Thursday, 05 November 2009

  • Soapbox

    I don't live in some scary fantasyland where my kids are broken items that need to be repaired and labeled with some kind of disorder because I can't handle the fact that they are acting like kids!

    I don't need to drug my child into a coma so I can catch a break. Parenting is hard. There are no breaks. Suck it up.

    Kids muck everything up. They do things that make you want to scream and laugh and cry all at the same time. They wipe toothpaste on the walls. They lie. They steal. They blame their siblings with straight faces. They explore the world in so many different and unusual ways it is amazing.

    They are all unique and special and have so many different needs and wants – EVERY child on the planet has special needs.

    I can't stand hearing or reading about these 'autism spectrum disorders' and how they are so 'prevalent these days'. I don't even want to get into WHY they are so prevalent but I know from personal experience it has NOTHING to do with facts.

    HELLO people! Try having an actual relationship with your children and maybe, just maybe you'll learn something wonderful from them! Instead of shoving them in a corner, shoving a pill down their throat and slapping a retard label on them try a little understanding!! Forget daycare, forget doctors, forget endless hours of pointless therapy! Lets try and get back to basics here and remember why we started having all these beautiful children to begin with!

    /soapbox

Monday, 26 October 2009

  • My Mom-isms

    Some things I've learned in my meager 15 years as a mother. For whatever reason these things have been bouncing around in my head for the past week.. do with them what you will :)

    I'll probably edit this and add things to it over time.. don't be surprised if I repost it at some point... I just need to get it posted before I forget again, while I have a second before starting dinner!

    ********************************

    Be consistent.
    Whatever you do, whatever you say - follow through. Don't say things like "if you do that again I'm going to kill you", and then not follow through. Yes I'm serious, one day the child that heard that one a few times will respond to you with "no you wont, you say that all the time". Trust me, being consistent is something kids notice especially when you consistently do or say something wrong.

    People everywhere will know you are a mom, forever.
    3 pregnancies in a row will leave vast areas of your skin looking like Freddy Krueger's face. Even if no one ever sees you naked and you manage to get out of the house without waffles in your hair, they will still know you are a mom. Case in point: A few weeks ago while walking through a grocery store alone with my big pregnant belly, a woman came up to me smiling and said "not your first is it?". I said "no, how did you know?" to which she replied "you have a little baby powder handprint on the back of your shirt!" and I laughed through the rest of the store.

    I am not phased by finding crumbs in my bra.
    Or an apple core in my shoe. Or even Polly Pocket accessories while rinsing out poopy diapers. Fact is, not much can make me even say 'ick' anymore.

    Consequences are a kids best friend.
    Kids need boundaries and structure. When they veer outside the lines you've set, you need to have set consequences as well. Otherwise the lines will blur and they will never respect you.

    Television is your enemy.
    Nothing is worse than having a child addicted to the television and it's accessories. Some will tell you that it is a godsend when wanting to get things done. Some will tell you it is harmless and every child watches television all the time. I've learned the hard way that television WILL rot the brain and it may or may not be reversible. I've since found that children don't need the television at all and learn way more from me than any educational show that will ever be produced.

    Alone time is a joke.
    Me time will go from a few hours out or some leisurely reading on the couch to successfully making it through a trip to the potty uninterrupted. Personally I treasure that 30 seconds on the toilet, no matter how messy the bathroom is.

    Cleanliness is next to nothing.
    Your idea of clean will not be shared with any of your children. It most likely won't be shared by anyone in the house and you need to get a handle on that lest you drive yourself insane. Always remember at some point you WILL have time to get your house in order again.

    Patience comes in varying degrees and categories.
    There are people that know me that say "man you have no patience at all", and there are others that say "you've got the patience of a saint". Fact is, both statements will be true througout your entire parenting career.

    Honesty is the best policy.
    There are no situations where lying to your child will benefit you or them. Be it Santa Claus or the death of a loved one, the truth is the best way to go. Lies only beget lies and create the need to explain those lies and eventually tell the truth anyway! Children can handle the truth and deserve it at all times!

  • Irrational Fear

    All this ridiculous talk about the 'dangerous swine flu' that is supposedly spreading and killing 'so' many people.. even thought I've yet to hear of or even come in contact with ANYONE that even knows anyone that's had it.. has got me thinking..

