Life as an Asker

I am a fairly Type A, anal, systematic, organized sort.  Don’t judge me by my dalmatian white carpet (who installs white carpet except our previous owner who was 100% Italian, older and apparently much cleaner than 5 Askers).

I remember reading once runners are typical Type A.  Who else can self motivate block after relentless block?  I trained for Grandma’s Marathon almost alone last year (a few long runs with a friend were awesome).  Even though I didn’t feel well with a slight fever yesterday, I got myself out of bed to dust, vacuum, wipe down the bathroom and kitchen so I wouldn’t spread more germs.

My jobs in ministry have always been sort of “rogue” and self-patrolling.  I have always had supervisors, but basically I have kept track of my own hours, fund raising, appointments and to do lists.

Discipline: I actually love it.  I like knowing bedtimes, work out schedules, meal plans and expectations with who needs our van when.  Calendars are my friend.

But discipline in community is developing in a new way this weekend.  I am part of a Moms Run This Town group on Facebook (it’s actually a national organization).  I have only run “with” them a few times but keep track of others’ progress, injury questions and race plans on social media.

I perked up when a few of them challenged all of us to go sugar free for the month of November.  It was just a passing idea until a few of us said heck yeah and now we have spent 2-3 days meal planning, sharing ideas, grocery store stock and snack favorites.  It is a blast to do this now “with” people.

It also strikes me that it reminds me of a commercial Chevy is doing right now.  A man throws eggs at people, expecting them to catch them.  They are completely caught unaware and the eggs break all over the room.  He then says, “It is hard to be prepared for the unexpected.”  (Unexpectedly, I cannot find this commercial on the internet!)

I said to Brian that is such a leadership parable wanting to be developed.  How can we live our lives so we can be steady enough to deal with the unexpected?  Especially, if you are like I am, and try to plan everything!?

Well, this sugar fast, exercise, spiritual disciplines, community and practicing my writing are all things I do to try to be ready for the unexpected.

If I have a firm foundation, no matter the storm, the Bible tells me I will not tumble like a house made of sand.  If I build good muscles, work out regularly and eat well, when I hit a sick patch (as I have of late) I won’t put on 25 pounds or take 6 weeks to heal.  If I take care of my hubs and my family, when I am sick and basically couch potato it for 48 hours, they will all still love me after.  If I pay attention to my soul and its basic needs, when the darkest hour arrives, I will be ready.

Ah, Halloween. What a horrible time for me to be in a sugar fast. Such a hypocrite I am, allowing such gluttony to carry on around me.  Thankfully candy does not and will not temp me.

Some of us train for the 26.2 so that when race day comes, WE ARE READY.  Some of us train our souls so that when the End comes, WE ARE READY.  Some of us plan and scrimp and save so when graduation day comes for our kids, WE ARE READY.

I don’t know what your goals are, what you are working towards, but be ready folks!  And don’t try to do it alone.  I am learning so much now doing this sugar fast with some truly awesome ladies (most of whom I have never met yet!).

Discipline: getting ready for the unexpected.

What a week it has been in spiritual and nutritional health.

I am week 3 into this sugar fast and let me tell you: I am purging things and avoiding sugar (additives, not natural sugars in apples, wheat flour and tomatoes) at ALL COSTS.

I baked a ton yesterday.  New bread, a new recipe using cabbage and spaghetti squash.  I almost didn’t miss the brownies.  I also purged our cabinets a bit.  Got rid of things that should NOT have sugar in them:

Sugar in the garlic salt (previously caused a rant) and the taco seasoning I used to buy in bulk.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: in the bread crumbs and in the Karo bottle, congealed and wouldn’t move so I could at least recycle the dumb bottle!

I still have many bottles of dressing b/c I didn’t have the guts to toss all of them.  Yet.

I also tried to make some old recipes without sugar.  I used applesauce instead of the brown sugar in my banana bread and the kids ate it, but did NOT love it.  I also tried my favorite Peanut Butter Energy Bites without as much honey, but again, I did not love it.

