The End of the World

I have lived in Oklahoma all of my life, and I don't remember temperatures like these!

We have been staying inside a lot. In the air conditioning. Under the ceiling fan. Like slugs. The kids and I did get out to swim with friends today. If half the pool hadn't been in the shade, I think I would have melted. I am already dreading the Fourth of July parade on Monday. Note the high for the holiday. I think this may be the first year EVER that I have considered not going, and I don't know that I have missed this parade since we began attending it in the early 70's. I have 3 whole days to talk myself out of it. I must be getting old if the heat zaps me that badly.

Mirror image

C constantly asks me "What if..." stories. Usually, in the car. Most of the time, I have to stifle my laughter because they are often WAY out there. For example, in the car, he asked me, "What if the C in the mirror was really from an alternate universe, and he comes to the mirror at the same time as me and does the same thing as me?" Interesting. So, I asked him what the Mirror C does when he walks away. C was confused. And I said, "You know, when you are doing other things, what is Mirror C doing?" He told me that the Mirror C was playing video games.

I suggested he write a story about it. Sounds like some great Sci-Fi to me!

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 freezer door, left ajar
juice of defrosted chicken breasts
3 hot June days
a dash of oversight

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 100+ in a preheated garage, until the smell of death permeates the entire house.

*I can't say I recommend this dish. In fact, it should be avoided at all costs. It could be a rather expensive entree.

(Maybe I should retitle my blog "If only...", as in "If only I had cleaned a little more thoroughly...")

A Costly Mistake

I've known all along that our freezer didn't seal well. Super D and I have even warned the kids about making sure the door is completely closed. But a late-night snack raid (shame on me) produced some natural consequences.

I also know that I shouldn't eat late at night, but Saturday night, I took some cookie dough from the freezer. (I have no will power against the Monster Cookies!) After Sunday morning church, I discovered the freezer door, wide open. Fortunately, this is our garage freezer, which holds anything that won't fit in the kitchen freezer. Inside, I had stored 5 pork chops, fudgesicles, phyllo dough, 2 loaves of bread, 18 hamburger patties, and about 12 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

I tossed everything but the hamburger and chicken. Super D quickly grilled a dozen of the hamburger patties, and I cooked the rest as ground beef. With it, I prepared spaghetti sauce and froze it for a later meal. We have already had hamburgers for 2 meals.

The chicken was a bit trickier. Super D hates frozen meat to begin with, so finding something to prep which he would find edible was a challenge. I ended up cooking some of the chicken and prepared 2 pans of King Ranch Chicken which we put back into the freezer. I also cooked another pound of chicken and diced it for Poppyseed Chicken. Later, I will defrost the meat, put the other ingredients with it, and bake it. Finally, Super D put the remaining chicken into a pressure cooker, shredded it, and threw in some barbeque sauce. BBQ Chicken will make some yummy sandwiches.

So, in the end, very little was wasted, and I think we will get about a dozen meals from all of the meat. All it cost me was a trip to 2 different grocery stores, 4 hours on what should have been a lazy Sunday afternoon, and about 250 calories from the lime sherbet I inhaled when it was all over!

The Fog

It sets in every Sunday. The morning starts beautifully. I wake in a great mood to the sunlight spilling through my curtains. The birds are singing sweetly. I awaken my family, and we begin to prepare for church. I am ready for the day. I am ready to worship God.

Ten minutes into the service, the fog hits me. It's everywhere. I can't escape it. I need fresh air, but there's none to be found. The fog affects my brain, making it hard to concentrate. Before long, the headache begins. If only I had taken some Tylenol before I left the house. I still wouldn't be able to breathe, but at least my head wouldn't hurt. Next comes the nausea. I refuse to throw up. "I can make it another 15 minutes," I tell myself, "and next time, I'll sit in the balcony; maybe the fog settles closer to the ground."

After months of conditioning, I am like Pavlov's dog. Church = headache. Now, it's hard to get out of bed on Sunday. I know I'll spend the rest of the day trying to recuperate.

So, friends, please spread the word: God doesn't need you to smell prettier on Sunday than any other day of the week. Hundreds of women, all in one room, each wearing a different perfume, creates a toxic perfume cloud that could kill us all!

Finally, a successful birthday party!

Me, my mom, C, and A

C had no idea that we were going to dress like clowns.

