An Inspiring E-mail... I Don't Get Those Often!

OK, let me give you a little background information here... I am a Den leader for my oldest son's cubscout den. I have about 5 active boys, and I LOVE my parents as they are WAY more active than some of my parents from a previous PACK we belonged to. They are easy going, and I really appreciate how they let me "roll" sometimes if we are not on a rigid schedule.

I have been recruiting a volunteer for our Annual Blue and Gold Event. What is a Blue and Gold Event? It is a celebration of the Boy Scout Birthday. We try to do it big because many of our boys are ready to pin on their Rank for the year. It is a HUGE deal. Unfortunately, I have had no volunteers. :( Being pregnant, accepting a position as a parent volunteer for a big school committee, doing my normal Box Tops campaign for PTO, helping PTO with other stuff, going to school, scouts, helping my husband's unit's FRG, and trying to just find time to sit down an monitor my glucose is a lot on my plate...  I feel overwhelmed!!! Loving everything, and hating to give up any of it, but feeling like a juggling act is how I have felt for several weeks now!

So I did see the reminder about this meeting we were supposed to have this week. I tried once again to solicit one of my parents to go and had no success. I did send an e-mail to the organizer and told her that I had a FRG event that I needed to attend (I had already missed one of those and got a nasty lecture from my DH) and that I would not be able to attend the Blue and Gold meeting on behalf of our Den. The organizer seemed to understand at least I e-mailed to say I wouldn't be there and that I doubted anyone else would be there either. She was very nice about it.

So this afternoon, I received this e-mail (which I will attach down below for you to read). At first I was ANGRY when I read it. I do a lot for my boys! I lesson plan for the scout meetings, coordinate for locations for meetings or events, I teach the boys about cool things, and I attend most of the leader's meeting and District Meetings... Don't yell at me, my plate is FULL!!!! Then I read the e-mail through... The writer isn't talking about how BAD I am for missing the meeting. His message made me realize that I was over tasking myself! Taking on too much, and not really giving myself to any of it! All of us are busy! Busy with work, school, other activities, shuttling kids to 9,000 activities... We all take on so much that we only give a tiny part of ourselves to any one thing. Then I got to thinking... What am I teaching my kids about responsibility? Am I teaching them that it is okay to be super involved in everything but not really give yourself to any one thing? Not practice it or shove off responsibility to someone else because I am too busy? And then I realized why kids make excuses.... Parents make excuses. My excuses are for not attending things because of a,b,c... My kids' excuses are for not wanting to do a,b,c... I've taught them that excuses will get you out of something.  I don't accept it.... Not in my house!  I MAKE them do the things they don't want to. But who makes me??? Shouldn't I be leading by example??? Hmmm....

So this e-mail inspired me to think... Re-prioritize things. Maybe I should be dedicated to one or two things rather than stretching myself so thin that I make excuses. It doesn't mean I don't support the other things. I just means that I need to quit the excuses and dedicate myself before the excuses begin...

So here is the e-mail. Thank you, Tracy for opening my eyes!!! Maybe you should consider some of the words Tracy writes... I'm sure I'm not the only one that can take away something from his message!

Last night I attended the first Blue & Gold Committee meeting. Many of our dens failed to send a representative. Den leaders, please ensure you have a rep for this very important committee. How often in our lifetimes have we heard that phrase, “The trouble is...” followed by some negative. If you are like me, you have heard it often.

I heard it in high school when I was soliciting help for a school function. You know the line. “I would love to help with the decorations. The trouble is, I’m having my hair done right after school.”


I’ve heard it as a working room parent for my son. “I’d love to be there and provide snacks for the party. The trouble is, I work and I just don’t have time.”


I’ve used that phrase myself sometimes. When my son would ask me to play a game and I would say, “I would love to play a game with you. The trouble is, I’m so tired from my busy day. Maybe I won’t be too tired tomorrow night.”


I know you’ve heard it, too. The last couple of years the pack committee has been hearing “the trouble is” frequently when trying to fill the leadership of the pack.


I know what “the trouble is.” TIME! None of us ever seem to have enough time to get everything done anymore. With a job, home, spouse, kids, pets, school, sports and other outside activities in addition to Scouting, it’s hard to find any spare time and it’s easy to use that phrase, “the trouble is.”


