Popcorn Predicament

I feel deceived. And it's not Orville's fault, it's my own. If I make a poor snack choice and know that I'm doing it, I may feel guilt, but certainly not anger. Ignorance sometimes results in anger for me. Petty? Maybe. But true, nonetheless.

When I found the new Orville Redenbacher "Natural" popcorn at the grocery store recently, I was pretty upset. They've been putting garbage in a plain bag of popcorn?!?! It should be popcorn kernels and oil, right? Apparently not so. I bought the natural popcorn which IS popcorn and oil and went on my way.

Around this time, I saw some information comparing a handful of pretzels and 6 cups of popcorn, saying they were roughly the same calories and fat, yet the popcorn is obviously more food and more filling, making it a better snack. We've been eating popcorn about 3-4 days a week as our afternoon snack. I was glad my kids were getting a natural snack.

So yesterday, I grabbed a new box from the store and noticed the "Smart Pop" box next to it, boasting of 94% less fat and 100% whole grain popcorn and all the other good stuff that was supposed to impress me. Hmmm...I looked at the ingredients of the natural stuff, but didn't think to look at the calories and fat. So I did a side-by-side comparison. Sure enough, the popcorn we've been eating every day had 11 grams of fat and the Smart Pop had...two. SERIOUSLY!?!?! Then I compared the ingredients. The Smart Pop had popcorn and oil and less than 2% of this, that and the other thing. I don't need artificial colors and flavors in my food, but if it's less than 2%, should I really care that much? Let me think, um, no 2% isn't worth losing sleep over.

I'm so frustrated that for the last couple of months, I've been eating a seemingly "healthy" snack and consuming 550% more fat than necessary. See? Deceived.

As I've been typing this on our laptop, Kaylin and Ryan have been eating spilled popcorn off the kitchen floor. It's a good thing I mopped this morning. Actually, it's not...they just spilled all over my clean floor. *sigh* I supposed I should be glad the popcorn on the floor has to be relatively clean. (whatever makes me feel better, right?)

To continue their amusement, Ryan spent 20 minutes vacuuming up the unpopped kernels everywhere. When Kaylin decided to crawl under her highchair to "hide like the turtle" [he hides under bushes], Ryan abandoned the vacuum and joined her. The next picture is them "sleeping like the turtle." Whenever the kids find Roger under a bush in the yard, Kaylin always says, "Thththththththth (with her finger over her mouth) - tootoo seepin."

Oh, and YIPPEE for me! When I pulled up my blog to post this, I was the 3000th visitor. If you missed the 2000 hits blog, you won't know how much that delights me.

Simplicity

Aahhhh...that word just brings a smile to my face. I love simplicity. In planning, in decorating, in organizing my home, in all areas of my life. Do you ever notice how too many choices often complicates things? Unless you know exactly what you're looking for and can't find it among the gazillion choices out there. (like the jeans that fit "just right," the perfect black skirt, the Hallmark card that says what you're feeling) I haven't always been intentional about simplicity. Just since I've had kids, I think. Maybe because baby stuff takes up SO MUCH SPACE and overtook our first house. -?- I can't pinpoint a specific time, but around then sounds about right.

I've noticed that sometimes my desire for simplicity interferes with the thoughtfulness of others. For example, my aunt saved all of my cousin's toys over the years. A couple of years ago, she brought them all over for Ryan...6 huge storage bins full of toys, another bin full of Happy Meal prizes, a bag of movies and several of those huge Rescue Heroes commando-station things that took up a whole closet. I looked at the piles of stuff stacked 3 feet high and immediately wanted to call Good Will to schedule a pick up! I did end up giving most of it away, with her permission. I just couldn't deal with the cluttered feeling of it all.

Another example is gifts: for Ryan's birthday parties, I've always asked people (grandparents excluded) not to bring gifts. Up until this point, I don't think he's noticed. I wanted everyone to come without feeling obligated and besides, we have plenty of toys and "stuff." This year, I've decided that my selfish desire to keep the house uncluttered will be stifled. Ryan has been to enough birthday parties this year to finally "get" that birthdays = cake and presents. It was nice while it lasted! Plus, last year no one listened to me and he got a bunch of gifts anyway. I guess the suggestion was too unconventional for the majority.

