Hot Topic Tuesday

So, I'm trying something new.  In an effort to keep things interesting, I'll be posting each Tuesday about something that's caught my attention.  Something that's made me think about things in a different way, and perhaps, as in the case of today's topic, made me change my original opinion on the subject.

There was a story on the news last night about a couple of local middle school girls who had joined the wrestling team, only to have boys on opposing teams refuse to wrestle them.  The story focused on the girls and their parents, and the slant was that, in the opinion of the girls' families, the opposing teams were sexist for allowing the boys to forfeit, rather than compete against the girls in a match.

As I watched the story on the news, I was irritated.  Shouldn't girls have the right to play on the same teams as a boy, if they have the athletic ability to do it?  After all, Title 9 was passed back in 1972, affording girls the same rights as boys to participate in any school sanctioned activity, including sports.  If a girl can hold her own on the football field or the baseball diamond, more power to her!

However, as I listened to the radio this morning, the morning DJs were discussing this issue, and some of the parents of the BOYS who refused to wrestle these girls chimed in.  Even one of the boys on the same team as one of the girls sent in an email.  And they raised some valid and thought provoking points.

Paraphrasing: This is the South, where boys are raised to treat women with respect.  Some of the boys had a serious moral objection to wrestling a girl.  Also, wrestling is not like football.  It's a little more intimate than just tackling someone; in order to pin someone, they must be chest to chest.  A little awkward in a girl-on-boy match, don'tcha think?  One of the boys who forfeited did so because he just wasn't sure where he could put his hands in a match with a girl.  One of the boys who did wrestle a girl, lost his match (he says) in part because he was so uncomfortable.

So while I'm all for girls playing any sport they want, this particular story got me thinking.  Football, baseball, soccer... all those games can be co-ed comfortably, since there is a minimum of contact.  Even a tackle is not nearly as intimate as a wrestling match.  Wrestling is almost constant contact from what I've seen, and I can understand how some boys (and their parents) would be uncomfortable with a co-ed wrestling team.  We are talking about middle school aged boys and girls here after all.

Now that's not to say that I think it shouldn't be allowed.  I just think that parents and students on both sides need to make an attempt to see the other side of the argument before calling the boys and their coaches sexist wimps, and calling in the news media.  Accept that they are going to make people uncomfortable.  Consider that perhaps a boy refusing to wrestle a girl out of respect might not be such a bad thing.

Accept that their girls might be the only ones who want to wrestle... now.  Maybe they're paving the way for other girls at other schools to say, "Hey!  I want to wrestle!"  Every movement has to start somewhere!

Put Your House In Order

I like that phrase.  It seems that it is applicable to all aspects of life.  It can mean so many things, and may mean something different to everyone.

Right now, I'm feeling that I need to put my house in order.  Literally, my house; the place where I live.  But it goes deeper than that.  There are so many things I feel I need to put into order, that sometimes I just don't know where to begin.  I suspect there are many people out there who feel that way.

Without going into details, here are my "houses" which need to be attended to this year.  Ask yourself (and feel free to comment), what are yours?

My Home: It's drowning in clutter, which affects every other aspect of my life.
My Health: The momentum that I had in 2009 when I lost 70 pounds is all but gone.
My Finances: If you're not drowning in debt, be very, very thankful.
My Relationships: This covers my relationships with several people in my life.  Some of them require serious attention, and others, I'd just like to find ways to improve upon and grow closer to.

We all have things in life that we're not satisfied with.  Some are relatively minor, others are gargantuan and can feel impossible to deal with.  Every January, we all make resolutions.  Things we want to change about ourselves or our lives, or just do better, be better at.  By February, many of us have failed at many or all of our resolutions, and we continue to live a life that we're not fully satisfied with.

I realize that I've been living too much of my life looking ahead or looking back. Wishful thinking about the things I could have done back then, or the things I would do in the future (if I only had a million dollars), or worse, kicking myself for NOT doing this, that or the other thing in my past, because it's holding me back from the future I really want.

There will always be things that I might wish I had done differently.  But the fact of the matter is, I didn't.  And I can't go back and change that now.  All I can do is deal with what is in front of me, right here, right now.  So much of it is good, so on that basis alone, I cannot begrudge the fact that I didn't do things differently back then, because I might not have those good things now.  And the things that aren't so good?  Well, I just have to look at them as the jumping off point.  A place to start.

Right here, right now is a good place to start... to put my house in order.

Naughty or Nice?

So, if you have kids, especially small ones (like I do) I'm sure you've used the "Santa threat".  You know, the "Santa is watching, so you'd better behave..." threat.  Or maybe you have an Elf to help you out... the one who reports back to Santa about the kids' behavior every night?  

Now, what I want to know is... is it working for you??  At the very beginning of December, when my 6 year old was dawdling instead of getting dressed for school, and my daughter was playing in the sink instead of washing her hands, I broke out the very first "Santa Claus is watching you!" threat of the year.  My son tried to call my bluff, asking, "how can he be watching if he's not here?"  

