On Sunday after doing the bees, and after giving the whole house a deep clean over the course of the week in addition to studying math, I decided to have a lazy Sunday. (Okay there was a little laundry.) I set up in the dining room and played games on my laptop, which is something I don’t usually have time to do for hours at a stretch, unless it’s at the expense of sleep.
My sleep has been funny this month. For the first 5 days of the Whole30 I was pretty sleepless, and now I am in Sleepy Valley. Last night my arms felt like lead and I could barely lift the big ceramic bowl of watermelon I served with dinner. I slept for about ten hours. This is pretty normal for day seven.
So I was a captive audience at the table.
“Mooooom can I give you a makeover???”
“Okay, but you have to do the whole thing. Base and all.”
She did it.
Check it out, I’m getting old. I even have some silver hairs sprouting at my part. Remember when I was in my early 20s and had a toddler and no crows’ feet? Ha. WATCH as this blogger ages before your eyes and forgets to move on to a new hobby.
This is one of her homemade crayon lip colors. Her boyfriend came over later and he got to dine with me in my Captain Hammer teeshirt and 27 pounds of makeup. Franny was very proud of her handiwork. The boyfriend and I talked a little about Reddit geekery as usual. Other than the animal heads (vegetarian) I think he likes it at our house.
I urged Franny to call her father on Friday and start figuring out her summer. She’s been having what sounds like typical teenage angsty squabbles over there with him and her stepmother, and is struggling with the food thing over there. She needed a break so hasn’t visited for about a month and a half. I’m delighted to have her, but I don’t want trouble from him. Also, I hate to say this, but I think it’s important that she do things that are not always fun or comfortable. The part of me that is her mommy and wants to pave every road in marshmallows and puppies for her fights with the part that knows she needs to fulfill her obligations and not always take the easiest path.
But I also get the dread of spending time in a place where you’re likely to eat something that can impact your health and mood for weeks, and are called an ingrate for avoiding things that may make you sick. It’s a tough one. I respect her for taking a break and some time to cool off.
So she called her dad to arrange her next visit (Father’s Day weekend). I think since they happened to talk he told her that her grandfather had suffered a minor stroke the night before. I told her to call him and check on him and offer to visit on Sunday (a couple of days ago). Her grandfather declined, saying he wanted to rest. The doctors thought he wouldn’t have any significant effects from it and she said he sounded fine. She was weepy Friday night but felt much better after talking to him on Saturday. She was dismayed her father hadn’t gone to visit him. She wanted to send him flowers so we did.
I’m not sure what’s going to happen after Franny’s grandpa dies. I do worry about him. He has always loved his fine dining and has been feast or famine about exercise. It’s worrying to me when someone is overweight or has high blood pressure and then hits racquetball really, really hard once a week. Perhaps the torch for organizing family vacations and whatnot will go to the Auntie Jaguar. Zod save us all if SeaFed inherits.
Dimples! Or dimple? I can’t tell. I am a one dimple. Also working on a pretty bitchin gray streak in my side bangs [combover]. And eyelash width sprouts on my chin. And spider veins on my fucking cheekbone, but just on the one side? But I refuse to makeup day-to-day. Only for the symphony.
Strength to Franny.
God, are these things signs of aging, now? I thought grey hair and black chin hair were puberty things…
Fuck.
Love the makeup! I was just rereading several of your posts about being nuked by hidden ingredients, and had an almost totally off-topic thought. Would it help to investigate kosher for Passover foods? They are utterly rigorously monitored so that nothing else gets in, particularly corn and wheat (‘cept matzo of course).
A: I think one dimple? I have a serious habit of not smiling in pictures, which I am trying to break.
misspiggy: It’s funny, just a couple of days ago I was at the library and I was looking at kosher cookbooks. I like to joke that I am a strict vegan now who loves meat. Of course I will eat honey when the bees make enough to take. I will have to look into this. I know this isn’t my pony-filled wonderland but a hard thing about the kosher deal is that it is hard to find good Asian sauces. But I am learning and subbing lots of things.
I did get some good cookbooks with a vegetarian/vegan slant. People talk about “food boredom” on a restricted diet or the Whole30 but I think about how I used to eat kind of a narrow window of things before (pasta, sandwiches, pastries sometimes) and I sort of internally shrug. It’s moot to think about but I do wonder how much of my enjoyment of certain fried/Asian foods was that cycle of inflammation and weird intoxication that eating something bad would bring on. A meal never feels like a small dose of morphine anymore.
Oh man, I could go on. Maybe this is a post. Dunno! Anyway, thanks. I need to educate myself about what kosher is now. :)
You are such an awesome mom! I think what is so frustrating to hear is that SeaFed and his wife don’t seem to respect Franny’s choice to eat healthier. It’s like they don’t seem to notice that she is actually a young adult and don’t listen or honor her choices. How hard is it to go food shopping and buy more veggies, fruit, and protein while she visits?
First: You look amazing. So healthy. I think you are glowing under all that foundation. Second: ugh SeaFed. As Franny gets older she will need to advocate for herself more and more in that situation so it is good (? relative) that she has those tools and can use them now, with you as backup. Sucks, though. I am pondering Whole30 and want your input when your 30 days is done. I try to do a reset every year or so and am interested in your take of it all.
Kathy: They do take her shopping for some things, but the budget’s tight. I think she gets into a pickle because they tend to eat out when she’s there (pizza, etc). If she’s there at the end of the month it sounds like the cupboards get rather bare, so it’s affordable and quick carbs for everyone (pasta, etc). I do encourage her to live on cheap stuff all weekend–eggs, rice, veggies. I do think there is a bit of a gap where they don’t realize how grown up she is in some ways. She gets frustrated or sick there and then they see snappy “teen” behavior.
Dorrie: Thanks!! I will write up the Whole30 at the end of the month. I’m not sure I’m going to stop on July 1 because I’m really enjoying the energy and clear skin right now. I did one last August and May 2014, but not nearly as strictly. Surprise, I am seeing more dramatic results this time. :p