First off, a happy and blessed Ostara / Spring Equinox / First Day of Spring!
Secondly? I’m still sick.
Seriously. What a rough Winter it has been! I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow to try and get to the bottom of all of my various issues. Hopefully I’ll get some answers.
Now I’m just going to ramble.
Web Stuff
I’ve already gone over it on my Goodbye to Google Reader post, but seriously, still a bit cranky that Google doesn’t see the value in keeping that service around when so many people rely on it for their feeds. I do think a lot of the reader alternatives are totally rejoicing right now though!
I still like my current design so I’ve been just changing the link / social media link hover colors. Fancy I know.
Me
On the personal life side of things, I’ve gotten back onto the “count the calories” track again.
I’ve basically had to realize that I can’t talk to or involve my sister when it comes to my weight loss because I just get yelled at and talked down to in the form of a “lecture”. She expresses pride in “laying into” me about my weight struggles. Not to mention she apparently gossips about me to other family members and random folks and just… ugh. Because making me feel even worse about myself is a sure fire way to motivate me right.
Oddly enough making that single change that has nothing to do with food has actually seemed to aide in my weight loss a little bit. Go figure!
We bought a juicer and although I’ve made juice for my husband and kids… I just… struggle with new beverages overall. I know it’s weird. I’d really love any suggestions for juicing recipes / blogs / books though because I want to do more than just fruit juice with a carrot thrown in.
The Boys
After Daniel had been out of school for 3+ weeks in February due to the bronchitis we got, he asked me if he could be homeschooled again because he couldn’t handle another day of being bullied and tormented at school. (I’ve touched on the bullying issue on my Twitter and in some old private posts.) Of course I said yes,and then bought a few complete curriculum since I have zero idea where he is educationally, since the school said he was at one level when at home he appears to be at another level, and it’s going really well. He has some mad skill with math so he’s pretty much right at grade level there and is only a couple grades behind for reading. I’ve been having him journal his day in a notebook as well which he seems to enjoy.
What’s odd is I’ve called and left messages for the school to call me and my husband has left multiple messages, specifically for the principal to call him back and neither of us have heard anything back from anyone! This was even before Danny asked to be homeschooled so I find that just very odd.
He’s eleven now which has brought on this ever so lovely pre-teen attitude. It drives me crazy! If I have to hear “but that’s not FAIR” one more time, I’ll end up taking his computer’s power cord.
Tristan is going through an interesting phase about zombies for the past few months. I have no idea where he picked it up from. I absolutely love this age though, it’s so fun!
GReader: I am very sad to see this service going away too. I am a total Google fangirl, and love keeping my weblife within Google services as much as possible since everything seems to work so nicely together. I am pleased so far with Feedly as an alternative. Especially after reading this post on their blog:
Weight: You and like everyone else is interested in managing their weight. It’s a battle that’s long and difficult, as you well know! Don’t let unsupportive people (re: f***ers) get you down. A sister should be loving, but your’s is just too stupid and inhuman to understand that. Personally, I’ve never weighed over 140; I’m genetically inclined to be skinny. I still eat a low carb lifestyle though to keep the weight off as I age and to get other healthful benefits. I recommend it, but understand some people have a difficult time with the diet. Whatever you do, good luck to you. Consistency, perseverance, and patience are the only ways to make any plan work.
Eleven. Ugh: That school… Have you contacted the superintendent? Seriously, being ignored is a disgrace. They should be ashamed. Time to bring it up the chain, in my opinion. And again, good luck to you with that “It’s not fair!” thing… There’s no winning, heh.
I seriously love Feedly so much. Great product, great customer service… what else could a person ask for!
Weight wise, both of my parents are over-weight but my father is morbidly obese. I just tended to take after him in how I view food. However it’s very possible I have a thyroid issue because I’m gaining weight on a lower calorie diet / very slow to lose and I do know my mother has a thyroid issue. Just one of the many things I’m going to get tested for at the doctor’s tomorrow!
I naturally eat low-carb. If I go for anything “carb-y” I always choose a sweet potato LOL! I just prefer veggies / meat / cheese… ahh especially cheese. For example yesterday (and granted I don’t know how the “net carbs” thing works exactly) I ate 95 carbs / 25 fiber which means… 70 net carbs? Ahh no clue LOL!
I have not contacted the super intendent… YET. However considering everything? I’d be surprised if she cared / did anything at all.
My son’s overall personality has improved SO MUCH though over the past couple of weeks. I just wish I followed my instincts and didn’t re-enroll him two years ago because it’s been nothing but awful for him. He hasn’t learned anything but that people he’s supposed to trust school wise, really won’t protect him.
I’m so upset about Google Reader especially since I tend to read blogs on my desktop computer and not my phone, and I really don’t like reading it from my phone so I haven’t found anything I like for the desktop… Any suggestions?
Weight loss: I’m glad you’re making progress. I had a chat recently with my doctor about calorie counting and he basically yelled at me to never restrict my calorie intake. He said my metabolism will crash and burn… I couldn’t tell if he meant for me specifically or for anyone. Instead I’m just supposed to watch what I eat and control my portions… ie instead of the bag of chips I want to eat I have a smoothie or a small amount of dried fruit and nuts and a lot of water… I don’t know… I’ve been going to the gym almost 4 times a week for well over a month and my weight has not changed… I’ve noticed my body is changing but its so hard when you don’t see the scale numbers coming down…
Eugh, poor Danny… What an awful experience. I just wonder how the hell these teachers and principals sleep at night knowing full well they suck at their jobs and they’re failing these children. I’m sorry he had such a bad experience at school, but I’m glad he’s perking up outside of that environment. It’s not okay for children to be treated that way by their peers or by their teachers… sickening.
