So Thankful - November 30

I've written on this blog before about Game On! and the changes that it has helped me to make in my life over the last year.  I started it with the thought that I would be supporting a friend and I'm ending this year committed to continuing to take part for as long as I can.  I've made great friends with women (and a few men) who are living all over the country...and all over the world.  I was lucky enough to meet up with a few of them for coffee not too long ago and it was amazing to me how close I feel to these women though I had never met some of them face to face.  We are all in this journey together supporting each other, suggesting ways to get through the day, teasing a bit and sending 'good vibes'.  Though we live miles apart, we exercise together, chug water together, eat together and make healthy decisions together every day.  

THIS - is from an email that I sent a friend earlier this week:  This past year I went on a mission to get "healthy".  And that is truly why I did what I did.  I looked at my life - and my beautiful daughters - and the fact that I truly wanted to be able to keep up with them.  I wanted to be healthy for them.  I wanted to be able to hop up off the floor and run after them - to be able to dance with them - to be someone they could look up to and feel good about looking upon - someone who could teach them to live a healthy life.  I really didn't care too horribly much about what I looked like - I just wanted to feel good, wanted to have energy, wanted to be a healthier version of myself.  And, I'll be damned...it worked!  By mid-summer, I was feeling amazing!  I looked FANTASTIC and felt even better!  I was winning "Game On" every round and was inspiring other people around me to get healthy - and even already inspiring my daughters to want to eat healthier and to get their exercise.  

Game On! truly helped me to become a healthier version of myself and a better role model for my children.   A happy side effect is that I lost weight and look pretty great.  

Game On! certainly didn't do this FOR me.  I put in a lot of hard work over the last year but the competition and the people taking part in the competition absolutely helped me to get where I am right now.  For that?  I am very thankful!  

So Thankful - November 29

Today I'm thankful for MOMS Club!  I just got home from a MOMS Club Board Meeting so this group of ladies is on  my mind right now.  When Chris and I made the decision that I would "stay home" with the girls, I was terrified.  I was worried about myself - getting bored and lost and stagnant.  I was even more worried about B and how she would grow socially being stuck home with just ME to interact with.  I started taking her as a baby to ecfe classes and to the public library's baby storyhour (I STILL love baby storyhour...Miss Julie at our library is the BEST!).  It was at storyhour that I overheard my now good friend Claudette conversing with another Mom.  I stuck my nose in and said, "wait a minute...what are you talking about?" Claudette was a fantastic ambassador for the Brooklyn Park MOMS Club.  She told me all about it and I was hooked before I was even a member.  Because of this group of 30-35 stay-at-home or semi-stay-at-home MOMS, I can honestly say that my children are being raised by a village (well - because of them AND my amazing family...but I think I've already been down THAT particular road on this blog).  We've been a part of playgroups, we've had dozens and dozens of park playdates, we've done community service projects together (as seen in the above photo taken at "Feed My Starving Children" - who DOESN'T look great in a hairnet?), we've celebrated and we've supported each other both in happy times and challenging times.  Some of my best friends have come out of this group.  It is a great group of women and I am so thankful for them.

So Thankful - November 27

Today - is Tuesday.  On Tuesday mornings, I take Emily to speech.  Her speech starts at 9:15 am and the "free" preschool and the ECSE class start at 9:30.  This means that every Tuesday morning, I sit in the waiting area at this wonderful facility and watch parents who absolutely cannot afford to enroll their children in preschool drop off their kids.  And then I watch amazing teachers and paras meet busses to roll, carry, or lead special needs children to their classroom.  Every Tuesday I watch MY child grab her speech teacher's hand with a giant smile and literally skip her way down the hallway.  Happy, healthy, secure - - the biggest problem in her little world is an inability to articulate a hard "K" sound.  I am so very lucky.

And then I go "home" to Alexandria to see my family and I watch in awe as my incredible, 7 year old  nephew throws a perfect spiral or a tough slapshot.  And I realize how quickly things can change both for the better AND for the worse.  If we were living solely by statistics, he would NOT have outlived the cancer that invaded his body when he was 4 years old.  But he did.  And he is amazing.  IT is amazing.

Today I am thankful for the good health of my family!

So Thankful - November 25

It turned cold here in Minnesota.  So cold.  So fast.  Thanksgiving morning, I went out to my van in my pajamas, barefoot...by noon, the snow was flying and it was 25 degrees.  Luckily, Chris and Britta put up the Christmas lights BEFORE it turned so brutally cold though we neglected to turn them ON until after Thanksgiving (anything else is a bit obnoxious, right?).  Anyway - THIS is a photo of my warm, cozy little house tonight.  I definitely did not see us still living in this little townhome with two kids, a cat and a couple of turtles.  We were SUPPOSED to be in a 4 bedroom with a big backyard by now.  But - we've definitely made the best of our situation and are living quite happily in our cozy little house. We have good neighbors sharing our driveway, a beautiful 3 year old remodel job on the interior ... it is warm and safe and ours.

Tonight - I am thankful for the comfortable, safe, WARM roof over our heads!

So Thankful - November 24

This is Maynerd.  We brought him home from an adoption day...in a cardboard box...when he was a kitten.  He is the most awesome cat I've ever met.  He is gregarious and playful, patient and gentle.  He was our very first "child" and yet adapted to the addition of our human kids as if he knew all along that his place in the hierarchy would someday be usurped.  When the girls were tiny, they would quite literally haul him around the house by his neck, an ear or a back leg and he never once scratched or bit and rarely even let out a yelp - instead, just looked at us with his gentle eyes as if to say, "do you see?  do you SEE the humiliation I put up with to be a member of this family?"  the girls have grown up a bit and now he curls up, purring in Britta's lap when she's watching cartoons and sneaks into Emily's bed when you're reading her a story.  He does tricks and manages to win over many self proclaimed "cat haters" who visit.  I am thankful that we have such an awesome, awesome pet as part of our family.

So Thankful - November 23

THIS is my messy, messy but very full cupboard!  I feel very blessed to live in a country where clean water and good food is plentiful, available and relatively inexpensive.  I feel blessed that while we have definitely experienced periods of "want" in our family, we have never experienced an empty cupboard.  In fact - when January rolls around, the shows have been less plentiful and the checking account is getting a little skinny...THAT is usually when we eat the best!  'cause THAT is when I dig into the depths of the cupboard and start getting creative instead of just making "the usual".
I'm thankful for good food.  I'm thankful that both Chris and I are good cooks.  And since I like to eat?  I'm thankful for food in general!

So Thankful - November 22

Today - I am thankful for naps!  Yup!  It's true!  Maybe a little bit of a strange thing to be thankful for, but there you have it!

