Your Groove

On the iPod, “River” by: Bishop Briggs

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/river/1224712133?i=1224712134

About two months ago, I was in a different place than I am right now.  I felt like I was constantly yelling at my kids for just being kids. I was always tired. To be honest,  I was pretty much constantly annoyed with everyone in my life and in general was feeling pretty negative about myself. While becoming a mom I had somewhere along the lines forgotten how to be me. 

This might be way too much information but I think in general I’ve always had a pretty good self image. I grew up in a house where I feel like sexuality was promoted. It definitely wasn’t the hush hush thing that wasn’t discussed. I might not have been the skinniest girl in my upper teens and early 20s but I took a lot of pride in learning how to take care of business, if you know what I mean, and with that came a lot of confidence. For the record I’m way sexier in my head than I am in real life and that seems to be a chubby girl thing. 😂 But lately I just felt off... I was struggling to feel sexy. There are a lot of things about my marriage that aren’t perfect... shocking right, 😝 but sex has just never been one of them. So when I found myself struggling to be interested in that I knew something was up.  

 I started to realize that I had in fact lost a connection with my own body. And I had just given up in a lot of ways. For years now my body has turned into a vessel for someone else’s needs. From marriage to pregnancy to nursing to just constantly being pulled and pushed and hung on... 9 times out of 10 someone is fucking touching me. I had slowly built up this wall of separation from myself and it was now affecting everything in my life. 

So now that I knew what the issue was I had to really make a choice to change it. I headed back to dance class. At my first class back the instructor said “before we get started find your character, who are you going to be? Do it now...because if you wait it will be too late and it will be much harder to get out of your head.” Not only did those words help me get through the class but they have gone on to help me get back. Monday night at Pound class I found myself worrying less about hitting the right beats and instead the lyrics to the last song hit me so hard that tears started to roll down my cheeks.  The balance of life is a struggle for everyone but for those of us who are really in touch with our emotions the balance can feel stifling. A lot has happened in the last couple of months... the blogging, the dancing, the weight loss, the incredible friendships, and well I got my groove back. 

In celebration of this MoveStudio and I are inviting you to the studio for a free class of your choosing in the month of March! Simply follow this link and enter the promo code platefullofboys and go find your groove. 

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=1778&stype=41&sTG=10&prodId=1389

Love,

Me

P.S. this song should be your new anthem

ALIVE!

On the iPod, “Fire” by: Sara Bareilles

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fire/1452354896?i=1452354897

What makes you feel alive? I know, I know it’s sort of a hard question. I asked some of my closest friends recently and the answers weren’t all that surprising. What I did notice is that with the exception of one friend’s answer... it seems as if we are setting the things that truly set us on fire to the side as we work through the mundane of everyday life. 

So...why?

Personally, I feel like I’m constantly trying to give my kids every opportunity to figure out what sets them on fire and I know you are too! So why then are we so reluctant to pick us?

Last night at my hip hop heels class with Geena, I was able to do a move that I couldn’t do a week ago. Like seriously, 7 days ago I couldn’t do it...but now I can. It doesn’t really matter that there were new moves this week that I couldn’t do because you know what... I fucking nailed the one from last week!  I walked out of class ALIVE! 🔥 🔥 🔥!!! And when I’m in the midst of a therapy session with one of my favorite moms till 2am and I finally feel like a real person again or I’m writing a blog post that flys off my finger tips I feel ALIVE! Like so alive that I want you to feel ALIVE too. Maybe you feel content everyday or maybe you’re drowning in a house full of people but you still feel alone. I just want you to ask yourself how you could really choose you for a change.

Because you, my friend, are WORTH IT! I’m WORTH it! My kids and my husband and my family and my friends and my clients are worth it for me to feel like...I.   am.   WORTH IT!    And yours are too! 

Find your alive! Message me... come to a dance class...run a marathon, find a stage, get an uber and have another glass of wine, stay out too late, write a book, spill your guts to a good friend and maybe realize that you aren’t as alone as you thought you were...

Take a chance to feel ALIVE.

Love, me

POUND!

On the iPod, “Lights” by Ellie Goulding

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lights-single-version/418571515?i=418571516

First of all, I just want to say that the outpouring of comments, emails, messages and texts about yesterday’s post was just incredible. It was a really easy post to write but led to a super emotional day so I appreciate all of the support and love. I’m so happy that I’m back. 

On Monday night, I went to a class called POUND at MoveStudio. This class has been on my list for while now and I’m so glad that I finally got my act in gear, I mean here is the class description...

“CHANNEL YOUR INNER ROCKSTAR WITH THIS FULL BODY CARDIO-JAM SESSION INSPIRED BY THE INFECTIOUS, ENERGIZING, AND SWEAT-DRIPPING FUN OF PLAYING THE DRUMS.”

Monday’s are by far my busiest morning workdays and then to top it off I have hip hop rehearsal for the elementary school talent show with 7 2nd grade boys in the afternoon. 🤪 Luckily Mike is off on Mondays so he took over dinner and bedtime so that I could focus on me.  

