The Lunch Box

I'm in trouble.

The boy is three and I'm already the lame mom. Behind the times. Out of it.

Thank God for friends or my next step could be Keds and Mom Jeans.

Monday was Poops' first day of summer camp at his school. It goes about 5 hours, Monday through Friday for the next four weeks.

I knowwwww. Pretty much all day. Which means lunchtime included. I've never done that before. This is a whole new world for me. Er, him.

So last night, I was all excited making his lunch for his very first day of lunch away from home. I made him a nice peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cut it out into a heart shape (I know, that one was lame, but the truck and train shapes were stuffed away in a box in a closet, I'll do that for Tuesday), put some cheddar rice cakes in a Ziploc, and stuffed them along with a Capri Sun and a box of raisins (all of which I can still get away with because he still loves them and plus he's too young to know about Hostess Cupcakes and the concept of trading up...) into a brown bag with his name proudly written on the front with a Sharpie.

He's three. Who cares how his lunch is carried as long as he has treats inside? Which is what I thought and exactlyprecisely what he thought when I explained this concept of lunch to him and even made him practice opening up a Ziploc bag so he could eat independently of teacherhelp. And all he could think about were the "cheese puffs" in the bag as he went out the door and into his classroom. He thought that all day. Until lunch.

When the other kids didn't have brown bags. And I am pretty sure I was informed of this while my son was learning the same exact lesson. I was on the phone with my best friend around lunchtime, talking about Poops being in camp and she asked me if they did lunch there.

Me: Yep!
Her: What kind of lunchbox does he have?
Me: None. Brown bag. (Very matter of factly, by the way.)
Her: No one does brown bags.
Silence.

Oh.

Really? It starts already? I thought I had at least two years left! So I briefly considered keeping the brown bag just for the point of it. But I had this nagging feeling and well anyway, I found myself headed out to Target where I found me him a very cute Spiderman lunchbox (and by the way, lunchboxes have completely changed since my day. Where is the thermos?). Ps. it was either Spiderman or Transformers because they have nearly nothing out until probably, oh, next week when they'll have the school shopping extravaganza coming out. And since he doesn't know what a Transformer is and only barely knows who Spiderman is, we went with Spiderman.

So I had it in the car when I went to go pick him up. It was going to be a surprise. Although I was still pretty sure at that point that he wasn't going to know the difference anyway.

WRONG!

I was the first in car line to pick him up (of course -- first day and all) and the teacher was frantic. "We couldn't find his lunchbox!" she said in her panicky voice as she was leading him to the car.

"Oh, it was a brown bag, he didn't have one," I said, (matter of factly -- again.)

"Oh." (Some sort of weird look.) "OK. Bye!" she says and rushes off to load up another kid.

Meantime, here it comes. The chorus begins. The idea of the lunchbox has been introduced. And now there is a Poops yelling and crying, "WHERE'S MY UNCHBOX! WHERE'S MY UNCHBOX! MYYYYYY UNCHBOX!!!" (no L's yet.) over and over and over. Because his teacher was looking for a lunchbox and now he thinks he has a lunchbox and we're leaving without it- not that he even knows what a lunchbox is. I finally get a word in edgewise and say, "Honey, you don't have a lunchbox, remember? We had your lunch in a brown bag..." Feeling like an idiot mom right about now and trying to change the subject.

Darn brown bag. You're killing me here.

So I let it all die down on the way home. How was school? Where's my unchbox! Did you learn anything? I want my unchbox! Very productive after school chatter. I still don't really know how the day went. After all, pickup time was an hour and a half after naptime in our house normally was supposed to start and I was really interested in how that was all going to play out anyway and I was pretty much right on. Deliriousness, inability to focus or reason, crying, anger, the idea of a missing "unchbox..."

So then there's a nice long nap and a much happier little boy on the flip side with a snack and a drink sitting on the couch watching Curious George and I think, this is the perfect time to present him with his new lunchbox!

So I bust it out. I say, "I have a surprise for you!" And he says, "Is it chocate?" And I say, "No, it's not chocolate." And he says, "Is it a snack?" He's obsessed with snacks. And I say, "Nope!" And I hand it to him and say, "It's a LUNCHBOX!"

And I am so proud.

And the smile that appeared on that tiny three-year-old face, followed by the, "Woooooooo!!!! Thank you Mommy Thank you!! OOK IT!! IT'S PIDERMAN!" (Without the L or the S). And my eyes start to well up because this is my little boy's very first lunchbox and it was such a sincere thank you from a big three-year-old heart and I just melted. Thank God my best friend I thought of this.

I remember my first lunchbox. It was a Strawberry Shortcake. I don't know if he'll remember his first lunchbox, but I certainly will.

Then he finished this wonderful moment as I was watching him zipping it and unzipping it by repeating one of Mommy's mantras. "How cool is that!"

I love it. Boy that was close.

So the new "unchbox" was the hit of the evening. He took his new "unchbox" to gymnastics and held it tight in the car all the way home and that's all he talked about for the rest of the day. Questioning me about how long he was going to have to wait for the next meal that would be served in the lunchbox. Could I put dinner in his "unchbox"? "No, honey, grilled chicken doesn't work very well in the lunchbox, I'll pack lunch in it for camp tomorrow."

Oh what a day. A new lesson about patience for him. A new lesson about coolness for me.

The Lunch Box

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/lunch-box.html

Mantra Monday: It's not supposed to be easy...

Change is good. Sometimes I forget that.

I usually take a spin class Saturday morning. The head spinner is a guy who is much older, gray hair and gray beard, same red shorts every time; and he's got a pretty huge following. You have to show up to class at least a half hour before to reserve your bike. People like him. I like him.

But I ran Saturday instead, so I had to take the Sunday spin class. An entirely different person. A lady, probably a good 10 or 15 years old than me, and ripped.

She had more energy than my 3 year old. She'd randomly burst out into song. When it got hard, she would make you go harder. When you could barely even push the pedals around one full revolution because the resistance was so ridiculous, she would yell, "MORE!" And then make you go faster. Or at least try to. I thought to myself, I want to be her.


I like her.

And as she was completely kicking my A$$ and my legs were on such fire, I thought that if I didn't start smiling soon, I mean, grinning a huge ear-to-ear smile, I would cry instead.

Yes, I actually thought I might cry. The lady almost moved me to tears.

There is something about an intense workout that gets the blood and the chemicals and the hormones moving that sometimes move you to wanna cry. Kind of like on The Biggest Loser, when the contestants are pushed to the brink.

I felt that. And I thought, GOD THIS IS HARD.

