Nooooooo!

When I was about 6 my mom got this idea. She decided that we needed to eat better foods and be healthier as a family. She cut out the usual "bad" foods: pop, chocolate, candy, etc. But she also cut out white flour, white sugar, anything premade or preboxed.

Basically we ate fruits, vegetables, meats, and anything made from honey, molasses, and whole wheat. It was okay until I started school. Then I saw that others ate white spaghetti noodles (How weird, I thought) and they ate real candy. Then came halloween. We were allowed to go trick-or-treating but then we would come home and my mom would trade us the 5 pounds of candy we worked so hard to collect for a small paper bag with 5 or 6 things from the health food store. We ate rice cakes with carob chips melted on it, we ate spinach noodles, pop never touched our lips.

Basically it was hell. By the time I was 12 my sisters and my brother and I started a rebellion. We would get money for our birthdays and such and we would sneak to the store and buy bags and bags of candy. We hid in our rooms and stuffed our mouths. About a year after the rebellion started my mom gave in. We were allowed to eat pretty much whatever we wanted.

The other day I got an email from a book company asking me to review some books here on my blog. The offer of free stuff always is good so I agreed. One of the books I agreed to review is called, "The Healthiest Kids On The Block" by William Sears and family.

I sat down with the book on Wednesday and began reading. For me it was a trip back in time. As I was reading his suggestions about what to feed your kids, I winced. Almost everything he said is what my mom did word for word. He says get rid of the junk and teach your kids early to appreciate "grow foods" as he calls them. Basically he said get rid of white flour foods, high fructose corn syrup foods, hydrogenated fats, and sugar. He recommended the lifestyle my mom had us on.

I had several issues with his ideas.
1. The cost.
He countered this with "aren't your kids worth it?"
Well absolutely they are! I would buy them liquid gold if I thought it would help them be smarter and grow up healthier. But with our budget it is either buy lots of cheap food or buy a little expensive food. So we eat crap for a month or good food for a week. I don't relish the idea of starving three weeks out of the month. I am sure my kids don't either.

2. The deprivation
Yeah, kids notice when everyone else is eating multi-colored fruit roll ups and their mom packed them a brown scab-looking lump of dried fruit. Trust me, they notice.
Dr. Sears counters this with, if we all stop buying these foods then there won't be any kids left out and it is not an issue.
Well, yeah, in about 50 years when all the parents on earth stop buying them.
I felt left out a lot as a kid. I never, and I mean NEVER, got candy. It wasn't like we got a candy bar now and then, we NEVER got one. I didn't know what candy tasted like until I was 12. It was so bad that one time I remember a friend of mine had those gummy cinnamon bears and she dropped one by me. I picked it up and everyone went "Ewwwww, your not going to eat that are you?" I instantly felt embarrassed because that is what I wanted to do. So I lied and said I collect bears and would take this home and add it to my collection. I did collect bears but not the candy kind. I savored every bite of that cinnamon bear on my walk home from school that night.
3. The practicality
I live in South Dakota where corn and cows walk outside my window. Tofu doesn't. Granted grocery stores are getting better at supplying us rednecks with foods other than meat and potatoes but then we get back into the cost issue. I can't afford a 5.00 block of tofu that will last one meal when I can buy a roast for 8.00 that will feed us for at least two meals, but usually three.
4. Picky eaters
My kids are not bad when it comes to eating, well except one. But overall I think we do eat pretty good. But it is going to be hard and costly to get them used to all of these new foods Dr. Sears wants them to start eating.

I do see Dr. Sears' point. Our kids and we, as the adults, need to eat better. We do. We all know that. We would be healthier, skinner, have glowing skin, have less health problems, and live longer. We know.

So today I went grocery shopping and decided to implement SOME of the new techniques I had learned in the book. I have been trying to make small changes for the last few years to get some healthier foods into our regular diet anyway so I figured a few more wouldn't be too bad. I also am trying Tee's method of shopping. I am buying foods specifically for certain meals so I know exactly what we are eating each night.

I had about 100.00 budgeted for the next two weeks worth of food. Usually this works well with food left over for the next week.

I bought whole wheat bread instead of white. (Although it is the Whole Wheat White bread by Sara Lee so it looks and feels white.) Try finding bread without hydrogenated fats in them or corn syrup, two things Dr. Sears said are "red light" foods. I couldn't.

I bought real fruit spread instead of jelly. I got half the ounces I usually get for twice the price.

I bought carrots, potatoes, broccoli, sugar peas, corn, and cabbage. Way more veges than I usually buy. These are fairly reasonably priced.

