Saturday, December 26, 2009

Merry Christmas!

I hope yesterday was a peaceful and fun day for everyone!  My wonderful children and husband got me some great, well thought-out gifts: a new power cord for my laptop (mine was frayed and I had been using hubby's cord when he didn't have it at work), shower gel, a new poof for the shower, candles, a calendar, and a new vacuum cleaner.  Yes, that was my most wanted item (next to the power cord).  I spent the morning putting that thing together and vacuuming the first floor and stairs.  That baby sure sucks (where my old one sucked because it didn't).  Today we will be celebrating with my side of the family and tomorrow we'll be with hubby's side.  We're so blessed!

May your holidays be filled with wonderful memories and joy!

Mitzvah of the day (yesterday): If you saw my children's faces, you wouldn't have to ask.  They may not have gotten exactly what they wanted, but they were happy with what they got.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Epic fail

Hmm, yeah, about that goal to post a mitzvah every day... Yeah, I failed at keeping my blog updated there. I do have to say that the challenge has helped me make sure I'm focused on others and not just myself. I will try to see if I can finish off the month with a mitzvah of the day.

Today's mitzvah: Go to Dave Ramsey's website and register to win $5,000 today!  He's doing a different prize every day.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Tired so fast post...

Mitzvah of the day: This evening I scooped a bowl of ice cream for hubby. 

Friday, December 4

Mitzvah of the day:  Drove my kids around all over the place without complaint.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Chicken - head = MOM

Today was a very busy day.  This morning I worked at my part-time job (one I can take my kids with if needed), had lunch with dd5 and hubby, did a little shopping (toilet paper, etc), picked up kids, swimming lessons, picked up more kids, fed dd3, picked up hubby, drove dd3 to a school activity, picked up dinner for the rest of us, ate my fries on the way to pick up dd3 (please ignore carb count today), came home to eat the rest of my dinner, went to bell choir practice, came home, helped dd1 with her class schedule for next year, helped dd2 with her grammar homework, and now here I sit.  *WHEW*

Mitvah of the day: As I was dropping off dd3, a friend called and asked if I could give her daughter a ride home from the same activity.  She has given my daughter several rides, so of course I said yes since I had to pick up my child and it wasn't out of my way at all to drop her off.  It made me feel good to give back a little after all she had done for me.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Hot chocolate snuggles

This morning I went to the Y to work out.  Having a 5 yr old cutie who doesn't want her mommy's legs cut off is always a great motivator.  (The kids know that my grandfather lost both of his legs due to diabetic complications.)  Said cutie sometimes has meltdowns in the drop-in nursery if things don't go her way (kid not sharing, someone in her spot, etc.).  As I left I reminded her that if she didn't have any fits, we'd do something special.  On my return I got a glowing report.  Not only was she fit-free, but she was very quiet the whole time.  This leads into my...

Mitzvah of the day: When we got home, I made dd5 hot chocolate, gave her some miniature marshmallows, and a few graham crackers.  We snuggled together on a chair while waiting for the water to heat up.  She really enjoyed her little treat!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

A new month, a new challenge

Last month I thought I'd try my hand at NaBloPoMo and post on my blog every day during the month of November.  However since I didn't find out about it until November 2nd or 3rd and I hadn't posted on November 1st, I technically didn't "win" from the beginning, but I still had fun.

This month NaBloPoMo is suggesting a theme!  The theme for December is MITZVAH and it comes with a challenge: to give something, to someone, every day of the month, and then blog about it.  I'll probably have my usual ramblings, but then I'll also list my mitzvah of the day.

I think I'll make sure to have a daily mitzvah, or good deed, directed at myself as well.  Taking care of my diabetes and overall health is probably one of the best things I could do right now.  Not just for myself, but also my family.  I've been too laid back with my health recently, not exercising every day and not always making the best choices in my eating habits.  These things I will probably talk about, but they won't be listed as part of my daily challenge.

Mitzvah of the day: Watching a friend's daughter while she went to an out of town meeting.  My youngest had a blast having a friend over to play with today.  They get along great and we all had a lot of fun.  Although I know it helped the mom out, it was nice for me to have someone else entertain dd5.  I was able to get a good amount of housework done, which the older ones messed some of it up when they got home from school.

Monday, November 30, 2009

November has come to an end...

... which means only 25 days until Christmas!  I love this time of year.  The lights, the songs, the reflection.  The season of advent is very spiritual for me, especially since I became a mother.  The songs "Mary Did You Know" and "Breath of Heaven" touch my inner being.  I look at my children, my own blessings from God, and wonder what Mary must have gone through, knowing that her son was our Savior.  And I'm stressing about getting my oldest her driver's license!  WOW!

Tomorrow we have a friend of our youngest coming over to play while her mom goes to a meeting.  I'm looking forward to a day of fun!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Congestion, go away!

In early October I had a bad cold.  Since then I've felt better but now the congestion is effecting my ears.  It's really annoying trying to talk to someone when you feel like you have cotton in your ears.  It's been going on for 2-3 weeks.  I went to the doctor just in case it was an ear infection.  (Un)fortunately, it's just congestion.  Mixed blessing!  If it was an ear infection, I could take some antibiotics and feel better.  Since it's congestion, who knows when it will clear up.  With cold season upon us plus farmers still harvesting, I may never been clear. 

