Revelations of the Week

Kids
I can no longer keep a running list of what Charley says. She can now say it all. Clean and cook were the words of the weekend. and Boom. :)
Three is just a preview of the teen years. One minute this child is a small adult with thoughtful things to share with the Earth. The next minute she is irrational, screaming, and out of control. Good times ahead!
Mason's teacher said he is an angel at school. I have my doubts. Love you, Mase.


John
He's the bomb. He brought me home a butcher block island as an early Valentine's Day present. I am spoiled...but I'm worth it. What a surprise! It is beautiful and fun.

GF
Canned icing is almost across the board without gluten. Hallelujah. The GF brownie mix I've been buying is amazing.
I was okay with the whole G-free movement until I opened up this month's Southern Living. I had a breakdown. I'm also not sure how my identity will survive without glutens, but we'll see. Things seem to be better. No headaches and no acne. That's worth it!

Me
I've had a case of the January's. I'm already feeling better with February knocking on my door this week. It is great for my psyche that the daylight is getting longer again. That alone creates a smile.

Gluten or Not to Gluten?

After several months of odd but not serious symptoms, John suggested that I see how my body reacts to a gluten free diet. After four days this is what I know: I will die without flour.

If I don't die though, these are things that to know:

• Gluten free noodles are not noodles at all. Just eat the sauce.
• Gluten free chocolate chip cookies could be worse. They are kind of gritty but WAY better than no cookies at all. 
• Salads swapped forever for sandwiches will just be sad.
• Tomato soup just tastes like marinara. Disappointment.
• There are way more gluten free choices at restaurants and stores than I would have ever imagined. 
• Foods that are delish and are naturally gluten free are plentiful (peanut butter and hummus!)

So far my symptoms are fewer but not gone. John thinks more than four days will be necessary to see if this works. I'm ready to throw in the towel! I have a doctor's appointment on Friday to check on some things. My hope is that there is NO gluten intolerance or sensitivity. Again. Sad. I have a whole new appreciation for folks who eat GF. Wow.

Chicas

Out to eat adventures always end in a good story.

Last night we went to our favorite mom and pop Mexican restaurant. It is a small place, nothing fancy. It's clean, simple, and yummy. I said to Hadley, "We really like this place, don't we?" Her reply: "It doesn't look that fabulous." Her intonation and face were honest yet forgiving. It is amazing what kids pick up on. Once she settled on a chicken taco for her meal, she ended up devouring my avocado delight. She preferred its salsa, jalapeno, and avocado make up far more than her carbs and cheese. She is her daddy's girl when it comes to palette.

Another revelation would be Charley's first three word sentence: "One chip, please." Her favorite part of the meal was the limes.

The In Between

Today is Mason's 12th birthday. We have one more year of officially being in between a child and a teen. It's easy to say that they grow up too fast, or I wish he'd stay young forever. I'm finding that the older the kids get, the more fun it is to see the person that they really are and will be. There are times when the teen angst just kills me. There are times when his defiance of authority just moves me to tears. There are moments when his mouthy mouth just puts me right over the edge. I say all that to preface all the wonderful things that I'm about to say about ol' Mase. I don't want anyone to think that things are Brady Bunch perfection over here at all times of every day. That said, as Mason gets older these are the things that I love beyond words about him:

• His adoration of the girls. He is the best big brother. He plays with them, feeds them, reads to them, listens to them, talks to them; he gives them his attention which they love. They yell "Mason!!" when he comes through the door just like they do when their Daddy gets home.
• His wit. He is absolutely funny. He's dry and "gets it." Thanks goodness. He can dish it and take it.
• His brilliance. The way he understands math blows me away. 
• His ease around adults and other folks. He's a social butterfly in ways I'm not.
• His ability to not get too stressed out about anything. This can be hard for me when homework and projects are piling up and chores aren't done, but it keeps him relatively at ease. Again, in ways, I'm not.
• His gratitude for things I don't expect him to notice.
• His fashion sense or lack their of depending on the day. 
• His love for football. It's so American.
• His rendition of rap songs. Funny.
• His willingness to bust a move in Spanish to remain the Most Enthusiastic according to his teacher.
• His love of reading. YES!
• His relationships with his grandparents. It makes me happy.

It is fun to watch them grow. I try and savor the little girls as they are, and as much as I love them little, watching kids mature is pretty cool too.

Happy Birthday to the leader of our pack. Love.