Hudson's Field Trips

I'm backing up a little bit to share a few trips that Hudson's class enjoyed before school ended.  The first one was to the Fresno State Planetarium and Farm.  The second one was to Blackbeard's Family Fun Center.

Inside the Planetarium waiting for the show to start.  I chuckle at this picture because of the difference in our skin tone.  I swear he's mine!

 Hudson wanted me to take a picture of that thing.

After watching the star show, the kids were taken into the lobby to make a craft.  Hudson needs practice with his cutting skills.  He is capable, but SLOW!

Our principal has a rule that when on a field trip, the kids must be in Mass Dress.  That means button up shirts, sweater or vest, pants, and ties.  They all look so nice.

Just about done!  The other moms and I stood around talking about lasik eye surgery!  Field trips are always a fun time to catch up with other moms that I might not see very often.

After the Planetarium, we walked a short distance down to the Fresno State Farm for a tour.

 I think they may have been looking at the pigs in this picture.  We got to see horses, cows, and pigs.  The tour guide was pretty knowledgeable and kept the group moving.

Hudson is such a goober.  I have to share this story...even though it is slightly inappropriate!  There was a male pig who was facing away from us.  In full view were his rather large testicles.  All the kids, of course, were laughing and snickering.  Hudson pipes up and says, "That pig is going to have two babies!"  Oh Lord!  I didn't bother to tell him that he was NOT looking at a pregnant pig with two babies!  I told him later, and he could not stop laughing.  We've gotten some good laughs out of that one!

There were big pigs and little pigs.  It was a chilly morning, so all the pigs were snuggled together for heat.  It reminded me of Bandit and Harry.

My kids are growing up in such a different environment from my childhood.  They just don't see farm animals very often.  Part of that makes me sad, but I realize it is a different life.  In any case, I am glad that they got to see the farm and listened to the guide talk to them about the food in the grocery store coming from these animals.

 Precious little face. #lashes

 His "enough with the pictures" face.

 His "now I'm really getting irritated with you" face.

 Walking past the cows.  So jaunty.

One mama cow was ready to give birth.  When we first walked over to the area, she was standing.  A few minutes later when we turned to leave, she was on the ground.  We thought she might be going into labor.  That caused a few minutes of complete excitement!

The guide said they just give birth unassisted and that a farm worker would be around later to check on things and collect the baby when it was born. Um, sad.

 Hello cow!

 Cows are fun.  Can't you tell from Hudson's expression?!

 All the kids on the big, industrial scale.  Hudson's little face is behind the boy in the white shirt.

Just think, in a few short years, these kiddos will be in my 8th grade class.  And this teacher/mommy is going to lose her mind when it is their turn to graduate.  Look at the two cuties in front holding hands!  So sweet and little!

After the tour, the room mom arranged to have pizza delivered to the picnic area.  Someone asked for a ball.  Hudson piped up that we had a soccer ball in the car.  I walked back to the car to get it, and the kids and parents enjoyed a super fun game of soccer!

I was proud that I didn't sit on the sidelines!  I even ran (in a strange awkward way due to lack of proper under clothing designed to contain body parts!) and made contact with the ball a time or two!

 It was a very close game. I think parents won!

Sister Monica is a FIERCE soccer player!  Do not get in between her and the ball!  She also wasn't above lifting a child out of the way to get a goal!  I am going to miss this crazy nun!

Enjoying a moment together.

 Crazy faces!

 Oh I love this child!

I am so glad I attended this field trip.  I almost didn't go because my 8th graders were at their retreat with Father Robert.  I didn't need to be with them for the day, but I get them lunch, and make sure they have what they need.  With a little coaxing, some of the other teachers encouraged me that they would gladly handle watching the 8th grade when needed.  I don't know why I didn't even consider attending in the first place!  That is one of the reasons I feel so blessed to teach at my school: I get to see and experience life with my kids.  This was a good day with good memories.

The second field trip to Blackbeard's is a last week of school tradition for the Pre-K through 3rd graders.  Hudson and I got to the parking lot and I needed to unload snacks and water.  I asked him if he needed me.  He said no and took off!

 I found him later in the morning and walked around with him through a solo match of mini golf! #chowchillarepresented

 Not my favorite place, but Hudson seemed to like having me there.

 Bumper boats are super fun!

 Handling that boat like a pro!

 He didn't want to dock his boat.

 Miniature golf.  Hudson chose the Old West course.  I don't think I had ever been on that one before.

 He got a hole in one!

 Then Hudson went on the water slides while I took selfies.

 His head is by the purple mat.