When I think of the movies and shows from 50, 60, 70 years ago...times seemed so simple. I'm not stupid enough to believe that it was June Cleaver perfect all the time; I realize there are different issues in each generation. But think about it: little technology, no video games, limited t.v., the kids went outside to play, ride their bikes, skip rocks and they used their imaginations, (do you hear the theme music starting in the background?)...I know I sound like a dork, but I seriously love the simplicity of it all.

What is life going to be like 30 years from now? If we (me included) can justify young kids having cell phones and playing Leap Frog and Vtech video games to help them learn to add and read, I can't imagine what things will be like for our grandkids. Okay, I'm starting to sound like my grandmother....

I want my kids to grow up appreciating the little things, hopefully being low-maintenance and not needing to be entertained all the time. When the time comes, I pray that I stick to my guns and won't get each child over-involved in this sport and that hobby and all of the different activities that suck time out of the lives of so many families today. And on that note, I'm learning that kid-sports are nuts! I've heard of several friends with 2-3 kids (who consciously limit their child to one sport each) are going nuts carpooling to 2 practices a week plus a game, stressing over being the team mom and snack mom and are still go-go-go. I think the toddler years are tough, but I forget that sports and homework and heartbreak because "I wasn't invited to Johnny's birthday party" are all right around the corner. My ideal, simplistic lifestyle could be a thing of the past.

For now, I have a tendency to steer my kids away from the t.v. and send them outside (while the weather is still bearable). I love when they play their versions of Hide and Go Seek, Ring Around the Rosie and chase each other all over the yard or the house. I find myself a little surprised when they actually enjoy themselves for more than 5 minutes doing a simple craft or activity. And I get a little giddy inside when the play room goes untouched for a whole day...that indicates that we've had a "simple" day. As the days get warmer and we're starting to use the pool, I look forward to enjoying the simple pleasures of summer. I just love simplicity.

Roger update

Yesterday afternoon, we lost Roger. I was kind of convinced that if I pulled the solar cover back off the pool, I'd see him at the bottom. Thankfully, when Mike got home from work, he found him under one of our lantana bushes. He's very happy there...he slept there last night and is there again now. And I have since blocked underneath the pool fence so he's forced to stay in the grass or on the patio. He should be safe now.

To answer your questions:

* Yes, someone came to claim a lost turtle last night. The guy was turtle-sitting and lost it. But this wasn't the turtle he was sitting for. So there's another lost turtle wondering the streets?!??!

* I've gotten several indications that this might be an endangered desert tortoise. He seems pretty happy here...we gave him a strawberry this morning and he devoured it. If he is a "wild turtle" (who would have thought?) I'm quite sure he's never had a strawberry! While he ate his breakfast, Ryan wanted to eat, too. Outside. And of course, Kaylin joined him and they both ate breakfast with Roger. (he's on the left side of the picture)

* If this is the type of turtle that gets as big as a Goodyear tire, we will not be keeping him. So Rachel, he's all yours. I'll let you know. If the kids get too attached, we'll get a smaller turtle that stays small.

Make yourself at home, Roger

I'm not sure if Roger will be staying with us, but let me introduce him. He is the little turtle that was crossing the road near our mailbox on our way home from Ryan's school today. Well, I couldn't just leave him there - he could have been run over. And "wild turtles" aren't common around these parts, so I'm sure he's someone's pet who likely dug under their block wall and escaped.

This is one of the most exciting things that's happened around here in a while. The kids were absolutely enamored with Roger. (BTW, I suggested cute T-name choices like Trevor, Timmy and Tucker, but Ryan chose Roger, so Roger it is)

As Roger explored our house, the kids followed him around, giggling and imitating his crawl. He's actually fairly fast...maybe he's used to running away from toddlers?

Because we're out of lettuce and I'm ignorant about turtles, I googled their diet and took out some spaghetti squash from the freezer. He went to town on that, but ignored the tortilla chip that Kaylin offered him from her high chair. I like him already - he's such a good example for healthy eating!!!

