A Colorful World(warning, opinions)

Our little family has been rocked a few times in recent months by discoveries of what is in the food we eat.

My husband has consumed protein powder for years. You may have seen on the news that several brands have been found to contain arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. Heavy metals with your workout, anyone? And this is perfectly legal, because there are very small amounts in each serving. The problem is that heavy metals build up in the body, and when you consume three servings of them a day, many of the brands tested exceeded safe levels. Needless to say, we were scared out of our wits.

I have been walking for a year with a very nice woman. I will not tell her story here, because that is her story, not mine. What I will say is that through the course of our conversations, I have discovered this website that has opened my eyes a bit. That website has an entire program for children with specific medical and behavioral problems, which I have so far been fortunate enough as not to have my children diagnosed with.

Basically, the point I am focusing on right now is that artificial colors are made from petroleum. Gross. Several cosmetic companies are steering clear of using petroleum-based products to apply to the skin. Kudos to them for that, but why is it still acceptable in our society to ingest things made from crude oil? When artificial colors originated, very few things consumed were colored. Now? Kids get candy nearly every day. Their toothpaste is colored. Their mouthwash dyes their teeth blue. They eat colored cereal and fruit snacks, and drink pink milk and drinks in every color of the rainbow. Salmon is not pink enough, mac-n-cheese is not yellow enough, and fruits are not colorful enough.
If a person were to look at the labels of everything their family consumed in one day, I wonder how much petroleum they would have taken in? A little at a time? And imagine if your child had a particular sensitivity to them, what do you think would happen then? And why do we have to have everything we put into our mouths super colorful?

It has always been a source of annoyance to me that the foods that are the least nutritious for my children are the most brightly colored and visually appealing, with characters they recognize on their packages.
I have always been a little concerned about colors, since years ago when I changed my son's diaper after he ate colorful cereal and found the contents to be an unnatural shade of green. But I have never known how much is hiding in children's favorite foods and where it came from. So I am making a change. I am making an effort to find food and drinks for my children that do not have artificial colors in them. And it isn't as hard as you might think. Some juice pouches are free of artificial colors and flavors, others are made from real juice. All I had to do is make sure to buy certain brands and my son still gets to have a juice pouch in his lunch. I found name brand fruit rolls that were made with "simply fruit." When I opened the package to give one to my kids, they smelled so good and fruity they made my mouth water. They aren't bright red and blue, but my kids did not complain a bit, just begged for more. Candy is a little more difficult, because almost all of it is very colorful, but I found chocolate, caramels and lollipops and several other new things to try. My son is old enough to understand that we are trying to stay away from colors, but he was really hoping that the eyeball-shaped Halloween gummies did not have any colors(double gross.) My daughter does not yet understand, so the trip to the store was a little bit more difficult than usual. However, I successfully steered her away from the pink milk, which is a noteworthy accomplishment.
I will let you know how things are going and if I notice any change in my children's behavior. I am not trying to follow the entire program at this time, just staying away from BHA, BHT, and artificial colors. Call me crazy if you want, but if there is a chance I am improving the health of my family, it is something I am going to do. I won't judge you or tell you what you should do with your kids, but I will do what I believe is best for my own(said with a charming smile!)

A sidenote: Why doesn't the government stop the food companies from putting all this nasty stuff into our food, you may ask? This brings up a topic I think best covered in a future post about politics, however, I believe that we hold the power. If we as a people stop buying things that are unhealthy, we remove the demand in the market for them. And if there is no demand, companies will stop making them and start supplying foods that we want. If we buy cookies made with real ingredients and juices made with real fruit, we will see more of them on the shelf. I believe we must educate ourselves and make good choices for ourselves, and the supply will follow demand.

What do you think? Are you willing to experiment with your family's diet with me? If so, we can share recipes and delight in new finds in the store that hit it big with the kids!

