Emotions

 

 

There was a photo that I posted on my Facebook page that many people have responded to. This photo puts me into tears every time I look at it.

Let’s face it, men are hard coded to not show emotions or stress levels. There is stress that a man, husband, father, etc. goes through that not many people know about. No one knows because we don’t talk about it. From paying the bills to parenting in general a man is always concerned about something. Over the last few moths I have been talking to my wife about what is bothering me. She really understands and listens to me. One day she thanked me for being so open with her.

Now it’s FRIDAY!!!

Let’s recap on some of the crazy things I have said this week that people would not normally say.

-Brooklyn… Stop licking my elbow…

-Daddy’s going to have some boobie…

-No sweetie, we can not go into the pond…

-I’m going to color and play with blocks…

-You’re kind of smelly…

Annoyances

There are many things in life that annoy the crap out of me and the family seems to know what these things are and grind in every day.

Water in the bathroom floor is the most painful thing to me. I would rather walk across broken glass than on water in the floor. I would have to admit that if the footprints are cute, but adult "puddles" are NOT allowed. There are countless times I have shown Virginia how to properly put down a towel.(She loves that)

I know, I'm horrible, but I feel like telling little old ladies to hurry up when they are in front of line at the store and watch every single item being scanned to make sure it's the right price, then start digging in their gigantic purse for the checkbook after all is done. Get your act together ladies, so the rest of don't have to stand there waiting for 5 minutes as you try to find and write a check.

Smacking while chewing... I want to punch you in the face when I hear that. Close your mouth and stop growling... It's not that good.

I'm sure there are things I do that people hate, but all you have to do is say something and I will stop. Except for the laundry. I have a habit to start laundry, dry it, take it out, then leave it in a pile. Virginia loves that.

Sore to a Whole New Level

As I posted, we did our first 5k run/walk. I ran about 95% of it and let's be honest, I haven't ran long distance in about 6 years. The most I have ran since then is around the bases on the local church league softball team. I am very proud of myself and Virginia for finishing the run/walk and we both did a great job.
Now, I knew I was in trouble when we got home and got Brooklyn down for a nap and I caught myself telling Brooklyn "you're going to go for a nap, then Daddy is going to put some sports on and nap himself." When I woke from this said nap, my leg muscles were really tight. I knew I was in trouble here and I was going to really hurt the next day. Let me tell you that I woke up this morning and it hurts, BAD!!! Drinking water and stretching was been working, but that's the price I pay. I great man (Dad) once told me "you gotta pay to play" and he was right.
So the things that I have learned this week are:
running a 5k with little training can be rewarding (proud of myself) and painful.
toddlers can say the craziest things (post for another day)
Virginia is the greatest woman in the world (as she should be in my world)
I love the morning time I get with Brooklyn.









On another note, Eden would have been 3 months old last week. For those of you that don't know, our little angel, Eden, was born in November with a fatal birth defect, but she blessed us with a few hours of her life that I will never forget. I think about her every day and still have some hard times with missing her and having to give her to heaven. You can see our story here.

Out of Context

First things first, we are a different kind of family. We are a natural living "crunchy" family. We cloth diaper, eat organic, gluten free, our toddler still nurses and Virginia pumps and donates her milk. Some of the things I hear around the house would crack up a "normal" person or possibly offend them. I'm going to give a small warning before I explain some of the things that are said around our house.
If you are offended by nudity, dirty words, or things being said that sounds like a toddler is going to get hurt then this post is not for you. that being said, no, we don't let Brooklyn operate heavy mechinery, or stick things in outlets, but she does have free reign of the rest of the house.
Now, here are the top things that I hear in the house that can or will be taken out of context and sound dirty and funny.
- Hey honey? Can you massage my boobs while pump so I can be hands free?
- Brooklyn! Stop touching my boobs!
Brooklyn: Boobies???
-Quick! Hold her down so I can squirt boobie milk in her eye!
Brooklyn had a touch of pinkeye...
That is just the surface, but I'm going to leave it at that.
On an ending note I saw a car beside the road the other day on the way home. As I got closer I saw a couple of men had stopped also and they were helping another man change a flat tire. This other man was not helping but he was in a business suit. These two men saw that another man was in trouble and was not wearing clothes that would get ruined if he changed the tire by himself. Also, there was an older women (70's) walking, or well, attempting to walk on an icey sidewalk, and when I drove by she had fallen and there was a man helping her. I stopped and heard the man ask the lady if she wanted a ride home. She said that was trying to get to the store. The man said "I will take you, then bring you home." The woman agreed. These random acts of kindness have really effected me. I watch how everyone acts around the world and there has been a change over the last year or so. People are more kind to each other. I am glad to see that there are less selfish people out there.
This morning, we ran our first 5k together. I'm proud to say that we made it! Even though it was 25 degrees outside and snowing.

SNOW DAY!!! I'm Hungry...

Last week there was an ice storm and I missed a couple of days of work. It was good to get some time with the family. There is one thing that I found that I was doing when I took Brooklyn outside. She has never walked on ice or snow and was doing a great job, then she started slipping. This is when I started laughing at her silently hoping she would fall. Not hoping she would get hurt, but fall on her but. When she did a few times she started getting mad at me for laughing.

