peskypippi.comBecause I have a lot to say…

Looks can be deceiving. And eye opening.

The last time I took my kids swimming, it was: Splash! Slide! Marco Polo!

“You be the dolphin, I’ll be the shark!”

It was non-stop fun!

Another Mom caught my eye. She was a total hottie and was rocking her bikini. I stared. I couldn’t help it. She had a perfect body. I was instantly jealous.

Me? I was wearing my tankini. And, yeah, appropriately named. I kinda looked like a tank. But whatever.

The other Mom? She was gripping the pool’s edge. Not splashing. Or sliding. Or Marco Polo’ing. Or playing shark-eats-dolphin.

Why not??

I continued to glance over. What was her deal? Were her eyes sad? Wistful? I could feel her eyes on me. Was she watching me splash and play?

And then.

After the kids and I changed and piled into the car, I saw the bikini woman in the parking lot. Her face had a pained look; she was hurting. I now saw that she had M.S. and walked with a cane.

Wow.

It was truly eye opening. My jealousy instantly vanished. And like the Grinch, my compassion grew three sizes that day.

Chocolate-chip cookies…again?

No way!

Do you want to be the coolest Mom ever? How about making one giant cookie…with giant impact. What ’til your kids see this! They will be stunned and awed, just like in Uncle Buck. Remember the giant pancake?

Click here for my best chocolate-chip-cookies-on-Earth recipe.

So, instead of plopping the dough as you would for individual cookies, make one giant plop onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and smash down and smooth out with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees about 12 minutes and keep an eye on it. Take it out just before you think it’s done (the one in the pic is a little overcooked…my bad…I was on Twitter).

Once cooled, you can frost it to make a smiley face, as in my birthday “cake” last year. Click here to see that beauty. Or you can cut into a heart. Brilliant…just in time for Valentine’s Day!

C is for Cookie. Or for “Crap, I just ate too much damn cookie.”

I try to be a Sunny Delight Mom. And I try to have a Sunny Delight home. Where all kids are welcome. All of the time.

Cheesy? Yeah. Are you eye-rolling? So what.

What is a Sunny Delight Mom? You know, the kind of Mom who opens the doors and her arms to welcome her children’s friends after school? Who buys the right snacks that kids love? Who makes the home inviting to kids of all ages so they are happy and comfortable and want to come back? Where rarely a weekend goes by without hosting a sleepover?

Yeah that.

My Sunny Delight home is where my children and their friends come to congregate, to play, to hang out. They are always welcome. They are always loud. They are always eating. And they always come back.

And like the Sunny Delight commercial, you hear this:

• “Your Mom is cool,” says the friend.
• “Yeah, I know,” says your child.

You see, when I was growing up, I did not have a Sunny Delight Mom. I did not live in a Sunny Delight home. I lived with my mother. I was her only child. I had friends but they rarely came over. The house was quiet. Quiet was good for reading–I read lots–and for playing quiet, creative games. The doors did not slam shut. Shoes of all sizes, belonging to different people, were not tossed by the front door. The snacks were tofu and granola and tuna.

So when I became a mother of one, then two, then three children, I knew that I wanted to be a Sunny Delight Mom and have a Sunny Delight home. The more the merrier! Children–and their laughter and their happiness–make me smile.

Just like the cheesy Sunny Delight Mom in the commercial.

Frump frump frumpety frump.

Wondering how you too can achieve the frump look? It’s really easy.

1. A t-shirt that you’ve had for ages. This one I’ve had for 19 years. I got it from the bar Carlos O’Brien’s in Puerta Vallarta on my honeymoon. Sentimental. Super soft from a gazillion washings. And who doesn’t like frogs wearing clothes?
2. Jammy pants. Any type will work. But print ones are best. These have penguins with headphones. How can you resist?
3. Polar fleece. Finish off the look with a polar fleece hoody. You know, the kind your teen says you look like a dork in? Yeah that one.

You’re set! See how easy that was? Now you’re ready to drop off your kids at school and run into all the glam mothers or go grocery shopping. You can thank me later.

Is that spinach in your smoothie, or are you happy to see me?

I wrote about the ease and nutrition of protein breakfast smoothies awhile back. Check that here. My newest ingredient? Spinach. Yeah, you heard me. They are officially renamed to Pippi’s Peppy Popeye Smoothies. These nutrition-packed suckers are perfect for when I am running late. Getting the kids out the door for school. And oops, I forgot one of my earrings. And my navy tights don’t match my black outfit. And where is my phone and where are my keys? Time to go. NOW.

But wait! Don’t forget to eat your salad for breakfast! (Seriously, you can’t even taste it. It just looks a teensy bit gaggy.) You, too, can buzz up the smoothie while yelling “Hurry! Time to go! Finish your breakfast! Brush your teeth! Shoes on! Jackets! Backpacks!”

Just talk to my friend Sara, who also sneaks in vegetables. She’s on Twitter @Sar_Wah and her blog is http://www.tisthelife.com/. She’s a super healthy Mum who tries to eat right and have a fulfilling life. Go Sara!

Pippi’s Peppy Popeye Smoothies

• a blender
• a cup or so of nonfat milk
• a banana
• big scoop or 2 Tbs. protein powder (preferably plain)
• handful of frozen blueberries
• two ginormous handfuls of washed, fresh spinach

Check out the jumbo bag of spinach. I don’t know whether to eat it. Or sleep on it.

Breakfast is important. Partake! And maybe, with the added spinach, you can kick some ass today.

Yikes. Since when did I start sounding like my parents?

