I'm not confused. I'm just well mixed.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Yeah it's over!!!!

When I last posted a few days ago I was sicker than a dog and stressed as all heck....but not anymore. The first day of school (Thursday) went very well so there goes that stress. I also made a Dr. appointment and got some antibiotics but thankfully did not have strep. Hubby made me a chiropractor appointment that same day so I got everything re-aligned. I spent the evening watching the color belts test for their next rank. It felt very strange sitting there watching and not participating knowing that in a few short days I would be the one being tested. On Friday I had a massage scheduled. I got it as an anniversary gift from the loving husband. I also gave him one too so we both benefited from an hour of muscle relaxation. Later that evening we went and did a quick run-through practice of things before taking the kids out for pizza and going to one of the local arcades for some video game fun.

Saturday finally came and so did the butterflies. I decided to skip extra sleep and do my Weight Watchers meeting...I did not lose but did manage to pick up almost a pound. Maybe I should have stayed in bed. After breakfast we decided to do one last go over things practice. We literally walked through our techniques lest either of us injure a body part or fatigue ourselves too soon. We decided to treat the kids to Happy Meals, a rare treat for them since I refuse to buy them when we do eat there. The running joke was "should we get the Big Mac meal or go to Taco John's and get the bean burrito grande?" Yeah like we were actually going to consume hundreds of greasy gassy calories hours before a serious physical and mental challenge. We opted for sub sandwiches and fruit smoothies instead. At this point I gotta give a shout out to Bolthouse Farms fruit smoothies. I didn't realize at the time how important this drink was but it was totally worth the $3.00 price.

Fast forward a few hours and hubby and I are dressed and ready for part one of this test. We had been told that the run was a mile but our sheet said one and a half so we trained for the longer distance. I'm very glad we did because the route we were given was a mile and a half. I finished in 19:23. I probably could have gone a little faster but I didn't want to waste all my energy on the first event of the day. After I finished I had about 5 or 6 minutes to change out of my sweaty running clothes into my uniform. I changed and chugged half of the remaining smoothie and some water and off I went into the next part. I was given push-ups first. Thankfully they did not have to be knuckle but I did have to go down and touch my chest (thank goodness I've got boobs) to a 4-inch high pad on the floor. The person who was watching/counting for my was my first instructor. She told me she wanted 20 push-ups. Oh great, now I've got to do 20. I managed 24 in my minute. I had to stop there because I was to the throw up point. After that came sit-ups. I did about 35. I really hate squats and once again you are supposed to touch your butt to the 4 inch pad but it if you don't quite make it that's ok as long as you go at least 90 degrees bend. I managed 29 of those. The hardest was the wall sit. I'll admit that when I practiced this I was a little more upright than the 90 degree angle required. Unfortunately for me when it came time to test I was close enough to the Master Instructor and my former instructor that there was no faking a 90 degree sit. My happy place was Bill Cosby and Jell0 Pudding Pops (don't ask) and I made it.

By this time the first hour had pretty much passed and we got a quick 3 minute break to pee and hydrate. I was covered in sweat and boy was it hard to get the uniform down and up and back into place since it was sticking like crazy to me. I also managed to chug more of my smoothie---best decision I made that day. Part two was the showing of the patterns, techniques and oral testing. There were three of us testing that day. Out current instructor was testing for her 2nd degree and the hubby and I were testing for our first. There were two other Black Belts assisting for the majority of the test. One was our former instructor who was a 2nd degree and our current instructor's husband who just tested for his first degree three months earlier. Over the next hour and a half we kicked, punched, yelled, and tried to do everything we learned the past two years with precision and perfection. There were times that we got a few minutes to catch our breath while the two other people were busy but for the most part it was go go go. If you have ever seen a martial arts type of movie or an episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger" you would be familiar with the speed of what it was we were doing. Chuck Norris or Jackie Chan don't punch and kick in slow time, they get in and wham wham wham the bad guy is on his (or her) butt. You go as fast as you can for as long as you need to. Some things he decided to time us on so we had to do 7 or 8 techniques in less than a minute and one of the things we did was called 21 movement and that meant 21 moves but black belt time is 12 seconds or less. I'm so glad the stopwatch malfunctioned because I don't think I was at 12 seconds but I know it was close.

