Sun butter, peanut butter and the like

There is a new hurdle for parents to cross when it comes to packing lunches.  Most schools nowadays are putting the nix on peanuts, peanut butter or tree nuts of any kind.  Some schools are even going as far as saying that you cannot pack your child something that was created in a factory that has processed peanuts.   I have a bit of a sarcastic comment when I state, what if I make it in a kitchen that also processes peanut butter sandwiches?

I have no problem with this for the most part.  Does it make it more difficult to come up with things to pack for my kids in their lunches?  Yes.  Does my daughter constantly lament that fact that she does not get to have peanut butter?  Yes.  But I understand that there are a few kids out there that are SO allergic to peanuts that they cannot have it even in the air.  I respect that.   I don't put peanuts, peanut butter, tree nuts or the like in the lunches that I pack.  I don't want anyone getting sick, and I think it is healthy for my daughter to learn to put her own wants aside to protect the health of some of her friends.

The problem lies in the fact that there is no way for the schools to really regulate this, not sending peanuts in is left up to the honor system for the most part.   They asked us not to do it, and we are supposed to listen.  I do.  I listen.   I have bought a new kind of granola bar, and I make bagels and cream cheese, or turkey sandwiches instead of your typical PBandJ.  The new rules have even forced Phebe, my daughter, and I to be creative.  We bought a thermos and she packs soup, mac and cheese, leftovers, and even oatmeal.  There are parents that don't follow these directions.  My favorite example is of one family that has one daugther who cannot have peanuts, and their other daughter who brings a bag of peanuts in her lunch every day.  Way to advocate your own cause, right?

No comes the beef.  Excuse me, but I do NOT appreciate getting a note home saying that you, the lunch mom, assume that the granola bar I packed has nuts in it.  It does not.  I am not stupid. (You might be a few crayons short of a box since it said right on the granola bar DOES NOT CONTAIN NUTS.) I am following your no peanut laws and I do not appreciate you sending her lunch back with a little note telling me that my daughter was not allowed to finish her lunch, and to stop sending peanuts in.  If they had just put away the granola bar it would have been one thing, but she was not allowed to finish her apple, or her granolar bar which means she only made it through a yogurt.  I should send a note attached to my daughter.  "Dear Lunch Mom, I would appreciate it if you sent me home with a happy, and fed child just as I sent her to you.   Yesterday's version was cranky, starving, and hard to get along with.  Thanks.  The nonpeanut packing mom"

Phebe and I have discovered now, SunButter.  It is basically just like peanut butter, goes great on sandwiches, tastes good with jelly or honey, and is delicious on an apple.  The best part, it is sunflower seeds and is even processed in a plant that does not process nuts or tree nuts.  Oh Happy day!  Let's just hope that nosy Lunch Mom keeps her nose out of my kids lunch.

How to know when you read too many books

Tania and I settled on the books we were going to start off with for SRP (the snobby list of books I want to read) we picked 12 books, her list is not the exact same as mine, as she assigned me a few books that she wants me to read, and I assigned her a few books that I want her to read.

I went on to amazon to order the first few books, and to order the book that we are reading for book club this month.  Much to my dismay, the book that was chosen is new and only available in hardcover.  I am against this for so many reasons.  First, I can buy only the one book for $18, and I like to find a deal.  I get this happy, warm and excited feeling when I find a good book that is cheap, on sale, and I can get free super saver shipping on. (At this point, I agree with your thoughts I am insane.  It is true.)

Anyways, that part of the story is not that important, I made my amazon order sans the hardcover book and vowed to talk about it the next day (today) with Tania and make sure that we were actually going to read that book.  I am glad today that I didn't order the book because we decided not to read it after all. 

Instead, Tania and I researched a few books online and, as instructed by Pilar, picked another nondescript, and fun to read girlie type book.    I was actually excited about it.  After setting up the long list of daunting books that I am going to read this year, the idea of reading some easy chick-lit sounded great.  On top of that, we picked a new author who I haven't read before, and I am always excited about adding another author to my list.

I left work right on time, with enough time to make it to the storeI drove to Target, where I had some shopping to do, and they were supposed to have the book, but they didn't.    I glance at the clock, 1:18, I can make it to borders to get the book and still make it home on time to get my workout in right at 2:00 as planned.   Samantha and I hop into the car and drive to Borders to discover that it closes in 24 hours, and they have about 15 books left.  1:40.   Ok, I really can make it to Barnes and Noble, and then home.  I don't have any other time to get the book, and I have to workout. 

Samantha and I run into Barnes and Noble, and I find the last copy of the book that they have, and I snatch it up excited that I will make it home for my workout.    We pay and drive home.  I am elated. 

The rest of my afternoon was actually completely amazing.  I got home, got an entire hour long workout in.  Fed my family, and then spent a blissful hour and a half reading (I had a book to finish before starting the new one).  As if this blissful hour and half was not enough my family was still off playing and entertaining themselves. 

