Holiday Crack

Do you know what has been sitting on my counter for a week?


THIS!



I have been off sugar and chocolate and caffeine for over a month. Every day was a struggle, I wanted my fix so bad (hence why I decided to go off the toxic stuff!). But after awhile, I didn't crave it, but I missed the habit of it, wanting to sneak off in the afternoon with my book. But my book without sugar was not the mid-day escape I sought. Sigh. New rituals had to be learned. DRink lots of water and wait, the craving will pass . . .

And then my darlings made this, their usual holiday ritual. And every time I walk through the kitchen (so about 45 times a day) I can smell the rosebuds. The gummies. The sundrops. These are my favorite kinds of organic, dye-free crack, and they're sitting right there in my kitchen!

Have you noticed how much Christmas seems to equal chocolate? When I first ditched chocolate and sugar back in October, I resisted the bags of Hallowe'en candy and then things were alright again, nothing major in the stores. But when the end of November came, suddenly chocolate erupted in the grocery store. It was all right there, in your FACE as you stand at the teller or come to the end of an aisle. Turtles! After Eights! Hershey's Kisses! Celebrate the season by eating junk. What the hell?!!

I know, I know, this is nothing new,  and I've ranted about this each year. Why are all our seasonal, ancient holidays reduced to sugar? That stuff WILL kill you (just watch this). As I bought stuff for the kids stockings, I hemmed and hawed at the usual chocolates. It was my favorite part of Christmas, the taste of delicious Turtles. And yet, do I want that to be my kid's tradition, what they most look forward to?

(I didn't buy the chocolates this year. They'll live, I promise.)

I do parent in many ways that are against our cultural grain (just wait until my next post!), and I know some think our kids are deprived of the fun things in life. But seriously? I'm trying to help them grow strong bodies and healthy habits. All the adults who think the kids need sugary treats are the same ones who struggle themselves to stop eating the junk. I'm just trying to skip a step, start healthy and stay that way.

So anyway, back to the crack.

After much begging, (daily begging) we gave in and said they could eat some of the candy on their gingerbread house. That included me. I dug in with a knife (I'm serious about my sugar) and gobbled up a bunch of rosebuds. After many weeks without any of it.

It took about 5 minutes to get a headache, 10 minutes to get a sore throat and start sneezing. Ugh. I am done with that jazz my friend.

But the kids? They loved it.


xoxo

C