I took this photo a couple of days ago when Em randomly fell asleep in the rocking chair all on her own.  She had apparently been helping Daddy & B put up the Christmas lights outside...she disappeared for a while and this is how we found her.  Good for her!  :)  Both my girls gave up their naps REALLY early.  We haven't had a 'nap time' at our house in at least 18 months.  Which is a very sad thing.  But every now and again --- the little one still falls asleep for a snooze.  She is always in a better mood come bedtime if she's had a solid rest in the afternoon.

One of the greatest blessings of the Thanksgiving celebration is always the annual naptime.  Everyone crashes - the whole house is basically a big crash-zone.  This year, I wanted my little one to take a real nap (which she doesn't normally do anymore) so I took her upstairs and laid down with her and we had the NICEST snuggle and nap.  There is nothing quite like falling asleep with a little person breathing on your cheek.  I started feeling guilty about missing out on kitchen clean-up or whatever so I went downstairs to find out that everyone was crashed in varying states of playing quietly, watching football...so I lay down on the floor by my Dad and we were both snoring in no time.  It was blissful!

So Thankful - November 21

And *THIS* is my "big girl".  The beauty that started it all and changed our lives.  Do I look tired in this photo?  'cause I WAS!  I was also exhilarated and absolutely in love!  This is my Britta Christine...our "B"...our "Beaner" or "Beans".  It's a little bit of a strange feeling to watch someone else, the way that they approach things, the way that they think, the way that they move, their inherent abilities and "dis"-abilities and absolutely, positively see yourself every day.  B is my "mini Me".  She is friendly, passionate, creative.  She loves fiercely.  She follows the rules...almost every single time.  And THIS is Britta today, of course.

She's all hair!  She captures attention everywhere and anywhere that we go with her enormous, uncontrollable, "golden" curls.  She KEEPS that attention with her charm...and her sneaky intelligence.  The things that come out of this girl's brain...

I cannot WAIT to see what she comes up with next!  And I am so very thankful for her!

So Thankful - November 20

*THIS* is my baby!  My Monkey-doodle!  My peanut!  My Em!  And *THIS* is my favorite baby picture of her.  She was a few short hours old when this photo was taken but it displays the personality that we would grow to know and love.  Yes, children are definitely a product of their environment, their nurture...but a lot of Emily's personality is absolutely nature!  She came out, picked up her head like she'd been holding it up for years, looked around the room and then looked back at me as if to say, "huh - so this is 'it', huh Mom?  Well...let's DO this thing then!"  She is independent and strong, funny and clever.  She is sweet and caring.  She has never met a stranger - only new friends (yup - sometimes this makes me a little nervous).  She, of course, worships her big sister even as she scraps with her.  She loves her Grandparents and her cousin Brady.  She completes our family...like a big exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.  I am ridiculously thankful for her every single day!  

So Thankful - November 19

Today - I am thankful for *this* guy.  I met this guy 15 years ago - in the summer of 1997.  I married him 13 years ago in June of 1999. I am thankful for him because of what you see in these pictures.  He's goofy and playful. He makes me laugh.  Over the years we've spent a lot of time playing together - he's taught me to play paintball and shoot a handgun.  I've sucked him into the wonders of SCUBA diving and inspired him to start running again.    

And I'm thankful for *this* guy - THIS is the guy who works hard to build an amazing business that he is proud of - that I am proud of.  Someday his daughters will be so very amazed by the hardworking entrepreneur that is their Daddy.  And they will learn hard work and professionalism from watching him work.  All they know right now is that he has a really fun warehouse!  :)  This particular photo was taken on a rare project that we were blessed to work TOGETHER at U2 in 2011.  We work amazingly well together.  

And - I'm thankful for *this* guy - who I know loves me.  Very much.  Who desperately wants to spend time with me, who loves to travel with me, who loves to play with me, who loves to sit and watch TV with me.  

And I'm probably MOST thankful for *this* guy - this is the guy who is helping me every day to raise the two most amazing little girls!  He was a diaper changing master, supported me through the trials and tribulations of nursing, helps me to be a working, stay-at-home Mom.  This is the guy who dreams up science experiments to do with his daughters, who wrestles with them in the living room after work and sends postcards from his travel.  This is the guy who gets up in the middle of the night or early in the morning with a little girl who thinks sleep is "boring" so that I don't have to.  This is the guy whose love for me is surpassed only by his love for his daughters.  

So Thankful - November 18

It.  Is.  Beautiful outside!  And it's nearing the end of November already!  Living in Minnesota, one of the wonderful (and awful) things about our weather is that it can be very unpredictable.  Today - I'm thankful for this surprisingly sunshiney, warm, beautiful day.  And I'm thankful that these random days occur now and again...the surprise 80 degree day in the midst of weeks of 100 degree weather.  The 35 degree day that pops up in January and the 55 degree day that appears in the middle of November.  Instead of being a day spent indoors, cleaning house or trying to keep the kids from killing each other...we did THIS:

And this:

Days like these are hard to take for granted!  They are a blessing!  And for that, I am thankful!

So Thankful - November 17

I made a half-hearted attempt at getting a candid-ish photo of my family tonight...we were short two integral pieces AND instagram cut off 3 more (plus me, I guess) so this is a fraction of the group.
Today - I am thankful for my extended family...we are a crazy group.  I don't know many families like ours who get together for a big family dinner at least once a month...who play together and work together as easily and often as we do.  Some of them make me a little bit crazy on a fairly regular basis but I can't imagine my life without them.  And I post this today because even though it is the Saturday before Thanksgiving, there was a large effort made for us all to be together for my Mom's Birthday celebration.  My sister abandoned her husband and drove two hours, my girls and I drove two hours up and back for the day.  and this is perfectly normal.
My daughters are growing up knowing that their Auntie Kristen can fix their ouchies (she IS a doctor after all) and knowing that their crazy Uncle Jon is going to tease them mercilessly.  Knowing that their Auntie Carly will whip out a spontaneous craft (she's awfully crafty for someone who claims to not be crafty...) when everyone starts getting squirrely before dinner.  I think they are still figuring out what to make of their Uncle Andy - the newest member of the group, but they get awfully excited when he's around.
And I already gushed about the amazingness of my Mom...and Dad is just as amazing.
We love each other - we support each other - we are crazy close and I couldn't be more thankful for my amazing, crazy, frustrating, annoying, supportive, hard-working, fantastic family!

So Thankful - November 16

Today is another easy and obvious answer as to what I'm thankful for!  My Mom!  I have so very many reasons to be thankful for her today --- first and foremost, it is her 60th birthday today!  Happy Birthday Mom!

Second - while I was in Iowa for the last 3 days, she left behind her work and her husband and her life and moved into my house to parent my children for Chris and I.  This is a fairly regular occurrence and she should possibly be nominated for sainthood for her patience with our crazy schedule.

