5 Jelly Beans and "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"

Yes, I said, "Jelly Beans." Just 5 little jelly beans 

can put me over the edge, but I did not go there.

Every one has those triggers in their life, mine this week was "5 Jelly Beans" at 4:30 pm 

on Friday afternoon in a room with 16 soon-to-be 3rd and 4th graders.

Not ever one has the amazing summer job I do, so I will explain.

I am a group leader for 20 or so soon-to-be 3rd and 4th grader from all over Shasta County.

They are with me for 8 weeks, some only come every other week, some come only one week and some will be here the entire 8 weeks as their parents work and cant take off summer break.

We have a lot of fun! There are 2 field trip options for each week, 4 different activities available during each day....6 different choices three in the morning and three in the afternoon.

Yesterday was the half way point; four weeks down and four to go. July 28th at 6:00 pm will find me wanting to be done, but I'm going to miss the high energy, fast passed schedule.

So, what's with the "5 Jelly Beans", Mrs Deena? 

I have been on a Sugar Detox for 4 weeks. No refined or added sugar of any kind. Until this last week I hadn't even had fruit. This is a lifestyle change that I hope to keep on forever.

This last school year there was a point ever day around 3:30 to 4:30 pm when I would open the cupboard and give the kiddos a jelly bean, M&M or some kind of treat for being good. Since I was being "very good" I would give myself "5 Jelly Beans".

Some days that was the only added sugar in my life, but it added up. A granola bar can have 12 grams of sugar and there are 4 grams of sugar in a sugar cube.

Jelly Beans have about 37 grams of sugar to a 120 calorie serving, where as, I would have to eat 4 Nature Valley Crunch bars for 120 calories and that would be 24 grams of sugar. 

Wine is harder to figure, in US we don't have the nutritional info on the bottle, like "food".

Dry wine can have only 4 grams of sugar per litter and sweet wine can have, as much as 46 grams per 6 oz. I quit sugar has all kinds of info on the topic of alcohol and sugar detox.

I did not eat the jelly beans yesterday or any of the other days the past 4 weeks when the trigger came. Friday was one of those day where we had spent time and money to give the kiddos a good time and expected them to be respectful and thankful. My group seems to have a hard time with that concept. It seems to be an age specific thing with these kiddos. I can get the attention of any of the other groups with little effort, however, it is shared at camp that my group is the hardest to rein in. 

I was ready to grab the treat for the good ones...but I did not treat them with the sweet or get into it myself. The four ring leaders were put in "four corners" with a book while I addressed the other 12 and gave them an art project to chill with after our trip to the lake. Then the "four" got to sit at the table with me and write an apology to the director with a plan of action for future. I was pretty proud for a Friday afternoon to work through my "5 jelly bean" moment and include a lesson for the entire group. The 12 who didn't have to write were watching every move I made with the other four kiddos. It seemed to be a milestone moment for me. I had a clear head, I acknowledged my trigger and I didn't treat the kids with food either.

On to July

Grammie's little Petunia is ready for the 4th of July in her Auntie Mary's old dress

.

 Auntie Mary in November 1991 in the same dress. I bought the dress for her with my birthday money. Aug. 1991. Now August 2017 I get to spend my birthday week with Petunia as we prepare for her 1st birthday. Meanwhile, July is another month of busy camp afternoons and preparing mind/spirit/body for a new school year that will begin the 2nd week of August. (I have no countdown either way.)

Happy 4th of July. My henna tattoo is celebrating my Independence Day Motto. "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."  I am thankful for a country where we celebrate everyone's difference and the right to be different. There is no perfect and there is a lot of bad stuff in this world, but I choose Joy.

John 16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (NIV)