Probably I should’ve had this in my last blog…that’s what I get for trying to blog while drinking a totie or two and watching some juicy DVRd shows.

annnyway…

Zach and I talk about the health and wellness of ourselves, our planet, our family a lot. I know we’re not alone in this.

Zach is the kind of guy who likes to try new things all the time. He’ll just randomly fast just to see if he can, he’ll typically try anything that will challenge his mind at least once (don’t ask about the time that we tried drinking sugar water and vegetable oil. Blech). He’s kind of crazy like that.

About a month ago Zach told me he was going to try the Paleo diet. Two days later he read the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer and decided he’d try vegetarianism instead. So his reasons aren’t to lose weight, isn’t for any of that other than he no longer turns a blind eye to the food industry that constantly pumps out really crappy and potentially harmful products.

Since he started that we’ve talked a lot about it, for obvious reasons, and I decided I’d give it a shot. My reasons are not nearly as noble as his are, my main reason is because we’re already making 2 meals (we are, as of now, not forcing our kids to give up the delicious, deliciouss meat) I might as well try out the vegetarian option. I love veggies, I love fruit, love complex carbs, it’ll be fine.

For those that don’t know, I work in the health field. I’m a fitness instructor and a personal trainer. I know a bit about nutrition, etc, so I know all the details on meat. I should also mention that we buy our meat from local farmers (mostly). If it’s not local farmers then I’m paying lots of money for the grass fed beef at the market. I really, really, really believe in the locovore movement and try to show that support by buying as much as feasibly possible from our local farmer’s market.

I think that’s probably why I’m not completely sold on the idea of me being a vegetarian. That said, I have started to realize that by me eating meat in restaurants I am still contributing to the mass meat market frenzy. As of right now, when I think about the future of my eating habits I can see how I would be more picky about my meat (not just beef, but chicken, turkey, all my animal friends). Perhaps eating my local meat at home and bring it with me to BBQs (because I just can’t get any more pretentious) and then choosing to not eat meat at restaurants. This I see as feasible.

We are fairly healthy people. Our pantry is pretty bare of highly processed foods. Rarely will you find high fructose corn syrup gracing our shelves. So again, this isn’t necessarily for health. It’s not an attempt to lose weight. It’s merely unhappiness with how our country treats our food-and by definition-us. Perhaps it’s our little stand against “the man”?

Thank you for all of your comments on the last one. I know that’s why I blogged about it, even though it’s a personal decision and I in no way am trying to convince other people of giving it a go, I just like hearing the discussion, I like being part of the debate about our food system. So feel free to comment, feel free to email. I don’t know much, but I know I love you.

Zach has been a vegetarian for a few weeks. He’s a really good vegetarian.

I’ve been trying it for a day (and a half). I’m a really horrible vegetarian.

I just keep dreaming about steak.

I dislike Boca burgers.

I feel hungry a lot.

I know a lot of you are vegetarians so throw your sister a bone. How do you do it? Will I always feel a little bit like I’m missing out on the very best of life?

What do you cook? I’m certain I’ll never last if I eat only rice, noodles and the same veggies over and over and over and over and over.

So recipes? Blogs? Tasty non-steak steak?

Kthanks.

Off to *hopefully* not have the same weird steak-filled dreams I had last night. Seriously, cows talking? Asking me to eat them? Weird.

Tariku has been begging me for cornrows for months. Since I didn’t think I could do them, and didn’t want to pay the upwards of $40, I waited until I could find some poor sucker woman to do it for free. Thursday night one of the Y childwatch employees braided a few rows and it looked GREAT. For the next day she and I went back and forth trying to figure out when I could bring him by for her to finish. It was just a hassle.

this spring break. In fact, we’ve cleaned a few rooms I needed cleaned/organized. I created “the fun room” for the kids by moving stuff around and by giving away some of the stuff we no longer need.

But perhaps most importantly, we prepared the garden for spring (I mean real spring, not the spring we are currently witnessing with snow and frigid temps-grr).

This will be the first year for the garden. Last year I had Zach set up old railroad ties for some raised beds but then I found out we’d be traveling to bring home the boys during summer and I just didn’t want to put anything more on my plate.

So we had to start from scratch.

My favorite, most amazing hubby keeps it classy even in the midst of physical labor.

I do too, obviously, just some good old fashioned basketball shorts and cowboy boots.

With the help of “Prancer” from camp, we were able to prepare both raised beds. Next week we’ll take some soil that’s been mixed with horse shit manure and fill in the rest of the beds. Very exciting stuff!

