Whole30 and Mac and Cheese

My husband and I have given into the hype and will be spending the next 30 days dairy, grain and sugar free! So far it's not too bad, other then a HUGE grocery bill.

See although we will be eating eggs and nuts, not so sure my kids will be on board. Today is day 1, 10/20/14. We planned it this way, so that we can have a healthy holiday season and still enjoy pumpkin pie. 

Day 1. went well. I think the key will be a large variety, to help stave off the "cupcake" cravings. My kids laughed at our food, stole my fruit salad and ate Mac n cheese for dinner.

Day 2. well, this was interetsting, of course my second day, I have a lunch planned..I went with clear broth soup with kale and sausage, and some potato, which I know is not on the list, but it was the closest I could get. I also had salad with no croutons, or cheese. I loaded up with an egg and nuts before I left, for breakfast, so I was great! Dinner was some grilled chicken, carrots and cucumbers. I had a meeting at night, and the Giants won the first game of the World Series, so we celebrated with cold pressed cherry juice spritzers, some fancy meat and mangoes. I was super happy with my food. So far so good.
Day 3. So not too bad, actually it was great. I have some super tasty food to look forward too!

Day 4. Today was rough. I have spent over $300 on groceries this week, my banana, almond, coconut batter exploded all over my kitchen and I found a spider web in my raw organic cashew. My kids don't eat any of the food my husband and I are eating, so that means 2 different dinners each night. Yes I can let them go hungry, but over cauliflower rice? I'm not craving sweets or bread, I'm craving food that doesn't take 2 hours to prep and cook. I'm craving someone else being able to cook.

Day 5. Assorted nuts and fruits for lunch. Iced coffee and after looking at this meal plan, the cost and time...I'm going to give this a try again at another time. 

So here is the thing. This is a great plan, for people who live alone, or don't have 2  young kids who want to scratch each others eyes out, like rabid cats. We gave it a go, but my focus needs to be on kindergarten homework, not 3 hours to make dinner. Am I going to eat a cookie? Maybe, but maybe I'll still have an apple. Am I bummed? Uh...no...I'm relieved. 

Our new menu has made our kids a bit more adventurous, they now really like Harvati cheese and chicken quesadillas, none of which I could eat, so I'm not sure how that happened, but cool.

It's 10:15pm.

Chester Copperpot

I remember being excited as a child. Excited for new adventures and people to have them with. I remember watching Goonies and wanting to hit the coast ASAP to find a treasure and have an amazing adventure. I started my parenting years young. I was 20 when I had my daughter and I freely admit that she was/is pretty spoiled. There are a lot of people who love her and want her to have fancy nice things. About 5 years later I married my husband a we have had 2 boys since then. Combine a father who wants his boys to have all the cool toys and things he didn't get to have with a family of aunts and uncles who are generous beyond anything I could ever imagine and we have kids who have everything. That's great! Right? ...right? ...uhm... No. Not always.

Maybe not having everything leads a person to imagine an adventure to find treasure. Maybe not having a toy store in your room (my sons own words) makes a trip to the toy store a more magical experience, like it was when I was little. 

I want my kids to experience awe and wonder in the world around them, not be constantly wowed by media and entertained. They are constantly on media uppers. Argh. It's hard. Media has its time and use, but for now, I am trying to have my kids occupy life. 

The Goonies, if someone let their asthmatic child run around a death cavern with 2 guys chasing them in the name of adventure, they'd have CPS on their doorstep! Times have surely changed...but I still have this burning desire to yell "hey you guys!" When I am on a boat.

It's 9:19pm

This is my son and his cousins occupying life, in a very close space, on a farm, with a finger in the nose.

