Summer Blubber

As summer comes to an end, I am trying to remove these last five pounds from all the summer festivities. Swim team started for our family in May, and for the next two months it was daily noshing and imbibing that caused me to gain weight. Summer should be the time of year I am more conscious of what I eat and drink, but it turns into all out gluttony. I love socializing with my friends, but 99% of the time, socializing=drinking. It starts out innocently enough, having 3 kids swim, means 4 hours at the pool 5 days a week. As the other moms and I sit on the pool deck, we come up with ways to entertain ourselves.

Thirsty Thursday, the appetizer and featured cocktail hour, was invented during the evening practice schedule. As the kids got out of school for summer vacation, Thirsty Thursday morphed into Friday Brunch. Mimosa's, bloody marys and decadent breakfast casseroles and cinnamon rolls were a weekly occurrence. Once swim meets started, the saturday afternoon "after meet parties" lingered well into the evenings. Sunday afternoons were often spent BBQing at the pool with coolers of Margarita's or Sangria. While I cherish this time of year hanging with my girlfriends, the empty calories add up!

You would think hanging out by the pool dressed in resort wear, I would be a little more careful in my calorie counting. It's funny how fast and virtually unnoticed the pounds can add up. Wearing sundresses and swimsuit cover ups somehow give the illusion of maintaining. It isn't until I try to squeeze into a pair of jeans I haven't worn for a month does it become clear that I have gained some weight! I guess loose empire waisted dresses can become the enemy, letting those calories that have settled on my hips and belly fly under the radar.

As swim team comes to an end, the social events start to slow down, and by mid-August I feel like I can stop the excessive caloric intake. During August, September and through mid October I can kind of get a handle on things, but forget about the holidays! Cookie exchanges, dinners out with the girls and holiday parties really start adding the calories up again. The festive holiday atmosphere really lends itself to overdoing it. Rocky road fudge, egg nog, the list of absolutely delicious but fattening food and drink goes on and on.

I have decided that the month I look and feel the thinnest is in February. Yes, February! When I am bundled up in sweaters and jackets, and the only bit of skin visible is from the neck up. February is typically the hiatus from social events, and I can restrain myself somewhat from overdoing it. Why is it when I would look stellar in a bikini, it is 50 degrees outside? It's not fair!!

When I was in my twenties, calories were not an issue. I could eat cheeseburgers and drink pina coladas seven days a week and not gain an ounce. As my twenties turned into my thirties, I started noticing a drop off in the metabolism, but not that much. As long as I was working out 3-4 days a week, I could pretty much eat whatever I wanted. Now that I am approaching forty, I realize it is a day-to day battle. Now I not only have to watch the calorie intake, but make sure I get a workout in most days of the week. Now I feel like I have to choose between a "liquid diet" and eating, not both! :)

Time to get back to the basics

It’s time to get back t o the basics. In light of the recent displays of bad behavior by celebrities, it seems like we need a refresher course in the “keys of kindness”. As an early childhood educator, I am always amazed how the principles I teach my 4 and 5-year-old students, as well as my own children, really apply to the greater world. While much of the focus in on making sure the youth of America is getting a lesson in getting along, It’s the adults who need to work on their “please and thank yous” and remember to “please wait patiently”.

For example, Sunday night at the MTV VMA awards, Kanye West storms on stage and interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for “best female video” because he thought Beyonce should have won. Kanye, did you ever hear the phrase, “ you get what you get and you don’t pinch a fit”, or “life isn’t always fair”, or “you can’t always get what you want”? Instead, he throws a fit like a 2 year old, because things didn’t turn out the way HE wanted them to. It seems like Kanye needs to go back to kindergarten and relearn these things.

Or how about Serena Williams at the U.S. open? She was losing the match and when a call she didn’t agree with was made, she storms over and unleashes a string of expletives at the poor line judge. Serena, did you ever see the movie Bambi, where Thumper’s mother tells all the woodland creatures, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all?” I understand that it can be frustrating to lose a match, but like my mother always said, “there is nothing worse than a sore loser.”

I think sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the moment, but it seems like, the world has gotten a little more self-centered. But not all celebrities are like Kanye and Serena. I watched Taylor Swift on the View this morning and she could’ve gone on and on about how she missed her time to shine at the VMA’s. But she didn’t. She was classy and composed and she is only 19!!!! Obviously, she remembers the “keys of kindness.”

