Update on the whole vegan thing

OK so Robbie and I were hardcore vegan for about a month before I cracked and had to have some fish.  Then we became more veganISH.  So I was really excited to get the results of my bloodwork.  I mean, my dr. doubled the amount of Lipitor I was taking and I'd gone VEGAN for goodness sakes.  I thought my LDL was going to be so low it might not register!  Imagine my surprise and soul crushing disappointment when I learned that my LDL had INCREASED!  Not by much but an increase nonetheless.  For me, it takes a tremendous effort not only to eat healthy but to eat vegan.  I would not choose to be vegan if my health were not at stake.  So when I left the dr. office after that news, I didn't go get a cheeseburger and fries or a thick slice of pizza but I did go get a pork loin at the grocery store.  I still try to stay more vegetarian, less meat but I don't think I'll ever try vegan again.

How's your summer going?

Does anyone else have trouble filling the long hours of summer with your children?  I love my children and I like being with them but I find myself at a loss to come up with "activities" to do with them so that they aren't losing precious gray matter in front of the TV.  Let me rephrase that, I find myself "unmotivated" to find activities to do with my children.  24/7 with a 6 year old and 10 year old is just wearing on the psyche.  I'd just like to sit and veg out too.  That would be fine with my daughter.  She likes reading and drawing and crafty things.  My son, even though he CAN play hours of Wii and watch TV like the most seasoned pro, needs to run!  I can tell when he's getting restless (as the 3rd or 20th? episode of iCarly starts).  He starts beating the bean bag chair or throwing it around.  The pool is a good bet but even then my son doesn't have as many friends at the pool as my daughter and so I'm his playmate.  A very deficient playmate.

Every spring I walk that thin line between over and under scheduling camps for my kids.  On the one hand it's nice to have nothing that you HAVE to do.  It's nice to have time to play with friends, read a book, swim and hang out.  On the other hand, if all your kids friends are on vacation or at camp, summer can be a lonely time. So, I sign them up for some camps.

This past spring, I asked my son what camps he was interested in and he really wasn't interested in many.  Last year he told me he was done with camp.  I told him that contrary to what he thought, he'd just begun a long life of summer camps.  (Done with camp?  OK then I guess I'm done with sanity!)  My daughter, on the other hand, would do almost any kind of camp that can be dreamed up (except basketball camp).  Thus we come to this week, this summer with my daughter overcamped and my son GROSSLY undercamped.

A couple of summers ago, we had Home Camp.  We made tie dye t-shirts, we did science experiments and ambitious (for me) art projects.  We went on educational and fun outings.  I tried to muster the energy for that this summer and I haven't been as successful.  I've been getting up early to walk most days of the week and I find that the combination of waking early and the walk leaves me super tired by 2pm.  I'm hoping this all part of the recovery process but my real fear is that it's just me getting older and I'll never again have the same energy for parenting.  This makes me sad for my son who really needs a more energetic Mom.  I see some other mothers who seem to have endless reserves of patience and creativity.  How do they do it?  How can I get my mothering MOJO back?

So next spring when I'm scheduling camps for my kids, I think I'll do one week on, one week off.  Hopefully I'll be able to gather my energy while they're in camp for the weeks when they're not.

Vegan Diet Experiment

My close friends and certainly my immediate family know that I have TERRIBLE PMS symptoms.  I track my cycle and put red exclamation marks on the calendar so that my poor husband gets fair warning.  We've known each other for 23 years and he still sometimes asks what's wrong.  It's like he's taken by surprise every 26 days of the year, poor fella.  I've tried all kinds of things to alleviate it -- birth control pills, progesterone cream, calcium, B vitamins, exercise, avoiding chocolate/sugar.  The calcium and B vitamins do help as does avoiding sweets and chocolate. 

OK so here's where I think the vegan diet might come in.  I've been doing the low fat vegan thing for about a month now and I noticed that I hardly had any PMS symptoms.  I don't know if it's because I'm not eating many refined carbs or just a blip in my hormonal makeup.  (Actually, Robbie said he did notice that I was a little irritable one day).  But there was no hysterical yelling at anyone to hurry up and do anything.  No screaming about clothes on the floor.  No children crying and going to their "happy place" til Mommy calms down.  (OK, I exaggerate a little--there's usually no crying and "happy place" visits).  But still, I had the cleaners coming (which usually means we're all in Def Con 4 mode), Robbie went out of town for two bedtimes (which is how we measure his absence) and I still held it together!  Truly remarkable.  So I'm thinking that it has something to do with the change in my eating.  So I'm suggesting that other women who are similarly plagued by PMS try this whole lowfat vegan thing for a month and see if they have similar results.

Am I back to normal?

This is an excellent question and one that I hear every now and then.  My first reaction when I hear it is to say yes. I'm all better and back to normal.  But I don't think that's entirely true/accurate.  First, what IS my normal?  Tired? Happy? Doing all my normal errands?  I'm doing my normal stuff like grocery shopping, laundry, taking kids to lessons, playdates, cooking (such as it is) and dishes (Robbie doesn the Lion's share).  But I don't do as many things in a day I don't think.  And I get really tired at night sometimes.  And my exercising is not as vigorous as it was before.  Often I don't feel like going out in the evening.  I'm a little afraid to eat out at restaurants (I'm thinking this is actually a rational response--I've looked at the nutrition information and we should ALL be afraid to eat out at most restaurants).  My chest still hurts a little sometimes and there are large numb areas.  And I will always have heart disease.  I will have to remember to take medication every day to lower my chances of having a heart attack.  The medicine helps my numbers but there is no cure.  So I don't think there is going to be a "back to normal" for me.   I think what I'm creating and working on now is a new normal.  It's still a work in progress.

Speaking of Trivial matters

OK, I've been thinking and ruminating on something all week.  I have often asked my husband to put the seat down after he uses the toilet.  I think there is a universal expectation that men must put the seat down after they are done.  Why do women expect this? Why don't men yell at women and ask why they didn't put the seat back up after they were finished?  I think I would if I were a man.

The Joy of Trivial matters

It occurred to me earlier this week that my mind was on more mundane things like home repair and gardening and spring cleaning.  I was actually glad because it meant that all my brain cells were NOT occupied with HEART HEALTH or lack thereof.  I'm still exercising and eating well it's just not as all encompassing as it has been.  I feel like I'm coming out of a fog, a rarified bubble of recovery.  I think this is a good thing.

Why is Wipeout so FUNNY!!

OK, so my family has been watching this show, Wipeout, for about a year now and we all think it is hysterical.  It's a game show of sorts and the contestants have to run through these very physical obstacles faster than other contestants to win $50,000.  They are constantly falling or getting hit by hidden doors or boxing gloves.  It's really hard to describe.  Also the hosts always give the contestants funny nicknames.  Our favorite was they guy who was going to use the money to have breast reduction surgery.  His nickname?  Manboobs.  I don't know, you just have to watch it for yourself.  We go to http://www.hulu.com/ and watch it there.  If you're in the mood for a sillly, mindless laugh, this is your show.  It appeals to our 6 year old and our soon to be 46 year old alike!