10 Days Sugar Free, White Flour Free

I am currently in day #4 of being sugar and white flour free.  I tell people that I am doing great, and that I feel great and I do! But there are definately some side effects, which are...different.
Day #1 was not so bad.  I ate a lot of tasty meat and cheese, paried with fresh fruit and salad.  Grilled Chicken and Quinoa for dinners and nuts for snacks.  I felt good.
Day #2 still good, until about 6 pm...HOLY HEARTBURN BATMAN.
Day #3...I poop seeds. Seriously. Quinoa Seeds.  Did you know Quinoa was a seed? I just found out...the heartburn subsided when I removed the lemon from my water and things got a little better with a handful of Fritos.  I know not super healthy, but no sugar and no flour!
So this all leads up to day #4, today.  I eat a couple apples, a couple oranges, lots of salad, a bit of cheese and nuts for snacks.  I have to say my energy level is WAY up...and so are my trips to the restroom.  Let's be realistic, this much fiber would do the same to anyone.  I also ate potato chips today, I needed something to take the edge off of the fruit and veggie cramps, especially since I was driving a mountain road...
Day #5, I am halfway there and what was I thinking...I'm supposed to have a visit from Aunt Flo and I am off sugar and flour. I have turned to more corn products to help counteract the acid stomach. I love oranges and pears. 

Day #6 soccer Saturday with dad. Usually we go to soccer, then head to KK for a treat and errands. I am really thinking about a donut. I feel like a crack head, this is ridiculous. What to do? Throw together scrambled eggs, bacon and apple slices. Mmmm...this is not too bad! Day went better than expected.

Day #7, spent most of the day with Miya. Read a lot of labels today while waiting for Miya to finish her study. It's crazy how sugar is in everything. I know I already know this, but when I really think about it, it's crazy. My Sunday treat? Huevos Rancheros. 

Day #8. I made it 1 whole week. I got this. 

Day #9. My kids are crazy. Thank The Lord for my husband. I can honestly careless about sweets. The flour is harder. The convenience if flour is amazingly bad. I'm want to make my own bread without sugar. Honesty I don't need much, just something to absorb stomach acid and hold my turkey and cucumbers!

Day #10. Things I have learned. Quinoa in moderation. Steel cut oats are very filling. My minions will steel my sliced fruit every time, thus my kids WILL eat what I eat...so this reduction in sugar is really important. 10 days is a doable, reasonable goal. If I can do it, anyone can.

I learned a lot these 10 days. Food is very intertwined with my emotions. Bad days equal bad food choices. Good days equal celebration and food choices. Why aren't apples a celebration food anymore? They are now, and so are cucumbers, fresh mozzarella, pears and berries. 

It's 9:38am

 

Bahumbug and Yippie!

     I have in past years have had very mixed feeling about the holidays, they end up being a lot of stress for me with prep, planning, shopping, wrapping, shopping, cleaning, stocking, stuffing, stressing, etc.  I start off with a boom and fizzle by the 21st. Then I just want to hibernate till Valentines Day.  I know that part of it has to do with my little brothers birthday being this month and so close to Christmas.  It's still a hard time of the year for my whole family, but a tad bit easier each year.

     This year, I feel different.  I feel less stressed out and more relaxed.  My boys still run around like hooligans and try to eat all the advent chocolate in one day.  My teenager still throws attitude, like snowballs...there is still family drama and planning conflicts.  The hustle and bustle is still there, but I feel calmer, slower, less urgency to get everything done all in one day and have it wrapped in a bow with sparkles.  I attribute this to 2 things.
   
     First, my husband is amazing. Second, I have found a whole new joy in watching my kids enjoy the Christmas season.  My kids could care less about the order of fun or how pretty it looks when it's done.  They just want to be together, laughing (crying too) and having a good time!  Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child is an amazing thing.  Each little light, ornament and treat is enjoyed with such awe that you can't help but smile.

     It's not about quantity.  It's about quality.  That is such a simple lesson to learn and it does not take a lot to figure it out.  Spend time with your kids, they get a little bigger each year, so take the time to really enjoy the awe of the season with them. Create memories and smiles.  After all, do you remember every single gift you were ever given? Yeah, me either.

