Job Offer

Today I went into my old office for a visit. The boss offered me a part time postion. I thanked her, what an honor to have an offer when I am not even in the market, but turned her down nonetheless. The only person that is going to be raising my little boy is me. I don't want to miss out on anything. I've got the most important job that there could be for me--raising a healthy, happy little son. It's the best, but most challenging career there is.

I did say that I'd be happy to do something very part time from home. She had some ideas of things that I could help her with. We'll see if anything comes of it.

Awwww Crap

Only one brownie left. I had to eat them quickly before they spoiled. You know, for the good of the baked goods.

Liberation

My life is getting better and better. I feel like I am really getting this mommy business down and then I have a hard day, but I guess that that comes with the territory. I love his age now...six months, though on Saturday he'll be seven, is really fun. The boy sits up, scoots around until his little toes have blisters, "talks" a ton...Bababababa BAH, reaches for and tries to eat EVERYTHING. He is a little boy now, not so babyish. And he is exhausting to watch and keep track of and he is not even walking.

My diet restrictions are lifting somewhat, too. We are trying anyway. I am now able to try to reintroduce everything...slowly. One new thing every 5-7 days and see how he reacts. If nothing, I can keep eating it. I am starting with soy, and then on to nuts, and eggs, berries, citrus, and dairy. So excited!! I see a light finally!

Yellow

My aunt recently told us that Lucas looked a little jaundiced and that we should get him some sun and get him into the doctor soon. I am so SICK of doctor's appointments so I waited until he had one yesterday and asked about it. "Does he look jaundiced to you?" The doctor asked what he eats. I told her...sweet potatoes, squash...she cut me off and said that he is colorful because of all of the beta carotene in his diet. Shew, I hate to see what he will look like when I start him on peas and green beans.

Thoughts on Florida

I am glad to be gone from the state that I grew up in. Not that it is really a bad place, with all it's humidity, hail, and hurricanes. It was a wonderful place to live, especially when that was all I knew. But after being gone for over a year, I still have absolutely no desire to ever live there again. It's not that I don't miss my friends and my family (Mike's) that is there. I really do. And it is not that my new area is that much better. I just want to move forward in life, not backward. I am not at all thinking of how I can get back there. To go back would be almost like we were defeated by the big bad world and needed to crawl back home to our security blanket. Though Mike's job is not entirely secure now (they are starting to lay off people), I would prefer not leave this area if he needed to get new employment. There is so much here to still see or somewhere, anywhere else. I am so over Florida. But do look forward to my Christmas visit!

Game on

So here is my new and improved running plan...run a half marathon in February and do the full a couple months later on April Fools day. That gives me about six months to prepare for the full. I think that that is an ample amount of time. At this point, I think that the goal will be just to finish the full--a worthy goal, I suppose. Check out the details on the Golden Gate Headlands marathon that I am planning to do: http://www.envirosports.com/events/displayevent.php?eventid=1549
Looks pretty sweet and includes a stretch of beach running. I'm psyched.

Freebie

Do the calories count when you eat a big wad of ooey gooey brownie crumbs/knife scrapings?

Thanks to Mike

I just wanted to publicly thank my husband for updating my blog site. This weekend, he added a photo of me in my profile and rearranged the placement of the links on the left of the page. Or bumped them above the previous posts and archives because honestly, who cares about that? I think that it is a big improvement, especially the cute pic of ME;-).

You should check out his handiwork on our family's web site--completely done by him at: http://www.thelomonacofamily.com/ . New photos of Lucas are coming soon (hopefully this week).

Food, food and more food

My life is really food centered lately. I am not enjoying being this obsessive, but what can I do. So here was my weekend of food...

Friday night, I suggested that we go out for burgers to our locally famous drive up burger place, Nubbin's. Mike normally jumps at the opportunity, but wanted a Wendy's salad instead (WHAT?!). I was a little disappointed to be eating a burger alone--you feel like an unhealthy pig when your husband is dining on a bowl full of veggies. Oh well, over it. I figured a burger would be safe now that I can have wheat again, but to be cautious, asked the teenaged cashier if he could tell me the ingredients in the buns because of food allergies. He looked at me and laughingly replied, "There is bread in the buns." I am so not humored by my crappy diet and I was tempted to kick him in the teeth...but I refrained and just told him that I needed to know. He got me a pamphlet that they had behind the counter that listed the ingredients in everything there. Quite helpful, but I found that there was soy flour in the buns. Thinking that I had to have a salad, too, I couldn't find one without cheese, citrus, etc. I got frantic. What the heck could I eat?! Should I order a plain hamburger patty? Sick. Anyway almost in tears, I chanced it and got the burger that I so badly wanted. And the next day, Lucas did not break out. Yippee!

Saturday, after I ran out of dark chocolate, I decided to make these new brownies that I can eat-ooey gooey chocolatey chewy brownies. They are wheat free, dairy free, egg free, nut free and surprisingly not taste free. The large dark chocolate chunks help, I think. They are so yummy (by my new diet's standards) and can be ordered online at: www.thecravingsplace.com

And Sunday, Mike picked us up some more burgers at Wendy's. He didn't hear me mention that I couldn't have mayo (eggs) and had to cut it off my bun and wash the residue off my tomatoes so that I could safely have it.

I guess that it doesn't help that the only thing that I got out to do was go food shopping.