I bought pears, apples, and plums. I also got frozen blueberries (a "green-light" food) and mixed berries for smoothies and for flavoring yogurt.

I bought plain "healthy" yogurt that contained no corn syrup. It was actually almost a dollar cheaper than the other stuff but I had to buy the frozen fruit which was well over 5.00 a bag.

I bought breakfast cereals with at least 3 grams of protein and fiber, something Dr. Sears said is important for sugary cereals. I ended up with raisin bran and trix. I didn't have time to check out too many other cereals so I will have to save that for another day.

I also bought 1% milk. But that is always what I buy. I started that when we got married so that we weren't eating too high of fat foods.

I did buy a few "red light" foods though. I bought pancake syrup with is 100% corn syrup. Maple syrup that is 100% pure (what my mom used to make us eat) is really yummy but also really expensive.

I also bought my usual spaghetti sauce. It has corn syrup in it but I like it. So there!

At the checkout everything rang up to 134.00. Not too bad but I am worried that we won't make it through the whole two weeks. I have enough food for planned meals for about 10 days.

So what did I learn from this book? That while Dr. Sears and my mom had good intentions and only want the best for us, there has to be a balance. I don't want my kids to ever have to go through the torture I went through to be healthy. My oldest sister told me not too long ago that she still can't sit down with a bag of candy and eat just a few. She still gobbles up the whole bag. That to me is not worth it. And if I want a brownie once in awhile I shouldn't have to feel guilty.

Everytime you go to the grocery store try something new and make good choices 90% of the time. You will be healthier than you are now but won't feel like you are missing out on anything.

Ramblings

It is good to be back in the swing of things, exercise wise. I am sore today but not too bad. Nothing like after the softball games anyway.

We are beginning the planning stages for the town Halloween Party. We had so much fun last year with it that we are trying to make it bigger and better this year. If you have any fun carnival-type games that you think kids would enjoy, let me know!

Marea's doctor informed us today that he wants us to find a new doctor to prescribe her ADHD medicine. This is frustrating for so many reasons but mainly because our regular doctor knows very little to nothing about her problems and when I tried to discuss it with him at her last visit I had to spell out Reactive Attachment Disorder for him. Oy!

Cassie's 7th birthday is coming up. So hard to believe. She has a big party planned already, except she forgot to tell me the plan. :)

I have pictures of the baby kitten finally. I will try to get them posted tomorrow.

TTFN!

Feels soooo good!

Today I got up at 5:30 and hopped on the treadmill for 15 minutes and then joined Denise Austin on Lifetime t.v. for her Fit and Lite show.

I lurrrrrrve exercise.

I feel so good about myself and my body is back on the road to getting fit. I had been doing Denise Austin's shows (she has two on lifetime each morning) for the last three years but I stopped in April because it seemed to aggravate my shoulder pain. Well today it hurt again but I have gained 20 pounds since April so I will deal with the shoulder pain until I lose the weight or the PT will help me fix it soon. I need my jeans to fit again asap.

Thou shalt not...

It really bothers me when people use God's name in conversations with wild abandon or no thought at all.

You know the kind of people I am talking about,

"Oh my God!"
"Thank God!"
"Good God!"
"God forbid!"

It irritates me. It is the equivalent of using the f-word every other word or saying like way to much. And it is one of the ten commandments.

I am not overly religious but as I listen to people talk like this I get irritated. I want to say something but don't want to offend them. So I grit my teeth and nod when appropriate because really I have lost an interest in what they have to say after "Oh my God!"

I am addicted

Today as I was driving to pick up Mr. Bill from preschool I saw an orangish blur run into the ditch. Upon further thought, I figured it was a cat. I assumed it was a farm cat from a nearby farm and so I continued on. I didn't see it on the way home.

Then after lunch I ran into town to get some much needed cat food. On the way home I saw the blur again, only this time it was huddled near the weeds on the side of the road. I stopped the van and backed up. The kitten sat in the middle of the road and waited for me to back up. As I got out it ran over to me so I grabbed it and put it in the seat next to me. It meowed the rest of the way home.

When we got home I gave it some food. Now it is hiding under my kitchen cabinet. (I will try to get a picture if I can get it to come out ever.) It is probably only 6 weeks old or so. It is itty bitty and fluffy. I am determined to find its owner (if it has one) or find it a home as I have enough cats. At least that is what everyone else tells me.

All I want for Christmas this year...

is a reallllllly big stereo with reallllllly loud speakers....

to drown out all of the whining and complaining from my kids.

