Sunday, March 6, 2011
First Time Mom Taxi
Gah this past week was rough on dinner time. I spent way to much money and time in the drive thru line since the kids started soccer last Tuesday. Over night it seems I have went from spending my nights leisurely trying our recipes and crocheting to being a Mom Taxi.I don't really mind the change so much since I know that if my kids are into something - then they will be less likely to get into trouble or fall in with the wrong crowd...but something's got to give. As is stands it's either dinner or soccer.
Practicing heading the ball.
Since I don't think the kids would be interested in giving up their new found love with a black and white ball...I am going to have to make some changes in my dinner routine. This week I will be trying out crock pot recipes.
Tuesday: Chicken Tacos
To make this even more simple...I bought cheese and lettuce pre-shredded. Will serve with sour cream or ranch.
Thursday: Lasagna
I will throw together a super simple salad of romaine lettuce, mozzarella cheese and ranch dressing.
I figure if as soon as I get home from work I throw the ingredients in, set the table and get sides and or toppings ready we can be at the table and eating within 10 minutes of getting home.
In the next couple of weeks I am also going to have to invest in a dish washer...it's almost too much to even think about washing the dishes after running around all day and night.
How do you deal with dinner when your job as Mom Taxi gets in the way? Do you have any tried and true crock pot recipes to share? I would big puffy heart love if you shared them!
Monday Mingle
This week’s questions {week of 3/7/11}:
1. Where do you think you’ll be/what you’ll be doing in 10 years?
2. You are ordering a hamburger at a restaurant (or veggie burger :) – how do you have it cooked, what type of cheese and what else goes on it?
3. What are the current gas prices like where you live?
Friday, March 4, 2011
How Do You Deal With Guilt?
This week the pediatrician that treats my oldest for ADHD changed his medicine. To be perfectly honest if it had been me taking him to his appointment this would have never happened. From the very beginning I was totally against daily prescriptions. But in fear of making my child's school life miserable because he was getting into trouble all the time for behavior issues I relented against my fear of drugs and we gave it a try. But I was quite clear with the doctor...choose wisely. I don't want my kid to have to try a whole bunch of meds = suffering while we try to get it just right. I don't know why I had this attitude. I just knew that I didn't want to cause harm...but I also knew that I didn't want to be the harm. If there was something that could make my child's life easier I didn't want to stand in the way of it.
While it wasn't an over night change...he did seem better able to handle daily tasks and pay attention somewhat in class. There was a significant difference in his attitude and attention span. But the more that he took it (we're talking months here) the less effective it seemed to be. He started getting detention for not completing assignments, time out from recess for not doing homework and into trouble at home because he was either bratty or just plain defiant. The last few months have been rough...there is no getting around it. While completely capable of the work, he had all but given up on putting any effort into homework or school work in general. His social skills were in the tank and I was beginning to worry about what we were in for during his teenage years. They are hard enough without the added pressure of doing poorly in school or not having what it takes to make and keep friends. There was an increase in the amount of fits, out bursts and general outrage that he had been expressing.
Every 3 months he has an appointment to evaluate how he is doing, weight gain or loss, listen to his heart and to have a good chat with us about how he doing in school, at home and basic mental state. At the last appointment it was determined that what we were doing wasn't working anymore...so they changed his meds.
I was very fearful of the outcome here. I didn't want to begin this journey of jumping from pill to pill with my 10 year old. I didn't want to ever see him zombified or any of the other horrible side affects because they chose a medicine that he couldn't handle. Truth be know I want to flip a big middle finger to the fact that I even have to think that. But it is what it is. He does at this time need something to help him do the things in life that other kids seem to have no problem doing.
So they changed his medicine. This time there was an overnight change. It was like night and day. This kid from the time of birth has been the sweetest thing. I'm not talking about just doing sweet things like bringing me a handful of weedish flowers in his chubby hands...I'm talking about having real true empathy for others. Looking out for the well being of those around him and doing what he could to make it easier for them. That kid is back. With him is another kid that I have never met tho. The kid that comes in from school and gets his homework out without much prompting. The kid that asks for help when he doesn't understand a problem. The kid who can play soccer for 2 hours at practice last night without having to be told to pay attention. The kid who sits at the dinner table and eats without having to get up 20 times because he can't stand to be in one place for more than a minute. The kid that sat this morning beaming when I told him how proud I was of him this week for doing all the things that he has never been able to do.