I was getting all emotional and crap. On my spinbike.

Then all of a sudden, as if out of nowhere, Tom Hanks appeared. He was yelling at me. He was wearing his baseball uniform and he had a mouth full of dip. And he bent down and put his face right up in my face and his dipspit was hitting me in the cheek (ew) and he was yelling, "IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HARD. If it it wasn't hard, everyone would do it."

And I felt disgusted for a minute by my few seconds of weakness. And I bucked up. I gutted it out.

He's right. Yes, it was hard. What do I expect? Change is hard. Changing your body is hard. Leaving your comfort zone is hard. It's supposed to be. If it wasn't, then everyone would be ripped. Everyone would run marathons. Win Olympic medals. Swim across oceans. Climb mountains. (Kill spiders.) Have their dream job. Live their dream. Whatever the goal is. Everyone would reach it. If it were that easy.

And then I heard him say the last part of his sentence: "That's what makes it great."

If you don't remember, this is all Tom Hanks circa 1990s in A League of Their Own. He was yelling at Geena Davis for giving up baseball because it "just got too hard."

But that is exactly what makes it great. When you come out the other side, not crying, and fully and completely alive, in every sense of the word, that is what makes it great. When the classes, the runs, the bikes, the swims, the reading, the cleaning, the preparation, the work, when it all starts paying off, and you actually made it and are a better person for it, that's what makes it great.

It's not just about baseball. Although that is really pretty great. It's about getting through the "hard" to get to the "great."

Sure, it would be nice to get a "free pass" to great. But really, where's the fun in that?

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Join the Mantra and I'll add your link right here!

Mantra Monday: It's not supposed to be easy...

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/mantra-monday-its-not-supposed-to-be.html

iHeartFaces: Weddings

It's the Wedding Bells edition of iHeartFaces this week! My entry for this week is from my sister-in-law's wedding in March. They had just said, "I do," and I swear the proud new hubby couldn't stop staring at his new wife with those eyes. You know the ones. It was very sweet.

Join in the fun at iHeartFaces!

iHeartFaces: Weddings

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/iheartfaces-weddings.html

Oops! Your Playlist is Showing!

Something funny happened at spin class last weekend.

The spin class instructor's I-Pod busted, he was stuck with a CD that kept on skipping, and finally he called out a plea for help.

He was requesting to use someone's I-Pod for class.

Now most people just kind of looked around to see if there were any takers (I imagine they were too afraid to expose themselves in this manner) but one very eager woman was more than excited to share her tunes with the rest of the class.

I thought, wow! That lady's brave!

And you could tell she thought it was no big deal. That is, until he started playing it.

Because I realized how funny and how personal an I-Pod playlist really is. Because it's ours. It's custom made. With songs that inspire us, that make us rock out, that soothe us...

And then there are the guilty pleasures. You know, the ones you love but don't wanna get caught listening to.

The "Hit Me Baby One More Time". The "Mr. Roboto." The "Chariots of Fire". The occasional "Boot Scootin' Boogie".

Not that there's anything wrong with that. But you have to admit it's funny if you're listening to your husband's playlist and a little Speedwagon comes on...

Knowing that secretly, he's belting it out alone in the car "I can't fight this feeling anymorrrrre!"

Oh sure, he turns to you and says, "How did that get on there! I hate that song!" Because now he's exposing his soft little underbelly. And dudes don't like to do that.

So all of a sudden, I could see this realization wash over her.

Oh no. What have I done.

Because as each song would end, she'd put her towel over her head as she wondered, "Egad, what's going to come on next!"

And people can be very judgemental.

With each song that came on, she looked around, sheepishly peeking out from under the towel, waiting for the collective class approval and breathing a sigh of relief when it was greeted with acceptance and something crazy didn't come on.

Because you know your playlists. Kind of. But then you second guess yourself and wonder with each song if you actually remember what is on them.

And if he puts it on shuffle, there could definitely be trouble. What would pop up? What would start playing that would send the class into a secret snicker?

Oh yes, I could see the stress on her face for the entire hour.

Poor girl.

I know one thing. Putting your entire I-Pod playlist out there for all to see is kind of like showing your undies by accident. It can be a little embarrassing, people judge you for it (did you wear your underroos or your lacy thongs?), but in the end, it pretty much happens to everyone.

So I have the Titanic soundtrack on mine. Sue me. And maybe the Cars soundtrack too. And a little Britney and Christina.

(And maybe that song "Peanut Butter Jelly Time! Peanut Butter Jelly Time!"... And maybe even the song, "Honkey Tonk Ba Donk-a-Donk". As in ... She's got a Honky Tonk -- Ba DonkaDonk!)

(some styx. some starship.) Then there's the Metallica and the Killers and Green Days. I like to rock out. And tribal and yoga music. It calms me.

I like to call my mixes eclectic.

What about you? What's your guilty playlist pleasure?

Go ahead! I won't tell...

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The winner of the purple Bead for Life necklace is commenter #2 according to Mr. Random, who is Lissa at Whooo's That Girl! Congrats!! E-mail headed up now!

Oops! Your Playlist is Showing!

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/oops-your-playlist-is-showing.html

Kitchen Experiments #3

Good morning and welcome to another episode of Kitchen Experiments with Christie O. where we dive into some sort of concoction and see how it turns out.

This week, we're trying a low-fat vegetable casserole. I superlove cheese (despite the cheese cube rant and besides, this cheese happens to be of the low-fat variety and will also function as only a piece of the whole recipe, thus not being the entire meal.)

I love veggies. And I love trying to figure out the best ways they can go together. Really, is that too much to ask? So I'm searching high and low for a veggie casserole that incorporates squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots (all my faves). I found this recipe and it was deelish --(you're welcomed to try it!), but that one was just a little too fattening for me, so I needed to tone it down. The result was this, and it was pretty darn yummy (official reviews below).

So here are the ingredients:

2 cups zucchini, sliced
2 cups squash, sliced
2 10 oz. bags frozen broccoli, carrots, cauliflower (I use Bird's Eye steamers)
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
4 cups Instant Brown Rice
2 Cups Lowfat Shredded Cheddar or whatever Lowfat options you have or desire

*If you want a topping, mix up 1 cup bread crumbs and 1 cup parmesan cheese

Now normally I don't like to have a bunch of pans going at the same time, I like to make life easy for myself, but I did with this one just because I like sauteed onions so much. So in a pan lightly sprayed with Pam, combine onions and garlic. Sautee just a little, put aside. Cook brown rice according to directions, and steam the frozen veggies according to directions. Meantime, in a separate bowl, combine the cottage cheese with one cup of cheddar cheese and the onion soup packet. Add sauteed onions and garlic and mix. Add veggies. (Since there were so many veggies, I actually mixed it all in the baking dish. Don't tell anyone. But if you do that, make sure the pan is sprayed lightly with Pam or whatever spray.)

