Yanti & Salty Beyond Ridiculous Manatees PART 6--CLOSED (Page 77)

They were AWESOME!!  I chuckled loudly at the one of Mug and Stevie, so cute!!

Gorgeous, love it!!  Very inspiring!

Yeah, I think they are cute.  I'm not the girliest girl either, but they are nice and simple.  The one with the sun and the leaf are my 2 faves.  Neat idea!

I'm with you 100%, Jo.  Weight loss as we get older really sucks (not that I'm saying you're old, I'm speaking of myself or most women, biologically speaking).  Why oh why must food taste so good?!  Hang in there, maybe we can encourage each other.

Jen, she is beautiful and adorable!!!  Thanks for posting, and happy birthday, E!!

I'm probably too late with encouraging words, but good luck!  Yes, take some nice, meditative breaths and center yourself and you will do great!

Man, weight loss isn't/wasn't even easy at a younger age.

I think there a lot of mis-information to wade through. It took me a really long time and a lot of reading but I have now lost close to 40 lbs and I will tell you, it wasn't from the running. It was from making changes to what I ate and how I perceived food. Also, lots of patience.

I will say though Jo, I think diet is EXTREMELY important, especially in IM training. Not dieting, but your diet in general. 

Still with all the training I'm doing which is about 14 hours this week I probably am not putting enough in in the way of calories.  So all I'm gonna do is keep it real with the food - fresh is best.

2 problems to share with my Manatees today.

#1 - last night Artemis was so upset - she said she is lonely and wants someone to play with.  Now I am not about to produce a sibling but I feel bad.  I am the working parent - DH is home by 3.30 for school pick up and after school activities.  So it has been up to him to organise play dates with friends etc - July to december she's had three.  That is not enough for an only child.  She needs to play with other kids.  It's summer it's hot we have a pool.  I told DH what she had said, he said oh she's just tired.  Grrr - so in true wife style I've taken it on, I shall get it organised for weekends when I'm there.  Working mother guilt strikes again.

#2 - Sports day at school today - I can't be there (working mother guilt no. 2 for the day).  A friends mum calls me she is there.  I have your daughter here Jo and she's veryupset can you talk to her.  Poor little Artemis is having a miserable sports day coz she keeps losing.  Broke my heart.  Anyway I was strong and said get back out there for the last four events and do your absolute best - that's enough.

She is almost a year younger and hence smaller than most of the grade - she's racing against boys and girls - she is not going to win.  I feel her pain - sports day was a dread for me and i don't want it to be for her.  I said, go and have fun with it. 

So feeling a little down. 

2 problems to share with my Manatees today.

#1 - last night Artemis was so upset - she said she is lonely and wants someone to play with.  Now I am not about to produce a sibling but I feel bad.  I am the working parent - DH is home by 3.30 for school pick up and after school activities.  So it has been up to him to organise play dates with friends etc - July to december she's had three.  That is not enough for an only child.  She needs to play with other kids.  It's summer it's hot we have a pool.  I told DH what she had said, he said oh she's just tired.  Grrr - so in true wife style I've taken it on, I shall get it organised for weekends when I'm there.  Working mother guilt strikes again.

#2 - Sports day at school today - I can't be there (working mother guilt no. 2 for the day).  A friends mum calls me she is there.  I have your daughter here Jo and she's veryupset can you talk to her.  Poor little Artemis is having a miserable sports day coz she keeps losing.  Broke my heart.  Anyway I was strong and said get back out there for the last four events and do your absolute best - that's enough.

She is almost a year younger and hence smaller than most of the grade - she's racing against boys and girls - she is not going to win.  I feel her pain - sports day was a dread for me and i don't want it to be for her.  I said, go and have fun with it. 

So feeling a little down. 

Yeah it's a double whammy being the only child.  BUT as i explained to her last night, I had siblings but not close in age so they weren't my playmates.  My mum made up for it by having my best friend over to play twice a week and I went to hers once a week.  I had another friend and we alternated each week one play date a week.  I also was in the Girl Guides and did Ballroom and latin American dancing. 

I don't ever think 'what if' I stayed home - because I would be a basket case, I did it for the first 11months and was sooooo depressed, just not my thing.  I do think 'what if' we had another kid....not an option now.

She would dearly like a dog, as would I - we haven't managed to convince DH yet - but sooo tempted to get one anyway...

Sorry you are struggling Jo--and sorry Artemis is too!  Is she involved in any after school activities?  That might help.

