The Candy Wars

 
There’s a lot of candy at Lj House.  A loooooooootttt of candy.  So much.  You see, we realized that we might be at the end of an era.  She’s 12 now, and after elementary school the kids start deciding what to do as big kids on their own*.  It’s no longer a given that they’ll dress up, so we wanted to make this one was the epic year.  They year when we didn’t stop.  They year when we really earned the bragging rights of three neighborhoods and going until folks turned their lights off, and we did.  And we were tired, come 8:14, dragging into our house after three hours of trick or treating.  Also known as begging.  When they dumped it out and started sorting, I was amazed.  People spent a lot of money on us last night!  

That jar in the top left of the collage is just one of two.  Each kid has a copious amount of candy, each has a giant two gallon jar, stuffed full.  This could be trouble for mom and dad, but it won’t.  I said, could!  I’ve promised myself to avoid the candy after Halloween night.  Last night I ate a peanut butter Snickers, a chocolate eyeball, a Kit Kat, Almond Joy and a Charleston Chew.  Today I’ve eaten nothing and I couldn’t be more proud!  I plan on staying the course!

Jude got all amped up about the Jimmy Kimmel Candy Challenge, so when he left today, after begging me to trick him, I decided to follow through on the practical joke.  He thiought it would be really fun if I pretended to eat all of his candy and make him cry.  I told him that is really just not my style and I don’t like teasing, that practical jokes make people feel bad, but he thought it would be sooooo much fun.  When he left home on an errand, I did just that.  I took his candy, hid it and dumped all of the wrappers from last night into his jar.  He came home and immediately started crying, privately, so sad that I ate all of his candy.  He asked me over and over, and for about 20 minutes I made him live with the practical joke.  He decided that it wasn’t so fun even though it is funny to watch other kids have it happen to them.  Little goofball!

  
Part of my Halloween candy deal is that they can eat it all as fast or as slow as they want.  It is all theirs.  I want nothing to do with any of it at all.  I don’t want to see it, touch it, have to clean up wrappers- nothing.  The less I interact with it, the better.  So it lives in their rooms as well.  The final part is that while the candy lasts, there needs to be 20-30 minutes of active playtime.  I don’t care what it is, but the thought of them sitting and consuming it in front of the tv without moving makes me sick.  Today we dragged their grouchy little tails out to run around at the high school.  We’ve found they have great, lit, covered, outdoor hallways where we can run while the kids ride scooters and run all around in a fairly safe and well-lit, dry place!  Bradley and I got some mileage in and the kids did too.

While I was disappointed in my lack of goal keeping last week, I’m glad I set them.  They stuck with me, and anytime I felt like a slacker, I reminded myself to do what I could right then.  I could walk circles while I read aloud.  I could go to recess and play with the kids.  I could avoid the candy.  I could eat a pear instead of pasta.  I made substitutions that made sense where and when available, then, as soon as I could, I started the working out, too.  Running on Friday, Zumba Saturday, running today.  It’s a great start to a solid week, and I feel more prepared because I kept those goals in front of me.  This week’s goals:

  • Weigh myself.  I haven’t been avoiding the scale, I just got busy and failed to get on.  I realized it’s been about two weeks since I weighed in, and I’m slightly nervous, even if my nerves do seem unnecessary…
  • Food journal twice
  • Run seven miles, Zumba twice

*While we don’t believe in a stopping age for trick or treating, I remember receiving the scorn of my neighbors for being ‘too big’ to trick or treat beginning when I was nine years old.  I remember, that first time, wanting to run home to get my parents (back in the days of free-range trick or treating!) to vouch my honesty at being ‘only’ nine to the lady who refused to believe me and then rolled her eyes as she dropped the candy into my bag. It was probably cheap, nasty, rubbery hubba bubba gum, too.  Grouchy old lady.  Those moments can be so scarring, shaming and awkward!  It’s just candy, for goodness sake!  If you don’t want to participate, don’t put out a pumpkin, amiright?!?!?

One Comment

  1. Lesleigh A

    1) Good job with the candy!! I’m like you, I had one piece and I’m OK. I really don’t feel the need even though I ran 3 miles that morning so I could eat candy!
    2) Happy Birthday! I love how you are celebrating stuff with exercise and running. What a great idea! I need I sign up for some holiday runs.
    3) As always, I enjoy your honesty and openness with your blog.

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