Happy (Healthy) Valentine's Day, Stags

I remember when I was in elementary school. Valentine's day would come around and that would mean Valentine cards made of red paper and doilies, glitter, store-bought valentines (with envelope included), and CANDY! Just this year, Bloomberg Business Week predicted that over 140 million pounds of candy will be sold for Valentine's day... 60 percent of it is chocolate. Nothing wrong with that. I certainly looked forward to and got a good share of candy from friends and classmates on Valentine's day. One of the iconic symbol of Valentine's day continues to be the candy hearts with romantic sayings like "BE MINE" or "KISS ME."

Fast forward 2 decades: Over the years, several school districts have banned Valentine candy. Now, when kids exchange Valentines on Feb. 14, they give out cards, pencils, stickers, or other small, non-sweet treats to show their friendship and affection for each other.

Lucas' school was on-board with the idea. His teacher sent home a letter asking parents to bring a valentine for every child in the class IF they bring valentines at all. So it's an all-or- nothing policy. I imagine that this there to avoid hurt feelings if someone does not get a valentine. The teacher also politely encouraged us to keep the valentines candy-free. So Lucas and I went to the dollar store to look for cards, stickers, pencils, erasers, and .... and... boy there was a lot of enticing red, pink, and purple CANDY! But we were good and we stuck to our sweets-free shopping list for Lucas' class

... with a few Goo Goo bars for Mommy.

Old habits die hard!

Stags Eating Healthy

We have had a new wave of healthy eating in our household lately. We started implementing little changes a couple of years ago:

• cooking at home more
• encouraging Lucas to "just try" something new
  
• eating less meat (not applicable to Lucas)
• making veggies a larger percent on the plate
• keeping "healthier" snacks at home
• drinking less soda (John hardly drinks it now!)
  

The most painless and least noticable change was converting from white rice to brown rice. When John and I ate brown rice for the first time, we just kind of looked at each other with scrunched-up expressions on our faces as if we just put saw dust into our mouths. Brown rice is really quite good. Plus, the health benefits made it worth a try. White rice causes a rapid spike in blood sugar. Also, when brown rice is milled and polished to make white rice, a lot of the magnesium and the cholesterol-lowering LDL fats in the bran are also removed. That leaves only the white fluffy grain we all know and love!

But switching overnight from fluffy, creamy, slightly sweet white rice to the hearty, nutty- tasting, fiber-rich texture of brown rice was probably a bad idea. Ian seemed open to it right away, but not Lucas!

So we started by combining the two rices and cooking them together (1/4 brown to 3/4 white). It was a bit noticeable but not enough to bother me. Time went by and we ate the odd rice combo with little interruption. Lucas was on board. After a few weeks, we make the proportions 50/50 brown to white. That stayed that way for a few months because the holidays were upon us and neither John nor I thought about the rice for a while.

Last week, we make the transition to 80% brown rice.... no complaints from anyone! Now adobo and stir-fry doesn't taste any different to us with brown rice. I look forward to buying just brown rice soon... it's a pain keeping both kinds in my small, small pantry. As a mom, I feel good making this change in my family's diet, especially with picky eaters (ahem, John is one of them).

Quiet Stags

"What game do you want to play tonight?" John asked.

"Ummm, UNO or Lego Heroica or Operation..." replied Lucas.

Around 8 pm at our little apartment, the TV is turned off, the computer monitors are dimmed, and all electronic games are paused. It marks the beginning of "Quiet time" in our household. I came up with the concept a while ago out of frustration with all the noise and stimulation from the TV and computers. It was not allowing Lucas to settle down and prepare for bed. But it was John who decided that we would definitely start the nightly routine of "Quiet Time."

Studies show that bright lights directly into our eyes from the TV, computer monitor, iPad, etc. can affect sleep patterns. These devices can "fool our brains into thinking its daylight" even if it's not, and our bodies respond accordingly (click here for news article). But who doesn't love to surf the net, check their facebook, or watch a documentary before bed? GUILTY!

So, even though the habit was hard to break for us adults, we thought we should give it a try to get Lucas to sleep earlier and get a good nights rest. The first night, we expected a protest from Lucas... "No! I don't want Quiet Time! It's boring! You cheaters (his favorite thing to say)"

The first night we tried it, Lucas was freshly showered and dressed in his pajamas. We decided to play Lego Heroica. It's a game board made of Lego pieces, Lego characters, and even a Lego dice. It was really fun! Lucas loved it. No complaints, no whining, and no crying. The next night, we played Operation. The following night, Lucas learned how to play UNO. He is starting to think strategically!

I have to admit that turning off the electronic devices was harder for John and me. I had to turn off the TV in the middle of my Rachel Maddow Show. John had to stop defending the republic in his Star Wars game. John and I joke (quietly to ourselves) that "Quiet Time" is "suffering time" for us.... No, not really. It's very good for us as well.

Sometimes it takes a 7 year old to change the bad habits of his parents.

Stag Teeth

If you have met Lucas, you know that size-wise, everything about him is small. Lucas is just fitting into his size 6 pants even though he just turned 7. I know people come in all shapes and sizes. But Lucas' smallness also extends into his jaw. I once heard a dentist say that mixed-race children sometimes get the Asian jaw (smaller) and the Caucasian teeth (bigger) in the same mouth. Ian had to get 2 teeth pulled out when he was round 10 years old to make room for his other erupting teeth. I was worried that he would have weird gaps in his teeth as a result, but that did not happen. His teeth are actually remarkably straight for being a thumb-sucker (Sorry, Ian!)... no braces needed.

