TIRED but it's worth it (I think...)

I've been feeling guilty because my oldest daughter, Kellis, a sophomore, gets up before 6 a.m. for school--and I tend to get up right about the same time. She goes straight downstairs to eat her Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, and I head to the bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth, and throw on some dog-walking clothes. Turns out she really hates going downstairs to a fully dark house, having to turn on all the lights, eating alone and in silence. It may sound babyish or selfish of her, but I completely understand. She's gone all day, and who wants to start the day in a dark soulless house where it seems like everyone's asleep but you? So I decided to start being down in the kitchen before she gets up, so the house will be "alive" for her in the morning. AND IT IS KILLING ME!!! Today is Friday and I have successfully completed my first full school week of getting up BEFORE Kellis, and being downstairs by around 5:45 a.m. Yesterday I even baked pumpkin muffins. I'm making coffee, unloading the dishwasher, folding laundry, making lists, planning dinner, and all this before 6:30 a.m. In a way it's like a miracle. I'm feeling really productive, I'm feeling like a good mom, I'm feeling TIRED. I have no idea if she's noticed. But I'm going to keep at it.

Deadline=bad choices

I've broken into the Cheez-its. It's only 9:20 a.m. I tried to tell myself no, but then I overrode myself. I will NOT go back to the pantry for a 3rd handful. Will I? No. I have a deadline. I need to focus. I need to focus on my WRITING, not on bad snacks. But first I need a few chocolate-covered espresso beans, so I can be more alert. And THEN I'll write my story that's due. Happy Friday!

Hacker

So my facebook page was hacked a few days ago. Suddenly "I" was posting about weight loss supplements and free macbooks. People were texting me & messaging me to let me know I had been hacked. One facebook friend (whom I haven't seen or talked to in probably 25 years) even posted on her own wall, saying "NANCY BRANDT HAS BEEN HACKED! PLEASE HELP HER BY REPORTING THIS TO FACEBOOK!" After a few days I figured out how to report it myself and ended up changing my password which I HOPE solves the problem. I still don't understand how it works. Is it a single person going directly into my account? Or is it some virus-y thing that just kinda happens? I wish I had a deeper understanding of how computers and the internet work. Unfortunately I am more of a creative type and so technical processes like that DO NOT stick in my brain...unless I'm writing about them for an assignment. Maybe that's what I need to do!

CLEAN

My husband & I just finished a 21-day detox program based on a book called "Clean,"by Alejandro Junger, M.D. It required us to forgo all dairy, sugar, caffeine, and wheat for three weeks. We had two liquid meals (breakfast and dinner) each day, with "real" food in the middle of the day. At first it was excruciating. We were starving! But soon we got into an excellent groove, making delicious green juice for breakfast (usually a mix of kale, spinach, ginger, lemon, cucumber, apples, and celery), having some funky new meal for lunch (millet risotto with artichoke hearts, anyone?), and making a smoothie of almond milk and frozen fruit for dinner. We counted down the days. We talked endlessly about our cleanse. We sat down and had lunch together every day, which was wonderful, and only possible because Mike works from a home office. As the end neared, we fantasized about what we would eat. Mike kept talking about "loaded fries." I was thinking more about a glass of good red wine, and maybe something sweet. Saturday, the day came. Mike quit a day early, as he didn't want to have another weekend of smoothies and green juice. He called a friend, and they gleefully went out for beers and a nice juicy burger. I stayed home and drank my smoothie. But finally Saturday night I ended my cleanse. Sunday I ate like a normal person and felt awful all day--tired, low energy, sluggish. I realized that I missed my cleanse. Part of me was sad about this. What about the coffee I love every morning? Am I no longer a coffee drinker? What about my love of chocolate? Why don't I want any? What is wrong with me?!? I decided to go back to what felt right. So today I got up, made my green juice, and feel like I'm back on track. How long can I happily go without sugar? Only time will tell...

Christmas tree gone wrong

We have this tradition of going about 45 minutes north to the same Christmas tree farm each year and cutting down our tree. This year we had one tiny window available, which happened to be yesterday after school. (Due to basketball games, piano, student council, tennis, yearbook,, confirmation class, etc, we have very little free time as a family these days.) Pulled my kids out of school early (not knowing that Leah was in the middle of a math test), threw on boots, snow pants, scarves and hats; raced up to the farm, trying to beat the snow storm. We arrived about 3:45, knowing they close on Fridays at 5 p.m. We drove around, trying to find a good tree. And drove around, and walked around, until finally it was getting dark and we had to make a decision. The kids were complaining, it was cold, I was shoving hot chocolate at them and trying to take cute pictures while Mike sawed down the tree. Almost dark. Can’t get the enormous, heavy tree on top of our car. Called the tree farm phone # from my cell phone pleading for help. Only 2 guys working, and they couldn’t come help us. Flagged down the only other family crazy enough to be getting their tree in the middle of a Minnesota snow storm (but they were smarter and had a pick-up truck). Got the other dad to help haul the tree on top of the car. Gingerly drove to the exit. Ask the guy working there to save my marriage and help tie the tree to the top of the car safely. Snowing very hard now, and pitch dark, running very late for dinner with friends and also needed to get our oldest daughter to her friend’s house for cookie-baking party. Stressful. Storming. Cars off the road, sirens, ambulances, poor visibility. Kids tired, hungry, thirsty. Finally home. Today: put the tree up. It’s perfect. Big, fat, and beautiful. And as every year, we all agree that it was worth it, and I laugh to myself because every time I look at that tree I think of the funny ridiculous effort that went into getting it here.

Nyquil

You know it's a bad cold when you willingly resort to the awful NyQuil as medication. Most meds have a 1-or 2-teaspoon dosage, but Nyquil requires you to choke down 2 TABLEspoons. I was complaining about this to my mom when she reminded me that NyQuil also makes liquid tablets, so you really don't have to taste the nastiness at all. Thanks, mom! Off to the store...

Possessive families

I was just browsing through random blogs, and people really don't know when or how to use an apostrophe with a last name, do they? It isn't the Hanson's. It's the Hansons! Unless it's the Hanson's blog. Or the Hanson's Christmas card. But please don't sign your Christmas card "Love, the Hanson's." (Especially if your last name isn't Hanson.) An apostrophe "s" is possessive. There. I feel a little better now.