How to Go to the Grocery Store Alone With Small Children, Step by Step

1. Make sure the scheduled grocery trip is nowhere near naptime. Or before mealtimes.
2. Bring snacks, stop for a Happy Meal if necessary. Don't skip this step. Seriously, a tiny box of raisins, a Dum Dum, a pack of fruit snacks. Anything.
3. Park near the cart area. Like right next to it, so you can have good manners and return the cart without a long walk after. Stay away from the car carts that have your child seated 10 feet in front of you. Keep your enemies close, so to speak. Not to mention, those carts are very hard to steer, as many knocked-over boxes can attest. See #7.
4. Bring baby wipes. Just do.
5. Chatter to your kids about every little thing you can distract them with(Ooh look, there are the lobsters, let's go say "Hi!"{aka look away from the doughnuts})
6. Steer clear of the candy aisle. This should go without saying.
7. Drive the cart as fast as you dare, especially through snack and cereal aisles. Apologize profusely to every shopper you crash into. Which is most of them.
8. "Ooh and Aah" profusely over the various fruits and veggies, especially those on sale. "Ooh, Canteloupe, my favorite! Oh My Gosh! Let's get one!" "Would you like to help me cook this awesome cauliflower? It looks like a brain!"
9. Kids are going to spot every cartoon character item dangling in front of them. They are everywhere, and kids won't miss a one. So you say..."Say hello to the princess...have a good day, princesses! Oh look! Cheerios! How exciting! And look! Around the corner is chicken! Yum!" Zoom away. Distract.
10. Keep moving at all times. Do not stop the cart to comparison shop. Eyeball it as you approach and grab it as you pass. Do not stop. Do. Not. Stop.
11. Choose your checkout line. Eyeball the cashier. Does he or she look friendly? Fatherly, Motherly, grandmotherly? If he or she is already scowling, they won't have patience for you and your mountain of groceries. Or your kid(s.)
12. Checkout. Have your child "help" you unload the groceries onto the conveyer belt. Hand them small items as fast(or faster) as they can unload them so they don't have one moment to scope out the candy ever so conveniently placed at their eye level directly behind them.
13. If you manage to complete steps 1-12, go ahead, reward the kids with a candy bar, if they are on sale. Praise them until you lose your voice on how well they did and how fun it was to take them to the store.
14. If things don't go so well, breathe. Like if your 4 year old son thinks he can muscle 2 gallons of milk simultaneously onto the conveyor. And misses. And drops a gallon on the third try. And it splatters all over the whole world. And you want to crawl in a hole and die. Breathe. This is not the end of the world. Chances are, the cashier and bagger will feel sooo bad for you, they will clean up the mess with a smile and take your groceries to your car without even asking if you want them to. Don't cry until you get to the car. Or if you load up on two weeks' worth of groceries successfully but get to the car and it won't start. In the dead heat of an Arizona June. Breathe. Cry, just a little. But tomorrow it will be in the past. And you will call someone who loves you to come and rescue you. And they will. And the next trip we will try, try again.
I will stop here, because #10 is long past, I won't make it to #20, and I like the number 14, personally. So here are my super secret Super Mom secrets to grocery shopping. They are not foolproof, see above. Nor are they to be taken quite literally. I write tongue-in-cheek. I hope you realize that when reading most of my posts. Please know what that means.

Homework from Joan Horner

(co-founder of Premier Designs) as I have loosely translated...
1. Start each day with a smile. A smile makes the spirit joyful.
2.Smile more often. Nobody likes to look at a frown on our faces. When the heart is sad the spirit is crushed.
3.Give an encouraging word to each person you are with during the day. Be positive. Be cheerful with your family.

If you do not do this...
You will be sad. When the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. "When Mom ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" The tone of the family is set by the mother. Just one person.

Confessions and Pictures

I am afraid that in the positive spirit I am attempting to keep on my blog, I fear I may mislead some people into thinking I am perfect. Suuuuper Moommmm!!! And always super positive every minute of every day. So here is my confession to you...some things that are not perfect about me, in true Gracias form...not all to be taken literally. And some cute pictures, finally extracted from my naughty camera.

1. I have had overdue library books. Twice.

2. I do not have a perfectly clean house every day. Or almost any day. Sue me. 3. I care more about overdue library books than a clean house.

4. If you notice my daughter's "milk" moustache in these pictures to be especially prominent, it is because it is not milk. Three guesses as to what it is(it's nothing gross.)
5. I sometimes get in a bad mood when things do not go my way. Or when I don't feel good. Or like a whole week out of each month when I try to pretend I'm not in a bad mood.
6. My kids walk around in their underwear a lot. Hey, it's summer, and Daughter has learned to remove her own clothing so I'm lucky to even have undies on her at all most of the time! Peace and love, not clothing, baby!

