Happy LAST Friday in July! Today is a very special person's 13th Birthday:
Can you believe we have a fifth teenager? Alexander is at Camp Acutis this week with his younger brothers, so we will be celebrating him in bits and pieces over the weekend, starting with munchkins for breakfast and a surprise birthday cake at tonight's end of camp dinner.
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| Happy Campers |
Maggie and I were not happy campers on Monday because we had doctor appointments. I had my yearly physical and everything is fine and dandy except that my cholesterol has sneaked up a few more numbers. My brother who is a doctor told me to avoid taking cholesterol meds for as long as possible because they can cause dementia, so I convinced my doctor not to start me on the meds just yet and promised to eat oatmeal and take metamucil (his advice) to see if I can bring the numbers down. I actually love overnight oats but I don't eat them often because I typically try to lower my carb count to prevent diabetes. WHICH ONE SHOULD I BE FOCUSING ON BODY? For now, it's cholesterol. Sorry blood sugar.
Maggie had to go to the dermatologist to get a cherry angioma removed from her scalp. Nothing serious, just an annoyance and it's all gone now. Of course we had to go out to lunch afterwards which was lovely and my sweet working girl offered to pay the tip :)
I sent Maggie this meme:
Darian surprised Andrew on their day off together by taking him to Wicked Waves Waterpark on Cape Cod, so fun!
Eamon and Ellie went to Newport, RI to see The Great Elephant Migration at one of the Newport Mansions and walk the cliff walk:
I took the littles (can I say that anymore now that the biggest little is 13?) to an indoor pool on Saturday because Phil works but we still want to feel like we're having a fun summer:
And then went back to their outdoor pool on Sunday with Phil:
We went to Cisco restaurant last Friday night with JP, one of my sisters, her hubby and daughter and another friend. We ate and drank and talked and listened to the live music...aaahh one of my favorite summer evening things to do.
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| Cousins! |
And finally, JP left from Boston on Thursday morning and arrived in Hawaii about 20 hours later, including a stop in San Francisco:
He is on the island of Kaua'i for a friend's wedding, sleeping in a tent on top of an SUV, and I can't wait to see all his photos and hear about his adventures. It's only in the low 70s there this week which sounds amazing!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone, I hope you can do something summery as it's flying by!
It took me a minute to get the meme; when I did = hilarious.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great summer your family is having; so many adventures and you really seem to celebrate each child in such unique and lovely ways. It is incredible how quickly it seems to whiz by, though. At the start of the season it looks like it will last forever (and, some summers, it has felt that way too); this year summer is flying by! I'm not sad about that, more neutral? It's been a tough summer for me, but I feel like that is fully redeemed by the fact the kids are LIVING THEIR BEST LIFE. Honestly, they're who I care about having a great summer and they are and it gives me warm fuzzies :)
Yes the kids are all having great summers and you're right, that is what matters! That meme took me a minute too :)
DeleteSleeping in a tent on top of an SUV?!?! Wow, that sounds very adventurous. I hope he has fun!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to your biggest little!
Your summer sounds so wonderful and full of family fun.
He had a great time but said he didn't think he could have slept like that one more night :)
DeleteHave you or your brother heard of the Portfolio Diet? It's designed to reduce cholesterol; it's not a weight loss plan even though the name makes it sound that way. I've been trying to incorporate it into how I'm eating (which admittedly been tough over the summer!) Getting old is tough! My numbers are all trending the wrong way, and I feel like it'd be impossible to do more than I already am, but I'm loathe to get on more drugs, so I feel your pain! https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/portfolio-diet-lower-cholesterol
ReplyDeleteThank you for this! I read it and it's very reasonable, and follows along with my doctor's advice of metamucil (more fiber).
DeleteHappy b-day Xavier. That elephant exhibit looks really cool. My SIL is a family practice doctor and I was on the fence about starting cholesterol meds. I believe I referenced your ER brother's suggestion to hold off, and my SIL said Not to hold off. I'm on a very low dose, but she said it is preventative and that it should be addressed. I think my issue stems from SIBO, because it can mess with cholesterol. I eat healthy. I workout. I don't have a family history. Anyway, food for thought. I can't wait to hear about the Hawaii trip and sleeping in a tent on top of the car. Last night we took the four girls to a town nearby that has a river walk. Then we got ice cream. While walking along the river we spotted a pool that was a former quarry and it looks so cool. Now we are planning to go there, this afternoon, or another day soon.
ReplyDeleteYes one day cholesterol meds are in my future, probably really soon actually, so I'm trying to give his oatmeal and metamucil thing a real effort and see what my numbers are next time. Mine is totally from my dad whomp whomp. Ice cream on a river walk sounds like a perfect night!
DeleteHappy birthday Xander!
ReplyDeleteTo bring down cholesterol levels, what about seafood? You live by the sea, and it has protein, no carbs and low fat.
Yes I love seafood! Sadly my family does not eat it so I barely cook it. But I do order it at restaurants!
Delete13? How can it be??? Keep is posted on the metamucil and oats. I'm interested to know if it works.
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