FLSMGH

The other day I received a text message from one of those youngsters ( I can use that word now that I am officially an oldster).  Anyway, in this text it said BTW.  That was a new one to me (me, who for about a year thought LOL meant Lots of Love.  Me, who asked my son what IMAO meant, only to be told it was LMAO while he L'd his AO at me).  I responded - IDKWTM - which apparently meant nothing because I was met with a lonely '?'.  I tried again - IDKWTHBTWM!!!!! - again, nothing but a '?'

So I started thinking to myself - "Who is this great texting guru who comes up with all of these MFing acrnyms, and who dies and made them the king of texting?  Why are they allowed to WTF and BTW and everybody just latches right onto it - when I, in all of my ultimate coolness, am met with a succession of ?...?...?...?s?  And, besides that, how does everyone under the age of 25 seem to just understand all of those strings of letters, while the rest of us are still stuck on words, sentences and grammar?"

Anyway, the youngsters don't actually read my blog because they aren't really interested in the harebrained ravings of a fat middle aged woman.  But, the good news is, since they don't read the blog, they also don't know that I am officially old - and I don't want them to find out.   I mean, I may have one son who graduated high school - but I have one who is still in preschool - which makes me.....what......insane?  Well, never mind that.  Anyway,  I decided it was time to do some research and get with the times.

Well - research didn't help.  BTW alone has 21 definitions.  Some of these are: Belasting Toegevoegde Waarde  (whatever that means), Bad To Watch, But That's Wild, By The Way, British Tourism Week and Burn The Witches.  I found a few other interesting ones - like :

congr@ul8

for   congratulate

 I mean, by the time you type that all out, why not just type the actual  word?

dapol

for    ashes

That I just don't get.  Do you?

ncycbtah

for   never count your chickens before they are hatched

As if I would ever be able to figure that one out.

  

So, kISS (keep it simple stupid), which, to me, means stick with words and sentences - because that whole texting thing is just too confusing to an oldster like me.  Well, I'll catch you OtFS.  Fat Lazy Soccer Mom out.

A Different Kind Of Beach Day

Well - we are headed home from yet another perfect, beautiful day at the beach.  But today something new happened - something completely different.  Something unheard of, and really quite frightening.  Whether to describe it as wonderful or horrific, I don't know.  I guess I'll just tell you the story.

You see, I was happily lying on the blanket.  I had read a few pages of my book, and then put it down, closed my eyes, and prepared for relaxation mode - AAAAHHHHHHH!  Then, all of a sudden, a thought entered my head - "love the body you're in, and everything it can do for you."  I tried that old trick of mine - I said "SHUT UP, YOU!"  But it was too late - the thought was there, and relaxation mode was ruined.  All this healthiness is kind of messing up my fat lazy lifestyle, you know.  With that one idiotic thought, it seemed that my body should do more than lay there on a blanket, and I should appreciate it.

So, since I couldn't fight it, I decided to consider alternative activities at the beach.  I mean, there is more to do at the beach than lay on a blanket, right?  For instance, one can sit on a blanket.  Or possibly even stand on a blanket.  One might even go so far as to leave the comfort and safety of the blanket, and experience the sand and the water.  I figured that since the thought was stuck there in my head, and relaxation mode was already done for, maybe I would try taking a few steps away from my blanket.

I took more than a few steps, though, I took an entire walk.  I must admit - I enjoyed the walk - and during the walk, another thought entered my head.  Maybe, I thought, just maybe, by calling myself Fat and Lazy all the time, I am living up to that name.  Maybe the title is causing me to hold onto the persona of a Fat Lazy Soccer Mom.  I mean, what kind of Fat Lazy Soccer Mom would I be if I were thin and fit and my kids played basketball?

So, I decided to change my name.  But - what could the new name be?  I thought and thought, and couldn't come up with anything.  The Healthy Hippie is already taken - as is The Health Blog, Healthy Blog and Everything Sucks.  So, what's left?

