MOM on STRIKE

I have had it up to my eyeballs with the whining, the demands, the rudeness and lack of appreciation my three little shizzers have been demonstrating lately that it has left me with no other choice but to go on STRIKE. I sat them down and let them know what I was doing and why. They pleaded and shead a few tears begging me not to strike. I resasured them that I was not physically going anywhere, but their mom as they knew it would not be back until saturday. I'm looking forward to day off.

For the next 24 hours I will not do any of the following:

BEFORE SCHOOL

Make them separate breakfasts.

Make them all separate lunches for school (noodles with an apple for Thomas, cheese Sandwich and orange for Kate and PJ sandwich and fruit strip for Jack)

Help Kate find a comfortable, cute, matching, no pink, no flowers, no polka dots, no leggings, no colored pants, no skirts, no sweaters, no itchy waistband, no just barley too long pair of pants, no baggy or puffy tops outfit for the day. Oh and did I mention socks that fit perfectly!

Help Kate pull her hair back into a tight but not too tight ponytail.

Help Jack (who thinks it's funny to run and hide) get dressed for the day.

Put Jack on the naughty mat for not getting dressed.

Listen to Thomas whine and complain that Kate is going to make him late for school.

Remind the kids to get their homework in their backpacks.

Help Kate find her library book.

Suggest for them to put on a jacket because it's cold outside.

Go and get Thomas' sweatshirt out the car that he left there from the day before.

Listen to them whine about the fruit and veggies I put in their lunches.

Listen to Kate complain that she does not like the military channel and that's all Thomas watches and take turns.

Threaten to take the TV away for a week if it's on the next morning.

Listen to Jack whine for a refill of milk in his sippy cup.

Remind Thomas that simply splashing some water on his hair and smoothing down it with hands is not really combing your hair.

Sign their reading cards.

Listen to Thomas' complain that he reads more than I mark on the card.

Convince Kate that she needs to go to school and can't stay home just because she has a little scab on her lip. (20 minute ordeal)

Listen to her moan for another 10 minutes.

Sign their Thursday envelops.

Help Thomas' find a piece of his homework he swears he left right by the phone.

Listen to them fight over who gets the first turn reading the scriptures.

Listen to Thomas whine that Kate's turn is over.

Listen to Kate whine that Thomas is bossy and mean.

Tell Jack to sit still while we pray.

Tell all the kids to "JUST KEEP YOUR FREAKING HANDS TO YOURSELF!"

Remind Kate 5 times to hurry and get her shoes on because she'll be late for the carpool.

Tell Thomas to chill out because he's not going to be late.

Tell Jack "no you can't have another sippy cup until you finish your breakfast."

Try my darnedest to not loose my cool!

AFTER SCHOOL

Pick them up after school. (They will be walking home! They have never walked home from school. I'm sure moms in the neighborhood are going to think of me as crewel and slightly ill fit to be letting my 8 and 6 year old walk alllllllll the way up the hill to our house. My neighbor who I carpool with gave me a strange look this morning when I told her I would still be their pick up her son and that Thomas and Kate would be walking.)

Listen to them whine and complain that is took forever to walk home.

Listen to them fight over who was slowing who down.

Listen to them whine about being starving and demand they have a snack right this very instant.

Listen to them complain that we never have anything good to eat in the house.

Take Kate to gymnastics.

Take Thomas to Tennis.

Help Kate with her homework.

Call any of the girls in the neighborhood for a play date.

Help Thomas with his Thomas Edison Report that is due in a week.

Help Thomas with his homework.

Listen to Thomas tell me I'm don't know what I'm talking about.

Go the store to get poster board.

Help Jack get onto the NickJr. web page.

Listen to Jack cry because I wont help him get onto Nickjr.

Listen to them fight about who's turn it is to pick out the TV show.

Listen to the Kate complain about Thomas bugging her.

Listen to Thomas complain about Kate bugging him.

Make dinner.

Listen to them fight over who gets to say the prayer.

Listen to them whine because they don't like the dinner.

Help them with dishes.

Bribe Jack to take a few more bites of dinner.

Listen to them complain about doing the dishes.

Listen to them fight over who gets to rinse and not load.

Clean up the family room.

Tell the kids several times to put their stuff away.

Kindly try and talk Jack into helping me pick up the toys.

Bribe Jack with treats to help me pick up the toys.

Threaten the naughty mat if Jack won't help me pick up the toys.

Send Jack to the naughty mat.

Listen to him moan for 4 minutes while he sits on the naughty mat.

Vacuum all the crumbs left by the kids not eating over a plate.

Put their shoes away.

Listen to Kate tattle on Thomas about whatever.

Tell them 5 times to hang up their backpacks.

Tell Kate 5 or more times to put away the markers and put her homework back into her backpack.

Listen to Jack cry because Thomas was a little too rough.

Listen to them complain that I'm a mean mom for making them help around the house.

Remind them that it's been several days since they took a shower and are starting to smell

Stinky.

Listen to them fight over who gets the shower first and who doesn't have to share with Jack.

Help Kate wash all the conditioner out of her hair.

Help Jack wash all the cracks.

Help Thomas get a dry towel from the laundry room.

Listen to Jack and Kate whine about getting out the shower.

Help Jack get his PJ on.

Help Kate find the only PJs she's willing to wear that night.

Tell them 5 times to brush their teeth.

Chase Jack all over the house with the tooth brush.