Why must the teachers send home 4 hours of homework? Really it has been 8 p.m. before Becca is finished with her homework this week and that doesn't include practicing her sax. She is only in 5th grade people! And she is not enjoying doing 4 hours of work believe me!

Pucker Up!

Wanna kiss?

Spring Cleaning in the Fall

I have been dumping the clutter in my house today. I started with my cabinet full of medicine yesterday.

Before:

After:

Now I am all ready for the winter cold, flu, and various other nasty bug season.

Some of the items were really really outdated!

The metamucil I have had since we got married but hey it is just fiber right? And I think it is still half-full. (1993)
There is Cassie's Exema cream from when she was 2. (2001)
The vaseline is from when Mr. Bill was born. I used it after he was circumsized. (2002)
There isa bottle of baby lotion in there from the same time frame. (2002)
There are fish tank medicines and other miscellaneous fish stuff. The fish tank has been down for over a year now. (2005)
Must have been time for a good cleaning. :)

Why I have been tiptoeing around the house all weekend...

The softball game. Or I should say gameSSSSS! We played three games. Yes, you read that right. THREE games. And I played catcher for all three. So I spent the day going

UP...


Down...
So basically I did squats for 4 hours. Owie!

I was up to bat a few times and managed to hit the ball and make it to first, second, and third base. I never made it home though as the batter or someone else got out and we switched sides.

Swing batter batter!


Oh and my husband did play a few minutes. Here he is running to first.
We did have a ton of fun so it was well worth it. I might even sign up next year.

This is sooo me!

Signs I need to hang in my house:

A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen and this kitchen is delirious.

No husband has ever been shot while doing the dishes.

If we are what we eat, than I'm fast, cheap and easy.

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.

Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.

A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Help keep the kitchen clean - eat out.

Countless number of people have eaten in this kitchen and gone on to lead normal lives.

My next house will have no kitchen - just vending machines.

Failure

I am failing miserably.

When I got married and starting having kids, I was determined that my kids would grow up equal. The girls would do "boy chores" and the boys would do "girl chores". Everybody needs life-skills and they should not be gender specific.

In the last few years I have come to realize my kids are watching my husband, who does nothing at home, and are learning from his bad example. While I am saying, boys do help around the house, they see my husband doing the exact opposite.

This makes me mad and sad at the same time. I need to rethink my tactics.

I survived the softball game

I got to play catcher and also got up to bat several times. I made it to base everytime (without a walk) but now I am dying.

My whole body feels like it has been run over by a mack truck. My husband on the other hand was a bench warmer. (They had to play 4 girls and 4 boys. We only had 4 girls so we all played the entire time.)

I have pictures. I will post them soon.

Rip my heart out

Two things said to me today by my Billys.

Mr. Bill: "Mom I wish I didn't have to grow bigger and bigger so Daddy won't die."

My husband: "How does it feel?"
Me: "How does what feel?"
My husband: "Being so pretty."

Motherhood

Somebody said it takes about 6 weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby . . .
Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "normal" is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct . . .
Somebody never took a 3-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring . . .
Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said good mothers never raise their voices . . .
Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother . . .
Somebody never helped a 4th grader with his math.

Somebody said you can't love the 5th child as much as you love the first . . .
Somebody doesn't have 5 children.

Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books. . .
Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery. . .
Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the 1st day of kindergarten. Or on a plane headed for military boot camp.

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back . . .
Somebody never organized 7 giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married. . .
Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son- or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home . . .
Somebody never had grandchildren.

Never

I will never make a good working parent.

Today I had a parent training class for 8 hours at the school.

I got home at 4 p.m. just as the kids arrived home. I was exhausted and all I did was sit and think all day. By 4:30 I had a headache and I couldn't keep my eyes open.

I made Billy help with homework and I took a nap.

I will never be able to work full time and be a mother. How do you do it people!?

Shoot him now

My husband...

He needs shot...

He signed me up for a softball team at his work.

I have not EVER played softball except to help the girls practice.

I hope my team is prepared to lose.

Allie's Life

I found a new blog the other day when Allie commented on my blog.

When I popped in her blog and started reading I saw she had posted a picture of herself.

I told my husband to come look.

He says, "Gretchen Wilson has a blog now too huh?"

I had to laugh. She looks exactly like Gretchen Wilson to me too. But no, it is Allie of Allie's Life.

What do you think?

Beeeaaatch

Apparently I don't make a good first impression.

We spent the weekend with some family whom I haven't seen in likely 10 years.

When it was time to go I told my family in no uncertain terms that it was time. to. go.

I didn't think I was mean about it. I just didn't mess around because otherwise my husband can drag the leaving part out for hours, literally. And we had a 2 hour drive ahead of us.