I came up with nothing - so I have decided to go with "The Blogger Formerly Known as The Fat Lazy Soccer Mom Gets Healthy."  So?  What do you think?  Personally, I think, GENIUS!!!

Maybe I could just have a symbol instead of a name.  Something like this:

Bad Pickles

I'm baaaacck!  Back from the dead? you ask.  Well, practically!  I am back from food poisoning.  So, I haven't been ignoring you - I just haven't been able to drag myself out of bed and write.



If you have ever experienced food poisoning, you know something about my past 36 hours.  If you don't - you can look it up online - I'm not going to get detailed about the nasty symptoms.The culprit - I believe it was some pickles I has carried around in my lunch bag for several days - they seemed fine when I ate them, BUT, my bodies violent insistence on getting them out (along with everything else that had been put in) - pretty much convinced me that something of the pickles had been amiss.



Yes, I have had a pretty miserable time of it.  And even though I am better now, I will still accept flowers, cards and well wishes.  Really.


Bad Pickle

So, while I was lying in bed - unable to eat, unable to move, read, play games, unable to do anything but lay there - there was one happy idea floating around in my head.  Here it is - when you can't eat because your body rejects every single thing you put into it - and you don't even feel like eating - YOU LOSE WEIGHT!!! Whoo whoo!  So, the way I was looking at it, every thing I had eaten Thursday evening was negated - and everything I would have eaten Friday didn't happen.  so, even though no other living occurred for that 36 hour period, at least I came out of it a few pounds thinner.  Can't beat that.

My Baby is a Man

Well, I think that today I am officially old.  I've made jokes about being old, I've had days where I felt old - But today is the day.  I am about to put on a tasteful dress and conservative make-up so as not to be embarrassing to my son at his High School Graduation.

I honestly don't know how this happened.  It seems like just yesterday, I was a young energetic woman with an infant son.  Today, my son is taller than me, has underarm hair and body odor, and he shaves.  He is ready to be in charge of his own life, ready to make his own decisions, have his own triumphs and make his own mistakes.  How could 17 1/2 years have flown by so fast?  It is hard to believe.

I must say that the teenage years have had their ups and downs (and downs and downs and downs).  but today, I have to say that I am so deeply proud of the young man my baby has become and of the man he is becoming.

Fragility

I heard very sad news today about a little boy who used to be in my preschool class, and who is now very ill - and facing a surgery which doctor's warn he may not survive.  This boy is in kindergarten this year, and this will be one of a long string of surgeries and procedures he has had to undergo in his short life. This poor little boy has been through so much, but he is always a kind, sweet, positive, happy presence.

News like this makes me realize that I am complaining about things in my life that are so so so insignificant.  It makes me realize that all the petty things that I let bother me, and that I think about for hours - or days - just don't matter at all.

I have to say that there are some people, some situations, some things that just plain get on my nerves.  I sometimes have a tendency to become easily annoyed.  I have a propensity for letting other's attitudes and words effect my emotions - therefore effecting my entire day.  And, sometimes - my own attitude is just plain bad.

I think it's time to change all that.  I have met people who seem to be able to stay positive in all situations - who smile in the face of negativity, adversity, difficulty, and misfortune.  When these people are around - everyone starts to feel a little more happy - the positive energy is contagious.  I want to work to be more like those people.  I want to be the one that lightens the mood instead of the one pulled down by the mood.

It seems to me the universe is sending me a message lately - there are so many good things to appreciate in my life.  There are many things to smile about each and every day.  Maybe the trick is to focus on those things and to love those who deserve or need to be loved - with an open heart.  Life is fragile - I believe we should enjoy it, appreciate it, and be happy to be living it.

With that - I think it's time for me to go hug my kids.  I am so deeply grateful to have them.  Gotta make sure they know that.

Shrek Forever After

I LOVE Shrek!  I mean, love like I want to marry Shrek.  As a matter of fact, my husband bears a strong resemblance to Shrek, which I realize now, is probably what first attracted me to him (you see, I have often wondered what on earth first attracted me to him).





