Just Say No! (Unless It's Wine)

Last week was Red Ribbon Week at the girls' school.  For those of you who don't know what this is, it's the updated campaign on "just say no" to drugs.  For lack of a better explanation.  I'm not sure if Red Ribbon Week is something that happens at the same time all over the country or just here.  Basically what the schools do is tie big red ribbons on the trees outside the school grounds.  At some point during the week, the teachers have an age appropriate lesson on what is good and not good for your body, which points to "drugs are bad".  This year they also had a BMX group come and perform while letting the kids know they can only perform this way by keeping their minds clear and their bodies strong. I was actually volunteering that day, and it was quite an awesome performance.  These are all great things for the kids to learn and learn young.  I'm not saying their not.  The "just say no to drugs" thing totally worked on me when I was a kid.  Then I went to college, but we won't discuss that here.  However, the kids do get a little confused about the whole drugs good vs. bad thing.

There is no doubt that certain drugs are just plain bad.  Cocaine, Meth, Heroin, Crack.  These are terribly bad things that ruin lives completely.  Things that should never be done by anyone really.  Then there are the drugs like antibiotics and cold medicine that you might need to take from time to time.  This is where the kids get confused.  Because after Red Ribbon Week, they hear the word drug and just assume it's all bad.  Obviously, drugs like that are something we need from time to time.  Because of all these school discussions my girls were coming home telling me about how bad certain things were for you to do, then is spawned this conversation at dinner one of the nights I decided to have wine with dinner;

Lana-"Mom, isn't wine a drug?"

Me-"Ummmmm…"

Lana-"Because we learned that wine is a drug at school."

Me-"Well, I guess technically it is, but.."

Lana-"So you are drinking DRUGS??"

Me-"No, Lana.  See the thing is, yes drugs can be bad, and while I guess wine can be considered a drug, there are different levels of how bad it is for you.  I'm having a glass of wine with my dinner.  Do I have a glass of wine EVERY night with dinner or four glasses of wine with dinner?" (although there are some nights I really want to.)

All three girls-"No."

Me-"Exactly.  So while things like alcohol and caffeine are considered drugs, as long as you don't use them to much and you are an adult, they aren't terrible for you like certain other drugs.  There are other drugs that you should never do though, okay?"

Lana-"Okay."

Then she went back to eating her dinner.  Glad I cleared that up!  The last thing I need is her going to school and telling her teacher that her mom drinks drugs sometimes with dinner.  Although, I guess technically I do have the sweet, sweet, drug of Pinot Noir a couple nights a week.  Still-drinking wine with dinner- totally fine.  Drinking drugs with dinner, however?  Not so much.  

Red, Red Wine

Every time a family member or friend has a birthday and I send them a card and I have the girls sign it too.  They always draw some pictures of their own inside the card of girly things like hearts, rainbows or perhaps flowers.  Sometimes Sonya will switch it up if someone's birthday is around a holiday. October birthdays might have  pumpkins, or if you have a birthday in March you might see some Shamrocks in your card.   My sister, Beth, celebrated her birthday last Thursday and I had to wait until she received her card before I shared what my oldest daughter drew on the inside...

She's quite the artist that one.  Not sure what holiday she thinks Beth's birthday is near. I know this picture makes it seem otherwise, but I SWEAR I don't drink wine every day.  Only the days that I have to take care of three kids.

Future Wine Enthusiast

Last Friday, after I picked Sonya up from school, I took the kids to Target so they could pick out their Valentines.  The Target that I regularly go to is in the Empire Center here in Burbank.  A shopping center filled with all kinds of different stores to meet all your shopping needs.  There's a Lowe's, Target, Best Buy, Michaels, TJ Maxx, and just recently added-a Nordstrom's Rack.  There are also a couple of restaurants and Starbucks, of course.  Then there is one of my favorite places, Bev-Mo.


