Have you ever made a promise to your kids that got you in way over your head? Well, that happened to me this week, and it all started because two little boys wanted just one little thing from me.
First, a little background. My two children, now 8 and 6, share a room. They've shared that room for six years. Before that, it was my nephew's room, but then we all played musical houses (that's a different and entirely ridiculous story) and now my kids have the room my nephew once had. The room has a blue ceiling, blue and grey walls, and clouds cut out of ceiling tiles hanging from the ceiling. It also has a Disney's Cars light switch. All of this was from when it was my nephew's room. The only things I added were a few Diego wall decals and a Thomas the Tank Engine toy box. Six years ago. The room hasn't changed since them.
So maybe the situation I've found myself in was bound to creep up on me. And it may be partially my own fault for not updating their room as they grew. They're not toddlers anymore, after all. But I digress.
A few days ago my oldest son Tristan sat beside me and said, "Mommy, you need to paint my room."
That seemed an innocent enough request, so I asked him what color he wanted it painted. Tristan pulled out a paint chip (where did he get a paint chip?!) and showed me a silver paint that would look lovely but would never go over the deeply insane blue on the walls and ceiling now. I asked if he couldn't pick a slightly darker color. He refused. Fine. Silver walls it was. I'd need tinted primer go cover all that blue, but it was fine. Paint is no big deal.
Tristan went on to explain that if he was going to be a knight, he needed grey walls because castle stones are grey. I remember thinking "How cute" as he talked about being a knight. He has all the costumes and two years ago my father and I built him a castle in the yard to play in.
Rowan, my younger son, snuck in and said, "Did you ask her yet?"
Tristan shook his head, so now I was suspicious. He'd already asked me about paint, and I'd agreed, so what hadn't he asked me. I gave Tristan a look. He smiled. I gave Rowan a look. He ran back upstairs. So I turned back to Tristan.
"What's going on?"
With a heartfelt sigh that shook his little body he explained. He wanted a knight's bedroom. With grey walls and one stone wall and a cool bed and everything. He didn't like Cars and he didn't like Diego. At all. He and Rowan were old enough now to get a bedroom they loved. Thinking paint and wallpaper would do it, I agreed. Then he asked if he could use my computer. In a flash of blind stupidity (and not seeing the connection), I agreed.
So I made dinner and Tristan, at a whole 8 years old, clicked away. To my growing misfortune, I'm coming to realize that the school is teaching my kids to spell and surf the web. This is a dangerous combination. If Tristan couldn't spell, he couldn't use Google and my life would be easier. Well, he can spell and they taught him all about Google. And they taught him how to save pictures from the Internet. This was about to ruin my day.
So I'm making hide-the-beans burgers and cinnamon sweet potato fries and Tristan starts printing something. Who taught the kid to print!? Not me, that's for sure. Into the kitchen he comes with a STACK of paper. My heart clenched as I realized this kid had a PLAN.
What was the plan? A stone wall. Not wallpaper, but real stone. I managed to convince him to use wallpaper because he'd lose a foot of his room with real stone, but it was a near thing. He also wanted to get rid of the bunk bed and have two separate beds. He'd found three pictures on the internet that he wanted to combine. Scary. Oh, and fake windows behind each bed. And castles rising above each bed (he didn't have a picture for this, but he is a little artist). Oh, and THREE nightstands. And treasure chests at the end of the beds. And the beds...navy with a silver stripe. With a crest. And reversible, so silver with a navy stripe on the other side. Still with a crest. Matching curtains around the beds, and these curtains have to hang from the castles rising above the beds.
His plan involves a little more than just paint and wallpaper. It involves new lights (including a dragon light), new switches, new beds, bedding, shelves that look like castles, castles that rise up above beds, curtains, chains, murals, fake windows, and I can't even remember what else. And what did I say when he thrust all these papers and plans at me?
I said, "Yes." What did I just get myself into? Stay tuned for the answer.
My two boys love Pizza Hut. My oldest, in fact, saves up his money to treat himself as often as I allow. The gooey cheese that everyone loves is unfortunately a source of naturally occurring trans fats, so that's not all good. The "Eat Well" (it might be called something else in your area) menu, however, has plenty of options that limit or eliminate trans fats, get the fiber up, and lower the calories. You just have to watch what your little ones order.
Order
Try to get your kids to enjoy the delightful Margherita pizza. It's delicious enough for everyone, so perhaps order one pizza for everyone to share. Two slices of this paired with a side salad (try the raspberry dressing; it's excellent) and you have only 480 calories. Not bad for a Pizza Hut lunch. If you can convince your kids to have a glass of water, all the better, but a glass of juice doesn't add too much to the calorie count.
Don't Order
That pepperoni personal pan pizza might be tasty, but it's not all that healthy. If you add a side Caesar salad (with the dressing, of course) and an Orange Crush to drink, you're up to a whopping 1269 calories with 50g of fat. That's a little much for a single meal, so try to get your kids to look elsewhere on the menu. Their health will thank you for it.
Let's face it, modern families are busy and just about all of us end up eating out once in a while. If we're in a rush, fast food joints may be the only places that fit our schedules and our kids' finicky appetites.
Love it or hate it, most of us end up stopping at McDonald's with our children, but even though it may not be our first choice there are still choices available for the health conscious parent. This chain has taken most of the trans fats out of their fries, reduced the sodium in many foods, and now offers milk, apple slices, and even yogurt.
Order
Happy Meals are a big thing for kids, and they used to be pretty darned unhealthy. Today, however, there is more variety. Consider a Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap, apple slices, and a milk to drink. Even a chocolate milk if your child prefers. And they still get the toy. This combo has approximately 450 calories, 690 mg of sodium, and 12 g fat. While this may not be ideal, it's not terrible.
Don't Order
I have nothing against chicken nuggets and fries, and one of my sons really loves them, but if you're looking the healthiest option, pass on this Happy Meal combo. If you add a small Fruitopia to the mix you end up with approximately 600 calories, 640 mg of sodium, and 25 g fat. Another option is probably best.
Stopping at a fast food place such as McDonald's isn't all that bad if you're careful and discerning. If your children do prefer the less healthy options, limit the number of times they're allowed to choose the nuggets or cheeseburger.
Walnuts serious brain food, especially for children, and they taste good enough on their own. Packed with omega-3s, walnuts keep the neurons in kids' brains firing, protects the heart, lowers cholesterol, and may even help ward off certain types of cancers.
But sometimes we don't want to eat a handful of walnuts all the time. Walnuts are versatile enough to fit in many different recipes, so try the following maple walnut crunch.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw walnut pieces
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- pinch of salt
Method
- Preheat over to 325°F (160°C).
- Combine all ingredients in a large bow and mixing gently. Make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed and all walnut pieces are coated with the syrup.
- Spread walnuts evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, turn, and bake for 10 minutes longer.
- Let cool before serving.
Make sure you use real maple syrup, not the fake stuff. You'll also want the sweetest nuts possible, so buy smaller walnuts that are lighter in color. Purchase them in small amounts and keep them in the fridge or even the freezer to keep them as fresh as possible.