I should mention that while we were doing this part of the test there were no water or potty breaks. At one point I lost my voice( I was still recovering from the sore throat) and had to do a series of movements that required a loud yell every move. The best I could do was a squeak-like sound that I hoped could be heard over the other two who were doing the exact same thing with me. I actually lost my voice several times but yelled as if I had working vocal chords. I'm sure the Master Instructor appreciated my efforts.

When we were preparing for our first test back two years ago we were told that our Master Instructor is big on manners so make sure to say "sir"every time he talks to you and bow often and be polite. This has served us well. I know that some of the extra chances I got to re-do a flub up were in part because I do say sir and I also for some strange reason thank him every time he tells me to show him something or do a board break. At one point the 3 of us testing responded to something we were told to do but our holders did not say anything...they were given many knuckle push-ups as a reminder. Another piece of advice we were given was when we were asked to show a technique, even if we did not remember it we should at least do something. Standing there was bad. In a real situation, if you stood there and someone threw a punch or attacked you with a knife and you did nothing, you'd be either hurt or dead. This stuck with both myself and the loving husband. As the test wore on and we began to feel the effects of fatigue and dehydration, remembering things became a little more difficult. During one series known as knife attacks I had problems remembering what to do each time my attacker came at me so I did almost the same thing each time..usually sweeping the guy down and trying to clear the knife. The funny thing is I totally forgot to do the correct sweep when I was supposed to do a sweep. Hubby showed off a really stunning set of moves during another series when we were being choked by an attacker. After the second time he did it wrong our Master Instructor commented that while very impressive, it wasn't the technique that was taught. As far as the oral testing...whew. He asked very few questions and did not have us repeat our memorized phrase. I'm thinking that was because we did know our techniques so well and we demonstrated good manners so he did not feel the need to find out just how much oral stuff we knew.

When we finished all of our performance techniques, it was time for the board breaks. Another quick two minute or so break to hydrate....yeah!. At this point we had been going for close to two hours and were soaked with sweat. My legs were the consistency of rubber and my brain the consistency of chicken soup. The last few jumps I did were a real struggle to get off the ground and get the leg up for the kick and I was talking out loud just so I could remember what to do. Now it is well known that board breaking is not one of my favorite things to do. I mentioned in my last post that I lacked that ability to just go up and break the board. My first break was a turning side kick through 2 boards. I was very happy to get this one. It took all 3 tries but I got the break. My next break was the infamous self-hold knife. I hold the board in one hand and chop it with my other hand. I tried but could not get the board to cooperate. The third one was in the air turning side kick. That meant jumping and turning 180 degrees and kicking the board with my back foot while still in the air. I got that one on my third try. My fourth break was 3 boards and I was supposed to break it with the palm of my hand. I've never done that break before so I gave it 3 tries but no luck. My fifth break was the 360 degree jumping ax kick. I was supposed to jump and turn all the way around and kick my leg straight up and bring it straight down and break the board that was held at least waist high. This one was a doozy. My IQ was now that of a flatworm so I could not figure out which way to turn much less how I could get my leg up and over the board without hitting it first or the person holding. It took several minutes of me looking like a drunk sailor and at one point attempting the break, landing on the my ankle wrong and falling on my butt as my other leg slapped the side of the board. My third attempt was successful. My last break was the twin kick. That meant kicking two boards-one on each side-while both feet are off the ground. I successfully did the break at my last test but unfortunately my uniform was sticking to me so badly and my legs were so tired I could not get my knees up high enough to generate the speed needed to kick the boards. I gave it three good tries but no luck.


