What's For Dinner?

I get that question around 5:00pm everyday, usually as I start to pull the ingredients for dinner out of the refrigerator.  When I offer "Pot roast" or "Shrimp Scampi" it is followed by inevitable groan, and usually a "Gross."


My children are junk food addicts.  They would happily spend their days eating corn chips, soda, premade brownies, frozen pizza, macaroni and cheese, chicken nugget, and hot pockets.
I know, I feel like I am at a meeting where I stand up and say "My name is Andrea, and I am a terrible mother."


I don't know how it got so bad, when I finally gave in and decided I couldn't fight it anymore.  Soda used to be a weekend thing, and chicken nugget were for that rare occasion when we picked up some fast food.  Now those things have permanent residence in my home. 


I do make them eat a good meal once a day for dinner including the much dreaded vegetable, but one serving a day of a vegetable and healthy meat, can't be enough.  I eat vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with some kind of healthy snack like nuts. 


I have tried the experiment where I don't buy the junk so the only thing to eat is fruit and vegetables and cheese sticks.  I did it for an entire month once...it was the worst month of my life.  My kids were constantly complaining of hunger and in the end proved to be more stubborn than I. 


My only hope lies in the fact that I ate as they did when I was a child.  My lunch in high school was a Coke and a Grandma's pink cookie.  Often I would come home and have another soda and a bag of chips.  To end the night we would usually go out to dinner.  I don't blame my parents.  I was a terribly picky eater and my mom worked full time so making dinner was difficult. 


I don't have the answer and certainly not the strength to fight them.  My advice, start when your kids are very little and never let the junk food take over your life.     

I love Utah

In the past few months we have been considering moving out of the state for because of different opportunities my husband had with his company.  After looking into these other places I realized how much I love the state we live in.  I have been hard on my state, getting irritated at the lack of so called culture.  It frustrated me that we lived in a bubble, almost like the outside world never touched us.  Now that I say it, it sounds stupid, even ridiculous. 


There is so much we have to offer. 






            




This is truly a spectacular place.  Just look at the places we can visit within a four hour drive. 


       


And all the activities we have to offer. 


The culture here is under-rated.  It has been said by many outsiders how clean our city is.  We take pride in what is ours and take care of it. 


The other day I went online to try and volunteer at the Utah Food Bank and they said they have a six month waiting period, for volunteers.  I don't know if it would be like that anywhere else, but I appreciate that it is here.  This is a great place to be. 

No Soda for 30 Days

I have had a life long love affair with soda, I mean next to Brian, it is the love of my life.  I can't remember when I started drinking it, only that it was always around.  Growing up friends would comment on the refrigerator full of a variety of drinks, often with some jealousy. 

I love the bursting sound of a can of Diet Dr. Pepper 10 opening.  Looking at this picture, I can hear the ice cracking and the soda fizzing, as it pours into the glass.  It makes my mouth water being all to familiar with the sensation of the bubbling liquid flowing over my taste buds. Not too mention the burst of energy from the caffeine when it hits my system.  I love this stuff more than anything else. 

There are reasons to give it up though none of the evidence is concrete.  Studies say things like 'It might cause tooth erosion', or 'It could be bad for your bones'.  However, one comment stuck with me, 'It has no nutritional value'.  I think it is pretty obvious when I can't pronounce half the ingredients, it's probably not too good for me. 

So when I decided to do the Whole 30 diet, and soda was on the list of no no's, I decided it was time.  My one a day habit has slowly been creeping up to two and sometimes even more.  I can do this for 30 days because I know it is good for me, but I'm not promising anything beyond that. 

What is your pet bad habit?  Could you give it up for a month?



Critical Friday

Actually I'm critical everyday, but I wanted to critique books or movies I have seen recently on Fridays. 


My son was assigned to read a mystery novel.  Not knowing much about middle grade reading, I went to one of my good friends, Good Reads, and searched for fifth grade mysteries.  I came across the book Holes by Louis Sachar. 


I don't usually read books when I have already seen the movie, it bugs me when I already know the ending, but made an exception because I thought it might keep my son engaged. 


This book is writing at its absolute best.  Started out in the middle of the story making the reader want to keep reading to find out the first.  The characters were engaging making me want to spank them and hug them at the same time.  I particularly like the growth of the main character, Sam, which was portrayed much better in the book.  (Though who doesn't love Shia LeBeouf pre-criminal era.)


Although he complained of the length, a little over 200 pages, my son agreed with me in saying this book deserves the highest rating.  (Haven't worked out the rating system yet.)


So if you get the chance to read this with your kids, take it.  Then you can sit down and watch the movie together and talk about how they are different.  Fun times.

Science Fair (aka homework for parents)

I'm not going to lie, I hate science.  It's my lowest score on any standardized test I have ever taken, and the only class in college I almost failed, was Biology 101.  I'm sure it comes as no surprise as I am a more right brained kind of person, and science is far out of my skill set. 


So at back to school night when my son's teacher says she requires the science fair I let out an audible groan, like loud enough she could hear me.  She apologized and explained it away by saying it was a great learning experience for the kids, and how they were going to do a lot of the work at school.  Seriously, does she actually believe this?


I had to hold myself back from reminding her of her words when my son brought home a two page list of due dates for upcoming assignments associated with the science fair.  The first of which is to come up with a topic.  Let's be realistic, my 10 year old is supposed to come up with a topic on his own?  I don't think so. 


His teacher told him his idea had to be useful, (quickly shooting down my Coke vs. Pepsi blind taste test), and original.  The first science fair was held in 1928, does she actually think there is an experiment fit for a fifth grader that hasn't been done?  


After about 45 minutes on the internet we finally came up with something I haven't heard of before, and is fairly simple, and cheap.  Now, we only have about 20 more assignments to go, before we spend hours on a poster board, that in the end will be done mainly by me. 


I know you are thinking, let him do it himself.  I tried that theory with my older son when he had to do a float for his history class.  I show up to the float parade my heart sinking as I see my son's is the sorriest looking float there.  It was humiliating, and I decided I wouldn't let my kids suffer that way again. 


So I will suffer through this and cross my fingers it is the last science fair project I will ever have to do. 

Why the title?

It feels like I spend so much time wishing things were different, as I am sure most people do.  I get caught up in that cycle of thinking if only this would happen, or I would be happy if that would happen, yet often when the desired outcome is achieved, I feel unfulfilled, even let down. 


Though I am a firm believer in making things happen and not waiting around for life to happen to me, I still think there are times when I need to accept it.  It is what it is, particularly about my past.  I can't grow backwards, so accept it, and move forward. 


I love to write but in the past have been afraid of writing a blog for fear that no one care what I have to say, but realized most people writing a blog, are just people who like to write, and want a place that it will get read. 


This blog is going to be life according to Andrea, so consider yourself warned.  I want to discuss topics that come across my daily life, and how I have succeeded or failed in dealing with them. 


Thanks for reading if you are interested, and not offense if you aren't.