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Envy…it is really not a good thing. However, recently envy opened my eyes to a new view. I was looking at some younger friends of mine…30 somethings that have awesome PB (pre-baby) bodies. They work out and work hard to maintain their figures. I longed for an unobstructed view of my toes and the ability to NOT wear a bra every minute of the day without tripping over my boobs.  Oh, the joys of youth!

Ok…so I have never been a tiny girl. I have always had curves but 20 years ago my hills were up a bit higher and the valleys were not so deep. But it all got me to thinking about my body. I spent years being unhappy in the skin I was in trying every diet I could find and often making myself sick. I even took up smoking to reduce my appetite and developed a 2 pack a day habit. That did not end well. Quitting was not only difficult, it helped me gain all of the weight back! I lost weight to get married and then promptly gained it all back within the first year of marriage…along with additional weight…due to the fact that I got pregnant.

So…I gave it all some thought and realized that after 46 years, I am finally happy with this body I have. I took a long look in a full length mirror and here is what I saw….
My face – It is a pretty enough face that looks younger than its years. There are lines but they are from many smiles and much laughter.
My arms – they are getting more defined and are really long. All the better to hug my children and my friends.Tight hugs are priceless.
My boobs – They used to be perky. Never really small, but always perky. So now I get up every morning and watch them try to defy gravity as they race towards the floor.  They have seen a lot of action feeding 4 hungry kids for 6-9 months at a time. They never let one of those kids go hungry. So now they hang low and empty, sadly longing to be useful. They are still beautiful in an iconic sort of fashion.
My belly – No,  I do not have an unobstructed view of my feet but I do have a view of the wonderful place that stretched to house my 4 little darlings. It was a warm and cozy spot that they did not want to vacate!
My legs – Ahhh my pride and joy. They are not twig small but Sequoya sized and long. They have come a long way in my 46 years from jello like wobbly to strong and sturdy. They have carried this old girl many a mile…sometimes seizing up and rebelling but always seeing me through to the end. The are long enough to require me to always pay extra for ‘long’ and ‘tall’ length pants thus the reason I wear so many skirts and dresses!  I am proud of my tree trunks. They are beautiful and strong.
My heart – It has grown so much in my time here on earth. It has been broken many times but manages to repair itself and come back even stronger. I am constantly amazed at its resilience and adaptability. It is constantly growing and changing and transforming.

So that is me…I have no real reason to envy the body of youth. I have a beautiful body and wisdom to know how to use it to its fullest potential! Which of your body parts are you most proud of? Peace.

Polar dash….what a race! There was supposed to be a large group of us girls running this race but as it was postponed, some of our crowd could not run with us. We missed them but were determined to have a good time. 

It was 17 degrees at the start! The waiting was the worst because we got cold but once the race started it was better. The first 2 or more miles were VERY difficult. The sidewalks were narrow and covered with slush. This was super hard to run in….very similar to running in loose sand. I felt like at any minute my foot was going to lose traction and I would fall. Miles 3-5 were into the wind along the lake. It was so pretty as it was snowing the whole time. The last mile was around the front of the Shedd  to the finish line. I stopped and took photos and was even stopped by a girl and thanked….I got her to the finish line of a half marathon in November. Still don’t know her name but she remembered me!

 

Hey – You! Yes, YOU! You are Beautiful!
Just thought you should know!

This week we have started something called ‘positive post-its’ in my classroom. I did this activity with students last year and it worked so well, I decided to do it again.

Each day several students get a ‘positive post-it’ from me. It is their job then to spread the love, so to speak. They can write a note, post-it, or whatever to anyone else (other than another classmate) to spread the good feelings. Anything from “You Rock!” to “Have a great day” to just a smiley face….no name just a positive thought. I got this idea from a great book called “Operation Beautiful” and tweeked it to work with the fifth graders. Here is a link to the website. http://operationbeautiful.com/

I shared the book with my own girls and they leave post-its all over now. I travel with a packet of post-its and a Sharpie in my purse all the time. When the mood strikes, I leave a post-it! 

We would like to invite you to leave one for someone somewhere. Imagine the impact if we all started leaving litle positive notes for others….
Share the love!
 Peace.

