The Football Wife

Mr. Meat & Potatoes Turns Vegan

Sara — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:48:50 +0000

Coach came home from the office a few days ago and casually said, “So, I’ve decided to become vegan.”

{insert record scratch}

Right… ”Mr. I Never Eat My Green Beans” who likes his steak well-done was suddenly {by some act of God or Congress or will power} going to eat vegetables all day long. It reminded me of the times that I declared myself a vegetarian just to get out of eating parts of my dinner as a kid, only to find myself a day later with a half eaten cheeseburger on my plate.

Vegan.

I have to admit, I feel a little guilty when I see our little chicken friend Myra out at the farm store where we buy our vegetables. I see the way she follows her human friend T around while he mows the grass and I can’t bare the thought of someone pouring barbecue sauce all over her & baking her at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Somehow those images are lost when I prepare dinner in the evening.

We continued our conversation…

“You know what that means, right?” I asked {suggesting that he had yet to do his homework on the lifestyle.}

“It means that I can’t eat meat,” he replied.

“Yeah, or dairy,” I replied

“Oh. What about chicken? Can I have that?” he asked.

“Babe! C’mon.. are you kidding me?“

All that grad school and he has the food knowledge of Jessica Simpson. I decided to honor his request to try the Vegan lifestyle by borrowing some books from the library, purchasing tofu, and even finding shredded “cheese” made from soy. While visiting Trader Joe’s, I got some pretty good advice from one of their staff members, “Tell your husband, easy on the soy — it has some kind of estrogen or something like that.” Right. I mean the last thing I need is for Coach to grow boobs.

After a few days of eating a vegan lifestyle, I can tell you this: I am hungry. BUT, I am eating healthier and making better decisions about what food I am shoving into my mouth. I’ve remembered to eat breakfast and Coach has, too.

“I can eat a banana, right?” he asked this morning.

“Do chickens lay bananas?” I asked sarcastically.

Oh… he has so much to learn.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors – Ellie’s Food Drive

Sara — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:36:52 +0000

Champions for Kids seeks to “mobilize millions” of people by providing training and resources to improve the lives of children in communities across America and beyond. The easiest way to participate is through their simple service project ideas of which there is a new one each month.

More than 16 million children under the age of 18 are food insecure in this country. That means that their families lack the funds to adequately supply their growing bodies with nutritious foods on a daily basis, thus resulting in poor nutrition and an unprotected immune system. Of that 16 million, 3 million are under the age of five years old.

This month, sponsored by Abbott Nutrition, their simple service project challenged people to “pack a snack” using items like Zone Perfect bars, Pediasure, & Pediasure Sidekicks and donate the items to a local organization that serves children.

Working with Loaves & Fishes, which serves the greater Charlotte area, we learned that 17,000 people were recipients of nutritious food at the pantry in our little college town. Using their list of suggested items, plus the “pack a snack” suggestions, we created a flyer to host a food drive in our neighborhood:

On a sunny afternoon, Ellie pedaled her little princess bike up and down the street handing out flyers to our neighbors.

“We’re having a food drive,” she said proudly. When I think about mothers who have to decide between paying the electric bill and feeding their families, I know that we’re doing the right thing… and hopefully, inspiring others to do the same in their community.

Little hands, but big heart.

After walking around the neighborhood with her little basket on wheels, we returned home to box up the items we collected. {We have the best neighbors!} In addition to our contribution of Pediasure, Pediasure Sidekicks, Zone Perfect Bars, & several cans and jars of food, Ellie took a look at all the food that she had in the dining room and declared, “This is a lot of food!” And it was… but there is still a greater need to feed the hungry in our communities.

With the Jetta loaded up, we drove into town to the food pantry. When we pulled up, a volunteer came out and helped us unload the car. Then he gave us a tour of the neat & tidy little “store”.

Whether you have a car full of groceries or just one bag, every donation is valued. I encourage you to research the need in your own community & visit Champions for Kids for great ideas on getting started.

See more of our pictures in our Google+ story!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. We signed up to participate in this project because of the charitable nature & used a portion of our compensation to purchase items for our food drive. All opinions are my own. #AbbottCFK #ChampionsforKids #CBias

Ellie’s Questions About Jesus {or Why I Need my Pastor on Speed Dial}

Sara — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:41:50 +0000

Whenever we go to Target {which is frequently}, Ellie has three places that she absolutely MUST visit: the toys, the shoes, & the music kiosk in the card section. She rarely asks for anything, but this past trip she asked if we could buy ” the church songs just like we sing at the Y”. {Our church meets at the local YMCA.} How could I say no to buying worship music?

Every errand we run is accompanied by this new music & I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how quickly she has picked up on the lyrics. ”Hey, Mom. I’m gonna sing this one at church. That be a good idea?”

Yes, that would be a good idea since up until that moment, the only songs she knew by heart were every Christmas carol ever written & Katy Perry’s Firework.

Yesterday as we left the library and began driving to our next destination, I could see that she was thinking rather deeply about something. I can’t remember which track on the CD was playing, but all of a sudden in a shocked tone of voice she said, “Wait a minute! Jesus died!?”

