tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32357088993781351982024-02-06T21:05:04.940-05:00Wicked SteppMom...No Rest For the WickedWickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-37199949156164637432013-03-14T08:47:00.000-04:002013-03-14T09:10:52.853-04:00Flogging A Deceased EquineOK people, crap just got real...I've unearthed my blog.<br />
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Lately, I feel like this school/sports issue has become all-consuming with me. I'm sure my Facebook friends see a post about it & think "Oh sheesh, another one?!" I'd walk away from it, vowing that I was going to be <i>done</i> with it, and someone would make another nasty remark about how the parents who felt our kids belonged in school on Wednesday & Friday of last week have no community spirit, and we should just pull our kids "out the" school & put them in private school. Given the overt hostility & attitude of the people who kept repeatedly accusing me (and others) of not being supportive, this isn't a community I'm currently proud to be a member of.<br />
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To take it a step further, a local newspaper columnist wrote an article entitled <span style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://m.richmondregister.com/richmondregist/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=lP6LHHXT&full=true#display">" MCHS team reflects Madison County values"</a></span></span> He's correct; but not in the way he'd like to think. In his own article, he calls the academic events <b>BORING</b>...why does this man feel the need to tear down kids who already don't get the support of their classmates, school system, or community? Madison County values basketball, and will happily miss days in the classroom for it, yet anyone who had read through the comments on the Madison County Schools Facebook page (prior to a large chunk of them being deleted) could have easily seen that education is needed much more than basketball. And for the record, I'm <b>not </b>a sports "hater", and I <b>do</b> think it's a terrific accomplishment that both the boys AND girls basketball teams from MCHS made it to the Sweet 16, with the boys team winning the whole thing in the last 4 seconds with a 3-point shot. That's something they'll remember for the rest of their lives, and that game winning shot is something that boy will be telling his grandchildren about. My community made the <b>ASSUMPTION</b> that because I value education & believe my children shouldn't miss 2 days of school to go watch a sporting event, that I'm an unsupportive "hater". My community told me that I did not, and do not have the right to have a differing opinion, and stand up for the rights of <u><b>MY</b></u> children. That is <b>NOT </b>acceptable. If the choice is between what is best for my children & what my community thinks is best, I will fight for my children...Every.Single.Time.<br />
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I do find Madison County Schools apathy towards the parents who were/are upset quite disturbing. They have not addressed the issue in any way, other than to post a statement to their Facebook page saying "<span class="userContent">Any make up days for weather or other events will be decided at the March 21 Board of Education meeting." Their Facebook page also appeared to be completely unmonitored, as people attacked each other & used profanity. The cover photo for their page last week was of a MCHS game or pep rally, and showed several teenage girls in tight white tank tops with blue handprints on their breasts...not exactly appropriate for a school district Facebook page. At this point, any & all comments I've made have been deleted from the page, and I'm apparently banned from "liking" or commenting on anything on the page. I am curious what it was <i><b>I</b></i> said that upset them so very much, considering that several of the other people who commented multiple times over multiple posts do not appear to have been banned. At this point, I'm almost glad I'm unable to attend the Board of Education meeting on 3/21, since I have a feeling things are going to get ugly once again, and to put it simply: my community says what the school decided to do (without even consulting the families) was the right choice-the <u><b>ONLY</b></u> choice, and if you don't like it, you don't belong here & your kids don't belong in our schools...</span><br />
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<br />WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-25150089323603650792011-03-19T22:51:00.000-04:002011-03-19T22:51:29.938-04:00Closer to the Heart, Pt. 2: PicturesI thought I'd make the pictures a separate post, so that those people who are a bit squeamish could choose not to look. Really though, they're not that bad. The first picture was taken on March 18, 2010...2 days after my VNS surgery. And just so you know exactly what you're looking at: the shiny stuff over both incisions is surgical glue, the purple around it is the pen the surgeon used to mark my skin (which I found funny, since purple/lavender is the color for epilepsy awareness!), there is bruising on my chest & neck near/below both incisions, but the dark coloring at the sides of my neck is just shadowing. At the time, and for a few months afterwards, Hubs & I really thought the scar from my neck incision would be the more noticeable of the two.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8OP5-O4RGHmZLA4WCXytShXzZ5LoH00zYyzzuIHtdJCX47UeY6zJS6AZR9tfM6OyApeEdVAC9EGYjMIgSH6Yfdup9MxYwP_dRxxGjLlVGujkDk_091GBYS-e_YqxhvaFHY4eqdsb7Q/s1600/SDC10616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8OP5-O4RGHmZLA4WCXytShXzZ5LoH00zYyzzuIHtdJCX47UeY6zJS6AZR9tfM6OyApeEdVAC9EGYjMIgSH6Yfdup9MxYwP_dRxxGjLlVGujkDk_091GBYS-e_YqxhvaFHY4eqdsb7Q/s320/SDC10616.JPG" width="251" /></a></div><br />
The picture below was taken today, March 19, 2011...1 year and 3 days after my surgery. As you can clearly see, the neck incision is barely noticeable. You really have to be <i>thisclose</i> to be able to see it, and you probably have to know it's there. The chest incision <b>is </b>more noticeable because one end of the scar is hypertrophic (raised, red & lumpy, but within the incision line) which is common with people as uber-pale as I am. It can fade down more, and I'm using 2 really AWESOME products to help:<span style="color: magenta;"> </span><a href="http://www.palmers.com/product/detail.php?ID=74&SID=6#" style="color: magenta;">Palmer's Scar Serum</a> and <a href="http://www.myscaraway.com/" style="color: magenta;">ScarAway</a> (silicone scar sheets). BTW-The shirt I'm wearing in the pic pretty much says it all as to whether I feel embarrassed or ashamed of my scars.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FF_tCTTFl9rsf0o35bohDQu2Cbo7ELlWPUqcskkiIRzZyPy_1zbIeBmqtYrdDbu8uTVeWOXqVbwI1RADxPvP7HiJSZA9-6Btfb_QVOWggOkglbIkEaeIe7TLarL9EXcZeg5T2orOCg/s1600/SDC11885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FF_tCTTFl9rsf0o35bohDQu2Cbo7ELlWPUqcskkiIRzZyPy_1zbIeBmqtYrdDbu8uTVeWOXqVbwI1RADxPvP7HiJSZA9-6Btfb_QVOWggOkglbIkEaeIe7TLarL9EXcZeg5T2orOCg/s320/SDC11885.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Just for shiggles, here's a pic of me from 6 weeks after my surgery, getting my attitude (or ya' know, my VNS settings) adjusted. It's really cool that all I have to do is hold a wand over the generator:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAzpbF02D_VTkxkmTYFS8OSOBNGwGvkJEmoQrm3eYxdHs0DEepCIZJ7uOX3XqqmdS-Jf1i7GtZOw_kmbOT9YDFae5d46WlNM9IaQiC5Jkm8ucAqVi9vvO7v10E0O1gCYhn1pnP50Zxw/s1600/wand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAzpbF02D_VTkxkmTYFS8OSOBNGwGvkJEmoQrm3eYxdHs0DEepCIZJ7uOX3XqqmdS-Jf1i7GtZOw_kmbOT9YDFae5d46WlNM9IaQiC5Jkm8ucAqVi9vvO7v10E0O1gCYhn1pnP50Zxw/s320/wand.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The wand plugs into a PDA-type device that my epileptologist (fancy-schmancy neurologist who specializes in epilepsy) programs with my new settings.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiq0ylQ1ejRZZC1C8EVdh2OuntFaHbq0UaXAHoBfIFW0Jc5WVI624OasEnWH8qwjzCrAl4qJNAWp1-j92zpy7cd5Vw_uWGd0FwH-DdLT6uTbx6DjfKXddpQiSnWiTt0NdSumgRDZhhbA/s1600/pda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiq0ylQ1ejRZZC1C8EVdh2OuntFaHbq0UaXAHoBfIFW0Jc5WVI624OasEnWH8qwjzCrAl4qJNAWp1-j92zpy7cd5Vw_uWGd0FwH-DdLT6uTbx6DjfKXddpQiSnWiTt0NdSumgRDZhhbA/s320/pda.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><br />