The ode to my Mom is long and complicated and ridiculously gushy.  I'll try to boil my verbosity down to a few main points...
She has always loved and supported her children in every ridiculous thing that we've undertaken.  She's been there to talk us off cliffs, to encourage us, to challenge us.  She is the kind of mother that every mother should aspire to be.  She taught us to care for each other, to put family first, to care for friends and strangers, to work hard - to work long and to play with eagerness.
She is the best Grandma that I can possibly imagine for my children and my niece & nephews.  Her grandchildren can do no wrong, she spoils them thoroughly and she is brave enough to take them all!  And often!

I am so so so thankful for my absolutely amazing Mom!

So Thankful - November 15

It's November 15.  I'm halfway through this month of thankfulness and I have to say that the experiment of coming up with something concrete to appreciate each and every day is a fantastic one!  It has me noticing everything and everyone around me more than I usually do.

Today - I sat down at my desk, closed my office door and booted up Pandora.  I was feeling a confusing mix of emotional exhaustion and incredible upbeat pep.  And Pandora fed me PERFECT music for at least an hour.  Each and every song was one that spoke to me directly, was something I wanted to sing along to and seemed to be handpicked for what was going on in my strange brain.

My life has always had a soundtrack.  I've always found beauty and meaning in lyrics - definitely always preferring songs that tell a story or convey a message to one that just provides a hearty beat.  If only I were a poet... but I most definitely am not.  And frankly, I don't usually enjoy straight poetry - but set that poetry to music and I am in!

Music was an enormous part of my younger life.  I played piano, flute, oboe...I sang ALL the time.  And while I gave up all of those pursuits mysteriously in college...I have maintained my love and appreciation for music well-done and I have very varied tastes - Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Jason Mraz, Big & Rich, Ani Difranco, Adele, Pink, Kid Rock...there are actually few that I don't have an appreciation for I think.

And I've been lucky enough  - SO lucky enough - to have found a career firmly entrenched in the music business.  So I am thankful for music!  Of all kinds...anything that speaks to the soul.  And today - I'm thankful for the Pandora-gods who are sending me the perfect soundtrack for my day!

So Thankful - November 14

Today I am thankful for this sunrise...specifically for this sunrise behind this casino sign.  I can't quite articulate precisely why this specific sight brought me so much pleasure this morning, but it did.  I'm pleased that the current me loves herself enough to get out of bed an hour early and seek out a run.  Pleased that I'm strong enough to find a random route that will let me get my miles in even though that less than idyllic route was basically a weaving through and around hotels and restaurants through parking lots.  And the smile wrapped up in this casino sign might be the 20 minutes that my friend Matty and I spent in this casino last night discussing the merits of a gamble as he plunked some cash down on the roulette wheel.  I think it's that combined with the beautiful sunrise here in middle America on a beautiful morning.

 I'm thankful for this specific sunrise!  

So Thankful - November 13

I'm pretty grumpy right now that I didn't think to take a picture to go along with this post.  I am in Council Bluffs, IA right now for work (right next door to Omaha, NE).  The amazing part about being sent to this corner of the world is that I occasionally get to see my good friend Matty.  Matt and I had dinner last night - - at Hooter's.  I'd never been to a Hooter's before and I was one of two women in the joint who weren't wearing bright orange shorts.  If ONLY I had thought to pick up my ever-present cell phone and snap an arms-length photo of Matty and I.  I have half a mind to call him up and have him come back to remedy that!  (Or - just hook up with him at home at the holidays.)  

The point is - Matt and I caught up - and reminisced - and tried desperately to remember little bits and pieces that we couldn't QUITE bring up in memory.  And this made me thankful for Matty, yes.  But really - for memories and the past - those bits and pieces both small and large that formed me into the person that I am today.  Specifically - I am very thankful for my high school career.  Matty and I agreed that we were remarkably "good" kids.  That we didn't push the envelope.  We didn't drink or do drugs.  We were home by curfew.  But - we drove too fast, packed too many kids into a giant yellow pick-up truck, drank too much Mountain Dew and ate a lot of sunflower seeds.  We had an idyllic high school career.  We had an amazing little group of friends, we played hard but behaved ourselves.  My little group included half boys and half girls...some dated, some didn't but it didn't seem to matter.  Yes, my boyfriend was part of that group or I never would have been accepted "in".  And that boyfriend and Matty were ushers in my wedding and I'm still in touch with them on a relatively regular basis.  I look back on that time with nostalgia, and a clean, simple, giant smile on my face.  If I could rewrite my high school days I absolutely, positively would NOT change a thing.

I wouldn't change my relationship with that first boyfriend.
I wouldn't change the countless hours spent "cruising Broadway" in the "Canary" - my boyfriend's GIANT, yellow, pick-up.
I wouldn't change the random trip to St Cloud in my tank of a car with Jen & Matty
I wouldn't change the equally (if not more so) random trip skiing with Matty and another from our group
I wouldn't change the storm chasing that I did with a friend who was deathly afraid of thunderstorms
I wouldn't change the hours spent hanging out in A&W while my friends slung burgers & fries

I'm certain that my memory has glossed over unpleasant memories as it is so apt to do.  For that, I guess I am also thankful.

Today, I am thankful for my friend Matt who met me for dinner tonight to reminisce and whose friendship seems to just get absolutely better with age.
And - I am thankful for my high school memories - they continue to shape me to this day.

So Thankful - November 12

Today - I'm thankful for what I'm going to call 'everyday friends'.  You know the ones, right?  Those friends that are just a neat and tidy part of your everyday.  Maybe you've known them forever, maybe they slipped into your life like a comfortable sweater recently and you can't quite remember life before them.  The ones that see you with your hair in a ponytail, no makeup, wearing your sweats and don't even notice that your t-shirt is on inside out.  The ones that pick up your kid from school because she's "in the area anyway".  The friends who praise and discipline your children as comfortably and fluently as they do their own.  They are comfortable in your kitchen and you don't blush over the dirty dishes in the sink.  They can give you grief over your tendency to be late and scatterbrained and all you feel is love in the commentary.  You wouldn't dream of making a clothing or shoe purchase without their approval - and if you do, you always, inevitably wind up returning it for one reason or another.  Some of mine live a million miles away and some live just up the street.  Some I see every day and some slip in and out of my life so easily that I barely notice the absence.  Sometimes I take them for granted and sometimes that is the very beauty of the relationship.  Today - Today I am very, very thankful for them!

So Thankful - November 11

"Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree..."

Yup!  It's a bit of an obvious one considering the holiday, but today I'm thankful for the veterans...all of 'em, of course...but particularly those that I am close to.  Leaving alone (no disrespect intended) the countless uncles, grandparents, extended relatives - not to mention my Dad, of course - who have stepped up to protect this country when called upon...I am grateful for those that are currently or have recently done their part so that I don't have to.  I am thankful for the Brad S's of the world, the Mattys, the Franks, the Steves...all those whose might and bravery keep the badness at bay and keep my family safe.  I'll confess that most years this is one of those holidays that comes and goes with hardly a backward glance from me.  This year - it lands 2 days before I'm going to have a rare opportunity to catch up with my Matty who is stationed in Omaha...and a few short weeks after one of my very best friends' husbands shipped off to Afghanistan.  (The ribbon photo was taken in their front yard tonight.)  For that matter, I'm thankful for all those who stay behind and keep soldiers' lives ticking along without them while they are off doing what they need to do.  I'm thankful for the Lisa's of the world who do their very best to keep the home fires burning.  