It's 1:44 pm.  P.S. Peppermint MnM's are like crack, and I am a junkie!

Thank You!

Thank you. 2 simple words designed to convey appreciation and flattery for a job well done.
My 2 year old is ridiculously polite. He says please and thank you for everything,  every time. We are clueless as to where these manners came from, my guess is Dora or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. My 4 year old not so much and my 13 year old, well she is 13...
Does this mean my kids love me less and appreciate me less if they don't say thank you? NO. It means they express their appreciation and gratitude in different ways. My 13 year old will help more,  or play with her brothers,  my 4 year old will draw me a picture.
Do we have to hear THANK YOU to know that someone is greatful,  no...but unless we are around them enough to see or feel gratitude in a different way, then our options maybe limited to verbal communication.
During this especially busy time of the year, I want to try to communicate my gratitude as often as possible.  It will be interesting to see how it works in each situation,  but I am convinced that conveying gratitude and appreciation in am audible and visible way will make others feel as warm and fuzzy as it makes me feel.
Maybe I should thank the delivery man who just woke up my napping child first...
It is 12:30 in the afternoon. 

Trip to the store.

So there is a great sale on footie pj's at Carter's, and J has been asking for "gajama's that cover his whole body," so we went shopping. Well if that's what you  want to call it...I think it looked more like frantic grabbing and pig wrangling all at the same time. Neither boy wanted to walk, yet neither wanted to sit at the Lego table either. Neither boy wanted to shop for clothes, but both wanted million dollar toy sets, you know as a reward for being super naughty. Thank God I work out, because I had to pick up both boys, about 80lbs total of dead, screaming, sweaty weight, one in each arm, with my bag and purse and walk out of the store, to the car and hope I didn't drop one, where anyone could see. I get in the car, tell them both they are out of line and needed some wooden spoon time. I am not sure why epic little boy melt down still surprises me so much?! 

We get in the car, and the melt down continues. And I am a hot sweaty mess. All I want to do is go home, duck tape my kids to their beds and have nap time. So what happens next? I swear, just as soon as the car starts moving they quiet down. Why is the car so soothing?! I swear these boys looked like toddler zombies in their seats! 

Anyway, we grabbed some lunch and were on our way. 2 things: thank GOD for carseat restraints and seriously, check out Carter's, deals so good...it made the insanity worth it!

It's 2:56pm

too BLESSED to stress!

Ok that is one of the hokier christianese sayings that I have heard in my life, and I understand it, but today, I felt it. I had court today, for child support for my oldest child. I never in a million years thought the amount would be reduced, but it is. As I sat there, all I could feel was pity and pride. 

Pity for the other party, being called "low income," and being told that perhaps their goals are not realistic. 

Pride, for the blessings The Lord has gifted to myself and my family. 

At that moment I truly understood the concept. I am blessed. The Lord has always taken care of me, and He will continue too. My husband is an amazing provider that takes excellent care of his family. Period. I am lucky, regardless if what the other party can scrounge up, because I don't need it. I am not tooting my own horn, I understand hardship, but to be at this place, with this situation is a big step for me. I feel good. I am happy and truly...too blessed to stress!

Driving Around in My Automobile

I really like my new car. A lot. I really dislike the interior of my new car being dirty...a lot. This is a problem, I have 3 kids. 1 child loves Cheetos, orange fingers. 1 child is an artistic genius, paper, markers, crayons. 1 child is a moody teenager. No explanation needed.  I feel like I am constantly picking up crayons, Cheetos and paper. It's because I am. But this is my family, and this is a family car, so we have a family sized mess! I used to get very irratated. Rage might be a better word. How dare these ankle biters mess with my space?!? Oh and there is the problem...it's not "my," anything. It's "our," everything, but more specific, it's our blessing. Just like the kids...really I believe that...count it all as joy, right? Ha easier said then done! I struggle with this. With taking the good with the bad, with realizing that it's not all rose tinted glasses all day. That my children are loud, dirty, crazy little blessings. Just like a new car or any other thing we have. Our blessings aren't always the way we envision them to be, but it doesn't lessen the impact if the blessing, or at least it shouldn't, right? There is alot of thinking that goes on while being in a car. And I am thinking this car isn't so messy, but full of memories.