These are the very first water slides I ever went on when I was a kid.  My babysitter that I completely idolized let me stay with her for a weekend, and we saw Back to the Future in the theater, ate at TGI Friday's, and came to Blackbeard's and slid down these very slides!  Oh the memories!

He went up and down these slides no less than 20 times!  Great workout and lots of fun!

I was glad I got to be with Hudson on both of his field trips this year.  He seems to like having me with him.  Next year, Dad will go with him on the big train trip to Sacramento!

Gastric Sleeve Surgery - A Wife's Perspective: Part 7 - Living Life

Every Wednesday I am going to write about the process of Eric going through weight loss surgery to record my feelings and perspective as the wife on the sidelines.  *This hasn't happened every Wednesday, so I apologize for that.  As this is an extremely personal decision on Eric's part to change his life, I am trying my best to stay true to my feelings, while at the same time accurately recording the events.

To date, Eric has been through an informational seminar, a physical, a nutrition class, completed the swallow test, had an endoscopy completed, had a psych evaluation, had the surgery, and is recovering well.

I usually take pictures of the myself and the kids, so this is the last picture of Eric that was on my phone.  He was outside helping Hudson with his new bike wearing clothes that would previously not have fit.

Life lately has been fantastic!  At exactly 8 weeks post surgery today, Eric has lost approximately 55 pounds, he has tremendous energy, he likes to exercise, and he has experienced several NSV (non scale victories...I'll get into those later in this post).

Let me back up a little bit.  The first week after surgery was rough because Eric was on a clear liquid diet.  That was hard on him.  It was also hard on my watching him feel so frustrated with his lack of being able to eat anything.  I was also fearful of eating in front of him because I didn't want to make him feel bad.  It took a little time for me to get to a place where I am able to eat food in front of him that he can't have.  I still try not to flaunt my choices, but I also realize that he is not resenting us for eating foods he can't digest at the moment. (With that being said, I have overhauled our diet as well. Better choices are being made for the whole family.)

Little by little, Eric was able to add new foods into his diet.  By about week three or four, he was pretty much able to eat what he wanted except for breads, rice, pasta, and popcorn.  He won't be able to have those items for at least six months.  Every once in a while I miss having microwave popcorn.  I also get a craving for pizza.  Funny enough, when you get past the temptation, it feels empowering!

The day he was able to eat a salad was a triumphant occasion!  Eric eats pretty much what he wants, just in small portions: steak, chicken, sausage, salad, eggs, and so much more.  At one point his weight loss seemed to stall for a few days.  After doing some research, he figured that he needed more protein.  Given his height, he needs to eat something like 90+ grams of protein a day.  That is pretty tough given that he only eats three small 3 ounce meals each day.  He has started supplementing with protein shakes.  As soon as he started doing that, the weight started dropping again.

We have definitely changed some things in our house.  Changes that come to mind include: no more diet soda in the frig, staggered eating schedule, no more rice or pasta, limited bread, no candy.  Eric drinks a TON of water.  I should take a lesson from him!  There are days when we simply can't eat dinner as a family anymore due to his need to eat at regular intervals.  In the past on late soccer nights, we would all just wait until practice was over and eat dinner together at 8:30 at night.  We just can't do that anymore, and Eric usually eats dinner at work before driving to practice.  This requires a bit of extra planning as well because now he has to think about lunch and dinner on some days.

There have some great changes for the kids and myself as well.  I don't serve rice or pasta at dinner anymore.  Those items don't add much in the way of nutrient benefits, so it's a good thing.  Instead, I usually serve fruit.  (I've lost weight along with Eric!  Yay!)  I'm trying to focus on balance for our meals more than ever.  The kids are actually trying more fruits and vegetables, and everyone seems fine with the process.

We rarely ate out for the first month or so.  Now that Eric is able to eat meat, we have a few more options available to us.  For instance, we went to Sweet River last night and he ordered steak.  He only ate about three ounces, and the rest is left overs.  I ordered a chicken sandwich, and after receiving it, realized I didn't need or want the bun.  Again, trying to make small and healthy changes.

One major thing that I did was to give up candy.  It was a show of solidarity for Eric who has had to give up so much (willingly, but still!).  I haven't had a single piece of candy, chocolate, jelly bean or sweet tart in eight weeks.  At first it was tough.  Now I don't crave the sugar.  If I truly want something sweet, I still allow myself a cookie, cupcake or cake, but we rarely have those items in the house, so it really isn't an issue.