I was worried that he would be embarrassed,

but he told us to go ahead and keep our costumes on.
C's 9th birthday was a circus/carnival theme.

We had two carnival games:

Pin the Nose on the Clown

Knock Down the Cans

(Aren't the cans cute?)

As the boys played the games,

we gave them party favors to put into plastic peanut boxes.

As always, C requested a "cookie cake".

Every year I try to talk him into a real cake, but he won't have it.

But the best part of the party, by far, was the balloons!

This is Marie.

We met Marie at IHOP, where she was making balloon shapes

for the customers while they were waiting for their food.

C loved watching her create things.

I kept her business card in a safe place for months

because C wanted her at his party.

We were fortunate that she was available.

The boys loved her!

Well, mostly they loved the swords, light sabers, and space guns she made for them.

If you need someone to do balloons for your party,

email her at francesmarieknight@yahoo.com.
She is very friendly and has quite a list of balloon shapes she can make.

The party was exhausting, but this is the first of my son's parties

that has gone as planned.

It was loud, as always,

but the boys had a great time!

Faces of C

Happy Birthday to my baby boy!

All aboard the Laundry Train!

It's scheduled for a weekly stop at our house, although its schedule varies slightly as to time and day. Super D hates the Laundry Train. You see, he hates piles. I tend to leave piles everywhere when left unattended. Piles drive him nuts. This creates a little strife, to say the least. He would call me a Piler. I prefer to be referred to as a Pilologist. My piles are organized. I know where everything is.

As to the Laundry Train, in the absense of a station, I have no platform for boarding. So the train pulls into the hallway. I have to keep the cars moving quickly so that they don't remain in the hall too long. As the Conductor, I think I do a pretty good job. Most of the time.


Naturally, Super D doesn't like the Laundry Train. To him, it's just more piles. But he likes clean shirts, so the Train keeps chugging down the tracks!

Hogwarts: A History

"Don't judge a book by its cover." I would like to think I follow that rule, but I'm not perfect. I often tend to make hasty judgments, only to force myself to back away and take a fresh look at things.

This is what happened when the first Harry Potter book hit the shelves in 1997. I was too easily swayed by people who criticized the book for being about witches and wizards. As a conservative Christian, I am wary of anything which openly contradicts my religion. I am ashamed to admit that I formed an opinion of HP without even reading a page. It was my aunt who convinced me that I should read the book and form my own opinion. So I did. And I was hooked.

By that time, the second book was out, and I was a mom. What I discovered was a fun children's story that I couldn't put down. I no longer carried my original concerns. After all, how many times had I seen "The Wizard of Oz" as a child? And wasn't "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" one of my favorite childhood books? My faith was strong even though I had read and seen many stories with such fantasy characters in them. I knew that my children would love these characters, and so long as I taught them the difference between fantasy and reality, they would be fine.

My daughter was just 4 years old when the first film was released. She couldn't yet appreciate the movie, but as soon as she was old enough to enjoy it, Super D and I let her watch it, as well as the other movies which had been released. With the premier of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", I made the decision to take her to the midnight showing on opening night. She was 7 years old and one of the youngest moviegoers in the theater that night.
Since then, we have attended the midnight premier of each movie, even
when we had school the next day. She raves about it to her friends. I'm pretty sure they're jealous. It has become a special time between mother and daughter. (We took Super D and C once, but they were party-poopers. They didn't like waiting 5 hours in line or staying up until 3 in the morning.) We have made memories that will stay with us the rest of our lives.

That being said, I am seriously excited about the final movie! I can't even explain the giddiness I feel when I watch the trailers! In fact, I found my eyes tearing up a bit as I watched it. It's extremely childish of me. I know. I just can't help it!

We purchased our tickets the day they were available online. This time, A and I will be there to watch Part 1 at 9:00 and Part 2 at midnight. We will be at the theater for nearly 12 hours! And i can't wait!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 from Warner Bros Pictures

Helicopter Moms

I don't know who coined the phrase "Helicopter Mom", but it certainly fits.* As a teacher, I see examples of this every week. Those moms who hover near their children. They hang out at school more than is necessary. They constantly call, text, or email their child's teacher. They are indignant when their children get in trouble because, of course, their child never does anything wrong. They become angry when their child has to face consequences for their poor choices. Their children need praise just for writing their name on their papers.

