Exposure Therapy

On the way home from Myrtle Beach a few weeks ago, we stopped at Sesame Place (http://www.sesameplace.com/) since we already had tickets and dinner reservations with Elmo. It was really fun! It's a water park so there was some exposed skin that would have been better off kept hidden, but what the heck? We were free to flash our excess skin around without any inhibitions. Norah wasn't a big fan of meeting the characters in person, although she LOVES them on TV. I saw a show on exposure therapy a while ago, where the therapist made people face their fears...the woman who was terrified of snakes had to hold one for hours, the guy who had panic attacks in elevators had to ride up and down numerous times. Norah had her own semi-successful exposure therapy session with Cookie Monster:




And Elmo:






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Ketch-Up

I've been trying to keep up with posting pictures, but it keeps getting away from me. Here are some recent (and not so recent) pics:

Dinner with the Funsecas at Bugaboo Creek:



Party at Club Checkerberry's Ce-Ment Pond:
(That green thing's a Mankini.)
Click to enlarge...if you dare.




Myrtle Waves in Myrtle Beach (where Ben lost Aliya for a half hour and had to get Security involved):



Mommies' Night Out to see Sex In The City:

 


A visit to Fay Park with the Funsecas:



And last but not least...

Max's Birthday Party! Yay Max!!












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NuttyNuttyNews.com

If you're not checking this site daily, you don't know what you're missing. It's not always good news but it's a compilation of real news stories and some of them are unbelievable:

~ Man Breaks Into Home - Gives Woman a Foot Rub
~ Authorities Question Whether Ten-Year-Old May Work as Bullfighter
~ Man is Stabbed and Beheaded on Bus (Nikki, Leah, & Sydney don't read this one.)
~ Stinky 440-Pound Gambler Fuming After Atlantic City Casino Tosses Him Out
~ NASA Test Subjects Paid to Stay in Bed Three Straight Months
~ Woman Wakes Up in a First-Class Cabin Covered in Ticks
~ School To Put Students In 'Prison' Jumpsuits As Punishment
~ Mother Charged With Placing Baby in a Fish Tank to Stop Its Crying
~ Women Mistake Police for Strippers
~ Five-Year-Old Boy Leaves Day Care - Ends Up At Hooters
~ Man Drives Away from Home Drunk While His Wife Was on the Car Roof
~ Florida Woman Attacked by Fox - Then Shot By Husband
~ Nude Dining the Hot New Craze
~ Warning: Don't Let Your Kids Eat Your Car's Air Freshener .
~ Man Accused of Biting Off Another Man's Nose Nose Gone: Dogs May Have Eaten It
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Berkshire Scenic Railway

Adlani is a train fanatic so on the way home from Syracuse we stopped in Lenox Mass to go for a ride on the Berkshire Scenic Railway (http://berkshirescenicrailroad.com/index.php). It was really fun! It was a 90-minute ride from Lenox to Stockbridge and back. The whole thing is run by volunteers and the local proctologist who was the narrator for our trip shared lots of interesting historical facts about the area. There are a few displays in the train station and a hot dog guy out front (the ice cream man is at the station in Stockbridge). It's a good way to break up the looooong drive to/from Syracuse.

I thought this was really cool...while I was showing Adlani the train route on Google Maps, I was scrolling along the tracks and saw this 4-leaf clover crop circle.

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Couscous!

Auntie Aiesha made couscous last night and Ben invited most of the neighborhood over for dinner. I wasn't sure how the "everyone eats out of the same dish" would go over, but we all stayed within our imaginary lines except when Aliya spun the dish at the girls' table. Oh well...we're now bonded by our cooties. It's all good.


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Jury Duty

Here's a little piece of advice...when you get the letter saying that your time is up and you have to report for jury duty, check the letter to see if they give you the option to go to a different courthouse. I was called to Cambridge, and I asked to switch to Concord. I also asked to reschedule because the original date was during our vacation. The rescheduled date was today. There was no traffic between here and Concord, and the courthouse actually has a parking lot! There were only 20 potential jurors. The judge spent a lot of time with us early in the morning to explain what was required of us and the types of cases we might hear (DUI, possession of small amounts of drugs, possibly battery - Concord is a real hotbed of criminal activity). When we were finally called to the courtroom around 11, the judge explained that there would be no jury cases today...that all but one of the cases had been settled or dismissed. The one remaining case would be decided by the judge without a jury. He repeated several times that it wasn't a waste of our time to sit in the jury pool room and wait, because without the pressure of the jury in the next room the cases would not have been settled or dismissed.