Combine veggie mix with rice. Sprinkle all over a lightly sprayed 13x9 pan. Top with the other cup of cheddar cheese. If you use a topping, sprinkle it on top of that.

Bake on 375 for 30 minutes.

Makes appx. 6 servings but probably could be 8, it's a lot of darn stuff!

Nutritional info: 450 calories 10 g fat

I suppose you can add mushrooms if you like that sorta thing (I am not a mushroom gal).

But was it the veggie casserole I've been searching for my whole life? I think it might still be out there, but we're getting pretty close! I feel like I'm a mad scientist, still mixing away to improve it (feel free to e-mail me any veggie casseroles, I'm on the prowl!)

In sum, husband preferred the full fat version but said this was still pretty good. (That means I'll keep it around but make it only on occasion.) I personally really liked it and will gladly make it again although I may add a light sour cream next time to make it a little creamier. Poops liked it like he likes everything, which is just kinda sorta. He's a grazer. He only seems to take bites of every meal.

But this one, the Mini:
He cleaned up! Yep, that's my veggie kid. Loves his veggies. That's his second plate full. (BTW he's only nakey because we were going to Cirque du Soleil after dinner and I didn't want him to be a mess. And if you're wondering if Cirque is kid-friendly, stay tuned. I got to review it! Woot!)

Kitchen Experiments #3

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/kitchen-experiments-3.html

The Cheese Cube

The cheese cube is the devil.

If the devil could come to the Earth as food, it would be in the form of a cheese cube.

Whispering, "Hello there! I'm healthy! I'm dairy and calcium! Have a few! Or many!"

But don't listen. The cheese cube is just trying to thwart your efforts to be healthy.

You see, I am no longer one with the cheese cube. I used to be. But in a formal announcement, right here, I am severing my relationship with it.

Cheese cube, you and I are no longer a good fit. As much as it pains me to say 'Goodbye', you're a terrible influence, and frankly, you must be stopped. You must stop cavorting around, prancing around like you're some sort of health food and go away. Come back in the form of a carrot and we'll talk.

I was never quite aware that the cheese cube was the enemy. Until I threw two wine and cheese parties and the cheese cube was the star. That's around the same time I started counting calories.

Now, you may all already know this. This may not be news to you. But to me, a couple a cheese cubes was never that bad. In my head, at least.

Then again, I have never been much for writing down what I eat or for counting calories either. I had a nice long stint of weightloss without having to do that (although now I'm wondering how on earth that could be...) But now that I am and I (as my husband says) look at every piece of food and see past the foodness and straight into the calorie-count, I'm aware.

I'm educated.

And that little seemingly-innocuous cheese cube, that tiny little miniscule piece of cheese, is evil. Pure evil. Just one, one, tiny one-inch by one inch cube equals 68 calories. At least. And that's not that much. IF YOU HAVE JUST ONE!

But who has just one cheese cube? Honestly...

I remember a time when I'd go to a Christmas party and fill my plate up with cheese cubes.

I'm being healthy! I'm not eating the bacon-wrapped doublefried wonton! I'm having cheese and veggies! Look at how healthy I am!!

Oh I was so naive.

Let's do some math. 5 little lonely cheese cubes multiplied by 68.

= 340.

Gasp.

340 calories! So, if I'm alotting myself 1900 calories a day, just those 5 cubes equal about a meal.
Not to mention if you have more than 5, because 5 get lost on that big appetizer plate. If someone saw your plate with 5 lonely cheese cubes on it, they'd ask you, "That's all you're eating??" And you'd probably be inclined to think, "All I had was a couple a cheese cubes!"

Yah! 400 calories worth!

The first night of the first wine and cheese party, I had a rude awakening. I did count those calories. And I found out very quickly that a few pieces of cheese cubes and crackers, even when I had eaten only a fraction of what I would have eaten if I weren't counting calories (you know, back in the old days) ADDS UP TO A THOUSAND CALORIES VERY QUICKLY!!! I can't help but imagine what I used to eat, during Christmas parties and whatnot, back when I used to fill up my plate! Oh, I shudder...

I state this loudly because I couldn't believe my eyes. Literally, a tiny amount of cheese which is not filling in any way, and a few crackers. 1000 calories. I went over my calories for the day by 20 calories only (thank goodness) but as for the rest of the parties, well, I backed off the cheese cubes.

You can consider this an anti-cheese cube PSA if you wish, because I feel like I have to expose this tiny cube for what it is: a one-square-inch piece of fat.

You can avoid some of the cube calories maybe with some low-fat cheese (however, I provided my guests and myself ever so thoughtfully with the full-fat kind). But now you can consider yourself warned.

I'll repost this around Christmastime if you want.

The Cheese Cube

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/cheese-cube.html

Break On Through to the Other Side! Break On Through to the Other Side!

I was going to weigh in and then go have breakfast, sit down with my coffee and then blog.

Not today!

I'm down two pounds baby! Two!

It's all I can do to not jump and dance around the house singing The Doors because I have broken through to the other side -- the 130's! Woot! Woot! A new decade! The 130s! I reached it briefly back in December but it wasn't to be. I gained and lost the same two pounds for months.

Besides that brief stint (which felt like 5 minutes!) I haven't been here since before my wedding! Nevermind the kids...

OK so I feel like I'm at an awards ceremony and I'm receiving the "Finally -- Your Efforts are not Futile" Award. So I would like to thank my supportive husband, because without his understanding and beauty as a husband, I would not be able to do things like leave during an all-out tantrum to go to spin class (feeling guilty about walking out the door in the middle of the chaos...) And I'd like to thank April for making me count every single damn calorie down to a teaspoon of ketchup I forgot about despite my kicking and screaming over it. Oh I wasn't prepared, I didn't write anything, I'm going to forget someone!!

Ps. There were two wine and cheese parties, a birthday party and a Father's Day celebration. What more can one say? Thank goodness for counting calories or I would have blown it.

Pss. I have a rant about the cheese cube coming.

So I'm a dork and I'm a little excited. If you couldn't tell.

Anyway, finally, it is working. When you're doing a triathlon simply to lose weight (mostly) and you're not losing weight, it can get a little frustrating. But I've lost three pounds so far this challenge. Finally we're getting somewhere! I hope everyone had a great week!! I can't wait to see how everyone did!!

