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Despicable Me


Robyn Openshaw - Aug 08, 2010 - This Post May Contain Affiliate Links


My baby just turned 10 years old. (I can’t believe it.)

And I took him on a date last night to dinner (Jason’s Deli salad bar) and to see Despicable Me.

I got him and his sister (turning 13) really nice bikes for their birthdays. All four of my kids were born (as made semi-infamous on primetime television) within 3 weeks of each other. My oldest son is getting a date with me to some MLB Rays games (his favorite team) in Tampa. My oldest daughter is getting scuba lessons and a trip to Catalina to dive with me.

Rather selfish gifts, I know—all of them time with Mom doing something fun.

So Tennyson had asked me if when we got home (at 10 p.m.!) if we could go for a bike ride. (I will tell you later about my new Cannondale carbon-frame road bike I can lift with one finger–I am in love with it. Ten and I have been itching to ride, ride, ride.) I said “Sure, if you change into a white shirt.”

We rode in silence for a few minutes and he said, “Mom. I have a weird feeling in my stomach.”

Not something I’ve ever heard from him before. I said, “You’re worried about something.”

“Yes.”

“Well,” I probed, “shall we skip the bike ride?”

“Yes.”

“Does that make your stressed tummy go away?”

“Yes.”

We’ve been discussing how Momof3 finds her mother-in-law’s visits stressful because of their very disparate ideas about what is good for Momof3’s children, nutritionally.

What’s important and what’s not? It’s smart to sometimes let go of the need to CONTROL and remind yourself, “It is just food, after all.”

I know, that doesn’t sound like something I would say. But there is that occasion when grace and larger issues (such as relationships) dictate just “letting it go.” I’m not at all convinced that Momof3 should “just let it go” every time her in-laws come for a week. Only she knows that for sure. But my point is, your gut tells you things.

Does it matter? Or doesn’t it?

I trust my intuition as a mom. I have 17 years of experience and therefore more confidence in what my gut tells me, than I did 15 years ago.

One of the most important things I would tell moms is to TRUST INSTINCT. It’s valuable. After all we can read and ponder academically, I love that intuition guides me and you. It’s God-given and it takes us the rest of the way.

Posted in: Relationships, Whole Food

5 thoughts on “Despicable Me”

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Interesting that you’d write about this today. I had an incredibly tense experience with this yesterday and today. It was so bad that I could not even eat, and as soon as I took care of it, I instantly felt better.

  2. I love your perspective. Being flexible definitely leads to less anxiety.

    I have a fun testimony for you…

    I took my friend with me to see your presentation in Colleyville, TX a few months ago. She was hooked and even bought a BlendTec and has been making green smoothies daily since then. She has 3 kids and they drink the smoothies but always talk about how weird their mom is. Well, the oldest just spent a week at student life mission camp and in our intense Texas heat, became dehydrated and sick. She had to come home. She actually told her mom, “I think I need some green smoothies!” It’s a shame she had to get sick and dehydrated before she realized that green smoothies actually make her feel good, but hey….whatever it takes. Last night her dad said he made is first green smoothie and it turned out well. I’m thrilled! Thanks, Robyn, for sharing your passion.

  3. Thanks..yeah, you are right about trusting intuition. And, I will continue working on myself as well. Food is just food, but my son’s suffering was real. He became the red faced, purpled, crying, straining to have a bowl movement kid in her care. I cried along with him. No amount of apple juice she was giving him relieved his symptoms for days after she left. She didn’t believe me the only other times this happened has been when he is in her care. He had behavior bowl movement concerns after that for another 2 months (he wan’t constipated, but was afraid to go and started holding it in because he was afraid of it hurting. I had to work through that with him.) I’m grateful I’m not recovering from child birth this visit. I’m grateful to know green smoothies can save the day and I can do the shopping for my family this trip! It will be better this time around I’m sure. Thanks Robyn! Thanks everyone! This has been helpful and I’m no longer having the same anxiety!

  4. And, if there is a baby #4 I will enlist help w/meals and cooking from my sister. She may or may not agree w/me, but she knows I’m the mom and doesn’t discount what I’m telling her about my kid’s health needs/concerns/past experiences.

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