Hard Life Lessons--Gratitude.

Today Olivia got a gift.

I guess it would be more accurate to say that she "almost" got a gift.

As soon as she was presented with the gift she said, "That's it?  I want something more."

Oh no you didn't.

Ingratitude is highly intolerable in our home and Livy has been walking a finer and finer line when receiving things lately.

Today was the last straw.  

I informed her that the gift was no longer hers.

Suddenly it seemed very important to her...like the only thing she wanted in the whole world.

She screamed and cried and then asked if she could have it.

No.

She pouted and told me she wished she was an orphan and then asked if she could have it.

No.

She told me she was sorry and then asked for it.

No.

More and more bawling ensued.

I explained to her there was a difference between being sorry because you're sorry and being sorry because you can't have something and I can tell when she's really sorry.  I told her when she didn't care about whether or not she got the gift, I would know if she was really sorry.  

She said, "I'm sorry.  But I really, REALLY want it!" (cryyyyyyyy!!!!)

No.  (I know, it's a harsh lesson.  But I would so much rather her learn this earlier than later).

She told me she was "going away" (I've been waiting for this since becoming a mom!  I was thinking No way!  This is the day my child tells me they are going to run away. Awesome.) 

She grabbed her back-pack and came in telling me angrily that she needed a pen and then headed out the door.  (luckily I know Livy is WAY too much of a 'fraidy cat to go anywhere).

Sure enough, she just sat outside our front door and I'm sure contemplated things.  She is very thoughtful.

She finally came back inside, pouted a little more and then told me, 

"Mom, I'm sorry.  I don't need the gift.  But I would still like it."

I told her that was good to know, but I didn't hand it over.

I could tell she was still sort of waiting for it.  But she finally was able to let go and move on.

And it's in that letting go that she earned it back.

Like Butter!

I fear my blog has been Morgan-heavy as of late, but what can I do.  This girl never ceases to surprise me.

This morning as I was doing her hair she stopped and said,

"Mom, boogers taste like butter."

And she LOVES butter.

My stomach is still churning from that statement.

Get The Point?

I've developed a fabulous new system.

Really, it was a stroke of genius.

The kids lost Jersey because Owen whacked her really hard and hurt her.

We took Jersey back over to my parents house to live until we could figure out what to do.

One night, when the kids were bouncing off the walls and Shane was in our room on a phone call it hit me.

Jersey points!

So I explained to the kids they could earn a Jersey point for every time they were obedient or did something really well.  Conversely, they would lose a point every time they fought or disobeyed, etc.  Once they got 20 Jersey points we could bring her home.

I asked them to shower, brush teeth, get on jammies and read in their room until Shane was off the phone, and if they did it nicely they could get one Jersey point.

No time was lost and they were on task, quietly and respectfully.

Shane came out of the room, looked in their room at them all cleaned up and reading quietly and came in to ask me, "What is going on?  I feel like I'm in a different house."

I explained my brilliant idea and he was impressed.  I mean, how could he not be? :)

It was so brilliant, in fact, that I decided it should extend to other aspects of my life.

Morgan woke up dry, so she got a point (5 points equals a trip to Chucky Cheese).

Shane did the dishes after dinner, so he got a point.  He wanted to know what he was earning points for and I told him I didn't know just yet, just that he had earned himself a point.  He sent me a sweet email yesterday and got another point.

It's a great system.

The good news is today the kids got Jersey back.

The bad news is today Shane lost a point.

What Makes You Beautiful?

As I was at Sprouts today (a cute little Farmer's Market that has the BEST produce in town), a sweet old man rolled up to Morgan and I in his Jazzy and asked her, "What makes you so beautiful?"  

I always get nervous when people, especially older people, come up to my kids because my kids are generally pretty unfriendly in return.  Morgan is especially prone to give the cold shoulder to strangers.

However, she was delightfully surprising today when she turned to the man, looked him straight in the eye and said in the most matter of fact tone I've ever heard...

"Lipstick."

He and I looked at each other in surprise.  Neither one of us was expecting that.

I found this even more humorous because I had seen her earlier "sneaking" lip gloss (which is really just glorified colorless chapstick) from Livy's Happy Meal Barbie toy.  Shhh, don't tell Liv.

Morgan really believed he must be seeing the lipstick.

For the record, just a few of the millions of things I think make Morgan so beautiful are her confidence, her infectious laugh and her gorgeous little dimple that sits on her right cheek when she smiles.

What a girl. :)

Research Project

I need your help!

I need some volunteers for a weight loss project.

This is NOT a diet.  I do not believe in diets...I'm pretty sure you all know that.

This is simply an explanation of how to eat and a very simple evaluation sheet for you to fill out.

There are no restricted foods or focuses on proteins or carbs or calories or anything.  

You just eat normal food, every time you eat.

I've been exploring weight loss solutions for awhile now since I feel like the diet and supplement industry has completely screwed people up.

It finally came to me that it's not about what we are eating but how we are eating.  People always talk about "changing your lifestyle" but there is never really a specific explanation of how to do that.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to help people change and set new habits and I have an idea.  I just need to see if the way I set it up is easy for people to implement and understand.

One thing is for sure, it is something you can live the rest of your life.  It is the way I eat and I love to eat. :)

If you have ever been "successful" at any diet and then gained the weight back, it's not really your fault.  Diets aren't meant to be lived for longer than a short period of time and they don't teach you the right principles of eating healthy.  But having any success at all shows that you do know how to implement something correctly...it just needs to be the right thing.