In case you were wondering, this is what the generator & wire look like, and a size comparison to a cookie & spaghetti noodles. (Picture taken from http://www.rch.org.au/cep/treatments/index.cfm?doc_id=3245)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnrzSan3ERIp678gpG36LvvjO9a39DTcL5Uu0bo7RNEVwEpkfi7xJr5Lb-g_RePur52FWdEePhtj1WYnDMrMT8IQu4vTGsCyortT7RsG3g5al1ZBHSlDGv0OD-KrlOtL2UnbtC3l7aw/s1600/stimulator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnrzSan3ERIp678gpG36LvvjO9a39DTcL5Uu0bo7RNEVwEpkfi7xJr5Lb-g_RePur52FWdEePhtj1WYnDMrMT8IQu4vTGsCyortT7RsG3g5al1ZBHSlDGv0OD-KrlOtL2UnbtC3l7aw/s320/stimulator.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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“Gentlemen, We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better...stronger...faster.”WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-10126175491487112762011-03-16T22:00:00.002-04:002011-03-16T22:12:29.143-04:00Closer to the HeartAnyone who knows me even a little bit knows that I have epilepsy, and that epilepsy awareness/support fundraisers are a cause that are close to my heart. But are you aware just exactly <i>how</i> close to my heart? One year ago today, on March 16, 2010, a surgeon cut into the left side of my chest and made a pocket to hold the generator for my brand-spankin' new Vagus Nerve Stimulator (or VNS, for short.) Attached to the generator is a wire that runs up the left side of my neck, wraps around & attaches to an electrode on my vagus nerve. Yeah, that's right: they used a a big metal stick that's <i>actually called</i> a tunneling tool to make a "path" from the incision in my neck to the generator in my chest. The generator sends a 30-second electrical impulse to my vagus nerve every five minutes. The interval between impulses can be adjusted, as well as the duration of the impulse, and the strength & frequency of the impulse-I've had the strength/frequency of mine adjusted twice to make it just a bit stronger, and yet mine is still set to much lower levels than most people.<br />
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One really awesome thing about the VNS is that if you get any type of warning before you have a seizure, like an aura, you can swipe a strong magnet across your chest to possibly shorten/stop the seizure, or shorten the recovery time afterwards. Well, I don't get any type of warning, I just wake up with people talking at me, while I go *blinkblink* "what?" "huh?" until what happened finally sinks in. (It's especially fun when it happens in the shower & you get to take a naked 14-mile ambulance trip, or when it happens while you're already <i>in</i> the hospital, in the process of changing your clothes & wake up in a tiny bathroom with 3 people staring at you while you have no pants on. Good times!) So even though I don't get a warning, my family has been able to swipe the magnet & shorten my seizures and post-ictal time, which ROCKS! And now my 6 y/o daughter, (who is still afraid of thunder) talks so matter-of-factly about my seizures, that the last time I had one, she went to get Hubs & said, "Mommy's having a seizure." in pretty much the same tone of voice as "Mommy's having a sandwich."<br />
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A few weeks after I had my surgery, someone exclaimed to me "Oh no! With those big scars on your neck & chest, you won't be able to wear low-cut shirts anymore!" I just laughed. I mean, I don't tend to wear really low-cut shirts anyway, but right after a surgery that would hopefully change my life, that wasn't even something I was at all concerned about. I knew in time the scars would fade to some degree-I wasn't sure how much, since I'm so pale that I think they invented those new 100 SPF sunblocks after being blinded by the sun reflecting off my skin. However, even if they stayed bright pink, I'd wear whatever I want...and I do...because I've <i><b>earned</b></i> those scars! And if anybody points & stares, or whispers, or acts shocked that I'd show them, I'll just tell them "Knife fight...the other guy was my epilepsy & he lost."<br />
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BTW: International Purple Day for Epilepsy is March 26! The National Walk for Epilepsy in Washington DC is March 27, and<span style="color: magenta;"> </span><a href="http://giving.epilepsyfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/walk?px=1496642&pg=personal&fr_id=1880" style="color: magenta;">I'm a virtual walker this year</a><span style="color: magenta;">.</span> The Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana will have their walk in Lexington on June 27 and this is team <a href="http://epilepsyfoundation.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=469077&lis=1&kntae469077=582B9EBDE5B44B6085863FA48BDDC233&team=4103725" style="color: magenta;">One Small Stepp's</a> 3rd year participating.WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-39786933118496810742010-12-11T01:44:00.000-05:002010-12-11T01:44:33.271-05:00Because I Can't Afford Therapy...I'm relaunching the blog (yes, again...whatever.) This time I think I'm going to attempt to say what's on my mind without censoring myself much (within reason, of course.) It has been an <b>incredibly</b> crappy year and I'm stressed nearly to my breaking point, and extremely tired of tiptoeing around other people's feelings when so very few give a damn about mine. I mean, I had 2 surgeries in 3 months' time this year, and in the first a device was implanted into my chest & they used a metal tool to tunnel up my neck to make a path to insert the wires that are wrapped around a major nerve...How many people stopped by to check on us, see if Cordy needed help w/the kids, drop off a meal, I dunno'...see if I was dead? NONE. Got a few phone calls, but everyone was too busy. I do understand that everyone has their own families, jobs, responsibilities & lives, but when did it become too hard to take a little bit of time out to show someone that they are worthy of your time-beyond just a phone call? Honestly, it seems like I had more real/true friends when I was "Bitchy" Alyssa-meaner/more obnoxious, less worried about hurting people's feelings. Oddly enough, these are also the friends who have stuck with me through the years, while the newer "friends" have faded in & out when it's convenient for them. Perhaps mellower me just invites being walked on?<br />
