What are you eating????

I recently saw a couple episodes of Jamie Oliver's show "Food Revolution". I have always been extremely good about raising my kids to eat healthy and to eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

The show was all about the food that is fed in the schools and how unhealthy Americans are when it comes to the food we eat. The worst part was the statement that my children's generation will live a shorter life span than what we do. This is not the only place I have heard this statement.

While I have never been happy with the food fed in my son's school, I never thought about all the preservatives that go into so much of the food we eat. This is one of his big hang ups is the labels on the food we eat, the amount of sugar, salt and other junk inside our food, etc...

First off, I can give a few really bad examples of the food in our schools here. First on the breakfast menu, funnel cake, soft pretzel with cheese... if you ask me it sounds like we are at a carnival eating junk food but wait this is breakfast. My son is 7 and he does eat breakfast at home but also likes to go through the breakfast line before school with his friends. Often times he purchases Hunny Buns and donuts for breakfast. I have to threaten him often that those are not acceptable breakfast items. I don't mind them occasionally but not everyday.

The problem here is they are available to them everyday and they have the choice. I am sorry but a young child should not be allowed to have these choices. Sorry, I am not standing their to say no so he will do as he chooses. As I said, I have to threaten him often that their will be no more breakfast money.

I do get some criticism that my kids are skinny and I shouldn't worry about it. However I do because the eating habits they develop today will take with them for the rest of their lives. If I don't teach them now, then donuts could be the breakfast norm and that is not an acceptable choice.

As for lunch it isn't any better but I don't pay that much attention because my son packs everyday. While packing isn't a hot meal, I do make sure he does get a good meal. We have a ham or turkey sandwich every day, along with a fresh fruit and vegetable. He loves getting a salad in his lunch and will always eat it. We also do some cheese and a juice drink. I use to give him a small snack everyday. That stopped when food came back and snacks were eaten. He would say I don't have time to eat it all, so fine we don't have time for a snack. He can have a snack after school.

OK, I think I am getting away from the whole point of my post and that is the preservatives. The show pointed out the science experiment that is on all our food labels. I never really put much thought into and always thought I was feeding my family well because of the fruits and veggies we eat. Oh how much I have learned.

Before I was notorious for buying a box lasagna, frozenpot pies, chicken nuggets, frozen waffles... you get the idea. Convenience comes easy for a working mother. But then I started looking at labels and said this will not do and I am not doing my family any favors.

So I have started cooking from fresh everything. Making my own pancakes, lasagna, using all fresh ingrediants like fresh chicken, etc... I think you get the idea. While my grocery bill has gone up a bit, I do feel better that I am paying close attention to what I feed my family.

Now I still struggle with some items. For example I can't find a bread that isn't full of preservatives and I just can't make my own bread. I thought about a farmers market and seeing if I can find fresh baked bread. We do burn through it so I really don't need it to last for a month in the cabinet.

Another thing I love is ice cream. I did find the Turkey Hill brand and they use all fresh ingredients and it is such good ice cream. So I don't have to sacrifice everything but I do read my labels a lot more.

My question to all of you, do you look at the labels on what you eat? If you don't take a look at your labels. Does it look like a science experiment or do the ingredients sound like the stuff in your pantry?

I must say, I am very disappointed that our lives have been so driven around conveniences that we are trading our health to save 10 minutes. I am taking back as much of that as I can to offer better to my family.

A FEW UPDATES

This has been the longest and most drawn out week.

Remember my family was ill over the weekend. Thomas had very loose stool for 7 days and vomited for 5 days straight. It all started Thursday the 6th. I missed 1/2 day of work on Thursday, all day Friday, missed all day Tuesday, my husband missed 1/2 day Thursday and all day Wednesday. Yesterday was the first day Thomas got to return to school after two days of what I would call much improved health.

Today, Friday I am at work and at 11 AM I receive a phone call from Luke's school. He had a little accident and was pretty upset. Big deal to a 1st grader so I had to go pick him up. Once again, I have left work early.

Being a working mom can be very frustrating especially when you run across times like this. Luckily I have a very good employer. They don't take issue with this type of thing. On Tuesday I insisted upon using a vacation day because I already missed so much. I was told it wasn't necessary but I don't want people thinking I am taking advantage so it was important for me to do it this way. All I can say is please, please, please put an end to all this illness. I just can't take it anymore.