For those of you who don't know this store, it's a magical place filled with all different types of alcohol, beer and especially wine.   Now some of you from back east may think this is the same thing as your package stores.  You know, the ONLY place you can buy booze in some states.  Here in California though, we can buy alcohol just about any time, day or night, any day of the week.  They sell it in Target, the grocery stores, and CVS.  Yes, even on a Sunday.  There was more than one occasion, when I was in college in Boston, when I would run out of Boone's Farm and have to wait until the next day for my refill.  The liquor section of the convenience stores would be chained in and locked down.  So that is one of the other nicer things about living in L.A. Well, that and not having to dig a snow tunnel to my car every day for the past 60 days.  (Sorry Northeast family and friends!)


Back to Bev-Mo.  It's not like the package store since you can buy alcohol anywhere here.  This is the place to go if you have questions about what you're buying or want a better price.  Similar to any specialized store.   For example, they sell kids shoes at Target.  However, if you need help finding your kids size or a better shoe, then your better off going to Stride Rite, where they might actually know what they're doing.  So yes, from time to time, I may visit the local Bev-Mo.  Especially when they are having their fantastic 5 cent sale where you buy a bottle of wine and get the second one for 5 cents.  Can't beat that!  When I do go there, I usually refer to it as the wine store, since that is all I really buy there.


Now we come back to last Friday.  We drove into the parking lot at the Empire Center, and Georgia starts to ask where we are going.  I remind her that we are going to Target for Valentines.  Then she asks, where is the Target, and immediately sees it and answers her own question with,


"Dere is Target!"


Right after that she sees the Bev-Mo and yells, with as much enthusiasm as any kid who has just seen a McDonalds,


"WINE STORE!!"


Sooooo...Is that bad??

Bedtime

This is what Friday night at my house looks like.  Three sippy cups of water for the girls, a glass (plus extra) of wine for me.  While it's not Irony, like the name of the wine, I thought it was a bit ironic that I did not set this picture up.  I got all the drinks ready then turned around saw this.  Truthfully this picture has less to do with irony and more to do with sanity.  Mine.  

The Nose Knows

As many of you now, I loves me my wine! I try not to love my wine everyday though, as it adds on extra pounds I don't need. Especially when I'm eating chocolate cupcakes every day, because I loves me some sweets! Anyway, I try to keep my wine consumption to the weekends. Sometimes I'll have a glass during the week, if it's been a particularly harrowing day with the kids. This is the last week of school for Sonya, which means she'll be home ALL DAY starting next week. I may have to up my rule to weekends and twice a week. I'll just double my workouts. We'll see.

I usually don't pour myself a glass of wine until after I get the kids in bed. Not because I care about them seeing me drink, but because I'd like to actually enjoy it. Lana is constantly coming up with new ways to push back her bedtime. Sonya and Georgia don't try as many antics, and usually fall asleep quickly. Lana is the worst. I know you all are so surprised about that.

First she has to go to the bathroom, even if she peed 10 minutes before I put her in bed. Then she wants to be covered up again. Then she wants the light on, or the door opened more, or a song to be sung to her. This goes on for a while. In her defense, she does nap during the day and is not that tired when I put them to bed. However, she still needs a nap and I still need her in bed with the rest of them. I've tried ignoring her and not doing what she asks, but it only makes it worse and she only yells more, which keeps the other two awake. So I end up "tucking her in" at least four different times every night. It's more fun than I can tell you.

One night, a few months ago, during one of her procrastination tactics I gave her a kiss and on my way out she said,

"Stop. Come here. Lemme smell yow mouth."

"What?" I asked, not quite sure what she was requesting.

"I wanna smell yow mouth," she said again.

I had heard right. At this point, I had already poured myself a glass of wine and had a few sips. I wasn't sure if this is what she was smelling, but I obliged her and let her smell my breath.

"What dat smell?" She asked.

"Wine?" I asked, not sure this is what she picked up.

"Ooohh, wine," she said back to me. I left the room and didn't hear back from her for the rest of the night.

Now on the nights when I've started to have a glass wine, she immediately knows. I will give her a kiss and she will ask to smell my mouth. Then when she does she gets a big smile on her face and says,

"WINE!"

Great. I don't know whether to be proud that I seem to have given birth to the human breathalyzer, or worried that bottles of wine might disappear from my collection in a few years.