Well, so much for wanting to post a new blog every two or three days! :D I'll still be trying, but now I've added it to my online to-do list. (Btw... if you are a list-maker, I highly recommend RememberTheMilk.com. It's a free online service that can text you or email when a task is due. You can mark things as complete and view them later. You can postpone, add due dates, repeat tasks, and more! And no... they aren't paying me. :D )
1. My weight last night was 220.5, a healthy weight loss since my last post. I don't remember if I posted this but my first goal is to reach 200lbs by Feb. 28th. At this rate, I have a little over 20lbs to go to reach my goal. I think I can do it. I've worked out every day except for New Year's Eve, and I'm excited about the changes I'm seeing in my body. I've already lost a half inch in my waist, which means that I can tighten my belt a whole new notch! Also, from the library, I borrowed a few books on sustainable weight loss and weight loss with faith as a factor.
2. I checked out a bunch more books about bipolar disorder, specifically about kids and the effects of medication on bipolar kids. I'm eager to see if anything applies to our difficulties with Topher, or if I need to keep searching. I would LOVE to find something written by a Christian author who actually specializes in Bipolar Disorder, so if you happen to know of or come across anything like that, please, leave a comment.
3. I have noticed that when I exercise, I have more patience for the rest of the day, and I think I'm more consistent. This is paying off, in more ways than one. Topher had purposely ripped a hole in his pants, and the next day, colored on the pair we replaced them with. So we set up a chart for him to work off his pants ($12): he got anywhere from a nickel to a dollar for doing small chores around the house. He would run upstairs and grab something for me and get a nickel. He would stand with me and spend an hour drying and putting away dishes (when our dishwasher broke), and got a dollar. He went outside and brought in the recycling bins, 50 cents; raked the yard, 75 cents; picked up all his brother's blocks, a dime. We had done this when he took a pair of scissors to his shirt, and we've had good success. He has been much more respectful toward his clothes. We got him about halfway through his pants chart in about three months, so I made a concentrated effort this Winter Break to find chores for him to do. We did this, and it showed us a few things. 1) Topher is ready for more chores around the house. We need to find something else for him to do regularly. 2) When Topher is busy doing chores, he is not busy getting into trouble. 3) When I am thinking of chores for him to do, I am less likely to yell and more likely to simply give him something else to do. 4) Topher and I like each other better when we're working together toward a common goal.
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