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” AA Milne

Birthdays….some people love them. Some people hate them. Me….well I am indifferent to them. I try to make each of my children’s birthdays special for them but me…well…I can take it or leave it. My family never makes a big deal of my birthday but this year seems to be different. They all want to make a big deal of the day of was born.

Today is another day on the calendar and one where I do what I always do…get up, go to work….do mom stuff. However, seeing that it is my birthday, I thought I should stop and take some time to reflect.

So here are some random thoughts about today…
1. Today is the day that A.A. Milne was born. He is the author of Winnie the Pooh. I adore Pooh Bear. We have a great deal in common…very little brain/enormous heart….the love of good company and a pot of honey (or bottle of wine in my case). Pooh is wiser than he ever thinks he is and a good friend.

2. I am proud of my age and don’t care who knows that I am 46 today. I earned every year of that age. Up, down, good, bad…I like to think that I am 21 with 25 years experience! I would not be the person I am today without all that experience!

3. Age is just a number. It is so true. one can be 20 and look older. One can be 60 and look younger (with or without the help of a good surgeon). One can act younger or older than they are as well. We can all do things that help us look and feel younger (or older)….it is all in how you feel!

4. We spend our youth trying to grow up. We tell our kids to grow up. we dress and act older than we are. When we start to age, we try to dress and act younger. Why are we never really content right where we are?

5. Why are we so afraid of birthdays? Why are we afraid to get older? Are we afraid we are one step closer to the grave? Who cares? I could be gone tomorrow. I want to celebrate the fact that I am breathing right now.

6. I have been blessed with so many wonderful people in my life. Many who are gone now, some who passed at a young age, but all had so much to teach me. I am so grateful for all of them. I continue to be surrounded by so many fabulous people that I learn from each day.

7. Kids….If anyone would have told me when I was in college that I would eventually marry (a cop, no less!) and be the mother to 5 kids, I would have told them to sober up! Not Happening! But here I am….married almost 18 years and a mom to many! I could not be happier with where I am today. It is not easy but it is the best job I could ask for.

8. Running…I was always the one cursing the Marathon for blocking traffic on a Sunday because I could not get to my favorite breakfast joint…to ease my hangover. I was the one who was coming home from the bars as runners passed me on a morning jog. I was the one who thought those people were NUTS. Now I am one of ‘those people’. Going to bed early so I can be up at dawn to get a long run in. Running marathons that block traffic. I have met some of the best people because of running. The gifts I get from running ….well…I wish I had found running as a younger person.

9. Another trip ’round the sun…what will happen on this trip? Ever wonder if you have packed correctly for your trip? I do….what will I need for this journey? Where will I be at this time next year?

I don’t know where I will be at this time next year but I hope it is back here with more adventure stories to tell. I don’t know what the year has in store for me but I can only hope it is more learning, growing and loving! Peace.

So my 12 year old had to do a report on a famous person that has really made a difference in their field and the world. We had long discussions about who she should choose. Once we got past Justin Beiber and Oprah, she settled on Julia Child.

This lead to some research and some interesting discussions of cooking. One night I pulled up a few YouTube videos of Julia. My daughter and I snuggled up and watched these videos together and thus an idea was born. She would try to make a recipe a week from Julia’s book, Mastering the art of French Cooking. An idea that was made into a movie…but this was about her really mastering cooking.

She has always loved cooking a food. she was my adventurous eater from birth. She has a broad palate and loves many different foods. A few years ago she fell in love with Paula Deen and her cooking. She went to see Paula cook live and I think that was a defining moment fer her.  Her love of cooking increased.

She gets gifts of gadgets all the time from family that know she loves to cook. She has moved from solely baking to cooking foods that take real time and effort to prepare.

The video above is one that we watched together and she prepared the dish Sunday night for family dinner. the kitchen was a mess but the food was so good. Seeing her face as we all enjoyed her cooking was truly magical!

So now…I live a real life Julie and Julia as she beings to cook her way through the cookbook and blog about it as she goes….Her blog is private for now so if you would like to be added to the reader list, please just email me. http://tallcooking.blogspot.com/

So…what are you all cooking for dinner tonight?! I am not sure what my French Chef has in mind! Peace.