I was actually a little disappointed that there were no jury trials after sitting around for 3 hours, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder why anyone would think I'd be better at deciding guilt or innocence than a judge. I don't think I'm much different from the rest of the potential "peers" but I had already convicted the defendants that I saw waiting around the courthouse before I even got to the jury room. It was obvious who the defendants were because they were in such contrast with the attorneys. The attorneys all wore suits and had combed their hair this morning. The defendants were wearing their best t-shirts and mostly-clean jeans. I guess it's lucky for them that I won't be back for 3 years.

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Hamster Face

It's just a matter of time until DSS shows up at our door. In addition to Norah's black eye and dislocated elbow, Adlani has a bug bite on his face that swelled up so it looks like he's storing nuts for the winter. What's next? I don't want to know.


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You Wanna Piece-A Me?!

Norah ran face-first into the leg of a bar stool in our room at the Residence Inn last weekend...hence the shiner. Her doo-rag is actually a butterfly net from the Elefun game. Overall, it's a look that says, "Don't mess with me if you ever want to see your Hannah Montana doll again."


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Spray-n-Wash

This is what happens when you have 3 kids...they divide and conquer. While Ben and I were both busy, I heard a strange splashing noise and a lot of giggling...almost always a bad sign when it comes from inside the house and outside of the bathtub. When I walked into the kitchen I saw Adlani sitting on the counter beside the sink with a full gallon of chocolate milk. He was holding the sprayer from the sink, and gleefully spraying water EVERYWHERE. Every cabinet and countertop, the entire floor, and everything stuck to the fridge was soaked. He was incredulous when he was sent to Time Out.
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Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)

Helga recently forwarded an email regarding IBC. This video is worth watching and increased awareness of this disease will save lives.

Pass it on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s9_UrVtc6c
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You Are What You Eat

You may remember that at the beginning of the year I made a resolution to make small changes in my eating habits to improve my overall health and finally lose some of Norah's darn baby weight. I went to the doctor for my annual inspection a few weeks ago, and she got excited when she saw my cholesterol level - 229. That probably seems high to the rest of the world, but considering that at one time my cholesterol was 310, I'm doing well. She gave me 4 months to get serious and give it my best shot. If I haven't improved more in 4 months, she's going to decide whether to put me on medication.

As part of my cholesterol reduction plan, the doctor sent me to a nutritionist. Oddly enough, nutritional counseling isn't covered by my Blue Cross policy. I guess they'd prefer to pay for my cholesterol meds or my bypass surgery. Anyhoo...I found a nutritionist on the Blue Cross website (ironic, huh?) and set up an appointment for last week. I kept a food log for two weeks and nervously handed it over.

She hmm'ed a few times, pointed out that I had eaten "real" ice cream (I beg to differ...a vanilla cone from Old McDonald's is not "real" ice cream), and said that I don't eat enough fruit, but for the most part she was happy with the changes I've already made. We agreed to do a little tweaking and review the log again in 3 weeks. She gave me a few good suggestions:

1) Since I cut butter out of my life, I rarely eat the bagel I used to slather it on every morning, so I usually have cereal for breakfast. To increase my fruit intake, she told me to put a cup(!) of berries or other fruit in the bowl with the cereal and I would end up eating less cereal. When I asked about the rule of thumb for a good cereal she said that I should find one that doesn't have sugar (or cane syrup, brown sugar, or corn syrup) listed in the first 5 ingredients. If you think it's easy to find a decent-tasting cereal that doesn't list sugar in the first 5 ingredients, I dare you to head to Stop & Shop. I think I found 4 out of the 15 boxes I checked, and I didn't look at anything that had crunchberries, marshmallow shapes, rainbow colors, or frosting.

2) I really like eggs, but since they're high in fat I figured they'd be off the list. The nutritionist told me that if I eat the ones that say "High in Omega 3", I can have 4 or 5 per week. I was suspicious about the value of eggs from chickens who roam around eating grass but apparently happy chickens lay more nutritious eggs. They're 50 cents per dozen more at BJ's. Done! Another good tip she gave me is to use one egg and an unlimited amount of egg whites to make an omelet. I made a huge mushroom omelet tonight with one egg and a container of egg whites from the refrigerator case. It was great!

