A 5 Minute Video: Bug's Little Battles

I've been slightly MIA in blog world lately. I've been missing, but I have definitely been in action.

I have been gearing up for this year's JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes on September 17th. Our Team will be walking together and wearing new team shirts (not year specific so we can wear them in walks to come)... they are also going to be gifted to team members, so let me know if you would like a shirt (even if you can't make it to the walk). I have spent loads of nap times working on a video (link at the end of the post) that will hopefully give you a little window into our little world.

I want to add, that my husband and I have had many discussions on the subject of not wanting to wear out our welcome with our friends and family when it comes to JDRF events. His point was that we should just do one event a year instead of two because we don't want people to get annoyed with the cause. He also pointed out that there are gobs (my word, not his) of other worthy charities across the globe and everyone has different passions, loyalties, etc. Good point, I know.

My point was/is that

A) I know. There ARE gobs of other worthy causes to support. In fact when someone takes time to spend thought, word, or deed directed toward Juvenile diabetes I always think... "they could have been building a water well, or feeding hungry kids across town, but today, they did something that effects little ol' me and my lil ol' family!"

and on a different note

B) If you get worn out/annoyed/sick of me/fill in the blank... I have to pretend I don't notice. My little girl gets stuck with something sharp, on average, 10 times in a 24 hour period and relies on a little pink computer, that is literally plugged into her body, to keep her system running. If the least I can do is to try to raise awareness, funds, and/or support; I will be doing that until I am blue in the face or until we find a cure.... if we lose a few friends because of it, then who needs 'em.

But seriously, I do hope I'm not annoying anyone already! We are close to a cure, so hopefully, just as you begin to roll your eyes and "huff and puff", we won't have to raise money or awareness anymore!

All that being said; please know that we send out these things with the intention of raising awareness of a need for a cure. We do not expect a wallet to come out every time we send something or invite you somewhere. We have been so humbled by your continued spirit of giving, but the friendships and love mean just as much, if not more.

If the website gives you trouble, let me know and I will try to help.

Enjoy.......... Bug's video

Have a Great Weekend.... Especially all of my teacher friends, one week down!

Uninterrupted Luxury

We had a great vacation and are now home for a bit. Vacation was exactly what I needed. I'm used to making, potentially, life threatening decisions all day, every day; so it was a nice change of pace when my biggest "this or that" was trying to decide if I should go to the beach or the pool.... and then when I decide that.... should I get water before I head out or should I have the beach/pool server bring it to me? Yes, it was that kind of vacation.

-shopping

-eating

-sleeping through the night

-not watching PBS Kids or Nick Jr for 5 days straight..... I did pass an episode of Olivia whilst channel surfing and was tempted to see what episode it was.... I resisted.

-movie going

-amazing beach home ogling

-uninterrupted conversating

It was more than nice. It was luxury.

Now to switch gears and get ready for another year of preschool, ballet class, and my beloved routine.

Which reminds me... how are we all doing with the challenge I threw down? I must admit, the 116 degree temperatures left me with little motivation to wear something more than my work out "costume".... I say "costume" because you know I was not out there pushing my jogger around in those conditions.

Glad to be back in your view. Hope you are enjoying, and soaking up, the end of summer!

Running With It

I'm not quite "brain dead" but most definitely brain tired. I'm not sure if it's the frequent trips to our local airport security check points, or the cold that peanut caught somewhere between here and Texas. Could it be the crazy extra hours my husband is working to insure a stress free (upcoming) vacation? Maybe the constant/chronic condition that we are all living with? Or the 115 degree temps outside my door? Whatever the reason... Honesty 2011: I am emotionally, physically, and mentally tired..... and ready for a re-fuel.

Thanks to my husbands family we are truly getting away.

Thank you C for providing home, safety, love, food, and care for the greatest little gifts I have come to know. (send pictures often) Thank you W for providing friendship, dog food, water, yard, and couch time for our beloved animal. Thank you M, CBP, S, and E for sharing your loved ones (and for some of you, your home) with us and allowing us to take 5 days away from it all.

I can not believe we are leaving our kids and animal. I will be a basket case on the drive home after leaving them at grandmother's, but everyone... Including parents of diabetics... tells me I need to take a break.

I'm running with it.

Literally.

Have a great weekend.

Tradition.

I do not expect you to understand this tradition the way I have grown to. Growing up, I didn't realize the good thing we had going. I don't think I was able to grasp that this was not normal. Not everyone gets to do this every year.

Almost 30 years ago my parents and two other couples decided to go to the lake for the weekend and we have been getting together for the last weekend of July ever since. Those three couples had babies and traditions began to take form. As the babies grew up, they became friends. The type of friends that go the entire year without seeing or talking to each other and pick back up where the year before left off. The friends grew up and went to camp, traveled abroad, went to college... but that one little weekend held sacred to us. Girlfriends and boyfriends came and went but were not allowed until there was jewelry involved. The friends became adults and are now in college, getting jobs, getting married, having babies, and still keeping in touch. The spouses have become friends and fit right in with the rest of us; almost as if they have been there from the start. Now the babies are growing up and gaining the strange yearly friendship that is so familiar to their parents.

Our parents started with 6 adults and 5 tiny kids. There are now 6 grandparents, 8 original kids, 7 spouses, and 11 grand kids under the age of 6. While work demands, distance, and births of children have tried to put an end to our efforts, the tradition continues. To date, I have missed 2 summers: one to study abroad and the other to have a baby. It will take my family two plane rides, a rental car, and a lot of patience but we don't want to miss this.