Break On Through to the Other Side! Break On Through to the Other Side!

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/break-on-through-to-other-side-break-on.html

iheartfaces: Boys

There is no shortage of boys in my life, that's for sure. I have two of them, my best friend has three, my cousin has three, another one of my friends has two...

Oh yes, they're pretty much everywhere.

There are very few dresses in my life. Except for my dear beautiful niece Maddie.

It's "Let's Hear it for the Boys" week at i Heart Faces which is fitting for the Father's Day weekend. And since there are boys everywhere in my life, choosing a picture was actually pretty hard. So I have two entries this week, one for Kids: my son, the Mini...

...and one for the Adults category, featuring, my Dad, "Poppy" to me, "Papa" to my kids.
And while I'm at it, I'd like to say "Thank You," to all the boys in my life; my dad, my husband and my children for making my life worth living. I never knew life and love could be this sweet.

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Make sure to head on over to iHeartFaces for some beautiful photos.

iheartfaces: Boys

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/iheartfaces-boys.html

Bead for Life

Once upon a time, my husband went out of town and my mom came and spent the week with me as she often does because I'm wimpy and I like the company.

And we were drinking coffee one morning and watching the Today show and there was a segment on something called "Bead for Life."

There was an impoverished Ugandan village and there were starving women and their families, without homes, medical care or education. Women fighting to survive. Their villages pillaged, they are raped and murdered, HIV and AIDS and disease run rampant through their villages. The women are forced to work 12 hours a day in the hot sun breaking rocks for less than a dollar a day, just so they could afford a tiny bit of grain for their families. Their little babies, starving.

But these women also had a hidden talent; one that someone here in the states discovered. They make beautiful beads. Beads out of recycled paper that make beautiful jewelry. And she took these beads back to the states and sold them and people here loved them. Because they're beautiful and handcrafted and made out of recycled paper! But they look, feel and sound exactly like real beads!

So when the returns came back on the beads, these wonderful women were able to actually buy a home on a piece of land they could call their own, not to mention afford food and medicine and schooling for their children. They are now able to get out of the slums and into communities where starvation, disease, rape and murder are no longer a part of their daily lives!

What was born out of this was an organization called Bead for Life. This story brought my mom and I to tears and before it was over we were logged onto the computer e-mailing Bead for Life to see how we could be a part of this.

So when I mentioned that I was having two wine and cheese parties last week, that's what they were! They were bead parties for Bead for Life. They sent us a HUGE BOX of beads, and my mom and I are had parties to sell them. All told, we sold about $1,000 worth of jewelry. And whatever we don't sell, we return to Bead for Life so someone else could sell them at another bead party. We don't make any money or commission and for each piece that's sold, 93 cents of every dollar sold goes back to the women of Uganda in the form of income, housing or programs to support education and health care. That's almost all of it!

Each beautiful piece is handmade by a beautiful woman, a mother, a sister, a daughter in Uganda. The paper is rolled and shaped as a bead. Then they are strung along with real beads into short and long necklaces, bracelets and earrings. They are sprayed with a sealant and hung on a clothesline to dry.

Isn't that amazing??????

I can't think of a better way to help fight extreme poverty half a world away. It has been one of the most wonderful, bonding experiences I have ever had with the women in my life. All of us coming together to help our sisters on the other side of the world. Helping other mothers provide for their children. It is a win-win situation for everyone.

Because this has been such a wonderful experience for me, I wanted to let all of you in on it too. That's why I'm giving away this beautiful purple necklace to one lucky commenter! It's a long necklace and you can double it up (like I do with my lovely pink one) to make a double!

All you have to do is leave me a comment!! You can get two more entries if you 1) follow me and 2) post about this on your own blog and link back here. Oh yes, I forgot. The contest closes Friday night at 8pm e.t.

Remember though that for each entry you must leave a separate comment (total of three comments) so that Mr. Random Number Generator can choose properly.

You can read more about Bead for Life HERE at the organization's website. Having a bead party is so super easy, the organization is so wonderful they give you all the materials and tools to have a great, successful event! And the jewelry is so beautiful all of it makes such great gifts!

I am truly blessed to have been a part of such a wonderful experience. Before the party, I watched the dvd with my three-year-old and although he doesn't really understand the whole thing (all he understands is that they have no toys "No TOYS??") he sees that somehow we are helping other people, even if we don't know them.

It all really brings back into perspective our life here, how we have a roof over our head and food in our bellies and love and happiness within our family. We don't need all that much more than that.

And I forget that sometimes.

Bead for Life

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/bead-for-life.html

Mantra Monday: Someone, Somewhere, is Working Harder Than Me

I had a nightmare last week. I dreamt that it was triathlon day and that when I went to check in, not only was I late but I had not even registered. The race had started and I was standing at the table and the guy couldn't find my name. Then I realized I had forgotten my bike. So I was on the phone calling my husband to bring it from home. It was an awful, panicky feeling and it woke me up.

What does it all mean? I don't know. I think I am very nervous.

But I don't think I had the dream because I don't believe I'm ready. I really think I am pretty darn close. Everything is starting to require less effort. Which is good news and feels really good. When there once was a workout I was doing that I used to have to gut through, now I am breezing. But then I get worried that I am not working hard enough.

What a head case, I know.

And all week last week I found myself thinking with each stroke or with each pedal or with each rep, someone, somewhere, right now, is working harder than I am.

For some reason, I cannot stop thinking about that.

It pushes me.

When I picture someone else sweating harder, using more resistance, going faster, it makes me want to try harder. It fuels my fire and gives me that little push, kind of like a mental energy gel.

I am in no way going to actually be "competitive" in this race, but there are plenty of people who are. Sure, some people are just built for this and have been doing this their whole lives. But others had to start somewhere. Maybe even right where I am now. Who knows. All I know is that it requires work. And if I'm going to bother to put in the time, I may as well bother to work hard. As hard as I think someone else is working. Or harder.

Because they (whoever they are) didn't get where they are by only kindof trying.

Did you ever know the guy or the girl who only ate chicken breast and spinach for every meal and refused to eat at any birthday party or function brought their boiled chicken to work and had no qualms about it? Because they were training for something or busy getting buff? I've known a few of these. And not that I want to or will eat chicken and spinach every meal, but there is something to be said for their level of dedication. Though I cannot function by eating the same thing day in and day out, I do believe that through calorie counting, I can have my cake and eat it too. Literally. While trying to remain dedicated and motivated. Because it is the idea of not wanting to do all the work just to ruin it in one huge gorge, that allows me to say no to big portions, to the whole dessert.

