Last night we had a bit of excitement. Tre fell asleep on the floor in front of the TV (a place he often choses to rest). We were watching a movie and planned to move him to bed when the movie was over. However, about a half-hour after he fell asleep, we looked down to see that Tre's face, arms, and the floor around him are covered with blood from a nose bleed. I got him into the shower to clean him up, his nose started bleeding again, and it took a while to stop.
He's had quite a few nose bleeds this summer, though prior to this summer, I don't think he had any. So, we're heading to the doctor soon (probably Wednesday, due to scheduling conflicts tomorrow) to see if there's any particular problem that might be causing this recurring problem. I don't think the house is excessively dry, but that is something we've considered. He's had the nose bleeds both here at home and in Tennessee visiting his grandparents, so it doesn't seem that dry air is very likely, though we're not ruling it out.
I hate it when something is bothering my son and I have no way to fix it right away. It makes me feel a bit more powerless than normal.
Showing posts with label Physical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Physical. Show all posts
2009-08-24
2009-08-13
The Wheels Go...
Today was a day off (no other children to watch than my son), and I decided it might be fun to do something we've never done before. A few days ago, we drove by a roller rink that seemed to be closed, and I immediately did some quick research and found one not too far away that was open and had (what seemed to me) very reasonable prices. So, I asked Tre if he'd be interested, he said yes, and off we went.
We got to the roller rink at about 4pm with a closing time of 5pm. This turned out to be a good thing, as Tre was only up for about 45 minutes of skating and if we'd gotten there much earlier I would likely have been upset by that. He's never had skates on in his life, and it's been about 10 years since I last had skates on. I have my own skates, which I love, but at the moment (likely because of my weight) they don't fit me right, they pinch my toes. Next time I go, I'll try a rental. (Now I have to decide what to do with my skates: keep, replace, donate and just go rentals...)
But, we did go around the rink a few times. I went by myself, to start, remembering from the past that it only took me a lap or two to remember the basics. That was NOT the case this time. A combination of the time lapse and my complete lack of physical fitness had my legs quivering from the beginning of the first lap. In all, I did three total laps in the 45 minutes, interspersed with watching Tre's progress.
So, what did Tre do, since obviously he didn't put on skates for the first time and shoot around the rink unassisted? Well, it turns out there were only two other skaters there as we arrived, both wearing roller blades. As I was finishing my first lap and trying to figure out how to get Tre on the rink safely (as I was not stable enough to support him), they offered to assist Tre in rolling around the rink. He made one lap, very slowly, with his feet shooting forward out from under him VERY frequently, while I made my second lap.
After that lap, he wanted a break, so we both sat down for a bit. I was dripping with sweat, he was not obviously fatigued. I asked him if he thought it was fun, which he said it was. He was in an extremely good mood, but he said he wanted to go home. Iasked him if he'd be willing to do one more lap for me. He did not agree, but his attitude was such that I kind of pushed him to do it (if he didn't really want to, his attitude would have been different, tought to describe, but obvious to me). So, I encouraged him to do one more lap with the girls, and I did one more lap myself.
This second lap of Tre's was much more successful (either from better support from his helpers, or Tre's learning, or some combination thereof). He still had problems keeping his balance over his feet, but nowhere near as bad. He was still positive about the experience, but still wanted to go home, so I started taking his skates off. I got one off, and he wanted to play for a bit with the one that remained. I remember doing that myself, pushing with the "solid" foot and skating with the other. He had a blast, but only did that for a couple of minutes before he was ready for the removal of the second skate.
Afterwards, we put on our shoes as the girls traded their roller blades for roller skates (for those unfamiliar with the difference, blades have four wheels in a line front to back in the middle of the foot, while skates have them in a rectangle with two in front and two in back of the foot). I was surprised to see that competent roller bladers do not find it simple to trade over to skates. I knew that the skate to blade transition was difficult, having tried it once myself, but I figured that was due to trying to balance in a different direction (keeping the ankle centered over the blade).
Anyway, as we were leaving, I figured out what was driving Tre's desire to leave early. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy himself or that he was really too tired, but that he wanted my assistance with his video game when we got back home. He's interested in going back as soon as we're able, and I happened to notice a sign as we were exiting indicating beginning lessons for kids his age. I inquired and was thrilled to find out that the lessons are the same price as a regular day skating and do not require signing up for any particular stretch of them. Simply show up and pay the price. The only drawback is that until fall (when they start lessons on the weekend) it is highly unlikely that I'll have time away from the other kids I'm watching on the day they offer the lessons. And I can't begin to imagine trying to supervise the transportation, funding, or supervision of three children under five years old with no skating experience in my little four door compact car to the rink for lessons.
So, I'm looking forward to fall, and saving up for the next day we can go and just have fun at the rink!