Tooth Fairy inflation

I remember when I lost my first tooth.  I was about 6 years old and so excited to trade in my yucky tooth for a shiny quarter.  That's right a quarter, 25 cents. Back in the 70's that bought a lot more than it does today, but when did the tooth fairy start leaving serious cash?

When my oldest lost his first tooth, I asked my friends who had been the tooth fairy before how much did they leave and I got various answers.  Some left $1, some left $2 and a few gave a small toy in lieu of money.  So my husband and I decided on $1 per tooth, which was reasonable and makes it fun trip to visit the dollar store.  Now, 6 years later, I was talking to some friends and it seems $5 is the standard for lost teeth, but if it's the FIRST tooth lost $10 or even as high as $20 (usually for molars).   Kids have 20 baby teeth so that roughly adds up to: $10 for first tooth+ $75 for non-molar baby teeth+ $80 molars= $165 per child. That is a lot of money! Boy, my kids are going to be ticked off when they find out how they are getting screwed by the tooth fairy (we still give $1 per tooth).

How did this madness come about?  Was it that mommy ran out of $1 bills and had to leave whatever bill she had in her purse, and now a precedent has been set?  Or did the parents forget the first night the tooth was put under the pillow (it's happened to all of us) and felt so guilty they decided to give the kids a raise? I wonder if the kids compare their payouts at school.  If so, then I can't wait for Tate to come home and tell me he is now going to leave his tooth at so-and-so's house because their tooth fairy leaves more money for teeth. 

Aren't we as parents losing sight of what the tooth fairy is all about?  Isn't it about the fun,  the fantasy and magic that the tooth fairy represents?  The tooth fairy celebrates the transition from being a little kid to becoming a big kid. Kids don't really care about how much money is left, it's the excitement of waking up in the morning and finding treasure. Young children love the world of make believe and fantasy, and if we remember to focus on that aspect and make it fun, they will be thrilled to get anything for their lost teeth.

 One of my friends whose child recently lost her first tooth, did a very cute idea that I wish I would've thought of a long time ago.  Her tooth fairy leaves glitter, 2 quarters and some fake gem stones or polished rocks.  Genius!  That really captures the essence of what the tooth fairy is all about.

Stop me before I volunteer again!

Someone asked me the other day how many things i volunteer for at my kid's school and elsewhere.  At first, I thought, "oh, just one or two", but then I actually counted how many, and the number astounded me.  Eight! Eight volunteer positions and that's just at school! Here they are in no particular order: Room parent, golf tournament volunteer coordinator, PSA board member, pizza lunch lady, auction board member, middle school EDGE program, and recently added to the mix, back to school swim party co-chair. To top it all off, I am the 3rd grade Catechist teacher at my church and substitute teach (in all my spare time).  What is wrong with me? Why do I not have the foresight back in September to just say "NO"!? Apparently the word is not in my vocabulary when it comes to helping out at school and beyond.

Why do I feel compelled to sign up for so many events?    Every June, I say the same thing, "I'm going to cut back on volunteer hours next year."  Then I proceed to have a lovely summer, and then September rolls around and there I am, in the school auditorium, signing up to help out at another school event. It's almost like I have amnesia!  Why can't I remember that I have only so much time to give, and things get crazy around the house when mommy does too much volunteering?  As I zip off to yet another school event, I must hide my eyes from the sink with dirty dishes and the pile of laundry that is growing bigger by the minute.

Am I a closet control freak?  Do I feel if I don't do things my way, they won't get done? Why do I feel I have to have a part in almost every event going on at school?  Don't get me wrong, I love helping out my friends and volunteering is a great way to get to know the inner workings of the school and get to see my kids in action, but COME ON. The school will not crumble and dissolve if I do not chair events.  Or maybe, I am a people pleaser and don't like to have anyone not like me.  Whatever the reason, I definitely have an addiction.

I often refer to my inability to say no, as the "phantom hand syndrome".  The phantom hand syndrome strikes any place and anytime.  Most often This happens when I am in a group of women and someone asks for a chairperson, and if not one person volunteers to do it, I will raise my hand against my better judgement. Maybe, I just need to sit quietly and keep my hands in  my lap. :)