The other thing I didn’t love this week as I tried to re-introduce some sugar/s (honey as well as an 88% dark chocolate bar), were the headaches.  I have one right now from a PB energy bites and I think it’s from the chocolate chips.

Friends, once we try a certain thing and figure out we feel better, why do we go back?  It tastes good.  I want it.  I miss chocolate.  I want something sweet.

Well, I am NOT loving the headaches.  Now that I have one again today, I realize I have had few in the last 3 weeks since killing sugar.

What I did still get with this sugar fast is a sinus infection and had plenty of head pains with that… but none of those afternoon head pains that make you want to crawl into a blanket fort and watch an iPad for the rest of the day.

Hell: what’s up with that reference?

In the midst of this sugar free diet, I also have been studying hell.  I had to write a Bible study guide for church and I had to teach a 5-7 minute session for Sunday School children, ages Kindergarten through 5th Grade.

Star Wars lives around here. This is XS TIE fighter he made himself. Star Wars allows us many conversations about evil!

Yeah, jealous aren’t you?!  No sugar AND I get to try to describe hell to children and adults.

Well, here is my application with both sugar and hell: there is no reason to fear either.  Just stay away from it!  With sugar, I just read labels and make different choices.

With hell, I read the Bible, choose to put my faith in Jesus who holds the key to Life and Death, and make different choices.

There is no fear in death.  But the Bible is pretty clear that without faith in Jesus, the future is bleak.

There is also no fear in no sugar.

Try it.  Staying away from both of these things helps you to avoid much pain.

Now, where is the ibuprofen…?

My kids don’t know what the word “nag” means but they know exactly what it feels like I’m afraid.  I have fallen asleep with the same thought this week: Stop Nagging your KIDS!  Then 30 seconds after waking up, I march into their room and tell them to knock off whatever idiotic behavior that I have been listening to for the last 15 minutes and off I go riding the train to Nagville.

I even asked Calista tonight if she felt like I nagged her a lot today and she said, “Mom you don’t nag all of the time.  Just sometimes.”

This sugar fast feels a little bit like I have a nasty fairy flying around my head when I get hungry and she says, “nope, you can’t eat that.”  I read labels, think of my favorite go-to snacks and realize yet again, all of the words that really mean sugar.

It isn’t all bad news.  My sugar free homemade bread turned out last night to perfection and we even made a salty, garlic loaf.  Yum.  Cooking from scratch isn’t a new thing around here and my homemade pasta sauce turned out awesome last night.

I eat natural peanut butter without missing the sugar, rice cakes and veggies until my body tells me it has had enough roughage.

But I am missing the boat in a few areas.  For one, “my” homemade granola.  The recipe came from a camp I lived one summer and it is fantastic.  I tried last night without sweetened coconut, plain peanuts, 1/2 the honey it calls for and it just did NOT taste that great.  Thankfully Calista mowed it down like always and I heard no complaining.

Banana bread is another area I haven’t figured out how to handle. I am sure I could find a fine recipe for it without sugar, but I add chocolate chips.  And although I have found an 88% cocoa dark chocolate bar, it doesn’t come in chip form:(

Finally, it’s the peanut butter energy bites I used to make with the same sweetened coconut, honey and yes, chocolate (or carob) chips.  I miss that mouthful of sweetness when I was about to mow through a bag of (sweetened) kettle chips, pretzels or other easy snack.

Overall, I still am enjoying the center of myself not being jittery.  I haven’t gained (or lost) a pound despite the first 10 days of overeating because I told myself I could since I wasn’t eating the Ben and Jerry’s like before.  I am glad to consider what goes into my body.

Now, it is spilling over to the other Askers.  Brian is trying to stick with me in mealtimes and even thinking about it when out and about.  His favorite waffles and PB/syrup breakfast has been transformed to no sugar added waffles, natural PB and applesauce and fruit for toppings.  He did splurge today with real maple syrup, but it had no added sugar.

(However, this weekend he will be at a college student weekend retreat.  Good luck hubs!)