Parents of all generations know a thing or two about a thing or two. Here is a sampling:

• Don’t lean back in your chair.
• Drink your milk. (but also ) Don’t drink out of the jug.
• Close the door; you’re letting all the heat out.
• Did you put your deodorant on today?
• I’ll buy two kinds of cereal: Grape Nuts or Raisin Bran.
• Can’t you guys just get along?
• Don’t eat too many cookies or you’ll spoil your appetite.
• Time to get up. You can’t sleep your day away.

Eye roll, I know. Yet, aren’t these words to encourage safety, good hygiene, and healthy habits? Again with the eye roll!

Reality bites.

Today marks the first day I will volunteer in my six-year-old’s classroom this year. I am excited to see him in his element and to help with the last-day-until-Winter-vacation festivities where we will play board games and partake in hot cocoa.

I only seem to volunteer on special occasions and field trips. Why? Because I’m a party girl. There’s that, and:

1. I work.
2. I play soccer two mornings a week; my “me time.”
3. I trust that the teachers are doing their jobs.
4. I am confident that my children are independent and can handle their classroom time without me overseeing.

I asked my two youngest kids the other day if it was OK if I don’t volunteer in their classrooms much. They both shrugged and said, “It’s OK. Other Moms are there.”

Do I feel guilty? Well, yeah, don’t we all? I volunteered in my oldest son’s classroom A LOT when he was young. He is now 12 and I asked him the other day if he liked when I volunteered so much. He said, “It was kind of embarrassing.”

Enough said. Do we mothers volunteer because the teachers really need us or because we think our kids really need us or because we feel guilty if we aren’t ever-present every second?

Do children really want us ever-present every second? I’m thinking no. Yeah, my kids really need me…at home. During homework time. During reading time. During hang-out time. During just-talking time.

And why is it that mothers need to judge other mothers?

So when this new-faced Mom walks into the first grade classroom with a heartfelt smile, maybe the other mothers can pass the judgment, and simply pass the cocoa.

I never really liked Carol Brady.

Maybe it was the way she whined, “Miiiii-iiiike.” Or maybe it was because she seemed to take credit for all of Alice’s hard work. Or maybe it simply Carol’s horrible hair styles that were annoying.

It was Alice who was the center of The Brady Bunch family. Even physically, she was the middle tile in the intro. Alice wins “mother of the year” in my book. Here are 12 reasons why:

1. She was always dependable.
2. She was a good listener.
3. She had a great sense of humor.
4. She was practical and sensible.
5. She could make a mean chocolate cake.
6. She knew how to comfort.
7. She was a great whistler.
8. She was good at breaking up fights.
9. She was kind-hearted and always smiling.
10. The kids confided in her and trusted her.
11. She was patient and could deal with lame-o Mrs. Brady.
12. She rocked blue like nobody’s business.

Without Alice, the show would’ve sucked.

When my oldest son came home from school last week announcing, “MOM! I need to bring peanut butter to school to give to the Mexicans who live in dumps!” My jaw kinda dropped. My immediate reaction was wow, those are not kind words. How not politically correct. I need to teach this young man about world culture. Pronto.

Lost in translation? Sadly, no. Turns out, he was right. At school, my son is learning about these young children in Mexico, who have nothing. No family, no food, no hope. His teacher says many of these kids live in real garbage dumps in Mexico where they salvage food and clothing, whatever they can find.

The teacher began his pilgrimage to Mexico several years ago and returns annually. He rallies his students to collect peanut butter every year. Why peanut butter or manteca de cacahuete? Protein. Peanut butter is the cheapest source of protein and doesn’t have to be refrigerated. Every January, the teacher drives to this poverty-stricken area to Hogar para Ninos to take the load of peanut butter down to these kids. Here is the website of the organizing group:

http://www.ffhm.org/

As we are looking ahead to the holiday season. We are entering the season of sharing and abundance. It’s time to share and spread the abundance around. Chunky or creamy?

And I know there are poopy naysayers who are like, “Why do I need to help them thar Mexicans? We’ve got our own problems. Let’s take care of our kids first. Forget about them. They don’t speak even English. They speak Mexican, don’t they?” [sic]

Well, you see, in my eyes, it IS our job to help nourish every child. Whether here or there. It IS our job to teach our children to be kind, to do the right thing, and to think of others.

And that, my friend, means stocking up on some peanut butter. Pronto.

Because if there’s a truck driving down to Mexico, I want to make sure it’s filled to the brim with manteca de cacahuete and love.

Gracias.

Sure. Disregard comments from naysayers. And don’t listen to friends-who-aren’t-really-your-friends. But don’t discount your kids’ advice when it comes to fashion for Mom. They just might know what they are talking about.

After all, don’t children just want their Moms be their best and look their best? A confident mother who is pretty inside-and-out?

I listen. Here is what I’ve been told lately:

•  “Mom, you need to wear tighter jeans. Yours are too baggy.” Ah, the workouts just might be working. It’s important to show off your shape; not hide it. Time to go shopping.

• “Mom, that lipstick is too brown.” Good point. My skin has blue undertones, meaning berry and pinky reds are better for my skin tone.

• “Mom, don’t buy brown pants. They are ugly.” Indeed, khaki is great on safari, but not so great on me. Point well taken.

•  “Mom, I like you better with shorter hair. Your long hair made you look crazy.” Hmmm. Sometimes you don’t know if a compliment is a compliment or if is a rip. But, I’ll go with it. And maybe my shorter hair makes me sassier? Peskier?

• “Mom, that floral, peasant top is really ugly.” OK. Maybe I did think that prints help to camouflage, but maybe solids are indeed better for me. Plus, I am not a peasant.

•  “Mom, that sweater looks a little dorky.” Hmm. Maybe I was sporting a tired, old Mr.-Rogers’-Neighborhood-cardigan. Off to Goodwill it went. Hello, J. Lo sweater! (She will always be J. Lo to me.)

Kids are smart. Give them credit. Make some changes. Change is good.