Finishing, Tidying, and Dieting

I know, I know you are all going to want to lecture me after you read this post.

So, let's start with a warning:: I am not asking you your opinion on how I should spend my time.  I'm just making for myself a record of my thoughts at this time and sharing them with you.  

If one person tells me to take it easy, rest, or listen to my body I'm going to scream.

My body is in major nesting mode and like any wise woman who has been pregnant for over 7 years of her life will tell you-- when you're body is nesting, go with it!  I actually feel really good this week.

My body is sick of being sick and more than anything my mind cannot stand the thought of one more less-active day.

I'm sure there are stages somewhere that could explain my stages of dealing with physical illness.

-ignoring

-crashing

-acknowledging

-grieving 

-accepting

-booty kicking 

I'm in the booty kicking stage.  

When my oncology appointment was cancelled for weather I literally threw 7 kids in the car and drove to visit family in CT.  It was SO nice to get away from doctor visits and just have fun with family.

We got home this afternoon and I'm ready to really readjust my life.  There is a small voice in my mind that tells me I'm trying to do too much at one time.  But, another part of me says-- JUST DO IT!  Aim for the stars!   Who cares if it's too much, trying is better than not trying.

So, here is my list...

1- FINISH A LITTLE FURTHER!!  My finishing line is too soon.  The morning comes and I push through tiredness to get the kids fed, pack lunches, and out the door and then I crash.  I need to push a bit further and have my "finished" be a clean kitchen.  Same with dinner time-- finish with a clean kitchen or sleeping kids.  After church, I crash in the car before we go inside!  I need to push a little longer.  Have kids bring everything in from the car, get dinner cooking, start kids on an activity, and then go take a nap.  At bedtime I need that kneeling prayer and journal time.  I just need a 20 minute further finish line.  I can do that.

2- The Magic of Tidying Up!! I hate fads.  Philosophically I'm against the "give everything you own to Goodwill" philosophy.  I judged all of you crazy people who held shoes and asked if you felt joy or donated half your books to the prison.  

And now, I will join you.  

I have yet to read that Konmari book (although I just ordered it- to add to the pile of books I will soon be giving away). 

But, I feel in my bones another fad organizing technique.  It's called, the "If Tomorrow Never Comes" technique.  Where thoughts of dying begin to burn inside you an intense desire to get your life in order and sort all your crap so someone else won't have to.  

This is similar to the "I'm tired of getting new carpet so I can move" feeling.  I just don't think it will hurt anyone if I kick booty and organize!  I'm giving myself two weeks.

Here's my plan--

3- Whole 30!  If you know me, you will know two things.  First, I absolutely LOVE to eat good, healthy food.  It is my favorite.  Veggies are my prosac.  I love buying them, cooking them, touching them, eating them, looking at them, feeding them to my kids.  I'd choose asparagus or Brussels Sprouts over ice cream.  I love variety, I love simple foods, I love pretty salads.  There really isn't a food I don't like.

Second, I HATE FAD DIETS.  I hate extremes.  I hate trends.  I think you make yourself crazy when you tell yourself one bite of gluten is hurting you, unless you have been diagnosed with Celiacs.  I believe people make themselves sick by eliminating foods and then eating them again.  They say they're sick because they ate unhealthy food, I say they're sick because they trained their bodies that anything other than salad was unhealthy.  I like grains-- I think they are God given and divine.  I do not think God designed this world so that we all would need to eat coconuts and acai berries to be healthy.  That makes no sense.

See, I'm offensive and judgemental and I HATE FADS.  I'm not a trend follower.  I rebel against what is popular.  I think healthy should be more simple and more affordable than unhealthy.

And yet... I NEED TO DO THIS.  I'm going to.  I'm just going to try to eat the Whole30 diet for 30 days because my whole body is inflamed.  This might not be related, but I'm CRAVING tomatoes like a crazy woman.  I honestly can eat salsa with a spoon.  I like spice these days.  I almost feel like my body is trying to clean itself out and I'm going to help it a little.  

Whole 30 will not be hard for me.  It will force me to eat more protein and less string cheese.  I really don't think it will be hard because I would be eating the foods I prefer to eat.  But, sometimes I think I should wait to start something new until my life settles down a big.  And then I say-- why?!!  Just start eating healthier today.  Just do it.  It can't hurt.  

4- Photo Books, I Am Doing Them!  So, in the magic of tidying up spirit, I'm focusing on gathering this week.  I'm going to set up a table and gather every photo album, journal, and box of keepsakes I have compiled.  Then I'll sort, then I'll create.

(This sounds like a great plan if we don't discuss distractions like Thing One and Thing Two, Eve and Ben.  Or, simple distractions like laundry, dinner, and oncology appointments.)

I think I'm going to use Blurb books.

I think I'm going to make a family book telling our story generally, dating, marriage, moving, and the birth of each kid, a few pages per kid and then after that, I'm going to copy those pages into individual books for each child.  

I'm SO ready to sort, scan, use it, or throw it away.

And, that's all friends.

Tomorrow my goal is to start by folding the 7 loads of clean laundry I left when I went in vacation.

Then, I want to sort every closet and dresser in my house.

While eating healthy.

And, orchestrating Saturday chores.

And, convincing my boys to help move tables, and tupperware of pictures to my bedroom or maybe my sewing room...

Without being bothered by the fact that The Professor will find my mass sorting purging bothersome and untimely.

Doesn't that sound fun to you?

Haha!  

I did not mention any sewing projects, exercise plans. fun toddler ideas, or ideas for family vacations...

We'll work on that next week.  ;)

Life is good!

I've got this.

(But, wouldn't those bookmarks be fun to sew?).