See the resemblance?

Anyway - this newest Shrek movie was so poignant to my life right now.

You see, Shrek, who has a wife who loves him,k three beautiful children, and lots of adoring friends, begins to feel like he has lost something of himself (his ogreness).  He finds, through a series of magical events, that while a part of his youthful self was sacrificed, that the life he was living was far better than the life that would have been.  He learned to appreciate what he has instead of glorifying the past or fretting about the future. He learned that becoming an adult meant giving up some parts of youth - but that becoming an adult is much more rewarding.

So, inspiration can come from strange places at times.  This time it is Shrek that made me think about new ways to approach this life I'm living.  I have, in this blog, lamented the loss of parts of my youthful self.  I also have a habit of projecting and getting myself worked up about things that are yet to occur (if they occur at all).  What Shrek taught me is to live in the present (live 'in the now' as they say), and appreciate all of the good things in my life.

So - here are a few of them:  I have four .absolutely beautiful, wonderful sons who I adore, and who I wouldn't trade for anything.  I have a husband who, while still annoying, loves and cares for our family and who is willing to do just about anything I ask him to do (besides handy-man type work like fixing the gaping hole in the back of our kitchen cabinet - but, nobodys perfect, right).  I have a job five minutes from my home where I get to hang out with little kids all day, do science experiments, take walks, and play outside.  I have friends who I love to hang out with and make fun of everything with.  I have my parents nearby - who are both healthy and energetic at their extremely advanced age (that was for you, mom), and I have my stupid, adoring little dog who is trying to get me to stop typing and pet him at this very moment.

I know I like to complain and rant and get annoyed - but I really do love my quiet, simple life and all of the people in it.  so, Shrek has given me my healthy change for the week.  While I still believe in the connectedness of past present and future - and I still believe there are parts of myself that I should recognize and cherish that have been set aside for a while - the most important thing is to live in the present day, and be grateful for all of the good things in my life rather than waste my time and energy longing for some major change.  I have it really good - can't complain.

90 Degrees In May!

So - it's May, it's Chicago, it's Sunday, and it's 90 degrees outside!  WTF!

Well -for my family, this can only mean one thing........ BEACH DAY!

So, yes.  The air was 90, the sand was 88, and Lake Michigan was a frigid 33!  But did that stop my little barbarians?  Noooooo.  They jumped right in, dove under, and splashed everyone within a 50 foot radius.  They forced their father into the lake with threats of rocks to the skull, and whooped out their cries of victory upon their success!

They ran to the top of the biggest sand dunes - disappeared over the peak - and reappeared moments later, running full speed from some spot miles down the shore.  They ran up to me, delivering a fistful of wildflowers they had picked (I keep receiving pilfered flowers, ever since my obvious Mother's Day disappointment), and shot right back into the icy lake - laughing, screaming, and showing off their aquatic skills.

I, on the other hand, have my own way of enjoying the beach.  In addition to smiling while watching my elated children run wild like their natural savage selves, I love to unwind at the beach.  There is something about the warmth of the sun combined with the body forming ability of the sand and the sound of the waves gently tickling the shore that lulls me into a state of total relaxation.  That is, until a wet icy child decides to give me a hug and a kiss before running away laughing.  It's shocking having that sudden icyness against my hot skin- but it can't make me angry - because everything is as it should be.

I have talked to people who say they don't like going to the beach.  They don't like trudging along carrying all their supplies, they don't like sand getting into everything, they don't like the mess and laundry when they get back home.  I don't know, though.  For me - these are the best days of my life.

A Momentous Day

Well, today is a big day.   I did something I thought I might never do.  I let go of something that I have been holding on to for many many years - and it was something very difficult to give up, something I have felt I needed for a long time.

I actually cancelled my Weight Watcher membership.  I know - you're all like "What?  Cancelled?  What happened to the whole getting healthy thing?"  I realize that I have gone on and on about the book Women Food and God at nauseum - but the ideas in that book are really making me look at life, eating and what a 'healthy lifestyle' really is in a whole new light.