I can't blame them for their instincts. I struggle with this, too. I try to micromanage my daughter's homework. I mean, why would I want her to make a 'B' when I know she is an 'A' student? I make excuses for my son because I think he may be dealing with undiagnosed ADD. (That's a topic for another blog. Super D has been diagnosed with ADD, so it is a possiblility.) I have to remind myself that while that may make school more difficult for him, that is not an excuse for him to be lazy. And with C being diabetic, that gives me a great excuse to hover.

But as a member of Gen X, I want to teach my children to more independent. I want to teach my daughter to use her agenda so that she can manage her own homework. I want to teach my son that his reading log is his responsibility and that it is not my responsibility to dig it out of his backpack.

I don't want them to ever experience pain, disappointment, hurt, abandonment, teasing, or anything else which would make them unhappy. That's the Helicopter Mom in me talking. Can't I just create Utopia around them? Responsible Mom knows that these things are life lessons. I can't shelter my kids from unhappiness. It is a part of life. Parents used to tell their children that they had better learn how to deal with things before they are adults because Mom and Dad won't always be there to do it for them. But in today's society, that's no longer true. Mom and Dad are still there, sometimes in the same house.

I don't want to be that mom. When my son and daughter become adults, I want to push them out on their own, like little birdies. Maybe I'm a bit selfish, but I want my husband all to myself again.

So when I saw this story on "The Today Show", I was nodding my head, agreeing with everything the experts said, incredulous that this is news. Shouldn't this be common sense? It only takes 5 minutes, and I wish I could play it for every Helicopter Mom I know. We need to hear it.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041445/ns/today-parenting

*Very little research yielded an answer. "Helicopter Parent" is a term from the book Parenting with Love and Logic, by Cline and Fay. Sound familiar? That's because I mentioned this book in my June 11th blog. It is the second parenting book I plan to read this summer. Obviously, I haven't made it through the first one yet. Still reading!

Supreme Couponing

This was Super D's Father's Day gift.

It's the Sodastream soda maker.

It turns tap water into sparkling water in seconds

with this CO2 carbonator.

This one liter bottle holds the soda.

fast fizz

To make soda, you simply add flavored syrups,

which happen to be available in diet, too!

I originally purchased the soda maker, 2 spare bottles, and three flavors of syrup at Kohl's.

I bought them on sale and used a 30% off coupon,

for a total which was 40% off the original price.

With my purchase, I received $10 in Kohl's Cash,

which I redeemed online for 2 more bottles of a flavoring I couldn't buy in-store.

My total cost for this order was $1.96 because of shipping.

Because our Kohl's store has been remodeling,

they sent me a coupon to apologize for the inconvenience of construction

and to encourage me to shop in-store.

I picked out 2 more flavors of soda, used a 15% off coupon,

and they were FREE!

So, when all was said and done, I bought Super D's gift at 50% off!

I LOVE a bargain!

Dad

I miss my dad. He died 3 years ago, and I think about him a lot. Of course, I miss him on major holidays, but I miss him at the most unexpected times, too. That first November without him, Super D and I were in Walmart, and I saw a display of Brach's chocolate-covered cherries. I started tearing up, right there in the middle of the aisle. Super D panicked. He didn't know why I was crying or what to do. You see, my dad used to buy a box of chocolate-covered cherries for me every Christmas. It was our thing. Super D, sweet husband that he is, offered to buy my box that year.


I have a whole list of things that remind me of Dad: carousels, convertibles, the theme song from "Somewhere in Time", golf, pineapples, M.A.S.H., Liquid Smoke, softball, "Victory in Jesus", and raccoons. It's hard not to go through life without those small reminders.

Even more than that, I think about Dad while simply parenting my own children. The other day, I heard someone say that we often look to our parents' mistakes in parenting to guide our efforts. But as I look back at my dad and mom, I think they were fabulous parents. I know they weren't without flaw, but I wouldn't change a thing. I learned a lot from their successes. They were a team. They showed my brother and me what love is by pointing us toward God and by modeling it every day.

So, thanks, Dad. I love you. And I will model that love for my children, too.

Happy Father's Day, Super D!

I had the morning all planned out. It was supposed to be an entire Father's Day weekend celebration. Super D hates yardwork. He hates mowing. He hates weed eating. He hates edging.

So, the kids and I were going to begin the weekend doing all of the things he dreaded. And then we were going to wash and vacuum his car. What a great gift! Right?