I’ll admit – I get a little nervous about conversations like this for fear of totally screwing up the answer. {We need our pastor on speed dial.}

“Yes, Ellie. Jesus died to save us all from our sins so that we can go to heaven someday and be with Him.”

“But WHO did that to Him?! That was not very nice!!” she demanded to know with her finger wagging.

“Well… a long time ago, some people killed Jesus, but God loves us all very much and that’s why he sent Jesus to save us.”

“To save me?”

“Yes, and me, too.”

“How ’bout Daddy?”

“Yes, Daddy too.”

“Well, that was really nice of Jesus to do that for me. Can I get a balloon at Harris Teeter?”

“Absolutely.”

phew.

Too Much Talk & Baby Predictions

Sara — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:56:35 +0000

Ellie talks a lot.

When I say “a lot” I mean she doesn’t take a breath in between thoughts and when she doesn’t know what to say she bursts into song or practices her ventriloquist act. Most of the time, it’s rather amusing and I often find myself laughing until tears roll down my cheeks. Sometimes, however, she talks so much & asks so many questions that I forget how to make a sandwich.

“Mom? Can I have some Cheerios? Not the ones in the yellow box. The ones that are a lil’ bit sticky & have Spiderman on the back? I don’t like Spiderman. Daddy likes Spiderman, right Mommy? I think Xander likes Spiderman, too. Mom! Don’t forget the milk. I like milk in my cereal, it makes it taste YUMMY! My body just likes to eat Cheerios. Look, Mom. I’m growing bigger. See? Look what I can do now that I’m bigger, Mom! I think I’m big enough to go on a rollercoaster. I really like rollercoasters. They have rollercoasters at Disney World, Mom. Nana & Papa are gonna take me there. Do you want to take me there? There’s a castle & princesses and you can eat breakfast there! Who’s your favorite princess Mom? I like Cinderella, too but I think Ariel is my favorite one. Does she have a tail or legs at Disney World, Mom?” {and it goes on & on…}

At the end of the day, I had hoped that she would settle down but as I tucked her into bed her eyes were still sparkling & her wheels were still turning. She was excited much like she was on Christmas Eve, which was strange for a Monday in January.

“What is it, Ellie?”

“Mom,” she whispered, “I think God is going to put a baby in your tummy tonight!”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen, sweetie.”

“Maybe He’ll put two babies in your tummy, but not three babies. Three babies would not be awesome.”

We said our prayers, turned off the light, named her future siblings, tucked her back into bed six times, promised a ticket for a good night’s sleep, and then finally… it was quiet. Of course, as you can imagine…

she even talks in her sleep.

Be a Champion for Kids – Ellie’s Food Drive

Sara — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:45:10 +0000

More than 16 million children under the age of 18 are food insecure in this country. That means that their families lack the funds to adequately supply their growing bodies with nutritious foods on a daily basis, thus resulting in poor nutrition and an unprotected immune system. Of that 16 million, 3 million are under the age of five years old.

In researching this project, I discovered that my local food pantry served more than 17,000 people according to their annual report. These families {who look much like our own families} were provided with a nutritious one week supply of food thanks to the donations of people and businesses in our community.

We are blessed in our family to have the resources to buy food whenever we need it. Champions for Kids works to mobilize millions of people by providing training & resources to improve the lives of children in our communities. Their simple service project ideas have inspired our family to host a food drive and YOU can help, too.

If you’d like to participate from afar, you can download a project card and host a food drive in your own community. If you’re local, I encourage you to participate in Ellie’s Food Drive! We’ll be collecting your food donations to deliver to our local Loaves & Fishes Pantry at the Ada Jenkins Center. We’ll be sending out emails & posting to Facebook with more details of our pick up schedule.

Here’s a printable list of food that our local pantries can use: Ellie’s Food Drive

Cereal
Nutrition Bars {like Zone Perfect}
Oatmeal or Grits
Pediasure
Pediasure Sidekicks
“One Box” Meals
Canned Meat (chicken, tuna, Spam, etc.)
Canned fruit
Canned Vegetables
Juice (4-6 oz. Or concentrate)
Pasta
Pasta Sauce
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Mustard
Jell-O
Pudding
Peanut Butter
Jelly or Jam
Cookies
Cake mix and icing
Spaghetti-O’s
Bar soap
Laundry detergent-small
Toothpaste and toothbrushes
Toilet paper
Diapers and wipes
Baby food
Pet food

Let’s give all kids a chance for a healthy start in life & feed families in our own community.

Disclosure: This post has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own & the desire to participate in a local food drive were decided upon in a family meeting. #AbbottCFK #CBias

The Rule on the Fridge

Sara — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:42:23 +0000

The first time we used “the rule on the fridge”, it was during a phase when it seemed like every little thing would send Ellie into panic mode. You probably know the sound, right? High pitched, escalating in volume, occasionally accompanied by fits of tears, ending in everyone getting really upset with each other.

“Oh, no!!!!!!! My butt’s still wet!!”

