this came about ... A sweet neighbor of mine dropped of these Shamrock Cookies today and I was reminded of their meaning (as her and I discussed the Trinity). A three leave clover (or shamrock) is one little plant. But it has three parts all connected. Three in One. Each part is equal, though separate, yet also connected. Very much like The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. All three are GOD, but separate persons equal in power. I am no theologian, but I love this concept, it makes so much sense to me.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone! (Yeah, I know it's tomorrow, just thought you all might need a heads up so as you celebrate tomorrow, you are celebrating the REAL meaning of St. Patrick's Day).
Monday, February 28, 2011
Reading Labels
As of a day and a half, I am now officially gluten-free, dairy free, and caffeine free. I know it sounds crazy, especially for those of you that know me and know how much I love food.
After about 2 years of battling Ulcerative Colitis and going the medical route, which has been beneficial, (until recently), I am now seeing a nutritionist. The doctors have been amazing when trying to find a proper diagnosis, and then treating the problem with the appropriate meds so that I could go on living as a mother and wife, friend, sister, daughter, all that good stuff. I've had prayer for my condition a couple of times, and by God's grace and miraculous power, He has eased my symptoms and given me an indescribable peace about the whole situation. Such a blessing!
By nature, I can easily accept my condition and just say, "it's alright, I'm used to it, I'll just always be this way". How stupid of me. Can't believe I even thought that! Once we get too comfortable is when life starts taking it's toll, we come the devil's dartboard, and the true meaning in life is gone.
In the wise words of Switchfoot, "This is your life, are you who you want to be? This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be? When the world was younger and you had everything to lose" ... I hear that song playing in my head and I'm thinking, "NO! This isn't who I want to be. I don't want to be that loner lady who stays at home and has no fun because she can't control her bowels. NO! I don't want to be that mom that ditches her shopping cart in Target and grabs her kids and runs to the bathroom in hopes to make it before she craps her pants. NO! I don't want to be tired and grumpy all the time. NO! I don't want to be sticking medicated enemas up my butt every night." :-)
So, I met with an amazing nutritionist who after a 2.5 hour consultation has narrowed down my symptoms to a highly possible food allergy, and has given me herbal anti-inflammatories, herbal digestive supports, a diet guide, and weekly consultation so that we can get me back to health! And THAT is why I am now gluten free, dairy free, and caffeine free. It's going to be tough at first, but once I start seeing a difference, it will be worth every minute!!!
And now, I read food labels. I never thought I'd be that person. Normally my response would be, "Donuts? Bring 'em on! Burgers and Fries? But of course! Deep Fried Snickers Bars? Why not!!!" Ha. Not anymore. God knew I loved to read. So he's given me another area to research and read up on. I love the irony of life. Growing up, I used to always joke about poop and rewrite books and put the word poop in every sentence and read them to my sisters to make them laugh. And now, I get to deal with poop on a regular basis. God has a sense of humor, that's for sure.
Anyways, I've been praying that God would change me from the inside out, and now it begins. A whole new diet, a whole new attitude, a whole new life! Can't wait to see the difference!
After about 2 years of battling Ulcerative Colitis and going the medical route, which has been beneficial, (until recently), I am now seeing a nutritionist. The doctors have been amazing when trying to find a proper diagnosis, and then treating the problem with the appropriate meds so that I could go on living as a mother and wife, friend, sister, daughter, all that good stuff. I've had prayer for my condition a couple of times, and by God's grace and miraculous power, He has eased my symptoms and given me an indescribable peace about the whole situation. Such a blessing!
By nature, I can easily accept my condition and just say, "it's alright, I'm used to it, I'll just always be this way". How stupid of me. Can't believe I even thought that! Once we get too comfortable is when life starts taking it's toll, we come the devil's dartboard, and the true meaning in life is gone.
In the wise words of Switchfoot, "This is your life, are you who you want to be? This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be? When the world was younger and you had everything to lose" ... I hear that song playing in my head and I'm thinking, "NO! This isn't who I want to be. I don't want to be that loner lady who stays at home and has no fun because she can't control her bowels. NO! I don't want to be that mom that ditches her shopping cart in Target and grabs her kids and runs to the bathroom in hopes to make it before she craps her pants. NO! I don't want to be tired and grumpy all the time. NO! I don't want to be sticking medicated enemas up my butt every night." :-)
So, I met with an amazing nutritionist who after a 2.5 hour consultation has narrowed down my symptoms to a highly possible food allergy, and has given me herbal anti-inflammatories, herbal digestive supports, a diet guide, and weekly consultation so that we can get me back to health! And THAT is why I am now gluten free, dairy free, and caffeine free. It's going to be tough at first, but once I start seeing a difference, it will be worth every minute!!!
And now, I read food labels. I never thought I'd be that person. Normally my response would be, "Donuts? Bring 'em on! Burgers and Fries? But of course! Deep Fried Snickers Bars? Why not!!!" Ha. Not anymore. God knew I loved to read. So he's given me another area to research and read up on. I love the irony of life. Growing up, I used to always joke about poop and rewrite books and put the word poop in every sentence and read them to my sisters to make them laugh. And now, I get to deal with poop on a regular basis. God has a sense of humor, that's for sure.
Anyways, I've been praying that God would change me from the inside out, and now it begins. A whole new diet, a whole new attitude, a whole new life! Can't wait to see the difference!
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