Now for the kids: they get natural PB under their I’m ashamed to tell you syrup.  They are using up the last flavored yogurt I’ll buy for a while.  We eat applesauce for dessert (no complaints there!).  I haven’t figured out a ketchup replacement, haven’t made homemade ranch dressing for C and me and that syrup might just have to be the one source of corn syrup we allow for them.

Now I just need to get rid of this dumb fairy in my head and enjoy the new things I’m learned and eating – like soup which is perfect for these chilly days and bread which felt like a bunny to Calista the other night while she helped form the dough balls.  What a great image.

Overall, I am amazed at how easy this has actually been.  It’s easier than jumping off the train to Nagville.  I wish I could be as disciplined with what comes out of my mouth as what goes into it.

They say go big or go home.

Tonight we are in Minneapolis with Brian’s family to celebrate 2 birthdays.  I knew the sugar fast would not hold up much this weekend.

Cake.

My sister in law and I headed to Whole Foods for cake.  My brother in law cannot eat dairy so we were looking for a Vegan dessert option.

She asked the bakers and we chose a Chocolate Chip Vegan Cheesecake.  Wow.  Made from tofu, organic cane sugar and all sorts of good things.

Go big or go home sister.

I am starting to feel affects the Chinese take out food even before dipping into this Tofu Magic Cake.  Who knows how much sugar was in those yummy Kung Pao Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken.  Yum.  Yum.

My head felt a little spacey but who knows if that is the virus I feel I have been fighting since Wednesday, the fatigue of a 7-year old waking me at 3:00am most nights this week or simply a cold, windy day half spent riding in the car.  Either way I’m ready for the snooze part of my job.

I wanted to ask if the chocolate was fair trade but that seemed like asking too much.

I waited to get my own piece of Tofu Magic Cake until my 3 kids “finished” theirs.

My 3 partial, broken and chocolate frosting-free pieces were yummy.  Not quite a cheesecake smooth taste, but worth a break from my sugar fast.  It was a good choice.

Now I’m hoping I can go to sleep tonight and get back on track tomorrow.

I had a friend advise to have one meal a week when I can allow sugar.  I am going to try that now that I’m 2 weeks into this experiment.

If I’m up until midnight tonight, I may rethink eating the sugary meal for breakfast instead of dinner.

SIL also took me to CostCo where I found Triscuits in BULK (alleluia) and sugar free, Kirkland brand Peanut Butter in BULK.  Double alleluia.

Now, where is my toothbrush?!

I just finished my noon class at the Y.  We jump around on Bosu’s, work our legs really really hard and I try not to sprain my ankle (did that about 2 years ago to the day).

I sweat a lot at the Y and love the group fitness classes because I always say even just 45 minutes there is better than twice that on my own.

I eat a small meal about an hour before the class so I don’t bonk.  It was once PB toast, yogurt and granola or maybe just a container of flavored (read: SUGARED) yogurt.  Maybe a banana.

Well, enter sugar-free land and I have gone to plain yogurt, fruit and nuts mixed in.  It sticks with me until about 2:00pm when I’m home, munching and trying to fill myself up before an afternoon of kids and piano and errands.

Orange: that satisfies my parched throat and “sweet” tooth.  Apple: that satisfies my hunger after class.  Corn chips: salt craving.  Almonds: fills the belly for sure.

In the old days, I would go for the Ben and Jerry’s probably at this point, banana bread, PB toast or my PB energy bites (resplendent with sugared coconut, honey and sugared PB oh and carbo chips or chocolate chips which too have sugar).

So when I just didn’t know what else to eat, amazingly baby carrots satisfied me.  CARROTS.  WHAT?!

Carrots.  It’s come to this: I am that person who snacks on carrots and LIKES it.

Don’t hate me.

It gives me an out when others offer me a wonderful cookie or when there was a meeting at church today with an AMAZING BRUNCH stinking up, I mean filling the halls with wonderful aromas.  Everything was very tempting, but sugary.  I had to say no.

I am still in waiting for the clearing of my brain, the loss of 2 belt notches or any other obvious shifts in my energy levels.

