At 8:00pm tonight I found myself eating dinner on the floor in the kitchen. I didn’t have the energy to get to the table, so I slumped right next to the stove. I enjoyed eggs, potatoes and “fresh from the garden” green onions, parsley and green peppers (Thanks Luke and Amber Olson!).
As I cleaned up after myself (novel idea, this CLEANING up after one uses the kitchen…) I reflected that if I could write a book right now, I would title it something like, “Eating Standing Up.” Or “Never Sitting Down, Even to Eat.” Something like that. I can’t count how many meals I eat while standing, making lunches, cleaning up the kitchen, emptying the dishwasher or doing dishes and figure how busy and tired I am. When Brian is away, I would estimate 3 of my meals every day are eaten while standing in the kitchen. (the other 2 may be on the floor haha!)
This cannot be healthy, if I were to do research I’m sure I don’t digest as well, metabolize the right stuff nor do I rest really then even while shoveling in a meal.
I ran across an Anne Lamott quote yesterday that encouraged us to imagine we are serving our pastor when we plan to put food into our mouths. We should think of others, even while filling our own bellies. That way we treat ourselves better and probably don’t eat an entire can of Pringles for lunch. (See Anne Lamott’s Facebook profile, August 19).
Well, Anne, although I am not thinking of my favorite pastor, I am thinking of my kids, hubs, friends who will be coming tomorrow to help dig out a deck disaster and yes, somewhere I am thinking of myself and my health.
Eating has been tricky the last 14 days as I gimp around. Since I’m not burning an extra 1,000 calories running or taking classes at the Y, I find eating less to be just as hard as a work out. I can’t sneak Ben and Jerry’s 2 times a day. I can’t eat my chocolate bar dipped in peanut butter… Well I could but I won’t let myself.
I do some other things now that I’m home more and that is part of making the lemonade.
And in all my free time, I finally painted my nails for the first time in weeks.
I have upgraded to snazzy compression “sleeves” for my leg. It is essentially a very tight sock minus the foot part. I don’t need crutches anymore and can go down the stairs. Yay.
I took a few hours the other day to go through “the bins.” These are huge plastics tubs in our laundry room filled with clothing, organized by size and gender. I have lots. I went through the boys’ tubs and found 4 bags of size 6 clothing. Wow. Emptied out a whole tub and gave bags of clothing away to friends. Plus found stuff Elam can now wear, stuff XS can wear without his wrists popping out and things for school like shoes for Elam that don’t stink to high heaven (where did he get such STINKY FEET!?)
Family of ours went to school at Virginia Tech – go HOKIES! It fits!
I also did things this week like take weights and my yoga mat on the deck, tried out my gimpy leg with squats, planks and push ups. Elam wanted to join me so he could get help so I broke my “no Legos on the deck rule” and we finished his Indiana Jones set that morning in the sunshine. Sometimes I have a very, easy, sunny job.
We also found some of the boys clothes appealed to my fashion-forward daughter. Score on the cable knit sweater for my daughter who strangely LOVES grey!
Tonight I was painting my toenails, opening a package of Dove soap (the smell reminded me of my sisters so I texted them and had a great texting chat for a while – love love love that) and talking with Calista as she showered, I realized I have hardly sat down long enough this summer to paint my nails. Really. That’s just too busy.
So as we brushed teeth together, Calista and I planned to start and finish one more book before school. I got to read her a chapter in Anne of Green Gables series when Anne is about to get married. What a great ending to this day.
“It goes fast, Sandi, enjoy being a mom,” said my sister tonight.
Ok big sis. I’ll try. I might even try sitting at the table tomorrow.