Glad Game..

SO! I'm now officially on High Blood pressure meds. Yay! I think? Sort of?
I've had high BP for 4 years but the Dr has always said it's high.. but not high enough for meds so we need to watch it.. So, when I lost 30lbs at the beginning of this year, I was excited to see what my new BP would be. I was disappointed to see that it hadn't gone down at all. What does my Dr say? Diet. (What do you think I did to lose 30 lbs??)
6 months go by and then I have 2 really scary days. Dizziness, light headed, headaches, heart palpitations and at the end of the second day I said, enough is enough! I took my BP and it was really high. I went and saw my Dr and he put me on meds. Which I thought is what I wanted.. so I can relax a little and not always think about having a stroke at 25.. or feel like my heart is beating way to fast.. and not feel so TIRED all the time..
The first 3 days of the meds were horrible while my body got used to working at a slower pace. I was even more dizzy than before and WAY more tired! But I've started taking them at night and going into week two I think I'm feeling pretty good about the pills. And best of all they aren't permanent! If I ever feel like I don't want or need the pills anymore, I can toss 'em out! Which is awesome!
On that note, I thought I would copy my cousin and play the Glad Game. =)

I'm glad I have 2 healthy little girls. I'm glad I have a roof over my head. I'm glad I have an amazing husband that I'm still very much in love with. I'm glad I have my Dog. I'm glad I have parents that raised me to the very best of their ability and instilled in me the values that I want to pass along to my own kids. I'm glad I have a job. I'm glad Kai has a job. I'm glad there's always enough food on the table. I'm glad we have money to pay the bills. I'm glad Alexis goes to a good school. I'm glad Alexis loves to read. I'm glad Keira is finally potty trained. I'm glad I have friends I can call whenever I need them. I'm glad we have two working cars. I'm glad I have a big extended family that has fun when we get together. I'm glad we have the best Holidays around our house. I'm glad I get along with my mother in law and genuinely enjoy being with her. I'm glad Kai loves my family. And for some shallow ones.. I'm glad I discovered Mac make up this year. I'm glad I have an extensive library in my bedroom. I'm glad my favorite shows record for me to watch alone at at night. I'm glad my heart is going to be healthy again. =)

There's a fine line between being honest with your kids and wondering if you told them too much...

A quick run down- My friend and I decided to rent a spot at the Flea Market to sell cupcakes and other baked goods. Then I got an idea to donate some of the proceeds to a local boy that needs a heart transplant. (He's 5 yrs old.) His website is here: www.saveabrokenheart.com

SO. Alexis has been curious what all the fuss is about at home while we're getting ready for the bake sale. On the way to the Dixon May Fair yesterday we stopped and got bracelets that say Aaron has captured our <3's and we decided to carefully fill her in. We explained that there's a little boy that's heart doesn't work like it should and that if someone dies accidentally, like in a car crash, that they can take that persons heart and give it to someone living that needs a new one.
Sounds a little deep for a 6 year old conversation, but you have to know Alexis to know that she got it. She asked a couple questions about the little boy but then seemed OK.
So, today when I'm drawing up signs for the sale she asks if she can watch. She sits quietly and then says.. "Mom... I don't want to donate my heart." I -of course- gasp and tell her that SHE doesn't have to. She says,"No... I mean when I die..." So I told her, "Well... that's your decision.. When you die your body is just a shell and your soul leaves it and you don't need your organs anymore..." *This is the exact spot in the conversation that I knew I was in over my head. She says, "So, my Grandma that just died.. doesn't have her heart anymore??" Me- "Umm... well... uhh... Oy." I think I overstepped the whole "being honest with your kids" thing. :(

From the mind of a 5 year old...

So we're driving down the road and Alexis says "Hey mom, I have a plan for if I ever fall out of the car." I'm like-" Oh yeah? Let's hear it..." And she says, "I'll just catch the speed of the car and run along side it. That way I wont get hurt." I respond "OK, that sounds good." Then she says, " Sooo If you ever look back in the back seat, and I'm not there and you remember putting me in the car... you should probably slow down. 'Cause I might be be running after you..."

Surgery

Alexis did great in surgery today. I can't believe it's actually over! After all that anticipation!
They gave her the meds through a breathing mask which meant no IV. Awesome! And they didn't have to put the breathing tube down her throat. More awesomeness! They laid in on the back of her tongue just to be there for emergencies. I told her if she was brave and didn't cry she could get 5 movies to watch and she held me too it. =) Of course.
She'll have her soft cast on for 7 to 10 days and then stitches come out and she's back to normal. Yay!
The best part was when Kai closed his eyes for a couple minutes in the little hospital room and Alexis said, "Dad!! Wake up! This is my special day remember??" Hee hee hee.

Juno

He is the cheese to my macaroni. And, I know that people are supposed to fall in love before they reproduce, but... I guess normalcy isn't really our style.

I love this...

Wear Sunscreen

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experienceI will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years youll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you cant grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.Youre not as fat as you imagine.

Dont worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Dont be reckless with other peoples hearts, dont put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Dont waste your time on jealousy; sometimes youre ahead, sometimes youre behindthe race is long, and in the end, its only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Dont feel guilty if you dont know what you want to do with your lifethe most interesting people I know didnt know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds know still dont.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, youll miss them when theyre gone.

Maybe youll marry, maybe you wont, maybe youll have children, maybe you wont, maybe youll divorce at 40, maybe youll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversarywhat ever you do, dont congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either your choices are half chance, so are everybody elses. Enjoy your body, use it every way you candont be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, its the greatest instrument youll ever own..

Danceeven if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you dont follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when theyll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do youll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Dont expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Dont mess too much with your hair, or by the time its 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than its worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen...

A story by Alexis Horlacher

Humpty Dumpty was sitting on a wall with his friends. One friend said, "Know what's under a pony tail? A pony butt!" Haha.
And Humpty Dumpty said, "That joke always cracks me up" and he laughed so hard he fell backwards over the wall.

The End.