Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Nutrition 101

Nutrition will, I believe, always be a challenge for anyone who feeds a family. My little family has a number of strikes against us.

(1) I am the primary food provider and I don’t like to cook. Bake yes. Cook no. What this means is that my kids eat a great breakfast and a wonderful muffin for snack and the rest is a bit sketchy.
(2) I am a vegetarian. The rest are not. Meat, even when cooked yucks me out. I’m working on this.
(3) The 3 year old is in the very picky stage and the only fruit he will eat is raspberries – not MIXED berries, no no no, only raspberries. Oh ya, and pasta – with ketchup only. The other will eat most of anything. Mostly. But rarely will all 3 (son #1, son #2, dad) eat the same thing on the same night. Sigh.
(4) Did I mention that cooking does nothing for my joy of life? (do I sound winey yet?)

So I went to a seminar for “nutrition” – which was really a plug for Juice+Plus supplements. Good idea. Costly. Not sure if I could even get them to eat that. I’ll check into it - it HAS to be better than gummy bear vitamins…

So, I plan my menu every week now – try to get at least yogurt and raspberries and brown rice down their throats every week and try not to count the number of cinnamon toast sandwiches we’ve had in one day! (Is Mr. Christy a food group???) I’ve done all the tricks – added veggies to pasta sauce, cut up healthy stuff using fun shaped cookie cutters – bribed them with, well, unhealthy food (oops – that one back fired). Anyways, the moral of the story is. We’re not doing so bad and I think I’m just encouraging one of them to pursue a career as a chef, even if it’s just for the survival of family.

They’ll always love my French toast…

Friday, January 15, 2010

OFFICIALLY OLD ENOUGH

It has dawned on me over the last week that I am officially old enough.

Officially old enough to not be considered “young” anymore to anyone.
Officially old enough to write my own autobiography.
And officially old enough to know better.

It hit me when I was driving to an event through some pretty thick fog. Good thing the roads in my community don’t have street lights or road shoulders or even markers where the road drops off 20 feet down the right side. Anyways. I realized that in my years of driving that I had rarely driven through fog. And then came the “hit me” part. I’ve been driving for 20 years.

And then; I’ve been working for 20 years! Apparently my 16th year was very significant for me.

(Please don’t make me do the math for you about how old I am now...)

20 years is a long time.

I am just working through an 8 week “course” from Darren Hardy that is about setting life goals. It starts with taking an account of your life, taking an account of your blessings and values and desires and THEN moves onto goal setting once the foundation has been set.

In the last 20 years I have gotten to know myself, found I don’t know myself at all, driven through snow and ice and nice weather, travelled, married, given birth, nursed my children, opened a new business, gotten to know myself again, cried and laughed with many good deep friends, cried and laughed at myself, set goals, accomplished goals, failed, succeeded, ran, slept and admired beauty. I’ve read a thousand books and have a thousand more I want to read. It’s been a good 20 years. Thank you to my 16 year old self for starting somewhere – even if was only a drive to 7-11. Thank you for getting off your ass and getting it done. Cheers sweety, I love you.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

THE DAY MY SON TURNED 2

I believe that my youngest son can read for the day my second son turned 2 years old, I swear he picked up my parenting book and read that two year olds have tantrums and assert their independence. Overnight he cries over things he never used to care about and gets angry, oh so angry at something that is not attainable or has been given the “no no”.

On the other hand, his mind can see patterns now. Not just the immediate need, but how to get what he wants and even if what he wants is three or four steps away from the step he is on. His face changed overnight and he is coming into his own.

He is my actor – he will say and do anything to get a laugh. And he has an uncanny sense of what is funny. He also has the most priceless pout I have ever seen.
He is strong – physically and mentally. He is quick witted and tenacious.
He is sweet – the face of a cherub and the most beautiful blue eyes, he makes you feel like everything is going to be okay and all is good in the world.
He is adventurous – he climbs, he jumps, he holds nothing back – with everything it is all in – all his being to make it happen – no fear. And he can do it too, great sense of balance and quick learning and strength.
He is my Tristan – the namesake of his grandfathers and my ode to Camelot. My Tristan – a Knight of the round table, the love is Isolde, all depends which novel you read – he is history.
He is a reader – always a book around.

Dearest child, happy birthday – embrace your newfound independence and sense of self and I will let go too and pray all the more as my heart leaps for joy at your smile and leaps into my stomache when you jump off the Christmas tree…