I still vacuum with reticence, haul my sorry butt up and down to do laundry with sighs and get winded up the parking ramp stairs.

Momma’s little helper

But I do still feel good.  Better.  Cleaner, somehow.  Steadier and less crash and high.  I do seem to be able to push through the afternoon with a bit more energy – perhaps it is the grazing method of snacking or because I am eating better.  I even cleaned the basement corners with XS’ help yesterday!

Brian and I also have been putting together a sugar-free crock pot meal Monday nights to help on our very busy Tuesdays.  Last week chicken, butternut squash, coconut milk curry (YUM!) and this week, Mexican Chicken and Rice.

Day 11: status is my sweet tooth has been transformed. I hardly even miss dessert.

Meals I have started to love:
Homemade Hash Browns (by Brian Asker)

Chili without additives

Italian Chicken Pasta Salad

Homemade Waffles with Blueberries and Pears

Mexican Rice and Chicken (black beans, corn, salsa and spices to flavor)

Roasted Cauliflower with Onion and Garlic

Rice Cakes with PB (My new dessert)

Homemade Oatmeal with fruit and walnuts, pecans and plain yogurt

I love Triscuits, baked potatoes, Kale and Spinach blend salad and almonds for snacks.

I use salt, olive oil, sugar free PB, hot peppers (don’t put your contacts in your eyes after chopping!) and drink a LOT more water than I used to.

I am an editor by training and by nature.  I was an English major and learned from the great Helen Johnson how sometimes gently correct “nu-cu-lear” to “nu-cle-ar” or to remind us that we left the lights on.

I tend to be critical and even though my kids generally get away with my not being a helicopter parent, I am a stickler on sitting at dinner, putting away their laundry and packing lunches.

Errors have no place in the Asker Residence.

I know that seems extreme but it is how I generally survive this life as a part-time worker at church, stay at home mom, 3 kids, 1 hubs and now, as a refined sugar free eater.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I literally jumped when I swallowed tonight and thought, “there was sugar in that!!”

I had made some homemade bread yesterday (super easy thanks to Katy Anderson and the blog site I found : http://www.frugallivingnw.com/making-artisan-yeast-bread-from-scratch/).

I’ll enroll it in beauty school tomorrow. It kind of looks like Pennsylvania…

I was euphoric, once I rinsed all of the super sticky dough off of my hands, for my dough looked like the pictures.  It tasted awesome.

So for “dessert” tonight I cut off a piece, added some butter and a dusting of garlic salt.  I had had a really hard work out today in which I sweated so much my hair flew over my face and dripped sweat into my eyeballs.  In fact, I sweated so very much I just visited the loo for the first time noon class finished at 1:15.  (It’s 6pm).

4th ingredient: SUGAR

I swallowed and thought immediately, “I just tasted sugar!”

Wouldn’t you know it? I was right.  Darn.  Darn darn DARN!

Now it doesn’t show up in the amount/serving, but still.  RATS.

Garlic salt: you have been busted.

Meanwhile, I continue to feel the inner calm, although it didn’t help my temper one bit Thursday morning where I was asking Elam for forgiveness before 7:00am because of my irritation with him on the way to the bus.  Or 30 minutes later when Brian had forgotten to do one of the 25 things I ask him to do in a free moment and I seriously lost my marbles.  It was ugly.  My throat still hurts:(  I guess I can’t blame sugar for this temper…

But I am going to persevere.  I shall continue to eat snacks that look like dinner.  Tortillas with wood fiber.  Plain yogurt with frozen blueberries and pecans.  Blue corn chips and salsa.  POTATO CHIPS and Rice cakes with my new, sugar free peanut butter.

Found at Whole Foods but in the butter refrigerated section of any large grocery store, there are many nut butters without added sugar or sweeteners. It’s good! I promise!

Summer is almost over and so is my endless supply of zucchini and yellow squash. Sad face.

Brian is trying to keep up but since he eats out and about more than I, he is a bit more relaxed than I.  Give him props for effort.

