It's Me! (v 2.0)

Here are some before and after pics. The doctor says that the swelling will take up to 6 months to go down completely, so hopfully the lumpy bumpies will go the way of my size FF's! Actually, I'm allowed to start back exercising again, so hopefully I can ramp that up and get rid of those lumpy bumpies myself. Now that I'm rid of those big guns I might be able to RUN. Can you imagine? Me, running? Huh. Only time will tell! Anyway, here are the pictures. More will come in a month or two as I get going on the whole exercising thing. I'm looking forward to that as it's my "Me" time and it gives me energy. Seven weeks of no exercising after a year of hitting the gym two to three times a week has almost driven me over the edge...I digree. Here are those pics!

Suzie needs...

Google games. hadn't heard of them, but just ran across one. Type your name + needs into Google and see what pops up. Here's what I got - how about you?

"Now is the time to think about Suzie's needs."
AHHH Yeah.

"Suzie needs $600."
Not really, but hey, if you are sharing...

"Suzie needs her curtains taken down, washed and put back up, the freezer defrosted and the floors scrubbed."
I whole heartedly support this one!

"Suzie Needs To Shut It"
Heard this in nicer terms in my three year old pre-school class (when I was 3, of course!)

"Suzie needs a flu shot but she hasn’t had one yet"
Kind of random.

"Suzie needs to calm the f*** down"
Well, this isn't the first time I've heard this one

"Suzie needs to find a solution which will allow her to take the rest of the year off work"
I agree!

"Suzie needs to know if anybody needs to be added or deleted"
Huh?

"Suzie needs to buy six 33- cent stamps using EXACT change"
OOO - This one has story problem written all over it

This one tops it all - and I'm not making this up (found it here):
"Suzie needs to think about the fact that there's no escape from Tom."
BWA HA HA!!!!

Startling Statistics

I can't decide if I need to stop watching Oprah's show, or start watching it more. I learned something very startling today. The show was all about domestic violence. I am fortunate not to have been touched directly (as far as I know of) by domestic violence. But, the statistics are simply staggering. When you see the numbers it will hopefully cause the same reaction in you that it caused in me - slight stress and lots of concern. If not, if you have become used to hearing statistics like this, consider then, that it's kind of scary that it has either fallen off the radar or become so commonplace that it no longer concerns you.

Anyway, Oprah mentioned a few numbers that made me go right in and look the facts up. She mentioned that the Department of Justice estimated that 10 million kids see their moms abused each year. She also said that battered women GO BACK TO THEIR ABUSERS an average of SEVEN times. SEVEN - wow. Again - very startling. So, I clicked around and found the National Domestic Violence Hotline. They are an organization that educates, guides, and even empowers those who are abused. But, they also help out the rest of us to recognize what abuse is, how to help those being abused, and even how to tell is we are abusers. I know that this is just one resource, but I had to start somewhere. I just wanted to share this info with you for now. More might come later, but for now you can peek at this info and see if you feel moved to do more.

Here are the statistics right from the National Domestic Violence Hotline site:

• 4 million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period. ¹
  

• On the average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day.²

• 92% of women say that reducing domestic violence and sexual assault should be at the top of any formal efforts taken on behalf of women today.³

• 1 out of 3 women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime.⁴

• 1 in 5 female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. Abused girls are significantly more likely to get involved in other risky behaviors. They are 4 to 6 times more likely to get pregnant and 8 to 9 times more likely to have tried to commit suicide.⁴

• 1 in 3 teens report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, slapped, choked or physically hurt by his/her partner.⁵

• Women of all races are equally vulnerable to violence by an intimate partner.⁶

• 37% of all women who sought care in hospital emergency rooms for violence–related injuries were injured by a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend.⁷

• Some estimates say almost 1 million incidents of violence occur against a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend per year. ⁸

• For 30% of women who experience abuse, the first incident occurs during pregnancy.⁹

• As many as 324,000 women each year experience intimate partner violence during their pregnancy. ¹⁰

• Violence against women costs companies $72.8 million annually due to lost productivity.¹¹

• 74% of employed battered women were harassed by their partner while they were at work.¹²

• Ninety-four percent of the offenders in murder-suicides were male.¹³

• Seventy-four percent of all murder-suicides involved an intimate partner(spouse, common-law spouse, ex-spouse, or boyfriend/girlfriend). Of these, 96 percent were females killed by their intimate partners.¹³

• Most murder-suicides with three or more victims involved a "family annihilator" -- a subcategory of intimate partner murder-suicide.Family annihilators are murderers who kill not only their wives/girlfriends and children, but often other family members as well,before killing themselves.¹³

• Seventy-five percent of murder-suicides occurred in the home.¹³
  

1. Issues and Dilemmas in Family Violence: Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 1996.

2. Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001, February 2003.

