Last quarter, I reported how well I was doing with my classics reading in 2010. Well, this quarter has not gone so smoothly. For various reasons, my reading has slowed way down in the last couple of months, and I haven't finished even one classic.

I can say, however, that I am currently reading a classic title, and I am really excited about the format. Right now, I am reading Alice in Wonderland on my new Nintendo DSi XL (my kids are so jealous). Thanks to the folks at Nintendo, I am trying out 100 Classic Books. Being that I am a Disney fanatic, and I had never read Alice, I chose to read it first, but there are many other titles available. 100 Classic Books can be used on any DS, but the large screen on the XL makes it easier. I can just throw the DS in my purse and read wherever I go (as long as I can keep it away from my children). I am also excited to report that the DSi XL has a web browser. Since I don't have web access on my phone like so many others, I am really happy to have this feature.

Next quarter, I hope to report that I am finished with Alice, as well as several more titles from my list. If you would like to see what others have read, be sure to check out the Classics Bookclub at 5 Minutes for Books!

Labels: Books

Considering the title of my blog, I am sure you won't be surprised to know that our family enjoys baseball games (well, my Best Girl enjoys concession stands and playing with other kids at the baseball games). In addition to my Favorite Boy's spring recreational team, he is playing for an advance schedule team. Basically, this means we are going to baseball tournaments every weekend from the end of May until the end of July. This is my Favorite Boy's first time to play tournament ball, and he is really enjoying it: he is learning a lot, he has made some new friends, and he is really hitting the ball well (which makes any game enjoyable for him).

It's been very hot at the tournaments, and I am sure we will all be glad to take a break when the tournaments are over, but for now, we are enjoying this season. Go Stars!

Labels: My Favorite Boy

I haven't been a very good blogger lately. We have been busy, but there's been more than just busyness going on. For the last eight weeks or so, my throat has been bothering me. It started as just a burning sensation, and it progressed to a feeling that my throat was constantly swollen, and I could barely swallow. Of course, my mind immediately jumped to all the worst case scenarios.

After doctors first checked to see if my allergies were the culprit (I was pretty sure this wasn't the case), I visited the ENT and was diagnosed with laryngopharyngeal reflux. This is a condition similar to GERD, but you don't feel the heartburn. Because the reflux is "silent" it can damage your voice box and your throat before you realize that there is a problem. I was so thankful to find out the cause of my symptoms, but I have had to make some big lifestyle changes. If left untreated, LPR can cause permanent damage or even cancer, so I have had to really adjust my diet. I can have no caffeine (bye-bye to my Diet Sundrop addiction and chocolate), no tomato-based products, no fatty or fried foods, and very little dairy. What that leaves me with is a lot of fruits and veggies (raw are preferred). It will take months to control this and for my throat to heal, but I am hopeful that I will eventually be able to eat some of the foods that I love, even if they are in much smaller portions.

Additionally, this condition is linked to asthma, which I was diagnosed with last year. It is possible that the asthma was triggered because of the silent reflux, so I am hopeful that if the reflux is controlled, the asthma will go away as well. Another positive is that I have lost 11 pounds! Initially, I lost weight because my throat was hurting, and I was worried. Now, I am losing weight because I am living on fruits and veggies. I would much rather be reflux-free, but I am excited to be near my pre-pregnancy weight (and it's only taken 8 1/2 years and a medical condition to do that!).

We have had so much fun stuff going on lately, and I hope I am getting back in the frame of mind to document it here. As Jesus said, "Life is more important than food" (but I do admit that I miss the food)!

Labels: Me

My Best Girl lost her first tooth! At five-and-a-half, she beat her brother by a year (and she is proud of this). My Favorite Boy didn't lose his first tooth until the summer after kindergarten. Amazingly, they shared the same first tooth experience. With both of them, I was signing them into the Y playroom, and they looked up and said, "Mom! My tooth just fell out!" I couldn't believe it happened the same way both times!

I can't believe how fast they grow. Children are truly a blessing from the Lord!

Labels: My Best Girl

On May 16th, we celebrated a big event. My Best Girl graduated from preschool! Her school (which is a two-day-a-week Mother's Day Out program) celebrates graduation in a big way. The kids wear caps and gowns and march in to "Pomp and Circumstance." They perform a few songs and then walk across the stage to receive their diplomas from their teachers. The school also shows a slide show with pictures of each child designed to make the mommies cry.

My Best Girl was so excited about this event, and she felt so BIG. I hope she will be equally excited when it comes time for kindergarten in August. She is truly mom's girl, and I don't know how she will adjust to full-day kindergarten. For now, we'll just celebrate this milestone. I can't believe she is so big!

Labels: My Best Girl

Well, I meant to be gone about two weeks, and it has turned into three. It's been very busy around here! We finished school, vacationed in Clearwater, and have been playing lots of baseball. I hope to backtrack a little in the coming days so I can post about pre-K graduation and our Florida trip.

As far as current news is concerned, I ran my second 5K this morning. I finished in 32:53, which is 36 seconds faster than my April race. I really wanted to do better, but it was so hot and humid. I could really feel the effects of the heat in the last mile. Considering my April race was 60 degrees and cloudy, I am trying not to be too hard on myself. I also ran into a friend at the race who mentioned that she thought the course and the heat combined to make it the worst race she has ever run. She's run over 30 races, so that made me feel some better.

I will say that I am 2 for 2 when it comes to picking races with good restroom facilities. I dread the day I have to use a port-a-potty! :)

I plan to start training this week for a 10K. It will be on Labor Day. I am sure it will be super hot and humid then too, so maybe I learned some things today that I can apply then!

Labels: Running