Also, speaking of Midwest Glam; love it! have you two thought about doing video tutorials or video demos of the products? That would be hella awesome, lol.
I highly recommend Feedly!
Right now MFP has me eating just under 1900 calories a day so I don’t worry about eating too little right now. I’ve had to REALLY pay attention to calories because I’ll just eat too many nuts / too much cheese if I don’t. Even if I measure it out I’ll still over indulge in them!
I just find it completely and utterly odd that no one returned our multiple messages. It makes NO sense.
Yes! We are considering videos! I just fear YouTube because wow people are just MEAN (based on videos I watch and all the nasty comments that are posted on them). I’d probably use Vimeo myself.
Hey Sarah, Sorry you’re still sick. It has been a brutal winter! I sure wish some sign of spring would show itself. It’s bitter cold and my garden remains covered with snow. Ostara blessings heading your way none-the-less. At least the sun shines!
This guy has some awesome recipes on juicing highly nutritious and yummy. I’ve followed his FB page for a while. https://www.facebook.com/VegetableJuicing?ref=stream
Good luck with the schools. I remember when my boys hit JR high I prayed for the day they would be out of school – sometimes the adults ignoring the problem was worse than the problem itself. Sadly because of their challenges their struggles with bullies is not over in spite of the fact they have been out of school for years. In fact, we’ve found adults can be much worse than children. :(
Oh totally! It’s super sunny today AND I’ve worked really hard on forcing myself to be less nocturnal. It helps now that DST has kicked in, doesn’t get dark until 7pm!
Thanks for the FB page, I’ll check it out in a few.
Oh I know adults can be worse, way worse. They are the ones teaching the current generation how to be bullies. It’s devastating.
I’m back to calorie counting too. I realized that all the diets that have worked for me in the past (temporarily, obviously) were actually calorie counting disguised as other things. Slim-fast is low calorie. Weight Watchers can claim it’s not about calories but it TOTALLY IS. And I’m terrible at self-implemented portion control. My doctor mentioned something about thyroids in passing when I was there to get antibiotics for my sinus infection (I soooo feel you on this winter being miserable) but I didn’t ask to be tested (again). I think I’d be too depressed when everything came back clear and the answer is “Nope, you’re just fat because you suck”. Good luck!
My SIL lives in Ohio and has been homeschooling her kids their whole lives. If you need any advice or tips on how to navigate with the school system or the state people let me know and I can ask her!
Yeah it’s like at the end of the day it really IS about calories in / calories out. Sucks just as much though to have to enter in those four radishes LOL!
I’m concerned that either NOTHING is wrong with me and it’s all just stress related OR there’s serious things wrong with me. No gray area.
Oh this is our second go around with homeschooling, we actually unschooled for most of second grade and all of third grade. Ironically it happened then because of issues at the same elementary school. Go figure!
I’m just not used to HOMESCHOOLING rather than UNSCHOOLING… we’re about to work on reading here shortly which really is the biggest issue. He was in public school full kinder-1st and then 4th and almost all of 5th and the focus was never about him educationally but how he should find a way to be “friends” with the kids that spit on him, kick him, stab him with pencils, tell him to die, that they are going to kill him…
Is it any wonder that I no longer have any faith in the school system? It’s funny because I had NO issues in school. None (until high school with my home life and I think I’ve talked about it here before?). So this has really been eye opening.
I’m still so angry. Sigh.
I never could get in to Google Reader. I tried. It just didn’t click for me. I’ve never been able to become attached to any sort of feed reader (which is probably why I also suck at reading blogs.) I’m jealous of your doctor appointment though. I need one, badly, and just cannot bring myself to make any appointments. The social anxiety has me crippled.
After seeing some bullying issues with Jonas at school, I really started to understand why people homeschool. Part of me wants to pull him out and never send him again. But that kid LOVES school. He tries to leave for school in the morning before I’m even awake – that’s how much he loves it. I just hope he continues to love it and that the bullying doesn’t affect him.
I used Google Reader a few years ago FOR a few years but once I stumbled onto Feedly? Sold! It makes it SO much easier and I can organize it which is a major plus.
Yeah… ugh. The doctor. I’m freaking out. My chest pain just has never gone away since November and combined with gaining weight on a low-cal diet? Has me freaked out enough that I called and made the appointment. I’m scared that it’s either ALL due to stress or I have cancer / ulcer / thyroid / heart / problems.
Danny used to be hardcore “I LOVE SCHOOL” but by the end of kindergarten hated it. Even now, every day he would wake up thrilled to go to school while saying, “I hope I don’t get hit today” or “I hope I don’t get bullied today” and every fucking afternoon I would be picking up a sobbing child asking me what’s wrong with HIM. If maybe it’s his FACE the kids don’t like.
I don’t know if it’s just our area but the focus at the school is SO MUCH on the social side rather than educational. They seriously expected him to learn with ease while getting stabbed / hit / cussed at / issued death threats… the logic escapes me.
I am so very angry and pretty much expect to be angry for a few years about all of it.
I’m sorry you are still sick — not a good way to bring in the spring. It felt like all winter I stayed sick along with my friends. So, you are not the only one. I guess it was just a bad winter for germs.
I want to get into juicing as well. What kind of juicer did you buy, if you don’t mind me asking? I think it will be the next big purchase I make for the kitchen.
Here is a 30 days of juicing from Williams and Sonoma with recipes. (http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/30-days-of-juicing-2/) Hopefully it helps. ^_^
Hope you start feeling better!
We got the Breville Multi Speed and purchased it from Williams Sonoma!
Thank you so much for the recipe link!!
I’ve gone on the count the calories kick too, and I weighed myself today and I actually lost 2lbs in addition to losing an inch off both my waist and hips.
That’s so awesome!!!!