A Surprising Reminder

My family took a three day trip to one of my favorite places, Long Beach, WA. It was our first real "vacation" with the kids, one that involved a hotel stay (which is its own special hell, let me tell you). We spent that time shopping, checking out little stores, having ice cream, finding awesome fresh seafood in every restaurant (halibut for breakfast? Oh yeah!), visiting museums, digging in the sand, running from the waves, and hiking to some lighthouses.

The lighthouses bring me to my startling revelation. We visited North Head Lighthouse and Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, both with amazing views of the ocean. Cape Disappointment is the most exciting, as you can see the point where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean. It's incredible. It also involves a one mile hike (roundtrip) with fairly steep hills and somewhat rough terrain through the woods. A little side note here, my kids did AWESOME. We were worried they'd be whining and complaining all the way back and need to be carried. Not so, they loved it!

Anyway, as we completed this hike, I realized something...These were steep hills, and I could do it! I've had a really hard time lately with stalled weight loss. In fact, it's been at least 6 months since I've been successfully losing, though I have maintained what I lost early last year. The week before the trip, I focused very hard on my workouts and what I ate and had a one pound loss (I'm happy with one pound in a week). Still, the back and forth lately, up a pound, down a pound, have gotten me down. Depending on any given weigh-in, my total loss so far has been 30-34lbs.

So, we're hiking these hills, and I'm carrying all the coats and such, and I'm just sweating a bit. I realize I'm not out of breath, I'm not gasping for air, I'm not red as a tomato from exertion, I'm able to talk to my family. I'm not in horrible shape!!!! A year ago, I wouldn't have been able to do this so easily! When I was 30 (or 34) pounds heavier, and rarely exercised, this walk would have killed me. I would have had to rest up top for 20 minutes to head back. I wouldn't have been able to keep talking to my kids and telling them to stay on the path.

I'm keeping this in mind as I head back to work on my plan. Even though it's so incredibly slow going and frustrating right now, I can't forget how far I've come. Changing who I am is a long and hard process, and sometimes I need these reminders of what I've accomplished so far.

The Good (Married) Life

Awhile back, one of my sisters had a Facebook status that said something along the lines of, "With so many men out there to date, why would a person want to settle down with just one?" My first thought was, "Lunatic. Who wants to deal with dating? It was a pain in the ass!" I still think that, but I had another thought yesterday that made me realize what it is about marriage that I think is so great. There are the obvious reasons: Being with the person you love for the rest of your life, having support (both emotional and financial), raising a family, etc. I believe all of those things, but there's something else.

There's a house that my husband and I pass everyday when I'm taking him to the park and ride. In their very long driveway is a tractor-trailer with the word "Hoss" attached in huge letters to the front. Whether it's the name of the truck or its driver, we're not sure. Either way, we've taken to following the story of Hoss. We imagine that's the driver's nickname, and when he's gone for long stretches at a time, we're sad for his wife and family. When he returns we're giddy with happiness, "Hoss is back!" Obviously we don't know these people, and have no idea what the story/situation is. However, it's become our "thing," something we talk about and find amusing and entertaining. Other people wouldn't get it.

And that's why marriage is so great. Having someone who knows all of your inside jokes, can understand why something's funny or sad or confusing just by hearing a word or seeing a particular facial expression. This person's got your back, and that's a nice feeling. I hope Hoss and his Mrs. Hoss feel the same way.

This Isn't Acting 101. Cut the Drama!

I've belonged to lots of mom/playgroups since having my first child. In every single one, there were constant eruptions of drama amongst the moms ("mama drama," as many of you call it). I'm tired of it. Why can't grown women get beyond the ridiculous junior high mentality that everyone's out to get them/leave them out/hurt their feelings and make their lives miserable? Additionally, why do you stay in a group where you hate the people running it and think that you're being treated unfairly?

I ask these questions as one of the organizer's of a wonderful group my kids and I participate in (where we've had very little drama until now). I'm one of three women who work our asses off to make the group fun, interesting, warm and welcoming. Yet, we have some members who think it's a great time to spread malicious gossip, manipulate other members, lie and pretty much make our lives as organizers miserable. Do they think we're doing this for money? Fame? No, we do this because we want to. We want a fun place for our families to get to know other families. To create our own village for raising our kids. It takes blood, sweat and tears to run something like this.

To those moms (both in my group and not in my group) who thrive on their drama-filled bullshit, I say...Get out. If you don't like the group and think we're a pack of backstabbing bitches, then leave. Start your own group and run it the way you want. Just watch your own back for the time that some of your members turn on you for no reason except their own sadistic enjoyment.