I have been a Weight Watchers member for many years now, like my mother before me.  I will give Weight Watchers credit - because when following their plan I did lose a great deal of weight - but then when I stopped following their plan, I became a self proclaimed Weight Watchers rebel - and gained a lot of weight.  I know that their plan works when you work it (as they say), but, I personally, cannot imagine keeping track of everything I eat and its point value for the rest of my life.  As a matter of fact - I have this weird mutinous side that wants to stick it to them, and eats a gazillion points just to show the god of Weight Watchers that I can do whatever I want - damn the consequences.

Still, whether or not I am following the Weight Watchers program, I allow that $34.95 to be deducted from my bank account each month - because deep down I have always felt that I needed Weight Watchers to become the person I want to be.

According to Geneen Roth, living a healthy lifestyle does not require counting points, or restricting particular fattening foods - it requires listening to your body - being aware of hunger - and choosing to be healthy.

I did get a lot out of my Weight Watcher years.  I learned about healthier alternatives, I learned how to make conscience eating choices, I learned about nutrition and about the importance of physical activity.  However, it is a set of rules to follow that do not bring me joy, and do not really fit with the person I am.

Not to mention - I currently weigh as much as I did after my fourth  son was born - which is pretty darn big.  Just to give you an idea - while I was pregnant with Marko - I felt the need to eat a humongous steak burrito from Burrito Station (the kind that are actually big enough to feed a small village) every morning at 9:00 to stave off morning sickness.  And, that was my mid-morning snack.  Granted, Marko was a huge baby - but he only made up about 9 of the 800 pounds I gained.  The point is - hanging onto the security blanket of a Weight Watchers membership has not given me the body or the happiness I was looking for.  Just the opposite - it has given me a feeling of ineptness and guilt at my inability to stick to the Weight Watcher's simple program.  Plus a sense of failure and self loathing because I made it within five pounds of my 'goal weight' and then started gaining it all back again.

So, I'm letting it go.  I'm letting go of the membership - I'm letting go of the points - and I'm letting go of the guilt. I am going to attempt to eat food in order to nourish my body (imagine that) - eat as much as I need to satisfy my hunger (considering that is all food should be for) - and not eat when I'm not hungry.  I am also going to try to accept and be happy with my body as it is, and appreciate all of the things that it can do.

So, I hope Geneen Roth isn't just some nut - and this whole eating food in order to satisfy physical hunger isn't simply the rantings of a lunatic.  I guess if I start writing like some kind of depraved idiot ranting about divine visions of cupcakes - you will know that life without dieting is just another one of those weird New Age hippie things I tend to be so fond of.  So, yeah - if you see the signs - just let me know.

Kiss Me In The Rain

Well, I have actually kept up with my daily walking of the dog.  I have been getting up early every morning, avoiding Facebook and Farmville, donning my i-pod and taking one very happy Pepper out for a stroll.

However, today there was an obstacle to overcome.  I woke up early, skipped the snooze button, avoided the lure of the internet, made a cup of tea, and looked out the window - where I saw something quite disheartening.  It was raining!!!  "Gosh Darn It!" I proclaimed.

My first thought was "Well - there goes that."  And I quickly resolved to sit down and check out my favorite social network.  But before I eased myself into my extremely comphy chair - a voice I haven't heard since my childhood entered my head.  I heard the words of my grandfather - "You're not made of sugar!"  It was true, I could actually go outside and get wet without melting.

With that it was decided.  I could walk the dog - in the rain - and I could survive it.

Well, I discovered something on this walk - and here it is.  When you walk your dog in the rain, you both get wet!


But wait, theres more.  It's not such a bad kind of wet.  It's actually an exhilarating, joyful kind of wet.

Another memory came back to me - I used to love walking in the rain, splashing in puddles, watching water travel along the sides of the road like miniature raging rapids.  Rain used to be an excuse to walk around the block barefoot (without shoes!).  Somewhere along the line it became an excuse to stay in and hide from nature.