I have purchased and used a Neti pot a few times, which seems to help, though I'm still getting the hang of it.  Luckily I know to only put the salt water solution in it, unlike some people.  I haven't used it recently, but I may try it tonight.  I don't like taking medication unless I have to, so I'm willing to try this to see if it clears me up.

Today is the first Sunday of advent.  The girls and I lit the first candle at church this morning.  They were really excited.  It was a neat experience for all of us.  I think dd2 liked lighting the candle while I read.  It's been a long day so I think I'm going to call it an early night.  Not yet, it's only 8 pm, but maybe in another hour or so.  Tomorrow everyone goes back to school/work.  I need to work on the menu and shopping list for December.  Wish me luck!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Turkey overload

We had our big Thanksgiving meal with turkey on Thursday, leftovers with turkey, gravy, added peas over bread or stuffing on Friday, turkey sandwiches for lunch today - my two teenagers vetoed anything with turkey for dinner tonight.  So we had McDonald's.  Afterall, McRibs are back!  :)

Thankfully I went swimming for 1.5 yrs with the younger three.  Usually when I take them, I put a "bubble" on the youngest (flotation device that is a foam block with a belt).  Today she only wore it for about two minutes, swimming without the rest of the time.  Of course that kept me busy the whole time, following her around to make sure she didn't tire out while too far from a wall to hold onto.  She did great!  I just know she'll pass to the next level at the end of this session of swim lessons.

I should have decorated outside today.  It was beautiful!  Very sunny and close to 60*!  However after swimming with the kids, I was tired.  Of course now it's almost 6:30 pm and it's dark outside.  Hopefully I can sweet talk hubby into doing some of it or I'll try to do some on Monday since I have a commitment tomorrow afternoon.  Of course tomorrow morning is church, the first Sunday in advent.  The girls and I have been asked to light the first advent candle.  I love this season, especially when most of my shopping is already done.  I love shopping but I also like hanging back and enjoying the magic of the season.  At church last Sunday, the girls and I, along with another family, passed out family advent devotionals.  I'm hoping to follow through with it this year with them.  I want them to fully understand what this holiday is all about - our Savior's birth!

Friday, November 27, 2009

You know you're a diabetic when...

...you cut your finger and feel like you should test so you don't waste the blood.  :)

This morning I was one of the crazy ones shopping at 5 am.  I got up around 4:15 am, got dressed, ate a pb&j sandwich to avoid my sugar crashing, and set off.  Lists in one hand, ads in the other.  Thankfully I wasn't after any of the high-demand items, so I was calm and enjoyed the morning of great deals.  My biggest accomplishment this year is using cash.  No credit at all!  (Minus the magazine and calendar I ordered over the phone for hubby last month.)

While at the first store, I went to pick up a pair of snow boots that had fallen off the display and into the aisle.  The tag must have gotten wedged inside the boot because I wound up with a nasty cut on the tip of my right index finger.  (Yes, typing this hurts!)  Luckily I was near the fitting rooms so I was able to ask an associate for a bandage.  Man, those cuts sting!  Afterward I was feeling a little off.  I wasn't sure if it was my glucose levels or from lack of sleep.  I should have used some of that blood that had been dripping down my finger earlier.  I tested and found I was in the 150s.  Dawn phenomenon with a pb&j chaser! 

After a few hours of shopping, I returned home, stashed my purchases in a basement room, and enjoyed a piece of pumpkin pie.  I figured by that time (about four hours later), my sugar had recovered and I was hungry.  Yes, my children know where I put the unwrapped presents and no, they do not peak.  They know if they do (and mom always knows!) they will get no presents Christmas morning - not from mom, their sisters, or *gasp* even Santa.  I don't know how my mom stashed presents when we were little, but I love having this back room of the basement to store ours.

The kids have cleaned the foyer, put up the trees, put on the lights, and are now decorating the tree.  I enjoy letting them do the decorating of the tree.  Not because I don't want to do it, but because I enjoy hearing the conversations that come out of that room while they cooperate to decorate the tree together.  Every once in a while I hear, "I want to put that ornament on the tree!"  However they quickly work it out by trading or making compromises.  I love Christmas music and we've had it playing all day!

Wishing you a stress-free holiday season!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Being thankful

Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks, a day to think about what you are truly thankful for.  Yes, we've all heard this before, but how often do you actually go that deep?  The usual reply is, "I'm thankful for my family, having a roof over my head, my friends, etc."  I want you to take a minute and really think about it.  Go deep inside you!  This isn't something that I expect you to share as I don't know if I will share my answers in this forum.  Think about what blessings you have that stir up your deepest emotions, bring you close to tears (or actually make you cry).  Those are the things that you should thank your Creator for, the things in your life that make life worth living.  God bless everyone on this Thanksgiving Day and every day!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Baking and shopping

We've done a bit of baking here and it's still not done.  Hubby and a couple of the young ones made a chocolate pudding pie (sugar free pudding) earlier today.  Right now they're working on two homemade pumpkin pies.  The pie crust is from scratch and he even used a pie pumpkin, not canned.  I made monster chocolate chip cookies with the forth child.  They were huge!  Only five per cookie sheet.  Oh so yummy, but honestly not very low carb.  Our second child has sugar cookie dough chilling in the fridge.  Tomorrow will be a day fully of delicious food and time with my husband and children with no other obligations.  For that, I am thankful!