I got to the class about 10 minutes early so that I could get my place... yes, I’m aware that it’s sort of crazy to have a place at a class I’ve never been to but for starters this is my “home” studio so I have a history here and by history I mean I have a place 😂 If you attend group work out classes you just get this and I don’t need to explain it! Anyways, I got my space! As I was setting up my area I caught the instructors eye... her name is Nicole Borowski. In a bubbly tone she said, “Amanda?” And I quickly nodded my head. What’s funny is that I don’t always tell instructors that I’m coming because it somehow brings more attention to myself and can unintentionally stress instructors out knowing that I will be writing a blog about it but for various reasons today I did. She handed me 2 green Ripstix (a weighted rubber drumstick) and assured me that I would do great! This class takes coordination, I’m not going to lie, but it was so fun!! Beware though there is a lot of squatting!! I’m sort of a perfectionist so I found myself really focusing on the drumming part which led to an intense upper body workout. I’m sure over time I’ll be able to get the leg work in also but to be honest I really liked the fact that I could focus on my arms which is harder in other group workout classes. This class goes by quickly and releases a ton of endorphins, which is awesome! Before I knew it we were on the last song. I was literally dripping with sweat and my arms were feeling like jello! 😂 I can not wait to come back on Monday and I hope you come too. The only thing that could possibly make this class better is more people. I mean there was a good little group of us but I think it would feel even more rock band like with a full room! Pound is only at MoveStudio on Mondays at 7:40pm. Maybe I’ll see you on stage next week! 

Love,

Me

The Rabbit Hole

On the iPod, “Be Alright” by: Dean Lewis

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/be-alright-guitar-acoustic/1435118873?i=1435118879

Screw the bitch who ever said that time heals all wounds. The reality is that the pain from trauma ebbs and flows. Maybe it was loss or abuse or betrayal. Maybe you have just tried to ignore it. Maybe you’ve done everything in your power to own it and work through it. But maybe it still takes your breath away. 

The hard part is that It can hit you sideways, be right straight in front of you or blindside you from the back. It could be triggered by a song on the radio, a season of the year or a picture you find at the bottom of the drawer. But once you have entered the rabbit hole it’s a struggle to find your way out. I once told a friend of mine who was stuck in her own rabbit hole that getting out is almost harder than being in because there begins to be a comfort in the pain. The pain begins to feel like living if that makes sense. I mean we all know that it’s an illusion.... Being alive isn’t just the pain. It’s the pain, and the happiness, and the fear, and the joy, and the regret, and the hope, and the anger, and the love. It’s all of it. This post isn’t really just about me and my rabbit hole. Or the fact that I’ve listened to the same song 54 times today. It’s about you, the one out there thinking that you are the only one in the carpool line that is wading through the shit... whether it happened 30 years ago, 7 years ago, 6 months ago or if you are living in it this minute. Just know that it might never go away but you are never alone. Find your people. Find the ones who know your soul or want to know your soul. Who listen to your stories. Who help you back up. That is living. 

Love,

Me

You’ve got 24 seconds...

On the iPod “Shot Clock” by Ella Mai 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shot-clock/1436547828?i=1436548252

About a month ago I started feeling like I was losing myself. 

In truth...It is easy to lose yourself in this role called mom. To be clear, I have always wanted to be someone’s mom so part of me loves every single crazy minute of it and there is even some comfort in losing myself to the role. But lately, I have been feeling the question tugging at me. Who Am i? I mean barely anyone calls me Amanda anymore... instead I answer to mom, mommy, Levi’s mom, luca’s mom, Isaac’s mom, hey you, I need you, can you, will you...seriously if you just make eye contact with me I’ll probably see what you need me to do for you. It’s overwhelming at times...

I used to have the time for myself. I used to be able to go to a 6pm dance class without the worry of anyone else. I would give myself this hour to lose myself in the music. I was a dancer. Now 6pm is like the worst possible time! For starters at 6pm my kids are full blown assholes. They are tired, hungry, and Levi is usually midway through an after school activity. It’s also sometimes the first time of the day I’m getting to see them so to ask my mom, Bebe the Saint, to watch them longer at the bewitching hour is like cruel and unusual punishment. Mike works insanely late which is like a whole other blog post so that’s out. And finding a weekday 6pm babysitter for an hour is like finding the gold at the end of the rainbow...So what’s a girl to do??  

And then it happened...The day before Valentine’s Day one of my favorite instructors, who is also a mom of 3 boys and a professional dancer, posted a video of a dance class that she went to 3 years ago. I had messaged her 3 years ago when I first saw the video telling her I wanted to go with her sometime but then well life happened and I never went... I had finally reached my breaking point. I needed to go to this class! There on the website in bold print...next class 2/14 at 8pm. Mike was working Valentine’s Day, could I possibly give myself this true gift of self love??? So I did it... I signed up for an 8pm Valentine’s night hip hop class... wait for it.... in high heels. 🤦🏻‍♀️!!!!! Bebe, the Saint, agreed to watch the crazies. And by 7 pm, I was threatening them within an inch of their life to be decent human beings so that I could just have the chance to find myself at an 8pm dance class. I got everyone settled and bolted as quickly as I could before anyone, myself included, changed their mind. Luckily, I had texted back and forth with the instructor earlier in the day and she had suggested that I go ahead and sign up to guarantee space in the class because when I walked through the door there were already 6 people on the waitlist. It was a mixed group... I was possibly one of the oldest dancers and I had already embarrassed myself by almost tripping in my heels in the waiting area before class so well there was that...but more importantly I was there. The class was invigorating. It was hard, the music was good, I’m sure to the naked eye I did horrible but in my head I was a freaking goddess and I survived! I left the class wanting more... and before I fell asleep that night...I signed up for the next 6 classes! 😉 The next morning I was dying...like the kind of pain that makes you feel really old but totally and completely alive at the same time. And guess what I was right back there this week! 