This afternoon, when it was time for me to leave work, it started POURING!  The rain was so thick and so fast that it was impossible to see even inches in front of my face.  My four year old son walked out into it, heading for the car, and he started laughing with pleasure.  This reinforced in me that loving the rain is what is natural - avoiding the rain is what is taught.  Avoiding the rain is really about avoiding the hassle of dripping on the carpet, of wet clothes and wet shoes, of mud and mess.  But, really, isn't the joy and the pleasure of rain and puddles and mud worth the work that comes afterward?  I believe it is - and from now on, I will opt to allow the joy, and I wont mind the mess.

Amazement

"Can you remember a time, perhaps when you were very young, when life as it was - just the fact that it was early morning or any old day in summer - was enough? When you were enough - not because of what you looked like or what you did, but just because everything was the way it was. Nothing was wrong. When you were sad, you cried and then it was over. You were back to a fundamental feeling of positivity, of goodness just because you were alive. What if you could live that way now?"  Geneen Roth - Women Food And God

I love the above quote because, yes, I do remember that time, and that feeling is what I want back.  That feeling is the person I want to be.  I wonder why growing up is often synonymous with losing one's sense of wonder and joy.

I felt this feeling for a brief moment this morning while I was walking my dog.  I passed under a large flowering tree, and when I looked up into the branches, I saw tiny pink petals raining down upon me.  I stopped, stood and watched as these fragile fairies danced slowly, gently to the ground.  In that moment, I felt amazed.  A feeling I used to be quite familiar with.

When I was little I loved to play outside.  I loved looking under rocks and finding bugs, I loved all plants and animals, I loved discovering new things about the world and gaining new understandings.

Somehow, with age and with the demands of life, that sense of amazement has become dulled - but it is not gone.  There are some huge events that have amazed me beyond belief - like the birth of a child, and some not so huge that have amazed me in a quiet way - like like hearing and seeing a great horned owl in the middle of an afternoon - or like a waterfall crashing down into a canyon - or like petals falling from a tree.

I think for a while I was somewhat overwhelmed with life - I wasn't taking the time to look around at all of the wonderful, amazing things there are to be found, and I wasn't pausing to allow amazement to occur.

One of the most important, and unsuspected, things I am gaining from my new healthier lifestyle is that I am getting my amazement back.  Thank God.

Angry Eating

Well, this morning, my compulsive eating threw me a curve ball.  I was nervous.  I swung and I missed.  Then, on the next pitch I swung again - strike two.  I knew at that point I had two choices.  Either swing and hit, or strike out.  I decided I WOULD get a hit.  I set my mind to it, dug in my heels, gripped the bat, and with all of the determination I could muster - I swung, and my bat met the ball midair - it was a base hit.  I made it to first.  I felt so elated and accomplished after so many strike outs in the past.

It all began with my annoying husband (as usual).  This morning, however, I was more than annoyed - I was pissed.  I wont get into all of the sordid details - I will just say that the man (in the way men can sometimes be self-centered and non-empathetic) made me angry...... really really angry........ like,super angry!

I was so mad - I was seeing red - I was doing that outraged bull kind of nose breathing - my eyes were narrowed and I was coiled up like an aggravated cobra ready to strike.  I was going to show him.  I reached for the bag of BBQ potato chips (not the baked kind), and I was ready to grab a handful, squeezing and letting the demolished chip crumbs spill onto the ground as I brought my fist towards my mouth, and with my face only inches from his, I  intended to stuff in those chips, then wipe the back of my incensed hand across my wrathful lips, spreading potato chip crumbs and BBQ flavored powder across my cheek.  I would violently chew, and then swallow succinctly - thus showing him how completely enraged I was feeling, and causing him deep regret and guilt for causing this total failure of my new healthy lifestyle.  Yeah - I was going to show him.