At least lately.

And it's on every level. We see it in The Biggest Loser every season. You look across the gym or the bikes in spin class and you see people pushing themselves.

Someone is always working harder.

Remember that. No matter what you're doing, someone is doing it harder. Faster. Better.

So rather than fold under that pressure because I don't think I'm good enough, I'd rather pretend that I'm at least trying to keep up. Or even better, that they're trying to keep up with me.

* * *

Wanna join the Mantra? Send me the link to your Mantra and I'll post it right here!

Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom: Soon

Dragon's Haven: One Step Forward at a Time

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The winner of the Strength Necklace Giveaway is, according to Mr. Random, commenter #9, Pubsgal!! At Opposite Life! Congrats! An e-mail is headed your way!

Mantra Monday: Someone, Somewhere, is Working Harder Than Me

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/mantra-monday-someone-somewhere-is.html

Kitchen Experiments #2: Mango Chicken

This is my new favorite thing EVER. This is another recipe I found from SparkPeople because I had mangos and I had chicken but I didn't have half of the other things in the recipe so I tweaked it in Christie fashion. And now I want to make it every day. Except that no one else but me can eat the same thing for days in a row and be perfectly happy. So I won't make it every day. Except that I want to.


So, I give you, the Mango Chicken.

Ingredients:
2 mangoes, diced
1 cup mild salsa
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tbsp. dried cilantro
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I use Purdue pretty much all the time because I like that they're all individually packed and I can freeze or thaw one at a time or a million if I choose)

Directions:
Brown the chicken in the pan until fully cooked. Add onions. Cook onions until they're soft or clear. Remove chicken briefly but leave the onions (you will add the chicken back later). Add the mangoes, salsa, cilantro, and cayenne pepper to the onions. Cook on medium for about 10 minutes or until all ingredients are hot, not boiling. Add chicken to pan. Serve chicken with mango-salsa dollopped on the top.

This makes four servings. The nutritional info is my favorite part. If you scoop 1/2 cup of the mixture onto a chicken breast it is:

300 Calories!
2.8 Grams of Fat!

If you pair it with yellow rice like me, the meal is 490 calories. Brown rice even less. I got nothing but rave reviews over this one (the 18month old SHOVELED into his mouth!) so let me know if you try it!! Ps. it's not spicy -- the pepper adds a little flavor but that's it.

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Feel free to e-mail me your favorites and if I try it I'll feature it here! (christieo_7 at msn dot com).

Kitchen Experiments #2: Mango Chicken

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/kitchen-experiments-2-mango-chicken.html

Weigh-in Wednesday

It's Wednesday and that can only mean one thing. Weigh-in Day!

Now, last week I went into the weigh-in full well knowing there was not going to be good news. There was some takeout involved, then there was the incident with the chocolate martinis... and well, yada yada yada, I stayed the same. Which was fine, and good actually (better than gaining anyway), but what I was most disappointed with was the fact that I counteracted all of the hard work I did at the gym all week with terrible eating.

Ugh. Why do I sabotage myself in this manner?

So, I donned my blue "strength, focus, discipline" bracelet and I put on my "strength" necklace (which I am giving away this week so if you go HERE you can enter too) and I refocused and yes, for me to stay focused I need to put messages all over my body and write messages to myself and immerse myself in them. Because I am like a cat with a very short attention span that will get distracted if anything even remotely shiny and pretty comes along.

Also I got my new bike and went riding and I challenged myself to stay within my eating parameters as set by the lovely people at Sparkpeople.

And I felt much more optimistic about this week. Because I had done everything right.

AND I LOST A POUND!! One whole pound!

Imagine that. Eat right, eat the RIGHT amount of calories (because too many didn't work and actually too few calories was actually not working either-- and a very much big thank you to April who helped me figure this out!) and work out. Go figure. Now we're getting somewhere. So finally, I have something to contribute to Team Gold! (And by the way if you're interested in calculating how many calories you *should* be eating based on your age/weight/exercise level, you can check that out here. It's not an exact science but I think it may have worked for me. and ps. the bad part about losing weigh is that now I require about 50 fewer calories for the next week to keep losing, according to the calculator. WAHHHH!)

This week has given me the strength to want to keep focused on the week ahead. And I won't lie, it will be hard. I'm having two fundraising parties (with wine and cheese and desserts) and then there's my sister-in-law's birthday party, followed by the Father's Day party, one party each day starting tomorrow.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But I can't succumb. Because I'm working too hard here. (And by the way, my husband made a funny analogy for me the other night. He said that you know how the people in The Matrix see everything in binary code? He says right now I am like that only I look at food and objects and see the calorie count...)

So watch out all you other teams out there because all of our teammates have these! We're Wonder Twins! Or quadruplets or quintuplets...

Isn't she cute? That's Tirah right there modeling our lovely blue focus bracelet! (It wouldn't be a competition without some good ol' smacktalking...)

How did everyone else do?? I hope everyone had a great week! Don't forget to enter my strength necklace giveaway here!

Go TEAM GOLD!!

Weigh-in Wednesday

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/weigh-in-wednesday_17.html

Mantra Monday: Strength + Giveaway

Happy Monday!! How was your weekend?? It was a good weekend for me. A great weekend, really. I got my bike! Woot! My dad and I rode and it felt so good. I have to say, when it comes to a bike for someone like me who's five-foot-nothin', size totally matters! I have a bike that actually fits me. Until now, I never realized that every bike I ever had in my entire life has been way too big for me! I always felt like the bike had me, that the bike was in control, that the bike would launch me off at any given moment (and has, actually. There was that one time riding to biology class in college, a bloody knee, yada yada yada...) Not to mention that bar. You know the bar. The bar. The one that makes life miserable for any girl who falls forward off the seat.

But no problem here! I love my bike. I feel like a kid again.

But I'm coming up on the final four weeks of training for the triathlon and between the workouts and actual life, it's starting to get a little crazy. The inner panic is starting to set in about how on earth I am going to fit everything in.

So this Mantra Monday, it's about strength. I've found that pretty much anything in my life, or anyone's life for that matter, necessitates a great deal of strength. It really doesn't matter what it is. It could be a resolve to quit smoking, to not pick up that phone after a breakup (or drive by someone's house 150 times), it could be strength for willpower in working out or (ugh) dieting, it could be for someone facing illness or tantrums or financial hardship, physical weakness, it doesn't matter.

We all need strength. Almost every day I ask myself, God, or whoever's listening, for strength.

I've been known to stand in my living room among the screaming and crying, whispering to myself, "Oh God, please give me strength..."