We got to the roller rink at about 4pm with a closing time of 5pm. This turned out to be a good thing, as Tre was only up for about 45 minutes of skating and if we'd gotten there much earlier I would likely have been upset by that. He's never had skates on in his life, and it's been about 10 years since I last had skates on. I have my own skates, which I love, but at the moment (likely because of my weight) they don't fit me right, they pinch my toes. Next time I go, I'll try a rental. (Now I have to decide what to do with my skates: keep, replace, donate and just go rentals...)
But, we did go around the rink a few times. I went by myself, to start, remembering from the past that it only took me a lap or two to remember the basics. That was NOT the case this time. A combination of the time lapse and my complete lack of physical fitness had my legs quivering from the beginning of the first lap. In all, I did three total laps in the 45 minutes, interspersed with watching Tre's progress.
So, what did Tre do, since obviously he didn't put on skates for the first time and shoot around the rink unassisted? Well, it turns out there were only two other skaters there as we arrived, both wearing roller blades. As I was finishing my first lap and trying to figure out how to get Tre on the rink safely (as I was not stable enough to support him), they offered to assist Tre in rolling around the rink. He made one lap, very slowly, with his feet shooting forward out from under him VERY frequently, while I made my second lap.
After that lap, he wanted a break, so we both sat down for a bit. I was dripping with sweat, he was not obviously fatigued. I asked him if he thought it was fun, which he said it was. He was in an extremely good mood, but he said he wanted to go home. Iasked him if he'd be willing to do one more lap for me. He did not agree, but his attitude was such that I kind of pushed him to do it (if he didn't really want to, his attitude would have been different, tought to describe, but obvious to me). So, I encouraged him to do one more lap with the girls, and I did one more lap myself.
This second lap of Tre's was much more successful (either from better support from his helpers, or Tre's learning, or some combination thereof). He still had problems keeping his balance over his feet, but nowhere near as bad. He was still positive about the experience, but still wanted to go home, so I started taking his skates off. I got one off, and he wanted to play for a bit with the one that remained. I remember doing that myself, pushing with the "solid" foot and skating with the other. He had a blast, but only did that for a couple of minutes before he was ready for the removal of the second skate.
Afterwards, we put on our shoes as the girls traded their roller blades for roller skates (for those unfamiliar with the difference, blades have four wheels in a line front to back in the middle of the foot, while skates have them in a rectangle with two in front and two in back of the foot). I was surprised to see that competent roller bladers do not find it simple to trade over to skates. I knew that the skate to blade transition was difficult, having tried it once myself, but I figured that was due to trying to balance in a different direction (keeping the ankle centered over the blade).
Anyway, as we were leaving, I figured out what was driving Tre's desire to leave early. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy himself or that he was really too tired, but that he wanted my assistance with his video game when we got back home. He's interested in going back as soon as we're able, and I happened to notice a sign as we were exiting indicating beginning lessons for kids his age. I inquired and was thrilled to find out that the lessons are the same price as a regular day skating and do not require signing up for any particular stretch of them. Simply show up and pay the price. The only drawback is that until fall (when they start lessons on the weekend) it is highly unlikely that I'll have time away from the other kids I'm watching on the day they offer the lessons. And I can't begin to imagine trying to supervise the transportation, funding, or supervision of three children under five years old with no skating experience in my little four door compact car to the rink for lessons.
So, I'm looking forward to fall, and saving up for the next day we can go and just have fun at the rink!
2008-08-22
Web Sites and Weight Loss
So, I've been exploring weight loss support sites, and decided that while FatSecret is a nice web site, it seems a little rough around the edges. I've recently discovered another site, SparkPeople (sign up here if you're interested), which has similar features to FatSecret but excels in two main areas. First, it allows me to record measurements as well as weight. Second, its users seem to be much more supportive.
So, if my weight loss tracker seems stagnant (or disappears) it's because I'm not using FatSecret to track my weight anymare. SparkPeople also has a weight loss tracker, but it seems to be generated in such a way that I can't easily link to it. If that changes, I'll put the link up here.
So, if my weight loss tracker seems stagnant (or disappears) it's because I'm not using FatSecret to track my weight anymare. SparkPeople also has a weight loss tracker, but it seems to be generated in such a way that I can't easily link to it. If that changes, I'll put the link up here.
2008-08-11
Weight Loss Countdown
I just did some quick figuring. Assuming that the little weight loss progress bar on fat secret (see it at the bottom of this post) changes colors exactly "on time," this is what I can expect.