But - I paused.  I considered the action I was about to take.  I realized that my vehement chip eating display might not convey the exact message I wanted to get across.  I backed away from the chips, and turned back to my husband.  Instead of eating in anger - I spoke in anger (words that, while obviously vivid, well-constructed and brilliant - I probably shouldn't display in print).

Still, I did not find that these words were able to adequately quiet my ire - yet I resisted those chips as well as the cookies, ice cream and whipped cream.  Instead I took my leave, and directed all of my wrath towards the large weeds and small trees that are attempting to overtake my gardens.  Still, upon re-entering my house, and seeing my husbands goofy smiling face, my smoldering fury began to resurface.

The tempting call of fund raiser chocolate began to fill my head, like the sirens singing to Odysseus.  Like, Odysseus, I was strong.  I resisted the irresistible song.  But I knew I couldn't resist for long.  I knew I had to do something to save myself.  The song of the chocolate - the call of the potato chips, the jovial, ludicrous smile  of my husband - all swirling around me was far too much for any mortal.  My very sanity was in peril.

I knew I couldn't fight and win.  My instincts kicked in.  It was fight of flee.  Knowing that I would defeated any moment - I chose flight.  My hand passed over the Oreos, and snatched up my I-pod, and I announced that I would be walking to work, and to please bring my bags to me later.

The music and the walk calmed me, and as my anger subsided, it was replaced by a sense of pride.  I did not turn to food to comfort me in a time of fury.  I spoke from the heart (you should have been there - I really spoke from the heart - ghetto style head roll and all), used methods other than food or violence to calm myself, and found that I could find peace without large amounts of Dunkin Hines frosting.

Starving Children

Everyone should read!  I guess that since you are reading this, you already do read, because, who would take the time to read this trash unless they were people who read, right?

still, I will say it again, everyone should read!  You see, when reading, sometimes different ideas and different perspectives can spark in your mind.  You can sometimes realize that another way of looking at things might actually be better than the way you are currently looking at things.  You can come to understand that some long held belief of yours is actually false.



This is what happened to me this morning.  I was reading, and a short statement made my whole outlook on a certain subject adjust, and then appear in a new light.

You know all those starving children in China?  It turns out that eating all the food on your plate doesn't actually change their situation at all - not in the least.  Whether you eat your food, or save some food for later, or give your food to your dog, or even throw your food away - the starving children in China will be just as starving as they were before your meal.




So, gluttony doesn't actually help anybody.  You don't need to make yourself fat to save the children of the world.  And there is no guilt involved in stopping when you are no longer hungry.  Amazing, isn't it?

So, that only leaves one question.  If we can't overeat to help the starving children, then what can we do?

Well, my husband is OBSESSED with this game on the internet called Free Rice, which up until now really got on my nerves, because he has this manly habit of playing the game and ignoring all of the chaos occurring all around him.  In the game you have to match weird obscure words to their synonyms - and when you are able to do this successfully, grains of rice are sent to poor countries.  The more people play and successfully match words, the more rice is sent.  So, his spacing out in front of the computer is more altruistic than my obsessive eating.




So, eating like a pig does not help the starving children in China, but improving your vocabulary does.  Go figure.

The Eating Guidelines

Yes, it's true - I'm back on the book again.  This time, though, I am less depressing than I was the other times.

In her book, "Women, Food and God," Geneen Roth spells out seven eating guidelines that will help any person overcome compulsive eating:

1. Eat when you are hungry.
2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment.  This does not include the car.Eat without distractions.  Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, intense or anxiety-producing conversations or music.
3. Eat what your body wants.
4. Eat until you are satisfied.
5. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.
6. Eat with enjoyment, gusto and pleasure.

Quite a few of these seem difficult as far as I am concerned, but I said I was going to make one healthy change per week - so I am going to try to tackle these Eating Guidelines!

O.K., back to reality.  You were probably impressed that I was going to tackle ALL of these Eating Guidelines at one time - but, no.  Actually I think I will start with number 5.  Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.