At the end of a busy day when a certain little boy is discovered in the bathroom, covered in mommy's deoderant...

I've been known to say it on the first mile of a run that doesn't seem like it's going to pan out. Or in labor. Twice. And the millions of times in the inbetween. I need strength to keep going every day, in the face of whatever. Because at any given moment, weakness is hanging out, peeking from around the corner, waiting for "strength" to go on his coffee break so he can sneak up from behind...

Weakness is out to get me. But I'm not gonna let it. I need strength in such a way that I'm wearing it right now and it just happens to be one of my newest additions at my Etsy shop. So if you're in need of strength, guess what??? I'm giving it away this week to a lucky commenter!!



Just leave a comment telling me what you need strength for and I'll randomly select the winner and announce it on Saturday. The contest closes Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. You can earn another entry by "Following" me, and another entry if you post about the giveaway on your own blog and link to it. That's three chances! You must, however, leave a comment for each entry.

Good luck! I hope that strength is plentiful for you as you go about your week! Happy Mantra Monday!

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Wanna join in the Mantra? Let me know you've posted and I'll link you right here!

1. Elftea's Mantra

Mantra Monday: Strength + Giveaway

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/mantra-monday-strength-giveaway.html

i Heart Faces: Sepia

This week at i Heart Faces, it's Sepia week! This photo screamed "sepia" to me long ago while I was playing around with pictures I took at my sister-in-law's wedding. This picture is of her nephew, or my inlaw's inlaw, if you can follow that. Either way, he's just darling!

Make sure you stop on over at iHeartFaces to check out other sepia photos this week!

i Heart Faces: Sepia

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-heart-faces-sepia.html

Weakend Update

Got my bike!!!

I took my bike and my new cycling spandex out on their maiden voyages. Yes I took off those shorts but that's not for the blog world's eyes! At least not until the triathlon...

I met my dad at a trail and we rode 22 miles. I can now see how people can get addicted to cycling!

I think spin class has prepped me well for outdoor riding because spin class actually is much harder. The "weakend" is going well! I've stayed well within my calorie range and although I did miss a run, I still got in the bike! But the day's not over yet...

Hope everyone is having a happy!

Weakend Update

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/weakend-update.html

Coming up on the Weakend

It's time for what I'm calling "the Weakend".

Yes I spelled that wrong. Er, I mean, right.

The weekend is when I am typically the weakest. It's become my weakend. Right now I have all these grandious plans: Spinning at 9:15 tomorrow morning, a long run on Sunday and bike riding ON MY NEW BIKE! with my dad.

And because there are no parties and reasons to drinkandbinge I might actually follow through with all of this. But it's all my choice. Until then, I'll leave you with a MizFit quote which she got from Lorie of the "Clutter Diet":


“A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.”

Isn't that fantastic? Sheer poetry!!

Have I mentioned that Mama's getting a brand new bike? I pick her up tomorrow. Isn't she pretty? The Trek 1.2 women's specific, 47cm.

I can't wait to take her out on her maiden voyage! I'll post pictures... and EEK! I just looked at my ticker -- EXACTLY ONE MONTH TILL TRIATHLON!!

Breathe.

Ok. There. Panic subsided.

Have a fabulous weekend!! Stay strong, Go Team Gold Go!

Coming up on the Weakend

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/coming-up-on-weakend.html

Recipe O' the Week: The Bean and Rice Burrito

I'm making a desperate attempt to revive my recipe repertoire here so I'm looking everywhere and anywhere to try and find yummy ideas for healthy dishes. Things are just getting old with the family. I've found a few new things that I have fallen in love with and have gotten rave reviews from the family, whic includes a not-very-picky husband, a somewhat picky 3 year old and a will-eat-anything one-year-old. And even though I'm kind of mean with the whole, "You'll eat what I make" philosophy, I am nice enough to take cues from the family on what recipe's a keeper and what's not. Trust me, I won't repeat a recipe that makes them gag. And I save my favorites that no one else likes (rice and ketchup or my Spaetzle, that no one seems to think is as spectacular as I do, for special occasions of just me.)

So here is one of my newest favorites ever! It's so simple and so easy and boy was it DEELISH.

It's a simple bean and rice burrito. My kids tore this UP. I based it loosely on a recipe I saw on SparkPeople, but no recipe is safe from my changes. If cooking were like American Idol and Paula was one of the judges, she'd say, "Girl, you took a bean and rice burrito recipe and you MADE IT YOUR OWN! Good job!" And then Simon would say, "I think it was a little over the top and theatrical..."

Anyhoo, ingredients:

2 Red Peppers, diced

2 cups Instant Brown Rice (Publix brand for us!)

1 8 oz. can black beans

1 cup lowfat cheese

4 whole wheat tortillas

1 raw onion, diced

1 cup salsa

Cook the brown rice and black beans as directed. Then, spoon 1/4 cup rice into the tortilla, followed by 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup cheese, then sprinkle the veggies on, top it all with salsa and then good luck getting that baby rolled up! Makes about 4 burritos but you could probably get a couple more out of it if you put less in each burrito. I love this recipe. It's so simple, filling and it's got the protein, the carbs and the whole grains wrapped up in a perfect combo platter.

YUM!

Anyway, nutritional info is as follows: 329 Calories, 10 grams of fat.

Scha-wing.

So there you go. I also tried a new recipe tonight that I will share next week, it was AMAZING! Something to do with mangoes and chicken. YUM! Maybe I'll get it together and take some pictures in the future.

I might as well make this a regular thing! PS. Got a great low-fat and low-cal recipe you wanna share? E-mail me at christieo_7 at msn dot com and I'll feature it, after I try it first!!

Recipe O' the Week: The Bean and Rice Burrito

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/recipe-o-week-bean-and-rice-burrito.html

Weigh-In Wednesday

Hi teammates and sisters...

I have no change to report this week. I am glad I'm not adding weight to the pot, but I am unhappy with myself and my disappointing performance of the past week. It is clear now where I have to focus and it is my glaring, terrible weakness: the weekend.

The restaurants, the going out, the caution being thrown to the wind, the devil in the form of the chocolate martini....

So now that I've pinpointed the problem, I fully intend on reporting a success at next week's weigh-in.

We are just a mere four weeks out from the triathlon and I've been logging my workouts here. This week has been a good one so far. My new bike is being acquired this weekend. And my husband and I just signed up for a second triathlon to be completed the week of my birthday in September so that'll be a 34th Happy Birthday to me!! I was getting worried about having no goal after this one, so well, worry no more!!