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Well, I've had more than enough. I'm not in high school anymore & am not going to play "She said you said" or "She said you did" games. I'm tired of counting on people when they say they're going to do something, and they consistently don't do it...and it <b>really</b> pisses me off when it's something concerning my children. Absolutely do <u><i><b>NOT</b></i></u> tell my children you want to do something for them/with them, if you aren't going to follow through-it hurts them all the more because they don't understand your reason/excuse, and it makes my head want to explode (or make your head explode) that you keep disappointing my children and are completely oblivious to it. I'm so very close to just shutting off my brain-to-mouth filter completely when dealing with everyone except children. Hell, I have neurological issues & that can actually be a side effect, so you freakin' people would never know if it was from my health issues or just my personality.<br />
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Here's the deal: I'm going to post all kinds of crap on this blog. Good stuff, bad stuff, meh stuff, probably the occasional contest. But know this-This is <b>my</b> blog. It is my place to write what I need to get out, when I need to get it out. I won't use names unless I have permission (because I'm cool like that) but that doesn't mean you won't recognize yourself/others won't recognize you in my maniacal rantings. Deal with it, or don't read.WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-36386380282623514122010-07-27T15:46:00.001-04:002010-07-27T15:52:34.505-04:00Look What I Found...My Blog!!I knew it was around here somewhere...I put it in "a very safe place." (You know, that black hole where things that were especially meant not to get lost seem to vanish within.) Or yanno', maybe I just got busy, tired, & lazy and stopped writing. I'll do a condensed catch-up post soon, but let's revive the blog w/something fun, shall we?<br />
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Most of my friends know that I'm a <a href="http://www.bzzagent.com/" style="color: magenta;">Bzzagent</a> & get to try products/services for free, then honestly review them-good or bad. Recently, I received a campaign for got2b smooth operator. (I just have to say that the spelling/grammar freak in me is bothered by the lack of capitalization in their product name & I keep capitalizing it automatically when I write about it, then having to go back and "fix" it.) Anyway, I received a bunch of samples of the smoothing Lustre Lotion w/a coupon attached, some coupons for $2.50 off 1 smooth operator smoothing lustre lotion OR 1 smoothing hairspray, and a coupon that was supposed to be for 1 FREE lustre lotion or hairspray. I, as well as *MANY* other BzzAgents had great difficulty using the FREE coupon, due to some unfortunate wording, so BzzAgent & got2b issued us a new, corrected FREE coupon. Fortunately for me, I was finally able to use my 1st coupon at CVS during a BOGO (Buy One, Get One) and ended up with 2 free products...the day before my new coupon arrived. SO, I'm thinkin': GIVEAWAY!<br />
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The winner will receive:<br />
<ul><li>1 coupon for FREE 1 smooth operator smoothing lustre lotion or smoothing hairspray. (Exp. 8/13/10)</li>
</ul><ul><li>1 coupon for SAVE $2.50 off 1 smooth operator smoothing lustre lotion or smoothing hairspray (Exp 9/30/10) </li>
<li>2 sample packets of the smoothing lustre lotion w/a SAVE $1.00 on any full size got2b smooth operator product coupon attached (Exp 5/1/11)</li>
</ul>Since the expiration date on the FREE coupon is so soon, this is going to be a very short giveaway: starts today (Tuesday 7/27) & ends Friday (7/30) at 10 pm EST. I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner & contact by email. You'll have until Sunday (8/1) to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.<br />
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How to Enter: <br />
<ol><li>Leave me a comment to basically say, "Hey, I was here!" & make sure I have your email.</li>
<li>Blog/tweet/write a Facebook message about the giveaway, then come back & leave another comment letting me know that you did.</li>
<li>Follow my blog & leave another comment letting me know that you do.</li>
</ol>That's up to 3 chances per person! And just as an FYI-I love this stuff! It smells really great-sort of fruity/flowery, but doesn't bother my allergies-which is amazing for a scented product. It did an awesome job smoothing my thick, coarse hair without making it look greasy, clumpy or flat. And let me tell you, it gets HUMID in the summer in Kentucky...I had no idea what real humidity was, growing up in IL, so if these products can fight the fly-aways & frizz brought on by the heat & humidity here, they definitely have my seal of approval!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-VexruPkCGHHHfzFi1VS08dTSwC0rUtH5qVTzl4LfNZn1xAlpUmxwEhw_RpWkGns1ssXEiVeQBPGHEzvsa5-_YGu4xclsGxKrfzM5u6vY90UIaXO5ixM8yxlQ9G_4DoaKVwkPgLHPA/s1600/so.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-VexruPkCGHHHfzFi1VS08dTSwC0rUtH5qVTzl4LfNZn1xAlpUmxwEhw_RpWkGns1ssXEiVeQBPGHEzvsa5-_YGu4xclsGxKrfzM5u6vY90UIaXO5ixM8yxlQ9G_4DoaKVwkPgLHPA/s320/so.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-54488605528266960352009-10-13T01:11:00.001-04:002009-10-13T08:05:27.629-04:00Food...My AntidrugThis post is meant to serve as the post that should have gone up last week for BlogapaLOSEa...I'll actually post again later in THIS week. Last week I could barely keep my head on straight, let alone form coherent sentences regarding my weight-loss progress...or lack thereof. Yep, that's right, I gained 3 friggin' pounds. I have lots of reasons/excuses: Wickedly bad insomnia that kept me awake until 3 or 4 am & then getting up w/the kids at 6:30 or 7 am, which led to me drinking pop instead of water. Me worrying about my mom, who was/is going through something personal & emotional, and I'm 7-8 friggin' hours too far away to even just give her a hug. Me wishing I could be there to help out my brother & sister-in-law as she prepares to have surgery this week, and I'm too far away to babysit my nephew, or make some meals for them, or help in any way. Being irritated because I started calling the pediatrician's office as soon as it opened on Tuesday, couldn't even get anything other than a busy signal for AN HOUR, when I finally got through, got put on hold for another 10 mins, only to be told they had absolutely no open appointments & a nurse could call me back...I was a CNA, worked in several doc offices & 2 physical therapy clinics, so I don't run my kids to the doc screaming for antibiotics for every little sniffle...but <b>OH MY HELL</b>, if I call & tell you that I think my toddler has an upper respiratory infection, you damn well better find a place for him! And these things are just the tip of the iceberg.<br />
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So, I did what I've done for far too many years & smothered my crappy feelings with food. I don't drink alcohol-or at least I haven't in several years. I take too many prescription drugs to dabble with recreational drugs. I don't smoke...have never even tried it, nor do I have any desire to. Ahh, but food...food is my vice. It's not even just junk food, though when I'm particularly in a funk that's generally what I'll head for. I even know what my biggest problem/reason/excuse is...I just don't know how to fix it:<br />