Brooklyn: Stop it!

Me: You okay Brookie?

Brooklyn: Help!

Me: Okay sweetie

I woke up this morning to a small snow. As I stumbled into the kitchen I started the Notebook and logged in to check the road conditions. Covered roads all around and a major accident on the interstate. Oh joy... Well, I decided that I was not going to make it in to work today and was going to lay down for a bit longer. There's Brooklyn up and ready to start her day. 

 

Brooklyn: Get up?

Me: No let's go back to bed.

Brooklyn: Get up?

Me: Ugh... Okay, let's get up.

Brooklyn: Berries?

Me: Okay I'll get you some berries.

Well, so much for a small nap before I had to call in for work. 

This afternoon it started in again but with the wife this time. I'm chillin' out on the PC with my feet up on the couch and this came up.

Virginia: I'm hungry.

Me: ... *click*

Virginia: I want something to eat...

Me: Ugh... what do you want?

Virginia: I don't know...

Me: Okay... *click*

Virginia: So???

Me: What?

Virginia: You going to make something to eat?

Me: No... *click*

Virginia: I want salmon...

Me: Seriously?

Virginia: You can make it because you stayed home today because of the snow, you decided to be safe and get me things.

Me: HAHA! Get you things???

Virginia:...

Me: Ugh... Fine...

So here is the thing. Distractions are a must sometimes. We have been watching this season of "The Biggest Loser" and Virginia wanted to start from season one. So, the only place that has all of the seasons is Hulu but you need to have Hulu Plus to watch it. So I told her to purchase Hulu Plus and I'll get the salmon. Who wins? This guy because she forgot about the salmon and I bought myself some time.

A Learning Experience

 Over the last 13 years I have learned many things but over the last two years I have learned more about being a dad than ever. While I was in the military I didn't get much time with my oldest daughter. She grew up seeing me every once in a while when I came home and our relationship was not that close. I guess that is the price you pay for being in the military. Now that my daughter, Brooklyn, has turned two, I look back on the last two years and see how much I have learned. From the early mornings, to putting her to bed, I have built a relationship with her that is much different than any other family member. 

Every morning we get up and hang out before I go to work or all morning on the weekends. During the weekends we color, play blocks, eat breakfast, watch a couple of cartoons, and the list goes on. I have made it two years without her getting hurt or burning the house down so I am happy.

What I am really trying to say is there is a difference in the way I grew up versus how I am raising Brooklyn. When I grew up I rarely saw my Dad because he was out working, hunting, or fishing. When I was older I went with him some but most of the time I was with my Mom. I have changed that with Brooklyn by taking her with me if I go into town for a while, or just by hanging out on the couch. I don't really remember actually "playing" with my Dad. I understand now that he ws providing for our family, but still I wonder if things would be different if he would have been around me more. 

There are many men out there that have changed the role of the head of the household to spending more time with their children. They play with their kids inside and outside and the days of the man working in the fields or hunting and fishing for food are over. I do still enjoy to go outdoors and hunt and fish for some alone time, but not to the extent of the "old" days. 

There is not really a reason for this post today. It was just something on my mind on how life has changed in the last 30 years. 

One of the biggest changes in my life was the birth of our daughter Eden. She had a fatal birth defect called anencephaly, and she blessed us with 5 hours and 27 minutes of her life. Eden's life gave me more motivation to spend as much time with family as I can. I do not blame anyone or anything for her passing away and I feel honored to be her father. 

I believe I am going to change website up a bit and post more experiences from all dads around the world. 

What Is A Diet?

Since my family has changed our eating habits, there have been conversations with many different people about our "diet". Many people hear diet and they think about losing weight magically. Diet is not a strict “you can’t eat that” regimen, but rather a conscious effort to eat healthy, well-balanced foods that will benefit your body. Yes, you can lose weight with what you eat with exercise and yes you can gain weight as well. There are many people out there that are looking for a magical solution of losing weight with only eating as little as possible and not exercising. There is no solution for losing weight without exercising and starving yourself. With changing your diet (what you eat) and exercising, even if it is walking, I can tell you that you will start losing weight.


The Dietary Guidelines for Americans describe a healthy diet as one that:
• Balances calories with physical activity to manage weight
• Includes more of certain foods and nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fatfree and low-fat dairy products, and seafood
• Includes fewer foods with sodium (salt), saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, added
sugars, and refined grains

It is recommended that:
45% to 65% of your total calories come from carbohydrates.
20%-35% of your total calories come from fat.
10%–35% of your daily calories come from protein.


Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining optimal health; however, the recommended amount
varies on the need of the individual. It is important to be aware of your body’s needs and be
consistent in your fluid intake. Avoid drinks that contain excess amounts of added sugar or that
will cause your body to be dehydrated, such as soda or energy drinks.

I am by no means a doctor or a professional that you should take dietary advice from, but there are resources available that you can educate yourself on what your body needs. We are a gluten free/organic as possible family and I am going to tell you that there is no miracle fix all and does take dedication. One of the hardest things I have dealt with while changing my diet is going gluten free. It takes a lot of hard work but makes a world of difference now that I am not tired all of the time and no more headaches or stomach issues.

Part 2 will be an explanation on exercise.