    Irrationality seems to be the theme of things lately. For me, I'm certain it is stemming from this pregnancy that is fast coming to a close. For instance, I have this overwhelming feeling that my labor will begin while I'm alone and I'll have to give birth unassisted. This will likely not happen no matter how much my normally rational brain refuses to stop going there, but it is not uncommon for a pregnant woman to be irrational at any time during pregnancy. 

    The irrationality surrounding the flu though, is mind boggling. I have not had one iota of concern over this insane 'swine flu epidemic', considering how ludicrous it all is. The fact that they are desperate to make it seem like such a horrid situation however, is disturbing. The reports of possible mandates and forceful administering of the very dangerous vaccine, weather truthful or not, are terrifying to say the least - and I certainly would not let anyone come near me or my children with a needle (or nose spray shot) full of that toxic mess. My OB has even requested that all patients in receipt of the shot (particularly the nasal one since the virus is communicable for 21 days after receiving it) stay away from the office, as not to expose anyone to it's shedding dangers.

    I just can't understand why this big deal has been made, it is very suspicious indeed. After all, it is only the flu..

Monday, 19 October 2009

  • One Crunchy Mama

    I found this How Crunchy Are You survey while blog reading and thought I'd share!

    EarthMama.jpg image by jlraventhorne

    How Crunchy Are You?

    1. Do you have a homebirth?
    No - alternative birthing method(birth center, CNM in hospital, hypnobirthing, hospital birth, ALL natural without any drugs of ANY kind)

    I have wanted a homebirth for quite some time but it doesn't look like it's in the cards for me.. no matter how much I despise hospitals.. though aside from the intervention laden nightmare that was Willows birth, the rest are/were all natural.

    2. Will you circumcise?
    No

    Not that I have the option at this point (as I'm currently pregnant with a girl who is also my last) but I did not circumcise Lucas as Tre' was. I was more informed when Lucas was born and decided he was perfect the way he was made and didn't need any cosmetic surgery.

    3. Do you use cloth diapers?
    Yes - wash and make own diapers

    Of course everyone knows this :)

    4. Do you observe your fertility signals using; Natural Family Planning/Fertility Awareness and use that for birth control?
    Yes - observe and use for birth control/TTC; or you use ecological breastfeeding/lactational amenorrhea

    This isn't exactly true, as with my current pregnancy I was not aware I even ovulated since I was exclusively breastfeeding at the time.. I like to think it was meant to be no matter what!

    5. Do you co-sleep?
    Yes - part/all of most nights

    I was co-sleeping with Luke on a regular basis until a few months ago when he decided he would sleep in his crib once I turned it into the toddler bed.. but he does still end up in bed with us on occasion.

    6. Do you use a baby sling/soft carrier?
    Yes - make and use your own slings

    I have made and purchased a few of these and find them to be a must at infancy and a further necessity when you have more than one toddler nipping at your heels!

    7. Do you breastfeed exclusively for the first 6+ months?
    Yes - child-led weaning

    My goal is always 1 year, with my first I only made it a few month (due to misinformation and no support) but have gone way beyond that with my younger 2!

    8. Do you believe in/practice child-led weaning; even if that means breastfeeding for several years?
    Yes - up to 3 years

    If I'm honest I'd say 2 years is my limit, but Willow went a bit over that and I didn't mind.

    9. Do you tandem nurse/nurse during your pregnancy?
    Yes - nurse during pregnancy and tandem nurse

    I nursed Willow through my entire pregnancy with Lucas and nursed him through my current pregnancy.. though I dried up near the end of this summer and he became uninterested until recently when my colostrum came in he's been asking for it in the middle of the night.

    10. Would you/have you ever breastfed/fed someone else's baby or have someone else breastfeed your child?
    Yes - would do it

    I was never in either situation, but I would absolutely breastfeed a child in need if ever I were asked.. and if another mama were kind enough to do the same for me I would be eternally grateful if it were something I ever needed.

    11. Do you eat organic/whole/natural foods and limit your meat?
    Yes - try to buy natural, whole grain foods, etc

    I would like to say we grow all our own produce but sadly we have no property to grow on. We do stick to a more natural and simple diet though. We stay away from almost all processed foods and prepackaged things.

