Day 4

Disclaimer: I am writing this with the knowledge that I will probably sleep like a dreaming infant tonight... I'm about ready to crash, so please bear with me.

This morning, I am glad to say I took a different approach to my smoothie as I knew that the middle of the day tends to be my moment of weakness... so, my concoction for the morning is normally called "Whey to go"; however, since I do not use whey protein, I will just call it "Way to wake up" :-) It is an intoxicating blend of chocolate protein powder, blackberries (fresh or frozen), coconut milk, a TON of fresh crispy kale, raw cacao powder, a tiny bit of stevia, and then ice. I happen to think that the ice waters down the flavor, so I prefer the frozen fruit. Same effect and it keeps the blackberry taste, sweet and tart at the same time. Needless to day, I could hear the Hallelujah chorus this morning. It is definitely my all time favorite smoothie-- I've made it for over a year, usually when I go for jogs in the springtime. But, I digress.

Prepared as I tend to be in the morning to get everything done on time, there is always a chink in the chain, and this morning truly threw me for a loop. The sound of my girls fighting over a toy is nothing uncommon in my house, nor is the sound of yelling about it. I think it similar to living near an airport-- after a while, you either don't notice it or it doesn't bother you. Either way, the volume was hardly a concern compare to my 4 year old handing me a tablet, then informing me there was a girl in a bathing suit on it.... of course, I'm glad that my 4 year old has an innocent brain, and grateful beyond grateful that she didn't ask questions. I simply closed it up, put it in the other room and told her not to play with that tablet anymore... This definitely had my head spinning when I figured out what she had gotten a glimpse of, and I suddenly missed the days when she couldn't even reach the kitchen counter and she couldn't get enough of reading stories with me. Now it's nail polish and dress up, and LORD does she have an attitude. Still, even in moments like this one, she is one of 3 reasons why I love being a mom... the other 2 were in the living room playing. :-)

I was grateful to get a slightly later start today at work-- well, I suppose I was still early since clock in time is 9:15, but I am always there by 8:20. Regardless, I showed up around 8:45, completely prepared for the morning, as paperwork had already been prepped, and what a relief that was. It seemed like it would be a perfect morning.... except for the fact that being female was not an advantage today, especially since I had oreos in my bag, practically begging me to devour them and then bask in the serotonin hangover. And, with dreams of twisting cookies and imagining my future hubby (I know I'm not the ONLY one who played that game in elementary school), I enjoyed 4 of them, and started my day.

I'd love to say that everything was perfect today, and that it stayed that way due to the glory of chocolate.... sadly, it did not. My student did give me a bit of a run for my money today, constantly throwing the materials for his tasks across the room and then laughing at the hilarity of me, a grown woman and college graduate, being reduced to playing fetch. This, of course, preceeded picking up my kiddos at the sitter's only to find that my baby girl had a nasty fever, and the minute she sat in my lap, she unloaded everything she ate today ALL over me-- it was like the bubbling fountain of puke, ABSOLUTELY disgusting! It completely reeked, and naturally, this girl is such a pro, I do believe that she even managed to get some in my bra, you know, to save for later. It goes without saying that we both needed to come home and get cleaned up. It also goes without saying that after this event, I REALLY wasn't in the mood to prepare something incredible for dinner, partially because my appetite was basically gone, and partially because my little girl being sick is a perfect excuse for snuggles with mommy.......................Don't judge. Really. Don't judge.

I made the kids some gluten free pasta with mushroom infused pasta sauce, and for myself, I heated up vegan black bean burgers. I did want to make up my kale chips (again, crediting the recipe to The Vegan Zombie), but I did not have the time to soak the cashews for the "cheesy" sauce. And yes, there is always a substitute recipe with oil and a bit of pepper, something fast that can be done in 10 minutes, but let's be honest-- is there anything better than cheese? Think this over-- when something tastes amazing, like chili on a cold wintry night, or the smell of oregano fills your nostrils at an Italian festival, I can almost guarantee you that there will always be cheese included in whatever is being cooked. The reality is-- there is nothing more comforting than cheese. :-)

Well.....maybe one thing, in my case. The kiddos' dad made sure to mention to me that he was going to be leaving for work earlier this evening to make sure he was there by 9pm..... and of course, when 9pm rolled around and he still wasn't awake, I got a slight giggle and a hidden fosse dance in my "Schaudnfraude Circuit" (that secret part of you that sees something unpleasant happen to someone else and you're glad it isn't you!) -- it took everything not to laugh at the man when he was running around with one sock on and yelling obscenities because he was now late.....

Guess he should have asked for a "Way to wake up" smoothie ;-)

Until tomorrow!

Savor and Smile :-D