Zen Habits

So today I ticked off my major goals:

Take kids to the park

Drink superfood smoothie and a juice

Shot of Noni

10 minutes of meditation

Get in the pool with Leo 

Get Julian down for a nap

Use up leftover food

I should feel pretty good right?

Well it was the combination of using up leftover food and getting Julian down for a nap that left me with the understanding that just because I tick off my goals and “zen habits” it doesn’t mean the day is going to go smoothly.

After seeing the three remaining meals in the fridge over various days and being offered them on numerous occasions Julian had hit his limit. He did not want tortilla or pasta fagiole or carrot and broccoli soup. He was in tears before I served up the pasta (Leo was meanwhile clapping at the opportunity to eat more of it).

I happened upon an idea….since I am going out tonight….. maybe I will treat us all and head to the new burger place that opened up just down the road.

“So….Julian.”

He looks up from his tear-filled pasta.

“If you finish that, tonight we can get burger and chips.”

Dissolves into tears, “I want burger and chips now.”

“No, no…don’t you see, it’s such a good deal, you finish your pasta and then we get burger and chips later!”

Tears (Julian has the Zen habit of only living in the current moment).

Then….one tiny bite of his pasta.

“Keep going.”

Tears. One bite.

“Keep going.” I smile encouragingly.

Tears, “I have boooooooooogers!”

“You know where the toilet is, go wipe your nose.”

“I want yoooooooooou to do it.”

“No.” (I say this as I grab a tissue from the pantry and wipe his nose.) “Eat your pasta.”

Tears. “Burger and chips.”

No Julian, you haven’t touched your lunch.”

“That’s not fair.”

“No, this is the way the world works. We made a deal, you didn’t hold up your end of it.”

My three year old is now totally confused and throws himself on the ground in tears.

I throw him in the car.

“Chips?” He says hopefully.

“No way. We are going for a drive.”

“burgerandchips.sob.burgerandchips.sob.burgerandchips.sob.burgerandchips.sob.burgerandchips.

sob.burgerandchips.sob.burgerandchips.sob.burgerandchips.sob.”

I mean, he only kept it up for ten minutes or so, hardly anything…..before he finally conked out…for half an hour.

Then….

“burgerandchips.burgerandchips.

Guess where we are going for dinner?