“Ahhhhh!!! I can’t get this open!”

“Toby’s gonna try to steal my lunch!”

I titled this behavior “freaking out” & we immediately made a rule against it. On an index card, I wrote in bold letters: NO freaking out and gave it a prominent spot on the refrigerator door. At first, she really didn’t like this whole having a rule thing, but I really did. Instead of negotiating or trying to calm her down when “the toilet paper was just trying to get on the floor” or her “pants were just trying to be tricky”, I simply pointed to the fridge and asked, “What’s the rule?”

We used this rule for about two weeks until it was no longer needed. The girl who used to panic & literally get her knickers in a twist had become… a problem solver.

After football season ended, Ellie was having a hard time taking direction from her Daddy. If he asked her to do something, her response was an argumentative grunt followed by some sticking out of the tongue. I refuse to raise a brat, so the next rule was: Be Respectful.

Again, it worked like a charm.

TODAY, after returning home from story time at the library I took one good look around the house & declared it a total mess.

“Ellie, after lunch you need to clean up your toys. You have magnets all over the floor & in different places. You know how grumpy it makes me when you play like this.”

“Mom… I’m making a new rule,” she announced. She grabbed an index card and a pencil and began to “write”. Then she turned and showed it to me. “Do you see this, Mom? It says “No getting angry about messes” and she placed it on the fridge.

That’s one way to solve a problem!

The Years are Short {Wordless Wednesday}

Sara — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:03:14 +0000

On this day in 2009.

A Fascination with Kit {Ellie’s 1st Haircut}

Sara — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:50:36 +0000

Ellie’s fascination with Kit Kittredge is entirely my fault. After all, I’m the one who suggested that she was too little to borrow the Kit movie from the library. Suggesting that she was too young to view such a film was the only way I knew she would choose my favorite American Girl over a cartoon.

In borrowing this movie & now several of Kit’s books from the library, I never expected the kind of influence this story would have on my three-year-old.

“Mom, I want to get my hair cut like Kit’s.” The only haircuts Ellie had ever had were on my bathroom counter where I would trim the ends or add layers. With her hair nearly down to her bottom, I wanted to be sure that she knew what she was asking.

“You’re sure?” I asked. ”YES. I want my hair like Kit Kittredge.” An appointment with Aunt Tracey was made for Ellie’s first official haircut.

Ellie’s wild girl hair.

Getting started… looking unsure!

Look down…

Aunt Tracey said, “Is that Kit in the mirror?”

Six inches cut off.

Ready for a bow!

If ever a character from a book or movie could influence my child, I’m glad it could be a heroic little girl with a cute haircut. Of course, now she’s begging her daddy to build her a treehouse, wants to find a typewriter, & has recently expressed interest in working in a soup kitchen. And did I mention that she wants me to sew her a dress from a feed sack? It’s 1934 around here… and in some ways, it’s pretty refreshing.

Back in the Saddle {Writing Again!}

Sara — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:59:24 +0000

Three ways you know you’ve been missing in action online:

Your husband asks if you’re still a blogger.
Your triberr leader checks to see if you’re alive.
Your house is clean – there are some perks to being offline!

This past month has been quite a busy one for this football family. In addition to celebrating Christmas, I made a major decision in our family’s schedule – more on that later. While Coach continued to recruit student athletes, I traveled to Pennsylvania with Ellie & Toby to visit my family, then flew to Texas for a rendezvous with Coach before making the return road trip back to NC.

Christmas was full of magic for our family this year. Ellie was just as tickled over her new bicycle as she was for the bunnies who also received new toys in their stockings. Her new doll, which received the best reaction, has been good company for her and she enjoys having tea parties & cooking for her. The doll’s name is Masha {not to be confused with Marsha} and is named for the female brown bear cub from her favorite documentary.

Oh, that Ellie.

Let me share a zinger from the last month…

One chilly Pennsylvania morning, after running to the vet’s office with my mom & her dog, we stopped back at the house briefly to return the dog before venturing out around town. While still buckled into her car seat, I popped back into the house for a moment.

When I returned, I opened her door and said, “How are you doing, Midge?”

“Mom! I am not a bitch!” she shouted at me.

I laughed so hard and then said, “Midge. I called you Midge!”

“Well, I’m an Ellie!”

Lesson learned.

Dating my Husband Again

Sara — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:29:41 +0000

Recently I noted that the last time I went away with my husband {just the two of us}, I was very, very pregnant. I’m not saying that pregnant women can’t have fun, but with limited access to abdominal muscles, just walking on the beach was a bit of a chore.

Yesterday, we had a busy day of travel. I began my day in Pennsylvania, kissed my daughter goodbye & flew to Atlanta where I hooked up with Coach & the boys. By late afternoon, we were strolling along the Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio. Just the two of us. There were no crayons in my purse, no stroller to push, & we enjoyed this thing called “conversation” that doesn’t happen too often in parent-mode.

This morning Coach said to me, “When was the last time we slept in like this?” The answer to that question is easy: 2008.

And now, if you’ll excuse me… I have a date with my husband.