Two nights ago, I was CRAVING sweets.  Eric even offered to drive to the store to get me cake.  As much as I wanted something like that, I knew it wasn't really going to make me feel better.  Instead, I made a cup of my Folgers Vanilla Biscotti coffee with two Spenda packets and two tablespoons of caramel creamer.  That did several things for me.  It gave me something sweet.  It gave me something to do with my hands.  It was warm and soothing.  It took a while to drink.  By the time I finished the coffee, my craving for cake was gone.  *Note to self...do not drink coffee at 8 at night!  I need to get some decaffeinated tea k-cups for those types of late night cravings!

Eric and I have been to the gym quite a bit.  I told him I wanted to build back up to running a 5K or further.  He completely surprised me by saying he wants to run as well because he wants to do a Color Me Rad!  I about fell over!  This is the man who said that if he's running, there had better be something chasing him!  Cue tears!

We did a 6.5 mile walk on Memorial Day which would have been near to impossible before surgery.

I see such a big change in his face as he gets slimmer and slimmer!

There have been several NSV's as well.  Eric has been able to fit into many pieces of clothing that had been in his closet for quite some time.  He was able to buy two pairs of pants at Wal Mart.  This was huge because he used to have to go to the specialty store where they have nice things, but it is soooooo much more expensive.  The freedom to shop at place like Wal Mart or Kohl's is freeing.  The other night our 10-year-old was able to wrap his arms all the way around Eric's waist when giving him a hug.  And more tears.  Eric fits into booths at restaurants without me worrying that he is going to be uncomfortable. He is comfortable sitting in lawn chairs.

Our life has definitely changed.

I am so very proud of my husband.  He is using this surgery as a tool.  He doesn't have this unrealistic expectation that it is a miracle cure.  He doesn't try to cheat and eat food that he can't have.  He is very mindful about what he is putting in his body.  I am looking forward to so many more great days.  (We are even planning a big trip to Disneyland in February.  I have a feeling the man is going to be on every ride with the kids!)

Has this been easy?  No.  Would Eric do it all over again?  In a heartbeat.

Memorial Day - Carry the Load

A few weeks ago while on my 8th grade trip to Disneyland, I was talking to my principal's mom and she shared with me the special walk that her church was sponsoring on Memorial Day called Carry the Load.  (Yes, my principal's mom goes on the trip and she is spunkier than the kids!  Love her, and it's been a privilege getting to know her at various functions over the past few years!)

I asked Eric what he thought about the idea, and he was all for it.  I found out a little bit more about the event, and we planned to attend.

This is the second year the Clovis Hills Community Church sponsored this event and it brings awareness to "put the meaning back into Memorial Day."  A lot of us might spend a moment thinking about the ultimate sacrifice our service men and women gave for our freedom, but what do we truly do to show our thanks?  Have a BBQ?  Enjoy the day off?

None of those things are wrong, but it was really nice to do something concrete and significant to show our appreciation for the those who have served and lost their life in protecting the freedoms we enjoy in this great country.  Eric and I both wrote the names of our grandpas on our walk bibs.  Eric's grandpap, John Snyder, and my grandpa, Victor Hartman, both served in WWII.  They didn't die from the war, but we are appreciative of their service and sacrifice.  I remember seeing the telegram that my grandpa received letting him know that my dad had been born!  Crazy!

Up early on a holiday weekend and ready to go!  It was chilly at first.  We quickly shed the layers as the sun beat down and the walk got longer!  (Evan stayed home.  By this point, it had already been a really long weekend and he just wanted to chill out.  However, I hated that he wasn't there with us.)

 At this point, we were still with the group.  That changed after a bathroom break!

 Happy!

Since we are fairly new back into this healthy lifestyle, we figured jumping all in and walking 13.1 miles might be rough.  We decided to walk half of the half!  Eric parked his car at the Veteran's Memorial in Clovis (the halfway point), and I picked him up and we drove out to the starting point at the church.

There were probably a good 50 men, women, and kids doing the walk.  I can only hope that the event grows each year, because it was such a great way to spend the holiday morning.

We took off at 7 a.m.  By accident we started out in front!  People get shifting back behind me.  As we started walking, we drifted to the back.  About a mile in, Hudson needed to pee, so we stopped for him to go.  That pushed us to the very back of the group.  But it didn't matter!  We were doing it!

Eric hates this picture because his mouth is open, but I was just trying to get all three of us in the frame while walking.  Ignore his funny look!

The event coordinators were great about driving by to check on us.  We assured them we were fine.  Huddy got pretty tired in between miles 4 and 5.  I carried him on my back for a bit.  But overall, he was a TROOPER!  We were all feeling it by mile 6!  Sore feet and joints were making it a true reminder of the sacrifice that soldiers give.

