This blog is my place to vent and share resources with other parents of children of trauma. I try to be open and honest about my feelings in order to help others know they are not alone. Therapeutic parenting of adopted teenagers with RAD and other severe mental illnesses and issues (plus "neurotypical" teens) , is not easy, and there are time when I say what I feel... at the moment. We're all human!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Bear's wife?




Bear looks older than he really is. Especially like he was yesterday when I took him in to get his blood drawn. He was wearing a t-shirt that shows his mature physique and he was very scruffy beard-wise. When he mentioned he was going to be late to school you should have seen the nurse's double take. She asked him how old he was, and was shocked when he said 16.



Then she turned to me and said, "I guess that makes you his mom. I thought you were his wife!" SAY WHAT?!!



I've been told I look like his sister, but NEVER his wife?!! Especially now that I've let my hair go grey.



Does that mean he looks really old, or I look really young?

I have been getting comments on how much weight I've lost, but I haven't lost that much weight. So I'm going to give you Mary's Three Cs... that you didn't ask for.



  1. Cheeks - To make my face look less round and jowly I brush on a darker powder in the hollows under my cheek bones all the way down to my chin to deemphasize them and create the illusion that they are in shadow. Then blush on the cheekbones as usual. Seems to be helping. ( I always think of Steve Martin getting advice from the store clerk about deemphasizing his nose with makeup in Roxanne).

  2. Clothes - I wear clothes with an empire waistline that emphasizes my ribs which are the smallest part of my body (just under the bust) and then flare over the tummy and lower body. When I gain weight I always gain in the bust so I feel like I'm staying more proportionate anyway.

  3. Caerobics - whenever I'm in the car alone I do stomach and lower body "flexing" to tighten my muscles and improve my posture. I've an hourglass figure, but I found my belly was rounding out all the way up to the bra line. Now that I've started the flexing I see a substantial difference there (nowhere lower unfortunately). Basically I push out my belly and then suck it in and hold it - 100 times- tightening my stomach muscles from the top of my pubic bone to the the bra line. Then 100 times of clenching my booty, thighs and lower abs, and squeezing my knees together (ala Suzanne Somers' thigh master). Kegel exercises work so I figure this can't hurt right?! I did say that I do this only when I'm alone in the car!
Will be blogging about Katharine Leslie's coaching/ teaching reciprocity next.

1 comment:

Radical Melody said...

Clearly you are getting younger.

It sounds like we have the same shape. I appreciate your tips. It's been a while since I've paid that kind of attention to myself.