Time Flies When You Are Having Fun

Dara

For some reason I feel old. I mean...not Old Lady Old...but just kind of old.  Maybe it's because I am quickly approaching the 2nd birthday of my 40th year? Or my 11th wedding anniversary  Maybe it is that my "babies" will be 9 (HOLY COW), 7, and 5 this year!!! 

It seems like 2013 is already flying by. Yes...I know that it is only Jan 13. But when I look at the next 2-3 months I have  a vacation, 2 week long work trips, 2 local race events, and 1 girls's race weekend planned and that's not counting the kids or Carl's stuff. Since I have to plan for all of these things in advance it feels like they will approach quickly. Then it will be spring break and summer will be here in a flash! I love summer btw...so I am excited about that. But it means that sooner than I care to think of it I will have 3 children in elementary school.

Caleb

I cannot lie...I am eager to have an entire "school day" to get things accomplished. Work, training, cleaning, etc. But then in the hustle and bustle of afterschool and evening routine time will go even faster. I am suddenly feeling like I am caught in a tornado like whirlwind that will end with me having 3 grown children and I will look back and wonder where the time has gone.

Dilly

Food Fights

At the end of 2012 I started prepping the kids for some new adventures in 2013. Basically...this adventure would be with food. I guess I should back up a little.

I'm not really sure how/when my kids started eating only "kid" food. You know what I mean...noodles, hot dogs, chicken nuggets. As babies they all ate more adventurous foods. Dara and I used to share turkey cutlets and rice dinners when Carl was deployed. Caleb loved meatballs and peas (and boy could that kid eat!), and Dilly used to eat sliced avocado! I can't really complain as far as kids foods go since they eat TONS of fruits and the veggies (only raw) repertoire is expanding. But every night I make at least 3 different meals. Dilly doesn't like hot dogs, Dara won't eat noodles.

It's my own fault I guess. During deployments I never really cooked. I fed the kids "kid" food and I kind of ate whatever. Since we had several deployments kind of back to back I never really got into the habit of making them eat grown up stuff. For awhile I bribed them by telling them if they ate a bite of something I would give them a piece of candy (mother of the year...right?). That experiment worked for a few things...Caleb eats some rice, Dara likes yellow peppers and Dilly will eat pork chops. Without the candy bribe...none of them would have even tried those things.

In December we told them that we were going to make them try a bite of whatever we eat  in 2013. So far Carl is doing a juicing experiment and I am trying to eat Paleo...so now I am making even more meals (liquid included) and we aren't enforcing our "you must try one bite" rule.

I guess I should be happy with what they eat. I do my best to feed them the best of what they like...such as nitrate free all beef hot dogs and whole grain pasta. Every dinner includes fruits and veggies and Caleb and Dilly eat Greek yogurt. And I have decided to pick my battles. I'm thinking that I will have some lessons in making your own food/lunches this summer...lol. So then, at least they will be involved in the craziness of distributing different food for everyone.

Or...I can make them drink beet juice...Carl really likes that one.