My Guilty Pleasure!

We all have them, I might as well share mine. Maybe I will hook someone else!

My guilty pleasures seem to change here and there. I don't think I ever stick to one for very long. However, I started my most recent guilty pleasure while in Myrtle Beach because of my wonderful lil' sis! I took just one handful and have been absolutely HOOKED ever since. Seriously, I can't get enough. All the flavors of sweet and salty go together just so! Who ever would have thought I would be "hooked" on a Walmart brand product? There is a downside to this pleasure though- it is NOT organic...BUT it's just so gosh darn good that I don't even care about the whole organic thing, and I can't help but eat it ALL day long!

Okay, okay...are you at all intrigued yet? Drum roll please... Great Value Indulgent Trail Mix! It is a mixture of peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, cashews, almonds, cranberries, peanuts, white chocolate chips, and golden raisins (which I pick out and throw away because I HATE raisins)! Even though I have to throw out the raisins it is still such a delicious snack. Unfortunately it is not a healthy snack - especially when one is eating it in the quantities that I am! But at this point I don't care about the fact that it is more than likely tons of extra calories I don't need to put in to my body! I look at it this way....my classroom is so far away from everything I have to walk so much throughout the day that this makes up for all the extra calories in my guilty indulgence! Right? Well, that's what I am thinking right now and so be it until I move on to my next pleasure! For now I am keeping a BIG bag of it on my desk and when I need or want it I'll just dig right in without a second thought...Until I gain ten pounds!

Anyhow, next time you are in Walmart give it a try! They actually have a bunch of different trail mixes but I think this one takes the cake! Happy Snacking!

Here's a brand new bag I just picked up today!!!

Pre-School Continued...

Well, it has been a week now and morning drop offs have not been going so swell! I swear this just goes to show how very stubborn my little gal is. She has it in her head that she does NOT want to go to school and that she "hates" school. Oh my - hating school already, really? We have just begun our school career!

I truly do know that she doesn't HATE school. She HATES being away from me. We had a wonderful summer filled with lots and lots of true mother daughter bonding. That time (on an every day basis) is now over! Little Gal just isn't sure how to handle this. It was over so abruptly! One day we are hanging in the sun and the next we are in school. So she can say over and over how she hates school but I know that isn't the case.

You may ask how do I truly know that is not the case. Well, it is very simple. When I pull down Ms. K's long driveway I can see from far away Little Gal's big smile on her face as she's playing with all her new friends. On top of that she doesn't want to leave right away when I get there. One day last week she actually begged me to leave so she could stay longer.

Yes, our lazy days of summer are over. (We seriously know how to relax) However, Little Gal doesn't HATE school - she simply HATES that our time together on a daily basis has ended and doesn't quite know how to express her feelings to me about this.

Who knows maybe this is my way of saying things will get better. Maybe this is my way of dealing with things. Whatever it is - it's working for me now! I have to believe it's something other than HATING school!

We are now on full bribery! Each day if Little Gal has a good drop off she earns a sticker. Once she gets 3 (yes - just 3 for now - we will build on that - little steps people!) she earns a trip to her treasure box. Which we put together as a family. She seems super excited about it and fingers crossed this bribe will work and drop offs will become tear free! I can only hope!

PreSchool!

Well, today was the big day. Little Gal's first day of preschool! It went pretty much how I expected...I had to walk away from a child that was holding on to me for dear life screaming her head off...oh the joys of parenthood!

Rewind...

Yesterday we spent all day celebrating our last full day of summer vacation. We started our day off with a special going to school craft from the story "The Kissing Hand!" Which we then tucked in to her little back back. Then it was time to get ready for our family adventure! Our original plan consisted of going to a local water park - however the weather had another plan for us - Bounce and Play (an indoor moon bounce center)! After we bounced ourselves sick we went to Panera Bread (Em's pick) for her special lunch. All she wanted was a blueberry bagel. Okay that's fine and all but she ended up eating all my food! What's up with that? Oh and my drink to top it off! I tried their new frozen strawberry lemonade. Absolutely NOT worth the $4+!