Love,

Me

Hey y’all, hey....

On the iPod, “I don’t F&$k with you” By: Big Sean

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-dont-f-k-with-you-feat-e-40/963397688?i=963397692

Almost 10 years ago I started this super personal blog... It kind of came out of no where and sort of shocked people. Pretty quickly I had this incredible audience of over 20,000 readers from across the country. I made a promise to myself when I started the blog that nothing was off limits but that everything would be heartfelt and truthful and if I couldn’t speak my truth well then the blog was pointless and I should quit. Well three years in the rug was pulled out from under me involving some close personal relationships and it began to be much harder to speak my truth because well I had a child and when you become a mom it’s hard to not want to put your life in a bubble to protect all those involved. Many years ago, I was able to move on as best I could and get to a pretty decent place of happiness. You even got to hear from me from time to time but I had stopped writing for myself and instead my head was filled with thoughts about what you guys might want to read... well to be honest it sort of makes for a pretty boring blog. So well about 2 weeks ago, I decided that maybe I don’t really care what y’all want to read 😂 and that maybe I should get back to where it all started so...

If your new here...welcome! You’ve obviously become part of my circle in the last couple of years. I’ll start out by telling you a little about myself because well guess what I’ve evolved over the last 10 years...

I turned 40 in July. I’m married to Mike. I’ve been pregnant 6 times and have 3 boys named Levi, Luca, and Isaac. I’m a chef. I’ve battled my weight since 3rd grade. I’m a daughter to an amazing mom (Bebe) and a very missed dad who left this world 11 long years ago. If I let you into my world, I let you in big. I pride myself on being real and sometimes that’s too much for people but guess what I don’t really give a f$&k. Oh and did I mention I cuss...like a lot and yes even at times in front of my kids. But guess what I’ve been hurt by a lot of words that weren’t considered cuss words. Maybe if we all focused a little more on the context of what was coming out of our mouths rather than the actual words we would live in a happier world with less assholes! But here is the amazing part... if any of these things bother you... no worries BuBye. Can’t wait to fill you in with what I’ve been up to! 

Love Me

We need to talk about Anthony

On the IPOD, “Issues” by Julia Michaels

The article below is everything about being a chef. If you are in the industry and you are ignoring the truth of it then you are lying to yourself. The restaurant industry is such a perfect fit for kids like me who thrive with hands on learning and love to be creative unfortunately the job also comes with very deep rabbit holes that you have to watch out for.

Almost 20 years ago, I left the restaurant business to become a personal chef. At the time most saw it as a lateral move. But in truth it wasn’t...

“Famous chefs” were just really beginning, the Food Network was super green and women chefs were finally starting to break out of the pastry chef/baker position. I think in some ways I let some mentors down by choosing to go out on my own and cook in clients homes rather than work my way up in the exciting world of 5 star restaurants. I vividly remember a conversation in culinary school with my instructor who was concerned that I was going to get bored and accused me of wasting my “g-d given talent”. In truth, I actually agreed with him...

But I wasn’t wasting it in vain.

I made a choice. I had been working in the high end restaurant industry since I was 16 and don’t get me wrong it was exciting and fun and not boring in the slightest, but it wasn’t always pretty. Everyone was stressed. Self medication seemed to be the answer to everything. Divorces were being handed out faster than the numerous drugs changing hands and the question wasn’t whether someone partied it was more a question of if they were responsible and could party and still rally and show up for work on time? And let’s just say money wasn’t free flowing to the back of the house... no one was getting rich in the kitchen! So I made the ultimate decision that my LIFE was more important than excitement and possible fame. Honestly, I knew that I wanted kids and that I really wanted to be involved in their lives and I also knew that I hadn’t met a chef yet who was living their best life and had it all. Has it been hard to watch from the sidelines sometimes... hell yes! Is my job less stressful? Hmmm...in ways. Whether you work in an actual restaurant or at a home being a chef is not for the faint of heart. It can be an extremely lonely job even when you are surrounded by people everyday. Pleasing everyone is hard on either end and there is still the constant battle to stay ahead of the trends and the minuscule margin for error.  Food just has to be extraordinary if you want to stay in business. To be truly successful you have to do everything above plus you have to have the perfect blend of cockiness and the ability to bend, a strong backbone and nerves of steel. If you don’t... pick another career because the culinary world will eat you alive! Am I content with my choice? For the most part yes. I get to have this amazing personal chef business with the best clients and rock out some crazy over the top intimate dinner parties. I still work crazy hours and almost every freaking holiday...But 85% of the time I get to put my kids to bed and take them to school in the mornings. 