So smart...not really?

True (and sad) story:

In my math class tonight, we were exchanging ideas on a list of math word problems, such as 3=F in a Y, so 3 feet in a yard or 18=H on a GC, so 18 holes on a golf course. Well I see this, 20,000=L U the S by JV, and this is a no brainer for me! So I say "this is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne." 

Both of the (much younger) student in my group say what? I repeat myself, they say how to do spell that? I spell it, by who? They say...I say Jules Verne, they ask how to spell that name. 

At this point I am a little dumbfounded.... But the real icing on the educational GMO cake? One of them says to me, "is that a song?" 

I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

My response? "...I guess it's a really old book..."

The 2 kids next me are Japanese and Science majors. Really!?! So smart an yet so dumb.

Feeling like a mom, my mom.

Ok, I may be late to the "mom," party, but man did I feel like a "mom," today! Up early to take H to urgent care to have his ear looked at, I infected, off to CVS for the prescription, and then home to get Jax and off to the gym, pick up Miya from school, then across town to Buy Buy baby for H's shoes, size 9!!, and these pouches he LOVES that are normally twice as much. 

Well while we are there, kids are crying, feet are so sore, but we need meat, so we head to Costco, and thank goodness for their cookies, which enabled me to get all 3 kids fitted for rain boots, FIND them in the piles, and pick up the goods we needed. 

So the end? 

No. 

Miya asked for a book from Barnes and Noble. For school. So book reserved while at Costco, then happy rain booted kids in the car and I grab the book. Home to prep dinner and cook meals for the next 2 days for Clint and I. Bathe a child, cooked high protein chopped salads for dinner. Aaaaaand i'm done. I am sure there are 20 other things I need to do, but I am so tired and sore, they will have to wait. I remember my mom doing this with us. She is pretty awesome.

It's 8:22pm

My Favorite J and H...and Sissy

As my kids get older, I notice they become much more aware of the affection I give to their siblings, keeping a watchful eye to make sure that "their love," is not distributed to a baby brother or big sissy. 

I often want to express to them that I do love them so much, but I want to be honest and make sure no one feels "more," or "less," than anyone else. 

So I have applied the "favorite," to each of them, by name.

"H, you are my favorite H I have ever had, and I love you more than any other H in the whole world!"

This is genius, really, because you are able to give the warm fuzzies AND not feel conflicted AND speak freely in front of your other children, without anyone being left out! 

So far this is working out really well, especially for my 2 boys who constantly vie for mama's attention. 

Now Sissy is a little different, she is a teenager, so I have to love her in a non intrusive or uncool way, so she gets " hey your cool, and stuff. And Iet's hang out, and stuff."  ...but at home...she gets the love, the climb in your bed and lay on top of you love with 2 brothers giggling in tow!

These are a few of my favorite things.

It's 11:23pm.

Long Days, Longer Nights

I Wake up at 6am to a drooling toddler asking for "Gabba," or "Dora." Shortly after I hear a 4 year old grabbing 1 million blankets and dragging them all into my room. On the bed we snuggle, until someone decides to break out for downstairs, and then the day of kids x3 begins! 

Drop off sister, go to the gym, errands, lunch, naps (not for mom), pick up sister, prep dinner, break up 400 fights, chase down a 2 year old 50 times,  tell a 4 year old to pee 20 times, help a 13 year old with homework, or assorted teenagerness, make and serve dinner, bath time, bed time, shower and bed. 

Sleep? ...noooooooo...

Toss and turn, watch ridiculous Amish rebellion shows, play Candy Crush, Instagram, Facebook...repeat...