When Mike went back to work after lunch, Ryan asked him to give Roger kisses. I thought he'd fake it, but he actually kissed his head which surprised the poor creature to death!

We let him roam around outside with supervision and he eventually settled into a teeny, shady spot under Kaylin's swing for a nap. How cute is that? I need to remember to check on him in a few minutes and transfer him to a safe box so he doesn't sneak past the fence and find our pool.

With signs posted on the mailbox, I'm certain Roger's family will call to claim him once they discover that he's missing. I've known Phoenix turtle owners before and when their turtle disappears, they've always assumed it was a hawk who swiped it from the backyard. I'm hoping that rescuing him from the street was the right answer. If no one claims him, we might have ourselves our first pet!

Morning photo shoot

I take a lot of pictures in order to get both of my kids looking in the same direction and appearing half-way pleasant. Kaylin was so cute this morning in a little lined dress, hose with a ruffley bum and her Easter shoes. So I sat the kids down for a photo shoot. The first few pictures I took weren't bad, but Ryan couldn't keep his hands away from his face.

So I suggested he clasp his hands and put them in his lap...

That didn't look posed, did it? Show your sister some love, Ryan...

Okay, new tactic...do anything I can to make them laugh. Unfortunately, when one smiles, the other doesn't. The other smiles, the first one looks away.
Kaylin finally got bored and collapsed...

Alas, one decent picture of them both. Not perfect, but good enough. Totally staged, but what do I care?

Open windows invite the world in

We had a little cold(ish) front blow in the last few days and it's been nice enough to have our windows open again, all day and all night. It's so funny to hear the world around us. Funny "ha ha" and funny "could someone please close the windows?!?!?"

I believe our neighbors behind us have moved, because last fall, all I heard all day was, "Keifer! GET! OUT! SIDE!" Little Keifer and his brother would run around in their diapers with no clothes on, outside for hours. (yes, I got nosey and peeked from my upstairs windows once) Their mother was horribly mean to them. It broke my heart and I felt led to pray for them often. Sending kids out to play for a little bit is one thing, but when I heard her scream at them to "get back outside!" over and over again at various times all day, well, it really ate at me. When she wasn't yelling at them to stay outside, it was "what are you doing!??!?! NOOOOOOO!" What did she expect from toddlers trapped outside? They're unsupervised!!!

All sorts of things are allowed into my house when I open my windows. Smoke, for instance. Someone nearby goes out in their backyard to smoke every night and in a matter of moments, our entire kitchen smells like a sports bar.

Then there are the neighbors directly next to us with 4 kids and one on the way. The oldest is a teenager and she screams...a lot. When they started swimming last Spring, the screaming...OH the screaming! It was obnoxious. When she got splashed, when her younger siblings annoyed her, when she was delighted, very loud screaming for hours.

A few weeks ago, another neighbor bought their dog a new squeeky toy. The dog gnawed on it. All...night...long. I wonder if someone said something, because I haven't heard it in a while. Or maybe they brought the dog in the house at night. Either way, I'm glad that's over!

Then last night, a pack of coyotes must have found some food in the preserve near our house because there was quite a howling celebration. As it began, I actually thought it was Kaylin crying faintly, until I realized it was a choir of cries. (ironically, she did start crying about an hour later...still not sure why...do kids get nightmares this early?)

But I'm saddened that we're going to have to close up the house soon. Before long, we'll be begging the kids to close the sliding door behind them "because the A/C is on" and there won't be a gentle breeze drifting through the house. Of course, I won't have to dust nearly as often and the bottoms of my socks won't be black at the end of the day. The daily vacuuming, dusting and sweeping I can live without. Fine...every other day, but still. The cool breeze will be replaced with the scent of sunscreen as we spend our days in the pool and run all of our errands before 11am to avoid melting in the parked car. I guess we can still have picnic lunches outside, as long as everyone has wet bathing suits on to keep them cool. Okay, I'm mentally ready for summer now that I've worked it out in my head! Bring it on!