So Thankful - November 10

So here's a little funny something...I was all set to post a picture of my cell phone and claim that today I was thankful for my dueling smartphones...because I am currently using both of them (yes - I carry two - and yes - that's weird) to keep myself entertained while I hawk my children from the hallway.  They are mid-sleepover and I am determined that they will all go to sleep soon so I am being THAT mother.  Anyway...as I took the picture, it occurred to me that my phone said that it was nearly 9 pm...on November 10...and it is 62 degrees outside.  And - there was some very loud, very unexpected, very beautiful thunder while we were sitting down to dinner tonight.  So - I am thankful for Minnesota weather.  I may not feel the same way come February 25 but right now...I am thankful that we get 4 distinct seasons.  I am thankful that our world is made up of such varying colors dependent on those 4 distinct seasons.  Thankful that we have completely different wardrobes to accommodate them.  Thankful that they are predictable in their unpredictability.  Thankful that we left the house this morning in winter coats and returned coatless, hatless, short-sleeved to open all of the windows in the house and bask in the mid-November warmth. Thankful specifically for this particular GORGEOUS day!  Thankful for Minnesota weather in general!

So Thankful - November 9

THIS is a photograph of my great, big kindergartener at her very first "Monarch Fair".  Her amazing school is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Magnet school.  This means that they teach all of the same basic things as the average public school but they do it with an extra focus on STEM.  So all the students studied Monarch butterflies extensively for the first month or so of the school year.  B learned all about what they ate, how they grew, their life cycles, how they spun a chrysalis, turned into a butterfly...and they had caterpillars in their classroom that they watched through the whole process.  Every grade does a different type of "final" project which is then displayed all around the school for the big, annual "Monarch Fair" (essentially an Open House for the school).  She was SO excited to find the butterfly that she had made hanging in the gym...and then she was thrilled to show off the caterpillar that she had drawn on the computer that was hanging outside of her classroom.

Today - I am thankful for education in general...the fact that education is important in this country - that education is free and available regardless of skin color, sex, economic status...AND unfortunately not all schools are created equal - - so I'm also thankful that we, in Minnesota, have the ability to CHOOSE the school that our children will attend.  THIS particular school was discovered after hours and hours and days and weeks of research into the options available to us in our area.  It is definitely a longer bus ride than I would "prefer" but so far the experience is absolutely worth it.  Our little scientist has definitely found a home!

So Thankful - November 8

I know - I know - this is a photograph of "wishes" and really...I'm talking about "Dreams" today - but she's so darn cute, I couldn't resist!  And really?  they're kinda the same thing all grown up, aren't they?

Today I'm going to get all philosophical for a moment and be thankful for Dreams!  If it weren't for dreams, what on earth would we have to get up for every day?  When we're kids, we wish for ponies and rainbows...then we grow up and we wish that "he" would CALL...then we wish we could be married...we wish we could have a great job...we wish we could have kids...we wish those kids would grow up strong, intelligent, compassionate, graceful...we start to wish those kids would leave home!  (I assume?)...we wish for retirement...right?  I think I got a little stuck earlier this year not sure what my dreams were.  I am still in a particular place that makes it hard to articulate them but I'm getting closer to defining what they are again.  And for that?  I'm thankful.  Without those dreams, I'm a rudderless ship trudging from one day to the next.  With dreams, I have goals and plans and feel like I'm moving in a DIRECTION!

Today - I'm thankful for dreams!

So Thankful - November 7

It is November 7 --- and following a long work weekend...I was dog tired.  Apparently more tired than I thought I was.  'Cause my empathetic husband snuck out of bed early this morning - woke me up just enough to let me know that he was "setting the girls up" and going to work.  Next thing I knew, it was after 9 am and I was waking up to find two little girls fed and ready for their day.  Today - I am thankful for my ridiculously comfortable bed, restful sleep in general and a husband who knew better than I did how much I needed some extra time in/of both!

So Thankful - November 6

It is November 6 and today's "what am I thankful for?" question is a simple one (except that I woke up with something ELSE that I was also very thankful for...but that will just make tomorrow's post easy to come up with!)  Chris and I have an elaborate plan put together today to ensure that A) we both get to vote and B) we begin to instill in our children the importance of voting and the blessing that we GET to vote.
I went alone while Chris dealt with breakfast in case the lines were obnoxious (they were not) and then he'll take the big girl with him so that she can see the process.  We (starting with Chris) insisted on the news for a bit this morning before the obligatory cartoons came out so that he could talk to them about the political ads and the news reports detailing long lines at polling places.
I used to think that if you didn't know who to vote for...you just shouldn't vote.  So - I'll confess that there have been elections where I didn't vote at all.  *gasp*  It's hard for me to admit that now.  Older and wiser, I now realize that if you don't know who to vote for...you should research, dummy!  As hard as it is to admit sometimes when we're in the midst of October in an election year with the endless, despicable advertisements, the lawn signs, the grandstanding....we are absolutely blessed in this country that we have the opportunity to choose our leaders.

So Thankful - November 5

Today, I am so thankful that my girls have such fun relationships with their daddy.  Tonight, I felt like my heart was going to burst as I watched the way that they rough-housed and played.  Daddy was a tired, worn-out "horsey" after countless laps around the living room/dining area/kitchen loop.  And I really think that they both thought they were actually picking him up as he hoisted himself up in the air over the kitchen counter.  SO THANKFUL!

So Thankful - November 4

In my wacky professional world - I am blessed to work with some wacky, professional people!  We call them Runners!  And I have a great team of them!  This past weekend I spent 3 days in a row with them working an enormous concert with a lot of moving pieces.  They do a great job of locally supporting the touring crews by running errands, driving crew members back and forth from venue to hotel and back, dropping people at the airport, tracking down missing bits and pieces...they really are jacks-of-all-trades.  And my team, I affectionately consider "mine".  They take on all the odd jobs, they take care of me and they make me laugh!  This happens to be a great photo that they texted me around 2 am after I had sent them out to replace seats in our rental vans.  I love the three guys working hard as a team to replace the seat while one young lady "watches" with the camera and the other clearly supervises!  (which is pretty much exactly what I jokingly asked them to do.)  Today, I am thankful for my Runner Army!

So Thankful - November 3

So thankful for my awesome, awesome new obsession - hooray for kettlebells!  I feel strong and powerful...I can DEFINITELY tell a difference in the make-up of my body.  AND - they are mobile enough for me to bring my workout to work with me!  Yup - totally did a huge kettlebell workout in my office this morning before starting work for the day.