Due to my wonderful performance on the physical fitness part of the test I earned an extra try at missed techniques and board breaks. I was given a 10 minute practice period and then allowed to re-try. The missed patterns and kicking techniques went OK. I still screwed up but I think he saw me do them correctly when I was practicing. As for the board breaks....Self hold knife, nope. I hate that break. I got a reprieve from the 3 board break when our Master Instructor had a change of heart and decided that maybe some of the breaks were too difficult for us so I only had to break 1 board. Unfortunately for me I still did the break wrong and just smacked the board instead of breaking it. Even more frustrating was after receiving the feed back on where I was supposed to hit the board I said "like this?" and smacked it correctly and of course it broke. I might have gotten credit if I had yelled when I broke but since I didn't then it did not count. DRAT!!!! The twin kick break also did not go my way...stupid wet uniform.

When everything was said and done, all of us did remarkably well. We aced the physical part and the technique part of our tests. Hubby also couldn't get his twin kick to break and our instructor missed several of her breaks as well. The rule is that in order to receive the belt at the end of the test all boards must be broken. While none of us got the pleasure of wearing our new belts we were comforted in the knowledge that all we need to do is make the breaks. I have three weeks. When I next attempt to do them it will be on a night when I'm not physically and mentally exhausted and I'll have the strength and brains to do them.

We ended our evening at a little dive bar in Brookings. Myself, Jim, our instructor, her husband, and our former instructor eating frozen pizza and sharing our experiences. I'm not a beer person but I will say Coke never tasted so good. It's over and I'm glad. I have pushed myself to the very brink of what I can endure. There is no one who can say that I did not earn the right to be called Black Belt.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

I'm stressed....and blessed

OK people, I'm stressed. Stressed, stressed, and more stressed. I'm at a point where all I want to do is curl up and pass out for the next 100 years like Rip Van Winkle. I'm spending my time trying not to get upset and yell every time one of the kids does something to get on my ever tender and frayed nerves, be nice to the equally stressed out spouse, who by the way shows his stress in much different ways than I do, and resist the temptation to make the family cat into tonight's dinner if she mews and wakes up sleeping children at 5 in the morning one more time.

Oh did I mention that I'm pretty sure all my stress has given my immune system a reason to take a vacation and I'm trying not to come down with whatever crud Matthew and Andrew have. My whole body aches and my head is throbbing and my throat wants me to go on an ice cream diet. Last night in the midst of my tiredness and achyness I managed to fall down (more slide down) the basement steps. Thankfully I landed on my left hip and not on one of my ankles. I now have a large bruise and I had a very hard time sleeping last night. In addition to the coming down with something aches, my muscles and feet are feeling the increased physical activity I keep subjecting them to on a daily basis.

So why am I so frazzled?? This is the final week before the Black Belt test in Tae Kwan Do. I have been training approximately two years for this but I still have the jitters. On Saturday afternoon I will be expected to run at least a mile, possible one and a half, do one minute of full sit-ups, squats, push ups (not the girl version and hopefully not knuckle), and a wall sit. After completing these wonderful items I then get to demonstrate every technique I have learned in the past two years... I estimate about 155 or so kicking, punching and blocking combinations. I also have 8 patterns to perform. They are a choreographed series of movements similar to a dance routine except no music or pom poms. I also have to have knowledge of Korean terms such as counting, body parts, different words or phrases commonly used, and I have two paragraphs of history that I have to repeat word for word from memory off a sheet. I only have to summarize the other 3 paragraphs. After all that fun is done then I get to break stuff. I think it will be 5-7 different board breaks. Almost all of the breaks I have done before but many of them are terribly difficult for me. I lack that "mind over matter" trick that allows a person to walk up and for no good reason at all break a perfectly good piece of wood. I'm hoping I don't have to break cement but I did have to do it at my last test so it could happen again. All told it should be about two to three hours of fun fun fun.