3) I heard Doctor Oz tell Oprah's millions of viewers to eat nuts every day, so I asked the nutritionist about them. She told me to stick with walnuts or almonds, and that a serving is what I can grab with my palm facing down, not what I can pour into my scoop or gather in my apron.

4) She suggested yogurt as a midmorning snack, but I was hesitant since I don't usually have a midmorning snack. She said it would help me make better choices at lunchtime. That makes sense.

5) Cheese is tough one because I really like it. She said to try to the reduced fat varieties, so I bought some and I think they're fine. I already drink skim milk, eat low-fat yogurt, and Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, so I'm getting my calcium without the fat.

6) On the way out of her office she reminded me to increase my cardio. I do well with specific goals so I asked what she wanted to see. Five times per week - at least 10 minutes per day. What?! I can get that just rasslin' the kids into their car seats. Done!

So...is it working? I have lost 15-17 pounds since January 1st, and I don't think I'll be as likely to regain the weight since I'm not "on a diet". Is it possible that all I had to do was make a few substitutions? I guess time will tell. If you need some substitution ideas, just try the book I consider my Substitution Bible - Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko. I guarantee you'll be surprised.

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Closure

The experts say that the funeral service is an important part of the grieving process, and brings closure for family and friends. I guess it's true because I haven't felt right about posting the mundane events in our lives but after Bernie's memorial service last Friday I'm starting to feel like I should get back at it. Bernie loved to look at our blog and see what the kids were up to. When I opened his computer I found that he had saved all of the pictures from the blog to his hard drive, and was using one as wallpaper on his desktop. He would want me to keep posting about the joys and mishaps, the proud moments, and the things that get stuck in noses. Maybe they even have internet access in heaven.

Bernie's service was beautiful. The pastor was the same one who married Ginny and Bernie, a close family friend. The church was nondenominational, and I was impressed with the level of charity work they do around the globe. As the church lady was giving someone directions over the phone she said, "There are people out front holding up peace signs...you can't miss it." I should mention that it was pouring rain while they were standing beside the road with their signs. Ben told me later that he was tempted to grab a sign and join the protest. The food was catered and delicious. The dessert was provided by Bernie's cousin - a sheet cake with Bernie's picture on it. By the time I went to get a piece, everyone had cut around Bernie and all that was left was his head and torso. I felt a little weird about eating a piece of cake with Bernie's picture on it, but Aliya said, "Hey! Can I have Grampa B's head?!" I guess she's not superstitious. One of Ginny's friends' grandaughter helped with the kids, which was fabulous. The DVD went over well, and some people stood and watched it several times.

Ginny is spending the next 2 weeks in Syracuse to go to some doctors' appointments and take care of business. Then she'll be back with us for a few months. I still find it amazing that someone would choose to immerse themselves in the chaos of our home, but she probably welcomes the distraction. I definitely welcome the extra pair of hands. Bernie, if you're reading this, we miss you a lot a lot a lot. Send me a sign if you can.
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Tribute

Here's our photo tribute to Grampa B.



If the embedded video won't work for you, here's a direct link:

Grampa B
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OSV

This year we became members of Old Sturbridge Village, which is a recreation of a 19th century village about 15 minutes from our camp. I hadn't been there since our 6th-grade class trip, and I only had a vague recollection of rock candy and peeing along the roadside next to the bus. Last year I organized a summer party for my office and I decided on a scavenger hunt at OSV followed by a cookout at an orchard just down the road (Hyland Orchard), where they have a few farm animals, a little ride for the kids (apple carts pulled by a tractor), and a picnic pavillion.

Our corporate experience at OSV was so great that we couldn't wait to go back this year. There's so much to do! The grounds are beautiful and the kids can run around to their hearts' content without being run over, unless the stagecoach driver isn't paying attention. The cafeteria is reasonably-priced and good, the staff is knowledgable and friendly, and the exhibits are really interesting. There is a boat ride, a stagecoach ride, a discussion by a schoolteacher about what school was like in the 1800's...you can even try fishing with a bamboo pole. They do all kinds of special events and hands-on crafts, and they show a recently-released movie on Friday and Saturday nights. It's definitely worth the trip!

http://osv.org/






We took Ginny and Bernie to OSV when they were here in May, so I will post more pics when I dig them out.
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