With this new kid and my old kid - a deep sense of regret and guilt has come to settle in my heart. For all the times that I got angry with him, scolded him or chided him for the things that I now know he wasn't capable of doing without the "right" medicine. It's overwhelming to think that he might look back at this time in his life and remember all those times. Mother's guilt is the worst because I keep thinking - you should have known what he needed. You should have been what he needed. But Mother's guilt is good too. Because of it...I will never make that mistake again.
Photo Credit
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Raisels - (Healthy Alternative to Candy) Review and Giveaway
Candy consumption is a constant struggle for us. While I am raising my kids to eat their fruits and veggies at our dinner table...that doesn't stop what goes on in or after school. They are constantly begging me for spending money to buy candy bars and chips like their friends. And while I relent sometimes because you know, they are kids and I can still remember being a kid and loving candy.But with the obesity rates in kids being what they are I don't want them to grow up eating a steady diet of foods that don't have any nutritional value. So we have made a hard and fast rule in our house...candy is more of a sometimes thing than an everyday thing. I am always looking for a healthier option.
We recently tried out Raisels - they are fun, flavored and the number one ingredient: Golden Raisins. They are simply delicious with a pucker up sour taste my kids love. They are any where - any time real fruit snacks and a great alternative to candy, cookies and gummy fruit snacks. Raisels are the first 100% real fruit snack that actually tastes like candy. 100% Vitamin C, real dried fruit golden raisins, less added sugar than sweetened dried cranberries!
Raisels are:
100% US RDA for Vitamin C
Rich in Antioxidants
Fat Free
Cholesterol Free
No High Fructose Corn Syrup or Artificial Sweeteners
No Sodium
Kosher Certified by the Orthodox Union
Our Thoughts:
My kids have devoured every bit that was sent to us. They feel in love with the pucker up sour taste and all the different flavors. Their favorite being Sour Orange Burst. They loved them so much that they wanted to take them to school for their snack days to share with all the other kids. I loved that the number one ingredient is fruit, that they are portion control packaged and that my kids love them. They were really surprised that Raisels really did taste like candy. Will we continue to buy them? You bet! I already purchase a ton of dried fruit...but to be honest my kids aren't the best at eating it - Until now.
Want to know more?
Check out Raisels.com
Like Raisels on Facebook
Follow @Raisels on Twitter
Would you like to try out Raisels?
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Thanks to my membership with Team Mom I received free samples, information and prize pack to giveaway to one of my readers. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinion expressed is mine and mine alone. Winner will be chose using Random.org, contacted through e-mail and will have 48 hours to get back to me with shipping information or a new winner will be drawn. Giveaway open to U.S. residents and will end on March 13th.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Hip Mama Encouragement for Spring Cleaning
Spring is almost here and the more that I thought about spring cleaning the less enthused I was getting. So I've decided to reward and kick myself into high gear with a little reward and race. I ordered some pretty things including new sunglasses, sandals, clothes, earrings and a new purse...and I am going to race them to my house. While all of these lovelies are headed here -- I will be spring cleaning like a mad woman. Once they arrive I will refuse to open and wear any of them until this house is ready for spring time picnics and trips to the park.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Taking Risks in the Nail Salon
Last night I made an appointment to get a manicure. I hadn't had one since last summer and since I am not so good at home manicures - I was in bad need. On my way out the door Miss Maddy asked if she could go. Yes. That words leaps out of my mouth faster than my mind can think of all the things that can go wrong lately. I didn't even give a thought to the fact that they wouldn't actually give a 3 year old a manicure. That my nails would take way longer to do...and she...well she would be free to roam around while I was stuck in the chair. Thank goodness it all worked out since the ladies that run the shop had their kids with them and she was kept busy with a constant source of Super Mario Gummies, Spongebob and kids that she hadn't ever talked to before.
In between getting grossed out by the amount of gunk that was cut away from my cuticles and loving the hand massage that is totally worth the cost of the manicure - the lady next to me commented about how cute Miss Maddy is. After thanking her for confirming my suspicions {ofcourse she is the cutest 3 year old around} I told her that she was badly needed. After 3 boys she is a great reminder to take the time to be girly.
I've made 2 more appointments for next Monday and am thinking about making this a weekly thing just for the 2 of us. I want her to grow up knowing that it is OK and even Wonderful to take the time to do things just for herself. I don't want her to get to 32 without knowing that a little Me time is more than deserved. That it's not something selfish. That it can make her feel good. That by taking the time to take care of herself that she will in fact be better equipped to take care of her family with a happy heart. It's just a bonus that she will also get to learn that the color in the bottle of nail polish may look darker when applied.
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