"I feel pretty..."

Don't ask me why I'm wandering around singing songs from 'West Side Story'...  Heaven only knows.  I am (completely unreasonably) blaming my friend Sarah - who I recently went to see perform spectacularly in a local production of Iolanthe (no - not even close to West Side Story - I know)...  Just seems to have made me remember every musical theatre production I have ever been in, or even seen...

Still, any excuse for a good sing...

Today I am extra pleased having bought a couple of items of new clothes from the local fashion house (Sainsbury's), that not only fit, but were in the sale, and look nice.  Marvellous. 

Brilliant timing too actually, as I have recently killed yet another pair of jeans...  I don't know what it is about me and jeans - but generally speaking - the relationship never lasts long, and they always end up dead!  Ah well, just as well my relationship with jeans has no correlation with my relationship with people... 

Anyway, moving on...

Last week when it was raining (again), and we were stuck in the house (again) I decided to calculate my BMI.  BMI (or Body Mass Index) is a guide which uses your weight and your height to calculate whether you are a healthy weight - or not.  There are other ways to do this, and it's by no means a cast iron rule, but it gives you an idea.

I guess writing about my Dad losing weight in my last post made me think about it.  Since having my children I've lost a little bit of the weight I gained through having them, but not all of it...  I guess that's not unfamiliar territory to a lot of mothers.  In my experience, looking after small children is very tiring - but not actually very good exercise...  It seems a bit unfair really.

So anyway, my BMI actually worked out at 26.2, which really isn't bad at all considering the healthy range for BMI is 20-25.  It made me think; actually my perception of my figure and how I look is probably not very accurate.  I think (or thought) of myself as an overweight person, when really - I'm a 'slightly-less-fit- than-I-could-be' person...

So - what to do...  Hmmm...  Time for some action points I think:

1. Stop worrying about it - the more I worry about this sort of thing, the more I want to eat cake anyway... 
2. Try to keep up the exercise - I find this is good for the mental health as much as anything, but I'm sure it would help with the toning up a bit too.  So God, if you could stop the rain - and make it nice and sunny - I'll do some more cycling...
3. Try to dress with a bit more thought...  After all, the kids are big enough to not cover everything I wear in snot now...  I know there are things I wear that look nice, and things that make me look like a slob.  It's not rocket science...  That said, we all need to slob sometimes; everything in moderation!
4. Pray.  After all, God promises He can renew my mind (see Romans 12), and I'm sure most of my issues with my body are actually in my head.

Oh, and maybe a bit more singing:

"See that pretty girl in that mirror there!...."

The biggest loser...

I can't believe there's actually a programme on the TV called 'The Biggest Loser'.  What's even more difficult to comprehend is that actually, this is a coveted title...  The contestants on it want to be referred to as 'The BIGGEST Loser'.  Oh my goodness.  They have actually made weight-loss a competitive sport.

I haven't watched by any means all of this programme; but I've pretty much grasped the premise.  Lots of over-weight people live together in a house (OK - huge mansion...), trying to complete horrible challenges (watching them trying to resist the chocolate was particularly painful), being encouraged (shouted at) by personal trainers whilst they exercise, all before a team weigh in...  The team with the highest combined weight-loss is safe from elimination (Yes, well it is 'reality TV' - you couldn't really get away without an elimination could you...  Best not to think about it in a dieting context though...  'Elimination' could refer to something else entirely...)

I'm not sure whether I'm impressed, shocked or just really sad for the contestants, but it does seem like a very emotional and stressful experience.  Each weigh in has them dripping with more sweat than the sessions with the personal trainer...  Still, I guess if it's working for them - you can't knock it.  And they do have Davina Macall there to be soothing / encouraging too.  I guess the big question is whether they will be able to keep the weight off once they return to the real world.