My answer?

"He's magic!"

Henry

He was dressed and ready to go in under 3 minutes after that.  Sarah too.  I was thrilled!  And thinking that having a magic elf, something tangible that they could see move around the house letting them know that he'd been off reporting to Santa every night, I ran right out and bought one.  We named him Henry, and the kids fight over who gets to find him every morning.

What??  

That's right... the elf who is supposed to help curb bad behavior around the holidays is in fact encouraging my children to argue!  Whenever I remind them that Henry (and Santa) are watching, they pretend to get busy or stop running or fighting or bugging the cats or whatever... for about 30 seconds.  

Normally I'm a proponent of only using threats I can follow through on.  Or rather, if I make a threat (or a promise) I try really hard to enforce it.  I know that's they only way they learn that I mean what I say, and I say what I mean.

But does that mean I rob my "naughty" children of Christmas??  If Santa is watching, and he doesn't like what he sees (ie, it takes multiple warnings, threats, time-outs and the occasional spanking to get things done because the "Santa threat" is no longer working) will they really wake up to empty stockings on Christmas morning??  Is that fair?

The disciplinarian in me says yes.  You make a threat / promise, you follow through.

At the beach in August

The mom in me says no.  Christmas is magical.  The ONLY gifts Santa brings to THIS house are what's in the stockings.  How can I stand for them to run out of their rooms so excited, only to find that their stockings are empty?

Of course not.

Because after all, they are pretty good kids.  They have their moments of course, when I want to scream and pull my hair out at the roots, but overall, I'm lucky.  They don't throw tantrums in public (at least not regularly).  They have pretty good table manners for their age.  They say "please" and "thank you" almost all the time without a reminder.  And best of all, they are sweet, caring children who give the best hugs around!

What mom could say no to that??  Certainly not this one.  

Deals, deals, deals!

Who doesn't love a good deal?  Especially this time of year!  There are tons of them out there, every day, all the time, but who has time to find them??

I have the answer for you:



My friend Laura is almost literally making a career out of finding deals!  It's her passion, and she's sharing it with the masses!  She's doing all the work, and now YOU can reap the rewards!

I got a helluva deal on a Leapster 2 for my daughter's birthday thanks to her, and I've gotten great tips and finds from her for a long time now!  Please feel free to follow her on Blogspot and Twitter, and pass the word!  You never know when she'll stumble onto just the deal you've been looking for!

Blowing the dust off...

So, it's been a while.  This blog has been sitting stagnant for almost a year.  I could have let it rest until January, but I figured I'd dust it off now, so it wouldn't seem so trite, like a new year's resolution or something.


I'm not great at keeping up with things once I start them.  I am a world class procrastinator.  


For instance...


Today is December 17th.  Just one week from Christmas Eve.  And we don't even have a tree yet.  There are a few lights hung up outside... I'd say the house is about 1/3 finished, and has been for a couple of weeks now.  Our sad little animated and lighted deer in the yard have fallen victim to the strong winds of last weekend... and not enough lawn staples to hold them in place.  I do have a Christmas wreath on the door, and about half the decorations pulled out.  I have bought Christmas cards, but have yet to sign and mail them.  


Yes folks, it's the Grinch Who Forgot To Do Christmas!


It's not as if I don't have the time.  I don't have the energy.  Or the spirit it seems, and I can't quite figure out why.


Yes, I started a new job (YAY!) but that was just before Halloween.  And yes, I've had my birthday (35... now what???), Thanksgiving, and my daughter's birthday.  Oh, and a couple of colds for each of us in the house, including the lovely sinus infection that decided to blast me last week.  But, I'm officially on Christmas break (one of the perks of working at a preschool!) and there are NO MORE EXCUSES!!  


On tap for tomorrow: we must get a tree.  And, we must clear a spot in the house to put said tree.  Then there is the unenviable task of clearing off my dining room table so that I can wrap presents.  


Did I mention I still have to BUY presents???  Not all of them mind you, but a lot.  I think.  First I have to collect what I have stashed in various places around the house and inventory it.  


*sigh*


I love Christmas.  I really do!  But really, when did it become so much WORK???  I suppose this is all just part of the fact that this is the first Christmas I've had since I had a husband, 2 kids, 2 dogs, three cats AND a job, all at the same time!!


Season's Greetings to all... and to all a good night!  

Someone trying to tell me something?

So, it's 2010.  A new year.  A new decade.

A clean slate?  Perhaps.

All morning long, I've had the chorus of "Man in the Mirror" running through my head.  Now, I'm not a Michael Jackson fan; never have been, but that song has a good message.  Maybe someone's trying to tell me something by planting those lyrics in my brain, and playing them on an endless loop.

