Please Leave the Ice Cream Alone.
This particular evening had been pretty typical for the Callaway family. I was about 24 at the time, living at home, and attending grad school. I had eaten dinner with my parents and we were sitting down together to watch a movie. As the opening credits warmed up my mother quietly got up and walked into the kitchen. I yelled out “what you eatin’?” and my mother, from somewhere deep within her soul exclaimed: “It is none of your damn business what I’m eating! I’m making myself a snack and I am not sharing it and I am not making one for you!!” My father and I looked at each other perplexed. Where did this deep-seeded anger come from?
Well Mom, I get it.
Something happens when you first become a wife and then a mother. Your ability to feed yourself suddenly falls somewhere below going to the bathroom and basic personal hygiene. In other words, optional. Every time I walk into the kitchen to make myself a snack or a meal I must first feed three other people before me, because if I don’t I will end up interrupting my meal three separate times. I’ve realized recently that I don’t ever eat dessert while the kids are awake. Because once Mommy is eating something it must be explored, shared, drooled upon, longingly admired until mommy surrenders such item. There are many parts of my meal that I am willing to share but dessert is not one of them (see previous post).
I feel that resentment that sometimes I wish I could walk into the kitchen and ONLY FEED MYSELF. I don’t want to make breakfast for three other people before me, I don’t want to make 5 sandwiches before I make myself one, I don’t want to share my ice cream – EVER.
Still, that is how my mother showed me that she loved me. She cooked for me. She fed me. She sacrificed her own meals for me. And now that I am a mother I do the same. I take pride and comfort in knowing that everyone in my house leaves in the morning with a belly full of eggs, sausage and love. It is how we nurture is it not?
I’m still not sharing my ice cream so don’t even think of asking!
How Can I Eat Chocolate Chip Cookies and Still Lose Weight?
Before I had gotten pregnant I wanted to take some time to get my body in better shape, due to the fact that I had been extraordinarily neglectful of it over the past couple of years (which is evidenced by the herniated disc and the fact that elastic waistbands have suddenly taken hold in my closet). However, before I had a chance to say “fruit not fries” I was pregnant, and not long after the first 5lbs of baby weight applied itself to my stomach I was NOT pregnant. I really thought that after the D&C that 5lbs would just magically disappear — it did not. Heavy sigh. So, I did what all women do in these dire circumstances, I recruited my sister to go on a diet.
My sister, being the kind of woman who always looks out for her baby sister, agreed. Together we have been trying to inspire our families (read husbands) and ourselves to eat healthy and exercise. Amazingly, it has worked. After two weeks of cutting out bread and most of my sugar I’ve lost 5lbs. Okay, not stellar weight loss, but hey it has got to start somewhere. The important thing is that I feel fantastic. Boy, there really is something to this whole “healthy living” thing. I’ve only got one thing I’m struggling with and you readers can help.
I LOVE sweets. Yep, got the sweet tooth – thanks Dad! The hardest thing for me to give up are cookies. That is right, cookies. Not bread, butter, french fries, fast food, ice cream — just cookies. Not store bought cookies – homemade cookies. Any good recipes out there that won’t break my fat/carb bank on a daily basis? Please share your recipes. I promise to make each recipe and highlight my tasty favorites on my site (with accompanying “linky love” to YOUR site if appropriate). Please hurry, the bag of chocolate chips is starting to look really good.
Shameless Promotion, Self Congratulating And A Funny Video
One of my fellow bloggers, Jane from “What About Mom“, ran this contest for a package of diapers and a DVD of Anita Renfroe. First, thanks Jane for selecting my personal vendetta against Diaper Genies as the winning submission. I think it is crazy how we all get sucked into buying the most useless piece of baby equipment known to man, but hey, they are still in business. I was very excited to win diapers because after all one more package of diapers is one less I actually have to purchase and after 4 1/2 years of buying diapers it is nice to get a break. I had never heard of Anita Renfroe and Jane was kind enough to embed two links in her post to Renfroe’s comedy. WELL, I must share because I laughed so hard I cried. Enjoy Mommies!!