I also get to watch some extremely level headed talented chef friends throw down some killer Dallas eats... one who I grew up with (Eric Dreyer) and one who has grown up with me since culinary school and who has continually been a supporter of mine and listener to all of my crazy ideas (Oliver Sitrin). They have both done AMAZING things in this industry and I can’t wait to see what is still to come for them!! Will this always be enough for me... most definitely not! I have a fire in my soul just waiting to come out...when the time is right. Being a chef for the last 24 years has been such a gift and I’m excited to continue, but tonight I am going to bed a bit sad that so many in my industry are still struggling with everyday demons. The stigmas of getting help are still rampant. I don’t know the answer to fixing it but it isn’t just about posting suicide hotlines and blogging about better healthcare. Don’t get me wrong those are absolutely important. But we need to change the way we talk about mental health. So I’m asking you all a favor... if you are taking medicine for depression or anxiety or if you are like me and have been going to therapy since the age of 7 or even if you have ever felt overwhelmed by emotions (so pretty much everyone!!!) I want you to talk to your kids about it. I want you to explain to them why you take medicine or why you go the therapy or tell them about a time in your life that wasn’t comfortable emotionally and then I want you to give them the gift of being able to ask for help... explain to them that if they ever want to talk to someone or if they feel sad or even afraid or stressed that it doesn’t mean they are weak or weird and that there is help available. Maybe just maybe if we make treating their brains and hearts as important as honing their sports skills we will end up with a generation of kids who will prioritize their mental health and who will never feel like ending their life is the only option. 

Rest easy Tony. 👊🏻 ✌🏻 ❤️ 

Xoxo chef A

https://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/anthony-bourdain-restaurant-industry-mental-health

If you need help, here is a list of people and places that want to hear from you, culled from Chefs With Issues:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: No matter what problems you are dealing with, we want to help you find a reason to keep living. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7. suicidepreventionlifeline.org

National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. nami.org

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. samhsa.gov

How to grow a man...

On the IPod, “We’re Going To Be Friends” by: The White Stripes

When I was 5, I attended Cardinal Preschool and I was in “love” with a boy named Tommy L. I have about 5 vivid memories of preschool. I remember accidentally slamming my hand in the metal doors of the building, refusing to eat chocolate covered ants (chocolate covered Rice Krispies), missing the last day because I had the chicken pox, the kissing game (a game at recess where one would trap a boy or girl against the chain link fence and lay one on him/her. I’m pretty sure this game would not be allowed in 2018... but hey it was the ‘80s), and that time Tommy L. asked me on a date to Wendy’s (with his mom). See Tommy L. had a special mom. The kind of mom who was teaching her son how to make a girl feel special. I have to say the date was pretty magical... I mean I had never even been to a Wendy’s before and he brought me a rose and even had a chauffeured car (his mom again). I’m pretty sure we weren’t in an exclusive relationship (I found out later that Missy Paquin had also been to the Wendy’s) and our love affair was short lived, but it was a highlight of my 5th year for sure! After preschool, Tommy L. and I went our separate ways. We attended different elementary schools but I heard his name every now and then from mutual friends, he gave up the L. and decided to go by his whole last name at some point. The memory of such a special day stuck with me for a long time. And more than anything Tommy L. unknowingly set the bar pretty high. 

When I had Levi, I immediately felt this intense desire and purpose to teach him how to be a thoughtful, kind, and romantic man. I wanted to be like Tommy’s mom. It’s sort of funny because we live in a world where most people are sort of obsessed with training their boys how to play sports and sleep in a tent outside and in general be the fastest and the best. But here I am teaching him table manners and dating etiquette.  How I see it is the world has enough sports stars and to be honest these little boys don’t need me pushing them to be the fastest and the strongest... it seems like life pushes them enough. But the world is in desperate need of men who know how to set tables and cook dinners and buy flowers and say nice wonderful things to the people around them. So what my boys need to know is how powerful and strong it can be to make someone else feel special and that the shiniest trophy in the world holds nothing to the feeling you get from being kind. 

Two weeks ago, Levi and 6 of his best buddies performed a hip hop dance at his elementary school’s talent show. Last year we had given the girls from his kinder class roses after they performed and Levi had insisted that we pass them out again this year. So here we came with 17 individually wrapped roses for 17 little first grade girls. As I followed him while he handed out each rose a parent of one of the girls said, “Oh this is so unnecessary, you didn’t have to buy flowers for all these girls!” I silently gave her a head nod and a smile and just simply said that Levi wanted to! What that mom doesn’t know is that the gesture was anything but unnecessary! You see... those 7 little boys danced their hearts out that night.... they had practiced for months and they were nothing short of amazing but as we loaded up in the car after the show my little 7 year old boy said, “Mom, hearing the clapping and the cheers after we danced tonight was fun but the best part of tonight was seeing the girls smiles when I gave them their rose. I can’t wait to do it again next year!” I mean if that isn’t a parenting mic drop moment I’m not sure what is! 