    12. Do you use herbal/homeopathic remedies?
    Yes - very rarely see a regular doctor

    Over the last few years I have found little to no use for a doctor whatsoever.

    13. Do you homeschool?
    Thinking about it

    I am considering homeschooling for my younger children after experiencing the horror that is public school for the last 10 years with my oldest son.

    14. What's your take on childhood vaccinations?
    No vaccines

    I have yet to find a convincing reason to vaccinate for anything. Ever.

    15. Do you use cloth/re-usable products for mom? (Sea Sponge, Diva Cup, etc etc)
    Yes - make and use own

    It was the only logical thing to to once I had switched to cloth diapers. I love my mama cloth!

    16. Do you wear make-up?
    No never

    Ok, maybe once or twice a year I'll put on mascara or eye liner.

    17. Do you shave?
    Sometimes/Rarely - some parts, like armpits but not legs or vice versa

    This really has less to do with being crunchy and more to do with the tiny amount of time I have to shower.

    18. What is your shoe style?
    Barefoot whenever possible

    If I have to wear shoes, I love my crocs!

    19. Do you use natural cleaning products/etc?
    Yes - make own

    I've tried some of the natural cleaning products on the market today and they don't do a better job than my vinegar/water/tea tree oil combo or baking soda and lemon juice.. plus they are very pricey!

    Score: 167 point(s)

     

    Score:
    225-170 WOW!~Crunchier than Grape Nuts!
    169-130 Super Nutty, Ultra-Crunchy, Granola Earth Mama!
    129-90 Mmm! Love that whole-grain crunch!
    89-60 Pretty crispy!
    59-20 Sprinkled with granola!
    19-5 Instant Oatmeal
    4-0 Jello

     

     

Sunday, 18 October 2009

Monday, 12 October 2009

  • Not.

    I've had the song "I'm the Man" by Anthrax running through my head for the past few days. It brings back some, um.. colorful childhood memories. AND has had me ending many a sentence with "NOT!" lately. Good stuff.

    So I went in search of a video to hopefully exorcize it from my brain, and I came upon this one on youtube. It is a fairly new live performance of it at a local (to me) place. I can't believe how good these guys look.. it's like a yumfest for the eyeballs.. well for me anyway.

    Then I found this one, from a Monsters of Rock show I very well could have been at! What a freakin difference!

    Hopefully someone out there will understand why this has lifted my spirits.. haha

Monday, 05 October 2009

  • Nighttime Accidents Beware!

    Since Willow potty trained in January her occasional nighttime accidents have sent me a bit batty trying to develop the perfect trainers.

    I went from fleece to PUL and back to fleece again! I even bought a few packages of disposable pull-ups ! GASP! Then I found some great used trainers on Spots that were working out wonderfully.. until Willow decided to grow.

    Back to the drawing board I went, spending nearly all day drafting and tweaking my way to something I'm pretty proud of!

    (again I apologize for the poor quality pictures)

    I have a very limited amount of materials at the moment since most of my stash has been packed up and sent to storage. The mismatched color coordination you see here is the only victim though, as they fit well and function exactly as needed. With 3 layers of microfiber sewn inbetween the PUL and cotton knit, she will be perfectly protected all night long!

    Outside:

    trainer01

    Inside:

    trainer02

    Action Shot:

    trainer03

    I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of my stash and make some REALLY cute ones!

  • Swiffer Hacks

    I love my Swiffer Wetjet, but in the interest of saving money and eliminating waste I've come up with 2 ways to make it completely reusable without spending a dime or contributing to any landfills. I'm certain other moms have done the same and even shared their ideas, but I thought I'd share mine too.

    When I bought my Wetjet at our local BJ's a few years ago it came with 2 containers of cleaning fluid and one box that contained 10 throw away pads. At the rate that I need to clean my hard floors I knew those pads were going to be gone within a week. As soon as I got it home I went through my stash of absorbent materials and whipped up some pads with loop touchtape on the bottoms.

    Since I've recently been destashing my diapers I just happen to have a PILE of microfiber towels at my disposal and this morning decided to make a few more.