3. Progress & Perils: New Agenda for Women, Center for the Advancement of Women. June 2003.

4. Silverman, Jay G., Raj, Anita, and Clements, Karen. “Dating Violence Against Adolescent Girls and Associated Substance Use, Unhealthy Weight Control, Sexual Risk Behavior, Pregnancy, and Suicidality.” Pediatrics, August 2004.

5. Teenage Research Unlimited. Findings from study commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc. to investigate the level of and attitudes towards dating abuse among American teenagers aged 13 to 18 [online] 2005 Feb [cited 2006 Mar 20]. Available from: URL: www.loveisnotabuse.com/statistics_abuseandteens.htm

6. US. Department of Justice, Violence-Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments, August 1997.

7. US Department of Justice.

8. The Commonwealth Fund, Health Concerns Across a Woman’s Lifespan: 1998 Survey of Women’s Health, May 1999.

9. Helton et al 1987.

10. Gazmararian JA, Petersen R, Spitz AM, Goodwin MM, Saltzman LE, Marks JS. “Violence and reproductive health; current knowledge and future research directions.” Maternal and Child Health Journal 2000; 4(2):79-84.

11. Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States. 2003. Center for disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Atlanta, GA/

12. Family Violence Prevention Fund. 1998. The Workplace Guide for Employer, Unions, and Advocates, San Francisco, CA.

13. Violence Policy Center (VPC), American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States, April 2006.

Join Me

Go HERE and take a peek at Kal's challenge. She has a unique way to put energy toward your future - your goals - and where you want to be in 1 Year 1 Month and 1 Day. Take a minute and take a peek. It can be personal or professional goals, your family, your job, your friends, your house, or whatever else you want to include. It's not ascrapbooking hting, but you can include that if you want. Do this with your spouse; do this with your kids. Just go look.

I'll post mine in a week or so. I have an idea brewing and want to share it, but need to think it through first. So, join me and jot down what life will be like for you in 1 Year, 1 Month, and 1 Day.

YEA! It's WARM outside!

I don't know what it is about the Spring / early Summer, but I really dig this part of the year. It's when the flowers have come and gone, the temps have risen, the shorts come out of the closet, and the sweat drips down your back. Well, that last part is kind of gross, but it really does come along this time of year. Nice thing is that this year, and last, we are in a much cooler climate, so not as much drippy down the back sweat (and you all know exactly what I'm talking about...). Anyway, I really like this time of year, and I realized that it had arrived yesterday when I was driving home and had a thought that school was almost out. As a kid I remember that this was the absolute BEST time of year. The end of school meant summer - no classes, swimming, and no commitments. Lots of free time playing with friends, although our parents will say otherwise - they tried desperately to fill our summer days with non-destructive things that didn't involve police or rehab or any law enforcement of any kind. (Now, as a parent, I totally get that fear of OH MY GOD IT'S SUMMER AND I DON'T HAVE ANY ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR MY KIDDOS! I digress.

Summer is almost upon us. Here in Virginia it recently got warm enough to break out those shorts. The kids have some color in their faces now - the result of more outside playtime. We've loaded up on sunscreen and bug spray because those pesky mosquitoes aren't far behind. But, the summer is definitely close. Last summer in VA it was beautiful almost all summer. Locals complained about the humidity, but man, ANY humidity when it's 80 or 85 degrees is not anything to complain about. Hah. That's nothing. It was actually cool enough last summer that the boys weren't so excited about going into the back yard pool that much. We were able to hang out and play outside throughout the summer. So, I'm looking forward to something similar this summer - beautiful blue skies and clear days. If you don't hear from me or can't find me, just peek in my back yard - I'm most likely out there with the guys hanging out and playing, maybe reading a book under the trees.

Our back deck - almost fully shaded in the AM now that the leaves have all grown in.

The boys up in their new playhouse

Our back yard - picture taken from the deck

Ahhh...Singing...

My kids, especially the little guys, like to sing. Problem is, they know about two songs. One is the ABC song, which they get most of the way through just fine. Sam still blubs the LMNO part, but it's cute at this age. Maybe when he's 20 or so I'll explain that there are actually four letters there instead of the one long letter that he sings right now. So they are good with that song. The other song they know is Jingle Bells. It's May and they are singing Jingle Bells, which in and of itself is a bit strange. But they aren't singing the regular version, they are singing the version that their six year old brother taught them...

Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Joker lays an egg.
The Batmobile lost a wheel and the Joken got away. HAY!

AAACK! They not only sing this around the house, but anywhere the moods strikes them - on the car, the grocery store, the dressing room at Nordstroms, you get the drift. Often I get strange looks from others - that "Why on earth are your kids singing Christmas carols in the Spring" until of course they listen in and then it's the look of "Why on earth do you let you children sing at all????!!!!" Some smile politely and walk away quickly, while others stop and giggle, and then there's the group that can't hide the fact that they are mortified. I've had consoling looks from some women - surely other moms who have been here done that. It's an odd enough site to be walking in the mall, the grocery store, Target, etc. with two little guys about the same age beating on each other, but when they start singing...