Can't wait to see how everyone did this week!

Weigh-In Wednesday

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/weigh-in-wednesday_10.html

Wordless Wednesday: Airborne

Someone loves to dance...

Wordless Wednesday: Airborne

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/wordless-wednesday-airborne.html

What do you do all day?

As a stay at home mom, I get this question a lot. And I never know quite how to answer it.

Because the truth is, really, I have no freakin' idea. None. All I know is that the week goes by in a flash and when I look back and think, "What did I get done all week?" the answer every single time is, pretty much nothing.

Why is that?

And even more recently, since school's been out, it's been even busier. It's 10 o'clock at night right now and I feel like I just put the kids to bed.

They were in bed at 7:30.

I haven't gotten a single thing done since then.

I haven't a clue what I've been doing this whole time.

I've been with myself the whole time. I should know what I've been doing. And I've been busy. But I've nothing to show for it. There is still a pile of laundry waiting to be folded. There are dishes in the sink. Two episodes of Family Guy have just passed and there is a husband snoring on the couch.

What is happening that time is moving but I seem not to be?

Let me analyze my day. Maybe I can be useful with this blog and figure it out.

OK. Here, we are made up of tiny windows. I discussed this briefly when discussing my brief girl weekend staycation. My day is made up of windows of time that are either filed under the "naptime window" or the tiny sections of time between naps. When the day is split up into these tiny windows, one has to prioritize and choose what tasks one has the time to perform within a given window.

The windows usually consist of 2 1/2 to 3 hour increments. But it's never long enough to get any one thing really done because instead of picking one thing, I try to cram a zillion things into each window. Actually that's not entirely true. I start one thing and then like a cat who gets sidetracked by shiny objects, I see something else that needs to be done and start that, forgetting entirely what I was working on before until I pass it on the way to doing something else and then another shiny object appears as if out of nowhere and perhaps maybe the phone rings, and before I know it the kids are up from their second nap and I'm making dinner and putting them to bed (again.) And now, instead of having a few things completed, I have a few more things that are only halfway done!

I've resorted to making lists, but then I get sidetracked somehow from the list...

Either way, it all just seems very tedious and boring on paper (or computer screen), doesn't it? And try explaining all of that to someone who asks you what you do all day. Because all I know is that at the end of the day I am completely wiped.

There is just not one thing that I do. And rarely is there even one substantial thing completed or done for the day. It's not like we sit down as a mom and her two kids to finish that thesis we've been working on...

The day is filled with a million little things like diaper changes and "Go sit on the potty, honey. Willyougositonthepotty? Wewillnotgo to Steven's unlessyougopottyfirst!" times 1,000, minus the accident where there was poo on the floor, plus "CanIhaveasnack -- No you just ate!" multiplied by 100, mulitplied by 500 questions like, "Mommy can you hear my heart? Where is my brain? Does Lightning McQueen have a brain? Do robots have brains? I'm a fireman!" divided by the number of times I empty and refill diaper bags, cups, snack cups and coffee cups, make meals, wash the dishes from those meals, multiplied by errands that I wish I could avoid at 5pm with two hungry children, plus whatever it was that I just slapped myself with my palm on the forehead about because it was really really important, and of course, inevitably, I forgot it.

You'd be amazed at how much time that takes up.

And I really do miss working sometimes, but to be perfectly honest I haven't the faintest idea how I'd fit that in!

And I still have nothing to show for all of it!

(I'm starting to think I have trouble prioritizing...)

So these days, we fill our windows with things like the gym, swim lessons, gymnastics and play dates at the park or at someone's house and we are out of the house so often that I really don't even see that laundry getting put away any time soon.

Because this is the first time I've been home all day other than to make dinner and I am not putting the laundry away with my 30 seconds of solitaryness. (Sorry, honey. But we will move it off your side of the bed and onto the chair next to my side, if that counts for something.)

And honestly as I write this and I think about picking my kids' noses and hugging them in their towels to dry them off after baths and explaining to them where space is and how one might get there, it really isn't that boring. I pretty much love every minute of it. It is very often quite amusing, and very often there is dancing involved. Well, in between some yelling.

I suppose sometimes it's like the movie Groundhog Day and being at home every day could sort of run together like one big day. But on the other hand, I suppose that's why we fill all of our days up with things like play dates and gymnastics and swim lessons and working out. So that I'm not (we're not) stuck in the house all the time doing laundry and washing the floors while they watch drivel on tv and feeling like it's the movie Groundhog Day. Right now our days are kind of like snowflakes; there really aren't two days that are alike and I like it that way. It doesn't matter whether you're staying at home or working or both or whether you're single or a mom or dad, any life could feel like Groundhog Day, right?

So in sum, when someone asks me what the heck I do all day, I still don't have an answer. Except maybe to say, "Everything and nothing. All at the same time." Of course, I could say, "I don't know, but we keep busy."

But I guess I'll just say some variation of, "Oh, a little of this and a little of that..." And then hope and pray that they don't ask me to elaborate.

What do you do all day?

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-do-you-do-all-day.html

Mantra Monday: Be the Ship

I mentioned that I joined SparkPeople, right? I've decided to figure out my BMR and start counting calories. I know, lose weight, count calories, all of that kind of goes together, but honestly before now, I haven't really counted calories. I've just eaten six small meals and paired them with healthy whole grains, veggies, and proteins (BFL). And that has worked really well for me. Until now, when it's not working anymore.

So SparkPeople has all these great motivational quotes and I thought the actual "today" quote was kind of lame or at least it didn't do anything for me.

But I was scrolling down and this one stuck.

“A ship in the harbor is safe. But that’s not what ships are built for.”

I never like quotes about things like ships, even though I say that quote about being ships in the night all the time but usually I mess it up and say something like, "We're like two ships in the wind!" Which doesn't make any sense..

But I like this one because Gosh doesn't this make sense in such a million ways.

(Ok first, I'd like to insert small joke here and exclaim, "I'm the ship!" for all to hear and see if they think I really said "ship.")

Back to serious, when I hear this quote I picture myself just after my kids. I am the ship and my house is the harbor. And before I was ready to lose any babyweight I spent a lot of time inside. Here, no one could criticize me. No one could tell me how to look, how to parent, how to act, how to be me as a parent (which was what I was scared of the most -- Who on earth was I? Who had I become?)

So I stayed in a lot.

But that didn't do anyone any good. I just kind of went away from the world.

Then I started to come out of my shell and things started to move along. And I had that moment of epiphany when I realized I had a lot of weight to lose and I had better get moving. And now a hundred million hours later, that takes on a whole new meaning to me.

