Day 12- Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

I can smell the pizza from here. I am locked in my office typing my blog for today and Fred is eating sausage and cheese pizza with the neighbor kids, Angus and Mallory who we are watching this evening while their parents go to the Van Morrison concert. Today is a celebration of "little gifts"- and the smell of that greasy, great looking pizza that is sitting on marble counter is one of those gifts. No, I can't and won't have a slice but the gift of the scent of cheese and bread is music to my senses. What a food to be dangled in front of me as I come to the end of day one of three of hell.
Here are some other little "gifts" I got early this year- (Santa is watching...and I've been a darn good girl today!)
1. Chocolate cleanse shakes- they have saved my life and are going to help me through the 3 days of cleanse shakes only and no food (yes, no food). I have NEVER gone w/o food- Hell, I never gave anything up for lent before. Maybe I should have to prepare me for this 72 hour nightmare.
2. No wrist pain, ankle pain or feeling tired- my lupus medication is really working and combined with this cleanse, I haven't felt this good in a long, long, time.
3. Angus. This afternoon I had the fun 1-1 time of just "Angus and Mel" - Mallory went over to play at a friends house and it was just me and the little man. We were swimming our pool, and remember "Ray" from Jerry Maguire? Well, Angus transformed into Ray-

• "Melissa, did you know Japanese people walk slower than Korean people?" (no, I had no idea, nor have I ever noticed)
• "Melissa, did you know that kids my age lose 144% of their knowledge that they learn during school over the summer?" (so that's what happened to me) :)
• "Melissa, when I was born, did you know I weighed 32 pounds?" (holy shit...Cindi did you know that? (that's Angus' momma)
• This is the best one.... "Melissa, you know that tree in my backyard by Bob's fence?" (Bob is the neighbor between Angus' house and our house)"Well sometimes I go over there behind the tree and pee on his fence." CLASSIC!
• Angus was swimming around on a floatie, and hopped off by one of the jets and yells "HEY MELISSA! THE WATER IS POUNDING ON MY COCONUTS!"- I am telling you I am not making this shit up. This kid is hilarious!!!
• Angus then preceded to pull his swim trunks down under water for his sister when she got back from playing at her friend Megan's house. Mal is now traumatized as am I. I didn't see his "soldier, but Mallory screamed loud enough that we are all glad that we didn't catch a glimpse.

So I have had my 5 shakes today...doing ok, but man, would I love to dive into a piece of pizza. No, I have come this far! Will power!!! It's going to be the big gift at the end of the 28 days that is going to change my lifestyle into a healthy lifestyle. A slice of pizza maybe once a week will be ok; but who knows...maybe I will turn into a health nut, or my taste buds will change and I won't like pizza anymore? NA! :) Arrivederci! (Good-bye in Italian)