Rejuvenate Your Afternoon with a Watermelon Refresher!

Cad and my hubby both dislike the texture of watermelon, but I love it.  I don't buy it very often because I'd have to eat it all by myself.  Still, it's a great source of Vitamins A, B, and C and the antioxidant Lycopene.  It's also got Potassium and Magnesium which is a very calming mineral and helps with anxiety and mood.  With all these health benefits plus a natural sweet taste I have found it disappointing summer after summer to not be eating enough because my boys don't like it.  That's when I decided to take this issues into my own hands and employ our blender to break down that texture that they don't like.  

Last summer I had a facebook friend who kept updating about drinking agua fresca (I'm looking at you Christa).  I pictured her luxuriating by a pool somewhere while I slaved away in my kitchen.  I looked up the recipe but I saw it had sugar and I was new to the paleo lifestyle so I figured I'd better just leave it to my poolside friend.  But this week I saw lovely plump little watermelons for sale at Trader Joe's and Cad said he wanted to try to like it again, so we bought one.  I cut up some pieces and he hated it, of course.  So I had 3/4 of a watermelon left to myself and I wasn't going to let it go bad.

Here's the part where I get to the recipe...I have to be honest and say that I didn't measure anything, but I know approximately how much of each thing I used.  Play around with the ingredients, it's so darn good.

Watermelon Refresher

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients: 1 small seedless watermelon, 2-3 tablespoons (more or less to taste) lemon juice, 1 tablespoon coconut nectar, 1 orange (we used a blood orange)

Instructions: Cut the watermelon in half and scoop out all the red flesh into your blender carafe, try to get as much of the watermelon juice in there as you can.  I ended up with about 4 or 5 cups.  Cut the orange and half and juice it with a citrus reamer (I have this super cool one that was my mom's.).  Add the orange juice to your blender too.  I put the pulp in as well for the fiber.  Add your lemon juice.  I used about 3 tablespoons, but you might like more or less.  I bet this would be great with lime juice as well.  Then add about a tablespoon of coconut nectar.  I love coconut nectar and we use it a lot, but honey would work too.

Turn your blender on high and let this get nice and smooth.  Give it a taste to see if there is enough sweetness and acidity and add more if it needs it.

Some people might like to strain this concoction, especially if you're serving it to guests, but Cad and I drink a lot of smoothies and don't mind a little pulp.  This would be delicious with tequila, rum, or vodka for a summer party.  It's best served nice and cold.  Pour into icepop molds for a delicious and nutritious summer treat.

Cad snuck into the picture before I could stop him, this Watermelon Refresher is THAT good!

What We Did During Screen Free Week

I have to first admit that, at least this year, Screen Free Week was mostly for Cad.  We were very successful though, and each year that we participate I learn something about my son and my family.  It was a tough week for me to be screen free as the support group I run on facebook was finishing up a fitness competition and as one of the administrators of the contest I needed to tie up some loose ends.  Still, I kept Cad away from screens completely which was my goal.

One of the first things I did was hide the TV remotes and put a password on my phone.  I hid the iPad and Kindle too.  Keeping temptation out of sight would help keep it out of mind too.  Second I made sure that anyone who might be taking care of Cad knew it was Screen Free Week and what the rules were for Cad and screens.  Third, I tried to plan a few new activities in places we'd never been before to keep things fresh.

Sunday: Cad's Bacon and Lumberjacks Birthday Party was Sunday which definitely kept him occupied.  We had a great time and by the time we got home with all of our leftovers and gifts Cad was exhausted.

Monday: On Monday's Cad spends a little time with his Nana while I go to my therapy appointment.  Usually I pick him up and we head home but today we had a nice lunch with her and a little walk around Salem.  Then we made dinner together and I let Cad use a fairly sharp knife to do some chopping which brought on a ridiculous amount of excitement.  We also walked to the train station to meet my hubby instead of driving to pick him up.

Tuesday: Cad's actual birthday was today and so my hubby took the day off from work.  We went out to a nice breakfast and headed into town.  We did see a show in the planetarium, which I guess some people might consider a screen, but we had free planetarium tickets and we decided not to waste them.  It was nice to be in Boston, it feels strong and determined.  In order to avoid that early evening "I'm tired, but don't want to nap" time when I might usually let him watch a TV show we gave him his presents for us and invited my mom over for a visit.