It amazes me that a day can tire you out so much and yet a bed can energize you like a quad shot espresso.

It's 12:01am.

Trains and Automobiles

This weekend, our oldest child ditched us to go camping, so we decided on an adventure with our younger 2. Around 930am we packed up the Journey for a Hines Family Journey to the Sacramento Railroad Museum. 

We started by making sure we had snacks for everyone, changes of clothes, water and anything else we may need for the about 2 hour drive to the "shoo shoo shrains."

It first started with screams and cracker throwing, then cozy and Sully slaps and ended with J slapping his brother in the faces with his stuffed dog. This was 20 min into the drive...oh Lord what are we doing?!?

There is something about 2 little brothers sitting within arms reach of each other in the car. There bodies seem to explode and they lose their minds! Eventually we decided that they needed to sit behind each other, not next to each other, if we wanted the screams of cracker delight to subside. 

So about 2.5 hours later, we pulled into the parking garage and were ready for some "shoo-shoo's!"

It's amazing the fascination boys have with trains, especially H. He wanted to see every single display and picture and train there was to see. It almost made the  2 hours of screaming in the car worth it, to see his eyes light up and a huge smile form on his face. 

H loves trains, trucks and planes. He loves to see and ride just about everything except the cars we have, go figure!

He also loves "Taxis," which are actually police cars. Not sure what happened there...

Our weekend was filled with driving around in our automobile, trains, 2 giggling boys and lots if memories.

It's 8:48am

Brothers and Balls

Tonight we spent the evening outside, enjoying the brisk weather and a neighborhood potluck. It was so much fun. We started an hour early, as soon as I saw that the street had been coned off to decrease the flow of traffic. 

We were sitting outside, watching the boys play on their bikes and trikes.

Slowly more kids joined in, until it was a full blown kids laughing, chalk on the sidewalk, wagon rides, bubble blowing cul-de-sac of fun!

As the kids were playing, stealing cupcakes from the dessert table and drinking more juice than they have since the last party we went to, J appeared with 4 small bouncey balls. As he threw them and chased them bouncing off cars and tables, H noticed the fun. The ball fun. 

Now in theory, they each would have played with 2 balls and would have been happy, EHHHHHH...WRONG! 

The each wanted what the other had, and they each wanted to play with their balls the way the other played with them. Well as a parent, you know that "results may vary."

Why are little boys do drawn to balls? And what makes someone else's bouncing ball so much better than your bouncing ball? 

Eventually a soccer ball and bucket of candy in a grassy lawn drew the attention away from the 4 bouncing balls of argument, and it seemed the boys had moved on to fight over something different.

But this had me thinking...why do we want what other people have, the way they have it? Terribly unrealistic way to expect life to pan out, if you ask me...

And yet we all would LOVE for life to pan out that way! 

I guess the moral of the story is that even if there are equal bouncing balls for all the boys, the soccer ball and candy may be a better option.

Someone also made super cute mini hamburger desserts! With Nilla Wafer buns! So creative, little odd tasting, but very cute!

It's 11:32pm.

4 and 13...and 33

One would think that at the age of 13, your ability to function, minus major attitude would diminish quite significantly...well as a parent of a 13 year old...you probably already know the answer...

I am often amazed when I see a teenager arguing with a 4 year old, even more so when it looks like the 4 year old is winning! But maybe we would all win our arguments if we could end them by sticking our tongue out, yelling "baby head" and running away.

These arguments don't actually surprise me, it's human nature, and this particular 4 year old really likes to touch his sisters hair-like a bear.

What I have learned is that regardless of the age gap, when a person feels wronged, they say something. Hence the arguments I have at 33 with a 13 year old, a 4 year old and a 2 year old. 

It is so much easier for me to tell my daughter to ignore her brothers, than it is for me to not have the last word with someone I think is wrong. 

This is not news, we like to be right, but even more than that, we like to make sure everyone else knows we are right!