I have GOT to find some new material for them...

This is what happens when you ask them to sing Jingle Bells.



And this is what happens after they've seen the first video and realize that it needs more "spice:"



Sorry for hte poor quality - camera phone...

Is it just me...

...or does Michael Buble appear to be drunk every time he performs? I've seen him three times now, and while he's a magnificent artist and sings like a bird, he always looks like he's a bit snockered! I saw him first about two years ago on one of the late night shows. We were dancing to a few of his songs in Jazzercise and his voice was so soothing. I was giggling when I saw him perform - thought he was just nervous or something. He moved and spoke like he's knocked back a few before he went out on stage. Fast forward to a few weeks ago. he was on TV once again promoting his new album and same thing - loosey goosey movement and slurring of words! I can't honestly tell if it's his regular speech patterns and his regular body movements, or if he really IS slightly drunk when he goes on stage. Either way it's a bit disconcerting. He was on Oprah today and I heard him speak and while he only said a few words - SAME THING! Who knows...

Regardless, he's a cutie and he can sing for me any time!

Third try is the charm?

I am just about ready to toss this computer out on the street in front of the biggest fullest garbage truck I can find. This is the THIRD post I've typed up. So, instead of a great article on the San Antonio Spurs (and an apology for hiding out for so long), you get this and not much else. I'll get the Spurs article up tomorrow (providing I can get ANYTHING posted to this blog) and the apology is that I'm sorry that it's been so long.

Quickly (in case my computer objects once again to what I'm writing...)

We got new cell phones - I got the Motorola Q which is a cell phone/mobile internet thingy.
We joined Blockbuster online and have seen some good movies and some bad movies (Ewww).
I bought my first real bra today.
I am now allowed to drive.
I feel a bit stronger each day.

O.K. That's the update - more on the Spurs tomorrow! GO SPURS!

Total Freak Out

So I just had what one might consider a total freak out here. I was loading pictures that my FIL took while he and my MIL were here onto my hard drive. He snapped a few pics of me along the way as well. The first was one of those drug induced smiley pictures two days after the surgery when I came home from the hospital. Not a pleasant sight so I won't post it here. I had a big grin and pink cheeks though, so I wasn't in too much pain. Then, he snapped a few this past weekend when Tom was out mowing the lawn. I really wasn't micromanaging him, just lending some friendly advice on how I'd do it if I were mowing the lawn (I was actually jealous - I love mowing!). Anyway, Henry snapped a picture of the two of us standing next to one of the vans and I nearly lost it when I saw the picture. I haven't seen myself since the surgery other than in the mirror, and then all I see right now are scars. My body image is way out of whack as I have no idea what I look like. From what I've seen so far I'm very pleased with the whole thing and quite satisfied that I made a good decision here. But man oh man, I was blown away when I saw this picture. Now, it might not look that very different to you, but for the first time in a very very long time I look proportional. I have the baggy jammie bottoms and the baggy shirt on, plus a big old binder and gauze stuffed here and there, but geez I look different.
It's a wild concept to have this radical of a change to my body and for my brain not to be able to get it straight. The doctor even said that it might take a bit for my brain to get a good grasp on what my body looks like. Everyone who has seen me so far has noticed a huge difference, but I'm not quite there yet (even though I can see myself and have looked at myself every day for the past three weeks). So, I had me freak out and thought I'd share. Tom has said several times, Yes dear, that's what I've been telling you! but even that's not quite sinking in. Guess I need to take some more "after" shots and really look at the difference. Maybe tomorrow I'll get into the clothes that I put on for the "before" pics and take a tree weeks after shot. Hopefully I'll get this whole body image thing straightened out, because according to other people I look great now!

It's Me, Jigglypuff!

Tom and I were sitting at the table tonight and somehow the conversation wandered onto Pokemon. This isn't a big surprise as the boys are TOTALLY into Pokemon right now, so we are all consumed by it. They play with the cards, watch the show, watch the movie, call their stuffed animals by their "Pokemon" names, and the list goes on.



Anyway, Tom and I were sitting there at the table and he asked me if I were a Pokemon what would I be. So I replied "Jigglypuff, but I've evolved!" I crack myself up...



Here's a little info about Jigglypuff in case you were wondering:

Jigglypuff is a Normal-type Balloon Pokémon. Its body is globular, pink, fluffy, cuddly, and accented with stubby appendages, a tiny tuft of a single curl of hair, and enormous blue eyes. Jigglypuff's most popular attack is to sing its opponent to sleep. Jigglypuff also has the strange ability to puff its body full of air to make it look larger than it actually is. Jigglypuff evolves from Igglybuff through happiness, and to Wigglytuff with the use of a Moon Stone.
Jigglypuff can easily adjust the wavelength of its voice, without pausing to take a breath. However, if the listener is deaf or never sleeps, the Jigglypuff suffocates, and might even die.
-Wikipedia (5/1/07)

So go to the Pokedex and see what kind of Pokemon you are!