Fishy kisses

I think this is probably my last back-to-school post. And, really, it isn't because the newness is wearing off but because I'm about to turn into that mom that is running to the QT (which is a gas station by the way) on the way to school and buying a combination of jerky, fruit and bottled water and sticking it in the kid's lunch boxes as if that was the plan all along. The crazy thing is my kids would LOVE that!! They think they are so neglected because I don't send them with Lunchables to school every day. As if somehow I'm punishing them with the delicious lunches I slave over every Sunday. (Let's face it, it has been one Sunday but there are just sooooo many more Sunday's in my future!!!!)

And let me tell you, I am battling with whether or not to keep this masochistic form of slavery up. Last Sunday I spent the majority of my day after church cooking in my kitchen, which, by the way, I actually love to do and enjoy. But it kinda felt like I missed out on my rest day, you know? And honestly I could have used the the rest. Back to school is exhausting!

It was a lot of work. It took planning, budgeting, shopping, scheduling, and then 4 hours of work all to make five days of lunches and breakfasts and two dinners. 

My menu was

Dinner 1: zucchini noodles and meatballs

Dinner 2: pulled pork tacos with coleslaw

Lunches for Monday and Wednesday: meatball, raw zucchini and marinara, spinach leaves, and blueberries. 

Lunches for Tuesday and Friday: pulled pork tacos, cherry tomatoes, pineapple, sweet potato chips. 

Breakfast 1: Breakfast sausage balls

Breakfast 2: Bacon 

Breakfast 3: Quinoa oatmeal

So, is it worth it? Yes. It actually was. It was so nice to just pull out the next day's lunch containers and stick them in lunch boxes ready to go. I wasn't coming home from work exhausted and opening my fridge hoping to magically come up with a healthy and tasty lunch every evening. It made the mornings so peaceful because the kiddos knew their breakfast options and all Levi or I had to do was pop them in the microwave to heat up. And because we get home so late from the gym I really, really appreciated that dinner just needed to be reheated and we would still have plenty of time to sit down as a family for dinner. 

I also didn't waste any food. Which is a huge plus. I tripled my batch of meatballs and froze the leftovers so now I can use them in a few weeks and won't have to spend that time putting them together next time. I was also able to freeze leftover pulled pork and will have enough for another dinner and lunches. 

But more than the time and money value, it was worth it because it gave Jack and Addie's little bodies and brains the nutrition they need to learn, focus and have energy for school. It is my job as their mommy to give them every opportunity possible to be their best. How unfair would it be if I fed them sugar and then sent them off to school, expecting them to obey, concentrate and then have energy at the end of the day after the sugar crash? 

I'll admit that I have been guilty of this in the past and I will be guilty of it in the future. There will be days when my juggling balls come crashing down and I resort to feeding my babies donuts on the way to school. I'm okay with that. I know it will happen eventually so I just make sure that when I can keep all those balls in the air I'm going to make every effort to do it well so that Jack and Addie are not fighting their little bodies own chemical reactions to the wrong kinds of foods often. 

I have big hopes and dreams for those two. Addie says she is going to be a fashion designer/artist and Jack plans on becoming a scientist and marrying a doctor and I want them to accomplish every single goal they set for themselves.   Therefore I will continue to do the best I can to continue on with my Sunday lunch prep extravaganza. 

I don't just stop with food. My mommy job is never over. I also give my little darlings special supplements that fill in the gaps. One of those is Omega-3 fish oil. 

I cannot tell you enough how important this fishy oil is! And not just for your kiddos but for you, too!!!! Check out the nifty bullet point list I made you of all the wonderfulness of fish oil!!

1.) DHA (an essential fatty acid found in fish oil) helps with focus and concentration. It is often found to be deficient in children with ADD and ADHD. 

2.) Omega-3 reduces chronic inflammation which is pretty much the cause of most disease. So if you start this now and avoid fast moving vehicles you might live forever!!!

3.) The additional oil to your diet helps you poo! Poo is important. It isn't a lovely topic but if you want health there must be poo...regularly. Like every day. At least. 

4.) It makes your heart healthy. And last time I checked that organ was pretty stinkin' important. 

5.) The Essential Fatty Acids in fish oil increase insulin sensitivity which aids in fat loss. YAY! That reason right there is enough, right?

6.) Omega-3 increases protein synthesis which means it helps you build muscle. Now don't get all worried that you are going to turn into The Hulk by taking fish oil. We are talking about fish oil here, not steroids or testosterone. 

If you don't eat a lot of omega-3 packed foods (such as salmon) during the week then fish oil is definitely something you want to include in your daily routine. It has too many benefits to pass up!! Give it to your kiddos, too!! Those fishy kisses will make it totally worth the effort.