Wednesday: Yoga really helps me to relax and feel like I am escaping life's stresses for a little bit, so Wednesday morning I dropped Cad off in the Y's babysitting room and took yoga practice.  It was a lovely class and I left feeling rejuvenated.  We decided to go check out the rail trail which is a really nice walking area a few towns over and found a cool old bridge and pond.  We threw rocks, used a magnifying glass to check out a beetle and talked with some bike riders.  Then Cad hung out with his auntie while my hubby and I met with a new family therapist to see if she might be a good fit for our family.

Thursday:  I have got to say Cad didn't really notice the absence of screens until today.  For some reason I forgot to make a plan for something to do on Thursday and we didn't have much to do until 1 pm.  Good thing he had a bunch of brand new toys from his birthday.  One of them is a little kid pitch machine.  It's so damn loud, but he played with it in the yard for a few hours in the morning.  Then we headed to the Y and I got in a nice workout while Cad hung out in the babysitting room.  Then he did really well in gymnastics class, much better behavior than usual.  He was in such a good mood that we got dinner made early and I got to take a yoga class in the evening while Cad and Dada experimented with the blacklight in Cad's classroom.

Friday: I knew that Friday I would really need to find some stuff for Cad to do because I had a lot of work to do for my support group's competition and my hubby was working late.  We packed some trail mix and all of Cad's new nature exploring tools he got for his birthday and headed out to the Danvers Swampwalk with Nana in tow.  The swampwalk is an amazing nature walk with a wooden boardwalk placed over a swamp that is just filled with animals.  We saw hawks, turtles, frogs, finches, cardinals, and almost too many water snakes then I would have liked.  It was truly a super fun adventure, and once we reached the end we turned around and did it again because we like it so much.  If you're local you have go to check it out!

Saturday: After a week with no screens I was feeling pretty good about some of the changes I was seeing in Cad.  He wasn't asking to watch TV, or to play a game on my phone.  He was asking to play outside, read books, and play with toys.  I had a 5K to run on Saturday so my hubby took Cad to swim class and then we went off to a lovely birthday party at a local park.  Then a day full of errands brought us to evening and I realized that Screen Free Week was over and it was time to discuss what and how we would reintroduce screens.

I am done with handing Cad a screen to quiet him down in a restaurant, grocery store, etc.  He needs to learn how to act appropriately and a screen won't assist with that in any way.  I think that watching a movie together as a family once a week is a wonderful way to enjoy screens, so that we will definitely keep.  Besides that I think that keeping screen use to the very occasional times when something absolutely must get done and I need to distract Cad is a good idea.  If I've got to clean the whole house in 15 minutes, take a very important phone call, or something like that then I think screens are a good "quick fix" option.  I am hoping that the days of me feeling guilty because Cad watched too much instead of doing enough are over, or at the very least lessened.

Why We Go Screen Free for a Week

This is our third year participating in Screen Free Week.  This year we're really doing it for Cad.  I am only using screens after he has gone to bed, or before he wakes up.  Hopefully we can stick to it this year.  We did last year and it felt really good.
Once again we have fallen into a pattern of a little TV here and there, sometimes a movie on a weeknight, a day where the TV is on most of the day because someone is under the weather.  This wouldn't really bother me if it wasn't combined with the little screens that sneak in.  When the Boston Marathon bombings happened I gave Cad the iPad so I could catch up on the news.  During the whole Watertown manhunt we gave him the iPad again.  It was a safe way to insulate him from what was going on and help us stay on top of what was happening.
(I know lots of parents who said that when the whole bombing thing happened they just turned off the TV and focused on something else.  I think that's very noble and a great way to make sure your children aren't seeing the horrors of what happened unfolding on TV, but I felt compelled to follow it all.)
My hubby and I have also fallen into a bad habit of letting Cad use our phones when we'd like him to quiet down.  I hate that I had to just type that sentence, but it's true.  From the moment he wakes up to the time he goes to bed (and for a long time afterwards) Cad talks all day.  Sometimes I just need a moment to talk to my husband, or on the phone with a friend.  In restaurants, the grocery store, when my hubby's train is late...I have turned to the phone.
This is why we are doing screen free week.  I am looking to more mindful parenting because so far it's going really great!  I'll see you in a week and hopefully we will be rejuvenated and renewed!

