Giving things up

Well, every year since about 1987 I have given up sweets for Lent. Sometimes I was a little easy on myself, for instance allowing diet sodas (they don't have sugar, right?) or eating non-chocolate items, but for most of the last 21 years it was all-out no sweets. No chocolate, no sodas, no candy, no desserts, no syrup (therefore no pancakes or French toast because, really, why bother?)... Some years I would crack open a soda before sunrise service Easter morning. Or a chocolate bar. Anyway, after a few decades, this became less of a challenge for me, so last year I gave up caffeine in addition to sweets. That was tough. I missed coffee so much more than dessert. My mother-in-law gave me a Starbucks card for my birthday on Good Friday, knowing I could hardly wait to cash that sucker in...

Well, on Easter morning I found out I was preggers, so 9 more months of no caffeine (although I did resume enjoying sweets). Now that I'm nursing, caffeine is still taboo. As is booze for that matter. And broccoli. Come on.

So, all of this is to say, that this year I did not give up sweets. I figure I'm giving up enough foods and beverages as it is. I decided to give up daytime tv instead. Now that I'm home with the napless wonder (although he has napped today, and is napping right now, in fact), it is all too easy to plop down in front of the tv while nursing to watch "Ellen" for an hour each day and countless other less-wholesome shows ("Real Housewives" anyone?) when I could/should be making faces at/reading to/ playing with the cutest baby ever. So that is what I'm doing instead. I've got to say, it is far more entertaining.