What a Groovy Mum looks like

Thanks to the lovely Kate for making us Mums feel groovy, this week her son let her know why she was groovy. Read it here http://kateonthinice.com/grooving/what-a-groovy-mum-looks-like/

So I thought I'd ask C what she thought of me.

Well, she is 5 this may have been a mistake. I got a lot of babble not all of it I can remember but here goes.

Am I a good mum?
Yes, you are great.
Aw thanks, why?
Well...........
You help me when I need it
You can draw me anything (this is not strictly true, I'm pretty rubbish at drawing she is easy pleased)
You make things with me like cakes and other stuff
You cook nice stuff
You always do things with me that I want to do, like dancing and soft play and swimming and parks and bike rides and ..... This went on for a bit but you get the idea
You make posters for me
You make banners for me
You help me mend things if I break them, like when I hit daddy my mistake (I'm not sure what I mended here)
You can do anything
You help me make things
You help me do things I want to do
You are just great I love you - big hug ensued

I did consider asking if there was anything she didn't like but decided to leave on a high. As a full time working mum who often has to go away with work it made me very happy that she feels I do so much with her, especially as I feel I constantly say no and in a minute.

This weeks sunshine

This weeks sunshine came courtesy of my little sunshine who never fails to make me smile but this week made me feel pretty special too.

We are currently consumed by Disney princesses and were reading an Ariel story at bedtime, again! It got to the bit where the eels tell Ariel they can take her to someone that will make her dreams come true, so I asked C who could make her dreams come true. Fully expected "my fairy Godmother". But she looked at me as though I was daft - this happens quite a lot - and said "you, of course".

She is only 5, but I am locking this away somewhere for when she is 15 and everything I do is wrong.

I am one very happy Mummy.

You are my sunshine!

The very lovely Autismmumma has started a new linking all about positivity - go have a look http://www.autismmumma.com/2014/01/you-are-my-sunshine-a-new-weekly-linky/

It is all about celebrating the positive things in life, sometimes we get so bogged down in our day to day woes that we forget some of the truly amazing things, big and small, that happen all of the time.

Every week my sunshine is my wonderfully funny little C. Along with driving me crazy for most of the time. I love that we can't just watch Dancing on Ice, we have to act it out. I also love the absolute confidence she has in me being able to do anything. Including recreating the 'headbanger' without dropping her on her head. So far so good!!

But this week what has really made me smile (and I admit possibly shed the odd tear) is the huge amount of support I have had from friends old and new, online and offline for my attempt at being a Spartan, take a look at http://bendyspartan.blogspot.co.uk it is amazing how support and a few simple words of encouragement can do so much.

So although today is a sore day, my glass if definitely half full and I have a smile on my face. I hope you do too.

2014 - stronger, fitter, faster

So it's that time for resolutions. Except this isn't a resolution, this is a plan, this is a change, this is not allowing EDS hypermobility (check out http://www.ehlers-danlos.org for info) stop me from being who I want to be. 

The plan has been forming since last year - I was out of action for most of last year thanks to a shoulder injury but now is the time to get serious about getting fit.

Yes I want to shift a few pounds, oh ok stones, but that's not really the aim. The aim is to be as fit and healthy as I can possibly be. I know the fitter and stronger I am the better my symptoms are so it makes sense right? 

So fitness wise, I WILL do the Spartan Sprint in September. I am starting Insanity on Monday as a kick start to the training, by the way I am terrified! 

Diet, no I am not on a diet, this isn't something that I will do until I'm a size 8, this is for the rest of my life. It is not about denying myself it is about giving my body the right fuel it needs to do its job. If, on occasion that fuel needs to be chocolate, so be it! I will continue to use myfitnesspal.com to track everything and use the amazing support that is on there. 

I'll be blogging my training, the highs and the lows, to raise awareness of EDS which can be so debilitating but I'll try my best not to moan when I can't train because something has popped out! I am happy to say I'll still pop onto #wobblesWednesday too.  

So wish me luck, I have a feeling I will need it! 