Ok, Manatees, I just could not get on my bike today.  I took my laptop upstairs, got all set up, then went and lay down and napped for 30 minutes.  When I got up I decided I couldn't do it, and I would have to just not get my challenge minutes in.  Then I was in front of the TV hating that I was going to bail.  So I did a 30 min no equipment workout.  Step ups, planks, squats, pushups, heel raises, heel drops, shoulder pulls.  Wouldn't have been able to deal with the disappointment in myself!  Lemme tell you, all those 'on the floor' exercises are tough to do when you have a little Staffie who wants to play and cuddle!

Having the challenge is great - you wouldve done nothing otherwise.  I'm back on the 30 runs in 30 days, day 6 today.  I got to 35 before I got the ear infection thing it just makes you do it.  When I have a normal weekly training plan - I can make excuses - oh yeah I'll move that to Thursday, double up Saturday all good.  With the 'streak' I gotta do it every day, no excuses.

Artemis - well I've always been wary of overloading her with after school activities but now she's a bit older, I'm getting more onto that.

So on Wednesdays she has gymnastics, Saturday is swim lessons.  I just phoned a tri club so she's going to try that out on Saturday morning 8-9.30 - it's affiliated with my tri club, the guy was just worried she might not be quite old enough so that's why we're doing the trial run saturday.

Now she's quite smart and loves reading and writing, great imagination - gonna try and find a kids writing club.  She doesn't like ball sports of any descripiton.  ( she is so like me!!!)

She also has Greek school/lessons one night a week.  We tried all the dancing stuff.  I wonder if a kind o girl guide/brownies thing would be good for her.  It's not big over here, it's huge in England.  I will do a little research.

Thanks for thinking of me.

I am an only child.  Does Artemis have any cousins close to her age? Nothing can really substitute for a sibling. People who have siblings will never understand.  She is not looking for a playmate, she is looking for someone to share her childhood, who knows her family, who understands.   There is not much you can do as a parent.  She will have to figure it out.  Give her lots of socialization opportunities.  Team sports, Girl Guides, anything where she has to rely on someone else and work with others. 

That feeling of needing/wanting a sibling does not go away.  You can help her to understand it and develop other coping mechanisms.  Dogs are great but she will still need to feel accepted by other humans and part of a group.   Staying home may make your feel less guilty but it won't help her and you will be miserable.  Socialization in a group will help her the most.  

Oh wow thanks for that!  I have siblings so I don't get it.  BUT she has accepted she won't have one!  Cousins are boys and younger - and to be honest we do all the work calling their parents and I'm over it.  My husbands sister is moving over from Greece in february - she has triplets!  They are 6, two boys and a girl.  They will be around the corner so this will be awesome for her.

I'm thinking of girl guides, she isn't into team sports really so while i keep suggesting it's not getting much enthusiasm.

I would not stay at home, I'm emotional enough without making myself more miserable.  she needs a happy parent!

That was a great help - thanks.  Time to overload her with social actiivity!

Yeah, girl guides is big here too.  I'm sure there is something there.  I loved my time as a brownie and girl guide!  I have a brother, so have no idea what it's like to be an only child...  I really have a lot of respect for you working moms that are so involved with their kids.  The fact that you worry about her and try to make it good is great.  As TJ said, you can only do your best.  And it will be good enough.  My mom was a single parent, worked 3-4 jobs and still found time to come to many of my games/meets.  Of course I would have like her to be at all of them, but as I got older I realized how much she really did for my brother and I.  Artemis will feel the same, I am sure

ETA: oh, that's great about her cousins coming--close in age and around the corner!

Ok sent the enquiry for girl guides off - it's just around the corner, monday nights 6-7.30 perfect.  I think she'll get something out of that for a few years.  It's very teamy which is what she likes so long as a ball isn't involved!

I think from next term she also can be involved in more after school activities.

You manatees rock.

   I'm sorry your have lost your sister to mental illness. Mental illness sucks.  I can't tell you how much I have needed a sister to vent to about this year's events with mental illness and have created my own pity party about it.  I can't imagine having a sister, knowing she is there somewhere, but not really there.  That really sucks!!  

...and then I have two sisters, a brother and three foster sisters - i tell you guys way more than I tell them - just the way I am...

Hi all. Quickie post. Been thinking of you all even though i have not been posting. Maintaining base fitness level right now with boot camp and one or two runs, but so busy at work i just can't find the time to get more in or even keep up online.

Just read through the last 3 pages of 'stuff'. See the group has it's usual mix of angst and fun. Hope you are all doing well and are looking forward to the festivities. Weather is a little cool here in the UK. Everything very pretty covered in a heavy frost right now.

Haven't seen a post by Yanti. What has she gone and caught now???

Will try to keep up a little more. Love and kisses,

your favourite frog xxx