My Dad has been overweight (to a greater or lesser degree) for the whole of my life; but recently, he has become our family's own 'Biggest Loser'.  He's lost over three stone now with help from Weight Watcher's (and from my Mum - she's lost a stone herself, just by being supportive and not leading him into temptation... Well done Mum x) 

So Dad, this post is dedicated to you.  Congratulations on losing weight whilst remaining in the real world, and not being shouted at...  I salute you. Gxx

Rain

I don't expect I'm the only person who's moderately depressed by the weather today.  Here we are - half term holiday - both boys at home - and it's rained solid all day.  And yesterday too.  Marvellous.

I know I should be grateful that it's not freezing too.  It is February after all.  A while back, in fact one of my earliest blog posts, I wrote a song about the rain - and then it was August.  It just shows, no month is immune from the 'rainy day blues'...

So - to cheer me, and hopefully you, up a bit - I thought I would try and list a whole load of songs that mention rain... 

So here we go:

1. The Rainy Day Blues - Me!
2. Purple Rain - Prince
3. Rain - Mika
4. Rain - The Beatles
5. The rhythm of the rain - The Cascades
6. I can't stand the rain - Ann Peebles (This was famously covered by Tina Turner - but this is better!)
7. Singing in the rain - Gene Kelly - or maybe this one!

Now - add your own...
And hope it stops soon xx

Reflections on a poo pile...

There's a country lane near where I live that is surrounded by a mixture of farm land and houses.  I drive down this road every day when I take the boys to school.

Recently, this part of my drive has been a bit more fragrant...  Or to be frank about it; smelly...  It properly pongs.  The reason for this is the huge pile of manure sat in a field, waiting to do its fertilising duty. This poo pile is the size of a house; and it's been sitting there for a while now, steaming away.  Lovely.

I was musing a little on this as I drove past it for the 78th time...  Obviously the manure is not pleasant, particularly for the farmer who must have to spend more time with it than most.  However, it does serve a purpose; after all, you'd have to be completely certifiable to spread muck all over your fields if it had no appreciable benefits...

I think it's pretty amazing (or you could say creative of God) that something that is so obviously a waste product can be so nourishing for the soil.  God is particularly good at recycling. 

I do wonder though, who first thought: 'I know, I'll put poo on my flowers - that will make them grow better'...  Maybe some divine inspiration...  Heavenly horticulture?

And then I got to wondering...  What about all the metaphorical poo in the world?  All the job losses, relationship break-ups, horrible illnesses, sleepless nights, and so on...  The 'life's going along OK, and then all of a sudden, you're flattened by an unexpected pile of (hopefully metaphorical) poo that arrives out of nowhere'.  Actually, I shouldn't be flippant; sometimes being covered in real poo would actually be preferable...

So here's the thing...  What if God can actually create something good out of the apparently meaningless, horrible thing?  Is it possible that God can redeem even these situations?  Can God - as Rastamouse would say - 'make a bad ting good'?

The apostle Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Romans (see chapter 5:3-5) where he writes:
"...we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Much greater minds than mine have spent a lot of time thinking about the issue of suffering, and whether it causes a problem with belief in a loving God.  If this is a big question for you - then it would be another good reason to go on an Alpha Course (I know, I know - more shameless plugging!).  I truly believe that God really is the master at bringing good out of a seemingly hopeless situation.  He's done it in my life, and He can do it in yours too. 

I know it's much easier to write it down than to live it...  but I think when times get really tough, it's then we have to trust that He is the master gardener, and He knows what He's doing.

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy

Last night we had an unwelcome and unexpected visitor...

To be honest, Joel had probably been carrying the little blighter around for a few days.  No, not head lice...   Worse; a vomiting bug.  Marvellous.

I was a bit surprised, as often you do have a clue when your kids are going to be ill.  They're a bit grumpy / badly behaved / off their food / just not right...  None of this happened yesterday; Joel was on good form.  Sadly, that wasn't much consolation when I was helping to catch (maybe) the 14th lot of vomit at four in the morning...  I had actually lost count by then, and so had Joel...  He must have been ill...

So today, Joel didn't go to school.  He's actually been surprisingly perky, and although not eating completely normally, he seems well on the way to recovery.

I wish I could say the same for me.

One night of rubbish sleep, and I'm a wreck.  Where did my stamina go?  Actually, in my defence Joel probably slept better than I did; as he went straight back to sleep each time, where as I just lay there waiting and listening for the next installment (I know, lovely this isn't it...)