I took a bath.  That is right a hot, bubble bath.  That is the most frivolous thing I have ever heard of, and I loved every second of it.   I am now settled on the couch, kids in bed relaxed laughing at myself.

I am laughing because it turns out the book that I drove all over town to get..... I have read it before.  It was years ago, and on vacation.   I didn't quite remember the story, but about 30 pages in it all came flooding back.  I have read it.   I know what happens, who ends up where and what they are doing.  Guess I didn't really need to drive to all those stores now did I?

The New Year peeks its head in...

I love the whole Christmas season.  Everything is busy, and happy and family comes in to see you, and people are surrounded by love and happiness.  We had an amazing and very blessed Christmas, it was amazing to have the whole family home, and just all be together.  It was great to have Phebe home for a few weeks, and spend tons of time with her and Samantha.  I just loved it.  But that is not really what this post is about.

This post is about New Year's and the resolutions that we all make.   I find that most people feel very excited about the new year, and they make these lofty goals that they will meet for the new year, and of course, after two weeks most people don't meet these goals.  I have decided I am going to make a list of all the things that are basic to somewhat lofty even stuff that I will not ever accomplish this year, but I want to do them, and I am adding them to the list anyways.  This is my resolution.  I am not going to meet most of them, but I am going to try.   And I think it is important to have goals.  These are also in no particular order, just added randomly, and I only included 20, but I can always add if I think of something else.

1.  Learn how to rewire an outlet and a light switch.
2.  Learn to speak Italian, and Gaelic.
3.  Keep yoga in my workout regime at least once a week.
4.  Finish Nanowrimo again.
5.  Finish editing my first two novels.
6.  Have a baby.
7.  Paint my kitchen, hallway, and bathrooms.
8.  Finish the downstairs bathroom.
9.  Sell some of the stuff in my house that I really don't need, or donate it to someone who does need it.
10.  Read the entire bible through again.
11.  Live my life with intention every moment of every day.
12.  Write 10 poems that are infinitely better than the ones I wrote in high school.
13.  Pray everyday for at least 20 minutes.
14.  Enjoy the small moments with my kids while they are still kids.
15.  Eat healthy, and workout.  It is my me time and I deserve it.
16.  Read at least 12 books off of my lofty, and snobby book list known as the SRP list.
17.  Streamline my life.
18.  Try a few new recipes each month to add to my list of favorites.
19.  Learn how to use my sewing machine.  FINALLY.
20.  Take a road trip somewhere.

EDIT:

21.  Finish at least 1 scrapbook.
22.  Give up diet coke.
23.  Find the perfect desk organizer.

I fail my own challenge

 This blog is actually, about 2 weeks old now, but for some reason it never posted, and I felt like it would be nice for it to have made it to the actual blog.  Following blog notwithstanding I am fine.  It was just a bad day, and bad days happen.  :)


So, I am about to embark on one of the best kinds of blogs.  The kind that you write during a complete mental breakdown where you know you are going to write stuff that doesn't make any sense, and that people will get that small window into your mind, you know the place, the deep dark place where all the jumbled up messes sit that you have not had a chance to deal with yet. 

I am a dweller as well.   One small thing can start the mental breakdown, and then I tend to cry about every little thing that has been bothering me.     Really, the whole crying thing started because I was overwhelmed in the moment, and I asked Bill to help me and he was grumpy about it.  We bought some packages of this plastic stuff that you shrink wrap over your windows to help hold the heat in, and stuff.  Well, it says that it is easy to do, but it is not as easy as it looks.  The good news is the house IS warmer, and we got the windows done.  The bad news is that it took hours, and duct tape.  Lots of duct tape.  I could feel myself teetering on the edge of sanity, and knew it was coming.    He did get up and come downstairs to help me, but one thing went wrong, he got so grumpy, and my mental breakdown began.

 I am very sure this breakdown was somewhat entertaining for other people.  I am on the last two windows, and I have duct tape and plastic stuck to my foot and to my hand, and I cannot get it off, and I cannot rip the peace of duct tape, and tears are streaming down my face.   That is about when I gave up and ask for Bill's help.  He is grumpy, and I begrudgingly keep going and try to hang the plastic on the windows trying to see through the tears and trying not to let it go so long that I cannot do it anymore because the thought if having to hang up more plastic tomorrow is a thought that I cannot bear.

I allowed myself to enter that deep, dark place of emotions that I haven't had a chance to deal with.  And thus ensues the 2 hours of crying and poor Bill was just there watching with a loss of what to do.  I got to cry about all the things that I needed to cry about, and I let it all out, and once it was all said and done things felt better.

The Santa Debate

I have been seeing Santa lately.  I don't mean that I have been seeing the "real" Santa, or the Santa at the mall, but old men that actually look like Santa.  This Tuesday I was driving in to work, and Samantha announced that she just waved to Santa.  I was not at all surprised because Samantha waves at people and dogs and trees out the window when I drive.  Once she even waved at a car because it was pink, and "that is her favorite." When I glanced over to see what she had waved at this time, there was a little old man driving the car next to me who could have been Santa.   Full on long white beard, and long hair.  He even had on a red hat.  I smiled at him as we pulled off and laughed at Samantha.

