With both Charlie I sick, Theresas fierce competitive nature wouldnt allow her to be left out of the attention circuit. She was holding our 4 month old puppy when she stumbled outside. In an effort to protect the pup, she held him tight allowing her head – not her hands – to take the brunt of the fall. As Charlie praised his little sister for saving the dogs life, I was quick to say Whoa! No. Next time – drop the dog, Reese! Drop the dog!
Horrible instincts. Just horrible!br /br /a href=http://blogs.2wd.com/files/2011/04/20110427-065813.jpgimg src=http://blogs.2wd.com/files/2011/04/20110427-065813.jpg alt=20110427-065813.jpg class=alignnone size-full //abr /br /a href=http://blogs.2wd.com/files/2011/04/20110427-065813.jpgimg src=http://blogs.2wd.com/files/2011/04/20110427-065813.jpg alt=20110427-065813.jpg class=alignnone size-full //a

My niece & her friend came to visit over Spring Break. We took super fun pics & I keep cracking up at how similar my niece & daughter look!

Thanks to the Trans Siberian Orchestra for their huge donation to The Food Bank at their amazing concert this past Saturday night!

I am about to embark on week 4 with Tidewater Bariatrics.  For 3 solid weeks, I have followed the plan without fail…well, wait…I have eaten ONLY what I am supposed to eat but it took my a while to actually figure a way to get in some PA (physical activity) on a consistent basis. 

The hardest part of any diet (I know, it’s a lifestyle change, not a diet…just work with me here is deciding what food is good, what food is bad, and then the negotiation of…”well, if I eat this today, but nothing tomorrow, I should be okay, right?…”  Ugh! 

Fortunately with TWB, since they provide the food, there is no room for error – or negotiating!  There are other places that provide food, but with TWB, they also have a weekly get together with people also new to the program.  That has been a MAJOR factor in my success.  First because it’s obvious that I’m not alone in this struggle…second because you learn new ideas & recipes from each other…and finally because they become a major part of your support structure.

Not everyone has support at home or at work…and that can almost guarantee failure.  We all need a cheering section!  If your family isn’t supportive – despite all of their efforts…or your coworkers order Chinese for lunch everyday and say “you look great!  One egg roll won’t hurt…” – you’ll need your group at TWB to get through it and reach your goal.

TWB also has the ‘mid-week’ call from one of their educators (who are SO helpful and informed…and GET IT).   Usually on Friday I get a call from Mariah (who is petite and adorable – thanks to her very own success with TWB) who wants to know how the week has been…she answers any questions I have… and helps me deal with any upcoming events that I may struggle with.  For example, this week Mariah will help me deal with EASTER AT MOM’S.  UGH! I know that will be a struggle for me, so we talk about it, find ways to diminish the temptation and remember the goals.

This week has been tough because it’s Spring Break and my 14 year old niece and her bff are in town.  We’ve been on the go – and I’ve been cooking more that I have in quite a while.  It’s hard to cook a meal and not taste-test! 

Last night I woke up about 2am and went to shut off the kitchen lights.  There on the counter were some delicious pumpkin muffins the girls had made earlier.  I thought to myself  “They smell so good, I’m a bit hungry – and really, they’re pumpkin muffins not cupcakes.  I can have a bite of one.”  NO!  I quickly recalled my perfect track record.  PERFECT track record…AND the question I asked myself when I started TWB almost 4 weeks ago…

“Why can I commit every ounce of energy to my family, but not to myself?  Why do I commit every penny of every dollar to my family, but not to myself? How can I convince myself I’m the greatest mom for my kids when I can’t commit 12 weeks to make myself healthier for me and them?”  And I realized that if I don’t commit this time and money and commitment to MYSELF, I’m teaching them a poor lesson.  I want them to put themselves first – but if I don’t do it now, they’ll never do it.

So…here I am…3 full weeks and 12 pounds lighter…and I am well on my way.  I’ll post more about TWB in the next few days…like what happens after 12 weeks – and what happens when diet becomes lifestyle…

Thank you for all of your emails & FB posts of support…it helps A LOT!

www.twb4u.com

The greatest description I’ve ever heard of my son came from my friend Robin who declared he is “24 karat boy!”. And I couldn’t agree more! He came running off the bus, a bit sweaty in his dirty jeans, Star Wars t-shirt & mop of hair…and dove on the ground and giggled uncontrollably as Lucky just pounced all over him. I love this kid!

Unprovoked bear attacks are very rare, and have never been documented in Virginia.

If you do meet a bear here are some suggestions:

• • Stay calm. If you see a bear and it has not seen you, calmly leave the area. As you move away, make noise to let the bear discover your presence.
• • Stop. Back away slowly while facing the bear.
• • Give the bear plenty of room to escape. Bears rarely attack people unless they feel cornered or provoked.
• • Do not run or make any sudden movements. Running could prompt the bear to give chase, and you cannot outrun a bear. If on a trail, step off the trail and slowly leave the area.
• • If there is a bear in your yard and it approaches you, make yourself look big and make loud noises. Remain at a safe distance and throw rocks to make the bear feel unwelcome.
• • If there is a bear in your house prop open all doors to the outside and get out of the way of the exit. Never close a bear into a room. Make noises and yell at bear to leave the house. Don’t approach the bear but make sure it knows it is violating your territory.
• • If you surprise a bear speak softly. This may reassure the bear that you mean it no harm.
• • Fight back. If a black bear attacks you, fight back. Black bears have been driven away when people have fought back with rocks, sticks, binoculars and even their bare hands.

(source: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear/black-bear-factsheet.pdf)

In the expert opinion of our District Wildlife Biologist, Aaron Proctor, there is no public safety good produced by shooting or relocating a bear simply because it has been sighted near a human population.

His Department has recently published a list of Bear Facts and Myths which include:

Myth: Shooting or relocating a ‘nuisance’ bear will solve the problem.

Fact: Removing a ‘problem’ bear and not the attractant will only create a newly available habitat niche so another bear can move right back in, creating a vicious cycle of killing.

The most important response is to keep a respectful distance.  Black bears have a natural distrust of humans, and in most cases would rather flee than have an encounter with people. If a bear is up a tree, give it space. Do not approach or gather around the base of the tree.

Animal Control stands ready to provide assistance in these matters as does the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.