I’m sure that Tommy wasn’t always a perfect gentleman and I’m sure he made some mistakes  but something tells me that his Mom kept helping him become a better man along the way. 

He is now married to what has to be a pretty amazing woman and has a daughter and a son of his own, who I’m sure is taking some lucky lady to Wendy’s! When I messaged to him to say that I was writing this his response was, “It’s so great to hear from you. My mom IS pretty amazing... she taught me well!”

So boy moms listen up! It doesn’t matter if you have 1 of them or 8! The next time someone says, “wow, all boys... I don’t know how you do it?!?” Or looks at you with a sad puppy dog face as if they are sad for you that you have a male child...I want you to dig deep and be the best mom you can be. Because you know what... you are pretty damn lucky that you get to be an amazing mom helping little boys become great men! Not everyone has that opportunity! 

xoxo

Amanda

Soccer Monster

On the iPod, “Can’t Stop The Feeling” by: Justin Timberlake

Ode to soccer accessories...

56 soccer games, 7 pairs of black shorts, 12 black soccer socks, and 16 shin guards of course...

It’s crazy and awful and terrible you see because I must have a black short and soccer sock wearing monster doing laundry with me. 

In June of 2017,  I bought 4 pairs of black shorts, soccer socks, shin guards and new cleats. Each week comes and goes and it’s frustrating to me that I’ve added pairs and pairs of all stinking three. And today the night before the very last game I’ve searched high and low and now feel totally lame. I have rainbows of colored shorts and neon socks in a stack, but you know what I’m missing 19 things that are black! 

So as I stand here covered with piles and piles of clothes with fire hot steam billowing out of my mouth and my nose... I think to myself about that monster you see, he is hiding somewhere just laughing at me. Wearing layers and layers of soccer supplies, I hope he is happy cause I’m breaking the ties! Soccer is over this year and it doesn’t pain me to say that I won’t shed a tear at least not over black shorts in May. Bye bye little monster don’t you come back here at all and I better not see you... at least until next Fall! 

xoxo chef a

10 Years

On the iPod, “Better Place” by: Rachel Platten

Here I am again...wide awake...January 7th...3am... 

10 years....

How has it been 10 years since I saw you and heard your voice? 

As I lie here in bed with big tears rolling down my cheeks my heart actually hurts and the lump is in my throat making it hard to breathe...

I feel like I can’t remember what your voice sounds like...

I’ve heard so many other voices in the last 10 years, they are somehow drowning yours out. The images are getting blurry also...If I close my eyes tightly I can remember little details like when you would hold the coffee cup against your cheeks to warm them and what your hands looked like, but they are fading into images of what my own hands look like and my own feeling of the coffee cup against my cheeks. I feel like I am losing you. 

If this is 10 years what will 20 feel like??? I need it to slow down, I need more time, it’s all going by way too fast. You’ve missed so much, we have missed so much, I miss you so much. 

6 grandsons, 6 little boys with parts of you woven into them like strands of gold glittering in every direction. They are so bright and funny and gorgeous... a testament of your legacy. Ugh... I hope I get to see you again. And hear your voice again. 29 years just wasn’t enough. 

10 years... 10 years... I just can’t believe it’s been 10 years. I will never get over it. I have chosen to live...to be in this moment, but it is hard to not feel the weight of not having you here. So right now, at 3am on January 7th, I will feel it all in the bittersweet silence surrounded by little men with glittering gold strands of you. Thank you Daddy! Thank you for allowing me to see you through them. 

I love you. 

A

Dear First Grade Teacher

On the iPod, "Believer" by Imagine Dragons

Dear First Grade Teacher, 

While most kids were worried about which friends  would be in their classes, Levi's only question after I read him your letter was, "Mom, will she know how to teach me?" As I carefully picked up my heart off the floor I simply responded, "I hope so, baby." See Levi didn't walk out of kindergarten with the usual skill set. He wasnt all giddy with excitement the first weeks of school. Instead, he was a mess. He went in crying and came out yelling. We somehow had become the worst parents in the world for forcing him to go. It was rough and horrible and it definitely wasn't the kindergarten experience that I had. It wasn't anyone's fault. He felt inadequate and no one saw it coming. Kindergarten isn't the same kindergarten anymore and it is equally as stressful for the teachers as it is for the kids.  But at the end of the year he came out knowing possibly the most important thing he will ever learn about himself...that he is special. His brain is so strong that he actually has extra cells. The extras give him extraordinary strengths... He excels in mathematics, he is extremely creative and can remember a memory like he is staring at its photograph. He sees shapes in 3D and is an incredible problem solver. But unfortunately words and letters are not his bag. They are in fact his kryptonite.  He once told me that the words on the page laugh at him and call him stupid. 

Levi is dyslexic. 

It hurts me to say this but before we had Levi privately  tested I was starting to feel like he was just a jerk. In my head, I even thought that he might be lazy and just wasn't trying hard enough. I was secretly resentful that he wouldn't sit and read with me. He would never learn the Abcs or even twinkle twinkle all the while his best friend was singing the national anthem. It annoyed me...I had carried those feelings around since he was 3 and now the stress was at its peak.

