Choices. We always have to make them.

I often tell my kids when they are pouting about consequences that they chose that consequence by their actions.  I have to admit that it really pulls at my heart strings to see them frustrated or sad because they have to miss something due to their actions.  On Monday, my 2 oldest sons had to miss gym class.  We meet every other week with other home school families for a gym class.  This past Monday I had to leave Jason and Josiah home from class to work on school.  They were behind in their work.  From time to time, I have looked the other way when they are behind and still let them participate in gym.  This week was the last straw.  I couldn't let them go if they were not done with their school work.  I was hoping it would teach them a valuable lesson.  Jason asked me before I left if I could please just give him a little slack.  I couldn't, I told him.  "I have given you too much slack in the past and it hasn't helped you, Jason. It's time that you see the consequences of being behind in your school work."  He was bummed.  He didn't take it out on me though.  When I asked him why he was breathing so hard he said it was because he was mad (he gets his dramatic side from my Bryan).  I asked him who he was mad at and he said himself.  He's 13-years-old.  He knows that his actions bring consequences, both good and bad ones.  He is old enough to know that everything is not Mom's fault anymore.  He is learning to take responsibility for his own actions.  It's all a matter of choices.  When my kids choose not to complete their school work, they in turn choose not to participate in gym class.   It's a hard fact of life.

This concept works for us adults as well.  I make choices and reap the consequences.  Some consequences are positive and some negative.  It all depends on my choices.  I've made some great choices and some poor choices this week.  Some of my great choices included tracking and sticking to my daily budget every day.....until yesterday.  Then the poor choices came into play.  I made a great choice yesterday evening when I was playing taxi cab driver with football practice and dance class.  Jason forgot his water bottle so I let him take mine to football.  Then I drove Gabriella to dance and started getting sweaty and shaky.  I felt like I needed water and food.  I realized that I hadn't eaten enough fruits and veggies or drank enough water. After dropping off Gabriella I stopped at a gas station to get some water and was hoping to find some fruit or veggies.  They had water but as far as food goes, it was nothing but processed food.  I stood there looking at the snacks I had to choose from.  I didn't have many points left in my day so I didn't want to eat anything besides fruits or veggies but it was awfully tempting to  pick up a trail mix, bag of pretzels or chocolate bar. Afterall, the sugar in those snacks would be sure to take the shakes out of me, right?  I made the right choice. I bought my bottle of water and left.  I got in the car and thought about what else I could do.  I remembered a Pick n Save just down the road so I went there.  I took Ethan and Sammy shopping.  We needed some more fruits and veggies at home anyway.  I left the grocery store and ate a couple of bananas.  I was so glad I made that good choice. I felt good about it.

I then went back into taxi cab mode and picked up from football and dance and headed for home to get dinner out.  By the time we got home it was almost 7. I had prepared dinner before we left. I just needed to put it in the oven and finish baking it while I steamed the fresh veggies. I served everyone a proper portion of beef lasagna and veggies. I ate my dinner and started cleaning up.  I then noticed that there were some extra little pieces of lasagna in the pan. They looked lonely and tasty so I scooped them up onto my plate.  They were just little pieces, how many calories could they really be?  I sat down at the table to eat them and noticed that the pile of them on my plate was as big as a second piece.  Oops!  I probably shouldn't have done that.  Oh, well.  I ate it.  It was good! We made fresh pumpkin seeds last night too.  My kids love it when I make them at this time of the year.  I had several.  I went way over my budget for the day.  I made poor choices.

Now, I have to reap the consequences.  I have to be more active today to burn off those extra calories that I consumed.  I may gain weight on the scale this week.  I'm certainly feeling the extra salt in my fingers today.  I felt sluggish last night before bed. I knew I had overdone it.  I have to drink lots of water today to flush out the water I am retaining.

Today I will be faced with more choices.  I need to be conscious of those choices.  I can make them in a hurry with little to no thinking or I can make them in a way that will benefit me.  I am making the choice now to look carefully at my choices today.

Have a great day everyone,

Corinna

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.  For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." -Matthew 7: 13-14