As if that wasn't enough to end my month, school starts tomorrow. Matthew is in first grade and Carolyn is in Jr. kindergarten. This will be the first year Matthew will be in a classroom without an aid. He did pretty well this summer in the program I put him in but I still worry that he is going to get off track with his work or his social skills will be sadly lacking and he won't make any friends. Yesterday we were at open house and one of the kids from the summer program came up and started taking to Matthew and asking him questions...Matthew tuned and walked away distracted by the sight of his old classroom. Must work on keeping focused when being talked to. Carolyn was pretty excited to go to "Kindergarten School" as she calls it. We met her teacher and she seemed to like the room. It was very crowded and noisy so she was a little scattered but handled it well. I'm hoping that she transitions into this new environment with very few behavior problems. She also has no aid and her preschool teacher felt that she really did not need one so I'm going with the flow. I really hope that she doesn't get too overwhelmed or nervous and starts acting like a cat and meowing and hissing or telling all her classmates she hates them. Oh well wouldn't be the fist time that happened. One interesting moment occurred when Carolyn looked around Matthew's classroom after we had visited her room. She looked over at Matthew and asked him where the toys were.

Well tomorrow is the big day so I'll be up early getting Matthew dressed and ready. I was hoping to practice the whole morning routine including walking to the bus stop but the transportation department didn't send the cards out until this week so I got my info today. We'll be practicing our Tae Kwan Do tonight but plan on making it home early so Matthew is in bed at a decent time. I mentioned all the stress that was going on during the week in this post but I should mention the blessed part. I am blessed that I do have a wonderful and supportive husband who is also testing for his belt on Saturday. Together we have studied and practiced and encouraged each other. Many of our conversations were less than G-rated and if our instructor ever heard some of the things we came up with during practice sessions our arms would fall off from the number of push-ups we'd be doing. When the going gets tough as it will on Saturday I'll be able to look over at my wonderful spouse and know that he's going through this too. As for the school stuff..well I'm on my own with those anxieties.

Monday, August 17, 2009

TMI

Hello everyone. My name is Cindy and I like to blog. Really, I do. I also love to read other blogs, but not the ones where they write stuff just to get endorsements from companies or try to sell me on some new and wonderful product. Actually I didn't realize that there were bloggers out there that specifically blogged just so they could get attention from advertisers or big name companies (I'm a bit naive you see). Yes I do know about those sleazy celebrity bloggers who seem to have nothing better to do with their time than stalking innocent people and gossiping about them just so they can feel important. I can honestly say I have read very few of those blogs, although I will occasionally read a blog about a TV show or upcoming movie. In my spare time I also like to read the MSN and CNN pages on the Internet. Sometimes it is from one of these sites that I can catch a blog that seems interesting but mainly I read for the different news stories.

You might be wondering where I'm going with this particular piece of literature and I do have a point. Back to the whole blog thing....

I started this blog last year partly at the request of friends who loved getting my oh so informative e-mails about the latest crisis going on at home and as a way of journaling thoughts and feelings. I hate hate hate writing things in a real journal or diary but typing is a different thing. Maybe it's because I can write something and then delete it if I don't like what I've written or maybe it's because I can use spellchecker to catch a lot of mistakes, I don't really know. There is something satisfying about getting an idea and writing about it and then posting the finished product for all to see. I've even been known to go back and re-read my posts from time to time just because I could. That being said I decided when I first started blogging I would follow a few simple rules that would remain unbroken.
1. Never post anything negative or derogatory about myself, my family, in-laws, or friends.
2. Never exaggerate or falsify facts because it sounds better or garners greater sympathy.
3. Always remember that anything I put out into cyberspace can and will be read by complete and total strangers.

Following these few rules hasn't been hard. In fact, several months after I started blogging I was contacted by someone from Children's Care Hospital and School. The VP of marketing had found my blog ( I think with help from TWITTER) and read a Thanksgiving post I had done concerning the therapy Matthew was receiving and how helpful it had been. He wanted to show my blog post to members of the board at the next meeting. It was and remains a reminder to me that I never know who reads my writings. I also decided to not flood my blog with photos of my children. Don't get me wrong, I love them dearly and I love to write about them. I have a bit of a paranoid streak in me. I have this very weird fear that someone is going to use my personal information against me. I do remember reading a story not too long ago about a mother who found out someone took a photo of her son off the blog and used it in an adoption scam. There have also been stories about scammers using information from Facebook accounts and sending fake help e-mails. I will still write about my life and that of my children and I will post the occasional photo now and then. And if by some strange chance you get an e-mail from me saying that I'm on vacation and have been robbed and in desperate need of money for a plane ticket.....DON'T DO IT!!!!!!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Blueberry Scones