7. My picture-taking frequency has gone way down because of #6, so I have noticed a big drop in the quantity of pictures, but I will try to improve the quality of them...the confession part is that I really have no patience to learn how to properly use my camera. When I push the button, it should take a perfect picture every time, right? Why does it not come out right?8. I don't like losing or not being good at something. I will avoid an activity I know I will not win or I am not good at. Or if forced to play, I will intentionally not try just so I won't have to feel bad about losing. I know, I am a poor sport.

9. I am not an animal lover. I like the abstract concept of them, but I don't like cleaning up after them(but seriously, does anyone?) This was a huge blow to my animal-loving husband.



10. I think I am OCD. I think that is why I can't get my house clean, because I go waaaaaay overboard on each tiny detail and forget about the bigger picture until I have run out of time and energy. I even had to think extra hard to stretch out the last few confessions to have a nice even number ten for you...like you care if there are 9 or 10.


So if I have nothing nice(and positive) to say(blog,) I blog nothing at all. Of course, that is not the only reason you may see a gap in posts. Sometimes I am busy, others I simply have no thoughts worth sharing, but sometimes I just don't have the positivity in me that day. And that is okay. All will be right with the world after a nice long nap.

One of My Jobs

was on the news. A few months ago, but I have just learned about it, and I am excited about it. And grateful. I just watched this news clip about Premier. It showed our jewelry ON TV!! Ok, I need to focus here. I meant to write a serious post, thankfulness for this job, not gushing over how I have that very necklace they showed on TV(even though I do!) A new catalogue coming out, and now THIS!!! Ahem...

Four score and Three years ago, our forefathers......too serious? Let me try again...

Three years ago I signed up with this company and have not regretted it one minute. I made my investment back quickly and have made so much more than money. I have made friends of my hostesses, made them and their friends feel pretty and laugh for the night, given them thousands of dollars in free jewelry to make them feel pretty for a very long time(and their husbands' wallets feel happy.) I have made lasting friendships with my fellow jewelers and Premier mom, Jenn, who calls me to talk about nothing at all or to see how I am doing. These women, in the real world, would be my competition. But in the Premier world, they are my friends and encouragers. They cheer for me and care about me as a person and as a jeweler. And I care about them long after they move away or no longer sell the "jewels," as we affectionately call them.

My darling husband encouraged me to sign up and had faith that I could do this. I thought that I would be a terrible salesperson, as I am not "pushy" or "sales-y" by nature, but instead of the typical husband response of "whatever you want, dear" he told me, " I think you should do it!" What a man. I know. I think he knew I would not have had the confidence to try if he had not had the confidence for me. He has watched the kids for almost every show I have done, and encouraged me to go to trainings, attended them when men were "allowed" and has always been just the right amount of supportive.

The biggest gift I have received from my business has not been the Christmas gifts it has paid for or the free jewelry certificates they thrill me with from time to time. I have changed. I cannot even describe the miracle that has happened, but I will try. I have worked for three years, and I have discovered a confidence in myself as a person and a woman that I did not have before. That is the reason I was able to look inside myself and think about what I really wanted to do with my life...and have the confidence to think that I could do it. I will fall, but it is the picking myself back up that gives me strength. It has made me a better wife and mother, and a better person.

I have neglected to talk about my jewelry here for fear of seeming pushy, but this is my blog, and my thoughts are here, so today, you read about jewelry. Want some for free? Now you know someone...

Flexibility

Sometimes life throws you a curveball. Sometimes you strike out. We all have those bad days or days when we struggle to regain our perspective.

One thing I have learned is that I need to learn to trust outside myself. I like to be in control of my surroundings, every detail immaculately planned and executed according to the plans made well in advance. But, the best laid plans will sometimes go awry. I live in the world and I have children. That should explain it.

So my children are teaching me a lesson that I have never before learned. I have to be flexible and learn to take life as it comes. I have recently learned that not everything in life is divided down the lines of right and wrong, as in the right way to do things(my way) versus the wrong way to do them(someone else's idea.) It is okay to have preferences, or to have something work a little better than something else, but it is also okay if someone doesn't butter their toast the "right" way. That is just how I prefer to do it(back when I ate toast with butter, that is.) A true but very simplified example.

