Week 23, Day 4

I had my last "normal" trip home yesterday before Dad's surgery. It's the last time life will be as it is now before it takes a paradigm shift one way or another. Either he will be gone or he will be well and the aneurysm dragon that has terrorized us for a decade will be vanquished. No one talked about the surgery. We talked a bit about transportation, just to make sure we knew who was driving the folks over to Omaha and who was sleeping at whose house. Mom and Dad will be staying with me a couple of days after he's dismissed from the hospital. He said he will be eager to get home, though, and back to normal life. And then he added, "But if things go badly, of course, I won't really care anymore." And then he chuckled and there was a weird silence before the conversation began moving along again, this time about a different topic. Dad mentioned to mom that their appointment with the lawyer is this coming Wednesday. I asked if something was wrong, and they said it was to update their wills. But they said it not so much in the context of the surgery -- more like "Oh and your mother has a hair appointment the next day, too." So...I guess Mom and Dad are okay with everything. And that, of course, is what I have wanted. I just wasn't expecting it. Not from them. They are the ones who always see that the sky is falling, but they're sure it's falling directly on them and infused with the latest, most deadly strain of swine flu. This is much better.

One of the most normal and joyous parts of the visit involved Little Man. When Wifey brought him upstairs to visit me, his face lit up with a huge smile, he toddled over to me with what passes for his best version of running, and raised his arms for me to lift him up into my lap. This was the FIRST TIME. Oh yeah, I love my Little Man! In previous visits he has smiled when he sees me, and he has come over to me. But this is the first time he has made efforts to climb up into my lap. We spent hours playing, chasing each other, and yes, I still am able to bounce him up in the air over my head. Perhaps not what most people think of when they hear the word "workout", but let's just say I slept well last night. :)

Mom still doesn't get that I'm on a diet. She had cheesecake on the table for dessert last night. Bless her heart, she means well. I had a small inch-by-inch piece, and it seemed to make her happy that I didn't turn her down. I love her for wanting to spoil me. But when I go stay with them after Dad's surgery, I will have to be very diligent in watching my calories.

Today's Tip:
Jillian Michaels, one of the trainers on the Biggest Loser show, shared this on her Facebook page. She says it is, "An interesting overview of healthy food or lack thereof in your area. Use this as a resource tool to affect positive change!" Check it out by clicking here>> Your Food Environment Atlas or by cutting and pasting this link into your browser>> http://www.ers.usda.gov/FoodAtlas/