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I'm lonely. I'm a stay-home mom of 2 young kids, and it seems like the friends I made (or thought I made) here in KY have mostly dried up & blown away. I don't know if there's something about me that just repels people-if maybe my "baggage" is too much for them, or if everyone is just too busy with their own families & lives that it's just <i>too hard</i> to deal with someone who occasionally can't drive for months at a time, so that means being friends with me means a little more work on their part in that respect (which anyone who chooses to stay friends with me KNOWS I more than make up for in so many other ways.) The oddest thing is, I have a friend from grade school who would drop everything & fly here from UTAH if I told her I needed her-she wouldn't even ask why. I have another friend from college who would do the same, who lives in IL. Yet, I can't get people here to call me back after I leave them several messages. It just blows my mind because supposedly I'm a much more mellow, easy-going, nicer person than I was in grade school/high school/college...yet those are the people who seem to want to stay in contact with me, not the people I've met in the past few years. It almost seems like the universe is telling me I should just start being bitchier again & maybe I'll actually make some friends who want to go shopping occasionally or hang out & watch a movie.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"...Lonely, so lonely.<br />
Tin can at my feet,<br />
I think I'll kick it down the street.<br />
That's the way to treat a friend.<br />
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Bright before me the signs implore me:<br />
Help the needy and show them the way.<br />
Human kindness is overflowing,<br />
and I think it's gonna rain today.</i>"<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">(I Think It's Going To Rain Today, Bette Midler)<br />
</div>WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-45699937551234080042009-10-07T22:53:00.000-04:002009-10-07T22:53:23.216-04:00My Very First Giveaway!!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://www.myblogspark.com/">My BlogSpark</a></i></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">sent me a "Yoplait Less Sugar, More Fun" pack including a coupon for FREE Yoplait kids yogurt (up to $3.75), a travel cooler (to take your yogurt on-the-go), </span>a fun spoon that changes colors in warm water, a reusable place mat with games to keep the kids happy while snacking, and a fuzzy tangle puzzle for some after-snack fun.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw93NczY-IrdlKEp6sNaeA_adCMOunO4lXQgylzliaZXnnwWmkQvpfw3HVwkg4QivPzYjHhyphenhyphenhghdZah7MTeCvO4YE_EDMPMfdCv7tj_2Kq6_tGKiHGK_QYCMftr8oyvC8s9z1UxelCWA/s1600-h/YoplaitGift+Photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw93NczY-IrdlKEp6sNaeA_adCMOunO4lXQgylzliaZXnnwWmkQvpfw3HVwkg4QivPzYjHhyphenhyphenhghdZah7MTeCvO4YE_EDMPMfdCv7tj_2Kq6_tGKiHGK_QYCMftr8oyvC8s9z1UxelCWA/s320/YoplaitGift+Photo.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's pictured with yogurt, but of course, that wasn't actually shipped. However, that does give you a good idea of how big the thermal bag is...it's like a jumbo-sized lunch bag! The fuzzy puzzle was a huge hit in our house. My 17-month old played with it for a couple of hours until big sis got home from preschool, and they've been fighting over it ever since. We are BIG fans of yogurt in this house, so this was an awesome package to get. My daughter asks for yogurt every time we go shopping & I'm thrilled to know she's getting her Calcium and Vitamin D without an overload of sugar-Yoplait Kids has 25% less. Needless to say, this coupon was redeemed very quickly & the official review is: "It's GOOD, can I have more?"<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Want one of these prize packs for yourself? You KNOW you do!! <i><a href="http://www.myblogspark.com/">My BlogSpark</a></i> has offered 2 prize packs for me to give away! How cool is that?! OK, so here's whatcha' gotta' do:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">**Total of 3 entries allowed per person**<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Leave me a comment describing how you make snack time fun for your kids. Include your 1st name & blog/email info.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Subscribe via email/reader or follow my blog. (These options are in the left sidebar.) Come back & leave another comment w/1st name & blog/email info. If you already subscribe/follow, Thank You! Give yourself another entry.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Write a posting on your blog or Facebook about the giveaway, or tweet about it on Twitter. Make sure you leave another comment w/your info letting me know you did this.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Coupon is void in ID, LA, ND, NJ, NV, and TN <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Entry is open to US residents only through 11:59 pm EST, Sun 10/11/09. Winners will be chosen using Random.org, notified by email & have 48 hours to respond or an alternate will be chosen. <br />
</div>WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-55175059676484459932009-10-04T22:31:00.003-04:002009-10-04T22:44:54.963-04:00Testing LimitsI really meant to post this earlier in the week, but it has been a rough week. My daughter, who is 4 3/4 years old, seems to think that she will be turning 15 in January rather than 5 & has been testing her limits. Someone needs to explain to her that you don't test your limits when Mommy has recently come off of her anti-anxiety med & is having wicked PMS...you will not win. (Someone should probably explain this to Hubs as well.)<br /><br />Anyway, not much to discuss this week since I only lost 1 lb. I don't have a pic since we had misplaced the camera for the majority of the week, but trust me, I look the same. Now the key is going to be avoiding all the wonderful Halloween goodies. I'm starting to see coupons & sales for the candy, so best thing I can think to do is make sure the bags don't get opened until Halloween. I know candy is fine in moderation, but I'm not sure I know what my limit is, so it's probably better if I wait until after we hand most of it out & then save a few pieces for myself and have Hubs take the rest to work for the guys.WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-39452308445057833622009-09-23T21:41:00.004-04:002009-09-23T22:31:26.333-04:00Does This Forklift Make Me Look Fat?Not much to report this week for BlogapaLOSEa: I did lose 1.5 lbs & I'm proud of myself that I'm continuing to lose, and have modified my eating habits to do so. I really thought that I would have gained by now, especially since I haven't been exercising as much as I want to be. I know a big part of it is that I've all but stopped drinking soda; I was actually irritated when we went to my husband's company's open house on Saturday & the only drink choices for lunch were soda. Seriously, how hard would it have been to have some bottled water too? Then again, the lunch was hot dogs & bagged chips, so there wasn't anything healthy about it. I only had a hot dog & approx. 