We take our traditions almost too seriously. The same food sits on the counter tops each year, and if an absence is discovered there are questions to be answered. The furniture has been moved upon arrival because it was not in the same place as the year before. The activities have held the same time slots with a few edits due to ages of children, but always ending with a huge familiar meal and a big group photo shoot.

We are not all related but we are closer than family, and I know I would gladly call us such.

I am tempted to write an entire play-by-play of how the weekend goes, from Friday morning to Sunday lunch, (complete with how often I visit the plate of homemade sugar cookies with cream cheese icing).... but I know you won't understand. I would have to write a 4 page article for Southern Living complete with photos of the food, and the matriarchs crowded in the kitchen with their white wine, margaritas and grand babies. A photo of the girls gabbing in the kitchen while sitting on top of the countless coolers, while the men-folk are posed on the golf course, laughing about some inside joke they shared on the 7th hole. All sunburned from a day outside and the lovely effects of the hot Texas sun.

For fear of rambling I will "bring it home".

I know this is a rare part of my life and I plan to hang on to it as best I can.

We are beginning our weekend early so I will leave you with:

Enjoy your weekend, and toast to the traditions in your life. May you keep them safe and continuous.

Tween Bug

So, this post is directed toward the tweenager that I don't yet have. I have been warned by so many parents of middle school aged kids with type 1 that all of a sudden the diagnosis becomes a huge issue. I have watched mothers cry, yell, make that awful frustrated noise that so many of us (including my 3 year old) have mastered.... "ughhhhhggggggggg........!" It's my go-to expression for all things annoying.

Back to the inevitable "tween"..... I remember how awful middle school was: my hair was huge, my personality was shy and unsure, my braces were constant, and my limbs were gangly and unpredictable. I was 13, but I was without a chronic illness so all that I am about to say is strictly from a mother's perspective; knowing nothing about what it will be like to deal with something too heavy and too early.

I am so worried that tween Bug will all of a sudden veer off the path of stable blood sugars because of the following reasons:

-its annoying

-its not cool

-its too time consuming

-my pump looks dumb with all my clothes

-I was hanging out with my friends and I forgot to check my sugar

-I was hanging out with my friends and I forgot to give myself insulin

and the one I am dreading the most....

-it's not fair

I know it's coming because I have already worried about all of those things. One of the first things I cried about after she was diagnosed was "what will she do with her pump at prom?!" or "what will she do on her wedding day?!" My husband laughed. What will I say to her when this discussion comes up? I know she will be highly dramatic, unreasonable and emotional. If you have had experiences with high-blood-sugar Bug, you know what I mean. (*the other day she was crying real tears and then proceeded to tell me that she was fake crying because she wanted to watch TV and I wouldn't let her*)

All that to say I know I will not be able to deliver the speech I have so carefully planned out. I know she will want to yell at me, and be angry, and cry. And I will let her. But I will want to say: "no, you HAVE to take care of yourself because I got you this far. I have gotten you to age 13 with a great A1C and a chance at a 100th birthday. I've almost literally bent over backwards to ensure that your eye sight will still be 20/20 at age 30 and your kidneys will still be a well oiled machine. I have cried in anger, frustration, heart ache, and fear while watching you sleep. I have also cried in joy, success, peace, and hope while watching you play. I have gray hair and extra wrinkles. I am friends with your pharmacist and the nurses on the endocrine "hot line". I was one of the people that saved your life every day. I don't want to do this any more than you do, but this is the cup we've been given. So, lets deal and make lemonade or something chocolate or whatever the sayings are."

I know every mother is looking out for and stressed about their kid's future, and middle school years so I can't count myself any differently than the rest. Who knows, maybe it will all go smoothly and we can talk about how she is not allowed to call boys and she needs to finish her homework before golf with Dad. Either way, there will be no shortage of drama so I had best be prepared for any and everything.

Pencil it in...

Light posting week on my end. I have gobs of excuses, but a very intimidating senior soccer player told (yelled) me on my first day of varsity practice.... "don't make excuses! Just fix it!".... So I'm sticking with that.

The reason I am even tuned in today is to let you know that, if you live in our area, you need to mark your calendar for September 17, 2011. Our team will be gearing up for the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes and we would love for you to join us! No entry fee, team shirts are free, good time had by all, support felt by my family and millions of others.

If you do not live in the area, and want to participate in a walk near you, go to www.walk.jdrf.org to find one!

Much more information to follow! Have a great Thursday

Fun Friday Find: Three

I have never worked so hard on something in my life. I have studied more for this one thing than any other, and the way things are going, it seems this will be a constant "continuing my education" type of experience. Bringing me stress, joy, tears, laughter, frustration, fear, and exhaustion; this one thing has brought me closer to God, myself, and my husband than I could have ever imagined. This one thing: my 3 year old.

She wears me out, cheers me up, forgives me, and loves me. She is brave and trusting, smart and inquisitive, witty and serious all at the same time. Her childlike faith and daily reminders that "Jesus loves us very much" remind me that my days spent with her seem to be headed in the right direction. She is my Bug and today she is 3 years old.

I could type more about her and how she brightens the day of every encountered person, but I would rather just go play Princess Tea Party.

Have a great weekend!