On another note, remember my breast lump. I waited a bit before having the ultrasound. I decided to have it checked because the lump came back in the same location. Of course by the time I got in for the ultrasound the lump had gone away again.

The test found nothing however since all this started I have had several other things that don't seem right. First, I have nipple pain. My lump when it comes and goes is very close to the nipple. My best way to describe my pain, I feel like a new mom getting use to nursing a baby. It is tender and sore and I have little surges of pain from time to time. Second thing is I have noticed my one breast has been swelling. Can't explain the swelling but it has happened a couple times now. And NO I AM NOT PREGNANT!

Wednesday I went back to the doctor and because of all the additional things going on she has referred me to a specialist who deals with nothing but the breast. My husband is freaking out over how much this could all cost. While a big part of me is holding out that it is hormones causing the craziness, a small part of me keeps asking why only in the left breast? I will keep you updated and say a prayer that this will all be solved and with a good outcome.

Mother's

I most certainly got to be the full on mother experience for mother's day. Starting last Thursday my youngest started getting sick. I took him to the doctor and he not only continued to throw up he also had strep throat on top of that. Poor thing!!!

Friday night, youngest still sick and now dad and big brother are also sick.

Let me say, only a mother can be thrown up on as many times as I was this weekend and never complain and just deal with it as well as I did.

Honestly my entire life I have never handled these things well. I can't be around it, I can't clean it up, and I can't stand the smell. But then we have children and we don't think twice about it. Amazing things....

As of today, Monday, my youngest still getting sick but dad and big brother are all better. I am still asking when my turn is coming. How can everyone get sick (and on me for that matter, I will spare you the details) and I still manage to fight it off.

Anyway, Happy Mother's Day to all you other wonderful moms. Sorry this is a little late, I was a bit busy the past few days.

BABY PICTURES

My boys are such cuties but I would like to say they didn't get anything from me in the looks department. They look so much like their father and nothing like me.

I found a baby photo of me just to show you, they really didn't get anything from me.

I know this isn't the best photo because I had to scan it. I believe my mom said I was around 7 months old in this picture.

Here is Thomas.....(around 6 months old)

Here is Luke..... (around 6 months old)

I will say looking at these photos Thomas does have a few of my features.
They defiantly didn't get that beautiful dark hair that I had.

Of course I didn't keep that dark hair either.

I will say as for personality, Thomas is spot on with me and Luke spot on with his dad.
Any guesses who I struggle with more? (Thomas)
I guess we all need someone like us, right?


FYI... Thomas took this photo.
My two year old is on his way to becoming a professional photographer.

Soccer

Soccer is one of those sports that I think some kids can really enjoy. Our local YMCA starts letting kids play at the age of 3. While it is pretty funny to watch "heard ball" at the age of three it is still very cute.

Luke started playing soccer at the age of three.

Here he is on his first ever soccer team.
While he wanted to play soccer, their was a lot more silly going on than playing soccer. Lots of grass and flower picking took place.
Even as Luke got older we still seemed to do a lot of grass picking on the soccer field.

Luke played on two orange teams. This one was in the fall of 2008 and Luke was 5. This was the season that dad coached and one of Luke's friends played on the team also. With the hope that having a friend would help him play better, we were so wrong. These two boys spent more time doing cart-wheels and bending over and looking between their legs at each other. Total silliness was taking place on the soccer field. It was at this moment we thought, he just isn't in to soccer and it is time to throw in the towel.
In the fall of 2009 Luke asked us if he could play soccer. Our first question to him was do you really want to play? Will you play? He said yes, so we signed him up.

This season it was 5 & 6 year old's and he got it. Finally we reached the point where we are not picking grass, etc...

This spring the age group changed. We signed up again but now it is 7 to 9 years of age. Luke is the smallest kid on his team. However he is the smallest he is still playing really well.
While I wouldn't call Luke a pro at soccer, not even close, he is out playing and having a good time. Plus he wants to play....

Just the other night he scored the first goal of the game. Then he got tired and ran out of steam but still did great.
While I love the character that the YMCA builds in kids and instills good sportsmanship. This will be our last time playing for the YMCA. This time they only had three teams so the kids just continue to play each other over and over again. In this area we have a city league for Soccer and it is much more popular with the older kids. Since we know Luke wants to play and we see hope in him we will be switch to the city league in the fall.

Now the big question, do we let Thomas play when he turns three? He already wants to get out and play with his brother at the games.

What age did or will you put your kids in group activities?