I have made many plans in my life, in my motherhood specifically, on the "right" way I wanted to raise my kids. But somewhere along the line I realized that if I stick too stubbornly to the "right" way, I would be ignoring my kids' needs and what made them happy. So I am trying to focus first on their happiness, then making the plans afterward, instead of the other way around. And sometimes as a mom, you have to know when to just let go and have fun.

The trouble I have with this is my thinking. Someone I heard speak once said to "Quit your stinkin' thinkin'!" I believe that is impossible for me. Believe me, I have tried. But what I can do is plan to be flexible. If I have plans A, B, C-M, and so on, then I can have the appearance of being flexible for other people's sakes and still feel in control for my own sake. Because if plans A-L don't work out, I know plan M will come through. And if not, I can make up plan N at a moment's notice. I just have to plan for it.

P.S. I apologize for the lack of pictures of late, but it is due to some technical difficulties and I promise to be back soon with some good ones. Meaning, I will give the camera to L.

Spiderman

We are friends with Spiderman, didn't you know?

Just kidding...he came to town to talk about being a "Buddy, not a Bully" in April, I think, for Child Abuse Prevention Month. I have neglected writing this post since then because it is a very touchy subject. There were many parents who seemed a little put off by Spidey talking about very sensitive subjects such as abuse and what to do. Of course dealing with bullies their own age is tough, but the lines there are more clear cut than abuse by a trusted adult. I think Spidey did a great job explaining to kids about physical, emotional and sexual abuse, but he only opened the door for an ongoing conversation between parents and children.

Spidey says...say "NO...GO...TELL" Simple thing for kids to remember.

I have been spending a lot of time in waiting rooms lately and have read quite a few magazine articles. One thing I read that has really stuck in my head is about kidnapping. It said something like most kidnappings are done by someone the child knows(I am assuming vaguely knows.) What the magazine recommended you teach your child to do is always tell someone they have to ask their mom before they go anywhere, no matter who it is or where. I had this conversation with Son yesterday(after seeing something on tv.) I used myself as an example and said that Mommy and Daddy always let each other know where we are going for safety so we know the other one is ok, he needs to as well. Even if he sees a school friend when we are at the park and they need to go to the bathroom, he should ask Mommy first so that I know where he is and that he is ok. Son is very into superheroes and has been saying things like when he gets older he will fight the strangers and things like that. I am still straightening that one out, but he is aware of the danger of strangers. He has known about not talking to strangers for a long time. I think that part of things is drilled into kids' heads, but how do you teach them not to trust someone they may kind of know? Or think they know well? This scares me so badly that I have to find a way to protect my children. I don't want them scared of everyone and everything, but I don't want them to be victims. So I am going to talk about these ugly things with them in an effort to educate and protect them. Thank goodness I have Spiderman on my side!

Down a peg(or two)

I love taking my kids to the grocery store.
I usually pack a mini box of raisins, today it was fruit snacks, for them and let them ooh and aah as we shop. We stop to look at the lobsters and say hello on our way...I love it. Today Son lost his fruit snacks by the time we got to the carts. For once the store was not out of the car carts, so we loaded up into a red one and headed oh so patiently back to the car to retrieve them. As we walked I thought smugly to myself what a brave and patient mom I was, what other mom on earth actually looks forward to a trip to the grocery store with their kids? What a nice day....

The fruit snacks were not in the car.

Panic ensued. A search party was assembled. It failed miserably.

Patient still...then the climbing started(the seatbelts on the red car were broken) and the screaming resumed in the middle of the produce aisle while Daddy called on the cell. Great.
Eventually we got settled down enough to get the rest of our list and get to the checkout, where a couple of us came down with a bad case of the octopus grab-hands. This can be deadly, people. Serious. I think one of us gritted her teeth so hard she may have damaged a filling in her effort to maintain composure. The employees felt so sorry for us that they didn't even ask if we wanted help to our car, they just took the cart and went. That, right there, is my instant punishment for patting myself on the back for my mothering skills. By the way, in case you read my slightly smug money post a couple posts ago, I went a little over budget this trip, too. I'm blaming it on the kids. Ah, heck, it's probably my punishment for that post, too. Don't panic, L, it wasn't by much :).