Of course Friday involves Black Friday shopping.  In today's mail we received our free county shopper/newspaper with ads for several stores.  I was excited about planning ahead for Friday's shopping.  But where was the ad for the evil empire?  I had seen their ad online but I get overwhelmed by the online ads.  I have an easier time getting organized with the print ad.  I called the store and was informed it should have been in the mail.  Their ad typically comes separate as their own mailer.  Nope.  I even posted on FB, asking if anyone else local to me got their ad.  Someone mentioned that it came in the paper today, but not the free issue.  So I called the newspaper where it was confirmed that the ad I was missing would be in the newspaper.  I gathered together three quarters and agreed to join hubby to the grocery store where I knew a paper box was to be found.  Surprisingly I waited until we were leaving the store to purchase my newspaper.  Before leaving the parking lot, however, I made sure the ad I wanted was in there.  If it was missing, my plan was to have hubby drive over to the newspaper office to acquire the ad.  Thankfully it was there which made me very happy (and hubby happy, too, because I was no longer moping about not having that ad).

Now my plan is to carefully go through each ad to see what stores I need to visit on which days and times.  My plan is to keep my spending low.  After all, the focus of Christmas should be on the birth of our Savior, not putting us further into debt.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Diabetes and holiday dinners

We're lucky for Thanksgiving that it will be just our immediate family, so I can make sure that we have food here that I can gorge myself on.  Turkey, non-starchy vegetables, salad.  Yes, we'll also have plenty of carbs, too, but I know that I can make a majority of my meal low-carb.  We do have growing children, so we have to have some carbs available for them.  I won't promise to stay away from the carbs, though. 

It's not as easy to be "picky" when you're having a holiday meal at the home of someone else.  I've heard some suggest eating something beforehand, so then you only need to take a small plate.  Others have suggested bringing a dish (or two) that you know you'll be able to eat.  I would love to hear from other diabetics about how you handle holiday dinners. 

Monday, November 23, 2009

Treadmill tired

Hubby and I went to the Y and walked on the treadmills for almost an hour.  I walked just over 2.5 miles.  Needless to say, I'm tired.  It's only 9:00 pm here and I've fallen asleep at least three times in my chair.  I'm thinking I might see an early bedtime tonight.  Better check the sugar levels first to see what kind of bedtime snck I should have (I'm thinking Kashi cookie), then it's off to lala land for me.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

We need a vacation!

Do you ever have a day where you just need to get away from it all?  Work, housework, school, playing taxi driver?  Oh I am so there!  I would love it if we could just get away for a few days.  Everyone is kind of cranky today.  The kids only have two days of school this coming week and hubby has taken some vacation time.  However we're not going anywhere.  We have our big turkey thawing in the refrigerator and our menu is planned.  I'm still debating if I'm going shopping on Friday or not.  I still need to go over the ads and decide.  What I wouldn't give for a little get-away right now.

Do you diabetics ever want a vacation?  Time to get away from the finger sticks, watching your carbs, exercise, and medications.  Oh I do!  I'll admit that some days I'm jealous of those of you who take oral meds or inject insulin.  Some days I wish I could just calculate a dose of insulin and eat whatever I'd like.  Now my mind is not so distorted that I think that's a good thing.  It just sounds appealing once in a while.  There are times that I feel blessed that I'm diet and exercised controlled, but other days I feel extra pressure.  I feel that I need to prove something at times. 

Most of the time I feel I need to be Super Mom, Super Diabetic, Super Wife, and/or Super Person.  Since we have five kids, I feel I need to be Super Mom to prove that I can handle my five better than others can handle their two or three kids.  Since I'm young, not overweight, and diet/exercise controlled, I feel that puts pressure on me to be Super Diabetic and have perfect numbers.  Being a stay-at-home mom, I feel the need to be Super Wife/Person by having a clean house, meals planned and prepared, and an organized life.  Maybe I need a vacation from the pressure I put on myself!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Taking care of myself

I try to take care of myself, but some days I just want to sit around the house and be lazy.  However if I want to control my diabetes, I need to exercise as well as eat right.  Tuesday morning was a little wake up call.  I wasn't in the mood to go work out so I asked my youngest, "Do you want to go to the Y or do you want to just go home and watch TV?"  She wanted to go to the Y.  "Don't you want to go home and watch [insert favorite PBS show]?"  (Can you tell I didn't want to work out?)  "No, Mommy, you need to go to the Y.  I don't want your legs cut off."  Wow!

Sometimes my children don't want their parents going to the Y to work out.  They enjoy having us at home.  Our forth one is especially vocal about her objections.  Finally I asked her if she wanted to push me around in a wheelchair.  Umm, no.  Then I explained to her what happened to my grandfather who passed away when I was a young teenager.  He had Type 2 diabetes as well as other illnesses.  He lost both of his legs due to gangrene.  Of course the complexities of that don't always click with an eight year old, so I put it very bluntly - my grandfather lost both of his legs to diabetes; he had to have them cut off.  When I told her that, she realized how serious diabetes can be.

I don't know all the details of Grandpa's medical condition, but I do know that he is now my inspiration to take care of myself.  I have finally accepted that having special mommy only snacks and working out at the Y are not selfish things.  Looking at my precious children I realize that taking care of myself is the most selfless thing I could ever do.  I have to be good to myself first if I'm going to do them any good.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Tips for a cheap take out dinner

We decided as a family that Friday nights would be take-out.  However with some unexpected expenses plus Thanksgiving next week, we wanted to cut a little off our budget.  Instead of getting full meals, this is what we did...

