Last Saturday morning, you took a walk with Papa around the yard, collecting bugs and placing them in a huge plastic jug. You also tossed some leaves and grass in there as well.
You loved getting to see a spider, a hornet, and a cricket interact with each other in your portable bio-dome; along with a few other random, smaller bugs.
During the entire 3 hour-long ride back from Nonna and Papa’s house in Alabama to our house in Tennessee, you gave me a constant play-by-play of what the status was inside the jar:
“Daddy! The cricket just fell off a leaf and landed on top of the spider but then he jumped off the spider onto another leaf!”
Maybe you should carry along a jar of live bugs for every road trip from now on. It was pure entertainment for you.
Last weekend while we stayed at Nonna and Papa’s house, I noticed you debuted a new catchphrase: “I want it for my Christmas.”
After you saw a coloring book that had a picture of Daisy Duck on it, then you immediately announced, “I, I want Daisy for my Christmas.”
When you played with the Cozy Coupe, it was, “I, I want this car for my Christmas.”
And even with each newly discovered vintage stuffed animal you found at their house, “I, I want this one for my Christmas… for my Christmas.”
Your brother tried to explain to you, “Holly, you don’t have to wait for Christmas. Nonna will just give you that old thing right now. Go ask her and she will say yes.”
But right now, you want everything for your Christmas.
Now that it’s October, it occurred to me: You’ll be turning 8 next month!
Just like for your 5th birthday, you have chosen a family road trip to Destin, Florida; instead of a birthday party.
Considering that we’ll be staying for free using hotel points and that Chevy will be sending us a Suburban filled with a full tank of gas, we’ll actually be able to have a pretty amazing road trip cheaper than it would cost to throw you a birthday party around here in Nashville.
I think you’re making a very smart decision. Why have a party when you can have a road trip with the fam?
After 5 and a half years of being a vegan, I have now come to the realization that the skeptics were actually right, in their concern that I wouldn’t get enough protein. But not in the way any of us expected:
It’s not that I ever became weak, lightheaded, or underweight.
Whereas for the first year or so of being a vegan I did lose weight, getting down to 156 pounds and size 31 pants, and I am not back to being over 170 pounds and am now only able to fit into a few pairs of my 32 size pants. And by the way, I’m not tall: I’m 5′ 9″.
My vegan weight gain has occurred for more than one reason…
First, these days there are vegan options for everything, including ice cream; which my wife and I were eating nearly every night as a “reward” for making it through a never hectic day raising two kids, while both working our full-time jobs, plus running our side hustles (including doing SEO for a major university, running two YouTube channels, and managing this blog).
Second, I was overeating. My first year of being a vegan taught me that I could ultimately eat as much of any vegan food I wanted, and I would still fit into my size 31 pants. But eventually, I started gaining my pre-vegan weight back, and I never went back to eating sensible portions.
And third, this whole time, without realizing it, I have never consistently been getting enough complete proteins…
Last Sunday after church, I happened to meet a personal trainer while our families were at Starbucks at the same time. His name is Mark Glesne and he explained to me that initially, I was losing weight because my body wasn’t getting the right kinds of protein, so I was losing muscle mass.
But eventually, my body bottomed out on being able to extract its protein nutrients from my muscle, so it has since went into famine mode, therefore producing extra fat as a back-up plan to survive on.
So for the past week, I have been researching and experimenting on what exactly these “vegan complete proteins” are.
I thought peanut butter was good for protein… nope, it counts it as fat.
I thought broccoli was good for protein… nope, my body counts it as carbs.
Instead, “complete proteins” look more like this:
A can of chickpeas and a slice of Ezekiel bread.
Chia seeds and almonds.
Rice and beans.
So in theory, I must make it a daily priority to pack in as much complete proteins as I can, so that my body will recognize that I am now consuming enough, so it will stop producing the same level of fat and build muscle instead.
I have decided to make an investment in Amazing Grass Protein Superfood, since it contains 27% of my daily complete proteins, consisting of 20 grams.
This organic, all-in-one nutritional shake thoughtfully combines the alkalizing farm fresh greens with nutrient-dense fruits and veggies plus 20g of plant-based protein. With a smooth vanilla flavor and satisfying texture, this superfood combo is a convenient way to get the whole food nutrition your body needs with an amazing flavor your taste buds will love.
Amazing Grass organically grows & harvests the most nutrient-rich greens on their family farms in Kansas & craft them with the highest quality plant-based ingredients curated from like-minded farmers around the world.
Promotes Lean Muscle • Satisfies Hunger • Nourishing Energy • Aids Digestion
Suggested Use: Add one scoop with 12 fl oz. or more of water, milk or smoothie.
Best kept in a cool, dry place after opening.
Free Of
Gluten, GMOs, added sugar.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sunday afternoon as Mommy was taking care of laundry upstairs and I was cleaning the bathrooms downstairs, I noticed things seemed suspiciously quiet. It took me a minute to even figure out where you and your brother were.
It definitely wasn’t obvious to me that the play tent on the edge of the couch, which stood perfectly still, was actually serving as the secret hideout for you and your brother.
Apparently at some point along the way, your brother was able to convince you to sneak into the tent, which he placed on top of the sofa.
I admit, I took my time in coming over to check it out, as the two of you were committed to seeing how long it would take for Mommy or me to stop by.
But hey, I didn’t want to disturb the peace. The two of you were enjoying your quiet place.
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