Pretty much anyone in my family or that has been to my house and that has been force-fed banana bread or pound cake in my office will tell you that food is my love language. I take a lot of pleasure and pride in planning and creating meals or treats. It's also an amazing outlet for me.
When I'm stressed? I spend the day baking.
When I need to think? Sunday afternoon is spent cooking suppers for the week.
When I'm working through big life changes? I spend an inordinate amount of time of my children's lunches. I won't be shamed for that.
I'm aware I phoned it in yesterday. But, Dear Reader? Shit gets hard sometimes, mmkay?Listing obvious items in a lunchbox is easier to do than to verbalize (What's the writing form of 'verbalize'?) what this next 90 (ninety- because it looks like 'go') days is actually turning into for us. So, here's the deal: This season of renewal will actually be bringing about some pretty big changes for our family.
The past few months have been grueling for us, emotionally and physically. And I felt called to do a hard reset on our lifestyle and my priorities. SH has always pushed for me to be more balanced and to focus on home when I am home. But in my role, that isn't so easy to do. I've spent the past few years trying to fit my family in around my work life and vice versa...literally to everyone's detriment, but especially my husband's. After several long talks, mostly financially themed (hence my Amazon abstinence this Lent), we agreed that it was time for me to figure out how to scale back.
So, I'll be focusing on taking care of SH- whether it's making sure he has 3 homecooked meals a day or having the energy to soak and rub his feet at night. I can focus on our kids- making it to every game and getting housework done during the week so I can actually spend time with them on the weekends instead of us all just doing chores. And I can take care of myself. Working out more, taking time to read and write, not eating fast food because it's easiest or because I'm too damn tired at the end of the day to make supper or lunch for tomorrow, Hell, I may even walk the pups. Individually, of course. Unless we get a sled...do they make those for asphalt? I digress...
Ultimately, no one ever knows how long we have left, right? I mean, any of us could be gone tomorrow. But that fact really hits home when you're having prognosis conversations with an oncologist. Or when the words, "palliative" or "indefinite" are used in relation to your husband's treatment plan. Cancer sucks and chemo really effing sucks. One might just suck for longer but still with no guarantee of REAL longevity.
My goal is to use this time to take the best care of my husband and family that I can. Filling our time together with fun and comfort and peace.
This is literally a conclusion I came to while making lunches. So, without further ado...
We are riding that meatless Friday train...So, Fifi and I spent the ride home from TVNinja's ball practice deciding on lunch options. We started at a quesadilla...but that felt too easy, too basic. Tortilla cheese pizza? Maybe...Ok, normal cheese pizza? Cheese pizza topped with buffalo tofu nuggets that you can dip in either buffalo sauce or ranch or PORQUE NO LOS DOS?
So Fifi got the above-mentioned pizza while TVN stuck with the classic cheese. And I used a colby-jack blend because this would obviously be the one week in years that I didn't have shredded mozzarella in the fridge. Individual pizza selections accompanied by: sugar snap peas, green bell pepper, grapes, Fiji apple slices, and assorted dipping sauces. I have also stocked up on these absurd Reese's. Potato chips and pretzels? Get thee behind me, Satan. But I figured since the kiddos have now made it through day 2 with no soda, they were due a little treat. And yes, I blacked out that OBNOXIOUS calorie label on the front of these because there are few things more disturbing than the first time you hear your child say the word, "calorie." I'd just as soon they not even see the word.
Long story short...my next post will be about Sister Wives. But also probably still about food. And I'm taking paid catering orders, because Momma needs to make that Prime money, honey!