When a family member called today she told me what they thought of me. It rhymed with witch.

And now tonight I was disciplining Becca who was having a tantrum over having to sort her dirty clothes. I could tell she was tired and that was the main source of her tantrum. I told her she would go to bed 30 minutes early for the rest of the week as a punishment for screaming at me and Megan. Billy, in no polite terms, let me know what he thought of me for passing on that punishment. I am hurt and angry all at the same time.

I guess it is time to take a look at myself. I knew I was heading into a person I didn't want to be but I had no idea it was that bad. I like who I am but I also know I can be overbearing and mean. When I have an agenda I don't like swaying from it and many times that comes across as being mean and unfriendly.

And I don't have much practice in being a nice person. The only people I see on a daily basis are my kids and my husband. I could really use a friend... :(

Always improving...

Five Years Ago...

Five years ago I was at home, having just sent my "baby" to kindergarten. I was cleaning up breakfast dishes when my husband called.

"Have you seen the news?"

"No, I haven't turned the t.v. on yet. Why?"

"Go turn on the news!"

I walked into the living room and switched on the t.v. just in time to see the plane fly into the first tower.

"What is this?!" I yell into the phone.

"In New York..." was all he could say.

For the next few hours I watched as the plane flew into the building over and over on the news. They re-played the horror over and over and over. Finally I had to shut it off.

If you had asked me where the U.S.A. would be five years later that morning, I never would have guessed this. We are still at war with a country, who in my opinion, was completely unrelated to what happened on 9-11. I couldn't make the connection between Sadam and 9-11 then, and I still can't today.

My heart hurts for the families of all those men who were sent to this war and never came home and for those soldiers who did come home but a changed person. And today and everyday my hearts and thoughts are with those family members who lost a loved one in the 9-11 attacks. May God watch over them and hold them tight while they grieve again today.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

This show is filming (and rebuilding) a house just 6 miles south of my house. So today we ventured out and went to see it.

First you have to drive to the Spectator's Parking Area. Below is the volunteer's lot which was next to the spectator lot. A bus comes and picks you up and takes you to the site. We were all contained behind gates but we were literally right across the driveway from the work and the house.

We got to see Michael as he was filming a section for the movie but other than him, we didn't see any celebrities. Michael did wave and the crowd of less than 100 cheered. Then he got back to filming.
Good thing my camera has zoom

We were there, really...

The volunteer and tradespeople area:

And the security at the site. There were a lot of people keeping things well under control. This guy kept us spectators behind the gates.
And a little video footage I took (and my first go with youtube). You can sort of see Michael up in the front door area. :

Fall foods

Homemade Caramel Apple Crisp and cool fall weather...

nothing goes together better.

Yummy!

PT and boredom

Ran to the PT again today to check my progress. After 2 weeks of stretches things are much better. I have a wider range of movement now that my muscles have relaxed somewhat. I still have some significant pain though so we are trying some small exercises to see if the muscles getting stronger will stop the pain.

I have found a couple of new blogs that are worth a read. I realized though after reading them that my blog, well, is lacking. I am not funny, most of the time. I am not insane, most of the time. I am not entertaining, most of the time. So 90% of the time my readers are bored speachless (thus the lack of commenting) and the other 10% they think I stole the content from someone else's blog?

I am trying to find a "feel" for my blog. Do I want to make it funny, serious, topical? I don't really know. I started my blog to keep in touch with my family, sort of a running commentary of our life. Even they do not comment, if they are in fact reading at all anymore. They keep asking me for my blog address over and over. I must be boring.

I am not leaving though. I like my blog and the creative outlet. And too many people have jumped ship lately. I hate when a blog I read ends. I will work on this some more...

What makes you come back to a blog over and over?

Word Verification gone bad

While trying to leave a comment on Deputy's Wife's blog this morning I was greeted with this word verification:
Perhaps they need to add a word verification filter eh?

The internet and I...

We lost our internet again! The repair guy finally showed up today. It took him three hours to get it figured out. The outage followed a storm just like the last time yet he is blaming it on our dish network receiver. Yea whatever...

It had just better stay put now or heads will roll!

How does my garden grow?

With baby carrots,
tomatoes,


corn,

and green bugs...

A Day at the Carnival

As Tee said, "The bills can wait..."

There was a small carnival in the grocery store parking lot so we took the kids. Although it was small, they sure had big prices. But the kids had a blast so it was worth every penny.

Our new screen door

It is child and cat friendly. The screen hides in the top unless it is open. And it just takes a little windex to keep it looking brand spanking new!