When the diagnosis came I felt guilty. How did I not know sooner? But all in all it gave me a mission. I set up meetings and public school testing... I wrote emails and letters and became an advocate. It has been a struggle and it is far from over. I am unwavering though. At the end of the year,  I sat at a table surrounded by educators and diagnosticians that had come together to build a plan for Levi and I read this letter to them...

"Before we get started I just wanted to take a minute to tell you all that I'm sorry if throughout this process I have come across as overbearing or rude or even crazy.

I know that you are all working within limits that you did not create and I truly want to believe that you have my kids best interest at heart.

I also know that my kid is one of many, but he is my one. 

I am entrusting him to you. He is not only learning reading, writing, and arithmetic here. He is also learning how to communicate with authority and with his peers. Most importantly, he is watching you to see how you communicate with him and the children around him. And he is at times basing his worth on that. 

He is sensitive and kind...and scared that he is not performing the way he thinks he should be. 

I am not only his mom, I am his biggest cheerleader and his best advocate. So please continue to forgive me when I am overbearing or crazy or when I ask the same question 5 times... And please remember at the end of the day that he is my one."

I can only describe the moment as feeling like the words were coming out of the depths of my soul. Advocating for yourself is one thing but doing it for your child comes from the rawest of places.

So as we are about to embark on a new school year... I am beyond anxious. I spoke with some good friends after meet the teacher tonight some of which have entering kindergarteners and I silently nodded through their worries of if their child is prepared enough all the way to what if their child is not challenged enough and a calm came over me as I realized I only have one agenda this year...  I want my child to love school... I desperately want him to want to be there. Please make 1st grade his kindergarten. Please help me teach him to use his learning differences to his advantage. I want to hear him tell his amazing stories even if he can't get the words on to the pages. I want to see him draw the images that fill his wonderful brain. I want you to allow him to tell you about plate tectonics and the earth's core. I want to see him using those extra brain cells. There is still time to change his perception of what school is and to reassure him that different doesn't mean stupid. There is only so much I can do for him the rest will happen in your walls. 

Sincerely,

A mom who is counting on you! 

Gone in an instant...

On the iPod, "7 Years Old" by: Lucas Graham

So... I've spent the last week revamping the blog. Buying websites and changing titles and writing and writing and writing. But since Saturday morning, I have had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and it hasn't felt right to blog about why my son took a shower with a maxi pad stuck to his forehead (don't worry I'll post this one soon.)

See... On Saturday morning, I woke up to the news that two beautiful, smart, young 16 year old girls (both just one to two degrees from me) died in a car accident just streets away. And there is a third 16 year old girl still fighting for her life. 

Unfortunately, we know too well what it is like for these families... The news takes me back to the night that Mike's brother died. The police phone calls, the drive to the hospital, the room... Yes the bad room that you've never noticed in the ER before because you've luckily never been taken there. The screaming... The crying... The utter shock...The arrangements... The funeral with too many young faces... The sadness... The heartbreak.

The difference this time is that now I'm a parent... Now, when I here about these tragedies I am overcome with fear. How do I keep my boys safe? How will I teach them how easily a night can go from fun to horrible? How do I explain to them that it's not necessarily the highways that are so terrible. It's the neighborhood streets that we drive on every day... How do I explain the dangers of the world around them without scarring them. 

These girls were not any different than I was... At sixteen we were driving just to drive. I can't tell you how many times a group of us would spend hours driving around in circles on the weekends. I'm sure we were going too fast and we probably had the music on too loud. How will I explain to them how dangerous a car is?  Will it mean something if at 15 years old I take them to the accident sights... If I take them to Alpha Road and show them the tree where Laura Welborn died in highschool... Or to plano parkway where their uncle hit a light pole in a sea of grass median... Or now to Mira Vista where Samantha Sacks and Lilly Davis lost their lives. If I make them read their stories and look at their faces...will it protect them?  Or is it all just luck based... Oh G-d I hope they survive! 

When I think about those poor parents having to wake up and bury their children my heart hurts and I feel ill. How will they move forward? I know they will move forward... They have other children who will need them to move forward. I have watched my inlaws move forward. But they will move forward changed... Forever changed.

Please pray for these families and for any family who has lost a child. Pray that Kendall Murray, the third teenager, heals both mentally and physically. Pray for the parents of the world, yourselves included, that we may find both the strength and the words to teach our kids the lessons that they need to know.

Kiss your kids. Tonight and always...

xoxo Amanda  

A New Beginning...

On the iPod "Stars" by: Alessia Cara

Hello...

A funny thing happened last week...I ran into two of my very favorite people and the question came up...

"Where do you want to be in 5 years?"

As I sat there my heart was screaming one undeniable truth... I want to be here...in these pages. 7 years ago I started this blog. I have ... (Dot, dot, dotted) my way through so many ups and downs. Most importantly the birth of three little boys. Unfortunately with each one it has proven harder and harder to find the time to write, but it has to change. I need to work on this blog.  I miss you and I miss me. 