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror,
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make The Change)
(You Gotta Get It Right, While
You Got The Time)
 
I've fallen off the wagon.  The health wagon.  And it shows.  Since the end of September, I've packed back on 14.5 pounds.  I can no longer squeeze myself into the size 14 jeans that were so comfy in November.  I haven't so much as taken a walk in three months, and food... well... let's just say my diet leaves much to be desired once again.

I've also let the household spending spin out of control again.  Which goes hand in and with the diet issues, since much of that spending has been in the form of fast-food stops, pizza delivery and take-out.  And I went overboard on Christmas for the kids.  Nice for them, but the credit cards took a hit.  

Then there's the house.  All the rooms I had cleared of clutter, are once again covered in crap.  I'd like to say it's not dirt, just clutter, but the fact of the matter is that no one can clean around all this stuff.  No one.  Ironically, the cleanest room in my house right now is probably the master bathroom... only because we managed to acquire two new kittens, who have been living primarily in that bathroom to keep them separated from the other animals as they are gradually integrated into the family.  And because they constantly spray litter everywhere, that room has been swept and wiped down on an almost daily basis for the last three months. 

So, it's time for change.  I can't control anyone else in this house, but I can control me, and my actions.  Starting next week (because I need some time to get my shit together and plan) I'm back on South Beach and starting over on the Couch to 5K program.  My sister has agreed to do C25K with me, so at least I'll have an exercise partner. 

Starting TODAY, it's time to conquer the clutter.  The living room is first.  The remainder of the Christmas decorations will be put away, and taken back up to the attic.  Then, the mountains of laundry which have been waiting for me in a chair for the last week will be folded and put away.  If I do nothing else today, that will be a vast improvement on the primary living area of my home.  Tomorrow, the kitchen.  Again.  And during the course of the rest of this week, I plan on eliminating the boxes and bags of out-grown children's clothes which I finally pulled out of my closet and dragged down from the bonus room; some will go to a friend with a new baby, some to a second-hand store, and the rest to Goodwill.

That's my plan for the start of this new decade.  One day at a time, one task at a time, one meal at a time, I will get back on track.  Starting with me.

Breakfast Blog

I love breakfast.  It's my favorite meal of the day!  I never miss it, although I used to regularly (hmm, no wonder I had a weight problem).  While it's never been scientifically proven, I do believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  And something is better than nothing.  However, exactly what you put in your body for breakfast can set the tone for the rest of your day.

I'm a big believer in PROTEIN.  Not necessarily the easiest thing to work into breakfast without eating eggs every day, but it can be done.  Quick and easy, my personal favorites are either Kashi Go Lean Crunch (love, love, LOVE it... could eat it every day!) or a protien bar (I really like Special K, but the South Beach ones are good too, and about half as expensive).  The Go Lean Crunch is perfect for me because it has 9 g of protein, 8 g of fiber, and only 13 g of sugar.  The bars are good for on the go, but not as good.

Of course, there is the perfect protein: eggs.  Any way you cook them (just don't drown them in bacon grease or anything), eggs are awesome food.  My favorite breakfast to cook is still bacon and eggs.  And because I so rarely have it any more, I still buy REAL center cut bacon, and fry it in a pan.  I tried the turkey bacon; it's ok... it's improved over the years.  But it's not the same.  And if I only have bacon once every 2-3 months, then damn it, I want REAL bacon!

Other great sources of protein in the morning are yogurt, cottage cheese, milk or low-fat cheese.  Those are just my preferences... I can eat breakfast food for dinner, but I can't eat dinner food (such as beans or steak) for breakfast.

Which brings me to the point of this seemingly random and pointless blog... how breakfast can trick you.  Everyone knows the obvious ones: those sugar-laden kid cereals (which they are now adding fiber to, and calling it healthy... what a crock), those cinnamon rolls dripping with icing (which I do love by the way), and of course, the ever popular drive thru breakfast biscuit, steaming hot and slathered in grease.

I tried a new cereal today: Bear Naked Cranberry Raisin.  It's "100% pure & natural cereal".  It sounds really healthy looking at the front, and looking at the ingredient list... heck, the very first ingredient is Wheat bran.  Most of all the other ingredients are organic, there is nothing hydrogenated, preserved, and does not contain any Red Dye #5.  Sounds great, right? 

Then I looked at the Nutrition label: Only 1g of protein and 2g of fiber.  Granted, it is low in sugar (only 8g), low in carbs compared to other cereals and only 110 calories and 2.5g of fat.  So, while it's certainly not the worst cereal out there, it's also not the best.  Which is too bad, because it really tastes good! 

Also, the serving size is pretty small: 3/4 cup.  At least with my Kashi, I get 1 cup, and that's PLENTY!  So, while this new cereal tastes good, and definitely gets points for being minimally processed, I know without the protein and fiber, I'm going to be hungry again in an hour.