I used to rarely drink coffee. Always loved the smell of it brewing, but just didn't like the taste or the fact that caffeine is supposed to be so bad for you. And then I became a mother. Now I can't start or finish my day without several mugs full of java, black, with cream, sugar, whatever. I don't care what form it comes in, I'll take it. Chocolate covered coffee beans? Pass em over! Caffeine IV drip? Sure, why not! And yes, I do love the taste now, definitely acquired a taste, if not an addiction to it.

And it is unfortunate that I didnt acquire a taste for this nectar of the gods before having my son. I used to travel as a fashion model to Milan, Italy where coffee reigns supreme and people sit sipping cups of it for hours at little tables. I loved the romance and thought of it but could never really get to the bottom of my capuccinos....just wasn't into them. I guess all my late nights out partying with the other fashionistas just weren't really all that exhausting! Italian wine on the other hand, I partook of that freely, joyously, and probably a little too plentifully, but my cure for a hangover from hell was never a cup o joe...it was a cheeseburger and some fries. And maybe some water. Had I discovered the joys of coffee then.....I may have been able to work double duty on my social schedule....or maybe that wouldnt have been the best idea...hmmm..

But being a mother of a precocious and wildly active toddler (boy, no less) is the most exhausting (and miraculous no less) thing I have ever done! Far more exhausting than staying up dancing until the crack of dawn. This child sleeps like a champ all night long but during the day he is go go go. I swear his little legs are a blur as he runs, jumps, chases, skips, and just plain zooms all over the house, yard or wherever else we may be. Chasing him is enough to be considered an aerobic sport, watching him is akin to running a marathon. The daily decathlon this child goes through, with me at his side, leaves yours truly breathless, sweating and in constant need of a recharge...hence my beautiful new friend coffee. Oh coffee how I love thee.......and thank God, now studies show that coffee can actually be beneficial to your health, it being a great source of antioxidents. Antioxidize me baby!! And pass that IV drip!