Now I'm a ship. And the harbor is my comfort zone. And everything that is in my comfort zone includes my workout, my goals, my path to getting there. And I know now that breaking through means first having to leave the harbor.

Because how am I going to get anywhere if I just stay in the same place?

As scared as I am about leaving my comfort zone, that's what I have to do now. I have to do exercises I don't like but that work (aka abs and more and different strength training period.) I have to eat differently (count calories). I have to make myself a little sweaty and a little uncomfortable (remember Jillian? She says something like, "When it hurts is when you know it's working" or something like that...)

So that's my mantra for this week.

I'm gonna be the ship. How bout you? What is your harbor?

Mantra Monday: Be the Ship

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/mantra-monday-be-ship.html

Rogue Treadmill

The treadmill tried to kill me.

This is the first time I've ever been attacked by a piece of gym equipment, so I'm not sure how to handle it.

I'm not going to call the police or file a restraint, but I want to state for the record that the treadmill has, indeed, tried to off me, and I am filing that away in my mind for the future.

Do I think it was on purpose? Perhaps.

Here's how it went down.

It was just like any other Thursday night. After dinner, I went to spin class, which was 45 minutes long. Instead of stretching at the end, I cleaned up my bike, put on my headphones, ate a Power Bar gel pack, and hopped on the treadmill.

It was a "brick" workout, which means doing two exercises in the triathlon back to back and in a similar fashion that you would if you were racing (aka gel pack to restore energy and all).

So I chose my treadmill. I put it to 5.5 which is my normal pace, just under an 11 minute mile. Yes I am still slow. No judging, please.

But when I looked down, the treadmill said 5.0.

Hmmm.

That doesn't look right.

So I pressed the arrow up once and for one second, it said, 5.6, then immediately after, read 5.1.

And so I pressed the "up arrow" once again to 5.7, and it said 5.7 for a second before it went back down to 5.2.

Hmmm.

All the while, I'm running and I literally feel like I am going.to.die.

I cannot breathe.

I'm huffing and puffing.

My heart is pounding.

And I am quite sure that by now this is not even a 5.7. It must be 6 or more. It cannot possibly be 5.5, 5.6, or 5.7. Because the treadmill is going so fast I feel like any moment it is going to fling me off the back and into the row of steppers behind me.

And so I frantically press the DOWN ARROWS.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trying to slow.this.thing.down.

And finally it stops. And my heart is pounding and my face is all red and by the way, remember I just did a 45 minute spin class that has kicked my ass... I am really only trying to do an easy run here!

So I move over to the treadmill next to me and start over.

5.5.

And it feels like I am on a leisurely stroll. Compared to the superfast ridicu-tread that just happened.

And as I'm running, I look over and see a blinking message. "Speed Error."

Oh really? Gee. Thanks.

Information that would've been useful 5 MINUTES AGO!

After I got home, my butt muscles hurt so bad, I needed a butt massage. I wish I were kidding. The pain, oh the pain! It felt like there were little knots in my gluteal maximusses. Which I am trying to make minimusses thankyouverymuch. That's the point of the treadmill and other gym equipments. It hurt just to sit down.

So, Treadmill. What's the deal? Do you have a beef with me? You didn't think you could talk to me about it, you just had to take action? Oh sure, you did some damage.

But I want you to know, Treadmill, that your efforts to kill me were futile. I know who you are and what you tried to do. And when the lights are off and the gym is all dark and you think everyone has gone, you'd better sleep with one eye open.

Because it's on.

That's all I'm sayin'.

Rogue Treadmill

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/rogue-treadmill.html

I am Not a Poncho People

I'm not a poncho person.

It's ok if you are, I will try not to judge.

I discovered that I wasn't a poncho person this week, even though I have had an inkling for a while that I'm not a poncho person.

But it was confirmed this week when when I went to the Paramore concert. I love Paramore. Love love love Paramore. If I were a rockstar, it would be in a band like Paramore. They opened up for No Doubt and because the concert was at an outdoor venue and it is really hard to get to and one has to navigate the downtown traffic and then sit in the traffic for the outdoor theater itself, I left really really early. I left two hours early and it took me an hour and a half to get there.

I was meeting my girlfriend at the theater because she was coming from an entirely different direction. And of course, when I got there, it was raining.

Not raining. Torrential downpouring. Sideways rain.

And there I was, sitting by myself, in my minivan, which I always feel funny driving to concerts by the way. (I made my friend drive to the Pearl Jam concert last summer because I just couldn't bring myself to drive the minivan to Pearl Jam.)

So I'm sitting in the rain weighing my options carefully. I did have an umbrella, but was it going to be useless against the sideways rain? Likely. Was there going to be a break in the rain? Not likely.

I decided that being drenched in an outdoor stadium with a beer would be better than sitting in my minivan in the parking lot, all by myself.

So I made a run for it. And of course that's when the lightning started.

So now it wasn't raining, it was storming.

Goodie.

So I'm running the mile from the parking lot to the stadium in the sideways rain and my umbrella is turning inside out and my pants are drenched from the knees down and I am a vision.

And I am crashing through puddles that are way deeper than they appeared and a girl is walking by me in the rain crying (????) and there are some people still sitting in their cars, some people running without umbrellas, some people running with useless umbrellas (like me) and some people running in ponchos.

And the poncho people are wet too.

So I really don't see the point. Have we all become too good for the rain? Are you going to really be that much less wet if you wear a poncho?

I was there. And I say no.

It's like the people who wear ponchos on the water rides. I don't get it.

I think it's just that I am not a poncho person. If it's going to pour or if I am going to choose to ride on a circular boat in which the sole purpose of the ride is to get me wet, I'm going to be one with it.

And if it's going to rain/pour/storm at an outdoor concert venue, I'm going to be one with that too. No, it doesn't make me a better person. But I feel like the poncho does make a statement. I feel like it is sitting there, laughing at me, mocking me, saying, "Haha! You're wet! I'm not! And even if I am, I tried not to be! Nanny nanny foo foo!"

So the poncho isn't for me. I don't mean to poke the inner lion of the poncho people, but I just don't agree with it. Mostly on principal.

Unless I were wearing a wedding dress or a very expensive gown or, like my husband says, if we were in our 60s or later, with very low immune systems, and getting wet could mean eventually developing pneumonia and the possibility of dying. Until then, I will remain poncho-free.

That's just my opinion.

By the way, my friend didn't get there until 9! So it was just me and my beer. But it wasn't so bad. Paramore rocked.

I am Not a Poncho People

http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-am-not-poncho-people.html