Rewarded

Despite the fact that I have, for many years (and still sometimes), felt like a strange visitor in a foreign country where I live (it being across the country and very culturally different from the place where I grew up), I have come to really love it. 

And I could list---a long one, too---all the many things there are here to love.

Just a few:

you can hang clothes on the line and they'll be dry within the half hour

the mountains are beautiful

the people are beautiful, too

and on and on I could go!

However, it has a few flaws as any place does.

One of them is that it seems to be the candy capital of the world.

Candy is doled out to children (often without asking the parents first) ALL THE TIME:

at the doctor

at the grocery store check out

at church

at school (I have heard...)

at swim lessons

at any holiday/festival/celebration

oh, the list goes on and on!

It drives me bonkers!

So we went to war.

You know that scene in You've Got Mail when Meg Ryan is in the back of her bookstore punching the air, getting ready to "take it to the mattresses"?

That's what I feel like.

We fight back with money.

Despite really thinking that Alfie Kohn is right on with his advice,

We pay our kids to not eat candy for a year.

They just graduated from year number two.

It's totally their choice whether they participate or not,

but once they decide they're in, they (on their own) politely turn down candy, soda, gum, or anything else that could be similarly categorized as being made completely of sugar and dye and little else. 

 Jello, for instance.

And they not only get paid big bucks they:

-consume much less sugar and junk

-learn the important lesson of delayed gratification and self control.

This doesn't mean they don't eat sugar.

If sugar is combined with real food it is just fine, in my opinion. 

The occasional homemade chocolate chip cookie.

Oh, yes, please!

June 11th marked their second year graduation.

Scott was the Grand Poobah for the ceremony.

As the Vice-Poobah, I got to take the photos.



The Grand Poobah opening the ceremony with the graduation song



The opening speech, in which the Grand Poobah spoke about how proud we are of the kid's self control, was also a little silly, as speeches by Grand Poobahs tend to be.



The handing out of diplomas.....

....very formal.....

....and serious.

Cash in hand!