So Thankful - November 2

Today, I am thankful for *this* man.

It's hard for me to believe, but he's been my friend and mentor for 13 years already!  When I first met Chris I was a very young, very green, very naive box office manager.  He and I had an immediate connection and he has been my support, my home base, and my comfort zone for the entirety of my professional career.  I cannot imagine what my work life would look like without him in it somewhere.  For the last 5 years I have been truly blessed to call him my boss.

He has thrown me into the fire time and again but he has always supported me, always backed my play.  He is patient with me when he needs to be patient, and impatient with me when I need to be shook up a bit.

He always asks me how I am and he legitimately wants to know the answer.  He knows who I am and he cares about and supports my personal endeavors at least as much as he does my professional pursuits.  He gives a solid hug!

Among the important lessons he has taught me...learn everybody's name...greet everyone with the same enthusiasm from the person who picks up the trash to the GM of the building...be the first one there and the last one to leave...get paid! And he has taught me some lessons on what TO do by watching HIS mistakes - take care of yourself...get some sleep when you can...eat.

I haven't seen him for over a year and I'm blessed to be spending 3 whole days live and in his presence right now and I couldn't be happier about it.  Today, I am thankful for my wonderful boss!

So Thankful - November 1

November 1 - so begins an effort to document each day something that I'm particularly thankful for on that particular day.  I am purposely NOT starting with those things that SHOULD be the things that I am MOST thankful for (ie. my husband, my daughters, etc.)...instead, I'm attempting to sort of document my month with the things that are happening THAT day. So - don't be offended!  OBVIOUSLY, I'm more thankful for my family, my health, my home than my silly computer, but.......

Yes - you'll notice that I am a day late in posting this.  There's a reason for that...two reasons actually...first of all, I'm not as technologically savvy as I'd like to be - - I don't have the time nor the patience most of the time and I'm NEW to Instagram so it took me having someone younger and savvier looking over my shoulder to piece together the right way to do this (I was trying to make it WAY too difficult!) 

and second reason - well - I've been having some computer drama as of late.  AGAIN.  I am eyebrow deep in Madonna right now, and my company-owned computer is completely, 100%, unexpectedly DEAD!  So I am thankful, very thankful for the personal computer that I broke down and purchased this summer.  It is essentially keeping me afloat!  (But - the lack of computer has set me WAY behind and advancing Madonna yesterday had to take precedence over getting my "thankful" item posted!)

October Challenge #4 - Adult Perspective

This has been a week of finding perspective for me...and for a lot of the women around me...it all started last weekend when the husband of one of my best friends left for Afghanistan.  What's that you say?  You thought we were pulling OUT of Afghanistan?  Yup...still sending people over "new".  He's working a desk job over there and will be in relative safety but he's still leaving his wife, his 6 year old and his 4 year old back here for a full year!  (oh - and his 23 year old but I am not so concerned about her!) :)

It continued when I heard a wonderful speaker at my MOMS Club meeting on Monday who talked to our group about the plight of homeless youth and children in Brooklyn Park.  In BROOKLYN PARK!  HOMELESS YOUTH!  ON THEIR OWN!  DUDE!  That SCREAMS perspective!  I am continually reminding myself just how lucky I am to have a warm, comfortable roof over my head and a pantry full of food.  It's amazing to me to think of the dozens of CHILDREN who are living homeless in my own suburban community...who are spending extra hours at school because it's warm and safe and they are fed.

And it continued again when I learned of the loss of another MOMS Club friend's husband.  I can't imagine having that particular conversation with my children.  And I have been absolutely amazed at the strength that this particular Mom has shown already this week.  I just hope that we can all be alert when she falls apart and needs us in the weeks to come.

I've been ridiculously introspective over the past weeks and months already - call it a third-life-crisis or something, I don't know.  But this has sharpened the focus on a few things that were already strong on my mind...

• I have amazing friends and ridiculous family who I KNOW would be there for me and for my own when/if the time came that I needed to call upon them.  
• I am very lucky to have the physical, creature comforts that I do.  It's one thing to think about the "starving children in Africa"...it's another thing to think about the starving, couch-surfing children in Brooklyn Park.  
• My marriage may be far from perfect - and there are definitely areas that could use some improvement - but all in all, I do have a husband who comes home every day (well - unless he's working...) to hug his wife and children.  
• I have a job.  Not just a job, but a job that allows me a ridiculous amount of flexibility - allows me to consider myself a SAHM, allows me to volunteer at my daughters' schools, to spend an hour every Thursday sitting in the sunshine at Starbucks typing my blog!
• I have health.  For me, for my husband and my children, for those most important to me.  I prove that health to myself every day as I push myself to run further or faster, to swing a kettlebell higher or one more time...

Basically?  I hear you loud and clear, Universe!  Please stop sending lessons our way!  When my daughters are driving me bonkers (like during the bewitching hour last night) or when my husband makes me want to hide, when my house feels too dirty, too small or when my calendar feels too jam-packed.  I WILL take those occasions to say THANK YOU for all the blessings in my life!  

October Challenge #3 - TC 10 Mile - ALIVE!