Last week I had a craving for something baked. I had blueberries in the fridge and since I was planning on freezing some I decided to look for something to make with the rest. I love muffins but that wasn't doing it for me and then my brain went"scones" and that was all it took. I jumped online and googled blueberry scones and up popped dozens of recipes. Opting for something on the easy and quick side I found this particular recipe at cooks.com. It is super easy and only requires 5 ingredients, one of which is Bisquick. I happen to have the low fat version so my scones were a little more healthy. I also used 1% milk and didn't notice any problems. The second time I made this recipe I coated the blueberries with the sugar before adding them and they were much sweeter. For those who count weight watchers points my version is 4 points per scone if you cut the dough into 8 wedges, 3 if you go for 10 or 12 wedges like the recipes says to do.

BLUEBERRY SCONES

3 C Bisquick
2 tbsp sugar
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 C milk
2 eggs

FOR GLAZE
1 egg well beaten
2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium bowl combine the baking mix, 2 tablespoons sugar and blueberries. Pour milk in measuring cup. Add the eggs to the milk and beat with a fork until well mixed. Stir liquid into baking mix until moistened. (dough will be very crumbly)

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 9 inch round, about 1/2 inch thick. Brush the dough with the beaten egg then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Cut the round into 12 wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Serve immediately with butter or jam.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Anniversary

Wow 9 years. It's amazing how time flies when you're having fun. Nine years ago on this very day I stood before God and all my friends and family and promised to love honor and cherish the man standing next to me. To take him for better or worse, in sickness and health, richer or poorer, until death parted us. I really have very little memory of the actual ceremony except for the fact I totally freaked out moments before my grand entrance and if not for my wonderful friend Jackie I probably would have hyperventilated myself unconscious. I also remember looking at my dad and him trying not to cry. Same for the husband to be. I'm thinking that if either one of them goes, then I'm a complete watery mess. During the unity candle lighting our flame was soooo small neither of us could actually see it. Maybe we should have lit it earlier so the wax residue was melted. As we stood there willing the candle to burn, I started giggling and Jim whispered not to breathe or we'd blow it out. As far as verses and songs go, that part is just a blur. After we were pronounced a married couple I remember turning around and looking at the small crowd of guests and panicking because I did not see my grandmother. My 11 year old brother, one of our ushers, had sat her on the wrong side and she was next to my in-laws. That turned out to be a blessing because Grandma was hard of hearing and she was able to see my face and read my lips as I said my vows. The rest of the evening was a lot of fun. An unexpected talk point of the event was our photographer. She was very good at her job but I don't think she should have worn a skirt with a slit the went up as high as it did. According to the loving husband, she was wearing blue underwear. It could have been worse, we don't have any guest got drunk and then...stories and no one ended up on the next episode of COPS. My parents and In-laws liked each other and the wedding party got along with each other too so no "Jerry Springer" moments either.

On the day of my wedding my biggest concerns were weather or not people would have a good time and if I would like the new job I was starting when we got back from our honeymoon. Nine years and several major life changes later I sit at a computer and write about the life I have now. Looking back on the vows I took both Jim and I have had them tested. We have had to deal with sickness, sometimes the minor flu bug other times stuff that requires surgery (me). Throw the kids in the mix and there is a lot of sickness to deal with. We don't take our health for granted as we found out when we lost my father-in-law to a sudden heart attack two years after we were married and shortly before the birth of our first child. The richer or poorer is always one to joke about but when you lose your job 4 months before the wedding like I did or when your husband comes home one day and tells you he just got laid off like Jim did a few years later there is no laughter. The better part of the vows is great. It's always fun to be married when you get flowers or romantic gifts and everything is on the up and up. The real test of the marriage is when the worse butts in and life goes downhill. Every day I thank God for giving me the husband He gave me and I'm thankful for the last nine years. I'd prefer the good but I'll take the bad if it means I get to keep the man. I love you sweetie-pie. Happy Anniversary.