1/4 can of soda. We headed over to the Spoonbread Festival after that & I smelled all sorts of wonderful fair/festival foods that I very much wanted but managed to restrain myself from purchasing. (FYI-for anyone who doesn't know what spoonbread is, it's essentially undercooked, slimy cornbread & tastes nasty, IMHO.) One of the guys Hubs works with told my 4 y.o. daughter that she needed to get a fried Snickers bar when we went to the Spoonbread Festival. Mmmkay...I love Snickers bars, but that sounds unappealing & like about a gazillion calories. Not that my lil' girl needs to watch calories-however, the mental image of her w/a fried Snickers bar & the cleanup afterwards...*<span style="font-style: italic;">shudder* </span><br /><br />OK, so here are 2 pics. Bonus pic since I didn't post one last week.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkOWBTw-0ksJff3uxbLuKR_AWQsypCyhrF6EmpWfmCAwuZSIQ15qUD6C3fpy-eIIXpBMW6gpd8uEEgrYzmpJrgLmicod8jZJETVK5YSw49xnuDLCFOAjuVeMOtlYAFYimQatRdAhZ_Q/s1600-h/SDC10047.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkOWBTw-0ksJff3uxbLuKR_AWQsypCyhrF6EmpWfmCAwuZSIQ15qUD6C3fpy-eIIXpBMW6gpd8uEEgrYzmpJrgLmicod8jZJETVK5YSw49xnuDLCFOAjuVeMOtlYAFYimQatRdAhZ_Q/s320/SDC10047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384853575492283938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZviyD4NYhpuvSITQNlxx-_VchRl0_GxGZUbCgG8U3WeS4Clp7YTGc3VvN908kLXibSyhCV-_8kEL_eEGATcamFRaSx22QVXpaxhFUvTgyv9ZfJIoW17OizU2tEtJerSfh9U8DvhBlw/s1600-h/SDC10045.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZviyD4NYhpuvSITQNlxx-_VchRl0_GxGZUbCgG8U3WeS4Clp7YTGc3VvN908kLXibSyhCV-_8kEL_eEGATcamFRaSx22QVXpaxhFUvTgyv9ZfJIoW17OizU2tEtJerSfh9U8DvhBlw/s320/SDC10045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384853570031911378" border="0" /></a><br />*No, I don't use the forklift to shovel in my food. <br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-20161202880910463832009-09-17T22:06:00.003-04:002009-09-18T00:42:56.605-04:00Virus DetectedI was supposed to post my BlogapaLOSEa update on Monday or Tuesday, but have been feeling kinda' crummy this week. Apparently, so are many of the people around where I live, since we had to wait over an hour at Urgent Care last night (and that was just to be called back to a room-we waited another 20 minutes to be seen.) On the plus side, my 4 y.o. daughter & I don't have ear infections or the flu, we have "a virus" that has been going around. I suspect my 17-month old son may have it too, since he had a massive diaper blowout on Tuesday-the same day I was in/out of the bathroom all day-not that you wanted to know. And, when you're already feeling like crap, the last thing you really need is the sight & smell of it <span style="font-style: italic;">everywhere.</span> Since I'm not allowed to bathe my children by myself, I had to call hubs at work & have him come home to give the boy a bath, then go back to work. FYI: The reason I'm not allowed to bathe my kids by myself is that I'm an epileptic & have had some issues w/my seizure control this year. I can only change my son's diaper on the floor, I can't take a shower unless someone else is home, and I haven't been able to drive since May-but barring any more seizures, I'll be allowed to drive again at the end of this month...at which point it becomes a matter of how <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> feel about it. Whether I feel I'm ready. But I digress...<br /><br />OK, so from Wed 9/9-Mon 9/14 I lost 5 lbs! That makes a total of 7 lbs so far. I've been really good about drinking water, to the point that when I tried to drink some ginger ale on Tues. to settle my stomach, the carbonation actually upset it more. I had Hubs help me load a bunch of music onto my MP3 player to walk/exercise to and that has really been great, but I still have plenty of room so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to suggest! I prefer something w/a good beat to keep me going, but there's always a need for cool-down songs too. And I'll listen to almost anything; here's a sample of who I have on there so far: Alanis, Live, Motley Crue, Metallica, KC and the Sunshine Band, Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, GNR, Rick Astley, Sublime, C & C Music Factory...and more. As far as the actual exercise goes, I've been using our elliptical, treadmill & recumbant bike. I will start adding in the Ab-lounge & some other toning/strengthening exercises with time. As it gets cooler & less humid, I also plan to walk in my subdivision more. I had an awesome walk Sat. evening-Hubs got the kids ready for bed & I did 2 rounds. My subdivision is great for walking because it's essentially a big loop w/a smaller loop in the middle, and it's hilly (is that even a word? Spellcheck isn't yelling at me...) so you get a decent workout.<br /><br />We went to Fazoli's for dinner last Sat. since kids eat free on weekends. Fazoli's is <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> generous w/their portions, so I've never needed to get anything larger than a small spaghetti w/meat sauce & usually can't finish the whole thing. Of course, I usually also eat 3 or 4 of their incredibly yummy garlic butter breadsticks and get a large Coke. I went in with a better mindset this time: I asked for a to-go container & immediately put half of my order of small spaghetti w/meat sauce in it. That made what was on my plate a more realistic portion size. I got a large drink, but it was ice water & I only ate 2 breadsticks. Then Hubs, daughter & I all shared a piece of chocolate cake. Miss Thing had devoured her dinner & was digging into the cake at warp speed...but then, she has the metabolism of a hummingbird on meth.<br /><br />We picked up a digital kitchen scale at Meijer on Sun. It's a Taylor/Biggest Loser brand & the one I had actually been looking at online. This will help w/my portion control & also with some of the bulk shopping separation we do. Speaking of The Biggest Loser, Hubs & I watched it for the first time ever on Tues evening, and I just have to say Bob is an idiot & Jillian is an evil shrew. During the 1st weigh-ins, Bob was making all of these exaggerated horribly shocked/disgusted faces. They cut to a clip of just him after the heaviest woman was weighed, and he said "476 pounds?! Oh my God, this girl is big!" <span style="font-weight: bold;">Um, no duh, Bob. Why do you think she's there?!</span> And I seriously just wanted to punch Jillian in the throat. Screaming & swearing at people, calling them lazy & pathetic-it doesn't seem helpful or inspiring to me, it seems more like some of the obnoxious jerks I went to high school with. I had a conversation w/my best friend about it on Facebook & told her that someone screaming at me wouldn't make me "want it" more & that she needs to have more respect for the people she's working with. However, I'm thinkin' we'll be watching again.