Now I ask you to stop for just a moment and ask yourself what your child and you personally, have gained through Scouting. If you’re like me, your list will be lengthy. And, through continued membership and participation we will continue to learn and grow. Each and every Scout and parent is important to the organization as a whole. No organization can exist without active members. When asked to help out, please turn the negative, “the trouble is” into a personal challenge to make some time available to volunteer. Our kids are depending on us. Some of the committee responsibilities take very little time.


Your talents and gifts are needed. Give a little back to Scouting. I know it takes valuable time and “the trouble is” you don’t have much to spare. I guarantee the rewards are worth the effort. There is nothing like the feeling you get when a task is completed, the job is well done, and you see the joy and wonder in the faces of the children.


Accept the challenge to find a little time and volunteer. You won’t regret it. “The trouble is” you’ll never know until you try.

Friday Fragments

Woo... I have been absent, I know. I had Momma Drama last week and then a doctor's appointment for me which dragged out because of an issue in Labor and Delivery... Anyway... I'm not missing it this week and I'm joining Mrs. 4444 this week at Half Past Kissin' Time. If you read my blog and you haven't been there...Check out this post from her on September 23rd... She is soooo funny!!!

* One of these days I am going to post one of my concepts map for A&P2 just so you an see what takes me 4 hours on the weekend to complete! I keep thinking just keep concepting just keep concepting and magically it will be better... I haven't see that yet!

* Baby #3 is doing well. He/ She is modest and would prefer that all paparazzi leave her alone! That includes all radiologists and OB doctors!

* My youngest (soon to be middle child) is going to make me completely gray by the new year! He decided that he was old enough as long as he had a buddy to walk up to the elementary playground behind our house. When I told him he could do things as long as he had a buddy... I meant cross the street.

* Speaking of street... The above mentioned child went into the garage and donned his dad's road vest for morning PT, then walked down to the school crosswalk and stopped cars. When asked what he was thinking, he replied, "Well the Crossing Guard does it every day, and I AM wearing my crossing guard shirt!" I think my husband was going to come unglued up to that point.... But B did have a point... He was wearing a bright orange vest. Needless to say, he is NOT allowed to go outside for a very long time!

* I am still looking for some great crock pot recipes that I can use that are low carb, but extra yummy. If you have any please please please share them!!!

* I am tired... I need my Mojo back, please... If you find it will you please send back.

Well that is my week!!! I hope yours has been a great one and that the one up and coming is WONDERFUL too! See you next week!!!

Sometimes you Just Eat Your Words...

Like when you say something to spite someone else because you were hurt or when you don't do your homework and you spout off something incorrectly or heaven forbid you tell a lie! Okay, the latter one you almost hope someone chokes on their words... Just saying.

Anyway, I posted in FF that my A&P2 teacher hated me. Well, she doesn't. I braved it out this morning to see her during office hours in hopes that she wouldn't bite my head off or come clean and tell me she really did hate me. It turns out she thinks I'm pretty smart. That is what she said after I walked her through my thought process for a couple of the homework problems. She actually thought I was on the right track and that I am doing the right things to set myself up for being successful in her class. OK, so I almost fell out of my seat and onto the floor! SERIOUSLY!!!! What GREAT news!

Today I am eating crow for the words I spoke on Friday. Maybe the pregnancy has me a little more sensitive than usual, and maybe we shouldn't judge a book by the first 2 chapters. It might get good the further you dive in! I'm hoping so anyway! :) So to all of you who are eating crow... I am at the table with you. Next time.... Can we make it a turkey dinner or pizza??? I'm game! Are you? :)

Friday Fragments

I'm joining Mrs. 444 at Half Past Kissin' Time by sharing my Friday Fragments....

We bought a truck! Yep, we finally broke down and bought a truck. I'm not sure if I'm relieved or gonna cry... I just keep telling myself the van was about to kick the bucket.

My Anatomy 2 teacher hates me. No clue why, but she is just not my biggest fan... This will make my semester just a tinsy bit more difficult.

Trying to teach a kindergartner to write on a line is sheer pain! Don't believe me... Volunteer at your local elementary school and see for yourself. Or just come to my house... I am willing to share!