Instead of individual sodas, I bought two 2-liter bottles of generic soda for 78cents each.  That probably saved me $5-7 right there.  Then instead of buying fries, we dipped into the bags of potatoes that I got last week (5 lbs for 88cents).  My wonderful husband (who ordered two small cheeseburgers at half the price of his usual chicken sandwich) cut up a bunch of potatoes, put a little olive oil and seasoning on them, then popped them in the oven.  Our fries were baked with the skins on, so they were healthier!  So instead of buying seven combo meals, I bought several sandwiches off the value menu (99cents each) plus a salad for me.  It did bother me to spend more on my meal than the others, but that's the price of diabetes.  I was also not having any of the homemade fries (ok I had one or two, but that's all!).

Usually dinner from this hamburger joint that sells square patties (Where's the beef?) costs our family of seven over $30.  Tonight I was able to feel us a special take-out treat for less than $15! Add the two bottles of soda and half a bag of potatoes, and the meal cost us about $17.   It's nice to treat our family to something special without breaking the bank. 

WORLD TOILET DAY - How your toilet can help you fight Diabetes!

My friend, Rae, posted this on the ADA Type 2 message board yesterday.  I wanted to post this last night but I was waiting for her permission to post it to my blog, so I'm counting this as yesterday's post for NaBloPoMo.  Thanks, Rae!  ;)

WORLD TOILET DAY - How your toilet can help you fight Diabetes!

Welcome, everyone, to our official celebration of the world-wide holiday today that was inspired by a very essential invention - the flushable toilet.

Now, you may be wondering how your toilet can help you manage Diabetes. How often have you skipped doing a finger-stick with your glucometer because you're in a hurry or your day just seems too hectic and cramped to stop and test your glucose? Or you decide that you only need to test when you "feel out of sorts" or "off the mark"? We've all done it at least once.

But I'm sure you find time throughout your day to use the bathroom, right? I mean, when ya gotta go... ya gotta go! And anyone who has ever taken a diuretic or Metformin KNOWS the value of indoor plumbing and has an appreciation for the invention of the flushable toilet. However, while you're "doing your business"... what else are you doing? Yup. Chances are, you're just sitting there, patiently waiting for your body to finish relieving itself with nothing else to do.

I guarantee you're sitting there longer than 5 seconds. 5 seconds is the average time it takes a glucometer to process what your BG level is once you place your drop of blood onto the test strip.

Therefore, while you are twiddling your thumbs in the commode, take the opportunity to multi-task while you are there and test your glucose! Then you have successfully completed 2 things at once - you no longer have the urge to use the bathroom, AND you know what your BG number is. This will aid you in making decisions such as when to eat, what to eat, and (if you're on insulin) if correction dosing is needed at that point in time.

Of course, glucose testing isn't the only thing you can do while you're in the john... those of you who are planning on sitting on the throne longer than 2 minutes (you know who you are!) can also take this time to refill their pill holders for the week. Most people keep their medicines in the medicine cabinet in their bathrooms at home. Those of you who use oral meds to help control your BG can now make sure that you drop one of those things in each day holder case in your pillbox. (Or swallow one now... whatever the case may be!)

Without the flushable toilet, where would those who use Metformin be left to run to? Where would Byetta users relieve their nausea? Where would the pre-diabetics or those not yet diagnosed end up having to go? (Since we know that frequent urination is one of the symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes!) And where, oh where, is Carmen Sandiego?

So next time you "take 5" to go squeeze the Charmin, remember... this is quality time that you could be using to make sure you are managing your Diabetes better!

EVERYONE HAVE A SAFE (and C.Diff-free!) HAPPY WORLD TOILET DAY!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Fast rambling

In keeping with NaBloPoMo, I have to make sure I post today.  Not much to say and I'm falling asleep in my chair.  I might have more to write tomorrow!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Fun diabetes video

I just found this and had to share it. I've been laughing the whole time. Wondering if my family thinks I've flipped!

Financial Peace University online

I have been a long time fan of Dave Ramsey and his teachings, but never fully committed. Well we have signed up for Financial Peace University online. I'm excited about it and look forward to the day when we can yell on his radio program that we're debt free!

Being debt free is not only good security as well as healthy emotionally, but I believe it will help with our medical issues. Stress can cause blood sugar issues, something I'd like to keep under control. I would love to some day be debt free and diabetes free. Right now the debt is the only thing totally under my control, so I'll tackle that.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Lazy Sunday afternoon and Christmas wishes

This morning was filled with church-centered activities. This afternoon is full of nothing. Ahhhhh! What a wonderful thing! I'm just sitting her in my wing back chair with my laptop. Only thing on the calender for the rest of the day is bell choir practice for dd3. I'm anxious to start Christmas shopping but I need to figure out what I'm going to get the kids. We also need to figure out what to get the extended family. I'll probably do a lot of homemade items this year. (Not going to post any ideas in case they are reading my blog.)

