Losing Weight is a Real Mother

I don't ever want to revisit the 70's.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the 1970's, the period up until I turned 10 when life revolved around chasing after the ice cream truck, collecting stickers and playing baseball with the boys down the street. 

But the 70's -- as in the period from 170 pounds to 179 pounds -- I plan to never ever visit again.  As you know from last week's blog, I had a frustrating few weeks, seemingly unable to get below 170 pounds. My body was so used to consuming a six pack of diet soda a day and sitting on the couch every night crocheting blankets for my etsy shop (http://www.luluandcharlie.etsy.com/), I think it kind of panicked when I replaced diet soda with water and began working out four days a week.

This week, the metabolism gods were definitely with me...I lost 4.5 pounds, bringing my total weight loss to 16.5 pounds! Here's this week's pic:

So, while I've had a great week of weight loss, another loss has been weighing on my mind in recent days.  This Sunday will be the first Mother's Day without my own mom, who died nearly four months ago after a decade-long battle with dementia. She was such a classy and talented woman. She was a published writer, an impeccable knitter and needlepointer, a devoted Kindergarten teacher, a wonderful listener, and supportive voice that always encouraged me to follow my dreams. She was the one who suggested that I  "give a nice boy a try" during a phone conversation we had when I was in college and was telling her I thought this new boy I just started dating was "too nice."  That boy is now my husband of nearly 14 years.

She's not heavy, she's my daughter: Mom and me in the 70's.

This Sunday is also my son's 10th birthday, so Mother's Day will definitely be a bittersweet day for me.  But it will be mostly sweet as we will be celebrating my son hitting the double-digits, plus I just ordered the most delectable chocolate cake smothered in a rich chocolate ganache for his big day. Will is a sucker for chocolate cake; the richer the better.

Will up to bat during his last baseball game of his single-digit years

In anticipation of Mother's Day and my son's 10th birthday, I decided to create a list of the Top 10 things I love about being a mom. In Dave Letterman style, I'll start with number 10.

10. I love how a knuckle punch and a pep talk from me can turn my son Will's stike outs into a powerful hit into the outfield.

9. I love that when our 3-year-old daughter Piper comes into our room at 4 a.m. to sleep with us, she always comes to my side of the bed.

8. I love the "teachable moments" that make me feel like Mike Brady from the Brady Bunch, without the bad perm.

7. I love that Piper loves Hello Kitty, just like I did as a little girl.

6. I love that for Will's birthday celebration he only wanted to invite two friends, Lucas and Anders, to go to Scandia and have a sleepover because, as he says, "If I invited more, I wouldn't be able to spend as much time talking to Lucas and Anders. Plus some of the other kids at school that I play with say bad words." How's that for making you feel like you're doing something right?

5. I love how soft my daughter's hair feels when she cuddles up to me and tucks her head under my chin.

4. I love when Piper sits on Will's lap with her favorite blankie and sucks her thumb.

3. I love how when my kids argue that it reminds me of when mom used to yell to my brother and me, "Someday I hope you have children just like you!" And that I understand now how she felt.

2. I love that I have never uttered the words, "Someday I hope you have children just like you!" to my own children when they bicker.

1. I love to hear "Mommeeeeeeee" when I come in the front door.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! Yes, losing weight is a real mother, but I'm determined to lose the remaining 23.5 pounds I have left on my journey to loose 40 pounds by my 40th birthday on August 15th.