Polarized

Sometimes, I really hate that that we people are so split. It seems that people either love or loathe God. Yesterday, I was at a wedding and heard a guy at the next table mockingly say, "I've got the big JC on my side." Everyone laughed. It made me want to cry because it reminded me of Jesus being tortured and the crowds mocking him. "Prophesy for us Christ...who just hit you?"

Politically, we are a divided nation. Our President is a hated man by so many. He is blamed for everything that goes wrong in this country and beyond. His ideals are mocked by the masses. In fact, I met a girl recently who was moving out of the country (perhaps partially for political reasons). She was talking about how nice it would be to get away from her mother-in-law. I joked with her, saying, "Oh is she the typical, psycho mother-in-law?" "Yeah, she's a conservative!," she spat. I choked. Sheesh.

Oh Lord, why does it have to be this way? Why can't everyone know you? Why can't we all just get along?

Green

I've heard lots of terms for marijuana over the years: weed, pot, dope, hemp, hash, roach, ganja...and I am sure that the list could go on and on. Come on...I went to Florida State University, ok. Anyway, I learned a new one this weekend in an interesting way. Mike was speaking to a potential customer for some car parts that he is selling on eBay. He told the guy that he wanted to wait the auction out and if he didn't sell it online because the bids were too low, he'd call him back. The guy was very anxious for the parts and was offering cash that day. Then he sweetened the deal hoping that Mike would jump on it..."How about the cash and some green." Mike was thinking that the cash was the green. But then it dawned on him that he was speaking of another leafy green. Needless to say, Mike did not sell the parts (even though it was such a sweet offer) and I never have smoked the devil weed. But I have inhaled. You can't help it in Jamaica. The air is thick with it. I came back to the country feeling like I had dumbed down a bit.

Rash

Crap! His face flared up in red bumps again. We did eat out last night, so perhaps it's something other than wheat. I tried to scrap all of the sour cream off my salad, but maybe got a speck or two inadvertantly. I just can't be careful enough. I can't wait when all of this is past and I can laugh about it someday. In the meantime though, this royally bites.

One Nation Under God

A local rock station in Sacramento is having the Pledge of Allegiance said every hour on the hour in protest of atheist, Michael Newdow's lawsuit to have it removed from public schools. Mr. Newdow is from the Sacramento area as well. It seems that all the crazies live here. Anyway, I was super impressed that a seemingly liberal rock station would be in favor of leaving the Pledge alone. Basically, the dj was saying that we have every right not to say the Pledge individually and we are not pledging our allegiance to God but to the flag. He also said that in saying "one nation under God," it is the same as the "in God we trust" that is on the money that we are spending everyday.

Why are so many people opposed to and/or afraid of their Creator? I feel sorry for those who think that this life on earth is it for them. How empty and hopeless an existence that must be!

Stubborness

Some people just don't get it. Today I saw a man in a wheel chair who was hooked up to an oxygen tank...and smoking a cigarette. Hello, anything up there or is the brain as black as your lungs?

Freedom

Oh JOY, I can eat WHEAT again!! Yippee! I had a doctor's appointment today and was told that we can start adding things to my diet again starting with grains. We will see how Lucas handles it. I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my chest. It's not like it frees up that many things for me, but I can once again consume normal breads and pastas. Substitutes called Spelt and Kamut are just not as appetizing. Maybe my life will resemble normalcy again one of these days soon.

Pearly Whites

Little Lucas is finally growing his first teeth. Two are pushing through at once. No wonder he has been drooling like a leaky faucet and gnawing on everything in sight for a couple months now. Yesterday, I teared up realizing that he would never again have the same precious, all gums baby smile. At least not in my lifetime.

Open Mouth

For a very conscientious person, I sure do make a lot of verbal faux pas. A recent example: We were getting Lucas' six-month pictures taken at Wal-Mart and we were told to flip through the sample album and choose 4 of the backgrounds. I came across a really cheesy looking, tropical one and had to comment. "Wow, that's really hokey." The photographer said, "That's my son." "Oh, he's cute." was my quick, not so clever reply. Doh.

E.Coli?

So, I started prepping tomorrow night's dinner, a southwest tri-tip roast. I took out all of the ingredients for the rub (chili peppers, garlic, cumin, oregeno, olive oil) and the meat and noticed that the roast looked a little green. The sell before date on the package was today, so tomorrow it just may be a little more moldy. Maybe tomorrow evening I will have a blog titled ER.

Long and Lanky

I just got back from Lucas' six month check up. He is tall and thin like his Daddy. Maybe too thin, though. His weight was below the 5th percentile. 50% is average. GREAT! My kid is anorexic, yet he is still in diapers and a boy! Do boys ever have eating disorders? Can one of these doctors visits ever be normal?!

He also had his shots today, which made him scream (and me tear up). After all of the excitement, he came home and crashed. Yet it is time for him to eat. Should I wake him up to feed him or let him sleep and perhaps disappear into nothing?

Debbie Downer

I really embarrassed myself at a party last night. It was honoring a lady from our church who just passed her architectural exam--a celebration. I was introduced to this young couple and was talking to them for awhile about everything...children, their upcoming wedding, hometowns, etc. Then I brought up the big news event, the New Orleans and Katrina tragedy. I started relaying some stories of the atrocious things that I had read about or seen on the news. It seemed like the lady was trying to change the subject (as it was not really party conversation), but I kept going. "The children were starving and the mother, who was pregnant, was feeding them the only thing she could find...cookies." Then, I got the brush off. "It was nice meeting you." and she walked away. Humiliating.