What do I want for Christmas? Honestly, I'd be happy with a cure for diabetes. Yes, that's all. But just in case Santa doesn't bring that this year, I'm thinking some exercise clothes, maybe a heart rate monitor watch, and a regular date for hubby and me with the treadmills at the YMCA.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

World Diabetes Day

Today is World Diabetes Day. As a Type 2 diabetic, I want to get the word out about how serious diabetes can be. Did you know that 1 in 4 diabetics don't even know they have diabetes? Did you know you could become Type 2 even if you're young and thin?

So what are *you* doing to educate yourself and others about diabetes?

Friday, November 13, 2009

Friday the 13th - Unlucky?

For many people, the 13th is an unlucky day. Just over 16 yrs ago, our oldest child was born on the 13th. Then five years ago, our fifth child was also born on the 13th. For us, the 13th is a very lucky day. Friday the 13th, I've decided, is doubly lucky. It reminds me that I have a child on each end born on the 13th. Since they are truly blessings, everything about them, including the date of their birth, is a blessing.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

*sings* I'm so dizzy...

This morning I woke up feeling like my ears were under water. Not a fun feeling. With any quick movement of my head (and sometimes when I'm completely still), the world starts to spin in an unusual way. Every once in a while I get a little twinge in my right ear as well. Being the stubborn person that I am, I still went to work this morning. For the most part I was ok, though the dizziness would come and go.

At lunch, I admitted to the hubby that I was a little uncomfortable about driving the kids around this afternoon. This wonderful man that I married took the afternoon off for me! He's awesome!

I'm still feeling out of it. If I'm still feeling this way tomorrow, I'll be calling my doctor. For now, I'm going to appreciate my husband who not only played taxi driver this afternoon but also ran to the store for prescriptions and dinner since the pork roast I put in the crockpot very late this morning isn't done yet. I'm also going to try to stop this carnival ride!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Happy Veteran's Day!

I would like to thank all Veterans for their service to our country! It is interesting that the Veteran in our family went to work today while our children enjoyed their freedom (no school). Thank you, dear, for serving our country! I'd also like to thank my father and father-in-law for their service as well!

I spent the day with the children. We relaxed at home, taking our time getting ready for the day. Then I took all five girls shopping for shoes. We wound up going to two different stores. They all behaved great with no fighting. After returning home, I decided to pick up the hubby and we went out for lunch without children. It was nice to sit and relax, have a conversation without interruption. This afternoon our oldest got her braces off. She's been licking her teeth all afternoon.

Looking forward to what tomorrow brings...

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Another day, another ramble

Yes, another day of "I don't know what I want to write, but I'm determined to do this NaBloPoMo thing." I can actually succeed at this even though technically I didn't post on November 1st, but I didn't find out about this until the month had already started, so I'm good.

It's only 8pm and I'm already wanting to go to sleep. I might call it an early night. The younger ones haven't realized that they could probably stay up a little later since there's no school tomorrow (Veteran's Day), but we're not saying anything right now. I'll remind them in the morning when I tell them to go back to bed for a while. hehe

Tomorrow my oldest is getting her braces off. I think she's rather excited about it. It will be strange to see her teeth again after a year and a half of braces. Then as soon as we're able, dd3 will be next in line for the orthodontist. Thankfully dd2 has straight teeth, except for the bicuspid that is off by a quarter turn but still straight. We're not going to do braces for a tooth that is a quarter turn off though otherwise properly aligned. It's too soon to tell for the youngest two. We'll just wait and see (and pray!).

Monday, November 9, 2009

Headaches & french fries

This morning I was working at the drop-in nursery at the YMCA. I started the morning off with a little headache that started to grow, but I could still tolerate it. Then the kids started playing with the toy food and serving me. They gave me three servings of french fries. I started talking to my co-worker about hot, salty McDonald french fries. YUM! *drool*

According to the McDonald's website, a large fry has 63 carbs. SIXTY-THREE!?!?! ACK! But yes, I still was craving the yummy carb filled goodness. I wound up getting a Snickers bar. *sigh* It was only 35 carbs in comparison, so although a better choice, definitely not the best choice I could have made for a snack. Thankfully my breakfast and lunch were pretty low-carb, so I should be ok. Right?

Why is it when I should be avoiding certain foods that I crave them the most? My lunch was delicious, but since I was still craving those french fries it was only ok. Thankfully the Advil has kicked in and my head only has a mild ache, not the throbbing that was going on at lunch.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Giving it my all

The gospel lesson for today's worship service came from Mark 12:41-44.  Basically Jesus was in the temple with some others.  These rich people were pretty much showing off by how much they were giving the church.  Then in came a widow who had very little, just two little coins worth less than a penny.  She gave all that she had to the church.  Jesus then says to his friends that this woman who gave so little gave much more than those rich men who gave so much.  He encourages us to give all we have to God.

Is he really asking us to give all of our money and worldly possessions?  Of course not!  This passage says to me that I am to take all that I have an honor the Lord.  Everything I have comes from the grace of God, so it's only right that I give back to others with not just my money, but my time and tallents. 

A little over four years ago we were trying to buy a bigger house.  Five kids and two adults were rather cramped in the 1000 sq ft bungalow that we used to call home.  We found a house that was perfect for us in a great neighborhood.  I drove past it often and hoped it would work out.  We made an offer on the house and waited for a reply.  I then parked in front of the house and prayed.  "Please, Lord!  Please help us to get this house.  If we get it, I will dedicated a whole room to You!"