Hurricanes in Texas can be as scary as hurricanes that hit the coast. Can we say Texas dirt does not absorb... ANYTHING!

My H1c came back as not diabetic before pregnancy.... Woo Hoo!!! This means I only have gestational diabetes AND that I did not conceive with a high glucose level which causes birth defects. I really hope M&M's don't do that!

I need more hours in day on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... I apparently don't get enough sleep.

Well, ladies and gents... That is my week in a nut shell. I hope you all had a great week!!! Happy Friday!!!

Row Row Row Your Boat....

Most of us were jokingly singing this on Tuesday morning when the rain began. We've had a dry spell here in the Heart of Texas and we really needed the rain! Growing up along the coast, I watched the news about Hurricanes. I know their destruction, but I have to admit when you are nearly 3.5 hours from the coast you just don't give much attention to it... I didn't anyway. What's a little rain?

Well.... When you wake up to this:

 Salado Creek before and during the flood

Nolanville, TX near Nolan Creek

You begin to think that the Ark you thought about building might have been something handy to have. 

Our house sits up on the high end of our little valley and looks down into Nolanville. Nolanville sits nestled into the valley. Salado is to our South about 8 miles. All around us was flood waters. Tiny streams turned into raging rivers as the rain fell. We were blessed. When we came out of our little house in the morning it looked simply like it had rained; nothing more. It wasn't until we drove down into the valley that we saw the destruction of 12 inches of rain! Friends lost homes as waters whipped around them and pulled the houses off their foundations. Trailers gone.... Pulled into the nearby swollen waterways. I counted my blessings yesterday as our family and friends emerged one by one from their homes or safe places and we knew that they were okay.

So today starts clean up! It's time for our community to begin to rebuild as the sun rises. I have to admit though.... I wonder how the farmer down the street got his cow out of the tree? .

Count your blessings!!! Every one counts!

Living with Diabetes...

Ugh! Where is my Mother when I need her??? I truly wish she were here or that I listened better right about now. I've been away awhile, and I seriously apologize. It isn't for lack of wanting to blog, but more along the lines of what else can possibly go wrong???

As you can see above, I am now living with diabetes. Apparently this isn't just gestational diabetes either... I had pre-diabetes before even becoming pregnant. This coupled with raging hormones (I swear I am worse than an adolescent teen girl) has caused my pancreas to just completely slow down. Apparently, this is genetic from what my aunt tells me, but I can't for the life of me remember what my Mom said about it. Grr... It wouldn't matter anyway really since I would still have to manage it now. This means that I have to really count my carbs and fats and let me tell you, just about everything anyone consumes has carbs in it! Just look the nutritional facts on the back of anything and you will see how many grams of carbs and fats you consume per serving... Not per bag, can, etc. Even milk, fruit and vegetables contain carbs. Sigh....

Before you tell me it is easy, I task you with this... write down everything you put into your mouth for 1 week. This includes everything you drink, eat, or taste and the amount you consumed. Then sit down and mark 1 Carb for every 15 grams of carbohydrates you consume. Like that big apple? Those can be up to 3 carbs! How about orange juice? 4 oz is 1 Carb.  Then talk to me about how low you keep your Carbs.

Now, I know about Truvia, Stevia, Splenda and Nutra Sweet, but I am pregnant and none of those are good for the baby... They aren't good for me either in large amounts.... By the way, daily is a large amount. :)  I do drink a few sips off of a Diet Rite (Splenda)  sometimes and I do eat the occasional yogurt lite just because I need to, but only once in a blue moon because then it is hard to put it down... I suppose once I am no longer pregnant that I will be able to consume these things a little more regularly, but for now they are a very sparing thing...

Right now, I am trying to find recipes that are healthy and have low carbs... Oh and as to not be too demanding are easy to make. :) I've made the pot roast and the grilled chicken. I've also made pork chops (which still gives me the heebie Jeeves) and other things, but I'm looking to broaden my horizons. I want flavor and different ways of serving foods, so it isn't all arranged protein, vegetable, carb.... So if you come across something you have that you'd like to share... Please do!!! I am reeling a bit from being diagnosed with a scary disease as well as searching for good eats. :) Any ideas... Send them my way!