Giving it a go...

Gosh, I can't believe it's been such a long time since I've written.  It's not like there hasn't been an overabundance of potential subject matter, such as how the AGW fiasco has been crumbling before our eyes, or the latest report telling us we're all gonna DIEDIEDIE, based on double-blind, clinical trials a self reporting survery.

Real Life, however, has a way of stepping in.  Rather distracting that way. ;-)  The biggest issue has been my husband's health taking another turn for the worse.  *sigh*  Poor guy can't win for losing.  His latest combination of drugs has been doing its job and his blood sugars are back in normal ranges.  The side effects have calmed down. Unfortunately, it looks like stress has triggered another flare up of whatever's wrong with his digestive system.  The dr. even signed him off for a couple of days of medical leave (and he ended up taking another day more) in hopes that the rest would help.  Can't say that it did.  We discovered when he tried telecommuting that my husband doesn't have the temperment to be home a lot.  Of course, with having only one chair that gives his back proper lumbar support, that being the computer chair, means Dh has been at the computer playing WoW for hours at a time (well... in between bathroom sessions).  Meanwhile, the dr's written him up for another barium test to try and see what kind of damage there is.  Dh has had this test before, or a similar version, before we changed provinces.  He's not really looking forward to it.  At least this time, he's not expected to go on a liquid diet for a week before the test, with the last couple of days spent drinking that horrible prune juice on steroids he was given.  He's just got a 2 day liquid fast to deal with, instead.  :-P

We've managed to get out and about, though.  Dh even went with me to a big potluck dinner organized by a member of one of our home school groups.  It was followed by games and dancing, but he wasn't up to staying that long.  I hated to cut and run right after eating like that (and boy, was it good!), but we were already pushing his tolerance levels.  There were a few friends I never got the chance to talk to beyond a quick hello.  It would have been good to chat.  Ah, well.  We do what we can.

I also headed out with Youngest for a regular get together with another group of friends.  We got our baby fix in and everything. :-D  I'm still getting to know a lot of the people in this group.  They're a nice bunch of ladies, but I'm a bit taken aback by how much diet talk there is.  It seems like they're all dieting, or about to diet, or should be dieting...  I never know quite how to respond.  Talking to one of them, who's had a baby just 6 months or so ago, she threw out a comment along the lines of "you know how, when you're overweight, you HAVE to diet."  I was rather stunned speechless by that.  Especially when she went on to talk about how hard it was with the rest of the family not needing to diet, then recounted how her daughter, who's about 7, I think, was all upset about eating a piece of cake instead of something "healthy," and all the calories eating an apple would be.  The best I can do, I guess, is just not contribute to the conversation.  I'd be quite the wet blanket if I started going on about how I consider weight loss dieting to be a form or disordered eating that encourages body dismorphia.  I take some solace in the comment Youngest made in the van later on.  She swore to me that she'd NEVER go on a diet.  She is, however, interested in improving her fitness.  She accompanied me on my mall walk (Eldest usually joins me) that night, and we talked about hiking and doing weights and stuff.

One thing I've noticed when talking with other parents with kids of all ages.  We've got a couple of great kids!  Neither of them are suicidal, experimenting with drugs, viciously rebellious, or running away from home.  They don't hate themselves or their bodies, each other or Dh and I.  I'm rather surprised by how much of this I've been seeing.  Apparently we've been doing something right.  What that is, I have no idea.  Could be something we're NOT doing that's right, for all I know.  I can throw out a few possibilities, but for every one of them, I can look at a family that does the same thing, but has issues we don't have, or do things completely differently, and their kids are just as fine as my own.

Whatever it is, I'm thankful for it!