We stopped to take a small break under some shady trees.  The trails in Clovis are really pretty with benches, trees, and sunny patches all throughout.  The paths follow the old railroad lines.

Such a great attitude!

He's definitely gotten better about posing with me for pictures!

The same can be said for this one as well!  I love that he'll usually smile for my camera.

It was tempting to sit there for much longer.  But we had to get to the car!

After our little rest break, we got up and kept going.  We made it to mile 6.  For some reason, I really loved this mile marker and the message, "I got your 6!"

Rock Star!!

We made it to the Veteran's Hall in Clovis, got in Eric's car, and drove back to the church!  Only doing half was a really good call.  As Eric said, next year we'll ride our bikes out to the church, do the full half, and ride home.  #ambitious #lovethisnewlife

Once back to the church, we enjoyed a BBQ hot dogs, drinks, and chips.  We wanted to get home, and we were pretty wiped out.  But first we stopped by the Meat Market and picked up some yummy chicken for dinner.  Then we went to Mickey's Yogurt because we promised Hudson that he could have a giant frozen yogurt after walking his little legs 6.5 miles!

I swear there is yogurt in there!  It just felt right to load the cup up with fresh fruit.  So refreshing after the exertion of the morning.

We told him he could have as much as he wanted!

According to my Fitbit, I walked over 17,000 steps, got in over 7 miles of walking, and was active for 170 minutes.  I definitely reached my goals today!

And then we got home and I fell asleep for two hours!  The rest of the day was spent relaxing, eating the yummy chicken, and being with family.

Weekend Wrap Up - Schools Is Out!

School is over for the year!  The kids and I get a whole week off before starting summer school.  Well, my time is borrowed because I'm on call for jury duty, but I'm planning to enjoy my days of no plans!

Both boys cleaned up in the awards department on the last day.

Evan: Gold Honor Roll Trimester 3, Principal's Honor Roll (gold all three trimesters), Funeral Team, Excellence in Math, Excellence in P.E, Perfect Attendance Trimester 3, Year Long Perfect Attendance.

Hudson: Gold Honor Roll Trimester 3, Perfect Attendance Trimester 3, Excellence in Social Studies, Excellence in P.E.

I think I've got a couple of handsome, smart, and crazy boys on my hands!  And then they posed in my office with a lemon and a goofy face!


We went to Chowchilla to celebrate my nephew Hunter's promotion to high school.  Since I didn't take any pictures, I'll steal one from my sister off of Facebook.

We spent Saturday relaxing, working on laundry, and I went to the gym.  On Saturday evening, we drove to Hanford to celebrate our nephew Michael's graduation from Fresno State.  He is going to law school in San Diego.  Funny story...he is going to be roommates with my principal's son who is also attending there.  I facilitated that!  Now I hope it works out for them!

 The boys got to go swimming.  I made them take pictures with me as usual.

Special.

It was a loud and fun party.  I always feel like Eric's family is huge because he is one of five kids, and there are 13 grand kids.  When you come from a family of four that typically did not leave town for holidays, marrying into a large family felt overwhelming at times.

Well...let me just say that the Forcey Family has NOTHING on the Conway family!  Michael's dad (my brother in law Jim) is one of 10.  And they were mostly all at the party with spouses and kids.  Oh my!  The loud factor reached epic levels to my little homebody ears!  It was easy to tell that they have a lot of fun getting together!

On Sunday morning we attended Mass.  It was dedicated to the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.  They are leaving Clovis and will no longer be associated with our school.  I am terribly sad and can't bear to think of our school without these beautiful souls scurrying across the blacktop.

The mayor of Clovis issued the Sisters a proclamation.  Apparently, her son attended OLPH many moons ago.

Sister Isabel prepared both of the boys for their First Reconciliation and First Communion.  She is just the sweetest and most caring person around.  She will be relocated to the Catholic School in Madera.  I sure hope she comes to visit.

Hudson wanted to go to 2Extreme trampoline place, so we all headed there for a few hours.  I read magazines.  The boys jumped.

 Then we came home and I made mango salsa.  Oh my goodness it was good!

I only intended to put one scoop on my tri tip, but I ended up eating all the salsa I made!  I'll have to make another batch tomorrow!  I really enjoy fresh fruit and veggie options during the summer.

I don't have jury duty tomorrow, so that means we can make it to our allergy appointment and our dentist appointments.  I'd also like to ATTACK the boys room and sort and toss their clothes.  It looks like a darn clothing store in there.  But not in a good way!