Monday, October 12, 2009
Rule-breakers
Some rules were made to be broken. You've got to break the rules every once in awhile so that you know you're alive. If your manner of walking through life models a zombie that awaits death because it's so boring, then it's time to mix it up a bit. Here are five rule-breakers to get you started. And note, I didn't admonish you to break any laws, just a few rules. If it makes you feel better, you can just "bend" a few instead.
Rule-breaker number one: Eat dessert before dinner. Who says you have to eat dessert after the main course? You can start with the ice cream sundae and eat some chicken enchiladas afterward. You could even skip dinner altogether and just go for a second helping of ice cream with a brownie instead. Eat dessert for breakfast for that matter; add some chocolate chips to those pancakes or some whipped cream to that French toast. As long as you eat a metered portion and you don't indulge too often, this can be a fun and cheap way to get a little bit crazy! I love the Java Chip Frap at Starbucks (splitting a Venti with my hubby shrinks the somewhat higher price); the hot fudge sundae at McDonald's is great as well (for just a buck).
Rule-breaker number two: Ignore certain warning signs in order to see nature's beauty. While out looking for whales above the cliffs in the Pacific Palisades, my hubby and I ignored a sign that announced "DANGER." The steep trail of questionable safety had to be explored, for the unspoiled tide-pools awaited us thirty feet below. Other than a few rogue fishermen, the quarter mile beach was completely secluded. The risky hike down was totally worth it because we found an amazing starfish, one of the biggest crabs I've ever seen, and several fun sea anemones. The added bonus was the simple thrill of doing something fairly freaky and coming out unscathed.
Rule-breaker number three: Let your kids skip school every once in awhile just because. Why do they have to be sick to get a break once in awhile? I feel bad for those few kids who never even get a sneeze or a cough. That's basically unfair discrimination against healthy children. A special trip to Disneyland or to Legoland lifts everyone's tired spirit. A fun trip to the beach or an unexpected visit to Grandma's house for some milk and homemade cookies is a special treat as well. Life is short, so you can't always have your face in a book (you even need the occasional break from updating your Facebook profile online). When I was in high school, my sister and I were straight-A students, so our mom always let us play hookie a few times a year. We had a blast creating fun memories together.
Rule-breaker number four: Lie about your age or your name once in awhile. Like, if you're filling out a survey, you don't have to put that you're in the 40-49 year-old category. Why not keep yourself in the 30-39 category a little bit longer? Or, if you're at Starbucks ordering your latte and you've always wanted to be called Victoria, but you got stuck with a more common name like "Dianne," you should spice it up a bit and fib on your name, just for fun. This is more difficult if you're not paying with cash, but you can work out the details on your own. My middle daughter loves to be called different names once in awhile as well, like King Peter or Queen Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia. She's really good at reminding me that life is an adventure.
Rule-breaker number five: When life gets you down and you feel like throwing in the towel, resist the urge to get depressed! It's not that you don't deserve a pity party sometimes, but it wastes so much energy. Why not go and get your nails done instead? Or, you could go for a refreshing hillside jog. Increasing the O2 clears the mind and gives you more energy too. If all else fails, stop by your favorite frozen yogurt joint with a carefree girlfriend to chat about some lighthearted travel dreams or a movie you can't wait to see (like New Moon on November 20th). Something fun instead of something depressing, why not? We tend to feel like we owe it to our feelings to cave in to their every whim, but it's just not true. Turn that silly rule on its head and just try to get through your most recent drama-disaster sequence without all the sadness. Smile instead!
Share one of your rule-breaker stories here. We'd love to hear from you!
Rule-breaker number one: Eat dessert before dinner. Who says you have to eat dessert after the main course? You can start with the ice cream sundae and eat some chicken enchiladas afterward. You could even skip dinner altogether and just go for a second helping of ice cream with a brownie instead. Eat dessert for breakfast for that matter; add some chocolate chips to those pancakes or some whipped cream to that French toast. As long as you eat a metered portion and you don't indulge too often, this can be a fun and cheap way to get a little bit crazy! I love the Java Chip Frap at Starbucks (splitting a Venti with my hubby shrinks the somewhat higher price); the hot fudge sundae at McDonald's is great as well (for just a buck).
Rule-breaker number two: Ignore certain warning signs in order to see nature's beauty. While out looking for whales above the cliffs in the Pacific Palisades, my hubby and I ignored a sign that announced "DANGER." The steep trail of questionable safety had to be explored, for the unspoiled tide-pools awaited us thirty feet below. Other than a few rogue fishermen, the quarter mile beach was completely secluded. The risky hike down was totally worth it because we found an amazing starfish, one of the biggest crabs I've ever seen, and several fun sea anemones. The added bonus was the simple thrill of doing something fairly freaky and coming out unscathed.
Rule-breaker number three: Let your kids skip school every once in awhile just because. Why do they have to be sick to get a break once in awhile? I feel bad for those few kids who never even get a sneeze or a cough. That's basically unfair discrimination against healthy children. A special trip to Disneyland or to Legoland lifts everyone's tired spirit. A fun trip to the beach or an unexpected visit to Grandma's house for some milk and homemade cookies is a special treat as well. Life is short, so you can't always have your face in a book (you even need the occasional break from updating your Facebook profile online). When I was in high school, my sister and I were straight-A students, so our mom always let us play hookie a few times a year. We had a blast creating fun memories together.
Rule-breaker number four: Lie about your age or your name once in awhile. Like, if you're filling out a survey, you don't have to put that you're in the 40-49 year-old category. Why not keep yourself in the 30-39 category a little bit longer? Or, if you're at Starbucks ordering your latte and you've always wanted to be called Victoria, but you got stuck with a more common name like "Dianne," you should spice it up a bit and fib on your name, just for fun. This is more difficult if you're not paying with cash, but you can work out the details on your own. My middle daughter loves to be called different names once in awhile as well, like King Peter or Queen Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia. She's really good at reminding me that life is an adventure.
Rule-breaker number five: When life gets you down and you feel like throwing in the towel, resist the urge to get depressed! It's not that you don't deserve a pity party sometimes, but it wastes so much energy. Why not go and get your nails done instead? Or, you could go for a refreshing hillside jog. Increasing the O2 clears the mind and gives you more energy too. If all else fails, stop by your favorite frozen yogurt joint with a carefree girlfriend to chat about some lighthearted travel dreams or a movie you can't wait to see (like New Moon on November 20th). Something fun instead of something depressing, why not? We tend to feel like we owe it to our feelings to cave in to their every whim, but it's just not true. Turn that silly rule on its head and just try to get through your most recent drama-disaster sequence without all the sadness. Smile instead!
Share one of your rule-breaker stories here. We'd love to hear from you!
Labels: kids, parents, rule-breakers