Lucas' recent dental check ups have been going well, except that the possible use of a palate expander may likely be needed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatal_expander The need for this contraption is evident now that his two front baby teeth have fallen out and are being replaced by giant chicklet-sized front teeth. Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful, smooth, shiny new front teeth, but there will be no room for much else after they emerge. We finally consulted with an orthodontist and he wants to place an expander in this summer... Gulp! John and I will be given a key that turns the screw in the expander about once a week helping to widen the upper jaw gradually.

Lucas will have to be introduced to this delicately. He may feel like he is being punished for something he did... "if you are a bad boy, the dentist will give you a PALATE EXPANDER!"... Plus having Mom or Dad turn the screw a bit each week will probably but a slight strain on our relationship... How many Legos can be purchase to make this painless?

Maybe we should start saving up now?

Stag Club

So my husband jokes with me all the time that he is such a patient husband (and I guess I am not a patient wife) that he will start a support group called HAMM or "Husbands against Moreno Mothers." Moreno mothers are the strong-willed women, wives, and mothers that are descendants of the Luz Moreno blood line. Our grandma or Lola Luz was an original and a pioneer in many ways. Definitely the matriarch of the family, raising seven children. Even in her 90's she was still very much sought after for advice by the family. She will be missed.

So I guess this husband's club called HAMM, that John is teasing about starting, is kind of a tribute to Lola Luz. My Dad knows about HAMM and has decided he should be President of HAMM, and John has appointed himself CEO of HAMM. John thinks that my uncles (married to my mom's sisters) should also be promoted to high offices among the ranks of HAMM members for time served.

John and my Dad have gone so far as to try to come up with a slogan, if you can believe this: "Be not afraid" ... or maybe "Be very afraid"... When John and the other husbands start in on this fictitious club, I just have to sit, smile, and listen. First of all, it's entertaining to see them joke around and plan future meetings and discuss who "should be recruited..." etc. They are like little boys giggling, high-five-ing each other, and carrying on like they are getting away with a naughty deed.

Don't get me wrong, the wives need support too. These guys are no picnic to be around sometimes. But I know there are days when it takes great patience and flexibily to be a HAMM member. The fact that they are still here must mean they really love us. Let them have their club.

21st Century Digital Stag

Lucas sometimes uses some terminology that is either computer- or game-related. Even a few years back, Lucas could recognize, and even read, certain gaming words like "quit" or "save" or "continue."

When Lucas received his first ribbon in swim class, the first thing he said was, "Look, Mommy, I leveled-up!"

When Lucas draws, he calls the little people in the scenery "characters." And usually the scenes in his drawings are depictions of scenes from his games.

Last time we were at Great America theme park, Lucas won a Sonic the Hedgehog stuffed toy. He was so excited, but soon after that, he told me, "Mommy, we have to unlock Tails (Sonic's friend and the other prize he wanted to win) next time."

When Lucas and I play "Connect Four" he calls himself "player one" and me "player two."

Lucas knows the word "calibrate" because the Play Station Move adjusts the player's body to the dimensions of the game.

I have to admit that if I did not live with these techie stags, I would probably still require a typewriter and carbon paper to write letters. Now I can publish documents as pdf's ( I know!), I can check my facebook updates on my smartphone (really!) and know how to manage a blog like this one! I wonder what these stags are learning from me?

No Stags Allowed

I have spent the last six weeks working in an all-girl high school. I have never taught at a single-sex school before. I have taught all different levels of school from 4th grade to 11th grade... never just girls. I did not realize the difference the absence of boys would make in the school day.

My first week, the young ladies (and yes, most of them behave like ladies) came in to my room while I was setting up and welcomed me. I was wondering what they wanted from me or what questions needed answered, but they were there simply to say "Welcome to Our Lady of Chastity School." By the way, I made up that school to protect the guilty and the innocent... he he he.

My second week, school was moving along smoothly. The young ladies were starting to wonder how long I was staying, and if I was married, had kids, and if I lived in the city. Even the way they asked their questions were delicate, respectful, and considerate. They were careful not to be too intrusive or prying into the substitute teacher's business. Most of them patiently raised their hands to ask questions, made eye contact while I spoke, and treated my classroom like a place of learning. Of course, these are teenage girls, and there are a handful of them who are loud, boisteous, and disruptive. But the percentage of them are way lower than in a mixed gender class.

I am taking over for their Biology teacher for a few weeks while she is on maternity leave. We are getting along very well, and we have the most interesting discussions... the kind of conversations only girls can discuss comfortably. Today, we discussed the 4 major organic compounds: proteins, lipids (fats), carbohydrates, & nucleic acids--- and that inevitably gave rise to the topic of weight loss. We discussed why (when going a diet) we lose weight in places we don't want to (like our boobs) instead of places we want to (like our thighs).

Another time last week, we were working with chemical model kits that resemble tinker toys. To build a molecule, you insert a wooden stick into a wooden ball. I was giving them instructions on how to properly insert the sticks into the black balls when I realized that I probably said the word "balls" about 17 times and NO ONE snickered or laughed yet. This would have happened in a mixed class of boys and girls.