Less than two months later, we had sold out little house and moved into the larger house.  You can't even imagine how much I love having four toilets with five daughters!  But then my promise came back to me.  A whole room dedicated to God???  What was I thinking?  I wasn't!  I can't have a room with crosses everywhere.  A large picture of Jesus on my wall?  That wasn't me!  I can't believed I promised my Lord that I would build a shrine in my living room!

But then it hit me...  Honoring God is not done with bling.  Honoring God comes from the heart.  Honoring God comes from serving others.  I would honor God by creating a welcoming home.  A home where visitors would feel welcome, where they would feel love, where they would feel God. 

I'm not sure if our visitors have an epiphany when they walk through our door, but like the woman with the two small coins, I'm going to give it my all!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

A day not according to plan

Well this morning started off nice.  Hubby and I woke up a little early, enjoying the quiet without children.  Then around 7:20 am dd3 asked if dd2 had a band thing today.  OMG!  Get your sister up NOW!  In 20 minutes flat she got up, got dressed, and out the door.  Whew!  I got her there a little early even!  Then she was finding her spot and her music... Umm, were you supposed to bring your music stand.  She was *so* lucky that this event was in town (some kids traveled hours for this event).  Called the oldest asking her to start looking for her sister's music stand as I drove home.  I got home to oldest telling me she only found half of her sister's stand, but (oh I love this) dd2 could borrow dd1's music stand today.  Problem solved!  I run back over and give her the music stand in plenty of time. 

Then I ran back home to get ready for my Aqua Fit class.  Oh that was an awesome workout once again!  Three of us went into the hot tub for a little while before hitting the showers.  Hubby was waiting for me when I finally finished (he went on the treadmill).  Then it was time to take dd1 to get her hair done.  She got the back shortened up a bit, plus got really light blonde, almost white and red streaks on the front half of her head.  It looks cool!

While dd1 was getting her hair done, I had to pick up dd2 from the band thing for lunch, drop her off at home to eat, pick up dd1 from her hair appointment, drop her off for lunch, take dd2 back to the band thing, then come home and have my own lunch in time to turn around and go back to the band thing for their concert.  *whew*  They did a wonderful job!

Well we're back home but hubby and I are both tired from our morning workout plus I'm tired from all the running around.  I think the yard clean-up is going to have to wait until tomorrow, though dd3-5 are out there now having fun with the rakes.  At least we'll have the work started... I hope.

Through all of this craziness I believe I've been able to keep my glucose levels steady.  I really need to get better about regular testing and logging.  Hey, if insurance pays for the test strips and I have a stash, what's holding me back, right?

Friday, November 6, 2009

Exercise and gardening

This morning was water aerobics.  What an awesome (and tiring) workout!  Unfortunately I started off the workout with a bad cramp along the side of the shin on my left leg.  I took extra time stretching and seeing how it would behave (or not).  By the end of the warm-up/stretch, my leg felt better.  It was a good workout with plenty of variety.  Some parts I added intensity while others I had to drop it down.  Tomorrow morning is Aqua Fit, which is a higher intensity in only 45 minutes (instead of the hour of today's class).

Tomorrow is supposed to get into the upper 60's, so I think we'll be working outside.  The vegetable garden still needs to be cleaned up and prepared for winter.  If we get the work done now, spring will be easier on us all!  I'm hoping next spring to expand the garden some.  I'm so proud of what we did this year and I'm looking forward to what we can do in the garden for 2010.  We have canned nine quarts of three kinds of pickles and 14 quarts of tomato sauce.  In the freezer we have about 30 lbs of bell peppers, 24 cups of applesauce, and another 12 cups of tomato sauce.  This doesn't count what we used straight from the garden.  We learned a lot.  It was our first year canning and our first year using apples from our tree.  We're already making plans for next year and I'm so excited. 

Of course gardening is great exercise so I'm looking forward to going to the YMCA tomorrow morning then heading out to the back yard later in the day (after taking the oldest to get her hair cut).  I'm looking forward to getting all of the kids out there and having all seven of us work together to get the yard cleaned up.  (Yeah, I'll tell you how crazy that idea was in tomorrow's blog post.)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Today's ramblings

Since I'm doing better at my goal with NaBloPoMo than NaNoWriMo, I'm posting whatever comes to mind.  I worked at the YMCA's drop-in nursery this morning.  What a busy, busy morning!  The kids are great and I enjoy my coworkers.  It did get warm in there with the kids and constantly moving.  I don't think I sat for more than five minutes the whole time.  Yesterday we bought a couple rakes.  I'm hoping to finally get our garden cleaned up and prepared for winter.

I'm still candy-free except for the occasional peanut M&M that my hubby has shoved in my mouth.  I think I've had a total of four, maybe five.  I've been getting my chocolate fix from some yummy Kashi products, a dark chocolate coconut granola bar or an oatmeal dark chocolate cookie.  YUM!  I'm feeling much better not only physically but also emotionally.  I get rather cranky when my sugar is high and I haven't been eating as healthy as I should.

Dinner is already in the crockpot.  I'm making chicken stew:  frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts thrown in with a container of chicken stock, a bag of baby carrots, 5-6 potatoes cut up (skins still on), and various seasonings.  It was something I was able to throw together while directing the kids in getting ready for the day.  Perfect for a busy mom of five and it's not the overly processed sodium filled quick foods that many people assume kids crave.

