Friday Fun

So, I gained a pound this week. I knew it before I saw the number on the scale this morning.

I am not angry about it. I did a lot of up and down with my weight when I lost it before. I am still motivated and am not giving up so I am not going to let that get to me today. No way! No how!

Today, or I should say tonight I am going to meet up with my good friend LeeAnn!

It makes me want to sing. (you can sing along to the tune of "Tonight" from West Side Story)

Tonight. Tonight. I'll meet LeeAnn tonight.

Tonight is going to be awesomeness!

Tonight. Tonight! We'll talk and grab a bite

and we'll say that the OC's the best!

Today, you'll say "hey where did he go?"

I'm down in San Diego, we'll vlog or we will write,

About, our time, the fun that we will have

will be a sight!!!!

TONIGHT!

Okay, that is not my best WSS version of a blog but still I am uber excited about hanging out with LeeAnn.

And also, I am pretty stoked that a small little ninja made it to it's intended destination! :)

Have a great weekend.

A Moment Without Diabetes

The other night I was woken up by a low. My CGMS was blaring and I when I opened my eyes I could feel that heavy, disoriented, spacey feeling washing over me.

I turned on the lamp on my night stand and sat there.

“Honey, are you low?” I don’t think she heard the CGM but I think she just wakes up whenever I need her. She’s like a superhero.

My grunting confirmed it and she headed to the kitchen to find something to eat. She also handed me my machine off of my dresser.

57.

As I heard the sound of cupboards opening and things being moved around in the kitchen I had a strange thought.

I cannot wait until this is over. I am tired of this.

For a moment, my glucose deprived brain thought of diabetes as a flu or cold. Something that I would get over with a few rounds of antibiotics, not a disease that I have to live with until a cure is found. Or I expire.

It was a quick moment but that moment was nice. I know it was not from a sound mind but it honestly felt as this was just a passing thing I would get over eventually.

As quick as it came it went.

“What the hell is wrong with me? This shit is ‘til death do us part!’”

No sooner after that did my wife bring something in for me to eat. I started to feel better when I finally went back to bed.

Laying there I thought about that moment. I remember how I believed it. I remembered how I wished to be true and how awesome that would be for all of us.

I turned on my side so Jasmine would not see the tears that were filling my eyes. As one streamed down my face and into my ear, I wiped it up, said a prayer for a cure, and hoped for a dream without diabetes. 

You Tube Tuesday #140

HahahaHAaHAHaHAHAHAHA!

This is so dumb it is making me laugh.

Enjoy.

Friday on Monday

Friday was spent attempting to fix a major tech problem at my work so I was not able to post. I am sorry about that.

I first wanted to say “thanks” to all of you bloggers and tweeters out there that made “No D-Day” a success. I found it fascinating to read the posts about people that had nothing to do with Diabetes. We even had a No D Day vlog with music! Awesome!

Another thing I wanted to mention Friday was that it was my 19^th year anniversary since diagnosis. I guess not that exciting in the grand scheme but every year I go I am happy to have not lost the fight. Maybe next year a party will be in order. Who knows?

Last and certainly least in my book is my attempt at losing weight. I did not lose any last week. Didn’t gain any either but I really was hoping some change would show. Oh well. Maybe this week will be a doozy right? 

B.A.D. Being a Dad

I write about a lot of topics on this blog but the most important and special one is fatherhood.

At a very young age I knew that I wanted to be a dad. I was always the guy people turned to for advice. I had a natural instinct to stand up for and defend my friends and my mother recalls a time when I sat on the curb for hours with my best friend Stephanie and she cried to me about her parents divorce.

Being a dad was in the cards for me.

I have always second guessed my ability as a dad. As much as my love for my children is with question, the way you raise your kids is always a concern. Am I going to say one thing and destroy my child's self esteem? Am I being to strict? Too leanient? Am I a being their friend or father?

It's a daily thing it seems.

But then when I see Gillian asking her brother for help with homework and him helping without any complaint. Or when George congratulated Gillian on her A+ spelling test she brought home the other day. Or when Gillian knew that George had a bunch of homework and took out the trash for him (his job, yay fatherhood) without asking. When I see this stuff, I know my wife and I are doing something right.

I'll never forget the moment I saw my son. I instantly fell in love with him and with being a dad and with my wife all over again in that moment. And it has never changed. Sure he has upset me but nothing he can do can stop me from loving him. The exact same feelings came over me when my daughter was born.

I tell my kids that my duty as a parent is to raise them up to be good people that help make the world better by just being good people! To raise functional members of society that love their neighbors as well as themselves. This is my goal.

Once when George was testing out his limits I told him, "I would rather you hate me and not be an awful person, then you think I am 'awesome' and you turn out to be a jerk." If it takes my kids hating me right now for the rules I lay down than so be it. I am older and I know more then they do. I am both strict and open to letting them stumble and make some mistakes in life. They will never learn to watch for bumps in the road if they don't trip over one now and then right?

I still have a ways to go with raising these children but the challenges ahead are met together. All four of us, my wife and kids, we talk about all of our struggles together, about our choices, about mistakes and punishments. I always ALWAYS explain why they are punished and how they can avoid punishment in the future.

They get it.

As with all parenting styles, not one is right for everyone.

My advice? Know your kids. Love them. Let them know you. Explain your actions. Ask them how they would handle the situation if the roles were reversed AND CONSIDER THEIR IDEAS on it. They may surprise you! You may surprise them!

Heck, you may surprise yourself. A lot can be learned from each other.

My last and most important thing I can say as advice from one parent to another is remember what it was like when you were a kid. Is what you are saying anything that would have made and impact on you?

If not, dump it and find a new route. You would be surprised how well this works.

Happy Parenting!!!