Listen to them fight over who gets to read with me and who gets to read with dad.

Help Kate find the book she's reading.

Help Thomas find the book he swears he left right by his bed.

Tuck them 3 times.

Convince Kate she's tired and it's time to turn off the lights.

Say it with me

MENTAL EXHAUSTION

GOING ON STRIKE ALSO MEANS I WILL ALSO NOT GET TO:

Hug them in the morning and asking them how they slept.

Listen to them talk about all the excited things that are going on that day.

Tell Kate she settled on a great outfit and that she looks darling.

Congratulate Jack on his dry pull up from the night before.

Give him a big hug.

Write Kate a note for her to find in her lunch pack.

Hug and kiss and wish them a great day at school.

Cheerfully ask them how their day went.

Listen to them talk about their highs and lows.

Tell them how proud I am that they made good choices.

Look through their work and gleam at what good students they are.

Consoles them when they get hurt playing outside.

Find the perfect bandage for the invisible owie.

Listen to them read.

Listen to them say their prayers.

Hug, kiss and cuddle with them at night.

*I will return Saturday Morning in time for breakfast.*

Dear Diet Coke,

I write this letter to you with sadness and much reluctance but you and I know this day would eventual come. You have been with me for so long but I have to do what is right for my body and so it is with a great deal of grief that I am saying good bye. It's not the color your syrup or the shape of your can it's simple because you're full of crap. Crap that I'm more and more convinced is bad for me.

Why the sudden cut off after years of a joyful relationship? It's simple. I don't feel well and I want to feel well again and I have a hunch (and lots of articles to back me up) that you may have something to do with it.

For years now I have keep you as my constant companion. You have always been there for me whether at home, in the car, among friends, in the morning or late into the afternoon. You traveled with me, enjoyed long days at the beach with me and got me through some pretty crummy hours. I especially loved my McDonald runs when we would greet at the drive up window and I would take you in my hands and joyfully guzzle your cold fizzes down my quenching throat. The first gulp was the best moment and the one I will miss the most. And to enjoy a whole 44 oz of you for a mere 99 cents was a real treat. (Mario, Lisa and Jasmin I will not be seeing you quite as often. You guys rock and are McDonald's best!)

I like you so much I wanted you around every day, sometimes several times a day. But I know now that that is part of your trick to keep friends. And lets face it dependency in any relationship is ultimately destructive.
For years I have weighed the debate; Toxic! Safe! Poisonous! Harmless! Very confusing actually but I always ended up believing you really weren't "that bad" and so I keep you as a friend. My mother always thought my consumption was bad for me. But who listens to their mother, even if they're usually right? It has been my only vice; no tonics, margaritas, cigarettes or two piece bathing suits, just you.

While there does exist a happy list of why I should continue our relationship the list to kick you to the curb is even longer. The caffeine, the artificial sweetener, the other chemicals doing who knows what to my body is reason enough not to mention each week my recycle bin is overflowing with aluminum cans. Which is great that I'm recycling but wouldn't be better for the enviroment if I never bought the cans in the first place? I've also read this article, and this article and this article. But the tipping point for me was when I read this:

"If you are using aspartame ... and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss - you probably have aspartame disease.
I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. Many people were being diagnosed in error. Although multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is!This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia.
STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on food labels! Many products are fortified with it! This is a serious problem.
Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you crave carbohydrates. It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight!

DING, DING, DING, DING, DING fibromyalgia like symptoms HELLO.

Fact or exaggerated fiction? I don't know for sure but if the claims are even a bit true, well that good enough for me so Monday January 18th was the last time I will ever hold you in my hands.

So long friend....so long,

Me

Trader Joes

My favorite neighborhood would include a Trader Joe's within walking distance. It is one of my happy places, a small piece of heaven with bargain prices. It's my favorite place to buy food. I love that Trader Joe's is different from most supermarkets, in that you won't find a lot of branded products. Instead, you'll find many interesting and unconventional items.

Here is a list of my favorites:

1.I love their smooth authentic Greek yogurt with honey

2. The Kerry Irish butter

3. TheFrench chocolate torte

4. The Thai Sauce

5. The frozen mac and cheese (oh this is good)

6. The dried pineapple slices

7. The Corn Bread Mix

8. The Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels

9. The Molasses cookies and

10.The Frozen Mushroom risotto

And their best bargain has to be the orchids.

While I love Tj's but I do a couple of minor complaints. Tj's is known for products to suddenly appear and just as they work there way into your regular shopping list and they disappear without notice. Bottom line-if you like it hoard it. Tj's is also not a one stop shopping place. Sorry ladies, you'll have to make one more stop on the way home for the diet coke and deodorant.

Here is the link for their yummy recipe's:

http://traderjoes.com/recipes.html

Handbook 2010

(photo credit)

I came across an email given to me last month and in it included The 2010 Handbook.

I think it's brilliant. (my new word for 2010)

2010 Handbook

HEALTH:

1. Drink plenty of water

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E's- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.

5. Take time to pray.

6. Read more books that you did in 2009.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk smile.

PERSONALITY:

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thought or thing you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't over do. Keep you limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while your awake.

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/Her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness expect you.

22. Realize that life is a school and your are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

SOCIETY:

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. You job won't take care you when your are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

LIFE:

32. Do the right thing.

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful of joyful.

34. GOD heal everything.

35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up an show up.

37. The best is yet to come.

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.

39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

40. You have one life, live it the best you can.