So my neighbor dropped by to chat with me last night as I was in the front yard gardening. Yep, you read correctly, I am a "Gardener". Every spring I decide it's my calling. At least that's how I see myself before I begin popping the top off the Tylenol bottle and while I where the floppy hat, blue jeans and gloves as I huddle over the dirt and try to squash plants into the earth without killing my back and knees. Getting older sucks....but that's a blog for another time.
Anyway, my neighbor has asked me to care for her two girls for the summer as she and her husband work long days and I am at home tending to my two kiddos, plus our lab, and now, of course, the garden. I am happy to do it, and well, maybe a little crazy, after all four children cant be that much harder than caring for two.....right?!! I said, not much harder, right? I am of course deluding myself I know. I mean parenting your own kids is tough enough but having someone elses children over 50 hours a week might be more than this 30 something SAHM can manage. Good thing I get my xanax in bulk from the pharmacy. But enough about me. My neighbor wanted to go over a few details of our loosely constructed arrangement. For starters, she wanted to know if my kids like Beef-a-roni? and Spahgettios. She was offering to bring over enough for all the kids to eat for lunch. Which, before anyone calls me a snob, yes, was nice of her. That being said: there is no way in HELL that I will feed that crap to my kids. Nope, cant do it! I know I cant be the only mother who refuses to consider junk like that an option. There are so many reasons I wont give that to my kids, but none of them is because I think I am a better parent. In fact I want to declare my mediocrity right here and now. I dont have a degree to back up how I raise my kids, I just go with what feels right. Usually when I make a bad choice I know it, somewhere in the pit of my stomach my body just knows when I've screwed up. And while it may seem like a small thing, nutrition is super important to me. Passing along a healthy attitude toward food and eating is important as well. For anyone who knows me well, you know I lost over 100 lbs and so what we eat and how much is a closely held value in this house. So while I struggled not to object to strenously I found myself offering to cook for her children- as I do for my own. I think I really am losing my mind - why make more work for myself? Ive given it some thought and this is what I know for sure: while the kids may enjoy the canned lunches and it's definately easier to prepare I wouldnt be the true "gardener" I imagine myself to be. I can cultivate healthy eating habits and hopefully a beautiful landscape around my house as well.
2 comments:
Don't blame you on the spaghettios . My bro used to eat cans and cans of them when we were young.
What ever happened to PBJ?
Will you cook for me too?
:)
Get your contract in writing. Make sure that everything is laid out and have Cam look at it too. You have to live next to this lady for a long time, so make sure she understands what you will do and how you will be compenstaed for that.
Till then , I would start drinking. Heavily.
xoxo
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