We are trying to do more things together now that the kids are all in school for a few hours 3 days a week.  Friday morning is date morning.  We are discussing the Meaning of Marriage.

One key ingredient is NOT pointing out all of the ways your spouse is messing up (ie. don’t remind him that pizza he ate the day had sugar probably in the crust, sauce and processed sausage).

It is key to serve one another.  He is blessing me by playing along with this crazy experiment.  He even shreds me homemade hash browns in the morning!  Thanks dear!

Most Friday mornings, this is where you can find us.  For some reason I couldn’t take a selfie with a straight shot.  Our house hasn’t endured an earthquake, I just took an awful pic!

Well I don’t know how to count this experiment due to my false start Sunday, but here I am, Wednesday night.  Let’s call it day 4 just to be nice.  And ironically, I don’t know if I’ll do a 14-day of this or 30.  I may get addicted to it and just keep going for Lent…

I shopped 4-5 times in less than 24 hours Sunday/Monday.  I made another trip today.  Mostly I have not missed sugar at all, haven’t had any headaches, trauma or withdrawals.  Yet.

I have had this feeling of: this is HARD.  I want a brownie, just to have one.  I am too busy for this.  I am a wacko- I am eating yellow squash with salt for a SNACK.  This is too expensive and THANK YOU JESUS for Google.  I never knew how little I knew about all of the tricky words for sugar.

I haven’t felt particularly different: I am still sleepy (maybe bc Calista had a bad dream at 2:30am the other night and XS is coughing with asthma or something most nights).  I still crashed the other day around 3:00pm.

But what I do feel is this core calm.  Like I am not so jumpy inside.

And I feel like I am eating what makes sense.  I am cooking with things the kids can lick off the spoon and spell.  Guar gum, high fructose corn syrup and sticky juice don’t find their way to our shelves.  I made my own chicken broth.  I eat a banana, orange, apple and pear almost every day before 3:00pm.  I eat a lot of peapods, carrots and cucumbers for snacking.

I have learned: NO BROCCOLI before working out at the Y.  Ick.  The burps were not motivating during squats and planks.

True Confessions: I did remind myself last night not to overeat.  It’s not like I’m not getting “enough.” Seriously.  I live in America.  But it is tempting to think since I’m not eating garbage, I can eat 3 helpings of the delish chicken curry with heavy coconut milk and not look back.  So I tried to slow down today.

I was sitting with my friend Sally the other day, watching our kids play, talking about our kids and school.  And it got quiet for a minute and I felt centered.  Just like there weren’t busy bees running through my brain, up my spine and down to my belly.

I have just consumed plain thick, homemade yogurt with a peach and pecans.  It was yummy.  For dinner I ate a salad with olive oil, apple cider vinegar and salt for dressing.  (after a minor panic wondering if the vinegar had sugar added ! – whew) Almonds are my friend.  Potato chips (goodbye Kettle Chips – sniff).  Yellow squash grilled with olive oil and salt might as well be candy.  Oh and popcorn!  Guacamole!

There is much to eat friends which is sugar free.

Alleluia.

Oh and the hubs is on the train.  He keeps saying, “I don’t know what I can eat.”  I think he’s just milking this:)

I just spent 5 frustrating minutes rinsing my salad.  Not my greens, like the whole thing: cheese, edamame and very expensive sliced turkey breast.

I have debated blogging this in fear of the response.  I’d rather be telling you about how I lost my temper this morning with Elam playing with that dumb snow speeder Star Wars Lego at the table AGAIN.

I’d rather confess how overwhelmed I got this weekend with house projects, cleaning, laundry and cooking while trying to work my part-time job.  Oh and trying to get some sleep too.

Instead, I’m going to tell you about an experiment I am trying: to go sugar free.  No refined sugars, high (do they make low?) fructose corn syrup, added sweeteners and whatnot. Detox for 2 weeks. Then gradually add in natural sugar like honey or pure maple syrup.