I would like this to be a 30 day experiment and gather your evaluation sheets at the end of each week.  It will take about 10 seconds every time you eat to fill out the evaluation sheet...that's it.

If you are at all interested in being part of this project or have any questions please e-mail me: dixiesdixon@gmail.com.

I have a small goal...it's to change the world.  Will you help me do it? :)

Thanks!

**The more information I can gather the better!**

I'm at a loss for a title....something about reading.

I've got myself a reader.

Her name is Olivia.

I'm really happy about this because I never grasped the joy of reading until later in life (in fact, while I enjoy it, I still don't grasp it as well as others).

I think my brain and my body just don't stop long enough to get "lost" in a book.

I can probably count on one hand the books I've gotten "lost" in and it was fabulous, but it's a rare thing for me.  This doesn't mean I can count the number of books I've read on one hand, just the ones that have swept me away.

I like reading, but it's more work for me than enjoyment most of the time. (Are all my book club friends gasping right now?  Sorry, it's a confession that had to happen). 

But Olivia, she's a reader.

This is certainly the other side of her DNA coming through.

She's started reading everything!  Signs on the street, cereal boxes, whatever she can.

A few days ago she was reading a book about Dalmations.

She was quiet for a long time and very intent and then she said, 

"Mom, this is so cool!  It's like TV in your head."

Hmmmmm, I think my tuner is out.

And The Winner Is.....

Okay, before I announce the winners, let me just say thanks to everyone that entered and I'm sorry to those of you that didn't win.  

Every time I enter a giveaway on a blog and I don't win (which is always) I get sorta ticked and I take it personally.  I curse the name of the giver-away-er and I vow to never read their blog again.

I know, I'm lame.

I'm just gonna ask you to not be as lame as me.

Winners were truly selected at random.

Meet my random selector:

I know, pretty high tech. 

She can do all sorts of other tricks too!

All of your names are in that bowl.

Here are the names that were drawn:

In case you can't read those it is:

Lea, Natalie, Chelon, Michele & The Hytes.

Congratulations!

I will be sending you your log in and password.

Those of you that didn't win, I would of course encourage you to sign up for RaceDay Training...maybe after you are done cursing my name.  

We would love to have you as part of the community.

Thanks again everyone!!!

3 Months FREE Giveaway

I am giving away 5 free three-month memberships to RaceDay Training. (Those of you who have already signed up, don't worry.  I'll make it up to you.)

I will send you a user name and password that will work for the next 3 months.

You will have full site access to daily blog posts, detailed daily workouts that tell you exactly what to do, and the RaceDay forum where you can ask questions, make comments, voice concerns, etc.

Don't go the gym wondering "What should I do today?"  

Use RaceDay Training to know exactly what to do, every day.  

Do you want to lose weight, get in shape, get ready for a race, feel better about yourself, learn how to be in control of your eating habits, and more?

If you said yes to any of those questions then you will benefit greatly from RaceDay Training.

What do you need to do?

Just leave a comment with your name and email address.

Winners will be selected at random and announced this Friday.

Good luck!

Wanna Know A Secret?

I mean a real secret that can help you facilitate real change.  Yes?  Then keep reading.

For some reason we all think we need to finish what is on our plate or eat until we are “full”.  Inevitably we end up feeling bloated and disgusting, which is the complete opposite feeling you should have after eating a meal.

Food is fuel for our bodies that is supposed to replenish and energize us.  But in America we make two really big mistakes with our eating that take mealtime from a pleasant experience to a death sentence.  The first mistake is what we eat and the second mistake, which is what I want to address now, is how much we eat.

Portion sizes in the American diet are out of control.  Nobody wants to “waste” food, or we feel like we are getting a better deal if we get a lot more food for our buck.   Or we just keep eating because something tastes so good.  Somewhere along the line we have become gluttons that no longer listen to our bodies when we eat.  And trust me, our bodies are definitely trying to tell us something.

One of the biggest secrets to weight loss and a healthy life is eating until you are no longer hungry.  Not until you are full.  Not until your food is gone.  You only eat until you are NO LONGER HUNGRY.

This is a hard concept for people to grasp.  “How do I know when I am no longer hungry?”  Well, how do you know when you’re hungry?  We listen to our bodies then because they speak a little louder.  Your body is still speaking to let you know it is no longer hungry, it just doesn’t talk as loud because we have learned how to tune it out for so long.

CHALLENGE:

For the next 5 days, every time you eat, stop and evaluate how you feel after the first four bites.  Do you still actually feel hungry?  Do you feel satisfied?  Do you feel full?  Depending on how you feel, decide if you will proceed with your meal or stop. 

It is an interesting experiment to actually listen to your body while eating.  If you do proceed to eat, chew slowly and evaluate after every bite how you feel.  As soon as you no longer feel hungry, stop eating. 

This is the one moment that will make or break you—one moment.  If you can be strong enough in this ONE MOMENT to throw away/put away the rest of your food, you will win the battle.  And if you can win the battles, you will win the war.  Don’t think about how it tastes or if there is “just a little bit left”…the only thing you pay attention to is if you are still hungry.

It only takes one moment to decide…

******To view more blog posts like this and receive daily workouts telling you exactly what to do, go to www.RaceDayTraining.com and join today!  It is different than anything that is out there.  It is real information with real workouts...no fluff!  It's free for the first 10 days so you have nothing to lose.  You don't know what you are missing if you don't sign up.  Come on, give it a try!*******