Excuses, excuses, excuses!

Things have not gone to plan! Shoulder is still ruling out a lot of exercise, it was feeling loads better and I was getting all optimistic then I spent a day carrying a handbag and a day carrying goody bags round Glasgow (the joys of being a fundraiser!) and it kind of went back to square one. However, I have self diagnosed the problem but will need to wait until I speak to the physio in a couple of weeks before I can really move forward.

I am currently loaded with the cold leaving me with an appetite for junk.

I am in the middle of planning the little ladies birthday party (which she has been planning since last November) spending a lot of time making stuff so leaving little time for exercise but on the upside PVA glue and food do not mix well.

But these are all excuses aren't they?

Why is taking care of ourselves and doing the right thing so blooming hard sometimes?

I'm ill I need to eat better not worse but this is not the logic that is applied to my little brain.

If I really tried I'm sure I could fit some exercise in somewhere - although an extra hour or two in the day would be nice and I am not giving up any more sleep than I normally do!

Today I made a sensible lunch choice and did not buy any chocolate, this feels like a massive achievement! But I'm not getting cocky, I'll be at work till 7.30 and the temptations of the train station await.......

What I need to do is stop making excuses, dig deep and move forward - wish me luck!

Set backs and steps forward

Well this week has been interesting! Went for physio on my shoulder on Thursday and while the physio doesn't think its a frozen shoulder she isn't 100% sure what it is so I have 6 weeks of physio then a referral to orthopaedics, so basically this physio WILL work as I'm not up for an operation :-)
Mean while no exercise other than physio that involves my shoulder, so a lot of thinks involve your shoulder, but I remained fairly positive and was looking at ways of exercising round it.

Then on Friday I did something to my back (bearing in mind I'm being ultra good and not lifting!) I think that actually while the physio was checking how unstable my shoulder is and possibly slightly knocked a vertebrae out! Took it easy on Saturday but then was up from 4.30am in agony.

Sunday morning saw a trip round hospitals resulting in anti-inflammatories and pain killers.
The pain my back has now eased off, so thankfully I have stopped the painkillers as they were making me feel rubbish.

I tried very hard to be good with food but I have to be honest I've not been great, chocolate and crisps have featured as has pizza due to not fancying standing cooking.

But I've not gone crazy and today I am drawing a line. An injury is not an excuse for letting healthy eating for out of the window in fact it makes it more important than ever.

I'm very frustrated at not being able to exercise and know that this will potentially result in more injuries, I use exercise to control by hypermobility and rely on my muscles to hold everything together so today I shall be working out a plan to at least be doing something!

So this week I shall be concentrating on keeping food healthy and good as well as trying to work out some kind of exercise plan.

How has your week been?

Learning to listen.....

Yesterday was a tough day (food wise) I was tired, thank you C who has taken to waking up at 4.30am and only going back to sleep if I am in her bed cuddling her in, so I've effectively been awake from 4.30am - yes this is the middle of the night for the last few nights, I was cold, summer is definitely done and I was a bit bored, I had an application to write and was procrastinating!

Now being tired, cold and bored means one thing I get hungry. Except I don't get hungry really. I get the 'want' for food for something to do and to keep me awake. But yesterday I listened to my hunger not my 'want'. I did add an extra snack but who can resist Soreen, right? I also had an Options Hot Chocolate as a treat but at 60 cals that's a treat I can live with! But I did not stuff myself with the junk I so badly wanted. I went out at lunchtime and even took my purse because 'I might want to buy cake' but I talked myself out of it as I wandered around Lakeland looking at things to make cake! I really, really wanted to stop in at the pasty shop at the station on the way home, but I didn't. I was very tempted to join in the deliciousness by munching through Bake Off, but the kitchen door remained shut!

I wanted these things but a little switch clicked in my brain and I as much as I wanted them and did not want them as much as I want to be in good shape and health. It was hard, I am not denying I didn't battle with myself all day but when it came down to it I feel so much better knowing I won the battle yesterday.

Maybe, just maybe this time I'm going to do this!