I am going to start this off like an AA meeting.  I admit to being a food sneak.  It is true - I eat food (usually junk food) when I know nobody is around to see me.  

I can definitely blame this one on my kids.  The practice of food sneaking (although it was a habit of my childhood) became a well honed art during the past 17 years of motherhood.  I think it all started with cookie dough......

Long long ago when my oldest son was only two years old, I was told that raw cookie dough was dangerous because of the eggs in the batter.  For this reason, due to my strong motherly instinct to keep my baby safe and healthy, I told little Steven that he could not eat the dough before it was cooked.  However - when Steven wasn't looking - I ate the cookie dough myself.

A few years later, my Elijah came along.  Elijah LLLLOOOOOVVVVEEEEEEDDDDDD sweets.  In an effort to ensure his optimal health, I began limiting the amount of sugar he was allowed to consume.  For instance - I only let him have two Oreo cookies.  However - when Elijah wasn't looking - I ate six Oreo cookies myself.

This pattern of sneaking treats has continued through two more children - but has progressed to include adults as well.  You see, I have had several diet partners over the years - and because I wanted them to think I was sticking to the plan we had laid out together - I would wait for them to be looking the other way before partaking in dessert.  I would hide m&m's in my purse, taking them out only when alone rather than being caught with them.  I would hide snacks in a closet - and escape to the back of the house so I could fill my cheeks with Ho-Ho's.   I would refuse cake at a party, only to wait until I was alone in the kitchen and stuff it down my throat.   

I sound like a drug addict, don't I?  Well, I suppose I am in a way - only food is the drug (as Geneen would say).  

So, from now on, whatever I am eating, for good or for bad, I will eat publicly.  Plus, if there is something I feel I can only eat in concealment, I guess I wont eat it.  

So, that is this week's healthy change.  No more food sneaking.  No more hidden snacks.  No more food lies, or food embarrassment.  If I am going to pig out, I will be a public pig.  

Another Lovely day

Well, it was another lovely day at another great place.  Today we went to Civil War Days at Naper
Settlement in Naperville, IL.  First of all, Naper Settlement is a very cool place with gardens, lots of open space, and many historical buildings.  Second of all, reenactments are always interesting with people in period costume, selling period items, and explaining history in a very hands on way.

So, we drank homemade root beer (all I can say is -  yummmmm), my boys learned how to act as soldiers in a civil war regiment, we enjoyed a baby animal petting zoo, and we watched a battle reenactment.  However, the definite highlight of the day was an epic Lord of The Flies style battle of young children claiming themselves to be either 'confederate' or 'reunion' soldiers.

If you have never attended a war reenactment, there are certain requirements. The most important of these is that every child in attendance be given, by their generous parents, some item that reflects the time period being    represented.  In this way, the children can feel more a part of the event.  In this case, the items of choice for little boys are weapons and uniforms.  So, my children, along with the other children in attendance found themselves armed with wooden swords and guns.

After witnessing the battle scene, these children split themselves into two teams (partly based on which uniform items their parents had purchased,) and ran amok among the fort and log cabins of Naper Settlement attacking enemy troops, planning strategies, and whooping out child-like war cries.  I'm sure it sounds somewhat savage - but it was actually somewhat beautiful.

You see, living with five boys (husband included) can be difficult at times.  There are times when the energy level is so high that it seems unbearable.  All of that testosterone in such a small space is a lot to deal with, especially when I am seeking calm and peace.  However, seeing these boys in their natural environment - running wild Tom Sawyer style - is quite an inspiring experience.

Boys, I believe, are like puppies.  If they are not given opportunities to run wild in the outdoors, they start chewing up shoes and destroying furniture.  However, when given ample space and high energy games, they arrive home tired and sweet - ready to cuddle and stare with those loving eyes.  Honestly, life just doesn't get much better than that.

So - tomorrow, I will be considering a statement my Aunt Lenore made.  She was quoting someone when she said: "You should never eat imitation food-like products - only real food."  Simple, yet profound - something to ponder, ay?