It hasn’t gone well.  Take the salad for instance.  I just had poured some dressing on that I thought was “safe” – then I Googled “xanthan gum” and voila! Guess what?  IT IS SUGAR.  If found a great article that asked if it was bad for you to eat xanthan gum and they asked, “do you know anyone who cooks with it?” GREAT question.

I don’t know particularly why I am doing this.  I eat a fair amount of peanut butter but am relatively low-sugar (minus the Ben and Jerry’s I eat on a regular basis if I’m running a lot!).  Maybe it’s the articles posted on Facebook.  Maybe it’s the energy dips I feel in the day.  Maybe it’s an excuse to avoid that loaf of banana bread I seem to make every week for the kids after school treat.

Well I decided to start (with minimal participation from the hubs) yesterday.  I ate eggs, cheese, potatoes and peppers with some sausage thrown in (gasp from the nutritionists).  Then for lunch I waited to eat (even though I was starving) while our community group from church served the college meal after church.  I came home and ate homemade soup with veggies and lentils.  Ate some tortilla chips, cheese and what may become a new addiction: Triscuits.  Ate some fruit while en route to grocery shopping.

Then the sweat began as I shopped, reading labels.  For pete’s sake: the inability to find stuff without sugar was so stressful: tortillas (finally found one made with some kind of tree pulp – i know what?!–, which I may find it added sugar eventually…) spaghetti sauces and meat.  Impossible.

I eventually paid .64/serving for tomato sauce in a can instead of .7!  YIKES.

I bought tons of veggies and meat, cheese and eggs.

Then I came home and ate my yummy, sugar free dinner (pork chops – watch out for those seasonings!, grilled yellow squash, zucchini and brocolli and brown rice with salt and butter baby!).  I ate an orange for dessert and served applesauce for the family.

I started to think through my day and realized: only 1 meal was sugar free.  My breakfast sausage and chicken bouillon cubes that started my soup: SUGAR.

Rats.

False start.

Hence the rinsing off the dressing that I thought was sugar free.

And the new pot of soup on the stove.

And the fear that my friends are going to think I’m nuts as I publicly confess my experiment: and my failures.

I wonder if I screw up again if I have to start all over.  Like just now, I wonder if I tasted some dressing?

But I am excited that my sugar free peanut butter tastes awesome, fresh veggies roasted or raw are fabulous and I can eat some chips, cheese and Triscuits 🙂

(Apple vinegar, olive oil and salt actually aren’t a bad replacement!)

Well, here goes everyone, let the comments begin.  Please be nice.  I am not a nutritionist nor am I a chemist. Nor am I going to study how we have gotten here or will I start a revolution, telling you to join me.  Just learning here people. And trying to take care of this mind, body and soul of mine.

PS: kids are not in the deal.  Hubs is luke warm about the idea.  Flying solo.

“I never want to go to another birthday party again!”  This was my eldest, precious daughter as we drove home after playing with some of her favorite people in the world.

I had been picking up the signs lately that Calista was overloaded, overwhelmed and needing some comforting.  After 7 days of going to school she suddenly didn’t want to go.  Then she cried the next morning as I dropped her off.  A few days later she complained that school was “boring.”

All these things created opportunities for conversation.  I asked what was up and she told me she just wanted more time with me or that she didn’t get to play with her friends enough.

Then this past weekend, the declaration of banning birthdays brought me to really consider that *gasp* Calista is different than I am.

I titled this “Calista Rocks”

She managed to thrive through a Sunday morning of church and Sunday school but declared she would go NO WHERE (not even outside) after church.  Not even if it was 70+ outside and her mother was dying to go hike, bike or walk somewhere.  ANYwhere.  Not even go to a friend’s house for football and pizza.  Not even bribery worked.

Sunday afternoon I spent playing Monopoly in my basement (with the Vikings on in the background).  It was possibly one of the last nice days of fall, but I tried to swallow my own wishes and serve this 7-year old who was obviously spent.

If I could read a book right now it would be “How to Raise an Introvert.”  I checked at the library to no avail so I did what any rational, 39-year old mother does in this day and age: I posted something on Facebook.