Wrong. What I didn't know is that ever since Super D has been really concentrating on making the yard look beautiful, not only has he begun to take pride in the way it looks, but he has also begun to enjoy the work. He enjoys it all the more when he does it himself. Oops.

So as he stood watching me edge the lawn, all he could think about was how I was not doing it the "right" way. Eventually, we all ended up doing it together. It turned out to be a great Father's Day gift after all. The front and back yards look beautiful. And even though we couldn't give Super D that Maserti he has always wanted, his Aveo looks like new.

No soap in the eyes.

Super D and the kids washed my car, too. Isn't that sweet?

Should VBS make you think of cookies?

Probably not. Vacation Bible School should probably make you think about Jesus. But in my house, VBS means Monster Cookies. It's tradition.

My mom has been making Monster Cookies for almost 40 years now. People still ask her each year if she's going to make them. She got the recipe from a member of her Extension Homemakers group. The recipe makes 12 dozen cookies. (That's 144 cookies for those of you who hate math!) And I'm not talking normal cookies - these are scooped with an ice cream scoop. They're HUGE! They are the best of all other cookies, rolled into one. They contain oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&M's. The batch is so large that Mom made it in a turkey roasting pan, and my dad had to help stir. Weak arms wouldn't hold out through that 18th cup of oats.

Anyway, they are way more cookie than any small child needs, so mom made them every year for the VBS volunteers. (I don't even want to know how many calories are in each one; although, I probably should calculate the carbs for my diabetic boys.) While everyone else was busy donating dozens of Oreos, strawberry wafer cookies, and plain-ol' homemade chocolate chip cookies for the kids, my mom was making the granddaddy of all cookies for the workers. Word spread quickly as the Monster Cookies entered the workroom. Volunteers gathered like moths to a flame. Lucky for me, Mom always reserved some cookies at home for us.

Well, Vacation Bible School was this week, my belly is full, and there a dozen and a half cookie dough balls in my freezer for later. Thanks, Mom!

Tech Savvy

I love technology. I don't get it, but I love it. Super D gets so frustrated trying to explain computer things to me. I think maybe, after 17 years of marriage, he missed the memo explaining that his wife is a visual learner. If you want me to understand something, give me a book. Let me read the instructions. I'm more likely to get it, and remember it, if I have read it. But Super D continues to tell me how to do things on my computer, expecting me to remember how to do it the next time on my own.

That's because Super D is an auditory learner. You tell him how to do something once, and he's got it. (Oddly, that doesn't translate to our family schedule. I can tell him every day for a week that we have a family event on Saturday, and he still wonders why we are all getting up and dressed so early.)

Today, I attended a fascinating educator workshop on technology in the classroom. I thought it strange that the presenter began her program speaking about the generation gap. (I discovered that I should have been a Baby Boomer. I identify more with their traits.) Then I realized that she wanted us to understand how our children learn, so that we can be better teachers. In a world of cell phones, MP3 players, game machines, and computers, my students have never known life without technology. Media is what holds their attention. And if I intend to be an effective teacher, I must teach in their world. I must teach to my visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners with the technology I have available to me.




Enter the SMART Board! When my interactive whiteboard was installed this January, I quickly put it to use. I used it every single day for the remainder of the year. It's uses are endless! Despite that I hated giving up one of my summer days for a seminar, I left with a book full of information which inspires me to be more. And I can't wait for next week, when I attend a 2-day workshop to learn how to create high-quality SMART Board lessons.

Mystery Flower Revealed

And the mystery flower is . . .

a dahlia!

A is so happy! This is her favorite variety of flower, and she has been awaiting its bloom!

True Colors

Have you ever watched Warehouse 13? As I've stated before, I'm a bit of a Sci-Fi geek. I'm not hard core, but I love a good story. When the SyFy Channel aired Warehouse 13, my whole family was hooked. My daughter loves this show. A is particularly intrigued with a character named Claudia. She is a young, quirky, electronics/computer wizard, played by Allison Scagliotti, who provides much of the comic relief in each episode. She is definitely lovable!



Claudia's uniqueness is accentuated in her hair. She has a streak of color which cascades down the right side of her face, and its color changes with each episode. A loves it! Last year, she cut her hair to the same style as Claudia's and really wanted a streak of color, too. Alas, bright hair colors are against her school's dress code (although mohawks and feathers aren't). She has talked about her hair sadness numerous times.