4:45 am - Chris' alarm goes off.
It's warm and cozy in this bed.
5:00 am - MY alarm goes off.
*sigh* it's warm AND cozy in this bed.
Brush my teeth, ponytail in my hair, running clothes on, eat a banana and some almonds and slug a bottle of water.
Babysitter is here - in her pj's - carrying her pillow - and we're off.
There are an incredible amount of stars on this crisp, clear morning!
Freaking COLD in the car.  33 degrees according to the dashboard.
Park in an empty ramp walk straight on a shuttle ready to leave.
Arrive at the Dome and follow the crowd.
Wow!  There are a lot of sleepy, eager people.  Strange - I feel like the youngest one here (that doesn't happen much anymore).
Stand in line for the restroom (hooray for flush toilets at the beginning of a race)...but not as long a line as the one for the men's room.  THAT's a switch!
Must be time to go - the crowd is moving.
My legs do not feel strong this morning.  The mysterious twinge in my left calf is twinge-ier than usual and my arthritic, old-lady joints are creaking.  I remind myself that I did a full 13.1 a few short weeks ago and I should look at this as a training run for Monster Dash in a couple of weeks.
Quick kiss on the corner, Chris heads to Corral 2 and I make my way to Corral 4.  Have to admit that being "corraled" by bike rack with 9,000 people this morning does make one feel a bit like cattle.
Can I find my friends?  Unlikely, though I try.
Earbuds in as Corral 1 starts.
Load up my newly re-energized running playlist as Corral 2 begins.
Boot up "mapmyrun" and Corral 3 takes off.
Nike+ is ready to go as the emcee "Runners get ready! Go!"
Deep, clear, even breaths fog the air all around me as we hit our stride as a group.
Mile 1 feels good - wakes up the body - shakes off the dreams.
Mile 2 brings us along the river.  Even though a lot of the leaves are already on the ground, it is beautiful here.  I chuckle at my fellow runners who are already visiting port-a-potties in the parks as we run past en masse.  My legs are NOT happy with this brilliant idea of mine to run today.
Mile 3 & 4 and my hands are still freezing, tucked into my running jacket.
Mile 4 and I can feel my lungs warming the air, my blood pumping strong through my body and my hands are finally warm enough to peek out of my jacket sleeves.
Oh - the hill at Mile 5 is a cruel joke.
The support along Mile 5 is wonderful!
Check out that sign, "10 miles!  Because 26.2 is just plain crazy!"
Mile 6 and that strange, mysterious calf injury is tweaking a bit and I slow down to pamper it and to consume a few "beans".  Amazing how fast that burst of energy comes on!
Mile 7 and the calf injury goes numb while the arthritic hip takes its place in the race for my attention.  I find myself amused by the "fans" sitting on the sidewalk in their lawn chairs with giant bloody marys clutched in their mittened hands.
Mile 8 and some well-placed P!nk in my playlist makes me smile and step up my game.  Check out THAT crazy guy running barefoot.  Nope - not in those funky "barefoot" shoes --- LITERALLY barefoot!  'Course if I showed him MY damaged feet, he'd probably call ME the crazy one!  I hope he doesn't get frostbit toes.
Turn a corner and the sun is BLINDING.  Suddenly it's as if I'm running alone.  It's glorious!
Mile 9 and some A@*hole is standing RIGHT THERE smoking a cigar and exhaling directly at us.  Nice, buddy!
And THERE is the capital building.  Glorious and less than a mile away!
Mile 10 - slower than I would have liked.  Slower than the half marathon I just ran.  But I did it.  I am ALIVE!  And I proved it to myself and to my body once again!

October Challenge - #2 - Friendship...Square One

I've been blessed by some beautiful friendships over my decades on this earth and at the risk of embarassing some people who are and have been very important in my life...I'm going to spend a couple of days telling you about them!
A fair warning - these posts are possibly uninteresting to anyone but myself and those mentioned here...excuse me a trip down memory lane

I was a painfully shy child when I was very young.  My brilliant mother approached my preschool teacher in an attempt to find me a "friend" - someone that I could connect with.  I think she was worried that I would melt into a klutzy, quiet, frizzy haired little mess in the corner.  She was probably right to be concerned.  At any rate - that wonderful preschool teacher hooked me up with what would become my "BFF" - Jenny H.  (I hope she isn't bothered to be mentioned by name online!  Maybe it's OK since she goes by "Jennifer" these days!)  It's a funny thing about memories - you can't always be assured that they are 100% accurate.  In my memory, Jenny and I spent nearly every waking moment together for years.  I'm not sure that is far from accurate.  I can honestly say that with the exception of a pile of family-only memories, 95% of my memories from preschool through 6th grade involve Jenny in some way.  We played, we pretended, we whispered and giggled - we went to a certain summer camp that shall remain nameless to protect...us and our reputations.  Even at the ripe ages of 6 & 8 & 12...her friendship gave me the support, the foundation that I desperately needed to be brave enough to try things.  I would have NEVER tried to play tennis without her, I would NEVER have got over the absolute terror that filled me at the thought of a sleepover.  I honestly don't know that I would have learned how to build other friendships without her.  And - with one tiny exception, I don't remember us fighting or ever not getting along.  We were still solid friends in junior high though we both branched out and spent less time attached at the hip.  Completely separately, we both wound up playing double-reed instruments in band/orchestra which led us to countless trips to St Cloud for private lessons together.  We came back around to each other again in high school and built a whole new life together with a completely different style (at least for me) of friends (this will come up again momentarily...).  And again, completely separately, we wound up going to college 7 miles apart...She was my maid of honor and I was hers...and then wound up living in the same suburb - married with children.  She lives 4 hours away now and I haven't seen her in years.  I haven't spoken to her in months.  And I haven't met her youngest child.  Heck - I don't even think I sent a gift.  But there is something about a friendship that endures - a friendship like the one that I HAVE with Jenny H. - a friendship that is really more of a sisterhood than a friendship - if I needed her, she would be here...and vice versa...and I know that when I DO make the trip north or we wind up "home" at the same time over the holidays...we'll pick up where we left off with hugs and blessings.  Friendships like this one are few and far between and are definitely part of what connects me to this world and what makes me feel ALIVE!

Jen and I at my high school graduation.
I KNOW - we haven't changed a BIT!

I feel bad for the little girlfriends that my daughters are making now that they are in preschool and kindergarten because I look at every last one of them wondering if THEY are going to be our family's "Jenny H".

October Challenge - Post #1 - "ALIVE!"

Day 1...and so it begins!
I'm challenging myself to write a blog post each day in October...uh - starting now, I guess.  I needed a "good habit" with which to challenge myself for this month's Game On competition and I thought this might be it - - - and then I realized that I had been procrastinating some important projects so this will be just "extra" and will probably become, at best, an every other day project but that's besides the point, right?  Anyway, in reading one of my "usual" reads, I ran across this challenge to pick a topic and write on it each and every day for the entire month.
'Course, I ran across it very late (aka. yesterday) so I haven't done the prep work that I maybe should have.  The creator of this challenge suggests that you spend time making lists in preparation.  While I AM a giant list maker, I think I'm going to try to be a bit more spontaneous than that. 

I took the girls to church on Sunday and as always, I got something powerful out of the sermon.  The overall discussion was a basic overview of the program that the church has been following for the last 3 years...not incredibly inspirational but the senior pastor DID say one thing that really struck me.  He commented that when he was growing up in his church community, everyone was always asked the question "are you saved?"  He challenged us to ask a different question, "are you alive?"  The underlying idea being that everyone who believes is saved but that doesn't require any kind of action on our part.  Answering affirmatively to the question, "are you alive?" means that you must be actively seeking to better yourself, to strengthen your faith, to interact with the world around you in a positive way and not just sit back watching and waiting.  I am most certainly not prepared to take this simple blog down a religious, theological road.  I'm not ready to share THAT with the world just yet because my faith is not "average", is still being figured out and I might just make some people uncomfortable.  While I DO like to challenge others, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for this particular challenge just yet. 

I love a Minnesota fall!  If only it lasted longer!
Sitting in the sun, with THIS view makes me
feel VERY alive!

BUT - I CAN write about being alive!  So I am challenging myself to write a post every day (I won't promise that they will be lengthy or especially brilliant...)

I'm curious!  What makes YOU feel "alive"?  What PROVES to you that you ARE "alive"?  How do you challenge yourself to be more and more "alive"?

yet another step towards a healthier me???