Money, Money, Money...

Do you know that song?

I just tallied up, for funsies, how much I spent on groceries in May. It was about what I thought it should be, not too much. I won't post the actual amount because I haven't asked the boss' permission(wink) and I don't think it's cool to do that without some prior communication. Anyway, I think I am a pretty smart shopper and budgeter and I thought I would share some of my money philosophies for you today.

Grocery Shoppers 101:

-stock up on nonperishables and get them CHEAP. Do not run down to the convenience store for a can of soup, because you will pay $5 for a $.50 can of soup. It adds up.

-If they put a limit on it, it is usually a great bargain and you should get the limit if you can freeze or store it.

-Figure out what you can go generic on(almost everything, trust me!) and find coupons for the name brands you can't live without. (Or stock up when there are sales)

-It is better to go with a huge list twice a month than go twice a list for a couple things. When I only have a couple things to get, I find I am more likely to throw random things in the basket. When I know I have a giant list to get, I am trying to focus on the list and do not make as namy impulse buys.

-When in doubt, look closely at the store price label. It will break down the price to cents per ounce(or unit) for you so you can see which deal is better. The "economy size" doesn't always work out better if the smaller one is on sale.

-the displays in the center of the aisle and the endcaps are not always the best deals. Take the time to go to the home aisle and compare.

-If I have an "I'm in a hurry, I don't care what it costs" attitude, things add up FAST!

General Money Philosophies:

If it ain't broke, don't replace it 'til it is...save up and watch so you know a good deal when you see one. If you fear your dishwasher is on its last legs(as I fear mine is), start watching and acquainting yourself with the brands and prices. Save up a little each week toward your clean dish fund. If you don't prepare yourself, you'll end up having to pay more than you should or not getting the one you really like for lack of funding. Or worse, having to CHARRRRGE IT!!!!!(shudder) If you have two appliances(or more-yikes) nearing retirement, breathe, save, and cross your fingers that they cross over one at a time(or at least, that's what I am currently doing.)

If you really want something, do without forever and ever and ever...(just kidding) but do wait until a birthday or holiday. Or the after Thanksgiving blowout sale. Or the Memorial Day sale. Or 4th of July...you get the picture. There is always a holiday sale coming around. Take the time to price(and brand) compare and wait for the next sale. The few big-ish purchases I regret are because I did not take the time to research them enough.

What else....? I reuse everything I can before I run out to the store. I make things and get creative because I can make something exactly the size and function I want, the things in the store seem to cost so much for what you get. And they just don't seem to fit with the ideas I have in my head. Not only am I recycling, but I am living c.h.e.a.p. See picture...explanation later. This item cost me nothing but my time to make.

(Please excuse the terrible photograpy, L is working today.)

Titanic, part one...

I am a detail oriented person. Very detail oriented. More than anyone else you will probably ever meet. I could make a living proofreading the phonebook if there was good money in it. I'm not kidding. So when I start a project, I have many detailed questions. Many. Detailed. Questions....

I started an "easy" sewing project a long time ago. So long that I refuse to write down how long I have stared at it and wished I could finish it. It started out as a rag quilt, now it is a King size bedspread. I have tripped myself up on every phase of this project. I tend to think of ways to make projects "different" or "better" and usually that just means "compl-i-ca-ted." I asked L to help me and promptly confused the heck out of him. We finally configured the thing to where we "wouldn't hate it for eternity" and it is almost finished. It is now dubbed the Titanic...the no-fail, dummy sewing project that hit many innocent-looking snags that nearly sank it. It now proudly rests on the water(bed) because although I am not done with the "rag" part, it is assembled and we are sleeping with it, darnit! So I will undress my bed daily and work on the ragging part faithfully, and when Titanic sails I will proudly post pictures!

P.S. Too many details?

obligatory Mother's Day post

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Ok, got that out of the way...