While A was away at camp, I decided to take her to the salon when she returned and get it colored for the summer. I hoped the novelty hadn't worn off. Sure enough, she couldn't get to the salon fast enough. Super D drove her there to set up an appointment. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait - they took her as a walk-in! And this is how my beautiful teenager returned home:

She can't stop smiling! Her friends are fawning! I figure it's not rebellious; it's not permanent; and it's incredibly cute! It was worth every dime we paid to see that smile!

Parenting

It's odd. This is the week I decided to read three parenting books. I felt there is room for improvement. I know what kind of parent I want to be, but I often fall short. My kids are good kids, but I think there is room for improvement there, too.

I tire of saying the same things over and over. I get frustrated when my kids don't listen to me. I deserve respect that they often don't give me. This is nothing out of the ordinary. All parents feel this way. I know. But I tire of raising my voice. I get frustrated with how I treat them. They deserve respect from me, too.

So, I am reading Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman. I hope this will help me in my interactions with my son. I don't expect miracles. I know he won't change by the end of the week, but maybe how I deal with him will. And if this makes our relationship better, than I will have gained.

Then I will read Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay, followed by Parenting Teens with Love and Logic. As my daughter enters this new phase in her life, our relationship is bound to change. I hope to remain consistent in my parenting so that I will be a constant in her life as things change all around her. I want our relationship to stay strong and not deteriorate, as I see so many mother-teen daughter relationships do.

It's odd. This is the week my neighbors praised Super D and me for our parenting skills. They think our kids are terrific. Despite my insecurities, I guess we're doing something right.

My Reward

My garden is in bloom! Twelve different varieties of flowers are growing there! I would like you to enjoy them with me.

I can't count my Milk and Wine Lilies because they bloomed a couple of weeks ago and have since withered and died. They were lovely while they lasted! And the beautiful green leaves are still growing strong.

This rose bush was here when we moved in. During the early spring, the roses are huge and so fragrant that when you come up the walk to our front door, you can smell them.

I have reserved the front bed of my garden for annuals. I plant petunias for the spring and pansies for the fall. These petunias have flourished and now form a giant petunia bush. All from 12 little plants.

A second rose bush was also already in the garden and produces smaller roses.

I have no idea what this plant is. I was convinced that it was something I planted from a seed and not a weed. Super D wasn't so sure, but I refused to pull it. If you look carefully at the top, I think you may see the beginning of a flower that looks like a fuzzy caterpillar. I can't wait to see what blooms!

I nearly killed this plant. Purchased at Lowe's, this plant was a beautiful green with the prettiest leaves. I was in love with the picture of the Banana Cream Shasta Daisies that the tag promised. Two days after I brought it home, it was a shriveled mess. I planted it, watered it, and nourished it with Miracle Gro, praying that it wouldn't die. You may not be able to see, but the petals of these daisies are the most beautiful pale yellow.

Super D brought home some more petunias, and I had little hope that they would survive. He bought a trunkful of plants for only a few dollars, and most looked pretty pathetic. I planted these at the base of my birdbath, and they are beautiful now.

I love Gerber daisies! This is the last surviving flower since an adorable bunny began feasting on them. This one has been sprayed with Repels-All. I don't think the bunny cares for the stench.

We have been watching these plants carefully, hoping that they are dahlias. I planted several bulbs for A because they are her favorite flower. Three plants, evenly spaced, have popped up, and two of them have a bud on top like this. What could they be?

One of my prettiest roses. It's not as big as the spring blooms.

And the cannas. Last year, they dominated my garden. Their big green leaves provided a beautiful background for my few spring and summer colors. This year, they are not as prominent, but they sure are healthy.

My Life with Diabetics

I don't think I've talked about diabetes in my blog before. I guess I spend so much time with it that I get tired of it. Super D has been diabetic for years. Life with him has been mostly being on the lookout for hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). You learn the subtle cues. When Super D's blood glucose (BG) begins to decline, his speech slows, and his sentences don't make much sense. He pauses more often to put his thoughts together. Severe low BG looks like he's drunk. He thinks he's funny. But he's not. Well, maybe that day when we were dating, and he threw his shoe across the room. That was funny. When we first married, he wasn't able to notice the symptoms quickly enough, and he would let it drop so fast that he had seizures. Scary.

When A was born, Diabetes Watch began. We knew that diabetes tends to have genetic links, so the chances of us having a child who develops diabetes was high. Fortunately, she has shown no signs of the disease.