Hubby and I just had lunch.  It's so tempting to just eat out, but I've been very good about eating at home.  I'll say things like, "I really want to eat out, but we should eat here. Right, dear?  Please tell me that we need to eat at home and not eat out!"  My goal is only one lunch and one dinner per week as take-out.  As kids we rarely ate out (Hi, Mom!), so I think that's why I want to eat out so often.  Meals out don't seem as expensive as they did when I was a kid (though I was blind to the financial side of things as many kids are) plus we didn't have the number of choices we have now.  We had some yummy beef and vegetable soup.  It was a healthy Campbells chunky type soup, so plenty of substance to it.

I think I'm going to play on Facebook for a little while, maybe get some sewing done, then the after school chaos begins!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Christmas shopping has officially begun

Since my husband doesn't read my blog, I'm safe to announce that I have bought his first Christmas gift today.  Every year I renew his Astronomy magazine subscription and buy him their calendar.  One year, however, I forgot to order his calendar.  He didn't believe me!  Ok, I did start laughing every time he questioned me, but it was more of a nervous laugh.  The publisher had sold out, so I had to call around to book stores across the state until I found one that had the calendar.  The book store manager was great and even shipped it to me via priority mail!  I wrapped it unopened, still in the envelope, to prove to him that I had actually forgotten and the effort I went through to make sure to get him his traditional gift.  Yesterday the renewal notice for Astronomy magazine came in the mail, so today I called in the order for the magazine, calendar, and one of their special issues.

Now to get started on shopping for everyone else...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo

I am doing both NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo this month.  NaNoWritMo is National Novel Writing Month and NaBloPoMo is National Blog Posting Month.  With NaNoWritMo, the object is to write a 50,000 word novel in just one month.  I'm at 721 words so far, which is behind but more words than I've written in previous years already.  NaBloPoMo's object is to post blog entries every day for a month.  Since I just heard about it, we'll ignore the fact that I didn't post on November 1st.  hehe

24hrs candy free!

I haven't had a piece of Halloween candy in over 24 hrs!  I'm so proud of myself!  I admit there are three pieces of candy sitting on the desk here, but those are the ones that my loving five year old daughter brought to me, thinking she was being nice to her mommy.  I graciously said thank you, then put them on top of the CPU case that is on the desk.  The first two were easy to put up there.  This last one was a little harder.  My sweetie came to me, her mouth full of chocolate, and gave me the "fun size" candy bar.  Fun for whom?  The smell of chocolate taunted me.  Oh how I wanted that sweet, yummy candy!  But I made a deal with myself and I plan to keep to it.  After yesterday's blog entry, I decided that if I could go 24 hrs without a piece of candy then I'd treat myself to a 44 oz diet coke from the gas station down the street.  I already have a cup from there, so the refill will only cost me 74cents.  It's not an expensive treat, but since we usually don't have soda in the house it is a special treat.

Reading the blogs of other diabetics and talking to some local people I know, it's nice to know that I'm not alone in my struggle.  Bless you all during Diabetes Awareness Month which happens to start the day after Halloween.  Coincidence?  Hmmm...

Monday, November 2, 2009

Halloween Horror

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays with the children.  I love helping them dress up and show off their costumes.  I also enjoy taking them door to door to trick or treat, even when it's cold and windy.  The one part I don't like since becoming a diabetic is not being able to eat all the yummy treats I desire.  Sunday afternoon I got ill from too much sugar in my system, followed by almost crippling stomach cramps, and glucose levels over 170.  Today I feel almost like I have the flu.  My fasting was 123 this morning which isn't unusual for me.  Two hours after lunch my glucose was at 130.  An hour later I was 120.  I don't want to move.  My body feels like my blood has turned into molasses.  "Normal" people would think they just need to eat something to get that energy level back up.  Hey, look at all that candy sitting on the counter!  For me, however, the thing I crave the most will only cause me to drag even lower as my sugar goes higher.

I still love Halloween - the dressing up, walking the neighborhood with the kids, and yes even the candy.  I just need to learn how to keep my cravings under control.  Moderation not deprivation.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Glucose levels

Someone just posted this on the ADA Type 2 message board, and I thought I'd share it here.  This is one of my favorite charts for recommended glucose levels.
----------------------------------------------------

RECOMMENDED BLOOD GLUCOSE GOALS
                                        NON    
               ADA    JOSLIN   AACE   DIABETIC
A1C            < 7.0   < 7.0   < 6.5  4.0-6.0
Fasting        90-130  90-130  <110   70-100
Post-Prandial* < 180   < 160   <140   70-140
 
*ADA: "Post-prandial glucose measurements should
be made 1–2 hours  after the beginning of the
meal, generally peak levels in patients with
diabetes."
 
ADA = American Diabetes Assn.   Joslin = Joslin Diabetes
Center  AACE= American Association Of Clinical
Endocrinologists  Non-diabetic= ranges compiled from goals
of all agencies.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------

My personal goals are "non-diabetic" numbers.  My last A1c was 6.2 with my personal goal being below 6.  Let's see if I can reach that by the time I get my next lab test in February 2010.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Today's kid funny

My youngest is five years old (just had her birthday on October 13th).  She was wanting to go outside with her sister without shoes and a coat.  "Hold it!  You have to have shoes and a coat to go outside."  *grumble*  "Ok"  She comes back less than two minutes later wearing snow boots.  Much to her dismay, Mom caught her. "Coat!"  *grumble grumble*  She shouts "Why do you have to be my mom?" and starts walking toward the front of the house where her coat is.  As she walks by, I reply, "Because I'm blessed!"