The best gift I got for Mother's day was a couple hours when both kids napped and I had some time to spend with my husband during the day, just the two of us. We usually don't see each other in the daylight hours, and when we do, it seems we are always rushing here or there, having things to do. But for this one day, we spent it just together. No honey-do, no chores, just time together. Bliss. To top it off, he got me some sweet and thoughtful gifts.

Oh, and I can't forget to mention my kids' gifts. Son worked really hard at preschool to make a bouquet of flowers that will never die, and a recycled vase to hold them in(see picture above.) Daughter gave me a gift no money could buy: a whole day accident free! Clean, dry panties all day are more than a laundry-hating mom could ask for.

Here is my Mother's Day vow: I promise to be one deep breath more patient each day. I promise to remember that my kids are four and(almost) 2 and allow them to be the ages they are. I promise to teach with just enough words to fit their attention span, and just enough information to last them until they get older. I promise to forgive quickly, hug quickly and anger(more) slowly. I can't promise not to make mistakes, but I will promise to ask forgiveness from my children when I do. I promise to laugh, love and be the best mom I can be.
Because I can't be anyone else. And wouldn't want to be.

potty training and life

Potty Training as a Metaphor for Life:

1. Go hard or Go Home: You cannot potty train if both you and your child are not ready. If your child is ready, but you are not able to commit, it won't happen. If you are ready, but your child is not, it won't happen. Just like in life, if you are not really committed, you will end up with a mess on your hands.

2. My Way or the Highway: Even at the tender age of 18 mos, children have a preference. I picked out potty chairs for both of my children, then had to go back again when they did not like the first one. Daughter has decided she wants to go on the big potty with a little seat attached instead of her own chair. My job as her mother is to recognize things like that and to accomodate them whenever possible. Son wanted to pee standing up. Try as I might, I could not get him to sit down to pee. Once I quit trying to make him do it my way, he had success. It was a couple of months before I could get him to sit down for #2, but he had pee down pat by then. So I guess it is not really "my" way, unless you are thinking from the kids' perspective.

3. Find the Fun in Life: If it is something that is exciting and fun, they will do it gladly. I let both of my kids pick out their undies and got them super excited to go. We had potty chairs ready in the bathroom for a while while we talked about how neat it will be when they get to go on the potty. For my kids, at least, if they feel pressure, they resist against it. As much as I dread doing certain things in life, if I make a challenge or contest for myself, with a prize at the end, any task becomes fun.

4. Accidents happen: They are a part of life and certainly part of potty training. Have plenty of back up undies, as well as a mop handy for messes, but avoid making a big deal out of it. It took some convincing to get Son to quit gagging every time Daughter had an accident. There is another well known saying in life that fits here: s*&@ happens(use your imagination, it applies to both scenarios.)
5. Don't Procrastinate: if you do, you will end up cleaning up a giant mess that would have been avoided had you taken care of it five minutes earlier. Trust me, don't wait for the next commercial break. That is what TiVo is for.
I have been spending a lot of time in the bathroom lately keeping my girl company, and it may have addled my brain, but it seems to me that so many challenges in life can be conquered using the same concepts as when we first learn these basic skills. It is really hard to figure things out at first, but when you get the hang of it, it becomes like second nature. Just be sure to heed Nature's call.

Goodbye '08 Hello '09!

I have sadly neglected emptying the pictures from my camera for a long while, so here is my abbreviated attempt to share the most recent cuteness that crossed its lens. I will try not to go too long, but be warned(if you didn't already know) that it is probably not going to happen! I have a feeling that right now my words are only making sense in my head, so I apologize in advance for any gibberish. Anyhoo...this is my favorite picture, taken by the talented photog in the family otherwise known as Daddy. You can see a distinct difference between the snaps I take and the ones he does, mine are blurry and his are focused!
Here are the first and second runners up(as close as my kids will ever get to a beauty contest, I know they would win but I am against the concept!)

Now here for some that I took of Son's school Christmas program...see the difference?