    (Just A Note: The battery door on my good digital camera has finally bit the dust. Although I've tried everything I can possibly muster, there is no more fixing it. Please excuse the horrible quality of the pictures presented below, I had to use an old digital camera that doesn't seem to do anything it photographs any justice.)

    These are extremely easy to make and do not really require a sewing machine. Just trifold a microfiber towel and trim it to fit the bottom of the Swiffer, then add the loop touchtape as you like. You can do 2 long strips or even shorter strips than I've done here, I just had a scrap piece of this particular touchtape and cut it to fit the 3 pads I made evenly. When you sew the touchtape down the towel stays folded in place and since microfiber generally does not fray there is no need for any further stitching. Just use and toss in the wash! I do recommend washing without fabric softeners or harsh detergents to keep them clean and absorbent.

    swifferhack02

    Through trial and error I found that you cannot just refill the cleaning fluid bottles as they will leak once removed. So I decided to just cut a hole in the bottle and attach the screw-on top of a soda bottle with some Plumber Goop. I'm sure a glue gun or any all purpose glue like E3000 or Gorilla Glue would do the trick too. I fill it with half vinegar, half water and a couple drops of tea tree oil or lavender oil.

    swifferhack01

    And there you have it! Now go make your Swiffer Wetjet reusable today!

Monday, 28 September 2009

  • 48 Hour Maternity Law?

    In New Jersey, the 48 Hour Maternity Law states that a mother cannot be tossed out of a hospital on her tookus less than 48 hours after a normal vaginal delivery and 96 hours after a caesarean. Unless, of course, her insurance does not cover that. There are a few other exceptions regarding state and federal laws not meshing up, but I'm not concerned about that.

    I keep seeing political commercials for governor stating how one candidate made it 'mandatory' that a hospital 'not allow' a woman to be released sooner than 48 hours after birth. This is what concerns me. I've been searching and searching but can't find any actual legislation to back that up. I'd really like to know what the clear current law is regarding the "48 Hour Maternity Law". I need to be prepared!

    The reason I am so concerned is that I do NOT want to spend 48 hours in the hospital after Raven is born. I didn't when Lucas, Willow or Tre' were born either. They found ways of dragging that out with Lucas and I've already blogged about the nightmare that was Willow's birth in hospital. Tre' was born in the middle of a snow storm and weather conditions had me there a little over 48 hours BUT I had been discharged 24 hours after birth - a lot of things were different back then though.

    I would be 100% fine with walking out of the hospital immediately following the birth, heck I'd much rather birth at home but midwives/doulas are not covered under our insurance and we really can't afford the expense right now. First of all, I have other children at home that need me and can't be cooped up in a stupid hospital eating crappy food - childbirth is not a medical malady or sickness. Second of all, unless I have some kind of complication (which I never have) there is no reason for staying that long. I plan on breastfeeding, refusing the Hep B/Vitamin K/Erythromycin (that nasty eye goop), rooming in with her and not allowing her to go anywhere without me. So really, if I'm cleared (and my OB already said he'd discharge me following the birth) and baby has the apgar/hearing tests we should be able to leave. Unless there actually is some newer law that prevents it before 48 hours.

    Does anyone know where I can find some definitive information on this subject without sending off an email that will never be answered to one of my representatives?

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

  • Ahhhh...

    What's better than new fluff to brighten one's day?

    Nothing, I tell you.

    Here is a first look at my brand new fitteds. Out of frustration and a need to relax, this one is fresh off the sewing machine!

    nf02

    It is composed of a beautiful rainbow striped cotton interlock knit outer. Yummy baby pink cotton velour on the inside and a four hidden layers of birdseye!

    nf03

    Each petal of the 2 petal sewn in soaker consists of 6 layers birdseye sandwiched between the cotton interlock and velour. At the waist and legs is my usual 100% cotton/natural rubber elastic and I did not add touchtape/snaps because I still prefer pins!

    Normally I would use microfiber or hemp for the soaker but I happen to have several yards of high quality birdseye that creates just as good a soaker.

    nf01

    Of course these are for my own personal use at this time, but I am still taking custom orders for a few more weeks. At some point I'm going to HAVE to take a break to pack this house up and of course welcome little Raven!