The thing is, back when my children were tiny - I remember feeling fabulous (OK, pretty great - mustn't exaggerate too much...) if I could just get four hours sleep together. Despite the fact that the sleep deprivation phase just seemed to last forever.  I also remember wondering if I would actually ever sleep a whole night through again - it just seemed so unlikely.  I was wildly jealous of the people getting full nights of sleep, who weren't appreciating it...  It just seemed so unfair, that as the tiredest person in the world (sleep deprivation obviously leaves you entirely rational) I was getting the least amount of sleep...

In my time as a midwife I lost count of the number of times I reminded people that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture, and that it wasn't surprising that they felt pretty shoddy.  I know, I was a little ray of sunshine, wasn't I?!  (In my defence, I was probably trying to explain to them that they were experiencing normal motherhood, and that there wasn't something terribly wrong with their little bundle of joy...  Midwives should all carry a neon sign that says: "Yes, it's normal", because it normally is!)  Still, having had two babies of my own, I truly empathise with the long term sleep deprived mother...  It does get better. 

So now, predictably, I am going to have a nice bath, and go to bed, hoping that I get to stay there; and that there's no more vomit in my house (or anywhere else in my life for that matter) for at least a month.  Optimistic or foolishly unrealistic? 

Ah well, wish me luck.

Sweet dreams xx

Reasons to be Thankful, 1,2,3...

I stumbled across this looking for something else...  It's genius!! :o)

I've always liked Paulo Nutini and his slightly random lyrics and accent - he's a bit difficult to understand at times, but this song is definitely worth the effort...  Particularly when you've got some words on the screen to help you.

It made me think about how often we take for granted the things that we have.  Not many of us spend time being thankful for 'food in my belly and a licence for my telly'...  But I think we would be happier if we were a bit more grateful.  Maybe it would help us to focus more on what we have, rather than the things we haven't got that we'd like...

My kids are an example to me in this.  Each evening when we have tea, we try to remember to thank God for the food He's given us, and for anything else they want to mention.  They often come out with all sorts of random, if slightly mundane things: playing on the computer (Thank you Lord for CBeebies online - you have helped me cook so many meals...), sausage sandwiches (whilst eating something else), playing with friends, favourite toys...  My friend's daughter thanked God for Asda in her prayers recently...

So today, I will mostly be being thankful. 

For funky tunes to dance to, for good friends, for cups of tea, for my fabulous children, for Jesus, for my husband (so often taken for granted, but not today - love you x), for hot meals (those I haven't had to cook, and those I have), for a licence for my telly, for the opportunity to blog, for singing, for all the bits of my body still working as they should, for the people who smile at me when I'm playing the guitar at church, for chocolate, for central heating, for my comfy bed...

Thank you xx

The three year old engineer

You know your small boy (or girl) is going to be an engineer - at least in brain type, if not exact career path, when:

1. He lines up everything neatly.  There are too many examples of this in Nathan's life to count...  But a couple would be the lining up of any vehicles he's playing with, and his playing of the memory game: All cards must be the same way up, even if it's just the pictures on the reverse of the cards, and they must be placed in neat lines...  Heaven help us if anyone introduces him to a set-square!
2. When drinking from a glass, he has to position it so the writing (IKEA!) is horizontal... 
3. When playing with a car with motorised wheels, he picks it up, just to turn it upside down and watch the wheels going round.
4. His vehicle noises are convincing enough to get you to look in the sky to see the aeroplane that isn't actually there.
5. His three favourite things are a torch, a screwdriver and a tape measure (metal and retractable, of course...)
6. He has an inbuilt fascination with how things work...  The trigger for this post was a few incidents I had with Nathan emerging from the bathroom with a wet sleeve...  It was wet with water, nothing more unpleasant, but more wet than would have been caused by an over enthusiastic hand washing.  I found out the cause of this by spying on him...  Let's just say that toilet cisterns are plenty wet enough, and also very interesting to a certain type of brain...