So I'm here and I want to write! I want to give you the honesty that has kept you coming back for more. I want to talk about how hard it is to have a husband who works so much and what it's like to raise these little boys with my village. I want you to walk with me as I learn how to be a better parent. I want to show you what's for dinner and give you lunchbox ideas. And I want us to FEED OUR KIDS...BOTH THEIR BODIES AND THEIR SOULS! So I need your help... I need you to follow me. I need you to find me on Instagram and on facebook for starters and I need you to talk about me with your friends and to share my posts when they speak to you. The blog will be making a bit of an evolution and I'm so thrilled to be back! Hope you will join me on this journey! 

xoxo Amanda 

Neverland

On the IPod "Lost Boy" by: Ruth B

I'm a strong believer in all things spiritual. I believe in signs and I really do believe that when someone dies there is a part of them that stays in this world. 

Sometimes, when you look back closely at the time just before someone dies you can see that there are rarely coincidences. 

About 3 weeks ago, Levi started to ask me, out of the blue, to go and visit my dad at the cemetery. In all honesty, it caught me off-guard. I talk about my dad all of the time, but we had never discussed the fact that he was at the cemetery or the fact that visiting was even an option...It has always been a private space for me so I kind of just blew off the conversation.  But in usual Levi fashion, the conversation just kept creeping up. This past Sunday, I just couldn't ignore it anymore. We had somehow ended up at Sunday school 20 minutes early and just as I was about to turn in I heard a little voice say, "Mommy, I really want to go to visit your daddy today... Like now!" And just like that, I had run out of excuses.  I parked in my usual spot, took a deep breath and introduced my two oldest sons to my dad. In a way, I have never felt like he doesn't know them because I feel him around me all of the time but in that moment introductions just felt right. Levi asked me lots of scientific questions about what happens when someone's body dies as if he somehow knew that the spirit was no longer there. I showed them how as Jews we leave rocks on the headstones instead of flowers. And then we subsequently left rocks and said hello to all of the other family members there.  Later on, on the car ride home, Levi told me that he thought that when you die it is just darkness. I asked him why he thought that and told him that is not what I believe... I told him that I believe that when your body dies your soul goes to a place like Neverland,  where you are always young and free like Peter Pan. To be honest, he looked at me like I was crazy but I stuck to my story and I always will. Because something greater than me guided us to the cemetery that day... 

See, the last two and a half weeks I have watched my uncle die. At first, I had no idea he was dying...It was supposed to just be a surgery to remove a tiny bit of cancer... In my head, the surgery was supposed to be the easy part... The hard part would be next in the form of chemo, radiation, maybe some other form of treatment. That was the Cancer I was prepared for... The Cancer I know is one that f@&king sucks but it at least lets you show up for the fight.  This cancer didn't even give my uncle a chance. But, it did give me a chance, a sort of gift. In the last week I have been given some amazing opportunities...I have been able to help guide my older cousins down this unbelievably hard path. I have sat beside my uncle who was halfway here and halfway there and was able to feel closer to my dad than I have in years. I have been able to break the silence for everyone with the presence of three little boys and I hope that I have been able to remind my aunt that we all have her back.  Being a member of a club that no one wants to be in doesn't come with many perks... But over the last 9 years I have learned that there are little gifts all around us, this is a gift that was given to me that I have passed on again and again and today I will pass it on once more...

When my dad died a wise old sage told me that when you lose someone close you gain a lump. At first the lump is in your throat making it hard to swallow or even breathe. You will question it and hate it and just want it to go away. And the lump will forever change you. But over time the lump moves... sometimes it's in your heart...sometimes in your hand and eventually it finds a home at the bottom of your foot. You will always feel it there and although impossible to believe right now, you will start to feel nervous when you don't feel it enough anymore. But then low and behold, it will resurface somewhere you least expected it to be.  On special days... Birthdays, holidays, weddings, anniversaries the lump moves... sometimes it moves to your elbow but other times it moves all the way up to your throat...after some time it will settle back in your foot... Believe it or not in a way you will come to love the lump... 

Tonight the lump is in our throats, making it hard to breathe. So we will try to focus on the little gifts...the little signs that are all around us and we will take a breath...

xoxo chef a

Who is in the water??

On the iPod, "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran

I've been writing this blog in my head for the last 24 hours or so. It's one I truly never thought I'd have to write, but the funny thing about parenting is that no matter how prepared you think you are nothing can ever prepare you completely.

As most of you know I have two boys, Levi who is 5 and Luca who is 2 1/2. I also happen to be 8 months pregnant with another boy coming in 7 weeks. Nobody could prepare me for how different my boys would be... Levi is my constant worrier. He is and has always been very cautious and concerned. He doesn't like to get hurt and carries many fears. He is sweet, calm and gentle most of the time. Luca couldn't be more different. He is fearless and has always been a risk taker. He has never met a stranger and will try anything at least twice or until he hurts himself and then he still might try again! With his amazing, outgoing, delicious personality comes sometimes scary, reckless behavior that scares the crap out of me as his mother. 

In the big picture their different personalities don't even matter, the story I'm telling you today could happen to any one of our kids no matter how prepared we are or they are. Last night was an eye opening experience for me and I hope it makes you open your eyes a little more also. 