<br /><br />**As of right now, I don't have a picture for this week since I've been feeling ucky. I managed a shower this evening, so if I manage a pic tomorrow, I'll add it.WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-55731908545386455472009-09-09T20:12:00.008-04:002009-09-09T21:25:46.370-04:00I vill crush you vith my tree-trunk legs!OK, so whose bright idea was it to start a weight-loss challenge the same week that there would be hardcore PMS?! Oh yeah, that would be me-there's obviously something not right in my head (duh.) Actually, that's not too far off...with PMS came a cluster migraine and NO desire to exercise! On some days I barely had a desire to lift my head up, but I have 2 small kids to take care of so I sucked it up & got on with my day. We did manage to get started digging out our exercise equipment & I hope to be able to be using it by this weekend. We also did something I've been wanting to do for a while now: we made our hamburgers this weekend out of 1/2 ground beef & 1/2 ground turkey. They still had the beef taste to them, and I'm just not ready/willing to go the full turkeyburger route. Tonight, we made tacos & did the same thing, and honestly, I would never have known there was ground turkey in there if I hadn't cooked it. I've also been trying to make healthier choices in terms of my snacks-and actually remember to eat snacks, since I tend to get kinda' headachey & mean when I'm hungry. (Those of you who just said "How is that different from you any other time?" STFU.) I've been really good about drinking more water, but old habits die hard: We went to Steak 'n' Shake & when the waiter asked for our drinks, I automatically ordered a coke-even though that's not what I really wanted. Oh yeah, and drinking more water means I have to pee...A LOT! The last thing I started working with over the past week was portion sizes. This is something that has always confused me; for example, a serving of meat is supposed to be 2-3 oz or approx the size of a deck of cards. I *know* the servings of meat I eat are bigger than that, and certainly the servings of everything else I eat are bigger than they're supposed to be. So, this past week, instead of eating meals on a dinner plate, I used a lunch/salad plate. I thought that until I can figure out the correct (or closer to the correct) serving/portion sizes, at least this would help keep me from putting too much on the plate! Hubs & I are thinking about getting a digital kitchen scale if we can find one at a reasonable enough price.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvcmnZccHd52QyZLBwjw0IXGuOWDIydnbogQQSPxRXX2sU1HYRm5S4N1LbvUaZ1e2xaUNsiWhvWRe6hDV_jYgb-OsUSjsv6rdtglkrbTQZRJgXMGPnJQznCOhRNKEzNpnSfRqUyE4Dg/s1600-h/week2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvcmnZccHd52QyZLBwjw0IXGuOWDIydnbogQQSPxRXX2sU1HYRm5S4N1LbvUaZ1e2xaUNsiWhvWRe6hDV_jYgb-OsUSjsv6rdtglkrbTQZRJgXMGPnJQznCOhRNKEzNpnSfRqUyE4Dg/s320/week2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379635169793929666" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />So here's this week's picture. I wore tighter clothes this time so everyone could get a good look what I need to work on-especially my short, stumpy lil' tree-trunk legs. I should have rolled up my sleeves so you could see my flabby upper-arms, but you get the idea. I would actually be pretty happy if I lost some boob too...I know that's not what most women want to lose & is the 1st thing they usually do. However, I'm tired of hauling these things around. I lost A LOT of weight in college (went from sz 16 to sz 6) and didn't lose a bit of boob. Man, was I pissed! Anyway, my progress for last week: Lost 3 lbs, then gained 2, then lost 1-so, I guess we'll call it even at lost 2 lbs.<br /></div></div>WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-68422656524564741112009-08-31T21:49:00.008-04:002009-08-31T23:51:58.791-04:00Weight a minute; Fat's not what I saidI've been feeling pretty crappy for quite some time now-physically, mentally, and emotionally. There's not much I can do about some of it except find better ways of dealing with it. However, I know that I need to take better care of some aspects of my health & that will help with other parts. First and foremost, I need to lose a significant amount of weight. Heart problems & diabetes are on both sides of my family, so I need to do whatever I can to prevent these in myself. When I saw that one of the awesome gals I follow on Twitter, Mother Tongue, (AKA: Heather) & a friend of hers had decided to launch <a href="http://mothertongue.bloginky.com/2009/08/20/blogapalosea-bay-bee/">BlogapaLOSEa </a>today, I debated it for a few days, discussed it w/Hubs, made excuses w/myself why I COULDN'T do it...and then signed up to do it. I need the support, people. I hope my support will help the others that are doing this. The contest ends 5 days before my birthday & honestly, even if I don't win, it would still be a great birthday present to have lost some weight, gained some friends & be healthier.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhukSOxY9FbjQYW9BQg7aQhGymUeuoa3DQUeRy5002vLy1PdTtvFX9ARg4KU83fafOnbdW8ovl2AfRSxxG5Et74AUuT5kYJ6o9absXZZJptaT3Wn8QURv-U2IYRY5yQTmTbjFh3VIvg/s1600-h/SDC11275.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhukSOxY9FbjQYW9BQg7aQhGymUeuoa3DQUeRy5002vLy1PdTtvFX9ARg4KU83fafOnbdW8ovl2AfRSxxG5Et74AUuT5kYJ6o9absXZZJptaT3Wn8QURv-U2IYRY5yQTmTbjFh3VIvg/s320/SDC11275.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376323262950581666" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /> This is a full-length shot of me; something I avoid like the plague, but a new one will be posted every week for the next 12 weeks. According to my scale (lying bastard!!), I need to lose 60 lbs to get to my reasonable goal weight. You'll notice I haven't shared my current weight or goal weight with you...I'm just not ready for that yet. maybe once I start losing a little bit. Those of you who know me, if the suspense is killing you or something, email me & I may be persuaded to tell you.<br /> Things I'm doing to kick this off: Trying to remember to eat during the day. That may sound counter-productive, but one of my epilepsy medications tends to make me tired & just "blah", and I don't eat until dinnertime-then I eat a huge dinner & snack all evening. Oh, except for the Dr. Pepper that I sip on all day...It's generally only one 20 oz, but I think I'd like to try to turn that into several glasses of water, or caffeine-free iced tea w/Splenda. One of the most important things: I <span style="font-weight: bold;">have</span> to get off my ass & exercise. Thanks to Craigslist, Freecycle, Cheapcyle & other second-hand sources, we have a fairly nice home gym with a treadmill, elliptical, recumbant bike, Ablounge sport, 2 different size exercise balls, and a variety of bands & weights. Now all I have to do is dig them out from under the mounds of boxes & other crap piled around them and actually use them for their intended purpose. Hey! That will count as exercise too!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw66NeWmlXAw6CTJNusO51Z224F9bAaS4dZ_4cfoesU3AoqE_aohjdGpFFJeGxRAsubyggkZEaRtihqIdj2WSThDLf1o_GbxE12bhThDDWIF3eQYAmCg0vOaxy-bx46cw4ov9Nan4hA/s1600-h/SDC11257.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw66NeWmlXAw6CTJNusO51Z224F9bAaS4dZ_4cfoesU3AoqE_aohjdGpFFJeGxRAsubyggkZEaRtihqIdj2WSThDLf1o_GbxE12bhThDDWIF3eQYAmCg0vOaxy-bx46cw4ov9Nan4hA/s200/SDC11257.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376334907737442690" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJCje9F_ShWDR761eDbE0I5XHSHUjmtdukAPBHBjjhtc_HpxWaRCG9KXu88SCQBENzw2QK5EYpETYSzxxHPS9VWxP2x1UudnOpTgl6WXr33cM4d3OCbSywaXWGajP9BQakrfK7ueIYw/s1600-h/SDC11256.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJCje9F_ShWDR761eDbE0I5XHSHUjmtdukAPBHBjjhtc_HpxWaRCG9KXu88SCQBENzw2QK5EYpETYSzxxHPS9VWxP2x1UudnOpTgl6WXr33cM4d3OCbSywaXWGajP9BQakrfK7ueIYw/s200/SDC11256.