Red Bar (Start): 279.00lbs
Orange Bar (1/4 Lost): 241.75lbs
Yellow Bar (1/2 Lost): 204.50lbs
Green Bar (3/4 Lost): 167.25lbs
Blue Bar (GOAL): 130.00lbs
Broken down further into more reachable goals (about 10 pounds each):
Start weight: 279
15 - 270lbs
14 - 261lbs
13 - 252lbs
12 - 242lbs (orange)
11 - 233lbs
10 - 224lbs
09 - 215lbs
08 - 205lbs (yellow)
07 - 196lbs
06 - 186lbs
05 - 177lbs
04 - 167lbs (green)
03 - 158lbs
02 - 149lbs
01 - 140lbs
00 - 130lbs (GOAL... blastoff to healthy living!)
At best, I can expect to lose 10 pounds a month. But that means 16 months to reach my goal. In 16 months of consistency and effort, I could be at my correct body weight.
So, I'm now on a countdown to my ideal weight. Hopefully I'll be able to count down a number each month. At the moment I'm very close to being able to count down to 14 (263.1 as of today)... in a little more than a year I could be at my goal weight! Now, I gotta keep that in mind when I get discouraged...
Red Bar (Start): 279.00lbs
Orange Bar (1/4 Lost): 241.75lbs
Yellow Bar (1/2 Lost): 204.50lbs
Green Bar (3/4 Lost): 167.25lbs
Blue Bar (GOAL): 130.00lbs
Broken down further into more reachable goals (about 10 pounds each):
Start weight: 279
15 - 270lbs
14 - 261lbs
13 - 252lbs
12 - 242lbs (orange)
11 - 233lbs
10 - 224lbs
09 - 215lbs
08 - 205lbs (yellow)
07 - 196lbs
06 - 186lbs
05 - 177lbs
04 - 167lbs (green)
03 - 158lbs
02 - 149lbs
01 - 140lbs
00 - 130lbs (GOAL... blastoff to healthy living!)
At best, I can expect to lose 10 pounds a month. But that means 16 months to reach my goal. In 16 months of consistency and effort, I could be at my correct body weight.
So, I'm now on a countdown to my ideal weight. Hopefully I'll be able to count down a number each month. At the moment I'm very close to being able to count down to 14 (263.1 as of today)... in a little more than a year I could be at my goal weight! Now, I gotta keep that in mind when I get discouraged...
2008-08-08
Another Try at Remaking Myself
So, as happens so often, it's time for me to try to get my life back in order. It's something I've tried over and over again, but so far have been unsuccessful at making it "stick." But I'm trying again and we'll see if I can make it work this time.
I am obese. I am not happy with the way this makes me feel. I don't like the fact that everything takes so much effort. I don't like the fact that I don't have the endurance I ought to. So, I'm working on it. According to height/weight charts, I should be at about 130lbs. So, I'm setting that as a goal and am working on making it happen. I didn't get this extra weight overnight, so I don't expect to lose it overnight. I expect it will take a lot of time and attention. But I am going to make it happen!
For reasons already mentioned in my "New Hampshire Dreaming" post, I need to find a way to make my work more profitable. I work from home doing legal transcription. This is both a good and bad job for me.
It's good, because I'm good at typing, I can set my own hours, I can stay home with Tre, I can make just about as much money as I want.
It's bad, because it uses 90 percent of my body and 10 percent of my brain. I find myself getting distracted constantly. Even worse, for some reason my body doesn't handle boredom well. When I get bored, I fall asleep. It doesn't matter how much sleep I've got. I don't have to be tired at all, in fact. If I'm bored, I fall asleep. So, I end up trying to balance a tightwire between boredom (falling asleep) and distraction while I try to work.
If only I could do something else while I was typing, something that used the parts of my body not used by the typing... but I have been unable, thus far to find that something. My typing requires one foot (to work the pedal which controls the start and stop of the audio), my ears (to hear the audio), my hands (to type what I hear), and my body (to be in front of my computer where this all happens). But I can (and have, in the past) do this work in my sleep.
I'm also, at the same time, trying to improve the standards of housework in our house. I have not been able to keep things up to the standard I would prefer in our house. I've been so overwhelmed with everything else that's going on, that I just haven't been doing good at anything. But enough is enough. We're going to be here for almost another year, and I've got to find a way to make this place livable for that duration.
From the moment we moved in here, it has always been meant to be a temporary situation. We never planned to stay here this long. So, in some ways, we've never really made it a home. Now we really have to do that. We can't (or at least I can't) continue living the way we've been living. So, add that to my list of things to work on.
I have discovered over our years together that I have a much larger need for social interaction than my husband does. Unfortunately, this means that I tend to not get my need for social interaction met. It's up to me to fix that. I have people nearby that I could spend time with. I could save some money and visit the people I know who live further away. I could meet this need without my husband. But I've got to stop waiting for New Hampshire. Yes, I expect it will be easier there, because there are already social situations there that I could just "plug into" to a major extent. But similar situations exist here, I've just got to find them.
