Mom, Whats for Dinner?

"Mom, what's for dinner?  Mom, Mom, Mom.  What's for dinner?  When is dinner?  I'm Hungry Mom, what's for dinner? "

 Sound familiar?

"Well," says I, "We could have spaghetti, or spaghetti.... or I think we have stuff for spaghetti... Or would you rather have spaghetti?"

Um... I'm starting to realize where this problem may be stemming from....

"Nooooooooo!!!! Not spaghetti agaaaaaaaaaiiiin,"  whine they.

"Well, I could give you a really good deal on spaghetti, but if you don't want that, there's always....spaghetti.

After more back and forth... really getting into my inner child... I say, "What if we have spaghetti (grooooaaan) but we just dump it on the table and don't use plates or silverware?"

"YES!"  Haha!  I've won!  Off to the store for a  drop cloth.  

"What do you want with spaghetti?"

"Cottage cheese!"

"You realize you will have to eat that with your hands, right?"

"YES!!!"  Hee hee hee....

"Ok, should we have dessert?"  

"Pie!"

"Ok, but you don't even get to use your hands for that.  Just your face..."

"YES!"

And so... Table is set....

The players are in their places...

Ready go!  After a meaningful and heartfelt prayer of course...

This. Is Awesome.

Do you notice the creepy Marilyn Monroe face in the cottage cheese there on the table?  Ya, freaked me out too....

Lets see everyone's hands!

Time for pie!!

Of course I had pie too... have to follow the rules....

Next time they ask, you know the answer.... Spaghetti... and pie.

No Sugar- Day One

No Sugar  
Apocalypse- Day One

I. Might. Die.  But probably not.  This may be the hardest thing I've ever done.  I resisted the leftover bags of Easter candy all day.  I saw. I stopped.  I resisted.  I walked away.  I conquered.  I can do hard things!

Remember when I decided to not eat after 8 pm?  I thought I might die then, but I survived.  I'm a survivor.  I would wander into the kitchen. look around, walk back out.  I realized I had to find something to fill the void called eating after eight.  Water.  Every time I walked into the kitchen I would drink a glass of water.  Will this work with sugar?  I will be the most hydrated I've ever been.

I can do this.  There has to have been a day in my past where I just didn't eat sugar without  thinking about it right?  Has there? Thinking.....  I don't really know.  Maybe not.

But I can see it in the future.  The day I don't eat sugar without thinking about it....

No Sugar- Day one=  SUCCESS!!!!

Why my kids have choices...

Many years ago, Dave and I were married, but I don't remember if we had shayde yet or not.  We were watching a news program and a segment came on about teenage girls who had been directed and forced to do horrible and disgusting things to men who were in positions of authority over them. While this alone was awful and heartbreaking, I will never forget the reason the girls said they had complied…. every girl interviewed said something to the affect of,  “I was told by my boss to do something, and I didn’t feel like I could say no.”

This is TERRIFYING!!!! These were girls old enough to have jobs, to drive, to be independent from their parents and yet they didn't feel like they could say NO to someone in authority.  At that moment I made a promise to myself and my future children that they would grow up knowing their thoughts and feelings matter. They can be smart and independent and able to make choices according to what they know is right no matter who is asking.  I wanted them to know it is ok to say NO!

Does this mean that my kids run their own lives and get to do whatever they want?  NO!  It means they are given choices, and they are taught that every choice has a consequence.  Do they get to choose the consequences?  NO!  They get decide if they want to make good choices or bad..  but we try to make it very clear that whatever they choose, they have to deal with the consequences, good or bad.  

I have a five year old daughter, and she is one of the smartest and most independent children I have ever met.  Ever.  It is a constant struggle, but she chooses every single day how she will act, and she tells me… “Mom, today I'm going to listen and help you with everything you have to do.”  Or like last night, “I don't want to have any fun!”  Sometimes it changes from moment to moment, and it’s frustrating and hard and amazing and beautiful that she already knows who she is.  I am so proud of her.  

Am I a perfect mom? Nope.  Are my kids perfect?  Nope.  Do they always make good choices?  Seems like hardly ever lately….  Am I ok with that?  Yes.  We are all learning, no matter our age, how to make good choices.  That is the very purpose of our time on this earth.  To learn and grow and make choices… and mistakes…