When C was born, we were equally concerned for him and continued the Watch. He developed normally with few childhood illnesses. Neither of my children was sick very often. When C was 2, he began potty training and started giving up his afternoon nap. Everything was good.

But when he was 2 1/2, he began wetting his pants again. He started falling asleep in the afternoon. I didn't think much about it. I missed the first signs. All of my friends were struggling with their children, too. Why should I be concerned if he wets his pants? The day I realized something was wrong was the day I found my son drinking rainwater from a puddle because he was so thirsty. I still feel like a lousy mom for that. Here I was, supposedly paying attention, and I missed it.

A visit to the doctor. Lab tests. Waiting for lab results. A trip to the ER. A shot of long-lasting insulin. And we found ourselves at the Endocronologist's office for 2 days of intense diabetes training.

Caring for a diabetic toddler is much different from living with a diabetic husband. It was almost as if I had contracted the disease. I had to check blood sugars, count carbohydrates, give shots, and go to doctor's appointments. I had to be on, every second of the day. Even during the night, because if his BG dropped too low, his body would go into Todd's Paralysis, a condition where he can't move. Scary.

As C has aged, I have tried to educate him, letting him be in control of his disease as it is age-appropriate. He now checks his own blood sugar, calculates his carbs, and gives himself insulin through his insulin pump. I've tried not to be a helicopter mom. I don't want to hover. I will always worry. I think the hardest time for me is still ahead, as he enters his teenage years and becomes more independent. I can't even conceive of what it will be like when he is driving and out on his own. I will have to pray that he takes care of himself as good as I would. Scary.

And Diabetes Watch continues, as I pray that my daughter doesn't develop it, too. After all, her dad was a teenager by the time his pancreas shut down. Scary.

Walking the Plank

Maybe I'm a little ADD. I find that I get bored with any exercise DVD. I haven't found a single one that made me want to do it a second time. So, because I'm already bored with the boot camp, I pulled out Denise Austin's Shrink Your Female Fat Zones. My goal: to just make it to the end of the DVD. Do as many reps of each exercise as I can. Take a break if I need it. Just make it to the end.

This exercise, the Plank, made my ab muscles shake so badly that I could only manage 2 reps of "kissing" each knee to the floor. What a loser, right? Wrong! I did 2 reps! Success! Next time I'll do 3!

Day Four - Ow!

After 3 days of exercise and 2 days of moving my classroom down the hall, I was in some serious pain. That is why I decided not to exercise this morning. I made the decision last night and got up today to stretch. The stretching felt good, and by afternoon, I was no longer in pain. So, I decided to try some yoga on the Wii. All I have to say is, "Ow!"

The World's Most Expensive Meal

$2 million. That's what the U.S.D.A. has spent to develop and promote a new logo to replace the Food Pyramid. The Obama administration has encouraged the government agency to find a way to get Americans to think more about eating a healthy diet.

The original 1992 Food Pyramid was easy to read, but I guess the meat and dairy industries were upset that their foods weren't being promoted very well. And, of course, carbs are the devil, so this pyramid had to be scrapped.

A new pyramid was released 13 years later. The new one placed an emphasis on exercise, too. But I guess this one wasn't good enough either. People think it's hard to read and inefficient. Many also complain that it doesn't distinguish between healthy and less healthy choices within each food group. (Because most people don't know by now that white bread is worse for you than whole grain breads. Again, carbs are the devil.)

So now the government is spending more money to implement a new icon. It's supposed to get the public's attention. It's supposed to be easier to read. It's supposed to inspire Americans to make healthy food choices and eat more fruits and vegetables. It's supposed to urge us to eat smaller portions. It's supposed to cause us to drink less sugary drinks. It's supposed to fight obesity. It's supposed to end war and bring world peace. And it's pretty.

Really? Do you think anyone will even look at that logo once they graduate from elementary school? Honestly, neither of the previous pyramids had any effect on my food choices. I doubt the new one will either. It's not the icon that will change Americans' eating habits. What a waste of $2 million.

Day 3 was bittersweet

I just returned from a bike ride with my daughter, A. I loved that time with her. Of course, I hated the exercise. My thighs are on fire from all of the squats I have done in my Boot Camp DVD. Now they feel like jelly. My heartrate was elavated, and I am sweating to the point of dripping. NOT my idea of fun.