I've got a lot of work cut out for myself. And even if I accomplish all this, it will just be a beginning. I've got big plans for myself. It's time to stop living in the future and start making changes today. That way, when the future comes, I'll be ready to make the most of it!
Weight
I am obese. I am not happy with the way this makes me feel. I don't like the fact that everything takes so much effort. I don't like the fact that I don't have the endurance I ought to. So, I'm working on it. According to height/weight charts, I should be at about 130lbs. So, I'm setting that as a goal and am working on making it happen. I didn't get this extra weight overnight, so I don't expect to lose it overnight. I expect it will take a lot of time and attention. But I am going to make it happen!
Work
For reasons already mentioned in my "New Hampshire Dreaming" post, I need to find a way to make my work more profitable. I work from home doing legal transcription. This is both a good and bad job for me.
It's good, because I'm good at typing, I can set my own hours, I can stay home with Tre, I can make just about as much money as I want.
It's bad, because it uses 90 percent of my body and 10 percent of my brain. I find myself getting distracted constantly. Even worse, for some reason my body doesn't handle boredom well. When I get bored, I fall asleep. It doesn't matter how much sleep I've got. I don't have to be tired at all, in fact. If I'm bored, I fall asleep. So, I end up trying to balance a tightwire between boredom (falling asleep) and distraction while I try to work.
If only I could do something else while I was typing, something that used the parts of my body not used by the typing... but I have been unable, thus far to find that something. My typing requires one foot (to work the pedal which controls the start and stop of the audio), my ears (to hear the audio), my hands (to type what I hear), and my body (to be in front of my computer where this all happens). But I can (and have, in the past) do this work in my sleep.
Housework
I'm also, at the same time, trying to improve the standards of housework in our house. I have not been able to keep things up to the standard I would prefer in our house. I've been so overwhelmed with everything else that's going on, that I just haven't been doing good at anything. But enough is enough. We're going to be here for almost another year, and I've got to find a way to make this place livable for that duration.
From the moment we moved in here, it has always been meant to be a temporary situation. We never planned to stay here this long. So, in some ways, we've never really made it a home. Now we really have to do that. We can't (or at least I can't) continue living the way we've been living. So, add that to my list of things to work on.
Social
I have discovered over our years together that I have a much larger need for social interaction than my husband does. Unfortunately, this means that I tend to not get my need for social interaction met. It's up to me to fix that. I have people nearby that I could spend time with. I could save some money and visit the people I know who live further away. I could meet this need without my husband. But I've got to stop waiting for New Hampshire. Yes, I expect it will be easier there, because there are already social situations there that I could just "plug into" to a major extent. But similar situations exist here, I've just got to find them.
Summary
I've got a lot of work cut out for myself. And even if I accomplish all this, it will just be a beginning. I've got big plans for myself. It's time to stop living in the future and start making changes today. That way, when the future comes, I'll be ready to make the most of it!
2008-01-30
Fat Secret
So, I'm going to try something a bit different with my attempt to control my weight. I've just joined a free community that lets me track my weight loss progress and interact with others on the same or similar paths. Anyway, to that end, I'll be adding the following tracking bar somewhere on my blog. It will keep everyone informed as to my progress and be a subtle push for me to stay on track.
2006-09-27
Modern Small Scale Treasure Hunts
I've just discovered something new that has piqued my interest. It is called letterboxing and it combines rubber stamp art with treasure hunting. You can read more about it and get clues to boxes near you at Letterboxing.org or Atlas Quest.
This activity has something for just about everyone. You can search for boxes that require long or short nature hikes or that are located in urban areas. You can get clues that are straight-forward and easy to follow or that are downright complicated and take a long time to figure out. You can go alone, with family, with pets, with friends. It can be done near home or on vacation in just about every country.
Anyway, the basics are that someone hides a rubber stamp and a logbook and distributes clues (often posted on the internet). The searcher has a rubber stamp and logbook themselves, along with an ink/stamp pad. The searcher follows the clues to the letterbox, stamps their stamp in the letterbox logbook and the letterbox stamp in their logbook. Then they rehide the letterbox for the next searcher.
Just figured I'd spread the word a little bit so others could be made aware of a wonderful activity.
This activity has something for just about everyone. You can search for boxes that require long or short nature hikes or that are located in urban areas. You can get clues that are straight-forward and easy to follow or that are downright complicated and take a long time to figure out. You can go alone, with family, with pets, with friends. It can be done near home or on vacation in just about every country.
Anyway, the basics are that someone hides a rubber stamp and a logbook and distributes clues (often posted on the internet). The searcher has a rubber stamp and logbook themselves, along with an ink/stamp pad. The searcher follows the clues to the letterbox, stamps their stamp in the letterbox logbook and the letterbox stamp in their logbook. Then they rehide the letterbox for the next searcher.
Just figured I'd spread the word a little bit so others could be made aware of a wonderful activity.
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