So in an effort to take some of my own advice, perhaps the next time we argue, I will just stick my tongue out at you, call you a "baby head," and run away. This will be my way of ignoring you.

Seems to be working great for my 4 year old!

Brother, Uncle, Friend

A few times a year I post about my brother Matt. It's usually around his birthday and the anniversary of his death. In between that time, I see various posts from different friends on FB regarding the loss of their loved ones. I often get very teary eyed and begin to think about my own brother.

I miss him, he was a pretty cool guy. But I think that what really gets me is that my kids, 2 of the 3, will never get to meet the   "Uncle Matt," I say "the," because he was quite and entity. Making an impact on all who knew him, including my oldest daughter Miya. 

Miya was about 4 when her uncle died. I remember telling her that he went to heaven and that we would not see him again. I also remember hearing her sing about him being dead, like a sad country song with lyrics made from bits of information she would overhear. While he was alive, Uncle Matt spoiled Miya-sand boxes, with colored sand! Giant inflatable swimming pool, with bubbles and a big stuffed red Clifford dog, these were just a few of the gifts he would come home with. There was also clothes and smaller goodies, he thought about her a lot. She was loved by him.

I know that my 2 boys and nephew and niece would have been loved by him just as much. I am sure that the family camping trips, boating adventures and family holidays would have been filled with small feet being chased by the Uncle Matt. 

The loss of any family member is hard, it sucks really, and the more time that passes the more healing can occur, but it can also bring about new hurts too. Siblings were our first friends, the first line of defense against parental tyranny. Or so we thought. 

As I see my kids grow, I miss my brother more, in a different way. I miss the idea of my kids having another uncle. As I am sure all of us do who have lost a brother.

So in true country fashion, and because I am sure my love of Tim McGraw would have been the topic of many laughs, this one is for Matt.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Wly8pBuEE

Graco and Disney

We have 3 kids, they range in age from 13-2. Today we all piled in the car to go and pick up a new Graco Ready2Grow, a sit and stand double stroller, because our younger boys like to be together, but it's better if they can't see each other...as we were driving I was thinking, with the youngest being 2 and 4, this will most likely be the last stroller we ever buy, hopefully.

I started thinking about having M, my oldest, over 13 years ago. I was young, had no idea about strollers or kids stuff, brands or anything. I had a very basic stroller an carseat for Miya, and very early I noticed that a lot of other people had MUCH nicer baby things.  Now I knew that someone would always have something nicer than I, that's life! ...but I really wanted my child to have nice things, and nothing makes a mom feel better than a nice diaper bag, stroller and carseat. Not expensive, nice. I guess this was phase 1 of early stroller envy...

I remember finding M a nice Eddie Bauer carseat and a really nice Eddie Bauer stroller, by Graco. It felt good.

Fast forward 8 years and it's time to pick out a travel system for J! What do I pick? Why Graco of course! I loved it. The cup holders, the easy ride, loved it!

So along came baby #3 and we reused a couple things and splurged in a "nice" double stroller! A Baby Jogger. It was great! ...until it wasn't. So here we are picking up our final stroller, a good ol' Graco. It's funny how something like a stroller and The Disney Channel have been family favorites for the past 13 years. Our lives are intertwined with amazing memories of Mickey Mouse and Graco strollers. As our kids age I wonder what will be next? Maybe Vans and BMX bikes? Or TOMS and surfboards? Maybe  VW's and Nikes, like my teenage years! No matter how it happens, we are definitely enjoying the ride! And I am sure Dora will also be a part of it...

It's 9:06pm.

Caramel Corn and Cemeteries

This weekend, my husband and I took a much needed break away, more for him then me of course, from the kids and headed out to Washoe County, Nevada (Reno). We headed out Friday, and decided to "just get on the road," and deal with the traffic. As we headed out of the area, I got hungry, but in an effort not to miss our check in deadline, we kept driving. Bad idea. Apparently, when I get hungry, I get a little (LOT) cranky (RAGE) and am not so nice (raging jerk). What does ones husband feed the wild savage wife when hunger strikes? Why caramel corn of course! 