To our surprise she wanted to do some shopping and I couldn't argue with that for one second! We headed off to Old Navy where we both got a ton of stuff super cheap! Love extra 50% off surprises! Oh how lovely to get so much for so very little! All day long here and there Little Gal kept insisting to us that she was NOT going to school. We kinda just ignored her and went on our merry way - every time she would say something about not going! This whole time in the back of my mind I am thinking oh this is going to suck tomorrow morning - we are in for it...and we were! Moving along - we came home and ended our day with a family movie night watching one of the "Care Bear" movies from good old Netflix video stream!

It was finally bedtime - Emma starts expressing to us once again how she is not going to school in the morning. By this point because it has gone on all day and rather persistently Brian has decided that he's going to bribe her. He has now told her that she gets a special first day of school gift if she is brave and has a good day at preschool. Okay, I am thinking this will work! However, I am also thinking good Lord what are we setting ourselves up for? But I know we all do it - we ALL bribe our children at times. Who knows maybe it will work!

This morning...

As soon as Little Gal woke up the very first thing (before good morning or anything else) she screams out of her bedroom, "I AM NOT GOING TO SCHOOL!" Part of me chuckled as I walked up the stairs to try and calm her because I knew this was how it was going to go down!! I just knew it! I walk in and she wanted me to hold her. So I picked her up and held her as tight as I could possibly hold her. The entire time she's telling me she's not going and she wants me to stay with her and how she just wants to go to my school. It took everything in me not to break down and just start crying with her! I didn't cry though, I couldn't cry, I had to be strong. I had to show her and let her know that things were going to be okay.

The teacher part of me knows that things will be okay but the mother part of me was saying all kinds of things. Will she be okay? Am I doing the right thing sending her to preschool? Why am I taking her away from what she knows? Is this seriously worth it?

I continued to be strong for her telling how fun school would be and how wonderful Miss. K is. I finally got her to come down for breakfast. She ate her breakfast and watched her little show - our normal getting ready routine during the school year. Then it was time to get dressed and it started again, she BEGGED me to keep her home. She then asked if Brian and I could both take her to school. So we did! He followed us to school. I am so happy that I wasn't alone dropping her off. He got to witness the tears and the screaming. He would not be able to say I exaggerated the process! We walked in to school. I believe Brian carried little gal in the doors while I carried the school supplies (kinda blurry). I knew I had to make a quick break! I told Miss. K a few little things then Emma ran over to me and held on to me so tightly! She wasn't letting go. (It was like how I held on to her when she first entered this world. I held her in my arms and never wanted to let go.) She began to sob and began to wrap her body around mine. Miss. K had to pull her away from me. I had to push her away with all my might. It is truly amazing how strong a 4 year old is. I didn't even look back I just walked out the door with Brian following me. I held it together until I left the driveway and then my tears hit. I had held them in for what seemed so long that morning. My tears didn't last long but a million thoughts were going through my mind. This is where I hate having such a long drive to work. I had way too much time to think of whether or not I was making a good choice as a Mom! Looking back I wish I would have called my husband on the ride to work because I would have liked to know what he was thinking. I still haven't asked. We both just left and really didn't speak to each other at all. Basically got in our cars and drove away. Deep down I know we did the right thing. It's the thing I have told hundreds of parents throughout the years. They'll be okay. They always are!

Luckily I have a job that is on the go all day long and I don't have time to sit and think about things. No sooner did I get to work and got things rolling when Brian called and asked if I had called Miss. K. I had seriously lost track of time and hadn't. I called as soon as I hung up with him. She told me that Little Gal stopped crying not even a minute after we left and began talking with Miss. K about her weekend!

I am truly not certain that new adventures with our children ever get easier. It is hard watching them grow up so quickly right before our eyes. But it is truly amazing to watch their accomplishments! I am very proud of Emma! She had a great day today - her words not mine. She ended up getting her first day of school gift. She played with it all evening! We expressed to her throughout the evening how awesome she is and how very proud of her we are. She was beyond excited to show me her Great Day note from Miss. K. She truly did have a wonderful day today! I am sure we will have more drop off struggles for the next few weeks but things will be OKAY!