I have a hard time admitting that I might not be good at something, but photography is definitely not my calling in life! I think my calling might be something closer to run-on sentences...
I do not, as a general rule, make New Year's resolutions. I have a hard time thinking of goals for myself. They are always way too hard or way too easy, never reasonably attainable. I feel like most New Year's resolutions are just promises begging to be broken. Unless, of course, you are my inhumanly self-control possessing husband, who gave up soda last January and made it all year without a sip(and several pounds lighter and healthier.) So, although I am not making an official New Year's resolution, I am adopting a motto for this year: a place for everything, and everything in its place. If I can't find a place for things to be put away properly, I have too much stuff and it's time to get rid of it(or have hubby build new shelves)(or quit being such a cheapskate and invest in some.)
We were walking through Walmart the other day and noticed that every aisle and end display advertised exercise equipment and gadgets. We just laughed, because the smart people at Walmart know what many many people have made for their New Year's resolutions this year(and every year?): Get in shape/lose weight. Let me share a little secret with you that L and I learned the hard way: there is no miracle diet/drug/gadget that will magically drop the pounds off. None. None. None. There are things that can help, but here is how you lose weight: Burn more calories than you take in. That means many different things to many different people, but that is the secret. For L, he works out a lot, and so has quite a bit more leeway in his diet than I do. I am quite limited as to my physical activity right now, so the way I lost my weight was to very carefully watch what I ate. We unofficially followed weight watchers, that helped us to pinpoint where we were going wrong. I am far from finished, but now I know what it takes and it is doable. I love sweets, especially that one miserable week out of the month. I just have to say no sometimes, and recognize when it is ok to say yes(once in a while.) We trimmed down portions and eat a lot more veggies, less starches. Eating healthy can be expensive, but if your portions are smaller that they used to be, I found that we saved money on that end, so it worked out pretty close to what we used to spend on groceries. It just occurred to me that I promised this would be a short post...oops! At least I didn't make it a New Year's resolution!

More Thanks

L has finished his classes for this semester. That alone is reason enough to jump up and down for joy! He finished with straight A's...even bigger jumps for joy!! I suspect he was even a bit of a teacher's pet...going early to class, working hard, knowing all the answers. He had never enjoyed school when he was younger, but I think he really enjoyed these classes. He has definitely changed in that respect. Being a few years older and wiser helps, but he has been kicking butt at work, studying almost every night of the past 4+ years for his seven(I think, I lost count) certificates in the various fields he needed while working toward his ambitious work-type goals. He developed an almost inhuman drive and persistence, not to mention quite enviable study habits and a lack of need for sleep. So a huge HOORAY for my awesome man and his success!

The New De La Hoya

Please forgive me, for I fear this post is not exactly in the positive spirit I am trying to keep on my blog. I believe after the terrible defeat De La Hoya suffered the other day, he may soon retire. But never fear, boxing fans, I have spawned his replacement! (Yikes!)
My sweet Son got in a real live fight at preschool yesterday. I am feeling very conflicted about it. He was sent to the office and they told him he would be sent home next time. However, as the teacher was telling me about the incident, she said that she did not blame him for fighting because the other kid had told him he was going to kill his mom(me.) I was terribly saddened at the thought of the fight, but he is a Momma's boy and he was fighting for me, so I couldn't get too angry at him. Son told me the other boy also told Son he would cut Son's head off, and that also appalled me that a preschooler would say those things. I am asking a little advice from you, my wise friends. What should I do about this? Should I do anything? I told him that Mommy and Daddy don't hit people when they get mad, and that is not the way to handle things. I have talked to him about using his words and not letting things that people say get him upset, but I have not really punished him, and I am conflicted as to whether I should punish him or what punishment should be appropriate. So, any advice on that? Please don't judge us!

Good News!

This weekend I conquered the huge fear of driving I developed nearly a year and a half ago. I would definitely not say it is gone completely, but I overcame it enough to drive to where I needed to go and back with only a little sweaty palm problem. That is pretty huge for me, as it has been a big roadblock for a while now. I don't think I'll ever be as confident as I once was, but I can drive again! That is enough for now.

Christmas

This year I have made a decision. Yes, times are tough all over, but I choose not to let that affect my Christmas or my children's lives. Regardless of how much(or little) money we have, we are going to be careful with it. That being said, we are focusing this Christmas, and hopefully every Christmas, on giving.

We are participating in a charity event and shopping for kids in need. This club provides the money and sizes, we do the shopping. It has been very profound for Son that we are shopping for clothes for these children, and that is all they are getting for Christmas, no toys. He got excited over the cute little Tinkerbell shoes we picked out for a little girl and said "How cute are those!" He cracks me up! We are giving our time. That is all it costs us to give ten children a Christmas.