Oh the wisdom of my friends (parents or NOT!).  I literally feel like I have to rearrange my brain as I consider our schedule and pace of activity now that it is dawning on me that Calista is just plain different.  The boys seem to thrive with the pace of activity, friends and togetherness we have on a weekly basis.  They wake up asking where their siblings are…

So, bring it friends: tell me how to raise an introvert.  I need to learn!

In the same week, I sent my first letter of resignation and applied for only my second, post-college job.

After two years of being on a “leave of absence” with InterVarsity, I finally officially resigned. There was some paperwork and a small sniff out of me.  Then it was over.

Brian’s travel schedule, the demands of training and teaching opportunities bringing me far from Duluth and our three tornados whirling and about to enter school (7 days and counting…) just don’t seem to pave the way for me to enter back into the only work world I have ever known.

Thankfully, I had a job fresh out of college in 1998.  I did not have a paycheck however.  I spent months raising support and then worked a great part-time job with married Christian business partners.  After a season of that I was able to work solely with InterVarsity and did that full-time until Calista came along.

I have struggled to embrace this role as a SAHM* and continue to be challenged with connecting with this stage of littles who still need their nose blown, help in a buffet line and reminders to NOT walk into the bathroom when the door is shut.

Meanwhile this summer our church went through some major leadership changes and I was asked to help with its small group ministry.  Our Community Groups will be launched this fall and I get to help recruit, train and coach leaders.  I get to talk with church members about their current connections within the church and hopefully motivate more connections through our Community Group Ministry.

It is a trip working in an office (I get the empty head pastor’s office most days!), with administrative staff and a real water cooler.

After YEARS of dreaming of the day when all 3 kids will be in school, I am looking at those days coming starting September 16.  I dreamed of going back to bed, long runs mid-morning alone and movies and brownies and clean floors and…

Recently it struck me that I was contemplating what I got to do when the kids were gone and was only focused on myself.  You see those videos on line about moms shouting alleluia while their littles jump on the school bus.  Or the sighs of relief when their kids are all back in school after a long, LONG summer.

So I asked God what He thought I should do with those “free hours.”  This job came along and seems to be adequately (and then some) filling my time just fine thank you.

Reality sets in quick though, doesn’t it?

I had been at church for meetings and my last one ran late.  I called my friend who had my kids to check in.  I would pick up Brian on campus and would be there soon.  Thankfully he said the house was burning down and kids had shaved their heads but all was well.  I called Brian to let him know I was on my way and asked where he was on campus.  That was when he announced he was downtown.

My head exploded.  I had no idea how to pick up the hubs, feed my kids and get to the school open house where I was to serve the PTA ice cream in 60 minutes or less.

SuperWoman Working Mom Epic Fail.

I wish I could say I sailed through that conversation like a lady but let’s just say we figured out a perfect solution: McDonalds.

We are no McDonalds family.  No offense to those who are but we are cheap, cheap CHEAP.  If the kids had not already had PBJ and apples and yogurts for lunch while we were dropping Brian off that morning at work, I’d have gone that route.  But we just pulled right into that drive through along with the 10,000,000.

As we did I said to Brian “we are that family.”  Sigh.

Then I ate my juicy Chicken Artisan Sandwich along with a side of lip.  Seriously.  It was like I have been punched; it still hurts.

Then we arrived at school and my shorts were covered in juicy Artisan Sandwich juice.

Then I thought to myself, I’m either doing this thing right and satan hates it.  OR I’ve got it all wrong.

or maybe I’m just pretty stinkin’ normal.

We had a blast at the Open House.  Saw church friends, friend friends and watched XS jump into the rocking chair in the 2nd grade room with a book as if he was even ready for school to start.

He literally helped himself to Green Eggs and Ham and proceeded to snuggle into the rocker while Calista unpacked her backpack.

Here they are: about to change the world at Homecroft Elementary!

Calista – 2nd Grade
Elam – Kindergarten
XS – Preschool 3 days a week for 3 hrs