My husband and I got a good laugh at her question, "Why do you have to be my mom?"  Of course I could turn this into a reflective post and get all mushy and sentimental, but I will leave it with the humor of a five year old stomping across the house in disgust because I wouldn't let her go outside without a coat on this cold fall day.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Where to test?

For those of you diabetics that test your glucose levels in places other than your finger tips, where do you test?  I've been testing on my forearm, about an inch or two from the bend in my elbow.  I have found that if I test on the underside, the area that doesn't get as tan, then I bruise. I've got a nice one about the size of a quarter now.  Someone told me that she tests on her thighs, which isn't really convenient for me in these colder months.  So where do you test?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

And the fall sickies begin!

It never fails.  As the mom of five children, four of which are in school, plus working with little ones part time, it's bound to happen.  I have a cold.  *groan*  The hardest part about having a cold and diabetes is my appetite.  Either I have one or I don't.  When I'm hungry with a cold, I want to eat everything in sight.  On the other hand, there are also moments where I don't want to eat anything at all.  My desire for exercise is also close to nill since I start coughing when I take a deep breath.  The wacky appetite and lack of movement makes it very hard for a diet/exercise controlled diabetic to stay in control. 

I'll be honest here.  I haven't checked my numbers much the last few days.  Thankfully the few times I have checked, my glucose readings have been good (ie 105 around 3:30pm today).  I know it would have been higher if I had that Snickers bar that was calling my name from the vending machine at the Y during my kids' swim lessons.  I'll try to remember to check my numbers a little better tomorrow.  I know that I'm wanting to pig out at times, so I try to avoid unnecessary snacks.  However, sometimes if I'm not paying attention it backfires when I forget to have my needed snack.

My blog title is accurate tonight - RFamHere's Ramblings.  I guess I'm just rambling right now.  I'm hoping I can kick this cold soon.  I'm already sick of the stuffy nose and cough.  I think tonight might be an early night.

My journey so far

I'm somewhat new to diabetes, but yet I'm not.  I had gestational diabetes with all five of my children, born in 1993, 1996, 1999, 2001, and 2004.  As a result, I've been researching diabetes for over 16 years.  During my second pregnancy, I found out the test for gestational diabetes was actually a screening test to see who would become Type 2 later on in life.  It wasn't until after that they realized that women with elevated glucose levels during pregnancy had certain complications.  Large babies with underdeveloped organs is the one that stands out the most in my mind.  Knowing that my odds of becoming diabetic because of having gestational diabetes *five* times were high, plus having a family history (my mom is diabetic as was her father), I knew that it was almost certain that I would become diabetic.  I accepted that, but tried to hold off the inevitable as long as possible.  I started working out, something I never did before.

Although I was never really into exercise, I was never overly overweight.  Yes, I could stand to lose about 40 lbs, but I didn't look like the diabetes poster adult.  I am 5'8" and my heaviest (non-pregnant) weight was only 196 lbs.  I wore size 16 jeans.  In January 2008, I got serious about my weight.  When I started, I was 192 lbs.  By that fall, I had gone from a size 16 in jeans to a size 10.  Unfortunately my diabetes diagnosis had snuck in about two and a half months after I started losing weight.  In late March 2008, my doctor's nurse called me to tell me that I had Type 2 diabetes.  My fasting glucose was 129 and my A1c was 6.9, not dangerously high but high enough for the diagnosis.  Typically a diagnosis is made after two fasting tests of 125 or higher, but given my personal and family history my doctor and I didn't feel the need for a second test.

Luckily (or not), because of my previous experience with diabetes, I didn't go through a lot of the normal emotions that most diabetics go through when they first get diagnosed.  There are days that I just would like to say, "Ok, I'm tired of this diabetes thing. Where do I go to send it back?" Unfortunately, as we stand now, there's no cure. Once you have diabetes, there's no giving it back. It's yours to keep forever and ever.

That is totally not fair! Last year I got a new pair of shorts that were too big. I could take those back! We opened a package of hamburger one night that smelled bad. I got to take that back! Why can't I take this diabetes back?

So what can I do? I can help raise money and become an advocate so that maybe they'll find a cure in my lifetime and I can give back my diabetes. Maybe I'll have the peace of mind knowing my children won't have to test their blood sugar, watch carbs, or avoid eating a whole bag of M&Ms in one sitting when the mood strikes them. I don't know if it will happen, but all I can do is try!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Getting started

I'm part of a great online community of Type 2 diabetics.  Someone posted a thread asking about blogs that we read and that inspired me to start my own blog.  I have one at SparkPeople, but I thought this one might be fun since it's more out in the open.

Let me introduce myself: My name is Sue and I'm the mother of five great children.  My husband and I live in a small midwestern town that is a perfect place to raise those kids.  In March 2008, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.  This wasn't a big surprise to me, since I had gestational diabetes with all five of my children.  I was just hoping to put it off 10-20 years.  This purpose of this blog is just a place for me to ramble about children, diabetes, and life in general.  Thanks for joining me in my journey!