So Blessed

I posted a while back about Tali 1 applying to a very prestigious school for their middle school program. I tried not to talk about it too much cause I didn’t want to jinx us. (Be quiet….I’m superstitious!) Well, the letter just came and it was a skinny letter. I swear I held on to it for a solid ten minutes. I finally took a deep breath and opened it and my baby is ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can’t lie, I cried like a baby. He is the newest student at arguably, the best middle school in PA and one of the top in the nation. At the Open House, they told us that almost every student accepted is a straight A student. We knew that competition was going to be thick and we didn’t want to put too much emphasis on him getting in. We continued to focus on his grades and keep moving forward but believe me, it has been in the back of our minds for the last year.

When I walked into the school, a few things jumped out at me…the diversity, the type of child at the school and the environment. It felt exactly like my alma mater, Brooklyn Tech. Students from all backgrounds, all nerdy (in a good way) in a positive and safe environment where learning is the focus. I knew instantly that my son was a perfect fit for the school. I just needed the school to agree.

I am on pins and needles and can’t wait to go pick him up today. He is going to be so excited. Now he will take the bus like a city kid into school everyday. I will probably have to get him his own *gasp* cell phone.  My baby (who turns ten next week) is growing up right before my eyes and his future is looking so bright.

When you have a child, you have big dreams for them. You want only the very best. Today, one of those dreams came true and it totally validated the choices Mr. 1969 and I have made regarding his education. What’s also great are the calls and texts pouring in from our family and friends that are cheering for him. We have a village around our son. I am so grateful for that support system. With all of these loved ones behind Tali 1, this will be the first step on his journey and he will get wherever he wants to go.

I AM SO PROUD. THANK YOU GOD. I AM HUMBLED AND GRATEFUL.

Heavy Heart

I have been following the Trayvon Martin case very closely. A 17 year old kid was visiting a friend, dropped off by his parent. He left his friend’s house to go to the store. On his way back from the store he was being tracked by George Zimmerman who targeted him, followed him and subsequently shot and killed him. Mr. Zimmerman shot an unarmed teen who was holding a pack of skittles and an iced tea because he was wearing a Hoodie and “looked suspicious”. He fancied himself the “neighborhood watch”.

I held off from commenting until I heard the 911 calls. You can clearly hear this unarmed child crying for help.

The police have failed to arrest Mr. Zimmerman. Michael Vick did time for hurting dogs (rightly so) but this man who shot and killed an unarmed child  is still free. No arrests were made by the officers on the scene despite the 911 dispatcher telling Mr. Zimmerman to stand down until the police arrived. They also failed to contact Trayvon’s parents as his body laid in the morgue despite the fact that they had his cell phone in their possession. The whole case is disappointing and sad.

As the mother of two sons, this is horrifying. This could happen to my child for wearing his hoodie and walking in the wrong neighborhood. This could happen to YOUR child.

Please do whatever you can to help bring attention to this case. I have signed the petition on change.org .My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones.  I hope the investigation is thorough and that justice is served.

This Triathlon Training IS REAL

I have been MIA but it’s strictly because I am adjusting to Mr. 1969 working long hours, re-learning how to manage my household and fitting in the intense training schedule for this triathlon. How intense? See for yourself…. TRI SCHEDULE

Yep….this is the insane weekly schedule I am on. Currently, it’s Week 4 and it has indeed been a shock to my body. Last year, I did not train hard enough and it showed in my last place crawl across the finish line. I also ate like I normally do. I eat pretty healthy meals, but I would indulge in sweets. Anything with frosting has always been my weakness. Despite all of the training last year, I really only lost about 5 pounds and gained it right back when the race was over.

This year, I decided that if I was going to train, I was going to find a schedule and stick to it. I am taking this race seriously. The workouts are tough but I constantly prove to myself that I am stronger than I ever thought.  My swimming is getting better, and my biking and running are improving.

The biggest change I have made over the last two months has been my eating. I am proud to tell you all that I weighed in at my GOAL WEIGHT this morning. I am so excited. What have I done? I downloaded an app on my phone. If you are interested in seeing how many calories you are consuming a day (and trust me, it was an eye opening experience for me) try it out. The app I use is called “my fitness pal”. The cost? NADA

For the last two and a half months, I have been using it and I have officially lost my weight. I started by entering my goal weight and my current weight. Based on my height, etc…it spit out a daily number of calories I should eat to get to my goal weight. When I saw that number, I almost passed out. Who can live on that tiny number of calories? Guess what….I can. Once I started putting in the calories of stuff I was eating, it all clicked for me.

Here is what I go through daily “Hmmm….a donut is about 300 calories. If I eat it, I will waste those calories and still be hungry. For 300 calories, I could have a chobani yogurt and a bowl of oatmeal and be full. DONE.”

It has become a game to see how I can make it to my daily calorie goal without going over. Plus, everytime I work out, I log it and I get those calories back to eat that day. Swimming for 40 minutes gives me about 300 calories to play with. That way, if I want a treat…I can have it but only on a day I worked out. I have to earn that treat. Now I firmly believe that you have to find something that works for YOU but I can say, this is all working for me.

It finally clicked.  I am at the weight I was before I got married and had those children that ruined my body the Tali boys. I am feeling strong. I am balancing work, mom, wife and athlete. Like I said, it’s all clicking for me right now. This is a GOOD WEEK.

In other news, today is a special day. It is Mama 1969′s birthday. Everything I am….I owe to my mom. She raised me to believe in myself and was the epitome of a strong female role model. This tenacity comes from her. Wishing her nothing but love on her special day. I love you Mommy!

note: How fitting…this is my 1,000th post. God is good and I am so thankful for all of my blessings. Thank you all for reading!