I’m not exactly sure what has spurred my move towards a healthier “me” in the past 6 months or so.  It’s really been quite unlike me.  I’ve never considered exercise to be an important part of my regular routine.  I’ve never truly considered the food that I consume.  I’ve dieted in an attempt to reach a more attractive weight, but always in the sense that I cut calories not that I made any attempts to eat healthier.  Now I find myself on an ongoing quest to take “the next step” in remaking myself into a healthier and happier version of me. 

I’ve been exercising on a regular basis for the first time in my life – exercise videos and running mostly.  I’ve been drinking water almost to the exclusion of anything else.  I’ve dramatically cut my alcohol consumption and as of the last couple of weeks, have begun to take vitamins and supplements designed to fill in the gaps left by my current diet and attempt to ‘even out’ my body’s chemistry.  I’ve come to love “real” tea, both iced and hot as I’ve taught myself to replace Diet Coke with black tea or flavor my ongoing water consumption with green.

I recently had a bunch of blood work done.  I really wish that I had done it in December so that I would have a baseline of sorts that might show me how far I’ve come already.  At this point – it was a solid mix of “good news – bad news”.  The good news is that I’m remarkably healthy overall.  My sister, (my dedicated Naturopathic Doctor) commented that mine were the best and most exciting lab results that she had seen in a long time.  No cholesterol issues, no signs of impending doom in the form of diabetes…all the things that we were concerned about particularly from a genetic standpoint was good news.  I also had her run a full food/vegetable allergy panel.  THIS news, to me, was the “bad” news.  Here is a list of my favorite foods:  spaghetti, lasagna, nachos, Chipotle burritos, bleu cheese in most any form, Thai fried rice, anything that is filled with or covered with melted cheese (particularly if also fried), ice cream, vodka….yum.  And here is a partial list of my allergies:  rice, wheat, gluten, dairy (in particular cheddar & parmesan cheeses for some reason)…the list was significantly longer, but these are the items that fell into the yellow and red “2’s or 3’s” categories on my list meaning that they were the items that I needed to be most concerned about.  Notice any crossover between those lists?  This was less than awesome news to me.  I expected the lactose news and I have gone lactose-free before – when I was nursing my youngest daughter.  I was NOT expecting the wheat/rice/gluten news. 

I honestly don’t know how to eat gluten-free but I’m determined to try it.  And I think I’ll record some of those efforts here – maybe I can either help someone else considering this change or garner some knowledge from my mysterious base of readers.  I officially “started” this effort today when I ordered my burger sans bun…but NOT sans French fries.  Fries are potatoes, right?  And potatoes aren’t gluten-ey?  Right?  Hmmm…after I ordered, I questioned myself and did a quick internet search.  I ran across a couple of blogs that I scanned very quickly and found that, in fact, French fries are often a problem.  They are apparently either dusted with a wheat powder to make them golden and crispy – or they are fried in the same fryers that are utilized to cook other items that are not naturally gluten-free.  Hmm.  Oops.  First strike for the day.  What else did I learn?  Never pick the croutons off your salad…they will most always leave behind enough crumbs to cause issues.  Obvious news, I suppose.  But still takes a little bit of the wind out of my sails as I begin to really realize how little I know.  I am certainly lucky that my issues are not so extreme that the addition of some invisible crouton crumbs might cause extreme disaster but I am going to need to start doing some real research if I want to try to do this the ‘right’ way. 

And – for the record – I suppose it’s possible that this is a figment of my overactive imagination, but I did recognize some *ahem* gastrointestinal “issues” very shortly after I consumed the ill-advised but frankly, delicious potatoes. 

So – particularly knowing that I do NOT do very well reading overly science-y tomes, does anyone out there have any awesome blogs, articles, books, etc. to share that can help me begin to make these terrifying diet changes?  I'm thanking my lucky stars right now that it is summer – the season of grilled meats and vegetables instead of winter – the season of comfort-food-y, gooey, noodley casseroles.  At least I have a couple of months to wrap my brain around these concepts before the cooking moves back indoors.  

Insecurities

**first off - as I write this, my blog has been viewed 997 times.  I'm flabbergasted by this!  I'm not above admitting that the little, rising ticker does a lot for my confidence and feeds my soul.  I don't know who you are...people reading my words...but I thank you for the affirmation and I hope that I am giving you a gift in exchange.**

It's a funny thing - the older I get, the less I care about what other people think.  It's a cliche, I know...but one that rings true for me.  I'm constantly working on myself and I can't wait to meet the 70 year old me...I can't imagine how much "me" I'll be by then! 

Don't get me wrong - I am far, far, FAR from having mastered the very fine art of not giving a hoot.  I still care.  A lot.  Too much, in my opinion. 
I'm worried that I still don't look good enough. 
I'm concerned that while I am running longer and longer distances, that I'm running too slowly.
I'm too often conscious of the stares of strangers when one of my kids does something ridiculous while standing in line at the grocery store.
I'm worried about how I stack up against other people who professionally do what I do - particularly since I almost never come in contact with these people...there is no job description...and I had no training.  No clue if I'm doing it "right".

More than caring what other people think per se --- I find myself looking more and more for affirmation that what I think is accurate.  It's a subtle difference.  I crave affirmation.  Constantly.  Some days it is a physical need...I ache until I get some feedback...and often it never comes.  I truly hate that I need to be stroked in this way.  It feels like a weakness and I suddenly become insecure about my insecurities...which seems doubly ridiculous.

I know a couple of things to be true.  I know that every (sweeping generalization) woman suffers some level of this...and I believe that every person suffers some level.  I also know that I inherited this struggle from my fantastic, amazing, awe-inspiring mother.  I know that she doesn't see the amazingness (it IS a word!) that the rest of the world sees and that she too feels the physical ache for affirmation on a regular basis.  I also know that I want to find a way to let my daughters be the "fittest" in this category of the "survival" game.  I want to raise them to be confident without being cocky...to both recognize and revel in their individual strengths and weaknesses.  I struggle on a daily basis with the constant balancing act:

-- B's hair is amazing...SHE thinks it's amazing...and EVERYONE comments on it...every day.  It's a struggle to get her to let me comb it.  She will NOT let me pull it back.  How to let her feel confident and amazing in it without giving her some sort of complex?
-- E's hair is less amazing...and she doesn't get the same attention from strangers in the supermarket over her appearance.  How on earth do we not create a complex HERE?
--   Both girls dress themselves 98% of the time.  They have a style that is all their own and I think it's fantastic! (E's camo rain boots are her absolute favorite accessory)  B starts kindergarten in the fall and I worry about the "mean girls". 
-- B thinks she's brilliant (I tend to agree, of course).  What happens when she starts kindergarten and she's not the smartest kid she knows?
-- I'm amazed on a daily basis that with E's speech struggles, she continues to talk.  Constantly.  Whether people can understand her or not.  Can't decide if this is success story for us?  Or just her amazing temperament. 
-- and I still continuously come back to our society's strict gender rules.  Just this week, a very kind-hearted nurse at the clinic offered both girls a sticker.  She got down the box and started rooting through it.  Her immediate response was, "oh - there's nothing but dinosaurs and bugs in here...I'll go find you some girl stickers".  My girls are pretty "meh" on dinosaurs, but they love bugs!  What kind of message does this send them about their preferences?