Wednesday, I was putting gas in the car, and there he was again, my street Santa.  It was not the same old man, but another who really could have been Santa, he was a little rounder than the first.  He seemed jolly walking across the gas station as our eyes met, and I once again smiled at the Santa Clause that walked cross my path.


Finally, yesterday I went to pick up salad for my best friend and I at dinner, and there sitting in the restaurant was Santa, with Mrs. Clause.  Again, it was another old man who was the text book example of Santa.  All of the kids in the restaurant were pointing, and asking their parents if he was really Santa, and he was laughing at all the kids who were pointing obviously thinking it was funny.

It brought up a very silly, and yet obvious question.  Are there more Santa like men out there at Christmas time?  Or is it that I am only noticing right now because it is December, and my own sentiments are skewing the situation?   And so it begins.....the Santa debate.

Stir Crazy Jones Family

I love it when winter comes around.  The cool, crisp air, the snow flurries.  I especially love the scarves, gloves, hats and boots.    So far, this is not as much fun as it has been in years past though.  We have had a lot of wet, rainy cold weather which leaves all of us stuck in the house.

November was not such a problem for me because it was National Novel Writing Month time. Nanowrimowrymo, as bill calls it.   I spent all of November writing my novel, and yes, it came easier this year than it did the year before.   I was surprised at how well my characters came alive once I started writing.   All I can say is, if you didn't try and write something this year, you should try next year.   It is a really, really great challenge, and so much fun!

Now that December has hit, I am officially stir crazy, and so are the kids.  I want to get out and do something active.   There is always the mall, but it has been extra crazy there since everyone and their mother is shopping.   I can go to the library, but that is not active.  I need suggestions of places that are not too costly,that we can go play, and exert some energy.   Any ideas?

Mean Girls

I have a bone to pick with all the mean girls out there.  The more I research, the more I realize that there are not a lot of tools around to educate our daughters about being secure, about dealing with insecurity and dealing with mean girls.   How do we teach our daughters to have confidence that is NOT dependent on other people?  How do we teach them to not be one of the mean girls, to love each other instead of tearing each other apart?  Hopefully, we are teaching be example, but is that enough?

Let’s face it, we have all had a laugh about the movies that have these gorgeous girls acting mean, and trivial, but this is an actual growing problem.  My husband, a high school teacher, has told me on numerous occasions that the girls are getting in more fist fights than the boys nowadays.  These fights are on top of the mortifying level of emotional damage that girls inflict upon each other.

What has caused this drastic change?  What are WE as parents doing differently, and what can we do to make our girls not only nice girls, but the girls that can help stop the meanness?

When did we get to the point where our entire self worth is based on other people?  What they say, what they do, and how we fit into that.  I can pinpoint exactly where I started to feel this.  I was 14, still at an emotional in between.  Adolescence had hit in full force as I was dealing with all the changes that come along with it, hormones, new boobs, hormones, peer pressure, hormones.  Did I mention, all the crazy hormones shooting through my body?   I was at the beach with my best friend, and we had just finished a swim, after lying out in the sun for awhile.  There was this really cute guy, Rob, who was 16 and a few of his friends hanging out with us. My best friend had a HUGE crush on him.  We were all sitting, goofing off and talking.    Rob was asking my friend to go to a party with him later at another hang out spot in the neighborhood.  (Consequently, we knew we couldn’t go, but she said yes anyways.)   Rob went on to say that I was not invited because I was both “fat and ugly.”   I said nothing, she said nothing.  His friends laughed at my expense and I walked off.  I went back down the sand, gathered my stuff with as much confidence as I could muster, walked past them into the street, and walked home.   Once I was out of their sight I cried the entire way home.

Why should his opinion have affected me so much?  I knew I was not fat. At this point I think the jury was still out on whether or not I thought I was beautiful, but I at least knew I was non-ugly.  A term I hate to use because of its negative connotations, but I was 14, I had a lot to learn.  I still do.

I know you are thinking, why the uproar now?  You are 29, well adjusted.  Phebe, my older daughter, came home from school a few days ago to inform me that one of her “friends” had called her fat, and boring.  Not only did she say it right to Phebe’s face, but she also tried to rally the other children into saying the same things.  I had a very upset, and distraught child.  

Phebe never ever thought she was fat before this, in fact, it was not something she ever voiced concern about.   But one day, one opinion, is enough to make her question everything she was so confident in.

Phebe and I did have a talk about how some kids have to make other kids feel bad so that they feel good about themselves.  And that this concept is absurd, but unfortunately common.

This blog is going out to the parents of meangirls, to the mean girls themselves, and to anyone who has been affected by this epidemic.  The time has come to take a stand.  Who is going to stand with me?