May 14th 2011 I am not Talking to a Brick Wall and Salad can actually be Good!

Hey hey, long time no talky, its been a while.  I hope all my readers are well.  Things are good in our household, we have been perfecting our bike riding skills( my 4 year old is learning how to use her brakes), learning how to jump rope(you should see the little ones try and actually jump the rope:)) and have been fighting off the sniffles here.( I think they are finally gone....the sniffles that is)
   Great news here, Major breakthrough.....So, both my kiddos eat paleo and are ok with the fact that we don't eat what most of America eats.  They are o.k. with this because I tell them they are o.k. with this and that they will love appreciate me later in life for this.   But, every opportunity they get to stray from the paleo wagon you will find them sprinting and pushing aside the elderly to get to the chips, candy, bread, soda or whatever it may be that someone is offering.  I, being their mother expect nothing less,(except pushing over the elderly, because I like to think I raised them better than that.) for 1.   Nobody can stay on the wagon all the time. And for 2, They are only 4 and 6...of course they are gonna go for that stuff.  Its like a fun pastime for them.  Actually my oldest daughter said the other day, "  Mom, do you remember when we used to get suckers at the bank?   That was great when we used to do that."  Haha, but anyway back to my great news and major breakthrough....I think my kids are finally getting the big picture.  My youngest daughter like I said is the first to inhale a bag of chips if you let her but a few days ago we were on our way to preschool ( I work there, she attends)  and I realized I left her snacks and lunch on the counter at home.  ( they do serve snacks at lunch at preschool but it is all government food standard friendly which means: wheat, gluten, grains, starch and a cup of sugar on the side)  so I explain to Kaylie that I forgot her food and she gets to eat what her friends are eating today, thinking that she will jump for joy about this.   Instead I hear a blood curdling scream from the back seat and a very angry 4 year old screaming, " I can't eat that food, it's yucky for my body!!! Its not healthy!!!"  We get to school and her  teacher and I rounded up some paleo odds and ends that she could eat for the day.  After that experience...I don;t know......maybe I've over corrupted them....hehe:) and just when  I think my oldest isn't listening she blows me away as well...There was a function at school recently where parents were invited and snacks were served.  By snacks I mean frosted cookies, cupcakes, little bowls of candy kool-aid, and some fruit bowls.   Reygan is offered all these items and she takes one of each.  In my head I'm thinking, " Wow we are in for a rough night"   .....Wait, wait, pause the story.  Just so we are on the same page....They are not forbidden to eat these items.  I don;t have them in my house but if they are offered them some where else it is their choice to eat these items or not.   I'm hoping that by not forcing the healthy and  not forbidding the unhealthy that they will make the decision to go healthy.  I don't want to force it on them and then walk in to their house when they are older and all grown up and find nothing but cupboards full of tubs of frosting and bags of chips(ha...my worst nightmare)  But back to my point,,,I'm hoping they are listening to all my not healthy spiels and will listen to their bodies when they do eat the not so healthy stuff and learn from it.
   Back to my story...Reygan has a cupcake, bowl of fruit, frosted cookie, some candy and Kool-aid in front of her.   She eats 2 little pieces of candy(m&m style), takes 1 bite of her cookie then goes for the fruit( strawberries I believe).  She throws away everything else!!!I was  shocked!!!  She picked fruit out of all that???I guess she does listen when I talk.  AMAZING!!!  On the way out to the car she says" I didn't need all those sugars huh?"  I had perma- smile on my face for the rest of the day!  I love it when my good habits rub off on them!!!! MAJOR MAJOR NEWS!!!! 
   So I found a salad recipe the other day that was actually very good after tweaking it to my style and was far from the regular old standard salad.  The kids (and myself) are not too crazy about veggies, there was minimal complaining about having to eat veggies when the salad was served and after everyone tried it I think it was safe to say it was a hit.  :)

Its Actually Good Salad

• 6-8 oz. of spinach
• 1 carrot, grated
• 2 apples, diced
• 9 strips of bacon, cooked and diced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon  dill
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 avocado, diced

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!