A New Goal (and something finally worth writing about)

Hello dear friends, if you are still out there!

I haven't written much for a long time now. Mostly because there hasn't been much of anything that was noteworthy. Teaching, taking care of dogs, and enjoying time with my husband has been the run of the mill day for me and I can't seem to turn any of the mundane daily tasks of my life into a funny story lately. Thus, the hiatus.

But alas, I have come upon something to write about.

Here is a bit of backstory: I have a cold. This is, I think, my 4th cold of the year (school year, not 2010 year). I usually get 2 colds a year, minor ones, and move on. It seems, however, that teaching small children has taken a toll on my immune system. My husband on the other hand, believes that teaching small children AND biting my nails have made the dent in my immunity. I can't really argue. He and I go around and around with one another about my nail biting. Never fighting really, but the conversation goes something like this (forgive the excessive lovey names):

CB: "Buunnny! Don't bite your nails"

LB: (removing hand from mouth) "You know that you telling me not to bite my nails does not actually get me to not bite my nails. It has to happen from my own motivation. Not nagging"

CB: "Yea, I know this. But you get sick all the time and I don't want my lovey to feel bad."

LB: "I know this.(long pause) You realize we will probably spend our whole life together having this conversation. You telling me to stop biting my nails and me, forever biting my nails."

CB: "I realize this. But I will continue to fight the power."

So last night, two days into my most recent Rhinovirus, CB sends me the following email at 11:35 pm after he finishes an assignment for medical school (again, forgive the lovey talk... it's just how we work okay?):

Haha! still awake due to just now remembering to do my assignment haha! So I just finished my silly thing and I realized that talked with a patient two weeks ago about nail biting. Part of this assignment (which I finished : ) ) was to come up with some additional things that you could have added to the encounter. I found these youtube videos and I wanted to share them with my bunny because I know she has been having colds more often lately, her teeths are not as strong as she wants them, and her tummy upsets her often (all things caused by nail biting : ) ). These are all things I know my bunny hatez and it makes me want to help! I love you kissy and love the way you are but if you are interested I think these videos are actually pretty decent. The girl is kinda silly but I think she has good ideas and I wrote about some of the tips in my assignment. : ) Love u kissy! Have a super good night of kisses!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q_7zAEHUq0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2bJ3wWtc6E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUeEwPCB_-g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4F4MZxq6aA&feature=related

cb ( :3

After receiving said email and watching said videos (the girl is a little silly), I contemplated things for awhile. Nail biting is just what I do. Really. It is. I bite when I'm bored. When I'm thinking. When I'm sad. When I'm nervous. When I have cuticle/skin sticking out. But CB has a point. I get sick a lot lately. The enamel on my teeth sucks. And I do get an upset stomach a lot... I call it my gastrointestinal problems. I kind of wish CB was making it up when he says all those issues are caused by nail biting, but he is the one training to be a doctor, not me. He would know.

So this is my solution: 31 days of not biting my nails. No cheating by getting fake nails on top (mostly because I hate them, and once they get taken off I chew them anyway). I most likely will not follow this girl's advice, but I admire her effort. And, I must record weekly progress via photograph on this blog. I have succeeded in not chewing my nails before, but I always falter. Maybe some accountability will help?

The ultimate goal is not bite my nails anymore. Ever. My biggest problem is that I never start this trek of non-biting believing that I will really never bite again. I always secretly think in the back of my head- "Really? Never chew these again? No way. But I'll try..." Obviously a bad way to start. But, I. Hate. Colds. So for real this time, never again. Will you help me? (Key word: Help. Not nag.)

CB doesn't know I'm starting this challenge. I will email him a link to this post when I'm finished. My request for you, my love, is that you don't nag me about it. Please. Just let me do my own thing.

So here goes:

Day 1. Starting my own personal challenge. Open to helpful suggestions from anyone on how to stop the biting.

Photos:

Right hand on top, left hand below.