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376334901269780146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I do not expect to lose the entire 60 lbs in the next 12 weeks-that would be an unrealistic & unhealthy goal. However, I will be going from a somewhat sedentary lifestyle to a more active one, I will be eating & drinking better, and I'm hoping to see at least half if not a little more of it gone!<br /><br />The Mantra of the Month in September's <span style="font-style: italic;">Shape</span> magazine was just the inspiration I needed:<br /><div style="text-align: center;">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">I will change...gradually."<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">"Big changes are tough to maintain. If you make your goals too monumental, you risk feeling disappointment when you can't get there fast enough-and you could give up. This month focus on modifying your life incrementally. So before you commit to making every meal from scratch, brown-bag it a few times a week. Or instead of immediately trying to run five miles, go just one and then add on a few minutes each time you work out. Small steps won't get get you where you want to be quickly, but they'll get you there, and that's what's most important.<br />~Jared Matthew Weiss<br /><br />I'm going to cut it out & put it on my fridge to remind me that this is a journey...and a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Stepp!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div></div></div><br /><br /></div></div>WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-37465795306628064702009-06-13T13:38:00.018-04:002012-02-20T15:11:02.080-05:00Dumbening<span style="color: #ffcc00;">Lisa: [writing] </span><i style="color: #ffcc00;">Dear log, can it be true? Does every Simpson go through a process of <b>dumbening</b>?</i><span style="color: #ffff66;"><span style="color: #ffcc00;"> "Hey, that's not how you spell 'dumbening'. Wait a minute… 'dumbening' isn't even a word!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #330000;">I had to start off with that Simpsons quote because it describes how I've been feeling lately pretty accurately...I've been experiencing a dumbening. The technical medical term for it is Psychomotor Slowing, and it's a side effect of both my epilepsy & the medication I take to treat it. But seriously folks, how many of you would know what the hell I was talking about if I threw that term at you? What it amounts to is that I'm feeling incredibly frustrated because there are things I *KNOW* I should know how to do, but can't remember, or can't concentrate on. I have several unfinished craft projects in the basement, including my son's baby/toddler blanket. I used to be able to fill notebook after notebook with stories & poetry, and now sometimes I have to force myself to sit down & return an email. Earlier this week, I wanted to take a picture of my son, so I picked up our digital camera & then just looked at it...because I couldn't remember how to turn the damn thing on! It wouldn't have been so bad, but for the fact that my 4-year-old daughter was standing right next to me and said "Why aren't you turning it on, Mommy?" Right then, I was so upset & frustrated, I pretty much wanted to hurl the camera on the floor in a big dramatic scene. However, since that would have terrified my daughter (and since I'm not stupid enough to throw an expensive piece of equipment on the floor), I simply said, "Oh, I think it's too dark in here to take a picture." By the way, you just push the button on top of the freakin' thing to turn it on...I remembered that about 1 full minute after my son stopped doing what I wanted to take a picture of.<br />
<br />
I don't know if having 2 seizures in one day a few weeks ago (which I haven't done in approx. 20 years!) fried off a few extra brain cells or what, but it just seems like I have to work a little harder to concentrate & I've been mixing up more words. Of course, my neurologist did increase my medication after that, so that probably also has some influence. I see my doc on Friday & can chat with her about it, but honestly, I doubt we'll do much because this is probably the best med I've been on. I've been on one that made my weight balloon up, made me nauseous (at the same time!), made me suicidally depressed & made my hair fall out in clumps; one that made my hair fall out in huge handfulls & made me pretty sleepy; one that made me want to sleep 20 hours/day & a few that really just didn't work for me. Oh yeah, there was the one we talked about putting me on that can cause a toxic rash...have I mentioned that I'm paler than my red-headed husband & have pretty sensitive skin, prone to odd rashes? Yeah, let's jump right on that one-NOT!<br />
<br />
So many people I talk to are amazed that I'm not more upset by not being able to drive for months at a time, or not being allowed to take baths-having to shower instead, which is hilarious to me since I've had 2 separate seizures in the shower, or the precautions I have to take with my kids. Well, I don't care about driving; sure it's a little inconvenient when I want to go somewhere NOW & have to wait until someone is available to take me, but hey-I have 2 kids...when do I get to go anywhere I want to go anyway? We've had to make some adjustments & thank goodness my husband's work schedule is flexible so that he's been able to get our daughter to/from preschool. It would be easier if we had public transportation, but unless I hijack one of the cows from the farm that backs up to our subdivision, I don't think that's an option.<br />
<br />
I'm actually looking forward to the Epilepsy Walk in 2 weeks so that I can meet some other local people with varying kinds of epilepsy. I hope we manage to not only raise money for epilepsy research but also awareness/support. I want them to find medications that will stop seizures without the "dumbening" or other horrible side effects. Better yet, I want them to find a way to just stop the seizures...no medications required. What I *REALLY* want more than anything, is to know that my children won't have to deal with this like I did.<br />
Our team page for the Epilepsy Walk: <a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/Steppilepsy">www.tinyurl.com/Steppilepsy</a><br />
<br />
I didn't mean for this to just be one big, long whiiiiiine. (O Noes! Someone call the Wahhhhmbulance!) While there are some very real problems that go along w/this disorder, there are some very real annoyances too. I mean c'mon, sometimes I just like to stare off into space & daydream...don't you? And you don't have to ask me if I'm feeling OK *every* time I mix up words or pause to gather my thoughts...however, if I'm flopping around on the floor like a fish out of water, feel free to provide assistance. All in all, I always have considered myself one of the luckiest epileptics because I've talked to & seen people who have it so much worse. When Hubs & I were going through our fertility treatments, I stumbled across a quote that I saved because I thought it fit it many areas of my life, and it definitely fits here:</span></span><br />
<div style="color: white;"><span style="font-style: italic;">There will always be someone whose suffering is greater than yours,<br />
It does not mean your pain doesn't matter.<br />
</span></div><span style="color: #ffff66;"><br />
