"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!...."

If you're happy/sad/excited/cross and you know it...

Yesterday I wrote a Facebook status about listening to my younger son Nathan wandering around the house singing 'If you're happy and you know it - clap your hands'...  Most people who commented just thought it was cute, however - my sister (her with the nearly PhD) commented that although she appreciated the cuteness, she didn't really like the song.

Her issue with it was - what are the miserable kids supposed to do?  Fake it?  I can see her point - and actually someone from the BBC must agree with her, as on a Cbeebies episode of 'Something Special', they sang the song, but then added 'If you're sad and you know it - cry and cry', 'If you're cross and you know it - stomp your feet' and 'If you're excited and you know it - jump about'.

It got me thinking - this could be a guide to life.

Join in everyone...

If you're happy and you know it - clap your hands.
If you're happy and you know it - clap your hands.
If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it,
if you're happy and you know it - clap your hands.

If you're bored and you know it - read a book.
If you're bored and you know it - read a book.
If you're bored and you know it, just remember not to throw it,
If you're bored and you know it - read a book.

If you're angry and you know it - count to ten.
If you're angry and you know it - count again.
If you're angry and you know it, and you don't want to explode it,
If you're angry and you know it - count to ten.

If you're stressed and you know it - phone a friend.
If you're stressed and you know it - phone a friend.
And you might find it's not all that bad in the end,
if you're stressed and you know it - phone a friend.

If you're wiggly and you know it - do a dance.
If you're wiggly and you know it - even prance.
If you can't sit still for toffee, or you've just had too much coffee,
If you're wiggly and you know it - do a dance.
 
If you're indecisive and you know it - do them all.
(clap clap, read a book, count to ten, phone a friend, do a dance)
If you're indecisive and you know it - do them all.
(clap clap, read a book, count to ten, phone a friend, do a dance)
If you're indecisive and you know it, and you just don't want to blow it,
If you're indecisive and you know it - do them all.
(clap clap, read a book, count to ten, phone a friend, do a dance)
 
If you're tired and you know it - go to bed... xx