Try it Tuesday: Completely Present Parenting

Parenting Cad has been tough lately, like really tough.  The harder it gets the closer I get to a feeling I might label as resentment.  I think we are both feeling tired of trying to be the person in control.  I admire parents with infinite patience who shower their children with attention in constructive ways.  I still have a realistic view of life with a preschool-age kid and know it's got lots of ups and downs.  I want to smooth those transitions out to the best of my ability.

Here's my plan for being present:

• When Cad wakes up I will wake up too.  I won't ask for 10 more minutes or ask him to play with his toys in his room.
• I recognize that parenting has been stressful for me lately and that it's okay to ask for help.  My hubby and I have decided to recruit ourselves a family therapist who we can all see together and talk about doing good purposeful work to bond us as a happy family.  Our first appointment is next week.
• I understand that Cad learns from talking with other adults about societal expectations and expressing himself appropriately so he is seeing his own therapist today.  They make art together and talk.  He really likes it.
• Cad also has OT today.  These two appointments are opportunities for me to check my email, read, or just think.  It's a good time to renew myself while he is learning.
• We will attend a playgroup today too with friends who Cad can be himself with.
• We are going to nourish ourselves with wonderful food that makes us feel good and in control of our bodies and minds.
• I will make time for me to exercise.

Throughout the day I am going to really try to be present, kind, and understanding.  I am not going to yell today.  I am not going to be rushing out the door; late for our next appointment.  I am going to really TRY because we both deserve it.

We Were Supposed to Be There

About 7 or 8 months ago my good friend announced she would be running in the Boston Marathon.  She is a member of my Healthy Moms support group and we were all very excited for her.  She began the process of fundraising and her friends started planning how we would get our whole group to the finish line to cheer her on and congratulate her.
Then this friend got pregnant with her third child and it became clear that she would not be running the 26.2 miles in faraway April.  We figured we would just put a pin in this and celebrate with her whenever her time to run the marathon came.
While my friend was beyond happy to be able to bring another amazing child in the world she definitely was sad to have to delay her marathon dreams.  She continued the fundraising effort for Children's Hospital and continued to work hard for her charity because that's the kind of person that she is.  Instead of just dropping out, she leaned in and accomplished big goals.
Monday morning I wrote on her facebook wall: "I know you're probably a little sad you're not running today, but the world will be a better place with another smart, funny, adorable (her last name) boy in it!"  She posted pictures of herself in Wellesley (far away from the finish line) with her two boys and her beautiful blossoming belly cheering on the other Children's Hospital competitors.
Then the news started to come to light and we were inundated with images and sounds that we can never unsee or unhear.  I cannot state the horrifying feeling that charged through my body and mind clearly enough. As a mother, a person who suffers from PTSD, a runner, and as a lifelong resident of Massachusetts I felt like things were just beginning to crumble.  It took a long time to get in touch with all the people I knew who were in Boston at that moment including my husband, sister, and brother-in-law who were all in different parts of the city and at points unreachable by phone.
And then I thought of my dear friend and her baby-to-be.  That baby saved us.  We would have all been there to cheer her on, she would have been coming in with the other charity runners right at that time.  We were supposed to be there, at that moment, and we would have gotten there early to make sure we were close.
I can't quite put into words who thankful I am that my friend got pregnant.  I am so sad to know of the many many others who I know who were directly and indirectly affected: my husband who witnessed the explosions from his office window, a friend who had to stay in her home all day Friday because of the manhunt, a fellow Salemite whose son and husband recover in the best hospitals in the world, and countless other friends of friends,  friend's roommate's cousins, etc.  There was a collective sigh of relief in Massachusetts and I'm sure much of the US when the manhunt ended on Friday night, but now there's a lot to process.  Anger, sadness, confusion are all present in abundance.
It all leaves me feeling a little triggered and unsafe.  I know that this is because of my own previous trauma  but I feel guilty to be so affected by events that did not directly harm me or people who I love.  Still, I can't help it and it's like a dark cloud.  I read a quote somewhere in the barrage of news and information that it's important for victims to know that the culprit was caught and justice will be done, but I can't help but think that there's going to have to be a lot more to it to bring healing to Boston.
When I look outside of myself and my own problems with what happened I can see that there are others who need help and support and at least then we're doing something.  In the past few days we have sent donations, purchased tee shirts, participated in memorial runs, and joined in vigils to honor the many victims. I am trying not to dwell in weakness when there is work to be done.  I have love to shine upon the people in need.  This is going to take awhile.