What's a mother to do?  For now - I'm doing my best to try work on my own issues...quietly and carefully and as unobtrusively as I can.  It is so true that our kids follow the example that they see much more closely than they do as they are told...do you suppose if I can find my own strength and annihilate my own insecurities...set a fantastic example for them --- that I can raise secure, strong, confident women? 

"Game On" explanation

If you've been paying attention, you know that I've made some pretty major changes in the way that I take care of myself lately.  I feel like I've explained and described my process so many times at this point that everyone around me must be growing SO weary of hearing the story - but I continue to have someone new ask me to explain nearly every day.  So I decided that it is time to copy my new friend Jenny H and describe "Game On" in my own words in a place where everyone can see it at once - and can refer back if you're not ready for it now...

This winter, I was on a crusade to get my friend Sonja running with me...and we were talking a lot about eating healthier, treating our bodies better, etc, etc....I felt like I was doing a decent job of taking care of myself, but obviously I could do better.  She called me up and asked me to be her partner in a "Game On" challenge.  If I'm being honest - I signed up solely for Sonja...I originally thought the concept would never work for me - that taking part in an online challenge was going to be no motivation for me whatsoever...but I really wanted to support Sonja.  So - in January, we started our first round of "Game On - Minnesota style".  The whole thing has truly changed my life in a multitude of ways.  It is based on a book titled "Game On" which I have not read.  There is a growing group of us who utilizes a private facebook group to keep the thing rolling.  Here's how it works:

At the beginning of each 4 week round (we DID do one 6 week round but I doubt we will again), everyone puts $40 into the "pot" and partners up for the competition.  Here is what it consists of:

• Diet - the official "Game On" book dictates a strict diet, but this is one of the details that we, as a group, decided to alter a bit.  To take part in the challenge, you need to be following some sort of a diet.  We have some people (like me) doing Weight Watchers, some counting calories, some following a primal diet, etc.  You must follow some sort of organized diet plan.  This is worth 30 points per day.
• Exercise - you must commit to some sort of sweat-inducing exercise for at least 20 minutes per day.  This is worth 20 points per day.
• Sleep - you must be in bed with the possibility of sleeping for at least 7 hours per night.  For those with small children who wake us frequently, you can still get your points as long as you are in bed attempting to sleep 7+ hours.  For example, if you KNOW that your child wakes up at 6 am every morning, you must be in bed with the lights out by 11 pm to get your points.  If your baby still wakes you up twice a night, just make sure that you are in bed early enough to get 7 hours per sleep around those wake-ups.  Naps don't count!  You have to be "trying" for 7 continuous hours.  Worth 15 points per day.
• Water - This is a big one and seems to be the most challenging and surprising for most people.  You must consume 101 oz of water each day.  And yes, that's WATER.  Juice doesn't count, flavored water doesn't count...you can flavor your water with fruit, berries, "real" tea (ie. Crystal Light is no good, the bottled teas that you can buy that are full of chemicals are no good)...but the key is to be consuming real, honest to god water that has not been chemically altered.  Worth 10 points per day.
• New Habit - Pick a good habit that you want to encourage each and every day.  Some examples:  daily meditation, reading for pleasure 20 minutes per day, spending 30 minutes per day of focused play time with your kids.  Worth 10 points per day.
• Old Habit - Pick an old habit that you want to lose each and every day.  Some examples:  I gave up soda which was HUGE for me, drop your television consumption to an hour a day, stop texting while driving, stop biting your nails.  Worth 10 points per day.
• Communication - this is why this whole thing works, I think.  You have to communicate both with your teammate AND with someone from an opposing team each and every day.  Because of the private facebook group, this is very easy for most of us.  All you really have to do is pop in and drop a note about how your day is going in terms of the challenge each day and drop a private note to your partner.  Everyone is ridiculously encouraging and wonderful and this is a big part of what makes the whole thing so much fun - the community is fantastic!  Worth a measly 5 points per day - but CRITICAL to my success.

You can also lose points each day for the following:

• Scale Penalty - You are allowed to step on the scale once each day. If you step on more than once, you need to deduct 1 point per time.
• Snacking Penalty - This is a tough one for me to define honestly...I've more or less ignored it, I think it is a carryover from the official "Game On Diet" that none of us are following.  Deduct 10 points per penalty if you are snacking outside of your official diet, I guess.
• Collusion Penalty - if you cheat - deduct 20 points....but really?  If you're cheating anyway, are you going to be honest enough to deduct these points?  Unlikely.
• Alcohol - BIG ONE for so many.  If you consume alcohol, deduct 25 points per drink.  Ouch.
• Change your Habit - remember those new and old habits from above?  You have to commit to those habits for the entire round. If you opt to change your habits midstream, you have to deduct 50 points...so be sure that what you pick is lifechanging and worthwhile, but not impossible!

You earn bonus points for losing 1% of your total weight each week - 20% of your total score.  If you are at a point (which I am...can you believe it??) where you don't need to lose 4% of your total weight - ie. you are at a healthy weight - you set fitness goals instead and you earn that bonus by achieving your fitness goals.  For example, this last round, I set weekly distance goals for myself in running - I did an 8.5 mile run the first week, 9 miles the second, 9.5 the third and 10 miles this week to earn my bonuses.

And you earn 10 points for reporting your score on time.  

There is a potential for 850 total points each week and those points are averaged across your team to decide a final winner.  Each round that we've done so far, has seen a team of 2 win and an individual win - so 3 people split the pot.  But really?  I think all of us would agree that we ALL win and that it is definitely $40 well worth spent!

You do get one day off and one meal off from everything listed above each week...you get your full points during that time regardless of how badly you treat yourself...so yes, once a week, I have nachos and vodka for dinner. I regret it almost immediately as I feel horrible (why DO we do these things to ourselves?)...but I still get my full points.  I skip a workout a week...etc.  

The "Game On" challenge has truly changed me!  I think very differently about what I do to  my body.  I still make bad decisions once in a while (like the nachos and vodka for dinner example from above) but I make those decisions consciously and with every understanding of how I'm going to feel afterwards.  I am in FAR better physical shape than I think I've ever been.  And people around me are noticing which is why I'm writing this post - I truly want to invite everyone that I know and care about to join us!  Today is the last day of the current round.  We'll be taking one week off and starting up again on June 18.  If you're interested in joining us - let me know!  Or if you have questions - I'll do my best to answer them for you!  Do something good for yourself!