We made it to our hotel with an hour to spare, checked in and started our adventure in Nevada. We found ourselves the next day in Virginia City, checking out the old mining town. My husband loves historic cemeteries, so The Silver Terrace Cemeteries was our first stop. I am all for history and exploration, but flip flops, GIANT WASPS, and loose gravel shortened my trip and I headed back to the car while my husband looked around more.

I always feel a little strange exploring a cemetery, like I am having fun where so many people have spent the hardest times of their life, so I try to take a different approach and read as many of the tombstones as possible. This is sorta my way of paying my respects and acknowledging the lives if people. And then we happened upon the babies, and the children, and those get me every time. We spent about 80 min there, and then hoped in the car and drive around more. 

Through the city, and on to Carson City. On the way there...I got hungry. Low and behold, the caramel corn came to the rescue. 

By the end of this trip, I think my husband was ready to write the caramel corn company and thank them for saving our marriage. 

We ended our trip and headed home today, well rested and ready to hug our babies and our big girl. We are very lucky to have great friends and family to watch our kids, so we can have our time together. 

I think I love caramel corn and if you have a chance, visit the Ghirardelli Chocolate Outlet in Lathrop, it's well worth the stop. 

It's 8:59pm

Full Hearts and Fuller Bellies!

Today a group of families that I grew up with met at a park to hang out and catch up. We are all grown up now, with kids of our own. Some of us have older kids, some younger, some both! What I loved about today was that no matter how long it's been since we have seen each other, we instantly connected over memories, food, family and screaming children. 

There were the baby handoffs, the shared child watching and of course the shared snacks! 

H and J each found a buddy, which made play time even more special and a little easier for me. Then after a few hours of sun and water play, came snack time. 

If you know Aunty Mama, you know I have snacks! Here I am, like an old lady on a park bench feeding the birds, they swarm at the sight of food, and I LOVED it! In a way, it mad me feel like even though I don't get to see all these awesome kids on a regular basis, I was still able to connect and pour (sugar) into them. It made my heart so full. Who knows when we will all be together again to have this time, but I know that whenever it happens again, it will be just like we saw each other yesterday and I will have a lot of snacks. 

I am also now the color of a coffee bean.

It's 8:08pm.

Pizza and Donuts

Today was a long day, a fun day, but loooong! My boys don't sleep like they used to, 7pm to 7am, it's a lot more like 830pmish to 230am to 5am to 6 or 7am...so my plan today was to run a few errands, lunch with a friend and a bit of shopping AND a nap! I was able to do everything EXCEPT the nap. But I noticed something's today. #1 I sweat a lot, Am I too young for hot flashes? #2 I get REALLY tired around 2pm everyday and #3 I don't like stuffed crust pizza. 

Oh and M loves Krispy Kreme donuts. So  does C, F, H and J. 

M had been asking for a drive to KK, and I felt obligated as a good parent to do so tonight. So we packed up the kids and drove up to Union Landing. 

While we were ordering, the person working there interrupts us to ask, "so are you getting a dozen or what?" EXACT words. 

I was shocked. I realized the older I get, the less customer service is a part of my shopping experience. I remember being trained to give excellent customer service at all my jobs. Was that so long ago? I felt old. 

It saddens me to think that in the world we live in, instructing your kids to be polite, respectful go getters is somehow squashing their creative spirit. It's sad that culture and world view, the things that make us diverse and unique are being diluted by the "everyone gets a trophy for trying, we are all winners, go with the flow, YOLO," attitude. It's not trendy to be rude, it's not cool to suck at your job, you should care. Someone worked very hard to establish that company that you are belittling with your bad attitude and lack if customer service. 

Sheesh. Dang slackers. Oh man. I am old.

It's 9:41pm