</span>WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235708899378135198.post-51450052601655053822009-06-11T21:43:00.011-04:002009-06-13T22:23:30.908-04:00Moving Day<div style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" id="blog-title"><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">I've decided to re-start my blog here, so I've moved the (pitiful) 2 entries I had on my old site. And I had to laugh when I noticed that the 1st was in Feb, the 2nd was in April & I plan on starting up again this month (June)...apparently, I'm on the blog-every-2-months plan. What can I say? I've always been sort of a non-traditional, do things my own way kinda' gal.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);">Speak No Evil</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);" id="blog-date">04/01/2009</span></div><!-- 319107779842145 --><div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt; background: rgb(255, 255, 204) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 100%; display: none;" id="showPrompt319107779842145"><div id="promptUser" style="padding: 10px;">Are you sure you want to delete this post? This action is permanent. <span style="display: block; padding-top: 10px;"><a title="Links active once published" href="http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#" onclick="'goDeletePost(319107779842145);" style="color: red; margin-right: 15px;"><img src="http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/page_cross.gif" style="border: 0pt none ;" /><span style="position: relative; top: -3px; margin-left: 2px;">Yes, delete post</span></a><a title="Links active once published" href="http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#" onclick="'Effect.SlideUp("><img src="http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/page_next.gif" style="border: 0pt none ;" /><span style="position: relative; top: -3px; margin-left: 2px;">No, keep post</span></a></span></div></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" id="blog-author"> </div><div style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" id="blog-content"><p style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">My husband has written on his blog about some of the things children say and I just thought I'd expand on it, especially since yesterday morning provided me with the perfect opportunity.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">I was dozing on the couch (as I am wont to do since my children have a habit of rising before the roosters) when my darling 4 year old daughter asked me "Mommy, what's that word on the refrigerator?" Now, we have all kinds of crap on our fridge, my daughter reads at a 1st-2nd grade level, and I've been exhausted from one of my meds (which I will thankfully be going off of!), so I barely lifted my head & said "Can you spell it for me, honey?" to which she replied "F...U...C... (about this time, I bolted upright on the couch & whipped my head towards the fridge, just as she said the last letter)...X" (WHEW!)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">It turns out that she had been looking at our Leap Frog Fridge Phonics letters, and I had scooped several of them up off the floor the night before-apparently putting them back on the fridge in rather unfortunate placement. I explained to her that it wasn't a word, it was just how the letters were put together when I picked them up off the floor & it could have just as easily been XFCU. Her response? "That's silly! You can't even say that!"</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">Now I can only hope that I don't get a call from her (church-run) preschool letting us know that Miss Thing has informed the class that "FUCX isn't a word."</span><br /><br /></p></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" id="blog-post-separator"> </div> <div style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);" id="blog-title"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Invitation</span> <span id="blog-date">02/16/2009</span></div><!-- 914566622016119 --><div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt; background: rgb(255, 255, 204) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 100%; display: none;" id="showPrompt914566622016119"><div id="promptUser" style="padding: 10px;">Are you sure you want to delete this post? This action is permanent. <span style="display: block; padding-top: 10px;"><a title="Links active once published" href="http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#" onclick="'goDeletePost(914566622016119);" style="color: red; margin-right: 15px;"><img src="http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/page_cross.gif" style="border: 0pt none ;" /><span style="position: relative; top: -3px; margin-left: 2px;">Yes, delete post</span></a><a title="Links active once published" href="http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#" onclick="'Effect.SlideUp("><img src="http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/page_next.gif" style="border: 0pt none ;" /><span style="position: relative; top: -3px; margin-left: 2px;">No, keep post</span></a></span></div></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" id="blog-author"> </div><div style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" id="blog-content"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">So I kept saying I was going to start a blog to purge everything out of my mind (like brain-vomit) and couldn't possibly handwrite a journal again because the partial-OCD in me would want to rip out a page every time I made a mistake. Hmm, maybe I should look into ring-binder style journals...nahh, I think my mom & brother's snooping through my diary during childhood scarred me...and yet, here I am publishing a blog on the innerwebs.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">Anyway, those of you who know me know that I tend to be a little, um, "all over the place" to put it nicely. So basically this blog is going to sound like it is written by a bipolar paranoid schizophrenic w/Tourettes who remembers to take her medication only occasionally. In reality, I do not have those particular heath disorders, but have/have had more than my fair share of others & am not ashamed to talk about any of them-including the "girl stuff." Oh and by the way, it's not paranoia if they REALLY ARE out to get you.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">So, I'm not sure how often I'll blog-could be frequently, could be a while between blogs. I'd like to claim that I have a life too, but we all know how often I'm on Facebook. I do however have a 4 year old, a 10 month old & a husband who occasionally acts like a 2 year old, and they do keep me somewhat busy. Until next time I'll leave you with one of my faves from good ol' Shel Silverstein, which is where I "borrowed" the title for my blog:</span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Invitation<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-style: italic;">If you are a dreamer, come in,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-style: italic;">If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-style: italic;">A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-style: italic;">If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-style: italic;">For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-style: italic;">Come in! Come in!</span></p></div>WickedSteppMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09057189147301177897noreply@blogger.com0