This Christmas I took the two kids shopping to pick out a(less than $10) gift for each other, and that is all they are getting from the store from us. I am going to sew them a pair of homemade PJ's and another project which I will detail if it goes as planned. We are not poor, jobless, homeless, etc. But the gifts I cherish from my childhood are the ones that my Mom and Dad made for me. The time and love put into them have burned them indelibly into my memory. Ask me to name some of the more expensive store-bought gifts they gave me...ummmm? You catch my drift. The more we have, the less we appreciate it. I think because I did not have every single thing I wanted when I wanted it while I was growing up, I learned not to be greedy and to more easily separate wants from needs. At Christmas it is very easy for me to focus on what I am giving, but so hard for me to create a wish list for myself. I think this is a good thing. I am hoping to pass on the giving spirit to my children. I think my parents passed it on to me, and it is important.

Thanks!

This is so random, but I have to confess something. I was worried about being late to pick up Son from preschool today. As I turned onto the street where his school was, I may have been doing a bit more than 15, going maybe 17 miles an hour. (Disclaimer: I do not advocate speeding, I am one of the slowest drivers around, but today I must admit, as I was feeling a bit rushed, it was really hard not to.) Then I noticed a police car turn behind me. I glance down at my speedometer and realize I am just a hair above the limit and he has every right to pull me over if he is feeling like a stickler that day. Thankfully, it seems he wasn't, because as I pulled into the parking lot, he kept on cruising. I was not late to pick Son up, but I surely would have been late(not to mention horribly embarrassed) if I had been on the side of the road getting a ticket for speeding in a school zone, which in my opinion is the worst speeding-type offense a mom can commit. So, lesson learned, thank you for not teaching it to me the hard way Mr. Police Officer(sir,) it is better to be almost late than late + speeding ticket.

Being a mother

Are we born with that innate nurturing instinct?

Or did God make these kids so darn cute that you can't help but love them?

Maybe a little of both....

Have a happy Mommy day!
Or as Son says, are you going to be "Super Mommy Happy" today? The answer is....YES!

What a difference a year makes...

We got new family pictures back today, and it is incredible how much we have all changed over the past year...here are ones we had taken in November of last year.

And this year...

I think our physical changes are immense, but they reflect an even bigger change on the inside.

Daughter started off as such a chunky baby!

We took these for her birthday in May...

It is so funny, she still is wearing the same size she did a year ago, but she has still changed so much.

Then these are the newest...

And my darling Son...

We got these pictures taken for his birthday...

But he still changed in the last two months!

I just wanted to share with you some thoughts on the last year for my family. It has been a rough one, make no mistake about it. But it has been a blessing in that we have banded together to pull each other up and keep going despite the roadblocks. I have seen such strength from L as he pulled some of my load as well as his without complaint. I have seen such compassion and caring from my kids, for each other and for me. They have spent countless hours in waiting rooms with nary a meltdown. I have learned to cherish each day we have together and not to take anything for granted. The point I wish to make tonight is to tell your families and friends that you love them often, and show it daily. Never take it for granted when you are together, so many times we get into such a routine that we think that we'll make plenty of memories tomorrow, or when we are less busy, or when we have things just right. Take pictures of messy hair, messy faces as well as the immaculately groomed. I confess, I have looked at some of my favorite pictures and thought, "if only I'd combed her hair/swept the floor/changed her clothes, this would be a good picture." Now I feel like the memory of the messy strawberry face reminds me of how she shoved whole strawberries into her mouth and let the juice run down her face with the sheer delight that only a child has. I apologize for the long post, but I wanted to convey more than just "look at how cute our pictures turned out this year!" I do have things to complain about, but most important of all is that I am so grateful to still be here and able to give my children memories of me and make memories with them. I am vowing to be the fun mom, to tell my kids I love them even when they upset me, and to prioritize time with my family over everything else I feel like I "have" to do(I guess this means I am cleaning house even less these days, oh darn!) Because no matter what happens, these special times are going to end sooner or later. They will go to school, college, get married, etc. etc. But I am their Mommy, if just for today.