Hello 2013!

Me & B - San Francisco, Dec. 2012

Hey there - is this thing on?

Boy, it's been a while - how are YOU?

If I'm being honest, 2012 pretty much sucked.

Don't get me wrong - lots of GOOD things happened. Work is great.  My home is great.  I'm seeing a wonderful guy.  Most importantly, B is great!

The #1 best thing that happened in 2012 - and just under the wire - I'm divorced!!  I know it sounds terrible to make that a good thing that happened, but it was something that should have happened a LONG time ago.  I'm not against marriage, don't get me wrong, I'm just against marrying the wrong person.  I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders and that I am finally living an authentic life.

But the best thing I got from my marriage was Miss B - ain't she just the coolest (I know all moms say this, but I think THIS photo proves that maybe I'm not merely biased:

B looking sassy before dinner, Dec 2012

Only this child could pull of being this bad-ass  We went out to dinner the night I took this and on the way back to our hotel, we got out of our cab, and someone on the street looked at her and gasped "She is SOOO San Francisco!".  Love her!

We had an allergy checkup in December that showed B's allergy as definitely NOT being gone.  PLUS we added cats officially to the allergy list.  Oh well.  At least we haven't added any foods - and we were reaction free in 2012 - well at least peanut allergy wise - woohoo!

I think the thing that 2012 taught me most was that you can never get too comfortable with anything or assume anything.  Case(s) in point:

• I assumed B's peanut allergy would be gone at this year's appt.  I was wrong (and there was a HUGE wheal to prove it on the SPT). Crud.
• I assumed that during my divorce things would remain civil with my ex (they didn't)
• I assumed our collective friends would be grownups and remain friends with us both (they didn't)
• I assumed I could count on the very close friends I had to watch my back (I couldn't - in fact, one of them is dating my ex-husband now.  I know quite a few of you are saying to yourself "what a @!#!@%" - you wouldn't be the first to do so.  Yes we were friends when they started seeing each other and yes she kept it from me and NO we aren't friends anymore LOL).  I think out of everything, this was the worst betrayal of the whole divorce, isn't that strange?

But you know what?  I have ZERO regrets about how things have gone down.  I'm so much happier, and lighter now that I know where things stand (plus un-friending on Facebook helps!).  Quality over quantity!

So now, I'm starting with a clean slate for 2013.  I'm figuratively burning the sage around here to cleanse my life, my heart, and my most important my attitude about things (this, especially, spoke to me).  I'm responsible for me this year, no one else is.  

And that, friends, is my rant.

Yeah, I know this didn't have much to do with Peanut Allergy on the surface, but my divorce isn't much different from peanut allergy.  It's a crap hand to have dealt to you and what makes all the difference is how you handle it. No one understands it until they've been through it, family and friends disappoint you like crazy, and you feel alone. A lot.

But you figure out your way, slowly, until that pinhole at the end of the tunnel gets bigger and bigger.

And it's light again.

-G-

Happy September!

How did THAT happen?  It's been 3 months since I posted, and for that I am sorry.  Truth be told, most of my posts have been on Facebook (have you liked my page yet - you should!) - it's just easier than a blog post.  Lazy, I know!

So what's new???

B started 3rd grade - nope, not a typo.  THIRD grade.  She was pretty happy and check out her outfit - is she a trendsetter or what? I love those Boden yellow pants (they are SOOOO bright - this picture doesn't even begin to show the yellowness)!

First Day of Third Grade!

We've had an eventful few months.  

B has had some major anxiety issues this year - to the point of Separation Anxiety Disorder - it had become almost unbearable until we started therapy and found this book:


What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety



B's anxiety stems from a lot of things, but primarily our divorce as well as her allergies.  Even though she's in a safe environment both at home and at school (her teacher and school are pretty great) she still just worries, plain and simple.  But these worries were affecting her quality of life (and ours) so we needed to do something.

If you have a child with anxiety issues, buy it.  I can't put into words how highly I regard this book. We still have a ways to go, but after just a week we were seeing tremendous changes in B.  These exercises, coupled with a more structured schedule as well as a lot more sleep in her life have made a huge difference.  Each week we are seeing a stronger, more confident (and worry free) child emerge. 

The other issue we dealt with this summer was Alopecia Areata - have you heard of it?  Luckily, at this point she has a mild case of this.  She had a small patch about the size of a silver dollar (remember those LOL) at the top of her head that has thankfully grown back, but boy was that scary! I've seen things online that indicate that kids with allergies and eczema are prone to this.  And kids with stress in their lives (hmm that sounds familiar).  If your child had this, can you leave me a comment?  I'd be interested to know how you treated it.  Ironically (am I using that word correctly? probably not), once we STOPPED using the cream the doctor prescribed, her hair starting growing back.  I think working on her anxiety and stress worked too.  We'll keep an eye out, but at this point she's in the clear for now.  Whew.

Other than that, things are good.

Still (technically) married, but that shouldn't be the case by the end of the year.  Divorce, in case you didn't know, really sucks.  Even when you agree on everything financial, custody, support, etc.  It takes forever (at least it seems like it does) and there's so much paperwork.  I don't recommend it if you can avoid it.

I'm still coaching folks - it's going really well!  I was really overwhelmed by the number of folks that have contacted me.  If you're interested in a session, shoot me an email - I'd love to help you out.  I have something in the works for folks with tight schedules - look for an announcement in the coming months (here of course, but sooner on Facebook, who am I kidding?).

Take care everyone - Happy September!!!

Gabs

Peanut Allergy: This one's crunchy (and I ain't talking peanut butter).

i've been wanting to write this post for a while, but it's been difficult.

i'll just say it.

my husband and i have separated.  i moved out into my own place recently.  it's been difficult (or as I like to say, crunchy), mostly for little B, but we're settling in.

i thank my lucky stars that B's dad and i are on the same page about keeping her safe.  knowing i don't have to worry about her when she's at his place comforts me to no end.

if you're my friend on facebook, don't get all blabby about it, cuz a bunch of family still don't know.

but you guys?  you trump family any day - the support i get from you is phenomenal!

now that i've got extra time on my hands i'm hoping to get more posts up.  i've got a few great books to review and some great new food products to talk about as well.

everything happens for a reason - i'm scared as heck about the future, but at the same time, more excited than i've been in a long time.