It did come at a price, though. A branch of some sort scratched my eye (can I also blame that for the wrinkles, freckles and wayward eyebrows?) Serious stuff, right? 😉

Zach claims he got scratched on the finger…though I’m pretty sure he just used it as an excuse to flip me off…tough to say.

Don’t let us fool you, we’ve been having plenty of play time. We (with my mom) even took the kids bowling for the first time. Oh yeah, and Zach cut Trysten’s hair. A zig zag mohawk. My girl Chrissy dyed it blue too. Well, why not?

The concentration.

The cuteness.

I seriously love these people.

I never want spring break to end. Never. Ever. Love having all my babes home.

Every night at dinner we do the whole “what was your favorite part of the day/what was your least favorite part of the day” business. Last night we went around, everyone told us their best part. We get to the least favorite…

Daddy: “Binyam, what was your least favorite part of the day? What made you sad?”

Binyam: “Daddy I am NOT sad! I AM HAPPY! All day I am not sad, I am happy!”

Oh he’s precious.

and it brings Topless Tuesdays!

So it’s here. World Water Day.

There are so many “Days” now, right? All worthy, all good in their own right, but really so many. What does one do for Presidents Day anyway?

But today, today is essential. Because the water crisis isn’t being solved as quickly as it needs to be. This is a crisis we can solve in our lifetime. Read that again, a crisis we can solve in our lifetime! That’s HUGE!

My friend, Jody, helped start The Adventure Project (TAP) a few months ago. I’ve told you about it before. Great group of women, great group doing great things.

Their newest project is about water. You can read more about it here. And if you go to Jody’s post here you’ll know why I’m blogging.

TAP has found a partner who will match donations today. So they are asking bloggers to designate a post today and ask beg their readers to donate $20, or $10, or $5, whatever. But we want need you to donate. If $10,000 is raised, it will be matched. You read that correctly, there is an opportunity to raise $20,000 in one day to bring clean water back to hundreds of people.

We simply can’t let this opportunity pass us by. So donate today. I am going to, you need to as well. Go to The Adventure Project’s website and donate. What an awesome, awesome opportunity for us to celebrate World Water Day.

Speaking of World Water Day…

of course we are thinking about it at Water for Christmas as well! The Colorado contingency of our group has been hard at work on something exciting. It’s going to launch on April 1st so great ready for that as well. But for good measure, I’m donating there today as well. Feel free to follow suit. 🙂

I would LOVE to see the blog world light up today. Like it did for Martin Luther King Jr day and the like. I’m showing my kids videos about water (the videos from charity: water are great for kids!), I’m letting them “consider” donating some of their saved money to the cause as well. This is a real opportunity to create little water advocates in the next generation.

So happy water day to you. Pass on the passion.

Baby Cash (and Frankie and Emily) came over to give “The big 3” their presents.

Baby Cash is sooo cute. Today I was looking through old pictures and found it remarkable how much my nephew (Cash) looks like one of my sons (Trysten). Amazing.

No matter, my camera was lovin’ it some Cash-y!

Dailah couldn’t get enough of her little cousin either, imagine that.

Uncle Zach played with the little guy. I think Zach sometimes misses having a little baby to “throw around”.

Zach even did the traditional Klipsch trick with his nephew.

Of course we had to go outside (Spring has sprung! And the thermometer was hovering at around 70 degrees!) Do you see those eyes? Do you see those dimples? Do you see those little teeth. Oy!

And then the big 3 with their new shirts from the Frank Klipsch family. They were perfect (and adorable).

Yesterday was one of those days when I was just looking around me and thought “This is my version of the most perfect day”. The big boys were playing with their new basketball hoop -also from Frank Klipschs- the littles were playing with their various bikes/lawn toys, I had my nephew on my lap and a beer in my hand. My favorite man in the world (that’d be Mr. Hotflawedmama) was across from me and 2 other people I love so very much (that’d be Frank and Emily) were there too.

It was just one of those times when I knew it was entirely possible to bring heaven to earth in a multitude of ways. So, so thankful for that.

On Friday I got a note from Trysten’s art teacher telling me that one of his pieces (yes, they are called “pieces” even when the artist is 8!) was chosen to be showcased at our local mall. I was excited to see what he had done, as he wasn’t for sure which piece had been chosen.

Then in the car he said, “Oh yeah, I remember, I think it is my self-portrait!” Which made me even more excited.

Drum roll, please…

I know I’m partial but I thought it was amazing, especially for a second grader. I got a wee bit choked up when I read this.

And then clutched my chest to keep my heart from bursting forth with love goo when I saw this.

Love him, so proud of him.