Good Riddance

How was your Christmas? Doesn't Christmas seem to pass by us faster each year? Even this year, during which I tried to be deliberate in taking things slow and trying to focus on the peace of the season, Christmas was gone in a flash. As I type this, I am eyeing my tree, hoping to take it down slow and stem the tide of pine needles falling everywhere in our living room...the tree that seemingly was brought into our home just a day or so ago. So we find ourselves currently between Christmas and New Years, offering a brief opportunity to catch your breath from the holiday season, before the fresh start of a New Year. I happened to hear on the radio today that it was official "Good Riddance" Day, a day to pause and say "good riddance!" to the not-so-hot moments of the year before the New Year starts. As I was driving at time and had a few moments to reflect, I started thinking (ever so briefly before the boys needed my attention) about my year and any moments I'd like to bid adieu to. As my mind wandered, I thought back to my early January 2009 blog posts about my "Top 9 for '09" list of goals for the year and how I fared. My list of "Top 9 for '09" goals for healthy eating for the year were: 1. More Whole Grains 2. Deliberate Snacking/More Fruit and Veggie Snacks 3. More Beans and Legumes for Protein 4. Less Food Waste 5. More Organics Without Breaking the Bank 6. Continue Natural/Nonprocessed foods 7. Expand my Lunchtime Meal List (also more lunches for SPH) 8. Continue to have R and G Involved in the Cooking 9. Eat More Greens So how'd I do? Well, like most parents, I had my good days, and my clearly not-so-hot days. If I had to critically review this list, I think my biggest shortfall was on goal #9, "Eat More Greens." While I have had decent success encouraging the boys to eat other healthful foods, I have yet to find a way to get the boys to consistently eat greens, outside of the occasional Popeye Calzone or other hidden spinach. My guess is that I am not alone in this challenge, however, so if you have a way to make greens more palatable to young children, please share! To end on a positive note, I think we hit some high notes on some of the other goals, particularly #3, "More Beans and Legumes for Protein." I discovered this year that while I always knew R and G love hummus, that they will eat just about any bean, straight up or in a dish. Whether you have been following this blog and known about my 2009 kitchen goals or not, I encourage you to take this time between Christmas and New Years to reflect on your family's eating habits. Maybe even take out a piece of paper and scribble down some goals (goals, not resolutions!) for the upcoming year. We'll talk more about this topic in the coming days. Happy Good Riddance Day All- SPC
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