Father's Day was going pretty well yesterday. We spent the morning at my Aunt and Uncle's having brunch and swimming and then the boys both rested afterwards giving this pregnant mommy some much needed down time before we loaded back up to go to my Sister in law's for more swimming and dinner. 

Both of my boys have had survival swimming lessons in summers past and they were set to start their refresher lessons today, the monday after Father's Day. I had been noticing that Luca was taking more risks in the pool in the last week and jumping in before letting an adult know so I had decided that before we started the lessons again he would have to wear a puddle jumper in the pool unless we were in just one on one.

Anyways, when I got to my inlaws I told everyone up front that he had been jumping in and made sure everyone knew that he would need to wear the puddle jumper for safety. I will start out by saying there were 10 of us at the pool. 6 adults, 2 teenagers and the two little boys. At this point in the story I will only be referring to the other adults as adults. I won't be labeling them or even giving their genders because it could have been any of us in each location and the last thing I want to do is assign blame... We all went home last night knowing that it was in some part our "fault" or our "mistake" even though in truth it was an accident.  

So late in the afternoon Luca got out of the pool with one adult and went to the patio table to have a snack. Shortly there after Levi and I went inside to get changed. At this point there was one adult and one teenager in the pool and three adults sitting at the patio table with Luca. The other adult and teen were inside the house with us. As I was getting levi dressed the adult that was in the pool came into the house to change leaving the teen in the pool and luca and 3 adults at the table. As levi stood up after getting dressed he looked out the window and screamed the most terrifying thing he has ever said, "Luca is at the bottom of the pool he is drowning!" My heart sank... We ran as fast as we could outside to find the lone teenager in the pool saving Luca's life. She had heard the splash and thought it was levi but when nobody returned to the surface she swam to help. At this point the adults at the table still had no idea what had happened... 

We are not sure how long Luca was under the water what felt like hours was probably less than a minute. When we got him out he coughed up a bunch of water and was clearly distressed but quickly gained his composure. And in usual Luca fashion was more concerned with where his goggles went than being scared of what had just happened. We watched him all night long for any other signs of breathing trouble, but he seemed fine. If the teenager hadn't been there....or if Levi had not seen Luca at the bottom...I could be telling you an entirely different story today. I still can barely discuss it without getting physically ill. We later discovered that when Luca got out for the snack the adult had taken off the life vest so that he would be more comfortable. And when he was finished eating he just got up from the table and jumped into the water. The adults were talking and never noticed. It didn't matter that there were more adults than kids at the pool yesterday or that we had put him into the life vest while we were swimming... He still ended up at the bottom of the pool in seconds. 

Here are the lessons we learned from yesterday...

When we are at the pool there has to be strong communication about who is watching each child.

If adults are sitting at a table outside their chairs need to be facing the pool at all times and really there should be an adult in the pool if kids have access to said pool. 

Looking back we should have not introduced the puddle jumper again because it gave us both too much security. I relaxed too much thinking he had it on and he also felt so secure in it that when he jumped in he expected it to catch him. 

And in future years the boys will take their refresher course before the swimming season begins. 

We are so lucky. At least two other families in America were not as lucky yesterday and those are just the stories that made the news. I'm going to guess that their day started out much like ours did. We thought we were prepared... We thought that we were protecting them... But at the end of the day mistakes were made, accidents happened and not everyone is able to give you a happily ever after today.  

Please, please I'm begging you...establish pool rules before swimming EVERY day! Assign buddies so that everyone knows their role and continue communicating with each other throughout the day as plans change. When any person, child or adult, goes inside they should notify everyone else so that every body is accounted for at all times. Lock the gates around your pool. Kids are crafty they can almost always find a way in...at least make it as difficult as possible. And lastly hug your kids, realize that everyday is not guaranteed. And none of us are immune to tragedy we are just lucky that today is not our tragic day! 

Just some scary facts from the YMCA's website.

"DROWNING FACTS

HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE TO DROWN? IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO...

• Cross a room for a towel (10 sec), a child in a bathtub can be submerged.
• Answer the phone (2 min), a child can lose consciousness.
• Sign for a package at the front door (4-6 min), a child submerged in a tub or pool can sustain permanent brain damage. 
• Most childhood drowning victims were seen just 5 minutes prior to hitting the water.

HOW MUCH WATER DOES IT TAKE TO DROWN?

• Inches of water in a bathtub.
• A bucket of water.
• Standing water on top of a pool or spa cover.
• Any amount of water that covers the mouth & nose. 

DO PEOPLE ALWAYS YELL FOR HELP?

• Most children do not yell for help.
• Non-swimmers or exhausted swimmers are unable to call for help.
• Drowning victims may be struggling under the water. 

NEAR DROWNING

• Near drowning is survival after submersion in fluid.
• For each child that drowns, it is estimated that 4 children are hospitalized for near-drowning
• Nationwide, 2700 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for unintentional drowning-related incidents
• As many as 20% of near drowning survivors suffer severe permanent neurological disability.
• Nearly all who require CPR die or are left with severe brain injury. 

AREAS OF RISK RELATED TO DROWNING

• Home Pools/Spas/Ponds
• Inside Homes
• Natural Bodies of Water
• Boating & Personal Water Crafts"

xoxo chef a